Top 11 Cartoon Babes

Some of you may say... Hey Ryan, I don't think this is the first time you've done a list like this. And you'd be right. A few years back I did a "Top 11 Cartoon Babes I'd Give Sweet Lovin' To" in RFC 'Zine #22. Well, it's been a few years since that list and not only are there new cartoons with new babes in them, but it's possible that my tastes may have changed a bit too. If you have that old 'Zine kicking around (hold on to it, cause it's a collector's item now), feel free to do a comparison. And if you wanna tell me who you think the Top Cartoon Babes are, feel free to comment below.

So since I myself am a cartoon, here's the Top 11 Cartoon Babes I'd Give Sweet, Sweet Lovin' To.

#11 - Poison Ivy Starting this list is Poison Ivy. It's no big, dark secret that I have a thing for redheads. It must be the Irish in me. Well, like most guys, I also have a thing for dangerous chicks. Poison Ivy will love you until she's done with you and then kill you without thinking twice. A date with her would be hard though, because what kind of flowers do you give a girl who is obsessed with plants? Chances are no matter what flowers you bring her, she already has them. Except that the ones she has will kill you. I think she might also be into girls, though it's never really been acknowledged as fact. I just get that feeling when I watch her team up with Harley Quinn on Batman: The Animated Series. Possible Date Idea: Plant trees together.  Make many "log" innuendos until you've got her naked.

#10 - Nikki Wong Nikki Wong (from 6Teen) gets the approval of The Lovely Wife. In her own words, "That chick is cool." Even the most uptight, prim & proper gentlemen have a thing for the bad-ass, speak-her-own-mind kind of girl. You just know that she's got a hidden tattoo and wants you to find it. Tattoos on chicks is like a bulls eye for getting in the sack. She's cool because of her purple hair and independence. We all know that many of the perfectly pretty girls are fun to look at but boring as hell to talk to. It's the cool girls who don't wear gobs of make-up that make for fun dates. And let's not... wait... the show's called 6Teen?  Uh... shit... Possible Date Idea: Take her downtown with a few rolls of toilet paper and "enhance" a statue. Then go to the mall and make fun of all the "perfect" girls together.

#9 - Janine Melnitz Nerdy girls rule. Often overlooked, the nerdy girl is a deep-down nymphomaniac. Janine (the geeky secretary for the Ghostbusters) has a thing for nerdy dudes. And chances are if you're actually reading this list, then you're a nerdy dude. Sorry, but c'mon. Really. I'm a big geek for even writing it. Even in the Ghostbusters movie, Janine was pretty hot. You'd take her home if you had a couple beer in you. In The Real Ghostbusters cartoon though she had something that made her desirable to everyone in the show. Possible Date Idea: Take her to a museum of science & technology and show her where babies come from.

#8 - Marge Simpson Marge, let your hair down all the time! Admit it, you get excited whenever you're watching the Simpsons and Marge finds a reason to let her hair down.  Marge might just be the ultimate Yummy Mummy, and since her standards are already really quite low from Homer J, you wouldn't have to put in too much work to get her in the sheets.  And I bet she'd even cook up some breakfast in bed in the morning. Possible Date Idea: I'm an old-school Simpsons fan, so I'd take Marge bowling and finish the deal that Jacques couldn't.

#7 - Hello Nurse Hellllllllllllooooooooooo Nurse! It's just fun to say. As a kid of the 80s, developing hormones in the early 90s, it was no surprise that Hello Nurse was the coolest thing on television in 1992. Let's not forget that nurses are on my "To Do" list anyway. Just try to find a guy who doesn't like nurses. Once again though, if you pay special attention you'll notice that Hello Nurse always hung around the scientist. Once again, the hot chicks like the nerdy dudes. That rules. Possible Date Idea: Take her somewhere to see something with lots of lights and noises and cute animals. Stupid girls eat that stuff up.

#6 - Jessica Rabbit The last time I did a list like this my good friend Andrew King said "If Jessica Rabbit isn't #1 then I'll be forced to hurt you." Sorry Andrew, she still isn't number one here, but I can see why he'd say that. After all, she isn't bad... she's just drawn that way. The third redhead on the list so far doesn't crack the top five simply because of her love for animals. C'mon... she had a thing for a rabbit. You know when you download some porn and it's this super-hot girl and you're all excited and then BAM! She puts a carrot in her. The mood is ruined instantly. That's kinda how it is with Jessica Rabbit. In Who Framed Roger Rabbit she was way cooler when we all thought she was just using Roger to get away with murder. Possible Date Idea: Go to the pet store and play with the bunnies. Just don't get upset when she likes them more than you.

#5 - Arcee Uh... yeah... Arcee here is a Transformer. I'm gonna get lots of weird comments over this. I degrade Jessica Rabbit for liking animals, yet I'll get it on with a Robot In Disguise. I don't really have any kind of defense here. But, if you ask any Trans-Fan (Transformers, not Transsexuals) they'll tell you that after watching Transformers: The Movie they thought Arcee was pretty cute. And she's my favorite color. I'd even stick it in the voice actress for Arcee. Arcee is nurturing and loving, and about one-hundred feet tall. So if you're in to tall girls, Arcee is perfect for you. Possible Date Idea: Take her to get an oil job, then give her an oil job of your own... after you stick it up her exhaust pipe.

#4 - April O'Neil Hands up if you think April O'Neil (from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) should've hooked up with Casey Jones. Yeah, me too. But she never did, so that means she's fair game for all of us. April may or may not have had a large orgy party with the TMNT, and frankly, we'll never know. But what we do know is that she looked good in her yellow jumpsuit. She must've had a closet full of them, because it's all she ever seemed to wear. April was also a little older than the Turtles, so it's no shocker that they dug her. Most teenage dudes dig at least one older woman. The experience that comes with them is uncanny. Sadly, April's love life was always dragged down by her roommate, Irma's, lack of one. Possible Date Idea: Have a picnic in the sewer with her, and for god's sake bring something to eat that isn't pizza. She must be sick of that by now.

#3 - Miss Maggie Dunlop Here's the final redhead on our list today. What could be more sexy to a geek than Drew Barrymore? The answer: Drew Barrymore as a cartoon! Shit yeah! Miss Maggie Dunlop (in Curious George) represents the female version of all us male geeks. She's dorky, and likes nerdy guys like the Man in the Yellow Hat. She's a little shy too when it comes to telling The Man In The Yellow Hat about her feelings for him. She digs history, and facts, and dinosaur bones, and she's great with kids. It's actually pretty cool just how much the animation of this character resembles Drew Barrymore. Right down to her one-sided, half-smile... it really seems like you're watching Barrymore as a cartoon. Let's not forget that Curious George is simply the best animated movie since the early 90s. That can't help but be good for her hotness. Possible Date Idea: Take her to see a sunset, then ask her to spank your monkey.

#2 - Glimmer There's just something about a girl with pink hair that gets me every time. In The Secret of the Sword, Glimmer meets She-Ra's twin brother He-Man, and she digs him. Most of the girls on the She-Ra cartoon enjoyed whenever He-Man would guest appear, but He-Man always seemed to be more interested in his own sister (and that's a completely different blog post). Glimmer was hot because of her attitude towards everything. Everything was cool with her. "Hey Glimmer, let's go throw rocks at old people." She'd say "Okay, whatever you wanna do." And with pink hair like that, you just gotta find out if the carpet matches the curtains. Possible Date Idea: Take her dancing at a club with lots of flashing lights, then get her really drunk. At that point, she'll not only wanna take you home, but she'll also invite She-Ra to tag along for a threesome.

#1 - Harley Quinn This girl is totally fucking crazy. And I love crazy chicks. Harley Quinn, originally Harleen Quinzell before being seduced by the Joker, is probably the most famous character from Batman: The Animated Series. Fanboys can't get enough of her. She's totally dedicated to her psychotic, abusive boyfriend, and as mentioned above she might also have a thing for Poison Ivy. I dunno what it is about a girl who dresses up as a clown... but you just gotta love it. Harley goes to the extreme to win the love and admiration of her man. One time she almost killed Batman, but her big mistake was that she was holding him for Mr. J to make the final kill. You can't rely on Batman to just hang around and wait to be offed.  Possible Date Idea: Just take her cruisin' and see what kind of trouble you can get into together. Don't expect to get in her pants on the first date though. She'll make you earn it.

That's it for this Top 11! Hope you all enjoyed it!
- ryan

Top 11 DC Movies I Wanna See

...last week the San Diego Comic-Con showed us two trailers for new DC Comics movies.  We lost our shit over the footage from Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and then we got even more excited about the trailer for Suicide Squad.

With Suicide Squad, it looks like Warner Bros. is finally putting some stock in DC Comics characters that aren't strictly Batman - even though the movie looks to primarily feature Harley Quinn and the Joker.  This gives me hope for some other DC flicks from some of their lesser known, yet awesome, stories.

As a life long DC fan, here are eleven I'd really like to see turn into popcorn flicks...

11. Guy Gardner and the JLI
10. Deathstroke the Terminator
09. The Legion of Substitute Heroes
08. Blue Devil
07. Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld
06. Batgirl of Burnside
05. Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (the full version with all the deleted footage)
04. Power Girl
03. Lobo
02. Ambush Bug
01. Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam

The DC-You

Well, it looks like the New52 is finally gone.  And with good reason.  I mean, even up to issue #40 of many DC Comics titles, the covers still said, "The New 52" on them.  The New 52 started over three years ago.  That's hardly new anymore.

But I digress.

I think DC has finally started listening to a large chunk of their audience - and if you get a chance, check out Batgirl Of Burnside in TPB to see where I think it all started.  Batgirl is hip and chic, and stylistically, it's perfect for today's comic buying crowd.  Couple that with the mega-popular Harley Quinn, and DC has a new target audience.  Oh, and Commissioner Gordon as Batman?  How can that not be interesting?

DC's typical summertime event, Convergence, did away with the idea of one universe and brought back the Multiverse, which means that just about anything is possible again.  And that's great for us as fans, because we don't always necessarily need stories to fit into a specific continuity.  That was such a 90s thing.

In the wake of Convergence we're left with some truly entertaining comic books.

You should really check out the new Bizarro mini-series.  Do you remember when comics had a sense of humor to them?  Maybe not, but I do.  This new Bizarro comic sees Bizzaro and Jimmy Olsen on a road trip together.  Now that's a premise I couldn't pass up.

Need a few more laughs?  DC is also giving us a Bat-Mite mini-series and a Harley Quinn and Power Girl team up book.  Both are pretty funny.  I've gone on plenty of praise filled rants of the Harley Quinn series, so I'm happy to see that Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti are still writing this one too.

Speaking of Conner/Palmiotti, I also bought the new Starfire #1 by them and Section 8 All Star. I don't think I've been so randomly interested in new comics in a while.  And it's not like it was with The New 52, where we wanted to see what changes they'd be making to Superman and Wonder Woman and our other favorite heroes.  These are just good characters with interesting premises that aren't taking themselves overly seriously.

They're calling this new wave the DCYou, because there's something here for everyone, or so they say.  And yet, my only real gripes with all of this have to do with my two favorite characters.

Superman and Supergirl.

For starters, Supergirl is nowhere to be seen in the DCYou, and I'd wager dollars to donuts that's because of the new Supergirl TV show coming out this fall.  We'll see a Supergirl comic later to be sure.  And I hope it's as good as the show looks, because the initial twenty issues or so of the New 52's Girl of Steel was quite good.

And then there's Superman.  DC Comics just hasn't been able to get the feel of Superman right for a long time.  Sure, there are hints of brilliance here and there, but on the whole DC just tries to be too serious and real-world with Superman.  Personally, I want a Superman who occasionally breaks the fourth wall and winks at us.  I want a Lois Lane who may be the smartest reporter on the face of Planet Earth but can't seem to see past a pair of glasses (because deep down she really does know that Clark is Superman and won't admit it to herself because she loves the adventure that goes along with it).  I want to see Superman stop meteors made of Kryptonite, save Metropolis from Luthor's death ray, and still find time to get a cat out of the tree.  A few years ago there was a Shazam series called, "Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam" which would be a great style to see Superman in.  He's Superman, he should really be for kids. 

I do think that DC Comics is taking a step in the right direction here.  It's nice to see so much attention on characters that aren't the big three.  I know I'll be watching where they go with it.

- ryan

The Best of 2014

The year is almost over, and thus it is time once again for my picks as the best of the last twelve months.  I think it's important to note that anybody's "top" list is always just an opinion of personal taste, so if you don't agree with my selections that's just too bad.

Here we go!

Mahhhkey Mahhhhhk!

Movies
I'd say that 2014 was a darn good year for movies.  Sure there was some awful shit from Michael Bay, but we're all accustomed to just avoiding those flicks by now.  As usual, my picks aren't going to win the Oscar for Best Picture, but they certainly entertained me.
1. Dawn of The Planet of The Apes
2. Muppets Most Wanted
3. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
4. The Expendables 3
5. The Lego Movie
*special honorable mention to Personal Space Invader


Songs

I never liked Bruno Mars until this.

2014 will go down as the greatest year of shitty pop music.  There was so much typical garbage on the radio that I just couldn't avoid, and also didn't want to.  Hell, I even caught myself singing along to "Let It Go" with my daughter.
1. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson
2. Say Fuck It - Buckcherry
3. You Really Got A Hold On Me - Smokey Robinson & Steven Tyler
4. Breakfast Can Wait - Prince
5. Word Crimes - "Weird Al" Yankovic

Puddin'

Comics (I refuse to call these things "graphic novels") 
DC Comics leads the way in 2014, with Harley Quinn by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner.  Seriously, it's the most consistent fun in comics right now, and it even warranted a whole blog from me about it. 
1. Harley Quinn (inc. all the specials and annuals)
2. He-Man & The Masters of The Universe
3. Alice Cooper
4. Aw Yeah Comics
5. Adventures of Superman

Brucio.

Books (yeah, I read more than just comics...)
This was the hardest list for me to compile because, while I do read a lot of books - mostly autobiographies - it's pretty rare that I buy them when they're brand new releases.  I usually wait for them to go on clearance price or show up in the second hand shops for $4.  With that said, there were a few books I couldn't wait to read this year.
1.Let's Start A Riot - Bruce McCulloch
2. Dirty Daddy - Bob Saget
3. Rocks - Joe Perry
4. Jim Henson; The Biography - Brian Jay Jones
5. Frozen: Olaf's "A Day In The Sun" sticker book

Mmmmmmmmmmm

Babes
Well, it looks as though I've finally taken Miss Lexi Belle off the top of my babes list.  Really though, it's probably because I don't want you - my loyal fans - to think that I'm a hyper-perv.  Okay, we all know Lexi will always be #1 in my heart of babes, but let's let Paige have her turn on top for a while.
1. Paige (WWF Diva)
2. Lexi Belle
3. Taylor Swift
4. Jessica Alba
5. Molly Quinn

Nick Miller is the man.

TV Shows
I think it's important to note that I didn't actually start getting into New Girl until this past summer.  It's that darn good.
1. New Girl
2. Gotham
3. Tosh.0
4. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
5. Storage Wars

- ryan of the ryan fan club

Top 11 Times Cartoons Got Very Real

Cartoons have always been a great form of escapism.  We can see robots that turn into vehicles.  Animals that talk.  And, of course, Hammerman.  But during the course of our childhoods there were a few times that our favorite animated adventures got a little too real.

Very real, and many of you may not have realized the real message that was being sent to you at the time.  So check this out:

Partnership for a Drug Free America!

11. Super Mario Meets Milli Vanilli
I keep this first example a little light, but really, if you were Mario (or even his brother, Green Mario) and you arrived on Earth and then met Milli Vanilli, you'd be depressed enough to need some serious counseling.
What the cartoon was telling us: Milli Vanilli are phonies. 

10. Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue
Imagine all of your favorite cartoon characters coming together in one very special episode.  Turtles, Bugs Bunny, Alf, Chipmunks, Winnie The Mother Fucking Pooh.  And then they all need to stop a boy - a boy not unlike YOU maybe - from his ADDICTION TO ILLEGAL NARCOTICS.  Yes sir, in an attempt to teach us about the dangers of drugs, the powers that be actually made them more appealing.
What the cartoon was telling us: Just say not to drugs? 

9. When The Chipettes Let "Uncle" Harry Take Photos Of Them
If you remember this one, then you're about to be blown away.  The Chipmunks had previously thwarted the evil money schemes of their "Uncle" Harry a few times, so he came back to try and snake some money out of the Chipettes - this included him taking modelling photos of them at his roach motel of an apartment.  David Seville should have called child services.
What the cartoon was telling us: Everyone has that one "uncle" that they aren't allowed to go for long walks in the wilderness with. 

8. Jon Arbuckle Wants To Pay With Cash
In my personal favorite Garfield cartoon, Jon Arbuckle is doing some shopping and wants to pay with cash.  The retailer questions him, "What is this CASH you keep referring to," and insists that Jon use a credit card to pay.  They simply won't take his money.
What the cartoon was telling us: The world will change around us and we'd better be prepared.  And if you're Jon Arbuckle, nobody wants your money.  Or your love.

7. Mad Love
Everyone loved Batman: The Animated Series.  It's still heralded as one of the greatest achievements in animation history.  Remember the episode Mad Love?  Go watch it again.  It's all about abusing the ones you love to further your own personal affairs.
What the cartoon was telling us: If you're a lovely person, and maybe pure and innocent at heart and just a little jaded and misunderstood, who is in love with an abusive (mentally and physically) psychopath then you have no choice but to continue loving them... even if you think they might be dead.

"C'mon puddin', don'tcha wanna rev up your Harley?"

 6. The Looney Tunes Got Juiced Up In Space Jam
Halfway through the epic outer space battle (jam?) between the Monstars and the Looney Tunes, the good guys all decide that whatever "secret" juice Michael Jordan is drinking must be what they need too in order to be successful basketball players.  Sure, it's just water in a bottle marked for Jordan, but they buy right into it.
What the cartoon was telling us: Your skills and hard work do not matter.  To be successful you need either drugs, magic, or Michael Jordan. 

5. Donald, Huey, Duey, and Louie Eat a Turkey
In pretty much any holiday themed classic Disney cartoon you'll see Uncle Donald sit down to turkey dinner with his duckling nephews.  I might as well just go an eat my neighbor for fun.
What the cartoon was telling us: Cannibalism isn't just for emergencies anymore kiddo. 

4. Murder Is Always Better At Christmastime 
In the Smurf's Christmas Special, a new bad guy named The Stranger kidnaps a bunch of kids.  Well, you wouldn't adultnap a bunch of kids.  Anyway, this Stranger guy gets chased down by The Smurfs AND Gargamel and they combine their efforts to stop the Stranger by engulfing him in a circle of fire, and when the flames go out he's as dead as your Christmas Turkey.
What the cartoon was telling us: This holiday season, just stay in with your family for a change.

3. Teela's Origin 
Teela, daughter of Man-At-Arms and Captain of the Royal Guard, goes on a quest to find out who her long lost mother truly is.  She has to fight monsters and get help from He-Man, but she mostly does the grunt work herself, and learns that the Sorceress of Greyskull is her real mommy.  Awwww.
What the cartoon was telling us: If you uncover a great truth about yourself or your life, your mom will simply take that memory away from you to better suit her own needs.  Oh, and your weekly allowance has just been cut back too.

Ooooh, kissin' cousins!

2. The Care Bear Pandas
In the only episode of the original Care Bears show that ever featured them, we met Perfect and Polite - two Care Bears who were pandas and had been missing for just about ever.  Well, long enough to support the plot device of that episode anyway.  The Care Bears give the pandas their own tummy symbols, and they have a hard time controlling them.  Eventually, and much like every single date Joey Gladstone ever had on Full House, we say "see you soon" to the pandas at the end of the episode and they disappear, never to be seen again.
What the cartoon was telling us: It's not okay if you don't fit in.  You need to be just like everyone else to be successful in life. Conform.  Conform!  CONFORM!

1. The Death of Optimus Prime
We've all seen it.  Optimus Prime dies and passes on the Autobot Matrix of Leadership to that pansy Ultra Magnus.  If I talk too much about it, I'll tear up and cry like a baby, so I'll ask this instead: why did the Decepticons want the AUTOBOT Matrix of Leadership so bad?  Didn't they have their own Decepticon one?
What the cartoon was telling us: Your mother and your father are going to die someday, junior.  Learn to deal with it.

And that's all!  I hope I've only slightly ruined your childhood today.  Probably not as much as Milli Vanilli did though.

- ryan

"No kids, Daddy isn't coming home tonight.  Or tomorrow.  Or ever again."

Anna's Further Adventures?

What did Anna do after Frozen?

This is what happens when I'm left alone with my daughter's dolls and a camera.

Harley Quinn - The Best Thing in Comics Right Now?

Everyone loves Harley Quinn.  Even people who don't really love comics all that much.

We all know the basic story - Harley Quinn showed up on Batman: The Animated Series as the Joker's girlfriend/sidekick and she became so popular that she eventually wound up in the regular DC Comics Batman books, and then had her own title too.  It was eventually cancelled, and when the New 52 started Harley found herself in the Suicide Squad.  And then, almost out of nowhere last fall were ads for a new Harley series.  You could quickly tell from the ads that this new monthly comic was going to be something different.  And something special.

...oh, and something successful too.  Since the first issue (#0) launched last November, Harley Quinn has consistently been a Top 20 selling comic book.  It also regularly sells more copies than Superman.  Holy Puddin' Pops Batman!

So, why is Harley so great?  Or, more importantly, why is she so popular right now?  Harley has always appealed to young men.  Is it because we see her as Mr. J's babe?  The kind of girl that can get bossed around and keep coming back for more loving?  Wow, do we actually like her for that reason?  Or are we compelled to watch her story unfold, hoping that she'll finally be able to have happiness without the Clown Prince of Crime?  The Joker hasn't even shown up in the pages of Harley's newest series yet.  We all know it's coming.  It has to happen at some point, right?  And we're all waiting with anticipation for it, just to see what happens.  I mean, ANYTHING can happen in this new Harley series.

Girls love Miss Quinn too.  If you need proof of that, there's a new line of Harley Quinn inspired clothing coming out this fall.  Yep, that's right.  Harley Quinn has gone from Saturday morning cartoon sidekick to full-fledged pop culture icon.  Have you been to a convention lately?  There are Harleys everywhere.  A girl can certainly get a boy's attention by dressing up like Harley Quinn, but there has to be more to it than that?  Quinn represents rebellion, anarchy, chaos, and insanity - but can snap her fingers and be the girl next door too.  Does that sound like today's modern woman to you?

Harley Quinn might very well be our favorite new york doll, but is it too much too soon?
(...anybody pick up on the Dolls reference there?  C'mon, I'm really proud of it...)

Harley Quinn #0 was a gamble, allowing the creators to think outside the box and write outside of the four walls.  It paid off big time, setting the stage for the new series to be as crazy as it wanted to be.  In the last month or so, Harley has been featured in Secret Origins #4 (gaining a cover spot ahead of Robin and Green Arrow), had a Special Edition Director's Cut of issue #0 that let us read the enjoyable ramblings of writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, and starred in a One-Shot book about her roaming around the San Diego Comic-Con.  All of this on top of her team-up with Poison Ivy in her own book.  DC has also been reprinting some classic Harley stories in collected editions to capitalize on her insane popularity.

So the question has to come up, is DC going to over-saturate their market with Harley Quinn and ultimately ruin her popularity?  Or is DC getting the most out of Harley's popularity before it slows down again?

What I do like about her extra-curricular activities is how they are all written by Conner/Palmiotti.  This keeps the narrative flowing well, even when the artwork doesn't match up from story to story.  If we're going to get a dozen Harley stories all at once, at least they're coming from the same place.  So we know they're quality and we're getting our money's worth.

I truly believe Harley Quinn is the most enjoyable comic on the market right now. If you aren't reading it, you should add it to your pull list right away.

- ryan
 

DC Villains Month... Did It Work?

... depending on who you ask, you'll get a different answer about DC Comics' "The New 52."

Superman's Bad!  I'll say he was!

Some would say, "if it wasn't broke, why fix it?" while others like the fresh approach.  Many fanboys found the New 52 confusing - some of those classic stories we grew up with happened, but not really.  Or something like that.

Personally, I think it's time to drop the "New 52" moniker.  It's been two years now.  The new design of Superman is showing up on kid's clothing.  So it's clear that it's here to stay.  And it's not new anymore.

You might remember I did a blog about three months into the New 52 praising their fresh take on Superman.  That lasted about eight or nine more months, and then I got bored of the stories.  Honestly, the only New 52 book I'm still really enjoying is Supergirl.

So DC decided to have another Villains Month... I remember "New Year's Evil" from the late 90s when we were treated to one-shots of Mr. Mxyzptlk... and this time they'd re-introduce the core villains of the DCU.  Or is it DCNew?  DC52?  Fuck it, it doesn't matter.

Of course this was a marketing ploy.  But did it work?

DC Comics offered special editions of each comic.  These came with 3D motion covers.

Meh.

puddin'

All this really did was cement all of the New 52 naysayers who claim that DC is trying to return to the 1990s era of comics.

gross...but very intriguing.

Sure, some people were grabbing those special editions because of a low print run, so they're expected to be collectible, or some bullshit like that.  I buy comics to read them.  And the best ones (Tiny Titans, Superman Family Adventures, Bone) are the titles I can read with my little girl.

So, if you go visit Adam (the dude who owns my local comic shop and kinda looks like a more awesome Jesus) and ask to see what comics I buy, you'd see:
Supergirl, Smallville, He-Man & The Masters of the Universe, and occasionally the Marvel Wizard of Oz series.

So what villains comics did I pick up this month from DC?
Cyborg Superman, Joker, Doomsday, Harley Quinn, Zod, and Joker's Daughter.

All of this was based on characters I liked (except for Joker's Daughter; the title alone intrigued me) and wanted to read a single story of.  So this month I bought six extra comics.

I'd say their marketing plan worked.  Good for them.