Best of 2006 (the longest post ever)

Every nerd and their nerdy dog is posting a list of the best graphic novels of 2006, so I'm going with a slightly different approach. I'm listing the best comic things of the year. Anything to do with comics is fair game.

I'm sure I'll miss stuff that was great, but I don't have time to read everything. These are not ranked in any particular order. I am going to post a quick list that you can glance at if you are short on time and don't feel like reading the detailed notes that took me, I'm not kidding, over four hours to write. It's a long post.

In short:

1. All-Star Superman
2. Batman: Year 100
3. Superman Returns
4. The return of Astonishing X-Men
5. The Escapists
6. Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness
7. The new Jonah Hex
8. 52
9. The new Justice League of America
10. The Green Arrow on Smallville
11. DC podcasts
12. The Diary of Ralph Dibny
13. The Baby-Sitters Club in graphic novel format
14. The New Frontier action figures/Absolute New Frontier
15. The Justice League animated series on DVD
16. Batman and the Mad Monk
17. The Hall of Best Knowledge
18. Superman/Batman Annual #1

Alright. Here we go:

1. All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

Grant Morrison + Frank Quitely + Superman = one of the funnest series I have ever read. Fun. The way comics are supposed to be. And the fact that it's slow coming out is overshadowed by the ultra-slowness of its stupid, ugly brother, All-Star Batman and Robin.

In particular I liked issues #3 and #5. Issue #3 (May '06) was a delightful Silver Age throwback that had Superman reluctantly facing off against Samson and Atlas in a series of Super-Feats of Strength (the prize supposedly being Lois Lane's affections, but Lois, being a modern woman of today, is mostly just amused by all this). Lois also has superpowers for the day, a birthday present from Superman. Again: delightful throwback.

Issue #5 (Sept '06) was possibly my favourite issue of any comic to come out this year. It had a wonderfully nerdy and awkward Clark Kent interviewing a wonderfully obsessed and self-satisfied Lex Luthor in prison. Despite many obvious clues throughout the interview, Lex still doesn't figure out that Kent = Superman. This comic also contains not one, but two hilarious eyebrow-related jokes. And that's got to be a record.

The writing is smart and funny. The artwork is stunning. I wish it were coming out faster, but I'm just happy it exists at all.


2. Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope

Right off the bat I'm going to say that I'm not usually a fan of stories (Elseworld or otherwise) that set superheroes in the future. I'm more into the past. As long as no one is a vampire. Man, that gets tired.

Paul Pope totally rocks the house with Batman: Year 100. I loved so much about it. I really like his artwork all the time, for starters.

It's set in 2039. Gotham is more or less a police state, with heavy surveillance on every citizen. The days of superheroes and secret identities are over, with stories of a Bat-Man in Gotham being dismissed as urban legend. Jim Gordon's grandson, a GCPD detective, begins to discover that there might be truth to the legend, and that his grandfather had been closely tied to Batman. The most interesting thing about this series is that Batman is not only still operating in Gotham 100 years later, but he also still seems to be Bruce Wayne. So it ends up being a really great manhunt story where the ultimate prize is learning who is wearing the mask, and how it's possible that he even exists.

Awesome characters. Awesome motorcycle chases. I really like the creative choice by Pope to make Batman's costume and weapons more primitive, rather than more futuristic. I love that he wears fake fangs and that he can't really talk when he's wearing them:

Gritty, interesting, imaginative and fun to read. Totally one of the best books of the year.

3. Superman Returns

I went opening night, knowing surprisingly little about what the plot of this movie was going to be. I had only seen the teaser trailer, and the occasional milk ad with Brandon Routh sporting a milk mustache. (As Tiina complained, "Who is this guy? I don't know this guy as Superman yet." It's true. As far as we were concerned, he was just some guy in a costume with milk on his face. We hadn't been properly introduced).

Anyway, I had a giant smile on my face for this entire movie. I wasn't able to see it in IMAX 3D, but I saw it in theatres twice. Seriously, after years of terror from reading all the drama associated with the new Superman movie, this was such a relief. I knew things would be ok as soon as I heard Bryan Singer was taking over, and that an unknown had been cast in the lead role.

Brandon Routh was great, both as Superman and as Clark Kent. And he's hottt. Kevin Spacey was fantastic, channeling Gene Hackman somewhat, but also giving Lex his own style (eerily calm and slow-talking). Sam Huntington was hilarious as Jimmy Olson. And I was fine with Kate Bosworth. I thought she was pretty good. Way too thin, but pretty good.

Screw all the haters, this movie is as much fun as you can possibly have at the theatres. I loved it. And I want to marry Brandon Routh.


4. The Return of Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday

I don't read a lot of Marvel these days, but I have always enjoyed a good X-Men book. Tiina lent me the first two trades of this series, which she got into because of her complete and utter devotion to Joss Whedon. It really is a fun series. And we finally got to see some new issues come out this year. I know some people don't care for its Kitty Pryde-centric storyline, but I think he's made her into a really great character. And I never gave a damn about her before.

I still think that the first six issues of Astonishing were the best six issues, but it's still a really fun read and I get very excited every time a new issue comes out.


5. The Escapists by Brian K. Vaughan, Philip Bond, Eduardo Barreto, Steve Rolston and Jason Shawn Alexander

Oh man. Would you believe I didn't read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay until earlier this year? I have no idea what kept me from reading it (no pictures, maybe?). It's truly one of the best books I have ever read. And it turned out that my timing was perfect because shortly after I finished it, Dark Horse announced a mini-series called The Escapists. Written by Brian K Vaughan, no less!

The Escapists follows the struggle of Maxwell Roth, a 19-year-old comic fan who buys the rights to the now-defunct character, The Escapist. He teams up with a young artist and his best friend, who happens to be an excellent letterer, to create some new Escapist comics. There are so many layers to this awesome series. It details the struggle of the independent comic producer. It criticizes the big business of major comic publishers. It has a comic-within-a-comic, as each issue gives you a few pages of the Escapist comic they are working on, and sometimes a page or two from supposed vintage Escapist comics. All the artwork is rad, and there is a nice variety of styles, including some hot covers by guest artists like Paul Pope and John Cassaday. I could go on but you should really just read it. And read Kavalier and Clay too.


6. Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Book #3 of everyone's favourite indie comic.

There is nothing not to love about this book. As a 20-something Canadian video game lover who is also in a band, I guess I find this book very comforting. It takes place in Toronto, but I know it's being written and illustrated here in Halifax, and the title character takes his name from a song by the late, great Halifax band, Plumtree. But who wouldn't enjoy this series? It's completely hilarious and book #3 is possibly the best book yet. But that's a tough call. It certainly did feature vegans with special powers, and a battle inside baffling Toronto mega-store, Honest Ed's.

The really brilliant thing about the Scott Pilgrim series is the way O'Malley seamlessly splices totally insane battles and video game moments in with mundane evenings of band practices and renting movies. You often forget that Scott is a superhero, of sorts. Most of the time, he seems to forget it too.


I would also like to give a special mention to the Free Comic Book Day Scott Pilgrim comic because it was a lot of fun (in particular, Scott taking forever to choose a beverage).

7. The New Jonah Hex

Technically this started up in late 2005, but for the most part it has been a 2006 series. A series that I am totally down with.

I love Jonah Hex for its simplicity: Hex rides into a town full of assholes. Hex kills the asshole(s). Hex gets money. Hex leaves. The writing is great. The art is beautiful. Jonah Hex is one of the greatest characters ever.

Maybe it's just refreshing to read about a hero who does not have a code against killing. Because sometimes you just want to see a horrible person die in the worst way imaginable. (This may also explain why I love The Authority).


8. 52 by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid and Keith Giffen

What a brilliant idea, DC. Get your best writers together and have them pump out a mega comic every single week. It's confusing, it's epic, it's got the internet abuzz with theories. Who is Supernova? Is Ralph Dibny ever going to be sane again? Is he crazy now? Is he actually dead? Is Superboy really dead? Is Rene Montoya going to be the new Question? Who's going to die? What the hell is 52?
It's essentially served as a soap opera for comic fans, and has effectively boosted discussion about the entire DC cast of characters.
I'm a fan of the entire Infinite Crisis/52/One Year Later model that DC went with for 2006. I'd also like to give props to Douglas Wolk over at 52 Pick-Up for doing such a great job of re-capping and explaining every single issue. It's really been helpful for someone like me who maybe doesn't have complete encyclopedic knowledge of every single corner of the DC universe. I've also been enjoying J.G. Jones' Cover Blog over at Wizard.com. The covers have all been totally awesome. Especially these ones:

52 has been a fun ride so far, and I think, as we enter the home stretch, it is only going to get more interesting.
If anyone cares, I am leaning toward the theory that Supernova is Ray Palmer, but that might be wishful thinking. I miss Ray.

9. The New Justice League of America by Brad Meltzer and Ed Benes

I think I read Justice League of America #0 about ten times. I really loved it. Brad Meltzer is just so great at writing superheroes as real people, but without it being corny or boring. I know some people would argue that it is corny and boring, but I disagree. And, yeah, maybe we've seen enough of the big three looking at (ridiculous) photographs of potential league members and voting them in or out, but it's seriously been a great series so far, and I expect it to get better. (I could do without the Michael Turner covers, though).


10. The Green Arrow on Smallville

Ok, like, it's not the best portrayal of Oliver Queen. But it might be the most attractive. And anyway, I'm just glad that FINALLY, after five long seasons, there is an honest-to-gosh superhero on Smallville. In a costume. Fighting bad guys. And he's suggesting that Clark get off his ass and start using his powers to help people. It's about time someone pointed this out to Clark.
The Green Arrow costume is totally cool looking. He has a fun variety of arrows. He replaces Lex as Clark's new hot billionaire "friend." And coming up in January: a Justice League episode of sorts! Clark, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Cyborg and Flash (Impulse?) will team up.
Martian Manhunter has also made one teaser appearance on the show which was very exciting. I can't wait to see more of him.
Six years of watching a mediocre show are starting to pay off!


11. DC Podcasts

Yay! Now I can feel like I was at one of the major comic cons! This was a really good idea: DC recorded many of their panel discussions and talent spotlights at the NYC and San Diego comic cons and turned them into downloadable podcasts for all to enjoy! I'd heard good things about the 52 Panel Discussion in San Diego, and then I was overjoyed to learn that I could listen to the whole thing!

You can check them all out here.

12. The Diary of Ralph Dibny

I can't even tell you how many times I have laughed out loud reading this. It's just brilliantly written and a really, really great idea. I would especially suggest the Halloween entry, where Ralph gets a visit from the Phantom Stranger and Dr Thirteen.
It's written by British comic writer Al Ewing, and he does a great job of making the posts follow the 52 series storyline, but also veer off into imaginary crazy adventures when Ralph doesn't get enough material that week. So it certainly helps if you read 52 and supplement it with this hilarious blog, but you could certainly enjoy it on its own.


13. The Baby-sitters Club in Graphic Novel Format by Raina Telgemeier

I was so crazy about The Baby-sitters Club when I was a kid. Right up until I started babysitting and realized it actually kinda sucked. I was totally thrilled when I saw this new graphic novel version of the beloved series. It's a great way to update it for a new generation, and it's awesome to see my childhood fictional best friends as comic characters. The artwork is really fun, with a great sense of humour. The girls all look great, each with their own style that stays true to the books (it lets girls choose the babysitter that most resembles themselves. I always felt I was a combination of Kristy and Mary-Anne).

There are two books out now, Kristy's Great Idea and The Truth About Stacy. I love them. I hope they do the whole series in comic format. I can't wait to see that dreamboat Logan!

14. The New Frontier Action Figures/Absolute New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke

Anything to do with Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier is going to get my stamp of approval. I'm not really a collector, so I don't get particularly excited about Absolute editions of things. But as soon as I saw the Absolute New Frontier I totally wanted it. And I'm glad I have it. It's so big and pretty. I can't wait for the animated movie to come out next year.
I'm also not much of an action figure person. I mean, I like them, but if I only have $20 I'm going to spend that on something I can read every time. I totally want all of the New Frontier action figures, though. They are so nice looking. I love the colouring and I really love how they got the little fabric folds and creases (one of my favourite art details about New Frontier is the way all the costumes are tucked into the belts, and the fabric bunches a little). I got the Green Arrow figure for Christmas. This is when I learned that these figures are very fragile. I immediately broke his bow, his arrow, and all of his back-up arrows. Then I learned that everyone's New Frontier action figures are breaking like eggs. Booooo. But still...pretty. Here's what it's supposed to look like:


15. The Justice League Animated Series on DVD

Man, am I every happy to finally own these. Justice League and Justice League Unlimited is a truly awesome show. Smallville wishes it was a third as good as this show. Like, you think Batman: TAS and Superman: TAS are awesome (and they are), but then you watch this show and it's just so good. I eagerly await the final box set to complete my collection.



16. Batman and the Mad Monk by Matt Wagner

I frigging love Matt Wagner. I loved his Batman and the Monster Men mini-series and I love that he has followed it up with this series. And they come out in a timely manner that pleases me. Well done, Matt.
It's not finished yet. There are still two issues to go, but I am taking a risk and naming it one of my favourite things of the year. I think Wagner writes Batman better than almost anyone. And I could look at his artwork all day. I always like a good early-years Batman story, and I am really enjoying him fighting horrific villains. Plus, throwing in a doomed romance only sweetens the deal.


17. The Hall of Best Knowledge by Ray Fenwick

This was a local comic by a local artist that ran in the local weekly paper. It started in 2005, but sadly finished in 2006. It was completely amazing and brilliant and hilarious every single week. You can view the entire run here, and I only hope that they will someday be published as a book.


18. Superman/Batman Annual #1 by by Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness, Ryan Ottley and Dexter Vines

Again, I just want to applaud DC for being bold enough to make the very first Superman/Batman annual completely over-the-top ridiculous. I loved every second of it. To all the haters, let me just remind you of how funny Deathstroke was in this. It was just pure crack, and a delight to read. And frankly it was better than most "serious" issues of Superman/Batman.


Ok, so that's the list. I'd also like to give special mention to the following things, some of which only didn't make the official list because it's too early in the series to be so bold as to name them among the best of 2006:

• Superman Confidential by Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale
• The Spirit by Darwyn Cooke
• Midnighter by Garth Ennis, Chris Sprouse and Karl Story
• The Grant Morrison run on Batman
• Batman and The Spirit by Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke
• Mike Holmes' Buy Friends Easy comic in The Coast
  
• Runaways, Y: The Last Man, and Mary Jane for continuing to rock
• All of the DC Showcase Presents books. I haven't read them all, but I will and I love them. Thanks for making them so affordable.

Oh my God. I'm done!

Batman and Hawkman: Batman Wins

In an attempt to become better acquainted with sexy, sexy Hawkman, I turned to The Brave and The Bold no.164.

Unfortunately for the Thanagarian superhunk, this comic has only strengthened my undying love for Batman.

Why?

Exhibit A:

Batman has enough of a sense of fun to call his helicopter a Whirly-Bat.

Exhibit B:

Batman remains cool-headed and optimistic in the most challenging and confusing situations.

Exhibit C:

His self-confidence.


Batman knows he's got a body worthy of the gods.

Exhibit D:

Batman can really rock wings and an oxygen mask.



You can tell he loves those wings. Look at those poses he's striking! I'm surprised he doesn't just ask Hawkman to give him an anti-gravity belt permanently. It would really help Batman out.

I think Batman pulls off the wings better than Superman, but I'll let you be the judge:

That panel's from DC Comics Presents no. 74. I guess Hawkman can't team up with anyone without lending them some wings. I like that Batman had his own little Bat-symbol embellishment on the wing straps. Because Batman takes the time to do things right.

And, finally...

Exhibit E:

Batman is open to trying new things.


Damn! Is there no end to Hawkman and his sexy adventures?

In closing, I would like to say that this is one of the weirdest final panels I have ever seen:

So...many...immature...sexual jokes to be made...

LOOK AT HAWKMAN'S FACE!

I'd kill for a pair of those shoes.

So it's Christmas Eve and I'm tucking into The Brave and the Bold no.164: Batman and Hawkman (July, 1980). Then I see this on the inside front cover:

So that's pretty creepy/hilarious (mostly creepy). I finally get over it and start reading the actual story of Batman and Hawkman and The Riddle of the Haunted Museum. I get four pages in and I'm faced with this:

AHH!

So, O.J. really likes shoes. I was actually scared to turn the page again.

I really am going to write about this amazing comic (the one about Batman and Hawkman) soon, but I have to get over being faced with this grinning, cartoony murderer interrupting the story not once, but twice.

(P.S. - has anyone heard from the Dingo kids lately? Anyone? I'm just sayin'...you might want to check O.J.'s back yard).

Homeless For the Holidays

Time for a Christmas story. A heartwarming one from 1989 by Roger Stern and Dan Jurgens.


Ok, so Superman is walking about town, waxing romantic about Christmas and how magical it is. Then he hears trouble:And by trouble, I mean a cuss word. I love that. "What?! A swear?! At Christmastime?!"

Because he has nothing better to do, Superman springs into action:

So even Superman admits that this isn't an emergency. It's profanity coming from a construction site. If Superman jumped every time he heard that, he would never have time to do anything else.

I will admit that the scene that follows is very cute and touching. And shows that construction guys sometimes like to spell out words rather than just say them.

Aw, that's a very cute tradition. I love these construction guys. Then they invite Superman to stay for coffee and sandwiches, and then sing to him as he flies away! Angels, every one of them. God bless you, Metropolis construction workers!

I posted the rest of that page so you could follow the story. It's his last day at the Planet because he's accepted an editor job at Newstime. I also think those floating heads of his coworkers are hilarious.

Moving on, the following page has one of the best Superman-changing-into-Clark panels I've ever seen:

Ok, the real reason why I am posting this comic is because it really hits close to home for me this year. Why, just last week I finished my job at a newspaper. I cleaned out my desk just before the Christmas break. Sure, I'm not accepting a fancy editor job somewhere else so much as I am taking more time to play video games and blog, but I can really relate to Clark here. Except maybe my co-workers weren't quite so cold to me.

Actually, as it turns out, the Planet staff is faking it. They love Clark still.

Clark, however, still isn't comfortable with kissing hot women.

Awww, surprise party. That's nice.

Anyway, there is a reason why this comic is called Homeless for the Holidays. It turns out that Planet employee Alice is secretly homeless...for the holidays.

What the shit, Perry? Pay your employees more! There is no way someone working full-time at a world class newspaper should have to live in a store closet.

In response, Perry writes a very long and heart-warming editorial piece on homeless people and what good citizens can do to help. I'm not going to repeat it here. It's goes on for over four pages. I'll give you a taste:

It's about time we reminded ourselves that the shabbily-dressed stranger shuffling by is another human being. Maybe he's not a "worthless bum"...maybe he's just had a run of bad luck. But we'll never know unless we make an effort to find out.

Uhh...ok. And if we find out that they are, indeed, a "worthless bum," then what? And at what point do we know that for sure?

Alice ends up spending Christmas with the White family. And Perry tells her he's going to convince management to start paying her decently. Which...is good. Seems like that should have been happening in the first place, but anyway.

Meanwhile, at the Kent Farm...it's heavy handed platitudes for everyone!

And creepy, Joker-faced Superman slamming back the nog.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Or, if you celebrate another holiday, enjoy that too. I'm unemployed now so this blog will be much less neglected in '07. That's my resolution.

Confidential

After two issues of Superman Confidential, I can safely say that it is totally awesome. I knew there was no chance that a Darwyn Cooke/Tim Sale team-up would suck. My stance on re-visiting the early years of super heroes is that they are good for both new readers and hardcore fans. Especially at a time where DC's biggest heroes are returning to the screen, it's good to welcome potential fans who may feel intimidated by comic books. Because, let's face it, getting into comics is daunting. Superman: Birthright was a smart thing for DC to release at a time where Smallville, a fantastic marketing tool for reaching a new generation of potential comic book readers (in particular, female comic book readers), was one of the most popular teen shows on television. And the Confidential series are smart things to start up after the popularity of Batman Begins and Superman Returns.

So anyway. Superman Confidential is great. Cooke's retro story telling compliments Sale's retro artwork nicely. Superman is just plain adorable in this series. I think the below page illustrates that better than any (just after Superman finishes a potentially life-threatening battle with a volcano that leaves him a little shaken):

Awwwww. Man, that's the cutest Superman I've ever seen.

Moving on. Batman Confidential is looking pretty terrible so far. It's supposed to replace Legends of the Dark Knight, which is kind of too bad because that series was a lot of fun. A real mouthful, but a lot of fun.

And why is it that we can't get a decent Batman series off the ground? All-Star Superman totally rules. All-Star Batman and Robin...well. You know. Kind of the worst thing in comic book history. And I am counting that comic where Superman teamed up with the Quik Bunny.

Let's have a look at Batman Confidential:

Aaaaaaahhhhh!!! That's not Bruce Wayne! THAT'S NOT BRUCE WAYNE!!! That's Steve Buscemi. If he were kept in a jar of vinegar for seven months. Jesus lord...

Now I have to look at some panels from Dave Gibbons' Worlds Finest book to get that image out of my mind.
Ahhh. Now there's some cute Batman. Look at the way he kneels on that chair! And the way he buckles his belt! Adorable!

In Batman: Confidential Bruce is also shown handling the gun that killed his parents. He explains to Alfred (and to me, since I wondered about it while reading stupid, stupid Batman: Year Two) that he got if from the police after they were done using as evidence. Right.

The other thing that separates the Superman and Batman Confidentials, besides good writing and good art, is that the Superman story is about something interesting. It's going to be Superman's first encounter with Kryptonite. I like it. Batman's story is...wait for it...how he got all his gadgets. My guess: WayneTech. I mean, really, however did a billionaire scientist end up with all those cool toys? I can't imagine.

I also like that Superman is set in what looks something like the past. Whereas Batman seems to be set in the future. And that's just confusing. If one of the goals of these series is to attract new readers, and I think it should be, then maybe you should make the story make as much sense as possible. And maybe make it not suck.

Batman on Film: Ranked

Because it was brought up the other night while watching the Richard Donner cut of Superman II (totally watch this...it's worth it), here are how I would rank the Batman movies from best to worst.

1. Batman Begins
2. Batman Returns
3. Batman: The Movie (1966)
4. Mask of the Phantasm
5. Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
6. Batman (1989)
7. The Batman/Superman Movie
8. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker



9. Batman Forever
10. Batman and Robin

Notice the long break before those last two. No accident. Although, I might actually prefer Batman and Robin to Forever because it is one of the most hilarious things you can watch.

And, yeah. I think Batman Begins is the best Batman movie. Which one is better...really? We'd all love to stay stuck in the 90s and preach the virtues of Tim Burton to today's troubled youth, but...seriously. I can barely watch the first Batman movie because of Kim Basinger's CONSTANT SCREAMING. And I love that movie, I really do. But it's flawed. Very flawed. I greatly prefer Returns, but even that isn't so much a great Batman movie. It's just great for what it is.

Hopefully this will spark some debate. Because I know you nerds out there love to go on about what the best superhero movies are.

In the meantime...POW!

Can we talk about something else?

You can say a lot of things about Dr Light, but you can't say he doesn't love to say the word 'rape.'
Dr Light was a joke, then he was a scary rapist, then he was a lobotomized joke, and now he's a scary guy again...who loves to talk about rape.

He even gets all metaphorical talking about rape. You can start a conversation with him, and he will find a way to bring it back to rape.

Did somebody say 'rape?' You'd better believe he likes rape!

Gee whiz, dude! Why don't you just change your name to Dr Rape and get it over with! You'd think you didn't have any totally awesome super powers!

Although I will admit, this little dig is funny. I'd say it's worth having him clumsily insert a rape reference into a conversation to get this insult out:

Ha! Green Arrow gets hot for arrows! Just like Dr Light gets hot for rape!

Superman: How It Should Have Ended

I'm pissed because I stupidly bought the lame Superman Returns DVD with no special features by accident. This video was the only thing that cheered me up. Hilarious!

Excuse me, do you have the time?

You know what I like about the Clock King?


He clearly made his costume himself.

It looks like what you end up with when you're trying to throw a Halloween costume together at the last minute. Let's see...I've got some blue pyjamas...I could paint some clocks on those. And I have this green hooded cape. That doesn't really match, and I don't really need it for anything...but it might look kinda cool. I suppose if I wear these green underwear over the pjs that would sort of match the cape. It would bring it all together. I'll need some sort of mask...preferably something that almost completely obscures my vision. I'll just poke some eye holes in this clock face, I guess. And secure it to my head with this rubber band. Now just add the white rubber boots and long blue gloves...voila! Alright, it's not as cool as my original design...the one where I had actual working clock gears rotating on my chest...but I'm on a budget here.

Lookin' good, Clock King! Though I'm kind of surprised that he doesn't seem to be wearing a watch.

Oh, and he also looks like Charles Bronson with his mask off: