#my younger superman-obsessed self is screaming

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of DC: Week of September 18th, 2019

Best of this Week: Year of the Villain: Lex Luthor #1 - Jason Latour, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Tomeu Morey and Tom Napolitano

Doom is Here.

Lex Luthor has gone through an amazing transformation over the last few years. He was just a rich douchebag when the New 52 started and this eventually led to him becoming a hero in his own right, even taking up the mantle of Superman after Clark died during DCYou’s Superman: Truth arc. When the status quo needed resetting after the League destroys the Source Wall and Luthor was called to join a large group of heroes and villains to stop a new threat to the universe. He saw the error of his heroic ways and embraced Doom after seeing just how powerful entropy could be.

Everything he’s been planning has been leading up to Year of the Villain and things are in full swing with the bad guys finally having the edge, but there’s just something that Luthor can’t satisfy yet: His own urge to be the ONE Luthor. His ultimate belief that he himself is the pinnacle of the multiversal Luthors and this book sets out to prove him right in a variety of ways.

Starting out on Earth-38, a universe reminiscent of the 1960s Superboy comics, Lex recruits the aid of Alexander Luthor, a younger version of himself that still rocks the ginger bowl cut and genius of his future self. Lex likely sees the malleability of this Young Luthor and sees just how similar their upbringings were ad hopes that this child can see the pending darkness and failures that other Luthors have succumbed to. Lionel Luthor is drunk and hears it all, insisting that Lex take him instead, but the Apex Predator incinerates him as Alexander looks on with nonchalance. 

Bryan Hitch might be in his finest form in years right now. Somehow, he manages to make a middle school science fair eerie and uncomfortable and make a bowl cut mildly threatening. Tomeu Morey’s coloring of these first pages paints a picture of the perfect suburban setting with darkness just sitting underneath and curiosity from the Young Luthor, the same glint in his eyes.

The next two Earths play in parallel to each other as opposite futures. Earth-45 is a desiccated world where brands brought the world to its knees along with a Doomsday Luthor that squandered the world and destroyed it. Earth-32 seems to be a world of peace where a Martian Kal-El and Lex Luthor coexist as best friends in the Superman and Batman roles.

Luthor has a special hate for this Lex as he’s chosen to live in the shadow of the alien and sicks the Doomthor on Kal-El, thinking that Bat Lex will abandon his fight with Apex Lex to save him, but a Luthor is still a Luthor and he calls Apex Lex’s bluff, but he’s seen all that he has to. He knows that Bat Lex is absolutely Doomed because of his heroic nature and chooses to let him suffer on an Earth that will absolutely be killed by Doomthor.

Luthors hate for both of these other versions is palpable though. Lex has made body modifications for power before, but never once has he allowed himself to become a mindless brute because of it. He doesn't want to see society utterly destroyed like Earth-45 Luthor did. Even his transformation into the peak form of what a Human-Martian hybrid should be is more enlightening than dangerous.

He very likely also sees Earth-32 Luthor as one of the bigger multiversal insults. Lex Luthor stands in no one's shadow and seeing him become a creature of the night, the Batman to a Martian Superman, is low. It also echoes back to the years when all he got was guff from the Superhero community and the American populace at large by portraying himself as a hero. It's the opposite of his current goal of absolute Doom in that this peddling the false hope of Justice.

Doomthor is revealed in his full form during the Earth-32 scenes and he looks amazing. Bryan Hitch draws him like a bald Doomsday, but has the LexCorp logo adorning his chest. He's an absolute unit of grey and white, muscles pulsating, arm cocked back ready to take Kal-El's head off and face so full of rage. Of all of the alternate Doomsdays we've seen, I think this might be my favorite.

Lex travels to Earth-1 to a future that I certainly hope we see published one day because I absolutely love the Earth-1 stories. This segment begins with who I believe to be Perry White telling an unknown individual of the day when Lex absolutely broke the Superman of that world using the Black Mercy parasite. While the Lex of Earth-1 died after being caught in a fight between Superman and Zod, I suppose as with most other things, DC is choosing to retcon and ignore a past story in favor of this excellent story instead. Lex finds Earth-1 Lex in a hospital bed, likely in a coma and angril screams at him for being made so small, asking how his obsession with Superman is worthy of the name Luthor… but then Apex Lex takes a moment and thinks. 

He sees the ultimate Doom that this will lead to. This world, without its great symbol of Hope and Justice, will crumble as it is already a darker reflection of the Prime universe. Bryan Hitch draws Apex Lex’s face with a heated rage contrasted by Morey’s use of muted colors in the room, the sterilized feeling of it all. He grasps the Comatose Lex’s head, preparing snap his neck, but then he relents with stunned silence. Hitch captures this moment with solemn beauty and revelation for what Lex will really have to do to achieve Doom. The Comatose Lex just lies there, smiling. He’s absolutely pleased with himself and finds himself living up to the Luthor name.

After Luthor travels to Earth-50 and likely kills the Luthor of that world, in front of a statue of him replacing the Lincoln Memorial, he has a conversation with Alexander. Alexander asks “why don't we just kill all of the Luthors when they're babies” to which Apex Lex answers, “There is no ‘we’ only Luthor.” To me this sounds like Lex could do exactly that, but at the same time, he has to teach Alexander how exactly to be Luthor by seeing all of the mistakes that others have made in the name. By showing him alternate realities, pasts and futures, Alexander can see every possible path there is for him to take and sidestep their particular hurdles to realize his destiny.

The two Luthors meet three more over the course of their adventures, one who became a cobbler and another from the age of Merlin who became a Wizard, two drastically different paths, but neither good enough of the name of Luthor. The final is the one that intrigues me the most, however.

The final Lex appears to be the absolute opposite to Apex Lex. The Luthor who gave up his ambition, his visions of grandeur and embraced the down to Earth nature of his humanity (and a good ginger beard). Through drinking tea mixed with pieces of the Blak Mercy himself, he has lived multiple lives and experienced multiple realities and has seen the many paths just as Apex Lex and Alexander are doing now. The difference is that Bearded Lex sees through Apex Lex, he knows that his hubris and need to be the one and only Lex Luthor is why he’s willing to give up his humanity despite knowing that he will never be. He is but one of many. 

This is illustrated excellently through Hitch and Morey portraying Lex in many of the positions of other heroes like Shazam, The Flash, Orion and even as Brainiac himself among others. Morey makes these colors slightly more sepia toned to illustrate that they are potential pasts and futures to give a lived in feel. There’s also no way for Lex to ever be the one true Lex at all and every attempt is just another way to fool himself.

Hearing enough, Alexander killed Bearded Lex, gaining the respect of Apex Lex and finally becoming Luthor...only afterwards, it is revealed that at some point, Alexander was given the Black Mercy plant and acts as back up human DNA for Lex, likely for when his own status quo needs to be reset if his path towards Doom is also the wrong path. Despite the lessons that he was trying to teach, Lex still has an ace up his sleeve, he still has some of his humanity and he knows that no matter what happens, he will remain the one true Lex Luthor.

Of all of the Year of the Villain spotlights, this one is my absolute Favorite. It might just be things that put Luthor in the forefront in general, but there’s just something so great about his new form of evil. He wants to see the utter ruination of good and he’s actually making headway and earning from his past and future mistakes before he can even make these decisions. It peels back the layers of all the men that Lex Luthor could have been and shows us just why Apex Lex is the best version of all of them, because his plans have succeeded without him being subservient, comatose or a mindless beast.

Lex Luthor is here for Doom and I am on board for it.

[jessielightyear]

Hopes, Dreams, and Future Schemes: Chapter Two

Read Chapter One here, read this story on Ao3 here. 

Diana had slowly faded out, but Meg was flickering in and out of existence. Some moments she was there entirely, others she was completely transparent. Rex scooped her into his arms, carrying her over to an examination table and laying here there. Meg was squirming and groaning. The pregnant belly that once would have prevented this movement was gone. While Rex carried her, Bruce got a first aid kit from under the computer desk and limped to her side. Rex moved toward her head, holding her down at her shoulders while Bruce brought a stethoscope to her heart.

           “What do you think?” Static asked. Bruce pulled the stethoscope away from her chest.

           “I don’t know!” Bruce snapped at Static. “There’s no… I have no idea what this could mean for her. She may be fine or she may disappear in the next few minutes. It’s hard to say right now.”

           “Dad, Dad please come back! Rex, where are you?” She screamed thrashing around. “Dad! Rex! No please, don’t” Rex pushed down more firmly, but still trying not to hurt her. Bruce ran his hand though her hair, trying to help calm her down.

           “What’s going on?” John asked. He and Batman were standing a few feet away, trying to stay out of the way.

           “Her entire past is being rewritten, right down to her genetic structure.” Terry answered as he ran down the hallway off the side of the office.

          “Why?” John asked.

           “Her mother was just erased from history. At any second now she could completely disappear.” Static said. Batman turned to watch the League move around her.

           “Her mother?”  He asked. Static nodded.

           “Diana is, was her mother. Tenses are weird.”

           “And her father?” John asked. Static turned toward the table where Bruce was kneeling next to her. It seemed like he’d completely forgotten about his bad knee as he held her hand. John smirked and gave Batman an ‘I told you so’ look.

           “We’ve got a problem. I can’t find any of her things.” Terry said. “At least, none of the stuff Diana gave her.”

           “None of it?” Bruce asked.

           “The blanket, the pillows, even the pictures are gone. If she doesn’t snap out of this soon, she’s going to disappear.”

           “How can she stop it? Her mother doesn’t exist anymore.” John asked.

           “Time’s fluid, remember? She hasn’t disappeared yet so if she fights hard enough, she just might force herself back into the timeline.” Bruce said turned back to the girl. She’d gone quiet, still squirming but now only whimpering instead of screaming. Rex had let go of her shoulders, and was now standing on one side of the table holding her hand. Bruce still hadn’t moved from his kneeling position. “Come on princess” He whispered, pushing her hair off her face. Terry brought a chair over to the table, giving Bruce a place to sit, then squeezed Bruce’s shoulder.

           “She’s going to be alright, she’s always been a fighter.” Terry said.

           “We need to find Chronos.” Bruce said.

           “How? He could be anywhere.” Static asked. Batman turned and walked toward the exit.

           “It’s not going to work. You don’t know your way around here. A lot of things have changed.” Terry warned him.

           “Are criminals still superstitious and cowardly?” Batman asked.

           “Yes.” His older self answered, without turning around.

           “Good enough for me” and with that Batman left

            He leapt across the buildings, patrolling. It wasn’t his Gotham, but it was a Gotham and that was good enough for him. He sat on a random rooftop thinking about everything he’d seen today. Seeing himself, the older him, kneel over this girl, this girl who he clearly loved so much… and both he and the other him had reacted when Diana disappeared. He hadn’t reacted to anyone like that since Tim’s encounter with Joker. A crackle over the comms link in his ear brought him out of his thoughts.

           “Strange isn’t it?”

           “How’d you get in here?”

           “I’m you, remember.” A silence fell between the two men before the younger Batman broke it.

           “What’s strange?”

           “How quickly you get attached to her.”

           “Are you talking about Diana or Meg?”

           “Does it matter?”

           “One of them is my teammate; the other is a girl from the future who might be my daughter. I’d say it matters.” Bruce chuckled.

           “You know when we brought her home I was terrified. It didn’t make sense, I’d held infants before and taken care of children before, but she was different. She was both terrifyingly strong and tiny.”

           “Why are you telling me this?”

           “Because you’re miserable right now”

           “So are you”

           “Actually, I’m not… as much. She’s awake now.”

           “Congratulations”

           “She wants to talk to you.”

           “I don’t-” But it seemed he had no choice.

           “Bruce” She said over the com link. “Don’t be scared.”

           “Scared of what?” She scoffed.

           “I might be your child, but I’m not a child. We both know what you’re scared of.”            “You don’t know me.”

           “True, I don’t know you…. the Bruce Wayne I know is disguised as Batman and you’re a Batman disguised as Bruce Wayne. You’re not my dad, not yet. Not till you accept that you love… that you love…” She started gasping again and could barely make out here words.

           “What’s going on?” Batman asked, but no one was listening to him.

           “Meg” The sound came through, muffled like it had fallen into a pillow or something.  

           “What’s happening to me?” She asked, just barely being picked up on the radio. “I can’t… I know I should remember things, but I can’t remember her. The… the something it was like home and she… Dad I can’t remember”

           “Princess, there’s only three things you need to remember. Three things you need to hold onto. Say it with me.” Meg took a deep breath. “I love you.”

           “You love me.” She said clearly.

           “She loves you.”

           “She love me.” This was shaky, like Meg could barely form the sentence.

           “You are stronger than this.”

           “I am stronger than this.” Meg took a few deep breaths, quietly muttering to herself. Batman closed out the communication line, letting father and daughter have their space.

           “This isn’t helping her you know.” Terry said from behind him. Batman was careful not to let the surprise show in his stance. “Standing here on a rooftop, it’s not helping her or Diana.”

           “It’s helping me think.” Batman countered.

           “Except you’re not thinking straight, you never could when it concerned either of them.”

           “I don’t even know that girl.”

           “Her name is Meg.” Terry said. “It’s short for Margaret Martha Wayne. She’s 27 years old, a little younger than me. She’s obsessed with John Wayne movies and likes to pretend she’s related to him. She’s got an iron will that puts yours to the test. Not that she needs to use it on you, you’ve always have a soft spot for her. When she was 7, she asked you for a puppy and you got her three because she wanted all of them to have good homes. Of course you made her take care of all of them. She’s headstrong and angry, has a temper that scares Superman sometimes, but she knows how to channel. You taught her how to. She’s someone you want by your side in a fight because she will defend you until she can’t anymore. She’s a wife, a daughter, a sister, a teammate. Meg’s brave, smart, loving, and a very, very important woman. So get your head in the game.” Batman stared at Terry for a moment.

           “You really care about her… don’t you?”

           “Like I said, she’s a sister, my sister.”

           “I have two kids?”

           “I thought you didn’t want to know about your future.” Terry said with a grin. Batman turned away again. “Look, are you going to help or are you going to sit up here brooding till the end of the universe?” Batman looked out at the city.

           “My brooding might just help you.” He said.

           “What do you mean?”

           “I’ve got a plan.”

                                    ~*~ ~End of Chapter 2~ ~*~

[honeyedhoseok]

10 Questions Tag!

I was tagged by @agust-fire, thank you sweetums <3<3

1. What do you love doing?

Currently: listening to music, reading, writing, playing sims, watching supernatural & the triplets on the return of superman

2. Favorite memory?

Probably all the fun times I had when I was a kid and I used to stay over my best friends house every weekend. Me and her brothers used to get in so much trouble together. I remember they had this nice cream carpeting in the bedroom downstairs where we used to play video games, and one time their parents went out to eat and left us all home alone. we though we were fucking KINGS in that house by our self--we were playing music loud and cussing and making food while we played xbox--and it was all fun and games until her brother spilled red Hawaiian punch all over the fucking carpet. we all just stood there staring at each other while it soaked in and then I remember her oldest brother getting up and strangling the younger one while me and my friend screamed and ran to grab towels and cleaning supplies lmfao

3. What song or album you’ve been obsessed with?

Right now I’m totally obsessed with The Maine’s song Black Butterflies and Deja Vu, Gugudan’s A Girl Like Me, Yugyeom’s solo song The Way You Are.

4. When did you decide who your bias was? (from any group)

From BTS: I don’t even remember when I decided it was Hobi, it was just like he was creeping up my bias list and then punched me in the face for 1st place

For Got7: ummmm Fly era when Yugyeom did that hip thrust thing during his part??? I died a little but I knew he was the one

5. Do you like sleeping in a cold room?

YES yes YES a thousand times yes

6. Where do you want to be in 3 years?

Preferably working at a publishing company? Possibly moved out of my parents house? Maybe in grad school? I literally don’t know what I want to do with my life rn tbh

7. Do you think you could survive a zombie apocalypse?

hell NO. I watch the walking dead but i have zero innate survival skills. All I know how to do well is breathe eat and write...and sometimes I fuck up those

8. What’s your favorite movie or anime?

for a long time, 500 days of summer was my favorite movie. I’m not sure what it is now tbh. I don’t have a favorite anime cause I don’t watch any *cries*

9. What’s your favorite item in your bedroom?

My blanket!!!!!!! love it, its fluffy and grey and smells like laundry detergent and writing this makes me wanna cuddle up and take a nap

10. What’s something you did accidentally as a kid?

I scratched my dads car on accident with my bike. I was an idiot and thought it was a good idea to close my eyes while I was riding my bike??? and ended up running into his car and scratching it. I remember it as one of the only times my mom told me to lie to my dad if he asked me about lmaoooo

This was so fun, omg, I’m tagging: @sleevelessparkjimin @risinginfire @jiminieda @12destiny12 @monstax-nm @michellehahmart & @hope-world-97

Here are my questions for you guys:

1. What were you like as a kid?

2. Is your best friend a boy or a girl? What are they like?

3. Is there a dish you can cook really well?

4. Which of your biases (from any of the groups you bias) do you think you’re most compatible with?

5. What’s something you love about yourself?

6. How would you describe your fashion sense?

7. What’s your dream job?

8. Read any good books lately?

9. Any songs you have on repeat lately?

10. If you could buy concert tickets to see any group/band/performer right now, who would it be?