|
G. I. Joe - that previous issue was interesting, but I’m not really sure why I bought this one, other than I wasn’t picking up a lot of other new stuff. The story continues to be weird. We’ve got mutant cannibal not-quite-zombies. They’re going to be led by Serpentor against the normal Cobra. The Joes buried Wade Collins (ex Crimson Guardsman and ware buddy of Stalker, Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes). Other than that, not much went on. And apparently now the BATS are smarter and have an AI of sorts leading them. Andy Kuberts cover was cool, though. And the interior art is pretty damned good as well.
Incredible Hulk - I’m loving this new Ghost Rider. The old motorcycle actually seems to be the host. And he’s got grenades. Looks like they’ll be teaming up next issue against slime monster and his possessed chupacabra people. That kid is kind of a useless character, though. I wouldn’t mind if they got rid of her, but this is Marvel we’re talking about. No way they’d do that.
World’s Finest - I’m actually kind of liking this backstory for Gog as a god from the world that preceded Apokolips and New Genesis. And now he’s trying to get into his world’s Valhalla by dying in a glorious battle. Interesting. I’ve long enjoyed the New Gods. It’s good to see them being used properly again, not like that crap Morrison did with them back in Infinite Crisis.
Doctor Strange - Now that I’ve read it, I’m kicking myself for not seeing how the Doctor would win against the General. In hindsight, it was obvious. Anyway, I’m enjoying the bits we get with Doctor Zee, but I can quickly see them overdoing it with him. He’s truly best in small doses. I kind of find myself hoping the General can find redemption. Even if it kills him. And I’m really loving what they’ve done with Clea over the years. Decades of character development have made her an even better character. And I still wish they’d kept, Stephen dead (truly dead, not just Death’s servant), and left her as the new Sorcerer Supreme of Earth.
|
|
I also got a new graphic novel in the mail today. It’s Shadow of the Conqueror: Enemies of Self, by Shad M. Brooks. I first heard about it on a YouTube show I watch, where he’s become a regular. I think it’s based on a novel he also wrote.
Haven’t read it yet, but I’m looking forward to it. Nice hardback cover, with really cool art front and back. Same guy, Mike S. Miller, did the interior art. That’s also pretty damned good looking. Anyway, I’m excited to eventually read it. Maybe later tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
|
|
Slow week. We may two books, ending two miniseries.
Nightmare Country: Glass House - well, that was slightly disappointing. No real answers about the Smiling Man or what that a-hole Desire is up to. Just the Dream King stepping in to put Azazel back in his prison, show Thessaly she’s not as powerful as she thinks she is, and memory hole some of the Corinthian’s memories. And it ends with the promise of yet another miniseries. Hopefully that one will finish things up. Too much time to tell what could have been a much simpler story. Sad, but not surprising.
Batman Beyond - another disappointing end. Magic cat boy beats Constantine by talking to him. Batman reveals his identity to all of Gotham. The little douchenozzle Lumos doesn’t even get a proper beat down. And giant mutant Killer Croc gets put in…..a zoo? The end said Batman Beyond will return, but if it’s the same writer, I’m not sure I will.
|
|
I did see in the new Marvel Previews they’re going to restart Ghost Rider. It sounds like it’s not going to be Johnny Blaze. Again.
I think it’s the same writer, that Percy person. That’s unfortunate. He can be adequate, but there are far superior writers out there. Still, if they refrain from bringing in crap characters like Discount Black Alice maybe I’ll look into it.
|
|
Ghostlore - it’s been a good while since this series put out an issue. And while I still find the story to intriguing, the way it’s dragging out is getting kind of annoying. If they don’t progress things a little further soon, I’ll probably drop it.
Shazam - I kind of liked Bizarro Captain. The way he was defeated was cool. And it’s always nice to see an old character like Felix Faust. On the other hand, the dinosaur bureaucrats are silly, and the reason for this fight with Black Adam is just kind of senseless.
Mortal Terror - This second issue builds up the world of Vampire UK a little more. Seems they’ve all been vamps for a good while. Maybe a century or more. And the King is a Viking conqueror. And Dracula as a human can still convert others to be like him.
Captain America - Again we have a story I’m still enjoying, but again the find it’s dragging on a bit too long. Still enjoying the Stephen Strange action figure (an old joke). And I’m glad to see Cap and Sharon are a couple. That’s cool. Hopefully this story arc will end next issue.
The Midnite Show - I called it partially. Van Helsing was one of the monsters. Technically. And the bits about the spell being inscribed on the film reels, which also served to trap the reader essence of each monster, was kind of cool. Reminded me a bit of the old Piers Anthony Incarnations of Immortality series, where magic users made good use of technology in their spell casting. The series is done now, but they left it open for a sequel. In all, it was a fun little story.
Vengeance of the Moon Knight - considering this is picking up pretty much where the previous series left off, I’m assuming this is part of Marvel’s typical scam of “Ooh, look! A new #1. Don’t you want the shiny new #1”. Still, I loved that full page shot of Tigra. Damn, did she look badass. If they could just kill off all the other characters except her and Hunter’s Moon, this could be a good series. I’m still hoping this isn’t Marc in the MK outfit. Might be his body possessed by Khonshu. That could be interesting.
Doctor Strange - a fun little one-shot story. Baby sitting! Circus of Crime! Magic baby! The art was….less than good. Kind of sucktastic. Hopefully, that was just a one off.
Conan the Barbarian - Conan after Belit (but with a hefty dose flashback). Stealing from the God of Thieves and unleashing evil spirits? Very entertaining. And Conan’s partners get to see him unleashed. The cover by Jae Lee was really cool. Still loving this series.
|
|
Only three books this week, one of which I missed out on last week….
Giant Robot Hellboy - well, that ended weird. The giant robot version of Hellboy, being run at first by actual Hellboy’s brain, became independent and fought all the monsters on the island. Then the spy chick was mutated by the same radiation that create the monsters, the island got blown up, and Hellboy woke up in a phone booth. Like I said, weird. But it wouldn’t be a Hellboy story if it weren’t a little weird. Overall, it was fun. And only three issues to tell the story.
Unnatural Order - issue two finally came out. It’s also a weird story. You had modern world with some magic terrorist breaking into CERN, using the power there to reshape the world into what we saw in the first issue. A fantasy world where the terrorist goes by the identity of The Druid, and rules an empire with his monster army. A Navy Seal from the original world got sucked in to this alternate as well, and he’s immune to magic (The Druid’s magic, anyway). It’s a creative story. And the art is pretty solid.
Fables - finally, another issue. It’s almost like the releases are being slow walked…..Anyway, if it wasn’t for Tinkerbell, Pan would have gotten his butt handed to him long before. Poor Bigby, though. Still, we know he’s going to be alive a long time from now. And red-head gal looks set to perforate Pan with a death arrow. I’m betting Tink will jump in the way, then “die”, which will free her from Pan’s control. That could be…interesting. The scene with Cindy and King Cole was cool. I always figured he wasn’t as goody two shoes simple as the original series had him. I’d love to see the series continue with a bit more focus on those two.
|
|
G. I. Joe - As much as I like this kind of stroll down memory lane (along with the awesome cover art), I'm not sure I'll keep collecting this series. Maybe it's just me, but I think Hama's writing used to be better. Tighter, maybe. He seems to be dragging this story on.
Daredevil - I think I said this before, but I'm not so sure the writer understands exorcisms. Pretty sure they shouldn't be this easy, especially not with entities powerful enough to take over Elektra and She-Hulk. And the idea that it took She-Hulk trashing police cars for Matt to realize she was possessed is kind of insulting to Daredevil, his knowledge of his friend, and his years of experience. Still, the guy knows how to pace a story, even if he is falling prey to the modern comic writer sin of dragging every arc on as long as possible.
James Bond: 007 - Normally I wouldn't think about getting a James Bond series, especially with what I heard about the most recent one. This, however, was being written by the magnificent Garth Ennis. So I figured what the hell. First issue was pretty solid. A nice opening sequence to establish Bond as a bad ass, a quick and painless set-up for the main story, followed by a lead in to the rest of the series and more Bond being awesome. The art is pretty decent. I look forward to seeing what else Ennis gives us.
Superman: Lost - I feel a bit disappointed. The whole story is fixed by time travel and a bit of paradox. So, by the end, Superman both did and did not spend 20 years travelling across space. Damn, time travel is such a lazy plot contrivance. I expected better from Priest.
World's Finest - So it looks like Gog just wants to die in glorious battle. Still, the way this issue went, I don't see how they're setting up for the Kingdom Come story. Unless they pull some "memory wipe" crap. The end idea though, that Gog actually has the Anti-Life Equation. And then that "Oh Snap!" moment when Darkseid shows up. At least Waid is a writer who should be able to do Darkseid justice. I think the last good story I read with him was that issue of Justice League done by Morrison. The one narrated by the Black Racer. A great example of when Morrison tries, he can be really great. Of course, then there's Final Crisis.....
What b@!$#&*@!! There were more than a FEW good books out there. Including the one I'm assuming you didn't get which was Immortal Thor. Which WAS great.
But also; Resurrection of Magneto (Which while a trope feels like this will be more earned, especially with Ewing writing it); G.O.D.S #4 which honestly is continuing to setup some truly interesting and intriguing stuff; Not the least of which is Oblivion being more than passer by.
So...yeah. B+~+%&%+.
|
|
Batman #428 From the DC Vault edition - I had heard they were going to print this alternate “Robin Lives” issue. Not sure when they did, but I saw it on the shelf today and decided to pick it up. After all, I’ve got the original version. I liked this version as well, although I think the aftermath of Batman going after Joker had more meaning to it with Jason’s death. Still, it would have been interesting to see how different things might have gone. Starlin’s writing was awesome. Aparo’s art was stellar. Light years ahead of today’s “modern audience” comics.
World’s Finest Annual - a few cool stories and one lame story. The imp story was…..intriguing. An interesting set up for a future story in the main book. Start off with a bunch of Justice League imp duplicates (kind of reminded my of the X-kids from Mojoverse stories), then actually kill then all to set the tone for not just a playful, mischievous imp. Like I said….intriguing. The Metamorpho story was cool. We don’t see enough of him. I wish they’d go back to JLA stories with members like him. Not sure if his father had ever shown up before. Cool. The Bumblebee story was the lame one. Couldn’t even get past one page, then I just skipped it. Does someone actually consider that writing? They seem to be trying to make her a cheap Ironheart knockoff, and I can’t help but wonder why you want to create a knockoff of an already lame knockoff. Anyway, the Challengers story was….just weird. The art was cool though. Reminded me of Batman Year One.
Immortal Thor - what is it with this current run of continually showing Loki in these horrid designs. Homeless Loki is one. This issue showed a lot of Liberace Loki. Both look ridiculous. Still, the story was cool. And Classic Marvel Loki was a nice touch. And I like this retelling of classic Norse myth. The art is solid. That being said, I wish they’d let Loki go back to being a villain. He’s best as a villain. It’s one of the flaws of modern comics they too often try to turn villains into either heroes, or anti-heroes. Mostly they just end up lame.
Incredible Hulk - Jinni Dagaal. The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. I liked the story behind him, though. That was cool. And the team up with Hulk and this other Rider was cool. Speaking of this Rider….I really kind of like him and hope he shows up some more. I’ve really enjoyed this run so far, but it has the same problem as a lot of the modern stuff. It’s written as a limited series. Then they start over again with a new #1. A little sad. And I don’t think they’re doing all their writers a favor. Certainly some of the more talented ones could take a series and run with it, if given a chance.
|
|
Ghostlore - Hopefully, things are building to a head and the miniseries will end soon. Not that it hasn’t been entertaining, but it’s dragging a bit. They probably could have finished the story by now. Still, the dad’s character is proving far more interesting than the girl. He’s become a kind of badass. Probably means they’ll make him the villain.
Shazam - For a story referred to as Captain Marvel vs. Black Adam Part 3, there wasn’t a whole lot of actual Captain Marvel vs Black Adam. I’m still loving Waid’s other series, but this one is starting to annoy me. All the kids are a bit too much. Probably the old dude in me.
Captain America - I really liked the whole Shield/Eye of Agamotto combo. That was cool. I’m surprised no one thought of it before. At least, not that I recall. One thing that puzzled me - Sharon’s weird outfit. The parts around her face looked like pieces of skull. Anyway, I think they’re moving on to a new story arc next issue.
Wolverine: Madripoor Knights - I picked this up because (a) it’s a sequel to one of my favorite X-stories from back in the day, and (b) Chris Claremont is writing. Sweet. Anyway, it picks up right after the events of Uncanny X-Men #268. We’ve still got Wolverine, Psylocke, Jubilee and Black Widow. This time Cap is with them. And The Hand is in the mix. Sweet. The art’s not as good (I think it was Jim Lee back then), but it’s serviceable. And with Claremont doing the writing, the story will most likely be better than the other X-crap they put out these days.
Bats the Ghost Dog (and two snakes) versus Ghost of the Vampire Vick Strange. Cool. I was wondering if they’d ever do anything with Vick. Thankfully, the artist is advertised as a “guest”. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t all that impressive either. Anyway, I look forward to seeing what they do with ghost-vamp in the future.
Conan the Barbarian - Sleep with a chick, then she tries to kill you. Ain’t that the way it goes sometimes. And then Conan’s other buddies get the same treatment. Until, finally, Conan becomes a pawn of….Thulsa Doom. It’s almost like this comic read my mind and knew I’d been considering watching the original Conan movie. Cool.
Sharon's paying homage to the Original Destroyer Roger Aubrey's Destroyer outfit.
Ugh. I can't back anything by Dean Cain since he's become such a douche...but whatever, A-zombie...
|
I also picked up my Rom Omnibus Volume 1. It’s…..GLORIOUS! I look forward to reading through it. Though, in hindsight, it did come out last week, so maybe that and Thor would have been worthy of the gas and time….
Is there significant X-men content? I remember some X-men/Rom crossover being in a legal hold, but I don't know how many issues that was.
|
|
IIRC there was a two issue crossover with the X-Men and then a later related two issue appearance of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants that shortly preceded Rogue joining the X-Men.I also picked up my Rom Omnibus Volume 1. It’s…..GLORIOUS! I look forward to reading through it. Though, in hindsight, it did come out last week, so maybe that and Thor would have been worthy of the gas and time….Is there significant X-men content? I remember some X-men/Rom crossover being in a legal hold, but I don't know how many issues that was.
It looks like this volume only has iron fist and power man 73. Ideally, Marvel will produce a paperback of just those four issues. I'm not sure I'm buying a whole omnibus for a few issues.
I did enjoy the Rom stuff in the recent Cable (2020) series. It had me laughing.
|
|
A very, very light week. The only things in my box were Vengeance of the Moon Knight and Howard Chaykin’s Time Squared Omnibus. I added a little something on a whim.
Creepshow: Joe Hill’s Wolverton Station - not really sure why I picked this up. I don’t really care about Joe Hill. Maybe it’s the whole Creepshow thing (a show I used to love, plus the one or two comics I have), as well as it being a one-shot. And, of course, werewolves are awesome. Anyway, nothing special to write home about. It was a little weird and goofy, so a lot like what I remember of Creepshow.
Vengeance of the Moon Knight - new Moon Knight has new powers. Very interesting. Tigra and Hunter’s Moon gave him a good fight, while the vampires stood off just taking space. Since they’re useless, maybe they can finally be killed. That’d be cool with me. The mission didn’t like new Moon Knight either. Still not sure why they felt the need to restart the series at #1, other than as an all-too-familiar (and kind of pathetic) gimmick. I’m almost starting to wonder if this isn’t Marc’s body possessed by Khonshu. Anyway, I don’t see this series lasting long.
|
|
Ronin Book II - Well, at least that’s over with. Nowhere near as good as the original. Ultimately a pointless story that didn’t really do anything worthwhile.
James Bond 007 - The story is interesting, but I’d say Ennis could do better. Still, it’d make a pretty decent movie, not that I’d expect one of those from the Bond franchise anymore. My only real point of dislike was the way he had Bond showing utter contempt for everyday people. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Bond portrayed as such an arrogant douche.
Daredevil - I’m getting tired of this story. The white suit was interesting, at least. This writer doesn’t seem to understand Doctor Strange, though. A threat of this magnitude would have him more involved. Maybe he’s ignorant of Marvel history. Wouldn’t surprise me. Anyway, this is the second Daredevil run in a row I’ve lost interest in and will most likely stop getting.
Unnatural Order - I’m still enjoying this story, and it’s art. Some of the folklore and myth they’re using is cool. I just kind of wish they’d spend a bit more time doing a little world building. This alternate Earth has a lot of potential. Might have been better if they had spent some time in it before jumping into the main story.
Incredible Hulk - tell me you’ve probably never been to New Orleans without telling me you’ve probably never been to New Orleans. The old lady monster is enjoyably creepy. I like her. Of the three “big” books where they’ve let the supernatural run a little too amok (the others being Daredevil & Captain America), I think this one is the best. This Eldest and Mother of Horrors thing is going to get pretty old starting soonish. It’s not the kind of story arc that can carry you very long.
World’s Finest - a pretty cool end to the Kingdom Come story. That’s how I like my Darkseid - utterly badass without being a bruiser. When the Spectre showed up, I thought for a second they might have gotten Alex Ross to help out with the art. And I really liked that full page shot at the end, with Magog leading a new generation of heroes. I wouldn’t mind seeing a new story about that. Maybe they could bring Darkseid back for it….
|
|
I should have had three books this week. Unfortunately, I forgot to add the new Savage Sword of Conan to my box, and they sold out before I could get there today. They’ll get me a copy from their other store, though.
Anyway…..
Immortal Thor - I liked this retelling of the classic Norse myth of the challenges faced when Thor visited the giants. It was well told and well drawn. I’ve got to admit, however, I’m really coming to despise modern comics Loki. I think he’s always been far more interesting as an outright villain. And I wish they’d both stop changing his appearance and settle on a good look. Maybe one that’s more in line with his classic look.
Conan the Barbarian - possessed Conan is creepy. I like them using Thulsa Doom, though. The art inside was as good as always. The same can’t be said for the cover art on my copy. Some chick who’s probably more suited to YA crap.
|
|
On another note - I’ve been getting the Big Previews magazine for years now. Even after Marvel and DC pulled their stuff and put it in their own respective booklets. I think I’m going to stop getting all three now.
For one, there’s nothing I see in them I can’t get from the interwebz. So the waist of paper is kind of silly. And that’s increasingly more justified by the fact, more and more, there really isn’t much worth looking at in either the Marvel or DC previews. Sad, but no longer surprising.
And, like I said, whatever is worth noting can easily be found digitally.
|
|
Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution - I picked this up on a whim. I enjoyed the Last Ronin series, but wasn’t a big fan of the new turtles. This is another miniseries, so I figured why not. The art was adequate. I kind of like the idea of further mutation giving these turtles a kind of group telepathy. Still the plot in this first issue was nothing special. I’ll at least give it one more issue.
The Bat-Man: First Night - I’ve enjoyed several of the Black Label series. So when I saw Dan Jurgen’s name as writer, I figured this would be a good one. It takes Batman back to a 1939 setting (purple-gloved costume and all), to tackle some mystery murders. Between the art, the dialogue, and snippets of background noise, they do a fantastic job of establishing the setting. Jurgens, of course, gets the essence of Batman right, as someone who doesn’t want to see anyone suffer the way he has. And he does a lot with just this first issue. I look forward to the rest of this series.
Captain America - even though Cap defeated that demon lord last issue, they continue this overarching supernatural plot about Change Agents. It’s really giving off a B5 vibe now. Anyway, the background story of the conflict is interesting. The weird cabaret theatre is just kind of meh. I hope they finish this supernatural crap up soon, and get Cap back to something less magic. I’m begging to get the feeling Straczynski is only going to stick around long enough to do this, then turn it over to another (probably less capable) writer.
Shazam - Real Captain Marvel teaming up with Creeper to take on Shadow Thief. Weird, but fun. They could have easily dragged this out another issue, but I’m glad they didn’t. I did notice next issues advertisement had a different writer. Some chick. I hope that’s not a permanent thing. If so, I might have to drop. It wasn’t a name I recognized, so the odds of her writing up to my standards are slim (but not unpossible).
Doctor Strange - an RPG infused with real magic taking over part of the city, forcing Strange to recruit a “traditional” RPG party to stop it. Cool. Especially since the “priest” is my favorite new character Hunter’s Moon. And he looked awesome in the all-black version of Spector’s suit costume. I loved Strange’s justification for recruiting Taskmaster. And we’re back to the regular artist, Pasqual Ferry.
|
|
Savage Sword of Conan was…..awesome. Well worth the slight delay in obtaining a copy.
As previously mentioned, it’s a magazine-sized, black & white format. Gorgeous cover art. The interior art is also pretty damned good, both the stories, and the pin-ups.
The issue starts off with an introduction by the legendary Roy Thomas (with a promise of future stories written by him). That’s followed by the main Conan story written by John Arcudi, a pin-up incorporating a poem by REH, then an all-text Conan short story written by Jim Zub. The back-up feature is part one of a Solomon Kane story by Patch Zircher. Lastly is a short essay about Kane.
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire issue, and look forward to more. Hopefully, this series will have a long and excellent run.
|
|
Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance - I wasn’t too keen on the most recent Ghost Rider series, it having turned to crap and all, and ended up dropping it. Still, I was intrigued by the promise of a new Ghost Rider, hoping they’d wise up again and realize you don’t need to keep the same guy if you can just tell good stories. The Danny Ketch run was proof of that. This first issue was, for most of its length, really interesting. I loved the spirit being Zarathos, still under the command of Mephisto. Very old school. His jumping around was intriguing. And his monologue throughout was well written. I only have two problems. The first, and most obvious being…..The Hood? Seriously? Granted, I’m not really up to speed on him at all, and don’t have anything he regularly appeared in, but he just seems kind of lame. Anyway, I’m curious as to why they picked him. I wonder what made them think this character would be good to promote as the new Spirit of Vengeance? The other problem I had was the likely utterly predictable lady who will probably be the actual new Spirit of Vengeance when it’s all over. Still, this first issue was well done enough that I’ll keep getting the others. For now, anyway….
Immortal Thor - thank the gods they gave us a break from Loki. This new version of him is annoying. Especially when they dress him like hobo Loki. Otherwise this issue was pretty kick ass. I loved the look they have Gaea. Very primal, ancient god-ish. And that recap of Atum and Demogorge was cool. The whole thing was very well-told. I’m a little leery on the upcoming shift to the storyline. I just hope they avoid too munch cliched bull crap.
Fables - Well, that was an interesting end. I was glad to see Peter get what was obviously coming to him. And I was intrigued by this continued hint that Tinkerbell was definitely one of the very old powers. In a way it’d be cool to explore that further, but the unspoken mystery of it is just as fun. Other than that, the ending was kind of meh. Very anti-climactic. I was happy to see Willingham come back to this series, and show some of these youngsters what good writing actually is, but I think this story as any kind of ongoing series is finally and fully played out. Might be cool to see some one-shots, maybe a miniseries, here and there. I doubt DC is going to go for it, after he gave them such a richly deserved middle finger. Unless they put it in the hands of some talentless hack (sadly not hard to find) to purposely ruin, just to spite Willingham and his fans (something they’re most definitely capable of, given recent history).
Define cliched bull crap...cause I WANT to see Thor mix up with Roxxon.
|
|
A decent example of why I have a like/hate relationship with Morrison.
Writer Grant Morrison Defends Batman’s No-Kill Rule In Wake of Zack Snyder’s Comments
Pretty much Jeff....
|
|
James Bond: 007 - Ennis is telling a fairly straightforward Bond story. Nothing fancy, but still entertaining. It was cool to see Moneypenny getting into the action.
World’s Finest - another Joker and Lex team up, this time as they go after a mystic artifact. And Luthor ultimately has to save the world from Joker. There’s irony. They had a cool page where each of the villains goes into why they think their hero is there enemy. And then another cool bit where Joker loses his temper and I think scares even Luthor. Then there was a shorter second story following up on the recent 5th Dimension imp thing. That’ll lead into the next story arc it looks like.
Wolverine: Madripoor Nights - Claremont’s doing a decent job with this so far. Lots of character history stuff, a nice crime lord power struggle, Cap not being comfortable with how things go down in Madripoor. Tyger’s old armor back in action. We even get Roughhouse and Bloodscream again. I like Roughouse. And I’m getting a Ronin (the DeNiro movie) vibe from this supposed item locked away in Tyger’s armor.
Moon Knight - this who is the mysterious and Uber violent new Moon Knight thing is already starting to drag. I hope they resolve it soon so they can end the series. I’m thinking it’s time to pass the writing mantle onto someone else. Preferably someone who also knows what they’re doing, but can do it better. Not a lot of those left at Marvel (or DC for that matter).
Honestly I think MacKay had done a STELLAR job rehabbing and fixing Marc and while his death and the other guy MIGHT hinder some others; it's been a HELL of a good run.
|
|
For some reason, I haven't given up Dardevil yet. To be honest, I think the kid they've got writing it has the glimmerings of being a decent comic book writer. He needs more experience maybe. And to maybe have someone tell him he should stay away from writing poorly about exorcisms. The knock down drag out fight with Wolverine was interesting, but I really don't think DD would have stood a chance. Nice twist with the spirit doing the possessing, though. Still not sure how he beat it, unless actually were implying he thought a prayer and exorcised the devil under water. Like I said, I think someone should have a talk with the writer....
Incredible Hulk - I know I've been gone from New Orleans a long time, but I'm about 99.2345% certain the city doesn't have Day of the Dead style parades in the French Quarter. Still, Frozen Charlotte is sufficiently creepy. And I like the way they used Hulk's ability to see spirits and astral forms to tell the back story by way of a dead detective.
Conan the Barbarian - Time travel can often be a headache. When it unites, Conan, Brule, and Kull in the Thurian Age, and gives us a big fight between two of REH's creations, I guess I'll just take some aspirin. Maybe I've said it before, but Roberto De La Torre's art kicks ass! I think he and Pepe Larraz are two of my favorite artists at the moment. And I loved the map of the Thurian Age as well. Finally, maybe I've also said this before, but I love the little essay's on REH and his creations that close out each issue. Some cool stuff.
|
|
I get the preview magazines when they come out, and I noticed that IDW is now putting out their own separate catalog, similar to DC and Marvel. Anyway, I typically get them to see if there's anything interesting I might want to pick up. And I did see a few interesting items.
In the Marvel preview magazine they advertised for Rom Omnibus Volume 3 (WOOT! A definite buy) and a Ghost Rider 2099 Omnibus (a very likely). I also saw an ad for a Dracula TPB by Roy Thomas and Dick Giordano. That might be worth a look see.
Over in the DC preview magazine I saw them advertising for a 12-issue sequel to the classic Gotham By Gaslight. It's part of an apparent revival of the Elseworlds line. I sincerely doubt this new offering will come anywhere near the level of awesomeness of the original. It did at least remind me I should one day pick up a reading copy of Gotham By Gaslight, so I don't have to take my first printing copy out of it's bag in order to enjoy it.
|
|
Finally, I found a newly released collected hard cover of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Hulk: Gray. I don't think I was too into Hulk when this first came out, so I've never read it. With that dynamic duo as the main creatives, however, I couldn't help but pick it up. It's a bit oversized - 13 1/4" x 9 1/2", but I kind of like that. Looking forward to reading it.
Saladin Ahmed is more than "a kid". He's written SEVERAL great books including Miles and Kamala's solos. I think he's doing an excellent job.
With regards to Frozen Charlotte, I think she's actually a Greek myth creature called Nephele. (See this link to find out more) Which I think is great. :)
Also Ultimate Spider-man continues to rule and G.O.D.S. just keeps getting more epic, weird and awesome.
|
|
Ghostlore - well, Dad and Daughter are back together, but now all the girl’s friends are dead. Killed by the evil dude with the same powers. And turns out all the monsters are just corrupt spirits. And they’re all fighting over the Apocalypse. It’s an interesting story, I just can’t see how they can keep it going too much longer. Eventually you actually have to get around to the Apocalypse you keep talking about.
Mortal Terror - I keep being impressed by the creativity of this story. Even if the timing of its issues isn’t anywhere near regular. The flipping of the usual story is fun, though. Dracula even has three Sisters, instead of brides. One of whom is Renfield’s ex-wife, and a former vampire. Interesting.
Captain America - I still find Straczynski’s writing to be good, but I’m starting to lose interest in this series. Way too much mysticism and supernatural. It just doesn’t FEEL like Captain America. Not sure I’ll keep up with it more. The whole glimpse into the future thing, and the powerful entity healing the hero until some time in the future - very B5. And I did like the bit with Cap cutting loose, showing just how much damage he can do. Still, might give it up.
Thor - I like the whole power of story equaling magical power. It’s clever. And it’s nice to see Enchantress. She seems a bit…..angry with Thor. And now they’re going to switch over to this Roxxon Thor book for a bit. Clever.
Moon Knight - damn, those psychiatrist sessions are starting to get overused and boring. Very disruptive to what is an otherwise decent story. I’m at least glad they didn’t make this Marc back from the dead (though I’m sure that’s inevitable). Still, The Shroud? Kind of lame. When was the last time he showed up? Maybe 10 years ago? I think that’s how far back the Shadowland story was. Maybe a little more than that. And I don’t recall him ever being very popular. Maybe a D lister. It’ll be interesting to see if this can be made to stick. I doubt it. I’d put money on someone of the female persuasion being in the Moon Knight costume before it’s all said and done.
Doctor Strange - this story arc started off promising. I wasn’t crazy about the resolution though. Seemed to quick and meh. Strange just cut a deal with the game, while Black Cat stole the book itself. I hate to say it, but this story might have done better stretched out over one more issue. And it looks like I can probably write off the next issue or two, since they’re going to be focused on that latest crossover. Sad.
|
|
Just for the hell of it, I also picked up the collected volumes 1 & 2 of Image’s Creepshow. I didn’t have plans to do so, but I saw volume 2 up on a shelf, then noticed volume 1 on the countertop. I like horro comics, so figured what the hell.
Haven’t read them yet. Might get around to that tomorrow.
Blood Hunt is going to be line wide and it looks VERY interesting since it ties into what MacKay has been doing in Strange, Moon Knight and even the Avengers. I for one welcome the chance to see what he can do.
As for the Shroud being Moon Knight, I'm okay with it since it was clear you needed a 'bad Moon Knight' and honestly, he fits the bill.
(Plus again, ties into Blood Hunt.)
|
|
Crapcakes on fire!!! That’s a lot of money.
Comic Book Featuring Superman’s First Appearance Shatters Records After Selling For $6 Million
Makes what I paid for Giant-Sized X-Men #1 look like pocket change.