Looking Forward to Wednesday (01/28/2009)

On what is probably the biggest Wednesday that I've looked forward to for quite a while....I had to change my work schedule due to meetings and I may not get to the comic shop until Friday!!!!!! Oh well, we'll see what happens, if the stars align properly I may be able to be by the shop when it opens on Wednesday. Click below for the comics for this week :

DC Comics

Batman #685 - Continuing the Catwoman vs. Hush story from Detective Comics. This has been good so far, but anything is better than that Denny O'Neil disappointment.

Faces of Evil : Kobra - So far, the other Faces of Evil one-shots have been decent so I'll give this a shot. I honestly don't know much about Kobra except for some appearances in Checkmate so I'm definitely interested if they are planning to bring Kobra back as a serious threat.

Final Crisis #7 - Can't wait for the conclusion of this, this has been an awesome event...not for everyone, but I have most definitely enjoyed it. Expect a big FC wrap-up sometime in the next week or so.

Final Crisis : Revelations #5 - Strange, Diamond doesn't list this as released but DC does. Anyway, this has been the most relevant of the tie-ins (besides Beyond).

Justice Society of America #23 - Black Adam, Black Adam, Black Adam, Black Adam! (Did I mention that Black Adam is back?)

Superman #684 - New Krypton was slipping a bit for me and now after what happened at the end, I'm interested again.

Wonder Woman #28 - Not the nest book DC puts out, but it is consistently decent and not alot of books can say that lately.

Taking a little break

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick post about what's happening. I haven't had a whole lot of free time lately and with a bunch of things coming up at work in the next few weeks I won't be posting as much as I used to. I will post whenever I can, and definitely expect a big Final Crisis wrap-up post after that event ends next week.

Thanks to all of you who have been checking me out here consistently and I will be back to normal posting schedules soon, including some new features like guest articles and reviews and some other features.

Thanks again,

- Jason

Super Quick Thoughts - Final Crisis #6

Awesome! I'll have a full review later after I read through it a few more times at work tonight. This book delivered bigtime and I'm super-hyped for next week's Final Crisis : Superman Beyond #2 and then the finale in Final Crisis #7 the week after. The art was kind of all over the place but the story is phenomenal. This is what comics should be : fantastic, over the top, and most of all experimental and fun.

Comic Reviews - 01/07/2009 (written quick and a little late)

I finally picked up my books from last week and here are some quick reviews. There will be no Looking Forward to Wednesday this week as I’m out of time. But basically…Final Crisis! There, that’s what I’m looking forward to the most :-)

Secret Six #5

I’ll start this one at the end…creepy final page. Junior revealed..and..ugh OK, enough of that. Another solid issue of this series here that focuses on Bane being tortured by Junior (508 bricks, this dude has serious patience), the others get away from the casino ambush and recover from the poisoning at the hands of Cheshire. Then…there’s the last page……ewww

Detective Comics #852

The story here continues immediately after the fallout of the Heart of Hush storyline previously in Detective. For those that missed it, Hush gets plastic surgery to look (sort of ) like Bruce Wayne, he tries to kill Batman, nearly kills Catwoman by removing her heart, then Catwoman teaches him a very harsh (and expensive) lesson. I nthis issue, Hush is about to give it all up after failing to defeat his nemesis when he has a re-awakening and begins to rebuild his lost fortune by impersonating the now-missing Bruce Wayne and bilking Wayne Enterprises for millions. Though by the end, someone has noticed this and is not too happy.

Overall the issue is good. I’m growing to like Dustin Nguyen’s artistic style more with each issue and Paul Dini, as usual, is dead on with the story. There is also a Faces of Evil cover featuring Hush (looking very much like Bruce) wielding his trademark twim pistols and wearing his mother’s green necklace. This 2-parter wraps up in the next issue of Batman and I’m really hoping that they keep Hush around for a while because I really enjoy the character.

Faces of Evil : Solomon Grundy

I feel kind of “meh” about this issue when I feel like I should be loving it. I mean, the pieces are all there : Geoff Johns writing? Check. Scott Kolins art? Check. Sweet Shane Davis cover? Check. The story is mostly setup for the upcoming Grundy miniseries by Scott Kolins and, in a surprising tie-in …Blackest Night. I was a biut confused by some of the issue but I may just have to read it again. I will probably pick up the first issue of the mini just because I’m a Scott Kolins fan now.

Bomb Queen Vol. 5 #5

We’re nearing the end of Volume 5 which is basically Bomb Queen vs. The White Knight from neighboring good-natured Littleville. The Queen “busts” out the big guns, literally, as she steps up into a Bomb Queen mecha robot and begins to lay waste to Littleville. I hate to say it, but there is a moment or two in this issue where even I thought “Wow that’s a bit much” but the book does a great job with the action and dark humor, as well as offending everyone reading it at least once. Can’t wait for the finale next issue!

Later in the week stop back for reviews of Final Crisis #6, the new GI Joe series, and Green Lantern Corps with possibly many more :-)

Show & Tell #2 - Simpsons Figures (Comic Shop)

I’m back, finally, for the second installment of Show & Tell. Originally this was slated to be a weekly thing, but let’s start slowly and do it monthly-ish for now :-)

Click below for a small percentage of my Simpsons action figures, which are currently on display on the North Wall of the Jason and Liz Manger Creative Arts Studio (AKA our second bedroom)


First up, we have everyone’s favorite authority on all things dorky, the Comic Book Guy. This is the second edition of the character with the Worst Episode Ever T-shirt.

Next up we have the CBG’s Fortress of Solitude, the Android’s Dungeon Comic Book Shop. This is where you can find everything from the latest issue of Radioactive Man, to the very rare Mary Worth in which she advises a friend to commit suicide.

Hanging out and looking shady is Dolph and Kearney, two of Springfield’s local bullies who are probably stealing comic books as we speak.

Last but not least, one of my all time favorites, Duffman!! I know he should be with Moe’s Tavern but look at that cape and costume, definitely comic book material there.

I know that last time I said the Lego Batman stuff would be next, but I was just dying to put some Simpsons stuff up. Lego Batman next time!

Looking Forward to Wednesday (01/07/2009)

I didn’t realize that it’s been a while since my last Looking Forward to Wednesday. Maybe because, thanks to Diamond’s monopoly, comics have been releasing on odd days lately. Well, it’s back to Wednesday this week and I have a few to pick up from DC and one other. Click below for the books :

Marvel Comics :

Nothing

DC Comics :

Detective Comics #852 : Continuing the Catwoman vs. Hush ordeal, plus another cool Faces of Evil cover featuring Hush.

Faces of Evil Grundy #1 : I will probably pick this book up because of Scott Kolins, Geoff Johns, and the Shane Davis cover. I was very impressed with Kolins’ work on Rogue’s Revenge and I’m looking forward to this whole Faces of Evil run.

Secret Six #5 : Great story and great art continue to keep this book on my pull list, and we’re getting near the end so it is really ramping up. Plus, a sweet Deadshot “Faces of Evil” cover to boot.

Other Publishers :

Bomb Queen V5 #5 : I can never get enough of this book. It gets more offensive and wrong with every issue and I love every page and panel. Please, Mr. Robinson, never take Bomb Queen away from us….we need it!

Movie Review : Jumper (2008)

Starring Hayden Christiansen, Jamie Bell and Rachel Bilson. Directed by Doug Liman

So, I finally caught Jumper on HBO today and I have to say that I'nm surprised. I heard some good and more so-so reviews. Click below for my thoughts :

So let's start with the obvious : Hayden Christiansen is not the best actor out there. I liked him (stress liked) in Revenge of the Sith and I wasn't a big fan of his in Attack of the Clones. I am pleased to admit that I actually think he did a decent job in this movie.

The basic plot is this : due to a genetic anomaly, a high school student learns that he can teleport hinself (and things he's touching) anywhere he desires. Kid leaves his hometown for New York, starts doing not-so-legal things, and lives the high life for years. A group led by Sam Jackson tracks down those that have this ability and try to stop them.

The film is definitely fast paced and fun, with some great effects for the teleporting (not unlike the BAMF for Nightcrawler in X-Men) and some fun chase and fight sequences. One of my favorites involves stealing a Mercedes from a showroom floor in Tokyo and then racing it through the crowded city streets while teleporting it from lane to lane.

Honestly, the plot is kind of thin. This is, at best, a fun popcorn movie with not a whole lot of substance. I would place it in the same category as The Transporter and Crank...just fun to watch. One enjoyable aspect of the movie, in my opinion, is the way they portray David (Hayden Christiansen) going about his day to day life using his abilities for enjoyment as well as tedious tasks like getting some milk from the refrigerator. I'll probably be picking up on DVD or BluRay to have around for a background movie.

Comic Reviews - Released 01/02/2009 Part 2

Part two of this weeks reviews : Superman #683, JSA #22, and Batman #684. CLick below for the reviews....

Superman #683 (New Krypton Part 9)

Superman, Superman, Superman...once again torn between his peeps from Krypton and his Justice League crew. This issue was not half bad and did some work towards restoring my faith in this story. The battle royale between the Kryptonians and Earth's superheroes starts up as Supergirl's mom goes a little crazy. Supergirl does her best to stay on both sides but ends up, violently, choosing sides by the end. There is a great scene where Black Lightning confronts one of the Kryptonians and engages in some quick-witted trash talk, then realizes quicklt that he really isn't sure if he can back it up. Good issue overall with lots of back and forth emotion. I'm looking forward to the next issue which is touted as the "finale of New Krypton and the start of something bigger".

Justice Society of America #22 (Thy Kingdom Come Part 7)

Kind of a "meh" ending to the Kingdom Come story arc as the heroes find out that Gog isn't all he's cracked up to be, Kingdom Come Superman visits the source wall before going home to Kingdom Come land, and we get many pages of a recap of, wait for it.....Kingdom Come. Some people are happy, some are sad, some are indifferent (me) and that's the end of the story that has gone on for a little over half a year. The light at the end of the tunnel : Black Adam next issue!

Batman #684 (Last Days of Gotham Part 2)

This was my second disappointment of the week although I wasn't expecting much after the last issue. I'll keep it quick with this one : the much hyped and anticipated return of Denny O'Neil to Batman was a total bust for me. The story goes nowhere and could have easily just been a fill-in issue or two of Nightwing. Gordon and Bullock lament over where Batman is and whether or not he's coming back, Dick whines about how he's not as good as Bruce, some low level thugs get beat up and Dick talks to some lady....the end. I'm REALLY praying that Gaiman's run is better than this.

Comic Reviews - Released 01/02/2009 Part 1

It was a big week this week as I finally catchup to current books. Click below for my reviews of Green Lantern #36, Final Crisis : Secret Files, Kick Ass #5 & All Hail Megatron #6. Check back later for Superman #683, JSA #22 & Batman #684.

Green Lantern #36 (Rage of the Red Lanterns Part 2)

It seems like it's been a while since an issue of GL came out, not counting the - ahem - Final Crisis tie-in that was part one of this arc. The book picks up as Atrocitus (I still love that name) and his crimson companions are taunting a now captured Sinestro on their home planet of Ysmault. Sinestro, in his usual Sinestro-esque way, is taunting back as we get to see the true madness and rage that fuels the Red Corps. These scenes are exceptionally well written by Geoff Johns to show just how powerful and uncontrollable the Red Lanterns are as they fight amongst themselves. There is a second appearance by Saint Walker, the first of the Blue Lanterns, who explains a bit more about what the Blues will be up to, and there are some recruiting efforts by Ganthet who is now sponsoring the Blues. The end gives us two "Say What???" moments, one big and one very big, and Johns gives us an oath for the Blue Lanterns which is recited by none other than the Hindu god Ganesha (OK it just looks like him). By the way, thanks to Ivan Reis' stunning art I know want to vacation on the Blue Lantern homeworld of Odym.

Final Crisis : Secret Files

Kind of disappointing but not horrible is how I would describe this book. It basically tells the story of Libra, a character who was originally touted as the big baddie of Final Crisis but has been seemingly kicked to the wayside. We learn how he got his original powers and went up against the Justice League, then we find out how he became Darkseid's prophet on Earth which was kind of interesting. Some quick recaps of Libra in Final Crisis so far, and then we're done. My problem comes in here : the solicits promised a story about how Darkseid's fall through the Multiverse causes continuity ripples and an explanation of the Anti-Life Equation. Hmmmm, no Darkseid falling in my copy and one page of text by Morrison recapping old Anti-Life stories. We also get a page of the Book of Lilith by Greg Rucka, and some more sketches by JG Jones. The book was not worth the $3.99 price tag in my opinion (Green Lantern was $2.99 and FAR more enjoyable) unless, like me, you blindly buy anything with the slowly disintegrating Final Crisis banner.

Kick-Ass #5

This is another book that seems like it had been on hiatus for a while, but the wait was worth it. We finally get introduced to Red Mist, who's identity unfortunately was spoiled back during the initial Kick Ass movie hype. Anyways, I continue to enjoy this real life look at superheroes as Dave has his first official team-up, and they get in over their heads very quickly. Brilliantly written by one of my all time favorites Mark Millar, and illustrated by John Romita, Jr. I'm glad it's back and I'm actually looking forward to the movie whenever it comes out.

All Hail Megatron #6

The defeated Autobots begin to regroup and the triumphant Decepticons start to bicker with one another, great stuff. Starscream heads back to his usual position of nipping at Megatron and we get introduced to a new Autobot named Drift. Picture a mix between Transformers and Gundam Wing who supposedly changes into a Japanese drift car, hence the clever name and wields a sword with deadly efficiency. This leads to one of my favorite sequences in this book : A Decepticon spy is confronted by Drift who stands up straight in front of him and, with a smirk, just says Hello. The spy stares down Drift and hisses at him. THe next panel is exactly the same except that Drift's arm, now holding a sword, has moved across his body and the spy's head clatters to the ground.

Comic Reviews - 01/01/2009 (and more)

I haven't been to the comic shop in a few weeks due to scheduling issues but my stack wasn't as bad as I thought. Here are the reviews from the books I picked up from the last few weeks. I'm hoping to get back to the shop tomorrow before work and I'll be back on schedule for the week. Click below for the reviews :

Ambush Bug : Year None #5

I continue to love this comic more with each read. What started out as a light-hearted romp through the DC Universe and it's various past titles and events has become a full blown dig at DC Senior VP & Executive Editor Dan Didio. In this issue we have DD attached to the source wall and posing as a foul-mouthed Monitor, complete with All Star Batman and Robin style black bars (as well as a look into the life of a black bar).

Most of these issues have been parodying Countdown so it's nice to see that the "event" has some good use after all. If you've been following DC for the past couple of years, you'll love it and apparently next isue will be digging into Final Crisis. If you haven't been following this, pick it up in trade when it comes out.

Favorite Moment : (Ambush Bug walking through a devastated New York City) What kind of twisted cultural catalyst could trigger the moral rot and eventual collapse of an entire civilization? (He turns his head and sees DC Comics headquarters in ruins) Oh.

Supergirl #36 : New Krypton Part 8

The New Krypton story is really getting to me. I want to like it but they're making it so damned hard. Supergirl is definitely a better comic under Gates and Igle, but do I really care where this story is going? Not really. Do I keep buying these because I'm a sucker and I hate having an incomplete story? Yes. Who knows, maybe this will read better after it's all laid out so I'll leave my final judgement until it's all done.

Wonder Woman #27 : Rise of the Olympian Part 2

Basically in this issue we have the aftermath of Wonder Woman getting her ass quickly handed to her by new uber-villain Genocide. I am definitely loving this book lately, it is very well written, the new villain is bad-ass, and the art is good (a few small art issues aside, referring to Tresser as some random guy in black when he's clearly wearing an all-red outfit, although it's black on the cover). The Amazons are being recalled back to Themyscira after their exile during Amazons Attack and I'm actaully interested in where all of this is headed.

Favorite Moment(s): 1. Genocide puts her fist (and forearm) through Red Tornado's face while calling him Pinocchio. 2. Black Canary after witnessing John Stewart fall to Genocide : "In all my years, I've never heard a Green Lantern scream like that."

Batman 683

Dammit Morrison, every time I defend you for being a great writer you throw some wacky curve ball. I need to re-read the past few issues again and see what some of the online translators are getting from this because I'm kind of lost. Like New Krypton, I want to love this but it's taking alot of research, which I'm fine with but I want to understand what's going on. Maybe all will make sense after Final Crisis #6.

Me...on TV & Online

Here is the link from my TV appearance the other day :

http://www.themorningblend.com/NewsArticle/tabid/1474/xmid/28449/Default.aspx

Check it out!