Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. October 28, 2015

COMICS

This Halloween get into Hellboy Year Two! Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1953—The Phantom Hand & the Kelpie features the phantom hand of a murderer and a demonic water spirit on Hellboy’s first ghost hunt! Wooo-oooo-oooo! … Crime usually ain’t worth a hill o’ beans unless they are exclusive civet (cat-butt) pour-over coffee beans! Stumptown Vol. 3 #8 continues Dex’s Case of the Cup of Joe, from Rockford-O-File Greg Rucka, natch! … The Eight Doctor Paul McGann doesn’t get a lot of screen time but he’s known to many fans for the audio dramas from Gallifrey and a movie from 1996. The Doctor has regenerated into comics form in Doctor Who 8th #1 from Titan! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

DIGBOSTON and LEAGUEPODCAST COMICS PICKS OF THE WEEK FOR WED. OCTOBER 15, 2014

COMICS

We’re still getting to know the 12th Doctor on TV, but the results are in, Peter Capaldi is the Doctor of a new regeneration! This highly anticipated followup to the 10th and 11th Doctor series comes at you from Titan Books with Doctor Who (12th Doctor) #1. The Doctor and Clara face a mysterious alien fauna! … One of our favorite sneak peaks from New York Comic Con was this new Dungeons and Dragons book, Legends of Baldurs Gate #1 written by Jim Zub (Skullkickers, Samurai Jack)! “Go for the eyes”, said Boo, the miniature giant space hamster! … It’s ALMOST done. The penultimate issue of Superior Foes of Spider-Man, #16, hits the streets today. Artist Steve Lieber heads over to Valiant to Quantum and Woody after this! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

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LEAGUEPODCAST AND DIGBOSTON COMICS PICKS OF THE WEEK FOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

COMICS

Trust the Doctor as he makes his way to a recession-hit paradise planet. 11 takes on a corporate theme park world with evil mascots and ecological destruction. Sound familiar? Matt Smith is still alive Doctor Who 11th Doctor #2! … Paul Tobin takes us back to the mystery of the Prometheus voyage to LV-223 for the first time since the motion picture in this mini-series from Dark Horse, Prometheus: Fire and Stone #1. … It’s the comic book you wish you thought of! Teen Dog from Boom! Studios tackles being a teenager from the eyes of your best friend, a pizza loving backpack wearing sunglass donning Teen Dog #1. Eat my shorts! Picks this week from the time shifting LeaguePodcast.com.

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TARDIS on The COSMIC TREADMILL – A Look at IDW's 'DOCTOR WHO 2013 SPECIAL #1' - FORCES OF GEEK

After a visit to the town called Christmas in the Time of the Doctor, Who fans are sure to miss Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.

Just the day before, on Tuesday, December 45th, IDW Publishing marked its regeneration cycle by releasing a 53 page year end special in tribute not only to Matt but to the publisher’s claim to the Time Lord.

Since 2008, IDW was the first US publisher to have the comic rights through the BBC to new stories with the tenth and eleventh doctors, and this book is a sign off for them. Written by longtime Doctor Who television and comics writer Paul Cornell and drawn by Jimmy Braxton (Cornell’s partner on Batman: Knight and Squire).

Rarely does a single issue deem itself worthy of a run on the Cosmic Treadmill, but as the New Year, a new Doctor, and the next 50 years of Doctor Who are all converging on a timey wimey convergence, this one is definitely worth picking up.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for November 27, 2013

COMICS + TRIFECTA EDITIONS MASSHOLE PRINT GIVEAWAY

Celebrate the Doctor’s 50th this week with Vol. 3 #15 as the Doctor(s) and Clara visit Deadwood! … Jamal Igle and Chuck Dixon take Bildocker & Dial tone on G.I.Joe Special Missions #9! … Art & Franco take Itty Bitty Hellboy to heaven in Ish #4, Aw Yeah, Heckboy! … Inspired by geologic illustrations, David Buckley Borden’s clever Masshole print celebrates growing up in Massachusetts. What kind of rock is Plymouth Rock? Email us or sign up for the Trifecta Editions mailing list for a chance to win a limited edition poster and postcard pack from new local studio Trifecta Editions.

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for November 6, 2013

 


COMICS

BAMF! Nightcrawler’s back, baby! It all happens in yet another X-MEN book, Amazing X-Men #1! Drawn by local guy and friend of the Dig Ed McGuinness and written by the bearded Jason Aaron. … Over in G.I. Joe: Cobra Files #8, things are winding down as Firefly makes his way into the Las Vegas compound to exfiltrate Tomax. Flint and Chameleon look like they are in big trouble! … Doctor Who Prisoner of Time #10 brings us to the David Tennant years but also to Hollywood in the 1950s! Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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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]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 20, 2013

COMICS

Trust me, I’m the Doctor. This week marks the return of Season 7 Doctor Who with new companion Clara by his side. Prepare yourself with Doctor Who Vol. 3 #7 as the Eleventh Doctor helps out a stranded cosmonaut. Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov of Action Comics and I, Vampire. … Skullkickers becomes Savage Skullkickers #1 this week with at familiar looking cover. Good on ya, Jim Zub. The underground hit makes an unnecessary cash grab at what should be issue #20. Get in on the ground level for the first time again! … Aw Yeah everyone, it’s Superman’s Mom, Ma Kent starring in Superman Family Adventures #11 from Art & Franco. Also starring Lois and the Super-Pets! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.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.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]