(Click title to go directly to the review)
JLA #1
GHOSTBUSTERS: GET REAL #1
DRIFTER Vol.1
BLACK CANARY #1
Indie Jones presents BEHEMOTH #2
JUNGLE GIRL SEASON 3 #2
THE PREZ #1
SECRET WARS TRAVEL GUIDE PART IV
JLA # 1
Writer & Artist: Bryan HitchPublisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Russ Sheath
There are few artists working today who can command the title ‘superstar’. There are even fewer of those ‘superstars’ who choose to constantly dive into monthly challenge of producing 22 pages of art, yet Bryan Hitch meets that challenge head on as both writer and artist on JLA #1 from DC.
JLA hits the ground running and batters readers with the left hook of a ‘WTF’ moment from the get-go as a broken, battered Man of Steel is confronted by destruction on a scale that only the artist who bought us THE AUTHORITY can convey.
The who, why, where and what, I will leave for you to discover in an effort to keep this review spoiler free….but in doing so, what can I tell you about this book?
First off, as much as this is a comic by the artist behind CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN and REAL HEROES, the trademark ‘widescreen’ Bryan Hitch storytelling has been replaced by Hitch pulling the reader deeper into the action than in his recent work, placing the ‘camera’ closer to the characters and making JLA a much more intimate feeling story. Fans of Hitch’s ‘cinematic’ approach to storytelling won’t be disappointed as this giant sized 48 page first issue offers readers a monster 7 page gatefold cover and several double page spreads that remind us how Hitch, along with writer Mark Millar, defined comics storytelling for a generation with THE ULTIMATES.
Several artists who have made the transition from Marvel to DC seem to have struggled to retain the magic that propelled them to fan favorite status (Finch and Romita Jr. come to mind). Perhaps it’s just familiarity with an artist having worked on certain characters for so long, but some artists just seem to ‘belong’ at one company or the other and fail to ‘gell’ when it comes to making the transition. In this instance Hitch hits his stride and makes the DCU his home effortlessly.
Undoubtedly, serving as both writer and artist helps as Hitch can play to his own strengths in the same way he did with REAL HEROES defining the pacing, camera angles and setups as he chooses. Amongst the short list of great comic book collaborators, Gibbons and Moore, Loeb and Sale, Lee and Kirby, Hitch’s greatest collaborator could well be….Hitch!
As a writer Hitch also proves that he is more than capable of telling a compelling JLA story that actually challenges the characters involved, a storytelling hurdle that often proves a challenge in itself when dealing with the titans of the DC universe. Nothing challenges these all powerful characters, which in turn makes telling an engaging story all the more difficult, especially when they come together as the all powerful Justice League of America. From page one it is clear to the reader that Hitch’s recognizes that challenge and crafts a story that quite literally brings the JLA’s most powerful members to their knees.
Hitch’s nails character well too, from Louis Lane’s self-centered debut to Batman’s dry, wry sense of humor and a slight distain for his all powerful team mates, it’s clear that the Dark Knight is the brains of the outfit as Hitch defines each members role on the team and while Batman never sat well with me as a member of the JLA, here…. it just works.
If there is any downside to JLA, it’s that Hitch is confined within the ‘New 52’ iterations of the characters. For an artist who redefined the look of many of Marvel’s key characters in the Ultimate universe (a translation that made its way onto the big screen in many of the Marvel movies), it would have been great to see Hitch ‘cut loose’, designing his take on The Man of Steel, for example.
I’ve not enjoyed a Justice League book in a long time (if ever) as even the dynamic duo of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee failed to keep me engaged beyond first issue curiosity.
In contrast, JLA #1 offers the origins of a well crafted story full of mystery and intrigue told on a scale that few can muster and I for one will be marching in Hitchy’s army and eagerly awaiting issue 2.
Follow Russ Sheath's blog Russwords here and @russellsheath on Twitter.
GHOSTBUSTERS: GET REAL #1
Writer: Erik BurnhamArtist: Dan Schoening
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Reviewer: Masked Man
With all this talk of alternate realities at DC and Marvel, IDW has stepped up to the plate and done something most of them forgot to do- have fun with 'em! To this, IDW teams-up their long running GHOSTBUSTERS series, with the classic cartoon series, THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS. Letting my mind run wild, if IDW could also get some photos of the actors (you know from the origin movies this is all based on) for a few panels for a good joke or two, that would be awesome!
As it is, everything moves along just fine. As we always like to do here, I'll relate where I'm coming from to this series- to give you context to my opinion (or invalidate it some would say or bore the cr@p out of you others might says). Now I loved the first GHOSTBUSTERS movie, it was amazing and hilarious. The second one was an amazingly pointless re-harsh, basically a guide on how not to do a sequel (yet still Dan Akroyd penned BLUES BROTHERS II). The cartoon, THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS was one of the best cartoons of the 80's, yet I was only a passing fan (I can still recognized the talent and hard work involved). My true love of GHOSTBUSTERS goes back to the original from Filmation, with Spencer, Tracy and Kong. Not the really weird cartoon (lack of talent), but the goofy live action show with Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch. So I like 'GHOSTBUSTERS' but don't love 'GHOSTBUSTERS'. Therefore I've never read IDW's series, or anyone else's for that matter. But seeing how this story was about the current comic colliding with the cartoon, it sure seemed like it could be fun.
First off, hats off to Dan Schoening for just nailing the model designs of the cartoon characters. It really helps sell the cross-over. Colorist Luis Antonio Delgado does a nice job with the figures, but kinda fumbles the ball with the backgrounds. Schoening tried to make the backgrounds look different for each universe (the cartoon one looking like a cartoon), but the color palette is so dull and similar, you can barely tell. Still, getting the models right, plus his own great art style, makes the art the highlight of the book.
Story-wise, Burnham does a really nice job setting things up, and giving us fun interactions with the characters. To get spoilery on ya, Burnham avoided the typical fight, as both sets of characters have seen far too much weird stuff to be negatively affected by this turn of events. He also proves what a big nerd he is about the original series, by having this story take place in one of the old episodes! The one where the god Proteus trapped the Ghostbusters in limbo- well that limbo is now the comic book reality. So all very clever, light and fun.
So, happy to say this comic is pitch perfect, any GHOSTBUSTERS fan, lapsed or otherwise should enjoy this. Good job on IDW too, for finding a way that should actually just increase the readership of their book. Instead of disenfranchising one group of fans, in hopes of finding more.
DRIFTER Vol. 1: Out of the Night
Writer: Ivan BrandonArtist: Nic Klein
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: Humphrey Lee
“Space Western” as a sub-genre (combo-genre?) has always been highly appealing to me because, when properly executed, it can be a wonderful combination of the wonder the outer reaches inspires transposed with a harsh reality in front of our story lead(s). There’s just something innately interesting about high-falutin’ space tech smashed into the ruggedness of a familiar yet alien frontier. That was the “promise” I was getting out of all the solicitations for the title leading up to its debut and even after reading that fresh number one. Unfortunately, a lack time combined with a glass of water and an anxious cat rendered subsequent issues a TAD waterlogged leaving me to wait for this collection to see if DRIFTER paid off on all that it laid in front of me and dared me to get invested in its Sci-Fi wonder meets some dusty iron-slapping. Unfortunately further, I don’t think it succeeded, at least not to the extent I was hoping would be reached.
When you open up this first volume of DRIFTER, you are immediately presented with a beautifully chaotic and weird world. Abram Pollux crashes, fights for his life, is promptly shot for his efforts, and then wakes up days later in a shantytown with the local Marshall overhead. And it’s a gorgeous compiling of shacks and dirt, that’s for sure. If there is anything to say and get out of the way about DRIFTER right now is that it is such a stunning visual piece you want to fall in love with it on every page. The colors are lush and vibrant and the designs of this world and the humans and oddities that inhabit it make the wonderer in you come alive. But it’s the execution of just how this world and those dwellers actually do come to life in DRIFTER that really held it back from taking full flight for me.
Now, DRIFTER is not a total bummer by any means as there is enough plot and action going on that my brain kept wondering the entire time I was plunging through this volume why I wasn’t more invested beyond the glorious visuals. Because there is a lot here to be invested in, between the creatures and characters and the happenings involving them all on this little dust ball. Like, for example, the mystery surrounding Pollux’s crash landing and how one of the residents - Emmerich – decided to put two slugs in his midsection and how that leads to a reveal that while he was out on an operating table for three days his ship has actually been impacted for a year. And then it even gets more intriguing, as while surveying the wreckage with Marshall Parker, Pollux and her first come under fire from some Scavengers who look like even more stylized versions of “Borderlands” raiders and leads to them desperately swimming into the half submerged wreckage of Pollux’s ship. AND THEN this leads to them being confronted by a terrifying yet awe-inspiring lightning beast that ends up threatening the town. And it is at this point that I am feeling confident that DRIFTER is that riveting mix of wonder and survival that I want to experience from this genre blend. Unfortunately, that’s the last point where this volume feels like it has a connective train of thought either.
And what I mean about that is that in the first two issues of DRIFTER you have this great flow of events from the crash to some brief introductions of characters and setting to the reveal and then the chase. Then it becomes a big pile of “well that happened” without a particularly engrossing narrative to hold it together. Like, for example, you would think that after having woken up from being shot and from a crash that apparently cost him his wife that he cares so much about, the first thing that Pollux would do after having survived the Raiders/Lightning beast would be to investigate further into this whole “what happened to the rest of that year” thing or to confront the man who shot him and then helped him and warding off the Lightning creature. Instead he, uh, decides to hop on what is essentially the work truck for the day with some other civilians who are willing to hit some giant worm beast infested mines for a day’s wages. Why? Beats me except that it ends up establishing some humanoid but menacing looking fuckers called “Wheelers.” And while this is happening we’re jarringly intertwining it with one of the townies beating the fuck out of the barely introduced in the first issue preacher, who we go on to start finding that in the midst of his constant religious babble is pretty good at delivering some Lord’s Wrath. Essentially, after following two really tight issues where events sequenced themselves into a nice, linear but intriguing string of story points, DRIFTER then becomes a dart board of scattershot “fuck it, let’s see how this sticks” plot points.
Not that these events are just random happenstances that serve no purpose - obviously Brandon and Klein have ideas for the people/beings/circumstances they introduce – but at the least they are inserted jarringly and the most they come so out of nowhere you can’t help but wonder the purpose of them. Like, in the midst of seeing our lead somewhat assimilating into the townsfolk – which, random as it was given where it occurred in the greater story you can dismiss it as just “world building” – after having found out about the year later thing, and seeing his shooter, AND introducing these Wheelers, all of a sudden several pages are taken up over the next three issues to show you the preacher is a murderer and somewhat a sadist. Cool I guess? I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining about there being too much plot because I like plot, and I want DRIFTER to be as rich a scripted tapestry as it is a visual one, but by the end of this first volume the art itself is the only precision shot being landed with the scripting more like machine gun spray.
DRIFTER is a beautiful piece of Science Fiction slamming into a base story of humanity against the elements, and every time I just wrote something critical about it in the previous paragraphs I felt bad about it because I want to believe it will still live up to that promise of engrossing genre bending. Despite my enthusiasm waning in the second half of this volume as the internal narrative becomes more droning than poetically emphasizing the astounding events that came earlier and items were presented seemingly for the sake of layering more mystery on mystery than anything, I want the mystique of DRIFTER to hold up. I will be there on day one of Volume Two’s release to see if there is a rhyme or a reason why all these scattershot concepts were thrown at us so rapid fire on top of the already highly intriguing baseline plot of Pollux’s crashing and time displacement. Again, it’s not that I doubt that there aren’t intriguing ways these puzzle pieces will slam fit together to make this complex little world but that for half the work the pieces seemed to manifest out of nowhere. I want DRIFTER to continue to be this expressive and sometimes hyperactive piece of “what the hell happens next?!?” but I also want it to do so with a measured approach instead of the almost A.D.D. fits that dominated the latter half. If DRIFTER spent half as much energy as it did ramming home concept after concept and twice as much invoking the power of the mystique on display in the first issues, we’d be looking at a no brainer position for it at the top of the Image (and thereby comic industry) heap. Right now though, we’re somewhere in between one of the best dreamscapes your mind has ever visited and the absolutely demolishing sound of a 6AM construction jack hammer denying you full access to that exotic world.
Humphrey Lee has been an avid comic book reader going on fifteen years now and a contributor to Ain't It Cool comics for quite a few as well. In fact, reading comics is about all he does in his free time and where all the money from his day job wages goes to - funding his comic book habit so he can talk about them to you, our loyal readers (lucky you). He's a bit of a social networking whore, so you can find him all over the Interwebs on sites like Twitter, Facebookand a blog where he also mostly talks about comics with his free time because he hasn't the slightest semblance of a life. Sad but true, and he gladly encourages you to add, read, and comment as you will.
BLACK CANARY #1
Writer: Brenden FletcherArt: Annie Wu
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: DrSumac
Aside from Wonder Woman Black Canary is probably the biggest DC super heroine that isn't a direct spin off from a male hero. That's why I'm glad to see she now has her own comic and is back to her classic costume so that she can get the spotlight for a change.
While I was a fan of Dinah from the Pre-New 52 Birds of Prey, she has had a bit of an image problem since then. I never read the New 52 Birds of Prey, but one look at it quickly made me feel like wasn't the same and not in a good way. The inclusion of Poison Ivy and the fact that Dinah's costume at the time wasn't even black definitely through me off. Coupled with my mistrust of the reboot to begin with that was a enough to keep me away. Worse than that however is how she has been written on the show Arrow. I like Arrow and the Flash, but the way those shows write their women cannot be defended and Dinah, or should I say Laurel, has been amongst the worst of that. Using her middle name was just as arbitrary of a choice as making her a lawyer, but the real crime has been how much of a needlessly angsty damsel in distress they have written her as. Even though they tried to show that she could fight in the first season and had her train in the third they still had the need to have her get rescued on a consistent basis. Needless to say the character has a lot to prove.
This comic may look like the old Canary on the cover, but it's also something completely new. Apparently Dinah decided to join a rock band as their lead singer in order to make money to reform the Birds of Prey. This seems to have mostly been done as the reason why she chose to dress in leather, fishnets, and a bustier although I feel that costume choice was more meaningful when it was originally her mother's. I suppose in a sense this was clever, but it's just as arbitrary and random as her lawyer persona in Arrow. Like all of the DC You titles there must have been an eight page prequel to explain the set up more, but since I didn't read it I'm left a bit in the dark. It would be nice if they explained it with some text on the first page at least.
The premise is farfetched at best. Who expects to raise a bunch of quick cask by joining an all girl rock band? The band, who also have a record contract that she is on, don't even know anything about her including her full name. Plus they have a kid with them that seems to be a mute orphan with magic guitar powers with no concern for where she came from. Speaking of mutes, their bassist is glossed over altogether. I believe her only line is ironically her complaining that she doesn't have any say in what they do. If they wanted to turn Black Canary into Josie and the Pussycats, or Spider-Gwen with the Mary Janes, I feel like it could have been handled in much a better way that didn't seem so random and therefore meaningless.
The art here is very different, which I found it off putting at first though I did eventually get used to it. Spider-Gwen may be an appropriate parallel as the color scheme and general design isn't too dissimilar. This whole DC You thing seems to be an attempt to try to steal some of Marvel's audience so it's very possible that this is supposed to be DC's counter to Gwen's popular series since they are both blondes in rock bands with design heavy artwork. That makes some of the odd decisions that went into this comic begin to make more sense. However Black Canary neither has the charm nor uniquely hip feel of Spider-Gwen, which doesn't give me a lot of hope.
Another thing I found odd was that Dinah gets into random fights at every show (which also happened in the first Spider-Gwen comic). This became what the band was known for and Dinah assumed it had to do with her past as a super hero. However predictably it turned out to be the mysterious kid that the villains were after. This does provide an interesting hook, but they still set it up in a somewhat clumsy way.
I want this to be a good comic, but it's not off to a great start. I'll probably check out the second issue to see where it does and to support the character so I suppose we'll have to see. It would be nice if Dinah took on a motherly role towards the mute kid as she did with Sin and Birds of Prey, though that doesn't feel like the direction they want to go in. Unfortunately this comic mostly comes off as DC trying too hard to make a hip female lead comic that will also sate fans of the old Dinah. With such a strong character that has a rich history though could it really be that hard? Apparently yes.
BEHEMOTH #2
Writer: Chris KipiakArt: J.K Woodward
Publisher: Monkeybrain Comics
Reviewer: Morbidlyobesefleshdevouringcat
The second chapter of Monkeybrain’s BEHEMOTH dives further into the divide between youth and adults, while simultaneously playing out the bouts of puberty through the experience of monstrously mutated children.
Theresa and the gang find themselves training even harder than before as intel have discovered that an unknown enemy plans on taking over a Russian nuclear facility. General Rayne’s patience slows its pace even further as he comes to realize that, although the kids are morphing into beasts, still hold human emotions and social attachments to one another. In his eyes an indefinite drawback to any real mission the group might be placed in.
Beginning with a well fleshed out monologue detailing the internal struggle and emotional stress that Theresa is experiencing while at the center, the issue fortifies Theresa as an able minded character as she attempts to survive. Her self reflection, aided by advice from team leader Rex holds a maturity clearly further developed from her experiences from the first issue.
The art also heavily leans into the success of the second chapter as, once again, the majority of a dark palate contrasted with grey hues makes for a fairly emotive reading experiencing. The tension from an unknown threat coupled with Woodward’s paint-like art intensifies the already heightened atmosphere.
As the story continues interactions between Dr. Seligman and General Rayne expose a social commentary prevalently seen in many forms of media, but strengthens the story nonetheless. When asking the doctor if the children are ready for a mission, he is incredibly firm in stating that the mission is “dangerous, but not complex”, equating that no thought or intelligence is needed whatsoever. This perception of youth, and the struggle between the ages is ubiquitous, but the BEHEMOTH team uses it as a guise. It becomes clear that the single line holds many truths, but it is General Rayne’s overall attitude that will ultimately be the downfall in the task, not the kids.
Although this was a pretty ecstatic issue, the comic struggles with the themes of romance and young love. Nearer the end when a surprise attack hits Rex, Theresa’s kind nature coerces her to jump in and aid her love interest. And, when all is over, the two share a kiss. Amidst the foreboding atmosphere of the comic, this part is what suddenly caused the rigid mood to dissipate. Albeit in surprise, the kiss felt clichéd and redundant. It just didn’t really seem to fit.
Overall, the second issue of BEHEMOTH had some great social commentary, and an indefinite self reflection that is thoughtful and relatable, evidently though, it felt underwhelming in comparison to the first issue.
JUNGLE GIRL: SEASON 3 #2
Writers: Frank Cho and Doug MurrayArtist: Jack Jadson
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: Masked Man
If there's anything comicdom likes as much as a hero in a cape with superpowers, it's a well endowed girl in a loin cloth. And the current master of said 'good girl' art is Frank Cho. So you can see why Dynamite will pretty much let Cho do whatever jungle stuff he wants, so long as he provides the covers.
First let me say I hate this whole 'season' thing. It's not a season, it's a series, stop trying to be clever. I am I being too grouchy? Perhaps, but my fear is creators/publishers putting too much energy into 'being clever' (trying to trick people into buying stuff) and not enough into the actual content.
Ok, back to the girl in the loin cloth- which she actually isn't wearing. Nope, this time she is sporting tight leather, because hey if they’re not wearing a loin cloth, tight shiny black leather is the next best thing. Now the one thing that is interesting to me about this story, is Cho attachment to concepts he likes. Just like the SAVAGE WOLVERINE story arc he did for Marvel, SEASON 3 has a lot of the same elements in it: Mainly a sleeping elder god hidden in a mountain, of a savage land surrounded by dinosaurs and other genre goodies. Mind you, Some of these elements were in JUNGLE GIRL before, but I'm curious if Cho is using any ideas he never got to finish up with Wolverine and Shanna. Or does he just like this stuff so much, it appears in every story.
Getting into the spoilers of the story, our girl Jana, has to defend her adoptive cave people, from the Dirt People (even more savage savages). Luckily Jana jumps a T-Rex and chases all the dirt people away. (That seemed strange, so she can just command dinosaurs whenever she wants?) Next her father appears, viva hologram, to tell her the hole in the sky, which the flying saucer and little beasties just came out of, are looking for the sleeping god under the mountain. Discovering the whereabouts of high tech ancient weapons caches, he sends Jana on a quest to find said weapons and help beat back the invaders. So off she goes with her caveman buddy Togg.
It's all relatively nice and does a good job of scratching that 'prehistoric fantasy' itch. On the other hand it's all too decompressed. Seriously, not much happens in this issue. The bulk of the issue is just exposition, and the dialogue and action around it, does little to make it more interesting or fun. If this was chopped down to like 12 pages, or if more action or humor was jammed into it, the book would easily improve beyond just decent.
As for Jack Jadson's artwork, clearly he's not in Cho class of atheistic draftsmanship, but he's not lacking either. All the cave men, dinosaurs and the curvy Jana look great under his pen. Only a few times did I think the story telling suffered, but I felt that was the scripts fault not his. His one true weakness is stiffness in his figure, but for the most part everything looks really nice- the way you'd want this book to look.
Of all of Dynamite’s sexy hero books I've read, this has been the most impressive. So while it still has room for improvement, any fan of prehistoric fantasy should be very pleases with it.
PREZ #1
Writer: Mark RussellArtist: Ben Caldwell
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche (Rob Patey if it’s work calling)
It looks like the cacophony of noise that was CONVERGENCE has delivered redemption for DC. While it was seemingly much adieu about nothing, the series did finally put the nail in the coffin of continuity by making our fangeezer fastidiousness over real-time sense in a fictional chronology moot. The Multiverse is back and #1’s are flourishing as a result (in my mind at least). The all different and all weird books of MARTIAN MANHUNTER (love), BLACK CANARY (not so much) and the most important book for me PREZ, feel like Vertigo was sucked into the Dyson Domes when they released their denizens of all time and space.
PREZ isn’t an old concept, even before such cinematic classics as “First Kid” and John Travolta’s man-child in “Primary Colors,” we comic folks had a wee one sitting in office on different planes of existence for years. Real Presidents in comics have also been a staple from Teddy Roosevelt to Obama. In all of those visages and tales, both real and imagined (remember when it was Sinestro in the repository), none have been as politically cutting and insightful as PREZ. Is this a Pekar book, no, DC You still contains kids. But mature kids only need enter these pages as Russell infuses one part Mike Judge’s “Idiocracy” and another part cutting commentary on the ineffectiveness of the Republic once consumed by corporate coffers. It’s a book about the future, but as we enter election 2016, PREZ is probably the most real piece of media I consumed last week.
The year is 2036, I’m probably dead from a heart attack induced by meetings and the 1,000th episode of the SPOILER ALERT COMICS PODCAST (now in holocast). To the dismay of Gen X, the “selfie” generation didn’t sterilize themselves from cellular poisoning, and now their kids are America’s next marginal generation. One such marginal young lady on first blush is “Fry Girl”, before she becomes PREZ, she is FutureTube sensation for as you guessed it, frying her head on a fryer. Say what you will about the over media absorption, but it truly ain’t killing creativity. While being sarcastic I actually applaud Russell for the literal and not trying to be clever with some cooky over alliterated writers name for her. It’s more real this way, if a bit trite.
The tech is also real in this book, actually a little too real. From “Fry Girl” inception to the 2036 pundits heating up the media deluge, everything was like now just tinier and faster. During a futuristic Fox News broadcast we see panelists getting booted literally off the screen based on the “like””dislike” buttons floating over their heads in CG. That shit happens now folks, it’s called “second screen” ratings and producers already use it to pull the plug before viewer malaise sets in. I don’t have a better answer, so this stands as a mere nit for now, but this far future is only about 2 years probably.
Now, what are not close are the amendment and releases of power base to make PREZ possible. Here we need to give Russell poetic license.
An amendment cleans up the age issue of letting Fry Girl enter the White House before the seasoned age of 35. This was cute, too cute, hence why I can’t remember. However, the integration of social media voting was damn well explored. It won’t ever be allowed until some new platform replaces Twitter and the Obama security squad makes the Internet moderately safe…oh and we’re OK with more democracy slipping into a system that was never meant to be a pure democracy. I like the idea, love it, and love even more that voter turnout still wasn’t higher than the damn “likes” Beth Ross (she’s President now, I’ll use her real name now) received for her follicle faux pas at the fast food joint. Russell works this in plausibly, especially the swaying of “celebrity” on voter pull, but anyone who is even slightly “the man” knows how many ways one can overturn even the huge electoral pull of a big swing state like Ohio. Or Florida to just name another “hypothetical.”
So, where’s the tension and strife beyond the loss of American ingenuity? Corporations and sixty-year old white dudes like this guy trying to keep power. Well, sort of. They are actually two separate cabals. As the aging Gen X tries to pick from the usual stables of chiseled jaws and gleaming white teeth, they realize the party system is screwed because everyone one of these “kids” in their blueblood tweed vest pockets had a Facebook, or an instagram, or a…you get the idea. The corporate side loves the idea of Fry Girl in office, as entitlements are now delivered by drone to the destitute of the world offering nutritional delights like a burrito in a trough. A presidency that starts with branding is so much easier to control than trying to cram graft into those hectic first 90 days.
Now, let’s talk continuity. I’m a fangeezer after all and while I will no longer allow my reviews to naval gaze connective tissue, I will still look for small titillations of my childhood when comics were all we had. It’s a whisper in PREZ, but there is a bit of superhero foreshadow that casts across President Ross (anyone get that double continuity to comic and real history) while she is still just Fry Girl. Her Dad’s dying of the future cancer. That’s right fry girl fries because nanotech from…Wayne Enterprises is really expensive. And here is where I have to tell my thoughts to “Let It Go.” Secret cabals running the world, inept politicians, image superseding substance…these are all real world things. You know what isn’t? Superheroes. If Superheroes were real I guarantee some of this really fucked up shit we suffer from right now would be quickly abated. It’s why I love EARTH-2 in the New 52. No bones about it, we need a world government when people can traverse national boundaries in an instant. Look at Top Gun, and that was just one little plane.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I’m also not a blind lamb. I don’t know everything, but I do have clearances and insight because of my day job to keep a balance of speculation and fact in my life. Also, age has taught me that today’s facts were yesterday’s conspiracy theories and vice versa. PREZ takes the same pragmatic balance. If you go too nutty like “Loose Change” you “loose” me friendship. But if you think Oswald acted alone as reported by the wise gentlemen, like Gerald Ford, on the Warren Commission, I don’t want to have lunch with you either. If you combine the two though, you at least seek the truth. I hope PREZ incites the next generation to be as speculative and curios between the cracks of politics as I’ve been. It won’t, since most kids are too dumb and self-centered these days, but here’s to hoping because I still believe the kids that read comics are our only hope.
When Optimous isn't reviewing comics he is making the IT words chortle and groan with marketing for MaaS360, enterprise mobility management www.maas360.com. He also has a comic coming out sometime soon, for updates head to robpatey.com.
THE BATTLEWORLD TRAVEL GUIDE PART IV
orThis event is such a love letter to Marvel, Dr. Druid and Stingray show up.
Previously, on Secret Wars… Captain Marvel and the Carol Corp are reaching for the stars, literally. Elsa Bloodstone is amazing. Ultimate End is really annoying.
ARMOR WARS #2 (James Robinson & Marcio Takara)I will admit, that upon early inspections of this world? I was expecting a pretty heavy duty MINORITY REPORT, not a surprisingly heartfelt episode of DEGRASSI. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, though. It’s the people in this world that are surprisingly deep and fragile, and not just because of that body melting virus that hangs in the air.
MODOK ASSASSIN #1 (Christopher Yost & Amilcar Pinna)In the world of Killville, MODOK is the biggest badass alive. Yeah. This world is maybe not having the best of days lately. But, MODOK is riding around in his custom built hover car, which is also purple, which is pretty great. Also, it looks like we’re building to an all out brawl between MODOK, Baron Mordo, and the Sentinels from Days of Future Past world, and that is going to be just wonderful.
OLD MAN LOGAN #2 (Brian M. Bendis & Andrea Sorrentino)In all of Battle-World, all know the name of GodKingDoom. Of the saviour and protector. The bringer of light. Except Old Man Logan, who either managed to not get hit by the same knowledge bomb as everyone else during the Incursion thing, or he has dementia, which I find much funnier, so that’s what he has. His memory is so fuzzy, he can’t even remember AGE OF APOCALYPSE was a thing. But even in his mistiest days, Logan can still remember just how stupid Apocalypse looks.
RUNAWAYS #1 (Noelle Stevenson & Sanford Greene)Welcome to the prestigious GodKingDoom Academy, where detention is being forced to dress as Reed Richards and serve as target practice for an hour. We’re reintroduced to Molly Hayes, Amadeus Cho, Jubilee, Pixie, and the general idea of “fun teenage ensemble super heroics”. Oh, how I’ve missed you, you amazing little story telling device you. Also, that traitorous Bucky Barnes is the metal armed hall monitor, so make sure you have a hallpass. Otherwise he might go all Red Skull-y and just straight beat you to death with the aforementioned robot arm.
SQUADRON SINISTER #1 (Marc Guggenheim & Carlos Paheco)Our story opens with the original Squadron Supreme showing up and murdering J. Michael Straczynski's supreme series, and that amuses me on so many levels. Real estate options are opening up all over the place as evil Justice League tears through smaller communities and territories. Now it’s just a question of whether it’ll be the wrath of GodKingDoom, the infighting, or the Frightful Four who will bring them down. If it’s the Frightful Four, that would be a WATCHMEN quality last minute plot twist.
THORS #1 (Jason Aaron & Chris Sprouse)Look, the adventures of 21 Thor Street was always going to be good. But these aren’t just Thors. These are Thor Cops. They’re professionals. Ultimate Thor even wears gloves while examining a body so as to not tamper with the crime scenNAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH, I’m sorry, it’s great, it really is, but, Thor wears gloves so he doesn’t tamper with the crime scene. While talking to his partner. Who’s a Beta Ray Bill. And Jason Aaron makes a real play for “Best Use Of GodKingDoom’s Name As A Phrase” award with “Doomdamned”. This comic is wonderful.
X-MEN ’92 #2 (Chad bowers & Chris Sims, Scott Koblish)The X-Men of the animated universe are going through an arc of the cartoon show, based on Grant Morrison’s NEW X-MEN run, and just in case there was any confusion, they were not prepared for it. If you’re coming to Westchester, get ready for a trip into the Astral Plane, Blob trying to play basketball, and unspeakable mental horrors. Also, non-vampire Jubilee, who’s on the hunt for an arcade, cause it’s the 90’sssssssssssSSSSSS! *guitar squeal*
Battle-World Travel Tip: Make sure to watch out for the Thor Corp during your Battle-World vacations. If they show up, you will almost certainly be in some sort of crisis, and almost even more certainly, the Thor Corp will somehow make it worse.
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
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