TRIPLE SHOT: SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #12, JUPITER’S LEGACY #1, B.P.R.D: VAMPIRE #2 - FORCES OF GEEK

The thing about history, baby, is that it goes way back.   All the way back.

We stroll down memory lane with Miss Lane, get lost in a Legacy and follow B.P.R.D’s Simon Anders back to a small Czech town to investigate the origins of the vampire disease.

Will he escape unscathed before having to unleash his concealed garlic? 

SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #12
WRITER: Art Balatazar & Franco
ART: Art Balatazar
Publication Date: April 24, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194130973601211
Buy it HERE

Aw yeah, everybody. It’s the end of an era, not only for Superman and his family, but for fans of a certain kind of book formerly put out under the Johnny DC banner.

In 2008, Art (Baltazar) & Franco gave us elementary school versions of our favorite Titans in Tiny Titans.

The Eisner Award winning book proved itself to be fun for all ages, including not only great stories for kids but nods to serious DC continuity and clever plays on the DC tropes. A Lunch Lady Darkseid ruled the cafeteria with Anti-Slop.

After the New 52 reboot, Cyborg gets new shoes and the guys were put on a new book, Superman Family Adventures, filled with all of the clever comic book industry and Superman movie quotes of the previous series, but concentrating on the family aspect of Superman. We’ve got Clark, The Kents, Jimmy, Chief, Lois, Connor, Kara and the Super Pets.

Nearly all of the Tiny Titans, the Justice League, Steel, Lex and even Miss Teschemacher sneak their way into the send off issue of this book. It is a bittersweet moment to end this five year run of the best kids comics DC has ever done.

Even Superman’s parents Lara-El and Jor-El make an appearance in the final issue, with an interesting twist on how the two survived the explosion on Krypt’n.

Unfortunately for us, we won’t get to see any more of Art & Franco on this book but look forward to them taking on The Green Team in the New 52, a story about trillionaire teenagers. And guess what? For more all ages comics, Art & Franco have launched a Kickstarter for new publisher Aw Yeah Comics and are fully funded. Expect some issues of Aw Yeah Comics #1 starring Action Cat and Adventure Bug at C2E2 this weekend, and distro to our hands very soon.

Aw yeah. Congrats, Art & Franco! And thanks for loading up the cover with lots of pink. I like pink very much, Lois! True story.

JUPITER’S LEGACY #1
WRITER: Mark Millar
ART: Frank Quitely
Publication Date: April 24, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Image Comics
UPC: 70985301350100111
Buy it HERE

This is the first issue of a highly anticipated book here from industry juggernauts Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, last seen working together years ago on The Authority.

In recent years, Quitely had a great run on Morrison’s pre-New 52 Batman and Robin whereas Millar has been working on more movie deals, overseeing his comics become movies and has teamed up with Dave Gibbons on Secret Service and Lenil Yu on Super Crooks, and Steve McNiven on Nemesis.


There’s probably more (ahem Hit Girl, Kick Ass 2, Superior) worth mentioning as well, but the aforementioned series all had me hooked.

Millar has, if not a formula, at least a very structured format to his limited series. All are meant to stand alone in about 6 issues. All can very easily be made into a movie. He’s great at that. Icon and Image produce the books, and he can retain all of the creator owned rights. Some series likeWar Heroes never see completion! Too bad, though, I think the book would do well in the current market.

I guess all the filibustering I’m managing to churn out about Millar’s career is that while this is a highly anticipated book, supposedly of much scope, and featuring a mysterious long lost island mixed with two generations of superheroes is to have us chomping at the bit for more. We’ve got the old crusty Superman and Justice Society types taking down the bad guys while the sons and daughters are either partying or vying for attention from the media.

I’m sorry, this book doesn’t have me after the first issue like Nemesis, Super Crooks and Secret Service did. On the last page reveal on issue #1, I was just sort of glad it was over. I want my comics to make my heart pound on a cliffhanger, not just be glad that some superheroes’ daughter might have possibly OD’d. Why would I care? I only spent 3 pages with her. I don’t know, maybe I’m salty. Maybe issue #2 will pick me up like a cup of coffee but this one was snoozeville. 

Quitely’s pages are amazing, of course. Great to see him draw classic superheroes and then beautiful teenage girls. Brandon Sampson looks a little like the artist himself. We’ll see how it goes. Maybe the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo wakes up from her drug crash next issue. Sure. Whatever. I guess. Take my money.

B.P.R.D: VAMPIRE #2 (of 5)
WRITER: Mike Mignola, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá
ART: Fabio Moon, Gabriel Ba, Dave Stewart
Publication Date: April 24, 2013
Price: $3.50
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
UPC: 76156820686900211
Buy it HERE

I’m not exactly sure why I’m getting at this book in the second issue of the series and completely missed the first, but I know I’m in for the long hall.

Hellboy mastermind Mike Mignola writes this vampire tale that acts as a direct sequel to B.P.R.D.: 1948. Brazilian brothers Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá that brought us the Vertigo mini-series Daytripper in 2011 are credited as co-writers and also the artists on the book.


We bask in the shadows of a classic vampire origin tale, following former merchant marine and current B.P.R.D. field agent Simon Anders to a Czech town.

When he gets there he discovers there are only women in the town that is also occupied by a large castle built in 1253. A wonderful series of alias for the vampire Wilhelm in various period garb throughout the ages was reminiscent of Bruce Wayne’s travel back to the present inBatman: The Return of Bruce Wayne.

Nothing to report from the castle, but a witch grabs Simon’s hand and urges him and companion Hana to follow the “serpent to the heart”. Likely this means follow the river to the woods, where they will discover more about the vampires. In the forest, it looks like they have been set up!

This issue has all the best that Hellboy, Daytripper, Buffy and Doctor Who have to offer, replete with a cute female companion to act as a guide and balancing force in the story. Moon and Bá have a thick line cartooning style that complements the look of the B.P.R.D. / Hellboy universe and draw conversations between people very naturally.

Great art and story here. Worth investigating further…into the woods!

[READ MORE at FORCESOFGEEK.COM]

TRIPLE SHOT: ADVENTURE TIME #15, ULTIMATE COMICS: WOLVERINE #3, DAREDEVIL: END OF DAYS #7

Oh My Glob. Whatever! 

A Triple Shot full of surprises and WTF moments, but not over at DC this week.  

Adventure Time flips the script as the princesses save Finn and Jake, we find out the secret of the Mothervine from Ultimate half-brother Quicksilver in the Ultimate Wolverine, and in the future we see someone else behind the devil horns in the penultimate issue of Daredevil: End of Days.

ADVENTURE TIME #15
WRITER: Ryan North
ART: Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb
Publication Date: April 18, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Boom! Studios
UPC: 84428400279001511
Buy it HERE

FREE SIGNING, in lieu of BOSTON COMIC CON panel on SUN. 4/21 at COMICAZI.

This is changed to a SIGNING at COMICOPIA! #BOSTONSTRONG - Shelli Paroline (Adventure Time) x Braden Lamb (Adventure Time, Ice Age, Duck Tales)

FACEBOOK EVENT

Magic Man is such a butt. He thinks it’s cool to crash Princess Bubblegum’s Princess High Tea Party with his Magic.

Meanwhile, outside Jake and Finn wish they could get in but at least have the respect to honor the only rule—princesses only!

In an attempt to silence the rantings of our favorite purple princess, Lumpy Space Princess (LSP), Magic Man casts a spell to silence her!

We could have used like, a few more panels of like, LSP calling her friend Melissa who by glob just needs to hear about this lumping party, but Jake wearing Finn as a suit dives like James Brady to stop the spell.

This saves the princesses’ voice but Finn and Jake fall silent!

The boys are able to communicate using pictures in their speech balloons, a technique only possible in comic books! Much like the recent A Glitch is A Glitch episode, AT continues to effortlessly push boundaries of all mediums. Fans of the show should be all over this book!

Our video game pal BMO is able to communicate with the boys because he is the best at emoticons. After some sammiches, they meet up with the Action Hero princesses defeat Magic Man! Princess Bubblegum has the plan to recover their voices and it totally works!

The Princesses get to save Finn and Jake for a change and LSP is among the heroes!

Don’t skip the Downton Abbey referencing 8 page BMO backup story by Jeremy Sorese. BMO’s memory banks are full, but Princess Bubblegum and Peppermint Butler have a crash plan to recover BMO from defensive mode!


 

ULTIMATE COMICS: WOLVERINE #3 (of 4)
WRITER: Cullen Bunn
ART: David Messina
Publication Date: April 17, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607887500311
Buy it HERE

Jimmy Hudson (Ultimate X) has family secrets. Many family secrets. Raised by adoptive parents James and Heather Hudson he is on a mission to find out more about his past. His biological father is Wolverine, who died by the hands of Magneto in Ultimatum.

The story is told half in flashbacks with Logan as the star. The previous Ultimate X storyline had me a bit interested, mostly because we had just gotten through Ultimatum and legend Art Adams was on art duties. I fell off after a few issues.

This mini-series written by Cullen Bunn caught my eye because I am a fan of Cullen’s work onVenom. The man can write thoughtful stories that are full of action and cool plot points. The subplots here and the flashbacks are on par with the pacing and storytelling of the Venom book and there are always great cliffhangers at the end.

Many years ago Logan is investigating Project: Mothervine, a secret government project to produce mutants, when he meets The Witch, Magda Lensherr. Magda was at one point married to Magneto, and they sired creep Quicksilver and his sister Wanda (Scarlet Witch). After Logan and Magda hook up, it is revealed that she is Jimmy’s biological mother. Meaning, if you follow the genealogy strings that Jimmy and Quicksilver are the not only brothers, but the only surviving members of the family.

The end of the issue leaves Jimmy and mutant travel companion Black Box imprisoned in an undisclosed Quicksilver jail. They plot their escape and overthrow of Pietro. Next issue will be the last of the mini, and we are rooting for our new Ultimate Wolverine to take on the strength of his father’s legacy to face the evil Lensherr as he rises as a powerful evil mutant.

DAREDEVIL: END OF DAYS #7 (of 8)
WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack
PENCILS: Klaus Janson
FINISHED ART: Bill Siekiewicz
COLORS: Matt Hollingsworth
Publication Date: April 17, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960606046700711
Buy it HERE

This is a future tale, a Dark Knight Returns for Daredevil written and drawn by creators who have had a long history with The Man Without Fear.
This is a true masterwork, years in the making, that delivers on so many levels with each issue. The collected edition of this book will be a recommendation for years to come as an example of how to tell a story.

Daredevil has been murdered, in the public eye, by Bullseye.

Matt speaks one final word, “Mapone”, and it is up to Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich to write the story of Daredevil and find out what Mapone might mean. Is it a name, a hideout, an enemy or a long lost son? We’re no closer to discovering the answer as issue #7 rolls around.

While visiting The Church of the Hand, Incorporated, Urich is telekinetically overtaken by Tanaka after inquiring about Mapone. Tanaka demands to see Ben’s notes and asks him what he knows about Daredevil’s trainer, Stick. Urich narrowly escapes, but is he unharmed?

Ben makes his way to an address he was tipped off about, and finds some information but only before being trailed by The Hand ninjas. 

A young Daredevil rescues Urich with the aid of The Punisher. In the fracas, Urich is struck by an arrow, and in a soon to be classic reveal, the new Daredevil unmasks and comforts the reporter.

We’ll be both sad and satisfied when this story is done. Bendis and Mack have included all of the rogues, most of the ladies and tropes of 49 years of continuity in this limited series set in the future.

Next April will be Daredevil’s 50th, and this collection will be a great way to commemorate that anniversary. Masters Janson and Sienkiewicz know the dark world of Hell’s Kitchen well, and rival only Frank Miller himself in drawing countless ninja on a page.

Well done, sirs. 

 [READ MORE at FORCESOFGEEK.COM]

TRIPLE SHOT: X #0, INVINCIBLE UNIVERSE #1, G.I.JOE: COBRA FILES #1

Triple Shot stays independent this week with some violent first issues to get the blood flowing through your veins and onto the street.

We start with the resurrected X from Dark Horse and move toward the expanded Invincible Universe and finally ending with Volume 4 of Mike Costa’s spyfi G.I.Joe: Cobra Series from IDW.

X #0 - “THE PIGS”
WRITER: Duane Swierczynski
ART: Eric Nguyen
Publication Date: April 10, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
UPC: 76156822568600011
Buy it HERE

Duane Swierczynski can write us a violent comic book with dark dark and violent leading men. His work on both the Punisher and Valiant Comic’s reboot of Bloodshot are proof of this recently. We begin to wonder if he reflects on the real life corruption and violence of his hometown of Philadelphia.

X #0 from Dark Horse Comics debuts this week, originally printed in the popular anthology comic Dark Horse Presents, this one-shot introduces the city of Arcadia and the upper echelon of the criminal underworld running the city.

Missing an eye, and with a cool costume with a red ‘X’ on his hood (look out, new Cyclops, X was here first!) the character is foreboding and intimidating. Our boy is similar to Frank Castle in this way, with one exception. If you are a bad buy, and you receive a picture of yourself in the mail with a red-Sharpied ‘X’ across your face, get out of town. This is X’s warning….he’s coming for you.

X uses a variety of weapons from swords to fists, car bombs, machine guns, serrated knives and crowbars to get various jobs done and wipe out the major players in Arcadia in this issue.

X is as cunning as Batman and Punisher, and seems to have the upper hand on the criminals in the book from unseen detective work. Swierczynski even works in the obvious parallels as boss Pietrain is taunting him from his panic room.

This book reminds me of ‘90s Punisher War Journal and War Zone, in the best way possible. Lone vigilante, spilling guts and getting the bad guys. The X reboot is off to a great start, with an ongoing promised on the last page. Be careful, though, you may be off of spaghetti and sausage for a few days after reading this book. The Arcadia Meatpacking District sausage ingredients are very ‘fresh’.

INVINCIBLE UNIVERSE #1
WRITER: Phil Hester
ART: Todd Nauck
Publication Date: April 10, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Image Comics
UPC: 70985301354900111
Buy it HERE

Phil Hester continues to expand on the Invincible Universe with a new #1 issue this week. Formerly a spinoff ofInvincible, Guardians of the Globe (or Guarding the Globe) spotlighted the popular superhero team featured in the original series.

A hybrid of Avengers or Justice League, and led by Invincible’s sometime boss, Cecil Stedman, the Guardians are protecting the globe from the usual—Viltrumite mustaches, underwater monsters, prison breaks—that sort of thing.

Let’s also point out that Invincible is in no way a leader to the team.

Sometime’s he’s just getting in the way of Robot and company doing their real work anyway and it always seems like there’s some resentments brewing on the Guardians side, with Mark directly or indirectly putting the world at risk with his actions, constantly.

Cecil is barking orders at his new assistant who he wishes to call Agent Edelman, not her given name at all. Taking action across the world are The Guardians, cleaning up after the events ofInvincible #100. Cecil observes remotely and strategizes his chess moves. Disappointingly, the team is not ever assembled properly in this setup issue, but seen in vignettes of them in action across the world.

The title change from Guardians to Invincible Universe seems to be including more of the Skybound! imprint’s properties like The Astounding Wolf-Man, Capes, Inc. and Tech Jacket. 

Overall I’m curious to see where the story is headed, with a new villain introduced toward the end of the issue that reminds us of Fin Fang Foom! 

Phil Hester is great, and so is Todd Nauck on art, and I understand the expansion of the property to more than one book, but Invincible by Kirkman will always be the canonical Invincible story. Lee and Kirby created the Marvel Universe, but with many other collaborators introducing stories along the way to weave the fabric. With only a few writers and artists interpreting the Kirkman vision for the Invincible Universe, the side stories feel like they don’t mean much or fall flat sometimes. 

Two thumbs up for this book, for sure, but let’s blow this thing out with more mini-series and some new heroes. This is a great alternative to mainstream superhero team books like Teen Titans, Justice League or any of the Avengers books.

G.I.JOE: COBRA FILES #1 (COBRA Vol. 4)
WRITER: Mike Costa
ART: Antonio Fuso
Publication Date: April 10, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing
UPC: 82771400452600111
Buy it HERE

It’s a new season of G.I.Joe: Cobra kicking off this week under a new title. Mike Costa continues his espionage book on the G.I.Joe franchise that caused a great reaction to the repurposing of Hawaiian shirt wearing Chuckles in 2009.

Chuckles assassinated Cobra Commander with a gunshot wound to the head, and sacrificed himself to nuke Cobra Island in the pages of this book.

Basically, there is no messing around here.

Fans of the new G.I.Joe: Retaliation movie would be confused by picking up these books, whereas fans of 24 and Homeland will be delighted.

By the end of the last volume, there is a new Pit headquarters in Las Vegas for a cadre of Joes and a very important prisoner, Tomax Paoli. The surviving crimson twin has been providing insider Cobra intel for the Joes upon striking an agreement with them. In this first issue of the new season, Tomax is plotting his escape or purposefully leaking info that will benefit him, such as tracking down his personal Cobra enemies, therefore putting his deal in jeopardy.

On the Joe team, Chameleon, half-sister of the Baroness is having an identity crisis. A defector from Cobra and also someone with insider Cobra intel is being psychoanalyzed on the first pages of the book. When she heads out to the field on a mission to tackle Copperhead, things go FUBAR when the ex-Cobra officer’s son points a shotgun at her.

Flint resolves the situation with quick legwork. 

In an attempt to self-treat her PTSD, Chameleon rushes to the comforting arms of a fellow soldier, but this very well could affect her relationships with the rest of her team.

We’re off to another great run on this non traditional licensed property book. People love G.I.Joe: Cobra, and for good reason. There is espionage, tech, business at a multinational level and great action. It’s especially cool to see a updated versions of previously silly action figures Croc Master, Copperhead and Tomax/Xamot (RIP). 

A teaser from last season’s closer is dropped on us at the end. The mystery of the late Cobra Commander’s son, in a coma. We hope his name is Billy and he can recall Arashikage training. 

“Cobra-La-La-La-La-La!”

TRIPLE SHOT: MISS FURY #1, INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #6 & HARBINGER WARS #1

Sometimes triple shot might mean to you 3 shots of espresso over ice, with caramel, whipped cream and salt. 

Before exclaiming “Ew!”, you gotta realize that too much of a good thing is still many good things all jammed into one big awesome thing. 

This week’s stack of comics is the $8 coffee drink of the springtime, worth every delicious penny.

MISS FURY #1

WRITER: Rob Williams 
ART: Jack Herbert
COVER: Alex Ross
Publication Date: April 3, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
UPC: 72513020398400111
Buy it HERE

The Shadow, Green Hornet, The Spider and more are fighting The Justice Party over in the pulp superhero book,Masks.

They are joined by a proto-Catwoman (Black Cat, Hellcat, take your pick) Miss Fury to add a bit of feline finesse to the team.

Here at the new #1, we’re given a fresh origin story of the character and some insight into her powers.

The story opens in 1943 atop the roof of a museum wherein lies the Rwandan Diamond Crown. Miss Fury takes on a cadre of goons and a time traveling Nazi. She’s saved by Harmon, an O.S.S. (CIA) man who she promptly punches before falling through a skylight and into a time portal, waking up in modern day Manhattan.

At this point we’re given her African safari origin story and hallucinogenic ritual that grants her powers before returning to America to find out her father is dead, leaving Marla Drake all of his fortune. Miss Drake returns changed from her experience abroad and sets her eyes on stealing the crown. The cat burglar gene runs strong in her trope!

The burglar aspect of the story is not the strong point, the real hook is the Butterfly Effect time travel reveal at the end. Why is Miss Fury traveling through Nazi time portals and what kind of world does she confront in the present? Read issue #2 to find out. This book for fans of Black Cat, Catwoman, Doctor Who and of course Dynamite’s Masks team book!
 

INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #6

WRITER: Mark Waid
ART/COVER: Walter Simonson
COLORS: Andreas Mossa
Publication Date: April 3, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607908700611
Buy it HERE

Alright, we’ve been blowing up Mark Waid a bit here but for good reason.

He’s cranking out the hot stuff lately. While Waid’s storytelling is intelligent and moves the industry forward in ways (Daredevil, Thrillbent) the real news about this issue is his collaboration with longtime Thor artist Walter Simonson on art in Indestructible Hulk #6.


The setup for this book is that Dr. Bruce Banner is working for S.H.I.E.L.D. as a research scientist and top brainy guy. You know who also works for S.H.I.E.L.D.?

The Hulk.

While we’re not certain on the overtime pay for a split personality, we do know how Hulk is employed. When something needs a good smash, send Hulk in, and he smashes away. It’s controlled chaos, Hulk used as a weapon for the government. Only now realizing this is pretty similar to the current Venom premise, whereby Flash Thompson is given monitored access to the Venom symbiote to give him powers as a super soldier.

What better use of Walter Simonson’s talents than to put him on a Hulk book and to include our good friend Thor Odinson. That’s right, boys and girls, Banner travels to Jotunheim (you may remember the land of the Frost Giants from the Thor movie) to gather up some legendary energy source of some kind or another. Who cares? The excitement explodes on the facing page when the Thor we grew up with in the 80s swoops down with Mjolnir to ask what they are doing there.

It seems the Son of Odin does not recognize his friend Banner, and Bruce is also wondering in his narration why Thor is not wearing his modern costume. Perhaps we have a doppelganger Thor here?

At this point the Frost Giants show up, and attack Thor and the team. Banner is encapsulated in ice, a familiar place for an Avenger, before getting super pissed and having his growth spurt. Luckily it’s easier for him to fight Frost Giants as Hulk, but he can’t do it without assistance. The Asgardian at this point is separated from his mighty hammer.

I started off getting Waid’s first issues, with Lenil Yu on art and it was great, but dropped off. If we get two masters on one book for a while this will be a no-brainer and an easy recommendation to anyone that’s not on the Wednesday comic book cycle.

HARBINGER WARS #1

WRITERS: Joshua Dysart
STORY: Joshua Dysart & Duane Sweirczynski
ART: Clayton Henry, Clayton Crain, Mico Suayan
COVER: Lewis LaRosa
Publication Date: April 3, 2013
Price: $3.99
UPC: 85899200308600111
Buy it HERE

The relaunch of Valiant Comics was an industry shot in the arm with it’s Summer of Valiant last year.

A strong suit of the ‘90s Valiant Universe was it’s similarity to the Marvel Universe, as there was a shared history of the fictional universe, with diverse characters and story lines ranging from aliens to psionicly powered children, ninjas and voodoo.


This made for easy crossovers and guest appearances in the books.

Miming the success of these crossovers, we have had Ninjak appear in X-O Manowar in the reboot and now we have the first official event comic or crossover in the modern takes on the characters in Harbinger Wars #1.

The Harbingers are close to an X-Men type team with super powered kids of all different ‘psionic’ abilities, lead by corporate mastermind Toyo Harada. The Harbinger Foundation has been colluding with the government’s Project Rising Spirit program to imprison some of the most powerful young psiots and use them for deadly immoral missions.

A new cast of young psiots are introduced with cool codenames like Chronos, The Telic, Traveler and Hive (we’re Legion of Superheros fans here, Chronos-Boy has a nice ring to it, too!). Of course we see Harbinger Peter Stanchek here with his rebels and he even has an encounter/vision of The Bleeding Monk (still the creepiest).

Bloodshot, a product of Project Rising Spirit liberates some of the imprisoned psiots from their facility, and Harada is in hot pursuit of losing his precious weapons.

It’s Bloodshot teaming with the rebels to protect these kids, as Toyo Harada and the rest of the Harbinger team players are seeking revenge. And this is the action only in issue #1 of four.

Amazing art, story and crossing over of characters we have been waiting for since last summer in these fine looking books. Starting Valiant launches an 8-bit campaign with pixelated covers of all of their books. Only weeks away is Harbinger Wars: Battle for Las Vegas, an 8-Bit Game tied into the series coming to Android and iOS. I can’t wait to shoot guns as Bloodshot!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT: GREEN HORNET #1, DARK KNIGHT #18 & DOCTOR WHO #7

Let’s line ‘em up boys. 

It’s been an unusually long work week so let’s knock back some Green Hornet from Mark Waid, Ethan Van Sciver’s take on The Dark Knight starring Mad Hatter and listen to Cracker’s Low as the soundtrack to the latest Doctor Who — in space!

MARK WAID’S GREEN HORNET #1
WRITER: Mark Waid
ART: Daniel Indro
COVER: Paulo Rivera
Publication Date: March 27, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
UPC: 72513020289500111


I wished to keep this as a two word review: “Mark Waid”, but we all know you deserve my usual insight and over use of exclamation points to extoll the virtues of another fine comic from the man that brought us Kingdom Comeand delivers every month with a fantastically positive and anachronistic Daredevil comic for Marvel. His digital publishing initiative under the Thrillbent banner continues to add value to the comic market by offering a platform for writers and artists to take advantage of the digital form.

Mark’s take on The Green Hornet is on pace with his Daredevil work. The changes to the mythos are subtle enough to pay tribute to the history all the while introducing elements of suspense and modern comic storytelling.

Newspaper man Britt Reid is the great nephew of The Lone Ranger and uses his financial resources to infiltrate the mob from the inside and do damage from the inside. Of course Kato is there as his chauffeur and confidante. 

This issue has it all in order of scale. The scene is 1941 Chicago. We go from Britt’s office to his lair to reveal his car Black Beauty. From there the duo hits the docks as the world’s first ‘super-criminal’. Britt uses his and Kato’s fists to clean up the city as well as The Fourth Estate to bring down criminals. Waid cites Citizen Kane as an inspiration for the story.

Get on board fast with this book. Mark Waid is the master of the first issue, leaving us with a serial cliffhanger while packing a rich storyline with resolution in the first issue.

I hope Dynamite is able to match Daredevil sales on issues and trade paperbacks with this book. It is a fun ride shotgun in Black Beauty. Newcomer artist Daniel Indro pleases us with his realistic storytelling and dynamic action.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #18
WRITER: Greg Hurwitz
ART/COVER: Ethan Van Sciver
Publication Date: March 27, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194130643801811


This book was the ‘adjectiveless Spider-Man’ of the New 52 at it’s inception.

DC gave David Finch a fair shot of writing a Batman book that he would illustrate. I was aboard for the first few issues then dropped it for lack of interest in the story. I mean, I was already going broke picking up Bat-titles from Morrison, Snyder, Daniel and Simone.

I joked around on my podcast as not considering Batman: The Dark Knight canon. 

This was a book I was picking up for the art anyway. A few creative team changes later I was delighted to see Ethan Van Sciver on art duties for the book written by bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz. OK, OK, I can recognize this as canon now!

Van Sciver and Geoff John’s Flash: Rebirth brought Barry Allen back to the DCU back when I was getting back into comic books after an unusual nearly 10 year break. I’d always loved The FlashTV show, so Barry coming back was a big deal to me! Van Sciver’s art is the kind I admire because I could never draw like him or McFarlane or Rags Morales.

More lines and detail please, thank you!

Here in issue #18 we go to the dark place of the New 52 Secret Origin of Batman rogue The Mad Hatter. As a pre-teen boy, Jervis Tetch is teased about his height but is given the choice of taking enhancing growth hormones. “One pill makes you bigger”. Hurwitz threw me for a loop with the subtle Alice in Wonderland reference. Jervis asks the girl he is crushing on, also an Alice, to the dance and ultimately gets friend-zoned. Let’s just say that years later when Jervis puts on his top hat that he doesn’t forget about poor Alice when he pays her a visit.

Catwoman makes an appearance and there is some flirty tension as she pulls a Jason Todd and steals a Bat-hubcap. Bruce obviously has a panic attack or lack of reason so he shows Selina all of his secrets and reveals his identity to her. Not really sure where that element of the story is going but we will see. Is it just a bad trip? We hope so!

Great issue and great art but I want to see Ethan Van Sciver draw more Bat-action. If he filled in for Capullo on Snyder’s book I think we would see more action but hopefully Hurwitz has more in store for The Dark Knight coming soon. I am on board and recognizing this as canon so bring it on!

DOCTOR WHO #7 (Vol. 3)
WRITER: Joshua Hale Fialkov
ART: Horacio Domingues/Andres Ponce
COVER: Mark Buckingham
Publication Date: March 27, 2013
Price: $3.99
UPC: 82771400379600711


Lots of Who stuff to be excited about with the return of Series 7 and the 50th anniversary this year.

So how about the comics?

Yes. Even more timey-wimey enjoyment can be found with The Doctor in the pages of your favorite four-color fare. IDW’s Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time showcases a one issue adventure from each of the Doctors, with an overarching story of kidnapped companions.


The regular ongoing Doctor Who from IDW starring the eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith has a rotating roster of talent including Andy Diggle and Mark Buckingham.

The latest is a space race story written by Joshua Hale Fialkov (I, Vampire) and drawn by Horacio Domingues. 

The Doctor heeds a call from a cosmonaut in 1961 after he loses his comrade in a spacewalk to one of the most deadly species in the universe, Vashta Nerada. Vashta Nerada were last scene in the Tenth Doctor episode Silence in the Library. The shadow virus swarm traps the Doctor out of the TARDIS and they are forced in the tin can of the Vostok capsule. Life support is running out as we leave the Doctor and cosmonaut there to face the swarm cloud.

Domingues and Ponce deliver great and clean line work in the style of Jamie McKelvie or Ming Doyle, and the colors by Adrian Salmon are the right balance of subdued and flat without being boring. Looking forward to this creative team next issue and more from them in the future.

Cosmonauts are cool.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK.com]

TRIPLE SHOT: CHEW #32, ACTION COMICS #18, THE WHISTLING SKULL #4

Image has another huge week with too many books to review so we pick on the cibopathic Chew for our first shot this week. 

Over at DC we knock back a potion of Grant Morrison’s final Action Comicsissue before dusting off the JSA Liberty Files: Whistling Skull #4.

CHEW #32

WRITER/LETTERER: John Layman
ART/COLOR: Rob Guillory
Publication Date: March 20, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Image Comics
UPC: 70985300808803211

Image had an incredible week, and when you are the go-to place to publish your own work and have the top talent in the industry dropping projects at your feet, you inevitably have some of the best books come shipping consistently.

It has been nearly four years since the debut of Chew, a crime story in the not so distant future where eating chicken is illegal. Not only that, the FDA has risen as a top federal crime agency and in this world people have sense based superpowers.

Some can communicate through food, detect the future of what they eat, and some like the star of the book, Tony Chu can read the history of the food he eats.

That is to say, when Tony eats a hamburger he experiences the lives and loss of 100 cows. This comes in handy, when more than once Tony has had to sink his teeth into a corpse to find out what happened to the body.

Chew is a hilarious book based on such a bizarre concept that is the reason for it’s success. You’d be lost picking this issue up if you are not caught up, a lot has happened in the past few issues. Newcomers should pick up the perennial bestsellers Chew Vol.1 in paperback or hardcoverOmnivore Edition.

Tony tackles terrorists at the taco tasting and immerses himself in his work while mourning the loss off his sister. Over lunch a strawberry milkshake lunch, tensions rise between Colby and D-Bear in an illegal chicken shack when Colby connects the dots on D-Bear’s post mission phone calls. Luckily this ends in a knock out fight in the kitchen with butcher knives and swearing.

Near the end of the issue, Tony makes plans to reconnect with his cibopathic daughter, Olive Chu.

Fun issue but this would be confusing to anyone not caught up, so save your lunch money for a few days and pick up the trade to dine on these fine comics!

ACTION COMICS #18

WRITER: Grant Morrison, Sholly Fisch
ARTIST: Rags Morales, Chris Sprouse and more
Publication Date: March 20, 2013
Price: $4.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194130637701811

Mr. Morrison has had quite a couple of weeks. First, the death of Robin Damian Wayne in Batman Incorporated #8, and now this…

Grant and Rags finish up their run on Action Comics, starring none other than the big guy, Superman.

The breaking news is that Andy Diggle (The Losers, Daredevil, Doctor Who), tapped to take over after this team’s departure with Tony Daniel (Batman, Detective Comics) on art has quit the title over professional differences with DC Comics.

Tony Daniel will now be both writing and drawing the book, after Diggle’s one and only issue #19 hitting the stands next month.

We’re going to be keeping an eye on this nugget of gossip for sure. Many creators have expressed similar differences with the higher ups at DC since the New 52 relaunch.

This issue was not cheap at a $4.99 cover price but was worth the price of admission to the fifth dimension. Morrison has done what he promised to do in his bestselling novel Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human. He’s let Schrödinger’s cat in and out of the multidimensional bag and referenced 75 years of Superman’s history from each Crisis to silly Golden Age Legion of Super-Heroes stories starring Superboy to a brand new and over arching reconfiguration of the Fifth Dimensional imp Mister Mxyzptlk. 

If you can let this 18 issue Superman story wash over you from a place of superhero innocence and remember that this is the development of Clark Kent before joining the Justice League, this issue leaves off at a great point. By feeling that Clark graduated from the blue jeans and sprinting around in a single bound to fighting fifth dimensional time bubbles and hoisting an impossibly giant Doomsday into space, Kal is ready to take on saving Metropolis and the world (and the terraformers on Mars) hundreds of times over. 

Supergods could be a prerequisite to Morrison’s Action run, I’m curious to see if fans were turned off from the writing here, because I was teetering on the line of enjoyment / confusion through most of it, with leaning toward over 90% of enjoyment by the end of each issue. The trick is that Morrison doesn’t want these to be easy comics to read, and the more you understand that the better your experience may be!

The backup story drawn by Chris Sprouse and sometime Action writer Sholly Fisch is a cute and well drawn story set in the future at a Superman museum. This is in the era of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Basically a young kid stands up to bullying while Superman videos play in the background and we hear “Man of Tomorrow”, “Faster than a speeding bullet”, “Look, up in the sky” as sound bytes from the movies. Sprouse is an amazing artist, and we hope to see him draw more DC Comics in the future. He may not though, as he also jumped ship from his DC assignment Adventures of Superman earlier this month with anti-gay bigot writer Orson Scott Card. Sprouse did the Kal El thing and stood up for justice. Way to go, Chris!

THE WHISTLING SKULL #4 (JSA LIBERTY FILES)

WRITER: B. Clay Moore
ARTIST: Tony Harris
Publication Date: March 20, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194126988700411

As we near the end of this week’s missive, save for the most popular superhero of all time, these books aren’t that easy to pick up and enjoy without a bit of prep.

Luckily the audience here has years of comic book experience to be able to handle this kind of thick, psychedelic and rare form of comic book suggestions that you’ve come to expect from us!  That is to say, when suggesting you read The Whistling Skull, branded as JSA Liberty Files, you’ll undoubtedly not be surprised that this book has absolutely nothing to do with Justice Society, Earth Two, Jay Garrick or Hawkman.

B. Clay Moore and Tony Harris have devised a way to tell old school bizarre tales of the weird starring original characters under the DC Comics banner. With no connection to the New 52, no superheroes that you know, and starring The Whistling Skull alongside partner Nigel this is a very strange book, indeed. 

This is also the book I am most looking forward to reading each month.

The Whistling Skull and Nigel are patrolling the English countryside and stumble upon the work of ex-communicated Nazi doctor Klaus Hellman. Hitler was not keen on Hellman’s machinations for making his own brand of super-soldier and was kicked out of the reich. Posing as broken down circus caravan, The Whistling Skull and Nigel stop to assist but are trapped by the Nazi Hellman and his band of gypsy freaks.

The origin of The Whistling Skull and his powers are slowly being revealed, but he is the most recent in a long line of Skulls. Nigel is a sweet and innocent—albeit not that bright—Watson to the Skull’s Sherlock. This fantastical WWII superhero adventure story sits on the shelf nearHellboy/B.P.R.D. or is reminiscent of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Also, what is amazing about this book is that while familiar, it is truly unique in scope and the art by Tony Harris is amazingly detailed and dark. Noir overtones, occult madness, Nazi Doctors and a skull with a steampipe on the right temple. Can you ask for anything more? Yes. “More issues of this please”, I say, with my fingers crossed, to not have DC editorial mess with this amazing book!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT: SLEDGEHAMMER 44 #1, BUDDY COPS #1 & WOLVERINE #1

We’ve got robots, suits of armor and a drunken space cop in our Triple Shot this week.  Over at Marvel NOW! the Brits give Wolverine a makeover.   That is, they blast his flesh off of the bone and make over his body once or twice in the first few pages of Woverine #1 by Paul Cornell and Alan Davis.

 SLEDGEHAMMER 44 #1 (of 2)

WRITER: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
ARTIST: Jason Latour
COLORS: Dave Stewart
Publication Date: March 13, 2013
Price: $3.50
Publisher: Dark Horse
UPC: 76156818145600111

Hellboy and B.P.R.D stories are usually dropped in time rich after WWII and Hellboy’s origin.

This particular story is right in the middle of the war, in 1944 with grunts, cigarettes, nets over the helmets and classic call backs to the classic comics of Joe Kubert or Joe Simon. This two parter expands the Hellboy-verse to include a man in a suit of armor charging at a Nazi foothold in France after being dropped in the shell of a Blockbuster bomb onto the battlefield.

The U.S. soldiers on the ground are given strict orders to be backup for the behemoth Project Epimetheus aka Sledgehammer 44. Nazi soldiers are no match for the super-powered suit, but the Germans counter with an enormous S.S. robot that crashes it’s way out of the enemy armory it is protecting. The Lost in Space looking armored enemy gets the upperhand on the Allied weapon and our boys retreat, dragging the mysterious knocked out Sledgehammer back to base camp. Will the Nazi’s catch up to finish off old Sledgy?

Jason Latour gives us great pages of classic looking comic art on this war story. The design of our new hero is all Mignola, but the storytelling is textbook Kubert School and all details wonderfully rendered in a classic illustrative line.

The book was intended for the late John Severin to draw and collaborate on with Mignola and Arcudi. The Marvel artist passed away in 2012, and rather than shelve the script, the book was released and dedicated to the master penciller with reverence to his memory.

My only complaint is that this book is only two issues! We hope to see more of our WWII ‘Ironed Man’ in the future.




BUDDY COPS #1 (One-Shot)
WRITER: Nate Cosby
ARTIST: Evan ‘Doc’ Shaner
Publisher: Dark Horse
Publication Date: March 13, 2013
Price: $2.99
UPC: 76156822968400111

From the pages of Dark Horse Presents is the story you haven’t been asking for in Buddy Cops #1. Reprinting the material from the anthology series with some bonus material for good measure is the story of two cops—well, not exactly.

This is the story of a partnership between T.A.Z.E.R. and Uranus.  You see, Uranus is an intergalactic space cop, you know the type; a guardian or part of a corp. Uranus caught drinking on the job and was demoted to lowly duties, earthbound as it were as a regular beat walking stick swinging cop.

They let him keep his space sword and jetpack, though. It gets wacky when a janitor reboots a 1970s uptight traffic enforcement cop android called Tactical Android Zoned for Efficient Resolution, (T.A.Z.E.R.). Stick these two in a cruiser and see what happens!

I identify most with Uranus, who screams out Wu-Tang lyrics on the scene of the crime. Old T.A.Z.E.R. is just a fuddy duddy automaton with no game, but on the plus side has a detachable head that more than once comes in handy in combat. 

The ‘tension rises in the third act’ as the partnership is blown apart by Uranus getting married and then impregnated by a member of the plant-like Fregnar race. Uranus’ daughter tries to eat all of the people in the city and the team is back together again as T.A.Z.E.R. forgives and forgets.

This is such a funny book and it’s great to see ‘Doc’ Shaner work on a full story after following his sketch blog (http://www.evanshaner.com) for the past couple of years. Nate Cosby has a new all ages book book Cow Boy (http://cowboycomic.net/about) with letterer and artist Chris Eliopoulos that we’re dying to check out soon!

This book ain’t nuttin to F$% wit’.

WOLVERINE #1 
WRITER: Paul Cornell
ARTIST: Alan Davis
Publisher: Marvel
Publication Date: March 13, 2013
Price: $3.99
UPC: 75960607921600111

I’m in. Well, I’m most of the way in with Marvel NOW! Not all books appeal to me but what would be the fun in that anyway?  By not rebooting the 616, but updating the titles and characters to be more aligned with the movie universes is just fine with me.

I’ve not been a huge X-Men fan since the ‘90s, but hey—now I’m reading two team X-Men books. The excitement I have for the mutant plight as analogue for oppression and sticking it to the man has never been higher, and now with so much happening with Bendis’ teams, it’s good to also attach myself to my favorite Bub, Wolverine.

Sure, Logan’s all grown up now and an Avenger somehow (look, I’m behind the times, OK?) but this new Wolverine title is exactly what I need and is almost reminiscent of the Larry Hama run on the book. Let’s have Wolverine go off and have solo missions like the good old days! Marvel and DC ‘time’ obviously allows for these guys to be in four or five different books seemingly at the same time (sorry, the kid in me still thinks about that stuff) but that’s where the fun comes in.

It seems that Paul Cornell and Alan Davis have Logan becoming a detective for a few issues before returning him to a team or running into any other heroes. This book can exist on it’s own already and we’re only on issue #1. Older fans of Wolverine have a great start here to jump on board, as no current continuity is referenced (besides the aforementioned Avengers bits).

Who is this kid that wants to take his father’s ray gun and watch Iron Insides regenerate over and over again? Looks like Logan is tracking his scent in the next issue, and I can tell you I’m on board. This is the kind of art that made X-Men and Excalibur comics must reads from the spinner rack coupled with equally masterful storytelling by Paul Cornell.

This is top of the stack stuff, for sure.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

Triple Shot: 47 RONIN #3, MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #4, LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #6

This week, we find out what Spike has been up to back at Canterlot while most everypony was in the Changeling Kingdom trying to escape the wrath of Queen Chrysalis in the latest issue of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a book I only buy for my niece and no other reason.

Plus, Digital Dark Knight stories from some of the best independent comic creators are collected and a look at the masterless samurai of Stan Sakai and Mike Richardson’s 47 Ronin.   

47 RONIN #3 (OF 5)
WRITER: Mike Richardson
ARTIST: Stan Sakai
Publication Date: March 6, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dark Horse
UPC: 76156815949300311


Dark Horse Comics publisher Mike Richardson has been fascinated by the story of 47 ronin since the inception of his comic book company.

The national ‘story of Japan’ is one of honor, sacrifice and loyalty in feudal Japan at the start of the 18th century.

Masterful artist of Usagi Yojimbo fame, Stan Sakai, was chosen as the perfect artist for the story by Richardson. 

Along with help from legendary manga writer Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub), Richardson has the resources he needs to make an authentic and beautiful five issue portrayal of the legend in comic book form, no doubt to have this passion project collected into a beautiful hard bound edition eventually.

Both Sakai and Richardson have made research trips to Japan to study location, wood prints, and visit the gravesite of the 47 ronin. Sakai has been quoted as basing his artwork on these woodblock prints to further carry on the visual tradition of telling this story. While most famous for drawing a cartoon rabbit samurai, Stan has used these woodcuts as basis for the expressive mouths and character design of the humans in the story in tribute to the more traditional versions of the story.

Issue #3 deals with the collection and scheming of the ronin who wish to avenge the wrongful seppuku death of their master Lord Asano. Many say goodbye to their family as they wait nearly a year to attack the shogun Kira who is responsible for Kiro’s death.

Tensions are high at the end of this issue and the attack is coming soon. As I’m not familiar with the story of the 47 ronin, I hope to read this and do more personal research on the subject myself to compare and contrast with more traditional storytelling of the legend. From two accomplished comic book samurai, I’ll take this version as more than just an introduction to the story of Japan. I’ll take this as the ultimate interpretation in my favorite art form, much as I do for Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha volumes.

LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #6
WRITER/ARTIST: Various (Jeff Parker, Gabriel Hardman, Guillem March, Michael Avon Oeming)
Publication Date: March 6, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194130749700611

There was a lot of Batnews or not-so-Batnews last week with the death of another Robin and the finale of Snyder’sDeath of the Family arc.

This week we go way off the reservation, far away from The New 52 to the digital zone.

No one’s sure of the numerical designation for the universe that exists inside of your iPad or Kindle Fire, but I can tell you the Batman that lives there is not messing around. 

The long running, sometime solo Batbook on the shelves, launched in 1989 ran until 2007, showcasing various creative teams that didn’t get a chance to prove themselves in Batman or Detective Comics. 

2012 saw the relaunch of LOTDK as a digital first series, publishing on a weekly schedule similar to DC Comics Smallville Season 11. Both series are collected in print comics after the fact. 

This week’s issue is chock full of Gotham’s best short stories in years. I don’t know what funny stuff Joker put in these creator’s waterjugs but are we excited about these three short stories. All of the short stories are self-contained 8 page numbers.

Jeff Parker (Agents of Atlas) teams up with Planet of the Apes’ Gabriel Hardman for a quick Batman chases badguy into the arms of G.C.P.D. story. The colors by Marvel mad lady Elizabeth Breitweiser drench the pages with a grim tone to set the mood.

Drop on down to the subbasement sewers of Gotham for Michael Avon Oeming’s (The Mice Templar, Powers) cartoony confrontation with Killer Croc and guest ‘starring’ a captured Hugo Strange that is being forced to create a companion for King Croc.

Rob Williams (Robocop, Avenging Spider-Man) and Juan Jose Ryp (Punisher MAX, Black Summer) deliver the last story in the book and introduce a new mysterious and creepy villain known as Mr. Smith, who reminds us of a tangible Gentleman Ghost. This no name man with an Model T Van is silent and scary with his speechlessness. 

All three short stories make this worth checking out, and a series to keep your eye on in the digital book stores or on the shelf of your LCS.

MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #4    
WRITER:    Katie Cook
ARTIST:    Andy Price / Katie Cook (Backup)
COVER:    Stephanie Buscema
Pub. Date:    March 06, 2013
Your Price:    $3.99
Publisher:    IDW Publishing
UPC:    82771400398700411

I’m almost running out of jokes at the store. “It’s not for me…Can I have a brown paper bag, please…No, I don’t want the MLP plastic bag, who would want that?”

Truth is, my niece—whom I have turned on to the comic book via Tiny Titans, Superman Family Adventures and Peanuts—denies any interest in My Little Pony orAdventure Time comics.

My fascination with these made for all ages properties far outweighs hers and it’s getting to be a bit bothersome to me.
  
Far be it for me to judge the taste of an 11 year old girl, and I guess it’s fine or whatever that she’s more into clothes and dancing and her real friends than learning valuable friendship lessons from My Little Pony, but Uncle Clay is getting sadder each month as Katie Cook’s book hits the shelves and makes it to my place and stays there.

It could be more that the little lady is growing up and I want to cherish the excitement she has when I hand her a stack of comics every couple of months. If my plan works, that excitement will never go away, the comics will just get to be more appropriate for her to check out. I’m just wishing we could connect this one last time on a great book that may skew a little young for her tastes but lines up with my appreciation for a great comic story no matter who the intended audience is.

No sir, I’m not a full card carrying Brony, but having had an encounter with Discord himself, John DeLancie, at the 2012 Rhode Island ComicCon, I’ve become a fan of the show and support the culture. I mean if Bronies get bullied or spat upon and I don’t stand up, how can I defend my right to walk around in my the perfect Babylon 5 Vorlon costume? (Someday…someday).

On to the issue at hand! A final battle occurs between Twilight and Queen Chrysalis in the Changeling Kingdom and the fillies get to return home. Their dragon friend Spike has been back at Canterlot sending the message to Princess Celestia that the girls are in trouble. Katie Cook writes and draws the backup Spike story “In the Interim…” at the end of the issue.

Rating: Cute, funny, awesome, sparkly, action-packed. What more could any pony ask for?

[READ MORE at FORCESOFGEEK.COM]

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TRIPLE SHOT: THE ANSWER #2, DOCTOR WHO: PRISONERS OF TIME #2 & DEATHMATCH #3

THE ANSWER! #2 (OF 4)
Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Mike Norton
Colorist: Mark Englert
Publication Date: February 27, 2013
Publisher: Dark Horse
Price: $3.99
UPC: 7 61568 22480 1 00211

My favorite punk band, Swingin’ Utters released a new song this week, “The Librarians are Hiding Something”.

We know it’s true, right. I mean why do we have to be quiet all the time?  Are we going to wake Cthulhu in there? 

Devin McKenzie has a secret in her library. She loves to stay up late playing computer quiz puzzle games. What Devin didn’t know was that those games were an aptitude test for a suspicious secret organization called the Brain Trust. 

Our costumed hero, The Answer, is decked in all black with utility belt and merely an exclamation point on his mask. 

At the end of issue #1, The Answer has rescued Devin, for now because all of her gaming has flipped an alarm and send bad guys after her. The Answer makes with the punching and rescuing as issue #2 opens up in a bus station in Cincinnati, a few cities away from her native Chicago. 

The Brain Trust wins this round it seems because Devin is easily seduced into the cult of literati, and The Answer is drugged and locked down by Brain Trust for observation.

Lots to enjoy here with this book and if only four issues will make a fun trade for those that like their superheroes quippy like Deadpool and Spidey. Right now we know more of Devin, and she is smart so likely she can think her way out of any impending threat or trap. No origin or backstory provided for The Answer himself but the dialog and jokes about spandex are hilarious.

You honestly can’t go wrong with the creative team. On art is Mike Norton (Battlepug, It Girl andThe Atomics) and on the script is Marvel NOW! writer Dennis Hopeless (Avengers Academy, Cableand X-Force). This is super fun comics and we can appreciate Devin for the strong and smart female lead that she is.

DOCTOR WHO: PRISONERS OF TIME #2 (OF 12)
Writer: Scott and David Tipton
Artist: Lee Sullivan
Publisher:  IDW Publishing
Publication Date: February 27, 2013
Publisher: IDW
Price: $3.99
UPC:      82771400416800221

The 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who is here, and IDW celebrates with a limited series starring each Doctor inDoctor Who Prisoner of Time, Issue #2 out this week.

This book is a treat for Who fans, and offers a great introduction to the other Doctors.

Most of us perhaps grew up with Tom Baker episodes and reinvigorated our fandom with the 2005 series. This issue stars the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, and two companions  Zoe and Jamie. 

The trio Vworps into an intergalactic shopping mall, where one store sells various and sundry Police Boxes. Theirs being the only TARDIS, the ship is disguised among the merchandise as they explore the bazaar.

Suspecting illegal slave trade, by a species called Voraxx, the Doctor cruelly sets up Jamie as bait and the companion is captured. Zoe and The Doctor peruse bikes  in the shoppe, (one bike being a replica of the iconic penny farthing trike from The Prisoner, a cult BBC spy show on television the same time as the second Doctor’s series).

The Voraxx beam away as Zoe and The Doctor follow them onto their Prisoner Slave ship. They spring Jamie and discover a pair of classic Who monsters - The Ice Warriors! (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Ice_Warrior)

Lots of classic BBC action and a right tribute to the classic Doctors from brothers Scott and David Tipton (IDW Star Trek, Star Trek/Doctor Who: Assimilation).

DEATHMATCH #3
Writer:  Paul Jenkins
Artist:  Carlos Magno
Cover: Whilce Portacio
Price: $3.99
Publication Date: February 27, 2013
Publisher:  Boom! Studios

Looks like a new sub-genre of versus battle comics has arrived. Also shipped to stores this week was the more high profile Marvel NOW! Avengers Arena #5.

Both books are based on the Hunger Games/Battle Royalepremise of pitting contestants and in both comic book cases, superheroes,against each other to the death in order to survive.

Paul Jenkins and Carlos Magno have set up their own comic book universe wherein there are a variety of heroes and anti-heroes who may have been fighting for years.

While the Avengers book is using Marvel properties, Jenkins created 32 new characters with  dossiers and faux ‘first appearance’ info featured at the back of each issue.

Vol. 1 of the trade paperback has been solicited from Boom! for April 17 at a bargain $9.99.

Onto the battle for this issue! Hater has preternatural sense of his surrounding and also PTSD from military service. He would be a match to The Punisher mixed with some of Daredevil and Wolverine’s powers. Hater has been pitted by the unseen puppet masters against The Mutate. The Mutate is a beastly human with a catlike face. The Mutate is dedicated to worldwide peace, though proves here that he can follow his killer instincts when attacked.

A fun part of the book is the tournament bracket pages on the back right before four of the character dossiers. Each issue you can make your own bets as to where the tournament is headed.

Also in this issue are reveals of who or what is holding our new favorite heroes in the DEATHMATCH arena. Will the fedora-sporting Rat (think Watchmen’s Rorschach … ‘HURM’) break the code of ‘The Game’?

Keep on this one in issues, folks. The trade will be fun but the cliffhangers will kill ya.

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TRIPLE SHOT: THE SHADOW: YEAR ONE #1, THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #2 & BATWOMAN #17

This week’s Triple Shot loads you up with two pulp heroes, one old and one new, and the conclusion of the World’s Finest team up of Batwoman and Wonder Woman in issue Batwoman #17.

THE SHADOW YEAR ONE #1 (OF 8)
Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: Wilfredo Torres
Publication Date: February 20, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
UPC:  72513020219201011

The origin of The Shadow as told by Matt Wagner (Grendel, Batman) starts this week in an eight issue limited series from Dynamite Entertainment.

The book opens in Cambodia with The Shadow investigating the crimes of The White Tiger, and meting out justice on his own, all the while hiding behind a red scarf.  Months later, alter ego Lamont Cranston disembarks from a cruise ship with seven large valets in tow, piquing the interest of a Clark Kent-looking newspaper man. Close by, a newsie hawks of Black Tuesday and the market crash.

Seems like The Shadow returns to the States just in time to secure his assets and protect the night! 

The action builds up quickly in New York City as gangster Guiseppe ‘Joe’ Massaretti is overwhelmed by a mysterious voice in his head commanding that he take advantage of the banks being in turmoil and to rein in the city’s rival gangs. This momentary hallucination weighs on his mind as his goons chauffeur him around town.

Guiseppe isn’t the only one wobbly by voices in his head! At a Prohibition Era homecoming party, Cranston unprovoked declares, “The weed of crime..takes root EVERYWHERE, I dare say.”

Easy, pal. Someone get him a bathtub Tom Collins!

Joe’s extravagant gal pal Margo Lane is also at the party to make the acquaintance of Lamont Cranston and to continue a quarrel she had earlier with the mobster. Conveniently, The Shadow knows when he sees trouble spark up and makes his presence known to the bad guys.

This is a really fun start to the origin of a character so important to comics and pop culture that I for one had no familiarity with, besides last December’s Masks title from Dynamite and also the 1994 Alec Baldwin feature film. 

We’re cranking through episodes of Boardwalk Empire, and it’s great to catch some familiar references to the Volstead Act and to imagine The Shadow existing somehow in the same romantic fantasy timeline. 

Wilfredo Torres’ art is clean and fits the era, fans of Chris Samnee’s work on Daredevil and Spider-Man will enjoy the artwork.

Overall a very fun pulp origin that I’d like to ‘know’, for fear of being asked at a convention if I’m familiar with Lamont Cranston/Kent Allard. With this series under my belt, I’ll at least be able to fake it!

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #2 (OF 4)
Writer / Artist / Cover: Francesco Francavilla
Publication Date: February 20, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
UPC: 7 61568 22686 7 00211

The Black Beetle is the passion project of Eisner Award winning cover artist for 2012 Francesco Francavilla. The second part of the four part series continues to follow Colt City’s costumed detective.

I was lucky enough to find a hard copy this time, in hopes of having Francesco sign it one day, as issue #1 sold out quickly from the store. A second printing of Issue #1 is due soon, with an amazing new cover.

Dark Horse sandboxes their digital comics ondigital.darkhorse.com and on an iOS app, which is not a bad thing and mostly a great business decision.

I did scratch my head prepping for this review, however because the comic is not where I had expected it to be, on Comixology with the rest of my collection.

Anyhoo. Back to another great story with killer action and noir detective work from FF. Obvious costume nods to Batman and original DC Blue Beetle set you up for what to expect here. Black Beetle as a character could fight alongside Pulp radio heroes The Shadow or The Spider in a book like Masks, but the best part is that this is a brand new book and concept birthed by a love of the genre. 

All art credit and covers are by Francovilla, the exception being the lettering done by Nate Piekos of Blambot. We’re treated to layouts rivaling J.H. Williams III, double page spreads and a limited, sensible but not restrictive, color palette. 

Black Beetle sports leather pouches and gloves, can patch himself up after a nasty fall, but not much is known of his alter ego. We have yet to see his face. We do, however get to see a beautiful steampunk helicopter jet-pack complete with air pressure valves on the chassis. Black Beetle’s car is that of an old ‘40s model, not dissimilar to Batman’s original Batmobile with cow-catcher replacing the front grill.

The nifty gadgets help Beetle escape from last issue’s cliffhanger of course as he travels to the depths of Colt City’s sewers chasing the mystery man dressed in a head to toe labyrinth costume.

The genre relies on cliffhangers, so we are left with our man collecting matchbook clues and fixing his cufflinks for a night on the town. We hope he finds what he’s looking for, but he may just find himself chatting up a dame with a victory roll.

Very highly recommended series to get in on the ground level with, and fans of the noir or serial drama will get an extra joy out of this book because of the creator’s heartfelt respect for the radio days.

BATWOMAN #17
Co-Writer / Artist / Cover: J.H. Williams III
Co-Writer: W. Haden Blackman
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: Todd Klein
Publication Date: February 20, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194126480601711

The red-haired Kate Kane concludes her adventure alongside the more powerful and honestly more interesting Wonder Woman in the latest issue of Batwoman.

While the rest of the Bat-Family is dealing with repercussions of the Death of the Family in last week’sBatman #17, Diana and Kate have had to face Medusa and solve the case of hundreds of missing Gotham children.

The issue introduces a new femme fatale, Hawkfire.

Hawkfire is the rejuvenated spirit of cousin Bette Kane, formerly under the mantle of Flamebird.

J.H. WIlliam’s Batwoman is a must buy book. Innovative page layouts and interesting relationships between all of the support cast make the book not only beautiful to look at but also engage the audience at a high intellectual level.

A monstrous threat, the Mother of all Monsters, looks to engulf Gotham in slime after being summoned by the ancient Medusa and the shamanistic Maro. Batwoman and Wonder Woman are assisted by Hawkfire to take out the major players. Hawkfire disarms Hook Man and sends his Scythe to the depths of the ocean. As a play on Wonder Woman’s original origin, Medusa is turned to stone to break and shattered by Batwoman’s fist.

Ceto, the Mother of all Monsters returns to a more recognizable form as Medusa’s spell is broken along with her body. Kate convinces Diana to end the cycle of ancient violence by not killing the human form of Ceto, but protecting her.

The chapter ends with Hawkfire, Batwoman and Wonder Woman saying goodbye before the Department of Extranormal Operations crashes the party and starts asking too many questions. 

If that wasn’t enough story for you, there are five pages of reveals at the end with so many repercussions, relations, and resurrections that will blow your mind. Just when you thought this book was over you will be dying get at the next issue. This was the best ending for a single issue of a comic in a long time.

Fortunately for you, DC does release Batwoman in trade and if you want some of the best Bat-stories around, start at J.H. Williams III and Greg Rucka’s Elegy and get caught up from there, right into the New 52. The best part about the book is that it remains unchanged from the original DCU version, and all of her origin stays canon.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FORCES OF GEEK: THE CURSE OF DRACULA, STAR WARS #2 & MUDMAN #6

THE CURSE OF DRACULA: Deluxe Hardcover 
Dark Horse Comics 
Publication Date:
February 13, 2013
Format: FC, 96 pages; HC, 7” x 10”
Price: $14.99
ISBN-10: 1-61655-064-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-61655-064-6

This week sees the deluxe hardcover release of a 1998 Dracula story from vampire comic masters Marv Wolfman and the late Gene Colan; the classic Marvel Tomb of Dracula creative team from the 1970s.

This edition includes a new forward by Wolfman as well as sketches and reproduced pages of Colan’s pencil work, sans touchup or Dave Stewart’s colors. 

Set in the late 90s, Dracula is back from the dead and a Van Helsing (Jonathan) carries on his familial tradition of seeking to stake the vampire and stop his bloodlust. It is well after dusk as the scene opens on the hills of San Francisco where we are introduced to the Van Helsing gang armed to the teeth hunting down vampires on a feeding frenzy.

Though not officially to be considered a sequel or associated at all with the Marvel Comics’ Tomb of Dracula series, it is hard to not make the connection here. With Dracula being in the public domain, and so many vampire stories spanning multiple generations dating back to the Middle Ages and sometimes back even further, the Wolfman and Colan Dracula of this book is very familiar. The immortal vampire starring in this role is more Dee Dee Ramone than the Jack Palance complete with black leather motorcycle jacket and Beatle’s haircut.

The protagonist Van Helsing has been hunting vampires since at least 1989, when his vocal chords were severed from one of the blood thirsty beasts. He is accompanied by driver Simon, a half-human/half/vampire Hiroshima (parallel to Marvel’s popular Blade character), and an ex-KGB agent Nikita Kazan. The support hunters do little to carry the story as a whole, but the crew does provide some great dialogue moments for the story and allow for greater schemes in the third act. Sebastian Seward, another descendant of Stoker’s John Seward is saved by the team.

Dracula seduces an influential Senator’s wife, while the gang investigates a coven disguised as a nightclub downtown. The carnage and horror of victims half alive from being drained are on display in the vampire den.

To reveal more would spoil this fine story, but ask yourself, what motivation does an age-old vampire have to get involved with Senator Charles Waterson’s wife? Also, how can you raid a blood-pantry for the local bat guys and gals without quite spilling some of the stuff everywhere? 

There’s plenty of classic horror and scary moonlight scenes as Dracula and his henchmen transform between man and beast, and sometimes appear as a peculiar and disturbing combination of the two, Man-Bats capable of carrying a man five stories high to intimidate him. 

The hunters become hunted themselves as the battle rages on in the third chapter of the book (originally a three-issue limited series). The same vampires vying for their master’s attention are willing to sacrifice all for him. Sadly for them, these cold undead children of the night are no match for the well trained Van Helsing and Seward troop. Armed with automatic wooden stake assault rifles (we’ve always wanted to say that), bullwhips and grenades our team has the upper hand. 

Read More….Star Wars #2 (Dark Horse) and Mud Man #6 (Image)

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