The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.
Title: ORIGINAL SINIssue Number: 0 (OF 8)
Title Story: Who is the Watcher?
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Jim Cheung with Paco Medina
Inker: Mark Morales, Guillermo Ortego, Dave Meikis, Juan Viasco & Jim Cheung
Colors: Justin Poser
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Price (USD): $4.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
Time for my obligatory "zero issue" rant. The only thing worse than numbering a
comic with a zero (zero is not a counting number math fans) is to label it #0 of
8. Does that mean it is one of eight comics in the series? Evidently not because
at the end of this issue there is a full page ad for ORIGINAL SIN #1 (of 8).
Presumably there will be an issue number 8, that is to say the main story runs
eight issues so it is impossible for the zero issue to be part of eight, it is
part of nine or stands alone. The zero issue should properly be one of nine in a
nine issue series. But I digress... This prequel, if you will, features Uatu the
Watcher and Nova. It is really an origin issue of the Watcher as you might guess
from the story title. It begins with a brief introduction to Nova for those who
are not so familiar with his story. That is a good thing because it sets us up
for his eventual meeting with the Watcher, and ultimately the ending of the
story. We get to see Nova in action against what appears to be an Aztec god
risen from the Earth to attack oil fields in New Mexico. Once Nova realizes the
truth about his foe he handles the situation easily - just as the Avengers
arrive on the scene. Half-joking Nova ponders why the Watcher did not show up to
see this "Cosmic" battle and Iron Man explains the event was not that
noteworthy. He says Uatu keeps tabs on everything everywhere but when Nova asks
why no one has an answer. So Nova blasts off to the moon to visit Uatu in his
home and ask the question. We know the Watcher rarely speaks. But in his lair he
has technologies from the universe and from all time. It is part of that
technology that will explain to Nova the truth about Uatu's past, not only his
own past but that of his people. The question of why he does what he does is one
thing. The question of why he does not interfere with other races and their fate
is another. But there is yet another question Nova needs to ask and surprisingly
Uatu speaks just three words that are all that need to be said. This is an
excellent story on its own. In some ways it is a good adjunct to the main series
that starts with issue #1 in that it explains what the Watcher is doing and what
his abilities are. Someone who watches everything everywhere knows a lot of
secrets and many of them will be revealed in the new series. It is also key to
Nova's story going forward, given the knowledge he has gained from Uatu. You
won't need this issue to follow the main book, but I recommend you get it
anyway.
Title: JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITEDIssue Number: O
Title Arc: Justice League Canada
Publisher: DC
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Mike McKone
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Artist: Mike McKone with Gabe Eltaeb
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
Yes, this is another "zero" issue but that issue has already been addressed. I
keep looking at the cover of this comic and there is something about it that
just does not appeal to me. On the one hand it appropriately highlights the
members of the cast with more emphasis on Animal Man in the foreground, the
Martian Manhunter looming large in the background and Adam Strange more
prominent than the remainder of the group. I guess it is just not very dynamic -
more like a class picture. I have no problem with the art, just the composition.
I have always enjoyed Mike McKone's work and the coloring by Marcelo Maiolo is a
perfect match to his style. This comic clearly takes place after the events of
FOREVER EVIL and the inclusion of Supergirl indicates she will ending her tenure
with the Red Lanterns or at least has at this point in time. The story begins in
Toronto at a celebrity event featuring Animal Man and Stargirl. This is
conveniently situated for the introduction of the NEW 52 version of Adam Strange
to make his debut. He approaches the duo with a fantastic story about alien
artifacts and a mysterious disappearance of his grad student, Alanna Lewis. They
were on an anthropological dig in Northern Ontario to investigate what appear to
be the bones that are not of Earthly origin. While checking them out a beam of
light suddenly hit Alanna and she just vanished. Adam also found a device buried
there and when he shows it to the heroes the three are momentarily transported
to what appears to be an alien planet. So the three go off to investigate the
dig further and this time they are attacked by aliens. At a crucial point J'onn
J'onz and Green Arrow show up to even the sides. Stargirl used her old signal
devise to summon back up and they are the only ones who responded. The remaining
aliens manage to make an escape and we learn from their conversations back at
their base on a moon near Thanagar they have been abducting species from various
planets for some biological experiments that will "change the universe." They
did not have the chance to cover up their presence on Earth before Adam stumbled
on the location. We know from the opening scene that most of the team will
eventually find this planet to attempt a rescue but for the time being Alanna
and the remaining prisoners are about to be disposed of by the chief jailer, a
certain Czarnian bounty hunter. And wait until you see who the prisoner is that
plans to stand up to Lobo. This is a good beginning story. I like the
introduction of Adam Strange and don't mind the tweak in his origin. Alanna is
not from the planet Rann (at least I don't think so) but is his student. There
is a sequence that also introduces a Canadian heroine that will eventually join
the team. Her name is Miyahbin and when she transform she appears to have
magical powers. In all it is an interesting start with solid scripting from fan-
favorite Jeff Lemire. To break the tension there are bits of humor here and
there as well. This one is worth a try as it shows a lot of promise.
Title: SECRET ORIGINSIssue Number: 1
Publisher: DC
Cover Artist: Lee Bermejo
Price (USD): $4.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
This first issue is broken into three separate origin stories. These are of
course NEW 52 versions so there are tweaks here and there.
Story: Superman Secret Origins
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Lee Weeks
Inker: Sandra Hope & Lee Weeks
Colors: Dave McCaig
Letters: John J. Hill
It may well be that the origin of Superman has been told and retold more than
any other comic book character. All the essential elements are included. The
story is narrated by Kal's mother, Lara as she looks back on the events leading
up to the escape from Krypton of her son in the small rocket ship. She also
speculates on what may become of him on Earth in general terms while the visuals
depict the Kents finding him and raising him as their own. That part is narrated
by Martha Kent and she too speculates what will happen after she and Jonathan
have passed. The scripting is very good as toward the end of the story the two
mother's comments are blending together. I never tire of this story and this NEW
52 version stands up well among the others. And the art is splendid as well.
Story: The Long Year
Writer: Kyle Higgins
Artist: Doug Mahnke
Inker: Keith Champagne & Christian Alamy
Colors: John Kalisz
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
This origin story is about Dick Grayson becoming Robin, the Boy Wonder. The
basic plot remains the same as he is eventually orphaned when his parent's
trapeze act is sabotaged by Tony Zucco. Dick is left for time to live in Wayne
Care Center and begins a nightly search for leads to finding the man who killed
his parents. He has been roughing up known associates of Zucco in hopes one will
lead him to the killer. Fortunately for Dick Batman has been following his
exploits closely and at the appropriate time takes Dick to the Batcave for the
reveal of his big secret. There is no resolution of the Zucco plot here as it
concentrates on the events of that first year after the killing, Dick's
training, and his eventual choosing a robin as his trademark. It is a clean and
direct origin story and the art is decent as well. You can't have all the big
guns featured in one issue as each deserve their own lead story. Robin, on the
other hand, is a good choice to include since he is one of the earlier members
of the DC hero lexicon.
Story: Daughter of the House of El
Writer: Tony Bedard
Artist: Paulo Siqueira
Inker/Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Travis Lanham
The final inclusion in this volume, as you might guess from the story title, is
Supergirl. She has been around the NEW 52 for a while but this story goes back
further to her time on Krypton. As part of the class structure on the planet
citizens are prepped and tested at an early age in advance of their lifetime
careers. In the El family it seems the men are scientists and the females are
soldiers and leaders. So it was Kara's decision to follow in her mother's path
and train for service. The story opens with an incident in the wild with Kara
saving two errant classmates from a dangerous beast only to be admonished for
interfering with their training. Fortunately her mother explains the bigger
picture to her instilling in her the fact that sometimes doing the right thing
means living up to the consequences. The story gets into the different approach
her father Zor-El took knowing the impending doom the planet faces. His decision
failed and the only hope for his daughter is to send her off on a rocket, like
her cousin, before the planet explodes. Both of his choices lead to an
unfortunate conflict with Lara, one that comes too late to really resolve. After
a brief run through of Kara travelling to Earth and orbiting the sun for a while
her rocket crashes to Earth. In the final scene she uses her powers to rescue
some doomed astronauts but her method results in a lecture from cousin Kal,
reinforcing her mother's words from long ago. This too is a worthy addition to
the volume and is very well done in every aspect. I look forward to future
issues and more origins of super heroes. You may not have to read this title to
enjoy your favorite comics, but I find it a good complement to the ongoing
issues.
Title: 24Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Underground
Publisher: IDW
Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: Michael Gaydos
Colors: Josh Burcham
Letters: Shawn Lee
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Action
I reflected on this comic after reading it and wondered if there is anyone out
there who has not seen or is familiar with the hit TV show 24. How would they
respond to this story? I concluded that it is still a good story and the
background of what has gone before certainly enhances the experience for those
who know it. But it also can be read on its own merits. There is a brief
introduction for both types of readers that explains the gap between the last
episode of the show and the events that are about to happen. Jack Bauer was a
CIA agent in the counter-terrorist unit. Due to events of the last season of the
show he became an international fugitive, branded as a terrorist himself. He is
the kind of hero who did what he believed was right to stop a certain kind of
evil in the world. He has averted all kinds of global disasters but in doing so
gave up his freedom. His television adventures will begin again on Monday, May 5
on the Fox Network. This comic explores his time in the last four years in the
European underground. The story is set in Odessa, Ukraine. It starts with a
character named Roman who owes money to the Russian Mafia and unfortunately has
passed the deadline to pay. It turns out Jack is working for Roman's brother
Petro using the alias Borys. He has struck up a relation with their sister
Sofiya and the family hopes that soon Borys will marry Sofiya. Soon he will
become entangled in the family affairs in another way. When Mishka can't get his
money from Roman he sends his men to visit Petro and they demand that he help
steal cargo from a ship at the docks where he works. Failure to make good on his
brother's debt will have consequences for Petro's family. Naturally he confides
in Jack and Jack pledges to help him, as long as Sofiya does not find out what
they are up to. For a man of Jack's talents it should be easy enough to get
Petro out of this jam but what Jack does not know is that the gang leader,
Mishka, is someone who he has harmed in the past. Furthermore this incident will
put the CIA on his trail. Like many of the stories in the TV show we have only
scratched the surface of what is to come. This opener introduces the main
characters and the beginning of the conflict which is sure to widen as the story
unfolds. There are some character building incidents and a good amount of action
before the double climax sets us up for the next issue. As I said the story
stands on its own and the new reader can get into it with ease. The art is
decent in that it captures the likeness of Keefer Sutherland fairly well. I like
a little more definition in the line work but the overall effect is good enough.
I recommend this book to fans of the show and to anyone who likes action and
espionage set in a realistic climate.
Title: THE ELTINGVILLE CLUBIssue Number: 1
Title Story: This Fan... This Monster!
Publisher: Dark Horse
Creator: Evan Dorkin
Cover Colors: Sarah Dyer
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Slice of Life Parody
Mature Readers - Comics on the Edge
The splash page of this comic will tell you all you need to know about Eisner-
Winner Evan Dorkin's talent as an artist. He not only provides detailed pencils
with his mastery of black and white comics but also realizes when the detail is
not needed that expressions can provide the focus for the smaller panels. It is
worth it to flip through the pages and see how skillfully he mixes things up to
make an emphasis and advance the plot. The title characters are Bill, Pete, Josh
and Jerry, the founding members of the Eltingville Comic Book, Science Fiction,
Fantasy, Horror and Role-Playing Club. It starts with Bill on his own at Joe's
Fantasy World comic store as it opens for business. This is Bill's lucky day as
Joe has agreed to hire him. In typical fan boy fashion Bill believes he has died
and gone to heaven. That is until he learns some of the rules of employment. The
point of this comic is to highlight every stereotype there is about "evil" comic
shop owners. His attitude towards customers is that most of them are (bleep)ing
crazy and gotta be handled like moronic babies. As for Bill, Joe impresses on
him that he is lucky to working here. If Bill and the other members of the club
didn't spend so much money here every week he would have kicked them out long
ago. So Bill is not allowed behind the counter and not allowed to deal with
customers. His job is to bag and board comics, that is it. As the day goes on we
see Joe being rude to nearly every potential customer in the shop be they
looking for the latest Archie, or Manga, or some independent title. It does not
matter to Joe as he derides their choices or just point to the rear of the store
if he happens to have something they want. One really funny seen is the one time
a girl comes in looking for the latest trade version of SAGA. In an instant all
the guys whip out their smart phones and start snapping pictures. You get the
general idea. The turning point of the story comes when Joe has to run out to
Walmart before the manager finds the secret stash of high-demand toys his friend
put aside and puts them on the shelves. With Bill alone in the store with strict
instructions to stay away from the phone, the register and never go behind the
counter. Well that is all Bill needs to find out all of Joe's dark secrets - the
horded hot books, a massive stash of cosplay porn and the kicker is a store log
book in which Joe slams all the customers with derisive nicknames and such. You
know this is leading somewhere and sure enough the rest of the club shows up and
are shocked that Bill now works here. The others had always wanted a job at
Joe's. This may be the one thing that will drive a wedge between the friends.
And wait until Joe comes back to see what has happened while he is gone. There
is a lot going on in this comic. It runs on a rapid pace and there are chuckles
on every page. Any true fan will have a lot of fun with it. Any decent retailer
will cringe in horror. This is one entertaining comic you really should read.
Title: THE FLASHIssue Number: 30
Title Story: Lost Time
Publisher: DC
Writers: Robert Venditti & Van Jensen
Artist: Brett Booth
Inker: Norm Rapmund
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Dezi Sienty
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
Since the FOREVER EVIL series is running a bit late some of the NEW 52 comics
are now doing stories set in the aftermath of that event. This latest issue of
THE FLASH is one of those books, but it also gives us a peek of things five
years in the future - a lead in to the next big DC event and the FLASH ANNUAL
coming out this week. The story in the present has Flash running around more
than ever trying to repair the damage done to Central City by the Crime
Syndicate. Much of this issue has to do with Barry juggling his duty to help put
things right with his duties in his civilian guise in the police lab. As part of
the healing process the department has ordered everyone to have a psychological
evaluation before returning to full time duty. The powers that be want to be
sure the officers who lost comrades and family or just failed to save others are
fit for service. As he settles in for his session Barry takes every spare moment
when the doctor is looking away to Flash out and back for some small task. It
really drives home the fact that he is so fast he can do this without notice.
The actual session is interesting as he talks about the events of the recent
calamity in such a way that does not give away his other identity but still is
truthful about his experience. Meanwhile there are plenty of action sequences
for fans to revel in the ability of the fastest man alive. It is a nice break
from the villain of the month type stories but it still has a few panels of
heavy drama. There are two scenes set in the future. Five years from now there
is a tragic event involving a character that will be re-introduced into the NEW
52 continuity in the annual. At the end we go even further forward to 2034 where
the Flash, now in a blue uniform, is about to embark in a race against time. All
you need to do is read any of the Channel 52 Breaking News segments in this
week's books to get a hint of what is to come. I enjoyed the story because it
does stand alone. I have not read a Flash comic for a while but I found this a
good read and a better jump-on point for those who are intrigued with the future
storylines coming up here and in the NEW 52 in general.
*****
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:
What successful comedic leading man of the movies in the 30's and 40's did C.C.
Beck use as a model for his CAPTAIN MARVEL?
Fred MacMurray was the model for the big red cheese. The winner by the dice is
Mike Dooley.
Here was your no prize question:
Where was the first street in the US that was illuminated by gas lights?
Pelham Street in Newport, RI was the first street lit by gas lamps.
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
What do "T. O." stand for in evil's professor T. O. Morrow name?
Here is your no prize question:
How many answers are possible with the Magic 8 Ball?
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment