Deadshot's Bullet Reviews Week of Apr. 28th

We're back with another installment of Deadshot's Bullet reviews. I have been under the weather all week but managed to crawl out of the lair long enough to pick up a stash of comics to get me through the tedious days of daytime television.

First up,

Invincible Iron Man #25
Matt Fraction/Salvador LaRooca

Fresh of being reassembled, this issue finds Tony Stark picking the pieces of his rebooted life. Like all computer nerds he has fallen victim to having an less than fresh backup of his brain so there are things that he has conveniently forgotten (Civil War onward to be precise - coincidence that this was the time period he was such a jackass and sold out the rest of his fellow heroes to the government? I've I had done that I would have 'forgotten' to update my backup too!). Still, Matt Fraction doesn't shy away from what could have been an easy way to get Stark back in the good graces of his fellow heroes. There is a nice exchange with Thor where he basically tells him that he doesn't remember what he did but if he had to do it all over again he would do it the same way. Thor respects that and the two are beginning their long road back to friends.

Meanwhile, some other subplots are building. Hammer (not led by Norman Osborn) Industries is back and looking to horn in on Stark Industries military contracts. Since Stark has decided he is not going to supply the government with any more weaponry its looking like Hammer will be a force to reckon with. As we approach the release of the second Iron Man movie some of the business aspects of the book seems to be meshing with the movie lore. Stark is out of the military business; he wants to focus on providing his repulsor technology as a power source that will wipe out reliance on fossil fuels. By buying in on the ground floor companies will benefit from this tech instead of being put out of business by it.

All in all, a good jumping on point for Invincible Iron Man. Salvador LaRocca's art is smooth and moves the story along nicely. Fraction has a firm grasp of the character and seems like he has some juicy plots lined up for the next year. 4 out of 5 bullets.

Ultimate Avengers 2 #1
Mark Millar/Leinil Yu
I am beginning to get confused by the number of Ultimate Avengers books. There's Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Comics Avengers, New Ultimates, Old Ultimates, Ultimate Ultimates...okay maybe I made a few of those up. But it does seem like the Ultimates line is getting a bit muddled. At any rate, this new series opens with the Punisher doing what he does best, karaoke! No, wait...that's someone else. In fact, the Punisher is wasting mobsters and all their associates. After pages of violence, Punny heads back to the Punisher Cave to recap what he has been upto. Maybe he needs a Microchip or a Lil'Punisher to talk to.

Anyway, Punisher talks about wanting to get a Russian mobster who doesn't believe Punisher is whacking all of his guys. He's going to come to America (like Eddie Murphy) and talk to the New York Crime families because he thinks they are behind it. What, no CNN in Russia? No one can confirm this is a real guy? Seems like a poor intel department for the Russian mob.

Anyway, Punisher sets up the hit but is promptly captured by Nick Fury who set the whole thing up as a sting operation to capture poor ole Frank. Seems Nick Fury is running the Black Ops version of the Avengers and needs his version of Captain America and thinks that Frank fits the bill. Frank reluctantly agrees for new so he doesn't go to prison for a gazillion life sentences. The rest of the team is being put together include the Hulk. However, its not Banner Hulk its the Hulk before the Hulk. Let's call him Pre-Hulk Hulk. Looks like next issue will spotlight Pre-Hulk Hulk who apparently was Banner's 'mentor'.

All in all, a pretty paint-by-numbers offering from Millar. The overly long massacre at the beginning of the book chewed up pages that could have been used to move the story along a bit further. Yu's art is fine for the book but his line heavy work is not my cup of tea. Your mileage may vary. 2.5 out of 5 bullets.


X-Force #26
Craig Kyle-Chris Yost/Mike Choi
The Second Coming X-over event continues in this issue. As I have said, I am really enjoying this crossover and this issue does not disappoint. I commend Marvel for not advertising the hell out of this issue and allowing the big event to just happen. I won't spoil it here but if you are a fan or have been a fan of the X-Men you need to read this issue.

For those who read X-Force regularly, Kyle and Yost continue their grand tradition of putting the X-folks through the wringer and Mike Choi's more photo-realistic art is a nice change from Crane's sketchier style. Crane's style suited the dark ops arcs of the book but this is more traditional super-hero fare and the cleaner style really helps differentiate the characters. There is more I could say about this book but it would require spoilers which I don't want to do. Well worth the read and made sad at the end. 4.5 out of 5 bullets.

Captain America #605
Ed Brubaker/Luke Ross

The "Two Americas" arc mercifully comes to an end with this issue. I have found this arc to be overly long and really not all that exciting. I expect better from Brubaker. This title has been spinning its wheels since Captain America: Reborn. The one positive that I can see coming out of this arc is that Falcon got to come out of the sidekick role that he seems to always stuck in and participate more fully in thwarting 50's Cap's mad plan to bring back the old America by blowing up a dam? Obviously the guy is crazy therefore his plan has to be as well.

Luke Ross is a competent penciller but he's no Steve Epting or Mike Perkins. The art is servicable for the story given but this arc has not been either of these creator's best work. Hopefully things will pick up in the next arc. As for the Nomad backup story, I really have no interest in the character and think this story might have worked better as a Spider-girl back-up given its tone and art style. However, since they want Nomad in the 616 Marvel universe to kick off their Young Allies title (which if it lasts more than 12 issues I will be massively surprised) is scheduled to launch very soon. Not a bad story just not something that interests me. 2 out of 5 bullets.

Remi's (slightly) Obsessive Reading Log! Week 2

Alright... off to a bad a start! Week 2 was pretty rough for any kind of reading, but in all honesty, between running a large magic event, driving back to my parents (3 hour drive) to help my brother move, then driving back down less than 24 hours later to spend my two days off working on the monthly comic order... my spare time was pretty short!

But here it is, week 2!

Week 2

April 19th (count = 15)
Dark X-Men (2010) #1-5
Nation (2010) #1
She-Hulk (2004-2005) #3-12

April 20th (count = 0)

April 21st (count = 4)
Nation X (2010) #2-4
Nation X: X-Facto (2010) (one-shot)

April 22nd (count = 1)
Ultimate Comics Avengers (2010) #6

April 23rd (count = 0)

April 24th (count = 1)
Doomwar (2010) #1

April 25th (count = 7)
Black Terror (2009-) #1-4
Joe The Barbarian (2010) #1-2
Masquerade (2009) #1

Total after Week 2 = 96 (-20)

Credit where Credit's due!

So I'm kind of a jackass, and forgot to mention that our new awesome sign was made by the one and only Luis Boisvert! You can check out more of his stuff at http://loveandhotsauce.net/

The Comic Hunter sign is now on the building!

We finally got our sign put up on the outside of the building! Hopefully people don't miss this! :D

Silver/Bronze Age Marvel/DC collection!

We just picked up a comic collection, mostly from the late 60s/early 70s. Lots of X-Men, Daredevil, Batman, Captain America, Conan The Barbarian, DC Kirby, Neal Adams! So much fun stuff, all in really nice shape! It's rare to see collections kept this properly at that age!


Back: Silver Surfer #3, Conan #3, Amazing Adventures #6, Marvel Team-Up #1, Swamp Thing #1, Iron Fist #1,

Middle: Silver Surfer #5, Iron Man #55, Captain America #117, Batman #244, Batman #232, Avengers #94,

Front: Fantastic Four #4, Flash #137, Silver Surfer #4, Silver Surfer #1, Iron Man/Sub-Mariner #1

[here] and FCBD!

Thanks to Victoria for the quick article about the upcoming FCBD!

http://herenb.canadaeast.com/news/article/1017829

Also, below is our little ad for our sales and whatnot. Hope to see you all in on May 1st. (sale continues into May 2nd!) It isn't mentioned, but we'll be open at 9am Saturday morning, instead of the regular 10am. :)

Remi's (slightly) Obsessive Reading Log! Week 1

Having fallen behind on some reading over the last couple of years, I've put myself to the task of reading 3000 comics in the next year. I wish I could have thought about this on something like the first of the month, but unfortunately, April 12th falls as the first day of the count!

This should give me a good run on catching up everything I need to read + keep up with everything coming out! Obviously, if I read a TPB, I'll count the issues. If it's an original graphic novel, every 22 pages will one issue, as is the average story content in a regular comic!

So, here it is, week 1!

April 12th (count = 16)
Brave & The Bold (2008-) #29,30,31,32
Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 #1
Haunt (2009-) #6
Justice League of America (2006-) #41,42,43
Justice League: Cry for Justice (2009-2010) #5,6,7
Justice League: The Rise and Fall of Green Arrow Special (2010) #1
Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal (2010) #1
Kevin Smith's Green Arrow (2010) #2
Marvel Zombies 5 (2010) #1

April 13th (count = 10)
Gotham City Sirens (2009-) #3,4
Punishermax (2009-) #5
Vengeance of Moon Knight (2009-) #1-7

April 14th (count = 13)
Black Widow (2010-) #1
Brightest Day (2010-) #0
Daredevil (1964-) #506
Flash (2010-) #1
Green Arrow (2007-2010) #32
Iron Man: Legacy (2010-) #1
Punishermax (2009-) #6
R.E.B.E.L.S. (2009-) #14
Ultimate Enemy (2010) #2,3
Ultimate Spider-Man (2009-) #8
Wolverine: Mr. X (2010) (one-shot)
X-Men Origins: Nightcrawler (2010) (one-shot)

April 15th (count = 7)
Doc Savage (2010-) #1
Green Hornet: Year One (2010-) #2
New Mutants (2009-) #12
Punisher (2009-) #15
Siege: Captain America (2010) (one-shot)
Siege: Loki (2010) (one-shot)
Siege: Young Avengers (2010) (one-shot)

April 16th (count = 9)
Black Panther (2009-2010) #1-9

April 17th (count = 0)

April 18th (count = 13)
Black Panther (2009-2010) #10-12
Booster Gold (2007-) #25-31
Deadpool Team-Up (2009-) #894
She-Hulk (2004-2005) #1-2

Total after week 1 = 68 (+10 over)

Heinberg/Cheung back on Young Avengers!

http://www.ifanboy.com/content/articles/Heinberg_and_Cheung_March_the_Young_Avengers_on__The_Children_s_Crusade_

Pretty excited! The Young Avengers first series by Heinberg and Cheung was great, and nothing about them has quite lived up to it. Lets just hope Heinberg can keep up the schedule this time around.

Deadshot's Bullet Reviews Week of Apr. 14th

Welcome to another installment of Deadshot's Bullet Reviews. Five books for your consideration this week including the new Black Widow title and a trio of Siege one-shots before finishing up with DC's Batgirl. Without further ado, enjoy.

Black Widow #1
Marjorie Liu/Daniel Acuna

Just in time for her big screen debut in Iron Man 2, the Black Widow graduates from mini series to on-going series. The issue starts off with a meeting between Widow and a new figure known as the Black Rose and leads to a rather uncomfortable sequence where Natasha has to concentrate very hard not to move like her life depended on it-because it did. The mystery attacker will be the focus of Widow's attention for the first arc I assume. The story moved along well and there is enough here to intrigue me to follow it for another issue. A solid read. Acuna's art fits the mood the Liu's story and they seem to be meshing well as a creative team.

3 bullets out of 5.


Siege - Loki #1
Kieron Gillen/Jamie McKelvie

I give Marvel credit for not dragging out Siege into a massive cross-over event which they could have. Other than the Avenger titles and the two Siege mini's the spillover from this event has been relatively minor. This leads us to the five one-shots released this week. Of the three that I read, I thought that the Loki one was the best. Since Loki has really been the puppet-master of this entire event. In his one-shot we see Loki graduate from the god of Mischief to the god of Mayhem. If anything I thought that this issue should have been in either the main series somehow or a side-issue from one of the Avengers title. I'm very interested to see how the groundwork laid in this issue pays off in the final issue of Siege. Gillen writes a tight story that really showcases Loki's deviousness and McKelvie's art fits the fantasy tinged atmosphere. His art style looks a bit like Steve Dillon only less line-heavy. A solid read. 4 out of 5 bullets.

Siege - Young Avengers #1
Sean McKeever/Mahmud Asrar

Like most of these one-shots, this issue takes place during the collapse of Asgard after Sentry smashed his way through it. The Young Avengers are in various spots and are reacting to the carnage or the fact that they are trapped. The main parts of the story involve Hulking and Wiccan searching for survivors and their team-mates and Patriot and Mockingbird trapped deep in the rubble trying to get out. I haven't been reading the various Young Avengers minis since the first one so the story really didn't seem to serve much purpose other than to put the Young Avengers in play for the big final battle in Siege #4. Wiccan seems to be a whiner and Mockingbird seems to be rather cold to Patriot (of course she was just trying to motivate him to get them out). I think Marvel squandered the 'it' factor that this team had several years ago and now they are just fringe characters filling in holes in big combat scenes. We'll see if Bendis can elevate them in the final issue of Siege. 3 out of 5 bullets.

Siege - Captain America #1
Christos Gage/Federico Dallocchio

Why this issue is even on the stands astounds me. The story also takes place after the collapse of Asgard as Stevie Cap and Bucky Cap escape and begin to look for survivors. They run into a family who think they can film the collapse and hit the sweet life selling the video (aren't there embedded journalists with the main action. Isn't there evenanother mini about that???). So, the family are standing in the field when Asgard drops out of the sky and then as they pick themselves up out of the big smoke cloud, 2 Caps arrive to take on some lame double blades for hands guy who wants to kill jailbait. The Caps beat him up, save the family and Bucky Cap thinks he just might be ready for the big job and all the faith that Stevie Cap has put in him. Hooray and the crowd goes mild. Gage is capable of writing much better material than this. While the art isn't bad, its nothing to rave about either. Perhaps a better story would have elevated the art but with nothing to work with Dallocchio's weaknesses become more apparent. Avoid this one.

1 out of 5 bullets.



Batgirl #9
Bryan Miller/Lee Garbett

This is a title that I am pleasantly surprised I am enjoying. Truth be told, I picked it up to fill the void left behind by Birds of Prey but didn't think I would stick with it. It has been a solid read since the start and a new arc begins with this issue. It involves mysterious tech crimes that all lead back to the twisted Calculator who is bent on finding a way to kill Oracle and ressurect his dead son Marvin and heal his crippled daughter, Wendy using Apokylips tech left over from Final Crisis. Stephanie continues to grow into her new role as Batgirl and her mentor/mentee relationship with Barbara Gordon continues to develop into a realistic manner. Garbett's art is a good fit to the tone of the book and I am looking forward to seeing Steph take on Calculator at some point. I just hope he doesn't bring that old costume with the big calculator buttons on the front out of mothballs though. 4 out of 5 bullets.

The Wry's Rants for Apr 14

Another week, another bunch of comic reviews! Which five shall we look at this week... I know! How about Hulked Out Heroes #1, Flash #1, Iron Man: Legacy #1, Batman #698, and Black Widow #1. Those sound fun!



Hulked Out Heroes #1 (of 2)

Actually, this should be called Hulked Out Hero. Then again, it should REALLY be called Hulked Out Merc, as it's only talking about one hulked-up character. And guess who it is.. Deadpool! Er, I mean, Hulkpool! Done by Jeff Parker and Humberto Ramos, He tries to go back in time to kill himself when he was wimpy Deadpool, and time paradoxes be damned!
Now, I am a big Deadpool fan, but even I have to ask: What was the point of this issue in the current Hulk storyarc? If you want to have two issues regarding the heroes that have been hulked up, why devote it to just ONE of them? Will the second issue only have Hulkpool as well, or actually have any of the others? I don't know the answers to those questions, but I do know this, there is no real reason for you to pick up this issue. It's not a bad issue, just no reason to get it. So far, anyway. Who knows what part 2 will bring.




Flash #1

New ongoing series by DC Golden Boy (in a good way) Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul. It's about Barry Allen and him getting back into the groove at Central City. He evens goes back to forensic science at the police department. While on the job he arrives at a crime scene where Mirror Master is dead! No, not McCulloch, it's someone else, but not someone that Barry recognizes. But shortly after, there's more dressed up rogues where that came from, but they're more of the 'still alive' kind.
Hey, it's Geoff Johns back on Flash! If you're a fan of ANY of his work, or a fan of the Flash in general, you should get this series. Even if you're on the fence on getting this, at least try it out for the first few issues.




Iron Man: Legacy #1

Speaking of new series, here's one by Fred Van Lente and Steve Kurth. It's not set in current continuity, as people think Iron Man is Tony Stark's bodyguard, Tony himself finished a relationship with Dazzler, and comic books were still only a dollar. It's the first part of "War of the Iron Men", so you should be able to guess what it's about. Other people using Iron Man type armor, but using martial weapons made out of.. energy? (Now we just need one using Voltron's flaming sword) Tony of course decides to do something about it, and at the end we see who's behind all of this.
Just for gits and shiggles, they also add in a reprint of Tales of Suspense #39, which is the first appearance of Iron Man. Overall a good issue and since it's not happening in current Marvel, no worries of current events influencing the title. Worth checking out.




Batman #698

Copycat killers are a pain. Especially when they're copying the themes of Batman villians. Story by Tony Daniel and Guillem March, a body is found cut up like Zsasz, another one that was scavenged by birds (Penguin), and so on. To add to the fun, the Riddler is thrown in as he's trying to solve the case as well. Dick is also still comparing himself to Bruce and how he would be doing things differently. The story doesn't get resolved in this issue, but things do get worse before they'll get better.
So far this is good. I'm enjoying Tony Daniel's run on this title, and this story shows you don't need a multi-part cross-title storyarc on a Bat-title. Recommended to any Bat-fans out there.




Black Widow #1

By Marjorie Liu and Daniel Acuna. Someone is hunting Black Widow, and using a black rose as a calling card. Natasha goes looking for him, and ends up a little worse for wear (okay, a LOT worse for wear). Her boyfriend, Bucky America, is understandably upset by this, so their pal Logan does a little hunting of his own. And for those that are not as familiar with Black Widow as others, the end of the issue as a Black Widow Saga giving her history up until now.
The story's okay, but the series has just started so there's no real groove yet. I'm not really a fan of Acuna's art (when he was on Green Lantern and Flash, for example), but I do admit that his style works on this title. The Saga is a nice touch for people that aren't really familiar with Black Widow, as she's always been a supporting character, but never a lead. If you're interested, give it a shot, and you can make the final call if it's something you'd like.

Jurgens leaves Booster to team him up with Rip Hunter and Superman!

I'm a total Dan Jurgens fanboy! His DC stuff is just shy of being some of my favorite art out there, solid, reliable, just all around great to look at.

He's also created one of the most surprisingly fun to read characters ever too, Booster Gold, and even had a chance to draw him, and then write/draw him again for about 2 1/2 years now. Sadly, this past week's issue marked his last one on the title, before Keith Giffen (who also knows how to do a great job with Booster, just checked out his JLI stuff!) takes over!

That being said, this past week, Jurgens' new project was announced, which is going to tie in a bit with the return of Bruce Wayne. In Time Masters: Vanishing Point, Rip Hunter, Booster Gold, Green Lantern and Superman are going to embark on a rescue mission to bring Bruce back to where he belongs!

This is one fanboy who is pretty pumped!

Eisner nomations are in!

http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.shtml

The 2010 Eisner nominations are in, this being the Academy Awards of the comic industry!

Follow the link for the full article, but I'm going to post the nominations, and put in bold my votes!

Feel free to reply with your own votes!

Best Short Story
"Because I Love You So Much," by Nikoline Werdelin, in From Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the 3rd Millennium (Fantagraphics/Aben maler)
"Gentleman John," by Nathan Greno, in What Is Torch Tiger? (Torch Tiger)
"How and Why to Bale Hay," by Nick Bertozzi, in Syncopated (Villard)
"Hurricane," interpreted by Gradimir Smudja, in Bob Dylan Revisited (Norton)
"Urgent Request," by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)
-I haven't read any of these, surprisingly, but Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese is one of my favorite indie books ever, so he gets my vote!

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Brave & the Bold #28: "Blackhawk and the Flash: Firing Line," by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz (DC)
Captain America #601: "Red, White, and Blue-Blood," by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)
Ganges #3, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)
The Unwritten #5: "How the Whale Became," by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
Usagi Yojimbo #123: "The Death of Lord Hikiji" by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Continuing Series
Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy et al. (Vertigo/DC)
Irredeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

Best Limited Series or Story Arc
Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert (DC)
Incognito, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
Wolverine #66-72 and Wolverine Giant-Size Special: "Old Man Logan," by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, and Dexter Vines (Marvel)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best New Series
Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, art by Tony Parker (BOOM!)
Ireedeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo/DC)
The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
-this is one of the toughest choices out there, four of the five are some of my biggest recommendations for the year, hands down!

Best Publication for Kids
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczeka (Knopf)
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis (Bloomsbury)
Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Publication for Teens
Angora Napkin, by Troy Little (IDW)
Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
A Family Secret, by Eric Heuvel (Farrar Straus Giroux/Anne Frank House)
Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon (Top Shelf)
I Kill Giants tpb, by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura (Image)
-Troy Little is a maritimer, from outside Charlottetown, and deserves our support, but it's a great book, and would probably get my vote either way! Riot Grrrl's and zombies!

Best Humor Publication
Drinky Crow's Maakies Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me, And Other Astute Observations, by Peter Bagge (Fantagraphics)
Little Lulu, vols. 19-21, by John Stanley and Irving Tripp (Dark Horse Books)
The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets, by Roger Langridge (BOOM Kids!)
Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee O'Malley (Oni)

Best Anthology
Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu (Fantagraphics)
Bob Dylan Revisited, edited by Bob Weill (Norton)
Flight 6, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)
Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)
Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by Brendan Burford (Villard)
What Is Torch Tiger? edited by Paul Briggs (Torch Tiger)
-any of the Flight's are worth checking out, great collections with a ton of different styles to enjoy!

Best Digital Comic
Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl,
www.abominable.cc
Bayou, by Jeremy Love,
http://zudacomics.com/bayou
The Guns of Shadow Valley, by David Wachter and James Andrew Clark,
www.gunsofshadowvalley.com
Power Out, by Nathan Schreiber,
www.act-i-vate.com/67.comic
Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart,
www.sintitulocomic.com/
-Haven't read any... :(

Best Reality-Based Work
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco (Metropolitan/Holt)
The Impostor's Daughter, by Laurie Sandell (Little, Brown)
Monsters, by Ken Dahl (Secret Acres)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Stitches, by David Small (Norton)

Best Adaptation from Another Work
The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Michael Keller and Nicolle Rager Fuller (Rodale)
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, adapted by Tim Hamilton (Hill & Wang)
Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album-New
Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzuccheilli (Pantheon)
A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album-Reprint
Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon)
Alec: The Years Have Pants, by Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)
Essex County Collected, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
Map of My Heart: The Best of King-Cat Comics & Stories, 1996-2002, by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips
Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Bringing Up Father, vol. 1: From Sea to Shining Sea, by George McManus and Zeke Zekley, edited by Bruce Canwell (IDW)
The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley's Cartoons 1913-1940, edited by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, by Gahan Wilson, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Prince Valiant, vol. 1: 1937-1938, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, Walt McDougall, and W. W. Denslow, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books
The Best of Simon & Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, edited by Steve Saffel (Titan Books)
Blazing Combat, by Archie Goodwin et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Humbug, by Harvey Kurtzman et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and Émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
Years of the Elephant, by Willy Linthout (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia
The Color Trilogy, by Kim Dong Haw (First Second)
A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Oishinbo a la Carte, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki (VIZ Media)
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer
Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
Geoff Johns, Adventure Comics, Blackest Night, The Flash: Rebirth, Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
James Robinson, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
Mark Waid, Irredeemable, The Incredibles (BOOM!)
Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist
Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter (IDW)
R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated (Norton)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Books)
Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka (VIZ Media)

Best Writer/Artist-Nonfiction
Reinhard Kleist, Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Abrams ComicArts)
Willy Linthout, Years of the Elephant (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)
David Small, Stitches (Norton)
Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Michael Kaluta, Madame Xanadu #11-15: "Exodus Noir" (Vertigo/DC)
Steve McNiven/Dexter Vines, Wolverine: Old Man Logan (Marvel)
Fiona Staples, North 40 (WildStorm)
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Danijel Zezelj, Luna Park (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
É Bravo, My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Mauro Cascioli, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
Nicolle Rager Fuller, Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation (Rodale Books)
Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Cover Artist
John Cassaday, Irredeemable (BOOM!); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)
Salvador Larocca, Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)
Sean Phillips, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon); 28 Days Later (BOOM!)
Alex Ross, Astro City: The Dark Age (WildStorm/DC); Project Superpowers (Dynamite)
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Best Coloring
Steve Hamaker, Bone: Crown of Thorns (Scholastic); Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon)
Laura Martin, The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures (IDW); Thor, The Stand: American Nightmares (Marvel)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Alex Sinclair, Blackest Night, Batman and Robin (DC)
Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna Park (Vertigo)

Best Lettering
Brian Fies, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? (Abrams ComicArts)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Tom Orzechowski, Savage Dragon (Image); X-Men Forever (Marvel)
Richard Sala, Cat Burglar Black (First Second); Delphine (Fantagraphics)
Adrian Tomine, A Drifting Life (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
ComicsAlliance, edited by Laura Hudson www.comicsalliance.com
Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel
(www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox)
The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon
(www.comicsreporter.com)

Best Comics-Related Book
Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel, by Annalisa Di Liddo (University Press of Mississippi)
The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy (Abrams ComicArts)
Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater, by Eric P. Nash (Abrams ComicArts)
Will Eisner and PS Magazine, by Paul E. Fitzgerald (Fitzworld.US)

Best Publication Design
Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
The Brinkley Girls, designed by Adam Grano (Fantagraphics)
Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)
Life and Times of Martha Washington, designed by David Nestelle (Dark Horse Books)
Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, designed by Philippe Ghielmetti (Sunday Press)
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? designed by Neil Egan and Brian Fies (Abrams ComicArts)

2012: Or, How to Stop Worrying and Love Joss Whedon!

http://ifanboy.com/content/articles/Joss_Whedon_to_Direct_The_Avengers_Movie_

I know one fanboy who is pretty excited! I was never a big buffy/angel fan, but his Serenity/Firefly, as well as Dr. Horrible and Astonishing X-Men are some of the best of the best!

Deadshot's Bullet Reviews Week of Apr. 7th

After a week absence, Deadshot is back with a handful of reviews from the week of April 7th. Some good stuff this week so let's get right to it...

Wolverine: Weapon X #12

Jason Aaron/Ron Garney
The second issue of this arc picks up in the future explaining how it is that Deathloks are back in our current time killing people and ending with their ominious cliffhanger from last issue: "Kill Captain America". I found this issue much strong than last but I love dystopian future stories. Even though this is familiar territory for the X-titles, this one adds a fresh spin to it. The story leaves us on another cliffhanger as future Logan goes on a bad acid trip and the mysterious General arrives on the scene. Garney's art seems less rushed on this issue and Aaron's script is tighter and moves the story along nicely. Interested to see how this arc progresses. 3.5 bullets of out 5.


Uncanny X-Men #523 (Second Coming Chapter 2)
Matt Fraction/Terry Dodson



Now this is an x-crossover! Already in two issues I have gotten more into this story than that Blackest Night rip-off; Necrosha. As the X-Men move in to retrieve the returning from the future Cable and Hope, the mainstream X-Men find out what Wolverine and his wetworks, X-Force team has been up to. Classic X-Men inner turmoil while continuing action have this one firing on all cylinders. Dodson's art on this is quality as well. It took Fraction a fair bit of time to get this ship moving but now that it is, this title is at the top of the read pile for the foreseeable future. 4.5 bullets out of 5.


Superman - Secret Origins #5
Geoff Johns/Gary Frank


The re-refreshening of Superman's origin nears the end of its run as Johns works on the origins of Metallo and the foundation for General Lane's hatred for all things extra-terrestrial. Luthor's jealousy of the Man of Steel also comes to the forefront as Johns deftly weaves together movie continuity with more recent story elements from John's run on the Super-titles. Frank's art is solid once again but it always makes me sad that he uses Christopher Reeve's likeness as it takes me out of the story and reminds me of what happened to the movie Man of Steel. Still, it is a homage and the art work is beautiful and worth a look. 3.5 bullets out of 5.


Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #2
Sterling Gates-James Robinson/Pete Woods


The battle for the fate of New Krypton rages on as Brainiac and Luthor lay a beating on Superman and pals (with Zod and the other Kyrptonians filling up the background). I am hoping for a big reveal here at some point as this seems to be have been a long build up to a standard superhero vs super villain fight. A theory I have cooked up is that Zod is somehow in league with Brainiac and is looking to overthrow Alura and install himself as ruler of New Krypton. The story does move along but is spreading into Adventure Comics #10 which seems to be just marking time until the new Legion story starts there. If you have been reading the Superman titles up to this point, nothing I can say will dissuade you from continuing as we head for the "War of the Supermen" but this one is way too involved for the casual reader to pick up. The art work is solid, however, and I love the George Perez cover! 2.5 bullets out of 5.


Invincible Returns #1
Robert Kirkman/Ryan Ottley-Corey Walker


Meant to be a jumping on-point for the main title I thought this one did a good job of teasing the main plot points of 70 odd issues. The Wry and I share comics so he had the opportunity to read this one having not read any Invincible. While it did give him a taste of the series, he felt that he needed to go back and read more if he was going to get invested in upcoming war with the Viltrumites. Still the issue did give a good overall feel for the type of stories Kirkman writes and some of the major plot points that will obviously be built upon as they move beyond this issue. The art work of Ottley and Walker is synonomous with this series and I can't imagine Invincible being drawn by anyone else but one of these two. One other thing of note - is it just me or does Grand Regent Thragg look like Freddie Mercury from Queen? 3 bullets out of 5.

M:TG - Rise of the Eldrazi Pre-Release!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117235904960389&ref=mf

Date: Saturday, April 17, 2010
Time: 11:45am - 8:00pm
Location:The Comic Hunter
Street: 465 Main St.
City/Town: Moncton, NB

Magic: The Gathering - Rise of the Eldrazi pre-release tournament!

12pm (11:30 for registration), first flight, sealed! 6 booster packs, make a 40 card deck out of what you get, lands are provided! You keep what you get!

4pm, second flight, same rules as the first.

$35 for one, $60 for both!

Polygamous Marvel starts dating Hachette, stills loves Diamond.

As of this fall, Diamond will no longer be supplying your local comic shops with Marvel's grapic novels and other collections, which will be handled by Hachette Books, the second biggest book supplier in the world.

Marvel will be staying with Diamond for their monthly issues.

We'll see how that'll change things this winter I guess!

http://ifanboy.com/content/articles/Marvel_Pulls_Out_of_Diamond_Books__Moves_To_Hachette

April 14th New Arrivals!

Didn't have the time to split it up, as it takes a while. Hopefully an alphabetical list works the same :)

A few things to not miss out on...

Brightest Day #0: With Blackest Night coming to a close a couple of weeks back, the after-affects of the final issue are going to start being felt a little everywhere in the DC universe, but this bi-weekly book should be the key book to get.

Black Widow #1: she's had some pretty great mini series in the past, and she's always been one of my favorite female characters, so I certainly hope they do her justice in this new ongoing by Marjorie Liu (Dark Wolverine) and Daniel Acuna (X-Men: Legacy).


Flash #1: Johns and Manapul are going to try to do what Johns did with Green Lantern a couple of years back, make Barry Allen a name everyone knows and what's to read about. I've never been a big Flash fan, but I'll checking it out for a while for sure :)

Siege One-Shots: A triple dose of Siege one-shots this week to tide you over until Siege #4 comes out. They can go either way when it comes to relevance to the core story, but one-shots generally provide some decent back story. The Cap and Loki one's might be especially good, as much as I always hope the Young Avengers one to be...

A-TEAM WAR STORIES FACE #1
ACTION COMICS #888
ADVENTURE COMICS #10
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS JACKPOT #3 (OF 3)
ANGEL BARBARY COAST #1
ANGELUS #3 (OF 6)
ARCHIE DIGEST #263
ARCHIE NEW LOOK SERIES TP VOL 04 MY FATHERS BETRAY
ARMY OF DARKNESS #27
ATOMIC ROBO REVENGE O/T VAMPIRE DIMENSION #2 (OF 4)
BASIL WOLVERTONS CULTURE CORNER HC
BATGIRL #9
BATMAN #698
BETTY & VERONICA #247
BLACK WIDOW #1
BODYWORLD HC
BOOSTER GOLD #31
BPRD KING OF FEAR #4 (OF 5)
BRIGHTEST DAY #0
BUCK ROGERS #10
CHEW #10 (MR)
COLD SPACE #1
CROSSED TP VOL 01 (MR)
DAN DECARLOS JETTA HC
DANTES INFERNO #5 (OF 6) (MR)
DAREDEVIL #506
DAYTRIPPER #5 (OF 10) (MR)
DEAD AT 17 WITCH QUEEN #2 (OF 4)
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #894
DMZ #52 (MR)
DOC SAVAGE #1
DRONE #4 (OF 4)
ENDERS GAME LEAGUE WAR
ESSENTIAL IRON MAN TP VOL 04
EX MACHINA #1 NEW PTG
EXCALIBUR VISIONARIES WARREN ELLIS TP VOL 01
EXISTENCE 3.0 #3 (OF 4) (MR)
FABLES #94 (MR)
FALL OUT TOY WORKS #4 (OF 5)
FARSCAPE SCORPIUS #0
FEVRE DREAM #1 (OF 10) (MR)
FLASH #1
FORGETLESS #4 (OF 5) (MR)
GEN 13 #35
GI JOE OPERATION HISS #3
GOD COMPLEX #5
GOTHAM CITY SIRENS UNION HC
GREEN ARROW #32
GREEN HORNET YEAR ONE #2
HACK SLASH SERIES #31
HELLCYON #1 (OF 4)
HULK MGC #1
HUMAN TARGET #3 (OF 6)
IRON MAN LEGACY #1
IRON MAN NOIR #1 (OF 4)
IRREDEEMABLE SP #1
JONAH HEX SIX GUN WAR TP
KILL SHAKESPEARE #1
LEGEND OF PERCEVAN GN VOL 03 SHADOW MALICORNE
LIGHT #1 (OF 5)
LOCKJAW AND PET AVENGERS UNLEASHED #2 (OF 4)
LOSERS #1 NEW PTG
MAGOG #8
MARVEL 1602 NEW WORLD FANTASTICK FOUR TP
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN TP PARKER VS X-MEN DIGEST
MICE TEMPLAR DESTINY #8
MINDFIELD #0
MUPPET SHOW #4
NEW MUTANTS #12 XSC
OTHER LIVES HC (MR)
PANTHEON #1
POE TP
POWER GIRL A NEW BEGINNING TP
POWERS #4 (MR)
PRIME BABY TP
PRINCE OF PERSIA BEFORE THE SANDSTORM TP
PUNISHERMAX #6 (MR)
RUNAWAYS TP TRUE BELIEVERS
SAVAGE AXE OF ARES #1
SAVAGE DRAGON #159
SCOOBY DOO #155
SECRET SIX #20
SHIELD #8
SIEGE CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
SIEGE LOKI #1
SIEGE YOUNG AVENGERS #1
SONIC UNIVERSE #15
SPIDER-MAN DIED IN YOUR ARMS TONIGHT TP
SPIDER-MAN GAUNTLET PREM HC VOL 02 RHINO & MYSTERIO
SPIDER-MAN ORIGIN OF HUNTER #1
STAR TREK MCCOY #1
STAR WARS DARK TIMES #16 BLUE HARVEST PT 4 (OF 5)
SUPER HERO SQUAD #4
SUPER HEROES #1
SUPERMAN CHRONICLES TP VOL 08
TOM STRONG DELUXE ED HC BOOK 02
TRANSFORMERS NEFARIOUS #2
TRANSFORMERS TALES O/T FALLEN TP
ULTIMATE COMICS ENEMY #3 (OF 4)
UNCANNY X-MEN FIRST CLASS TP KNIGHTS OF HYKON GN
UNWRITTEN #12 (MR)
WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #705
WE WILL BURY YOU #2
WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #7
WEEKLY WORLD NEWS #4
WIRE HANGERS #1
WOLFSKIN HUNDREDTH DREAM #1 (OF 6) (MR)
WOLVERINE ORIGINS PREM HC SEVEN HARD WAY
WOLVERINE WEAPON X TP VOL 01 ADAMANTIUM MEN
WORLD WAR HULKS HULKED OUT HEROES #1 WWHS
X-FACTOR FOREVER #2
X-MEN FOREVER #21
X-MEN SECOND COMING BY DAVID FINCH POSTER
X-MEN TP PHOENIX WARSONG

The Wry’s Rants for Apr 7 released comics

Howdy and/or doody, and welcome back to The Wry’s rants! This week we’ll look at 5 different titles. There’s World War Hulks #1, Deadpool Corps #1, The Flash Secret Files #1, S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, and Cable #1, er… #25. (sorry, didn’t realize how many #1 issues I’d be covering) No rant this week as nothing came out that made me want to vent. Maybe next time.



World War Hulks #1
This one-shot issue has a heart-stopping six (that’s right, SIX) stories in it. Mind you, they’re only 8 pages each, and none of them really need to be read to follow the Hulk storyline, but six stories! That’s like six second features with no main feature! (actually, that’s exactly what it is) We have an A-Bomb story by Jeff Parker and Zach Howard (which was okay), a Glenn Talbot (??) story by Harrison Wilcox and Ben Oliver (which wasn’t necessary), a Cosmic Hulk story by Scott Reed and Aluir Amancio (which REALLY wasn’t necessary). Also there’s a Samson story by Paul Tobin and Ramon Rosanas (which I liked), a Red She-Hulk story Harrison Wilcox and Ryan Stegman (which was okay) and finally a Deadpool story by Jeff Parker and Iguana, er… Ig Guara (sorry).
Overall, a solid ‘meh’. Nothing offensive about it, but not mandatory reading if you want to follow what’s going on in Hulk.



Deadpool Corps #1
Speaking of a Deadpool story, here’s Deadpool Corps # 1 by Victor Gischler and Rob Liefeld. This picks up where the prelude story left off, with the Deadpools currently in space with Comtemplator (sounds like the name of a Decepticon). He tells the ‘pools of this sentient negative energy space thingy and that they have to go stop it. Along the way they run across The Champion (that’s right, THE Champion) and fun and chaos ensues.
But wait, there’s more! There’s also a back-up story by Frank Tieri (Yay! He’s like the best villain writer ever) and Matteo Scalera that gives a nice little summary of Deadpool’s psyche (as bizarre as it is). Overall this issue is okay, having Deadpool in space is an interesting change, although I don’t know how well this will turn out in the end.



The Flash Secret Files #1
The issue is basically two parts, a Barry Allen Flash story (by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins) and then the Secret Files. Since Johns and Kolins did this, you know the rogues would be in it (and they are at the end). Basically the entire issue, secret files and all, is setup to give people an intro into the Flash in case they were planning on getting the ongoing series. At this I think they did a pretty good job. Anyone that’s planning on picking up the ongoing should get this issue as well. It covers all the basics and the need-to-know info so you’ll know what’s going on once the series starts.



Cable #25
Final issue! Usually I don’t get Cable, but this issue has Deadpool in it, and it actually takes place at the beginning of Messiah Complex, when Cable first gets Hope as an infant. This story, by Duane Swierczynski and Paco Medina, does a pretty good job at re-creating the chemistry between Cable and Deadpool as they battle the Purifiers and even a Sentinel while Cable protects Hope. This also happens after the Cable & Deadpool ongoing, but it’s before Deadpool restarting his series, so it’s like Cable & Deadpool issue 51 (the series ended after issue 50). Duane also makes fun of Deadpool having about 14 titles now, so overall I enjoyed this issue for these two being together one more time if nothing else.



S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
Okay, first of all, this issue is not for casual reading. You’ll need to pay attention to this in order to follow it (I know I had to, but then again, I’m a Deadpool fan so definitely a different flavor here). It’s by Jonathan Hickman and Dustin Weaver, and even though it’s a Marvel comic, it feels like Hickman back when he was doing independent stuff. It’s a neat idea, instead of SHIELD starting with Nick Fury, this has them originating with Imhotep back in 2620 BC when he was fighting the Brood (!!), continued on to 114 AD with the Han Dynasty and the dealing with a Celestial, to 1495 with Da Vinci, and 1582 with Galileo confronting Galactus. The main story takes place during 1953 and someone name Leonid being taken to Rome, where a quarter mile below Rome is the Immortal City, where the High Council of the Shield reside. They tell Leonid they must join them in protecting the world and he agrees, with his father showing up 3 years later to take him to a part of the building that hasn’t been opened for centuries. This is a must-read for Hickman fans out there, and also for those who want to try a title that’s a little different (okay, a lot different, but in a good way).

Thewry’s Rants, April Fools/First Edition!

Hello, I’m thewry and this… is Thewry’s Rants! Okay, it’s the only semi-witty title I could think of, but for now we’ll just go with it. The titles this week are Sensational She-Hulk one shot, Amazing Spider-Man #627, Prelude to Deadpool Corps, Fantastic Four #577, and X-Force #25 (with a rant about the Necrosha storyline now that it’s over)

Sensational She-Hulk one shot


So the reason for this issue is that it’s been 30 years since She-Hulk has shown up at Marvel. The main story (by Peter David and JonBoy Meyers) talks about She-Hulk turning 30 and not being too happy about it. (So? Spider-Man is going to turn 50 in a few years and you don’t see HIM getting all antsy) They do a Christmas Carol knock-off with ghosts from She-Hulks past, present, and future, with She-Hulk getting cheered up at the end. Good story, with Peter David nicely throwing in the witty comments as he’s done before.

But wait, there’s more! (Better be, this thing’s $5!!) The second story (by Brian Reed and Iban Coello) involves She-Hulk, Ms Marvel, and Spider-Woman. (pre-Secret Invasion. Look out, she’s a skrull!) Anyhoo, this bank robbery turned Hydra base attack story has the three ladies at first misunderstanding each other’s actions and has mini-fights before teaming up and taking out a Hydra base. (It won’t help though, destroy one and two more grow back, that’s what Hydra says anyway) It’s a little by the numbers, but still a good story.

And finally, because Marvel One-Shots always includes a reprint, is an issue of Sensational She-Hulk #40 during John Byrne’s run. Yeah…. not a fan of Byrne’s She-Hulk, plus it’s a reprint. If you liked Byrne’s She-Hulk, then this is a good bonus for you. Otherwise, well, at least this issue as two good stories in it! Recommended for She-Hulk fans, Peter David fans, and female superhero fans.

Amazing Spider-Man #627


Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut! Part one. This three part story (by Roger Stern and Lee Weeks) has high hopes for me, as Stern also wrote that GREAT two part story from Amazing 229-230 with the Juggernaut waaaay back in 1982. I was lucky enough to catch it in reprints in the mid-90s, but if you can find that story somewhere, it’s a must read.

Anyway, the gist of this issue is that a meteor-like thing lands in Central Park, and Spidey notices that it’s Juggernaut all laid out, with his helmet busted. (Please don’t say it was Onslaught, please don’t say it was Onslaught) After watching him get taken away, Spider-Man then notices some weird stuff that had involved a blue and white flying guy, according to witnesses. (Super Smurf!) The blue/white guy is revealed at the end with his mission to slay the Juggernaut (yes, he said “slay”) and so ends part one.

Good start, it’s a three part story, so I wasn’t expecting any huge fight scenes yet. Nothing wrong so far. It’s Spider-Man. Read it.

Prelude to Deadpool Corps #5 (of 5)


This weekly mini-series (by Victor Gischler and various artists) is basically showing how Deadpool rounds up Lady Deadpool, Kid Deadpool, Dogpool, and Zombie Headpool. Issue 5 is their practice cosmic mission before saving the multiverse. Um, yeah. Now I’m a fan of Gischler’s work on Deadpool: Merc with a mouth, and issues 1, 2, and 4 of this series I liked. (Issue 3 with Dogpool is, I’m sorry to say, pretty much a waste of time) Issue 5 was, well, there. Not offensive, but nothing to get excited over. Kyle Baker does the art, which is pretty unique, but for me personally it took me out of it. (Mind you, other people might like his stuff, just not me) This will now start the Deadpool Corps series next month.

This series is an acquired taste. As stated earlier, issues 1, 2, and 4 were enjoyable, but ended on a lukewarm note. Recommended for Deadpool fans, but casual readers might not feel the same.

Fantastic Four #577


These ain’t your granddaddy’s Inhumans! This issue (by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham) has the FF going to the blue area of the moon after finding something has landed there. Once they arrive they meet the Inhuman Wayfinder, who was left behind by Black Bolt so he could wait for this event to happen.

The event? Why, four different breeds of Inhumans of course! They are the Centaurians, the Badoon, the Kymellians, and the Dire Wraiths. (Turn undead! Oh wait, that’s a different kind of wraith…) This is basically an introduction to these races and how they’re all gonna hook up with Black Bolt and live on earth. (Who’s dead, by the way, but I don’t think anyone told them yet). This issue is okay, I like the writer and artist. It’s a one-off, so it will be relevant later, but not immediately. Recommended for the sci-fi fans and FF fans.

X-Force #25


Necrosha all comes to an end here (by Craig Kyle/Chris Yost/Clayton Crain) with this issue being the final chapter. It’s Selene vs X-Force! Excited? No? That’s okay. Here X-Force goes up againt Selene and her undead T-O virus overrun mutant slaves on Genosha. Selene wins, taking over the earth and also ending Marvel comics. Or not. Okay, she doesn’t win, and some of her servants/slave escape on their own, no doubt plotting some evil retribution that can only be resolved at a later date. At the end Wolverine goes to Cyclops regarding roster changes, and they say who’s leaving, but I guess regarding new blood we’ll have to wait and see. The only people that should buy this are the ones have been following the Necrosha event. Wait until next issue before starting out this title.

Which leads me to the following:

Thewry’s Rant on Necrosha

Simply put, this was an X-event that we could have done without. Yes, it brought back into existence some characters (Warlock, Blink, etc), but having about 4 issues devoted to each of your X-titles (and not even at the same time, mind you) just left me unimpressed. I’m sure X-fans who have been getting every X-title since the 80’s would have recognized the resurrected dead mutants brought back during the story, but some of them I had no clue who they were.

It doesn’t help when you have an artist like Crain working on this, who by the way I like his work and it really FITS in X-Force. But seeing those dead mutants in the shadows fighting the X-Men, who are also in the shadows, didn’t work for me. Big fights with over a dozen characters involved didn’t look as great as his other stuff, which is a shame.

What also is a shame is seeing Kyle and Yost’s names attached to this project. X-Force started REALLY well with Bastion returning and using the T-O virus bring back all the genocidal X-Villains whose mottos were pretty much ‘kill all mutants’. Since then they’ve told stories leading up to Necrosha (Eli Bard, for example) and mostly left Bastion at the wayside. Until now. The Second Coming event coming to the X-titles (because going two months without an X-event is apparently now illegal) is now involving Bastion, and with it I hope brings us some Kyle/Yost ‘holy crap’ moments that frankly, this poor man’s Marvel mutant version of Blackest Night didn’t bring.

Easter Holiday Hours!

The Comic Hunter is going to be open tomorrow (Friday), and all weekend, regular hours! We're just that obsessed!

Feel free to pop in and hang out! Talk comics, gamings, whatever!