TITANS (Television Show) (12 Oct 2018)
Warner Bros

DC Universe blocked fan because he posted about his bad experiences with the streaming service. He couldn't access DC Universe because he didn't have the latest version of its app, plus other issues.  According to the fan, there are no refunds and all sales are final (however, he did get a refund).

As a digital comic book "feature" - he's got a point, it sucks that you're only given Crisis #1-4 (issue #1 wasn't originally available) to read.  Sure, most of us already have 10 copies of the original classic on various printings, but I'm talking about new fans who are just discovering the story.  Why not just make the whole thing available to paying customers?

Also, instead of growing its digital library, DC has also decided to remove some key issues - like New Teen Titans #21-22 are being removed this week - meaning you aren't going to get the Brother Blood story line before he eventually makes his appearance on the Titans show (sorry for spoiling this 1980 plot). If this is your only means of reading comics, there are going to be a gaps in your digital library.

>>>
Dennis G writes:

I actually just received a full refund, after dancing with this service since the launch.

They dropped the ball & should have foreseen these issues & oversights.
Crisis had issues 2-4, it was only recently they added #1, while at the same time they run an interview with George Pérez, & he tells you that nowhere in DC cannon is there a story like CoIE, not before or since!
But yep chapter #1 of a 12 chapter story doesn’t even matter😑
Or the 60’s Batman, talk about a slap in the face to Adam West’s legacy, which they’re still cashing in on his contributions to building the DC/Batman brand...but who cares about something so trivial😑

Or the comic reader which is super buggy!

So they blocked me on FB, not because I trashed any employee or customer, & I made no threats of violence, or ANYTHING CRIMINAL...
I simply & very properly posted what any dissatisfied consumer should do, post the BBB website.
That triggered the DCU to block me, then we chatted via another trouble ticket, about how I doubt it was legal for them to block me without violating any policy, when I had paid the money upfront, & per the infomercial they wanted to hear what the fans thought...then they after repeatedly telling me all sales were FINAL!
They canceled & refunded my $74.99.🤑🏦

Being a reader since 1970, I was beyond stoked for this, my wife & grown kids & possibly even my grandkids were sick of hearing me gloat😁 about DC streaming...until it launched😬.
Going almost 3 days without a response as to why I couldn’t access the service...then after all that time, & me having to spend more time recontacting them, they informed me I had the old app..yeah maybe I should have caught it, as they love to remind me in our correspondences, however its their product & they should have known & informed me, because I included screen shots🙄
Add in the obvious lack of attention to detail, &
As much as I really want them to succeed, they didn’t think this through enough, or it was a bad cash grab, maybe a bit of both?

If I were Kevin Smith, & I hosted a 2hr infomercial & put my name out there for this, I’d be a little miffed that it doesn’t mirror the advertisements🤨.

I’m an informed consumer, you sell me a product that doesn’t do what you said, you better have some top notch customer service to keep me
From being the squeaky wheel.
& even with the refund, I’m still not happy, because DC should be Crushing this, & they’re not😬

TITANS (Television Show) (12 Oct 2018)
Warner Bros

F**king disgusting that @DCComics did not give screen credit to @marvwolfman and @perezartist for creating half the characters in Titans, only "based on characters from DC" as if DC created them. Yet lots of space for SIX Executive Producer credits.

Compare the treatment creators receive on the @Marvel @netflix shows. There's no excuse for @DCComics treating creators like this. It's appalling. Shameful. Every fan should be outraged. Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson, Arnold Drake, Bob Brown-- all ignored.

Would it have cost you anything to give credit where credit is due, @DCComics? "Based on characters from DC," that's just pathetic. Fix this. Do the right thing. Stop being jerks. Because this is jerk behavior.

NEW TEEN TITANS #1 (NYCC) (Oct 2018)
DC Comics

Every time I dive into the world of TEEN TITANS - either reading the stories by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, writing my own with Mike McKone, or now adapting those stories for television with the insanely talented crew at Warner Bros. - I am impressed by the familiarity and diversity of these heroes.

In a word, this team is dynamic. The boy wonder, the alien princess, the dark daughter of a demonic entity. Each one is a doorway (some literally!) to an entire genre; horror, sci-fi, superheroes. Every character has always been and will continue to be a distinct archetype for their own-genre blend, creating a limitless number of stories to be told.

All of this really came from Marv Wolfman and George Perez when they reimagined the Teen Titans in the ‘80s, creating a world that was as colorful and inspiring as it was gritty and disruptive. Theirs was the first of its kind when it came to writing about certain adult themes in the comic book world, and that same inclination to push the envelope is what carried the team behind the new TITANS show. Now, even if the specific players might be different, it is the same dynamic found family that has always been integral to the Titans canon.

Without Marv and George there would be no Nightwing, Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, or, in my opinion, Titans.

I hope you enjoy taking a look back at this first chapter, and that you enjoy the next… and the next after that!

Titans Together!
Geoff Johns

TITANS (Television Show) (12 Oct 2018)
Warner Bros

Now that Titans is finally released for subscribers on DC Universe - what do you think of it?

Maybe it's because I follow and keep up with all the news regarding Titans, but I felt like there were no surprises - as if I had already seen it, or seen much of it.

Based on the pilot, I didn't really love it. The over-the-top violence from Robin, the profanity, and dark tones was hard to get used to. Gamespot agreed, saying the pilot is "a tough pill to swallow".  

Of course, they say that second episode is much better, and other reviewers are saying there are some fun humor in the later episodes... so maybe there's still hope.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dc-universes-titans-first-episode-is-a-tough-pill-/1100-6462480/

TITANS (Television Show) (12 Oct 2018)
Warner Bros

TITANS Review! Let me establish my Titans geek cred up front, I am a card carrying member of Titan Talk, the original Titans fan club started in 1983, my name is clearly visible in the guest book at the wedding of Wonder Girl in Titans #50. As a teen, I would pick up George Perez from the airport when he flew in for conventions and drive him to his hotel and later dinner. I would dine with Marv Wolfman, hanging on his every word alongside my childhood friend and current DC VP, Hank Kanalz. So I’m a long standing Titans freak. So, first off, going in, let’s clear one thing up, these are NOT Wolfman & Perez Titans. I repeat, these are not Wolfman & Perez Titans. One more time, these are not Wolfman & Perez Titans. No Kid Flash. No Wonder Girl. No Jericho. No Cyborg.

Now with that out of the way let me tell you, it’s GREAT. Yes, I said great. I mean it. All of it. This new line up. The entire cast.

Let’s start with Dick Grayson/Robin as portrayed by Brenton Thwaites. This is my favorite incarnation of Robin and in truth I’ve always liked Robin over Batman so this vision of Grayson really connects with me. As Dick or as Robin, he’s compelling, brooding, conflicted and looks amazing in the role. The show really could be called Robin and The Titans, it would be a more accurate assessment at this point in the shows evolution. Tasked with carrying the bulk of the story, Thwaites shows he has broad chops, his various interactions with the diverse cast always spark new energy.

The story in short, spoiler free is that Dick Grayson has left Gotham and set up shop as a detective in Detroit. Raven is a 14 year old girl, raised in the suburbs by a loving but terrified mother played by Twin Peaks own Sherilyn Fenn. But Raven is being hunted by followers of a mysterious cult. De-aging Raven to a 14 year old girl was a great call by the producers and creates an all new entry point for each character. This version of Raven has not been experienced in the comics before, she’s more vulnerable, relatable in this incarnation. I really, really enjoyed Raven and Teagan Croft gives an impressive performance that will recall Natalie Portman in The Profesional with a hint of Linda Blair in the Exorcist. Her torment is splendid.

Even more so than Raven, STARFIRE is a tremendous departure from her comic book roots, caught up in Austria, at the center of what is best considered a Jason Bourne-ish scenario of lost memory and mysterious danger. Anna Diop is wonderfully charming and smooth in this intriguing new take on Kory Anders, she is simultaneously refreshing and delightful. I won’t say anything about her plight other than what I’ve hinted at here, but as with Robin and Raven, she completely charmed me and I’m all aboard with her journey.

The brief encounter with Beast Boy hints at something much bigger on down the line. The FX was impressive. Matter of fact all the effects and production values on Titans are top notch.

And finally we meet Hawk and Dove as portrayed by Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly. They have amazing chemistry, they’re electric together, they pop from minute they share the screen. Ritchson is large, a brawler, scrapper, haunted by personal demons that are quelled ever so slightly by the presence and influence of Dawn Granger. Minka Kelly embodies the role as a stabilizing force for many characters in Titans, she provides strength and clarity for all in her orbit. The 2nd episode is carried by Hank and Dawn’s story and I firmly believe the fans will leave wanting more of them, together. Again, this version of Hawk/Dove, their relationship with the Titans, specifically Robin, is uncharted territory, never before covered in the comics. I dig it. Yes, I have skin in the game in regards to Dawn Granger/Dove sharing credit for her alongside Barbara Randall and Karl Kesel, no matter, this depiction of Hawk and Dove is pitch perfect in every way.

What comes next I’m not aware, I saw the two episodes along with everyone else at the premiere. Bottom line, the show pops due to its mature content, separating it from the busy field of comic book adaptations in both film and television. The blood, gore, sex and violence is handled extremely well and will play to the audience consuming this material an audience that is, as I can attest with my own brood of teenagers, is maturing by the minute.

All the characters look great, every comic creator that has characters in the show and there are many, the families of Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson should be honored by the weight that Robin carries here. Arnold Drake and Bob Brown would be smiling at Beast Boy’s arrival in live action. This portrait of Hawk honors Steve Skeates and Steve Ditko. I’m thrilled with Dove’s screen debut as I’m certain will be Barbara and Karl. Raven and Starfire are exciting depictions of Marv Wolfman and George Perez contributions to Titans lore. And finally the men who brought the original Titans concept to life in 1965, Bob Haney and Sal Trapiani should be honored as the visionaries that brought this entire concept to life some 50 years back. This version of the Titans, assembled here for the first time, is dynamic and does their memory proud. I grew up buying Titans comics in the mid-70’s, I’ve watched every lineup take flight since I was 6. This one may fly the furthest yet. It’s fresh, it’s exciting and there’s no weak link in the bunch, all the characters stand tall with individual and collective appeal!

NYCC ’18: The Eighth Annual NYCC Charity Art Auction Raises Nearly
10/07/2018 2:30 pm by Will Henderson

The eighth annual New York City Comic Con Charity Art Auction raised $46,730, after three-and-a-half hours of heated bidding on 202 pieces of art – from sketches, pin-ups, and unpublished prelims and interior pages to published covers, interior pages, and mixed media pieces.

(excerpt)

And the more than 115 bidders did just that, with bidding intensifying for several key lots, including Humberto Ramos’ original variant cover for Ironheart issue 1, Mark Brooks’ original cover to X-Men Legacy issue 261, Batman sketches donated by Neal Adams and Tony Daniels, a Jane Foster Thor print with Odinson remarque donated by Olivier Coipel, a Wonder Woman sketch donated by George Perez, and the evening’s biggest prize, a sketch of Miho from Sin City donated by Frank Miller, which went for $2,900.

TCP #2 (Spr 1975)
The Comics Press

Excerpt: Along with [Mike] Gustovich, another artist that became a professional…a HUGE one, later on, is George Perez. Below you can see an illustration by George…but considering this is only a few years before he became a pro, I have a feeling this might have been inked (uncredited) by someone else. I am just spitballing here, but it looks like it might have been Bobby Wright, who did a lot of fanzine work at the time. At left you can also see a Perez piece inked (much better, obviously) by Gustovich.

https://comicattack.net/2018/10/01/ink-stains-111-tcp-2/

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD VOL.1 I SIGNORI DELLA FORTUNA (Italy) (Oct 2018)
RW Lion

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD VOL.1 I SIGNORI DELLA FORTUNA
di Mark Waid e George Pérez
(Contiene The Brave and the Bold 1-6)
16,8×25,7, C, 160 pp, col. 9788467452914 €13,95

TITANS (Television Show) (12 Oct 2018)
Warner Bros

Newsweek Reports: Geoff Johns said that Titans Season 2 will be closer to the Wolfman/Perez run, and that the reason season 1 is different: “Because it’s Titans, the first show in DC universe, we wanted to do something different with Marv’s material. Marv is pushing the envelope when he did Titans with George [Perez] in the 80s. We wanted to do something different than we’ve ever done before.”

https://www.newsweek.com/titans-season-2-marv-wolfman-will-be-happy-says-geoff-johns-1152645

Screenrant: Johns confirmed that Deathstroke will appear in Titans "eventually, although he won't be played by Manu Bennett." The article suggests that it will be a different Deathstroke than what already appeared in Arrow (perhaps even following the 80s comic book closely).

https://screenrant.com/titans-tv-show-deathstroke-season-2/

COMICS FEATURE #32 (Nov 1984)
New Media

Thank you to John E. Boylan (of RootsoftheSwampThing.com) for sharing this news item from Comics Feature #32