Talking About Comics

  The New History of the DC Universe #1-4 Originally released in 2025 Written by Mark Waid Art by Todd Nauck et al. Continuity can be a difficult thing in a long-running series.  People try to make sure that everything stays consistent, but sometimes there are little errors that get overlooked, or changes to characters' backstories (retcons, or retroactive continuity) either for the purpose of the plot or because the real world passage of time makes certain events impossible or unlikely. (The backstories of Iron Man and the Punisher were changed to take place during the fictional Siancong War because of the increasing implausibility of them taking part in the Vietnam War) In the world of comics, DC is a testament to the difficulty of this, as there are at least four different continuities created as DC tried to revitalize or simplify their universe - the Golden Age (from Action Comics 1 in 1938 to some time in the 1950s; this later became Earth-2), the Silver Age (from Barry A...

Black Widow #1-4 Originally released in 2014 Written by Nathan Edmondson Art by Phil Noto One character who I haven't focused on much is Black Widow, so when I saw one of her series listed in Marvel Unlimited as a good entry point for comics, I decided to read some of that.  Seemingly made in the aftermath of the 2012 Avengers movie (or maybe in the lead-up to 2015's Age of Ultron, or possibly around the time of Captain America: The Winter Soldier; I'm guessing it was somehow MCU-related), this series has Black Widow completing mercenary jobs around the world to make up for her past. What immediately stands out to me is the artwork, which looks like a high quality painting and gives the book a cinematic feel in its page layout and how the images are framed. I haven't read many books that Phil Noto has worked on, but this definitely has me interested in reading more. Natasha has a lawyer who acts as her handler and accountant, sending her money where she wants it to go. ...

Green Lantern #76-80 Originally released in 1970 Written by Dennis O'Neil Art by Neal Adams There was a point in DC's history where Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) traveled the country, handling various social issues.  I haven't read that, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Even from the start, this definitely feels angrier than a lot of DC's comics of the era, and it wears its heart on its sleeve when it comes to a hatred of bigotry and the wealthy. When Hal saves someone who was attacked, he's met with people jeering him and throwing things at him, and Green Arrow is sorely tempted to join in. The man who was attacked is Jubal Slade, a corrupt landlord who leaves people living in a run-down apartment building and has decided that it's more profitable to tear the building down and turn it into a parking lot.  It feels like something out of the first few Superman comics, where you can tell the people behind the series had an axe to gr...