Well, well, another week, and yet another Fistful of Comics coming your way, care of GodHatesGeeks. We’ve got a who’s who of titles, and publishers, and you best believe we’re gonna give you our say in which ones to pick up! From heroes, to villains, to antiheroes, to Jesus Christ Himself, we’ve got more characters here than you can shake a fist at, with some books so good, one of our faithful just had to write two reviews!
Let’s get right to it, geeks and geekettes…!
Rob Deep Maldonado @deep2hbTHE BATMAN’S GRAVE #4 – DC Comics
This was Bryan Hitch’s issue. Bryan choreographs a pretty stiff fight. He captures Batman’s necessary brutality in taking down enhanced thugs who do not feel pain. Sometimes it seems his movements are off balance and awkward but Bruce is enjoying every second.
Warren Ellis is on cruise control and injects his wit in the form of Alfred’s comedic retorts to let the reader know it’s still his book. I laughed out loud on two occasions. Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch seem to be criticizing but also having fun with the BATMAN mythos since issue one. It’s definitely worth picking up, and I hope they collect it in giant sized hardcover like an an Authority Omnibus. 3.5/5 Bibles.
Second Coming has ended its initial run with issue #6, and this series has been an absolute, hilarious blast with a surprising amount of heart and pathos for a plot that could be boiled down to “What if Jesus Christ and Superman teamed up?” Creators Mark Russell (writer) and Richard Pace (artist) show a deep understanding not only of Christian and biblical lore, but also superhero lore itself, and have managed to successfully merge the two in a way that is genuine, sincere, and actually shows respect to both mediums, while not shying away from ultra-violence, or swearing (it is remarkable how staying true to the Bible results in gratuitous violence and nudity). God tasks Sunstar (the equivalent of Superman) with keeping an eye on Jesus, and to “toughen Him up”. Meanwhile. Sunstar and his girlfriend (Lois Lane surrogate Sheila) are traversing their own relationship problems before having a third wheel dropped in on them, and Satan himself is taking advantage of Jesus’s return to present one final temptation, while convincing God to end reality if Jesus fails to succumb to it. Here, with Sunstar incapacitated, Satan presents Jesus with his final temptation…and with genuinely surprising results.
The series itself found God allowing Jesus a second chance at coming down and preaching on Earth, only to find that the planet has changed considerably in the 2000 years since He left. And while society at large has grown up much more jaded and rough, perhaps in ways that are less discernible and obvious, it’s also stayed the same. The temptations are the same, only now, with 2000 years between appearances, His lessons and teachings have been subverted and used in callous, often selfish ways. Russell’s characterization of God Himself is a riot: angry, despondent, and impatient, God is here self-centered, a Father who can’t be bothered to be responsible for His children, His creation, or to face the fact that He perhaps just doesn’t care about any of it. He comes off almost like a drunk father toeing the line of abuse…which tracks surprisingly well with the Old Testament. He’s petty and disinterested and seemingly fickle (in a scene recalling Abraham’s faith, God almost blithely commands him, “I’m gonna need you to cut off a piece of your dick”, like it’s the most normal thing; or, following Jesus’s crucifixion, during a flashback: “Forgiveness? You call THAT a religion?!”).
Subversive, irreverent, and with a rather unexpected ending, this is one of the more surprising titles I’ve stumbled upon, and there’s enough respect (and introspection, and dissection) of the source materiel that it actually works as an exploration of biblical themes…from a critical angle, and not proselytizing, which I greatly appreciated. Don’t let the use of the Bible as a source of inspiration put you off (I’m not at all religious), but if you come in with at least a base understanding of Christianity (or Christian tropes in general), you’ll be surprised at how much you might enjoy this title. I know I was. Where this title goes from here is anyone’s guess, but I’m in it for the long haul. 4.5/5 Literal Bibles.
-J.L. Caraballo
“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2VENOM: THE END – Marvel Comics
In a slightly stunning return to “The End” one-offs, Adam Warren and Chamba Cruz bring us Venom’s final battle and it isn’t the battle we thought it would be. The two “ends” that stick in my mind are the Hulk’s, and the Punisher. Hulk ends with him turning back to Banner one last time to let him die and then the Hulk gets his wish, to finally be alone; and with The Punisher, Castle finds himself in a nuclear holocaust killing one last bad guy before succumbing to radiation poisoning and seeing his family as he passes away. In both of these one-shots, the titular hero faces one more battle that we are used to, but in Venom, Warren takes us a different way.
We see a Venom that has kept Eddie Brock “alive” for centuries until he literally turns to dust. Earth, and the Milky Way, has been overcome by a techno war between the Phalanx and the A.I. of Tony Stark. Once those two entities join forces, it’s them versus the symbiote that is Venom. He then decides to reach into his codex to pull out the mutant powers of various X-Men to literally reproduce the galaxy. But here is where it gets even crazier: by the end, he finds out that he can create whole galaxies by ripping himself apart and re-starting the Marvel Universe 1 trillion years in the future. So Venom’s end is Marvel’s recreation. That’s it.
The writing is pretty clever, and I will admit that Warren did a great job of writing the issue in a witty and unexpected ways. I did appreciate that it never explains the connection between Venom and Eddie Brock, because you don’t really need that. The art by Cruz and colorist Guru-eFX is crisp and clear and vibrant and really beautiful. The issue is fun and entertaining, but I don’t think I’ll be going back to this one like I have The Punisher’s End. While I appreciate that this issue took Venom’s end in a very heroic fashion, but I think maybe a final battle with Spider-Man might have been maybe more dramatic and maybe there could have been more intriguing. But maybe that’s just me. 2.5/5 Bibles.
-Robert Bexar
THE QUESTION: THE DEATHS OF VIC SAGE #2 – DC Black Label“El Sacerdote” J.L. Caraballo Twitter @captzaff007
The original Question — Vic Sage aka Charles Victor Szasz — is back from the dead…only to awaken in Hub County, in the late-1880s. While issue one ended with Sage seemingly dead, this issue finds him considerably less stiff…at least until the end of the final page. Here, we get a better sense of what has happened to our duality-obsessed antihero. Hub County has no shortage of unsavory types, quick to judge and even quicker to violence, and Sage fits right in, trying to right wrongs in an attempt to find out if there is any good left in him, and a larger understanding of what is actually happening to him is slowly coming to light: someone called the Man With A Thousand Faces is either forcing Sage into the past at various points in history, or he is reliving past lives. As it is explained to him by a native seer, the Man With A Thousand Faces has existed for as long as humanity has existed, and only a specific someone named “Charlie” will end him.
Jeff Lemire once again brings a lot of psychological depth to the Question, with the art team of Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz once again knock it out of the park here. The art is harsh, moody, vibrant, and utterly alive; dreamy and jagged and as crisscrossed with lines as Sage’s mind is with doubt. The creative team is perfect for this title, and now that there’s a better idea of what the actual story is and where it seems to be going, the possibilities are growing. Next issue finds Sage in the 1940s, as a gumshoe, and if Lemire is content with showcasing the seedier sides of once-reliable and heroic genre staples, he could not have picked a better antihero than the Question.
Moody, violent, mysterious, and misanthropic, this is a series that isn’t pulling punches (some of the plot points were downright shocking: let’s just say Lemire isn’t afraid of Game-Of-Thrones-ing some characters. And NO, I DON’T mean ignoring character developments! Stop it!) If you liked the debut issue, you’ll like this one. If you like Cowyn or Sienkiewicz, you’ll like this one. And if you like Lemire, then you best believe you’ll like this. 4/5 Bibles.
Happy holidays, geeks and geekettes. Once again, GHG is back at with our “Best Of” geek-lists for 2018, and we’re starting off with the Best Comics. So enjoy the Joker fear, Infinity War gear, Mister Miracle tear, Black Hammer weird, and Christmas cheer!
“Great Rao” Bass @kidtimebomb
1. Mister Miracle (DC Comics / Vertigo) – On the way to winning Eisners for Best Writer and Artist, Tom King and Mitch Gerads honored the legacy of Jack Kirby by crafting a tale sidelining the bulging eyes and crackling cosmic bombast we all know and love in favor of a profound meditation on family, duty, depression, grief, loss, and just how far one man is willing to go to escape the inescapable. I never ever wanted this series to end but will remain beyond grateful to these men for this journey for the rest of my life. – 5/5
Mister Miracle #12
2. Batman (DC) – In addition to scripting Mister Miracle and generating the still-just-kicking-into-gear event Heroes in Crisis, King and a murderers’ row of artistic collaborators slammed out over 30-issues of a run that is already in the books as one of the greatest in the character’s distinguished history. From a two-parter displaying more understanding of the nuances of Clark and Lois’s relationship and how that reverberates to Bruce and Selina, to the much-anticipated #50, which can stand all by itself as one of the finest graphic novels of the year, to the seriously eroding aftermath that has followed, King makes his readers wince at all the forces he has assembled to break the bat, even as we hold our breath and wait to see how he can possibly rally to overcome them. – 5/5
3. X-Men: Grand Design – Second Genesis (Marvel Comics) – Ed Piskor only released two issues of this series this year (recently collected in a glorious treasury edition), but in a little over 80-pages he managed to take Marvel’s merry mutants all the way from the dawn of the all-new all-different Claremont era to the Dark Phoenix Saga and the Brood abduction and the glory of the too-short Paul-Smith era and even Lifedeath. It was as thrilling to revisit these old adventures in his beautiful idiosyncratic fine-tuned cartoony style as it was to marvel at the secret connections he unearthed and invented along the way. – 5/5
4. Thor (Marvel) – As my best friend pointed out, even though it was all over by May 1st, any best-of list this year is a disaster without including the final installments of “The Death of The Mighty Thor,” not unlike how they gave Peter Jackson all those Oscars for Return of the King as awards for basically all ten hours of those movies; ever since 2014, Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and Matthew Wilson have been weaving a powerful emotional tale about what happened when Odin’s son became unworthy and his cancer-stricken ex-girlfriend picked up Mjolnir and taught us all what being heroic really means. I’m getting deeply messed up just thinking about how it went down even all these months later. – 5/5
5. Doomsday Clock (DC / Vertigo) – Geoff Johns and Gary Frank have embraced the profoundly dicey prospect of not only taking it out of the reader’s hands and objectively showing us what happens after the immortal final panel of Watchmen but also crossing over those classic characters into the DC Universe, and given us a tale that started out at its own pace, initially putting plot before character (which you’re really not supposed to do) before going absolutely apeshit here these last couple of issues and spiking this book up to the top of my most anticipated reads of the week, whenever it shows up. It’s all going to depend on how well Johns can stick the landing, but two-thirds of the way there, he is absolutely blowing it up and getting better with every issue. – 4.5/5
Honorable Mentions: The Green Lantern, Thanos, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, The Terrifics, Royal City, S.H.I.E.L.D.
1. Sandman Universe: The Dreaming (DC Comics/Vertigo) – Intricate, layered, and beautifully illustrated, Neil Gaiman‘s creation returns and expands upon itself. This is the series reminding one of the power of imagination and storytelling, and smartly manages to not merely retread old, tired ground. – 5/5
The Dreaming #1
2. Doctor Star and the City of Lost Tomorrows (Dark Horse Comics) – An emotional, beautiful, and melancholic look at the cost of being a superhero, from the world of the already excellent Black Hammer. Gorgeously illustrated (as is the rest of the series), and bound to bring a tear to one’s eye by the end. Engaging, emotional, and memorable. – 4.75/5
3. Black Hammer: Age of Doom (Dark Horse) – Once again, Black Hammer inverts and reinvents the comic genre, going to an absolutely bonkers place in Issue #6 that supports my long-standing belief that stories–and characters–do matter. Somehow cramming more character development and imagination in 22-pages than most comics explore in their entire run, this series kicks so much ass. (And how has no one thought of the name “Inspector Insector” before?!) – 4/5
4. Death Or Glory (Image Comics) – A pulpy, explosive thriller that’s high-concept and fast-paced, and would belong alongside films like The Getaway, The Last Stand, even Two-Lane Bricktop, or Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (all movies I fucking love), this is a blood-soaked, high-octane title that knows exactly how to put a car chase film on a comic page. – 3.75/5
5. Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) (Dark Horse) – Somehow expanding into a completely different medium, Joel Hodgson‘s creation masterfully riffs on forgotten comics from the 1950’s: shifting genres in an instant, and highlighting how inane and fucking weird comics used to be when creators either didn’t want to, or know how to, give a shit, this is one of the most surprising titles this year to illustrate just how great MST3K is at doing what it does in this, its 30th anniversary. – 3.5/5
Honorable Mentions: Infidel, Action Comics, Batman: The Damned.
-J.L. Caraballo
“Reverend Jog” Alex P.SO Ampadu @itspsonow
1. Monstress (Image) – Every page of this comic is bursting with beauty and detail. Monstress has been excellent for quite some time, and this year’s run was no exception. It swept the Eisner’s this year and rightfully so. Exorcist meets Kill Bill meets the Dark Crystal. – 5/5
Monstress
2. Sink (ComixTribe) – It was really tough not putting this as #1. Sink #5 was the single most intense comic I have read in the last 5 years and it was a silent issue! Equal parts hard crime and grisly horror, concise and impactful. – 4.5/5
3. Doomsday Clock (DC / Vertigo) – So we’ve seen this before. “Before Watchmen” wasn’t great so I didn’t have hopes for this series. Doomsday Clock is almost a perfect sequel to Watchmen. It pays homage to the original source material while crafting an interesting new take on the narrative. – 4/5
4. X-Men: Grand Design– Second Genesis (Marvel) – I’ve been kind of fatigued with superhero comics lately. Grand Design, however, is Ed Piskor‘s love letter to the X-Mythology and a refreshing take on Marvel’s merry mutants. – 4/5
5. Kill or Be Killed (Image) – Whenever Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips team up, expect greatness. Fantastic ending to a gritty series that challenges your sense of morality. – 4/5
Honorable Mentions: Thor, Abbott, Oblivion Song.
-Alex Ampadu
“Minister” Keith Dooley @Keith_Dooley
1. Mister Miracle (DC / Vertigo) – This is Tom King’s masterpiece (for now) and is going to be considered a perennial classic like Dark Knight Returns. King and artist Mitch Gerads tugged at our heartstrings and proved that, with this and their previous collaboration Sheriff of Babylon, they are one of the greatest duos in comicdom. – 5/5
2. Batman (DC) – King continues to regale us with his long and winding Bat-epic. The issues involving Bruce and Selina were heart-tugging (and that annual!) while the intrigue caused us to wonder how much crazy King and his artistic cohorts could toss in our laps. – 4.75/5
3. Action Comics (DC) – Brian Michael Bendis has begun an instant classic run with this title and Superman. But Action is my favorite of the two because of the focus on Clark, Lois, and the Daily Planet. – 4.75/5
Action Comics / Superman
4. Gideon Falls (Image) – Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino proved themselves a great fit with their run on Green Arrow. With Gideon Falls they give us a Twin Peaks-influenced wild ride of a mystery. – 4.5/5
5. The Green Lantern (DC) – Only two issues in and writer/genius Grant Morrison and artist Liam Sharp have given us an exhilarating introduction to a character and world that feels iconic. The intricate art and characteristic Morrison flair add up to a book that GL fan old and new will claim as their new favorite title. – 4.5/5
Honorable Mentions: Superman, Justice League, Batman: Kings of Fear, Dept. H.
-Keith Justin Dooley
“Father” #HeelSean Farrell @IAMSCF
1. Black Hammer: Age of Doom (Dark Horse) – Jeff Lemire’s love letter to superhero comics continues to delight with every issue reminding me why I too fell in love with superhero comics. A group of heroes who tried to save the world only to find themselves trapped.. somewhere else? With every question answered more mysteries unravel. – 5/5
Black Hammer back in our Best of!
2. Mister Miracle (DC) – Yeah yeah, Tom King and Mitch Gerads show us all exactly why Darkseid Is. Scott and Barda’s Series long fever dream of a story keeps you on the edge of your seat! Visually stunning and thought provoking work. – 4.5/5
3. Immortal Hulk (Marvel) – Al Ewing & Joe Bennett relaunched the Hulk this time around with more of a classic old school horror feel to it. Never forget that he isn’t a man, he’s a monster! – 4/5
4. Death or Glory (Image) – Rick Remender & Bengal give me everything I want. Glory was raised by truckers off the grid and now explores the open roads of the American Highways that just so happened to be littered with all sorts of trouble. – 4.5/5
5. My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies (OGN, Image) – Brubaker. Philips. Oh, you need more than that? A coming of age story of a young teen who finds herself seduced by romantic ideas of the drug culture’s tortured artists. But when you go looking for darkness, it always finds you. – 5/5
Honorable Mentions: Savage Dragon, Coda, Cover, Giant Days, Wildstorm, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles.
-Sean Farrell
“Vestal” Colleen Vincent @CollyCol
1. Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles – This is high drama, worthy of any soap opera or political thriller! Mark Russell‘s script is perfectly nostalgic and yet relevant. I’d love to see it animated even if the main character doesn’t wear pants. Unexpectedly one of the coolest reads of the year. – 5/5
The Snagglepuss Chronicles
2. Shade the Ever Changing Woman – Cecil Castellucci’s writing is brilliantly poetic and full of emtions, while Marley Zarcone creates serious eye candy and a retro fever dream. – 5/5
3. Bitter Root – What a compelling story of family ties and horrors both otherworldly and familiar! The visuals are lush, electric, and lurid. – 5/5
4. Hex Wives – A dark and spooky feminist tale of queer women and the men who just won’t let them life, beautifully rendered by Mirka Andolofo, gorgeous and intriguing read. – 4.5/5
5. Jook Joint (Image) – A blood thirsty collection of sirens deal out gruesome justice in the swamp. This supernatural vigilante tale comes from Tee Franklin’s own personal journey through domestic violence. The voluptuous artwork of Alitha Martinez weaves the sexy and the sinister seamlessly. 4.5/5
Honorable Mentions: Bunny Mom, Captain America, Saga.
“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2
1. Batman (DC) – I didn’t review a Batman book this year (shockingly) but King’s run has been one of the most consistent. Even the wedding issue, which shook fans, and angered others, played out brilliantly. This has been one of maybe 4 books all year that I have made sure to pick up regardless of money issues. – 5/5 Bibles
Batman #50
2. Captain America (Marvel) – “The beautiful thing about this issue — and most of this run — is that Waid instills in you that sometimes you don’t have a choice but to fight against evil and sometimes all you have is hope, but hope is a powerful weapon.” This was my big statement on Captain America #700. Both Waid and Coates’ runs on Cap have given us a leader for these tumultuous times and pushes us to be the hero. – 4.75/5
3. Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel) – It was Dan Slott that brought me back to the Spider-Man universe after the disastrous “One More Day” arc that sent a lot of fans running away from the series — about as bad as “The Clone Saga”. Since that fateful issue of “Brand New Day”, I have been hooked; Slott made Spider-Man all that we loved about him, but he gave us so much more. With Slott leaving Spidey to jump on to the Fantastic Four, Nick Spencer has been up to the web-shooting job. – 4.5/5
4. Batman: Damned (DC) – Whenever Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo join forces I end up loving their work. While Damned has been a bit heavy-handed — and I’m not entirely liking the idea that Thomas Wayne cheated on Martha — the rest of the story has been fantastic and, as always, I love Bermejo’s art. – 4.25/5
5. Doomsday Clock (DC / Vertigo) – This series has been mind boggling and so good. I just really, really wish that DC could get this mini-series out on time. – 4/5
Honorable Mentions: The Fixx, Archie, Action Comics, Ant Man and the Wasp, Justice League, Heroes in Crisis.
-Robert Bexar
“Monsignor” Travis Moody @TravMoody
1. Thor (Marvel) – Jason Aaron‘s Thor/The Mighty Thor has been great for years, so it’s no surprise that Marvel’s best title appears at the top of my list. Not since Spider-Man’s 9/11 issue has a Marvel series been so heartfelt, here with Jane Foster’s dichotomous story between Mjolnir-wielding bad-ass and cancer-riddled goddess of thunder. Better, Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson arrange a majestic collection of sci-fi/fantasy art that serves the perfect atmosphere for Aaron’s captifying scripts. From throwback Magog to, later, Doom Thor — with the “borrowed” gifts of Doc Strange, Iron Fist, and Johnny Blaze (all set to the scorching paints of Christian Ward?) — lord have mercy. – 5/5
The Mighty Thor #705
2. Action Comics/Superman (DC) – The Superman comics have been in good hands in recent years, but there’s no doubt that no “free agent signing” has been more exciting in Comicsland that the DC snatching away of Brian Michael Bendis from Marvel. Sure, the Disney capes’ cinema murders WB’s in every which way; but the same can’t be said in comics, where DC’s Rebirth has seen some of the most consistent storytelling from the Big 2 in years. BMB took over two titles not needing of much change. Thankfully, the all-star comic scribe has played off both runs dutifully; in Action Comics, the focus is on Clark Kent and the daily ongoings at The Daily Planet. Both Patrick Gleason and Ryan Sook have helped made even the most dialogue-intense scenes look wonderful, while the bigger mystery Supes has on his mind (The Red Cloud, Leviathan) complete the “action” at hand. Meanwhile, the titular Superman has the more Kryptonian edge, with epic spats in The Phantom Zone and plenty of Adam Strange — all the greater with former Green Lantern artist Ivan Reis sketching all the calamity. – 4.75/5
3. Immortal Hulk (Marvel) – As of this morning, I read only 4-issues and found Al Ewing‘s horror-tinged Banner rebirth/death/birth/death series fine, until our very own Lance Paul told me to catch up and read the next 6-issues.. or else. Holy hell, this book is fuckin’ great. Not only does Ewing nail the Jekyll & Hyde psychology of horror’s earliest days (Hulk head ‘n bod in a bottle anyone?), he and Joe Bennett also go on to capture the MCU Avengers’ perfect tone during one of the coolest Hulk v. Friends fight comics ever. Other issues see Banner’s better half inspire “Gamma Flight” and battle a Red Hulk-powered Abomination Man (that he pummels with Crusher’s own intestines!). Sounds gross, looks downright splendid. – 4.5/5
4. Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles (DC/Hanna Barbera) – And this is why I fuckin’ love GHG. I’ve been somewhat comic-depressed ever since Mark Russell‘s The Flintstones — my Best Comic of 2016 — finished, and if it wasn’t for Colleen’s #1 pick up above, I’d have had no idea this was Russell’s next project. Snagglepuss is a Tennessee Williamsesque Hollywood Playwright who battles a Cold War fearing government even more scurred of American art and the political/sexual rebellion attached. Throw in many at work/in-the-closet relationships swirling Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw and SP’s other anthroporphic pals, and shit is pure mayhem, tightened by hilarious dialogue and a heartfelt story that compares the discriminant bullshit of the 1950s (and now) to the stage. Wear a mask, but don’t skip this brilliant 6-issue act. – 4.5/5
5. The Green Lantern (DC) – In just two issues, Grant Morrison‘s return to DC ongoings made The List of Moodico. And I was one of the most outspoken supporters of Robert Venditti’s run on our favorite space cop, as I still stand that the X-O Manowar author scripted a hell of an underrated Green Lantern “rebirth”. But, geeks, this proves why some comic book writers are all-stars and why some aren’t: they batshit crazy. It takes a certain level of lunacy to take our attention from a very good book to a very eye-popping one. This is a very strange Lantern read, but nothing any fan of sci-fi can’t comprehend. This GL offers characters as memorable as they are bizzare for a police procedural, full of wonder, mystery and grit; lest we forget Liam Sharp, whose art plays just a big a part in the title’s success as Morrison’s mainstream return. – 4.25/5
Honorable Mentions: Doomsday Clock, Klaus and the Crying Snowman, Justice League, Daredevil, Mister Miracle, X-Men: Grand Design – Second Genesis, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Kill Or Be Killed, Batman.
-Travis Moody
Jason “Bad Preacher” Bud
1. Hit-Girl (Image) – If you have no conscientious objection to reading a comic book that fetishizes imperialistic horror porn… then Hit-Girl is probably the comic book for you! – 5/5
Hit-Girl #1
2. Bone Parish (BOOM! Studios) – While Dante’s gotcha dopeslitz packin, his boy Brae’s out witda Bone Collectin’ Crew, diggin up more Ashy Larrys for Dr. Brigitte to Frankenskeet with… – 4.75/5
3. Dead Rabbit (Image) – Martin Dobbs was a Beantown Neighborhoodlum, known to terrorize Bostonians of every taste and smell, back in the decade before the big Y2Kame to town. – 4/5
4. Sideways (DC) – Do you really wanna waste yer time slogging thru this unimaginative tripe about a cocky high school kid who happens to be DC’s equivalent of a low-rent Spiderman/Nightcrawler hybrid, sporting a costume arrow emblem that’s literally pointing down to his crotch?? – 2.5/5
5. Sea Of Thieves (Rare/Microsoft Studios – Video Game) – The Wallet Pirates over at Rare and Microsoft Studios are the real Sea of Thieves, when it comes to this empty treasure chest of a video game that amounts to a dead man’s dinghy full of dried dogshit doubloons. – 1.5/5
Honorable Mentions: Everything I didn’t read.
-Jason Bud
GodHatesGeeks @GodHatesGeeks
1.Mister Miracle (DC / VERTIGO)
2. Batman (DC Comics)
3. Black Hammer: Age of Doom (Dark Horse Comics)
4. Action Comics (DC Comics)
5. *TIE* Thor (Marvel Comics) / Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles (DC / Hanna Barbera)
Honorable Mentions: Doomsday Clock, X-Men: Grand Design – Second Genesis, Immortal Hulk, Death Or Glory, The Dreaming, Monstress, The Green Lantern, Captain America, Justice League, Superman, Batman: Damned, Kill Or Be Killed.
Happy Thanksgiving week, geeks and geekettes! We still do comics here at GodHatesGeeks, and we’ve got some great titles coming our way this week to ease into the holiday season. We’ve got our usual stash of great writers contributing this week, including a writer so nice we used him twice! Let’s get right to it before we move, later on, to this week’s main course…
“Reverend Jog” Alex P.SO Ampadu @itspsonowLIVEWIRE #1 – Valiant Comics
Amanda McKee has had a rough year. The government declared war on her species, effectively making her the leader on the losing side of a genocidal crusade (Harbinger Wars II #1-4). She adopted an unlikely group of outcasts in an attempt to protect them from the conflict, but may have caused more harm than intended (Secret Weapons #1-4). Amanda’s actions all came to a head when she decided to use her extraordinary technopathic abilities to black out the United States, an act she felt was absolutely necessary in order for her to preserve her people. Characters are most interesting when their backs are against the wall and they’re forced to make difficult choices. Oftentimes we make the decisions that we think are best for us in the moment, but upon reflection, discover that we may have made the wrong call. In Amanda’s case, her choices have affected the lives of millions and now it’s time to atone for those decisions.
Breakout writer Vita Ayala is the scribe for this new series and they hit the ground running. Ayala understands the character of Livewire very deeply, and portrays her as a woman seeking redemption. It’s clear that Amanda is only now coming to terms with the fact that she may have overplayed her hand. This truth will be a difficult pill for her to swallow. Livewire #1 serves as a great jumping-on point for new readers while still serving as a continuation of the last few years of Valiant story lines involving Amanda — the dilemma that Amanda finds herself in is a challenging one, considering the fact that she is technically a war criminal now. Amanda’s actions were not villainous in nature, but sometimes even the best of intentions have undesirable consequences. She is faced with this fact when she has a confrontation with her former Secret Weapons squad. They aren’t necessarily thrilled about Amanda’s war and remind her how it has affected humanity. Time will only tell how Livewire will accept this mirror-like reflection of her controversial actions.
Livewire’s abilities are even more powerful in this new issue. Her gift for communicating with machines have seemingly grown stronger since she was a young psiot. She can now levitate machines at will (including a device that looks mysteriously similar to a Nintendo Switch, I see what you did there). With her near God-like technopathic skills, Amanda will prove to be a formidable foe to anyone who dares cross her.
Raul Allen and Patricia Martin do a fantastic job illustrating this premiere issue, having been familiar with illustrating Livewire due to their work on the Secret Weapon miniseries. Their detail and color choice is excellent and is evident with every panel. We all make mistakes. Life isn’t easy, and we all have to make hard choices. These decisions define who we are and our place in society. When we make mistakes, hopefully they aren’t too heinous that we can’t recover from them. Everyone should get a chance at a redemption arc. This is Amanda McKee’s opportunity, and we’re all in for the ride.
-Alex Ampadu
“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2FIREFLY #1 – BOOM! Studios
Welcome back Browncoats! Firefly is back and it’s actually pretty good. In this latest installment, Mal, Zoe, Wash and the gang gets stuck on the moon Bethlehem where they get hired by a religious group to protect them. They of course take the job to buy parts to get off the moon but, as always, things subsequently go to hell.
I’ve loved Greg Pak since his run on Hulk and World War Hulk and he does a fantastic job of making you actually hear the voices from the show come through the pages of the book. My only qualm with the book, to be perfectly honest, is the art: Dan McDaid’s art work is sporadic at best. The art continually bounces between a beautiful homage to pulp comic,s and the next panel it is reminiscent of Instagram artwork that you find after scrolling for about 30 minutes or so.
Pak’s story is compelling enough to bring you back for the second issue, and while I don’t think we will ever get more seasons, this might be the closest that we get to it, and that is a good thing. They should stop with these mini-series and just make this the official second season, and keep going with it from this point on with Pak in the driver’s seat, but with a more dynamic artist. But that’s just the thought of one humble Browncoat. 4/5 Shiny Bibles.
-Robert Bexar
Jason “Bad Preacher” BudTHE BLACK ORDER #1 – Marvel Comics
The Grandmaster flashes furious gamechange on the five Dreadlords of the Cull Obsidian, a fistful brood of supraviolence formerly in service to a recently-deposed-of-supertitan by the name of Thanos. Now, they prefer to moniker themselves as The Black Order, and their callsigns go like this: Proxima Midnight, Black Dwarf, Corvus Glaive, Black Swan, and Ebony Maw. Marvel’s plan of rebranding the Stanleeverse by giving this Thanoseed quintet a title of their very own seems duly apropos after this past Spring’s cinematic fingersnappery…
Peel back the ichorous pages on a visual Golgotha of orgiastic bloodfeast as The Black Order reveal their darkened, bottomless hearts while they mincely meat-and-beat their hapless opponents into quivering strands of caseless sausage filling. Gaze upon this all, as a buffoonish emperor watches from afar, atop his gilded throne with his viewing tablet in hand; while his crane-beak-hooded army are pulverized into endless, projectile streams of buttpissdom. Find yourself reveling deep within the possible multiversal schemes of The Grandmaster man, and what he may ultimately have in store for the Thanos family plan… 3.75/5 Big Angry Bits.
-Jason Bud
“Vestal” Colleen Vincent @CollyColBITTER ROOT #1 – Image Comics
From the creative duo behind Marvel’s Power Man and Iron Fist, David Walker, and Sandford Greene, comes Bitter Root, the highly anticipated allegorical supernatural tale from Image Comics that is set during the Harlem Renaissance. Our heroes are the Sangerye family: a once-legendary monster-hunting bloodline now reduced to a few members, using fighting techniques and magicks passed down generations. They engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Jinoo: possessed humans the Sangerye’s must alternately defeat, and save, whilst simultaneously dealing with the vicious racism of the time.
David Walker and Chuck Brown (Black Panther) have written a page turner in this dark and compelling story of family ties and horror both otherworldly and all too familiar. The visuals are lush, electric, and lurid, evoking an alternative universe of Jazz and speakeasies via the illustrative talents of Sanford Greene. Their combined vision of an “Ethnogothic” title with social resonance knocks it out the park on both style and dialogue and it is sure to be another winner for Image Comics. Buy this book! 5/5 Bibles.
-Colleen Vincent
THE GREEN LANTERN #1 — DC Comics“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2
While Sector 2814 has four Green Lanterns protecting it, the one that has been the stalwart for so many decades is everyone’s favorite fly boy, Hal Jordan and Grant Morrison has his hands all over him (in a consensual way obviously). The last time that Morrison handled a ring slinger was back in the nineties when Kyle Rayner was the ring bearer and Morrison seems to understand what makes the various Lanterns tick. Morrison also understands how to mess with our minds and keep us hooked, he is the master of the “what the hell” cliffhanger and let’s be honest, that last panel is just that — what the hell (but in a great way). He takes his time with the story and right when you think he’s gone off the rails, he always finds a way to wrap everything up.
Liam Sharp’s art is a mixture of Ethan Van Sciver (without the bigoted baggage) and 1940’s pulp which is absolutely stunning. The art — whether it is aliens, space, the Green Lantern Corps or Hal in his civvies — is all beautiful. I’m almost embarrassed with myself that I never knew about him before this issue. The only downside is that Morrison has an issue of starting off strong, and then fizzling out. Hopefully The Green Lanternis a break from that…but only time will tell. 4/5 Green Ringed Bibles.
Happy Halloween week, geeks! Once again, we’ve got a whole boatload of new titles, including a mash-up of the lunar/arachnid kind! Halloween is fast approaching, and we’ve got some treats in store for you here at GodHatesGeeks, no tricks this time around! Let’s just jump right into it, and see what’s worth your time and hard-earned dollars this week…
I love a good crime story. Especially a “gone straight but now I’m slowly back into the game” kinda crime story. Gerry Duggan, and John McCrea, give us a Boston tale about a one man crime spree called The Dead Rabbit. Once he bludgeoned fools with brass knuckles all through the 1990’s stealing from criminals and businesses – we catch up to our vigilante (real name Martin) twenty years removed from his last big score. Expecting an island beach house with a new car for every day of the week? Try more like being a greeter at the big box store in town, trying to earn a bit of money since all of his has run out taking care of his wife with her medical condition. Hard times have caught up to Martin. A chance encounter with someone up to no good, puts Martin on a path of pain and blood. Old scores bubble back up now that the Dead Rabbit has resurfaced. Things are about to get violent.
Gerry Duggan knows how to write big and small moments. This may be the story of a masked vigilante, but it’s grounded in the real world: no tights, just blood and gristle. Duggan’s been full speed ahead since ending his long run on Deadpool with his sci-fi romp Analog as well as this year’s big Marvel Event, Infinity Wars. The art by John McCrea is as always fun and entertaining; the man drew Hitman with Garth Ennis he knows what he’s doing when it comes to crime and destruction!
A decent start to a new series by two solid creators.3.5/5 Bibles to start. From Image Comics on shelves NOW!
Lance “Apostle” Paul Instagram @The.TravelingNerdWEAPON HEX #1 — Marvel Comics
The continued warped world of Marvel’s newest crossover event, Infinity Wars, continues. Weapon Hex #1 is the mesh up of All-New Wolverine and Scarlet Witch. This is one of the comb’s I was most interested in checking out, but unfortunately the reward was not worth the wait.
One reason I was so excited for the mash-up from the mind and art of Ben Acker and Ben Blacker was because Scarlet Witch and X-23 couldn’t be less alike. Unfortunately this issue suffers too much trying to be slammed into a signal issue, and not enough attention payed to the supporting characters that could of been used. For instance, when was Cloak and Dagger ever seen as supporting characters for either of the two? Plus I never felt there was anything original about Weapon Hex’s origin. It was just a retelling of X-23, mixed with some magic; doesn’t make much sense to set up an entire series for something we’ve seen a million times over…but here we find ourselves.
3/5 Magician Wolverines agree
“Reverend” Ryan Ford @nayrdrofLUCIFER #1 — Vertigo Comics
The tale of Lucifer, aka the Devil, and his fall from grace is one that has been told time and time again, adapted for each changing generation. From the Bible, to Dante, to Shakespeare, to Milton, to the Charlie Daniels Band, each work of fiction puts a new spin on Old Mr. Scratch. To recap of those just now tuning in: God and the Devil were having an argument, they fought and now the Devil reigns over Hell. Yet, the animosity between the two runs deeper. I think that both God and the Devil are brothers that were homes-chooled. We’ve all heard of the Mother of God so it makes sense. In any case, the Devil was a straight A student, paying real close attention in math and literature as a kid, which helped him with business, law and politics later in life. Meanwhile, God was off making dinosaurs and action figures he called “people” and then some plants that did some really funny stuff to the action figures. Eventually, he got into college, but only because of a baseball scholarship, and barely graduated with a Liberal Arts degree. The Devil, on the other hand, started running for President or King or whatever it was, as well as taking control of the family business, which is where God got pissed, and now we’re at the part everybody knows.
Absolutely none of that somewhat philosophical somewhat blasphemous tangent is anywhere within the pages of Lucifer, yet the story is just as confusing. Nevertheless, writer Dan Watters has found a way to make the events interesting enough to see what happens next. However, this need is driven by the thin narrative thread connecting stories A and B. It is the lack of cohesion peppered with glimpses of crossover that make one say to themselves “Okay, I get where this is going, but what the Hell?”
One aspect of the writing that is executed rather nicely is the direction given for the movement of scenes and action within any given frame. The creepy whimsicality is uniquely suited to the tone of the book courtesy of the artwork by Max and Sebastian Fujimara. Their style takes cues from many famous and infamous works of the past, yet establishes a visual presence that feels right for the material. The only downside was the color palette seemed a bit drab, undercutting the emotional through line in a few frames. But, it still worked, like the issue itself as a whole. It was all good. Good, but not great.
The great thing about these X-Men Black books is that Marvel is giving us a glimpse into what really drives these villains. With the Magneto issue Marvel gave us a person who really believes that he is doing what is right. With Juggernaut, Robbie Thompson gives us insight into what makes Cain Marko tick. The issue revolves around Cyttorak and his cult going full on inception in Marko’s mind to see if he is still worthy of his gem because if someone is that powerful there is no reason that an unworthy Thor should be able to beat him. Once Marko comes to, though he beats the crap out of the demon we get to see what really drives the Juggernaut… rage.
The artwork by Shawn Crystal is kitchy at parts and stunning in others. It has an underground vibe to it. The scenes where Marko is fighting the X-Men misses the mark just a bit, but when the Juggernaut is dealing with Cyttorak, it’s beautiful. By the by, we also got informed that there are actually seven gems of Cyttorak, and that Marko has been holding back all this time and we haven’t really ever seen the true strength of the Juggernaut and just where does all that rage and strength come from? A scared child. Revealing that the scars of childhood never really leave us.
Once again, the Marvel Universe finds itself a wasteland mostly inhabited by zombies with a small group of heroes left to defend it; seems like this happens every Tuesday or something, eh?
This time we see the zombie-infested world through the eyes of Simon Garth, The Zombie (capital “Z”), who is trying to still hold onto his humanity by not consuming flesh. Steffano Raffaele’s art is exactly the right amount of grotesque, showing us the twisted, disgusting forms of characters who have been ravaged by this version of the zombie virus. Writer W. Prince Maxwell treads some common ground (cure or destroy; the needs of the many over the needs of the few; and whether humans are also the monsters more than the un-dead are) but manages to make it feel somewhat fresh and interesting. And, as always, it’s great to see our favorite Marvel characters all gross and rotting, especially around this time of the year.
Marvel’s Infinity War event has cranked up…and I had no idea, truth be told. I knew OF it, but not any of the details pertaining to it. After a quick recap of events thus far, Infinity War: Arachknight sets up a completely new webslinger, a mash-up of everyone’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and everyone’s favorite schizophrenic moon-based multiple-personality-having C-list superhero, out chasing a furry goblin of the green kind, and navigating one of his three major personalities, and using his tech to fight crime on the streets of New York. Writer Dennis Hopeless throws us straight into the action, introducing us to Peter Parker on the night he not only loses his aunt and uncle, but is also chosen to be the Spider Totem for this world.
Balancing the fun nature and scientific smarts of Spider-Man with the unhinged schizophrenia and violence of Moon Knight is a bizarre mix, but Hopeless makes it work in spades. He manages to hint at a larger history with this iteration of Peter Parker, without slowing down any of the action for exposition. The action is sparse, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t crackle when it hits, and the design of the Arachknight himself, as rendered by artist Alé Garza, is badass, and a perfect blend of the two characters. It’s an interesting story, and I’m interested to see where it goes, but seeing as this is yet ANOTHER major crossover event from Marvel, it’s hard to get too excited by mash-ups like this, knowing that the status quo will eventually be reset.
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1 – DC Comics“El Sacerdote” J.L. Caraballo Twitter @captzaff007
James Tynion IV seems to do no wrong, and he proves it once again (with caveats!) with this new iteration of Justice League Dark. Featuring the magical, mystical side of the DC universe, we start off with Wonder Woman trying to gather together a new JLD to counter an enigmatic new threat. From the first scene –wherein Zatanna’s spells backfire on her, unleashing themselves on an unsuspecting crowd — to the return of Detective Chimp (of who, truth be told, I cannot get enough), and the sheer ludicrousness of Man-Bat walking around with a human body and giant bat head, this issue is a blast (and any excuse to read even a single panel of my favorite fictional character, Constantine, immediately makes my monthly pull-list).
Aside from the usual magical hijinks, this issue allows a lot of room for the characters to breathe. Still reeling from the events of the Dark Nights Metal crossover, Wonder Woman and Detective Chimp get pensive, and allow some introspection…something I wasn’t quite expecting in a first issue. Another pleasant surprise was the full-on body horror in the latter half of the issue, with Dr. Kirk Langstrom performing autopsies on some horribly disfigured corpses…only for them to reanimate themselves. The art by Raul Fernandez, and Alvaro Martinez, really comes into its own here: prior to this sequence there was little to stick out, but my God, can they ramp up the horror when the story needs.
On the flipside, the usually reliable Tynion seems to be retreading a plotline that I’d read about 2 years ago in the pages of Doctor Strange: some mysterious force is threatening to wipe out the forces, and practitioners, of magic (thus prompting the reformation of the JLD). Hopefully –and most likely– Tynion has got something else up his sleeve, but even though the smaller character moments are delightful, the overarching story…if it is what it seems to be…will be a road well trodden. Hopefully next issue will provide a better, clearer picture of where we’re going with this. 3.75/5 Bibles.
-J.L. Caraballo
“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2MR. AND MRS. X – Marvel Comics
After being proverbially duped with the “wedding of the century” i nthe form of the Colossus/Kitty Pryde wedding, we did get another wedding we’ve been waiting for… the wedding of Gambit and Rogue! While it wasn’t the wedding we were looking for, it was a nice little fake out. Writer Kelly Thompson does a fantastic job with the characters; she makes you really feel the love between the two characters.The ending to the issue raises a few eyebrows, but will it be enough to keep readers around?… that’s another question entirely.
The art by Oscar Bazaldua and Frank D’armata is really, really well-done. Bazaldua has a Jim Chueng quality to his artwork: it’s crisp and clear, and D’armata’s coloring is just as vibrant. Whether or not this series last will really lean on Thompson’s writing. She can do it, let’s just see if people cling on. But she did get the sour taste of misdirection out of my mouth. Hopefully the follow-up issues will even out what little unpleasantness that fake-out rendered…and hopefully, again, some of the readers will stick it out long enough to see this arc through to the end. 3.5/5 Bibles
-Robert Bexar
Jimmy “Apostolic” Cupp @thejimmycuppTEEN TITANS #20 – DC Comics
What happens when you make Damien Wayne the new leader of Teen Titans? Teen Titans Go! Dark Edition! Seriously, who thought it was ok to ever put this kid in a Robin costume?! Damien decides he wants to reassemble the Teen Titans, but in a different way: mostly just ignoring anything the adults have to say and doing his own thing. He isn’t even telling Batman that he made this team. Damien is tired of waiting for the bad guys to make the first move, and knows Daddy won’t approve of his new methods. His team isn’t exactly the family friendly edition we’re used to, either. We get Red Arrow (the ex-assassin), Crush (Lobo’s daughter), Djinn (a 4,000 year old genie), Kid Flash, and newbie to it all, Roundhouse. This issue is mostly Damien going around convincing everyone to join him and fighting Brother Blood.
There’s lots of action and a little humor in Adam Glass‘s writing. I really enjoy the way Bernard Chang (artist) and Marcelo Maiolo (colorist) use an old tube TV look for the flashbacks of Damien gathering his team. I really can’t wait to find out how the Bat’s and Superman take it when they find out Robin is taking the Titans in a darker, grittier direction! 5/5 Bibles
Jimmy Cupps
Jason “Bad Preacher” BudBONE PARISH #1 – BOOM! Studios
New Orleans, New Orleans, New Orleans at night
Give you the eternal life of the vampyre
Make you my unliving wife
New Orleans, New Orleans, New Orleans at light
-Old Creole Lullaby, early 18th Century
Down in tha New Orleans wetlandz, tha spookz alwaze flutter unda blood moon’s risin’ up tha Bone Parish way; and ole dirty-leg Dante’s gunna Fatlip-Tuesday yer infernal blowholez into Ashy Larry’s Wednesday, wit dis new “designer” bone drug he’s plastic baggyin’ all over Bourbon Street bayou for you, and you, and you…
Ya gotta go “Big Easy” tha first time ya do The Ash, or you’ll find sum voodoo chile drownin’ thru yer gumbobowlingballgameshowhostesscupcakewalker. Dontcha worry none, though, cuz ya down French Quarter’s way and witch doctor’s chickenfoot necklace gunna ward dem evil spirits right off of ya fo now…
While Dante’s gotcha dopeslitz packin’, his boy Brae’s out witda Bone Collectin’ Crew, diggin’ up more Ashy Larrys for Dr. Brigitte to Frankenskeet with, down in her lab below Lady Grace’s family compound. Big Andre, witda demon-eyed cornrows, carries round his diabolical musclemadness in the backshadows ready to strike, just so long as Lady Grace keeps breathin’ in tha corpse dustbin to keep him corporeal…
Lady Grace and her Children wanna maintain their gravedust bizness in tha family way, but city-slickified-three-piece-shyster Mr. Lamont and his back-east-coast Big Pharma Thug associates, have other plans for drawing-and-quartering up those marketplacecardholdings…
Once ya nosecandycane all tha pain away witda dead $ellebrity dirt memories they’re sellin, ya gunna feel yer nasal BOOM Studiholez open up ya mindframework!!! 4.75/5 Marching Corpse Powder Kegs
-Jason Bud
INFINITY WARS PRIME #1 – Marvel“Apostle” Lance Paul @Lance_Paul
With Infinity War still fresh in readers minds, Marvel launches their next big story with Infinity Wars Prime. If you’re an avid reader like myself than you’ve painstakingly drudged through the slop that has been the Infinity Countdown stories. Except for a few noteworthy passes of literature, the storyline so far has went from bad to absurd, and that continues with Prime. Besides one surprising moment at the end of the issue, when newly minted super villain Requiem picks up where Chris Hemsworth lacked, this Prime’d issue could of fallen with the Countdown wastes.
Gerry Duggan’s work on this issue is somewhat helped by his use of the Mad Titans narration throughout the end of the issue. The writer had the legendary villain narrate his own final words and has him critique his own death. If only more of the issue was written as well. As we all know, this death won’t last longer than a Spider-Man story arc! But Dugan still packs a punch allowing Requiem to make his or her mark in the MU! Who is Requiem though? This may be the only reason to continue reading Marvels new Big storyline. 2.5/5 According to James Gunn.
Of course, there is more to this issue than Thanos’ death. Loki is convinced that he’s being pranked on a cosmic level. He learns that he must go to the God Quarry to unravel the mystery. This narrative thread could still become quite entertaining. But it paled in comparison to the impact of Thanos’ death.
Infinity Wars #1 drops on August 1, so readers won’t have to wait long to gain a clearer understanding of where Marvel’s next big cosmic adventure is going.
It’s this week’s Fistful of Comics— and we surely have MORE than a Fistful!
Waaaaaffff!
HOWARD THE DUCK #1 – MarvelTaffeta “Dutchess” Darling @TheTaffetaDarling
Howard the Duck #1 is one of the funniest first issues I’ve read in a long time. It breaks the fourth wall barrier with side notes and direct conversation to the readers, much like the old school John Byrne She-Hulk days. It’s a great introduction to the character for those that have no previous knowledge– or those who want to forget that their only knowledge is of the 1980s cult classic movie.
Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals, the upcoming Kaptara) is as expected, perfectly suitable for this title. He captures and delivers Howard’s trademark sarcasm and snark which left me cracking up at every swipe of the page. Joe Quinones (Captain Marvel, Dark Avengers) matches the writing with popping visuals and great details. There really isn’t anything like this story from the other “big name characters” and I’m so looking forward to reading more.
The cameos were to be expected and didn’t disappoint. With Howard being a detective in the Marvel Universe, I expect to see many crossovers and cases that tie into the rest of the MU. Pick this title up, you won’t regret it. 4.5/5 Holy Shits this is great!
BIG MAN PLANS #1 – Image“Apostle” Lance Paul – @lance_paul
Big Man Plans #1 tells the origin of one little man and his angry revenge on those who have taken his humanity away. From the creative mind that brought you The Goon and not for the kids at home — but masterly delivered and exquisitely illustrated — BMP may just be the crude sleeper hit of 2015.
Born with dwarfism, Big Man lived a troubled life since the day his father died and his sister was stolen away from him. Utterly broken down and with no where to turn, the U.S. Army enlists BM for an off the books Vietnam tunnel mission. BM soon becomes adapt at his job flushing out the Vietnamese soldiers in their tunnel bases. After the taxpayers find out about missing funds that had been paying the way for BM’s missions, he is sent home where he drinks himself to rock bottom till he is delivered a mysterious letter that changes everything!
What Eric Powell (The Goon) and Tim Wiesch (Hellboy) deliver with this new comic is equal parts hilarious and crude. If you appreciated the humor in The Goon and unsolicited destruction — with a mix of sex (yes, use that dirty imagination of yours) — you will love everything about this comic. If it’s not a well-placed grenade under a chocolate milk sip cup or a Dwarf beating a man with a crow bar and his cock out, BMP has a ton to offer.
Powell and Wiesch work as an amazing team, reworking the average crime drama into something so much more. It’s BIG, its CRUDE and Big Man Plans #1 is my pick for Best Miniseries of 2015 thus far. Oh wait, there’s 3 more issues… 5/5 Munchkins agree!
PRINCESS LEIA #1 – Marvel“The Priestess” Eva Ceja – @evaceja
I opened my dropbox to find that my fearless leader of GHG had sent me another comic assignment. I downloaded only to discover– it was Marvel’s Princess Leia 001. I squealed like my gay friend Jason when he sees Michael Kors sale online.
For realz doe.
“This is a geek girl’s wet dream” I screamed! My cat looking amused and judgmental. Also, he had that “feed me bitch” look clearly only wanting me to finish opening the can tuna so he could eat. I opened the can and quickly read this masterpiece.
Sooooooooooooooooooooooo, in a nut shell — besides hustling down to Meltdown as fast as I could to buy, smell and breath in the damn beautiful thing in fresh paper — the story starts off right at the end of the 4th episode, A New Hope, when Leia is giving Han, Chewie, and Luke medals. She gives a speech to the crowd whom seem to feel as though she is not mourning her people and family as much as she should. Her people begin to gossip and whisper that she is an ‘ice-cold princess’ in demeanor. However, we peeps all know, Leia is out to protect her people by any means necessary (cue: BDP!). Leia befriends a woman Alderaan pilot named Evaan whom helps her to sneak out so she can take matters into her own hands and help her people.
BOOM Alderaan. BOOM.
Princess Leia comes packed with some awe-inspiring art by Terry Dodson (Uncanny X-Men), and the clever story by Daredevil‘s Mark Waid really pens the tail on the ewok. Ouch. Not only have they brought in a classic heroine, but they have begun a great beginnings of a series that I hope will do very well, as I am sure they will. Mark and Terry… the force is strong with you… and also with Marvel. 4/5 Bibles.
Smart this comic is. This comic smart is. Is this comic smart? Smart comic this is. [insert yoda voice with one of those phrases]
Ninjak #1 by writer Matt Kindt (Unity), and artist Clay Mann (X-Men: Legacy) is a slick, action-packed read that reintroduces readers to Valiant’s popular super-spy amalgam of Batman and James Bond (or, more appropriately, Derek Flin). I must admit, I wasn’t aware of the character prior to this reading, but the story starts promisingly enough, with Ninjak’s action-packed rescue of Agent Roku—a super-deadly engineered assassin—from a Russian facility.
The action is inter-cut with flashbacks from Ninjak’s (real name, Colin King) childhood, showing his escape from his rich (if detached) parents’ opulent home, at the dead of night, to catch samurai films in town. Juxtaposing his childhood with the action-packed present helped give a very clear picture of who Colin is (and was) and what shaped his skills and independent streak; although it did affect the pacing later on in the story—a flashback that felt superfluous dragged on the present proceedings in a way that made me reread the segment to see what the point was of it all. Mann’s art is slick and workmanlike, and was very reminiscent of Jim Lee’s detailed, sharp lines; it gets the job done, but doesn’t do much more than that.
This issue sets up a larger storyline that will be interesting to see concluded, and if the flashbacks are handled more deftly, I’ll gladly be there for the ride. 4/5 Super Spy Mansions.
SOUTHERN CROSS #1 – Image“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2
Southern Cross comes to us by writer Becky Cloonan (American Vampire) and artist Andy Belanger (Kill Shakespeare). The story follows Alex Braith as she boards the Southern Cross to reclaim her sister’s remains and to dig a bit deeper into her mysterious death on the planet, Titan. However, not everything is as it seems at the core of the ship. She don’t “love to fly and it shows”.
The great thing about reviewing pilot issues of indie comics is that you have absolutely no idea what you are walking into. Picking up a Spider-Man #1 comic? You know what you are getting. Same with any other mainstream superhero(ine) book (although some may argue at this point that Image is mainstream; thanks, Walking Dead!) Cloonan brings a great nuance to the series, introducing a number of characters in a very natural way– making it easier to keep track of so many in a first issue. Belanger’s artwork is crisp with an indie flair. The colors are as muted as our protagonist, but seeing as it takes place on a ship, it makes everything work that much more.
The end to the issue might as well have been a gigantic question mark, and although the question of whether or not to buy this in single or trade paper back is entirely up to you, it’s this week’s “must-read.” End of story. 4.5/5 Boarding Passes to Titan.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #40 – DC ComicsJaDarrell “The Belser” @TheBelser
The final issue of the New 52 relaunch of the Green Lantern Corps is here, which looks at the lives of anyone not named Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner or Kyle Rayner. Although I haven’t kept up with this comic, I couldn’t miss jumping at the chance to cover my personal favorite Green Lantern– John Stewart; and, no, I’m not talking about the guy that kicked Seth Rollins and every rightwing Republican in the balls (not necessarily my views, but you know). No, we’re talking about Stringer, Janek, Stacker, Luther, Heimdall, and the next Shere Khan. Well, at least I’m hoping Mr. Elba lands this casting. Imagine him and Chris Pine? Dopeness.
Getting back to the comic, familiar John Stewart fans know that one incident in particular haunts him — and us — more than most: The destruction of the planet Xanshi. It haunts him mainly because HE caused it with a headstrong move. Now what happens when an older, wiser John is confronted with an identical situation so many years later? Will one GL’s past affect another planet’s future? These questions make for a nice end to the series. I love Van (The Flash) Jensen‘s “Will I make the same mistake twice?” device, and even better is the dialogue between Stewart and his subordinate GLs.
One difference between this new retelling of the incident and the original is that John initially arrives at Xanshi with Katma Tui instead of the Martian Manhunter. Also a treat is the artwork from Bernard Chang (The forthcoming Batman Beyond) and Mirko Colak (Deadpool) and their vivid recreation of the Xanshi‘s explosion in the beginning. Now, for the important question: Where does the GLC go from here? I suppose we’ll let Convergence decide that now, won’t we. 4/5 Belser Bibles.
THE BIG CON JOB #1 – BOOM! Studios“Divine” Derek Vigeant @uncledarryl37
So when our editor “Monsignor” Moody selects which comics he assigns for us individuals to review, I kind of wonder his thinking process. Ahhh, The Big Con Job #1 made perfect sense to me: A book about a group of actors who were once on a famous cult TV show — called Buck Blaster — who, now many years later, are just struggling to get financially by on the nostalgia of appearing at conventions. As time has gone on, they get less and less fanfare to help line their pockets and therefore they are beginning to fall into desperate situations. Of course, because this is comics, it all takes to extreme circumstance.
The Divine couldn’t have been more sucked in by this book. Being a fanboy that spends ridiculous amounts of time and money going to these conventions and meeting either stars of yesterday or today, I know all too well that fame is fleeting. But Jimmy Palmiotti (Harley Quinn) and Dominike “Domo” Stanton (Fanboys vs. Zombies) have found a way to bring these characters’ despair to the page in a way that is so remarkably honest. The dialogue between them is so lined with sadness that you’re immediately pulling for the entire group.
Stanton’s art also conveys so many great examples of emotion and heart to wonderfully accommodate this story. Just one panel alone of a man in the rain with his cat left me with an unforgettable impression. But without giving too much away, the series has to be able to go somewhere; thankfully, the last page reveals some great story potential. Thanks for Con-ing me into another book on my pull-list, Moody. 4.5/5 Washed Up Convention Guests.
