Assembling the Titans

Yesterday, more cast was announced for the upcoming Titans show to air on Warner Bros streaming service that will feature the third season of Young Justice.  I'm not sure what all WB hopes to put on this service(though I hope it's all their DC Comics animated stuff) but they will soon have to compete with Disney who is pulling all their Marvel and Star Wars content off of Netflix in 2019 for their own streaming service.  With each studio seeming like they will soon all have their own content we have to pay a monthly fee for decisions need to be made.  CBS is betting that Trekkies will pay for their streaming service just to watch Star Trek: Discovery(and probably the only ones who will) but is YJ and Titans enough to get people to pay for the WB service?  Young Justice is one of my favorite animated series, but what about Titans?

DC's Chief Creative Officer(and bad ass comic writer)Geoff Johns has tried to put a Teen Titans show on TV for a while.  A few years ago it looked like it was coming to TNT with the help of Arrow and The Flash producer Greg Berlanti(and would not be set in the 'Arrowverse').  However, it appears WB took it from TNT and is using it as a kick-off series for their streaming service, but will it be any good?

When I was a teenager Geoff Johns was writing Teen Titans starring Superboy, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Robin.  And I have read quite a few stories involving Greg Perez's infamous The New Teen Titans.  Post-Rebirth Titans takes some of those original Teen Titans and finds them as adults, still fighting crime together.  I keep up with the series, as I am all about these once-young heroes now dealing with adult issues, and trying to keep their bonds together strong.  So what will Titans by Warner Bros be about?  Let's look at the cast.

1)  Teagan Croft as Raven

Raven is basically a demon whose father is Trigon, an uber-evil demon that Raven has been battling most of her life.  She's moody, strange, and sometimes a bit of a ticking time bomb.  She's had relations with Beast Boy, who has not been named as being in this series. I don't see him being added either, mainly because the cost of having a character who can morph into any animal just sounds way to expensive for a TV series.  

I'm not familiar with Croft, and if you look at her IMDB page she hasn't done much.  So right now her performance can go either way.

2)  Ann Diop as Starfire

She's an alien princess from the planet Tamaran and is quite powerful.  She's known to go toe-to-toe with Wonder Woman.  She starts off a bit naive but eventually grows into a strong character in Teen Titans.  She also has a long-term relationship with Dick Grayson, former Robin(and Batman), and current Nightwing.

Diop's IMDB page is a bit longer than Croft's, but I have yet to see anything she's in.  Her most recent work includes the last 24 miniseries; 24: Legacy.  As long her chemistry works with Dick, I think she'll be ok.  I'm just curious if they are gonna give her orange skin.

3)  Brenton Thwaites as Nightwing

On the Titans IMDB page it just says Dick Grayson, but everyone is assuming we are getting our first ever live interpretation of Nightwing.  Rumors of Chris O'Donnell doing a Nightwing spin-off was on the table back in the late 90's, but when Batman & Robin bombed those rumors were flushed away along with a fifth Batman film.

Being known as the founder(and most important member) of every Titans team; this casting was key.  Thwaites has been in several big budget films like Gods of Egypt, Maleficent, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.  While none of those films were good, Thwaites has shown that he has decent acting chops, and he's just unknown enough to make the character fresh and make people see Nightwing; not Brenton Thwaites.

4)  Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly as Hawk and Dove

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Hawk and Dove.  Their best story line was in Geoff Johns Brightest Day miniseries, and even then I wasn't that interested.  Rumors are said that they won't be in all the episodes, and may get their own spin-off .

Ritchson is most noticeable to fan boys as Aquaman in Smaville, and Kelly will always have my support for playing Lyla Garrity on one of my favorite TV series; Friday Night Lights.  Both are seasoned TV thespians, so as much as I'm not a fan of the characters I'm excited for these actors to join the series.  So now, I'm starting to feel that, if the story and production value are on par, this actually might just be a series to watch.

My Top 12 Geoff Johns DC Stories

Yes, I know.  This is one of those rare occasions when I sit down and actually write a blog entry.  I thought about doing this one via podcast, but my voice is gone so looks like I'm doing this one "old school."  Last week I read a list about the best comic book story lines written by Geoff Johns.  I am a big fan of Johns.  I like almost anything he writes, minus his early days on JSA, and maybe a few Justice League books.  But in his writing career he has rejuvenated Green Lantern, Flash, and Aquaman into hit series and characters.  

Because of his success with DC Comics he has moved up the ladder to president and Chief Creative Officer of DC.  The list I read last week had a lot of good story lines, some of which are my favorite, but some I felt were also left out.  I started making my own list of almost two dozen Johns books I enjoy and then whittled it down to my top twelve.  Let me know which ones are your favorite, or which ones you have yet to read!

12) Superboy: Boy of Steel

After returning from the dead, Connor Kent is determined to get his life back together.  He revisits his best friend and (ex)girlfriend who both have fallen on dark times since his death.  Connor attends Smallville High and tries to live his life like Superman did.  But after a run-in with Lex Luthor's sister he faces a moral dilemma not even Superman could choose between.

11) Green Lantern: Sinestro

Hal Jordan was the greatest Green Lantern of them all; and Sinestro their #1 enemy.  But after War of the Green Lanterns Hal is kicked out and Sinestro is chosen back into the Corps.  But Sinestro needs help, and the only one he trusts that can help him is Hal.  Sinestro grants him a temporary ring and the two show why their unique relationship is so engaging to read.

10) Aquaman: The Trench

For years, Aquaman was the laughing stock of the DC Universe.  People saw him as just a fast swimmer and a person who can talk to fish.  But after his resurrection in Brightest Day, Aquaman got his own solo title and showed why he is a big hitter in the DCU.  He's strong, bulletproof, and can control sharks.  I sure as hell wouldn't mess with him. 

9) Superman: Up, Up, and Away

Being a Superman fan, I will admit, I am little biased towards John's Superman stories.  It's been a year since Superman helped take down the alternate Superboy by flying him through a red sun, and de-powering them both.  Clark Kent has lived a normal life and getting along pretty well, until his powers slowly start to come back as well has his rogues gallery.  Clark has to get back into the swing of things before the return of his greatest foe; Lex Luthor.

8) Infinite Crisis

I will admit it, I am not a fan of the multiverse storylines.  I really don't like to read Crisis on Infinite Earths or Final Crisis, but I like Infinite Crisis for it's personal moments.  The Justice League has been fractured due to the discretions of key members, and the first issue ends with Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman having it out and Bruce burning Clark by saying, "The last time you inspired anyone was when you were dead."  From there an alternate Superboy and Superman try to save their Earth by destroying Earth One.  It all culminates in a battle through a red sun and the death of Connor Kent.    

7) Superman:  Last Son

Lois and Clark adopt a Kryptonian boy and have their hands full when they find out it's Zod's offspring; and daddy's home.  It's an interesting story that has Clark and Lois question something they never thought they'd be; parents.

JON:  Who's Wonder Woman?

LOIS:  Someone you won't meet until you're 17.

JON:  Who's Batman?

LOIS:  Someone you won't meet until you're 18.

6) Superman: Secret Origin

I terrific retelling of Superman's origin that hits all the high points.  From his awkward years discovering his powers in Smallville, to meeting The Daily Planet staff for the first time.  It's not as hard-edged as Birthright, or as poetic as A Superman For All Seasons, but this one is just a fun read.  At the end I always hear the John Williams score play in my head as Superman flies away.

5) Green Lantern: Secret Origin

After Johns brought Hal Jordan back into the spotlight he decided to reintroduce him to readers who may not have been around when he first appeared during the Silver Age.  This is the story about a rebellious pilot who couldn't stay out of trouble after his father's death.  He is chosen for the greatest honor in the universe and must learn to be responsible, while showing the Green Lantern Corps a few new tricks.  So disappointed the GL movie didn't turn out like this.

4) Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War

This tale re-establish Hal as the greatest Green Lantern of them all, and kicks off a story line that would expand the GL mythology in ways nobody ever thought.  After years of wielding a yellow ring by himself, Sinestro creates his own Yellow Lantern Corps that finds those who instill fear in others.  This Corps gives the GL's a run for their money as Kyle and Hal must both conquer their fears if they are to defeat Sinestro, and prepare for the Blackest Night.

3) Flashpoint

Some people think this story line is a bit weak, but I love that it not only gives an alternate look at our DC heroes, but also proves just how powerful Barry Allen is as the Flash.  Barry runs back in time to save his mother and ends up wrecking reality.  Clark Kent is a science experiment, Bruce Wayne is dead, and Wonder Woman and Aquaman are at war. Barry must give up his mother or leave the world in apocalyptic nightmare.  Barry's goodbye to his mother at the end left me in tears.

2) Green Lantern: Rebirth

This is the story that not only put Geoff Johns on the map, but reinvigorated Green Lantern for years to come.  Johns spent almost a decade writing GL and it started with giving Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps a "rebirth."  I really can't explain this book except to say that if you've only seen the Green Lantern movie it is a great jump-on point for GL, followed by nine years of great stories! 

1) Flash:  Rebirth

While Green Lantern will no doubt be the main chapter in Johns comic book legacy my favorite book of his, say one of my favorite books of all-time, is this one.  In Final Crisis, Barry Allen returns from the Speed Force to a world that as gone on without him.  While all his friends and family want to celebrate his return, Barry feels he must make-up for all the good work he could have done while he was gone.  Along the way, Barry runs into old enemies, new family, and the truth about the event that lead him to becoming the Flash.  It's a book about slowing down, and enjoying the things that matter in life that is beautifully written.

Worth A Read? Superman: The Men of Tomorrow

It's no secret that I'm a pretty big Superman fan.  And anyone who know me knows one of my favorite writers is Geoff Johns.  Johns is the guy who resurrected Green Lantern, The Flash, and Aquaman into DC hits.  But as soon as Johns left those books I quickly lost interest.  He has a way of capturing the best in any character he writes.  A task that seems hard to replicate with some comic writers.  And while I haven't loved his current Justice League run it's been better than most books coming out of DC Comics these days.

Twenty-five years ago two scientists worked for the government on cracking inter dimensional travel.  Their work turned south and a black hole began to grow that would consume the world.  In an act of desperation, the couple sent their only child to one of the five dimensions they'd discovered.  There, the child grew up with powers beyond imagination and helped create a modern utopia.  But that couple that sent their child away to be saved?  Minutes later they stopped the black hole from consuming all of Earth.  And have been trying to find their son ever since.

Superman faces off against a new villain on the streets of Metropolis and gets a little help from a new hero; Ulysses.  Ulysses grew up in a another dimension and has the power to absorb energy to make himself fly and become much stronger than the average man.  He can even absorb Superman's heat vision.  Kal-El soon reunites Ulysses with his long lost parents and for a short time all seems good.  But Ulysses real motivation for coming back to Earth has yet to be revealed, and it involves six million lives.

I was excited for Johns to be back writing the Man of Steel.  Superman: Secret Origin is one of my favorites and his story(Superman: Last Son) with acclaimed film director Richard Donner added another level to the Superman myth by giving him and Lois a son.  Aside from James Robinson, very few writers I think capture Superman the way Johns does.  He knows the character is at his best when his hardest battle is within.  Ulysses comes from a utopia where hunger and disease no longer exist.  Clark has to to explain to this new visitor why they can't just use their abilities to make the people of Earth fall in line.  Ulysses must be reading Gods Among Us.

While this is not one of my favorite Johns stories it is still quite entertaining.  Johns added a new power to the Man of Steel's bag of tricks, but I didn't really see the point of it.  Clark now has the ability to admit a solar flare that decimates his enemies, but then Superman's powers are drained and Clark is human for several hours until his body recharges.  When Superman first appeared back in 1938 he couldn't fly and it was added later, but this new power just seems a bit over the top.  Do we really need to make Superman more powerful so the general audience will disconnect with him more?  I'm not a fan of it, but I guess as long as they don't use this new power that often I can learn to live with it.  

John Romita Jr pens this book beautifully.  I've enjoyed his art ever since he was drawing Spider-Man in the 1990's and then much later with Kick-Ass.  His style is very unique that I think it goes well with Johns's way of story telling.  I still prefer Johns to work with Gary Frank more, but Romita is good enough for me.

This book adds a few things to the Superman myth like giving him a new villain, a new power, and a person in Clark's life finds out his secret; and it isn't Lois Lane.  In fact, I was a little disappointed how little Lois had to do in this book.  Before the New 52, when Lois and Clark were married, their relationship was a center piece of Superman's humanity and life.  Now that Clark is hooking up with Wonder Woman Lois is really irrelevant; which makes me kind of sad.  

If you are a true fan of Superman tales or tales written by Geoff Johns I recommend this book for you.  But if you are borderline agreeable on either of those topics you can probably skip this one for now.

'Furious 7' Director Submerges Into 'Aquaman'

Anyone who knows me knows I'm an unbashful Aquaman fan.  The DC character has been the butt of many jokes ever since the 1960's when he appeared in his own cartoon series and then was featured on Superfriends.  Aquaman has been through many interpretations throughout his 70-year run, but Geoff Johns breathed new life into the character when he brought him back from the dead in Brightest Day and also wrote him into The New 52's Justice League, and he got his own comic book series once again.

Warner Bros and DC Entertainment are busy trying to catch Marvel with their own cinematic universe.  Jason Momoa from Game of Thrones has been cast to play the King of the Seven Seas in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice coming out next year, with his own film slated for 2018.  A few days ago it was announced that Fast & Furious 7 director, James Wan, has now signed on to direct the Aquaman stand-alone film. 

Fast & Furious 7 broke box office records, but let's be honest. Most of that hype was due to the tragic death of Paul Walker while filming the movie. Wan, Universal Studios, and the cast handled the situation great and honored Walker's memory perfectly, but Aquaman is a whole different machine.  Before F&F, Wan had mainly done horror movies. He started the infamous Saw and Insidious franchises, and while I'm not a horror fan I still appreciate any film maker who creates something that is good enough to start a series. Fast and Furious is also not known for Oscar winning performances and story telling. As the series continues the stunts and plots get more and more ridiculous.  

DC characters like Aquaman and Wonder Woman are very mythical. When dealing with worlds like Atlantis and the Themiscrya you need directors who can handle the fantasy aspect, but flesh out the characters to make the movie work.  Formerly attached to direct the Wonder Woman movie was Michelle MacLaren, who would have been a good fit with her background working on Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.  Kenneth Branagh also had a background dealing with Shakespearean stories when he directed Thor, and it helped make the fantasy world of Asgard believable.  I have yet to see that kind of talent as a director from James Wan.

Given that Aquaman will be part of a much bigger cinematic world Wan will also have to deal with producers and studio heads throwing in their 2, or even 10, cents into the project Wan will be the captain of. Like all the other WB/DC films set to come out in the next few years, I am hoping for the best but don't have much faith in WB since they put Zach Snyder in charge of the big DC films coming out. I was disappointed with Man of Steel and thought Zach Snyder was the wrong director to reintroduce not only Superman onto the big screen, but the now entire DC Comics universe.

I have yet to see enough of both James Wan and Jason Momoa to see if they have the talent to pull off the epic film Aquaman should be. However, given both their action backgrounds this may be the next step in their careers to not only elevate their reputations, but also Aquaman. And the movie is still three years away. Like mighty rivers and oceans, the DC Cinematic Universe current could change directions by then. Either way, I'll be watching.

How TNT's Teen Titans Could Be Earth One

In February a possible line-up was announced for a Teen Titans television series on TNT. The original Titans were a bunch of DC sidekicks like Robin, Kid Flash, and even Aqualad, that got together as a sort of kiddie Justice League. Since then the team has had many members, and had some great story lines, especially when written by DC's current Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns.  TNT's Teen Titans is rumored to star fan favorites like Robin(now Nightwing), Starfire, Raven, and also Cyborg, who is currently set to be played by Ray Fisher in Warner Bros Justice League cinematic team. 

It's still unclear whether the series will be a part of TheCW's TV shared universe along with Arrow and The Flash, but if it doesn't then DC will have gone the complete opposite direction of Marvel, who has their television and movies as one big shared universe.  Personally I'm a little surprised that DC and WB are allowing TNT to use Nightwing since he is so closely affiliated with Batman, and also Cyborg, who looks like will be featured in the WB films.  If DC really wants to not crossover their TV and movie universes then I think they should just go all in and keep everything separate. Gotham has nothing to do with Arrow, which has nothing to do with Constantine.  All these shows are on different networks, and therefore have no relation.  I believe they should do the same for the Teen Titans, which would be easy if they followed the latest.  Titans interpretation; Earth One.

Earth One has become much like Marvel's Ultimate line. It's a way of bringing in fresh stories to old characters without being weighed down by decades and decades of continuity. The Superman and Batman Earth One stories have been a hit with more on the way.  I just finished Teen Titans: Earth One, and I must say, it is a good outline for a Teen Titans TV series outside what WB is doing in their cinematic projects.

The graphic novel features TT stars like Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire, but in a different light.  Superheroes like Batman or Superman are not ever mentioned, meaning that they might not even exsist in this world.  These characters are a group of teenagers who, because they were once orphans, were experimented on using alien technology.  Each teen begins to exhibit different abilites as the truth about their past and origin unfolds.

As I read the book I kind of got a Roswell vibe too it, which, if mixed the current superhero craze, would be great for today's audience to latch on too.  The fact that it has no mention of other DC heroes is a strength.  It has potential to make it's own mythology that won't interfere with anything else WB is doing with their DC properties.  I also personally like that Robin and Kid Flash are nowhere in this book, although Deathstroke, a character who is featured on Arrow, does make an appearance.
I think if TNT is going to be coming out with a Teen Titans series then the Earth One graphic novel is a great road map to make sure it doesn't interfere with whatever else WB is planning.  As a fan though, I'm a little hesitant about having three different Deathstroke's or more than two Cyborg's, existing in a live-action setting at the same time.  While I think it could work to keep DC movie and television characters separate I don't believe we need several versions of each character. There are plenty of people who populate the DC Universe for everyone to have their own toys to play with.  However, if Nightwing is going to be in a Teen Titans series, I've always wanted Milo Ventimiglia to play him.  Peter Petrelli was the sh!t.

Worth A Read? Aquaman: Sea of Storms

Anyone who reads my posts knows my nepotism for Geoff Johns.  DC's Chief Creative Officer has been a favorite writer of mine for years now.  He's ability to flesh out and expand the mythology of DC heroes has always been spectacular.  He's blown the door wide open for Green Lantern, brought the Flash back from the dead, and made Aquaman cool.  But after leaving Green Lantern and The Flash, the titles just dried up for me.  The current writers just don't hit the right notes.  So I sat down to see if the same would be true for Aquaman. 

Jeff Parker takes over writing duties for the King of the Seven Seas.  In Johns last run, Death of the King, Arthur found out his ancestors weren't the true rulers of Atlantis, but the betrayers.  We also learned that Atlantis is one of seven underwater kingdoms, each with a magical weapon to control their part of the ocean.  Parker continues this tale with Arthur and Mera returning to the surface for a much needed vacation, and Aquaman attending his high school reunion.  It seems a little cheesy, but actually pretty entertaining. 

Arthur also learns of Triton Base, a human operation that has set-up shop under the sea , and are looking to defend the surface world in case of another Atlantian invasion.  They are aided by Aquaman's frenemy; Dr. Shin.  Triton accidentally awakens the Karaqan and it's up to Aquaman to stop it.  On top of this fight, Arthur runs into a psychotic Hercules and teams up with Wonder Woman to re-incarcerate some greek monsters.  Meanwhile, Mera is diving deeper into Atlantis to discover who is still trying to kill her and Aquaman.

As I read on in this book my interest seemed to wane, except when the focus was kept on Atlantis problems.  Parker didn't provide any good dialogue or insight into the Aquaman/Wonder Woman relationship so it wasn't that good of a read, neither was the appearance of Swamp Thing.  But Mera's investigation into her assassination attempt, and Triton's secret plans, were enough to get me to finish the book.  I think Parker just needs to stay focused on expanding the Atlantis mythology Johns set-up.  Paul Pelletier and his accompanying artist aren't Ivan Reis, so the story has to be strong to hold my attention.

WORTH A READ?:  Only if you're an Aquaman fan.

'The Flash' Peeks At The Finish Line From The Starting Line

After months of waiting The Flash finally premiered tonight on The CW.  I've spent the last few days browsing through some of my Flash graphic novels, mostly those written by Geoff Johns.  I also hopped on YouTube to catch some clips of Grant Gustin on season 2 of Arrow, which full episodes become available on Netflix tomorrow.  I've enjoyed watching Arrow the last few years, and being that the Flash is one of my favorite superheroes I was more than psyched for tonight's pilot.

Barry Allen is a forensic assistant for the Central City Police Department.  When Barry was 11-years-old his mother was murdered and his father was convicted for it.  But Barry saw something that night; something he can't explain.  Fast forward to present day and Barry wakes up from a 9 month coma after being struck by lightening.  He has super healing and super speed, but Barry's not the only guy in town with impossible abilities.  Barry must enlist the help of his S.T.A.R. Labs cohorts to stop a man who can control the weather. 

Tonight's episode was allegedly an extended edition of the pilot.  I hope that extended part was the first five minutes, because it was the worst part about the whole episode.  Those five minutes set-up Barry's life pre-powers.  I can see why this might help someone who is not familiar with Flash, or didn't see Grant Gustin on Arrow.  However, almost everything in those minutes were either repeated or not necessary.  When I re-watch this episode I'm doing the 2-part arch on Arrow and then start with Barry waking up; like the series should have.

Now that I have my gripe out of the way; I LOVED IT!!!  Gustin played a young Barry perfectly, but I already had faith in him after his guest starring role on Arrow.  His relationship with not only Iris, but all the other characters, seemed to click.  Barry has always been a comic book character who is hopeful.  While Warner Bros is setting up all the DC films to be all the same tone I'm glad to see that show creators, Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti, know Barry is a totally different person from Oliver Queen.  Therefore we know this will be a totally different show than Arrow.

The episode is laced with Easter eggs. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.  The most obvious is that the man who played Barry Allen on television 20 years ago,  John Wesley Shipp, is now playing Barry's dad.  As Barry and Harrison walk through S.T.A.R. Labs we see a busted cage labeled "GRODD."  This references Gorilla Grodd, a long-time villain of the Flash who is a giant, intelligent, ape.  I smell a Flash/Planet of the Apes crossover joke somewhere in there. We also meet a lot of characters from the comic book series, and being privileged to know their supposed fates, I can't wait to see it unfold.  However, the best surprise was the final scene.

A paralyzed Dr. Harrison Wells enters a room, but then walks over to a digital newspaper from ten years into the future headlining a Wayne Tech/ Queen Industries merger, but also a Flash death via 'Crisis.' In Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry Allen sacrifices himself to save all of reality.  It's one of the most iconic moments in comic book history, and something that would not be rectified until Barry's return in Final Crisis over two decades later.  This says to me that not only will this show stay true to the Flash mythology, but that they've already got their series ending planned out should the series go ten seasons like Smallville.

The Flash pilot seems to be a great jump-start to this series.  I like the tone, the effects, and so far, the actors.  As Barry explores his powers he'll find out that he can not only phase through solid objects, but also travel through time.  This power will eventually help him solve his mother's murder.  The show's possibilities, like Barry's powers, are limitless.  Now I am only praying we get a Arrow/Flash Justice League episode(s) in a few years.  As of right now I feel like it'll be way more interesting than whatever Zach Snyder has planned.

Finally, A 'Flash' of Hope

It's been about three years now since DC Comics implemented their New 52 style and turned off fans like myself who have been loyal readers all their lives.  Your see, back in 2011, DC re-booted their universe.  They broke up several relationships and hit the 'restart' button on quite a bit of continuity.  Since then I've had a hard time getting into a lot of what DC publishes.  I still enjoy Green Lantern and Batman titles, but I can't stand anything Superman and Green Arrow.  

The Flash has been a title that seems interesting, but I've been having a hard time connecting with.  When Geoff Johns wrote the book and Francis Manapul did the art I couldn't get enough of it, but ever since Manapul took over writing duties as well I haven't really liked The Flash.  Last night, I sat down to read volume 4; Reverse.  And I must say I actually liked it.  

This book introduces us to The New 52's Reverse Flash.  Eobard Thawne is a man from the future who recreated the experimented that turned Barry Allen into the Flash and ended up becoming Barry's mortal enemy; the Reverse Flash.  Not to give too much away, but Thawne is not The New 52's Reverse Flash; at least not yet.

Someone is going around killing people who have been inside the Speed Force, the energy source that gives the Flash his powers.  Barry must rush to find the killer before the last two targets are hit; himself and Iris West.  This leads Flash to cross paths with Kid Flash for the first time, and finds out the kid's powers don't come from the Speed Force like his.  Meanwhile, Barry has just moved in with his girlfriend, Patty.  And she's throwing her parents an anniversary party.  In typical superhero fashion, the Flash has to be quick enough to find the bad guy, and make it to the party on time.

If I had it my way Geoff Johns would go on writing The Flash for ten years like he did Green Lantern.  As an artist I really like Manapul.  I think his style is perfect for the Flash.  Just something about it fits uniquely into this world and it just gels.  I also like Manapul's New 52 Flash costume.  It's more pieces of armor that are electrifying rather than stretchy spandex. But story wise I feel like Manapul's tales about the Scarlet Speedster so far have been so impersonal.  While Barry has had to save his loved ones from danger there was no inner turmoil.  In Flash: Rebirth Barry has to realize he needs to slow down enough to enjoy life with his family and friends.  Manapul has yet to go that deep of a level. But in this volume Barry has to fight a villain who is using the powers he creates to kill people. It's not Johns deep, but at least it's getting under the surface.

When The New 52 started I hated the break-up of Barry and Iris almost as much as the Clark and Lois break-up.  This book is the first time I've actually liked them being apart.  Barry has moved in with Patty and she knows his secret.  They're getting serious.  But also, the Flash has to protect Iris, which makes him spend more time with Iris than Patty at a crucial point in their relationship.  A short tale at the end of the book takes us to past.  More specific; Gotham City. Barry is a young intern and meets Iris on a case.  Before parting ways Iris and Barry kiss.  This establishes a connection the two of them have even in The New 52, and makes you question if things will go south with Barry's current significant other.  In short, it ups the stakes in Barry Allen's life outside of the Flash.

The reason I'm not a big Batman fan is because most of his stories are just about him solving the crime.  When the hero is tested on a personal and internal level it makes the story better in my opinion.  That's what I felt like this book did.  It dug deeper than we've gotten so far into Barry's life, and let us know that things may not be as stable as they seem.  For the first time in a while, I'm excited to read the next volume of The Flash. 

CW's 'The Flash' Can Not Get Here Quick Enough

Being that I'm an open comic book fan I occasionally get the question every fan boy gets, "Who's you're favorite superhero?"  For any true believer it's a loaded question.  I personally kind of have a Top 5 list, with the 5th spot always rotating depending on my mood and who's writing what at that present time.  I really liked Green Lantern when Geoff Johns was writing the book, and nobody does Captain America better than Ed Brubaker.  As for my other four spots,  everyone knows I'm a rabid X-Men and Superman fan.  And because I'm a swimmer I've also always had an affinity for Aquaman.  But my 4th spot goes to The Flash.  

I've kind of always assumed my love of The Flash came from the idea that I've always been compared to him.  I was the kind of kid who couldn't sit still, even in my sleep. During my teenage years I was always rushing from one thing to the next, and in my later years of college my nickname was "Impulse".  You'll have to ask my friends Albert and Andrew about that one.  I also remember watching The Flash TV series back in the 90's starring John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen and Mark Hamill as The Trickster.

Growing up in the 1990's Wally West was The Flash so I never really knew Barry Allen.  In 2009, writer Geoff Johns brought back Barry in Flash: Rebirth (or technically Final Crisis) after a 20-year absence from comics.  Again, I never knew Barry, but I immediately grew fond of him.  Of course it's hard not to love any character Johns writes.  This last year Barry Allen appeared on an episode of Arrow and now he's getting his own spin-off on The CW this Fall.  A little over a week ago an extended trailer for the series was released, and I can't stop watching it!

The show will star Grant Gustin, who I had never seen in anything before his appearance on Arrow.  His 2-episode arc made me like Gustin as Barry, but the extended trailer has me excited to see him play The Flash.  John Wesley Shipp is even making an appearance as Barry's dad!  In Barry's origin story his father is framed for his mother's murder and Barry spends his life trying to prove his dad's innocence, which puts him in the Central City crime lab when he is struck by lightning.  

Gustin will be surrounded by an array of supporting cast.  Catlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, and Eddie Thawne are all characters appearing in the series, and all end up becoming villains in the comic books.  Relative unknown, Candice Patton, will play Iris West, Barry's future wife in the comics.  However, it appears in the series they're just friends(for now). But, if you follow The New 52(ugh) then he and Iris are just friends(for now).  Tom Cavanagh and Jesse L. Martin are the veterans who I believe will compliment this young ensemble nicely.

What really gets me excited about this series is how much it feels like The Flash.  It appears that they got the origin right; which I hope they don't give away the twist too soon in the series.  The special effects look cool, and the poses we see in the extended trailer look like they jumped right out of the comic books.  Finally, I like Grant Gustin.  Barry has this high sense of morality that makes him seem a little naive and I think Gustin plays it perfectly.  

Being that I've read quite a few Flash comic books I'm excited for where this show can go.  Eventually, Barry's friends could become his enemies, his best friend could become his wife, and SPOILER, he'll learn that his mother's death could be his fault!  But I'm getting a head of myself.  I hope they hold out that last one until at least the season 2 finale.

Now, remember, The Flash is also a spin-off of Arrow, and we can already see from the extended trailer Oliver Queen shows up for a visit, which probably won't be his last.  Given my disappointment with how Warner Bros is handling the DC cinematic universe I'm more hopeful for it's television universe.  I know their is no possibility of Barry showing up in Gotham on Fox, but if Hal Jordan popped up in Arrow or The Flash I may just have a nerd-gasm. And if you ask my friend Albert we're both praying hard for a Tom Welling visit.

If I were running The CW I would do a special airing of The Flash about a month or so before the actual Fall premiere just to get the buzz going.  But, until then, it looks like I'll just have to watch this trailer a couple dozen more times and hope that at some point we see Barry's costume pop out of his ring! Now that would definitely make me have a nerd-gasm!

The Brightest Days of Johns 'Green Lantern'

It was announced yesterday that Green Lantern writer, and now DC Comics Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns, will be stepping off from writing Green Lantern after a 9 year run.  This new made me a little sad since Johns writing is the whole reason I, and I’m sure quite a few others, read GL for the last decade.  Green Lantern was Johns first break out hit.  He is now known for taking characters that were perceived as old or lame and bringing new life back into them.  He rejuvenated the JSA, brought the original Flash, Barry Allen, back from a 20 years run in the Speed Force, and he’s taken the most made-fun-of-character in comic books, Aquaman, and made him the most bad ass hero in 2012. 

Geoff Johns is one of my favorite writers in the business so I’m disappointed he’ll be ending his Green Lantern run in May.  When he first started writing Green Lantern it was a sinking ship.  Johns brought a whole new mythology of characters and spectrum's to not only the Green Lantern Corps, but the entire DC Universe, making it one of the best comics to read in the last 9 years.  A lot of plot lines have been told in that amount of time, but I thought it’d be nice to look back at my Top 5 Favorite Green Lantern story lines by Geoff Johns.

Green Lantern: Secret Origin

After Johns brought Hal Jordan back from the dead and turned the villain Sinestro into the leader of his own yellow Corps he decided to take a break and flashback to his take on Hal Jordan’s induction into the Green Lantern Corps.  This story also set-up what Johns had in store for his next chapter in the Green Lantern saga, Blackest Night.

We see a young Hal Jordan devastated by the death of his father.  This one event affects him throughout his entire life until he is chosen to wear the most powerful weapon in the galaxy and must face his lifelong fear if he has any hope of keeping peace in sector 2814.  We’re also re-introduced to classic GL characters such as Sinestro, Carol Ferris, and Hector Hammond.

To me this was a great jumping off point for anyone who wanted to get into Green Lantern but didn’t want to have to catch-up on the last 40 years of story.  It was said that Ryan Reynolds kept this book on him throughout the entire production of the Green Lantern movie.  Unfortunately, I think the film strayed a little too far from the original source material and ended up not doing so well in the box office.

Green Lantern: Rebirth

I think Harvey Dent said it best in 2008’s The Dark Knight, “you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”  The phrase sums up Hal Jordan pretty well I think.  In 2004, Green Lantern sales were in a slump.  Years earlier Jordan had destroyed the Corps as the villain Parallax and then died himself, leaving one Green Lantern in the whole galaxy.  Johns came on and changed all of that.  In Rebirth he rebuilt the Corps and brought Hal Jordan back from the dead.  Everyone still perceived him as a villain, but Johns fixed that by saying Parallax was actually a yellow entity that took over Jordan, forcing him to do all those horrible things.

With that idea, and many other, Johns was able to construct a story that was in-depth and entertaining.  It helped if you knew the history of the characters, but it wasn’t a necessity.  This story had classic moments like Green Arrow trying to wield a power ring, Hal Jordan punching Batman, and Kyle Rayner, the current Green Lantern, finally meeting Hal Jordan, the greatest Green Lantern.  It was from this book that Johns launched his GL Universe and we’ve all been in awe ever since.

Green Lantern Corps: Recharge

After Rebirth jump started the Corps again Johns had idea for every Lantern, all 3600 of them.  For years there was just the Green Lantern title, but with four earth Lanterns now Johns had to give each of them their due.  Hal Jordan and John Stewart stayed on GL while Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner started Green Lantern Corps along with Kilowog and all the other Lanterns. 

The more I delved into the GL universe the more Kyle Rayner became my favorite Lantern, aside from Hal Jordan of course.  He was the sole torchbearer who gave up being a god to help restart the Corps.  To me that seems like a pretty selfless and noble hero.  This book paired him with the rebel Lantern, Guy Gardner.  Their yin and yang personalities worked well together, fastly becoming best friends.  They were like the Starsky and Hutch of the Green Lantern Corps.

A new Corps also meant new members, the most interesting new member to me being Soranik Natu.  She didn’t want to be chosen but quickly found the good in being a Lantern.  She would go on to become Kyle’s girlfriend and find out Sinestro is her father.  Move over Luke Skywalker, we got another kid whose daddy is the most evil man in the galaxy.

Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War

Rebirth and Recharge established the GL Universe and characters so soon it was time for Johns to unleash the hounds of hell upon the Corps, which just happened to be yellow.  For years Sinestro had wielded his own power ring, the yellow ring of fear.  In this story Sinestro finally gets around to creating his own Yellow Lanterns to challenge the Green Lanterns. His rings scoured the universe to find beings who had the ability to instill great fear.  Among the Yellow Lanterns were Cyborg Superman, Superboy-Prime, and Abin-Sur’s son.  One of the yellow rings was even offered to Batman.

Johns put Jordan and Rayner in the center of this story, both having to deal with their fears and overcoming them if they had any chance of defeating the mascot of the Yellow Lanterns; Parallax.  Some of the highlights of this story were Rayner being infected by Parallax, the residents of Coast City deciding to fight back, and Hal Jordan trying to gain back the trust of his fellow Lanterns who he had once tried to kill and left for dead.

This all was of course just an appetizer to Blackest Night, which introduced the Black and White Lanterns, who followed the introduction of the Blue, Red, Violet, Indigo, and Orange Lanterns.  By this point you start to see the grand scale that Johns had mapped out his Green Lantern plans, and Blackest Night wasn’t even the end of it.

Green Lantern: Sinestro

After the War of the Green Lanterns the Lanterns greatest adversary, Sinestro, was picked to be a Green Lantern again and Hal Jordan was cast out of the Corps for disobeying the Guardians, even though he just saved the entire galaxy.  This story line was the beginning of DC’s New 52 reboot they were doing, but since the Batman and Green Lantern titles were DC’s best-selling books they decided to leave them relatively untouched.  It’s not really known if part of the GL history was thrown out, but in this title Johns proved he only needed two things to make it work; Hal Jordan and Sinestro.

Sinestro goes against the Guardians wishes and enlist the help of Jordan, using his green power ring to make Hal his own green power ring, but since Sinestro made Hal’s ring using his own it could not be used against him.  Throughout his Green Lantern run Johns has showcased the relationship between Hal and Sinestro and it has helped this book continue to be interesting.  Hal took the spot of Sinestro’s mentor.  Sinestro became Hal’s mentor.  Hal had to stop Sinestro when he went rogue.  Sinestro helped plot the downfall of Hal through Parallax. 

These two have been through a lot together, but there is also the sense that, like Professor X and Magneto, they both want the same thing, but are just on opposite sides of the line on how to obtain it.  The way Johns writes these two characters, their re pore alone is enough to keep this book going indefinitely.