Me, Clark, Action Comics #585

When I started reading comics, it was The Phantom Stranger and mid-to-late 80's Superman, and that was pretty much it for... oh jeeze. A long time. Years maybe. Then one day, I saw Action Comics #833 in a bookstore. It had a wicked awesome cover, which you can see the art for here, and Byrne was listed, so I bought it, and sat outside on a bench to read it.

Thus, I became a DC fangirl. But it all started with Byrne, even if his dialogue can be over the top, sometimes even silly, it's Superman to me.

This issue in my TPB is waterstained, creased hard down the spine right to it, and is the only comic I can actually quote from. I wanted to share it, but only after I could scan from my TPB, which is all re-inked and coloured and shiny. Then, today, when talking about this issue, I realized that I have a scanner now. ::facepalm:: It hates the colours orange and red, and I'm still learning how to use it to it's full potential, but I did my best.

( Starting off with the Stranger... )

I think if the Stranger appeared in my livingroom with some mysterious task, then transported me to said task... that the first thing I say isn't going to be "Oh for pete's sake!" But that's what Clark says.

Because he's the goddamn Superman, that's why! XD

Soonafter, my favourite Superman page ever. The Stranger's narration, along with how Clark's face and body language shifts into sheer determination just... never fail to get me. Every time, it makes me want to cheer; it just sums him up neatly, dramatically, in four panels.

( Can I get a Helllll Yee-ah? )

I'm grinning from ear to ear, because I can't help it. It's so cool, I love it.

( A few more panels of the Stranger... )

I still don't read much new Superman, relatively speaking. After I got into DC more, it was my first inclination... but there was just something missing I couldn't put my finger on, even when it was good. Birthright is the only Supes TPB I own other than my volumes of The Man of Steel and the first superhero story I ever read, The Death of Superman. When I first read that book, it was when it first was published in TPB format; someone had left it out on a table where I was sitting being in trouble for something (which I always was, all through elementary school and high school, haha) and I read the whole thing, even if I had no idea who any of the people in that incarnation of the Justice League were. XD

So that's me and Superman. Now I want to take pictures of Clark, aka, the fangirlmobile. ::laughs:: Maybe tomorrow.

I've posted this whole issue, sadly a less clear and pretty set of scans, over here, if you want to see the rest.

Superman's Wedding Album

Today is Lois Lane's birthday, and I had three thoughts; first that she looks damn good in a shredded wedding dress, she doesn't get much love (understatement) and perhaps an exception could be made for this one day (heh), and that there was a story that not only had her being awesome, but had enough Bruce/Clark subtext to strangle a large animal. Superman: The Wedding Album.

First, the mushy Clark/Lois stuff. Clark's lost his powers, and their engagement has recently been broken off, plus she's nowhere to be found, so he's really, really cranky. What's she doing? Kicking ass in a wedding dress. And Clark examining the Batman-print bow-tie is not to be missed.

( I have a gun, a knife, and champagne... )

And, of course, there's a bachelor party, at Bibbo's. It quickly devolves into a barfight. Because it's Bibbo's bar, and usually it's bikers and all sorts of ruffians hanging out there, not country folk from Kansas and various city leaders.

( He knows I'm da justice in here! )

And, of course, de-powered Clark is still up to heroics, because there's just no keeping Superman down. So, a rare treat, Clark kicking butt, in costume, without powers. Unfortunately, he's not so good at that. Luckily, his stalker is around to help out. The scene that follows the action is Bruce actually wanting to talk. About Clark and Lois.

( But she left you. )

And, because after all, this is about Lois, the central piece of the final splash of the book, Clark and Lois in their first moment as husband and wife.

( Two heterosexual kisses in one post V? Are you okay? )

Awww. Isn't that all so romantic? And full of subtext?

This book was remarkably good, with guest appearances of pretty much everyone from Clark's life, including a few of jealous Lex; remember, he's in love with Lois, heh, and even Lori Lemaris showing up at the reception. It also marks Clark cutting off his 90's hair, de-powered, so no elaborate musings on how he actually did it required. For once.

Where my money went this week...

Catwoman #58

Memories Are Made of This

In one sentence? If you haven't been reading Catwoman since long before OYL, you'll be lost. In fact, there's so much drawn from so many different storylines, this issue is like a nexus between Identity Crisis, Flash: Rogue War, the sub-plot of Zatanna's mind-alteration of Selina, and everything that's happened in this book since... maybe even last year... it was just a little too top-heavy.

( Continued, with bonus Wildcat. )

Nightwing #123

Fire Down Below

I'm sure the logic behind this issue was something like this: they realized that the story up to this point wasn't being well received, and decided to make up for it with gratuitous beefcake. There might be a plot here somewhere, but I'm not really sure I even care.

( Continued, with beefcake. )

Robin #153

Run Through The Jungle

Continuing with the meeting between Tim and Owen Harkness, this issue was everything I wanted it to be. They're working together, and they can't decide if they like each other or hate each other, and settle with gratuitous snark.

( Continued, with snark. )

So that's my week in new comics from The Secret Hideout, which is still the coolest name for a comic book store I've ever heard. Now go buy Robin. XD