Comic(s) of The Week

Last week literally had three books and Girl In The Bay #2 continues to amaze. Green Arrow #50 was the last book of the series so that was sad. So, I didn't pick a book. I'm sure you all understand. This week there are two books. I couldn't choose for very different reasons.





MURDER FALCON #6

This is the issue that will break you. The issue where you see that being soft doesn't make you weak and doesn't exclude you from the world of metal. A single panel will make your heart break. No, I'm not putting it up here. Go buy one of the best damned books out there right now. I'm not sure how I feel knowing there are only two issues left to go.




THE FLASH #66

Think you know The Trickster? This will prove you wrong. I haven't seen such an in depth issue of a villain that most people probably consider to be a joke. The Flash continues to be my favorite book every other week and this issue proves why.

Comic of the Week 2/27/2019

PUNKS NOT DEAD:LONDON CALLING #1
Written by David Barnett
Art by Martin Simmonds

Last year Shelly Bond's Black Crown Imprint through IDW released what may have been my favorite book. PUNKS NOT DEAD: TEENAGE KICKS. At first I was annoyed that it was over, then I realized that they were chopping it into separate books.
This is the second book.
Let's do  recap;Fergie is fifteen year old lad with the normal problems in life. Then the ghost of a punk rocker named Sid shows up and Fergie is te only one who can see him. Pretty soon a secret government agency headed by a woman named Dorothy Culpepper who is more than she seems is on the trail of Fergie and Sid.
Now, Fergie needs to find out where his dad Billy, sometimes called Beleth is and find out what makes him different.
This new series hits the ground running. Fergie and Sid are hot on the trail of what they thing is a pretty normal situation. Young man looking for his missing dad.
But, Billy is more than he appears and Fergie and Sid may be in way over their heads.
This book more than anything else gives me Vertigo flashbacks. I mean Vertigo when Sandman was still around and the Vertigo imprint was fearless and would try anything at least twice.
That's what this book is in a nutshell. It's smart, well written and the art is gorgeous, trippy and so beautiful to stare at.
I'm glad the second series is back and I hope it sticks around for a little while.
I missed this book.

Comic of the Week 2/20/2019

Rainbow Brite started life as a merchandising division of Hallmark. They decided they wanted to get into the lucrative market of kids toys. What followed was a 35 year long obsession with Wink, her little Sprite friend Twink and her excellent rainbow maned horse Starlite. They are sent to a grey kingdom to rescue the color kids and bring color back to the world.
When I heard that they were bringing it back as a comic book to coincide with the 35th anniversary I figured I would try an issue and see what was what.
Now, it's issue four and I am legitimately hooked.
Wisp has just been rescued by the Red Flare and now they realize that the other colors are being held prisoner and they need to rescue them all to save the day. We also discover that each color has a super power attached.
Red is super speed. That kind of figures.
And now, for the first time Rainbow Brite and Starlite meet. Rainbow Brite is ecstatic to meet a beautiful talking horse. Starlite is kind of a tool that makes the initial encounter hilarious.
Dynamite has managed to create an all ages book that is truly that. Fans of the original will love it. People who have never read or seen the show will love it if they love magic and talking horses and super powers and monsters trying to steal all the color in the world.
 This is a great book.
I leave you with this;

Comic of the Week 2/13/2019

This time around it is Bettie Page Vol. 2 Issue 2. I have been following this series since the first one came out. David Avallone knows a Bettie Page story when he sees one and this time around Bettie is doing some undercover work in Merry Olde England. She has to help fight aliens and locate Queen Elizabeth the 2nd who insists that Bettie addresses her as Bettie as well.Julius Ohta's artwork gives it that old school Marvel feel from the 70s so it fits real well. 
If you have been thinking about getting into this series I give it my highest recommendation and that is why I give it the glorious title of Comic of the week!

COMIC OF THE WEEK! 2/6/2019

I tried doing the column thing. I really did, but some weeks I buy a lot of comic books and with my other writing this gets put on the back burner and then becomes old news pretty damned quick. I decided to pick a book that I liked that week and write about it instead.
Sounds pretty good, right? I mean it's better than nothing, right? Yeah, that's what I thought as well. So, here we go...



THE GIRL IN THE BAY #1

Writer:

J.M. DeMatteis

Artist:

Corin Howell

Editor:

Karen Berger

Cover Artist:

Corin Howell

If I had to choose a single person who affects the way that I view life in all aspects I would have to put J.M. DeMatteis as the top spot. I grew up in comic books, reading them voraciously. J.M. DeMatteis was always there for me. Whether it was Captain America or Spider-Man, Justice League, Dr. Fate or, my single favorite comic book Moonshadow. Things you read as a youngster tend to stick better for the long run. 

Now, with the new Berger Books imprint from we get a four issue series from that great mind and the trip has already gotten weird. Weird in a good way, but still, weird.

Here's the promotional blurb;

"In 1969, seventeen-year-old Kathy Sartori was brutally attacked, her body hurled into Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay. Miraculously, she survives and fights her way back to the surface, only to discover that fifty years have passed and an eerie doppelganger has lived out an entire life in her place. Kathy soon confronts not just this strange double, but the madman who ''murdered'' her five decades earlier. Will he, and the dark entity that lives inside him, hold the key to Kathy's missing years? Or will Kathy become a ghost of herself, forced to live out what remains of her life on the edge of the world that she desperately wants to be a part of?"

Now, I was sad when I saw we were only getting four issues, but the story is so good I am curious to see how this can wrap up in such a short period of time. I was also wondering why the book was pre-bagged by the comic book store when I bought it. 

Was it nudity? That's usually the reason my comic book store does that.

Nope, just some seriously violent murder that is well executed by artist Corin Howell who I have never seen work by before. Howell's artwork blends perfectly with the story that DeMatteis is telling us. I like that we get no more information than the main character. It makes us curious to see how it will all play out in the end.

The Girl In The Bay #1 is a perfect kick off to what appears to be a horror story wrapped in a mystery that will go much deeper than what we are given at the start. If you are looking for something truly different and unique I do recommend picking up this book.

WELCOME TO PENGUIN COMICS 2.0

SO, I have tried many things with this blog over the years. I have a few faithful readers, but with a full time job and many side projects this blog seems to fall by the wayside. Then I figured it out. I was trying to report on all comics all the time.
Why bother?
There are so many of those already. So, I had a brainstorm.
I read quite a few independent comics.
Do you know how many of them I see on websites?
Not very damn many.
That's a shame because these are some great books.
They deserve the attention.
So, here's the new game plan;
One blog post a week.
One book covered.
It will never be Marvel. It won't be DC, Hell, it might not even be Image. I know it won't be Valiant because I don't buy any of those. These will always be books that I think are important enough to tell people about so they will read them.
I've already got one.
Ready?
Here we go with Penguin Comics 2.0

 JAZZ LEGEND

WRITER/CREATOR - JC LACEK
ILLUSTRATOR - VASCO DUARTE
COLORS - PATRICK GAMA
INKS/LETTERING - CRISTIAN DOCOLOMANSKY
COVER ART - ADRIAN SIBAR
EDITOR - STEPHEN JACKSON



Martin Comity is a genius when it comes to blowing the horn. He lives it, breathes it and The War Room is the only Jazz club to have him. Sweety, the owner of The War Room knows this. She also understands that he drinks like a fish, screws anything with boobs and, sometimes, when that's not enough he takes other things.
But when he gets on that stage and starts to wail that all falls by the wayside. People come to The War Room to see Martin play.
Including Benjamin Way. A writer that writes about life. Now his life is Martin Comity and he sees something that everyone else misses. A darkness like no other.
Martin partakes of a drug called The New Blue and it sends him headfirst into a hallucinatory landscape that shows him the truth. The twisted, messed up, what the Hell is that truth.
When he comes down he has changed. See, Martin isn't a regular guy with stuff going in one ear and out the other. Evrything he takes in makes its way through his body. It becomes a part of him. 
I read the description of this comic somewhere and it stuck in the back of my head. I had never heard of Scout Comics before and this made a huge impression on me.
The blending of music and something lurking underneath is a fascinating concept. I love the artwork and the layout of every page emulates Jazz in its most improvisational form. I can't wait to see where we go from here.
I know it will be cool as a cucumber daddy-o.

Go get it and I will see you next week.

Comic Book Observations Of The Week 2/17/18

I tried doing reviews of every book I bought for a week and it was just drudgery after a while. Then I hit on this idea. Just the beats from books of the week that I truly enjoyed. No pictures just me rambling about what I liked in the comic book landscape this week.
Scooby Apocalypse #22 continues to be great and the back up story of Secret Squirrel makes it even better.
I do enjoy the new villain in Wonder Woman. I wonder how she'll figure in later issues because we know a cure doesn't fix anything in comic book land.
Marvel Two In One #3 gives the best explanation of the Fantastic Four's powers and how they work. A new twist that makes it very interesting.
Flash #40 gives us a new take on Grodd and Barry Allen passing the torch. This issue seemed to have a lot of splash pages, but it made the story move quicker which is what a Flash story is supposed to do.
Finally, Invader Zim #28 felt like an actual demented episode of the show. Very good.
My only complaint this week would be the death in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. Not a fan of that particular decision.
There you go! Short and sweet and me just yapping about what I liked.
For those keeping score it was sixteen books this week that breaks down like this;

DC - 8
Marvel - 3
Independents - 5

A lot of books. Be sure to check out DC?Young Animal's Milk Wars. Definitely different kind of comic book.

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH COMIC BOOKS Chapter 19

FIFTEEN BOOKS!!!
After two weeks of pretty light stuff, we get fifteen books! Sheesh! Okay, some of these are going to be pretty brief. I'm not writing War And Peace here.
Again many thanks to Fanfare for the great service we always get there.
Ready?
I'm not.
Let's go.

INVADER ZIM #20

An issue of Zim and Gir binge watching a stupid cartoon? How can that be funny? Trust me, it's laugh out loud hilarious.

UNCANNY AVENGERS #24

Since I am not partaking in the newest event at Marvel all I know is a black dome full of monsters has enveloped New York with our team inside. Minus Quicksilver who can't breach the dome. The artwork is awesome and the story works. It's The Avengers doing what they do best...saving mankind.

THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #21

It's boys night out with Koi Boy, Chipmunk Hunk and Brain Drain. They have to keep New York safe while Squirrel Girl is away. I love Brain Drain, he is so funny. A great issue.

HULK #

After last issue I decided this book needed a chance and I'm glad I took it. Jen is coming to terms with her new incarnation of her gamma personality and Hellcat is always a welcome presence. Probably the most original Hulk book to ever come out of Marvel.

GENERATION X #3

Face is attacked and the team has to reluctantly use their powers to find out what is attacking mutants in Central Park. This is a good foundation issue of the book and I love that I have no idea who most of these people are.

BLACK PANTHER AND THE CREW #3

A little chatty and Hydra manages to make an appearance, but an interesting component in what has become a six issue mini series.

PREDATOR VS JUDGE DREDD VS ALIENS #4

This book took forever, right. Yeah, but it's Dredd being Dredd and he does what he always does...save the day. Even if he's not happy having to work with Predators.

WONDER WOMAN #24

They have all returned from Themyscria and it isn't all that happy. Dr. Cale has lost her daughter forever. Diana has lost her mother and her people for all time and Cheetah knows that if she wants to remain in her feral form forever she must kill Dr. Cale. It's a great ending, in a downer kind of way, but it works. The last words that Wonder Woman speaks to Dr. Cale are simply brutal.

SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #14

Scrappy Doo catches up to the gang and demands Velma to fix him before he loses his intelligence forever. The monster horde all seem to be heading somewhere and when they get there...we will have to wait until next issue. This was a good issue with a really awesome cliff hanger.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #8

The team goes to a Savage Land kind of place and rescue a man raised by monsters. Comes across as a Tarzan kind of thing and they bring him to civilization which is exactly what he wanted all along. Good book, a set up for the next issue, which is fine. We get a little character development slipped into the pages, but not a lot.

THE FLASH #24

While The Flash and Green Lantern finish off Multiplex, Reverse Flash destroys Kid Flash and takes Iris to the future. I like how the art work reminds me of Carmine Infantino. And one of the artists first name is Carmine. Small world.

BUG! THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER #2

Bug is back in WWII and has heroic company in the form of the original Sandman with his sidekick Sandy and the original Blue Beetle as they fight a madman bent on world domination. No, not Hitler.  The Losers come along for the ride in what is really the most fun I've had in a DC book in a while.

BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #11

The girls think that their new Oracle has sold them out, but he is working with The Calculator who desperately needs their help to save his family. Plays like Oracle's origin story and it's pretty good.

GODSHAPER #3

We get some insight on how each person gets their own God and we get to the point where the mystery of Bud may just be revealed. Because a God without a worshipper should be gone from this mortal coil and he isn't.

COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS #26

I had to give this one to this book. It's over and it's sad, but they ended well. Now, after the last issue of Coady and The Creepies comes out this week all we have is Josie and the Pussycats. This has been a great book and it ends on a high note like last weeks Misfits did.
I'll still miss it.



Okay, that's it. Hope there's something in here you liked. Go read a comic book. I hope next week isn't this intense.
Seeya!

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH COMIC BOOKS Chapter 18

So, another tiny week. I bought a new book that shall not be mentioned here (GWAR) that I thought would be good. It wasn't. Remember Fanfare is the place if you live in Kalamazoo or surrounding areas to get all your comics.
This was kind of a thin week.
Here we go.

ALL NEW GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #3

This felt like a fill in issue. Also, it came out pretty fast. The artwork is cool, but it feels off from the last two issues. If you love Gamora there is some cool stuff in here. The idea that the Soul Gem never really lets you go is super creepy.

BLACK BOLT #2

This is such a great book! Black Bolt is figuring out his new environment and his capacity to speak without destroying. He is sent to the arena to fight and shows them all why he is the king. I just know they're going to cancel this book on me. Come on people! Buy this damned book already! We need the numbers to get this up there so I can have it for a long time.

IRON FIST #4

The battle continues and after an honorable battle with The Rabbit, two others decide to attack at once. Yeah, this is Iron Fist remember? It ain't your comic book. This continues to read like a crazy Kung Fu flick and I love it. Not a fan of the cover though.

AQUAMAN #24

Apparently, next issue we go monthly and get a price hike. Yeah, I don;t care. This is one of the best Rebirth comics out there. The people of Atlantis are done with the surface world and with Aquaman being their king, but he's ready to fight to keep his throne. Even if Mera doesn't want to be there anymore and is ready to start a new life with him. The ending is a bit of a shocker, but I'm sure he'll be fine. Right?

GREEN ARROW #24

The Arrow Team are fighting the Horsemen while Oliver takes out there leader. He also realizes that to save the city he defends he needs to surrender to the law to make it all right. This book is my other favorite from the Rebirth and the artwork is just gorgeous. It looks like a painting. Also, I now know what happens if Black Canary screams point blank into the face of a giant. It is not pretty, but it made me laugh.



BOOK OF THE WEEK

THE MISFITS #5

We say goodbye to the girls whose songs are better with this issue. They have reformed and have a new label to get their music out there and, in the process, have become a better group of friends as well. This is done, JEM is almost finished. There is mention of a crossover mini series this summer, but I heard something about it having a sci fi bent to it and I'm not sure how I feel about this. Last year I had four books that were of fictional girl bands. Soon, it will just be Josie and the Pussycats. Figures that the ones that did it the best and the longest would still be here when the smoke clears. Good bye Misfits.

Okay, six books for the week. Kind of small when you figure it's usually in the 13-14 range. But, there are a lot of books that are just done and nothing has replaced them as of yet. I will be buying an Image book in the near future.

Here's why;



You know you want it. See you next week.

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH COMIC BOOKS Chapter 17

SO, yeah...missed a week. Oh well, that makes for a double column this week, right? And to make sure it goes well, there were only six books this week. That might be a record low. One of the guys at Fanfare mentioned that it was because there are five Wednesday in May. I had no idea.
Anyway, here are the reviews and stayed tuned at the bottom for the book of the week...times two!

P.S. Some of these might be brief. There are a lot of them.

MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #19

Yeah, Girl-Moon, daughter of Ego, The Living Planet has arrived! It seems to me that this has been promised for a while. Add Devil Dinosaur in space with his own cool space suit and this is a winner. Also, Doom Bot must stay in the book forever now.

SECRET WARRIORS #2

A double dose of Devil Dinosaur? Yes, please. Throw in the monster version of Howling Commandos complete with Man-Thing and we have a great issue...again. And Daisy's dad shows up and he's a pain in the, well, you know.

\BLUE BEETLE #9

Jaimie Reyes in the old school Beetle suit for the win. Add in the craziness of OMAC and the return of Dr. Fate and this is one of those DC books that works in its own little corner of the universe and Giffen lets his freak flag fly. So good.

WONDER WOMAN #23

THE TRUTH conclusion. We get it all wrapped up and it all makes perfect sense. This is the greatest Wonder Woman story ever.  It's a little sad, but it works really well.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7

Does anyone except for me remember Terrorsmith? Or the Bloodlines Annuals that DC put out forever ago? Well, I do and seeing one of those monsters and it's spawn back in DC made me smile. This is a pretty deep cut for a new book and I always rejoice when they neverv forget their long, layered history. If this is the plan for this book then I look forward to every issue.

I AM GROOT #1

Sure, this is one of Martha's books, but I read it too. I thought it was an interesting way to separate Groot from the rest of the team and put him in a really bizarre situation. It's mostly a set up issue and that is okay. It will be interesting to see how it develops.

ALL NEW GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #2

The gang is charged with breaking into the vaults of The Collector and retrieving a priceless artifact for The Grandmaster. Yeah, good luck with that. It's a heist of epic proportions and if it can go wrong, you know it will. Also, who is growing a forest of Groot. A nice book that keeps the logistics of the film team and gives us more.

GENERATION X #

I had no idea the book was bi monthly? Hurray! I don;t have to wait. Our new team is being attacked by The Purifiers and they are armed to the teeth. Also the new school is located in Central Park so there are civilians to protect while the mutants try not to get fried in the process. Jubilee explains that they are there to learn to fit in. Not with the X-Men, but just the world at large. The whole concept is to be acceptable to the human race. Might work, probably won't.

HULK #6

This was going to be my last issue of this book. It just seemed like a slow burn that would never ignite.
Then it did.
Jennifer is a new beast that can take care of itself and she's pretty happy with the outcome. Now my curiosity is piqued so, I will be around for a while. Good job comic book. You win the money.

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS #7

The girls are playing a awards show, but in their heart of hearts they want to go to a local band show and play in a field with a bunch of passionate musicians. They decide what is right and leave after they play their song and before they win an award. A good book.

DOCTOR WHO #13

The Captain Jack mystery of his missing memories continues and whne he starts piecing things together with the help of Rose and The Doctor he may not like what he finds. This would be such a great show. I wish they could do a missing years style of show with Eccelston back as The Doctor. Oh well, we still have the comic.

THE FLASH #23

It's Barry's birthday and Hal Jordan shows up for the party just as Multiplex attacks because he is in love with Iris. Such a classic plot for this book and it is so much fun to read. They just need to stop killing Eobard Thawne. You know that's never going to stick, right?



BOOK(S) OF THE WEEK

INFAMOUS IRON MAN #8

This book has always been weird. Now Ironheart comes to tell Doom to stop being Iron Man and you know he's not going to listen to that. The evil Reed Richards tries to convince Ben Grimm he is the real deal and that Ben needs to kill Doom. Oh, yeah, Doom manages to be swept away to somewhere that Tony Stark looks like Dr. Strange.
It consistently delivers a great story of a rocky road to redemption and along the way we might even get the Fantastic Four back in the pages of a Marvel comic book and that would be such a wonderful thing.

WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1

Before I started back in the DC Universe there was a book called Sensation Comics starring Wonder Woman. They were one and dones and they were magnificent and I have them all. I was sad when they cancelled the book, but then Rebirth happened and I was back on the Wonder Woman bandwagon.
This annual gives us four stories that show us the most important part of Wonder Woman. She is there to save us all. Not fight, but she will if she needs to. She is there to make sure that we are safe. The story with the kaiju is sweet and the one with King Shark will bring a tear to your eye. This is all that is great in Wonder Woman in a neat little package. The best annual I have read all year.

There ya go folks. Sorry for missing a week, but you do get an extra long column this way. I expect that next week will also be a beast of a week, but that's just because so many extraordinary books are coming out.

Seeya then and be sure to go to a comic book shop and get something to read. There is so much to choose from.