Are They Even Trying Anymore?

O.k. so I’ve been a little underwhelmed by the announcements that have been coming out from DC this year at San Diego. Marvel has been rolling out with these amazing announcements and exclusives. It’s making DC seem second rate by comparison. But that is a post for another time. What this post is about is the new Salvation Run mini-series that DC has just announced with writer Bill Willingham and artist Sean Chen.

I won’t go into it all that much, I mean Newsarama just wrote an article about it. Basically, the idea is that somewhere in the universe there is going to be a prison planet where all the villains are going to be put. Does it seem like a good idea to put the smartest, most evil minds in one place? No, it does not. These aren’t horse thieves and pickpockets on some island in the Pacific. These are geniuses and inventors. Of course it is pretty obvious that it’s not the good guys behind this idea. For my guess who is behind it all let’s go to the second teaser image:

Ah. It’s not such a far leap to see the Earth that the Evil is inheriting is this Salvation Run planet. It is also not such a leap to see that it is Luthor who will be controlling the planet, for at least a while, before things are done. After all, the passage “blessed be the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth” comes from Matthew Book 5. It is in this book that Jesus walks around gathering followers, building his reputation, preaching his word. Thus we can assume from the Last Supper allusion that Luthor (in the Jesus position) is going to walk around trying to get everyone to follow him.

Of course, he isn’t the person behind it all. Look at what is coming out of the ground in the teaser image, look at the sky, and then take a look at the Salvation Run image.

It’s Darkseid’s planet, apparently policed by Parademons in funny hats. Then if you think about who has been rounding up the villains it kind of makes sense. It’s members of the Suicide Squad, which suggests Amanda Waller is in cahoots with someone who is taking orders from Darkseid if not Darkseid himself. However, there is also some overlap between the Suicide Squad and the Secret Six. Who is on the Secret Six? Knockout, former resident of Apokolips. I say the new member of the Secret Six is either another female fury or Mary Marvel, having fallen under the thrall of Granny Goodness. Look at the teaser image for that possible connection.

My main complaint is that drawing these conclusions wasn’t that hard. What good is a surprise if you can figure it out? DC has given us a present but we shake the box and figure out what’s inside. There still are plenty of surprises; we don’t know the brand or all the moving parts or whatever. However, we have a pretty good idea of what’s going on.

With such a lackluster SDCC, with so few announcements, do we think DC has stopped trying? Are they just taking us for granted, forcing more stuff down our throat that they want to sell rather than what we want to read? Have I become too jaded and cynical? I hope not but I’m concerned that this is the case.

The Big One Zero Zero

So I’ve hit 100 posts, which I guess is not that huge an accomplishment. At a post a day that’s not even a third of a year. However, with the start-stop-start pace this blog has had, 100 feels like a big deal. So I want to say thanks to everyone who consistently makes comments, that’s what keeps me doing this. Well that and I like to read my own words.

I had big plans for this post. Things like finally putting up that Battle of Metropolis post that I’ve been working on. Unfortunately, a chunk of my thesis is coming due and I haven’t had a moment to take my notes from the battle and make it into a coherent read. So instead I open with a contest.

I’m finally going to get a banner for this site. I’ve been told by other bloggers that a banner really adds something to a blog. I’m not sure what that something is but by golly I want it. So I’ve been trying to come up with a catchy slogan, a line that really says, “That’s what Those Wednesdays is all about.” I had this:

WHERE MAN-CHILDREN COME TO PLAY!

However, that made me worry that people would take the blog as some sort of NAMBLA affiliate. So if you can come up with a snappy Those Wednesdays slogan that would be awesome. The winner will get mad props and see their catchphrase every time they visit this site.

Also, on an unrelated note, we’re recording another podcast tonight with special guest panelist, Tori Tyree of the Big Monkey Comics Women’s Discussion group. I still need Lightning Round Questions and a Dramatic Reading or two. So if you’ve got them, send to Thosewednesdays@gmail.com by 6:00 PM EST.

Radio-Ga-Ga

WATCH OUT! Big Monkey Podcast Number #5 is up. It is full of the super awesome. Listen and love guys and gals, listen and love. I really do mean what I offer at the end of the show, by the way. If you can create a theme song for the Big Monkey Podcast of thirty seconds to a minute in length, I will personally buy you one of the Big Monkey shirts available at Cafe Press.

Also we are recording again this Thursday night. We’re talking Black Canary and what it means to be a New Reader. Also we will have our first ever – INTERVIEW. Hear Devon talk to Mike Carey, writer of Ultimate Fantastic Four, Re-Gifters and Lucifer, to name just a few. We’re moving up in the world.

So if you have any questions, comments or dramatic readings you go ahead and send them to Thosewednesdays@gmail.com by 6 PM Thursday night. Thanks and happy listening.

My Name In Print

The following has nothing to do with comics.

So last Friday night I went to the "Buffy Musical Big Screen Interactive Extravaganza." It was really fun. So I got there a little early, you know because I’m really paranoid about time. As someone who never got his driver’s license, my life pretty much is decided by bus schedules and Metro trains. I’ve grown accustomed to delays and breakdowns. Thus, I tend to plan these into my schedule and when said calamities do not occur I get to places thirty to forty-five minutes early. Call me paranoid and neurotic.

Anyway that’s kind of beside the point. Since I was first in line I got interviewed by the Washington Post. My name opens the article. It’s kind of dope. So here is the opening excerpt.

Ben Hatton is not, like, the biggest "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fan ever.

Yes, he might have arrived three hours early to score the first spot in line for "The Buffy Musical Big Screen Interactive Extravaganza" at the Avalon Theatre on Friday at midnight. Yes, he might have downloaded all of the songs to said extravaganza, and he might have memorized them, and his wife might be sitting on a park bench 20 feet away because she is embarrassed he made them come so early.

But compared with the other 427 wannabe slayers who advance-purchased their tickets for Friday's sold-out show and formed a queue stretching around the corner, Hatton swears his fanship is relatively puny. "I didn't wear a costume or anything," said the stocky 26-year-old video store clerk. "I'm not going to be that fat dude dressed as Angel."

Here is the link to the rest of the article. Sorry for tooting my own horn. I just couldn’t help it.

I Should Have Seen It Coming

So in the podcast we recorded on Thursday (hopefully it will be up today) we talked about the Green Arrow. I, for one, love the character. In fact I would go so far to say that he is my favorite character in the DC Universe. I won’t defend my reasons for this Green Arrow love, you’ll have to listen to the podcast for that, but I will say that I’ve got a bone to pick with DC.

They are having the character willingly accept semi-retirement. He decided not to join the JLA; he gave Roy the Red Arrow costume. It is like the writers are having him step down to do something else. However, they haven’t given us that something else. I need to be able to buy a characters motivation, the choices he or she makes. The writing around Oliver Queen’s choices to no longer be the DCU’s foremost archer are sloppy and unbelievable. What Winick has done with Green Arrow’s emotional growth has been great, but no longer fighting the good fight does not click in with that growth.

What’s even more frustrating is that no one seems to care. I say that Green Arrow is my favorite character and people look at me like I’m daft. Oliver Queen’s character has changed over the years and that has made him an engaging read. He went from knock off to liberal to working towards emotional maturity. I like reading comics where a man-child gets together within the context of fighting demons. It’s fun read those stories; I connect better with them. I feel the same way about Hugh Grant. But you try to explain this stuff to other comic fans and they just blow you off with a, “Meh.”

I shouldn’t be surprised though. No matter how engaging the character is, no matter how many times he’s come through (the man shot Parralax!), DC will always give him second class treatment. How do I know this? Well I recently saved a Justice League of America Monopoly game from the trash. Who did they stick in the Baltic/Mediterranean spots? Whose face is on the one-dollar bill?

Yeah, my boy, Green Arrow.