CORRECTION TIME! In this video I state that John Constantine was clearly straight. Which goes to show why I do a lot of fact checking before I make definitive statements in a video. Because I was oh, so wrong. As some pointed out, Constantine's bisexuality was established as far back as issue 51. So, I pulled it out (the issue I mean, you dirty bird) and sure enough...on page five there it was. So...that was wrong. Still, making out with Lucifer? I'm going to stand by saying that's out of character.
Yeah, there it is...and I take back nothing posted on TH-cam. As if the proclivity is necessary to move the story along for the currency of current cultural needs. ...and the difficulty it is to have someone, before now, point out the EXACT issue/page/panel. The character is different yet the same, right? Just like the versions of print to film of Watchmen.
@@charlesjerome4609He didn't, Ennis wanted to use Lucifer but it clashed with what Gaiman was doing in Sandman so Ennis created The First of the Fallen to be a stand-in and he ended up being John's nemesis.
I think Jamie Delano implied John's more open sexuality in his hippie years, and there's the issue 51 that states it properly, but Garth Ennis makes it so that John is as straight as it comes (specially since it displays John repulsed by the idea of a man who offers him a hitchhike trying to have sex with him), and later on, the series he is constantly with girlfriends and eventually gets married to a woman. Only Brian Azzarello uses the bisexuality again - and even so, very briefly. So, yeah, the confusion is not exactly unearned.
Constantine's bisexuality has never been portrayed *well* in my opinion, which is why it is so easy to miss. I agree that it is implied in Delano's original run, and ironically I think that is the best portrayal we've seen of his sexuality to date. In the John Smith comic it basically one line IIRC. I think Brian Azarello mentions it and Simon Spurrier alludes to it, often rather pruriently, but most writers have simply ignored it. It's that weird thing where DC occasionally push him out as some kind of bisexual icon but aren't really interested in exploring what that actually means.
On Constantine's sexuality: He's canonically bisexual. He mentions offhandedly in the Vertigo run that he had relationships with men (issue 51), but he was never shown actually in a relationship with a man until the New 52 (or Rebirth, I can't recall specifics).
Does he not have a relationship with a man in Milligan's run near the end of the original Hellblazer comic? Or at least a returning male love interest.
Brian Azzarello´s early 00s run was the first to do that. In the arc with the BDMS Batman. Nr. 170-174. But it is more psychosexual than anything. The run featured sexual violence in half the issues and that one really went for it. He also had sex with demons before his BL book.
Came here to say this. Constantine isn't "suddenly" gay/bi. He's been canonically bisexual since the early 90s. Even the version on Legends of Tomorrow had sex and relationships with men and women.
The Other History of The DC Universe, while not a comic, is similar in format to The History of The DC Universe by George Perez and Marv Wolfman that was released in 1984 as the Post-Crisis explainer of the Golden and Silver Ages.
I may go in-depth with Rorschach because, as you pointed out, it seems to be overlooked. I don't know...maybe it just appeals to a nihilistic part of me. :)
6:09 It's also woth noting, Harley's design is obviously based on her infamous Suicide Squad costume. However it inexplicably omits the "Daddy's Little Monster" graphic from her shirt.
HIlarious that, for all the pretense of beign about and trauma, Three Jokers just ended up existing for Johns to make the Killing Joke Joker as the definitive one, even making the origin explcitly canon. It literally ends with saying Joker having a defined identity is dumb ON THE SAME PAGE firmly giving him a defined indentity. Amazing.
I was pleased to see that you rated Rorschach so highly. It was an excellent series. I bought the series with the alternate covers that echoed the original Watchmen series. They just looked more 'correct' to me.
In referance to Hellblazer - Rise and Fall. Even in the panels you show here you can tell ghey didn't have anyone British working on it. No one in the UK calls their Flat an "apartment" and we dont have the cardbord takeaway boxes with the flaps, we have or plastic trays.
Interesting to hear you talk about Rorschach, especially so soon. It was kind of disappointing to me as someone who just wanted to get into it as its own thing, I think it really just wasn't for me overall, but I fully concede I thought the "The Citizen" parody was great for how fucking hilarious it was thanks to the insight by your video on Mr. A.
"Meaningless reveal that goes exactly nowhere" and "filling in the mysteries for no good reason" for me, describes every comic by Geoff Johns I've ever read.
Glad that I discovered your channel! I really will say that right now you're one of my favourite creators that I've seen recently, can't wait for more vids!
3:34 I still don't understand where Tom King went wrong. He was a writer on Spongebob during the early 2000s when the show's humor was it it's peak. But now we get this same, rote, neurotic, introspective story.
I can't wait for your in depth reviews of Rorschach and Strange Adventures. You're very hard on Geoff Johns in your reviews of B3J and Doomsday Clock, but we'll have to disagree as friends.
I'm new to comics this year. Tom King & Mitch Gerads Mister Miracle is easily my favorite thing I've read so far, so I think I'll keep an eye out for Strange Adventures.
it's alot more complicted than that. And truth be told dunking on steve ditko is kinda shallow take on ditko that looks good in retrospect but if steve ditko had instead been a hard core communist and he would be praised.
Rorschach is one of the best Tom King works, It's so sad that few people had read that (in comparison to Mister Miracle, Batman or Heroes In Crisis), but I think that is because to the amount of attention that the comic needs and it's not an easy reading, it a complex concept with complex messages between ideologies and mental issues in politics and conspiracies.
@@StrangeBrainParts maybe that's a factor. Another factor is that post "Doomsday Clock" and "Three Jokers" a lot of people were very tired and defensive about "Alan Moore sequels". I know that Rorschach isn't a sequel but in the first comments in the days of the announcement was certainly very defensive about the idea.
That's a good point. DC seemed to be very keen about integrating those characters into the mainstream universe. Or integrating Alan Moore's work in general.
@@StrangeBrainParts yeah, I still don't know where go the concepts of "Tom Strong on the The Terrifics series" or "Prometea in the JLA series". Those were really crazy times xD
The thing I remember the most from Other History is extremely weird Katana retcon. I like Ridley's writing less with his every next project, but that was borderline nonsense.
So a little bit of context on that Brian Azzarello Birds of Prey one shot. Originally, that was supposed to be the start of a BOP ongoing series with Azzarello as the main writer. However, plans were cancelled and it was repurposed as a one shot under Black Label.
Adam Strange was a weird but layered read, rip phoenix, Arizona - be interesting to see a story one day about the southwest capitol rising again from its ashes in the DC universe - maybe like daredevil season 1 and the reconstruction rights between evil powers after avengers1.
Strange Adventures might be my favorite series of that year. Tom King does great at tackling not well-known characters. The irony about a deconstruction of a pulp superhero, Is that the series is inspirational in a way because it does a great job at showing what makes Adam Strange great before crushing it later on. 😂 The world building around the planet Rann is fantastic and while the reveal later on does make him seem callous, it also does a great job making you understand his choices well enough to make Adam Strange sympathetic to a degree.
Three Jokers could have worked without referencing the killing joke at all, the premise was interesting enough as it is it's a real shame they went there so hard. Strange Adventure sounds like a good read! Thanks for the video!
15:44 I think the premise of the other history of the DC Universe was interesting. After reading, I feel like I need an encyclopedic knowledge of the DC universe and real world events to understand somethings that are referenced by the writer. Though, I do like how it recontextualizes important DC events from other perspectives.
@StrangeBrainParts I guess it's a reference to a two issue reference book made by Marv Wolfman and George Perez after the Crisis reboot to summarize the new universe and people. I like to think these small scale stories that got lost in the universe shake-up.
So, I've been informed by others! Cool beans. But thank you for being another voice posting out the error. :) (That's meant genuinely, not sarcastically.)
I gotta admit, as a huge wrestling fan, I popped at hearing you describe the ending of My Strange Adventures as a heel turn haha. Your comic book analysis is something I always look forward to. PS, I would totally be down for a review or an analysis on anything pro wrestling in the future!
I actually found a copy of Smile Killer in a comic shop having never read the entirety of Killing Smile and... had a good time. It's weird, and a little malformed as a story, but I found it interesting. Maybe my copy just had a fun variety cover IDK. Definitely going to give Rorschach a look, because that sounds like ideas I would like to read about. Been meaning to read Tom King stuff in general, hear good things
King can be a a little hit and miss. He tries to write interesting pieces and sometimes he tries a bit too hard to have a Message. And you will see character patterns and such.
Please, in the future ad some kind of narration with the name of the comics, I usually heard your videos while driving during my work day and I felt really lost as I didn't know wich comic was each (and I was driving, so I couldn't stop and see 😅)
I'm probably going to do an audio only, podcast version of my videos in the future. Titles and other information will be inserted into them so you know what's being discussed.
Another solid vid. Though honestly, I think Constantine character suffered when he was rolled into Dc continuity again during the new 52 when he joined Justice League Dark. All the elements established during the hellblazer run during the Vertigo era were as you said watered down. In my opinion, the character works as a balancing act between hero and villain, which is something the British popularized, especially seen in 2000AD, with the character of Judge Dredd. If that balancing act is lost, then its just another anti hero.
Great video as usual. I was really down on American vampire 1976. I loved that series so much and was looking forward to a great conclusion to a great series, but..... I thought it sucked. Snyder clearly didn't give a crap about it and just turned it into a michael bay movie. Ugh. Also, I'm pretty convinced 3 jokers was completely different from what John's originally pitched. I kinda still liked it though.
I was pretty surprised at how action movie-y American Vampire went for its ending. It reminded me a LOT of a later season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, with all the filler episodes removed. I think Snyder had done so much mainstream stuff that he kind of forgot how to write anything but action stories.
If need something bright and refreshing after all this Black Label stuff, I'd love to see you do a video on Archie Sonic. (Though I guess Turtles might be a little bit better for the Almighty Algorithm.)
So, would the next three years of black label content be more Bat stuff or does it get slightly better since I remember an Aquaman story for that imprint being announced. In fact, I do see a black label Cyborg or Flash story happening...
It's fascinating how in two years, Black Label produced three (your top three) series that aren't just good, but GREAT... and everything else is a cash-in, or marginal, replacement-level Batman stuff, or offensively bad. Remarkable difference between the best and the rest.
"Batman: The Smile Killer" sounds like a Batman version of the "Day of the Barney Trilogy" (which has Barney convince his audience to kill their parents).
I think everyone is. DC unfortunately has pushed themselves into a corner where they treat everyone who is not Batman or part of the Bat family as a B-lister.
I definitely hear what you're saying, however I think that there is a place for Watchmen sequels or Watchmen-adjacent stories. The best examples are the 2019 HBO show and Grant Morrison's Pax Americana One-Shot
As a younger, avid, fan of many titles and characters, I'd have bitten your arm off to get more content and material focusing on my favourites... (this from a fan who went out and rummaged up the Watchmen RPG sourcebook and even the original badge set!), but as I get older I understand the importance of allowing a series to end, and for your hero/protagonist to finish their saga or get a final send off, even if it means they might die. For me at least, this finality gives the story a capstone that makes it more legendary and provides more impact. Just my thoughts but I hold more and more value to those (few) properties that have been allowed to definitely end and keep their luster in our memories, rather than become ever more watered down versions of those things that we felt of as special and were once loved.
I know I'm probably in the minority, but I'm instantly less interested when Tom King is writing a book. His Batman run shows he has no clue about the character, and also the reason that he was apparently removed from the book, and had to finish his "arc" in the out of continuity Batman/Catwoman. It always shocks me to see his books near the top of any list.
I thought Strange Adventures was good, but it did feel a bit derivative of his previous works. It definitely reminded me a bit too much of Mister Miracle and especially of Omega Men.
I really hated Tom King's Adam Strange series. I hate the trend of using obscure characters to tell these types of stories, since it pretty much nails their coffin for good and closes the door for new, simpler stories that could let them shine and grow.
I'm not sure that the door is closed. I mean, Black Label is its own side hustle. So what happens in Black Label, stays in Black Label. I will definitely concede that it possibly colours the general perception of the character, though.
@@StrangeBrainParts My phrasing is a little poor but that's what I meant. Adam Strange has very little material to create fans of, and if the most available story involving him paints him this poorly, he won't be well liked. This happens to many characters in DC that aren't the big 2. Black Label not being canon is irrelevant to a character who's first story in years is in Black Label.
Tom King reliance on character assasination for the sake of the story( Adam Strange, Wally West, Guy Gardner) is an overused troupe and the reason why the man is disliked by many.
Can we all stop saying what a genius Dave Stewart is? It's true. Kinda obvious, really. My problem is that it will eventually go to his head, and then we won't have him anymore. Just buy the comics with his name on them and never mention him. I'm sure he won't starve.
3 jokers in my opinion i thought was meh especially with its ending but man oh man you can tell 3 jokers was supposed to be connected to DC rebirth from the very beginning.
I'm sure someone's said this before but yeah Constantine was revealed to be bi in Azarello's run. Also direct question to you, would you prefer if I moved my subscription from youtube to patreon? I wish I lived in a magic world where I was wealthy enough to do both but alas I can only pick one.
@@StrangeBrainParts Well it was first mentioned in 51 yes but Azzarello's run reveals that he was romantically and sexually involved with the male villain prior. Though I wouldn't say it sticks in the memory outside of the arc. And will do, will miss my little star and badge but I'd rather you get more of the money.
I refused to read Rorschach because it’s criticism of ditko. Objectivism is extremely dumb and a lot belief stemming from it our dumb. However the reason objectivism is so awful is because it’s use by rich people to screw over poor people and rich people used that money in hypocritical ways. However ditko believed so much in objectivism he screwed himself out of money. He’s someone who deeply believes in his belief and I value that. It’s often paired with a belief than Steve Lee screwing him over was right. It’s that’s literally more capitalistic bullshit that people who critize him claim to hate ( ditko even helped Neel Adam union)
I’m going to have to re read Strange Adventures again. I read it directly after Mister Miracle and it think it suffered from the glow of that one. Three Jokers was, pardon the obvious pun, a joke. It was Johns being pretentious on the Killing Joke
Let´s rank this more generic year. Very representative of Bat Label. The Last God and the other special will be left out. Not even I bothered with them. Liked all of these, the top 3 are must-reads: Rorschach The Other History of the DC Universe Strange Adventures Hellblazer Rise and Fall - I read every Vertigo issue ever. Nothing about this is off the mark. Nothing. The Smile Killer The Three Jokers - Starts good, finishes ok. The sequel is still not properly announced. Lol. 10/10 art though! Ok sequel spin-offs: Harley Quinn & The Birds of Prey American Vampire 1976 Eh: Batman Catwoman - Where King´s Batman flew off the rails. It´s still a MESS in 2023. Loved the main run though. Sweet Tooth: The Return - One too many. Nope: The Birds of Prey - No thx.
I’m not immersed in comic culture and haven’t been for a long time, but is my read of Geoff Johns as a trumped up B-list writer with too much clout accurate?
That's basically it. He's a really solid adventure story kind of guy. Very heavy into continuity and stuff. But when he tries to be a capital W Writer he tends to fall short.
@@StrangeBrainParts The only story of his I’ve read, that I recall, is Doomsday Clock, and I was not a fan. The core conceit was unearned and naive, to the point that I found it mildly offensive. This is in large part due to knowing his position in DC.
His Green Lantern run was pretty decent. And I remember liking Justice Society, too. Which was when I first took note of him. It's solid stuff, action stuff. Really, it's his forte. When he tries to get deep and challenging it's just...he doesn't have it in him.
Love your channel! But Constantine has in FACT been bisexual since the 90s. I believe it was in the Garth Ennis run where they comfirm John had male partners (but most the time female partners)
I have to disagree and agree with your current opinions towards strange adventures. I agree with that Adam Strange was done incredibly dirty by the entire story and towards the end but like you it seems i may need to reread the story because I'm suprise that three stories were being told. At the time of my own reading I was frustratingly confused on the perceptives. Now where I have to disagree is that this was a "good" story. tom king is infamously well known for his strange, and quit honestly Infantile, portrayals of certain characters. While Adam Strange and his family were given this treatment, the character i found that suffered the most was Mister Terrific. Issue 6 of the series is a true testament to the levels of king's writing style that I find truly truly disgusting.
Now I'll have to look a little closer at issue six. Because I'm unsure what you're talking about. And if you don't like it...that's fair! No one says you have to. :)
Once upon a time The Killing Joke became a thing and DC created Elseworlds and published interesting Batman stuff like Gotham by Gaslight, Night Cries or Man-Bat. Nowadays they publish sequels to anything Alan Moore because f7ck Alan Moore and maybe to earn a buck.
Not THE beginning, it was brought up first in an early 90s Vertigo Hellblazer issue, but sadly, been pretty nominal for a long time, but yeah, it has been a thing.
John being into guys was first mentioned in Hellblazer 51. It wasn't until Brian Azzarrello's run where he was shown having an attraction to men "on screen".
Alan Moore mentions in interviews that Constantine is bissexual. I would have more examples if I had read more hellblazer. Get your facts straight (or bi in that case)
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CORRECTION TIME! In this video I state that John Constantine was clearly straight. Which goes to show why I do a lot of fact checking before I make definitive statements in a video. Because I was oh, so wrong. As some pointed out, Constantine's bisexuality was established as far back as issue 51. So, I pulled it out (the issue I mean, you dirty bird) and sure enough...on page five there it was. So...that was wrong. Still, making out with Lucifer? I'm going to stand by saying that's out of character.
Yeah, there it is...and I take back nothing posted on TH-cam.
As if the proclivity is necessary to move the story along for the currency of current cultural needs.
...and the difficulty it is to have someone, before now, point out the EXACT issue/page/panel.
The character is different yet the same, right? Just like the versions of print to film of Watchmen.
most he's done is fucked a succubus but yes he's always been bi.
@@charlesjerome4609He didn't, Ennis wanted to use Lucifer but it clashed with what Gaiman was doing in Sandman so Ennis created The First of the Fallen to be a stand-in and he ended up being John's nemesis.
I think Jamie Delano implied John's more open sexuality in his hippie years, and there's the issue 51 that states it properly, but Garth Ennis makes it so that John is as straight as it comes (specially since it displays John repulsed by the idea of a man who offers him a hitchhike trying to have sex with him), and later on, the series he is constantly with girlfriends and eventually gets married to a woman. Only Brian Azzarello uses the bisexuality again - and even so, very briefly. So, yeah, the confusion is not exactly unearned.
Constantine's bisexuality has never been portrayed *well* in my opinion, which is why it is so easy to miss. I agree that it is implied in Delano's original run, and ironically I think that is the best portrayal we've seen of his sexuality to date. In the John Smith comic it basically one line IIRC. I think Brian Azarello mentions it and Simon Spurrier alludes to it, often rather pruriently, but most writers have simply ignored it.
It's that weird thing where DC occasionally push him out as some kind of bisexual icon but aren't really interested in exploring what that actually means.
On Constantine's sexuality: He's canonically bisexual. He mentions offhandedly in the Vertigo run that he had relationships with men (issue 51), but he was never shown actually in a relationship with a man until the New 52 (or Rebirth, I can't recall specifics).
Does he not have a relationship with a man in Milligan's run near the end of the original Hellblazer comic? Or at least a returning male love interest.
So you havent read Brian azzerlo hellblazer ?
Brian Azzarello´s early 00s run was the first to do that. In the arc with the BDMS Batman. Nr. 170-174. But it is more psychosexual than anything. The run featured sexual violence in half the issues and that one really went for it. He also had sex with demons before his BL book.
Came here to say this. Constantine isn't "suddenly" gay/bi. He's been canonically bisexual since the early 90s. Even the version on Legends of Tomorrow had sex and relationships with men and women.
@@MrPoop1000000 I just brought up Stanley, replying to a different comment. Lol
Hellblazer 1. Constantine metions "the ocasional bloke" in his love life.
Hellblazer 173. Constantine jesks a guy off.
The Other History of The DC Universe, while not a comic, is similar in format to The History of The DC Universe by George Perez and Marv Wolfman that was released in 1984 as the Post-Crisis explainer of the Golden and Silver Ages.
I dig these Black Label videos. I was also a huge fan of Rorschach, and I wish I had more people to chat about with it while it was coming out.
Yeah it is very very good. It does the very good thing that the HBO series does and take Watchmen’s themes and apply them to a more modern era.
I may go in-depth with Rorschach because, as you pointed out, it seems to be overlooked. I don't know...maybe it just appeals to a nihilistic part of me. :)
@@StrangeBrainParts I certainly love fiction that appeals to that nihilistic part of me.
I loved Rorschach by King so much. Every time I'm disappointed w a king work he pulls me back in with something like this.
I remember the whole time reading Three Jokers all I could think was "This was clearly made for animated adaptation."
6:09 It's also woth noting, Harley's design is obviously based on her infamous Suicide Squad costume. However it inexplicably omits the "Daddy's Little Monster" graphic from her shirt.
One thing that I did find kinda interesting and clever was Other History's referencing Moore initial presidential choice for Watchmen, Ronald Reagan.
HIlarious that, for all the pretense of beign about and trauma, Three Jokers just ended up existing for Johns to make the Killing Joke Joker as the definitive one, even making the origin explcitly canon. It literally ends with saying Joker having a defined identity is dumb ON THE SAME PAGE firmly giving him a defined indentity. Amazing.
Honestly, that Hellblazer synopsis sounds like a straight writer making fun of gay people thru parody.
I was pleased to see that you rated Rorschach so highly. It was an excellent series. I bought the series with the alternate covers that echoed the original Watchmen series. They just looked more 'correct' to me.
Black Label: where we keep Tom King until we need to kill characters.
😂😂😂😂
In referance to Hellblazer - Rise and Fall. Even in the panels you show here you can tell ghey didn't have anyone British working on it. No one in the UK calls their Flat an "apartment" and we dont have the cardbord takeaway boxes with the flaps, we have or plastic trays.
Glad to find a comic book channel that isn't just a bunch of reactionary nonsense, you actually seem to enjoy comic books!
I do indeed!
Interesting to hear you talk about Rorschach, especially so soon. It was kind of disappointing to me as someone who just wanted to get into it as its own thing, I think it really just wasn't for me overall, but I fully concede I thought the "The Citizen" parody was great for how fucking hilarious it was thanks to the insight by your video on Mr. A.
I'm always going to find deep moral arguments during a fist fight as pretty damn amusing.
"Meaningless reveal that goes exactly nowhere" and "filling in the mysteries for no good reason" for me, describes every comic by Geoff Johns I've ever read.
Excellent analysis of Strange Adventures. Especially in such a brief space. By far my favorite black label series.
Glad that I discovered your channel! I really will say that right now you're one of my favourite creators that I've seen recently, can't wait for more vids!
Thank you! And thanks for watching. I hope you continue to enjoy my humble video offerings.
Great video. I pretty much agree with the listing.
Great way to start my day with a Strange Brain parts video 💪
3:34 I still don't understand where Tom King went wrong. He was a writer on Spongebob during the early 2000s when the show's humor was it it's peak. But now we get this same, rote, neurotic, introspective story.
I think it's a different Tom King. The SpongeBob Tom King was listed as born on 29 October 1968 while DC Tom King was born on 15 July 1978.
@@g.a.2997 It seems you're right. Apparently he even addressed it in a Tweet from 2017.
Nah let's just assume it's the same Tom King because it's funny imagining the SpongeBob writer went on to write Mister Miracle.
I can't wait for your in depth reviews of Rorschach and Strange Adventures. You're very hard on Geoff Johns in your reviews of B3J and Doomsday Clock, but we'll have to disagree as friends.
I'm good with a friendly disagreement. It's my favourite kind. :)
I'm new to comics this year. Tom King & Mitch Gerads Mister Miracle is easily my favorite thing I've read so far, so I think I'll keep an eye out for Strange Adventures.
9:26 I genuinely hope Linkara never has this comic suggested to him via Patreon sponsored review.
I generally have no interest in modern comics, but you have intreagued me talking about the Adam Strange story. I may need to find that.
If you read the recent Mister Miracle series by Tom King then this is in a similar style. Fair warning: It's not a flattering look at Adam.
12:52 My understanding of Ditko's beliefs, is that he was more about moral absolutes, than conveying any object truths.
This is true. The philosophy he adhered to was Objectivism. That probably wasn't clear in the video.
it's alot more complicted than that. And truth be told dunking on steve ditko is kinda shallow take on ditko that looks good in retrospect but if steve ditko had instead been a hard core communist and he would be praised.
@@paulakroy2635 It's also easier to defame a disagreeable person, when they're dead and can't retaliate.
This is a great series I hope you review the entire thing. Also you need more views the videos are great
My plan it to do it right up until current times.
Rorschach is one of the best Tom King works, It's so sad that few people had read that (in comparison to Mister Miracle, Batman or Heroes In Crisis), but I think that is because to the amount of attention that the comic needs and it's not an easy reading, it a complex concept with complex messages between ideologies and mental issues in politics and conspiracies.
Maybe it might be a little Tom King burn-out too? He became kind of high profile with Mister Miracle and Batman.
@@StrangeBrainParts maybe that's a factor.
Another factor is that post "Doomsday Clock" and "Three Jokers" a lot of people were very tired and defensive about "Alan Moore sequels".
I know that Rorschach isn't a sequel but in the first comments in the days of the announcement was certainly very defensive about the idea.
That's a good point. DC seemed to be very keen about integrating those characters into the mainstream universe. Or integrating Alan Moore's work in general.
@@StrangeBrainParts yeah, I still don't know where go the concepts of "Tom Strong on the The Terrifics series" or "Prometea in the JLA series".
Those were really crazy times xD
Love this channel. Please keep 'em coming. 👏
1:36 These types of inconsequential stories are exactly the kind of material needed to ensure the longevity of a new line like Black Label.
Great job man on reviewing and ranking all of the black label comics from 2020.
The thing I remember the most from Other History is extremely weird Katana retcon. I like Ridley's writing less with his every next project, but that was borderline nonsense.
So a little bit of context on that Brian Azzarello Birds of Prey one shot. Originally, that was supposed to be the start of a BOP ongoing series with Azzarello as the main writer. However, plans were cancelled and it was repurposed as a one shot under Black Label.
I love Tom kings work. Not everything he tries works, but I respect him for experimenting with the medium 21:33
Loving this series man
Adam Strange was a weird but layered read, rip phoenix, Arizona - be interesting to see a story one day about the southwest capitol rising again from its ashes in the DC universe - maybe like daredevil season 1 and the reconstruction rights between evil powers after avengers1.
Strange Adventures might be my favorite series of that year. Tom King does great at tackling not well-known characters. The irony about a deconstruction of a pulp superhero, Is that the series is inspirational in a way because it does a great job at showing what makes Adam Strange great before crushing it later on. 😂
The world building around the planet Rann is fantastic and while the reveal later on does make him seem callous, it also does a great job making you understand his choices well enough to make Adam Strange sympathetic to a degree.
Three Jokers could have worked without referencing the killing joke at all, the premise was interesting enough as it is it's a real shame they went there so hard. Strange Adventure sounds like a good read! Thanks for the video!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy Strange Adventures.
15:44 I think the premise of the other history of the DC Universe was interesting. After reading, I feel like I need an encyclopedic knowledge of the DC universe and real world events to understand somethings that are referenced by the writer. Though, I do like how it recontextualizes important DC events from other perspectives.
That's what I'm looking forward to reading...a re-contextualization of DC history. I just wish it was in an actual comic book format!
@StrangeBrainParts I guess it's a reference to a two issue reference book made by Marv Wolfman and George Perez after the Crisis reboot to summarize the new universe and people. I like to think these small scale stories that got lost in the universe shake-up.
I'd love you to explore the original hellblazer especially the delano and ennis run.
I’m a bit disappointed you didn’t go into more detail on the black label Superman comic origin and all of its incredibly weird narrative choices
I would love more Wonder Woman books in the black label line
Fantastic video as always. 💯
Thank you very much!
Seems I already have the best Year 2 has to offer......good to know (and thank you)
Love your work brainparts, but im invested in that fact for self evident reasons lol. Constantine was aways bi.
So, I've been informed by others! Cool beans. But thank you for being another voice posting out the error. :) (That's meant genuinely, not sarcastically.)
I gotta admit, as a huge wrestling fan, I popped at hearing you describe the ending of My Strange Adventures as a heel turn haha. Your comic book analysis is something I always look forward to.
PS, I would totally be down for a review or an analysis on anything pro wrestling in the future!
I actually found a copy of Smile Killer in a comic shop having never read the entirety of Killing Smile and... had a good time. It's weird, and a little malformed as a story, but I found it interesting. Maybe my copy just had a fun variety cover IDK.
Definitely going to give Rorschach a look, because that sounds like ideas I would like to read about. Been meaning to read Tom King stuff in general, hear good things
King can be a a little hit and miss. He tries to write interesting pieces and sometimes he tries a bit too hard to have a Message. And you will see character patterns and such.
Please, in the future ad some kind of narration with the name of the comics, I usually heard your videos while driving during my work day and I felt really lost as I didn't know wich comic was each (and I was driving, so I couldn't stop and see 😅)
I'm probably going to do an audio only, podcast version of my videos in the future. Titles and other information will be inserted into them so you know what's being discussed.
17:55 That is best form of praise a Tom King book can now hope to get.
Another solid vid. Though honestly, I think Constantine character suffered when he was rolled into Dc continuity again during the new 52 when he joined Justice League Dark. All the elements established during the hellblazer run during the Vertigo era were as you said watered down. In my opinion, the character works as a balancing act between hero and villain, which is something the British popularized, especially seen in 2000AD, with the character of Judge Dredd. If that balancing act is lost, then its just another anti hero.
Great video as usual. I was really down on American vampire 1976. I loved that series so much and was looking forward to a great conclusion to a great series, but..... I thought it sucked. Snyder clearly didn't give a crap about it and just turned it into a michael bay movie. Ugh. Also, I'm pretty convinced 3 jokers was completely different from what John's originally pitched. I kinda still liked it though.
I was pretty surprised at how action movie-y American Vampire went for its ending. It reminded me a LOT of a later season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, with all the filler episodes removed. I think Snyder had done so much mainstream stuff that he kind of forgot how to write anything but action stories.
Great job on the video!
If need something bright and refreshing after all this Black Label stuff, I'd love to see you do a video on Archie Sonic. (Though I guess Turtles might be a little bit better for the Almighty Algorithm.)
So, would the next three years of black label content be more Bat stuff or does it get slightly better since I remember an Aquaman story for that imprint being announced.
In fact, I do see a black label Cyborg or Flash story happening...
It's fascinating how in two years, Black Label produced three (your top three) series that aren't just good, but GREAT... and everything else is a cash-in, or marginal, replacement-level Batman stuff, or offensively bad. Remarkable difference between the best and the rest.
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"Batman: The Smile Killer" sounds like a Batman version of the "Day of the Barney Trilogy" (which has Barney convince his audience to kill their parents).
am i the only one tired of the bat cash cow?
Thanks you for all of your hard work.
I think everyone is. DC unfortunately has pushed themselves into a corner where they treat everyone who is not Batman or part of the Bat family as a B-lister.
It is a label that's very Bat-centric. It's the most Batman stuff I've read in a while, that's for sure.
0:19 And we're already off to a fantastic start...
I love this channel so much
And it loves you right back. Twice as hard.
Do you feel like Watchmen warrants being a franchise? In my opinion, having sequels to Watchmen lessens the impact of the open-ended conclusion.
I definitely hear what you're saying, however I think that there is a place for Watchmen sequels or Watchmen-adjacent stories.
The best examples are the 2019 HBO show and Grant Morrison's Pax Americana One-Shot
@GreenGoblet22 Pax Americana was more of an alternate universe remimagining of Watchmen, like how Alan Moore's Supreme is his commentary on Superman.
A franchise? No. I think it should be left alone to exist as it is.
As a younger, avid, fan of many titles and characters, I'd have bitten your arm off to get more content and material focusing on my favourites... (this from a fan who went out and rummaged up the Watchmen RPG sourcebook and even the original badge set!), but as I get older I understand the importance of allowing a series to end, and for your hero/protagonist to finish their saga or get a final send off, even if it means they might die. For me at least, this finality gives the story a capstone that makes it more legendary and provides more impact.
Just my thoughts but I hold more and more value to those (few) properties that have been allowed to definitely end and keep their luster in our memories, rather than become ever more watered down versions of those things that we felt of as special and were once loved.
Sick! I was hoping for a followup :D Are you planning on doing all the years up until 2022?
If the views and interest are there I will continue.
Well I believe they are
Haven't even watched but this is exciting
Really hope Birds of Prey get a black label book, i think the spy thing they have going on could fit the grounded aproach black label usually had
I know I'm probably in the minority, but I'm instantly less interested when Tom King is writing a book. His Batman run shows he has no clue about the character, and also the reason that he was apparently removed from the book, and had to finish his "arc" in the out of continuity Batman/Catwoman. It always shocks me to see his books near the top of any list.
I thought Strange Adventures was good, but it did feel a bit derivative of his previous works. It definitely reminded me a bit too much of Mister Miracle and especially of Omega Men.
I definitely got vibes of both of those stories from Strange Adventures.
I do like the idea of Bruce being forced to save an aged Joe Chill, it’s a cool psycho tale for Bruce
I hope you do this series on some independent comics sometime!
I really hated Tom King's Adam Strange series. I hate the trend of using obscure characters to tell these types of stories, since it pretty much nails their coffin for good and closes the door for new, simpler stories that could let them shine and grow.
I'm not sure that the door is closed. I mean, Black Label is its own side hustle. So what happens in Black Label, stays in Black Label. I will definitely concede that it possibly colours the general perception of the character, though.
@@StrangeBrainParts My phrasing is a little poor but that's what I meant. Adam Strange has very little material to create fans of, and if the most available story involving him paints him this poorly, he won't be well liked. This happens to many characters in DC that aren't the big 2. Black Label not being canon is irrelevant to a character who's first story in years is in Black Label.
Tom King reliance on character assasination for the sake of the story( Adam Strange, Wally West, Guy Gardner) is an overused troupe and the reason why the man is disliked by many.
Can we all stop saying what a genius Dave Stewart is? It's true. Kinda obvious, really. My problem is that it will eventually go to his head, and then we won't have him anymore. Just buy the comics with his name on them and never mention him. I'm sure he won't starve.
3 jokers in my opinion i thought was meh especially with its ending but man oh man you can tell 3 jokers was supposed to be connected to DC rebirth from the very beginning.
7:37 Evidently that wasn't Johns' intention, based on the setup from early Rebirth and Convergence.
Didn’t Azzarello do a whole plot point about Constantine being Bi during his run on Hellblazer?
He was always bi, Azzarello showed him sleeping with a bloke as part of a con.
I'm sure someone's said this before but yeah Constantine was revealed to be bi in Azarello's run.
Also direct question to you, would you prefer if I moved my subscription from youtube to patreon? I wish I lived in a magic world where I was wealthy enough to do both but alas I can only pick one.
Was it in Azzarello's run? I just don't remember that at all.
Probably Patreon is best. TH-cam takes a pretty big slice.
@@StrangeBrainParts Well it was first mentioned in 51 yes but Azzarello's run reveals that he was romantically and sexually involved with the male villain prior. Though I wouldn't say it sticks in the memory outside of the arc.
And will do, will miss my little star and badge but I'd rather you get more of the money.
The Other History of the DC Universe was pretty great.
Nice!
I refused to read Rorschach because it’s criticism of ditko. Objectivism is extremely dumb and a lot belief stemming from it our dumb. However the reason objectivism is so awful is because it’s use by rich people to screw over poor people and rich people used that money in hypocritical ways. However ditko believed so much in objectivism he screwed himself out of money. He’s someone who deeply believes in his belief and I value that. It’s often paired with a belief than Steve Lee screwing him over was right. It’s that’s literally more capitalistic bullshit that people who critize him claim to hate ( ditko even helped Neel Adam union)
I’m going to have to re read Strange Adventures again. I read it directly after Mister Miracle and it think it suffered from the glow of that one. Three Jokers was, pardon the obvious pun, a joke. It was Johns being pretentious on the Killing Joke
Constantine was bi since the 90s
I kinda want Tom King to develop a crack addiction, would be karmic.
Let´s rank this more generic year. Very representative of Bat Label. The Last God and the other special will be left out. Not even I bothered with them.
Liked all of these, the top 3 are must-reads:
Rorschach
The Other History of the DC Universe
Strange Adventures
Hellblazer Rise and Fall - I read every Vertigo issue ever. Nothing about this is off the mark. Nothing.
The Smile Killer
The Three Jokers - Starts good, finishes ok. The sequel is still not properly announced. Lol. 10/10 art though!
Ok sequel spin-offs:
Harley Quinn & The Birds of Prey
American Vampire 1976
Eh:
Batman Catwoman - Where King´s Batman flew off the rails. It´s still a MESS in 2023. Loved the main run though.
Sweet Tooth: The Return - One too many.
Nope:
The Birds of Prey - No thx.
Not related to anything in this video, but did you ever get around to reading the unofficial 1963 annual?
I have not. In fact, I didn't know it was out already. Thanks for letting me know!
@@StrangeBrainParts I don't think it's out out yet, but we're very very close to it's release it seems, unless I'm not looking in the right places.
Oh, okay! It's on my radar, so to speak. But I haven't been actively checking for a release date.
I’m not immersed in comic culture and haven’t been for a long time, but is my read of Geoff Johns as a trumped up B-list writer with too much clout accurate?
That's basically it. He's a really solid adventure story kind of guy. Very heavy into continuity and stuff. But when he tries to be a capital W Writer he tends to fall short.
@@StrangeBrainParts The only story of his I’ve read, that I recall, is Doomsday Clock, and I was not a fan. The core conceit was unearned and naive, to the point that I found it mildly offensive. This is in large part due to knowing his position in DC.
His Green Lantern run was pretty decent. And I remember liking Justice Society, too. Which was when I first took note of him. It's solid stuff, action stuff. Really, it's his forte. When he tries to get deep and challenging it's just...he doesn't have it in him.
Dude, you missed The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage. It came out in 2020 and is Black Label. It’s only 4 issues.
I didn't miss it. It actually came out in 2019. And it's in that video.
@@StrangeBrainParts ok, I'll check that out
Love your channel! But Constantine has in FACT been bisexual since the 90s. I believe it was in the Garth Ennis run where they comfirm John had male partners (but most the time female partners)
Please see the correction in the pinned comment.
I have to disagree and agree with your current opinions towards strange adventures. I agree with that Adam Strange was done incredibly dirty by the entire story and towards the end but like you it seems i may need to reread the story because I'm suprise that three stories were being told. At the time of my own reading I was frustratingly confused on the perceptives. Now where I have to disagree is that this was a "good" story. tom king is infamously well known for his strange, and quit honestly Infantile, portrayals of certain characters. While Adam Strange and his family were given this treatment, the character i found that suffered the most was Mister Terrific. Issue 6 of the series is a true testament to the levels of king's writing style that I find truly truly disgusting.
Now I'll have to look a little closer at issue six. Because I'm unsure what you're talking about. And if you don't like it...that's fair! No one says you have to. :)
8:00 Didn't you have a similarly unfavorable comparison to Johns' Doomsday Clock and Moore's Watchmen?
Yes, I did! And both pieces were basically back to back, if I remember correctly.
Once upon a time The Killing Joke became a thing and DC created Elseworlds and published interesting Batman stuff like Gotham by Gaslight, Night Cries or Man-Bat. Nowadays they publish sequels to anything Alan Moore because f7ck Alan Moore and maybe to earn a buck.
Just FYI, you may want to re-check your history of Hellblazer comics, particularly issue 51. Constantine's always been bi.
Note the correction pinned at the top.
John Constantine has alway been bi from the begin
Do you remember where that was established? Because I don't remember that in the original series and I'm genuinely curious.
Not THE beginning, it was brought up first in an early 90s Vertigo Hellblazer issue, but sadly, been pretty nominal for a long time, but yeah, it has been a thing.
John being into guys was first mentioned in Hellblazer 51. It wasn't until Brian Azzarrello's run where he was shown having an attraction to men "on screen".
Possibly late 90's? I know my reading around issues 90 to about 110 is spotty.
Thank you! It must have just missed my attention because it was likely kept very hush-hush by editorial.
14:40 Unfortunately, subtly is a skill that was lost during the transition to flashy over rendered computer coloring.
Indeed! And yet, Dave Stewart shows everyone how you don't need flash to do a terrific job.
@@StrangeBrainParts Which is why I prefer to work with deliberately limited palettes.
And you should be praised for it. A subtle touch is all that's necessary.
9:12 Which is why Si Spurrier's short lived series perfectly understood this characterization.
Contantine is bissexual from hellblazer 1. And he makes out with a succubus on a garth ennis story
I think it was a single issue by John Smith #51 that definitively established his bisexuality
During Brian Azzarello's run on the comic, John Constantine's main antagonist, Stanley W. Manor, is a jilted lover.
He is indeed bisexual. I've made a pinned comment with a correction. It's something I should have fact-checked instead of relying on my memory.
Time Stamps, please.
Can do. There should also be chapter breaks in the video itself.
I have always heard Johnny was pansexual.
I think Constantine is more a hedonist than directly bi or gay.
Alan Moore mentions in interviews that Constantine is bissexual. I would have more examples if I had read more hellblazer. Get your facts straight (or bi in that case)