NEWS OF THE COMIC WORLD . . .

Posted on June 1st, 2010 by ekko

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ve bifurcated my usual discussion of spandex and superpowers into a two-day extravaganza this week.  Please, drop me some comments.  My blog isn’t taken seriously by the comic book blogworld, and I’d like to change that!  I know I’m usually about tunes and funny pictures, but who says a blog can’t have many focuses?  Isn’t that what tags are for?  Read on, and please encourage me . . .

1.  BATMAN: ODYSSEY. The top print news has to be about Batman: Odyssey, because D.C. released preliminary sketches, and the cover, for (the best Batman artist ever) Neal Adams’ return to the character.  I think the story will be outside of regular continuity—so it’ll be Bruce as Bats—and will feature some classic enemies as well as some new foes.  You all know I don’t read a lot of D.C. books, but this is one I’m definitely going to get . . .

2.  TRADES.  . . . But I’ll be getting it in Trade form.  More and more, I’m finding single issues too costly, too hard to store, and too hard to share.  I’ve kept up on Siege in individual issues thanks to my good buddy Chris (who used to write for me but now only shares his talents here), but the new Avengers titles will have to be a wait-for-6-months deal for me.  I just like the trades better.  Plus, by then Marvel will have figured out all the screw ups it has been making over continuity, and I’ll be able to tell better which of the 9 zillion new Avengers books are really worth my money and time.  For more on the Avengers, watch this blog.  Soon.

3.  X-MEN #1. Marvel is doing some kind of X-Men “relaunch” dealie in July.  It is written by Victor Gischler and Paco Medina, who have done solid work on the Deadpool titles.  I love Matt Fraction, but I haven’t read an X-book in years (other than Jason Aaron’s Wolverine: Weapon X title).  The continuity and tremendous cast of characters is just too hard to jump into.  I guess the idea of the #1 is to try to make a new starting place for readers, but I doubt it’ll be accessible.  I guess Marvel is just sad that they killed Nightcrawler and nobody notices.

4.  BEST PUNISHERS. In the always enjoyable “Comics Should Be Good” column, they’ve compiled a list of the best Punisher stories.  Nearly all are Garth Ennis, naturally.  Even people who don’t like comics ought to check out his Punisher stuff.  It’s rough, gritty, and powerful.  And speaking of Big Pun: Punisher’s “monster” story (Frankencastle) went on too long, but it was cool for a hot minute.  I’m wishing they’d use that restorative “gem” from that storyline to bring him back to human form—maybe young him up in the process (dude is like 50-something now)—and get on with real Punisher business.  I’m really hoping they do that before he goes to war with Daken, who cut him to pieces during Dark Reign and therefore was directly responsible for FrankenCastle in the first place.  But I know they won’t.  In the meantime, one of the greatest Punisher artists from Garth Ennis’s groundbreaking Punisher MAX title, is returning to the character again.  With writer Jonathan Maberry, Goran Parlov will bring us a four-issue miniseries: “Marvel Universe Versus the Punisher.” It will be an alternate-reality type story, being under the Marvel Knights banner and taking place in the future (or “a” future), so anything goes.  And by “anything” I mean Spider-Man, Hulk, the FF, Thor, Cap, Daredevil, and, of course, Deadpool (who never sits anything out).  Can’t wait.

5.  D.C.ERS! Marvel Comics’ recent “Marvels” series, written by retcon expert Ed Brubaker, was a pretty good (and occasionally great) reimagining of the formation of the Marvel Universe, in the context of World War 2 and the “race for the superhuman.”   Never ones to miss out on copying Ed Brubaker (compare “Batman R.I.P.” to “The Death (and return) of Captain America”), D.C. has hired one of its best long-standing writers, Len Wein (he created Swamp Thing—and Wolverine for Marvel), to retell the history of the D.C. Universe.  It will be a 10-issue series told via a framing sequence with art by Scott Kolins and flashbacks of origins by a veritable “who’s who” of classic D.C., such as the Kuberts, Dave Gibbons, Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, George Perez, Walt Simonson, and others.  Stories will feature the esoteric (Crimson Avenger, DC’s “first” superhero); B-listers (Shining Knight, Adam Strange); and golden-age majors (Dr. Fate, Spectre).  I can’t say I’m super-excited about this—I’m only a casual DC fan—but the talent attached to it makes it a likely “must buy” in trade.

6.  For my review of Kirkman/MacFarlane’s Haunt book , go here.

7.  IMPOSSIBLE MAN RETURNS. Fantastic 4 #580 will feature The Impossible Man.  Despite the great reviews Jonathan Hickman has received, I haven’t read that book in years.  I gave Mark Millar’s run a try and found it as dull as all the other FF runs I’ve read (other than John Byrne’s, of course).  But if Impy is back, I may actually have to pick it up . . .

8.  DEADPOOL. Last, but not least, there’s another Deadpool book (“Wade Wilson’s War”) coming out.  This one is by Duane Swierczynski and Jason Pearson, and will tell his origin.  But don’t mix it up with July’s “X-Men Origins: Deadpool” one-shot.  Sigh.

Tags: Comic books, Deadpool, Filthy Muties, Garth Ennis is God, Punisher, The Caped Crusader

REVIEW: “Haunt” by Kirkman and Mac Farlane

Posted on May 28th, 2010 by ekko

Robert Kirkman has established his narrative credibility with The Walking Dead series. It is aptly named, because the book is essentially a very, very long walk through the lives of the survivors of a zombie plague. It has no clear end in sight (other than death), no five-issue story arcs, no predictable characters or cyphers, no spandex, and no color. And even if borrowed heavily from the classic film 28 Days Later in its first issue, any cribbing disappeared quickly and left no lasting effects. The book has been recognized as a masterpiece by no less than The New York Times, and if you haven’t read it yet, this is the perfect time: The first 50 issues were recently compiled in a doorstop-heavy single volume. That may sound intimidating, but I guarantee you’ll read it fast. And want more. But The Walking Dead is so “un-comic-book” that you might be wondering if Kirkman can do anything more conventional.

Well, he has written for some of Marvel’s more off-kilter titles (Marvel Zombies, Ultimate X-Men) and even some straightforward stuff on Captain America. He’s also got his own “family of heroes” title, “Invincible,” which has gotten good reviews but it never really worked for me. I haven’t had the time or money to check out “The Astounding Wolf-Man” and “Capes,” which a lot of folks rave about.  (Note: Kirkman recently announced that Wolf-Man will end with #25, so I expect there will be a big bound volume available soon.)  But I did see the first Trade Paperback of Haunt on the shelf at Victory Comics in Falls Church and figured I’d give it a try.

The series is part Firestorm, part espionage, and part gore-filled monster flick. The writing is solid, exciting, taut and completely unpredictable. It’s as good as Kirkman’s work on The Walking Dead, but also very difficult to compare. Haunt is more conventional, in that the first Trade is a clear story arc (“The Origin!”), and it’s got more traditional characters as well. But Kirkman handles it expertly–so that it is as fresh as anything else you’ll read.

As for the art, I’ve never liked Todd MacFarlane more.  MacFarlane is best known for his Spider-Man work, but unless he was drawing Carnage or Venom, he never really worked for me on that book–his stuff is a lot like John Romita, Jr., but it’s a little too . . . Creepy. His Spawn project was pretty good, but the story never got me. Here, he’s a perfect match. Å possessed secret agent, “Haunt” is a lanky, fluid character with large eyes and claws. In short, he looks like Spider-Man. And the story is in constant motion, just like MacFarlane’s “posed” style. Every frame is a poster. It’s that good.  And the pages are well-arranged, laid out with clear vision.

This book gets an A+ from me. You need to buy it. Now.

Tags: Comic books, Horror, Zombies

MORE SUPERNEWS!

Posted on May 17th, 2010 by ekko

1.  FIRST THINGS FIRST. Well, I’m as surprised as you that it wasn’t the best of the year so far.  It takes almost an hour to really get going, which is a definite problem.  But it’s still top tier.

2.  SALES FIGURES. Diamond released its April 2010 sales figures, which led me to ask: “Why?”  The top three are Brightest Day tie-ins: BD#0, Flash #1, and Green Lantern.  Now these are okay books, but are they really the best April had to offer?  Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin was in the fourth slot, deservedly, but then we see New Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Thor (Siege tie-in), Green Lantern Corps . . . These are all as mediocre as the top three.  Meanwhile, some books that are really breaking new ground are pretty low in the list: Jonathan Hickman’s S.H.I.E.L.D. is #38, American Vampire is at #72, Walking Dead is at #81 (even with an AMC T.V. series in development), and The Boys is way down at #88.  Other books worth better than their ranking are Daredevil (#42), Wolverine Weapon X (#59), and Brave and the Bold (#89).  It’s a sad comment on what we all buy.  And yet, I’m part of the guilty group because I’m waiting for the trades on most of the titles I’m lamenting about.

3.  POWER PACK. I also want to toss in another plug for the kids-oriented Thor and the Warrior’s Four.  It’s far and away the best Power Pack series ever—the second issue even starts with an extended dialogue based on the song “I Will Survive”!  And #2 has the funniest cover of the year, hands down . . .

4.  MARVEL DOWNSIZING? The rumor is that because sales figures are so bad, Marvel is going to shrink their books down to the “mini-size” that they used on Free Comic Book Day.  Has anyone else heard this?  If they do, I’m out most definitely.  If they do it to the trades, too, I’ll be so pissed I’ll stop reading a ton of the books I currently buy.

5.  X-MEN. If you still care about the Uncanny muties, Fraction killed Nightcrawler and you can read about it in Uncanny X-Men #524.  But don’t say I told you to.  Instead, I’m suggesting that X-Men Forever has (finally!) gotten a sense of direction, with the introduction of Iron Man as the primary villain.  Chris Claremont is definitely one of the best “idea men” in the biz, but his writing is usually too verbose (show, don’t tell Chris!) and clunky (“I’ll teleport behind him and disarm him!”).  Those flaws, combined with unimaginative but perfectly serviceable art and design have kept this book from being all it should be, but it does seem to be picking up speed more.  The ideas of a blind Sabertooth joining the X-Men, an evil Storm and a good baby Storm from the future, dead Wolverine (so he doesn’t dominate every storyline), Kitty with claws, the X-Men as an arm of Nick Fury, and the afore-mentioned bad-Stark, are all good ones,
and could develop into something great.  Claremont needs more editorial guidance.  Either that, or he needs to accept more editorial guidance.  Hard to tell if Marvel is ignoring him here or if he’s ignoring them.  Anyway, the title is ending soon and will relaunch in a mach 2 form.  Seems like a good place to jump in.

6.  MARVEL 3-D MOVIES. In the ugh department: Thor may be converted to 3D in post-production, and Cap and Avengers may be filmed in 3D.  Kill me now, because they just made me not want to see three movies I’ve been waiting years to see . . .

7.  BRIGHTEST DAY #1. Since Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi (the Blackest Night team) have brought us two issues (#0 and #1) of their next D.C. eventipic, you’re probably wondering: Should I be buying these issues, or waiting for the trade.  I’m here to say, you should wait for the trade.  From Blackest Night, we learned that the first half of this story will probably be exposition, which is best read in big chunks.  It’s like the first half of a superhero origin movie: You just want it to get done so you can get to the good parts.  That said, Brightest Day #1 did clear up a bunch of things from Blackest Night that either I was too dumb to understand or that Geoff didn’t tell us clearly the first time.  I am wondering why, now that Aquaman is back, he’s bulletproof.  Did I miss something, or could he always do that?

Tags: Comic books, Filthy Muties, Iron Man, Movies, Superheroes, The Caped Crusader, Thor

LIGHT NEWS THIS WEEK. . .

Posted on May 5th, 2010 by ekko

1.  MOVIES.  I love to report, but there’s not a lot this week.  I can tell you that the Nightmare remake is like eating fine lobster, only the claw meat has been replaced with rice cakes.  Not a scary moment in it. But there a few great movies out now–which will be easy to get into after May 7 (a.k.a. Iron Man Day).  Go see “A Prophet” and “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.”  Good stuff.  Check out my movie page for my ongoing rankings.

2.  GET JASON!  Why is Jason Aaron the only Wolverine writer you need to know about?  Because of the 2008 “Get Mystique” story (in trade); the amazing and incredible run he had on Wolverine: Weapon X; and, soon, his Wolverine-goes-to-hell story arc that will kick off a new Wolverine title (to replace the existing one, which is really about Dark Wolverine).  Nobody has ever (and I mean EVER) made the character as interesting or complex as Mr. Aaron.  And lots of folks have tried.

3.  CAN D.C. RETURN TO GREAT-TOON-NESS?  I’ve often said that D.C.’s animation efforts are far superior to Marvel’s, on the whole, while Marvel’s live-action adaptations tend to leave D.C. in the dust.  Compare, for example, Batman: Brave and the Bold, Justice League (and it’s “Unlimited” version), Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: TAS, and Teen Titans Go! to Wolverine and the X-Men, Spectacular Spider-Man, or every awful Fantastic Four cartoon.  Just about the only toons Marvel got right, other than their DVD releases, in the past 20 years were the first X-Men and X-Men Evolutions.  Well, Marvel’s animation studios are kicking into high gear, as I
reported last week, so, not to be outdone, D.C. has announced that this year they’ll be reviving the 1998 “Young Justice” series.  Yeah, it sucked back then, but maybe they can do it right now?  It’s kind of like a version of Teen Titans, only a little tweaked.  This version of the junior Justice League will have Superboy, Robin, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Artemis and Aqualad.  Now, if they could just bring back that great Superboy and the Legion series from a few years ago . . .

4.  AND SPEAKING OF D.C. MOVING PICTURES . . . Smallville recently introduced T.V. viewers to the DCU version of SHIELD (sort of), called Checkmate, and it’s African American director Amanda Waller.  (She’s also black in the comic—unlike Nick Fury.)  Rumors say that the organization will move from small to big screen, appearing in the Green Lantern movie, which is currently filming.  In other D.C. movie news, there’s more talk about the Ronin adaptation.  The comic was quite stylized, and it’s hard to imagine how they’ll even begin to stay true to Frank Miller’s original mystic, cryptic miniseries.

5.  MARVEL STUDIOS UPDATES.  And speaking of moving pictures, we’re a year away from the release date, but the leaks, rumors and buzz keep coming on next year’s Marvel tentpole.  They’re saying now that Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos will appear.  That’s kind of a no-brainer if they’re showing pre-frozen Cap.  A much more interesting turn of events is the rumor that Joss Whedon will be getting involved as a writer or director of The Avengers.  And did you hear that if they don’t start filming Ghost Rider 2 by November, the rights to the film revert to Marvel Studios?  See, now that would be a good thing.  Marvel Studios has done a good job by most of its characters.  (But where’s the good Punisher movie?  That’s where they’ve fallen down. Big time.)

6.  SIEGE.  My readers know I’m a huge fan of Marvel in general and Brian Michael Bendis specifically, but Siege has been pretty disappointing to me.  I know it’s hard to make an “event” live up to the hype, and even harder to stretch a battle for 3 issues and keep it interesting, but I still expected more.  This is the return of Steve Rogers, but there doesn’t seem to be nearly enough fanfare.  This is Iron Man and Thor teaming up, in costume, against Earth’s evilest, but there isn’t really a feeling of rally.  This is Ronin reclaiming his Hawkeye costume—something he’s been grumbling about for a year—yet there hasn’t been a powerful “punch” moment.  I’m not saying Siege is bad, I’m just saying it’s not good enough.  But having said that, the one-shots have been pretty darn good.  We learned more about Loki and Cap than we have from the Thor and Captain America titles, let alone the main Siege series.  It’s the rare case where the tie-ins tell you more than the main series.  Even Siege: Spider-Man, which didn’t really advance any storylines, was a solid, fun, and funny read.   I’m not saying don’t buy it, I’m just saying, again, that I’m disappointed.

Tags: Cartoons, Comic books, Filthy Muties, Horror, Movies, Superheroes

NEVER GETTING TIRED OF BLOGGIN’ ABOUT SUPERHEROES…..

Posted on April 25th, 2010 by ekko

1.  AMAZING!  SUPPORT OF AMAZING SPIDER-MAN . . . AND THE BIG O.M.I.T. REVEAL. Finally!  Matt at Multiversity defends Spider-Man: One More Day, something I’ve been doing for a long, long time (and have received more than one negative comment about it).  He says:

Forget the fact that One More Day isn’t really that bad at all (it was written by J Michael Stracynzski, come on people!), but the fallout of One More Day and Brand New Day was absolutely fantastic an absolute boon for Spider-Man and Marvel Comics. . . . Whether you like the story or not is irrelevant at this point. What’s done is done, and I honestly feel that rather than spend forever and a day obsessing about why making a deal with the devil is stupid, it happened.

Exactly!  You can find the whole article here.  And now that enough time has passed, Marvel has announced it’s new O.M.I.T. project–”One Moment In Time.”  Specifically, the moment that Peter and Mary Jane got married, which was erased by “One More Day.”  The story will appear in “Amazing Spider-Man” #637-640.  This is a credit to Marvel’s thrice-monthly plan: They continue to include nearly all relevant Spider-stuff in one book, rather than spread it out across several titles and miniseries.  There were hints that this plan was deteriorating with the launching of Web of Spider-Man and Peter Parker, but both of those titles seem nonessential.  (And pretty bad, frankly.)  In O.M.I.T., Marvel promises to answer all the lingering questions about what Mary Jane knows (and doesn’t know) about the past, and about what she whispered to Spider-Man so long ago . . . This title just keeps getting better!

2.  PACK IS BACK! I love Power Pack, and think they should be the next subject of a Marvel movie.  That said, Marvel’s kid-friendly line of miniseries starring the foursome has been uneven at best.  The ones with Spider-Man and Franklin Richards were great.  The ones with Iron Man and Wolverine, not so much.  The latest installment, “Thor and the Warrior’s Four” looks to be the best of the lot.  Which is ironic, because I’m not a fan of Thor.  But he’s not even in it!  Instead, we find Frog Thor and the Pet Avengers, with a teaser that next issue will bring us Beta Ray Bill.  There’s also a laugh-out-loud second feature starring The Mighty Babysitting Hercules.  If your kids are between 6 and 11 and they don’t like this book, disown them.

3.  MIGHTY MARVEL CARTOONS! At the Chi-town convention, Marvel announced new seasons of “Superhero Squad” and “Iron Man: Armored Adventures,” neither of which matter to me personally, but also mentioned a 2011 series: “Ultimate Spider-Man,” and confirmed that this September’s new series, “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” will feature Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp, Hulk, Black Panther as the main lineup, with episodes including guests and baddies like The Red Skull, Ultron (of course), Hawkeye, Loki and Black Widow.  He also indicated that the “Black Panther” cartoon, which was produced by BET cable network, will eventually be shown in the U.S.  Finally, he hinted that “Spectacular Spider-Man” would not return (but that’s a Sony project, not a Marvel Studios one) and said “Wolverine & The X-Men” is kaput.  No great or unexpected losses there.

4.  THE EXPENDABLES. Before Kick Ass, I had to suffer through around eight stupid and boring trailers.  But then came the one with Arnold, Sly, Willis, Lundgren, Rourke, Jet Li, and Jason Statham.  I said, out loud, “Is this for real?”  Apparently, it is.

5.  IT’S A BIRD!  IT’S A PLANE!  IT’S A CONSOLIDATE, SINGLE STORY LINE! James Robinson has commented that his “War of the Superman” will actually replace all the Superman books in May, and the war will actually take only 100 minutes in “real time” to fight.  Kinda makes it like a season of 24, only in a comic.  I applaud Dan “master of chaos and disorganized crossovers” Didio for replacing all the Superbooks with the one story—it’s much likely to get me to read it.  It only took Marvel half a century to figure out that centralizing all the Spidey books was a good idea (see item one, above).  Maybe DC can figure that out, too.  Because it looks like the return of Bruce Wayne is going to be another Morrison-helmed tangled mess weaving through several titles, with no clear indication whether (and which) particular titles are essential to the storyline.

6.  THE FANTASTIC 3. In a desperate attempt to get attention, the F4 will lose a member this fall.  Prediction: It’ll be Thing, who is joining one of the Avengers teams and who has a history of quitting the team anyway.  I’ve heard that under Jonathan Hickman this title has become interesting again, but it’s hard to imagine.  The FF haven’t been worth reading since 1985.

7.  THE FLASH #1. Geoff Johns and the brilliant Frances Manapul were behind last week’s relaunch of a Flash title.  The Flash: Rebirth series was horrendously complicated, so I wasn’t expecting much here.  I read the first issue and I zzzzzzzz.

Tags: Comic books, Movies, News!, Spider-Man, Superheroes

WHAT MONTHLY SUPERHERO COMICS SHOULD I BE READING?

Posted on April 3rd, 2010 by ekko

I recently said I’d be dropping a bunch of my monthlies to wait for trades.  Why wait for trades?  Lots of reasons: They’re cheaper, easier to store, and in many cases it’s just more fun to read a whole story in one sitting.  But at the same time, comics are designed to be told in quick bursts, with momentum building to the cliff-hanger, and buying serialized books is the surest way to prevent spoilers.  So, which books are worth reading, and which should you wait for?  Obviously, I can’t have opinions on every book out there, but here’s a few suggestions—mostly Marvel, because they’re the ones I dig the most:

Adventure Comics. When Geoff Johns was on board, this was a monthly must-buy.  Since his departure, we saw a strong (but fairly meaningless) Blackest Night tie-in and an issue containing three prequels.  I can’t endorse that for four bucks.  Barely any story there!  The jury is still out on where they’ll take this book, but it doesn’t look good.  Verdict: Wait for a trade to see if the book is worth getting.

Amazing Spider-Man. I do enjoy this series very much, but sometimes you’ll find an issue that’s half-full of a Flash Thompson sob story.  Boring.  Or there’s a one-and-done with Black Cat that’s better than it ought to be, but still ain’t worth three bucks.  Buying monthly lets you avoid those occasional missteps in an otherwise strong series.  Verdict: Buy monthly.

Batman and Robin. Not only is this the only Batbook worth buying right now, it’s the only Grant Morrison you need.  True, all of his work ties together in a big, nonlinear mess.  But it’s still not going to add much to your experience here, unless you study Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis like the Torah.  Just hop in and accept everything you see, and you’re guaranteed a great ride.  Morrison makes use of all the classic Bat-tropes like gadgets; a two person, father-son-ish partnership; and over-the-top corny villains.  It’s like the Bob Kane Batman through the eyes of Frank Miller.  Or Rob Zombie.  Verdict: Buy monthly because you need time to digest between issues.  Morrison is nothing if not dense and obtuse.

The Bendis Books. Obviously, if you want to know what’s going on in the Marvel Universe you have to read these books.  But I much prefer to be able to experience them in larger chunks, because Bendis will often have entire issues devoted to nothing but dialogue and build up with no payoff.  I find this less annoying when I’ve got the next issue to follow up with immediately.  That said, this is the best Cape work on the market today, bar none.  Verdict: Either way, you won’t go wrong.

Captain America. I think Brubaker’s run on this series has been the best run ever, so I say it’s a must-read.  However, Brubaker’s stories tend to be intricate espionage novels, and although they are affected by events in the MU, the story arcs best read in chunks.  Verdict: Buy the trades.

Daredevil.  It’s a little to early to say whether Dan Diggle’s rollercoaster ride will maintain its quality, but for now it’s a gas to see DD doing superhero stuff instead of dodging reporters or cooling his heels in prison.  It’s pulpy, action fun that is perfect in 40-page installments.  Verdict: Buy monthly, because it’s fun to have the excitement build between issues.

Prelude to Deadpool Corps. We’re now 2 issues deep in this weekly miniseries that appears to be a prelude to another miniseries about a character with at least 3 other books out at the same time.  Too much Deadpool?  Undoubtedly.  But at the same time, Victor Gischler take on the alterniverse versions of the character is fun and funny, and gets a recommendation from me.  My advice: If you buy this as a weekly book, you can avoid the first issue (with Rob Liefeld—a great guy and generally a terrific artist—doing his absolute worst art ever) and just buy the Kidpool, Severed Headpool, and Dogpool issues.  I predict they’ll be the best.  Verdict: Buy monthly, and buy selectively.

Deadpool Team Up. All team-up books are heavily character driven: If you want to see what’s up with US1 these days (and I think you should want that) then buy that issue.  If you could care less about the Zapata Brothers, you can skip one (and I think you should skip that one).  And if there’s a DP series to skip, this is the one.  Verdict: Buy based on a browse.

All the other Deadpool books. You can wait for the trades here.  To the extent that they jump in and out of “regular” Marvel continuity, it’s nothing you need to know about.  And both Deadpool and Merc with a Mouth tell stories, with fairly self-contained arcs, so you can jump in where you want.  Moreover, some arcs are clearly better than others.  Deadpool Secret Invasion was great.  Deadpool as a pirate, not so much.  And the current Hit Monkey story is very thin.  Verdict: Buy the trades,  but if you’re going to buy one monthly, make it Merc With a Mouth.

Ex-Machina. Most indies can be bought as trades because they are self-contained and they don’t get a lot of press so any surprises aren’t likely to be ruined for you.  Moreover, this indie super-politician book is clearly a long-form story.  Verdict: Buy trades.

All the Hulk Books.  Dude, just don’t buy them.  Boy did Jeph Loeb go off the rails here.

Invincible Iron Man. Matt Fraction’s book has been nothing short of amazing.  My thing with Fraction, though, is that I tend to like to read his stuff in one sitting.  I did it with Iron Fist.  I did it with Punisher.  However, what goes on in Tony’s world is relevant to the Bendis books, so you may want to be current.  Verdict: Toss-up.

Punisher. The Frankencastle book is lots of fun, but you definitely can get it in trade without losing anything.  And unlike Daredevil and Amazing Spider-Man, it isn’t really parceled out in 40-page cliff-hangers.  It all kind of flows.  As for PunisherMax, I just can’t endorse anything with Dillon’s art.  Sorry.  (But the Garth Ennis stuff was some of the best street-level crime stories I’ve ever read in comics—go buy those!)  Verdict: Buy Frankencastle in trade; skip PunisherMax.

All the Ultimates books. It’s a different universe, so you won’t be behind in anything essential.  Verdict: I’m waiting for the trades.

The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead is one of the greatest long-form comics I’ve ever read.  That said, I can’t see how anyone can read it in issue form.  It’s a long, never-ending novel, that must be (ahem) digested in big chunks.  Verdict: Get the gigantic softcover (issues #1-48), and then let a few trades pile up before digging in again.

Tags: Comic books, Spider-Man, Superheroes, The Caped Crusader, Zombies

ABSOLUTION by Christopher Gage

Posted on March 30th, 2010 by ekko

So my buddy and fellow comics blogger CD recently wrote on this site about an Avatar Press book called, “Absolution.”  He didn’t write much–just a blurb.   But then he loaned me the whole series.  I was skeptical at first, because graphically violent superhero books aren’t usually my thing, but after issue one I was hooked.  It’s the story of a superhuman police officer who becomes a vigilante killer of bad guys.  Fairly straightforward: Take Dexter and Punisher and mix in a few capes, and you’ve pretty much got it.

Or do you?

In this six-issue story, Christos Gage (best known for the Thunderbolts and War Machine Secret Invasion tie ins, and a bunch of Wildstorm indie titles) manages to paint a fully believable story of an antihero that not all readers will see in the same way.  Much like the aforementioned Dexter series on Showtime, Gage’s lead character does very, very evil things.  Sick things.  Brutal things.  To sick, brutal people.  And when he is confronted by righteousness, in the form of “Servant,” a hero whose power derives from his faith in God, he even makes the holy warrior doubt himself.

If you’ve ever read a superbook and thought you’d behave differently if you were the one bitten by a spider, you might find these characters more relatable.  Absolution is a great example of the “realism” movement that’s primarily found in the independent comic press these days–from the moral ambiguity of the characters in The Walking Dead to the fact that street heroes get put in comas in books like Kick Ass, comic books are embracing not only adult themes, but more and more mature ways of telling stories.

Oh, and by the way, the art is terrific, the covers are by Jaycen Burrows, and the action is basically nonstop.  If this review makes it sound like Absolution in is a moral primer, don’t worry. It isn’t.

I don’t know if it’ll be released in a bound volume, but you can order all 6 issues from the Avatar website.  And if you do, please drop me a line and let me know what you thought.

Tags: Comic books

THOR MOVIE UPDATES

Posted on March 28th, 2010 by ekko

Lots of rumors going around about the Norse God flick.  Here’s a rundown, mixing fact with possible fiction:

1.  The scheduled release date was May 2011, but if Spider-Man 4 moves to May, Thor will move to June and be sandwiched between Spidey and Captain America.  Cap is set for July 4 weekend, naturally, but that’s also Will Smith’s spot—he usually releases a summer blockbuster on that date.  Maybe they can cast Will as The Falcon?

2.  The director, Kenneth Branagh, has never done an action film before.  But he’s British, so maybe that’s good.  Makes him sound important when he talks like Shakespeare.  Of course, this Thor won’t talk in doths and sayeths.

3.  It’s an origin story: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is kind of a jerk to his Daddy, so Odin (Anthony Hopkins) sends him to Earth.  Kind of like sending Gordon Gecko to the mailroom.  But it’s understandable, because he gets to bang Natalie Portman.  Eventually, Thor decides he kind of likes hanging out with mortals.  Kind of like Donald Trump hanging out with his celebrity apprentices.  Only Thor has better hair.  Then Loki (Tom Hiddleston) decides to screw around with Midgard, and Thor saves the day.

4.  The film will end with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) making Thor a job offer.  Unless it doesn’t.  (Jackson has both denied and confirmed a cameo in the movie.)

5.  Hawkeye will appear in it.  Unless he doesn’t.  Ditto Iron Man.

6.  Stan Lee will appear in it and say or do something silly.

7.  Heimdall will be played by Idris Elba.  He sells dime bags to Frost Giants who try to get across the rainbow bridge.

8.  A Marvel animated Thor DVD will release a little before the film.  See, D.C.?  You can have the characters on the big screen and idiot box at the same time.  You won’t get hurt!  Now, let Tom Welling put on the tights, already!

9.  The “look” of the hero will be based on the Ultimates costume, and there won’t be a Donald Blake.

10.  Most lists have to have 10 items.  Makes them seem more complete.

Tags: Comic books, Movies, Superheroes

THE RETURN OF CD! The Berkeley Place Contributor’s Guide to Indie Comics

Posted on March 18th, 2010 by ekko

Ekko does an excellent job recapping what’s going on in the worlds of DC and Marvel.  Hell, I’ve got a $50/week habit, spend at least an hour in the comic shop every time I go, and he STILL knows more about what’s going on in those universes than I generally do.  However, what about the kick-ass titles published by other houses?  Today, I’m going to highlight a few series that are off the beaten path.

Chew

Writer John Layman and artist Rob Guillory bring us the tale of a world not unlike our own save for one very crucial difference.  Avian flu went terribly wrong in this Image Comics-imagined universe, resulting in the government fully banning all poultry products.  This, of course, leads to all sorts of black market, back alley chicken deals, and the rise of the Food & Drug Administration as one of the top law enforcement agencies in the world.  The series starts out with the introduction of one of the newest members of the force, Tony Chu.  Seems Chu has a gift as a “cibopath,” someone who can “read” something’s past by tasting it.  Sort of like Rogue, without the power transfer and only through the gullet.  Of course, he hates the talent, as it allows him to eat virtually nothing without getting grossed out beyond belief.  His boss hates him, of course, ans assigns Chu on some of the most oddest cases you can imagine.  I won’t even get into
the issue where he gets his head dunked in a toilet.  While this may sound bizarre even for a medium that revolves around people dressing up in tights, Layman and Guillory create a brilliant world.  The artwork is fresh and clean.  While not altogether realistically drawn, it definitely is engaging.  The first story arc already is complete and has been packaged as a trade, so now is a great time to jump into the series.  It’s got enough action to keep even the Capes Crowd occupied, but touches upon larger societal issues, as well, like what happens when Big Brother starts breathing down your neck.

The Boys

I think I’ve mentioned Garth Ennis’ The Boys (Dynamite Entertainment) in just about everything I’ve written for Berkeley Place, but now is as good a time as any to jump into the fray.  Trade volume 5, “Herogasm,” was just released.  This arc originally was a mini-series, but it falls into continuity, so I guess that’s their call.  This storyline focuses more on the “heroes” and less on the titular characters, but that somehow makes this more incredible still.  Remember, the premise of this universe is that the Capes are out of control, egomaniacal freaks who are kept on their respective leashes by an uncaring U.S. government and the corporation that funds them.  Herogasm is an annual event where all the “good guys” get together at an off-the-radar resort and take part in some of the most graphic depravities a body could imagine.  Sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll only just barely scrape the surface.  Trust me, you’ll have to read this one to believe it.  Trade volume 6 is due out May 15 and is another great place for first timers to jump in, as it deals with the origin stories of each of the main characters.  While each bio is a riveting read, the one dealing with the Frenchman could be the funniest damn comic I’ve read in ages.  Using every French stereotype in the book, you simply don’t know what you’re missing until you’ve seen baguette jousting.

Absolution

Avatar Press is arguably one of the more graphic brands out there, and Christos Cage’s Absolution is no exception.  Here, too, superheroes are placed into a far different world than those imagined by DC or Marvel.  In this world, superheroes are government sanctioned police officers.  This six issue mini deals with one such hero taking the law into his own super powered hands.  Not able to stand repeat criminals being allowed back into society only to wreck more havoc, Officer John Dusk decides he must act as judge and jury.  It’s a compelling read, if for no other reason that the character reactions feel “more real” than you’d expect.

Gravel

This Warren Ellis title, also on Avatar, deals with British ‘combat magician’ William Gravel.  Ellis has used the character in other series in the past, but he’s had this one ongoing for a couple of years now, meaning you should be able to find it in most comic shops.  (SPOILER ALERT) The series just finished its second major arc, wherein Gravel has become the lead magician in all of Britain and has started his own “Minor Seven”–magicians of a power level just below his own.  The series combines gritty detective noir with the arcane, and the effect is potent.  If you’re worried that this is a series about dudes with long beards holding gnarled oak staffs and fighting off dragons, don’t be.  This shows magic in today’s world, and how it can be used as an effective weapon to deal with the trials and tribulations one might face in a contemporary setting.  Plus, they say “bollocks” a lot, and that’s always funny.

Crossed

Yet another Avatar title, this Ennis book just wrapped up and is without a doubt the most fucked up comic you will ever read.  I don’t care if you’re into homonecrobestiality, Crossed beats that less than halfway through the second issue.  It’s a bizarre take on the zombie plague motif, except the victims are not undead.  People are infected through contact, though, which results in a literal cross of lesions to appear on one’s face.  These folks don’t want brains, however, they want depravity.  How depraved?  Well, a guy gets beaten to death by a ripped off horse cock at one point, and the final issue contains a priest’s corpse nailed to a cross where he was sodomized to death.  Correct, this is not your father’s comic book here.  Readers follow a small band of people simply trying to survive an outbreak which has seemingly overtaken the world.  Questions of morality abound, while characters try to retain their humanity.  While this is not
one at all for the faint of heart, it is for the reader who wants something different out of their comics.  Through most of the series, it was assumed that the Crossed, as the infected have come to be called, are little more than brainless beasts that are all animal instinct.  Towards the end, however, it came to pass that they do have the capacity to learn, which makes their marauding hordes that much more formidable…and scary.

Kick Ass

If you haven’t seen the red band trailers for this movie yet, do yourself a favor and watch those now.  [See below!]

Once you’ve had a chance to put your blown mind back in, go pick up the first trade, which tells the story of a “normal” guy who one day decides to become a superhero.  Of course, along the way, others take up the cause, including the most messed up father/daughter team since Mackenzie and John Phillips.  I would have thought the movie wouldn’t dare tread with where this comic goes, but the trailers lead me to believe that perhaps they will.  Unlike Batman and other “normals” who put on a cape, Kick Ass focuses on a more realistic take.  For the titular hero’s first outing, he gets his ass beaten so badly he’s in a body cast for months.  By then, of course, he’s grown addicted to the rush, but I don’t want to give away too much more.  Definitely worth picking up before the movie hits.

Four Eyes

Our first foray today into Image Comics, Four Eyes (written by Joe Kelly) tells the story of a young Enrico in a world like our own.   Set during the Great Depression, the one main difference between our two worlds is the fact that dragons exist here, and are the subject of an underground fighting gambling ring.  Of course, Enrico’s father was once a handler of these creatures, before he was killed.  Now Enrico is trying to find out more about his lost father and the gang with which he ran.  These issues have been sporadic at best (three issues since October 2008), but I understand the fourth is on its way shortly.  While it is hard to comment on the storyline with so little to go on, I can say unabashedly that the artwork by Max Fiumara is incredible, with an incredible eye for detail.

Bad Dog

I’ll close with another Joe Kelly title on Image.  Bad Dog is the story of a werewolf with issues (Lou) and the dirtiest man of the cloth this side of the Preacher (Wendell).  The two are bounty hunters, and continue in Kelly’s notion of the anti-hero.  This is not a monster book, regardless of the werewolf tie-in.  For that matter, if it weren’t mentioned in the dialogue, Lou could be any humanoid character with a past that’s catching up with him.  There’s no talk of full moons and silver bullets.  Readers just need to accept that in Kelly’s new world, werewolves exist and need jobs, too.  Surprise, surprise, there are only three issues of this one out over the past few years, too, but what’s been printed has been a great read so far.  Where Ellis and Ennis tend to go profane with their ideas and dialogue, Kelly is not above graphic sight gags.  And to be completely honest, most of them are funny as all get out.  There’s a scene in the second issue that shows the sign language equivalent of a variety of sexual hand positions that’s worth the price of admission on its own.  Throw in the fact that they’re given by a horny middle aged secretary, and you can see the comedy gold to be mined here.

None of the above books are intended for kids, but it seems like very few comics actually are written for that demographic anymore.  That might be a shame for younger readers, but its created riches beyond belief for those of us who are a bit older.

Go check out CD’s website!

Tags: Comic books

THIS WEEK’S NEWS: JOSS AND PATTON TEAM UP, SUPERBOY WILL FLY AGAIN, AND FRANKENCASTLE REMAINS UNDEAD!

Posted on March 13th, 2010 by ekko

1.  WOLVERINE 2. Yes, it’ll be in Japan.  Yes, it’ll star Hugh Jackman.  Yes, it’ll start filming in January.  January!  Why not now?  Claremont/Miller’s classic miniseries (and the best Wolverine story ever told) is practically a storyboard!  Even McG could direct it without screwing it up!

2.  UGH-D. I saw Alice in Disney Digital 3D (not iMax), and left annoyed and with a headache.  It’s barely 3D.  It’s more like 3 layers of 2D.  Then, the next day, new research came out showing that 3D causes eyestrain and may affect proper eye development in young people.  Now I learn that Green Lantern will be in 3D.  Not to mention the next Spider-Man and the Alien prequel.  I hope they still show them in “regular D.”  That’s how I saw Avatar, and it was still an amazing visual film.

3.  WB FAILS TO KILL SUPERBOY. They moved him from Thursday to Friday night, but that didn’t kill him.  Smallville has been renewed for Season 10.  Frankly, the move helped me (it no longer competes with so many other good Thursday night shows).  But it’s got to change if it’s going to keep me for another year.  Let him wear a cape, already, and let’s see lots more guest stars.  We want Nightwing!  Oh, and replace Lex Luthor, too.  The show lacks a solid villain, and Zod is kinda mealy mouthed.  I say they turn it into a Teen Titans show.  How great would that be?  And can anyone really argue that this would hurt D.C.’s chances at making another Superman movie?

4.  MORE UGH-D! And speaking of 3D, I saw a 3D preview of Tron Legacy.  Feh.  It doesn’t look so great.  It looks like an excuse to use that damn 3D.  Our kids may be entertained, but they’ll grow up blind.

5.  FRANKENCASTLE UPDATE. Warning: Spoilers ahead (sort of)!  If you read Punisher #16, you already know that the gem at the center of the drama has restorative powers.  I have been assuming that that will be the device used to restore Frank Castle to his original, scarred but bolt-less self.  But now, with issue #17, they’re changing the title of the book to “Frankencastle.”  I’ve been enjoying the storyline, mostly because it was a great way to bring back The Legion of Monsters, but I’m not sure how much longer I want to see Punisher as a superhuman.  Part of the fun of Remender’s Punisher run has been the way he’s helped Frank adapt to fighting in the world of superhumans—beginning with stealing a stash of supergear including Ant Man’s helmet, Doc Ock’s arms, etc., from the Red Hood.  Frankencastle is, essentially, a gimmick.  I’m not sure it can sustain.  But it will be cool to watch the next arc: Frank gets revenge on Daken for slicing him into little bits during the Dark Reign: The List one shot (one of the best-drawn non-Max Punishers I’ve ever read).  Oh, and if he’s staying in the supernatural world, a team-up with Blade seems highly appropriate.  The art in the new arc will be handled by three guys: Tony Moore, Dan Brereton, and Roland Boschi.  They’re all solid, and best of all none of them are Steve Dillon.  Why do people like him?  He’s the reason I don’t even want to bother with Jason Aaron’s reboot of Punisher Max, no matter how good the story sounds like it could be.  Seriously, any of you know why Steve Dillon gets so much love?  He’s not gritty, his art is flat, and it’s cartoonish!

6.  AVENGERS CARTOON. The Avengers have always been my favorite “group.”  I even bought a bootleg transfer of the old Avengers cartoon on e-bay, knowing it would suck, just because something is better than nothing.  So I’m psyched that Disney XD will finally release the new “The Avengers : Earths Mightiest Heroes” cartoon this fall.  52 episodes featuring Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Giant Man and Wasp, preceded by a 20-part “micro-series” telling each of their origins.  This is a huge commitment.  Can’t wait!

7.  THE YEAR OF PATTON.  Do any of you watch the new BSG spin-off/prequel “Caprica”?  Because if you’re not watching it, you’re missing the best new show on T.V.  You’re also missing Patton Oswalt’s best role.  It’s the role he was born to play: A smarmy, cynical, liberal talk-show host.  And now he’s  signed on to write a comic book based on Joss Whedon’s highly underrated movie/TV series “Serenity/Firefly.”  Dunno if it will be any good, but it definitely has a high curiosity factor.

8.  THANK GOD! Deadline Hollywood reports that The Office’s John Krasinski won’t be throwing the shield for Marvel in the Captain America flick.  I had no problem with his age—he’s far younger than the hfolks he’ll be teaming up with in the superflicks (Don Cheadle, Robert Downey, Jr., etc.) because, after all, he was frozen in ice back in his prime, but John K. just doesn’t have the look.  Or the biceps.  I’d rather have seen The Rock in the role than him.  Or a Baldwin brother.  Or Zombie Cap.  Hell, I’d rather have them pick a black actor.  (Actually, that might be kinda cool.)  My first choice is still Jeremy Renner or Sam Worthington.  But John could be Batroc the Leaper.

9.  JACK BAUER. I dunno if “24” counts as comic-type news, but some of you might want to know that the show won’t be back next season.  I say, good riddance—this season is awful.  But they’ve also begun a script for a “24” movie.  Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of a serialized, real-time show?  Are Keifer Southerland’s two expressions (“Grrrr!” and “Ouch!”) really worth seeing on the big screen?

10.  SUPERMAN: LAST BATTLE FOR KRYPTONZZZZZZZ. Finally, a question: Why is it Marvel can handle several simultaneous events, like the Death of Cap/Rise of Bucky alongside Civil War or the current Fall of Hulks/Battle for Olympus/end of Dark Reign, but DC can only seem to manage Blackest Night (and that, just barely)?  Superman is the publisher’s flagship character, and yet nobody seems to care that Supes left Earth a year and a half ago, and now seems poised to return.  I know I don’t care.  (But at least the Nolan/Goyer team has confirmed they’ll reboot Superman after Bat3 wraps.)  Batman, too, has left his own books and is getting ready for the big “Bats: Reborn” treatment.  Yet, again, the only DC “event” that’s making any kind of news is Geoff Johns’.  Seems sad.  I was a big fan of the Braniac story that led to World of Krypton, but as soon as that ended it seemed like Superman went off the rails.  They need to invest in that character, make us care again….What do you all think?

Tags: Captain America, Comic books, Filthy Muties, Superheroes