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PLANET SKAAR PROLOGUE ONE-SHOT |
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Writer:
Greg Pak Artist:
Dan Panosian |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
052009
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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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Reed Richards just found out that the Hulk has a
son. A great, big barbarian son named Skaar who's known nothing but blood and
rage after being abandoned by his father to be born in fire on a war-torn alien
planet. And now Skaar's coming to Earth, where a showdown with his father could
literally split the globe in two. So with just twenty four hours to spare, Mr.
Fantastic must determine how to face the advent of... PLANET SKAAR! Don't miss
the perfect jumping on point for a brand new epic in which the Son of Hulk
finally slashes straight into the heart of the Marvel Universe! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Skaar, the son of Hulk, has arrived on Earth, and
he’s on a collision course with dear old dad. Greg Pak has been at the helm of
the Hulk series for quite some time now, all of it building toward this
potentially world shattering event. Here readers get to witness the first
contact between the Marvel U. under Norman Osborn’s ‘Dark Reign’ and Skaar, the
born into fire, forged in slavery and sacrifice son of the jade giant.
Something about the presence of Skaar is causing an awakening in the dormant
Hulk personalities, as both Bruce Banner and Jen Walters find themselves
inexplicably drawn toward some unseen force. The son of Hulk’s arrival doesn’t
go unnoticed by some of Marvel’s top minds, and even Reed Richards and the
Fantastic Four manage to get involved in the conflict. There are some
interesting moments as usual with the interactions between Ben and Johnny, which
is good because there isn’t much else going on that kept my attention.
I’ve been following the Hulk family of titles for a while and I just didn’t find
this to be something worth reading. If the setup is this boring I can’t imagine
the actual event is going to be very exciting. More than likely I’ll stick
around for the culmination of three-plus years of storyline, but I hope it isn’t
all a big bust.
The pencils by Dan Panosian were alright. There were too many panels that just
didn’t seem like he tried very hard. Don’t get me wrong, there were panels that
looked great, but it seemed like the farther away his perspective was the more
you could count on the art to suck. There isn’t much I’m looking for in this
series, but I hope it lives up to the bar that Pak’s already set for himself,
and that’s a pretty large task. |
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COMPLETE DRACULA #1 |
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Writers:
Leah Moore & John Peppion Artist:
Colton Worley |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Dynamite
Comics
Shipped On:
052009
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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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Dynamite presents an unprecedented comic book series
that tells the complete story of the Lord of the Undead--Dracula! For the first
time in 112 years the tale that Bram Stoker intended to tell is told (including
"Dracula's Guest"!). If you thought you knew how it began or how it ends, you
were wrong! Writers John Reppion and Leah Moore are joined by painter Colton
Worley for a 5 issue odyssey of life, death, and the blood that flows within us
all! This fully painted series features a massive 32 pages of story and art per
issue, each page fully-painted in a rich, moody style by Worley, all under
covers by modern master John Cassaday! Moore and Reppion also provide bonus
material such as script pages, annotations and samplings of the original text by
Bram Stoker! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I think comic book adaptations of books usually pale
in comparison to the source material. A novel is just much richer in the use of
detail and description and comics tend to leave that kind of thing to
interpretation too often. But seriously when the coolest thing about a book is
the John Cassaday cover, well, needless to say the outlook is grim.
Why Dracula?! Hasn’t his story been done to death (no pun intended)? Obviously
invoking the name of Bram Stoker lends a certain amount of credibility to the
story, but not enough to make this an interesting read. You’ve seen the Bela
Lugosi film, you’ve seen the Keanu Reeves rendition, you’ve (hopefully) read the
book, but hell, here’s a comic book you can spend some money on.
When the most interesting part of your book is the two page justification as to
why you included or failed to include certain aspects of the story, and the
potential controversy surrounding any manipulation of such a beloved tale, well
I just don’t think there’s a whole lot you got going for you.
Leah Moore, daughter of Alan Moore, hater of every work derived from one of his
stories. I wonder what dad has to say about his daughter’s collaboration in the
very thing he seems to hold such a disdain for. If Alan Moore’s bleeding funny
books are too iconic for anyone to touch, then where does she get off taking a
story as high profile as Stoker’s “Dracula” and claiming to offer ‘the complete’
version? I just don’t think anyone’s commented on the irony there.
The art of Colton Worley is suitable for this kind of a job, just as it would be
if he were doing bio comics for Blue Water Publishing, but other than that I
don’t think we’ll ever hear from this guy again. Nothing noteworthy whatsoever.
Dynamite is very quickly pigeon holing themselves into a corner, cementing
themselves as the guys who work on everyone else’s s***. ‘Sherlock Holmes’, ‘The
Lone Ranger’, ‘Buck Rogers’, and now Dracula, other than Garth Ennis I don’t
think anyone over there has had a single original thought all year. Bleh. |
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FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH INK #1 |
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Writer:
Eric Wallace,
Artist: Fabrizio Fiorentino |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
052809
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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 COMIC'S SYNOPSIS:
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In the wake of FINAL CRISIS, the Tattooed Man is considered a hero for the first
time in his life. At first, the rewards from his new lifestyle are a welcome
change from the rest of what his existence has been, but soon the pressure to
stay above temptation and evil start to wear him down. Matters are quickly
complicated when he wakes up in the middle of the night to find his body covered
in unfamiliar tattoos that seem to have a life of their own. In this 6-issue
miniseries from newcomer writer Eric Wallace (TV's Eureka) and artist Fabrizio
Fiorentino, the Tattooed Man finds himself in the middle of a life and death
struggle with his own powers and the master plan they seem to have for him -
whether he likes it or not! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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DC almost had me. I was pretty much digging what
they’re doing with the whole Final Crisis Aftermath series of titles, and then
they dropped this massive turd on everyone. In fact, I’m even going to go so far
as to say that if writer Eric Wallace isn’t black he’s probably some border-line
racist whose only insights to that of a minority personality is what he’s seen
on BET.
F***ing dreadful, that’s how I’d describe what passes for dialogue in this book,
and everything else about the comic is just as cliché and boring. There isn’t
anything new or fresh about this story, despite the fact that this is an all new
“Tattooed Man” yadda, yadda, yadda. It’s like every ‘hood’ movie ever made were
rolled up into some gigantic Cheech-and-Chong-style joint, and DC editorial
smoked it, getting so incredibly high they thought they could pass this garbage
off as a) awesome, b) a step forward for minority characters in comics
(something DC has always been better at than their competitors, but something
that they so vigorously missed the mark on with this as it teems with
overcompensation), or c) an homage to comics of the early to mid-90’s. Boy, were
they wrong.
There’s a new Tattooed Man, and he looks just like Fifty Cent, or at least
that’s what the cover would have you believe. As a card carrying member of the
Justice League of America (thanks Grant) Liberty Hill’s latest (read: only)
superhero has been walking around, strutting his stuff, putting local bad guys
in intensive care as quickly as they can pop up. His abilities involve making
his tattoos come alive and do all the dirty work for him, which is alright, I
mean, I get it. But, when some bad guys end up dead and no murder weapon can be
found the cops come knocking on Tat-Man’s door, leading to a massive temper
tantrum, but do they have the right guy?
The art is cool, but the story is so bad that even cool art can’t redeem all the
negatives. I just think books like this are stupid. This isn’t a way to
spotlight characters of color, by making them caricatures of “Grand Theft Auto”
villains. This is the worst book of the month from DC, and I have a pretty
strong feeling we’re going to see this series come and go, and no one will hear
from the Tattooed Man again; hopefully Eric Wallace either. |
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LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #1
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Writer:
Gerry Conway,
Artist: Chris Batista |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics
Shipped On:
052809
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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 COMIC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Is Buddy Baker losing it all? Everyman hero Buddy
Baker has fought hard for our world, and for his family. But by the year 2024,
the Earth has seen better days: The heroes are growing tired, the villains have
grown nastier and Buddy's own hometown of San Diego has struggled for years to
recover from a cataclysmic typhoon. His children have grown and his marriage has
gotten colder... and now, as San Diego faces the most vicious Super-Villain it's
seen in years, his powers are starting to fail him! Without his powers, without
his family - who is Buddy Baker? Can he still be a husband? Can he still be a
father? Can he still be Animal Man? And more importantly, can he even survive
the bloodthirsty plan his arch-rival's progeny has in store for him? |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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There’s something quirky and likable about Buddy
Baker and his ability to tap into Earth’s morphogenetic field, giving him the
abilities of any living creature on Earth. The problem is that there isn’t
anything quirky or likable about the first issue of what could possibly be
Buddy’s swan song. That’s not entirely fair. I did think the art was pretty
good.
Animal Man is having some trouble maintaining his abilities, problem is that the
trouble he’s having is manifesting itself in the middle of fierce battle against
the super-criminal Bloodrage (don’t get me started, I’ll have more on him next
paragraph). Seems ol’ Buddy isn’t quite as able to tap into the morphogenetic
field the way he used to, and what was one a choir of millions upon millions of
species singing in his head at any given moment is leaving him high and dry when
he needs them most. When his wife confronts him on this very subject they have a
falling out that could signal then end to more than just Buddy’s super-heroics,
but also his marriage. Then Bloodrage manages to get free from prison after
Animal Man just locked him up, oi vey!
Ok, DC may own some of the top spots in the history of idiotic comic book
characters. Bloodrage is a bad guy who draws energy from the blood of others,
dresses like some bondage queen, and constantly refers to himself in the third
person. I seriously felt like I was reading an Image comic circa 1993. Why does
DC editorial continue to allow lame, uninspired, non-sense characters to keep
spilling forth from their offices like so much runny, smelly vomit? It’s like
everyone in the building ate from the same bowl of rancid creative chili, and
now they want to force what they excrete down our throats.
Gerry Conway’s story is alright, but the villain is, well, you’ve heard all that
already. Moving on, the art in the book, by Chris Batista, is actually quite
nice. It’s not my candidate for ‘Pencils of the Year’ or anything, but it’s in
the vein of Steve McNiven (I woudn’t be surprised to find out Batista is also a
former employee of CrossGen) and I can dig what he’s trying to do. The character
of Animal Man is relatively simple, so Batista ups the ante by making Buddy’s
home of San Diego come alive in the backgrounds, something not very many artists
manage to accomplish. Unfortunately, no matter how much I like the art, or how
cool I find the character of Animal Man, I’m just not in this one for the long
haul. I’d be surprised if anyone is. |
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ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #6 |
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Writer:
Damon Lindleof,
Artist: Lenil Francis Yu |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
052809
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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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MARVEL COMIC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Had enough yet? Neither have we!!! Red-hot writer Damon Lindelof (LOST) and
superstar artist Leinil Francis Yu (Secret Invasion) conclude the slobberknocker
of the century! With his mission a wreck and Fury hot on his trail, can
Wolverine pull himself together (literally & figuratively!!) to do what he does
best before Hulk pounds him into oblivion first? Don't miss this explosive final
chapter as the battle between Berserker and Behemoth goes to ELEVEN!! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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With what is probably the best cover I’ve seen from
the whole series, the 4 year saga that was a 6-issue throw down between ‘the
strongest there is’ and ‘the best there is at what he does’ comes to a
satisfying conclusion. Too bad it got here just in time to see the rest of the
Ultimate Universe come to an end.
Logan, Bruce, Betty, Nick Fury, there’s a little something for everyone in this
one. Lindleof starts strong with a nice (or not so nice) conversation between
Logan (dressed as a rapist) and a nude Betty Ross, (which means only one thing…)
then a fight between the Wolverapist and a naked She-Hulk (oh my). There are
some cool beats between Logan and Bruce as the two attempt to match wits with
each other (with Logan actually able to out-think Bruce in the short term) but
in the end it’s Wolverine’s humanity that gets the best of everyone and they all
hug it out.
Lenil Yu has blown up since he started this gig way back when, but I must say as
a fan of the Hulk, this may be one of the more iconic representations I’ve seen
of the jade giant. I did notice a lack of backgrounds in a lot of shots, but I
imagine after the insanely crowded “Secret Invasion” that the guy needed some
sort of a break (and Marvel needed to get the book out before they pulled the
plug on the Ultimate Life Support Machine.
I’m a big fan of “Lost” and I think Damon’s style translated well to the printed
page. I was most surprised by how well he was able to capture the voices of each
of the characters so easily. I’d be more that happy to shell out more money for
more stories, as long as he promises to get them out in less time than it takes
to get through high school. |
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SPIDER-MAN SHORT HALLOWEEN |
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Writer:
Bill Hader & Seth Meyers,
Artist: Kevin Maguire |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
052809
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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 COMIC'S SYNOPSIS:
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Two stars of Saturday Night Live make their Marvel debut with an all-new story
set right on the bustling, hot dog juice covered streets of New York City.
Halloween is coming early this year as Spidey is knocked out during the
Greenwich Village costume parade and an intoxicated reveler in a Spidey costume
takes his place. Really, we don't want to say more than that. Trust us, with
comic book legend Kevin Maguire (JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL) along for the
ride, this'll be more exciting than putting a president on a comic book cover! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Another week of new comics, and yet another story by
television writers hoping to fulfill some boyhood dream of walking a mile in
their favorite superhero’s shoes. This time we get a pair of “Saturday Night
Live” writers and their take on a certain wall-crawling,
red-and-blue-tights-wearing, friendly neighborhood Spiderman. Oh yeah, and they
brought in a ringer, Kevin Maguire, who’s pencils really are some of the best,
and most expressive in the whole industry; careful guys, people may think you’re
trying to stack the deck.
The premise of “The Short Halloween” is really pretty simple, Spiderman, while
chasing down some random costumed douche, is the victim of an unfortunate, and
some fans may bicker improbable (due to his spider-sense), accident, leaving him
temporarily incapacitated, and at the mercy of any and everyone. Meanwhile, a
group of drinking buddies at a costume party narrowly escape getting their asses
collectively handed to them by a pair of jerks all dressed up like a couple of
classic Spidey villains. This leads to Spidey, and a drunk dressed as Spidey,
ending up passed out next to each other in a rank, disgusting New York City
alley, and much like an episode of “Three’s Company” a wacky misunderstanding
ensues.
Hader and Meyers manage to bring their brand of humor to Spiderman, whose whole
shtick is built around being the class clown of the super hero set, and not
surprisingly, it works quite well. There were more than a couple times where I
laughed out loud while reading this, whether due to the writer’s quirky take on
New York and its denizens, or Kevin Maguire’s incredible way of capturing the
exact face someone would make right before they’re going to plow headfirst into
the pavement from three stories but right after they’ve emptied their bowels.
My only beef with this is that it’s released as an oversized one shot. With all
the things they’ve done with “The Amazing Spiderman” over the last year or so
I’ve almost come to expect things like this to be done in the regular title. I
guess I can’t complain too much, for only 33 pages of story they sure packed a
lot of heart and good humor between the covers. I hope to see these guys take on
a few more of Marvel’s more upbeat characters, and turn out a couple more
classic ‘one-and-done’ stories I can look back at in 10 years and may still
enjoy. |
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AMAZING SPIDERMAN #595 |
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Writer:
Joe Kelly,
Artist: Phil Jimenez |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics
Shipped On:
052809
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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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MARVEL COMIC'S SYNOPSIS:
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The lead-up to Amazing Spider-Man #600 begins here! Spider-Man editor Stephen
Wacker here with a quick message. Look, this solicit is being written before you
dear readers even know how CHARACTER ASSASSINATION ends and the major changes
that spill out of it, so I can't tell ya much, but believe me, if you haven't
been keeping up with Spidey...it's time. Following immediately on the heels of
"24/7", Spider-Man's world has become more messed-up and stressful than ever and
the fact that his biggest enemy, is in charge of the world...and the
Avengers...is only the icing on a really dangerous cake. Now faced with hard
choices about family and friendship, Spider-Man knows exactly what he has to do
to save the world...it's time to take down Norman Osborn. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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With the characters of the Marvel Universe living
under the ‘Dark Reign’ of Norman Osborn for the past few months it’s a safe bet
that nobody has had a harder time coming to grips with the latest regime change
than Peter Parker. Kicking off the 5-part “American Son” story line dealing with
the ramifications of being Spiderman in a Green Goblin-run America, Joe Kelly
gets the readers attention not with a ‘bang’ or even a ‘pow,’ but rather a
dinner party. Then we get to the ‘bang’ and ‘pow’.
Harry Osborn, quite the enigma since his miraculous return from the dead at the
start of ‘Brand New Day’ is taking center stage. Since his old man is running
the show now, and since nepotism is the backbone of the American economy, it
only makes sense that dear old dad has a job for junior, but will Harry march
blindly in-step with his old man as he once did before? Oh, and don’t forget his
ex-girlfriend Lily, the tranny-goblin Menace, whom we last saw in cahoots with
Norman, she shows up to drop a bomb on Harry’s world that is more than likely
going to push the poor guy over the edge.
Phil Jimenez’s Spiderman is a very classic interpretation of who the character
is compared to some of the more stylized takes we’ve seen lately. Many of his
poses and action scenes seem inspired by early Ditko stuff. I really appreciate
the emotion that goes into the characters faces and the time he takes making
Spidey’s webs appear as dense as they’d have to be. It’s the little things that
make an artists run on a book special, and every time Phil is behind the drawing
board readers can count on quality over flash, with a strong emphasis on story
telling.
I’ve been more into Spiderman than I ever have before, and I’m not going to say
the stories couldn’t have been done with a married Peter Parker, but I’ll take
good stuff any way I can get it these days. I’m okay with everything echoing the
stories of yester-year, or whatever argument people have against the book,
because it’s fun, all the time. There were times where I laughed so hard I had
to go back and re-read parts; there were parts with Norman that made my skin
crawl. I think Marvel is looking for a fun accessible take on their flagship
character, while establishing a firm continuity, and at the same time remaining
accessible to anyone that happens to randomly pick up the book. |
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FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH ESCAPE #1 (of 6) |
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Writer: Ivan Brandon
Artist: Marco Rudy |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics,
Shipped On:
051309
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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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In this all-new 6-issue miniseries, Nemesis awakens
to find himself held captive by the World Peace Agency inside the walls of the
mysterious Electric City. His fellow prisoners are all members of the superhuman
intelligence community, and they're subjected to systematic torture in an
attempt to siphon the secrets of the DC Universe heroes in an effort to destroy
them. As Nemesis works to escape, he finds few people he can truly trust. But
nothing could prepare him for the hideous truth behind his situation! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I’m not sure what to make of this comic. It’s kind of like being strapped to a
chair in a room lit by blinding white lights, and made to look at a moving
picture screen as you go through some sort of weird re-education. I felt like I
was relearning a corner of the DCU that I had never been exposed to before. I
felt out of the loop.
Usually waking up one morning to identical triplets waiting to serve your every
whim wouldn’t be a bad thing, but apparently after the world-shattering ‘Final
Crisis’ it’s totally unacceptable, as is evident by Tom Tresser’s sudden spazz-attack
when some chicks try to bring him breakfast in bed. Probably didn’t help that it
wasn’t his bed, wasn’t even his house, just some weird (there’s that word again)
medical facility where any number of strange (I found a thesaurus) things could
have been done while he was unconscious (I hear Darkseid is a fan of
tea-bagging). There’s some running, some threatening of lives with cutlery,
people without faces, double talk, and then things get really…out there.
The story is cool, and if you’re more familiar with the character of “Nemesis”
or the “Suicide Squad” then you’ll probably get way more out of it than I did,
however, I didn’t not like it either. I guess my feelings of indifference stem
from the ending of the issue, which I can’t fill you in on because that would
spoil it. I’m interested in seeing where this story goes, but I’m not sure just
how far down the rabbit hole I’m going to fit. The art plays well off the
psychedelic story style and never seems rushed or sketchy. I would very much
describe the art as DC-style, which is very reminiscent of Phil Jimenez, or Van
Sciver, but not as well polished. I’m not a huge fan, but in the case of this
book, this story, it totally worked for me.
Of all the titles I’ve read that have fallen under the Final Crisis Aftermath
banner I’ve had the least amount of fun with this one. It’s very surreal the
whole time you’re reading it and in the end, well, I’m just left wondering what
the point of it all was. If you’re a collector you’ll probably need it, but if
you’re just a casual fan, it’s not the book for you. |
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UMBRELLA ACADEMY #6-DALLAS |
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Writer: Gerard Way
Artist: Gabriel Ba |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Dark Horse
Comics,
Shipped On:
051309
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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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DARK HORSE'S SYNOPSIS:
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The chaos into which the members of the Umbrella
Academy have been thrown in an effort to-what else?-save the world, becomes even
more disordered! In the conclusion to the series' second arc, one of the team
commits a bizarre murder, and the brothers and sisters reach their boiling
points. Family tensions were high between the siblings when they were a united
force, but now they've begun to turn on one another . . .
Winner of the 2008 Eisner Award for Best Limited Series, and the 2008 Harvey
Award for Best New Series, for the first arc of The Umbrella Academy,
"Apocalypse Suite", "Dallas" continues the excellence teaming Gerard Way,
multi-award winning artist Gabriel Bá, and colorist Dave Stewart. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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With the influx of outside talent coming in to write
comic books it’s often a crap shoot in terms of who’s doing it for the love of
the medium and who’s doing it to try and cash in on some pop trend. I must say
that I’ve approached a few of these titles with trepidation, and been both
correct and incorrect in my assumptions; with that said though Gerard Way, lead
singer of the band “My Chemical Romance” has proven himself quite worthy of
adding the job title of “comic writer” to his résumé.
His first run on the book was a six issue arc entitled “Apocalypse Suite,” which
saw the team/family both conquer and succumb to internal conflict. In this
installment’s final issue (#6) the terror wreaked by Number 5 is brought to a
head (no pun intended) when The Rumor makes sure the space time continuum can’t
be tampered with by…killing…a president? This book has all sorts of off the wall
ideas and characters that show up, and cause problems, and make jarring remarks,
and get destroyed, and basically entertain the hell out of a sicko like me.
Gabriel Ba’s art is beyond incredible. It feels as if I’m not reading a comic
book but rather watching some sort of twisted cartoon that no T.V. station has
the balls to run. I literally have not been more fully immersed in the mythology
of a series as quickly as I fell into this. I was taken by the concept and the
characters from the very first issue, and when the second series came out I was
on board without a second thought. I love the design and feel of the book and
its environment, seriously good stuff.
This is the fun kind of book I look forward to reading every month. It just
sucks now that I have to wait for them to put together a whole other 6-part
series before I can get more UA in my life. Put down the traditional super-hero
books people and check out something with a little personality, whydon’tcha?! |
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UNWRITTEN #1 |
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Writer: Mike Carey
Artist:
Peter Gross |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC/Vertigo
Comics,
Shipped On:
051309
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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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DC/VERTIGO'S SYNOPSIS:
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Everyone's read the Tommy Taylor books, the popular
series of novels turned pop culture phenomenon about a boy wizard's adventures.
And everyone knows about Tom Taylor, the boy the novels were based on, whose
life was so overshadowed by his Dad's fictional epic that Tom's become a lame
Z-level celebrity at best and a human viral marketing tool at worst. But what if
the resemblance goes even deeper? What if Tom is the boy-wizard of the books
made flesh? And if that sounds crazy, why is it bringing him into the crosshairs
of an ancient faction that has never been named in any book or text? To discover
the truth about himself, Tom must search through all the places in history where
fiction and reality have intersected. And in the process, he'll learn more about
that unwritten cabal and the plot they're at the center of -- a plot that spans
all of literature from the first clay tablets to the gothic castles where
Frankenstein was conceived to the self-adjusting stories of the internet. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Mike Carey is one of those creators whose projects,
when allowed to stand on their own, free from the restrictions and constraints
of continuity, take on a life all their own. He doesn’t just suck readers in
with explosions and two-page spreads of guys knocking the piss out of each
other, he crafts tales littered with twists and turns and shady characters doing
their shady business. In my opinion it’s almost impossible to read his latest
offering “The Unwritten” and not be curious as to what exactly is going on with
Tom Taylor, and the stories his father created.
The clean, crisp lines of Peter Gross provide the precise combination of realism
and cartoon necessary to get away with telling this kind of a story. There’s not
a whole lot in the way of action, but the book doesn’t feel at all like its
dragging. The panels are full of rich back grounds and scenery (anyone who reads
these regularly knows I can’t stand art without backgrounds, I think it’s
something that should be a bigger factor in editorial meetings); letting you
know there’s a whole world going on outside of what the main characters are
doing at that time adds to the suspense.
I think the idea of a boy living in the shadow of his father’s literary creation
to such a degree that the public can’t tell where fiction ends and reality
begins is a fascinating concept for a comic. I’m glad to continue to support
interesting original stories like this as opposed to picking up another
‘Deadpool’ limited series, or the latest Image Comics crapfest. The biggest
selling point, in my opinion, is the price; where Marvel has seen fit to raise
the cost of a new series debut issue DC’s Vertigo imprint is doing just the
opposite, a double-sized first issue for only a dollar (that’s $1.00 for you
chuckleheads!).
In a time when the cost of everything is going up and people are culling titles
from their pull lists in a last ditch effort to save even a few extra bucks each
week it’s beyond refreshing to see a company really put out for the customer.
I’m hoping that at least a few people were convinced to put back one of the more
expensive books in favor of trying something new (but who am I kidding?). All I
know is that if I wasn’t completely sold on Mike Carey and what he does with a
pen, I am now, and I’ll be sure to be back for issue #2. You should check it
out! |
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BOYS HEROGASM #1 |
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Writer: Garth Ennis
Artists:
John Mcrea and Keith Burns
Leon |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Dynamite
Comics,
Shipped On:
052009
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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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DYNAMITE'S SYNOPSIS:
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An evil so profound it threatens all mankind... the
mightiest heroes on the
planet uniting to defend us all... a secret crisis of such utter finality that a
countdown to civil or infinite war seems unavoidable... but have you ever
wondered what really happens during Crossovers? The Seven, Payback,
Teenage Kix, Fantastico and every other supe on Earth team up for an
annual event like no other... and where the supes go, can a certain "five
complications and a dog" be far behind? Vought-American prepare to
make their move, in a story that will change the world of the Boys forever:
Herogasm #1. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Here’s a prime example of a book I hope my mother
never sees me reading. Holy S***! Garth Ennis told readers that “Herogasm” - a
spin-off of his hugely popular Dynamite Entertainment series “The Boys” – was
going to be vulgar, and lewd, and very, very dirty, but I didn’t know it was
going to make me feel dirty.
Taking the concept of summer event comics that Marvel and DC have both been
guilty of the last 5 or so years (and way more, but it’s just been non-stop
lately) and adding the old Garth Ennis shine to it turns into a superhero
version of “Hedonism.” It’s an orgy, plain and simple it’s about all the capes
from around the country gathering together to get drunk and sleep with each
others wives/girlfriends/husbands/boyfriends, and do drugs off the rear ends of
overpaid hookers. In fact I think I could count on one hand how many comics I’ve
read that have hookers in them, and this one has at least a baker’s dozen.
The art is not exactly what we’ve come to expect after seeing Darrick Robertson
on “The Boys” but for what amounts to a superhero stroke-rag I guess it’ll do.
Somewhere between the beginning and the end the artists change hands, but I
don’t know who did what, and where, so it’s hard to critique specifics. The boys
from “The Boys” do show up about halfway through, though with a little twist in
their role. Instead of keeping an eye on the horny heroes and the debauchery
they’re causing, they seem to have their eye on a certain VP of the USA if
you’re picking up what I’m laying down. Oh yeah and the Homelander, leader of
‘The 7’, he’s totally gay. Yeah, I guess that was a pretty big character beat
that Garth didn’t want to shoe-horn into the main book, but the guy uses his
position of power to convince teen wannabe heroes into sleeping with him. Ouch.
I’m a fan of dirty, vile characters caught in the worst of situations, and I’m a
fan of “The Boys” so I guess I should be as shocked as I am by the amount of sex
and drug use. I’m just hoping the rest of the book doesn’t end up in the ‘adult’
section. Nothing kills a books crossover potential like the pornography brand |
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HOWLING COMMANDOES |
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Writer: Jesse Alexander
Artist:
John Paul Leon |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
051309
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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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"SHOTGUN OPERA"-Nothing less than the fate of the
free world is at stake as Sgt. Nick Fury leads the Howling Commandos on their
most dangerous mission ever! SHOTGUN OPERA sets the stage for the harrowing
events of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's best-selling CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE. After
parachuting deep into enemy-held Yugoslavia, Fury, Dum Dum, Izzy, Reb, Gabe, and
Pinky Pinkerton need every bullet and grenade in the Allied armory as they are
chased by Tiger tanks, strafed by screaming Stukas, betrayed by beautiful babes,
and forced into gladiatorial combat against Baron Strucker's diabolical war
machine: PANZER MAX! Brought to you by the team of Jesse Alexander (HEROES,
LOST, ALIAS) and John Paul Leon (EARTH X), HOWLING COMMANDOES is a must-have for
all Fury Fans, Cap Completists, and anyone who likes war comics that take no
prisoners, show no mercy, and cry havoc! WA-HOO! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I’ve never been one of those guys that get off
watching war movies; living vicariously through the men forced into an
unthinkably deadly situation, fighting for survival, the stench of death and
violence thick in the air. In fact, I find war to be pretty reprehensible, and
thus the glorification of it on the big screen, small screen, or in the case of
comic books, the printed page, to be in pretty poor taste. That aside I can
usually admit when a war story is well told and interesting, even likable, but I
couldn’t find anything to like about this book. I’m sorry America.
Nick and his ‘Howlers’ (never a more sorry nickname for a band of warriors
existed) are shot down in Germany, or some such place, and amidst numerous
attempts at escape are only successful in getting themselves even more trapped.
Baron Strucker and the rest of the bad guys have built for themselves an
oversized robot killing machine they’ve affectionately dubbed ‘Panzer Max’ in an
attempt to woo a larger Japanese customer base. Nick and the crew go to work on
the GIANT ROBOT by punching the shit out of it a whole lot, all the while
shouting absurdities such as “Put up your dukes, Howlers! Let’s scrap this tin
can bare-knuckles style!” or “Tighten up and dogpile!” (Whatever the hell that
might be). I think my favorite was “That things madder than a castrated
stallion!” Oh yeah, that’s stimulating imagery.
I could find the art enjoyable if it weren’t for the fact that I couldn’t tell
anyone apart. They even go through the whole schpiel of laying out a spread of
all the characters next to each other, with their names next to their faces, and
I couldn’t figure it out at all. Yikes. To John Paul’s credit, it does evoke
nearly everything Joe Kubert has done, so if you’re a fan of him you may find it
extremely awesome.
Overall I just think it’s more interesting to stick with characters in the ‘now’
rather that going back to stale stories and trying to shoehorn them into
established continuity. Nick just got a series back; I think it’s called “Secret
Warriors” so my question is, when he was missing for, oh, about 4 years, why
didn’t they try to release something like this then? |
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FEMALE FORCE #3 MICHELLE OBAMA |
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Writer:
Neal Bailey
Artists:
Joshua LaBello |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Blue Wave Comics
Shipped On:
042909 |
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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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BLUE WAVE'S SYNOPSIS:
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This comic series has been featured on CNN, Fox
News, and OK! Magazine. This one-shot features the United States' latest First
Lady, Michelle Obama. A mother, political force, and now, wife of the 44th
President of the United States, Barack Obama, it's obvious that Michelle Obama
has lived a life many have only dreamed of. Continuing Bluewater's examination
of strong female figures in politics, this visual biography will examine
Michelle's life in detail to help find her context in modern history. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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So the United States has embraced change and has
elected its first Halfrican-American President, truly an emotional step forward
in what may one day be an end to racial division in this country. Almost as
noteworthy is the unrelenting support Barack Hussein Obama received from his
wife Michelle, our first African-American First Lady. Biographer Neal Bailey
takes readers behind the scenes, illustrating the highs and lows (well not
really the lows) of her life’s journey to become the most powerful woman in the
world (next to Oprah).
Hard work and perseverance were key ingredients in Michelle’s long road to
success. She faced greater odds than her husband as she worked her way through
Whitney M. Young High School, then Princeton, then Harvard Law. Along the way
she never lost touch with her roots, wedging her foot in the door of society’s
upper crust while her heart stayed with the working poor, a term which could
have easily described Michelle’s family’s lifestyle when she was a young girl.
There’s a lot to this book that is common knowledge (or at least Wiki-able) but
there are a few gems in there that Bailey is able to shed some light on. I’m not
a big bio-comic reader or anything like that but I found this accessible and
interesting, I guess. If you’re into the Obama campaign, and politics, and
biographies than this would probably be right up your alley. If you aren’t into
any of the aforementioned subjects then it probably won’t do a whole lot for
you.
Artist Joshua LaBello probably couldn’t get any real work with the Big Three
publishers, but his style works for capturing photo-reference material and
transferring it to the printed page. Neal Bailey breaks the fourth wall more
than once, which I found to actually take away from what he was trying to do. By
focusing on him, for even a panel or two, it broke the flow of the title, and
ruined the pace. |
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TRINITY #50 |
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Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artists:
Mark Bagley |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics,
Shipped On:
051309
|
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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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The final showdown. The world hasn't just been
changed, it's been destroyed. Can the Trinity still save the day? Not if
Morgaine le Fey and Krona have anything to say about it. Answers, revelations
and more come fast and furious in the mother of all action finales!
Guest-starring just about everyone and featuring a final cover by TRINITY
interior artist Mark Bagley! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Ever wonder why every super villain’s goal is to
seemingly destroy the world? Ever wonder what might happen if they succeeded?
Writer Kurt Busiek explores that very concept in the first three-quarter's of Trinity #50,
the third (and weakest) attempt at a weekly comic book series from DC.
Deep, insightful, weird, existential; all of these words are relevant in
describing the conversation between Krona and the spirit of the Earth, from whom
he seeks the answers which for so long have evaded him. In what I found an
extremely humorous bit readers actually witness Krona rattle off a list of
questions like a caffeine-fueled grammar school kid; however the answers he
receives are drastically different from what he was expecting.
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve taken a big dump on Trinity for as long as the
series has been running, primarily because the last weekly series I was duped
into buying has still left a rancid taste in my mouth, and for all intents and
purposes this one hasn’t been much better. The thing about this issue is,
without any of the background (of which I know SOME) the story is a pretty solid
read on its own. It’s not very often I get to open the first page of a comic and
find the world has already been destroyed, the lone survivor floating in space
awaiting the arrival of a cosmic entity infinitely more powerful than he, and
then, to my surprise, there’s no conflict but rather a philosophical debate on
the subject of omnipotence and eternal life. Then Kurt takes a dump all over the
story by injecting the “Holy-Trinity” (that’s just what I’ve chosen to call the
deity-like take on Bats, Supes, and Wondy…lame) and some sort of weird group hug
that sets the world right. But not so right that they can’t fill the final two
issues with useless garbage.
Bagley’s art has only been featured throughout the series in 16-page spurts;
each issue he does the first half followed by other artists and so on. This is
the first issue I’ve seen that’s been handled entirely by Mark alone, and it’s
not as impressive as I had hoped for. Since it’s a lot of beings composed of
cosmic energy and guys floating in space the majority of the art chores seem to
have been handled by the inker and colorist, so don’t go looking for Bag’s
signature line-work. |
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BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL THE NETWORK |
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Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artists:
Don Kramer and J. Calafiore |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics,
Shipped On:
050609
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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 wave of heroes arrive in Gotham City in this
one-shot with hopes of helping stem the tide of chaos threatening to overwhelm
everybody! Starring Huntress, Batgirl, Misfit, Ragman, Manhunter and many
others. Will these heroes succeed - or will they be victims of Gotham City's
madness? And if they do succeed, what does the future hold for them? |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I think the creative juices in the Battle for the
Cowl editorial offices are drying up. For every mind blowing offering they’ve
served up (‘Arkham Asylum’) there’s an equal sized offering of stink they see
fit to dole out (‘Man Bat’). I don’t think there was really a point to this
story other than to shoehorn the rag-tag band of Gothamites who wish to follow
(not directly) in Batman’s footsteps. This is the book for all the characters no
one believes have a chance to be the Caped Crusader.
Batgirl, Huntress, Oracle, Ragman, Wildcat, Manhunter, and more see action in
all sorts of meaningless bouts against bad guys who’re really not much more than
cameos, filling pages to avoid empty space. The plot of this one-and-done is so
forgettable I had to deal with the agonizing experience of reading this rag two
times just to make sure I knew what to write about. When three citizens are
kidnapped and used as bait to trap the new Batman (the one with the guns) The
Network, a group of crime fighters working together with Oracle as their
makeshift dispatcher, go on the hunt tracking down clues that will lead them to
the hostages.
Don Kramer’s art is good enough, I guess, with at least some sense of depth and
imagination, which would be great if he managed to illustrate more than seven
pages before the god-awful Jim Calafiore steps in on art chores. Calafiore’s art
is so lifeless and unimaginative, so dull and two-dimensional; it’s as if he’s
just going through the motions, continuing to collect a check despite the fact
that his art lacks passion.
I think Fabian Nicieza struck out horribly in this outing. He wrote the great
‘B4C: Azrael’ mini-series, but flounders here attempting to make something
intriguing out of the simply uninteresting. I mean, who cares what’s going on
with Huntress and Rag Man when there are three guys vying for Batman’s job?! Why
is Gatman blowing holes in everyone in the main title and yet he’s having a hard
problem with Catwoman in this book?
As far as these Battle for the Cowl books are concerned, more of them seem to be
misses than direct hits. I liked the idea going in to the event, but a majority
of the books seem to be simply holding the line while the main story plays out.
I’d much rather see how these characters deal with Gotham after the crowning of
a new heir to Batman’s title, as opposed to the usual bit about second and third
tier crime fighters stepping up in absence of the big, bad Bat. At least then it
won’t be so riddled with clichés and useless storytelling. |
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NEW MUTANTS #1 |
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Writer: Zeb Wells
Artist:
Diogenes Neves |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
050609
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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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They're back together again! Cannonball, Dani
Moonstar, Karma, Sunspot, Magma and Magik have been gathered once more, but can
they stand against one of the most powerful X-Villains of all time? Legion is
back, and the villain that thrust us into the Age of Apocalypse is scarier than
ever. But what does he want with the New Mutants? Zeb Wells (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN)
and Diogenes Neves (X-MEN: WORLDS APART) bring your favorite teen heroes into
adulthood. Don't miss it! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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I’m going to go on the record and state my bias up
front in regards to this title and the entire idea of resurrecting the name “New
Mutants.” None of these mutants, in any way, shape, or form could even slightly
be considered ‘new.’ So why in their infinite wisdom did Marvel editors see fit
to cancel the fantastic “New X-Men” by Kyle & Yost, to start “Young X-Men,” a
tremendous crap pile by Guggenheim, and then s***can that dung heap with the
intent to bring us a new “New Mutants” book with nothing but established
characters in it? Huh?!
The misrepresentation of characters gets started early when Sam and Bobby come
to Magik’s defense by bullying the younger students at the non-school-home base
for gifted youngsters. Shan and Dani have gotten themselves into trouble, and
the only ones putting their neck on the line for them are the other former New
Mutants (who saw that one coming?). They follow Magik’s, um, magic to Colorado,
running into some more than strange circumstances surrounding their teammates’
disappearance, including Legion, the guy who kicked off the whole ‘Age of
Apocalypse’ storyline.
I can’t say I’m very fond of this book, bias aside; I just don’t think it
captured the spirit of the characters that everyone has known for so long.
Instead it seems Wells was more interested in injecting high school drama into
characters that had long progressed from the whiny Claremont-era X-babies into
teachers, parents, and full time X-men. This is just another nod to the
nostalgia freaks out there who think that the only good comics were created 20+
years ago, which I think is a load of horse s***. I’d have been much more
interested in seeing a well done “New Mutants” title featuring some actual new
mutants, that’s for sure, but I could’ve even tolerated a throw back if it was
at least handled intelligently.
Diogenes Neves’ art is cool at times and dreadful at others. There’s nothing
like trying to figure out why certain characters look different from panel to
panel, or why the look of certain students doesn’t match up with what they look
like in ‘Uncanny’ or other X-titles. The ink and color job definitely redeem the
art somewhat, but not enough to deem this comic purchase-worthy, based on poor
story telling and mediocre pencils. |
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WOLVERINE #73 |
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Writers Jason Aaron and
Daniel Way Artists:
Adam Kubert and Tommy Lee Edwards |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
051309
|
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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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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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TWO STORIES over TWO ISSUES! Each tale begins in
WOLVERINE #73 and concludes in #74...as the WOLVERINE comic book makes a change
you won't believe..."A DAY IN THE LIFE" PARTS 1 AND 2-Superstar WOLVERINE artist
ADAM KUBERT returns, joined by superstar WOLVERINE writer JASON AARON!
Experience a day in the life for America's favorite mutant-a day packed with
action, women, villains, costume changes and beer. Ever wonder why Logan keeps
himself so busy these days? The answer lies within. "ONE PERCENTER" PARTS 1 AND
2-Meanwhile, WOLVERINE: ORIGINS writer DANIEL WAY is joined by MARVEL 1985's
TOMMY LEE EDWARDS in a prelude to DARK WOLVERINE! Logan wants to get the hell
out of New York, and he's in no hurry to get back to San Francisco, either. So
he gets on a motorcycle and takes the long way home. But home for Logan isn't in
a secret underground headquarters-it's in a fight, with his hands wrapped around
the neck of somebody who's got it coming. |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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So Mark Millar’s post-future epic ‘Old Man Logan’
has come to an end, kind of. With that storyline set to draw to a conclusion
this month, the minds in the mighty Marvel bullpen saw fit to jockey some
release dates around so that potential new fans coming from the newly released
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” movie have a more logical jumping on point. This week
saw the release of issue #73 featuring the beginning of two short stories, while
next week sees the release of #72 (the conclusion of ‘OML’) and the following
week we’ll see #74 for the conclusion to this issue’s yarns, before next month’s
switch to “Dark Wolverine” starring Logan’s son Daken Akihiro.
Jason Aaron can write the little hairball like it’s no one’s business. In one of
the more entertaining stories I’ve not come to expect from this title. Aaron
attempts to explain Wolverine’s motivation for working himself damn near death,
as an Avenger, X-Man, leader of X-Force, Secret Defender, and any other team he
may or may not be a part of currently. Spiderman, Thor, Deadpool, Cyber,
Absorbing Man, A.I.M., The Thing, Rulk and others all play bit parts in a story
that’s not so much a plot driven tale as it is a week (or more) in the life of
James Logan “Wolverine” Howlett. Fast paced isn’t the best way to describe it,
it’s more like ‘break-neck speed’ as readers are thrust from one conflict to
another, from one bullet wound to the next, on a wild ride that would make
anyone’s head spin with a mutant healing factor.
Daniel Way has been writing Wolverine for more than a few years, and though he
hasn’t been on the core title in a long time it’s not difficult to see he hasn’t
lost his chops. Way’s tale is a mystery set in a “Sons of Anarchy”-style biker
club. As a member of the “Burning Sons” Logan finds himself with a few
responsibilities to old friends he hasn’t seen in a dog’s age. By agreeing to
investigate a dispute between rival clubs that could easily turn into a gang war
Wolverine does what he’s the best at doing, sticking his nose someplace that’s
bound to get it blown off his face.
Art chores handled by Adam Kubert and Tommy Lee Edwards couldn’t be different in
style and approach. While Kubert delivers on the stylized animated violence,
Edwards take on Logan is much more street-level and rough around the edges, much
like Wolverine himself. I’m not sure which I liked more, simply because the
theme of each short story was so drastically different, and each artist fills
his role in impressive fashion. I don’t know who’s taking over the book after
this month, but after McNiven, Kubert, and Edwards, they certainly have some
HUGE shoes to try and fill. |
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UNKNOWN SOLDIER #7
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Writer: Joshua Dysart
Artist:
Alberto Ponticelli |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC/Vertigo
Comics,
Shipped On:
042909
|
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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/VERTIGO'S SYNOPSIS:
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The book IGN called "contender for best new series
of the year," as well as the praise-winner from Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis, G4
TV, The Onion, and Ain't It Cool News features a special stand-alone story:
Locals believe the sub-Sahara bush that Moses now calls home to be haunted by
the world's darker inclinations. But Is Moses preparing for a standoff with that
evil... or is he the spirit itself? Don't miss this special jumping-on point
issue, featuring the debut of new cover artist Dave Johnson! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Wow. There aren’t a lot of books out there that
manage to completely immerse me in a story through the precise combination of
intelligent narration and eerily imaginative art the way “Unknown Soldier” was
able to do from the first few pages. Its infectious flair for taking
horrendously dark subject matter and injecting it with a profound sense of self
awareness made it even more enjoyable. Dysart knows that he’s writing about
stolen children used as cannon fodder in some endless conflict, and yet he never
comes off as preachy.
Moses Lwanga hears a voice in his head. He used to be a doctor, a pacifist, and
yet his world has become so violent and jarring that things he used to find
unthinkable have become tools for survival. Murder, mayhem, torture, bloodshed,
and more abound as this man-on-a-mission finds the ‘in’ into the L.R.A. he’s
been looking for, hoping to take the rebel army out once and for all buy
murdering their leader. The story of Moses is interspersed with bits involving a
young group of African teens, acting very much like typical American teens,
taking solace in the little things, assuming they’re invincible, thinking
they’re smarter than they truly are. In the end Moses is able to do both quite a
bit of good and quite a bit of bad and it’s only up to readers to determine
who’s right and who’s wrong.
The story is fascinating, and after reading it you wonder why it hasn’t been
done before. Joshua Dysart is able to tell a reality-based story revolving
around one of the darkest truths of today’s world, in some countries children
are bred into lives of slavery-like servitude to warring military factions, and
he does so without the hoity-toity urge to hammer home the difference our
country could make if even a little effort was put forth. The art work by
Alberto Ponticelli is incredible. It’s realistic and gritty without feeling
scratchy or rough. It’s brutal and quick, with they very first page being one of
my favorites. There’s also an extreme example of the beauty of brutality in a
two page spread by the end of the book that had me looking at the tale in a
whole new light.
If ever there was an obvious heir to “100 Bullets” as well as a title that could
patch the hole in Vertigo’s line up, it’s this reviewer’s hardly-ever-modest
opinion that “Unknown Soldier” is that book. By crafting an original story
outside of the usual genre fiction more readers from outside the realm of comic
books may find themselves in comic shops looking for titles like this. Jump on
here! |
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LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS #1 |
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Writer: Chris Eliopoulos
Artist:
Ig Guara |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
051309
|
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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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MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
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And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when
Earth's mightiest heroes were unaware of a threat greater than all of them could
handle. And on that day, a teleporting puppy scoured the world to assemble a
team of animals to fight the foes no single beast could withstand! Strap on your
collar and hop on-board the adventures of LOCKJAW, LOCKHEED, REDWING, HAIRBALL,
and an all-new FROG THOR! Written by Eisner-nominee CHRIS ELIOPOULOS with art by
fan-favorite IG GUARA, color by INCREDIBLE HULK colorist CHRIS SOTOMAYOR and
variant covers by PRIDE OF BAGHDAD artist NIKO HENRICHON! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
|
Here’s a grouping of Avengers no one ever saw
coming. It’s the ‘Legion of Super Pets’, wait, no, it’s the Pet Avengers…wait,
what?!
While trying to convince Black Bolt of the importance of the importance of
tracking down all the Infinity Gems, super scientist Reed Richards is unaware
that Lockjaw, faithful, teleporting, family dog has tracked down the mind gem
giving him advanced mental prowess and the ability to read other’s thoughts.
When they casually disregard his “Lassie”-esque warning and command him to
“teleport away” is owners set Lockjaw on a path to uncover others like him who
might aid him in his quest to unify the stones.
Along the way Lockjaw comes into contact with some other big names in Marvel’s
back yard, namely Puddlegulper, who after obtaining a small sliver of Mjolnir
obtained the powers of the thunder god, and renamed himself Throg. Readers are
treated to this new Thor-Frog’s origin, which is a direct tribute to the work
Walt Simonson did, while spinning it in a new direction for a new generation of
fans. Rounding out the team is Lockheed, the bizarrely pessimistic dragon who
used to belong to the now deceased Kitty “Shadow Cat” Pryde, as well as Niels
(Speedball’s cat who also shares his abilities) who goes by the name Hairball,
and Redwing the companion of sometime-Avenger Falcon, who’s superiority complex
is in direct contrast to the type of treatment his mentor (Sam Wilson) has gone
through.
It’s a cute idea and it’s executed in a way that isn’t full of juvenile fart
jokes and prat falls. The art is done very well, in fact so well that I wouldn’t
mind seeing Ig Guara move up to a more big name title. Chris Eliopoulos writes a
good story considering the material he was provided with (I mean, I can’t
imagine anyone really pitching this other than editorial) and he does so without
dumbing down the material for younger readers.
I think they do a disservice to themselves and readers on the final page, where
they list the credits as “word writer,” “pencil drawer,” “letters on the page
putter,” “editoring person” and other stupid crap like that. I mean, we wonder
why they give all the phone-answerer-for-the-purpose-of-technical-assistance
jobs over seas! What the hell?! |
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LITERALS #1 |
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Writers: Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges
Artist:
Mark Buckingham |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
DC/Vertigo
Comics,
Shipped On:
042909
|
|
MSRP:
.$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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DC/VERTIGO'S SYNOPSIS:
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Part 3 of "The Great Fables Crossover"! If you're a
reader of JACK OF FABLES, then you're familiar with The Literals - an extended
family of characters who literally embody literary notions. It's also very
possible that one of The Literals may have created all of the Fables plus the
universe in which they reside, unbeknownst to our beloved Fables. The full story
on this enigmatic crew of characters begins here, the first in a 3-issue
miniseries and Part 3 of "The Great Fables Crossover," an epic, 9-part tale
spanning the pages of FABLES and JACK OF FABLES. The story kicks off when Jack
reveals the existence of The Literals to Fabletown, and things quickly get
chaotic from there. Fables don't like the idea of having a living god who can
wipe them out with the stroke of a pen, and have thus decided to get rid of The
Literals. Will they succeed in erasing their creator from existence, or will he
literally rub them out first? |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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The ‘great Fables crossover’ has been, well, great.
In the latest installment Fabletown regulars Bigby Wolf and Snow White are on
the trail of Kevin Thorn a writer with the ability to re-write reality in his
own image. It’s a scary concept when one considers the fact that all of the
Fabletown inhabitants began with the stroke of pen, it’s poetic to think that’s
how they may find their end.
For a first issue “The Literals” #1 isn’t at all as formulaic as most comic book
fans have come to expect, which probably has more to do with it being the third
part of a nine part story. Everything has flowed so smoothly with this series I
can’t help but question, why create an all new title when the story is
pitch-perfect for the two current Fables-related ongoing series?
Danger lurks around every turn when your opponent can edit the world in any way
he chooses. How can the Fables hide when Thorn has but to think of them, scrawl
something in his notebook, and manipulate the entire world? There are some
fantastic twists in this book that I dare not let slip for spoilers for a story
of this sort could present a profound disappointment for a lot of people.
Action, comedy, intrigue, adventure, and more abound as Bill Willingham and
Matthew Sturges write a story about a writer whose world is his story, free to
write and rewrite things in his twisted perspective.
While Mark Buckingham is no Lan Medina, his pencils are smooth and clean. The
art is accentuated by the inks of Andrew Pepoy and the colors of Lee Loughridge.
Visually the book is very easy to take in, without a lot of the glitzy, glam
stuff from other bigger titles; I was even a little more than surprised to find
it printed on non-glossy paper stock.
It’s not the best jumping on point (especially for a #1), but it does carry the
‘great Fables crossover’ very well through the end of the first act. I’m excited
to see how the gang deals with the seemingly impossible obstacle Thorn
represents, not to mention the curveball thrown at both the characters and
readers at the end of the story. |
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FUSION #1 |
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Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Artist:
Tyler Kirkham |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
Image/Top Cow
Comics,
Shipped On:
051309
|
|
MSRP:
.$2.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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IMAGE/TOP COW'S SYNOPSIS:
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The mother of all Top Cow/Marvel crossovers debuts
in May! Top Cow's two covert tech teams collide with Marvel's Initiative
enforcers, the Mighty Avengers and the Thunderbolts. When a rapid and
unregistered Ripclaw starts tearing through a small Northeast town, the Mighty
Avengers move in to stop him. When the feral hero escapes, they're drawn into an
inevitable conflict with Cyberforce. A crossover event too massive to be
contained in a single issue brought to you by the writing team of Dan Abnett and
Andy Lanning (Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova) and Top Cow favorite artist Tyler
Kirkham (Ultimate Fantastic Four, Broken Trinity: Aftermath). |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
|
Talk about a crossover nobody asked for! Cyberforce,
Avengers, Thunderbolts, and Hunter-Killer all in one book?! Oh be still my
heart, no I mean stomach; try not to puke, lord knows I had a hard time.
So Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, or ‘DnA’ as their fans lovingly know them as,
have been architects of the cosmic side of the Marvel universe for quite some
time. As part of the deal that saw Top Cow talent used for cover work on Marvel
titles, Marvel is finally going to pony up to their side of the bargain,
allowing several of their top-tier characters to be used in an Image title, and
that title is “Fusion,” a hot mess of a book featuring all four teams vying for
face-time with readers.
On their way back from a mission the Avengers (the Mighty Avengers from shortly
after ‘Civil War’) catch a report of a super-human incident and decide to check
it out, this leads to a confrontation (how surprising!) with a hulk-sized
Ripclaw, and I must say, even before this point I was already not a fan. The
mischaracterization of the featured Avengers (Wonderman, Wasp, Ms. Marvel, and
Black Widow) is totally counter productive to what Brian Bendis has been doing
with some of these characters for close to five years running. Carol Danvers is
crying and whining like a little baby, and the Wasp and Wonderman are written
thinking themselves ‘too cool for school.’ Black Widow seems in character,
seeing as how she proves herself more than capable of holding her own against
super powered beings by taking out ‘Roid’claw. The shoehorning of characters
into the plot comes fast and furious at this point, as the Thunderbolts and
Cyberforce show up to stir the pot for a couple pages each, and we still haven’t
even really met anyone from the pages of “Hunter/Killer” yet.
I just don’t know what Top Cow was hoping to accomplish with an undertaking of
this magnitude. It’s not a big project, but the scope is just so silly; forcing
4 teams together because they’re big names doesn’t make for a better story, just
a cluttered one, and that’s exactly how this comes off. The art by Tyler Kirkham
is a million miles beyond what he was doing on “Ultimate Fantastic Four” and yet
I’m still not sold on his scratchy, sketchy style. There were more than a few
clean and smooth panels, but not nearly enough to out shine the rough spots, and
really, it was all one big rough spot |
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HUMAN TORCH COMICS 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL |
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Writer:
Scott Snyder
Artist:
Scott Wegener |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Marvel Comics,
Shipped On:
050609
|
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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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Before he became the hero he was created to be, the
original Human Torch had to battle his inner demons to stake a claim on the soul
he knows he has...and his enemies will stop at nothing to tear him apart to get
at the city they want to control. Can he learn to tap into the human side of the
Torch, or must he sacrifice himself to save the people he has sworn to protect
in this al-new 22 page story? Also included is a bonus 10 page Torch tale from
Marvel's rich history! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
|
Before the ‘Four,’ before the doom doctors, and the
cosmic rays there was a Human Torch, and his name was Jim Hammond. That’s right
kids, Jim Hammond was the original, golden age Human Torch; he wasn’t some
pseudo-celebrity, thrill-seeking, rock star like Johnny Storm either, he was a
robot. A robot with feelings is a tad more accurate, but really, in comics these
days do any of the robots come without human emotions?
I liked revisiting a character who isn’t around in this form anymore, it leant
some relevance to the story; worrying about why I’m bothering to read something
with no bearing on continuity isn’t an issue when the character is of little to
no importance to current storylines. Cap is dead, and we didn’t need another
ret-con of his origin, even if it was rendered beautifully by Marcos Martin. Sub
Mariner is currently playing a role, albeit a small one, in the current Dark
Reign saga. Human Torch is not currently a character with any baggage, so he’s
more or less fair game.
I really appreciate the style of art; considering the story is set in the 30’s
and the character is one of the oldest in Marvel lore you’d almost expect them
to go with something a little more “grown up,” but the clean line work and
animated/cartoon style brought a certain freshness to the whole concept which I
wasn’t expecting. Scott Wegener is an extremely talented artist and he brought
Scott Snyder’s work to life in a fun and entertaining way.
There was a back-up story, as most of these specials usually come equipped with,
a little ditty from the (so called) golden age of comics featuring The Human
Torch and Toro (his flaming boy sidekick). It’s probably the best example of why
I believe we’re currently living in a NEW Golden Age of comics. The fact that
stories like this are referred to with such great regard really boggles my mind.
The sub par illustrations and inability to write anything with any real skill
just solidifies my stance. Controversial though it may seem I’m sure hindsight
will prove 20/20 and most people will agree with me in the long run. |
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TERROR INC APOCALYPSE SOON #1 (of 5) |
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Writer:
David Lapham
Artist:
Koi Turnbull |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
Marvel/Max
Comics,
Shipped On:
050609
|
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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/MAX'S SYNOPSIS:
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Ol' Skullface sings again! Our charming Mr. Terror -
the cursed, undead, rotting, immortal entrepreneur - is back in action! Brutally
ripping off his own limbs and "borrowing" other people's body parts comes in so
very handy for the lucrative purposes of assassination, espionage, and other
sticky situations. Business is truly recession-proof... but is it plague-proof?
Terror better hope so when he agrees to recover a weaponized virus from Middle
Eastern terrorists - just one of those odd jobs the unique Mr. Terror is so well
suited for. Writer David Lapham (STRAY BULLETS) brings you another bloody,
gruesome, hilarious, ultraviolent adventure in the MAX vein, with jaw-dropping
art by Koi Turnbull (FATHOM)! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
|
I’m not typically a fan of horror themed comics, and
I find this one in particular a mixed bag. On one hand it presented an
interesting character I hadn’t been exposed to, while at the same time produces
a so-so story about monsters and bio-warfare that I probably could have done
without. There’s also the whole Max factor, which says that swear words, extreme
violence, and nudity are almost commonplace, making it easy to mistake the
gimmicks from solid storytelling.
Mr. Terror is some sort of mercenary monster/muscle for hire, who through out
time has found himself dealing with all sorts of shady characters and
situations, taking the parts he needs from the bodies he leaves lying in his
wake. That’s apparently one of his powers, the ability to sever limbs from
bodies both dead and alive, attach them to his person and wear them as his own.
He’s commissioned by Ms. Primo to track down a virus being used to experiment on
kids, then plant a bomb and destroy the lab where the virus is stored.
Koi Turnbull’s art is brutal at moments yet still clean and cartoony. There’s
certain likeability to his line work, even though some of his characters faces
need more distinction. The style reminds me of something I’d see in a Top Cow or
an Image title, but the Marvel Max line is as close to Image as Marvel comes, so
I guess it fits. David Lapham’s story is bland, and lifeless, not much more than
a retread of any number of countless action films we’ve seen time and time
again. I don’t know what I really expected by throwing horror themed characters
in an action/espionage adventure doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.
Considering that it’s listed as a bi-weekly series at $3.99 a pop I can’t
imagine it’s going to be a top seller. In fact, I wonder if Marvel sets itself
up to fail with these titles, extracting obscure characters and branding them
with the Max logo is a damning move. I’d rather see a well done short series of
stories that don’t rely on boobies and curses to tell an entertaining tale. |
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SWORD OF MY MOUTH #1 (of 6) |
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Writer:
Jim Munroe
Artist:
Shannon Gerard |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
IDW Comics,
Shipped On:
050609
|
|
MSRP:
.$3.99 each
(15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
|
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IDW'S SYNOPSIS:
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If Ella didn't have her baby, she'd go crazy from
the loneliness. But she might still go crazy from the guilt, because the baby
isn't quite right. The world was simpler before the righteous floated away into
the sky, and magic started working. An all-new, six-issue story continuing on
from the acclaimed graphic novel Therefore Repent! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
|
You really got to wonder what some creators are
thinking when they come up with this crap. “Sword of My Mouth” is one of the
hardest comics I’ve ever tried to read primarily due to an unconventional
panels-without-borders layout and some of the WORST lettering I’ve ever
encountered. Seriously, it looks like a dyslexic 10-year-old lettered the entire
book.
I don’t think there’s anything likable about this book from beginning to the
end. The idea that the story is set in a post-rapture Detroit is only obvious
because it’s printed on the cover, other than that I think the word rapture is
used only twice in the whole book, and there is absolutely NO explanation as to
what happened or why. Some girl with a baby wanders around moping for 22 pages
while everyone she comes into contact with seems to be doing just fine
considering the end of days is upon them. I mean c’mon, why every little thing
is such a big deal to this one girl and no one else seems to be having a hard
time in the slightest?
Why go through the trouble of showing us a bunch of characters that are bound to
come in to play later, without a logical description of what the heck they’re up
to. I’m not one of those readers who need everything laid out in the beginning
of the story the way some people do, but I do expect there to be some sort of
coherent thought behind the way the story and plot are set up.
I think the art is horrible. It’s not that I’m not appreciative of the style, or
the way it’s not like anything we see in mainstream comics, because it really
isn’t, but photo-reference art just hasn’t ever appealed to me. I mentioned the
panels-without-borders thing before, and I really wasn’t a fan of that at all,
it made the entire book difficult to follow because sometimes it didn’t flow in
the logical order.
Overall, I don’t have anything good to say about this title, and I honestly
don’t think there’s anyone out there who is prone to disagree with me. IDW is
celebrating their 10th anniversary, but I can’t figure out why this is the kind
of title they choose to push when there’s so much more creativity and
originality out there. |
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POWERGIRL #1
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Writers:
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist:
Amanda Connor |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
DC Comics,
Shipped On:
050609
|
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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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In her own ongoing series at last! Straight from the
pages of JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, Power Girl starts life anew by building
herself a secret identity. But a major villain from her past has other plans in
store for the Super Hero, and to get his way, he's holding Manhattan hostage!
From the fan-favorite writing team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (JONAH
HEX, TERRA) and featuring the vivacious art of Amanda Conner (JSA CLASSIFIED,
TERRA) comes this rip-roaring new series! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
|
So here’s another example of my judging books by their covers. I wasn’t
impressed with the original cover for “Power Girl” #1 so I opted for the ‘Doris
Day’-theme variant, which garnished remarks from my roommates AND girlfriend,
for the artist’s putting a little too much emphasis on her chest. I hadn’t even
read the book by that point and already found it annoying due to the fact it
made me appear pervy, like some basement-dweller crawling out into the light
once a week for my chance to glimpse cartoon boobs.
I can’t begin to tell you how off base I was in my premature bias against this
story. There’s a certain amount of humor one could take from the premise, an
alternate version of Superman’s origin, only this time Krypton’s last son is its
last daughter. Her origin is more convoluted than some of the X-Men (imagine
that), having been wiped out circa “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” then
re-established in “Infinite Crisis” with the return of the Multi-verse. This
tale finds the voluptuous vixen making her new home in the state of New York,
which I didn’t even know existed in the DCU, so it automatically set itself
apart from come of the other titles set in made up cities like Keystone or
Central, or Gotham.
There’s a barrage of strange projectiles that bombard the city, followed very
quickly by an assault from a bunch of oversized robot storm troopers. When the
villainous mastermind is finally revealed long-time PeeGee fans will be
delighted to see an old face, while new comers to the character will be somewhat
bewildered by their perplexing backstory. The conflict is cool though, and I
look forward to it playing out in the following issues.
The story was hilarious, and very self aware of what most people were expecting
from a Power Girl title, namely cheesecake, so when I expected it to zig the
writers were smart enough to zag, acknowledging the assumptions without
indulging them and moving on. Amanda Connor’s art is phenomenal; I haven’t been
exposed to much work from her, primarily due to the fact that I haven’t seen a
monthly series from her at all. Her pencils are refreshing in a DCU that’s seen
some of its better artists fly the coop in the last year or so. She gloriously
illustrates PeeGee and the island of Manhattan (virtually a character itself) so
cleanly and precisely, I couldn’t help but read faster. This title is definitely
one of the gems to come out of Final Crisis despite not having the banner that
some of the mini series are tagged with. |
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UNCANNY X-MEN #509 |
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Writer:
Matt Fraction
Artist:
Greg Land |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
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Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
042909
|
|
MSRP:
.$2.99 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 X-Men get up to the delicate art of living as
the Sisterhood plan their imminent demise. The Science Team gets to work, trying
very hard not to kill one another first. Simon Trask gains traction in the
California state legislature, muscling PROPOSITION X to an emergency ballot
vote. If it passes, mutants past and present, powered and otherwise, won't be
allowed to breed... all this and a friend returns as a foe and ready for murder.
Oh, things are getting ugly. |
|
SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
|
Uncanny X-Men, at one point was Marvel’s highest selling title; core of the
X-mythos, cornerstone of the mutant side of the universe, but is it still the
heart of the merry mutants of the mighty Marvel U? It’s trying to be, but I’m
not sure it succeeds in all aspires to. I’ve been an X-fan all my life and still
follow a few of the titles (Astonishing, X-Force) but I just couldn’t find the
rhythm to get into the story.
It seems like the cast is made up of whoever happened to be on Fraction’s mind
that month. There were lots of little character beats, but no real
characterization that led me to understand why people I was used to seeing in
one light a few months ago, suddenly look and act differently than they did
before. Nezno, the X-Man known as Gentle and formerly of the New X-Men, was one
of my favorite characters, but I couldn’t understand why he was suddenly as big
as a house, or why Dazzler and Pixie are suddenly doing a bad impression of Gem
and the Holograms.
There’s a lot of momentum building behind Proposition X, the law that would
sterilize all people with the X-gene to prevent them from reproducing. This, of
course, enrages many members of the X-family who put their lives on the line
everyday for a race of people who would just as soon keep them from having
children than thank them for saving the world time and time again. You have to
admit it probably gets old, constantly being called on to protect those who
persecute you. There’s a science-based squad hoping to reactivate the x-gene,
but none of the characters look familiar to me, and none of them are introduced
to new readers. I was completely lost at what was going on with that situation
and then I was introduced to the Sisterhood (Oi…). What an odd grouping of some
of the meanest female foes they’ve ever faced, and even though I recognized a
majority of the ladies I couldn’t really see what brought them all together,
other than hoping to resurrect Psylocke in Betsy Braddock’s body.
Greg Land’s art hurts; it’s just not what I like in comic books. Every image
looks like it’s been drawn from a cigarette ad or the cover of a porno movie;
every panel is a pin up image, not necessarily as cohesive as they want it to
be. Matt Fraction is a great writer, usually, but I’m not finding myself getting
into his ‘Uncanny’ stories. There is so much potential ever since the end of
“Messiah Complex” and the integration of the younger mutants into the main team,
but so many characters seem lost in the shuffle. I’d like to see a more focused
effort, and a new artist. |
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 |
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ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS.HULK #5 |
|
Writer:
Damon Lindleof
Artist:
Leinil Francis Yu |
|
Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
|
|
Publisher:
Marvel
Comics,
Shipped On:
042909
|
|
MSRP:
.$2.99 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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A DOUBLE-DOSE OF SNIKTING & SMASHING!! The slugfest
continues as a new heavy hitter comes a callin', the ultra-sexy Ultimate
She-Hulk!!! Who is this mysterious jade giantess and, more importantly, who's
she puttin' the hurt on first??!! Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of the hit TV
series LOST, and superstar artist Leinil Francis Yu (Secret Invasion) bring you
the next two installments of this gut-wrenching, spine-tingling,
head-splattering series! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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The mini-series that no one thought they’d ever see end has reached its
penultimate issue. “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindleof’s throw-down between the two
biggest bad asses in the Ultimate Universe has gone from buzz-worthy, to late,
to THREE years late, to finally shipping, and back to buzz-worthy. Even if you
gave up on this book ages ago there’s plenty of reasons to pick it back up, and
find out just what makes this title my pick for best Ultimate mini-series since
the line’s introduction.
Wolverine has been recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury and tasked with
tracking down the thought dead escaped convict and ramblin’ man Bruce Banner in
hopes that the Ultimate U’s Wolverine stands a better chance in a dance with the
Jade Giant that his 616 counterpart ever did. The short answer is no, he
doesn’t. The long answer is hilariously unfolding before readers’ eyes in the
pages of a story that, dare I say, if not plagued by delays may not have turned
out to be the gem that it most certainly is.
Wolverine’s been beaten up, down, and all around the snowy, white, mountain tops
of Tibet, where Bruce has been kicking back with a harem of local woman
attentive to his every whim. Hulk shows up when Wolvie crosses the line one too
many times, then persists to rip Wolverine in two, and throws half of him over a
mountain. The curveball came at the end of issue #3 when She Hulk shows up to
wreck shop, and since she’s Ultimate She Hulk, her origin is as unique and
twisted as one of the minds who brings “Lost” to life week after week can aspire
to. This issue is as weird as it’s gotten, starting with a conversation between
Logan and a talking panda bear, and from there bouncing around like a room full
of sugar-fueled six-year-olds.
The thing I like most about this series, despite its overexposed star
(Wolverine) and chronic lateness is the way the characters are written.
Wolverine is still Wolverine, but he’s not the caricature of his 616-Universe
opposite, if anything he feels more like an homage to an 80’s era Wolverine from
days long gone by. Too many writers get themselves caught up in the mystique of
the little fur-ball and forget that he’s supposed to be a guy whose life has
dealt him the ultimate crap hand, but despite the hardships he’s keen on looking
at every dark cloud’s silver lining.
The Hulk is another matter entirely. He’s written at first (three years ago) as
a thoughtful brute, who was fighting off villagers for taking their women.
Throughout the story he devolves a bit due to Wolverine’s prodding, and comes
full circle by the time he’s done tussling with She Hulk. Which is the entire
basis for this issue, not the fight in and of itself, but rather a small slice
of dialogue which is key to helping Nick Fury track Banner down, capitalizing on
the distraction posed by jolly green giant’s new girlfriend (oops…).
I’m not sure how this fits in with the whole “Ultimatum” story line that’s
actively disassembling the Ultimate U., but when read as a story outside the
confines of the basic universe, and more as what could be called the definitive
showdown between these two icons, that’s when I realized that this is the only
title that’s ever truly lived up to its ‘Ultimate’ potential. |
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DETECTIVE COMICS #853 |
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Writer:
Neil Gaiman
Artist:
Andy Kubert |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC Comics,
Shipped On:
042209
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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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"Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" part 2 of
2! This second part of Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert's special collaboration is
sure to be a BATMAN story for the ages. This extraordinary tale, told as only
Gaiman and Kubert can, explores the intricate relationships between Bruce Wayne
and his friends and adversaries and builds toward an exciting and unexpected
climax. It's a classic in the making! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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People were beginning to wonder, whatever happened to “Whatever happened to the
Caped Crusader?” Well never fear fan-boys-and-girls, because award winning
scribe Neil Gaiman’s Bat-opus, whose theme is very loosely based on the same
idea that inspired Alan Moore’s “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” has
finally arrived, and it’s even weirder than the first issue (if you can believe
that).
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, allow me
to bring you up to speed. Batman’s dead. Or in the past, or not, or something;
it’s still kinda fuzzy to me, and I haven’t been living under a rock at all, in
fact I’ve been following the series quite vigorously. So now that you’re up to
speed…
Existential much, Batfans? Exploring the experience Bruce Wayne may or may not
actually be having the moment before his brain ceases to function allows writer
Neil Gaiman the creative wiggle-room he needs to break from conventional
Batman-story methodology (unless he’s actually in the past, which then
undermines the entire idea) and really explore the different variations of
Bat-lore we’ve been privileged to absorb over the last 70 years. While it
doesn’t tie directly into B4C, or even seem to play off of the events in
‘R.I.P.’ or ‘Final Crisis’ I found the story genuinely praise-worthy for the way
it transcended generations of Batman’s history to bid Bruce Wayne a fond
farewell.
I can’t say much without giving away the surprise guest who’s been accompanying
the Dark Knight on his journey, but it plays out in one of the more emotional
segments I’ve been privy to read in a comic book. Combining Andy Kubert’s
pencils with Gaiman’s profound writing ability was a genius move on behalf of DC
editorial (I know the team paired up years ago for Marvel’s “1602” but that was
a completely different kind of project).
The entire directional-change up that the Bat-line is undergoing at this point
is fascinating to me, less for the stories (which are exceptional) but more for
the fact that in a years time (maybe two) these very stories are likely to
become a moot point, with what may be the inevitable return of Bruce Wayne. I’m
becoming more and more suspicious of the possibility that the “death” of Batman
is just a stepping stone Dan DiDio is using to reach his ultimate goal (which
he’s spoken publicly about several times), the death of Dick Grayson. I’m not
saying that’s the outcome, but if it is, you heard it here first |
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BUCK ROGERS #0
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Writer:
Scott Beatty
Artist:
Carlos Rafael |
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
Dynamite Comics,
Shipped On:
042209
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MSRP:
.25¢ 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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Join us as we present comicdom's first hero -- Buck
Rogers... the first man out of time... the first man to be taken out of his
present environment and put into the future! In the tradition of such
best-selling introductory Dynamite launches as Red Sonja and Battlestar
Galactica, Dynamite is launching the all-original #0 issue for just 25¢! Under a
John Cassaday cover (Cassaday serves as series cover artist), writer Scott
(Batman) Beatty and artist carlos Rafael present an original 12 page comic book
adventure - "The Death of Buck Rogers"! This is where it all begins and
Dynamite's plans for Buck Rogers follow the model that they've followed over the
years beginning with Red Sonja, embracing the history of such classic
characters, but giving them a modern edge for today's audiences! All this, and
for a quarter to introduce you to the new canon of Buck Rogers! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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There’s something oddly cool about Buck Rogers, despite the fact that the
serialized spaceman has been around in one form or another for the better part
of…well, a long time. He’s been called ‘the first man out of time,’ because he
was taken from his era and catapulted 500 years into the future. How does the
pop culture icon stand up in the brand new re-launch by Dynamite Entertainment?
It’s a solid read with great art, and debuts the hero (for the umpteen-millionth
time) for a brand new generation of readers.
It’s Buck Rogers versus the Ganymedians, a race of super advanced, super-sized
paramecium with a serious mad-on for Earth, and an appetite for Earthlings. In
the end it’s Rogers’ quick thinking that allows him to overcome his more
dominant opponents, but it’s rather unclear whether or not he’s going to make it
out of the situation alive. All of a sudden Buck Rogers’ daughter may be
carrying on her dad’s legacy much sooner than she expected.
The art by Carlos Rafael is phenomenal. By bringing Buck into the new
millennium, yet retaining a retro/classic feel, he’s done everything he can to
maximize the appeal of this timeless character for new readers. Scott Beatty
seems to be crafting a mystery set to unravel in the coming issues; I’m excited
to learn of our hero’s fate. The cover by John Cassaday will probably go down as
one of the more iconic images of the character (of this era).
This is an all around solid read whether you’ve been a long time pulp fan, or
just picking up the book due to its awesome cover price. Hopefully the title
will pick up some steam when they release the full sized first issue. |
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OUTSIDERS #17
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Writer:
Peter J.Tomasi
Artist:
Simone Bianchi
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Review By:
"Sweet" Dan Sweet
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Publisher:
DC
Comics,
Shipped On:
042209
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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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"The Deep" part 3 of 6! While The Outsiders find
their hands full dealing with a new group called the Thrashers, a battle of the
minds between Jack Ryder and his Creeper persona shakes the group to its core.
And in the shadows, The Insiders make an offer to Deathstroke that he can't
refuse. All this plus Owlman tries proving himself to the team! |
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SWEET DAN'S REVIEW:
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Boy, can Peter Tomasi take a book with potentially interesting characters, who
find themselves in a potentially status shifting and extremely hazardous
situation and turn it into unreadable drek. Bleh.
It’s not that I’ve ever found Black Lightning and Geo Force to be that
interesting to begin with, but when you team that with the fact that they’re
written like statues with special abilities, it’s clearly evident that Tomasi is
nothing more than a bad clone of Chris Claremont (and I don’t mean 80’s
‘everyone still likes me’ Claremont, but rather, last years ‘why do all of my
books keep getting s***-canned’ Claremont; the bad Claremont), only without the
fan following.
The story begins with the aforementioned Mr. Lightning and Mr. Force along with
OwlMan, attempting to rescue teammate Katana (editorial must have run out of
New-Idea-Bulbs when the time came to name her) from the clutches of some guy
piloting some giant robot. Stiff and stale dialogue through out what I guess
could be described as a fight scene carries us all the way to the halfway point.
This is when Tomasi ingeniously figures he’ll give readers a small piece of
whatever cluster-f*** of a puzzle he’s trying to get us put together; The
Outsiders (sans Soda Pop) have a rival group of baddies called, get this, The
Insiders (I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit) who hang out in
Iceland, and walk around their home base stark naked.
The Insiders are collecting hunks of meteor rock. What for? I haven‘t the
foggiest, but they’re putting the pieces they acquire into some dastardly
looking futuristic machine to be called upon at a later date for whatever plot
device is necessary at that time. Eventually the fighting ceases and the
Outsiders are left eating dust; more specifically they’re left with meteorite
dust which is accidentally absorbed into Metamorpho’s body. Even more mind
boggling is everyone’s reaction to an alien substance bonding almost
instantaneously with their teammate, everyone just seems to shrug their
shoulders and go about their business, I mean, I can suspend all sorts of
disbelief when reading comics but c’mon Tomasi. C’mon.
Sadly the art on this series seems to be light years ahead of the actual story.
Poor Lee Garbett is able to illustrate the crap out of, what had to be, the most
painful script in the world to try and endure. But hey at least he gets paid for
reading this s***. |
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All Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2009 by their respective
owners. No rights given or implied by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.
Reviews © 2009 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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