Summer Reading, pt. 3

by Brandon

Nostalgia is a funny creature. While I can muster no nostalgia as an adult for childhood favorites like G.I. Joe or Transformers, I can get very nostalgic about comic books. Remember new comic book day? This weekly event was a cherished day for me when I was tween and teenager. I can remember going into a shop on Wednesday or Thursday to buy the latest issue of X-Men or whatever bad girl book was "hot" back in the day. New comic book day was once a time honored tradition for me and many fans. With the advent of online mail order comic book stores, that time has passed. Now new comic book day has been replaced by new comic book week; the week when my monthly shipment of comic books arrive. I usually try to pace out my comic book reading to keep the freshly read feeling alive for a month. This month was different. For some reason, I burned through my stack of books like a man possessed. For this week's installment of my Summer Reading Reviews, I will highlight some of the best hits and worst misses from the batch.

Batman & Robin #1
This issue reminded me so much of this creative team's run on All-Star Superman. I'm not a Superman fan at all, but they managed to make Superman seem relevant and hip. That's right, they made the whitest boy scout this side of Idaho seem cool. I kind of got that buzz with Batman & Robin #1. The new dynamic between the new Dynamic Duo was actually pretty good. I don't read Batman titles regularly, but let's face it; replacing Bruce Wayne is sort of a dumb idea that almost everyone knows won't last longer than a couple of years. But reading this issue made me kind of wish DC would hold back on pulling that trigger for a while. The way Dick and Damian play off one another was fresh and new. This was the only issue of the Batman relaunch titles I pre-ordered. Based on the strength of this one issue, I decided to go pick up two others off the newsstand.

Detective Comics # 854
What's this? A lesbian Batwoman! Yes! YES! I can't wait to read all the steamy scenes of Batwoman and her Rogue's Gallery (a euphemism, for sure) doing the wildest, most outrageous sexual position on each other. This is going to be awesome! What? You mean she doesn't spend the whole issue getting Catwoman to do kinky things with her cape? Shit. Well, I guess I'll have to read it now... And it wasn't that bad! A lot has been made of the act that Batwoman is a lesbian, and on a serious note, that's not the reason I picked up this book either. Some very positive things have been said about Rucka's first salvo in the revamped Detective Comics. This was the only comic I picked up off the newsstand last week. It wasn't a bad impulse buy. Rucka is always an engaging writer, but the thing that really brew me in (pun intended) was the art. J.H. Williams has been one of my favorite artists since I picked the first four issues of Promethea years ago on a new comic book day. I think he is the best artist working in comic books today. Period. The artwork here in Detective Comics is lush and moody, establishing the perfect vibe for this book. I don't think I ever really followed Detective Comics regularly, but I may add this to the ye ol' pull list.

Batman #688
Judd Winick is one of those creators that I just don't really get. His work on Green Arrow was a turn off for me. Internet trolls are quick to point out that he is somewhat of a one trick pony, and I hate to agree with them, but there are certain trends that crop up in many of Judd Winick's comics. How long before we find out Damian has AIDS? The real thing that brought me into this impulse buy was Mark Bagley's always wonderful artwork. This issue was sort of pedestrian in comparison to Batman & Robin and Detective Comics. That's not to say it was bad. This issue was entertaining, but a little on the lighter side next to the other two titles I sampled. I like the fact that we get to see two classic villains here with Penguin and Two-Face. As much as I dislike month in, month out superhero fisticuffs, I have a soft spot for Batman's rogues gallery. I like reading stories about those classic villains despite the fact that it's all nearly been done before. I also enjoyed the training scene we see between Dick and Damian. There is limitless potential for this new Dynamic duo. I can honestly say that for the first time in a long time, I am genuinely excited about the Bat Books. Maybe killing Bruce Wayne off wasn't such a bad idea.

Booster Gold #22
This issue of Booster Gold was okay for the most part. While Jurgens' art was decent, I have no real connection with the Teen Titans or Deathstroke from the 1980s. This issue spent a lot of time pulling on the nostalgia string pretty hard, but it doesn't work when there is nothing there to pull. I spent most of the issue struggling to get to the next scene. As a reader, I hope that there will be some closure soon to this time traveling Black Beetle business. Surely DC can't expect this series to soldier on for all perpetuity having Booster Gold correct little missives in the past. Right? The second feature with Blue Beetle was still very entertaining and has enticed me to go back and check out the last series. The second feature makes paying $3.99 more bearable and it gives characters like Blue Beetle a second chance at living on in the printed world.

Unwritten #2
The Unwritten is the best Vertigo book being published now. I know it doesn't have stiff competition, but two-issues into he series, I can already tell that this will be classic Vertigo. If you are not familiar with the premise, Tom Taylor is the basis for a fictional Boy Wizard Tommy Taylor. Tom has been living off the fumes of his now missing father's successful Tommy Taylor novels for years. Things start to go awry when Tom finds out he may not be who he thinks he is. This book is chock full of mystery and stellar characters. Tom Taylor practically jumped into this series as a fully developed character from the first page because of the associations we all have with Harry Potter and the ever familiar struggling celebrity. If you're not reading this book, shame on you!


Astonishing X-Men #30
After reading their first Astonishing X-Men arc, I would like to respectfully request that Warren Ellis and Simon Bianchi step up their game. If this were a class, this arc was a D- effort at best. After the six issues of this arc and overpriced two-issue miniseries, I still don't understand what a Ghost Box is and nor do I care. It was sad to see Forge turned into a crazed mutant terrorist for the sake of this story. I don't mind the characterization because Forge has always needed a little more flare in order to remove the stench of lame from him. I had such great expectations for this stellar creative team, but they barely managed to make a sputter in terms of impact and seemingly effort. I'm sorry guys. Let's do better next time, okay?

Punisher: Naked Kill
This book was just brutal. When Frank Castle starts to unwind a snuff pornography film ring, readers just have to know that it is bound to get dirty. I remember an older issue of Punisher from the late 1980s or early 1990s where Frank ended up taking down a pornography ring at a Naval boys school. The whitewash of the Comic Code at the time prevented anything realistic coming out of that story. That just isn't the case here. What is described and shown is just brutal. Frank castle isn't much of a talker, but this particular one-shot gives him a lot of air time. This approach doesn't really work well for the Punisher, but it just clicks here. Suspense and supernatural story writer Jonathan Maberry really gets into a groove with Frank here right off the bat. At the very beginning of the issue, someone asks Frank to trade with him in return for his life. "I look like I'm here to swap Pokemon cards?" quips Frank as he fires off a round just above the crook's head. "Talk Fast, asshole. Clock's ticking." Indeed. For those folks who gave up on Frank when Garth Ennis left the title, I recommend you come back to give this issue a try. It's well worth the $3.99 price of admission.


Ultimate Spider-Man #133
& Ultimatum #4
I have made no bones about how awful I think Ultimatum has been for the Ultimate Marvel line. These two issues could be exhibits 1,843 and 1,844 in the trial against Ultimatum. The final issue of Ultimate Spider-Man was disappointing. This issue lacked any dialogue. It was completely silent. Remember the Nuff Said event from years ago? Interesting, but lame. It was jarring, which I get was kind of the point, but for $3.99, I want more from my comic. The interview with Brian Michael Bendis at the end of the book was obviously tacked on to make you feel like you got more content for your dollar. I don't need that. I need content. With the main Ultimatum mini, I get plenty of content, but much of it is for shock value. I can't imagine how Loeb has gotten away with raping the Ultimate Universe. Loeb is normally a creator that I don't get excited about either pro or con. However, Ultimatum is just rancid. I don't see how the Ultimate line can bounce back from this miscarriage of entertainment.


Conan the Cimmerian #'s 10-11
I just don't hear about many comic book fans talking about Conan anymore, which is a shame. I think Conan is one of the best titles I'm reading now. Tim Truman and Tomás Giorello have crafted a fine book for the traveling warrior Conan. The mixture of descriptive writing and lush artwork is just mesmerizing to me. This is one of the first books I read when I get my monthly stash. This second arc of Conan the Cimmerian finds our hero commanding the armies of Khoraja against the wizardry of Natohk, the Veiled One. Though "Black Colossus" is an adaptation of the classic Robert E. Howard short that has been adapted before for the Savage Sword of Conan in 1974, Truman and Giorello manage to make it exciting by creating an ominous atmosphere in both words and art. Dark Horse has done a magnificent job with Conan property, once again making the barbarian warrior a relevant and exciting character to read.



It's hard for me to believe that my summer break is halfway over! That doesn't mean I will stop reading, though. I will be back in a couple of days with more reviews, including Iron Man, Star Wars, Punisher, The End League, and much, much more.

See you then!
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Shout Outs! and Scream Ats!

by Matt


Welcome to another "Shout Out/Scream At!” column! where I take a look at what makes me a happy fanboy (Shout Outs!) and what frustrates me (Scream Ats!) about the comic industry. This column is all about the 90's! I will be covering Nomad, Guardians of the Galaxy, Savage Dragon, Psylocke and a few more 90's nuggets of joy!!

I admit that I love the 90's. While there was a lot of crap that was produced during this era, this era also produced a lot of fantastic and creative works. And it seems the comic industry is revisiting this era as well and I couldn't be more excited for some of it.


SHOUT OUT! SAVAGE DRAGON #150!
It makes me feel old when a book I have been collecting right from the start hits a major milestone. But I am proud that the Savage Dragon is hitting #150. If I was allowed only one comic to get regularly, I would take this title. You just have to admire Erik Larsen, like him or not, you should respect the guy for his passion and commitment. Why do I love this book so much? I have a ton of reasons and here are just a few.


-PASSION. Erik pours everything he has into this book. He has written and penciled (including covers) the book for 150 issues, at times he has colored it and lettered it on his own. He has stated that the Savage Dragon will be done when he dies and that this is what he wants to do until he dies. You can tell how much he loves the book and that, to me, enhances the enjoyment. He was sick in bed and still cranked out backup stories for his book.

-CREATIVITY. This is one of the few books where I cannot tell what is going to happen. No one is safe, not even the Dragon himself. This book really has it all. Clones? Check. Alternate universes? Check. Colorful characters? Check. Space invaders? Check. Deaths? Check. I could go on and on. His book also tries to stay within "real" time. Meaning, it has been over ten years since the first issue came out, so the Dragon has aged 10 years. I cannot think of any other book that does this. Erik also experiments with how to tell a story. One of my favorite comics is when he covered a whole year using single panels. Each panel covered a different day. Another memorable issue was "The Fly". One of Dragon's baddies transformed himself into a fly and pestered Dragon while he was recovering in the hospital. Erik is also not afraid to let his opinions show in the book. It could be regarding politics or the comic industry, he lets loose with it. He isn't afraid to change the status quo. Issue #75 comes to mind, Dragon makes a decision that he thinks is right by killing his enemy. Darklord (his enemy) warns him that it will be worse if he is killed and the Dragon doesn't believe him. So he kills him anyway and it changes everything! Remember when Image produced a Mars Attacks! series that showed the aliens invading the Image universe? Erik was the only one that worked that into his regular continuity. Some folks may not like continuity, personally, I love it. It makes a stronger book.

-ART. I know a lot of people are turned off by his art. I didn't like his art in the beginning when he was drawing Spider-Man but I got used to it. He may not be the greatest artist but his greatest strength is making the art kinetic.

Erik consistently puts out an entertaining product. It is chuck full of fun stuff. It can be serious and it can be laugh-out-loud funny. It is exactly what I want out of a comic book. Congrats Erik for hitting #150!


SHOUT OUT! The Original Guardians of the Galaxy return!
When the new Guardians of the Galaxy series was announced, I was so excited because I LOVED Jim Valentino's run on the book from the 90's. But I was sad because they were similar in name only. Until Major Victory and Starhawk appeared. And then this cover came out and I am all ga-ga! I love the concept of the original Guardians of the Galaxy and I am glad that they are being used again. And kudos to Marvel's trade program for putting out two classic Guardians of the Galaxy hardcovers reprinting their early appearances!


SHOUT OUT! Avengers/Invaders #12
What does this have to do with the 90's? I enjoy the Golden Age characters and during the 90's I picked up the series called "Saga of the Original Human Torch." This documentary-style comic retold the tales of the early Invaders and I really liked it. The original Human Torch was a neat character and I followed him through Avengers West Coast and Heroes for Hire, all the way till the New Invaders series (which was really underrated) when he was killed. I saw that Marvel was soliciting a new Torch series and I was looking forward to seeing Jim Hammond again. I was stoked when I heard that Jim Krueger and Alex Ross were writing this project. The first couple of issues were okay but the series started to lose some steam. I still collected the rest of the series but found myself barely reading it and filing it away with my collection. The last issue came out and I was thumbing through it and I was taken by total surprise.
**SPOILERS**
I thought it would be Jim Hammond returning but it wasn't. It was another Golden Era hero that had "Torch" powers. This totally took me off guard. Surprises just don't happen very much anymore in comics. I am looking forward to reading this series in one sitting now that I have an ending that I know I like!

SHOUT OUT! Psylocke Series
I fall into the camp that prefers British Betsy. Betsy has always wanted to be a warrior so it made sense that she become a ninja but I was not a huge fan of her changing race. I was happy with the recent Uncanny X-Men storyline that brought Betsy back to the X-Men but was a little sad that it was not the British one. But I am excited for the new mini written by Christopher Yost and I hope that he brings this character some stability that she has lacked in years. I would love to see and am confident that Yost can pull this out and make me care about Betsy again.


SHOUT OUT! McKeever/Nomad
I didn't like the original Heroes Reborn. I sold the books more than five years ago and I don't miss it at all. I hated the redesigns, I hated that Jim Lee couldn't stay on the FF the whole time, I hate the eagle on Cap. Perhaps it would be easier if I listed what I liked about it. The only thing that I liked was the 13th issue of each series when they crossed over with Wildstorm. I tried the Return one-shots and I liked them even less than the original. Even though it was Liefeld and Loeb, I picked up the Onslaught Reborn series and that completed the Terrible Trilogy. But I did like the ending of that series, I liked that they moved the girl Bucky to our universe. And boy was I surprised when they whipped her out for Cap #600 and when it was announced that she would get a miniseries. I was going to pass but then I learned that Sean McKeever was returning to Marvel and writing the series! I allow myself one or two $3.99 books (Dark Avengers being the other one I get) and I just might pick this up. I am interested to see where Marvel and McKeever take the character.



SHOUT OUT! Clone Saga?
I hated the original Clone Saga. I was collecting the Amazing Spider-Man for 240 straight issues and I finally had enough of it and dropped it with Amazing Spider-Man #400. That issue being the only good thing that came out of the whole thing. I admit that in the beginning of the Clone Saga, I was curious to see where the story was going but it just got worse and worse and finally I bailed. I am glad that Marvel is at least recognizing the storyline instead of flat out ignoring it. My opinion on continuity is this, if you are a good writer you can make continuity work. Only lazy writers ignore it completely. I was surprised that Marvel wanted to revisit this storyline in this way though. Marvel brought back Howard Mackie and Tom DeFalco to tell the story they originally wanted to tell which makes it more of a morbid curiosity. But I am screaming at the $3.99 price tag. So thanks Marvel, I will wait for the trade.


SCREAM AT! Return of Britannic!
Just kidding! I needed something to scream about! I like Scott Lobdell and I enjoyed a lot of his run on the X-titles but his run on Excalibur was horrible. What really made me appreciate Warren Ellis as a writer was his run on Excalibur. He could have swept the whole Captain Britain/Britannic away but instead chose to work with it. He formed a cool story involving Cap seeing the future (because he was lost in time and came back as Britannic) and stripped Cap to just being Brian Braddock again. And then slowly brought back Captain Britain. Warren also demonstrated this when he took over Stormwatch as well and that instantly made me a fan of Ellis.

6 Shout Outs to one (1 and a half with the $3.99 pricing) Scream At? A lot better than last time!

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Shout Outs! and Scream Ats!

by Matt


Welcome to another "Shout Out/Scream At!” column! where I take a look at what makes me a happy fanboy (Shout Outs!) and what frustrates me (Scream Ats!) about the comic industry. With this column I will be covering Captain America, Rocketeer, Planetary, DC's new series Magog, Messiah War and more Obama comics.!


SHOUT OUT! Planetary #27
It is really easy for me to forgive something when I love it so much. Just like my kid Logan when he accidentally deleted my 6 year franchise Madden game a few years ago, I can forgive him because I sure love the little guy. That is how I feel about Planetary. I should be screaming bloody murder that this book is taking so stinking long to come out but now that I know it is coming, I can forgive it. Planetary is my favorite Warren Ellis work (and yes, I consider myself an EllisWhore(tm)) and ranks up their with my favorite comic works of all-time. I cannot wait for this epilogue and I definitely cannot wait for the inevitable Absolute Planetary Vol 2.

SCREAM AT! Captain America Hype
Marvel has really hit the Hype Machine with the release of Captain America #600 and the new Reborn series and I shouldn't be surprised that they are bringing back Steve Rogers. But with all the hype, I find this announcement extremely underwhelming and that is probably because I found Bucky as Cap WAY more exciting than Steve and the story of him coming back. I am sure Brubaker will write an excellent yarn but I cannot hide the fact that I wish Bucky had more time to be Cap. It sure doesn't feel like it has been two years since Steve's death. It wouldn't surprise me if Marvel still had another swerve coming up.

SCREAM AT! Magog?
In the new DC solicitations it was found that a new character was to be given a ongoing series. I was excited to see who it was since I am now down to one DC book and I wanted to dabble back into the DC Universe again. And I was surprised that it was Magog. Magog? Don't get me wrong, I really liked how the character developed in the recent JSA series but he would have been one of the last characters I would have expected (and picked) for a new ongoing series. You know who I wanted? I would have loved seeing a Dr. Mid-Nite or Mr. Terrific series. Or Stargirl return for another series. I would gladly pay $3.99 for a Stargirl ongoing if it was written by Johns. But Magog? Such a strange choice.


SHOUT OUT! The Rocketeer: The Complete Collection
When I am bored at work, I like to browse Amazon and find stuff that is going to be coming out. I was very excited when I saw this baby! The Rocketeer: The Complete Collection. I have not read any of Dave Steven's stuff before but I do have fond memories of the old Rocketeer movie starring a young Jennifer Connelly and one of my favorite actors in Timothy Dalton. I have always been interested in the Rocketeer and now I have his completed adventures in one book. The books have been completely re-colored, as per Dave Stevens' wishes, by colorist Laura Martin.

SCREAM AT! Messiah War
Maybe it is because I have not read the ending of this crossover, but it just has not been doing anything for me. Nothing in the book excites me like the previous crossover Messiah Complex. Partly because I have not been a huge fan of the artwork but I couldn't place my finger on it until we see Archangel confront Apocalypse and spare his life. Then it hit me, the biggest reason I have not liked this crossover all that much is because it reminds me of the 90's crossover X-Cutioner's Song. Archangel confronts Apocalypse and spares his life in that one too. Not only that but in both crossovers we see X-Force sent to catch Cable, we see Bishop and Wolverine track Cable.


SCREAM AT! More Obama Comics
I think I have had my fill on Obama-based comics. In fact, I have gotten so tired of them that I would not have picked up Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers if I knew ahead of time that Obama's dog was slated to appear. Don't get me wrong, I am for Obama, I am just tired of all the comics. I do admit that the variant cover for Ash Saves Obama is pretty cool but enough is enough already!

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Happy 1st Birthday Bad Genious!

by Matt


It has been one year since our blog debuted! Not bad for a bunch of random dorks with a blogger account!

In celebration of our first birthday, I asked the question "What would you wish for if you blew out the candle on our birthday cake?" for a Birthday Roundtable.

I got a variety of answers and Sarah was the quickest to respond.

Sarah: A ménage à trois with Gambit and Angel.

Matt: You will go on record for that. Sarah must have Remy and Warren on the mind to respond to fast!

Sarah: On a more serious note I'd wish that there was more good books like Fables to get me interested in comics again. Fables is pretty much all that I read nowadays I have no idea what is going on in the world of comics but nothing piques my interest.... but then maybe that's a good thing seeing how our double spare bed is piled high with comics so much so that we can't actually get in the room.

Matt: That should be every comic book fan's wish. More room to store our stuff!

Chris: I want the clusterf*ck that was/is One More Day/Brand New Day to be retconned out of existence.

Matt: Retcon a retcon? You should talk with the devil about that. Let us know how it goes.

Tim: I wish DC was doing more with the Universe that wasn't so incestuous.

Matt: Ah, Tim.

Brandon: My wish for the next year; somehow Marvel will find a way to keep the Ultimate Books relevant with as little bloodletting as possible.

Matt: I dropped most of the Ultimate line awhile ago. I just might drop Ultimate Spider-Man when it reboots. I would love to see if they did something to re-energize the line.

Doug: Well clearly, I would wish for Banshee to return to the land of the living.

The General: Matt signed in on Doug's account again.

Matt: Doug is wise and awesome. That is all.

Mr. Orange: I wish I had the time to read all the comics and trades I have.

Cindy: My wish would be similar. I would wish that I could finish school and afford/have time to read comics all at the same time. Someday...someday.

Matt: Totally! More money, more space and more time for comics!

I don't want to speak for anyone on the blog but I am certain I can guess a couple more wishes.

- Emma Frost leave Cyclops for good and for Jean Grey to return.
- IDW making trades that are cheaper.
- The last issue of Planetary to actually come out.
- Banshee to come back.
- More X-titles.
- Quasar to get his own series written by McKeever.
- No $3.99 books.
- A Banshee series written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Alan Davis.
- Superman to sing at bad guys more.
- The Dark Knight movie being good.
- A new Wolverine series. Preferably with Chamber as a sidekick.
- Did I mention Banshee? (this will be the last time they let me do a Roundtable!)

Happy 1st Birthday Bad Genious!

I am taking the rest of the day off.
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Waited for the Trade: A Batch of Shorties

by Dan

With the craziness of my job the last several weeks (thanks stock markets!), I've been completely MIA from most things Internet. Yet, the comics and trades kept on coming. So, here's some shorty reviews of sixteen trades and graphic novels from nine different publishers. From the excellent Black Summer and Immortal Iron Fist to the complete opposite of excellent Black Diamond and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed plus plenty in between.









Army @ Love Vol. 2: Generation Pwned – More often than not, I love Rick Veitch’s writer/artist work. But after giving up on the critically acclaimed Can’t Get No, I was worried going into Army @ Love. Thankfully, this has been an awesome satire book with plenty of sex, drugs and war. A wonderfully crafted series that ended all too soon (there is a second “season” out now, but I’ve read that it goes in a very different, yet interesting, direction). B+

Authority: Prime – Authority fights StormWatch and it’s all Bendis’ fault. I always knew that guy was up to something! Wait, Bendix, not Bendis. Eh. Much less interesting now. An okay check in with the WildStorm universe, but after the excellent Authority Revolution it’s a clear step down in quality. C+

Black Diamond – For a story about a cross-country, raised superhighway they spend WAY too much time on anything but the cross-country, raised superhighway. Overall, this was really disappointing. The art at the beginning was just not my thing, but when it became more iconic and more graphic designer-y at the end, I really enjoyed it. D-

Black Summer – This was just an awesome Warren Ellis series. Mostly, I saw it to be Ellis' final word on The Authority and what a terrible path they would eventually have taken. Gory and violent with lots of commentary about the U.S. government. Great stuff. A

Classic Battlestar Galactica – I don’t know why, but I still dig the original Battlestar stuff more than the new. Granted, I lost track of the new show after the first season and Dynamite flooding the market with “New” Battlestar books has been too overwhelming to follow. Thankfully, Rick Remender (a fave writer thanks to Dark Horse’s Fear Agent) was let loose on the old characters and creates a fun episode of the classic show. B

Criminal Macabre: My Demon Baby – I was regretting this purchase before I read it, as I couldn't really remember how I felt about the first two collections I read years ago (apparently there's been two more that I missed). That said, I completely dug this four-issue story. Niles has a lot of Ellis in his lead character, Cal McDonald. Lots of dark humor fun and I may have to figure out what the other two books are and grab those. B





Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 2: The 7 Capital Cities of Heaven – I’ve never been an Iron Fist or Heroes for Hire or Kung Fu fan. Ever. And yet, I completely and thoroughly enjoy this title and all its Iron Fist-tastic history. I did get a little confused with who was who, including the reveal at the end that references the annual included earlier in the collection. So, sometimes there is too much history and too many characters to keep straight, but that just makes me want to sit down and read Brubaker and Faction’s entire run once volume three comes out. Great art from Aja too. This is quality comics. A-

Maintenance Vols. 1 & 2 – This Oni series just makes me giggle. Thanks to Customer Appreciation Day (aka Free Comic Book Day) for finding this one. Reading these on the can is fun, but got surreal when our trusty janitors took an adventure into the can. B+

Mini Marvels: Rock, Paper, Scissors – Turns out I've read a bunch of these shorts featuring the Bullpen Bits characters and, in all honesty, it's just not that funny the second time around. Some of the later stories that riff on Marvel events like Civil War and World War Hulk are amusing, but overall this just doesn't hold up to multiple reads. B-

New York Four – Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly do it again. Although I was frustrated by the fact that there could be a lot more story told and, more than likely, it won't happen. B+

Power Pack: Day One – A fun revamp of the kids' origin story. I've never read the original version, but I'm sure this has been updated to be, ya know, entertaining. Anyone that's been reading this series of mini-series will enjoy this about as much as the others. I'm really looking forward to the Skrulls digest though. B-

Star Trek: The Return of the Worthy – The last reprint Titan did of the old DC version of the original Trek. The main story about The Worthy was a completely predictable, 100% Trek message type of story. Not bad, but nothing new either. C+

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – When I preordered this, I was already dropping the last of the Dark Horse titles, Legacy, from my pull list. I figured this was a last shot at Dark Horse’s current Star Wars universe (although I am checking out the current Clone Wars mini). Even more concerning was the fact that this book was based on the video game of the same name and was serving as a way to fill in some of the back-story. Unfortunately, the book reads like a video game with all the paces and boss challenges included. This is definitely not for anyone but fans of the game, and even then I’m not sure it’s good on any level. D

Too Cool to be Forgotten – Very cool story that gets somewhat sidetracked/rushed at the end in order to wrap up the main ideas about father/son even though 90% of the book was just about the son. I get what Robinson was going for, and he succeeds for that 90%, but I wish the end had been drawn out or built up to better. A-

Wolverine: Death of Wolverine – This collection starts off interesting enough with Jason Aaron and Howard Chaykin’s “Man in the Pit” issue. Wolverine has been captured and put in a pit where he’s shot a few hundred times every 15 minutes to keep him subdued. The rest of the collection is Marc Guggenheim and Chaykin’s Logan Dies story, which rewrites Wolverine’s healing powers as a literal fight with Death every time he’s extremely injured. A bit odd, but, like the first story interesting. Unfortunately Chaykin’s art is incredibly distracting – sketchy and blocky with odd close ups. B-

Wolverine: Get Mystique – Hey, a Wolverine story that actually ties in to current continuity! Wolverine is chasing down Mystique after her betrayal during Messiah CompleX. Cool enough of an idea. Unfortunately, it gets a bit convoluted due to writer Jason Aaron throwing them into the middle of Iraq and Afghanistan for no real reason other than those are topically locations. C
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Panelology – Your Collection is Incomplete, Part 2

by Brandon

In this week’s Panelology, we take another look at a comic book collection. But not just any ol’ collection; your collection! That’s right. Have you ever felt like your collection has been missing something. Is there a story-shaped void in your collection that needs to be filled? If so, I offer four suggestions to get your geeky jollies out on. Some of the stuff is obvious and mainstream. Some of the stuff is out of the way and may take a little bit of effort on your part. But what self-respecting comic fan doesn’t put a little effort into his or her collection?


The Surrogates #’s 1-5, Top Shelf
By Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele
Available in The Surrogates issue #’s1-5 or in Hardcover/Softcover TPB
This book was a recent “read” for me. I had heard for quite a while now that this title was flat out awesome. Despite the praises, I just never really checked it out. That is until the recent $3 Sale at Top Shelf. Words can barely even describe how awesomely good this book is. The Surrogates tells the story of a society that has devolved into technological dependence and addiction. People can buy android surrogates to interact with the world in their place while they lay around all day and play out their own lives vicariously through these androids. It’s not original to say this, but how very Philip K. Dick. The comic is smart by having playing off the themes of humanity’s fascination of technology and the alienation it causes. The artwork is brilliant and subdued. Everything just clicks for this book. I’m anxious to see how the movie turns out, which will no doubt give this book a well-deserved higher profile.

Fell #’s 1-8, Image
By Warren Ellis & Ben Templesmith
Available in Hardcover, TPB and issue #’s 1-8
I don’t consider myself a rabid Warren Ellis fan. He’s just one of those creators that seem to create a fervent, cult-like following for much of what he does. In fact, m y only claim to Warren Ellis fame is that I did have a beer in a bar whilst sitting next to him a t HeroCon a few years ago. That’s pretty much it. Outside of a few titles like Ministry of Space, Transmetropolitan, and The Authority, I never really enjoyed much of his work, and of those three, I only thought Ministry of Space was superb. However, Fell is probably one of my favorite titles currently being published. Why? Well, for one reasons it’s cheap. It’s a two-buck comic that dings in usually around sixteen or so pages. Yet it accomplishes much more in those Spartan pages than most comics do in a whole year of story arcs, crossovers, and big budget events. The book follows the crime-fighting antics of Detective Richard Fell in the mythological/seedy city called Snowtown. Cop shows are fodder for my brain, but Fell has an underlying mystery and symmetry to it that goes beyond the homicide investigations one can see at any given hour on basic cable. Templesmith’s wonderfully erratic art punctuates the sordid depravity of Snowtown like no artist could. The only frustrating thing about this book is its tardiness. Started in 2005, only nine issues have made it to stands thus far. Pick these issues up or turn in your fan boy badge at the door.

All-Star Superman #'s 1-12, DC
By Grant Morrison & Frank Quitley
Available in TPB, Hardcover, and as issue #’s 1-12
I hate Superman. I can’t really explain the origins of this strong dislike for the most iconic comic book character. I’ve always had a strange aversion to him, ever since I was little. He just seemed to be too strong and invulnerable, too clean and infallible for my jaded taste in comic books. However, I love Grant Morrison. Like Warren Ellis, he’s created a cult of devoted fans that follow his work wherever he may land. While I wouldn’t say I’m a member of that cult, I do tend to pick up books with the Morrison stamp of approval. Morrison and Quitley were phenomenal in their X-Men run together. When DC started their All-Star line in a somewhat hokey attempt to counter the popularity of Marvel’s Ultimate books, I decided I would give one of my favorite teams a try at my least favorite character. Much to my surprise, they actually managed to write a great story and they pulled off quite a magic trick; they made me like Superman. Superman seemed believable through Morrison’s vulnerability. Though the story covered a lot of ground in twelve issues, the overarching theme was that Superman was dying. Facing mortality made Superman seem relevant, like he actually had a dog in the fight for life instead of just moral responsibility to save humankind from itself. That didn’t happen in the 90s when Superman faced death and overcame it. Yet it happened here, quietly and without black polybagged gimmicks. For the first time in comic book reading lifetime, I felt for Superman. This book is essential for anyone’s collection because it represents a true, unique vision of the man of steel that doesn’t just strictly involve super-heroics as usual. To borrow a phrase from President Obama, this was change we could believe in. This was Superman.

Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1, Marvel
By Brain Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
Available in single issue format or in Ultimate Annuals Vol. 1, Ultimate Spider-man Hardcover vol. 8, or Ultimate Spider-Man TPB vol. 15
While many fans are still irate with Marvel over the dissolution of Peter and MJ’s wedding, the Ultimate universe still has the couple sporting around. However, in late 2005, there was a sudden yet plausible shift in relationships in Ultimate Spider-Man’s life. Yes, you read that right. It was a believable shift in the relationship that didn’t involve Mephisto or Peter selling off his soul. Peter and MJ were kind of in a slump in their relationship. Much like her Marvel Universe counterpart, MJ had been the target of several attacks on Peter, who has been pretty fast and fleeting with his secret identity. A lull in their relationship left a female emptiness to be filled. Enter Kitty Pryde. Yes, that “Hey, isn’t she in the X-Men?” Kitty Pryde. While fighting the Shocker these two realize that they work well together on and off the field of battle. For Peter, here was a girl who actually defend herself if, say, Rhino decided to show up unexpectedly. For Kitty, Peter represented someone who could actually empathize with her and her powers. In my opinion, this is by far the best issue of Ultimate Spider-Man yet to be published. Also, it marked an end for me. While this was a great issue, it marked the pinnacle of the series. Ultimate Spider-Man just hasn’t been that gripping since then. It’s fun and entertaining, sure. But it just doesn’t grab me like it once did. Hopefully that will change soon, but this issue is possibly the best written story of this decade. It’s fun, playful, and genuine. You can’t go wrong with that.

Fanenomics
Next week, just like everyone else in the multiverse, I'll be talking about the bad economy. Fans can find their investment into their favorite hobby taking a nosedive when the economy goes the way of Jean Grey. What can a fan do to deal with the economic malaise and get their comic book fix?

That's next week.

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Beyond the Big 2: Preview Review #2

by Matt

Welcome to the next round of Preview Review! Going through the Previews is one of my favorite things to do each month and I like to try something new almost every month, something that piques my interest that is not published by the "Big 2". After waiting for a bit, some of them have finally shown up and I have finally gotten through them. Will they be as good as I thought they would be? This month's reviews include Modern Masters: John Romita Jr., Warren Ellis's new Avatar series No Hero and a bonus review of the Dark Horse classic X Omnibus Volume 1. Which got my pick for Book of the Month?


MODERN MASTERS SC VOL 18 JOHN ROMITA JR
By George Khoury and Eric Nolen-Weathington
BOOK OF THE MONTH WINNER!
John Romita Jr. is one of my favorite artists and I was thrilled that he would have his own Modern Master book. These books are absolutely wonderful, they provide fantastic in-depth interviews with a ton of unpublished sketches and art. This volume did not disappoint. It takes you through his whole career and I was surprised to learn a couple of things. Did you know that he was going to quit Marvel after the debacle of Star Brand? Did you know that Jim Lee invited him to be part of Image but he didn't want to leave the Uncanny X-Men and Punisher? Did you know that he felt betrayed by Bob Harras and Kelly Converse because they screwed him out of his second run on Uncanny and almost left comics for good again? If you are a fan of John Romita Jr, I highly recommend getting this book. A+

BOOK OF THE MONTH WINNER!






NO HERO #0
By Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp
Published by Avatar Press
I'll pick up anything that Ellis pens but some his work with Avatar Press leaves something to be desired. I took a chance on this series because it was so cheap and his last series Black Summer was so awesome. The premise of the book is that back in the 60's, a drug called FX was developed that allowed users to gain super abilities. I really enjoyed this short preview, it gave a fascinating look at how the drug affected the people who took it. There is a sense of wonder and dread in these pages which makes me really look forward to this series. This issue felt real to me, meaning that it was like I was reading a history text instead of a comic. This is what Ellis does best. The art by Black Summer artist Juan Jose Ryp is incredibly detailed and the best I have seen yet of his work. A-



X Omnibus Volume 1
By Various
Published by Dark Horse Comics
I absolutely love what Dark Horse comics have done with this Omnibus line. You get a nice compact book with over 300 pages of full color comics for such a cheap price. Combine that with the fact that I have a fondness with the Dark Horse Heroes line of comics and I have a winner. I will pick up every volume of the Dark Horse Heroes that come out as an Omnibus. This month I am reviewing the first volume of X and I was surprised at how violent and how much I enjoyed it. Basically this is X's one man battle against crime and in Arcadia there is a lot of crime and no one is safe from X. If you cross the line once, he will give you a warning, cross it twice and you have been marked with an 'X' and marked for death. The latter issues were the best of this volume, X battles Lord Alamout where we get some small peaks at who X is behind the mask. The one drawback of this collection is that we only follow the action (and there is a lot of that) but we do not get to know who X is. Apparently there is more to him than just him and his gun and has to be more than human but we don't know it in this volume. I look forward to the next volume of X. This gets a solid B.

Next month I will return with a couple of new reviews. Flash Gordon #1 is on the list and hopefully a few more! I may sneak in a review of X Omnibus Vol 2 or another book that I read that doesn't come from Big 2.

We'll see you in the back of the Previews.
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Aside from the Spandex and Leather, Are the X-Men Gay? Part Three

by Devin

Today we present the third and final installment of Devin's three-part series. Have you read parts one and two?

In the first issue of Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run, he has Professor X bring up that the current generation of mutants emerging is different from any that has come before them. While the upcoming generation of gay youths may not have to worry about stranger mutations, they are different from those that have come before them. In the past few years, coming out in high school is almost becoming common in more liberal states, whereas only a little bit before that, a school of a thousand could very well only have a couple of “out” students. While they naturally will face challenges, just like Professor X mentions, they will be of a very different nature than those that have come before them, where the main struggle was in reconciling who you were with who you had to be to socially survive high school.

Morrison also introduces a group known as U-Men, humans who wish to be mutants. In order to make such a hope possible, they kill mutants and then harvest their organs, transplanting the special body parts into themselves. This includes grafting on wings or replacing their eyes for those that shoot lasers. Therefore, while their DNA may still be human, they appear to be mutants. In essence, the U-Men are the X-Universe’s equivalent of metrosexuals. However, in order to be a U-Man, one must kill or terribly maim a real mutant. Could Morrison be remarking that metrosexuality is not the right way to get gays into the mainstream? It merely picks and chooses the aspects of gay culture (or organs) that it wants, but then leaves the rest behind. This leaves gays in a state where they can dress a straight man or be funny on Will and Grace, but still cannot get married in most states or the general respect of a straight couple.

The Queer Eye parallel goes even further. The idea of a mutant subculture permeating the mainstream culture of humankind is one of the main themes of Morrison’s run. In his 41 issues, mutants no longer hide as much as they used to (just like gays nowadays, there are many more “out of the closet”). There are more mutants than ever and, like any minority group, a subculture has begun to form. One such example of this subculture is the existence of a mutant designer, Jumbo Carnation. This character has to his credit such clothing as “tentacle gloves.” A title devoted to the “mutant section” of New York City (almost every major city has a gay neighborhood), District X, ran for a while during this period.

Even the Xavier Institute is now openly a school that exists for mutants to learn in a safe environment. Interestingly, around this same time, controversy was building over the opening of Harvey Milk High School, a school in New York City for LGBT youth who did not feel safe attending their current schools. The Harvey Milk High School received protestors and angry speeches from politicians and people in the press. Similarly, in the issues which first show the school no longer hiding the fact that it’s a mutant school, protestors swarm outside of Xavier’s Institute.

The X-Force reboot that happened around the same time (starting with issue #116) also has much to say about the Queer Eye and Will and Grace phenomena. In this version of the title, gone were the testosterone and angst-filled products of the early ‘90s, such as Cannonball and Sunspot. Instead, Peter Milligan delivered to us a superhero team that was more like the Backstreet Boys or Spice Girls than the Avengers or JLA. They are given intentionally corny names that only marketing majors could think of, like, U-Go Girl (the team’s teleporter) and Mr. Sensitive. One member, Anarchist, complains about the possible joining of the mutant Spike, since he says that there cannot be two black members on the team.

In short, these mutants have been intensely focus-grouped for the sole purpose of being presentable and lovable for the mass of humans not yet ready for the whole of mutant culture. They are young, sexy, and flawless. One character says in the first issue of the run, “I might be a mutant, but I kind of like the members of my team to look at least half human.” This way of thought mirrors many depictions of gays when they appear in mainstream culture. Margaret Cho has even referred to the Queer Eye group as having a “superhero grace.” For the mainstream is not yet ready for such a wide spectrum of gays as it has for heterosexuals. When they appear, they have to be perfect. As Cho notes, “Have you ever seen a gay man on TV be ‘bad’ at something? Not likely. We've not that luxury to fuck up.”

Therefore, in both real life and in the world of X-Force, the current path of assimilation is a double-edged sword. On one hand, this focus-grouped team of minorities is getting them into the mainstream. On the other hand, they are not being given honest exposure. Instead, they are just tools to sell products. One character, Zeitgeist, comments on this in the first issue in his inner monologue during a battle:

Money. Fame. Sex. Cars. Houses. Champagne. Talk shows. Cafés. Limousines. Immortality. Luck. Just the peanuts they throw at us. They’d hate us if we couldn’t do this. They’d fear us.
They adore us now. They know why we’re here, what the point of us is. But I’m still a mutant you idiots. I’m still fourteen years old…I’m a freak. And I hate you all.

Quite frankly (or Frank Quitely), the X-Universe is embarrassing to read nowadays. Whedon followed Morrison’s brilliant run with the least subtle, least controversial, least insightful story that tied gay rights with mutants and then gave the reader eighteen issues that essentially screamed, “I WANT TO BE WRITING THE AVENGERS!” Now, Warren Ellis (a writer I typically like) has succeeded him, premiering with an issue where nobody acts in character, the X-Men are chummily working side by side with the police, and, to add insult to injury, the art is just muddled and confusing. And, of course, one cannot forget the 198 (or however many we’re down to). Last time I checked, there had been no mass exodus to the closet (though that would give me a great excuse for my dating woes). In fact, I’m starting to fear that there are just no heterosexuals left in the world anymore, just like Trask feared would be the fate of humans in New X-Men #114.

I end this post on a low-note. For the moment, I fear that the X-Men have been downsized from a forum for cutting-edge commentary to once again being brainless, spandex clad crime fighters whose main concerns are stopping the earth from being shot by a giant bullet and whatnot. But, as my post has shown, none of these dry spells last forever. Give the gay rights movement (or some other social movement) time to progress or change a bit more, to get more problems, and maybe, hopefully, the X-Men will again be back on track. Till then, I’ll look away elsewhere for my thrills, awaiting the day I can again see Cyclops firing an optic blast at Magneto, and know that there’s a little more going on than there first appears to be. Read more!