Comics for the Week of August 3

It's an unusually thick week. Actually, it's three weeks since I was at the San Diego Comic Con two weeks ago and at Humbold State University for a brass instrument music camp last week. So I've got a lot of reading to do!

Uncanny X-Men #541
Astonishing X-Men #40
Incorruptible #20
American Vampire #17
Detective Comics #880
Irredeemable #28
Wolverine #13
Sweet Tooth #24
Izombie #16
Superboy #10
X-​23 #13
Wonder Woman #613
Batman #712
Zatanna #15
Moon Knight #4
S.H.I.E.L.D. #2
The Punisher #1
Elric: The Balance Lost #1

Comic for the week of February 23, 2011

Dark Sun #2 - An IDW mini-series based on a Dungeons and Dragons realm I'm not too familiar with.


Hotwire: Deep Cut #3 - Published by Radical, it's Steve Pugh art that is really neat to look at. And he does the story too.

Warlord of Mars #4 - Dynamites take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs books.

Wolverine #1000 - How he hot up to issue 1000, I'll never know.

Charismagic #0 - An Aspen teaser issue to see if the real series is any good.

Magdalena #5 - I have always appreciated the writting of Ron Marz, so I'm getting this Top Cow title.

X-Men #8 - I'll get this series as long as Chris Bachalo does the art.

Warriors Three #4 - Written by Bill Willingham of Fables fame. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for the three side-kicks of The Mighty Thor.

Astonishing X-Men #36 - I'm still getting this one since I started with Joss Whedon and John Cassaday with issue #1. It's the start of a new story arc written by Daniel Way, who I really like.

American Vampire #12 - One of the better Vertigo titles out. But I think my friends like it better than I do.

Uncanny X-Men #533 - After the restart at issue 500 with a new creative team, I'm picking this title up. But it's close to being cut.

X-23 #6 - Marjorie Liu has become a writer I'm on the watch for. After her short stint on Black Widow, I keep an eye out for her name.

Deadpool #33- I appreciate Deadpool as a character, but he's not a favorite. But this books is also written by Daniel Way, so I keep getting it.

Detective Comics #874 - Ever since the Death of Bruce Wayne thing, I've been stuck getting many of the Bat Books. And I might as well get the longest running Bat series.

Morning Glories #7 - Image Comics has  piqued my interest in this series about elite, brilliant high school students. As the story unfolds and we learn more about their school, this series is building up the suspense quite nicely.

Incorruptible #15 - The companion book to Irredeemable, this book is just a fun read turning the super-hero genre upside down.

Video Games into Comics

Often, lifting ideas from one media to another does not work too well. How many movies are better than the book they were based on? How many crappy video games are made from blockbuster movies? But recently, I've seen several comic books come out that are based on video game properties that have some pretty big name talent involved in their creation.

The Halo Graphic Novel was the first comic based on a video game that I noticed. It was the talent use in this book that attracted me to it. Artists like Simon Bisley and Moebius had been favorites of mine, so when this came out in 2006, I made sure to pick it up. Interestingly enough, there is also a wordless story told by Tsutomu Nihei. I talked about his work Biomega a little while ago. With four stories written and illustrated by different creators, there are many different aspects of the Halo universe displayed for readers. Subsequently, there has been a couple other comic books issues including Halo: Uprising, Halo: Helljumper and Halo: Bloodline.

God of War is a 6 issue limited series from Wildstorm and is scripted by long time comic writer Marv Wolfman. Not that I pick up everything he does, but since reading Teen Titans in the 80s, I take a look at titles that have his name attached to them. In the first issue of this series, we look back into the early life of Kratos. As a newly trained Spartan warrior, Kratos' wife gives birth to a deformed baby which must be put to death to conform with Spartan law. But Kratos being who he is, finds out that there is a cure that the gods have which will cure his daughter. But without any inkling to Kratos, each god has selected a mortal who is in need of the cure, and only one will win the prize.

Dragon Age is an interesting comic since it is written by science fiction author Orson Scott Card. Published by IDW Comics, this story tells of a young mage named Veness who falls for templar named Sadatt. Those who have played the game know that templars are meant to keep mages in line. And if necessary, hunt and kill rogue magic users who use the taboo practice of blood magic. Though set in the Dragon Age world, this story could be picked up and enjoyed by any fantasy fan. Though I only have read the first issue, I like the game enough and the story could be interesting enough to get the rest of the series.

Mass Effect: Redemption is written by Mac Walters and John Jackson Miller. What makes this interesting is the Mac Walters was the lead writer on the Mass Effect 2 video game. While the other comics I talk about here are set in or use characters from their games without any real reference to specific game events, this comic is actually a prequel to the events you play in Mass Effect 2. With a mention made in the game to the events chronicled in this comic series, it's a real insiders fanboy glimpse into the Mass Effect world.

There are many other examples of video game material being turned into comics. Gears of War and the online world Free Realms are published by Wildstorm along with Starcraft and Dante's Inferno. Some are better than other of course, but all should be considered for purchase by a public library. Video games are hugely popular, and there are tons of teenagers who spend tons of their time playing these games. So by having this type of materials on hand for them to read after school, maybe a teenager will actually pick up a book and read something they're interested in for a hour or so.

Ladies in the Comics

I don't know why, but I've been picking up many comics with women as the main character. Usually its because of some creator I really like.

It started with Wonder Woman, which was drawn by Terry Dodson. He has long since left doing this book but I still keep getting it because of the great writing if Gail Simone.

Next was a book from the Vertigo line called Madam Xanadu. However, it wasn't the artist this time but the writer. Matt Wagner, who wrote Mage and Grendel is revitalizing this very minor character from the DC Universe. And the latest story arc has the art of Michael William Kaluta, who has been a favorite of mine since Startruck in 1985.

For the pure fun of it, I've been getting Power Girl. Primarily because of the artwork of Amanda Connor. With all the jokes about Power Girls physical attributes along with some good action and funny writing, this campy book is really entertaining.

For a darker comic, Detective Comics is now highlighting Batwoman. All the bat books are up in the air because Bruce Wayne is presumed dead and all the other characters are taking over. And with a new creative team, I'm finding that the artwork of J.H. Williams III is something really special.

And finally, this last week I grabbed issue 1 of Spider-Woman. This is created by the team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev who did a great job on Daredevil a couple years ago. This moody and atmospheric book will be one I'll be picking up each month.

So I don't know if more books are being published that have female characters, or the creators I'm interested in are doing more books with women, but I am really enjoying these books and will continue to get them.

The Sunny Side of the Street

I was thinking about the the content of my site and realized that there is a flaw. I'm hoping to provide guidance to readers on comics and graphic novels and what is good and bad. But I'm limited to what I either buy for myself or for the library, and I don't want to waste money on purchasing crummy comics. So all the reviews I most likely will do will be positive in some manner. As a result, if you read my blog and see that I like everything, that means I'm spending my and the libraries money for good reading. But I'll definitely let you know when I get the stinker.

Comic Con Odds and Ends - Part 2

The Bean - Riddles and Shrooms by Travis Hanson

As I was walking along a less crowded aisle, a guy asks me if I want to have a sketch. Dumbfounded, I said "sure" but had no idea what I wanted him to draw. After fumbling around a little, I said "how about a dragon?". After about a minute, he hands me a really cool line drawing of a dragon. wow.

With this marketing strategy, I had to buy his book, the Bean. It's a story about a boy named Bean who has been left as payment to the Silver Dagger Inn as payment by his apparently deadbeat dad. Bean is then made to do all the grunt work by the ogre owner Gort. But the other workers in the inn treat Bean with compassion and look out for his well being. Bean is sent out to get some more shrooms and goldenberries by the cook Groggle (who is also an ogre) and is told not to dawdle.

This book has great potential. It was basically the introduction of all the characters and the action ramps up at the end leaving the reader waiting for the next issue. The art is very clean and the style, while cartoon like, suits the story well. Some of the pages have very detailed backgrounds that sometimes seems a little too much for a black and white comic, but the character designs and facial expressions are strong enough not to get lost. But it is clear that Travis is a very talented cartoonist and artists.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what happens to poor Bean and his workmates at the inn.

Review - Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye 1-3

This is an older review I wrote June 9th, 2009.

Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Cameron Stewart
Vertigo

"Oh, for weirdness' sakes, Junior! Why all the blubberin'?" is how issue #3 of Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye starts. And I can sympathise with Junior.

This is the second Seaguy series, and though I picked up the first one when it came out, I could not remember anything about it other than it being very strange. And a handful of years later, Grant Morrison has hit us with the next chapter of Seaguy. And after I started reading it, most of the characters came back to me. Seaguys love interest, She-Beard. His mentor Seadog. His (dead) best friend Chubby the Tuna. And even The Gondolier, who Seaguy, when he has the time, wagers his life by playing chess.

This story is a surreal dystopian tale about a society run by Mickey Eye. Mickey Eye has pleasure zone amusement parks, cartoons on television and toys for everyone to buy. But Seaguy, who really has shown no exceptional abilities, craves adventure of a superhero and despite Mickey Eye and his followers, sets out to end the tyrannical rule of Mickey.

The art work by Cameron Stewart is surprisingly normal for such a strange story. His lines and colors are clean and bold. There is no problems following the story through the art. She-Beard actually looks pretty hot (though she would kick anyones ass who says so) and there are some exceptional work done on the autosaur skeletons.

I can't recommend this book to everyone. A person must have a sense of the absurd to appreciate this. Often, as I was reading, I would just have to suspend any thought and just say "ok, that's how things are done in the world of Seaguy." Not that there is anything wrong with that. After all, if there is no logic in the world of comic books, what do we have?

Review - Tiny Titians vol. 1

This is an older review I wrote May 18th, 2009.

Tiny Titians : Welcome to the Treehouse
by Art Baltazar and Franco
DC Comics

There was a Tiny Titan comic available during last years Free Comic Book Day which I picked up and thought was pretty funny. Tiny Titans is a humorous comic where all the Teen Titans are drawn in a cartoony manner and usually telling a joke in a page or two. So when the first volume of the graphic novel came across my library selection list, I knew it would be a nice grab for our collection.

When it came in, I gave it a read through which only took about 15 minutes. The jokes were funny and insightful to the DC Universe. One joke is where they make fun of Robin since he doesn't have any super powers, until Batman shows up in the batmobile to pick him up after school. Then they all want to be non-superpowered sidekicks. Another funny bit is where Trigon shows up as the substitute teacher for their class and dotes all over Raven.

There are many inside jokes and references to whats happened in the "real" DC continuum. But anyone with a passing knowledge of the Teen Titans (Beast Boy can change into animals, Starfire has a thing for Robin, and the whole Terra thing) would have a fun time reading this.

Its not very deep, but like most kiddy ridres, lots of fun. I'm glad I picked it up for the library and hope it checks out often.

Review - Reign in Hell - #1-8

This is an older review I wrote May 1st, 2009.

WRITER: Keith Giffen
ART: Tom Derenick, Bill Sienkiewicz, Justiniano and Chad Hardin
COVER BY: Justiniano

Hell is being attacked and nobody really knows what to do.

I have always been a sucker for these huge stories that have all the different characters in a single book trying to save the world/galaxy/universe/multiverse. I usually wait until all the issues come in for a limited series before I read it, just so I can keep the flow of the story. And I've always liked Keith Giffens work, especially his Annihilation story he did for Marvel a couple years ago.

Satanus, the ruler of Purgatory along with his sister Blaze launches an invasion against Neron and his hosts to take Hell. Using dirty tricks, like hope, Satanus initially takes the advantage in the war. But after the initial attack, Neron calls back all the demons on Earth back to Hell to fight. This is when the magical heroes try and figure out whats happening.

Admittedly, I didn't know all the characters in this book, but I knew enough to keep up with the plot. Most all the major demonic/magical characters are there. Etrigan, Zatanna, Dr. Fate, Blue Devil, Doctor Occult, and some lesser known characters like Sargon, Ibis, and Black Alice, who were unknown to me were all part of the story. Also, there are now different areas of Hell, each with their own function. So it took me 2 or 3 issues to get into the swing of the story.

Another reason I picked up this series was the name Bill Sienkiewicz. With his distinct expressionistic style, I love just about anything he works on. As an inker, it seems he actually stayed "within the lines". And with Tom Derenick, I found the art to be very detailed and appropriate for a story set in Hell.

All in all, I thought this story was ok. Not great, but worthy of a read. For people not in the know of all the DC magic, they might get confused. But there is enough going on with all the different plotlines to keep the reader engaged.

Review - Universal War One 1 - 3

This is an older review I wrote April 12th, 2009.

By: Denis Bajram

I've been interested in European comics for a while. I've read Tin Tin and Astrix, but never really got into them. But back in the day, I picked up the Mobius graphic novels from Epic and I became a fan. And later on from Humanoids Publishing (which I guess DC killed), I really dug the Metabarons and Metal Hurliant. And of course, I just had to pick up the Milo Minara graphic novels for their artistic merits.

And now Marvel is publishing European comics under an imprint called Soliel. So far, they have released a couple series, among them are Sky Doll, Scourge of the Gods, and Y'Thaq, which I've picked up. But here I'll talk about the first story arc of the series Universal War One.

Consisting of three issues, Universal War One is set about 100 years in the future and tells the story of the Purgatory Squadron. A group of felons who are in the midst of a rebellion between Earth and the colonial areas in the outer solar system. All the members of Purgatory have their strengths and flaws, and all of them find out they need each other to not only succeed in battle, but in their life as well.

All the press that I read about this series says that it's a huge European hit, and I guess I can see how it could be. The artwork is very strong and dark. The space images are beautiful. There is a bit near the beginning where an explosion is set off within the rings of Saturn, putting a big hole in the structure, which is then visible throughout the rest of the series. And the designs of the space ships and new technology is pretty cool.

They plot line is a little convoluted, but not too difficult to understand with a little re-reading. It's a typical rebellion war story, with the moral ambiguity where no one side is truly good or evil. Also, the time travel logic seems pretty sound (as far as sci-fi time travel stories go), and the potential to have civilization wide consequences. And that is one of the fun things with this story. The members of Purgatory Squadron are the misfits of the entire army, but I foresee that the entire human race will rest on their shoulders before the end.

So if you're a sci-fi fan, this is definitely worth looking at. Its a solid space opera with some likable characters, strong story, and great art.

Review - The Immortal Iron Fist #24

This is an older review I wrote April 3rd, 2009.

Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Pencils: Kano
Inks: Kano
Color: Jose Angel Cano Lopez
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Cover: Patrick Zircher

Danny Rand, the current Immortal Iron Fist, is being held prisoner in the 8th Capital City of Heaven, forced to do battle along with the other Immortal Weapons. But if you're not up with what Fat Cobra, Bride of Nine Spiders or guys are up to, you don't have to worry about it for this issue.

This issue is a stand alone story of an Iron Fist from the past. Young disciple Park Li isn't up for all the excessive training, sparring and workouts that is required. Instead he would rather spend his day imagining. A pacifist, Li never really understood why he had to fight. But as the story continues, we find out that he is training with his brother following their fathers wishes. But a plague hits the city and while everyone is sick, the 10 year cycle for the selection of a new Iron Fist is about to start with Li being the only person healthy enough to try.

As I mentioned, this is an interlude to an ongoing story arc, that looks into the past of the Iron Fist stories and I found it to be a wonderful read. The art work by Kano is bold with strong lines. There is an energy in the figures that can be felt by the reader. Also, the fantasies by the character Li are well done. By showing a clear change in style from the "real" world Li lives in.

And the story by Swierczynski is a tightly self-contained tale. With Li using his gifts of imagination and is conviction towards pacifism to save both a viliage on Earth and his home, the mystical city of K'un-Lun.