WLG #219: An Absolutely Super Green Spring!

By Michael A. Diaz

Thanks to everyone that commented on the state of the comic book industry last week. Perhaps I am just being dour and pessimistic when I wonder if a bust is coming. It would seem that the overwhelming majority of those that left comments were certain that there is no coming bust.

I hope their right, I really do.

Don't get me wrong, I love comics, I really do. Heck, I've been collecting them for almost 20 years now (my first issue was G.I. Joe #52, sigh....) and I plan on collecting for at least 20 more, if not longer. It wasn't so much that I was TRYING to be negative, but more in that I had noticed some things that seemed to me to show the cyclical nature of the industry.

Of course, when one looks at our current pop culture and sees films like Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Hellboy 2 all coming out this year, I guess it is pretty easy to make the case that comics are still very much in demand.

Good.

I WANT them to be.

I'm suggesting comics to people all of the time. When a guy at work sees a news piece on Pride of Baghdad and decides to pick it up I applaud him and say, “Yes, and there are plenty of other awesome comics as well.”

When I bring a copy of the first Planetary trade paperback to work and someone starts poking through it and can't put it down, well, those are all GOOD things.
That's what I WANT to see.

Perhaps my own life distractions got in the way, because like I said, I really do hope that I am wrong.

I LOVE comics.

Standard Disclaimer: For those of you new to the WLG experience, here's how it works: Every week I check out the release schedule from the Diamond Comics Shipping List and decide which comics that I am going to spend my hard-earned money on. Yep, my money. That's good, because it helps to maintain my objectivity. If I spend money on a comic book and it turns out to be crap I'm going to be upset.Well, enough of me and my dire prognostications; let's talk about what's really important and see What Looks Good...DC

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #10 $2.99 (Grant Morrison / Frank Quitely)

Had you told me a year or so ago that I would be excited about a Superman book I would have kindly asked you to please stop doing drugs. And yet, here I am, not just excited, but geeking out over a Superman book.

Why? Well, it has EVERYTHING to do with the creative team. Let’s be honest here, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely are a force to be reckoned with. Just pick up an issue of Flex Mentallo, JLA: Earth 2, We3, or New X-Men from a few years back and you’ll quickly know what I am talking about.

Or, better yet, any issue from this creative team’s run on All Star Superman.

One of my favorite things about this book is that they’ve decided to go in the direction of Superman being less of a traditional comic book hero and more of a pulpy science fiction hero. When you think about it, that idea makes ALL KINDS of sense. After all, Kal-El is the last son of an alien race that was launched to Earth in a space ship. He might look like us, but Superman really is an alien. Science fiction just really makes so much sense.

And that is what this has been the entire time, a rollicking sci-fi adventure.

Since the first issue we’ve known that Superman had absorbed far too much solar radiation; since then there have been many hints and references to the pending outcome of this. Could this be the issue that we’ve been waiting for?

SO geeked!

AUTHORITY PRIME #6 (OF 6) $2.99 (Christos Gage / Darick Robertson)

Really, this is a guilty pleasure of mine. What can I say, I have loved every incarnation of the various StormWatch teams as well as The Authority, so seeing the two square off has been a real treat. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that you have Christos Gage writing the book and Darick Robertson drawing it.

Hopefully this leads to more books starring these teams I both love so much.

GREEN LANTERN #29 $2.99 (Geoff Johns / Ivan Reis)

Right now I am loving everything about this series. Of course, over the next year this book is going to be leading up to the “Blackest Night” story arc, and this is no exception. Johns is using the “Secret Origins” theme to once again retell the origin of Hal Jordan. However, this time the origin should prove to be a touch different as I am sure that we are going to see allusions, things that may not have been mentioned before, to the darkness coming to the DC Universe.

In this issue we’re sure to see a bit about Abin Sur, Hal’s predecessor, but who also spoke often of the prophecy of “Blackest Night.”

More and more pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.

Again, it was kind of a light week for me; was there anything that looked good to you this week? Your thoughts on anything else to do with comics? Share them! Just check out theWhat Looks Good message boards (see link below) and spread the love, my friend, spread the love.

Until then,

Peace!

-Diaz