DC - Please Continue Publishing Secret Six In Some Format

Hello, everyone. Yes, I know it's been quite some time since I blogged about Comics but life's been a bit crazy, to put it mildly. In any case, I hope you can all forgive me and go take a look at this petition I just created:

http://www.petitiononline.com/47748668/petition.html

I outline just how and why I think Secret Six has been an important, wonderful read - one of DC's best books on the stands. Please sign this petition and keep a great book alive.

Thanks in advance to those who sign!

Giving back to the man who gave us an Oracle

I'm not sure how many of you know the name John Ostrander. He, along with his wife, are responsible for - among many other things - Barbara Gordon being Oracle.

To quote Wikipedia and Gail Simone . . .

"Following the release of the graphic novel, comic book editor and writer Kim Yale discussed how distasteful she found the treatment of Barbara Gordon with her husband, fellow comic writer John Ostrander. Rather than allow the character to fall into obscurity, the two decided to revive her as a character living with a disability." - Wikipedia's entry on Barbara Gordon

"Kim Yale and John Ostrander picked up the character and made her into a brilliant master computer operator and one of the most fascinating characters in comics." - Gail Simone



And coming from Gail Simone, well, 'nuff said.

Also, he's the mind behind the classic comic book known as Suicide Squad. Deadshot and Amanda Waller wouldn't be running around the DCU being awesome (or at least awesomely morally ambiguous). Essentially? Without John Ostrander, we'd have had no Birds of Prey. No Checkmate. No Secret Six.



Hell, innumerable other additions to the DCU would be non-existent without his influence.

Tragically, the man who helped create and champion the world's first superheroine living proudly with a disability now needs your help. Thanks to Kevin Church, I've learned that Mr. Ostrander is currently losing his sight to glaucoma. One can only imagine how crippling this is for someone who works in the field of graphic novels. Luckily, you can help him keep his sight.

Look, guys, I know times are tough right now but it's the man who helped create Oracle and Amanda Waller. Hell, I'm having Ramen for dinner most of this week. That said, I still managed to at least throw a measly dollar his way today. Please, help out Mr. Ostrander with a donation, however small. Sorry to preach at you but it's just the right thing to do.

One last quote, this time from John Ostrander himself on Oracle:

". . . we knew that others with disabilities might look at her [Oracle] and feel good reading about her . . . These shouldn't be stories about a disabled person; they are stories about a compelling fascinating character who HAPPENS to be in a wheelchair and I think that's correct. Barbara isn't her handicap; there's more to her than that."

Not Dead, Just Thinking

So, first off, a quick but sincere apology to you, all my long-suffering followers. After my tech disaster, I had a pretty life-changing week that really made me stop and think about my priorities. I saw Obama live in person and it was pretty damn amazing. Made me stop and reconsider what I wanted to do with my life. I'm probably going to start blogging less and writing more, if that makes sense.

. . . none of which excuses the fact that I've been a terrible host and haven't written what I said I would write days/months ago. So, please forgive me and bear with me as I get that finally taken care of for you all this week.

In the meantime, there's quite a few good links for you to check out.

The Nerdy Bird needs your help to fly high and raise money to fight Muscular Dystrophy. Go forth and donate what you can.

4thLetter! has put up a heartbreaking post connected to Empowered, showing yet again that the series has more heart and more brains than half the damn mainstream stuff getting put out on the stands. My thanks to Kalinara for pointing the way.

Speaking of awesome links, My Bottomless Cup was kind enough to expound on this excellent post on Secret Six, which discusses some of the many reasons why I love this series so damn much. If you aren't reading Secret Six, you are currently suffering from an awesome deficiency.

There's quite a bit else going on in the comics blogosphere right now, not least of which is a huge kerfuffle over the implosion of Scans Daily. I could discuss my interactions with the community at length but I try to save the drama for my mama, as a general rule. On the other hand, Kevin Church - that cool blogger with a heart of brass - has had the huevos to kick the hornet's nest on his blog. Peter David, the author who was rather rudely told to "die in a fire" on Scans Daily, is also predictably not shedding any tears about this turn of events. Favorite writer of mine Gail Simone has a radically different and more positive view, while mad genius Warren Ellis predictably uses his fine, analytical mind to apply stark realism and basic facts to the situation. Absolutely none of which changes the fact, love them or hate them, they're just going to get the community up and running again in five minutes somewhere else (psst, it's already happened).

ETA: The inimitable MightyGodKing is also doling out the harshness to all involved on his blog, if you're in the mood to read some serious snark.

And what do I think about all of this? I'd like to live by the immortal words of Mr. T - "I don't start no trouble. I mind my own business." I've got enough on my mind as it is. Still, I'll just say that, while my heart is certainly in one camp more than the other, there are a lot of valid points on the table from people I respect on both sides of the issue. So there you go.



Phew!

Drama aside, how are all of you doing today?

Haiku Reviews for 02/07/09

Two out of the four books I got this week had men bleeding on their covers. I am clearly into GRIM and GRITTY. On a side note, I remain disappointed that I cannot find the first issues of Incognito and Farscape anywhere. I may have to go back to having a freakin' pull list. Sheesh.

ARRRR! SPOILERS, AHOY!
LIKE PIRATES ON THE HIGH SEAS!
I PREFER NINJAS.

Wonder Woman #28 - A
Gail Simone, Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan

Not fond of Tresser
But that Winged Armor spread
Was KICK-ASS. Plus, apes!

Astonishing X-Men 28 - B-
Warren Ellis, Simone Bianchi, Andrea Silvestri

Story delights but
Art is like Heavy Metal
With contrast broken.

Secret Six #6 - A+
Gail Simone, Nicola Scott, Doug Hazelwood

Shocks abound in this
But Deadshot's actions astound.
Say it ain't so, Floyd!

Daredevil #115 - B
Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark, Tonci Zonjic & Stefano Gaudiano, Matt Hollingsworth

Matt and Iron Fist!
Ninjas! Drunk Master Izo!
Still, pretty grim tale.

Return of Haiku Reviews!

So, yes, I've been pretty remiss in a lot of bloggy things, I know. Sorry. My "14 Comic Book Couples I Love" remains only 98% complete for nearly a year now, I have a part two of Excalibur Cocktails to complete (because The Red Monk called me out. Blogless tomato-growin' punk.) and Haiku Reviews haven't existed in a dog's age. Well, guess what? I'm gonna finish up my nerdy ode to Scott Summers and Emma Frost just in time for the next VD and, just like The Gargoyles, it's time for my abuse of Japanese poetry to LIVE AGAIN!*
*Dear Lord, I am a nerd.

There are SPOILERS here
Seventeen syllables worth
. . . so not that many.


Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1 - F
by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Dean White

Define "ludicrous" -
Osborn bossing around Doom?
My eyes, how they roll.

BONUS HAIKU:

Whedon and Ellis?
They can write Emma Frost well
Bendis? "Yeah, okay."

Ultimates Vol. 3 - F
by Jeph Loeb, Joe Madureira & Christian Lichtner

Around issue three
I realized this wasn't
Meant to be funny.

Incredible Hercules #124 - A
by Fred Van Lente & Greg Pak, Clayton Henry

Move aside, Ayn Rand -
"Atlas Got Rochambeaued"
Is way more awesome.

Secret Six #5 - A
by Gail Simone, Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood

Bane takes licks from bricks
While Tarantula high kicks
Last page reveal? Squicks.

Gobble Gobble Gobble

Yes, I know, my blogging has fallen by the wayside. Mea culpa. But of course, I have to at least stumble out of my hermit's cave long enough to wish all of y'all a Happy Turkey Day. Celebrate your Thanksgiving like a superhero - eat some turkey and try to catch the tiny man on the dinner table with your forks. The one who catches and eats him gets to make a wish!



See? It's tradition!

Anyhoo, here's a nerdy question - which comic book titles or recent developments in comics are you most thankful for?



Me, I'm thankful for Secret Six. Any book that demonstrates that wacky, nuanced character writing can survive mega-crossover after mega-crossover is something to be truly grateful for.


Oh, and The Sword! Because indie titles rock. I am deeply thankful for any non-Marvel and non-DC comics, really, just because they always surprise me, help keep the markets fun and don't force brain-destroying crossovers on us every summer. And along those lines . . .



Truthfully, I think I am most thankful that Yotsuba &! exists (Mind you, I think you should all go out and buy it instead of reading it online because, well, it's just awesome enough to deserve all your money - consider this link a tasty crack sample). Any story that makes you look at the world with a child's glee and enthusiasm for life is always worth celebrating. Not to mention the gentle innocence and kindness -


Er. Never mind.

And I'm thankful for you, my happy readers. Knowing I'm bringing a bit of comic book sunshine into the hearts of others always cheers me up. Hope your Turkey Day's a delight!

Oh, and I almost forgot - this BONUS VIDEO CONTENT summarizes what the beautiful holiday of Thanksgiving is all about:

Lookin' Wonderful

So, if you're interested, you can see the trailer for the new animated Wonder Woman DVD here. I liked it but that last line caused a bit of a disconnect. WTF? I mean, on Paradise Island, I thought that "hitting a lady" - i.e. Amazonian combat training and friendly scrapping - would be #2 on the number things done daily.
With #1 being the daily worship of the Goddesses of the Greek Pantheon, of course. What were you thinking was #1? Perverts.

In any case, I'm sure it's just one line taken out of context and therefore no reason to freak out and slam the film. Unlike some fans out there, I am actually capable of not overreacting hysterically to something like one line of dialogue in a minute long preview. Plus, I hear that Gail Simone herself wrote the script and in Gail we trust. Anybody else giddy about the new Secret Six series coming out? I'm gonna miss Knockout and Scandal's relationship - I just got used to and liked the "Klingon-y" version of Knockout, instead of the double-entendre spewing version from early Superboy issues, when they went and killed her off for a crap crossover - but I'm very hopeful that the "A-list BatVillain" in the upcoming series will be Catwoman. A Simone-Catwoman with Catman would be pretty damn interesting, no?

But hey! Back to the subject at hand. Check out this awesome as all hell featurette featuring Keri Russel, Nathan Fillion and Rosario Dawson (aw, Waitress reunion!):



If that doesn't pacify any worries, I don't know what will. I think this looks excessively kick-ass and I LOVE that explanation of the star-spangled bustier.

Your thoughts, gang?