Interview: Keith Giffen talks Larfleeze and Justice League 3000

I recently caught up with DC Comics writer, Keith Giffen, to talk about his new projects Larfleeze and Justice League 3000. Below is the interview, enjoy! Please note, this interview was conducted before "Larfleeze" #1 was released.

Harry: Hi, Keith, thanks for taking time out for this interview!

I'm going to jump straight in and ask some questions about one of your new projects: Larfleeze. What do you think you're doing that's different with this character?

Keith Giffen: Telling stories that will actually end, trawling the DC encyclopaedia. Having fun ( this one's been missing for WAY too long ). You know... just playing the radical again.

Harry: Now, most main characters have to be likeable or at least somebody you can sympathise with or relate to. Larfleeze isn't exactly the most likeable character, will you be doing anything to change this?

Keith: Why? It worked for Lobo.

Harry: What problems will Larfleeze be challenging in this series?



Larfleeze #1

Keith: Other-dimensional gods, an unwanted love interest, an unwarranted reputation, a cosmic posse and a whole bunch of new characters, concepts and situations.

Harry: How does it feel to be handed a solo series for one of the stand-out characters of Geoff Johns' legendary Green Lantern run?

Keith: Pretty damn good. Considering the orange clown is Geoff's creation, I'm surprised he trusts me to do right by the mangy cur. It's misplaced trust, sure, but it's the thought that counts.

Harry: What new characters will we be seeing?

Keith: Laord of the hunt, The Wanderer, Dyrge of all sorrows, Waddles the Wonder Goose. That last one was just a little something to rev up the internuts. Gentlemen, start your engines.

Harry: With every Green Lantern title getting a new creative team around the same time, what are you doing to stand out from all the others?

Keith: Again, having fun.


Larfleeze #2

Harry: What can you tell us about the first big villain of the series?

Keith: He's Larfleeze's butler. Ha! Didn't see that coming, did you? Just because you don't act like a villain, doesn't mean you're not.

Harry: What have you found to be the most enjoyable part of writing this series so far?

Keith: Working with Marc again. That and world building. I'm a huge fan of world building.

Harry: What can you tease about the future of Larfleeze?

Keith: Well... We're close to four issues in the can so I think it's safe to say the future will be there on time.



Justice League 3000 Superman
design by Howard Porter.

Harry: Now onto one of your recently announced projects, Justice League 3000. What can you tell us about this series?

Keith: Absolutely nothing except that it's the Justice League. And that we plan on spending the first four issues lying to you through our teeth.

Harry: There's been some talk about the relation between the 31st century Justice League team and the one in the current time. What's the relation between the two? Can we expect this to be a major aspect of the series?

Keith: That's be giving the farm away. Sorry.

Harry: We've already seen designs for Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash. Is this the roster for the book or can we expect future counterparts for other heroes ( or villains ) as well as these?

Keith: That's the roster for the foreseeable future.



Justice League 3000 Batman design
by Howard Porter

Harry: Can we expect any completely original members of the team in addition to these counterparts?

Keith: Never say never...

Harry: Can we expect ties to the current Justice League's stories in this series?

Keith: I'm going to say... no. The book's got to stand on it's own as a self contained entity. If you're reading JL3000, that's the only book you'll have to read to understand and ( hopefully ) enjoy JL3000.

Harry: With this set around the same time as the recently cancelled "Legion of Super-Heroes" series, can we expect any ties to that? What's different from it?



Justice League 3000 Wonder Woman
 design by Howard Porter

Keith: Aside from the name Fatal Five and one or two other names that are too good to let go of... not at all. There are no Legionnaires in JL3000, no LSH supporting cast members, no references to LSH at all. Not because I'm looking to erase the LSH, but because JL3000 has to be the only book you have to read to get the story or understand the concept of JL3000.

Harry: What can you say about who the first big villain of the series is?

Keith: The Fatal Five are not who you think they are.

Harry: With this series taking place mostly separate from all the other DC Comics titles, do you feel more of a sense of freedom when writing this book?

Keith: Absolutely!


Justice League 3000 the Flash
design by Howard Porter

Harry: What sort of tone can we expect this series to have?

Keith: Giffen, DeMatteis, Maguire. Yeah, it's exactly what you think it is.

Harry: Can we expect to see any other recognisable aspects of the DC Universe and what they're like in the 31st century?

Keith: I think that will have to happen sooner or later. As long as the aspects can be introduced as new there should be no problem.

Harry: What are you doing that will really make this book stand out from all of the other new books coming to the shelves?

Keith: Trying to point out that life doesn't end at grim and gritty. A little fun never hurt anyone.



Justice League 3000 Green Lantern
design by Howard Porter

Harry: What big changes will there be between the original Justice League and the incarnation in this series?

Keith: um... they're two completely different things? We're not an appendix to the JL, we're our own... um... well whatever we are, we're ours and ours alone. And DC's.

Harry: Thanks, Keith! Good luck with all of your new projects!

Larfleeze #1 is out now and Justice League 3000 #1 hits shelves in October!

(Images of Justice League 3000 designs courtesy of Comic Book Resources)

Top comics for June 26th 2013

As you can probably tell from the title, in this feature I spotlight some of the top and most recommendable comic books out this week. I didn't write an article for last week's comics because I was away for five days but it's back this week and there are some great comics out!

Batman/Superman #1

A book that focuses on both Batman and Superman. Not only that, but their first adventures together as superheroes. I think DC have pretty much secured a slot on a lot of people's pull lists this week. As well as having two hugely popular characters as the stars of one book, this book also has two great creators, writer Greg Pak and artist Jae Lee. Greg Pak is clearly getting more important over at DC considering this series and the fact that he's recently been announced as the new full-time writer for
DC Comics' "Action Comics", and from what I've read of his work, he's pretty good, you'll probably know his work from Marvel's "Planet Hulk", which is one of my favourite comic book stories of all time. Then onto Jae Lee, who is a fantastic artist. He has a truly unique style of art and some of the preview pages are just unbelievable, definitely a treat for the eyes. I really recommend this book, it's set to be brilliant.

The Flash #21

It's the first meeting of Barry Allen and Bart Allen ( Obviously, The Flash and Kid Flash ). It's quite hard to believe that it's been twenty-one months since the last meeting between Barry and Bart and it's something I've been eagerly anticipating for that entire time. The Flash family are some of my favourite characters in comic books, Bart being my favourite of them all. It's going to be great to see the Flash meet his 31st century grand-son for the first time in the New 52! Also, this issue is by the double-team of Brian Buccellato of Francis Manapul who are a great pair on this series. Francis Manapul's art on this series has been amazing, with all of his issue blowing me away and this new arc with the Reverse-Flash really has me interested.


The Green Team: Teen Trillionares #2

This is a series that got off to a great start last month and I'm really looking forward to seeing the team of Art Baltazar, Franco and Ig Guara have in store for us this issue! The first issue took a really unexpected turn towards the end of the leader of these rich kids taking on a super-villain. If that doesn't sound good to you, it's probably just my explanation of it, I had to explain it quickly. Seriously, if you're familiar with any of Art Baltazar and Franco's work ( Such as, Tiny Titans, Superman Family adventures ) you'll know this series is a must-buy. And on the topic of the art, I really wasn't a fan of Ig Guara's art until I read the last issue, it really turned around my opinion of his work and I really liked what I saw.

Hawkeye #11

Onto the final pick for this week, Hawkeye. Oh, god, Hawkeye. This series is just... it's honestly too good for anything I say ton do it justice, but I'll have a shot. This series is pretty much the best on the shelves, it's certainly the best thing I've read from Marvel recently. Matt Fraction is a genius, this book is so witty and fun but it really makes you feel for the characters too. He is just a brilliant writer and he's come up with a brilliant concept for this book, something used in no other comic books right now. Then there's the art. The beautiful, wonderful art. David Aja and Matt Hollingsworth are the comic book art team right now, with such a unique style. I honestly can't describe it, but there's just something amazing about it. Anyway, enough about the series! Onto this issue! If all of that stuff about the creative team hasn't got you on board for this, here's something that definitely will. This entire issue is focused on Hawkeye's pet, Pizza-Dog. The entire comic, about his pizza loving dog. You know the creative team are doing a good job when they're aloud to do this. This is my top pick, and the comic I'm most looking forward to this week. If you can only buy one comic, make it Hawkeye!


So, those are my recommendations for tomorrow, hope you try them out!

"Batman/Superman" writer, Greg Pak, takes over Action Comics

A few months ago it was announced that Andy Diggle would be taking over the Superman series, Action Comics. He then quit due to problems over at DC Comics and his third and final issue was published this month. Then, Scott Lobdell, writer of "Superman", is taking over for a few months as a stand-in but it seems DC have found a new full-time writer for the series in writer of the upcoming "Batman/Superman" series, Greg Pak.

The cover to "Batman/Superman" #1, by Jae Lee.
 Issue written by Greg Pak with art by Jae Lee.

Greg Pak will be writing this series accompanied by pencils by artist, Aaron Kuder.

Now, I don't think any official start date for Pak's run has been announced by DC Comics yet, but I assume he'll be taking over in November, the soonest month that DC haven't already solicited. Good luck to Greg Pak on his run on the series, let's hope this one lasts longer than the previous time DC hired a permanent writer for the series!

The previews for "Batman/Superman" #1 look great so I'm sure this will be a good run for the book!

( Source: USA Today )

MAJOR MAN OF STEEL SPOILERS: Looking back on my Man of Steel predictions: The Right and The Wrong

 

Warning: There are HUGE spoilers for Man of Steel in this post, if you haven't seen the film yet, see it and then read this once you have.

I can't tell you enough how bad an idea it would be to spoil this film for yourself.

Final warning: Major Spoilers.

Review: Man of Steel

Warning: There are Minor Spoilers for the film below, nothing huge that will ruin the film for you, but if you want to go into the movie completely spoiler-free, come back to this once you've seen it.


Best Superman movie of all time. Quite a bold statement to begin a review with, I know, but I thought I'd get to the point. I honestly feel like that statement is true. To be honest, and I'll go straight in and say it, I feel like this is the greatest comic book movie In recent history. Into more specifics, I guess:

This film does in the first three minutes what a lot of films only do around an hour into them, it jumps almost immediately into the action and into the main theme of the soundtrack. It won't be much of a surprise to you that the movie begins on Superman's home planet: Krypton, but this is a very different Krypton from what we've seen in the previous films. This incarnation of Superman's father, Jor-El, is also quite a big departure from the usual scientist, he gets quite a lot of action revolving around him in the first scenes of the film, and as unexpected as that was from a character who you hardly ever see fighting, even in the comics, it was probably one of my favourite scenes of the film. Also, the action scenes on Krypton are really breath-taking, some of the best cinematics I've ever seen in a film.

After the first twenty minutes or so, the film does tone down the action a little bit, this felt like quite a drastic change for me, but the scenes in that section of the film were enjoyable nonetheless. In fact, the Smallville scenes are some of the most interesting, it really shows a good insight of how it would be growing up on Earth, trying to be a normal child with all of these incredible abilities and the Kents' struggles to keep their adopted son's secret being revealed.

The film jumps back and forward between three phases of Clark Kent's life, his time as a child in Smallville, him in his late teens to early twenties and the current time. At first the changes were a little bit confusing, jumping from significant points in his life really quickly, but in time you get used to it and can really appreciate the method of storytelling used. In fact, one of the most moving scenes in the film takes place in one of these flashbacks, and it really strikes you right in the heart, I won't spoil it but I think you'll know which one I mean if you've seen the film and you'll definitely spot it when you see the film if you haven't already.

Every character in this film is played just right. Michael Shannon's Zod is the man willing to do anything to protect the Kryptonian race, Amy Adams' Lois Lane is the often overly reporter fascinated with Superman ( And I think I prefer Amy Adams' Lois Lane to the one appearing in the actual comics ), Kevin Costner's Jonathon Kent is the loving father who is willing to sacrifice anything to keep Clark Kent's secret safe, even if he's not his natural child, and pretty much every character in this film feels like the character they're based on, the reason I didn't include Henry Cavill's Superman in the list above is because I feel like he's just Superman, and the best portrayal of him away from the comic books I've seen.

See, one thing I've always wondered about Superman movies is: How do you make the final battle interesting? More than just another punch up. To me, the final fight in a Superman movie, or any movies like this, has to have some sort of personal impact on the protagonist. I feel like this film accomplished that, and I won't spoil it, but I feel like it made this huge, violent physical fight between Superman and General Zod moving in a way. The circumstance Superman is put in really brings out one of Superman's core themes that I think is often overshadowed by all of his powers, he's willing to sacrifice anything to save the lives of humans.

This film has some amazing cinematics, it really shocked me just how amazing it was. I saw the film in 3D and it really took my breath away, I watched the final thirty minutes of the film with my mouth open, I was just so taken a back by it.

Drawing to the end of the review now, I thought I'd mention that I sat through the entire credits of the film, and it wasn't to see if there was a post-credits scene, I needed time to think about the film, I was so amazed by what I'd just seen, I just sat and listened to the soundtrack as I thought what a brilliant movie it was. In fact, I saw this film with my Dad and my Sister, when we'd gotten out of the cinema, I didn't speak to them for around twenty minutes, I just couldn't speak, I couldn't walk properly, I know that sounds like I'm exaggerating but I'm honestly not. It was such a moving and epic film that I was literally speechless. No film has ever done that to me before, but they'd captured Superman so perfectly and shown just how brilliant he can be that it was overwhelming.

The final main point I'll mention is one that I only realised the morning after seeing the film: I wanted Superman to win. I know this is a bit of an odd statement, but let me explain; When I watch superhero movies I always want to know what would happen if the Villain won. That's a side of the story that has always interested me, and I've always wanted to see that happen. But this was a different story all together, Zack Snyder, David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan, Henry Cavill and all of the other actors involved with the film had done such a great job with the Superman character and made me really care about him and his supporting cast that I really, truly wanted Superman to beat Zod, to win the battle and save the Earth, this is the first film that has made me truly want to see the protagonist win for a while, and I was very impressed.

Overall, after way over a year of waiting and suspense, this film delivered. Not only that, but it exceeded my expectations and was so much better than I could have ever imagined. I don't feel like any film will stand up to this one for a long, long time. The greatest comic book movie in recent history, overtaking all of Marvel's franchises and even, in my opinion, the Dark Knight trilogy. This is a film that you'll want to see over and over again, as I do. The Last Son of Krypton is shining brighter than ever before! Thank you, Zack Snyder!

Rating: 10/10!

I was so tempted to give it eleven, but I know it doesn't really work that way, just know that this film is honestly amazing. The best I've seen pretty much since I was born. That's a huge statement to make, but I'm being honest. This film is Truly Unmissable.

Man Of Steel predictions

With the upcoming Superman movie, Man of Steel, released very soon I thought I'd go through some of my predictions for the film. Obviously, since these are all from my own head, no real spoilers for the film, but if you really want to stay completely Spoiler-free, you might want to skip this post, I am basing a lot of the points off of things I've seen in trailers. Basically, Possible Spoilers below.

What if Krypton wasn't destroyed?

This one is a big prediction, what if Superman's home planet, Krypton, isn't destroyed in the film? Okay, I do have some evidence to support this idea: At no point in any of the five or six trailers for this film that I've seen, do you see the destruction of Krypton. You see who are supposedly Zod's forces attacking, but would that be enough to blow up a planet? (Answer: Probably not). What I'm getting at here is, maybe Krypton wasn't destroyed, maybe it was overtaken by General Zod.

Think about it, Jor-El sends his son away to Earth so he's safe from the war on his home planet, Zod takes over and he travels to Earth because Superman escaped him. Notice Zod says that Earth is "sheltering one of his citizens", that would imply some sort of civilization to go back to, and there won't be much civilization to go back to if the planets been blown up.

This would definitely be a brave move for Zack Snyder to make, almost too brave to go ahead with it, but how else could Zod have a fully formed army with huge ships to travel in? He'd need some time to prepare.

Knee-El

At the beginning of the film we get a recap of the history of the Krypton in a Q & A style, young Kryptonians ask questions to their elders about the council's history. One small child asks about the Generals in the Kryptonian army, the answer "Before we had General Zod, we had the ancestor of the El family, Knee. To rephrase, we had Knee-El before Zod"

(I'm sorry but I had to build that in somehow)

The Daily Planet

We already know that a large chunk of this film takes place in the city of Metropolis, with a lot of scenes focused on the Daily Planet considering having Lois Lane, Perry White and more in the film. What we haven't seen though, is Clark Kent in the Daily Planet. This is was I think they'll use for the final scene of the movie, Clark Kent arriving in Metropolis and turning up at the Daily Planet.

Diamond Cream

It happened.

Remember that episode of Arrested Development where Tobias covered himself in a body-cream made of ground-up diamonds to follow his wife, Lindsy? What do you mean "No"? Okay, in your defence, I watched that one just the other day, but back to the point. There's an entire website set up by a shaving company dedicated to finding out how Superman shaves. I have it. What can cut Steel, I ask you? The answer, is Diamonds. If Superman were to get some of Tobias' diamond cream, he could apply it to his face and it could cut his beard. Okay, maybe I'm not the best scientist, but wouldn't that be amazing?

The death of Pa Kent

I'm not sure why I think this could happen, I just have a strong feeling that it will. It just feels like something that will happen to me, Pa Kent's death, to me, for some reason seems inevitable. My theory on why, is Zod uses this as a method of drawing Superman out so Zod can defeat him. I can't really remember an incarnation of the Superman story in which Jonathan Kent hasn't died, and it just seems obvious to me.

The destruction of General Fluffy

He's pretty angry, what other motive could he have?

Simple, Zod's annoyed because he's just lost his hamster. He travels to Earth to take out his anger on the only person he can punch without blowing them up, Kal-El. I don't need to mention much else about this idea, apart from how stunned I would be if this happened, which it won't, which I guess means it's not really a prediction, but that doesn't matter too much.

New Krypton

New Krypton was an amazing story by Sterling Gates, James Robinson and Geoff Johns a few years ago. Basically, the bottled city of Kandor's residents were released onto the Earth, they caused trouble, started their own planet on the opposite side of the Sun to the Earth and then, I'll be honest here, I haven't finished the story. It's only really the start that you need to know right now. Obviously, this plot won't happen in the movie, it's not big enough for that, but a set-up or quick reference could be likely. Just mentioning Kandor or showing the bottle city inside the Fortress of Solitude would be a good start for setting up that story possibly for a future sequel. Another idea, of course, is that that's where Zod's army came from, Zod took them out of the bottle city and trained them to take on Superman.

"We're putting a team together, DC style"

We all want it to happen, every comic book fan seeing this film wants to see a set-up for the Justice League. With Marvel's Avengers franchise booming at the moment, DC are apparently trying to set up a future Justice League movie. If DC do want to set up a connected universe, they need to start here, with this film. I'm not expecting to see another actual Justice League member at the end of the film, but I'm pretty certain there'll be some sort of big start for DC's major Superhero team.


Man of Steel is released on June 14th, directed by Zack Snyder, Produced by Christopher Nolan and Starring Henry Cavill as Superman ( Kal-El/ Clark Kent), Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Russell Crowe as Jor-El and more.

Review: Superman Unchained #1

This series was always going to be good. I mean, it's written by the current "Batman" scribe, Scott Snyder, who has written some of the best stories in the New 52, let alone Batman ones, and pencilled by Jim Lee, who is one of the greatest artists in comics. I went into this series with huge expectations and when I'd finished, I was blown away by it!

I'm determined not to spoil anything in this review, but the ending is genius. Scott Snyder takes a huge historical event and builds it perfectly into this story, and although that method can be used quite a lot in comic books, Snyder pulls it off really well, and it fits into the story brilliantly. He's setting up a really interesting plot, that is turning into a huge mystery, the premise of that aspect alone has me hooked.

Reading through this issue, I realised that these are the best portrayals of Superman and his entire supporting cast in around two years, Snyder has got these characters spot on, and these are what I see as the definitive portrayals of these characters, he wrote everyone perfectly, especially Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.

One of the thing Scott Snyder does well is having the characters explain events from their childhood and tie them to the current events in the hero's life. He does it all of the time in "Batman" and having Superman compare the trip from outer space back to earth to one of his childhood games from Smallville was a great scene.

Now to the art. I was expecting Jim Lee's pencils in this issue to be brilliant, and they were. Seriously, I don't know how he does it, but Jim Lee is one of the best artists in modern comic books, and I feel that with every issue he draws, he improves. This issue has amazing art, and that is not an exaggeration, and that four page, two-sided fold out... Just brilliant.

However, part of the fold-out is my only problem. It's nothing on the part of the creative team: The writing on the pages was great, the art was great, but how it was organised was stressful. When folded up, the pages had glue to keep the corners together, which then left marks on the page, and it just felt badly laid out.

This is a brilliant issue, truly outstanding, and I can't wait to read more of it.

Rating: 9/10

Interview: Van Jensen talks Green Lantern Corps

Recently I caught up with new Green Lantern Corps writer, Van Jensen, to talk about his upcoming run on the book. Below you can read that interview, Enjoy!

Harry: So, what we're focusing on in this interview is your upcoming run on Green Lantern Corps. How does it feel to be handed not just one Green Lantern character, but pretty much the entire corps? 

John Stewart, on the cover to Green Lantern
Corps #22

Van Jensen: There are only 7,200 or so Green Lanterns, that's not so much to handle, is it? Joking aside, it's a dream assignment. The mythology of the Green Lantern Corps stands up there with any group in comics history, and there is a universe full of stories to explore. The hardest thing is picking and choosing stories, since obviously I can't tell them all in 20 pages a month.


Harry: Inside that corps is one of the most important Green Lanterns there is, John Stewart. Is there a lot of pressure and responsibility when writing a character with a lot of history and one known by a lot of people in the general public, not just comic readers?


Van Jensen: The rumours that came up about John's supposed demise really highlighted how beloved he is as a character, and it was a great reminder to me of much responsibility has been placed in my hands. I'm a big fan of his from the comics and from the Justice League cartoons, but it was still great to see so many impassioned fans speaking up on John's behalf. I always set high standards for myself, but with Green Lantern Corps, my goal is no less than writing the definitive John Stewart story. I want this book to be THE John Stewart book that people remember. Anything less than that, and I'm not satisfied.

Harry: With so many members of the corps, is it difficult to remember all of them at times?

Van Jensen: I have my trusty Secret Files and Origins copy sitting next to me at all times, and our editors put together a handy-dandy sector/Lantern spreadsheet for us, so that helps. But yeah, it's daunting. And there are so many with awesome backgrounds. I have what seems like a decade worth of story ideas already, and I'm only just getting started.

Harry: The Green Lantern Corps series usually has a core team of lanterns that the book focuses on, who will make up this team in your run?

Van Jensen: John is at the center. Salaak, Kilowog and Soranik Natu will have a big presence. We'll be catching up with Isamot, Vath and Iolande soon as well. And then there will be four new recruits that will play a big role. But if I haven't named one of your favorite characters, don't worry, a lot more familiar faces will pop up as we go along!

Harry: With all of the Green Lantern books getting new creative teams at the same time, what are you doing to stand out from all of the?

Van Jensen: All of the creative teams are super talented, and I'm lucky to be working with them. I can't say that I've thought of it in terms of inter-Lantern competitiveness. I'm just trying to write the best Green Lantern Corps that I can and let the book's inherent qualities (a big cast, sprawling adventures) stand out. That said, I bet I'm the only one of the four writers who can dunk a basketball. That'll sell some comics, right?

Harry: What are you doing that's really different from the last creative team on Green Lantern Corps?


Van Jensen: The big shift is the focus to John. Peter did a great job, but I don't think Green Lantern Corps consistently had a strong lead character. Sometimes it was Guy, but then other characters would move to the foreground. This is very much John's story, and I think his story will offer a great perspective on what's going on with the Corps, how they're adapting to this new status quo.

Harry: Now, you're co-writing this series with new Green Lantern writer, Robert Venditti. How closely tied together do you think these two books will be?


Van Jensen: We're working together really closely. This is a shared universe, and so the events in one book definitely reverberate in the other. We have the occasional "Wait, is this messing up the continuity?" phone calls. At the same time, we want the books to be able to stand on their own as strong stories.

Guy Gardner, as a Red Lantern
Cover to Red Lanterns #21

Harry: With former corps member, Guy Gardner, moving over to Red Lanterns, can we expect close ties between the series?


Van Jensen: In the short term, no. In the long term, yes. Remember, John and Guy are good friends. How is John going to take the news that his pal is suiting up for the enemy?

Harry: What can you tell us about the first big villain of your run on the series?


Van Jensen: The Durlans make an appearance out of the gate, and the full scope of their plan will be unveiling over the next several months. They have an old, old grudge against the Corps, and the time has come for them to settle it. But these aren't your familiar Durlans, and they've got some seriously insidious plans.

Harry: What Green Lantern related characters can we expect to see in your run?

John Stewart and Fatality,
Cover to Green Lantern Corps #23

Van Jensen: Fatality will play a big role as John's love interest. They have a ridiculously tortured history, which makes for some challenges in this new stage as boyfriend and girlfriend. Since Fatality spent years hunting and killing Green Lanterns, don't expect her to receive an overly warm reception on Oa.

Harry: How closely do you usually work with the writers on the four other Green Lantern books?


Van Jensen: We talk over email pretty often and have occasional conference calls. Our editors (the great Matt Idleson and Chris Conroy) do an excellent job of keeping us up to date as well. They're the ones who really have to stay on top of this universe of characters, which they do exceptionally well.

Harry: Who has been your favourite cast member to write so far?


Van Jensen: John, for sure. I think I identify with him a lot, despite the fact that we have almost nothing in common. Also, it's been fun to take Salaak in a new direction.

Harry: What can you tease overall about your run on the series?


Van Jensen: My plan is to define the next age of the Corps. The old Guardians are dead and gone. Who is in charge? What is the Corps' mission? How do they patrol a universe that, frankly, doesn't want them around? These are big questions, and we'll see how they play out in the months (and hopefully years) ahead.

Harry: What have you found to be the most enjoyable part of writing Green Lantern Corps?


Van Jensen: I really love how the Green Lanterns serve as a meta textual stand-in for the writer. The Lanterns can create any construct that they can imagine, so their imagination is their only limitation. In the same way, I as a writer can come up with whatever constructs (and story elements) that I can dream up. My imagination is my only limitation. It's a great challenge to push myself and my creativity to a new level. I'm still early on, but I'm having a blast so far.

Harry: Thanks, Van! Good luck on Green Lantern Corps!

Green Lantern Corps #21 is released on June 12th, written by Van Jensen with art from Bernard Chang.

You can catch Van on his twitter!

Review: The Movement #2

I'm just going to start off by saying that this is going to be a very short review, sorry, I feel really tired today. If my review doesn't quite do justice for the issue, just know that it was great and you should definitely buy it!

I'm really enjoying the Movement, it's currently on it's second issue and I feel like it's really got off to a good start.

This series is being written by Gail Simone, who is an excellent writer, she's managed to me care about the cast of this book, who are mostly new characters, and if any are pre-existing, I've never heard of them, and doing that is a sign of being a great writer.

She's also come up with an interesting premise for a series here, and I really enjoy reading about the corrupt police force and crumbling society, it makes for a brilliant read!

Also, this issue has a lot of charm, the fact that the team held a council of war in a play room was just brilliant, and it really lightened up the morning for me! There are some more little moments in this issue that I really loved but I don't want to spoil them, I think you should definitely read them for yourselves.

Now onto the art by Freddie Williams II! I'm starting to enjoy Williams' art the more I see of it, at first I wasn't a big fan but I think it's really growing on me. I think his style really suits this book, and he is one of the best fight-scene artists in comics at the moment. There is a big fight in the later part f the issue and I feel Freddie Williams II really did a great job on it.

In summary, a great issue that managed to keep up to the standards of the first. Definitely a must-read!

Rating: 9/10

DC Comics reveal Jim Lee's "Superman Unchained" two sided in-issue poster

Today seems like a good day for teasing Superman stuff. First, we had a new trailer for the upcoming Man of Steel movie and now DC have treated us with some interior pages by Jim Lee for next week's Superman Unchained #1.The poster is 4 pages big on each side, meaning you have to turn it around to see the whole thing. Well, without further ado, here they are:

                                                                   

Or here's a more helpful view of how the poster works from Scott Snyder's Twitter:

 

 

Superman Unchained #1 by Scott Snyder and Jim Lee hits stores on June 12th from DC Comics.

 

 

 

New Man of Steel trailer released, and it's pretty epic

With the countdown to Man of Steel coming to a close, you can expect a big increase in the amount of promo and trailers the film will be getting soon. Today, Nokia released their exclusive trailer for the new Superman film, and I have to say, I'm impressed.

I feel like the music doesn't quite fit the footage in time, but it's an awesome trailer none the less.

I'll be seeing Man of Steel in iMax the day it's released. Then I'll probably watch it again, then again, and again, and again and I think you get the picture. Basically, it's going to be good!

Man of Steel is released on the 14th of June 2013, directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill as Superman (Or Clark Kent/ Kal-El), Michael Shannon as General Zod, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Russell Crowe as Jor-El and many more.

Review: Kick-Ass 3 #1

Spoilers for the issue below!

I'd never read an issue of Kick-Ass before this, I'd heard a lot about the two previous series and it's something I'd been wanting to try for a while. I felt that with the launch of the third and final instalment of the main Kick-Ass  story it was a good time to give the book a shot, so I did, and I loved it.

I  think that Mark Millar has come up with a really interesting idea with this series, it's definitely a different type of book compared to all the others on the shelves right now. I was expecting the same sort of Comic book that you see all the time but it just feels different. At the start of the issue a group of heroes team-up to break Hit-Girl out of prison and they straight up get scared and admit they're nowhere near ready. They run away. That's not what you see in many comics, if any, and it's my favourite scene from this entire issue, maybe out of all of the comics out this week.

This book shows just how good a writer Mark Millar can be, it's a unique book and has a really different feel to it, you get the feel that these are real "street-level" characters, not like how characters like Batman are, they're actually walking down the streets. They're literally Street-Level, I really loved that aspect of the book.

I also love the interaction between the characters, especially between Kick-Ass and his friend, Todd. They act like proper teenagers towards each other, I love that aspect of the issue, they act like what I imagine a teen in this situation to act like.

The only real complaint I can find for the story is that despite this being an issue 1, it's not the best place for new readers, I knew I'd be a  bit lost going into it since I haven't read any Kick-Ass before, but I was a bit confused by something. I definitely recommend reading the first trades before this, or watch the films. At the very least, read up on the plot on the internet, I think you'll really benefit from that if you're getting into the story with this issue.

Just one last point on the story, there are references to comics in the issue. It was a shock to see Batman and Fantastic Four references in this issue, it's yet another thing you don't see in other comics, and it really adds to Kick-Ass and Todd's characters to use these, considering they work in a comic book shop.

Now to the art by John Romita Jr. I'm a big fan of Romita Jr's work on Amazing Spider-Man and was looking forward to his work on the issue. I enjoyed it but feel this wasn't his best work; At times, the faces looked a little off and there were a lot of times where the characters looked a little younger than they should have. Apart from that, I really enjoyed his art and think he draws a Kick-Ass Kick-Ass! (Sorry, had to).

In conclusion, a great issue and a good start to the final instalment of the Kick-Ass story. Amazing writing and good art, worth picking up! But you would benefit from reading the first trades before this one.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Age of Ultron #8

Age of Ultron has been quite disappointing of late, but I think it's gradually building up to a good standard which will hopefully be reached by the finale in issue #10. Now back to reviewing this issue...

I think the word that sums up this issue overall is "alright", I didn't hate it, I didn't love it, it was just alright. However, that's not really what I look for in a comic, I want to really enjoy it, so I felt a little disappointed with this issue.

That being said, I think the art was brilliant and the opening double page spread was pretty amazing.

I don't really have much to say about this book because I feel that I've gone through most of my thoughts there, but just one last thing, the one scene that I actually, properly enjoyed from this entire issue was the scene between the two Wolverines, that was actually quite good.

Overall, I feel this was an okay issue, but not particularly impressive. It did, however, have some great pages of art and one scene that I felt was pretty good.

Rating: 6/10

Review: Green Lantern #21

Usually when a creator change takes place on a big title like Green Lantern I'm a little hesitant about the next writer's run. That wasn't the case for Green Lantern #21, I'd spoken to new writer, Robert Venditti, before and was certain he would do well on this issue, I wasn't disappointed at all.

I'm not going to spoil the issue, because I think you should go out, pick it up and enjoy it as something completely new, without any real knowledge of what's going to happen. The issue has a brilliant start that really gripped me and made me want to keep on reading the issue, then it jumps to a different part of the story, the suspense of seeing the opening scene really keeps you interested right through the entire issue.

Venditti has shown how good a writer he is with this issue, he's shown a clear understanding for all of the characters and respect for the finale of Geoff Johns' run and yet put his own spin on it and make it really interesting.

He's managed to write a brilliant book here and has really built off of the final issue of Johns' run and made it into an interesting new story for Hal Jordan. Another thing I love about this issue is the inclusion of so many characters from the Green Lantern universe, I won't go into specifics but I think Venditti really understands who the Green Lantern fans want to see in the series.

Now onto the art, by Billy Tan. I think Billy Tan is a fantastic artist and did really well on this issue. However, one slip-up did keep jumping out at me throughout the issue: There are quite a lot of pages where the Lantern characters don't appear to be wearing their rings yet are still using them. I know this might seem like a minor problem but this did really stand out to me while reading the issue. Apart from that, I really enjoyed Tan's art in this issue.

In summary, a great beginning to this new era of Green Lantern comics, the Lanterns are shining brighter than ever before with Robert Venditti on board!

Rating: 9/10

Review: The Superior Spider-Man #11

Minor Spoilers for the issue below!

Superior Spider-Man has been quite a good series overall, I have to say, this issue wasn't the best., there were a few exciting moments but I don't feel it was as good as some other of this series' issues.

Just a brief summary of what this issue is about, Otto Octavius, along with J. Jonah Jameson, Glory Grant and Norah Winters travel to the supervillain prison, the Raft, for the execution of the Spider-Slayer, A.K.A. the man who murdered Jameson's wife. I have to say, I wasn't particularly excited by the premise of this issue, I think this is because I don't really care about Spider-Slayer as a villain, he's just not too interesting in my opinion.

This issue was Co-Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage, and they did do a good job on the issue. Basically, this issue did have good writing, I just wasn't too keen on the plot. The scripting aspect of the issue was good, and I really enjoyed one little scene between Otto and Norah Winters while on the raft and the college scenes on the first few pages, I just don't think the overall plot was as good as some other issues.

Now that I'm done talking about the writing, onto the art! The penciller for this issue was Guiseppe Camuncoli, who is a brilliant artist! He is one of three rotating pencillers for this series and his issues are some of the best in recent Spider-Man comics. He draws a really different Spider-Man to the other artists on the series, he appears more muscly and Camuncoli draws that well.

Another point on the art, the colours. The current Spider-Man colourist is Edgar Delgado, who has done all of the Superior Spider-Man series and a lot of the previous title, Amazing Spider-Man. He is a very good colourist and I think his issues with Camuncoli are the best for both of them. Camuncoli's pencils and Delgado's colours work together really well, and it makes some really good art.

Overall, this issue had an alright plot, good writing but brilliant art.

Rating: 6.5/10

DC Comics' "Green Lantern" solicits for September 2013, Villains Month

Below are the solicits for the four issues of Green Lantern being released in September 2013, also known as "Villains Month" for DC Comics. What this means is every series in the New 52 released that month will be taken over by one or some of the series' villains.

"Green Lantern: Relic" #23.1

Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by RAGS MORALES and CAM SMITH
3-D motion cover by BILLY TAN
On sale SEPTEMBER 4 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Who is Relic, and why must he kill every being in the universe who might wield the light of the emotional spectrum? Relic’s power could be the most formidable force the Lanterns have ever seen! This issue’s story incorporates Rags Morales’s recent variant covers from GREEN LANTERN, GREEN LANTERN CORPS, GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS, RED LANTERNS and LARFLEEZE, now with inks, full color and script!

 "Green Lantern: Mongul" #23.2

Written by JIM STARLIN
Art by HOWARD PORTER
3-D motion cover by BILLY TAN
On sale SEPTEMBER 11 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Deep in space, an unstoppable force is committing genocide on a galaxy-wide scale, and only the strongest will survive! Be warned, because nothing can prepare you for an all-new Warworld under the absolute rule of the tyrant called Mongul!

 "Green Lantern: Black Hand" #23.3

Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI
3-D motion cover by BILLY TAN
On sale SEPTEMBER 18 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
In a world with no heroes, death lies behind every turn! Black Hand arrives to take advantage of Forever Evil, and he may be the most dangerous player yet! And when last we saw him, Black Hand was a pile of dust in the Dead Zone! How did he manage to return?

"Green Lantern: Sinestro" #23.4

Written by MATT KINDT
Art by DALE EAGLESHAM
3-D motion cover by BILLY TAN
On sale SEPTEMBER 25 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Years ago, Sinestro used his Green Lantern ring to utterly dominate his home planet of Korugar, all in the name of "protecting" his people. It's the mistake that turned his name into a curse, and brought down the greatest Green Lantern of them all… but one never-before-seen moment from those dark days holds the key to his future!

(Source: MTV Geek)

DC Comics' "Teen Titans" solicits for September 2013, Villains Month

Here are the solicits for the September issues of Teen Titans from DC Comics, September is villains month for DC so every title in the New 52 is being taken over by one of it's villains, for most titles more than once, there being two issues of Teen Titans that month.

TEEN TITANS #23.1: TRIGON

Written by MARV WOLFMAN

Art by CAFU

3-D motion cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA

On sale SEPTEMBER 11 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

He is the ruler of six kingdoms of pain, suffering and agony—but the one world that

evades Trigon is Earth. Trigon’s influence has been spread across worlds by his sons, but it wasn’t until he conceived a daughter of Earthly origin that the monster finally had an heir who could aid his quest. Now, with all the world’s heroes missing— is this the final victory of Trigon?

 TEEN TITANS #23.2: DEATHSTROKE

Written by COREY MAYS and DOOMA WENDSCHUH

Art by ROBSON ROCHA

3-D motion cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA

On sale SEPTEMBER 18 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

One of the deadliest men in the world has a secret: his family. Slade Wilson lives to kill, but can even Deathstroke the Terminator balance his home life with a complicated hit?

(Source: Comic Vine)

I have to say, I was expecting Teen Titans to take a  month off for September considering the huge amount of multiple issue books DC are putting out for that month, but I'm glad it's not if Marv Wolfman, writer of New Teen Titans and creator of Trigon, is writing it. I haven't been enjoying Lobdell's titans of late so this should be a good issue!