That OTHER Bat Guy

Since the Keeper has used Dan Didio’s words to bury DC, it’s only fair we quote from another Newsarama interview to praise the company.

Newsarama: Going back in the other direction along the fictional universe timeline…Jonah Hex has been successful, you’ve got Bat-Lash coming…

Didio: Right - Peter Branvold, a Western writer brought us the concept of Bat-Lash and began working with Sergio Aragones. Peter wanted Sergio involved from the start, because it was his character. Peter was brought in by Michael Wright, who’s been moved over to a different area of the department, and the book was moved to Rachel Gluckstern, and she’s the one who brought in John Severin who will handle the art on the miniseries.

This is excellent news.

Back when we were young-uns and comics shops were a rarity (Comics & Comix in Berkeley and SF were the only stores we knew of), Showcase # 76 featuring Bat Lash was the first back issue the Keeper ever bought.

We were attracted to the book by the striking (Nick Cardy?) cover and the threat that the lead character could “save the West … or ruin it.”

For once, a Silver Age cover told the tale accurately. The Keeper immediately liked the supposedly peace-loving Bat Lash, who reminded us of James Garner’s immortal Bret Maverick.

(No, we’re not THAT old. Channel 44 used to show re-runs back then … )

Bringing the character back in a mini-series that involves Sergio Aragones and John Severin only sweetens the deal.

See, we still like DC!

(Although Didio also said Infinite Crisis and 52 are only pieces of a puzzle that will involve even more crossovers. *Groan.*)

Matrix Reloaded?

From Peter David’s Web site:

When “Fallen Angel” first launched from DC Comics, I played fast and loose with the notion that Lee was actually Linda Danvers, a.k.a. Supergirl. A number of hard core Supergirl fans, frustrated that I merely remained coy about it, wandered away from the series because they wanted to know what was up with Linda. When the series moved over to IDW, I revealed the true origin of the Fallen Angel.

Let the word go out, far and wide, in best nudge, nudge, wink wink fashion: Any fans of my run on Supergirl- particularly those who are torqued because Linda Danvers was consigned to oblivion in the DCU- must, must, MUST pick up “Fallen Angel” #14 and #15 when they come out next year.

Trust me.

Wow. We dropped Fallen Angel from our pull list recently because the book hasn’t matched the high standards set by the first five issues, which served as a perfect coda to the original DC series.

The Keeper will definitely pick these issues up, however. Despite our love for the original Kara Zor-El, we were huge marks for the Peter David Supergirl series.

The first 50 issues of that title count among our favorite DC runs of all time.