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?