 Taking stock of super-villainsJokester: The Earth-3 doppleganger of Batman arch-nemesis, Joker, actually made for excellent reading in DC’s Countdown. Despite his good-guy status, the Jokester character has been a marked highpoint in the Countdown series. From the DC Database Project: One of the many victims of Owlman I, Jackie rose up after personally witnessing his friends slaughtered and himself scarred to become Owlman’s greatest adversary, the Jokester! After a long career of fighting and resisting the original Owlman and Talon, Jokester found his place with the Riddler family discovering his former wife and daughter Duela Dent. Unfortunately, DC seems to be perfectly content to introduce a fascinating character and then kill him off in the space of a couple appearances. That was a shame. TWiV has to grudgingly rate the Jokester at a “one.” After all, he wasn’t ever really a villain in the first place.  (If you have a suggestion for “TWiV,” please let me know.) |
Today’s page takes us back to Ralph’s Diner, where Captain Heroic proves—once again—that nothing rattles him… not even a surprise soup bath.
Hailey is mortified, Captain Heroic is dripping, and somewhere across the diner, Yazmine Velour is livestreaming the whole thing as heart emojis rain from the internet. It’s a small moment, but one that says a lot about who Cap really is—and why people can’t help falling for him.
Transcript
Panel 1
Hailey (distraught that she has dumped hot soup on Captain Heroic): Omigod Omigod Omigod…
Captain Heroic (turning to another person eating at the diner): Excuse me. Would you hand me a napkin, please? (The person hands him a napkin)
Panel 2
Hailey: I’m so sorry Captain Heroic, sir. I didn’t mean to — {sob}
Panel 3
Captain Heroic (handing her the napkin): Here. Please don’t cry.
Panel 4
Captain Heroic (continues): Most of my first impressions involve disintegration rays. And actual impressions. In concrete.
Panel 5
Captain Heroic: This was far more pleasant — not counting the bay leaf in my shirt.Yazmine Velour (as she livestreams the interaction from the other side of the diner, a torrent of heart emojis flow from her phone as the audience reacts): Omigod Omigod Omigod
After Dark
This week's commissioned MicroFic delivers exactly what you’d want from a pairing between Dynasty and Father Christmas.
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Yes, he lives up to his name.
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Yes, Dynasty knew exactly what she was doing.
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No, the North Pole will never be the same.
I also posted the Goblin Girl MicroFic from the Monster Girl poll — and the response was so good, I might need to make these poll-powered MicroFics a recurring thing!
