Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Weird Thoughts: DC Comics Convergence Event Week Two

Week Two of Convergence has come and gone and while I'm still positive about the Event, I wasn't as happy this week as last.  I'm usually a negative guy (listen to last week's podcast) so that isn't a huge surprise, but a couple of things really bothered me this week.  That's not to say that everything was shit stains and rotten eggs, no siree.  There was still some sunshine and rainbows as well.  So, here are my Weird Thoughts about Week Two of Convergence.









That's not how it happened!

1. World's End Recap?

I know what your thinking..."Why are you complaining about a World's End recap?  So many people didn't even read World's End and this gets everyone up to speed."  That's not it at all.  Convergence #2 opens with Dick Grayson recounting the events at the end of  Earth 2: World's End and they are different than what happened in Earth 2: World's End.  I know because I read it...a couple of weeks ago.  Hey, I have a bad memory and attention issues, but it happened a couple of weeks ago.  If you read the weekly, you know exactly what I mean.  If you didn't, don't bother going back.  It will only anger you like the loyal DC fans that paid money every week for a book that obviously didn't matter much.  This whole debacle leads me to my next thought...




2. Dick Grayson is the Worst Father Ever!

Okay, it's bad enough that Dick's memory of the events of World's End seem to have failed him, but why can't he ever get his son's name right?  Tommy?  Johnny?  It's been a running joke with Eric for a while now, but he's given up and just calls the kid Tommy John.  Maybe Dick should too.


Earth 2: World's End #24 "Johnny"


Convergence #2 "Tommy"







3. Not a Laughing Matter

Get used to blob jokes

This has everything to do with Convergence: Supergirl - Matrix #1.  I like Keith Giffen and generally find his stuff funny, though his humor can be hit or miss.  This issue was a miss for me.  It wasn't necessarily the jokes, but a bigger problem.  Let me explain.  Think of a really funny joke.  I'm talking laugh out loud, piss your pants funny.  Now think of that joke being told to you at a funeral. Not so laugh out loud funny anymore is it?  While I am being a bit over dramatic, the humor in this issue felt out of place in an Event that is being played so seriously in every other book.  It didn't even come off as a nice little diversion, just a silly book I wish I didn't have to read and review.










4.  Who is buying Metroglobes?
This will go with my Hindenburg mug

This is just a silly argument between myself and Eric.  In Superboy, a guy is selling Metroglobes.  Metroglobes???  This just came off as awful to me.  Who would buy these?  I know that people buy things commemorating a disaster and while that drives me nuts, this isn't the same. The disaster is still going on!  I joked on the podcast that it's like passengers buying souvenirs as the  Titantic was sinking. "Women and children first...right after you go through our gift shop and pick up your commemorative t-shirt."







what's for dinner?
5. A Team that Sticks Together...

I mentioned last week that the Superheroes of Convergence must hate each other, but that's not the case this week.  The Justice League International are like Run DMC and the Beastie Boys...Together Forever!  If team unity isn't enough to make you smile, I loved how Ron Marz showed how the team dealt with life in the dome.  It may not be the best life, but it felt like a real life...as far as comic books go.







6.  Two Points of View
Aquaman better kick his ass!


The Convergence tie-ins have done a lot right, but what I want to see more of is both sides of the fight.  This is something that Tony Bedard's Aquaman #1 did so well.  Not shockingly, we get an Aquaman heavy first half of the book, but after the Dome goes down, Bedard finishes up with Deathblow.  Deathblow?!?!  If you are like me, you didn't know Deathblow from Kurtis Blow before this issue, but readers now know he is one mean S.O.B.  We also know that we want Aquaman to kick his ass and that makes me look forward to next month's issue.  I didn't see that coming!


That's it for Week Two of Convergence.  I'd love to hear what you all thought about the books.  I can't wait to read Week Three's books and will be back next week to point out what I liked and didn't like.






2 comments:

  1. C'mon Jim, as a father yourself you've got to cut Earth-2 Dick some slack...you seem confused about their ages at the movie theater, and I'm sure in the heat of the moment you think of them as "boy kid" and "girl kid" and "other boy kid." I'm holding out hope that DC will make some grand goof of the fact that Earth-2 Dick is a deadbeat dad...Prime Earth's Grayson is a life-saving adventurer, maybe Earth-2's Grayson is like Keanu Reeves from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure?
    I still think something went wrong with the Supergirl Matrix book, I feel like the gags were there, but they fell flat due to poor plotting and incorrect balloon placement. Not that the jokes would have been that hysterical otherwise, but they might have landed. You should still check out Giffens' two Ambush Bug series from the 80s, some of my favorite comics ever. And they can usually be found in fine quarter bins at comic shops and conventions everywhere!

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    1. My dad couldn't remember my kid's names so he went with the classics..."sport", "champ", "slugger"...
      I agree that things went horribly wrong with Supergirl...maybe things got mixed up at the Kinkos!
      I promise I will check out Ambush Bug.

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