Who is Scott Pilgrim?

Hello Chums,

What can one say about Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life? Bryan Lee O'Malley has crafted a very different type of story with his Scott Pilgrim character.

At first, Scott Pilgrim appears to be your average (high school) slacker dude, but he's something more. For one, he's not in high school, he's twenty three, but he's dating a high schooler (Knives Chau, age17). Is that kind of creepy? His friends think it's wrong thats for sure. Scott also plays in a rock band and has a few fans.

But what's the meat of the story? It's a love triangle. Scott basically stalks a new girl (Ramona V. Flowers, age unknown) until she agrees to meet him at a gig. That's cool until Knives Chau shows up. Of course he does what anyone would do. RUN. Run and hide backstage until his band plays.

When Scott's band takes the stage, he's attacked by Ramona's first ex-boy-friend (Matthew Patel). The fight that brakes out is like a video game with plenty of reversals and multiple hit combos. After the fight is considered a draw, Patel brings in flying demon girls to do his bidding. Scott, his band and little group handle the demons easily. When Scott decks Patel he dissolves like any video game villain. He even leaves behind a couple of (video game) tokens.

Volume #1 ends with Scott and Ramona on the train talking. Ramona tells Scott she will date him but he has to defeat her seven ex-boy-friends. Is he okay with that? We'll find out in vol. 2.

K.R.C.

D.L.

Pick Of My Pile for the week of 4-23-08

Hello Chums



Another HUGE week for me comics wise. Check out my pile.



Marvel:

The Mighty Avengers #12 - Secret Invasion tie in

Thor #8 - Father issues Part 2 (Odin story)

Young Avengers Presents #4 of 6 (Vision)

The Uncanny X-Men #497 - Divided Part 3 of 5

Avengers - Invaders sketchbook (free)



DC:

Countdown Special #1 - New Gods

The Death of the New Gods # 8 of 8 (finale)



IDW:

Star Trek New Frontier #2 - Turnaround, Part 2

Star Trek The Next Generation - Intelligence Gathering #4



Dark Horse:

Hellboy The Golden Army (free)



Image:

The Mice Templar #4 - The Prophecy Part 4



I had three books that I really liked this week. They are: Star Trek The Next Generation #4, Countdown Special #1 New Gods and The Mighty Avengers #12. However, The Mighty Avengers were the clear winner with the story of Nick Fury going into hiding when he became aware of the Skrull invasion.



K.R.C.

D.L.

Grab Bag of books since Kansas City

Hello Chums,

Since the Kansas City Comicon I have been reading quite a few books, I thought I'd let you in on a few of my favorites.

First up is The Art Of Walter Simonson (DC art, no Marvel). This book features stories about Batman, Doctor Fate, Hercules and the Metal Men. Going into this book and not knowing much about the Metal Men, I thought their stories might be the weakest in this volume. However, I was pleasantly surprised, I really enjoyed the five Metal Men stories included in this book. Give it a shot. If it's still in print that is. My copy is dated 1989. Stories by various writers. Art Rating: B+

Year's Best Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga (03-04). Why read this? Well it has samplings of great sequential art that is still available today. This book contains exerts from Blankets, Blacksad, Owly, The Originals and La Perdida to name a very few. What better way to try something new?

The Building by Will Eisner is another great look at life in a big city. In this book Eisner tells a story about four very different people and the building that they share. When their old building is demolished and a sparkling clean new one is erected on the old site, what does this mean for the people or their ghosts? Rating : Story and Art A

Last on this list is Alias vol. 1-4 written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Michael Gaydos. Alias tells the story of Jessica Jones. Through fashbacks we learn that in high school she had a thing for Peter Parker. But he had his "accident" and she had hers. After her accident, Jessica becomes a want-to-be super hero for a time. But that didn't work. Now she is a private investigator working in the Marvel universe. During her story, she dates Antman and has a fling with Luke Cage. And oh yeah, confront her worse fear. Going up against her old nemesis The Purple Man. Rating: Story A- Art A

Keep Reading Comics

D.L.

Pick Of My Pile Week of 4-16-08

Hello Chums,

I picked up a very diverse pile of comics this week from five different publishers. Marvel still wins out with my four books bought. Here are my books with the publishers.

MARVEL:

Wolverine origins #24 the story continues with The Deep End part 4

Avengers Classic #11 original Stan Lee/Don Heck Avengers #11 w/Tom Beland/Kano backup

Captain America #37 The Death of Captain America Act 3 The Man Who Bought America p.1

Soleil Sampler free sample of four European comics headed to America from Marvel

DC:

The Batman Strikes #44 Batman and Superman together for the very first time (?)

ONI:

Resurrection #4 America - after the Bug invasion from space is over

IDW:

Star Trek Year Four Enterprise Experiment Part 1

IMAGE:

The Pro #1 64 plus pages of Garth Ennis showing us why everyone should not have superpowers (ADULT CONTENT)

Wonderlost #2 another 64 page book C.B. Cebulski continues to give us his personal (high school) stories of dating and drinking (ADULT CONTENT)

This week I had three solid picks. Star Trek Year Four, Avengers Classic (because of the Tom Beland story) and Wonderlost. However my pick this week is Wonderlost. With it's eight solid black and white stories by various artists, I believe this issues was better than the first.

K.R.C.

D.L.

Hanging with Mr. C. --- (Capote)

Hello Chums,

One of the books on my buy list when I was in Kansas City was Capote In Kansas. I almost bought it there last year, but left without it. And of course I've been wanting it ever since. Since the writer (Ande Park) and the artist (Chris Samnee) are there every year, I waited and got it there, and got it signed. YES.

The story starts with Truman Capote kicking around the idea of going to Kansas to write a non-fiction novel. The novel will be about a family who were gunned down in their own home. After some debate on the merit of the book, Capote and a friend (girl) go to Kansas.

Upon arriving in the small town in Kansas, Capote and his friend aren't exactly welcomed by the town. The town's folk don't take to kindly to Capote being from New York City, the way he dresses or even the way he speaks. This of course makes it hard for him to interview anybody for his book.

After his friend leaves Kansas, Capote is down and out by himself. He decides to investigate the house were the murders took place. Up stairs in a bed room he begins talking to a girl (who is the ghost of the sixteen year old girl that was killed). Capote starts to see her as a real person. Because of her he starts dressing differently and begins to fit in with the Kansas people. Capote is then able to interview friends of the family and the two assailants.

After much time, all the interviews were done and Capote left Kansas for home to write his book. Capote did return to Kansas to see the execution of the men who committed the murders. He also went to the girls grave to tell her bye.

And of course his book was a huge success.

Rating: Story B- Art A

K.R.C.

D.L.

Pick Of My Pile for the week of 4-9-08

Hello Chums,


As is usually the case, I have more Marvel product than anything else. The six books in my pile for the week of 4-9-08:

Countdown Special: Kamandi #1

Fantastic Four #556

FX #2

B.P.R.D. 1946 #4

The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home #2


Criminal: #2 (A Wolf Among Wolves)



The Pick Of My Pile this week was the easiest yet. Criminal #2 (A Wolf Among Wolves) is the single best issue I have read this year. Period. The story is great and the art is amazing.

K.R.C.
D.L.

The Boys (Get Some)

Hello Chums,

Remember the Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson book The Boys? I reviewed vol. 1 here a few posts back. Well The Boys are back for vol. 2 in Get Some. This trade features issues 7-14. A decent size trade for the cover price of $20.00.

The Boys, as you remember, are a group that is in place to handle the growing number of super powered individuals. Sort of a watch group to police super heroes and villains. Not an easy job, but they have their ways of handling trouble.

Get Some features two story arcs. The first arc, Get Some, deals with a super hero,Tek-Knight, who has lost the ability to control his desires. Being around his team, Payback, and his young side kick Swingwing is almost more than he can bare. He takes his pent up frustrations out on anything he wants. Fellow heroes, animals, and inanimate objects (fruit, cup of coffee) are all fair game. And, oh yeah, there is a murder. Is Tek-knight involved? What about his side kick Swingwing?

In Glorious Five Year Plan The Boys are off to Russia. During their trip they meet up with former friend Vas (a mountain of a man who used to be known as Love Sausage). Love Sausage used to lead a Russian team known as Glorious Five Year Plan. Now he runs a bar and has contacts to aid in The Boys investigation of supes being murdered. Love Sausage? What kind of name is that?

Although I really enjoyed vol. 1, this volume was just okay. Kind of a let down in Garth Ennis terms.

Rating: Story B, Art A-

K.R.C.

D.L.

Kansas City Con report

Hello Chums,

Once again Scott, Wayne and I took the five hour (one way) car trip to Kansas City, Kansas. Of course the main reason to go was Planet Comicon, but we also hit three half price books stores and had some decent food too.


As far as the con goes, it was as good or better than last years show. Planet Comicon features a nice blend of retailers and guests that (unfortunately) the OKC show will probably never get. For the size of the show the artist alley is incredible. Unlike OKC, this show features multiple rows of guests that I had actually heard of. And new this year: the panels were in a side room where you could actually hear the guests speak. Yes!


Highlights of the show for me:
Meeting Eric Powell, getting my Goon books signed, getting a Goon sketch in my sketch book, and picking up an Eric Powell sketch book.
Meeting Bernie Wrightson and Bruce Jones and getting my Freak Show book signed.
Meeting and getting comics/graphic novels/trades signed by: Bernie Wrightson, Kurt Busiek, B. Clay Moore, Tony Moore, Jeremy Haun, Ande Park and Jason Aaron.
Meeting and talking at great length to Walter Day - Owner of Twin Galaxies Arcade and keeper of all the world records of (arcade) video games - He was featured in the movie King Of Kong.
Getting a really nice copy of Doc Savage - The Man of Bronze on DVD.


There was plenty of cool merchdise to check out at the show. But try as I did, I was not able to go through all the back issues. With just 13 total show hours over two days, two days is almost not long enough. I had to miss a couple of panels I would have liked to have gone to because of needed time on the show floor. I did however manage to pick up numerous comics, trades, and graphic novels at great prices.


All in all, another great (quick, [two days]) con.

See you at conventions and K.R.C. (keep reading comics)!

D.L.

My Pick For Week Of 4-2-08

Hello Chums,

I'll get right to my pull list for the week of 4-2.

Abe Sapien #3 of 5

American Splendor Vol. 2 #1

Punisher War Journal #18

Young Avengers Presents #3 of 6

Secret Invasion #1 of 8

Kick-Ass #2


After some thought, Kick-Ass edged out Secret Invasion as Pick Of My Pile.


K.R.C.


D.L.