So that is my question.... With my reviews of fiction and comics does anyone have a wish that I would take up a rating scale like a five star or a one to ten scale.... I look at these if places have them but sometimes its all I look at rather then what the reviewer in question liked... So what you think...
Original Sin 8
So I guess the big question here is did Jason Aaron, Deodado and Martin stick the landing with their murder mystery story; the answer for me is yeah, they did deliver on the promises they made. I might have liked to been surprised by a last minute gotcha but with the way they set up the clues early on I did know who the killer was I just did not know why and that was the point of this story. Original Sin shoehorns into continuity a new storyline for Nick Fury Sr. as more then just a super spy but as a early guardian for the earth as a whole against monsterous, cosmic and magical threats. I won't give away anything else but will say that they story has a sort of consistency with Marvel's long comics history and Jason wrote the characters he chose to work with quite well considering the huge cast he ends up with in the finale. In terms of event books this one does change the status quo for some of the players in pretty significant ways, introducing some possibly interesting twists to others not involved in the story and sets up some of the interesting changes to come this and in the following months. Is it essential reading for every marvel or comics fan, possibly not but if you like the less white hat side of the Marvel universe, are enjoying the current New Avengers series with its take on Namor, which I particularly am, and like seeing history expanded even if it is a bit of ret-con this was a pretty solid story.
Another reason to go snatch these up if you have not yet in addition to the very cool Art Adams alternate covers is to see what is coming for the Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes; getting easy access to the solicitations as we do not we know about the new title so part of the end of Original Sin is kind of spoiled unless you avoid all the comic news sites and if you do bully for you. Its an event story I'm glad I got and its been a while since I felt that or actually got more then just the first issue of any of the big stories. (Possibly will do a full review after I re read it all....)
Legendary Starlord 3
Three issues three different jail cells for Peter Quill and three escapes; he certinly learned some useful skills hanging around Rocket and references WWRRD (what would.... You get the picture) in this issue. This issue finds him incarcerated with a Badoon tween and an agent of Spartax after he gets betrayed by a pretty face and has to call long distance to a certain mutant love interest of his for a bit of aid. Humphries and Medina with the fun story and cool art in this one often made me smile and laugh out loud in this third done in one story as they set up their bigger storyline our legendary rogueish hero. This series to me feels a lot like an old Hollywood science fiction serieal like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and the like, the stories are fast moving and introduce characters fast and on the fly. To me this book is a hell of a lot of fun and Paco Mendina has developed into a very deft artist... his work is clean, defined and the right choice for an action adventure story like this. I miss this kind of thing, we don't get action stories that can laugh at themselves too much in the superhero field these days.
Rocket Racoon 3
As you might expect from my enjoyment of Legendary Star-lord I'm enjoying Rockets title. I don't know if this title is for everyone, the title I would compare it to is the Lobo book from back in the nineties that gravitated towards violent comedy and Keith Giffen's brand of over the top humor. Scotty Young is pulling from way way back in the Rocoons story for this and I feel like I have to go get the Groot and Rocket collection to really appreciate what he is doing overall but I am enjoying the hell out of it and one moment of this had me laughing outloud to the point of my girlfriend asking what was so funny... By the way she loved the Guadians movie and she's not a mainstream comics person... Don't know why I threw that in but I think this and Legendary Starlord are comics that may just need some champions to do a bit of signal boosting....
Justice League 33
Ok I will say DC continues to do things that are interesting to me like grabbing the Crime Syndicate for the last crossover and making the bromance between Lex and B-zero the heart of the story. Making Luthor part of the Justice League, his face off with Bruce for the last few issues renews my interest in the book. The New 52 hasn't really done much that I've dug but they do get me try books on and off like this issue that had the Doom Patrol which I've always loved in past incarnations and a new female Power Ring and had its high points but overall I'm still at the point I was before readin it.... I like the take on Lex and I'm intrigued by the new Niles Caulder and have hopes for a neat strong female character from Power Ring but I'm still left cold by the majority of the starts of the book otherwise. Unlike the above books this one I can't reccommend buying one unless your enjoying the book as a whole. I may be back for the next issue but I can say is they made a team based around Luthor and Captain Cold I'd probably be the for it...
Of the books I've gotten to of my purchases Iron Fist 5 is likely to be my last.... I actually liked some of it but its so far from the character I love and remember from the old days that though Andrews' is a capeable writer and has hooked me for some of it Danny Rand is falling too flat for me..
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...
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....
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!
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
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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