SINESTRO / BOB’S BURGERS / POP / WAYWARD / GOTG [Fistful of Comic Review]: Labor Daze

Hey, GHGers!  It is time to change it up a bit and give a variety of goodies to check out and read.  So leave the work week behind and get lost in the comics that we have for you today to get your body and mind ready for this Labor Day Fistful of Comics, baby. Woohoooooo!

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Look out, comic lovers! I’m commandeering this congregation! Minister Gabe here, and Wednesday was for Lantern lovers, especially if you’re a fan of FEAR.

Sinestro got his own monthly comic recently, and like many spin-off character books, it started off kind of slow, but man, things got going in this month’s Sinestro #5.

Before the premiere issue, we last left Sinestro sporting the “big shoulder look” toting around the all-powerful fear entity Parallax. The same Parallax that turned all-star Green Lantern Hal Jordan into a villain for a huge chunk of his character’s history. I bring this up because unlike the rest of the entities who helped replenish the light energy reservoir, nobody really knew where the giant yellow fear bug has been. . . until now! (Cue dramatic music).

The dynamic between Sinestro and Jordan has been solidified (in Demi-God Geoff Johns‘s last issue on the series) as basically the most intense frenemy-rivalship-bromance in literally the entire universe. So even though this issue is essentially a conversation turned pissing-contest between these two rivals, something occurs in the climax of the book that really tips the scale.

Remember, we’re not reading a Green Lantern book, we’re reading a Sinestro book! And in a weird way, writer Cullen Bunn (The Damned) successfully gets the reader to root for our favorite yellow fear monger. The best villains are the ones who do evil with the mentality that they’re doing what’s best for everyone. In Sinestro’s case, we can clearly see his motive, his problem, and his mentality, and Bunn has successfully put us on his side; we actually want him to succeed! And even huge GL fans can’t help but see Hal Jordan as a guest star, and with his smart remarks, and boastful arrogance, Jordan is definitely the antagonist of the series.

Artist Dale Eaglesham (Fantastic Four) does great with the action scenes, and really holds the level of intensity throughout the discussion, which is hard to do when you have to draw half a book of just two people talking. His strong, straightforward art style compliments the solidity and focus of Sinestro’s character. And after Sinestro brings out the bug guns– (err, the “big guns” sorry, accidental spoiler), Eaglesham really nails a crestfallen, humiliated Green Lantern.

Bringing out Sinestro’s primary villain (which is already a weird concept) on the 5th issue of the series was a bold move, but this issue answered a LOT of questions, and really pushed this series into the forefront of the Lantern books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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If you can’t wait until October 5th to spend more time with the Belcher family, Dynamite has cooked up a nice little appetizer in the form of Bob’s Burgers #1!

Serving up these tasty little morsels are three chefs from the Bob’s writing staff: Rachel Hastings, Mike Olsen (King of the Hill), Justin Hook, and Jeff Drake with the ink flavored garnishes from animators of the show: Frank Forte, Brad Rader, Bernard Derriman, Tony Gennaro.

Hacky culinary puns on the backburner (last one, I promise), the resulting comic looks like Bob’s, and reads like Bob’s, but seems to be missing some key Bob’s ingredients (okay, I lied about the puns).

The issue is split up into three smaller stories, each one starring a different Belcher child. On the surface, the comic feels like Bob’s Burgers – each segment being just as witty, absurd, and pun-filled as any given episode of Bob’s would be, but the real meat and cheese of what makes Bob’s so great is the fully developed 22-minute plots, amazing voice acting, and songwriting (which makes you wonder why they chose to make one segment a musical).

In the end, you can’t have your burger and eat it too. This comic seems to be on track to hold the fans over between episodes, without spoiling the main course that is the fifth season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Image is at it again with some more anti-superhero status quo.

Courtesy of writer Jim Zub (Samurai Jack) and artist Steve Cummings (Pantheon High), we get Wayward. This Japan centered tale starts out more like a straightforward coming of age novel about a young girl, Rori Lane, who has moved to Japan to live with her mom, but the story makes a very Buffy sort of turn near the end of the first issue.

The art is very reflective of the culture the book is trying to represent, and the pacing is great. However, when the weird Ninja Turtle style bad guys show up, it feels a bit strange (even when considering that there are teenage girls fighting huge turtles). For some reason, you are left wishing that it was just a straight story without the supernatural aspects. However, this is only a first issue, and it does ask questions that desire answers.

Though, one can’t help but worry that there might be a Sucker Punch style twist to this whole thing at some point. In any case, it’s a reasonably good read and will likely flesh out in the coming issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Who loved Guardians in theaters? Are you fiending for more? Well, this is exactly what the galaxy combo team of Ed McGuinness (Superman/Batman) and Brian Bendis (Ultimate Spiderman) do for you with Guardians of the Galaxy #18! This over-the-top space opera is chalked full of big-action and summer blockbuster themes.

Though lacking the massive reveal as originally promised, this issue does feature Star-Lord, Nova (original) Drax and Thanos. Covering mysterious events that happened in the cancer-verse over 5 years ago, we are finally allotted the how’s on Peter (don’t call me Pratt) Quill and ole purple heads return.

Though better served as an annual allowing more page length and less “to be continued”, ish 18 does rank as the best issue of this new run– even if it has taken over a year and a half to get there. With exceptional pencils courtesy of McGuinness, ink by Mark Farmer and a color palette that’s blows off the page by Justin Ponsor, this issue is Marvel on crack!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What if the pop stars of today were manufactured in a facility?

Dark Horse’s Pop #1 depicts that universe created by writer Curt Pires (Theremin) and artist Jason Copland (RoboCop). It has a very Luc Besson Fifth Element feel to the beginning — which I liked — as the main character Elle, their new pop creation, escapes from the factory where our pop idols like Britney Spears have been born. She runs into a man named Coop, who helps her.

A sudden “cut to” to “Dustin Beaver,” another manufactured star from the facility getting his knee cap blown off. Talk about a silly and over-the-top but still interesting concept! This Priestess feels pop culture is being used to make something “interesting.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Let’s face it: If superheroes did exist, the majority would probably end up in therapy. Crack open Dark Horse Comics’ Sundowners #1 by Tim Seeley (G.I. Joe) and Jim Terry (The Underneath), and that’s exactly the story we’re being told.

Four different superheroes gather during a session led by Dr. David “Shreds” Shrejic– all recounting the seemingly delusional stories from their past.

The book does a fantastic job of balancing humor with the plight of these seemingly delusional heroes. Jim Terry’s art perfectly suits the story, and it was a pleasure to look at, largely in part to Sean Dove’s colors. Towards the end of this issue is when things really start to get more interesting, completely shaking up the narrative that we had gotten used to. I can honestly say I was caught off guard. I’m highly anticipating the next issue, and to see what sort of strange and creepy rabbit hole the title goes down next! 4/5 Bibles.