Here's a book I've been waiting for Skybreaker from creator Michael Moreci and artist Drew Zucker and published by Monkey Brain Inc. I've been looking forward to this since it was teased and for .99 cents I'll definitely be picking it up this week. Now check out the preview.
Source: Major Spoilers
Two books this week from Boom Studios. Not much to say about them other than I'm looking forward to the next chapter of Deathmatch. If you're looking for some wholesome nostalgia then Peanuts is definitely for you. Now... READ!
It's a smaller week from Blue Water, but I have to say that it's a diverse set of books this week. Again, Atlas looks interesting, but that new title Starlex... looks interesting right? Well check it out and be sure to read the full details after the jump. Now... READ!
Insane Jane: Avenging Star #4
Writer: Zach Hunchar
Artist: GMB Chomichuk
This is it. All of your questions will be answered. The villain is revealed. Lives hang in the balance. The most nerve-wracking ending to the most talked about mini-series of the year. The end is here. Or, perhaps, what's really arrived is the end of the beginning.
Atlas #3
Writer: Dan Rafter
Artist: Erik Thompson
At the funeral for a fallen, fellow superhero, Atlas and Wonderboy must join forces with the other crime fighters in attendance to battle a flying threat. Atlas meets a mysterious snake girl that claims she wants to help him. But can she be trusted?
Starlex #1
Writer: Dan Barnes
Artist: Dody Eka
Digital & print
Alexis Starling was a Photography student at Los Angeles University. While taking photographs of a meteorite shower, She noticed a shooting star seemingly heading toward her. She snapped away as the star came closer, the star fell faster and faster, she gazed up at it frozen, she could not move. Faster and faster the star fell, closer and closer until... silence. For that split second there was nothing. Time stood still. As the star fused with her body they became one. She fell to the ground; her body sparkling likes the night sky above. She absorbed the power of the star and became Starlet! Famed model Jenny Pousin graces the cover of this new adventure!
Vincent Price Presents #34
Writer: Jon Judy
Artist: Luis Chichon
Digital & in print for the 1st time!
A satanic cult has offered to ensure that Bruno’s sons enjoy a lifetime of comfort and ease. But they want Bruno to kidnap the baby of a famed aviator. Will Bruno deliver an innocent baby to a murderous cult? His sons would gain the world, but what would Bruno lose?
Back to Mysterious Island collected edition
Writer: Max Landis
Artist: Kevin Gentilcore
From Arcana Comics
The Jules Verne classic is back in this brand new sequel written by screenwriter Max Landis. Mysterious Island has risen again; this time in present day, and the infamous Captain Nemo is back to command a new set of monsters. This graphic novel has a ton of new features that have never been seen before.
Valiant is proud to present an advance preview of Archer & Armstrong #0 from the New York Times best-selling creative team of Fred Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man) andClayton Henry (Harbinger Wars)! On May 8th, join Valiant's immortal wayfarer, Armstrong, for a trek into the distant past in a special standalone tale of dinosaurs, robots, mad kings, and mortal combat that also sets the stage for "Far Faraway" – the next great arc of A&A beginning this June in Archer & Armstrong #10!
Okay, I'll be the first to admit I am not now, nor have I ever been much of a Jeph Loeb fan. So not to get all hipster but I was mehing the guy's stuff before it was cool. Seems like no one else caught on to this crafty bastard's schemes of underwhelming comics until the triple wammy of abortions on paper called "Ultimatum", "Ultimates 3" and "Red Hulk" saw the light of day and well now it's too late the guy is balls deep in the system and us along with the comics we love, aren't safe until this guy just decides to hang it the fuck up (and hopefully take Jason Aaron with him). Even with this in mind I heard about the new Nova book that DOES NOT star the guy we all knew and loved as Nova aka Richard Ryder but rather a new kid altogether which I instantly rolled my eyes at knowing who was behind the pen and STILL I kept an open mind and gave this is a whirl. Fuck. This. Book.
After my initial "bet that shit sucks" stance, I saw the new version of Nova appear on the Ultimate Spidey cartoon… (I have kids okay I can watch whatever I want. DON'T JUDGE ME) and I didn't hate this take on the character. Even though they just as easily could have de-aged Ryder like they did Powerman and Ironfist instead of coming up w/ a new guy I still wasn't hating on the fact Ryder wasn't the Nova I was seeing on the screen. Between that minor relief and the fact I am vehemently opposed 99% of the time to being one of those nerds who just bash on shit because bitching about comics on the internet is "fun" especially when it comes to bitching about comics before they even come out, I was like okay let me see what's going on here at least before I yay or nay it. Read the first issue it was pretty unimpressive but not out and out bad per say and it ends with Gamora and Rocket Raccoon showing up which is a damn good way to get people to read issue two.
This issue opens up with Sam Alexander the son of a lesser known Nova from Earth much like Richard Ryder in the hospital after some blah blah blah in the first issue (it's not important really and I already spoiled the best part of #1 so fuck it) where Gamora and Rocket present Sam with his father's Nova helmet in a recruiting attempt that of course does not go smoothly. Now here's what it goes south.....
For starters, I get that from writer to writer the focus of certain aspects of character personality shifts. How Loeb can fuck up two characters in a page is something I don't get. One thing has always been a part of these two characters is that despite who writes them they are usually among the intelligent people in the room so when they travel across the universe to collect this kid I find it really hard to believe even a gruff anthropomorphic raccoon like Rocket would try to shoot this kid in the face for calling him a talking raccoon. Not only that but saying he did right Gamora the self-proclaimed "Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy" and more even keeled of the pair just stands there and does nothing. Now I don't expect Gamora to actually give two fucks about this kid past whatever they need to recruit him for but she's still Gamora and Gamora is not a fucking idiot who would just stand there and watch as the reason why she crossed the cosmos gets a cap popped in it for something this frivolous. Also I'd like to think that both of these characters would be smart enough to not loom over a sleeping child they don't plan on hurting with a laser cannon and a big ass sword in hand. Another thing is, this is the Marvel fucking universe here right? The main universe not like some Vertigo kinda-sorta the same but not really off shoot and the kid clearly recognizes his dad's Nova helmet before freaking out a green amazon and a talking raccoon are standing there talking to him. SO WHY WOULD HE STILL FREAK OUT mutants, aliens, superheroes all that shit is like widespread public knowledge and THE KID KNOWS WHO AND WHAT THE NOVA CORPS IS.
Which leads me to my biggest pet peeve is the fact this kid semi-acknowledges that his absentee dad had to be off somewhere and that his dad claimed to be a Nova with ya know the helmet as proof, not to mention the fact Nova is a pretty well-known superhero throughout the Marvel Universe on Earth and for damn sure in outer space. But yet one of the big themes in the first issue and carried over here was that Sam still doesn't believe his dad is a Nova.....ummmm....what? Like seriously his mind changes for convinced from panel to panel for example when they show Sam his dad's helmet he's like "Holy shit that's my Dad's space helmet!" So you would think his next thought would be "Holy shit you're those aliens he talks about all the time Gamora and Rocket Raccoon!" Instead he's like "NOOOOOOO THIS CAN'T BE REAL!!!!" Then charges off to tell a nurse a gat wielding raccoon and a sword carrying green broad are in his hospital room.
A page later he's like "someone from school musta made this helmet as a joke on me and my Dad", look motherfucker how would some school kid know how to build an exact replica of your pop's secrety space helmet? Then later while he's trying to figure out how to use the Nova helmet to get answers he goes from being like wow dude all that shit Dad said was true to flat out getting pissed off the helmet doesn't talk to him to back to not believing his father was a Nova and being more pissed off that a FUCKING HELMET didn't come with INSTRUCTIONS. Mind you by this point he's already of his own free will put on the helmet and transformed into Nova once before. Add on to that that entire sequence I just described happens in three consecutive small panels spanning the length of an ENTIRE DAY until after staring at the helmet for way, way, way, way, way, way too long he decides to just put the damn thing on again and HOLY SHIT IT WORKS!!!! So cue the "hilarious" montage shots of dude learning how to fly and blah blah blah which ends with him rocketing through space… apparently he was also temporarily blinded by the awesome of space flight and is also a fucking retard for not noticing at the rate of speed he's going w/ no set course, uh space flight might be a bit dangerous. So the kid ends up crashing into the fucking Moon, like it just snuck up on him...like that's even possible to not notice the GODDAMN MOON DIRECTLY AHEAD OF YOU WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR EYES OPEN AND YOU'RE IN GODDAMN SPACE. He crashes and burns only to tumble and land at the feet of whom else, Uatu the Watcher who's apparently Asian now.
Now as far as the art goes McGuinness legitimately surprised me here, he's always a stellar artist but his still doesn't always fit his books even if it still looks all cool and shit ya know? Hell he's not my favorite artist by any means but his adjusted style fits this book like a glove, in fact if the issues were just pages of him drawing w/ no words then I'd still read this. Because he really does do that great of a job drawing a toony but not too toony "Kid Nova". That's the only saving grace about this malarkey. And like I said I went into this as open minded as possible and if you've never read anything about Nova or have a deep knowledge of Marvel then maybe, MAYBE I could see reading this and being like why's everyone hating on Loeb? But even then you'd pretty much have to be a noob to this whole genre and like sci-fi movies and shit in general because this origin story is cliché as shit and loaded with horribly, stale, self-conflicting dialogue.
Not only that but there are moments that are just thrown in there and don't make sense or amount to much like Gamora and Rocket showing up, okay looked like it was gonna get awesome, nope... they came all that way to recruit the kid then pretty much just drop the helmet and dip when the kid calls for help at a fucking hospital. Because Gamora isn't the type of cold hearted bitch who wouldn't just I don’t know knock the kid out and drag him along or anything right? Nah she'd just be like “well he ran away guess we should pack it up and head home yeah?" Or the one panel when Sam flies off after transforming at home, his mom watches him fly away all disapproving and shit. Where was this disapproval when he was sitting on a bed alone talking to the helmet for literally hours?
Bottom line the only way I could possibly recommend this book is for anyone who wants to find a comic appropriate for young kids and I mean like kids who just learned or are learning how to read. If you're a serious reader of comics then just step away from this one. This isn't necessarily the worst book Loeb has ever done, I mean he ruined an entire franchise with Ultimates 3 but then topped that by ruining an entire line of comics with Ultimatum, but still I cannot and will not recommend this book to anyone who enjoys quality comics. If ya get a copy for free or something I'd say leave this puppy on the back of your toilet so next time you drop a deuce BAM you don't even need teepee for your bunghole cuz ya got twenty odd jumbo sheets in waiting for ya already.
Score: 1/5
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Ed McGuinness
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 3/20/13
After settling a license agreement last year, DC has given the greenlight to Jeff Parker and artist Jonathan Case to write new stories set in the world 60's Batman starring Adam West. It'll be a digital first book which just means that no one's going to buy it and I will bet big money that it will just be stolen and sent out onto the interwebs. Also it's likely to become my favorite Batman if I ever read it. That's right, I'm not a fan of anything DC is currently doing with Batman (other than killing his test tube baby). There are some pics after the jump and if for some reason you need info on what cheesy storyline they'll be doing or what the "take" on the book is then head over to Comic Alliance where they broke the story. Also look forward to seeing Mike Allred's covers for the series.
Well it looks like Mr. Sundance himself is going to have a cameo in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a top ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Why Redford? I don't fucking know. It's not like he's doing much other than starring in direct to on-demand videos with Shia LeBouf (don't care if I spelled that wrong). We'll see how this goes huh, maybe Marvel will snag some more over the hill talent for future movies.
Source: ICv2
It seems important but I'll let you pick up on it yourself. It kind of explains why The Joker's face is A-1 on the box cover. Frankly I find the story to be typical MK bullshit, but I'm sure some diehard Arkham fans are waiting to check this out. Notice how I didn't say Batman fans.
Hey guys, what's up? News Time: IDW is bringing you KISS Kids. That’s pretty cool if you’re into that kind of thing. In other news, it looks like if you were working at DC on Action comics you had a pretty rough week. Then there some GL stuff doesn't make any sense. We add a touch of Suicide Squad news to the show that is very positive. Here's a thought, is DC’s Bob Harris to blame of all this recent madness? We got some Turtle and Valiant action too! Books that get read this week are Action Labs/ Danger Zone: The Trip, and BKV The Private Eye. CBMFP is GO!
I've watched a few episodes of Parks & Rec and it was just okay. It really seemed like I should have been laughing more due to how many talented people are on the cast, but maybe I was just expecting too much. Pics after the jump.
Spring. The time in which snow might cease to fall but usually doesn't. A time in which terrible movies about Spring Break release and get everyone thinking about heading to the pool or local beach. Instead of giving you several posts of different places offering superhero swimwear I decided one mega post would be appropriate. Women, men, we have you covered. Links and pictures below, but no slide show this time.
Up first... is Fit 2 Be Tied Clothing. They're an Esty store that offers a variety of comic and nerd bikinis and prices range from $45 bucks for the entire suit or $25 for select tops. Here's the rest of their selection. (Side note, the Aquaman one is the best!)
Next up is Spencers and yes that store still exists. All of their pieces are $37.49 which if you've worked retail is a really weird price point. Also, these are the same ones they offered last season... I don't think they're going to update anything in that store anytime soon. (If I hade to pick the best I would say Superman).
Next up is Superherostuff.com with their selection. I didn't go as crazy with the pictures for theres since it wasn't really worth it. But if you click on the link you'll see more.
Last for the women's section is Black Milk's new Star Wars collection. I'm sure you've seen the R2-D2 and C3PO suits a billion times before so don't expect them here. There collection starts in the $100's... I'm not joking. This is some expensive bullshit that you'll never see outside of tumblr. And if you know why they're all wearing tall clunky boots then let me know because I think it's stupid.
Now we're on to the men's section.
That's it... I couldn't find anything else and you can pretty much buy either of those two options anywhere online. There's eBay... I found plenty of them there, but they all sucked and the status of used or not was questionable. What the fuck. You could always be the man with the plan and just wear boxers though...
If you're anything like me and if you've been reading comics long enough, you can remember reading Watchmen and thinking comics were never going to be the same. You can remember collecting "Days of Future Past" and talking about the landscape of the X-Men was forever altered. You can still go back to your Sandman issues and still get the same thrill and wonder out of reading them that you did years ago. You can recall a few landmark stories that elevated comics to new and different heights. I truly believe that this run on Batman will be looked back on in years to come as one of the great Batman story arcs in his long history. The Dark Knight, A Death in the Family, The Killing Joke and Year One are all seminal Batman moments, and I think this will take its place among them and be mentioned as something truly special.
I won't get into any great detail about the story, but suffice to say, there are some new villains in Gotham, or instead I should probably say, they've been there all along and we're just getting to know them now. That's what's great about Scott Snyder's whole concept; it doesn't change in any tangible way anything about what has gone on before in decades of Batman Canon. It simply adds to it. Even without the New 52 reboot, the story would have worked and unfolded in nearly the same exact way. It doesn't really matter much of when it all takes place. It could have happened 2 years ago, it could be happening 2 years from now, but either way it works, and it works well.
Just to give you a quick summary, there's this group called the Court of Owls. They've been in Gotham for a long, long time, and pretty much doing their own thing and running a great deal of the city behind the scenes. Batman and Bruce Wayne are just now hitting their radar, they know Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, and they don't care. What they do care about is the threat he poses, and they decide to shut him down. No negotiations, no ultimatums, just death. So they come after Bruce in his home and from there you know it's on! The entire plot and story has great tie-ins with the other "Bat Family" titles, especially Nightwing, and it's creepy, sinister, and oozes evil from every pore.
Greg Capullo (The Creech / Spawn / Haunt) is just killing it folks. He's managed to take one of the most beloved, most well-known characters anywhere, and give him a fresh coat of paint that doesn't seem slapped on, or a major re-tread of an already existing style. The New 52 Universe was the perfect time to give Bruce and everyone else in the Batman mythos a new look and Bruce is a bit younger after the reboot, but he still commands the page with his presence.
As Batman, he has a strong, almost Frank Miller "Dark Knight" kind of physique and just like many others classic Batman runs, this is where Capullo and the book really shine. The layouts are easy to follow the art clean and beautiful, the storytelling crisp and make for an easy read.
Capullo manages to even make Gotham City itself a character. Moody, atmospheric panels fill the books and there are shots of Gotham's dirty underbelly that look like they've been taken directly from a Fincher movie that perfectly capture the moody darkness Batman lives in. Bruce's world is full of bright, clean and pristine high society locales which serve up stark contrast against Batman's gloomy, gritty life in the shadows.
Inks by Jonathan Glapion sharpen and enhance Capullo's lines and they make a dynamic duo of their own as everything looks distinct and clear even in the darkest of panels. The colors of FCO Plascencia make each page a wonder to take in as he breathes even more life into the characters with his subdued but highly effective color palette. I could easily be talked into hanging each page on my wall they're so good.
It's really very simple. If you love comics, if you love Batman, if you love good stories and great art, then grab your keys and head down to your local comic shop, and pick it up. Trust me; you'll be glad you did! It's a great series that's worth your time!
If you enjoyed last week's Batarang video hen you're going to love He-Man's power sword. I would love one of these bad boys, but I would not be willing to pay the price for it. Check out the video after the jump.
Source: Technabob
Over on Rafa Toro's blog he has created a series of walking character gif's for every main Batman character from the movies. You can see all of them there since there are many, but I've picked out a couple for you to check out after the jump.
You're welcome? I think. Obviously we're not in good standings with MLP, so maybe this cosplay set will make it up to some fans that did not enjoy our reviews of the series. In all fairness, I do still think that the idea of the book is good as it has brought in younger female readers that will hopefully grow up to support the industry. I just think that we could give them better stories and character names to look up to. Pictures after the jump.
Source: Geek x Girls
Whether you like the Joker's new look or not, you have to admit that deviant Artist's K4110's Joker is pretty bad ass looking. I personally don't like the new face and find that it makes the Joker gimmicky, but this is actually cool looking. There's another one after the jump, but that's it. You can check out more of their art on their DA page, but don't expect anymore Jokers.
This was just too nerdy not to post. You may not come here for sports stuff or even care about them and that's fair. Hell, I haven't cared about March Madness since I was a freshman in high school and Mt. Dew was running a promotion. Arizona won, I know that because I had the bottle cap and won the jersey that now sits somewhere at my parents out growing old. Anyways, this video made me smile.
Souce: Netorama
Maybe I've seen too much cosplay or maybe I've been spoiled by too much good cosplay, but I can't enjoy this photo set of Ana Aesthetic as Catwoman from the Dark Knight Rises. Perhaps its the fact that it's cosplay for what I already consider to be a lazy persons character and worsened by the fact that it's the lazy movie costume. I don't know, you decide and let me know in the comments.
I've really enjoyed all of the Lego versions of trailers that's been trending since the Man of Steel trailer. It's fun, it's funny and the quality is surprising. Enjoy this one.
Source: Geek Tyrant
Artist Eric Dufresne's has take some of the more notable scenes of DC's superheroes and created some very cool pieces. It's actually a simple art project, but Dufresne's has some great execution. Check out the rest after the jump.