#Varian Johnson

[medusamagic]

So you want to know more about Big Barda

As Tumblr's resident expert on all things Barda, and as Kelly Thompson's Birds of Prey run brings far more attention to the character, I figured it was high time someone stepped in and gave the tumblr world a primer on DC's biggest and boldest heroine.

The Basics:

Introduced in Mister Miracle #4 by Jack Kirby, Big Barda was once the leader of Apokolips' premier death squad, the Female Furies. Trained from birth for a life of violence by Granny Goodness, Barda spent the first 250 years of her life as a living weapon. This all changed when she met Scott Free, a gentle Parademon-in-training with a mysterious past and a knack for escapes. Eventually, she and Scott both escaped to Earth, where they fell in love with both the Earth and each other. She's a lover, she's a fighter, she's a Pokémon card expert, but most of all, SHE BIG.

Barda's signature defining attribute is her raw strength. Her raw muscle allows her to keep up with heavy hitters like Wonder Woman. This isn't to suggest that she's a simple-minded brute, however-- Barda has centuries of military experience under her belt as leader of the Female Furies. She's mastered multiple weapons, including spears, swords, and her signature Mega-Rod.

Below are some reading recommendations for anyone interested in Big Barda:

Essential Runs:

Mister Miracle Vol. 1 #4-18 by Jack Kirby (1971-1974)

This was the run that introduced the world to Big Barda, as well as the Female Furies. If you want to know the basics of Barda, there's no better place to start. This run is collected in a trade, as well as a part in The Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1.

(NOTE: Even though Barda doesn't appear until issue #4, I suggest you start with Issue #1. It'll help you get acquainted with the rest of the mythos.)

Justice League International #14-24 by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis (1988-1989)

Big Barda was on the JLI! She plays off the other characters as well as ever, and a lot of what's great about her in Jack Kirby's original run is still here! Definitely check this one out if you want to see her in another team setting. This has been collected in this omnibus.

(NOTE: Once again, I recommend you start from issue #1.)

Popular Runs:

Mister Miracle Vol. 4 #1-12 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (2017-2018)

Yeah, I know.

Listen, Tom King is a writer with... idiosyncrasies to put it nicely. The characters in the periphery of his stories tend to act really out of character, and his dialogue can be clunky at times. That being said, The Scott/Barda dynamic in this book is excellent, and this book has some of the best art that the Fourth World has seen since the 80s. The series has been collected in a trade.

(NOTE: Did you know that the CIA has over 2003 files on Tom King? Look up "Tom King CIA 2003" for more info!)

Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles (2022)

If you're at all interested in the idea of a Young Adult reimagining of Mister Miracle and Big Barda's origin story with an all-black cast, this book was made for you. It's a bit heavy on the YA tropes, but the Scott/Barda dynamic is really solid. It was released as a standalone graphic novel.

Birds of Prey Vol. 5 #1-??? by Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero (2023-)

Admit it, this is the reason you're here. The Cassandra Cain & Big Barda is so instantly iconic, I'm surprised no writer has paired them up sooner. It also helps that this book has the single best Barda look since Jack Kirby's original run. Plus, she gets to throw down with Wonder Woman! What's not to love? This run is still ongoing, but the first 6 issues should be getting a trade pretty soon.

(NOTE: I started writing this before BOP #8 dropped, I had no idea about that thing that happens in the newest issue.)

Stories to Avoid:

Action Comics #592-593 by John Byrne (1987)

This is not a comic book-- it's an infohazard designed to cause pain and suffering to anyone who knows of its existence. Its premise is vile and disrespectful on the surface, and it becomes more insidious when you learn the context of its creation. This pair of issues is profoundly evil, rivaling even Avengers #200 in terms of loathsomeness.

For those who dare to investigate this, Content Warnings for rape, mind control, and human trafficking.

Anyway, let's end on something a bit lighter, shall we?

Remember that Mister Miracle YA graphic novel I mentioned earlier? Barda is getting a graphic novel of her own this summer! It's not out at the time of writing, but the preview pages look promising!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that introduction to one of my favorite superheroes ever. Please get back to me on this, I have no one else to talk to about Fourth World stuff.

[barrylyga]

With a gorgeous cover and incredible interior art by the inimitable @colleendoran, GENERATION WONDER hit shelves one year ago today!

The New Age of Heroes launched with 13 amazing stories by some astonishing authors, including Sarah Maclean, Paul Levitz, Sterling Gates, Danielle Paige, Morgan Baden, Anna-Marie McLemore, Varian Johnson, Lamar Giles, Joseph Bruchac, Elizabeth Eulberg, Matthew Phillion, Axie Oh, and yours truly!

If you haven't already sampled the delights awaiting you in this anthology, I implore you to do so now. You can order it here:

[dynamobooks]

Varian Johnson & Daniel Isles: Mister Miracle: The Great Escape (2022)

[the-final-sentence]

'Myron,' I said, 'tell me about Linton McCants.'

Varian Johnson, from "Black Enough"

[covergirlnay]

So when I go to Barnes and Noble and have to go book shopping for my students, I always notice this section and the lack of diversity for their graphic novels display (most of them are on the shelves). There have been too many good graphic novels released in the last 3 years, that deserve just as much exposure as the regulars that started it all. I have to fight the urge to add them to the section when I walk by 👀😅.

[middlegradeeveryday]

Twins: A Graphic Novel (Twins #1) by Varian Johnson

Summary: Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran -- a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister!Maureen and Francine are growing apart and there's nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good

Book Type: Graphic Novel

Genre: Realistic Fiction

[thumbedpages]

Varian Johnson - The Parker Inheritance

[lifeofafemalebibliophile]

Book Review: “The Parker Inheritance” by Varian Johnson

“The Parker Inheritance” by Varian Johnson (2018) Genre: Mystery, Middle-Grade, Historical Fiction Page Length: 331 pages (hardcover edition) Synopsis: The letter waits in a book, in a box, in an attic, in an old house in Lambert, South Carolina. It’s waiting for Candice Miller.When Candice finds the letter, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, after all, who…

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Return | Author: Varian Johnson | Publisher: Scholastic (2016)

[pluckyredhead]

For your Fourth World reading do you have a reading order you could share with us? Or recommendations on where to start? Sorry if this has been asked before

No need to apologize! I've been meaning to write up my Fourth World recs so thank you for the reminder. Also it is unfortunately a short list lol.

The Fourth World by Jack Kirby:

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen: Kirby wrote and drew issues #133-148. This is where he launched the Fourth World, and where we first saw Darkseid and a number of other characters and concepts. It is a little tangential to the main Fourth World storyline (and some of it, like the two Goody Rickels issues, is REALLY weird and not necessarily in a good way). I would say if you are interested in the Fourth World from a comics history perspective, you should read Kirby's Jimmy Olsen, but if you are interested from a blorbo perspective and just want to read about Orion or Scott or whoever, you can skip it.

New Gods (1971): This is Orion's series. An absolute must, this is the heart of the Fourth World. The original run is issues #1-11 (there are a couple series that pick up the numbering, but the first 11 issues are the real deal).

Forever People (1971): I would say this is the other book that is really central to Kirby's magnum opus and the themes he was exploring. Again, less interesting from a blorbo perspective (I'm sure Mark Moonrider is someone's blorbo...) but it's only 11 issues so I would recommend reading it for the historical/thematic value. Do it for Kirby!

Mister Miracle (1971): The other blorbo! Kirby's original run is #1-18.

New Gods (1984) #6: In 1984 DC reprinted the original New Gods run as double-sized issues (so #1 contains the original #1 and #2 from 1971, etc.). Issue #6 reprints the original New Gods #11 and then adds new material to "conclude" Kirby's story. But you'll want to continue and read...

The Hunger Dogs (also called DC Graphic Novel #4): This was Kirby's conclusion to the Fourth World saga. It's not his original vision, but it's the most DC would allow him. He is not quite at the heights he was in 1971, but it's nice to see him get a chance to conclude his tale, and it's a must-read if you ship Orion and Lightray.

The Fourth World by people who aren't Jack Kirby:

New Gods (1991): This is Rachel Pollack's run and it's excellent. The art is extremely 1991 but the writing makes up for it. The last three issues of the series are written and drawn by John Byrne instead, and they're fine - you can read them or skip them, doesn't matter.

Orion (2000): Walt Simonson's run, AN ABSOLUTE MUST-READ. RUN DON'T WALK. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS. Orion suffers so much and it's so delicious to me.

Solo #7: There are only two pages of Fourth World content in here but it's Orion betting Scott he can come up with a death trap Scott can't escape and then literally just trying to kill him for fun while Lightray has a panic attack. Orion and Scott are both lunatics and I love that for them. Brothers of all time.

Both of DC's YA graphic novels about these characters, Mister Mircle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles and Barda by @ngoziu, are excellent.

AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS IT. Scott and Barda are in JLI which I will always recommend, but it's not strictly speaking a Fourth World book. Orion is in Grant Morrison's JLA which is a classic, but he doesn't have a huge role in it as I recall. You should already be reading Kelly Thompson's current run on Birds of Prey because it's perfect but Barda is especially perfect in it.

The nice (?) thing about the Fourth World is that every writer basically completely ignores all previous writers except Kirby so there's not a lot of continuity to track. If you read Kirby, you can encounter the characters anywhere else and know everything you need to know.

Happy reading!

[ae-neon]

“And sjm loves to use Feyre to make these worldbuilding assessments when Feyre doesn't know anything about the world to back this up” SHE DOES. Why oh why did Sarah make Feyre so damn annoying?

And it's so easily fixed too?

Just have someone else say or prove it? Have Feyre learn about the armies in the Spring Court then the armies in the Night Court and make a guess.

But she doesn't, she runs around saying X is more powerful than Y, Rhys suffered more than anyone, Illyrians are brute savages, Tarquin is arrogant for considering himself Rhys and Amren's equal?? Wonder if she applied that logic to herself?? Things she literally just doesn't know

And the funniest thing of all is that sjm and the canon will turn around and prove Feyre wrong but she never learns???

She thought she knew Nesta in acotar, was proven wrong but by acomaf Feyre has amnesia

Literally in the time she (and the audience) spends with Tarquin, it's easy to see he's probably the morally best HL and that if Rhys approached him for an alliance, he would agree. They might not get the book that instance or without agreeing to take someone like Varian or Cresseida with, but that's fair?!

And she still chooses to steal for a man and a court it's, at that point, obvious MAKES themselves untrustworthy - earns their own reputation and then doesn't understand why people don't like them???

But Rhysand is all about trust when it comes to the mortal queens he has no intel on. What a fucking buffoon. He's Boris Johnson with hair dye.

I think Nesta even pointed this out when she refused to sell her story to the HLs, the Night Court puts itself in the shit then complains it stinks and that other people say they smell

THEY called the HL meeting then acted like they were too cool to be there?? And were the only ones who couldn't keep the inevitable clash verbal??

GOD THESE FUCKING CLOWNS ARE 500 YEARS OLD ELON WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING

Whyyyyyyyy were Cassian and Azriel even in the fucking roooooom????? THEY ARE IRRELEVANT NOBODIES. your friends don't get to sit in on UN council meetings

Lemme stop cause I can feel myself getting actually angry lol

[bittenlit]

Help me choose the order for my Black History Month reads?

Feel free to suggest things also, these are just the audiobooks I know I can get through my libraries. I've already picked out my first one (GHOST BOYS by Jewell Parker Rhodes).

[barrylyga]

Absolutely psyched to announce that my anthology, Generation Wonder, has been nominated for an Audie award in the category of Short Stories/Collections...the only children's book so nominated!

Yay! Much gratitude to my publisher, my editor, and my wonderful contributors!

[queerical]

books of 2023

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll

A Series of Unfortunate Events 5-13 by Lemony Snicket

Abbott: 1973

Alone in Space: A Collection by Tillie Walden

Aquaman: The Becoming

Aquamen (2022)

Arkham City: The Order of the World

Batgirl (2000)

Bylines In Blood

Cuckoos Three by Cassandra Jean, Mosskat

Crush & Lobo

The Daughters of Ys by M.T. Anderson, Jo Rioux

DC Pride: Tim Drake Special

Elektra (2014)

The Forest by Thomas Ott

Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod, Jess Taylor

Gimmick! by Youzaburou Kanari

House of Slaughter, Volumes 1-2

The Illustrator by Steven Heller, Julius Wiedemann

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Jessica Jones (2016)

Jessica Jones: Blind Spot

Justice League: A League of One

The Liminal Zone by Junji Ito

Men I Trust by Tommi Parrish

Metro Survive by Yuki Fujisawa

Midnighter (2016)

Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson, Daniel Isles

Moon Knight (2011)

More is More is More: Today's Maximalist Interiors by Carl Dellatore

Ms. Marvel (2014), Volumes 1-2

Natsume's Book of Friends, Volumes 12-28 by Yuki Midorikawa

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

Nubia: Real One by L.L. MicKenney, Robyn Smith

Power Girl Returns

Pretty Deadly

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Rogue Sun, Volume 2

Rough Terrain by Annbeth Albert

Run Away With Me, Girl by Battan

Runaways (2003-2008)

SFSX (Safe Sex)

Silver Diamond, Volumes 1-9 by Shiho Sugiura

Sins of the Black Flamingo

Soulless: The Manga by Gail Carringer

Spider-Man/Deadpool, Volumes 1-6

The Sprite and the Gardener by Rii Abrego, Joe Whitt

Still Life: Contemporary Paintings by Amber Creswell Bell

Storm (2014)

Street Unicorns: Extravagant Fashion Photography From NYC Streets and Beyond by Robbie Quinn

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011)

Until I Meet My Husband by Ryounosuke Nanasaki

Wakanda

Watercolor: Paintings of Contemporary Artists

What Did You Eat Yesterday? Volume 19 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Wheels Up by Annabeth Albert

The Well by Jake Wyett, Choo

The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne, Veronica Fish

The Wild Orphan by Robert Froman

Wonder Woman: Black & Gold

X-Men (2013)

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

You Brought Me the Ocean by Alex Sanchez, Julie Maroh

Young Avengers (2005-2012)

[whiskyarts]

”So, Quirin, what’s your son’s last name gonna be?”

Quirin, sweating, “UH- Quirin- son-“

FJSJAKA NOOO

It's ye olden times, that's how people would introduce themselves! By their parents! So it would be "I'm Varian, son of Quirin"

That's where simple/common last names like Johnson and Stevenson came from, because people would introduce themselves as "I am James, son of John" like a title! Then it became more formal and we got last names.

[desperatecheesecubes]

How many comics have I read so far this year:

246 plus an additional 10 if you count partial issues that are collected and another 10 if you count graphic novels.

Here’s the receipts in alphabetical order if you’re curious lmfao (or want to check my math)

Comics read this year

Action comics (1986) 698-700 +Last Son of Kyrpton collected (844-846, 851, 866-870, annual 11)

Action comics (2016) 1058-1066, 2023 annual 1, +metropolis burning and House of Kent collecteds (1017-1028)

Adventures of Superman (1986) 511-513

Adventures of Jon Kent 5-6

Batman (1940) 443

Batman the cult 1-4

Birds of prey Progeny collected (92-103)

Birds of prey (2023) 3-10

The boy wonder (2024) 1

Damage (1994) 1-5, 7-8

The flaszh (2023) 10

Green arrow (2023) 5-13

Green Lantern (2023) 7-12

Hal Jordan and the green lantern corps vol 6-7 (37-50)

Helen of Wyndhorn (2024) 1-3

Infinity inc vol 1 (issues 1-4 + all star squadron 25-26 and annual 2) additionally issues 5-18

Jay Garrick the flash (2023) 1-6

JSA by Geoff Johns vol 1 (1-15, secret files 1)

Justice League of America (1960) 4

Justice society of America the demise of Justice (1-8 + stories from advecomucs 466 and all star comics 57)

New Superman vol 2 (7-12)

The new teen titans (1984) 0

Nightwing (2016) 109-110

Power girl (2023) 8-10

Return of Superman 30th anniversary

Sinister sons (2024) 4

Spider-Gwen smash 3-4

Spirit world (2023) 1-6

Speed force (2023) 1-2

Steel (1994) 5

Superboy (1994) 4-5

Superboy the boy of steel collected (collects Kon’s stories from Adventure comics 2009 from issues 0-3, 5-6 and a portion if Superman secret files 2009)

Supergirl (1994) 1-4

Supergirl (1996) 71

Superman (1986) 89-90, 662, 668

Superman (2016) 37

Superman (2023) 7-15

Superman house of brainiac special

Superman lost 8-10

Superman the man of steel (1991) 33-34

Teen titans (2016) 43

Titans (2023) 5-10

Titans beast world tour (whole event -Atlantis) 1-6 + Waller rising 1 + world tour (metropolis, star city, central city, Gotham) [titans beast World evolution contains two fully reprinted issues Teen Titans 1966 #6, tales of the new teen titans (1986) #3

Young Justice by BMB (1-20)

GN

The marble queen by Anna Kopp

The Fox maidens by Robin ha

Transitions by Élodie Durand

Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione

Long Walk to Valhalla by Adam Smith

Pixels of You by Ananth Hirsh

Grand slam romance: major league hotties by Ollie Hicks

Barda by Ngozi Ukazu

Mister miracle the great escape by varian Johnson