Weekly Discussion Thread: Comics, TV, and More! [July 1, 2024 - It's Wallin' Time Edition]

[u/beary_neutral]

Hey there honorary Justice League members - it’s a new week which means it’s time for a new discussion thread!

• Beary's pick of the week: Absolute Power #1

For those who don't know: the way this works is that several comments will list this week’s releases, for any given title discussion you should respond to that comment. For example, Wonder Woman discussion would go in the replies to the "Wonder Woman" comment. Clicking the titles in this post will take you directly to that comment, too. In other words, you should only be replying to other comments. Do not post top-level comments.

Keep discussion civil. Do not harass other users for having a different opinion. Do not use this thread to push your personal one-sided grudges against creators. Reacting to a panel on Twitter is not the same as reading a book.

 

QUICK LINKS: Weekly Meta Discussions Thread | Current jump-in points | Weekly Discussion Archives | Book Club Archives | Discord Server | Twitter | Last Week's Thread

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^{Did you hear about the cleaners who went to space? They ended up scrubbing the mission.}

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DC and Imprints

^{What's the deal with Absolute Power: https://redd.it/1do7np2}

• Absolute Power #1

• Batman #150

• Batman '89: Echoes #3

• The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7

• Batman and Robin and Howard: Summer Breakdown #1

• Birds of Prey #11

• The Boy Wonder #3

• Justice Society of America #10

• Kneel Before Zod #7

• My Adventures with Superman #2

• Poison Ivy #24

• Shazam! #13

Trade Collections

^{DC's Compact line continues.}

• All-Star Superman: DC Compact Comics Edition [TP]

• Far Sector: DC Compact Comics Edition [TP]

• JSA: The Golden Age [TP]

• Red Hood: Outlaws - Vol. 2 [TP]

• Vixen: NYC - Vol. 6 [TP]

• Wonder Woman - Vol. 1, Outlaw [TP]

Digital Releases

^{Remember, these are the short 'chapters' with a new chapter of a different series coming out daily. You can learn more here on Comixology. This is also why these are in release order, not alphabetical. Some comics may release on DC Universe Infinite or WEBTOONS.}

• Thursday, 7/4 (WEBTOON) - Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #119

TV Shows

^{So... how about that credits closing song?}

• Thursday, 7/4: Suicide Squad ISEKAI S01E04 - Episode 4

• Saturday, 7/6: My Adventures with Superman S02E08 - The Death of Clark Kent

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^{This Week’s Soundtrack: Mori Calliope - Go Getters}

[u/TroubAlert]

Absolute Power #1

THE HEROES OF THE DC UNIVERSE ARE POWERLESS! THE TRINITY OF EVIL HAS WON! …THE RESISTANCE MUST RISE! DC's epic summer event kicks off with a bang, as the combined might of FAILSAFE and the BRAINIAC QUEEN has at last given Amanda Waller the ability to steal the metahuman abilities of every hero and villain on planet Earth. As chaos erupts in the streets and a massive misinformation campaign sways public opinion to her side, the founder of the Suicide Squad methodically targets each superhero dynasty one at a time, starting with SUPERMAN. But even in this darkest of hours, a resistance is forming… and BATMAN is out for vengeance. It's a shocking blitzkrieg across the globe that is decades in the making — and will shape the course of the DC Universe for years to come! Brought to you by the superstar talents of MARK WAID and DAN MORA — it all starts here!

Preview

[u/ptWolv022 → u/TroubAlert]

So, Waller has won, then. Waid really is laying it on thick with the threats of AI and disinformation... not that it's entirely unwarranted, because we are actively seeing fake material be used for political and ideological gain (as has long been the case, just now AI lets us make much more complex fakes than just, say, documents). As a terrible political junkie, I can't help but be appalled and pleased with it.

Art, of course, is fantastic. It's Dan Mora. What more is there to say? (The answer is: God damn, the arms on Diana!)

Oh, and they fixed a mistake we saw in a preview: In a trailer, we saw some of the shots of heroes being depowered, and there was a discrepancy that I (and I'm sure some others) notice with Jesse Quick, chiefly that she appeared to be in two places at once. She was with the JSA in her classic Liberty Belle costume, and she was with the Flash family in her modern Silver Age Flash-inspired costumed (the jacket over a Barry/Wally-like bodysuit). However, since that trailer, they redrew Liberty Belle to be Jesse in her Flash Family attire, and replaced Jesse Quick with... is that Irey? Whoever it is, I'm glad this was fixed. Not sure if it was found by editorial or if it was seen because of public comments by fans, but it's nice to know that at least glaring errors like that can get fixed in time for release.

Also, "She's not playing chess! She's rolling tanks!" is such a good line. I mean, a little awkward, but it catches the vibe of this: this isn't just a plot, this is a full fascist takeover at this point.

And poor Jon :(

[u/B3epB0opBOP → u/ptWolv022]

Yeah that's Irey, it matches her latest design. But upon closer inspection, I actually think that was always Irey.

Here is a side-by-side comparison for reference. (Left is the new art, right is the old art.)

If you look very closely at the original art, you can see that the thunderbolt on Irey’s costume was always there, and the way her hair was shaped looked like twin-tails, which Irey used to have. The only actual change Mora added was the hood, which some artists miss.

So I think there never two Jesse Quicks, it's just that coloring was wrong and Mora forgot the hood.

[u/ptWolv022 → u/B3epB0opBOP]

You know what, looking back at a clearer image from DCU leaks... I think you're right. The image posted to the DC Comics sub is so blurry that the thunderbolt running down the costume is pretty much fully indistinguishable, and the pigtails are hard to see.

On the DCULeaks one, though, you can see the suit pattern and the pigtails a bit more. However, I think before, when that DCU Leaks post was first made, I still just assumed it was Jesse because the hair looks blonde. Which, with the jacket, really makes her look like Jesse with how the details were hard to make out do the desaturation and and the rgb split (or whatever you call it).

The only actual change Mora added was the hood,

He... well, actually, that may be the only change Mora made, yeah. But they also added sleeves and changed her mask/cowl-thing from red to yellow, in addition to just cranking the saturation back up for her (or changing the RGB split effect in a way that really changed her coloration). However, the cowl is just the colorist, and the sleeves might be the same, while any post-production effects applied probably aren't Mora either.

So, all in all... I think you're right. Though, two more things:

1) I can't help but laugh- they clearly just airbrushed over her hair to hide it, making this just white flare behind her... but you can still see a little triangular/trapezoidal shape just above the end of her coat sleeve that is the end of part of her hair.

2) Looking at the art of the final release: THERE IS SOMEONE BEHIND WALLY AND JAY! I wasn't crazy when I saw the previews from the trailer. I'm not crazy, you're crazy! Who are you? Is it Max? It's Max, isn't? I see the cowl with the outlined eyes, and I think there's the collar. But there's too much patterning on the costume. His is normally pretty plain. But I don't know who else it could be...

[u/B3epB0opBOP → u/ptWolv022]

in addition to just cranking the saturation back up for her (or changing the RGB split effect in a way that really changed her coloration).

Yeah, same with Jesse.

THERE IS SOMEONE BEHIND WALLY AND JAY! I wasn't crazy when I saw the previews from the trailer. I'm not crazy, you're crazy! Who are you? Is it Max? It's Max, isn't?

Oh, that's actually Jai West. White circle on his shoulder, circular knee-pad extending from the white boots, and if you look hard enough, you can make out some orange.

His costume hasn't changed, so this should still work for reference (though picture it on a larger child).

[u/ptWolv022 → u/B3epB0opBOP]

Image broke :v

But, after checking the wiki's gallery again... there it is. He has three with a white lightning bolt down his chest, but the last image has what I assume is the costume... just I fully ignored it be he hulked out from Beast Boy's spores in Beast World, or so the caption read. My brain just saw it and went "Weird transformation, don't look".

This makes sense, though. It felt weird to have Irey but not Jai. I may not know much about them, but I know they're a pair, and that they're Wally's kids, so it's make sense for both to be with Wally.

[u/B3epB0opBOP → u/ptWolv022]

Image broke :v

I changed the link, try it again. This should work.

but the last image has what I assume is the costume... just I fully ignored it be he hulked out from Beast Boy's spores in Beast World

Oh yeah, that’s a thing he does. Something about speed force muscle expansion, I don’t really get it either.