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March 28th, 2012
[Are you ready?]
We’re just a few days away from the release of Marvel’s hotly anticipated release of Avengers Vs X-Men. As a comic fan, I can’t help but to be excited about what this means. To my recollection, the X-Men and Avengers tend to stay out of each other’s way, but that isn’t to say that they’ve never crossed paths. However, it would seem that this is the first time that an event has been dedicated towards the two premier groups meeting in a such a massive fashion. The “Utopia” storyline doesn’t count, seeing as it was the DARK Avengers Vs the X-Men. So on the road to this Summer’s Avengers Vs X-Men, there are a few stops along the way to get caught up on the AVX action. Today, I want to speak about “Avengers: Children’s Crusade.”
As you should all remember, The Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff, Magneto’s daughter) flipped out during 2004’s “Avengers Disassembled” event. Angry about the loss of her “fake” children (I’m not going to get into how she and The Vision had children), she single-handily destroyed the Avengers and broke the team up for about 6 years. Immediately after the events of Disassembled, she caused the “House of M” event which recreated the Marvel Universe into a place where everyone’s desires came true. As a result, Magneto more-or-less ruled over the world with mutants as 1st Class citizens, while normal humans were now viewed as second class. In addition, Wolverine got his memories back (which lead to the destruction of the House of M Universe), Spider-Man had a successful life, and most importantly, Wanda had her children back. But ultimately, that came crashing down because of Wolverine’s memory. He remembered everything! He remembered his real name, he remembered all the experiments performed on him during his Weapon X days, he remembered all the good and bad that he’d ever done. He also remembered the old universe. And with that, he was able to remind everyone else of the world that occurred before House of M. There was violence… Oh yes, there was violence. And the end result was Wanda mentioning 3 little words that would forever change the world of Marvel. “No more mutants.”
The world changed around everyone. And then the world changed again. While the 616-universe was restored, a good 90% of mutants lost their powers instantly. For some, like the majority of Morlocks, they could finally live above ground. For others, it probably caused their deaths… Like if anyone was flying around, they fell right out of the sky. Magneto lost his powers… So did Jubilee. But more importantly, the X-Gene was almost completely wiped out. No new mutants were being born. But the silver lining here is that Cyclops eventually became the King of Mutants. So eventually, the mutants learned to cope with their endangered status. And some mutants gained their powers back… But the damage was done. For the first time, the leader of the X-Men was actively allowing members to kill humans in the name of mutant preservation. Kill or be killed. Those who would threaten mutantkind was be treated with extreme prejudice. Wanda’s actions had turned the X-Men into something to be feared. One of the younger mutants would come to view being an X-Man as the same as being a murderer. Not good.
Which finally brings me to the Children’s Crusade. Two members of the Young Avengers, Wiccan (Billy Kaplan) and Speed (Tommy Shepard) found themselves having the same powers as The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (Twins). Wiccan assumed that the souls of Wanda’s fake children merged with his and Tommy’s, thus giving them powers. When they heard that the Scarlet Witch was alive (she was presumed dead after the events of House of M) the kids and their team set out to find her and ask her if Wiccan’s hunch was true. However, the Young Avengers weren’t the only ones to hear about Wanda being alive. Both the X-Men and the newly reformed Avengers also heard the rumors and also set out to find Wanda. The Avengers wanted to take her into custody for her crimes during Disassembled, while the X-Men, specifically Cyclops and Wolverine pretty much wanted to perform mutant street justice and kill her. On top of that, Magneto goes rouge in an attempt to reunite his messed up family, so he became an additional faction by himself. The race was on. However, to keep things interesting, Wanda’s last known location was in Latveria (Dr. Doom’s country). So naturally, there was also risk of an international incident on top of Doom’s wrath. I mention Doom’s wrath because it was learned that he was going to marry Wanda. Talk about awkward.
[Everyone Vs Everyone... A taste of things to come.]
Anyway, we find Wanda very remorseful about the whole situation and clearly, she wants to make everything right. She even gives X-Factor member, Rictor, his powers back as an initial peace offering. However, that doesn’t stop the X-Men and Avengers from coming to blows. In fact, Cyclops attacks first. His target? Captain America. Now, to be mindful of the situation, the events of Children’s Crusade take place immediately after the events of Siege and way before the events of Schism. So Cyclops and Wolverine are pretty much on the same page here… But I’m not going to spoil any more for you. Part of the fun of comics is actually reading them, and the 9 issues of Children’s Crusade are definitely worth reading and are also full of surprises. But most importantly, it catches you up to what the status quo will be for some of the featured characters of Avenger’s Vs X-Men. After all, Scarlet Witch does happen to be on the cover of issue #0, so she must be important, right? Anyway… While It may have taken Children’s Crusade about 2 years to get the 9 issues out, it was well worth the wait, and it even give longtime Young Avengers readers some closure on the characters that they’ve grown to love from over the years, seeing as it’s written by Allan Heinberg (creator of the Young Avengers). And it’s pretty touching. And I’m more of a Runaways kind of guy myself, but even thing, at the very least, it’s made me interested in the rest of the Young Avengers history. And in case you didn’t pick up what I was trying to get it, this series appears to get the majority of the key players in line towards the major Superhero Blowout this summer. So, check it out before the Avengers/X-Men madness begins!
-Fleet
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March 24th, 2012
It is hard to believe that in about a week, we will be having our AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 release party! After the months of hype, we will finally get the real deal on why Marvel’s top teams are duking it out. This latest kerfuffle, however, won’t be the first time the super groups have battled. Storylines like “Blood Ties” and HOUSE OF M saw the teams share the comics page. The last big meeting of these teams was when Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers battle the X-Men in 2009s “Utopia.” With that meeting, the X-Men were the obvious heroes battling Osborn’s villains-in-disguise mockery of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Those circumstances, however, are pretty uncommon for when these teams cross paths.
Stretching back to the the Avengers and X-Men’s first meeting in 1965’s X-MEN #9, conflict between the teams typically arises out of misunderstandings and opposing objectives. In this issue, Charles Xaiver and the X-Men are out to defeat, Lucifer, the man that crippled Professor X. When the Avengers arrive on the scene, also on the hunt for the villain, the X-Men are forced to battle the Avengers in order to give Xaiver time to disable a death trap designed to wreak some serious havoc if Lucifer is harmed. When things are all said and done, the teams part ways without too much animosity and the X-Men are left to sort out things on their own.
If all the hype around AVENGERS VS. X-MEN is to be believed, things shouldn’t end so peacefully between the teams. Only time will tell what kind of effect this 12-issue event will have on the futures of these teams.
If you are interested checking out the teams first meeting, X-MEN #9 is collected in MARVEL MASTERWORKS X-MEN Vol. 1.
-Nick
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March 5th, 2012
What’s up everyone? Long time no see. Now that the greeting is out of the way, let’s get down to business.
If there was one overlooked comic that was pumped out of Marvel from last year, that comic would be Joe Casey’s (Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker, Godland) Vengeance. The real-life origin of the series comes from a set of 6 paintings that feature Marvel’s most prominent (arguably) villains from over the years. The story goes that the paintings were just sitting around waiting for someone to make a story that could feature the 6 villains in a way that made sense. Those villains were Magneto, Bullseye, Red Skull, Doctor Octopus, Loki, and Dr. Doom. For most sane writers, this would’ve been an impossible task. But for Joe Casey? The Challenge was accepted and completed without problem.
Now you might be thinking, “Fleet, that’s no big deal, one could just write another Secret Wars style story and it doesn’t have to count.” To that, I’d say, “Sure. But what Joe Casey did was set his story in the ‘present-day’ Marvel while using the current established canon of each character.” This means that Magneto is currently a member of the X-Men, Dr. Doom is hanging out with the FF, Doc Ock is an old-and-dying cybernetic monster, Loki is a little kid, and the Red Skull and Bullseye are dead. So… For the most part, none of these characters are fit for a who’s-who villain team-up. So how does one bring these characters together? You don’t. Instead, you create a story that involves each of those characters, but keep them personally uninvolved with eachother. I know that sounds weird, but it works.
The story begins with Magneto trying to assist a young, but reckless, mutant through her poor decisions and he comes into conflict with teenage character calling himself Ultimate Nullifier. This guy, is a part of an ALL-NEW TEEN BRIGADE, which features a few new characters like a new Miss America and a child version of the In-Betweener. Also on the team are pseudo-cult favorites, Barnell Bohusk and Angel Salvadore, aka de-powered mutants Beak and Tempest. From this initial confrontation, the Teen Brigade finds themselves mixed-up in a giant conspiracy that involves a new young Masters of Evil. I hesitated to mention what their plan actually is, as that’s part of the fun of reading the series, however I will mention that it takes on a journey of trying to “get one over” on the Sinister Six and a potential Bullseye resurrection. On top of that, the Teen Brigade finds assistance from Joe Casey’s LAST DEFENDERS, specifically Son of Satan, She-Hulk (Jen Walters), Krang, and Nighthawk.
But here’s the thing. This is NOT your standard Marvel story. When I first read the series as it came out in single issues, I found that from time to time, I would need a refresher on some of the events from the earlier issues. This is primarily because there was just so much going on in the story. I actually needed to use some brain power to retain important information in the series. This is a GOOD thing. When Vengeance originally released, it was during the middle of Crossover fever in the summer of last year. Fear Itself and Flashpoint were happening and as a good comic clerk, I was inclined to read most of the vital tie-ins… There were a lot… Some of it regrettable, some of it surprising. But at the end of the day, no one was clamoring to talk about the various smaller miniseries that were also deserving of attention. Vengeance was one of those books. It’s definitely an interesting story, and I know I’ve mostly only focused on Joe Casey’s side of things, but Nick Dragotta’s (Captain America Forever Allies) artwork deserves some attention as well. I think it’s great. That’s not much of an endorsement, I know. But just take a look at what I’ve posted above. I think the art speaks for itself. So give Vengeance a shot. It wont hurt, and you might like it.
-Fleet
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January 7th, 2012
Is it? Could it be … why yes, it’s the return of the Best Thing I Read This Week. Apologies for the absence. I had a slight coma, but it’s cleared up.
[WHAT'S WITH THE SHIN GUARDS ON THE ARMS?]
So what did I read this week? I jumped right in with Green Arrow 5 because I noticed Keith Giffen wrote it. I love Giffen, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t love this. I didn’t hate it, though. I think the problem is that I like the idea of GA, but Oliver Queen is a terrible, terrible character. For what seems like the last 20 years there have only been two options for Ollie. One, he’s the head of Queen Industries but at odds with the company’s policies. Two, he’s on the outside of the company (for whatever reason), and fighting to reassert control. Both potential storylines require him to be a smarmy guy with a terrible hair cut, but neither of them is particularly interesting. Does anyone want to read about a heroic CEO? Does anyone want to read about a crusading former CEO? No – and that’s why Bruce Wayne hasn’t been in a boardroom for more than three panels since 1977. Right now Ollie’s stuck in the first storyline, and there’s a few hints that he’s going to lose control of the company — oooh, do you think he’ll end up on the outside looking in before this title gets canceled? He’s still smarmy, the hair is still awful and he shoots like 23 consecutive normal arrows at a dude made of toxic sludge before he gets the idea to use one of his trick arrows. Is this because he’s stupid, or just because there were 22 pages to fill? I predict Green Arrow is canceled before issue 14.
[DR. STRANGE IS GONNA ROCK YOU]
Now, Defenders? This is a book that should continue for decades — nay, generations. Matt Fraction ups the silliness quotient in issue 2 (retro-style Marvel house ads and shout-outs crawl across the bottom margin of each page, culminating in one that actually names the issue’s McGuffin when it first appears) but also keeps the tension pinned in the red as the team tries to save Prester John from the imminent threat of the Black Hulk, more properly named Nul. Iron Fist is a goofball, Namor and Dr. Strange have an almost collegial yet still quarrelsome relationship, and I don’t really mind Betty Ross’ Red Hulk shtick. I love the Defenders and I love Iron Fist, but Stephen Strange is stealing this book. How does he not have his own solo title? Here he’s witty and cool, and yet still able to scare the red right off Betty just by whispering something in her ear (what does he whisper to so terrify her? My bet is “I have also known your former husband, in the Biblical sense.”). Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson have a nice lucid art style, and as a persnickety old fart I appreciate Fraction’s use of older Marvel tropes such as Wundagore Mountain and the ani-men. I know DC has received a lot of press and a sales bump for the New 52, but the Defenders is the best re-launch of the decade.
[STATIC, TEMPORARILY VICTORIOUS, AS ALWAYS]
Speaking of that whole DC relaunch, I’m still reading Static Shock, but this current arc needs closure desperately. We’re five issues deep and every one of ‘em has been some variation of “Static fights the bad guys, falls behind, pulls some science out of his brain to gain the upper hand, and we’ll see you next month.” Scott McDaniel and John Rozum: Wrap it up already. I’ve seen Static fight Piranha to a draw four times in five issues. Either the kid can beat Fishy-Fishy-Fish or he can’t. Besides, the subplot about Static’s sisters (both named Sharon) and their mysterious origin is much more interesting than another unfinished slugfest.
[CHAOS WITH ITS GAME FACES ON]
Elric: The Balance Lost is another comic book for which I’ve expressed some impatience. It’s called Elric, and yet we get about 3 pages of Elric per book because Chris Roberson keeps jumping time and space to show us what’s happening with the other heroes of the Multiverse, and it’s always a reflection of what we just saw happen with Elric. Issue 7, however, finally sees the story not only blossom into almost continuous action, but also bring together our two parties of Eternal Champions. The city of Tanelorn (think of it as the fulcrum of the Moorcockian Multiverse) is simultaneously besieged by the forces of Chaos and of Law, and now our heroes have to fight to save it for the fate of all the worlds. This is the book I’ve wanted for the past seven months. Vile Chaos beasts on every page, swords shearing them open, brother fighting brother — this is known as “shooting the works,” and it’s better late than never.
[TAUT BUN SHOT – YOU'RE WELCOME, LADIES]
Dejah Thoris 9 is yet another ripping yarn by Arvid Nelson and Carlos Rafael, with Dejah and her pirate ally, Phondari, going in search of a lost treasure. There’s nothing earthshaking or particularly revolutionary about this series on the surface. It features a lot of pretty women in scanty clothing saving themselves (OK, that’s kinda revolutionary), lots of sword-swinging action and a strong commitment to issue-sized chunks of a larger story that feel more like a full meal than most six issue runs. There’s no padding here, no wasted pages or tedious recaps; it’s just action, adventure and beginnings, middles and ends. On second that, that is pretty revolutionary in this day and age.
[THOR GOES FOR A QUICK SWIM]
Thor: The Deviant Sage 3 of 5 is also a touch revolutionary, but only in the sense that Robert Rodi’s script makes frequent reference to stuff that happened in the Roy Thomas mega-arc, The Eternals Saga, but offers nary a footnote nor editor’s clarification to cite the references. I don’t know how you could read this story without having at least passing familiarity with the Eternals Saga, but that’s not my problem — I’ve read it, after all. Thor here is suitably heroic not because he’s so mighty or divine, but because he’s humbled by the bravery of his companions, the Deviants Karkas and Ransak. This is the kind of Thor I like, one that’s not defined only by his brashness, but by every measure of his warrior spirit. Also, Stephen Segovia has a dynamic sense of page layout, which only enhances the majesty of everything that happens. I’m not sure why the out-of-continuity Thor miniseries of the past couple years have all been better than the main book, but it’s once again the case here.
[NOT EVEN THE BEST PUNCH THROWN THIS ISSUE]
We began this with a Keith Giffen book, and we’ll end with one as well. O.M.A.C 5 is nominally written with the aid of Dan Didio, but I refuse to believe it — it’s far too entertaining to be a Didio. Our buddy O.M.A.C. has to face off against Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., this month. This means carnage, mass destruction and the loss of one party’s limb before the issue’s up, and I couldn’t be happier. O.M.A.C. has been the surprise hit of the New 52 as far as I’m concerned, capturing much of the feeling of Jack Kirby’s original run while still charting its own course through the continuity. I don’t wanna say I was suckered in by a double-page splash, but there’s this double-page splash that depicts Frank and O.M.A.C clobbering each other simultaneously that immediately reminded me of those classic Hulk vs. Thing battles of the ’70s and ’80s; the fact that editor Harvey Richards urges us to create our own sound effects for the moment cinches it. O.M.A.C. is not only the best thing I read this week, it’s the first book in a long time that called to mind the loosey-goosey fun of DC’s Kirby era. I know many people will tell you that Animal Man is the best book in the new DC, but for me, this is it right here. It incorporates Kirby’s original mythology while bringing it into DC’s mainstream continuity, the art is divine and it is absolutely filthy with action every — single — issue. The collected book for this is going feel like 200 pounds of explosives packed into 112 pages.
-Paul
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December 20th, 2011
Editor’s note: I totally thought I posted this like, two months, when it actually was supposed to go up…so if you’ve been waiting with baited breath for these trivia answers, here you go. Think of it as my holiday gift to you…
-ed
Alright, as you folks may remember, we here at Star Clipper celebrated out second annual Star Clipper Day. It’s kinda like our store’s Super Birthday… It observes our original store opening back in 1988 as well as our move to our current location in the Loop. This year, we had an Angry Birds Shooting Gallery competition, Local artists hooking people up with sweet art, and a Trivia contest as well. This year, there wasn’t a cool graphic that depicted Jon and myself for a logo, but that’s cool. The point is, there was a TRIVIA CONTEST and we had some awesome sponsors for it. Image Comics, DC Comics, and Jim Mahfood hooked us up with some sweet prizes… And there was one team of contestants that seemed to win just about everything we had. But in the end, everyone got something. If you were walking around that Saturday Night (9/24) you would’ve seen a slew of people wearing Angry Birds Hats… So when I say, “everyone,” I don’t just mean contestants… I mean just about everyone who came in the store after 7PM. But what I want to share with you about that day, are my Top 5 Favorite Answers for the Trivia Contest!
I’ll show you the question and answers first, followed by my favorite response to that Question
#5.
Question: Name the Actor who played the character, “Conan” in the 2011 film, “Conan the Barbarian.” For a bonus point, name the actor who played Conan in the 1982 film “Conan the Barbarian.”
Answer: Jason Momoa, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Favorite Answer: Not Arnold…, ARNOLD!!!! by Indiana Bones & the Temple of Poon
#4
Question: Who is the bombshell actress who replaces Megan Fox as the female lead in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon?” (Jon wrote this question!)
Answer: Rosie Huntington Whitely
Favorite Answer: Nope.png (crossed out) Noriko (then, next to that, a small doodle of a guy shrugging) by Team Gunbuster
#3
Question: What comic book movie was released that featured a detective who specialized in the paranormal, starring Brandon Routh?
Answer: “Dylan Dog: Dead of Night”
Favorite Answer: Fuck. I’m bad at Trivia by WAZ
#2
Question: For three points; Name the writer of “The Walking Dead” comic, the artist on the first six issues, and the artist of all the subsequent isues.
Answer: Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard.
Favorite Answer: Robert Kirkman (Writer), Joe Momma (Artist 1), Amy Farrah Fowler (Artist 2) by Team Demonic Hellcow II
[This is Amy Farrah Fowler from "The Big Bang Theory", as played by Maym Bialik]
#1
Question: In the aftermath of the “Death of Superman,” four new Supermen appeared. For 1 point each, name them.
Answer: Steel (John Henry Irons), Superboy (Kon El/Conner Kent), Cyborg Superboy (Hank Henshaw), The Eradicator
Favorite Answer: Cyborg Superman, Superboy, Steel, (A doodle of a face with giant 80s shades and four (4) wisps of hair flowing to the side with the words “this guy” and and arrow pointing to the picture.) by Team Gunbuster
And that concludes my favorite answers from the Trivia Contest.
-Fleet
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December 8th, 2011
It’s a big week full of exciting comics. And that’s just what I needed. December is a busy, busy month even if you don’t celebrate Christmas. I think it has something to do with the end of the year looming — it’s a lot of psychological pressure. Comics are your most cost-effective safety valve. Just try to find a psychiatrist who’ll work for $3.99. Anyway, to the comics!
[WHY IS DRIZZT DO'URDEN ON THE COVER?]
First up this week is Elric: the Balance Lost 6. I was giddy with excitement for this series when it started, and then my enthusiasm flagged after the first few issues. Mostly because there was a lot of to-and-fro and parallel story set-up inhibiting the characterization and world-building I was anticipating. Chris Roberson gets around to an all-out action issue this month, and Francesco Biagini acquits himself well with it. Hawkmoon and Elric face creeping Chaos with swords swinging, while Corum and Eric Beck ride Splendid Mane (a massive, planes-striding horse) in search of Tanelorn. Finally, after six issues of exposition and one step forward/one step to the side to take the same step forward storytelling, we actually have real progress. I don’t feel like I could tell you anything about these characters just based on what we’ve seen in these issues, however, and that bothers me. Where’s Elric’s sardonic wit? Where’s Hawkmoon’s dour pragmatism? What kind of guy is Eric Beck, other than a game designer? A little action is great (and much appreciated), but I think this series has been a wasted opportunity so far. Roberson has pursued an ambitious, complex arc in favor of focusing on one character, and as a result there isn’t one character who stands out — not even the title character.
[CLASSIC AWKWARD SWORD-PLACEMENT COVER]
Now, Valen the Outcast, I know who this guy is. He’s the King of Oakhaven, and he’s dead as a door nail — but that ain’t stopping him from walking around in search of revenge on the guys who killed him. It’s a sword & sorcery book and this first issue only costs a dollar, so of course I was gonna check this out. Michael Alan Nelson and Matteo Scalera do a fine job in setting up the book’s premise — undead warrior wants to kill the guys who killed him — and show us who he used to be (honorable and chivalrous) and who he is now (kinda cold and single-minded). I liked it. I like it enough to give it a six issue tryout, in fact. I think this could be an interesting take on the whole “hard man seeks vengeance story,” and I’m grateful there’s no vampire subtext in his undeathlyness — I’m almost as weary of vampire stories as I am zombie stories.
[DR. STRANGE AND IRON FIST ARE SHADOW PUPPET CHAMPIONS]
The Defenders 1: I just like writing that. Defenders 1. Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson take the 70s strangest superhero team and update it while retaining the strangeness. That’s about the best thing I could hope for from this book. Hulk (Bruce Banner) convenes the team because he’s somehow made a Black Hulk (what is he, part Green Lantern?) and he wants to stop it from destroying Europe — and THE WORLD — but can’t get close to it or it will feed on his gamma radiation. So Dr. Strange gets the gang back together on Hulk’s behalf (Namor and Silver Surfer), with Iron Fist and Red She-Hulk (Betty Ross) for extra punch. I’ve been bored by Fraction’s Thor, but I adored his Iron Fist run, and this is way more like Iron Fist. There’s a strong current of humor, each character is clearly defined (most notably, Dr. Strange is a casual Cassanova, which I didn’t expect), and each page has a footer below the art that advertises something in Stan Lee speak. These little notes disappeared in the ’70s, and I’ve missed them. Defenders is pure superhero fun, and that’s a prized commodity in these grim days. I believe this is only a limited series at this point, but (fingers crossed), if sales are strong enough it could be spun off into an ongoing title. Sure, Fraction will leave after eight issues, but David Anthony Kraft is still alive. I’d love to see him resume scripting this book.
[RAPHAEL INVICTUS]
The Raphael micro-series is a spin-off of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles revival, and it has one scheduling problem. This issue is set chronologically after issue 5 of the TMNT book, and we’ve only seen four issues of that as of this week. It’s a minor hiccup handled with minimal spoilers, as Brian L. Lynch and Franco Urru give us a tale of Raph going out to bust heads with Casey Jones and running into another mutated animal. Raph is not my favorite Turtle, but Lynch gets into his motivations deeply enough to make me re-think that ranking. Here he’s more than a punch-first hot-head, being revealed instead as someone who’s reticent and more than a little reluctant to share anything about himself with anyone. It’s an interesting interpretation and well handled. If you’ve been reading the TMNT series, this is essential. If you haven’t been reading it, this is a pretty fine starting point. Everything that’s happened so far is summarized quickly, and Raph and Casey still make a compelling, quippy team.
[SOMETIMES THE OLD VILLAINS ARE THE BEST]
Speaking of quippy, Amazing Spider-Man 675. Spidey and ex-girlfriend Carlie team up to out-think the Vulture — and that’s pretty much it. After the high stakes of Spider Island, it’s nice to return to a simpler, quickly wrapped-up story. Dan Slott, of course, fills this issue with great moments of characterization and forward-looking plot teasing. Is Carlie completely over Pete? It doesn’t seem like it. Is Pete over her? He seems on the fence — but wouldn’t you be with Mary Jane waiting nearby? I’ve made no secret of my desire to see One More Day completely undone and forgotten, and two issues ago I thought we were moving swiftly towards that possibility. Now? I’m not so sure it’s in the cards. But the beauty of that is that I’m not too worried. Dan Slott has proven that he knows what he’s doing with these characters, and I trust him to keep me entertained and reading. Amazing Spider-Man is one of my favorite books, and I’m excited to see where it goes next.
[YES, THOSE ARE ALLIGATORS WITH LIGHT-UP MECHANICAL HEADS]
O.M.A.C. 4 is slightly less entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, Keith Giffen’s pencils are still worth the price of admission, but the plot seems to be in a holding pattern. Dan Didio and Giffen continue the well-established dynamic of this series, as a monster/supervillain appears and fights O.M.A.C., while O.M.A.C. fights against Brother Eye’s control of his life. The monster-of-the-month deal is getting a bit tired – we have nothing to offset it at this point, so it’s starting to feel rote rather than exciting. O.M.A.C. just struggles along with this issue’s problems (personal responsibility) and lets Brother Eye take the lead again. I think it’s time for Kevin Kho to take control of his own personhood, or at least let Kevin have some sort of argument – something more than “No, don’t, I refuse,” etc. — with Brother Eye the next time commandeers his life. Right now, he’s starting to feel like a bystander in his own life, and he’s not much of a hero. O.M.A.C. is a barely-thinking murder machine, which is awesome to watch, but that doesn’t provide much for a reader to latch on to. I still enjoy reading this – it’s the best of the New 52 by far – but how long can you read any enjoyable formula before it becomes formulaic?
[FULLY CLOTHED AND FULLY AWESOME]
Princeless 2 brushes aside all doubts and questions, however. Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin’s comic deals with Princess Adrienne’s very simple plan. She intends to free every princess who’s currently imprisoned in a tower waiting for a Prince Charming to come save them, because she’s figured out that you don’t need saving if you can save yourself. First on her list of people to be rescued are her sisters, who are each in their own tower guarded by their own dragons. Mike Harvey recommended this book to me, and I have to thank him for that. Here’s a book that features a strong female character who’s nobody’s victim or sidekick, and she’s not a tormented heroine or merciless avenger. She’s a young woman kicking butt and taking names, with her goofball of a dragon helping out. Whitley’s crafted a believable teenage heroine who relies on her own confidence and chutzpah to be the change she envisions, and she’s smart, determined and funny as well. It’s a sort of fractured fairy tale, in the best possible way, and it’s easily the best thing I read this week. Imagine that – a boy liking a comic book that stars a woman who’s neither sexy nor stupid, but rather a complex human being.
-Paul
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December 3rd, 2011
Not a huge amount of stuff to review this week, but that’s partially because I’m making a conscious effort to not say anything at all about a book if I don’t have anything new to say about it. For example, Game of Thrones condenses almost 100 pages of novel into 22 pages of comic book, so a lot is left wanting, and I can’t see fans of the book or the tv show being thrilled by the skimming — I’ve said that every month, there’s no point saying it again.
[HERC GOES OUT FIGHTING]
Herc 10, however, is a whole new can of worms. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente continue the story of Hercules and his now-mortal dad, Zeus, attempting to bust up the Russian mob. I really enjoy the light-hearted tone of this book, and Pak/Van Lente have an entertaining take on Zeus as a mortal — he’s basically a blue-collar dad in interested in booze and loose women, and he’s somehow the king of the gods. Oh, and he expects more from his son. It’s a very human story, as tag-along dad offers all sorts of unwanted advice to his boy. The problem here is the art. David Hahn can’t string together a cohesive action scene — I kept thinking pages were stuck together as someone like Herc is being blasted stupid by a ray in one panel, and then in the next he’s punching his tormenter out. It’s a visually confusing issue, and it lessened my enjoyment. Still, Herc has become one of my secret favorites – can you see where this is going? That’s right, Herc’s canceled. Maaaarrrr-vel (shakes fist wearily in direction of NYC), why do do you do this to me?
[HAL'S BULKED UP FOR WINTER]
I’m surprised to be saying this, but I was also disappointed by Green Lantern the Animated Series 0. Art Baltazar and Franco do the script, and I love them. Dario Brizuela does the art, and I don’t know him, but I know I’m not keen on this barrel-chested Hal Jordan — Hal’s always been a slimline superhero, if you know what I mean. There’s stuff I like about this, such as the fact that Baltazar and Franco skip the idea of origin story or set-up to instead throw us right into the action; it also co-stars Kilowog, which is perfect as far as I’m concerned. The story just left me cold however. There’s some Red Lantern scheming, a high-tech piece of equipment the bad guys are misusing, and that’s about it. There’s little of the humor or high-octane action I expect from a Baltazar/Franco team-up, and Hal seems borderline stupid. I was hoping for pure superheroics from this, like what the DC Kids line has done with Batman Brave and the Bold; instead, it’s just a standard GLs in space story, with no flair or big moment. But I guess there’s nowhere to go but up with this, so I’ll give it another shot.
[RAPH AND CASEY ARE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 however is right on the money, right now. The Kevin Eastman/Tom Waltz/Dan Duncan team wraps up their first major arc in style, as Casey and Raphael face off against Hob’s gang in the park, while Raph’s three brothers head out into the night in search of some action. These two plot points converge, by the way, but I don’t want to ruin anything for you. I will say that the Casey & Raph Royal Rumble is well depicted — there’s a kick to the face that’s just brutal — and the heroes behave in a suitably heroic manner. There are also more flashbacks to what was going on in Baxter Stockman’s lab, and we’re well set-up for the eventual (and impending, I hope) reunion between the turtles and April O’Neal. Oh, there’s also a catchphrase shouted by one of the turtles that made me cringe and laugh at the same time; it’s not “Cowabunga, Dudes!,” but it’s awful close (I kinda liked it). I definitely like this series. It has a lot of the energy and vibe of the original run, but it’s been updated and — dare I say — improved in several ways. Next month is a new arc, so jump on now if you haven’t already.
[NOW THAT'S A CLASS PHOTO]
FF 12 is a puzzler. In the wake of Fantastic Four 600 last week, we have a lot of background (in the book’s continuity) and real-world stuff to piece together. *SPOILERS* abound from here on out, so be careful if you didn’t read 600.
Ok, we know Johnny’s alive and coming back. We know Marvel’s resuming Fantastic Four with issue 601, and that FF is continuing in some format, most likely as a book focused on the kids of the FF — that’s all fine, except that Johnny’s death meant absolutely nothing. Go figure.
This issue has very little to do with any of that, however. Instead we have the FF kids translocated to Latveria and planning a team-up with Doctor Doom and the last surviving alternate timeline Reed in order to bump off the invading bug army of Annihilus. Jonathan Hickman is working many angles and plots at the moment, and the book feels as grand and sweeping and important as it did more than a year ago. Issue 600 seems to have righted the ship, and now we’re racing to a glorious future. Except that Doom is clearly planning something terrible … and the success of Val’s plan rests on Doom, so maybe that terrible thing will be beneficial … and Val has something up her sleeve and planted deep in the lab, as well … and I’m not sure we can trust Nathaniel Richards as the happy, helpful grandpa he’s playing at (remember about 14 months ago when older Future Franklin kicked him back to the point of universal creation?). On the whole, I really like this issue. In fact, I’m prepared to name FF 12 the best thing I read this week. My problem with doing so is this: I resent the fact that the “death” of Johnny Storm derailed Hickman’s magnificent run for a full year. What’s happening right now in this book is great, don’t get me wrong; I just wish I didn’t have to wait 11 months to get to this point. Johnny’s death didn’t help Reed come to grips with his fallibility or his own mortality, it didn’t make Sue a more protective mother or a more determined superhero, it didn’t make Ben reassess his life or approach to fighting evil. It changed nothing at all in their lives or characters, it just put an 11 month hiccup in the story. Also, if this is your first issue of the book – say you picked up Fantastic Four 600 last week and it inspired you to buy this one – I’m sorry that this makes no sense. That’s the main problem with Hickman’s intricate, clockwork plots. If you come to the party late, you have a lot of required reading to plow through to get up to speed.
Ah, well. I’m a grudgeholder, but I’m also a comic lover. FF 12 is a great comic, and it is the best thing I read this week. Now let’s see how this big bad story finally shakes out.
-Paul
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November 29th, 2011
DC’s New 52 has introduced a lot of new readers to DC and seen some other readers coming back after a long hiatus from reading comics. While the new #1 issues provide fresh starting points, not all of the story lines feature complete reboots. Here are some pre-New 52 collections that new and returning reader might want to check out:
Batman and Son by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert
Unlike most of the new DC Universe, it doesn’t look like too many of recent Batman storylines have been altered by the reboot featured in the New 52 titles. This trade, first released in 2007, features both the the start of Grant Morrison’s at least somewhat relevant run on Batman as well as the introduction of Bruce Wayne’s son Damian. While we still have to see how much of the events that composed Morrison’s epic tale of the Caped Crusader are still in play, Damian Wayne’s place as the current Robin is unchanged. Morrison’s somewhat gonzo tone may be different that what is featured in current Bat-titles, his tales provide some great surprises that have effects that can still be felt in the New 52 Batman world.
Batwoman Elegy by Greg Rucka and J. H. Williams III
Originally published in issues #654-860 of Detective Comics, Elegy provides a great introduction to current Batwoman. The two tales in the collection feature her first adventure as a solo lead character as well as her origin story. Rucka’s writing gives the reader as a superhero as grim and fearsome has Batman in stories that combine Gotham’s well known criminal element with a side to the city that is less often seen: the supernatural. There isn’t a artist better suited to bring these stories to life than J. H. Williams III. William’s art is both haunting and breathtaking. When DC launched Batwoman as an ongoing series, Williams returned as both artist and co-writer. As a result, readers will find that Elegy perfectly transitions into the current ongoing title.
Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War by Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons, et al
When reader’s jumped into the new Green Lantern #1, they found the villainous Sinsetro wielding the power of the Green Lantern instead of previous ring-bearer Hal Jordan. The popular Sinsetro Corps War storyline played a big role in establishing the current multi-lantern corps landscape that the Lantern books currently explore. For readers interested in getting some insight into the history between Hal Jordan and Sinsetro or that of the corps of Yellow Lanterns that the pair have been battling in recent issues, this is the storyline to read. Like J. H. Williams relationship with Batwoman, Green Lantern mastermind Geoff Johns is behind both “Sinestro Corps War” and the current Green Lantern series which makes the two Lantern storylines fit together perfectly. Truthfully, though, it doesn’t look like much as changed at all from the reboot and the Green Lantern saga John’s has been composing since Green Lantern: Rebirth back in 2004.
-Nick
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November 25th, 2011
[Hero?]
Looking for a new a comic that’s loaded with extreme violence dolled out by a teenager that isn’t called Kick-Ass? Look no further, because Luther Strode is here. Written by newcomer, Justin Jordan, we have a story about some sort of nerd-type guy, who lives with his mother as they’ve been living in fear of his abusive father who appears to have been recently locked-up from beating on the mother. Luther gets picked on in school, has a little nerdy buddy, and has a crush on a redheaded girl who is probably out of his league. So life is fairly stressful for the guy. But he’s fed up with that life and wants to make a change, so he sends in for a copy of the “Hercules Method,” which is essentially the Charles Atlas workout book that used to be advertised on the back of comics back in the 1940s. When Luther gets the book, he starts following the books instructions, and soon enough, he starts getting results far greater than he expect. Stronger, faster, and awesome guns! (The guns are his arms) He starts pulling a Toby Maguire-Peter Parker, catching falling items, talking back to bullies, and eventually humiliating bullies. But then it gets better. But before we see all of that, we see him a little bit in the future.
We see that he’s been shot a few times, blood is everywhere. His solution? Flex his muscles until the bullets fall out of his body. Because that’s just what you do when you’ve ripped a bunch of criminals apart with your bare hands. At least, that’s what I’d do. It totally sets the tone of the story. But what gets me most excited is that the writer created this character with inspiration from Charles Atlas and Jason MF’n Voorhees. There’s an interesting article about that and his break into comics HERE. But long story short, I share Justin Jordan’s opinions on his comparison between Jason Voorhees and Superheroes. And it’s cool to see someone put those ideas on paper and transform them into what we here and now. And I haven’t even talked about the art yet. Tradd Moore, the artist, was found on deviantart, How cool is that? And unlike a certain company that farms deviantart for artists who are OK at drawing real people and awful at backgrounds but are just happy that someone wants to use their art in a biographical comic, there’s nothing here that’ll make you feel like you’ve wasted your hard-earned money on slop. No sir. This guy was the correct choice. He has a distinct style and I’ll tell you what; this guy sure can draw some awesome violence. it’s just so… BEAUTIFUL.
[Hero?]
Anyway. This is certainly a new title that deserves some of your attention and your money. I look forward to the next issue, which is due December 7th. And if you’re one of the lucky folks who have already had the privilege of reading issues #1 and #2, tell your friends. Support this creative team. They’ve created something awesome.
-Fleet
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November 19th, 2011
Quite a haul this week, and comics from all points of the genre spectrum. It’s nice that there are so many options at the moment — I came home with everything from super-science-sci-fi to gritty western, with a humor book as my aperitif. Oh, and I maybe bought a viking book as well.
[MORE DAXAMITE ON DAXAMITE VIOLENCE]
Legion of Super-Heroes 3 wraps up this first arc, and it’s not an earth-shaking, explosive tale that changes the way I look at comics at all — and that’s a relief. Instead, Paul Levitz and Francis Portela deliver a solid conclusion to what’s actually been (so far) a rather prosaic action comic. Again, no complaint intended. Part of the team figures out how to best the rogue Daxamite, Renegade, while another chunk of the team works to get there in time for the clean-up. Honestly, after the past six months of DC doing the “we’ve got our backs against the wall/oh no!, there goes the wall!” it’s nice to read something that hearkens back to a simpler time. A time when costumed, attractive people with suprahuman powers beat up other costumed, powered bad people while I rooted for the good guys. See how simple it can be?
[HAWKEN SAYS “SEE YOU LATER”]
Hawken 1 is a family affair (father/son duo Tim and Benjamin Truman co-plot while dad handles the art alone) that’s not very family friendly. Our main character, Hawken, is a grizzled old range rider who can see and talk with the ghosts of all the people he’s killed, and they kinda sorta help him track down other people for him to kill. This issue features Tim Truman’s glorious artwork in black & white (despite the ad for this very issue that’s in the back of the issue claiming this is in “full color”), and he mostly depicts a bunch of people getting shot by Hawken as he mows down a gang of troublemakers in a small mission town. No fooling, a whole lot of people get shot in the face in this title — it’s pretty amazing. Tim Truman fans (and we are legion) will find much to like here. There’s the western scenery, the curmudgeon-with-a-gun lead character, a lot of flat-out nasty humor and a bunch of face carnage. One issue and it’s already vaulted into my top ten favorite books.
[STREETFIGHTING APES]
I’ve been enjoying Planet of the Apes by Daryl Gregory and Carlos Magno, but several times I’ve mentioned that I’m really just waiting for the world-breaking Ape vs. Human war that has to happen. Last month set the stage for this inevitable battle, and issue 8 here sees it flare into a massive street battle. Apes and humans start killing each other wholesale, with pretty much the worst possible outcome for our heroine, Sullivan, who’s way too pregnant to be sniping ape soldiers off the hulls of steam-powered tanks, but hey — a lady’s got to do what she’s gotta do. I’ve avoided reading anything about this book because I don’t want to see spoilers, but I know that none of the humans are going to make it. Still, by the final page I was hoping for a last-minute escape for … I really can’t tell you because I don’t want to spoil it. Let’s just say that Gregory and Magno appear to be fine with a no survivors policy and leave it. Ugh.
[SO HE'S ALSO CAPTAIN SACRIFICE?]
Captain Victory 1 is the second spin-off from Dynamite’s Kirby Genesis project, and it has several strong Kirby signposts along the way — maybe too many. Hero Captain Victory comes from a family background of pure evil (Orion), he’s a warrior with computer back-up for all systems to the point of near-instantaneous resuscitation (OMAC), he hangs around with a big cat-man (Kamandi) and his main villain wears ridiculous, vision-impairing headgear (everything Kirby ever did). Kirby liked to recycle ideas and he had his touchstone concepts, but Sterling Gates hews too closely to imitation rather than inspiration. But it’s a first issue, so maybe some of the more overt elements are dropped over time — my fondness for the works of Jack Kirby cause me to be generous towards Dynamite’s noble project. I mean, there’s like 14 Wolverine books of middling quality. I think we can handle a few Kirby-inspired books trying to find their feet.
[HULK GOES TO SHARK WEEK]
Jason Aaron and Marc Silvestri’s The Incredible Hulk 2 is an unusual comic, and not just because Silvestri was helped out by a cast of thousands (www.comicsalliance.com/2011/11/11/incredible-hulk-2-11-artists-silvestri/). I’ve been out of the Hulk loop for a bit, but Aaron’s caught me up on all the major developments in two issues. The big development is that Bruce Banner is Bruce and Hulk is Hulk, and never the twain shall meet. Except that Secret Agent lady von Doom (no relation) wants to enlist Hulk’s help to bring down Banner, because that guy’s gone cuckoo. In the space of a few pages, Bruce goes from trying to make his marriage to Betty Ross-Banner work to injecting junk in his brain in an effort to recreate his Hulkiness. We’ve seen a lot of versions of the “they’re separate/they’re the same” Hulk storyline over the years, but Aaron’s added a new (to me) wrinkle in the idea that Hulk is Banner’s major scientific achievement, and Banner will do anything to recreate the initial experiment and continue to develop the technology. Outside of the comic in the rational world I’m not quite convinced that this twist makes sense, but while reading the comic it makes complete sense. More importantly, I find this idea intriguing and entertaining. On the surface it’s just another “we’re getting the Hulk back together!” storyline, but Aaron makes it feel new. And Silvestri (& company, I guess?) draws a mean-looking Hulk; this is maybe my favorite Hulk since the Dale Keown years.
[NO, IGNORE THE SHADOW WINGS, THE REAL CLUE IS THE LETTERS]
The Amazing Spider-Man 674 sees the last little bits of the Spider Island story put to bed, but Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli throw us right into a new storyline involving a very old Spider-foe (hint: the villain’s name is spelled out on the cover). Actually, Slott picks up several older threads (Kingpin and Hobgoblin, Pete’s love life, Spidey’s reputation as a menace) and commences to setting up several possible directions for future stories in that effortless, highly entertaining way he has. I’ve tried to bring this to your attention before, but are you aware that we’re witnessing one of the greatest acts of creation in comic books, you name the era? Dan Slott is writing a comic book for the ages in ASM, and you’d better recognize. Also, Camuncoli works Peter’s freakish anatomy with a verve that’s astonishing in this issue. He fights some cops in powered armor and it’s a joy to behold. You should really be buying this book.
[ENJOY THAT STAINED GLASS WINDOW WHILE YOU CAN]
Conan: Road of Kings 10 concludes Roy Thomas’ “big political trouble in little Aquilonia” story with great flair, mostly because fill-in artist Dan Panosian treats this book exactly as it should be treated: Like it’s the greatest action comic on the stands. I cannot stress how much better this book is when Mike Hawthorne isn’t the artist. Panosian renders a great escape for Conan that involves him swinging from a chandelier and launching himself out of a castle with grace and suitable damage, and then gives us a fantastic Conan vs. giant lizard battle in a stink-pit. It’s too bad Hawthorne returns next month, but soon after we get Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan and Belit. I can’t wait.
[PLEASE IDENTIFY ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THIS PANEL]
Sergio Aragones’ Funnies 5 features the legendary cartoonist sharing the details of his third or fourth career as a professional soundman on several nature documentaries. Those Dos Equis commercials with the Most Interesting Man in the World are clearly based on Sergio’s life, because the guy’s apparently done everything (very well), and he can make even the act of filming penguins interesting. SAF has the loose feel of the most indie of indie self-confessional comic books, but also has the peerless talent of Aragones the artist and Aragones the writer. He’s a natural-born storyteller, and his medium is the comic book. Plus, he’s funny. Absolutely a must-buy book every month.
[NORTHLANDERS HEADS DEEPER INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT]
Northlanders 46 makes me very sad. Only four more issues after this one and my favorite comic of all time is dunzo. But Brian Wood is going out like a true viking, with a mountain of corpses in his wake and an ocean of blood about to come crashing down on an unsuspecting land. In this instance it’s Iceland about to get dunked, as Brida Hauksson prepares to avenge herself on the Belgarsson family for their recent assassination attempt — and also because Haukssons always kill Belgarssons. Brian Wood writes powerful, realistic female characters, but Brida is a piece of work even for him. She’s tenth century Iceland’s 1% — rich, powerful, entitled — but she’s also somewhat powerless because she’s a woman in a man’s society. Also, Iceland is converting to Christianity all around her, and she’s bound and determined to stay true to her gods and goddesses, a contrary loyalty that makes her even less powerful. And yet there she is, planning retaliatory raids and killing guys in the name of honor — and because it’s the family business. So we have a fully-realized woman who’s holding together an entire clan and keeping the faith while everyone around her throws in the towel, and she stabs random old ladies as a matter of course (that old lady totally had it coming, by the way). This current arc is my first exposure to the art of Declan Shalvey, and I really regret that. His attention to detail is pitch-perfect. Look at that creepy helmet with the eye-holes up there; hell, look at that scrawny Icelandic pony. It’d be easy to draw your standard heroic horse – there’s all kind of reference for that – but he gets it right instead with a stunted scrub-pony. Guh, I can’t believe this book is canceled. Is it because Wood pays so much heed to the role of women as people rather than sex objects, is that why this book was axed?
Anyhow, my favorite comic book, Northlanders, is the best thing I read this week. There was a lot of great stuff in contention this week — Hawken, Spider-Man, Sergio Aragones’ Funnies, Conan — but there’s nothing like Brian Wood’s Northlanders as far as I’m concerned. And soon there will be nothing like it at all.
-Paul
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One of my favorite bookstores in St. Louis. Star Clipper offers not only the best selection of comic books and graphic novels in the city, but also a cornucopia of art, design and pop-culture related books and magazines. 
