Black Manta and the Suicide Squad?

I see Waller manipulated his better judgment. We'll see what happens.

I read over at IADW that Sinestro is about to get a title shot.

Thaal is my dude so of course I'll have a first print #1.

However I got to say it (overstated or not) 

Where the hell is Black Manta #1

Don't think the Scourge of the Seven Seas deserves his own book?  

It's about 2 or 3 different versions of him floating around in DC land as it is right? 

Well so what?.  

Since the new 52 and even before 52, I've seen obscure 2nd rate characters get books in every corner of the DCU. Most of em were trash or didn't yield any return. So as Boss as Black Manta is; an ongoing is over due, and a mini series at this point is damn essential. Don't believe what I say? Let's check this guys credentials.

1. Founding member of the Legion of Doom

2. Has  Hella staying power, 47 yr Legacy character

3. He's the First and only legitimate African American Super Villain

4. Has appeared in just about every DC, Warner Bros animated TV series to date

Flash Point

and in a couple of video games, with a YJ one coming up

5. Has an A list character as his arch enemy

6. Has so many action figures I lost count. From preschool to adult collector Manta is everywhere

7. His son Kaldur'ahm is his blood enemies chosen champion

8. No good Hero is official without a  Heromobile. 

Black Manta has so many he rent  out the ones he don't want

9. Has an arsenal of weapons with potential to rival Batman's

10. Black Manta even has his own damn theme music.

parental discretion is advised

2nd Christmas

the Perfect Storm

I found this picture of Storm while looking for a T'Challa and Storm X-mas picture for the banner, 

and hit this chocolate wall.  (stunned I say)

Storm being all that;  in comics and cos play, 

I wanted to see which one of these women would make your top 5 list.

Lets set the criteria shall we?  It's only 2 rules

1.The outfit must look realistic

Regular holloween costumes are cute but no dice. I want to believe.

2. The cosplayer has to own Storms persona

Can't just be pretty girls.....sorry.  To be Storm you have to 

take command of the pose.

Fierce, sensuous or elemental fury; the look has to say goddess.

They can mix and match the looks or go head to toe in a matched set.

Who's your favorite 5

Fellas ....

It's really no need to pick just one, this is a win, win situation.

Don't say I never gave you nothing.

Arkham Origins, Deathstroke and the Suicide Squad

From   

 Blackgate to Belle Reve

Could it be?

for today, let's just say that it's happening! 

How would you want the game to play?

And who would you want to line up the team?

Is Slade going to take Flags place as field team leader?

Last but not least, who would be the big bad guy?

Arrow-fication

Michael Jai White: Bronze Tiger

file name:  Benjamin Turner

Affiliation:  Task Force X 

aka,  the Suicide Squad

Abilities:  Ben is a skilled tactician and strategist
but excels as a hunter killer. Even though he rarely kills
his target. The skills of an assassin and his natural
athletic talents are paramount and is only tempered

by his inner Shogun

I've been hearing the casting is inspired. I would say so ( to the obvious choice). The martial arts master of the DCU and the real life martial arts master in the flesh.

Sports fans this should be good. The second episode of Arrow is Identity, featuring China White and DC's ultimate Super Spy the Bronze Tiger.

The shows executive producer, Marc Guggenheim, said

Michael is such a badass. His performance, our incredibly talented 

costumer designer, and our very gifted props master ... they've all combined their A-games

to create a really great representation of this DC comics character. 

If your a fan of the character

from the comics. You are going to really be happy with his Arrow-fication.

Arrow will also feature Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad, Black Canary, 

Sebastian Blood, and the scarlet speedster himself the Flash

Well true believers,  what do you think?

Is the uniform what it should be?

Does the master of the empty hand need Catman's  claws?

Should the Tiger mask show up?

Why was the design so close to Wolverine?

And whatever else you got.

Tao

Aeternus Malum

Sea of Change

the ONE SHOT I've been waiting for and DC delivers. The Crime Syndicate has taken over the world, every prison has been busted open from Belle Reve to Blackgate. The JL, JLA and JSA are all dead or missing and the only Heroes that can do anything about it are Villains. 

Enter David Ray: AKA

Privateer

Treasure Hunter

Weapons Inventor 

Pirate Assassin

come Anti Hero

(Dude don't do it. she sexy and everything but don't fall for it)

From this point the conversation is interrupted by an attack on Belle Reve. 

Nothing new right? Not this time, the evil Justice League has attacked the entire earth and shit has really hit the fan. Imagine everything that could go wrong, all goes wrong at the same time. Amanda  leaves to do her thing 

and King Shark, well ..... does his thing and eats a couple of guards.

At this point Manta walks thru the prison chaos, gets his gear and leaves via some helicopter pilot named Brisco. For real Suicide Squaders this is a sort of easter egg and  a memory of better days.

Manta goes to the big bad guy pow wow the Syndicate throws and is unimpressed.   Matter of fact, he takes Aquaman's trident from some A list killers, disregards what Ultraman is saying and walks right out of the damn meeting like the G he is. 

On a real note. I really like what Geoff Johns has done with this issue. He gave us another look and a deeper sense of who Black Manta is,   the respect he commands from his peers and the independence of an alpha character that can hold down a solo book with no problem.

Now.... after neatly giving us a brief recap of the character without going thru a whole origin story,  and tying the character directly into DC's new big event;   Geoff humanizes Black Manta and shows us a man,  a son lay down the pain of the loss of his father.    The hate that burned hotter than Vesuvius that controlled his life is over

the hate was over.   So much for that.

Let's go Killla

the Unknown Soldier

Rangers lead the way:  Lonzo is the highest caliber special forces Green Beret.

Stalker is the proven truth when it comes to Army Special Operations; ready to deploy by land, air and sea anywhere in the world at a moments notice to respond to the latest contingency or crisis.  This Green Beret has executed the most critical special missions of direct action,  hostage rescue,  clandestine night fighting,  air field seizure,  infiltration and advanced Recon.  Missions so critical his superiors , superiors can't even talk about them.  The perfect warrior and epitome of the Ranger Creed.

The field commander of the original G.I.Joe team which consisted of Rock N Roll, Short Fuse, Scarlett, Breaker, Grunt, Zap, Grandslam, Snake Eyes and Flash.

Stalker has been in the OA1 top five figures since 1982, his first appearance.
Me and Stalker has destroyed all my neighborhood  friends teams of Joe's.
We firecracker ed their guys, won their vehicles and took home their weapons. Alpha Fight stands undefeated.

I still have multiple versions of the figure. Their a little rough for wear but who doesn't have battle scars? Here's one or two from my collection,  I added in a few new one's with my old ones and a couple of custom jobs too just to let you know were ready to roll if that's what you want to do (just saying).

Stalker with Rhino vehicle

Stalker: Infiltrator unit

Stalker was always prominent in the figure realm and has a multitude of action figures. In the G.I.Joe comics and cartoon though he had no true presence. After the first season of the cartoon he wasn't included at all.  Roadblock was the big strong Black guy that spoke everything in rhyme, that always bragged about being a gourmet cook. He's the African American that is G.I.Joe spotlighted not the multilingual medic bad ass Green Beret.?.  Don't get me wrong, I like Roadblock and I chalked it up to Stalker and Duke are figuratively the same guy;  the leader, the main character, the most interesting character to build around. So they couldn't have two (riiight). Add in that later the word stalker became a socially used negative descriptive word. Still, no excuse not to use Stalker the G.I.Joe in the mainstream (unless you have no creative talent).
Well Stalker was cool when he was in the cartoon.

Stalker could easily move right into his own individually mainstreamed verse in the world of G.I.Joe. With his own supporting cast of joes to go along with him. 

His squad would be Beach head, Gung Ho, Airborne, Shipwreck, 

Doc (Carla Greer) and Bomb strike.

Duke's team is usually Roadblock, Scarlett, Flint, Lady Jaye and Stalker

Snake Eyes support team is usually Storm Shadow, Jinx, kamakura, Quinn, the Hard master and the Blind Master. sometimes Stalker.

So these guys can cameo when it's Stalkers time to shine. 

I'd back up Lonzo's 1st team with 

 Spirit, Snow Job, Recondo, Bullet Proof, Dial tone and Alpine. 

But this is a OA1 dream production so who knows who might show up.

the October Guard would for sure.

Bronze Tiger: Michael Jai White

Suicide Squad's 
Spec Ops secret weapon the Bronze Tiger will show up in season 2 of Arrow.  The word on the wire is that BT will form an uneasy alliance with China White, the leader of the triads in Star City. The Squad is said to be forming and the Bronze Tiger is the first agent of Waller's on the show. Bone crushing kick assery is sure to ensue.

Bronze Tiger is a martial arts Grand Master and former LOA assassin. Michael Jai White being a martial arts master himself understands how DC's super spy's fight game should be executed. The only question left is what will he look like.


this photo is from Michael Jai White's twitter page. I'm thinking this is from the set of Arrow so we might have the sneak peak at what the Tiger's urban ninja is going to be. Will he have the Tiger mask at some point in the Task Force X movie, will the claws be tricked out (come on DC let's do it

Truly I was hoping for a modern version of the BT classic look or tactical battle gear with martial arts accents. The leather jacket is cool too.
Believe me I'm not complaining.

  BT is in the building and the excitement level is high sports fans.

Essential Bronze Tiger

Who's Who may 85 volume III

Detective Comics #485,  489

Legends #1-6

Checkmate #6, 7 (Greg Rucka)

Suicide Squad  vI (John Ostrander)

SS mini series Raise the Flag #1-8

Suicide Squad #67 / Secret Six #17, 18


Best stand alone issue: Suicide Squad #38



Checkmate #7

Michael Jai White is