I decided I should start wrapping up the thoughts I had during the week into one convenient post on Fridays. This way I can talk about things happening in comics in one quick glance. Let’s dive in!
Marvel:
This week in Marvel news, the MCU expanded with the release of What If… an animated series detailing alternate timelines and featuring Marvel’s characters in different roles than what we’re used to seeing. First up was Peggy Carter. While Peggy’s own pre-plus series is up for canonical debate, this episode shows what would have happened if Peggy had received the serum instead of everyone’s favorite Dorito shaped man Steve Rogers. The first episode’s strengths for me were how well it managed to condense the events of a two-hour movie into a forty-five minute episode, but also be coherent for someone who hasn’t seen the source material. Cliffnotes Cap! I also really enjoyed seeing Peggy in the spotlight, but that’s a whole separate post, coming out next Wednesday. It’ll also have thoughts on episode two, featuring the final appearance of Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther/T’Challa in an episode that asks “What if T’Challa had been taken from Earth by the Ravengers instead of Guardians of the Galaxy’s Star Lord?”
What If… Episode one “Captain Carter” now streaming on Disney+. New Episodes released every Wednesday.
While celebrating the success of What If… Marvel and Disney also got slapped with a little bit of humble pie. Actress Scarlett Johansson, who portrayed Black Widow in the MCU, filed a lawsuit against the media company for violation of contract. She alleges that the simultaneous release of Black Widow on the streaming site and in theaters was a ploy to gain streaming subscribers and damaged the box office draw of the film. Her contract specifies that she gets a percentage of box office profits. The streaming service sales don’t factor into her financial compensation. Personally, I think that regardless of the outcome of this suit, it’s opened up a huge conversation on adequate rights and pay. I’ve seen a lot of conversations happening on Twitter where comic creators are explaining how they don’t get a lot from these epic adaptations of their comic arcs. Hopefully moving forward we see a change in the compensation packages for the creators and talents who bring these stories to life.
As we talk about the creators who bring these stories to life, we also take a glance at how these stories have to end. Marvel announced that the Runaways title ends on issue #38, which is the 100th issue of the series overall. For those new to comics, titles can end and restart at a later date, which is what happened to Runaways. Issue #38 is the end of the fifth volume of the title. It’s a bittersweet moment for me, as Runaways was the first comic series I was interested in when I first started reading comics. I fell off the title during Volume 2 ( in retrospect, when Joss Whedon took over the series, which explains a lot.) but added this recent version to my pull list a few months ago. I’m bummed to see it go again.
Runaways #38/#100 on sale now.
DC:
Even though my pull list just lost a Marvel title, Tom Taylor (who will be pulling double duty on my pull list for both publishers when Marvel’s Dark Ages begins in September) announced his new project with DC this week. After a series of posts teasing the hashtag #DCDKOS, they announced a new project called Dark Knights of Steel. A fantasy-based universe featuring new origin stories for Batman, Superman, Harley Quinn, and Black Lightning, Taylor stated that this story was for “for the fans of shows like Game of Thrones and Critical Role. This is for the kids who took dice to school, who chose their own adventure, and dreamed of flying in a cape.” While I never took dice to school, the part of me that grew up in the nerd paradise that is the Renaissance Faire circuit is super hyped for this release. No information has been released about dates just yet, but I’ll keep you posted.
This week’s Batman: Urban Legends featured a “surprise” announcement that any reader who has ever queer-coded a character saw coming. Tim Drake, the third Robin, agrees to go on a date with a boy, confirming what many fans have always suspected- he’s not straight. Of course, this has caused a lot of drama on the internet with homophobic toxic fans screaming in protest. But the claim that it “came out of no where” is bogus. Tim Drake is, in my opinion, the most queer coded character in the modern Batman mythos. I mean, Teen Titans #24 saw a flashback of Tim and Miguel at a Pride Parade. And I’ve said it for years- trying to clone your best guy friend after his death? That’s not “just friends” behavior. Officially recognizing Tim’s coding is a huge step for the DC brand. Here’s hoping it continues to grow and develop and that it’s not just a marketing ploy. Representation is important and so much of the comics industry is built on representing those who have felt isolated or alienated. It’s far past time the industry recognizes that coding characters isn’t enough.
Batman: Urban Legends #6 on sale now.
The main Batman title also had a shake-up this week, with a surprising announcement from James Tynion IV. He’s leaving DC entirely, walking away after Batman #117 and Joker #14 next year. He’s writing exclusively for his new platform at Substack, who basically offered him complete creative control over his projects. I can’t say I blame him for taking that offer at all.
DC also had a busy week on television with the return of Stargirl on the CW for season two and Season three of Titans dropping the first three episodes on its new home on the streaming service HBOmax. My favorite moment in the Stargirl premiere was a tiny throwaway line from Luke Wilson’s Pat when he told his son that the lake house they’d rented had Jet skis. This doesn’t seem like anything special, but knowing that Stargirl was filming in Atlanta at the same time as Marvel’s Loki series, and that Luke Wilson was living with Owen Wilson at that time, this line becomes a subtle nod to Owen Wilson’s Jet ski-obsessed Mobius. Is it intentional? Maybe not. But I loved it.
Stargirl airs Tuesdays 8/7c on the CW network with next day streaming on CW.com
For all the fun and fluff of Stargirl, Titans is the dark opposite. Far more adult and violent, season three sees the Titans relocating to Gotham after the “death” of Jason Todd. The first three episodes introduce major players from the Batman mythos into the Titans cast, including Savannah Welch as Barbara Gordon, former Batgirl turned police commissioner, Vincent Kartheiser as Dr. Crane/ Scarecrow, and Curran Walters as the Red Hood. I think this season is going to be Walters’s strongest by far. His Jason Todd was certainly irritating in a way I felt fit the recklessness of the character, but his ability to toy with emotions like he does in the third episode of this season is incredible. After a noticeable marketing push for their first season solely on HBOmax, it’s also clear the brand has helped production quality. The lighting balance of episodes is far better than previous seasons, and the writing feels more organic and balanced between characters. My biggest worry is that theme of “family” is going to get smacked around too hard, with both of this season’s major villains being family- Starfire’s sister, Blackfire, and Jason Todd as the Red Hood. It’s easy to keep telling the audience that the team is a family- they’ll need to show us too for these villains to work effectively.
Titans episodes 1-3 now streaming on HBOmax, new episodes releasing every Thursday.
Phew. That’s a lot of comics information. But one more thing! Free Comic Book day, normally in May, was rescheduled this year because of the pandemic. That means tomorrow, August 14th, is Free Comic Book day! Check out your local comic store for free books and often great deals. I’ll be heading out to my favorite shop The Comic Shop for the festivities! Let me know what your favorite shop did, and I’ll shout them out in a special post next week!
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