Cover Talk: 52 #7

Cover Talk: 52 #7
Cover by JG Jones

Quick Thoughts
-Oh Booster. Why are you such a jerk?
-More fun magazine-style.
-Very striking with the red coloring "popping out" in contrast to the black and white.
-It's interesting that they used Booster for the cover, while this issue has the debut of Kate Kane aka Batwoman.

Relentless: Reading a Weekly series

When DC comics announced that they would be doing a weekly series to fill in the "One Year Later" gap it was a gutsy move. The last weekly comic series was the short-lived Action Weekly Comics which ran from 1988-1989. That run went down in flames due to poor storylines which did not support the commitment required for a weekly series.

Let's face it: A weekly comic is relentless. It's tough on writers, artists and readers. There's no room for lateness, which has become a plague of recent event comics. If you miss a week then the whole thing falls apart. DC took a chance and it paid off. 52 works because the storyline is compelling. There is a great group of characters involved such as Montoya, Booster Gold and Ralph Dibny.

By Week 8 the writer have been able to set up our major storylines.
-Booster Gold's pursuit of personal fame and fortune.
-What is wrong with Skeets?
-Who is Super Nova?
-Ralph's investigation of the kryptonian Cult of Connor.
-"Lost" in Space: Adam Strange, Starfire, and Animal Man.
-The Question and Montoya.
-The dissapearing scientists.
-Black Adam: Protector of Kahndaq
-Steel's sickness and his petullant niece.

These storylines will interweave throughout the series like a superhero Robert Altman movie. Any reader would start to feel fatigued if these stories were not compelling. Luckily we have great writers like Morrison, Johns, Rucka, and Waid to thank for that.

Coming Up: Week 8!

Cover Talk: 52 #6

Cover Talk: 52 #6
Cover Art by JG Jones
Quick Thoughts
-Awesome Green Lantern at the center. Seems to predict how the Green Lanterns will become the center of the DC Universe in the Sinestro Corps War and then Blackest Night.
-Jones himself designed this new Chinese team The Great Ten behind Jordan. Speculation was that they would get there own series. It has yet to come to pass.
-Black Adam juxtaposed with American flag-like Stars. Maybe Dictatorship vs. Democratic values?

52 #6: Rip Hunter's Chalkboard

52 #6: Rip Hunter's Chalkboard

In issue #6 we get the first glimpse of time traveller Rip Hunter's chalkboard.

This chalkboard became the talk of DC Reader's for years. What did it all mean? DC reader's examined all the clues with crazy speculation and eager excitement.

Here are the chalkboard notations and what they probably refer to:

• WORLD WAR III WHY? HOW?-This happens in 52 #50
  
• Dead by lead?-Best guess is that this is a reference to Mon-El's lead poisoning in Superman #688, which is 3 years of issues later.
  
• TIME IS BROKEN-One effect of Infinite Crisis. Is not really fixed until Booster Gold #1.
  
• Further time is different-May be a reference to the state of the 30th century and the Legion of Superheroes after Infinite Crisis.
  
• The Four Horsemen will end her rain?-This happens in 52 #44
  
• He won't smell it.-Must be a Ralph Dibney reference. He can "smell" out a mystery.
  
• Find the last El-Refers to Last Son storyline which begins in Action Comics #844
  
• Sonic disrupt-- Time Servant -- Time Servants -Look to 52 #14.
• The reach. The reach. The reach.
• The Red Tornado is in pieces. -Look to 52 #17
  
• I'm not kryptonite -Maybe refers to origin of "kryptonite man" in Action Comics #850
  
• it hurts to breathe. -Look to 52 #27
  
• 2000 years from now
• Blue Beetle Scarab is eternal?
• Where is the Curry Heir?
• Who is Super Nova? -Supernova's identity is revealed in 52 #37
  
• What happened to the son of Superman?
• Where is the Batman?-He is one of the three major heroes who is absent during 52. Could it also be a reference to his death/disappearance/whatever in Final Crisis #6?
  
• Who is the Batwoman?-First revealed in 52 #11. And she's awesome.
  
• Te versus (Au+Pb)-Gotta be a Metal Men reference
  
• Who is Diana Prince?
• Don't ask the Question. It lies.
• SECRET FIVE!-Refering to Secret Six miniseries where they are short a member.
  
• MORTAL SAVAGE
• Someone is monitoring. They see us. They see me.-Ah those Monitors!
  
• KHIMAERA LIVES AGAIN
• The Lazarus Pit RISES
• The old gods are DEAD, the new gods want what's left.-Foreshadowing Morrison's attempt to bring back the New Gods in Final Crisis?
  
• I'm supposed to be DEAD?
• WHEN AM I?
• 520 Kane-Montoya's stakeout in 52 #4.
  
• Infinity, Inc.-Comes into play in 52 #21
  
• Casey the Cop
• Silverblade
• Find the Sun Devils
• What is spanner's galaxy
• Also the number 52 is written in circles all over the board
• There are some scraps of paper with the numbers 51, 53, 54, 55, and 56 written on them...
• There are what appear to be television screens showing historical events, some of which occurred before the advent of photography
• All the clocks in the laboratory appear to be set at 11:52.
  

Part of DC's genius is how they fed into the spoiler mentality without coming even close to spilling the beans. Comic reader's love to pick things apart and this gave 52 an early boost of excitement as DC headed into summer con season in 2007. Head editor Dan Didio made sure to tease glimpses at every panel he was a part of that summer.

Cover Talk: 52 #5

Cover Talk: 52 #5
Cover Art by J.G. Jones
Quick Thoughts/Reactions

• Very dynamic cover. Note the use of vertical lines which draws us to the fellow on the gurney: Mal Duncan.
• Why isn't Hawkgirl strapped down like she is in the issue?
• The two "eye-like" figures on the right-side of the cover is great foreshadowing of one of the surprises of the issue.
• What is Alan Scott looking at?
  

The One That Got Away: 52 #5

52 #5: The Missing Issue

When I'm not surfing the interwebs or reading the adventures of villains and heroes I work as an assistant librarian. Part of my job is taking care of our single-issue comic collection which I'm very proud of. As the price of comics continue to rise it's not always easy for comic readers to keep up with their favorite series. I also like the idea of making these comics available to kids who may become lifetime comic fans. They may become better readers as a result.

Here's a little inside dope: We don't keep every issue. I have to weed issues every 6 months, otherwise things get messy. And sometimes there are issues that get damaged, which makes me sad. When it came time to start pulling 52 from the shelf I made the decision to wait until the series was over. 52 is such a serialized story. It's like a novel. Clearly it's meant to be one complete story. So when 52 ended in 2007 I found myself with a nearly complete run of issues. Now I'm not really a collector, but I decided to grab them. I had enjoyed the series and liked the idea of being able to grab my favorite issues when I want. Unfortunately the only issue that was missing is #5. It's the only one I don't have. It'd probably be easy to find in a back-issue bin, but that's not something I feel compelled to do. So this week I'll be working from the trade paperback. At least there's no ads.

Up Next: 52 #5 Recap! Look for it soon!

52 #4: Dances With Monsters
Written by Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison
Art Breakdowns by Keith Giffen, Pencils by Joe Bennett, Inks by Ruy Jose, Colors by Alex Sinclair, Lettering by Nick Napolitano, Cover by J.G. Jones
Editors: Jann Jones, Stephen Wacker, Harvey Richards

Plot Synopsis: Montoya continues her one-woman stakeout on 520 Kane St. Halo and a group of scientists are at work just outside Earth’s atmosphere in outer space searching for the heroes that journeyed into space to battle the Crisis and didn’t return. Despite being told to come home and stop searching, some of them refused to abandon them. Luckily, for just as the order to return to Earth came in, Halo detected a Zeta Beam attempting to enter into Earth-Space. Meanwhile on Earth, Fire tries to get Booster to join her and the Martian Manhunter’s rescue team, but Booster says his schedule is packed. This doesn’t make Fire pleased and she calls Booster on it, saying she thought he had changed. Booster then went off, saying how he did his part, jumping to the future and back to save the world. Fire then storms out of his apartment, leaving a blazing hole in Booster’s door. Montoya continues her stakeout but nothing's happening. The Question checks in and urges her to quit smoking. He leaves telling her to keep up the good work and they’ll talk later. a ill and hallucinating Steel works on building a new set of armor. He begins questioning why he even put on the armor in the first place. As he realizes he’s been talking to himself, he finally notices how weak he is and sees his hand turn from brown flesh into silver metal. John Henry Irons screams in agony as a wave of destruction erupts through his lab. Ralph Dibny meets with the Cult of Kryptonian Worship expecting answers. He tries to get them to revive his dead wife Sue, but is left alone in a pool missing his wedding ring. Finally a hulking green skin monster appears at the warehouse. Montoya follows him and tries to subdue the monster with help from The Question. Montoya is able to zap him with some high tech weaponry in the crates in the warehouse. With some help Halo is able to rescue a group of heroes out of the Zeta Beam, one of them being Alan Scott.

Some Annotations/Reactions
Pg. 1 Sundollar Coffee Shout Out.
pg. 3 Zeta Beam appears. All the wonders of teleportation, but with horrible consequences if things go awry.
pg. 6 Booster is still troubled over Ted's death. But again he's obsessed with fame. However he did help save the world in Infinite Crisis by finding a new Blue Beetle. Also Did he really expect Rip Hunter to have a listed number? Really?
pg. 8 Nice doodling Renee.
pg. 15 I think it was Luthor that made Steel sick in order to get him out of the way. Notice he touched his shoulder and got all buddy-buddy in the lab scene in issue #3.
pg. 22 Not the same monster as on the cover. Annoying.
pg. 26 Man those heroes are eff'd up.

Next week: 52 #5!

Cover Talk: 52 #4

Cover Talk: 52 #4
Cover Art by J.G. Jones
Quick Thoughts
-Love Montoya and the bloody question mark.
-Reinforces how awesome and tough Montoya is.
-BTW What's with the monster? That's not the monster that's in the comic. Why? Why?
-This cover showcases the best part of issue #4 for me, which is Montoya's stakeout & relationship with The Question.
-Kinda foreshadows the future of The Question Vic Sage.
-More traditional, as opposed to the more magazine-esque covers.

52 #3: New World Order Recap

52 #3: New World Order
Written by Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison
Art Breakdowns by Keith Giffen, Pencils by Joe Bennett, Inks by Ruy Jose, Colors by Alex Sinclair, Lettering by Nick Napolitano, Cover by J.G. Jones
Editors: Jann Jones, Stephen Wacker, Harvey Richards

Plot Synopsis: Capt. Maggie Sawyer and Gotham PD investigate a dead Lex Luthor look-a-like. Power Girl fights Terra-Man, but is stopped by Black Adam. Black Adam has now taken over as de-facto protector of Kahndaq. John Steel and his niece Natascha argue over her intent to become a superhero. Black Adam is wooed by Intergang with gold and a young female virgin. After Intergang associates get rough with the girl, Black Adam crushes his head with his bare hands. Skeets continues to be inconsistent with his data about the future. Booster decides it's time to find Rip Hunter. Steel is able to find clues that the Luthor look-a-like is a frame-up. However the real Lex Luthor arrives and is able to convince the press that this look-a-like is to blame for the events of Infinite Crisis. Black Adam offers amnesty to criminals who come to his side in Kahndaq. He then demonstrates his authority by ripping Terra-Man in half.

Some Annotations/Reactions:
pg. 1 Gotham PD. If you haven't read Gotham Central by Rucka and Brubaker then that's a crime. Nice reflection in the blood in lower right panel.

pg. 2-4 Some Infinite Crisis exposition and wrap up. Also Black Adam looks massive compared to Power Girl.

pg. 10 The emergence of Intergang as the major villians of the next few years. Their presence lasts through Final Crisis when they are co-opted by Darkseid.

pg. 12 This early extreme violence foreshadows later events in the issue and series.

pg. 15 Call back to Booster's gambling problem. This flaw ended up getting Booster kicked out of sports in the 25th century. This is later rewritten in Geoff Johns's excellent Booster Gold spinoff series after 52.

pg. 16 First mention of Rip Hunter, time master.

pg. 18 Of course Luthor has on a green jacket. Green is the color of envy.

pg. 20 Top Panel: Note the rapt attention that the Mr. Mind worm is paying to the television.

pg. 22 Just like in Infinite Crisis Geoff Johns does not spare the gore as Black Adam rips Terra-Man apart. RIP Terra-Man. Also note that the last sequential panel before the Next Week features the Mr. Mind worm. Is it me or is the worm larger than before? Is this a clue?

Next week: 52 #4! Montoya's back!

Cover Talk: 52 #3

Cover Talk: 52 #3


Cover Art by J.G. Jones

Quick Thoughts
-Obvious duality of Lex Luthor is showcased. Luthor believes that he has the best interests of his planet in his heart. This is gorgeously rendered in the benevolent "blue" Luthor that is featured on the right side of the cover. This belief fuels him to improve society by whatever means necessary.

-He also believes that this alien Superman has usurped his rightful spot as the world's most powerful man. Even as President of the US he still has to kow-tow to Superman. That hatred is wonderfully reflected in the evil red, photo-negatived left side of his face. That is the face that killed his own son (albeit from an alternative universe) Alexander Luthor at the end of Infinite Crisis.

-Note the magazine-esque headline: The Fall and Rise of an American Icon. Using the colors red, white, and blue, reinforces Luthor's fictional narrative. He likes to portray himself as an All-American who used smarts and ingenuity to make his fortune. And now he's President!

-Jones is known for photo-referencing. This Luthor definitely looks like an older version of Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor from Smallville.

Trivia
-Enjoy the ticker tape headlines at the bottom: Midnight in the House of Irons?! Power Girl unleashed! The King of Kahndaq!

Spotlight: Steel's Companion Issue

52: The Companion Issues

The series 52 takes place in the year when Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are gone. This forces 10, usually sideline characters, to the center with their own subplots which feed into the main mystery.

In issue #3 we get our first extended scenes with John Henry Irons and his niece Natascha. John Henry Irons was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove in Adventures of Superman #500, and emerged as the superhero Steel in after the death of Superman. Originally he was a weapons engineer who had a change of heart and ended up faking his own death. He moved to Metropolis and has his life saved by Superman. Superman challenges Irons to "live a life worth saving." Steel uses his knowledge as an engineer to create super-power armor which is then incorporated in the SCU in Metropolis.

His niece Natascha first appears in Steel #1, and ends up staying with her uncle. In the Steel solo series she ends up creating her own suit and taking Steel's place while he is injured. At times she's very smart but can also be a flippant teenager. She understands the good intentions of her uncle but can't help but be occasionally mouthy. A typical teenager.

In the 52 companion Mark Waid reccommends reading Superman: Man of Steel #97. It's written by Mark Schultz, drawn by Doug Mahnke, and is titled Bridge the Past to the Future. This issue features Steel and Natascha moving into the Steel Works in Metropolis, he meets with Superman, and helps the SCU fight off The Eradicator. It is fun to see Steel and Natascha interact and her snottiness is on display. Also great to see John Henry Irons as a scientist and nerding out with Superman. However I'd say that Steel and Natascha only make up about 1/3 of the issue. The issue's primary focus is Superman's battle with The Eradicator which is a left over from the Reign of the Supermenarc.

I would suggest reading Steel's solo series if you can find the issues. Otherwise there is a trade with the first 8 issues called Steel: Forging of a Hero. This series is good stuff, and I wish they would collect it altogether. It's not gonna happen. The run features work from Louise Simonsen, Jon Bogdanove, Peter Tomasi, and Christopher Priest. In this series Steel is solidified as a new next-gen hero who has a real morality. He sees things in very black & white, right or wrong terms, which feeds into where he is at the beginning of 52.

52 #2: Look Back At Tomorrow Recap

52 #2: Look Back At Tomorrow
Written by Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison
Art Breakdowns by Keith Giffen, Pencils by Joe Bennett, Inks by Ruy Jose, Colors by Alex Sinclair, Lettering by Nick Napolitano, Cover by J.G. Jones
Editors: Jann Jones, Stephen Wacker, Harvey Richards

Plot synopsis: Ralph Dibny is investigating the vandalization of his late wife's tomb. He believes that someone is trying to send him a message. Booster visits Dr. Will Magnus to figure out what's wrong Skeets. Magnus goes to visit a detained T.O. Morrow. Morrow believes that mad scientists are being targeted. Renee Montoya's sexy time is interrupted by The Question. He leaves her an address. Booster is able to rescue a plane, despite being wrongfully guided by Skeets. Skeets is clearly still having problems. Renee meets Question at an abandoned warehouse. Question hires her as a detective. Wondergirl is confronted by Dibny who asks about an upside-down "Superman" S that has been put on his late wife's grave.

Some Annotations/Reactions:
Pg. 1 Ralph uses old-school photography. Great visual callback to the sad death of Sue Dibny in Identity Crisis.

pg. 3 "It's a mystery." Ralph Dibny has a purpose now.

pg. 6 Dr. Morrow is reading an article named "Things of Tomorrow." Nice way to slip in "T.O." Morrow.

pg. 8 The missing scientists according to these articles: Dr. Cyclops, I.Q., Doctor Death, Dr. Sivanna, Jeremiah Clugg, Doctor Tyme

pg. 9 Sexy Time. Definitely felt uncomfortable reading this on the bus. At least they are PG. Not so true when I was first reading From Hell on the train.

pg. 10 That's Montoya-Shoot first, Ask questions later.

pg. 14 "52"0 Kane St. Another 52 reference, as well as a shout out to Batman creator Bob Kane. Or maybe it's a reference to the Kane family which will come into play later.

pg. 15 "I asked you first." This is the first time The Question talks to Montoya in a declarative sentence rather than a question.

pg. 16 "So Say We All." BSG Anyone?

pg. 18 The History of the DC Universe is confusing as all hell. I got lost the first time, and am still lost. Frankly I would have rather had more story.

Mysteries are being set up. 50 weeks to go! Next week: 52 #3

Cover Talk: 52 #2

Cover Talk: 52 #2



Cover Art by J.G. Jones

Quick Thoughts
-Love the satirical elements showcased by Booster's brash commercialism.
-Great unique angle as if the reader is fighting to get a view of Booster with the press.
-So many cameras! Total: 6, all different kinds.
-Looks like Clark is pissed.
-Overall rating: B

Trivia Easter Eggs
-On the cover Booster is endorsing the following products/companies: Hero Soda, Ferris Air, Glassonix Pharmaceuticals, Gas.
-Partially visible: Some kind of Coffee company that looks like Starbucks, Panda in a kungfu stance, W with a Vega.
-Two pretty blondes are wearing Booster Gold Club ball caps. Brown shades on the Left, Blue shades on the Right.

Spotlight: Mark Waid, Kingdom Come, & 52

Spotlight: Mark Waid

Of the four writers who worked on 52, Mark Waid was the most traditional comic writer. He's well-known for his eight-year run on The Flash, and these days works as the head of Boom Studios. Like Geoff Johns, Waid is known for his knowledge of the DC universe and lore. He seemed a perfect choice for a series that has at it's center Silver Age characters such as Ralph Dibney and Booster Gold.

Last night I was reading a fantastic exit interview for 52 by Mark Waid. In the interview he comes off as enthusiastic and energetic. He never doubted that they could pull off a weekly series. This is amazing considering he had been a part of the Action Comics Weekly experiment which was infamously unsuccessful. In working on 52 he clearly understood that in order for the series to work it needed a great story. Waid goes on to detail his excitement at working with Morrison, Rucka, and Johns, who each bring their unique storytelling abilities to the table.

For me Waid will always be known as the architect of the fantastic series Kingdom Come. This is an Elseworlds story that is set some twenty years into the future. It deals with a growing conflict between "traditional" superheroes, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League, and a growing population of largely amoral and dangerously irresponsible new vigilantes. Between these two groups is Batman and his assembled team, who attempt to contain the escalating disaster, foil the machinations of Lex Luthor, and prevent a world-ending superhuman war. Waid, with amazing art from Alex Ross, brings superheroics to a biblical level.

The first half of Kingdom Come focuses particularly on a world that has become tarnished by the fact that our main superheroes are gone. The scenario that plays out in Kingdom Come is definitely more apocalyptic than 52 ever attempts. In this Elseworlds tale Waid is bent on more epic storytelling like they had seen in Crisis 11 years before. Like Millar's Superman Red Son, Waid can explore specific archetypal characters like Superman and not have to bother with current continuity. Whereas 52 lives inside the DC universe, the Elseworlds line was a great place for storytelling that bends the genre. In my opinion this is Waid's best work and you are missing out having not read it.

Now this is very speculative but I'm gonna guess that Waid's touch can be found in the following storylines/characters in 52:
-Ralph Dibny
-Steel and Infinity Inc.
-Booster Gold (with Geoff Johns)
-JLA stuff
-Clark Kent
-Mad Scientists

Have a great week! Book Slave.

52 #1: Golden Lads and Lasses Must...Recap

So here's the format I want to use for the issue recaps. It may change. We'll see...Just to remind folks that I'm no comic expert. This is more about my own thoughts and observations as I re-visit this series. Comments are welcome. As long as they are nice. Enjoy!

52 #1: Golden Lads and Lasses Must...
Written by Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison
Art Breakdowns by Keith Giffen, Pencils by Joe Bennett, Inks by Ruy Jose, Colors by Alex Sinclair, Lettering by Nick Napolitano, Cover by J.G. Jones
Editors: Jann Jones, Stephen Wacker, Harvey Richards

Plot Synopsis: After 2 pages of what is either the destruction or creation of the DC Universe, we catch up with the some of our main characters. Ralph Dibney sits in the ruins of his home, holding a gun, talking on the phone. Renee Montoya gets a drink. Steel helps rebuild Paris. They all seem pretty lost. That is until Booster Gold, and Skeet, appears on the scene. Booster takes out a bad guy, takes some pictures with fans, and endorses a soda drink. Black Adam on the other hand is killing a terrorist. Dr. Sivanna is taken in his lab by mysterious figures. The heroes reunite by Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are absent. Strangely Booster is not up to making the rah-rah speech to bring everyone together. Now it's night-time and The Question has co-opted the Bat Signal by changing it to a question mark. Who is he signalling? Why it's a drunk and heart-broken Renee Montoya. Are you Ready?

Some Annotations/Reactions:
Cover: This is what got me to pick up this book. The sword, cowl, and cape looks like a grave. I've grown to enjoy J.G. Jones, later discovering his work in Wanted, and here's where it starts.

Pg. 2 Note how prominent Booster Gold's image is in the Upper Right Panel. Foreshadowing?
pg. 4 Montoya drinks at 52 Pick Up.
pg. 5 Exposition Me!
pg. 9 I love Booster's soda endorsement. It's wonderfully cheesy and consistent with his glory-hog character.
pg. 12 As seen at the end of Infinite Crisis-Don't Piss off Black Adam.
pg. 14 Wonderful moment in the lower left panel of the page:

Bart: I just wish that I had been fast enough to save Connor.
Jay Garrick: We All do Bart.

Just goes to show the emotional loss of Connor Kent, who sacrificed himself to capture Superboy Prime in Infinite Crisis.
pg. 15-16 Awesome spread. Bunch of characters are gathered but the reader gets to view them at a unique angle.
pg. 18 De-powered Clark Kent makes a cameo.
pg. 22 Love the team-up of The Question and Montoya. The Question's "Are you ready?" seems to be directed at the audience as well as Montoya.

Ultimately a great introductory issue. Next week: 52 #2! Have a great weekend! Book Slave.

Everything is Infinite.

Prologue & Set Up: Infinite Crisis

So in order to understand what's going on in 52 #1 it might help to go back to the event prior which was the earth-shattering Infinite Crisis (IC). IC ended the first week of May 2006 and then the series 52 immediately began afterward.

IC was written by Geoff Johns, a major up and comer at the time, and drawn by Phil Jimenez, George Perez, Jerry Ordway, Ivan Reis, and Andy Lanning. I think because there were so many artists the issues came out basically on time. Johns was the perfect choice for this event, since he is known for revitalizing old comic concepts. At the time he had already started/completed successful runs on JSA, The Flash, Hawkman, Teen Titans and Green Lantern. He was matched with the top artists at the time in Perez and Jimenez who were known for work on X-Men and Teen Titans. These were team books with a lot of different characters on a page which is necessary in an event book.

Infinite Crisis is a sequel to the legendary Crisis on Infinite Earths (CIE) from 1985. CIE was DC's attempt to clear up it's already convoluted continuity. Trust me there's been plenty of discussion on that event as it is. But the most important thing to remember about CIE is that it wiped out DC's multiverse, trimming down the universe to just Earth-1.

Then in IC Batman, Superman and Wonderwoman are at odds with each other. These pillars of the DC Universe have each made choices that are ethically sketchy. It is because of the judgment that is laid down in IC by Alexander Luthor, Superboy Prime, and Kal-L, that these three take a year off. 52 is about what happens in the year that these three are gone, hence we get to follow some great side characters.

Here's some other key things from IC:
*Booster Gold reappears with Skeets and finds Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle. Blue Beetle is then able to aid in the destruction of the Brother Eye satellite.
*Black Adam appears after being captured by Alexander Luthor, who is impersonating Lex Luthor of Earth-1. Black Adam is allowed revenge on a de-powered Alexander Luthor in Gotham.
*In deep space Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Star Fire are marooned.
*The death of Superboy, Connor Kent, who is mourned by his girlfriend Wondergirl.
*All the villians in the DC universe have trashed Earth-1. Time to rebuild everything again!

Next time: 52 #1!

An Introduction.

Hey,
So I was going through some of my old comics one night. As I was choking on the dust that had settled, I thought about how often I don't re-read. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm a candidate for hoarders. However I sometimes wish I had the chance to revisit something I enjoyed.

With that in mind I gathered together my copies of 52. For those who may not remember 52 was a year long series where each week a new comic was released. This series was supposed to fill in the missing year when Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman disappeared. With the three pillars of the DC Universe taking some time out to deal with their own problems, well some shit went down.

I had always wanted to read a regular comic series but I was too intimidated at the time to pick up something like Batman. Also I didn't really know anyone who read comics regularly so I couldn't ask anyone for help if I was lost. At the time I remember being struck by the cover of this new series called 52. It looked cool, epic, and interesting. So I picked it up and dove in.

Well nearly 4 years later I'm following about 8-10 series regularly. And I have nearly all 52 issues sitting in a pile. I've decided that I'm gonna look at an issue a week for the next year, post my thoughts, maybe some notes. Now I'm no Doug Wolk, not a comic expert by any means, but I thought maybe it'd be fun.

So join along with me, I'll be posting about 52 #1 in a few days, Enjoy, Book Slave.