Nov 12 2013

Mighty Avengers 3

Alternating Currents: Mighty Avengers 3, Drew and ShelbyToday, Drew and Shelby are discussing Mighty Avengers 3, originally released November 6th, 2013. 

infinity divider…and this whole justice league — Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman. You mean to tell me Superman can’t cover everything? For crying out loud, he’s Superman!

Jerry Seinfeld

Drew: It’s hard to resist the synergy of a superhero team-up. Batman and Superman have megawatt star-power alone, but combine them, and you can draw an even bigger audience. As easy as it is to justify those team-ups from a business perspective, it can actually be quite difficult to justify them narratively. Writers often resort to improbably massive threats or absurd contrivances to bring their heroes together, but the biggest problem with team-ups is much more fundamental than plotting. The appeal of superheroes — the appeal of the idea of The Hero in general — is that they alone bear the power to succeed in their journey. If you put several of them in a story together, their narrative purposes are at odds, dividing any victories between them in a way that is ultimately less satisfying. But what if a team isn’t made up of such heavy-hitters? What if they were presented with a problem that the members couldn’t possibly cover on their own? Mighty Avengers 3 zeroes in on exactly what strength can be found, as its team becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Continue reading →

Nov 12 2013

Superman Unchained 4

superman unchained 4

Today, Mikyzptlk and Spencer are discussing Superman Unchained 4, originally released November 6th, 2013.

Mikyzptlk: Superheroes and the concept of death have a…complicated relationship, to say the least. No matter how a particular hero has died, and no matter how long a character has been six feet under, there is no way to be certain that they will remain dead forever. Bucky Barnes was dead for 50 years before Marvel shocked us all with his resurrection. In the end, all it takes to bring a hero back from the grave are some creative pen strokes and an editor’s approval. With that, the concept of dying in a superhero comic has been diluted to the point of near meaninglessness. Superman Unchained 4 talks a lot about death, more specifically the death of Superman. Of course, we all know that Superman isn’t really going to die, and even if he did, he’d just come back later anyway. So, while Scott Snyder doesn’t actually have me worried about Superman’s fate, he certainly presents one hell of a foreboding issue.  Continue reading →

Nov 11 2013

Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe 1

longshot 1

Today, Patrick and Ethan are discussing Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe 1, originally released November 6th, 2013.

Patrick: This summer at E3, two of the biggest brands in video gaming had to pitch their new systems at an audience that hadn’t had to think about new consoles in years. It’s an absurd proposition when you think about it: spend $400 dollars on one of these boxes so you can play games (oh by the way, you can keep playing games on the boxes you already own). Technologically, the boxes are nearly identical, but something has to separate Sony from Microsoft, so the small differences suddenly became the biggest. In one of the biggest dick-moves I’ve ever seen come out of the conference, Sony specifically pointed to all of those tiny flaws in Microsoft’s XBox One, and said “yeah, we’re not making those mistakes.” There’s something refreshingly honest about Sony embracing the ‘us vs. them’ mentality that the fans have been espousing forever. Especially in light of DC’s reboot and their current editorial woes, Marvel is well-poised to make few quiet assertions about what they’re proud to be… and a few things they’re proud not to be. Continue reading →

Nov 11 2013

The Star Wars 3

star wars 3

Today, Patrick and Taylor are discussing The Star Wars 3, originally released November 6th, 2013.

Patrick: When my friends and I first discovered that soda fountains existed, we became obsessed with creating new concoctions by combining sodas. I think this is a phase that we all go through: while the specific recipes and names change from friend-group to friend-group, we’ve all heard of ‘The Suicide” – an unholy mixing of all the options at once! (Even Diet? YES EVEN DIET.) Appropriately enough, my buddy Pete and I had both a Luke Skywalker and a Darth Vader in our recipe rolodexes. The Luke Skywalker was basically just the light sodas — Seven Up, Mountain Dew, Orange Crush — and the Darth Vader was basically just the dark sodas — Coke, Cherry, Dr. Pepper and Root Beer — and we loved coming up with those drinks based on our favorite Star Wars characters. But, as everyone eventually learns, this is silly: those individual sodas are delicious because they have strong individual identities, and the joy is lost when you just pile everything together and hope for the best. Darkhorse’s The Star Wars reveals the experimentation behind the original script to Star Wars. It’s a big nasty pile-up, but it makes me all the more happy we ever got the simplicity of the original trilogy. Continue reading →

Nov 11 2013

Trillium 4

trillium 4

Today, Shelby and Greg are discussing Trillium 4, originally released November 6th, 2013. Shelby: There are a lot of things happening in Jeff Lemire’s Trillium. The end of the human race, some sort of super-virus, travel through both time and space, and aliens. With all the science fiction action unfolding, it can be easy to forget this story is, at its heart, a love story. The mysterious temples and potential end of the human race suck me into the story, but the relationship building (Or possibly already built? It’s unclear.) between Nika and William is what sets the hook in my heart and keeps me coming back.
Continue reading →

Nov 8 2013

Green Arrow 25

green arrow 25Today, Spencer and Shelby are discussing Green Arrow 25, originally released November 6th, 2013.

Spencer: Much like Wonder Woman or Batwoman, Jeff Lemire’s run on Green Arrow has been steadily building its own mythology that feels completely removed from anything else going on in the DC Universe. Despite that, Lemire’s still managed to make Ollie’s connections to the Justice League of America and Roy Harper work within the context of his larger saga, but he isn’t so fortunate with this month’s Zero Year story. The tie-in feels pointless, and it’s only the new character of John Diggle that anchors things to the book’s ongoing plot at all. Continue reading →

Nov 8 2013

Amazing X-Men 1

Today, Taylor and Ethan are discussing Amazing X-Men 1, originally released November 6th, 2013.

Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.

– “Heaven” by The Talking Heads

Taylor: So sings David Byrne in describing his vision of paradise. Whatever your beliefs or disbeliefs of heaven may be, there’s no denying the power of the imagery the word or thought evokes. For some, it may be a rosy paradise full of angels strumming on harps. For others it may be a state of mind that represents tranquility. And for others still it may mean a bed full of Doritos being fed to you while Arnold Schwarzenegger movies play endlessly on repeat (or is that hell?). But what would heaven look like to a member of the X-Men? A danger room set to beyond-lethal difficulty? A utopia where humans and mutants get along? A place free of the burden of having augmented powers? In Amazing X-Men 1, we get our answer and fans are reintroduced to a member of the X-Men who they have surely been missing.

Continue reading →

Nov 8 2013

Captain Marvel 17

capt marvel 17Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Captain Marvel 17, originally released November 6, 2013.

Patrick: Drew and I were just having a conversation about Carol Danvers and her Carol Corps. The idea that a superhero has legions of in-world fans makes perfect sense, just as it makes sense that there would be legions of fans in the real world. But the devotion and enthusiasm of Captain Marvel fans — both inside and outside of the Marvel Universe — is a of a different class. We noted at NYCC that members of the Carol Corps love being pandered to, and basically anything that came out of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s mouth elicited uproarious applause from that corner of the room (you know, that corner). From the outside looking in, that’s creepy and more than a little sycophantic. But the beauty in that fandom is just how egolessly they pursue it: they don’t stop to assess why Captain Marvel makes them feel this way, she just does. It’s a naked sincerity that’s echoed perfectly in this good-bye-for-now issue – an earnest celebration of Captain Marvel that dares you to have the time of your life.

Continue reading →

Nov 7 2013

East of West 7

east of west 7Today, Shelby and Patrick are discussing East of West 7, originally released November 6th, 2013.

We would tell you to pray, but it wouldn’t do any good. You have earned what is coming to you.

-East of West

Shelby: What is it about stories of the apocalypse that we love so very much? It’s the end of everything, the last story, turn off the lights and lock the door on your way out; it’s scary and oppressive and anxiety-inducing. Will everyone die? What happens when you die, really? Can this be stopped? Do we really want to stop it? What is it that, despite those soul-searching questions, drives us to these grim stories? I know I eat them up; I love me a good apocalypse. Maybe it’s the chance for redemption, or the hope that this will be the moment that will bring people together, that  everyone will finally unite against the end and bring about change. Considering the character I’m rooting for the most in Jonathan Hickman’s East of West is the horseman Death, I suspect this won’t be that kind of story.

Continue reading →

Nov 7 2013

Batman/Superman 5

Alternating Currents: Batman/Superman 5, Drew and ScottToday, Drew and Scott are discussing Batman/Superman 5, originally released November 6th, 2013. 

Drew: Ironic detachment is a dangerous thing in a work of art. It calls our attention to the weaknesses of a story, but it can’t do much to address those weaknesses. In calling our attention to the foibles of a work of art, the artist is intentionally leaving them in, which either means they’re either left there intentionally (maybe just to point them out), or they’re actually unavoidable, in which case, making fun of them is entirely superficial. Either way, it makes the art about itself, which is great if the point of the art is to comment on the limitations of the form, but starts to break down if it needs to make any other points. Unfortunately, Batman/Superman 5 aims for something beyond its postmodern trappings, and falls firmly into this latter category. Continue reading →