Justice League #2 • Batman Arkham City • DARPA Recycling

The crew comes back from break refreshed and ready to rock. Pete reviews Justice League #2 and talks about the big developments from New York Comic Con: Robot Chicken will do a special DC episode, and Marvel will be bringing back the Phoenix. Craig reviews Batman: Arkham City, and talks about the possibilities with Microsoft’s next gen game console, the Xbox 720. The Space Race comes to New Guienea, and DARPA is recycling Satellites. All in one episode!

Flashpoint #5 • iPhone 4S • Tech & Love • Remembering Steve Jobs

The gang gathers for a somber podcast this week. It was an end to several eras, and losses in the world of fandom. First the crew pay tribute to Betty Luster (Mr. B Natural), and try and figure out how they will survive life without the Simpsons. Then they cheer up with the news of the iPhone 4S, and new iOS5 features available this week. Randis demonstrates how romance and relationships have been impacted by personal technology, and the crew remembers a titan with the passing of Steve Jobs. Stay Tuned after the podcast for Tech editor Doug and Craig as they remember Apple’s most influential force.

Flash #1 • iPhone 5 • Battlefield 3 Beta • Aphrodisiacs

A quick episode or betas and sneak peeks. Pete reveals set photos from the anticipated mega-movie, the Avengers. Craig talks about the Battlefield 3 demo. The crew discusses the fast processor on the upcoming iPhone 5, Pete reviews the new Flash #1 by Francis Manapul, and Randis covers all you need to know about aphrodisiacs.

We try on a new format for Labor Day. First we talk about the professional tournament for Modern Warfare players and then shift to George Lucas “enhancing” his Star Wars movies yet again. After we spit fire at the newer special edition blu-rays, we try and figure out how to tell a friend that you want more, and when to try and make that move. Then Pete reviews the blockbuster inaugural issue of DC Comics New 52, Justice League #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee.

Ultimate Fallout #6 • Gamescom • IBM’s Brain Chips • Dream Interpretations

In this episode Pete review Ultimate Comics Fallout #6 to mourn the loss of Ultimate Spider-Man. The gang passes judgment on potential movies Rambo 5, and a Blade Runner Sequel. Craig Talks about the developments at Gamescom including news That Playstation’s new handheld is more powerful than their PS3, and Diablo 3 could come to game consoles. HP does away with it’s mobile OS, Kindle skirts Apple, and IBM creates chip that mimic the human brain. Randis then interprets our dreams, and what they mean.

Written and Illustrated by Michael Walton

Published by Zuda Comics

Available on Comixology

Issue six is the last of Michael Walton’s Dual. A highly imaginative tale about a man and his imaginary friend in a world with magical instances. We have followed Bill and Yasu for five issues and watched Bill grow up and deal with the idea and power of having an imaginary friend that grants him extraordinary powers once bill…well….ingests him. After meeting witches, and monsters, Bill crosses paths with a dragon, who is now marrying Bill’s true love, Carina. This whole issue is one big throw down, as Bill squares off with Dave the dragon.

This issue is exactly what I loved about this series, only more action packed. It has great mysticism mixed with wit and sobering reality that made Dual such a great series. Michael Walton, like many of his Zuda Comics cohorts, never strayed from the story and always stayed true to the vision of his story. There are tough choices he had to make as a writer, and he certainly picked a difficult project to illustrate by trying to marry a sober reality with fantastic elements. Btu the hard choices paid off, and made for a great series.

One of my favorite elements of Michael Walton’s style is a drop in color as Yasu and Bill meld as one. The ending of the book is poignant as it feels as though the cameras have been changed out, and the viewpoint changes. The prophecy that mystics have been telling Bill begins to come to fruition, and the world changes. What I especially loved, and hated about this book was that it was the end.  Walton leaves the ending wide open, as if the tale had only just begun, but unfortunately with Zuda Comics’ demise, so went a fantastic web series that is thankfully collected at Comixology. If you haven’t already, pick up Dual. Not only is it a great tale you can reread several times, but it is also a great digital comic to show off on you iPhone, iPad, or whatever device you are using. A true collectible.

Dual #6 • Xbox Points Credited • Ninjas with iPads • Dating Obsessive Hobbyists

It’s a week filled with news of the weird. Pete reviews the last issue of Michael Walton’s Dual from Zuda Comics. Thor is replaced, Batman Dark Knight Rises gets a new ride, and Austin Powers rides again? Craig tells us about Microsoft giving people too many Xbox Live Points, and reviews Fruit Ninja for the Xbox Kinect. Nintendo contemplates making games for the iPhone while Ninjas smuggle iPads into Hong Kong. There’s a new World’s Tallest Skyscraper, DARPA loses a plane, and NASA thinks we’re all aliens.  Randis answers listener mail about dating people with obsessive hobbies, and also gives dating do’s and don’ts.

DC Comics Costumes • Twisted Metal • AT&T Tethering • Stressing Out Your Libido

Reunited with the lost Doug, the crew tackles the big issues of the week. Pete reviews Road by Eddie Sharam, and the crew decides whether they like the new look for DC Comics movie costumes for Catwoman, Bane, and Superman. Then they tackle the issue of racism in comics as they discuss the half-black, half-hispanic Spider-man, and how he caused a stir in comics. Craig talks about Twisted Metal’s release date, the latest Rockband releases, news on Borderlands 2, and the last Call of Duty Black Ops DLC is coming soon and it’s filled with zombies. Doug dissects AT&T’s tethering program, Skype on the iPad, and the Internet turns 20. And of course, Randis brings the house down with a look at how stress impacts your libido, and the average penis sizes. This is a can’t miss episode.

For the 70^th episode Pete reviews Nancy in Hell #1 from Image Comics. Batman Fights Bane in the streets of Pittsburgh, and John Lasseter explains the Pixar sequels. Craig tells of Nintendo slashing its prices on the handheld gaming system, the DS 3D, and Rockband hits a milestone with their 3,000^th song. In tech news Netflix and Hulu battle for digital streaming attention while Apple has more cash on hand than the US Government. Then Randis gives us advice about going on vacation with a loved one, and going on vacation with their family.

In our 69^th episode we hit a new low and earn our explicit rating in style. Pete reviews the fallout of the death of Spider-man in Ultimate Fallout #1. Superman goes through a lot of changes in a reboot, and Batman Dark Knight excites theaters. Craig tells us that Soundgarden and Incubus are coming to Rockband 3, Modern Warfare 3 uses crowd sourcing, and Sony goes exclusive with HDMI cables. Netflix raises its prices, and then the boys review Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. For the main event, Randis explains origins of socially unacceptable terms, the true meaning of the Kama Sutra, and ten fantastic sexual positions.

Flashpoint 3 vs Fear Itself 4 • PlayStation Network Passcodes • Space Shuttle Atlantis • Speed Dating

The Giggaheim podcast is packed this week. Pete reviews summer event comic books Flashpoint#3 and Fear Itself #4. Then answers listener mail by differentiating between Marvel Comics’ Mockingbird, and DC Comics’ Black Canary. After the news of sexually harassing Archie Comics, and Rockstar Games moving on to movies, the crew takes apart video game movies. Craig fills us in on the new PlayStation Network Passcodes, the lack-luster Burnout:Crash, and Modern Warfare 3’s Color Blind Assist mode. In Tech news Pokemon makes its own mobile app, Google and Microsoft bid for Hulu, and this week marked the last launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Craig melts everyone’s head with math, and Randis gives us all tips for Speed Dating.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160 • Mobile Gaming Future • Lulz Disbands • Flirting Guide

It’s a solemn end to an era as Pete reviews Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160. Craig updates us on the latest Rockband DLC and the future of gaming on the mobile frontier. In tech news Pottermore brings up the issue of DRM, Tesla Motors stops making the ultra-fast electric roadster, Lulz apparently disbands, and we find out it is illegal to sell pieces of the moon. Then Randis gives us a guide on flirting, and poses the question: Do you have an office buddy you flirt with?

Episode sixty five is a big one, and packed full of geeky fandom. Pete reviews the macho first issue of Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker, and the crew reviews two summer blockbusters: Green Lantern and Super 8. Craig gives a hand-on review of Xbox’s latest add-on peripheral, the Kinect. The space explorer Voyager reaches the end of the known Solar System, and Randis helps you get over those regrets you may have in your relationships.

• Introduction 

• Fear Itself #3  

• Flashpoint #2  

Simply put, Mesmo Delivery is about two men who are en route to deliver the content of a tractor and trailer. When they stop in a local greasy spoon diner, a fight breaks out. Any more details, and it would spoil the book. The story is a simple one, but takes some twists and turns. The driver is a boxer. He’s a huge, stocky man who obviously is more brawn than brains. Next to him is a lanky grease-ball who loves Elvis. Not too much to get attached to, but when the driver is assaulted, the book spins out of control, and it is a fantastic ride.

Rafael Grampa’s art is fantastic, and I didn’t want to spend the entire review throwing around terms like “kinetic”, “frantic”, “clean”, “earthy”, or “wild”. The art within the pages is all those things, but I didn’t want to sling the same terms at you, otherwise, why read this?

His art is a mixture of cartooning, illustration, woodcut printing, and industrial tattooing. It’s as if Steamboat Willie-era Mickey Mouse walked out on a pregnant Minnie Mouse, got a job loading trucks, and tattooed a pulsing, infected body part on his arm. That’s what it “feels” like to me. It’s similar to a raw twist on an art-form, but it certainly has the energy, detail and exaggerated features that lend itself to this violent story. Besides the style, Grampa also chooses layouts and angles to tell the story in a way that lures your eyes, and guides you through the book. After a few pages, you can taste cigarette smoke, feel hot dusts settle on the back of your sweaty neck, and your heart will race for the next crazy moment to happen. Rafael lures you in, and never lets go until the last page says: The End.

The crew adopts Masta-Don into the fold for their sixty third adventure. Pete updates and reviews all the events that are transpiring in the War of the Green Lanterns by reviewing Green Lantern #66, Green Lantern Corps #60, and Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #10. Then Pete gives the low-down on DC Comics complete line re-launch. All news number ones, continuity, and how they are going to leave some stories in continuity. The crew reviews X-Men First Class, and then Craig gives us the Gaming News. PlayStation Network reboots, and  Xbox ramps up for E3 announcements including the new Diamond Membership. Randis covers the boy who sold his Kidney for an iPad 2, and Pete gives the news of another Sony hack, Car Apps that will kill you, and why the world needs an 8-foot wide 3D HDTV. Randis then gives us some sexually stimulating facts you may not know, and the crew answers your mail and questions.

Dong Xoai, Vietnam 1965

Our mission at the Giggaheim is to always keep you hip, and if you do not know who Joe Kubert is, or have heard of The Kubert School, feel free to investigate those links first. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Reason I send you across the net to Wikipedia, is that I could spend all day writing about the works of Joe Kubert, and his vast catalog of comics work. But, the great professor recently assembled a fantastic book, and schooled everyone on the graphic novel form of story telling.

I bought this book after listening to other podcasters drone on and on about how great it was. I won’t lie, Vietnam isn’t really a war I am in to. World War II, the American Civil War, and the War of 1812 are probably conflicts that I could read about until my eyes fall out. Vietnam has never held my interest due to the plethora of gritty movies, and over-the-top media that seemed to sensationalize the conflict and how it changed America.

Dong Xoai, is a story I was immersed in. I captivated me from all angles of my interest. The commonality of the soldiers stories, the careful accounting of the true tales of the Dong Xoai Battle, and the masterful crafting of the story and illustrations. Joe Kubert presents an account of these American soldiers as they try and complete a mission they were tasked with. Frankly, I’m not going to write down the plot points, it would ruin the experience for you. This truly is an experience, and any more pontification here would only rob you of it.

I will, however, laud the panels and illustrations by Joe Kubert here. The book doesn’t read or flow, as you would traditionally expect. The loose pencils give the reader a genuine feeling that an illustrator had been assigned to the unit to chronicle the events within the book, and the journal was only now just published. It’s intimate, gritty, and inspiring. Everything the movies fail to achieve. If you enjoy the graphic novel medium, and you want to dive into a war-themed book, Dong Xoai is a book that will grip you by the collar and deliver an experience short of enlisting.

Civil War Adventure

I recently reviewed this title for Free Comic Book Day on Podcast 61, and thought it was a brilliant collection of short stories, much like Weird War Tales. However, this isn’t a trippy, strange tales collection. Chuck Dixon (G.I.Joe, Batman, Green Lantern) has assembled a fantastic historical fiction over at History Graphics Press.

Like I mentioned on the podcast, these books remind me of Marvel’s Illustrated Classics comics. Books that were meant for ages 10 and up, and had some fascinating stories, and factoids that kept young readers memorized and interested in history. The Free Comic Book Day edition is a fantastic taste of what is accomplished in every issue. You get 2 gritty tales from the war between the states, and a guide to amputation in the back. Everything a growing boy needs to fuel his imagination.

Now, I am a Civil War buff. I grew up in Virginia, and US 1 is named Jeff Davis Highway. You can spit into the wind and hit a Civil War battlefield. I was surrounded by history, and the more you dig into the American Civil War, the stranger it gets. Tales of men writing home on hard tack crackers, the amount of unbridled slaughter, the technological advances, and the fact that one of the war’s largest battles was fought over shoes makes the war that united the states a fascinating subject.

Chuck Dixon and the team at History Graphics Press have a bottomless well to draw from, and I certainly hope that this book has an extraordinary shelf life. It is a fascinating read for all ages bringing entertainment and education in 22 illustrated pages.

Weird War Tales

Published by DC Comics in 1971, the book ran 124 issues until 1983. Weird War Tales featured stories from the battlefield that had “strange” overtones of supernatural suspense and mystery. Think The Twilight Zone, but with a concurrent military theme. This book wasn’t a throw-away experiment to see if they could publish a suspense-horror book though, and the amount of talent on the book is an all-star line-up that makes the Dream Team look like a gaggle of pedestrians trying to order coffee at Starbucks. Here’s a just a few alumn:

J. M. DeMatteis

Arnold Drake

Steve Englehart

Garth Ennis

Joe Kubert

Alfredo Alcala

Reed Crandall

Frank Miller

Alex Niño

Walt Simonson

Alex Toth

The books are always a collage of Done–In-One tales, and have always been an enjoyable read. Better still, for you collectors out there, the books are a collection of first appearances, and are relatively inexpensive to track down.

Recently, Weird War Tales had a revamp from DC Comics with another all-star line-up:

Darwyn Cooke

Dave Stewart

Gabriel Hartman

Nic Klien

Steve Pugh

This particular volume came out in November, 2010, and you can probably find it in the dollar bin of your local comic book retailer, and I reviewed it on Podcast 28. So if you want a war-related comic that is more sci-fi short story, than historical fiction, pick up any copy of Weird War Tales.

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by ANDY KUBERT
Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT
Variant cover by IVAN REIS and GEORGE PÉREZ

Well, that went fast (Wokka Wokka, I’ll be here all night).

But seriously folks, The Flash #12 was finally on stands, and just in time to bridge to DC Comics’ cross-over event book of 2011, Flashpoint. Actually, you could skip Flash #12, it doesn’t really illuminate anything on Flashpoint, other than Reverse Flash has figured out a pant-load more powers from the Speedforce than we traditionally know. I just hope Geoff Johns wrote a Thank-you note to Mark Waid.

So, what happened? It’s hard to review this bad boy without spoilers, so sorry kids. Click the plus sign to get the full low-down.

 
So how did I like Flashpoint #1? Well, I’m a bit 50/50 on it to tell the truth. You all know from the podcast that I love, love, love alternate DC Universes and Elseworlds Tales. But this seemed hurried and strange. I don’t have any problems with quality, but I’m indifferent to Flashpoint #2. I’m not anticipating it. I’m a fan of the Flash, but the current series was a great book to snuggle to before bed. Nothing really challenged me or made me want to keep reading. So what’s my problem?

The artwork by Andy Kubert is fantastic. No doubt his pencils are what I was missing with The Flash series. Kolins and Manapul are good artists, but their style doesn’t do anything for me. Back on Flashpoint, Kubert does a fantastic job of illustrating deep panels full of detail that illuminate everything that is going on. What would take another artists to setup in three panels is accomplished in one. And the layouts remind me of one of my favorite “Event Books”, Identity Crisis. Intimate panels of Barry hugging his mother, and high-energy panels of Batman swinging over Gotham are just brilliant. What the real achievement here is the unnerved feeling the reader experiences. I was out of my skin when exploring this strange new world. I wasn’t sure what was happening, much like Barry Allen.

The writing accomplished the same amount of bewilderment. Really Geoff? A cold start in a time-altered story? Well….mission accomplished. I was experiencing this story with cynicism until we reached the part with Batman. Then I realized Johns was playing me, and playing me like a 2-bit fiddle. Crapola. He hit all the right beats. He made a strange world that would make you guess if it came from Morrison, but it was more grounded, and explained it’s nature to you. He crafted an intriguing story that has potential to go the whole distance.

So why don’t I care about issue #2? I think I am actually afraid of issue #2. Hear me out. Johns and Kubert have altered my comfortable world of comics. All those years of reading Teen Titans, The Flash, JLA feel like they were flushed away, and they could very well be altered. There could be a real consequence here. This isn’t the same old bullshit of Batman is dead, Batman is lost in Time, and 9 months later Batman is back.  Hell, DC Comics announced that there is only one title in August, Flashpoint. I think DC Comics grew a pair of chrome-plated balls, and they are committing to this thing. This isn’t the great fake out that Final Crisis was. This could really fuck things up.

Would I recommend this to everyone? I think you have to be a fan of DC Comics. I think you have to pull more than two titles to really enjoy this book. It’s not for the buy who just likes Batman, it’s for the comic reader who enjoys the DCU. And hell, I’ve written more in this review than I have for two issues of Fear Itself.

For some Elfquest was a weird fantasy comic, but this indie comic by Wendy and Richard Pini joins a special group of  followed artwork. The group of fans who love Babylon 5, Dr. Who, and Firefly. Small groups of vehement fans for whom Elfquest hit all the right buttons. Well, now you can read all 65,000 pages of Elfquest online at Elfquest.com. Donations are welcome, but if you want to sample the series, it is free online.

The crew come together for podcast 60 to keep you hip. Pete has a dichotomy of comics when he reviews Fear Itself #2 and Irredeemable #25. Then Pete covers the news of a real life Batman, Spider-man Turn Off the Dark, Wonder Woman’s TV rejection, and cheaper BluRays. Craig tells us about a rerelease of Mortal Kombat Classics, answers listener questions about the Playstation Network, and gives us a sneak peek at this year’s largest gaming conference: E3. Pete tries to fill in for Doug on tech with a load of Google Android updates, Netflix’s stance on TV, Hulu’s deals with TV, and Apple’s hardware lockdown. Then Randis tells us about the importance of appearances and the crew answers more of your questions from Twitter and Facebook.

Don’t forget to download the Giggaheim.com mobile iPhone app available now for free on the Apple App Store. Stream eveypodcast straight to your mobile device and stay hip with the latest news and reviews for comic books, video games, technology and dating advice for geeks.

Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman had a great decade. Writing such books as Captain America, Jubilee, and the Incredible Ant-man for Marvel comics would make anyone happy. But Robert was also conscious of an industry that needed more creators. Leading the way for creative-owned storytelling Robert Kirkman created two influential works in his bibliography that would put his name to the top of the list of comic writers, and eventually a partner at Image Comics.

Anyone who listens to the podcast may know that I don’t think much of Superman. He’s a great figure for DC comics, he’s an icon of hope, and all that’s good, but frankly, the stories bore me due to lack of suspense. Invincible is a story of Superboy, told in modern times, and with consequential storytelling that will surprise the reader with its high quality, bold direction, easy accessibility. The story of Mark Grayson quickly became a double-dip title for me, and one that I could easily evangelize as a breath of fresh air into a tired trope. Although Kirkman had the advantage of telling an origin, he quickly proved the idea of the superman had a lot more story to tell.

On the heels of breathing new life into a capes book, Kirkman shared a darker world with a horror zombie book: the Walking Dead. The book follows Rick Grimes in a 28-Days Later scenario, and puts the reader through a journey that grabs a hold of you, and never lets go. The Walking Dead is a zombie book, but it is the human drama that drives the story, and keeps readers interested in the characters as they survive a landscaped willed with reanimated corpses. The relationships, violence, and instincts are all laid bare, and with a realistic world of horror presented with brutal honesty and without gimmicks, Robert Kirkman revitalized a floundering horror genre. The books did so well that they even merited their own TV series on TV.

The crew, hopped up on Easter candy, has a wild episode. Pete reviews Jesus Hates Zombies, updates us on comics news, and a load of movie casting news. Craig Gives us the update on the PS3 network going down, The Gears of War 3 beta, and reviews the new Mortal Kombat for Xbox 360. Doug rejoins the podcast and gives us an update on all the Apple Rumors, celebrates the life of a prominent Sony executive, and gives us the update on current space exploration events. It’s a short one, but packed with lots of fun.

Azure Issues 5 & 6

Written and Illustrated by Daniel Govar

One of the first digital comics I ever bought was Daniel Govar’s Azure issue one. Ever since I have had a high alert with Comixology so I don’t miss one issue, and every issue never fails to give me a deep sea adventure filled with action and intrigue. Issues five and six bring us to the end of our mariner’s adventure and it was a hell of a ride.

Issue five’s jumps right in to Azure’s quest for a mysterious lab, and the noose tightens around the last bastion of civilization, Avalon. Like all Zuda comics, 3-issue season race through the story, and Govar uses the pacing in issue five to tighten a noose around the reader, and compels you to keep reading. As the various factions are made known, Govar stretches the scenery and move from the cold oceans to warm Asian rice patties, to dark secret labs.

The direction within his panels tightens as we get a more and more claustrophobic feeling as the tensions continue to mount. Issue five is brilliant, and while the story pulls you through the pages at a frantic pace, I couldn’t stop capturing screens of panels that I loved. The exterior land shots, the deep sea espionage, are all brilliant. My favorite is probably Azure in her quarters painting her new dog, Sandor. The amount of details and what could probably be easter eggs make for fun rereading.

In issue six we really get to the conflict, and with the aforementioned pace, Govar races through an battle that is both epic in scope and satisfying for both the story and the eye.

Alright, so I loved everything. To be fair, the only critique I have (and I mentioned this on Podcast 55) is that the ending didn’t feel…final. It’s probably the last issue we will get for a long while, but I didn’t get a sense that this was “over”. It felt as though the story was ready to strike in favor of the good guys, but instead, it has to close. I only wish my alerts on Comixology will chime in again, but in the meantime, I will continue to read all 6 issues, an relive the sunken glory of Azure again.

Axe Cop #2 – Bad Guy Earth

Story by Malachai Nicholle

Drawn by: Ethan Nicholle

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

The world is often changed by good ideas, and the good ones are the ones that are so simple that they are overlooked. So here is an idea in comic form. The tag line for this comic has: Written by a six-year-old, and drawn by his thirty-year-old brother. What could be a simpler, or better idea?

Axe Cop is a story about a cop with an axe, who fights crime with a dinosaur with gatling gun arms, ands Sockarang (a superhero with sock arms) against the bad guys. There it is. And while I could take a lot of time typing out what I liked about this book, I would be typing out the ENTIRE book’s plot. Instead you just need to know this:

This book is massively creative

This book is a lot of fun

This book is a brilliant combination of listening to a story from a six-year-old, and modern day comic creation. All the story telling devices for comic books are use is expert fashion to keep pace with this massive and fast paced imagination at work. I enjoy several aspects of this book, because they hit me in my wheelhouse. I like random comedy, fast pacing, simple logic, and fearless storytelling. This book has it in boatloads. The best part about all this? It’s real comics. Not pretentious storytelling, or a last-ditch effort to get something published. It’s everything that embodies the spirit of Stan and Jack. Heroes, villains, fun, action, danger, comedy, and anyone can read it young or old. If you haven’t yet, pick this up, download it from Dark Horse’s digital library, and share it with everyone you know.

Dual Issues 4 &5

Written and Illustrated by Michael Walton

I love digital comics, and I have great respect from many of the Zuda comics creators. Among the velvet rope list of creators is Michael Walton and his mystical, modern-day Calvin and Hobbes adventure known as Dual. Issues four and five came out in succession, which is thankful due to Walton’s panache for cliffhangers. As always both issues are beautifully illustrated, and filled with the same details we have come to expect from a comic like Dual.

As I had said in my review in Podcast 50, Issue four felt much like a second installment of a greater trilogy. An “Empire” if you will. Immediately, Michael jumps into season 2 by demolishing the comforts he established for the reader in season 1. We get about 2 pages of the comfort before Bill implodes and demolishes his comfortable life.

The amount of detail in issue four is comforting when I look back and see all the panels Walton illustrates are filled with details. Some favorites are a fight with a numerous amount of imps, and a scene in a gothic cathedral. I love Zuda comics because guys like Walton give fans something worth rereading. You can spend a while letting your eye linger on the page and soak in all the details he puts in.

In issue five Bill continues to learn more about himself thanks to his immortal (he’s a dragon) companion David. He learns that there is a prophecy, but most importantly….

Again, Walton puts in the details and coloring that make this a unique comic, with a look that is its own signature. We are left yet again waiting for the sixth issue, but with Walton’s speed through this story and jarring changes in plot and fantastic artwork, I cannot wait for the next issue, and the conclusion to season two.

Brian Michael Bendis

Brian Michael Bendis is synonymous with Marvel Comics. His bibliography includes Avengers, Daredevil, Spider-Woman, and Ultimate Spider-Man to name only a few titles. The 1990s were not kind to Marvel comics. Several of their top talents defected to their own publishing house, and their books had become a twisted mess of continuity, and gimmickry. Brian Michael Bendis was hired to write Ultimate Spider-man in Marvel new universe to cleanly relaunch their books in a separate universe. Bendis continues to write the title to this day, and the story of a teen-aged Peter Parker in a grown world of super powered villains and other heroes became a staple of the Marvel reader’s pull list.

While he was writing one of the longest runs on Marvels iconic wall-crawler, Bendis then took the reins of Daredevil, continuing to make a seminal run that would be a jewel in comic collectors shelves in both issue and trades. If handling Marvels icons wasn’t enough, Bendis then relaunched a new super heroic age in Marvel by relaunching the ailing Avengers title by bringing back a core group of heroes, and building a mutli-year long storyline to bring the Marvel heroes out of a darker, introspective age, and back into a heroic light.

Herc #1

Written by Grek Pak & Fred van Lente

Art by Niel Edwards

Published by Marvel Comics

I never read Hercules, or Incredible Hercules much. I would check in on it from time to time, but from the most part, despite Thor, I don’t like the Gods in the Marvel universe. They always seem out of place, and never feel like the immortal icons that they spring from. But Hercules is no god, he is  a man from the gods, and this comic is far from the weak portrayals of mythology that I so seldom read.

What made this book stick out was the integration of mythology and modern day. The opening of the book is fantastic. Herc is on a subway and saves a woman from being mugged by a group of thugs called the Warhawks. As Herc defends himself, his immortal weapons are revealed, and explained in cool panels at the bottom of the page.  He then coincidentally meet a Greek family (in Harlem?) and then the warrior will help the family surrounded by the Warhawks. A familiar story to be sure, but the integration of mythology, and apparently the new twist of having offerings and followers makes this a bit more intriguing than your standard number one mythology issue.

Brightest Day #23

Written by Geoff Johns and Peter J Tomasi

Art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado

Published by DC Comics

This sere is winding down, and hot damn is it getting big. This actually feels like a large cross over event as the white lantern is gathering all its prophetic parts to the forest to fight the impending doom. The doom? The dark minion, the big bad guy?

Wait…what?

Yeah, apparently Black Lantern Swamp Thing (Action figures coming soon!) is the evil that will destroy the white lantern ect, ect. And as the demolished heroes we followed in the series come back to life, they become the chosen elemental avatars of the white latern to fight Evil Swamp Thing. The Hawks become Air, Aquaman becomes Water, Firestorm becomes…..fire, and Martian Manhunter becomes dirt (Earth?) (Action figure will be available in stores).

And finally the true White Lantern is revealed:

In Swamp Thing #1 (October–November 1972) Wein and Wrightson updated the time frame to the 1970s and featured a new version character: Alec Holland, a scientist working in the Louisiana swamps on a secret bio-restorative formula “that can make forests out of deserts”. Holland is killed by a bomb planted by agents of the mysterious Mr. E (Nathan Ellery), who wants the formula. Splashed with burning chemicals in the massive fire, Holland runs from the lab and falls into the muck-filled swamp, after which a creature resembling a humanoid plant appears some time later.

This should have an interesting conclusion.

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #3

Written by Haden Blackman

Art by: Rick Leonardi

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

This has been an interesting series. Not awesome, but certainly interesting. Star Wars comics are hard to pull off. Either the sabers look like they are on fire, or the characters from the movies look really bad, or Princess Leah is whoring around. But that isn’t in this so try. This is about Vader rescuing Tarkin Jr. from some wacky tar planet.

In this installment, Vader’s experience in the Clone Wars comes through as he directs ground forces to take out a floating citadel. Mainly the gems of the book are watching Vader’s cruelty, and discovery of his betrayal. speaking of, how many Vader-gets-betrayed books are there? But the art in this book isn’t the nightmare most comics fans expect. The lightsaber effects are solid, and the colorist took great pains to get the lighting to give the panels dimension. I’m still in for this entire series, and I’m really hoping Vader gets a great dark side moment soon.

DOUBLE SHOT!

Who is Jake Ellis #2 & #3

Written by Nathan Edmondson

Art by Tonci Zonjic

Published by Image Comics

Warning: Loaded with Spoilers!

This series continues to expertly engage my attention, and scratch the itch for a good suspense comic. Everything I loved about issue #1 comes right back in both issues as Jake struggles with the fact that the shadowy agent that helps him may be a projection of his subconscious self. In issue two Jake escapes jail, we see more of his back story and he tries to come to terms with his split mind. In issue three, Jake makes peace with the situation, and his plan to find the personas responsible for all this will soon be revealed and confronted.

It’s all fantastic and very creative. Most spy stories are all about the betrayal, the life on the run, and the shadowy evil that haunts our hero’s nightmares. You can see all of this will come to pass, but Edmonson seems to have found a way to make a fresh perspective of it, and infuse some creativity so that comics readers won’t be bored to tears while the author tries to build relationships and situations. (God forbid) Both issue are fantastic, and this book will be great in both issue format, and in trade. Pick it up!

Drift#1

Written by Jamie Iracleanos

Among the great comics and creators I came across at Megacon 2011 in Orlando, Florida I came across Jamie Iracleanos and his book: Drift#1. We met at a panel for aspiring comic book creators, and he was kind enough to give me a copy. After the dust settled from Megacon, I was able to crack the cover, and have a peek of the future.

I reviewed this book for Podcast #55, but here’s the skinny: The human race has about 250 years left on the planet due to environmental abuse, and therefore needs to send a expedition into space to find a planet we can all escape to. We meet a varied crew, and learn the mission will take years to fulfill and with secrets being withheld from them, the Earth may not be the same when they get back.

The plot was great, and the speeches between officers and crew, and husband and wife all read with easy flowing dialogue, never once felt too “wordy” or attempting to cram too much information down our throats. Iracleanos did have a hell of a task establishing a rich world filled with technology and history, and readers could feel a bit overwhelmed by the technology they are being caught up on, but the pacing easily overcomes and obstacles and soon you are taken off planet with the crew to try and explore space to find a home for future generations.

The art in the book is a discolored black and white that most indie books use. Hey, color is expensive. But the art direction and character designs are top notch. Panels take dimensional angles, and the use of the camera with close ups, blur effects, and framing all ease the reader from a jarring idie book, into a fully conceived world. Iracleanos has issue 2 in the works, and issue 3 mapped out, and I certainly look forward to them.

Oh, and sorry for butchering your name on the podcast Jamie.

You can grab this comic at Indy Planet

Fear Itself #1

Written by Matt Fraction

Illustrated by Stuart Immonen

Published by Marvel Comics

I’ll be honest, I am exhausted with Marvel Comics, and Marvel events. The “we’re going to kill one character a quarter” mentality coupled with the upcoming summer blockbuster event books doesn’t thrill me. Sure, I’m looking forward to the Distinguished Competition’s event, and that’s probably the main problem. Despite the teasers, and all the marketing leading up to this event, I just…don’t care. Naturally, Fraction and Immonen had to wow to keep everyone onboard after the first issue.

At least it was double-sized.

Here’s the skinny, and sorry for this, but there are spoilers….

Okay, everybody got that? Shit, I don’t. (kidding) A lot happened in this book, but nothing BIG happened. Here we are with 40+ pages, and the one big thing that happened was the Gods go back home. Apparently the sky opens up with hammers like Mjoner and an assortment of Marvel characters get to duke it out in coming issues.

So was it enjoyable? For the most part. Fraction takes  a frantic pace through 40+ pages to try and give us an “event” worthy book. Its admirable considering it took Wagner a whole opera to build Valhalla (Asgard to you comics folk). So how was the art?

It was good. One thing I am thankful for is Immonen getting a spotlight. The feel of this book is pretty damn good because it is a mixture of the Walter Simonson era Thor and modern techniques we are used to seeing in today’s comics. The reconstruction of the Bifrost Bridge is probably my favorite panel, but what worries me is after flipping through a few times, I find that it really is the only panel that displays what I feel Immonen is capable of. The other pages feel empty on backgrounds, and it feels as though the inker might have gone too heavy and blocked out the details on characters. Immonen is displaying the characters emotions well in the eyes, but broad layouts on the pages don’t give me that “event” feeling. It just feels like every other bok I picked up that week.

So the verdict? Well, you could have probably skipped this issue. Marvel’s strength is the catch-up blurbs they put in the front of every issue, and you could save your $4 for next month’s issue. I’m sure there is a large story here, and knowing Fraction, it will be great, unfortunately I don’t get the excitement for this yet that I thought I would feel after 40 pages.

Pete goes Ape for Axe Cop #2, the comic book written by a six-year-old, and drawn by a thirty-year-old. After a lot of movie news, Craig tells us about the Gears of War 3 beta, the new Xbox 360 Dashboard beta, the integration of Hulu Plus, and new features on Netflix. Then the group gets sidetracked as they discuss the NFL lockout, and then get back on track discovering where all the space shuttles are going. Without Doug, there is no tech news, so Randis steps in to tell us when the best times to flirt are, and when not to flirt.

I have some catch up mini reviews for you guys. Sorry I’ve been delayed on them:

Knight and Squire #6

Written by Paul Cornell

Art by Jimmy Broxton

Published by DC Comics

Issue six concludes a great run on a traipse through England’s meta community in the DC Comics universe. Previously, we have been guided through a strange community of super heroes and villains in the U.K.. Knight and Squire are England’s version of Batman and Robin, and while they have some “wacky” adventures, Gotham’s Joker shows up to spoil the good time. England’s version, Jarvis Poker, was an admirer of the Joker, but had been diagnosed with a terminal condition. While attempting to go out with a bang, the Joker shows up, worried for his own reputation, and decides to teach them all what super villainy can be. In issue six Jarvis Poker teaches him what super heroism is about.

This book has been a smart adventure from cover to cover. It’s akin to turning on BBC to watch reruns of Coupling instead of reruns of Friends. Cornell and Broxton create a who new world for us to explore and enjoy, and then shatter it with the reality of another culture we are so familiar with. In the end, the British amalgam we fell in love with and its spirit triumph, and even though it could be considered a forgone conclusion, it was a great to spend some time across the pond and share an adventure.

Jennifer Blood #2

Written by Garth Ennis

Art by Adriano Batista

Published by Dynamite Comics

Soccer mom meets assassin. Oh wait, Hyper violent and unbridled sexuality meets soccer mom. Or maybe….nah I think that nailed it. Jennifer Blood continues her charade of mother and housewife and assassin. She has been targeting uncles who are crime lords, and we learn in issue two that she has a checkered past that she is trying to erase. Like any Garth Ennis book, this is for mature audiences due to graphic content, which is something as a mature radre I really enjoy. And honestly, this subject matter isn’t for kids. Ennis tells a good tale with some ironic twist that intrigue. Although the artwork isn’t quite what I enjoy, it does illustrate the tale and bring the story to life enough to enjoy it.

Kick-Ass 2 #2

Written by Mark Millar

Art by John Romita Jr

Published by Icon

Well the dust continues to settle, and in this issue we see a growing superhero community who tries to clean up the streets. More importantly, Millar starts to bring the psychology of masked avengers to a realistic light. The question of : Who would do this? that Alan Moore posed to us in Watchmen is continually updated in Kick-Ass, and this book has a more fantastic appeal due to the narrative by its title character. Only a young man would have the naiveté and the passion to pursue something that he feels is heroic, but would lead to even darker paths.

Issue two introduces one of Dave’s friends, Marty, and also a growing faction of bad guys lead by Red Mist. Near the end pf the issue we see just how far the “good guys” are willing go, and are left with more questions that will take a few months for us to answer. JR JR’s artwork continues to service the book and bring a unique signature that every reader recognizes as Kick-Ass.

The Avengers #11

Written by Brian Michael Bendis

Art by John Romita Jr

Published by Marvel Comics

The Infinity Gauntlet storyline continues as all the powerful Avengers attack the Red Hood while Xavier attempts to get at his Infinity Gem, unfortunately Xavier is bested, and the Red Hood only needs one more Gem, which apparently Thanos has. This story is exactly what I like about Avengers stories. It’s too big for any one hero, it has all sorts of technology and mythology, and it has a great cast of characters. Jr Jr’s work has never been my favorite, but I have become acclimated to it and I have always enjoyed the angles and camera work he does. Avengers continues to be a flagship title for Marvel comics.

Thor #621

Written by Matt Fraction

Art by Pasqual Ferry & Salvador Larroca

Published by Marvel Comics

Thor’s latest storyline comes to an end, and Fraction brings the saga of the World Eaters to a close. Frankly, it was a bit trippy, but all things divine and mystical usually are, and should never be within explanation. However a lot of damage was done in this last storyline, and I have a feeling that much of it will lay out in the pages of Fear Itself. Fraction is doing a great job of creating a mystical side of Thor and of course bringing back Odin. I must say the split art duties are noticeable, and during the large fight between Gods you can see the sketch lines and the renderings of these mystical elements are a bit basic. For beginning story makers, it would be a treat to look through these pages like it would be to peek backstage. For me it drew me out of the story. I hope the next storyline for Thor is a bit more engaging, and less alienating.

Ultimate Spider-man #156

Written by Michael Brian Bendis

Art by Mark Bagley

Published by Marvel Comics

DEATH OF SPIDER-MAN!!!!! Well not in this issue anyways, but Marvel is keen to remind us at every turn. Regardless of any opinions of Marvel’s marketing machine, Bendis has set the stage for a tragic end. Peter Parker has everything he has wanted. His job is good, and his boss treats him well. He’s got Mary Jane back, and the Ultimates are training him how to be a better hero. Life is good for Pete, and unfortunately we Spider-man readers know that this could never stay this way. In this particular issue, we see the Sinister Six escape, and Captain America has taken to calling Peter out on his reckless ways. Naturally, with all Bendis books, there are massive quantities of dialogue but its all fantastic reading. I feel sorry for Peter, but excited for the story to continue.

Randis returns and gives us all casual sex. Wait…First Pete reviews the end of the hit web comic series Azure with issue number six, and a new book from Orlando, Florida Drift #1. Craig tells us about the new Commodore 64, a free MMO coming to Xbox Live, the Fleetwood Mac DLC coming to Rockband 3, and some news on the next Mortal Kombat. Then Pete and Craig try to fill in for Doug again with sad news from Japan, and from NASA. The Randis cheers us up with information on casual sex and hooking up. Then we took all your suggestions and created a definitive list of movie character douche bags.

Digital Comics

Over the past decade I’ve watched one of my favorite webcomics flourish. A small strip I found on theforce.net, PVP, went from a fun comic strip to a daily stop on my surfing. The digital medium isn’t on the horizon, its in mid-day. All my CDs are packed in the attic, and all my music is collected on my computer. I have several devices and streaming services to listen to. My movies went from tape, to disc, to high definition, to digital download. All entertainment is moving to a digital medium, and in 2009, with the advent of digital readers with color screens, comic books were dragged into the digital age kicking and screaming.

It is an exciting time to live as we cross over a barrier between having our comics printed on paper that is delivered to singular locations and comics that can be delivered straight to your computer, or phone, or tablet. We have a choice between going down to the old LCs and meeting up with people we know, or downloading a story we were always curious about while we wait for the bus. The comics companies are going to struggle to figure out how to comics available, but for the most part, we will eventually have more accessibility to the comics we love.

Mark Millar

Another name that is synonymous with this decade is Mark Millar.

The Scottish writer cut his teeth in the 1990s with Judge Dredd, and wrote several runs of The Flash and JLA for DC Comics, but his decade would be 2000-2010. Leading the charge for Marvel Ulti

mate Comics, Mark Millar applied the raw emotional power and modern sensibility to Ultimate comics by writing The Ultimates, a retelling of the Avengers. Illustrated by Bryan Hitch, both volumes have become icons of the past decade, and cornerstones for the Ultimate Comics Universe, and the budding Marvel Entertainment movies. While relaunching Marvel Comics’ superteam, Millar also gathered years of continuity and launched Ultimate X-men, creating a new-reader friendly version of the mutants of the Marvel universe. Not an easy task.

After an event-book that pitted the heros against one another, Civil War, Mark Millar focused on creator owned works by launching the Millarworld comics brand. Mark Millar is now famous for being able to sell a comic to a movie with Kick-Ass, a book that took a real-world approach to caped crusaders. Before the 4^th issue hit shelves, it was being produced into a movie. Two other creative owned works, Superior, and Nemesis, have been optioned to movies before they finish their first story arch. If Geoff johns is synonymous for fixing broken continuity, Mark Millar is known for high action books that translate to the silver screen.

Planetary

Certain books have offered much to the comics community as well, and their influence in artwork, storytelling, and breakthrough ideas can be felt. This comic book offers a variety of different types of storytelling, and when a reader is introduced to Warren Ellis’ Planetary, they are quickly taken from familiar ground, into a world of intriguing fantasy. Through the eyes of a man in a white suite with a grumpy disposition, we are given the wonders of the world, and uncover a sadistic plot to undermine the human race.

Leaning on his expertise in telling a grounded story with unshakably solid science behind it, Warren Ellis crafted a large over arching story while illuminating monstrous islands of Japan, spacecraft that circumnavigated the world in the 19^th century, and stretching wonders of science into the future. Every issue was a self-contained story of pulp-wonder, yet building to a finale readers patiently read over 11 years.

Ultimates from Marvel Comics

Ultimate Marvel

Ultimate Marvel captured several facets of what makes something noteworthy:

• It’s a vast collection of materials.
• It was accessible to the planet.
• And when you hold an Ultimate Comic in your hands, you think of the era of 2000-2010.

Though wildly disputed, Ultimate Comics was a positive direction for one of the largest publishers of comic books. By retelling their storied past with updated timelines, clear continuity, and modern art techniques, Marvel Comics gave scores of drop out comic readers and new readers a way to familiarize themselves with the Marvel universe. Marvel broke their chaotic mold of continuity by having one continuous run of X-Men, and a world where all superheroes exist in the same world with consequential storylines.

With top writers like Brian Michael Bendis, and Mark Millar coupled with industry renowned artists like Mark Bagley and Brian Hitch, Marvel put their best foot forward, and relaunched their classic library into an easily accessible world of continuity, and brilliant storytelling that would be synonymous with the decade. The Marvel Ultimate Comics you can collect mean as much to the naughts as Spawn #1 embodies the 1990’s.

at would be synonymous with the decade.

 

Runaways

As far as rare occurrences go, Runaways jumped to the top of my conscious. How often do writers bring a project to marvel that can live without being part of something that Stan, Jack and Steve didn’t do first? In 2003, Brian K. Vaughn and Adrian Alphona accomplished that with 6 teenagers. Years before in the 1990s, Marvel comics had introduced a bevy of characters, mostly mutants, who were swept into background shots after 4 issues.

Vaughn created an intriguing story in which readers were swept quickly into a desperate situation of children having to defeat their parents. Within mere issues readers cared about every character, and without coddling the audience with familiar tropes, Brian K Vaughn challenged his characters with difficult situations, and consequences for their actions. The story quickly won a frenzied audience, and the Runaways are now among the pantheon of characters that include Spider-man and the Incredible Hulk.

Runaways seemed to usher in a new era of comics, and it also helped grow a new audience of readers. Not only did Brian K. Vaughn have the story to grab audiences, but Adrian Alphona’s character designs helped new readers identify with the kids in the book, and his wardrobe designs brought in the elusive female readership.

With a blend of Brian K. Vaughn’s ability to write new characters that would bend the familiar tropes, and never deliver an elementary story line coupled with Adrian Alphona’s artwork Runaways is a gem that emerged from the past decade of comics.

Geoff Johns

Among the decade-influencing stars of comics, Geoff Johns’ name is synonymous with breathing new life into DC Comics. Picking up from disastrous ashes of the 1990s, Geoff Johns has been the go to guy to fix “broken” continuity by writing solid storylines that give homage to decades of previous tales, and weaving them into one congruent tale.

DC Comics had been on a mission the past decade to bring the legacy of their characters back into the fore-ground. With his ability to homage the past, and build an open storyline for the future, Johns took over the reigns of the Justice Society, and turned a book about venerable aging superheroes into a society of heroes who mentor the future. He attempted to retconn the several lives of Hawkman’s convoluted history into a love-story tragedy. After his event-comic Infinite Crisis, Johns then broke new ground by contributing to a weekly comic, 52, with other seminal writers Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison, and Mark Waid.

No other accomplishment embodies his ability to breath new life into “broken characters” as much as the Green LanternTrilogy (Rebirth, Sinestro Corps War, Blackest Night). A victim of earlier short-term story jolts and editorial Whims, Hal Jordan had gone from the man without fear, to the man who single handedly destroyed the Green Lantern Corps, and DC’s Villian #1. By introducing a new element to qualify Hal Jordan’s fall from grace, Johns was able to restore Hal Jordan to hero, and introduce a new pantheon of mythology with different lantern corps.

Johns also breathed new life into a series that had been floundering, The Flash. The world’s fastest man in DC Comics bad become a title encumbered by a bad relaunch, and storylines that didn’t appeal to mass audiences. Geoff Johns and Ethan van Sciver then applied their winning formula of “rebirth” and applied it to Barry Allen. After the event comics “Blackest night” Johns was able to resurrect several characters in the DC universe that had suffered mal-treatment in the 1990s and restored a friendlier vibe to the comics.

Weekly Comics

Another achievement synonymous with the past decade was the budding format of the weekly comic. In May of 2006 DC Comics attempted what was deemed impossible with 52. A weekly comic set in the DC Universe about a full year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Helmed by 4 top writers; Geoff johns, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison, and Mark Waid. As a curious comics community read every weekly edition, they held their breath waiting for a missed issue that never came, and enjoyed a story that bridged a gulf in continuity.

After such a success, and critical acclaim, DC Comics then attempted the weekly comic again with Countdown to Final Crisis. A book that would lead readers into the next event Final Crisis. Although it came out weekly and had more popular characters in the starring roles, the book did not win over fans, but completed its 52 issue run.

By proving it could be done, DC Comics now has a couple of titles coming out bi-weekly, Justice League Generation Lost and Brightest Day, which are winning over fans. The weekly comics publishing strategy wasn’t just unique to DC Comics. Shortly after 52, Marvel Comics rescheduled their Spider-Man titles for 3-week consecutive runs, and Image Comics currently publishes Walking Dead Weekly.

Imaginary Boys #1 – Mortal Kombat Preview – Earthquake Impact on Electronics – Mixed Signals

Pete reviews Imaginary Boys #1 and covers the C2E2 news with all the Marvel relaunches, and DC TV news. Then Craig reviews the new Mortal Kombat and covers the new Billy Joel DLC for Rockband. Ert steps in for Doug and gives us the impact the earthquake had on Japan’s electronic manufacturing, Microsoft throws in the towel on the Zune, and a review of the new 4G Thunderbolt. Then Randis tells us how to interpret mixed signals.

Stuff of Legend Vol.2 1 & 2 – Batman: Arkham City – iPad 2 Hands On Review – Getting Over Someone

In this episode Pete reviews Stuff of Legend Vol.2 The Jungle issues 1 & 2. After reviewing the news on The Thing’s….thing, and Walking Dead video games, Craig gives us the release date on Batman: Arkham City, News on XBox Live Labs, and the PS3 cloud storage. Doug covers his new iPad2 and Japan’s nuclear power. Then Randis tells us just how long it should take to get over that special someone.

Azure #5 – Gears of War 3 – iPad 2 – Beach Etiquette

It’s been a year (technically), and as the gang pass the bubbly Pete reviews Azure #5 and 100 Words. After movie rumors, Craig gives us a sneak peak at Gears of War 3 Beta and reviews Bulletstorm. Then Doug and Craig team up to cover the shiny new iPad2 and all of its new features. Then Randis educates us all on beach etiquette.

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S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 from Marvel Comics

S.H.I.E.L.D. #6

Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Dustin Weaver
Colors by Christina Strain
Letters by Todd Klein
Cover by Gerald Parel & Dustin Weaver
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS

I usually start a review for this kind of comic with: “A comic like this doesn’t come along often…” but that’s a lie. There have been five other issues before this one, and they have all been stellar.  Perhaps issue number six will have a special place in my memory because it began to wrap up everything into a nice little package, and all the frayed ends of the plot began to tie together. There are a multitude of  reasons why this is a special comic book series, but I’m only going to highlight a few.

For starters, it makes you think. Every time I open an issue of this series, I make sure I slow down, look over every inch of every panel, and pay attention. Jonathan Hickman did a brilliant job of writing a story that challenges you, and gives you a mutli-layered, multi-faceted story that throws you into the deep end immediately.  It’s the same feeling I get when I read Watchmen for the first time. The menagerie of questions when you play catch-up, and are challenged with environments, situations, and characters who are all new to you. On top of it all, the book if published by Marvel Comics, and the first issue was released right after a giant upheaval of SHILED, and the whole secret police/intelligence force that keeps the world running smoothly. As a DC comics reader, I began to wonder what the continuity was.

After witnessing the organization continually save the world through time, and from various planetary disasters, the book’s intrigue begins to suck you in, and Dustin Weaver’s pencils snare you with bedazzling artwork. Even as you bob in the deep end, you begin to feel comfortable, and you begin to relax. As you arch your back and relax in the deep end, issue number six pushes your head under, and through a seies of fantastic events, enlightenment hits, and you stand up in the kiddie pool. If you missed this particular book, be sure to pick up the trade. IT belongs on any comic book reader’s library shelf.

There was snow everywhere this week. Except in Florida (Sunny, 72) but I still only got my hands on 5 books. As always I try to stay away from them, but I may not consider something spoiler material, so to be safe: Spoiler alert.

Brightest Day #19

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK & JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH & SCOTT WILLIAMS
Variant Covers by IVAN REIS

I have to admit that I am shocked when I come across people who don’t like this series. It’s the same as someone who doesn’t watch movies, or hates ice cream. Boggle s the mind. Brightest Day has demonstrated that 52 wasn’t a fluke, it can be a template for good comics. This particular bi-weekly is great. In a way it is a lot shorter on both the readers and creators, comes out regularly, and can give a much needed spotlight on characters who may have fallen by the way-side.

This week’s edition was no exception, and issue 19 was full of good moments. Deadman demands answers from the White Ring, and actually gets them, and then Aquaman gets the spotlight. Not only do we get to develop this new Aqualad, but we had a good “oh shit!” moment near the end of the book, and one of my favorite DCU baddies proves he still has enough hate to be a good character. Not only is this book racing from moment to moment, but it is also building iconic character moments that help flush out these “forgotten” characters.

The art continues to serve the book well, and the coloring really comes to the forefront by giving Aquaman’s mailed shirt a metallic look in the sun, the ocean depths look like they have density, and Deadman’s outrage is felt through the page. Fantastic stuff.

Invincible #77

story ROBERT KIRKMAN

art & cover RYAN OTTLEY & FCO PLASCENCIA

I Feel like it has been an age since I last read Invincible. Is it me? Well, we have finally come to the end of the Viltrimite War, and what and ending it was. Following the form that made Robert Kirkman’s superhero book a fun and serious read, Kirkman ends the war with a conclusion that readers would not have guessed. Sometimes Authors have to force their characters to make decisions that are difficult, and sometimes Authors themselves find themselves at crossroads where they have to take the story beyond their expectations in order to present the story they have to tell. In this case, we the comic book reading populace, have become lulled into a sense of expectation by reading familiar tropes repeatedly. When something new comes our way, we will most likely rail against it, until someone explains to us the logical progression of the story.

Invincible #77 is what is different in comics, and invincible has always been a superhero (capes) book that is different. In this issue, the reader doesn’t get a resolution that we traditionally expect. We get a true end to a war. We’ve been treated to bloody combat, cataclysmic decisions, and violence that doesn’t normally grace 4-colored pages. Issues #77 resolves the past few issues of conflict without the “Fatal Final Showdown” we would have expected. Instead we get a logical progression of events, and a finale that does end quietly, but also leaves the door open for the future.  And that’s why I read Invincible by issue, and recommend it to my friends.

This whole arc could be seen as a commentary on recent Superman events, and Kirkman gave his version of it, and frankly, I would rather read Kirkman’s. It accomplishes the same goals. Super-powered show downs, unbelievable consequences, and a story that leaves the door open for future stories. But where Invincible differs is that I still care about the characters afterward, and I know that when something happens it will stick. And when I am able to follow the story’s logic, the feelings of happiness and dread have validity. Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four died recently, but we know he will be back in 13 issues. When this conflict resolved as it did, I got a feeling of dread that Issue #77 would bite Mark square in the ass 2 years from now, and the consequences would be immense.

Irredeemable# 22

Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Peter Krause

While some wars start and others end, over at Boom! Studios Mark Waid is scribing a fantastic tale. The Plutonian is off Earth, and the powered community is trying to recover and rebuild from the Plutonian’s reign of terror. Most fall-out isn’t covered in history class unless it leads to greater events, and you can feel large waves swelling as Waid begins to build the aftermath story. There really isn’t too much to tell in this book, except that the Plutonian seems to have found his way to the center of a star, and is struggling with his delusion. While the book may have been running in place, if you have read the works of Mark Waid before, you know that this is a beginning, and one that will lead to some great future comics.

Ultimate Comics Thor #4

Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Carlos Pacheco, Dexter Vines, Jeff Huet & Jason Paz
Colors by Edgar Delgado, J. Aburtov, Jorge Gonzalez
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Cover by Carlos Pacheco, Dexter Vines & Edgar Delgado

I have to admit, I love Thor, but I could have done without this issue. Why? Hell.

Thor is something the DC Universe just doesn’t have. He’s mysticism, mythology, and a god (or demi-god). While the distinguished competition has Superman, and Captain Marvel; Marvel has a guy who was banished from paradise to mingle with us lowly flesh bags to learn values. Along the way he becomes grounded, and our super-powered ambassadors become more noble.

Issue #4 explains all that away. It’s like the introduction of midichlorians. What Mark Millar covered on a fine line in Ultimates Vol.2 was then blatantly expounded on. Apparently Thor is real, but needs modern crazy-science to work.

What?

I hated that part of Ultimates Vol.2. Well, hate is a strong word. I thought it was necessary as Loki’s illusion to put a very powerful player off the chess board, but eventually we see that Thor IS a god, Asgard and it’s warriors are real, and it was all an elaborate ruse. I’m really not sure what Jonathan Hickman is trying to accomplish, but retelling a story we read recently seems to be a wasted opportunity. What was a cool-assed adventure of Loki and Nazi’s storming Asgard, has become a rehash of an older story. It’s hard for a Thor reader to slog though, and disappointing that a line of Marvel books that are supposed to treat us to a more modern take on classic characters fail to think in other directions.

Here’s an excerpt of the press conference from ComicsAlliance.com:

In a taped message, Fraction said Fear Itself will be “Relatable to where we are today and something that speaks to the world we live in. There is a shadow of anxiousness and anger, reason and discourse have taken a backseat to mob hysteria.” Fraction added that if you don’t believe him, remember his words the next time you walk through the security line at an airport.

And in typical Marvel Comics fashion, they made a trailer for the comic cross over event:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWD4LhCYJOs

Strange Tales 2 #3

By Terry Moore, Harvey Pekar, Toby Cypress, Kate Beaton, Nick Gurewitch, Edu Medeiros, Alex Robinson, Benjamin Marra, Tim Hamilton, Ty Templeton and more.
Cover by Ivan Brunetti

Another fantastic collection of artists and storytellers that show exactly how much more talent is out in the world rand ready to make comics. Of all the comics out this week, this was the book with the strongest stories, and was also a great eclectic collection of art styles. The book starts strong with Terry Moore’s Thor story, and then we are treated to an amazing Silver Surfer story illustrated by James Stokoe. Of all the fantastic little stories in the book, Stokoe’s story was a poignant as it was detailed. The illustrations are so detailed I feel as though I have telescopic vision. My eyes don’t wander the page, they focus, and zoom into the finite details that are displayed. Amazing work.

Other stories within are great. The Harvey Pekar conversation with The Thing was great, and Benjamin Marra’s US Agent story was brilliant. Sadly, this is the last in the series, and I’m disappointed to see it go. Hopefully there will be a Strange Tales 3, since the talent pool out there to draw from is bountiful. Stan Lee made a pantheon of American folklore that endures, but I feel one of the strongest aspects of Marvel Comics is the “Strange Tales” project that they have. Lending your properties to new minds is hard for someone to do, but Marvel shares their characters and creates creative opportunities that give Marvel readers something new to experience.

Brightest Day #16

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Cover by GARY FRANK
Variant cover by IVAN REIS

The Good folks at DC comics are cranking up the good stuff another notch and Brightest Day is making its way down the home stretch. Yet again we get a story that is central to Aquaman, and I’m starting to wonder why comic fans around the globe thought he was lame. Brightest Day is yet another example of how characters can be resurrected in interest levels if handled properly.

Basically Aquaman takes Jackson under his wing, and dubs him the new Aqualad. Meanwhile Firestorm is getting antsy in captivity, and the Black Lantern Firestorm is en route to deliver the white lantern. Plot-wise, it seems to be stretched out, but the book is peppered with great moments, that made this a real fun page-turner. The art work is fantastic, and again, Reis makes Aquaman the coolest kid in school with great angles that you can imagine being photographed by cameramen under the sea, and with great underwater effects. The obvious particle/wave generation effects that are generated in Photoshop by the colorists really lend a more vivid feel to both Aqauman and Firestorm. At last, Firestorm’s hair isn’t a 5-spiked doo, but a flaming cauldron of energy. Great stuff. I’m going to sad when this series closes. Both Brightest Day and 52 accomplish a story about characters that aren’t very popular, and tell tales that we are truly intrigued by.

Green Lantern #60

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by DOUG MAHNKE & CHRISTIAN ALAMY
“DC 75th Anniversary” Variant cover by FRANK QUITELY

In short, all the different colors and their avatars come together, and the big bad guy is finally revealed.  I have been holding on to this book for a while, hoping that it would pick up in pace, and get back to Green Lantern, and now, after slogging though aftermath of Blackest Night, we have started to hit an accelerating point. I’ve been trying to hold down the faith, but the past few issues have felt too short for the uncompressed storytelling style.

While I understand how the conflict between Parrallax and Hal Jordan is familiar ground for readers, I’m really worn out on these exchanges. I think Hal sees Parrallax more than the JLA doctor for a physical. So after Barry Allen gets infected with fear, the mysterious bad guy who is imprisoning the avatars is revealed to be Krona. This was a mystery I was interested, and I was pretty happy to learn it at this point. It feels like the story will move faster now, and we will begin to plunge into the next phase of the Green Lantern story.

Time Masters Vanishing Point #5 (OF 6)

Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by DAN JURGENS & NORM RAPMUND

If you bought this comic for the cover like I did, you will be disappointed. There is a lot of standing/walking and talking, and eventually Reverse Flash shows up for the last two pages, but only teases that next issue will have some Zoom action. With Bruce Wayne returned from the “dead” this book doesn’t hold much interest for me at all.

Last week was yet another week where I just couldn’t get excited about the comics I had bought. They were there. Not bad, but nothing that stood out. This week was back on track with some really great comics, and some great moments in comics.

Justice League Generation Lost #15

Written by JUDD WINICK

Art by JOE BENNETT

Variant covers by KEVIN MAGUIRE

Again, one of the best books out there, and it’s BI-WEEKLY!!! This book is making the current Justice League look like a group of kids playing dress up as they continue to try and figure out what the hell Max Lord is up to. Max, on the other hand, was killed by the one and only Wonder Woman, but he can’t find her. What’s more puzzling is no one know who she is except a select few people. The JLI then find themselves under attack by the Creature Commandos, and the books ends on a classic cliffhanger of one of the members lying on the floor riddled with bullets.

This book’s dialogue, mystery, and artwork make this a must on my pull list. What I find hard to believe is that ever since issue one, I just shouldn’t have cared at all about this book. I’m not a fan of these characters, and I have been shying away form the “event books that come out weekly. However, this crew is knocking ever issue out of the park. The illustrations, the character building, and the plot twists continue to pile up and build, and I haven’t felt bored once.

Winick is doing a great job of incorporating DC Comics’ weakest entities, and shining a light on them that remote areas of fandom understand. Winick is able to bring out the best qualities of these quirky characters, and help you understand why 20 other people in the world love them. I have a feeling that after reading this entire series, the reader will understand the quadrants of the DCU that have been dusty, and have been deserving attention. What I find even more intriguing is that Winick is incorporating the various tangled web of Wonder Woman, and making her interesting again. If he pulls this off, this book will officially be on my “favorite Runs” list.

Again the artwork is fantastic. And Joe Bennet continues to shine. I’m getting this book digitally, and the panel viewer mixed with the fantastic colors makes this feel cinematic, like I’m watching a really well written cartoon. The creepy eyes, the panels of the heroes blasting away, and even the “stand around and talk” panels are fantastically imagined and drawn. Starting to read this book now would be jumping into the deep end, but the issues are available both in an LCS and digitally, so there is no good excuse to miss this. This is one of the top series of 2010.

Bring the Thunder #1

Writer: Jai Nitz

Penciller/Inker: Wilson Tortosa

Covers: Alex Ross

Writing a comics review column can get tiresome, and I have begun to appreciate the life of a review. Every Wednesday brings at least one #1 issue for a new series that got the green light, and every week I step up to the plate to review the ones that catch my eye. This week was no exception, but the book I read was. Bring the Thunder was a book that I reluctantly grabbed, and was my last to read last night. In truth I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Plotted out by the popular painter Alex Ross, Bring the Thunder features a group of Special Ops Para-Rescue commandos that wind up bushwhacked in Afghanistan, and a strange gun sets off a turn of events that will lead to the creation of two super powered beings. There really is nothing unusual in this book, and this treads on familiar ground. There aren’t any breakthrough storytelling methods, and the artwork doesn’t floor you. But the dialogue, narrative, and ideas behind these familiar tropes bring this book into the foreground.

Our main character, Wayne Russell, is the leader of this special ops group, and  it’s his tastes that help me befriend this fictional character. He liked the P Funk, Bowie, and plays bridge. He read Omar Sharif’s columns, and was patriot. I couldn’t dismiss this character. And as he explained his leadership style, the work they do, and how they live their lives, I was almost annoyed that the main story reared it’s head and interrupted everything.

If I had to critique the book, I would probably lean on the artwork. I am not too familiar with Tortosa, but the sketchy style that reminds me of Francis Manapul isn’t my favorite, and I felt that the direction in the panes could illustrate some actions better.  The story as well didn’t deliver anything new, and with Stan Lee building a new universe over in Boom! Comics, readers have become inundated with characters with new powers and especially guys being transported in time, or pulling themselves together from atomic levels. I’m hoping with issue 2 we get to know Wayne Russell some more, and we get light shed on this new sound-related power.

Fables #100

Written by BILL WILLINGHAM and MARK BUCKINGHAM

Art by MARK BUCKINGHAM, BILL WILLINGHAM, CHRISSIE ZULLO, JOAO RUAS and STEVE LEIALOHA

Cover by JOAO RUAS

I’m not going to mince words any here. Seminal issues usually suck. They are usually a sappy trip down memory lane, or they are just a boring issue that doesn’t have anything remarkable happen in it. The issues we read this year for Batman, Wonder Woman, Thor, Superman were all great compilations and pushes forward, but they always lacked a real weight that set the issue aside. When A comic collector put s #600 issue in his long box, or comes across it again, they expect to have a memory of a defining/keystone moment that made #600 awesome.

Fables #100 was able to accomplish this. It wasn’t the additional bits and bobs in the back of the book. Those are neat, but they don’t hold an weight for making the book memorable after 3 months. Fables #100 delivered the end of a story that was a great ending, and good beginning, and held up the characteristics of the book that made it great.

At last the Dark man, and the young lady formerly known as Frau Totenkinder finally have their show down. The fate of all the fables hangs in the balance, and the fight ends exactly in the style that a Fables reader would expect. We get Beauty’s birth in the mix, and this issue certainly closed a long chapter that has been an excellent read for 100 issues. Here’s to 100 more.

There’s a full crew for the podcast after the Thanksgiving holiday. Pete is unsatisfied with comics that week and pulls out a classic, black-sploitation comic, The Afrodesiac. After news and rumors, Craig gives us the latest news on the new Xbox live rewards program. Heath digs into the Xhosa arcade vault, and Tank gives us a review of the DC Universe Online beta. Then the crew reviews the Tech news with the news Sony Playstation phone, Netflix being challenged by the big movie studios, and the BBCs Player for iPad. Then Randis schools us on the top don’ts for dating.

If the player doesn’t appear, try this:

http://www.giggaheim.com/podcasts/season3/episode39.mp3

Pyongyang – A Journey In North Korea

Written and Illustrated by : Guy Delisle

Available by: Drawn & Quarterly Publications

I found this original graphic novel in the local library, and given current events, I thought I would give it a read. What was going to be a quick curiosity-read turned into a consuming journey through the world’s most isolated country. Delislie, a Canadian animator travels to North Korea for a job, and was able to chronicle his observations while he was there for two months.

As an American, I have been pretty ignorant of North Korea. I know of the “Forgotten War” and watched M.A.S.H. with my Grandfather. I talked with a few South Koreans at college about where they are from, I remember Matt Stone and Trey Parker going after Kim Jong-il and I remember watching a documentary about the country on National Geographic. But after that, I don’t know squat. Guy Delislie uses his talents for illustration and tells the story of his visit, and what he experienced, and now I feel as though I know a bit more about North Korea.

I am a sucker for factoids, I love reading about places I would not be likely to ever visit, and I especially love to challenge my views. Pyongyang – A Journey In North Korea hit the rights spots. Small Facts about the lack of electricity, landmarks of North Korean pride and history, and the fact that I will probably never ever visit this country made this book a fascinating read. Guy Delislie doesn’t try and strange storytelling techniques, or any new conventional illustration styles. It’s a straightforward, linear account of his time spent there, and it makes this foreign place easily digestible. The drawings are more cartooning than illustration which probably make the sober, un-reality of North Korea easily digestible, and Guy still accurately draws the monuments like the Olympic hotel and the monuments.

What I was most fascinated with was despite being isolated for almost 2 months, Delislie seldom offers a strong opinion of what he has observed. He simply chronicles his observations plainly, and in the rare instance where he interjects contrary opinion it usually serves to further illustrate the vast differences between North Korea and the rest of the globe. This book was just a fascinating tale, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of his books.

Been an interesting week with the press giving Batman a lot of attention ala Peter
Parker reveal, but there were some other very interesting books released this week as well.

ADVENTURES INTO MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE

Image Comics

This comic was one that caught me off guard, and I would bet that I’m going to blather about it on the podcast tonight. This comic see-saws between blasphemy, craziness, and dirty fun. Here’s a godo example page:

Batman & Robin #16

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by CAMERON STEWART, CHRIS BURNHAM & FRAZER IRVING
Color by ALEX SINCLAIR & FRAZER IRVING
Letterers by PATRICK BROSSEAU
Cover by FRANK QUITELY
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER

Let’s get this book out of the way shall we? (Good thing this list was organized in alphabetical order) AP found an interview with Grant Morrison about the end of his run on Batman. And what did he do in his reign? He gave Batman a homicidal son, killed/sent Batman back in time, and what the press went wild over was Bruce Wayne revealing his identity to the public.

If you READ this issue, you know that statement was bullshit. I could have typed “bunk” but let’s not kid ourselves. They were selling headlines. What ACTUALLY happened was Bruce Wayne told the press that he FUNDS Batman. He merely explained how Batman is able to afford being Batman, which leads into the new Batman Incorporated story that will plague the solicits for months to come.

BUT, this issue was great. I’ve talked to a long-time friend and Batman reader who would rather use this issue as a sanitary napkin. Personally, I don’t read Batman habitually. Not my bag. But I have checked into this new run from time to time. Morrison has held up to his reputation to bringing weird villains, plots that only comics can support, and some impressive heroism.

This issue was easy to jump into, when Bruce shows up, Dick and Damian give him a synopsis in a panel or two that helps the rest of us catch up. Then, the game is afoot. Old stories are wrapped, and new ones continue, while Bruce gives us a show that cements the idea that Daddy is home. The kicker was the Joker. He was beautifully drawn, and artfully written. His scenes dominated the book, and made this issue a keeper for me. My only gripe was the rotating artists on the book. While Quietly’s pencils were the established look of this era, I couldn’t cotton to the last few pages. The faces and modeling all looked the same, as if they were all carved by the Adversary. Overall, and interesting end, and perhaps this new era for Batman will turn out to be a good one.

Brightest Day #13

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH
Variant covers by IVAN REIS

If you love Hawkman and Hawkwoman, you will love this issue. I’m not a an, but Hawkman was certainly a bad ass, and you could tell Geoff KJohns enjoyed returning to the book he had started his golden crusade in DC with. We get a bit of closure, but the real fun of the book was at the end when we SPOILERS get a reveal that Batman is to be the White Lantern. This is a great bi-weekly series, and I’m looking forward to where this is going.

Invincible #75

story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art RYAN OTTLEY, CORY WALKER & FCO PLASCENCIA
cover RYAN OTTLEY & FCO PLASCENCIA

Well it’s about damn time #75 hit stands. Look I love Kirkman and Invincible, but I forgot when this book last came out. However, this book was the one that held the most jaw-dropping, AW DAMN! moments for me. The coalition had defended themselves from the Viltrumites, and now they take the war to Viltrum. And was it ever a fight. The battle will continue in Issue 76, but the amount of story points in issue 75 were fantastic. The bloody violence continued, and Freddy Mercury established himself as the true. Feared leader of the Viltrum Empire. And now we wait for the end of this war.

Strange Tales 2#2

WRITER: KATHRYN BEATON, NICHOLAS GUREWITCH, JAIME HERNANDEZ, GILBERT HERNANDEZ, PAUL HORNSCHEMEIER, SCOTT RICHARDSON & ALEX ROBINSON
PENCILS: KATHRYN BEATON, NICHOLAS GUREWITCH, JAIME HERNANDEZ, GILBERT HERNANDEZ, PAUL HORNSCHEMEIER, SCOTT RICHARDSON & ALEX ROBINSON
COVER BY: JAIME HERNANDEZ

I picked up Strange Tales #1 after several comics podcast had all favorably reviewed it, and they weren’t wrong. The menagerie of artists and writers on the storied characters of the Marvel Universe are great to read over. Every time you pick up a good indie book, a comic reader would always wonder how their particular storytelling style would fit on a mainstream book. And here again we get great examples. The stand out stories for me, were the first two: Old-School Rules and Love and the Space Phantom were great examples of old-school storytelling that made every Marvel reader a zombie. My favorite was by Paul Moybury: Little Lies. A comedic tale of Spider-man having to tell white lies to cover his identity. This alone was worth the price of admission. Pick this up if you see it. There’s something for everyone.

We Kill Monsters #1

Written by: Laura Harkom & Christopher Leone

Art By: Briam Churilla

Color By: Ronda Pattison

Originally Published by: Red5

Available on: Comixology

Another interesting grab from Comixology’s free box. We Kill Monsters #1 was a fun romp through a great comic book story.  And Jake and Drew are brothers who operate an auto repair shop in rural USA. Drew takes care of his tag along brother Jake and after they make their way into town. We get a few awkward scenes between Drew and his ex girlfriend before an alien monster attacks. Jake save Drew, but almost has his arm bitten off. Drew and Jake race away from a pursuing monster, and they hole up in their garage. The blood that had splashed on Jake healed his arm miraculously, and also mutated it into a monster arm. The boys then convert their beloved father’s truck into a monster hunting killing machine in time to fight a monster an discover that they are breeding.

This was a fabulous comic. We were introduced to a family dynamic between brothers, established a broken relationship, and other-earthly monster threats. The artwork was fantastic. Great character models that remained faithful to establish the character designs, and the monsters were demonically designed to give you a sense of overwhelming fear and challenge of fighting these creatures. The coloring gave great senses of depth and the book was easy to read through. I recommend it highly.

I have had one hell of a week, as you can tell from the sparse posts, but I wanted to make the effort to at least write my thoughts on a few of these books. Enjoy.

Teen Titans #88

Written by J.T. KRUL
Art and cover by NICOLA SCOTT and DOUG HAZLEWOOD
Variant cover by ADAM HUGHES

I like the Teen Titans when a certain team is present. I have to have Superboy, I have to have Kid Flash, I have to have Wonder Girl, Raven, Beast Boy, and Robin. When Geoff Johns took the remnants of Young Justice and molded them into a teen team, I was happy. Some of the storylines weren’t my cup f tea, but a majority of the book was great. After Infinite Crisis, this book just lost its way for me. No Kid Flash, Superboy was dead, and eventually even Robin left the group. It just had the wayward feel like the book lost its identity, and didn’t know what it was. And now the old gang is back together. Kid Flash and Superboy are live again, and the old team, with the exception of Robin is back on board. Even though the zombie kids story isn’t too enthralling, it’s the old chemistry of the group that I like. Hell, even Grayson bringing Damien seems like a slice of fun.

So while Krul is reassembling the better parts of the Teen Titans, Nicola Scott is kicking ass and taking names again. The splintered two-page layout is all you really need to look at to demonstrate what a fantastic artist she is. With the colorists help, she even gives us a good feel of Frank Quietly when Dick is trying to figure out how to humanize Damien. For what it’s worth both a draw, and a draw-back for this book for me is Damien. DC Comics seems bent on shoving this jerky 10-year-old down our throats, but he is an interesting character. What’s more, is I think Krul will be able to use him effectively to help solidify the Titans. This was one rare instance this week, where I will continue reading this title, and I’m really glad Teen Titans is back.

Justice Society of America #44

Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art by SCOTT KOLINS
Cover by SHANE DAVIS and SANDRA HOPE

Keeping with our theme of team books this week, JSA came in with a low score for me. In fact, #44 will be my last issue since #1’s relaunch. I’m not sure where exactly to lay blame, but this had been coming for a while. The past cross over was disastrously uninteresting, and combine with Scott Kolins’ new watery, muted color art style, the book looks like a great retro-throwback, but doesn’t fit a more modern story to me. I love the work he is doing, but doesn’t match what Guggenheim is trying to pull of in the story. With Jay Garrick becoming a mayor, and Alan Scott becoming paralyzed, the city-wide carnage was just too much for me to suspend. I have enough wacky team books to work with, and since JSA has been effectively off the rails for a while, it’s time to put this baby to bed. Goodnight.

Avengers #6

WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
PENCILS: JOHN ROMITA JR.
COLORED BY: DEAN WHITE
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: JOHN ROMITA JR.

Avengers #6 seals another fate for a team book. No more of this. I tried like hell to hang tough, and see where it was going, and ultimately, it went nowhere. Like most time-related stories do. But like JSA, this book had too many factors that I couldn’t ignore. JR JR’s artwork just doesn’t fit this book for me, the plotline was just a rambling horse trail of crazy, and the goddamn covers never match the books. This story had some fun to it. The first issue was great. The characters are all great. But this wasn’t a comic I want to keep buying. There just isn’t enough in it to compel me to keep reading, and with Marvel’s insistence on Red Hulk joining every book, I’ll just have to watch this from the sidelines, and flip through the trades.

JLA The 99 #1

WRITTEN BY STUART MOORE AND FABIAN NICIEZA
ART BY TOM DERENICK AND DREW GERACI
COVER BY FELIPE MASSAFERA

Another team-up book matched up two teams in the highly-anticipated JLA the 99 #1. I haven’t read The 99, and here in the sunny south, I haven’t been able to find a copy at all, which might be due to the “controversial” nature of the Muslim beliefs that it is written on. I’m not jumping into this political cauldron, I’m just saying I can’t find the damn things. Luckily DC Comic’s distribution allows for me to get my first taste in this cross over.

Like many others before it, it spends the first issue establishing characters to new readers. Luckily for me the portions based on the 99 are entertaining due to my ignorance. The funny part is that this is a classic JLA roster, so there shouldn’t be too much time spend establishing who Superman is, and the other funny part is that they aren’t using the JLA roster from today’s book. (Testify!).

Anyways, the art by Moore and Nicieza is standard capes artwork with heroic stances and layouts, the inking and coloring are all standard fare that service the book, but don’t break any new ground. Despite my curiosity for The 99, I think I’ll wait this book out and read the trade.

Justice League Generation Lost #12

Written by JUDD WINICK
Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO
Covers by CLIFF CHIANG
Variant covers by KEVIN MAGUIRE

For a Bi-weekly book, this is still kicking ass. It feels short and too decompressed for what is established every issue, but it is still tops. This issue established the origin and new power levels of Ice. She went Iceman ala X3 on us in the previous issue, and now Fire has to talk her down before she kills everyone in the room. Normally origin issues like this are a chore, and sometimes feel like a waste of an issue, but this comic hit me in the right spots this week, and I really enjoyed this. Coupled with the clean panels and fantastic inks, this book looked gorgeous on my iPad. This book is still one of the few team reads I have left that hasn’t fallen prey to wild changes, boring storylines, or mis-matched creative teams. Love it.

Soldier Zero #1

Writer: Paul Cornell

Artist: Javier Pina

Covers: Trevor Hairsine, Dave Johnson, and Phil Noto

The first if our wheelchair bound Heroes is Capt. Stewart Trautman. A war veteran from Afghanistan who was a victim of a bomb. After several scenes, we learn he is a teacher at the local university, and then he is struck by a meteor from space that fuses him with a symbiotic suit that gives him powers and has an alien voice in his head much like Firestorm or Nova’s Worldmind. And that’s it. Nothing but set up in this issue. Now there isn’t anything wrong with that. After all, we are experiencing the next universe and mythos set up by Stan the Man Lee.

This particular story wasn’t as engaging as I had hoped it would be. Even if the classic comics by Stan have a bit of cornball to the dialogue, they also have a lot of heart and creativity that truly drive these stories. In this particular story though, I found myself a bit bored, and was hoping the inevitable crash would happen sooner. As an older reader I don’t need a lot of action to get a story going, but this particular one I found dry, and I found the tropes a bit predicable.

The art was exactly what I have come to expect from other Boom! Titles. The coloring and pencils all do their job, and the art direction is careful not to have the reader look down at our hero nonstop. I am going to give this the traditional three issue shot, but if it doesn’t pick up soon, I might have to drop it.

Superior #1

WRITER: Mark Millar

PENCILS: Leinil Francis Yu

COVER BY: Leinil Francis Yu

The second if our four-wheeled heroes is Simon Pooni, a kid who suffers from MS. He was once a star athlete but after the MS sets in he is now bound to a wheelchair. After a space monkey grants him a wish, he wishes to be that universes analog of Superman.

Mark Millar switched styles from the Michael Bay over-the-top-styled comics that we are used to seeing in Kick-Ass. In contrast to Solider Zero, Millar’s narrative illuminates the struggle of MS, the slow decline, and the feeling of being trapped in your own body. Simon’s narrative feels genuine, and is interesting to read.

The illustrations by Yu are fantastic. Not only do we get a taste of this superman styled world, he illustrates stet level scenes as though they were pictures of real life. And the when the space monkey shows up, Yu brings the weird. Fantastic story telling. While Kick-Ass and Nemesis are experiments in violent comics, Superior is a great character study, and is budding into an analog of a Superman tale. This book I won’t put on the three issue retainer. I am fully inboard for now.

Brightest Day #12

Written by GEOFF JOHNS and PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Cover by DAVID FINCH
Variant covers by IVAN REIS

Brightest day continues, and I’ll give you the shirt rundown of what’s happening since this issue wasn’t exactly interesting to me. Martian Manhunter takes center stage in this comic, and he returns to Mars to confront/battle D’Kay. Apparently then they have a psychic battle where we learn that J’onn is somehow siphoning Earth’s life force in order to resurrect Mars. He thinks he has vanquished his foes, including the JLA who attack him for this, and that everything is restored when in fact D’Kay has him entranced in a Hallucination. Meanwhile, Deathstorm and the Black Lantern JLA answer a call to capture the White Lantern. The end. So, this was probably a skip-able episode since everything here will be recapped later, however the artwork and ideas behind it were entertaining.

Kick-Ass 2

WRITTEN BY: MARK MILLAR
ART AND COVER BY: JOHN ROMITA JR.

Another entry this week (for me) by Mark Millar was the anticipated sequel to Kick-Ass. The Giggaheim posted the preview, and a couple of weeks ago a beautiful 6 page preview was released in CLiNT. This book, much like Soldier Zero, sets up the environment. Apparently Dave is being trained to learn how to fight by Hit-Girl, and the super hero culture has grown in New York. Then we get flashes of what’s to happen, much like the first issue.  As always this looks like it will be a story that Millar and Romita Jr will use to press the envelope of over-the-top comics storytelling. I couldn’t tell by the credits if JR JR is actually handling the pencils, but the artwork is as faithful to the original, and this remains the same visual Kick-Ass universe. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Available on Comixology Reader

Video games should never leave the consoles they were designed for. They don’t translate to movies well at all, and they don’t make good comics. Well, at least that’s what I have experienced over the years, and even roasted the latest comic from Marvel about Halo. And with a heavy heart filled with cynicism, I downloaded the Left 4 Dead comic, and prepared myself for an eye-rolling experience.

This book then kicked my ass like the games does on Expert difficulty. Where did this come from? How did this happen? I was enjoying the comic! I know exactly how this happened, and it is what most video games lack. The original game Left 4 Dead is a fun zombie killing first person shooter. Its 4-player party allows for you and 3 buddies to wander through zombie infested landscapes to get to safety. All the while the 4 characters that have been thrown in together have witty banter, and realistic dialogue without injecting a dopey plot or crybaby back-stories. Just survive from point A to point B.

The simplicity of the game and its smartly constructed relationships of these survivors allows for this comic to live. The comic book tells the back-stories, and shares the stories of each survivor as they live through the infection day and survive to present day. What also works in the comic is the faithful dialogue between the characters. Through 180 pages we are treated to long video game within the comic and we get to hear the banter back and forth between them. It was all of the best parts of the game illustrated, and the story illuminated the original motivations of the characters. Where Halo diverges from the game and gives us a peek at the back-story we really wouldn’t have cared about, Left4Dead gives us the character motivations and makes this video game into a more intimate character study and survivor tale.

The book also wins points on at entry-level scale. When our survivors are picked up by uninitiated military, they are able to give new readers an orientation on the world the video game built without boring the experienced players to death. The artwork could have used a bit more polish to it, but 180 free pages of good comics out weights a few jarring moments in the book.

you can listen to my review of the Left 4 Dead: The Sacrifice (DLC) on the Giggaheim Podcast #34.

Pete reviews Superman 703 and the first issue of the web comic Melody. After comic and movie news Craig kicks in with the game report. The Doors will be coming to Rockband 3, Craig gives his review of Rockband 3, and special guest Heath joins the crew all the way from Oklahoma to review Dead Rising 2. Then Ert takes the reigns to fill in for Doug’s tech report. Ert covers 3D TVs, Verizon’s big iPad scoop, and speculation for ‘Back to Mac’. Dating Advice for Geeks makes its return as Randis reveals Online Dating Safety Tips. Then the crew tries a new game called “Conversation Starters”. Stick around for the end, there is plenty of bonus outtakes inspired by drinking Sunny D and Rum.

This week was a week that certainly lived up to the jinxed 13 in the date. My LCS folded, and new books were not available. Big props got to Cool Comics and Games in Cape Coral, FL for helping a fellow geek out. Although many things on my “Pull List” were not available, I was able to get my hot hands on a few titles. Amazingly enough, it was all DC this week, so for you Marvel Zombies and Image Elitists out there, maybe next week I’ll be able to grab something. And now my reviews in alphabetical order:

Batman Return Of Bruce Wayne #5 (OF 6)

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by RYAN SOOK & PERE PEREZ
Cover by ANDY KUBERT
Variant cover by RYAN SOOK

Batman continues to get closer to this time period, and lands in Gotham right after his parents death. He was apparently roughed up in an alley and wakes up in a hospital where some beautiful woman decides that she needs him to solve a mystery. At this point we get the skinny on the Waynes, and then Bruce is involved in a sacrificial ritual.

All of this would probably make way more sense if I had read Batman RIP, however, I didn’t, and can only assume these links and breadcrumbs were significant. One bit of info I liked was that Thomas bought Martha Wayne the pearls to make her a target in the ally that night. That was a neat little idea.

Past the typical Morrison weirdness, Sook delivered a great comic, with the Bruce Timm styled-1930s deco designs, and darker illustrations of Gotham. I’m hoping issue 6 is good and clearly takes us from our 1^st issue point A to the upcoming issue Point B in a linear fashion and makes sense of everything. With Morrison at the helm we have a 3 in 17 chance.

Green Lantern #58

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and Cover by DOUG MAHNKE & CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Variant cover by ALEX GARNER

Someone commented on a comic forum that they were tied of this Lucky Charms storyline, and I’m starting to feel that way as well. Cameos Geoff, Cameos. Lets work the other corps in now as cameos. But the story continues to progress as the various avatars of the different corps run around the USA.

Hal tries to convince Carol Ferris to come back with him, and at this point she calls him to the carpet about Cowgirl. (Oh Hal, you optimistic Ladies man.) then the Red bull avatar thing runs amok at a prison, and the blue avatar lands on an abducted girl and begins to spread hope. The end.

This is where the 22 page issue begins to fall short, and I begin to think about collecting this in trade. Honestly, after summing the issue up, I feel like the issue really didn’t go to far anywhere, like it was over too fast, or the printer forgot to put 4 pages in. Mahnke continues to reinforce the character designs from Blackest Night, and the visuals are great, but Green Lantern is starting to lose me a bit. I just hope something significant happens next issue, or I might have to start reading this in trade.

Justice League Generation Lost #11

Written by JUDD WINICK
Art by AARON LOPRESTI
Covers by CLIFF CHIANG
Variant covers by KEVIN MAGUIRE

Speaking of issues that are losing their glitter, JLGL is starting to wane a bit for me as well. I think comic fans as a whole are suffering from Post-traumatic-Event Syndrome. We have been hyped to heights of pure excitement, and then the rebuilding phase is full of decompressed plotlines and tedium. JLGL has been a refreshing with a plotline/mystery that has kept a quick pace, and fats publishing schedule to keep the worst ADD inflicted reader happy.

Despite the huge fight between the Metal Men and a squad of members from the JLA, I found myself quickly thumbing through until reaching the ending climax that was lifted from X-3. Ice has turned…Icy. Now the metalmen part was extra cool. Even though I’m getting tired of DC inching closer to Kingdom Come, I had always wondered who the giant guy was. Now we know it was an amalgam Metal Men. that was pretty dang cool.The JL squad has gotten closer to Max, but they are still far away from seeing his plans, and getting their old adversary. While I don’t feel a drastic mood change towards this book like I do towards Green Lantern, I have begun to feel a bit anxious to get closer to the end point.

Knight & Squire #1 (OF 6)

Written by PAUL CORNELL
Art by JIMMY BROXTON
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Variant cover by BILLY TUCCI

Well, that was a bit of alright.

Paul Cornell pens a fun little British tale about super heroes who gather at a pub to mix together. As we learn the dynamic between good guys and villains, we are introduced to a few British versions of DC characters, we learn that Merlin has cast a spell to keep the peace, and we also get some American cameos to help readers drowning in cockney. This was refreshing look at the “American” ideas of super heroism, and how it translates (or fails to translate) across the globe. I’m hoping a clearer plot develops from this series, but this introductory issue was both fun and filling.

Superman #703

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Art by EDDY BARROWS & J.P. MAYER
Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
Variant cover by LEE BERMEJO

This comic started out really well. And no, there won’t be a “but…”. This was actually a really solid Superman comic for me, but I’m a guy who doesn’t like to read Supes. I’m also a guy who likes JMS too. After reading the entire Rising Stars last week, I like the larger picture JMS is after, and the grounded nature he brings these super characters into. Take the beginning (please, take it) of the story. Superman is straightening out a stalker in the way that we all wish we could. Again, JMS boils down the essence of the character to deliver a story. We all want to do things Superman can do.

After establishing this all-American aesthetic, JMS then challenges our main character with a theory by Batman. Despite Batman now being (*spoiler for those living in Kazakhstan*) Dick Grayson, The new Dark Knight calls a spade a spade, and with basic psychoanalysis, gives Superman the bare bones: He’s running from his guilt and mourning for New Krypton. And He’s going to get normal people hurt with this stunt because he has become something more dangerous for the common man to deal with.

Then JMS demonstrates by moving the plot along with parts of New Kypton infecting people, and starting fights with collateral damage that engulfs the lives of common people. And frankly it’s a bout time.  I remember watching the “Justice League Unlimited” series on TV and thinking: “Who in their right mind would live in Metropolis?” the Dang place has everything horrible happen to it, and things are destroyed non-stop. The entire DCU should be Rubbermaid.

I think with this issue Superman might actually quit walking the earth, and rejoin the “normal” story of “Things happening in Metroplois”. It would be a shame if he did in all honesty. This has been a refreshing look at Superman without slapping an Elseworlds sticker on it.

Untold Tales Of Blackest Night #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS and PETER J. TOMASI, J.T. KRUL and ETHAN VAN SCIVER
Art by IVAN REIS, ETHAN VAN SCIVER, JAY FABOK and others
Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER

There’s really only one reason why I’m glad I bought this, and that is the deleted scene of the Rainbow Riders penned by Geoff Johns. Past that, this was more of the Same for Blackest Night I honestly cannot imagine a reader on Earth that would want to dive back into this, but the book is there to repeat what became repetitive in Blackest Night. Loved ones, old heroes, turn to zombies and attack everyone emotionally.  The artwork was well served by all the contributors, but this felt like a last-minute cash grab comic, and had little redeeming qualities aside from the “Cut Materials”.

Written and Drawn By: Illias Kyriazis

Published by: Zuda Comics

Available on: Comixology, DC Comics Reader

Another good pick from the Zuda Comics vault is Melody #1. As a trained musician, I can identify with a few elements in the story here since it deals a bit with music. Our main character, Melanie, is an assistant for an older rock star. She accidentally interrupts an exchange between a magical spirit/muse and her client that winds up killing him. Before he dies he imparts to her part of what he was trying to receive, the most beautiful song ever heard. Now she has to figure out who will posses the song, and deal with that responsibility. The Vatican wants it for an ultimate hymn to drive people to church. Advertising agencies want it to sell anything, and a politician wants it to boost campaign propaganda. Soon Mel is being torn in different directions as everyone is desperate to get the mystical melody.

I liked this comic for several reasons. One is that it is musical in nature, which is right in my wheelhouse. Secondly, the story follows a solid course, and does not cave under the weight of introducing more and more interested parties for the song. There’s plenty of room for growth, and unlimited potential. Much like his other compatriots at Zuda Comics (Daniel Govar, Jeremy Love, & Michael Walton) Illias Kyriazis’ artwork is clean, dynamic and easily read. It defines the book’s unique environment, and is easily digestible. He must have spent quite a bit of time on the beautiful spread of the magical landscape Mel is taken to after hearing the melody, and the following pages are just as well illustrated. The darkening attitude in the later diner scene was a great use of accompanying imagery as someone Mel begins to trust starts to become dangerous

I am hoping this book follows the same pattern of other Zuda Comics releases with a free introductory issue (First one is always free), and then regular updated issues. Kyriazis delivered a great cliffhanger that had me frantically thinking the issue had not completely downloaded. I hope Issue 2 is around the corner.

Story and Art by: Michael Walton

Published by: Zuda Comics

Available on Comixology, DC Comics Reader

Another great comic by Zuda comics that I happened across is Michael Walton’s Dual. A short story synopsis: (spoilers)  Bill Jensen has an imaginary friend, Yasu, who is apparently more real than imaginary. As a kid Bill was teased mercilessly for speaking with Yasu, and as an adult, he learns that Yasu and he are part of a larger world filled with such supernatural beings. Now imagine the most popular duo, Calvin & Hobbes mixed with a bit of X-Files, and this is what you would have. After being bullied so bad, Bill eats Yasu in frustration to shut him up, and their “merger” winds up giving Bill an otherworldly power. (end spoiler filled synopsis)

Sorry for the spoilers, but it is truly difficult to cover the story without giving away the details that made this story really work for me. I think what I liked about this book was the imaginative nature, mixed with a sense of real world consequences. Walton sets the stage in the first few pages with the happy relationship of imaginary friend and the crashing harshness of reality. And after the strange merger, which I thought was a brilliantly creative way to introduce that element, the consequences of such surges of power, and the narrative suggesting that this story is closer in our world than we would think.

Like many Zuda comics, the writer is also the artist, and the art here is also just as good as the story. The characters designs are great with Bill being an all-American kid of the 1908’s, and Yasu has a manga-styled character design. What also impressed me was the depth of the panels, as Walton takes his time to fill in playgrounds with familiar settings, and even dialogue pages, which are normally blank behind the characters have subtle background settings. This comic felt full and realized because he takes the time to fill the panels and give them their own life.

Again, this book was a first issue freebie, so you have no good excuse to check this out. I went ahead and grabbed issue #2 for $1, and this series is getting really good. It is a really great balance of imagination and reality, and the artwork sets a rich, deep environment, and easy on the eyes.

Fables #98

Written by BILL WILLINGHAM
Art by MARK BUCKINGHAM & DAN GREEN
Cover by JOAO RUAS

A while ago, so long ago I can’t remember the issue number, the Adversary was defeated, and the Fables lived happily ever after. And then my brain turned off. I have a huge blank spot from there until this issue, which I am inclined to believe is at least a 12 issue gap. I have been pulling this comic, but I have been filing it without interest, which apparently is what many of the Fables Faithful have been doing. I have been hearing similar stories on other podcasts, and seeing them on forums. Hell, I was double dipping with trades, and stopped somewhere after Snow had the litter.

I have been absently thumbing through the issues, but not an hour ago, I finally sat down and read through this issue. And I am back in. The artwork by Buckingham has never wavered, and the writing from Willingham is just as solid. It was like watching an old favorite DVD, and discovering an episode I missed.

So Rose Red has been in some sort of funk, the town fables were exiled to the Farm, where everyone is apparently getting on each other’s nerves. Ghepetto has made a bid for power, and there is a new bad guy called The Dark Man. That’s what I slept though. Issue #98 starts to put things in motion. Rose Red wakes up from her funk, settles the fables down, and restores order. Herr Totenkinder apparently reverted to an younger form, and will be taking on the Dark Man, which sets us up for what will probably be an epic Issue #99 and of course a seminal #100. I welcome this new spark of energy, and perhaps on my mountain journey I will be taking next week, I’ll settle into the cabin, and reread Fables from issue 50-98. Fables is back.

Flash #5

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
White Lantern Variant cover by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

I am horribly disturbed by typing the next phrase. I’m bored. I think the constant string of delays is killing the momentum of this book, but when I saw the solicits for December comics had the trade for this story arch I got pretty pissed off. I can’t imagine why since I have been a Flash fanboy for a long time, but this series started as great, and has fizzled to a level where I actually put the issue down and did a few chores around the house before I finished it. I have lost all enthusiasm for this book, and that really saddens me. About 6 months ago I would have told you Johns can do no wrong, but this Flash run has really left me feeling tired and bored.

And I don’t have too many kind words for Francis Manapul’s art either. I think his chalky artwork is full of kinetic energy, but it is becoming a mess of streaking lines, and makes me feel like this is the antithesis of JR JR’s artwork. Instead of loose-line inking, Manapul’s art is loose line coloring. Another aspect of the artwork that bothers me is the 19-year-old character design on Barry. I just feel like this guy is younger than Wally when I look at him. Instead of an expert, “Daddy’s Home” feeling I thought we would have from this run, we have been treated to a “Sidewalk Chalk Barry”. I normally don’t rail on an artist on Flash that much, especially when the previous issue (I think, it’s been a while for me) had that cool helicopter scene. This issue was just an accelerated mess, and it made me depressed. Quick.

1 Month 2 Live #4

WRITER: JOHN OSTRANDER
PENCILS: GRAHAM NOLAN
COVER: MIKE DEL MUNDO

Another comic that checked in on a disappointing level was 1 Month 2 Live #4. Up until now I have really been enjoying this series, but this issue left me flat. The dialogue was picture perfect, and I especially loved Dennis’ wife going off on him. The more realistic feel of the situation was something that I really liked, but the quest for the mystic flower left me behind. I know we are supposed to be exploring all the iconic corners of the Marvel U though a more grounded sense of reality, and I think that’s what might have did this issue in for me. Maybe this race for the magic flower will yield an exciting conclusion next week. Either way one mediocre issue out of four isn’t bad, and I don’t really blame Ostrander of the story, I like to believe it is the direction of editorial that made it mandatory to go to the Savage Land.

Hit Monkey #3

WRITER: DANIEL WAY
PENCILS: DALIBOR TALAJIC
INKS: DALIBOR TALAJIC
COLORED BY: JOSE VILLARRUBIA
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: DAVID JOHNSON

Ahhhhhh now THIS is a comic book with a kick-ass monkey in it. I am proud to say I haven’t read one issue of Deadpool, so I had no familiarity with this monkey assassin. I just thought this was a fun, 3-issue romp through the 616. So our monkey hero befriends some Japanese pop culture personality in order to get closer to his intended target. Then Bullseye catches up with her in order to get to the monkey. The original target and his squad are killed by Bullseye, and Hit-Monkey kicks Bullseye’s tail with nun-chucks ala Bruce Lee. Classic comics style. This series was enjoyable, but probably only on a comic reader level. You would have to have read a few other things to get the meta jokes, and appreciate the heritage (if there is any) of the characters involved.

Nemisis#3

WRITER: Mark Millar
PENCILS: Steve McNiven
COVER BY: Steve McNiven

This is another book that has a suffered a bit due to it’s long publication schedule. I’m not complaining, just whining really. McNiven’s artwork is worth waiting for, and with this week’s assembled group of solid, but lackluster books, I was happy to have a piece of blockbuster comics fun. A lot of folks in the comics community give Millar shit for being the “fluff” action guy, much the same way everyone rags on Michael Bay, but at least Millar’s stories are creative, and give the villain due respect.

Here our bay guy, Nemisis, was taken into custody, and breaks out in pure grand style. The Chief Detective we have been “rooting” for is then subjected to a nightmare of consequences as Nemisis takes his life apart. In true Millar/McNiven fashion, they bring top level game to the book. Nemisis defeats 97 prison guards (Judo Chop!!) in glorious and violent style. McNiven illustrates moves and shows us violent choreography that we have rarely seen in comics. Millar contributes by raising the bar on inflicting pain on another human being in creative psychological ways (much like Red Son). Again, this book can easily be dismissed by fanboys, but these kind of books give me something to read in the dead zones between relaunches, events, and tired tropes.

Star Trek Burden of Knowledge #4

Writer: Scott & David Tipton
Artist: Federica Manfredi
Cover: Joe Corroney

Oh man, this series is great. I certainly hope IDW never has plans to cancel this, and they keep the Tiptons chained in a room. So the past three issues have had that magical done in one feel, but built up to a larger storyline, and in issue 4 the bad guy was revealed to be the planet of medical geniuses, who were using transporter tech to copy bodies. Why? So they had enough donors to experiment on. Classic. What’s more are the moral implications that blow McCoy’s mind, which make the story a more 1960’s classic Sci-Fi rather than the action move set up newer generations experience in the movies. This had classic Star Trek written All over it, and it was brilliant from issue 1 to issue 4. The artwork was handled pretty dam well considering the scope of hundreds of cloned ensigns, Klingons and other races. Someone send this series to George Lucas

Elephantmen #1

Published: July 2006
Story: Richard Starkings
Artwork: Morita

Publisher: Image Comics

Available on Image Comics Reader, Comixology

File this book under: Books that digital readers exposed me to. This book knocked my socks off. Normally any anthropomorphic book doesn’t sail too far with me. I like Pet Avengers but they are animals, and it has a pretext of being a “kids” book. Most human-ish animals don’t do anything for me, and I get that “this is childish” feeling when I’m reading through comics like that.

This, however, was totally different. This wasn’t a story of the happy animal man who lost his way, and found his way to fit in society. Nope, this was a story of discovery. A story that created mysteries and plot threads that beget curiosity. It opens in a dark street, and through the curiosity and naïveté of a little girl, we glimpse the sad, violent, and mysterious past of a genetically-created elephant man. That’s really the main story here. No spoilers. We see how a mad scientist in Africa plays Dr. Moreau, and creates an army of animal-enhanced super soldiers.

Trying to answer the innocent girl’s questions Ebenezer Hide, the titular elephant man, flashes through memories that tease at a violent past that must me wrought with tragedy. The artwork by Morita is fantastic, illustrating the emotions in the eyes as Ebenezer recalls his past, and how it has affected him. With the “Guided View” from Comixology, we are treated to the parallel facial expressions, as Ebenzer flashes between his memories, and the now.

The true stand out moments are the panels that Morita drew with Ebony’s eyes. How the “camera” captures the brainwashed rage and transition to depression. Much like a spaghetti western. Another stand-out characteristic of Morita’s work is the use of light and the watercolor effects that flesh out the pages bringing as sense of realism to this book. It could easily be a “kiddy-animal” book, but the use of color and the technique transform the book from Disney to Bladerunner.

I enjoyed the hell out of this, and was upset that no one had turned me onto this book before. It is an ongoing title at Image, published regularly (for Image), and 15 issues are currently available digitally. I might grab the trades available (There are 3 so far), and then grab the issues digitally since I have never seen these locally. Thank God for the digital format, or I might have never known about Elephantmen.

This was a monster week for me, and it made me realize that writing reviews for these box all at once is foolhardy. Firstly, it takes an assload of time, and secondly, are you guys really reading he whole thing? I didn’t think so. And hey, I don’t read Bible-long review columns, so I can’t blame you. So here are a few books I thought were either good, memorable, and crappy in alphabetical order. Perhaps I’ll continue writing about the books later in the week so you still have more reviews to check out.

The Avengers The Infinity Gauntlet #2

WRITER: BRIAN CLEVINGER
PENCILS: BRIAN CHURILLA
INKS: BRIAN CHURILLA
COLORED BY: MICHELLE J. MADSEN-STEWART
COVER BY: RON LIM

Lately I have been going though old podcasts and the issue in late 2008/2009 was the price hike to $3.99. I would like to take the time to point out that this series is 32 pages, and $2.99 and all fun. Enough of the business. I find myself coming back to this book. I liked it. I don’t think it was drawn as strong as it could have been, but I really had fun with it. Now while I find Churilla’s artwork a little clumsy with proportion, stretched faces, and awkward angles; Clevinger’s writing just aims for comedy fences, and hits a few out of the park. Here’s a few choice lines and exchanges that won me over:

Doom: As the only ruler of a sovereign nation to embark upon this journey, Doom will shall take the coveted “shotgun” seat

Doom: What a colorful turn of phrase. Perhaps you will regale us with more of the over a “mess of biscuits” later.

Spider-man: What’s the matter? Can’t Snikt-Bub your way out of feeling space sick?

The whole issue is packed full of great exchanges like that, and even though there wasn’t a whole lot of “action” it was still wild ride of a comic. I’m sure some readers would dismiss it easily, but frankly, this is a book that you can kick back, and enjoy. There’s no heavy pendulum of continuity swung over your head, and you can just enjoy these Marvel Universe characters being who they are in “perilous” circumstances. Did we get to Thanos? Not much really. Was the cover an out and out lie? Yep, that’s a Marvel book. So just pick this one up, and relax and unwind to a fun illustrated adventure.

Brightest Day #10

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK & JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH
Variant covers by IVAN REIS

Damn I love this series. It started slow, but has really caught its wind since issue 6, and hasn’t looked back. How the bloody hell did I start to like Aquaman? How is it possible that I enjoyed Firestorm? I have a great feeling that Johns was mostly to do with this issue since characters that I could not have care less fro are all of a sudden page-turners. Here we have a great Aquaman. He’s broody but stern and determined. He IS a leader of the people of the ocean. He has the qualities. What also helps is his nemesis, Black Manta.

While I normally couldn’t care for Aquaman, Vader-of-the-Sea has always been cool. He’s had that Boba Fett thing going on, and he rarely pulls punches, which makes him a great foil for Aquaman. Here we see the new Aqualad, who apparently is the son of Black Manta and also imbued with some weird magic/science. I must say when Aquaman shows up to “save the day” I was pumped. I certainly hope the cliff-hanging throw down between these two will be epic next issue, because the build up feels like it will be.

On top of all that, we get an explanation of Firestorm’s latest retcon/transformation, and how that will affect the universe. Frankly, I’m now looking forward to seeing how this all plays out. I seriously never thought I would give a care for those two and the Odd-Couple relationship, but with the development of the evolving Matrix, I am curious to see what happens.

The artwork by Reis and crew is fantastic. Unlike the Saturday morning cartoon of Infinity Gauntlet, this artwork is steady as a rock, and has a great sense of evolved realism that I enjoy in my modern-day comics. The coloring and effects crew did a great job on the Firestorm effects, and with all the unique voices going on, the lettering team had their hands full as well. This book has rally hit its stride, and I pity the readers who decided to sit this one out.

Halo Fall Of Reach Boot Camp #1 (OF 4)

WRITER: BRIAN REED
PENCILS: FELIX RUIZ
INKS: FELIX RUIZ
COLORED BY: VAL STAPLES
LETTERED BY: NATHAN PIEKOS
COVER BY: FELIX RUIZ

Wow. Some books are great compliments to another medium that made them famous, such as Star Trek Countdown. Others make things worse. This just sits ineffectual in the middle. I was hoping for a bit more back-story on the newly release Halo: Reach video game, and was hoping for an overly educated angle on Reach that would give me the “know-it-all-fanboy-edge”. Alas, this story just floundered, and never revealed anything worthwhile in the first issue. We see a rebellion, and then a doctor picking kids that will be abducted and turned into Spartans.

Some elements of the book were great. The kids that were able to see what side the flipped coin would land on. The non-remorseful, almost creepy adult maturity of the candidates that would be universe’s best warriors. But the story structure, and artwork just don’t compel me to read any further. While the cover image is a straight homage to Frank Millar’s epic book about Spartans, 300; I thought it was a bit cheap. If you are going to homage something, at least give us a creative twist on it, or present it exactly as we know it. A sketchy representation of a form is what Frank Millar does. Give me something new.

The story seemed to meander and lapse on unimportant story moments, and while I like enough exposition to keep the story interesting and give it emotional weight, this is a book based on an Action Video Game. Keep the talky science book material for a Halo centric novel. Comics are a medium where you can show me what is too cumbersome to tell me. So show me some great stuff behind the scenes of Halo and entertain your readers, don’t tell about it. I must say between the sketchy and unfinished nature of the artwork and the clumsy storytelling, I’m not even going to collect this in trade. Halo will remain a video game to me.

Heroic Age One Month To Live #3 (OF 5)

WRITER: STUART MOORE
PENCILS: SHANE WHITE
COVER BY: MIKE DEL MUNDO

This book is fifteen shades of greatness. We continue to follow our doomed hero, Dennis Sykes, as the Fantastic Four recruit him for a cosmic mission that they need his new found powers for. Earlier I had written about the fun-style of the classic Silver-age Marvel books, and 1 Month 2 Live captures that as well. If it weren’t for the weighty undercurrents and leaps of logic, this would be competitive with the fun nature of Avengers: Infinity Gauntlet.

Dennis is made an official member of the Fantastic Four ( a briskly evil opinion on that to come), and has to defeat Ego, the planet of…death. Mogo’s evil twin is consuming worlds in the center of the galaxy, and all will be destroyed if he continues on his cosmic-buffet-rampage. Dennis discovers that a “tumor-like-growth” is the cause of all the mayhem, and extracts the tumor, saving the day, NAY, the galaxy.

Of course there are leaps of faith here, and moments when you have to turn off the logic board in your head, which is why it feels like a Silver Age Marvel book. For instance, the FF make him a member of the team. This just shouted “Pity Fuck” at me. Hey there Make-A-Wish Samaritan, wanna join our club? Since you have about 2 weeks left, we won’t have to worry about membership cards being lost in the mail by Willie Lumpkin. The other leap of faith here is the obvious cancer cure thing. If Dennis is developing the powers of Dr. Manhattan, and cured a cosmic planet of it’s cancer……You see? This is the same as the Penguin holding up the local movie theater to threaten Batman. It’s all nutty Silver Age comics. And if it weren’t for the drab realism the book is based on, I’d buy into it. However this feels like Angela Lansbury is guest starring on Dexter.

Anyways, enough of the old man reading comics moments. Shane White draws a hell of a FF book, and the illustrated environment he creates reminded me of 1970’s adventures. The lines drawn on Johnny, the crazy drawings of the planet, and the cosmic cancer creature all create a fun Silver Age Marvel book. Can’t wait to see the storytelling style presented in the next 2 issues.

Written by: Joe Kelly

Art by: J. M. Nimura

Published by: Image Comics

Digitally Available on: Comixology, Image Comics Reader

Yes this is another infamous free first issue, so there wasn’t a “Dollar Dare” to it, no risk involved, and no monetary investment on the line. So with that out of the way I am free to say I liked this issue. In case you haven’t read any previous reviews on digital comics that I have written, you will notice that one of the reoccurring motifs is that the digital medium is the perfect outlet for a comic book liver stuck in BFE to get caught up. Sure, I Kill Giants has been out for a long while, and yes, I have heard great stuff about it. But I also heard great things about other series that didn’t float my boat as much as the rest of the comics community. Some things you just have to do yourself.

I Kill Giants immediately walked into my wheelhouse and stayed there. The combination of D&D role playing, and annoying real-life boundaries helped me latch onto this character, and identifying her life as my own, I wound up entranced. Secondly, the dialogue is priceless. Barbara Thorson’s dialogue reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes the way that she speaks beyond her years. The scene between her and the principle is the reason why I fell in love with Calvin and Hobbes and even South Park on some levels.

Art wise the characters design and thin lines create an individual atmosphere that helps me identify the artwork as this book. I will now immediately link J. M. Nimura’s artwork with I Kill Giants. The sketch like quality gives you an impression that we are getting a glimpse of this book before its finished, like we a re privileged audience. Some of the art near the end begins to befuddle me a bit, as the more fantastic elements are introduced to entice you to pick up issue #2, and despite the artwork losing its grip on me at that point, it’s the riddle in the story that makes me thirsty of another issue. Will this take a fantasy-laden turn? Or will the story continually tease our imaginations. Frankly, I’ll be downloading issues 2-7 soon to find out.

Written by: Glen Brunswick

Art by: Frank Espinosa

Publisher: Image Comics

Digital Reader: Comixology

“What if the Mafia had their own secret service…? KILLING GIRL is a five-issue full color miniseries from Image Comics.

With that hook, I decided to try Killing Girl as this week’s Digital Dare, and I must say I have conflicted feelings about the book. Both comics and digital media are designed to gratify the thirst for instantaneous entertainment. We download movies, TV, music, and now comics to satisfy the itch to goof off, or to be entertained. We can listen to music instantly, we can watch a movie without going out to Blockbuster, and we can even read comics that don’t show up in our LCS. But for some reason Killing Girl doesn’t scratch the itch. After 5 attempts I finally made it through the book, and it is only 16 pages. I’m not too sure where the disconnect is, but I believe it is a mixture of story and artwork. Let’s start from the top.

Killing Girl Action Sequence

The book established that it is set in a noir setting both with the book’s dialogue and the art style. We learn that a the mafia hand picks prostitutes to become their most deadly assassins, and we are treated to a hit scene where our title character uses her sexuality to get close to her mark. We can see how she enjoys killing for a living instead of sexual labor, and how liberated she feels. We are then treated to a scene with the clients, and eventually a character conflicting cliffhanger. What’s not to like?

I believe the disconnect has to do with the artwork and pace of the story. The tropes and form of the story are fine, but I could not get past page 16 without multiple attempts, and the following 2-3 pages were just as difficult to soldier through. I thought at first it might be the slow change in pace after a 4-page action sequence, but it really boils down to the lack of investment in the dialogue. I just can’t bring myself to care about what is in the dialogue. What’s more I never really got the sense of a “Secret Service for the Mafia”. Maybe that is covered in the next few issues? And after you throw out the text, you are left with the artwork, which doesn’t really win me over.

I know it is heresy to poorly review someone like Frank Espinosa’s artwork. The guy teaches at MIT for Christ’s’ sake! The illustrations in the book work on every technical level, and if you wanted to study the function of the art, you would have a brilliant example with Killing Girl. The motion, the framing, the use of color to set mood, and the emotions conveyed on the characters faces all serve in helping the story. Problem is that there is no real attachment to the artwork, much like a performance of a Mozart piano sonata that could have no errors, but if it lacks a playful nature, it’s just not good music.

I think another element of my disconnect with this comic is I just don’t care for the character design. The men in the mafia all look like Muppet bad guys, and Sara’s assassin outfit is a mix between a tight cat suite and Asajj Ventris’ bandaged look. The main problem is I just can’t really tell. The style of the artwork is a mixture of Darwyn Cooke’s brilliant 1950’s style, and open simplified lines that leave an unfinished feeling. The vector-styled color shapes that complete the drawings are a great style, but don’t help visualize violence at all. It feels alien for me to say so, but much of my disconnect with the book is due to Espinosa’s artwork.

As a digital comic, I think this book gets a boost by the medium. The panel by panel read through is framed by the simple coloring in the backgrounds which give it a cinematic look, and the ability to zoom in helps decipher what is going on in the panels. I would like to read through the 6-issue story arch in trade, but at an average price of $14 for something that I initially didn’t care for, I’ll have to wait.

This week snuck up and slapped me on the back of the head. Originally I looked at my virtual pull list and saw 2 books. What a bummer. And I was thinking, Well the podcast will be a quick one this week, and I also thought about doing a column about digging through the quarter bins. Luckily Marvel Comics unleashed a flurry of #1 issues, and between them and a few surprises, by pull list exploded. These may be a bit short, but I wanted to cover everyone.

One Month To Live #1 (OF 5)

WRITER: Stuart Moore, John Ostrander, RICK REMENDER & Rob Williams
PENCILS: Mike Del Mundo, Andrea Mutti & Koi Turnbull
INKS: ANDREA MUTTI
COLORED BY: ANDREA MUTTI

This book looked semi-interesting, and I must admit that I only picked it up for a few reasons that weren’t too compelling. But I enjoyed the crap out of it, and I think the average reader will too. We are introduced to Dennis Sykes who is your average joe working for a greedy-evil bank that won’t lend to a kids orphanage because the fat cats want their bonuses. After he delivers the bad news, he tries to help someone out of a robbery and gets beaten and poisoned with toixic waste (only in the Marvel U) but is rescued by The Thing (again only in Marvel’s NY). After Dr. Richards revives him, he give him the bad news that he has serious cancerous growths, and only a month to live.

Invigorated by the short deadline of his life, Dennis discovers he has weird matter-altering powers and decides to steal the money owed to the orphanage, but is caught by his family who think poorly of him for being Robin Hood. Since he feels guilty, he breaks back in to return the money, only to be captured by Spider-man, who eventually lets him go. Instead he uses his powers to give the orphans what they wanted (which is a rock garden) putting him on the radar of a bad guy who runs the neighborhood.

Now after that synopsis, I’m sure you can’t find many appealing mind-altering ideas that make your rush out to buy it. The real magic behind it isn’t the “It’s Clobbering Time!” or the witty commentary by Spider-Man, but it’s the interpersonal emotional dialogue between Dennis and his wife, and the awkward dialogues with his adopted daughter. The story is actually wracked with tragedy, but as a comic book reader, you get sucked into this world hoping for him, and hoping for a happy ending.

What also gives the book more impact that it should is the artwork by Mike del Mundo. The artwork is bright, dark, gritty and clean when it needs to be to illustrate the moods of the book. The darker panels give the proper somber tones and even a stressful tension that the teenage girl brings to her scenes. This book may be finite, and given its more grounded approach, we have a sense of reality that isn’t present in Avengers. Sure Spidey and Thing show up, but they are the same as seeing a bright green camaro, or a woman with a short skirt. They give you a sense of rare instance, but don’t dominate the overall mood.

It may be because I enjoy Vertigo books, but I really took a liking to this more grounded Marvel book, and the human problems that are in it. I like to escape to a world filled with super powers as much as the next guy, but as a comics reader, I enjoy books like this because they demonstrate what the medium is capable of.  Not once did I turn the page and roll my eyes when Dennis manifested powers. I didn’t sigh heavily when the Thing yelled “Clobbering Time!!!”. I was able to set the fan boy down, and embrace the story for the emotions that Rick Remender wanted me to feel, and that my friends is a rare thing.

Avengers Children’s Crusade #2 (OF 9)

WRITER: ALLAN HEINBERG
PENCILS: JIM CHEUNG
INKS: MARK MORALES
COLORED BY: JAYPO LLC
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: JIM CHEUNG

Jimmy Cheung is a great guy, and I have had the pleasure of hanging out with him since he is here in the boondocks of Florida. When you see his work, you automatically are drawn to the great character drawings, the framed action sequences, and the panel layouts. It’s always great work. And then when you meet the guy, you just become a rabid fan. He’s one of the nicest dudes, and a genuinely good guy. So of course I’ll pick up this book. I don’t even need Heinberg on it.

This book is a fantastic return of the too short lived Young Avengers title, and I am one of those fan boys that winces at the idea that anyone different from Hienberg and Cheung handling the book. Luckily we get a breath of fresh air, and this dynamic and young group can once again have adventures in an old-fashioned Marvel way.

I can blab on and on about Jimmy all day, but let me swing the spotlight on Heinberg. I was frustrated as hell when he left Wonder Woman since he was doing and awesome job of rebuilding her after Infinite Crisis. Heinberg seems to get comics. He’s fantastic at TV writing, but I love his comics work. He actually reminds me of  Jeff Loeb the way he stays within the standard tropes of comic books, but where Loeb loses me, Heinberg excels. Heinberg doesn’t insert everyone’s favorite one-liners for the sake of defining the book and giving people “What they want”. He merely writes a good story, stays true to the characters, and gives us some fun twists and turns along the way.

I’ll admit that the first issue gave me whiplash as they went back and forth to Avengers Tower, but this issue was fluid, and had a confluent idea behind it to keep driving the Young Avengers on their quest. The idea of the kids pairing up with Magneto was delicious, and the torn loyalties and tension was fantastic. All of which eventually leading to a fantastic teaser for next issue which I am anxious to read. Damn it Jimmy! Hurry up!!!

Brightest Day #9

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK & JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH
Variant covers by IVAN REIS

Another solid hit. I was worried to death that we would have a run of Haws stuff, but luckily, it was J’honn and Aquaman. Although the book seemed brief compared to Superman:Last family #2, and 1 Month to Live, it was still filled with good stuff. J’honn is torn and decimating Ollie’s magic forest, as Ollie has to stop the out of control Martian Manhunter, we learn the new Aqualad is the son of none other than Black Manta. That will make for some great stories in the future. In the hands of Geoff Johns Aquaman goes from confusing-crap-character to cool water-avenger.

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #158

Writer: Larry Hama

Artist: Agustin Padilla, Rod Whigham

The Joes turn up the heat, and rally at COBRA’s secret Silent Castle. Scarlett and Snake Eyes, infiltrate the castle while Duke and boys rouse bloody hell outside. The issue is filled with great action sequences that leap out of an 8-year old imagination (not a bad thing), and story really does a fine job of giving everyone their minutes of glory. My only gripes were that a few twists in logic drew me out of the story. Even though the story was a bit muddled near the end, and telegraphed everything happening in simple terms, I still enjoyed the book as an enjoyable military toy book.  I’m looking forward to seeing the Joes kick the crap out of COBRA this time, and especially  anxious to see Cobra Commander’s new battle armor.

Superman The Last Family Of Krypton #2 (OF 3)

Written by CARY BATES
Art by RENATO ARLEM
Cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA

I had no idea how much I missed the “Elseworlds” books until this book showed up. And it’s hard to “break in the room”, especially with this crowd or over-analyzing fan boys. Cary Bates continues to write a logically different Superman book, and Renato Arlem illustrates it with balanced and beautifully rendered imagery.

The saga of the Els continues as Clark tries to find his place on Earth. His super-powered twin siblings learn that they are half-mortal due to their earth-birth (sounds like a disgusting beer), and Lex continues to outshine Clark. Only in this book we get a look at the growing cult called “Doomsday” that wants this fantastic super-family off Earth.

Much of the book’s imagery and famous lines can still be found in Mario Puzo’s screenplay of Superman:The Movie, but it wasn’t too awkwardly jammed into the book. I still enjoyed the twist of the half-super twins, the way Lex is playing both sides (naturally) and I especially liked the artwork. These double issues are great, and I’m happy I grabbed this is in issues instead of trade.

Thor For Asgard #1 (OF 6)

WRITER: ROB RODI
PENCILS: SIMONE BIANCHI
INKS: SIMONE BIANCHI
COLORED BY: SIMONE PERUZZI
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: SIMONE BIANCHI

I know some fans must hate it, but I’m loving the influx of Thor titles, and I really enjoy these side books. Some fans have cried foul on the account that the movie is coming out, and Marvel is trying to rip-off the readers. Horse hockey! Here’s why: Shut up. Enjoy the extra Thor books, and no one is putting a gun to your head to buy them.

So in this tale Thor is putting down rebellions in the 9 realms after Odin has gone missing for two years and Blader is dead. Can anyone say Ragnarock? Thor must carry the weight of Odin’s throne a she tried to lead the Gods through this dreary time. He Doesn’t have the power of Mjoner, and times are getting leaner and leaner. It was a dreary read, but the tale is dreary. My highlight of the book is when Thor and company have to attack civilians and front giants alike since the frost giants are using the simple folk as human shields. Interesting commentary there. Bianchi draws a pretty good Thor book. The photo-real renderings and character designs are really easy on the eye, and the layouts break up the pages in refreshing ways.

Wolverine #1

WRITER: JASON AARON
PENCILS: RENATO GUEDES
INKS: ART & COMICS INT’L
COLORED BY: MATTHEW WILSON
COVER BY: JAE LEE

Jason Aaron has joined the ranks of Geoff Johns, Warren Ellis and Brian K Vaughn as a writer whom I will try anything their name is on. He writes a solid story, with good cliff hangers, true characterization, great experimentation without compromise of character, and a great balance of reality and fantasy. I have always felt that the great comic book writers are the one s that can take chances, remember the stories that have come before, and still write a book that is something new without betraying the true nature of the character.

Here Aaron writes a Wolverine book that gives us the gritty back-story that accompanies Wolverine, and manages to move along at a good pace without being mired in inner-dialogue. Wolvie meets up with Wraith, and then a mysterious group attacks wraith, Wolvie’s girlfriend, and presumably everyone he cares about. Mystique comes to the rescue, and explains that Logan is actually separated. At this point the story ends with Logan about to be tortured in the bowls of Hell. I know right? Craziness. But it all worked. Renato Guedes art is well done, and I enjoyed the thin lines that cleanly rendered the characters. He had great action panels, and some cool character designs.

I also enjoyed the Silver Samuri backup story even though I had no idea he died. It was great, and you can really tell that Aaron has read every issue of Wolverine and that is why he gets him. Not a cliché in sight.

Wolverine Road To Hell #1

WRITER: JASON AARON, MARJORIE LIU, RICK REMENDER & DANIEL WAY
PENCILS: Mico Suayan, Guiseppe Camuncoli, Will Conrad & Jerome Opena

This book stole my lunch money. Another one of those books with 9-page previews of other books that I shouldn’t be charged for since it is a big advertisement. Boooooooo Marvel for this book.

This is purely a satire/comedy prestige format book that takes some wild swings at DC and Marvel’s mainstream comic characters. Here’s the basic plot, A hooker gets powers from a Galactic overseer, and despite being rough around the edges she saves New York. The super team, villains, and other characters are simple satires of the JLA and the Avengers (mostly JLA), and portrayed as overly-sexual yet restricted shadows of what we have all grown up with. Some sections could be seen as childish humor, while other scenes made me laugh out loud at times. Ennis certainly showed no restraint (why would he?) as he took some swings at the Bat-family dynamic, Wonder Woman’s ambiguous nature, and Superman’s chaste reputation.

Amanda Conner was  a brilliant accompanist to illustrate this raunchy parody. Her honest look at a hooker who has to care for a baby on her own had great touches of realism mixed into the sexual tinsel. There were two panels that made my jaw drop, by the way they were laid out, and the humor that was infused with them. But the use of bruises, band-aids, knobby knees, grungy apartments, and implied actions was brilliant from page to page. Now, I don’t have any censorship issues, but I’m sure certain readers do, so I’ll keep this review brief. I would however like to take a small stab at Comixology’s  “Guided View”.

Why the Hell did it censor certain panels when I have to prove I am over 18 when I purchase or update my comic reader? Clearly I am over 18, and don’t give a rat’s ass about the adult content. Now I can see how a kid could find my iPad, somehow flip thought he comics, and see some inappropriate panels, but take the restrictions off if you are going to have me sign on.

Anyways, if you want a fun, Dick & Fart joke comic book that takes a swing at mainstream comics, this was a really enjoyable one.

This was a solid week of comic books, and I had a good stack of them to review even though my LCS didn’t order 2 I wanted (Welcome to DCBService.com). It was a solid week of 4-star books (Going by the iFanboy.com rating system) and it was hard to figure out which book I thought was tops. I have been trying to review the 4-star and up books at length, and giving short reviews for this column, but there was only a couple of books I didn’t care for * cough * JLA * cough* .

Justice League Generation Lost #8

Written by JUDD WINICK
Breakdowns by KEITH GIFFEN
Pencils by AARON LOPRESTI
Covers by TONY HARRIS and J.D. METTLER
White Lantern Variant covers by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

If you asked me at the beginning of the summer what I would be looking forward to the most by August, I would have either said Invincible, or The Flash. Not in a million years would I have said Justice League Generation Lost, or any other title by Judd Winick about the JLA that never got good press. I don’t hate the guy, but I just don’t have any stories by him in collected trade, and I haven’t really enjoyed his writing style. It’s not a direct criticism, I just never cared much for his stories. And as far as this JLA is concerned…I never liked them much either. I liked the Bwah ha ha I Can’t Believe Its Justice League stories, but my JLA had the big seven, and was written my Waid or Morrison.

Now, I’m singing a different tune (as I eat my hat).

When Max Lord came back to life at the end of Blackest Night, I was really intrigued on what he was doing. You knew, just knew, it wasn’t good. So I dove into this series for two reasons. 1) I never gave this “league” a shot (As you can tell above). (2) It comes out digitally on Comixology, so I wouldn’t get screwed out of a copy at my LCS. And I have been rewarded for my curiosity ten fold. These characters aren’t a collection of B-Listers who have their own story thanks to an open-ended cross over. These people are heroes who were once the core members of the Justice League.

The skinny (as you may know from reading my previous columns) is this group was mysteriously brought together my Max Lord who has used his powers to erase his existence to everyone but them. Their quest is to stop him, and they are having a hell of a time finding a guy who doesn’t exist. Last issue they broke into Checkmate to find him, but got caught. In this issue they fight their way out and rendezvous at their old embassy in Germany, where Max is waiting.

Not only do the characters shine in their own way in this book, but they have the good balance that a team book needs. They have good moments as solitary characters, but they also gell together well. It’s a trait that made me fall in love with Morrison’s JLA. Beetle is a great character on his own, but fantastic mixed into this group.  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the artwork by Lopresti. The Rocket Red designs for everyone are great, but his layouts are fantastic. He is able to construct great panels for static dialog (thanks to the letterer too) but also his panels that are filled with action are explosive and filled with energy. The scene where Captain Atom rescues the captured group is particularly good.  The book is really smartly put together and the more this book continues the more I anticipate its release. I’m just happy that it comes out bi-weekly.

Avengers #4

WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
PENCILS: John Romita JR.
COLORED BY: DEAN WHITE
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: John Romita JR.

Ahhhhhhhh. This was much better that issue 3. The artwork still isn’t my cup of tea, but the story has some great moments. This is the part of a traditional trade paperback that you wind up racing through, and don’t even notice the breaks between issues. The first team goes through time to the future to stop Kang from breaking the time stream any more than it is. They witness a 2-page-epic-battle-royale and then are brought to Hulk and the Next Avengers. Team B is left in NY to have witty banter and wacky-time-breaking-battles. It was a fun comic book, and I only wish we could discard team A’s storyline so we can just follow team B, they’re more fun. Since Marvel is intent on having 19 Avengers books, let Team A have their own title, and we can follow Team B. Makes sense to me.

I think Bendis has segmented his comfort zones into the book. You can tell that the main story revolving around team A is the one he probably has to take time to write, and remind himself how the characters are voiced. Team B is probably written in 5 minutes, and is just a lot of fun. I can’t help but wish that Jimmy Cheung or Bryan Hitch was handling the art duties on this book though. I really don’t mean to put J.R. JR down because I do appreciate his work, but there are a few spots on this book that would have been theatrically big in another person’s hands. Now JR JR’s framing of the action, the angles, the energy, and ideas were awesome. The battle royale in the future was an incredible, violent landscape, but almost indiscernible due the the amount of open lines JR JR crams in the page. I really had to look hard at the panels to see what was happening to whom, and at one point thought I saw a Rocket Red in there. Despite art confusion, this book felt like it got back on pace, and with the separation of the heroes, it feels like it hit a winning rhythm.

Batman #702

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by TONY DANIEL

I feel like Lincoln writing to Grant near the end of the Civil War “…I see it now…” and this issue is a culmination of the brilliance that is Grant Morrison. Grant is one of those writers that has a polarized audience. He has big ideas that challenge readers, and you either love him, or you just can’t grab what he is saying. He is one of those writers that challenges your thought process, and makes you pay attention. He forces you to engage your brain, and become more involved with the story he is telling. Batman #702 lays the cards about Batman on the table that he has been dealing to us for almost 2 years. Tony Daniel crushes the art here, and the letterer does a brilliant job with the various narrations. I honestly have a hard time writing this review due to the complex nature of the story, so I will say only this: IF you are reading Return of Bruce Wayne, you need to pick this up.

Invincible #74

story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover RYAN OTTLEY & FCO PLASCENCIA

It’s funny. Normally I would bitch about deadlines and publication schedules, but I MUST stick by my statement that I would rather have a late good book, than a crappy book on time. Ottley is delivering the clean lines with great framing and energy that make Invincible a fun read. His debris, backgrounds, and use of varied line really embody the term “illustrate” for these battle panels. As always Kirkman supplies a story that logically makes sense, and also twists and turns to create interest and situations that you want to continue reading. It’s almost torture to read this by issue, and waiting for the next issues to come out. I want to read this entire war NOW, and with the story’s pacing it would feel as though 5 minutes has passed by.

Oliver and Nolan have their last bonding-quiet moment before Mark wakes up fully recovered. As they leave the planet to rejoin the fight, the Viltrimites attack the Federation home world, hoping to finish the war. They’re quickly repelled as Mark, Nolan and Oliver arrive to destroy the lead ship, and repel the invasion. We then learn that all of the Viltrimites will be coming home for a last stand/attack. And then the damn book ends! A good sign that book is good is the anger you feel when you see the words “To be continued…”.

Astonishing X-Men #35

WRITER: Warren Ellis
PENCILS: Phil Jimenez
COLORED BY: Chris Arrant
LETTERED BY: Jason Paz
COVER BY: Phil Jimenez

This story line was dismissible for me, but I kept getting the issues since they were infrequent, and I wanted to keep a complete run. Since it has been a while since I read issue 34, I was pretty clueless about the story, but this last issue was good on its own. Basically we get to the big bad guy, Cyclops crashes Cobra’s Nightraven into a ship, and Wolverine punches an old man. The whole issue was pretty dismissible until that moment, which made me burst out laughing. Fantastic character building and dialog kept this book up in the ranks, but I really hope the next storyline is a bit more “epic” to earn a place among the “Astonishing” storylines.

Superman Batman #75

Written by PAUL LEVITZ, JOE KELLY, DAVID FINCH, J.T. KRUL, STEVEN T. SEAGLE and others
Art by JERRY ORDWAY, DAVID FINCH, ADAM HUGHES, FRANCIS MANAPUL, DUNCAN ROULLEAU and others
Cover by FRANK QUITELY

I don’t read this book normally, but since DC threw a party, I thought I’d crash it. I enjoyed Loeb’s run on this book back in the day, and Paul Levitz wrote a cool Legion wrap-in story. I loved Batman’s role in the story, and it answered that question of how Batman would react to the Legion (I haven’t read that before). How would a street-level character like Batman react to a Silverage Time-traveling collection of X-men wannabes like the Legion? Brilliant stuff. Naturally all the back matter was fantastic, and it a great menagerie of ideas from the industry’s finest. One of the stand out stories was Azarello and Bermejo’s Joker and Lex. A great Homage to Bill Waterson’s Calvin and Hobbes with a great summary of the two Archvillian’s motivations. another standout 2-page story was Billy Tucci’s Brothers In Arms which was imaginative and brilliantly drawn.

Thor #613

WRITER: KIERON GILLEN
PENCILS: RICHARD ELSON
INKS: PASQUAL FERRY
COLORED BY: ANDREW J. TROY
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: MICHAEL SUAYAN

Thor is getting better and better, leaving behind the run from Siege, and as Thor travels deeper into Hell, we the readers journey into a better place. The artwork for this run is fantastic. The darkness and reds mixed with fantastic bristling details and imaginative designs help take you on a journey through Hades that challenges Thor on a physical level, and emotionally as he is tempted to save his mother. I’m looking forward to this story’s conclusion, not to get to something better, but to witness the culmination of something better. Thor continues to be mythological and entertaining like a book about a God should be.

Wonder Woman #602

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Art and cover by DON KRAMER and MICHAEL BABINSKI
Variant cover by ALEX GARNER

Speaking of mythology and entertainment, Wonder Woman continues to build up from her shattered back stories with a new one that JMS likes. I think Tom Katers put it best on the 11 O’clock Comics Podcast by stating that Wonder Woman has been wronged through the ages by her authors’ inconsistent way of writing her, and failing to embrace her heritage. They are always too quick to “Reinvent” her. I kind of trust JMS and his motivations to help put Wonder Woman into the foreground. I think he is writing her better than Superman. He has always been good at embracing mythology, and bringing heightened and untouchable characters to ground level.

In this issue Wonder Woman beats up a task force, and makes her way into a cluster of besieged Amazons. She has a tussle with the idea of faith, and then beats the living crap out of more war-mongering men. Again, JMS can put Wonder Woman in an environment where she can be a strong warrior and avenge the wronged, embrace and deepen her mythological heritage, and stand for an ideal that means something. Hopefully it will stick this time.

Namor First Mutant #1

WRITER: STUART MOORE
PENCILS: ARIEL OLIVETTI
COVER BY: JAE LEE

Well this was….interesting. Is anyone else concerned about the vampire connection to mutants? Anyways, Namor has decided that they need Dracula’s head so that he can be resurrected, and end this vampire problem. So the coup faction disposed of Dracula’s head by placing it at the bottom of the ocean. With a cloister of other mer-vampires.

Right.

Anyway, Namor journey’s down to the depths of the ocean is fruitful, but also ticks off the underwater vampires who apparently had a treaty with Namor’s people. Pretty interesting to be honest, given the circumstance, and Ariel Olivetti’s art was good, but has a rushed feeling to me. The characters and action are very good, but with empty water backgrounds for 80% of the book, I would have thought there would be a bit more.

Justice League Of America #48

Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by MARK BAGLEY, ROB HUNTER and NORM RAPMUND
Cover by MARK BAGLEY and JESUS MERINO
White Lantern Variant cover by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

Oh thank god this is over. I was hoping for an epic event like The Lightning Saga. Alas, this wasn’t that great, or even close to the term “saga”. The one bright spot in all this was seeing Jade fully resurrected, which  was a reward for fulfilling her end of the bargain wiht the White Lantern-power-guy, and Jesse Quick will be giving up Liberty Bell to join the JLA. Sorry guys, not enough to bring me back to JLA for a while, but I hope JSA is still good after this…..story.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

Written & Illustrated by Steve Mannion

Another fantastic addition to my digital library is Fearless Dawn from Asylum Press. Straight from the pages of The Bomb, Fearless Dawn gets her own series fighting drugged up Nazis. I stumbled upon the free 1st issue of The Bomb, and was hooked with the 1950’s art style. Initially, I couldn’t place its familiarity. All I could think of was bomber art from the second world war and beautiful pin-ups that remind me of the gorgeous Betty Page. But the pages of The Bomb are filled with black and white cartoons that were half anatomy lesson, and half MAD Magazine. After a bit of digging  (Cause it was driving me ape) I realized the art reminded me of the legendary Wally Wood.

All that aside, Fearless Dawn comes out of the menagerie of cartoons in The Bomb, and her story eventually took center stage in it’s own book. I discovered this all in an hour, but I’m sure the process took Steve Mannion months until Dawn found her voice. Anyways, Dawn decided to fight crime after being bullied in school. She worked out by grabbing an old Atlas workout book (Available in the back of her comics), and got her crime fighting outfit that was discarded (out a window by a local hooker). She eventually winds up fighting crime which leads us to Fearless Dawn #1 (Finally right? I had to fill you in on the back story).

16 years after The Bomb, Dawn gets out of jail, and decides to visit Manatoba. An island of drug enhanced nazi monsters. She is eventually captured after a scuffle, and Old #7 (Think Captain America) is sent in to rescue her. He too is captured, and they must take a 15-minute power enhancer/mutagen to escape.

This book is just enjoyable. In a way it is like holding an old pulp magazine from the 1960s. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m a bit cough older, I would have a sense of fear for being caught with it. It’s not a “dirty” book, but the imagery certainly won’t be used to promote women’s rights. All that aside, it’s tasteful, and given its retro feel, it is more artistic than some of the art I’m seeing in my mainstream capes books.  It gives me the same vibe of other pulp magazines like Vamparella, or Creepshow, but it also has a new sense of line and shade. There is something about the artwork that stands out, despite the heavy influence from Wally Wood. The Joe Kubert School grad is able to parrot the styles of the past, but through his story telling style, he is able to put his own spin on it. The mixture of Silver Age plot devices and humorous parody of the situations presented make for an addictive read, and it is quite refreshing from the all-serious books we have today. Sure I’ve blabbed about the art, and not the story, but it is the artwork that made the impression to me, and defined the book.  I’ve already downloaded all the issues I can for my comics reading app, and I’m looking forward to reading straight to #4.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

This was a return of a good week, and my LCS actually had a fat stack of books for me. So this will be a week free of bitching about that. Another DC-heavy week, but Marvel isn’t writing a whole lot of books I am interested in, so I’ll try and chin up, and diversity my selections. It would help if Marvel published to a digital domain so I could overcome the problem of local market, but blah blah blah. Warning: This column reviews spoilers! On with the reviews!

Star Trek: Burden of Knowledge #3

Writer: Scott & David Tipton
Artist: Frederica Manfredi
Cover: Joe Corroney

This book continues to surprise me, and it also continues to have a consistently good book. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again; Licensed Property books are usually shit. But this one is like being treated to lost classic episodes. The classic banter between McCoy and Spock, the perfect cadence of Kirk’s dialogue, and the adventures that the USS Enterprise has make this book an enjoyably comfortable read. Another bonus for this book is the length. I can read a Flash book in under 5 minutes, and if it is any longer, it failed (generally). But with this book it truly feels like a double sized issue the way that Scott & David Tipton create a story that feels long, but not boring or slowly paced.

In this issue the Enterprise docks for supplies and repairs. While Scotty voices his reluctance to have anyone touch his baby, the Andorians tinker with the ship. As the Enterprise continues her mission, they run across a demolished interstellar cruise ship, and wind up getting into a battle with the Tellarites. Turns out the Andorians tinkered with Enterprise to start an interstellar war, and it almost worked. Kirk diplomatically works his (and the Federation’s) way out of the pickle and all is well. However, this is the first issue that a cliff hanger was introduced. Normally the issue is a done-in-one, but now I am anticipating the next issue.

Art-wise, the book is solidly illustrated, and the characters don’t look like horribly deformed versions of their TV selves, which is a normal risk for licensed properties. The space battle was pretty well done. Star Trek comics are notorious for having sterile and lifeless action panels, but the ship to ship warfare was well done. I may sound like a broken record here, but I think you might have to be an older reader, who watched the original series, or watched it in syndication on TV to really enjoy it. It feels less like supplementary material, and more like a lost season.

Avengers & Infinity Gauntlet #1

WRITER: BRIAN CLEVINGER
PENCILS: BRIAN CHURILLA
INKS: BRIAN CHURILLA
COLORED BY: MICHELLE J. MADSEN-STEWART
COVER BY: HUMBERTO RAMOS

Among the many classic Marvel Comics stories that I don’t have, Secret Wars is among the missing books I need to grab. Before you hurl tomatoes, I have read the story, and I do understand its importance to the Marvel Universe, I just haven’t gotten a copy to put in my lending library yet. Now I had been keeping my eyes open for it, and then this little book popped into my pull list. Apparently, this series is along the lines of Thor: Mighty Avenger; a new series of books that aren’t part of the Marvel 616, and are just fun to read.

In this issue we have a classic Marvel comic. Opens with inherent danger, moves to a fun street fight, then the weirdness kicks in. Danger is then made known, and heroes assemble. Then a villain busts in and after a fun fight claims to want a team up. Fantastic traditional Marvel entertainment.

What stood out on this book for me was the writing. It looked cliché in the above paragraph, but the dialogue made it fun. The highlights were Spider-Man and Wolverine’s interactions. At one point I was laughing out loud when Spider-man wonders if he should play dead instead of fighting Doctor Doom. We really haven’t gotten to the “Big Event” yet, but damn this book was fun, and it was an example of the classic fun that Marvel is capable of producing.

DC Comics Cluster Reviews

Batman Beyond #3

Written by ADAM BEECHEN
Art by RYAN BENJAMIN and JOHN STANISCI
Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN

This book continues to surprise me. It was up on the “Pick of the Week” pedestal for a while. I will say without reservation that I am a fan of Hush. Most people hate him, especially long-time Batman readers, but I liked the Hush series with Loeb and Lee.  Here Terry is at odds and ends due to sleep deprivation. He’s got Bruce holding him to an unobtainable high standard, his social life is falling apart, and the other demands of life are beginning to suffer due to this Batman gig he has. Hush continues to terrorize classic Batman villains, and Bruce is fed up with Terry. Frankly the highlight of the issue was to see Terry interview Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. Great issue, and even better than a cross-over TV show comic should be.

Justice Society of America #42

Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by MARK BAGLEY and NORM RAPMUND
Cover by MARK BAGLEY and JESUS MERINO
White Lantern Variant cover by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

Do you know what a die-hard comic book reader is? They aren’t the kind that jump in for the events and jump out again. They are the kind that read books like this, and hang on hoping they will get better. So far this story has just failed to hook me, and I just can put my finger on why. I don’t want to sound like some ignorant prick, but for some reason I find myself putting this book down, and walking away over and over without any enthusiasm. It could be that I have had no experience with the Starheart, or that I don’t really care for this team of the JLA. I think it’s more related to this Starheart, and my general malaise for the topic. I just can’t seem to muster an ounce of care for it. Oh well, one issue left, and then it is back to our regularly scheduled program.

Brightest Day#8

Written by GEOFF JOHNS and PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Cover by DAVID FINCH
White Lantern Variant covers by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

Well last issue we got a glimpse of what was to come, and now we start the long journey to the end of the prophecy. Since I’m not a fan of the Hawk-people storyline, I’ll tell you that Shiera is facing her mother, and Hawkman is on his way to rescue her. In other developments, J’ohnn is shocked to learn another Green Martian is responsible for hideously killing people. Not a bad issue, but if you wanted to skip one, this would be it.

Green Lantern Corps #51

Written by TONY BEDARD
Art and cover by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
White Lantern Variant cover by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

Another good installment of Green Lantern Corps. With Guy off doing his own book, there doesn’t seem to be a furious plate-spinning act, and the book feels more focused. Cyborg-Superman continues to torture Ganthet by killing corps members, and forcing him to reverse the Alpha Lantern process. Meanwhile the robot planet pusses out when the rest of the Green Lanterns need them, and Hannu winds up killing Boodika. Interesting stuff. I just hope we get to see Cyborg Superman killed off for a while, cause I am getting sick of him popping into the Green Lantern stories lately.

Yes I am aware of Ex Machina ending this week, but I collect it in trades. I will be catching up soon, and writing a special Ex Machina review once the trades are made available. My congratulations and thanks go out to Brian K Vaughn and Tony Harris for a thrilling 50 issues. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

Bayou is set in Charon, Mississippi in 1933. Jeremy Love wastes not time by establishing the environment in the first few panels. It’s 1933 in the deep south, and segregation, bigotry, and racism are in full sway. We are introduced to our main character, Lee, who is fishing out a boy who was lynched for whistling at a white woman (Oh the horror). Lee spots a mystical vision, and like any sane person who is immersed in the dangerous waters of the bayou, doesn’t take it lightly. We then see her playing with her white friend, Lilly, who then decides to run down to the Bayou, ignoring Lee’s story, to sate her curiosity. We then learn that Lilly has a prized family heirloom, which is snatched from her neck by a monstrous hand that came out of the Bayou. We then learn that Lilly’s mother beats her, but Lee refuses to jump into the Bayou again to retrieve it.

This story has several elements that make this a fascinating read. Clearly there is a tension between these two friends that will eventually erupt. Lilly has no problem forcing her will on Lee due to the racial differences, and despite her best efforts Lee will most likely be exploited. The swamp creature (Bayou) is a mystery I cannot wait to get to the bottom of. It seems like Bayou is an incarnation of Solomon Grundy, but I believe Jeremy Love has more in mind for this swamp monster.

Artistically, Bayou is a puzzle to me. There are some gorgeous panels using water colors that bring the humid and moist feel of the bayou to your fingertips. The coloring even makes the pages feel dirty, like there is a muddy quality of a 1930’s swamp. If you follow the comic making process, you can see the pencil lines that helped form the angles and special relationships of the panels that are normally erased in the inking phase. Some people like this glimpse into the process, and others I know would say that it detracts from a polished presentation. The artwork dances between polished comics pages, and Sunday Funnies styled art. In one panel there will be a fully plush background with foreground action, and in the next there will be a character who has a sketched quality, with water color brushing and no background. This varied style works for the book, and if you are puzzled about the process and want to study the medium these pages are worth taking some time to study.

I’ll be catching up on this with digital issues since I have little chance of grabbing a trade locally, and I’ll post more reviews in the future. There are many offerings out there digitally, and this is yet another that I plan on following to the bitter end.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

Well I’m not going to beat around the bush (where does that saying come from?) and just say that this week’s comics left me flat-out blasé. I only had a handful of books, my local LCS only delivered half of what I had on my pull list, and finally delivered stuff from last week that kicked this week’s books’ asses.  So in no particular order:

Justice League Generation Lost #7

Written by JUDD WINICK
Breakdowns by KEITH GIFFEN
Art by JOE BENNETT
Covers by TONY HARRIS and J.D. METTLER
White Lantern Variant covers by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

This could be the better book of the week. I grabbed this one digitally because…that’s right, the local LCS was short. Thank God for simultaneous digital distribution. Keep it up DC.

So the events that took place in Brightest Day cross over mess with Max and bring strange portents of events to come. Meanwhile, the JLGL  schemes to break into Checkmate to find Max. I’m not sure if it is the digital presentation, but I really enjoyed the banter, the plot devices, and the action of the book. It was fun. Dangerous, and intriguing. Everything that is missing in the current JLA book. Frankly, there isn’t too much to say about this book. It works. The art word accompanies the story. It’s a straight an narrow book. Purely consistent.

Zatanna #4

Written by PAUL DINI
Art by CHAD HARDIN and WAYNE FAUCHER
Cover by STEPHANE ROUX
Variant cover by BRIAN BOLLAND

Crap. Stephane Roux & Karl Story did not lend their talents to the art of this book, and they were sorely missed. Paul Dini is still writing a great tale filled with Magic and Fishnet stockings, but it certainly wasn’t the same. It didn’t have that brilliance that the first 3 issues had. What I praised on the podcast was that the issues had a done-in-one feel, but still accumulated a plot that contributed to a great 3-issue arch.

Issue 4 simply leaves you in a cliff-hanger that made me feel a little cheated. I’m still going to pick up issue 5 cause this book is still very good, but it doesn’t feel have the brilliance that the first 3 had. Now, Chad Harden’s artwork is still great. He brings a bit sexier Zatanna to the book, and one with an almost nose-less face. Where Roux had a Disney-cell-animation style to it, Chad has the traditional comic style that solidify Zatanna as a comic book character.

The new royal Flush gang was a great fight, but the creative details for the inner office scenes, and end fight made it a great book. Dini’s dialogue about coin operated slot machines made me wistful for old-style Vegas as well. The story is still heading along a great path with mystical mystery, it just doesn’t have that spark that Roux infused in the book previously.

Emerald Warriors #1

Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by FERNANDO PASARIN
Cover by RODOLFO MIGLIARI
Variant cover by LEE BERMEJO

When this was first hinted at the end of Blackest Night, I rolled my eyes a little. I am not Guy Gardner’s biggest fan, but the unholy union between him, Atrocitous, and Ganthet made me curious as hell to pick this up. What did they know that we didn’t? What were they up to? I have been pulling Green Lantern Corps again and really enjoyed it, but I just can’t see why this Emerald Warriors crap isn’t part of that storyline. Instead they bring back Cyborg Superman for the thousandth time? Ugh.

So even though we are treated to 22 full-color pages, we really only establish that Guy gets permission to explore uncharted areas, and that Atrocitous is sending one of his lanterns with him. It took 22 pages to accomplish that, and I may have a short attention span right now, but I was under whelmed with this issue. The art was still as good as we have been treated to with Green Lantern, and Corps, but this book hasn’t given me enough to justify that it should have its own series.

Superman #702

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Art by EDDY BARROWS and J.P. MAYER
Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN

After reading a preview for this book I was expecting another episode of Superdickery. Alas, no such luck. I wasn’t able to get Superman #701 (thanks again to the meager selection at my LCS), so I wanted to see what all the commotion was about. Fanboys have been tearing JMS a new hole since Spider-Man, and they certainly lit into him with Forrest-Superman.

And I can see why. Superman has no appeal to me because there is no sense of danger, and here he’s just as boring. “grounded” is supposed to bring this lofty God to a more mortal level, but  it just feels pedestrian. He walks to Detroit, and he can probably be the only guy can walk through Detroit, interrupts a basketball game, and then encounters aliens. Naturally.

The next 16 pages exemplify why I just don’t read Superman. I know, that’s comics, but in Superman they just seem silly. Oh look, purple hiding aliens who bring up the current immigration issue, leave it hanging, and then revitalize Detroit with alien medical tech. Jesus. I can understand why some Superman fans are pissed. He spends a year away from earth, and when he comes back he doesn’t do anything super. Even though this is a character sketch, I can’t look through this book and see why it had to be a Superman book. Why not Captain Atom, or some other schlub walking around?

Dungeon & Dragons #0

Written by John Rogers and Alex Irvine
Art by Andrea DiVito and Peter Bergting
Covers by Paul Renaud and Wayne Reynolds

I want my money back. Sure it was only a buck, but I want it back. I got this crap free in the back of G.I Joe #157 last week, there were just 4 additional pages. IDW tricks you that way. They have great cover stock, and it makes you feel like you got a lot for your money, but when it boils down to it, they have the same amount of ages, with 12 pages of previews for other books.

So D&D felt like a module, and a generic one at that. I was hoping for a bit more, but then again, I’m a guy who played a pant-load of this game in my teens, and never from those modules. We didn’t have the grumpy dwarf, the stealing kinder, or the hot sorceress. We were more original.

And I was hoping for that. We could have had a varied group in an awesome sprawling adventure, but instead we get the DnD 101 character kit, and Typical maze of danger. Blech.

The Books I Should Have Gotten Last Week.

Rasl #8

Written & Drawn by Jeff Smith

Where the bloody hell was this book last week? Damn it! Well enough bitching. As always, this was another stellar entry by Jeff Smith. One of my chief complaints abut this book is that it just doesn’t come out fast enough. Otherwise I could remember what happened last issue. Our hero recounts the affair he was having with his partner’s wife, and how she was oddly curious about the missing notebook of Tesla. And then she showed up. The whacked out little girl that left the best damn cliffhanger of the week. The art work is brilliantly clean a always. All the emotion, the awkward conversations, and action all have fluid motion and were injected with what seems to be a genuine portrayal of people’s behavior. It is the type of thing that elevates a book from “Funny book” to “graphic novel”.

S.H.I.E.L.D. #3

Written by: Jonathan Hickman

Art by: Dustin Weaver

This is another “Crap I missed it!” comic. I had seen captures of panels, but the sheer beauty of this comic is best to be held in the hands, and studied. The story is fantastic again. It’s puzzling, and leaves people rubbing their temples, but I love this story. It challenges me, and makes you think the panels through. I had dropped out of comics for a while in the 90s (Who hadn’t) and when I returned I read a lot of Vertigo books. Books with complicated plots about eternals, and preachers, and worlds only peopled by women.

Back to shield, we are treated to how this organization turns back Galactus (Make sure you read the letters at the end) and how Isaac Newton suffered to gain knowledge. The “suffer” panel is incredible uncomfortable, and the snowy discovery panel is immense. Sure the Galatcus battles are great, the amount of detail in the destruction is great, but scope of cityscape below the mountain was incredible. This is still a 5 star book.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

Writer(s)

Mike Raicht
Brian Smith

Penciler(s)

Charles Paul Wilson III

Colorist(s)

Michael DeVito
Jon Conkling

Editor(s)

Michael DeVito
Jon Conkling

I recently began to prefer reading my digital comics on Comixology’s app, and most of my decision is based on the way the reader moves the story from panel to panel. Much of that forced direction enriches the experience, helps the new reader interpret the layouts that are non-conventional, and with this book, it made the experience a cinematic treat. For instance (I’ll try and keep this as spoiler free as possible), the story begins in a child’s room, and while the panels move from side to side to set up the quite atmosphere of bedtime, everything begins to turn ugly and suspenseful. The way the action flows from one event to another, panel after panel illustrates the horror that set this story in motion. It feels as close to a movie as you can get without the story being sacrificed to some studio-moron’s “vision”.

The boy in the room is kidnapped by the Boogeyman, and taken into The Dark of his closet. The toys in the room are much like the squad of characters we know from Pixar’s Toy Story, but set in 1944. There’s a wooden colonel, a ballerina, a clown from a jack-in-the-box, a teddy bear, a wooden duck, a puppy, an indian princess, and a piggy bank who set out to rescue the boy from The Dark. There, in the magical land of the closet, they become flesh and have to rescue the boy from the Boogeyman.

The characterization of the assembled crew coupled with the traditional sepia-colored pencils creates an aged atmosphere that truly sets the tone of the book, and wholly transports you into this tale. Beware, this story isn’t for kids. The toys may be a child’s playthings, but through their dialogue and reactions you see that they are as mature and self-centered as adults with their mortal fears, and pragmatic logic. Despite going on a quest to save a child, they all feel fear their mortality, and there is a true danger that is emotionally gripping in issue two. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it grim, but I would caution against reading this to children unless you are sure of their maturity level.

Now having showered the books with praise, I must be fair to point out that the first issue could feel long to some new readers. The event that sets the book in motion happens, and for pages we see the room recap the past action and figure out how to cope with it. It is the only way to introduce the toy characters, and help the reader sort out who is a heroic characters that love the boy enough to sacrifice their safety to go after him, but it could feel a little long.

Beyond that, the story truly takes off, and the reader then has one foot in the reality of Brooklyn in June of 1944, and one foot on the other side of the closet where our heroes have a long quest ahead of them. I couldn’t help buying all the issues available, and for $0.99 each, you just can’t resist. I wound up reading it repeatedly, catching all the details that are illustrated in the panel, and all the nuances as you can see the parallels of real life with the adventure in The Dark. The first issue is free to download right now, so if you enjoy Fables you have no excuse to read through this enchanting tale.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

This was a good week for Marvel Comics. I am predominantly a DC comics reader, but this week I had a majority of my stack come from the “House of Ideas”. Since the events of Siege, and this clumsy rebirth of a “heroic” (old school) era, I have lost interest in Marvel. With 217 Avengers titles, and 2 more mini-events concerning characters I couldn’t care for, I just don’t have anything on my pull. But, I think that this week’s pick of the week comes from Marvel, even though the bi-weekly Brightest Day was really, really good.

Avengers Prime #2

WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
PENCILS: ALAN DAVIS
INKS: MARK FARMER
COLORED BY: JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: ALAN DAVIS

I grabbed this title for the sake of the podcast, but also because I like these characters. When it comes down to it, I have a noob’s sense of the Avengers, and the past incarnations of the teams don’t interest me much. New Avengers has a cast of great characters, but seems really crowded with all the a-list heroism. Avengers Prime has the atmosphere of a musketeers book. Three men who are top of the class, and are able to overcome great odds due to working together for so long. While New Avengers feels crowded like a Freshman 101 class, Avengers Prime feels like a 404 advanced class with only 10 students. Here, Professor Bendis can break down the basic elements of the story, and show us the character study of who these men are, what they do, and what they are capable of.

Tony Stark appears to get the worst of it in this issue. Last issue the three were sucked into a vortex left behind from the broken Rainbow Bridge that helps transport the Gods between Asgard and Midgard. Now the nine worlds are open, and our three heroes had to figure out where they were, and how to find one another. Tony follows his instinct with his talent of hubris, name drops his way into trouble, and without his armor demonstrates to the readers his mortality. Steve Rogers had acquired a familiar shield and scale mail last issue, but is seduced by a local lady, all while Thor is piecing together how the nine realms are collapsing in on each other, and who is behind it all.

Alan Davis’ pencils are fantastic, giving us a sense of familiarity with the character posing and visuals we are given. Sexy ladies, and men in heroic gestures help illustrate the “return” of the classic feel Marvel once had, and the “heroic” feel they are trying to reestablish. Bendis seems to be able to flex his more advanced writing techniques, weaving the three storylines together and building to the stress point. Davis does a fantastic job cutting and placing the frozen scenes together, and by use of color and perspective the panels converge to bring the drama to its height. Those pages are what makes me love comics.

Brightest Day #7

Written by GEOFF JOHNS and PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Cover by DAVID FINCH
White Lantern Variant covers by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

White Lantern Variant covers by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN and JOEL GOMEZ

I knew that I would one day pick Brightest Day as my favorite of the week, and this one came damn close. After 6 issues of milling about, the resurrected B-listers get a sense of direction. Most readers bitched around issue #3 for an issue like this, and I pity them. The weekly series that DC put together in the past worked so well due to its slow-burn style. They have a lot of pages available, and the talent behind these books can take full advantage of this. So let hem do their thing.  After-all, look at some great long-form series we have all enjoyed in the past. Books like Preacher, Sandman, Y:The Last Man have all enjoyed the long story form without the 2-week publishing schedule propping us their sales numbers. Here we get a good story, and we don’t have to wait for it as long. Enough bitching.

So Deadman finally grabs the White Lantern after having a cheeseburger, and the White Entity reveals the story to us. Someone on Earth will take the entity’s place (any bets?), and small prophecies and missions are dolled out. We get teased out the ass for future story lines, and now the story will truly begin to quicken its pace. What I really like about prophecy stories is the feeling you get that there are a bounty of surprises yet to be dealt to us. The author is so sure of the story that they have no problem tipping their hand because of what they truly have planned for you. This type of story device is a fantastic way to keep all of us comic book readers enrapt, and it really is best digested in weekly format. Sure, you can trade wait, but you would miss out on the tension that is created every 14 days. What we now know is that Digger will throw a boomerang at Dove that Hawk has to intercept, but why? And what will come of it? Much less, will it happen? These types of questions can drive a comic fan crazy, and I can’t wait for issue 8.

Avengers: The Origin #5

WRITER: JOE CASEY
PENCILS: PHILIP J. NOTO
INKS: PHILIP J. NOTO
COLORED BY: PHILIP J. NOTO
LETTERED BY: RICHARD STARKINGS
COVER BY: PHILIP J. NOTO

I am really sad this is over. I would be fine with Casey and Noto continuing to tell all of the old Avengers tales. Casey has a good sense of what to decompress, and what to shorten for today’s readers. And I could stare at Noto’s art all day. People don’t care for the ink-free style but I love it. I have said it before on the podcast, but I just admire someone who’s clean pencils and bright coloring style illustrate the book, and set it apart from all the heavily ink, “dark” books that are out there (Looking at you Irredeemable). There aren’t many artists whose original pages I would buy, but I am going to start searching for pages from this series.

So Loki is found out, Hulk is let go, and the Avengers….assemble. After all the decompression of the past 4 issues, this one did feel a bit rushed. Loki is dealt with, and the remainder of the issue quickly established Jan’s idea of a super-team. The ending sequences were very nice though. While the team waxes on about confronting evil, Noto gives us polished prophecies of storylines long-time Avengers readers are familiar with. And while Casey’s story felt a bit truncated for time, so did Noto’s art. Many of the backgrounds were plain or missing, and even though the focus would be on dialogue, there was nothing to look at but headshots. This was a fun retelling of the beginning of Marvel’s Super-team, and I hope it will be available in trade for Christmas, cause it is a prime stocking-stuffer.

Drive By Reviews

Irredeemable #16

Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Diego Barreto

I was expecting a very boring set-up issue, and I was half-right. It wasn’t boring, but slow paced, and it should have been. Issue #15 was action packed, and now we need some quiet moments to catch our breath. Volt is buried, and Keiko and Quibit morn him. Survivor terrorizes the government that betrayed them, Bette and Gilgamos have split-up leaving Bette alone in her depressed misery, and Tony and Modeus/Samsara stick it to a wreckless driver. This is a good jumping on issue since all the build up has been spent, and there are a few catch-up panels. Just when you think the story might wind down to a gasp, you can tell Waid has a lot more story to tell, and that the next 15 issues are going to be amazing. I am all in on this, and hoping I will have a long box full of Irredeemable soon.

The Rage of Thor

WRITER: PETER MILLIGAN
PENCILS: MICO SUAYAN
COLORED BY: M AND E MILLA, INC.
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: MICHAEL SUAYAN

Picking up where The Trial of Thor left off, Thor is plenty pissed at Odin, who just wants to drink the incident off. Thor takes off to have a quite life on Midgard, but like every western film, the angry warrior’s past catches up to him, and things will never be the same. I really like this series, despite this being a predictable issue with some very heavy inking. This particular series of One-Shots deals with the mythology of Thor, and by telling the legends of Asgard, gives Thor the grandeur that is sometimes lacking in regular issues.

G.I Joe: A Real American Hero #157

Writer: Larry Hama
Artist: Agustin Padilla
Cover: Agustin Padilla, Rod Whigham

Okay, I love the snot out of this book. When I want to read a Joe book, I want to see the Joes prevail against odds, and fight like hell. Here they do….again. I jumped on this book last issue, and it has its hooks in me. Sure, it’s as predictable as the cartoon was, but certainly not as hokey, and definitely has better actions with consequences. Any really, they aren’t any more predictable than a cape book. These books just don’t have characters with loads of super powers to make it seem as “creative”. This book continues to pile on the action, and it is still building. Pick this one up now while you still have a shot at the ground floor of it, cause it seems like this will be a good thrill ride.

Batman Odyssey #2

Written by NEAL ADAMS
Art by NEAL ADAMS
Sketch variant cover by NEAL ADAMS

This book truly puzzles me. The art is great, the story is pretty intriguing, but I’m really having trouble reading this book without putting it down 4 or 5 times. It could be due to every panel being crammed with art and a metric ton of word balloons. The past two issues have really focused on Batman getting shot up like a Civil War deserter. Sure there are other things going on, but I keep focusing on Batman getting riddled with bullets. I really want to like this book, but this might be my last issue, and I’ll catch this in trades. The storylines are a bit too jumpy for me to remember them from month to month, and I think that is what is doing it in for me, cause the art is damn gorgeous.

Hit Monkey #2

WRITER: DANIEL WAY
PENCILS: DALIBOR TALAJIC
INKS: DALIBOR TALAJIC
COLORED BY: JOSE VILLARRUBIA
COVER BY: Dave Johnson

Okay, I like it. The first issue left me wanting, but issue #2 was a step in the right direction. The Hit-Monkey grabs a tuxedo, and finally gets to work. The metaphysical/psychosomatic stuff at the end was a bit much for me, but the interplay between Bullseye and the way the Monkey still got his mark was great. Now I hope the showdown between the two in next issue is just as good.

Superman: Last Family of Krypton

Written by CARY BATES
Art by RENATO ARLEM
Cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA

This is the first “Elseworlds” book I have seen since the rebirth of the Multi-verse. Here we have the answer to the age-old question: Why didn’t the brilliant scientist Jor-El just build a ship for his family? Well here he did, and in this double-issue we get to see how things unfold differently. Jor-el makes it his mission to help humas evolve to Earth’s potential with his technological advancement, while Kara sends Kal to the Kents to get a grounded upbringing. Then the story just develops wildly as Kal becomes a disappointment to his father, Luthor gets a job with Jor-El, and Kara gives birth to twins. This will be a fun, and divergent ride, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the conflict will come from, and how “Superman” will emerge from all this. As always, Superman bores me to tears, but the Elseworlds dealing with Superman are fascinating.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

Newsarama

“Like everyone else, we saw what was happening with the Gulf of Mexico, and since Fathom is based in an underwater world, it seemed like a perfect fit for us,” said Vince Hernandez, editor-in-chief at Aspen Comics.

Look for the 10-page digital issue in September on various digital comics readers like Comixology.  All proceeds raised will go to the National Wildlife Association.

Action Philosophers! #1

Written by: Fred Van Lente

Art by: Ryan Dunlavey

Action Philosophers! is another great comic that I was ecstatic to find through the Comixology app on my iPad. I don’t think I’ll ever see this book in my local Comic book shop in this back-water town in Florida, so the modern-day Wells Fargo Wagon of comics delivered it to me. Again, this issue was FREE, and if it wasn’t I would happily pay for it. So what is Action Philosophers!? According to Wikipedia:

The Action Philosophers series employs broad humor and a cartoony art style with the goal of making the often complex and metaphorical ideas of philosophy more easily understood than a traditional text would. Pop culture references often occur, including radical changes in art style that pay homage to famous cartoonists including Jack Kirby, Charles M. Schulz and Bil Keane. The creators themselves sometimes appear in the comics – most notably in the Derrida story, in which the story deconstructs into itself. Philosophical theories are examined in as objective a light as possible, with emphasis often given to the thinkers themselves, and how their lives shaped their ideas.

This particular book tickles a couple of my fancies. Firstly, I like philosophy. I like to read other people’s thoughts, and I really love to study how humans grasped concepts to better understand themselves and the world around them. Also, I really like to challenge my ADHD. Secondly, this book reminds me of another series that helped me through musicology, Bach, Beethoven & The Boys. Both books make sure to give you the essential materials to educate you on the important matters, and present it in terms that are easily grasped and entertaining. I believe the comics experts at 11 O’clock comics used the term “Edutainment”.

Issue 1 deals with great thinkers that came before Socrates ( Thales of Miletus, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Empedocles) and eventually gets to Plato. Through a series of illustrated panels we learn the essential thoughts and history of Plato in a fast and easy pace that embarrasses Cliff’s Notes and Dummies Guides. With great humor and expert editing Lente and Dunlavey deliver a educational power-punch. This book series blew me away. I usually hear podcasts and read columns that use hyperbole to elevate what they have spent time reading, or they jump on a bandwagon for a particular book, but Action Philosophers! Has truly deserved the praise. I could go on, but you get the idea of this review, and therefore, any other review would be the same review but presented in different flawed versions. Download this first issue (Hey it’s FREE!), and give your self some knowledge.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

After all the books were read and tucked back into their bags, I had the worst time deciding which I liked more. Which book had the best character defining moment, or the best artwork. Was there a stand out panel? Was there a moment of brilliance that made you wan to keep on reading? Yep. Quite a few of my books had those traits, but in the end I made my decision.

Flash #4

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Variant cover by scott kolins

Aby Warburg summed up my favorite comic book this week with the infamous “The kind God is in the details” (c.1925). The Flash is a book that I love, but easily dismiss, and I only really appreciated the book on my second pass. I read it in about 5 minutes, and any flash book that takes longer either failed the prime Flash Comic directive, or delivered a ton of important content. In this case, if I read Flash #4 in five minutes and never looked back, I would miss the details that made it great.

A few weeks ago I awarded Astonishing Spider-man and Wolverine #2 the prize due to the amount of detail that Andy Kubert put into the book. This week Francis Manapul, the colorist, and Geoff Johns pulled out a team effort that helped elevate the Flash from being “good again” to “hot damn”.

Story wise, Flash is still trying to persuade the future rogues that they have the wrong guy. Digger is loose from jail using his Black Lantern boomerangs (the only Brightest Day tie-in we can see) and the old rogues are about to kick off a hell of a crisis. Of all the parts I love are the abilities super-speed can give someone. Being able to read an entire library in hours, build a bridge in minutes, or run across water.

And the details that  illustrate those abilities are what sell them to a reader. For instance. In this issue, Flash runs up a building, across a helicopter blade, breaks into the cabin and saves the pilot before the copter crashes, or the Pilot can finish his cry for help. Between May and day the Flash saves a life, and Manapul astounds us with the visuals. The sketchy style an loose pencils are what make Manapul’s art feel energetic, and give us a quickening sense, filling the pages with life.

But the detail that sent this book ahead of the pack was the color drop out on the Flash as he went faster and faster. A couple years ago, DC stopped having a Flash book, and the infamous Neil Gaiman rebooted the Eternals series for Marvel comics. In that series, a god of speed experienced the effects of speed, with the drop in the color spectrum, heat, friction, and sound effects. The detail there was something I never forgot, and always lamented a bit. Why couldn’t the colorists that worked on The Flash do that? Well they did in this issue, and it helped give the reader that feeling that they were along for the ride, and it was fantastic.

Thor #612

WRITER: KIERON GILLEN
PENCILS: Doug Braithwaite
INKS: PASQUAL FERRY
COLORED BY: MATTHEW DALE HOLLINGSWORTH
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: Mico Suayan

Last issue was a great departure from the mis-steps after JMS’ departure, and that lovely little cross-over event. We got to see Loki’s handiwork continue to create mischief even after his death in last issue, and in this one we get to see how Thor will come to Hela’s aide and somehow rescue the fallen Gods. Story-wise, I really like the way Thor is being handled. Many times after a huge event most of the ramifications are glossed over, and the outer ring consequences (collateral damage) are never addressed. Here, Thor is dealing with the fall out, and continues to do so. The dead of Asgard have to be saved from the ravenous cursed women and Thor must save Hel to keep the balance.  A magic sword that can turn back the tide s left in another part of hell, and Thor has to go retrieve it.

Concerning the art, the colors complement the summer season. I was stifling the entire time I read this book (in Florida heat) due to the combinations of brown, oranges and reds that create a tepid, humid environment. My only nit pick I would have with Doug Braithwaite’s artwork would be the extra lines around the mouths of all of Hell’s residents make them seem too muscled, or skinned. I get they need to be ghoulish and monstrous, but I find my eyes drawn to that instead of the focal points in the illustrations. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of Thor’s quest through an unholy land play out.

Star Trek Burden of Knowledge #2

ScottTipton, David Tipton, Federica Manfredi, Joe Corroney

I really like this series. I like how it feels like an original episode. I like how Fredrica Manfredi’s artwork is representative of the original cast. I like the way the ink smells. But, like the true spirit of Star Trek, it points a mirror at society around it, for us to self examine, and in this issue it was our embrace of the internet and shrinking privacy. Our faithful crew happens upon planet Waasertla to see f they are ready to join the Federation of Planets, and find that the planet al share thought transmitters. All their thoughts flow together as the whole planet converses and shares knowledge and creative ideas without any privacy. As the crew investigates the planet, they discover a sect of dissidents, who want to think for themselves and have their own voice, and struggle the prime directive to choose what is right.

I really liked the idea behind the story and its resolve. Sure, it ends on the same hokey beats that all the episodes do, but despite the 22 color pages of sci-fi fun we were given, it still provoked thoughts of sharing too much in a digital society, and makes you wonder if the internet is stifling creativity.  Again, the art is very well done, but I could have used thinner lines from the inker, and fewer shadow effects from colorist. I get that they want a more dimensional look, but the shadows on this are really heavy. Apparently, Issue 3 will have feature Scotty and Chekov, so I can’t wait to see where the crew’s 5-year mission will take them next.

Wonder Woman #601

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Art and cover by DON KRAMER & MICHAEL BABINSKI

I enjoyed this book. It was a #1-styled beginning issue, it got us caught up on back story necessary to move forward while still entertaining, and it was beautifully illustrated. This was up in my top tier for the week. Now I know many fanboys out there are ready to burn JMS at the stake for Spider-man, and are certainly upset over the way Superman has been grounded. But if you think about it, he has been giving readers what they wanted: Some thing new to read. Okay, Supes taking a vacation from the rest of the DCU isn’t exactly new, but a flying super being choosing to walk the earth (insert Forest Gump joke) is something new. Putting Asgard in Oklahoma was something new. And rebooting Spider-man with a guilt-laden deal with the devil was new. Stupid, but new.

Wonder Woman is getting something new too. Not new duds, we did that last month, and that’s DC editorial and Jim Lee (nice pants). What we get here is a new idea that there is no secret island retreat for Diana, and she is now on a revenge and protect mission instead of a messenger of peace mission. JMS gives us something new by giving reader what they probably wanted deep down, a woman who doesn’t have to apologize for the “peace through force” mentality anymore. We get a woman on a mission, and her fantastic powers have been downgraded with a better than average explanation. Does JMS still have something to prove to fanboys? Why don’t you ask him? This comic reader believes that every writer has something to say, and a story to tell, and the good ones know not to rest on their laurels.

Art-wise, I love this. It was beautiful, the demonstration of her abilities like when she lands on the ground, or jumps was great, and he’s certainly selling us on those pants. Aside from great ass shots, and heroic poses, we also get a few panels of Diana’s emotions, and good storytelling. I’m going to keep on this book until the wheels fall off, probably for the same reason I enjoyed Thor so much. I don’t have years of reading invested in this character that may be tread upon due to a new direction, and of many of the great writers out there, I think JMS can deliver on the weighty God-like issues while keeping Diana’s feet on the ground.

The Hit List – Short comic book reviews of the week

Green Lantern #56

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by DOUG MAHNKE & CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Variant cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau

If feel like this book is winding down, or being mired in a plot that is dependant on so many ideas, that it cannot be streamlined. Sometimes a book needs to slow down and catch its breath for the sake of pacing, and it feels like this storyline is beginning to loose its rapid pace. Larfleeze makes another comical and classic appearance. Why else would the Greed Lantern stay, if not to find Santa Claus? But it is his knowledge on how to trap an avatar that makes him intriguing, and unfortunately, that now belongs to Hector Hammond. I know the book needs to breath for a moment while it comes down from the Blackest Night excitement, but with months in between issues, it’s hard to wait for the next issue and keep my energy up. At least this run will explain more about the other rings, and deepen the mythos behind the Green Lanterns.

Green Lantern Corps #50

Written by TONY BEDARD
Art and cover by ARDIAN SYAF & VICENTE CIFUENTES
Variant cover by PATRICK GLEASON

Speaking of, I wasn’t all that thrilled with this book. It was exciting, but how many more times do they have to deal with Cyborg Superman? This universe is beginning to feel as small as George Lucas’. Are they all going to be confined to Tatooine soon? I usually applaud the art and coloring, but I think the inker on this issue went a bit thick, and darkened the book more than necessary. I am curious to see what happens to Ganthet, and how this will all play out, so I’m still in, but let’s move this along, and in more interesting directions.

Justice League of America #47

Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by MARK BAGLEY, ROB HUNTER & NORM RAPMUND
Cover by MARK BAGLEY & JESUS MERINO

Funny, I was just bagging and filing the previous issues of this cross over event, and I drew a line in the sand. “If this doesn’t get any better by #47, I’m out”. So, I’m out. I have typed how much I can’t get into this new line-up, and how this cross over concerning the Starheart doesn’t even concern me, but this is just underwhelming. I’m not even sure if I will check this out in trade. The last cross over of this magnitude brought back a Flash, but this one is just….silly.

It feels like it wants to be good, it feel like Robinson is trying to build something, but the train never reaches the station. The artwork feels rushed and unfocused. You can look to one side of a panel, and see great detail, while on the other side, whole characters are lop-sided, and awkward. Mark Bagley normally does a splendid job, but this issue illustrates Georg Perez’s ability to draw crowds of characters, and not sacrifice quality. I’ll keep my eye on this, but I won’t keep it on my pull.

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #4

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by GEORGES JEANTY
Cover by ANDY KUBERT
Variant cover by CAMERON STEWART

Rounding out the last bit of comics was Grant Morrison’s time-odyssey to reinstate Bruce Wayne as the Batman. This issue features Bruce in the old west, with Jonah Hex hired to kill him. At he end of the day, it’s Randal Savage who is trying to get a leg up, and Batman spoils everything. Jonah Hex, hoever, was hired to dispose of the nuisance that wears black and foils perfectly good villainy, and our favorite damned bounty hunter never misses. A mysterious box with the bat-symbol is passed about, and the mysterious cave people are dropped here and there.

I enjoyed this read, but I missed having the JLA/time-hunting team hot on Bruce’s heels. It sis too bad DC comics made that a spin-off comic, because the element is missed in this book. The action was fantastic, and you can tell Mr. Morrison has soaked in quite a few westerns since the archetypes were present, and playing good parts. It looks like Batman’s next stop in time is the 1900s.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

Azure #1

Written and illustrated by Daniel Govar

Available on DC Comics App & Comixology Comic Reader App

http://azurezuda.wordpress.com

This book was one of those welcome surprises. I downloaded issue one for free off the DC Comics iPad reader app, and since I hadn’t seen this at the LCS, Azure became my first candidate for digital comic reading. And what a way to jump if feet first (sorry for the pun).

Azure is set in a post-ELE Earth where the polar ice caps have melted, and the world is submerged. Think Waterworld without the suck. We wake up with Azure (Emilie) in what is an underwater base, and begin to see glimpses of her past, and how she survives in this world. Azure’s apparent only company is Pearl, a computer system like HAL, who through a sensor network alerts her to all that is going on around her. We get to go on a dangerous scouting mission with her, and then learn a bit of the back story.

The book seems to have a long-from story structure as Daniel Govar slowly peels back the layers of back story, but what really impressed me was the artwork. The different shades of blues and blacks complimented with the blurry water effects make you feel as though you are holding up aquarium glass. The encounter with the great white shark was brilliant, and I really love the coloring for the bright lasers and the blood effects. The amount of detail put in every panel helps create a world that seems full, and creates an atmosphere you can easily lose yourself in. For a one-man-show, Daniel Govar certainly knows how to create an intriguing story with brilliant illustrations, and also letters the book without any clumsy steps that would yank you out of this world.  This is a brilliant comic, and for the free price of admission you just can’t beat it. I went ahead and bought issue #2 for $0.99 which makes me feel like I am stealing it such beautiful artwork. The review will be up soon, and check the podcast this week in case you hate to read.  I have also decided to experience this book digitally since (a) I’m hooked on this beautiful book, and (b) I know t won’t show up at my LCS anytime soon.

Zuda works in seasons, and Azure is in season 2. With the comic book format, 2 issues are currently available online for download for your preferred digital reader. Want to read it for your self? You can read it at Zuda Comics.com here:

https://comics.comixology.com/#/view/2847/Azure-1

Or click on the picture, and I suggest guided view.

This week was a great collection of variety, and I wasted no time diving in. We had a mass of capes books, different publishers, and different genres. Romantic thriller, horror, and adventure; all in one week, and all of it was good.

Walking Dead Vol 12 Life Among Them

story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN

I’m going to pull a fast one picking my favorite book of the week. I’ve never said as much, but I always wanted to highlight the issues that came out, instead of collections. However, I only read some titles in collected format. Robert Kirkman has revitalized Image Comics with two titles that have been both original and consistently good. One of them is Invincible, and the other is Walking Dead.

Volume 12 picks up after we learn that Carl has shot another child that none of the other survivors could deal with. Carl shot his best friend, and Rick has to somehow see his son through it. Meanwhile it’s revealed that Eugene is a phony, and the group’s quest to find civilization in Washington D.C. is a fools errand. Just as all hope seems lost, a stranger appears, and offers our survivors civilization. Kirkman dials up the tension higher and higher as the book progresses until the wow finish that always, always, always makes me want to read more.

The amount of mental damage theses people have by surviving in this harsh world is explored without any censorship. The decision they make, and the way the act around others feels organic to how the story progresses. The natural distrust of strangers, the hopeless feelings that life will never get better. The anger and guilt of being able to continually survive when others haven’t. The last chapter of the book was an incredible, and stressful, journey though what could have been the most hopeful moments of the survivors lives. Before the last page is revealed we have hope that they have finally found a place to call home, only to let the worst angles of their distrustful nature take hold. Brilliance in Black and White. Robert Kirkman successfully takes you on this journey with his characters, and through several story devices, makes you feel as mortal and venerable as they are. You feel as afraid, as angry, and distrustful of a good thing as they do. Before you know it, there is no escape from this story except for when the back cover closes.

This is why I love this book, and why I have to read it in collected trades. Not only is the stark black and white pencil work by Charlie Adlard a great setting for the book, but the writing never caters to small thoughts, it never ceases to be interesting, and it certainly never goes in a direction you imagine.

This story is coming to a small screen via AMC, and the Giggaheim has happily posted teases and news about it. The fan base is very guarded about spoiling the book to others due to its raw tension and suspense. When a community of braggarts creates a safety perimeter around a single story, it demonstrates with a ringing endorsement that this book is at a high mark that is impossible to reach.

Zatanna #3

Written by PAUL DINI
Art by STEPHANE ROUX & KARL STORY
Cover by STEPHANE ROUX
Variant Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND

I love this series. Love it. I’ll be getting a few copies of the trade to hand out to people, and put under Christmas trees. It is that good. Between Paul Dini’s ability to write issues that feel like they are a “Done In One” story that culminate in a 3 issue story arch is one thing, and Stephane Roux and Karl Story’s artwork works the combination punch.

Brother Blood makes his power play, and Zatanna winds up having to deal with him, and the ghost of her dead father. The nightmare imp comes back into play to save the day, and everyone gets what is coming to them. Without even having to open the book I remember certain panels, such as Zatanna’s look on her face when her father kisses he goodbye, and clever looks on the nightmare’s face as he an Zatanna broker a deal for his freedom. This was a fantastic issue, and I certainly hope it gains in readership. If you haven’t picked it up yet, do yourself a favor and get issues 1-3. They are a great read, and if you are a comic book reader, they are a great example of artists working at the top of their game.

Alan Moore Neonomicon #1 (OF 4)

Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Jacen Burrows

Amid all the other news concerning Alan Moore, he had one of “his last” books begin to publish this week, Nenomicon. The book hurls us into an FBI investigation of a series of murders, and we are taken directly into an interrogation room for a serial killer. We learn that the killer speaks fluent gibberish, and clams up at the mention of a club. We gets hints that the female character has a few addictions before we try and catch the suspect. That’s all. I’m sure this book in its entirety will be good, but for now, I certainly don’t have enough story to persuade me to keep on reading. For a 4-issue book, Mr. Moore is certainly taking his sweet time getting to any point, or giving the reader anything worthwhile to read. I’ll be catching this one in trade.

Avengers #3

WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
PENCILS: John Romita JR.
COLORED BY: DEAN V. WHITE
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: John Romita JR.

While Alan Moore’s latest outing would be described as a quiet thriller, Brian Michael Bendis writes a bombastic issue of Avengers #3. Picking up where we left off, Apocalypse and his horsemen battle the Avengers while they scramble to fix the time line that Kang wrecked.

While I think that John Romita Jr’s artwork is filled with busy lines, and every face seems to look the same to me, he does give the action panels a lot of energy. Naturally Bendis writes a few character moment panels, mainly around Spider-Man, that give us time to breath before we jump back into the action again. The issue was filled with action, but it felt as though we ran in circles this issue since there hasn’t been any real progress in the story. Marvel does their classic switch up by presenting covers that have nothing to do with what happens on the inside. Ugh.

Batman Beyond #2 (OF 6)

Written by ADAM BEECHEN
Art by JOHN STANISCI
Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN

The mystery of Hush continues to deepen as Terry runs into a new Cat Woman. There are things that I like about this book, and some that fall flat on me. The general idea I have on the book is that this entire arch is a bridge between what Bat-books we read, and this futuristic world. I also feel that the next story might have the feel of a Batman Beyond book I was used to watching on TV. I’m digging the art style, as it is distinctly a Batman Beyond look and feel. The character designs, and Gotham’s backdrops are perfectly styled for a far-flung DC future. I only hope that we get to see a good fight between Terry and Hush.

Brightest Day #6

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK & JOE PRADO
Cover by DAVID FINCH & SCOTT WILLIAMS
Variant cover by IVAN REIS

Another great chapter in the Brightest Day saga. The Martian Manhunter storyline took the front stage as J’onn discovers that his very touch kills all plant life around him while he tries to solve a series of gruesome murders. Meanwhile Mera reveals her new ret-conned origin as the intended assassin of Aquman. Also Deadman, Hawk and Dove try to fathom the secrets of the White Ring (which made me hungry) and the Firestorm matrix has one person too many in it.

See what a proper 22 pages can do? (Looking at you Alan) The art team does  a great job of illustrating all the great locations, action and drama within the pages. There are only a few awkward panels considering the task of publishing this size of a story bi-weekly. The writing team as well is doing a great job of balancing several stories at once, keeping the pace high, the amount of story crammed, and keeping our interests high. Definitely worth picking up this issue.

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #156

Writer: Larry Hama
Artist: Agustin Padilla
Cover: Agustin Padilla, Rod Whigham

Every once in a great while I peek in on G.I Joe to see what the book is up to. The book is like an old friend in many ways. The same character cast is there, good and bad.  The same wild violence and vehicles. The comfy conflict between the Joes and COBRA. And this issue was a great demonstration of how to begin reading comics. Just pick the damn things up.

The first inner page has the synopsis of issues past, and the issue kicks right into Duke trying to reach out to the scattered Joes as COBRA tightens it’s marshal grip. Every Joe is given a spotlight of what they do best, and it took almost no time to read. Some books are hard to translate mediums. I’m used the cartoon of the 1980’s where lasers were shot everywhere wildly, people ran at each other, and the fight was constant. But when you see it panel to panel, the pace slows to a crawl, and soon its as if you are watching a slide show from a vacation.

Agustin Padilla should be commended for the layouts, and the way he actually captures all the action. From duke firing a grenade launcher at a COBRA officer’s face point blank, to Snake Eyes tearing into some Red Ninjas. The way he illustrated the action wasn’t heavy, or boring, but it was full of energy, and moved the story right along.

Justice Society Of America #41

Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by MARK BAGLEY & NORM RAPMUND
Cover by MARK BAGLEY & JESUS MERINO
“DC 75th Anniversary” Variant cover by GEORGE PÉREZ

I’m not too sure what is really going on here. I lost focus about 3 times, and continually found myself putting this book down. After we had the break-through of Obsidian being okay, he’s back to being a bad guy? Sheesh, and this isn’t the best JLA team. I had this book waiting for me, and frankly, I kept putting off reading it. This Jade, Brightest Day crossover thing just isn’t doing it for me. Some of the art is pretty good, but I wish the story (in its 2^nd issue) would be a bit more forth-coming on what the @#$ is going on. I get Brightest Day is the latest top secret cross over thing to slam a banner on to, but this is a true cross over event, and you need to give your readers more to go on, than just rehashing the events of what happened in the last issue of JLA. For that reason, I’m out on this. I really want to care about it, but frankly if they are going to make me wait to get answers, I’ll make them wait to get my money.

Time Masters Vanishing Point #1 (OF 6)

Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by DAN JURGENS & NORM RAPMUND
Variant cover by CHRIS SPROUSE & KARL STORY

Yet another “What the @#$ is going on here” cross-over book by DC Comics. In the past few issues of Batman: the Return of Bruce Wayne, Grant Morrison has had a few JLA members (real ones) chasing after Bruce because he could destroy the time stream in his quest to get back home. Here we get the issues of what happened between those issues, behind the panels as it were, and as much as I like the Booster Gold book, and the Return of Bruce Wayne, this book looks like it will be more of the same. Frankly, I could do without it. The inconsistencies of telling Superman about the dangers of time travel (who as a kid played with the Legion of Super Heroes in the 31^st Century)for the sake of the audience, and the duplicate content of this story make it a redundant pick for me. It was pretty well done, but definitely not worth another book’s worth. Play this out in the pages of Booster Gold, but we don’t need another book that just catches up to the main Batman storyline.

True Blood #1

Writer: Alan Ball, David Tischman & Mariah Huehner Artist: David Messina
Cover: J. Scott Campbell, Joe Corroney, Andrew Currie, David Messin

I bought this one on the ol’ iPad, and read it digitally though the IDW comic reader app. Since the LCS didn’t have it in stock, and I was curious about this series, I was happy to see IDW did a simultaneous release in the digital world. I haven’t seen an episode of True Blood on HBO, but I was hoping for a good intro and story that would catch me up a bit, and still give me enough incentive to come back for issue #2.

Oh well.

Look, I’ll be straight here. I’m not too much into vampires. I think they are silly. But, I can also spot some clunky writing and chunky inking near the end when the Indian tentacle monster shows up. Since when do people use their full names when addressing others? C’mon. the whole book was filled with story devices that may work in other mediums, but are poorly disguised in the comics medium.

Alright enough bashing. Despite the freshman writing, the book could have some potential. As someone who doesn’t watch the show, I have no idea if the girl has some sort of mind reading power or not, so I’d like to get to the bottom of that. The artist seemed t nail Anna Paquin’s looks, and even though I find it a bit distracting, the out of focus backgrounds did lend some depth, and probably help transition TV viewers into the comics. I won’t be back fro this story, but hopefully someone who watches the show found it entertaining.

What did you think of this week’s releases? comment below, or start a thread on our forums! Sometimes comments and threads started will earn you some signed swag, so voice your opinion!!

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

When I looked at the Previews Magazine for this week, my heart sank a little. Sure, Astonishing Spider-man & Wolverine was out this week. Sure, the missing pieces of Batman would be revealed. Sure, that new Doctor Solar book would be coming out, but I just found myself feeling a bit under-whelmed this week. Was this finally the “Event Fatigue” that everyone pisses and moans about? Well if it was, this book pried me out of my funk:

Astonishing Spider-man Wolverine #2

WRITER: JASON AARON
PENCILS: Adam Kubert
INKS: MARK MORALES
COLORED BY: JAYPO LLC
LETTERED BY: ROBERT STEEN
COVER BY: Adam Kubert

This book was many things. It was really well drawn. It was intriguing. It was filled with big ideas that are getting bigger. And it was fun. I barely, and I mean barely, remember the first issue. I remember it being fun, and Peter warning Logan about the time stream, and I remember they faced the end of the world. Issue two starts at the beginning of another apocalyptic event, and Peter Parker is trying like hell to save the world and get back to his correct time,  all while teaching classes and suffering indignities like uniforms with “lame” sewn into them. Logan and Peter have their little debate on heroism, and then the proverbial crap hits the fan. Like all good comics, the story gets really damn interesting, only to end in a cliff hanger.

This story was fantastic, but also the art illustrated the fantastic world our characters were in. I raced through Batman #701 due to over-sized panels and minimal dialogue/narration, but Jason Aaron’s script is packed for issue #2. Like a master of the craft, Adam Kubert makes the multitudes of detail all work. He has one intricate panel after another, crammed with little gems of discovery, word balloons, and narratives. If I read this on the toilet, like any other self-respecting fan-boy, my legs would have been numb from attempting to read it through.

Sure, it has two of Marvel comics’ blockbuster characters, but the issue was a dense masterpiece that kept me intrigued for a good long while. My main gripe right now is that only in the end have we begun to see why this story had to be a Spider-man and Wolverine story. There really hasn’t been a defining moment that made the reader think that this story could only work with those two. It could have been Luke Cage and Howard the Duck stuck in the time stream. But in the last panels Jason Aaron gives us clues revealing why these two awkwardly paired heroes are the only two that can fix what they broke. And the issue ends like all good comics do. With me wringing my hands in the air wishing I had the next issue immediately. I only hope I can remember everything that happened in issue 2 before I read issue 3.

Batman #701

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by TONY DANIEL

After the seminal #700 was celebrated Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel got back to business. Again, reiterating what I said before on the podcast and reviews : I don’t read Batman. I just never found his books particularly appealing. But, with it being a slow week, I wanted to see what the hubbub surrounding R.I.P. was about. I read so many “Oh my God Grant Morrison Batman” this, and hear “Oh Batman was AWESOME!!” on other podcasts that I had to see this for myself. After-all, this is freaking Grant Morrison. The only guy I know of that can tell a non-linear story so well that when he tells a straight one, it makes your nose bleed. I will say this though, If I were a Batman fan, I’d be pissed.

A while back, Batman R.I.P. was hot and heavy, Final Crisis turned the DC Comics Universe into a weird nightmare, and fans were recovering from a hideous weekly comic. In Batman, Bruce was drugged, and hen killed in a helicopter crash….only to pop up in Final Crisis to be re-killed by Darksied. Naturally, you are trying to work out what happened between the time he died in the crash, and when he showed up to die again in Final Crisis. And that’s where this book comes in.

Why?

Because of timing. Publishing timing. They had to kill Batman in both books to get the effect of finality, which left us logical thinkers all pissed off. Only now, some 2 years later do we get to read the answer.

And it was a good read. Again, not a long time reader, but we see Bruce survive the crash, make his way back to stately Wayne Manor, the Batcave is a mess, Alfred is beat up, and Bruce has to saddle up to go to the beginning of Final Crisis.

I liked the countdown timer to when Batman gets hit with the Omega effect. I liked the narrative, and apparently the huge puzzle this Hurt person left behind, and what I liked the most was Grant Morison’s voices. He really knows how to write a Batman narrative that feels like Batman. Tony Daniels does a great job with the art and has a great style for the layouts, but I found a few full-body renderings a bit doughy, like Bruce had become allergic to something suddenly. The real quality that sets his art apart is his drawings of the characters eyes, and the emotions they convey. This was an intriguing mystery, and I might pick this up in trade when it is finished to see how Bruce goes from Point A to Point B.

Justice League Generation Lost #5

Written by JUDD WINICK & KEITH GIFFEN
Art by JOE BENNETT
Cover by TONY HARRIS & J.D. METTLER
Variant cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE

When it comes to great cliffhangers, Judd Winick left us with a beauty on issue #4. The gang was all assembled, and had played right into Max Lord’s hands. Now that they were together, what was the outcome going to be? What was Max’s plan, and would it ever tie into Brightest Day?

While last issue was great, this issue lagged. It went over Booster’s origin which has been told several times. It spent pages with the Justice League alums talking to Max via a Rocket Red suit. And then finally something happened, only to grind to a halt again. This issue was probably supposed to have suspense and dramatic tension of this group pitted against Max, but it was really a boring journey through old tropes.

What adds insult to injury is that Joe Bennett’s artwork, clean as it was, had at least one blank panel per page. I don’t mind a few here and there to use negative space to frame in the important stuff, but the repetition made it a glaring fact that the artist had to have been strapped for time, and could only illustrate the bare essentials. The colors by Hi-Fi must have also been a short term, standing order of “everything shiny or metallic”. Ice and Max Lord are the only ones who don’t have a costume made of precious metals, and even they had a glare. Now this comic had its moments, so it wasn’t all nit-picky bad stuff. I just feel like the entire crew on this book could have done a bit more with it. And no, it doesn’t tie in to Brightest Day.

Doctor Solar Man of the Atom #1

Writer: Jim Shooter
Artist: Dennis Calero
Cover Artist: Michael Komarck

Veteran Jim Shooter reboots a franchise from 1962 (and he also worked on it in the 1990s), and brings an older hero to life. Of all the bitching and moaning Alan Moore did earlier about Blackest Night, he should be bitching about Jim Shooter’s ideas because this book is a  Dr. Manhattan story. (This is a chicken and the Egg argument probably, so lets just move on) Does that make it bad book. Nope, quite the opposite actually. It was a nice change to see a hero who doesn’t know exactly how everything works confidently put himself to good use.

This issue was a cold start. We open with a fight to keep us enthralled just to move us into a heavily scientific discussion on what happened previously to Phil (protagonist), and how he can do what he does. All the while the pieces are coming together, revealing other characters and forces at work.

This was truly enjoyable, well drawn, and the bonus content of the original 1962 comic was a treat to juxtapose against the current work. another fun aspect was to read the work of a man who worked on these properties almost 20 years ago, return to his world. The meta messaging was a bit heavy handed, but made me chuckle in parts as a fan-boy gets what he wished for. Dennis Calero did a fantastic job illustrating the characters and movements, but a many of the panels don’t have backgrounds which leaves the artwork feeling flat and empty. I might not pick up issue #2, but I’ll definitely check out the trade.

Predators: Preserve the Game

Writer: David Lapham
Penciller: Allan Jefferson
Inker: David Rivera, Jordi Tarragona
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist: Sean Phillips

The Giggaheim Podcast crew went to see this movie last weekend, and had a merry old time with it. SPOILER: The two left at the end of the film are left on a “game preserve” planet. END SPOILER

So what happens next?

This comic.

As far a licensed property books go, I’ve seen better. IDW is kicking all sorts of ass in this arena, and Dark Horse Comics could take a lesson or two. Mainly, hire people who can draw the characters. I normally wouldn’t mind too much, but the looks for the characters continued to change by the page. I feel lucky that they were the only two humans on the book, or I wouldn’t have known who was who.

Besides that, the story continues along the same story logic (good thing), and helps us catch up to what our former heroes have been up to. Personally, I was jazzed to learn that this book was out this week. The end of the movie scream SEQUAL ROOM, but with a comic hot on its heels, it was like instantaneous gratification. Lapham stays true to the characters traits we grew to know from the film, and pits them against a giant, 4-armed predator, and another faction of predators gave our hero, Royce, a set of their armor to even the odds.

It’s not bad, but I will definitely be lending my copy out without a care. If you liked the film, and want to read more, wait a few weeks for this to hit the back issues bins.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

What do you think? Looking forward to this? Or are you avoiding it like the plague? Sound off with a comment below, or start a thread on our forums.

The NY Daily News is reporting that cartoonist Molly Norris is officially on the execution hit list. Cleric Anwar al-Awlaki (botched NY Times Square Bombing) singled the artists out after she instigated the “Everyone Draw Muhammad Day” after censors edited an episode of South Park. FBI officials have contacted Norris warning her it is to be taken as “a Serious Threat”. Anwar al-awlaki has this statement in the english speaking Al-Qaeda Magazine Inspire:

“…A soul that is so debased, as to enjoy the ridicule of the Messenger of Allah, the mercy to mankind; a soul that is so ungrateful towards its lord that it defames the Prophet of the religion Allah has chosen for his creation does not deserve life, does not deserve to breathe the air….The medicine prescribed by the Messenger of Allah is the execution of those involved…”

For more, read the NY Daily News article here.

Opinion

I’m sure by now we are all a little sick of the one-sided and militant shenanigans in order to prove to the population of the planet that yours is the only just and loving God. However, it is the opinion of this writer that Molly Norris has exercised her First Amendment Rights to express her opinions, which is a right of the People, by the People.

Thoughts? Comment below to discuss this particular issue, or start a thread on our forums.

Official Press Release

As part of Marvel’s unparalleled efforts to provide support to comic retailers in 2010, Marvel is once again offering retailers a chance to turn unsold comics into a rare Marvel variant! The extremely limited edition Wolverine #1 Deadpool Variant will be made available to retailers who return the covers of select Marvel comics.

Retailers – for every 50 stripped covers of the following comics sent to Marvel, you will qualify to receive one FREE Wolverine #1 Deadpool Variant.  The 50 stripped covers can be any combination of the comics listed below and all submissions need to be received at the Marvel office at the address below by Friday 8/6/2010.  Also included with the stripped covers must be your store contact information including Diamond Account # and email address. With boxes of covers arriving every day, Marvel urges retailers to get theirs in by the due date to guarantee themselves copies of this stunning variant.

Please note: No second or third printings are accepted as part of this promotion.

Stripped Covers To Be Sent:

NEW MUTANTS 12 (XSC)
UNCANNY X-MEN 523 (XSC)
X-FORCE 26 (XSC)
X-MEN LEGACY 235 (XSC)
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE 34 (S)
DARK AVENGERS 15 (S)
DARK WOLVERINE 84 (S)
MIGHTY AVENGERS 36 (S)
NEW AVENGERS 64 (S)
THOR 609 (S)
THUNDERBOLTS 143 (S)

Address To Send Submission:
J Nausedas
Marvel Entertainment, LLC
417 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Information To Be Included With Submission:
Store Name
Store Address
Contact Person
Email Address
Phone Number
Diamond Account #
List of stripped covers being returned and their quantities

All the directions above must be adhered to in order to receive the free Wolverine #1 Deadpool Variants and the submissions must be received by Friday 8/6/2010 in order to qualify.

Please note that this is not a Diamond-affiliated promotion and Diamond should not be contacted. Retailers will be contacted via email once Marvel receives the submissions.  Retailer with further questions should contact helpme@marvel.com

We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks.

Later, Norton’s representation at William Morris had this to comment:

We know a lot of fans have voiced their public disappointment with this result, but this is no excuse for Feige’s mean spirited, accusatory comments. Counter to what Kevin implies here, Edward was looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joss and the other actors in the Avengers cast, many of whom are personal friends of his. Feige’s statement is unprofessional, disingenuous and clearly defamatory. Mr. Norton talent, tireless work ethic and professional integrity deserve more respect, and so do Marvel’s fans.

The next incarnation of Bruce Banner will most likely be announced at San Diego’s Comic-Con July 24^th. Until then, stay tuned.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

This week was a short one with the country’s jubilee and putting the shipping schedule off. Many of the comic books I was after did not make it to my LCS, but I was able to track a few down to make a more educated pick of the week. This was a great week for diversity. There were good books from Boom! Studios, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Dark Horse Comics. In the end my pic was

Irredeemable #15
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Diego Barreto
Cover: Paul Azaceta and Dan Panosian

For a year and half Mark Waid has been crafting a story of a fallen hero and the atrocities that follow. The books consist of a thickly layered storylines that all stem from one difficult decision to the next. No story thread is untouched by tragedy, and no story is an easy one. Mark Waid charges into the difficult paths of the story, ignoring easy answers and creating a drama that is just as exhausting to read as Kirkman’s Walking Dead.

Issue 15 is the destination for all of these storylines, and in a super-charged series of panels the “damned” consequences begin to come forward. Quibit has to measure which “bad guy” he feels he can defeat, all while sacrificing the group that would help help him do so. He have another team member killed and despite this book beginning with the mad tantrums of  a wayward “superman”, the true puppet-masters and evil begin to come to light.

I’ve said this on the podcast before, but I cannot escape the regret of Barreto’s pencils. I feel they just don’t capture the height of the drama and action that happen in the pages. Some panels are completely empty, while others are an inking nightmare. While I could think of a few artists that might have captured all these moments better, none of them would embody an Irredeemable story. None of them would have captured Tony or Quibit or the powers the way Barreto has. When I look at these pages I thin Irredeemable. So, from now on I will stop griping about the art, although I think that someone should be inking this book besides Barreto, that might help.

This has been a great book, and if you have been on the fence about it, or are unsure of it, read the first trade. I’m sure you will be captured by the extraordinary storytelling, and the path that this book is blazing.

Hit-Monkey #1

Written by Daniel Way
Art by Dalibor Talajic

Sell Comics books Rule #1: Put a monkey on the cover. And seriously, can you blame me for picking this up? Look at it!!! The Dude is awesome!

Alright to the story, we have a monkey who seeks revenge for the deforestation of his forest and killing of his tribe. He grabs a few pistols and goes to work on the parties responsible. Since he can’t talk, we have a ghost who interfaces with the monkey to egg him on to more homicide. The last page we see Bullseye foreshadowing what should be a big encounter at the end. I think I’d enjoy this book a bit more if I could get the following questions answered:

1) Why can’t he talk? He’s a gun-wielding monkey! We’ve already taken he leap that a monkey can expertly use firearms, why not give him some cheeky dialogue?

2) Where’s his cool Tarantino Suit? Um, Marvel? I was given the impression we had a cool-assed hit-monkey from the cover of your book. Are you F#$@ing with me? Are you just doing the regular Marvel Comics cover thing? You know, where you put Spider-man fighting a dinosaur on the cover, but inside you have him having tea with aunt may for 22 dialogue –driven pages?

Those are the only real questions I had. Silly I now, but they were repeating in my head, and I couldn’t think straight. Anyways, this is a fun book. Embrace the fun. Watch a monkey shoot the pace up. It’s good stuff.

Batman: Odyssey #1

Written by NEAL ADAMS
Art and cover by NEAL ADAMS
Sketch variant cover by NEAL ADAMS

Speaking of monkeys, check out the fist page of this book, and then get back to me. Moving on, Neal Adams creates a story about the earlier days of Batman, and it begins with Bruce reminiscing about his early days as the Batman. Neal expertly explains how Batman used to have guns, but then abandoned them. He has a great scene with Robin and Man-Bat, and then the Two-Face caper begins.

As a regular non-Batman reader, I must confessed that I liked this book. It didn’t blow me away, but it did give me a fun comic book reading experience that I remember in the 1980s. Even though it felt nostalgic, Neal Adams crafts a story using more modern techniques to weave a mystery of different threads, and still treat the reader to a good time.

The last 10 pages of book did feel dragged out a bit, and even though this book gave me a feeling of a 1980’s Done-In-One, he seemed to drag out the fact that Batman was headed to the pier instead of the bank much farther than necessary. Still, the artwork was brilliant, and I might even pick this up to se how it all ends. What can I say? I’m enjoying it.

Brightest Day #5

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK & JOE PRADO
Cover by DAVID FINCH & SCOTT WILLIAMS
Variant cover by IVAN REIS

Issue #5 has cemented this book as a permanent fixture on my pull list. Perhaps I am nostalgic for 52, but I am loving this odyssey of lesser-known characters who are handling world-shattering events without calling in the big guns. I’m also enjoying the quick publishing pace.

But, as a Florida resident, I must say that the Aquaman storyline this week was fantastic. The oil should be hitting our beaches any day now, and in a world without Aquaman, it was nice to escape to a place where BP’s royal fuck-up would be dealt with by the Eco-avenging King of the Seas.

I’m still not into this whole Hawkworld thing, but the White Lantern portions of the book were great. Another good installment, and I’m happy this will be in my box two weeks from now.

Side-Shot Reviews

Sorry guys, I don’t have too much time to review everything, but I wanted to just touch on these books:

Avengers Origin #4

WRITER: JOE CASEY
PENCILS: PHILIP J. NOTO
INKS: PHILIP J. NOTO
COLORED BY: PHILIP J. NOTO
LETTERED BY: RICHARD STARKINGS
COVER BY: PHILIP J. NOTO

This is still a great book, and Philip Noto’s pencils are defiantly the star of the show. It felt like this book was catching its breath before the climactic ending in next month’s issue, which I am looking forward to.

Hellboy: The Storm #1

Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Duncan Fegredo
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Mike Mignola

I haven’t been a Hellboy reader, but between the films and Hellboy In Mexico, I have become entranced by this book. Mike Mignola apparently has been writing a story based in England with the twist that Hellboy is apparently an heir of legendary King Arthur. Due to that development, many of the Knights of the realm are leaving their graves. With a bit of comics.wikia catch-up, I am on track with this story, and I’m digging this occult action book. Good stuff.

iZombie#3

Written by CHRIS ROBERSON
Art and cover by MICHAEL ALLRED

At risk of sounding like a critic who hasn’t published anything: this issue was treading water a bit. Sure there were a few developments, but I had to pick this issue up a few times to get through it all. I got bored every 4 pages. The art style is still a fun collection of nostalgic printing techniques, and wild colors, but the story seems like it’s grinding to a halt.

X-Men#1

WRITER: Victor Gischler
PENCILS: Paco Medina
COVER BY: Adi Granov

I’m going to try something new here:

Positive: You don’t need to read 50 years of X-men continuity to jump into this

Negative: It has vampires

Positive: A vampire acts like a suicide bomber and infects a park full of people by exploding in the sunlight

Negative: It has vampires

Positive: Wolverine gets to seriously shred some people in this, and look useful. A rare occasion.

Negative: It has vampires

Positive: the art was good, and the story wasn’t al that bad.

Negative: It has vampires

Well, that could have gone smoother. I’ll work on that for next week.

Did you have a contrasting opinion? Wanna give your two-cents on these books? Comment below, or start a thread on our forums.

Peter Schmeiser – Giggaheim Director
Peter is normally answering several questions everyday about continuity of the DC universe, the status of Spider-man, who has been cast in the latest movies, and what counts as canon in Star Wars. Pete enjoys voicing his opinions on the latest comic books, playing video games, and sharing his wealth of useless comic book knowledge with his friends. The Giggaheim was made to share that.

It’s the battle for the soul of NY in SHADOWLAND #1. Superstars Andy Diggle & Billy Tan present the birth of the Marvel Universe’s greatest villain as the Avengers, Thunderbolts, Moon Knight and more must join forces to stop this deadly foe!

Well the end of June brought another reassuring week with a fat stack of books to go home with. This was yet another week with a DC Comics milestone (Wonder Woman issue #600) and most of my favorite heroes all came out to play this week. So let’s see who came out to play….

Wonder Woman #600

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, GEOFF JOHNS, GAIL SIMONE, AMANDA CONNER & LOUISE SIMONSON
Art by GEORGE PÉREZ, DON KRAMER, SCOTT KOLINS, AMANDA CONNER, EDUARDO PANSICA, PHIL JIMENEZ, ADAM HUGHES, SHANE DAVIS, GREG HORN, JOCK, FRANCIS MANAPUL, GUILLLEM MARCH, IVAN REIS & NICOLA SCOTT
Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ
“DC 75th Anniversary” Variant cover by ADAM HUGHES

The solicit boasted: “gala celebration”: and they were not kidding. Hell, check out the credits above. Now Batman #700 was a fun hop, skip and jump through time to see how certain characters at as the Batman. Superman issue #700 got us caught up with current events, gave a glimpse of the “good ol’ days” and sent us on our merry way into the future. Wonder Woman #600 was truly an odyssey through the character that some view as the weaker of the holy DC Comics trinity. I disagree with the “lesser” commentary many throw around.

Do I read Wonder Woman comics on a monthly basis? Nope.

Do I read Batman comics on a monthly basis? Nope.

Do I read Superman comics on a monthly basis? Nope.

I attempted to read Wonder Woman when the title re-launched after Infinite Crisis. The beginning of the story seemed great, the art was gorgeous, and I was hooked. Well, many of us know how the rest panned out. But, I have never gotten into these books.  It’s not the complaint I have on Superman or Batman, I just never found a good point to jump in, and Wonder Woman never had much of an appeal for me.

Until Now.

The book starts with Gail Simone and Georg Perez giving us a female heavy battle, and leaving off with a poignant ending that dove tales to the next story. Amanda Connor writes and pencils the next chapter of this gala with a clever short story with Wonder Woman and Power Girl. Louise Simonson and Eduardo Pansica give us the next adventure with Wonder Woman and Superman. Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins use 6 pages to introduce the next aspect of Wonder Woman written by J. Michael Stracznski and penciled by Don Kramer. Here we get Wonder Woman’s new getup,Wonder Woman whooping up on some henchmen, and then an oracle to tell us of things to come. With the exhibition of great artwork displaying Wonder Woman between the chapters, this was a gala event indeed.

Green Lantern #55

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by DOUG MAHNKE & CHRISTIAN ALAMY

This cover reminds me of comic books of the 1990s. Lobo featured on a cover was the same as foil, or embossing, but that time has passed. After such a large event book like Wonder Woman, 32 pages seems like a scant amount, but Johns puts the space he has to good use. Lobo is after Atrocitus, and most of the issue is Lobo dukeing it out with Hal, Sinestro, Atrocitus, and Carroll Ferris. The issue was a great display of the different rings’ powers, and the way the wielders use them, and Lobo’s meta commentary during the fight certainly made it all entertaining. Johns peppers in several plot point amongst the tinsel decorations of battle, to keep the uninitiated entertained, and the veterans interested. My favorite part of the issue was actually the back-up story of Dex-Starr, the Red Lantern Kitty-cat. Anyone else get a whiff of WE3? It was a story of a rage-filled being born into rage through tragedy, and the notion that a blue cat is the Red Lantern of sector 2814 was a surprise to me.

Thor #611

WRITER: Kieron Gillen
PENCILS: Richard Elson
INKS: Pasqual Ferry
LETTERED BY: VC – Joe Sabino
COVER BY: Mico Suayan

This book has been scaring the hell out of me (ha!). But seriously, if you read the column you have been treated to a sliding commentary ranging from happy at first, to fitful bitching. I have not been looking forward to this issue since JMS’ departure from the book. After the dust settled on Siege and Thor has to stand on its own; issue #611 would not be able to make the grade, and I would be forced to drop it from my pull list. I am happy to report that Kieron Gillen’s story so far is intriguing, within character, and deals with the past event well. Richard Elson’s artwork also helps matters immensely. Anytime you get a creative change, sometimes the wildly different art-style can kill interest in a book.

Asgard mourns it’s dead, while down in Hel, Loki’s plans continue to create mischief along after his departure. Brilliance. If you read the Loki tie-in for siege, this issue was set-up perfectly. (I could comment on that crap all day, but I’ll move on.) Eventually the Disir get permission to trespass into Asgardian realms, and our next adventure is kick-started. Frankly I’m digging this, and I’m on board. Between the great artwork, and the deeply mystical story, I am getting the fix I need from a Thor book. Whew!

The Flash #3

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Variant cover by GREG HORN

Damn it, damn it, damnit! This book was late, but what I’m pissed at is it took freaking 3 minutes to read! So the big development in this book is that the newly resurrected Captain Boomerang can will boomerangs from the power of being a black lantern. The Renegades have some nifty futuristic powers, and it was cool to see Barry take them on. The best part of this book, like Green Lantern, was the back-up material. The Flash facts about how a boomerang works, and how he has these new powers were the type of pages that made me fall in love with this book when I was a kid.

Invincible #73

story ROBERT KIRKMAN

Art & cover RYAN OTTLEY & FCO PLASCENCIA

This book read exactly like the solicit promised. When last we left Invincible, he had killed Conquest, and his guts were all over the place. Nolan and Oliver stayed behind on the planet to watch over Invincible, while the rest of the united planets fight against the Viltrumites. Nolan and Oliver bond and Nolan trains Oliver while we are treated to scenes of the federation fighting a war that seems to be in stalemate without any real heroes or heavy hitters like our three main characters in the mix. I’m sure once Mark heals up, the book will have a fast and bloody pace next month.

JUSTICE COIN TOSS

Heads – Justice Society of America #40

Written by BILL WILLINGHAM
Art by JESUS MERINO & JESSE DELPERDANG
Cover by JESUS MERINO

Issue 40 wrapped the really great opening arch of the Nazi-future up in about 3 pages and much like his award-winning book Fables Bill Willingham wastes no time moving on to the next story. Jesus Merino knocks the art out of the park again, and using Mr. Terrific’s visions of the future, the JSA easily hands the Fourth Reich their collective asses. Of all the books this week, JSA had the most outstanding panels with the humorous page I posted yesterday, and a panel where Flash says “I’ve got your noses”. Classic stuff.

Tales – Justice League of America #46

Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by MARK BAGLEY & ROB HUNTER
Cover by MARK BAGLEY & JESUS MERINO

I want to like this book so badly, but the minute Jade starts filling in everyone on the Star Heart I found myself flipping through the pages and picking out things I wanted to read. Despite the cross over with JSA, I just can’t get into this group. I was hoping he new mix would be motivating like the strange cast in Secret Avengers, but instead I found myself skipping to the cliff hanger at the end where we see Alan Scott from Kingdom Come. Back to this well already? I think I’ll sit this one out.

Batman Beyond #1

Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by MARK BAGLEY & ROB HUNTER
Cover by MARK BAGLEY & JESUS MERINO

I must say I am genuinely shock how much I liked this book. I was in Orlando when Dan Didio announced the Batman Beyond Series at Megacon. I honestly couldn’t have cared. I watched season one, but then I went to college, and never really looked back. It was a cool idea, but by that point I was burned out on futuristic takes on my favorite characters, and just wanted a break from it all.

This book has a few things going for it though:

1)    Good starting point. Its easy to jump into if you never watched the series, and not too boring to read if you watched every episode.

2)    Intriguing character design. The new suit looks god in still shots. I was thinking that it might be dependant on movement to look cool, but it looks just as good in frozen panel shots

3)    Good mystery. The plot jumps right into the mix, and begins a mystery that has a veteran reader wondering who from Bruce’s past will be coming to haunt him, and the last couple of pages pay off.

Star Trek: Burden of Knowledge #1

Writers: Scott Tipton and David Tipton
Art: Federica Manfredi

I’ll get the cliché’ part of this review out of the way: If you liked the original Star Trek series, you’ll love this. Now that is out of the way, I must say IDW Comics is doing a bang-up job with their licensed properties, and Star Trek hasn’t disappointed yet. My LCS manager puts these books in my pull, and every week I shrug my shoulders waiting to be disappointed, but so far, every book that has come to bat has either knocked it out of the park, or got on base.

This book reads like an episode of the classic show. I blame/congratulate the letterer since they must have spent some time to meticulously bold the best words to create that William Shatner rhythm we all know. Also the dialogue by Scott Tipton felt like an organic flow from the old series, and I was transported to my old living room on Sunday afternoons. Apparently this is actually going to be an ongoing series by IDW, so congrats to them cause is this joyfully put in my pull.

Death of Dracula #1

WRITER: VICTOR GISCHLER
PENCILS: GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
COVER BY: GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI & Marko Djurdjevic

This seems to be Marvel Comics latest event that will dominate story lines, and permeate our 4-color senses.

Meh.

So, in the spirit of leaving the reviews on a high note I did enjoy the ads for this cross-over. Enjoy!

Producer Avi Arad is quoted saying: “I’m incredibly excited about Andrew Garfield. In the Spider-Man tradition, we were looking for a smart, sensitive, and cool new Peter Parker who can inspire us and make us laugh, cry, and cheer. We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future.”

Producer Laura Ziskin: “We are thrilled to have Andrew Garfield for this new incarnation of Spider-Man under Marc Webb’s direction. We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men. In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen.”

What do you think? Right choice? Wrong Choice? Don;t care? Comment below, or start a thread on our forums.

I personally thought it was funny, but this article from The Onion also sprang to mind. Now I thougt this page was great, and it was comical to see the “old guard” react to the joke. I’m curious to see how the comic book community reactis, if at all.

What do YOU think? Comment below or start a new thread on our forums.

J. Michael Straczynski, is quoted by the DC Comics:

“It’s a look designed to be taken seriously as a warrior, in partial answer to the many female fans over the years who’ve asked, ‘how does she fight in that thing without all her parts falling out?…It reflects her origins in both the outside world and the world of Amazons: tough, elegant…a street-fighter’s look which also incorporates elements of her classic design,” Straczynski further explained in the press materials. “It reflects the two sides warring for ultimate victory, and underscores the path she must take.”

We’ll see how it looks on Wednesday, and if we get a chance, we’ll post images as we get them.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoHXxWg7pw4&feature=player_embedded

Official Press Release

Marvel Entertainment, LLC announced today that it has appointed Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President, Head of Television, a newly created division of Marvel Entertainment.  In this new role, Mr. Loeb will work alongside Dan Buckley, Publisher & President of the Print, Animation & Digital Divisions, Marvel Worldwide, Inc., to translate Marvel’s popular characters and stories to the television medium, in both live-action and animation formats. In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Loeb will oversee the development and distribution of live-action, animated and direct-to-DVD series. Mr. Loeb was previously a Marvel-exclusive Eisner-Award-winning comic book writer and an Emmy-nominated writer for his work on NBC’s Heroes. The announcement was made today by Alan Fine, Executive Vice President, Office of the President and Chairman of Marvel Studios’ Creative Committee, and by Mr. Buckley, to whom Mr. Loeb will report.

Mr. Fine stated, “It’s with tremendous pride that I announce the creation of our Marvel Television division and the appointment of Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President. His work in the comic book field is in a class of its own, showing his passion and talent for bringing Marvel’s finest characters to life in an innovative manner. Jeph’s work on multiple award-winning television series and popular films has shown fans worldwide his ability to deliver thrilling entertainment in a number of media. With Jeph as our EVP, fans will experience the highest quality and most exciting television projects featuring their favorite Marvel characters.”

“I couldn’t be happier to accept this new position at Marvel Entertainment, working with both Dan and Alan to deliver exciting, cutting edge television projects,” said Mr. Loeb. “Marvel continues to break new ground in storytelling in both their comic book and film ventures, so, along with everyone here, I’m excited to bring the same brand of excitement into homes across the globe.”

Mr. Loeb has written acclaimed stories featuring every major super hero in comics, including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Daredevil, Spider-Man, the X-Men and more. Multiple-time winner of the prestigious Eisner Award for his writing, Mr. Loeb quickly established himself as one of the most sought after writers in the comic industry. Mr. Loeb also served as writer/producer on television series Smallville and Lost; writer/co-executive producer on Heroes; and writer of hit films Commando and Teen Wolf.

About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.  For more information visit www.marvel.com.

Kick-Ass Blu-Ray

We at the Giggaheim really enjoyed this movie a lot. The real world senarios of super-hero crime fighting was a breath of fresh air in slue of Iron Man and others to be released. Check out our review of the movie where we break down why we liked it, Kick-Ass Special.

We will most certainly get this on blu-ray, which has a scheduled release date of August 3, 2010. Be sure to get it because we SAY SO!!!!!

This week was a good week for comics after two shakier weeks. The industry has apparently backed off on showering us with number one issues, and now we the readers get to see what comic books are going to develop good stories, and which ones will fall off the rails. This week’s pick of the week is a testament to what a great follow up issue should be after having a great number one:

Zatanna #2

Written by PAUL DINI
Art by STEPHANE ROUX & KARL STORY
Cover by STEPHANE ROUX
Variant Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND

I can’t tell if it is the artwork by Stephane Roux and Karl Story that I love, or the great story by Paul Dini that I love more. As I said in my review of Zatanna #1, it is a dark, adult-themed adventure that is just plain fun, and it never uses magic as a crutch. We pick up right where we left off, with Zatanna wrapping up a night of hero’s work with the Birds of Prey, and then the story quickly moves to the Nightmare Imp that has been sent to destroy our Heroine. The dialogue/exposition of how his powers and abilities work, and why he is dangerous never feels heavy handed and obvious, and it never dragged the story to a slow crawl. Instead the story balances out by jumping from the Imp sent to kill Zatanna to Dale, the magic-division police detective who is trying to uncover all the arcane history of San Francisco, trying to figure out what is happening now.

Eventually the Nightmare Imp finds his way into Zatanna’s dreams, capturing her there with the power to kill her, until she is saved by the last minute by a phone call. Brilliant. We get a small probe through Zatanna’s psyche, before the wow finish at the end, where it is revealed that Brother Night is in control of the ghost of Zatara.

The story was a fantastic balance of information dumping, speed, and interesting points, but the star of the book for me is still the artwork. Roux and Story draw the hell out of a good looking woman, and they also bring levels of expertise to all the strange spells and creatures that make the book a magical one. The art style remindes me of traditional Disney animation, and the coloring and inking continue to make it a clean, balanced and gorgeous book to look through. The satirical dream world Justice League, the intimate bedroom shots, and the street level shots of San Francisco are all brilliantly illustrated. Bravo!

Batman Return Of Bruce Wayne #3 (OF 6)

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by YANICK PAQUETTE
Cover by ANDY KUBERT
Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

Of all the books in this series, it is this one that I believe is the most grounded, making it easy to read. When we first saw Bruce Wayne in the time of Cavemen, we were able to grasp the concept easily, associating characters we already knew with a past theme that continued to repeat, much like Sarum. The second issue stretched the concept’s legs as we were given more concepts of what is happening to Bruce Wayne, and why the JLA is trying to prevent his return. The setting wasn’t my favorite, and it got a bit weird, but issue two really delivered a great set up for issue 3, and I was certain the third, Pirate-Batman issue was going to be good, and it was.

Another aspect of this book that works for me is that Grant Morrison isn’t dumbing the book down to the common denominator. Many books lately have been number one issues, and therefore, very heavy with exposition. Superman was a boy shot earth blah blah blah…..here Grant Morrison takes his left over story threads from Final Crisis and applies all the storied history of the characters to his tale. Superman isn’t some  dumbass who lets the scientists in the JLA to do the thinking. He knows Bruce. They work together on a regular basis. Booster Gold isn’t truly a fumbling glory Hound. He knows how to correct time. The JLA WANT to protect the earth, no matter if it damns their friend. And this was all sideline material in issue 3 in comparison to the main Buccaneer Batman story.

Blackbeard arrives on the shores of Gotham (I thought Gotham was supposed to be Chicago in the DC U?) to recover a fabled treasure hidden in the caves of Gotham. Bruce, newly arrived from the time of the Scarlet Letter, is mistaken for the Black Pirate, and taken hostage to lead Blackbeard to the treasure. Bruce pieces together what is happening to him as well as the mysterious dangers of the Gotham caves. He foils Blackbeard, saves the indigenous Bat-people, and leaps again, hoping this time it is the leap home. While it may look like this book was all story for me Paquette’s artwork silently does it’s job of expertly telling the story visually. There were no artwork gaffs, or weird panels. I could just race through the story without being yanked out of the 22-page fantasy for a moment. If you haven’t jumped on this, pick it up, if not only for the different incarnations of Batman through time.

Avengers #2

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: John Romita JR.
COVER BY: John Romita JR.

I picked Avengers#1 when it debuted, all fired up over the “Back to the Future” storyline, loving the newly assembled team, and happily loking forward to the future. Relax, I still love the book, but the spirit of it feels a bit dampened. I normally wouldn’t be so hard on a #2 issue, but with Zatanna #2 so strong out of the gate, and the second Green Lantern Corps issue after Blackest Night, I feel that Avengers should still carry some high energy.

We pick up with Tony Stark and The Protector (Kree Warrior yada yada) constructing a time viewer to they can survey the future before they leap into it to save the world. Luckily Bendis acknowledges the past encounters between the Avengers and Kang, and the team is going into this adventure with their eyes wide open. There were great character moments, but what dampened the story for me was John Romita JR.’s artwork. I’m not the biggest fan of his sketchy pencil style, and it just dragged me down on this issue. After reading some fabulous artwork this week, JR JR’s artwork just feel short on selling me on the idea this was a “premire” book for Marvel. I still loved it, but I am a bit less excited about the next issue.

Justice League Generation Lost #4

Written by KEITH GIFFEN & JUDD WINICK
Art by AARON LOPRESTI
Covers by TONY HARRIS & J.D. METTLER
Variant covers by KEVIN MAGUIRE

I’m late on this book, and mainly it is because I haven’t made my way through the older JLI storylines. But I decided to leave the past behind, and with the DC Comics iPad app release on Tuesday I was able to catch up to the first issues of this book no sweat, jump right into this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. The cover reminds me of all the great covers that I currently Miss on Fables by James Jean, but the entire fourth issue could actually be read as its own without any trouble.

Maxwell Lord, former JLI member, and evil mind bender, has brought the band back together, and is also convincing the world he doesn’t exist with his powers. Fantastic stuff. On top of that the veteran group has great dynamic together, and the open mystery of how they will confront Max, and what Max’s powers are doing to people make me hungry for the next issue. This was a welcome find this Wednesday.

Green Lantern Corps #49

Written by TONY BEDARD
Art and cover by ARDIAN SYAF & VICENTE CIFUENTES

It’s funny to me that a huge, Green Lantern-heavy event has passed, and even though this book’s energy and feel should be altered, it hasn’t. GLC is constantly a good space cop book with high concept comic book ideas, multiple plate spinning, and fantastic artwork. This book is a must read space adventure if you aren’t already reading it.

While Kyle is flustered with the return of one of his true loves, the Alpha Lanterns are on the rebellious path like the Manhunters before them. While John Stewart is led into a trap, we get a great exposition on why he passed the opportunity to become an Alpha Lantern, and we get to see Ganthet as a good “beat cop” on Oa. While Ganthet and Kyle and company decide to track down the mysteriously missing Alphas, the last page reveals their new master. I don’t know why, but I love the hell out of this reveal, and it makes the book that much more exciting to read. Again the artwork chores take a back seat to the energetic storyline, and like good special effects, they don’t get ion the way of the important element of the story. I am definately anxious to see how this all plays out.

Superman #700

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, JAMES ROBINSON & DAN JURGENS
Art by EDDY BARROWS, Benard Chang, DAN JURGENS & J.P. MAYER
Cover by GARY FRANK

And then there was Superman. I would be a fool to pass up #700 for several reasons despite the fact that I don’t read Superman regularly. After a great mini-event (War of the Supermen) DC Comics brings in one of my favorite writers: J. Michael Straczynski. Most people roll their eyes, and discount the writer for his work on Spider-man, but I think of him as the guy who resurrected Thor to great heights.

But in issue 700, we get a grounded look at the aftermath of the War, a look at a classic Superman tale (that really is a Robin story), and a tease at what is to come. Lois and Supes reconnect after his absence on New Krypton. We get the sappy romance that has become standard comic-book relationship fare, and we can see that Metropolis has become different since Superman’s departure. Then we get a classic tale of Superman bailing out Robin from the Silver Age. It was a fun look at Superman, and had all the qualities that illustrate why people love him.

And then we get to the future. When JMS revealed details on Thor, we were all baffled. Thor in Oklahomoa? What? Why is a God in America’s breadbasket? What the hell is this? Wouldn’t he be in New York since that is where everything happens in Marvel? But as JMS peeled back the layers of the story, we were treated to a tale that helped grasp this immortal, and heavenly powered being. We had a thread of commonality, and a humor that helped bring a sense of realism to a weighty, and lofty character that had been out of touch with readers for so long.

And now we have Superman walking across America. Again, as a JMS fan and reader, I see where this is going, and afterward, I might actually be a Superman reader. As I stated on episodes of the Podcast, I just don’t have a sense of danger for Superman, and every power of his seems like a cheat, revealing the weakness of the writer to be unable to finish a story. I’m hoping with JMS at the helm, we will have a grounded Superman (no pun intended) that more readers can related to, and a Superman who is a worthy icon for the DC Universe. Here’s to hoping.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWn_1yOFpfU&feature=player_embedded

Well they finally did.

This morning my iPad told me that I might like this app, and I sure as hell do. The app is the same format as Marvel Comic’s and DC Comics has some great comics available for download, and some great free comic offerings. The interface is the same as other popular readers (iVerse, Marvel, IDW) since the app is created by the same team.

So what is available free right now?

5 issues of Batman: Black and White

Bayou #1

Fringe #1

Mirror’s Edge #0

Origin of Batman #1

Origin of Superman #1

And a preview of Superman #700

In their featured comics section:

Green Lantern Rebirth (Entire Series)

Fables 1-6

Batman 609-613 and other issues

Along with several #1 issues of their popular series including:

Sandman

The Losers

Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War

Planetary

Unwritten

Wildcats

Jonah Hex

Tiny Titans

One drawback so far is the app is crashing on a 3G iPhone.  After several installs and reloads, the app crashes out when downloading comics, and hasn’t gotten to the reader phase. Perhaps the app was meant for the next-gen 4G phone, but currently the 3G iPhone at Giggaheim Labs continues to crash. Out of the gate this looks like it will be an impressive app, and one that I will be spending a few bucks on in the future.

CORRECTION

Yesterday the DC Comics App updated for iPad and iPhone, and now the iPhone does nto crash when using the app reader for DC Comics.

So how do you win them?

Watch Jonah Hex the movie, and write a review! Tell us what you thought of the movie (Minimum 100 words) and comment on this blog post. the first two acceptable posts wins the signed #1 issues of Jonah Hex!

Pretty easy eh? Whatcha waiting for? Write your movie reviews today!

This was another light week with few books coming out that I was anticipating, and worse, nothing on the shelves of the local store to help fill the void. After catching up on several series on vacation I was looking forward to really digesting the pull this week, only to find a 2 issue offering. Sorry for the lack of variety, but I’m sure next week we’ll be back enjoying the spice of comic variety. In the meantime my pick for the week is:

DC Legacies #2

Written by LEN WEIN
Art by ANDY KUBERT, JOE KUBERT, J.H. WILLIAMS III & SCOTT KOLINS
Cover by ANDY KUBERT & JOE KUBERT
Variant cover by J.H. WILLIAMS

Honestly, retcon/retelling/summary issues bore the crap out of me. Since I read comics, and have read them for years it always feels like the veteran readers should take the opportunity to skip books like this and try something that they normally wouldn’t read. However, this is good book. I enjoyed issue one as it set up the masked mystery men, but didn’t really anticipate anything good out of this issue since that is where DC kind of hits a gray area for me until Barry Allen shows up. But, with the help of the Kubert’s illustrations and Len Wein’s storytelling the last days of the JSA and the end of the golden age was really enjoyable.

Just like the opening of Watchmen, this issue tackles the dawn of the masked crusader, and covers the end of the golden age as McCarthy and the US Senate decide that crime fighting heroes are “un-American”. (Isn’t Uncle Sam a Freedom Fighter?) With a graceful exit, the DC Universe shows Marvel how to handle a meddling government, and ushers a new era of comics filled with cowboys, spacemen, and eventually spandex-suits. Since I’ve gone this far, I’m curious to see what the rest of the books will bring, and with the star-power behind the book, it will be a beautiful journey through history.

Brightest Day #4

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK & JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH
Variant covers by IVAN REIS & OCLAIR ALBERT

I’ve got to say this book is recapturing the glory of 52. 52 had choice characters and storylines that I would care about, and I would glance over the rest, but eventually as the weeks wore on I cared about ALL the characters, and all the stories. Weeks ago I talked about how I didn’t care about the Hawks or Firestorm, but this issue brought some great storytelling and now I am fully entranced by the stories, and I really want to see what happens next. The good news is it is a bi-weekly book, so I’ll be able to get my fix quicker.

The art team continues to impress as we are pulled in different directions, and there weren’t any major gaffs that I would point out. IF you somehow missed the magic of 52, you will want to jump on to this book. It’s just the 4^th issue, and a new reader wouldn’t be lost.

Wanna read “The Walking Dead“? The Giggaheim Store has trades in stock for $10.49, and they are ordering the entire collection. Order yours today!

So what do you think? Excited Blue Beetle is making his way to TV or movies? Sound off on our Forums, or comment below.

So what do you think? Worth the wait? Took too long? What’s your opinion? Comment below, or start a thread on our forums.

This week was a great week to be a comic book reader. Image comics’ Invincible had an explosive start to the Viltrimite War, Marvel Comics had another stellar issue of Avengers Prime, DC Comics continued Brightest Day with issue #3, Boom! Studios had a fantastic issue of Irredeemable #14, and Dark Horse enlisted the help of Patton Oswalt to bring “Serenity: Float Out”. With all the good books released on the same day, it was a difficult decision, but eventually I chose:

Invincible #72

story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover RYAN OTTLEY & FCO PLASCENCIA

This week was a week for space comics. Invincible’s Viltrimite War kicked off last issue, but the real battle began in this issue. With our heroes stranded in space, Mark is confronted with the man who had killed (sort of) his girlfriend, Atom Eve. Fist fights break out, and eventually it is down to Mark and Conquest as they take the battle to a local planet to finish each other off. Mark gets the bright idea of choking his opponent to death, while the veteran conqueror rips Marks guts out. The issue ends with Invincible in agony, and pleading for hell with his entrails everywhere, and Conquest dead.

I had written about this book’s darkness, and the bloody content before, but this issue was full of brutal violence and bloodshed. A fantastic and intimate portrayal of how this war with the Viltrimites will go. The reason this issue was worthy of Pick of the Week for me was the eye candy that Ottley, Rathburn, and Plascencia offered up. Not only were the pencils clean and solid as they ever were, but the realistic blood effects and colors illuminate the subtleties of this book, and the brutality of it. Not only that, when the battle is in space, you feel disoriented, and subtly know there is a Z-axis to keep in mind.

The layouts are gorgeous and they climax for me on a double page spread of the battle in space that can e rotate 360 degrees with out a bad angle. Truly well-thought, and stunning work. The art was fantastic, but Kirkman’s ability to write super-beings cutting lose on each other made of a fast-paced book that I devoured in under 5 minutes, only slowing to observe the fantastic artwork. I plan on watching this Viltrimite War on the edge of my seat, but with the cliffhangers, and story development, I cannot wait until 4 weeks passes by.

Serenity Float Out One Shot #1

Writer: Patton Oswalt
Artist: Patric Reynolds
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Jo Chen

I was really rooting for this to be worthy of Pick of the Week because of my love for Serenity/Firefly. The TV series, that I’ve subtitled “The Young Han Solo Chronicles”, was always a joy, and every episode was a fantastic hour of character building, rich environments, and fantastic story telling. This book didn’t fall short, but it was disorienting at its worst. Star writer/comedian Patton Oswalt write a great anthology of three smugglers who are christening a Firefly-class ship, and telling favorite tales of their fallen friend, Wash.

The tales all felt like mini-episodes of “Firefly”, but as a reader, I couldn’t shake a disoriented feeling. When was this? Who are these people? Where are they? What’s going on? And on, and on. Oswalt does his research as a true writer by giving us phrases and environments that only belong in “Firefly”, but at times I felt like a real tourist. I had just finished watching the series and movie again, and I still felt like I was trying this world on for the first time.  Reynolds art is serviceable creating panels and layouts that work well for this series, but his jagged illustrated style isn’t quite my cup of tea. Overall it was a great book, and still worth picking up.

Avengers Prime #1 (OF 5)

WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
PENCILS: ALAN DAVIS
INKS: MARK FARMER
COLORED BY: JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
LETTERED BY: NEUROTIC CARTOONIST, INC
COVER BY: ALAN DAVIS

If Marvel Comics puts out one more new Avengers title next week I’ll run screaming from the comic book store. The reason I feel fatigued isn’t so much that these books are too many, but that they have been damn good, and now my budget is getting shot to hell. But I digress.

This tale pick up Before Avengers #1, and after Siege. Steve and Tony begin to argue while Thor discovers there is a bigger threat from the aftermath of the Fall of Asgard. The rainbow bridge, gateway to the nine realms, is wide open, and needs to be closed to protect the other realms. Marvel’s new Trinity ventures through the bridge and into danger. This is a great story so far, and really reveals the how and why these three men are the ones who hold up the pillars of heroism in Marvel’s universe. The only draw\back I could have with his story is that in about 2-3 issues, the continuity of the Marvel universe will be out of whack, and as a guy who reads a lot of DC, I now I will be town off.

Alan Davis’ pencils are fantastic in this issue, since he never skimps on backgrounds, and layouts. Also the backup story from the first Avengers was a nice add to the book since the proper story seems to be a short one.

Justice Society Of America #39

Written by BILL WILLINGHAM
Art by JESUS MERINO and JESSE DELPERDANG
Cover by JESUS MERINO

Man I am loving this story line, and I especially love Jesus Merino’s artwork. The old heroes make good their escape/assault plan and we see Mr. Terrific and his associates try and fight the Nazi’s and their power machine. I especially love how Willingham deals with the Guardians of the universe, and negates the help of the Green Lantern Corps. The characters all get their moments in the sun, and they all have moments of brilliance that make you happy you have been reading DC for years. This is fanboy gold, and I’m a little excited but mostly sad that this arch will end next month.

Izombie #2

Written by CHRIS ROBERSON
Art and cover by MICHAEL ALLRED

Mike Allred’s art continues to dazzle as the tale gets deeper. Our heroine continues her quest to solve the murder, and the coven of Vampires makes plans to keep their scam covered up. Despite the “first book” predictability of this book, I am really looking forward to the second volume when Roberson gets to stretch his creative wings a little more. All the characters are interesting, and the world in interesting as hell, so I’m looking forward to some fun monster storytelling.

Brightest Day #3

Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK & JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH
Variant covers by IVAN REIS & OCLAIR ALBERT

Brightest Day continues to get better as the White Ring teaches Deadman that he and his fellow resurrected heroes need to fight for their lives to continue. The Firestorms are never to meld again, and Aquaman continues to summon the dead sea creatures. Martian Manhunter gets closer to solving grim murders, and the Hawks look like they will soon be captured as they try and break the cycle of their destiny. Overall the art and writing were great in this book, and this issue really pushed the story forward. I’m looking forward to what else this Brightest Day has in store for us readers, and how these newly resurrected characters will stay among the living.

“there are several details about it that are ill-served by those images…For one thing, it does not appear to be made of vinyl or plastic when you see the costume in context and in motion…I’m surprised by how disco-shiny those photos make him look, because that’s not at all what it looks like in the film. There’s a real cloth and metal feel to all of the costuming, especially the Asgardian stuff.”

We’ll see how it looks on celluloid, or digital film , or 3D. In the meantime, what do you all think? Comment below, or start a thread on our forums.

MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT PROMOTES JOE QUESADA TO CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER

New York, NY – June 2, 2010 – Marvel Entertainment, LLC announced today that it has promoted Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment. In this new role, Mr. Quesada will work alongside Alan Fine, Executive Vice President, Office of the President and Chairman of Marvel Studios’ Creative Committee, to ensure that all portrayals of Marvel’s characters and storytelling remain true to the essence of Marvel’s rich history. Additionally, Mr. Quesada will provide creative oversight of all areas of Marvel’s business including theatrical, television, publishing, animation and games, while also actively participating in all story and script development for Marvel’s films and animation. Prior to this promotion, Mr. Quesada held the role of Chief Creative Officer & Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Animation & Publishing and oversaw the creative aspects of Marvel Comics and Marvel Animation. The announcement was made today by Mr. Fine, to whom Mr. Quesada will report.

Mr. Fine stated, “I am excited to have Joe join me as Marvel Entertainment enters the next chapter in our history. Joe has already played an instrumental role as Editor-in-Chief in changing the face of the comic book industry with bold new ventures and an unprecedented penetration of the mainstream consciousness. His love and passion for Marvel, along with his experience guiding publishing for the last decade, will be invaluable as we bring our characters to life in new media.”

“I am honored to take this new position at Marvel Entertainment and work with Alan to bring the rich history of Marvel to a brand new audience” said Mr. Quesada. “Together with the incredible talent here at Marvel, in all our divisions, I look forward to making Marvel an even bigger part of the entertainment industry and showing why we’ve been an industry leader for over 70 years.”

Mr. Quesada will also continue to serve as Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Publishing, where over the past decade he has helped usher in bold new imprints such as Marvel Knights, the Ultimate Universe and Marvel MAX. During his tenure, Marvel received acclaim for its Heroes special to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001; the groundbreaking Death of Captain America storyline; and President Obama’s historic team up with Spider-Man. Mr. Quesada is also one of the industry’s most popular artists, providing cover and interior art to blockbusters such as Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil, Invincible Iron Man and more.

Don’t Panic.

So what do you think? Too long to wait for a cartoon? Sound off on our Forums.

The Giggaheim Museum Store has the following on sale:

Green Lantern First Flight DVD Maquette

This hand-painted cold-cast porcelain maquette of Green Lantern is based on art from the highly anticipated Warner Home Video made-for-DVD animated original movie, Green Lantern: First Flight!

Was: $89.99

Now: $49.99

Green Lantern: Secret Origin

After the death of his father in a car crash, Hal Jordan is given a ring by the alien Abin Sur which leads to his training as a member of the Green Lantern Corps and his quest to find out the secret of The Blackest Night.

Was: $23.99

Now: $13.99

What do you think of the casting? Sound off in the comments below, or on our Message Boards.

You can read more X-men at the Giggaheim.com Museum Store:

X-Men

Follows the story of the popular Marvel series from its creation in 1963 to its present success as one of the genre’s forefront franchises, in a visual tribute that also describes how its characters have been adapted for television and film

Was: $29.94

Now: $17.49

X-men First Class: Finals

As graduation looms for Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman, Dr. Xavier’s first five students, they try to figure out how they will cope with the world outside the school and what they will do with their lives.

Was: $17.99

Now: $10.49

Green Lantern Corps #48

Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by ARDIAN SYAF
Cover by RODOLFO MIGLIARI

I have to hand it to DC editorial. They did a fantastic job on release schedule during the “Blackest Night”, delivering books in sequence with the story beats, and not risking spoiling key moments. Brilliant job. Today however, I feel as though they went on a much-needed vacation. It could just be me, but I’d rather have a week between Green Lantern, and Green Lantern Corps. So when you read about Green Lantern, in two weeks you get the continued story. Currently, it’s just a heaping helping of Green Lantern, and maybe as this story progresses, we’ll see why.

Both Green Lantern Corps and Green Lantern had some memorable panels this week. First, Ganthet creating his ring in the Foundry on Oa was awesome. Syaf penciled a hell of a layout that was powerful, and evoked feeling of other famous ring-forging scenes in literature such as the Nibelungen, or Souron’s One Ring.

What I liked the most on this book were the diverging storylines, all of them were interesting, and driving the companion stories forward while having their own importance. Bedard continues to do a magic plate-spinning dance, and crafts a story that we can sink our teeth into, and keeps us coming back for more. With Syaf penciling, this book promises to have some great comics moments in the future.

Secret Avengers #1

WRITER: Ed Brubaker
PENCILS: Mike Deodato
COVER BY: Marko Djurdjevic

Yeah I know, and other “Avengers” title near the top spot. What can I say?  Marvel is emerging from their disaster of an event, “Siege” with good titles, and they are off to a great start. Ed Brubaker crafts a story that sits in his wheel-house, and tackles the “Secret Avengers”; The avengers that preempt terrorist attacks, super villain schemes, and work in the shadows. I didn’t even want this title. Most “secret” super groups start great, and then end horribly.  Steve Rodgers not being Captain America? Beast on the Avengers again? Nova? What is Nova doing on the book? Moonknight? You’re $#%^ me? Valkurie…okay this is just ridiculous….

This rag-tag group of characters actually pulls together an interesting dynamic, and with Mike Deodato’s pencils, and Beredo’s colors…It’s a solid book. The pairings of heroes are intriguing, the story moved at a good pace, the main plot is intriguing, and the book ended with a good cliffhanger/reveal that makes me want more.

Steve Rogers creates and commands a group of heroes that not only are powered to the hilt, but he uses them in the genius manner you would have anticipated and expected from the former Captain America. I’m a sucker for the first issues of team books. The best part is when everyone looks around at one another, and they gather for the first time. This book is slightly different but delivers the great character moments you would expect. It was just a solid book, and I’m glad I pulled it. While Avengers #1’s “Back to the Future” storyline might wilt in interest in 4 issues, I see this run being good for a long while.

Green Lantern #54

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by SHANE DAVIS and SANDRA HOPE

This title was also in the running due to the ever-gathering lanterns, and the great moments with the Red Lantern Atrocitous. Dex-Star, the Red Lantern Kitty, stole the issue by melting gang bangers in the subway. The mystery of the weird guardian continues as it gathers the “Entities”, and the White Lantern calls for them as well. I’m looking forward to seeing where Johns plans to take this story after wrapping his latest Green Lantern epic.

Thor #610

WRITER: Kieron Gillen
PENCILS: Doug Braithwaite
LETTERED BY: VC – Joe Sabino
COVER BY: Mico Suayan

Considering ”Siege” was all about Thor and his home environment, we finally get the epilogue of Asgard 2-3 weeks later. This seemed to settle all the lost threads that were left in Loki’s wake, and frankly I’m glad to be rid of Loki for a while. Thor is once again welcome in Asgard (nice of everyone), and offered the throne again, but he takes the position of advisor and defender. We catch up with Bill the brave and Kelda’s love affair, but the best part is Gillen erasing the wilder divergence in Thor by having the Mighty God of Thunder destroy Clore, and as Balder says: “An end to that.” This book sets up a clean beginning for the Thunder God, and I’m hoping it’s a good one. The title fell off the rails in the past issues after JMS’ sudden departure, and I hope it can find its way back to glory.

Superman War Of The Supermen #4 (OF 4)

Written by STERLING GATES and JAMES ROBINSON
Art by EDDY BARROWS and J.P. MAYER
Cover by EDDY BARROWS
Variant cover by ARRON LOPRESTI

My hat’s off to DC for pumping out a quick, 4-issue arc story that had impact on the characters involved, and delivered some stellar moments. The end was just as explosive and action packed as it begin, and I’m glad I was there for the ride. I was a bit disappointed that Kal-El and Zod didn’t have a epic, multi-page fight, but the way the events transpired served the story better. Pick up this thin trade, or if you are lucky, you might find the collected issues at your local comic book shop.

GI Joe Hearts And Minds #1

Writer: Max Brooks
Artist: Howard Chaykin, Antonio Fuso
Cover: Howard Chaykin, Antonio Fuso

I really enjoyed this issue, and the only thing holding me back from making this a pick of the week was the length. It ended too early for me. Just as the table was set, there was no dinner. We get a great set of characters studies, but the story never really started. I can appreciate what Howard Chaykin was after art-wise, but this particular art style isn’t my favorite. The cuts between the characters was a great layout idea, but these pencils just feel a little loose for me. The face construction just doesn’t seem consistent. I will be picking up the rest of this run, but I certainly hope there is more to read in issue #2.

Boondock Saints In Nomine Patris #1 (OF 2)

Writer: Troy Duffy, J.B. Love
Artist: Guss Floor
Cover: Chris Brunner

Sometimes there is a good idea that becomes a cult hit, and then someone just skull-@#$% it until it’s no longer worth attention, or even entertaining. Duffy and Love write a decent story, but the art was too jarring for me to follow at all. Even though it’s a two-issue run, I won’t be finishing it. Ugh.

“I have seen inks for about half the comic. They look great,” the writer said. “It is going to be a very striking style that is completely different from ‘Float Out’ [by Patton Oswalt and Patric Reynolds] and the other ‘Serenity’ comics that have been made. I think Chris Samnee’s art compliments Book’s story very nicely.”

“Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale” is due out in six months. The Giggaheim.com, and the Giggaheim.com Podcast will keep you posted on all your Serenity news.

Avengers #1

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: John Romita JR.
COVER BY: John Romita JR.

And Avengers #1 makes the pick of the week. Another Avengers book to top my comics radar for two weeks in a row. Congrats Mr. Bendis. Again, if you read last week’s column of “I Have Issues”, you know I am not the most avid Avengers reader. This however hit all the right buttons, and had a collection of little awards I keep in my head every week. The best panel/sequence for me was Thor unloading on Kang the minute he showed up. No speeches allowed, no silly repare’, Thor just goes to work on him. Fantastic. There are other brilliant moments in this book. Spiderman trying to make sense of Hawkeye’s costum/name change, Thor trying to figure out who Bucky is, but the dialouge between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark as they try and move on from Civil War was great. It was a good acknowledgment of the past, and a believable conversation on how these two can move on with their lives.

Romita Jr’s art is serviceable in this issue, tells the story clearly, and is professionally polished. Steady as a rock. The story also has me hooked. As Cap assembles the Avengers, and talks out differences with Tony, Kang the Conqueror barges in (and regrets it later), and explains the offspring of the Avengers are destroying the world in the future. Time-travel stories are as sordid as magic-related stories because I always get the feeling that the writer built in a cheap trap-door to escape out of, but this had a “Titans of Tomorrow” feel to it, and when Kang explains they must get to the future, and won’t give them a time-travel device, I was sold. There was real solid story logic, which solidified what could be argued as a “silly” story in my head, and I could just enjoy the book. The last page was a great tease for what is to come, and I am hopeful that this will be an Avengers title I can stick with. A fantastic read that is now on my pull list.

Age Of Heroes #1 (OF 4)

WRITER: Kurt Busiek, Paul Cornell, Rick Remender & Dan Slott
PENCILS: Marko Djurdjevic, Leonard Kirk & Chris Samnee
COVER BY: Greg Tocchini

Enter The Heroic Age #1

WRITER: Kelly Sue DeConnick, Christos Gage, Jim McCann & Jeff Parker
PENCILS: Gabriel Hardman, David Lopez, Mike McKone & Kev Walker
INKS: Alvaro Lopez & Mike McKone
COVER BY: Bryan Hitch

Wow I feel like I was robbed. These two titles are merely collections of short stories that don’t amount to much of anything. I’m surprised they charged money for these titles considering they are all prime candidates for the past Free Comic Book Day. Both the writing and art are a random assortment of talent, and frankly, this is another candidate for “Stocking Stuffers” or free gifts for kids who visit the house. Marvel owes me $8.

Brightest Day #2

Written by GEOFF JOHNS and PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH
Variant cover by IVAN REIS and OCLAIR ALBERT

This book is shaping up to be an amalgam between 52 and Countdown. I enjoyed 52 immensely, but I only collected a few issues of countdown that I wanted along with most of the comic collection/reading world.

Overall, I have little recollection of this book since nothing too wildly interesting happened. I had to read it twice for the book to grab my full attention, and the cover was total bullshit. Just like the weekly titles, I’m starting to sense and “every other issue” rhythm to the book. But enough bitching, this book was great on second inspection. The Hawks coming to terms with their dire fates, and wanting to break the cycle finally got me interested in them as characters.  The more intriguing aspects were that Firestorm can’t be separated, and Martian Manhunter is uncovering a mystery that surrounds his first appearance. What really works for me in this book is the writers are really playing to the characters strengths. The Martian Manhunter scenes were a good example of how to use the character, and what is fun to read bout J’honn. The artwork is still good, and I’m sure at least one aspect of the story has something for everyone, I’m still just interested in 50% of it. The mystery of the White Lantern will soon begin to get interesting since the last page was one hell of a teaser for the next issue.

DC Universe Legacies #1 (OF 10)

Written by LEN WEIN
Art by ANDY KUBERT, JOE KUBERT and J.G. JONES
Cover by ANDY KUBERT and JOE KUBERT
Variant cover by J.G. JONES

I was mildly interested in this title since I have loved the JSA the past few years, but never read any of the earlier stuff. I am aware of some of the seminal story lines through-out DC’s history, but the spin on this book is intriguing. We follow a pair of boys who are experiencing the dawn of the Mystery Men. As the reader soaks in the standard depression era setting, we are treated to a street level view of these “Mystery Men” with the issue ending with a back-up story covering the more magical characters of the JSA. The artwork is by the Kuberts is serviceable, and reminded me a bit of Romita more and more. It tells the story well, but doesn’t really knock my socks off.  This book is yet another book that will be passed out to friends and visitors that want to know more about comics, but don’t know where to begin.

Legion Of Super Heroes #1

Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art and cover by YILDIRAY CINAR and WAYNE FAUCHER
Variant cover by JIM LEE

I never read LoSH. There seems to be a popular thought behind this as well. You are either an X-men reader of a Legion reader. I think the reason is that both groups have characters that are only good at one thing. They get big, they fly, they have psychic powers, ect…It depends on the setting you want, and what kind of drama you prefer.

Currently, I just finished a 17-Trade run on Ultimate X-men, but I really enjoyed the hell out of this book. Paul Levitz, former President of DC Comics, takes the reigns of his baby, and really writes a hell of a story. We catch up to the Legion as politics force them to incorporate a sworn enemy in their ranks, and some Time scientists decide to break a golden DC Universe rule, and try and witness the creation of the Universe. We’ve seen these consequences before in the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, and any story featuring Krona.

Luckily Paul doesn’t let up on the pace, and introduces another element left behind by Geoff Johns, the Green Lanterns. Basically a sentient Green Lantern –slug-Guardian comes to life and begins t distribute rings to this universe again. This extra large issue had a lot going for it, and frankly I’m hooked. The various story lines that were left open in various state have whet my appetite, and I am going to put this on my pull list for next time. Artt-wise Cinar and Faucher, whom I am admittedly not too familiar, do a stellar job of illustrating meetings, exploding planets, comics powers, and all sorts of effects. A fantastic book, and I hope more people are feeling good about this book like I am so it sticks around.

Superman War Of The Supermen #3 (OF 4)

Written by JAMES ROBINSON and STERLING GATES
Art by CAFU & Bit
Cover by EDDY BARROWS
Variant cover by AARON LOPRESTI

I wouldn’t say this issue was slow, but it definitely caught its breath after a maddening fast pace the past two weeks. We still had some good action from Flamebird and Nightwing, as they turn the sun back yellow, Zod and his army begin to destroy cities of Earth and their leaders. This issue had just as much going for it as past issue, and the last page makes you thankful that the next issue is coming out next week.

Zatanna #1

Written by PAUL DINI
Art by STEPHANE ROUX and KARL STORY
Cover by STEPHANE ROUX
Variant cover by BRIAN BOLLAND

I was genuinely surprised at this book. I’ve read some fun Zatanna books, but my favorite is her role in “Books Of Magic #1”. Zatanna has always had one foot in DC Comics’ pop-hero world, and another in Vertigo’s adult-darkness. I like her in both, and this book delivers it. It has the fun pop-elements, but also delivers some gnarly scenes and some great magic. Normally I get annoyed reading the backwards spells, but I wasn’t distracted much by it. We open with a fun magic show, and then transition to a grim murder scene that only magic can explain. Normally I see magic as a dirty cheat for writers, but handled well, you beginning to respect the power of all the possibilities.

Here is the latter, and Dini is the perfect writer for the task by tackling the darker nature of magic that makes it fun to read. Dini had a hard task of writing a book about a sorceress who runs around in one of the sexiest outfits ever, and delivering a serious story. Roux and Story are equal to the task of illustrating a great book, by delivering some seriously fun panel to start with, and contrasting them with some gritty artwork. Fantastic job, and another #1 issue that will be on my pull list from now on. I highly recommend it.

“…the first ever scholarly, primary source database focusing on adult comic books and graphic novels. Beginning with the first underground comix from the 1960’s to the works of modern sequential artists, this collection will contain more than 75,000 pages of comics and graphic novels, along with 25,000 pages of interviews, criticism, and journal articles that document the continual growth and evolution of this artform. http://comx.alexanderstreet.com/Browse/Personsubject”

This website is truly an ambitious undertaking, and massive achievement that takes full advantage of the scope of the internet medium. If the big publishers have turned you away from comics, or you desire something off the beaten path, Comx has a load of material for you to read. Currently material is available from a saved “playlist” only, and memberships/sign ins are not yet available to the public, but the Sneak Peek ends this Friday.

Login info:

http://comx.alexanderstreet.com
username: comics
password: sneakpeek

Greg Urquhart, Editor of Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels, had this comment:

“I’m the editor of Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels, and I can confirm that this is indeed legit! We’ve spent the past 2+ years on a massive licensing campaign (which is still ongoing), and thanks to the help of folks like Denis Kitchen, Jim Danky, and Gary Groth, we’ve now got hundreds of artists on board, all of whom earn royalties every time we sell the collection to a library.

The materials you see on the site now represent only about 20% of the final collection. We’ll be adding new comics and new books about comics until we reach our final goal of 100,000 pages.

My hat’s off to the guys for this astounding collection, and I certainly hope there are  plans for portable reading apps in the future.

The First Issue will ship June 16^th with 2 covers by James Silvani or Jake Myler.

Click here for a preview of Issue #1

Amazon has made self-publishing available for a while now, and we have all blogged in one way or another. The successful blogging giants have been able to bundle their online journals into printing platforms, and publish, so the marketing place for the self-published continues to grow.

Barnes and Nobel, in an effort to continue retailing  media, have announced that Pubit! Will be available this Summer, giving aspiring creators the ability to upload their creations for sale on B&N’s website. The part about all this that is “NEWS” would be that the platform will no longer be limited to the Nook reader, but to all mobile platforms from phones to iPads. So if you are an aspiring creator, better hurry and get your material digitized for when B&N opens its doors.

Chaos! Comics was known a horror publisher, and it appears with the acquisition of “Vamparella” Dynamite is trying to cinch up the market. President Nick Barrucci was quoted as saying:

“After announcing our acquisition of Vampirella, and now the Chaos! properties, Dynamite Entertainment is in possession of some of the most iconic horror characters in comic book history, with Evil Ernie and Chastity arguably being the most iconic…Dynamite Entertainment has grown significantly these past several months with our acquisition of Dabel Bros., our publishing relationship with Liquid and Grant Morrison, and with several other more surprises coming up, we are aiming to be the most diverse publisher in comics!”

Dynamite has been attracting several top-industry creators such as Grant Morrison, Alex Ross and Kevin Smith.

“Over the course of the last six years, CMX has brought a diverse list of titles to America and we value the books and creators that we helped introduce to a new audience. Given the challenges that manga is facing in the American marketplace, we have decided that CMX will cease publishing new titles as of July 1, 2010.

“The shuttering of the CMX line does not affect the best-selling series Megatokyo which will continue publication, now as a DC Comics title with story and art by Megatokyo’s award-winning creator Fred Gallagher.

“We’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of the CMX staff and to thank our fans who have supported CMX.”

That’s right! Near Mint, First Edition Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 issue. SIGNED buy the legendary Marv Wolfman AND Georg Perez!!! This is a one of a kind prize, and all you have to do is be the first to answer the question correctly at the end of Episode #11 of the Giggaheim.com Podcast. If you have the right answer, post it as a comment on this blog post!! Your name will be announced on the next show, and this awesome issue will be shipped quickly to your home.

I Have Issues is a comic book review on the previous week’s new releases. SPOILER WARNING: if you haven’t read your books yet, read no further. These reviews will be posted a few days after comic book release day to give you time to read them so that you can throw your two cents in about what you thought of these books. The picks are currently limited, due to the small selection available in my local comic book shops, but hopefully that will change in a few months. Visit the Giggaheim.com Forums and start your non-censored, no-holds-barred thread on your favorite books. On with the reviews:

This week was a heavy week of beginnings and endings. Siege ended with Issue #4, a fallen hero was Mourned, and Batman is coming back.

New Avengers Finale #1

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis

PENCILS: Bryan Hitch

INKS: Jackson Guice

COLORED BY: Laura Martin

COVER BY: Bryan Hitch

This was a difficult week to pick a singular book that was tops. What would take the cake? After reading the whole stack, it was the New Avengers Finale that won the prize. I’m not normally an Avengers reader. Ironically, I have the first issue of the “New Avengers” in my long box, and I have this issue. I have the first trade, but that’s it. I was told the Sentry-heavy story was silly, and the Spider-woman betrayal story was awful, so I steered clear, and read other books, but I kept my eye on an issue here and there. I loved the new line up. It made sense to me. Why not have this age’s top characters? Cap, Iron Man, Spidey, and Wolverine were my essential characters, much like the top 7 of JLA.

And Bendis wrote the hell out of the first story “Breakout”. It made sense to have this super group together. You had the old guard, with a few new additions, and all were good at what they did. Fast forward to today. Almost a decade has transpired, and we have arrived to a truly satisfying conclusion that also establishes what could be a very exciting future “Heroic Age”.

This story kicks off with the dust settling from Siege, and the Hood and Madame Masque are on the run. They run to Count Nafaria for help, and the New Avengers eventually crash the party. Not only was this adventure exciting, and fun to watch, but it also had a great epilogue that was illustrated with beautiful 2-page spreads of the past events in Marvel’s last decade.

Bryan Hitch had the chore of illustrating this oversized-issue, which explains why we haven’t seen much from him in a while. Every panel is hyper-realized in his style, and between his illustrations and Bendis’ set-up, the Wolverine scene took the prize for “Moment of the Week”. While the pencils were fabulous, I felt as though it was really heavy, and I think Jackson Guice inked a little heavy on this issue. Hitch’s style is a bit lighter, and detailed, while the full-page Wolverine page seems dark and grubby. Not only was Hitch’s artwork beautiful, but I thought the different 2-page spreads at the back from the various artists that worked on those books were good as well, and kept in style.

This was a great end to a good run of the Marvel Naughts. I’m looking forward to the heroic age now. I’m looking forward to seeing Cap as Director of SHIELD, heroes having their anonymity, and a bit of a throw-back to the old-fashioned good vs evil for a while.

Superman War Of The Supermen #2 (OF 4)

Written by STERLING GATES and JAMES ROBINSON

Art by Eduardo Pansica & Wayne Faucher

Cover by EDDY BARROWS

Variant cover by AARON LOPRESTI

This story continues on the fast paced action, and continues to deliver some great moments in comic books. First New Krypton exploded, and the last page of this book just surprised the crap out of me. This book almost snagged pick of the week, with the fast and heavy story and the gorgeous artwork by Pasica and Faucher. I’ve said in the past that Superman was uninteresting, and I’m sure after the dust settles on this war that I will continue to ignore the books, but for now, I’m all in.

Superman catches up with Supergirl, and Clark helps here briefly grieve, and then gives the young Supergirl some direction. While that would be the heavy drama of the book, it is brief since they don’t have a lot of time to prevent the war from escalating and protect Earth from General Zod and an army of Krytptonians. Gates and Robinson keep us focused on Superman as the only hero how can save us, and then hit us with the idea that after all these years, it’s truly General Lane and Lex Luthor who can save the Earth from annihilation. After-all, this was the nightmare they had prophesied for years, preaching to anyone how this “Superman” was bad for the Earth. With the deck seemingly stacked against us, this issue took a turn that brought a smile to my face. I’m certainly glad this book is weekly, cause I’m glued to my seat, and can’t wait for more.

Batman Return Of Bruce Wayne #1 (OF 6)

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Art by CHRIS SPROUSE

Covers by ANDY KUBERT

Variant cover by CHRIS SPROUSE

Sketch Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT

I picked this up curious to see what will happen. Not 4 weeks after the events of blackest Night, and we have our first cheat on death. Oy. It’s not unexpected. Bryce’s involvement in Blackest Night was mysterious, and we all knew that Bruce Wayne would find his way back to present time in the cowl. The curiosity is how Grant Morrison is going to pull it off.

Grant Morrison is a stellar writer with a portfolio of fantastic books. He also has a very polarized audience, and his writing style can drive readers crazy. It’s his ability to write into the beyond, and conjure the weird that really attracts me to this latest Batman tale, and Grant Morrison really gets the essence of Bruce Wayne’s Batman. Also, Morrison is the one who “killed” Bruce off, so it’s only fitting that he bring him back.

Or will he?

We arrive in prehistoric times to find an established tribal system, and a story of a Boy who would be a Man. Enter Bruce, confused, and armed with his utility belt, he eventually fights a rival tribe, and escapes into the night, donning the skins of a giant bat. ‘Nuff said. While the basic story moved quickly, established the highs and lows, and brought us up to speed out of a confused beginning, Morrison goes beyond and introduces time travelers at the end. And it’s the end that is sweetest. If you haven’t read Batman in a long while, this book might be up your alley. It’s definitely wotht the price of admission.

Flash #2

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Variant cover by RYAN SOOK

Another great installment of the Fastest Man Alive. A good sign of a good Flash book, is you reach the end of the issue in under 5 minutes. A good Flash story will move at a frantic pace, envelope you in the story, and then suddenly end as the story gets good.  You get exactly that in Flash #2. The book picks up where we left off as a futuristic posse try and bring in Barry Allen for murder. Naturally the Flash escapes, and in a display of super-speed, rebuilds an apartment building that was lost as collateral damage from the escape in minutes. We also look in at the newly resurrected Captain Boomerang, and the Rogues set some rules for their comrade. Manapul’s artwork continues to illustrated the frenetic energy, and his page layouts allow for easy reading at a fast pace.

Siege #4 (OF 4)

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis

PENCILS: Olivier Coipel

INKS: Mark Morales

COLORED BY: Laura Martin

LETTERED BY: VC – Chris Eliopoulos

COVER BY: Olivier Coipel

Where to start? I must confess dear readers, that I was pissed off reading this book. The Penguins had decided to piss away the playoffs, and my phone was being a jerk. So I sat down to read the conclusion of Marvel’s big event, and just got angrier. Logical questions popped in my head over and over, and I couldn’t answer them with logic, just conjecture. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Bendis and Coipel finish the last chapter of Marvel’s Naught Decade with Siege #4. And as we could see from Siege #3, evil is punished, the good stand victorious, and all will be right in the universe again. Was this conclusion the wiz-bang, awesome ending that would take a decade to climax to? Was it worth the read?

Eh….

I will say that Bendis hit all the right beats in this story. The Void is badass. Loki gets his big moment, and you can see why Asgard tolerates the prick. Steve Rogers is a quiet bad-ass. Thor gets all the fighting we would hope to see from the Lord of Storms. The Hero Registration Act is repealed. S.H.E.I.L.D. is back in the hands of the good guys. Asgard now exists on a different plane of existence. The heroes are back on friendly terms. Last but not least, the Sentry is dead.

So why didn’t I like it? Was it Montreal’s fault?

No. Not really. But I am left with a blasé feeling. I hate to say this, but it felt like Siege ended in issue 3. What we really wanted was to see Ares avenged, and we got that in this issue. But Osborne wasn’t punished (yet), and all the bad guys got away. But I think what I’m a bit perturbed about is the release schedule. Did it really take so long for issue #4 to hit stands? Would I have liked this better if I read it in trade? Maybe. But Coipel’s artwork didn’t look like he labored for long on the pages. All the combat pages with the void were muddy, and unfocused. Coipel’s artwork is normally crisp, and the layouts tell a strong story, but these pages were a complete opposite, which leads me to think that the delays were with editorial. All in all, it was a good ending, and it didn’t spoil the ending. It was a still a good story, just not the explosive end-all story I was looking for.

Siege Epilogue The Sentry Fallen Sun

Written by Paul Jenkins

Art by Tom Raney

Cover by Leinil Francis Yu

Why is it that all the requiem/eulogy heavy comics are the best to read? Tomasi wrote a fantastic epilogue for Martian Manhunter a year ago, and Paul Jenkins knocks this book out of the park as well. I never cared for the Sentry. A blonde Superman knock-off named Bob always rubbed me the wrong way. The void twist was a way to make him remotely interesting, but I always felt the same boredom and contempt for him I did for Superman, if not more. I was curious about this book when I first saw it solicited. It was obvious from Siege Issue #2 where the Sentry was headed, but I’ve always been a fan of the fallout. The epilogue was always as interesting to me as the event was. The local guys in the shop reviewed the book as I bought it as “Dudes standing around”, and I got hopeful.

Don’t get me wrong, dialogue heavy books can be burdensome, but they are also some of my favorite books. It subconsciously feels as though the writer really put forth extra effort, and is sharing a ton of information with you that action panels can’t capture. Hell, some of the best mind-blowing moments in comics are dialogue-based.

So, not knowing much about Bob, I watched as several heroes mourned his loss, and shared with me their favorite moments, and confessions centered around their fallen friend. This book has almost no action, but kept me riveted to the pages, and disappointed as the book ended. If you want a good read with emotional weight, and a good inside track on some of Marvel’s most prominent heroes, pick this book up.

Astonishing Xmen: Exogenesis #1

WRITER: Warren Ellis
PENCILS: Kaare Andrews
INKS: Kaare Andrews
LETTERED BY: Chris Eliopoulos
COVER BY: Kaare Andrews

Like “Thor”, this title has really taken a turn. I wouldn’t say for the worst, but it is wildly different from what had been established by Whedon and Quietly. The story is remotely engaging, but I spent much of the book showing the illustrations by Kaare Andrews to others. This isn’t my favorite art style, but it was the anatomy that I found distracting. Emma’s anatomy specifically brought giggles and long stares as I would ponder what Andrews was after. The “X-men Emo Style” just isn’t my cup of tea, and I think I’ve had my last pull of X-men for a while.

It is an interesting study of moral values vs. political pressures. While the Giggaheim.com doesn’t necessarily throw its hat into one particular political camp, we do endorse the idea of an educated argument. So, we recommend you give this study of comic book values compared to modern day practices a read.

There is no official word on how the artist died, but he had suffered thyroid conditions and had several strokes.

Why?

Well, Mothers are usually the bringers of destruction to a childhood stock-pile of collectibles. All your Transformers? Donated to charity. The stack of G.I. Joe comics? Given to that runt next door for mowing the lawn while you were at college. The Star Wars figures still in the box? Sold in a yard-sale.

I don’t have this complaint, my Mom always asked first (Although a copy of Heavy Metal went missing, but I think that was part of a censorship program).

Some guys though, have shared nightmares of coming home, and their legos were donated, their comics use for bird cage-lining, and their old Atari that still worked was thrown out. After-all, your old place isn’t a cheap self-storage. Mom and Dad need that room for their office now.

But should we condemn Mom? After-all, if it wasn’t for Mom there wouldn’t be a collectibles market. When I heard someone’s original Transformers comics wound up in a Goodwill pile, I danced a little in my head. That meant my copies went up in price. I just got richer. Thanks someone else’s Mom!

So this Mother’s Day, hug your Mom, take her to dinner, or do something without being asked, and hide your Fantastic Four collection deep in the attic.

This week’s pick of the week was a strange one. Between mysterious lanterns no one can lift, whole planets exploding, and trippy time travel, I wound up with an even keel pick:

Star Trek Captains Log Harriman #1

Written by: Marc Guggenheim

Art By: Andrew Currie

This book took me off guard, and I didn’t even pull it. No, this book came courtesy of my friendly comic book shop owner who has been pulling Star Trek Titles for my wife since she had devoured the “Start Trek: Nero” books. Along the lines of the “Nero” book, most franchise books suck, waste what could be valuable story space, and are drawn terribly. “Star Trek Captains Log Harriman #1” is different, and even outshone the bigger books that came out this week.

The book starts with Kirk’s heroic death that we saw in Star Trek: Generations”. We then catch up to Dr. McCoy, who has been reactivated to active duty to deal with a plague that this new Enterprise will go deal with. McCoy then chews Harriman a new one, blaming him for Kirk’s death, but then advises the green captain who then saves the day.

What brought this up to Pick of the Week levels for me was the dialogue and artwork. I didn’t even look at the book credits because they are normally populated by names we haven’t heard of yet, but this book was written by Marc Guggenheim (Wolverine, The Flash), who was the only person capable of bringing the dreadful Bart Allen Flash run to a successful close. He nails McCoy’s voice here injecting the right amount of swearing, tempo, and sincerity that makes you feel that DeForest Kelly is speaking out of the page. He also sets a great done-in-one story that doesn’t get bogged down with too much inner dialogue, or some uber-nerdy sci-fi facts. It’s just a fun story.

What also, struck my fancy on this book was the artwork. Andrew Currie’s pencils illustrate the actors and characters we have come to know and love without too many of those “eesh” moments you experience when an artists makes a known actor’s visage unrecognizable. The space battles, transporter effects, and the quite cabin scenes are all beautifully illustrated. This was a fantastic read, and I plan on downloading it to my IDW app on my iPad.

Brightest Day #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS and PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PATRICK GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Cover by DAVID FINCH
Variant cover by IVAN REIS and OCLAIR ALBERT

The “Brightest Day” event kicked of in earnest, and it felt like “52”. Plot points and character moments are thrown fast and furiously as the different characters’ mysteries all deepen. The shining moments in the book are Mera and Aquaman dealing with pirates. Aquaman is cool again, and I think with this new storyline we should get some interesting Aquaman stories as his reemergence brings Black Manta back as well.

The book throws a series of great mysteries at you with Firestorm not being able to separate consciousnesses, someone is telepathically baiting Martian Manhunter, and someone else is stealing the bodies of the Hawks. The bigger mystery I’m more interested in is the one surrounding the White Lantern. Naturally, Deadman will be the White Lantern, but I’m more interested in seeing how the rest of the ring corps will deal with it, and what it all means.

The illustrations were all good, but the stuttering effect of the quick cut-aways and fats tempo threw me off from enjoying the book more, and I just found myself looking at the panels for the Hawks instead of reading them. I’m just not too interested in them. Hopefully when all of these separate storylines come together, it will peak my interest more, but for now, I’m going to keep pulling the book, and follow the stories I like.

Astonishing Spider-Man Wolverine #1

WRITER: Jason Aaron
PENCILS: Adam Kubert
INKS: Maria-Emiko Macuaga
COLORED BY: Ronan Cliquet
COVER BY: Adam Kubert & Greg Adams

I picked this book up because I love these stories. I’m a sucker for them. The Ultimate Spider-man story when Peter Parker and Logan switch bodies was a classic. Their interaction in the Ultimate X-men: Blockbuster was another great story, and their team-up stories in the regular 616 are also no-miss events. So I decided to pull this book, without looking at the creative team.

This book was another fun jaunt that knocks you off your expectations immediately, and throws you in the deep end of the pool. Spider-man and Wolverine are back in the Jurassic time? Peter has a beard? What’s going on? Turns out that Logan and Peter were in the wrong place during a bank heist, and thrown back in time. Unfortunately, they are running out of time as the Asteroid that brought on the ice age, is about to hit the Earth.

Despite the jarring nature of the story, the dialogue was fantastic, and Adam Kubert’s pencils capture every mood, and illustrate the facial expressions beautifully. I honestly didn’t think I would make it through the issue, and definitely wouldn’t pull the whole story, but thanks to Jason Aaron’s storytelling I have to know what happens next.

Superman War Of The Supermen #1 (OF 4)

Written by JAMES ROBINSON and STERLING GATES
Art by Jamal Igle & Jon Sibal
Cover by EDDY BARROWS
Variant cover by AARON LOPRESTI

I don’t read Superman. I find him a bit boring actually. Some of my favorite books involve Superman (Kingdom Come, Superman: Red Son, Hush, All-Star Superman) but I just find Superman boring overall. We know he’ll win the day, and some super-power will get him out of a jam. Super-hearing, or super-smell, or super-silence. It always felt like a cheat, and I never felt any suspense reading the books.

“War of the Supermen #0” was a free comic book last weekend, and I decided to pick it up. I figured with the review column and the podcast, I should read this event and weigh in on it. It did have some of my favorite characters like General Zod, and this event has been building up for a while now. While issue #0 set up that Zod has decided to attack Earth with a Kryptonian army, and Superman might show up too late to help. Issue #1 illustrated just how deadly Lex Luthor and General Lane can be, and how their entanglements with Superman in the past have prepared them for the Kryptonian invasion.

In one masterstroke, Luthor plants a bomb in a prisoner that destroys New Krypton. The new planet that Kal-l could belong to was wiped off the star charts thanks to the genius of one of DC’s greatest villains. Fueled by this act of terrorism, I’m sure the Kryptonian army that was en Route to attack Earth will no doubt bring some scorn, and with his kind of story, and these kind of stakes; I’m in.

The 3G is quick, and I decided to go with the cheap $15 plan that allows for 250mb of downloads top see how long 250mb would last. I have been using the 3G sparingly, and have used 77mb so far. 50mb of which I used Friday night downloading apps.

Since I don’t have a more modern Mac, I couldn’t activate the iPad. This was a huge hurdle. Despite this disregard for customer loyalty, my iPad is now a tramp, traveling from one of my friend’s Mac to the other, trying to sync up, trying to get media.

Luckily, with the Wi-Fi or 3G connections, I can still download apps, and jump on the Internet, but syncing my movies, photos, and music is out of my reach. I find this particular bug silly. I’m not complaining about copyrights and file sharing, my main complaint is the version of OS X. I have G5 quad at home that does nothing but work. I’ve had a Intel Powerbook, but preferred the performance of the G4/G5 chips. Those older Macs were tanks, and they just did nothing but work. So, I’m stuck with OS 10.4, but iPad requires OS 10.5. The change in technology is mildly understandable, but overall, silly.

I’d understand if the file format was different, ex: .doc vs. .docx. That makes sense, but I’m perplexed on this particular issue. MP3 files haven’t changed, I have the most recent version of iTunes, which is the program used the sync to your computer, but I can’t use it. I think it’s silly.

Once I found a donor computer to sync to, the iPod, movies, and photos functions are great on the iPad. Movies are in beautiful HD, the music is the same and an iPod, and photos are crystal clear. Big thumbs up on this. Watching a movie on my iPod an exercise in madness, but the 10”screen on the iPad really shines, and is easy on the eyes.

So after that was settled, I downloaded the WordPress app, and fired that up. Holy cats, that was an exercise in frustration. IF you are an avid blogger like me, I suggest skipping this app. It is merely a text editor, and all images you post will be sent to the bottom of the posts. No floating images, or any special features. For $2 I purchased BlogPress. It’s a great blogging app that makes image insertion easy, allows for special features like floating the images, and easy linking and account set up. One of the main reasons I bough the iPad was to blog on the go, to cover events at cons, and stay current. If you have the same goal, grab a copy of BlogPress.

Next up were all the “Productivity” apps. Right out of the gate I grabbed Pages for $10. It’s a no-brainer with all the powerful features. I also grabbed Evernote, Dropbox, and Dragon Dictation, Simplenote and Box.net. All of which share files in cloud computing, or assist with more writing. Dictionary.com App is also very good, and comes with a thesaurus.

After that, I wanted the comic book readers. This was another reason why I grabbed an iPad because I believed that the comic book industry would be revolutionized by this new technology. There are four apps out there currently that I grabbed, and anyone with an iPad, and a taste for comics, would need.

Marvel App – This app is gorgeous, and makes me wonder how DC and Image are going to respond. The comics I have downloaded (just the free ones for free so far) on here are beautiful, and the navigation isn’t bad. It really is pretty easy.

iVerse – surprisingly good app. At first I thought this app would go by the wayside, but I began to really love it. Just like Comixology, they have a store of various publishers, and those comic book houses should definitely display their digital media in as many places as possible until the dust settles.

IDW – This is basically the same story with marvel, only with IDW’s comics.

Comixology – Since they build the Marvel app, this is basically the same interface. The only difference is that they have a wider variety of comics available. The have marvel, but thy also have various other comics including Images Comics, top Cow, and Boom! Studios. My only gripe is that I have a pull list at Comixology.com, and it isn’t integrated with the iPad app. The convenience of having a pull list handy at my local store would be amazing, and being able to buy what the don’t have and download it to my iPad would be awesome.

So my feelings on the digital comics boom are now in favor of this new medium. I’d much rather spend $2 per issue to try something new, and grab the trades on the shelves. I’m certainly looking forward to the next 12-hour flight, and being armed with my trusty iPad.

Other readers, such as the iBook reader that comes with the iPad, are beautiful, and the Kindle app from Amazon is beautiful as well. It’s slightly comforting to scratch those literary issues instantaneously, but I’ll miss my 11pm trips to books-a-million. Again, this is a great app for when that elusive author, or book title explodes into your conscious, and now you can look it up and act on it.

The music apps are impressive as well. The standard iPod app and iTunes are great, but the one app that has floored me is Pandora. This player definitely takes listening to music to an intuitive level, and I’m scared to leave it on more than 2 hours before my resolve is broken, and I buy all the tunes I don’t have yet though the iTunes store links. The Last.fm app (where you can listen to the Giggaheim.com Podcast)  is just as good as their website, but it is the iPhone version, so a large pixilated screen, and small, limited controls dwarf in comparison to the Pandora app.

The news apps are very good, and there are a few that really impressed me. The USA Today seemed to be a natural fit to the medium. This visual publication has always been a stark contract to the Wall Street Journal. MY favorite two news apps so far are BBC News, and NPR. Naturally, I’d rather listen to the top stories in 5 minutes, than read through pages of news, and the BBC is natural to me because I really despise sensationalized news.

The entertainment apps are hit and miss. ABC’s app is beautiful, but I’m not really a fan of many of their shows. The Yahoo! Entertainment app is impressive, but I haven’t really found the need to use it yet. The one I have been using quite a bit of is the Netflix app. The digital streaming is fabulous on my Xbox 360, and just a polished on my iPad. The iPad naturally has a better interface for searching the catalog, and with Netflix’s growing catalog, you just can’t beat the amount of entertainment streamed out of it. Naturally you will want to download the IMDb app if you are like me and wind up in verbal swordfights over whether or not Nathan Fillion was in “Saving Private Ryan” or not. (He was!)

Other apps come in handy such as Beat The Traffic, AccuWeather, and CoolHunting, and I’m looking forward to expanding my reach and abilities on this thing.

So in the end, what do I think after a week? Despite the bumpy start, I think I’m going to like this thing. I wasn’t too sure about it Friday night, and it almost wound up on eBay. But after giving it a chance, I’ve found that I am carrying this thing with me everywhere I go, and it is starting to fill my life with convenience. I’m actually considering retiring my Blackberry (boooooo Storm boooo) and going back to my basic Razr phone, or just a basic 12-key phone. All the “smart” functions I need are on this iPad, I can type easily, and the screen is easy to see. GPS navigation in traffic is a breeze. Doug (Tech editor at the Giggaheim.com) wasn’t too impressed, and I’m sure his column will follow, but his chief comment was “My iPhone does that.” Luckily, I’ve got a Blackberry (boooooo Storm boooo) since I have had no problems with the network, and I love this iPad.

So far my rating the first week : 8/10

G.I. Joe #155 ½

Written by: Larry Hama

Art by: Agustin Padilla

IDW Publishing

This title has really had a renaissance in the past few years. The Origins stories have been a fun read, and I was happy to see one of my favorite childhood titles reinvigorated, and represented in Free Comic Book Day. IDW acquired this title from Marvel’s dust bin, and has done a stellar job. My only gripe with this book is it’s half an issue.

Love and Capes #13

Written and Drawn by: Thomas Zahler

Maerkle Press

I had been meaning to check this book out since I have heard many great things about this title. Thomas Zahler is a graduate of the Kubert Art School, and it certainly shows in this full issue give-away. The artwork could be described as a “Jetsons” look, with very clean lines, bold colors, and clean inking. It’s no wonder this romantic comedy is being picked up by IDW. A word of warning, there is no adventure, it’s really just a Superman & Lois type- of book.

Iron Man Thor

Written by: Matt Fraction

Art by: John Romita Jr.

Marvel Comics

Marvel wastes no opportunity to market its hot properties, and this is one of two books that Iron Man gets to star in. John Romita Jr. (of Kick-ass and Spider-Man fame) illustrated Matt Fractions fun little one shot story of mega-rich people abusing their power. Although I found the ending a little strange, it fit the fun nature of the story. This was probably my favorite of the Free Comic Book Day offerings.

Iron Man Nova

Written by: Paul Tobin

Art by: Craig Rousseau

Marvel Comics

And again with Iron Man. Nova and the cosmic characters have been quietly establishing a great series over at Marvel, and I was happy to see Nova introduced to new readers in Free Comic Book Day. This adventure has all the prerequisite pillars of a good book: Monkeys. Need I say more? Moving on…

DC Kids Mega Sampler

Creative Team: (W) Landry Walker, Art Baltazar, Franco, Sholly Fisch (A) Eric Jones, Art Baltazar, Mike Norton, Dario Brizuela (C) Baltazar

Publisher: DC COMICS

This is a great sampling of DC’s Eisner award winning work aimed at younger readers. Hell, I read “Tiny Titans” any chance I get, but “Super Friends” is just as enjoyable. If you are a comic book evangelist, I suggest getting as many left over copies as you can, and spreading the word. There are great books, and would make great stocking stuffers if the Xmas season was closer.

Absent from my shop: “War of the Supermen #0” I look just like Supes on the cover. “Waahhh!!”

I had a fat stack of books this week, and figuring out what was on the top was no easy task.

Justice Society of America #38

Written by BILL WILLINGHAM
Art by JESUS MERINO and JESSE DELPERDANG
Cover by JESUS MERINO

This story continues to heat up, and I might be getting this in trade so I can give it out to friends. I’m a sucker for “Damned Future” storylines. Seeing our present day heroes aged, and how their lives turned out. In this case, they are captives in a Nazi-rules world, and are being used as examples in a camp. The past couple of issues have been good, but building up to this issue, and what surely will be a good issue next month.

This new Nazi Regime has acquired power over the world by depowering the superheroes as we know them, and then swiftly taking over. In the story we are in the timeline where this has happened for 20 years, and the heroes we know are staging one last desperate act to balance the scales, and fight this Nazi regime.

While Bill Willingham brings his ability to tell as intriguing story as he does in Fables, Jesus Merino steals my artwork pick of the week from Ryan Ottley. Every page is beautifully penciled, inked, and colored. The level of detail in the characters is fantastic, and he has to draw outside the cast boundaries of the JSA as we catch up to what happened to the heroes around the world. Some of the backgrounds are blank in panels, which drives me nuts, but the full page panel of Batman’s execution steals the show. This book has all the requirements of “Pick Of The Week”. A fantastic storyline that keeps your reading every month, fantastic illustration, a solid inking and coloring team, and panels/moments that make you keep opening the book.

Invincible #71

story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover RYAN OTTLEY & FCO PLASCENCIA

I had been worried about “Invincible” for the past few months. The story seemed to mire itself after the “Invincible War”, and the “fun” seemed to die away from the book. Robert Kirkman’s work on Invincible from the first issue was amazing, but what made it stand out was the magical balance between dramatic subject matter, and fun caped-superhero adventure. Every issue from 1-50 was a master-class in writing a fun super hero book with good drama.

With the Invincible War, the fun seemed to fall off, and the book became a monthly exercise in super hero reading, and not the fun thrill-ride it once was. With #71, it feels like the fun may return soon. The drama is still a bit heavy, but the fun interactions between the characters building up and you can see how Kirkman is laying the groundwork for what may be the most explosive Invincible storyline yet. Naturally, all the artwork by Ottley continues to bring a consistently clean feel to the book. As I mentioned last week, this is one of those comics that goes unappreciated because it’s so good every issue. Naturally there is a cliffhanger of a last page that is fabulous, and just makes you want to throw the issue in frustration because you want to keep reading.

Green Lantern Corps #47

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Patrick Gleason and Rebecca Buchman
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari

Thomasi wraps up the last remnant of “Blackest Night” with what felt like a double-sized issue. I was really looking forward to the wrap-up issues of Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps after Blackest Night #8. This past event of undead ring-wielders left more in its wake than collateral damage and dead heroes. It left behind questions about the Green Lanterns, and how they would continue. While last week’s issue was good, and dealt with Hal, I was looking forward to this issue a bit more since there were so many plot lines that revolved around the Green Lantern Corps. How would Guardians move forward after one of their won betrayed them? How would Oa rebuild? Would the new laws still be in affect? Who would still be a Green Lantern?

Thomasi delivers a quiet issue filled with answers, and bridges the past few months into an intriguing future. Killawog retires his drill instructor baton, the Law against fraternizing is repealed, and the Guardians have to accept the fact that they have fallen a few pegs in the eyes of their Corps.

The story moved effortlessly from on character to the next, and the artwork to framed the quiet pace, and brought out the more dramatic beats. I thought the book felt a little rushed art wise. The Tree memorial full page seemed to be an unfinished sketch with heavy inks, and the following 4 pages were very heavy and felt cartoony compared to previous work I have seen Gleason do. The back pages return to the lighter style, but the beginning of the book felt very muddy. Gleason does capture Guy’s expression well as he homage’s a scene from “Animal House”.

Overall, it was a great issue. The story wraps up the end of “Blackest Night” and Issues us into the “Brightest Day”. I’m looking forward to reading on since it appears there might be a future schism among the Corps soon.

Teen Titans #82

Written by FELICIA D. HENDERSON
Co-feature written by SEAN MCKEEVER
Art by JOE BENNETT and JACK JADSON
Co-feature art and cover by YILDIRAY CINAR and JÚLIO FERREIRA

It has been a long, long while since I read Teen Titans. When Geoff Johns first assembled the group from the remnant of “young Justice” I was hooked. The crops members were fantastic, and mixed with the older titans seamlessly to make a great dynamic that was fun to read. Then “Infinite Crisis” tore the group apart. Superboy died, Bart became the Flash briefly and died, and the splintered group left behind gathered more and more weepy teens that just turned me off the book.

In the past few months we have seen Connor come back to life, and Bart has raced back from the dead as well, which piqued interest in titans again. Would they reassemble the group again? Robin in now Red Robin and hunting down Bruce Wayne, Superboy is back and forth between the 30^th century with the Legion, and Bart has been in several cameos but nothing solid.

Issue 82 puts the band back together, and it was a joy ride to see the more veteran members go to work. While I’m not too fond of the newer members of the Titans, I think I’ll grow to love them as Felicia Henderson crafts a reunion story that will bring the titans back on top. Joe Bennet’s art  does well balancing the fight sequences, illustrating Bart’s speed effects, and even creating good quiet panels. The titans have returned.

Thor#609

WRITER: Kieron Gillen
PENCILS: Billy Tan
INKS: Mike Harris
COLORED BY: Scott Cohn
LETTERED BY: Jeromy Cox
COVER BY: Mico Suayan