The Weekly Trade #6

How did I spend all that lovely money I got for Christmas this past week?

Starman Omnibus, Volume One (hardcover)
Written by James Robinson; art by Tony Harris; published by DC Comics.
Collecting the first 16 issues of Robinson's acclaimed 1994-2001 run, this is something I have been looking forward to buying for ages.

Axe Cop, Volume One (softcover)
Written by Malachai Nicolle; art by Ethan Nicolle; published by Dark Horse Comics.
I've already posted by review for this, and there's not much more I can say.

Captain America: Two Americas (softcover)
Written by Ed Brubaker; art by Luke Ross and Butch Guice; published by Marvel Comics.
Finally found this bad boy, the "What next?" after Cap's amazing return.

Secret Invasion (softcover)
Written by Brian Michael Bendis; art by Leinil Yu; pubished by Marvel Comics.
Marvel's Big Event story from 2008, and another thing I have been meaning to buy.

NOTE: There will be no new content tomorrow, due to New Years shenanigans, but regularly scheduled posts will (probably) return in 2011. See you then!

Axe Cop, Volume One (Review)

Writer: Malachai Nicolle

Artist: Ethan Nicolle
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Collects: Axe Cop Episodes 0-70; Ask Axe Cop #1-42

Axe Cop is a popular online webcomic written by 5-year-old Malachai Nicolle and illustrated by his older brother Ethan. Filled with zany characters, outlandish scenarios, and imaginative plots that could only have come from the mind of a child, it's no surprise that Axe Cop finally found an outlet in Dark Horse.

Following the hilarious and violent adventures of the eponymous Axe Cop (whose catchphrase is "I will chop your head off!") in his day-to-day battles with aliens, robots and general evil-doers, aided by an overwhelming supporting cast, this is just about the funniest thing I have ever read.

No adult writer, in any medium, can possibly replicate the pure, unfiltered creativity of Malachai's 5-year-old brain. Axe Cop is thought given form, and captures that raw childhood imaginative energy perfectly on the page. It almost defies criticism, because to enjoy it one must regress oneself to that long-gone mindset that favours instant gratification over slow development. Not to say that it lacks relative depth and complexity once you've swallowed your pompous grown-up pride and knelt down to look your inner child in the eye, rather than sneer judgementally down your nose.

My Top Ten Trades of 2010

Hopefully, this will become an annual feature (if I last long enough).

2010 is nearly over, and I'm sure you've seen many "best blanks of the year" lists on various websites, so why not here too?

It should be noted that this list reflects the opinions of me and me alone, and is open to highly questionable debate and scrutiny. I also feel the need to further distance myself from reprisals by mentioning that I am just one man and sadly cannot read everything that comes out in one year. I'm bound to read a 2010 trade next year and think "Damn, I wish I had included that in the list."

Furthermore, this list counts trades that were released in 2010, regardless of when the collected material came out. And, lastly but sadly, there were some trades that will be released after I post this list that don't even get a look-in. But it just didn't seem right to do this in 2011.

Enough talk! On with my top ten favourite trades of 2010...

Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Volume One (Review)

Writer: Roger Langridge

Artist: Chris Samnee

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Collects: Journey into Mystery #83-84; Thor: TMA #1-4

A continuity-free, all-ages series released as a companion to its mainstream counterpart, Thor: The Mighty Avenger tells the story of a god who fell to Earth. Unsure of why he is here, Thor quickly finds himself becoming an unwary superhero in the world of mortals, while also becoming wrapped up in the life of museum curator Jane Foster.

This was a breath of fresh air. Light-hearted but unrestrained, TMA is good old-fashioned superhero fun in every form. This should be held up as a basic example of how to do good comics without resorting to moody moping which, although effective, is not always essential.

Despite being chock full of exciting action sequences, this is first and foremost a love story in a very modern sense. Snappy dialogue, genuinely funny comedy pacing, and heartwarming moments between Thor and Jane make this seem like a rare breed of superhero rom-com that's actually quite good. The best material in here is the quiet interactions of those two starcrossed lovers.

Superman: Secret Origin (Review)

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Superman: Secret Origin #1-6

Many writers over the years have attempted to tinker with the Last Son of Krypton's well worn origin. From Grant Morrison's one-page summary in All-Star Superman to John Byrne's groundbreaking Man of Steel mini-series. Mark Waid tried to shake things up in the epic Birthright, as did J. Michael Straczynski with the more recent Superman: Earth One.

But the three greatest words a superhero fan can hear are, "Back. To. Basics." And that is a principle Geoff Johns excels at.

Anybody looking for a trendy new take on Superman best check elsewhere. Anybody looking for a brilliant and heartfelt story about a true legend, this is it.

The Weekly Trade #5

With Christmas fast approaching (I know, I'm just as shocked), this will probably be my last Weekly Trade update til after the big day, possibly even the new year. You can also expect more sporadic reviews and musings too. Nevertheless, let's see how I'm stocking up for winter...

Superman: Secret Origin (hardcover)
Written by Geoff Johns; art by Gary Frank; published by DC Comics.
You have no idea how eagerly I have been anticipating Geoff Johns' take on the most famous superhero origin story of all time. I'm struggling not to read it as I type this.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Volume One (really small softcover)
Written by Roger Langridge; art by Chris Samnee; published by Marvel Comics.
Hopefully the ridiculous size of this trade does not put me off the much-praised story.

Green Lantern Corps: To Be a Lantern (softcover)
Written by Dave Gibbons; art by Dave Gibbons and Patrick Gleason; published by DC Comics.
This is a great series, and I'm catching up on it slowly but surely. I missed this trade due to faulty numbering and my own foolishness. Also, Dave Gibbons!

Hope you have a great Christmas! I'll try to keep the fire burning.

Where Do I Start With... Daredevil

Who?

Created by Bill Everett and Marvel giant Stan Lee, The Man Without Fear debuted in his own eponymous series in 1964, as a blind lawyer granted superhuman senses by the very radioactive substance than cost him his sight.

Now defending the New York neighbourhood of Hell's Kitchen as Daredevil, Matt Murdock applies his unique sensory gifts and his uncanny fighting skills in his tireless quest against injustice.

Okay, so where do I start?