And as for the “Death of the New Gods,” hey, they died their ugly death way back in 1972 when DC canceled the books out from under Kirby.
Other writers have since been dancing with the decaying carcasses for decades, and we’ve all been too polite to comment on the stink.

imho

Here’s a tip, never refer to anything you yourself have written as funny. Not only does it make you look pompous, but its kind of sad when it isn’t even remotely funny.

This, however, was hilarious.

And yet, Connor was insecure and socially awkward. He’s not as good an archer as Ollie. During his first JLA adventure, he wins by dumb luck. He quit soon after because he felt out of place. He got his ass kicked by Silver Monkey, and the videotape of his utter defeat became an underground best-seller. His grandfather told him to stop moping like a loser. Eddie had to save his life every other issue.

I see your point about Connor coming off as too perfect, T, but he suffered his share of defeats and humiliations. Unless that is supposed to happen to Mary Sues, I don’t think he qualifies.

One of the reasons I love Winick’s Green Arrow is how battered and bloodied Connor often becomes in the book

Wow.

So coming to a blog called “Comics Should Be Good” is, what, you being ironic?

Also – the New Gods’ death DIED earlier on this issue. The entity that used to represent Death for the New Gods is no longer there. Barda’s death will be just as “permanent” as Superman’s death was, which is NOT AT ALL.

One thing we can’t deny is that DC knows how to push their readers’ buttons. There’s no reason whatsoever to believe that all these “deaths” of New Gods will last beyond the duration of this miniseries, and yet online fandom eats it up with a large spoon.

Hey look, there’s that word nobody knows how to use again.

What do you mean? I found the following definition for Mary Sue at Wikipedia:

Mary Sue, sometimes shortened simply to Sue, is a pejorative term used to describe a fictional character, either male or female (though male characters are often dubbed “Larry Stu” or some other rhyming male name), that exhibits some or most of the clichés common in fan fiction, particularly if the character is unsympathetic to the reader. Characters were originally labeled as “Mary Sues” for being portrayed in an overly idealized way and lacking noteworthy or realistic flaws.

How am I misusing that term when applying it to Connor Hawke? He’s suddenly the sun of an established character, is an ace archer, is one of the TOP 4 MARTIAL ARTISTS ON EARTH, right behind Shiva and Batman, his skillz even give Richard Dragon pause, Nightwing and Robin jaws drop when they see his skills in action, every woman he meets throws herself at him, plus he’s the nicest, good-hearted guy on earth. I’ve rarely seen a character’s perfection so crammed down the reader’s throats as I have with Connor Hawke. One of the reasons I love Winick’s Green Arrow is how battered and bloodied Connor often becomes in the book, and if he tops himself by killing the guy it’d be even better.

IGNORE lame books. Best kind of bystander effect. Try it and see how freeing it is.

It feels awesome. I wouldn’t know what kinda crap was occurring in 75% of DC’s books if it wasn’t discussed right here. A few years ago, I’d have actually been supporting them!

Connoe “Mary Sue” Hawke

Hey look, there’s that word nobody knows how to use again.

It’s a story designed to do nothing more than shift continuity points around, it’s utterly uninteresting (and, to someone who hasn’t read all the Secret Wars stuff, borderline incoherent), and the one thing it’s supposed to be doing, it does badly.

Having never read all the Secret Wars stuff, I’d disagree with the parenthetical aside. And not giving a crap about the shifting of continuity points (since that’s the symptom, not the cause), I can enjoy the comic for what it is: a done-in-one look at what’s happening behind the scenes at different points in Marvel’s history. “The one thing it’s supposed to be doing,” if you will.

C. This is all most likely temporary, probably in preparation of a reboot of the New Gods (I hope!).

Didn’t Morrison do that?

It’s never sold well, and it only really worked when it was an excuse for Kirby to go crazy.
Other than that they’ve always just been a pain in the arse.

This is why you are the Dread Lord and Master, and I am but a humble peon!

Here’s a tip, never refer to anything you yourself have written as funny. Not only does it make you look pompous, but its kind of sad when it isn’t even remotely funny.

By the way, Brian, she’s in her costume because on the way home, she and Scott got into costume to fight some petty crooks. I’m crushed that you didn’t know that. My faith in you is destroyed. Destroyed, I say!

Have faith, Greg!

They were wearing street clothes when they went out to get the groceries, but changed into their costumes for the fight.

So they decided to NOT change back AFTER the fight to get groceries?

LAME!!

If the CBG review weren’t so overwrought (“This spits on those [Secret Wars II] stories”), if it weren’t so narrowly fixated on continuity to the exclusion of all other concerns (as though that’s the only thing that’s important when creating a comic) or tried to approach it in a wider context, or if the piece of continuity in question weren’t one that was never particularly good to begin with, I have been able to bring myself to care. As it is, no, not particularly.