Zack Snyder tweets the first Justice League trailer.

The bits in the trailer are visually similar to Batman v Superman, even with the bluish hue, yet the tome is very similar to that of a Marvel movie.

Snyder might have taken notes from his critics, besides the humor, and more joyful attitude of the characters, Ezra Miller looks a lot les like a slacker and more like the TV version.

It is also noteworthy that Bruce Wayne is the one recruiting other heroes, not Batman.

It is also noteworthy that the Elongated Man is not included in this movie. Well, no, that's comes without saying, but I noticed anyway.

THEY ARE BACK! THE DIBNYS ARE FINALLY BACK!!

Well, it finally happened. It was a very pleasant surprise, a perfectly satisfying return and… I didn’t have the time to report it.
Anyway, the Dibnys are back and just as we remember them. Literally, since these are not the New 52 versions but the ones from the 80s Earth-One.
As part of the Convergence crossover, Ralph, Sue and the entire Justice League roster of the Detroit incarnation are back in  Convergence: Justice League of America #1,  written by Fabian Nicieza.

Convergence: Justice League of America #1

The issue is part of a longer story and doesn’t stand alone. Which means there will be more of our favorite couple. The best part of this is that Sue is the POV character, so, predictably, Ralph will be the hero of the whole story.
A great surprise is that Fabian gets the characters just right. They feel just like Nick and Nora Charles, which is actually a great improvement over most of their original appearances (Justice League Quarterly #6, being the most notable exception). If in the next issues he solves a mystery, we would have the full deal.
If this wasn’t good enough, according to the USA Today article about this issue “Fabian Nicieza is eagerly awaiting the call to do a monthly detective comic book featuring Ralph and Sue Dibny”. That would be great news. I don’t know how serious is that, but I found that so exciting that I even went to Dan DiDio´s facebook wall to congratulate him on the decision. Fabian clearly gets the characters and the current DC line could definitively use a book like that.
As soon as I read the whole JLA Detroit story in Convergence, I will write a review here.

UPDATE 

The mystery of how the actual heroes are not on the cover.

The second part of "Heroes Interrupted" in Convergence: Justice League of America #2 is even greater than the first. Well, at least for Ralph and Sue.

Finally a story that revindicates the Elongated Man as a JLAer!

...Just not on this panel.

The story make a nice showcase of Ralph's fighting abilities. He is basically all around stretching more than he ever did on a JLA book.

The issue also focuses on his skills; however, in this case, it isn't on him as a detective, but as a strategist and a field leader.
In addition to being the POV character, Sue also becomes the problem solver, along with an anachronistic Detective Renee Montoya (she debuted in 1992 as a regular cop in blue). Sue didn't actually started to take initiatives like that until Justice League Europe #9, when she helped save Power Girl.

The downside of so much Dibny focus, to be fair, is that the rookies are not really showcased. The story could have used about 5 pages to focus on the fight of the Justice Leaguers against the Secret Six after spreading. However, this isn't really a bad thing, the story is clearly about the Dibnys: it shows how Ralph and Sue can do a lot with very little. 

This image says it all!
Enlarge if you don't mind spoilers.

The Periodic Table of Superheroes

It's funny how as awesome as it is I can't help but nitpick minor details. Like The Atom, Speedy and Mr. Mxyzptlk so notoriously missing. They were popular during that era, as well as Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Beastboy. Harley has nothing to do there (although, retroactively, it would have been a really cool thing to see), and I feel that the Scarecrow, Captain Cold, Grodd, Black Manta, Zod, Solomon Grundy, Sinestro, Sivana, Mr. Mind and Mordru were more popular than Two-Face. That being said, we have to note that whoever did this grouped heroes by families, which wouldn't have made easy to fit everyone there. It's fun to play with these ideas, anyway.

The Golden Age chronology!

For no particular reason (well, there's one, but you don't get to know about it for a while), I'm posting a chronological list of the debuts of the golden age characters of DC.

1935

Oct, More Fun Comics #6 – Dr. Occult, Rose Psychic

1937 

March, Detective Comics #1 – Slam Bradley and Shorty Morgan

1938 

Apr, Action Comics #1 – Superman, Zatara, Tex Thopson

Oct, Detective Comics #20 - Crimson Avenger and Wing

1939 

May, Detective Comics #27 – Batman

Jul, Adventure Comics #40 - Sandman

1940

Jan, Flash Comics #1 – Flash, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Johnny Thunder

Feb, More Fun Comics #52 – The Spectre

Mar, Adventure Comics #48 - Hourman

Spr, Batman #1 – Catwoman

Apr, Detective Comics #38 –  Robin

May, More Fun Comics #55 – Dr. Fate

Jun, More Fun Comics #56 - Congo Bill

Jul, All-American Comics #16 – Green Lantern

Oct, All-American Comics #19 – The Atom

Nov, All-American Comics #20 – Red Tornado
Win, All-Star Comics #3 – The Justice Society of America (Hawkman, Atom, Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Spectre, Hurman and Sandman).

1941

Apr, All-American Comics #25 – Dr. Mid-Nite

Apr, Adventure Comics #61 - Starman

Sep, More Fun Comics #73 – Aquaman, Green Arrow, Speedy

Sep, Adventure Comics #66 – Shining Knight

Sep, Action Comics #40 – Star-Spanged Kid, Stripesy

Oct, All-Star Comics #8 - Wonder Woman

Oct, Star-Spangled Comics #1 - Tarantula

Nov, Action Comics #42 – Vigilante

Winter, Boy Commandos #1 – Liberty Belle
Winter, Leading Comics #1 – Seven Soldiers of Victory

1942

Jan, Sensation Comics #1 – Wildcat, Mr. Terrific

Feb, Detective Comics #60 – Air Wave

Apr, Star-Spangled Comics #7 – Robotman, TNT and Dan the Dyna-myte, The Guardian

1947

Aug, Flash Comics #86 – Black Canary

1948

Jun, - Star-Spangled Comics #81 – Gimmick Girl

1983

Jul, All-Star Squadron #23 – Amazing Man

Adoptive characters

A bunch of current DC Comics properties were created outside National Comics / All-American Publications. In this list I'm mixing Fawcett Comics, Quality Comics and Fox Comics. However, it must first  be considered that [besides the ancient and classic god pantheons and the biblical characters] certain classic characters that exist in the current DCU were created even before that:

c. 9th Century: King Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table

c. 1422: Robin Hood

1887: Sherlock Holmes and John Watson

1904: Rima, the Jungle Girl

1912: Tarzan

1933: Doc Savage

1939

Aug, Mystery Men Comics #1 – Blue Beetle

1940

Feb, Whiz Comics #2 – Captain Marvel, Spy Smasher

May, Nickel Comics #1 – Bulletman and Bulletgirl

May, Crack Comics #1 – Black Condor

Jul, National Comics #1 – Uncle Sam

Jun, Register and Tribune Syndicate – The Spirit

Sept, Smash Comics #14 – The Ray

1941

Aug, Police Comics #1 – Plastic Man, Phantom Lady, Human Bomb, Firebrand

Aug, Military Comics #1 – Miss America, Blackhawks

Dec, Whiz Comics #25 – Captain Marvel Jr.

1942

Dec, Captain Marvel Adventures #18 – Mary Marvel

1943

Jul, Military Comics #20 – Lady Blackhawk (unnamed)

Oct, Wow Comics #18 – Uncle Marvel

1944

Apr, Feature Comics #77 – Doll Man

It is interesting to note that in both cases, most of the characters were created between January 1940 and December 1941, and that, in general, they also had more staying power than the rest, with the exception being the two big archetypes that predate them: Superman and Batman.

Villains

And finally the villains (I might do supporting cast if I'm ever in the mood). It's funny I'd have never expected Wonder Woman to have the clearest gallery or Superman to be so difficult.
In this case we can also appreciate that, unlike superheroes, must of the villains were not created in 1940 or 1941. However, many archenemies are from those years: Luthor, Joker, Catwoman, Clayface, Scarecrow, Penguin, Hugo Strange, Sivana, Captain Nazi, Wotan, Karkull, Mr. Who, Hath Set, Dummy, Zor, Oom and Blackjack (hey, he was basically the only Aquaman guy back then!)

Wonder Woman

1942, Feb, Sensation Comics #2 – Doctor Poison

1942, Apr, Sensation Comics #4 – Baroness Paula von Gunther

1942, Sum, Wonder Woman #1 – Ares

1942, Fall, Wonder Woman #2 – Duke of Deception, Lord Conquest, Earl of Greed

1943, Apr, Wonder Woman #4 - Mavis

1943, Jun, Wonder Woman #5 – Dr. Psycho

1943, Oct, Wonder Woman #6 – Cheetah

1943, Dec, Comic Cavalcade #5 -Zara

1944, Mar, Wonder Woman #8 – Queen Clea

1944, Jun, Wonder Woman #9 – Giganta

1944, Fall, Wonder Woman #10 – Eviless

1944, Win, Wonder Woman #11 – Hipnota

1945, Apr, Sensation Comics #42, Draska Nishki              

1946, Sep, Sensation Comics #59 – Blue Snowman

1946, Oct, Comic Cavalcade #17 – Gunra the Valkyrie

1947, Jul, Wonder Woman #24 – The Mask
1948, Mar, Wonder Woman #28 – Villainy Inc.

1948, Apr, Wonder Woman #29 – Minister Blizzard

1949, Sep, Wonder Woman #37 - Circe

1953, Nov, Wonder Woman #62 – Angle Man

Batman

Wasn't able to get any Kane gallery, but here's some Sprang.

1939, Jul, Detective Comics #29 – Dr.  Death

1939, Sep, Detective Comics #31 – Monk & Dala

1940, Feb, Detective Comics #36 – Professor Hugo Strange

1940, Spr, Batman #1 – The Joker
1940, Apr, Detective Comics #38 –  Boss Zucco

1940, Jun, Detective Comics #40 - Clayface

1941, Fall, World’s Finest Comics #3 – The Scarecrow

1941, Dec, Detective Comics #58 – The Penguin

1942, Ago, Detective Comics #66 – Two-Face

1943, Apr, Detective Comics #74 – Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum

1943, Nov, Detective Comics #81 – The Cavalier
1947, Sep, World's Finest Comics #30 – The Penny Plunderer

1948, Oct, Batman #49 – The Mad Hatter

1950, Jun, Batman #59 – Deadshot  

1951, Feb, Batman #63 – Killer Moth

1952, Jun, Detective Comics #184 - Firefly
1983, Jul, The Brave and the Bold #200 – Brimstone

Captain Marvel

1940, Feb, Whiz Comics #2 – Dr. Sivana

1941, Dec, Master Comics #21 – Captain Nazi

1942, Mar, Captain Marvel Adventures #8 – Mr. Banjo, Ibac

1942, Apr, Captain Marvel Adventures #9 – Nippo

1943, Feb, Captain Marvel Jr. #4, Sabbac

1943, Mar, Captain Marvel Adventures #22 - Herkimer

1943, Ago, Captain Marvel Adventures #26 – Mr. Mind, Goat Man

1944, Jun, Captain Marvel Adventures #36 - Jeepers

1944, Nov, Captain Marvel Adventures #41 – Evil Eye

1945, Dec, Marvel Family #1 – Black Adam

1946, May, Captain Marvel Adventures #61 – Oggar

1947, Nov, Captain Marvel Adventures #78 – Mr. Atom

1951, Oct, Captain Marvel Adventures #125 – King Kull

Superman

1939, Jun, Action Comics #13 – Ultra-Humanite

1940, Jan, Action Comics #20 – Dolores Winters (who woud become Ultra-Humanite)

1940, Apr, Action Comics #23 – Lex Luthor

1941 Nov, Superman #13 – The Archer

1942 Aug – Action Comics #58 – The Prankster

1942 Nov, Superman #19 – Funny Face

1942, Jun, Action Comics #49 – The Puzzler

1942, Sum, World’s Finest Comics #6 – Metalo

1943, Sep,  Action Comics #64 – Toyman
1943, Nov, Superman #25 – Hi-Jack

1944, Jan, Superman #26 - J. Wilbur Wolfingham

1944, Sep, Superman #30 – Mr. Mxyzptlk

1950, Feb, Superboy #6 – Humpty Dumpty

Flash

1942, Sep, Flash Comics #33 – The Shade

1942, Dec, Flash Comics #36 ­– Rag Doll

1943, Fall, All Flash Comics #12 – The Thinker

1945, Win, All Flash Comics #21 – The Turtle

1947, Nov, Flash Comics #89 - Thorn

1947, Dec, All Flash Comics #32 – The Fiddler, Star Sapphire

1949, Feb, Flash Comics #104 – The Rival

Green Lantern

1943, Win, Green Lantern #10 – Vandal Savage

1944, Sum, Green Lantern #12 – The Gambler

1944, Oct, All-American Comics #61 – Solomon Grundy

1947, May, All-American Comics #85 – Sportsmaster
1947, Ago, Green Lantern #27 – Sky Pirate

1947, Sep, All-American Comics #89 – Harlequin

1947, Oct, All-American Comics #90 – Icicle

Dr. Fate

1940, May, More Fun Comics #55 - Wotan
1941, May, More Fun Comics #67 – Nergal
1941, Jul, More Fun Comics #69 – Ian Karkull 
1941, Nov, More Fun Comics #73 – Mr. Who
1942, Jun, More Fun Comics #80 – Octopus
1942, Jul, More Fun Comics #81 – The Clock

Justice Society of America

1943, Feb, All-Star Comics #15 – Brainwave

1945, Win, All-Star Comics #23 – Psycho-Pirate

1947, Apr, All-Star Comics #34 – The Wizard

1947, Jun, All-Star Comics #35 – Per Degaton
1947, Oct, All-Star Comics #37 – Injustice Society of the World 
1948, Dec, All-Star Comics #44 – Evil Star
1951, Mar, All-Star Comics #57 – The Key
1999, Dec, Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 – Johnny Sorrow

Hawkman

1940, Jan, Flash Comics #1 – Hath Set

1940, Fall, All-Star Comics #2 - Nyola
1941, Jan, Flash Comics #13 – Satana

1945, Apr, Flash Comics #64 – The Monocle

1947, Oct, Flash Comics #88 – The Gentleman Ghost

Plastic Man

1950, May, Plastic Man #23 – The Figure
1950, Sep, Plastic Man #25 – Mr. Aqua

The Spectre

1940, May, More Fun Comics #55 –  Zor
1940, Win, All-Star Comics #3 – Oom

Aquaman

1941, Dec, More Fun Comics #74, Blackjack

Green Arrow

1946, Sep, World's Finest #24 – Bulls-Eye

Dr. Mid-Nite

1947, Feb, All-American Coics #82 - Dr. Light

Starman

1941, May, Adventure Comics #62 – The Light

1941, Oct, Adventure Comics #67 – The Mist

Vigilante

1941, Win, Leading Comics #1 – The Dummy

Zatara

1938, Apr, Action Comics #1 – The Tigress
1938, Oct, Action Comics #5 – Amen-Hotep

Congo Bill

1940, Jun, More Fun Comics #56 - The Skull

Robotman

1943, Feb, Star-Spangled Comics #17 – The Turtle

Wildcat

1943, Ago, Sensation Comics #20 – Yellow Wasp
1947, Ago, Sensation Comics #68 – The Huntress

Sandman

1942, Sum, World’s Finest Comics #6  - Ramulus

Boy Commandos

1946, Jun, Boy Commandos #15 – Crazy Quilt

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Survivors of the Golden Age! - A description of the transition between the Silver and the Golden Ages of DC Comics.
• The Elongated Man and the Silver Age Timeline! - A series of lists of the most important debuts and events of the Silver Age in chronological order.
• Part I: Pre-Classic - 1947 - 1956.
• Part II: Classic - 1956 - 1969.
• Part III: Post-Classic - 1969 - 1973.  
• The Elongated Man and the Bronze Age Timeline! - A list of the Bronze Age debuts of DC Characters and events in chronological order.

Know your Justice Leaguer

In a previous article, I made the personality profile of The Elongated Man. Knowing what makes a character tick is what makes them interesting. The bad (or the badass) seems to be the flavor of the day since the late 80s. Everybody needed to be like Rorschach, Batman or Wolverine to be cool. But that’s not good writing, just selling fool-proof hooks that can be pulled even by the lesser writers.

Good writers know how play with personality traits in order to sell any character. Take Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, as instance, Tolkien and Jackson, managed to make a pop cult icon out of Gollum, a petty worm who is the very antithesis of any type of alpha male. The most read book of all times is about a loon that sees windmills as villains. The most popular sitcom is about four neurotic misfits… The trick is to know the character and to know how to exploit his personality traits.

With that in mind, I give you a list of sketches the most notorious members of the Justice League. My focus is on temperament, which I consider the very core of a person’s attitude.

Aquaman: His personality has wildly changed in some media; however, in comics, he’s most commonly portrayed as a tough yet melancholic, no-nonsense guy with a lot of weight over his shoulders. That crown is heavy.

He has an old soul. Like Batman, his eye for detail is just as sharp as his eye for the big picture. He’s extremely loyal and noble, but he doesn’t waste time on lost causes.

Within the League he sits among the other "kings": Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the Martian Manhunter. I just happens.

Other versions have him as a merrier guy. Batman: The Brave and the Bold even gave him a loud, bigger than life personality, very similar to the Thor of the 2011 movie. It’s not the original deal, but I kind of like this better, even if toned down a bit.

The Atom: It is ironic, but the smallest man alive, often feels like a small man inside. Despite being a genius and having one of the greatest super powers, he tends to feel guilty and undeserving, making him the most typically melancholic member of the team. He’s very creative and escapes everyday life through science and superheroics. He pulled the whole superhero thing for a woman, who doesn’t seem to appreciate him that well, which doesn’t speak well of his self-esteem. Hawkman, his best friend is also bossy and overly confident. The second he gets out of his lab, Ray Palmer tends to give a lot, expecting nothing in return.

He loves his role as the idea guy of the JLA, he's no tactician, but when it comes to tehnical matters, hes the go-to guy.
However, he is sometimes portrayed as an absent-minded genius with little interests outside science; your average Egon Spengler, Gyro Gearloose or Mr. Fantastic.

Batman: A compulsive melancholic who is obsessed with perfection. Fueled by survivor’s guilt, makes sure he’s the best at everything he does, including being the ultimate alpha. He’s very methodical and needs to control people and information alike. Years of practice have made him faster when it comes to acquiring new skills. He is able to act like a very social person as Bruce Wayne, but that’s all it is, an act. He has deep trust issues and can’t communicate affection properly to his loved ones (even though he is not that bad at hinting it). His most significant love affair is with Catwoman, who is just as distant in her own way. 

Working with the JLA, he arrives late at the Watchtower, takes charge, solve the problem and goes back to Gotham.
During the silver age, both as Batman and as Bruce, he was more civic-minded, polite and preachy. This characterization was reused with some added coolness in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Black Canary: She’s an overachiever, focusing all her dedication and discipline in continuing her mother’s legacy as a superhero. Mother issues and poor taste in men are perhaps the biggest aspects of her personal life. Opposed to Green Arrow, she’s also a strong, independent woman with feminist values. She works her ass off; Hal would just get the job done right with the best  tool available, and then hit the bar; by contrast, Dinah would do hours of exhaustive practice, almost as intensively as Batman. She plays hard to get, but she is no Catwoman. Ollie is her weakness; she demands a lot of herself only to fall for the resident ladies man. Her temperament is a bit melancholic, but phlegmatic enough to have great people skills, which makes her a perfect field leader.

The Elongated Man: The guy is all about doing what he loves and getting some attention while he’s there, by far, the most laid back out of the classic leaguers; a perfectly sanguine type. He’s quite diligent but wastes no extra energy to get the job done; he’s so practical that in his debut, he proved to be a faster crime-solver than Flash himself. He can solve anything Batman does – only with fewer resources and more lateral thinking. He's often the one who humbly presents a practical solution when the team seems to be up against the wall (even more often when Batman is not around). 

Out of the entire league, he’s the one that makes the most assertive life-choices and avoids drama the best. Ralph is a fun guy who managed to get the money, the girl, the fame and the status on his first day and then saves the world merely by “stretching at the right time”.

Firestorm: Ronnie is frat guy with a heart of gold. Being analytic never worked for him, so he focused on fun and what makes a male kid popular, but then, he got a challenge and was forced to change his ways. His fusion with Professor Martin Stein is like a permanent, intensive and forced mentorship that forces him to overcome that one aspect of his life he used to neglect. The way he acts, he looks self-secure, yet, he’s overcompensating for his lack of intellectuality, which he is overcoming as Firestorm. The JLA became even more reinforcement. Starting with Superman, they believe in his potential. He's the rookie of the team and when it came to fitting in, Ralph often took him under his wing.  

The Flash: One of the hardest to define for many people. He’s all about diligence and a huge sense of civic duty. His temperament is somewhere between phlegmatic and melancholic. He feels the need to complete great task and to do it step by step and by the book, often missing the forest for the tree. However, he can still be very creative. He’s very similar to Superman, only less bold, more humble and more of a side thinker. And while Clark pretends to be boring, Barry is the genuine article.

Green Arrow: This one is all about character. He’s sanguine like Hal, only with a shorter temper, savvier and more stubborn. He relies heavily on common sense and cynical observation to the point that he is perhaps the best judge of character in the League and, even though he’s about as old as the rest, he’s seen the “old devil” of the team. 

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and yet, he’s so stubbornly liberal that he became the most socially aware JLAer; he’s the guy that often keeps the rest grounded. To him, watching out for the little guy is way more important than defeating the bad guy and his teammates appreciate him for that. That being said, he can also be patronizing, flawed and a bit chauvinistic. The fact that he’s an idealist doesn't mean that his behavior is perfect as a person, especially when it comes to women.

Green Lantern: The guy is the epitome of the charming alpha male. He likes, he takes. He shoots, he scores; very good at saving the day, getting the girl and having a great time. However, like a good sanguine (and unlike Ralph), he is not that great on the long term. Hal can’t keep the girl and doesn't really climb the job ladder, even when he has all the opportunities there. He probably feels a bit undeserving under all that cockiness.

Hawkman: He is a tough alpha male; nerves of steel, sharp, to the point; never misses a thing and he is always talking with authority. He never backs away from his frame. His views are often the toughest of the team. He and his wife might walk around bare-naked, yet he is very conservative (Republican in fact), overprotective with women (at least one time with Black Canary and often with his wife) and he takes the most aggressive stands on punishments.

As serious as Katar is, the ones that get close to him like Hawkgirl, the Atom and Elongated Man, can get him to show his lighter side.  That being said, he can’t stand Ollie.

Superman:  I always say, when your father treats you as if you were Superman, you end up flying. This is literally the case with Clark. He comes from two great sets of parents, the first gave them his genetic characteristics and the double gift of life and the second raised him as an assertive man with great values. He might feel the weight of the World when it comes to do the right thing with his powers (especially in the last decades), but classically, he does good because he truly likes and believes in kindness, Midwestern, all-American kindness.

The big difference with Barry, is that he is not as pressured by guilt, and that, as Clark, he only pretends to be a square. When it comes to Lois, he barely minds her aggressive exterior; he can only look at her great fiery heart.

In general, he’s easy going and calm. Modern interpretations have him more introspective, early ones had him self-righteous and the ones from the silver age, had him more easy going and even more chivalrous, with a slightly geeky sense of fun.

Wonder Woman: She is like Athena or King Solomon: graceful, merciful, assertive, proper, respectful, wise, kind and as self-secure as the archetypal good monarch. Generally calm and nice, she has no trouble being aggressive and taking the bull by its horns when the situation requires it. I would say that she is the best leader a team can have (keep in mind that leadership rotated in the original JLA).

With so many attributes everybody is in love with her; yet, she has something that prevents most from hitting on her. At some points she has been attracted to the idealist Superman, and at least an interpretation has had her with a thing for the more magnetic Batman; however, the guy that gets her heart (Steve Trevor)  is a suave gentleman with the right cause.

Zatanna: She is a crowd pleaser, loves the attention and manages to get that with her charming personality. Since she was created, there has always been constant drama on her life, she is always missing something, which tells me that she is a bit codependent. She’s mostly sanguine, having fun and going with the flow; however, she also has some supine and melancholic characteristics. Between the lines, I have noticed some daddy issues in her persona.

Did you like the character profiles? Here are some more:

Know your Super Buddy!
Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire,  Ice, Sue, 
Maxwell and the rest of the late 80s gang!

Know your Bat-Villain! Part I - 
Probably the craziest supervillains in 
American comics, so it is a longer read.

Ralph Dibny, the World yadda, yadda blog on The Fire and Water Podcast

The Ralph Dibny, the World-Famous Elongated Man Blog (that's right, I talk about it in third person - how professional is that!?) was mentioned in the episode 7 of the FIRESTORM FAN and AQUAMAN SHRINE Podcast! , the talk show of Rob Kelly, from Aquaman Shrine, and The Irredeemabie Shag, from Once Upon a Geek and Firestorm Fan.

You can skip the bull and go straight to min 85:54, to hear the good bit about the coolest superhero blog. OK, I'm just kidding, the rest is even better. The first half is a review of Justice League of America #207 - 209, Crisis on Earth Prime, which is quite the event, featuring the JLA, the JSA, the All-Star Squadron, Per Degaton, the Crime Syndicate and even He-Man and the Masters of the Universe --Only He-man in a backup feature (got your eyes crossed, didn't I?). The second half is about blogs about DC Comics characters. They start with the blogs of, friend of this blog, Diabolu Frank, who is so productive, he's practically a human-franchise. Then, they go on with the rest of us, mortals. They made a crack about the lenght of my url, which kinda goes with the blog's topic, but yeah, I'm sure that a number of Ralph enthusiasts often think "sure, I'll see what's new with the Elongated Man Blog. Let's see, it was www.theworldfamous... no, www.theelongatedmanworld-famo-- no, www.ralphd-- meh, www.facebook.com!" The great thing is that fans of odd characters now have odd blogs to follow, where loons like myself are going to make sure they get the basics and any update. A cool thing about many of them is that they sometimes do crossovers, which makes them like a "league of bloggers about Justice Leaguers"; and the really cool thing is that this is the second time this blog is considered for one of those crossovers! Which practically mirrors the way the way the Elongated Man himself was invited to become part of the JLA:

*Green Lantern: Dude, you know who would be cool to have in the league?
*Superman (playing with a rubik's): Huh?
*GL: That stretchy dude who is always hanging out with the Flash.
*Superman: Oh, yeah, that Plastic Man guy.
*GL:  No, the other guy.
*Superman: ...
*GL: The ginger guy that just stretches... ?
*Superman (scratches his head looking at the Rubik): Jimmy?
*Batman (popping up out of nowhere): He means Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man.
*Superman (freaked out): Dude!--... Jes's...
*Batman: I'm Batman.
-Batman gives the Rubik's a couple of twists and solves it. Superman looks at him with a confussed expression on his face.
*Batman: I'm Batman.
*Superman (makes back off sign with his hand): ... wait, you mean that we should invite a guy that just stretches and has no secret identity? What, are we getting our members from a circus, now?
*GL: Well he was with a circus.
*Superman: Oh, brother.
*GL: No, but hear me out, he's actually an uncanny detective.
*Batman: Teamed up with him a couple of times. Prodigious detective, great improviser... And unlike most of us, he's easy going and no drama queen -- Yes, that's f**n' right, I'm looking at you, Carter.
-Hawkman storms out offended.
*GL (looks Hawkman storming out of the room and then turn to Superman): Yep, Lord knows we need normal people.
*Superman: It might be so, but without Diana--
*Batman (with daydreaming expression): Diana... <sight>
*GL: What a broad.
*Superman: Yeah... Anyway, without Diana, this is becoming a total sausage fest. So I'm going with Black Canary.
*GL: Booyah!
*Batman: Agreed, sausage fest sucks.
*GL: Maybe she'll convince Hawkman to put a shirt on. I'm sick of man nipples.
*Batman: Forget it, not even his wife can do that.
*GL: Is it me, or is Hawkman's costume kind of. What's the word?
*Superman: Drag?
*GL: Thank you. --Not that there's anything wrong with that (...) but we need some chicks around.

And that's how the Elongated Man's membership was delayed for another 30 issues.
Anyway, it's good to know that talented and hardcore bloggers consider this blog to be fun and relevant enough to participate in their crossovers. And when I say, talented I mean it; I admire the hell out of people who can produce and host radio or podcast shows. These guys can casually talk about some of my favorite topics for over an our and a half and make it really entertaining. Maybe that's a cultural thing, Anglo-Americans and English people tend to be really comfortable in front of broadcasting media. Latin Americans are shy even in front of recording machines. If I made a podcast, I'd sound like a Donald Duck with a Spanish accent.

Btw, another awesome thing about the Fire and Water Podcast is their soundtrack, a Remix of the classic Super Friends theme. Few remixes feel like a true homage to the original material (like the Knightrider one). I was almost a bit sad when it faded so that the show starts; however a very quick googling lead me to the author, Michael Kohler. The title of the remix is That Time Is Now, and  you can watch the video here:

For more of Bob and Shag's show, go to http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-and-water-podcast/id463855630 . Additionally Firestorm Fan features a number of audio interviews with Firestorm's key creatives, including Gerry Conway, Al Milgrom and John Ostrander among others. I have to say they are a very creative and resourceful couple of bloggers. So, go follow them. Now!

The best of the new 52

POLL: "The best of the new 52"
I have to say, personally, I find more uncomfortable changes about the DCnU than cool ones. However, I'm not going to get into that ranting now; instead, I'm going to recommend the best stories I read of the "new 52". Whether we like the DC reboot or not, some stories are good and some are bad. Here is my ranking of the best issues:

10. Justice League Dark
My rating: 8 of 10.

I'm not sure about the concept. It reminds me of those themed Justice League teams they made for a 2001 story. Having heroes with diverse backgrounds and powers is kind of the point of Justice League. Having said that, this story feels like it's going to be good, but like Aquaman #1 and most of the 52, this first issue doesn't stand alone. We do get to see more than two of the members gather (take that, Justice League #1!) and the introduction of an interesting threat that justifies a team like this, though.

9. Aquaman

My rating: 8 out of 10.
I can't believe it, but Geoff Johns did it once again. Aquaman #1 might have that fanfic aftertaste that characterizes its writer, long with the feeling that nothing happened; however, it feels really solid and it got my attention. This is the cool Aquaman portrayal I've been waiting for ages. He's not just some guy who talks with fishes, but a true superhuman king. I just wish he didn't have the bitter attitude. If it were a perfect world maybe he wouldn't be like the version from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but he would be a bit like Destruction (from the Endless).

8. Action Comics

My rating: 8.5 out of 10.
Grant Morrison is taking Superman back to the basics. The new Action Comics #1 echoes the original one of 1938, showing a Superman that makes no apologies to fight injustice and corruption and a Clark Kent that still has a lot of character to develop. In a role that echoes his cameo in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing #52 and 53, Lex Luthor is introduced as the idea man who helps the army to take down Superman. We also get the start of his envy of Superman. All in all, this issue didn't blew my mind, or showed something unseen before, bu it is definitively a nice setting for the rest of the series.

7. Superman

My rating: 8.5 out of 10
An old hallmark building is not demolished (never) but sold, changing the timeline can't possibly make white people black and I'm already tired of the drama that we're going to have between Lois and Clark before they move in together. With that being said, Superman #1 is a terrific issue. It completed an adventure, worked as a great story arc hook and introduced Clark Kent's world. The rest of the 52 rarely accomplished the three things. The story focuses on the new Daily Planet and its coverage of a fight between Superman and a strange alien; and while doing so, George Perez took the classic Superman supporting cast to the modern world.


6. O.M.A.C.

8.5 out of 10.
Keith Giffen and Dan DiDio rock! This book is pure Kirby fun. It mixes all previous versions of O.M.A.C., a bit of TVs Freakazoid! and some Hulk, which is probably why it feels like a Kirby power punch. This is the only book that truly stands on its own. Yes, it leaves a lot of unresolved issues, but it freaking feels like a complete story, something I didn't get from any of the other issues I've read so far. The story is basically about the mysterious O.M.A.C. hurricaning his way through Cadmus in order to get some secret files for Brother Eye. We learn that the blue hulk is Kevin Kho, a nerdy researcher for Cadmus who is dating his coworker, Jody Robbins. The rest is intelligently left as the mystery that will get us to buy the next issue.

5. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.



My rating: 8.5 out of 10
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 presents a world that is as much of a pastiche as the body of the main character itself. This campy cocktail includes classic and modern horror, battle, disaster, super spy fiction and super science; so, what's not to love? This issue we learn about the Super Human Advanced Defense Executive (S.H.A.D.E.), a really weird super government organization that manages a network of strange creatures (the Creature Commandos) who take care of super natural situations. Once the introduction is over (as simple as that sounds, a lot of the new 52 didn't get past that) this issue truly delivers the sensation that the survival of the World depends on the super bad-ass Frankenstein and his awesome team.

4. Wonder Woman

My rating: 9 out of 10.
I've waited so long for the Wonder Woman title to be great! The only reason this issue doesn't go higher in my rank is because it felt a tad short. The storytelling is solid, bold and interesting. Azzarello just made Wonder Woman rock by setting her in a very contemporary world that is still being manipulated by creepy and menacing supernatural forces from Greek mythology and by presenting her as a seasoned warrior that can defeat them. I know this had been done before, but this time you can't take the supernatural for granted. She's not a strong woman anymore, she's just strong, period. Strong compared to men, women or gods. You name it, this Wondie is going to kick its butt, so go buy it... Now, b*tch!
...Sorry, I got carried away.

3. Swamp Thing

My rating: 9 out of 10.
This issue makes it official for me: Scott Snyder is the king of horror and suspense, and the master of creepy introductions. Swamp Thing allows his macabre tales to finally go supernatural within the world of DC and, contrary to Batman #1, this time he skips the introductions to go straight to the first mystery of the series, which is masterfully presented. After resurrecting, a more cynical and pessimistic Alec Holland is dealing with his new life - a one day at a time sort of deal. He is not the ecologist he used to be. Meanwhile, the world is plagued by a really bizarre and eerie force that could give the Linda Blair a run for her money.

2. Animal Man

My rating: 9.5 out of 10.
Writer Jeff Lemire and artist Travel Foreman are people to watch. I applaud DC for picking this creative team. They are reinfusing DC line with the good old postmodernism that was lost when a number of properties became Vertigo territory in the mid 90s. Following the tradition established by Morrison with the original series, Animal Man #1 mixes elements of horror, suspense and action to present the life of Buddy Baker, a "regular" Joe that has to balance his everyday family issues with the hard and frequently surreal situations and dilemmas he faces as a superhero. Foreman plays with the format to take away the typical sense of balance we would get from conventional comic art.
In this issue, we learn that Buddy has reached fame as an environmental activist / actor / superhero, and that he is not quite sure about the career path he should take. He has not been very active as a superhero, but he goes on to save the day after hearing a report, anyway. However, in the process, he finds out that really strange things are going on with his powers and with his daughter, Maxine, who develops her own.

1. Batman

My rating: 9.5 out of 10.
Scott Snyder takes us for a full joy ride of the Batman universe. In a single issue he delivered a fight against most of Batman's rogues gallery, a couple of twists, a new situation, a mystery, and introduction to most of the supporting, a description of Gotham City and a the start of a new story arc. If the homework for the writers of the new 52 was to produce 52 comic book issues that introduce new readers to the DCnU and leave them hooked along with old readers, Snyder aced it with Batman #1.

Other readings that were decent or OK for me were:

• Stormwatch: 7.5 out of 10, your typical recruitment story with another otherworldly threat. However, I think it delivers and that its very well worth a shot.
• Demon Knights: 7.5 out of 10. The story was OK, but I thin Paul Cornell got most of his ideas from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In my mind I was hearing its music in my mind the whole time - maybe that's why Jason Blood (the bearer of the Demon) and Madame Xanadu didn't seem to use horses. The baby scene reminded me of this:
• Batgirl: 7 out of 10. I liked the new take. Barbara Gordon can once again start his career as a tap dancer. -- Wait!... I'm being told she used to be a superhero / librarian, not a tap dancer. So, just eliminate the mental image of the tap dancing ginger. Anyway, Gail Simone used DC's universal timeline alteration to imagine a compelling comeback for Barbara as Batgirl, complete with the challenge that victims from extremely violent crimes usually suffer. Perhaps this was what Alan Moore originally had in mind for her after making the Joker shoot her in The Killing Joke. 
• Justice League: 6.5 out of 10. Yes, wonderful art, great cinematic scenes, but this is barely more than a teaser, which doesn't really work for 22 pages. As an issue, it feels exactly like this:

         I think the South Park kids truly have the same reaction as most of te JL fans, though.

• Justice League International: 6.5 out of 10. When people read "Justice League International", they expect to see campy and maybe surreal superheroics with tons of great sitcom type of humor. However, since DC seems to have something against humor after 2004, this time we only get a bunch of talking bureaucrat heads and a generic superhero team. I trust Jurgens, so I wouldn't be surprised if it gets better, though.

For different reasons each, I strongly recommend avoiding Catwoman, Detective Comics, Red Hood and the Outlaws - since I don't like to rant in this blog, I won't bother you with the details.

One flaw that I bet DC didn't see coming was the number of mysterious threats that are happening at the same time: the Swamp Thing plague, the Aquaman creatures, the Frankenstein creatures, the Greek gods thing in Wonder Woman, whatever is going on in the Outlaws, the Justice League Dark things, the Stormwatch cosmic menace, etc. The theme was a bit more repetitive with the Dark line of comics. I hate huge crossovers, but would be a bit more credible under an overall event that is related to the Mayan Apocalypse of 2012.

In general, all the issues that I've read seem to follow a similar format. We get a general introduction to the main characters, their setting and to the story of a first arc, leaving in a cliffhanger. I find extremely disappointing that there seems to be no stand alone issues and that a lot of issues don't even finish with the introduction. A constant problem that I'm seeing, perhaps due to the influence of Brightest Day and Justice League: Generation Lost, is that a lot of issues are mere teasers in which little happens. I understand that they are thinking about the way they are going to look when they compile them as trades, but the single issue format demands that, whether it is part of a longer story or not, it has a three act structure (setup, confrontation, resolution) so that the readers get something out of it. Multiple part stories in a comic book shouldn't feel like a mere story that has been elongated and randomly split. Each issue should be an adventure, even if it's part of an arc. Take any trades of great series like Swamp Thing, Sandman or Animal Man  to see what I mean. I invite everybody to back to The Anatomy Lesson and see how it's done. As Stephen King described them in his introduction to Sandman: Worlds' End, these issues should be "installments in a longer, unified tale", "eggs in a single basket", not bits of an installment or "an egg".

POLL: "The best of the new 52"

Related articles:

• The Best of the New 52 - October 2011