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JLA THE 99 #1 (OF 6)
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Writers: Stuart Moore &
Fabian Nicieza Artists:
Tom Derenick & Drew Geraci |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
102710
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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A threat from beyond the stars brings the World's
Greatest Heroes together with the World's Newest Heroes to stop a globe-spanning
invasion of Earth in this 6-issue miniseries! DC Comics' JUSTICE LEAGUE OF
AMERICA joins forces with Teshkeel Comics' THE 99 to create an unstoppable army
of super-powered beings the likes of which the world - and comic shops - have
never seen before! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Did you know that there’s an Islamic super hero
team, with their own comic book, published by a Kuwaiti comic book company known
as Teshkeel Comics? They are “The 99”, young super heroes reflecting ‘the
diversity of the Islamic world.’ In the first ever Teshkeel/DC cross over the
premiere superhero team from the Middle East meets the Justice League of
America, and then a bunch of typical comic book stuff happens.
I’d be more impressed by this offering, especially the ballsy approach of
injecting a high dose of Muslim culture into a “JLA”-crossover, if it wasn’t for
the fact that everything else about this book is so damn bland. Fabian Nicieza
has been an architect of so many comic book universes it’s not even funny, and
since he’s helmed “The 99” for quite a while I almost expected a bit more focus
on characterization and less “wham…bam…kapow…zowie!” Instead reader’s get a bit
of characterization and a whole lot of meaningless fighting; meaningless
fighting made even more meaningless by the lack of any real explanation.
Tom Derenick and Drew Geraci do a fine job of melding their personal styles into
one cohesive look. The pair crafts clever panel layouts and interesting
story-telling perspectives, even though there isn’t a whole lot of story to go
on. Batman is featured on the cover but makes no appearance in the story. The
rest of the League is represented, but it appears to be the Big 7, as opposed
the current iteration that’s seen in “JLA”-proper. I enjoyed Derenick and
Geraci’s rendering of the teams, even though I had NO IDEA what to expect from
The 99; I didn’t know what I was in for, and unfortunately there’s nothing to
keep me sticking around for more.
I can respect the idea of exposing fans of DC’s comics to the work
representative of other cultures, but why not just create some characters within
the confines of the actual DCU rather than try and shoehorn two established
properties into one story? I think it’s pandering to try and sell people on
another company’s ideas by half-assing the actual execution. It doesn’t come off
as an exercise in tolerance, education, or anything of the sort. It just comes
off as a lame attempt to cash in on the popularity of one team while debuting
another for an audience that probably doesn’t care to begin with. |
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KNIGHT & SQUIRE #1 (OF 6) |
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Writer: Paul Cornell Artist:
Jimmy Broxton |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
101310
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Just as Gotham City has Batman and Robin, London has
Knight and Squire - the British heroes and frequent allies of The Dark Knight!
In a secret bar within the city where peace is kept magically, heroes and
villains gather to enjoy a pint and talk about their day. But what happens when
the magical barriers that disallow fighting are dropped and a building full of
heroes and villains confront each other all at once? Knight and Squire have to
keep the peace and save both friend and foe in this 6-issue miniseries from hot
writer Paul Cornell (ACTION COMICS, Captain Britain and MI:13) and up-and-coming
artist Jimmy Broxton (THE UNWRITTEN). |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Amidst the madness of “R.I.P.”, “The Return of Bruce
Wayne”, “Batman Inc.” and other bat-family titles a book like “Knight and
Squire” may fly under the radar for most of you. I’m here to let you know that
missing this book shouldn’t really be an option for anyone that’s a fan of the
Caped Crusader. Paul Cornell, who really is one of the more underrated writers
currently working in comics, manages to take the idea of a British Batman and
Robin and turn it into a fun, freaky exercise in cross-the-pond crime-fighting.
A pub; like any good story that takes place in Europe, “Knight and Squire”
starts, and pretty much stays put inside a pub. Not just any pub, mind you, but
rather ‘The Time in a Bottle’, a pub for the costumed set protected by ‘Truce
Magic’. Good and bad, powered and not-powered alike meet and mingle and have a
drink. While Yanks like me may have a hard time understanding some of the local
slang that Cornell uses to infuse this mini with a genuine dose of British
culture, it doesn’t take an idiot to understand the bar-culture that the good
guys and bad guys have in common. Oh, and there’s a dictionary in the back for
those of us who don’t get the gist of what’s said.
Good guys drink. Bad guys drink. Sometimes, they all drink together. As is the
case with most alcohol related soirée’s this ends up in a brawl, a
misunderstanding, and ultimately everyone leaves in good spirits. Or is that
covered in good spirits? It’s kind of hard to tell. What intrigues me so is that
the problems encountered by Knight and Squire in this issue aren’t settled in a
knock-down, drag-out fight, although there is one of those, it’s more for
background purposes than to advance the bad-assness of the title characters.
Instead they work their differences out in a much more civilized way.
Jimmy Broxton is probably having the time of his life illustrating a series
that’s bound to be overlooked by crass American’s as a ‘Euro-comic’. He’s
creating characters left, right, and center, and all of them seem like they’d be
interesting enough to read about. I’d love to know more about The First 11, or
the Pirate Astronomers, Blind Fury, or Faceoff. I’d like to see what happens
with the new kid, The Shrike, does when he finally decides whether he’s a hero
or a villain. These are all examples of what characterization, no matter how
brief, does for new, undiscovered comics. I could read about this stuff and
unearth a whole new land of adventures, even if I don’t get what they’re saying
all the time. |
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LOKI #1 (of 4) |
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Writer:
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Artist:
Sebastian Fiumara |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
102010
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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The true origin of Thor's archenemy and Marvel's most unpredictable villain! He
is the lie-smith; he is the shape-changer; he is the fire that burns. The God of
Mischief and Trickery, Loki. Meet the mirthful, beloved young man that made all
the Asgardians laugh...until the first time he killed. Discover the gnarled
roots of his twisted, unrelenting hatred of the Asgardians. And learn the
chilling truth of why he'll never be stopped... |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Stories about the Norse God of Mischief can be a bit
of an odd duck. For one, if Loki is in fact the narrator of the story, readers
have to be prepared to take what he says with a grain of salt due to the fact
that he’s a liar and trickster. There’s a line in this very issue that says: “It
is difficult to know with these old stories what is truth, what is myth…” and
while that might be true it doesn’t make the reading experience any less
enjoyable when a tale as exciting as this one is spun.
Readers are treated to a bit of background on the entire pantheon of Norse
mythology. Everyone from Balder and Thor, to Loki and Mjolnir get a share of
‘face time’, and it makes for a truly interesting read. It isn’t a retread of a
retread, or a decompressed version of a story that took Stan Lee 14-pages to
tell, instead it’s an exploration into the obsession one brother has with
another, an unhealthy obsession that ultimately fuels an intense hatred.
The book is called “Loki” and he is, without a doubt, the star of the show.
Hoping to seek good favor with those around him after some pretty mean-spirited
practical jokes, Loki makes a deal with a couple of dwarves to build some gifts
that he can give to make peace. Of course, being the God of Mischief, Loki is
unsatisfied with the terms of their agreement, cheats the dwarves out of their
goods, and wages his head that Odin will claim the golden spear Gungnir a more
fitful gift than Mjolnir. Things don’t go as planned and soon Loki finds himself
out of all the presents and exiled from Asgard.
I’m not really doing the book justice, as there’s so much going on and so little
space here to fill you in on all the details. Needless to say, I enjoyed the
book very much. It’s written extremely well, with very little in the way of
needless pandering to NEW audiences. It’s a welcoming title that doesn’t seem
like it’s working that hard to garner NEW readership; Aguirre-Sacasa
effortlessly navigates through the tumultuous waters of mythology, bringing a
fair amount of humanity to the “GODS” of the Marvel U.
Sebastian Fiumara is a true gem of an artist. His pencils make me long for more
work of this sort on any number of titles. I think that he has a fantastic grasp
of environment, character development, and action. There’s not ONE panel in this
book that I feel is poorly illustrated, quite the contrary in fact, I think ALL
of the panels are drawn in by a masterful hand. I’m not entirely familiar with
his work before this issue, but you can be damn sure that I’ll be keeping my
eyes peeled for anything from him in the future. |
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GREEN HORNET BLOOD TIES #1 |
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Writer:
Ande Parks
Artist:
Johnny Desjardins |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Dynamite Comics
Shipped On:
102710
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DYNAMITE'S SYNOPSIS:
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The first issue of Green Hornet features the last remains of the Italian Crime
Family and the Japanese Yakuza. How did the two man team of Green Hornet and
Kato bring about the fall of all Crime in the city of Chicago? This tale is the
precursor to Kevin Smith's Green Hornet, and is a must read for Green Hornet
fans! Featuring the break out art of Johnny Desjardins, who began his career as
David Finch's protégé and is now one of Dynamite's up-and-coming artists! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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The Green Hornet is one of these properties that
have been around for so long that you either love it or you don’t care about it
at all. With this series debut I find myself firmly rooted in that second
category; there’s nothing about this book that I find remarkable. It’s not
poorly written or illustrated, it just doesn’t have anything that captures my
attention and THAT is a cardinal sin when trying to charge four bucks a pop for
a comic book.
“From the pages of Kevin Smith’s ‘Green Hornet’” the banner across the cover of
the book proclaims, to which I reply ‘Who cares?!’ Kevin Smith’s “Green Hornet”
failed to capitalize on the property’s popularity, waning though it may be, and
a spin-off series (the second or third, if I’m not mistaken) is hardly
warranted. Anyway, if you’re an old-school fan of the Green Hornet then this may
be right up your dark, twisted alley. If you’re not a fan of the pulp hero,
well, what are you doing here?
Gangsters are bad guys. I think most of us already know that, but Ande Parks
wants to really hammer that point home, and he does so by flashing back 55 years
to the days when Century City’s biggest drug lords were only enforcers for one
gang or another. The pair of scumbags chase down and beat some guy over a
forty-dollar debt, then cut to 55 years later (with no warning) and the pair is
still at it. Only this time they’re the bosses, and they have their own
enforcers that put the hurtin’ on people for them. The Green Hornet is on a
mission to put ALL of Century City’s criminals behind bars, so a confrontation
is beyond inevitable, right?
The Hornet trains in martial arts, fights some bad guys, and ultimately leaves
all sorts of real story-points for future issues. I swear NOTHING happens. He
takes down a plane full of drug smugglers, and then just drives away. I mean, it
would have been nice to have SOME sort of hook to make me want to come back, but
I think everyone involved has given up on acquiring NEW readers, instead content
to work with the established fan base that is slowly but surely giving in to old
age, and ultimately death. What happens when everyone who grew up with this
character is long gone? I don’t know, but I bet I won’t have to read that many
crappy comics about him. |
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WARLORD OF MARS #1 |
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Writer:
Arvid Nelson Artist:
Stephen Sadowski |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Dynamite Comics
Shipped On:
101310
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MSRP:
$1.00 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DYNAMITE'S SYNOPSIS:
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The original warrior of Mars returns from Dynamite! Warlord of Mars, an
enhancement of the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs story, Princess of Mars! If you
thought you knew the story, think again! This series will capture the grit and
action of the original while expanding on it with new elements. The story is
about John Carter, an ex-cavalry officer in the Confederate Army who finds
himself mysteriously transported to Mars! Joining him in his adventures there
are Tars Tarkas, his Martian comrade, and Dejah Thoris, a Martin Princess. This
series is written by Arvid Nelson and is illustrated by Stephen
(Avengers/Invaders) Sadowski and Lui Antonio, and features covers by Alex Ross,
Joe Jusko, J. Scott Campbell and Lucio Parrillo! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Because there’s a movie on the way entitled “John
Carter of Mars”, Dynamite couldn’t get the rights to call their John
Carter-of-Mars story “John Carter of Mars”. Instead they went with the insanely
clever “Warlord of Mars”, which doesn’t paint a very vivid picture of what to
expect if you are or aren’t familiar with the source material. I mean, sure,
once you open the book it’s fairly easy to determine that this is “Dynamite’s
expansion of the sci-fi classic”, but what about those of us who didn’t grow up
in the early part off the last century?
Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a series of stories about John Carter, “The Warlord of Mars”
beginning in 1919, but I’ve never read
them. The Wikipedia entry is quite detailed however, and offers a few different
insights as to what one should expect from THIS comic if it’s a truly faithful
adaptation. Oh, and SPOILER WARNING: The large-breasted, scantily-clad princess
Deja Thoris represented on the J. Scott Campbell cover isn’t in the book at all. So if you
bought it for the cheesecake, keep on moving!
John Carter is a Civil War veteran who fought for the losing side, and as such
he’s pretty much unemployed, left to gallivant about the Old West looking for
his fortune. One night while drinking in a saloon a group of Yankee soldiers
wander in and start making trouble; yelling begets a gunfight, and soon all the
Yanks are dead and John and his buddy are wanted men. Cut to Mars, where
apparently racial tensions are at an all-time high, and white Martians are
killing and eating green Martians. It is NOT a good time to be a green Martian.
This is, of course, all leading up to John Carter’s arrival on the Red Planet,
but since I’m not familiar with the source material I can’t comment on how
faithful an adaptation this is. What I can tell you is that I had a heck of a
lot of fun reading this. The story is fast-paced, the characters are
interesting, and most importantly the artwork is KICK-ASS! I don’t think I
really expected to have THIS much fun, but I’m glad I checked it out.
Stephen Sadowski goes a long way to carry this title on his back. That’s not to
sell the writer short, but even a good story with inferior illustrations will
suffer in the hands of readers. Sadowski’s illustrations are full of detail, the
inks are perfect, and the color work by Adriano Lucas really pops off the page.
I think that without his hard work this story would have undoubtedly suffered,
but thanks to him it may just find the niche audience it deserves. Especially
after the movie hits, hopefully generating more interest in pulpy Sci-Fi than
before. |
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SUPERMAN #704 |
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Writer:
G. Willow Wilson Artist:
Leandro Oliveira |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC Comics
Shipped On:
102710
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Writer G. Willow Wilson (AIR) and newcomer artist Leandro Oliveira provide a
"Grounded" interlude in SUPERMAN #704, detailing a visit Lois Lane makes to the
town where she went to college in anticipation of Superman's arrival. When she
runs into an old boyfriend and sees the nice, normal family he has, Lois can't
help but examine the choices she made and wonder if they were the correct ones. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Since JMS’s Superman saga is officially delayed
until next month, readers are treated to their first (and hopefully last)
fill-in issue. G. Willow Wilson steps in to tell a little story about Superman’s
“Girl Friday”, Lois Lane, and the trouble with being second fiddle to a super
MAN when all your life you’ve been all about GIRL power. When Lois sees
firsthand what her life COULD have been like had she never teamed up with Big
Blue, she begins to reminisce about things both good and bad.
Did you know that Lois Lane grew up in Rushmark, Indiana? I didn’t, but
apparently she did. The whole town is atwitter due to Superman’s walkabout and
his route is going to bring him right through Rushmark. While waiting to cover
the story Lois bumps into an ex-boyfriend. She’s invited back to his home for
dinner where she meets his son, and his wife, a lovely woman who works very hard
to maintain her house and home. The girly-girl side of Lois takes over and she
begins down the road of “What if…” Of course, she’s Superman’s girl, and even
the calm serenity of domesticated living can’t measure up to a man who can fly
you around the world in the blink of an eye…Or can it?
The story falls a little flat, and it’s not really helped out in any small way
by Oliveria’s pencils. Every thing just feels flat and lifeless. There are some
panels that look really good, but a majority lacks the physical and emotional
depth that I’ve come to expect from professional artists. I understand the need
for haste when completing a fill-in issue when you’re already behind schedule,
but that doesn’t excuse the piss-poor attempt that this issue displays. Fail. |
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RAGMAN SUIT OF SOULS #1 |
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Writer:
Christos Gage Artist:
Stephen Segovia |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC Comics
Shipped On:
102010
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Rory Regan has long struggled to reconcile the burden he carries as the Ragman,
protector of society's forgotten, with his own strained faith. Could the souls
he has consigned to redeem themselves within his mystic suit have the answers he
needs about what lies beyond - and about the mysteries kept from him by his own
father? Christos Gage (STORMWATCH: PHD, Avengers: The Initiative) and Stephen
Segovia (Wolverine) provide a look inside one of the DCU's most peculiar Super
Heroes in this standalone one-shot! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I never knew that Ragman was ‘the legendary
protector of the Jews’. Not that I was overly familiar with the character before
reading this issue, but I thought that this was a pretty interesting development
as far as characterization goes. And it comes as a page-three revelation, for
those not already in the know, and from there goes right into the internal
conflict that Rory Regan faces as a Jewish man who barely understands his own
family legacy let alone his place as defender of an entire people.
Christos Gage may be one of comics’ best-kept secrets at this time and place.
His creator-owned, independent title “Absolution” was one of the best selling
books of the past year and a sequel is in development. His work at Marvel, while
never consistently in the Top Ten has garnered praise from fans and critics
alike for its adherence to tradition while still blazing a trail for characters
with little voice. His DC work has been primarily contained to the WildStorm
Universe, with this being his first DCU-proper title, and while it’s not exactly
a doozey, it does go a long way to show how much characterization and
personality he can pack into 22-pages! BTW: WTF DC?! Only 22-pages for $3.99,
even Marvel isn’t getting over on fans that bad!
Anyway, the primary focus of the issue is on Rory Regan, better known to (some)
fans as Ragman, and his conversation with a Rabbi about his faith. Excited? HA!
Okay, kidding aside, the focus of the issue was characterization and THAT is
displayed in spades. Sure there isn’t a huge super-hero throw down between
Ragman and some douche with sketchy motivation, but there IS a great deal of
history explored and some questions about the character’s past answered. The
point is: if you came for spectacle you’re going to leave let down, but if
you’re here because you love the character of Ragman you’re going to find a
heaping helping of ‘depth’ added to his personality.
Stephen Segovia is a talented and capable artist whose art-style I just don’t
find myself warming to no matter how much exposure I have to it. A poor man’s
Lenil Yu; that’s all I see when I look at it. This is, of course, only my
opinion, and I did admit that he’s both ‘talented and capable’ right? Okay,
good, because I don’t want that to come off as some sort of half-hearted,
backhanded compliment after I said the part about him being a poor man’s Lenil
Yu. Natch! |
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SPIDER-MAN VS VAMPIRES #1 |
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Writer:
Kevin Grevioux Artist:
Sean Phillips |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
102710
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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VAMPIRES! You can't trust them, even when they're on your side. From the pages
of Marvel Digital, Spider-Man's had a long history with Blade, the Vampire
hunter, but when he finds him enslaved in an underground, undead fighting
league, the web-head must fight Blade for his very life - or face the curse of
the Vampire! Kevin Grevioux (ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL) and Roberto Castro
(NEW EXILES) bring you all the bloodsucking action! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Want to know what might be the WORST Spider-Man
comic book I’ve ever read in my entire life, ever?! This one.
In a story that’s more suited for the “Marvel Adventures” line than it is the
mainstream Marvel-616, writer/actor Kevin Grevioux just plows his way through
the motions as he goes about telling a Spider-Man/Blade throw-down with a bunch
of blood suckers. It’s a little bit “Fight Club”, it’s a little bit
“Underworld”, it’s a little bit of every trendy vampire story that’s saturated
the medium as of late, and it’s a LOT of stupid. No, seriously, my brain hurt so
badly by the time I finished with this book that I almost gave up comics
forever. Forever.
In a story packed so full of contrivances I’m surprised there was room for any
illustrations, Spider-Man tracks down a vampire fighting ring which just so
happens to be run by a guy who’s creating artificial vampires by way of a drug
called “Fang”. Spider-Man gets himself captured and tossed in the ring with
Blade, whom he was trying to rescue, and the two are forced to fight to the
death. Now, that’s not really going to happen, duh, and a page and half later
the two are in the labs at Empire State University attempting to figure out how
to overcome their vampire enemies.
I don’t have a problem with the idea of the story, but when it ignores so much
that’s been going on with the character of Blade (over in the book ‘X-Men’) as
of late, it just feels like an exercise in futility. I don’t think Grevioux, or
editor Tom Brennan even realize there’s a big epic vampire tale that either just
ended or is coming to an end, that co-starred the Daywalker. It’s this sort of
inconsistency that leads me to believe that this was just something that was
either written a while ago and has been sitting around in a desk drawer waiting
to see the light of day, or that no one involved bothered to do any research
before putting pen to paper. (EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't usually do these but
this book is an on-line comic that Marvel is putting in print here for the first
time, so it's essentially an inventory story)
The art is just inadequate. That’s the only way I can think of to describe it.
Two inkers and two colorists do not a uniform look create, and to be honest, the
pencils aren’t that great of a starting point for either one. Castro barely
manages a cohesive look for the character of Blade, his hair changing from one
panel to the next, and his Spider-Man, lackluster at best. I don’t mind
Buscema/Larsen influence, as both of those names were synonymous with the
Web-Head, but when the art is as lacking in consistency as this is it comes off
as an amateurish homage to days gone by.
Overall this is one turd that is better off left buried in a quarter-bin
somewhere. Honestly, I can’t say enough bad stuff about this book. Neil Gaiman
is right…Vampires are soooooooo over. |
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INCOGNITO BAD INFLUENCES #1 |
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Writer:
Ed Brubaker
Artist:
Sean Phillips |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel/Icon
Shipped On:
102710
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL/ICON'S SYNOPSIS:
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It's been over a year since Zack Overkill came out of Witness Protection to
build a new life. But working for the government isn't that different from being
controlled by them, and his new secret identity is becoming more trouble than
it's worth... So what will Zack do when tasked with a mission that sends him on
a hunt into the darkest corners of the super-criminal underworld where he was
raised? |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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The last time we checked in on Zack Overkill he was
a reformed super-villain living in the Witness Protection program. His hum-drum
existence was too much for him to take and thus began his transition to crime
fighter. By the end of the last series Zack had been recruited into the S.O.S.
fold (a super-hero/crime fighter organization) and turned his life around for
real, despite his somewhat shady past. This issue, which is more of a direct
continuation of the previous series rather than a new volume altogether, picks
up with Zack bouncing around the country fighting all the bad guys he could ever
want to fight, but that doesn’t mean everything hunky-dory.
Happenstance, that’s all it was; that’s all it ever is, isn’t it? Everything is
going well, looking up, and then BAM, $#!t changes in the blink of an eye. In
this case Zack’s life is turned upside down when he’s mistaken for a man that he
is a ‘direct descendant’ of, Lazarus the Returned Man. I don’t want to get into
specifics, because I never get into specifics, but rest assured that it all is
laid out for you in the pages of the story and that it makes perfect sense.
Where the story loses me just a bit, is the decision by Overkill’s superiors to
send a reformed super-villain undercover as…a super-villain. I mean, it’s a
little bit like waving a bag of powder in front of an ex-addict and not
expecting them to go through a bit of withdrawal. I expect that the internal
conflict will be ramped up just as much, if not more than the violent action
that we saw in previous issues, and all due to the poor decision making of
Zack’s bosses.
Sean Phillips is Sean Phillips, and while his style is somewhat unorthodox by
most cape-and-cowl comics, it’s his noir-ish sensibilities that Brubaker runs
with like a madman. There’re shadows everywhere and in each shadow seems to be
dozens of secrets lurking about waiting to sap someone over the head and drag
them into the darkness. I love the mood that he sets with his pencils, and the
environments he builds around his characters. I don’t think that there’s any
other way to put it: Sean Phillips is Sean Phillips, you either know his work
and love it or you’ve been living under a rock and have NO IDEA what you’re
missing. |
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ACTION COMICS #894 |
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Writer:
Paul Cornell
Artist:
Pete Woods |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
102710
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Guest-starring Death from SANDMAN! Yes, you read that right! Death! From
SANDMAN! In ACTION COMICS! Lex Luthor finds himself literally at Death's door,
which leads to a fascinating look not only into the mind of one of the all-time
greatest villains, but also at what Death means in the DC Universe. And in the
JIMMY OLSEN co-feature, an alien race has chosen Metropolis to be the host of
their millennial celebration! And who better to show them around town than James
Bartholomew Olsen? But when the alien princess gets wasted and her brother
starts picking bar fights, it's up to Jimmy to get things under control before
all of Metropolis is destroyed! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Death is HERE! The long-awaited, or would it be
not-so-long-awaited, appearance of Death the Endless in the DCU from the Vertigo
Universe is upon us, and I think that the transition was a rousing success! Paul
Cornell ‘gets it’, and that’s important because this isn’t a character that
people take very lightly. A great deal of work went into Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman”
and it truly may be one of the more celebrated series in the history of comic
books, so for DC to cherry-pick characters and insert them into their universe
at-large was a rather shocking decision. I’ve heard both sides of the argument,
those that think it’s a ridiculous idea and shouldn’t have been done, and those
that don’t mind, as long as it’s true to the source material. I think I fall
into the latter category.
Lex Luthor is dead. Well he was shot and thrown off a cliff or something like
that, and as a result he’s dead. Or near dead, at least, and thus the appearance
of a character named Death makes perfect sense. Death and Lex have a bit of a
conversation with Death being her usual, mysterious self, and Lex being the
smarmy, self-involved bastard that Paul Cornell writes better than anyone I’ve
ever seen. Even as Death explains to Lex that there’s no talking his way out of
this one, Luthor is proud enough to proclaim “I don’t DO ‘acceptance’!” And just
when Lex is at the point where he’s ready for whatever Death is going to dish
out…poof…things change.
There’s a two-page sequence at the end of the story that’s set a thousand years
in the past. Vandal Savage sets in motion a plan that won’t come to fruition for
hundreds up years, but hell, he’s immortal so what does he care? I’m not sure
where all this end-stuff is going, but I’m sure it’s setting the stage for
Savage and Lex to showdown in one form or another. That’s another thing I’ve
really liked about this series since its change in direction, even as Lex is on
this whirlwind tour of the baddies of the DCU it’s unclear as to how he’ll deal
with each situation as it’s presented to him. You can’t count on him having
powers to fight his way out, as he has none, but you can count on him
out-thinking almost anyone he’s put up against, and THAT makes for an exciting
story.
Pete Woods is flawless, as usual. There isn’t much to say about his work other
than to heap praise upon it like some sort of gushing fangasm. The same goes for
the work of R.B. Silva who’s penciling the Nick Spencer-penned Jimmy Olsen
Second-Feature (which after only two-issues is getting the axe along with all
the rest of the Second Features). Jimmy is all that stands between a group of
extra-terrestrials and their celebratory festivities that may end all life on
Earth. That’s right; we might all get partied-to-death! I think Nick Spencer is
great, and his down-to-Earth mentality translates perfectly for the character of
Jimmy Olsen, too bad we won’t get to read the end of this story until the
one-shot hits! |
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SUPERMAN BATMAN #77 |
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Writer:
Josh Williamson
Artist:
Ale Garza |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
102010
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Something evil is haunting Supergirl! But whatever's causing the disturbance is
nothing compared to what she's about to run into in Gotham City when she seeks
help from the new Robin, Damian. Can these two get along long enough to stop the
nightmares plaguing Metropolis? Find out in this special Halloween issue! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Sometimes people forget about the dark, seedy
underbelly of Metropolis’ Suicide Slum. It’s easy to get caught up in the
bright, shiny exterior of the city we see in glimpses as Superman, or in this
case Supergirl, flies by at a million miles-per-hour. Josh Williamson chooses
instead to start this story off in the dirt, in the muck of the alleyways hidden
from the Sun by the humongous buildings that give the city its friendly facade.
The discovery of a mass grave in the heart of her new home sends shockwaves
through Supergirl’s soul. She’s frightened by the revelation, as she’s seen too
much death and devastation as of late, and seeks help in Gotham City.
Damien Wayne may be the GREATEST new character from either of the Big Two since
I
got back into comics (which was, coincidentally, “X-Treme X-Men #9, the
introduction of LifeGuard, probably the crappiest new character to debut from
either of the Big 2 since I got back into comics, but I digress). His intense
disdain for any criminal element, his smug self-confidence and natural ability,
and even his witty repartee (second only to Spidey!) all come together and
create one of the most likable characters to ever call themselves a part of the
Bat-Family. “Son. Of. Batman.” Yeah, that pretty much sums it up!
The unlikely duo, one tasked with keeping an eye on Metropolis while her cousin
wanders about reconnecting with the ‘little people’, the other a fledgling
crime-fighter who lost his father and gained an older-brother in Dick Grayson,
now share a mission in tracking down the person (s) responsible for this grizzly
crime. There’s a tremendous amount of chemistry between the two that plays to
all of the strengths of the old Clark/Bruce partnership/rivalry. One line in
particular where Supergirl complains that she’s not to be used like a tool on a
utility belt is met with “Why not? My father did it to Superman all the time.
Now scan, Alien.” I mean, c’mon!
In the end the mystery unfolded rather quickly with a great costume party
sequence that pulls at all the Halloween I have going right now! I thought
Damien as ‘Lil’ Matches’ was genius, and Supergirl’s costume, well, not exactly
“PLAYBOY” material, if you get my drift! There’s a bit of “Blackest Night”
fallout, or maybe it’s more about building from threads that were left…I’d get
more into it, but that would be spoiling things for anyone that actually wants
to read a fun comic that doesn’t come with a whole lot of baggage!
Ale Garza should be put on a “Robin” OR a “Supergirl” series, stat! This guy
just HAS it when it comes to young characters. I don’t think I’d have
appreciated his style had it not been used to bring these particular characters
to life. I bet he’d rock the cr@p out of a “New Teen Titans” series, or
something like that. His action and composition are AWESOME, and though there
aren’t as many backgrounds as I would have liked there’s a great deal of energy
that bounds off the page and damn near punches readers in the face. I love it,
and I’d add this title to my pull list if EVERY issue was like this one. |
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SOLDIER ZERO #1
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Writer:
Paul Cornell (based on Ideas by Stan Lee)
Artist:
Javier Pina |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Boom
Comics
Shipped On:
102010
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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BOOM'S SYNOPSIS:
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STAN'S BACK! The Publishing Event of the Year! Stan Lee, the most colossal force
in the history of comics, teams up with BOOM! Studios to deliver a brand new
line of superhero comics! The great innovator of our industry brings his
inimitable talents back to the direct market in an explosive line of comics that
nobody is prepared for! Half-Human. Half-Alien. All Weapon. In this first
ongoing series, Soldier Zero, Stan teams up with critically acclaimed writer
Paul Cornell (Action Comics, Doctor Who) and artist Javier Pina (Superman,
Batman) for a dramatic, action-packed superhero scorcher. When an alien parasite
falls to Earth, wheelchair-bound college student Stewart Travers becomes
infected, and goes through super-human changes that no mortal could imagine.
Forced into a galactic war that's chosen Earth as the battlefield, Stewart
defends the front line as... Soldier Zero! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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It’s a cute idea. No, really it is! Take Stan Lee,
the self proclaimed “Grand Poobah” of all this comic book stuff, and let him
have some of his ‘classic-style’ fun with some big name writers to back him up.
What trouble could he get himself into, seriously? I mean, as long as someone is
there to make sure he doesn’t wander off or anything, right? Okay so this is the
story of Green Lantern, no wait, Nova, I mean “Soldier Zero”. Yeah, it’s about a
guy named Soldier Zero, and NOT Green Lantern or Nova…but if you read the book
you might understand why it’s easy to get them confused.
What’s the main difference between Soldier Zero and either of the two heroes I
listed above? Well, Soldier Zero is an alien entity that comes to Earth on
accident and hands its power over to an American White Male…who’s in a
wheelchair. Yeah, that’s about the extent of where this guy diverges from those
other guys, and believe me, that bit about the wheelchair, it’s hammered home
from page-three. Now, I love to read about new characters, but how about someone
that’s really NEW and not just a new-twist on an old-favorite? I mean, I know
Stan Lee has never really been the fountainhead of creativity that he’s made out
to be, but this is just kinda ‘meh’.
Javier Pina goes a long way to make up for an unimaginative concept. His art is
smooth and clean, and rich in detail in a way that I appreciate a great deal.
Alfred Rockefeller’s colors are soft and understated, working perfectly with the
pencils to create a knockout look for the book. Paul Cornell is fine, but I get
the feeling that he was instructed, maybe by Stan ‘The Man’, to make it “…more
about the wheelchair. Talk more about the chair. Have them say something about
the chair! Did they talk about the wheelchair on this page yet?!” And so on…
I can appreciate the need for diversity in comics. There are all sorts of people
out there that deserve representation, but what they don’t deserve is pandering.
This book seems to be centered on the idea of ‘Man in Wheelchair’, and not a
paraplegic superhero. I can dig the need to hammer the point home, but it
shouldn’t be the focal point of the entire piece. The story beats that centered
on how much the main character hated to have his handicap the only thing that
people notice about him only served to come off as unintentional irony. Pass. |
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JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #44
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Writer:
Marc Guggenheim
Artist:
Scott Kolins |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC Comics
Shipped On:
102710
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC SYNOPSIS:
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With this all-new creative team comes all-new terror! The United States is
attacked by a lone mysterious warrior who's escaped from a super-secret
government holding tank! The Justice Society races to Washington, D.C. to
neutralize the threat and find themselves at the heart of a catastrophe that
will redefine justice, the society AND America! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Now that Jim-Rob’s embarrassing mini-run/crossover
with “JLA” is complete those of us that are fans of GOOD story-telling can
return to the pages of JSA without fear of stunted dialogue and other stupid
nonsense. Marc Guggenheim and Scott Kolins have a pretty good idea of where they
want to take the team from here, unfortunately getting ‘there’ is going to be a
bit messy.
The story starts with the announcement that Jay Garrick may, in fact, be leaving
the team that he helped found in order to serve as Mayor of Monument Point. This
isn’t going to sit well with the rest of his teammates if Alan Scott’s reaction
is any indication, but thankfully there’s an interruption in the form a
‘terrorist’ attack near Washington D.C. There’s a short bit about Mr. Terrific
and the potential loss of his super-intellect, but it’s not elaborated on that
much before the big throw-down (and boy, is it a BIG throw-down!).
The team, well, those members of the team that AREN’T a part of the “JSA: All
Stars”, rush into battle and before you know it one of them ends up crippled.
That sets the bar pretty high in terms of the ‘danger factor’ as the yet-unknown
villain literally carves the city up with his anime-inspired swordplay. The team
throws everything they have at this guy, but it just doesn’t seem to be enough
to take him down. Believe me, I’m not trying to be purposefully vague, there
just isn’t that much about the guy that’s revealed to audiences at this point.
Guggenheim has hinted that this might be an old foe returned with a new look,
but he isn’t really spilling the beans.
By the end of the book readers are treated to a not-so-happy ending that
illustrates how super-heroic battles and the like have REAL-world consequences
to the little people whom these larger than life characters are supposed to
protect. This sets the stage for the “Supertown” storyline that Guggenheim is
offering up, and honestly the idea of the JSA adopting/rebuilding/running a city
is absolutely alluring. I’m glad that we’re being given the chance to see the
team operate on a ‘big-picture’ scale as opposed to the traditional type of
‘fight-fight-fight’ stories we’ve seen time and time again.
Scott Kolins has been playing with a slightly new style, and it seems to be
paying off in spades. Gone are the thick black inks resulting in drastic
line-definition. Here Kolins goes right from pencils to colors, or at least it
appears that way, resulting in a softer and more painted feel. The art is very
attractive, and though Kolins’ characters still retain the look that made him so
popular it’s done so in a way that seems fresh, just like the story! |
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NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD #1 (OF 5)
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Writers:
Mike Wolfer & John Russo
Artist:
Tomas Aira |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Avatar
Comics
Shipped On:
102010
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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AVATAR SYNOPSIS:
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Fans have demanded it, the most unprecedented and horrifying night in American
history continues as the next chapter of Night of the Living Dead is revealed at
last! Set on that fateful evening in 1968, shocking reports from rural areas
continue to flood the airwaves with accounts of the recently deceased rising up
to kill the living. Now government officials begin counter-measures to calm an
increasingly panic-stricken public. Questioning whether or not the unbelievable
stories are truth or simply an elaborate hoax perpetrated by militants opposed
to the Vietnam War, the attention of the nation's Capitol is focused on a threat
more believable, as thousands of protesters converge on Capitol Hill to voice
their opposition to the War. But with National Guard forces spread
impossibly-thin to deal with civil unrest, Washington D.C. is completely
unprepared for an event that will forever change the course of the country, and
perhaps the world, as an unstoppable army of the undead begins to flood the
city, bringing their blood-thirsty reign of terror to the very steps of the
White House! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Ever wonder what was going on everywhere else while
those poor, helpless people were trapped in that house during George Romero’s
horror classic “Night of the Living Dead”? No? Me either, but Avatar Press is
gonna fill us in anyway! Alright so we might not get around to the ‘everywhere
else’ part, but this focuses on the DC area and an anti-Vietnam War protest that
has the city and its citizens on edge, and that’s BEFORE the zombies show up!
It’s a comic that perfectly captures the feel of 70’s schlock-cinema, and if
you’re a fan of horror, sex, violence, or hippies than this one’s for YOU!
Boobs on the first page?! You know when you get a peep show that early into any
book that they’re taking the ‘Mature Readers’ tag to heart! That’s right folks,
in addition to obscene violence, you get BOOBIES, and lot’s of ‘em! Kids necking
in a car in the woods are nothing new to the horror genre, and when things could
have very easily went in the traditional direction that everyone would expect,
the writer’s flip it and play the entire situation for laughs. It’s not a
permanent change in direction, as the brain-hungry zombies are apparently always
shuffling about, just off-panel, their threat looming heavily in the shadows
(for dramatic effect!).
The rest of the story revolves around an Army Reservist, a wandering
hitch-hiker, and a VW Bus full of Hippies. They’re on their way to DC, some to
protest, others to keep the peace, but all of them are unaware of the danger
that’s skulking its way to the Nation’s capital, lurking and hungry. I can’t
talk much about the zombies, and why would I, they’re zombies. If you’ve seen
one, you’ve seen them all. Besides, it’s the characters that are still
with-pulse that really make or break one of these rags, and the writing team of
Wolfer and Russo do an adequate job of creating characters that are easy to
become interested in.
Whether it’s the Black Army-Reservist whose girlfriend is pregnant with their
first child, or the lonely wanderer/ex-Vietnam Veteran whose purpose in going to
the rally is unclear, or there’s always the three VW-sharing hippies whose
intra-personal relationships seem a bit like murky waters, but hey it was the
FREE-LOVE generation we’re talking about; or at least the tail end of it. I felt
like these were believable characters with real problems, and to top it all off
with a Zombie-outbreak, well, that’s just harsh bud.
The art is great. The action sequences are few and far between, but Aira does an
incredible job of bringing the characters to life in spite of the rather
talkative nature of the book. It doesn’t take a lot to make zombies look
menacing, or their attacks ‘savage’ or ‘brutal’, and Aira does both, in spades.
His zombies are disgusting, rotting, entrail-dragging lummoxes that tear at
clothing and rip at flesh with ease and a primal delight. The pack-mentality
that the creatures are usually presented with is expressed subtly, with a creepy
feel that comes across clearly in only a few panels.
If you’re going to sink your teeth into something new, how about something that
bites back? It would be easy to go on a rant about how “The Walking Dead” is
able to do the same thing only better, but that’s not really the point.
Kirkman’s post-Zombie Apocalypse epic has had time to grow and ‘digest’ its own
stories, building upon its mythos and adding some flair to a rather over-done
(if not mundane) sub-genre. The point of this is to go back and attempt to
recapture what it felt like to first see this sort of threat unleashed upon an
unsuspecting humanity, and I think that these guys do that really, really well. |
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KICK ASS 2 #1 |
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Writer:
Mark Millar
Artists:
John Romita Jr. & Tom Palmer |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel/Icon
Comics
Shipped On:
102010
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL/ICON'S SYNOPSIS:
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From Marvel Comics. It's never been offered in Marvel Previews, only as a line
listing in the June 2010 PREVIEWS Order Form. But here now is the sequel to the
biggest creator-owned comic of the decade -- the one that spawned the number one
hit movie and the worldwide phenomenon--is here! Kick-Ass is back, just as
over-the-top as ever! As everybody's favorite psychotic 11-year-old, Hit Girl,
trains Kick-Ass to be...well, a bad-ass, Red Mist gathers a team of
super-villains to take them down! It's super hero mayhem as only Mark Millar and
John Romita Jr. can bring you! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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This is probably one of the most surprising books
I’ve read all month. I don’t honestly know what I was expecting, other than a
shameful cash-grab turned potential movie sequel, but what I got was something
else entirely. I enjoyed the first volume of “Kick-Ass” in all its vulgar glory,
but the film adaptation left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m glad that Millar is
dedicated to the work on the page as opposed the changes that came from cashing
in on Hollywood’s obsession with these kinds of movies, and hopefully it won’t
alienate those who come to this series directly from the film as opposed to the
first volume of printed work.
Kick-Ass created the world’s first costumed crime-fighter…I’m hesitant to use
the term superhero, although that’s how Millar describes it, because there isn’t
anything ‘super’ about Kick-Ass’ heroism. His internet debut was the face that
launched a thousand crime-fighting careers, as costumed do-gooders are popping
up in all kinds of places. Hit Girl is still around, although her role as a
bad-ass is castrated dramatically by her new stepfather, and it’s an interesting
juxtaposition placing the most easily likable character into a non-action,
semi-supporting role. I wasn’t expecting THAT, that’s for sure.
Team-ups might be the cornerstone of the superhero genre, and Kick-Ass is well
aware of that fact. In this issue he’s out to start a superhero team of some
sort, but only ends up meeting a guy named Doc Gravity. After an interesting
back and forth between the two amateur vigilantes, Kick-Ass convinces Gravity to
introduce him to ‘Justice Forever’, a group of really rough-around-the-edges
costumed weirdoes claiming to be a superhero team. This is, of course, ‘the
greatest thing’ he’s ever seen, even though the majority of the people in the
room look kinda scary, and I’m sure it’s going to lead to some interesting
confrontations down the line a bit.
Oh yeah, and there’s a bit of foreshadowing involving Red Mist and a pack of
angry ‘supervillains’ standing off against a group of ‘superheroes’. I’m not
sure how we’re going to get from point A to point B, but the destination sure is
appealing. I don’t know just how much madness Millar is planning to unleash on
lowly Dave Lizewski and the other misguided souls searching for their place in
infamy, but I’m planning on sticking around for the ride.
It should be mentioned that Kick-Ass co-creator John Romita Jr. has a reduced
role in the art chores, only completing lay-outs/breakdowns for the book. Inking
legend Tom
Palmer supplies the finishes and ink washes everything before sending it
out for Dean White’s colors. The book is visually very similar to the first
volume, with only slight differences. It’s still very much a Romita piece also,
as Palmer is able to mimic JRJr.’s signature style with a great deal of finesse.
I wasn’t sold on the idea at first, but by the end of the issue, where you get a
sneak-peek at the process, I was digging it whole-heartedly. |
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BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME BATMAN & ROBIN #1 |
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Writer:
Fabian Nicieza
Artist:
Cliff Richards |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
101310
|
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MSRP:
$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DC'S SYNOPSIS:
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BRUCE WAYNE - THE ROAD HOME kicks off here as Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne rush
to quash a damaging news item that could threaten the secret identities of the
entire Bat-family! And as if that weren't enough to occupy their time, their
father figure, Bruce Wayne, has returned... |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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This is the first installment in the “Bruce Wayne:
The Road Home” series of one-shots that see's the entire bat-family dealing with
the return of their paternal role model and inspiration. As far as ‘inspiring’
goes, this book is alright. It’s not gong to be anyone’s favorite comic, that’s
for sure, but it does go a ways toward asserting Bruce’s NEW position as
Master-Chief Batman of Batman Inc. If you’ve been reading “Batman and Robin” by
Morrison than this issue is going to fall a bit flat, as there’s very little in
the way of the aforementioned title’s quirky personality to be found, but
nevertheless Nicieza and Richards manage to deal with the editorially mandated
story like the professionals they are.
B&R start the issue out combating a group of super-villains calling themselves
The Hangmen, but someone is keeping a rather close eye on the new dynamic duo.
Clinging to shadows and rooftops, very much like a particular caped crusader
might, this ‘Insider’ spends a majority of the issue rattling off criticisms of
the pair of costumed heroes as if he’s some sort of P.E. teacher. If you have
half of half-a-brain then you should probably be able to figure out who the
‘Insider’ is by page three, but in case you don’t, or can’t, they do reveal it
at the end of the issue.
Like I said before, there’s very little in the way of the signature quirkiness
that’s become a staple of the “Batman and Robin” book, as Nicieza opts instead
for the straight and narrow, super-hero approach. A subplot revolving around
Vicki Vale and her deciphering The Batman’s identity (both of them) is somewhat
interesting, but filled with the kind of nonsensical clichés that drag the story
down by making the character out to be some kind of nasty with a chip on her
shoulder. I couldn’t get into it, and now I understand the animosity most celebs
have for the press!
Cliff Richards’ art is stupendous. I enjoyed his take on the duo a great deal,
and to be honest I wouldn’t mind seeing him take over art chores on the regular
title. It’s very much classic in its composition, and his ability to move the
story along at a break-neck pace increases the fun a great deal. I think that
I’ll have to keep a closer watch on what this guy is doing in the future, so I
don’t miss any more great looking pages! |
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SUPERIOR #1 (OF 6) |
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Writer:
Mark Millar
Artist:
Lenil Francis Yu |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel/Icon
Comics
Shipped On:
101310
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL/ICON'S SYNOPSIS:
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Ollie Janson had it all going for him-plenty of friends at school, good looks,
and his coach called him one of the most talented basketball players he's ever
seen. But that was when he could still move his legs. Now he's living with
multiple sclerosis, missing all the little things he used to take for granted,
and escaping into the world of movies and comics with his best friend. Then...
SUPERIOR entered his life. The newest smash superhero comic from MARK MILLER
(KICK-ASS, NEMESIS, OLD MAN LOGAN) and his ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2 collaborator
LEINIL FRANCIS YU (SECRET INVASION, NEW AVENGERS, ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS. HULK)
is sure to bethe most talked-about new series of 2010! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Mark Millar’s name isn’t synonymous with thoughtful
storytelling, not in comics, and not anywhere else. He’s got a knack for pushing
the envelope to the max and yet, and it’s so obvious in the way he approaches
material, there’s a side of him that’s never going to be anything other than a
little kid in a grown man’s body. Well, what do you know, it would appear that
never a more appropriate metaphor has been used in a comic book review…Millar
has gone on record as saying that this book is equal parts ‘Superman’ (or
‘Shazam’ depending on how you look at it!) and the Tom Hanks movie “BIG”.
Poor, little Simon Poonie was just like any other kid in grammar school, until
he was diagnosed with MS. His body’s motor functions, over time, betrayed him
and ultimately he ended up in a wheelchair. Kids aren’t the most understanding
of creatures, and as such a majority of his friends abandoned him to his plight
in solitude. His best friend, Chris, isn’t so quick to ditch out, and during the
opening scene of the book the pair of boys are enjoying the Hollywood exploits
of their favorite super hero, SUPERIOR! So, while Superior exists in Simon’s
world already, albeit only as an action movie star, it does set the stage for
the talking monkey in a space suit to transform Simon via ‘Magic Wish’ into his
icon.
Yep, a talking monkey in a space suit. Moving on…well, I guess. Not really,
because that’s about where the issue ends. Simon, as Superior, makes contact
with his best friend, confiding in him and so on (also ala “Big”) but as far as
what happens after that, I don’t know. I do know that I could read this type of
a story time and time again and not get bored. I’ve often complained about the
lack of ‘wonder’ or ‘excitement’ that was ever-present in comics before the
“EXTREME” era of the 1990’s, so it’s excellent to read a story that build upon
layers of childlike amazement as far as the whole superhero genre is concerned.
Speaking of superheroes, someone let Lenil Yu know that Millar is already
optioning out the movie rights, and his bank account should be growing very,
very soon. Yu’s style is an acquired taste when he’s allowed to experiment with
the mainstream Marvel Universe, i.e. his unlinked work in “New Avengers”. His
powerhouse pencils are improved upon by the inks of Gerry Alanguilan, completing
a crisp, clean package that really might be the artist’s best work to date. I
have to be honest, I’m not sure this book would have offered the same appeal had
Yu not been the one to bring it to life, I’m immensely impressed with the
pairings first creator-owned offering, and look forward to many, many others! |
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KLAWS OF PANTHER #1 (OF 4) |
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Writer:
Jonathan Maberry
Artist:
Gianluca Gugliotta |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
100610
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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Klaw, Master of Sound, is no more dead than he is human. The killer composed of
living sound is back with a new and deadly plan that will spill blood from the
Savage Land to the streets of New York. Shuri, the new Black Panther, has
already tried (and failed) to stop this monster -a defeat that owed as much to
her own reckless rage than it does to Klaw's power. So, Shuri turns to the
person who knows more about battling inner rage than anyone. If you think you
know the Black Panther -you don't. So don't miss this installment of NY Times
bestseller Jonathan Maberry's exciting new series. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Building upon the strength of “DoomWar”, Maberry is
back with the latest adventure starring Shuri, the sorta-new Black Panther.
She’s T’Challa’s sister, T’Chaka’s daughter, and the latest in a long line of
Guardians of Wakanda, thus making her one of the more B.A. female characters in
the modern Marvel U. It’s fun to discover new characters, even when they’re
first panned by close-minded comic book fans. Sure, I wasn’t thrilled to pieces
with the less-than-inventive “Who is the NEW Black Panther?” ads that teased
images of Storm, Echo, um…some other people…whatever, the point is that the NEW
Black Panther has been around for a little while, and even though T’Challa is
taking over a book called “Black Panther: The Man Without Fear” Shuri is still
Princess Regent of Wakanda and Chieftain of the Panther Clan.
After Dr. Doom’s invasion of Wakanda’s thought-impenetrable defenses in an
attempt to plunder their supply of Vibranium, T’Challa sacrificed the entire
reserve supply, all that the country owned, to keep it out of Doom’s hands. As a
result Shuri makes a trip to the Savage Land, since it’s now the world’s largest
supply of Vibranium, in hopes of discussing trade-options with Ka-Zar. You know
what happens EVERY time someone takes a trip to the Savage Land? They fight with
dinosaurs…or get chased by dinosaurs…or their mode of transportation is
destroyed by dinosaurs…or all of the above. Shuri is throwing down with a
Velociraptor when Shanna the She Devil shows up and intervenes. It appears she
has a soft spot for the dino, something about training it, and that’s when the
mind-control disc stuck to the side of the raptor’s head comes into play.
It would appear that someone or something is causing all the creatures in the
Savage Land to work themselves up into a hyper-aggressive state, which of course
leads to all sorts of off-panel bloodshed and carnage. Shuri and Shanna begin to
hunt for the disappeared Ka-Zar and Zabu, which leads them into direct conflict
with the big bad. If you’re a fan of the Panther, or at least somewhat
knowledgeable of his rouge’s gallery than the title of the series is a pretty
big reveal. If you’re NOT a long-time fan, no worries, just read the
book…because I said so!
Everything about this struck a chord with me. I thought Maberry hit every note
with Shuri, and he’s doing a great job establishing her as her own character and
not T’Challa-lite. I thought Gianluca Gugliotta handled the art-chores
perfectly, and his use of page-space was inspiring. I really love finding new
artists that I look forward to seeing more of in the future. I say ‘new’ but
he’s been around; I’ve even seen his work before in “Dark Reign: Mr. Negative”,
but he’s definitely someone to keep an eye out for! |
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METALOCALYPSE DETHKLOK #1 (of 3) |
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Writers:
Brendon Small, Jon Schnepp & Jeremy Barlow
Artist:
Lucas Marangon |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Dark Horse
Comics
Shipped On:
100610
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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DARK HORSE'S SYNOPSIS:
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They're the most brutal black-metal band on the planet and the world's
seventh-largest economy, five men prophesied to bring about the Metalocalypse.
They are DETHKLOK . . . and they are about to enter the food chain. After a
series of sponsorship deals goes sour, Dethklok launches a line of frozen meals
in hopes of reclaiming their metal throne. Two things stand in their way: the
enigmatic tribunal of world leaders sworn to topple the band, and their own
incompetence. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Are you already a fan of “Metalocalypse”? If so,
you’ll probably enjoy the $#!t out of this new series from Dark Horse. Are you
sorta familiar with the show? Maybe seen it one or two times? If so, you might
find this kinda funny. If you’re anything like me, a guy without cable or normal
television for that matter, in your home, and you haven’t seen “Metalocalypse”
before, and have no idea what the **** is going on, then you might not enjoy
this that much. I didn’t.
The problem I have with spin-off titles such as this is that if you aren’t
familiar with the source material there’s very little frame of reference for why
characters speak and act the way that they do. There’re at least two characters
that are a part of the band Dethklok that speak in funky dialects; one would
appear to be European and the other just seems stupid, but without HEARING them
it’s hard to tell. I know that’s a small problem for some of you, but when one
guy speaks like Jar Jar Binks and the other seems like he’s right out of a
German porn film, with NO EXPLANATION, well it grates my nerves.
A few of the other band members don’t have such a problem getting their point
across to the audience, but I can’t honestly say that any of them, aside from
their look, seem distinguishable from the others. I mean, as far as the
satirical side of things, I got it…it’s a semi-statement on the state of the
music industry and we the people they seek to take advantage of. It’s an extreme
inside joke for fans of hardcore rock music more commonly referred to as
‘Metal’, but if you’re NOT a fan of that kind of music OR the show on which this
comic is based then why bother? That’s not to mention the irony of a plot
involving over-merchandising in a comic book adaptation of an animated
series…won’t be long now before we get action figures, lunch boxes, or a movie.
The art is well done, as most adaptations of animated series already have a
distinct ‘flavor’ to their style this seems to be in line with the look of the
cartoon (I do have ‘Google’ y’know!). I enjoyed the colors by Thomas Mason, as
they added a great deal of depth to an otherwise shallow endeavor. Lucas
Marangon seems to be tied to this series for a while, and he’s good at
illustrating these characters, so it would appear to be a good match. Aside from
that I didn’t’ find a whole lot to redeem this book in my eyes. The plot was
solid enough, for a joke, but in the long run I can’t imagine what an ongoing
series about these guys is supposed to be about. Isn’t that what we have the
cartoon for? |
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CHAOS WAR #1 (of 5) |
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Writers:
Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Artist:
Khoi Pham |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
100610
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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Bigger than THE INFINITY GAUNTLET! More cosmic than ANNIHILATION! Since the end
of SECRET INVASION, the CHAOS KING has amassed his army of alien slave gods --
and the time to strike Earth is NOW! Only the greatest Marvel heroes can oppose
him -- all led by the newly-returned god of heroes ... HERCULES! But are even
his incredible new powers enough to stand against the greatest threat the Marvel
Universe has ever seen - a mad god who seeks to destroy Reality itself? PLUS:
While thought dead, Hercules was trapped in a dangerous world that threatened
his very sanity. Find out the secret of his exile in a special extra story
penciled by PRINCE OF POWER's Reilly Brown! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Okay, so if I said there’s been a little build up to
this here ‘event’ that Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak have been cooking up over the
course of their “Incredible Hercules” run, it’d be a pretty substantial
understatement. The exploits of the former Prince of Power were some of the most
consistently FUN and HI-Larious comics I’ve read in a long time, but there’s
nothing laughable about a looming “Chaos War” and the threat of Amatsu Mikaboshi.
The best part is, if you’ve been paying attention to the, dare I say, Herculean
effort put forth by the pair of writers over the course of the last couple years
this whole thing pays off by reestablishing Herc in the Marvel U as the “God of
Heroes”.
The Japanese call him the Lord of Darkness and Chaos; he was born into
nothingness before the creation of the universe, and he seeks nothing less than
the total destruction of ALL things in hopes that he’ll return to peaceful
isolation. When was the last time the bad guy just wanted to destroy the world?
Mikaboshi is bad, BAD dude. This guy took out Zeus, killed the slave gods of the
invading Skrull armies, and then just took a whirlwind trip round the cosmos
destroying alien pantheons and recruiting soldiers, and now he’s headed OUR way.
Hercules, despite his somewhat speedy return from the great beyond and his new
title has trouble convincing everyone that they should follow him into battle,
and rightfully so considering his previous reputation for drunken buffoonery.
That’s the truly beautiful thing about this book (aside from Khoi Pham’s
marvelous illustrations). It seeks to redeem a character whose only problem has
been his complete lack of maturity in the eyes of his peers. How does one go
from sleeping with as many heroines as possible, drinking more beer than ever
thought imaginable, and rumbling with any and everyone available…to the God of
Heroes? Even longtime friends and associates, with the exception of Amadeus Cho,
have a hard time taking Herc seriously, that is, until he MAKES them take him
seriously by transporting them for a little pre-game pep talk and power boost.
All of them. Everyone.
The heroes charge off into battle with the forces of the Dark Lord of Chaos, but
they’re in for a bit more than they bargained for. I don’t want to spoil
anything, but in the opening scene Mikaboshi lays waste to someone I can only
describe as his competition. After murdering and absorbing their powers,
Mikaboshi can now destroy any mortal mind he comes into contact with. This
doesn’t bode well for our collection of costumes supes, and upping the stakes
THIS early can only mean that things aren’t looking UP for the good guys, but
we, as readers, are in for an exciting ride.
Pham is one of the most under-rated pencillers currently working in comics. He’s
an unimaginable talent and it’s unfortunate that he’s not been given the chance
to shine on a major title before now. He STARTED “The Incredible Hercules” with
Pak and Van Lente, so I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to see him continue
the adventure, even though Editorial went with the painfully silly decision to
let Ed McGuinness illustrate the cover. Yeah, I would always rather see an
accurate depiction of the book’s interior art on any given cover, but whatever,
I don’t run the show. I can only hope that after all is said and done and
‘chaos’ doesn’t reign supreme, that Khoi Pham is elevated in Marvel Pantheon of
Artists to a more esteemed position…or title…or whatever…because the guy is
awesome, and his art is phenomenal. |
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LADY MECHANIKA #0 |
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Writer/Artist:
Joe Benitez |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Aspen Comics
Shipped On:
100610
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MSRP:
$2.50 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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ASPEN'S SYNOPSIS:
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From Aspen MLT. The exciting adventure of Aspen's newest female heroine begins
here! The mysteries surrounding Lady Mechanika and her origin begin to unfold as
she hunts the murderous creature known as "the Demon of Satan's Alley." Located
on the lower east side, it is an area of town under siege by the presence of a
murderous creature of unkown origin. While a weapons manufacturer has issued a
reward for the unknown slayer, drawing a crowd of bounty hunters looking to cash
in, Lady Mechanika's purpose is far more personal - information that could lead
to the truth about her creation. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Man, THIS is where it’s at! Creators passionate
about the work they’re doing tend to make BETTER comics, so when I heard about
Joe Benitez’s creator-owned book debuting from Aspen I was more than excited to
dive in and give it a chance. I was rewarded immediately as “Lady Mechanika”
hits the ground running, charging full steam ahead with the adventures of this
Steampunk era heroine. Oh, this is the ZERO issue, AND it’s only $2.50 for a
full 14-page story and six pages of back-up material. It’s AWESOME.
“The Demon of Satan’s Alley” seems like a really nasty name for what turns out
to be a not-so-threatening ‘villain’, and the best part is Benitez doesn’t come
to this conclusion by trying to display how ‘bad-ass’ Lady Mechanika is,
although he manages to do just that. Nope, instead of intense violence Lady M
(as I’ll refer to her from now on) diffuses the situation by talking with the
technologically-augmented creature. It’s only after some vague revelations with
regard to Lady M’s past that the violence is ramped up, although NOT by the
title character.
There’s always gotta be that one guy that’s out for money, and “Lady Mechanika”
is no different. Lord Nathaniel Blackpool of Blackpool Armaments is just such a
douche bag; his interest in biological/mechanical hybrids puts him into direct
conflict with the title character as she’s part machine. Lady M makes short work
of his henchmen, then takes her beef with Blackpool a step further (by kicking
his lower jaw off?! Whoa.) I’m expecting that exchange to pay off in the long
run once the title really gets started.
There’s a beauty to this book that’s unlike anything on the shelves today. If
ever there was an heir-apparent to the throne of Michael Turner, it’s Joe
Benitez. With this book he’s blown my mind, as my last encounter with him (Top
Cow’s Pilot Season “Demonic”) didn’t make such a great impression, it’s like the
guy is an entirely different artist, or maybe it has something to do with his
PASSION for this project over the other. This is HIS baby, not Kirkman and
Silvestri’s, and as such he’s given more than one-hundred percent and it shows
on EVERY page. Admittedly, I thought “Demonic” was boring and unimaginative…but
not because of the art!
It’s been a while since I’ve fallen for a comic-book character as hard as I’ve
fallen for “Lady Mechanika”, and to be honest it’s kinda weird, but it IS nice
to have a strong female lead in a book that’s more about showing off her skills
than it is about showing off her skin. I think the idea is unique enough to
stand out amongst the throng of capes and costumes, and the execution is
pitch-perfect. I’m hoping to read this series for a long time, and so should
you! |
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UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 |
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Writer:
Rick Remender
Artist:
Jerome Opena |
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics
Shipped On:
100610
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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Wolverine promised Cyclops that X-Force would disband -- he lied. A secret
society has resurrected En Sabah Nur, putting into motion events that will turn
this age of heroes into an Age of Apocalypse! To hold them back, Wolverine and
Archangel bring together Fantomex, Deadpool, and Psylocke to form The Uncanny
X-Force! Stained by their history, they are the only ones capable of making the
hard resolutions necessary. A band of likeminded friends and mercenaries set to
one purpose, one big ugly task -- kill Apocalypse by any means. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I’m hesitant to call this “X-Force” Vol. 3, even
though to a LOT of people that’s what it is. By adding the word ‘Uncanny’ to the
title, they’ve effectively disregarded the lineage of the book, but at the same
time they build upon EVERYTHING that happened in the second volume…so I don’t
know, but I know what I like. This is such a worthy heir to the X-Force name
that I’m really kind of disappointed in myself for having doubts. Oh yeah, I
didn’t think this was going to be something that I would want to read…I thought,
“I enjoyed Yost and Kyle’s takes on the characters; the somewhat-provocative
proactive X-team; the high-stakes throw-downs…why should they restart it?”
The truth is that this is just as much a legitimate starting point as any for a
title of this nature. The black-bag operations of the world’s deadliest mutants
aren’t high on anyone’s list of ‘Honorable Deeds for this Heroic Age’…y’know
what I mean? So when Cyclops ends the team after “Second Coming” Wolverine
decides to go behind his boss’s back, and utilizing funds provided by Warren
Worthington puts together a whole new team. Gone are the days of “Claw Force”,
where everyone who can shred must shred at all costs, and anyone caught
not-shredding when there is shredding to be done is given a malignant tumor in
the brain (no, that totally happened in the last volume!). This team is a much
more well-rounded creature…covering things from all angles there’s Wolverine,
co-leader and all round tough guy, Angel, co-leader/funding/and angel of
freaking DEATH, Psylocke, NINJA/telepath and Angel’s girl, Fantomex, the master
thief and mystery man, and finally Deadpool, whom I hate with a fiery fervor and
yet became somewhat appealing in the hands of Rick Remender.
When I saw the preview and the first two pages featured Deadpool doing what I
assumed to be Deadpool stuff, well, needless to say I wasn’t enthused. When I
sat down and actually READ the book I found even Wade, when not treated like a
glorified member of the Three Stooges with guns, to be a likable character. The
fact that he’s beheaded by page five was also a plus! I’m not spoiling anything
by the way, I try not to do that, but a big part of this story is the team going
after Warren’s “Inside Man” whom readers know from page-one is Deadpool, so
n’yah! The story is entitled “The Apocalypse Solution” so you can definitely
spot signs of the big, blue, bad guy here and there, but I wasn’t ready for the
last-page reveal and the trouble it spells for our band of kill-happy heroes.
I think the as-of-now unsung hero of this whole “X-Force” thing is Jerome Opena.
His style is so brazenly detail-oriented, jam packed with backgrounds, emotion,
environment, and an obvious LOVE of telling stories. His ability to convey his
(and Remender’s) point within the context of the image is astounding, and were
it that this issue shipped without text-balloons I’m positive readers would
still know exactly what’s going on. He’s a secret weapon that not many people
are really in-the-know about, but I’m sure there are BRIGHT things on the
horizon for this guy…it won’t be long before he’s taking on the doodling chores
of some top-selling monthly, or cranking out unbelievable pages on a mega-event
(or even a mini-event?)…someone, make that happen ok? |
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DEADPOOLMAX #1 |
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Writer:
David Lapham
Artist:
Kyle Baker
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Reviewer:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel/Max Comics
Shipped On:
100610
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MSRP:
$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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When the world has a problem that's bigger than any government, special ops
team, or C.I.A. smart bomb can solve, they call in the one man crazy enough to
solve it: Deadpool. Possibly unkillable mercenary, definite weapons expert and
swordsman, hopeless romantic, nutjob. It's that last part that presents a small
problem and that's where Agent Bob steps in. Bob's sole charge in life is to
point Deadpool at the problem and pull the trigger -- not any easy task when
your agent is a dime short of a dollar and three cards shy of a full deck, and
even harder when you've gone deep cover in the impenetrable fortress of
Hammerhead, the Grand Don of the most powerful criminal organization in the
world, and your unkillable super agent is head over heels for a busty French
maid baker named Inga...well, you begin to see the inherent problems of the job.
But no one can take it like Bob, no one can dish it like Deadpool, and no one
can show you every last detail if it like MAX! You may think you know Deadpool
...you have no idea. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Oh, the Merc With a Mouth is back in his FIRST-EVER
Marvel MAX title, and you know what that means don’t you? There’s gonna be some
sex, and some violence, and a whole lotta bad language before all is said and
done, but is it going to make a great deal of difference in how the character,
overexposed as ever, is going to be perceived? I don’t think so.
David Lapham, who won a great deal of acclaim with series like “Stray Bullets”
and “Young Liars” is diving head-first into the world of Marvel’s mutant
assassin and all-round goofball, Deadpool, but this time the character is being
given the MAX treatment. Creatively speaking this allows Lapham to take the
kid-gloves off and really hammer home some hardcore $#!t, but it also negates a
large portion of the comic-reading audience, kids, most of whom find the
red-and-black clad retard so entertaining.
There’s some funny stuff in the book, and there’s some over-the-top gross out
humor, a little nudity, and a lot of hardcore blood and guts. I don’t really
want to give the story away, but Deadpool is almost a secondary character as
most of the story is told in flashback by former-Hydra agent Bob. Hammerhead
also makes a Marvel MAX debut, but it’s short-lived, as someone has to sacrifice
themselves to help sell the title character, so don’t get used to seeing him
around for very long. Blah, blah, blah, Deadpool kills a bunch of guys, says
some stupid stuff, and that’s pretty much that.
Kyle Baker is the saving grace of this book. I’m not sure I would have made it
all the way through if not for the marvelous illustrations that accompany the
text. I’m NOT that easy to please, believe me I know, but I know what I like and
Baker’s art is just LOADED with personality. He makes even a second-rate
Wolverine/Spider-Man combo seem fun, despite the story’s lack of any real appeal
to myself. I know that Marvel is really giving this character a push, and by
sticking a fabulous creator like Baker on a book like this, while sure to draw
some extra attention, almost seems like a waste to me. There’s so much more a
guy like him could do with the Marvel U, but instead we get another “Deadpool”
book…*sigh*…whatever. |
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All Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2010 by their respective
owners. No rights given or implied by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.
Reviews © 2010 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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"The opinions expressed in the reviews below are not necessarily those of Alternate Reality, Inc. Hey, I don't agree with all of them either!"
