Phoning It In

This is what happens when you let Cliff Chiang design a costume instead of Jim Lee. That is a good look. 

(via dcwomenkickingass)

OH GOD PUT THIS ON MY TV NOW

Cover to Worlds’ Finest #1 by George Perez

You know I’ve been looking at this, and while I have no great love to Power Girl’s boob-window costume I’m not really feeling this new design. It took me a good few glances before I even realized those yellow “triangles” on her cape’s collar are there to make the suggestion of a “P” for Power Girl. Then I get to the downright jankiness of the image itself. Just look at her head, it’s pretty obviously pasted on and it’s just a tad too out of proportion with the rest of her body. It’s enough that it almost blends in but then falls into the proportional uncanny valley and sets me on edge. I guarantee if you go to Perez’s original pencils for this, she’s in her old costume and this one had to be slapped over it late in the process and it suffers because of that. The heavy black line that surrounds the costume pops it out from the rest of the image and again does nothing but unfavorably draw attention to it. Also, those armbands smack of the designers thinking “Oh shit, this is New DC so I need to slap some armor on here somewhere!” 

I understand where DC is coming from with this, I really do. They got hit over the head, both fairly and unfairly with sexism complaints at the announcement of the New 52 and they want to head some of that off with this “Second Wave” by ridding themselves of PG’s boob window which has gotten its share of complaints. However, like it or not, that design was iconic and by pasting something this slapdash over it you only draw more unfavorable notice to it. 

XOMBI

Written by JOHN ROZUM; Art by FRAZER IRVING and SCOTT HAMPTON; Cover by FRAZER IRVING

As an undying Xombi, David Kim watches the world burn while humanity grows increasingly isolated. What would a Xombi do just to feel change again? And where will he ever be able to find a kindred soul? Find out in this title collecting XOMBI #1-6 and BRAVE AND THE BOLD #26, featuring a team-up with The Spectre.

Hey guys, this TPB is out on Wednesday and it is seriously one of the top 3 comics that came out last year and if you go and buy it I will be your friend for at least 8 hours straight at a date of our mutual choosing. 

Of course when Jim Gordon goes on vacation he runs into a kid who thinks Batman is his dad. He also runs into…murder. 

From Batman: A Room Full of Strangers by Scott Morse. 

Preview of Aardman Animation’s Batman short for the upcoming DC Nation programming bloc on Cartoon Network and it is gosh darn adorable.

Cully Hamner’s designs for New 52 Hal Jordan. Really wish he was drawing a book in the relaunch. 

The Let’s Be Friends Again dudes helpfully explain Donna Troy’s history over at Comics Alliance. And of course they have to talk about this guy. 

Was flipping though The Golden Age of DC Comics/365 Days and landed on the source for today’s DC/365. Those dudes are doing great work. 

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE LOSERS VOL. 1 TP

Written by ROBERT KANIGHER • Art by RUSS HEATH, ROSS ANDRU, MIKE ESPOSITO, KEN BARR and JOHN SEVERIN • Cover by JOE KUBERT

On sale MARCH 21 • 432 pg, B&W, $19.99 US

Collected from G.I. COMBAT #138 and OUR FIGHTING FORCES #123- 150, Captain Johnny Cloud, Captain Storm, Gunner Mackey and Sarge Clay – team up as The Losers. Even though these heroes always won in the end, they had to do everything the hard way!

I love these Showcase/essentials collections, but man, I have so many unread ones lying around that the kids have built a little fort out of them. I would really like to see Marvel & DC offering these collections digitally (in color) for the same price-point. I would eat those things up (and they would stop eating up my precious shelf-space).