This Fan Is Good - Carol A. Strickland

The internet has always amazed me as being this astonishingly awesome reservior of ideas. And for an information junkie such as myself, it is practically TOO much coolness.

I have been known, on occasion, to spend more than a hour perusing, like, Omega Men indexes, or some other such nonsense - just because it is THERE.

All that info and knowledge...and it's available to me - for FREE!

Tooo awesome.

In any event, one of the things you find when you do enough internet browsing is that there are some fans out there who just put a lot more work into their efforts than others, and I think here is as good a place as any to draw attention to them. The fans who do such great work being resources of information and knowledge for the rest of us comic aficionados out there.

The first fan I want to recognize is Carol A. Strickland.

Her website can be found here.

Carol is just about the foremost Wonder Woman expert that I have ever seen (I swear, it seems that EVERY time I am looking up something about Wonder Woman, there is an article by Carol about it! EVERY time! Whatever the topic is, she has written on it!), but even if someone else knows more than her, they certainly have not expressed that knowledge in the same straightforward, down-to-earth, FUN manner that Carol does.

She was also one of the big Interlac Legion fans, as well, which is cool. According to her, she even got written into one of the comics (which was typical for the members of the Legion Interlac fanzine) as Field Marshal Lorca.

She was also one of the first folks to really rip into Marvel for the ridiculousness that was Avengers #200 ("Yay! This guy admits that he essentially brainwashed and raped Ms. Marvel, then impregnated her! Let's all wish them good luck together!").

But basically, above all, she just seems to me to embody all the best aspects of fandom.

She likes to be helpful to others (including creators).

She has her particular likes and dislikes (no Byrne fan is she), but she does not just churn out diatribes against those creators.

Basically, she just works really hard to be a positive force with comics, and it is greatly appreciated.

So there, Carol A. Strickland - this fan is good.

Why Sue Storm is a goddess among women

Marvel has just brought Essential Fantastic Four Volume 1 back into print. Go fetch! 

Happy Birthday, Greg Burgas!

Like I said a few months ago, this is the one non-comic related post that I think is okay for the blog.

Happy 34th, Greg!!

What I bought - 18 May 2005; plus an added bonus because it's my birthday

Yes, I turn 34 today. It's also Pete Townshend's birthday, as well as Ho Chi Minh's. What company they get to keep!

First, let's look at the floppies. Then stay tuned for a bonus for you, the readers!*

*I'm totally serious. Would I lie to you?

Batman: Dark Detective #2 by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin
$2.99, DC

It appears that even Englehart can't escape the decompression madness, as nothing much happens in this issue. Joker and Two-Face have a confrontation, and Harvey tells Mr. Joker to stop running for governor for a really lame reason. Silver visits Bruce at the manse and The Brooding One lightens up a bit and shows her the Batcave. It's so nice to see the big penny and the dinosaur and all the rest - I wish they were around more, because just the fact that they're there humanizes Batman a bit. Bruce then gets dosed with Scarecrow gas (we think, although it's not clear) and goes a little nutty. This is the dumbest part of the book, because the art is bad and it's just pages and pages of how sad little Bruce was that his parents died. We've seen it all before. It does lead to him getting busy with Silver, so that's okay - seriously, when was the last time Bruce got laid? I don't think he actually made the beast with two backs with Selina during the whole "Hush" thing. It's not a bad issue, but not really that good. It has made me doubt whether I want to get the rest of the series, however, which isn't a good thing.

Containment #5 by Eric Red and Nick Stakal
$3.99, IDW

The trade of this series should be good, because I think it will read better. It's definitely worth it, because as I've said before, despite ripping off any number of "horror movies in space," this is a tense, tight read. The last issue pretty much plays out as you'd expect from the previous issues, but that's okay, because although it's nothing new, it's well done, and we feel the claustrophobia and fear of the characters and the utter isolation in their situation. The final page is nice and chilling, too. A decent book, if you're interested in zombies in space. Watch for the collected edition!

Daredevil #73 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev
$2.99, Marvel

After last month's weaker effort, Bendis and Maleev return to form with this issue, in which a young wife tells of her husband, who happens to be a supervillain who killed a bunch o' people before our pal Matt Murdock took him down. The fight scene is great, but what makes the issue is the confrontation between the wife and one of her husband's victims, both of whom have come to the church meeting to discuss DD. The wife saw a little demon talking to her husband, and the victim doesn't want to hear about it. That sounds silly, but the way Bendis writes it and the way Maleev draws it is totally creepy, and we wonder if the wife really is delusional (although, as usual with the "grittier" and "realistic" corners of the Marvel U., it's hard to reconcile people not believing in demons when Galactus and Mephisto show up quite often). There's a nice twist at the end that will presumably be explained (I'm counting on you, Bendis!). I didn't like the priest, because he seemed like a bit of a wuss, but other than that, this was another example of the goodness that is Daredevil. I know a LOT of you wait for the trades because of Bendis's somewhat interminable style, but I love reading these in monthly format. It's like playing a long-distance chess match.

Easy Way #2 by Christopher E. Long and Andy Kuhn
$3.99, IDW

I wasn't entirely jazzed by the first issue of this mini-series, and I thought I'd give it another chance. I'm still torn. It's nice-looking, and the story is moving along, but it's a little too ridiculously brutal for the story - the drug dealers from whom our intrepid "heroes" stole the cocaine last month seem a little more bloodthirsty than someone who just got out of prison should be, and shouldn't they leave some of their contacts alive? I don't know, as I am not a drug dealer. This series is kind of like the cereal I eat in the morning (I have high cholesterol, so I can't eat the sweet stuff) - it's fine, and I eat it, but it doesn't really make an impression. I doubt if I will finish this, because it's not worth 4 dollars.

Ex Machina #11 by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, Tom Feister, and Karl Story
$2.99, DC/Wildstorm

It's really one of the best comics out there, and if you're not buying the monthlies, you really should be buying the trade paperbacks. If you haven't been buying it, here's a perfect place to start, as Vaughan launches into another story of political machinations and Mayor Hundred's attempts to escape his superhero past! This time he's cracking down on fortune tellers in New York, since apparently it's against the law. One of his staff tells him a fortune teller saved her life, since she was advised not to go to work on September 11, so Mitchell goes to visit the fortune teller. She explains that she knew the whole thing would happen, which pisses him off, since she said nothing. It's kind of a weird issue, because we're led to believe that Mitchell will have a change of heart with regards to cracking down on fortune tellers, but at the end, he's more gung-ho about it than ever. Of course, since this is comic book world and not the real world (I'm sorry if I'm about to offend any physics out there or people who consult them), psychics exist and have uncanny powers, so I'm sure this will all come back to bite Mitchell in the ass. It looks like this will be yet another complex story with some requisite explosive action from Vaughan and Harris. What more could you want?

The Goon #12 by Eric Powell
$2.99, Dark Horse

So I caved to all you people out there who insulted my intelligence and bought an issue of The Goon. And like a convert, I will be zealous in my desire to see everyone read it! Holy crap, it's fun. I know nothing about our hero or his loyal sidekick, but I don't care. What a fun book. The art is spectacular as well. The letters column is funny. Man, what a great book.

I don't even want to say much about the story, because it's too fun. However, it's basically a revenge plot, as Dr. Hieronymous Alloy (he of the yellow metal masked face) arrives in the Goon's hometown to wreak vengeance with the help of his army of robots. I would tell you why he wants vengeance, but it's such sheer genius that I won't spoil it. Luckily I had nothing in my mouth while I was reading it, or I would have needed a new copy. And there's a Spanish-speaking lizard butler. Read that again and tell me you can resist this book! I give up, all you Goon lovers out there. I am now one of you.

JLA: Classified #7 by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire, and Joe Rubinstein
$2.99, DC

So I go to the comic book shoppe on Wednesday afternoon, comb through the various titles, pick up my stash, and leave (well, I paid first), never realizing that I had just purchased perhaps the best comic book of the year. And it's not written by Morrison or Ellis or Moore or Millar or penciled by Hitch or Williams III or Pacheco. No, ladies and gentlemen, I give you "I Can't Believe It's Not The Justice League Part 4." You may now stop buying comics for the year.

This is an unbelievably good comic. Yes, it's funny, but the boys tone it down a little (maybe it helps that L-Ron and Maxwell Lord aren't in it - wait, you say Lord is now a "grim-'n'-gritty" Punisher-type? say it ain't so!) and allow the real reason their JLI was so good come to the fore. Why was their JLI so good? The members were friends, and yes they had their fun, but they also were willing to do anything for each other. That's shown beautifully in this issue.

Power Girl and Guy Gardner are fighting their way through hell, until Gardner realizes that if they just lose, the demons will take them to the Super-Buddies. Lo and behold, it works! I like Gardner a lot more as a total jerk who is actually smart than as he is usually portrayed - a total jerk with no brains. Meanwhile, Booster uses his noodle, and Ted praises him for it. More shocks! Guy wonders whether to take advantage of an unconscious Kara, with humorous results. Most of the team reunites, and then the creators reach for the stars and turn a pleasant enough book into pure genius. Last issue Bea saw Tora in hell. This issue Guy finds out. The sheer pain on Bea's face when he snatches Tora and tries to wake her up (blocking everyone out with his ring), and then the beautiful scene when Tora wakes up, is simply wonderful. Etrigan offers the heroes the ol' Orpheus scenario with regard to Ice, and they all start walking out of hell. Why they allowed Guy and Fire to walk in the back is beyond me. We all know what's going to happen, since Etrigan tells them "They always look back," but the five-panel full page of Guy and Bea in the front on the left and right and Tora behind them in the middle is still painful to look at, because we're waiting to see which one cracks. When it happens, we're left with one of the most heart-wrenching (and surprising!) final panels you'd ever want to see. For those of you who thought I was a soulless monster because I didn't like Owly, well despite the fictionality of these characters, this issue really got to me. These are characters we've grown to know pretty well, and to see the sadness and pain on their faces is wonderful. All those evil bastards in comic-book writing who think that the only way to get fans to respond to anything is by blowing someone's head off need to read this issue RIGHT NOW and bow down to Giffen and DeMatteis and Maguire.

Livewires #4 by Adam Warren, Rick Mays, and Jason Martin
$2.99, Marvel

Speaking of treating characters with respect, someone dies in this issue of Livewires, but because it's done within the boundaries of the story and Warren and Mays obviously dig these characters, I'm not mad. It's a good death, as Miller's Batman would say. The art is a little rougher than the first three issues, but it's still gorgeous to look at, and our friendly neighborhood androids are off to crack open the "White Whale" of covert operations. It's a nice stealth mission leading into a battle royale, which is well done both in terms of art and layout. And of course there's a surprise at the end. This is a fun series.

The Manhattan Guardian #2 by Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart
$2.99, DC

That sly Morrison is tying things together here, in case you missed it. I'm still debating on whether I should actually read these individually or just wait until all of them are out. This was a pretty good issue, actually. More weirdness, references to Klarion, superheroes acting superheroically - all kinds of Morrison goodness! There's really nothing to say - either you're with him for the long haul or you're not.

Ultimate X-Men #59 by Brain K. Vaughan, Stuart Immonen, and Wade von Grawbadger
$2.25, Marvel

Boy, I really like this book. I like the characterization of both Logan and Ororo, the action sings, Lady Deathstrike shows up, Weapon X is back, and it's just a good solid read. We find out a little about Ororo's past (raise your hands if you didn't know "Yuri" was a woman so I can make fun of you), we get a nice scene between Wolverine and Storm in a pickup truck - not a ton happens in the issue, but what does happen is nicely done. I like how Ororo has subtly become the "bad girl" that Claremont turned her into, without anything drastic like the Mohawk. I also like how, unlike the "real" Marvel U., we can learn a little more about Logan without completely destroying the mystery. That's the way it used to be, but then Logan got too popular and things went on too long. It's nice that here in the Ultimate U., he's only five years old, so the writers can still have a sense of mystery about him. This is a nice superhero book.

Well, I promised you a bonus, and here it is! As it is the celebration of my nativity, I thought I'd have another contest to give away comic books! I already gave away Scurvy Dogs a while back, because it was so freakin' good. Well, now I'd like to give away TWO different books! Of course, it's a contest, so you'll have to do a little work, but fret not - no heavy lifting involved!

First, I'm giving away The Batman Chronicles, DC's reprinting of the first Batman stories in chronological order. It includes Detective #27-38 and Batman #1. It's really a must-have for any comic book fan. Faithful readers of my posts here will recall that I savaged the book here, but despite my gleeful disdain, I really love this book and think everyone should have it. So, I will send you a copy if you tell me why you want it using the most godawful, over-the-top Golden Age or Silver Age comic-book language you can think of. Here's a sample from the very book: "On a hidden altar he burned away my face and features with a terrible ray!" Or, if you prefer, Batman saying "Feet, run like you've never run before!" Yes, Bruce is talking to his feet. Or, if you prefer your melodrama more Silver-Age-ish, here's Doctor Doom from Fantastic Four #10: "I can defeat you in a thousand ways! You are putty in my hands! But I shall not finish you off yet! You are still useful to me! For you shall help me to conquer your three partners!" (Note: exclamation points are essential!) Whoever's reason and dramatic monologue is the best wins!

Second, I'm giving away Nil: A Land Beyond Belief. This is a truly excellent graphic novel that I reviewed here. It's unlike anything you've ever read before, and I can't recommend it highly enough. As it deals with philosophy (sort of), your challenge to obtain it will be to send me the philosophical quote that best sums you up. Say, for instance, you have a penchance for late-19th-century German philosophers with master race aspirations. Then "The disciple of a martyr suffers more than the martyr," a bon mot by Nietzsche, might fit you. Or perhaps your outlook on life can best be summed up by these immortal words: "I like big butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers can't deny when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face you get sprung." Hey - that's philosophy, ain't it? The most clever philosophical phrase is the winner!

If you feel like entering, E-mail me with your entries. I'll run this thing until the end of the month. That gives you slightly less than two weeks to enter. Have fun! Neither of these books will let you down!

Read More

Comic Dictionary - "Paternalistic Continuity"

Paternalistic continuity is what you call it when a writer/editor gets protective (or paternalistic) of the continuity of a particular character, and goes out of his/her way to control the history of said character.

The first notable example of this that I can think of is when John Byrne decided that Dr. Doom ("his" character, as Byrne was writing Fantastic Four at the time) was written poorly by Chris Claremont during an Uncanny X-Men appearance. So Byrne decided to show us all that that appearance was NOT "in continuity" by having the Doom from that X-Men story revealed to be a Doom-bot.

Walt Simonson picked up on this idea in his Fantastic Four run, and went even FURTHER. He established that MOST of Dr. Doom's appearances since Lee/Kirby were Doom-Bots. Simonson even had a detailed list of his own that listed what appearances were Doom and which were Doom-Bots.

Big-time paternalistic continuity there.

Another recent example was Jim Starlin in his Infinity Abyss mini-series, where he used an almost exact idea (instead of Doom-Bots, he used clones of Thanos) to explain away recent appearances of Thanos that he, Starlin, felt were out of character for Thanos (including the infamous Thanos/Ka-Zar fight). At least Starlin CREATED Thanos, so I guess paternalism is not that weird for him.

A final recent example is the X-Editors/Chris Claremont (one or the other) deciding that the Magneto in Grant Morrison's run was NOT the actual Magneto driven mad by Sublime, but a changeling.

Can anyone think of any other examples of paternalistic continuity?

Current Comics Report for 5/18

This is a report about what I think about the comics of this week, based upon Diamond's Shipping This Week list, as reprinted below, with my (sometimes quite snarky, so be forewarned) comments.

Certain sections of the Current Report on the 5/18 Comic Book Week contain forward-looking statements that are based on my expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which include but are not limited to projections of books being good, writing performance, character flaws, artistic coolness and continued title stability.

Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Prognasticators Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation:

• A book being better than I thought it would be;

• A different creative team on a book;

• A different type of story than I thought it was;

• Differences in anticipated and actual performance by the writer and/or artist

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report or, in the case of any document incorporated by reference, the date of that document.All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to me are qualified by the cautionary statements in this section..

Shipping This Week: May 18, 2005

DARK HORSE

MAR050041 CONAN #16 $2.99

I was disappointed in #15, but I predict that this will be an improvement.

NOV040151 CONAN THE LEGEND ONE SHOT #0 (O/A) PI
OCT040206 CONAN THE LEGEND ONE SHOT (O/A) PI
FEB050079 DARK HORSE BOOK OF THE DEAD HC $14.95

I am drawing a blank. What is this again?

MAR050018 GOON #12 $2.99

I estimate that this will be super cool.

DEC040063 KOTOBUKIYA YODA SOFT VINYL MODEL KIT $44.99

Now, ya see, THIS I don't have a real problem with. I mean, if some dude really loves Yoda, then by all means, go out and get a $45 Yoda thing.

NOV040040 SAMURAI EXECUTIONER VOL 4 TP (MR) $9.95
JAN050047 STAR WARS EMPIRE #31 $2.99
JAN050048 STAR WARS OBSESSION #5 (OF 5) $2.99

This has been surprisingly good.
DC COMICS

MAR050453 ABC WARRIORS VOL 2 THE BLACK HOLE TP $14.99

Enlighten me, please. What is this about? Who are the ABC Warriors?

MAR050460 AUTHORITY REVOLUTION #8 (OF 12) (MR) $2.99

Now, this is just a rumor, so make sure to take it as that...but I heard from a friend of a friend whose sister dates a guy whose cousin saw Dustin Nguyen skin a cat alive and eat its flesh.

Just a rumor.

MAR050357 BATMAN BEGINS BATMAN ON ROOFTOP STATUE $89.99

Ninety dollars?!?! Don't they know that no self-respecting Batman fan would pay less than $195 on a statue!?

MAR050354 BATMAN BEGINS BATMOBILE REPLICA $195.00

Phew! Luckily, some sanity has returned to the world!

MAR050371 BATMAN DARK DETECTIVE #2 (OF 6) $2.99
MAR050365 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #65 $2.50

I predict that Hush will be treated like he's really cool, even though he's a dork, in this issue.

MAR050374 BATMAN JEKYLL AND HYDE #2 (OF 6) $2.99

Jae Lee is awesome.

MAR050394 BIRDS OF PREY #82 $2.50
MAR050478 BOOKS OF MAGICK LIFE DURING WARTIME #11 (MR) $2.50
MAR050462 EX MACHINA #11 (MR) $2.99

I estimate another strong issue!

FEB050279 GREEN LANTERN SECRET FILES 2005 $4.99

Darwyn Cooke illustrating a Geoff Johns story...it is like that one time that the kids let the Trix Rabbit have the Trix. It is just not natural.

MAR050404 HAWKMAN #40 $2.50

I predict that I will continue to have no interest in the Golden Eagle.

MAR050409 JLA CLASSIFIED #7 $2.99

I estimate that Giffen and DeMatteis will show you how emotion can be done without being cloying!

MAR050435 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED VOL 1 UNITED THEY STAND TP $6.99
MAR050484 LOSERS TRIFECTA TP (MR) $14.99
MAR050486 LUCIFER #62 (MR) $2.50

Ooooh...going all the way back to the FIRST storyline! Interesting!

MAR050413 MANHUNTER #10 $2.50

I predict that my pal Loren will take issue with SOME legal inaccuracy in this issue.

MAR050456 OLYMPUS TP (MR) $14.99

I think DC is just screwing with me, just trying to make me feel dumb for not knowing what this is about. Someone, help me!

FEB058394 OMAC PROJECT #1 2ND PTG $2.50

A second printing for this...

MAR050417 PLASTIC MAN #16 $2.99

...And yet Plastic Man can barely sustain a first printing. Justice, thine are dumb!

MAR050439 POWERPUFF GIRLS #62 $2.25
MAR050375 ROBIN #138 $2.25

Willingham is slowly but steadily building a Rogue's Galley for Robin. Can anyone remember a writer being more brazen about creating a Rogue's Gallery?

MAR050423 SEVEN SOLDIERS GUARDIAN #2 (OF 4) $2.99

I predict that this will be good.

MAR050384 SUPERMAN #217 $2.50

I estimate that Lois Lane's ass will be featured at one point or another in this story.

As an aside, what the heck is the deal with having the FIRST ISSUE of a new creative team be a tie-in with a freakin' crossover?!!?

MAR050419 TEEN TITANS #24 $2.50
MAR050416 TEEN TITANS BEAST BOYS AND GIRLS TP $9.99

Just when you thought there was no justice in the world, the Beast Boy mini-series from five years ago is collected in a trade!!

MAR050448 TENJHO TENGE VOL 2 $9.99
FEB058477 VILLAINS UNITED #1 2ND PTG $2.50

IMAGE

MAR051672 DAWN 2005 CONVENTION SKETCHBOOK ONE SHOT $2.95

BLAST! Only a one-shot?!?! I was hoping for a Dawn 2005 Convention Sketchbook ongoing!!

MAR051689 FREEDOM FORCE #5 (OF 6) $2.95
MAR051676 HERO CAMP #1 (OF 4) $2.95

This seems like it will be a really fun book.

FEB051593 LIONS TIGERS & BEARS #4 (OF 4) $2.95

This already IS a fun book.

FEB051644 MARK WAID HUNTER KILLER SCRIPTBOOK #1 $4.99

Wait...Mark Waid wrote SCRIPTS for Hunter Killer!?

Oooh..that lowers the book a bit in my estimation.

I had presumed that Marc Silvestri had just thrown together a bunch of pin-ups and Waid then added dialogue.

But all that hoo-hah was PLANNED?

JAN051614 REX MUNDI VOL 2 RIVER UNDERGROUND TP $14.95
FEB051581 WALKING DEAD VOL 3 SAFETY BEHIND BARS TP (MR) $12.95

If you are not already reading Walking Dead, I estimate that you should be.

MARVEL

MAR051892 BLACK PANTHER #4 $2.99

I think it would be funny if our esteemed Secretary of Defense was an avid Black Panther reader, and he's all sad now.

MAR051931 CABLE DEADPOOL #15 $2.99
MAR051889 DAREDEVIL #73 $2.99
MAR051954 EXCALIBUR VOL 2 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER TP $14.99

Interesting choice of title, as I would compare Excalibur more to Stayin' Alive, a surprisingly decent return to classic characters, with some perhaps ill-advised new characters thrown in on top.

MAR051926 EXILES #64 $2.99

Hurry up, Bedard! Something has to actually HAPPEN soon!!

MAR051959 GIANT SIZE MARVEL TP $24.99

What a COOOOOL idea! Collecting a bunch of different Giant-Size comics!! (Isn't it interesting to note that they were called Giant-Size, not Giant-SizeD).

MAR051891 HERCULES #2 (OF 5) $2.99

I predict an improvement over #1...which is kinda hard NOT to happen, but still...

JAN058159 HOUSE OF M COIPEL POSTER $5.95
MAR051914 LIVEWIRES #4 (OF 6) $2.99
MAR051890 MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #18 $2.99

This is my favorite Fantastic Four title.

MAR051893 MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #14 $2.99

So Absorbing Man is a killer now, right?

MAR051924 MARVEL MUST HAVES NYX #1-3 $4.99

JUST in time! #4 should be out soon, right? Oh? #4 came out seven years ago?

Ohh...then maybe this is a bit late.

MAR051949 MARVEL TEAM-UP VOL 1 GOLDEN CHILD TP $14.99
MAR051906 NEW THUNDERBOLTS #8 $2.99

I predict Nicieza will treast the Shocker with respect, which I will be impressed by.

MAR051953 NEW THUNDERBOLTS VOL 1 ONE STEP FORWARD TP $14.99
MAR051922 NEW X-MEN #14 $2.99

I predict some soap opera style "kiss me to make ____ jealous" action this issue!

MAR051915 OFFICIAL HANDBOOK MARVEL UNIVERSE TEAMS 2005 $3.99
FEB051937 POWERS VOL 8 LEGENDS TP (MR) $17.95
MAR051883 SPIDER-MAN BREAKOUT #2 (OF 5) $2.99

This had better have a recap page. People need to know WHO these characters are!!

FEB051888 SPIDER-MAN HUMAN TORCH #4 (OF 5) $2.99

Is this late? I think it is.

MAR051886 TOXIN #2 (OF 6) $2.99

I predict that Milligan will try to give Razorfist some deep characterization, but it will instead make me laugh. But I will still enjoy this issue.

MAR051879 ULTIMATE X-MEN #59 $2.25
MAR051928 UNCANNY X-MEN #459 $2.25
MAR051896 WOLVERINE #28 $2.25

I predict some cool action in this issue.

MAR051909 YOUNG AVENGERS #4 $2.99

I estimate that this will be another enjoyable issue.

WIZARD

MAR052450 WIZARD MEGA POSTERMANIA 2005 $5.99

I have always been impressed with this idea. They have sooo many good artists do drawings for them, they might as well do a poster book.

COMICS

JAN052865 (USE SEP044072) STARSHIP TROOPERS BLAZE OF GLORY BK 1 GN (O/ $14.95
FEB053014 2000 AD #1435 $4.10
FEB053015 2000 AD #1436 $4.10
MAR052966 30 DAYS OF NIGHT BLOODSUCKERS TALES #8 $3.99

My pal Michael May insists that this book will be getting better. I hope he is right, or else he knows that I will cry.

MAR053139 AI YORI AOSHI VOL 9 GN (OF 13) (MR) $9.99
MAR053129 ARCANA VOL 1 GN (OF 3) $9.99
MAR053134 ARM OF KANNON VOL 6 GN (OF 8) (MR) $9.99
MAR052603 BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #70 $2.19
MAR052907 BLACK KISS DLX ED (O/A) (A) $18.95

What do you think, exactly, comes in the DELUXE edition of a Black Kiss edition? Condoms?

JAN052569 BONE PERFECT COLL ACT 3 HARVEST GIFT SET $55.95
FEB052470 BUGTOWN #5 (OF 6) (MR) $2.95
MAR052970 CASTLEVANIA THE BELMONT LEGACY #3 (OF 5) $3.99

I like the art, but the story has been disappointing. And from the SAME team doing a good job on Sam & Twitch! Weird.

FEB052971 CISCO KID VOL 1 TP $10.95
JAN052939 CLASSIC DAN DARE VOL 5 OPERATION SATURN PART 1 HC $19.95
FEB052687 CLASSIC ILLUS JR #508 GOLDILOCKS & THREE BEARS $5.99
MAR053131 CRESCENT MOON VOL 6 GN (OF 6) $9.99
FEB052847 CRIMSON GASH VS HITLER (A) $3.95
JAN052611 D3 GI JOE ARASHIKAGE SHOWDOWN GN $10.95
FEB052742 D3 PATRICK THE WOLF BOY VOL 2 PKT TP $10.95
MAR052980 DAMPYR #2 NIGHT TRIBE $7.99
MAR053135 DEAD END VOL 2 GN (OF 4) (MR) $9.99
MAR052877 DF MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #13 SGN $19.99
MAR052870 DF PHOENIX ENDSONG #2 SGN $29.99

I enjoy that these two comics don't say signed by WHO, which allows me to hold out hope that they are signed by Spider-Man and Phoenix, respectively.

JAN052718 DF ULTIMATE SECRET #1 MCNIVEN SGN (RES) $29.99
JAN052719 DF ULTIMATE SECRET #2 MORALES SGN $19.99

Way to encourage a creative team squabble! "Eat it, INKER! My signature is 50% more valuable than yours!"

JAN052703 DFE DARKNESS & TOMB RAIDER B&W FOIL CVR #1 $14.95
MAR052843 DFE HUNTER KILLER EBAS ALT CVR #2 $14.95
MAR052842 DFE HUNTER KILLER GLOW CVR #2 $14.99
JAN052697 DFE HUNTER KILLER LINSNER RED FOIL CVR #2 $14.99
JAN052700 DFE WITCHBLADE & TOMB RAIDER B&W FOIL CVR #1 $14.95

Someone told me that the E was for Entertainment, but they are not doing a new copy of Hunter Killer #2,right? Weird.

MAR052923 DONALD DUCK AND FRIENDS #328 $2.95
MAR052829 DRIPPYTOWN COMICS & STORIES #4 (MR) $6.00
MAR052979 EASY WAY #2 (OF 4) (MR) $3.99

This is the Andy Kuhn book, right?

MAR052967 ERIC REDS CONTAINMENT #5 (OF 5) $3.99
NOV042850 F STOP GN (MR) $14.95
FEB053019 FADE FROM BLUE #10 (OF 10) $4.95
MAR053145 FAERIES LANDING VOL 9 GN (OF 14) $9.99
FEB052964 FIRST KINGDOM VOL 1 TP (OF 4) (MR) $17.95
FEB052588 FREAKSHOW #6 (MR) $2.95
MAR053146 FRUITS BASKET VOL 9 GN (OF 14) $9.99
MAR052921 FULL CIRKLE CLASSIC SILVER FOIL #1 (MR) $7.95
MAR052922 FULL CIRKLE CLASSIC SILVER FOIL #2 (MR) $7.95
MAR053147 GET BACKERS VOL 9 GN (OF 26) $9.99
FEB052541 HEAVEN SENT #10 (OF 11) $2.99

Is this the Ben Dunn comic?

MAR053148 HYPER POLICE VOL 3 GN (OF 9) (MR) $9.99
MAR053132 INSTANT TEEN JUST ADD NUTS VOL 4 GN (OF 4) $9.99
MAR052604 JUGHEAD #165 $2.19
DEC042791 LAST HOPE VOL 1 GN $10.99
MAR053153 MAHOROMATIC AUTOMATIC MAIDEN VOL 6 GN (OF 8) $9.99
MAR053029 MAM TOR EVENT HORIZON VOL 1 ENHANCED FABRY CVR TP (MR) $21.95
MAR052925 MICKEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS #277 $2.95
MAR053070 MIRACLEMAN #17 PLATINUM ARCHIVE SIGNED ED $99.95

Seems reasonably priced.

MAR053069 MIRACLEMAN #17 SIGNED ED $18.95
MAR053071 MIRACLEMAN #22 SIGNED ED $12.95
MAR053072 MIRACLEMAN 3D #1 PLATINUM ARCHIVE SIGNED ED $99.95

3-D?! Even MORE of a value!

MAR053068 MIRACLEMAN APOCRYPHA #1 SIGNED ED $14.95
MAR053133 MOURYOU KIDEN LEGEND OF THE NYMPHS VOL 3 GN (OF 3) $9.99
MAR053155 NECK AND NECK VOL 3 GN (OF 4) $9.99
MAR052577 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #128 $2.99

Someone please fill me in on what is happening at Ninja High School.

FEB052993 OJO TP (MR) $14.95
MAR053156 PRESIDENT DAD VOL 3 GN (OF 6) $9.99
FEB052851 REAR ENTRY #9 (A) $3.95
MAR053160 REBOUND VOL 14 GN (OF 18) $9.99
MAR053136 SAIYUKI VOL 8 GN (OF 9) (RES) (MR) $9.99
MAR052692 SIMPSONS COMICS #106 $2.99

I predict another amusing tale courtesy of Ian Boothby (watch him not even write this issue).

MAR053161 SLAYERS NOVEL VOL 4 (OF 6) $7.99
MAR052609 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #149 $2.19
MAR053138 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS CINEMANGA VOL 8 GN (OF 12) $7.99
MAR052916 SPUNKY KNIGHT XXX #1 (A) $3.95
FEB052885 STALAGMITE #2 (O/A) (MR) $7.00
MAR052547 STRANGE EGGS #1 $3.95
MAR052610 TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #2 $2.39

Seriously, did Pals & Gals REALLY need a revamp?!?!

MAR053162 TAROT CAFE VOL 2 GN (OF 4) $9.99
MAR053125 TRANSFORMERS LAST STAND GN PX ED $24.95
FEB052976 WILD #12 (A) $3.75

That is all!

Feel free to share your thoughts, or just stop by later to see if I am right about anything...hehe.

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An Unnecessary Guide to the Secret Six

In the current mini-series, Villains United, Gail Simone has created a group called The Secret Six, lead by a mysterious leader named Mockingbird.

This is not the first time a group has used such names, and while knowing about them is totally unnecessary to your enjoyment of Villains United, I figured it would still be nice to give y'all some background on the first two Secret Sixes.

The first Secret Six began in the pages of Secret Six #1 in 1968.



Written by E. Nelson Bridwell and drawn by Frank Springer, the basic concept of the group was that that five trained specialists are blackmailed by a sixth person (who communicates through pre-recorded messages) into going on missions. The only secret is, which of the six are the five blackmailed people and which is the blackmailER?



Here they all are, on this cool cover of Secret Six #3 (the first issue to feature Jack Starling art, which continues the rest of the series, which only lasted a few issues more).



The members of the group are as follows:

Top Row, Left to Right:

King Savage, who was a pilot during the Korean War, and was shot down and ended up revealing secrets to the enemy. Mockingbird freed him and allowed him to warn the UN. He works for Mockingbird or else Mockingbird reveals that he is not a war hero, but a coward. He was the stunt guy in the group.

Carlo di Rienzi, who was a magician in Italy, who fell afoul of the mob. They killed his wife and severely injured di Rienzi and his son. Mockingbird gave him the treatment he needs to be able to walk, but if he does not work for Mockingbird, the treatment vanishes. He was an escape artist (makes you wonder why they had a stunt man AND an escape artist, seems kinda redundant to me).

Lili de Neuve was a famous actress framed for murder. Mockingbird came up with an alibi to save her, but if she did not work for him, the alibi would vanish. She was a masterful disguise artist.

Bottom Row, Left to Right

August Durant was a famous scientist who was infected by enemies of America with a virus. Mockingbird devised an antidote, but he only gave Durant enough of the antidote so that Durant would need to keep coming back to him for more. And if he did not work for Mockingbird? You guessed it. Durant was the brains of the group.

Crimson Dawn was a socialite who was hoodwinked by a "suitor." She was so ashamed that she needed Mockingbird to create a new identity for her, as a famous model (Mockingbird did this with the help of Lili de Neuve). If she did not work for him, he would reveal her identity. She was the seductress of the group.

Tiger Force was a boxer who refused to take a fall. He was beaten by the mob, but saved by Mockingbird. He then created a new identity, which Mockingbird will reveal if Force does not work for Mockingbird. He was the brawns of the group.

So it went for the rest of the run.



The Six then retired, still not knowing who Mockingbird was (Dick Giordano has a funny story about how, as the new editor on the title, he accidentally let two thought balloons get into the comic that eliminated TWO of the six as possibilities!), until about twenty years later, when a NEW Secret Six was formed in the pages of Action Comics Weekly.

This time, the book was written by Marty Pasko and drawn by Dan Spiegle (things came full circle in the later issues of the run, as Frank Springer took over as artist).



The new Secret Six were also led by a mysterious person called Mockingbird, but this time it was the original Mockingbird, and not one of the team itself.

The team were:

Vic Sommers, a Marine who lost his sight and was given goggles to let him see.

Tony Mantegna, a gossip columnist who lost his hearing and was given a headset to let him hear.

Maria Verdugo, a mathmetician with epilepsy who was given a tiara to control her disease.

Luke McKendrick, a track star who lost his legs and was given new robotic legs.

Ladonna Jameal, an actress who lost her voice and was given a machine that allowed her to speak.

Mitch Hoberman, a sculpter and special effects artist who lost the ability to use his hands and was given him gloves that allowed him to do so again.

The team went on missions for Mockingbird and silently tried to find out who Mockingbird was (they could not be vocal about it, as any attempt to publically search for Mockingbird's identity would cause the gadgets to no longer work).





Finally, all was revealed...



The original Mockingbird was August Durant, who was poisoned by a group called The Agency, and blackmailed into forming the Secret Six. Years later, he revealed his secret to Carlo, and the two planned to form a new Secret Six to take down the Agency. However, the Agency struck first, killing all of the Secret Six but Carlo. He then became the NEW Mockingbird, and was led the new Secret Six. He, too, was killed by an Agency agent, but the Agency was taken down.

The team then disbanded (although we were shown at the end a NEW Mockingbird pop up).

1989 was the last we saw of the Secret Six until this year, when the latest Secret Six and Mockingbird popped up in Villains United. They do not appear to be connected to the originals by anything but the same names, but who knows, eh?

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Three 5/11 Comics That I Read So That You Did Not Have To

Same as always...I tell you about three comics that I did not hear a lot about this week, and then I ask you all to fill me in on comics that I did not read this week.

Spoilers ahead!!

Action Comics #827 - I was not a fan of Chuck Austen's run on Action Comics, so I was looking forward to this change in creative teams.

Byrne scares us with the ridiculous looking cover, but luckily contributes very nice art inside (Nelson does a good job on inks).

The basic gist of the issue is that a new villain (or is she NOT a new villain?!) is trying to take out all the other heroes in the DC Universe with magnetic powers.

This leads to an appearance by the Raver (from Superboy and the Ravers) Aura, who looks more actually Asian-looking here than she ever did in the Ravers (that's a good thing). I like using a company's large stable of characters for plots, but it often seems that writers use the large stable only to kill off characters, so I was QUITE pleased when we learn later in the issue that that was NOT the case in this issue.

The African scene....I liked it all except for Superman wearing his cape like tribal clothes. Everything else was cool, including giving them his cape for a flag. I just didn't like him dressing like one of them. I understand the INTENT, and it is an admirable one, I just don't think it came off cool. The rest of the scene was great.

I am not a big Jeph Loeb fan, but one thing I really liked about his Superman run was the way he was the way he did not give off an "embarrased" vibe regarding the characters. He did not seem to be ashamed of Perry White, which some writers DID seem to be. So it was nice to see Gail Simone give Perry White some great lines.

The rest of the issue struck me as a necessary evil. Simone basically went through all the stupid changes with the Superman books recently and changed them. When you do it all at once, it seems exposition-heavy, but I understand it is only for one issue, just to set up the changes.

And the changes are all good.

Lois Lane no longer a bitch? Check.

Clark Kent no longer a loser? Check.

Jimmy Olsen not stand-offish? Check.

Clark and Lois...in LOVE (what a concept!)? Check.

Lupe GLAD to see a superhero show up to help? Check.

So nice to see a writer see that changes for the sake of changes just are not necessary.

Just write a good story.

I thought this was one, and it had great art.

Recommended!

Mary Jane Homecoming #3 - I really have to give Sean McKeever a lot of credit with this series, as he is doing a really nice job with the characterizations of the teenagers.

Takeshi Miyazawa really does a nice job on the art, as well.

This series reminds me a lot of Tania Del Rio's current Sabrina run, as they are both teen stories that manage to have good characterizations without pandering and/or patronizing the reader.

I really admire that.

The Spider-Man appearance was great as well, especially the scene with the field goal.

Basically, this is a nicely drawn, straightforward comic filled with interesting characters.

So obviously next issue is the last issue...hehe.

Recommended.

Star Wars Tales #23 - I think I like the new approach they have now, where they label the issues with these logos that tell you when a story is set, as I am not a big Star Wars follower (I mean, I have a pretty good idea, just not a great idea), so I do not know a lot of the continuity that they seem pretty steadfast in following.

The very first story is an interesting one about three Jedis on a mission, but two of the Jedis fall in love, and we all know what falling in love means to the Jedis, don't we?

Okay, if you DON'T know, it means they are not doing their job right...as passion leads to the Dark Side of the Force. Good story by Joshua Ortega with nice art by Dennis Weaver.

The second story was fairly forgettable for me, something about a Nomad jedi. The art by Brandon Beaudeux was uninspiring, as was the story by Rob Williams.

The LAST story, though, also by Rob Williams (with good art by Michael Lacombe), really irked me.

I have written in the past about Cousin Larry tricks, and I think we have one in this issue. Williams tells us a tale of how "lucky" Wedge Antilles is (after all, he is the only peripheral character to manage to survive the major battles in all three of the original trilogies), but Williams shows how sometimes the people who survive carry hidden scars of their own.

That's fine enough, but there is a scene in the comic that is directly lifted from Apollo 13!!! Remember the story about how Tom Hanks' character couldn't find his way back at night? So he turns off his instruments, and luckily, the moon reflected off plankton, giving him a natural path to follow? Well, the SAME THING (with slight changes that amount to making it "space plankton") happened in this issue to Wedge!

And it is a Cousin Larry trick because it is clearly designed to be an interesting story, but if anyone ever mentions to Williams that it is right out of Apollo 13, the response would be, of course, that it was an "homage."

Total Cousin Larry trick.

Still, the rest of the story was interesting enough, but all together, the three stories were not enough for me to tell you to go out and buy it, so..

Not Recommended.

On to the books I did not read that I would like you all to fill me in on:

Man With the Screaming Brain #1

Freedom Force #4

Judo Girl #1

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Comics you should own - Aquaman

Brian's been hoggin' the blog lately, so I'll throw in another critically-acclaimed* edition of Comics You Should Own!

*Critical acclaim may exist only in the author's head.

Aquaman by Peter David (writer), Marty Egelund (penciller, issues 0-4, 6-8, 11-14, 16, 18-20, 22-23, 25), Jim Calafiore (penciller, issues 5, 10, 15, 17, 21, 24), Gene Gonzalez (penciller, issue 3), Casey Jones (penciller, issue 8), Joe St. Pierre (penciller, issue 9), Alan Caldwell (penciller, issue 20), Derec Aucon (penciller, issue 23), Brad Vacanta (inker, issues 0-2), Howard Shum (inker, issues 0, 3-9, 11-14, 16, 18-20, 22-23, 25, Peter Palmiotti (inker, issues 10, 17, 21, 24), Craig Gilmore (inker, issue 8), Rodney Ramos (inker, issue 9), Mark McKenna (inker, issue 15), Charles Barnett (inker, issue 15), with covers by Tom Grummett (#3), Mike Mignola (#6), Walt Simonson (#15), Dave Johnson (#19), Phil Jimenez (#20), Brian Steelfreeze (#22) when the issue's penciller didn't do them. Phew. That's a lot o' people!
DC, 26 issues (0-25; the zero issue comes after #2), cover dated August 1994-October 1996

A while back, I told you that you really ought to go out and buy Atlantis Chronicles, Peter David's history of Atlantis. Brian then told you how you pick them up, cheap. Continuing in the same vein, I now give you Peter David's Aquaman, the only Aquaman I really like. Bill Reed said he liked the McLaughlin/Hooper/Dvorak run of 13 issues from Dec. 1991-Jan. 1993, and he blamed DC for shoving that out of the way so they could get David. Well, that might be true, but Atlantis Chronicles finished in September 1990, and David's first Aquaman story, Time And Tide, didn't come out until December 1993, even many months after McLaughlin's run got cancelled, so I don't know what the machinations at DC were like in the mid-1990s. However, McLaughlin's run, though decent enough, isn't really that good. Making Arthur the ambassador to the UN is a neat idea, and issue #8, with the disciple of the NKVDemon from the Batman books, is a very good issue, but overall - meh. Even David's "Year One" story, the aforementioned Time And Tide, isn't that good, largely because David goes way too far with the clever humor he's good at. Well, yes, he's good at it, but a little goes a long way, Mr. David. When he took over the Aquaman ongoing (with another issue #1 - it's not a product of the 21st century, unfortunately), he really hit his stride, and the first 26 issues of his run form a coherent and fascinating story.

You don't really need to read Atlantis Chronicles to enjoy Aquaman, but it wouldn't hurt. That's why I looked at that one first, even though I tend to do these in alphabetical order (I'm anal - sue me). David continues the themes he laid out in the Chronicles book - mainly brother fighting brother for the future of Atlantis, but also the idea of curses and never escaping the past. As I mentioned in my review (or dare I say - criticism?) of Atlantis Chronicles, this is all very Shakespearean and Greek tragedy-esque, and if that's the kind of stuff you like, this is a good read. I have a Master's Degree in History, and this kind of thing is neat-o, especially when it's entertaining.

The most famous thing David did, of course, was lose Arthur's hand. It's still lost, but now it's some watery-hand thing that makes it look like he never lost it. As Vulko puts it in issue #0, people around Atlantis think he's going to regrow it, as if he were Starfishman, but it looks like DC has done the next best thing. That's really not the point (ooh, a pun - Brian will be so proud) of giving Arthur a hook hand (say in that creepy urban legend voice!). It may have been a "let's make Aquaman mean" marketing ploy, but in the hands of a good writer like David, it becomes a symbol of both sides of Arthur's nature - his underwater and land side, a duality that all writers of Aquaman ought to bring up, since it's such an interesting part of his personality. Arthur uses the hook to spear shrimp in one scene, and he spears a person in another, and wonders at the implications of it. The fact that hunters use similar harpoons to spear dolphins in issue #4 (guest-starring Lobo!) is a subtle reminder that Arthur is both an Atlantean and a surface-dweller, even though David has changed his ancestry so that he's not descended from a light-house keeper anymore.

After getting rid of Arthur's hand (though the machinations of a global terrorist named Charybdis, who only lasts two issues but is extremely creepy), David slowly introduces the plot elements that will form his grand narrative. It's all about uniting the seven lost cities of Atlantis, of which Poseidonis is only the capital. It's also about the real reason for humanity's presence on Earth, as slaves for intergalactic scavengers who are returning to reap their harvest. Only Aquaman can save us!!!! It's not the greatest plot, but plots are a dime a dozen - what matters is how David pulls it off, and his narrative is full of realpolitik, and stands as an interesting take on what it means to be more than a hero, which, after all, Arthur is. He's not necessarily always the "good guy," because he is doing things for the greater good and doesn't have time for legal niceties. David puts it in our minds that maybe Arthur is insane, or maybe he has lost touch with reality, or maybe he's just not that nice a guy. When Garth goes missing (we think he's dead, but he's not), Arthur doesn't go and look for him, believing that Garth is an adult and can look after himself. Arthur is often petulant and confused, not like a hero at all, and, especially in the early issues, we find ourselves wondering why anyone cares about this guy, especially Dolphin, who is a major player in the title and gets busy with Arthur about halfway through the run. This crankiness might put off Aquaman purists, but for someone whose only experience with him was from the Superfriends and some of the stuff from the '40s, I liked what David was doing - he was humanizing Arthur, and making him less a heroic figure and more of a man who wants to do the right thing but can't always figure out how because of his stubbornness. These kinds of people are much more interesting than people who always do the right thing.

Arthur finds out he has a son, and the Atlantis Chronicles theme begins again. You may think that David isn't being terribly subtle, but he is: he doesn't beat us over the head with the fact that Arthur, like his own father (Atlan the wizard) is an aloof, mythical figure to Koryak (his son). We're allowed to see how poorly Arthur relates to Koryak, even though he tries, and how Koryak rejects him not because of who he is, but because of who Koryak thinks he is. Arthur's poor parenting skills are evident when he confronts Arthur Jr., who has been living in Thanatos's dimension with Mera. He tells him, "Pray you're not my son. Because if you are, you're caught up in a prophecy that will doom you to a life of conflict." (To which Mera replies, "Thank you, dear. Very inspiring.") The point is - Arthur tells the kid the truth, but he's not terribly nice. This sort of thing makes his growth throughout the title, to where he can reach out to Garth and try to make amends with Koryak, nice to see and more believable. He's learning how to be a father, and he's also learning how to be a son (in his interactions with Atlan, when he shows up). He's trying to break the Atlantean curse the only way he knows how, and it's interesting to read.

Koryak, of course, gets caught up in the curse, when he allows King Thesily to die and leads the Poseidonisians (?) out of the city after it's shaken by earthquakes (all part of the old prophecies about Atlantis rejoined the surface world - see how David ties everything together?), eventually breaking Tritonis's law about the tunnels between the cities and meeting Kordax, the blond scaly monster dude from Atlantis Chronicles. Kordax uses his mental powers to enslave the refugees, and this leads to a fight between Koryak and Garth, a battle between Arthur's "sons." The twists and turns that the story takes to get all the principals in one spot are what make reading a long David run so fulfilling - individually, the issues have action and humor and fun stuff, but over the long haul, it all fits into a longer story, even if you didn't see it coming. By the final few issues of the run, Arthur has united the various cities of Atlantis (and again made some hard choices about his loyalties), recruited many of DC's underwater heroes, including the Sea Devils and Power Girl (she's related to Atlan somehow), and fought off the Justice League, Lobo, Green Lantern alone, lost to Thanatos (!), and finally, thwarted an alien invasion not by using his fists (although there's a lot o' fighting) but by using his brains and his political skills.

There's plenty of David humor, as I mentioned, and the best issue of the run might be #14, the Underworld Unleashed crossover with the new and improved Major Disaster. I don't know if this is the very first appearance of the new and improved version, but it might be, which is interesting considering that he's hanging out with the Justice League these days. This issue is dripping with irony, and it has one of the better "butterfly effect" stories I've seen. It's really neat to see all the elements come together, especially because you're not totally sure where it will lead. Arthur fights plenty of powerful monsters and bad guys, and although Manta doesn't show up, Thanatos and Ocean Master do. It's action-adventure on the grand scale, and coupled with the humor, makes it a fun read despite the dark undercurrents. Even the most gruesome scenes (when Arthur loses his hand, for instance) are laced with dark humor.

Many people might get caught up on the art. I happen to like Egelund and Calafiore, but Egelund especially typifies mid-1990s "Image" art. His women are petite except for the gigantic breasts, and occasionally border on the grotesque (check out Wonder Woman on the cover to issue #16. His style flows well, however, and despite some of the contortions he puts the characters through, it's never that distracting, like some artists - *coughLiefeldcough* - I could name. Calafiore's underwater scenes are wonderful, and he has a real talent for drawing sea life - a must in a comic like this. As I am not an art critic, most of the time I can live with unspectacular art if the story is good, and although the art on Aquaman hasn't aged well, it's still pleasant to look at.

David wrote Aquaman for another 20+ issues, but the remainder of his run wasn't as strong as these issues are. His run also ended sloppily, as he had a falling-out with DC, the details of which I don't know. This incarnation of the title lasted until issue #75 (I think that was the last issue), and now we have another title, which is, what, in the 30s? The aforementioned Mr. Reed said that he reads Aquaman as an Arthurian hero, which is not a bad way to put it. That being said, I'm not sure what his objection with David's run is, especially these issues, which seem to me to be the epitome of an Arthurian Grail Quest. David's Aquaman is a powerful story that gives us many facets of Arthur's personality and also examines what it means to be a king even when you're not ruling anything. None of the run has been collected in trades, but I can't imagine the issues are that high-priced. Check them out next time you're browsing!

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Judging DC Books By Their Covers

Comic Book Resources has DC's August Solicitations up here, so now is as good a time as any for us to make prejudgements (as we all love to make prejudgements, don't we?).

I promise not to laugh at Pat Lee's cover for this maxi-series about the beginning of Batman's career.



Man...that was hard to do. Quickly, on to the next cover! I do not know how long I can hold out!! Damned politeness!!
________________________________________________________

I can't tell you how long I have waited for Golden Eagle to return, only grimmer and grittier!



Okay, I will admit that the reason that I can't tell you is because I actually think the whole Golden Eagle thing is ridiculous
________________________________________________________

I give Howard Porter a lot of grief, so I have to point out that I think that this is a very nice idea for a cover.



I liked it so much that I won't even mention how it weirds me out how Flash's head looks like it is just floating in front of his body.
__________________________________________

I am a huge fan of Jerry Ordway, but I cannot say that I like the covers for DC's collection of the Byrne era of Superman.



The connecting concept just does not look that cool, in my opinion.
________________________________________________________

You really shouldn't let depressed people read DC Universe comics.



Or you should at least keep sharp objects from them if you must let them read the books.

I promise that is my lone "The DCU is like the Titanic and Johns/Rucka/Winick are the Co-Captains" reference for the month.

Promise.
________________________________________________________

So, which cover is creepier?





The obvious choice is B, so I will make the case for A.

Look at Power Girl's chest! It is actually NORMAL looking!!

That's got to be creepy, no?
________________________________________________________

I get what McDaniel was TRYING to do with this cover...



...but it really didn't work.
________________________________________________________

Okay, got to give it up...this is a cool idea.



That cover is by Kano, right?

I was disappointed by him becoming Lark's replacement, but that cover is pretty good.
________________________________________________________
CLIFF CHIANG TWO-FACE MONTH!!!

We have this cool looking Green Arrow cover from Mssr. Chiang...



but we also have this dorky looking Gotham Knights cover...



My theory is that prolonged exposure to the suckiness of Gotham Knights destroys anyone.

Sorta like prolonged exposure to radiation.
________________________________________________________

Tara McPherson has a niche, and she does it very well.



This was also a fun series. Recommended.
________________________________________________________

By now, James Jean looks like he draws great covers with his eyes closed.



How is he this good this consistently?!?!?
________________________________________________________

This is Byrne's fourth issue of Action Comics, and his second straight month that another artist did a cover.



I really disliked his first two covers, but I hope they will give him another chance with the covers.
________________________________________________________

OH WAIT! BATMAN OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE AFFECTED DRAMATICALLY BY THE EVENTS OF WAR GAMES!!!

I can so see that flashing through the editors' brains when they came up with this four-part crossover.

Man, War Games was handled so poorly.

But it does give us two strong Jock covers, so that's something!!




________________________________________________________

Another strong Byrne cover for Blood of the Demon...


________________________________________________________

Ugh.



Three issues, Pachecho?!?

You could only get through three issues?!?

I was counting on you to save me from Van Sciver!!
________________________________________________________

I think Alex Ross has officially reached a stage of his career where he has drawn pretty much every possible combination of the Justice League is every possible pose.





That being said, these covers are nice enough.
________________________________________________________

Can it be?!?



Could Donna Troy be back as a cyborg!?!?

Or with life-sustaining armor?!!?

Please tell me it is true!!
________________________________________________________

Put Martin on a better book, please!!



Look how cool this guy draws!!
________________________________________________________

Well, Saiz gave it his best shot with this cover, but the sheer dorkiness of this OMAC guy overwhelmed it.



And if it overwhelmed a GOOD cover, look at what the dorky OMAC guy does to a dorky cover!



YIKES!
________________________________________________________

A bit busy, but this is a nice cover, I think.



I wish the story wasn't so filled with exposition.
________________________________________________________

I RECANT!!



I think these covers actually WILL look cool when you put them together.
________________________________________________________

I think Conner is making Power Girl look like the Pro.



What do y'all think?
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I may not be a fan of the storyline, but this is a cool cover.


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SEVEN SOLDIERS COVERS!

Klarion looks good...



...but Shining Knight looks AWEsome!!


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JG JONES APPRECIATION

Two cool covers (as usual) from Jones this month...




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I do not like this cover.


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Walt Simonson is good.



What a cool cover.
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However, my pick for cover of the month?

No question about it...



Where the heck did THIS come from?!?! Who made a deal with the Devil so that we got something so freaking cool?!!?!?
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Okay, that's it for me, folks!

Feel free to share YOUR prejudices!!

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Thirty Year Old Trash Talk

So Neal Adams gave an interview over at ComicFoundry here, which was pretty interesting (although Adams is so full of it on a lot of points. Take, for instance, this advice he gives artists in negotiations...totally obscuring the part of his advice that included the company "really liking your work." Well, gee, that is going to affect negotiations, isn't it? It is not all that helpful to point out that artists who companies really like are going to have stronger bargaining position, so it seemed silly that Adams spent, like, three paragraphs explaining how artists who companies really want to work with have good bargaining positions.)

In any event, Adams throws out, in his usual frank manner, the following:

Q: Over the years your work has influenced so many people. Is it bad if too many replicate your style?

A: Replicating? Nobody’s replicating. Imitating.

Replicating means they’re as good as I am. Well, that’s not the case because if they’re replicating, they’d just be doing what I was doing – just doing it over again.

You can’t crawl into somebody’s mind to find out what he does. You can find some of the things he does. There’s certain people, if you read their stuff, and you read it 20 years later somehow you still get some big kick or some big joy out of it. Why is that? That’s the intangible intangible.

That’s not to say that people who imitate don’t have some quality of their own. But, like DC Comics is reprinting my Batman, and these volumes that sell for $50 and $75. There are people that have imitated my work. They’re not reprinting their work. They may have imitated it very well, but they’re still not getting reprinting. What is that intangible intangible that causes that to happen? Obviously they’re not replicating. Because if they replicate it, same thing would happen.

So here is my question - who is Adams referring to?

I enjoy comic book history, so I thought this would be interesting to explore...what artists were considered to be Adams imitators back then and never became acclaimed artists (as this has to be what Adams is referring to, as he says that they were never collected) on their own?

Project Superior - Variations on a Theme

Today's You Decide is Project Superior, an anthology put out earlier this year by AdHouse Books.

It is a straightforward concept - 280 pages of 42 comic book creators (or creative teams) doing stories about superheroes.

With the talent compiled for this book, it was bound to be filled with good stories, and that was the case.

I do, however, have a slight problem with the approach to the book by Chris Pitzer, the editor of the collection.

Pitzer went in with a very loose "anything you want to write about superheroes," which is cool.

As he says in a Newsrama interview, "I'm a big believer in letting each creator have as much free reign as possible."

That is cool.

However, he follows, "I wanted to be sure that we didn't have any stories that would be too close to each other in feel. I did get nervous about some of the proposals, but then the finished products have come through amazing."

See, that is where he and I differ, as I agree that it is not super perfect to have the stories too close to each other in feel, but I think that ended up being the case.

Martin Cendreda, Jeremy Tankard and Farel Dalrymple all basically hite the same notes with their stories, which featured the whole "loser in a superhero costume" motif. All three of the stories were well-written, but I do not know if it would not be better if each creator had instead tackled a different subject.

And I lost track of the amount of "superheroes with wacky powers" at about 1,329.

Still, that is a minor drawback that does not hold a candle to the fact that for twenty bucks you are getting over 40 comic stories by more than 40 really cool independent comic book creators (plus John Cassaday!!!).

So I would definitely recommend picking this book up.

With that being said, I will now give my "Top Ten Favorite Stories From Project Superior."

Please note that there are a LOT of cool stories in this collection, and by limiting myself here to ten, I really am not doing the book justice. For instance, the art on James Jean's "Superior" is AMAZING, but I was not a big fan of the story. And this is the kind of story that did not even make my "top ten" list! So do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Project Superior.

On to the list...

10. R. Kikuo Johnson's "Thrustman" gives us an interesting tale of a comic book creator and his creative process.

9. Mike Dawson's "Ace-Face" is a really fun story of a mod with metal arms. The three stories detail his growth into his current heroic stature (note that he had big metal arms even when he was a little kid and the arms were adults size!!!). Funny, but also containing excellent characterizations, Ace-Face is a cool series of stories.

8. Paul Rivoche's "The Last Stand of Bomb Boy Benton" is probably the most traditional of the tales in this collection, telling the story of an alien who helped save Earth in the future, and was treated by having his history rewritten. Tragic, sad tale with actual straightforward heroics (a rarity in this volume) with fine art by Rivoche.

7. Bryan Lee O'Malley's Monica Beetle is a super-cool superhero romp with a touch of the absurd (and even romance!) thrown into the mix, as a young man discovers the girl he's pining over is a superhero!

Really cool stuff by O'Malley.

6. Nick Abadzis' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a mixture of the Luna Brother's Ultra (the celebrity super hero) and the typical postmodern superhero (finds more solace in his interaction with his super-nemesis than with his friends).

5. Seonna Hong's "Do You Know Bruce Lee?" is a whimsical and bittersweet look at how racial stereotypes affect youth.

4. I really dig Street Angel by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca, and their "Afrodisiac" is a lot of the same fun style of comedy as Street Angel.

Totally captures the campy feel of a blacksplotation comic book character.

3. Paul Pope's "The Rest of Xondex-Xomax" is a blast of gritty superhero art as only Pope really can do it, with a quick autobiographical bit at the end that is hilarious, but also very informative of Pope's (and the comic book artist in general, I gather) life.

2. If Hong's story was whimsical and bittersweet, then you would have to multiply by tenfold to match Jay Ryan and Joe Reno's "Plush Boy," which is about a hero who saves people from unwanted presents...but we learn that unwanted presents are not always unNEEDED presents, in an out of nowhere, excellent turn.

1. "No Prize" by Ronnie Del Carmen is just what is describes, a letter from a young Filipino boy in the 70s writing a No Prize request letter to Stan Lee, as the bitter problems of his life pour out almost accidentally in his discourse with his comic book king.

Del Carmen's art is nice, but it is the story that just rips at the ol' heartstrings.

Those are my favorites!

How 'bout y'all?

Anyone who has read Project Superior, which would be your three favorite stories, by your estimation?

This Interview Is Good - Dave Richards with Paul Jenkins

Dave Richards contributes a good news interview with Paul Jenkins here.

What I enjoyed about the interview was that while I really am not that interested in Jenkins' new projects, the interview really did not come off as fawning, which is always good.

In addition, I cannot chastise Richards for not asking "tough" questions because, well, really, what "tough" questions can you give to Jenkins right now?

That is the difference between a "news" interview and a "discussion" interview.

In a news interview, the key is to get information across, while a discussion interview is to critique and challenge said information.

The most controversial thing he is doing is this "Mythos" project which I, for one, think just sounds utterly, bizarrely superfluous.

And, as it is a news interview, the key point is to get across the idea of Mythos so everyone ELSE can decide that it is bizarrely superfluous.

The same with the Sentry mini-series.

However, in the Sentry section, not much is given out, as Jenkins gives no real info except "there's going to be an Earth-shattering" secret revealed (as opposed to a "Internet-breaking" secret). But as it is tied into a future New Avengers arc, it is to be expected.

Next, Jenkins tells us some interesting facts about how writing for a video game differs from writing for comic books. I liked that. Always good to learn something new. And that is one of the most important things about a news interview - have the reader be more informed than the reader was before reading the piece.

Finally, Jenkins shills for some series he is doing with Humberto Ramos that looks amazingly inappropriate for Ramos' style of art (even painted Ramos art).

All in all, this is what I like about a news interview. It demonstrates that the projects being discussed do not have to be interesting for a good news interview, just so long as the information is being distributed in an expressive manner, which was the case here.

I dug it.

I guess I should find a good example of what I consider a good "discussion" interview later...hehe.