#mandasstash

For the last few months I’ve been reading this new comic Superzero by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti.

This is the comic duo that has also been writing the Harley Quinn series that I’m obsessed with so I knew it was going to be good - what I didn’t know was how much I was going to love it.

I won’t give away too much, even though the comic has been out for a while now - but the premise is that the main character Dru Dragowski believes she has found the secret to becoming a superhero and needs to become one to save the world from an unknown threat!

Through different exploits you get to follow Dru try to become a superhero over and over again using the famous tropes you might recognize from your favourite comic book stories.

The humour in this comic is not far from that which you can find in the Harley comics, slightly dark, violent and light hearted… all at the same time? Magic!

Dru’s friend finds herself in terrible situation that Dru decides to take into her own hands… but not until after she befriends a homeless man… and this is just the tip of the iceberg!

If you haven’t picked up this series yet you should! I haven’t finished the entire run yet, but I’m loving what I’ve ready so far and will write a follow up once I’ve finished the series.

But so far…

Superzero get 5 out of 5 radioactive spiders!

Before I got too far into this, I know another New 52 - didn’t that just happen? Well New 52 did come out in 2011 so it has been out for a few years and it isn’t like Marvel isn’t also guilty of large world changing events either!

I for one was originally very skeptical with another universe change until I realized how much I had fallen out of collecting many DC titles outside of Harley Quinn, Bombshells and Starfire. The more I think about it none of those are deeply tied into the New 52 storylines and I’m not even sure if the Harley title is being affected by this new event. I’ve decided that this is a great place for me to start collecting again and finding out which series I should be starting.

These events that bring titles back to issue #0 or #1 can be very frustrating for long time readers that don’t take collecting vacations, and are loyal to their titles, (I understand, I am so invested in the current Amanda Conner Harley I would flip if they rebooted it) but for me life was getting crazy and I just didn’t know what I should be reading anymore so I stuck with collecting anything by Amanda Conner which brought me to Harley Quinn, Starfire and to Superzero(outside of DC). I even started looking for her old comics of Tera but this doesn’t help DC as a company. They want me to collect more than two DC titles, and everything from the cross title events which I haven’t done in years now.

I think it’s smart to have these events sometimes, it helps new readers and the occasional readers jump in and not feel overwhelmed by the hundreds of issues under one title. I know when I first wanted to get into collecting Batman it was daunting to find out where to start and then to realize that the older comics could potentially be so much more expensive as well - so I stuck with just collecting the best reviewed graphic novels and started reading Zenescope’s Grimm Fairy Tales and other newer titles because it was something I could start from the beginning and not feel like I was so far behind.

At least until the New 52 hit and I jumped on multiple titles, at the beginning of New 52 I was collecting Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Suicide Squad, Catwoman, Batman and Robin, Titans, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Detective Comics and a few others. Sadly even though I was excited for New 52 as a great starting point for me, and an opportunity to jump into the world and collect the first issues so I could be on the same page as the other comic book nerds - I found most of the stories were not for me. I quickly dropped all but Batman and Batgirl until after the Death in the Family storyline where I then only collected Batgirl until her creative shift - when I picked up the Amanda Conner’s Harley Quinn and never touched anything deeply in the New 52 again.

My hope is that this new Rebirth event will be the opportunity I saw in New 52, which a storyline to keep me buying! I love having stacks of comics in my house, I love reading them on the way to work, or before bed and I would love to have more than just Harley Quinn comics in my stash.

This past weekend I picked up the 60 page Rebirth teaser and was pleasantly surprised with how they are setting it up. I’m not sure if it’s because I stopped reading the New 52 way before this or if it is completely new story but I was happy with the plot device they are using to explain the event. It brought back some Young Justice emotions even if the relationships are different. It intrigued me and posed a difficult choice for me to decide which titles I need to start picking up right away!

I highly suggest if nothing else you do pick up this 60 page teaser and make a decision from there on not only if you want to continue reading but which titles you want to pick up, I feel they did a good job of teasing the different titles (most not all) and setting the stage for a cross universe event I want to be apart of.

Now which titles to pick up? I think I will definitely be grabbing the new Batman title, Titans, Teen Titans, Batgirl, Red Hood and the Outlaws, continue to collect Harley Quinn and for the first time since I started reading comics I think I might try The Flash, Green Lantern and a couple other titles well teased in the Rebirth teaser - so if I had to give my opinion now I would say I am happy with Rebirth because I think it will reinvigorate my love of comics and up my collection an awful lot!

I am not prepared to rate this yet, I want to grab a few more titles before I put a stake in the sand, but I will say I am optimistic about the new titles!

SPOILER TIME

If you have NOT read the 60 page teaser and you are a crazy spoiler person who freaks out at everything ever cause life is hard or something please stop reading now and go pick up the teaser!

Okay thanks!

I think one of my absolute favourite comic book storylines is the Flashpoint storyline, I sadly was not collecting comics when it came out, but I picked up the trades after, I’ve seen the movie and I’ve done my research and though I don’t collect Flash comics he and Green Lantern were probably some of my favourite characters from The Justice League and have always had a strong place in my heart. I loved how dark Flashpoint was, and the work they did with changing time and the different universes! And come on Martha Wayne as The Joker was nightmarishly hot! (Or do I just have problems… haha)

So when I found out that rebirth was happening due to the Watchmen affecting time after Barry tried to change time through The Flashpoint storyline, and that it was a story of Wally trying to warn everyone - omg I almost cried on the street car while reading it! I am in love with this idea, I loved Flashpoint and now I get to be part of a new version and take of how it will affect time afterwards! I don’t know if this is a great idea, I’ve grown up and am less angry with the world than when New 52 came out or I just WANT it to be good but I am super excited for the new Rebirth title!

And I’m going to be collecting comics I haven’t ever or haven’t in a long time and finally bring home some of my favourite super heroes!

Now if only they can get Aya and Razor in the Green Lantern corps. new title, and give me some Artemis/Kid Flash love now that his woman doesn’t remember him, then the cartoon watcher in me will be set!