Monday, October 22, 2007

This land is your.....No. This land is GODLAND!












Hello Chums,

I thought I'd talk about 3 more trades and a graphic novel I just finished reading.


First up is Daredevil Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. This trade collects Daredevil issues 227-233. These issues tell a story of betrayal.



Matt Murdock's world slowly gets yanked out from under him. First, all of his money is frozen by the IRS, he then looses his license to practise law and his house is blown up. That's just the start of all his problems. How much more can one man take?



What set all this in motion? How about a strung out ex-girlfriend who sold his secret identity for a fix. Of course he realizes who the mastermind behind all of this and confronts them as Daredevil-The Man Without Fear. rating: A-

What if Jack "King" Kirby was alive and well. He'd be doing comics of course. If we were lucky he'd be doing a comic like Godland. Joe Casey and Tom Scioli are the next best thing to "The King". Mr. Casey's script is chock full of cosmic goodness. Mr. Scioli's art has that Kirby blocky style with crackle! Lastly the coloring by Bill Crabtree seems to leap off the page.

The story features Adam Archer, an astronaut who (four years ago) gains cosmic powers while on a mission to Mars. Now the government has set him (and his three sisters) up in a base in NYC to deal with "cosmic" threats. In this arc Archer befriends an alien "dog". Oh yeah, there's also a host of villains to deal with. Give Godland vol.1 Hello Cosmic a try. rating: A+


Next is the original graphic novel (ogn) The Incredible Change-Bots by Jeffrey Brown. As you may know already, Jeffrey Brown is the writer/artist responsible for Unlikely, Clumsy, AEIOU, and Big Head just to name a few. Although his art style appears simple, it is pleasing to the eye. With the Incredible Change-Bots, he has done something he hasn't done before. A full-colored book.

The Incredible Change-Bots are pretty much what they sound like. Large robots that turn into household items, cars, etc. They're made up of two groups. The Awesome Bots are the good guys. While the Fantasticons make up the bad guys. These two factions go at it for years until their planet is in total ruin. They then form an uneasy alliance and come to earth to start battling some more. Is this Jeffrey Brown's best book? No. Did I enjoy it more than the Transformers movie? Yes. rating: B+

Finally is The Black Coat: A Call To Arms. Ape Entertainments' Lichius, Cogan and Francavilla have knocked this one out of the park. While the story is good, the illustration is top notch and really feels right for this type of story.

In 1775, the British Crown has a strong hold over the colonies and is based out of New York City. The Continental Congress has a masked spy working for them to combat the British injustices - The Black Coat. Working with his secret group, the Black Coat uses his equipment and his fighting skills (ala Batman or James Bond) in an attempt to stop the unseen enemy directing the British troops. rating: A
Happy Reading.
D.L.

The Tick turns 20.



Hello Chums,


Although con season is officially over, comic books are always on my mind. As I've said before, I can't get enough of them. So I thought I'd talk a little bit about a few things I've read recently.


First up is The Tick 20th Anniversary Special Edition #1. Now I've been a fan of The Tick since it was a cartoon. I've collected the awesome (and sometimes hard to find) toys and even read a few of the comics.


Being a fan of The Tick hasn't been easy. The comics come out very infrequently, have had odd numbering and multiple creators. Having said all that, I was very pleased to get a copy of the 20th anniversary issue. This 56 page issue is stuffed with plenty of Tick goodness.


First of all, check out the great Arthur Suydam zombie Tick cover. Did I tell you I LIKE ZOMBIES? Inside is multiple stories from tons of creators in full color goodness. The book also has creator bios, the history of how The Tick came to be, a nice fold out section from Ben Edlund (creator of The Tick), words from the publisher and printer and a Tick San Diego Comic-Con 2006 report. That my friends, is a lot of Tick goodness. rating: A+


Next up is The Fantastic Four Unstable Molecules. On the surface, I should really like this book. I mean it's the Fantastic Four (FF) and it's drawn by one of my favorites-Guy Davis. And I did like the book. However, I didn't really care for the concept. You see, if it was just a story it would be okay. But the whole premise is that the FF are all based on real people. Scientist Reed Richards as Reed Richards, Sue and Johnny Sturm as the Storms and boxer Ben Grimm as Ben Grimm. It even has Johnny Strum's friend Rich as the basis of the Moleman and a Reed Richard rival as the basis of Dr. Doom.


These "four" all have various issues (with each other) which culminate at a party at the Sturm's house. That party is attended by none other than Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They, of course, go on to use these characters in their comic book. If only the "real" FF were as likable as there comic book cousins. rating: Story C+ Art A


I really enjoy Alex Ross art. For me, Marvels is his high mark. Nothing since has been as good. The Terminator The Burning Earth was done before Marvels. Is it as good? NO. The artwork isn't as sharp and its too dark.


Is the story enjoyable? Yes. It's your basic human trying to stop the oncoming monster (terminator hoard) type of story. The story works well and fits into the Terminator series just fine. rating: B-


Lastly is Powers Roleplay. Powers by superstars Brain Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming is the story of Det. Christian Walker and Det. Denna Pilgrim. The detectives work in a city with super heroes and super villains. The crimes they investigate involve superpowers.


Roleplay is the story of what goes wrong when non-powered kids "roleplay" as super heroes with super villains in town. This trade collects issues 8-11. If you like "cop" TV shows and super heroes, this is the book for you. I liked it much better than vol.1 Who Killed Retro Girl? rating: B
Happy Reading.
D.L.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

My early TV report card


Hello Chums,

I thought I'd talk about the new Fall TV season. Although it's only a couple of weeks in, I thought I'd give an early report card. If you check out my Top 5 Favorite lists, you can see some of what I've been watching. However, there are (a few) more promising shows.

Lets dive right in with Heroes. As good as this show was last year, (second only to Lost) it hasn't captivated me this year. The first 2 episodes were boring. Where is the excitement this show generated last year? It has a long w-a-y to go to be as good as last year. Hopefully this show will pick up soon. Rating: B-

Now lets talk Survivor. What can I say? How about: Always Good. I know it's a reality show, but it's always good. Each group of new competitors bring something new to the show. So far the events this season have been a combination of really tough and exciting. And it's in China this season. What's not to like? Rating: A-

Next is Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is always entertaining. However, I'm not sure where the story is going with the displaced family. I hope this story line is finished fast. It's not that funny. Rating: C-

One of my favorite "new" actors is Kevin McKidd from the HBO show Rome. He is now the star of NBC's Journey Man. In Rome McKidd played a bad ass Roman. In Journey Man he plays a newspaper reporter/husband/father. Oh yeah, He also travels back through time to help people. Although the show has been okay, I feel like I've seen this before. It was called Quantum Leap. I hope this show is able to break away from that type of show. Rating: B

Boston Legal rounds out my top five. First of all Shatner and Spader are awesome. Their scenes together are always great. I'm just disappointed that they got rid of Paul Lewiston (Rene Auberjonis), Denise Bauer (Julie Bowen) and Brad Chase (Mark Valley). Why didn't they get rid of Clarence Bell (Gary Anthony Williams)? His story has already played out. The new addition of Jerry Espenson (Christian Clemenson) as a permanent cast member is great. I just wish they would bring back Tara Wilson (Rhona Mitra). She added a lot to the cast. Rating: B

Two more shows to watch: Desperate Housewives and The Bionic Woman. While the "housewives" are pretty much same ole thing as before, The Bionic Woman has been good so far. Ratings: Wives C+, Woman B+

Happy viewing.

D.L.