#triona come back will be so real

[triona-tribblescore]

HII

Are you still doing the baby Mikey AU

(love your work BTW)

Hm! Well its definitely not "over", its one of those au's that's just for funzies when I need to just get some sillies out of my system. Its also one fed on asks! I do have a TON of asks sitting in my inbox baby mikey related but I wanna find time to spend a few days on here having fun with it and ppl yk? :)

But thank you!!! :D <3333

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1242

Monday, December 24, 2018

 I was hit by a spasm of back pain on Saturday like the ghost of Christmas Past. That'll teach me for being such a Scrooge this time of year. I try not to be naughty but being nice is such a pain in the pants. I am slowly recovering under the gentle ministrations of Santa's Helper. Being around family and friends is better medicine than any pain pills I could take. My brother and sister-in-law hosted a brunch yesterday and seeing everyone together laughing and happy soothed me greatly. Just holding baby Oliver and making him smile eased my back pain.

 I saw the Ottawa premiere of Aquaman thanks to my Jee-Riz partner Chris, who won passes from the comic book store Myths, Legends and Heroes. I can sum up how I felt about the movie in one word; wigs. I wish they had spent some of the Atlantis special effects budget on better wigs for the actors. Arthur's dad's toupee was glaringly obvious. I've seen better hair on Cosplayers than Nicole Kidman's wigs. It looked like Amber Heard/Mera was wearing a wig at times but even when it looked like her real hair the colour red they chose was too unnatural looking. The movie's saving grace for me was Jason Momoa. He makes a great Arthur/Aquaman. I'm glad I didn't pay to see this one.

 Ugh. Stan Lee tribute covers. Terrible marketing idea.

 Dead Man Logan #2 - Ed Brisson (writer) Mike Henderson (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). A couple of things really annoyed me this issue. Sin, the Red Skull's daughter, acted like a spoiled brat. It's not a stretch to foresee the villains losing at the end of this 12-issue story. Then we have Forge repairing a machine that can get Old Man Logan back home. They actually go there and he doesn't stay. I'm for super heroics as much as the next nerd and maybe I'm selfish, but that irked me to no end. Old Man Logan has been whining about getting home ever since he showed up in this timeline and now he wants to stay to prevent all the super heroes from being killed by all the super villains. There isn't even a guarantee that is what happens in the future. And why don't they use the machine to fix things? Man I hate time travel. I really like Mike Henderson's art but this looks like another travelling super heroes versus super villains battle every issue, and that's not very interesting to me.

 Defenders: The Best Defense #1 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Belardino Brabo (inks) Dono Sanchez Almara (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It's the big Defenders reunion to save Earth. Old Man Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor and the Silver Surfer have to sidetrack The Train in order for Earth to survive. It's a bit complicated and I'm surprised that you didn't really need to read all the one-shots to get what's going on. I mean all those scenes where the stabby killer in the bed sheet is killing aliens isn't even mentioned in this story. So what was up with that?

 Marvel Knights #4 - Vita Ayala & Donny Cates (writers) Joshua Cassara (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Here's where they explain why all the super heroes have forgotten who they are. T'Challa/Black Panther is featured in this issue that ends with him discovering the lair of villains. I'm wondering how the bad guys retained their memories.

 Old Man Hawkeye #12 - Ethan Sacks (writer) Francesco Mobili (art) Andres Mossa (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). That was a very satisfying ending. What a great prequel to the Old Man Logan story where Clint and Logan go on a road trip. This is where Clint loses his sight for good. I loved the last page epilogue showing Clint tracking down someone who will help him to continue to fight the bad guys despite his blindness.

 Runaways #16 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Kris Anka (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Reading this Christmas special is better than getting a lump of coal. Having Doombot as a dinner guest made this a treat. I wish he was a regular member of the team.

 West Coast Avengers #6 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Daniele Di Nicuolo (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The good guys have been captured by the bad guys: Satana Hellstrom, M.O.D.O.K., The Eel and Madame Masque. Kate is still free however and she's not going to abandon her team mates. Too bad she gets waylaid on her way to rescue them. Her captor is a complete surprise, which will make the next issue a hoot.

 Thor #8 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mike del Mundo (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This is an awesome issue with Thor fighting the Angelus. It ends with an ex-Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. being paid a visit by the Black Panther. I like how this book is being tied into The Avengers.

 Season's Beatings #1 - Jason Latour (writer) Greg Hinkle, Chris Brunner, Veronica Fish & Mario Del Pennino (art) Rico Renzi, Jim Campbell & Veronica Fish (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I should have realized from the cover that this was a Deadpool Christmas Special. If I had known, I would have bought a pair of socks from the Dollar Store with the $4.99 US that this comic book costs. Unless of course, you're a big Deadpool fan or West Coast Avengers fan or even an X-Force fan. They're all in here too. Plus Squirrel Girl and Doctor Doom. Come to think of it, this is an everything but the kitchen sink gift for a Marvel Comics fan who will get a few chuckles out of it.

 Freedom Fighters #1 - Robert Venditti (writer) Eddy Barrows (pencils) Eber Ferreira (inks) Adriano Lucas (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). This is some heavy duty patriotic poop right here. We start this 12-issue story in 1963 America that is ruled by Adolf Hitler and his "ratzi" party. The original Freedom Fighters meet to plot a resistance attack on a war robot factory. Things don't go well for the good guys. Jump forward to 2018 and the surprise appearance of the New Freedom Fighters; Black Condor, Doll Woman, the Human Bomb and Phantom Lady. All we need is Uncle Sam. Robert Venditti holds nothing back showing the Germans as ruthless racists. The art is really well done so I will give these Golden Age heroes a chance to see how they fare in modern times.

 Middlewest #2 - Skottie Young (writer) Jorge Corona (art) Jean Francois Beaulieu (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). A new character named Jeb is introduced who helps Abel get out of a bind. Jeb reminds me of the first time we meet Gandalf. Abel's quest continues and we find out a bit more about the symbol on his chest. I predict he'll meet his mother down the road but unlike the talking fox, I won't be travelling down it with him.

 Cover #4 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) David Mack (art) Michael Avon Oeming (Owen art) Zu Orzu (colours) Carlos Mangual (letters). This issue is a great example of how a comic book can tell a story with words and pictures. I felt like I was watching a TV show or a short film. Brian, David and Michael work together seamlessly

 Hardcore 1 - Robert Kirkman & Andy Diggle (writers) Alessandro Vitti (art) Adriano Lucas (colours) Thomas Mauer (letters). Yeah man, it is. Agent Drake is a drone pilot but what he controls are other human beings. A new nanotechnology allows him to take over and move a remote body for 72 hours so he can complete wetwork missions. It's really cool. The big problem arises when the guy who invented the tech comes back to reclaim it from the government. That guy is not asking nicely. I like this concept and the predicament that Agent Drake finds himself in at the end of this issue. Therefore, this goes on to my "must read" list.

 Klaus and the Crying Snowman #1 - Grant Morrison (writer) Dan Mora (art) Ed Dukeshire (letters). This $7.99 US one-shot tells the tale of how Sam the snowman helps Klaus save the Earth from murderous aliens. I loved how they wove in Norse mythology. You'd think a crying snowman would be doomed in the end and you'd be right, but fear not, 'tis a happy ending.

 Betty & Veronica #1 - Jamie Lee Rotante (writer) Sandra Lanz (art) Kelly Fitzpatrick (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). The BFFs are back with a 5-issue mini that starts off their senior year of high school. I know that these slightly more mature Archie Comics want to draw in a new audience but Betty dating Reggie? Sacrilege. A few other things bothered me storywise that turned me off even more. Betty drinking a spiked punch without noticing? C'mon. Then there's the art. I didn't like the interiors compared to the nice cover that Sandra drew. I expected my girl Betty to be treated better than this.

 Catwoman #6 - Joelle Jones (story & art) Laura Allred (colours) Josh Reed (letters). The finale of "Copycats" is a quick read so I read it twice. The first time was to see how Catwoman deals with the evil Mrs. Creel and her pumped up on drugs son. The second time was to see Catwoman in action and to savour the beautiful art and layouts. I wish Joelle Jones would do a Betty & Veronica mini.

 Extermination #5 - Ed Brisson (writer) Pepe Larraz (art) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I tolerated this time travel tale because of the amazing art. I wish Pepe Larraz would do a Betty & Veronica mini. If you thought that the mutants being exterminated was a real threat then you haven't been reading X-Men comic books for very long. This story puts the young X-Men back in their own time and all is well again. The big surprise comes on the last page and I'm thinking "oh geez, here we go again".

 Domino #9 - Gail Simone (writer) David Baldeon & Michael Shelfer (art) Roberto Poggi (ink assist) Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Soldier of Fortune part 3. The ladies are asked to kill Longshot. Haven't seen him in a while. Might not see him for long though, since he's supposed to bring about the end of the world. This is interesting because both Domino and Longshot have the same super power. Who's luck is going to run out first?

 Firefly #2 - Greg Pak (writer) Dan McDaid (art) Marcelo Costa (colours) Jim Campbell (letters). Mal and Zoe are being hunted by a gang of thieves and the Alliance. Darn tootin' there's going to be shootin'. I have been watching Nathan Fillion's new cop show The Rookie and I quite like it.

 Batman #61 - Tom King (writer) Travis Moore (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares part 1. The "what the!?" appearance on the last page of #60 is explained here as a new story starts. I knew something was hinky when I saw the string of pearls around the dead body of Martha Wayne in the alley. I thought we were in an alternate universe and we sort of are but it came as a complete shock when what was going on was explained. Arkham Asylum is getting a new inmate. At least he's new to me unless I want to go back and read Batman #38.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 20 August 2018

Quick Bits:

Aphrodite V #2 is pretty damn great. Jeff Spokes’ artwork is instantly compelling, drawing in the reader with darkness and interesting angles into this increasingly enthralling story of a machine cult from the future by him and Bryan Hill.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Avengers #6 concludes the first arc in widescreen fashion. Lots of action and big ideas from Jason Aaron with gorgeous art from Ed McGuinness, Paco Medina, Mark Morales, Juan Velasco, and David Curiel. Again I’m reminded of those early issue of JLA from Grant Morrison and Howard Porter. This has been fun so far and I’m intrigued by what else they have in store.

| Published by Marvel

Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs & Eldritch Men #1 is a very welcome return, even without Jill Thompson for this go around. The artwork from Benjamin Dewey is beautiful as he reminds us that he’s one of the best nature artists in comics, and possible beyond. His animals are just stunning. The story from him and Evan Dorkin is also interesting, suggesting some arcane traps luring in the paranormal. Great stuff for all ages.

| Published by Dark Horse

Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack #12 concludes the series with an epic battle between the forces of heaven and hell as it teaches us the true meaning of friendship. It’s funnier when you actually read it. This has been an entertaining series from John Carpenter, Anthony Burch, Jorge Corona, Gabriel Cassata, and Ed Dukeshire, with this final chapter also delivering a nice farewell to the movie as well.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Black Hammer: Age of Doom #4 has some very interesting revelations that ultimately only lead to more questions than answers. What’s going on isn’t nearly as cut and dried as we were led to believe last issue and the mystery has just deepened. Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, Dave Stewart, and Todd Klein have managed to elevate this story higher again.

| Published by Dark Horse

Black Panther #3 finally parcels out a tidbit of what might actually be going on with the series and the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, just in time for a surprise attack and more action. Thankfully, the art from Daniel Acuña is still overwhelmingly gorgeous.

| Published by Marvel

Britannia: Lost Eagles of Rome #2 is even better than the first issue. The mystery deepens as Antonius and Achillia reach Egypt and find incongruities they don’t expect within this province of the Roman Empire. The artwork from Robert Gill (with colours from José Villarrubia) is probably among the best I’ve seen from him, really bringing some very strong work here with backgrounds, vehicles, and character designs that are particularly impressive.

| Published by Valiant

Cold Spots #1 is the start to another horror series from Cullen Bunn, this time accompanied by Mark Torres with the artwork, and as per many of Bunn’s previous tales, this is a great start. There’s a genuinely creepy atmosphere from Torres’ art and the plot of a missing daughter and her child, amidst the spooky maybe-ghosts, is a good one.

| Published by Image

Daredevil #607 gets into how there can possibly be a Mike Murdock running around New York and it’s an interesting and possibly hazardous diversion. Gorgeous art from Phil Noto.

| Published by Marvel

Die!Die!Die! #2 is more entertaining over-the-top humorous action that feels like it’s channelling Garth Ennis. Great art from Chris Burnham and Nathan Fairbairn.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #4 is probably the most succinct in sticking to its plot without real deviation of all of these minis. Basically sticking to the thread of these X-women tackling the Femme Fatales. It’s been a relatively decent story from Jim Zub, Thony Silas, and Felipe Sobreiro, even if the art’s been a little uneven. There’s a really nice sequence of Psylocke finding herself again in this issue, though, from Leonard Kirk and Andrew Crossley that has interesting implications going forward.

| Published by Marvel

Jughead: The Hunger #8 is a great jumping-on point for new readers, offering a bit of a history lesson and summary reinterpretation of the events of the overarching plot of the series to date. Great work from Frank Tieri, Pat & Tim Kennedy, Joe Eisma, Bob Smith, Ryan Jampole, Matt Herms, Andre Szymanowicz, and Jack Morelli.

| Published by Archie Comics / Archie’s Madhouse Presents

The Life of Captain Marvel #2 continues what is shaping up to be possibly one of the defining and quintessential Carol Danvers stories. I love what Margaret Stohl is doing in bringing out the backstory and interpersonal dynamics of Carol’s family. The art from Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Fonteriz, and Marcio Menyz in the present day and Marguerite Sauvage’s flashbacks is wonderful.

| Published by Marvel

Mr. & Mrs. X #2 continues this fun ride, tossing in Deadpool and more of the lesser used intergalactic X-characters. The dialogue from Kelly Thompson is hilarious and the art from Oscar Bazaldua and Frank D’Armata is great.

| Published by Marvel

Old Man Logan #46 begins another arc tying up loose ends before the endgame of Dead Man Logan kicks off. Wrapping reconnecting with Alpha Flight around a horror story evoking shades of The Thing and Slither results in a wonderful story perfectly fitting Damian Couciero’s artwork.

| Published by Marvel

The Punisher #1 is both a continuation of Matthew Rosenberg’s stories and ideas from the last volume of the series and a kind of back-to-basics approach to Frank Castle. Basically, he’s lost the War Machine suit, but he’s still taking on the world-spanning super-villains. It’s pretty epic and this is great jumping-on point. The dark humour is perfect, reminding me of Garth Ennis’ work with Castle, and seriously this is probably the best art that Szymon Kudranski has ever done. Along with Antonio Fabela’s colours, it’s like he was born to draw The Punisher.

| Published by Marvel

Royal City #14 is an introspective end of saying farewell to the past and accepting change to move forward. This has been an interesting series from Jeff Lemire, focusing on his most often used theme of family, and it’s been a good exploration of their different dynamics.

| Published by Image

The Sentry #3 is pretty dark, telling the flipside of the first two issues from Billy Turner’s perspective as he goes about stealing Sentry’s identity. This is almost at Kid Miracleman levels of demented. Jeff Lemire is playing with some interesting ideas here, beautifully brought to life by Kim Jacinto, Joshua Cassara, and Rain Beredo.

| Published by Marvel

Shadowman #6 has some truly beautiful artwork from Renato Guedes, as this arc of Jack falling through time visiting the different holders of the shadow loa takes an interesting turn in ancient history.

| Published by Valiant

Shanghai Red #3 is probably the best issue to date, as Molly reunites with Katie, recriminations are hashed out, and we get a bit of a tour of Portland. Christopher Sebela, Joshua Hixson, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou have tapped into something unique here, and this tale of revenge and some of the lesser told side of American history is incredibly compelling.

| Published by Image

TMNT #85 brings Leatherhead back into the fold, with very interesting and potentially dangerous ramifications following the war between the Utroms and Triceratons. Brahm Revel’s clothes-peg take on the Turtles is an interesting visual choice.

| Published by IDW

The Thrilling Adventure Hour #2 I find better than the first issue. The humour hits home a bit more for me and the leads of Sadie and Frank don’t seem nearly as insufferable as the first issue. The art, though, from MJ Erickson and Brittany Peer is just as good as the first. Entertaining stuff.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Venom #5 is another great issue. The mythology-building in this series is just incredible, growing Venom and his world into so much more. Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles are creating magic.

| Published by Marvel

West Coast Avengers #1 is a great debut, filled with action and humour, as this highly dysfunctional team comes together. It’s nice to see Kelly Thompson doing more Hawkeye and Hawkguy, and the collection of characters coming together to make up the team are bizarre and fitting, carrying on a few of the themes and plot developments of the previous Hawkeye and America series. Though you needn’t have read any of that before you pick this up. Making it nigh unmissable is the gorgeous art from Stefano Caselli and Triona Farrell. This is fun.

| Published by Marvel

Witchblade #7 returns for its second arc, continuing the extremely high level of quality that Caitlin Kittredge, Roberta Ingranata, Bryan Valenza, and Troy Peteri set for themselves.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

X-Men Red #7 advances us a bit further as the X-Men attempt to uncover evidence of Cassandra Nova’s influence on the world and thwart her attack on Atlantis. Tom Taylor has definitely been taking a slow approach to unfurling this story, but it has allowed for the beautiful art from originally Mahmud Asrar and now Carmen Carnero & Rain Beredo time to breathe.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Amazing Spider-Man #4, Avengers: Wakanda Forever #1, Barbarella #9, Bedtime Games #3, Betty & Veronica: Vixens #9, Curse Words Summer Swimsuit Special #1, Days of Hate #7, DuckTales #11, Gasolina #11, Hack/Slash: Resurrection #10, Hit-Girl #7, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation #6, Lumberjanes #53, Mammon, Mickey Spillane’s Mike #3, Night’s Dominion - Season Three #2, Old Man Hawkeye #8, Quantum & Woody! #9, Red Sonja/Tarzan #4, Redneck #14, Stairway - Volume 1, Star Wars: Darth Vader #20, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #23, Sullivan’s Sluggers, TMNT: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #4, Wasted Space #4

Recommended Collections: Avengers: Back to Basics, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Cloak & Dagger: Predator & Pray, Deadly Class - Volume 7: Love Like Blood, Giant Days - Volume 8, Jimmy’s Bastards - Volume 2, Li’l Donnie - Volume 1: Executive Privilege, Lockjaw: Who’s a Good Boy, Postal - Volume 7, Sex Criminals - Volume 5: Five-fingered Discount

d. emerson eddy too wonders where all the cowboys have gone. Is it a nefarious plot from some shadowy organization? Or are they all just at the Calgary Stampede?

[comicsbeat]

  Image Expo is today and the announcement segment just wrapped up. The event was streamed live from Twitch and thanks to Twitter, our own ears, and even official PR here’s a list of the new projects and announcements:

• Image’s Eric Stephenson kicked things off with a keynote and mentioned big sales in 2017, comics aren’t for kids, etc etc.

• Perhaps of most interest to Beat snoopers, Image has officially been announced as the pblisher of Mark Millar’s first Netflix comic, The Magic Order, which has art by Olivier Coipel. Although many have speculated that Netflix would launch its own comcis division, I’ve been told by insiders that the line will stay at Image, so we’ll see.

NETFLIX’S MILLARWORLD TITLES LAUNCH WITH THE MAGIC ORDER Comics titan Mark Millar (KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, KICK-ASS, HIT-GIRL, JUPITER’S LEGACY) announced that Netflix’s forthcoming Millarworld titles will be published by Image Comics, beginning with his first new project, THE MAGIC ORDER. THE MAGIC ORDER will feature art by Olivier Coipel (Amazing Spider-Man, Thor) and is planned as a six-issue miniseries.

We live in a world where we’ve never seen a monster, and The Magic Order is the reason we sleep safely in our beds. Magic meets the Mob in THE MAGIC ORDER as five families of magicians—sworn to protect our world for generations—must battle an enemy who’s picking them off one by one. By day, they live among us as our neighbors, friends and co-workers, but by night they are the sorcerers, magicians and wizards that protect us from the forces of darkness…unless the darkness gets them first.

The series will launch from Image Comics in Summer 2018.

Here’s all the books announced with a few bonuses:

BLACKBIRD by Sam Humphries & Jen Bartel Sam Humphries (NIghtwing, Green Lantern) and Jen Bartel team up to co-create BLACKBIRD a modern fantasy story best described as Harry Potter meets Riverdale. It follows a young woman named Nina who discovers a neon-lit world of magic masters in Los Angeles. Now they’ve kidnapped her sister, and Nina is the only one who can save her.

“BLACKBIRD is a labor of love, a coming of age story and beautiful people doing insane things with magic,” said Humphries.

The series launches from Image Comics in October 2018.

https://twitter.com/heyjenbartel/status/966387556244844544

Rob Liefeld’S BLOODSTRIKE will feature story, art, and cover by Michel Fiffe Michel Fiffe will write, draw, and color three exciting new issues of BLOODSTRIKE. The Fiffe issues will also feature two back-up stories by Chuck Forsman and Paul Maybury with pin-ups by Ed Piskor, Benjamin Marra, Andrew Maclean, and more!

In Michel Fiffe’s BLOODSTRIKE: BRUTALISTS, the creator of the indie hit COPRA shines a light on Image’s most extreme series and its groundbreaking carnage. Whether it’s the origin of our favorite undead strikeforce or solving the trail of mysteries that plague them, this mini-series picks up where the original title left off while introducing the concept to a new audience. Celebrate Bloodstrike’s take-no-prisoners legacy by looking forward as only the new wave of comic-auteurs can! Don’t “rub the blood”…drown in it.

CROWDED by Christopher Sebela, Ted Brandt, Ro Stein & Triona Farrell Sebela took to the stage and announced two new books today, one of which was CROWDED, which he’s co-created with Ted Brandt and Ro Stein—a cynical send-up of the app economy and online grudges.

“Josh and I have been working on this book for a few years now in secret,” said Sebela. “Just waiting for the chance to unleash it on readers and we’re kinda freaking out that this thing we’ve put so much time and sweat into is really real and really good.”

In CROWDED, a platform called Reapr allows anyone to crowdfund assassination attempts. The parody ignites when protagonist Charlie Ellison is forced to fend off a wave of hitmen with the help of a low-rate bodyguard.

The series launches in Summer 2018.

More at CBR.

DEAD GUY FAN CLUB by Annie Wu  Annie Wu introduced fans to the forthcoming DEAD GUY FAN CLUB. In this new series, the founders of a rock star’s fan club reunite in adulthood to investigate the suspicious death of their hero and the involvement of an unhinged member of their old flock.

“I’m thrilled to be writing and illustrating a new series,” said Wu. “I can’t wait to share this weird little black comedy with everyone.”

The series launches from Image Comics in Fall 2018.

More at Nerdist.

DEAD RABBIT by Gerry Duggan & John McCrea DEAD RABBIT is a new ongoing series from writer Gerry Duggan (Deadpool) and artist John McCrea (Hitman) team up with colorist Mike Spicer in a rackous series about MARTIN DOBBS, a hot-tempered, foul-mouthed former mercenary and gun-for-hire who’s forced out of retirement with predictably funny and violent results. With shades of UNFORGIVEN, THE EQUALIZER and ROBIN HOOD.

“Gerry Duggan! John McCrea! The peaches and cream of comics—though I’m not sure who’s the peach…,” said McCrea. “Anyway, this comic has Gerry’s and my heart and soul poured into it, pick it up, you will love yourself forever for doing so…”

The series launches from Image Comics in Summer 2018.

DEATH OR GLORY by Rick Remender & Bengal Fan favorite Rick Remender (SEVEN TO ETERNITY, DEADLY CLASS) teams up with brilliant French superstar Bengal to bring fans a high speed convoy crime thriller rocketing across the American West that examines our dwindling freedoms and the price paid by those who fight for an untethered life on the open road.

Meet Glory, raised free in a convoy, off the grid, amid the last men and women truckers fighting automation to continue living the American mythology of the open road.

Now, in order to pay for her beloved, dying Father’s surgery, Glory has three days to pull off a four dangerous cross country heists with mob killers, crooked cops and a psycho ex-husband all out to bring her in or die trying.

“Rick and I have been preparing something for years now, it was a privilege to get to work with him, and an even greater one to take the time to develop something together,” Bengal. “I’m very proud to finally present what we’ve been cooking! I hope readers will enjoy this story as much as we loved doing those pages.”

The series launches from Image Comics in May 2018.

https://twitter.com/MagicMirrorWA/status/966400066490527744

ECHOLANDS by J.H. Williams & Haden Blackman J.H. Williams (Sandman: Overture, Batwoman) and Haden Blackman (Elektra, Batwoman) team up with colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Todd Klein for an all-new mythic fiction genre mash-up series in ECHOLANDS, a tale where the last war on Earth starts with Hope’s sticky fingers…

“ECHOLANDS has been in development for years, bubbling in the background as we worked on other projects,” said Blackman. “But it’s a world and a cast of characters that has always drawn us back, and we’re so grateful to be able to finally get the book out into the world.”

On a world that has forgotten its own history, the key to excavating the past is in the hands of a young thief who must escape a vengeful wizard and his unstoppable golem.

The series will be coming soon from Image Comics.

https://twitter.com/THEEBaldMoose/status/966388960623656960

FARMHAND by Rob Guillory Rob Guillory (CHEW) returns to both write and draw an all-new series in, FARMHAND.

FARMHAND follows Ezekiel Jenkins, a family man and new agrarian who returns to his family fields—but these nightmarish crops give a new meaning to ear of corn and fingerling potatoes.

“This is a story that’s been very near and dear to me for quite some time, and I’m absolutely thrilled to finally announce it,” said Guillory. “I can’t wait to introduce readers to the wonderful and horrific world of FARMHAND.”

FARMHAND launches from Image Comics in July 2018.

More at Paste

JOOK JOINT by Tee Franklin & Maria Nguyen  Fresh off the buzz for BINGO LOVE’s release on Valentine’s Day, Franklin took to the stage to announce a new project with Image Comics—JOOK JOINT—with Maria Nguyen.

JOOK JOINT is a 5-issue time-period horror miniseries about a brothel/jazz club exposing the social evils of racism, rape, domestic violence, and inequality.

Because of its subject matter, JOOK JOINT is set to launch in October 2018, in time for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Franklin and Nguyen will work with Image Comics on coordinating special charity variants to benefit Joyful Heart, a non-profit founded by Mariska Hargitay which places focus on healing, education and advocacy.

“As a domestic violence survivor, this is a story I’ve been working on for years. It’s been extremely cathartic and therapeutic. It was important for me to have an artist who understood what JOOK JOINT meant to me, before inviting them to embark on this journey with me,” said Franklin. “I appreciate that Image Comics has allowed me to tackle this subject matter, in addition to working with us on charity variants for Mariska Hargitay’s Healing Heart foundation. I now have an opportunity to use my talents to help survivors like myself. People have helped me when I was going through a rough time in my life and now I want to give back.”

More at Polygon

  THE LAST SIEGE by Landry Q. Walker & Justin Greenwood Bestselling creators Landry Q. Walker (DANGER CLUB, Supergirl Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade) and Justin Greenwood (THE FUSE, Stumptown) team up for an all-new, ongoing medieval war story, inspired by the storytelling structure of classic Spaghetti Westerns.

“For years I have wanted to tell a medieval war story, one that pulls away from the fantasy elements the genre is so often saddled with,” said Walker. “Swords, castles, and rage, all in a world where life is cheap. No other frills or distractions. Seeing this book come to print is a moment I have looked forward to for a long, long time.”

Greenwood added: “Fast, gritty and full of action—I’d been looking for a book to really cut loose on and this project came along at the perfect time. I haven’t drawn this much dirt or blood in a long time and loving every minute of it.”

The series launches from Image Comics in Summer 2018.

https://twitter.com/sktchdcomic/status/966390932491792384

LEVIATHAN by John Layman, Nick Pitarra, & Mike Garland  Eisner-award winning, New York Times bestselling writer John Layman (CHEW) is back, teaming up with New York Times bestselling artist Nick Pitarra (THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS) and colorist extraordinaire Mike Garland in the all new, ongoing series—that’s Godzilla by way of black magic—in LEVIATHAN.

In LEVIATHAN, a group millennials try to do a black magic ritual for laughs and end up summoning a demonic giant monster determined to kill them all.

LEVIATHAN is coming this summer to Image Comics.

TODD MCFARLANE ANNOUNCES FIVE NEW PROJECTS Todd McFarlane, President of Image Comics and creator of SPAWN, took to the stage today to announce  five new comic projects. The timing of these come on the heels of his upcoming directorial debut for the new SPAWN feature film. The movie will be in production by late spring so these comics will hit shelf just as the SPAWN movie is getting wide publicity across multiple platforms.

To help retailers take advantage of the upcoming SPAWN news buzz he announced the five projects below:

1) MEDIEVAL SPAWN and WITCHBLADE crossover miniseries This May release is a re-teaming of two of Image’s most popular original characters. The new mini-series is written by Brian Holguin with art by Brian Haberlin with 32 full pages of story and art will also feature a special augmented reality cover for only $2.99.

Fan favorites Spawn and Witchblade together for the first time in two decades!

2) SPAWN KILLS EVERYONE 2 (mini-series) Due to the wonderful success of the one-shot, Todd McFarlane is creating along with Will Robson a four part mini-series that has our childish Spawn giving birth to hundreds of smaller Spawn babies who take his “kill list” and try to help out their new father.

3) MISERY (new ongoing monthly series) In the wake of the #MeToo scandals arises a teenage hero who is tired of being pushed around and abused by the actions of others. This new character, MISERY, will help out those innocent people who have been victimized by the evil that is spread across the entire planet.

Stories will go global as Misery tries to discover exactly how to control her powers and how to make others feel her…misery.

4) SPAWN (on-going monthly title) Comic Industry’s longest running independent title continues its march towards its 300th issue as well as tying into the upcoming movie that McFarlane is writing and directing with Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions.

The comic Spawn is setting the stage to flush out some of his biggest enemies that he has locked on earth. He will come face to face with the Clown, Overt-Kill and an all-new Violator.

5) SAM and TWITCH True Detectives (8 part mini-series) Detective “Twitch” Williams will be the main focus in the new full length film about to go into production and he will be introduce to a whole new audience with his appearance in the SPAWN film.

All eight issues have already been completed and will be released close to the film’s announcement and trailers. Much like THE WALKING DEAD, new viewers will be drawn to the stories and characters they will be seeing on the big screen and also a potential new TV series.

OBLIVION SONG by Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici Image Comics partner Robert Kirkman (THE WALKING DEAD, OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA) took to the stage to show off the OBLIVION SONG #1 trailer for a sneak peek at what’s in store for fans on Wednesday, March 7th when the new series hits stores.

PROXIMA CENTAURI by Farel Dalrymple  Farel Dalrymple returns with an all-new, six-issue miniseries full of psychedelic-science-fantasy-action drama in PROXIMA CENTAURI.

PROXIMA CENTAURI follows the teenage adventurer Sherwood Presley Breadcoat, “The Scientist” Duke Herzog, Dr. EXT the Time Traveller, M. Parasol, Shakey the Space Wizard, and Dhog Dahog. Sherwood is looking for escape from the spectral dimensional space zone and a way back to earth and his brother.

The miniseries will launch in June 2018.

THE RED HOOK, Vol 1: NEW BROOKLYN by Dean Haspiel  Emmy and Ringo Award winner Dean Haspiel brings THE RED HOOK to print for the first time.

The Red Hook is a super-thief who is bequeathed the Omni-Fist of altruism and is transformed into a superhero against his will or he will die a year after a sentient Brooklyn’s heart is broken and physically secedes from America to form New Brooklyn.

The graphic novel will hit stores in June 2018.

SHANGHAI RED by Christopher Sebela & Joshua Hixon Christopher Sebela and Joshua Hixson team up for a turn of the century revenge thriller SHANGHAI READ, a story that stretches from the deck of a boat outside Shanghai to the bleak streets (and the secret tunnels beneath them) of Portland, Oregon. A violent journey of vengeance, identity and family.

“Josh and I have been working on this book for a few years now in secret, just waiting for the chance to unleash it on readers and we’re kinda freaking out that this thing we’ve put so much time and sweat into is really real and really good,” said Sebela.

The series launches from Image Comics in June 2018.

SON OF HITLER OGN by Anthony Del Col & Jeff McComsey Acclaimed writer ANTHONY DEL COL (Assassin’s Creed, Kill Shakespeare), New York Times bestselling cartoonist JEFF McCOMSEY (FUBAR), and newcomer GEOFF MOORE come together for an action-packed, original graphic novel, SON OF HITLER.

The never-before-told story of Adolf Hitler’s secret child and how this son was the key to ending World War II is now revealed in this audacious graphic novel based upon one of history’s most intriguing rumors.

“Like any top secret mission, SON OF HITLER involved meticulous planning, maps, secret meetings and the twisting of arms,” said Del Col. “So now that our mission has finally been revealed we can get around to the execution of it. And by execution, I mean the planned execution of Adolf Hitler.”

In 1943 Nazi-occupied France a rogue British S.O.E. agent recruits a young baker’s assistant for a dangerous mission by sharing with him a revelation no one would ever want to hear: he is the biological son of Adolf Hitler.

The original graphic novel will hit stores in May 2018.

More at B&N

UNNATURAL by Mirka Andolfo  Mirka Andolfo brings hit Italian comic title, Contro Natura, to Image Comics in an English translated fantasy erotica title, UNNATURAL.

Leslie is a simple pig girl, she loves sushi and she is trapped in a job that she hates. She lives with Trish, her best friend. In her world, which is full of anthropomorphic creatures, the government interferes in the personal lives of its citizens, up to the point of allowing only relationships between individuals of the same race. The transgressors are punished. They are accused of being… unnatural! Leslie dreams of something different for herself. But these dreams are becoming dangerous, especially because they feature a mysterious wolf. And, when she wakes up, she thinks that she is being watched…

The series will launch in July 2018.

THE WEATHERMAN by Jody LeHeup & Nathan Fox Writer Jody LeHeup (SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER), Eisner Award-nominated artist Nathan Fox (DMZ, HAUNT, Dark Reign: Zodiac), and Eisner Award-winning colorist Dave Stewart (Hellboy, RUMBLE) merge to form an unstoppable sci-fi tour de force with THE WEATHERMAN!

Local weatherman and fun-loving amnesiac Nathan Bright was just a normal guy living the good life on terraformed Mars. But the past Nathan didn’t know he had comes back to murder him when he’s accused of carrying out the worst terrorist attack in human history—an event that wiped out nearly the entire population of Earth.

Confused, terrified, and ill-prepared for life as the galaxy’s most wanted man, Nathan’s fate lies in the hands of Amanda Cross, the disavowed government agent assigned to his case. Together the unlikely duo will have to rely on each other as they battle their way through the solar system in search of the truth buried in Nathan’s lost memory…and the key to stopping the real enemy from carrying out a second extinction-level attack.

“Series artist Nathan Fox’s work on THE WEATHERMAN will hit you like a bolt of lightning,” said LeHeup. “Vicious and vital, it’s high energy for even higher stakes. There simply aren’t comics more beautiful than this.”

Fox added: “Before I even finished Jody’s first script  I knew I had to tell this story. THE WEATHERMAN is one of the most inspired, relevant, and human stories I’ve ever had the privilege of contributing to and I absolutely cannot wait for people to read it.”

A full-throttle, widescreen, science fiction epic about the damage we do in the name of justice and what it truly means to be redeemed…

The series will launch in June 2018.

WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? by Matthew Rosenberg & Tyler Boss

Image via Sktchd The critically-acclaimed, breakout creative team behind 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK, Tyler Boss & Matthew Rosenberg come to Image Comics for an new series, WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE?

“I’m really excited to be making my Image Comics debut with a book that is very personal to me,” said Rosenberg. “And I’m thrilled to do it with Tyler, who I can barely tolerate as a person, but is a brilliant artist and collaborator. Together we’re working to make a book that we hope will impact people the same way so many of our favorite comics have impacted us over the years.”

WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? tells the story of a gang of young punks getting lost in the wasteland of America. After their youngest member disappears their quest to find her may put them in a fight to survive against the most deadly terrain, the most dangerous gangs, and maybe even each other. Or maybe not. Either way they’re going to find out how the world ended.

Boss added: “The story and world Matthew and myself have built is dense and (hopefully) exciting. I’ve never felt more creatively charged and I’ve been putting that energy into every page. I hope that old man Rosenberg can keep up.”

It launches in November 2018.

Image Expo 2018 Wrap-up with Netflix, Kirkman, McFarland, Williams, Wu, Rosenberg and MORE Image Expo is today and the announcement segment just wrapped up. The event was streamed live from Twitch and thanks to Twitter, our own ears, and even official PR here's a list of the new projects and announcements:

[oosteven-universe]

Turok #05

Turok #05 Dynamite Entertainment 2017 Written by Chuck Wendig Illustrated by Alvaro Sarraseca Coloured by Triona Farrell Sovereigns Written by Ray Fawkes Illustrated by Johnny Desjardins Coloured by Mohan All Lettered by Taylor Esposito     Welcome to the Lost Valley. A prehistoric jungle which exists in all points in time simultaneously, the Lost Valley suffers beneath the cruel rule of the saurian Varanid Empire—a fascist race of dinosaur-people—and mankind (among other races) has been crushed beneath its heel, serving them as serfs and slaves – and occasionally as food. Only one man resists the brutal clutch of the Varanid claw – Turok! But Turok has a quest of his own: finding his missing daughter, taken by the Varanid Empire. His quest is nearly at an end, but the rebels fighting against the Varanid Empire have their own agenda, and those goals are far from compatible…     Well this is the issue where we learn everything! I have to say there were moments I thought we’d never see and some that Chuck was able to use some misdirection in ways that were very enjoyable. I think his storytelling and the use of Turok was pretty damn genius and that the world needs a man like that no matter what age or setting it may be. Dynamite has been doing some exceptional work with these classic characters in both depicting the originals as well using their names to create some stellar storytelling. This just continues that tradition and honestly I think they are some of my favourite stories being told today.     The structure of the story has had some amazing ebb & flow to it and the reveals blew me away. When Chuck decided it was time to tell the truth, no not the game show, it made all this seem even more impressive and amazing to me. There was a moment of joy and heartbreak all woven into the same moments and I wasn’t even aware it was possible to do that. The characterisation we get proves to be the stuff that makes you want the characters to succeed in what they are doing and rooting for them to live and fight another day. While these dinosaur people are great adversaries and make for some great antagonists it really is the measure of the hero that makes it worth reading.     I am a big fan of the interiors here and Alvaro’s work. He has a great eye for storytelling as we see through how he uses page layouts and then the angles & perspective in the panels. The attention to detail in the work is great to see and that extends into the use of backgrounds as well. They aren’t just things put there they help to expand the story and bring a nice sense of scale and scope in what we see. Also the creativity and imagination on display here cannot be overlooked because he makes the dinosaur people look amazingly realistic as if it were possible to give them humanoid appearances isn’t a joke.     What Chuck does here with this story is give us a look into this pocket of reality where all time converges in one place and that in and of itself is something I want to see explored more. How this city with it’s buildings came into being and if it wasn’t created by these Saurians then who built it and how did they take possession of it. With it’s existence as a fixed point in all of time the possibilities of are endless and the “real” Turok could actually end up there and as a result have to find a way to live up to or with the legacy of the man from this story.     A very endless variation of stories could come from this and I so want that to happen.     Meanwhile the short back-up is simply a tease! With Johnny’s amazing artwork and his sheer attention to detail in what we see makes me with this were a full sized independent issue. Plus the story here is one that well screams team-up and what the almighty heck is going on! From the moment Magnus complains about Dr. Spektor’s magic to the last image reveal this is why we want to see more. Plus this is the Turok from the main feature so yeah once again this showcases why a character can be a legacy or an original and still make us pleased as punch.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1295

Monday, January 6, 2020

 I hope you're having a better start to the new year than I am. I figure I'm about 90% recovered from a cold that started with a sore throat New Year's Eve. There's still a little gunk in my lungs but my nose has stopped leaking and I have energy to do stuff now. The house has been undecorated and I am looking forward to things getting back to normal. With Christmas and New Year's falling on a Wednesday my routines were discombobulated even more than usual due to the holidays. I'm not a fan of holidays.

 I Can Sell You A Body #1 - Ryan Ferrier (writer) George Kambadais (art) Ryan Ferrier (letters). I believe that this is the first time that I have seen a letterer become a writer. This 4-issue mini stars ex-TV psychic Denny Little. He can communicate with the dead. He can also put the spirit of the dearly departed into another body for clients. Unfortunately, one of those clients is a violent criminal and Denny is having a hard time finding a body for the mobster's dead father. Ryan tried to make him come across as a lovable screw-up. I was not enamoured of Denny however. Maybe it's the man bun. What he does in desperation at the end of this issue made me like him even less. I'm ghosting this one.

 Detective Comics #1018 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Scott Godlewski (art) David Baron (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). It's a winter time mystery as Batman investigates a Christmas tree adorned with dead bodies. His usual suspects are incarcerated and a pagan clue points to a new killer on the loose. I like this title best when Batman is solving crimes so I look forward to him figuring this one out. The scenes at Wayne Manor sans Alfred made me sad.

 Thor #1 - Donny Cates (writer) Nic Klein (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Jason Aaron's War of the Realms and King Thor brought to a close one era and this starts a new one for the God of Thunder. King Thor looks old as the story starts but Donny and Nic fix that at the end of this issue. There are a bunch of surprise guest stars here and if you're a fan on Donny Cates's other books you'll see a definite connection. Just when Thor thinks that he gets to sit on the throne of Asgard in peace he's off to save the universe yet again. This new story is going to be epic too.

 Lois Lane #7 - Greg Rucka (writer) Mike Perkins (art) Gabe Eltaeb (colours) Simon Bowland (letters). I didn't like that Lois's suspicions weren't aroused by the new maid. It made the cliffhanger ending fall flat for me.

 Web of the Black Widow #5 - Jody Houser (writer) Stephen Mooney (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Mission accomplished. Natasha clears her name and the imposter is taken into custody. The lesson here is to never underestimate the Black Widow.

 Punisher Soviet #3 - Garth Ennis (writer) Jacen Burrows (pencils) Guillermo Ortego (inks) Nolan Woodard (colours) Rob Steen (letters). Now we know why the Russian guy is helping Frank kill the Russian mobster guy. It's a gruesome back story and goes to establish what motivates these characters. Garth is a master at this stuff.

 Daredevil #16 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Jorge Fornes (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Wilson Fisk is one tough Kingpin. He survived being thrown out of a window and winds up in the hospital where he gets a surprise visit from Matt Murdock. Matt and Elektra know that it's the Stromwyn family that is their real enemy and they go after them financially. Meanwhile, Hammerhead is at war with the Owl for control of Hell's Kitchen. I love all the stuff going on in this book now.

 Action Comics #1018 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) John Romita Jr. (pencils) Klaus Janson (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). This should have hit the racks before Superman #18 where the secret identity is smashed to smithereens. I did like the origin story for the super villain the Red Cloud. I am very disappointed with the art however. I used to love John Romita Jr.'s art but now it looks rushed and lacking in detail. I feel the same about Frank Miller, another artist that Klaus Janson inks. I don't blame Klaus though.

 Hawkeye: Freefall #1 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Otto Schmidt (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This reminded me of Matt Fraction's run writing Clint's adventures and although the art wasn't very appealing to me I liked the attitude and the mystery. Someone is running around in the Ronin costume committing crimes and Clint's "friends" Falcon and Winter Soldier thinks it's him. I was surprised at how many other good guys wore that costume too. I want to find out who this new guy is. Like Action Comics, I'm going to keep reading this despite not liking the art much.

 Tarot #1 - Alan Davis (writer) Paul Renaud (art) Paul Mounts (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Not to be confused with Jim Balent's Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose, this is an old school Marvel team-up story featuring the Avengers and the Defenders. It starts with Namor and the Invaders fighting a Nazi named Oberfuhrer Okkulte in WWII and continues to the seventies with the Defenders showing up at Avengers Mansion just in time to help the team deal with a rampaging Vision. The villain will be familiar to older Marvel fans. If you're feeling nostalgic for these old super teams then this is the story for you.

 Star Wars #1 - Charles Soule (writer) Jesus Saiz (art) Jesus Saiz & Arif Prianto (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Here we go with a new number one. The writing is good and the art is nice but it would be nice to get a story with some new characters. This one starts with Leia, Luke, Lando et al escaping Darth Vader's clutches on Bespin. Dyed in the wool Star Wars fans will probably love these stories filling in what they know happens next but I've read enough of these characters not to care anymore. Everything is so familiar to me that I find it kind of boring. I'd rather be in another galaxy far, far away, so hasta la vista and may the Force be with you.

 Marauders #5 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Matteo Lolli & Lucas Werneck (art) Federico Blee (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). They were introduced in another X-book but the new enemies of the mutants are named in this issue. Wilhelmina Kensington, Manuel Enduque, Chen Zhao, Kade Kilgore, and Maximillian Frankenstein may just be children but they are kids with billions of dollars and money is power. Collectively they are known as Homines Verendi. I Googled it. It's Latin for "people feared". Their first plot may be to frame mutants for the mass death of humans by poisoning the new mutant drug that's helping everyone right now. These new X-books are intensifying my FOMO.

 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Ray-Anthony Height (art cemetery scenes) Ze Carlos (art Brooklyn Academy scenes) Belen Ortega (art Home scenes) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). It's one thing to want your secret identity revealed voluntarily, it's quite another to have that secret found out by an enemy. Miles has a major problem now that his private journal has been found by a hostile person. I want to see how this pans out.

 Doctor Doom #4 - Christopher Cantwell (writer) Salvador Larroca (art) Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Victor is in New York City trying to find out who tried to kill him. Meanwhile there's a coup back in Latveria. I know Doc Doom will return to his homeland triumphantly but it's fun seeing how he gets there.

 Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity #2 - Kami Garcia (writer) Mike Mayhew & Mico Suayan with Jason Badower (art) Richard Starkings of Comicraft (letters). I think the criteria for using the larger magazine size for DC Black Label stories should be the art. The art in this deserves the larger size. I really like this reimagining of the Joker and Harley Quinn. The abuse that this Joker suffered as a kid would warp anybody. I highly recommend this book.

 X-Men #4 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) Leinil Francis Yu (pencils) Gerry Alanguilan & Leinil Francis Yu (inks) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The mutants are invited to the World Economic Forum and Charles/Professor X, Erik/Magneto and En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse accept and attend. It's a good thing they brought their own security team Cyclops and Gorgon (not the Inhuman). One human delegate had two strike teams ready to kill Charles again. Most of this issue is talking heads but the conversations are intense and enlightening. If you only read one X-book this should be it.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1291

Monday, December 9, 2019

 Thank Thor for Santa's little helper. We're about as ready for Christmas as I'll ever be. Penny is leaving soon for her annual drive up north to visit family and friends while I make sure all the lights I strung don't burn down the house. I finally got around to watching the animated feature "Big Hero 6" last night and was delighted by it.

 Superman Up In The Sky #6 - Tom King (writer) Andy Kubert (pencils) Sandra Hope (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Oh man, this story has the most inept villain ever. We find out why Alice was kidnapped by an alien. I liked the trip back to Earth. Kids say the darnedest things.

 Daredevil #14 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto & Francesco Mobili (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Detective Cole North is conflicted after talking about the law over coffee with Matt. Meanwhile the Police Commissioner has ordered his cops not to go into Hell's Kitchen, leading to rampant crime. It's time for the return of Daredevil and Elektra is going to be tagging along. This is going to be good.

 Young Justice #11 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) John Timms (art) Gabe Eltaeb (colours) Wes Abbott (letters). The team is back in their home dimension and they meet Naomi for the first time. Great time for a sleepover eh. Things go south when Superboy gets punked by the S.T.A.R. Labs lady. I can't wait to see what Brian Bendis does with Mike Grell's Warlord.

 Archie #709 - Nick Spencer & Mariko Tamaki (writers) Sandy Jarrell (artist) Matt Herms (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). The 5-part story of Archie's romance with Sabrina comes to an end. I am happy with the outcome.

 Savage Avengers #8 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Patch Zircher (art) Java Tartaglia (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I love the clash of egos in this issue. Conan dines with Doom and Stephen crashes dinner. The three then go off looking for Kulan Gath. Hey, how else is the bad guy supposed to get his all powerful amulet back? I'm guessing it's another Doombot that runs afoul of the ancient wizard because heaven forbid they kill Doctor Doom again. Don't forget Doom died outside the UN in NYC and got shot dead by Taskmaster.

 Ironheart #12 - Eve L. Ewing (writer) Luciano Vecchio (art) Geoffo (layouts) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The good guys beat the bad guys and Wakanda is saved. The End. I've followed Riri Williams since she was first created by Brian Michael Bendis and I am sad that she will no longer have her own book on the racks. The crew that put out these twelve issues did Brian proud.

 Web of the Black Widow #4 - Jody Houser (writer) Stephen Mooney (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). It's a wounded Widow that opens this issue and we find out how that happens. Clint/Hawkeye the hothead acts before he has all the facts and Natasha pays the price. She winds up dead to rights and possibly dead period. I know she'll save herself and I want to see how she does it.

 Batman #84 - Tom King (writer) Jorge Fornes (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). There are a mind boggling number of flashbacks this issue trying to explain what the ding dong heck is going on. It all leads to the confrontation of father and son with Thomas and Bruce Wayne fighting for the fate of Batman. I don't think everything is going to change after Tom King leaves this book but man, is he ever stirring the pot.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #35 - Nick Spencer (writer) Oscar Bazaldua (art) Steve Firchow (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This is the story where Doctor Doom was assassinated in front of the UN. Now the real Doctor Doom is pissed and has shut down New York City until the assassin is brought to him. Spider-Man finds the culprit with the help of his sister Theresa. They try to trick Victor in the end but he doesn't fall for it. It's a classic cliffhanger ending.

 Doctor Doom #3 - Christopher Cantwell (writer) Salvador Larroca (art) Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). So this Doc Doom is different from the one in The Amazing Spider-Man #35 even though they were both shot to start a war between Latveria and Symkaria. This is the real one. I really liked how Victor makes Mephisto his whipping boy. The surprise ending made me groan. And that's not to mention the inconsistency between panels 2 and 4 on page one. Very bad editing.

 Marauders #3 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Michele Bandini (pencils) Michele Bandini & Elisabetta D'Amico (inks) Federico Blee (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This X-book is for fans of political intrigue. The Black King, Sebastian Shaw inducts his resurrected son Shinobi into the Hellfire Club. Consider this X-Men: Game of Thrones. This is a lot more interesting than watching Kitty sail around rescuing other mutants.

 Lois Lane #6 - Greg Rucka (writer) Mike Perkins (art) Gabe Eltaeb (colours) Simon Bowland (letters). Wow if the funeral for (spoiler alert) Alfred is as well done as this funeral for Lois's father it will be well worth the read. Lois has come a long way since she first appeared in comic books.

 Annihilation - Scourge Fantastic Four #1 - Christos Gage (writer) Diego Olortegui (pencils) Juan Vlasco, Cam Smith & Scott Hanna (inks) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). The team goes to the Negative Zone to help fight the scourge from the Cancerverse and encounter the Ftaghn Four, infected versions of themselves. I knew it was a ftaghn bad idea to read these one shots. The art was nice though.

 20XX #1 - Jonathan Luna & Lauren Keely (writers) Jonathan Luna (art & letters). This new black & white book takes place in a future where a deadly virus either kills you or gives you special mind control powers if you survive. Survivors are designated Syms and are monitored by the government like sex offenders. It is illegal to use your powers so Syms have to be careful. Meria Bree Moore is a recent Sym and this is her story. I have yet to be disappointed by anything Jonathan Luna has done and this is no exception. Rest assured that I will want to read the rest of this story.

 Black Cat #7 - Jed MacKay (writer) Travel Foreman (art) Brian Reber (colours) Ferran Delgado (letters). This is an excellent issue where Felicia rescues the Fox from the clutches of Odessa. Unfortunately the inconsistent art was very distracting. They should have found an inker to render Travel's pencils.

 Batman Universe #6 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Nick Derington (art) Dave Stewart (colours) A Larger World's Troy Peteri (letters). I liked how Batman used deductive reasoning to get out of his white prison. It could have been an uh-oh situation when Vandal Savage gets his hands on the White Power Ring but he was set up to fail quite cleverly. I've noticed that there's always an "AGH" in every comic book that Brian writes and when Bruce Wayne asks the Riddler where Vandal Savage, AKA Vandar Adg is I had to say "har".

 Conan Serpent War #1 - Jim Zub (writer) Scot Eaton (pencils) Scott Hanna (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) Vanesa R. Del Rey (art: James Allison sequence) Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colours: James Allison sequence) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Conan must face the serpent god Set but this time he's going to be teamed up with other heroes. There's Moon Knight, Solomon Kane and Dark Agnes (because another company has the rights to Red Sonja I'm sure). Jim writes in a style similar to Robert E. Howard so this was an enjoyable read. The art isn't bad and I liked the homage to Barry Smith with Conan's horned helmet and necklace. Let's see how many times the Cimmerian exclaims "by Crom" in this story.

 Thor: The Worthy #1 - This one-shot would be right at home on the racks in the nineteen seventies. There are three tales of others who have been deemed worthy of wielding the hammer.

 "Beyond the Field We Know…" by Walt Simonson (writer) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Sal Buscema (inks) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) & John Workman (letters) has Beta Ray Bill teamed up with the Lady Sif to fight a rock troll. I forgot that those two were romantically linked in the past.

 "Hearts of Stone, Feet of Clay" by Tom DeFalco (writer) Ron Frenz (plot & pencils) Keith Williams (inks) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) & VC's Clayton Cowles (letters) features Eric Masterson as Thunderstrike versus the Grey Gargoyle. This tale was cheesy with the inclusion of the police strike force Code: Blue. They tried to give it a modern twist by having a lesbian couple in the story.

 And finally "Rules of Reflection" by Kathryn Immonen (writer) Tom Reilly (art) Chris O'Halloran (colours) & VC's Clayton Cowles (letters) sees the Lady Sif figuring out that the new female Thor is really Jane Foster. It's in the last words Sif says to Thor in the last panel of the second to last page. Har.

 X-Men #3 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) Leinil Francis Yu (pencils) Gerry Alanguilan & Leinil Francis Yu (inks) Sunny Gho & Rain Beredo (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I've been waiting for new super villains to show up to challenge the X-Men and this issue delivers. Meet the not so helpless little old ladies of Hordeculture, average age 71. Agrochemist Augusta Bromes, bioengineer Opal Vetiver, geneticist Lily Leymus and botanical engineer Edith Scutch. They want to return planet earth to it's pristine Garden of Eden condition by eliminating most of humanity. I like them.

 Annihilation - Scourge Nova #1 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Ibraim Roberson (art) Carlos Lopez (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This was better than the FF one-shot that hit the racks at the same time. I got a few chuckles catching up with Richard Rider. You don't even have to know anything about this cosmic super hero because the first three pages explain his entire existence up to this point. My enjoyment of this made me want to check out the Silver Surfer and Beta Ray Bill one-shots that will hit the racks December 11.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1288

Monday, November 18, 2019

 Winter arrived early this year and is here to stay. I started a project yesterday going through our photo albums and labelling them to help when we want to look for a particular picture. I ended up scanning a bunch to send to friends and family to share in a bit of nostalgia. It was fun going down memory lane.

 The Immortal Hulk #26 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Ruy Jose (inks) Paul Mounts (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). So Bruce/Hulk has commandeered a Shadow Base site and has declared that he and his supporters are going to change the world. He spends a lot of time arguing with one potential ally while another ally listens in. Meanwhile the media paints Bruce as a terrorist and the far right go on the attack. I have an interest in current world affairs and this book reflects what is happening right now, which makes for a very interesting read. The Hulk isn't going to rampage willy nilly but has a specific target in mind.

 Guardians of the Galaxy #11 - Donny Cates (writer) Cory Smith (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This is a very quick read since it is mostly good guys fighting bad guys and setting up next issue's conclusion where someone saves the day.

 Detective Comics #1015 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Doug Mahnke & Jose Luis (pencils) Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin & Matt Santorelli (inks) David Baron (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Mister Freeze successfully resurrects his wife Nora and then throws her into the deep end of crime. I can't blame her for going off the deep end and kicking Victor to the curb. Meanwhile, Batman, Lucius and Alfred race to find a cure for the innocent victims that got frozen. Will Mister Freeze help? The art in this issue really stood out.

 Event Leviathan #6 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Alex Maleev (art) Josh Reed (letters). The identity of Leviathan is revealed and it's no one that I know. You're going to have to Google Mark Shaw to learn more. I care more about what he and his minions are going to do next.

 Runaways #27 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Kris Anka (pencils) Kris Anka & Walden Wong (inks) Dee Cunniffe & Jim Campbell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The kids don costumes and head out to fight crime with Doc Justice. Cosplayers are happy.

 Punisher Soviet #1 - Garth Ennis (writer) Jacen Burrows (pencils) Guillermo Ortego (inks) Nolan Woodard (colours) Rob Steen (letters). Punisher fans rejoice. This is a top notch team telling a two-fisted tale of Frank versus the Russian mob. Throw in a copycat crime fighter and I'm hooked for the rest of this 6-issue mini. Welcome back Garth.

 Elfquest Stargazer's Hunt #1 - Wendy and Richard Pini (story) Sonny Strait (art) Nate Piekos (letters). The more things change, the more Elfquest stays the same. I recognised these elves immediately and decided to see what's up with them since I was really into Cutter and Skywise from the very beginning going back forty years. We catch up with Skywise in this new story. He's got a young daughter now and lives in a peaceful fairy land called Starhome. If you like pure fantasy you should give this a try

 Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy #3 - Jody Houser (writer) Adriana Melo (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Hi-Fi (colours) Gabriela Downie (letters). The girls going to the Mad Hatter for help wasn't a good idea. Jervis almost manages to control them for his own nefarious purposes. Now they're on the road again to who knows where. I'm hitching along.

 Black Cat Annual #1 - Jed MacKay (writer) Joey Vazquez (art: Felicia & Peter) Natacha Bustos (art: Bruno) Juan Gedeon (art: Dr. Korpse) Brian Reber (colours) Ferran Delgado (letters). This is three separate capers rolled into one big heist. Spider-Man and the Black Cat get married in order to facilitate the robbery. I liked how everything interconnected and how Peter was conned into helping. This is one annual worth picking up.

 Catwoman #17 - Joelle Jones (story & art) Laura Allred (colours) Saida Temofonte (letters). Oh man, am I ever glad I didn't bench this book when Joelle went on hiatus. When she writes and draws a book the product is far superior than most. From the cover to the very last page this issue gave me shivers. We're resuming Selina's battle with the crazy Creel woman and Catwoman is going to have a little help from a friend. I can't wait to read the next issue.

 Fallen Angels #1 - Bryan Hill (writer) Szymon Kudranski (art) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The four pages before the credits page absolutely captivated me and then the rest of the issue grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and didn't let go. I was wondering what the heck happened to Psylocke (real name Kwannon) after reading Excalibur #1 and here we have answers. She's leading a new team of mutants going after a very deadly villain by the name of Apoth. So far she's recruited Laura/X-23 and young Nathan/Cable. This title gets added to my "must read" list.

 Far Sector #1 - N. K. Jemisin (writer) Jamal Campbell (art) Deron Bennett (letters). This new comic by the award winning science fiction and fantasy author introduces us to Green Lantern Mullein. She's investigating a murder in a city where three alien races co-existed peacefully until now. It's the first murder in 5 centuries in a city with 20 billion citizens. This book lost me right there with that unbelievable stat. The art is absolutely gorgeous but a rookie Green Lantern dealing with this crime is too far-fetched for me. If this were a regular detective in a regular city I might have continued reading. I just don't buy a green Green Lantern in an idyllic world.

 The Dollhouse Family #1 - M. R. Carey (writer) Peter Gross (layouts) Vince Locke (finishes) Cris Peter (colours) Todd Klein (letters). This is one creepy comic book about a 19th Century dollhouse bequeathed to a little girl in England in the early eighties. There's magic involved when the girl can shrink and play with the dolls in the house. There's the mystery of where the dollhouse comes from. The creepy part is the Black Room in the house. This issue starts with a crash landing and ends with the punishment of an abusive husband. I am very intrigued.

 Morbius #1 - Vita Ayala (writer) Marcelo Ferreira (pencils) Roberto Poggi (inks) Dono Sanchez-Almara (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Michael the living vampire is back on the racks and he's still trying to cure himself of his bloodlust. This starts off with a dumb costumed mad scientist villain followed by Morbius attacking the bad guy's henchmen all to abscond with the experimental serum that might cure him. They never establish what the bad guy's serum was going to do, which made the effect on Morbius predictable at the end of this issue. The only thing that might get me to read more is the hot blonde vampire hunter who shows up and the art in this was superb.

 X-Men #2 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) Leinil Francis Yu (pencils) Gerry Alanguilan (inks) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Boy, Jonathan Hickman isn't coasting with these mutants. First (spoiler alert) he kills off a major character and now he's adding even more intrigue with a mating of Krakoa and another island. All mutants, good and not so good, were brought together on Krakoa but I always wondered when the not so good ones would start to do not so good things. Apocalypse steps to the fore here. I liked how Cyclops and his kids behaved during their mission to explore the new island.

 The Batman's Grave #2 - Warren Ellis (writer) Bryan Hitch (art) Alex Sinclair (colours) Richard Starkings (letters). The art does most of the heavy lifting with nary a caption or word balloon in the first 12 pages. Bryan's pages looked great. Warren then weighs in with a summons for Batman from Commissioner Gordon using the Bat signal. A crooked lawyer has been murdered. I like when Batman plays detective.

 Future Foundation #4 - Jeremy Whitley (writer) Alti Firmansyah (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Can the kids keep evil Reed from getting a piece of the Miracle Man? Looks like it. But wait, there's more. Next issue's conclusion to this story should be just as exciting as this one.

 Joker: Killer Smile #1 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Andrea Sorrentino (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Steve Wands (letters). I'm always willing to try a new book when I see Jeff Lemire's name in the credits because he usually manages to entertain me. I'm not a big fan of the clown prince of crime especially after the Joker became darker and started to kill people. This is the story of Doctor Ben Arnell, a psychologist trying to cure the Joker after the killer's most recent incarceration in Arkham Asylum. It's a story of mind games where a good man finds himself succumbing to the influence of evil. This is another good DC Black Label book worth reading.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1287

Monday, November 11, 2019

 Lest we forget, today is Remembrance Day. This day brings back memories of going to elementary school at Percy Street Public. I was chosen one year to participate in the Remembrance Day tribute to the fallen. The old World War II uniform I had to wear was super itchy and I remember thinking "how could the soldiers live in them?". I remember getting in trouble when I used my hand as a bugle and imitated blowing taps during rehearsal. Our teacher ran backstage thinking one of us had turned on the reel to reel tape player and I had to admit that it was only me and my big mouth. She was not amused. I am grateful to be living in the true north, strong and free and honour all the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom.

 Superman Up In The Sky #5 - Tom King (writer) Andy Kubert (pencils) Sandra Hope (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). It's beginning to bother me that Superman is so focused on rescuing this little girl that has been abducted by aliens. Is this story just showing what he is willing to endure to save someone? If so, I'm not impressed. We already know that Superman will fight to the death as seen in his battle with Doomsday. I'm going to keep reading because the writing is very good. We see Darkseid this issue and there's a mystery villain coming up in the next issue that I want to meet.

 Savage Avengers #7 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Patch Zircher (art) Java Tartaglia (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). There are three subplots in this issue and one of them made me laugh. First we have Brother Voodoo being a guest of the wizard Kulan Gath. Then there's Elektra getting help from Doctor Strange to find Brother Voodoo's brother. Finally the funny part is Conan getting shanghaied in Brazil by a mystery bad guy and taken to his humble abode. I like this implausible team of heroes.

 Daredevil #13 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Oh yeah, I like where this is going. Matt gets schooled by Elektra on his road back to wearing the horns. Detective North is ordered to take time off and does what I wish I could do when confronted by disrespectful punks on his way home. I really hope Daredevil and North form a bond.

 Web of the Black Widow #3 - Jody Houser (writer) Stephen Mooney (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Natasha eliminates one person who might be impersonating her by teaming up with Yelena on a mission to steal data. I think there's a hint to who the real villain is in the flashbacks to the old Red Room.

 Lois Lane #5 - Greg Rucka (writer) Mike Perkins (art) Gabe Eltaeb (colours) Simon Bowland (letters). I'm really liking this story of Lois rooting out corruption with a side of The Question beating up henchmen. I'm also enjoying the Stumptown TV show that is based on a comic book that Greg Rucka did. You should watch it too. Cobie Smulders is great in it.

 Young Justice # - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) John Timms (art pages 1, 8-10, 13-22) Nick Derington (art) Gabe Eltaeb & Dave Stewart (colours) Wes Abbott (letters). I'm glad that's over. The good Young Justice finally beat their evil doppelgangers and get back to their own universe. There they meet their new member.

 X-Force #1 - Benjamin Percy (writer) Joshua Cassara (art) Dean White (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I am not familiar with the writer and artist names in the credits so that puts this new X-book at a disadvantage when it comes to it possibly making it on to my "must read" list. Benjamin & Joshua did an okay job with the last page making it necessary to follow up with the second issue but it wasn't good enough to make it on to the list.

 The Infected: King Shazam #1 - Sina Grace (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Belardino Brabo & Matt Santorelli (inks) Hi-Fi (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). I don't know why they call this Year of the Villain version of Shazam King Shazam. What's a king of, cruelty? This one shot starts off with a very bad Bill Batson mouthing off to his foster parents. Then he says the magic word and is transformed into evil Shazam and goes on a rampage beating up mythological gods like Atlas and Thor. When his sister Mary catches up to him, he infects her too. If it wasn't for Joe (The Immortal Hulk) Bennett's art I would have left this on the rack.

 New Mutants #1 - Ed Brisson & Jonathan Hickman (writers) Rod Reis (art) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). That was fun. The gang's all here even though Rahne had to be hatched. Then it's off to Shi'ar space to bring Sam home. There's a new member, Mondo, and Warlock is missing but Doug is here. These guys first appeared on the racks in 1982 and have gone through some roster changes but overall are a fun young team. I liked this enough to recommend it but not enough to want to keep reading.

 Batman Universe #5 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Nick Derington (art) Dave Stewart (colours) A Larger World's Troy Peteri (letters). That was cool. Nightwing joins his old Dynamic Duo partner to hunt down Vandal Savage and the egg of power. We find out what's inside when the egg hatches and that's the cool part.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #33 - Nick Spencer (writer) Patrick Gleason (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Not much of a 2099 cross-over to begin things before we get back to Spider-Man and his spy sister getting an explanation from Silver Sable to what's going down in Symkaria. This leads to an assassination attempt at the UN. That plotline interests me far more than Spider-Man saving 2099.

 Black Cat #6 - Jed MacKay (writer) Mike Dowling (art) Brian Reber (colours) Ferran Delgado (letters). Mike Dowling is a new name on my artist list and he sure can draw a hot looking Felicia. I hope he stays on this book for a while. The Black Cat goes on a date with Batroc while her mentor The Fox is attacked by what looks like The Hand. A rescue mission will have to be mounted.

 Fantastic Four #16 - Dan Slott (writer) Sean Izaakse (art) Marcio Menyz (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Part 3 of "Point of Origin" has the separated team members figuring out how to reunite. Trust Reed and Sue to come up with a plan. I really like how Sean draws the Thing.

 Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ryan Sook (pencils) Ryan Sook & Wade von Grawbadger (inks) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). The super hero team from the 31st Century is back on the racks. Let's see how long this lasts. This time it's the Jonathan Kent Superboy that joins the team which makes this book fresher for me. I cringed a little when time travel reared its ugly head briefly but they didn't go there and I hope they steer clear of it. I love Ryan's art and this is a Bendis book so I'm going to keep reading.

 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #12 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Miles stops his uncle Aaron from completing a contract hit and now there's a bounty on the Prowler's head. Lots of action with a fight between Miles and the Prowler and then they team up to fight Man Mountain Marko who looks like Logan on steroids. This sets up Miles and his uncle having to get to Red Hook through a gauntlet of killers. I wonder what other old bad Marvel guys are going to come out of the woodwork. Man Mountain Marko. Seriously.

 Doctor Doom #2 - Christopher Cantwell (writer) Salvador Larroca (art) Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I love the art but I don't like this portrayal of Victor. First he surrenders himself and then he goes seeking help from a fellow villain. I'm hoping this isn't the real Victor Von Doom because then what happens on the last page won't matter. It's a cliffhanger ending that ensures my reading the next issue.

 Batman #82 - Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). This is what we've been building up to for while now. The inevitable fight with Bane. The Bat and the Cat make a great team and Selina has never looked fiercer. I didn't like the intervention of Thomas Wayne but it did make me curious to see what happens next.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1259

Monday, April 29, 2019

 I was at a birthday party for a 7-year-old on the weekend and while I was holding his baby brother I couldn't help but wonder what kind of world will they be living in when they are my age. I worry about their future. The flooding in the National Capital Region is predicted to be worse than it was only two years ago when we had the highest water levels in a century. It's going to exceed that when waters crest in the next couple of days. I can't imagine what property owners are going through trying to save their homes and cottages. I don't understand how some people can deny climate change when the evidence of the harm that we humans have had on the environment is smacking them right in the face. I'm afraid things are going to get worse without it getting any better.

 War of the Realms #2 - Jason Aaron (writer) Russell Dauterman (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This issue has the first major death of a character. Not an A-lister but I will still mourn their passing.

 Spider-Man Life Story #2 The '70s - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Mark Bagley (pencils) Drew Hennessy (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Now I'm more than convinced that this is a series of what if stories. There are so many deviations from canon in this issue that it's inconceivable that these events are "real". I'm still going to keep reading because these changes are cool.

 Naomi #4 - Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker (writers) Jamal Campbell (art) Wes Abbott (letters). Naomi's origin story begins at last. She's not an Earthling.

 Daredevil #4 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The Punisher and Daredevil have a debate about vigilantism. I like Frank's arguments. Meanwhile, Mayor Kingpin tries to get his hooks into Detective North. I wonder if the bigger man will get to the big man. One thing that bothered me about this issue is that Matt left Frank tied up for the cops. Not very nice since Frank saved his ass from them.

 Thor #12 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mike del Mundo (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). "The War of the Lokis" features Loki as he travels down the gullet of his father Laufey. Don't tell me you didn't read the last issue. Get thee hence and do so forthwith.

 West Coast Avengers #10 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Moy R. (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This is the last issue and that makes me have a sad face. I really liked this silly crazy team. If Kelly Thompson ever writes a Kid Omega/Quentin Quire and Gwenpool comic book I will definitely read it.

 Avengers LGY #717: No Road Home #10 - Mark Waid, Jim Zub & Al Ewing (writers) Sean Izaakse (art) Marcio Menyz & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). When this 10-issue weekly started it looked like this was an adventure for Hercules's team of Avengers and it ultimately was. The end result is that the good guys win again and Nyx is defeated. Hercules wasn't the hero of this story and schmaltzy as the way the actual hero wins, it still made me cheer. So all this was so Marvel could revamp the Gods of Olympus and Hercules's costume. I chuckled when they revealed what that house was about. I thought that it was the House of Mystery but that belongs to the Distinguished Competition.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #19.HU - Nick Spencer (writer) Chris Bachalo (pencils) Wayne Faucher, Livesay, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Tim Townsend & Al Vey (inks) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The Lizard is featured in this "Hunted" tie-in. It's nice to see Chris Bachalo's art back on the racks.

 Action Comics #1010 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Steve Epting (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Josh Reed (letters). Leviathan Rises part 4. I like this spy story. Lois and Clark go undercover as Chaz and Andi to find out what Leviathan is. There's a great teaser for an old Checkmate story that had me going there. I would love to see that organisation again. Next issue promises Leviathan Revealed! I can't wait.

 The Avant-Guards #4 - Carly Usdin (writer) Noah Hayes (art) Rebecca Nalty (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). I like this rom-com centered around an arts college basketball team. It reminds me of a lighter "The L Word".

 Black Widow #4 - Jen & Sylvia Soska (writers) Flaviano (art) Veronica Gandini (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). There's a double-cross that surprised me and a cliffhanger ending that makes waiting for the next issue torture. Appropriate for a story where Nat takes down an extremely violent website.

 Doctor Strange #13 - Mark Waid (writer) Barry Kitson (pencils) Scott Koblish & Scott Hanna (inks) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Herald Supreme part 2. I liked the surprise guest star.

 Hulkverines #3 - Greg Pak (writer) Ario Anindito (art) Morry Hollowell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Okay, this Hulkverine, Hulk and Wolverine team-up was fun but the end made me roll my eyes and groan big time. Ugh.

 Ironheart #5 - Eve L. Ewing (writer) Luciano Vecchio (art) Geoffo (layouts) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This issue finishes the first story arc involving the super villain Midnight's Fire. It was good enough that I enjoyed what I read but not good enough to make me keep this book on my "must read" list. I wish RiRi well. I was excited by an ad for a new Black Cat comic book coming out in June though.

 Thanos #1 - Tini Howard (writer) Ariel Olivetti (art) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This 6-issue story will tell us how Gamora came to be adopted by Thanos. I only picked this up because I really like Ariel Olivetti's art. I don't care much for the two main characters so I might not continue with the rest. Fans of Thanos and Gamora will enjoy this I'm sure.

 Runaways #20 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Andres Genolet (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I found this issue to be a big drag. The last page is too depressing for words. Plus the new artist didn't wow me. Something needs to happen next issue for me to want to keep reading.

 War of the Realms: The Punisher #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Marcelo Ferreira (pencils) Roberto Poggi (inks) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). It's Frank versus Dark Elves and Frost Giants. They won't know what hit them. This is typical Punisher fare for those into explosive action. Frank leads a band of ex-cons armed with swords through the Lincoln Tunnel to help evacuate a hospital to safety. I miss reading a good Punisher story so this is a welcome sight on the racks.

 War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1 - This anthology book has four short stories all lettered by VC's Joe Sabino.

 "The God Without Fear part 1" by Jason Aaron (writer) Andrea Sorrentino (art) & Matthew Wilson (colours) features Daredevil fighting in Hell's Kitchen.

 "The Warriors Three (Or Four)" by Josh Trujillo (writer) Ricardo Lopez Ortiz (art) Felipe Sobreiro (colours) features Fandral, Hogun and Hildegarde filling in for the unconscious Volstagg teaming up with Cloak and Dagger.

 "Nice Shot, Frank" by Ram V (writer) Cafu (art) Brian Reber (colours) has the Punisher and Wolverine doing what they do best.

 "Waugh of the Realms" by Chip Zdarsky (writer) Joe Quinones (art) Joe Rivera (ink assist) Rico Renzi (colours) has Howard "The Duck" Duckson hired to find a lost dog. This last one was gross.

 This is for fans who want to collect ALL the War of the Realms comic books. Otherwise you can probably give it a pass.

 Batman #69 - Tom King (writer) Yanick Paquette (art) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares finale. This issue is called "The Last Dance" and I don't know what song Batman and Catwoman are dancing to but I am singing the Etta James ballad "At Last" in my head. After many issues of dream sequences Batman is going to finally awaken. I did appreciate the explanation of how he got into his predicament. Now it's time to deal with Bane and Bruce's "father".

 Blossoms 666 #3 - Cullen Bunn (writer) Laura Braga (art) Matt Herms (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). One of the three Blossoms is going to become the anti-christ. Yeah, you heard me. Cheryl and Jason were born as triplets. Their older brother Julian was whisked away at birth by the Order of Abaddon. Ooo, scary.

 Ascender #1 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Dustin Nguyen (art) Steve Wands (letters). I never did finish reading Descender so I don't know if this is a sequel but it really looked familiar. I didn't feel like I was missing anything in this new story and I liked the mix of magic and technology. The villain reminded me of Emperor Palpatine but her empire is all based on magic. The hero is a spunky girl named Mila and I want to see where she goes from here.

 Guardians of the Galaxy #4 - Donny Cates (writer) Geoff Shaw (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The good guys find Gamora, followed by the bad guys. Expect to see a big battle. The main reason I'm reading this book again is because Groot is talking in whole sentences now.

 Detective Comics #1002 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Brad Walker (pencils) Andrew Hennessy (inks) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Don't believe the hype. It's not a "duel to the death with Arkham Knight" but it is a pretty good fight. I was happy to see Damian play a bigger role in this issue. I'm sticking around for the bad guy's origin story.

 Fantastic Four #9 - Dan Slott (writer) Aaron Kuder, Stefano Caselli & Paco Medina (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The FF escape, Galactus is freed and Doctor Doom's power mad plans are thwarted. Boy that was fun. I hope they don't leave Aunt Petunia's before telling us about Franklin's new friend Wendy.

 Dial H for Hero #2 - Sam Humphries (writer) Joe Quinones (art) Jordan Gibson (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Seems like the H-Dial is a drug with lots of addicts looking for a fix. The potential for zany super powers is huge. I liked how they introduced the good versus evil theme in this issue.

 Avengers #18/LGY #718 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Not an Avenger in sight this whole issue but you've got an Agent Coulson controlled Squadron Supreme instead. What made me groan a little was the big villain reveal at the end. I hope it's not a convenient deus ex machina.

 Heroes in Crisis #8 - Tom King (writer) Mitch Gerads (art pages 1, 6-20) Ryan Sook (art pages 2-5) Mitch Gerads (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I still don't see the ;point of this story with one issue left. I think the killer confesses here but I'm not sure. I'm waiting for the consequences to hit the fan and hope something is resolved in the last issue.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #20 - Nick Spencer (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Hunted part 4. A surprise twist turns the tables giving Spider-Man even more incentive to confront Kraven. Meanwhile the son turns on the father as Kraven's son joins the hunt.

 The Superior Spider-Man #5 - Christos Gage (writer) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger & Andy Owens (inks) Jordie Bellaire (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I don't know who created the super villain Master Pandemonium but they must have been on crack. This guy has demons for arms and a hole in his stomach that's a gateway to hell. Time for Doctor Octopus to call in a consult. The team-up with Doctor Strange is a clash of science and magic. Let's see who's the better doctor.

 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #5 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Speculator alert! It's the first appearance of a new super hero.  Too bad they're named after unwelcome guests to our bird feeders. It's gang wars across Brooklyn and Miles is trying to prevent the death of innocent victims. The surprise appearance  happens when Miles goes to confront Tombstone about his incursions into other gangs' territories. I noticed some changes in Miles this issue that didn't appeal to me. I think he's acting way too confident and macho now. His maturing has happened way too fast and might turn me off the character. If the art wasn't so impressive I might bench this book now.

 Spider-Man City at War #2 - Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum (writer) Michele Bandini (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I get a kick from noting the differences between these Gamerverse versions and the MU versions. This issue features Miles Morales and I prefer this Miles to the one in the comic book that I just finished. Peter and Miles meet for the first time but it's not in a friendly neighbourhood.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1255

Monday, March 25, 2019

 Saw my first robin while out for a walk yesterday. Some juncos and a young male goldfinch came to our feeders too. Wintery weather is still hanging on though. It snowed and there's a skiff of the white stuff on the ground this morning. It's not going to get above freezing today unfortunately. We tried to buy a bag of sand to help with traction on our frozen icy driveway but couldn't find one for love nor money. At our age the fear of falling and breaking a hip is very real.

 Spider-Man Life Story #1 The 60's - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Mark Bagley (pencils) John Dell (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Back when the House of Ideas had neat ideas they put out a comic book called "What If?" that took their famous super heroes and changed major stories around to see what would have happened. This new Spider-Man book feels a lot like that, rather than telling stories filling in gaps from old issues. It's 1966 and Peter and Gwen are not a couple yet. Flash Thompson is going off to fight in the war in Viet Nam. Chip wasn't even born yet but he captured the sentiments at the time and Mark got the looks right. Peter meets an arch enemy face to face for the first time and secrets are revealed. What makes this feel like a "What If?" is another possible secret coming out that surprised me. If you're a true blue and red Spider-Man fan like me I think you'll like this.

 Invisible Kingdom #1 - G. Willow Wilson (writer) Christian Ward (art) Sal Cipriano (letters). I picked this off the rack because I liked what G. Willow Wilson did when she was writing Ms. Marvel. Here she presents a sci-fi story about religion and big business with two very different female leads. The art is beautiful and coolly futuristic and the convent scenes reminded me of Moebius. This is what it might be like if Amazon and the Catholic church controlled the world in real life. Do the creators of this comic book know something that we don't?

 High Level #1- Rob Sheridan (writer) Barnaby Bagenda (pencils) Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). Here's another new sci-fi comic book that I snagged to read because I liked the art. The story about a young girl who could save the world from war is okay but the telling of it wasn't done very well. It's not good that I got majorly confused twice and had to flip back pages to see if I missed something. The first time was the artist's fault. One panel shows a character with hair covering the right side of her head and three panels later that side of her head is bald. The door panel of the vehicles she's driving didn't match so I thought it was two different women. Then I got sidetracked again when the little girl talks about someone named Ezra helping them on page 19. I'm thinking who the heck is Ezra? Turns out it's a robot that first shows up on page 7. Why didn't they name the robot then? I found these things so annoyed me that I didn't want to continue reading. I didn't care enough about little Minnow or her protector Thirteen.

 Spider-Man City at War #1 - Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum (writer) Michele Bandini (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). How could I not grab this to read with its gorgeous cover by Clayton Crain? Welcome to the Gamerverse version of Spider-Man where it's eight years after Peter first dons the costume. In this universe Otto Octavius isn't Doc Ock yet and Peter is his research assistant. Otto even helps Peter design a spiffy new costume. Peter fights the Kingpin who is not the mayor of New York City and I have to say that if the animators had modelled their Kingpin after this version I would have enjoyed Into the Spiderverse a whole lot more. Mary Jane knows Peter's secret and she's a reporter working for the Daily Bugle. Mister Negative is another major villain in this story and he's the one that will be featured in the next issue. I'm not a video gamer so this alternate version of Spider-Man doesn't mean a lot to me so this new book is not for me.

 Naomi #3 - Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker (writers) Jamal Campbell (art) Wes Abbott (letters). There are so many great twists as the mystery of Naomi's origin is slowly being revealed. I loved the dad bod on the last page. I'm guessing she's from Rann going by the costume her father is wearing.

 West Coast Avengers #9 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Gang Hyuk Lim (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Dang, I missed the last issue so I don't know how most of the team was captured by a vampire cult. This rescue issue was tons of fun and there's a major change to one of the characters. The last page cliffhanger means that I won't want to miss reading the next issue.

 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #4 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I love what they're doing artistically with this book. The double page spread showing how Miles and his friends get back to school was cool and super cute to boot. This is a great one issue story about Miles playing hooky if you want to see how good this comic book is.

 Meet the Skrulls #2 - Robbie Thompson (writer) Niko Henrichon (art) Laurent Grossat (colour assistant) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). This issue shows a little origin story for this Skrull family and more of them achieving their mission. That is until the Skrull killer shows up. I need to find out who is going to die next issue.

 Avengers LGY #713: No Road Home #6 - Jim Zub, Mark Waid & Al Ewing (writers) Sean Izaakse (art) Jay David Ramos with Marcio Menyz (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Can you believe a team-up with Conan and the Scarlet Witch? Believe it True Believer. Wanda and the brawny barbarian wander the desert in search of one of the Shards of Night. Their journey leads them to Shadizar where priests use the shard to summon their dark god. They don't worship Nyx but that's who shows up. Meanwhile, the Hulk has a shard as well and it's quite a surprise what he does with it.

 Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4 - Tom Taylor (writer) Juann Cabal (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Mother of Exiles part 4. The evil overlord of the underground city invades New York to retrieve his heir. You won't believe who saves Manhattan. This was a great first story and the next one looks like another doozy. This is my favourite Spider-Man title right now not just because of the beautiful art but because Tom King knows how to write Peter Parker and Spider-Man to make him fun and serious too.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1184

Monday, October 16, 2017

 It was another fun day Sunday at the Capital Trade Shows for Jee-Riz Comics & Appraisals with my partner Chris. We met a guy who's girlfriend had all her Love and Rockets comics stolen by an ex. He saw that we had some for sale and bought a bunch to replace them for her. What a sweetie. I just happened to see another guy there whose kid was playing hockey. He came in Saturday looking for the last issue of Dark Knight: Master Race (#9). I couldn't find it for him while he was in the store but did locate it after he left. When I told him this at the arena he asked that I hold it for him and he would get back to the store next weekend to buy it. I love when things like that happen.

 Falcon #1 - Rodney Barnes (writer) Joshua Cassara (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Sam Wilson has given up being Captain America and has gone back to being the high flying Falcon ever since Secret Empire ended. Looks like he's going back to the streets to fight crime with his trusty bird companion Redwing and a new kid sidekick named Patriot. The two heroes try to get rival street gangs to call a truce but the two gang leaders agreeing to meet in public didn't seem very realistic to me. You just know something bad is going to happen and it does. Everything played out too predictably and not even the surprise villain made me want to continue reading. Sorry Sam, but I'm not boarding this flight.

 Ragman #1 - Ray Fawkes (writer) Inaki Miranda (art) Eva De La Cruz (colours) Josh Reed (letters). They've made some major changes to this character. The patchwork hooded costume has been replaced by strips of cloth that makes this character look like Venom's cousin. It all starts when American mercenaries break into a holy temple in Israel intending to loot it and they are attacked by some demonic creatures. Only one guy escapes alive and he is the one chosen to become the new Ragman. The art in this is really nice and the character is so different that he seems new and fresh. This 6-issue story is worth checking out.

 Mech Cadet Yu #3 - Greg Pak (writer) Takeshi Miyazawa (art) Triona Farrell (colours) Simon Bowland (letters). Plenty of action this issue as the big bad aliens have started their attack. Our young cadet gets thrust into a close encounter of a dangerous kind. Greg makes these characters come to life. The General's daughter is a real jerk.

 All-New Wolverine #25 - Tom Taylor (writer) Juann Cabal (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This book has been consistently good since it hit the racks and this is a good issue to start with if you are looking for a comic book to add to your sub. Juann's art is really nice. His work on Elektra impressed me and I hope he draws Laura for a while. I like little sister Gabby in Laura's life and Tom is adding to her family with this issue.

 Wildstorm: Michael Cray #1 - Bryan Hill (writer) N. Steven Harris (pencils) Dexter Vines (inks) Steve Buccellato (colours) Simon Bowland (letters). Now that was surprisingly interesting. I can't say that I was enamoured with the art but this new Deathblow story caught my fancy. I am going to assume that this takes place in an alternate universe because the guy that Michael has been assigned to kill isn't a bad guy in the DCU. Michael Cray has worked solo up until now but his boss wants him to gather a team to go after the bad guy. Between the target and the team, this should be a fun adventure for the assassin.

 American Gods #8 - Neil Gaiman (writer) P. Craig Russell (script & layouts) Scott Hampton (art) Rick Parker (letters). There is extreme graphic content in this issue. Reader discretion is advised. I'm glad the creators and Dark Horse Comics didn't censor this part of the book. I had forgotten the little vignette "Coming to America" but Glenn Fabry and Adam Brown did a fine job of reminding me.

 Weapon X #9 - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers) Marc Borstel & Ibraim Roberson (art) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). In Part 3 of "The Hunt for Weapon H" the team has a team up with the All-New Wolverine and another character that is a big surprise. Greg and Fred's Laura has more attitude than Tom Taylor's.

 Detective Comics #966 - James Tynion IV (writer) Eddy Barrows (pencils) Eber Ferreira (inks) Adriano Lucas (colours) Sal Cipriano (letters). The Multiverse can be very confusing and this story with Tim Drake teaming up with a future version of himself scrambled my noggin. I'm still going to power through "A Lonely Place of Living" because I find this Elseworld story quite entertaining.

 Runaways #2 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Kris Anka (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This isn't your ordinary family reunion. I like how Rainbow is catching us up with these characters. There are some cool little twists this issue and I am looking forward to seeing more.

 Dark Nights: Metal #3 - Scott Snyder (writer) Greg Capullo (pencils) Jonathan Glapion (inks) FCO Plascencia (colours) Steve Wands (letters). I find universe hopping stories almost as annoying as time travel. This Dark Nights is doing that and all the different versions of the characters are starting to confuse me. I'm getting close to saying the heck with this because DC's next big thing "The Doomsday Clock" is coming soon and I don't want my head to explode.

 Amazing Spider-Man #789 - Dan Slott (writer) Stuart Immonen (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger (inks) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I was talking to a guy on Wednesday and he asked me what my favourite comic book was and I said The Amazing Spider-Man. He asked me why and I could have given him this issue as an example of why this character and his stories have always interested me. I am so happy to see Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger drawing Spider-Man again. I love their art. This is a great issue to start your own love affair with the wallcrawler. Everything you need to know is here. There's family and friends, the good old Parker luck, pretty women and super heroics keeping civilians safe from a super villain. Peter Parker may be down right now but he'll get right back up like he always does.

 Action Comics #989 - Dan Jurgens (writer & breakdown art) Viktor Bogdanovic (pencils) Viktor Bogdanovic & Trevor Scott (inks) Mike Spicer (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). The big mystery here for me is just who is this "Jor-El" guy? He makes a great argument for Superman to abandon the planet to its hopeless human race and now he's going to get help from another close family member. Can Superman resist? Sure he can, because he's still got to sit on Darkseid's throne in "Superman: Imperius Lex" hitting the racks soon. Can you believe that this title will hit #1000 soon?

 Defenders #6 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) David Marquez (art) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). One character's appearance is spoiled on the cover but there's another character's surprise appearance on the last page that will make you go "oh yeah". Brian writing Deadpool is going to be so much fun.

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[oosteven-universe]

Beautiful Canvas #1

Beautiful Canvas #1 Black Mask Studios 2017 Written by Ryan K. Lindsay Illustrated by Sami Kivela Coloured by Triona Farrell Flats by Louise Fitzpatrick & Alberto Hernandez Lettered by Ryan Ferrier    I’m a huge fan of stories that start off one way and somehow diverge into something else entirely and you feel like you’ve missed pages in the script that got it there.  What Ryan has delivered here is spectacular in the sense that it captures your attention beautifully and leaves you wonder what the hell it was you just read.  I get bits and pieces and there’s a few threads I can follow but there’s also quite a bit here that just feels like a David Lynch script.      I can already tell you i’m in love with Sami and Triona’s work on the interiors.  The attention to detail is astonishing, the linework is sharp, smooth and and really does have the perfect weight to it.  The use of backgrounds here makes me a happy camper as we see the bigger picture of what is going on around her.  The way page layouts are utilised through their angles and perspective help tell the story beautifully and the flow is so well done.  The emotion and feeling we get from the work is a huge component in “getting” what’s happening here.    The characterisation here is stellar to see.  It isn’t just with our main character either because regardless of who we see we pretty know them almost immediately through their dialogue.  There’s a myriad of people involved here and of them all it would appear that Asia is the only one who’s even remotely normal and she’s pregnant with her Triggerman girlfriends baby.  Ryan has outdone himself here as I don't’ think i’ve ever been able to identify someone as quickly as we do here.      The way the story is set-up here and structured so it flows through the pages is wonderfully done.  I like that the book has this seemingly natural flow through character segments letting us get to know a little bit about them as we go along.  That we kind go from person to person here without any real warning is great stuff because not only does it keep you on your toes but it keeps us from getting too comfortable with anyone for too long.  This way we see kind of enough about each one so that we are left wanting to know more.  It’s that perfect amount to tease the reader.    I do think there are times when I thought what the hell is going on here.  When we see a team of sorts come into play here I was wondering if there were some sort of Frankenstein Monster maker in play.  If the billionaire crazy lady we see also had a doctor on her payroll so she can create these types of folks at her obviously demented thought process.  I adore the fact that at this point in time we have no idea if that’s true or not but I damn well do want to come back and find out.    This is not what I was expecting and that has huge for me.  It’s kind of all over the place as if follows it’s own unique direction that engages the reader and takes them on a journey that you’ll want to talk about with others.

[oosteven-universe]

Ash vs. The Army of Darkness #0

Ash vs. The Army of Darkness #0 Dynamite Entertainment 2017 Written by Chris Sims & Chad Bowers Illustrated by Mauro Vargas Coloured by Triona Farrell Lettered by Tom Napolitano    Ash may be the Chosen One, but that doesn’t mean he can hold down a steady job. But when he’s scrambling for employment, will he find himself once again thrown into battle against the Deadites?    Well Ash is back for a new adventure being pulled into the war with the Deadites.  The zero issue is a sixteen page preview of the upcoming story.  Also it does a great job in bringing you up to speed where in the timeline this story fits.   Also I have to make note that if you’ve seen the television show you are going to enjoy this as well in a short amount of time the boys have managed to convey the same sense of humour and storytelling here.    Also keep your eye out for Mauro and Triona’s work on the interiors here.  It’s fun whimsical and incredibly expressive.  I love the little touches in the two page spread, how the page layouts are done and the utilisation of angles and perspective.   Personally I would like to see more backgrounds I think they’ve increasingly become a lost art.  Still the way they kind of use the classic comic book style and mix in some of the more animated style to create a nice blend keeps the character looking familiar but malleable at the same time.      I like the idea that Ash isn’t able to hold a real job, he’s been through too much and is always looking over his shoulder to do that.  Plus he’s a constant target so those whom he works will will always be targets.  Then again S-Mart is one of those stores that just screams to be his safe haven and place where co-workers keep turning into Deadites and come after him.  Though if he didn’t have a job opening one like we see this issue wouldn’t have opened up like it did showing us he’s what we like to call a lucky loser.      I haven’t really followed a lot of Ash’s story arcs before.  Sure i’ve watched the movies and the first season of the show, now with cable again I can’t wait to dive back in, but reading nope can’t say that I have.  If this is what i’ve been missing than shame on me, and if you haven't either then follow me to this one.  There’s a fun and whimsy here that mixes with the horror to create that perfect storm that is classic Evil Dead.