AICN HORROR has a new sponsor: Things From Another World—also known as TFAW!
(Click title to go directly to the review)
Advance Review: DC NEW TALENT SHOWCASE #1
CIVIL WAR II #7
4001 A.D. Event Overview
THE FLASH #11
ARCHIE #14
BLOODSHOT U.S.A. #2
CAGE #2
Raiders of the Longbox presents THE MAN CALLED NOVA!
Opinions Are Like @$$Holes: Yo, Secret Identities Are Not Stupid!
In stores today!DC NEW TALENT SHOWCASE #1
Writers: Many (all new)Artists: Ditto
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Rob Patey (formerly The Douche of Optimous)
As much as I heralded this DC project to open the Star Chamber of comic creation to the comic man, I was also equally worried. On the plus side, these programs help shut up the talentless who claim their reasons for not making it big is because the fence around the walled garden of politics and nepotism is simply too barbed to climb. On the downside, I like to read comics more than create them and I want a satisfying experience (especially when the entry fee is $7.99).
Like a college professor, I wasn’t worried that the new talent in this class of entertaining moi would be talentless. Admissions usually ensures the nutrient rich wheat is properly separated from the chaff. My concerns were far more base and selfish. Anthologies tend to be an anemic reading experience. Like a night out for tapas, I’m thankful for the small sampling when I find what’s before me distasteful, but when I truly enjoy the offering I simply want more than a mere morsel.
Well, I’m happy to say that I pushed away from the NEW TALENT SHOWCASE table with just enough. Most of these 9 noob offerings were complete in their snack size nature. While I wanted more from some of the creators, that was simply greediness on my part. And I can also say without reservation, that nothing tasted foul or amiss. Did I prefer some offerings over others? Of course, but my critiques are reflective more of my personal tastes than any fundamental flaws from the new creators or missteps made by DC by pushing out an anthology book.
HELLBLAZER
Writer: Adam Smith
Artist: Siya Oum
It was wise of DC to lead off with this piece. Smith gets the do-gooder/rat bastard duality of John Constantine, especially when it comes to a mission involving JC’s love for Zatanna. Smith is also well versed in economy storytelling, giving us a complete adventure that traverses hell to a NY toy store, as well as past to present. There’s a quite melancholy and humor as well in just eight short pages. Oum’s art is equally subtle and sublime, working in a pastel dreamscape despite the naughty by nature setting.
JC hasn’t found sure footing since he left Vertigo, this is a damn solid first step.
WONDER WOMAN
Writer: Vita Ayala
Artist: Khary Randolph
Here’s one where the art astounded more than the story. Randolph has a fierceness to his pencils befitting the Amazonian Queen. Harsh lines combined with impeccable expressions in each beat. The story is well structured, but very standard fair with Wonder Woman fighting simply another mystical beast. There’s a cool little back story in the pages about an old woman decrying WW as a goddess, but it cannibalized the here and now, by essentially saying the same thing. Also, the addition of Barry Allen was simply a bad choice, the voice was completely off and he didn’t add a damn lick of value. I was glad to see Randolph do another character, but the addition only served as sizzle instead if steak.
WHITE LANTERNS
Writer: Michael Moreci
Artist: Barnaby Bagenda
I don’t get it. I literally don’t get this story. It begins with an omnipotent voice on a distant space station bemoaning never being a Green Lantern. That voice then kills two space scavengers. Then we go to Kyle Raynor and Carol Ferris cleaning up an intergalactic mess while they lament the loss of their anniversary in the name of galactic good. OK, so I get the last half, but in a short story that simply isn’t good enough. It’s only a short story I should get the whole thing. I know GL continuity has been confusing since the skittles package was recently opened, but this was an unfair exercise to hand a new writer. Tell a tale that doesn’t resonate with current happenings, but reflects a story going on right now (see GREEN LANTERNS and the current Phantom Ring for more entitled villains who think they should wield light).
Bagenda does some damn pretty pictures though, especially the wide out of space in the opening splash.
HAWKGIRL
Writer: Erica Schultz
Artist: Sonny Liew
These two are a great team. The cragginess of Liew’s pencils perfectly matched the brutality of this Hawkgirl on the astral battlefield as well as on the streets of NY, where our new winged one is on the force. Not sure why the hell this was left open ended as I see no plans for a part two to this compendium. If it was a writing exercise, I’ll say well done and mission accomplished. It’s not great for readers though. Going back to my Tapas analogy before, it’s like ordering a second plate of the dish you liked best, to only be told the chef went home early.
DEADMAN
Writer: Christopher Sebela
Artist: David Messina
Gorgeous pencils of both Deadman and cityscapes by Messina. Another open ended story, but I’ll forgive it for the lushness of backstory Sebela packs into a few panels on the front end. The endless boredom of eternal life added a sad humor to the front end, and a talk about never balancing the scales allowed for a satisfying enough back end that I didn’t care about the cliffhanger that will never come to pass.
WONDER GIRL
Writer: Hena Khan
Artist: Emanuela Lupacchino
There are the makings of a great five part story in the five pages of this short story. But the nature of the Showcase beast didn’t give Khan enough room to give completeness to this tale of Jinns and maternal strife. Khan delivered great individual panels, but is reliant too much on the comic nature of “what comes next” to make me feel satisfied with what I just experienced.
Lupacchino’s art though, good God did it make a DC beauty even more so. Most of the book took place in the desert, so we’ll see in the future if scenescapes match up.
CATWOMAN
Writer: Emma Beeby
Artist: Minkyu Jung
OK, this is the dish I’m really pissed I had to share with the rest of the table at this Tapas read. Great story set up about a mystical box to control the world that Wonder Woman needs Catwoman to steal for her. Catwoman’s inner monologue was a joy, the verbal parle between her and Wonder Woman was really fun banter, there’s a great interlude aboard a submarine where we meet an interesting villain annnnnd then the dam thing just stops mid-action.
Just as I’m falling more in love with Beeby and Jung, my rapture is halted because all the pages have been consumed. This could have/should have been wrapped up. Teach ‘Cliff Hanging 101” later please.
SUPERMAN
Writer: Michael McMillan
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
I don’t get it. Two incomplete stories this time. One of an alien (not Superman) coming to save earth. And then a second story of Rebirth Superman and Lois trying to disinfect Lolo’s brain from Joker toxin.
The second story is an interesting concept, but McMillan is too dependant on the call out box and inner monologue. It helps to convey more in less space, but I would have personally simplified the story knowing the space I had to deal with. Like getting rid of the first part that didn’t make a lick of sense.
Ferreyra is the most original of the talent, and I’m left between awe and ughh. There are moments I felt this is kind of ugly (people, not landscapes. The settings were damn pretty), but then there are times that everyone looks right as rain. Perhaps inconsistent is the best word.
HARLEY QUINN
Writer: Joelle Jones
Artist: Sam Lotfi
OK, calling shenanigans on this “new talent” thing. Joelle Jones won my heart over about a year ago with LADY KILLER for Dark Horse. A shirt story about Harley Quinn getting antsy pants in Arkham while a virus makes Gotham go batshit crazy is a dial-in for Joelle’s talent.
OK, very accomplished sand bagging Miss Jones. Again tough, a cliff hanger. WHY DC WHY?
Sam Lofti does a great job with the hyper cartoony pencils that have come to define Harley Quinn as child’s play in the comic modern era. However, while I’m all for women embracing their sexuality in whatever length shorts or panties they choose, let’s not put flesh colored ones on a character with white skin. It just looks bottomless guys. I’m not a prude, I am however ragingly practical.
Final summation, this is a great romp for the DC zealot to have number ones of next season’s heaviest hitters. It’s also a good place for indie editors to come a poaching. If you need a waft of continuity, or an ending to your serial breakfast than your eight bucks is better spent elsewhere.
You can pick up this comic at TFAW by clicking this link!
Rob works for IBM when he puts down comic books. IBM.com if you want to see his other world.
CIVIL WAR II #7
Writer: Brian Michael BendisArtist: David Marquez
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Masked Man
Marvel's latest epic, under the pen of their golden boy Bendis, continues to roll on. Do you think it bothers Bendis that Marvel's movies are doing so well that he can't take them over, like Geoff Johns did for DC? Either way, he is still the head architect for their comic books, and this marketing department tie-in to the last CAPTAIN AMERICA movie clearly proves it.
So incase you didn't know, Terrigen mist, the stuff the Kree used to create the Inhumans millions of years ago, was released on the world during the Thanos / Inhuman 'mix-up' in INFINITY. The mist actives Inhuman DNA and abilities in seemingly non-Inhuman descendants (it also killed a bunch of mutants, which helps set-up the upcoming IVX (Inhumans vs X-Men)). One such new Inhuman is Ulysses Cain, who has the ability to see the future. He proves this ability to the Avengers or more over to Ms. Mar- er Captain Marvel by saying he knew that recent attack by a Celestial was going to happen (kinda like all the people that said they saw the 9-11 attack before 9-11, but didn't tell anyone about it until after 9-11, yeah). Anyway the good Captain feels they should now set-up a 'Minority Report' with Ulysses Cain's help. Because it's not like arresting people before they commit crimes isn't a classic scifi fiction bad idea, that ranks up there with going back in time to changes history (something Bendis did in AGE OF ULTRON) or giving feelings and free will to robots (Bendis' next event I imagine)- oh wait it is! Well what can you expect from a jarhead. Tony Stark on the other hand knows his sci-fi lore and objects to Marvel's plans and boom Civil War II!
Here in issue seven, that shocking event that we all knew about finally happens- well kinda. Anyway, this issue kicks off with another Ulysses' vision of the future. It's a typical everything is f@$&ed future. Meanwhile Spider (Miles Morales) Man has been fated to kill Captain (Steve Rogers) America (I hate you for making me type all that Marvel), at the Lincoln Memorial no less. Steve and Miles decide to meet each other at the Memorial, and hope to prove Ulysses wrong. Captain Marvel, knows better and doesn't want things to escalate, so she swoops down and tries to forcibly arrest Spider-Man (well I did say she was a jarhead). Iron Man then swoops down to defend Spider-Man, and Captain Marvel cracks him open like a can of sardines (Did you know there is no such thing as a sardine?)- cliffhanger! But as we all know, thanks to the two new IRON MAN comics, Tony Stark dies in the CIVIL WAR II. So try to acted surprised when this is revealed in the final issue, #8.
Overall Bendis has some nice scenes in this issue. Kinda like Geoff Johns (again) over at DC, character moments are what they excel at. David Marquez does a fine job drawing this issue too. He does a nice job changing up his art style for the Ulysses' visions as well. I just wish everyone in this story wasn't as dumb as a bag of hammers. Granted, whenever superheroes fight each other, you always have to suspend disbelief to buy into the flimsy reason behind the fight. But when it's a big event and it's everyone against everyone, it would be nice if it wasn't over a superpower that several characters in the Marvel U already had before Ulysses (Destiny, Blindfold, etc). It's just a shame that the best Marvel comics CIVIL WAR wasn't in a comic book.
You can pick up this comic at TFAW by clicking this link!
4001 A.D. Event Overview
Writer(s): Matt Kindt, Robert Venditti, Jeff Lemire, Jody Houser, et alArtist(s): Clayton Crain, Cafu, Clayton Henry, Doug Braitwaite, et al
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Reviewer: Humphrey Lee
For the past year I’ve spent a decent chunk of free time and discretionary income (comics ain’t cheap, yo) getting myself caught up on the bulk of Valiant’s line of comics since the reboot roughly a half decade ago now. Reading through almost an entire comic line still relatively in a fledgling state has really been kind of an intriguing position to be in because I feel like the powers that be in the publishing/editorial end of things are still setting precedents with their decisions. How they spread the line out, how crossovers happen and get reprinted, etc are being defined and are creating a model for the production line as it ages and characters and creative teams rise and fall. So seeing how their latest “event,” 4001AD, developed first hand buying it off the shelf as it hit (at least in TPB form) instead of in hindsight as I caught up was a nice change of pace, if not kind of eye-opening in that I’m not sure Valiant still really understands the idea of an “event,” which comes with its own ups and downs.
Now what I mean here, and why I kept using those bunny ear punctuation things, whatever they’re called, around the word event, is that much as this 4001AD storyline had a lot of solicitation space taken up as it was being promoted, it is way less a big, line-wide shift in anything and more that Valiant let Matt Kindt and his collaborators get a little big with a storyline they had been brewing in the RAI main book since its inception. Which, personally, I think is amazing and how I would (naively) like to think a lot of events get made; that sometimes a trusted talent doing their normal diligence has a bigger idea and needs more space with it and editorial complies. Because Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain really have been doing quality work with RAI for the past year and a half, building a wondrous and lush orbital continent in the form of New Japan, that looks like utopia from the outside, but is really a despotic grind house at the hands of its “Father” when you tear apart at the veneer. The adventure to self-awareness that Kindt and Crain have taken Rai, New Japan’s ever-vigilant protector, on for a year leading into this storyline involved a lot of interesting characters and moving pieces (both literally and figuratively given New Japan’s “shifting” nature with it evolving, and era-thematic living sections) and it deserved a big payoff story like 4001AD to resolve the conflict building between Rai and Father and tear apart the status quo of New Japan. It just didn’t need to be hyped as anything more than it was.
I don’t really recall 4001AD as being promoted as, like, a publishing line game changer or anything like that, but I feel like it had a lot of standard event hype of being “the most ambitious crossover yet!” for the company with all the usual PR speak, and that kind of mentality does seem detrimental to what this “crossover” (in the loosest version of the term I can use) really was accomplishing. Because at the end of the day, what Kindt and company actually did with 4001AD was get a second New Japan book to tell the actual crux of the Rai/Father conflict in while using the RAI main book to delve into the history and evolution of “Rai” as an idol for Father to use to either inspire or cow his people in New Japan while the seed was planted by former Rai’s in their own programming to get to the point where a future version of itself would finally rebel against Father in order to set New Japan free. There is no real grand crossover between the books; the information that plays out in RAI proper as the previous iterations of the character slowly become more aware of their pawn status in Father’s grand plans of keeping the populous of New Japan distracted to what he does behind the curtain is more a fleshing out of the history of the floating continent and the Father/Rai relationship that must know material to enjoy the main 4001AD book where the titanic fighting is taking place.
Likewise, as seems to be a tradition with these Valiant “events” I’ve been noticing, there’s a collection of one shots featuring prominent and not-so-much-so characters in the Valiantverse as they are pulled into the fray in their own ways to fresh out the universe some more. And, yes, a couple of these – particularly the X-O MANOWAR issue by Robert Venditti and Clayton Henry and the BLOODSHOT issue by Jeff Lemire and Doug Braitwaite bring things the closest they feel to being a “crossover” of all these books. The X-O issue shows the historical saga of how the U.S. government used a sliver of the original armor to make a giant mech version of the advanced battlesuit and this ties directly into 4001AD #1 as Rai uses the now derelict suit to get himself back to New Japan. BLOODSHOT ties more into the Valiant universe more in that Lemire and Braitwaite use it as the means to tie the character back into a past Lemire had developed the last time Valiant did a series of event one-shots like this with the BOOK OF DEATH storyline. The remaining books, SHADOWMAN and WAR MOTHER, meanwhile, do their best Mad Max impersonations as the Earth becomes chaotic with pieces of New Japan raining down upon it. That last part being the only real tertiary connection to the main story and rounding out a collection of 4001AD tales that are like, 30% directly linked to the story, making this volume the most “event-like” book of the bunch in that it probably didn’t need to exist (take that use of the word “need” to the degree you want) but does because, y’know, it’s some more sales for the heavily invested or just overly curious.
Overall the 4001AD event, if you take it at what it really was designed for in being a splashier way for Matt Kindt and his crew to advance the RAI end of the Valiant futureverse, is a great success. The titanic conflict between Rai and his creator in the 4001AD book itself comes with an end game of world changing consequences fitting of a higher than normal profile for the character. Meanwhile, the humanizing, evolutionary procession that Rai as an idea is taken through in his own book as it ran concurrently to the 4001AD mini is quintessential to essence of the character that Kindt had been developing with Clayton Crain leading up to this turning point for him and New Japan. It’s a lynchpin moment in a book that has been near the top of the quality heap for a publishing company that has already had a pretty high success rate in quality with their titles, as I’ve been learning the past year or so. 4001AD is also showing that Valiant does seem to understand what makes an event work – a great creative team wanting to blow up the scope of their story a bit and needing to shed some confines – but also loves to fall for the trap that gets people down on these types of comic book stories, which is a penchant for pushing side material that is mostly superfluous just trying to make a few extra sales off of the heavily invested. The high bar of quality that has been set for RAI already has definitely moved a notch as I can’t wait to see what kind of story Matt Kindt has for the cybernetic protector of the far future now that what he typically guards has been torn asunder, but that anticipation for RAI as a book is balanced out by my wariness of what type of material Valiant pushes alongside these event packages as more of them roll out in the near future.
You can pick up this comic at TFAW by clicking this link!
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, The MySpaces, 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.
THE FLASH #11
Writer: Joshua WilliamsonArtist: Davide Gianfelice
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Masked Man
As DC Comics still basks in the glory of Rebirth, the Flash deals with Kid Flash. Oh, but not Wally (white) West, that everyone got all weepy eyed about at the start of Rebirth. This is New 52 Wally (black) West, based on the character from the TV show. That said, we are knee deep in “The Speed of Darkness.”
This issue gets into the explanation of what's going on, which is basically the villain Shade losing control over his powers. Shade had found love and was hoping to reform for good. But his shadow 'gremlins' from the shadowlands have a different idea and they kidnap his love, Hope O'Dare. Shade then hoped to enlist the Flash to help him, but he got Kid (I have no idea how to tell the two of them apart since they both have the same name, and the b/w joke gets old after a while, so I have to say African American) Flash instead. Kid Flash finds himself trapped in the shadowland and when he's M.I.A. The Flash (and Iris) go looking for him. Shade finally gets his man and explains to Barry and Wally what's going on. But the worse news is, that Hope is no victim (per say) as the shadows of the shadowland have made her the new boss. Oh and they have Iris on their side as well.
So it's all a reasonable plotline, and the bit about it all happening as a self-fulfilling prophecy of Shade's is nice. He just believes failure is in his blood, so $h!t like this will always happen, and it happens because of his belief. The character moments between Wally and Barry are decent as well. As their mentor side-kick relationship is still being figured out. It comes off a little cliché, but not enough to turn your stomach.
Gianfelice does a nice job drawing everything, although I could do without his obsession of lightning bolt all over our heroes. You'd think they have lightning powers, not super speed.
Getting down to the brass tacks, the worse thing I can say about the book is nothing stands out. The best thing I can say about it is, there's nothing wrong with it.
You can pick up this comic at TFAW by clicking this link!
ARCHIE #14
Writer: Mark Waid with Lori MatsumotoArtist: Joe Eisma
Publisher: Archie Comics
Reviewer: Lyzard
Usually the character of Veronica Lodge is unappealing to me. She’s a spoiled brat and I just can’t understand why Archie even debates about choosing between her and Betty. I mean yeah, she’s rich, but daddy dearest should be enough to scare the ginger off. But the new Archie series has made her much more relatable and empathetic. When the Lodge’s leave Riverdale and Veronica transfers to Lycee Camembert in Switzerland, I actually feel sad for her.
I truly couldn’t appreciate the absence of Veronica’s former personality until I read ARCHIE #14, which features a new spoiled rich brat in the form of Cheryl Blossom. The thing is, it isn’t even Cheryl’s mean girl, queen bee attitude that grates my nerves. What disappoints me is how two-dimensional Waid has written her as. This stands in stark contrast to Veronica who has become fully developed throughout the series but is also able to have an entire character arc within the span of one issue. If Cheryl is going to be Veronica’s foil for the next few issues, I want Lodge to have a rival with some complexity.
We see a similar mismatch with Archie and Jughead. The latter’s character isn’t necessarily the most complex. He eats burgers, hot dogs, just about any food you put in front of him and turns laziness into an art form. It is Archie that always ends up in the overly complex situations and relationships. But now the two have seemingly switched personalities since Veronica’s departure, or should I say attitudes. Jughead was never a “moper” and ARCHIE #14 reveals just how important character’s actual goals and intentions are. In the past, Archie just wanted to make everyone happy and by doing so was unable to appease anyone. Jughead always wanted to help his friends out, though his efforts mostly went unnoticed. However, take away Archie’s never-quit attitude and you are left with two gingers in a single issue that have me grateful they only make up 1% of the world’s population.
I don’t want to pull Joe Eisma down with the ship, so I will say that while his style is at times inconsistent, his panel flashbacking to Jughead’s childhood features an Easter egg that any die-hard fan of the lovable glutton would appreciate.
With all that said, I can’t be too harsh on the issue. Let’s put things in perspective. Have you seen the new RIVERDALE trailer for the CW? In comparison, these characterizations are only a slight off kilter.
You can pick up this comic at TFAW by clicking this link!
Lyzard is Lyz Reblin, a graduate student at Michigan Tech pursuing a doctorate in Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture... which is just a fancy way of saying she plays a lot video games, watches far too many horror films, and then tries to pass it all off as "research."
BLOODSHOT U.S.A. #2
Writer: Jeff LemireArtist: Doug Braithwaite
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Reviewer: Masked Man
Fan fave Jeff Lemire's Bloodshot saga continues with this new 4-part mini-series, BLOODSHOT U.S.A. The action picks-up after BLOODSHOT: REBORN, with Bloodshot and the gang of former Bloodshots escaping the island. Returning to New York, they run smack into a nanites-nightmare!
Continuing with the spoilers, PRS, the company behind the nanites that created the Bloodshots, has released a new kind of nanites on New York City. It turns your skin white and eyes red like a Bloodshot, but then sends you off on a murderous rage. Ninjak and the Bloodshots arrive on the scene to help out, as modern day Bloodshot shows the others, that they can draw the nanites out of the infected people. He demonstrated on Ninjak, who was infected in front of them. While infected, Ninjak also helped show how powerful the nanites are. As Bloodshot never has to worry about losing his head, if you catch my drift. To stop the Bloodshots from interfering, PRS releases Deathmate again on them. But modern day Bloodshot is now more ready than ever for her. Using his nanites drawing ability, he cures Geomancer of her 'Deathmate' nanites. Meanwhile, Agent Diane Festival breaks free of her PRS holding cell and manages to apply some 'gun diplomacy' on PRS CEO Morris Kazal.
I must say Jeff Lemire is a talented fellow. Even back in Valiant's heyday, I never really cared about Bloodshot. He was just such a '90s' trend chasing character. But Lemire has made him and the concept a fun read. Mind you, there's nothing terribly original about an evil corporation and their super-soldiers, but Lemire steers clear of the cliché and writes just a good adventure yarn.
Braithwaite is an artist who I always thought was very talented, although boring as well. But then most of the work I've seen him do was on traditional superheroes. Seeing his work here, in a more straight-up action story, really showcases how good he is. As much as we like to say any good artist can draw anything well, each artist does have a sweet spot. Plainclothed action is clearly Braithwaite's. Dynamite should tap him for JAMES BOND, seriously. I could quibble about him needing an inker, but colorist Brian Reber takes care of that quite well. His palette is light enough and perfect enough to not be overbearing to the darkened pencil lines and really gives them a finished art look.
While I can't say BLOODSHOT U.S.A. is quite on my must buy list, it is always better than I expect it to be. Action fans and anyone tired of traditional superheroes should totally be giving this comic a try. It's just a good book, period.
You can pick up this comic at TFAW by clicking this link!
CAGE #2
Writer / Artist: Genndy TarakovskyInker: Stephen DeStefano
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Masked Man
Ok I'll admit, I wasn't on the right wave length when I read the first issue. After reading this second issue, I get it now. While it was clear we weren't going to get the dulled down, down to Earth, street hero from Netflix's LUKE CAGE, I don't anyone was expecting this!
As I reviewed the first issue, I remarked how much Genndy's art here reminded me of MAD MAGAZINE artist Jack Davis. Well now I see the whole think is basically a MAD MAGAZINE version of Luke Cage! It's all overly machismo, silliness, with extreme pose drawing. I must confess I was expecting something more along the lines of his SAMURAI JACK or CLONE WARS. I find it such a weird trip, I'm curious how the paying public will accept it.
Getting to the action (aka spoilers), our man Cage has been captured and caged (can you smell the joke coming)! Luke at first pitied the fool, but when he got a look at his Tawky Tawny captors, he decided to take a run through the jungle instead. Next he finds himself in a field of poppies (poppies, poppies- ya dig). So not much story, as it is all hyper experiences. Genndy stretches his drawing chops too, showing us some groovy looking art styles (poppies, poppies, poppies).
If you can wrap you head around this concept, you should totally dig what Genndy is laying down, ya dig? If not, best stay away. While it hasn't charmed me as much as say Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier's THE MIGHTY MAGNOR, this is still a fun book. My one hope is that Genndy puts something into the story beyond rampant silliness. Either way, I'm sticking with this until the end.
You can pick up this comic at TFAW by clicking this link!
THE MAN CALLED NOVA!
By Masked ManAs you may know, after years of being forgotten and perhaps being dead, Marvel's original Nova is returning to publication. In the meantime, he's been replaced by Jeph Loeb brainchild Sam Alexander. A Latino middle-schooler who scored a cartoon (ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN) and Avengers membership, two things the original Rich Rider failed to do (ok, Rich did have background appearances in SILVER SURFER and SUPER HERO SQUAD). With his return I find it amusing that just like with Ted Kord, Richard Ryder can't have his own comic book, as he appears to be just a supporting character in Sam's book. (Once Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, despise ranking higher in a popularity poll (hey, it's the electoral votes that count, not the popular!), after being dead is now a supporting character in replacement Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, comic).
On second thought, I'm curious if this is another fake out. You see, Richard Rider fans (myself included) have been impatience for Rich's return. As both he and Starlord, not to mention Thanos all died in THE THANOS IMPERATIVE (2010). Starlord and Thanos have both quickly come back to life and became movie stars, while Rich has stayed dead. Then in Marvel Now (phase 2), they promoted two Nova's in the relaunch of Sam's NOVA series. Rider fans were hopeful, but no, it was clone of Sam's dad. Now in Marvel's ah, NOW! line-up, we are promised Rich Rider's return at last! Although they do say, “Is it truly the return everyone has been waiting for?” Is this another f-u Rich Rider fans, and thanks for the money. I guess we'll soon find out.
Anyway, assuming this is Rich Rider's true return to the Marvel U, I thought we'd check out the original NOVA run (or at least the start of it) from 1976! Though it all started back further back, in the fanzine days (What's a fanzine? Well the easiest way to explain it is to say, it was a fan's blog (before the internet) in print form). Comic book hopefuls Marv Wolfman and his buddy Len Wein created a character called Black Nova (although not black in the sense of every other Black 'fill-in the blank' hero of the time). Now that Wolfman was a big deal at Marvel, writing TOMB OF DRACULA and DAREDEVIL, he pitched Black Nova, reworking it of course, and boom, “He's Here! The Ultimate Super-Hero! The Man Called NOVA!”
Nova was cut from the same cloth as Spider-Man, a high school 'loser' with matching initials, P.P. for Spidey and R.R. for Nova. Wolfman changed-up the Spidey comparison though by, a) making Rich a bad student, b) giving him a steady girlfriend, Ginger, and c) his bully Mike Burley had brains and brawn. But in both cases, the fickle finger of fate zapped Peter and Rich, though more literally with Rich, into super-heroism. Wolfman then borrows from Schwartz & Fox (Green Lantern) as they borrowed from Smith (Lensman). A dying aliens gives his superpowers to Rich Rider, making him the human rocket, Nova! NOVA ran for 25 issues and then Marv carried his story over to the FANTASTIC FOUR, starting with issue #208. But we are going to focus on the first 11 issues, as seven of them add up to his first big story arc (as a story arc could be in the 1970's, since nearly every issue told a complete tale).
As the first issue kicks off, Marv Wolfman is joined by artist legend John Buscema, inked by another legend, Joe Sinnott. These two make the first two issues look textbook Marvel comics. The story sets up Rich Rider's world and then the dying Xandarian (although not named yet) Rhomann Dey, via an 'invisible mind-blast' gives Rich the costume and powers of the Nova Prime Centurion! (Time out for explanation: Marv Wolfman doesn't explain this all in the first issue (he probably wasn't even sure of it himself yet!), but the planet Xandar defenses itself from the Skrulls and other hostile forces with a super-powered army, the Nova Corps. Of all the different Corpsmen, the Prime Centurion is the most powerful (Extra note- originally, all Corpsmen were Xandarian, it wasn't until the 1990's that the Corps was turned even more into a Green Lantern Corps, by having it's membership made-up of different aliens from all over the universe)) Rhomann had failed to prevent his world from being destroyed by the energy absorbing cosmic villain Zorr (ah, how original) and was now dying.
Later we learn Xandar did survive, but fearing Zorr would now destroy Earth, Rhomann creates an Earth champion to defend Earth and avenge Xandar. In a way never fully explained, the noob Rider beats the planet destroying Zorr (seriously, even to this day no one has come up with a good reason on how Rich managed this- although some have tried). And the superhero career of Nova is on it's way. Although he lacks any real motivation beyond, well that's just what you do with super powers and a costume in the Marvel U!
The second issue brings in two main villains of Nova, the Condor and Powerhouse! The wannabe Falcon / wannabe criminal mastermind Condor is aware of Nova's alien background. For his flunky Powerhouse, is from Xandar as well (though again, everything isn't that clearly stated in this issue). Powerhouse has the ability to absorb energy (ala the Parasite), draining his victim and increasing his own power, temporary. Powerhouse also isn't sure he's a bad guy, but Condor coerces him to work for him. Having big plans in mind for all the advanced Nova alien tech Condor can get his hands on, he goes after Nova. Fighting more like a noob in this issue, Nova barely manages to fight them off.
The third issue brings in Nova most popular villain, Diamondhead! Yes, this is the guy who has the face like a diamond. Diamondhead is just a thug who likes to hurt people. And get this, he was turned into a super villain because he was hit by a diamond powered laser (Wow, how did DC miss that origin story!?). This issue also brings in the regular art team of Sal Buscema (younger brother to John) and inker Tom Palmer. Palmer really kicks up the detail on these pages. Once again, our man Nova doesn't do too hot, and Diamondhead escapes. But then he runs into the Condor, who recruits him for his master plan!
The next two issues are stand alone adventures that don't add much to the Nova story. Going up against the Corrupter, who has mind controlled Thor, and then Tyrannus, the handsome mole man. Marv Wolfman even puts himself and Sal into a story (This used to be a common gag in 70's), as they want to turn Nova into a comic book, but Stan Lee says, no way José!
The proper Nova action kicks up again in issue #6, with the introduction of Nova's greatest villain, the Sphinx! Turns out, the Sphinx was the Egyptian wizard whipped by Moses. In exile, he discovers the Ka Stone, which gives him awesome powers but curses him with immortality. Now he spends his time sitting around like a bored Darkseid or Thanos. The Sphinx is also the target of the Condor's master plan! As the Condor hopes to the Nova tech to defeat the Sphinx and steal his powers. To that end, he manages to mind-alter Nova into a villain (with Powerhouse and Diamondhead's help of course)!
Issue #7 has the terrible trio using Nova to gain access to Rhomann Dey (the original Nova Prime Centurion)'s space ship, parked in orbit around Earth. The Condor raids the ship, but Nova regains his identity. The villains manage to escape, even as the Sphinx tries to kill them all from afar.
The next two issues are a bizarre interlude of one of Rich Rider's friends, Caps. Caps was there when his uncle died, but now his uncle returns, blaming him for his death. Oh, and his uncle has no face. You see, Wolfman had pulled out the old, extra dimensional beings finding a near dead human and fixing him up wrong. It's just a whole lot of weirdness is what it is and it kills the excitement of the Condor / Sphinx story. Although issue #8 gives us the first appearance of the Xandarian Worldmind Super Computer (or as Marv called it: Planetary Recorder for Information and Education (P.R.I.M.E) Computer, ah the 70's).
Issues number 10 and 11 get back to the main action! Armed with Nova Corp tech, the Condor and gang attack the Sphinx's headquarters. Nova quickly finds himself in the middle of all of it. As everyone is fighting everyone, the Sphinx just starts blowing people away. In a Spectre like move, he turns the Condor into a real condor, and sends him on his way. With our hero Nova, the Sphinx becomes very interested in the Xandarian World Mind Super Computer (hoping it could cure his immortality). He demands Nova give him access to it. Nova still isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and has no idea how to do that, and he figures anything the Sphinx wants, he probably shouldn't get. So Nova swears to fight him to his dying breath! The Sphinx then beats the tar out of Nova. He stops short from killing him, because that would mean access to the Super Computer could be lost forever. The Sphinx slips back into the shadows and waits for another time and way to get the access out of Nova.
So that's pretty much awesome sauce right there. You can see where Richard Rider gets his fans from, despite the 70's storytelling (which is 'oui' sometimes). Although, the slam bam action of Marvel's comicbook from the 70's is a lot of fun too. Nova's look is not to be denied either. Gold helmet, wrist bands, and how his legs disappear when he flies. It's a shame currents artists neglect to do this.
Sadly the only time Marvel has reprint this original series was in their cheapo b/w Essentials line. If you bought that you missed out on the whiz-bang colors of the 70's and great ads like: Evel Knievel toys, the superhero Hostess ads, and all the tons of Marvel Merch! And tell you about the change in times, each issue was 17 pages long, for just 30¢! Not a page wasted on blank title cards.
Marvel should really think about retelling this Sphinx vs Nova storyline. It was pretty epic in the 70's, under modern storytelling and artwork it would be amazing! Maybe one day I'll go over the finale of the original NOVA run. How it branched into the FANTASTIC FOUR and smacked head first into Galactus himself!
YO, SECRET IDENTITIES ARE NOT STUPID
By Masked ManOver the past few years there's bend a trend of removing the secret identity from the superhero genre. As many believe the secret identity is stupid. You can see where they are coming from, as Lois Lane has looked at Superman and Clark Kent's face for years and never saw the resemble. But if you stop and really exam the concept of the secret identity, it's pretty frick'n clear how important it is.
First off, there is this dance between fantasy and reality. While clearly there is nothing realistic about a superhero story, a certain amount of realism makes them better. Though, too much realism and it's no longer a superhero story. The secret identity concept works the same way. It's a balance of realism and fantasy that makes it affective. So when one side or the other argues for too much realism or fantasy, they are off the mark of what makes a good superhero story. For examples, this is like saying everything the Flash touches has to explodes, because that's what would happen in real life if something was moving that fast. Or that Superman is so strong he can push the planet out of orbit, so fast he can travel through time, and an atomic explosion can't even mess his hair. And he's suppose to have trouble fighting Toyman!? No one wants to read those stories.To find the sweet spot for the secret identity, you have to exam the characters and tone of story. But in general I'd say all secret identities stem from the need for anonymity. The reasons usually are, A) People will freak out about what I can do and I'll never have a normal life, B) I don't want to spend my life working in law enforce, C) I'm breaking the law and don't want to go to jail or get sued. D) Badguys may go after my family and friends, E) I can't trust my family and friends and they will reveal my secret identity. All five of these make perfect sense and are why secret identities aren't stupid.
Look at the first one, I wanted to be treated like a normal person. Just watching TMZ highlights this problem. The paparazzi would mercilessly hound people with super powers, and you know it. And depending on the superpower, everyone would be down right scared of them too (this guy could sneeze and destroy a house, I don't want him living next to me!). Friends would be asking for countless favors too (you think it's hard owning a truck?). Taking it a step further, now people can second guess you to your face. Why didn't you save x? What gives you the right to do x? I saw you on TV and you really screwed up, if I had powers, blah, blah, blah! You want that in your life?Next, I don't want to be a cop. There are a few characters who do though, SAVAGE DRAGON for one. But Peter wants to be a scientist, Clark wants to be a writer, Bruce just doesn't frick'n trust them. You're typical superhero doesn't want to were a badge and punch a clock. They have been gifted by fate and have decided to help out.
This takes us to what they all are then: Vigilantes. While you can make a citizen arrest, vigilantism itself is mostly outlawed. So you want to catch the bad guy, you can catch the bad guy, but you don't want to be a cop? Yeah, you should probably wear a mask. Least you get arrested and then everyone learns what you can do. This what makes storylines like Marvel's CIVIL WAR a little laughable. There is no, I can be a superhero and not break the law. Because they are all breaking the law (assault and battery, breaking and entry, public nuisance, destruction of public and private property, etc, etc). Unless they are government run, like in THE INCREDIBLES.And let's not forget getting sued. We've seen restaurants getting sued for serving coffee that's too hot. Imagine all the lawsuits Spider-Man would have to go through if everyone knew who he was.
Then there's the ever popular, badguys can go after my family. Again this is heavily influenced by the superpowers involved. It would be tough enough for Dare Devil to protect his good buddy Foggy from Bulleyes, but the job is even harder against the Kingpin, and impossible against the Titanium Man. And as most superheroes have a code against killing, there's no 'blue-code' for criminals to worry about (though that would make for an interesting story). Hell even with a 'blue-code' families and friends of the police still get targeted.Lastly, I can't trust my friends or family to keep a secret. We have seen this in comics several times, where people who know, give it up and bad things happen (DARE DEVIL, IDENTITY CRISIS). You can barely count on your friends and family to keep quiet about normal secrets! As Jerry Seinfeld once said to an upset girlfriend, “Well I have to tell my friends (something about you), but my friends don't have to tell you (that they know)!”
So it makes perfect sense for a superhero to have a secret identity. DC even published a book about it, IDENTITY CRISIS. The Justice League sets up a satellite HQ and it becomes a target for super-villains. The Elongated Man's wife, Sue, is hanging out at in the satellite, because she knows all about it, and she gets attacked by Dr. Light. Then the Atom's ex-wife, Jean, kills Sue, (in a round about way) because she knows Sue is married to the Elongated Man. She then outs even more superhero secrets and Tim (Robin) Drake's dad gets killed! Secret Identities are serious $h!t people. Unfortunately, the final conclusion of the story is completely misaligned with the story. Basically saying in the face of all this tragedy, the superhero community needs to draw closer together. Ah, actually if the heroes kept tighter lipped about their identities, none of the deaths would have happened.
Now I'm sure the anti-secret identity crowd will argue, well it's just really stupid that no one can recognized them. True enough, except for a few notes. To paraphrase John Byrne, just because you've never seen Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in the same room doesn't mean they are the same person. Most people in the DCU haven't seen Superman and Clark Kent clearly enough to see the similarities. As for people like Lois and Jimmy not seeing the similarities, I'd say that's the fault of fiction. If they would just stop writing stories where all 'four' of them keep hanging out, this wouldn't be a problem. But that's not going to happen, because good fiction dictates your main characters have to interact often. So there are a lot of reasons for you to suspend your disbelief. Not to mention, this is a story about an alien who looks like a human and can fly, and the only thing that comes off as unbelievable to you is his secret identity!?So sure, the concept of a secret identity will always have issues, just like trying to explain a super power in the real world. But overall it makes perfect sense for a hero not expose his or her secret identity to every dork that works in the office.
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
The next level of comic book excellence is a click away at BLACK MASK STUDIOS!
Want more in all things Geek?Check out our friends at PoptardsGo for podcasts, reviews, and more!
And if you still need more geek in your life, check out Part-Time Fanboy for more geeky goodness on comics, movies, and more!AICN HORROR has a new sponsor: Things From Another World—also known as TFAW!
Please support AICN HORROR by clicking the Things From Another World banner and checking out all of their amazing collectibles! TFAW carries everything from comics to toys and any kind of collectible in between. You just might find something you can’t live without!
Check out AICN COMICS on Facebook and Comixpedia!
Finally, if the text is running over the pics in the body of the article, refresh the screen and that should fix it. I know, I know, it’s annoying. I still have no idea why this is happening lately…
