GREEN TEAM: TEEN TRILLIONAIRES #1WRITERS: Art Baltazar & FrancoART: Ig GueraPublication Date: May 22, 2013Price: $3.99Publisher: DC ComicsUPC: 76194131597300111Buy it HEREAw, Yeah Green Team!
DC Comics has resurrected the 1975 Joe Simon Green Team in The New 52 to compliment Gail Simone’s
The Movement comic.
The best part?
It’s written by Art Baltazar and Franco—the famous cartoonists behind
Tiny Titans, Superman Family Adventures and most recently
Aw Yeah Comics.
Up until now, the guys of have been on an all ages initiative at DC, so it is exciting news to see them writing in The New 52.
The Green Team consists of Commodore, J.P. Huston, Cecilia Sunbeam, and young Mohammad. The kids don’t have super powers, can’t tell you where the Batcave is, and aren’t trying to save the world…yet.
They all meet up in the first issue at a pop up expo, POXPO ’13. Here, inventors try to gain angel funding for their latest and greatest machinations. Commodore (Nicknamed “64”—an excellent joke referencing the ‘80s computer) Murphy strolls around the expo determining who should get the funding. That is until he discovers Prince Mohammad is broadcasting the location with his Instagram app. This brings on the trouble and the bad guys looking to rob the youngsters, and steal the tech.
This is a very fun book, and it is great to see Art & Franco in The New 52, bringing their unique brand of humor and universal appeal. These are not known properties, so we can imagine some fun stuff coming down the pike, as the team works from a pretty clean slate.
These kids have a good heart, so let’s not condemn this 1% — I have a feeling they will use this funny money to help the world, not doom it.
AKANEIRO #1 (of 3)WRITER: Justin AclinART: Vasilis LolosPublication Date: May 22, 2013Price: $3.99Publisher: Dark Horse ComicsUPC: 76156822674400111Buy it HEREWho’s afraid of a big bad mash-up? Not us!
Akaneiro is part fairy tale, part Japanese folklore and 100% video game tie in. The book is based on America McGee’s
Akaneiro: Demon Hunters video game which itself draws it’s storyline from Little Red Riding Hood.
Set in a mystical version of Japan’s Edo era, the Red Hunter Fumiyo avenges the death of her mother who was killed by a wolf yokai (apparition).
She is sent to train with a rival clan, the Akane.
In order to start this training journey, she must travel through the woods alone, with her axe. Some demon rabbit yokai try to slow her down but do not. She is faced with a fork in the path and a wolf yokai has disguised himself to trick her into choosing her direction. She awakes in a strange cottage, with a doting Mother Tanaka taking care of her. What big head Tanaka has, we notice.
Will the wolf spirit devour Fumi, or will her axe lead her out of the forest?
The demons are well drawn, and the color palette seems consistent with the game. This is a fun book for fans of Fables and The Unwritten.
THE DEEP SEA #1 (One-Shot)WRITERS: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin GrayART: Tony Akins & Paul MountsPublication Date: May 22, 2013Price: $2.99Publisher: Dark Horse ComicsUPC: 76156822662100111Buy it HEREWriters Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray (
Jonah Hex, All-Star Western) give us a time-displaced underwater exploration team in this one-shot comic originally published in
Dark Horse Presents.In 1958, a team of underwater explorers are set to explore the Mariana Trench. An injury leaves team leader Paul topside for the mission. When the ship descends, the powerful winch rigging cannot support the ship any more, it is being dragged to the depths by a force more powerful than ever. The crew is mourned and thought lost.
Fast forward to present day and 80 year old Paul is sent to recover the just discovered wreckage. He’s surprised to find his teammates alive, and they have not aged a day. Mixing the Captain America frozen in ice idea with the Fantastic Four team tragedy seems to work.
Both sides are skeptical of the reality of the situation, but as they are trying to figure this out, the recovery ship is attacked by a sea monster. Does the monster hold the secret to the disappearance of the crew?
Palmiotti and Gray are expert storytellers, and this is the great start to a series that I should hope gets continued in later chapters of DHP. Submarine and nautical battles are great fun, and not seen nearly enough in comics. Art and story remind me of John Byrne’s
Star Trek titles and they have laid the groundwork for the mystery of the monsters to be solved. Great story and art!
