Hal Pictures Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!: Sweet Sweet Anticipation

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Friday, August 12, 2011

Sweet Sweet Anticipation

If you are a DC fan, then you know of course, that August is the month where all of our beloved...and not so beloved books...wind up their plot lines, some of them to be cancelled, some of them to be revamped, and some of them to continue in September's vaunted Relaunch of the entire DC Line. No fewer than 52 books are going to be coming out, and all of this has obviously been covered ad nauseum for quite a few weeks now.

And as sad as I am to see some books ending, not to mention my dismay at the way that some of them ARE ending...I cannot help but admit to a tiny feeling of...anticipation.

Anticipation is one of the things that Comics do so well. The cliffhanger ending. The wait of four weeks until NEXT months book, so that we can find out what happened. The gentle sweat of desire that fills our bosoms. And at the same time, the dread that perhaps it isn't going to be as GOOD as it should be...that somehow things will get screwed up, because let's face it, that happens. A LOT. But sometimes it doesn't, and there is always the hope that this month...yes, THIS month, we are going to read the Best Comic Book Ever.

I'm reminded of one of the single greatest sentences in the English language, written by William Faulkner of all people, in "Intruder in the Dust". Faulkner usually drives me insane, but this phrase about the Battle of Gettysburg is sheer genius.

"For evry Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it's still not yet two o'clock on that July afternoon in 1865, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are loaded and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it's all in the balance, it hasn't happened yet, it hasn't even begun yet, it not only hasn't begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin against that position and those circumstances...yet it's going to begin, we all know that, we have come too far with too much at stake and that moment doesn't need even a fourteen-year old boy to think 'this time. maybe this time' with all this much to lose and all this much to gain: Pennsylvania, Maryland, the world, the golden dome of Washington itself to crown with desperate and unbelievable victory the desperate gamble, the cast made two years ago: or to anyone who ever sailed even a skiff under a quilt sail, the moment in 1492 when somebody thought 'This is it:' the absolute edge of no return, to turn back now and make home or sail irrevocably on and either find land or plunge over the world's soaring rim."

Whew!

I'm not quite sure that this is exactly what Dan Dideo and the rest of DC actually thinks, but it comes close, in my estimation. It hasn't happened yet, and perhaps it WILL be the greatest thing ever, or else it will all crash and burn...but burn magnificently.

Or maybe, it is just Friday afternoon, and I'm feeling a bit punchy because the blessed weekend is before me. Or because I really really want this Relaunch to work. I Want My Comics To Be...Good. I want everyone to buy them and read them, and pass them along to their children or their younger siblings, or to whomever, so that THEY become comic fans, and so that the whole tottering edifice continues to exist.

Please, God, don't let it suck.

6 Comments:

At 12:33 PM, Blogger Erin S. said...

I'm trying to be positive and exited about it. Some things actually sound good and most of the things I don't like (so far) I'm ignoring and/or not planning on getting. Even the books I'm not reading I look forward to reading reviews on. For good or ill this is something for people to talk about and I do enjoying discussing comics with other fans. Sometimes there can be great talks that are just as good if not better than the actual comics.

I plan on having fun with the reviews that will either reflect my utter joy, apathy or distaste. Because comics should be fun, or at least make you feel something that reflects their genre. Whether it's horror, mystery, etc. Looking forward to seeing how it goes.

 
At 12:41 PM, Blogger SallyP said...

I have to admit that I am really looking forward to some of the books, such as Blue Beetle, and JLI, and Resurrection Man, among others. I'm glad that Green Lantern will come through more or less unscathed.

But really, Hawk and Dove by Liefeld? Who was clamoring for THAT?

 
At 1:48 PM, Blogger Erich said...

I'm also keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. Sad to see some titles go, but looking forward to others.

On an unrelated note (except inasmuch as it relates to "anticipation"), I'm looking forward to DragonCon in a few weeks, and it's inspired me to ask for a little feedback. I've shared some of my "musical sketchbook" commissions with you, and I just thought I'd ask if there were any character/song combinations you'd like to see?

I've got a few ideas in mind for sketches from this year's DragonCon guests, and have posted them here. Of course, there are many more guests that I'd love to get sketches from, if not for the constraints of time and money. (Mike Grell! Amanda Conner!) I'd love to hear if you have any "musical sketch" ideas...not necessarily with specific artists in mind, but just general character/music mash-ups.

 
At 2:25 PM, Blogger SallyP said...

You have some really terrific ideas for character/song combinations. I'm actually terrible at this sort of thing.

 
At 5:11 AM, Anonymous Accursed Interloper said...

Hawkman in his own title, right from the git-go, I like that.
The prospect of a Hawkman who ISN'T the fusion-slash-synthesis of two incompatible pre-existing Hawkmen, I hope for that.
I don't care whether he's a reincarnated pharaoh or a Thanagarian riot cop, as long as he's NOT BOTH.

"Who was clamoring for THAT?"

Back in the 1990s, I used really enjoy not buying and not reading many many titles by Rob Liefield, so this for me recaptures some of that joy. I look forward to not reading this comic so much that I almost might be not reading it already, this very moment.

 
At 4:29 PM, Blogger ShellyS said...

I am feeling no anticipation. Not even a bit. All I'm feeling right now is sadness, regret, and dread.

However, I've read that Dynamite is adding The Shadow, so I'm looking forward to that. I might manage enough titles after all to maintain a pull list at my LCS. They have a minimum number of titles for that, but I don't recall the number. I'm hoping to find some other non-DC books to read, too.

 

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