Shut Up and Take My $5: Green Lantern #18

We’ve all been there: two issues in your hand, you can only afford one. What is the broke geek to do?! Sean Sorensen is here to guide you in your thrifty comics crusade by providing you with the one issue each week that'll make you say, "Shut up, and take my $5!" It always feels good to get the most "BIF! BAM! POW!" for your buck, doesn’t it?

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This week’s choice was a tough call! We had Tony Stark head butting aliens (Iron Man #7), Ultron rocking a 90’s style foil cover (Age of Ultron #1), Hellboy sulking (Hellboy in Hell #4), and the Hulk having a hard time counting Angels (That would be two, Hulk; All New X-Men #8)

All noteworthy issues, but this week, your five dollar bill should be exchanged for Green Lantern #18.

Geoff Johns is only two issues away from ending his marathon run on Green Lantern, and he is pulling out all the stops. After the events of issue 17, Baz finds himself trapped with Hal and Sinestro in THE DEAD ZONE! It’s a rather tense situation, as tempers flare among the three Lanterns.

And, boy, is it wonderful.

Sinestro is a glorious asshole. Hal continues to be the fearless knight, still trying to fix everything, albeit stripped of his sword. Then there’s Baz. Oh, Bazzy Bazzy Bazzy... I’ve been liking him more and more ever since his introduction back in GL #0, but Geoff Johns manages to propel him to favorite GL status with two brilliantly written frames. Baz doesn’t put up with any bullshit. To top it all off, Geoff also leaves us with one hell of a cliff hanger that will probably secure another hard earned $5 with GL #19 next month.

As excellent as Johns’s writing continues to be, I should be clear, though: he doesn't deserve all the credit alone. No sir, Szymon Kudranski and Alex Sinclair elevate this book to masterpiece status. Kudranski and Sinclair create an amazing inky black shadow realm for THE DEAD ZONE! It’s like seeing the shadow realm from Lord of the Ringson paper. But what really drives the art home is whenever Baz uses his ring: the green light pierces through the page’s black void. It is an absolute feast for the eyes.

Ardian Syaf and Mark Irwin create the four pages in this issue that take place outside of THE DEAD ZONE!, but their art doesn't even hold a candle to to their co-artists. These pages are necessary for the story, sure, but the others take top prize. That would be my only complaint with this book. And it’s miniscule.

So don’t bother with any other book on the shelf this week, boys and girls. Green Lantern #18is guaranteed to give you the most Willpower for your buck. If you still don't believe me, the issue title is “Dead or Alive, You’re Coming With Me!” A RoboCop reference in a book about space cops. Well done, Mr. Johns. Well done.

"Superman: Unbound" Blu-Ray Details Revealed

We shared the news that this summer's DC Animation entry would be Superman: Unbound straight from the press room at NYCC.  Then, we brought you the first trailer, with the announcement that it was going to hit the stores on May 7.  Now, we have the details of what you'll get when you buy the Blu-Ray and/or DVD on that Tuesday!

When you grab your Superman: Unbound Blu-Ray combo pack, you'll get:

• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• UltraViolet Digital Copy
• Sneak Peek at Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• Featurette: “Kandor: History of the Bottle City” – An all-new featurette. Kandor: a peaceful scientific community dedicated toward the preservation of all that is good on Krypton, the home world of Superman. That is, until the city was ripped from its world and placed into a small glass bottle! This is the short story highlighting the shrunken city of Kandor. Its history just as fascinating as it is unique, here is how it ties in directly with the Man of Tomorrow.
• Featurette – “Brainiac: Technology and Terror” – An all-new featurette. Mostly machine, but part  sentient being, Brainiac steals cities and destroys worlds. Is he the most vile of Superman’s villainous foes? Experience the Brainiac mythology and find out why Superman barely stands a chance!
• Audio Commentary – Featuring members of the creative team: Mike Carlin, Bob Goodman and James Tucker.
• Four bonus episodes from Superman: The Animated Series (“The Last Son of Krypton, Part 1”; “New Kids in Town”; and “Little Girl Lost, Parts 1 & 2”), all handpicked by producer Alan Burnett.
• Digital Comic – Excerpt from the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.

The film’s stellar voicecast is led by Matt Bomer (White Collar) as Superman, John Noble (Fringe, The Lord of the Rings films) as Brainiac, Stana Katic (Castle) as Lois Lane and Molly Quinn (Castle) as Supergirl. Additional voices in the cast include Golden Globe Award winner Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) as Ma Kent, Wade Williams (The Dark Knight Rises) as Perry White, Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show, Office Space) as Steve Lombard, Stephen Root (Boardwalk Empire, Justified) as Zor-El, and Alexander Gould (Weeds) as Jimmy Olsen.

Order your copy from Amazon right here!

Hit the jump for the cover art!

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First "Superman: Unbound" Trailer Revealed!

Way back at NYCC, we brought you DC Animation's announcement of their 2013 lineup, including one Superman: Unbound. Not a lot of details were present at the time, but we now we have the trailer (thanks to the good people at The Nerdist) for your viewing pleasure!

Inspired by the "Brainiac" storyline from Action Comics #866-#870 originally penned by Geoff Johns, Superman (Matt Bomer, White Collar) and his cousin, Supergirl (Molly Quinn, Castle), will taken on the Kryptonian AI Brainiac (John Noble, Fringe) from invading, conquering, and bottling yet another city for his collection. (It's actually far more terrifying than it sounds.) Stana Katic (Castle) will also be joining in on the fun as everybody's favorite reporter, Lois Lane.

We were originally told that we'd "go gaga" over their choice for their casting roles in this pic (particularly Superman), and, I'll be honest: I'm impressed. Glad to see Matt Bomer getting some attention - I look forward to hearing his full take on Supes - and we certainly do love our Castle actors around these parts. Most of all though, John Noble's take on the coldly sadistic Brainiac should prove quite entertaining.

Superman: Unbound is slated for a Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital download release this summer.

UPDATE: We have just received word that Superman: Unbound will be released in May 7, 2013!

Review: Green Lantern #0

This month marks the anniversary of the New 52 relaunch from DC Comics. However, instead of simply going ahead with business as usual and filling the comic shop shelves with #13s, DC is publishing issue #0s for every New 52 title still in print, from "Action Comics" to "World's Finest." The #0s will be stand-alone stories, according to Bob Harras, DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief. “Some issues will tell the origins of a character or a team, or in some case where an origin has already been told, they will fill in the blanks in terms of questions readers may have about the New 52 DC Universe. Each of these issues promises to reveal something surprising.” Only 13 titles have been released thus far, but one book in particular deserves special attention on this particular day.

"Green Lantern" #0, released on September 5th, marked the arrival of a new hero in the DCU. His name is Simon Baz, and he is a Muslim.

Master "GL" storyteller and DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has been a key factor in the success of the New 52, lending his talents to such titles as "Green Lantern", "Aquaman", and "Justice League." For this particular story, Johns drew upon his own life experiences to bring Simon Baz to the page. The character and creator share Lebanese ancestry and hail from the Detroit area, which boasts one of the largest and oldest Arab communities in the US. With the most recent "GL" arc leaving prominent Corpsmen Hal Jordan and Sinestro in a mysterious state of limbo, expect to see a lot of Simon in the coming months.

"Green Lantern" #0 opens with a very poignant series of panels, devoid of words, yet speaking volumes through the art of Doug Mahnke. It's a scene to which every American can relate as it depicts the Baz family captivated by the image of the burning World Trade Center on their television. Through this depiction, the reader sees that Simon has been affected by these events just as much as anyone else. However, it is the following page that illustrates the true ramifications felt by the Arab community as the Baz family endures hatred in the form of vandalism, violence, and profiling over the next 10 years. 

Up to this point, Simon Baz is quite unremarkable. However, when we catch up with him in the present, we find him behind the wheel of a stolen van and pursued by police. It doesn't take too long for both Simon and the reader to learn that this was the wrong van to steal. The resulting arrest puts Simon directly under the microscope of both federal and international authorities as they accuse him of having terrorist connections. It is through this scene that Geoff Johns creates a sympathetic character, despite Simon's illicit actions. Stealing cars was his means of getting money for his sister, a single parent. Simon, himself, is a laid-off automobile engineer. It is the interrogation that sparks a series of events resulting not only in the unexpected appearance of a particular Green Lantern ring recently separated from its owner(s), but also Simon earning the attention of both Amanda Waller and the Justice League. While we never see Simon in a Green Lantern uniform by the end of the issue, we are left with the mystery of what drew the ring to him.

There has been plenty of vehemence regarding a Lantern ring choosing a Muslim, but if there is one group known for its diversity, it's the Green Lantern Corps. When you can bring together an intergalactic peacekeeping force made up of men, women, giant pig guys, trees, squirrels, bugs, microorganisms, and Guy Gardner, there is no tolerance for petty bigotry. We are the Corps. Through Simon Baz, Geoff Johns can and will show that character isn't defined by your religion, skin color, or culture. Car thieves don't usually become superheroes, but Johns clearly has a plan for Simon in the future of "Green Lantern", especially with Hal Jordan MIA and the "Third Army" arc right on the doorstep.

"Green Lantern" #0 is a well-timed comic, and I hope the new and young readers that the New 52 was intended to reach will welcome this character with open minds. To paraphrase a quote from one of OTF's recent interviews, "He’s a Green Lantern, first and foremost. Secondly, he happens to be of Arab descent."

Green Lantern #0, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Doug Mahnke, is on comic shop shelves and available for digital download now.

SDCC 2012: All Access - DC NOW!

San Diego Comic-Con panels are pretty hard to get into, especially if they’re in Hall H or Ballroom 20. Luckily, the All Access: DC NOW! panel in Room 6DE was far enough off the beaten path that fans were able to sit down with some of DC’s top talent to discuss what’s to come in the next few months. On the panel were Chief Creative Officer and “Green Lantern” guru Geoff Johns, writer Scott Snyder (“Batman”, “Swamp Thing”), writer Brian Buccellato (“The Flash), writer Scott Lobdell (“Teen Titans”, “Superman”), writer/artist Rob Liefeld (“The Savage Hawkman”, “Grifter”), artist Amanda Conner (“Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre”), and writer Jimmy Palmiotti (“All-Star Western”).

Geoff Johns opened up with “Batman: Earth One,” his graphic novel collaboration with artist Gary Frank. “It’s a rollback Batman,” Johns said. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing and he does it for the wrong reasons. It’s very character-centric and you’ll see new takes on Alfred, Harvey Bullock, Jim Gordon, and the Penguin.”

Justice League #12

Showing the cover of “Justice League #12”, Johns joked, “Aquaman looks pissed!” He went on to state that the first year of “JL” was about who the team is, and the second year will be about who the team is supposed to be. “This image reflects Aquaman calling the Justice League out and saying we need to be a team.”

Moving on to “Justice League #0”, Johns revealed that Captain Marvel/Shazam will be joining the team, delivering on the promise set up by the series of mini-comics at the end of previous “Justice League” issues.

Displaying the “Justice League #13” cover, Johns told the audience this issue will feature the Wonder Woman villain Cheetah, leading into next year’s Trinity War. When asked to describe what to expect in the upcoming event, Johns stated that “exactly two people know what happens in Trinity War.”

Hit the jump for the scoop on the upcoming arcs of "Green Lantern," "Batman," "Before Watchmen," and more!

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DC Comic's Next "Green Lantern" Event Shines in October

The Guardians of the Universe, it seems, are finally embracing to their emotions.  And, beware, Lanterns: the Guardians don't appear to need you anymore.

Announced today via DC's The Source, a new Green Lantern event is happening at DC Comics, and it's spanning all power ring-based titles that have been relaunched with the New 52 - Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern: New Guardians, and Red Lanterns.

Get ready for "Rise of the Third Army," starting this October with Green Lantern #13!

"The Third Army," it appears, is a reference to these new white, mouthless beasts with "a curious resistance to death" shown in the above art by Ivan Reis, being the third force the Guardians created to police the galaxy. (The Manhunters and the Green Lantern Corps are, of course, the first two.)

There are few things to take from this image:  the center spot for the mysterious, new Green Lantern, the notable lack of Hal Jordan and Sinestro, and the Guardians' apparent rage.  They were never ones for emotion, so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out later this year.

Teasing "The Third Army," venerable DC scribe and DC Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns said:

Absolute power corrupts absolutely--and the Guardians time is finally here. The Lantern titles spent the first year of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 re-establishing themselves, but it all comes back together with year 2 starting with GREEN LANTERN #0 and leading into October's #13's - which share an amazing cover by Ivan Reis. In October, the Guardians' Third Army rises to replace the Green Lantern Corps - but how is horrifying and why will change the Guardians and their ancient mission forever. As we discover what the Third Army actually means, our strongest Lanterns are targeted for absolute destruction. From Atrocitus to Guy Gardner to our newest Green Lantern from Earth - who may have been wrongly chosen - all their darkest secrets and failures will come to light.

Welp, consider me appropriately teased.  More info of "Rise of the Third Army" will no doubt find its way to the public with a certain comic convention happening next week - we'll be sure to keep our ears to the ground and report with updates.

NYCC 2011: DC All Access Panel - Green Lantern

New York Comic Con 2011 saw the return of the talented minds behind DC's multiple Green Lantern comic book series.  At the DC All Access - Green Lantern panel, GL editor Brian Cunningham, Geoff Johns (writer, Green Lantern), Peter Tomasi (writer, Green Lantern Corps), and Tony Bedard (writer, Green Lantern: New Guardians) sat down to give the fans some insight into what can be expected from the three titles in the near and distant future.

Moderator and SVP Sales Bob Wayne, Editor Brian Cunningham, Geoff Johns (writer, Green Lantern), Peter Tomasi (writer, Green Lantern Corps), and Tony Bedard (writer, Green Lantern: New Guardians)

Kicking off the discussion with Green Lantern proper, Geoff Johns delved into the relationship between Hal Jordan and Sinestro.  With Sinstro reinstated as a Lantern and Hal drummed out for having too much Willpower, all is not well in the world of the Green Lanterns. Hal wants his ring back and Sinestro wants to get rid of the ring. Now that they are in opposite positions, the pair will be addressing the personal issues that have caused so much tension between them in the past.  Johns also teased that the Justice League will attempt to intervene by approaching the Guardians directly.  Not wanting to give too much away, Johns switched gears and focused on the upcoming Green Lantern Animated Series, due to launch on November 11th on Cartoon Network.  He stated that the first arc will deal with Hal and the Corps encountering the Red Lanterns for the first time.  A tie-in comic is also in the works, which will continue and expand on the show's stories.  Once the individual storylines have been established, the comic will then provide more connectivity to the series.

Preview page from the upcoming Green Lantern Animated Series tie-in comic

Moving the discussion over to Green Lantern Corps, writer Peter Tomasi came out and talked about what to expect from his book.  According to Tomasi, the New 52 relaunch has not affected his storytelling.  "We haven't torn everything down from previous stories," he stated.  "We just want to make everything accessible to new and old readers alike."  He also made quick mention of a looming threat to the Corps, The Keepers.  These mysterious new bad guys are the ones who possessed the power batteries before the Guardians took them away.  Needless to say, The Keepers aren't pleased.

Tony Bedard, writer of Green Lantern: New Guardians came out next to talk about the newest addition to the GL publication family.  At the forefront of GL:NG is Kyle Rayner, the youngest of Earth's GL's, who, according to the New 52, has only been a Lantern for two years.  Bedard went on to say that, "Kyle may not ever be as strong as Hal, but he's capable of doing things across the entire spectrum that others just couldn't."  An exciting prospect to say the least.  Again, not wanting to give too much away, Bedard mentioned that the mystery of why all those rings are choosing Kyle at the same time will be unfolding throughout the first year of GL:NG's run.  He also revealed that fan-favorite Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern, will return in issue #4 of the book.  Geoff Johns added that we will finally hear the Orange Lantern oath.  Tony Bedard closed with the statement that he is not concerned with giving origin stories to the characters, but instead is focusing on developing the characters themselves.

Preview page from Green Lantern: New Guardians, featuring Sinestro Corps bruiser, Arkillo

Speaking on the subject of Red Lanterns, editor Brian Cunningham revealed that the first stories in that book will take Atrocitus across the universe, discovering there are a multitude of situations that demand his attention.  Tony Bedard added that this will be something new for Atrocitus, since all he wanted in the previous story arc was to kill the rogue Guardian, Krona.  Denied that opportunity, Atrocitus is looking for "an eye for an eye and then some."  

During the Q&A portion of the panel, Geoff Johns shared his thoughts on the director's cut of the Green Lantern movie.  In addition to a multitude of interviews with the creative team from the comics, the new cut features additional scenes that, according to Johns, "added more heart to Hal's story."

To close out the panel, Geoff Johns dropped a huge bomb on the crowd, asking them to keep it secret, at least for the next 15 minutes.  As he prepped to head over to the Robot Chicken panel, he revealed that he was working with RC creators Seth Green and Matt Senreich on a DC Comics special, similar to RC's successful Star Wars specials.  Look for it in 2012!

With the future of Green Lantern in capable hands, I'm looking forward to the upcoming stories, on both the page and screen!

Review: Green Lantern #1

The Green Light of Willpower continues to shine in the galaxy.

To counter the lukewarm debut of Red Lanterns, Green Lantern #1 hit shelves this week, launching the latest chapter in the history of the intergalactic police force.  Like a handful of other DCnU #1s, GL#1 picks up exactly where the final issue of the previous volume left off.  In the wake of War of the Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan has been stripped of his ring, Sinestro is reinstated as Lantern of Sector 1417, and Ganthet is still telling the Guardians where they can shove it. 

Hal is back on Earth, unsuccessfully readjusting to life as a normal human.  However, the hero in him refuses to go quietly, and after some failed heroics, he ends up in jail…again.  He then looks to Carol Ferris for help, but even after the passionate moments they shared in the recent past, Hal manages to screw things up with her...again.  Meanwhile, Sinestro, like the rest of the Corps, is pretty miffed that he once again has a green ring on his finger, and, for some reason, he can't get it off.  To make matters worse, he learns that his own band of miscreants, the Sinestro Corps, has defied his orders to protect his home planet of Korugar in his absence.  Instead, they are enslaving the population.  In a stunning display of pissed off brutality, Sinestro kills one of his own Corpsmen and promptly destroys the fleeing ring.  Back on Oa, Ganthet, the only Guardian with a pair, bitches out the other Smurfs for allowing Sinestro to keep his newly acquired ring.  They, in turn, make a vague statement about how they must all be "united in opinion and thought" for their "new mission."  These three unfolding storylines have already captured my attention (as Geoff Johns tends to do), and have me excited to see where it all goes.  The last page alone has me chomping at the bit for #2.

Geoff Johns continues his successful run as writer for Green Lantern, once again pairing with artist Doug Mahnke, who joined the GL creative team during Blackest Night.  Johns can do no wrong in my opinion.  That’s all I can really say about that.  Mahnke, who I only saw as “Ivan Reis’s replacement” for a while, has definitely grown on me since Blackest Night.  He has perfected the upward angle perspective shot, showcasing a pissed off Sinestro. 

Green Lantern #2 cannot come fast enough.  Will our favorite Guardian be forced to undergo some Oan reeducation?  How will Sinestro deal with his insubordinate Corps?  Where are the other Green Lanterns of Sector 1417?  And most important of all, what does the future hold for Hal Jordan?  With Green Lantern Corps #1 and Green Lantern: New Guardians #1 due in the next two weeks, we will certainly be getting more from the emerald space cops, but they will be hard-pressed to match the quality of Green Lantern #1.

DC Comics To Relaunch the DCU 52

On Wednesday, August 31st, the 52 titles in the DC Comics publishing universe will be brought back to #1.  

In a statement issued by DC Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, they gave their main reason for the decision.

This initiative be compelling for existing readers, it’ll give new readers a precise entry point into our titles.

It's a move similar to Marvel's Point One initiative, which began in February.  All issues bearing the .1 were intended as a jumping-off point for any new readers who wanted to pick up a Marvel book, but did not want to face the daunting task of knowing and understanding previous events and intimate character history. 

Another feature to come out of this undertaking will be the day-and-date digital release of all books, making DC the first to release a digital edition of a comic on the same day at the printed issue.

At the forefront of this drastic move is DC's flagship grouping of its core heroes, The Justice League of America.  Justice League #1 will be crafted by powerhouse pair, writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee, DC Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer and DC Comics Co-Publisher, respectively.  The newly released cover of the issue features several of DC's most iconic heroes looking more or less like their old familiar selves, with the exception of Superman and Wonder Woman, who sport some costume changes: Superman's costume no longer included the red shorts, and Wonder Woman continues to wear the biker pants first seen in Wonder Woman #600.   

Justice League #1; Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams; Colors by Alex Sinclair; Copyright: DC Comics

Since the aforementioned Wonder Woman costume had an apparent influence on the unsuccessful NBC television pilot, speculation about Superman's costume change have led to questions regarding the upcoming Zack Snyder film.  Is this what we will see on actor Henry Cavill in December 2012?  We shall see.

The release of Justice League #1 will follow the wrap-up DC's current major event, Flashpoint this August.

Flashpoint #1 Review!

The much hyped Flashpoint event debuted this Wednesday, and our good friend Geoff Johns seems to have stumbled out of the gate on this one. Flashpoint #1 reads like a collected volume of all the pre-release hype we’ve seen over the past few months. Save for the last page, there wasn’t anything we already didn’t know thanks to the hype machine. But I have to say, that last page is a doozy. It was a big enough twist to give me hope for the rest of the series.

For those that have managed to avoid DC’s onslaught of Flashpoint hype, I think you're in for a real treat.

Barry Allen has awoken into a world completely alien to the one from the day before. Certain heroes are nowhere to be seen, family members are alive who shouldn’t be, and you’ll never believe what Wonder Woman and Aquaman have been up to. Barry is on a mission to find out just what happened to his reality. The new setting has given Geoff Johns a great blank canvas where he can completely mess with everything we thought to be true about the DCU.

Andy Kubert’s art could be the best part about this issue. His pencils are wonderful and his new twist on Captain Marvel is absolutely brilliant. Sandra Hope's inks and Alex Sinclair’s colors only add to the experience. There isn’t a whole lot of action but every frame is packed with tons of atmosphere and emotion. It is nothing short of stunning.

My only worry about Flashpoint is it’s scope. The checklist that is found within this issue is mind boggling. The month of June has 24 issues of new tie-ins alone! That’s almost $70 just to see what all of these new characters are all about, not to mention having to keep up with the DCU proper! I know Geoff Johns has said that to fully enjoy the series you only have to read the main series. but after seeing everything that’s changed, I seriously doubt that. Sure, all the major plot points will be in the main Flashpoint series, but what if I want to find out what’s been happening to Hal Jordan in this new world? or Booster? or Superman? I am excited to see what comes next in the world of Flashpoint, I just hope I don’t need to sell a kidney to get the full experience.