New Comic Book Day : 9/8/10

Today's Pull: Cthulhu Chronicles #3 , Widow Warriors #2 , Sixth Gun #4 , Scooby Doo Where are you #1

1. The Calling: The Cthulhu Chronicles #3 (boom) by J. Stokes art: C. Possenti

     I've been mixed on this series. It started really well then lagged a little , this issue brought it back on track but I felt it under minded itself at times. Because its a comic book , details have to be rushed , the whole mid section of this issue felt so rushed , you lose all the urgency , intensity and vibe of it. Its almost over , 1 issue left so Ill finish this but Im not sure if Im feeling like a Cthulhu fan.

         The art is fine esp the various cover art  , I think the stuff Im not feeling good about is story related. The publisher shoudl've perhaps made this a 5 issue series... it just feels like somebody ripped out parts of the book.

 Verdict: Its a $4 comic and right now its hard for me to keep a straight face and tell you this is a must buy. Definitely wait for the trade at best and save some bucks even it redeems itself in the final issue.

2. The Sixth Gun #4(oni press) by C. Bunn  , art: B.Hurtt

    Almost finished. Lots of fun. I dont what else to say but its darn toot'n awesome!

     The crazed zombie general and his crew of freaks closes in on the girl whom possesses the crazy one's sixth gun  , we find out more about the "guardian" looking after the girl , lots of shit happens that makes me giggle and clap like a trained seal.

      I dont want to spoil anything for noobs , caz if this far into this like me , I dont need to tell you how bed wettingly enjoyable this has been.  Ill give an overall review when this finishes but this is a must read when it comes out in trade.

    Verdict: Unless this series shits the bed in the final issue this is definitely worth checking out in trade. Its a $3.50 comic , its decent value.

3. Widow Warriors #2 (dynamite) by L. Chao & C. Chi-Long art: Pat Lee

   This was a good issue that built off #1. There's a lot going on in this story , Im glad its on going caz a mini series would've never worked with so many characters to cover. It still feels parts are missing and things arent coherent but thats to be expected at this stage of a new series. Give it 4-5 issues to establish itself.

    The story itself , we get more in depth as the women cross into enemy territory looking for the rival king whom slained their husbands , brothers and sons hence the title. The king tests the women using sorcery and henchmen to oppose their trek. In one dramatic scene the women begin to hallucinate about the lost men and trouble ensues...
 

The art and mood of this book is unreal.

   Eventually the king sends one of his henchmen whom brings a big mother fucking wolf bird to the fight(see cover). We get stome face stabbing , spear chucking , throat ripping violence which is always a good thing for this genre.

  Verdict: I have different expectations for different prices , and this is a $4 comic. To be brutally honest I havent wet myself yet during this series but I havent wanted to wipe my ass with is either. If you're not feeling confident about this series , definitely wait for the first trade and see how it looks completed. Myself , Im slightly nostalgically biased towards this because it reminds me of a tv show I use to watch with my parents as a kid called "Women Warriors".

4. Scooby Doo #1 (dc) by Scott Gross , art: Scott Gross                                                                       :

   I had really had a good time with this. First and foremost the gang comes to British Columbia! they came to vacation in the Okanagon and get mixed up with Ogopogo. It was insanely short , it was two short stories.. the second was a short one on Shaggy trying to shave his beard , ends up being an ode to all the catch phrases used in the endings like " I would've gotten away it if it werent for those nosey kids and that screwy dog!".

 Verdict:  Im a softy when it comes to Scooby Doo , Ill be picking this up whenever I can. I would've enjoyed this comic more if it wasnt for those meddling kids. If you got $3 to burn in your pocket , you're a Scooby Doo fan and you like reading comics then this is your day!!!

New Comic Book Day : 9/1/10

Its already september , summer went fast!

decent day: Scarlet #2 , I Zombie #5 , Secret Six #25 , Sixth Gun #3(2 weeks delayed)  , Fathom Blue Descent #1

1. Scarlet #2(marvel) by BM Bendis , art : A. Maleev

    First and foremost , Alex Maleev's art is worth this book alone , I am not kidding. Its beautiful. The story is nothing new , but its done in a different perspective breaking the 4th wall via Ferris Bueller except instead of pissing off Cameron Scarlet wants blood and justice! ahh to be a teen again.

    I have more tolerance for a brand new series that has to introduce new characters , new stories and such so Im not going to be too happy or too harsh until the series establishes itself. I like where this is going and its not where I thought it was going exactly but we're not there just yet but this is definitely worth to jump on board with.

verdict: Stick with it.

2. Secret Six #25(dc) by Gail Simone , art: J. Calafiore

   Hooray! the start of a new arc! after two single shot issues , Gail Simone finally has the Six back onto a 4 part arc. This is a tad on the XMen's Savage Land with a hidden world of dinosaurs and such but what idea isnt re-used in any medium *looking at you modern music*.

  the plot: Team B , a make shift team being trained by Bane is hired to execute a secret plan in this world , something you dont find out until the last page. Im starting to like King Shark more and more btw.
Team A , is a little dysfunctional to start , Catman is having some personal issues but anyhoo team A is hired by another agency to eliminate team B for again..secret reasons.

me: I love Secret Six , this is another fun , high paced , balls to the wall issue setting up a potential blood bath arc. literally 5 hours ago I didnt care one shit about King Shark  , now Im rooting for this guy , he's already blew passed Shazam and ROM on the all time comic book characters lists. If he gets more page time and banter he might move ahead of Sgt Rock and Jughead.

verdict: Im in for the long haul.

3. I Zombie #5(vertigo) by C. Roberson art: M. Allred

  The 5 issue arc is over and it was enjoyable. The art really grew on me as it went along now , I wasnt thrilled with Allred when I started this but now I cant imagine this series without Allred pencilling it.

   This is a very nice end to the arc though ironically and I cant believe Im going to say this but I didnt see a need to go 5 issues to get to where they wanted to get with Gwen. I guess Im happy they did. The foundation was laid , we now know who she is and what this series is about... lets get our eyes dirty and get on with some deeper stories!

verdict: stick with it. 

4. Fathom Blue Descent #1(aspen)  by:    art:

    I dont think I'll be continuing this series. I cant justify my reasons I simply didnt get into it.The art is sweet though.

5. Sixth Gun #3(oni press) by  art: Cullen Bunn , art: Brian Hurtt   

   Very solid issue to the 5 part series.A very underrated series. Imagine Lord of the Rings in the wild west , 6 magical guns created with the 6th being the most powerful , the 6xth owner hunted down the first 5 and destroyed them to make his the only one. The original owner , a crazed general was assisinated and a new owner took its mantle , a preacher. The preacher has passed the gun to his daughter and she now carries the burden of the gun , the general has awoken from death to reclaim what is his.... fun times ensues...

     I like to think of Bunn and Hurtt as the poorman's Layman and Guillory connection. They go really well together and they compliment each other. Not at the same level as Chew's dynamic duo but regardless Bunn and Hurtt have a great name calling at the least.

verdict: If you're lucky to get #1 on FCBD then finishing this series is a "Paris Hilton" or a no brainer. I had to buy my #1 and its easily worth it still. Lets finish this baby.

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New Comic Book Day : 8/25/10

Vagina Days of Summer
Another slow day: Black Widow #5 , Wonder Woman #602

1 Black Widow #5 (marvel) by Marjorie Lui , art : Daniel Acuna

    The conclusion to the 5 issue arc " The Black Rose" came to a conclusion. It was a good arc overall , but I felt this final issue was missing something. It felt rushed and heavily editted down to fit the 24 page deadline. Definitely should've been a 40 pager at the least , give Marjorie Liu a proper send off on this series. Daniel Acuna's art was so immaculate and stunning in this arc , soft colours , striking imagery , it all meshed with Lui's writing so well.

   SPOILERS:

     I didnt like how she escaped from the chair. They built it up to a point where I was thinking "how the fuck is she going to get out of this one?".. turns out , lights go out and she disapears from the chair... MAGIC! of whatever. Part of the great cliff hanger along with being locked into the chair was the Bucky America arrest of Black Widow.. then in this one , it was blown over with little explanation in either it was a rouse or a misunderstanding.. I had to re-read it to see if I missed something. Again hence why I felt it was rushed , not enough detail and commentary. 

 SPOILERS OVER

   Marjorie Lui is leaving Black Widow now , Im not sure who's taking over but Ill be sticking around. Even though she's a Secret Avenger and associated heavily with the Marvel universe I really like the non super powered -super hero- espionage kind of stories. Black Widow is as deep and mysterious as Wolverine , this is one of Marvel's underrated new on going series and I hope the new guy doesnt drop the ball on this.

Next issue is a new arc so perfect for a jumping on point for noobs. 

2. Wonder Woman #602(dc) by J.M.Straczynski art: D. Kramer , E. Pansisca

   I completely understand that old school Wonder Woman fans arent too thrilled about the current arc. I get it , I feel the same way about stuff Im old school about.. but since Im not an old school WW comic fan , this is a spectacular story so far.

  They're taking Diana back to her roots and reinventing her before our eyes and kickstarting the next phase of her life. Im still bleh about the costume , I may not have read her comics but I know enough of her to appreciate the classic outfit. Its the red boots , Id be less gay about this if she had the red boots. They've leveled her down a bit , she cant fly , she doesnt have the Superman like strength but she's still pretty bad ass.

     Anyhoo.. so her home has been trashed and the Amazons are on the run , WW has come back as the savior. She needs to rediscover her roots and discover herself.. she's like a person whom drifted so far away from her family and needs to re-establish her background   In the mean time she kicks some serious ass , and reminds us that her new look hasnt softened her core up at all. She's still the baddest amazon on the face of the planet.

  Ill be adding to my pull.



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New Comic Book Day : 8/18/10

Next couple weeks will be slow , today is the slowest day I will ever see unless I quit. Today's pull: Chew #13 ,

1. Chew #13 (image) by John Layman , art: Robert Guilory

First off , this cover is fucking sweet daddy awesome! too bad its not Chu on it. Otherwise I would frame this faster than a spazzed out nimrod.

This was a fantastic issue , a couple laugh out loud moments , the plot thickens , the story is moving perfectly... what else can I say that everybody else is now realizing ? Chew is the goddamn shizznats. 


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Because of the slow week , here's IGN's latest article Top Indie comics

I totally agree with 1 and 2. Walking Dead and Chew... lovvvinnngg it *in gay broadway voice*
 , Im also enjoying Scarlet. I plan on collectin Locke and Key in trade.

1.  The Walking Dead(image)
2.  Chew (image)
3.  Hellboy(dark horse)
4.  Killer (archaia)
5.  Casanova(icon)
6.  Invincible (image)
7.  Locke & Key (idw)
8.  Scarlet (icon)
9.  GI Joe: Cobra(idw)
10. The Goon (dark horse)

Cant say enough about Chew and Walking Dead its all I talk about in comics. Im not the only guy going ape shit over this. CHECK IT OUT!!!

Weekend Trade: The Surrogates

 The Surrogates (top shelf) by Robert Venditti , art & colour: Brett Weldele 

First and foremost .. the movie is the shits. Read the graphic novel first then watch the movie for shits and giggles to appreciate the GN even more. Sorry Bruce Willis but it stunk.

The Surrogates book was sensational. Absolutely brilliant sci-fi/crime/thriller , the writing , the story , the characters , the art , the colour , the overall feel and look. Amazing.

The vigilante for the anti-surrogate movement , Steeplejack

genre: Sci-fi , crime-thriller , mystery ,

The plot: The year is 2054 , people can now live their everyday life through an artificial embodiment called surrogates , where you adopt an android replicant body and control it from the confines of your home. There is a mysterious figure whom is destroying people's surrogates , trying to evoke a revolt against this lifestyle and bring back the hands on humanity that has been lost. The main protoganist is a detective Lt Harvey Greer whom investigates this serial crime spree against "surries" as they call them. This leads onto a wild goose chase and the mystery slowly unravels itself..

 The prophet of the anti-surrogate movement. Its David Koresh gone reggae.

me:     Again ..I fuckin loved it. I remember when this came out and it was being buzzed about , I was tempted to go buy this comic back then , took 4 years for me to finally get to reading this.

     The under layering theme of accepting mortality and accepting nature's aging process. The surrogate is a metaphor for the loss art of social interaction to the internet but also for superficial self image we tend to lose priorities.  Harvey's wife had a small but powerful role in the theme. I just embraced the sci fi aspect of this book , it was just enthralling , the concepts and the ideologies .. so thought provoking.

     The pacing was perfect.. just perfect. The crime solving and detective work which leads up to action sequences done so eloquently just kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Im pretty sure I shat myself just a little during a couple parts. 

Buy/Borrow/Bury:
Buy. This would be a excellent addition to any library.

I bought mine for $7 on sale so the value is there , but if you cant find one on sale and dont feel like paying cover price , borrow this and get your hands on this , this must be read if you're into sci-fi.

Bury this if you have zero interest in sci-fior graphic novels but I strongly encourage to keep an open mind and never shut the door on any genre or medium.

--------------------------------
Why I hate the movie? SPOILERS

- The casting. From Willis to his wife to Canter ... this movie was horribly casted. Greer is an older , fatter dude.. there's a bunch of actors I easily picture in the lead role better like Dennis Franz for example. His wife is suppose to be older and fat too , she was young and skinny.. just a little unhealthy. Too much budget wasted on bigger names , this was an indy comic that should've went with an indy cast. 

- The wife should've died , it was more impactful in the book when the wife killed herself , the statement was made. I really hated that they opted for play it safe ending caz we dont want to upset the morons. 

- The elimination of Steeplejack , the main antogonist was changed completely for a twist ending.Steeplejack was a great piece of science fiction and mystery.. I understand the desire for the Shalayman shocker points of a movie but c'mon.. that was the back bone of the graphic novel.

-  The direction , the movie had no identity , the pacing was way off and it completely dropped the ball on some of the under tones of the book. It felt rushed and lost at times. Weak screen play can do that I guess.

- The Dreads were heavily underplayed in this movie , the set choices were horrible.. broaddaylight in the park does nothing for the tone of the book. It should've been shot at night at the least.

- the decision to alter the role of Canter for the big twist ending. It sounds exciting in idea but you should've just stayed true to the book. It would've played out better.

- In the end , the graphic novel was better. This underwhelms me therefore Im disappointed and dont like it. 

New Comic Book Day: 8/11/10

solid pull today: The Calling: The Cthulhu Chronicles #2 , Hack Slash #3 , Morning Glories #1 , Zatanna #4 , Birds of Prey #4 , Dungeons and Dragons #0 ....

I also picked up Surrogates tpb for $7! , $23 reg. price 16 bucks off!!, a surprise sale item.. sweet deal for a book I've been wanting to check out. Ignore Bruce Willis' movie abomination. Still have a few graphic novels I have to catch up on before i get to this guy.

1. Morning Glories #1(image)by Nick Spencer , art: Joe Eisma , Rodin Esquejo

premise: Mysterious prep school "Morning Glory Academy" recruits 6 new kids. The comic focuses on these 6 kids , their relationships with each other and their interaction with this academy. Many weird , creepy occurances begin to arouse suspicion of the academy , and the kids begin to unravel these mysteries.

me: PICK OF THE WEEK. I. Loved. It. The character intros were one of the better ones I've seen , every character got a quick intro done in the style that suites their personality. this totally reminded me of Marvel's Runaways , a bunch of oddball teens thrown together but thats where the similarities end. These kids arent super heros ...not revealed yet at least but they're just "regular" kids and its the Academy thats the abnormal entity in this comic. There's so many questions that are asked , so many mysteries that need to be unveiled , thankfully this is an ongoing series , which means they'll take their time developing characters and plot.. this has potential oozing out its ear , I anxiously wait for #2...

am I getting #2?: Yes.

Does this make the $10 pull?: Yes.

price/value: 3.99 .. 44 pages debut issue. Solid value.

2. Dungeons and Dragons #0 (IDW) by John Rogers , art: Andrea Devito

premise: Its a comic book about a Dungeons and Dragons adventure. It also includes #0 for another D&D title called "Dark Sun.". Its your typical group of adventurers including a knight class leader , a dwarf warrior , a elf archer , a spunky rouge thief , and an altered species chick as the mage..together they delve into quests and adventures. Simple.

me: Im an old school dungeons and dragons nerd , and Im also a comic book geek.. this was so awesome. I admit its nothing I would recommend to the general public but for me this is such pure unadulterated nerdy fun. Its a  little cliched for part of the party caz you have the grumpy warrior dwarf  and the elf archer , the human knight whom is trying to be a great hero. I really liked that they made the mage this new race ... looks like a friendly demon , she's got horns and a tail. It is what it is and its good , it offers me a nice change up for a weekly pull.

Will I be gettting no.1?: yes.

Does this make my $10 pull?: it was a buck.. it probably would.

price/value: $1 = you get two #0 issues in this. Harken back to review of Scourge #0 for 2.50 which was  horrible value. Again I emphasize this is targetted for me but D&D not only did it right in context of a #0 but value wise.. thank you IDW.

3. Hack Slash: My First Maniac #3/4(image) by Tim Seeley

   This was a solid issue and integral part to the series. All Im saying was .. I was genuinely surprised and shocked with their little "twist" towards the end. Im not sure how I feel about the art decision to draw Cassie cartoonish when she's emotionally vulnerable or happy , she looks like an Archie character. Cassie is back to her gritty , goth like self when she's down to ass beatings and hunting killers. The overall pacing was good , kept your interest peeked throughout right up til the "twist" ... the cliffhanger is solid caz there's no fucking way Im missing  the finale #4 next month. No F'n way.
 

4. Cthulhu Chronicles #2(boom)by J. Stokes , M.A.Nelson , art: C. Possenti

   This ended up being a middle filler of a story arc. It doesnt pay off well as an individual issue but when the arc is complete and the trade paperback comes out , it will hopefully fit in gently. They're moving at a slower pace, Im not sure if this is a 4 part or 5 parter but the intensity has to pick up. It doesnt say on the cover , but Im hoping it goes on a little longer.

5. Birds of Prey #4 (dc) by Gail Simone , art: Ed Benes

Runner Up PICK OF THE WEEK
    Faptastic finish to the 4 part series ...OR IS IT? its suppose to conclude but it just leads on to the next arc which is directly related. The Barbara Gordon story was concluded as was the Penguin's but the main arc with White Canary.. its to be continued! The battle of the Canaries was epic , the banter was tantalizing , the pacing between all three story lines was done to perfection. *muah* this has snowballed into of the best titles going right now.. LOVE IT.




6. Zatanna #4(dc) by Paul Dini , art: Chad Hardin

Disappointment of the Week

     I was a little underwhelmed overall , especially with the art , not a fan of Hardin as of right now. It looked rushed or just lazy , there were no pages with amazing art , this really felt like a rushed project art wise. I felt Hardin took away from the story , nothing extraordinary to the plot , its your cliched superhero cliff hanger but it works here I guess caz Im still buying in but Hardin needs to go or pick it up.

*UPDATE: I read this again , the story read a little better the second time around but I still dont like Hardin's art. 

New Comic Book Day: 8/4/10 part 2

Here are the continuing issues I picked up yesterday....

1. I Zombie #4 (Vertigo) by Chris Roberson , art: Michael Allred

   This series really picked up in this issue , so many gaps were filled , this was a pivotal issue. Individually each issue seems to awkwardly move at its own pace but collectively everything pieces together smoothly. For the art its like Chew where Robert Guillory's art was looked over to start by many but it grew on you as does Allred's penciling. I wasnt too keen on the art when I first indulged into this but it grew on me though I always felt it suited the genre and title. I really enjoy the ambiance of the book , the campy retro feel of it and it doesnt lose its whimsical allure. We finally get a sense on what the fuck is happening with everybody's role and what direction we're headed not that it detracted from the comics before. The lead character Gwen is making me a necrophiliac for fuck sakes.

Am I still on for the ride?: Yes.

does this make my $10 pull?: I think it does , its a contender in a tough week.

value/price: 2.99 .. its a good book. Esp if you're looking for some variety in your pull. Again we're at the point where you might be better off waiting for the trade but all 4 issues are readily available still.


2. Secret Six #24 (DC) by Gail Simone , art: J. Caliafore

   This was a kick your feet up and have a good ol time issue. The last two SS issues have been stand alones , great opportunity to jump on for noobs , well not really but they havent begun an epic arc or anything is what I meant. An alternate universe look at the Secret Six if they were in the wild west. This isnt a time travel thing , its a "what if" type of alternate universe thing. It feels like Gail Simone is using the characters like a play group and doing different skits for these filler issues. I really loved the ending , if you know me , endings like this win me over like a fat chick giving hand jobs.

Im sticking around?: Yes , this is still DC's best kept secret , excuse the pun.

Does this make the $10 pull: Its a strong contender for sure.

price/value: 2.99 .. I had a blast with this issue , a solid single issue buy at $3.

3. S.H.I.E.L.D. #3 (Marvel) by Jonathan Hickman , art: dustin Weaver

    This might be Marvel's best kept secret in their line up. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been a pleasant surprise so far , it was completely nothing like I thought it was going to be when I first picked up #1. This is a deeper book than your normal superhero book , in fact I would say this is the smartest super hero book you'll read this year. You'll need to remain sober when reading this. Here's an official summary...

The main story of the first issue is set in 1953, when S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Nathaniel Richards and Howard Stark enlist a young man named Leonid with unspecified superpowers into the organization, taking him to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s High Council in the Immortal City under Rome. The High Council reveal that they know "the final fate of Man", and their mission is to ensure nothing threatens the world before this occurs. They have chosen Leonid because he has a destiny

      The lead character Leonid meets with fricken time travelling Leonardi Da Vinci , with flashbacks show other founding members of SHIELD like Imhotep , Isaac Newton , battling the likes of Galactus and Appocolypse. Doc Brown will need to sit down for this series... its a must read. Even if you dont like it , its one of those you have to see for yourself kind of deals.

Am I sticking around ?: Yes , its one of the few Marvel titles that survived my purge.

Does this make my $10 pull: Another strong contender , I would have tough decisions to make.

price/value: 2.99.. easily one of Marvel's best buys in their line up. A $3 book that feels deeper and more elaborant than most of the $4 books they carry.


4. Mindfield #0-2 (Aspen) by JT Krul , art: Alex Konat , Saleem Crawford

Premise: The CIA has a new agency for national security.. telepathic cops or "thought police" as they describe themselves. It focuses on two partnered agents,  Conner and Erika , and their journey on and off the job with their gifts.

me: Im absolutely enjoying this series. Its dictating its own pace , introducing all the players and devices that partake in this series , its setting the tone for hopefully a long on going series. Connor and Erika and their new team are fairly likeable as they'll earn some sympathy from you... but on duty thoguh both are telepaths  Connor is the thinker and Erika is the muscle. Its not blowing the pages off the book but its keeping me glued page for page.

Will I continue?: Yes indeed.

Price/value: 2.99.. good value. Full 30+ pages of Mindfield.