Why You Should Get Outside More in the UK: The Benefits of Nature The Great Outdoors is Always There! 6 min read Spending time outside of the house isn’t just invigorating or cleansing—it’s good for you! Whether you’re taking a walk in the park, dogging, trying a challenging hike, or merely sitting in your backyard eavesdropping on your nosey neighbour, being outside can certainly improve your mood, boost your health, and make life a little better. Let’s break down why going outside is beneficial. Fresh Air Is Good for Your Body When you're outside, you breathe in fresh air—well, unless you live in smoggy Manchester, then it's probably nitrogen oxides and fried food! Good wholesome air is what's vital for your lungs and overall health. Fresh air helps to: Improve Your Mood: No studies have ever warned us against the dangers of spending time outside! Why? Because being outside is vital! Ignore things like mountain rescue and air ambulance cases, as well as those XXL...
Is The New 52 Justice League Worth Reading?
A Deep Dive Into The New 52 Justice League: What You Need to Know!
4 to 6 min read
Alright, let’s talk about The New 52 Justice League. If you’re looking for the ultimate superhero team-up origin story, this is it. Volume 1 is not just well-written and beautifully illustrated; it’s packed with the excitement of characters meeting for the first time, which is an absolute joy for someone like me, a graphic novel fan in his forties!
This first Justice League book is a belter. Following my reading order, the next book is Barry Allen's flashpoint story arc which created this universe; he returns home at the end of the book and his costume and his memories begin to change too. It was clever how he is absorbed into the new 52 version.
After finishing this volume, I’m diving right into Barry Allen’s Flashpoint arc. That twist where he returns home, and everything about him starts changing—brilliant storytelling!
The dialogue in Origins, Vol. 1 has a spark that jumps off the page, keeping me hooked. Honestly, it's weird how comics can deliver more action than films somehow. I guess it's the art and storytelling in sequences of orderly boxes that span through the pages!! After all those DC films crashed from that shitty Suicide Squad (cheers, Leto Joker) to the marmite-like mess of Batman vs. Superman, it’s been trial, but mostly error! Wonder Woman seemed to save the day initially, but even her sequel cause a global mexican wave of face-palming. Even Deadpool stopped doing DC jokes after that! Luckily, we still have some decent TV shows like The Flash. Fans should be paid to make the films.
At least the 'The New 52' was an absolute dream. It had been around a bit before the DC movie disasters, but it was new to me, and it was an exciting new dimension for DC to re-invent all of its characters! I really hope they don't reintroduce underwear on the outside of the trousers again! In Origin, we see a brand new Superman, Batman, Wonder woman, Lantern, Cyborg, Aquaman and Flash. You can see its influence on the Justice League film, but better.
That being said, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, is it? Superman comes off a bit too cocky at times. It took a while for readers to warm up to him, he finds his footing. Green Lantern doesn’t quite shine like he did in the Blackest Night era, and Lobo? Total disaster.
One surprisingly engaging storyline was the Throne of Atlantis arc. It dives into a conflict between the surface world and Atlantis. I’m not buying into the whole Atlantis myth, but the world-building is solid, and it gives Aquaman some much-needed depth. It’s not just mindless reading; it adds layers to the characters and their struggles.
You can’t overlookTrinity War and the beautifully drawn Darkseid War that wrap up the Origins saga. Darkseid is a genuinely menacing big bad boss, and he makes the stakes feel real. I found myself pulled into the drama of DC’s universe, where danger is lurking around every corner. Truthfully, I confess, I have less enjoyable characters: Cyborg is the internet on legs, Shazam comics are just written for younger audiences, Aquaman is the fishguy outdone by his Atlantis context, Wonderwoman is eye candy with an unappealling backstory—there are many compelling characters in DC.
Looking back, the biggest cringe was 'hero' and 'villain' speak that is throughout mainsyream comics. For example, whenever I read, 'I wanna be a hero, like you,'
'But you cannot, you're a villain!'
'No, I am working with Barry to become a hero!'
It minces at my janglers slightly. These so called heroes are all pretty much vigilantes working alongside or against the law to fight crime! The hero jargon doesn't sit right. 'Gimme your bastard wallet! Now!!!,' imagine that. 'Come on, I'm an actual villain!!' It's quite silly.
At least the heroes are flawed and relatable, which is what draws us in isn't it? At the core of every great superhero story is that fight for justice, but that’s not what keeps these stories enjoyable, it's the smacking the shit out of each other, the war and struggles. Deaths and wagimg who will beath who. Batman is the best. Legit.
Now, if you check out the animated version of Origins, called War, well, let’s just say it's shit. Just read a graphic novel!
In the end, DC breathed new life into their universe with the New 52 because of the Batman and some of these Justice leagues. A comics, graphic novels or omnibus is a frozen moment of time, a slice of the DC cake preserved for you to consume. It never goes out of date. I recommend getting stuck in and then follow on into rebirth.
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