Friday, July 31, 2009

From the Reading Pile: Afro Samurai Volume 2



Afro Smurai Volume 2
By Takashi Okazaki

Volume One was a violent tongue in cheek hybrid of explotation era thematics and the standard samurai revenge tale. It was fun and refreshing in a Tarantino homage kind of way.

This volume, on the other hand, is a complete and utter mess. Afro is still hunting the elusive Number 1, but the story decides to randomly flip between flashback, present day action, and the distant future. There is no rhyme or reason to it, a flashback can come in the middle of a fight or during a quiet dinner scene with no discernable mechanism for distinguishing between the eras.

There are interesting sequences throughout, but the jumbled narrative structure makes the book next to impossible to understand diminishing the important revelations or even more disastrously, the climax itself. Possibly the most disheartening fact of these problems is that this is a reworking of the original manga, yet it still comes off like a rough draft.

Mice Templar: Destiny #1


Mice Templar: Destiny #1
Written by Bryan J. Glass
Illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming

Oeming pulls all the rabbits out of his artistic hat here. There is a breathtaking splash page, one of the most magnificent ever, certainly among those that feature owls. There is a bloody battle sequence that plays like the opening D-Day salvo of Saving Private Ryan, only here, it's with mice and swords. There are fiery visions, monstrous creatures, eerie forests, and illuminated spirits.

The dynamic layouts, the emotional fortitude of the cast, the sturdiness of the graphic narrative all dazzle, but pale in comparison to Cassius’s recounting of the legend of the wood. The page is turned and like the technicolor brilliance of Oz, there is a water-colored surrealism that literally sucks the oxygen out of the room.

RIYL: Mice Templar, Redwall, Watership Down, Conan, Mouse Guard, Raymond E. Fiest, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings

A Review Classic: The Mice Templar #1

I have been reviewing comics for over two years now. It started out as a purely amateur thing. Ultimate Comics has a website and I wanted there to be content, so I started reviewing comics. At first, I just reviewed things that I really loved (the book in question) or really hated (somewhere there is a review of the Fallen Son issue with Spider-Man). I discovered the review group, which was at that time located in the forums of Newsarama, but now resides at The Outhouse.

Eager to keep myself honest and to refine my reviewing skills I joined. We have a membership that has grown and shrunk over the years. Some of us are very passionate about comics, others not so much. There is a rotation, built on some arbitrary list, that we use to determine the book of the week. Basically, you get to pick when it is your turn.

Anyhow, back in those days, I reviewed the first issue of The Mice Templar (which regretably was not a Review Group pick way back then, we reviewed some issue of Teen Titans instead) and thought you guys might get a kick out of reading my review. Which along with my zeal for the book got me a mention in one of the issues for spreading the word. Thanks Bryan and Mike, for the nod, but mostly for a great book that I am still passionate about.

And now without further ado, first published on www.ultimatecomicsonline.com way back in August of 2007, my review for The Mice Templar #1.


The Mice Templar #1
Written by Bryan J.L. Glass and Michael Avon Oeming
Illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming


When you go home and your mother fixes your favorite dish; you know the one that you tell everyone about, the one that you have been trying to recreate, but just can’t get it right. You know how when you walk into the house and the heavenly aroma hits your nose and you start to salivate. That’s the way I feel about this book. When I heard about it several months ago, I just started to get excited. Those kinds of projects only come every once in a while. The ones that make you giddy with anticipation.

Now that it is out. All I can say is boy do Oeming and Glass deliver. They have concocted a delectable stew of some favorites of my childhood. Saute one cup of Star Wars, season it with some Conan and The Secret of NIMH, add a little julienned Watership Down, and steep in a King Arthur stock for several hours and Viola: Mice Templar. In this first issue we are introduced to Karic, a young mouse, who has grown up hearing tales of the fabled Templar. He suspects every stranger to be one, he knows their myths and legends. When he plays, it is as a Templar. He lives in what appears to be a medieval village of Mice. All is great. Then the rats show up, the blood flows and the story hits the stratosphere.

Oeming’s pencils are breathtaking. This is not the comic strip goodness of Powers. This is a new gritty, dark style that is amazing. Shadows abound and the mood of wonder and forboding that is conveyed in Glass’s script is perfectly conveyed. Seemingly simple backgrounds jump off the page. The energy that Glass and Oeming have towards this comic, over nine years in the making, is palatable on the page.

This is a a perfect comic. It delivers in every way. This reader was sold before it was printed. Now, I am more stoked then before. I want seconds now, so I actually forsee myself rereading this book several times before the next issue hits the stands. Spawn and the zombies need to get ready for some real competition, this is the next big thing from Image.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

From the Reading Pile: Violent Messiahs - Book of Job


Violent Messiahs: The Book of Job

Written by Joshua Dysart
Illustrated by Tone Rodriguez

A riff on Frankenstein that is set in a dystopian future. More than that though, it is a biblical epic both in scope and its allegorical allusions. Tackling the subjects of hyper violence, love, and the nature of truth, it quickly becomes more a mash up of King Kong and The Matrix. Things are not necessarily what they seem and even the motives of family may have sinister ramifications.

The tome doesn’t always work. It is sufficiently muddled and even worse narratively jumbled in places. Often, Dysart is over reaching his ability at the time. This may sound damning, but it’s not. What we have here is the journeyman work of a scribe. He is developing his voice. There is much that points to the tale of a certain bandaged soldier.

Rodriguez is one of those indy guys. He worked on the Snake Plissken book and other work that required less realistic rendering (The Simpsons, Urban Monsters). Here, he tries to match the cinematic chaos of the script. Bravely experimenting with layouts. They pop, squeeze and eventually cover each other up. Like the story itself, the art is not perfect. In fact, the first half of the book is painfully amateurish; but as the story progresses, both the script and the pencils become more coherent, more refined, and ultimately find the edge they are looking for.

Immortal Weapons #1


Immortal Weapons #1
Written by Jason Aaron & Duane
Swierczynski
Illustrated by Various Artists


Aaron has showed himself as one of the rising stars in the medium. He has already once shown readers that he can handle the tongue-in-cheek humor and over-the-top action of the best chop-socky films. That book was called Wolverine: Manifest Destiny, even though it felt more like Sons of the Dragons. All of those skills in the genre are on display here.

To add insult to injury for lesser writers, the scribe adds enough emotional depth to the character to make an overweight and egotistical guy into a sympathetic character. His story is haunting and tragic. There is a sense of loss at the end that is inescapable. Certainly, with the majority of his career ahead of him, Aaron will be considered one of the greats of his field.

RIYL: Immortal Iron Fist, Wolverine: Manifest Destiny, Daughters of the Dragon, Daredevil


Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Review Group 7-29-09: Mice Templar - Destiny #1


Young Neil had the pick this week and he chose a personal favorite -

THE MICE TEMPLAR: DESTINY #1


story MICHAEL AVON OEMING & BRYAN JL GLASS,

art VICTOR SANTOS & MICHAEL AVON OEMING ,

cover MICHAEL AVON OEMING,

variant cover VICTOR SANTOS & VERONICA GANDINI

32 PAGES, FC, $3.99

The second chapter in the saga of the Mice Templar begins here!
The Templar have fallen, leaving the natural world in the grip of tyrants and ever-increasing chaos. The promise of restoration for the Templar and the salvation of all creatures now lies in the paws of the newly-knighted Karic. But as sinister powers seek to thwart him, others are desperate to use his mission for personal agendas. Now Karic is anxious to complete his training so that he might rescue his family from slavery. But his new master is Cassius, a bitter Templar exile who does not believe in Karic's destiny. Their journey takes them to the legendary Haunted Wood, a dead forest inhabited by Diabhlan, ancient evil spirits hungry to feed off of living souls.

32 PAGES – NO ADS!

Come Join the fun at the Outhouse!

From the Reading Pile: Sin City Vol 2 - A Dame to Kill For


A Dame To Kill For
By Frank Miller


The Hard Goodbye suffered from Miller's penchant for hokey dialogue. Oddly enough it worked well enough for Marv's story.

Here, Miller delves fully into Noir. Dwight's speech is full of the cadence and swagger of Bogart at his finest. The lust between Dwight and Ava is thick, the smell of sweat rises from the page.

What's more, Miller embraces the pulp mechanisms, sprinkling bits from the other volumes here and there. The story becomes a frame and like a Leonard novel, old friends are hiding in corners.

Oh, Ava's monologuing can get overbearing - but it is made up for in spades by the momentum that keeps the pages turning and the story moving.

To this reader, this is a better outing that the first volume. Miller is playing around less and hunkering down to tell a decent story.

Lee's Sure Fire Can't Miss Pick of the Week 7-29-09: Stuff of Legend #1



The Stuff of Legend #1

Written by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith

Illustrated by Charles Paul Wilson III


Published by Th3rd World Studios

$4.99


A new mythology is created as this book explores a child of WWII and his courageous toys who venture into the dark closet to save him from the Boogy Man!

The preview book went fast at Free Comic Book day, check the offering here: http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=27895

This is a stunningly beautiful book that Brian K. Vaughan said the following about

"This is some of the loveliest artwork I've seen in a comic book in a long, long time, and a darkly beautiful story to boot"


Frank Quitely said

"I love it! It's a real page-turner. Economical, effective story-telling, with both story and art complimenting each other perfectly, and hinting at something darker. Very involving"


This one may be hard to find at your local comic shop, but will be worth the hunt.




From the Reading Pile: From Hell


From Hell

By Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

Masterpiece. Alan Moore has at least three books that qualify. There is Watchmen, Lost Girls, and this one. It is probably the least of the three, but it still rises to the top of the greatest achievements in all of comics.

Moore takes the lore of Jack the Ripper and uses it to mark a clear demarcation between the grime and questionable morality of 19th century London and the free for all that has become the 20th century and beyond. By pointing out the evils of that more "innocent" time, he examines the worst of humanity and the evils of the present become a more potent concern.

Along the way there is the cautionary tale of Gull. He is a doctor who strives to be the best at what he does. Slowly, but surely, his unquenchable drive causes him to lose not only his mind, but everything he worked so hard for.

Campbell's art is an acquired taste. The loose line is overcome by his strong storytelling. One has to wonder what a more capable artist could have brought to the table. Would the loss of the gritty mood have been more harmful than the sketchy nature of the art?

A sublime, dark and incredibly dense epic, From Hell takes historical fiction into the realm of the metaphysical.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

From The Reading Pile: Hellboy Vol. 2 - Wake The Devil


Hellboy: Wake the Devil
By Mike Mignola


More from the uncontrollable stack of books I have yet to read. Like Sin City, I am reading this in the big Library Editions from Dark Horse. This first hardcover (of which this is the second half) took me a while, because to be honest, Seed of Destruction didn't exactly set my world on fire. Fortunately, it was not my first experience with Hellboy. I had checked out what ever mini series was being published when I first got back into comics. I dug it, but after a couple of series... I am thinking I made it to The Black Flame... I realized that this world was rich in back story, so I decided to start at the beginning and then these cool hardcovers were solicited.

This is more like it. After the somewhat empty opening of the first series, the whole ball of wax gets rolling here. Rasputin, Vampires, Gods, Nazis, Mad Scientists, Disembodied Heads. That's what our Demon friend should be fighting. However, the emotional connection to his team becomes clearer here. We see him face his destiny and claim his own path. The wry humor is here. Perfect comics from a genius of the medium.

.

Monday, July 27, 2009

From the Reading Pile: Sin City Volume 1: The Hard Goodbye


The Hard Goodbye
By Frank Miller

Having seen the movie, I was a big enough fan that I own the entire series in the big over-sized hard covers, but have never actually gotten to reading them - hence the name of this new feature, brought on by my illness this past weekend, where I didn't read anything new to review and pretty much just lied around reading things from the big pile in my comics room.

This was a solid story. It easy to see why they made the movie focus on this story. Marv is a great character and there is a nice balance between the noir darkness and Miller's sense of humor.

The art is amazing. Miller utilizes the black and white to the nth degree. He has a sense of shadowing seldom seen in comics and the simple palate accentuates this. The detail is amazing.

The only thing that holds this book back is the ham-fisted dialogue. Of course, it is perfect coming from Marv, but still unbelievable. What was once kitschy enough to make The Dark Knight Returns a breath of fresh air is over the top here.

Still, all and all, a great read deserving of the accolades and status it has obtained in fandom.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Hollywood as Gateway: Whiteout


Whiteout
By Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber

September 11 marks the next big comic adaptation. This time it is a big Dark Castle production staring Kate Beckinsale. The trailer hits the web today at ign.com, and the official website is up.

Just a friendly reminder that this started out as a comic from Oni Press. Here's how they describe the book.

"You can't get any further down than the bottom of the world - Antarctica. Cold, desolate, nothing but ice and snow for miles and miles. Carrie Stetko is a U.S. Marshal, and she's made The Ice her home. In its vastness, she has found a place where she can forget her troubled past and feel at peace... Until someone commits a murder in her jurisdiction and that peace is shattered. The murderer is one of five men scattered across the continent, and he has more reason to hide than just the slaying. Several ice samples were taken from the area around the body, and the depth of the drilling signifies something particular was removed. Enter Lily Sharpe, who wants to know what was so important another man's life had to be taken for it. But are either of the women prepared for the secrets and betrayals at the core of the situation?"

Reminds me, I should dig this out of the to read pile and actually read it.

Comics as Gateway: The Mourner


The Mourner
By Richard Stark

I was so impressed by The Hunter that I rushed out to purchase a Stark Novel. I was not able to locate a copy of The Hunter or the second book right away, but I came across a copy of this, the fourth Parker novel at the Regulator Book Shop in Durham, NC.

"The Mourner is a story of convergence—of cultures and of guys with guns. Hot on the trail of a statue stolen from a fifteenth-century French tomb, Parker enters a world of eccentric art collectors, greedy foreign officials, and shady KGB agents. Next, Parker works with a group of professional con men in The Score on his biggest job yet—robbing an entire town in North Dakota. In The Jugger, Parker travels to Nebraska to help out a geriatric safecracker who knows too many of his criminal secrets. By the time he arrives, the safecracker is dead and Parker’s skeletons are on the verge of escaping from their closet—unless Parker resorts to lethal measures."- http://www.press.uchicago.edu/presssite/metadata.epl?mode=synopsis&bookkey=1127365

The book is available through The University of Chicago Press. They are currently reprinting all the Parker Novels.

Hollywood as Gateway: Google Geeks?


With the launch of San Diego Comic Con 2009, this is the graphic on the Google home page today.

I'm overjoyed that Hollywood has made such a large showing there. I just wish we could find a way to turn those billions of movie dollars into comic sales.

Like Morrison said,
“I don’t care about geeks, you know? Geeks shouldn’t be given power. When geeks get power, you get Hitler. There’s a lot of weird and angry geeks out there. But what (a comic book movie) does is it opens up comics as a medium. It stops being geekish. There’s comic books for everyone. There’s comic books for women, there’s comic books for kids, there’s comic books for teenage Goths. That is the important thing that movies are doing.”

– Grant Morrison, in a roundtable discussion about Comic-Con and the geeks inheriting Hollywood (via Robot 6)


The Hunter


The Hunter
By Darwyn Cooke


Adapted from the first Parker novel by Richard Stark,
"The Hunter is one of those rarest of all comic books. It is a perfect graphic novel. It is expert in its writing and art. It is exciting and intelligent. The perfect fusion of compelling, passionate story and crisp, clear drawings. The entire medium should be striving for this level of synergy. It is quite simply put, the kind of book that should be proudly displayed on any book shelf."


RIYL: Payback - starring Mel Gibson, Criminal, Sin City, the works of Elmore Leonard, the works of Donald Westlake (aka Richard Stark)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

An oldie but a goodie... The Nobody

I didn't write a Review for today and I know that blogs live and die by the information flow. So, on days like today I will highlight a review I wrote a while back - don't worry, I'll try to make sure it is something readily available. Sometimes, I might link someone else's review for something.

Today's Choice is fairly recent but not linked here.

The Nobody
by Jeff Lemire

"Those who are being introduced to the artist’s work through this book are in for a treat. It is instantly more satisfying than Essex County, which is brilliant, but only in its entirety. The individual pieces of that epic are not nearly as satisfying or gripping as this entry. The Nobody is as perfect a comic thriller as I have ever read and proof that Lemire is a brilliant graphic novelist."

RIYL: Well that other book by Lemire mentioned above. That Salty Air, Air, Sliverfish, Young Liars.

So did an Ultimate Comics close in the Image Universe???

This is a panel from Riley Rossmo's (Proof) Cowboy Ninja Viking #1:

If you look closely at the comic boxes on the shelves of this pawn store, you might notice a familiar logo. (Hopefully the picture will expand to full size when you hit it).

Here is the cover to issue one:


And the Official Solicitation:

COWBOY NINJA VIKING #1

story by AJ LIEBERMAN
art and cover by RILEY ROSSMO

32 pages

FC
OCTOBER 7
$3.50

It started with Dr. Sebastian Ghislain: rogue psychotherapist/covert op/DJ. Tasked with creating a counter-intelligence unit, he turned to those long thought useless to society…patients with Multiple Personality Disorder. These agents became known simply as Triplets. Misguided? Yeah. Impractical? Sure. But did it work? Absolutely not. Now someone has located each Triplet and created a band of ridiculously disturbed, but highly effective assassins. Our only hope? A Triplet known as Cowboy Ninja Viking!

From the artist of PROOF comes a new series presented in the Golden Age format!


COWBOY NINJA VIKING is © and TM AJ Lieberman and Riley Rossmo 2009. All Rights Reserved.

And here's a banner you should feel free to steal to spread the love:


Because there are smaller companies at San Diego, too.


GODKILLER WRITER-DIRECTOR JOINS COMIC CON PANEL
"HORROR COMICS INTO FILM"

- Award-winning filmmaker Matt Pizzolo to discuss turning
horror graphic novel into illustrated film -


Los Angeles, CA, July 21, 2009 - Award-winning filmmaker Matt Pizzolo (GODKILLER) will join the San Diego Comic Con panel "Horror Comics Into Film," moderated by Aintitcool.com's Mark L. Miller, with Kevin Grevioux (co-writer/actor UNDERWORLD), Marv Wolfman (creator of BLADE), Tim Seely (creator of HACK/SLASH), Whitley Strieber (creator of THE NYE INCIDENTS), Todd Lincoln (director/producer of THE NYE INCIDENTS), Jeff Katz (creator of FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH), Steven C. Miller (writer/director of AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION), Ryan Schifrin (creator of SPOOKS), organized by Peter Katz, it was announced today by Katz after Adam Wingard's appearance was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. Pizzolo will discuss his role as writer-director of the 'illustrated film' GODKILLER (adapted from the horror graphic novel he created with illustrator Anna Muckcracker), which features the voices of horror stars Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN 4, 5, H1, H2), Bill Moseley (THE DEVIL'S REJECTS), Tiffany Shepis (NIGHT OF THE DEMONS), and Lance Henriksen (PUMPKINHEAD). The panel is scheduled for Friday July 24th from 6:30-7:30pm in Comic Con room 30AB.

"It'll be incredibly humbling to talk about our offbeat and twisted horror-comic-movie GODKILLER alongside these giants of comic books and film," said Pizzolo. "I hope the film's unique format of integrating comics and cinema into a new storytelling style will add another dimension to the discussion."

"When Matt showed me the trailer for GODKILLER the illustrated film, I was immediately sold by its gothic artwork, its dark story of organ thieves, and a particularly creepy character voiced by horror heavyweight Bill Moseley," said Katz. "As a huge fan of all things horror, Matt will be a great addition to our panel packed full of genre all-stars."

Pizzolo will also be signing GODKILLER posters with castmembers Danielle Harris, Bill Moseley, Justin Pierre (singer of MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK), and Nicki Clyne (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) throughout the weekend at Halo-8 booth #430 and at the official autograph area in the Sails Pavilion.

Katz previously organized the popular "Indie Genre Film" panel at San Diego Comic Con 2008, which included the Dowdle Brothers (THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES, QUARANTINE), Oren Peli (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY), Jacob Gentry & Dave Bruckner (THE SIGNAL), Eric Zala & Chris Strompolus (THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION), Adam Wingard (HOME SICK), Chad Feehan & Thomas Hammock (ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE), and was moderated by AintItCoolNews' Drew McWeeny "Moriarty."

About Godkiller
GODKILLER is the terrifying story of a boy on a quest to save his godkillerdying sister in a desolate wasteland. Based on the horror/sci-fi graphic novel Pizzolo created with Muckcracker, GODKILLER takes place in a dark-future where nuclear holy war has turned the Earth into a polluted savage land in which fresh blood and organs are prime currencies and humans live in fear of fallen gods and monstrous alien colonists. Tommy and his kid sister Lucy live in an orphanage in one of the few remaining city-states, but Lucy is critically ill and desperately in need of a new heart. Tommy's odyssey to find a new heart for his sister begins when he follows an organ-stealing prostitute named Halfpipe into the borderland of Outer City, where he comes face to face with horrors beyond his wildest nightmares. GODKILLER mixes unforgiving brutality, quantum physics, conspiracy theory, and secret history for an iconoclastic hero's journey like none before it.

About the Godkiller 'illustrated film'
The 'illustrated film' Pizzolo, Muckcracker, and Emmy-winner Brian Giberson created for the adaption mixes elements of anime, radio drama, video games, and motion comics. Utilizing the original artwork from the comic book, the 'illustrated film' adds motion animation, visual effects, elaborate sound design, music, and voice-acting performances.

Pizzolo explained "when we decided to make an anime adaptation of the comic book, I couldn't see how a traditional animated approach would do justice to Anna's incredibly lush and detailed illustrations. It made perfect sense to adapt the medium to suit her art, rather than vice versa."

Although comparisons have been made between GODKILLER and WATCHMEN MOTION COMIC, Pizzolo contrasted the differences in his "Illustrated Films vs Motion Comics" post on the Hollywood-2point0 blog.


Monday, July 20, 2009

Graphic Novel Club August: Y the Last Man Vol. 1


Oh yeah. I run a comic shop in Durham, North Carolina.
Once a month on the first Thursday, a group of us meets and talks about a book we all read.

This month the group collectively chose Y The Last Man Volume One.

Written by Brian K. Vaughan; Art by Pia Guerra and José Marzá, Jr.; Painted Cover by J.G. Jones


"Funny and scary…an utterly believable critique of society. A+"
—THE WASHINGTON POST

"The best graphic novel I've ever read."
—STEPHEN KING

"This year's best movie is a comic book."
—ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

"A seriously funny, nuanced fable...Grade A."
—ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY


Y: THE LAST MAN, winner of three Eisner Awards and one of the most critically acclaimed, best-selling comic books series of the last decade, is that rare example of a page-turner that is at once humorous, socially relevant and endlessly surprising.

Written by Brian K. Vaughan (Lost, PRIDE OF BAGHDAD, EX MACHINA) and with art by Pia Guerra, this is the saga of Yorick Brown—the only human survivor of a planet-wide plague that instantly kills every mammal possessing a Y chromosome. Accompanied by a mysterious government agent, a brilliant young geneticist and his pet monkey, Ampersand, Yorick travels the world in search of his lost love and the answer to why he'sthe last man on earth.

http://dccomics.com/vertigo/graphic_novels/?gn=1736


You can find more info at my shop's website: www.ultimatecomicsonline.com

The Review Group Pick for 07-22-09: Immortal Weapons #1


Our fearless leader, Amlah, had the pick this week.
He chose Immortal Weapons #1

WRITER: Jason Aaron and Duane Swierczynski
PENCILS: Khari Evans, Travel Foreman, Stefano Gaudiano, Michael Lark, Mico Suayan, Roberto De La Torre and Jordan White

Out of the pages of IMMORTAL IRON FIST! Jason Aaron (WOLVERINE) and Mico Suayan (MOON KNIGHT) plus an all-star roster of guest artists kick off IMMORTAL WEAPONS in this double-sized issue! Fat Cobra! No man has fought more heartily, consumed more mightily, or lived life more fully! Fat Cobra! Master of the sumo thunder stomp and the devil’s skullcrusher! Fat Cobra! Immortal Weapon from the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven! But to this day, no man has known the story of Fat Cobra’s life…including the Cobra himself! Discover the shocking origins of this boisterous brawler and witness his decades of adventure! Meanwhile, Danny Rand embarks on his own mission of search and adventure, in a special bonus story by IMMORTAL IRON FIST writer Duane Swierczynski running through all five IMMORTAL WEAPONS issues! Rated T …$3.99


There is still time to join in on the fun of last week's pick Blackest Night #1!

Lee's Sure Fire Can't Miss Pick of the week 7-22-09: The Hunter


The Hunter
By Darwyn Cooke.

The writer and artist of my most favorite superhero story ever (DC The New Frontier) takes on the writing of Richard Stark. I have to admit, I have never read any Stark but the movie Mel Gibson made based on this character, Payback, was entertaining (even if the acting left a little to be desired).

Mostly I am excited, because I have loved the current resurgence in the Crime genre in comics. Between Rick Geary's true crime tales, Scalped, Criminal, and the up coming Dark Horse Noir, as well as Vertigo's upcoming Crime imprint. It is a great time to read about the underbelly of society.

Famous Players


Rick Geary's second volume of A Treasury of XXth Century Murder.
Famous Players - The Mysterious Death of William Desmond Taylor

"Geary takes the reader from the founding of Hollywood to its first major death, a scandal that would change the perception of the film Mecca of the world. On the morning of February 2, 1922, a servant finds one William Desmond Taylor dead on the floor of his home. The investigation into the murder would become a media circus that opened the public’s eyes to the secrets of the film industry."


RIYL: Capote or Ellroy. Comics wise, there is Fishtown, Sin City, Kick Back, Criminal, and this week's The Hunter from Darwyn Cooke.

Welcome, folks.

So, this bad boy is a little different. This will be a place for me to say hey, you like this book I reviewed... try this one.

First off, all the reviews that are on Broken Frontier's website currently.


Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? #1

dense, dense read. Of course if you like this, you should try the actual novel, if you are impatient, otherwise this 24 issue adaptation should suffice.

RIYL: From Hell by Alan Moore, really anything by Moore will be okay. Nightly News or any of the works of one Jonathan Hickman (especially his pre-Marvel Image work).

Blackest Night #1

The Event book done right? I dunno, it didn't resonate me like it did with most readers.

RIYL: Inifinite Crisis - Geoff Johns other big DC event. I am guessing you would also be served by his current run on Green Lantern or Grant Morrison's run on JLA. Marvel Zombies also comes to mind, because well the Black Corps seem to be zombies with powers.
This was the review group book this week: http://www.theouthousers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26182

Black Lagoon Volume 1

Viz sends me comps and wanted me to cover this older title. My review describes it best... "Imagine if Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and John Woo made a movie together. Now imagine that all three directors, their crew and entire cast were on Crystal Meth."

RIYL: Well any of those things named above will do. There is also Cowboy Bebop. I would also recommend Viz's Dogs series.

Amulet: Book Two - The Stonekeeper's Curse


Scholastic's follow up to Bone is good family friendly Fantasy!

RIYL: Kazu is the editor of the Flight anthologies (volume 6 is out this wednesday!), so that is a good place as is Mice Templar for more mature audiences. The youngsters should check out Bone, Mouse Guard, and Edgar Allen Poo.

That brings us up to today. Now I will go to single posts!