Ilash

August 15, 2021 3:56 pm Yeah, this is pretty much exactly my take as well. I'm all for sexual diversity in comics but it needs to be done organically and should preferably come with new characters, rather than trying to force it on existing ones. I haven't read it but maybe they will do something interesting with Tim here (of the Bat books I only read Nightwing so I haven't actually read the issue in question) but I can't seem to give DC the benefit of the doubt. Like, at all. The whole thing screams publicity stunt to me or even, dare I say it, "woke" virtue signalling at its worst. And the whole idea that only now that he's bi is Tim Drake an interesting character, is insulting both to the character and his fans, and also - surely? - to bisexual people who, presumably, aren't looking to have their sexuality turned into a character quirk or, worse, a sideshow attraction. I can't imagine that this will be as bad as black Wally West (because what is?) but I definitely don't trust the intentions at play here. Outing an existing character as bi can certainly be handled well, like with Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn 99, but that's because that came across as an organic development for her character - and one that reflected the actress' own bisexuality. These sorts of changes in corporate superhero comics, however, very seldom convince as anything other than just another gimmick to raise sales.

February 9, 2021 2:06 pm Showcase #4 rather than the first issue of Flash surely? That one came out way back in 1956.

February 8, 2021 3:08 pm It started in 1970 so it just qualifies, I think. Can't argue with Giant Sized X-Men, though.

February 7, 2021 2:53 pm Also Green Lantern/ Green Arrow for the '70s. And the '90s for me was all about Vertigo and the better stuff from DC so... Death: The High Cost of Living for that decade. Or maybe Bone or Strangers in Paradise. The '90s are super underrated and the Image stuff was by far the least interesting.

February 7, 2021 2:41 pm Haha! My reaction to the patron pick was identical to yours. Just... why?

September 15, 2020 10:24 pm Too much action. That is often the problem with these animated films. It's like there's some unspoken quota of how much of an individual film has to be superheroes punching things even at the cost of story or characterization. Obviously, that's not the case with stuff like All Star Superman or Red Son but more often than not it seems to be the case. But then, sometimes it feels that way with the comics too. Which is a pity because there was so much to like in the first half of the film. The animation may be so-so but I really liked the character designs after that awful bulky manga thing they had going for all those years. Great character stuff too.

September 14, 2020 9:07 pm Heh, I actually had the same thought, Conor! I also thought it didn't count. But why not, of course? It's totally a superhero story. The only reason to disqualify it from consideration is that the characters are not DCU superheroes. Mind you, the question is probably more interesting if we exclude Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns. I don't know if New Frontier is such a given, though, even if it is a truly wonderful piece of work and was definitely in the running for my top 3.

September 14, 2020 1:00 pm Or, ooh, the arc of Waid's fantastic Four where they meet "God".

September 14, 2020 1:00 pm DC is tough. So many great single volumes, even just in their superhero line. I would probably go for All Star Superman, Superman: Secret Identity and Watchmen but I could easily go for another thirty or so options, including those you guys listed. I'm much less well versed in Marvel and their lack of self-contained comics, comparatively, doesn't help. Still, I would probably go for Nextwave, The Vision and... yeah, probably Marvels or the first volume of Ultimate Spider-man.

August 23, 2020 8:34 pm Man, I just loved Perry Mason, despite the fact that I often don't love these prestige HBO dramas and couldn't even get through the first season of Boardwalk Empire. I was a but wary of the show for the first episode or two - I'm no prude but I thought the violence was a bit much - but I was completely hooked by the third episode. Loved the characters, the mystery, the count room drama (I've always had a soft spot for that) and the just slightly hyper-real, noir-like feel of the show. And, yeah, I really liked that it was a whole lot less cynical than it first appeared to be. But that cast, man, that cast! I could go on for days just about John Lithgow, who has had a hell of a late-period renaissance but I don't think he has ever been this good.