Infinity #1 Review

Infinity #1 
Jonathan Hickman, Jim Cheung 
Marvel Comics 
$4.99 (oversized issue)

I’m a lifelong Marvelite and I almost didn’t buy this.

Why? Well, when it comes to Hickman’s writing I’m very fickle. I loved his run on Fantastic Four and FF, but lost interest in his Avengers titles very early on and I have no desire to read East of West or The Manhattan Projects. I find he’s great at coming up with a very strong premise, but he usually loses me in a delivery that’s bogged down by pseudoscience and convoluted dialogue. Maybe I’m still just having a hard time seeing the Avengers without Bendis’ words behind them.

Even though I’m not reading Avengers or New Avengers, I found the story to be mostly accessible and self-contained. To his credit, the lush, broad, sci-fi scope Hickman employs really does make it feel pretty epic. Cheung’s art is nothing less than stunning in many places. Truly excellent. He even sneaks in a few familiar faces from the Star Wars universe into the background. That always earns you points in my book.

I hope that this issue, with its unfamiliar characters and concepts, serves to set the stage and that the focus will turn to the characters that we know and love as they face Thanos’ latest end-of-the-world scenario. I have my doubts that Hickman will deliver that, but I’m going to be along for the ride to find out either way and I just might enjoy it regardless.

Oh, and that 4.99 price tag? That accounts for it being a pretty thick funnybook, but it’s only longer because it includes the Free Comic Book Day Infinity teaser. So, if you already have it, you’ll be getting it again. It just costs more this time. 

Rating: 3 .5 out of 5 infinity gems

The Walking Dead #113 Review

The Walking Dead #113
Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard

Image Comics (Skybound Imprint)
$2.99

  

No comic book gives me a heavier dose of anxiety than Walking Dead. This month, Kirkman puts three of the main characters in mortal danger and keeps them there in ways that keep your stomach in knots the entire issue. I’ll go on the record and say that Negan is the officially the scariest villain going in the comic world right now. If you read issue 100 you know he’s a cold-hearted killer, but it’s the restraint and intelligence that he’s shown since then that show that he’s much more than that. The WD creative team may not always hit the mark, but when they get it right - boy do they ever.

If you’re a lapsed reader or a fan of the show and want to catch up, go back and start with the “A Larger World” arc, beginning in issue 95 (available in trade as well). With a little bit of Wikipedia research, it’s a great place to jump on.

Rating: 5 out of 5 reanimated corpses

A Handy, Anti-Troll Guide to Marvel NOW!

It’s no big revelation that the online comic book community is overpopulated with trolls. The combination of online anonymity and staunch viewpoints can turn ordinarily timid, shrinking violet fanboys into raging, foaming-at-the-mouth lunatics at the very mention of a change of the status quo in their favorite funnybook. I use the word "favorite" lightly, because you'd be hard-pressed to get one of these jokers to name something they actually enjoy.

And to a certain extent, that’s OK. We all have opinions. Some of us are just better at voicing them without opining about our childhoods being “raped” while our Dorito taco shell crumbles into the keyboard and Mom yells downstairs about that Code Red Mountain Dew stain on the couch.

The biggest problem with trolls is that they are very often just plain wrong. Despite the wealth of knowledge available on the net, some people reach conclusions based on whatever first impression their Hot Pocket-fueled brain manages to muster.

Such is the case with Marvel NOW!. There’s been a great deal of speculation about what it’s really all about. There’s a common assumption that this is basically Marvel’s version of DC’s New 52 reboot – a reset button for the entire Marvel Universe. The scope of the event is also somewhat unclear to some. Which books with this affect? How long it will last? Will Emma Frost still have a big rack?

So, to combat the misinformation, I’ve compiled this handy, dandy Marvel NOW! overview. Next time you encounter an anti-Marvel troll, feel free to throw this link at them, tell them to defog their coke-bottle glasses and read a few facts for once.

Or, you know, just tell them that every character in the Marvel Universe is getting adamantium claws and watch their heads explode.

So, what is Marvel NOW?

In essence, it’s a new jumping-on point for current and potential readers wherein Marvel’s creative teams have been shaken up and the characters enter the next great chapter of the Marvel Universe.

Axel Alonso, Marvel’s editor-in-chief, offers this concise, informative response on Marvel.com: “Marvel NOW! is the next chapter in the ongoing saga of the Marvel Universe. From October through February, we’ll provide at least one great reason for readers—old, lapsed or new—to go into a comic store each week: a new issue #1, featuring an exciting new creative team and driving concept, that’s an easy entry-point into the Marvel Universe. Each and every one of these launches is built to last”

Like I need another reason to go the comic shop every week.

DC's New 52 was a very mixed bag of cats for me, but I really enjoyed its launch. There were many, many books that piqued my interest and I loved being able to finally “jump on” DC books with great characters, writers and artists at a new #1. The problem was, when I picked up those new numero unos, I discovered that they didn’t play by the same rules. Batman kept most of his continuity, Green Lantern kept it all, Superman kept none. Action Comics focused on a different time period that Superman. Now there’s Earth 2. This was meant to simplify the DCU? It wasn’t a complete and clear reboot and I’m sure it lost new comic readers quickly. I mean, it lost me and I love comics more than any other media. Marvel NOW! will accomplish all of the fun of the New 52 launch without the confusion of mixed continuity. To top it off, we’ll get all the fun of the launch for over four months!

Time will tell if “each and everyone” is built to last. I have little doubt that Avengers and X-Men will thrive due to their fan-base and new creative teams (Rick Remender and John Cassaday on Uncanny Avengers, Brian Bendis and Stuart Immonen on All-New X-Men and Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena on Avengers). However, there are smaller books focusing on more obscure characters with less established writers and artists that will struggle to find an audience that can sustain them. I’m looking at you Journey Into Mystery (starring Lady Sif by Kathryn Immonen and Valerio Schiti) and X-Men Legacy (starring Professor X’s jerk son Legion by Simon Spurrier & Tan Eng Huat).

So, this is a total reboot of the Marvel Universe, right?

Nope. No. Not at all. But you might think so if you get all your info from your tweeps. If you trust what Marvel says, then it’s clear:

“Marvel NOW! is the next step in Marvel story evolution and character evolution. It’s not a reboot.”  - Joe Quesada, Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer. Marvel.com

“… because we are not wiping the slate clean—we’re just trying to tell these stories from a clean point of view and allowing a good jumping-off point for new readers.” – Joe Quesada, Marvel.com

"Everything's going to be one nice melting pot of Marvel Universe goodness," says (Tom) Brevoort (Marvel’s executive editor), who insists that Marvel NOW! is not a reboot. "This is the same Marvel Universe you were reading about the month before and the same characters. They haven't gone back to square one — all of that history isn't out the window." – USAToday

"With Marvel NOW! everything that happened yesterday and the year before STILL happened.” – Dan Slott, Amazing Spider-Man writer via Twitter.

 “It is not a reboot.”  - Axel Alonso, Marvel.com

If you don’t trust what Marvel says, it’s still clear. Just check out the October and November solicitations for the first round of Marvel NOW! Nary an origin story in sight. It’s all new stories for well-established characters, with a lot of new elements mixed in. In short, IT’S NOT A REBOOT, DUDE!

Will this affect the entire line of Marvel Comics?

Yes. Well, OK, just the Marvel Universe proper (i.e. 616). Starting in October and running until February of next year, another Marvel book will be assimilated into Marvel NOW! every week. Many of the titles focusing on Marvel’s bigger characters (i.e. Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, X-Men) have been announced for October and November releases.

Interestingly, Daredevil and Spider-Man are noticeably absent from that list. With the popularity and critical acclaim of Mark Waid and Dan Slott’s runs, it will be interesting to see if they keep them on those titles once they become part of the event. I would not be surprised if Daredevil and Amazing are some of the few titles that won’t get the “creative team shake-up” part of Marvel NOW!, but you never know. The precedence that has been set thus far is new creators on every new title, so maybe Mr. Slott and Mr. Waid will be moving on.

What’s important is that this event does not start off strong and go out with a fizzle. Marvel’s “architects” have already staked their claims on one, if not more, big Marvel titles. Will there be enough talent to go around? This remains to be seen.

Here’s a list of Marvel NOW! titles that have been confirmed as of August 21: 

October

MARVEL NOW! POINT ONE (64-page one-shot)

Various Writers and Artists

UNCANNY AVENGERS
RICK REMENDER & JOHN CASSADAY

November

INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK
MARK WAID & LEINIL FRANCIS YU

ALL-NEW X-MEN
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS & STUART IMMONEN

IRON MAN
KIERON GILLEN &  GREG LAND

THOR: GOD OF THUNDER
JASON AARON & ESAD RIBIC

CAPTAIN AMERICA
RICK REMENDER & JOHN ROMITA JR.

A+X  (A book that I’d imagine will rotate artists and writers in and out every month)
Various Writers and Artists

X-MEN:LEGACY
SIMON SPURRIER & TAN ENG HUA

FANTASTIC FOUR
MATT FRACTION & MARK BAGLEY

FF
MATT FRACTION & MIKE ALLRED

DEADPOOL
GERRY DUGGAN & BRIAN POSEHN &  TONY MOORE

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (The only book mysteriously retaining its current numbering …)
KATHRYN IMMONEN & VALERIO SCHITI


Beyond

AVENGERS

JONATHAN HICKMAN & JERONE OPENA

NEW AVENGERS

JONATHAN HICKMAN & STEVE EPTING

I’m salivating for the release of Uncanny Avengers, Hulk, X-Men, Thor and Captain America. Fantastic Four will most likely be necessary since I’m a sucker for a new take on Marvel’s first family and with the brilliant comedian Brian Posehn on Deadpool, I may finally become a fan of the merc with a mouth. I’ll admit that I have very little interest in the others, but the good looks to far outweigh the bad.

No doubt Marvel has more up its sleeve, but this first round of books is pretty damn impressive.

The Wrap
So there you have it, a brief summary of all things Marvel NOW! with a little color commentary thrown in for good measure. I hope this goes a little way to give you a better understanding of just what Marvel is up to with this relaunch (not a reboot).

Remember, this article makes the perfect gift for the online, anti-Marvel, mouthbreathers in your life. Maybe we can make Marvel NOW! into a kind of 12-step troll recovery process. Hmmm … that sounds like another article entirely ...

‘Til next time, loyal reader. In the meantime, make mine Marvel (NOW!)!

Halfway Through Avengers vs. X-Men, Jack asks "Is it over yet?"

Hi. I’m Jack, and I’m a nerd. And no, I don’t mean the kind of nerd who wears pocket protectors or has a lucky inhaler. I’m talking about the comic book collecting, lightsaber owning, renaissance fair attending, Magic: the Gathering playing kind of nerd. I’m sure you can relate. You see, I tell you this because I want you to know that I’m on your side. That every time you wait in line for opening day tickets to the next big superhero movie, I’m there with you. Making out your contingency plan for the zombie apocalypse? Yup, I’ll help you with that. Or how about staying up to date with Marvel’s latest mega-event? Of course. So, my friends, I hope you’ll forgive me when I make the following confession: I hate Avengers vs. X-Men.

It hurts me to say it, but it’s true. Now I know that there are many who would disagree with me. In the past few months, I’ve been unable to so much as step into my local comic shop without overhearing the thrilled reactions of each and every fanboy who flips through the pages of the latest issue. I know it has the industry’s greatest talents behind it. And I love when a story brings fans together in such a way as this one has. But for me, A vs. X just isn’t doing it. So bear with me as I discuss my reasoning for what sucks about the series. That is, if you’re still reading this instead of tracking me down for a public lynching on account of hating anything connected to Brian Michaels Bendis.

I think my anxiety began at the first mention that A vs. X would center on the Phoenix Force. For me, my big issue with the Phoenix is that it’s something that never seems to be clearly defined. Sometimes it’s some sort of hostile alien. Other times it’s a destructive force of nature. Occasionally it’s portrayed as Jean Grey’s evil split personality or her own powers gone haywire, as with X3: The Last Stand. Although more often than not, it’s lazily written in as nothing more than Jean’s ticket back from the grave. The one thing that always remains true about the Phoenix is that every story involving it gives me a headache. Hell, back in the early nineties it even managed to ruin the X-Men Animates Series, the single greatest joy of my nine year old existence save for my Micro Machines Millennium Falcon and blue raspberry flavored Warheads.

My misgivings for the Phoenix aside, A vs. X also didn’t strike me as a terribly creative concept. I mean, Civil War was a mere five years ago. The memory of our favorite heroes going toe to toe is still fresh in my mind. And the fact that the X-Men were primarily absent from said conflict just makes the current title seem less like a sequel and more of a do-over. It’s as if the writers are saying: “Oh, you guys wanted to see more X-Men in Civil War? Our bad. Tell you what. We’ll just do it again, ok?”

For the record, I loved Civil War. Not just because it was the first time that we ever saw friends, teammates, and families at each other’s throats, but also because the story had undertones of real problems in America today. The Superhuman Registration Act represented Big Brother, and the general loss of privacy we all experience in an increasingly digital world. Not to mention the forever game-changing plot twists such as the reveal of Spider-Man’s secret identity and the death of Captain America. Sadly, Marvel demonstrated its typical haste to renege on both plotlines before either gained any real momentum.

Unfortunately, A vs. X seems to be less interested in setting up a hard hitting story and more focused on showing us who would win in a fight. It’s essentially the comic book version of the little kid taunt: “My dad could beat up your dad”. Yeah, maybe he could, but what difference would it really make? Why would they even fight in the first place? Apparently Marvel doesn’t know either. And so far, I’ve seen very little in the way of the ground breaking plot twists we’ve all come to love and expect. The roster for both teams has been predictable at best. My biggest complaint is that as big a pain in the ass as the Phoenix has been previously, the only two X-Men to have a problem with its return are Wolverine and Beast? So essentially, unless you’re a card-carrying Avenger, you just go along with anything Cyclops says? Especially since the outcome of the Schism mega event, this just doesn’t seem right to me. So far, the only highlight for me has been Tony Stark’s construction of a giant Iron Man rocket designed to murder the Phoenix once and for all, thus furthering my love for the billionaire playboy philanthropist. If only it had worked. At this point I have to warn you, if you haven’t read Avengers vs. X-Men #5, read no further. There will be spoilers.

Now I know what many of you will say. “No plot twists? What about the Phoenix Five?” Ok, I’ll admit, I didn’t see that one coming. Doesn’t mean it was a good or interesting twist in any way. So Hope decides she doesn’t want the Phoenix after all. Good choice. But as Tony’s rocket fails to destroy the giant bird, it instead splits into five pieces and enters as many X-Men. Because really, what’s more annoying than a Phoenix? Five Phoenixes, that’s what. I literally laughed out loud when I turned the page and saw the five of them standing there, all wearing costumes that look like knock-offs of DC Comics’Nightwing. The one host in particular that drives me crazy is Colossus. Doesn’t he have enough going on right now? I swear they should change the name from“Avengers vs. X-Men” to “The Many Personas of Colossus”. Let’s think about it. He’s already an X-Man who turns into organic steel. But lately he’s also been the Juggernaut. Now he’s the Phoenix too? What’s next? His mind gets merged with Xavier’s and Magneto’s and he becomes Onslaught as well? Marvel needs to stop ruining this beloved character and give us back the real Juggernaut as the iconic villain we love to hate.

Finally, I would like to point out that at least the set up for the next six issues looks a bit more interesting. I’m stoked to finally see the return of the Scarlet Witch, and the recent development of Iron Fist as some kind of destined savior seems pretty original. Plus, the godlike abilities of the Phoenix Five reshaping the world as we know it raises some tough ethical questions. But we all know how this one ends. History shows that no matter how good ultimate power may seem, that it’s only a matter of time before the Phoenix goes bat shit crazy and tries to kill us all. Good luck killing all five, Wolverine.

In conclusion, I feel like we all need to just take a step back and admit that maybe these mega events aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. I miss when I was a kid and every issue you bought was a stand-alone story. You never needed to know any back history or buy six other titles just to stay afloat with the plotlines. Those were good times. Nowadays, you can’t even choose to ignore these events, since they have a way of seeping into all the other monthly titles. I’m beginning to cringe at the giant A vs. X banners on the cover of my beloved publications, especially since it’s only at the halfway point. Every time it leaves me asking myself: “Is it over yet?” Or, to quote everyone’s favorite webhead: “Remember the old days when heroes would cross paths, have a little misunderstanding and fight for a while, then put aside their differences to team up and save the day? Boy, I sure do miss those days.”

Me too, Spidey. Me too.

Jack of all Trade Paperbacks
Contributing Writer

 

_______________________________

If you'd like to contribute to Salt City Fanboy, either as a writer, an artist, or otherwise, shoot me an email at saltcityfanboy@gmail.com.

Symbiote Fans Anonymous: Why I Love Carnage

I'm come to a very serious conclusion lately. So serious that I'm somewhat hesitant to share, and yet I must. Prepare yourself, I'm about to shed some nerd cred...

"My name is Matt Wheeler, and I have a symbiote problem."

Some might say, "So you like Venom, who doesn't?" or ""it's OK, the black costume saga is great!" or "Spider-Man 3 is my favorite movie, too!" (OK, maybe not that last one) ...but it's more serious than that.

It's very hard to admit, but deep down I've always known it. Carnage is my favorite Spider-Man villain.

Yes that's right - Carnage. Height of the 1990's supervillain, psycho-killer, oughta be committed, Kletus Casady, Carnage. And as one of Spidey's biggest fans, I know I'm supposed to say Green Goblin or Doc Ock or Lizard or Vulture or Sandman, but he's my favorite and I'm coming to terms with it right here, right now.

Back in 1993, I was brand new to fanboydom and Carnage was at his peak of popularity. "Maximum Carnage," the 14-part crossover, pitted Spider-Man, Venom and a motley crew of other Marvel heroes against the psychopath, and I savored every issue. On top of that, we had the video game (complete with Green Jelly soundtrack) to go with it. I felt like the luckiest boy in the world to have his favorite comic book storyline in video game form. Looking back on it, I should have! How many comic book storylines have their own game?

To this day, I still break out the trade paperback from time to time. I won't say that it completely holds up all these years later, but next to Secret Wars, I still call it my favorite Marvel story arc. OK, so besides blind nostalgia, why do I love Carnage? Here's the top three reasons:

1. He has no moral code.

In one of the first scenes of "Maximum Carnage," Carnage attacks a middle-aged couple driving through New York. He rips off the top of their car and brutally murders them with is sharp, symbiote claws. Why? Because.

Before he bonded with the symbiote, Kletus Casady was already a serial killer with all of  the sick and twisted qualities of the best incarnations of the Joker. With the symbiote at his disposal, he was given the power to really do some damage. What make him scary is that he just doesn't have any concern taking human life. He's not trying to take over the world, he's just getting his kicks slaughtering the innocent. You know ... because.

2. He genuinely outmatches Spider-Man.
Nothing makes for a good story more than the deck being stacked against the protagonist. This is the case everytime Spidey and Carnage face off. Carnage doesn't set off Spider-Man's spider-sense, so it's easy for him to get close, and when he gets close, he can slice and dice. Super strength, intelligence and spiderwebs can't do much against that. Once he decides he's coming for you, there's not much you can do about it. Unless of course you have that handy-dandy sonic disruptor the Fantastic Four hoard. (Hey Reed Richards - Can't you just build one of those for Pete? Sheesh. He's gotta ask you guys everytime he wants to borrow it? But I digress...)

3. He's Marvel Universe-level powerful, but he remains Spider-Man's villain.
Sure, Pete always brings a few friends with him when he knows he's going up against ol' Kletus, but you never see Carnage appear as the main threat in X-Men or Avengers comics. He could, but Marvel doesn't use him that way. You always feel that he's Spidey's problem to deal with no matter how large of a threat he's posing. One of my complaints about recent Avengers yarns is that Spidey fans have had to give Norman Osborne up to the rest of the Marvel Universe. Instead of Harry's dad and part-time Gobby, he's Marvel's version of Lex Luthor. Unluckily for Pete, Carnage remains his cross to bear.

Bonus reason: Zeb Wells likes to write him. Clayton Crain likes to draw him. Marvel gives them a long leash. 'Nuff said. If you read this week's superb and disturbing Carnage U.S.A. #1, you know what I mean.

So there you have it: my Carnage confession. Hopefully, my argument allows me to preserve what little credibility I have. What can I say? I'm a sucker for that crazy symbiote. Keep the comics coming and his rumored appearance in future movies in your prayers, even if it's just for this one committed fanboy. Pun intended.

Updated: Think I'm nuts?! You're not the only one. For an opposing viewpoint on all-things Carnage, be sure to check out Mark Ginocchio's article on Chasing Amazing!

This Means (Another) War!

Do we really need another Avengers vs. X-Men crossover? Yes. Yes we do.

It was announced this week that Marvel's first big event for 2012 will pit the Earth's Mightiest Heroes against the Children of the Atom in a 12-issue miniseries. Naturally, that has invoked some criticism from mother's basements all around the world. Entirely well-thought-out arguments include: "Didn't they just do a Civil War?," "This doesn't make sense because there are X-Men on the Avengers." and my personal favorite, "MARVEL SUX!" Ah, trolls.

Anyway, Marvel is pulling out all the stops for this one and loading up on the creative talent involved. Writing this latest epic are Brian Bendis, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction and on art duties we have my personal all-time favorite, John Romita Jr., as well as Olivier Coipel and Adam Kubert. I mean, are you kidding me? Even if the writers blow it (which I highly, highly doubt) this series is going to be beautiful. Just check out Coipel's stunning preview art below.

On top of all this, you can purchase this series in print and digitally on the day of its release, but if you buy print, you get a digital copy for free. So, I recommend marching your sweet little behind down to your local comic book shop and buying the print copy there. Then, check out the digital version, or better yet, give a budding comic book fan your digital code. Spread the love, people.


Cyke and the gang sign up to have their butts handed to them by Cap's team
(Click to enlarge, Fanboys)



The Death of Osama Bin Laden (the Comic Book?)

Now here's one comic book death that I hope sticks.

GQ magazine is featuring an illustrated account of the raid in Osama Bin Laden called "For God and Country" and it's written by current "Marvel Architect" Matt Fraction and illustrated by Nathan Fox. Luckily for us, it's also available online. Click on the image below to access the impressive interpretation of the mission.

Impressed by what Fraction did there? Do yourself a favor and check out Casanova, Invincible Iron Man and his run on the Punisher War Journal. He's one of the most talented comic writers out there today, in my humble opinion, and he works with some incredible artists.

Finally, proving once again that nobody stays dead in comics anymore, Erik Larsen is handling an unofficial sequel of sorts. Don't miss Savage Dragon 177 for more (admittedly much more light-hearted Osama action). Niiiiiice.

Top Billing: Cable vs. The Avengers

This December, Cable is hunting Avengers. And that's impressive because he's ... you know.. dead.

Nevertheless, Nathan is returning somehow and he's picking up where he left off - protecting Hope, the first mutant born after the Scarlet Witch uttered "No More Mutants." You see, he had been jumping around through time with Hope to protect her after Bishop decided that she must die because she's the catalyst that creates the dystopian future that he's from. After run-ins with the new X-Force and Stryfe in "Messiah War," they return to the current timeline and Cable promptly bites the big one and Hope (now full-grown) puts together her team "Generation Hope."

So, how does all of this lead to Cable going after the Earth's Mightiest Heroes? It's not entirely clear at this point, but it's definitely something worth looking forward to with Jeph Loeb & Ed McGuinness at the helm of this four-part miniseries called "Avengers: X-Sanction."

No matter how you feel about the ever-polarizing Loeb, you have to admit that it's going to be interesting to see these characters interact and that McGuinness' art will be outstanding. Now if it was Cable's creator, Rob Liefeld, handling the pencils I'd be singing a very different tune about the whole project, so I suppose Ed's art might just have me overlooking the potential pitfalls ahead. Time will tell.

For more details, check out the a complete run-down at Comics Alliance.

"The Goon" Coming (Not So) Soon to a Theater Near You

A while back I saw the beautiful test footage below of a "Goon" animated movie. I had been wondering what had ever come of it and unfortunately the answer is "not much."

Get More: Geek: Event Coverage, Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

You'd watch that, right? Yeah, me too. Unfortunately it sounds like it's still a ways off. So what to do in the meantime? Pick up the books. "The Goon" by Eric Powell is available at your local comic book shop and is well worth your hard-earned bucks.

Update: Just found a very cool interview with Eric Powell on AICN. Check it out, man.

Catch Up

I was feeling under the weather the latter part of last week and my normally consistent blogging habits suffered right along with me. So, to get all caught up, I'm "borrowing" a format used on one of my favorite blogs, Pop Candy. Here's a quick rundown of everything that I should have been blogging about all last week and this past weekend. Tomorrow, I'll be back on the horse! Honest.

• The Captain America 2 screenwriter wants M.O.D.O.K. to be the villain in the sequel. Baaaaaad idea.

• Former DC writer, Brian Wood, will be coming back to Marvel to pen what looks like a Wolverine tale. OK, that's kinda cool. 

• I'm finishing up the amazing "Fun & Games" by Duane Swierczynski and now I'm eagerly awaiting "Hell & Gone." It's a total freefall of all-out action and laughs. Highly recommended! 

• I don't know enough about it to truly comment, but I've heard tremendous things about "The Hunger Games" YA book series. I just might give it a chance. Here's the first look at the movie: 

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music

• Guillermo Del Toro has decided to scare the bejeezus outta me with this trailer for "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark." The movie is playing is theaters, but you can also catch the last scene of the trailer playing over and over again in your mind when the lights around you so much as dim. Thanks, Guillermo. 

• Some tremendously entertaining comics came out last week including Kick-Ass 2 #3 (finally got good), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (kind of a reboot of the story, very cool), and The Punisher #2 (spot-on, perfect Punny goodness).

• Breaking Bad is still the best show on television.

• This Ghost Rider trailer sucks and I hate it, but you know...Ghost Rider sucks and I hate him.

• Community's coming back with the excellent John Goodman:

• "Toon Books" encourage kids to read comic books from an early age! I bought my son Jeff Smith's "Little Mouse Gets Ready." (yes that Jeff Smith, creator of Bone)

• Finally, it looks like "Flashpoint" #5 gives us some explanation as to why the new 52 is coming into existence. You know, in a convoluted, Superboy punch kinda way.

So there you have it! All caught up. I know, I know ... you forgot everything I said before "rectum."

When It Was Magic

As soon as my young brain was developed enough to absorb and retain memory, it began to soak up the Star Wars culture that surrounded me. Born in 1981, I came into this world at a time when Empire was still playing in theaters. I was about two when Jedi was released. My earliest memories are foggy, but I recall small glimpses of it all; coveting ROTJ comic books from the drug store spinner rack, a C-3PO cake pan being used at every birthday party in the neighborhood, being terrified of the Kenner Rancor my uncle bought me for Christmas, and sleeping on a pillow case with the good guys on one side and the bad guys on the other – always good guys side up.

Recalling the years that followed that, the memories start to become clearer. Going to bed at six o’clock so that I could wake up at eight to watch The Battle for Endor, telling my friends that I did have a Han Solo figure like they did, but I fed it to my Rancor, and wailing on the dog with my lightsaber (a cardboard wrapping paper tube).

By fourth grade, my friends and I officially moved on from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and fell back in love with a galaxy far, far away (and Leia). We’d draw Chewie and Greedo in the margins of our notebooks and get together after school to watch the movies that our parents had recorded off of our remote-less, bunny-eared televisions. I vividly remember the loud CLACK-CLACK-CLACK the dial made as I changed the channels on that old thing.

Some of us have remained in an intense state of fandom ever since, but it will never be quite the same as it was back then. Before internet spoilers and message board trolls. Before countless remasterings and special editions. Before prequels. Back then our world was small, and there was a magic that existed in our lives. Not just on Tatooine, Hoth and Endor, but in our summers, our winters and our tree forts.

Being an adult, I have a different kind of appreciation for the saga, but I don’t love it any less. You’ll have to forgive the unabashed nostalgia, but I genuinely miss those legendary days when we all saw the droids, scoundrels and Jedi as only a child could. Unfortunately, it’s true what they say – you can never go back. Instead, I’ll just have to dress my son’s bed in my oId Jedi sheets – good guys up, bake him a Threepio cake for his next birthday, and watch the magic happen for a new generation.

I have a Kenner Rancor with a Han Solo inside of it that I think he’s just going to love.

The Art of Marvel Comics (in November)

When it comes to comics, nothing degrades or enhances a story more than the artwork. For me, bad art is not just a negative when reading a comic, it's a complete deal breaker. On the other hand, I've stuck it out with some pretty damn poor writing when the art's pretty. I definitely see the pencils, inks and colors as the main reason to purchase a book, with the storyline a very close second. Don't get me wrong. When I say "close" I mean uncomfortably close, but the art still wins.

That's probably why I get all twitterpated every month when Marvel releases its solicitations for the comics due to be released 3 months in the future. Sure, I read the description, but really I want to see the latest Romita, Quesada, Granov, Bachalo or McNiven. This is not to say that I don't peruse Image and DC's solicitations as well, but hell, even with just the A-list artists I've listed here, those companies' talent pools just seem shallow.

Marvel released its November solicitations recently, so I've pulled out a few of the highlights for you, loyal reader. Keep in mind, lithographs of these prints are always great gift ideas. You know...for me.

For the complete Marvel Comics November solicitations all in one place, visit the good people at Newsarama.com

AVENGERS #19
Pencils & Cover by Daniel Acuna

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #674
Variant Cover by Paqual Ferry

FANTASTIC FOUR #600
 Variant Cover by Joe Quesada

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #1
Pencils & Cover by Joe Madureira

X-MEN #20
Cover by Adi Granov

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #2
Pencils & Cover by Marc Silvestri

ULTIMATE COMICS HAWKEYE #4
Cover by Kaare Andrews

Required Reading - "The Stuff of Legend"

On Free Comic Book Day in 2009, a good friend and I caught a matinee of "Watchmen." Oddly, that very movie is on TNT as I write this, but I digress. After watching the mostly-successful adaptation of the “unfilmable” Alan Moore classic, we had comics on the brain so we headed to a local comic and game shop to snag a few free books.

Upon entering the store we encountered the friendly face of comic book writer, Mike Raicht. Of course, at the time, we didn’t know who the hell Mike Raicht was or what he’d ever written, but it was clear that he was a comic creator will some success under his belt. After all, he had his published work stacked right there to prove it.

There was no one in line for Mike at the time, so we walked up and introduced ourselves, expecting a brief, “hi, how are you, here’s an autographed book, enjoy your day” conversation. Instead, Mike stood up, graciously introduced himself and struck up a conversation. For the next half hour, we discussed “Watchmen,” our pull lists and finally something Mike had been working on that he was pretty proud of: “The Stuff of Legend.”

A 20+ page preview edition of “Stuff,” which Raicht co-authors with Brian Smith, happened to be one of the offerings for Free Comic Book Day that year. He put a signed copy in my hands and said, “I hope you like it!” I walked out of that shop with a smile on my face from the interaction. I mean, I devote a great deal of my time to comics and it was just really exciting to have such a great conversation with someone who makes their living writing books.

Mike’s description of “Stuff” had me interested, but the concept seemed like it might be hard to pull off. To be honest, as great as Mike was, I didn’t have terribly high expectations for the book. Well, I’m happy to say that “Stuff” did more than win me over, it knocked me over.

Here’s a description of the book from Th3rd World Studio’s website:

“The year is 1944. An allied force advances along a war-torn beach in a strange land, outnumbered and far from home. Together, they fight the greatest evil they have ever known. Never ending waves of exotic enemies come crashing down on them, but they will not rest.

Thousands of miles away, the world is on the brink of destruction. But here in a child's bedroom in Brooklyn, our heroes, a small group of toys loyal to their human master, fight an unseen war to save him from every child's worst nightmare.

Led by the toy soldier known as the Colonel and the boy's faithful teddy-bear named Max, the toys enter the realm known as The Dark. There they will face off against the Boogeyman and his army-- a legion of the boy's forgotten, bitter toys. Fighting to survive insurmountable odds, the toys will discover this is a battle not only for the soul of a child, but for their own as well...”

See what I mean about being hard to pull off? Well, they do. Do they ever.

The tone of the book has this fantastically strange, off-putting feeling to it. You know that feeling that you had in the pit of your stomach when you watched “The Wizard of Oz” as a kid? That feeling you had just knowing that that the Wicked Witch could swoop in at any moment with those insanely creepy flying monkeys and pull all of your straw out? (…sorry, I was a Scarecrow sympathizer…) How about the unease that you felt waiting for the next kid to be drowned in liquid chocolate or turned into a blueberry and rolled away by those equally creepy oompa loompas in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?" Don’t even get me started on the freaking tunnel scene.

Well, that’s the tone that they nail in this book.

A large part of this should be credited to the art provided by the outstanding Charles Paul Wilson III and the design and color of Jon Conkling & Michael Devito. Kudos to who ever forged this creative team. Every contributor is bringing their best work and it all meshes extraordinarily well.

In addition to this vibe that surrounds all of the happenings in the Dark, the characters are incredibly well fleshed out. You’d expect all of the toys to follow the “Toy Story” formula: a group of really nice little toys who are all very nice and out to save the day. Well, this ain’t “Toy Story.” These toys need to deal with betrayal, love, violence, distrust and doubt. This is one of the great successes of “Stuff.” It turns your preconceived notions about these innocent playthings on their head at the drop of a hat. You truly don’t know what’s coming next or how the characters will react, and that always makes for great storytelling.

Other than the description that I’ve included from Th3rd World, I purposefully steered clear of any plotline spoilers. I would be doing you a great disservice by spoiling any of this great story. I can only recommend that you seek out these books, read them and recommend them to others yourself. This is the kind of book just shows what incredible things can be accomplished in the comic book medium.

The first issue of volume three of “The Stuff of Legend” was released this week. This go-around it’s “The Jester’s Tale.” The two previous volumes, “The Dark” and “The Jungle” are available in trade paperback at your local comic book shop. Note that the book is published in an odd little square-shaped size. Do not overlook it.

Thanks to Mike Raicht for creating and recommending this book two years ago, I’ve found one of those go-to books that I can thoroughly enjoy myself and pass on to anyone without reservation. Oh, and by the way, “The Stuff of Legend” is definitely not unfilmable, as "Watchmen" just might have been. Just saying…

King Returns to 11/22/63

Stephen King has a new book coming out in November called "11/22/63," and like many of his other works, this one is going to be made into a movie. It will be directed by Jonathan Demme, the director of "Silence of the Lambs" and it's been promised that we can "rest assured that this will be a project that is made with iron-clad dedication to the source material and true cinematic integrity."  Check out the description of the novel on this promo page on King's website.

A headline from an alternate 11/22/63

I'm a sucker for time travel, so even though JFK's death doesn't carry the weight for me that it does for my parents' generation (and King's), this still looks like a very interesting read. Plus, I love that we'll get to see the 1950's recreated on film again a la Back to the Future - even if we get there using less gigawatts.

DC Comics Week: The Flash: Rebirth Review

I've always had an affinity for the Flash. I'm not sure what it is, but like Spider-Man, he was always a character that I've been drawn to. Maybe it's the red costumes? So when I decided that DC comics week needed a comic review, I went looking for a recent Flash tale and ended up bringing home "Rebirth" by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver. My thoughts on the book were decidedly mixed and my biggest problems with the book really illustrated why I've always filled my pull list with more Marvel than DC. Read on, but beware...

SPOILERS AHEAD!

"Rebirth" chronicles the return of Barry Allen, the second incarnation of the Flash and the first silver age character. You see, he's been gone since sacrificing himself to save the universe in 1985's "Crisis on Infinite Earths." It turns out that Barry had been absorbed into something called the "speed force" and somehow he's been pulled out and he's alive again. He reunites with his protege and current Flash, Wally West, along with all of the other characters that are a part of the Scarlett Speedster mythos and it isn't long before they go up against the ultimate Flash baddie, Professor Zoom, aka Reverse-Flash.

Taken as a high-action story-arc with lots of heroes and guest-stars (Hal Jordan, Superman, etc.), "Rebirth" is very entertaining. Van Sciver's art is beautiful and colorists Brian Miller and Alex Sinclair make this a pretty, pretty book. Johns does a great job writing each character and their dialogue is excellent. If I had known more about the history of all of these characters, I probably would have enjoyed it more, but Johns did a great job showing how all of them are tied together.

My problem with the book is that even after reading the graphic novel and scouring the internet for further explanations of the "speed force" and the "negative speed force" I failed to develop a good understanding of this thing that gives all of the speedsters their power. I did, however, successfully develop a headache.

My problem with the speed force is very similar to my problem with "midichlorians" in the Star Wars prequels and "The Other" run on Amazing Spider-Man. I'm afraid that I just don't want the origin and powers of my favorite heroes explained in such depth. These are impossible, mysterious powers that they have. Don't make up some phony scientific explanation to explain it! It's not real, and by adding all of this fictional science to it, it forces me to stretch my suspension of disbelief too far.

Plus, it gives the writer too many liberties to explain things away or introduce unlikely new powers to suit the story. It's like," Oh yeah the speed force does that, too." or "Oh, the negative speed force does that, but the positive speed force doesn't." C'mon. It's too convoluted to keep track of and the reader needs to constantly be told what's happening. In the end, and when it comes to origins and superpowers, I say keep it simple, stupid.

Although I mentioned a Spider-Man run where they focus on this kind of thing, I feel like most Marvel titles don't get into this so much. We are told what each hero's skill set is, and then they are put in situations where they use them. We know what Iron Man, Captain America and Thor are all capable of during a story, so even when the story goes deep into fantasy, we use these characters as a point of reference. In "Rebirth," I felt like Johns introduced a new speed force-produced capability every other page, and it took me out of the story. Put simply, I couldn't relate. Outside of the Batman corner of the universe, this is something that I feel the DC universe is guilty of more often than not, and it limits my enjoyment of their books. Their stories are simply too separated from my reality.

All that said, I will be seeking out more Flash. For all it's faults, Johns set the stage for some interesting things in "Rebirth" and I'd love to see where he takes it. So even though I'm a little behind, I'm betting the speed force has someway to catch me up quick.

DC Comics Week: What else have I been missing?

This time, it's personal for Jim Gordon

As I continue my journey into the DC universe, I've been seeking out recent storylines to knock my socks off the way books like "The Long Halloween" and "Superman: Birthright" have in the past, and to my delight, it looks like I've been missing something pretty great in Scott Snyder, Jock and Francesco Francavilla’s recent run of Detective Comics called "Skeleton Key." Here's a description from Comic Vine:

"For years, Jim Gordon has been tormented by the possibility that his son, James Jr., might be a killer. Tonight, he'll get the answers he's been after. But is the truth about James even darker than the Commissioner, or even Batman, could have guessed?"

Not only that, apparently the story culminates with the clown prince of crime himself: the Joker. It concludes this week, so I'll be combing throught the back issues at my LCBS to find the rest. I can only hope that there are others like me that haven't realized that this is out there and there'll be some left. Somehow I doubt it. I'm late to this party by a long shot.

I have to hand it to you, DC comics, it looks I haven't been giving you enough credit.