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Random Thoughts - 2.5.09
Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Reviews, DC Comics, Marvel Comics,
Whoever would have thought that slipping on the ice would cause a compound fracture in my right wrist? Going to make posting real fun for six weeks.
I am really liking Haunted Tank. The writing seems very realistic, a little hardcore, but always entertaining. The Mighty A is a reasonably good first issue but I think they could have advanced the story a little better than they did. Still, I hope they keep this out of the DC Universe. So far, the only part in Secret Six that I have really liked is the Get Out of Hell Free Card.
Sentry is just goofy enough to be a lot of fun. They sure put enough regular characters in the story to flesh out the Sentry universe. Agents of Atlas has jumped right into the Dark Reign storyline. They certainly are an eclectic mix of characters and, yet, it seems to work. But if every team had a Venus, they could certainly accomplish a lot more with fewer battles. A corrected Mighty Avengers arrived and the question is whether or not you want to waste the time finding the differences. Not me. Be careful, Marvel Universe is always good for a few chuckles. I Am Legion is I Am Whaaa?
See you when the pain meds kick in again.
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Run to the hills, Marvel has unveiled their “Iron Maiden”. Okay that was lame, but I couldn’t resist it. Now let’s get down to business… reviewing another solid issue of “Invincible Iron Man”. Month in and month out, Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca have been giving us the Iron Man movie on paper. I can’t believe I had reservations about this book when it debuted (I mean did we really need another Iron Man book), but I finally caved, bought the first three issues, and have been coming back ever since.
Anyway, this issue Norman Osborn continues his destruction of everything Tony Stark has ever built. But while Tony’s friends and employees suffer the Green Goblin’s wrath, Tony continues to play it calm, play it cool, and relieve “stress” with Maria Hill as he destroys his armory and goes on the run. And he’s not alone. Building off of events in previous issues, Pepper Potts finally takes up the mantle Fraction had been hinting at since the last story arc, the Iron Maiden, and not a moment too soon because Stormin’ Norman’s stormtroopers are on her tail. (You can thank the Spider-Man movie for that one).
As for Larroca’s art, the character’s designs are a continuation to the actors from the movie, but are unique enough that they aren’t direct traces. Much of this is enhanced by the coloring of Frank D’Armata giving the book an energetic realism.
Overall, if you’re not reading this book, get the first trade then catch up by buying the issues you missed. Trust me it’s worth it.
Cool Web Sites: Toonlet
Posted by Kris Madden Categories: Reviews, Site Features, Independent,
WARNING!: You may spend the entire day at this site!
At least, I almost did. With a user-friendly platform and great functionality toonlet gets my vote for an awesome site to create your latest witty comic strip. The platform works off of a series of “art packs”, which contain parts of the character (Head, body, mouth, etc) you can then mix and match until you’ve created a character you are pleased with and use them in future comic strips. You can also assign emotions to the character and build variations so that you can create multiple comic strips in minutes.
Click to continue reading Cool Web Sites: Toonlet
Answers are given, as more questions arise in just another episode of “LOST”. Last night’s episode is entitled, “The Little Prince”. When I read that this would be the name of tonight’s episode, I thought of the classic French children’s book “The Little Prince”. Whether tonight’s episode is somehow related to that story, I’m not sure as I’ve never read it. If there is a “little prince” in this episode it’s Aaron as he is one of the focal points of tonight’s episode.
In this episode, we again have the goings on of the LOST characters who have left the island and those who are still on it. On the island we have Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, Daniel, Charlotte, and Miles jumping through time; off the island we have Ben and Jack trying to get everyone back to the island.
If you don’t want to be spoiled - walk away now….........
Click to continue reading LOST Review 2/4/09
WEBCOMICS WEDNESDAY: PvP, Achewood, Registered Weapon, Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal,
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
Finding comics on the web? Easy. Finding a really good one to read on a regular basis? Not so much. Here are some of my favorites.
PvP: The newspaper and magazine businesses are collapsing and taking their cartoonists down with them, but there’s at least one guy who was way ahead of the curve: Scott Kurtz. He took his talent to the internets and grew his comic strip into a personal empire - including book collections - that other cartoonists can only dream about. While Hi and Lois are rapidly walking towards the light, Kurtz is busy skewering pop culture, nerd culture, gamers and all we hold dear. In this recent strip alone, you get an argument about the new G.I. Joe movie with a reference to Thundercats. Extraordinarily well-drawn and very funny, Kurtz posts on a regular schedule. There’s lots to enjoy on his site, and lots of goodies to purchase too. Read a few strips to get into the rhythm – he has ongoing storylines and a nice archive feature can bring you up to speed quickly. And if you’re a cartoonist having a web dream, you should study his site like the Rosetta Stone, and check out his book.
REGISTERED WEAPON: This one could be called CSI: Ka-Ching! Felix is the “most advanced piece of forensic technology.” He’s also a robot. Who used to be a cash register in a previous life. He fights crime, and can still change a five.
Tuesday Preview - 2.3.09
Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Reviews, Site Features, DC Comics, Marvel Comics,
Well, the comic groundhog has risen from its hole and determined six more weeks of not so exciting comics. Still, we persevere.
The only toys of note are the New Gods. Paraphrasing The Who, here’s the New Gods, same as the old Gods. Plus the 4th printing of Amazing Spider-Man 583. Some guy in New York advertised the third printing at $3.99 with an ad in which he said the comic might become a collector’s item. So what are my Diamond bills listing that book’s worth? See you on E-bay.
Secret Warriors has in it… well, it’s a secret, so I can’t tell you. Haunted Tank 3 continues a cool and relevant storyline. War of the Kings, Darkhawk, gets us back into space in this highly well-received series. Final Crisis, Legion concludes and I am sure it will continue in the final figuring out of why the Skrulls replaced Grant Morrison and where is the original? So far, none of my customers have enjoyed Final Crisis and I don’t think you can blame them. And for the few, the proud, we have the next Buffy. Hopefully, next week we have a huge shipment of Essentials coming in at bargain prices.
Stay tooned.
Cool Instructables: Green Lantern Power Ring
Posted by Kris Madden Categories: Site Features, DC Comics,
Like Inigo Montoya’s line from The Princess Bride, “...You killed my father, prepare to die” or Jules Winfield’s Ezekiel quote in Pulp Fiction, “...And you will know my name is the Lord.”
Green Lanterns have their line to recite before they take out the villainous scourge of the earth. But unlike the other quotes, when you say the Green Lantern creed, it sounds best when you’re wearing your own Power Ring.
This Instructable will provide you with tools and instructions you need to get going on your Green Lantern costume for Halloween 2009 or Comicon in the Summer. With ring building guides from beginner to advanced, there’s a ring for every kind of Green Lantern DIY fan.
Or if you’d rather save the time and energy you can pick a power ring up here as well.
SNEAK PEAK: BATMAN #686 Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert & Alex Ross
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
HOLY BILL FINGER! If this is what happens when DC kills Batman, then by all means, please, kill him every 30 days. Batman #686 (“Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?” Part 1 of 2) goes on sale February 11, just a few days from now, and while it’s great to see the caped geezer creak ever closer to issue #700, it’s even better when the road is paved with Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert.
DC’s promotional copy includes this phrase: “Delving into the realms of life, death and the afterlife, Gaiman leaves no stone unturned as he explores every facet and era of Bruce Wayne’s life.” But all you really need to do is check out the preview pages here. If you can’t spell “must have” from all the letters in the word balloons, you aren’t trying.
See how many geek references you can spot in just the sample pages. This two-issue story looks like a great treat for Batman fans, and fans who may have abandoned Robin’s bear in recent years.
DC has the menu of assorted cover gimmicks lined-up (one of them by Alex Ross even), but they don’t really need them. This’ll sell more than enough copies to cover Bob Schreck’s severance. I’m not even going to bother to wait for the inevitable trade; I’m on this Wednesday afternoon. Full color, 48 pages, $3.99. This is how to pry the rent money from my hands, DC.
(Artwork ©2009 DC Comics, Inc.)
Yesterday during the Super Bowl we saw a commercial for the upcoming Star Trek movie. Some of the scenes were of things we saw in the previous trailer, but there was also a lot of stuff we’ve never seen. The scene that intrigued me the most was in the beginning which shows the young James T Kirk (Chris Pine) with a bloody nose talking to Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood).
Pike says to Kirk that he (Kirk) always had a “hard time finding a place in this world”. This seems to me that they had a relationship prior to Kirk coming on board the Enterprise. There are then scenes of a bar fight spliced in between the conversation - which is where I guess he gets the bloody nose. Pike then tells him that he can settle for an ordinary life or dare to do better.
I find this interesting that a relationship is being set up between the two. The only time the two characters met on screen was in the two-part classic “Star Trek” episode “The Menagerie”. If I’m not mistaken, there was no existing relationship between the two in “Star Trek” continuity. I blogged a few months ago about the possible minor continuity error of a young Kirk knowing how to drive a car in the upcoming movie, but not being able to drive one in the episode “A Piece of the Action”. I got hit hard by people saying that I should get a life, but this relationship between Kirk and Pike is a much bigger change in continuity than the car thing.
At this point, I guess we fans just have to say whatever. I would like them to stick to continuity, but if this new “Star Trek” film rocks and it does look like it will, it won’t matter. It’ll be a new day in the world of Star Trek and hopefully more movies with the characters of Kirk, Spock, and company.
SNEAK PEAK: EL GORGO! Butt-Kickin’ Luchador Gorilla Super-Hero!
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
“He’s a rock star, a professional wrestler, a historical novelist and a freakin’ super-hero.” That’s writer Mike McGee’s description of his and Tamas Jakab’s all-powerful hero, El Gorgo. Oh, and El Gorgo is also a gorilla, capable of kicking a dinosaur in the face “while making a fist with his foot.”
Get the idea yet that El Gorgo! is no ordinary independent comic? The first issue came out toward the end of last year and the second issue will be available on February 20th. You may not be able to find them at your LCS (the comics aren’t carried by Diamond Comics), but it’s certainly easy to find a copy. You can order both issues from the El Gorgo! website, and you can also preview complete issues of both El Gorgo! #1 and El Gorgo #2 there as well. Creators Jakab and McGee have posted them for free and easy viewing.
The second issue, “Terror On Titan!,” takes place 10,000 years in the future as El Gorgo! and Nika face a new breed of Deep Ones. Fans of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World stuff (New Gods, Mister Miracle, The Forever People), Mike Baron and Steve Rude’s Nexus, DC Comics’ 1960s Gorilla-themed issues and even the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Thor will find lots to love here. This is a kick-butt comic that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Print may be soon become an elderly Viking, set on fire and put out to sea, but after reading an online issue of El Gorgo! there can be only one response: I do want.
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