With the switch over to WordPress, ComicZoneAZ.com can host its own blogs, and there is no longer a need for me to maintain this separate website. As a result, all of my past posts have moved over to the new site, and all future postings will be located there, as well.
26 November 2009
20 November 2009
Breaking in to Comics
As a store co-owner, it's kind of amazing how many people come in and ask me about things that I should rightfully have no idea about. One of the questions I get asked the most that actually pertains to comics, though, is how to get started in the industry, usually as an artist.
First off; if I had THE answer, I would be penciling comic books myself. I'd know what I need to fix about my artwork, it would be fixed, and I'd be making funny books, instead of selling them.
Secondly, I get asked this question via the Internet. So, clearly, these people have online access, where there is an abundance of information about EVERYTHING. In fact, the Internet even knows what I had for breakfast this morning (It was waffles. See? The Internet knows). And I'm not even some pop-celebrity like Lindsay Lohan or Johnny Depp (intentional key word placement to raise search-engine rankings, there? Hmmm, could be!)
HOWEVER. Somebody, someday will have come here from some random search and been like, "Yo, Andy, why you wasting my time with this?" To those people, I say this:
http://www.makeshiftmiracle.com/Writing.html
http://zubkavich.livejournal.com/165953.html
Read every single thing that Jim Zubkavich has written. He's an editor for UDON Entertainment (creators of the wonderfully super Street Fighter and Darkstalkers comics, on sale now!), and, as such, knows what editors are looking for (shock and awe!). My personal favorite is in "Portfolio Horror," with the Sailor Moon crayon drawings.
In addition to reading Zub's stuff, the best way to learn about what you need to do is READ COMICS. Don't just get art styles that are what you're into: Get EVERYTHING! If you like Jim Lee's work (X-Men, WildC.A.T.S., Batman, etc.), buy comics by Skottie Young (New X-Men, Wonderful Wizard of Oz). If you like Frank Quitely (All-Star Superman, New X-Men, We3), pick up stuff by Takeshi Miyazawa (Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, Secret Invasion: Young Avengers/Runaways). If you like David Finch (New Avengers, Moon Knight), get things by Mike Allred (Madman, X-Statix). The only way to grow as an artist is to look at everything that's out there, and be inspired by it. Heck, don't just limit yourself to comic artists - Look at the works of the great Renaissance painters (You know, the ones the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were named after). Check out some Van Gogh. Know who Brunelleschi is.
Read Scott McCloud's books - Understanding Comics, Making Comics, and Re-Inventing Comics. How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way should be on your bookshelf. DC has an entire line about becoming a professional comic artist. Wizard has countless Basic Training books. Get them all.
Then, draw. Draw again. And when you're sick and tired of drawing, do it some more. Because if you can't even be bothered to draw a portfolio, there's no possible way you can draw 22 pages of comic a month. And once you've drawn your little hands off, go to conventions. Meet creators and editors. Go to portfolio review sessions. Befriend important people! Brian Michael Bendis got a job in comics because he wouldn't stop going to conventions. Eventually, the editors at all the major companies got to know him, and now he's the head writer at Marvel. But in 1995, nobody knew who the hell he was.
Make a webcomic! Update it daily. If you're not comfortable writing, find somebody who is a writer. Go to websites like PencilJack and find people who have stories but are looking for an artist. A friend of mine just got her first published work in the mail by doing exactly that.
These are just some of the things you're going to need to do to break in. And I don't even know what I'm talking about.
First off; if I had THE answer, I would be penciling comic books myself. I'd know what I need to fix about my artwork, it would be fixed, and I'd be making funny books, instead of selling them.
Secondly, I get asked this question via the Internet. So, clearly, these people have online access, where there is an abundance of information about EVERYTHING. In fact, the Internet even knows what I had for breakfast this morning (It was waffles. See? The Internet knows). And I'm not even some pop-celebrity like Lindsay Lohan or Johnny Depp (intentional key word placement to raise search-engine rankings, there? Hmmm, could be!)
HOWEVER. Somebody, someday will have come here from some random search and been like, "Yo, Andy, why you wasting my time with this?" To those people, I say this:
http://www.makeshiftmiracle.com/Writing.html
http://zubkavich.livejournal.com/165953.html
Read every single thing that Jim Zubkavich has written. He's an editor for UDON Entertainment (creators of the wonderfully super Street Fighter and Darkstalkers comics, on sale now!), and, as such, knows what editors are looking for (shock and awe!). My personal favorite is in "Portfolio Horror," with the Sailor Moon crayon drawings.
In addition to reading Zub's stuff, the best way to learn about what you need to do is READ COMICS. Don't just get art styles that are what you're into: Get EVERYTHING! If you like Jim Lee's work (X-Men, WildC.A.T.S., Batman, etc.), buy comics by Skottie Young (New X-Men, Wonderful Wizard of Oz). If you like Frank Quitely (All-Star Superman, New X-Men, We3), pick up stuff by Takeshi Miyazawa (Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, Secret Invasion: Young Avengers/Runaways). If you like David Finch (New Avengers, Moon Knight), get things by Mike Allred (Madman, X-Statix). The only way to grow as an artist is to look at everything that's out there, and be inspired by it. Heck, don't just limit yourself to comic artists - Look at the works of the great Renaissance painters (You know, the ones the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were named after). Check out some Van Gogh. Know who Brunelleschi is.
Read Scott McCloud's books - Understanding Comics, Making Comics, and Re-Inventing Comics. How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way should be on your bookshelf. DC has an entire line about becoming a professional comic artist. Wizard has countless Basic Training books. Get them all.
Then, draw. Draw again. And when you're sick and tired of drawing, do it some more. Because if you can't even be bothered to draw a portfolio, there's no possible way you can draw 22 pages of comic a month. And once you've drawn your little hands off, go to conventions. Meet creators and editors. Go to portfolio review sessions. Befriend important people! Brian Michael Bendis got a job in comics because he wouldn't stop going to conventions. Eventually, the editors at all the major companies got to know him, and now he's the head writer at Marvel. But in 1995, nobody knew who the hell he was.
Make a webcomic! Update it daily. If you're not comfortable writing, find somebody who is a writer. Go to websites like PencilJack and find people who have stories but are looking for an artist. A friend of mine just got her first published work in the mail by doing exactly that.
These are just some of the things you're going to need to do to break in. And I don't even know what I'm talking about.
13 November 2009
International Crossover Appeal?
Over at The Beat, Heidi MacDonald points to this articlewritten by a fella named Joe Lawler, who has converted his girlfriend into a comics-reading monster. But said girlfriend is not reading any Superhero comics.
Heidi responds with questioning why Mr. Lawler didn't recommend comics written by women or manga. I question why manga would even be a factor at all?
Let's face it; There is very little crossover between manga readers and American comics readers. Comics as a medium is not the same as comics as a genre.
I've dipped into the manga/anime pool several times, over the last 15 or so years. I used to tape Sailor Moon every morning, because I had to leave for school before it ended. I watched every single (often-excruciating) episode of Dragon Ball Z on cartoon Network. I own 6 of the 8 Ranma 1/2 season box sets, plus both movies, as well as both seasons of Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex, and all 3 GITS films. I have the entire series of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. I've watched all of Hellsing. I have bootleg tapes of Japanese episodes of Transformers: Headmasters. Every single anime that appeared on Toonami, I tried for at least 10 episodes; Many I continued with, such as Tenchi Muyo!. I own volumes of Mermaid's Scar, Ranma 1/2 and Gon manga, and I'm reading through a lot of Oh My Goddess!, currently. The number of single volumes of manga I've read and anime movies I've watched are countless. And that's just what I can think of off the top of my head.
But you know what I have absolutely never seen?
Original Japanese superhero comics. You know why? They practically don't exist.
The vast majority of folks who read American comics are genre fans - We like stories about overdeveloped men and women running around in form-fitting outfits, being overly angsty and smashing things. And that's what about 90% of American comics is. Over 99% of manga is NOT about that. Yes, there are things like X-Men Manga, where Japanese creators take American characters and bastardize the hell out of the original stories - Much like American moviegoers just experienced with Astro Boy.
But, really. Go to the Manga section of any bookstore. With the exception of Adam Warren's "Empowered" (which isn't actually manga, but most book retailers are too ignorant to know the difference), you will not see any spandex-clad superhero stories.
Most of the folks who come into Comic Zone looking for manga want nothing to do with the American comics we carry. They have opinions about them (mostly comprised of why they're supposedly not as good as manga), but they won't actually read them. Most of the folks who come into Comic Zone looking for American comics want nothing to do with manga, often because they can't get past the big eyes on the few anime/manga they've seen, and aren't willing to try something different.
However, even then, it boils down to this; Manga and American Superhero comics have almost nothing in common, except that they are told in the same medium. And people will not automatically like one or the other based on the medium; They're going to like one or the other based on the quality of stories, and personal taste.
But is there a way to get the two groups to meet? I believe so.
Trying to hand somebody who just read Ultimate X-Men a copy of Bleach is not going to work. But maybe handing somebody who reads Superman a copy of Dragon Ball Z might; Both series have a main protagonist sent to a world while they were infants who grow up in hicksville to become the most powerful fighters on the planet.
If someone digs Vampire Hunter D, show them Spawn. Both have a supernatural presence that the stereotypical 14-year-old Metallica fan would love the hell out of.
For the fan of Wolverine: Old Man Logan, try handing them Fist of the North Star. Mega-violence in a post-apocalyptic world, with a serious badass for a main character? That describes both series, if you ask me.
Both groups should enjoy Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, written by Sean McKeever (Teen Titans), with art by Takeshi Miyazawa (Robotech: Invasion). Hey, it's Spider-Man, and what American comics reader doesn't like him? But because the book focuses around Mary Jane's point of view, coupled with Takeshi Miyazawa's über-manga art style, there's a natural crossover for manga fans.
Similarly, Left-to-Right versions of Gon can appeal to anybody, because the stories about the three-foot tyrannosaurus have no dialogue. Though, I think a lot of American comics fans may have trouble reading the stories in the original Right-to-Left format in which manga is published.
Unfortunately, despite all the similarities, people will still often prefer one country's storytelling over the other, due to personal preference.
But me? I just enjoy a good story.
Heidi responds with questioning why Mr. Lawler didn't recommend comics written by women or manga. I question why manga would even be a factor at all?
Let's face it; There is very little crossover between manga readers and American comics readers. Comics as a medium is not the same as comics as a genre.
I've dipped into the manga/anime pool several times, over the last 15 or so years. I used to tape Sailor Moon every morning, because I had to leave for school before it ended. I watched every single (often-excruciating) episode of Dragon Ball Z on cartoon Network. I own 6 of the 8 Ranma 1/2 season box sets, plus both movies, as well as both seasons of Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex, and all 3 GITS films. I have the entire series of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. I've watched all of Hellsing. I have bootleg tapes of Japanese episodes of Transformers: Headmasters. Every single anime that appeared on Toonami, I tried for at least 10 episodes; Many I continued with, such as Tenchi Muyo!. I own volumes of Mermaid's Scar, Ranma 1/2 and Gon manga, and I'm reading through a lot of Oh My Goddess!, currently. The number of single volumes of manga I've read and anime movies I've watched are countless. And that's just what I can think of off the top of my head.
But you know what I have absolutely never seen?
Original Japanese superhero comics. You know why? They practically don't exist.
The vast majority of folks who read American comics are genre fans - We like stories about overdeveloped men and women running around in form-fitting outfits, being overly angsty and smashing things. And that's what about 90% of American comics is. Over 99% of manga is NOT about that. Yes, there are things like X-Men Manga, where Japanese creators take American characters and bastardize the hell out of the original stories - Much like American moviegoers just experienced with Astro Boy.
But, really. Go to the Manga section of any bookstore. With the exception of Adam Warren's "Empowered" (which isn't actually manga, but most book retailers are too ignorant to know the difference), you will not see any spandex-clad superhero stories.
Most of the folks who come into Comic Zone looking for manga want nothing to do with the American comics we carry. They have opinions about them (mostly comprised of why they're supposedly not as good as manga), but they won't actually read them. Most of the folks who come into Comic Zone looking for American comics want nothing to do with manga, often because they can't get past the big eyes on the few anime/manga they've seen, and aren't willing to try something different.
However, even then, it boils down to this; Manga and American Superhero comics have almost nothing in common, except that they are told in the same medium. And people will not automatically like one or the other based on the medium; They're going to like one or the other based on the quality of stories, and personal taste.
But is there a way to get the two groups to meet? I believe so.
Trying to hand somebody who just read Ultimate X-Men a copy of Bleach is not going to work. But maybe handing somebody who reads Superman a copy of Dragon Ball Z might; Both series have a main protagonist sent to a world while they were infants who grow up in hicksville to become the most powerful fighters on the planet.
If someone digs Vampire Hunter D, show them Spawn. Both have a supernatural presence that the stereotypical 14-year-old Metallica fan would love the hell out of.
For the fan of Wolverine: Old Man Logan, try handing them Fist of the North Star. Mega-violence in a post-apocalyptic world, with a serious badass for a main character? That describes both series, if you ask me.
Both groups should enjoy Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, written by Sean McKeever (Teen Titans), with art by Takeshi Miyazawa (Robotech: Invasion). Hey, it's Spider-Man, and what American comics reader doesn't like him? But because the book focuses around Mary Jane's point of view, coupled with Takeshi Miyazawa's über-manga art style, there's a natural crossover for manga fans.
Similarly, Left-to-Right versions of Gon can appeal to anybody, because the stories about the three-foot tyrannosaurus have no dialogue. Though, I think a lot of American comics fans may have trouble reading the stories in the original Right-to-Left format in which manga is published.
Unfortunately, despite all the similarities, people will still often prefer one country's storytelling over the other, due to personal preference.
But me? I just enjoy a good story.
11 November 2009
Veteran's Day Reads
Yes, new comics DID come out today, even though it's Veteran's Day!
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1 - Not bad. I haven't kept up with Marve's cosmic stuff as much as I'd like, but I'm enjoying Gladiator as the new Shi'Ar Majestor.
Dark X-Men #1 - Oh, well. Okay. Let's just re-introduce a whole bunch of forgotten X-Men family characters, like the Mimic, Weapon Omega, and... The X-Man?
Green Arrow/Black Canary #26 - Wait, what? Two Ollie Queens? ...did I miss something? I thought I've been reading this series since #1.
Deadpool #17 - Deadpool continues to try and join the X-Men. Good fun, but Daniel Way uses too many censored swear words (#&%@!). More than once per issue is really distracting, and takes me out of the story.
S.W.O.R.D. #1 - A solid start for the SWORD series, but what's up with Beast's face? I'm not sure if this series is necessary, but more info on Abigail Brand is certainly needed for casual Marvel readers.
Amazing Spidey #611 - The banter between Spider-Man and Deadpool is always exquisite!
Strange #1 - Quite fun. Emma Rios & Christina Strain KILL on the artwork chores. I wish more comics were like this; everything is far too epic and crossover-y, right now. I like simple, fun, one-off adventures.
Batgirl #4 - Ah, yes. This is what I was waiting for the last three issues to get to. Stephanie with Oracle backing her up. Wonderful issue.
Batman & Robin #6 - Wait, whaaaat? So, is this out-of-continuity? Or are the DC editors just THAT out of touch with each other...?
Red Robin #6 - I read about half the issue and gave up. I just don't care. Glad to see Marcus To getting work, though.
Batman #693S - Intriguing.
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1 - Not bad. I haven't kept up with Marve's cosmic stuff as much as I'd like, but I'm enjoying Gladiator as the new Shi'Ar Majestor.
Dark X-Men #1 - Oh, well. Okay. Let's just re-introduce a whole bunch of forgotten X-Men family characters, like the Mimic, Weapon Omega, and... The X-Man?
Green Arrow/Black Canary #26 - Wait, what? Two Ollie Queens? ...did I miss something? I thought I've been reading this series since #1.
Deadpool #17 - Deadpool continues to try and join the X-Men. Good fun, but Daniel Way uses too many censored swear words (#&%@!). More than once per issue is really distracting, and takes me out of the story.
S.W.O.R.D. #1 - A solid start for the SWORD series, but what's up with Beast's face? I'm not sure if this series is necessary, but more info on Abigail Brand is certainly needed for casual Marvel readers.
Amazing Spidey #611 - The banter between Spider-Man and Deadpool is always exquisite!
Strange #1 - Quite fun. Emma Rios & Christina Strain KILL on the artwork chores. I wish more comics were like this; everything is far too epic and crossover-y, right now. I like simple, fun, one-off adventures.
Batgirl #4 - Ah, yes. This is what I was waiting for the last three issues to get to. Stephanie with Oracle backing her up. Wonderful issue.
Batman & Robin #6 - Wait, whaaaat? So, is this out-of-continuity? Or are the DC editors just THAT out of touch with each other...?
Red Robin #6 - I read about half the issue and gave up. I just don't care. Glad to see Marcus To getting work, though.
Batman #693S - Intriguing.
08 November 2009
Updates, quickies
So, I've been kinda poor at keeping this thing as updated as I would like. But there's a very good reason for that; I've been working on the NEW ComicZoneAZ.com! Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, it will be up and running before Thanksgiving.
Here's some quickies from our Twitter account - Twitter.com/comiczoneaz
Wednesday, 5:20 pm
If Superman sales were so poor already, why was it a good idea to take Supes out of his own book? Who'll buy "Superman" without Clark Kent?
Wednesday, 5:22 pm
Clearly, DC didn't think this one through. People are already dropping Justice League, because Mon-El is just not an interesting character.
Wednesday, 5:24 pm
I think Blackest Night: Superman actually using him just goes to prove that the New Krypton experiment didn't work. Put Kal in his own book!
Wednesday, 5:26 pm
Inversely, how great has Batman been since Dick Grayson took over the cowl? It's nice to give Bruce a rest, and put Dick in the limelight.
Thursday, 6:50 pm
How did X-Men Origins: Iceman get Iceman's origin wrong? "I got mutant powers and my dad kicked me out of the house" isn't hard to do right.
Thursday, 7:00 pm
Deadpool Team-Up #899, meanwhile, made me into a big Hercules fan. I should probably start reading his solo book. Can't wait for #898 in 30.
Thursday, 7:05 pm
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man continues to be wonderful. Just the right mix of high-octane action and high school drama. Magnifique!
Thursday, 7:25
The Psylocke/Revanche/Betsy Braddon/Kwannon story (X-Men #20-23) was my first X-Men story. So this new Psylocke miniseries feels like home.
Thursday, 7:27
Re: Psylocke #1 still, I'm digging Harvey Toliabao's action panels, but I'm not sold on his storytelling quite yet.
Here's some quickies from our Twitter account - Twitter.com/comiczoneaz
Wednesday, 5:20 pm
If Superman sales were so poor already, why was it a good idea to take Supes out of his own book? Who'll buy "Superman" without Clark Kent?
Wednesday, 5:22 pm
Clearly, DC didn't think this one through. People are already dropping Justice League, because Mon-El is just not an interesting character.
Wednesday, 5:24 pm
I think Blackest Night: Superman actually using him just goes to prove that the New Krypton experiment didn't work. Put Kal in his own book!
Wednesday, 5:26 pm
Inversely, how great has Batman been since Dick Grayson took over the cowl? It's nice to give Bruce a rest, and put Dick in the limelight.
Thursday, 6:50 pm
How did X-Men Origins: Iceman get Iceman's origin wrong? "I got mutant powers and my dad kicked me out of the house" isn't hard to do right.
Thursday, 7:00 pm
Deadpool Team-Up #899, meanwhile, made me into a big Hercules fan. I should probably start reading his solo book. Can't wait for #898 in 30.
Thursday, 7:05 pm
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man continues to be wonderful. Just the right mix of high-octane action and high school drama. Magnifique!
Thursday, 7:25
The Psylocke/Revanche/Betsy Braddon/Kwannon story (X-Men #20-23) was my first X-Men story. So this new Psylocke miniseries feels like home.
Thursday, 7:27
Re: Psylocke #1 still, I'm digging Harvey Toliabao's action panels, but I'm not sold on his storytelling quite yet.
07 October 2009
Quickies - 07.Oct.2009
I'm back! I'll try to get these up and going more frequently.
Batman: Unseen #1 of 5 - Not a bad first chapter. I'm not convinced this has to be a Batman story, except that it happens to take place in Gotham. But I can't tell you to NOT read it...
Batman and Robin #5 - I'm digging the Red Hood story far more than the Pyg one. Phillip Tan's improved, but he's still no Frank Quitely.
Cable #19 - Everybody vs. the Brood! God, Emil is annoying. I hope he dies so Hope can become the hardened warrior the adopted child of Cable SHOULD become.
Daredevil #501 - It would've been nice if, y'know, there was some warning in Daredevil #500 that I would've had to read Daredevil: The List before it sold out in order to read #501.
Batman: Unseen #1 of 5 - Not a bad first chapter. I'm not convinced this has to be a Batman story, except that it happens to take place in Gotham. But I can't tell you to NOT read it...
Batman and Robin #5 - I'm digging the Red Hood story far more than the Pyg one. Phillip Tan's improved, but he's still no Frank Quitely.
Cable #19 - Everybody vs. the Brood! God, Emil is annoying. I hope he dies so Hope can become the hardened warrior the adopted child of Cable SHOULD become.
Daredevil #501 - It would've been nice if, y'know, there was some warning in Daredevil #500 that I would've had to read Daredevil: The List before it sold out in order to read #501.
29 August 2009
5-word reviews: 29.August.2009
Blackest Night Titans #1: Poor BeastBoy. Hooray Ed Benes!
Green Lantern #45: Good! Star Sapphire's history appreciated!
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #s 1-3: Excellent background info for everyone!
Timestorm 2009-2099 #4: Good story, mediocre ending. Sequel?
Green Lantern #45: Good! Star Sapphire's history appreciated!
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #s 1-3: Excellent background info for everyone!
Timestorm 2009-2099 #4: Good story, mediocre ending. Sequel?
19 August 2009
Five-word reviews: Everything I read today.
Power Girl #4 - In a single word? Fun.
Daredevil #500 - Surprising. Going to keep reading.
Blackest Night: Superman #1 - Can't wait for the rest.
Amazing Spider-Man #602 (last week's) - Loving the current story arc.
Amazing Spider-Man #603 - Didn't finish. Liked so far.
X-Men Forever #5 - Always get interrupted while reading.
Witchblade #129 - Dunno the story, art's gorgeous.
Tales of the TMNT #61 - Not bad. Fun Batman-esque panels.
Batgirl #1 - Surprising new Batgirl! Way fun.
Daredevil #500 - Surprising. Going to keep reading.
Blackest Night: Superman #1 - Can't wait for the rest.
Amazing Spider-Man #602 (last week's) - Loving the current story arc.
Amazing Spider-Man #603 - Didn't finish. Liked so far.
X-Men Forever #5 - Always get interrupted while reading.
Witchblade #129 - Dunno the story, art's gorgeous.
Tales of the TMNT #61 - Not bad. Fun Batman-esque panels.
Batgirl #1 - Surprising new Batgirl! Way fun.
12 August 2009
Quickie Reviews...again?
I'm kinda digging these quickie reviews. I can get more stuff covered, and give out fewer spoilers.
- Gen 13 #31: I guess I missed last month's issue, 'cause I was kind of confused... But it wasn't bad. The series definitely has a direction that it's moving in, but that direction is more of a traditional team book than the quirky, fun, teenage book that the original series was. But maybe that's what the book needs, in the current market. As a random aside, the Worldstorm Gen 13 title has now lasted about half as long as the original ongoing, and twice as long as the Herod relaunch from 2002.
- Blackest Night #2: More black lanterns! More mayhem and violence! More death! And, for once, I actually find Aquaman intimidating! Definitely sticking with this one through the end.
- Blackest Night: Batman #1: "What's happening in Gotham during the Blackest Night?" Deadman has both been turned into a Black Lantern, and is still Deadman. But he's gotta warn the new Batman and Robin about what's coming! Not bad, but the cliffhanger ending makes me wish I had issue 2 right here. I might suggest waiting until all 3 issues are out, on this one.
- Green Lantern Corps #39: Blackest Night tie-in! Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner talk about their bizarre lovelives, when the Black Power Rings zing past their heads and start resurrecting even more fallen heroes. Not as essential a tie-in as Green Lantern #44 was, but certainly nothing to scoff at.
- Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1: Bendis has still got it! David LaFuente's artwork is a little more cartoony than I think this series really calls for, but it's still hard to get over Mark Bagley's 110-issue run. Either way, this is definitely one to stick with.
- Ultimate Avengers #1: Not a bad first chapter, but this had the same effect on me as Blackest Night: Batman, where I wish I had more of the story at once. I guess that's a good thing, really, since it means I'll be back next month. This issue debuts the Ultimate Red Skull! OooOOOOoooo!
- Ms. Marvel #43: "War of the Marvels" continues. And the original Ms. Marvel is revealed to be... Catherine Donovan? Wait, that's not Carol Danvers at all! I'm not sure about this alternating artist thing... I wish they'd just get Sana Takeda doing the pencils all the time.
- Gen 13 #31: I guess I missed last month's issue, 'cause I was kind of confused... But it wasn't bad. The series definitely has a direction that it's moving in, but that direction is more of a traditional team book than the quirky, fun, teenage book that the original series was. But maybe that's what the book needs, in the current market. As a random aside, the Worldstorm Gen 13 title has now lasted about half as long as the original ongoing, and twice as long as the Herod relaunch from 2002.
- Blackest Night #2: More black lanterns! More mayhem and violence! More death! And, for once, I actually find Aquaman intimidating! Definitely sticking with this one through the end.
- Blackest Night: Batman #1: "What's happening in Gotham during the Blackest Night?" Deadman has both been turned into a Black Lantern, and is still Deadman. But he's gotta warn the new Batman and Robin about what's coming! Not bad, but the cliffhanger ending makes me wish I had issue 2 right here. I might suggest waiting until all 3 issues are out, on this one.
- Green Lantern Corps #39: Blackest Night tie-in! Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner talk about their bizarre lovelives, when the Black Power Rings zing past their heads and start resurrecting even more fallen heroes. Not as essential a tie-in as Green Lantern #44 was, but certainly nothing to scoff at.
- Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1: Bendis has still got it! David LaFuente's artwork is a little more cartoony than I think this series really calls for, but it's still hard to get over Mark Bagley's 110-issue run. Either way, this is definitely one to stick with.
- Ultimate Avengers #1: Not a bad first chapter, but this had the same effect on me as Blackest Night: Batman, where I wish I had more of the story at once. I guess that's a good thing, really, since it means I'll be back next month. This issue debuts the Ultimate Red Skull! OooOOOOoooo!
- Ms. Marvel #43: "War of the Marvels" continues. And the original Ms. Marvel is revealed to be... Catherine Donovan? Wait, that's not Carol Danvers at all! I'm not sure about this alternating artist thing... I wish they'd just get Sana Takeda doing the pencils all the time.
02 August 2009
More quickie reviews!
Here's some stuff I've read in the last couple weeks:
- Marvel Divas #1: The premise for this book sounded so terrible that I HAD to check it out. Pretty much, the entire book is Black Cat, Hellcat, and Monica Rambeau gossiping about their relationships, until Firestar finally shows up on the last page, with a startling reveal!
- Gotham City Sirens # 1-2: Paul Dini, the head writer of the 90s Batman: The Animated Series is writing a book about Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman. It doesn't sound SUPER-great, until you realize, holy crap, Paul Dini totally is writing this. And Guilliem March draws some nice-looking ladies, I must say.
- Dark Wolverine #75-76: Not sure where this is going, but that might be why it was so fun. Daken is playing everybody, from Bullseye/Hawkeye to Norman Osborn to the Fantastic Four, for his own nefarious purposes. But to what end? I'm on board for the remainder of Daken's stay.
- Ultimatum #5: Well, if Marvel wanted to hit the big cosmic "reset" button on the Ultimate Universe, killing off half of the most important characters in the regular Marvel U is certainly an interesting way of doing it. Too bad Jeph Loeb hasn't been able to write his way out of a paper bag in the last few years. Finch's pencils fit the story very well, though. I'm curious to see where they go from here - With so many of Marvel's traditional Big Bads getting killed off in this series, where does the Ultimate Comics line go from here? Apparently, back to the future with Kang...
- Essential Wolverine Volume 3: Thought I'd go back and check out some old Wolverine stories, written by Larry Hama and drawn by Marc Silvestri. Man, no wonder Logan was so popular in the early 90s. Issues 48-54 are incredible, if a bit more sci-fi and surreal than today's comics tend to get. Say what you will about the lack of color in the Essential volumes, but looking at just Dan Green's inks over Silvestri's pencils (and Andy Kubert's, in issue 51) really shows the talent that both men have.
- Deadpool: Suicide Kings #1-4: Holy crap, this is awesome! I always forget how much fun Deadpool comics can be until I sit down and read them. Terrible puns a-plenty, dismemberment, and violence as far as the eye can see! And in the middle? Deadpool and Spider-Man talking smack to each other. I'm looking forward to #5, and may need to start checking out Deadpool more frequently, now.
21 July 2009
Blackest Night #1
Okay, so it's been a full week. Again, my computer is still broken, so my online time is limited, these days.
Anyhow. Blackest Night, in case you've been living under a rock, is DC's big crossover event for 2008. Over the last couple of years, we have been introduced to an entire spectrum of lanterns, including the Sinestro Corps (Yellow; representing Fear), the Red Lanterns (Red; Rage), the Blue Lanterns (Blue; Hope), Agent Orange (Orange; Avarice), and the Star Sapphires (Violet; Love). Of course, we all know the Green Lanterns (Green; Will), and, thus far undiscovered by the inhabitants of the DCU are the Indigo Tribe (Indigo; Compassion).
Well, Blackest Night adds to the tasty rainbow of Lantern-y goodness by introducing us to the Black Lanterns (Black; Death). One of the Guardians has found the Book of Oa relating to the Black Light of Death, and has resurrected the Black Hand to do his bidding; Create an army of Lanterns that are made of the fallen heroes and villains in the DC Comics Universe. And what an army the Black Hand has crafted: In his army are former Justice League members such as the Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, the Elongated Man and his late wife Sue Dinby, Firestorm, and a slew of others. The Black Hand, meanwhile, has taken Bruce Wayne's skull, and is carrying it around as a symbol.
The recently-returned Flash, Barry Allen, and Hal Jordan, Green Lantern Corps member 2814-1, investigate the grave of Bruce Wayne, where they are interrupted by the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter. Meanwhile, Hawkgirl and Hawkman are talking about their relationship with each other that involve events that I have no earthly idea about (insert argument for caption boxes with asterisks, here). Suddenly, they are attacked by the Elongated Man and Sue Dinby. Will the Hawkpeople fall, or will they... Rise?
While this is just the first issue of the eight-issue mini (plus the GL and GL Corps book tie-ins), and I had a pretty good idea of what it was we were going to see, I have to admit that I didn't see the attack on Hawkgirl and Hawkman coming at all, and the end result of that fight has me on the edge of my seat for the upcoming issues.
The pencil work by Ivan Reis is gorgeous, if possibly a bit over-rendered. Everybody is easily distinguishable from each other (and in a comic filled with armies of people wearing the same-colored outfits, that's a big concern), and I wasn't left wondering what was going on in any panels. Good times, right there.
If you have even a passing interest in the DC Universe, I would definitely recommend checking out Blackest Night #1; Everything you absolutely HAVE TO know is given in the issue, and it leaves some sweet setup for the next issue.
15 July 2009
Quick Reviews
My apologies, dear readers, for the lack of updates. My computer has decided it no longer wishes to operate correctly, so my Internet access has been cut rather drastically over the last few weeks.
To make up for that, here are some quick reviews of some things I've been reading:
- Gotham City Sirens: In a word? INCREDIBLE. This is THE best thing to come from the Batman: Reborn stories, thus far. Of course, Paul Dini writing Harley, Ivy, and Catwoman is a recipe for awesome. And the art's gorgeous, too.
- Green Lantern 36, 38-41, Green Lantern Corps 32-38 (We're completely sold out of GL issue 37): Good times, right here. The Rage of the Red Lanterns, Hal Jordan becoming a Red Lantern, and then half a Blue Lantern, and then dealing with Agent Orange and becoming an Orange Lantern... and finally, the origin of the Black Hand leading into Blackest Night. If you've missed any of the issues, I'd definitely recommend picking them all up to get caught up before heading into Blackest Night #1, which came out today.
- Oh My Goddess! vol. 1-3: A sweet, adorable manga series about a college kid who wishes for help and gets his own personal Goddess. The girl in you will love it.
- X-Men: Forever 1-3: Still an interesting change on what happened to the X-Men comics in the early 90s, but I still question "why" this series exists, other than just for the sake of releasing Claremont's scripts. But, for now, it's fun, so I'm gonna keep reading.
- Detective Comics #854: Batwoman is pretty cool. I know nothing about her except what's in this issue, but I'm on board for the next few issues, for sure.
- Red Robin #2: Not really where I wanted to see the series go, but I'll stick with it for a couple more issues.
I'll be back later this week with a review of Blackest Night #1!
22 June 2009
Gen 13 #30
Gen 13 #30
Written by Scott Beatty
Art by Mike Huddleston
$2.99
DC Comics/Wildstorm Entertainment
So, the new Gen 13 series is interesting.
I was a big fan of the original Gen 13. Five super-powered teenagers trying to escape the government and deal with all of the 90s angst that was going on. It was very much a product of its time, and the visionary minds of J. Scott Campbell, Brandon Choi, and Jim Lee really caught on with what was happening at the time.
And when Adam Warren took over for the last couple years of the series' run, I'm not sure if I've ever had so much FUN reading comics. Ed Benes was just getting his start, and was putting out some incredible artwork, the likes of which hadn't been seen since the Image Comics "X-odus." The stories were fun and light-hearted, but still had that sense of angst that the 90s were so filled with.
And then the book got cancelled and everybody died.
About a year later, Chris Claremont and Alé Garza resurrected the title, but with an entirely different cast, and it bore very little resemblance to what had come before.
So, the new series is born out of Wildstorm's "Worldstorm" event from 2006, where everything got reset. So, while they've gone back to the original team (Fairchild, Freefall, Rainmaker, Burnout, and Grunge), it's not a continuation. It's a complete reboot.
And, y'know, it was going pretty well for a while. And then Wildstorm: Armageddon happened.
Now, these lighthearted, spunky teenagers aren't living in 2009 with the rest of us. They're living in an alternate, post-apocalyptic world where society has been reduced into mini-societies. It's almost tribal. And the kids are just out for survival.
Which, I suppose would be all well and good, if there was ever a chance that they'd be able to come back to the regular 2009. But since the entire Wildstorm universe is in this post-apocalyptic land, I don't see that happening any time soon. At least, not unless the Gen 13 kids are shoehorned out of the Wildstorm universe and brought into the DC Universe proper. But I don't see that happening...
The book itself is okay. Mike Huddleston's art is always interesting (though also a great departure from the hyperrealism and gratuitous T&A of the original series - which may be a plus to a lot of readers, actually). It's very stylized, and he doesn't really draw like anybody else. And Scott Beatty's writing is about as interesting as it can be, given the setup he was left with. Although, it's possible that he just doesn't "get" what made Gen 13 so popular to begin with, and he's doing his best to keep it going.
Or, maybe because the kids have been updated into '00s teens, from '90s teens, my inner teenager just can't connect with these kids. Whoever would've thought I'd be "too old" at 26, huh?
At this point, I'm still collecting Gen 13 out of a sense of duty, really. I've got every issue of Gen 13 published, so far (and most of the variant covers, to boot!), and it would be a shame to break up the collection, especially after 11 years of reading the series. But if it doesn't get better, I might need to consider dropping this one...
10 June 2009
Red Robin #1
Red Robin #1
Written by Christopher Yost
Pencils by Ramon Bachs
Cover by Francis Manapul
$3.99
DC Comics
Written by Christopher Yost
Pencils by Ramon Bachs
Cover by Francis Manapul
$3.99
DC Comics
It's a regular Bat-o-Rama around here, lately.
So when your mentor dies, the closest thing you have to a brother gives your identity to your mentor's estranged son, and you've got nowhere left to turn, what do you do?
Apparently, you go to Madrid and take over the mantle of the guy who tried to kill you...?
Tim Drake-- excuse me, Tim WAYNE is the new Red Robin. And he's in Spain, trying to find Bruce Wayne, the Batman. And Tim is 100% sure that Bruce is still alive. He just has to be. Because... Tim wouldn't know what to do, otherwise. Tips lead him to Prague, and while Tim is hanging out in his hotel room, somebody has him in their sights. And it's somebody BIG.
This was a pretty solid first issue. One of the nice things about never having been a huge Batman fan in the past is that I have very little knowledge of who many of these characters actually are. I don't know their personalities, or very much of their history... I just know their names, and how they're all related to Batm--Bruce Wayne.
So, for me, it's fun jumping into this world that has semi-familiar faces. DC is making it pretty easy to keep track of everything. I understand that Tim's upset about Damian becoming the new Robin, and I even get an idea as to why.
For the first time in the last several years, I know what the hell is happening in a DC book, when I pick it up! There's no need to go back and read stories from when I was in diapers, or to understand the entire history of a character. I just have to know who Batman is, understand that there have been three Robins, pick up that Bruce had an illegitimate child, and be aware that Bruce Wayne is dead. From there, I can just jump right in. And, so far, all three titles in the new Bat-family have been quite enjoyable.
If you're going to pick up one Batman book this week, make it Batman #687. But if your budget allows for it, grab Red Robin #1, too.
Batman 687
Batman #687
Written by Judd Winick
Pencils by Ed Benes
Cover by TS Daniel
$3.99
DC Comics
(image ganked from IGN.com, because nobody else had the final version)
"A Battle Within - An epilogue to Battle for the Cowl"
Last week's Batman and Robin #1 was the launchpad for the new status quo in the Batman family of titles. But it left me feeling like there was something... missing.
Don't get me wrong. It set out to do a straight Batman story with Dick and Damian in the roles of Batman and Robin, and it pulled that off quite well. But there was something strange about it. It didn't feel like there was an answer to "Battle for the Cowl." Who will be the new Batman? Well, Dick Grayson was just thrown into the role, without any exposition.
But this issue of Batman serves to answer all of the questions I would've had. It opens with a flashback to a the first time Dick Grayson (as Robin) was able to get the jump on Bruce (as Batman), and then transitions to Alfred and Dick trying to figure out what to do.
Superman and Wonder Woman make appearances in a flashback scene to show when they returned The Cowl, and asked what Bruce's contingency plan was for when he died. It seems as though he didn't really leave one...but Alfred and Dick decide that Batman cannot die, and as the Justice League (Clark, Diana, Ollie, and Dinah) are gathered around Bruce's grave, he informs them that the world can't know Batman is dead.
The Phosphorus Man attacks a subsidiary of Cadmus, and is met by the new Robin, who quickly begins getting punked out, 'cause he's ten, and wasn't prepared for this. Nightwing shows up to save the day, and considers the future of the mantle of the Bat.
In the final scene, the Scarecrow (who is rendered beautifully, by Ed Benes) is attacking the Gotham Bay Bridge, and is too much for the police to handle. Suddenly, he's stopped...By Batman.
And that's Just the Beginning!
I've been a fan of Ed Benes' work for nearly 10 years (since his run on Gen13), and it's good to see him doing a solo title, again. I haven't read too much from Judd Winick, but this is exactly the story that I was looking for, to fill in the gap between Battle for the Cowl #3 and last week's Batman & Robin #1.
If you've never followed Batman before (I haven't), there's no better jumping on point than right here. This is going to be the solo Batman book, where Dick Grayson grows into the role of playing-- no, BEING-- Batman. I'm pretty excited to read the next issue.
Don't miss this one.
Written by Judd Winick
Pencils by Ed Benes
Cover by TS Daniel
$3.99
DC Comics
(image ganked from IGN.com, because nobody else had the final version)
"A Battle Within - An epilogue to Battle for the Cowl"
Last week's Batman and Robin #1 was the launchpad for the new status quo in the Batman family of titles. But it left me feeling like there was something... missing.
Don't get me wrong. It set out to do a straight Batman story with Dick and Damian in the roles of Batman and Robin, and it pulled that off quite well. But there was something strange about it. It didn't feel like there was an answer to "Battle for the Cowl." Who will be the new Batman? Well, Dick Grayson was just thrown into the role, without any exposition.
But this issue of Batman serves to answer all of the questions I would've had. It opens with a flashback to a the first time Dick Grayson (as Robin) was able to get the jump on Bruce (as Batman), and then transitions to Alfred and Dick trying to figure out what to do.
Superman and Wonder Woman make appearances in a flashback scene to show when they returned The Cowl, and asked what Bruce's contingency plan was for when he died. It seems as though he didn't really leave one...but Alfred and Dick decide that Batman cannot die, and as the Justice League (Clark, Diana, Ollie, and Dinah) are gathered around Bruce's grave, he informs them that the world can't know Batman is dead.
The Phosphorus Man attacks a subsidiary of Cadmus, and is met by the new Robin, who quickly begins getting punked out, 'cause he's ten, and wasn't prepared for this. Nightwing shows up to save the day, and considers the future of the mantle of the Bat.
In the final scene, the Scarecrow (who is rendered beautifully, by Ed Benes) is attacking the Gotham Bay Bridge, and is too much for the police to handle. Suddenly, he's stopped...By Batman.
And that's Just the Beginning!
I've been a fan of Ed Benes' work for nearly 10 years (since his run on Gen13), and it's good to see him doing a solo title, again. I haven't read too much from Judd Winick, but this is exactly the story that I was looking for, to fill in the gap between Battle for the Cowl #3 and last week's Batman & Robin #1.
If you've never followed Batman before (I haven't), there's no better jumping on point than right here. This is going to be the solo Batman book, where Dick Grayson grows into the role of playing-- no, BEING-- Batman. I'm pretty excited to read the next issue.
Don't miss this one.
03 June 2009
Batman and Robin #1
Batman and Robin #1
Written by Grant Morrison
Pencils & Inks by Frank Quitely
DC Comics
$2.99
So, after just a few months, Grant Morrison is back at the helm of writing Batman. After the debacle of last year's "Batman: RIP" storyline and its less-than-stellar reviews, how's he doing this time around?
Well, it's definitely just the start. This is Part One of "Batman: Reborn," but we're not told how long this particular arc will last. But, for a first issue, we've got all the essential elements for a good Batman story: A new Robin, a new Batman, new villains who are working for somebody Batman's never heard of and must use his detective skills to find, and the new villainous boss is somebody sadistic and twisted.
Frank Quitely's art is as visually stunning as ever. The storytelling is clear, the details are prevalent, and everything looks like it should. While I haven't gone through all of Quitely's back catalog, this may be the best work I've seen from him, yet.
But as far as the story goes? It doesn't really grab me. As somebody who doesn't read Batman very frequently, I feel like the new Batman is the most obvious choice, the new Robin feels sort of shoehorned in (I've known about this character's existence, but am not familiar enough with him to really care), and there's a lot of "Well, now that Bruce is gone we can do THIS!" sort of stuff.
Don't get me wrong, a flying Batmobile is cool, and it's certainly a vehicle that's reminiscent of Terry McGinnis's Batmobile in the Batman: Beyond animated series. But nothing about this new Batman really grips me as being A Very Big Deal.
But, I'll give Morrison the benefit of the doubt. His run on New X-Men was spectacular and really shook up the status quo of Marvel's Mutants (which was, unfortunately, then promptly shut down by the events of House of M), and I'm interested to see what he can do with the Dark Knight Detective.
And, hey. At least everything in this comic made sense! That's got to count for something, right?
Wednesday Comics Preview
DC sent out previews of Wednesday Comics, their 12-issue attempt at revitalizing the Newspaper comic format.
Wednesday Comics is newspaper-sized at 14" x 20", but it folds down to the 6" x 9" size of modern comic books, so you can keep it bagged and boarded. And to keep the authenticity as realistic as possible, it's printed on newsprint paper. So you may want to wash your hands before handling it, to avoid oiling up the pages. And you may want to wash your hands, afterwards, due to ink smearing.
The preview is the setup for Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's Batman story, where Commissioner Gordon calls Batman to save Franklin Glass, an investment banker who has been kidnapped, and will be killed at midnight. But the Dark Knight Detective only has a minute to find Mr. Glass, and the entire police force couldn't do it.
The art is nice, the storytelling is solid, and reading a Batman story in the one-page format is sort of like reading the first page of a webcomic.
It's more fun than I thought it would be, but I'm glad that Wednesday Comics is only going to be 12 issues, to start. Committing to any more than that, I'd begin to wonder about DC's sanity.
28 May 2009
Witchblade Annual #1
Witchblade Annual #1
Top Cow Productions/Image Comics
Writer: Jay Faerber
Pencils: Eric Basaluda
$3.99
It seems funny to me that a comic that's been running for over 10 years is just having its first Annual issue, but I suppose that's a product of Annuals falling out of favor in the late 90s and early 2000s.
So, I've always had a passing interest in Witchblade, and I've read the first dozen or so issues, but that's about it. I know the basics - super-hot Sara Pezzini is this generation's chosen bearer of the mystical artifact known as the Witchblade (and when the Withblade activates, Sara goes from being super-hot to almost super-naked). The New York Detective uses the Witchblade to help her solve supernatural cases, and gets her into trouble because there are other people who want to wield the Witchblade for themselves.
I also know that Witchblade is the only superhero comic series with a female lead to run for over 100 issues, with the exception of Wonder Woman and She-Hulk (and I think Catwoman has had about 100 issues total, over various series), which is both impressive and sad. Sad, because that says something about the mindsets of comic readers, and impressive because its one of very few series in 70 years of Superhero comics to have that distinction.
So, without a clearly-defined jumping on point in the series, I thought I'd check out the annual. And, really, it wasn't bad. Armed with just the knowledge that I've given in this review, the lead story totally makes sense, and is easy to follow. Beautiful young women are having short-term amnesiac attacks, and during those periods are committing crimes and murders. Sara Pezzini and her partner do some detective work (imagine that!) and relate all the women to the same plastic surgeon. They question him, and he claims innocence. But after some incongruities in the doctor's story, the detectives realize he's not exactly what he claims, and visit his house. And what they find isn't, well, typical...
Jay Faerber tells a basic, straightforward, one-shot superhero story, told outside the confines of the regular Witchblade title. The artwork from Eric Basaluda has solid storytelling, and his beautiful women are actually beautiful.
I dig it. It's not ground-breaking by any means, but if this is the quality that Witchblade has been experiencing over the last 10 years, then I totally understand why it's lasted as long as it has. I might just need to start checking out the regular series, after this...
Top Cow Productions/Image Comics
Writer: Jay Faerber
Pencils: Eric Basaluda
$3.99
It seems funny to me that a comic that's been running for over 10 years is just having its first Annual issue, but I suppose that's a product of Annuals falling out of favor in the late 90s and early 2000s.
So, I've always had a passing interest in Witchblade, and I've read the first dozen or so issues, but that's about it. I know the basics - super-hot Sara Pezzini is this generation's chosen bearer of the mystical artifact known as the Witchblade (and when the Withblade activates, Sara goes from being super-hot to almost super-naked). The New York Detective uses the Witchblade to help her solve supernatural cases, and gets her into trouble because there are other people who want to wield the Witchblade for themselves.
I also know that Witchblade is the only superhero comic series with a female lead to run for over 100 issues, with the exception of Wonder Woman and She-Hulk (and I think Catwoman has had about 100 issues total, over various series), which is both impressive and sad. Sad, because that says something about the mindsets of comic readers, and impressive because its one of very few series in 70 years of Superhero comics to have that distinction.
So, without a clearly-defined jumping on point in the series, I thought I'd check out the annual. And, really, it wasn't bad. Armed with just the knowledge that I've given in this review, the lead story totally makes sense, and is easy to follow. Beautiful young women are having short-term amnesiac attacks, and during those periods are committing crimes and murders. Sara Pezzini and her partner do some detective work (imagine that!) and relate all the women to the same plastic surgeon. They question him, and he claims innocence. But after some incongruities in the doctor's story, the detectives realize he's not exactly what he claims, and visit his house. And what they find isn't, well, typical...
Jay Faerber tells a basic, straightforward, one-shot superhero story, told outside the confines of the regular Witchblade title. The artwork from Eric Basaluda has solid storytelling, and his beautiful women are actually beautiful.
I dig it. It's not ground-breaking by any means, but if this is the quality that Witchblade has been experiencing over the last 10 years, then I totally understand why it's lasted as long as it has. I might just need to start checking out the regular series, after this...
20 May 2009
X-Men: Forever Alpha
X-Men Forever Alpha
Writers: Chris Claremont & Jim Lee
Pencils: Jim Lee
Inks: Scott Williams
Marvel Comics
$4.99
So, for the uninitiated, X-Men: Forever will be a mini-series from Marvel, with the premise of "If Chris Claremont didn't get booted off the X-Books in 1991, leaving Jim Lee to take over as writer for the next year starting with issue #4, these are the stories that would have been told." It's an interesting concept, although it's been 18 years since Lee took over for Claremont. I suppose it's better to do it almost two decades later than it would've been to have split realities for the X-Men at any point at time.
I question the intelligence of this, though. Essentially, this is a "What if Earth was different?" story, where Marvel aren't just telling new stories in their universe, they're essentially playing with real reality. If this is an isolated incident, then that's fine. But I'm a bit fearful of where the X-Franchise goes after this experiment, and I wonder where the line is drawn for these alternate universe stories? For example, let's suppose Stan Lee decided he was going to do Fantastic Four: Forever, and just tell FF stories from when he and Jack Kirby stopped working on the book, at issue #104? FF is at issue 566, this month. That means 462 issues of Fantastic Four just didn't happen in this split world. And then the fanboys get to argue over which reality is better; Is the regular Marvel Earth-616 the way that things should've gone? Or should we go with the Forever realities?
On top of that, I wonder what Marvel are thinking by doing a story that didn't happen? The majority of people this will appeal to are people who were reading X-Men back in 1991, which, again, was 18 years ago. There's an entire generation of readers that wasn't even alive when that happened, and now we get a big reboot from back then? They won't have read the stories that this is supposed to be continuing, will they have?
Ah, enter X-Men: Forever Alpha. In case you haven't read X-Men #1 (which is hard to believe, considering it sold 11 million copies or whatever), #2, or #3 from 1991, XMFA reprints those three issues! It also includes a back-up story that apparently bridges the gap between X-Men #3 and XMF #1. So, for five bucks, you get reprints of comics from 18 years ago, plus 8 or so pages of new material.
I suppose that's not a bad deal, all things considered. It's kind of like a mini TPB, really.
X-Men: Forever seems like it's going to be for completists, or for X-Men fans who stopped reading (Ex-X-Fans?) when Jim Lee took over. But if you're going to check it out, this is definitely a good item to pick up and get yourself re-acquainted with the late 80s/early 90s team. Or just dig through your back issue bins and read these again. 'Cause those eight pages in the back aren't really that important.
Or you could buy both covers, to re-create the poster found inside the fold-out cover of X-Men #1.
Writers: Chris Claremont & Jim Lee
Pencils: Jim Lee
Inks: Scott Williams
Marvel Comics
$4.99
So, for the uninitiated, X-Men: Forever will be a mini-series from Marvel, with the premise of "If Chris Claremont didn't get booted off the X-Books in 1991, leaving Jim Lee to take over as writer for the next year starting with issue #4, these are the stories that would have been told." It's an interesting concept, although it's been 18 years since Lee took over for Claremont. I suppose it's better to do it almost two decades later than it would've been to have split realities for the X-Men at any point at time.
I question the intelligence of this, though. Essentially, this is a "What if Earth was different?" story, where Marvel aren't just telling new stories in their universe, they're essentially playing with real reality. If this is an isolated incident, then that's fine. But I'm a bit fearful of where the X-Franchise goes after this experiment, and I wonder where the line is drawn for these alternate universe stories? For example, let's suppose Stan Lee decided he was going to do Fantastic Four: Forever, and just tell FF stories from when he and Jack Kirby stopped working on the book, at issue #104? FF is at issue 566, this month. That means 462 issues of Fantastic Four just didn't happen in this split world. And then the fanboys get to argue over which reality is better; Is the regular Marvel Earth-616 the way that things should've gone? Or should we go with the Forever realities?
On top of that, I wonder what Marvel are thinking by doing a story that didn't happen? The majority of people this will appeal to are people who were reading X-Men back in 1991, which, again, was 18 years ago. There's an entire generation of readers that wasn't even alive when that happened, and now we get a big reboot from back then? They won't have read the stories that this is supposed to be continuing, will they have?
Ah, enter X-Men: Forever Alpha. In case you haven't read X-Men #1 (which is hard to believe, considering it sold 11 million copies or whatever), #2, or #3 from 1991, XMFA reprints those three issues! It also includes a back-up story that apparently bridges the gap between X-Men #3 and XMF #1. So, for five bucks, you get reprints of comics from 18 years ago, plus 8 or so pages of new material.
I suppose that's not a bad deal, all things considered. It's kind of like a mini TPB, really.
X-Men: Forever seems like it's going to be for completists, or for X-Men fans who stopped reading (Ex-X-Fans?) when Jim Lee took over. But if you're going to check it out, this is definitely a good item to pick up and get yourself re-acquainted with the late 80s/early 90s team. Or just dig through your back issue bins and read these again. 'Cause those eight pages in the back aren't really that important.
Or you could buy both covers, to re-create the poster found inside the fold-out cover of X-Men #1.
15 May 2009
Secret Invasion: Front Line TPB
Secret Invasion: Front Line TPB
Writer: Brian Reed
Pencils: Marco Castiello
$14.99
Starting with Civil War, Marvel started including a Front Line tie-in book with their major crossovers (so, Civil War, World War Hulk, and now Secret Invasion). While the main crossover title deals with the major events, and the other tie-in issues deal with individual characters' reactions to the events (i.e., Secret Invasion: Ms. Marvel is about Ms. Marvel's story during the Invasion), the Front Line books have a unique take:
They deal with regular people in a Super world.
Secret Invasion: Front Line follows the stories of Marvel Universe citizens during the few days of Skrulls invading Earth. Ben Urich, from the newspaper Front Line narrates the story, through recordings he's made as the events unfold.
I've really enjoyed the Front Line comics so far, and Secret Invasion's version doesn't disappoint. In just five issues, we're invited to see the worlds of a police officer who's been burned in the leg, a young nurse trying to do her job, a cab driver whose day went from crap to worse, and a teenage girl whose parents are separating. And we witness all of these characters coming together, and how they survive (or not) the Skrull Invasion.
It's good times. Reading these tales, writer Brian Reed really brought more weight to the insanity of the Skrull Invasion - Rather than just seeing how Iron Man dealt with losing his StarkTech, or how Ms. Marvel was destroying monsters from another world, or how other heroes dealt with it, we get to see what would happen to you or I. Because, let's face it; in the threat of an shape-changing alien invasion, I bet a lot more folks would run away than stand up and fight for the safety of the planet.
It's also great to see Ben Urich's reaction to people's reactions to Norman Osborn taking control, and the beginning of the Dark Reign. Urich, as you may remember, wrote a book that ousted Norman as the psychopathic Green Goblin, and Mr. Osborn's dealing with the situation is rather impressive.
So, if you want a complete picture of the Marvel Universe's dealing with the Skrull invasion, I'd highly recommend checking this TPB out. But it's mostly for completists and Marvel Universe uber-nerds, like me.
It seems as though I've only reviewed things I've enjoyed, so far... Maybe next time, I'll review something that I think sucks...
Writer: Brian Reed
Pencils: Marco Castiello
$14.99
Starting with Civil War, Marvel started including a Front Line tie-in book with their major crossovers (so, Civil War, World War Hulk, and now Secret Invasion). While the main crossover title deals with the major events, and the other tie-in issues deal with individual characters' reactions to the events (i.e., Secret Invasion: Ms. Marvel is about Ms. Marvel's story during the Invasion), the Front Line books have a unique take:
They deal with regular people in a Super world.
Secret Invasion: Front Line follows the stories of Marvel Universe citizens during the few days of Skrulls invading Earth. Ben Urich, from the newspaper Front Line narrates the story, through recordings he's made as the events unfold.
I've really enjoyed the Front Line comics so far, and Secret Invasion's version doesn't disappoint. In just five issues, we're invited to see the worlds of a police officer who's been burned in the leg, a young nurse trying to do her job, a cab driver whose day went from crap to worse, and a teenage girl whose parents are separating. And we witness all of these characters coming together, and how they survive (or not) the Skrull Invasion.
It's good times. Reading these tales, writer Brian Reed really brought more weight to the insanity of the Skrull Invasion - Rather than just seeing how Iron Man dealt with losing his StarkTech, or how Ms. Marvel was destroying monsters from another world, or how other heroes dealt with it, we get to see what would happen to you or I. Because, let's face it; in the threat of an shape-changing alien invasion, I bet a lot more folks would run away than stand up and fight for the safety of the planet.
It's also great to see Ben Urich's reaction to people's reactions to Norman Osborn taking control, and the beginning of the Dark Reign. Urich, as you may remember, wrote a book that ousted Norman as the psychopathic Green Goblin, and Mr. Osborn's dealing with the situation is rather impressive.
So, if you want a complete picture of the Marvel Universe's dealing with the Skrull invasion, I'd highly recommend checking this TPB out. But it's mostly for completists and Marvel Universe uber-nerds, like me.
It seems as though I've only reviewed things I've enjoyed, so far... Maybe next time, I'll review something that I think sucks...
06 May 2009
New Mutants #1
New Mutants #1
Marvel Comics
Zeb Wells (writer)
Diogenes Neves (pencils)
Klaus Janson (inks)
Christina Strain (colors)
I missed New Mutants, the first time around. By the time I got into comics, New Mutants #100 was the latest issue, and, as X-buffs undoubtedly know, there was no New Mutants #101 - Rob Liefeld had transformed the book into X-Force.
I also missed New Mutants the second time around, in 2003 or whatever, because that was during my return to comics, and the series had just been canceled to be turned into New X-Men (which is not to be confused with Grant Morrison's New X-Men, which ended that same year.)
So, I figured, "Hey, a new number one. That's a good jumping-on point, right?" So I read it.
Essentially, the story is that all the original New Mutants who are still alive (Cannonball, Sunspot, Magma, Karma, and the returning Magik, hot on the heels of X-Infernus) are headed out to investigate a possible mutant power manifestation from a 7-year-old girl. And, as is the case in all X-books, trouble follows. And then Legion shows up (which isn't really a spoiler, because all of the ads leading up to NM#1 say that the team is back to combat Legion).
Diogenes Neves' artwork is solid. Everybody is easily-distinguishable from everybody else, even when they're all suited up in their funky new X-costumes. And, y'know, Christina Strain is totally my favorite colorist in comics today, so having her on board certainly doesn't hurt.
And, it's a solid first issue. It made me want to read issue two, and I'm very much contemplating buying the wraparound cover (pictured above) to add to my collection. And I just might, if we have any left by the end of the day, today.
After reading both #1 issues today, I'm more excited for New Mutants #2 than I am for Power Girl #2, even though I was more excited to read PG#1 than NM#1. I'm not sure if that's because I've been an X-Family fan for over 15 years, or if it's because Zeb Wells wrote a more intriguing story than Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti did. But, whatever the reason, I'll be back to check out both of these comics, next month.
Also, Marvel totally has the first few pages of New Mutants #1 up on their website, if you want to take a look, yourself. Head on over to http://www.marvel.com/news/comicstories.7845.Preview~colon~_New_Mutants_%231 and check it out!
Marvel Comics
Zeb Wells (writer)
Diogenes Neves (pencils)
Klaus Janson (inks)
Christina Strain (colors)
I missed New Mutants, the first time around. By the time I got into comics, New Mutants #100 was the latest issue, and, as X-buffs undoubtedly know, there was no New Mutants #101 - Rob Liefeld had transformed the book into X-Force.
I also missed New Mutants the second time around, in 2003 or whatever, because that was during my return to comics, and the series had just been canceled to be turned into New X-Men (which is not to be confused with Grant Morrison's New X-Men, which ended that same year.)
So, I figured, "Hey, a new number one. That's a good jumping-on point, right?" So I read it.
Essentially, the story is that all the original New Mutants who are still alive (Cannonball, Sunspot, Magma, Karma, and the returning Magik, hot on the heels of X-Infernus) are headed out to investigate a possible mutant power manifestation from a 7-year-old girl. And, as is the case in all X-books, trouble follows. And then Legion shows up (which isn't really a spoiler, because all of the ads leading up to NM#1 say that the team is back to combat Legion).
Diogenes Neves' artwork is solid. Everybody is easily-distinguishable from everybody else, even when they're all suited up in their funky new X-costumes. And, y'know, Christina Strain is totally my favorite colorist in comics today, so having her on board certainly doesn't hurt.
And, it's a solid first issue. It made me want to read issue two, and I'm very much contemplating buying the wraparound cover (pictured above) to add to my collection. And I just might, if we have any left by the end of the day, today.
After reading both #1 issues today, I'm more excited for New Mutants #2 than I am for Power Girl #2, even though I was more excited to read PG#1 than NM#1. I'm not sure if that's because I've been an X-Family fan for over 15 years, or if it's because Zeb Wells wrote a more intriguing story than Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti did. But, whatever the reason, I'll be back to check out both of these comics, next month.
Also, Marvel totally has the first few pages of New Mutants #1 up on their website, if you want to take a look, yourself. Head on over to http://www.marvel.com/news/comicstories.7845.Preview~colon~_New_Mutants_%231 and check it out!
Power Girl #1
Power Girl #1
DC Comics
Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray (writing)
Amanda Connor (pencils & inks)
Paul Mounts (color)
So, let me get this out of the way: I am not a huge DC Comics fan. I never have been, as it seems the only IPs they ever bother to license out are Batman and Superman, despite their having so many more characters that, at least to me, seem far more interesting. The Green Lantern is one of those characters, and I'm very excited for the Blackest Night event, this summer. I'm also currently enjoying Green Arrow/Black Canary.
So today, with Power Girl #1 coming out, I thought I'd give it a shot. From what I understand (before reading Wikipedia's entry on the character), Power Girl is the Earth-2 version of Super Girl, somehow trapped on Earth Prime. She was shuttled away off of Krypton-2 before it exploded, much like her cousin, Kal-El (Superman). Or something like that. What's nice about this issue is that there's a one-page recap of her origin, which essentially says, "Yo, my origin isn't very important. It happened, but that's not why you should care about me. You should care about me because I'm kind of a badass trying to make the world a better place."
And, really, that makes me care about the character more than trying to explain her origin story. As X-Men Origins: Wolverine (both the movie and last week's comic) have proven, delving too far into any one character's back story can just leave you confused and give you a headache. In fact, one of the biggest mistakes I've seen creators make is try to explain the origins of characters whose origins REALLY aren't very important; Wolverine isn't cool because of what happened to him before, he's cool because of how he acts NOW. Same with Gambit. Same with Cable.
And the same with Power Girl. Her origin is unimportant. She's here, and she's fighting monsters. As far as the issue itself goes, it's okay. Amanda Connor's art is gorgeous, but I feel like the story is just decent. Although that might be because I'd read half the comic in all the other DC comics that've come out in the last couple months... But it was interesting enough to keep me intrigued for issue two.
So, I'm not buying Power Girl #1 today, but I certainly wouldn't fault anybody else for doing so. And there's a pretty good chance I might go back and pick up the trade, after the first several issues have come out. It's a strong start. We'll see where it goes from here.
DC Comics
Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray (writing)
Amanda Connor (pencils & inks)
Paul Mounts (color)
So, let me get this out of the way: I am not a huge DC Comics fan. I never have been, as it seems the only IPs they ever bother to license out are Batman and Superman, despite their having so many more characters that, at least to me, seem far more interesting. The Green Lantern is one of those characters, and I'm very excited for the Blackest Night event, this summer. I'm also currently enjoying Green Arrow/Black Canary.
So today, with Power Girl #1 coming out, I thought I'd give it a shot. From what I understand (before reading Wikipedia's entry on the character), Power Girl is the Earth-2 version of Super Girl, somehow trapped on Earth Prime. She was shuttled away off of Krypton-2 before it exploded, much like her cousin, Kal-El (Superman). Or something like that. What's nice about this issue is that there's a one-page recap of her origin, which essentially says, "Yo, my origin isn't very important. It happened, but that's not why you should care about me. You should care about me because I'm kind of a badass trying to make the world a better place."
And, really, that makes me care about the character more than trying to explain her origin story. As X-Men Origins: Wolverine (both the movie and last week's comic) have proven, delving too far into any one character's back story can just leave you confused and give you a headache. In fact, one of the biggest mistakes I've seen creators make is try to explain the origins of characters whose origins REALLY aren't very important; Wolverine isn't cool because of what happened to him before, he's cool because of how he acts NOW. Same with Gambit. Same with Cable.
And the same with Power Girl. Her origin is unimportant. She's here, and she's fighting monsters. As far as the issue itself goes, it's okay. Amanda Connor's art is gorgeous, but I feel like the story is just decent. Although that might be because I'd read half the comic in all the other DC comics that've come out in the last couple months... But it was interesting enough to keep me intrigued for issue two.
So, I'm not buying Power Girl #1 today, but I certainly wouldn't fault anybody else for doing so. And there's a pretty good chance I might go back and pick up the trade, after the first several issues have come out. It's a strong start. We'll see where it goes from here.
04 May 2009
Transformers: All Hail Megatron
Transformers: All Hail Megatron #s 1-4, 6-10
IDW Publishing
Written by Shane McCarthy
Pencils by Guido Guidi and Robert Deas (issue 9)
"What a quizzical selection of issues," you might be thinking to yourself.
Well, what had happened was, between shopping at my previous regular shop and opening my own store, I sort of missed a few comics, and apparently TFs: All Hail Megatron #5 was one of them. So I totally didn't get to read it. But IDW released a 5-page teaser of that issue, and tfwiki.net is pretty much the ultimate Transformers resource, so I read their synopsis.
Anyways.
THIS is the Transformers comic I have been waiting for IDW to produce. Don't get me wrong; the Infiltration, Stormbringer, Escalation, Devastation, and Revelation mini serieses, and the Spotlight one-shots are cool. Really cool. Some of them are amongst the best Transformers comics I've ever read. But, All Hail Megatron is the epitome of making this silly little child's franchise a piece of mature entertainment.
Here's the basic premise: The Autobots have been exiled to Cybertron, and Optimus Prime has been severely damaged. The Decepticons, meanwhile, have decided to take over the Earth and use its natural resources to create Energon (the Transformers equivalent of food), and use it as a central base of operations in their quest for Universal conquest. The Autobots on Cybertorn are embittered, having petty arguments amongst themselves, and accusing each other of being traitors. Also, they're trying to remain a cohesive team and stand united in the face of adversity. Clearly, that part isn't going very well. Also, Starscream is up to his usual undermining tactics. Except, this time, he actually manages to convince some Decepticons that he's right. And, hoo-boy, does he seemingly convince the right Decepticons to convince!
But the best part about All Hail Megatron is that THINGS HAPPEN. One of the problems with most children's cartoons (especially the ones designed to sell toys, like Transformers), is that the main characters mostly always stay alive. But in AHM, nobody is safe. Especially not the humans. In issue 6, the evil Decepticon Skywarp claims to have killed the population of Beijing, China. That's over eight million people. Okay, even if he's exaggerating? That's a lot of people. The death toll is likely still in the millions.
Or, one of my favorite scenes is when some scared New Yorkers are hiding in the subway, and they hear a train. They're thinking that this is their way out of there. But when the train arrives, it's clearly Astrotrain, who transforms into his robot mode and KILLS EVERYTHING.
While you can totally see Starscream's betrayal coming a mile away (because, you know, it's Starscream), WHAT he manages to do, and the revelation of how the other Decepticons see him is somethingt that we never really got a chance to see, before this. And because IDW is allowed to kind of re-write TF history for this series, you may be surprised at who feels which way about the Decepticon Air Commander.
And when the Autobots find the OTHER faction trying to survive on Cybertron? Oh man, it's quite a treat.
The only downside to this story is that you need to know what happened to Sunstreaker during the Escalation and Devastation series, and it sort of requires that you have a working knowledge of who the Transformers are, and why the Matrix of Leadership is important. So full-on TransNewbies may be a bit confused at first. But if you, like me, watched the original Transformers when you were a kid in the early 80s, this is the comic that you want to read. It's literally as cool as you remember Transformers being, without too much stuff being changed.
I highly recommend this series if you have even a passing interest in the Transformers.
IDW Publishing
Written by Shane McCarthy
Pencils by Guido Guidi and Robert Deas (issue 9)
"What a quizzical selection of issues," you might be thinking to yourself.
Well, what had happened was, between shopping at my previous regular shop and opening my own store, I sort of missed a few comics, and apparently TFs: All Hail Megatron #5 was one of them. So I totally didn't get to read it. But IDW released a 5-page teaser of that issue, and tfwiki.net is pretty much the ultimate Transformers resource, so I read their synopsis.
Anyways.
THIS is the Transformers comic I have been waiting for IDW to produce. Don't get me wrong; the Infiltration, Stormbringer, Escalation, Devastation, and Revelation mini serieses, and the Spotlight one-shots are cool. Really cool. Some of them are amongst the best Transformers comics I've ever read. But, All Hail Megatron is the epitome of making this silly little child's franchise a piece of mature entertainment.
Here's the basic premise: The Autobots have been exiled to Cybertron, and Optimus Prime has been severely damaged. The Decepticons, meanwhile, have decided to take over the Earth and use its natural resources to create Energon (the Transformers equivalent of food), and use it as a central base of operations in their quest for Universal conquest. The Autobots on Cybertorn are embittered, having petty arguments amongst themselves, and accusing each other of being traitors. Also, they're trying to remain a cohesive team and stand united in the face of adversity. Clearly, that part isn't going very well. Also, Starscream is up to his usual undermining tactics. Except, this time, he actually manages to convince some Decepticons that he's right. And, hoo-boy, does he seemingly convince the right Decepticons to convince!
But the best part about All Hail Megatron is that THINGS HAPPEN. One of the problems with most children's cartoons (especially the ones designed to sell toys, like Transformers), is that the main characters mostly always stay alive. But in AHM, nobody is safe. Especially not the humans. In issue 6, the evil Decepticon Skywarp claims to have killed the population of Beijing, China. That's over eight million people. Okay, even if he's exaggerating? That's a lot of people. The death toll is likely still in the millions.
Or, one of my favorite scenes is when some scared New Yorkers are hiding in the subway, and they hear a train. They're thinking that this is their way out of there. But when the train arrives, it's clearly Astrotrain, who transforms into his robot mode and KILLS EVERYTHING.
While you can totally see Starscream's betrayal coming a mile away (because, you know, it's Starscream), WHAT he manages to do, and the revelation of how the other Decepticons see him is somethingt that we never really got a chance to see, before this. And because IDW is allowed to kind of re-write TF history for this series, you may be surprised at who feels which way about the Decepticon Air Commander.
And when the Autobots find the OTHER faction trying to survive on Cybertron? Oh man, it's quite a treat.
The only downside to this story is that you need to know what happened to Sunstreaker during the Escalation and Devastation series, and it sort of requires that you have a working knowledge of who the Transformers are, and why the Matrix of Leadership is important. So full-on TransNewbies may be a bit confused at first. But if you, like me, watched the original Transformers when you were a kid in the early 80s, this is the comic that you want to read. It's literally as cool as you remember Transformers being, without too much stuff being changed.
I highly recommend this series if you have even a passing interest in the Transformers.
03 May 2009
FCBD 2009, upcoming events
Hey, thanks to everybody who came out yesterday, for Free Comic Book Day. Here are some photos from the day:
We've got more events scheduled in the future, including The Dead Gear's CD release party on May 16th at 5pm. The Enigmatic D and the Lovely Ms. Jenn X will be in attendance to perform live, as well as sell copies of the album and t-shirts. Be sure to stop by for that, as it promises to be a great night!
Also, May 25th is the anniversary of Star Wars being released in theatres, waaaaaay back in 1977, and Comic Zone will be celebrating! Stay tuned for further details!
Word around the office is that we may have some sort of self-publishing event in June, as well. Oooo!
02 May 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Movie Review
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
First off, let me make this clear: I did NOT watch the bootleg work print that's been all over the Internet for the last few weeks. I actually went to the theatre, paid in full for the movie, and that is the version I am reviewing. And how was it?
Well. I expected a very different movie.
See, I expected the movie to be based on Origin by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, and Paul Jenkins; and Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith. But, other than a few scenes with some elements from those comics, it's not.
Barry Windsor-Smith not included.
There's no crazy Weapon X helmet. There're no false memory implants. This is a toned-down, less sci-fi, and more human origin to Wolverine. But, as a result, I feel that it's also a lot less tragic. In the comics, Logan was captured and treated like a lab animal. In the movie, his personality traits were manipulated and played for the benefit of Colonel William Stryker.
But let's not talk about what the movie ISN'T. Let's talk about what the movie IS.
It IS an hour and a half of Hugh Jackman kicking ass and blowing things up. It IS a very Wolverine-feeling story. And it IS a good abridged telling of Wolverine's history for people who've only seen the three X-Men films.
Hugh Jackman is giving us the People's Eyebrow through about half the movie.
There ARE a bunch of Weapon X program mutants involved - Logan, Sabretooth, Deadpool, Silverfox, Agent Zero, Kestrel (John Wraith), and a couple others who didn't get named. Gambit, Cyclops, Emma Frost, and The Blob all make extended cameos, and these cameos all work, without destroying established movie continuity.
Yes, there are flaws, and there are things I would've liked to have seen done differently, but, overall? It's not a total waste of time. Or money. And it's easily as good as any of the other three X-Men movies. So I'm not going to tell anybody to NOT see it.
It's by no means a bad movie. In fact, it's a pretty good one. But it's not for the established Wolverine/X-Men fanbase. It's for movie fans. And it may not be the best at what it does, but it is pretty damn good at it.
29 April 2009
Internettings!
So, I missed both Friday and Monday's posts because I was busy working on the store's new website, which is probably how you got here.
www.ComicZoneAZ.com - Check it out!
Also, my mom, Linda, has a blog about her experiences in being a co-owner of Comic Zone. You can read her musings at comiczonelinda.blogspot.com
In other news, my friend from across the pond, the incomparable Lord Mitz has been updating his newest webcomic, Plan B!. Check that out over on www.GoonPatrol.com/planb
And, finally, my cousin, Alex, and I have been working on our own webcomic for the past several weeks, Hawk & Kid. You can read our work over on my personal website, www.PsychoAndy.com
22 April 2009
New Avengers 52
New Avengers #52
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils by Billy Tan and Chris Bachalo
$3.99
Marvel Comics
No, everybody else is going to be talking about Detective Comics 853 this week. I won't do it.
Well, maybe a little: Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert's "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is damn good. It almost makes me care about Batman, which I generally don't. So, you should come in to Comic Zone and pick it up. We still have some second printings of part 1 (Batman 686) available, too, so you can get the whole thing at once!
But, no. Today, I'm going to talk about New Avengers #52. The quest for Earth's new sorcerer supreme continues, as Stephen Strange (formerly Dr. Strange) comes to the New Avengers (which now consist of Captain America (Formerly Bucky), Ronin (formerly Hawkeye), Ms. Marvel (formerly of the Mighty Avengers), Wolverine (formerly not in 70 comics a month), Spider-Man (formerly had an identity even the Avengers couldn't remember), Luke Cake (Formerly wore a tiara and a yellow disco shirt), Spider-Woman (formerly abducted by Skrulls), and Mockingbird (formerly dead)) to explain where he's been, and about his recent run-in with Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood.
The Hood, in addition to creating a criminal syndicate the size of which has never been seen in the Marvel U, has taken up as the host for some big bad demon (which I learned from the dialogue, since Chris Bachalo's artwork mostly just looks like a muddles mess of black globs, these days -- Good thing he's only drawing the demon scenes, with Billy Tan drawing everything else), and is looking for the Eye of Agamotto (the mystic amulet dealio that is the property of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme). But ol' Stevie Strange won't give up the Eye to just anybody - He's lookin' for the next Sorcerer Supreme, and won't rest until he finds that individual.
So, of course, the Avengers take a trip with Dr. Strange, because they're out looking for The Hood, and think that the team of them can take out The Hood. Even though he's more powerful than Dr. Strange. I don't see that ending well for anybody. Meanwhile, Madame Masque reveals her face to The Hood, and then they start making out. I'm not sure I see THAT ending well for anybody, either.
I think there may be some misdirection at the end, as the Hood finds another magic user we haven't seen in a while, but it's a character that I'm pretty sure is not in the running to be Earth's Sorcerer Supreme...
Still, if you're reading New Avengers, #52 is a worthy addition to your collection. It's been really nice having a comic written by the same guy for more than a year, and other than Chris Bachalo, the artwork has consistently been top-notch. After all, it's like Ultra Magnus taught us back in 1986: "Consistency is victory."
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils by Billy Tan and Chris Bachalo
$3.99
Marvel Comics
No, everybody else is going to be talking about Detective Comics 853 this week. I won't do it.
Well, maybe a little: Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert's "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" is damn good. It almost makes me care about Batman, which I generally don't. So, you should come in to Comic Zone and pick it up. We still have some second printings of part 1 (Batman 686) available, too, so you can get the whole thing at once!
But, no. Today, I'm going to talk about New Avengers #52. The quest for Earth's new sorcerer supreme continues, as Stephen Strange (formerly Dr. Strange) comes to the New Avengers (which now consist of Captain America (Formerly Bucky), Ronin (formerly Hawkeye), Ms. Marvel (formerly of the Mighty Avengers), Wolverine (formerly not in 70 comics a month), Spider-Man (formerly had an identity even the Avengers couldn't remember), Luke Cake (Formerly wore a tiara and a yellow disco shirt), Spider-Woman (formerly abducted by Skrulls), and Mockingbird (formerly dead)) to explain where he's been, and about his recent run-in with Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood.
The Hood, in addition to creating a criminal syndicate the size of which has never been seen in the Marvel U, has taken up as the host for some big bad demon (which I learned from the dialogue, since Chris Bachalo's artwork mostly just looks like a muddles mess of black globs, these days -- Good thing he's only drawing the demon scenes, with Billy Tan drawing everything else), and is looking for the Eye of Agamotto (the mystic amulet dealio that is the property of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme). But ol' Stevie Strange won't give up the Eye to just anybody - He's lookin' for the next Sorcerer Supreme, and won't rest until he finds that individual.
So, of course, the Avengers take a trip with Dr. Strange, because they're out looking for The Hood, and think that the team of them can take out The Hood. Even though he's more powerful than Dr. Strange. I don't see that ending well for anybody. Meanwhile, Madame Masque reveals her face to The Hood, and then they start making out. I'm not sure I see THAT ending well for anybody, either.
I think there may be some misdirection at the end, as the Hood finds another magic user we haven't seen in a while, but it's a character that I'm pretty sure is not in the running to be Earth's Sorcerer Supreme...
Still, if you're reading New Avengers, #52 is a worthy addition to your collection. It's been really nice having a comic written by the same guy for more than a year, and other than Chris Bachalo, the artwork has consistently been top-notch. After all, it's like Ultra Magnus taught us back in 1986: "Consistency is victory."
20 April 2009
Amazing Spider-Man 590+591
So, for those you who have been keeping track, Spider-Man is going to hit issue 600 in July. And, way back when, Marvel said that that will bring a wrap-up to the "Brand New Day" world that Spidey's currently living in. And after about 50 issues of uncertainty, it looks like they're taking steps in the right direction.
Spidey and the Fantastic Four go on an adventure to another universe, and during the battle, Human Torch remembers that he used to know Spider-Man's secret identity, and he's miffed that he can't remember.
Meanwhile, because time travels differently in this alternate world, Pete loses 2 months of time in the regular Marvel Earth-616.
I'm not going to pussyfoot around here: the story that actually takes place in the alternate world isn't all that interesting. The reason this story exists is to get the FF to remember that Peter and Spidey are the same person, and to have Reed Richards create a macguffin device that allows the FF to remember that Petey = Spidey but not reveal that information, even if they get brainwashed or psychically attacked or whatever. So Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben all know Pete's secret, but there's no worries about the secret leaking past them.
Along with the reveal in New Avengers #51 (which lead to the best Jessica Jones moment in New Av., but only if you read all of Alias... which you totally should, by the way), it looks like things in Spidey's world are beginning to go back to normal. People who should know do, and everybody else has forgotten. Which is probably closer to how it should be.
And what was up with that answering machine message that included the word "Tiger" before getting cut off? Hmmm...
I can't wait for Amazing #600. But, this month's Previews shows that Menace will be back in #598 and she's... pregnant? Whaaaat?
Spidey and the Fantastic Four go on an adventure to another universe, and during the battle, Human Torch remembers that he used to know Spider-Man's secret identity, and he's miffed that he can't remember.
Meanwhile, because time travels differently in this alternate world, Pete loses 2 months of time in the regular Marvel Earth-616.
I'm not going to pussyfoot around here: the story that actually takes place in the alternate world isn't all that interesting. The reason this story exists is to get the FF to remember that Peter and Spidey are the same person, and to have Reed Richards create a macguffin device that allows the FF to remember that Petey = Spidey but not reveal that information, even if they get brainwashed or psychically attacked or whatever. So Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben all know Pete's secret, but there's no worries about the secret leaking past them.
Along with the reveal in New Avengers #51 (which lead to the best Jessica Jones moment in New Av., but only if you read all of Alias... which you totally should, by the way), it looks like things in Spidey's world are beginning to go back to normal. People who should know do, and everybody else has forgotten. Which is probably closer to how it should be.
And what was up with that answering machine message that included the word "Tiger" before getting cut off? Hmmm...
I can't wait for Amazing #600. But, this month's Previews shows that Menace will be back in #598 and she's... pregnant? Whaaaat?
17 April 2009
Young Liars: Daydream Believer
Young Liars: Daydream Believer TPB
Collects issues 1-6
$9.99
Vertigo
This is quite possibly one of the most insane comics I have ever read.
Danny Noonan is a young, would-be guitarist who comes from a poor family in Texas. Upon meeting the beautiful Sadie Dawkins, he immediately falls head over heels for her, and will stop at nothing to have her. Early in their relationship, Sadie has had a bullet lodged in her brain, which turns her into a hyperactive maniac, which causes her to always want to be getting in fights, have sex with Danny, go water skiing on a cruise liner, or anything that will get her adrenaline flowing.
But that's not the craziest part.
The duo meet up with a gang of other youngsters, including a millionaire who is always in need of money, a former teenage model who is bitter at the world because somebody once told her she was fat, a young woman whose goal in life is to have the children of a rock star, and a transvestite junkie that everybody loves. And through a series of misfortunes, the six all end up heading to Europe to find some hidden treasure.
But that's not the craziest part.
Sadie is the daughter of a psychotic owner of a convenience store chain, who wishes that his son would impregnate his daughter, because they would make beautiful babies. And he's stopping at nothing to get Sadie back, so that her brother can continue raping her.
But that's not the craziest part.
Danny constantly lies. Sadie, who is crazy because of the bullet in her brain, only does whatever Danny tells her to. Annie X (the former model) and Runco (the broke millionaire) are willing to sell Sadie out to her derranged father. Big C (the groupie) believes that she's Sadie's best friend, but forgets that Sadie is nuts. And by the end of the first TPB (issue 6), there are at least four definite deaths (one via decapitation), a handful of possible deaths, and one of the characters experiences --to put it nicely -- genital mutilation.
I've never read any of David Lapham's other work, but I'm certainly interested in reading the rest of Young Liars, and looking into the other comics he's put out (Stray Bullets, Silverfish, 30 Days of Night: 30 Days 'til Death, et cetera). His art is solid throughout, and things happen to the main characters that just don't happen to the main characters in comics. I have no idea what's going to happen next, but I'm definitely going to be checking out the rest of the series... And for ten bucks? You should at least check out this first TPB.
Collects issues 1-6
$9.99
Vertigo
This is quite possibly one of the most insane comics I have ever read.
Danny Noonan is a young, would-be guitarist who comes from a poor family in Texas. Upon meeting the beautiful Sadie Dawkins, he immediately falls head over heels for her, and will stop at nothing to have her. Early in their relationship, Sadie has had a bullet lodged in her brain, which turns her into a hyperactive maniac, which causes her to always want to be getting in fights, have sex with Danny, go water skiing on a cruise liner, or anything that will get her adrenaline flowing.
But that's not the craziest part.
The duo meet up with a gang of other youngsters, including a millionaire who is always in need of money, a former teenage model who is bitter at the world because somebody once told her she was fat, a young woman whose goal in life is to have the children of a rock star, and a transvestite junkie that everybody loves. And through a series of misfortunes, the six all end up heading to Europe to find some hidden treasure.
But that's not the craziest part.
Sadie is the daughter of a psychotic owner of a convenience store chain, who wishes that his son would impregnate his daughter, because they would make beautiful babies. And he's stopping at nothing to get Sadie back, so that her brother can continue raping her.
But that's not the craziest part.
Danny constantly lies. Sadie, who is crazy because of the bullet in her brain, only does whatever Danny tells her to. Annie X (the former model) and Runco (the broke millionaire) are willing to sell Sadie out to her derranged father. Big C (the groupie) believes that she's Sadie's best friend, but forgets that Sadie is nuts. And by the end of the first TPB (issue 6), there are at least four definite deaths (one via decapitation), a handful of possible deaths, and one of the characters experiences --to put it nicely -- genital mutilation.
I've never read any of David Lapham's other work, but I'm certainly interested in reading the rest of Young Liars, and looking into the other comics he's put out (Stray Bullets, Silverfish, 30 Days of Night: 30 Days 'til Death, et cetera). His art is solid throughout, and things happen to the main characters that just don't happen to the main characters in comics. I have no idea what's going to happen next, but I'm definitely going to be checking out the rest of the series... And for ten bucks? You should at least check out this first TPB.
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