"I love how Arthur does a little twist on Zee's classic look with the rad boots and cool little charms on her waist chain. But, for me it is all in her adorable face! Makes me smile!!!"Arthur "Art" Adams
I think the overview invalidates the writer's own opinion. I honestly don't believe Gypsy was that strong of a character in her early appearances, owing as much to pop pandering (Stevie Nicks/Cyndi Lauper/Madonna) as to the aforementioned lil'est X-Man. However, her then-recent struggle to survive a trip to the Godhead with Zatanna and her only being fifteen at the time likely saved Gypsy from death in 1986. Likewise, as the damsel in distress during a rare serious story arc in Justice League America, Gypsy needed to survive the revenge of Despero back in 1990. What makes this relevant is that Gypsy established herself as a survivor against all odds in two of the scariest, most awesome Justice League stories ever, and that alone would set her apart from the likes of the Silver Sorceress or any given Rocket Red, who could and have been snuffed out without anyone much noticing. Like Kitty Pryde, readers root for her as an underdog amongst titans, and her human story brings out the best in others (including surrogate father Martian Manhunter, who needs all the supporting cast he can get. Meanwhile, Gypsy's time in the Justice League Task Force proved that she was no Shadowcat. Writer Christopher Priest gave her a defensive sarcasm and illuminated the dark undercurrents of the character that set her apart and above a score of lesser Leaguers (even a few who carried their own titles. I wouldn't have introduced a character like Gypsy into the JLA, but having been their and forged a very distinctive path in many strong, underrated stories, Gypsy deserves better than to be maligned in some knee jerk list. Especially one that leaves off a Gypsy wannabe like Maya. That's right-- there's an actual Gypsy knock-off.GYPSY "Introduced as one of the Justice League Detroit, Gypsy started life as a bizarro Kitty Pryde, a teen girl able to camouflage herself into her surroundings via illusion casting powers that also, apparently, allow her to project images into people's minds.
Surviving the end of that team (unlike two of her teammates), she later went on to find her family murdered by Despero, forcing her back into superhero life as member of the Conglomerate and Justice League Task Force, as well as the Birds of Prey... but whether any of that hides the fact that her main reasons to exist in recent years had become (a) to give J'Onn J'Onzz an adoptive daughter to moon over or (b) be mind-controlled and forced to fight the Justice League (which she's done on at least two different occasions) is open to question."
Vibe is an inherently silly character, an unintentional parody of ethnic stereotype super-heroics (including the old saw about how one white writer's laughable attempt at jive talk is another writer's having the hero front to conceal their inner WASP.) It's noteworthy that Vibe was not only the first dead Leaguer, but their first dead minority hero. There are scores of more famous heroes that mean nothing not already represented elsewhere, but Vibe serves a subtextual purpose in pointing out the inequities of a gutter art form typically made by and for sheltered middle class Anglo-Saxon males. He's also goofy fun, which is why he is routinely referenced and gets his own mock '80s cartoon short, whereas the JLA annals are clogged with more "proper" pointless pandering bores like Agent Liberty, Zauriel, and Moon Maiden. Controversy and longevity surely play a role in a list like this, but Vibe is low hanging fruit that reveals more about the critic than the character. Vibe isn't the best worst hero, like the Troll 2 of the League rolls, but instead a genuinely endearing character.VIBE "If one character can come to signify something greater than him or herself, it's possible that Vibe's has accidentally become the avatar for everything that was misguided with the Justice League Detroit era.
You can see the reasoning: He was a character tied to a trend that was in its death throes as he appeared (breakdancing -- his first appearance was a double-page spread showing off his moves) who had both a ham-fisted attempt at social relevance (He was trying to make a better life for himself after leaving the Los Lobos gang, with writer Gerry Conway daring to expose the connections between well respected musical groups and Detroit gang culture when others were too afraid) and inexplicable dialogue quirk (he had a fake Mexican accent that he put on around white people) at his core, as well as an amazing original costume that mixed MC Hammer-style pants with shades, soul patch and vest.
Bearing all that in mind, it's difficult to imagine what made Vibe Justice League material other than being in the right place in the right time. And yet... there's something charming about Paco Ramone's short-lived existence, whether it was his overconfidence or excitement about being a superhero in the first place. Vibe also has a particularly important place in Justice League history as being the first Leaguer to be killed in the line of duty, launching an unfortunate trend that would continue for a long time afterwards. If only he'd joined up with a different team that dealt with smaller problems, perhaps Vibe would still be with us today, and perhaps he would've evolved into a character people remembered as more than a gimmick gone wrong. Who's for a new Vibe ongoing series in the next round of DC New 52 launches?"
"DC Comics announced at the DC Entertainment-All Access Sunday panel at Fan Expo Toronto that a new League will be forming.
Launching in 2013, DC Comics will publish a new ongoing comic book series, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by David Finch."
"This is a very different kind of team book,” says Geoff Johns. “On first glance, people might think the heroes of the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA stand in the shadows of Superman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the JUSTICE LEAGUE, but Green Arrow, Katana, Martian Manhunter, the new Green Lantern, Stargirl, Vibe, Hawkman and Catwoman thrive in the shadows. They're underdogs who have everything to prove and something to lose. They're a team of unlikely heroes who will help one another discover they're as A-List as anybody -- yes, even Vibe. Though getting there won't be easy. Why they're formed, why each member joins, what they're after and who the society of villains is they're trying to take apart will all be clear in the first issue when it hits early 2013. David and I are really focused on delving deep into what it's like to not be a member of the big seven and why, sometimes, the grass isn't always greener on the other side."Specifically of Vibe, Johns continued...
"The characters that are selected like Stargirl, and Vibe, and Green Arrow, they have a lot of personality. If you remember the first couple of issues of Justice League, with their larger than life personalities, and the development... This takes it to the fifteenth degree, because we’re dealing with characters that are... Like, you don’t know where Vibe is coming from. He’s recruited to the JLA by his older brother, and he says, “Why would they want me? I’m just this kid from Detroit. I’ve stopped three liquor store robberies, and one was by mistake.” His brother looks at him and says, “Maybe they see potential in you that you and I don’t see.” And he’s like, “Thanks a lot.” ...[Catwoman] is going to be the Veronica to Stargirl’s Betty... If there’s an Archie, it’s probably Steve. And Reggie is definitely Oliver Queen... [Jughead] That’s Vibe. That’s easy."Looking forward to the start of the Vibe (and Reverb?) Age of DC Comics. Also, Martian Manhunter...
"this was a donation for a charity"This is one of my favorite Gypsy pictures ever. Marrying most of the basics of her original Chuck Patton costume to the more streamlined, mature, but conceptually vague Sal Velluto take on the character yields a heroine recognizable as her namesake without looking like a dated joke. Great job, and quite lovely! Color really brings the piece home, but the naked linework is quite pretty on its own.
"a redesign of Vixen w/ simple flats"This is a really fun New Wave Native American look that I could halfway see working in the original Detroit days (at least in the wake of Grace Jones.) I wouldn't rubber stamp it on a permanent basis, but it would be a pretty ginchy Elseworld.
In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).
Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.
The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.
ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!
Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!
Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:
• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.
All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.
"This is a character that I've only really been introduced to in recent years. I know she's been around awhile, (early 1980's) but I was first reading her in the Brad Meltzer run on the JLA books. Then I noticed her more and more as she appeared on the various DC animated cartoons. She was in Justice League Unlimited and again in Batman Brave and the Bold. It's interesting how that Batman cartoon was all but a full on Justice League cartoon by the end of it.JLA Jan
Vixen's power is to appropriate the attributes of whatever animal she can think of. It used to be limited to what animals were around her, but it has since expanded globally. Also she can combine these animals attributes. This is often shown in comics as a ghosted image of the animal she is channeling.
It kind of makes you wonder how powerful that can really be, and it's only limited to her imagination. Personally, I'd prefer to avoid a backhand slap from her with the power and strength of the tail fin of a Blue Whale....WhaPOW!"
