"My name is J'onn J'onzz"

After all the years of reading comics and all the mentions of Martian Manhunter on my blog(s) since way back when and all the action figures, I have to tell you it was pretty gratifying to see this scene in Supergirl. Although the design is a little like the J'onn's Angry Asparagus Man period, it's still a great realization of the character - and David Harewood's characterization of J'onn (and his alter ego) in the show is likewise terrific.

Is it too early to start thinking about a spin-off?

Six of one: Walaka buys comics

So, the night I went to see the Ant-Man movie started at a comic shop in my area, and I thought I would actually buy some new comics in honor of the event. Actually, I had my eye in finding the new Prez, but I was in an expansive mood and picked up a half-dozen titles, looking for number ones. Here they are in alphabetical order:

Ant-Man Annual: I bought an Ant-Man special about a year or so ago, I believe, but I could not lay my hands on it for this post. If I recall correctly, in that one Janet Pym was dead, and Hank Pym had taken on the Wasp persona, and he teamed up with the Eric O'Grady Ant-Man, and it ended at a Women's Shelter Pym was funding (that for some reason allowed O'Grady to volunteer there!). In this one, it seems that Pym is dead, and in flashback he teams up with the Scott Lang Ant-Man, and Janet is alive, and in the end Scott quits being Ant-Man to let a new guy take on the job. Scott Lang seems to be acting a lot like Eric O'Grady in this - I thought he was more the rough-around-the-edges, heart-of-gold type, but I missed most of the Lang era. Anyway, other than totally confusing me on continuity, this was a mediocre, pedestrian comic in both art and story.

Convergence Blue Beetle #2: This was a mistake, as I thought I was buying #1, but it probably didn't make a difference. Other than the joy of seeing the Charlton versions of Blue Beetle, Captain Atom (in his multicolored outfit), and the Question, this was another bland offering. I guess in The Convergence Event a bunch of cities from various continuities are jumbled together and the heroes from each city have to fight the heroes from the other cities to see which city survives? Do I have that right? Because it sounds a lot like the little I have seen of Marvel's Battleworld, in which it seems a lot of different continuities are jumbled together and the heroes and villains are fighting each other. Plus Dr. Doom. Anyway, in this comic, the Hub City heroes sort-of defeat and sort-of cooperate with some version of the Legion of Super-heroes that I have never seen before to resolve their combat to the satisfaction of the Looming Bad Guy. But Question fritzes Brainiac 5's brain just by asking a metaphorical, um, question - does that work? And Ted Kord is smart enough to have the Bug teleport? Nice cover, though.

Looking for Group #1: This book aims to join the "D&D adventurers who are self-aware they're in a game" genre of comics that is done so well by The Order of the Stick. It's not a bad effort - the characters are mildly engaging, if a bit predictable, and the story is more complex that might be expected. The art is fun to look at, but the biggest flaw in the work is that the sequencing of the panels is herky-jerky or incoherent much of the time: what happens in the gutter winds up being unclear or indecipherable, and that ruins much of the flow of the story. The artist's reach just exceeds his grasp - he's really trying to cram a lot of characterization, plot, and sight gags onto every page, but the seams really do show.  And there's only so many D&D jokes, really.

Martian Manhunter #1 and #2: Got it for J'onn versus Superman, shown here on the cover for #2. I feel totally cheated. I wade through 21 pages of some rescue action seasoned with angst, some gangly green guy named Mr. Biscuits, a cat burglar from the UAE, and some nasty White Martians in issue one, and then some more of the same in issue 2 before we get to telepathic-illusion J'onn v. the JLA. But when Superman shows up, J'onn disappears (dies?) in a burst of white light. Is Mr. Biscuits the new Martian Manhunter? This comic couldn't make me care about my favorite character. Here's a palate cleanser.

Prez  #1: I really think that writers need to think about starting in media res a lot more. I had high hopes for this comic, as it came highly recommended, and there's a lot to like about it. Its vision of America twenty years hence provides a great backdrop for some cutting social commentary - besides the usual targets, there's a real edge to some of the elements. The art is wonderful to look at and carries the narrative through a variety of modes. The main character - The Girl who Would be Prez - is delightful. But the issue ends before the election is decided, so, the cover notwithstanding, we never get to actually see the Prez in this issue. I'll be back for #2 (first time I have said that in long time!) but I do feel a little disappointed.

Where Monsters Dwell #1 thru #3: Okay, take an old-school Marvel title and make it the brand for new stuff: Nice. Do a modern (read: dickish) update on an old, obscure character - in this case, the Phantom Eagle: check. Biplanes versus dinosaurs: always cool. Gorgeous artwork: always a plus. Narrative that subtly explores gender and power politics by setting the story in a female-dominated society: uhhh... if you've seen the 1974 Gene Roddenberry TV-movie Genesis II (with Alex Cord and Mariette Hartley), you've got it covered.

On the first day of Newton: Holiday cookies!

So, the Twelve Days of Christmas are traditionally those festive days between Christmas and the feast if the Epiphany. In a new tradition, we're going to up the ante, with the Thirteen Days Of Newton, comprising those festive days between the eve of Isaac Newton's Birthday (which coincidentally falls on December 25th) and my wedding anniversary (which coincidentally falls on Epiphany). Let's kick it off!

This is how I celebrate the holidays:

My affection for the Martian Manhunter is well known, but I am not sure I have ever commented on how much I liked the period of Justice League when J'onn J'onzz displayed the quirk of being a big fan of Oreos - called Chocos on the comics (for legal reasons, I guess). And it wasn't just that this trait humanized the often flat characterization given to the character.

You see, when I was younger and had a higher metabolism, I would eat Oreos like they were going out of style. I'd pile 'em on a plate or paper towel and toss 'em in my mouth like potato chips. I could get through most of a package in one sitting. As I got older, I started rationing my Oreo intake, and then stopped buying them altogether, not so much because I outgrew the taste but rather because I was starting to eat better generally. So I could totally get J'onn's obsession.

The exception to my Oreo moratorium is the holiday season. I like to end the year with a little indulgence, and for me, that means unconditional Oreo consumption, at least for a week or so.

So bring on the little chocolate wafers with the white creamy filling: I am ready.

Nick Cardy. R.I.P.

Just a couple of favorites from Nick Cardy, who has just passed away.

Cardy was the only artist who drew Aqualad as a compact, even stocky, muscular young man instead of the waifish figure most often seen. I liked that.

I used this image way early in my blogging days to highlight J'onn J'onzz's awesomeness. It is still a perfect example of distilled Bronze Age goodness.

Thank you, Mr. Cardy.

Martian Meshugenah

So, today I was paid a surprise visit by that raconteur, bon vivant, and all-around man-around-town, Jim Wilson, proprietor of Let's Not Talk About Movies, that premiere movie review blog. He was on his way to the twentieth anniversary reunion for Bill Nye the Science Guy, for which he was the sound designer back in the day (not incidentally winning an Emmy for his efforts). A chance to see Yojimbo is always a Good Thing, and in this particular instance, I came away with material gain as well: once again, in what is becoming somewhat of a tradition, my great and good friend gifted me with a Martian Manhunter action figure. To wit, The New 52 version.

Here it is, all nice and pristine in the box:

And here it is a few minutes after Jim left, reduced from M/NM to CR/AP:

So let's see: The blue color scheme is now kinda purple, and he's a little more olive green; I can live with that. He's got pants; I liked the faux-Barsoomian near-nakedness, but okay. His cape melds into a tunic-collared shoulder-pad/pectoral-shawl thingie; I'm not really sure how that would work. I love the breechclout, although he really doesn't need it now that he has pants. The symbol is still there, and half of the classic cape harness, so we'll call that good. But here's the rub:

Is everyone in the DCnU this cranky all the time? To quote the comics reporter: "sometimes I look at silver age superheroes and wonder why they look so different and then I realize it’s just that they don’t look like assholes." In any case, the new figure will grace the Martian Men's Room with the rest of them.

In other Martian news, Yojimbo's visit was such a surprise that I completely forgot that I had a Martian for him:

Yojimbo is something of a Chuck Jones expert as well as a big fan, so when I came across this Marvin the Martian a few weeks back I couldn't help but pick it up for him, planning to give it to him the next time we met up. I wish I had remembered that today.

So, Jim, I leave you with this snippet of dialogue for which I am sure you need no citation:

[Presenting a gift-wrapped dynamite stick to Martian Commander X-2]
Porky Pig: Happy b-b-birthday, you thing from another world, you.
Marvin Martian: Ooh, thank you!