HOW TO MAKE THE DC MOVIES DIFFERENT AND EXCITING!

The next few years are going to be pretty exciting. Starting with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros have promised us at least two superhero movies a year. That's awesome! Plus there's Arrow, the Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Gotham plus many more in development. Unlike with Marvel, it looks like the majority of the Justice League will team up before they actually get solo films. Granted, it might be considered a risky move but it could be beneficial in the long run. Plus, let's face it, team up movies are super cool nowadays!

One of the biggest complaints about the current Marvel movies is that they all follow the same formula. Guy gets a hold of some superpower or tech, messes around with it, meets some people, fights some generic bad guy, and lots of quips are said. I just described Iron Man, Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and to a certain degree Captain America: the First Avenger to you. In that regard, props to Thor for being different and cool! To avoid this trap, DC/WB will have to think differently about how they approach their films.

I'm one of those that genuinely enjoyed Man of Steel. I get the criticisms but to me it was a well made film and exactly the Superman film that I wanted to watch. It dealt with the burden of having super-powers, alien invasions, being the son of two worlds, and finding your place in society. So yeah . . . It's not bad!

 

Plus I mean . . . Look at this guy! He's handsome as hell!

Both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad look like they will be giving us different flavor superhero movies and that's what they need to stay fresh, relevant and interesting. In my opinion, that's why the Flash and Gotham have been so successful. They look and feel different from one another but they draw from the comic book source material. It would be boring to see the same type of TV show every week. Just like it's getting old seeing the same type of Marvel movie every year.

Not pointing any fingers but . . . 

So how do we keep this from happening to the DC movies? Each hero is unique and deals with different villains and situations. The films should reflect that. I have a few ideas that I'd like to share on the matter . . . 

THE FLASH - SLOW DOWN AND GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS

The Flash is the fastest man alive. He's always racing to the next crime or doing his best to prevent the next crime with his incredible speed. But going that fast means that you don't get to enjoy life. There was a line in Flash: Rebirth where they say that when Barry was alive he used to stop,slow down and get to know the people he rescued. He was a hero in Central City because he was very obviously a Central City Citizen! Central Citizen? Hmm . .. Anyway! I think it would be great to see Barry realizing that the world is moving super fast around him and so few people are "stopping to smell the roses" so to speak. To quote Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!" I think that's something that can and should be reiterated in a live action Flash film. 

AQUAMAN - PROTECTING THE OCEANS FROM THE SCUM OF THE SURFACE!

Aquaman is one of the DC Universe's most powerful heroes. He can breathe underwater, withstand the immense pressure of the ocean deep, and communicate with sea life. Depending on which version of the character you read, he either is torn between his allegiance to the kingdom of Atlantis and the Surface or he hates the Surface for all the pollution. So, let's say the film goes the latter route. I like the idea of him going after pirates, polluters, and a third word that starts with "P" that is not so nice.

Yeah! There we go!

The film would start with him distrusting the Surface but then slowly starting to side with them. I think it should be a basic "protect the environment" type of film but told through the eyes of a superhero. Or in this case, through a king's eye.

WONDER WOMAN - EQUALITY = PEACE

Wonder Woman is a tricky character. On the one hand, she's trained as a warrior and is Princess of the Amazons. On the other, she's sent to "man's world" as an ambassador for peace. It's a tough balance. I don't like the idea of a Wonder Woman film being all "Girl Power! Yay!" and I also don't like the idea of it being "Feminism! Men are bad!" I think true feminism is about equality. Women want the same respect that men receive whether it's at work or in their personal lives. Wonder Woman stands toe to toe with Superman. If she wanted to, she could probably beat him in a fight. However, she would never do that. She believes she has the right to stand next to him as an equal. I believe that's what all women want. I think a Wonder Woman film should reflect that in some way. The message shouldn't be that women are better than men or that women are just as tough as men. I think it should be that women are equal to men. The sooner the world realizes that, the sooner we'll have peace. That's what Wonder Woman stands for.

CYBORG - INFORMATION OVERLOAD!

Back in the 80s when Cyborg was created, it was interesting for a man to be part machine. It wasn't a common trope. Nowadays, everyone is plugged in all the time. We have smart phones, tablets, hell even our watches can double as phones or mp3 players if needed. I think what a Cyborg film should deal with is the ramifications of being plugged in all the time! The comics have dealt with this a little bit, but Vic Stone is a tough guy and he can handle it. But there has to be a growing pain with that right? How many of you are guilty of waking up every morning and immediately checking your e-mail or Facebook? I know I am! You may argue that it's convenient having those devices around so you can stay in touch with friends and family, but really it's a distraction from your every day life. Imagine having those devices implanted in your body! You couldn't shut them off even if you wanted to! I think that should be the idea behind a Cyborg film - enjoy your life machine free! 

Those are my thoughts on how to approach the DC films. Now I don't claim to be a famous screenwriter or studio executive, but I think having these types of messages/lessons/parables whatever in superhero film is very important. Superhero comics have always been about the struggle between good and evil and I think that that is still a relevant message in our time, but now things seem much more complicated. 

Oh and one other thing to avoid Marvel's mistakes - MAKE THE VILLAINS INTERESTING! 

Till next time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

10 AWESOME THINGS GEOFF JOHNS BROUGHT TO DC COMICS

Everyone has a favorite writer. Whether it's a normal book or a comic book, everyone has at least one writer that they will buy their books no matter what the topic/characters/whatever might be. I started buying comics on a monthly basis about 13 years ago. The first comic I got was Batman: Hush. The art looked so cool and it promised a new chapter in Batman's life and things would never be the same! Much to my surprise, that was indeed the case. After that,  I started looking into other comics to get. I was a fan of the Teen Titans animated series so I started getting that. Then I saw ads for Green Lantern: Rebirth and decided to check that out too, despite having zero knowledge of who Hal Jordan was or why he needed a "Rebirth." Both of those comics were written by Geoff Johns. Without realizing it right away, I had found my favorite comic book writer.

Over the next few years, Johns continued an amazing run on Green Lantern, the Flash, Blackest Night, Batman: Earth One, Justice Society of America, Aquaman, Justice League, Action Comics, Superman, and other comics that always made it to the top of my pull list. Hell, I was so excited to read them that I would often try to read them after I bought them at red lights or during a wait in the Taco Bell drive thru.

Usually I would get looks . . . 

I was lucky enough to meet Johns a few different times at New York Comic Con. I attended a panel he hosted, got to ask a question, and even had my picture taken with him. I was also lucky enough to get some comics signed and speak with him a little bit more. He was always super nice, funny, and seemed genuinely excited for all the new stories he was creating. His enthusiasm just got me more excited to reread his old books and purchase the new ones. Now with his role as Chief Creative Officer, he's able to spearhead new and exciting projects for DC Entertainment. Without him we would definitely not have the Flash, Gotham, Supergirl, or even the Robot Chicken DC Comics Specials. First and foremost, he's a fan and that is apparent in all of his work. 

I'd like to share with you my favorite Geoff Johns moments, ideas, concepts, what-have-you that he's brought to the table over the past several years with DC Comics.

BRAINIAC DESTROYED KRYPTON AND IS A HULK(ish)

Superman and Brainiac go way,way back. He's one of the most prominent Superman villains. It's actually quite embarrassing that he has yet to be featured in a live action Superman film. Rumor has it that the producers wanted Brainiac and Mr. Mxyzptlk to be the primary antagonists of Superman III but then they found out Richard Pryor was a Superman fan and then they . . . sigh . . . cast him in an attempt to make Superman III a comedy or . . . a deliberate attempt to piss off fans . . . I'm not sure.

There it is . . . 

In the comics, I think it's safe to say that Brainiac is the #2 bad guy for Superman right after Lex Luthor. He's been portrayed as an alien, an A.I., or some combination of the two. He's never really been downright evil, more or less he's just thirsty for knowledge and wants to steal as much as he can for himself. 

I'm pretty sure that the idea of Brainiac destroying Krypton was a new concept that Geoff Johns initiated. The idea was that Brainiac showed up, stole the city of Kandor and put it in a bottle (as one does), and then launched a projectile into Krypton's sun causing it to go supernova and destroy the planet. Decades later, Brainiac attempted to do the same thing to Earth. He steals Metropolis, imprisons Superman, and tries to make our sun go supernova as well. Not only was Brainiac an intellectual match for Superman, when he revealed himself he was a hulking mass, fully capable of making Superman bleed with just one punch. Johns turned the simple Brainiac shrinks cities and wants knowledge concept into a truly interesting and exciting story that not only showed just how dangerous this character is but that he still had plenty of potential stories to be told that had not been thought of yet. 

Fun fact - this story was adapted into an animated film called Superman: Unbound. And it's awesome. So check it out!

A NEW AND VERY DANGEROUS REVERSE FLASH

One of Johns' greatest strengths is villains. He's great at creating villains, offering new twists on villains (as was the case with Brainiac), but best of all he's great at getting the reader to simultaneously hate and sympathize with the villain. This was especially true of the new Reverse Flash he created named Zoom. He started off during Johns' run with The Flash as Hunter Zolomon, a Profiler for the Rogues working with the Keystone City Police Department. Zolomon was formerly with the FBI, but after a tragic mistake cost him his job, his wife, and his father-in-law's life, he was reassigned to Keystone City. During one of Gorilla Grodd's rampages, Zolomon's back was broken. He begged Wally West, the Flash, to use the Cosmic Treadmill (yes that's a real thing) to go back in time and save him. When Wally refuses, Zolomon breaks into the Flash Museum (also a real thing) and tries to use the Treadmill but it blows up in his face. Just like me at the gym last week.

Trying to get in shape is dangerous!

Zolomon wakes up in the hospital and realizes that he can move faster than anyone there. He's been granted super speed and intends to use it. However, his idea isn't just to torture Wally, it's to put him through enough trauma that he will become a better hero. His thought process is that if Wally suffers enough, he'll be the type of hero that will do anything to protect his loved ones and his city. Pretty fucked up right? I mean, it's a nice enough idea but how does Zoom go about it? He kills Wally's unborn children. Fucked. Up.

Turns out that Zoom is actually a lot faster than any of the other Flashes. Instead of tapping into the Speed Force like the other speedsters, he is connected to time itself, pushing himself forward that way. It's a little weird, but actually makes for a very exciting story. Zoom is super fast, intelligent, and just crazy enough to believe he's doing the right thing. He made for a wonderful antagonist against Wally the same way that Eobard Thawne was a great villain for Barry. It sounds like elements of Johns' Zoom will be incorporated into the Zoom character on The Flash's second season.

 

AQUAMAN IS A BAD ASS

 

Ask anyone on the street and they'll tell you that Aquaman is kind of a joke. I mean, what's his power? He talks to fish! That's so stupid! Geoff Johns looked at this character and saw a great leader, a warrior, and one of the most powerful and complicated heroes in the DC Universe. Arthur Curry was one of the resurrected heroes at the end of Blackest Night. He played a large role in the follow up Brightest Day. Then, when DC relaunched their line as "the New 52," Johns, along with frequent collaborators Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, gave Aquaman his first solo book in a long time. Aquaman's status as joke and "nobody's favorite superhero" was advertised right up front. Not only was Aquaman ridiculed and made fun of right to his face, but he was aware of it. The comic was funny, exciting, a little scary, but most of all a fun read.

 

But that wasn't all! Aquaman was also established as a prominent member of the Justice League. Although he didn't make his debut in the Justice League comic until issue #4. But needless to say, when he did show up and Green Lantern thought he wasn't going to be much help, he proved his worth.

 



You were saying, Hal? Yeah that's right! Shut your mouth!

 

Aquaman was even the center of a big Justice League event called Throne of Atlantis. In that story, he had to fight his half brother from Atlantis. He had to choose between the Justice League and his people. It was an amazing story and full of Shakespearean themes. It was adapted into an animated film called Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. Yeah . . . it was that good! Or Geoff used his CCO status to make the animated film producers film his best comics . . .

 



Yikes!

 



MARTHA WAYNE'S MAIDEN NAME IS ARKHAM

 

Ok so this is a bit of a cheat. This change only affects the Earth One series. Potentially it only affects the Batman books because it's not clear if they are all connected yet or not. But it's no matter! This particular change is a stroke of brilliance if you ask me. In the regular Batman comic books, Bruce's mother, Martha, was Martha Kane, heiress to one of the most influential and richest families in Gotham City. However, in the Earth One series, it's revealed that Bruce is the son of the Waynes and Arkhams. Penguin has a line in Volume One where he says, "The Arkhams built Gotham and the Waynes paid for it." In the story, the Arkham family was notorious for going crazy and doing terrible crimes like rape and murder. There's a scene where Harvey Dent says that because Bruce is half Arkham that he will eventually go crazy just like his grandparents.

 

To be fair, Harvey is obsessed with halves. And he's crazy.

 

Johns had stated that he did this deliberately to bring the crazy back to Batman. I think it was a good idea. In the mainstream DC Comics, the Arkhams have a very sad, crazy history. Lining that up directly with Bruce Wayne is a genius move and gives validation to Bruce's idea of dressing up like a giant bat and fighting crime.

 



THE CRIME SYNDICATE

 

The Crime Syndicate are evil versions of the Justice League from Earth 3. Traditionally, they were just evil versions of each character. Johns actually took the time in both Forever Evil and in the main Justice League comic to flesh out their backstories and make them interesting and exciting characters. Not only were they twisted versions of each Justice League member, but they all have interpersonal dynamics that added to their personalities. Ultraman is weakened by sunlight but strengthened by kryptonite. Owlman is actually Thomas Wayne, Jr. He and Alfred, aka the Outsider, are the ones that killed the Waynes. Dick Grayson on their world became the Talon (a concept borrowed from the Court of Owls storyline). Superwoman is actually Lois Lane and uses a Lasso of Submission, instead of a Lasso of Truth. Power Ring is a cowardly Hal Jordan that is bullied into doing terrible things by his ring. Johnny Quick is a murderous, psychotic Barry Allen. Deathstorm is Dr. Martin Stein but uses his transmutation powers for evil. Then there is Grid. He was the robot half of Cyborg but he became sentient and sided with the Crime Syndicate. Then there is Atomica. She claimed to be the Atom and helped the Justice League but then turned out to be evil. Classic sounding story yes but it was really, really good!

 

Here's what the Crime Syndicate used to look like. LAME-O!

 

During Forever Evil, most of the Crime Syndicate was killed by Lex Luthor and his crew. However, three members survived - Ultraman, Owlman, and a pregnant Superwoman. Owlman got away and as of this writing is still at large. I'm sure Johns has plans to bring him back in a big way. Like I said, he's great with villains. Which brings me to my next point . . .

 

LEX LUTHOR - MEMBER OF THE JUSTICE LEAGUE!

 

After the events of Forever Evil, the world saw Lex Luthor as a hero. And let's face it, he is a hero. His crew of villains were the ones that stopped the Crime Syndicate's reign of terror and rescued the Justice League. Even members of the Justice League had to admit that Luthor was doing some good. Oh and there was that whole thing where Lex figured out that Bruce Wayne is Batman! DUN DUN DUN!!!

 





 The Billionaire Orphans Club meets every Wednesday

 

While Lex does use this knowledge as leverage against Bruce, his intentions are still good. He's invited up to the Justice League Watchtower. Wonder Woman uses the Lasso of Truth on him and he confesses to wanting to help the League and be a hero. So far he has been true to his word. He's trying to make up for the sins of his past as one of the good guys. Like any "good guy" he's got his fair share of enemies. Time will tell if he reverts to his old ways and tries to kill Superman.

 

When it was announced that Luthor was joining the Justice League I couldn't help but smile and laugh. What an amazing idea! Arguably the DCU's greatest villain is now considered one of the greatest heroes. Johns is great with villains. We're seeing, in a way, the Redemption of Lex Luthor. Will it stick?

 

SUPERBOY - SON OF TWO WORLDS

 

One of Geoff Johns' best contributions to DC Comics was the true parentage of Superboy. When Superboy first showed up in the comics, it was after the "Death of Superman" and he was one of the so-called replacements.

 

Let's see we got Robo-Face, Shaq, Douchebag, and the Terminator . . .

 

Superboy was Superman's clone created by Cadmus Labs to replace him after his death. He was a typical teenager - rambunctious, egotistical, but he had a good heart. When Geoff Johns took over Teen Titans, he revealed that Superboy was not just the clone of Superman, he was also the clone of Lex Luthor. It was a secret that Superboy shared with Tim Drake/Robin. He didn't have the heart to tell the rest of the Titans because he was afraid of how they would react.

 

Damn that's terrifying . . .

 

There was an issue where Lex did take advantage of Superboy and forced him to attack the Titans. Not long after that he went through a "soul search" with Raven. She showed him that he did indeed have a soul. He created it of his own free will. He may have been created in a lab, but he was alive and that was proof. During Infinite Crisis Superboy fought a crazy version of Clark Kent called Superboy-Prime. He died fighting him and protecting the world. It was a great sacrifice. But then, in typical Geoff Johns fashion, he decided to bring him back a few years later during Final Crisis. Once again, Superboy battled Superboy-Prime. It was another incredible story that also saw the resurrection of Bart Allen/Kid Flash. After that, Johns told a story about Superboy deciding who he wanted to be - Superman or Lex Luthor. As with any coming-of-age story, in the end it was about Superboy defining his own destiny and not letting Superman or Luthor decide it for him.

 

This particular idea has made it into two different series - Young Justice and Smallville. In Young Justice, the young heroes discover a Superman-clone and take him in as part of their team. During Smallville, one of Lex's clones started to develop superpowers. Clark took him under his wing and tried to help him control his powers and choose his own destiny.

 

He's got the shirt and everything!

 

I remember watching this arc on Smallville and being so excited. Superboy's parentage was one of my favorite comic book stories and seeing it brought to life on my favorite show was super-gratifying. Uh . . . no pun intended. But seriously, it was so bad ass and made me want to reread all the comics again. And I did. Hell, I probably will after writing this.

 

THE REVERSE FLASH KILLED BARRY'S MOTHER

 

For many years in the comics, The Flash was one of the few DC heroes that never experienced any sort of tragedy in his back story. Unlike Hal Jordan, Barry was actually resurrected by Grant Morrison during Final Crisis. After that, Johns wrote Flash: Rebirth and gave Barry a new backstory. Barry was readjusting to life as both Barry Allen and as the Flash. He soon discovered a disturbance in the Speed Force (pun intended). The disturbance came from Eobard Thawne. He told Barry that all the tragedy in his life came from him. He was torturing Barry. He couldn't kill Barry because Barry powered the Speed Force and Thawne needs that to maintain his own powers, which come from the Negative Speed Force (yepp, a bit ridiculous but I assure you the story was amazing). Thawne was spending his whole life torturing Barry. Thawne devoted his life to the Flash and when he realized that the Flash was just a man, and not a god (or whatever) and he wanted to punish him. Cuz Thawne is a crazy person.

 

I remember reading Flash: Rebirth and falling in love with it. Johns gave Barry the tragedy he needed to truly become a great hero. Not only was his mother dead, but his father was wrongfully imprisoned for her murder. Tragically, Barry's father died in prison. Barry was never able to exonerate his father. This of course led to the wonderful Flashpoint series. Barry decided to go back in time and save his mother's life. In that instant, he destroyed reality creating terrifying and tragic alternate versions of the world's most famous heroes and villains. And it all started with the Reverse Flash screwing with Barry's life.

 

 

This particular storyline was adapted into the first season of The Flash. It was handled extremely well, probably because one of the producers of the show is Geoff Johns himself. During Barry's appearance on Arrow he described how his mother was murdered. I will never forget watching that episode and jumping up and down with excitement. This was confirmation that Arrow didn't live in the same "gritty, grounded" reality that the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight films lived in. And if I'm being honest with myself I never liked that idea. I like the comic booky stuff and when Barry was on Arrow I knew that we would see more fantastical stuff on the show. And then the Flash premiered and it was amazing. Geoff Johns was able to bring to life his favorite comic book character and his rogues gallery. The Flash is a recent love for me, but it came from Geoff Johns and his run with both Wally West and especially Barry Allen. Rebirth and the Flash TV series just validated my love of the character and his world.

 

THE ROYGBIV LANTERN CORPS

 

When Geoff Johns rebooted Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps I think few suspected what he REALLY had in mind. Geoff brought back Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. Then he decided that every color of the rainbow would have a Lantern Corps attached to it. You can read all about it in Green Lantern: Wanted (Star Sapphire), The Sinestro Corps War (Sinestro Corps/Yellow Lanterns), Rage of the Red Lanterns (Red and Blue), Agent Orange (Orange/Larfleeze), Blackest Night (Black), Brightest Day (White), and the Secret of the Indigo Tribe (Indigo). The idea itself sounds so ridiculous and laughable. BUT it was handled so well that the thought of laughing at it doesn't even cross your mind. Geen is powered by Will, Red is Rage, Orange is Greed, Yellow is Fear, Blue is Hope, Indigo is Compassion, Violet is Love, White is Life and Black is Death. And each Corps is specific to the emotion that they represent:

 

Red is just fire and hate, barely able to concentrate on what they're doing.

Orange is just one creature named Larfleeze. He hoards his power and barely uses it.

Yellow can make constructs of your worst nightmares. They are essentially terrorists. They think they are doing the right thing but they are bad people.

Green is the police. They have the will to create constructs and do amazing things with their rings.

Blue is a very spiritual, almost religious section. They have the potential to be the most powerful Lanterns but their powers do not work without a Green Lantern present. Which makes sense, if you have hope but don't have the will to back it up, your hope is useless.

Indigo can channel all the other colors. Compassion can channel all the emotions. This is very helpful but also very dangerous.

Violet can form constructs but, like Red, they can get caught up in the emotion and act on impulse rather than logic.

 

See what I mean? How cool is that? Every color/Lantern makes perfect sense! Johns took the ideas of emotions and the power they possess in our daily lives and heightened it for his Green Lantern run. I mentioned before how his strength was villains. Obviously, that's true but his other major strength is what I like to call the "How Come No One Thought of It Before" syndrome. A simple thought like giving a Lantern Corps to every color of the rainbow seems so obvious but Geoff was the one that initiated it in the comic books. And it's something that remains to this day. I used to think that the other Lantern Corps would go away after Blackest Night. Much to my surprise and delight those Corps stuck around and were developed further. Both the Red Lanterns and Larfleeze had their own comic books for a long while. These ideas even made it into the Green Lantern animated series, the Green Lantern film and even easter eggs on The Flash.

 

Oh . . . We've got one more thing to talk about - Arguably the best thing Geoff Johns did for DC Comics.

 

REBIRTHS

 

Here is a little known fact about me - Batman may be my favorite comic book character but my actual favorite COMIC BOOK for a long time was Green Lantern. It was so exciting and interesting that it never failed to get me excited to read it. I said before how I never heard of Green Lantern before Rebirth but I was interested to see what would happen and I wanted to read it. Ever since then, I've been a huge Green Lantern fan. I look back on it now and feel so proud to be a part of this major change in the mythos with the Lantern Corps creation. I mean I was just a fan, but I was there watching it happen every Wednesday. It was so much fun and made me so happy. As a fan, I couldn't have asked for more.

 

And then it was announced that Johns was working on Flash: Rebirth following Final Crisis. As soon as I read that I knew that the Flash was about to become a new favorite character for me. I was not at all disappointed. The Flash did quickly become a favorite for me. I read some Flash comics before that and enjoyed them, but Rebirth was a transformative experience for me as a fan. I have a Batman tattoo, and I always joked that I would get a Green Lantern tattoo. I have not yet (tattoos are expensive!) but I think I'll definitely add a Flash tattoo to the list. But back on topic - even moreso than Rebirth, Flashpoint cemented my love of Barry Allen and the Reverse Flash. They have such a great rivalry and it's somewhat unique to comics.

 

I may have missed some of them but there were other "Rebirths" that Johns had a hand in. There was Hawkman, the Justice Society, the Legion of Superheroes, and the ones I mentioned earlier like Aquaman and the Teen Titans. Those were all important not just to the comic books but now to DC Entertainment in general. The Legion of Superheroes and the Justice Society made memorable appearances on Smallville. Aquaman is set to appear in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Titans have a live action TV show in development. Clearly, Geoff Johns' influence will last for a good long while.

 

 

As I stated before, Geoff Johns is my favorite comic book writer. I was privileged to meet him a few times at Comic Con.

 

My goofy ass smile is genuine

 

He was great to talk to and share ideas with. I mean, not like big, exciting ideas but I told him how the Rebirth comics got me excited for the characters and how Aquaman blew me away. He was gracious and seemed just as excited for the characters as I was. I'll never forget those experiences. Johns' comics have meant a lot to me over the years. I still reread them to this day and never get tired of them. His influence on the later years of Smallville as well as the recent DC shows like Arrow, the Flash, Gotham, and the upcoming Supergirl are apparent to me. I know just what to recommend to new viewers and budding fans because of his work.

 

I don't know if he will ever read this but I would like to express a very sincere thank you to Geoff Johns. Your books brought me a lot of joy, especially at a time in my life when I was very sad. For example, I was supposed to have a blind date the same day that Aquaman #1 came out. However, the girl backed out on me because she was still struggling with feelings for her ex. I was very upset. Then I took a break at work and read Aquaman. No joke - it instantly cheered me up. The issue was funny, fun, and got me excited for next month's release. That's just one example. There are many more and they all stem from Geoff's amazing work at DC. I'm still a fan and will probably have to update this list when his Batman: Earth One and Justice League series are done (which will hopefully NEVER HAPPEN). Thank you, Geoff. I'm a fan because of your work.

 

 

Ok, now I'm gonna grab some tissues and reread the entire Green Lantern run!

 

 

Till Next Time!

 

 

JJ - The Comic Junkie!

 









 























THE COMIC JUNKIE'S DC ESSENTIAL RECOMMEDATIONS:

Every year DC Comics releases a list of what they call "Essential" Graphic Novels. These are the graphic novels that they recommend to new readers to get caught up on the best of DC Comics. They are good for getting people into classic DC stories such as The Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come, All Star Superman, as well as many more recent comics written by Geoff Johns.

There he is . . . Totally sane

 

People are always asking me what they should read when a new movie or TV show comes out. My problem is that I'll recommend like 100 things because I'm such a huge fan and I read a lot of different comics. I thought I'd take a page of out DC's book and do a "Recommended Reading" page. Since Arrow, the Flash, and Gotham are coming back soon and Supergirl will be premiering in a couple weeks I'll throw out some suggestions. Now keep in mind that this is all my opinion, although a suggestion or two may come from the actual DC Essentials list. These are some of my favorite comics and I reread them every few months because I love them that much. Without further ado . . .

 



IF YOU LIKE GOTHAM READ BATMAN: EARTH ONE

 

Gotham tells the story of a young Jim Gordon and his quest to clean up a very corrupt city. On the outskirts of Gotham is a young boy named Bruce Wayne dealing with the loss of his parents to a horrific, unsolved murder. Batman Earth One is a very well written story about the rise of a very inexperienced and, frankly, unheroic Batman. This version of Bruce Wayne has never left Gotham City. Instead, he was trained by his father's old friend, now butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce believes that the police department and the mayor, Oswald Cobblepot, were responsible for his parents' murder and seeks justice.

 

Every time I watch Gotham it makes me think of this book. The book was written by the immensely talented Geoff Johns. In it, Gotham City is a maze, dangerous, and filled with corruption. The Penguin is the mayor and when things don't go his way he sends the Birthday Boy to take care of the problem.

 

Oh my god! That's terrifying!

 

I see Batman: Earth One as where Gotham is ultimately heading. Given Geoff Johns' current position as DC Chief Creative Officer, it's no surprise that his stories are probably first and foremost on the list of inspirations for the producers of DC's TV division. I mean, hell, if I wrote a number of best sellers during my time as a comic book writer I'd want them to be realized on screen too! Lucky for him, his stories are incredible and cinematic already. Like I said, Batman: Earth One is a very interesting, world building story. Familiar characters like Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, Harvey Bullock, and Alfred Pennyworth are very different than we are used to seeing but still interesting and make for a wonderful, rich supporting cast, much like they do on Gotham. This is definitely the book I would recommend if you are a Gotham fan.

IF YOU LIKE ARROW READ GREEN ARROW: QUIVER

 

Arrow tells the story of billionaire Oliver Queen. After five years lost from home, he comes back to his home city to save it from corruption, criminals, and anyone that threatens it. Quiver tells the story of a mysteriously resurrected Oliver Queen that returns to Star City to protect it. The book focuses on the Justice League (former and past members) trying to figure out the mystery of Oliver's return and the strange gaps in his memory. SPOILERS - it's revealed that Oliver is actually what's referred to as a "Hollow." He's a body without a soul and a whole mess of demons are trying to creep into his body. It's a strange premise but the story is really good. And it's written by Kevin Smith, director of Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, among other films.

 

This season of Arrow will be dealing with magic and mysticism. It sounds like it will be a little more fantastic than the previous seasons. I don't think that this new season will feature all the craziness of Quiver but there will be a lot of things that we haven't seen yet with a previously "grounded, gritty" series.

 

IF YOU LIKE THE FLASH READ THE FLASH: ROAD TO FLASHPOINT

 

The Flash tells the story of a young scientist who was struck by lightning and became imbued with super speed. He uses his fantastic powers to protect the people of Central City from other super powered people. Road to Flashpoint is about Barry Allen still struggling to deal with being alive and reconnecting with his job and family. Central City then receives a visitor from another dimension named Hot Pursuit. He's revealed to be the Barry Allen from that dimension. He's searching for a time anomaly so it can be destroyed to restore order to the space-time continuum (or something like that). 

 

Season 2 is the year that Barry will start travelling through the multiverse, or possibly the multiverse will be coming to him. I talked before about how I think that this season will feature other versions of Barry Allen. I think it would be cool to see other Barrys. Another heroic one, a villainous one, or maybe even a regular one that never gained his speed. And yes, Road to Flashpoint is a Geoff Johns story. It's also brilliantly written and features a surprise appearance by Eobard Thawne. I don't think Thawne will play a part in Season 2, but given that he's the Flash's greatest Rogue, it's unlikely we've seen the last of him. Zoom is confirmed to be the Big Bad this year. In the comics, Zoom is the alter ego of rogue profiler Hunter Zoloman. Going off the awesome twist last season with Harrison Wells and Eobard Thawne, I'm willing to be the writers/producer have something else up their sleeve regarding Zoom's identity.

 

IF YOU LIKE SUPERGIRL THEN READ SUPERGIRL: POWER

 

Supergirl tells the story of a young woman named Kara, who has spent her whole life hiding her extraordinary powers from the world. Then, a catastrophic event forces her to reveal herself. She takes up the mantle of Supergirl, promising to defend the Earth from evil. Power tells the story of young Kara Zor-El trying to find her place in a world full of heroes. And since she wears the iconic "S" on her chest, she's targeted by a certain bald billionaire.

 

Jesse Eisenberg better start bulking up!

 

Ironically, I think this series is going to be somewhat the opposite of Power. It seems like Superman is the only known superhero when the series starts. When Supergirl was relaunched as a comic book series in the early 2000s there were dozens of heroes. During Power, Kara decides to meet them all and try to learn as much as she can from all of them. She confronts not only Luthor, but her own dark side (literally). Loeb crafted a really interesting and exciting story to kick off Kara's new adventures. It's been confirmed that Red Tornado will be making an appearance, so that's one hero that will be showing up. I don't know who else will be showing up, but Power is a who's who of DC heroes that would be awesome to see on the show.

 

I'll be honest here, I held back . . .  A LOT. I could probably recommend a dozen more comics to read to get everyone excited about the new seasons. But I kept it to one a piece cuz a longer list would take more time and I'm lazy. And yes, I did not mention Lucifer or iZombie because I have not read those comics. But if I do, I will do a new list! For now though, I hope you check out these comics and enjoy them while simultaneously enjoying the new seasons of DC on TV! Cheers!

 

 

Till Next Time!

 

 

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

 

 











10 ALL NEW MARVEL COMICS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT

Ever since the first Avengers film came out and was more successful than anyone could have imagined, the comic books have been trying their best to catch up. So, every couple of years Marvel "relaunches" most of their comics back to #1. They do this so that they can catch a new reader's attention. The thinking is that you're more likely to pick up a new comic book if it starts at #1 rather than #523. I don't really buy that though. My first issue of Batman was #608.

And so my obsession began . . .

Either way, it is exciting when the comics are relaunched, retooled, rebooted, whatever you want to call it. The new comics get me excited. It's a chance for writers and artists I like to tackle new characters or maybe characters that they haven't worked on in a long time. Since it's writers that I like, it's a chance for me to check out new characters that I may not have been interested in before. Also, when Marvel relaunches their comics they give their best writers characters that are about to star in the movies. It's a great way to get new and current fans excited for their upcoming films.

I'd like to share with you the comics that I'm definitely looking forward to reading this fall. I'll be the first to admit that it's all pretty much mainstream stuff but hey . . . I like that stuff! So here we go!

ALL NEW ALL DIFFERENT AVENGERS

It's strange to think that before Brian Michael Bendis came along in the early 2000s, the Avengers were not considered to be Marvel's flagship title. He realized it and helped make the Avengers a great book again. After he left, Jonathan Hickman made the book . . . well it was a Hickman book. You either love it or hate it (I was the latter). Now, Marvel is relaunching the Avengers under the guidance of Mark Waid. Waid is one of my all time favorite writers. He's written the Flash, Kingdom Come, and the most recent run on Daredevil. What is most exciting about the newest roster of Avengers is that they are the most diverse. Thor is a woman, Captain America and Spider-Man are black, Ms. Marvel is Pakistani, the Vision is a robot (and British I guess if you think of him as Paul Bettany), Nova is Latino, and Iron Man is white. For the first time in Avengers history, only one of the characters is a white male. That's pretty interesting. What's also interesting is that three of the Avengers are teenagers. It gives the book a legacy type of feel to it. The older generation training the younger one. I'm excited to see what crazy adventures they will have.

DR. STRANGE 

Here is a good example of a great writer, Jason Aaron, on an underused character. Aaron was the inspired choice to launch Thor: God of Thunder back in 2012. He took the book to new and interesting places. I loved it a lot. Then he brought on the new, female Thor last year. Also he's writing the Star Wars comic. And it's amazing! I have no doubt that his Dr. Strange book is going to be exciting and unpredictable. I won't lie to you though, I'm not a huge fan of Chris Bachalo's art. In some cases I can grow to like an artist on a title. Sometimes it just takes the right character or the right take to bring out the best in them. That might be the case here (after all that image above is awesome). Still, I'm sure that I will enjoy this book. I've never gotten a Dr. Strange comic before . . . 

EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN

I have a love/hate relationship with the X-Men comic books. Every now and then I find one that I like. More often than not though, the books fall into the trap of introducing too many new characters and reintroducing older characters and it's just . . . too . . . much! I love the X-Men movies and the cartoons. This comic looks to be in the same vein in the sense that it will only follow a core group of characters. That appeals to me. The other major appeal is the writer - Jeff Lemire. He's become one of my favorite writers in recent years. He wrote a great Green Arrow run not too long ago (I've mentioned it on my wish lists for Arrow season four). Plus the cast is really intriguing to me - Storm, Jean, Nightcrawler, Magik, Colossus, Iceman, and Old Man Logan (more on him later). That's a bad ass cast! I can't wait to see it. Plus Humberto Ramos on art is cool. His art is very kinetic and fun to look at it. I'm sure this book will be awesome and X-citing. Haha! 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 

This is like the 30th time that Dan Slott has relaunched Amazing Spider-Man.  Ok so that's an exaggeration. But not by much! Any way. The appeal here is that this is going to be Peter Parker like we've never seen him before. He's taking Spider-Man global! I think . . . I'm not sure actually. All I know is that Parker Industries is taking over the Baxter Building (cuz fuck the Fantastic Four) and Peter is super rich now. He looks to be taking Spider-Man around the world Iron Man-style. I'm curious. Slott has written some of the best Spider-Man stories in recent years including the Superior Spider-Man. That was one of my favorite Spidey stories. I'm interested to see what new direction Slott will take Parker on this time. 

DAREDEVIL 

Given the success of the Netflix series, it makes sense that Marvel would want to give Murdock a new series. The Mark Waid series, which is about to end, has Matt relocated to San Francisco. When this new series starts Murdock will be back in Hell's Kitchen. Cuz let's face it. Daredevil and Hell's Kitchen go together like peas and carrots!

 

Just like these hicks!

 

Looks like the new series will see him training a new apprentice. We don't know much else other than Murdock's identity is now back to being a secret. This is probably to line it up with the Netflix series. Also, the series is being written by Charles Soule. He took over Swamp Thing after Scott Snyder left and I think he did a good job of keeping it interesting and exciting. Fun fact - in real life Soule is a lawyer. He'll be able to bring that knowledge to Daredevil and hopefully craft a really exciting story. Most everything he's written that I've read I've really enjoyed. It helps that Daredevil is one of my favorite characters. I'm excited to see him back in New York and still kicking ass.

 

THE MIGHTY THOR

 

Another Jason Aaron book on the list! And this one should be really interesting! I mentioned before how he introduced a female Thor last year. Turns out that it was Jane Foster. She found herself worthy of Mjolnir. It helped to put her cancer in remission (while she's Thor at least). That's an interesting hook. She's dying of cancer but the power of Mjolnir halts it. I'm curious to see what Aaron will do with her story. Is she going to be Thor on a permanent basis? Will the cancer eventually kill her even when she's Thor? Not much is known about the new series but her introduction was very well done. It will be interesting to see her evolve as a hero and a starring character as opposed to love interest/supporting character. And what about the real Thor? How will he factor into the new series? I have no doubt that Aaron will answer all of these questions slowly but surely while crafting an awesome new take on the Thor legend.

 



 OLD MAN LOGAN

 

The biggest shock for me while learning of the new Marvel comics was this addition. The original Old Man Logan was written by Mark Millar and drawn by Steve McNiven. It took place in a dark future where the villains ruled the world. Few heroes were left. One hero was the original Wolverine, now just an old man named Logan. When he is called back to action, he does so reluctantly given the horrific part he played in the villains' rise to power. By the end, he had decided to be a hero again and save the world from the bad guys. This new series is going to be brought to us by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino on art. They were the team that gave us that awesome Green Arrow run I mentioned earlier.

 



THERE it is! Couldn't find it earlier . . .

 

They crafted a really exciting, world building run on Green Arrow. I'm excited to see what the hell is going to happen in Old Man Logan. First of all, Logan will be on a world that he recognizes but is still different. Second, he'll still have the traumatic memories of his world. Third, is he going to go home? Will he want to? Since Wolverine was killed off not long ago in the comic books (more on that later) he's going to be the only Logan in this world. I'm excited to see what role he's going to play. And if Sorrentino is on art then it will look gorgeous!

 

SPIDER-MAN

 

This is another shocking addition to the All New, All Different Marvel. Miles Morales is apparently the only survivor of the Ultimate Universe. Now he's in the regular Marvel Universe. Luckily this series will continue to be written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Sara Pichelli, both were the creators of Miles Morales back in 2011. He's been a fan favorite character and one of my favorites as well. He's a great character, younger than Peter Parker but still has a hero's heart. The only thing known about this series is that it will have a Batman Beyond type feel to it. Miles will be Spider-Man in the city doing all the work getting guidance from Peter Parker. It will definitely be exciting to see Miles in the regular Marvel world, battling classic Spider-Man rogues and teaming up with the other heroes. As to how he exists in the Marvel world is a mystery. Does he remember the Ultimate Universe? Where does he live? Did any other supporting characters survive the Ultimate U's destruction? Gahnke? Gwen? Miles's father? I'm sure we'll get the answers. And I'm also sure it's going to be . . . Wait for it . . . AMAZING! Haha! Get it? . . . Ok . . .

 



INVINCIBLE IRON MAN

 

Another Bendis title! And it's Iron Man! That's just so cool! I was a huge fan of Bendis's run on Avengers and I thought that he made Tony Stark really fun to read. I always hoped that he would write a Captain America comic but this is just as good! I said before how I had a love/hate relationship with the X-Men comics. Well with Iron Man . . . I've liked his stuff but I've never fallen in love with it. I think this will be the time that I really fall in love. Bendis has a knack for telling larger than life stories with a very human, emotional center. I'm curious to see where Bendis takes Stark and his crew. Given that the last Iron Man title was Superior Iron Man, it will be interesting to see what happens next. In Superior, Stark was pretty much the bad guy. He was doing his best to use technology to better mankind, as he always does, but he was so selfish and almost evil about it. He was his own worst enemy in that story. I thought it was very well done, but how does one come back from that? Now, it's totally possible that that story has been erased from history, but that's not Marvel's style. I think Tony will remember what happened and the bad things he did. He'll have to do his best to make amends, also while protecting the world from some terrible technological threat. Cuz ya know . . . Technology is always dangerous in the wrong hands! Dun dun dun!!!

 







ALL NEW WOLVERINE

 

Believe it or not, this is the one title I'm looking forward to above all else. I like the idea of supporting characters stepping up when their mentors are gone. Dick Grayson did it, Jane Foster is doing it, and now Laura, X-23 is doing it. The main reason I'm excited for this title is that it's being written by Tom Taylor. He wrote the absolutely wonderful Injustice: Gods Among Us tie in comic book. Well, technically he only wrote the first two and a half years, but they were PERFECT! He instantly became a favorite writer for me. Anything he did, I would jump on. He even did the aforementioned Superior Iron Man and he also did a great run on Earth 2. I'm very curious to see how he handles this new take on Wolverine. X-23 is a very interesting character. She's one of the few characters that is distinct in that she was actually created on the TV series X-Men: Evolution. She was so popular that Marvel brought her into the comics. She had her own series for a while and was recently featured as a major player in Bendis's All New X-Men run. Now she'll be taking on her "father's" mantle as Wolverine. And we all know that the name Wolverine comes with a lot of enemies. But I'm sure she can handle it. Also, I don't half wonder if bringing her into a high profile book will be a clue as to what happens to the Wolverine character on film after Hugh Jackman retires . . .

 

Passing the torch?

 

 

These are the books that I will definitely be checking out when they are released in October. I'm excited for all of them and the possibilities of crossovers and maybe even new comics coming out after these are released. It's an all new, all different pull list for the Comic Junkie!

 

 

Till Next Time!

 

 

JJ - The Comic Junkie!