The Great Ten #2

[arbre_rieur]

This issue, the spotlight is on the Celestial Archer.



He's sort of the Don Blake/Wonder Woman of the Great Ten.

Tai'an, four years ago:

Xu Tao and his family make a living selling trinkets and snacks to tourists visiting historical Mt. Taishan. He's uncomfortable "watching them trample the places where emperors once prayed."

Also, crime's been rising in the area recently, a by-product of an increase in tourist dollars. One day, while trying to hide from a gang, he gets magically swallowed up by the tree he's crouching behind and deposited underground.



He becomes the Celestial Archer, capable of shooting an arrow into the sun to turn it from day to night, or hitting a target on the other side of the glob.









The main plot of the series is about how the gods of China have returned to the mortal plane to destroy the Chinese government and liberate the people, so that causes some divided loyalties in the Celestial Archer, as he is an agent of the gods but also a member of the People's Rupublic's Great Ten.

Comments

[northstarfan]

Well, dammit. Between last month's issue and this one, DC just sold me a trade.

[thatnickguy]

Goddamn, I don't think McDaniel's art has been this beautiful since his Nightwing run. This stuff is gorgeous.

Like Suzene, I think I'm sold.

[baihu]

Xiang-o? Who's that? Chang'e is the wife of Houyi the Celestial archer and the moon maiden. Who the heck is Xiang-o?

On the plus side, rabbit soldiers. Even though there is only one rabbit on the moon and he's a doctor. But rabbit soldiers are win.

On one hand, I like more representatives of Chinese heroes. On the other hand, the fact I'm Chinese is going to make me nit-pick a lot of things...

I like how the Chinese people look Chinese though. The clothing looks all right, not some amalgam with Japanese or other asian cultures.

[psychopathicus_rex]

Wow. I was all set to complain about 'oh, another archer, how ORIGINAL, they're making it like China's equivelant of the JLA, complain complain complain', but I take it all back. This is AWESOME. A character who can literally carry out the impossible feats of legend! He can RUN TO THE MOON ON AN ARROW! Cool beans! I look forward to seeing more of this guy.

[ian_karkull]

Still a bit miffed this didn't get the creative team I had hoped for, but it does look pretty good.

Bring on Immortal Man In Darkness!

[valtyr]

This looks pretty shiny - I think I'll have to pick the trade of this up.

[katok]

and SOLD! I'm a sucker for mythologically inspired characters. I wonder how the Chinese pantheon will interact with the greater part of the DC universe - they probably wont, but it's good to hope

[lysythe]

Excuse me. I need to fall in love with my heritage for something like the fifth time in my life.

[mcbangle]

WOW, this looks really good! I didn't expect much from this series before the 1st issue, but now I'm sold on it!

[auggie18]

It's like the Green Arrow, only I care about him and it looks interesting!

[pyrotwilight]

Moon Maiden, why so Asian? Oh...wait.

I'm actually waiting to get this in trade, looks like a lot of fun but DC and it's long ass minis (10 issues!) have started to murder my soul. Yes at least it has a reason here to spotlight each character but come on.

[tsunamiwombat]

I'm always interested in mythology I havn't heard much about, and Chinese is a pretty blank slate to me. I'd love to see the adventures of the Chinese Pantheon in modern earth, what this comics name?

[blake_reitz]

I'm rather enjoying this series. Spin-offs of Grant Morrison concepts are generally hit-or-miss, often miss. But this is good!