Shhhh Secret....

There were hints monts back that Gail Simone was getting her signature title (well at least that is how I think of it), The Secret Six, from the pre-new 52 continuity back. We have scant information, most likely deliberately in this case given her comments in this article here and her reference to Twin Peaks. The article tells that we are at getting the marvelous Catman back and Black Alice who was created by Gail Simone. I know I may be getting my hopes up but I did really live the wild off beat super villain stories Gail told the last time around. With this promised title coming in December, the new Batgirl creative team and Genevieve Valentine writing Catwoman it looks like I will be getting a couple more DC comics monthly...

 

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Dead wood pull list...

Seeing as I have had a lifelong love for comics and one that usually far outstrips my budget I thought I would entertain my favorite hobby by adding a weekly pull list containing the books I actually am getting and a bit of my dream list if money and space were not at issue. I'm diving into it now since a couple of the books I actually buy are possibly on the chopping block and its would be cool to have so e of the get more the a dozen or so issues....

First up some of the books I will be plunking own cash for...

Original Sin 8

Jason Arron and Mike Deodato have actually kept me pretty entertained with this event book; ever since the late 90s I've tended to ignore them because well the 90s quite honestly burnt the bridge with event books for me and as of late the few I've tries haven't hooked me. It was my picking up the zero issue which features Sam Alexander the new Nova on a whim that hooked me, The kitch Easter eggs included in that tale and in the early issues of Jason Arron's really spiced up what was actually a fun version of a murder mystery. The parts of the mystery that we had the clues to, the person who brought together the investigative team actually lead me to the identity of the organizer which was cool, though we know the fallout of the book I'm still actually curious about who did the kill shot on the watcher still. Has it been great throughout... perhaps not but its been a solid story and I liked it enough that well I may look at Axis....

 

OLegendary Starlord 3

Yeah yeah, I know it may be a short lived title but Sam Humphries can actually write some pretty good science fiction esque comics and this one is tinged with a bit of Raiders of the Lost Arc. I actually got a couple of the original magazines with Starlord stories in them way back when because it was a space comic and it reminded me of Space Ghost. This version of Peter Quill is pretty darn close to the movie one, he's a bit Indiana Jones a bit Malcolm Reynolds and a lot John Creighton from Farscape, well at least to me. The first few issues move a bit fast and we don't really get to know his supporting cast much yet but it is so nice to see the relationship that has developed between him and former space adventurer Kitty Pryde. I'm on board for Sam's writing and Medina's art is pretty great too boot. I discovered that I liked Humphries' writing on the sadly no more Avengers A.I. lets hope Legenday Starlord does not suffer the same fate....

 

Rocket Racoon 3

You probably thought this was coming after I gushed about Peter Quill and you were so right. Even if the Guardians movie was not the awesome that it is I would have wanted this; Scotty Young is both writing and drawing Rocket's first solo story since well probably Mike Mignola way back when. Its pretty cool that Marvel is doing crazy fun things like this that are considered in regular continuity like they did back before all the grim and gritty took hold and seemingly refused to let go. Scotty Young has been producing some of the funniest covers and I am so tempted to get his Oz books because they look so damn cool. The first couple issues of this series are the crazy, weird bombastic kind of fun I expect to sometimes see in 2000AD once and a while... I like the weird breaking the fourth wall comic nods that Mr Young is throwing in and something a bit crazy and light hearted, wildly coloured to lighten the grim dark mode is exactly what I need at times...anyway I hope it won't have a short lifespan ...

 

 

Captain America 24

I have been an on again and off again reader of Rick Remender's run on Cap and I think that may be because like his Uncanny Xforce and Jonathan Hickman's work on FF and Avengers it reads much better in collections then it does month to month. In reading through the series I cam to like the character of Jet Black a lot but the big draw for me in the return of Sam Wilson the Falcon who is one of my favorite comic character when I was a kid. I recall fondly having a Cap and Falcon story drawn by Jack Kirby that I read and re-read quite a few times. I don't know if it was a reprint from earlier in his tenure at Marvel or if was after his return but I can still picture the cover and some of the panels from it. Once I noticed Sam was back I started picking up Cap again and well I'm probably on board for the soon to happen relaunch. The book has been a mix of super hero, super science and secret agent stories....

 

 

Black Widow 10

This is another title that I have been into and out of which is pretty much a financial choice and its probably one I need to change. Black Widow looks a lot at Natasha's private life and the missions she takes to make amends for her past; the coloring in this comic is a very unique soft pallet that makes it look like little else on the super hero side of the shelf. This issue is an especially attractive one to me because of the Hawkeye appearance given the short time life for his comic this may just be my replacement for it. I've come to enjoy comics like this that look at the non costumed part of my favorite characters lives. Luckily for me but not us much for my entertainment budget there is a collection of the early issues in this series out there I may just have to get soon.

 

And now for a bit of the if I had the money part of the pull list...

Concrete Park 1

This is a title that all I know about this other then I really like the look of the book and I heard the story from Darh Horse Presents a while back was good... Here is the synopsis for those interested...

A troubled young outcast from Earth awakens on a distant desert planet that’s gripped by gang war. Will the exiles of Scare City destroy each other or create something surprising, beautiful, and new? Concrete Park returns with volume 2’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T arc—a sexy sci-fi saga by Tony Puryear (Eraser) and Erika Alexander!

Justice League 33

I'll be totally honest here the draws for me for this issue have little to do with my love for the old Justice League and more to do with the cool new players in this book Lex Luthor being the main reason. I know he will not be a hero forever or even for any long length of time but given that the other members are so bland now Lex is the most interesting thing to happen to the league in a long time. I also like the idea of Captain Cold being there as well as this new character wielding the power ring. Also one of my favorite abused teams in the DC universe if the Doom Patrol and their presence makes me really consider this book...

 

 

 

 

The last item this week I'd dearly love to have the disposable income to grab is the 75th anniversary boc from Marvel... All that great work from Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Gene Tuska and Stan Lee to name just a few is calling me but I probably will need to just get the one or two I can afford if that....

 

 

 

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Dead wood pull list...

Seeing as I have had a lifelong love for comics and one that usually far outstrips my budget I thought I would entertain my favorite hobby by adding a weekly pull list containing the books I actually am getting and a bit of my dream list if money and space were not at issue. I'm diving into it now since a couple of the books I actually buy are possibly on the chopping block and its would be cool to have so e of the get more the a dozen or so issues....

First up some of the books I will be plunking own cash for...

Original Sin 8

Jason Arron and Mike Deodato have actually kept me pretty entertained with this event book; ever since the late 90s I've tended to ignore them because well the 90s quite honestly burnt the bridge with event books for me and as of late the few I've tries haven't hooked me. It was my picking up the zero issue which features Sam Alexander the new Nova on a whim that hooked me, The kitch Easter eggs included in that tale and in the early issues of Jason Arron's really spiced up what was actually a fun version of a murder mystery. The parts of the mystery that we had the clues to, the person who brought together the investigative team actually lead me to the identity of the organizer which was cool, though we know the fallout of the book I'm still actually curious about who did the kill shot on the watcher still. Has it been great throughout... perhaps not but its been a solid story and I liked it enough that well I may look at Axis....

 

OLegendary Starlord 3

Yeah yeah, I know it may be a short lived title but Sam Humphries can actually write some pretty good science fiction esque comics and this one is tinged with a bit of Raiders of the Lost Arc. I actually got a couple of the original magazines with Starlord stories in them way back when because it was a space comic and it reminded me of Space Ghost. This version of Peter Quill is pretty darn close to the movie one, he's a bit Indiana Jones a bit Malcolm Reynolds and a lot John Creighton from Farscape, well at least to me. The first few issues move a bit fast and we don't really get to know his supporting cast much yet but it is so nice to see the relationship that has developed between him and former space adventurer Kitty Pryde. I'm on board for Sam's writing and Medina's art is pretty great too boot. I discovered that I liked Humphries' writing on the sadly no more Avengers A.I. lets hope Legenday Starlord does not suffer the same fate....

 

Rocket Racoon 3

You probably thought this was coming after I gushed about Peter Quill and you were so right. Even if the Guardians movie was not the awesome that it is I would have wanted this; Scotty Young is both writing and drawing Rocket's first solo story since well probably Mike Mignola way back when. Its pretty cool that Marvel is doing crazy fun things like this that are considered in regular continuity like they did back before all the grim and gritty took hold and seemingly refused to let go. Scotty Young has been producing some of the funniest covers and I am so tempted to get his Oz books because they look so damn cool. The first couple issues of this series are the crazy, weird bombastic kind of fun I expect to sometimes see in 2000AD once and a while... I like the weird breaking the fourth wall comic nods that Mr Young is throwing in and something a bit crazy and light hearted, wildly coloured to lighten the grim dark mode is exactly what I need at times...anyway I hope it won't have a short lifespan ...

 

 

Captain America 24

I have been an on again and off again reader of Rick Remender's run on Cap and I think that may be because like his Uncanny Xforce and Jonathan Hickman's work on FF and Avengers it reads much better in collections then it does month to month. In reading through the series I cam to like the character of Jet Black a lot but the big draw for me in the return of Sam Wilson the Falcon who is one of my favorite comic character when I was a kid. I recall fondly having a Cap and Falcon story drawn by Jack Kirby that I read and re-read quite a few times. I don't know if it was a reprint from earlier in his tenure at Marvel or if was after his return but I can still picture the cover and some of the panels from it. Once I noticed Sam was back I started picking up Cap again and well I'm probably on board for the soon to happen relaunch. The book has been a mix of super hero, super science and secret agent stories....

 

 

Black Widow 10

This is another title that I have been into and out of which is pretty much a financial choice and its probably one I need to change. Black Widow looks a lot at Natasha's private life and the missions she takes to make amends for her past; the coloring in this comic is a very unique soft pallet that makes it look like little else on the super hero side of the shelf. This issue is an especially attractive one to me because of the Hawkeye appearance given the short time life for his comic this may just be my replacement for it. I've come to enjoy comics like this that look at the non costumed part of my favorite characters lives. Luckily for me but not us much for my entertainment budget there is a collection of the early issues in this series out there I may just have to get soon.

 

And now for a bit of the if I had the money part of the pull list...

Concrete Park 1

This is a title that all I know about this other then I really like the look of the book and I heard the story from Darh Horse Presents a while back was good... Here is the synopsis for those interested...

A troubled young outcast from Earth awakens on a distant desert planet that’s gripped by gang war. Will the exiles of Scare City destroy each other or create something surprising, beautiful, and new? Concrete Park returns with volume 2’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T arc—a sexy sci-fi saga by Tony Puryear (Eraser) and Erika Alexander!

 

 

 

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Sunday comics....

 

With issue six Filipe Smith shows how he is doing something different with the story of the All New Ghost Rider and its hero Robbie Reyes. Firstly I will miss the crazy kinetic art of Traad Moore on this title but I have to say that by the second read through I really warmed up to Damien Scott's graffiti influenced lines mixed with manga style and I can say now I dig it and I can look forward to Traad other places. I have my worries about the titles longevity and I think with how much I really loved the new issue I have to give it a bit of review age and signal boost.

From the first issue All new Ghost Rider read like a mix of east and west comic images tropes and sensibilities; since I've been a long time Japanese anime, superhero and manga fan it did touch that Devilman, Fist of the Northstar, Baribari Densetsu and Riding Bean fan in me as well as my enjoyment of the Spirit of Vengence. Looking into Filipe's background he's got a very interesting history in comics including the fact he's one of the few western creators who has written and drawn Japanese manga in Japan and been a success. He has also worked on several american comics and strangely this is the first project where he actually has to produce scripts for his stories. Coming from a manga background he is used to both writing and drawing his stories but I would not have guessed that from reading the series. I would love to interview him about his history in manga and his influences.

The All New Ghost Rider is set in a poorer neighborhood in Los Angeles about teenager Robby Reyes, high school student car mechanic and guardian for his differently abeled brother. The series wastes no time throwing us into his life and his extra curricular activities that include borrowing cars he's working on for the garage and using them to street race for more money to support him and his brother. He's not the obvious nerd in school, he's not the popular kid he is just one with more adult respincibilites then most. By the end of the first issue he finds himself on the wrong end of the henchmen of Hyde/Dr. Zabo's guns and in the gunsights of a local gang banger.... oh and also most probably dead in an alley. He soon becomes the racing suited cool helmeted skull visaged character with the flame effects and the flameing wheeled supernatural muscle car.

The series proceeds apace as you'd want with a muscle car centric theme. It has as much in common with my memories of Speed Racer ad it does with the Fast and Furious film franchise. The first story keeps it focus on the players in LA, there are no guest appearances; no ubiquitous Wolverine, Spider-Man or Avengers guest shot. Robbie has to deal with the violence invading his neighborhood and life in addition to the mysterious ghost that he's now bound to who has yet to reveal anything about itself. As the second act opens with new art that is more graffiti influenced that take some getting used to but Damien Scott the artist seems a good choice given the not totally super hero nature of the story.

I'm really writing this to hopefully creat interest in the story because I'm worried it is not hitting its possible audience. Robbie seems a great new addition to the diversity in the marvel universe given he is Hispanic and he's certainly a different sort of character then the usual and the story is going somewhere else then the usual coming of age teenager tale. He is someone saddled with much more responcibility then usual and I think it will be an interesting journey to see him grow into being a local hero. The opening of issue six points to the neighborhood thinking they have a hero of their own and one I'd love to see him get the chance to become. There is a collection of 1-5 coming out so its likely to be easy to check out soon and the current story promises an appearance by the second Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze....

So yeah a plea to keepa superhero horror comic out there for those of us who dig them.... The collection comes out Oct 14th.....

 

Here is the cover of issue ... 7

 

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Forever Buddy Drama...

Forever Evil collected edition by Geoff Johns and Daniel Fitch

Last year in the fall DC comics stirred up their New 52 universe by introducing the new version of the a Crime Syndicate from the pre crisis era DC. This evil version of the Justice League arrives and claims to have killed the Justice Leage and now rule the world. This seven issue series spotlighted the villains of the DC universe particularly Lex Luthor as the heroes of the story; much of the narration of this tale is from his voice. For me the book certainly has its moments and though I didn't love it I did like it enough to reccommend it to DC comic fans who have been a little let down by the recent reboot of the universe.

For the uninitiated the Crime Syndicate is the evil mirror versions of the Justice League; Ultraman/Superman, Superwoman/Wonder Woman, Owlman/Batman, Power Ring/Green Lantern, Jonny Quick/ Flash and adds Deathstorm/Firestorm, Atomica/Atom, Grid/Cyborg to the mix respectively with compareible powers if darker and more bent personalities. Though its cool to see these characters again since their last appearances the cast of other ne'er do wells that are the stars of this boob is pretty big for this book give the old earth 3 villains little time in the spotlight. Surprisingly Grid, one of the new creations who is the creepy counterpart/part of Cyborg, felt like he most personality overall having more interactions with the other syndicate members than the rest. The characters that really shone in this story were Lex Luthor, his creation B-zero (yup its who you think), Captain Cold and Black Manta with a backup band of Black Atom, Sinestro, who have their cool moments too. There are Hero's in evidence but they amount to hostages and mere bit players in my opinion like many villains are in their books.

So why would you want to read a book that stars the heel? Well, Lex is a heel don't get me wrong he may do an overall good in this book but his some of his action show he's still the loveible self centered sociopath he's always been. Johns makes him if not heroic pragmatic because he has no intention of bending knee to the Syndicate and as it turns out he is not the only one. To let you all know I have been enjoying the villain centric books recently like Magneto, Sinestro, and the Superior Foes of Spider-Man so its likely no surprise I like this one too. Lex who tells most of the story in his own voice tells a lot about himself, he knows how people think about him and over the course of the seven issues I got a feeling he learned that though he thinks he knows himself the person that comes out of the experience of fighting alongside his creation and other he has changed if just a bit. That is the strength of the story, the growth that happens to the players. I was saddened by so,e of the outcomes and am really tempted to follow the further adventurs of Lex and Captain cold as part of the new justice league. There are a few kitchy surprises in Forever Evil and some of the bit players, those being the overexposed Batman and his partner here, Catwoman have some nice characterful interchanges.

The art by David Fitch is as exaggerated as you might expect for someone who started his career working for image but his style has grown over the years and developed into something very fun to look at. His faces are expressive and saying he made a character who basically all mechanical like Grids emotive might say its all on that front. The art tends towards dark and moody with many scenes taking place in caves, sewers tunnels and cities in a state of disrepair and balances that with bombastic displays of power, flames and lightning all those pretty energy blast colors so its funny that the things that win the day are subtleties. Its a very lice book to look at and his redesigns of the characters are great since they include a sketchbook section.

All in all Johns and Fitch give good treatment to this tale about how the bad guys can be the heroes too because well they have to live in this world too and well some things are unacceptable even if your the bad guy. The last few pages sets up future stories, some of the syndicate are still out there and there is something darker on the horizon. Maybe it didn't hit on all cylinders for me but if you like to see a cool buddy story between a man and his monster doing right this should be on your list. Forever Evil collected edition is out September 9th from DC comics in hardcover.

 

 

 

 

 

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Dynamic Duo

All round one of the best DC comics I have read in years; it was conceived long before the New 52 and it was as enjoyable for if not more so then the the new 52s Green Lantern that ended Geoff Johns run and th aren Red Lanterns book. Bloodspell takes two of DC's long extant fishnet wearing heroines and gives them both the opportunity to have real character agency and does it with truly georgeous art and style. This book brought me joy as a comics reader for more then just its exiting and fun story that avoided the grim and dark that has gripped the new DC; Dini and Quinoes have a real grasp for DC's long and rich history and delivers hints of it throughout the story, art and even page layouts.

The story is one that mixes just a few story elements and comes out with something glorious like the best Italian and Indian recipes that not have five ingredients or less. The story that brings them together starts with a foiled caper in Las Vegas where Black Canary goes undercover and gets trapped in a magical curse. The story may lean towards slapstick at times but the stakes are at the highest, lives are at stake. Among some pretty hideous offscreen deaths Satanna gets pulled into the story when Dinah goes to her for help realizing what she faces is beyond her ken. Along the way we get a road tale that includes flashbacks that refer to different eras, styles and costumes across DC history as it was. Bloodspell for me is a bit of a love letter to the past and makes me want more of this duo, this fishnet duo.

Paul Dini and Joe Quinones apparently originally pitched this sometime in 2005 and its a great thing to have this stand alone team up tale spotlighting these versions of the characters. The story takes Black Canary and Zatanna their pre heroine days meeting in the Himalayan alps to their then current adventuring lives Zatanna on her own and Dinah as partner to Green Arrow in his goatee style era. The story has the fun tongue in cheek yet serious action that Paul Dini does so well and the art by Joe Quinones somehow straddles that gap between realism and warner brothers cartoonish ness that few artists pull off so well. This is one of those books that pops off the pages in ways 3d comics desperately aspire to. And though I got the opportunity to read this as an advance reader I'm more then tempted to get a real copy because I seldom see a project like this that seemed produced with so much love and care; the book includes the pitch, the script, unfinished pages and design work. Its too good to pass up for fans of female character written so well and for art so detail rich and lovingly rendered.

This edition collects not just the story and its glorious art and story, they give us the initial pitch, the script which is hardly ever included and design work from Joe so this book is like a blue ray disk version of the book. If you love comics with heart that will give you much more then the usual this is one to have especially if your familiar with DC history all the better. Five stars out of five. Bravo....

 

 

 

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Mindless ones and Z-listers

 

So I know there will be lots of reviews and thoughts on this out there and since I love comics and particularly enjoyed this and the zero issue of Original Sin I thought why not add some reviewey comments to the mix. Jason Aaron pulled some particularly nice bits of storytelling together I. This issue given how crowded it was and managed to move both his story and they mysteries along quite well. He manages to hit most of his cast and throws in the a whole heap of monsters and some little used characters along the way. He writes some great dialogue along the way that winds up being both characterful and funny as well as drives the story along. Some of the "mystery figures" from issue one are revealed and many many more questions are raised. Mike's are is solid pretty much throughout and clear despite the mood lighting in some scenes and the opening scenes following Black Panther, the White Queen and Antman into the monster graveyard (the preview has been up a while that shows this but apologies none the less for spoilers.

It left me quite happily entertained and looking forward to leaning more about what is going on. Just enough was revealed to give me some hints as to the timing of the so called original sin and I'm really interested to see how it all its together. Also seeing some truly obscure seventies characters come out of the woodwork was pretty fun; it made me look again at some of the murkier scenes from issue one. Truely this one is aces if you have a grasp of some marvel history and this makes me want to get some of the pre superhero boom marvels....

So yeah I'd say this is one crossoverey story can reccommend. Though issue one felt a bit crowded and not quite there between the touching zero issue starring the new Nova Sam Alexander and this one I'd so get into Nick's flying car for this ride....

Five stars out of five.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok that's a bit of room just in case

 

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