| #8 | 7/7/05 | #4 |
(Click title to go directly to the review)
HOUSE OF M #3
BLOOD OF THE DEMON #5
HOUSEWIVES AT PLAY #14
DAREDEVIL VS. PUNISHER: MEANS & ENDS #1
JSA #75
OCEAN #6
GOTHAM CENTRAL #33
Indie Jones presents HEARTBREAK #1-3
Indie Jones presents COMICULTURE ANTHOLOGY
CHEAP SHOTS!
HOUSE O' M # 3
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Olivier Coipel
Published by Marvel
One Man Roundtable by Buzz Maverik
For months now, writer Brian Michael Bendis has been promising that HOUSE O' M # 3 will "split the internet."
Up until now, I've always replied, "Quit blocking my driveway! I swear I'm backing this H2 right up, I don't care who's in the way!"
Split the internet? I found that to be an odd comment, since either Mr. Bendis or Joe Quesada has always insisted that the internet is only made up of a dozen people. I wondered which six I'd be part of, and how we'd be broken up. Good Eggs vs. Bad Eggs? Do-Bee’s vs. Don't-Bee’s? Tastes Great’s vs. Less Filling’s? David Lee Roth-era Van Halen fans vs. Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen Fans?
For the record, although I've always dug Sam's solo stuff, I'm in the Roth camp when it comes to Van Halen.
After reading issue # 3 (as well as #1-2, I'm gonna talk about the series to date), I don't know if the internet was split, but I sure as hell was! Into five separate personalities. There's regular @$$hole Buzz (@B); Bendis Board Buzz (BBB); Professor Buzz (PB); Ambush Buzz (AB); and of course Troll Buzz (TB). Since our AICN Comics Roundtable Review of HOUSE O' M # 1 was such a beloved fan favorite, I've decided to gather these personalities for their own roundtable.
@B: Issue # 3 was the first issue of HOUSE O' M that I actually enjoyed. The other two had positive aspects but this one was the kind of story Mr. Bendis does very well! I've noticed in THE PULSE that when it comes to a hero frantically trying to track down a lead, BMB really has the ability to bring the reader into the emotion, tension, and yes, action!
PB: Piddle!
BBB: 30 pages of fights! You want 30 pages of fights! No one does fights any more! Fights are over! Fights are done! Even in the movies. I just saw Bruce Willis in DIE HARD 4: COFFEE WITH HANS. Not one fight! Or the new Michael Bay movie BAD BOYS 3: ARMAGEDDON HARBOR where Will Smith and Ben Affleck play two guys we can relate to while they relate to each other by talking through a Michael Bay movie. Even in novels, it's no fights! I'm currently reading WHINE CLUB by Chuck Palahniuk. It's got a great line: ..."the first rule of Whine Club is you talk all about Whine Club. The second rule of Whine Club is you talk all about Whine Club."
@B: Well, you know I'm an action fan and this issue had some well done, balls out scenes involving Wolverine. Mr. Coipel carried it off very well. As you know, I think it's stupid to just review an issue of a comic. I'm more interested in the effects on the medium. We've talked about the problem with action issues and, what, development issues being separate. I wish Mr. Bendis would allow himself to integrate them better. If you look at issue # 1, where the characters talk and talk and talk, they're not behaving heroically. They're behaving like the survivors in the refinery in THE ROAD WARRIOR or the townspeople in JAWS. Mr. Bendis needs to read some Joseph Campbell and bring in an Outsider hero who will decide a course and shut everyone up. Mad Max whistling and saying, "Two days ago, I saw a rig that could pull that tanker. You want to get out of here, you talk to me!" Or Quint, scratching the chalkboard and saying, "I'll find him for three. But I'll catch him and kill him for ten."
AB: Yakkety-yak, don't talk back. Achoo! Snort!
TB: Yer a punk! You responded to one of my posts in '03 and I've spent every waking moment despising you since then. And yer jealous of Bendis.
@B: Well, I can't speak for AB, but I'll bet my life is a lot like Mr. Bendis’. I'm jealous of people making big budget films, myself. Or even low budget films.
PB: Poop!
@B: To sum it up, I'm happier with the art in # 3 and I'm happier with the storytelling. It didn't have #1's blah-blahing or # 2's boring revelations. I kept thinking, okay, I get it.
BBB: You have ADHD. It's a build-up.
@B: Actually, I have ODD. I like to think I'm quick on the uptake. I don't need to be beat over the head with a concept. Issue # 2 was like, comics for slow learners. I admired Mr. Bendis' use of Marvel Universe characters in # 3, whom he chooses to make the heroes, how it unfolds. The whole concept is a little TOP TEN, ASTRO CITY and EARTH X for me, though. But I'm happy with the Big Revelation at the end.
AB: Beep-beep-n-beep-beep!
TB: Shall I quote one of your posts from October 3, 2004 for you in exquisite detail, Ambush Buzz?
PB: Dookie! Moo! Logs! Loaves! Fecal materi--
And that's a wrap! Now, to knit my super-ego back together with that rain forest drug that induces blindness.
BLOOD OF THE DEMON #5
Plotter: John Byrne
Writer: Will Pfeiffer
Artists: John Byrne/Nekros (urgh - can Bud La Rosa cut that out?)
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
You know, a Byrne cover used to be something that jazzed me up when I saw it. Now, I cringe. His progressive elimination of nearly all shading makes even his finished work look almost like layouts only. The cover to BLOOD OF THE DEMON #5 is no exception. A little dramatic shading or blacks would help give some weight to this cover. Geez. Batman and the other little folk running for their lives on the ground don't even cast shadows – giving them that "floating in space" look. Superman's body position is all wonky (I have NO clue where his left leg is but his right leg is contorted in such a way that the angle on the bottom of his boot is just not right). Wonder Woman's proportions are all off making her butt look like she goes from an adult head down to a 12 year-old's derriere with adult legs attached. And what's up with her bracelets? Her left bracelet is smoothly solid and her right bracelet has suddenly got 3 sections to it? Etrigan looks okay but he's also suffering from missing leg syndrome. Guh. Looks like something whipped out as a sketch but that he never bothered to go back and evaluate or even tighten up in the ink stage.
However, then I open the book up and Byrne's drawing is suddenly back to normal (at least his current "normal.") Maybe the fact that DC has been utilizing professional inkers for his interiors has helped. I'm thinking they need to start hiring inkers for his covers too. However, even the improved interiors suffer from some of his recently patented wonkiness. For example, that awkward right arm and hand of Superman on the splash page, the oddly flat, cardboard-cut-out look of Batman on page 2 and the "uh oh I'm falling asleep while I'm walking" pose of Wonder Woman on page 3. Even a good inker doesn't seem to be able to fix that. But, one thing I liked throughout the whole book was Byrne's background work. Yeah, Jason Blood's apartment looked really good as did Gotham City - especially as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman were flitting through the sky with Det. Kinkaid.
Internal continuity confusing moment for me was that I've re-read and re-read that last page and I still can't figure out what happened to cause Morgaine Le Fey to explode into dust. And beyond that, everyone's matter-of-fact attitude about it made no sense to me either. You'd think that if you're on a public street and some weirdo causes an old woman to explode that this would cause some kind of reaction other than a calm: "Is that it, Jason? Is that the END of Morgaine Le Fey?"
BLOOD OF THE DEMON is a confusing guilty pleasure for me. The crappy covers contrast with pretty decent storytelling art interiors. The blatant rip-off elements from ANGEL and BUFFY make me cringe a bit - especially the fact that Jason Blood now looks like he's played by David Boreanaz. However, there is such a goofy and gross little charm to this series that I'm having fun reading it. In a lot of ways, my level of enjoyment of BLOOD OF THE DEMON is similar to the feelings I had back when I was but a wee lad and Jack Kirby's BLACK PANTHER series kicked off. I still own that whole brief but oddly fun run. The difference here is that BLACK PANTHER was shocking in its oblivious corniness (King Solomon's Frog? The Black Musketeers?). BLOOD OF THE DEMON is confusing because of the tension brought out by equal parts utter frustration or irritation mixed with silly, self-aware fun. Don't know the sales on the series, but I suspect it's not selling too well. I pretty much expect it to be one of the first on the chopping block for the post INFINITE CRISIS cancelled comic cavalcade, but you never know. It's kind of weird and if you like weird, you might like BLOOD OF THE DEMON.
HOUSEWIVES AT PLAY #14
Rebecca: Writer/Artist
Eros Comix: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Cunt-Crazy Slut
Oh good lord, it’s a filler issue. You spend all this time emotionally invested in the story of Cathy, Lynn, and the rest of the housewives, and now we get a story that would seem more at home in the sister book Hot Moms. It’s not like this book is a monthly, and I was really looking forward to seeing more of Cathy and Melissa.
Which is not to say that this issue wasn’t great.
Audrey Rittenhouse is all set to enjoy six wonderful weeks in Paris with her family, a special treat to celebrate her daughter Nicole’s high school graduation. It’s only too bad that Nicole is failing art and needs to take a summer class to get her diploma. Audrey, who is seething at the news, decides to confront her daughter’s art teacher, one Miss Hillary Watson. And of course, one thing leads to another…
Rebecca’s work features, among other things, an exceptional command of visual narrative. Her layouts and panel composition are some of her greatest assets, second only to her command of anatomy. There is no one working in comics today that draws better women than Rebecca. No one. The standout female this issue is Nicole, who almost looks ready to walk right off the page.
As to the story, well, it’s really as simple as it needs to be, and to tell any more than I already have would spoil things. It’s not as complex and detailed as the last few issues have been, but since it’s a self-contained story it really doesn’t need to be. It is what it is, and doesn’t try to be more, which nowadays comes as a relief.
So yeah, this issue is certainly worth reading. If you’re into this sort of thing, that is. But Rebecca, please bring back Cathy and friends for the next issue. I’ve grown to like those ladies.
What? Just because it’s porn doesn’t mean you can’t take the work seriously.
DAREDEVIL VS. PUNISHER: MEANS & ENDS #1
Written & Drawn by David Lapham
Published by Marvel
You Will Be Pissed Off by Buzz Maverik
Every now and then, I get a hankering to read a DAREDEVIL story. But what am I going to do? Read DAREDEVIL, which seems to be about people talking about Daredevil? That's like going to see LETHAL WEAPON 5 and getting this:
Maybe if we were lucky, Mel and Danny would make cameos as assistants to Carl the Janitor; and Gary Busey would show up as a school board member.
DAREDEVIL minis are a toss up. The recent DAREDEVIL: REDEMPTION had me e-mailing Quesada begging him to pay Bendis whatever he wants to stay on Daredevil just so the mini writer wouldn't be considered.
But writer/artist David Lapham should be a leading contender for the reins of DD if he wants the job, based on DAREDEVIL VS. PUNISHER # 1. This is the second week in a row Marvel has blessed us with the debut of a superior series, the last being X-MEN: KITTY PRYDE, SHADOW & FLAME.
The Punisher is gunning for Hammerhead, a Spider-Man villain who is out to take over organized comic book crime. In the coolest of cools, Frank learns that Hammerhead is advised by another Spidey villain (actually a guy who was sort of two Spidey villains), who has ties to the Punisher's earliest appearance. Too bad that Daredevil has to show up, throwing his billy club. The Punisher says that DD is a boy. We know he's wrong on that account. DD has always been one of the few Marvel characters that read like a full fledged adult.
The bulk of the book belongs to the Punisher as he establishes his priorities and protects a family from a gang. He encounters a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to his late wife Maria. Frank doubtlessly doesn't know what the mystery Spidey villain was up to all those years ago, but many of us do.
Man, David Lapham! He created a comic called STRAY BULLETS, which I haven't had the pleasure of reading. Here's a guy who should be given the jobs of both writing and drawing DAREDEVIL and PUNISHER comics. He gets it right. He knows who these guys are. It's all in service of the story. No black humor. No posing.
As an artist, Mr. Lapham is perfect for this story and these characters. From an early BLUE VELVET reference, through some fine comic book noir scenes, he shows us the world through Frank Castle's eyes without ever condescending to us by telling us that we're seeing the world through Frank Castle's eyes.
Honestly, I haven't enjoyed Daredevil or the Punisher as much in years as I did in DAREDEVIL VS. PUNISHER: MEANS & ENDS # 1.
JSA #75
Geoff Johns: Writer
Don Kramer, Leonard Kirk, & Stephen Sadowski: Artists
DC Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Good Guy
Man, when the best superhero team book on the shelves has an anniversary issue, it doesn’t fuck around. The Spectre has brought hell to Kahndaq, the home of Black Adam. The whole of the JSA is now trapped between these two; both former teammates, both powerful, both dangerous as all hell.
While this arc is technically a tie-in with DAY OF VENGEANCE, (one of those big DC event miniseries I’m not reading,) the story manages to stand on its own rather satisfactorily. The lone exception being Jean Loring, who’s apparently now become Eclipso. (Like I said, I’m not reading that mini.) So the love interest of a classic JLA member has gone insane and is being powered by a mystical jem. Just like Star Sapphire, only Goth. Meh. I’ve never liked the “crazy” villains, to be honest. They just don’t work for me. Now Black Adam, on the other hand…
Fuck, bad guys like Black Adam scare the living shit out of me. Here’s a guy who’s not only all-powerful, he’s the equivalent of the JSA’s most powerful member. He’s a killer, a despot, a tyrant. And he believes with all his being in the rightness of what he is doing, that his cause is just. Now that is a villain. I’m talking Dr. Doom style villainy here, the best kind of bad guy.
But the real star of this issue is the Atom Smasher. From the beginning of this title, he’s the character who’s gone through the most. We’ve seen him at his best, and then fall to his darkest, joining Black Adam in his violent conquest of Kahndaq. With this issue, he finds his redemption in what just might be the best moment this book has ever seen.
SPOILERS, BITCHES!
Man oh man, Johns has written a book that will become the gold standard of superhero demise. Every note behind Al’s choice is perfection incarnate. Hell, it’s a moment that’s been building for the book’s entire run, and the execution is all that I could have hoped for and more. It’s everything a reader could want from a moment of personal sacrifice. This is how a hero should die. (Oh what the hell, HAWKEYE LIVES, MOTHERFUCKER!)
END SPOILERS
This book is always the high point of my DC reading. For those of you who haven’t been able to get into this book for whatever reason, or for those readers who’ve dropped the book, give this issue a look-see. It’s gold, I tell you. Gold.
OCEAN #6
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artists: Chris Sprouse/Karl Story
Publisher: Wildstorm
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
Grrr. I hate late books. Check this out – Cover dates for the OCEAN series go like this: #1 = Dec, #2 = Jan, #3 = Feb, #4 = (woops - skipped a month) Apr, #5 = (back on track) May, #6 = (what the @#$%^&?) Sep. Grrr. But I digress already. On with the review.
Why was OCEAN a cool series? I can think of a couple of reasons. You know, I have a fondness for fiction and science-fiction particularly - especially good old-fashioned serialized novels and novellas like I used to get buying ANALOG or FANTASY & SCIENCE-FICTION off the newsstands. Well, OCEAN is essentially a pure sci-fi graphic novella serialized over 6 issues of a comic book. Another thing, OCEAN has art by Chris Sprouse and that's a strong draw for the Prof since I'm not getting Sprouse regularly in TOM STRONG anymore.
Storywise, OCEAN is a story set 100 years in the future and involves a surprising discovery deep in the oceans of Jupiter's moon, Europa. There are an uncountable number of sarcophagi floating underneath the frozen surface of Europa along with this giant Stargate-looking thing. And the sarcophagi look to be inhabited by disturbingly human-looking individuals who appear to be in a state of suspended animation.
The main character of the story is cut from a frequent Warren Ellis character-type, the smart-alec tough-talking serious badass. This one's name is Nathan Kane. He's some kind of United Nations Special Weapons Inspector with a license to kick ass with impunity. Seems a hundred years from now they give UN Inspectors a "license to kill," require all police services to cooperate, and give them system-wide immunity (covering Earth, the moon, Mars, and elsewhere). He also kind of looks like he could be played in a movie quite well by a buffed up Don Cheadle.
The main antagonist to the story is DOORS. DOORS is a satire of MICROSOFT where all the employees have their personalities shut off for the duration of their work contract and a company-approved template is downloaded with a hook-up directly into the company intranet. So basically, it's Stepford Wives, Bill Gates-style, in the twisted conspiratorial future of Warren Ellis. The manager of the DOORS installation above Europa winds up in conflict with Kane and his team of specialists out there investigating the discovery in the ocean.
DOORS wants to tap into the computer systems controlling the sarcophagi to download the info and make bazillions of dollars. Kane and company want to figure out if there is any kind of weapons-related threat that needs to be dealt with. What Kane finds out leads into the events of issue 6. Turns out that the Stargate-thing, they call it the Torus, well - it really IS a Stargate-thing. It's huge enough for a starship to fly through and it creates wormholes that will instantly navigate the starship to one of a number of these Torus jumpgates throughout the solar system. One of them just a quarter-million miles from Earth.
However, Kane's team is able to tap into one of the sarcophagi and download a video journal that gives them clear insight into these beings and whether they might be considered a threat. Millions of years ago, they used these Torus gates to jump back and forth between other planets and the safety of their own planet. Their purpose was to destroy the surfaces of the other planets. For example, we see the actual footage of them destroying a once-robust Mars. They also, for reasons known only to them, seeded Earth which makes us their direct descendants. These beings are a complete warrior culture at war with all other species and even with themselves. Civil war destroyed their homeworld which used to lie between Jupiter and Mars. Millions of survivors have floated asleep deep in the oceans of Europa for eons. And now, the Torus has powered up and the sarcophagi have been triggered. They are waking up and they look like vampires.
This final issue wraps the story neatly with Kane and his team creatively escaping from the DOORS manager and plunging their flying saucer deep into the ocean to accomplish two goals - utilize the Torus to jump to the Torus out near Earth and, hopefully, blow those friggin' vampire-people to hell before they can wake up and come destroy us.
The covers of issues 1 and 6 are bookends. Issue 1 shows Jupiter from the perspective of the frozen surface of Europa with the bottom half a close-up of an eerily human-looking face peacefully sleeping inside a sarcophagus. Issue 6 shows Earth from the perspective of the dead surface of our moon with the bottom half a close-up of the scary vampire face with his glowing yellow eyes open and his mouth snarled open in a fang-filled cry of hunger surrounded by glowing fire and electricity! Aaaaaah!
The layout of the entire series was, artistically, very attractive and geometric. The page grid was based usually on a 5-panel full-width horizontal layout. Now Sprouse did not obsessively adhere to that layout, but it was definitely the prevailing choice for story-telling resulting in a "widescreen" feel to the whole series - almost like storyboards for a movie.
OCEAN was not the most original thing I've read in awhile. It's not one of those "Oh my god I can't believe it" surprises. But, it was solid, professional, pulp-style sci-fi, and that is just not very common in comics. I liked it and I've recommended the series to a number of people. I'm sure the trade collection's not far away and I'll recommend that to anyone who prefers trades. However, you can still pick up the entire series at cover price for about what you'd pay for a TPB and not have to wait. I mean, the whole series only cost $19. Not too bad. Check it out.
GOTHAM CENTRAL #33
Writers: Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker
Penciller: KANO
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
It’s the triumphant return of Ed Brubaker!!!!
Well, sort of…
This latest issue of Gotham Central sees the “return” of former co-writer and co-creator of GOTHAM CENTAL, Ed Brubaker, for a story entitled “Dead Robin.” Apparently somewhere close to a year ago, Misters Brubaker and Rucka brainstormed this little tale before Bru’s departure from the book, and DC Comics in general, to go work on some stuff for Marvel exclusively. So after a couple months of Rucka going solo we are now treated to the official “last hurrah” of one of the best writing pairs I’ve seen in a long time. And I have to say, I’m glad to have him back, even only temporarily.
The premise of this arc is simply what the title implies: a young man in his mid-teens is found dead in a Gotham alleyway, but with the twist of his being dressed like and physically matching what information is had on the city’s resident Boy Wonder, and Batman’s sidekick, Robin. And, obviously, since nothing is known about Robin outside of the Bat family, except maybe some photos or possible television footage, the starring police officers of the GCPD have no choice but to assume, for the time being, that their corpse is in fact the real deal. And the investigation is on…
Really, I don’t know exactly what Brubaker’s contribution to this story is as far as being an official co-writer, or just a consultant, or what, but it’s noticeable. While Rucka’s previous, and only, solo arc on this book was in itself very good, this already feels much more crisp. Great dialogue and fresh ideas just flow forth so naturally from this issue. It’s very entertaining to watch as the investigating officers start to run down all the possibilities… Is this really Robin, or is it just some kid who dressed up as the Boy Wonder? Hell, is there even more than one Robin? Did he fall off a rooftop by accident and die? Or was he thrown off the building by one of his villains? Or, even more insidious, is Batman somehow responsible? We watch with great zeal as the GCPD look for answers, and we catch come brutal glimpses of the Batman’s own little personal investigation. And it all converges into a great little cliffhanger that I really had no idea to even expect.
And as the quality of writing has noticeably improved, so has the art. Ever since the departure of Michael Lark, also to Marvel, from this title, it has been very apparent that DC has been looking for someone with a similar style to take the reins. Well, it seems they’ve found it in a duo of artists. Former HERO Penciller KANO has taken over the primary art, with Stefano Gaudiano (who was used as a temporary Penciller for this title) inking his art. The result is a style that definitely harkens to Lark’s pencils, but doesn’t try to plagiarize it.
This issue immediately renews my belief that this is DC’s best mainline title. Though it has to be said, one of the book’s best qualities is also the one that might make this otherwise great jumping on point somewhat inaccessible, that being the characters. This book sports some of the most unique and colorful characters in comics today, but they have become so well established in this book that for new readers not exposed to previous GOTHAM CENTRAL stories, trying to get a grasp on them all may make this read jarring. But if you think you can adjust to that quickly, then there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t be buying this book.
HEARTBREAK #1-3
By Jonathan Rivera and Nick Destefano
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Alright guys, let's face it. If you're on this site and reading this column, chances are you were at some point, and maybe still are, a geek. It's not a put down. Not a snipe. Just a simple, ugly fact. I know that throughout my high school and college years, if I were a hit with the ladies, I wouldn't have spent so much time reading comics. Or maybe if I wouldn't have spent so much time reading comics during that time, I would have got a little more than I did. Who knows? My point is that with all of the "strengths" the geek culture has going for it – large egos, overactive imaginations, a great memory of unimportant factuals – livin’ large with the ladies ain't one that we're known for.
It's a hard fact to swallow. I know and I'm sure the TBs will be filled with those in denial, stating, "I don't know about your geek @$$, but I get laid all of the time." To that, I say, "No. No, you don't. No one really does. Only in the movies do guys go out on a consistent basis and get laid and pick up girls as many times as I piss on a three day drinking binge." And I'm not saying this from the standpoint of a guy who never gets some. Oh, the Bug gets some. I do and that patting sound is me stretching my arm back to congratulate myself. But the thing is, I'm willing to admit that at my core, there's a geek. That person that is not so confident. That person who makes himself look like a complete jack@$$. That person who over thinks their actions before they do them and is haunted by said actions long after they do or don't happen. I know I'm not the only one.
If you're honest with yourself and strong enough to admit it, HEARTBREAK is the comic made for all of us. The endearing thing about this comic is that these romantic misadventures are looked back upon with a heavy dose of insight, a wizened viewpoint brought on only by years and years of taking chances, making mistakes, and learning from them. Creators Jonathan Rivera and Nick Destefano are able to look back at the times when they have struck out with the ladies, not in anger or melancholy, but with the humble attitude that without these experiences, they would not be the people that they are today.
The thing is, if you're a geek – and we've already established that in some way or another, we all are – your experiences with the opposite sex may not be frequent, but they are memorable. Memorable because as geeks, we think way too much. Memorable because they don't happen that often and when they do, they stick with us. Memorable because, for a moment or two, that gripe you had with the way Wolverine was portrayed in issue #33 or that flame war you had in the Talkbacks ceases to matter and life suddenly becomes more real than usual. And that’s what HEARTBREAK is all about.
On a girl by girl basis, HEARTBREAK tells the story of two guys who have tried over and over to find that one girl for them. Each issue is split in two, with each story narrated by Rivera or Destefano. Although the art is often simplistic, both Destefano and Rivera show promise in their use of framing sequences, telling stories graphically, and their use of simple lines to convey facial features and emotion. In issue #1, like a geeked-out Rod Serling, Jonathan Rivera (circa now) takes us on a trip down memory lane, stopping at each time he comes into contact with a potential girlfriend and telling us how each connection went horribly, horribly wrong. In a later story, Nick Destefano tells us how he goes through an elaborate plan in order to get a girl who is out of his league in high school. Destefano and Rivera are two types of geeks. Rivera is the outcast rebel-type, who shuns mainstream trends and operates on the outside of the cool crowds at school (but secretly wants to be a part of it). Destefano is more of the shy nebbish-type. Both are lovable losers and you see yourselves rooting for these guys to be successful in their pursuit of love and cringe when you see the situation take a turn for the worse.
So check out HEARTBREAK. You can order copies of the first three issues right here. These books speak to the geek in all of us, even if you're not willing to admit it. I had a lot of fun reading about these guys’ experiences and comparing them to my own. I'll bet you will to. These stories are empowering in a way. These guys have made mistakes, but they seem to be coming to terms with them in these stories. This series is a brutally honest read, but the ups and downs with the opposite sex in these tales are inspiring in that these guys are learning from their mistakes and not giving up despite them. So take this Bug's advice. Order a copy of HEARTBREAK. Read it and maybe you’ll learn from the experiences of these lovable losers. Then put the comic down, turn off the computer, go outside, and take some chances of your own.
COMICULTURE ANTHOLOGY
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Publisher: Comiculture Books
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
Short but sweet. Let me give a shout out to the folks who produced COMICULTURE ANTHOLOGY and got a copy into my hands. This really brought back some long-buried memories of that phase in my life (my first summer with spending money) when I was buying just about any comic I could get my hands on. This was during the time when Eclipse and Pacific Comics were kicking butts in the newly growing direct sales market. That's when I got my hands on those early ELFQUEST comics and discovered FRED HEMBECK's collections and THE JUSTICE MACHINE and MR. A. I was just devouring all these different artistic stylings and perspectives. It was such a thrill every time I found another new comic I'd never heard of before.
I love anthologies. They're a dying form out there in literature and comicland though. So, when I got my hands on this collection, I tore right into it and, yes, I loved it. So many different styles and perspectives. They organize the different stories according to genre. So you have, say, a "Romance" story followed by a "Horror" story followed by an "Adventure" story and so on. The artistic stylings range from full-on cartoon to standard realistic comic book illustration to painted realism. I laughed, I smiled, and was even touched. My favorite story "Sin of the Wolf", by Don Hudson and Vince Evans, is very poignant AND ACCOMPLISHED IT ALL IN JUST 8 PAGES! My second favorite story was the autobiographical "Jambo, I'll Have Your Money Now or A Week in Nairobi" written by Marie Javins and illustrated by Don Hudson. I was also particularly fond of "Suffer the Salt" and "Clarissa: Down the Rabbit Hole." Probably my least favorite story was "The Prune" which chronicled one adventure of a crazy old flatulent geezer who thinks he inherited some kind of superpowers from an irradiated prune. Funnier in concept than in execution, but a minor quibble. It was still a fun contribution to the mix. Even the cover, which features King Kong peaking in the window at a sexy blonde reading Comiculture carries over into the anthology as the first panel of a continuing gag that ends on the last page.
Here's the thing. The Prof is a big supporter of those mavericks out there who are trying to make their way in the comics biz. As long as the work is topnotch, I will encourage all my readers to support the independents and the small press. The more that the big 2 or 3 corporatize and sanitize and sodomize, the more these indies become the only legitimate sources for true artistic experimentation and expression. Check out the squarebound COMICULTURE ANTHOLOGY. You can order direct from their website for $11.95 - where you can also educate yourself on the background of COMICULTURE - where they came from and where they're going. Or better yet, if you're attending the San Diego Comicon this week, go by the COMICULTURE booth and pick up your anthology and meet the creators face to face. Tell them Professor Challenger sent you and "DON'T SHOOT THE COMICS!"
Remember, if you have an Indie book you’d like one of the @$$holes to take a look at, click on your favorite reviewer’s link and drop us an email.
Remember, if you have an Indie book you’d like one of the @$$holes to take a look at, click on your favorite reviewer’s link and drop us an email.
VILLAINS UNITED #3 (of 6)
After the first issue of this series, I was more than a little wary. The focus was on the few villains who WEREN'T united! And besides, the idea of every bad guy in the DCU, no matter how varied their style of criminal motive, being in one big gang just feels so 1970's Legion of Doom-ish. Thankfully, this issue addresses that disparity with some truly magnificent character moments with Talia and Black Adam. Then there's some of the funniest moments Gail Simone has written in ages, especially the moment on page three. That sucker had me rolling.Besides, everyone knows that Deadshot is a helluva lot cooler than Deathstroke. - Vroom
INCREDIBLE HULK #83
One of the things that made Peter David’s previous run on the INCREDIBLE HULK was the imaginative variations of the situations that David would throw the Hulk and Banner into. From Las Vegas enforcer to head of the Pantheon, like no other, Peter David was able to prove that the Hulk was a true icon, able to adapt and be interesting whatever the concept. In this issue, we find Banner spending time with a tribe of Australian Aborigines in search of inner peace between his two selves. And he’s found it and seems to be quite happy for the first time in…well…forever. Of course, happiness is a fleeting thing in the rage-ridden world of the Hulk and soon an army of mutants are on the scene to disrupt the peace. This issue is part of the big HOUSE OF M crossover, but if you put up the blinders, it shouldn’t bother you that it is associated with that crap. Look at this as yet another interesting take on the Hulk by the only person who seems able to write the character well and you’ll be able to get through it. I’m interested to see where David is going with this new run on the Hulk. So far, David’s first arc proved that he still has a few quality Hulk tales up his sleeve. - Bug
SUPERMAN #219
I’m just not feeling it. Just three issues into Mark Verheiden’s run on Superman and I already feel left in the cold. Last issues fracas with Blackrock, and Superman’s over-aggressiveness in taking him down just really didn’t grab me as a strong premise for a story. And now this issue is the kick off of a storyline that will not only be running through all of Supes’ books, but WONDER WOMAN and THE OMAC PROJECT as well. Starting the storyline, this issue involves Superman coming into a “conflict” with Brainiac that is all but definitely not real, and just meant to get into Superman’s head a bit, and soften him up for the next in line to take him on as he runs the gauntlet through all of this Sacrifice arc. And it’s all done in such an over-the-top way that it’s almost a bit laughable. And I don’t think Ed Benes is a good fit with Superman. While Benes is a great artist and does some really good work with Supes in action here, as soon as there’s a female on the page the first thing that pops into my mind is “cheesecake” and it really is kinda out of place here. All said, I don’t think I’m on this ride for much longer… - Humphrey
NORTHWEST PASSAGE #1
It's official. Oni is incapable of publishing a digest book that sucks. Scott Chantler's story of high adventure in the 1750's American frontier is a whole lotta fun. It's got warrior Indians, French pirates, spiritual visions, and a bookish tenderfoot finding himself in dire peril. And that's all with the main character never leaving the trading post. Oh yeah, Oni's got another winner here. - Vroom
