I hope Peter David makes it too. He's a good man.
As for the weapon that Loki used, that was the Eternity Mask. Which Ewing had kept in his back pocket since the last Defenders Volume. So...not like a complete Deus Ex Machina.
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Vatican City - The art on this still leaves a lot to be desired, but the story got a little better (and clearer) in this second issue. Vamps outside the Vatican (since it’s holy ground). Good guys inside. The vampire queen is an ancient demon who once ruled the world with her sisters (some Lovecraftian inspiration there). The issue ends with a kind of stand off, but the good guys have a plan. There’s only one more issue, which surprises me.
Moon Knight - Now we know the secret of the bald bad chick’s sword. And it was a cool secret. A nice bit of invented myth. The art kicked ass. And I’m almost beginning to believe we could see the end of this arc in another issue or two. I certainly hope they don’t carry it on too much longer.
Hello Darkness - most of the stories in this issue were ‘meh’. Except the one by Dan Abnett. That one was really cool.
New Gods - I really disliked the art that went along with the Black Racer part of this issue. The story itself, however, was really good. I’ve always liked Lightray, so I hope they bring him back. Not sure if I like the implication the New Gods are going to settle on Earth.
Redcoat - As suspected, the new character The Northerner is from the future. It’s an alternate future, however. One that he’s desperately trying to ensure doesn’t come about. And there’s a new villain. Also a time traveler, who’s determined to see that alternate future become reality. And it all impacts several other characters, like Junkyard Joe and Geiger. Interesting.
The latest chapter of the Ultimates saga is a MUST read!!!!
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ what Deniz Camp is selling.
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A great tribute to Jack Kirby. The King himself. One of the greatest creators in all of comic history. If not the greatest.
He's in the pantheon, no doubt.
STRONGLY RECOMMEND people read PJK's Incredible Hulk along with Deniz Camp's Ultimates.
Great stuff.
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Regarding my new comic book cabinet, I've decided to temporarily fix two problems at once. My current computer desk is old and severely messed up. I've been considering replacing it for a while now. So I'm going to move all that stuff up to the desk in the guest room.
That desk had been for my wife. She works from home, and we had turned that into an office for her. Over the last year or two, though, she's pretty much evolved into working downstairs while sitting on the sofa.
So now, again probably temporarily, the guest room will become the computer room, and the current computer room / library / comic book area will become strictly library / comic book area.
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Sweet!
Titan Comics has been putting out omnibuses of the old Marvel Conan books, and I've been picking them up. I currently have nine of them, between Savage Sword and The Barbarian.
I recently ordered the latest Savage Sword Omnibus, and it was supposed to be delivered next Tuesday. Just got a notice that Amazon was delivering it today instead.
Along with that, I'll be getting (also ahead of initial schedule) the first in a new Marvel omnibus collection. This series is called Lost Marvels, and the first volume is Tower of Shadows. So it's old horror comics from the late 60s and 70s.
Excited zombie is excited.
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Here's a great tribute to Neal Adams. Done by the same dude who did the Kirby tribute I posted the other day.
Adams was definitely a titan of the industry with his art. I've bought back issues solely because his art was on the cover. And his work for creator rights was incredible.
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I saw another youtube show the other day, and they had Mark Millar on for a little while. He was talking up a Kickstarter campaign he's doing with John Romita Jr. called Psychic Sam. It's a graphic novel about a dude who gets warnings someone will commit a murder, so then he goes and kills them. Sounded interesting, so I backed it.
Anyone that wants a masterclass in story telling NEEDS to be reading Kieran Gillen's The Power Fantasy.
Truly one of the BEST comics out there.
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Well, my nephew stopped by yesterday after work and helped me move my new comic cabinet into place. I think I'll be putting my X-Men comics in there. As well as many related comics (X-factor, New Mutants, X-Force) as I can fit.
On a side note, I realized I can fit at least another 9 drawer cabinet next to it, without having to movie anything. That'd be a tad over $2500 though. So I might wait a bit before pulling the trigger on that one.
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Batman - Apparently, Hush’s big plan is to kill Robins (or former ones). Well, if he succeeds in taking out at least Damien and Jason, I’d be happy. I see they changed the Robin outfit. Looks horrible. Honestly, this story is slightly disappointing so far.
Mr. Terrific: Year One - I’ve liked the Michael Holt Mr. Terrific ever since Johns run on JSA back in the day. Although, all props to Ostrander and Mandrake for developing him. He’s another character who’s absolute proof you can let someone else take up the mask, as long as you put them in the hands of competent writers. Anyway, when I saw this was coming out, I figured why not at least give it a shot. Solid first issue, with a decent plot set up and some good art.
Metamorpho - This series never took itself too seriously. And while I enjoyed it, I’m glad it’s done. I prefer my Metamorpho a little less slapstick goofiness. And Stagg is too good a villain to waste on lame humor. Anyway, it was entertaining, and nice to see Solaris once again.
Hyde Street - Another great issue, this one focusing mostly on the previously introduced Mr. X-Ray and his epiphany on how to get rid of Pranky. Of course, said epiphany comes along with showing just how much of a monster X-ray is as well. Though maybe not so much as Pranky. And they mention some other residents (first time or again) whom we haven’t see much of. I just hope they don’t rush exposing the mystery of The Scorekeeper.
Wolverine and Kitty Pryde - we go from fighting a snow monster in feudal Japan to fighting mini-sentinels and their creator (Ziggy Trask? Seriously, Claremont?), all in the space of a single issue. Seeing Logan and Mariko interact, I can’t help but feel cheated all these years, never getting to see the two of them live some semblance of Happily Ever After. I remember being pissed when they killed her all those years ago. Not sure where they’re going with this one yet. Hopefully someplace good.
Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell - Damn, this is good. Too bad it’s only three issues. So Matt’s got his powers back, but not for long. Foggy’s old, but it was good to see him. And Elektra? Maybe she’s running The Hand now. That might explain her youth (and apparent immortality). When she showed up, I could have sworn it was like something out of The Dark Knight Returns. Art wise, anyway.
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I let several of my recent Rippaverse books pile up, but finally finished reading through them today. I’m glad to see the company is still doing better than a lot of the other crowdfunded indies out there. Not as well as the were with those back-to-back multimillion dollar first few campaigns, but there still pulling in decent amounts.
Yaira #2 was pretty decent. The Soska sisters aren’t the greatest writers in the world, but they still tell a fairly decent story. And the art pretty solid. This issue delves more into Yaira’s past as a kind of rebel against authority on her homeworld. And her pursuit on Earth of the elusive Poseidon (who seems to also be from her homeworld) in the ruins of Atlantis.
Zalen is a new book by Chuck Dixon, and the first of their heavy sci-fi books. As with anything else by Chuck, the writing was great. Understandably, he’s the best writer the company has. Anyway, Zalen is a kind of Superman-esque alien (but who has to recharge), possibly a clone or genetically engineered by a race who then abandoned their homeworld and left him to be raised by robots. Now he flies around the galaxy fighting bad guys with his crew - some alien elf chick, a furry alien mechanic/gunfighter dude, and a bunch of little green aliens who all look the same (but aren’t). The ship’s navigator is a big, highly intelligent sea creature, who seems to have the ability to fold space. Anyway, by the end of the book, they’ve revisited his homeworld and have a clue to his mysterious origins. Solid art.
Isom - The third book in the series finishes off the characters first arc. We get a final (for now) confrontation between Isom and his former friend turned crime lord. We get some more Excepts. And we find out Isom’s family is blessed with once in a generation powers. There’s a hint they have something to do with the way he moves, perhaps some kind of kinetic abilities, like Strong Guy or Sebastian Shaw. The writing was adequate. I admire Eric July for his ambition, and making his dream a reality (so far), but I hope his writing skills improve over time. Or maybe he can pull in more talent like Dixon or Mike Baron.
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I forgot to mention, but a few weeks ago I bought a copy of Hulk Epic Collection Volume 1, only to get home and realize I already had a copy (old man brain). So the other day, when my nephew came over to help me move that new comic cabinet, I gave him the extra copy. Whether he reads it himself, or gives it to a buddy is up to him. He used to read some comics, but said he hadn’t in a while.
At one point, I think my brother’s whole family was collecting. Nowhere near what I get, but each one had some books they liked. My brother was a small time collector when we were younger, but he’s never been nearly as dedicated a collector as I am.
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Ooph! I’d forgotten how heavy those damned long boxes can be. Luckily, I had my boy to help carry a few of them downstairs.
It did inspire me to take a quick stock of my collection. I have 22 long boxes, and 29 short boxes. Plus another 16 drawers already full, each of which is about the size of a short box.
Counting the stuff not currently in boxes, rough numbers, I have something approaching 13,000 individual comics in my collection. If I reread one a day, it’d take me over 35 years to get through them all.
The Power Fantasy is STILL what Kraoka should have been. I will die on this hill. :p
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Forgot to mention, but while putting away my X-titles in their new drawers, I realized I had a small stack of back issues I hadn't got around to reading yet. I still put them in the drawer but sequestered them at the front of the first drawer so I can put them in proper order as I read through them.
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I just saw an article about this new "World to Come" book from Marvel. I can imagine the introduction of T'Challa's apparent son Ketema will be a bit controversial. The only things I can think of are (a) Who signed off on that? and (b) What kind of drugs were involved?
To quote Dodgeball, "It's a pretty bold strategy.....". I would not have done it.
Reminder, this was Priest's and Joe Q's project...so...there you go.
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Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, The Question, Hawk and Dove, Doctor Strange, and (of course) Spider Man. Here’s a Tribute to the great Steve Ditko.
Thor is dead. Long Live Thor!
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Interesting. I was watching a new video by the same dude whose tribute videos I've been linking. This one was about scandals in the comic industry.
I hadn't known about the controversy about the origin of the Spider Man black costume. That one was crazy.
And I remember the Marvel bankruptcy, but I don't recall ever hearing before that Jim Shooter made an attempt, or at least tried to, to buyout Marvel. That could have been interesting.
Of the three modern scandals, the only one I was familiar with was the first one he brings up. That was creepy.
I won't link the video, since some of that stuff is pretty bad. And there was at least one regarding a dude sadly taking his own life.
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What was the controversy about the black costume? I remember some people not liking it early on, but chocked it up mostly to the regular costume being iconic and fans not liking change. Was there more going on behind the scenes?
According to the video, the original idea for the black costume came from a fan contest. They paid the kid money for the design, a couple hundred bucks. They also offered him a chance to write the story, but that didn't work out. Then a year later, the slightly altered version of that costume we all know and love was introduced.
To be honest, I don't really know how much of a controversy it really is. They paid the kid, and according to him his only true regret was not getting any acknowledgement from Marvel.
Then again, the theme of much of the video was not giving people credit, so maybe it's intended to show a pattern.
All I know is Al Ewing's Immortal Thor is a great run, I can't wait to see the next chapter; The Ultimate Universe (2.0) is great; and Imperial is a good start to the Cosmic Marvel saga.
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What was the controversy about the black costume? I remember some people not liking it early on, but chocked it up mostly to the regular costume being iconic and fans not liking change. Was there more going on behind the scenes?According to the video, the original idea for the black costume came from a fan contest. They paid the kid money for the design, a couple hundred bucks. They also offered him a chance to write the story, but that didn't work out. Then a year later, the slightly altered version of that costume we all know and love was introduced.
To be honest, I don't really know how much of a controversy it really is. They paid the kid, and according to him his only true regret was not getting any acknowledgement from Marvel.
Then again, the theme of much of the video was not giving people credit, so maybe it's intended to show a pattern.
Oh. That I'd never heard.
Yeah, that kind of sucks. (Probably glad the kid didn't write the story, but acknowledgement would have been cool.)
Yeah, an acknowledgement would have been cool. The video had a picture showing his original design. It was basically the same black costume, but with red in place of white. Pretty cool looking.
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Not much new this week, though I’ll get to that later. I did get four different collected editions:
Cosmic Odyssey (finally, my reading copy)
Vampirella Archives Volume Two (not quite sure what happened to volume one).
Earth X (which I never collected when it first came out, for some insane reason).
The Spectre: The Wrath of the Spectre Omnibus (bunch of stories from the late 60s on up through the 80s).
While I'm not a fan, the REBOOT isn't a reboot so much as a restart with Thor being missing...kind of.
But yeah, keep being behind curve as usual.
I still trust Al Ewing.
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Woot! I finally got around to visiting a framing place to get my original Kelley Jones art that I bought back with Volume 1 of his and Matt Wagner’s Dracula Volume 1 graphic novel. The custom frame job is costing me a little over $300, but considering what I paid for the art itself, I’d say it’s worth it.
And if this goes well enough I may bring a few of my more valuable comics to get framed as well. At least I’ll consider it. It’ll be a few weeks before I get the framed art back, though.
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Immortal Thor - Not too shabby. I loved NRGL and Mejed (especially his look). It’s always nice when a writer delves deep into real world lore to build his story. That probably what makes this run of Thor entertaining. It kind of reminds me of the work Titan has been doing with the REH stuff. And it was nice to see Loki being a proper villain.
JSA - The cover and art had a nice, kind of old school quality to it. I liked the flashback bits, especially the cameos by Sgt. Rock and Unknown Soldier. And now the pantheon of the King of Tears is expanded. I’ve got to say, Johnny Sorrow is one of my favorite modern villains. I’m glad they keep using him. It’s good to see Wotan as well.
Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring - This story continues to be awesome. They’re really building upon the mythos of REH, expanding it with other versions of legends. Kind of like Howard himself did. I just wish they’d stop referring to Set as “she”. It makes them look like idiots. Zircher’s art is really good. I enjoyed the black and white version over in Savage Sword, but I think I like it better in color.
I dunno about "proper" so much as "He's got to end the story because that's how Stories go." Mostly. In any case, it was a powerful way for Thor to handle two Elder Gods. Even if Loki did a Loki.
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A bit more about the custom frame job I'm having done for my original Kelley Jones art:
I did some research on the various "do this" and "don't do that" suggestions. The biggest thing I saw was to make sure you don't take it to some chain like Michaels or Hobby Lobby, because you might not be getting an actual professional who knows what they're doing. The next biggest thing I saw across the board was to make sure they use museum quality glass. This helps protect from UV. Another big thing was to run away if they even mentioned dry mounting. The lady I went to said "hell no" on that one. And, of course, make sure they use acid free materials.
The framing lady herself had a lot of great suggestions with regard to the color schemes and styles for the frame and mat. She said you want colors that will enhance and flow from the picture itself. Nothing that'll clash with it. Which, of course, meant she shot down the thought of frames that match my comic cabinets.
Overall, it was an interesting experience. I've never had anything professionally framed before.