Archive for the ‘DISCUSS’
RICO’S PICK :: ALL ACTION CLASSICS NO. 4 :: THE WIZARD OF OZ: L. Frank Baum’s Classic a seen through the lens of brilliant cartoonist Ben Caldwell. Man! That guy is good!
Jack Kirby’s 95th Birthday :: On Story Endings and the Rapture of Art
Today is Jack Kirby’s 95th birthday. The blogosphere hums with well-deserved tributes to Kirby on this day, and I want to join in the celebration by chatting about a few issues of the Kirby and Stan Lee Fantastic Four run. 
STAFF PICKS :: PHANTOM LADY #1 :: AUGUST 29, 2012
KARLA’S PICK :: PHANTOM LADY #1: This week marks the debut of Phantom Lady #1, the first in a four-part mini-series featuring the Lady herself and her crime-fighting partner Doll Man. Amanda Conner lends her talents to the cover art for this issue, with interiors by the lovely Cat Staggs. I’m excited to see where writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti take this beloved Freedom Fighter and pulp heroine, and though her costume doesn’t look nearly as pin-up as her past incarnations, I’m sure this bombshell won’t disappoint!
STAFF PICKS :: WOLVERINE and the X-MEN #15 :: AUGUST 29, 2012
HEATHER’S PICK :: WOLVERINE and the X-MEN #15: There’s so much to love about this book: Wolverine dealing with a bunch of teenagers, bamfs running amuck through the Jean Grey School and stealing Wolverine’s whiskey all brought to us by Jason Aaron’s excellent sense of humor. Now we add to that an unlikely friendship between one of my favorite, Broo and Tony Stark. I’m also excited to see new students are joining the school and looking forward to the resolution of the AVS storylines. As always, do not feed the bamfs.
REVIEW :: BEFORE WATCHMEN
What makes a good comic book is up for debate. Content-wise, there is no real consensus to be polled. But if the prevailing business model at the Big Two is any indication, good comic books come from the Big Event. There’s a definite thrill to seeing our humble little industry mentioned in grown up newspapers when editors pull stunts like guest-starring the President, but the constant barrage of reboot and crossover can also grow tiresome and desensitizing. It can leave an audience a little cold, especially after the initial buzz of the press release.
It almost goes without saying that no event straddled the gulf between content and concept quite like DC’s Before Watchmen. When the project was announced, the Interwebs lit up with endless flame wars about the merits of such an undertaking. The lines were drawn with a clarity and conviction that was palpable, even for the obsessive comic book fan. Now that DC has completed the roll-out last week with the first issue of Dr. Manhattan, here’s a bucket list of how the books measure up to their source material. (Note: the following views are the author’s own and do not represent Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find, Inc. or any of its affiliates – ed.)
Click through for Justin’s Before Watchmen Report Card!
STAFF PICKS :: INFERNAL MAN-THING #3 :: AUGUST 29, 2012
JUSTIN’S PICK :: INFERNAL MAN-THING #3: The late, great Steve Gerber’s final script gets the royal treatment via fully painted art from modern master Kevin Nowlan. This story is a sequel of sorts to an issue Gerbs wrote during his Man-Thing stint in the 70s, a run that is now regarded as a classic. Pick up these three issues and find out why.
STAFF PICKS :: COMICS REVUE PRESENTS :: AUGUST 29, 2012
ANDY’S PICK :: COMICS REVUE PRESENTS AUG 2012: For any of you who have considered delving into the treasure trove of comic strip reprints, Comics Revue is the absolute perfect place to start. Since 1984, Revue has been publishing healthy chunks of some of the greatest comic strips to ever grace the newspaper comic section. Currently, the all-star line-up includes: Flash Gordon from the 1960s written by the late great Harry Harrison! Modesty Blaise! Dick Moore’s run on Gasoline Alley! Tarzan Sunday pages by Russ Manning! Milt Caniff’s Steve Canyon, Alley Oop from the ’40s, Roy Crane’s Buz Sawyer from the early 60s! (it’s still awesome!) Krazy Kat dailies from the 30s, Secret Agent Corrigan by Williamson and Goodwin and tons more–The Phantom, Latigo, Tarzan dailies, Mandrake the Magician, Rick O’Shea and a one of the great under- appreciated humor strips, Sir Bagby!
You don’t need to try this particular issue, any one on the Heroes shelf will do. It is such an ideal comic anthology. You will find things you love, things you like a lot and things you can live without. But once you get a real taste of classic comic strips, the one thing you can’t live without is the bi-monthly dose of Comics Revue.
HEROES REVIEW :: CONCRETE: THREE UNEASY PIECES
Every few years Paul Chadwick puts out a new Concrete story or series through Dark Horse Comics. It’s one of those books that seems to slip past readers’ periphery in spite of the copious amounts of critical praise it’s received over the years. Bottom line, Concrete is a book that has maintained relevance over its 25 year history, and the new Three Uneasy Pieces one shot is a fine place to start if you’ve at all been curious about the character.
First things first, I should point out that this new one shot isn’t really brand new, but collects three short stories as they appeared in the recent relaunch of Dark Horse Presents. That title has been consistently good since the relaunch, but if you’re among those who don’t like putting down $8 a month for a new anthology, this gives you a chance to read the latest Concrete stories for the low price of $2.99.
So what’s the appeal of Concrete? Imagine if a more philosophical version of Ben Grimm went out to space and was transformed into The Thing, only to return to a completely normal Earth with nary a costumed hero or villain in sight. How would he make sense of his new body and life? How would he spend his time and energy? One of the consistently pleasing aspects of Concrete is how Chadwick allows the character to experience the mundane in spite of his lumbering new physique. It’s a book that relishes quiet moments and isn’t afraid to feature the lead character awash in reflection.
STAFF PICKS ROUND UP :: AUGUST 22, 2012
ANDY’S PICK :: CAPTAIN EASY HC VOL 03 SOLDIER OF FORTUNE: This is the third of a projected 4 Volume Set that collects all the Classic Captain Easy. Sunday pages from the 30s and 40s; written and drawn by Roy Crane–one of the true masters and innovators of the comic form. Few artists had the artistic and storytelling chops to take maximum advantage of the full size Sunday comic page and even fewer artists could successfully combine realistic backgrounds with big foot cartoony figures to make some of the most exciting adventure comics of all time. The stories leap off every page, the chases last for weeks on end, the punches lift the fighters right off the floor, and the reader never wants the action to end and it never does because every week is a cliff hanger. Sure, there are a lot of classic reprints available, but the Captain Easy Sundays is in the small handful of required reading. No collection of Comic Art (with a capital ‘A’) is complete without it.
DOUG’S PICK :: Mind MGMT #4: is not your typical comic book- it’s so good even the paper stock is amazing. Shadowy groups, ambiguous allies and even a flight 815 draw many comparisons to TV’s Lost. This sci-fi mystery is moving at breakneck speed with each issue demanding multiple readings. The main story is of a writer who is investigating a flight where everyone, save one, lost their memories. Writer /artist Matt Kindt uses everything available to immerse you in the story, including the inside covers and margins which give background to the title organization.
HEATHER’S PICK :: JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #12: I was super disappointed when Zatanna’s solo book was absorbed by the New 52 and only grudgingly picked up JL Dark. I didn’t want a team book, I wanted a female centered superhero book. Color me surprised when I enjoyed this new team-up and was happy to be introduced to new-to-me characters. I’ve particularly enjoyed Jeff Lemire’s turn at the storytelling helm as he tackles the House of Mystery and the Books of Magic. If you enjoy your superheroes with a supernatural twist, don’t miss this one.
RICO’S PICK :: LOBSTER JOHNSON: PRAYER OF NEFERU ONE SHOT: Wilfredo Torres provides art on this self contained Lobster Johnson story. Torres’ talents are well displayed depicting Egyptian motifs, bloated fat cats, and the brilliantly designed neo-pulp protagonist, Lobster Johnson. Arcudi and Mignola always deliver a great ride and Dave Stewart drenches the entire Mignolaverse in pitch-perfect color.
SETH’S PICK :: ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #1: The best Rocketeer stories will always be ones by his creator, Dave Stevens. I am, however, really pleased with not only both volumes of Rocketeer Adventures, but also this new four issue mini series from IDW. Mark Waid is tasked with the writing duties, and he’s made a career out writing characters with a clear and respectful understanding of their place in comics history. On Thor: The Mighty Avenger and Captain America and Bucky, artist Chris Samnee showed he could tackle innocent adventure stories and period pieces. More than anything, IDW’s new Rocketeer stories remind us that even if we’ll never be able to see any new art from the late, great Dave Stevens, we can continue to celebrate his legacy with books like this.
BRENT’S PICK :: UNWRITTEN #40: Unwritten has been my favorite series on the racks since it debuted. Easy to pigeonhole as a “Harry Potter” spoof, this thoughtful book left that (admittedly great) jumping off point 30 issues ago. Carey and Gross are crafting a compelling and thoughtful work examining concepts of reality, fiction, history, zeitgeist, and belief. This issue concludes an arc that has seen much of the status quo change for our protagonists. Anything could happen next….!
IZZY’S PICK :: ADVENTURE TIME #7: The reason I chose this book is because I love it! I like Jake because he is super super funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finn is really cool! Finn’s hat is awesome!!! This book is full of challenges and excitement and adventure!!!! I hope you like this book as much as I will!!!!!!
>BONUS PICKS :: BEFORE WATCHMEN: DR. MANHATTAN #1 (ADAM HUGHES!) & SCALPED #60 (The final issue of Jason Aaron & R.M. Guéra’s fantastic crime comic!)
STAFF PICKS :: LOBSTER JOHNSON: PRAYER OF NEFERU ONE SHOT :: AUGUST 22, 2012
RICO’S PICK :: LOBSTER JOHNSON: PRAYER OF NEFERU ONE SHOT: Wilfredo Torres provides art on this self contained Lobster Johnson story. Torres’ talents are well displayed depicting Egyptian motifs, bloated fat cats, and the brilliantly designed neo-pulp protagonist, Lobster Johnson. Arcudi and Mignola always deliver a great ride and Dave Stewart drenches the entire Mignolaverse in pitch-perfect color. Oh yeah, and how about that sweet cover by Tonci Zonjic!
