Stephanie Brown: Spoiler, Robin, Batgirl, Batwoman Appreciation 2021

[ohfellow]

I've listened to that Gatecrashers podcast, and about four others that the team has done in the last two weeks. I am hoping all the marketing will bring in some new fans! What Cloonan and Conrad said about Steph really made me happy - it feels like they've really thought through her character, and I can see it in the first issue.

DC is trying much harder than they do with the majority of new series. I was surprised they put that excerpt of issue #1 in the back of every single comic a couple of weeks ago.

[millernumber1]

DC is trying much harder than they do with the majority of new series. I was surprised they put that excerpt of issue #1 in the back of every single comic a couple of weeks ago.

I was surprised but also very pleased. This is the kind of marketing I like to see.

[sunofdarkchild]

Hooray! Any favorite Steph moments?

The only thing that really stood out to me was that she wasn't depicted as needing Cass' help and was treated as an equal partner in the main fight scene.

[millernumber1]

The only thing that really stood out to me was that she wasn't depicted as needing Cass' help and was treated as an equal partner in the main fight scene.

I think that's a very good thing! No knocking Steph out here.

[ohfellow]

The World's -- Finest!

Worlds Finest #1 Artgerm.jpg

https://www.polygon.com/22832964/bat...mics-mark-waid

[ohfellow]

I don't think this variant puts Batgirl back into continuity any more (or less) than Jim Lee's sketch from last year did, but you never know - if Mark Waid is writing again for DC, anything is possible.

Artgerm is reprising his greatest hits.

[millernumber1]

The World's -- Finest!

Worlds Finest #1 Artgerm.jpg

https://www.polygon.com/22832964/bat...mics-mark-waid

I don't think this variant puts Batgirl back into continuity any more (or less) than Jim Lee's sketch from last year did, but you never know - if Mark Waid is writing again for DC, anything is possible.

Artgerm is reprising his greatest hits.

I adore this cover! And I hear it's open to order, so I maybe won't have to shell out too much to get it!

Meanwhile, here's my unboxing of the Joshua Middleton cover, and my review of all of the covers for the first issue!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyrNgQTAhMM

[ohfellow]

I adore this cover! And I hear it's open to order, so I maybe won't have to shell out too much to get it!

Meanwhile, here's my unboxing of the Joshua Middleton cover, and my review of all of the covers for the first issue!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyrNgQTAhMM

It should be easy to get any of the open order variants, at cover price (less any discount you might get depending on where you buy), though these will all be card stock. And while it's probably a 22 page story in a 32 page book, DC sure does like to put out bigger and bigger inflated padded books or books with backup stories, so time will tell what this will cost.

I skipped around in your video but will revisit it! It is interesting that you already got the Middleton variant - when I've bought retailer variants, they never ship early, and in fact tend to ship days to even a week or two late, as they are often small operations that have to ship out tons of orders. So I'm amazed.

I think you raised the question in your video - Middleton did draw a fantastic run of Supergirl covers in 2008 and 2009, in a much simpler style than how he draws these days. I'd describe them more like most of his Burnside covers, which were the last Batgirl covers I really liked. A kind of flat appearance to the colors, simple faces - not anime, but not photo-real either. Think of the one with Barbara in the snow wearing her winter Bat-leather jacket and scarf (#20b), or the one in total silhouette as Barbara leaps over the rooftops during sunrise, surrounded by birds (#22b). (I'm going to assume it's sunrise and not sunset, because she'd have been out all night - she wouldn't have started patrol during daylight.)

This was a totally charming run of covers! I've missed that style of his. He started using a photo-real style on nearly all of his Batgirl variants starting with #23b, and that's pretty much the style he continues to draw in. And he really couldn't draw the adorable Burnside covers once Barbara was in the Murphy-suit - the Burnside outfit, and the younger Barbara, lent themselves to a playful, whimsical cover treatment, while the older Barbara in the Murphy-suit was all business.

[millernumber1]

It should be easy to get any of the open order variants, at cover price (less any discount you might get depending on where you buy), though these will all be card stock. And while it's probably a 22 page story in a 32 page book, DC sure does like to put out bigger and bigger inflated padded books or books with backup stories, so time will tell what this will cost.

I skipped around in your video but will revisit it! It is interesting that you already got the Middleton variant - when I've bought retailer variants, they never ship early, and in fact tend to ship days to even a week or two late, as they are often small operations that have to ship out tons of orders. So I'm amazed.

I think you raised the question in your video - Middleton did draw a fantastic run of Supergirl covers in 2008 and 2009, in a much simpler style than how he draws these days. I'd describe them more like most of his Burnside covers, which were the last Batgirl covers I really liked. A kind of flat appearance to the colors, simple faces - not anime, but not photo-real either. Think of the one with Barbara in the snow wearing her winter Bat-leather jacket and scarf (#20b), or the one in total silhouette as Barbara leaps over the rooftops during sunrise, surrounded by birds (#22b). (I'm going to assume it's sunrise and not sunset, because she'd have been out all night - she wouldn't have started patrol during daylight.)

This was a totally charming run of covers! I've missed that style of his. He started using a photo-real style on nearly all of his Batgirl variants starting with #23b, and that's pretty much the style he continues to draw in. And he really couldn't draw the adorable Burnside covers once Barbara was in the Murphy-suit - the Burnside outfit, and the younger Barbara, lent themselves to a playful, whimsical cover treatment, while the older Barbara in the Murphy-suit was all business.

This is only the second time I've bought a retailer exclusive variant (first time was Comics Elite for the Steph Batgirl Black Lantern Dark Multiverse Blackest Night one shot by Kendrick Lim), and I've heard others were getting their early too. My TFAW variants have not shown up yet.

We'll have to see what Batman/Superman: World's Finest has to offer, though since it won't be Steph and Kara teaming up, it's already not all it could be

I think that Artgerm really pushed Middleton to the photoreal digital painting style with his run of Rebirth Supergirl variants, that is popularly credited with extending the life of that run by a significant amount. Probably a combination of Artgerm, Mattina, and Stjepan Sejic - if you look at the variants DC has been pushing out, I'd say a large number are these photoreal headshot or portrait types - and they seem to drive sales a lot more. I personally really like it - Derek Chew and Kendrick Lim are also in that tradition of covers, and I really like their work a lot as well. I like some whimsical covers, and some that are sort of in between, like Julian Totino Tedesco (who did a fairly whimsical Babs cover with the Murphy suit for the foil variant - https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon...._QL80_TTD_.jpg

I'd be very interested to hear what you think about my analysis of the other covers.

[Frontier]

The World's -- Finest!

Worlds Finest #1 Artgerm.jpg

https://www.polygon.com/22832964/bat...mics-mark-waid

Always nice to see Steph and Kara together .

[ohfellow]

This is only the second time I've bought a retailer exclusive variant (first time was Comics Elite for the Steph Batgirl Black Lantern Dark Multiverse Blackest Night one shot by Kendrick Lim), and I've heard others were getting their early too. My TFAW variants have not shown up yet.

All shipments from tfaw are delayed, because they had to shut down and repair their warehouse. I think they'll resume shipping next week.

We'll have to see what Batman/Superman: World's Finest has to offer, though since it won't be Steph and Kara teaming up, it's already not all it could be

I read the first arc of the last run by Williamson, drawn by the amazing David Marquez, but only because it tied into Year of the Villain which I thought would be worthwhile reading (it wasn't, though the acetate covers were beautiful). Marquez left the book after that arc, and I had no further interest in the teamup and gave it up. The Gene Luen Yang story which followed Future State sounded interesting, so I read it again, but that really dragged and got tiresome, and then the book was mercifully cancelled.

But I'm very interested in what Mark Waid will do.

I think that Artgerm really pushed Middleton to the photoreal digital painting style with his run of Rebirth Supergirl variants, that is popularly credited with extending the life of that run by a significant amount.

Maybe it boosted sales, but but Artgerm actually drew #12-#20, #23, #26, and #28, while the book lasted until #42. It seemed like a casualty of a truly terrible last arc ("The Infected" business, the last gasp of the Year of the Villain, with Supergirl drawn like a member of Kiss) and the pandemic.

Derrick Chew did the final set of variant covers which I liked so much he kind of knocked Artgerm down a notch for me. He drew the variants from #33 to the end and I guess couldn't save the book - the last 2 issues, during the early part of the pandemic when publishing mostly halted, were never printed but only released digitally. Chew's style might resemble Artgerm, but there's more action and less pure portrait.

Chew's playful variants are the only thing I like about Harley Quinn right now.

Probably a combination of Artgerm, Mattina, and Stjepan Sejic - if you look at the variants DC has been pushing out, I'd say a large number are these photoreal headshot or portrait types - and they seem to drive sales a lot more. I personally really like it - Derek Chew and Kendrick Lim are also in that tradition of covers, and I really like their work a lot as well. I like some whimsical covers, and some that are sort of in between, like Julian Totino Tedesco (who did a fairly whimsical Babs cover with the Murphy suit for the foil variant - https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon...._QL80_TTD_.jpg

I think Chew and Lim are sort of acolytes of Artgerm, and Kael Ngu too. The artgermcollectibles web site also sells art by Chew, Lim, and another similar artist, Ejikure.

I don't know if his style was always this way, but these days Mattina's covers are unmistakable. Sejic's work too - mostly, his faces. He did the first few issues of Justice League Odyssey and really elevated that, but was screwed when the first arc was completely rewritten and almost none of his work could be salvaged. So a good amount of what he did was never published. It took a while before that book finally looked great again thanks to Will Conrad.

I'd be very interested to hear what you think about my analysis of the other covers.

That's coming .

[millernumber1]

All shipments from tfaw are delayed, because they had to shut down and repair their warehouse. I think they'll resume shipping next week.

I read the first arc of the last run by Williamson, drawn by the amazing David Marquez, but only because it tied into Year of the Villain which I thought would be worthwhile reading (it wasn't, though the acetate covers were beautiful). Marquez left the book after that arc, and I had no further interest in the teamup and gave it up. The Gene Luen Yang story which followed Future State sounded interesting, so I read it again, but that really dragged and got tiresome, and then the book was mercifully cancelled.

But I'm very interested in what Mark Waid will do.

Maybe it boosted sales, but but Artgerm actually drew #12-#20, #23, #26, and #28, while the book lasted until #42. It seemed like a casualty of a truly terrible last arc ("The Infected" business, the last gasp of the Year of the Villain, with Supergirl drawn like a member of Kiss) and the pandemic.

Derrick Chew did the final set of variant covers which I liked so much he kind of knocked Artgerm down a notch for me. He drew the variants from #33 to the end and I guess couldn't save the book - the last 2 issues, during the early part of the pandemic when publishing mostly halted, were never printed but only released digitally. Chew's style might resemble Artgerm, but there's more action and less pure portrait.

Chew's playful variants are the only thing I like about Harley Quinn right now.

I think Chew and Lim are sort of acolytes of Artgerm, and Kael Ngu too. The artgermcollectibles web site also sells art by Chew, Lim, and another similar artist, Ejikure.

I don't know if his style was always this way, but these days Mattina's covers are unmistakable. Sejic's work too - mostly, his faces. He did the first few issues of Justice League Odyssey and really elevated that, but was screwed when the first arc was completely rewritten and almost none of his work could be salvaged. So a good amount of what he did was never published. It took a while before that book finally looked great again thanks to Will Conrad.

That's coming .

Ah, thanks for the update about TFAW. I picked up the normal cover at my shop last night, so now I have two of five.

Marquez's art for that first run of Batman/Superman was really gorgeous, but wasted on the Batman Who Lulz plot AGAIN. I bought the Lee Weeks variant of issue #12, I think it was, with Batwoman and Steel teaming up, and that was fun, but I just am not a huge fan of the concept. Waid, though he did write my favorite Superman origin with Birthright, is not a writer I trust at all - his Superman story for Death Metal was pretty good, actually, but his Wonder Woman story for the 80th really annoyed me (despite the amazing art).

Well, my understanding of how to "save" a series is that if you boost sales, it will usually go on to last another year or so, due to editorial hoping it will happen again, and also letting the writer finish their story. Man, that Infected storyline was garbage. Derailed Jim Gordon and Hawkman for no purpose. Didn't even boost sales of Hawkman. I didn't know Chew did covers! I just checked them out - I agree they're more action and posed with more strength than Artgerm, but I do really like the warmth and whimsy of Artgerm's poses and costumes. I like Chew's Harley variants, but I actually am liking the stories and most of the Rossmo interiors as well.

Mattina's covers are digital paintings with a strong horror tinge. Sejic...I'm still so sad he couldn't do the trilogy of Harleen stories because of his health. JLO was such a blow - it's so bad what editorial did. They should never have approved the scripts to be drawn if they were going to yank it and force redrawing. That's so catastrophic for an artist's career.

But back to Steph and variants - I am glad that we're getting Rian Gonzales as a regular variant cover artist for Batgirls, even though I'm pretty annoyed that it is as 1:25 incentive variants.

Can't wait!

[ohfellow]

Not sure what the art on the cover of March Robins #5 means:

Top right-side up image: Steph with half-mask, thigh belt on the right leg, Bat symbol.

Bottom upside-down image (some kind of symbolic reflection): full mask, thigh belt on the left leg, Bat symbol.

If it's a reflection, makes sense for the belt to switch legs.

All the other characters on the cover have much bigger changes in the top image than merely a mask.

It's as if the top image is a future, the bottom image some kind of not-quite-right version of the present.

But I've been wondering about the mask chosen for the Robins story. I guess it's like the Spoiler costume featured in Young Justice (the full mask, except for the cover with Zatanna, which used the half mask).

So that's the latest in the mask news.

The thigh belt is a more serious matter. It's still missing on the Gonzales cover for Batgirls #4, which is the only one that might have shown it. It's G-O-N-E .

There will be an International Women's Day variant by Paulina Ganucheau in addition to 3 other variants, so it's one of the 7 books in March that with have 4 variants.

It's an interesting commitment since DC doesn't entirely know how well the book will be selling by then, though they have known for months how many initial orders were placed by retailers for #1, and for a few weeks have known the final orders. Given the paper shortages, DC isn't going to print stuff that they don't think will sell.

[ohfellow]

P.S. The only easy way to count stuff like how many books have how many variants is from the 1-page checklist at the very back of DC Connect #20 - there's a gray symbol with "4v" in it next to those. Otherwise, it would be a very hard job going through the solicits and keeping track. I'm not quite that crazy.

DC Connect is easily downloaded from https://www.lunardistribution.com .

[millernumber1]

Not sure what the art on the cover of March Robins #5 means:

Top right-side up image: Steph with half-mask, thigh belt on the right leg, Bat symbol.

Bottom upside-down image (some kind of symbolic reflection): full mask, thigh belt on the left leg, Bat symbol.

If it's a reflection, makes sense for the belt to switch legs.

All the other characters on the cover have much bigger changes in the top image than merely a mask.

It's as if the top image is a future, the bottom image some kind of not-quite-right version of the present.

But I've been wondering about the mask chosen for the Robins story. I guess it's like the Spoiler costume featured in Young Justice (the full mask, except for the cover with Zatanna, which used the half mask).

So that's the latest in the mask news.

The thigh belt is a more serious matter. It's still missing on the Gonzales cover for Batgirls #4, which is the only one that might have shown it. It's G-O-N-E .

There will be an International Women's Day variant by Paulina Ganucheau in addition to 3 other variants, so it's one of the 7 books in March that with have 4 variants.

It's an interesting commitment since DC doesn't entirely know how well the book will be selling by then, though they have known for months how many initial orders were placed by retailers for #1, and for a few weeks have known the final orders. Given the paper shortages, DC isn't going to print stuff that they don't think will sell.

I liked the Robins cover - it felt like an interesting idea of alternate futures or pasts!

I am extremely sad about the thigh belt. Didn't notice the Women's Day variant - maybe that'll be good too! But I'm already tempted to get both the Michael Cho and the main cover... (kind of nice that DC is pricing me out of the Gonzales variants).