During an interview with The Comics Cube (via The Direct), Campbell said that classic villains like Brainiac, General Zod, and Lex Luthor were restricted from use in the first season.

“Some of it was… Warner Bros… and I think it was a good note,” she said. “Like our big execs on Warner Brothers were like, ‘Well, these are the big hitters that everybody’s seen and everybody’s expecting. And we’ve seen this a million times, so we want your twists on things.'”

Campbell continued, “And I think it was Sam Register and Audrey Diehl, who were doing notes with us, were like, ‘These characters take up the whole screen. They kind of suck the air out because they’re so famous, and there’s so many expectations, so hold off on them. Hold off on these characters, and build the story how you see fit.'”

They did manage to at least get a tease of Brainiac and Zod in the season one finale, which should mean more of these characters in the next season, which is exciting.

My Adventures With Superman is currently available to watch on Max and stars Jack Quaid as Clark Kent/Superman, Alice Lee as Lois Lane, and Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy Olsen.

The post MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN Producer Reveals Which Characters Were Restricted For Season One appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Directors: Richard Donner, Richard Lester, Sidney J. Furie

Writers: Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Robert Benton, Tom Mankiewicz, Christopher Reeve, Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, Annette O’Toole, Jackie Cooper, Jon Cryer

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Thanks to WB for providing a review copy.

Summary

Superman: 5-Film Collection: As part of the year-long celebration for the 100t anniversary of Warner Bros. Studios, five films featuring the iconic DC superhero Superman – Superman: The Movie, Superman II, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace – available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital.

Positives

1978’s Superman: The Movie, the first big-budget superhero movie, is considered by many to be one of the greatest superhero movies, if not the greatest, ever. And the general consensus is that Christopher Reeve was the finest live-action Superman. I whole-heartedly agree with that assessment, but will add that I feel that George Reeves, from the 1950s Adventures of Superman TV show did a better job of portraying his alter ego Clark Kent.

The 5-Film collection includes two versions of Superman II included, the original theatrical release and the Richard Donner Cut. For those not familiar with the story, Richard Donner was directing Superman and Superman II, with plans for back-to-back releases. However, producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind replaced Donner with Richard Lester as director of Superman II.

Eventually, Warner gave Donner the opportunity to reconstruct his original vision for the film. However, Donner was somewhat hampered by only being able to use surviving filmed elements. With the cast much older, unable to perform, or passed away, reshoots were impossible. This resulted in a somewhat strange patchwork of Donner’s scenes still in the theatrical release, alternate takes, and screen test footage.

However, it’s a fascinating look at a movie that could have been, and Donner’s brilliance still manages to shine through, overshadowing Lester’s version. And it also set an important precedent that paved the way for the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Fortunately for Snyder, he had a lot more footage to work with for his restoration, as well as the ability for limited reshoots.

Positives Cont.

With Superman III, however, the franchise started to go downhill. While Richard Pryor was undoubtedly a talented comedian, the antics of his character were inappropriate for the tone set in the first two movies. With Superman III, a superhero adventure story devolved into a poorly managed farce.

Also, the plot involving computer crime has aged very poorly, and it wasn’t all that well carried out to begin with. But it’s near impossible to take seriously in terms of modern computer literacy.

However, the movie does have one saving grace. This occurs after Superman is turned evil by artificial Kryptonite. Superman’s metaphorical internal struggle becomes literal, as the evil Superman battles Clark Kent, who represents the goodness and humanity of the character. The scene plays out beautifully, and saves the film from mediocrity.

Superman: The Quest For Peace had noble intentions. Christopher Reeve contributed to the screenplay, wanting to tell a story with a message about nuclear disarmament. However, like Superman III, the writing quality fails to live up to the first two films. For example, there’s the  revelation of Superman’s new power, Rebuild-the-Great-Wall-Of-China-vision.

Also, the movie was hampered by some drastic cuts in budget. The special effects are noticeably much cruder than the previous movies. For example, some scenes of Superman flying are achieved through animation, rather than the graceful live-action flight used in the earlier films.

While Gene Hackman returns as Luthor, his henchman, the incompetent, but likeable Otis has been replaced by Lex’s less congenial nephew Lenny Luthor. Interestingly enough, Lenny is played by Jon Cryer, who grew up to play Lex Luthor in the CW Supergirl series.

Positives Cont.

There are two respects in which the Superman 5-Film Collection really shines. First is the picture and sound quality. With these films on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, this is the best that these movies have ever looked outside of the movie theatre, and likely will remain so for quite awhile – at least until 8K definition becomes the norm for home video.

The secondis in the wealth of special features available in this set. Warner previously released a DVD set with a huge release of additional content as the Ultimate Superman Collector’s Edition set. This content was then carried over to HD Blu-Ray in the Superman Motion Picture Anthology.

The  4K UHD disks in this new set don’t contain any extras beyond commentaries. However, an HD Blu-Ray disc of the five films are included. Each of these is a reissue of the same disc from the Motion Picture Anthology. Thus, each of these discs brings a copious helping of bonus features.

These include the typical fare of behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, documentaries, and many other notable items. There’s Superman and The Mole-Men, the pilot movie for the George Reeves TV series, WB Cartoons with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Private Snafu parodying Superman. As well as the complete Fleischer Superman cartoons of the 1940s. These last are only in Standard Definition (i.e. DVD quality) . But if you want them in High Definition, you’re in luck. Warner is releasing them as a standalone Blu-Ray later this month.

Positives Cont.

It’s great to see that theatrical trailers of the films are also included. It’s irks me when a home video release doesn’t include the feature film’s trailers. This is the absolute bare minimum that should be included with any home video release. Thus, I am pleased to see that Warner remembered to include them here.

Negatives

While the special features from these five Blu-Ray discs are carried over from the Motion Picture Anthology, that was an eight disc set.  This means that 3 discs and their special features are not included in the 5-Film Collection. The Blu-Ray set also included the Extended Version of Superman: The Movie, Superman Returns, and a dedicated Special Features disc.

Thus, some buyers will have to decide what you want out of this set. Is owning the complete set of special features your priority? Or is having the superior picture quality more important to you? If you don’t have a 4K capable TV and disc player, and don’t plan on upgrading anytime soon, or if 1080p HD is good enough for your tastes, then you should be quite happy with the older Blu-Ray set, which includes the full set of features. However, if you want the best available picture, and special features are not vital, then the 5-Film Collection is the best choice.

Negatives Cont.

The real dilemma is for those of us who want the best of both worlds. To get the movies in 4K and the full wealth of extras, there is no choice but to double-dip. The 5-Film Collection is still worth getting. But carefully consider whether you want to sell or give away the Blu-Ray set if you already own it.

And it’s also a bit disappointing that the 4K set didn’t include the Extended Edition and Superman Returns from the Motion Picture Anthology. It would also be nice to have Richard Donner’s director’s cut from 2001 (a.k.a. the Special Edition). However, their absence isn’t a huge detriment to this 4K collection.

Verdict

The movies included in the Superman 5-Film collection include a true classic, two versions of a flawed classic, and a great selection of extras. This more than makes up for the final two films, which are mediocre at best. If you want the best viewing experience possible for viewing these movies in your home, then this set will be a worthy addition to your library. However, if you want the full selection of extra features, then you might want to consider purchasing the older Blu-Ray Superman Motion Picture Anthology instead of or along with this set.

The post Blu-Ray Review: Superman 5-Film Collection (4K UHD) appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Dan Jurgens, Robert Venditti, Andy Schmidt

Artist: Mike Perkins, Marco Santucci, Paul Pelletier, Norm Rapmund, Bernard Chang, Joe Prado, Colleen Doran, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Dan Jurgens, Keven Nowlan

Colours: Hi-Fi

Letters: Tom Napolitano

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Generations Forged #1: Dispersed through time by the villain Dominus, our ragtag team of generational heroes—featuring 1939 Batman, Kamandi, Superboy, Steel, Starfire, Sinestro, Booster Gold and Dr. Light—must find a way to restore the timeline…and what they ultimately discover is something far, far greater. You’ll have to read it to believe it as time dies…and generations rise!

Positives

I will have to deviate from the standard DC Comics News format for reviews for this one, as I have a lot to say about Generations Forged #1 and it’s not easy to separate the good from the bad. So I will discuss the Linearverse as a separate section, which incorporates elements of both. However, this is not to say that the book is bad overall. Generally, it was a fun story that I enjoyed reading. I even enjoyed the process analyzing it to find the nitpicks that I will be getting into a bit further down.

The story’s concept is a winner: take characters representative of various eras in DC’s publishing history and put them together to face an ultimate threat to all existence. This allows us to see characters that wouldn’t usually be able to rub shoulders working together. It also allows us to see some favourites characters that haven’t been in the spotlight for a bit like Steel, Kamandi, or Booster Gold. The Generations specials are very reminiscent of Crisis on Infinite Earths, but with a more manageable cast of characters.

Positives Cont.

Also, DC has put some of it’s best talents on this projects. While other writers have headlined high-profile projects in recent years, Dan Jurgens and Robert Venditti have produced some of the best runs in the regular monthly books. However, this isn’t to knock Andy Schmidt, but these Generation specials are his DC debut, so I have little knowledge of his previous work.

There are also a number of amazing artistic talents on display here. It is particularly effective to have a range of artists to display the various settings and times in different artistic styles. And they all do a great job for capturing the feel of the DC era represented in their own sections of the book.

Negatives

There is not much that I can point out that is wholly negative. There is one thing, though. Do you really need to have a variant cover for a book with a cover price of ten bucks, DC? I really wish you would stop trying to bleed us completionists dry. I suppose I should be happy that at least they didn’t decide to give this the “decade variants” treatment.

The Linearverse

First, a short history lesson is necessary at this point. Pay attention, as there’s going to be a quiz at the end.

So much has happened that it seems longer, but it was only about a year ago that DC was dropping hints about a major restructuring of DC continuity. Rumour had it that this new continuity would be called “G5”, although this name was never officially confirmed. Dan DiDio was giving peeks at a new timeline of DC history broken up into five generations, from the Golden Age to the new post-Death Metal era. DC even went so far to solicit a series of specials labelled Generation One to Generation Five. Starting with a Generation Zero preview for Free Comic Book Day 2020.

Then Dan DiDio left DC. Whether he was fired or he quit is unclear, but the upshot is that he was out of the picture. And as the main architect of “G5”, its future was unclear. On top of that Covid caused a shutdown of the comics industry. FCBD was put on hiatus, but it wasn’t long before news came that the Generation Zero preview was cancelled and the Generation specials disappeared from DC’s solicitations.

The Linearverse Cont.

It gradually became clear that DC had scrapped whatever G5 was supposed to be, with a different cosmology arising from Death Metal. That series eventually revealed DC’s new continuity model as the “DC Omniverse”. But what exactly would have DiDio’s G5 continuity have looked like? I believe Generations Forged #1 gives us a possible answer to that, as well as a hint of how it relates to the new, mostly undefined Omniverse.

In Generations Shattered #1 and Generations Forged #1, the writers have created a story that appears to merge some of the unused material for G5 along with new material to produce a story that fits into the new DC Omniverse cosmology. It does that by creating a new Earth that embodies DiDio’s timeline – or at least something approximating it. They christened this universe, “the Linearverse”.

The basic premise relies on the fact that the characters age a lot slower in the Linearverse. As Waverider explains to Batman, “Here, people age far more slowly, living much longer than elsewhere. Your youth and vitality will endure for decades, enabling you to be effective far longer than the universal norm”. This long lifespan allows the characters to live through the various eras of DC’s publishing history, evolving to fit each era. Thus Batman, for example,  can still be in his prime in the 2020s, yet the stories of him fighting gangsters in the 1930s can exist in the same canon. Thus, the characters of this story weren’t pulled from multiple different Earths, but from different eras along the Linearverse’s timeline.

Linearverse Cont.

When I first read this, I was under the impression that Generation Forged was supposed to be showing the current state of the main DCU. I was therefore quite frustrated with this revelation, as it seems overly complicated and wouldn’t really hold logically. If this was the main DCU’s continuity, it would come apart quickly, and likely break down into a mess that could only be solved with yet another continuity reset.

However, word has been circulating that the Linearverse is not the central DCU we see in DC’s main line of titles. It’s something separate in its own little corner of the DC Universe.  This news came as a relief to me and allowed me to accept that having such a universe has some benefits.

The main benefit of this is that it gives writers a sandbox in which they can play with the characters in any DC era. For example, by setting a story in the Linearverse, they can show us a story of the Justice League set in the Silver Age without upsetting the continuity in the current Justice League title.

In short, I don’t think the Linearverse is a concept that is logically stable enough to use as the foundation for DC’s continuity going forward. If Dan DiDio envisioned the DCU looking like this, then I’m glad DC went another direction. But it does give a setting rife with potential for stories set outside DC canon. In short, the Linearverse is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want DC to live there.

Verdict

Overall, I had a great time reading Generations Forged #1 and its predecessor, Generations Shattered . It was an entertaining adventure spanning different eras of DC’s publishing history. It read like a bite-sized version of Crisis On Infinite Earths. And while at first, I thought it held some worrisome implications for DC continuity, those fears have been assuaged. But I won’t be pleased if Infinite Frontier reveals that the Linearverse is the main DC Universe after all.

The post Review: Generations Forged #1 appeared first on DC Comics News.

Below is the press release direct from The CW:

THE CW NETWORK SETS PREMIERE DATES FOR NEW SEASON

The post CW Network Announces 2021 Premiere Dates appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Art: Ryan Sook & Wade Von Grawbadger

Colors: Jordie Bellaire

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

After the Trial of the Legion of Super-Heroes, the team breaks into smaller group missions to New Krypton, Rimbor, Oa and Xanthu leaving Saturn Girl and Jon Kent in New Gotham for a date.

Positives

Breaking the team into smaller groups for missions comes across well in Legion of Super-Heroes #10.  It is effective in getting more Legionnaires in the issue and surprisingly it manages to move multiple plotlines forward.  There are enough character moments that allow the reader to get to know more about some Legionnaires as well.  We finally get the low down on Gold Lantern and how things work with Oa in the 31st Century and Mon-El’s lineage gets another reveal. (See more on that below!)  There’s a lot of content in this issue, which is not usually the case.  It’s dense in the sense that it doesn’t feel like a quick 5 minute read.

Apparently, there’s no Green Lantern Corps anymore, but the Gold Lantern is the current wielder of the emotional spectrum.  The Guardians have themselves developed, thus altering their use of a Lantern Corps.  There are still questions, but the Gold Lantern has his own questions as well.

Saturn Girl and Jon’s date gets interrupted by Police Commissioner Sevenbergen.  She has news on Mordru’s escape.  Despite his characterization in Legion of Super-Heroes #1, Mordru now appears much closer to his classic depiction as Sevenbergen seems to dread the notion of dealing with magic as much as Jon.  It’s not clear whether Bendis is reimagining him as he goes along or this was always part of the plan.  Suffice it to say, it appears that Mordru will seem much more familiar going forward instead of the joke he was in the first issue.

This leads to the final couple pages of the issue as Mordru finds an unfortunately familiar character on Xanthu.  No, it’s not Starboy….  These final pages show Sook and Von Grawbadger channeling some Keith Giffen, and they look great!.  If the mystery character revealed was a better character, it might me interesting.  As it is, Mordru tracking down Rogol Zarr is just one of the …

Negatives

…in the issue.  Bendis already proved how boring and purposeless Zaar was in twenty some issues of Superman.  There’s no need to rekindle that kind of disappointment for Legion readers.  No, really!  

Unfortunately, the art is erratic in Legion of Super-Heroes #10.  While the homage to Giffen on the last few pages looks great, and provides a nostalgic moment, the first page of the issue is painful.  Val Armorr gives us the introduction to the issue, and instead of looking like a teenager, he looks like an old man!  

While many readers will be excited to learn more of Mon-El’s family tree, there’s a huge question in the mix somewhere.  So, (spoiler immediately ahead) Mon-El is the great-grandson of General Zod (drawn looking like Curt Swan’s Superman!).  Mon-El is apparently descended from both Jon Kent AND General Zod!  This doesn’t fit at all with Mon-El.  Sure, these are new versions of characters, but Mon-El is not Kryptonian…it just feels way off even knowing it’s a new version.

Secondly, Mon-El is said to be “coupling” with Shadow Lass in this issue and then also revealed to have three kids on New Krypton?  So, what’s going on with that.  How old is Mon-El?  How does he have 3 children already- and the one we see is young.  Who’s the mother?  It’s clearly not Shadow Lass.   Unfortunately, instead of being an intriguing mystery, it paints a very unflattering view of Mon-El and pushes him even further away from being a likable character.

Verdict

Legion of Super-Heroes #10 is above average, but not without it’s faults.  This iteration of the Legion has been as such.  There are moments that are really good, but many more that either just feel off or are just not executed well.  While there is some excitement in “the coming darkness,” which could now be Rogol Zaar, Mordru, or both, the revelations about Mon-El are just disappointing and there’s absolutely no fire in the “coupling” of Imra and Jon.  

The post Review: Legion of Super-Heroes #10 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Nick Derington

Letters: John Hill

Colors: Dave McCaig  

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

Summary

Batman/Superman #7 – In the aftermath of “The Infected,” the World’s Finest create new measures to prevent hidden and dangerous super-villain plots in the future. Using new technology to track villains throughout the DC Universe, the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel are startled to discover that General Zod has returned to Earth and that his new target is…Ra’s al Ghul!

What is Zod’s plan, and what does it have to do with the destroyed bottle city of Kandor? Find out in the first chapter of a two-part epic featuring the work of artist Nick Derington!

Positives

Joshua Williamson provides a timeout for the World’s Finest as Williamson breaks from  The Batman Who Laughs virus storyline.  This issue would be digested better if readers purchased Year of the Villain:  Hell Arisen #3.  

Editor Paul Kaminski alludes to that in that these next two issues precede the events of Year of the Villain.  So I will buy in to see how Zod and Ra’s Al Ghul fit in.

First, it is wonderful that the Demon Al Ghul is back in action and not in Neal Adam’s grasp as he has been lately.  Love Adam’s art, but that script writing….whew!

This is a wonderful plot line.  Zod wants to build Krypton.  Ra’s Al Ghul has Lazarus Pits.  What could go wrong?  Didn’t anyone read Pet Cemetary?

Positives 2.0

Williamson’s writing is strong and his work needs to be accompanied by James Tynion IV’s recent work on Year of the Villain:  Hell Arisen #3.  These works need to be read in concert as both issues are pertinent in this storyline.  I do appreciate that Superman and Batman work in concert, and both are torn through their personal allegiances or disdain to their particular foes.

I am amazed how Batman can be in the same room with Ra’s Al Ghul.  However, in-laws are in-laws.  And his exchange with Al Ghul…”You don’t want to get in between two Kryptonians!”  Good comic gold!

As much as the writing is great, the art is superlative.  Nick Derington provides clean lines and attention to detail.  There’s an old school charm to how he draws both Superman and Batman.  And I appreciate his scruffiness he provides with both Zod and Ra’s Al Ghul.  Looks like the Demon needs to take a dip into this own Pit!

Negatives

It’s hard not to ping-pong back and forth between this issue and YOTV:  Hell Arisen.  This comic stands alone, but Hell Arisen has plot implications here as well.  

So those of you invested into this World’s Finest comic need to make the investment in the Year of the Villain series as well.  And that might be viewed as a negative on the wallet!

Verdict

Batman/Superman #7 – Just seeing two iconic villains come face to face with Superman and Batman really in the wings on this one, it just seems right.  I don’t like that we have to wait to see what implications this may have for The Batman Who Laughs.  With a story line this important, it seems odd to take a bit of a time out.  But time will tell how important this story contributes to the demise or rise of The Batman Who Laughs!

The post Review: Batman/Superman #7 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Kevin Maguire

Colours: Paul Mounts

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Superman #17: Superman’s new Fortress of Solitude sits in the most remote corner of the Bermuda Triangle. Constructed using Kryptonian technology far beyond anything our world knows, filled with intergalactic, pan-dimensional secrets from all over the Multiverse…how could it possibly be missing?

Positives

We see Superman in a number of vignettes, showing different facets of the character. The issue opens with Superman attempting to break up a conflict between two alien space fleets. This is an interesting avenue for storytelling that Bendis has opened with his “Unity Saga” storyline. By putting Superman at the center of the formation of the United Planets, Superman has now taken on a new role as an interstellar statesman, especially as he seems to be the de facto emissary of Earth to the rest of the galaxy.

Then we see him with Lois. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much of Lois in this title for a while, but we finally get to see Clark and his wife get to have an extended conversation. It’s a touching heart to heart, and reminds us that each has just lost their father, and they both are missing their son, who has gone off to the 31st Century.

This conversation also shows that despite Clark’s superhuman abilities, Lois is the stronger emotionally. She is willing to put her own emotional pain on the back burner to help Clark work through his pain.

They also discuss the mysterious gift that Lex Luthor gave to Lois. She doesn’t reveal the contents to him, but assures Clark that she can handle it herself.  Although Superman is suspicious of Luthor and feels protective of Lois, he ultimately trusts her assessment.

Positives Cont.

We still don’t know what this is, but Lois states, “It’s something that I have to publish.. in The Daily Planet.” Bendis is strongly hinting that whatever is in the box, it’s something big. I hope that Bendis doesn’t keep us wondering about this for much longer, as we’ve already been kept waiting for a while now.

Superman then shows off his badassery by shutting down an illegal S.T.A.R. Labs facility merely by showing up. He doesn’t have to actually do anything, as his very presence moves the entire installation to immediately surrender – well, except for the leader who flees the scene. This is pretty cool demonstration of how powerful Superman’s reputation is in the DCU. Batman is not the only hero who can win a fight using solely through intimidation.

He then meets with Supergirl and they travel to visit Zod’s New Krypton. It’s somewhat strange to see Superman and Zod on relatively friendly terms, especially for Kara. She clearly states her discomfort and that it will take her time to adjust to the truce between the Els and the Zods.

Then Clark has a brief talk with Kara, telling her that he has made a decision that will affect her. “This will affect everybody I know but it’s — it’s really going to affect you the most.” When she asks what it is, he just states, “It’s about truth.” Now this is all rather cryptic – or it would be if DC hadn’t already announced that Superman is planning on going public with his secret identity. This is an interesting idea, but what’s the point of being mysterious about it, when we already know what’s being hinted at?

Negatives

Actually, there’s not a lot to complain about this issue. I still have several reservations about some of the changes Bendis has introduced to the mythos, but this issue is a strong story, with emotion, humour, and a bit of adventure. And the art is great too.

Verdict

Bendis’ work on this title has been hit and miss, but this issue would definitely count as a hit. If Bendis could just get every issue to be as enjoyable as Superman #17, then this could be one of the best titles in DC’s current lineup.

The post Review: Superman #17 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artists: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert

Colours: Alex Sinclair

Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Superman #14: Lex Luthor is back in Metropolis—and he’s ready to wreak havoc! First stop, the most dangerous woman in the DC Universe: Lois Lane! Alone, her family a galaxy away, will Lois be tempted by Apex Lex’s offer? What does Lex have that this reporter can’t turn away from? Don’t miss this shocking new twist in the Superman mythos!

Positives

Superman #14 has been causing a bit of a stir amongst comics fans in the past few weeks. It and Supergirl #33 were supposed to be released two weeks ago, but DC requested for retailers to destroy the copies they received, which would be replaced by corrected copies.

Ostensibly, the reason for this was that the original covers featured branding that linked the issues to the Year of the Villain event, but that the story itself didn’t actually tie into the event. However, there was speculation that the real reason was that there was a last minute decision to change Lightning Lad’s ethnicity.

Now that the official version of this issue has dropped, we can officially end the speculation. So which is the real reason? It is true that the story has no evident connection to the Year of the Villain story.

But why did they also replace the copies with the variant cover, which contained no Year of the Villain branding, unless they changed something in the interior pages?

Well, side-by-side comparison shows that the colouring is altered slightly. However, it seems to have been an innocent enough mistake that was corrected. The first version gave Garth a skin tone that seemed somewhat ambiguous, but the corrected version makes it clear that Garth is indeed black.

I won’t get into arguments about whether DC was right or wrong to make this change to the character. I have mixed feelings when such changes are made to characters and sometimes it works, but often it doesn’t. Ultimately, the onus on Bendis to make his changes work. Any changes that don’t work will almost certainly be changed again the next time the Legion sees a reboot.

Positives Cont.

One effect this delay has caused is for the Legion of Super-Heroes’ return to the DCU to happen the exact same week as the Justice Society’s return in Justice League #30. Even if accidental, I find that it’s rather fitting that DC has brought back their foremost team from the future the very same week as their foremost team from the past.

One thing I like is the uneasy alliance that has formed between Superman and Zod. This story has brought them together through the bond of being Krypton’s last survivors. Zod is now no longer merely seeking revenge upon Superman for being Jor-El’s son, but cares about the future of his own family and the other remaining Kryptonians. Bendis has given Zod a depth that previous writers haven’t.

I also noticed some interesting figures amongst the dignitaries that Superman and Superboy are addressing. The mother of Linya Wazzo (Phantom Girl from the Terrifics) was present to represent Bgztl. And apparently, even Atrocitus was there for Ysmault. And I did appreciate seeing Garryn Bek and Strata from L.E.G.I.O.N., even if only as a cameo. Hey DC, how about a new L.E.G.I.O.N. title?

As for the Legion of Super-Heroes, they made a stunning entrance, and I am delighted to see them return to the DCU. I have some trepidation about the changes Bendis has made to the team, but I am willing to give Bendis the chance to win me over with his interpretation of the Legion.

I have mixed feelings about the story in this issue. On the plus side, I actually like the resolution that Bendis has concocted for his Unity Saga, using the conspiracy that led to Krypton’s destruction to spark the formation of the United Planets. It really was a brilliant way to tie up the story.

Negatives

Despite this well executed resolution to the story, I really dislike a lot of the changes Bendis introduced to the Superman mythos to bring us to this point: Jor-El surviving Krypton, the artificial aging of Jon, making an unknown new character the destroyer of Krypton, etc. I like the ending of Bendis’ story, but I don’t like the beginning very much.

It also seems to me to be somewhat irresponsible for the Legion to appear in that way at that exact time. The dignitaries present are in the middle of making their decision whether or not to form the United Planets when a large group of beings who claim to be from the future arrive to witness the start of the United Planets. You would think that they would want to avoid accidentally changing such a pivotal historic moment.

Unless… could it be that someone deliberately planned their appearance to effect a change in their past. Is it possible someone with a 12th level intelligence wanted to alter history to make sure that the United Planets was formed at that point?

And what ramifications might they face if they just changed their own history? And will the Time Trapper ignore them messing about with the past?

Verdict

Honestly, this story has been a bit of a slog to read, and I have strong reservations about many of Bendis’ changes to the mythos, but Bendis ended this turbulent flight with a smooth landing. Hopefully, is signalling an improvement that will continue as Bendis moves into the next storyline.

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[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Director: Ruba Nadda

Writers: Luke Kalteux & Cameron Welsh

Starring: Cameron Cuffe, Georgina Campbell, Shaun Sipos, Colin Salmon, Ann Ogbomo, Wallis Day

Reviewed by: Cameron Tevis

Summary

The remnants of the moon Wegthor rain down on Krypton but crash harmlessly into the city shields. Zod learns that many in the rebellion survived the moons destruction, including Val-El.

Nyssa and Adam Strange lament over their recent losses. But during that conversation, Nyssa learns about Adam’s Zeta Beam technology.  She sees the zeta beam as her chance to save Jor-El.

The remaining survivors of the rebellion discover that Seg-El has survived. They reunite and decide they must strike at Dru-Zod.

Nyssa steals the Zeta beam and activates it. She is teleported to a beautiful planet, but one ravaged by war. She sees winged men flying high in the sky.

The rebellion has one more night to enjoy themselves before they confront Zod. Val gives Adam something very special.

Lyta and Seg confront Zod with the fate of Krypton and the entire universe at stake.

Positives

This episode had so many great moments. It was good to see the conclusion of the fight against Zod, but it was the set-up for next season that was really exciting.

One of my biggest gripes for the entire series was their use of Adam Strange. Strange wasn’t a time-traveler so I didn’t understand why they chose him. But since they did, they still were not utilizing the character to his fullest. This episode saw Adam receive his signature red suit and rocket pack. Therefore, next season he should be more in line with his character in the comics. And of course, there is the return of Lobo.

But the biggest takeaway from this episode is what Nyssa witnessed while on Rann. She found Rann but discovered it was at war. She saw the mark of the Omega Men rebellion on the side of a mountain. Then she looked up and saw an army of winged men flying across the sky.  There are so many possibilities for season 3 now that it can’t get here soon enough.

Negatives

The last two episode have been exceptional. It has been difficult to find anything wrong with them. But if I do have a complaint it once again goes back to Adam Strange. It’s exciting they are finally showing hints of the one true Adam Strange, but I don’t understand the road to get there. Why did they paralyze him in order to get the suit finally? It makes very little sense. Strange has never been paralyzed. But with how great the show has become I am more than willing to see how his story plays out.

Verdict

I enjoyed season one, but many people complained at the slow pace. If you are one of the people that felt that way, I highly recommend you give season 2 a try. For as much as I did enjoy season one, season 2 was far superior in every regard. It also explores the DC Universe in a very exciting way. If season 3 lives up to its potential with Thanagar, the Omega Men and Adam Strange, then I expect next season will be even better.

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[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Director: Marc Roskin

Writers: Kiersten Van Horne

Starring: Cameron Cuffe, Georgina Campbell, Shaun Sipos, Colin Salmon, Wallis Day

Reviewed by: Cameron Tevis

Summary

Zod’s forces continue to scour Krypton in search of Doomsday. However, Doomsday has broken free and attacks a vessel in the search party.

Meanwhile, Val and Jax-Ur meet with the colonists on Wegthor to rally the resistance.

Elsewhere, Seg and Adam wake up to find themselves captured by Lobo. Lobo. While Lobo introduces himself, he throws Adam’s Zeta beam into a nearby river. Despite Lobo’s theatrical self-introduction, they still have no clue who he is. This surprises Lobo since he believed everyone’s heard of him. Seg realizes Lobo was hunting Brainiac when he captured them instead. Seg promises to take him the lifeless body of Brainiac in return for their freedom.

Lyta-Zod asks her father to allow her to train conscripts to help locate Doomsday and maintain order. He denies her request. He knows he needs her safe. But to satiate her on some level, he allows her to train Sagitari within Kandor.

Seg and Adam lead Lobo back to Brainiac’s body. However, Lobo’s scanners read that Brainiac is no longer in the body. As a result, Lobo decides to kill Seg and Adam. To everyone’s surprise, Seg manages to deflect the attack. Lobo’s scanner goes off and reveals that Brainiac fled inside Seg’s body.

Nyssa is reunited with Val and Jax-ur.  Nyssa immediately tells them of Zod’s plan to use her to get information.

Lobo and a Brainiac-possessed Seg battle it out. Seg finds he is stronger and smarter than normal. But he is still unable to stop the main man, Lobo. Adam uses one of Lobo’s own weapons and fires at him while his back is turned. This stops Lobo, but Seg and Adam run for it when they see Lobo begin to heal.

Lyta begins letting her anger get the best of her. She beats a pupil so badly he is hospitalized. In order to manipulate her and bring her back to a sense of normalcy, Zod gives Nyssa’s baby to her to remind her of Seg’s sacrifice.

Seg knows he can’t bring Brainiac back to Krypton and decides to stay on Colu.

Positives

Lobo takes center stage in this episode. Emmett J. Scanlan does a great job bringing the Main Man to the screen. He is humorous, rash, not too bright, ruthless and outright fun to watch. He steals each scene he is in.  It will be interesting to see where they take his character.  They recently announced a Lobo spin-off series was in development at Syfy. If this is just a taste of what that show might be like, then I can’t wait to see the pilot.

Negatives

Lyta-Zod’s decline is too much too quickly. She hasn’t had enough happen to her to become as cold and ruthless as she has become. I have no issue with her character going to a dark place, but the rate at which she did makes it less believable. Every time she does something even more drastic than before, it takes the viewer out of the scene to ask themselves, “where did that come from?”

Verdict

This season has been a great follow up so far. The pacing is faster than last season, while the visuals are as good as ever.  The tease of Doomsday is great and hints that they will have the big encounter with him at the end of the season. I only hope Lobo is required to help them stop Doomsday.

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