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AICN COMICS REVIEWS THUNDERBOLTS! HELMET OF FATE! CASNOVA! AND MUCH MORE!!!
| #43 | 1/10/07 & 1/17/07 | #5 |
(Click title to go directly to the review)
THUNDERBOLTS #110
Another view on THUNDERBOLTS #110
HELMET OF FATE: DETECTIVE CHIMP #1
FANTASTIC FOUR #542
CASANOVA #7
SHE-HULK #15
OMEGA MEN #4
NEW UNIVERSAL #2
MARVEL ADVENTURES: THE AVENGERS #9
THE SPIRIT #2
CIVIL WAR: FRONTLINE #10
Indie Jones presents…
CHEAP SHOTS!
THUNDERBOLTS #110
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
"Oh God. They're going to kill you for being a super hero, Jack…"
- Lucy
I should really hate this comic.
But I don't.
Now, here's why I should hate it…and why I don't.
I should hate this comic because it revels in being smack dab in the middle of the pervasively negative CIVIL WAR cynicism that is strangling all sense of enthusiasm surrounding the mainline Marvel Universe books. This newest THUNDERBOLTS incarnation just screams corporate mind-think: "Ok, JQ, how 'bout this? *puff on cigar* *roll up sleeves* Think SUICIDE SQUAD meets NEW AVENGERS! Get it? We'll take a bunch of our most popular villains, mix them with some wannabes, and then have the guv'mint draft them into action tracking down the rebel terrorists like Capt. America, see? If they get out of line, they die. If they fulfill a year's worth of service to their country, they get a presidential pardon and a buttload of money to retire on. And see, we suck all the money from the fanboy geeks just like we did with NEW AVENGERS. Doesn't even matter if it's any good so long as we put in villains like Venom and Bullseye. Heh heh. Them zombies'll buy anything with those guys in it. Genius, right? *loosens tie* *sits back and flatulates proudly*
I should hate this comic because the entire concept is morally reprehensible. Taking a misanthropic concept like serial killers capturing and killing heroes on behalf of the government and grounding it in a rather realistic comic book gives it an air of political and social commentary that I find distasteful.
I should hate this comic because I actively dislike raving lunatic villains such as Bullseye and Venom. I should also hate this comic because it further advances Norman Osborne as a Lex Luthor clone set in the Marvel Universe. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Bringing Norman Osborne back from the dead was the jump-the-shark moment for Marvel. He functioned much smarter and more effectively in death as a catalyst for character and plot development than he does post-resurrection where he's just a sleazy Lex Luthor clone with a dab of Joker thrown in. Which drives me to a digressive rant to just ask why the hell does Marvel have to rip-off DC so blatantly with characters like the current take on Osborne, Sentry, Moon Knight, Parallel super-hero universes, etc.? You'd think with the level of writers and artists under contract with Marvel that they could stop mining the competition for ideas. I know DC's raided Marvel before, but mainly on technique and style -- not so much on creative concepts and characters. Rant done.
I should hate this comic because in my view it violates, or misunderstands, the entire concept of the Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts are all about voluntary redemption - villains doing their damnedest to try and be better people but discovering it's not so easy to change one's character. Now, the Thunderbolts are pure villains, with no sense of redemption, falsely portrayed to the media and the public as heroes by a corrupt totalitarian government. For the life of me, I'll never understand why this concept was attached to the THUNDERBOLTS comic book. It seems to me that a smarter, and even more marketable, idea would've been to let Fabian Nicieza just wrap up the THUNDERBOLTS nicely with a pretty red bow and then let Warren Ellis premiere with a new series taking an unused team name with a bit of history attached to it - THE CHAMPIONS. If the concept is one where the government is trying to manipulate the public into accepting these "former" villains as heroes, then I would actually think the THUNDERBOLTS name would be an obstacle to their propaganda success. But labeling these characters as "Champions" would've been a smart way to subliminally plant a trusting seed in the public's collective mind. And Ellis could easily have borrowed the splendid Moonstone, as well as Songbird and Radioactive Man from the recently defunct THUNDERBOLTS. But, once again, Joey Q. neglected to call or email me for advice.
So, after all of that, why don't I hate it?
I don't hate it because Warren Ellis is a very good writer who always finds some interesting idea or original thought to bring to the table and Mike Deodato is a very good artist. That's really it in a nutshell.
I don't hate it because Mike Deodato is a fine artist who knows how to draw super-hero comics consistently and effectively. In fact, I remember he was the artist on the first Ellis-written comic I ever read - the “World Engine” 4-parter in THOR many years back. Deodato's girls may have a little more swing to their hips than reality says they should, but not to the level of excess distraction. At least they have hips, which a lot of current artists could take a lesson about. Working within Ellis's usual narrative layout with lots of wide-panels, Deodato does a nice job working within the darker and more mundane style that's become pretty much the new Marvel love-it-or-lump-it house-style.
I don't hate it because Ellis took this turkey of an idea and structured it effectively by grounding the entire concept and story in psychological manipulation. The comic opens with Osborne just torturing Bullseye with smooth but searing words. Later, he's shown psychologically manipulating Dr. Karla "Moonstone" Sofen into leading the new Thunderbolts team. There are layers in the dialogue between the two of them that reveal much about both characters. Ellis also intercuts the T-bolts scenes with glimpses of how the brain-dead, press-release-driven tragedy-TV "news" media is breathlessly reporting on every movement of the new team as they take off on their first mission to track down another rebel terrorist (read: rogue super-hero). Then, in usual Ellis fashion, there are satirical moments smeared in pop culture such as the hilariously unsettling TV commercial for the Thunderbolts action figures: "Thunderbolts are GO!" I laughed out loud. Seeing the kid using his Venom and Penance figures to take down terrorist masked man Capt. America (with "screaming" voice chip no less) was disturbing, funny, and in six panels pretty much summed up the current state of the Marvel Universe for anyone new to the party.
Finally, the other smart thing that Ellis did was utilize a Z-tier character like "Jack Flag" as the superhero that the T-bolts are deployed to take down. Made me flashback to Capt. Comet and the Creeper as the token Z-tier super-heroes in the old SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS comic book. The less well-known the character, the more room the writer has to play with characterization. In this case, I've got a pretty large canvas of Marvel info imprinted on my brain regarding the first 30 some odd years of Marvel history. But Jack Flag doesn't strike a memory chip. Did he show up during the Gruenwald run on Cap? Doesn't matter though. Ellis provided me with all I need to know about the guy, his background, and his current positioning. I'm worried about the poor guy. Next issue image shows Jack scurrying away from Venom's fang-filled face while the blurb reads: "Run, Jack Flag, Run!" 'Nuff said.
And now for another opinion on THUNDERBOLTS #110
THUNDERBOLTS #110
Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciler: Mike Deodato Jr.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Like the cover of this says, the THUNDERBOLTS have a brand new team coming straight out of the pages of CIVIL WAR. Apparently the theory is that if this assemblage of thieves and even mass murderers is good enough to be used by none other than Tony Stark (yeah, that still doesn't sound right) then they're good enough to have their own title. Which I guess is fine. I mean, it still follows in the vein of how this book was started (y'know, Masters of Evil, bad guys, pretend they’re good guys to try and take over the world) but with a bit of a twist. Unlike the original T-Bolts which were a "rogue" team of supes that won America's hearts by thwarting supervillains, this version is actually a sponsored one with none other than Norman Osborne as their handler (think more Suicide Squad now) and they're actually media darlings despite being well known sociopaths.
Now I know that's all a bit hard to swallow. Really, when presented with this group in the pages of CIVIL WAR itself I thought it was one of the more moronic ideas I've seen in a while, given the context. Basically I gave this issue a shot because of the man writing it, Warren Ellis; a man whose work rarely lets me down, though I was all set for this to be one of those exceptions. But to be honest, I kind of dug this debut issue. The thing of it all is, I like the context this version works in. While when they were shown in the pages of the old CW, they were some sort of like, maniacal backup plan of Tony Stark's in order to take down Cap's anti-registration squad which, again, just reeks of mischaracterization. But here they're handled like the bastards they (or at least most of them) are. Whenever they're taken on missions they're basically shackled down with the threat of bodily harm if they try anything. Likewise, the majority of them have body implants to keep them in line, or possibly even kill them if they get out of it. Apparently the reason they're so accepted is because it looks like Cap's side has been so villainized by the media, to the point where they're even called terrorists, that the American public is willing to tolerate them as long as they're kept safe. It's a pretty blatant spin, given the state our actual society is in after 9/11 and our current war in Iraq, but I think it still has some mileage to it.
One thing I wasn't exactly keen about, but kind of see where this is coming from, was the pacing of the book. I don't want to say the book was drawn out, because there was a good bit of plot development going on, but we really only saw glances of each one because so many were introduced. Apparently Ellis is taking a one-by-one approach towards keying us in on why each member is present on the team. Bullseye is basically bullied into it with those implants I mentioned earlier, but meanwhile you have Moonstone basically given a little bit of an ego-stroking with a touch of blackmail to do so. But we're not given any insight towards Radioactive Man, or the Swordsman, or especially Penance which is a big one after the reveal of his identity in the latest FRONTLINE. Add into those that we're given an introduction (or reintroduction depending on your exposure) to one Jack Flag. Jack is a would-be hero who has basically hung it up due to the Registration Act, but who occasionally ventures out into the streets to put down your odd bit of crime. It looks like Jack's going to be playing the role of our resident Idealist, as he's been targeted by the new T-Bolts for his newly illegal activities under the Registration Act. It was definitely an interesting presentation of the character; hopefully it keeps up once the team gets involved.
As for the art chores, we've got the ever popular Mike Deodato bringing some really good game here. By now you probably know what to expect from the man, and he delivers. There's a lot of detail to be had out of his pencils, with tons of background details, and very smooth and nuanced lines in the facial features to give the characters that added bit of, uh, character. There's nothing really dramatic in the panel flow, it's your standard panel to panel transition, but he still makes the story flow, even if it's in more of a matter of fact fashion (which works given the tone of this particular issue). The art really is just damned good when it all comes down to it, though I have to admit I'm not a big fan of Mr. Deodato randomly "Greg Landing it up" in this as anytime Osborne comes on panel... well, he's Tommy Lee Jones, there's just no two ways about it. I'm not sure why this is necessary, it really doesn't add anything to the book, but it really doesn't detract from it either so I'm not going to dwell on it. Still stellar stuff in spite of.
So there you have it. I know all that is a bit much to chew on when you look at it from the outside given the kinds of ideas being thrown about, but I really do think this issue was well written enough that it's worthy of a read to see if you can dig it once it's given some context. There's still a long road ahead to make this work though. Ellis, and Marvel as a whole, is really going to have to push this new status quo of outlawed heroes to make me bite that this team can and should exist. Playing up that terrorist angle is a solid, albeit a little derivative, start but if it's expanded upon properly I can see this working. Plus, as much as I don't want to geek out over it, they really did put together an impressive assemblage of badasses here. I know I don't mind getting a Bullseye fix whenever I can, I'm just hoping they do what they can to keep the overexposure to a minimum. But this is a good first step towards winning me over, and I do think the creative team has it in them to make it so. I guess we'll see.
HELMET OF FATE: DETECTIVE CHIMP #1
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artist: Shawn McManus
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
I’ve hit it.
I’m there.
I’m officially fed up with the inundation of “events” that are coming from DC right now.
There hasn’t been a time to breathe and just soak in all of the changes that have occurred. The missing time set up with OYL, the mysteries set up in 52, the epic ripples that came from INFINITE CRISIS and all of the miniseries leading up to it. Now we are hit with this non-event of an event to drive the dagger deeper. I’m officially burnt out with DC right now and it’s their own damn fault. As much as I like to complain about Marvel’s missteps, I have to call DC out for theirs as well.
Basically, this HELMET OF FATE series of one-shots has very little to do with Nabu (the spirit of the helmet) and a whole lot more in common with Marvel’s Captain Universe where a single person (or in this case, a chimp) is granted the chance to be the most powerful being in the universe. This uninspired premise is the hook that writer Bill Willingham is hanging four issues of story on which basically shows how a handful of DC’s mystical heroes would handle the duties of Dr. Fate. One of the things that annoyed me the most about this book was that in the past, Dr. Fate’s powers just didn’t work this way. He was no omnipotent being. He was more like a Dr. Strange character, a sort of herald of Order, battling the forces of Chaos. Here, the power of Fate knows no bounds. I know the rules of magic were thrown out the window by the end of the INFINITE CRISIS and this “New Age of Magic” is on the rise in the DCU, but again, I was faced with that unanchored feeling where there was nothing established as stable to launch this magical stuff from other than Willingham doing his best Doug Henning “It’s Magic!” routine with no explanation of the hows and the whys of the situation (an act repeated over and over in the first few issues of SHADOWPACT before I dropped it like a sweltering tuber). Written in the same safe and uninspired way as SHADOWPACT, this book seals the deal that I simply don’t like superhero books written by Bill Willingham. I love FABLES, mind you. Maybe playing in someone else’s sandbox just doesn’t suit him, but I found SHADOWPACT and this DETECTIVE CHIMP book to be as bland as can be.
This “event” is the straw, my friends. If DC were a dude and we were buds, I’d put my arm around him and say this: Chill the fuck out, man. Look at yourself. You’re trying too hard. Stop trying to inundate us with one thing after another. You don’t even have to stop doing that if you would just wait until one event is over before beating us over the head with another one. This shit’s been going on for two years now and as a fan of the DCU, I’m fucking exhausted! Let 52 ride its course. Get a goddamn WONDER WOMAN comic out on time. Admit that AQUAMAN, HAWKMAN, and FLASH are failed attempts at relaunches, wish the talented creators well on their next ventures, and send them packing. Take care of the core titles, man. You’re slipping and losing dedicated fans, namely ME! I love the DCU, but enough with this Dagwood Sandwich style of storytelling. I’m tired, man. Just…fucking tired.
…*exasperated sigh*…
OK, to recap: I know this review may be a bit scattershot, but those are the emotions that surfaced as I read this issue which was filled with no grounding, event overkill, uninspired rip-offedness, and sheer tedium. The book did have some nice bits of detective work scattered throughout. It was the same type of cool detective stuff that Willingham proved he could tell with the first arc of FABLES. Maybe Willingham should drop all of this DC magic shit and focus on that for a while. He seems better suited. But apart from the fact that Detective Chimp is a relatively cool character when the Detective part is highlighted and the magic part is dimmed, this book left a bad taste in my mouth not only for the book itself, but DC in general.
FANTASTIC FOUR #542
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artists: Mike McKone, Andy Lanning and Cam Smith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Dan Grendell
"C'mon, we have an errand to run."
"Okay, but afterwards I have to help the resistance shut you down."
"Noted."
Dwayne McDuffie did something in this issue that I didn't really think was possible. He explained Reed's reason for being pro-Registration, and I actually bought it. He gave Reed a reason for acting so out of character that didn't involve mind control, or shape changers, or Loki, or Hatemonger, or drugs, or whatever. He explained a way that by acting out of character, Reed was in fact being in character. And it makes sense. And it sucks to be Reed. It really does. And this is why I have been waiting for Dwayne McDuffie's run on FANTASTIC FOUR to begin. The man's a damn genius.
What actually happens in this issue isn't all that important. Johnny visits with Reed, trying to get an explanation. Reed meets up with The Thinker, because he needs an outside opinion on his real reason for being pro-Registration - he needs someone else who is a super-genius to check his figures, to be SURE he isn't wrong. Unfortunately, he isn't. Oh, and The Thing fights Hydra in Paris, and Johnny visits him too.
What's important in this issue is what people say to each other. Conversations between members of the FF, and Reed and The Thinker, which reveal all sorts of things. Most notably, that reason of Reed's I mentioned that I'm not gonna spoil. There isn't a lot of action in this issue, but a lot happens. Important things, for the FF.
McKone does an able job on art, giving Reed a haunted look that shows how torn he is. His best showing is reserved for The Thinker, however, whose craggy face and deeply shadowed eyes give him a real Prophet of Doom look that serves him well here. Though well drawn, however, much of the art lacks animation, making it seem more flat than it should be.
This is a good start to Dwayne McDuffie's run on FANTASTIC FOUR, and I'm definitely looking forward to more. Color me impressed.
CASANOVA #7
Writer: Matt Fraction
Penciler: Gabriel Ba
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
So the first "album" (it looks like we’re calling it) of CASANOVA will be ending soon. Thankfully I've had a chance to look it all over with a peek at this finale and I can say it's...well, it's something. But that "something" is amazing, rest assured. I'm not here to ruin anything though... no spoilers, just some nods because I guess we've still got a week or two before this baby hits shelves, but since this is the final issue of this particular story I'm more here to give a general kudos to the work as a whole.
I said when CASANOVA first came out: this book was something special, and it definitely continues to be so. It's been a very intriguing ride, watching this book unfold as a mesh of some retro super spy thrills and uber-hip modern day action-adventuring with just the right hit of sex to sell. There has been some turbulence, the story itself is a bit complicated and has a lot of identity issues. There's a lot of crossing and double crossing and double agency about, but if you pay careful attention it actually streamlines very well, and that right there is my nod to try and get this in a lump sum, or even wait for the collected edition.
But it's a very rewarding book if you choose to delve into it. The cast of characters are so terribly unique, and eccentric, or just downright bizarre that they pull you into the story. Matt Fraction seems to be brimming with new ideas and creative alterations on old ones. You've got dimension hopping, sex bots, a slew of anagrammical secret organizations, floating tri-head thingies, hidden civilizations, and it's all wrapped up in some stylish violence and a proper smacking of nihilism. And the bow on top of that package is some sexy Gabriel Ba art that is just the perfect vehicle for it in a "more is more" approach focusing a lot on mood, but not being afraid to overload the panel when he sees fit to further push your senses to the limit.
When it comes to brand new books that I read this year, this one pretty much takes the cake, mainly being rivaled only by Warren Ellis' NEXTWAVE over at Marvel, which is funny because I like to think everything I just said about CASANOVA here goes almost hand in hand with that particularly brilliant book as well. And just like NEXTWAVE, this book has been highly underappreciated all year, but that can go for any year in particular when it comes to a hard sell such as this, let alone in one when one of the big two decides to go crossover crazy. But this was the first shot in what I hope is a volley of series to come, and it's probably more worth your hard earned cash than the majority of what random CIVIL WAR tie-ins you'll be putting in your grubby mitts this coming week. The trade is coming. It's a meager $13. Save a dollar a week until it comes out and the world of CASANOVA will be at your disposal all in one lump. You owe it to yourself. Cheers...
SHE-HULK #15
Dan Slott: Writer
Rick Burchett: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Agent of AICN
Can I just say for starters that, after three years of NEW AVENGERS, SECRET WAR, HOUSE OF M, CIVIL WAR, and assorted other bullshit, I am sick to fucking death of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Bad enough that they have all the superheroes in the world in their pocket over in the Ultimate universe, but now if you aren’t working for them over in Marvel Classic you get a lightning bolt up your ass. I don’t know about you, but every hero on earth on one big team that’s wrapped up in government bureaucracy sounds boring as all hell.
Well thank god for Dan Slott, because with his latest installment of SHE-HULK he’s made a preemptive strike on that sort of thinking. Sure, Jen is working with SHIELD as an agent in this arc, but she’s not exactly happy about it. There’s also the musings about the location of her cousin, this arc being titled, after all, “World Without A Superma” - I mean, “Planet Without A Hulk”. (Sorry, wrong company.) The melancholy tone of the previous issue centered on Awesome Andy is in full swing again here.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. The bulk of the issue is Shulkie getting into a sweet ass brawl with the Abomination, one that showcases (wrong company again?) both her brawn and her brains. And make no mistake, Burchett’s artwork for the fight is simply stellar. But what elevates this issue is the quiet moments, where Jen is contemplating the way her life has changed due to recent “events,” wondering what has happened to her moral center. (I’ve been wondering the same thing about the whole of Marvel’s moral center from the reveal of the Illuminati on… But that’s another review.)
With the character developments of the past two issues coupled with the old school action of this one, plus the way Slott is examining the implications of the current atmosphere of the Marvel universe, SHE-HULK has instantly become my single favorite book currently being published by the House of Ideas. It’s just plain fun, dammit, with characters who are actually enjoying being heroes at times. When was the last time you could say that about a Marvel book?
Now, just who do I have to sleep with at Marvel for S.H.I.E.L.D. to get shelved for the next five years?
OMEGA MEN #4 (OF 6)
Writer: Andersen Gabrych
Artist: Henry Flint
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Sleazy G
DC Comics has spent the last few years working to pull their mainstream universe closer together. They’ve worked long and hard at coming up with story arcs that pulled in first-, second- and eighth-tier characters, giving everyone a way to participate. They’ve given us a general idea of what direction things are going, laying groundwork for later storylines and dropping hints of what’s to come.
Sometimes, though, you can be so busy staring at the big picture on the wall that you don’t notice the nearby garbage can and trip over it. For a while now there’s been a feeling that certain characters or plotlines had been forgotten or sidelined for some reason. Sometimes it’s been smaller stories, sometimes not, but either way there’s been a feeling that something was supposed to be big, important or maybe even good…only to have it fade into the background or miss the mark.
OMEGA MEN falls into that category with a resounding thud.
The ADAM STRANGE miniseries from ’04-‘05 did a helluva job reintroducing DC’s intergalactic characters, spending time with Rannians, the L.E.G.I.O.N., Captain Comet, and the Omega Men among others. It also looked damned good doing it, featuring inspired art by Pascual Ferry that incorporated classic old-school costumes with a fresh new design aesthetic. The O-Men also turned up in the follow-up miniseries RANN-THANAGAR WAR. That series was perhaps a bit cluttered at times, but it had a story to tell and did it fairly well. The art was more traditional, more workmanlike, but it still did the job.
And then there’s the current OMEGA MEN miniseries. The story it’s telling feels like it should be big: it’s clearly tied to all the galactic events of the last few years’ stories, and the big impending space-borne threat is growing ever closer to Earth and the rest of the DCU. We’re talking “the end of everything” big. I mean, those are huge stakes, right? The end of the universe and all? Every character we’ve ever read about, every planet we’ve ever seen…it’s all in danger. Races, planets, entire galaxies have fallen before Lady Styx and her army of Darkstars. There’s a lot of stuff that should be BIG going on. Stuff that should be HUGE. This is all really important, and really closely tied to all the other stories of the last few years.
So why is it such a stinker?
Every issue of this book so far has been, y’know, lousy. I mean, not just mediocre, but a real stinker. Andersen Gabrych has some cool ideas here—like the idea that dark matter is a physical manifestation or aspect of death—but there are also a lot of really bad ideas. Number one on that list, for me, is the continual talk of gods and belief and faith and blah-dee-frikkin’ blah. These are issues that are difficult enough to discuss in a comic book format under any circumstances, but when you’ve got a giant planet-razing spider woman asking a green robotic asshole (seriously, that Brainiac dude from L.E.G.I.O.N. is a total dick) if he’s got a soul or not, things have just gone from stupid to retarded. You wanna say she’s out to destroy all life to gain some sort of power over the dead or whatever, fine—we’re dealing with nebulous concepts. But a story about a blue space nun? Telling people to believe in god and the way of the light to resist an impending assault from…ummm…the forces of entropy as represented by the undead bodies of all the people killed for millions of light years around in the uniforms of the Darkstars? Wow. I mean, that’s just…wow.
And maybe—just maybe--it could work in the hands of a truly inspired writer, somebody who was crazy enough to cram it full of so many Morrisionian concepts that it somehow kinda clicked. But that just doesn’t happen here. The dialogue is stilted, clichéd, and boring. We’re also two thirds of the way through without so much as the slightest explanation of why the Darkstars, former interstellar police, are now a bunch of dead people who were never members before and fighting for the bad guys. That one really deserved a little coverage by now. I can’t really blame Gabrych all the way, though. Maybe this kind of story is just harder for him to get a handle on; he seemed to do okay with more street-level Batman related titles, and god knows the cosmic stuff is hard as hell to get right. Beyond that, though, I suspect a much larger problem here: it just feels like it got tampered with a lot by editorial. In fact, it kinda feels like they weren’t quite sure where to go with the series, and either waited too long to make up their minds on what they wanted or made changes along the way and expected Gabrych to keep up with them.
None of the issues I mentioned are what really puts this title in the “stinker” category, though. It’s the art. The horrible, painful to look at, confusing, poorly colored, clunky, distracting art. When I first started writing reviews here a few years back I would have launched into a bitter rant about just how wretched and amateurish the art in this miniseries has been. Now, though, I’d feel bad about laying into Henry Flint. He penciled his own stuff, so I can’t put the blame there, but maybe it’s not the coloring Flint was expecting. Maybe he had to step in at the last minute and was incredibly rushed. Maybe he’s got potential to improve. It’s hard to say. All I know is that this has been a uniformly ugly and hard-to-follow miniseries from the beginning of the first issue. I hope Flint does better in the future, and I’m not trying to kick the guy, but the book just makes my head hurt.
Which is why, in the end, all the responsibility has to be put on editorial. Knowing what a hard sell the cosmic characters tend to be in comics, and making them such a big part of DC’s event books of the last few years, this miniseries should have been at the top of the list of Things To Get Right. It should have been a top priority considering how closely tied to the events of 52 it is. OMEGA MEN should have been a huge story with a top-notch story and kickass art, just like ADAM STRANGE. Instead, the series went overlooked by editorial and underpromoted by marketing, and it feels like it’ll all just be swept under the rug in fairly short order. If this series had had the kind of push that, say, the DR. FATE one shots are, it could have been completely different. Even with the current scripts intact, better interior art wrapped in covers like the ones Bolland did for DETECTIVE CHIMP last week would have insured more attention for this book. It should have been a big deal, something that mattered, something that people wanted to read. Instead it’s just kind of a mess, and it’ll be soon forgotten. It’s a sadly missed opportunity, and DC should be careful to avoid more like it.
NEW UNIVERSAL #2
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
I am dead and in Hell. So I can do anything.
” From the handwritten journal of Det. John Tensen
Uplifting quote there don’t you think, mates?
Sarcasm aside, Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca are actually accomplishing something akin to what the Sci-Fi Channel did when it “reimagined” a mostly forgotten old ‘70s television STAR WARS rip-off called BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. And I’ll note right here at the top that I don’t know if Marvel intends it, but the trade dress for the series is highly reminiscent of Marvel’s Ultimate line giving the series the look of an implied ULTIMATE NEW UNIVERSE.
Now, I’m sure there are some out there who harbor great love for Marvel’s NEW UNIVERSE. I’ve just never met them. It was definitely an idea before its time. Jim Shooter’s concept of a self-contained line of comics designed from conception to be part of one shared universe was original in 1988, but rule-of-thumb today for most new publishers (can we say: Malibu, Wildstorm, ABC, CrossGen, etc.?) Shooter’s concept of realistic super-heroes (meaning no spandex union suits and some level of basic physics consideration on the effects of these powers) thrust into the world outside your window was original in 1988 but old hat nowadays. Can we all say it together? “Save the cheerleader. Save the world.”
Shooter’s NEW UNIVERSE suffered primarily because those who worked on the various series were so grounded in the “old school” of comics that they just could not think quite wide enough outside of the box. In fact, almost as soon as Shooter was removed from leadership, Marvel itself ran away from the concept and tried to revamp the line by bringing in John Byrne, who had huge clout at the time (post-MAN OF
STEEL) to throw some spandex onto Starbrand and try to save the line. In other words, when anxiety drives you to fear about the new and the unknown, always go backwards to what you know and are comfortable with. So, when that plan failed to bring in readers, Marvel cancelled the whole line and went with a series of prestige format miniseries where they completely lost their minds and let Byrne blow up Pittsburgh
and then “entertain” everybody with nuclear fallout and a world war. As the New Universe began its slow and painful dying process, nobody cared. And nobody was gonna shell out prestige format prices for that garbage. Which is why you can now pick ‘em up for two bits at your local used bookstore’s junk comics box.
So, now the time has come (apparently) to celebrate this sad blip of a
4-year experiment because we’re heading into its 20th anniversary. Hey! How come they never celebrated the 20th anniversary of CRAZY magazine? How come they never celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Femizons?? C’mon! But I digress.
How does Marvel celebrate the 20th anniversary of the NEW UNIVERSE? By bringing on arguably their best writer and marrying his writing with the detailed, dynamic, and moody artwork of Spanish artist Salvador Larroca. I picked up both issues 1 and 2 this past week, and I was very impressed. It seems that other than SHE-HULK, about the only time I find myself truly impressed by a Marvel comic nowadays it means it must be a title that does not directly tie into the reflux that passes for current Marvel mainstream continuity. What impressed me so much about these two issues of NEW UNIVERSAL was how Ellis deftly jumped around to introduce so many different characters that had that feel of someone I remembered, yet seemed fresh and modern. I’ve basically blocked out all the character details from twenty years ago, so when NEW UNIVERSAL picks up the tale of the zombie police detective, Justice, it sparks a long-buried memory of the character but I sure don’t remember it being like this. Which is good, I think. I loved the Frankenstein-like qualities that Ellis attached to the characterization and his obsessive journaling allows for wildly interesting narration.
The corporate Spitfire project provides Ellis the perfect plot opportunity to indulge his usual evil, shady corporate puppet master theme. This time with a special appearance by actor James Cromwell as Philip Voigt, the corrupt (possibly full-blown evil) head of the Spitfire project. The scenes with Starbrand maybe went a bit over the top for me. Although I’m not a huge fan of gore for gore’s sake, I think I get what Ellis is doing here with the realistic implications of power on the level of the Starbrand and Ken O’Connell’s struggle to control it before he inadvertently burns anyone else to a crisp.
But, really, enough with the insane idiot policeman caricature. The cop whose daughter just got barbequed showed no semblance of true emotion, just B-movie “Kill the sumbitch” buffoonery. However, the stuff with Nightmask looks to be Ellis’ opportunity to go off on some more mind-blowing cosmic pontificating. Which I always appreciate. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the last issue of PLANETARY. Was the whole thing really just all about Darkseid trying to invade Earth-Planetary? Anyway,it’s amazing what a couple of pints at the local pub can do to open a writer’s mind to all sort of extrapolation.
Issues 1 and 2 of NEW UNIVERSAL let the reader know immediately that while it was based on Shooter’s original concept, Ellis is going in a completely different direction thematically. Shooter wanted the world to be the world outside our window. Ellis has made sure from the beginning to set NEW UNIVERSAL in the world outside someone Else’s window. This is a world where the Chinese rule the space race, the World Trade Center never came down, and John Lennon is still alive (though Paul McCartney’s dead--or is he?). So, not only is the reader along for the discovery of who and what these different heroes are, they are also being exposed to a world that seems so familiar
but is slightly off-kilter.
I think NEW UNIVERSAL is quite good and in two issues has already outdone the entire four years’ worth of the original NEW UNIVERSE. Now, who says I don’t give props to Marvel when they deserve it?
MARVEL ADVENTURES: THE AVENGERS #9
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artists: Juan Santacruz and Raul Fernandez
Publisher: Marvel
Reviewer: Dan Grendell
"If you are attempting a distraction by coaxing an origin story from me, it will not work. Still, I LIKE telling my origin, so I shall widen my brainblast. There. Now I can talk without heroic interruption."
Ah, MA: AVENGERS. Like a fine juice box, aged for weeks, it gives only the best in flavor with just a hint of fruitiness. Balancing just the right amount of old school heroing with charm and witty one-liners, MA: AVENGERS isn't a kids book - it's a book that's great for all ages. Done-in-one stories, fun ideas, heroes acting in character - it has it all.
This time out, our intrepid heroes encounter M.O.D.O.C. Yes, with a C instead of a K. He's a Mental Organism Designed Only for Conquest, because, you know, Killing is a bit much in an all ages book. I'll buy that. Not like the original M.O.D.O.K. ever really went out on mass murder sprees or anything anyway; Conquest was more his style.
Anyway, M.O.D.O.C. manages to capture the Avengers and in a bid to make them think like him he puts them through his origin. That's right, he M.O.D.O.C.izes 'em. Unfortunately, AIM worker Karl kinda screws up the process, so the result is Avenger M.O.D.O.C.s- complete with floating chairs- fighting villainy in a slightly more, uh, messed up fashion. They defeat an invasion by Attuma, for example, then realize his kingdom is undefended and ripe for conquest. Then they tease The Leader about how small his head is. Thankfully, the M.O.D.O.C. transformations begin to wear off, and some last minute heroics keep them from being made permanent.
Words cannot express to you how much joy an issue of the Avengers as M.O.D.O.C.s brought to me. Especially one as well-written as this one, by the very talented Jeff Parker. What really helps sell the idea, though, is the artwork by Santacruz and Fernandez. "Hey, guys, give the Avengers giant heads and tiny appendages and stick them in floaty chairs" is not an instruction many artists can pull off with this much style, but it's clear that a lot of care was put into every panel here. I also noticed that Juan Santacruz managed to put Raul Fernandez, Jeff Parker, and editors Nathan Cosby and Mark Paniccia in as AIM agents, so extra points for that.
Month after month, MA: AVENGERS continues to delight and satisfy me. Comics like this make me glad I still read superhero books.
THE SPIRIT #2
Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
So okay, here's the thing; I really just don't care about THE SPIRIT. Now, just lemme explain that. Put down your pitchforks and potato guns or whatever the hell is used in lynchings these days. I of course "care" about THE SPIRIT. Obviously it's a fantastic property. Even written sixty years ago, Will Eisner handed down to us one of the most amusing, entertaining, heart-breaking and reverent pulps of all time. And yes, we all love Darwyn Cooke. THE NEW FRONTIER was excellent and the Absolute format of it is a must own. And his dabbling in the world of Catwoman via SELINA'S BIG SCORE and art chores during Ed Brubaker's run on the main CATWOMAN title were stellar, overlooked materials.
But the thing of it all is, so far I've read two issues of Cooke's rendition of Eisner's classic character THE SPIRIT, and each time I've sat down, I've enjoyed it to the point where I've vocally said to myself "That was fun" and then I close it and totally forget about its existence until the next one comes out, where the process repeats itself. And see, that's the thing, this book REALLY is fun, but it's more of a dosage type thing. Maybe I'm just a little jaded, but I haven't really gotten excited about this book until it's actually up on my reading pile and I open the first cover.
Like, this issue in particular, already introducing P'Gell, a gold-digging widower and one of The Spirit's more classic nemeses. Apparently she's up to her old tricks again, though this time she has her eye on a rather wealthy middle-eastern gent who's a bit of a tyrant. The subject matter is a little weighty so that's nice but mostly it's an issue of The Spirit trying to get around the embassy and bring P'Gell to her senses. There's a lot of bumbling about as The Spirit is pretending to be blind in order to, uh, "infiltrate" said embassy to get her that leads to a lot of falling down and getting roughed up which is actually pretty comical. And there's a lot of solid throw away lines from Hussein, the Prince's aid, which add a bunch of fun levity to it all. There's also a nice little bait and switch at the end that I appreciated, a segment where P'Gell looks all vulnerable and pulls in The Spirit, and then leaves him in her dust yet again. Not exactly inspired, but still enjoyable. But that just goes to what I've been trying to say overall here all along. It's fun while it lasts and then you move on. It's yet to leave me wanting more, but I know I'll enjoy another helping when it's put before me.
What is really keeping me coming back though is of course the art. Glorious, glorious Darwyn Cooke art. So "Silver Agey". Oh how I love your cartoony and pulpish reminiscings with that modern eye for detail and transition. I love the background detail, I love the exaggerated yet articulate facial features, and the physical forms he creates on the pages. And the splashes too. Always great to behold, and this one has a two-pager of Ms. P'Gell to kick it off that is very luscious as well. The art is definitely something I enjoy sinking into each month, even though the more one-off-ish stories leave me a little on the lacking side. But fun is fun, and I really can think of a lot worse that you can be spending your lunch money on month in and month out.
CIVIL WAR: FRONTLINE #10
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artists: Ramon Bachs, Steve Lieber
Reviewer: Squashua
FRONTLINE is generally like a tasty dessert to wash down my typically bitter CIVIL WAR dinner. It contains 3-4 different stories about a couple reporters researching the registration groups or getting harassed by the Green Goblin, investigation into an Atlantean sleeper cell, shots of Speedball trying not to drop the soap in jail, and the occasional ham-handed comparison of the Marvel Civil War to real-life military conflicts. My misgivings aside, I prefer FRONTLINE to the
usual CIVIL WAR book.
Not so much in issue #10, where Jenkins just phones in the origin of Penance and has the reporters run from an unnecessarily generic fight scene used to remind us that the THUNDERBOLTS roster was just reset. The duo spend their story beating around the bush regarding some very important information about Tony Stark that is ultimately never
provided to the reader. The whole thing comes off like a bad retelling of "Who's on First?" Way to go.
That's about it for the review portion of this review. Now, I'm going to pull out my soapbox and tell you why I glossed over the origin of Penance. For those not interested, other @$$holes have written reviews besides this one, go check them out.
Back when I was a young lad, I'd buy my comics at the local 7-11. It was within walking distance and always had a plethora of books on the shelves. I wasn't into anything that wasn't overtly super-heroic. I bought funny books like CAPTAIN CARROT, issues of THE THING and WHAT
IF? and never missed an appearance by The Brothers Grimm in IRON MAN or the Frog Man in SPIDER-MAN. Byrne's Ben Grimm in a video game and Aunt May as a herald of Galactus kept me entertained. I'd grab anything with the Legion of Substitute Heroes and Ambush Bug, not to
mention that one issue of ACTION COMICS with Ambush Bug taking on the Subs.
I avoided books with a high issue count, scared that I couldn't "get into" them. Searching for rare back issues was out of the question, and stuff like the NEW UNIVERSE seemed a little too adult for me. So it was, in the last year of middle school while sipping on a Slurpee, that I spotted a brand new hero staring back at me from the rack; bouncing around the cover and surrounded by big bubbles, with a friendly Spider-Man feel to him was SPEEDBALL #1.
I had only followed two other long-running books since issue #1: POWER PACK and THE TRANSFORMERS. SPEEDBALL seemed like the perfect book to "graduate" to. He wasn't a mutant like pretty much everyone else, didn't have Wolverine guest starring, and didn't require purchasing several tie-in issues or crossovers. Score one for the little guy.
Robbie Baldwin was fun in a corny, but not overtly silly, kind of way. The book was cancelled after about 10 issues, but since I had not yet learned to follow writers instead of characters, this led me to my next love and first major team book: THE NEW WARRIORS. Firestar I recognized from Amazing Friends, I knew Nova from an old issue of his forgotten series and Marvel Boy seemed interesting enough (and led me to purchase GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), but I'd never heard of Namorita and couldn't care less about Night Thrasher, aka stupid-skateboarding-Batman. What really mattered to me was the presence of Speedball (and much later on, Powerpax). I bought every issue and spin-off until cancellation. Speedball didn't see the light of day until a guest appearance in ULTRA GIRL and the release of a second volume of NEW WARRIORS. With terrible costume changes, poor characterization, and uninteresting storylines and characters
(Aegis?), I dropped it after two issues. I didn't bother buying an issue of the recent short-lived reality show-oriented third volume.
Which brings us to CIVIL WAR and me having come of age as a comic reader.
As I hinted at earlier, I have learned to appreciate writers over characters. If you haven't yet, you will come to understand that Superman written by Jeph Loeb or Joe Kelly is vastly different than
Superman written by Grant Morrison. You might hate the entire concept of Superman, but let me tell you, Morrison makes it work.
And that's what happened to me with Speedball. Writers evolve characters to their own style and Robbie Baldwin wasn't the same old guy I knew. He had become a caricature of his old self. To me, Speedball died long before the Stanford incident. My Speedball was killed when Marvel cancelled the first volume of NEW WARRIORS. Neils the cat is dead too.
And that's why I'm OK with Penance. Except for the fact that Speedball's power generated his old costume; he would never have needed a tailor.
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - THE SPACE WITHIN #1
IDW Publishing
Can’t say that I’m a huge Trekkie. I’ve seen most of the original episodes, sat though the movies, and occasionally lusted after Seven of Nine. Out of all of the incarnations of STAR TREK that has graced the silver screen and the tube, I think I’ve seen the most STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episodes. I’m no expert and I’m sure there are those detail heads who will spout endlessly about how this isn’t that in this book, but to this interested outsider, I found this book to be a pretty OK read. David Tischman captures the various personalities made famous by the ST:TNG crew fairly well with a tale of (what else?) the crew beaming down into the middle of a mysterious world. The story twisted and turned and turned out to be an entertaining read. The art is nice too. Although slightly stiff at times, Casey Maloney depicts these iconic characters with a talented hand. Maloney pays a lot of attention to making these characters look like their real life counterparts. The final product is a jarringly interesting melding of photo-realism and comic book classicism. I especially liked the Paduang-like designs of the alien race o’ the day in this episode…er…I mean issue. It looks like a STAR TREK episode and reads like one. In the end, this is a worthy addition to the Star Trek mythology. I’m looking forward to reading more adventures of the ST:TNG crew in comic book form. - Ambush Bug
HARD-BOILED COMICS FEATURING BILLY BLACKBURN, P.I. #1-2
Goodbum Studios
I had a chance to see the first issue of this series in both a rough early form and a newer slicker version of the title along with issue two and it’s nice to see the creator behind this book (Steve Earnhart) learn and grow. The story follows a hard-nosed detective on a case that involves aliens, mutants, killer clowns, and Hollywood. Earnhart definitely knows his noir and fills every panel with the detective’s voice over. Although at times teetering over the crevasse of “too wordy,” this comic is a nice homage to all of those great detective films of Hollywood’s yesteryear. The narrator talked a whole hell of a lot in those films and he does in this book too. I had a fun time soaking in the nice character designs and fun dialog in his pair of black & white issues. The story and art improved greatly between issues one and two. Like many indie titles, the creators of this book seem to truly believe in their product and this time there are definitely moments that shine and are worth checking out. - Ambush Bug
VIDEO: THE COLLECTED EDITION TPB
Lost in the Dark Press
The artist of one of my favorite indie reads of this year, FRAGILE PROPHET, Stephen R. Buell, wrote and drew this “What if?” story asking what if Jesus came back, confirming his existence and announcing the End of Days. This “remastered” compilation intelligently takes a serious look at this question and tells a powerful story through the eyes of a group of twenty-somethings. This isn’t your typical slice-of-life indie book since Jesus is floating in the sky and leaving messages on every TV and computer screen stating “Stay tuned for a message from your Savior”, but the characters are three-dimensionally thought out in full slacker-esque style. Warning: This book contains messages that some may find jarring. It may piss some people off. It may cause…*shudder*…actual deep conversation. I liked it. And Buell’s art continues to impress me as he develops his style. His characters have a simplistic cartoony limbs and bodies, and oversized heads with highly detailed scrunched up features. Sounds kind of weird, I know, but it makes for a truly interesting artistic experience. Those who think this is some kind of preachy, hippy stuff couldn’t be further from the truth. VIDEO is book that dares to take a stand, asks hard questions, and forces you to think. - Ambush Bug
ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS #2
IDW Publishing
Just when you thought this book couldn’t get any more bleak and fun at the same time that last page shows up to literally nail you in the nuts. I’m looking forward to the sequel to this two-part extravaganza. Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood are at the top of their game as the situation goes from worse to awful to awfully worse with the only guarantee being that the human race is truly fucked by the end of this book. Ryall is not going to be winning father of the year due to how the last living baby ends up in this issue, but he does have the dubious honor of writing one of the best miniseries of the year. Wood’s expressionistic style and murky colors really lend to the dismal tone of the book. But this book never loses its sense of humor. This is by far one of the best books IDW has ever put to print, mixing an unforgettable hook, some of the most beautiful art, and a simplistic and engrossing story to make comic book perfection. - Ambush Bug
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.
’68 #1
Image Comics
Say it ain’t so…a zombie book that I don’t like? Well, it’s not that I didn’t enjoy this book setting the zombie plague occurring during the Viet Nam War. It’s just that I found the tie-ins to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to be overkill. This could have been a stronger story on its own without relying on cheap gags like having the main character writing to Barbara and the end gag just put me over the edge. The concept is a strong one. It definitely could have stood on its own, especially with a powerful and horrifying action sequence towards the end. But they shot themselves in the foot trying to be cute with this one. A near hit. - Bug 
GREEN LANTERN #16
DC Comics
Chapter Three of “Wanted: Hal Jordan” kicks off with the JLA, and the Golden Age Green Lantern, arriving in Russia to stop the Rocket Reds from taking down GL for the crime of trespassing. All this political borders/Global Guardians nonsense is just silly but the momentum of GL as a fugitive being chased from all sides makes this a bang-up adventure overall. I wasn’t too thrilled with Alan Scott roaring at Hal like a parent who’s lost his temper, but every scene with Cowgirl delivered the goods and the cliffhanger ending with Abin Sur’s surly little offspring is great soober-hero fun. I just love this book. - Prof. 
STORMWATCH PHD #3
DC Wildstorm
Y'know, I don't know what it is, but I really can't bring myself to fully recommend this book. Like, it has all the elements that I love in an off the cuff superhero book. Unique characters, clever setting and circumstances surrounding the book, and your odd bit of ultraviolence with some pretty stellar Doug Mahnke art. But honestly, I find myself not caring about the majority of the characters in this book, despite (or in spite of depending) their quirks. The only unpowered man on the team, Paris, and former Stormwatch alum Farenheit are the only ones that I really get excited to see on page. And while the ideas are pretty fresh sometimes I find the execution a little lacking. I dunno, it's like for every bit of cleverness I find in this, there's a bit too much exposition explaining why it's clever and it becomes less so because of it. It's just odd. This is genuinely a fun and good book, but there's just a little too much of it not clicking with me still. Maybe some more issues fleshing some of this stuff out will help out a bit, but right now I can only give this one a mild recommendation. - Humphrey
BATMAN #662
DC Comics
Quitcher bitchin’ about the fact that the Morrison Joker story has been delayed. It’ll be here shortly. Until then, feast your eyes on a truly great finale to a truly great Batman story. Ostrander wraps this arc up nicely with a heated battle over icy waters between Batman and Grotesk, but it’s Tom Mandrake that has topped himself with each issue of this series. This is the best looking Batman tale of the year. I gave a full review on his work with this title not long ago and was prepared for a spectacular finish, and still my socks were blown clean off with Mandrake’s energetic panels depicting Batman in all of his iconic and menacing glory. The way Mandrake makes the snow filled air come alive and rip at the Dark Knight as he battles to save his city is something that should be noted by those who want to be professional artists and admired by all. - Bug 
AGENTS OF ATLAS #6
Marvel Comics
This little off the radar book from Marvel finally comes to a close and I felt obligated to give it a proper send off. This little throwback has been a highly entertaining book with which Jeff Parker has surprisingly breathed some fresh air into some pretty stagnant characters. There's been plenty of action and intrigue, and a really nice bit of nostalgia mixed in with a quirky sense of humor. I honestly have to say I didn't know what to expect from a book bringing back the Golden Age Marvel Boy and freakin’ Gori
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Mike Deodato is terrible...
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Since I'm not reading the comics.
I enjoyed New Universe back when it came out ... and now I suddenly feel very, very old ... but I could tell it wasn't going to survive so I gave up pretty quick on it (I was too young to notice that irony) -
I mean, you hear books aren't selling too well, but I'd hope AoA'll get a TPB. It was a really fun read and excellent use of Marvel's pre-FF characters and history. Just a really fun and solid title. I bought all the issues and I'd probably still get the collected editon.
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During the chat w sue. anywho AoA was totally kick ass and, chrth, you're not alone mate. the original New Universe was very entertaining... if only for a while.
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If I didn't have a reason to be cynical about the state of comics these days, looking at these reviews would give me plenty of them. One or two diamonds in the big pile of manure called Marvel and DC. Maybe they should read some of their reprints (Essentails and Archives), get books out on time, and people wouldn't feel jaded and ripped-off half the time.
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His whole "Nextwave is for people too stupid to read Agents of Atlas" marketing campaign didn't work, and probably turned off a lot of Nextwave fans who otherwise would've been willing to give AOA a shot. It's never worked for Apple, I don't know why he thought it would work for AOA.
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I agree with you about the DC overkill, but you've got a bit of your info mixed up. Each of the Helmet of Fate oneshots is by a different writer/artist team, and judging by a touch of narration Willingham adds at the end, they're doing a revamp of Dr. Fate. They're pulling an aspect of each of the main characters in the oneshots and adding it to the overall Dr. Fate, in this case 'Tec Chimp's understanding of human nature. You have to buy each of them to see what they contribute to the end product (meh). At least DC had the good sense to do a Zauriel book. Now here's hoping it sells well enough to encourage a miniseries then ongoing!
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...they're LAZY compared to AoA readers. 8^D
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The comics section had been reduced to movie news, which unless is an exclusive pic of how IM's armor is going to look on the movie, I could care less. I'll be back later to berate your reviews. Carry on.
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Maybe it's just me, but I've been bored to death with the Grotesk storyline in Batman. I started tuning out when 'Johnny Karaoke' in the second issue appeared. Meh. Dini's new ish of Detective was its usual greatness.
Cog Awards people! ** http://tinyurl.com/y3me75 **
I agree with Squash about Frontline easily being better than the main series and mostly all enjoyable.
I have to search for Zombies vs. Robots #1 because my shop sold out, but I picked up the second issue. That Chris Ryall is pretty awesome.
Mouse Guard and Criminal this week? I think so.
Bless Dwayne McDuffie. -
It would be more interesting than Marvel/DC's Infinite War and Civil Crisis combined: http://tinyurl.com/cdq7k
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I probably buy 15 books a month, and Girls is the finest one by far. It actually gets better issue after issue, and the last one(21) was super great(hah Nancy, good luck with that.) Of course I understand the marvel and dc pimpin, and I like books from them both, but what the fuck ever happened to a story that ended? I've been readin civil war stuff and read 12 52's and infinite crisis, and all I can think is enough. Anyone remember when x-men crossovers involved 10 different books a month? I sure do, and it's the reason I stopped buying books for like 10 years. If these bozos at the big boys don't check themselves, their popularity will just be crippled by all the different mini's that have something to do with the EVENT that is going on. Didn't they learn anything from variant chromium covers and all that jazz? That said, I bet WWH will be pretty badass. Great, everything I just said is worthless. Shit. Anyways, read Girls, it's good stuff.
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and never got around to finishing it.
Sort of a blue-balls feeling. Like the comic.
There, that good for you? -
But I am interested in reading it.
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blue balls like you want to jerk it after readin it, or that it's all a big cocktease? to me it's a pretty tight(ha!) story overall, with not too many loose story lines and resolution to dilemmas. but maybe you prefer your books packaged to sell you 4 or 5 more books to get the whole story. different strokes, I guess.
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Umm, where to start. Yeah, nice 'booty' Dinah. Anyway, about GIRLS. I actually reviewed #17 ** http://tinyurl.com/2eedhk ** and up to that point I was still indifferent to the outcome of the series. After hearing that it was ending at #24 I wanted to punch myself in the scrotum for wasting my time with this series. It's gone nowhere and what does anyone know? A giant sperm monster eats women and the towns people can't get out of a bubble. 21 issues summed up right there. Save your money people. Also, I'm so very sorry if GIRLS is the best thing you read out of 15 books a month. Pick up ALL STAR SUPERMAN, WALKING DEAD, MOUSE GUARD, CRIMINAL, WORMWOOD, EXTERMINATORS, etc. for easily better reads.
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fair enough, I guess. the Lunas say all mysteries will be solved by the end, but if you don't like it that's cool. i never knew there was such hate for Girls. to me the art alone warrants my 3 bucks a month. as for the titles you recommend, i read all star supes(good stuff) and walking dead(kinda draggin lately, although the tortue issue was pretty wicked.) I wanna read Exterminators, but funds aren't good enough to add it yet(maybe when Girls ends). I'm acutally lookin forward to gettin the final Lucifer trade today, though. That wacky devil and his little half angel/half human new God are pretty entertaining.
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I'd love to have everything explained by the end, but it all feels so decompressed. I think the majority of the story could have been done in 12 issues easily and made a nice HC. I was actually a big fan of it at first but for the last 7-10 issues it's aggravated me a lot. Issue #3 was a personal favorite. I like how the Lunas bring a different looking style to comics, but after so many issues it starts to get kind of repetitive as far as composition and panel layout in general goes. In my review I think I counted 80 something blurry backgrounds too, which irritates me as a creative 'choice', but at least it keeps the book on schedule I guess. As much as I've groaned about the book I admit that I've made it this far and I might as well finish it you know? It's nowhere near as bad as some of the crap out there, but my disappointment comes from the book missing an opportunity. Whew… that was long. Anyway, sorry to rant. Thanks for the civil conversation as well. For more on our favorite books we have the first two parts of our COG Awards up over here ** http://tinyurl.com/y3me75 ** Thanks. FYI, EXTERMINATORS is craaazy, but in a good way.
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lookin through the cog best of list reminded me about that astro city one shot. now that is some kind of great comic.
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And you thought i was dead...
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At least, that's what he told me...
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Thanks for taking a look taintyourwagon. Much appreciated.
Vale, how goes it my fellow Cog? Are we ever going to talk about Pride of Baghdad? The Escapists? Lost Girls? Huh, huh? -
www.myspace.com/cogsmooches
We also have Best Hero & Best Villain done. We're going to have the rest roll out throughout the week.
So… what do people think of the decoded message in the back of last weeks 52? Hmm… -
Or was that Animal Man?
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your username makes me laugh. thnx 4 checking out the cog awards. that shigeru is supersexly
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supersexly indeed. Hey, the posts are posting in not the correct order. Ahh, I love AICN. Vale would hate that reference Thalya and you know it you saucy minx! Wait… am I allowed to say saucy still? What did Psy say that meant? Pumpkin Spice anyone?
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It goes well...i've regrouped and started comics work for 2007. I'm writing an OGN for my friend Maria to draw (you remember her), and it's all so very exciting.
About the comics you mention, i haven't been able to find The Escapists #3 and it's pissing me off. Other comics i can't find, The finales to the latest Y and Punisher storylines. The FINALES dude! Does that seem bloody fair to you? I didn't think so.
Pride Of Baghdad: What's your take on it? Thematically i mean. You know, i saw Children of Men last night and i can't shake it out of my head. It really affected me, i have to say...how this is all connected to PoB is anyone's guess at this point, tho'.
Lastly, Lost Girls: Talk to me, sir. Be specific. -
Saw Veronica Mars last night and I was half-hoping the guy had named the stolen capuchin "Ampersand". That would have been cool.
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52 sucks balls. it could be my arm talking. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbow-joint
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Thal, you saucy little minx, i didn't get your refference (frowny face) but i'm guessing it's totally well-meaning and even kinda sexy. How do you do paragraph breaks again?
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gorgeous, sad, touching, but way too farking short!!!
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And other than a seemingly very slow start, the only reason I can think of would be "due to extremity".
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Fuck, i liked The Boys! It was fucked up and entertaining and i thought it'd be around for a very long time.
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Reed explained his reason for supporting registration to Ben Urich in Frontline #3. It was much along the same lines as he explained it to The Thinker. Pretty much in line with his character. I liked how Urich came back at him with the baseball analogy.
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shitty. this was shaping up to be one hell of a jacked up book, but I guess we never will see the Butcher v. Homelander to the death. sux.
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And if I'm not saucy, can I be tart? A lil pumpkin spice tart..
And Vale, type the following without spaces for paragraph breaks:
(and it doesn't have to be capitalized) -
I missed the past 6 years or so of Spider-Man. The Clone Saga killed it for me.
But I just bought back issues from #500 to present. When did Osbourn come back from the dead? That fucking sucks. Is Kraven still dead? I hope so. Norm Osbourn was much creepier and cooler knowing he died. I am pretty pissed off that he was brought back. I was also pissed to hear Aunt May was brought back to via kidnapping. Pretty stupid shit. -
That would have been great if he was named Ampersand! Poor Oscar or #25 lab monkey.
The cancelled THE BOYS?!?! Fuggin A. What Vale said. (Vale: minus the spaces of course) As for Pride of Baghdad, I like how it relates thematically to the events that surround it the way it did. Utterly crushing and hard to take in, especially since there's a feeling of hope and an animated charm that's even more apparent because you have lions talking to turtles on river beds and what not. When it gets down to it though it doesn't hold back. It shows how humans and our society treat life and it's fucking scary, it's depressing and it does not bode well. Maybe that's the same connection you made to Children of Men? Which is such a good and powerful movie. I completely agree. Whenever I get around to making my Best Movies list of 06 it'll be in the top three for sure. Lost Girls. Well, I've only read the first book and I haven't read the others yet because it kind of disturbed me. I love what Moore does with the medium. I love how he experiments with the types of stories and even what he does within the page panels. It's all very methodical and you can tell a master of the craft is working, but it just offset me a little too much I guess. I knew exactly what I was getting into and everything, but right now I'm not blown away, but I can't make a final decision until I read the other two books. Dude, I'll find you The Escapists #3 (not my copy!!!) and send it to you and if I can't I just happen to have a scanner and #3 right next to my desk.
Didn't Reed tell some story about his Uncle and blah, blah… Ham-Fisted I say! -
It's creator-owned series, so it might end up like PAD's Fallen Angel if someone else picks it up.
Unfortuantely, this means that none of the Boys will be planting their foot in Apollo's @$$ anytime soon. -
Robertson is exclusive to DC for now though. I hope the title finds a home someplace. I say IDW. Why? Great production values.
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Civil War, without being overly grandiose or exagerrating, is the worst crossover event in the entire history of Marvel comics. Written by hacks who clearly would rather be writing big budget movies (as if that is anything special on the ugly Hollywood landscape) than writing comic books. So narcissistic in their quest to "leave their stamp on the characters" that they change them utterly and fundamentally without even attempting a reason for it, leaving other less involved writers to clean up this unmitigated mess. Millar, Bendis, Strasinski and anyone else involved in this shitstorm should just know how awful they are before they start getting smug about their blockbuster selling story. It's fine that you guys did it, well it isn't but whatever, what isn't fine that you brag about it or have any delusions that you have created something good or anywhere near the realm of art. you've sold out for the sake of glamour and there is nothing more pathetic you can do.
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Not the Daily Show one, but the Green Lantern one?
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Thalya, since you just alerted me to the fact that you need to buy all of these Fate lead-in's to understand DR. FATE #1, I am now deciding NOT to get this new series, despite my love for the character. The chimp thing was bad enough. I actually showed my girlfriend an ad for the chimp issue and used it as an example of how bad DC comics are these days. To read a review of how bad that issue is just confirms that for me. However, I don't buy a lot of comics, so I may not understand the big picture like the rest of you die-hards (die hard comic fans that is ... it's a compliment).
I really hope AoA gets a trade. I was late on that one and regret it.
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Do I like it? Yes.
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Prof. Challenger - Thanks for mentioning this magazine, eben if it was a throwaway line. I keep Marvel will release some collected form of this magazine eventually. I may not like it as much now, but it was funnier than Mad back in the late 70's and early 80s when I was reading it.
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The unregistered heroes might not have anything directly to do with the end of humanity. The key if him referencing the Foundation books. The starting character in the Foundation books charts out future history for centuries and then figures out how to nudge things at certain points in history to make things go better. In the books, mankind will fall into a dark age no matter what. But this guy figures out how to set up events so that the dark age will be shorter. And sometimes the cause and effect isn't direct. Maybe something has to happen this year to cause a chain reaction of events that will pay off waaay down the road. So unregistered heroes might not cause the end of the world. It might be that down the road we will need an organized government controlled army of heroes. Maybe we need that to save the world. Or maybe the point is that registration will fail and the fallout from that failure is for some reason necessary. It's like a huge wicked version of that Mousetrap game. The boot kicking the marble isn't the point but only a small piece in the bigger puzzle. I'm coming away with the idea of some dark logic at play. Like the idea that Hiroshima in some way was needed so the world would check itself and say, "Whoah, never again." Without it, maybe when nukes would have finally been used it might have been in a bigger uglier scenario. From what the Thinker says it sounds to me like maybe Reed is planning to purposely steer the world to some ugly events in the name of stopping the larger bad. "Hey everyone, sorry about the carnage and suffering but trust me, long term, it's for the best."
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The Fantastic Four would always find a way to win by doing things the right way (like Sue said). Reed's an idealist. Would he make a deal with Doctor Doom if calculations showed Doom would kill less people that way? No - he'd find a way to stop Doom without any people dying. He's a genius!Actually, the way Marvel's going at the present, I would not be at all surprised to see the FF bargaining with Doom in the near future.
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It was yesterday!
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I found out about THE BOYS getting axed last night on Newsarama and I'm pretty pissed off about it. Sales were steadily climbing, so the only reason DC cancelled it before releasing the first trade paperback and issues #7-10 is because someone high up got their panties in a twist. It's Mark Millar and THE AUTHORITY all over again.
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… by causing current ones might be somewhat possible, but if he was in character he would hold a big meeting, maybe a press conference afterwards and explain to the Avengers, X-Men, and of course the ever apparent SHIELD and say, "Hey, bad stuff is going to happen, I can't find a way around it. If we can't change it, then we have hard times that are unfortunately necessary for our future survival. So Tony, Stephen, Bruce, Charles - I need your help. I need all of your help." [wide angle, 1/2 page panel of the gathered heroes] -- That is what he would have done. He wouldn't be keeping this to himself if this is in fact what's happening, which I'm pretty sure isn't the case. I've given up on this event after the first issue. It's horrible. I hate what it's doing to these characters. This is coming from someone who loves the Marvel Universe. I'm not allied with just one company and when you think of that, how fucking retarded is that really? It's like saying I only like Warner Brothers movies and no other movie from any other studio. I've read a lot of bad series all the way through (HoM) but I haven't even bothered with Civil War #6. That's saying something and it's not very good for Marvel… and that's why you should check out the Cog Awards for BEST HERO and BEST VILLAIN * http://tinyurl.com/37orpq *
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if not, come for shig's beard and all the good looking folk.
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But when may our ever-demanding public see those best OGN awards?
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Look, the @$$holes acknowledge that this column arrives a bit later than the comics, and though we're fine with that, I need to jump the gun and let you know that you ***SHOULD NOT*** buy Civil War: The Return.
I'll explain in detail in the next review column, and it has nothing to do with the subject matter, but rather with the LACK of subject matter.
Just figured I'd save you a few bucks in the long run. -
Thanks for the re: captboulder. I guess time will tell.
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are we serious here?
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Yes, the current suspicion is that the bounty hunter known as "Hunger Dog" is John in disguise.
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And it makes me truly, very happy to know that I do not read a comic with a bounty hunter character named "Hunger Dog". Seriously, that's fuckin hilarious...
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Go here if you like evil geniuses and want to sing their praises to the world:
http://groups.myspace.com/EGADSociety -
Dude, they're ALIENS. Aliens don't know from dated cultures.
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because he read Kingdom Come.
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Don't overlook the Corps ongoing, it's solid every month.
I admit to knowing nothing about Hunger Dog. Hmm. 52 is overall worth it I think though. There's way more good than bad in the series thus far.
Final issue of the first Mouse Guard series kicks ass. Great read with plenty of action, but you already knew that.
T, who is the 4th horseman?
SILENT WAR #1 sold out in one day because people looked at it and saw Frazer Irving's art and smartly kept it. What they need to do is get the first part of the story from SON OF M. -
come june there is more mouse guard...sweeeeeeeet.
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I fell asleep with my contacts on and now my eyes are all sucky and non-excellent. So Heath and stuff, what do you think Pride means? Like overall, what does it all mean? Is it a metaphor for...anythng? I guess i didn't get it at all, or read it on one level only. And what is it about Lost Girls that disturbs you, sir?
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I get it, GL/Corps is cool. Whatev. DC had me with Infinite Crisis, but afterwards lost me. OYL sucked, and after spending $20 on the first 8 issues of 52, and liking about 20 pages total... well that's not what I'd call a great investment. Didn't like the JLA revamp, didn't like the JSA revamp... so yeah, maybe I'll check out the trades eventually. Vale, re: Pride. It was all there, some at the surface... Lions talking about different forms freedom/repression can take, whether freedom can truly be given... and how do you "give" someone freedom? though fairly deep, it all seemed rushed to me. I like my hardcover graphic novels to take their time...
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I'm pretty sure I don't like "Shiggy-Pop". I do like Iggy Pop.
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It's either Skeets or Tawky Crawky, but don't count out Everyman.
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Didn't you see my predictions? The fourth horseman is clearly Aladdin Sane.
Now, I haven't really gotten the chance to say what I've wanted to in the past few days, soI'd like to get it out about now...
New Universal-I think it's a pretty good comic, but it's got some of the slowestpacing I've seen. In the span of two issues, Starbrand has walked 30 feet. I wasn't sure he was going to make it out of the building. I want some stuff to start happening now! I'm sticking with it, though. I see some gold on the horizon.
I am no longer going to read JSA. It doesn't make much sense and I just don't think Midas-touch nazis with handle-bar moustaches are all that intimidating.
I'd call Pride of Baghdad woefully short, but not rushed. All of the double page spreads took away a little too much for me.
Ultimate Spider-man went from really good to just plain stupid in the past two issues. Doc Ock's new powers were so very stupid... Arghh! I also really hated the double page spread of Spider-man and woman punching him in the face.
One new comic I am really enjoying is Iron Fist. The confusion from the end of last issue has all cleared up, and I am definitely enjoying it now. I would like to offer a congratulations to Mr. Brubaker for finally winning me over.
And is it new school Captain Marvel (alive) or Old School Captain Marvel (dead) who returns? Civil War 7-The Sentry uses his magically ridiculous powers to create a new Marvel Universe and throw the original into the sun.
Is Silent War going to be another crazy super event? I'm a bit of an Inhumans fan. (Okay, I really like the Paul Jenkins series. I've never read anything else.) How ling will this series last? I might check it out in trade if it's any good.
Adios, Muchachos! -
Silent War isn't a 'BIG EVENT' thing, it's just a six issue miniseries written by David Hine and drawn by Frazer Irving. It does tie directly into Son of M, but you don't have to read that (although you should because it's awesome) to get what's going on. The first page is one of those nifty re-caps that explains everything. Son of M does tie-in to HoM, but we all know that you're better off not reading that one. I think what's going on in Silent War would have been yet another story that could have been far superior and simplistic that Civil War or HoM.
Shig, that's the one thing that bothered me about Pride of Baghdad. I'm so glad you said something because I thought I was the only one until now. It's strange how the book still manages to be effective and deep, but it is definitely rushed. What's interesting about that though is that I think it works in some ways. I think the bluntness and the quickness of everything that happened is how life can be. Vale, refer to what Shig said basically, "Freedom can't be given." or "life's a bitch and then you die." Whatever suits you fancy.
What disturbs me so far about Lost Girls is specifically the last story (or next to last - not sure) where the girl 'Alice' is drugged and raped and the one with Peter Pan taking advantage of a much younger than him 'Wendy' while her brothers jack each other off incestuously also gave me the creeps. I get that it's part of the story and I'm not hating it, but that's not my cup of tea. As for the rest of it I guess I wanted a little more than just porn with metaphors and motifs of the acts.
Shig, I think there was some good OYL stuff, specifically the Superman books, then Green Lantern, Batman and Teen Titans. Fug Shadowpact.
Evil Skeets could be the 4th. Maybe he's not even Skeets, but just taking his form? -
It be true. Blankets (i was thinking about Blankets yesterday) was a short read too but somehow it managed to feel a lot more complex and layered...Pride, not so much. I might even call it overrated just to feel like one of those hipsters you keep hearing about. The art was gorgeous tho', wannit? Looda, are you crazy? I mean sure, newuniversal is decompressed like every other book Ellis writes these days, but it's certainly not as bad as you make it out to be. In two issues Starbrand went from being some dude who falls asleep with his girlfriend in a perfectly romantic setting by the sea (if memory serves) to being um...Starbrand. Guy wakes up, his gf's bbq because of the huge...star like brand, i guess...the aliens left which looks suspiciously like the mark he's sporting on his hand and then the police take him into custody where the girl's father attempts to murder him, so the guy uses his newfound powers to stop the bullets and rip Sheriff whatever's arm to shreds, and then he goes outside and flies upward (great visual btw). All this while also focusing on 3 or so other characters. You sir, must have skipped some pages or something, cause wow. Also, did you notice who's playing Starbrand and that vengeance guy? Sawyer (from Lost) and Bruce Willis. Oh yes.
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I wanted to read it while it was cold, so I better do it this next week, because that's likely to be as cold as it gets here in FL. Isn't it 400 pages too? Maybe it just flows well huh? Pride was surely gorgeous to look at. That's a fact. I can see where you're coming from on it Vale. I like it and I think it's very good, but when I finished it, it wasn't what I expected either.
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Oh yeah, those parts are obviously kinda creepy, i guess. I think i'm disgusting and twisted since those parts didn't bother me at all. In fact, they rang pretty true to me. Plus, the whole point is these kids are too innocent and ignorant to realize what they're doing might be wrong, like jacking off your brother. But is it wrong? Pubescent boys and girls discovering their sexuality with nary a hint of social stigma to be seen. It's completely innocent sex and as Moore explores it, it's...well, kinda beautiful. And that's how i'd describe the book, actually: A beautiful porn book. Which is what Moore and Gebbie set out to do from the start...so don't make the same mistake Dave F made, cause it can be detrimental to your reading experience, young man.
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highly subjective, young man.
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are you on crack? colombian supremo? Blankets was a *smooth* read. It flowed extremely well. But it was like 400 pages. I savored it so it wasn't short for me. Plus I take a longer time reading highly personal stories. speaking of highly personal stories: I do NOT reccomend Jefferey Brown. I bought...shit I forgot the name of it but it sucked balls. It's like the polar opposite of Liz Prince. wtf.
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It may be innocent exploration of sex and what not, but it doesn't mean it isn't disturbing, especially to me and I think I'm fairly open minded. It is beautiful to a degree and I think I can see what you're saying or where you're coming from, but most of these acts are just sex, not love right? I mean a guy jacks off on a silver slipper because he has a foot fetish is more creepy than beautiful to me (but not as much as Wendy's brothers giving each other a hand). Love making is what is truly beautiful in that whole process not just random sex scenes. A beautiful porn book is accurate though. I haven't read Dave_F's review of it yet, but I remember you weren't thrilled with it to say the least.
I do NOT recommend Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Super personal autobiography of sorts from writer/artist Alison Bechdel. Apparently I'm in the minority on this one, but I found it so effin' dreadful and depressing. Not because of just the subject matter (even though it's about a girl who lives in a funeral home run by her cold loving gay father who sleeps with young boys and loves ugly antiques more than his wife and children and how she later becomes a lesbian, etc., etc.), but because of how the tone of it is and how repetitive and melancholy the entire read is. I hate to rag on it because it's an indy book and stuff, but… arghh, I hated it. -
I already know. But thanks for pointing it out to others. :-) Though this is my true comics home, I didn't feel the need to oversaturate (read: pollute) it with too many of my insane ramblings. That's what those other places are for. Thanks for the linkage.
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I was joking about the "walks 30 feet thing." Not a very good one, I guess. I do like NewUniversal.
On A Fun Home... I am sick of this book. Yes, I know it's pretty concieted of me, but I just get angry when all of these mainstream publications take note of it and call it "the best comic of the year" because what the hell else did they read? Civil War? Bleagh! A Fun Home, even though I haven't even read it. reeks of being a comic book Crash.
Okay, that was mean. I will no longer compare possibly deserving stuff to Crash.
But fo r a good autobiographical comic, you should read The Quitter... -
I'm under the assumption you also saw this earlier: http://tinyurl.com/yqm2xt
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Yeah, it got cancelled, but Ostrander's Suicide Squad is perhaps my all-time favorite team book. However, Norman Osborne is no Amanda Waller, and the "marquee" psycho villains, such as the Joker,were never in SS. Maybe that's why it got cancelled. Loved it, though. And many of its ex-members have enjoyed increased popularity since then (Boomerang, Waller, Deadshot,). Although I still buy more Marvel than DC, Checkmate kicks the ass of Thunderbolts (so far). I love both Ellis and Deodato...but Bullseye and Venom...no mas, please!!!!!
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Why does it suck so with Kirkman writing? He does put in some new spins, such as Cable now being future Wolverine. He made Scott and Xavier rivals in love with Jean. He killed off Xavier. He made Nightcrawler "go bad." Yawn! How could so many "big" events be so uninvolving? Nothing in this book has any drama or resonance. It's just characters behaving randomly while shit happens. It appears Kirkman may be unable to write characters. Just plots. Of course, I was a big fan of the BKV run, which many people seem not to have liked. I felt BKV made UXM fresh, and the UXM themselves were different, but relatable and interesting. UXM currently has no "draw" to me. I find it so dull. I enjoyed Kirkman on Marvel Zombies, but will only read one more issue of UXM to give it one last chance, as I really like the concept.
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huh?
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Well, at least he died beofre that got really awkward. Man, I had hopes for Ultimate X-Men. I really did. I thought he was almost getting his shit together, but it was not to be. Homer, I have no answer for your question. Why Kirkman must suck so much at Marvel is a mystery that I may never solve (unlike the mystery of Ambush Bug. Way to go, Squasha! Haven't read any 52, but that was still good for a chuckle.)
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You said it, Blackthought.
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I loved the New Universe. It may read as dated by today's standards, but it prefigured DCU and MU "event" crossovers (Secret Wars and Infinite Earths were a little more self contained) and did a better job at it as well (there were fewer titles and it was easier to avoid the complete clusterf*ck storytelling of CW and IC,OYL,52,etc...etc...)
The Big 2 need to take a breather with the "events" and get back to establishing heroes and rogue galleries, the kind of thing that makes "events" possible in the first place. -
Hmmmm .. probably won't win that award. I wish these warnings had arrived sooner. What a waste of money and time. I'm new to Marvel and have no idea who Captain Marvel is. All I could think was how stupid it was having two characters in DC and Marvel universe's sharing the same name. It would probably look nice when I burn it, though. Despite this insult of a book, I'm still looking forward to Civil War 7.
Mystery in Space #5 and Mouse Guard #6 kicked all kinds of ass. MiS is getting better and better (especially Starlin's own pencils) and MG ended on a beautiful note. Peterson really turned it on in this issue. I look forward to the NEXT MG series due in July (+ the hardcover in April).
Okay, now everyone get back to what you were discussing ... -
No, wait! MiS!!! Tyrone would pwn Krypto in a fight, wouldn't he? Him and his lil sidekick TD-3! And Shane Davis just upped his game with all the action going on. And you're right, Starlin's been rocking with everything he's been doing.
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How cut was he? I only just finished the issue this morning and had to laugh at the splash page of Tyrone and the cute little teddy bear-bot. Yeah, Krypto would be pretty hard pressed against Tyrone. And they finally mastered him visually in this issue.
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Any relation to R2-D2?
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And I don't know what kind of person uses a drumset as a sidekick.
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I'm relieved that it's not Mark Brooks. I look forward to seeing some pretty explosions and car chases from him. But will he fit them into a comic like USM? Seriously, the guy's the best explosion artist I've ever seen.
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boom!
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is not such a bad idea ...
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In fact, i love it.
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would never be without a much-needed rimshot.
Neither would Northstar for that matter. :-) -
Dang. Northstar gay jokes? Suck it, Winick!
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I got bored after the first arc.
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...those two tastes went together last night for awful.
Bad filler episode, bad! -
"Who said what about STUDIO 60?!?!? ARGGGHH!!!!!!"
I'm still watching Heroes. I think it's still moving along just fine. It's only been back two weeks from its break though. The only thing that bugs me about Heroes is the marketing like with."Save the cheerleader, save the world." And now it's, "Our you on the list?" then they repeat that about five hundred times. Hiro is awesome. Although 24 > Heroes ≤ Lost. -
the wire over all of those.
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Thing is fantastic.
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poup.
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Tracy Morgan/Jordan is the tits on that. Oh yeah, and Alec Baldwin ain't exactly bad either. Thursdays on NBC can't be beat son!
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On tonight's episode, T.R. Knight guests as the guy Eye Eye committed his hate crime against. Eye Eye is driven crazy because he thinks that his half-way house roommates, Melvin and Miker, prefer R.T.'s company to his own. It turns out, they aren't really hanging out at all...they are just giving their depositions to help return Eye Eye to prison!
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Do they advance Leslie's backalley dealings subplot?
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Farts are pretty funny.
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Let's talk about those for a while.
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Well, I saw that latest issue of Ultimate X-Men today and I said "Screw you, dude. UXM is supposed to be not only good, but hella cool. UXM, you are disgracing the Ultimate line and I will not talk to you until you get your shit together." UXM replied with a grunt because UXM is fat and lazy.
As for TV, I yearn for those calssic "3 Turds" episodes. The current season is too much Isiah, not enough Mel. -
It looks good and I will buy the trade and I think it looks good!
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Yeah, I said it. Old school in the house.
In defense of the New Universe, it was a great concept hobbled by a repeatedly savaged budget (not Shooter's doing) and the editorial incompetence of Tom DeFalco (partly Shooter's fault.) It's obvious in retrospect that Shooter laid the groundwork for the Valiant Universe with the New U, but his use of inexpensive freelancers and moonlighting editors killed the line's potential. Valiant redeemed him, at least for a time, and some of the NEW U titles were solid.
I immediately fell in love with Marc Hazzard: Merc. This was some of Peter David's first writing, well complimented by Gray Morrow's art and Zeck covers. Distribution got spotty early on, and I didn't find the latter issues until years later. Shame none of the creative team remained by that point.
I bought Justice new off the rack for the first two issues. I liked the premise, but I think Vinnie Colletta was inking the inappropriately lame art. I recall picking up a gorgeously grotesque Keith Giffen fill-in issue, but again lost interest when Peter David & Lee Weeks came on to pull the old "everything you know is wrong" rejigger.
I followed Psi-Force until I realized, possibly first the first time, that I was buying the book solely for the art. Which meant I still owned all of Mark Texeira's issues. Fabian Nicieza and (if I recall correctly) Ron Lim got their breaks in the minor-major league late in the title's run, and did good work.
I bought a couple issues of Kickers, Inc. new midway through the first year. They read better than I expected, but the shamus meets sports-theme left me cold.
I picked-up a couple or three Spitfire & the Troubleshooters back in the day. The phrase "meh" hadn't been coined yet.
I bought a couple issues of Nightmask because I loved the Sandy Plunkett covers. Notice a pattern emerging here? The heroic Freddy Krueger/Dreamscape concept and costume were sound, but the art and writing were dull. The pre-Bob Hall "Shadowman" had a similar vibe.
The second best written and most consistant book was D.P.7, a modernization of the classic X-Men/Doom Patrol template. Mark Gruenwald and Paul Ryan stuck with it the whole three years (which I followed off and on,) and I'd say it was up there with their Squadron Supreme work. Valiant's "Harbinger" was lifted directly from this book.
I avoided Star Brand because it looked too much like a Superman rip-off. Thanks to my love of John Romita Jr's artwork, I picked up the entire first year some time later out of quarter bins. The Shooter issues were an excellent examination of what happens when a guy gets the power of a god. He continues to be a self-absorbed jerk, maintaing a fuck buddy while dating a single mother who's young son gets brainwashed to kill Starbrand. If that sounds like Shooter channeling the deconstructionist tendencies of Moore and Miller, you're hearing's alright. Highly recommended, but make sure to stop prior to Byrne's awful pseudo-sci-fi run. Elements of this title and Justice turned up again in "Solar: Man of the Atom."
So while I'll admit the New Universe never set the world on fire, having read the first issue of Warren Ellis' reboot, I can safely say his take isn't superior to 170+ comics produced by fine creators like Danny Fingeroth, Tom DeFalco, and um... okay, the first two issues are probably better than at least a third of those comics, and as many as half. I just can't abide overreaching by saying ALL of them... -
You said it man; it looked EXACTLY like a Superman rip. BTW, A&E is doing "3 Days of THE 3 TURDS" starting on January 18th, to celebrate the Chinese New Year. All episodes back to back.
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wasn't feeling the first issue. Too expensive to invest in if I'm wary about the content. I'll wait for some more word of mouth.
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I had no idea so many words could even be written about the New Universe.
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I agree, that was a lot of words.
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A friend was showing me his Fantagraphics catalog yesterday, and wanted to know if there was anything good in it. I said "I know somebody who's into Sock-Monkey. I think it's worth a look, but I don't know if it would be your thing." I suggested he play it safe and get Black Hole.
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ghost rider movie...suck or just mildly suck?
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Ghost Rider = SUCK
F4 = Mildly Suck… hopefully.
The trailer has me strangely not hating the movie and hoping for the best even though the first was major suckage. -
Those guys publish consistently great stuff, if i remember correctly.
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Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel are leaving Teen Titans after the 'Titans East' storyline. Adam Beechen (Robin) is taking over. This depresses me.
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After DC crapped on this book by hiring terrible fill-in artists for issue #41, I don't blame Johns in the least for leaving the series early. This was brought on by the powers that be.
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'splain to me in detail your hate for Didio, your prick, er, pick for Best Villain of 2006. I mean, I know he's not perfect by any means, but compared to Joey Q and as far as the direction DC is continuing to go (New JLA, JSA, Supes, Detective, GL, Spirit, etc. all kicking ass) I'm really enjoying at least 75%-80% of it all. I like the build up, the clues, the interweaving and connection of it all. IC had it's flaws, but it at least achieved 'some' of what it set out to. When Marvel has a big event book it just seems to happen… and suck… bad… really bad even. Let me know. My curiosity is peaked. And speaking of curiosity. that teaser image from DC has me admittedly excited folks. I know, I know - sue me for enjoying something in comics right?
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Possibly. But I know for a fact that Joey Q has been experiencing Bang U Tot at least since The Fantastic Four movie.
In other news Teen Titans=FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I love how Psy hates Didio cause it makes the Cogs all confused like "Huh? No...nononono, you got it all wrong". An endless source of entertainment for ol' Vale here. I'll say it again, even tho' i know you never listen to me: Tons of good books at Marvel, not magic or even divine intervention. Like for example Brubaker's Daredevil, Captain America and Criminal...not an accident, Quesada knows all about them, i swear; they don't happen in spite of him.
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New Comics Reviews are up. Go here: http://tinyurl.com/2cocuw
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Runaways, Astonishing X-Men, Silent War and Uncanny X-Men. I'll say it again, even tho' Vale never listens to me: I know there's plenty of good that comes from Marvel. I give the editorial staff so much shit because I DO care what happens which I believe you've said before that you really don't right? Check out how many things I awarded Marvel for our Cog Awards if you still don't believe me. And when did you start reading Bru's Cap and Daredevil runs?
I didn't say Psy was wrong, but I just want to know his 'why' specifically. If I was asked why I feel the way I do about Joey Q and Axel Alonso the way Psy does about Didio I would say it's because they spin shit worse than politicians (so does Didio) but they usually never follow through with it and if they do it's often weakly executed and characters are bent to fit the story and not vice versa in a continuity cluster fuck of a universe. I just want to know Psy's 'Why'. Is it because of IC? 52? I want to know because I value his opinion. That is all. -
My dear @$$hole, that's not how you end a tb…
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God help me, I think I might buy it. Superman in the Aztec empire. Is it worth it?
Last -
Right now that's the LAST thing I'd buy.
Last. -
Of course I know how to end a talkback.
You obviously haven't gone back in Talkback history far enough to check.
But I have.
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do you all make mockery of what i and gus gave birth too? i feel like booster gold when they shot the blue beetle. where is my fellow laster?
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That's how you do it, Heathen.
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Sheesh wake up Orcus while he slumbers will ya
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