6 Random Thoughts

Howdy all, some random-ish thoughts on a Friday.

1) Didn't do the June solicitations revues this week as planned because... well, quite frankly because as I looked through them there was hardly anything that caught my eye, for good or for bad. That's not a good sign.

2) Is anyone else experiencing this weird coloring problem in their Marvel comics now and again? Seems like every other comic I get on at least one page there's a weird pink sheen covering the page that gives everything a distinct pinkish tint. It's been happening (that I've noticed) for at least the last year or so. Because I'm a ghetto blogger, I don't have a scanner to display an example, just wondering if anyone else sees this.

3) As I mentioned the other day, just Godland for me this week, and I must say I thought it was a nice return to form after a couple of so-so months. Says a lot though, that even a so-so Godland is typically better than half the big properties from either Marvel or DC in any given month.

4) So, I gave 52 four issues to hook me, it didn't, and I ignored it the rest of the way through. I'm considering doing the same thing with Countdown, but A) I'm in the minority (I guess) in that I don't really want a weekly comic, and B) I'm afraid I might be lost not having read 52. What say you, readers?

5) Also, if you're wondering how to comment on New Joe Mondays over at Atomic, you have to be logged in to the Atomic site to comment. It's a monstrous-looking registration form, but 90% of it isn't required anyway.

6) Finally, here's a fanTAStic way to kill a couple hours at work today: the Euphemism Generator. You're welcome and I'm sorry.

Happy Weekend!

It's Like She Wrote It Just For Me.

Ahem.

Randy let me read his copy of last week's Birds of Prey.

If you haven't read this comic, here's what it contained:

1) The Secret Six.
2) Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League character(s).
3) Hawkgirl getting paid in the universal currency of "sportscar" to take out the Six.
4) Catman licking the Huntress while dancing with her.
5) Secret agent-y spy goodness in the form of a rather James Bond-ian plot
6) Oh yeah, the Birds of Prey.
7) Witty banter, good art and great characterization.

I'm not saying that the comic was written especially for me.

But it sure felt like it.

I decided right then and there that I needed more BoP in my life, so I e-mailed my LCS to add it to the pull list.

When I buy my one comic on my list today (Godland), I'm also picking up last week's BoP.

Gail Simone totally rocks, and that's just the way it is.

Better Know A Hero: Plastic Man

2 Guys Buying Comics has been apprised of the fact that a good portion of our visitors are just getting back into comics. We now present the third installation of our quasi-weekly feature, Better Know A Hero.

Name: Plastic Man

Also Known As: Plas, Eel, Not The Elongated Man Or Mr. Fantastic But The Other Stretchy Guy Who Just Happened To Be The First One Thank You Very Much

Origin: Well, the pre-Crisis version is as follows: shot by a security guard and fell in a vat of acid that gave him super stretchy powers. About to die, he was --- this part is awesome --- saved by monks, whose act of kindness inspired him to turn away from crime and become the world's plastic-est superhero. This is much better than the post-Crisis origin, which includes attempted suicide, mental illness, and other grim and gritty nonsense.

Powers: Well, he can stretch and change his body into any shape or form, which has its advantages, particularly if you're flying coach class on a major airline. In fact, not only can he stretch, he can make himself into damn near anything, including chandeliers, nets, cars, subwoofers, and clocks. Extremely durable (natch), doesn't bleed, immune to telepathy and (one would think) x-rays.

How's The Costume?: Eh, if a laced up red leotard and a pair of goggles is your costume of choice, then... perhaps we need to be letting others make that decision for you, know what I'm saying?

Alter Ego: Patrick "Eel" O'Brian, although it's not so much an alter ego as just a name. You'd think with a name like that, though, he wouldn't get overlooked on all the blogs when they do their "Irish Heroes" tributes on St. Patty's Day.

Can He Fight?: Yeah, although judging from the Jack Cole Plastic Man comics they're not so much fights as "disguises himself as innocuous furniture in the criminal lair, then leaps out of nowhere to wrap them up and deliver them to the police". Which is still pretty cool in its own right.

Allies: Woozy Winks, a sidekick who, depending on the era you're reading, is either a normal person magically protected from harm by, um, nature, OR is a mentally disturbed homeless man. I'm not quite sure which one I prefer, although the name "Woozy Winks" is so Stan Lee-esque I imagine Stan shaking a fist in rage every time he sees it saying, "Damn you, Cole! You got there first!" Also: the police and the Justice League.

Enemies: Bank robbers, brains, spies, gorillas, anyone and everything those wacky Golden Age writers could dream up, liquid nitrogen.

Symbol: Um. Moving on. Nothing to see here.

Family Matters: Well, turns out he has a son, the creatively-named Offspring, who showed up in Kingdom and, sources tell me, in 52.

Might Be Cool To: Invite to parties so your friends can play "Spot the Innocuous Piece of Furniture That's Really Plastic Man In Disguise". (Hint: Look for the object that's mostly red with a smidgen of yellow, black, and a generous dose of pink!)

Under No Circumstances: Ask him to do that trick where he presses his hand down on the Sunday comics and imprint them backwards on his palm. Ask him if he sleeps in an egg.

Annual Performance Review: Haven't seen much of ol' Plas lately, which is strange, because his lighter tone and humor potential would seem like a natural fit for DC's stated objective of a lighter universe post-IC. Too bad Kyle Baker's series was cancelled.

What Makes Him So Special, Anyway?: If you haven't figured it out yet, Plastic Man is a Golden Age creation who ranks among the original superheroes, and what's more, one of the first superhero satires. Played mostly for laughs, and even later when they brought him into the JLA he served as mostly comic relief. You're telling me there's no space in the JSA for this legacied Golden-Ager? Hmpf. Also: DC has printed 7 or 8 Archive volumes of the original Plas material (which seems like a lot), so if you're looking for a good place to start, there it is.

Randy's Ye Olde Meme

And, what the hell was I thinking when I did this? Oh yeah, alcohol free!!

Ye Olde Kirby Meme

So, Ye Olde Comick Booke Blogge has a Kirby self-portrait meme, where we are tasked to fill in the speech bubble.

I humbly submit the following.

Well, Shit.

Marshall Rogers has passed away.

Damn.

Thanks for the memories and the comics, sir.

New Joe Mondays has Moved!

And now, a Very Special Announcement™ regarding 2GBC's New Joe Mondays:

Ahem.

From now on, every Monday you can find New Joe Mondays over at Atomic Comics' excellent blog, webmastered by good buddy and Atomic employee Jake Bell (of Ye Olde Comick Booke Blogge fame)!

BTW, if you haven't yet perused the Atomic blog, please do so --- it's every bit as creative and fun as you'd expect from Jake, and hella well-produced to boot.

Of course, I'll remind you good folk about NJM here every Monday with a link, like this one.

New Joe Mondays, 3/26

Enjoy!

Update!

Quick update: check back here this afternoon for a Very Special Announcement regarding New Joe Mondays.

Also this week: Better Know A Hero, solicitations revue, and comic reviews from last week and this week!

Randy Reviews March 21

Greetings one and all!! I bought books, and let me tell you, I really want to tell you about them. Not a bad book in the lot. I was very very pleased with the books this week. Without further ado, and spoiler-free too, here they are.

Amazing Spider-Man #539
Back in Black, Pt. 1 of 5

Yes, yes, I bought into the hype. Or at least I'd thought I'd give it a try. I am a fan of JMS from his Babylon 5 days. I haven't been a big of fan in his comics writing days.Don't get me wrong, he usually weaves a good tale. The problem is the weave- sometimes it takes sooooo long to get there, and then its just kinda punchless.Regardless, its usually a good tale. This book is not the case. Its a great tale, and I am very glad that I picked it up.
Its raw. That's the easiest way to put it. Its Peter Parker raw. This book is just full of pure, raw emotion, and never, ever lets up. We all know how its going to end, its not meant to be a suprise any longer with the THOUSANDS of news posts and such (anyone miss the old days when we could be shocked and taken aback by comic happenings?) But the end of this chapter is well-played out. The art, at first, I was not happy with. But, as I re-read it, it too, just helps to emphasize the pure raw emotion of Peter Parker. I don't ever recall seeing a character ever being this...driven?
I really wasn't expecting much- I got a great surprise though at the end, when I found that this was really well done! This is no longer your whiny, fun, down-to-earth Spider-Man. This one you can really fear.
Rating: 4/5. This is a Peter Parker/Spider-Man that I would not ever want to face! And I really liked that in this character.

Warbird #13
The Deal, Pt. 1 of 2

I cannot say enough of how boring and bad this book was during CW. It really screwed with the character, and you could tell it was all forced during this time.Finally, I am happy to say, that this issue reverts to its former...better self.We have an unhappy Warbird. You can tell that she is not happy about CW, and really reflects that ESPECIALLY with a great piece involving Iron Man. Its made JUST FOR YOU CHRIS!!
This ish explains a bit about why she was chosen to lead the Mighty Avengers (and the Mighty part too!), what she will be doing in her solo book, and the NICE!! ride she now has. Must be nice to have DoS Tony Stark in your hip pocket. Sigh. If only we could all know someone like that.
I will say that I do not care for the cover. Its just too...pretty for me. Too touched up. It is pretty, dont' get me wrong. Just...eh..I don't know...to model-ish. The interior art was up to my par though, and suits the book well.
Warbird now has all kinds of directions to go, and I can foresee lots of tales that can be told here.
I was actually looking to drop this book, but this one issue will keep me onboard for a couple more, especially now that I like the direction it has taken.
Rating: 3/5. Started kinda slow, and was left a bit unexplained later. The Tony bits are great, especially my second favorite scene of the week.

Brave and the Bold #2
Lords of Luck: Ventura Chapter 2

Why is it that Supergirl is so well done OUTSIDE of her own book? The banter between characters was very strong, they played well off each other, and holy crap was Supergirl NOT HILARIOUS when she um, dressed down? Was it completely outlandish? Abso-friggin-lutely, and I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. I could not stop laughing my ass off when she did that from her chat with Green Lantern.

Mark Waid is a great writer- am I coming to that conclusion way late in the game? Fun, fun and more fun is this book. It was very wordy in parts, but the dialogue was so well done that I honestly just wanted to read more. I want this team-up more, due to the repercussions that COULD happen! All I will say is "Poor Hal", as I laugh just typing this. I just laughed again just thinking of of Supergirls reactions to Hal when she um "goes into disguise mode". Oh, and there is a part with Batman and the new Beetle too. I really enjoyed the Beetle's scenes in that discussion. I'm loving the "kids vs. the pros" vibe I"m getting from this book.
Rating: 5/5. I'm sorry gang, this just couldn't be funnier, with great dialogue, great action, and just overall a really strong book. Great job to Waid and Perez!!

X-Factor #17

This was the only "average" book of the week, which is certainly not a down turn because X-Factor has been a strong read every month. And this trend continues. Great dialogue again between Madrox and Layla, Rictor and Rahne (though I still tire of Rictor every month, but at least he's not a dick!) and Madrox and the end-game character, Val Cooper.

As usual, good intentions go sour. X-Factor is dragged into the middle again. And lots of ice cream too boot. At this point though I'd rather start to see more team interaction, less Madrox collecting his dupes. Each one of those could be stories themselves (see last ish) and would rather see these played out elsewhere. At least they are much more readable in small chunks like was done in this issue.
Rating: 3/5. Always on the good side. As I mentioned, I would like to see more team action. But great dialogue that didn't bog me down.

Birds of Prey #104
Whitewater Part 1: Crystal Ascension

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to present my book of the week! This book has everything I want in a book.I have my favorite writer, Gail. I have the Secret Six. I have heroes in disguise. I have heroes in disguise having fun at the expense of others. I have action. I have great dialogue amongst EVERYONE. And, I have a rocking surprise at the end. (Side Note: this surprise has been revealed on a Newsarama interview with Gail. (I read all the interviews with Gail.)I thought Brave and the Bold was a fun book?! This one was even more of a ride than that one! I do so love the Barda reactions to situations. She has been a great change of pace to this book.Basically: BoP needs to steal something. Secrex Six needs to protect something. We all know where that is going to lead.
Rating: 5/5. I would go higher, but I'll behave. As I said, this book has everything that I could want in a book.

Bonus Review:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 8, #1, The Long Way Home, Part 1

1. 
   I so neglected to review this book last week. Basically because I'm just dumb and spaced it.
2. 1. Did I like the book? Yes, I liked it. Didn't love it.
   2. Do you need to know the tv series? Honestly, yes you do to understand the ending. That was a little disappointing, as I had heard you could just pick this up and run with it, especially for new readers. For fans of the show, they are going to love it.
   3. Was it true to how the characters were based? Yes, the dialogue was dead on, but it should be, given who is writing the book.
   4. How was the art? Eh. Meh. Some characters were "pictured" like their characters. Buffy was not. Well, except for the cover art. Do I really need exact likenesses? Nah, and the action was captured very well.
   It jumps right from the Season 7 finale, and does a great job with that.
   However, I do not like the 1600 or so slayers around the world being a task force fighting evil wherever it may be. Its Buffy, the Slayer.
   THE.
   SLAYER.
   Singular. Not plural. That's not really the story I want to read. I want to read Buffy. The Gang. Their adventures.
   Am I still going to buy the book? Yes, I will be. I have hope that things will improve, and besides, as a fan of the tv show, and season 6 sucking ass, I stuck with it thru 7, which wasn't horrible.

Rating: 3/5. Still giving it a good rating, as I do enjoy the characters, and it left me looking forward to next ish with the "antagonist". And dagnabbit, gimme some Giles! Wait, did that sound wrong...?

Bleh.

I've come down with the Sumatran Death Flu, so nothing but soup, TV, and Essential Avengers Vol. 5 and Showcase Presents House Of Mystery for me today.

More later, especially if Randy gets his comics today.

New Joe Mondays 3/19

Every Friday, Newsarama slaps on a fresh coat of chapstick, buys a new dress and sidles up to Marvel's E-i-C for a little "Q & A". On Mondays, we here at 2 Guys Buying Comics will translate some of the bullshit pandering hucksterism interview for you good people. Some text has been edited for brevity's sake. You can reference the actual article at Newsarama here.

Newsarama: Most of the questions [about Captain America #25] centered on why you choose the story to allowed to be spoiled via the mainstream press, with many fans commenting that while sites like Newsarama included some level of spoiler warning, if one simply happened to check CNN.com in the morning, they couldn’t protect themselves against having the story spoiled for them.

JQ: Simple - the only place we went to break the news was the New York Daily News for that Wednesday morning. Anyone who picked it up from there did so of their own accord. Once it hit the AP wire, its up to individual news outlets to pick up the story and decide what coverage to give it if at all.Their call, not ours and totally out of our control.

Translation: Maybe I can get this out with a straight face. Ahem: All we did was leak the news to the sixth largest circulated newspaper in the United States! How were we supposed to know everybody else would pick it--- HAHAHA, nope, can't do it. Almost had it, though!

Commentary: Joe. Joe, Joe, Joe. Just--- stop, willya? I mean, really. Quit acting like you had no idea that the cigarette you dropped in the forest would start the fire.

------------------------------------------------------

Hawk fan: In other words, without undermining the event, why should we take this "death" any more seriously then his previous two?

JQ: Hawk fan, another great question. I honestly don’t know that answer other than we’re taking it seriously at Marvel and the rest is really up to you. While I’m not going to spoil our future plans, I can tell you that I think you’ll dig where we’re going.

Translation: I have no idea! Also: keep reading! See what I did there? I put the onus of validating the story on you, the reader, instead of the storytellers! Smooooooove, Joe!

Commentary: To be fair, I'm not sure that there is a proper answer to that question. Oh, wait. How about, "Because we've planned an entire mega-story around this event and carefully constructed a rich plot and exploration of the loss of an icon and brought in some classic creators to pay homage". That might be a start.

------------------------------------------------------


lfhobbies 03-10-2007 01:24 PM: 1.) In the Civil War: Aftermath Spotlight there is a list of 'everyone' that died in the Civil War but Cap’s name is not on it. However, in the ‘Key Points of Civil War; Cap #25 is mentioned as his death. Is this a slip or are you letting the careful reader know the truth :)

JQ: Hey, lfhobbies, no, that Top 10 list was done at the last second in-house to keep from spoiling it. In order to keep the death of Cap a secret, not a single creator that wasn't involved with the event was told about it (at least to my knowledge). This included the Marvel Spotlight folks. As a result, we are doing a special, stand-alone Spotlight: Captain America Remembered in May and also check out the special “Captain America Assassinated” issue of our latest Daily Bugle, which is in stores now. Even though the Daily Bugle is free, it’s on some stores’ best-seller list! Is that possible - to be a best-seller when it's free? Ah, whatever.


Translation: No no no, that was totally a result of the careful planning and timing that has been the hallmark of everything involving Civil War! In the Merry Marvel Fashion, we're covering our asses by selling you more comics you probably won't want to read!

Commentary: Seriously, when CW #3 or 4 was announced late, didn't Marvel try to placate the masses by offering new tie-in one-shots? Also, Joe? The Daily Bugle is your best-seller because of simple economics: it's the best price point/value offering you have. And no, that's not good news for you.

--------------------------------------------------------

2.) : Now that Civil War is over, can you tell us who/what that blond "Cap looking" guy in Reed’s lab in Civil War #4 (second last page) was. McNiven is an amazing artist that is perfect to the detail - and that detail was a little too perfect.

JQ: Happy Hogan.

Commentary: Um, not according to Gene Colan. And yes, I'm nitpicking here, but I'm still a little angry at the whole death of Happy Hogan thing over in Iron Man.

Legally I Don't Think We Can Still Call Him Spider-Man After This

Getting my comics today after work, so in the interest of getting something up here before the weekend, I present this image swiped from Bastion of Awesomeness™ The Comics Curmudgeon:



Apparently, Spidey-Sense isn't what it used to be. Useful for dodging mechanical tentacles, pumpkin bombs and electric blasts, but for masonry? Not so much.

Randy Reviews March 14

I got books! I got books! Not a lot, but I got a few books this week. And I want to tell you about them, you beautiful blog readers you!

And yes, unlike my counterpart, spoiler free reviews. Because, really, where's the fun in that?
Hrm, what if one day Chris gives out false spoilers? All yours Chris!

In no particular order, here we go:



52
Week 45

Black Adam kicks ass. Need I say more? I have not been a regular reader of this weekly series, but when it comes to Black Adam, I am intrigued. Don't know why, but this is one character I dig reading about. How WWIII revolves around just him, I don't know that either.

Anyway, Black Adam smashes everything in site. We all apparently knew that was happenign from last ish'es events. And did I mention he smashes everything? Nothing is spared, well, except for one person, who most people don't think is going to make it out of "52" alive anyways.

The worlds powers tremble in fear and awe, shock and surprise. Interesting to see the Chinese take on all this- must be something from the series that I don't have much clue on, but interesting nonetheless. I believe that one government even speaks to this as WWIII, and when are the superheroes going to step in.

I enjoyed it, just because of Black Adam. Whyfore now are they making him a world power/worldsmasher, I don't know? Couldn't this be in the past too? If he's been this "big a power", why haven't we seen this before from him?
Ah well, guess its just a next step in evolution.

Rating: 3/5. It has Black Adam. So I liked it. Flaws? Sure, but easy to overlook.



Grimm's Fairy Tales
#13
Beauty and The Beast, Pt. 1

Hey, the covers are, how would we put this, T & A, but the book inside, for the most part, is not. However, these are not books for reading to the younger audiences. This book, overall, hinges on the much darker, truer to the actual tales side of Grimm, and some of it is just downright nasty.

This issue, is not horrible in grotesque or sleazy manners. Dark, yes, like the Fairy Tales were originally done, but this one is not all out "butchershop" or connotating like other issues. (Hello, Hansel & Gretel)

This ish though the art is a little sub-par from what I have seen in the past- not as sparkly and pretty. Dark tale, dark art maybe? Playing catch-up to the schedule? Doesn't appear to be the usual artist as past books.
Good story, rolling into the "Fairy Tale" part well, but need to adjust to this artwork.

Rating: 2/5. I have seen some better work, and a part 2? Gah! Side Note: Looking forward to trying the Wonderland take that is upcoming next month, and for 99 cents, what the heck!



Moon Knight
#8

Three weeks too late. Might have been cool to see three weeks ago, but waaay too late to really be a great tale.
I think CW has really messed up a few books, with characters (Warbird) and storyline (Moon Knight.) This was definitely not a "good feeling, continuous story" in the MK arcs.

So, how does this Moon Knight rate so far? I don't have a good answer yet. The players are in place, though I do miss Marlene. But this is one friggin' dark character, with deep issues and just, to be blunt, is fucked up!
But I like it, as odd as that may seem. I dont' care for Finch's art though- he's not a muscle bound hero like others.
I LOVE the fact that he is going back to police contacts to do his work- now THAT is where MK belongs- street level solutions to street level problems. I cannot say how happy I am about that. (Yes yes, I know it won't be "street level" vs whomever this "Midnight Man" is, but its still not say....the Green Goblin!)
Spector never was an "ass" per se, to his staff, and is one part of the book I am disliking. In this case, he is pretty much a prick to Nedda, his long time serving maid/housekeeper/cook, whatever we want to call her here.
Did love the fact why Steve Rogers was there though- he was SO dead on!

And once again, as with this book and Manhunter, I am so not going to give them a fair review.

Rating: 4/5. Too late, felt like a book that really didn't need to happen (thanks friggin CW), but liking the direction for the most part.


New Avengers
#28

I bought this arc for the Elektra appearances only. Sadly, this issue only has Elektra on the last page, incoming!!
It has a nice little side story of Luke Cage buying groceries in a post-reg world.
It has a silly piece on there new "hideout" in New York.
It has a silly little piece on where they go to hide-out in Japan, hiding from the Hand and Elektra.
I do like who is in the hide-out though. Interesting bit o' history.
This issue should clear up some of those lame rumours about "Cap alive at the Raft" I've been reading about.

Next issue should be a big showdown fight, NA v Elektra and friends.


And, I finally figured out why I have issues with the New Avengers, as a whole. I have a problem with the word Avengers, and their history. Why can't this title be "New Defenders" or "New Champions", or something "New" altogether? At least I finally figured it out. And yes, smoke filled the room while I tried to put that together.


Rating: 2/5. Not what I expected, some lame stuff, but some good stuff too. And once the Elektra arc is over, so is this series for me. PS: Ronin- speaks like has the brains of a 12 year old street punk hoodlum. Its just dumb.



Wonder Woman
#5

#5??!!! Gah, Allan Hienberg, please stay in television, and stay out of comics. My regular, arc closure is now going to be a one spot special, of an arc that pretty much sucked ass anyways? Gee, thanks DC.
However, I do get some Will Pfeiffer writing, which I do enjoy. This was a well-written piece, but a cliched piece we have all seen before. Then again, its a filler issue, what else should I expect? Still, we don't see this as much as we use to way back when, and reminded me of a 70's era book.
This whole Agent Prince thing just needs to go so far away and never be seen again. Its dumb, recycled and is just not good. Hell, the Manhunter book right now has a far superior WonderWoman that the dang Wonder Woman book itself. What does that tell us?
I am so hoping that the new writer does some major improvements in a character with a rich past so chock full of possible storylines.
I would hate to drop WW. The Rucka books were stellar, ever since they have just been one big drag.
Rating: 2/5. I'm being generous, but I like Pfeiffer, as he does a great job with Catwoman, and is writing the new Amazons Attack Mini forthcoming. Maybe we will finally get to see the ditching of Agent Prince for a long standing appearance of WW.

Later All
~R

Mini-New Joe Mondays Tidbit

From You Know Where:

Q: So why once again the delay for Ultimates 2 #13? Didn't Bryan Hitch complete the pencils in December? And is there any particular reason why it is taking so long to get the inks done? I remember a once proposed January 31st release date, then bumped to March 21st, and now it's been bumped again to April 11th. If that date holds it'll be seven months between issues #12 and 13? Doesn't that seem kind of ridiculous to you? Does the delay have anything to do with the release and timing for Ultimates 3 #1?

JQ: Hey, Sweeps, I can’t publish a book I don’t have. I don’t know when Bryan announced that the book was finished, but we don’t have the entire thing in house.

Translation: Has anybody talked to Bryan Hitch in the last 6 months? Is he still mad that I invited Steve McNiven to my place for Thanksgiving this year instead of him? Or that I had my "Bryan" tattoo etched out and replaced with "Steve"? Huh.

Bry and Paul Neary shuffle the pages amongst themselves (as they live close to each other) so it makes it very tough to know at what stage the book is at.

Translation: I gave up paying attention to this book as soon as Millar mentioned "Civil War" while we were nuzzling over brandy and the sweet, sweet sounds of Alicia Keyes at the writer's retreat.*

Plus they do go back into the work in order to add those extra little details that everyone loves.

Translation: Oh crap, we still have to get the issue out. Quick, Quesada, Justify-A-Tron-3000 Engines Go!

My understanding is that at this point we’ve seen a good portion of the inks done and coloring has begun, but we don’t have it all and we don’t have a cover for the issue yet as well. So, the truth of the matter is that it’s really a question that you need to ask Bryan as he probably has a beter idea of where everything is than we do.

Translation: Was that the sound of Quesada throwing Hitch under the bus? Yes, yes it was.

I'm not saying it's not Hitch's fault that Ultimates 2 #13 isn't out yet. It just seems like when it comes to late Millar-scripted projects, Quesada's had his fill (along, I might add, with the rest of us).

Of course, with Joe keeping such tight editorial control over one of the few nigh-universally lauded books of... um... was it last year, or the year before? I forget. Anyway, the sentence "My understanding is that we've seen a good portion...", etc. indicates just how closely Joey Da Q is running things when he's not busy petting Stephen Colbert.

* = I am so, so sorry for that visual.

Chris' Reviews 3/7, Pt. 2

Back with some capsule reviews for the rest o' the buy pile from last week. Most of these hit the middle of the road, but it's the high side of the middle, with one standout excremental issue that faithful reader Carla from Snap Judgments tried to warn me about. Massive Spoilers Ahoy!

JONAH HEX #17 --- The ballad of Tallulah Black comes to an end, as Black takes her revenge on those what made her disfigured and raped and... and... well, she's been through a lot of horrible things, let's just say. Fairly ordinary arc, with an ending that touches on the mystical and strikes the right kind of cynical, existential angst that so many spaghetti Westerns aspire to. Oh, and an assload of people get killed, which is always good. I'd like to see this character pop up in the future, though it might be a case study for feminist issues in comics. CBG: 3/5.

CIVIL WAR: THE INITIATIVE --- What a stinky pile of overpriced ad copy this was. Bendis "writes" most of it, while Warren Ellis phones in a few pages of Thunderbolts action that does nothing so much as make me not want to read Thunderbolts, and all in all it does absolutely nothing to set up the upcoming Slott-authored "Initiative" series. Instead, they go out of their way to pimp Omega Flight, Thunderbolts, and Mighty Avengers, while throwing in some reprint pages of Iron Man and Captain America. Worthless, despite the pretty good Marc Silvestri art. CBG: 1/5.

(Side Note: Am I the only one that thinks David Finch went to the Silvestri School of Intricate Creases?)

ALL-NEW ATOM #9 --- Well, it certainly is... different. A new arc begins as Ryan Choi returns to China to help a long-lost love, only to encounter his high-school soccer bully, newly reformed as a zombie demon that still wears his jersey. No, I'm not kidding. Heavy on exposition and little real action this ish, but I expect wackiness to ensue next issue. Also, terrific artwork by Eddy Barrows. Let the Silver-Age goofiness commence! CBG: 3/5.

MIGHTY AVENGERS #1 --- I really, really, really wanted to hate this comic, but I just couldn't. The Mighty Avengers form up and battle Mole Man and his ilk for awhile, and then Ultron shows up at the end, which is just about all I ever asked for from an Avengers comic, so maybe Bendis is starting to get the point. That said, there are three pitfalls I can see coming:

1) Bendis still is overwriting the character moments. The thought balloons were OK in a kitsch way, but they ended up being intrusive and hard to follow by the time the sequence was over.

2) At some point, Tony Stark will either have to quit SHIELD or the Avengers, because it just doesn't make any damn sense to have him gallivanting on behalf of both. Too big a slice of cognitive dissonance between MA and Iron Man.

3) Frank Cho does a nice job, but I can't see him doing more than 6 issues max of MA. A great deal will depend on who follows him.

Otherwise, I thought the fight was just fine, the team interesting and eclectic (I have a feeling I am going to enjoy Ares very much in this group) and there are signs that maybe Bendis has gotten around to reading an issue or two of Avengers. Plus, Ultron. Squee. CBG: 3/5.

FALLEN ANGEL #13 --- Jude tries to bring some law and order to Bete Noire, and you can imagine how that all turns out, i.e. miserably, and Jude ends up falling a little farther into the city's dark clutches. Meanwhile, Lee wrestles with her role in all this and Malachi is going to start pulling some family strings. The artwork isn't for everyone, but I for one still enjoy the atmosphere and general depressiveness of this comic. CBG: 3/5.

No New Joe Mondays this week, because I just couldn't bring myself to read all the way through. Perhaps Wednesday?

Reader Opinion Solicitation

Sigh.

Part 2 of the reviews will have to wait till the weekend; meanwhile, commenter Jason in the previous post asked a question whether Captain America #25 was worth $75 on eBay.

Well, of course it's not. Unless you're a speculator, in which case we don't really need you round these parts, mmmmmkay?

But it made me think (shaddup!). What is the highest price you would pay for a single, 22-page comic? Here are some guidelines:

1) The idea is that you're going to buy it and you're NEVER going to sell it. In other words, you're keeping it for life, so don't even think about trying to turn it around on the eBays and make a profit.

2) I'm going to assume that no one reading this is a millionaire.

(Side Note: If anyone reading this is a millionaire, then drop me a line. We have things to discuss.)

3) You can buy it anywhere you find it, and I don't care how old it is. If you say, "I'd pay $15,000 for Amazing Fantasy #15", then that's fine, if a tad unbelievable. I'd like more realistic answers.

So, how about it? What's the most you would pay for a single comic, and why?

Chris' Reviews 3/7, Pt. 1

Good God a'mighty, it's review time! Things have calmed down here at Frobozz Software (and points to commenter Anonymous who got the reference in the apology post last Thursday), so it's back to comics. Here's the deal: this part of reviews is dedicated to one comic only (because it deserves it), then I'll get to the rest of my pile tonight or tomorrow morning.

I cannot stress this enough:

MASSIVE SPOILERS AHOY!

One more time for the cheap seats:

MASSIVE SPOILERS AHOY!

CAPTAIN AMERICA #25

Well, it happened, didn't it? It's not so much a story as it is an event, and a well done one at that. The short version: as Cap's escorted into a courthouse, Crossbones shoots him with a sniper rifle, prompting a Bucky/Falcon team-up to find the shooter. In the ensuing chaos, Cap gets gut-shot again three times by...

wait for it...

wait for it...

A brainwashed Sharon Carter, acting under a spell/mindscrew/something courtesy of Doctor Faustus and the Red Skull.

So yeah, he's dead, regardless of the nonsense you may have seen in Civil War: The Initiative. (And we'll be getting to that pile of crap a little later.)

Steve Epting brings his "A" game as usual, with scenes such as the Bucky/Crossbones fight really delivering the impact, and smaller ones like Bucky leaping over cars in traffic conveying action exceptionally. Additionally, the panel showing Bucky and Crossbones punching through a billboard Iron Man was just awesome on two or three levels. I have to admit I didn't care for Epting when I first started reading Cap, but he's become one of my favorite artists.

Three things that make this a good comic:

1) The Falcon. Very nice flashback scenes with Green Jumpsuit Falcon, even! Sam's internal monologue makes it clear how much he appreciates and admires Cap, and he even gets a few good action scenes. We need to see more of the Falcon, period.

2) The twist at the end. Sharon's sudden remembrance at the end caught me completely off guard, and managed to get me fired up about even a Cap-less Captain America comic, which is what I suspect we'll be getting for the foreseeable future, stupid Punisher hints dropped in Civil War notwithstanding.

3) Cap, having been shot, is laying on the ground, and instead of screaming like the rest of us would be, what is he doing? TELLING PEOPLE TO GET THE CROWD TO SAFETY. That, friends, is a hero. I don't mind telling you, it got a little dusty in the room when I read that.

Best Moment: I'm going with the twist at the end. I was totally unprepared for it, because I'm stupid. But it was great.

Worst Moment: Well, if "Captain America gets killed" isn't a worst moment, I don't know what it.

Comic Book Goodness: 4/5. An outstanding issue, and thank God Marvel let Brubaker do this instead of having Millar hack out this in Civil War. Action-packed like the best issues of Cap, and filled with fond memories. Buy this comic.

I'm Getting Soft In My Old Age

Lots of comics on my list today, and no that's not a typo at the end of the list.

ALL NEW ATOM #9 --- Am I the only person on the planet reading this?

DETECTIVE COMICS #829 --- Monthly dose of Batman in perfect portions.

JONAH HEX #17 --- I'm surprised and thrilled that this hasn't been cancelled yet.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #25 --- What a timely feature this was!

CIVIL WAR INITIATIVE --- Dan Slott deserves a shot, right?

IRON MAN HYPERVELOCITY #3 (OF 6) --- Solid story thus far, and I really like the art. Plus: Civil War-free!

MIGHTY AVENGERS #1 --- Don't. Just don't. Stop looking at me like that. I promise if I hate it that I won't complain about it. Much.

Randy Random Tuesday

Greetings one and all

This is a big buy week for me, with the following titles:
JONAH HEX #17
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6
MANHUNTER #29
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #4
CAPTAIN AMERICA #25
FANTASTIC FOUR #543
FANTASTIC FOUR THE END #6
MIGHTY AVENGERS #1
INCREDIBLE HULK #104 (Probably)
RED SONJA #20

Mighty Avengers. I will try number 1, even though I have been a critic of Bendis writing Avengers. This one has a better look and feel to it, so I can certainly give issue 1 a go.
Leery on the whole Initiative piece though. I"m not liking it. Lets just saturate the Marvel U with already too many heroes. And now they can "create" heroes? Yeah, whatever! The lineup looks GREAT, except for well, that Sentry guy who needs to find a hole in the sun and stay there. AND, more importantly, I don't have 22 issues going "Who is Ronin?" because, I, and probably now 43.5% of comicdom, no longer cares. Is it a running gag at this point? I do hope so.

Annihilation. I loved the minis, and the mini. One of the best that I have seen in quite some time. Just good ol' fashioned space comic goodness. I'm not real thrilled with the slew of follow-ups though. Can't we just leave it at what was already comic goodness, and not spoil it? I know, I know, we ALL work for marketing, but sheesh! For those who did not pick up Annihilation, I recommend the tpb that is forthcoming, if its not already out there.

JLA. Is it me, or is this seeming to take forever to just get off the ground and run? I will finish off this first arc, and just take it a month at a time from there- I'm not sold yet. And, I really don't care for Red Tornado. I had enough android/human conflict from 20 years of Avengers with the Vision, I really don't need anymore.

World War Hulk. Hulk Smash. And if they can literally have it be Hulk Smash for the entire mini, I"m so on board. And yes, I'm rooting for Hulk Smash on everyone of those damn peeps who shot him off. And JRJ on art- oh hell yeah!

Manhunter. Ongoing AGAIN!!! This is a great wrap up arc, and hopefully we never hear of this again. The arc and the not ongoing piece. Give it a try. One of my favorite books out there.

Gail Simone. One of the best writers out there. Heck, I even picked up the Helmet of Fate: Black Alice just because she wrote it- and it was great. I have no interest in any of the other issues from Helmet of Fate. Welcome to Tranquility is a great "soap opera", the cast is so big that we almost need a Who's Who of Tranquility, but she is shaping the cast so well that the entertainment is non-stop.

Countdown. I am so not on board. I was not on board with 52. The WWIII in DC really is not high on my list.

Firestorm. Picked up the first McDuffie issue. WOW!! Stronger, sweet lines and just showing what a powerhouse this guy really is. No offense to Moore of Igle, but damn, this ish was by far the best ish I have ever picked up for Firestorm (ok, and other books too, for those who may demean the whole Firestorm line.) I was highly impressed. Kudos to McDuffie.

OK, I'm tired of rambling now. I have many books tomorrow. I hope to give some highlights on them this week.

R

Apologies

Sorry about the lack of posts, but things have been crazy here at Frobozz Software, my erstwhile employers who decided that certain people weren't needed any more. So I've been dealing with the fallout from that.

Reviews tomorrow.