Title: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Steve McNiven
Inker: John Dell
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Letters: Cory Petit
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
This is issue #1 but it is not the first issue. The Point One issue detailed the
origin of the leader of the Guardians, Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord. In that
issue he recounts that story shortly after the events of this issue. The other
members at this point are the assassin Gamora, Groot the tree being, Rocket
Raccoon and Drax the Destroyer. As we begin their story they will eventually
enter into a battle in space and be joined by Iron Man. If you have been
following his story in his own title you will know more about his current
status. This is a good introductory issue in that it addresses a reunion of
sorts that Peter has with his father, the King of the Spartax planetary system.
The King has sought out Peter in a bar on a remote planet of the galaxy to warn
him to stay away from Earth. This is the set up for the series. A council of
galactic empires declares Earth off limits to all extraterrestrial interaction.
He wants Peter to join him. Peter is the first-born of Spartax and Star-Lord is
his birthright. Peter views the situation differently. He believes the council
has put a target on Earth and he and the Guardians will do all they can to
defend it. It is not a happy reunion. Meanwhile, on his own, Tony Stark has
taken his leave of Earth, and ten Avenger teams, to seek another destiny among
the stars. When he is suddenly targeted by a starship of the Badoon, the sworn
enemies of Spartax, he goes into defensive mode and to his surprise another ship
appears to lend a hand. This is the grand entrance of the Guardians. It will be
their first battle to defend Earth. Without realizing it they have stumbled on
the secret mission of the Badoon. There is plenty of action and not everyone
will come out of it unscathed. It is not a bad first issue as it gets right to
the heart of their mission while setting up the main plot point involving Peter
and his father. The art is exceptional with the various settings involved. If
you are at all interested in the upcoming movie it is worth your time to get
more familiar with the characters that will be involved.
Title: FANTASTIC FOURIssue Number: 5 AU
Title Story: The Death of the Family Richards During the Bloody Age of Ultron!
Or "Everything's Going To Be Okay."
Publisher: Marvel
Creator: Lee & Kirby
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Andre Araujo
Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Mark Bagley, Scott Hanna & Rain Beredo
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
It is apparent already that the comic titles involved with the Age of Ultron
event are crossing over but the events are not interrupting the regular
continuity or numbering of those titles. This issue of FANTASTIC FOUR is
numbered 5 AU but there is also a regular issue #5. The same thing occurred with
SUPERIOR SPIDERMAN - the regular numbering maintains the current plot lines
while the AU issue shows how the main characters became or are involved in the
event. We know right from the first AGE OF ULTRON issue that Sue Storm is among
the survivors on Earth looking for a way to defeat Ultron. But how did she get
there and what about the other members of the group? This AU issue begins to
answer those questions. But if regular readers of the title think they should
just skip this book because they are not interested in the Age of Ultron event
they will miss a key plot point revealed that goes back to the origin of the
Fantastic Four and it involves Doctor Doom. We know that Reed Richards has
discovered his breaking down on a molecular level and fears the same is
happening to his teammates. Under the guise of an educational adventure for
Franklin and Valeria he has convinced the family to head of across space and
time while he secretly searches for a possible cure. They left the Future
Foundation and their duties on Earth to another team as chronicled in the
companion title FF. They are now hundreds of thousands of light years from Earth
hundreds of years earlier. This basic plot of this issue is that Reed has
received a transmission via a chronostellar radio; leave it to Reed to make sure
Black Panther could contact him in a dire emergency. T'Challa has indeed sent
the word that it could be the end of the world and they are needed back on
Earth. So while the kids sleep the adults have taken a jump ship and are
crossing time and space to come to the aid of Earth. Rather than tell the kids
in person they have left behind holographic messages. Part of this book deals
with what they find when they reach Earth in Ultron time and the rest deals with
those messages. Now the Richard children are very smart so even if the messages
are hopeful that all will be fine, as indicated by the story subtitle, they know
there is trouble ahead. The most interesting parts of this book are the messages
left by Ben and Reed. Ben has a shocking admission that he has never told anyone
about Doctor Doom. This is what I alluded to earlier and it is a doozy. Reed on
the other hand is more philosophical in his message and it is very fitting for a
man of science. The other plot indeed shows us how the team fares back on Earth
and why indeed it appears only Sue made it to safety. I think this is a good way
to participate in the event and I am not sure how it will affect the next
regular issue of the FANTSTIC FOUR, if at all. But it is worth followers of
either title to pick this one up. And I can say the same for SUPERIOR SPIDER-
MAN #6 AU. Both are worth your time.
Title: THE GREEN HORNETIssue Number: 1
Title Story: The Sting
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Daniel Indro
Colors: Marcio Menyz
Letters: Troy Peteri
Cover Artist: Paolo Rivera - alt: Alex Ross
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Crime Drama
Dynamite has started another Green Hornet series this time in the capable hands
of Mark Waid. The classic hero is of course Britt Reid, the great nephew of the
Lone Ranger. He wages war against his enemies on two fronts. One is through his
newspaper The Daily Sentinel exposing criminals and political corruption. The
other is as the man of mystery, the Green Hornet with his valet Kato as his
sidekick. Waid gets the essence of the character just right. Unlike many masked
avengers the Hornet poses as a criminal himself. His reputation among the
underworld allows him to access to other crime bosses who respect it. In this
debut issue he learns from a local mobster that the best way to move goods
through the docks is through the corrupt dock commissioner Melvin Penwick. He is
essential running a sting on the underworld as Chicago's super criminal. By
posing as one of them, running bluffs and taking credit for certain crimes they
trust and fear him. Meanwhile he gains information to bring down the worst
either directly but carefully so no one knows it was him, or indirectly by
getting enough information to set them up for the cops or expose them in his
paper. He also has a private eye, who thinks he is just working for Britt Reid
to get the goods on some of the bad guys - in this case a photo of Penwick
taking a bribe from a known mobster. But this arouses the ire of the governor
who makes a personal visit to demand Reid stop harassing and smearing public
servants. It looks like Britt has a new fight on his hands. It is fun to see
the clever ways Waid has Britt overcomes obstacles in his way. But looking to
the future he has planted plot threads that will pose even larger problems for
our hero. Everything about this comic is well done. The art is detailed and
dynamic. The flashback scenes are done in two tones with the visuals and
narrative matching perfectly. Waid sticks to the main points without
sidetracking to personal relationship issues that would distract from the crime
drama. I recommend this one for fans of the genre.
Title: EAST OF WESTIssue Number: 1
Title Story: Out of the Wasteland
Publisher: Image
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Colors: Frank Martin
Letters: Rus Wooton
Price (USD): $3.50
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Apocalyptic Future
You look at the cover of this comic and figure it is a western. In a sense it is
but the setting is in the year 2064. And this is a slightly altered America as
well. Early in the twentieth century a comet hit the center of the United
States, which had already been fractured by Civil War and Native American
uprisings. The cosmic event was viewed by all as divine intervention and an
armistice was signed in 1908 ending hostilities and forming what would become
the Seven Nations of America. Around that time a self-styled prophet in Atlanta
penned the Second book of Revelation, the Indian Chief of Chiefs shared a waking
dream with the elders. The two stories were interlocking apocrypha but the final
part of the Message was not finished until a half a century later when Chairman
Mao penned an addendum to his little red book and the three became one. It was
the story of the end of the world. This is indeed a story of a different version
of the apocalypse. The civilization for some reason is still very much like the
Wild West with future technology mashed in. Out in the wasteland in the middle
of a monument of stone obelisks three children rise out of the ground. They
appear to be about six years old but as we learn from their talk and their
actions they are three of the four horsemen of the apocalypse - War, Famine and
Pestilence. The man on the cover is Death. Most of the book is about him. He has
a stark appearance, an albino dressed entirely in white western garb. He travels
with an Indian, similarly dressed in mostly white with white skin as well, and a
female who in stark contrast is coal black all over with white hair and bits of
clothing and jewelry. He is looking for something and it is clear he will get
what he wants. The other three horsemen have a plan of their own. I like the
elements of this whole composition separately. The history of the world as it
came to be, the mystery of the three, why they came to life at this point, and
the so-called Death who acts more like the villain in a spaghetti western than a
biblical icon are all compelling narratives. Hickman still has a way to go to
bring it all together and it will be a strange ride. The art team is up for the
task. This is a sometimes-violent story and they manage to emphasize the horror
of it all in a very subtle way. It will be worth reading several issues to see
the bigger picture.
Title: Dia de los MuertosIssue Number: Dos (2)
Publisher: Image
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Letters: Kelly Tindall
Price (USD): $4.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
MATURE READERS - Comics on the Edge
This anthology is a series of stories based around the Mexican "Day of the
Dead." Various writers team up with artist Rossmo to give their take on the
supernatural aspect of that day.
"Mine" by Joshua Williamson and colored by Megan Wilson
This is a tale narrated by a man who is looking for a girl who went missing in a
small town in Mexico on the Day of the Dead. He had noticed her from afar and
fell in love with her laugh. But he never saw her again after that day. After a
year of the Mexican's not caring and the FBI failing to find anything he started
digging on his own. He found two connections with other girls that had also
disappeared in this town, one every year on the same date. They all were blondes
and they all had their faces painted in the traditional fashion just before the
event. He eventually will find the artist and the motivation behind it all but
there is a good twist ending that is not expected. It is scripted in the right
fashion to slowly give the details and make a few revelations along the way
until we hit the climax, a satisfying resolution and then suddenly the twist is
revealed. Well done!
"The Skinny One" by Ed Brisson and colored by Megan Wilson
We don't realize it at first but the young boy with his face smashed in on one
side is actually a ghost. As he makes his way to the local police station we get
flashbacks of how he came to his condition. Like many other young refugees he
rode the freight trains but was caught by this cop and then kicked and beaten.
The cop also does not realize the boy is a ghost but others he was cruel to also
walk in. They all have the same tale to tell but there is one soul that enters
last with another tale. That story is the payback for all the cruelty and why
they all appeared to him on this particular day. This one is sometimes hard to
follow as it jumps back and forth with no clear art distinction between the
present and the flashback. Further the flashbacks are not chronologically in
order. In the end it is a satisfying tale as the cop gets what he deserves, not
what you might expect though.
"Hellqueen" by Jeff Mariotte and colored by Jean-Paul Csuka
This story takes place in a border town. Gilberto is taking his younger brother
Gabriel with him as he conducts business on behalf of the El Jefe Cartel he
works for. They stop on a bridge with a pile of severed heads of the cartel's
enemies and proceed to impale them on the spiked fence. This is Gabriel's chance
to prove his worth to the cartel. His older brother promises Gabriel plenty of
action, money and women if he follows his brother's lead. Once they are done
they pay a visit to the grave of their grandmother. They even agree that their
grandmother would be proud of her grandsons for gaining respect and wealth in
their life. But this is the Day of the Dead and soon they will learn what she
really thinks. This story is also a good one, though you can see where it is
going before too long. The art style is appealing for the subject matter and
for a change the ending is not tragic.
The entire issue is decent reading. I am not sure it is really worth five bucks
but it is an anthology on a theme and holds to that theme very well.
Title: TIME WARPIssue Number: 1-SHOT
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Price (USD): $7.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction
MATURE READERS - Comics on the Edge
This anthology contains nine stories mostly based on the concept of time travel,
but not entirely. It also is the first time Damon Lindelof and Gail Simone have
been published in a Vertigo title. Here is a sample of what you will find.
"R.I.P." by Damon Lindelof and Jeff Lemire
The title of this one has a double meaning. It stands for the famous time
traveler Rip Hunter and it also stands for "Rest in Peace". In the latter case
the story indeed chronicles how and where Rip will eventually die. It involves
the old time paradox of meeting yourself. It begins with Rip getting stranded in
the age of dinosaurs when his machine is crushed. In a series of events he keeps
meeting himself showing up and helping him get past dangers then the counterpart
gets away in a time machine. It is essentially Rip coming back to the same time
several times in his life to help himself survive to make those trips. The
ending reveals how it all ends. It is a clever story that is illustrated
wonderfully.
"It's Full of Demons" by Tom King and Tom Fowler
This story starts in 1901 as a little girl, Paula, is playing cowboys and
Indians with her brother Addie. Literally out of thin air a man in space suit
appears and shoots Addie through the head, killing him. When the father later is
trying to find out what happened the terrified Paula could only say it was a
demon. This one event follows her all through her life leading her being
committed to an institution for the mentally disturbed. After she is released
she finds she cannot follow the vocation she most desires due to her history and
while she is now functional on her own her life will always be haunted by that
memory of a demon. The final two pages reveal that the man in the space suit
was a time traveler, how his act changed the world and who Paula and Addie
really are. It is a clever use of the time travel idea and executed so we do not
realize what it is all about until the very end.
"I Have What You Need" by Gail Simone and Gael Bertrand
There is a candy store with the name and philosophy stated in the title. But the
candy is more than it seems. The latest customers, a young boy with his father
and a man who misses his dead wife, find that just one piece of candy can give
them experiences that will make them smile. As if thrown back in time they both
experience a joyful time with the thing they love most. But there is a greedy
man who witnesses the events and wants the candy for his own selfish purpose. He
always gets what he wants. Through a clever twist he does not get what he wants,
but he gets what he needs.
"The Grudge" by Simon Spurrier and Michael Dowling
This is a story of two brilliant scientists whose motivation for advancing their
research started with a rivalry for the same girl. One finds a way to broadcast
a message in the air of the other's classroom disparaging his rival it begins a
series of tit for tat that escalates with each iteration. As each one tries to
out do the other with more spectacular ways to dis they advance science and
become famous. In the end neither gets the girl but that does not stop things.
I found this to be the least interesting of the book.
"Dead Boy Detectives" (part 2) by Toby Litt, Mark Buckingham & Victor Santos
This is the continuation of a story that ran in a previous Vertigo anthology and
will be continued in later in the WITCHING HOUR ANTHOLOGY. Previously Charles
and Edwin where searching for a lost cat when they were abducted by the ghost of
a psychopathic schoolteacher. They are forced into a classroom with many others
in a similar fate. When one classmate tries to escape the teacher sends vicious
dogs after him and the boys follow. I could go on but the point is this story
really does not fit into the theme of this anthology. It has nothing to do with
time travel or science fiction. It is as if the editors committed to running the
story and are throwing pieces of it into each title they can whether or not it
makes sense. Feh.
"She's Not There" by Pete Milligan & M.K. Perker
James Loftis goes to the company called Your Ghost Inc. Their technology takes
all the traces, all the electronic activity of a now dead person and for a fee
creates a ghost facsimile of that person. The client is able to have their lost
dear one "haunt" their house. That is to say they can once again interact with
them, talk with them and enjoy their company. It is an interesting concept. But
like better stories of this type you can count on something going wrong. It
starts out strong and delivers in the end, though not entirely.
"00:00:03" by Ray Fawkes and Andy MacDonald
This is a story that takes place far in the future in 3828 as force of the
United Global Space Defense Forces come across a derelict ship that was clearly
attacked. It turns out to be a lure into a trap as they are attacked. This is
the story of one of the pilots realizing they have been hit by a force blast
that will be fatal. But the technology she has allows her to dilate time. She
will experience twenty minutes of perceived time for each second thus stretching
out what she can do in the real time three minutes she has left. There are
defensive protocols, data collection and transmission and other things to
accomplish aimed at helping future pilots fare better. But this pilot also
decides there is one personal thing to do and that is the gist of the story.
"Warning Danger" by Matt Kind
This science fiction story is also set in the far future where war has become
civilized. But war is war and weapons always developed in a never-ending spiral
with one concept in mind - build a defense against the enemy's latest weapon and
develop a new weapon to penetrate his latest defense. The scene is set on a
world that two civilizations want for their own. The war will decide who gets it
but each side will only send one soldier to fight it out. As we watch each
warrior utilize his or her latest and greatest we wonder which will come out
ahead. There is a unique resolution to the story. It is a better story of the
anthology.
"The Principle" by Dan Abnett and Inj Culbard
This is one of my favorites of the book. It involves time cops essentially. As a
new member of the "protection detail" arrives his new partner explains how
things operate. In their case they are preventing the alteration of history by
protecting their assigned historical figure or "principle." Certain people seem
to be likely and frequent targets for illegal time travelers. They want to alter
the course of history by killing the right person or in some cases prevent a
death. Our time cops have the means to detect such illegal time travel. They go
back to the time shortly before the altered event and then prevent it from
happening. The dialog between the two explains that having to go back to the
same event over and over has a slight effect on history - just not a
catastrophic butterfly effect. There is also the moral question they struggle
with. They agree history should not be changed but is it right to allow clearly
evil people to live to carry out their crimes because that is what happened
originally? Once all those concepts are explored we get to find out just whom
their "principle" is.
Overall I give a recommendation on this title. The good stuff far out weighs the
mediocre in it.
*****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!! WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!
If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only. Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.
Last week's trivia question:
When Jack Kirby switched to DC in the 70's he introduced many new characters to
the DC Universe. Which major supporting character was introduced in Jack's
debut issue at DC in 1970?
In his first issue for DC, SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN, Kirby introduced the
supporting character Morgan Edge. Darkseid, a lead villain character, appeared
in the following issue. The winner by the dice is Gregory Goding.
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
Another Superman/Batman team-up book is coming out soon. Let's go back to the
original Batman team-up book for this week's question. Who was the first hero to
team up with BATMAN in BRAVE and the BOLD?
Here is a no prize question:
What is the only college to host a major sporting event at a national Hall of
Fame location?
Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.
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