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Post by HoM on Dec 21, 2016 16:27:18 GMT -5
Well, it's a big one, but it's finally live!
Big thank you to Mark, Susan and Oblique for their contributions, and an apology to everyone else for all of mine.
Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and I hope you enjoy what we've put together here!
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Post by HoM on Dec 22, 2016 6:15:14 GMT -5
Right! I’ll talk about the aims behind the stories I told and how they tie into larger events in the DC2niverse later on, but while the iron was hot I wanted to talk about the contributions by my esteemed colleagues. I won’t go into spoilers because the anthology has only been live for a couple of hours, but still…
Firstly, I’m always giddy when Mark writes something for the site. His is the Teen Titans run I think I can always revisit, and we have a very similar frame of reference because we’re both Brits.
I recall his big arc with Trigon being titled “The Trigon Empire”, which tickled me immensely due to my owning the 70s hardcover collection of that British series that Hamlyn put out of the same name. I won’t go into detail, because it’s classic UK comics, but it was great, and it’s the kind of thing I’d do, ha!
I remember his Mad Mod issue fondly, and I remember how there was a competition in the early days of the site to design a Teen Titan… and he used all of them. Integrated them seamlessly into his run. There was this one guy, Woodchucker, and he was ridiculous, but he made him matter, and that resonated with me when I was reading it. Still resonates with me now! I keep wanting to bring the character back, but there’s never been a place for him… yet.
The story itself is classic Mark. There’s a great vein of humour that runs throughout this, and I love the characterisation given to the characters. Arthur and Mera ring true, and Vulko being clueless about Christmas was a great runner. Just great stuff, and something I’m really happy to see hit the site.
Oblique’s contribution was a revelation… we had talked about him contributing something but there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to make the deadline, but he hit it with weeks to spare.
The premise came from extended conversations we’d had about Batman and Wonder Woman, and it ties in wonderfully to the ongoing threads laid out in Justice League, and O clearly had a solid grasp on the dynamics of the characters.
He’s a newcomer, but he’s slipped into writing these guys like it was nothing. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he might have for us in the future. I know some of the ideas he has and if you’re a fan of the DC2, and the sensibility of the DC2, then you’ll love it.
The story itself struck a great balance between pathos and melancholy. We never did see ‘Year One’-type stories of our characters, unless you count the first couple of issues of Batman, so hearing about the two vastly different Christmases these two heroes have experienced was a great glimpse into the past. I think this whole thing might work out!
And Susan… Susan wasn’t sure she was going to get a story to me, but we went live with the anthology as soon as she sent it in. As ever, her grasp of this time period is second to none, and I mean that beyond just the DC2… no one does it better, Suzie!
With regards to the story, it was a great glimpse into a certain point in Jonah’s timeline. I’m fascinated by the fact that you have his entire history outlined, and I meant to ask if that’s wholly due to what’s been published or if you’ve taken certain liberties? Jonah himself is as curmudgeonly as ever, but his thaw throughout the story was well earned, and that last scene was sublime. We all need a friend, don’t we?
Anyway, I’m hoping we can get back on track with making the DC2 Christmas Special a yearly thing… we took a few years off here and there, and that’s a shame. Even if we’re running on a skeleton crew, it’s always good if we can come together and celebrate this holiday! Or any holiday, really. I love me a Halloween Special, guys…
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Post by oblique on Dec 26, 2016 10:31:29 GMT -5
First, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. Second, thank you Charlie for your overwhelming praise! I'm glad I could contribute in some small fashion and I think it turned out relatively well, if not quite perfect--looking at it formatted on the site reminded me that some of the dialogue was overly dense! I hope it was still enjoyable for everyone else.
However, Charlie's own contributions were incredible. I've been reading early stories on the site and it's clear that your voice,and I mean this as the highest compliment, has matured and deepened over the years. "Last December" was a clever and intriguing anchor for an anthology such as this. While I can't say I know who Traci Thirteen is from the comics, in a few brief paragraphs I felt as if I had always known her and her relationship with Supergirl. The setting was superb (one of my favorite imaginary places is the "wizard's tower" with mysterious and charming portals, objects, and decorations).
"Status Change" and "Three and the Justice Society's Christmas Party" didn't speak to me in the same way as some of the other tales, referencing characters I'm not as familiar with, but they were well-written and interconnected in a way that emphasized the living world they came from, the world that you've maintained here on the site. "Christmas Eve and Hospital Food" was similar, in one sense, but your affection for the character was on full display. His life is even more tragic than Captain America (pardon my blasphemy, but he was my frame of reference for this scene!) In "Memory Jogging" I can only assume the story references events I've yet to encounter on the site, or the current television show. "Drifting Through Sector 2814" made me want to read the "Green Lanterns" ongoing! Sinestro's gone good? Superpowered rings? Missing lanterns!? Count me in.
I really enjoyed "Together For Christmas" starring Angie Spica and the Teen Titans. You have a wonderful grasp of the Titans with amusing 'asides' taking advantage of the first person format to deliver commentary on their appearance, past, or relationships. Spica had a fun and entertaining internal voice. The fascinating insights into her anxiety, depression, and fear was a tough and emotional ending--one that was hard to follow!
Mark, "Arthur's Christmas" was witty and heartwarming. While I've never thought of 'Christmas under the sea' now I will never not imagine what Arthur and Mera are doing for the holidays. You combined clever versions of traditional festive decorations suited for their new underwater habitat with a touching tale of loyalty and love.
Susan, "A Season For Family" was an adorable introduction to Jonah Hex. This is a character I've never followed in the comics but you, as far as I can tell, present a compelling and dynamic version of the bounty hunter. (Unlike many authors, myself included, you've given your main character an 'accent' that is unique but still legible!) The western setting was well-realized and full of interesting secondary characters. Like Charlie said, Hex was still gritty and tough as an old boot but his flawed heart shone through the cracked leather, just in time for the season.
"Two Winters" finished the tale and brought us back to the beginning. Your story was suffused with a quiet beauty that transitioned smoothly into an amusing tale of Clark's early adventures in Metropolis. You took my simple idea and polished it into something much better, bringing in action, family, and humor. Bringing us back to the present in truth, Merry Christmas once again! I look forward to the new year. I'm off for a walk in the silent woods draped in melting snow.
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Susan Hillwig
Staff 
I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.
Posts: 1,612
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Post by Susan Hillwig on Dec 26, 2016 16:36:19 GMT -5
Finally got to sit down and read through the entire special yesterday, in-between visits to various relatives' houses. Let me just say that I've always been a sucker for holiday issues, and will pick them up virtually sight-unseen when I come across them at comic shops and cons, so I was really looking forward to reading DC2's latest offerings. Late December/Two Winters was very touching, and I loved how it incorporated both the current "Ten Years Later" event as well as the "present" and "past" of DC2. Also, Traci's comment about "chronological bleed through" was a nice way to acknowledge the myriad timeframes that these stories take place in (including mine...reckon they went a little too far back if'n they saw that one!). Only negative comment is that in the second part, the different scenes ran together, and it took a sec for me to figure out the proper "when" for each one. It needed some kind of indicator, be it a break between paragraphs or even a font change. Arthur's Christmas was just the sort of goofy thing I like to see in holiday specials -- would've loved to have seen this illustrated! -- and Status Change was short but sweet (aww, Ted looks so cute when he's trying to hit on girls!). Both Together for Christmas and Shelter from the Storm had some good moments, but overall they didn't do much for me. I just couldn't connect with those stories for some reason. Three and the Justice Society's Christmas Party was wonderful, even with the sad scene with Alan Scott (what happened to him, what did I miss?). I know absolutely nothing about Majestic, but I loved seeing the JSA gathering from his point of view. Then we hit Christmas Eve and Hospital Food and I darn-near cried! As for Memory Jogging and A Relatively Quiet Christmas...though both were good, I again feel like I missed something. I took note of the Harrison Wells cameo at the end of the Flash story...does this tie in with the TV show somehow? As for my own contribution, it was an idea that I've had on the back-burner in my brain for many years, but just never got a chance to write down, Heck, I've been so busy the last few months getting my first original novel ready for publication that I didn't think I'd get this story done in time! But Charlie was kind enough to wait for me, and you've read the results. I try not to take too many liberties with any of the DC Western folk I write, as I like them as-is and don't feel much needs to be changed. However, there's lots of gaps in their histories that need clarifying (even Hex's, despite the fact that we know so much about him already), and that's a bit of what this story was. Indeed, Bat Lash really does have a sister, and she really is a nun, but she's only made a couple of appearances. I think that's a darn shame, because it seems like great story fodder for me...hence why I wrote this. Jonah Hex was added to the mix for multiple reasons, the main one being that I wanted to show that he just didn't completely cut off ties with Mei Ling and their son after she left him. According to the comics, Jonah didn't see his son again until the boy had grown into a man, and even then, Jonah tried to keep his distance because, by that time, he felt Mei Ling was right in her assessment that he wouldn't have been a proper father. At this point in Jonah's life, though, that wound in his heart is still healing, and he's still trying to provide for them in some way, even if she does turn it down. So I gave him a way to be a "father" for a moment or so, as well as to open up to somebody about the problem...somebody who knows what it's like when a person you care about suddenly becomes a frightening figure (by the way, that whole bit about Bat Lash being a violent youth is canon...everybody thinks of him as a comedic character, but he's got a rough past). On how I write Hex in general: the majority of those who've handled the character give him that "accent", with the level of thickness varying from one writer to the next. My version of "Jonah-speak" is just thick enough to get the point across, as I don't want to make his speech illegible for the average reader (it's also fun for when Jonah's talking "off-panel", since you can tell it's him without the story specifically naming him!). As for his overall characterization, that has stayed fairly consistent for the past 45 years, thanks to the incredibly-small pool of writers who've worked on him. My version perhaps talks a little more -- since I'm dealing only in prose -- but other than that, the Jonah Hex you read on DC2 is virtually identical to the one you'll find in just about any comic he's appeared in. |
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Post by HoM on Dec 27, 2016 7:27:50 GMT -5
Late December/Two Winters was very touching, and I loved how it incorporated both the current "Ten Years Later" event as well as the "present" and "past" of DC2. Also, Traci's comment about "chronological bleed through" was a nice way to acknowledge the myriad timeframes that these stories take place in (including mine...reckon they went a little too far back if'n they saw that one!). Only negative comment is that in the second part, the different scenes ran together, and it took a sec for me to figure out the proper "when" for each one. It needed some kind of indicator, be it a break between paragraphs or even a font change. It felt like a missed opportunity to not utilise the "Ten Years Later" event for this story, as the majority of my output is split between the modern day ongoings, and the stories set in the future! I also wanted Traci 13 to feature, as I know she's playing a role in Omega Crisis, and I really enjoy alluding to all the adventures the heroes have had in the decade we've missed. "The Final Fate of Mordru" is an event I could see running through numerous titles, and it would be a great magic-focused tale! Shame we don't have an ongoing Ten Years Later title... I consciously made the second part run together, and I'm disappointed I didn't make it work. I wanted there to be disorientation for Kara, and I'm sorry it didn't follow through like I intended! Arthur's Christmas was just the sort of goofy thing I like to see in holiday specials -- would've loved to have seen this illustrated! -- and Status Change was short but sweet (aww, Ted looks so cute when he's trying to hit on girls!). Man, do you remember the DC2 Toons that Mark and Joey used to do? "Arthur's Christmas" would have been amazing in that style, but Mark blew me away with this piece as it stands! And the Ted/Kimiyo romance goes back to my original run on the title... they shared fleeting glances and I've ramped it up in my current run. Do you remember when we did the "Freaky Friday" Fifth Week event, where we swapped titles, back in 2010 (doubtful!)? Chris wrote Justice League Special #1, and it tied into some stuff that was going on in the title at the time, namely a group of time-displaced heroes that needed returning to their own time, and Ted and Kimiyo had a kid in that timeline, so it's always building toward that. Both Together for Christmas and Shelter from the Storm had some good moments, but overall they didn't do much for me. I just couldn't connect with those stories for some reason. One of the things I know I consciously did with my stories for the special was to allude to events but not editor notes references to the actual issues. I didn't want to bog the stories down with continuity references, instead just have the stories be in continuity. A lot of the stuff in these tales has either been built to in existing issues, or is building toward future issues. Angela's relationship with Vic has been established as far back as Justice League #49, and the surprise return to the site of a certain character is going to be a massive part of an arc that begins in 2019 and beyond (I plot ahead, you all know this). Sorry if they didn't click for you! Three and the Justice Society's Christmas Party was wonderful, even with the sad scene with Alan Scott (what happened to him, what did I miss?). I know absolutely nothing about Majestic, but I loved seeing the JSA gathering from his point of view. Well, back in 2012's Justice Society of America #14, Alan was struck on the head by a wooden beam as the team's headquarters was bombed by terrorists. Ever since, he's been in a coma, but the threads of that story have touched upon in the ongoing Green Lantern Corps title. Would you believe that Green Lantern Corps #73 is entitled "The Resurrection of Alan Scott"? There's lots going on that's about to explode out, and this acts a prologue for that story in a way. Majestic is the perennial outsider of the team but I worry I haven't focused on him enough. That said, his story kicks into overdrive in Justice League #71, and he'll continue to be featured as we progress. A lot of what we saw in the story alludes to fragments of the Hourman story I failed to deliver on, as well as other threads as mentioned above. Then we hit Christmas Eve and Hospital Food and I darn-near cried! I'm glad I was able to elicit a reaction, Susan! The Guardian is one of those characters I've fully taken under my wing on the site, similar to The Question and Hank Henshaw, and this is part of a longer story that's going to culminate in my massive Justice League #75 event-arc. It's also been alluded to in recent issues of that book... Hank was going to discuss his situation with J'onn after his return, but they were interrupted by an arson attack in Justice League #59, but we'll see the story unfold as the title continues. He's lived so long and lost so much... Roy Flinchum and I worked together on a back-up feature in Action Comics back in the day called "Return to Krypton Square", and it featured a murder mystery involving a former love of Harper's, so there's this massive chunk of time that he's tried to overcome, but when you have family, even estranged, it's a challenge. We'll continue to investigate this in the Justice League ongoing! As for Memory Jogging and A Relatively Quiet Christmas...though both were good, I again feel like I missed something. I took note of the Harrison Wells cameo at the end of the Flash story...does this tie in with the TV show somehow? Well! The Green Lanterns get together at Christmas, and this was just an excuse to have them hook up without there being any consequences or world-ending crises to distract. Meanwhile, I have this big bloody Flash story I want to tell, and while I keep alluding to it in the Justice League title, I don't have the space in my schedule to deliver on it. I've written the first issue of the first act, I've written part of the second act, and I have a big ol' The Flash / Justice League crossover planned that ties into a massive plot point left over from Justice League #50. If I keep laying the ground work in places like this story (along with " Together For Christmas"!) then maybe that'll be the kick up the arse I need to deliver. Harrison Wells has appeared elsewhere in the DC2niverse, but this story places him firmly beside the Flash... but who is the Flash? Why does no one remember him, or his sidekick-- not even Jay has a clue! Find out in 2017! Maybe! |
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Post by HoM on Dec 28, 2016 11:27:52 GMT -5
First, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. Second, thank you Charlie for your overwhelming praise! I'm glad I could contribute in some small fashion and I think it turned out relatively well, if not quite perfect--looking at it formatted on the site reminded me that some of the dialogue was overly dense! I hope it was still enjoyable for everyone else. It's an ongoing conversation Susan and I have... I'm a fan of shorter paragraphs, while she leans into less-short ones. Both work, but I know what works for my style! I don't think either of us will express fault on that one! However, Charlie's own contributions were incredible. I've been reading early stories on the site and it's clear that your voice,and I mean this as the highest compliment, has matured and deepened over the years. "Last December" was a clever and intriguing anchor for an anthology such as this. While I can't say I know who Traci Thirteen is from the comics, in a few brief paragraphs I felt as if I had always known her and her relationship with Supergirl. The setting was superb (one of my favorite imaginary places is the "wizard's tower" with mysterious and charming portals, objects, and decorations). Oh, man; my early work, and I'm quite vocal about it, was garbage. I think the stories were stronger than they had any right to be, but the delivery and follow through wasn't up to par. Traci 13 is a great character, and she's not really played a massive role in the DC2. I'm a big fan though, and she's currently appearing in the Phil Jiminez-penned Superwoman title that DC are putting out. She played a role in the Joe Casey-era of the Superman-titles, and I loved her in the Doctor Thirteen mini that came out after Infinite Crisis. I don't think anyone's really spent that much time on her yet! I'm not doing anything "seminal" with her, rather preferring to keep her quite simple-- a fun, smart, sorceress. Spoilers for Omega Crisis, but she's Doctor Fate in that mini and I wanted to nod to the why somewhere else. This was a perfect excuse! "Status Change" and "Three and the Justice Society's Christmas Party" didn't speak to me in the same way as some of the other tales, referencing characters I'm not as familiar with, but they were well-written and interconnected in a way that emphasized the living world they came from, the world that you've maintained here on the site. I took the opportunity toward some world-building with this special, and also used it as an excuse to build toward events that I won't have a chance to refer to elsewhere in my books. These stories are very much companion-pieces to Green Lantern Corps and Justice League to varying degrees, and I hope you take the opportunity to check out those titles when you have the time! "Christmas Eve and Hospital Food" was similar, in one sense, but your affection for the character was on full display. His life is even more tragic than Captain America (pardon my blasphemy, but he was my frame of reference for this scene!) The Guardian in the DC2 is a great "What If..."; namely, "What if Captain America didn't fall into the ice?", and I love exploring that. I'm glad you picked up on that! In "Memory Jogging" I can only assume the story references events I've yet to encounter on the site, or the current television show. Like I said in response to Susan's comments, I have big plans for The Flash but I've not had an opportunity to deliver on them yet. Alluding to them across the site is my way of making sure I eventually get round to it, and it's always good to have a foundation to build on with these things! "Drifting Through Sector 2814" made me want to read the "Green Lanterns" ongoing! Sinestro's gone good? Superpowered rings? Missing lanterns!? Count me in. Man, I'm doing some really fun stuff in Green Lantern Corps, if I do say so myself. In seven issues' time we're about to reach what could be thought of as the end of my second act on the title, and I try to make every issue as accessible as possible to new readers. With one exception, every story since #57 has been a three-part tale, which has been a pain of a writing challenge to set one's self. I'm currently working on the final part of the next three-parter, then we reach #75-- my first on the site. I'm pretty excited, and it's going to be explosive. I should probably get back to work on it... I really enjoyed "Together For Christmas" starring Angie Spica and the Teen Titans. You have a wonderful grasp of the Titans with amusing 'asides' taking advantage of the first person format to deliver commentary on their appearance, past, or relationships. Spica had a fun and entertaining internal voice. The fascinating insights into her anxiety, depression, and fear was a tough and emotional ending--one that was hard to follow! Well, you kind of threw down the gauntlet on writing something in the first person, so I had to try, and this was a story I decided I could cannibalise into said format. Angie's an important character to me, and her evolution continues in the Justice League ongoing. She had a massive part in our previous arc, which I thought came out really well. That's another title I'd love for you to check out at some point! "Two Winters" finished the tale and brought us back to the beginning. Your story was suffused with a quiet beauty that transitioned smoothly into an amusing tale of Clark's early adventures in Metropolis. You took my simple idea and polished it into something much better, bringing in action, family, and humor. Bringing us back to the present in truth, Merry Christmas once again! I look forward to the new year. I'm off for a walk in the silent woods draped in melting snow. I think it's probably the best Superman story I've written on the site. I struggle with the character but I think this worked really well. I may not have "my" handle on the big guy yet, but I hope to find it as we move forward Thanks for the kind words, O! |
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Post by oblique on Dec 28, 2016 14:22:59 GMT -5
Your very welcome, Charlie! I do like my contribution, and thanks for the praise. I'm glad it was included. Your own interconnected stories have definitely hastened my reading of older material--I'm now in "Justice League vs. America." I'll drop a letter when I'm done!
Not quite garbage. Practice makes perfect, and I think you've definitely improved with time, but I think your earlier works still reveal a passion for the characters, the world you were building, and the craft.
I didn't mean to throw down the gauntlet, ha! I think it worked out marvelously, but I ended up converting the "first person" segments of my idea into (dense) dialogue that served the same purpose, telling a story rather than developing a sappy flashback. Alas, a third pass would have helped me clean up the dialogue!
After I finish "Justice League Vs America" and "Superwoman" I might skip forward to some later arcs, as this special stoked my interest. Looking forward to it! (You know, I still haven't figured out how you quote people in a conversation and add the author, date, and time.)
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Post by Admin on Jan 7, 2017 11:53:16 GMT -5
I finally got around to finishing this, reading the stories one a day after Christmas like some weird inverse advent calendar. A good selection of stories, don't think there was a bad one in there.
Susan's Jonah Hex tale was a great read, but then all her Jonah Hex stories are, so that didn't come as any great surprise (although the stuff I learned about Bat Lash from canon did come as a surprise).
Oblique's tale of Bruce and Diana was a great first story for this site and I can't wait to see what he comes up with in the future.
As for Charlie's immense input, I enjoyed them all, although 'Memory Jogging' seemed more set-up for future stories than an actual Christmas story. Impressed with his ability to make me like characters I hardly know from the comics, like Traci 13 and Angie Spica. My favourite of his was the Guardian story (a great idea for a story, told well), followed by the Teen Titans one (it was interesting to see him writing the characters, and the concept of Dagon catching some sun made me smile), both of which had great endings. Also liked all the Toto references in the Green Lanern Corps story.
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Post by HoM on Jan 22, 2017 4:31:50 GMT -5
As for Charlie's immense input, I enjoyed them all, although 'Memory Jogging' seemed more set-up for future stories than an actual Christmas story. Impressed with his ability to make me like characters I hardly know from the comics, like Traci 13 and Angie Spica. My favourite of his was the Guardian story (a great idea for a story, told well), followed by the Teen Titans one (it was interesting to see him writing the characters, and the concept of Dagon catching some sun made me smile), both of which had great endings. Also liked all the Toto references in the Green Lanern Corps story. I relished the opportunity to try my hand at writing the cast of the Titans. I have some plans for Roy Harper in the future of Justice League so it was nice to introduce that thread to my ever-growing tapestry of characters-I-fully-intend-to-get-round-to-but-have-yet-had-an-opportunity-to-foreshadow-using. As ever, Woodchucker casts an intimidating shadow over the team whenever I go near them... I just hope that one day he's freed from his golden prison  but until that time, I hold a torch for the bravest of Teen Titans. The Guardian story is one I've had in my head for a while. In a way, I was trying to figure out how to articulate Barbara Gordon's pre- Flashpoint argument about why she never utilised all the immense alien / magical / super-scientific expertise around her when she was Oracle to reclaim the use of her legs. New52's attempts did little to appease me. But yes, the Guardian's family life is so unbearably sad in my head canon, so it was time to show that. Margie's story isn't finished yet. And why am I not surprised you appreciated all the Toto in the GLC short? Ha! |
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Post by HoM on Dec 25, 2017 15:43:58 GMT -5
Merry Christmas, everybody! As you can probably tell, no festive special this year, but instead we've funnelled all our usual energies into Justice League Annual 2018, hitting the site in January! I'm really excited because I've reached out to some of my favourite DC2 writers, so fingers crossed we have a ginormous special for you that lands near the tail end of next month! Please check out Roy's stellar cover below:  |
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but until that time, I hold a torch for the bravest of Teen Titans.