#i think he came up on a daily mix that was like etta james and ella fitzgerald etc etc billie holiday etc etc

[girl001]

saw someone elses and had to look at my own

[renaroo]

Wednesday Roundup 11.7.2017

It’s DC week, fellow comic fans! and believe it or not, it was not planned. These things just… happen about once a month. It’s always a surprise to me, too, it’s weird.

Now there’s a lot of good comics out today but I do want to just take the time here to thank DC for memorializing two men I feel never got enough credit from the company for their vast contributions toward DC and its properties, those being the 100th birthday of Jack Kirby, and the passing of Adam West. I wish that more had been done during their lives to credit them the way they deserved rather than for DC to have spent the better part of the past forty years trying desperately to undermine those contributions, but it feels good knowing that the current atmosphere at the company is one of more gratefulness toward these men and what they meant for DC. And seeing the tributes toward them in all of my issues this week made me pretty emotional. I hope more and more exposure to these men’s legacies helps more fans look them up and expose themselves to how great their work was.

That all out of the way, let’s just get right into the comics this week.

DC’s Detective Comics, DC’s Gotham Academy: Second Semester, DC’s Superwoman, DC’s Titans, DC’s Wonder Woman

DC’s Detective Comics (2016-present) #960 James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez, Brad Anderson

I have to take a star from this comic’s official score because it had an opportunity of Cass without ever delivering on the Cass, and as we all know from this blog that is considered an inconceivable sin. 

One of the reasons I’ve always been attracted to comics as a medium is because part of the fun of them is that you have this weird almost constant shift back and forth from what one creator considers canon to what another doesn’t, so I can say sentences like “I appreciate that this issue retconned back in the retcon that Bruce and Zatanna had a long history growing up together in the retcon that was brought about by the non-continuity animated series that was inspired by a writer’s love for their relationship back in the Bronze Age comics.”

And if you’re in the Know you understand that this is actually something that makes total sense. And if you don’t... hell, I have no idea. It’s been so long since I was ever a layperson in comic book terms that I can’t even accurately tell you whether or not Zatanna is a character known by non-comic fans or not. 

In any case I appreciate this issue a lot as a Zatanna fan because I’ve felt like, since the 2011 reboot and Zee’s reintroduction through Justice League Dark (which I was pretty famously not a fan of) there’s been a weird need to have Bruce and Zatanna more separate from each other and make Zee in particular younger and more... I don’t know. It’s been a weird couple of years for Zatanna fans, honestly.

I loved Kate and Luke throughout this comic, they both had a great chemistry with each other and I appreciate that we’re getting more different combinations of various members of the Belfry to sort of flesh out character and, more importantly, provide insight to how they work as a team from multiple angles. 

Just wish they’d give me more of Cass from this angle since the Belfry was originally designed to train younger members and she’s the only youth left c’mon.

Jean Paul’s stuff... I’ll have to wait for the story to wrap up fully because I have conflicted Catholic feelings and usually, for me, it’s just better to let that play out as it may. 

DC’s Gotham Academy: Second Semester (2016-2017) #11 Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan, Karl Kerschl, Adam Archer, Sandra Hope, MASSYK

The relationship between Maps and Olive is truly the driving force of this series, so it is extremely fitting in a way that the driving force behind the plot to its ultimate story, and really its ultimate resolution, is challenging the foundations of that friendship to begin with.

Everything is coming together slowly but surely, and it’s interesting that Maps gets to live her dream -- to be Robin, a hero, and put on the mask -- but only really by confronting her own biases and misconceptions of her best friend and what mental illness really means for the situation they find themselves in. 

I love that Maps is allowed to be flawed and figure this out on her own -- she’s only a child, after all, while the world around her and the voices of reason from all the other children and adults constantly reminds her and us that these are not okay prejudices to have, and that her only way to save everything she’s shown to love in Gotham Academy will rely on her learning that. 

I remember two years ago when I was giving some pretty harsh criticisms of Batman and Robin Eternal and it’s pretty epically bad handling of disabilities and people were attempting to defend it with the idea that they were a bunch of teenagers being thoughtless, but issues like this -- really, series like this -- proves how these things should be done. It’s real to life without losing sight of the morally correct position.

I’m missing this series and the unique voice it provides to the DC Universe already.

DC’s Superwoman (2016-present) #12 K. Perkins, Stephen Segovia, Art Thibert, HI-FI

Remember how I used to be very very concerned about whether or not this comic was going to find its stride at the end of the day? Well, consider the concern taken care of because this issue absolutely helped me fee like Perkins knows exactly what Superwoman is doing and how to get us all there because this was tight, it was dramatic, and it was absolutely emotionally worthwhile the whole way through.

I love that the tension of this relationship and the tension of Lana never truly feeling as though she’s found her place even in a family she loves and respects as much as the Irons family comes through without necessitating that anyone is really the bad guy.

They are in a difficult situation involving loss, complicated dynamics, and just a general sense of losing touch with each other after the first arc really made them question how reliable each other’s abilities are. Especially Lana’s.

And I love that Nat can continue to be the good voice of reason and that the relationships between women overall are the most solid and most positive in the comic. Especially women in STEM positions.

I just loved this issue though I’m really hoping we get more Traci 13 sooner rather than later and that she and Nat’s relationship continues to bloom.

DC’s Titans (2016-present) #13 Dan Abnett, V. Ken Marion, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dalhouse

While I wouldn’t exactly consider Abnett’s Titans a leading and daring change in the industry or anything, I’m kind of sad that we don’t see more of the Rebirth titles at DC attempting to do the very thing that has been so masterfully managed in the Titans comic. There’s this comfortable merger between what history of these characters and relationships we know and love from their extensive pasts with an honestly much needed upgrade and change up in the exact team components and their personal lives.

And yes I could totally do without stupid love triangles we’ve seen before on a team that’s had them for arguably far longer than can be excused, especially when it comes at the expense of either the very important plot of a black woman’s identity and growth or the interesting subplot being brought to the forefront of a traitor in the midst. But I feel, at least for this issue, that it’s not nearly as terrible as it could have been. Especially since most of the issue and its narration was handled through Wally’s perspective and he didn’t seem all that focused on his supposed romance with Donna.

I think it’s telling that in a few issues with far less focus, Lilith and Garth’s budding feelings for each other feels far more organic and interesting than what’s going on with the Obvious Breeding Pairs.

I also love how Dick is characterized in this series. It’s very much the Dick Grayson I remember and love and would like to see it in more current comics’ writing.

DC’s Wonder Woman (2016-present) #26 Shea Fontana, Mirka Andolfo, Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Anticipating this new run of Wonder Woman has had me both excited and utterly terrified all at once, but the thing that has concerned me the most is that we would be met with a run of Wonder Woman that would seemingly undo all the good will that was built up over the course of Greg Rucka’s amazing recent run. I was worried about the Amazons, I was worried about how Diana’s supporting cast would be adjusted, I was worried about her history, about her villains, about the freaking Bechdel Test of all things. I was just, like, a bottle full of worry until this issue came out.

And it came out and it… seems okay!

I know that doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement but please believe me when I assure you that it is. I mean, the amount of hugs that are in this comic alone are deserving of remark. And I love that we’re diving right into the political statements with opening a brand new run with the defiant and important image of Diana defending Muslim refugees in a Greek camp. Like oh my gosh this is exactly the kind of empowerment and political statements we need from a Wonder Woman in the world right now.

I love that we’re going to concentrate more on Diana’s occupation outside of being Wonder Woman, getting to meet more of the military group she works with and seeing her interact with Etta even more than she does with Steve. And having Steve saving refugees alongside Diana! Diana dealing with her past! Diana struggling to put into words the things she sees on a daily basis! This is all good, humanizing stuff. And while I’m not the biggest fan of the art style, it does a good job of keeping the characters true to form and I love that Diana is still tall and towering over everyone.

I’m optimistic about this run and am hooping for the best to follow.  

So. There’s not really a clear victor here in my eyes this week. There’s just a lot of flavors of ice cream mixed together and I’m kinda overwhelmed because my go-to flavor to pick is chocolate and there’s not really a chocolate so it’s basically left to me tallying up nonsense points in my head arbitrarily and then playing a very festive game of eeny menny miny toe. but that didn’t seem scientific enough so I picked Superwoman. It felt like it moved the plot forward the most without being utterly weighed down by being either the new start of a storyline or the issue right before a big finale. It felt like a lot happened and yet it gave me a lot to look forward to. And also I think the art for it and Detective Comics were by far the most consistently good.

In any case that’s just my pick of the week and as you can probably tell I’m not entirely committed to the method by which I chose! So I’m curious to hear some other people’s opinions. Agree with me? Disagree? Think I should pick up something else this week that I missed? I’d love to hear from you.

Now, I’m going to take a moment to also ask something a little strange for those who maybe have been following me for a while. I’m a laboratory technician by day and a comic reviewer and aspiring writer/artist by night. And as a result, the pinch for creating content of any sort — but especially for these personal projects in regards to eventually building the time + materials for producing my own comic including being able to hire a line artist and colorist (who I already have in mind and a verbal agreement with), I will need additional funds to keep things up. I plan on keeping people tuned in as we build closer to more announcements, but I want to start the ball rolling now. So if you’re interested in my opinions on comics and would be interested in supporting what would come of me taking the opportunity to be behind the helm, please help me out by contributing to my Patreon! I’m still figuring out the kinks but I’m hoping that with some of your help I’ll be up and running sooner than expected!

Please become my patron on patreon for more alliterative begging like this!

[djrelentless]

Martin Luther King Day 2015

(Selma, Ferguson, Staten Island and Other Destinations)

January 14, 2015 at 6:46am

It took me a couple of days to ponder what I was going to write in this blog. Being a gay black man married to a gay white Canadian man watching the film, Selma in a Toronto theatre on one of the coldest days of 2015 (so far), I cried a little for all the people who fought and died for me to have the right to be who I am today.

To say that Selma is required viewing is an understatement. It's phenomenal that in major cities across the United States businesspeople came together to ensure 7th, 8th & 9th graders to see the film for free. I recall back in 2006 when 50 Cent was quoted as saying that Oprah's demographic was little ol' white women and how that must have really affected her. She buried the hatchet with him in 2012, but has really put her money where her mouth is. Since his comment, Oprah introduced the common American to Barrack Obama. She's produced important films like The Butler and now Selma.

It's strange to me that so many black people and award shows (as far as giving her an award goes) dislike Oprah. It almost seems like if her name is attached to a project that theOscars automatically disqualify her efforts. I hope and pray this is not the case this year. Perhaps they are upset with her because she left daytime TV. But she has definitely made a huge impact on American Culture in general. I love that she is doing her part to ensure our history is preserved and shared.

When I think about the history lessons that Public Enemy rapped about in the 80s and how dumbed down the rap game is today, I cry. It saddens me because I don't think that this is where we as black people (especially African Americans) should be. This obsession with The Housewives of Atlanta and World Star Hip Hop is such a distraction from Dr. King's dream. I mean….wouldn't you prefer to watch NeNe & Kenya fighting at a dinner party than understand how our civil rights leaders of the 60s had to walk the fine line that Obama has to walk on a daily basis? (Yes, that was sarcasm).

The entire time I was watching the film I couldn't help but see the parallels between the police brutality of yesteryear and today. Watching the police kill Jimmie Lee Jackson echoed the shooting of Michael Brown or the chokehold of Eric Garner. The more things change the more they stay the same. But do things have to stay the same? The main point of this march in Selma was the right to vote, but statistics say that most African-Americans don't. Did all those people fight and die for today's black young voters to ignore their right to vote? Did all these people of different races and faiths come together for club promoters to useMartin Luther King Day Weekend for twerk contests?

Back when MLK Weekend came up and I was part of the Tea Dance from 1998-2010, theSunbeam Sundays team at Escuelita in New York City, we would hold contests to see who could actually recite the "I Have A Dream" speech. We focused on Black History in our trivia. But I think all that has been lost and forgotten. Today's club-goers could care less about the history of their culture. And because much of today's Hip Hop Culture is not engaged in Black History perhaps that's why there are so many British black actors playing African-Americans in these historical pics. I guess that's what seemed weird to me as an African-American watching this film in Canada (where MLK Day is not observed in any official capacity). My husband and I noticed that the theatre was not packed and didn't have very many black people in it. Probably because the black community here in Toronto are mainly from the Caribbean and feel that this is American history and not theirs. Interesting that the film starts with Dr. King in another country about to receive his Nobel Peace Prize, but his legacy is not celebrated around the world. I find it ironic because the racism that still exists today seeps across the border in many different forms.

I loved Selma! Every detail was exquisite. Probably the only detail that I questioned was a scene where Martin is changing a garbage bag in the kitchen and Coretta handed him a clear plastic trash bag. As far as the casting…..David Oyelowo was Martin Luther King! And Carmen Ejogo embodied Coretta Scott King. Tim Roth had me convinced as George Wallace……all British actors. I hope that David and Carmen both get best actor and actress nominations. I felt happy for Common and John Legend as they won best song at The Golden Globes.

http://youtu.be/ZzbKaDPMoDU

When my husband and I sat down there was a very chatty white couple who sat behind us. I have never understood in situations where the place is not crowded why people will come and sit right next to another couple or group (including waiters and hostesses who seat guests right next to your table). I was worried that they were going to talk through the entire film. But from that opening explosion of the four girls who were killed in their church, you could hear a pin drop throughout the theatre. Quite a difference from watching a movie in the states (no matter what it is…still having nightmare of the white girl masturbating her boyfriend during Oprah's "Beloved" back in the 90s).

Another thing that occurred to me was my joy that we now have all these historical films likeSelma, The Butler, 12 Years A Slave, Get On Up, Ray, Bamboozled and Malcolm X. Remembering a time when there was the us and them films when blacks were not allowed in mainstream films and marveling over daring films like Pinky and Imitation Of Life that took chances by presenting black characters in major roles. And I'd like to applaud Steven Spielberg for making The Color Purple before embarking on Schindler's List. And another remarkable thing about Selma is that it actually had some of the real people who were actually there on that day of the march. One in particular was Amelia Boynton Robinson(played in the movie by Lorraine Toussaint who reminds me of Macy Gray for some reason) who was born on August 18th, 1911. Imagine all the things she has seen in her lifetime. All the news of Civil Rights to our first Black President……what an amazing journey to call a life. Unfortunately she was unable to attend the Hollywood premiere, so they brought the film to her and held a special screening just for her. I love the fact that there are still people here who lived our history. In this youth obsessed culture that exist today, nothing compares to the wisdom and experience of someone who was there. We should honor all of our elders.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/us/selma-civil-rights-matriarch/

The other thing that occurred to me that the release of this film is perfect. We need this film more than ever after the turn of events of last year. So many of our black youth clashing with the police in the states. It almost seemed like it was hunting season….all because of the hatred of the fact that a black man was elected into the biggest office in America. And unfortunately it is not over. It won't even be over when he leaves office because the bar has been set very high. The parallels between the Obamas and the Kings are so apparent throughout the film. The elegance and resilience of Coretta and Michelle makes me happy and sad at the same time. I remember when Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee died. Both marched with Dr. King and were activist for Civil Rights. That African-American royalty seemed to have lost its shimmer when they passed. Who would replace them? They, theKings and the Obamas were like the Kennedy(s) to Black Culture. Who are the people who replace these historical couples? I would say Beyonce and Jay Z would be in line, but her music videos and the video of him slapping some African woman on YouTube might hold them back. If you let Harry Belfonte tell it…..they don't do enough for the Black Community, but I see the work they do behind the scenes. Slowly they are investing in the future of Black Culture. Top 5 (the movie), Fela (the Broadway Musical) and giving Christmas gifts to all the kids in The Marcy Projects where he grew up……Jay Z gives back. And say what you will about Beyonce, she handles all of her business with grace and I did enjoy her remake of "Carmen" and her in "Dreamgirls" and her as Etta James in "Cadilac Records". You won't find any videos or tweets of her dissing anyone. So, I guess they are the closest to black royalty in Hip Hop America at the moment.

I hope that everyone goes out to see Selma. It's probably one of the most important films of the past five years. I would say it and 12 Years A Slave are required viewing to get a true grip around what the racial divide is all about in the U.S. today. I don't believe any racist could watch either and not leave with a different perspective of what it is like for the African-American. Shirley Bassey once sang "It's just a little bit of history repeating" and no truer words ever passed anyone's lips.

Here's my MLK Weekend Mix: http://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny/martin-luther-king-weekend-mix-2015