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

March 29, 2013 by Clay NFerno in book review, forces of geek, triple shot, comics and comic books

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

March 21, 2013 by Clay NFerno in book review, forces of geek, triple shot

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

March 14, 2013 by Clay NFerno in book review, forces of geek, triple shot, comics and comic books

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

March 07, 2013 by Clay NFerno in forces of geek, triple shot, comics and comic books

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]

<p><a href=”http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=236364&u=753890&m=27744&urllink=&afftrack=”>UltimateTshirts.com</a></p>

UltimateTshirts.com

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

March 01, 2013 by Clay NFerno in book review, forces of geek, triple shot, comics and comic books

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]

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

February 24, 2013 by Clay NFerno in book review, forces of geek, triple shot, comics and comic books

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

February 16, 2013 by Clay NFerno in forces of geek, triple shot, comics and comic books

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)

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]