GottaGetAGrip

It's happening. Some of the cast has been revealed:

Tom Sturridge as Dream

Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer

Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian

Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess

Asim Chaudhry and Sanjeev Bhaskar as Abel and Cain

Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne

Fingers crossed Constantine (and Lady C for that matter, too) makes it into this adaptation, though I am definitely not expecting to see Martian Manhunter!

https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2021/01/19/dc-launches-dc-universe-infinite-the-premier-destination-for-dc-fans

For those here who use the Marvel Unlimited service and wanted something similar for DC, DC is turning the DC Universe app into a full-time comics reader since its shows are migrating to HBO Max and also eventually launching the app globally.

It will include Vertigo and Black Label titles, including the entire 215-issue run  of OG Hellblazer.

I wonder if their message boards will end up having some "reactions" to the "classic" moments of Azzarello's run?

This is the writer's website: https://dannylore.com/

The Truth and Justice series seems to exist for DC to test out new creators and keep characters who don't have ongoings in circulation. Though I'm not exactly sure John is a good representative for truth. Justice, sure, but definitely not truth, heh!

A few years too late, but better late then never I suppose?

In a slightly brighter bit of news, it seems that Georgia has voted to elect both Democrats in their run-off races, making the Senate 50-50 until the 2022 midterms. If the Biden admin will actually do anything with this brief advantage remains to be seen.

Of course, all that is overshadowed by today's literal coup attempt. And I doubt that Trump or any of the Congresspeople who spread the election fraud conspiracies that led to this and encouraged armed uprising will actually face consequences.

The fourth is a massive improvement on the third - the extremely crude writing (even for Saints Row) that dominates the third is pared back somewhat, provided you don't mind playing a game that recycles the entire map from the third and also goes from fighting colorful gangs to fighting aliens with superpowers. Say good-bye to ever needing a car when you can just Flash about the place!

Never played the Gat spin-off set in hell so I can't tell you if that one's worth it.

A new Swamp Thing's being introduced by DC next year:

Quote

written by RAM V

art and cover by MIKE PERKINS
variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
ON SALE 3/2/21
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | 1 OF 10 | FC | DC
Swamp Thing returns in a new 10-issue series that stars Levi Kamei as the next Guardian of the Green. Unable to control his transformation into the monstrous Swamp Thing, Levi is thrust into the harsh, unforgiving mystery of grisly murders committed by a supernatural desert legend. Levi must revisit past events in his homeland of India and face the deadly reality of a ravenous new villain in order to comprehend what he is truly, and horrifyingly, becoming. A new era of global action and horror blossoms here, and Swamp Thing will be at the root of it!

I've not been reading the Justice League Dark ongoing (which is now apparently being downgraded to a back-up for the upcoming Bendis Justice League) so I've no idea what Alec Holland/the plant that thought he was Alec Holland is up to, but given that this is just a limited series, I don't feel this new Indian Swamp Thing will be a long-term replacement.

Have heard good things about Ram V as a writer, but I've not yet read any of his books.

It seems the run has been nominated by gaming website IGN as one of the best comics of 2020. Victory is a bit of longshot considering that the list is also populated with far more popular books, but Si and series editor Chris Conroy wouldn't mind some votes for the 'ol Conjob.

Well, it looks like Trump's last resort of the Supreme Court has backfired on him as they voted 7-2 to reject the Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the election in his favor.

To add insult to injury, it seems all three of the Justices he put on the court sided with the majority on the issue.

Richard Corben has passed away today at the age of 80.

My first exposure to his art was in Mignola's Hellboy story Makoma. And of course, he illustrated Hellblazer's Hard Time arc for Azzarello's run on the title.

Parroting the Hellblazer (RIP) and Immortal Hulk praises.

I'd give an honorable mention to Zdarsky's Daredevil, but since I'm reading that in trades, I've probably not actually read the 2020 issues of that comic yet.

Other books that I was interested in like Strange Adventures, Morrison's GL Season 2, Far Sector, Other History of the DCU, Gideon Falls, etc. I decided to trade wait so I don't have any say on them.

Did like the first issue of Tom King's Batman/Catwoman but since it's only one issue at the end of the year, I can't say it belongs on a Best Of 2020 List.

All in all, it feels like I'm not in touch with/lost interest in most of the current comics landscape. I find that most of my purchases these days both physical and digital seem to be of older material.

I was working at a movie theater (remember those?) during the month Joker came out and the management ramped up the armed security for a while. Coincided with a ban on bags that made working the gates and box office an unpleasant affair. Almost made cleaning up the theaters after a screening pleasant by comparison! The big manager of the theater even made a big speech at a staff meeting couple weeks later about how these precautions were necessary due to the Aurora shootings. In that context it is an understandable concern, but I'm not sure how or why so many people falsely remembered the Aurora shooter as having dressed as The Joker to do it. At most, the shooter dyed his hair, and not even the same color as the Joker.

It is kind of funny that there was moral panic about Joker inspiring alt-right violence but all it accomplished in the end was influence a lot of people to locate the steps from the film and recreate the Joker's dance - which was probably annoying for local residents to be sure but very much a far cry from the prophesied incel uprising.

In all likelihood, if Covid hadn't shaken up the already unstable comic book market, Spurrier might've been able to get one more arc on this book. I believe he has said something along those lines, about Covid changing the level of low sales DC was willing to accept to continue publishing books.

The odds for quality comics that don't star the big faces surviving in this kind of comic market simply aren't favorable - which hasn't been helped by the current pandemic. It's somewhat of a sobering thought to think that many of the classic 80s and 90s DC/Vertigo books that had long multi-year runs probably would be lucky to make it even a year if they were published today.

There's always the possibility that DC's poor handling of John up to this point might've turned off potential readers from even giving Spurrier's Hellblazer a shot. Unlike Batman or Spidey as some examples, Constantine isn't a character who has a super large cancellation-proof fanbase that will stick with him no matter what.

Though there probably will be a new Constantine book down the line as long as DC has some multi-media stake in the character... whether it's Spurrier & co's second chance or a new team remains to be seen.

(Oh no what if this is paving the way for a Bendis Hellblazer book now that he needs something to play with because he's leaving the Superman line? Or Geoff Johns, because he probably won't rest until he's "created" some kind of follow-up to every character and concept Alan Moore ever created for DC)

Si Spurrier's Hellblazer is over but at least he isn't wanting for work: He's tweeted that he'll be involved with the Reign of X, the next phase of Hickman's X-Men line.

For all that this Hellblazer did in bringing us back to the "good old days," one thing it did feel short on was the sacrifices and losses for John that played a big part in the classic runs. Well, fret not - Spurrier saved the "best" for last!

A strong conclusion to this era of Spurrier Hellblazer that brings the thirteen issues of his run together, though it's severely bittersweet because you can tell Spurrier had much more story to tell - heck, he even just tweeted that his next planned arc would've taken John back to America!

Here's to hoping that the trades do well enough to warrant some form of continuation so Spurrier can actually explore the ramifications of the big reveal of this issue.

So Trump couldn't even hold out as long as Al Gore did? Sad! as he would tweet.

Though predictably, Trump is still slinging his "I really won and I will still win!" shtick while at the same time authorizing a transition. I suppose it is the closest he will get to conceding.

(Who wants to bet that Trump beginning to fold is due to some deal where Biden won't prosecute him the way Obama didn't prosecute the banks?)

Joe Biden has placed John Kerry in charge of climate change for his administration. As well as some other nominations for his cabinet.

I guess Joe is being a bit more subtle than outright renominating Kerry for the SoS position he had during the Obama years.

As the Trump post-election shitshow continues, the question came to mind: is there any modern American politician who has had such a 180 in reputation as Rudy Giuliani?

A comparison I found on the web posited that Trump ran on taking America back to an imaginary 1950, whereas Biden ran on taking America back to an imaginary 2010.

I'd wager it'll be more likely that in 2024 we'll see Mike Pence running on his status as Trump's former boy sidekick or maybe one of his children trying to make the Trump Political Dynasty a thing.

It looks like Biden might lose Arizona to Trump at the last second, or at the very least, have a tighter race than it looked like initially - but Nevada and Pennsylvania seem to be heading into the blue solidly at this rate, and somehow Georgia is going for Biden as well?

I suppose this is what the process of his aides trying to convince Trump that it's looking likely he'll lose the election without some divine Supreme Court interference or foreign intervention looks like.

Edit: And CNN has just called Biden as the winner.

Now comes the part where we have to worry about what damage Trump will do to try and stay in office... because he's probably not gonna concede from now till January.

Sure is something though how it seems like all these major networks waited until it seemed like Trump may actually lose that they finally begin calling him out as the Liar-In-Chief en masse!

(Imagine where we'd be if they'd begun doing so... I don't know, around 2015?)

To distract myself from election news, I've been binging Watch Dogs Legion - the latest installment in Ubisoft's open world hacker vigilante series.

The game ditches the contemporary American setting of the first two titles, opting to skip ahead to a post-Brexit London in the 2040s. After a devastating series of terrorist attacks in the prologue that frames the series' recurring hacktivist group Dedsec and throws the city under the brutal control of a PMC, it's up to the player to clear Dedsec's name and liberate London.

Unlike the previous games which had you playing as a single protagonist, Watch Dogs Legion features a new schtick of "playing as anyone." And Ubisoft does commit to (almost) everyone! You can recruit any NPC on the street for your legion by completing their recruitment mission, and with upgrades you can even turn an enemy into a friend. NPCs come with randomly generated backgrounds that determine what abilities they might have, in addition to other randomly generated traits. Protest leaders for instance have megaphones that rally bystanders to fight alongside you, cops have a special arrest takedown, while rarer types like spies come with a Bond-esque spy car.

A character might come with a trait that lets them take less damage, be a shopaholic (they'll buy clothes at random with your funds when inactive), or die suddenly from a heart attack like that poor animator from Monty Python. For example, I recruited a street magician who can hypnotize enemies but is also cursed with spontaneous flatulence that ruins stealth. All in all, it's a varied lot you can recruit - you can even liberate London as an army of arthritic seniors if you so desire.

It's not perfect though - due to the randomly generated nature of the system and the fact that this ambitious design can only go so far you will sooner than later be doing recruitment missions that have suspiciously similar stories that occur in the same locales.

The game very much is still an open world game of the sort that has become associated with the Ubisoft brand as of late, so if you're tired of these kind of games or aren't a fan of the previous Watch Dogs, it might be better to wait for a sale on this one.

(Alas there doesn't seem to be any real long coats in the clothing stores so a full Constantine cosplay beyond Tynion and Doyle's take does not seem possible)

I guess as a Biden win becomes more likely, we might see some schism in the Republican ranks between those who wanna keep riding the Trump train to the bitter end and those who think that since Trump's given them everything they want (a conservative SC majority and continued control of the Senate + reduced Dem majority in the house) it's now time to cut him loose without even a good luck.