Since I'm going to be all over the place this week, I'm not going to be posting any new content.
I might get The Weekly Trade done, but normal service will no doubt resume by next week.
Carry on.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
The Question: Pipeline (Review)
Writer: Greg RuckaArtist: Cully Hammer
Publisher: DC Comics
Collects: Detective Comics #854-865 (back-up material)Ever since Renee Montoya took over the role of the Question from Vic Sage there's been a general feeling of uneasiness. Was she right for the job? This uneasiness was part of her character, as she constantly questioned her own identity and future, so it played quite nicely.
Renee's involvement in her first two major stories, The Five Books of Blood and Final Crisis: Revelations, continued this theme. Renee was starting to accept herself as the Question, but these mystical tales hardly seemed fitting to such a character.
With Pipeline, any and all uneasiness in both Renee and the reader is eliminated. Like Vic (or Charlie to his friends) before her, Renee has shed her former destructive self and embraced a more productive and positive lifestyle. It is rare that one takes pleasure in seeing a character mature like this, especially in mainstream comics where one is dreading the return to status quo.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Thursday, 27 January 2011
The Weekly Trade #10
It's been a heckuva week. Did you notice the double content yesterday, like I said? Let's see what I got...
Superman: The Last Stand of New Krypton (hardback)
Written by Sterling Gates and James Robinson; art by various; published by DC Comics.
The exciting New Krypton saga draws closer to its finale.
The Question: Pipeline (softcover)
Written by Greg Rucka; art by Cully Hammer; published by DC Comics.
Rucka's new direction for Rene Montoya is very interesting, and Cully Hammer's art looks great.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto (softcover)
Written by Brett Matthews, et al; art by Sergio Cariello, et al; published by Dynamite Entertainment.
As I've said elsewhere, this is an amazing series, and this little collection of short stories, featuring guest contributors, should be good.
See y'all next week.
Superman: The Last Stand of New Krypton (hardback)
Written by Sterling Gates and James Robinson; art by various; published by DC Comics.
The exciting New Krypton saga draws closer to its finale.
The Question: Pipeline (softcover)
Written by Greg Rucka; art by Cully Hammer; published by DC Comics.
Rucka's new direction for Rene Montoya is very interesting, and Cully Hammer's art looks great.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto (softcover)
Written by Brett Matthews, et al; art by Sergio Cariello, et al; published by Dynamite Entertainment.
As I've said elsewhere, this is an amazing series, and this little collection of short stories, featuring guest contributors, should be good.
See y'all next week.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Where Do I Start With... Catwoman
Who?
A Batman villain almost as old as the Joker, Selina Kyle first caught the Dark Knight's eye as Catwoman in 1940 (initially known as simply "The Cat"), and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
Over the years, she eventually evolved into an on-again/off-again love interest and femme fatale type for the Batman, and is now something of an anti-villain, occasionally starring in her own spin-off series.
She remains one of the most famous Bat-villains and has appeared in various media adaptations, played by many different actresses, including: Julie Newmar, Lee Meriweather, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Adrienne Barbeau, Halle Berry, Gina Gershon, and (soon) Anne Hathaway.
Okay, so where do I start?
A Batman villain almost as old as the Joker, Selina Kyle first caught the Dark Knight's eye as Catwoman in 1940 (initially known as simply "The Cat"), and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
Over the years, she eventually evolved into an on-again/off-again love interest and femme fatale type for the Batman, and is now something of an anti-villain, occasionally starring in her own spin-off series.
She remains one of the most famous Bat-villains and has appeared in various media adaptations, played by many different actresses, including: Julie Newmar, Lee Meriweather, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Adrienne Barbeau, Halle Berry, Gina Gershon, and (soon) Anne Hathaway.
Okay, so where do I start?
A-Musing: My First Week as a Superhero
I can still remember first hearing the words, "DC Universe Online".
It seems like so long ago, and fresh on the heels of announcements such as Star Trek Online, Lord of the Rings Online and even Pirates of the Caribbean Online, so at first it seemed like just another jump onto an already over-capacity bandwagon.
And initially I was indifferent. No, scratch that. I was actually completely disinterested now that I recall. I was not one for MMORPGs, having briefly flirted with City of Heroes, another superhero game, and found it lacking.
In my (albeit limited) experience, online games are simply addictive, and possess no engaging qualities beyond the joy of character creation. It seemed like all the endless missions I send my character on were mind-numbingly repetitive, and even though his skills were improving, I was just pressing the same sequence of keys over and over again.
It seems like so long ago, and fresh on the heels of announcements such as Star Trek Online, Lord of the Rings Online and even Pirates of the Caribbean Online, so at first it seemed like just another jump onto an already over-capacity bandwagon.
And initially I was indifferent. No, scratch that. I was actually completely disinterested now that I recall. I was not one for MMORPGs, having briefly flirted with City of Heroes, another superhero game, and found it lacking.
In my (albeit limited) experience, online games are simply addictive, and possess no engaging qualities beyond the joy of character creation. It seemed like all the endless missions I send my character on were mind-numbingly repetitive, and even though his skills were improving, I was just pressing the same sequence of keys over and over again.
Monday, 24 January 2011
Dracula: The Company of Monsters (Review)
Writers: Daryl Gregory (story by Kurt Busiek)Artists: Scott Godlewski and Damian Couceiro
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Collects: Dracula: The Company of Monsters #1-4Did you know that Dracula owned shares in the East India Trading Company? 'Cause I didn't.
This and other interesting facts about Prince Vlad III of Wallachia make up part of Dracula: The Company of Monsters as it cleverly weaves together history and myth in a story about a present day corporation that revives the Impaler Prince to serve as their... business consultant.
And if, like me, you're thinking that such an insane concept must be the stuff of comedy, you'd be sadly mistaken. Instead we get a strange mix of horror, corporate thriller and drama both historical and modern.
Friday, 21 January 2011
Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America (Classic Review)
Originally released in 2009.
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Collects: Fallen Son: Wolverine; New Avengers; Captain America; Spider-Man; Iron Man
"Where were you when Captain America died?" is the motivating question behind Fallen Son, as it shows the reactions of various Marvel characters in the aftermath of Cap's assassination, even if it does stray from that original concept.
It is quite appropriate for Jeph Loeb to pen this story. Not only is he personally familiar with loss, but his writing always carries a certain weight to it. And the absolute plethora of talented artists here is truly top-form; whether its David Finch's grittiness or Ed McGuinness' solid action or John Cassaday's elegant simplicity, and all of them benefit from Loeb's instant synergy with his artists.
I can think of no tribute more fitting for Cap -- a man who was perceived completely different by everyone who knew him -- than to see his friends and allies all share their image of the Sentinel of Liberty and what he meant to them, and see that maybe he was all these things and more.
Writer: Jeph LoebArtists: Leinil Yu, Ed McGuinness, John Romita Jr., David Finch and John Cassaday
Publisher: Marvel ComicsCollects: Fallen Son: Wolverine; New Avengers; Captain America; Spider-Man; Iron Man
"Where were you when Captain America died?" is the motivating question behind Fallen Son, as it shows the reactions of various Marvel characters in the aftermath of Cap's assassination, even if it does stray from that original concept.
It is quite appropriate for Jeph Loeb to pen this story. Not only is he personally familiar with loss, but his writing always carries a certain weight to it. And the absolute plethora of talented artists here is truly top-form; whether its David Finch's grittiness or Ed McGuinness' solid action or John Cassaday's elegant simplicity, and all of them benefit from Loeb's instant synergy with his artists.
I can think of no tribute more fitting for Cap -- a man who was perceived completely different by everyone who knew him -- than to see his friends and allies all share their image of the Sentinel of Liberty and what he meant to them, and see that maybe he was all these things and more.
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