The Flash Annual #1 (Spoiler Free)

Who Remembers Wally West?

I love annuals. Some of my favorite stories have been in the comic annuals of olden times. Well, in the last 30 years. The Elseworlds Annuals had some stories I still go back to.

In The Flash, we get a Wally West tale, and while I won't spoil, he is looking for his place in the current time and place he finds himself in. Barry Allen and Kid Flash are major players in this story, and the ending sets up the next big arc.

Joshua Williamson writes with Howard Porter and Christian Duce tackling the art. Williamson, in particular, does a nice job getting to the heart of Wally, making him as familiar and inviting  as he was when Mark Waid took him to the next level.

Highly recommended. 5 out of 5 lightning bolts.

Suicide Squad, Field of Geeks Interview

Greetings from my lunch hour!  I am posting this blog from my phone so bear with me.

After 2 viewings of Suicide Squad, I can finally say that critics are insane.  This was by no means a film that will change your view on life, but it was a very fun movie.  Let's be real, if you are going to a comic book movie and are looking for more than what the formula provides, then you are in the market for a house in Disappointmentville.  That is an actual place.  It's called Flint, Michigan.

Margot Robbie and Will Smith stole the show, with a side of Joker thrown in.  This is yet another DC film that has a huge disparity between critic and fan opinion. 

Over at the Field of Geeks studios, we ha had a great time interviewing Parker Jennings.  Parker,  aside from being a super nice guy, is the artist for Blanky Bot, a great book from Plume Snake comics.  Give it a listen!

http://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-hxv7m-61d4c9

In non-comics news, my daughter is a sophomore in college now, and I am super old.  But, that means more time for the blog!  YOU'RE IN FOR IT NOW, PEOPLE.

You've been warned.

The Killing Joke

Let's start here...

The Killing Joke is a heavily anticipated animated movie brought to us from our friends at DC Comics.  If you are not familiar with the source material, let me introduce you to Barbara Gordon.  Barbara is the daughter of Gotham City police Commissioner Jim Gordon.

In real years, she is 48 years old, having her debut in 1967.  She was created for both the comics and the Adam West Batman series simultaneously, and has been a fan favorite ever since.  In March of 1988, as depicted in the beautiful Brian Bolland artwork above, Ms. Gordon was shot by the Joker, to be left paralyzed.  In the following panels, the Joker starts to undress her so he can photograph her.

Pretty gruesome stuff, right?

In the years that followed, Barbara Gordon would become an integral part of the DC Universe as Oracle.  Her prowess behind a keyboard assisted more than just the Bat-family over the years.  And yes, in true comics fashion, she eventually regained the use of her legs, becoming Batgirl, once again.

The movie, set to debut later this year, is either going to knock it out of the park, or it is going to inspire Batman v Superman levels of critique.  Obviously I hope it does well.  It is the iconic Joker story.  Ask any comic fan to name one story that comes to mind when they think of the Joker and The Killing Joke will top the list.  A Death in the Family would probably be second (Joker, less than a year later, kills the Jason Todd version of Robin).

How could this movie fail?  Well, the voice acting will not, as Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprise their roles as Batman and Joker, respectively.  See?  We are off to a great start!  If they deviate from, or dumb down the source material, then a lot of die hard comic fans will be up in arms.  If they do not deviate, the armchair activists are going to get upset all over again over the treatment of Barbara Gordon.

This is a controversial story to animate, and I look forward to it.

Steve's prediction: too early to tell.  I'm not predisposed to hate things (like critics and DC movies).  :)