1) Why isn't Ron Lim getting more work? I really like his art and have ever since Infinity Gauntlet.
2) Is this a prelude to a Thanos ongoing? I sort of hope so.
I liked it and I'm eager for the Infinity Revelation. I asked the same thing though. Lim and Starlin both need to be doing something on a regular basis in the cosmic corner of the Marvel U.
Yeah, I liked the Thanos Annual as well. It could have done with more... forward momentum, but it was as great as a retrospective story could be. And honestly I liked the recap on what kinds of things Thanos has been through. The art was fantastic! I've always liked Lim, but the inking and coloring here really went well with his style. I'm glad Starlin is on good terms with Marvel again; they should let him do anything he wants with these characters and this mythos that he built for them.
Just read a great book called Android Angels. Don't let the title or the fact it's a manga fool you - this is a great collection of four short stories about a society where you can lease an android for a four-year period, after which they must be returned and their memories wiped. What happens, though, if you get attached to your android? What if they don't want their memories erased?
A nice study of Asimov's 3 Laws of Robotics and the Uncanny Valley Concept. The artist does a great job paying homage to Tezuka's work.
I just read last week's issue of Amazing X-Men. Once Jason Aaron left I assumed this series was going to go on the chopping block, sort of like Brian Wood's "X-Men" has, for me anyway. It seems like editorial will put effort behind a new series for 6-8 months, and then it'll start to seem like an "also-ran" that's inconsequential... But this was the first issue of the Kyle & Yost tenure and... It's really good!! Ed McGuinness is back on art for a 5-part storyline, and that really surprises me, because I thought for sure that he'd be off this book (sort of like how Coipel was only on the first storyline of "X-Men").
It's Wolverine in Canada fighting a bunch of Wendigos, with Alpha Flight characters doing guest-spots, with other scenes set at the X-Mansion (I'm always going to call it that), with references to what's going on in other X-titles. So in other words, it's in continuity and feels like it's part of a shared universe, the way good Marvel comics should. The art's great and Kyle & Yost voice these characters flawlessly.
Along a similar (yet more lighthearted) vein as C.O.W.L. #1 that was discussed in the most recent Off the Racks episode, I picked up "Henchmen Inc. #1" by Monkeybrain Comics this past week and it was great. I had read a preview of it on CBR and it had piqued my interest. It's about a down on his luck, ex-con who, desperate for work, joins a unionized group of supervillain henchmen. A "henchmen for hire" if you will. It was very, very funny, from the interview process, to the new employee orientation, to learning the ropes ... really, really good stuff. The protagonist reminds you of one of the henchmen schmoes from the old Batman '66 TV show, but with a voice and personality.
I just read last week's issue of Amazing X-Men...with Alpha Flight characters doing guest-spots.
I have also been surprised how much I have been enjoying Amazing X-Men. It is probably my favourite X-Book right now. The X-Men are actually FUN!?!
However, I did have a nitpick about this most recent issue. Someone didn't do their homework with regards to Alpha Flight. It appears that Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente's excellent 2011 Alpha Flight series has been swept under the rug. The last issue had Vindicator trying to kill Guardian and resulted in Heather on the run from the law with their infant daughter in tow. Now they are back together, with no baby in sight(?) living in the middle of the forest (cuz all us Canadians live in the woods in the middle of nowhere).
Regardless... still had that "fun" flavour that has made this series so enjoyable so far. Unfortunately, things didn't look so good for poor Heather at the end of this issue. Hope she makes it out in "one piece".
Holy cow! I finally got around to reading the Bandette: Presto! HC collection from Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover and it was brilliant! I haven't been this happy with a comic since Mark Waid’s first issue of his Daredevil relaunch—that’s how much I loved this book!
Where Bold Stars Go To Die (SLG Publishing) introduced me to a whole new type of comic culture - that of Filipino underground Bomba Komiks. Really nice artwork with a message that is likely to be misconstrued as pornography but speaks to something most men can identify with. Not too sure how women would react to it, as it deals with fetishizing and pedestal-worshiping the unattainable. Decidedly different, and worth checking out.
Holy cow! I finally got around to reading the Bandette: Presto! HC collection from Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover and it was brilliant! I haven't been this happy with a comic since Mark Waid’s first issue of his Daredevil relaunch—that’s how much I loved this book!
I've been reading since the first digital issues was first released. Every time I finish an issue I'm filled with joy, followed by the empty feeling of never knowing when the next issue will come, then ecstatic joy once again when I see it at the top of ComiXology's "Digital First" section.
I don't know if you can tell, but I reeeeeeeeally like this book.
Holy cow! I finally got around to reading the Bandette: Presto! HC collection from Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover and it was brilliant! I haven't been this happy with a comic since Mark Waid’s first issue of his Daredevil relaunch—that’s how much I loved this book!
I've been reading since the first digital issues was first released. Every time I finish an issue I'm filled with joy, followed by the empty feeling of never knowing when the next issue will come, then ecstatic joy once again when I see it at the top of ComiXology's "Digital First" section.
I don't know if you can tell, but I reeeeeeeeally like this book.
“Filled with joy” is exactly right. I was smiling the whole time I was reading.
My problem is that I spend too much time working on the computer, so when it comes to reading for pleasure, my eyes just need a break from the screen. But I'll be impatiently waiting for another print collection.
Well, I have to retract my "Royals: Masters at War" recommendation. That book started out "great" through the first 4 issues or so, but then it just spiraled into mediocrity at the end. It was like they were going to originally have it be a 10 issue arc, but were told after 4 issues to wrap everything up by issue 6.
My current recommendations:
"East of West" "Superior Foes of Spiderman" "Loki: Agent of Asgard" "Secret Avengers" "COWL" "Henchmen"
New Avengers takes the initial promise of the Illuminati, and finally delivers on the big stakes as well as tough moral choices. They answer the fundamental question of what would you do to save the world in sometimes heart wrenching ways.
Monthly. Reads great. It's the only comic I'll actually read anything besides the actual comic itself. The bonus family histories on the letters page may be the best part of the whole thing. Is all that stuffed reproduced in the trades too?
Monthly. Reads great. It's the only comic I'll actually read anything besides the actual comic itself. The bonus family histories on the letters page may be the best part of the whole thing. Is all that stuffed reproduced in the trades too?
QFT. Rucka has stated that the extras are going in the issues rather than the trades (at least at this point) to reward the readers that are making the book viable in the first place.
Monthly. Reads great. It's the only comic I'll actually read anything besides the actual comic itself. The bonus family histories on the letters page may be the best part of the whole thing. Is all that stuffed reproduced in the trades too?
QFT. Rucka has stated that the extras are going in the issues rather than the trades (at least at this point) to reward the readers that are making the book viable in the first place.
yup i read the same thing. no backmatter in the trades, all the juicy extras are in the floppies.
If you can find it, Hurricane Comics has been producing a couple of good ones like the CosPlay Rejects and Mystery & Suspence Comics if you like revived Golden Age characters. The CatMan & Kitten story arc was great and so far the Mr. Crimson back-up story has been pretty cool, if not a little creepy but that may have been intentional.
I was just catching up on my DCBS ordering, and for the September previews, I preordered 15 books from Image (and that is not even counting two I save to buy off the rack the day they come out-- Saga and Walking Dead). That makes 17 Image books I am looking forward to in one month. And of that 17, only 3 are new #1s. The rest are all return business. And if money were no obstacle, there would be even more that that.
This compares to 6 books from Marvel, and 1 from DC (would have been 2, but I plan on getting Multiversity off the rack, too), and 1 Avatar. (And the Aliens/Predator/AvP/Prometheus bundle from Dark Horse. . . I am a total sucker for those properties!)
If you had told me five or six years ago that I would have a DCBS order with no Vertigo books, and more than twice as many Image books as MARVEL AND DC COMBINED?? Wouldn't have seen that coming.
May they continue on and on in this streak. They have generated enough goodwill with me that I take a close look at every new #1 they put out. I try a fair amount of them, and keep finding some great new voices to follow.
They are winning at comics, as the kids say*.
*I am sure they haven't said this for years and years. I am behind on what the kids say.
Monthly. Reads great. It's the only comic I'll actually read anything besides the actual comic itself. The bonus family histories on the letters page may be the best part of the whole thing. Is all that stuffed reproduced in the trades too?
QFT. Rucka has stated that the extras are going in the issues rather than the trades (at least at this point) to reward the readers that are making the book viable in the first place.
Latest issue letters page indicates that the pending hard cover release will include the back matter as well as some new items. Makes financial sense but grrrrr!
Comments
A nice study of Asimov's 3 Laws of Robotics and the Uncanny Valley Concept. The artist does a great job paying homage to Tezuka's work.
It's Wolverine in Canada fighting a bunch of Wendigos, with Alpha Flight characters doing guest-spots, with other scenes set at the X-Mansion (I'm always going to call it that), with references to what's going on in other X-titles. So in other words, it's in continuity and feels like it's part of a shared universe, the way good Marvel comics should. The art's great and Kyle & Yost voice these characters flawlessly.
And hey, for $0.99, how can you go wrong?
However, I did have a nitpick about this most recent issue. Someone didn't do their homework with regards to Alpha Flight. It appears that Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente's excellent 2011 Alpha Flight series has been swept under the rug. The last issue had Vindicator trying to kill Guardian and resulted in Heather on the run from the law with their infant daughter in tow. Now they are back together, with no baby in sight(?) living in the middle of the forest (cuz all us Canadians live in the woods in the middle of nowhere).
Regardless... still had that "fun" flavour that has made this series so enjoyable so far. Unfortunately, things didn't look so good for poor Heather at the end of this issue. Hope she makes it out in "one piece".
I don't know if you can tell, but I reeeeeeeeally like this book.
My problem is that I spend too much time working on the computer, so when it comes to reading for pleasure, my eyes just need a break from the screen. But I'll be impatiently waiting for another print collection.
My current recommendations:
"East of West"
"Superior Foes of Spiderman"
"Loki: Agent of Asgard"
"Secret Avengers"
"COWL"
"Henchmen"
I'm a L-)
If I like the trades that much, then I would probably lovelovelove the issues.
Thanks for that information.
I was just catching up on my DCBS ordering, and for the September previews, I preordered 15 books from Image (and that is not even counting two I save to buy off the rack the day they come out-- Saga and Walking Dead). That makes 17 Image books I am looking forward to in one month. And of that 17, only 3 are new #1s. The rest are all return business. And if money were no obstacle, there would be even more that that.
This compares to 6 books from Marvel, and 1 from DC (would have been 2, but I plan on getting Multiversity off the rack, too), and 1 Avatar.
(And the Aliens/Predator/AvP/Prometheus bundle from Dark Horse. . . I am a total sucker for those properties!)
If you had told me five or six years ago that I would have a DCBS order with no Vertigo books, and more than twice as many Image books as MARVEL AND DC COMBINED?? Wouldn't have seen that coming.
May they continue on and on in this streak. They have generated enough goodwill with me that I take a close look at every new #1 they put out. I try a fair amount of them, and keep finding some great new voices to follow.
They are winning at comics, as the kids say*.
*I am sure they haven't said this for years and years. I am behind on what the kids say.
The Fadeout
Men of Wrath
Copperhead