The Letters Page
As we've mentioned before, there's way too much mail for us to answer in the shows, so we'll be answering some of it right here on the blog. As always, thanks for sending in your questions, and please keep shooting them over to tips@pulpsecret.com, call them in to 888-841-7549, or post a video response on YouTube!
Batman (not really) begs:
I know you've probably heard, but I just would like to hear your thoughts - hear, as in hopefully you read this on your next segment - on the supposedly "confirmed" rumors of Batman's death. I think that's asinine, and Batman pwns way too much for them just to do that to him. Apparently they're going to put Jason Todd in as the new Batman while Batman goes off to become a New God (of the "5th World"???), which is actually somewhat infuriating. Anyways, I'll leave it off here, hoping that you guys will respond with some insight...or something like that.Well, first off, I'd point you to this thread here on the forum, where the debate is positively raging over this rumor. Now, here are my thoughts: 1) There's no way a rumor this big and detailed would leak six months in advance. It's either a false rumor, a false lead, something that was bandied about in the writers room, or something that's off from the truth that was purposely leaked to create interest in Final Crisis. 2) However, assuming that there is any truth to the rumor, my guess is that this is not, in fact, a permanent change. There's nothing really to be gained by replacing Bruce Wayne permanently as Batman, even with younger Jason Todd (check it out, it's extreme Batman! So cool!) I think this is, in fact, part of a larger story by Grant Morrison breaking down Batman, and adding to his myth, which is what Morrison tends to do. Same thing with Final Crisis... I think it's going to be a story about stories, and part of telling these stories is, perhaps, elevating super-heroes to the literal level of myth: i.e., making them gods. So this may be a story element of Final Crisis, but that's it. If Bruce Wayne is permanently a God by the end of Final Crisis, I will eat my hat. FYI, I don't wear hats.
Ohis obfuscates:
Quick question... Who would win in these battles: SUPERMAN VS THE HULK; SUPERMAN VS GOKU; DC VS MARVEL; SANDMAN VS THE THING. PLZ answer all these????? with good reason and thank youI'm going to assume your good reason is that you're the Gamesmaster, and are in some sort of cosmic chess match type thing, so here goes: Superman, because he would appeal to the Hulk's better nature to give up; Goku, because his hair is bigger; DC vs. Marvel would be a draw, because as we all know, they would fight, then team up to take down the real bad guy; and for the last one, my instinct is The Thing, but it really depends on the Sandman you're talking about, so here's three answers: Original Sandman, Thing would win; Sand (from JSA) would possibly suck The Thing down into the Earth, though it would probably be a draw; and Neil Gaiman Sandman would win hands-down. Hope that helps!
BobbyG39 bays:
First, I wanted to say, that I love your show. It is very informative and enjoyable. Second, please help me with regards to Supergirl. I am very confused. I remember reading Supergirl growing up but then she died during the original "crisis". Then during the "Death of Superman" arc, there was another Supergirl. Now, we have another one. I understand she is being re-vamped (3rd version?), but whatever happened to the one from the "Death of Superman" arc?Bobby, can of worms. Can of worms, Bobby. Supergirl, ridiculously, is one of the most confused characters in DC history, and I think everybody falls on a different point in terms of which version they like. I've actually had to erase this answer several times, because... Well, you'll see in a sec. As you said, there's only one Supergirl now. However. The one Supergirl we're talking about is running around in her own title, and Teen Titans. There's also a split off version of her, if I remember correctly from World War III, who's running around in Legion of Super-Heroes. Also, technically, Power Girl is Supergirl from a parallel universe that doesn't exist anymore. Except that the parallel universe is now back in existence as of the end of 52, and that universe's Supergirl is missing. My head is starting to hurt. Okay. So the one from Death of Superman is, I believe Matrix, an earth born angel who merged with Linda Danvers to become Supergirl. However, she gave up being Supergirl, and split with Matrix. In post Infinite Crisis continuity, Matrix doesn't exist, but Linda Danvers does (somewhere). Oh, one last note... There were hints in the series Fallen Angel that the main character, Lee, was in fact Linda Danvers. However, the series moved to a new publisher, and now we'll never know if it was, in fact her. Also, we won't care.
Sai says:
Hi! I am a recent viewer and I really enjoy your show. Right now I am an English teacher in Japan, and being halfway across the seas doesn't make it easy for me to keep up with the comic world (but I still manage). Lately I have been keeping up with Invincible, The Runaways, and New X-men which brings me to my question: On one of your shows a few weeks back I think one of you said that New X-men is one of the lowest selling X-men titles ever. I have been keeping up with the series since it's mutant academy days, to now, and I can admit that the story was a little over campy but it still held the foundations of young mutants dealing with a harsh world inside and outside the walls of Xaviers school (kinda like gen X) and I personally believe it has significantly gotten better when it changed to its New X-men serial. I would like to hear your opinions on the series and whether or not it should continue or just have its characters absorbed into other x-books.Just to clarify about the sales thing, we said that it was the lowest selling X-title, and that's not entirely true. It tends to trade places with X-Factor, another excellent series... They're both around the 50,000 copies mark, which isn't too shabby, but it also isn't quite where Marvel would like their X-Men titles to be, I think. On to your question, we love New X-Men at Pulp Secret. I think my favorite X-Men stories are the school based stories. New Mutants, Gen-X, New X-Men; I completely agree, those are the ones that resonate the best, and why Stan Lee originally made the X-Men teens, and why one became a mutant at puberty. It's a metaphor, you know? Anyway, regardless of what we think, it does seem like the title is going away, as Kyle and Yost are launching the all-wolf mutant, all-the time X-Force, and there's no solicitations for the title in February. I guess, enjoy it while you can. Sniff.
Randy raves:
My mom always told me that when people send you stuff for free, you should send them a thank you note, so I'm sending you a thank you note for my super-cool X-Men pop-up book. It's a great, shiny, pop-uppy book and it looks good on my bookshelf. Thanks again. Keep up the great work.Thank YOU Randy, and thanks to the good people at Candlewick press who got us the books. If you received a pop-up, send us a picture of yourself with it, and post it here on the forum!letters, page, The
