I have to disagree with you guys a bit on JMS’ Rising Stars. From his “closed loop” work on Babylon 5 (the pilot episode matched with story ending 5 years later) I suspect that JMS had that ending in mind from the start.

Although it started a bit like a murder mystery, it is mentioned early on that the ball of energy that came to earth millions of years ago was the spark that jumped started evolution and the second fireball was supposed to be similar. All of the specials had a latent memory even if only one could recall the event completely. There was also the virtually identical art (substituting aliens for humans) that depicted the planetfall of the fireball. Throughout the story, Randy continuously mentions he believes the fireball was directed and has intelligence.

He ties all of this together by having Randy be the intelligence behind the fireball and a continuos cycle of evolution by the fireball jumping from planet to planet and, by using very similar art, showing the same thing that happened on Earth happening elsewhere.

Granted, I had the benefit of picking up Rising Stars for the first time in hardcover and was able to read it all at once (no publishing delays) but at the time, it seemed this was really a story about the fireball, its “emissary” (Randy), and everything else was almost anecdotal. When I read through the hardcover, I thought everything tied together fairly well.

I actually credit Rising Stars as a big factor in me ending my 20 year hiatus from comics. I know you guys still gave it a good review overall but I had a bit different impression when I finished it.

oh yeah, i’m gonna be prepared.

* “Century” is 3 Volumes, from 1910 to 1960 to ‘Today’, 2008-2010.
* A subplot will involve sci-film character The Man Out Of Time appearing in each issue.
* Another subplot will involve what I can only call Crisis Of Infinite Crowleys.
* The main plot is the building and development of a “Moonchild”, sort of like a sci-film Antichrist, which will also involve creating a concise and logical development of the moon’s history – how do the escapades of the naked Amazon Women affect the quiet, modest ecosystem of the Clangers and their soup-dragon? How do any of them breathe?
* The 60s issue will involve lotsa drugs as well as Doug & Dinsdale Pirahna from Monty Python. Oh, yes. There will be Spiny Norman, I hope. The League will also – partly thanks to the drugs – begin to show signs of wear and tear.
* In the final chapter, modern pop culture takes over, with Nemo’s Islamic great-grandson learning the trade and building his own Submarine. Moore will reference the various governments of TV series such as The West Wing, and will make use of Charlie Brooker’s theorem that at one point, Jack Bauer fell asleep in a launderette and has been having a nightmare throughout the entirety of the rest of “24″. The Moon-Child will be born to it’s terrible destiny, and all that is left to stop it is a League of one woman – possibly Mina but more likely Orlando as s/he has visited the Pool Of Eternal Youth more often – incarcerated in an asylum.
* After that, some “Tales of The GLC”-esque one-shots…and then, having done with the past and present Moore & O’Neill get to look into the fictional representations of the future and throttle them by the balls.

The end-result – as they see it – will have every memorable, intelligent and popular piece of fiction squeezed and cut and mixed into one long and infinitely detailed narrative.

I, for one, cannot wait.

We try very hard not to favor anything, so much as we just cover comics… So, yeah, the “Woo HOO! Indy books!” thing is a bit strained. But here’s something else to look at… Check the comments on an independent title versus a Dark Reign or Final Crisis tie-in issue. :)

one thing is bugging me though. it bugs me that you have to make kind of a huge deal about the fact that you’re reviewing indy publishers (and every other website for that matter). i mean, you shouldn’t have to say: ‘this week we have 3 indy book reviews). you should only need to say that you’re reviewing this book from this publisher.

and people should be more open minded. i understand we all like what we like, but a lot of people lift their nose on manga or indy stuff because it’s not marvel or DC or there’s no super-heroes in the book.

anyway, i could rant all day long on that matter, but i’m at work and i don’t have time.

Also isn’t The Crimson Avenger a black girl with enchanted guns with no triggers, said guns housing the soul of the original Crimson Avenger? She shows up in Infinite Crisis – Day of Vengeance, supposed to have been killed by the Spectre but we see her again at the battle for Metropolis.