The moment is finally here; it’s time to make our final 2012 Oscar predictions. We’ve listed our individual picks with some thoughts to back them up. We guarantee nothing, but you better believe we know our stuff.
Coming after the Justice League Dark and I, Vampire crossover in issues seven and eight, the ninth issue of Justice League Dark will be the first written by the series new ongoing writer: Jeff Lemire (Animal Man, Sweet Tooth).
Lemire’s new Justice League Dark team will consist of the fan-favorite DC and Vertigo character Black Orchid. Judging by the synopsis of the issue, the team will be facing off against the sorcerer Felix Faust.
After the closing scene kiss that took Peter and the viewers by surprise last week, Fringe picked up where it left off in Olivia’s apartment and delivered an episode so well crafted and so well written that it has to rank up there with the very best of the entire series.
Taking a major step in the right direction, Red Hood and the Outlaws turns away from its plot with the Untitled in favor of a very character-focused issue between Red Hood and Starfire. It’s just too bad this great change comes in the same issue that suffers in quality from being split between two writers.
We flashback to the events that immediately precede the first issue of the series, featuring how Jason Todd and Starfire got together. Lobdell promised readers that there was more to those two than it initially seemed, and he honestly does deliver on that. This issue really lays out why the connection between Jason and Kori is so interesting by focusing in on their opposing philosophies about the past. Jason allows himself to be completely driven and consumed by his past, but Kori focuses on living in the moment and really almost hides from her own past. It’s understandable how Kori’s apparent freedom from the past would be appealing in a way to Jason.
This is one of the better issues of Deathstroke that has some depth and characterization pertinent to the plot. Unfortunately the artwork is still filled with awkwardly designed musclemen and blood-gushing soldiers with only some good partial two-paged spreads.
We learn more about Deathstroke’s son, Grant, who continues failing to impress his father. Readers also get some “family time” with the Wilsons before returning to real time, which features Legacy and Deathstroke’s huge battle.
Z-Girl: Odyssey #1 has many unique and enjoyable elements but has quite a few quirks that keep it from being a great title. The artwork has an interesting style, but not everything is executed well with the story following suit.
Z-Girl and her four tigers, each possessed by their respective hosts which each control the standard element and a season. After a particularly harsh mission involving armed chimpanzees, Z-Girl needs her rest before being briefed on something all-to-familiar to her.
With “Cal Sweeney,” Alcatraz timidly pushed its main story forward, leaving some breadcrumbs leading back to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the 1963 inmates, and showing more of what is being done today to deal with their return. Unfortunately, the episode was so steeped into the format adopted by the series so far that the restrained strides forward didn’t have much effect on its overall impact.
On January 23, 2012 DC Comics announced their campaign called “We can be Heroes”. The campaign is supported by Warner Brother’s Entertainment and Time Warner’s business. “We Can Be Heroes” is a way to use Dc characters to help us become real life heroes. With this campaign we can help organizations like Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps to help the hunger crisis in Africa. Africa is dealing with drought and hunger worst than they have been in 60 years. More than 250,000 people are facing starvation in Africa. They need our help.
You may be asking to yourself, how can we help? At http://www.joinwecanbeheroes.org/ you will be able to donate money to the cause. 10$ will give a child peanut paste that would keep a child alive for more than a week. 25$ would help 3 families of 6 have purified water for a month. 50$ provides a household of 6 with food, water, and hygiene items for 2 weeks. 100$ can let a malnourished child be able to make a full recovery.
To start off 2012 with a bang, we are announcing the Comic Awards: anything from greatest hero to greatest event is here. Something you love didn’t make it in 1st place or as a runner-up? Tell us your picks in the comments section below.
Best Comic Book Hero of 2011: Aquaman
Aquaman has not only become one of the New 52’s greatest surprises, but also one of their greatest heroes. By utilizing the stigma that has been associated with him and turning it on its ear, Geoff Johns and DC has made Arthur Curry a serious force to be reckoned with, in both the Justice League as well as the Aquaman series. Not only have they made this man a complete badass, but they also created some depth to his character, by having him battle this preconceived notion that he is one of the worst superheroes of all time. I mean, really, who doesn’t like the underdog?
This may not be the Scarlet Spider some wanted, but this first issue goes a long way toward showing that this is a Scarlet Spider worth having. Christopher Yost and Ryan Stegman bring Kaine to Houston in a storm of violence and show that, no matter what the DNA may say, this is not Spider-Man.
Admittedly, Spider-Island didn’t do much for me as a reader. I found it goofy in its premise and overblown in its execution. But what I can appreciate about it is that it at least restored Kaine to a state where he was usable as a character again. As many faults as the Clone Saga had, there were some gems in there too, and Kaine can be counted among them. Kaine always knew he was a clone, but he represented a dark side of that acceptance. Knowing he was not Peter Parker led him to aggressively reject the copied qualities of Peter inside him. Having no one to care about and a degenerating condition, he gave into his anger and power to become a killer. Fortunately, this interesting premise for a character seems to be what Yost is focusing on rather than any kind of follow-up to the events of Spider-Island.
