New Comic Day: 7/21/10

After an amazing New Comic Book Day last week , it was back to a subdued routine week. Only 3 titles today: Black Widow #4 , Zatanna #3 , Neonomicon #1 .. and more significant drops from my pull.

1. Black Widow #4 (Marvel) by Marjorie Lui , ary by Dan Acuna

Sensational issue to the current story arc "The Rose". Fantastic cliffhanger ending to keep you drooling for #5 , I dont know if this is a 5 issue arc or 6.. I sure do hope its 6. Suffice to say if you've come this far into the series , might as well finish it.

2. Zatanna #3 (DC) by Paul Dini , art Stephane roux

I was a little disappointed that the arc is already over. I was hoping for at least a 4 part arc. It was a good nonetheless , a solid finale to the story. Again , they could've drawn this out a little longer. I hope they focus on Zatanna's co workers and friends more than her Justice Leaguer friends. Zatanna is an underrated character, not just because of her sex appeal but overall.. her goofy yet sexy magicians outfit under minds her comic books , once you indulge yourself , there's no looking back.

Will I continue to buy Zatanna? yes. Her sales have apparently picked up lately. 

3. Neonomicon #1/4 (Avatar Press) by Alan Moore , art by Jacen Burrows

The debut issue of Neonomicon and sequel to Alan Moore's Courtyard graphic novel. FBI agents Gordon Lamper , and Merril Brears pursue a copycat serial killer who's on the loose. They go "Silence of the Lambs" and seek help from the original killer whom was a former FBI agent Mr. Aldo Sax in lock up. They then go to  proceed on a  wild goose chase that leads them to the home of the suspect only to be confronted by some mind blowing shit at the end that will blow your shitty mind.. shit to leave you hanging for #2.

Ill repeat myself , debut issues are always tough caz you have to lay the groundwork for characters and plot. Therefore the end result is usually a slower paced issue than you want which is what we have here... slow but informative and in depth. Its building for a climatic conclusion.. too bad its only a 4 part series , the plot alone has potential for a 5-6 part series.

This is rumoured to be Alan Moore's last graphic novel/comic so this is a must have regardless for Alan Moore fans.

Will I get #2? of couse.

If I had $10 does this make the pull? Yes. Though its a weak week.

Noob Friendly? yes , I havent read the Courtyard and I didnt feel lost at all. That said I plan on reading the Courtyard soon.

price/value: 3.99 .. solid debut issue.. I didnt feel  ripped off or short changed.. decent value here.

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Other news with my comics:
I dropped Avengers off my pull list. I have now dropped Avengers , New Avengers , Avengers Academy , Young Allies , X-Men , ...UPDATE: I just learned Atlas is being put down like a limp horse by Jeff Parker himself after #5. I was going to drop it anyways so he's made this decision easier.

I also found a place online to buy comics HeavyInk , it works out to be cheaper ordering online than me buying from my local comic book stores. The only con is they dont bag and board their shipments so Im nervous and how they will arrive but Ill get into a full review of HeavyInk when my shipment comes in next week:

my order:

Hack Slash My First Maniac #2

I Zombie #2

Secret Six #19

Mindfield #1

Zombies vs Cheerleaders #1
total cost: $15.65 shipping included. $3 bucks a comic... thats cheap. 


NEXT WEEK'S PULL: Wonder Woman #601 , Artifact #1/13(Image) , Secret Avengers #3 , Mindfield #2(Aspen) , Fear Agent28 #1 (Dark Horse)

Weekend Paperback Pick up: 7/18/10

 I just finished reading Walking Dead vol.7-8 .. here's my raw reaction filmed 10 minutes after I read vol.8 filled with SPOILERS
The Walking Dead vol.8 Spoiler 7/18/10 from Gord Locke on Vimeo.


I placed my next order of graphic novels:UPDATE.. est arrival this friday 7/23/10

• Blacksad (dargaud) by  Juan Díaz Canales (writer) and Juanjo Guarnido (artist)       
• The Stuff of Legend vol.1 (Third World) by  Mike Raicht  Brian Smith(w) ,Charles Paul Wilson III (a)
• Fade from Grace (Beckett) by  Gabriel Bensen(w) , Jeff Amano(a)
• The Pro (Image) by Garth Ennis(w) , Amanda Conner(a)
  

total= $50 roughly. Im ecstatic for Blacksad and The Stuff of Legend. Fade from Grace and The Pro sound like fun reads recommended by a comic geek. Ironic caz there's so many other titles I want to get and I ended getting two no namers out of the blue.. but thats the fun of it.

New Comic Day: 7/14/10 part 2

  1. Chew #12 (Image) by John Layman , art by Robert Guillory

Excellent. Part 2/5 of the current arc , superb issue. This isnt a jumping on point , go buy Chew vol.1 TPB to see if you like it. If you do.. then catch up caz its so worth it.

This is argubaly my favourite comic book right now.

2. Hack Slash #2/4 (Image) by Tim Seeley , art by Daniel Leister
unavailable at the moment. My store had part of their shipment damaged including my one copy of Hack Slash.. warped the spine. Im the only guy who suscribes at my store. Nobody else has it either , I checked out a bunch of shops. Frak.*UPDATED .. finally came in today 8/3/10

Lets just say keep pulling this mini series , its faptastic.. in more ways than one!! seriously , I cant wait for the new on going series in the Fall and I cant wait for the new printings of the Omnibus's .. where have you been all my life Cassie Slash?!

3. Birds of Prey #3 (DC) by Gail Simone , art by Ed Benes

Strong issue. part 3/4 story arc with the mystery woman in white. You will be left hanging by the edge of your seat. If you bought into #1 , 2.. this is a MUST HAVE.

4. Mystery Society #1-2/5 IDW  by Steve Niles  art by Fiona Staples

Premise: Nick Hammond and Anastasia Collins are the Mystery Society and bring new meaning to "underground cult" status! Stealthily avoiding the authorities, this skullduggery duo spend their time and money righting wrongs committed in the world’s underbellies

Fantastic sleeper hit. I found this by fluke  as I was looking through some back issues  I saw this catchy cover from IDW Mystery Society #1 , never heard of it. Picked it up on a whim... wow. Faptastically fun. The next day I picked up #2 which came out this week too coincidentally.

Will I get #3? : Im on board 100%

If I had $10 does this make the pull? Its a contender in a tough week.

price/value: 3.99 .. this new refreshing story distracts me that its a $4 comic. Its decent.


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additional comments for the week:
I've decided to drop some major titles from my pull list. Too many comics Im into and so many more I want to get into. I had to make en executive decision and the truth of the matter is Im more into the non supehero books. Oddly I picked up zero Marvel titles and cleared out 4 Marvel titles off my pull list. Remaining Marvel pull list: Avengers , Secret Avengers , Scarlet , Young Allies , Atlas , Black Widow

Thanos Imperative - this is actually getting rave reviews but Im just not into it right now. Trade paperback perhaps.

New Avegers -  Too much of the same.


Avengers Academy - numbers game , I have to cut down , I want variety in my pull list. Too many Avengers titles and already pulling Young Allies.

X-Men - Mutants vs Vampires ... I still might flip flop on this dependant on how #2 goes but I still dont find myself excited at all for X Men books.

 Marvel you were shutout this week off my pull. Next Week Expected Pull : Avengers #3 , Atlas #3 , Black WIdow #4 , Zatanna #3(DC) , Neonomicon #1 (Avatar Press) , Traquility #1 (DC)

I still might drop Atlas from my pull.. see how it goes.

New Comic Day: 7/14/10 part 1

Crazy awesome day for comics. First and mostly my Walkind Dead came in the mail today!!! Im ready to fully catch up with the Walking Dead! now but Ill vlog tomorrow about Walking Dead. Onto the comics.. there were a crap load of  new series I picked up. Lady Robotika #1 , Widow Warriors #1 , Chtlulhu Chronicles #1 , Sixth Gun #1-2 , Stuff The Legend #1 ..also back issues I wont review ; Mystery Society #1 (IDW) , Zatanna #1 (DC). Tomorrow I will blog about Chew #12 , Hack Slash #2 , Birds of Prey.

1. Lady Robotika #1/3 Image by Jane Wiedlin and Bill Morrison

Premise: An Alien civilization obsessed with 80s popculture kidnaps Jane Wiedlin to perform a rock concert for his majesty.

Sounds crazy good? still does but the execution is a little sloppy. Im willing to cut Jane a break , its her first comic book ? Bill Morrison formerly from The Simpsons so you can get a sense of the style involved.

Will I get #2? I dont think I will unfortunately.

If I only had $10 does this make the pull? no.

price/value? $3.50 ... its a fun book , not sure why this book is more expensive than Chew , Walking Dead ,  and Turf. Hard to justify in comparison. I want to really like it caz Jane Wiedlin is one of the sweetest rock stars ever. Im finding it really hard to recommend this book

2. Cthulhu Chronicles Calling #1 Boom by Michael Nelson , art by Johanna Stokes

Premise: supernatural horror series with a decidedly modern spin from superstar writing team Michael Alan Nelson and Johanna Stokes! A cruise ship comes to port, hundreds are aboard dead - but why? Clayton Diggs is a pharmaceuticals salesman who discovers his sister has committed herself to an insane asylum; she's checked herself in, fearing she'll hurt herself or someone else.

This shit picks up half way through , I was getting a little nervous that I made a bad call on this pull but it came through towards the end to hook me like a pea brained trout. 

*edit UPDATE I read it again. Wow. Its a solid solid premiere issue. Absolute hidden gem. 

will I get #2? Yes , started  slow but ended really strong.

If I had $10 does this make the pull? It would be a yes in any other week. Very tough week to compete in.

price/value: 2.99 ... it was a solid debut issue. First issues are always difficult but this finishes strong and left me hanging .. mission accomplished.

3. Widow Warrriors #1 Dynamite by Pat Lee , Loyld Chao

premise: For generations, one fiercely-patriotic clan of warriors - the 'Yang' - battled bravely in the nation's defense. The widows of the clan pleaded with the Emperor, whose own court had become weakened by corruption and greed, to send reinforcements. But none came. Soon, the last remaining Yang soldiers were overwhelmed by a sea of bloodthirsty invaders.

Distraught and incensed, the Yang widows - a few hundred strong and many of whom also seasoned warriors - took arms and set off to the western border to kill the new king.

This totally reminded me of an 80s cantonese show from Hong Kong my parents use to watch and it was one of the few shows I liked. " Women Warriors"

will I get #2: yes. I still have hope the pace and depth will pick up.

If I had $10 does this make my pull?: no.

price/value: 3.99 .. I have to be more critical for $4 comics , higher expectations. It laid the groundwork for a promising series but fell a little short overall.

4. The Sixth Gun #1-2/6 Oni Press by Cullen Bunn , art by Bryan Hurt

 The Premise: Imagine Lord of the Rings in the wild west and exchange the rings with guns. 6 mystical guns were created , the 6th being th emost powerful... finds it way into a preachers' daughter's innocent hands. Now she is being hunted by the guns original owner and his horde of undead.

Outlaws , undead armys , crazed zombie general , a magic gun , ... fuck this shit just got real!

Will I get #3?: uhh hell yeah. What the hell is going to happen!?

If I had $10 does this make the pull?: Very tough week for competition.. definitely  contenders.

price/value: 3.99 .. #1 was originally released on Free Comic Book Day but I wasnt around for that so I had to pay for this one. One of the better $4 comics.

5. Stuff the Legend: The Jungle vol.2 part 1 Th3rd World Studios by Mike Raicht , Brian Smith , art by Charles Paul Wilson III

 Premise: think Toy Story + Wizard of Oz + Lord of the Rings + Toy Soldiers + Muppet Babies.... what does it =... fricken amazement. Its in much more grittier ,darker tone than some of the titles mentioned.

If I had this as a kid my brain would explode from the overload of imagination and creativity. 


will I get #2? fuck yeah , ill be pissed off if I dont.

If I had $10 does this make the pull? easily.. pick up of the week. Beautiful beautiful comic.

price/value: $4.50.. zero ads , its a beautiful comic. Story is awesome , art is amazing.. I cant imagine spending that $5 any way else. Seriously.

New Comic Day: 7/7/10 part 2

I also picked up: Turf #1-2

1. Turf #1-2/5 Image comics by Jonathon Ross , art by: Tommy Lee Edwards

    I heard a lot about this 5 issue series so I jumped on board a week after #2 came out. Image might be my favourite publisher right now , I am loving their non super hero titles ; The Walking Dead , Chew , Hack Slash and now Turf.

The Premise: Set in the late 1920s in New York during prohibition , a turf war amongst mafia families is on the horizon hence the title "Turf". 4 mafia families have run the crime syndicate in Manhatton for years .. and now a new family wants control of the entire city , the Dragonmirs ... a family of vampires. Eventually a third party wants in on the action.... aliens. All the while two seperate protagonist mob boss Eddie Falco and Gotham Herald reporter Susie 'Dontknowherlastname'  investigate the mysterious disappearance of significant mob families.  Mobsters v Vampires v Aliens v Cops= goods times.

Writing:Ross thought up the idea of lets have mobsters fighting with vampires over gangland territories ... and then we'll toss in aliens. This guy is a mad genius caz it works!! He focuses on two lead characters and balances it all quite nicely. There's pleny of dialogue but its there to move the story along and its done effectively.. those who complain go buy a colouring book you morons.

Art: Tommy Lee Edwards is working magic here with Ross , too bad Jonathan's name isnt Pamela. The art gets gritty when it needs to be , its dark and eerie when it needs to be , superb job at capturing the time period and atmosphere overall.. the style suits the story perfectly.

                                      Gotta love the play on words title!

Will I finish the series?: hell yeah. Did you not read the formula to this series?

recommend: Yes. Its always exciting jumping on a new series and seeing something special developing. This is such a great hybrid mix of horror/sci-fi /mobsters .. you gotta check it out for yourself.

noob friendly: yes. New series. 

price/value: 2.99.. superb bang for the buck , they also tossed in some pin ups. 

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 2. Young Allies #2 by Mckeever , art by: Baldeon

  Its a good super hero read. Its another teen superhero group attempt.  Im not  forseeing epic greatness but its not the car wreck it could've been either. Take it for what it is , a fun exciting read.

  The plot is decent for the genre , a group of deviant teen villians called the Basterds of Evil want to kill as many people as they can for no other reason than they are evil. The Young Allies whom have not really been formed yet meet up coincidentally trying to stop them. As the story arc moves along we learn a little more about everybody including the Basterds too. The Electro cameo was good , it was like Maury Povich 'Are you my baby's daddy?' , it was also a reminder that a middle tier baddie like Electro can ass wipe them.  Though its not a complex book there's a lot on the line dealing with this new threat to give the reader a sense of validity.

  Team members:  Firestar has a sentimental attachment to me , she's still wearing the same lamo outfit as she did on SMAHAF* , I see she's still in college  30 years later! Gravity , I dont know what to think of him thus far. I really like  Nomad and Arana , Im starting to think this should've been a duo comic , I like their stories ; neither have super powers , young and naive , troubled history ,.. they have good chemistry together. Finally , introducing a new hero; Toro.. bleh.. a big fracken Bull boy... whipdee.

will I be getting #3?: yeah , the worst case scenario I can pass this off to a young comic reader.

recommend: Yes , esp for young young readers looking for a teen superhero group to follow.

noob friendly:  Yes.

Price/value: 2.99 .. ok value , they have the preview for Shadowland in this too which to me is misleading when it comes to page count.

* reference; Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends , a saturday morning cartoon from the early 80s.

New Comic Day: 7/8/10 part 1

Fantastic week , lots of goodies. Today's pick ups: X-Men #1 , I Zombie #3 , Secret Six #23 , Scarlet #1

1. X-Men #1Marvel comics by Victor Gischler , art by: Paco Medina

  I dont collect X titles but I figure I would give this new series a try. I picked up the variant cover , too early to critique the story arc but a couple things I can comment on ...

the premise: A new terrorist threat hits San Francisco ... Vampires. Seriously a blood bomb goes off downtown and sprays a bunch of people with the vampire virus... shit just got real! . The X-Men are called in to investigate as one of their alumni Jubilee is seemingly targetted. 

Will I be getting #2?: .. yeah , they didnt lose me so that says something. However Im not hanging on the edge of my seat just yet either... maybe Im bored with vampires and X-men.

pet peeve: ... 4 pages of advertisements for other Marvel titles. You can easily fit all of them onto 1 page. Ridiculous.

price/value: 3.99 .. Im very critical towards Marvel's price value , I really would like to see more bang for the buck. Enough with the ads. They added a teaser for Shadowland , the first few pages.. Im not too crazy about teasers but its better than ads I guess.

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2. I Zombie #3 Vertigo comics by Chris Roberson , art by: Michael Allred

   UPDATED 7/8/10:  I picked up #1 today , still havent found #2. It helped lay the groundwork and fill some gaps for me. For 1 buck its a fantastic buy at the least.

 Picked this up on a whim. I was looking for something different thats non superheroish. Its hard to judge based on one comic but ....

The premise: Gwen Dylan is a young attractive zombie , and in order to maintain her sanity , she must dine on one brain per month dead or alive. She's not a killer so she works as a grave digger to get her snack on ... she doesnt enjoy it one bit. The side effect is she absorbs the memories of the brain she eats and in doing so she gets herself into some unfinished business for the departed. 

The writing:  is a little tweenerish , I guess Im not the target audience.The potential is there , good looking zombie that I would seriously boink with a weird eating habit. Anytime cute zombies need to eat brains to solve mysteries is ok in my book.The mysteries and puzzles are catchy , the characters are so odd and alluring. So far so good.

The art:  Im not sure if I like this style but it suits the writing. Definitely it has its own characteristics so thats a plus. Maybe its more the character designs that fail to wow me , I dunno but it can easily grow on me if the stories pick up.

There's so much potential here for a long lasting unique read. Gwen Dylan is an interesting character that I would like to see them develope further , this has the making for something special .

Will I be buying #4 ?: yeah . Its on my trial list still ....

recommend: yes , if you can find #1 for a buck.. hell yeah , its worth checking a title so bizarre and outlandish. 

noob friendly: yes brand new series.

price/value: 2.99:  ... Its ok . I really need to see #2 to fill the gap between the two issues.
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3. Secret Six #23 DC comics by John Ostrander , art by: RB Silva

This was a one shot issue that took place right before #19. Because of this I can rate this 1 issue book .

Plot: An old cliched set up.. secluded island for maniacal thrill seeking killers whom hunt down armed human prey for game. Remember that Ice Cube movie where he's being hunted by big game hunters? same shit. The guy running this island falsely hires the Secret Six to lure them into this trap to be his prized game for his cliental. Ensues some comic book fun...

Gail Simone took this issue off .. Im really hoping this is a vacation for Gail. Big dropoff in story from the previous arc.

The art was mediocre , for what the plot was .. there was some cool scenes. Im willing to give the artist a mulligan because of the source material , it wasnt the greatest story.

This will be a forgettable issue when its all said and done.

Recommend: ....no. However I strongly recommend the Secret Six overall but this issue is optional.

Noob Friendly: ..yeah ,  there's zero substance to the story so you dont need to know shit.

price/value: 2.99 still one of the best bangs for the buck. This was a one shot issue.
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4. Scarlet #1 Iconic by John Bendis , art by: Alex Maleev

   This was on my pull radar for weeks. Bendis and Maleev have been working on this for sometime and has garnered some attention along the way. It delivered.

     The art was brilliant , I love the water colour look , it looks so effect/ Maleev has a wonderful touch , I thouroughly enjoyed the atmosphere Maleev created , dark , gloomy , gritty ,...etc. Scarlet's look reminds me of a young Molly Ringwald with her appearance.

 

The writing was good , a cliched origin story.. girl loses love of her life , loses faith in justice and loses hope in mankind and decides to fight back. I enjoyed the 4th wall perspective , she was Ferris Bueller talking to the reader and walking them through her story. Feels like a memoir or something. Right from the opening scene you will say " this shit just got real". Bendis is one of the best in the business for a reason.

They added commentary and invertiew with Bendis at the end. They also added a couple pin ups as well , overall a nice debut. Its a unique and beautiful looking book , it might get lost in the shuffle of Shadowland and the Heroic Age but it has the potential to hold its own. Im very curious to see how this plays out... I havent a clue where this story is going but Im in for the ride.

Will I buy #2?: Yes I will.

noob friendly: brand new character and series... doesnt get more noob friendlier than that. 

price/value:  2.99.. Yes , a good buy , the art itself is worth the admission. .

Cartoonsday: Green Lantern : First Flight

Green Lantern First Flight

release: July 28 2009
written by: Alan Burnett , Michael Allen
studio: Warner Bros animation

First Ill do Spoilers then general commentary: I must say I am a novice Lantern fan. I only read Green Lantern Rebirth thus far.. I have very little knowledge of Green Lantern.

Spoiler Alert!

   I really liked the gritty edge to this show ... characters die!!! which is always a plus in my books. The betrayal by Boodikka was completely unexpected by me! I must be slipping.. I was genuinely shocked and suprised!!! just a great twist.

   They did a fantastic intro to Sinestro , showing his downfall into the evil sinister villian we know him as. The creation of the yellow lantern.. very epic. You really get a sense how colossal their battle was with the light show they put on in space with all the guardians and lanterns watching on with their fate at hand . 

    The whole Green Lantern corps is very reminiscent of the Jedi Knights in Star Wars , there's a high coucil , and the Lanterns are the guardians of the universe.. Sinestro conspires to over throw the Council to dictate a new order. The investigation of the Lanterns was very Star Wars prequel like as well.

The action sequences were great! the tunnel chase was magnificant this is where many Lanterns bite it. So intense , high paced , great hero shot for Hal Green to emerge. This movie only endorses green love for the Lanterns , its must see.

Spoiler Over

     This is the re-telling of the origin story for Hal Green's Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps. Hal Green is given the ring of a dying Abin Sir , the Lantern Corps investigate his death which turns out to be a murder. Green Lantern learns the ropes from the elite Lantern of them all... Sinestro. Its a great movie for old schoolers and noobs.. it may feel dumb down for the old timers at the same time some material might fly over noobs' heads... nothing that great action and drama cant compensate for. With the live action movie coming up this is a great time to educate yourself into the Green Lantern lore and this movie will have you covered.

In brightest day, in blackest night,

No evil shall escape my sight

Let those who worship evil's might,

Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!

Rating: 8.5/10 ... the only reason I dont give it a 9 ... it was only 74 minutes minutes... they could've pushed it to 90 minutes and added more depth to support characters.

Recommend: Yes , very highly for all ages. Though characters die its not graphic.. kids can easily watch .. give me a break , you cant shelter kids from death. If you're going to get into the live action movie educate yourself in the Green Lantern lore.

Buy it/Rent it/Bury it: For Superhero geeks ...Buy it. This should be owned in one way or another. Its a great superhero animated movie.