The sailor with a spinach fetish and burly arms is back! Thanks to IDW Publishers, Popeye will be returning in his own comic series. The series will be written by Roger Langridge.
Popeye, for those few unaware of the sailor, began his fame in comics before working his way into the mainstream media with cartoons and movies. He debuted in 1929 and was created by Elzie Crisler Segar.
To start this review I would just like to say that Morning Glories is one of my favorite series right now and I love how the series always surprises me. Something that makes me want to pick up every issue and get excited to read every issue is the mystery and never knowing what is going to happen next. Every issue gives you questions to ask yourself about the series and with each issue you feel like you are getting closer and closer to a solution.
In this issue three students of Morning Glories Academy Zoe, Hunter, and Jun are in search to find a red flag as part of their woodrun, which the school makes mandatory. As these three characters search for the flag we learn more about one character in particular and that is Zoe. We learn more about her past before Morning Glories and about a murder she committed, which we first learned about in issue seven. We find out about the aftermath of the murder and how this will affect her in Morning Glories Academy.
After days of rumors, DC Entertainment has officially unveiled its new logo design for DC Comics. Earlier looks at the new peel design fell short of impressing most people. The grayscale version that had been leaked to the public was met with quite of bit of criticism for being dull and too much of a departure from DC’s previous logos. It seems that DC took notice of this less than spectacular reaction, though. As part of their press release, they didn’t just reveal one version of the new logo. They didn’t just reveal two or three versions. In fact, I’ll need a moment to go do a quick count.
Fourteen. I am seeing fourteen versions of the new DC Comics logo accompanying the press release. I feel like that should be followed by the Count’s laugh.
The Static series has always moved rather slowly, and the repercussions for such slowness caught up to the creative team in this issue. Every little minute detail – from character development to story development – are glossed over as quickly as possible to get everything moving. Way too glossed over, with many artistic problems, story confusion and just too much all at once in a title that has unfortunately taken another turn for the worse, making it’s coming cancellation a little easier to swallow.
Static takes down a couple more baddies in this issue, giving them a lesson in electromagnetism. After thinking he’s successfully fooled his enemies, Static has a rude awakening when his sister Sharon is kidnapped and Static, in a fit of rage, may go too far.
The CW, which was formerly called the WB, for years has been giving DC Comics based live action television shows for fans to enjoy. Their favorite characters can jump out of the pages of comic books to their television screen. In the past years they have had televisions shows like Aquaman, Birds of Prey, and probably the most successful Smallville. Now the CW is ordering a brand new DC comics television show based on the comic book character Green Arrow. The show they say will probably be called “Arrow”.
The Green Arrow is a not a new comer to live action television or the CW. Justin Hartley had played the Green Arrow AKA Oliver Queen since 2006 on the television show called Smallville. If you are a Smallville fan like I am you might be thinking like I was. This could be a spin off, but no such luck. When the show was announced by the CW that the show is ready for the green light on the pilot they made sure to mention that Justin Hartley right now is not involved in the project. When I heard this news I was a little disappointed and excited at the same time because this means that the CW can show that they can make a successful DC Comics television show without it being affiliated with Smallville.
Take great characters with compelling flaws and put them into a weak story with tired cliches. What you apparently get is Red Hood and the Outlaws #5. Scott Lobdell has put together a surprisingly strong cast but continues to force them through a plot that simply doesn’t suit them in the slightest. This is a book about damaged people left behind by the superhero community coming together. But this is also a book trying to be about ancient societies, chosen ones and prophecies. There’s only room for Red Hood and the Outlaws to be about one of these. And honestly, only one is interesting in the first place.
The story of this issue is divided between the continued introduction of Crux, one of Lobdell’s new creations, and Red Hood’s battle with one of the Untitled. Because of this combination, this is the first issue of the series to really highlight just how much the ongoing plot of the All-Caste clashes with the ongoing story of the characters. The Crux side of the story really feels at home in this book. It has our regular cast of damaged people coming into conflict with someone who is just as damaged as them in his own way. Meanwhile, we have the other side of the story trying to sell us on the idea of Jason Todd as a chosen one to fight some great and ancient evil. That’s a cookie-cutter fantasy plot with nothing really to do with theme of the book’s team.
Artist Rob Liefeld is not a popular man in the comic book world. Many people hate his artwork and thought the recent news that he will be taking over as artist for three of DC’s New 52 titles was a joke. It’s not. He is. And I am looking forward to it with admittedly wearisome optimism. Liefeld will be writing and doing the artwork for Deathstroke and will be plotting Grifter, and The Savage Hawkman.
Liefeld will be replacing Tony Daniel on The Savage Hawkman because Daniel’s heavy deadlines forced him to drop the Hawkman title so he could focus more of his time on his other title, more well-received title, Detective Comics. Liefeld’s plans for Hawkman entail an intergalactic fighting ring with some galactic battles.
