April 22, 2009

Welcome to the first installment of the DC2 Pull List! This week's Spotlight Title is Blue Beetle #1, written and cover by Chris Paugh. This issue marks Chris' triumphant return to a regular DC2 title after a long hiatus, but he is no stanger to the character, having written him in the eponymous 2006 mini-series, as well as in Gotham: City of the Dead, Powers, Inc and the Zero Hour event of last year--- so if anyone knows Ted Kord, it's Chris Paugh!

And the hero returns in grand style, with a new #1 issue and the start to a storyline that right from the get-go promises some very interesting times ahead!

Joining me to discuss the Spotlight Title of the Week is Alex Vasquez (writer Firestorm, artist Justice Society of America), House Of Mystery (writer, DC2: Nemesis, Wonder Woman, Detective Comics), Don Walsh (writer Justice League, Danger Trail, Editor-in-Chief of DC3), Pat Owens (writer Aquaman) and special guest Chris Paugh, writer and cover artist of Blue Beetle.

And for those of you that have not yet read the issue, beware: SPOILERS AHEAD!



(click on cover to go straight to the issue)




DAVID: It seems fitting that our first installment of the Pull List should spotlight a new #1--- and this #1 accomplishes quite a bit: it re-introduces a fan favorite back into regular circulation, gives him a new city to explore and play around in, throws the readers some curve balls and ends leaving the reader wanting more! But the biggest turn of events is the reveal of the Blue Beetle's secret identity on live TV! Did anybody see that coming? And what does that mean for Ted Kord?

ALEX: I really liked how Chris set up that scene, with Ted conducting an interview with a down on his luck reporter, who was desparate to make a big splash. Ted was softened up with those kids' questions and then BAM--- the interviewer starts throwing high and inside. Chris did a good job depecting Ted feeling off-guard and uncomfortable.

As for the public reveal, it was definately something I didn't expect (I actually said "Wow," while reading the issue on my Blackberry at work, while I was supposed to be paying attention to something my supervisor was telling me). I'm not totally sure how it will effect Ted. Obviously, there's the concern about the bad guys going after Ted's loved ones, but I really don't know what his personal situation is because the issue didn't touch upon it (outside of his business ventures and moving). I'm sure the consequences will be examined later on in the series, but it obviously paints a bigger target on Mr. Kord's back.

PAT: Ted going public was pretty shocking for sure! This will probably end up causing him some trouble in the long run and I look forward to seeing exactly what happens. I think, as it has also been said, a strength of this issue was definatley making Ted feel a little out of his usual element with all of the changes going on such as the new enviroment he was in. Overall this was a very fun read!

Am I the only one who's looking forward to any Blue and Gold action in the future?

CHARLIE: I didn't see the identity reveal coming, and it sure was a curveball! I wonder what this means for the future of the title, and what his enemies will do with the information?

DAVID: Definately a whole new set of problems and challenges for Ted!

Alex touched on the interview scene, which to me was the most interesting part of the issue. The call from little "Mikey Carter" was a nice reminder that there is a whimsical side to Ted and his superheroing, but I was especially intrigued by the history lesson on Dan Garret the original Blue Beetle, and the mention of a sidekick/partner named Sparky. At first I thought Chris was making this up, but apparantly there was such a character...? And something tells me this was not a throwaway reference!

CHRIS: Yeah Sparky was a real character. A very brief sidekick for the original Beetle who showed up one day then was gone within like eight issues I think. We will be learning more about Sparky in the future but that is down the line a bit.

One thing I didn't get into too much yet in this first issue is Ted's businesses relocating to Midway. I would think this would be a pretty big deal at least in the business world. I imagined seeing this on the news and then the Blue Beetle showing up around the same time with all these gadgets as the new protector of Midway and I thought it is pretty obvious that they were one and the same.

About the Booster bit, I have always enjoyed the smaller nods to continuity. DCU proper will occasionally (when they aren't in full-on crossover mode) have something small like in the background, like a newspaper with Superman on the front in a Flash title and it makes sense to me. These characters do live in the same world and it seems they would bump into one another have these little moments without a major crisis going on.

DAVID: Interesting choice with Midway City, Chris, especially as it is so well associated with another superhero. Why, there? And any chance of a certain Winged Fury guest-starring?

And what is it about Blue Beetle that keeps you coming back to him? If I'm not mistaken, he's been either the main character or a significant co-star in everything you've written for the DC2?

CHRIS: I was looking to get him away from Central City where the Flash is. Charlie suggested Midway because of it's tech centric nature.

I remember reading the Death of Superman stuff and the JLI taking on Doomsday. Beetle and Booster stood out to me as great characters. Cracking jokes while their lives were in danger. I always liked that he's sort of Spider-Man without the angst. Also I love a character who has no powers but goes up against the same villains as anyone else. With Beetle you have a character who people didn't seem to care much for until his death so there's more room to change things up in the DC2. With a Batman or Green Arrow you have less room, because people are more tied to their back story and rightfully so. Ted is a guy who really is as smart as Batman but doesnt get taken as seriously because he doesn't mind hanging around a guy like Booster. He's a brilliant underdog. I can relate to that I guess.

To answer your question about a certain winged fury, anyone can show up anywhere in the DC2.

DAVID: Midway City has a tech-centric nature...? I never knew that...

CHARLIE: Ah, I thought Chris should give Ted a new home city that had a unique identity, and he knew he wanted a Museum to locate to, and come on, Carter Hall was surely the greatest antique freak there ever was, so why not bind those two things together? The idea for Midway being a centre for technology was just something we brainstormed, and it just makes for an interesting base of operations that's neither Metropolis or Gotham, the two city extremes as it were.

CHRIS: Maybe tech centric nature was a bad way to put it. It's a less familiar city which leaves more room to say things like tech centric nature.

DON: Everything to start a new series is to be found in here. New location, supporting cast being introduced (so pivotal, especially for the solo titles like this one), mysteries to solve, and a nice bit of action to remind us we're in the super-hero genre. And getting to see Peacemaker as well, and a great obscure reference for us senile old folks to geek over, in the form of Sparky (yes, ole Sparky...man, that's really digging, I'm proud of you, Chris).

So why the unmasking, which is a major point of the story? You explain how it could happen, curious why you decided to go for it? Granted, not a huge issue for Ted, but it's always a big deal in the world of masked heroes (or should be, anyway...it's a staple of the genre, as it were).

CHRIS: The unmasking isn't necessarily a major point of this particular arc but is definitely a major point for the series. Ted will be struggling with a huge decision he made on something of a whim. I went for it because I guess I just have more stories to tell this way than I would with the secret intact. In all the time superheroes have been around I gotta think most if not all good stories about concealing them have been told. That's not to say it would be a wise choice for a Superman or Batman, but for Beetle I think it's a good way to experiment with some different types of stories based around the secret identities staple.

DAVID: Let's talk about that ending. A seldom-used Charlton hero makes his appearance in a dramatic fashion. There is a big story brewing here--- what can you tease us about the future of this title?

CHRIS: This title is going to be a fun romp through the history of the Blue Beetle. Never assume you know what that means though, cause I plan to do things DC never had the guts to do. Is that cryptic enough?

DAVID: That's what's so fun about fan fiction: we get to take risks with the charactetrs the real books wouldn't dare!

But this is not just fan fiction, it's fan art! Our dedicated and talented Art Department sets us apart from the rest of the DCU fan fic sites out there, and this title in particular is unique in that it is one of the few written by its cover artist (Roy Flinchum, Ramon Villalobos and the Pull List's own Alex Vasquez are others who do this as well). You've grown quite a bit as an artist since the first Blue Beetle cover you did, for the mini-series a few years back. What sort of art aspirations do you have, and do you plan on doing all your own covers?

And to our discussion group: what are you looking forward to seeing in this title? Looks like we are going to have some crossover with recent DCU events, at the least...

ALEX: I have to agree with you Dave. Risk taking is the beauty of fan fiction, and we've seen a bunch of it here at DC2 (especially with the Superman and Batman franchises recently). While there may be some disagreement as to what works out and what doesn't, I'm always going to give props to people willing to take risks and travel a different road.

The ending of this issue leads me to believe that Jamie Reyes might be introduced soon, or at least the seeds are being sown. And as Dave and Don are Golden age geeks, I'm very much of a modern age geek, so that development, or the tease of it, is something that gets me excited about the title.

PAT: Yeah I was thinking the exact same thing. I'm kind of in between on that personally but if Jamie is introduced in an interesting way that makes complete sense then that'd be pretty sweet.

CHRIS: Yeah, I've learned so much from the wonderful artists around here just by watching. Right now my aspirations as cover artist really don't go beyond not adding more work for everyone else with this title. I am pretty busy writing these days with Blue Beetle being an ongoing and other things that I am working on outside of the DC2. Ultimately though? I want to be Ramon when I grow up. Just don't tell him I said that; that dude has an ego.


And now for our reviews of this week's new issues:



(click on cover to go straight to the issue)

Written by Scott Morgan Cook
Cover by Jina B.
Edited by Jayson Morriseau-Lussier
Review by Alex Vasquez

This month's Rogue's Gallery is brought to us by Scott Morgan Cook (better known for Checkmate: Operation Outsiders over at DC3) and stars Albert Wesker and Scarface. In this issue, Scott puts Albert on a couch in Arkham and explores the circumstances and situations in Albert's past that contributed to the creation of his second personality. This issue also guest stars Hugo Strange as the Arkham psychiatrist conducting these therapy sessions, which at first appear to help an in-denial Albert come to terms with who he is, but a real Twilight Zone-like twist at the end, shows that there may be something more sinister about the good doctor's intentions. Scott really did a great job at building some tension, letting you feel something's going to happen and then comes through with a nice payoff. Combine that with a foreshadowing cover by the uber-talented Jina B and you've got a solid piece of story-telling.



(click on cover to go straight to the issue)

Story by Jay McIntyre
Art by Jamie Rimmer
Editing by Mark Bowers
Review by Ellen Fleischer


The conclusion of Jay McIntyre’s White Rose story arc is an action-packed tour de force. When we last saw the Teen Titans, they’d been betrayed by one of their own, captured by Deathstroke and H.I.V.E. In this issue, we learn about H.I.V.E’s plans for our heroes.

McIntyre does a phenomenal job of showing why the Titans cannot simply use their abilities to escape, while avoiding obvious pitfalls like technobabble and infodumps.

Also, the character voices are spot-on. One of the main problems with a team book is finding a way to make each member sound unique without resorting to trite catchphrases. Not here. The villains come across as wonderfully three-dimensional, and their motivations make sense. Deathstroke has always been a complex personality, and he shines, here.

There are more than a few surprises on this rollercoaster ride, as loyalties, allegiances, and motivations appear to shift from one moment to the next—and the tension doesn’t let up for an instant!

Major kudos to Jaimie Rimmer for the stunning cover! The darker tones are most appropriate!



(click on cover to go straight to the issue)

Written by Susan Hillwig and Don Walsh
Cover by Roy Flinchum
Edited by Mark Bowers

First story reviewed by Don Walsh

In the main story for Weird Western Quarterly #14, Susan Hillwig brings us another chapter of the legendary bounty hunter Jonah Hex, in a tale filled with the same treacherous snakes, vile varmints, blood and smoke, and makes it something more and deeper, with a look into Jonah's heart. And she's a woman named Mei Ling. Tragedy dogs his trail as he takes his first steps into reputable citizen, and Susan brings us a winning story of tragedy and hope, and written in such a way as to make the reader truly worried for what the future will bring on what should be the happiest day of a person's life. Skillfully laid out, this is what a western should be, and all covered in a wonderfully evocative split cover piece by DC2 artist extraordinaire Roy Flinchum.


Second story reviewed by Mark Bowers

Don Walsh continues the adventures of the western hero Johnny Thunder (after the character’s earlier appearance in issue 11). Taking time to concentrate on the main protagonists, Don’s ever-readable tale of double-dealing and two brothers quarreling over an inheritance leads to a surprising outcome. Also dropped are hints of future plot lines, so that, like the other tale in the issue, it’ll be interesting to see what happens next, with the story definitely leaving me wanting to see more of Johnny Thunder.


JOIN US NEXT WEEK HERE AT THE PULL LIST WHEN THE SPOTLIGHT TITLE WILL BE...