Exploding off the big screen into his own solo – comic, is Rocket Raccoon in Rocket! We meet with Rocket in bar where “hives of scum and villainy” consort; drinking as he’s taking some needed PTO from guarding the galaxy. As he tells the bartender his sad, sack of a story we meet trouble in Rocket’s femme fatale, Otta Spice, and boy do they share a history. She enlists him to pull off just that “one more job” — for more than just selfish reasons, for a greater good of sorts. Rocket enlists his old crew a ragtag crew of mercenaries that he calls The Technet: China Doll, Scatterbrain, Numbers, Ferro2 and an egg. The less said about the egg, the better.
Writer Al Ewing (Ultimates 2) makes the comic breeze along like something out of a Guy Ritchie film or Ocean’s Eleven. This Rocket is a down-on-his-luck superhero that gets sucked back into the “life” to take down that one big score, just one last time. It’s pulpy crime fiction caper — wait for it –– IN SPACE! 3/5 Bibles.
TITANS #11 – DC ComicsKevin “Pastor” Palma @eggrollko
I’ll preface this review by saying that I’ve only ever read one Teen Titans story and that was “The Judas Contract,” which may be why that story doesn’t resonate with me as much as it has for many others or even as I’d expected from the story where Dick Greyson, one of my favorite characters in all of comics, becomes Nightwing. For that reason, I really had virtually no interest in the Titans/Teen Titans/Deathstroke crossover “The Lazarus Contract,” which is a very clear alternate take on the aforementioned “Judas Contract” and begins with Titans #11. The opening pages of this issue made that even more clear, but about halfway into this issue came the twist–the point this story diverges from Judas–and it hooked me hard. It certainly helps that this story shifts the focus away from the Wilson family drama and Terra, two things I have no attachment to, to Wally West, my favorite Flash and another of my all time favorite characters. The last page reveal, in particular, had me wishing I had my hands on the next chapter already.
The type of story this is shaping up to be seems a perfect fit for Titans writer Dan Abnett, particularly if you’re a fan of his work on Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians 3000. Brett Booth‘s artwork is also good, if a little standard if you’re familiar with his work on Flash related titles. It’s also interesting to note that this story seems to share some similarities with the ongoing storyline on The Flash TV show, so it’ll be interesting to see if this winds up being a good jumping on point for fans of the show who are not yet Flash readers. Ultimately, this issue serves as a pretty good introduction to “The Lazarus Contract” by doing much of the heavy lifting, exposition-wise, while still successfully showcasing the potential that this story has going forward. 3.5/5 Cosmic Treadmills.
Warning: If you have Entomophobia (Fear of Insects), do not read this comic. Now that that is out of the way, wow. After one issue of Regression, I can already tell that this rabbit hole is going to go DEEP. There was so much action packed into this one issue, creating more questions. It honestly makes me wish this series came out more frequently than once a month. The art style and use of colors by Danny Luckert (Haunted, The Other Side) and Marie Enger (Pistol-whip, We are in a Dark Place) bring out all the darkness needed to tell a story of this caliber. The story by Cullen Bunn (The Empty Man, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe) has such a quick, natural progression. The story starts off with a bug-filled corpse being cut open and some pretty ominous dialogue. This then cuts to the main character, Adrian, at a party. That’s when the hallucinations start, and our anxiousness kicks in for issue #2. 4.5/5 Lacerated Carcasses agree!
BUG! THE ADVENTURES OF THE FORAGER #1 – Young Animal“Great Rao” Bass @kidtimebomb
If you are a fan of everything that Gerard Way’s Young Animal has been pumping out lately or get all misty-eyed thinking about Jack Kirby’s “FOURTH WORLD SAGA!”, then chances are you’ve already devoured this issue more than once; but if either of those qualifications has you licking your lips in anticipation of imminent sequential-narrative delight and news of this book has somehow slipped past you, then I have the best news.
It is, as Chris Claremont might have captioned it thirty years ago, “a nigh-impossible task” to recreate the pulse-pounding imagination that Kirby was blasting out at the dawn of the seventies when he left Marvel. Many have tried and failed. Talents no less titanic than Byrne or Simonson took substantial whacks at it in the nineties, and I’ve enjoyed Didio/Giffen’s latest efforts, but really, nothing’s come closer than Starlin/Mignola’s gloriously self-contained 1988 masterpiece Cosmic Odyssey, which crashed a substantial portion of Kirby’s New Gods cast into the main DC Universe and is absolutely a template for how Big Summer Events should be done today, but that is a tirade for another cup of coffee. You, dear reader, are hoping at any moment to actually start learning something about the first issue of BUG! THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER that was released this week. It’s just that a little bit of context helps.
The first page of the issue functions as basically a PREVIOUSLY, ON BUG!…, a wonderful trick that succeeds on the double-level of orienting new readers whose eyes were totally glazing over during all the above references and but also causing those of us who love all that old material to start trying to punch holes in our respective ceilings out of joy and delight. The bottom half of the page is a straight-up reprise of the very end of Cosmic Odyssey, for God’s sake, only reproduced in the Allreds‘ signature drum-tight retro-pop style. And then our hero has a bunch of strange adventures that you should totally check out for yourself that contain an entire gang’s worth of Kirby business along with sneaking in quotes or paraphrases from Camus, The Troggs, and even Pinky and the Brain. 5/5 Ghost Girls & Talking Teddybears & Dominoes Lined Up In The Shape Of Mother Box Circuit Diagrams.
The post-apocalyptic era of comics and lore has been on a steady wavelength of popularity. We have bear witness to overnight ink and paper sensations in the likes of Marvel Zombies & The Walking Dead, to name the most notable. The amazing wonder of comics offers new pathways, stories, and creations that can take you down some incredibly awesome rabbit holes. Case in point, there is a new player to the cinematic undead universe of comics, Avenger-assembling Zombies. Flesh meat to the eyes of comic readers, but–be ready– there is a twist: these have gone Manga style! Yes, the clean and sharp flow of japanime with the samurai of story and ink Yusaku Komiyama has dived deep in the M.U. and it’s visually and story-arch incredible. If you’re a fan of manga, zombies and comics, this #1 ish should cause your brain pain and eyes strain, as you flip from reverse (right-left) in the new zombies causing in-havoc on the Avengers. Whom will turn and how bad will the situation be on the team? Let alone the humanity. 4/5 Manga Bibles.
“The Apostle” Lance Paul @Lance_PaulTHE WALKING DEAD #150 – Image
This is it: the 150th issue of The Walking Dead has finally arrived (or at least did two weeks ago!), The little zombie train that could.. has.
Indeed, if you are going into this expecting shockers like a season finale cliffhanger — or a repeat of Issue #100 — you will be either disappointed or elated that no one died. YAY! But we can proudly say that there was a loss…. a virgin loss at that!! Besides the bedroom activities of a one-eyed certain someone, we were graced with more political Machiavellian moves by Rick on dealing with the Whisperers backlash, that even makes Negan proud.
The art (by series mainstays Stefano Gaudiano, and Cliff Rathburn) is exceptional as always, and really is masterfully paced thanks to a team (led by creator/writer Robert Kirkman) that has been working together for 150-months. That’s a milestone in itself. 4.5/5 Bibles.
The Sunday Stash (1/31): The Walking Dead #150, Strayer #1, Ghostbusters: International #1, Cry Havoc #1, Bloodshot: Reborn #10.
Fistful of Comics (1/29): Faith #1, American Monster #1.
The Saturday Night Stash (1/23): Silver Surfer #1, Secret Wars #9, Poison Ivy: The Cycle of Life & Death #1, Devolution #1.
“Bishop” Richard Zom @eyebzombieSTRAYER #1 – Aftershock
In a world of folklore and alchemy, we get treated to a tale when time is at a rebirth. The odometer is reset as civilization starts on a new slate.
Writer Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode) concocts a story when life is fragile, mythology is at the whims of humanity, and titans of magic walk the plains. The rugged art style of Juan Gedeon (Ghost Racers, Tomb Raider) captures the time period and story with a chaotic crispness that blends well with the coloring from colorist Tamra Bonvillain.
As you read on in clear focus (thanks to letterer Rachel Deering), you see Strayer much like a mercenary for hire: helps out people for profit, as well as to give himself something to do. Saving people is his idea of a fun night out. He’s a classic act type that borrows a clashing style of a cooler, more rebellious Harry Potter-inspired world that meets the villainous bounty hunter Lobo. Wands up and crack open the spell book: magic just got interesting AGAIN. 3/5 Bibles.
“Divine” Derek Vigeant @uncledarryl37GHOSTBUSTERS INTERNATIONAL #1 – IDW
It’s amazing that so many years after the movies have been released, that this franchise still lives on in comics and cartoons. Goes to show you that if you get some likable enough characters, people will keep wanting more.
Continuing after the events of Ghostbusters Annual 2015, the guys are still out busting some ghosts at the United Nations, of all places. I’m sure they’ve had to go back there more than once! But as with any business their customer in this last job is not satisfied and refuses to pay the bill. In steps businessman Erland Vinter, who offers to pay the bill and also wants a meeting with the ‘Busters for further business. He gives them a blank check for the gang to fill out on their own, with which Venkman, of course, is OK! But what is this meeting, and what is this guy up to?
The action between the guys taking down a ghost at the UN building is pure nostalgic fun. There is some bickering and sarcastic comments like only this group can do. The way that all the guys are written (by Erik Burnham, of Scarlet Spider fame) still is spot on to how I remember them in the films– especially Venkman and his smart-ass humor being a big source of laughs. Plus, even with the tragic loss of Harold Ramis in real life, his character Egon Spengler can still live on in these books.
The only small gripe is with the art by Dan Schoening (Back To The Future). It comes off a little overly cartoony for my taste, with character faces and heads sometimes so abstractly shaped and a tad overly silly distorted. But also on that note, the colors in this book had a massive pop on every page. As long as these guys keep bringing the jokes and hijinks, there will always be every reason to keep picking up that phone to give them a call! 3.5/5 Bibles.
Jimmy “Apostolic” Cupp @thejimmycuppCRY HAVOC #1 – Image
So far, the plot of Cry Havoc seems pretty simple: a twist on the werewolf tales of yore, and, judging by tiny hints throughout, will also involve other “nightmare creatures.” Simon Spurrier (2000 AD) does a great job of pushing the story along with his writing. He gives you a good feel for the world and characters in it. It was pleasantly surprising to find that there was no hinting at our heroine, Lou, being a lesbian, and instead, it was put right out on the table on page three. This type of progressive movement in comics is always welcome and reassuring.
The story follows Lou as she joins a military operation to hunt down a rogue leader. By helping them, she is promised that they will help cure her of her affliction. I feel there are going to be quite a few twists along the way. The art by Ryan Kelly (Lucifer, American Virgin) is pretty great, as well, as there is a great feel for each step in the story. Colorists Nick Filardi, Lee Loughride, and Matt Wilson all use very distinct color pallets in their portion of the story, too, which helps keep the fluidity as we bounce around from end, to beginning, to middle, and all back again. Cry Havoc is an enjoyable mix of horror and superpowers of sorts, and I am really looking forward to keeping up on this comic. 4/5 Howls.
“Salvation” Ryan Scott @radioadventureBLOODSHOT REBORN #10 – Valiant
As someone who loves what little Valiant he has read and has never even touched a Bloodshot comic before, I can tell you this about Bloodshot Reborn #10, it gets you hooked and it gets you hooked FAST! There is literally no point at which I feel like I am losing out by not having read the other issues in this series; and at the same time, I feel that this is a rich world to mine from.
That rich world, like all great sci-fi based nerd stuff, borrows from all of the greats. One part Terminator, one part Mad Max, and maybe even a little Blade Runner. Basically, this mysterious superhuman is trying to help his little settlement procure (steal) some water from just outside of super crazy overlord mysterious future Los Angeles in a post apocalyptic nightmare world in order to survive. However, some Mad Max-style goons ensure that it isn’t such a lovely day for our protagonist, and it leaves the reader wanting more. This is a highly recommended read for any fan of sci-fi, comics and generally great things. Jeff Lemire (Animal Man, Sweet Tooth) and Lewis Larosa (Punisher MAX, Bad Planet) hit this “jumping-on point” out of the park. 5/5 Bibles.
***FISTFUL OF COMICS*** – 1/29
FAITH #1 – Valiant“Heirophant” Luke @LUKEPOISONER
This is pretty cool. With this much-anticipated release, Faith Herbert — the plus-sized but lighter-than-air breakout character of Valiant’s Harbinger “Renegades” series’ — (finally) gets her own series, and it’s great. Building on Valiant’s nascent, diverse, and crazily imaginative universe, we see Faith strike out on her own in LA, away from her former team-mates and their new lives. Being the massive superhero and comics geek she is, Faith takes a job as part of her secret identity in order to both blend in and keep her ear to the ground (no prizes for guessing what her job is), whilst negotiating the pitfalls of adult life and saving puppies. Yeah. It’s pretty special; it’s just missing the telephone booths for quick changes and Perry or JJ making her life difficult.
Jody Hauser (Cupcake POW!, Avengers: No More Bullying) ably invades and conquers territory one might have thought Ms. Marvel and TV’s Supergirl had completely locked down; aided in this incursion by the bold clean lines and action-filled panels of Marguerite Sauvage (DC Comics’ Bombshells, Ninjak). Irrepressibly post-modern and filled with self-referential humor, pop-culture lambasting, and delightful cliches, Faith #1 is probably one of the most fun comics on the stands this month. As usual, make mine Valiant. 5/5 Something Biblical.
AMERICAN MONSTER #1 – Aftershock“El Sacerdote” J.L. Caraballo Twitter @captzaff007
American Monster, a new title from indie publisher Aftershock Comics, has some promise due in part to writer Brian Azzarello (Wonder Woman, 100 Bullets). While the art by Juan Doe (Solar: Man of the Atom, Wolverines) is nothing too special, the writing is what sells the concept. In short, this first issue introduces us to a mysterious, stoic, monosyllabic veteran who comes to a small town in Americana to do…something. The opening pages are a thrilling scene of a domestic attack, as some assaults a couple in their home in the dead of night. From there, though, the comic’s story reads a bit vague, bouncing around from character to character (there are about a dozen characters introduced; and even after two readings, I can’t remember any of the character’s names, nor if they were even mentioned), as well as a flashback to a desert raid where our burnt protagonist gets his charred current look. Again, despite two complete readings, the meandering story is hard to remember, in regards to which events occur when, or to whom, nor what the actual plot might be.
However, despite that shortcoming, the next issue might actually be much more interesting, enough for me to come back. In the last four or five pages, Azzarello sets up what one can assume is the main antagonist, and he does so in a very tense Mexican-standoff style situation. It is in this scene…in which there is one central conflict, very distinct characters, and a clear, obvious location…that is this issue’s strongest. Once the story is able to settle down and focus on something other than introducing characters (which, yes, is important; but which could be done while in the process of actually telling a story, thus feeling organic rather than expository), this title had immediate potential and grabbed my interest. I was going to write this off until the last scene, and now I’m eager to see where this goes. It was a bumpy, meandering start, but I’m looking forward to following onward. 3/5 Bibles.
***THE SUNDAY STASH – 1/23***
SILVER SURFER #1 – Marvel“Martyr” Doice John @HostDoiceJohn
The newest Silver Surfer #1 is definitely a good starting point for anyone wanting to jump back into the Surfer’s story line. Love it or hate it, there’s a lot to be said about the direction they are taking Norrin Radd.
As far as “lovin’ it” goes, the artwork by Mike Allred (Miracle Man, Doop, Wolverine and the X-men) is amazing this issue. In the real world we may be dealing with a lack of color (for example #OscarsSoWhite) but Silver Surfer #1 was definitely #SurferSoBright. Each page was BURSTING with so many beautiful colors that weren’t distracting. The way Mike Allred depicts the Surfer is pretty cool, since he considers reflection into his work; you would think that because he is silver, many artists would create moments when he is reflecting an image but you don’t. There was a moment when the Earth is seen as a reflection on the surfer and I literally said “Ooohhhh.. Ahhhh.”
Since hate is such a strong word, I’ll just let you know what I disliked: Dan Slott (She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, The Superior Spider-Man, and Ren & Stimpy). The story is just not poppin’ off to me. I don’t like the direction the Silver Surfer is going. It is almost beginning to read like a children’s storybook. I GREW UP with the Surfer. I know what he is capable of. He is literally a planet buster who is capable of rearranging matter, creating black holes, and even going toe-to-toe with some of the Marvel Universe’s biggest threats. Why is it that he couldn’t just easily one-shot the “foe” in this story line. Has love made him soft?
Regardless, Silver Surfer is an interesting read that doesn’t drag. It will come down to whether Mr.Slott will pick up the pace and show what a bad-ass Mr. Radd can be.
3.5 (out of 5) Silver Books
SECRET WARS #9 – Marvel“Cardinal” Gary Brooks @ facebook.com/gary.brooks
“Cardinal Brooks” here with my review of the highly anticipated, and very overdue final issue of Marvel’s epic reality bending mini-series event Secret Wars. In this issue we witness the final battle between God Emperor Doom, the ruler and creator of Battleworld, and the Surviving Heroes of the final incursion.
In all, this is just one big excuse for Marvel to reboot their universe and bring back long dead characters, and I’m totally fine with that.
Jonathan Hickman (The Nightly News, Fantastic Four) pens an invigorating script, having the audience as to whether Dr. Doom is justified in his use of power, or should he be stopped and things be set back the way they should be–or rather how they used to be.
This issue has a strong emotional core that centers around the exhaustingly long feud between Reed Richards and Dr. Doom and really does a great job of wrapping up the ground work laid in the first issues of Avengers and New Avengers. Esad Ribic is easily one of my favorite artists today and arguably one of the most talented, dynamic artists of all time. He has penciled everything from X-Men to Sub-Mariner and continues to dazzle us with his beautiful line work. This Event series may well go down as one of Marvel’s finest works and it’s all thanks to Hickman and Ribic’s absolute love of these characters which comes across in every word bubble and every gorgeously drawn panel. Epic work, gentlemen!
5 (out of 5) Infinity Stones
POISON IVY: THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH #1 – DC Comics“The Dutchess” Taffeta @TaffetaDarlin
I’ll admit that when it comes to Poison Ivy, she’s probably one of the characters I have read least about, nor can I really pin point an actual story line (besides Kevin Smith’s Widening Gyre) that focuses on her. I know the general background of Dr. Pamela Isley, her abilities, and her incredible intelligence. Aside from the interactions with the Dark Knight, my knowledge of Poison Ivy is limited.
What I do know is the generic background story of a beautiful scientist who is a Gotham Goddess in the form of a Batman villain that’s trying to do good these days. So when I read on Previews.com that Ms. Isley was getting her own mini-series I was very much intrigued. In issue #1, readers are given a whodunit main plot when Dr. Pamela Isley joins the prestigious plant sciences department at Gotham Botanical Gardens, but things quickly escalate when a fellow scientist — whom she admires — is murdered and, of course, it looks like the work of Poison Ivy.
What I enjoyed about the writing is that although Poison Ivy is incredibly intelligent and sexy, writer Amy Chu (Alpha Girl Comics, Wonder Woman) doesn’t portray her as a one-dimensional femme fatale. We get into Ivy’s head as she becomes a detached scientist who is continually focused and more comfortable with her plants and latest experiment than dealing with people. This complicates her relationship with Harley as they have debates about having fun and who’s smarter and how little time Pamela has to invest in their friendship.
The downfall of this story line is that although it tried hard to give us a different POV, it’s highly predictable and didn’t really leave me wanting more. Another frustrating aspect is that this is supposed to be a Poison Ivy mini series, yet it’s flooded with Harley Quinn and familiar references (Gotham Academy students). It almost feels like Chu wasn’t sure if Pamela could carry this on her own.
Artist Clay Mann (Heroes for Hire, X-Men: Legacy)makes sure to remind us that Harley and Pamela both have incredible bodies and shows off their assets throughout the book. The inks of Seth Mann (Gambit, Magneto) and fine coloring from Ulises Arreola‘s (Superman/Batman, Green Lantern Corps)are detailed and fine. I would say that this is definitely for the hardcore Poison Ivy fans but even casual curious readers could enjoy it since the title is a mini-series and not a long commitment.
The Pop Culture saboteurs assembled as the brain trust over at Dynamite Entertainment go fistful of nitroglycerin stick-deep into the curmudgeonly-caverned, Neolithic brain-pan with their original comic Devolution #1. Consider this fatally feminized formulation of Planet-Of-The-Apes-Meets-Captain Caveman-Having-Anal-Sex-With-Thundarr-The-Barbarian-While-Barbarella-Impales-Them-All-On-Her-Vertebrae-Barbed-Strap-On-Dildo-Set-In-Sin-City; a deviantly post-apocalyptic delight with plenty of lumpy Neanderthal gravy on the side for all of us to bone-smother ourselves into transhumanist oblivion with. Imperator Furiosa would undoubtedly give our heroine of this Wasteland, Raja, the double high-five-fisticuffs as her sister-in-arms; and we’re talking about them both going full-on flesh-and-metal-handed here, muthafuckaz! (I’m smelling comic crossover, George.)
The marrow-cutting brilliance of Rick Remender’s (Captain Dingleberry, Black Heart Billy, Dead Space) ruminations, on a corpwhorate-engineered and bio-weaponized devolution of the human species doesn’t pull any punches as it skullfucks your teeth into calcified gravel, impacting it into the back of your throat for you to choke on like a Kung-Fu David Carradine. He stacks the human slagheap heavy, right before he blows your fucking balls off with a profoundly profane nuclear death-blast.
Jonathan Wayshak (Ferryman, Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs, Deadly Class)hieroglyphic-izes the bare-caved walls with dexterous jouissance, laying lascivious lines that depict a Smother Earth, who has returned to reclaim Her bountiful bosom from a pathological progeny that had been hellbent on warfaring her womb into warheaded obsolescence. Jordan Boyd (Umbral, Invisible Republic, Knuckleheads) smashes the berries, burns the wood, and pulverizes the limestone with prodigious coloration; as he stains and patinates this devolutionary world with a spectral palette of fury that both directly references our bodies’ corporeality, and seduces us into its bodacious bountitude.
Devolution #1is a madly infectious dose of Faustian-infused pharma-dope. Projectile-regurgitating asunder. From a vertigo-inducing centrifuge. That was stolen from The Island of Dr. Moreau after Mel Gibson went all Sugar Tits and had his prolapsed asshole handed to him on a pike by Wendy O. Williams. I truly believe Dynamite wants to go full-on Amazon with this one, but that will NOT happen UNLESS they pledge obedience to the Goddess and the Mistress; and they bring in some WOMEN to RULE this title. THAT!!! And the fact that they failed, by naming Devolution’s heroine, Raja – which means “king” in Hindu and Sanskrit. Rani, is the Queen we’re looking for here. Onward MATRIARCHY! Let Your Fury guide us towards our last chance at Salvation!
Since comics dropped on NEW YEAR’S EVE last week/last year, there’s a demonstratively short list of comics to review– but that’s not going to stop us. As we ready and prepare our “Best of 2014” lists and 2015 preview, let’s get in a short stack that’s worthy of any Sunday Stash.
Happy New Comic Year.
S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 – Marvel Comics“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2
When I got the assignment to read S.H.I.E.L.D., I had no idea who the creative team was. I just knew that I loved the show and I knew that it would be following along with the show– at least a bit. All you need to know is that Mark Waid and Carlos Pacheco are the dynamic duo on this book. With just mentioning those two guys, I could rightfully end this review, but I shan’t. So, come with me baby birds, I’ll feed you some great knowledge.
I think that issue #1 of Waid’s (Fantastic Four, Daredevil) run is actually what people were hoping for from Joss Whedon’s pilot episode. It gives some backstory to Agent Coulson, it has Avengers galore, really cool cameos AND it throws Coulson and his team right into the midst of the action. Waid doesn’t just throw this team into the fray, but into an Asgardian fray. Now, this shows why you can always do more in comics than in television shows, but that is neither here nor there. Waid also captures Coulson’s voice. When you read the book, you hear Coulson. Waid has always had a gift of not only dialogue, but also knowing and understanding the characters.
You see this in any of his books and this is going to just shine in S.H.I.E.L.D. While I could just bask in the shiny glory of Waid on this books, let’s skip on over to the impeccable art done by Carlos Pacheco (X-Men, Age of Ultron) . His work is always very clean, very crisp, and just over all beautiful.
The only drawback to the issue that I have (and it isn’t even with Waid or Pacheco, but with the Marvel U. in general) is that I don’t know exactly when this takes place continuity-wise. Here, the heroes are all dressed in Post-AXIS garb, but acting like their Pre-AXIS selves. Sigh.
Come f*&$ with us now.
Still, this is an issue that I want in my collection. Waid and Pacheco are just too good to not pick up the book on a monthly basis. Go out and pick it up. For anyone who is a fan of the show, this will be a great compliment to the series. For anyone who is complaining that the show is too limited due to monetary constraints BUT loves the characters on the show, this will definitely be your cup of tea and for anyone who doesn’t like any of it… well I can’t help you. This is another memorable Mark Waid book.
I can feel it.
4 (out of 5) S.H.I.E.L.D. Badges
X-O MANOWAR #31 – Valiant Comics“Heirophant” Luke IG @lukepoisoner
Hot on the heels of their big summer crossover Armor Hunters, Valiant cook up more troubles for Aric of Dacia and his sentient alien Manowar armor – The Armorines. This particular issue highlights the conceptual similarities between X-O Manowar and Iron Man, bringing Aric face-to-face with highly unsavoury characters of the military-industrial complex; but being Valiant, it gives the familiar tropes their own unique and inventive twist, as well as striking a very different beat to the current Superior Iron Man series.
Robert Venditti (Green Lantern, The Flash) continues his lauded run scripting the adventures of the time-lost hero Aric as he comes to terms with the modern world – and he, with it. The artwork of Brazilian wunderkind Diego Bernard and Witchblade alumni and inker Alisson Rodriguez jumps off the page; this is one of the glossier and boldest titles on the stands this week. For new readers, this is the perfect jump-on point for anyone wanting pure comic storytelling from a company with a burgeoning interlinked continuity that isn’t likely to be rebooted again anytime soon. Is anyone else getting sick of that? 4/5 Tony Starks.
I’ve never been familiar with Miracleman (formerly known as Marvelman, up until the 1980’s) but knew of his troubled publication history and deconstruction in the 1980’s and 1990’s by Alan Moore, and later Neil Gaiman. He once again enjoys some meta-deconstruction in this annual issue in two separate stories by two separate creative teams in All-New Miracleman Annual #1. Grant Morrison (Batman Inc.) and Marvel CCO(!) Joe Quesada‘s dark, prequel-esque story focuses on the former Kid Miracleman prior to the Battle of London was written over 20 years ago, and features beautiful, brooding artwork and dark, thematic overtones to a simple — yet powerful — tale. To see it brought to publication—finally!—is well worth the wait.
Closing out the annual issue is a tale from Peter Milligan (Justice League Dark, Red Lanterns) and Mike Allred (Silver Surfer), who take a look back at Miracleman’s lighter, buoyant days. Easily recognizable as the Silver Age of comics, this tale sees Miracleman, Young Miracleman, and Kid Miracleman overcoming wave after wave of destructive forces before coming to a profound realization. This light, buoyant piece is gorgeously drawn, and is a bright reminder that within comics, stakes can be high and consequences severe without resorting to undo bloodshed, violence, or brooding darkness. The lightness and energy to this piece (especially when contrasted to Morrison’s darker, yet equally profound preceding piece) is refreshing, and is a great reminder that, at their core, comics are meant to be fun. The final zoom-in is a great visual callback to his Project Zarathustra storyline from back in the day. The issue also comes with illustrator’s notes, original retrospective from Grant Morrison, and comparative illustrations and notes about the layout and comparison to Miracleman artwork from the past. For any collector — and fans of this obscure, troubled character — this annual is highly recommended. 5/5 Kimotas.
EAST of WEST #16 – Image ComicsRyan “Salvation” Sott @ radio_adventure
You’re over at a friends house and they are watching an episode of a tv show you’ve never seen, but you decide to settle in and watch anyway. In spite of all the questions and all of the unknown, you are absolutely hooked. That is the experience I had reading East of West #16.
The year is 2065 and Mad Max has met with Judge Dredd over at Image Comics, and it is gloriously fun. Neither of said characters are directly involved in the book, but their influence is splattered all over the vast landscape.
There are quite a few subplots going on in this book, but the main chunk is devoted to rescuing Governor Bel Soloman from hanging, as he has been overthrown from his political office in future Texas. Democracy is a burden in which the series’ protagonists would like to ease the world from.
Writer Jonathan Hickman (The Avengers) and artist Nick Dragotta (FF) make the perfect team for this futuristic sci-fi epic and though East of West #16 was my first, it will certainly not be my last. 4.5/5 Bibles.
Yup, it’s witty; sure, it’s typical of our blog headlines; and, uh-huh, you bet we stole it. Don’t be surprised if half the comic industry starts stealing other elements from Matt Fraction in the coming weeks, as well.
This man is on fire.
But, before I go on to cover a pair of this week’s Marvelous works from Matty Frac, let’s talk about sex — Sex Criminals, that is. Just trying to explain this indie gem from Image is freaky enough (you should see the faces on some of my coworkers), never mind the actual read.
Never a dull moment in the VIP room at Hemmingway’s, that’s for sure.
The hypnotic, less scandalous than you’d imagine comic is as stated: what if you had the power to freeze time with a.. uh.. well.. *gulp* orgasm*? Before this article gets too 50 Shades of Moody on ya, I’d be lying to the congregation if I didn’t admit having such thoughts (or powers!) But…onto the comic, yes? Uh, get it?
Onto.
The.
Comic.
Ick is right. Sex Criminals is sort of like “what would you do with a million dollars?” topics except it’s more “what’s the damn best way to obtain a million dollars?”
Sex! Of course.
These freakypages offer more sentiment than you’d think, also. If you can see past the title and the whimsical images on the cover, Sex Criminals is an intelligent, surprisingly relatable yarn. There’s a damn good reason why Suzie does why she does (although it’s “barely legal”), and there’s no doubt tons of geeks are going to shout out “that’s me!” with Jon’s everyday rage (only without his power, though, weirdo). And the comic has Sex Cops. Say that again right along with me now…
Sex Criminals #1-#4 = 3.75 (out of 5).. Sex Criminals Comics?
