About Heroes

Captain Britain and MI 13 # 1 Review

Author: Paul Cornell
Penciler: Leonard Kirk
Inker: Jesse Delperdang
Colors: Brian Reber

Does anyone know if this book is an ongoing or a miniseries? Because it seems like it’s another incarnation with a deserving Excalibur somewhere on that title. I really enjoyed Cornell’s Wisdom miniseries. I really though besides Warren Ellis, Paul Cornell is the only writer that has been able to write that character properly. I really thought this books was doomed when I read Secret Invasion on the cover. After those so called “tie-ins” that Bendis is putting us through in the Avengers titles, I really thought we were going to get a story about a boy Skrull and his dog Skrull with the revelation that they have been disguising themselves as Superpro and Nomad (RIP). Instead we get a really solid story with some promising future.

We revisit John the Skrull from the Wisdom mini and it is revealed that a high ranking British official is a Skrull. It seems that the Skrulls have it out for the Brits and want to take out the Siege Perilous. The hell you say? When was the last fucking time someone other than Claremont brought up the Siege Perilous? Who is going to stop these freaking aliens from crushing dear old England? Well, that’s where Captain Britain, Pete Wisdom, John the Skrull, Black Knight, and Spitfire come in and each get a little spotlight. We even get the return of Alistaire Stuart….the man from W.H.O. It seems that Captain Britain has to divert a missile and save the magic and eventually the world and it seems like he is doing it no matter the cost.

Now this is how you do a fucking tie-in and how you get the ball rolling on a new book! Damn, it was so fun reading this book, writing a review on it won’t do it justice. This is the Captain Britain I want to see. A guy that can literally take a Skrull’s head off by punching it. This is a team I can take seriously, each member providing their own unique way of taking down Skrulls. By far my favorite would have to be Spitfire ripping throats out with her teeth…now that is a chick after my own heart. Cornell does an outstanding job introducing new readers to the heroes of England….alright fair is fair, Dane Whitman (Black Knight) is from Massachusetts, but he is still residing in England.

Kirk’s artwork has gotten better since his days on Agents of Atlas. He can capture the fluidity of motion during battle sequences and still show a sentimental side to Wisdom’s facial expressions when saying goodbye to Captain Britain. Sure there are Skrulls here, but the tie-in is used to get new readers to experience a new kind of dark humor and fun comic. This book was a big surprise to me, much better than I anticipated with a great script, great characterization, and great fun. A

Huntress: Year One # 1 Review

Author: Ivory Madison
Penciler: Cliff Richards
Inker: Art Thibert
Colors: Jason Wright
Cover: Mathew Clark

Damn, it seems everyone in DC is getting a Year One, so when is Booster Gold Year One going to get here? Before I start the review I can’t begin to tell you how upset I was when I opened the comic and found out Mathew Clark was not drawing the inside of the book. Nothing against Richards, but Clark’s artwork has something unique about it that I can’t get enough of. So, yes I loved the cover.

The story starts off with a 20 year old Helena Bertinelli living in Sicily. She is in hiding because she is the last survivor of her family, who were hunted by rival mobs in Gotham. Much like Bruce Wayne, she witnessed the death of her parents and the death of her older brother while eating dinner. While living with the Asaro family she learned to fight under Salvatore and eventually became a huntress. Now, it seems that Helena wants to repay those lessons by breaking him out of jail.

I really didn’t think there was a point to this book, let alone six issues worth of the Huntress’ first year. Don’t get me wrong I have been a fan of The Huntress since I first encountered her in the 3rd Robin miniseries, but you can get all the back stories you want by buying Huntress: Cry for Blood. However, if you don’t want to hunt down that trade, then this is a pretty decent read. Sure it had tons over the top voice over captions and the flashbacks were confusing at times (not sure if that’s the artist’s or writer’s fault), but it still kept my interested and I wanted to keep reading more by the end.

The art gets the job done, but it really doesn’t stand out from the rest. The transitions between scenes felt a little cluttered and to be honest I couldn’t tell how old Helena was supposed to be during the boar flashback. Maybe Sal likes em’ a lil young. I do have to say that his facial expressions and panel laying are done really well. . I’m glad they got Thibert to clean up the art; he is by far one of the best inkers working today. I would also like to point out that Wright’s colors are simply amazing; he really made those flashback scenes have a Batman: Year One feel to them. Even though the dialogue seems really clichéd, if you don’t know much about Huntress’ origin this book will keep you entertain. B-

Shameless Self Promotion!!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!!!

Ok, so as far as I know, this is the first time I've never really abused the great power that these bastions of comic knowledge and wisdom here at Aboutheroes have bestowed upon me, but it's for something I'm sure you can all understand the importance of. Thus, I am shirking the 'Great Responsibility' and coming to you with one simple request. I need you to give me a 5 star rating on this youtube video:

Here's the story. As some of you may know, Zack Snyder (Director of Dawn of the Dead Remake, 300, and now The Watchmen) is holding a contest for fans of The Watchmen to submit commercials for Veidt Industries Products that may actually find their way into the film. This is something that would make me go nuts. Not only would my work be in the film based on one of the (if not THE) best comics ever written, but as an budding Editor in Hollywood, it would look AMAZING on my resume. That being said, It would tickle me if you could click on the link below and give me a 5 star rating just to boost my stats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyfyjgVODCE

Thanks so much for your time and your overlooking of my Un-SpideyheedingUncleBen'slastwords-ness.

For just a touch of Legitimacy, here's video diaries they've released so far, they're actually really cool.

Tanks a Wot, GEEKS UNITE!!!!

X-factor: The Quick and the Dead Review

Author: Peter David
Artist: Pablo Raimondi
Colors: Jeremy Cox

Damn, every time I see a picture of Quicksilver I am reminded of how much he’s been royally fucked in recent years. Every since House of M the character has been dragged, shit on, and turned into a psychotic/pseudo villain. If there is one man that can make me care for Quicksilver again it’s Peter David. After all if it wasn’t for his X-factor # 87 I really wouldn’t be giving a rat’s ass about Pietro.

Life has not been good for Pietro. After being humiliated and defeated by Layla Miller Quicksilver has fallen even further. He is powerless, lost, hanging on the brink of sanity, and is a John Doe currently being held in a jail cell. But in his mind he is confronted and haunted by hallucinations and voices of his past. Everyone important to him shows up: Scarlett Witch, Magneto, Crystal, Luna, and even Layla Miller who informs him that deep down inside he didn’t want to kill her. She also tells him to follow the butterfly out the cell window. He can see across the rooftops of New York City from his jail cell, and upon one of them, he sees a couple having a domestic dispute. This leads to the man dragging the woman to the edge of the building. Pietro pulls the bars off and runs at top speeds to save the woman. He then takes a small trip around the globe coming to different conclusions about his life.

There are really some gorgeous series of dialogue between Pietro and his hallucinations. Magneto mentioning why everything has to go back to Hitler and the emotional reunion between brother and sister. I really feel bad for Pietro and the way his life has turned to utter shit. It was a really powerful tale of Pietro finding faith again and moving on from his recent lifestyle. While the book is not for everyone, the book really catches new readers up to speed…no pun intended.

The artwork by Raimondi is fantastic for the most part. He really makes Pietro look like a bum and a desperate man. He really captures the spirit and power of the moment of Quicksilver's revelation. Pietro’s facial expression when he realizes his powers returned are priceless. It was really nice to have David and Raimondi team up again. Other times it seems that his faces are a little off. It’s a great turning point in the life of Quicksilver and if you’ve enjoyed his recent devolution or just care about the character I highly recommend reading this book. A-

Action Comics Annual # 11 Review

Authors: Geoff Johns & Richard Donner
Artist: Adam Kubert
Colors: Edgar Delgado

Alright, so we all know how late this book has been. So I’m not even going to bitch about that and move on to the review. Although, I really feel for the people that were anxiously waiting for this conclusion. That’s right, it’s the finale to the Last Son storyline and it’s extra-sized. Much like the Heinberg Wonder Woman story, the main book kept moving forward and they left the conclusion to be told in an annual. I thought that was a great move by DC.

Along with Superman comes the Superman Revenge Squad: Lex Luthor, Parasite, Metallo, and Bizarro to take on General Zod, Ursa, and Non. So what we get is a battle with Superman against Zod….which for some reason I found really badass when Superman was dual wielding the Red Sun gun and the Green Kryptonite gun. The rest of the Revenge Squad takes on the remainder of Zod’s Kryptonian criminals. Luthor manages to reverse the rocket’s warp drive and pull the rocket back home and re-open the phantom zone along with everyone who has ever had contact with it. Chris realizes that the ship must be shut off in order to deactivate it. Chris goes in, and stops it, but doesn't come back out. In a desperate search for Chris, Superman contacts Mon-El and is informed he is not with the other Kryptonians, but the search will continue.

It was really a good finale to a mediocre storyline that kept getting stronger and stronger with each issue. The delays really killed the momentum and I’m sure this will read so much better in trade. The character interaction and dialogue was superb…of course what else is to be expected from Johns? What I really loved was the fact that Lex saved the day, but he still got locked up with no credit for it. Of course the story is not flawless. What I’m really confused about is the timeline of this story. Chris mentions he’s already met Robin…which means that everything up to Buziek’s last issue (Superman 675...I think) could have happened before Action Comics 845. If that is so, that’s a little hard to believe. Unless of course Chris came back with no explanation. There also wasn’t enough Revenge Squad in the book for me; they each got about three pages of fighting. Damn, and just when I thought I was going to see a huge JLA vs. Zod’s army....nothing happens.

I am really shocked at the unbalance that I find in Adam Kubert’s artwork. While some pictures are right down stunning like the reflection of the destroyed Metropolis, others feel rushed. His backgrounds are lavishing as ever, but for some reason some of his fight scenes just felt like they needed to be polished up. Perhaps he should have let someone else ink his pencils….hell they should have teamed him up with Art Thibert. There is a nice little bonus at the end with Geoff Johns introducing the readers to Superman’s supporting characters. The art by Stephane Roux was solid and I wish he would get a monthly Superman book. Overall it was an entertaining read and I’m not taking the delays into consideration when I rate the book so keep that in mind. I think a B- is a fair grade considering the lackluster scenes that Kubert provides at times, but seriously that is no reason for anyone to miss out and enjoy the conclusion to this story.

Avengers Invaders # 1 Review

Authors: Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Artist: Steve Sadowski
Colors: inLight Studios

When I saw that Jim Krueger and Alex Ross were going to be working on a project for Marvel, I really got excited. I thought their Earth X books were some of the best written alternate-future Marvel stories I have ever read. I then found out the Invaders were going to be involved and I was reminded how wonderful Buziek’s Marvels was. Something happened to my excitement when I found out that someone other than Ross would be drawing the book and that the New Avengers would be involved….ohh yeah it went away.

The first part of the story is told through James “Bucky” Barnes’ journal and it re-introduces us to the Invaders (I still get confused with Toro and the Human Torch). As the Invaders take on some more Nazis during WWII they come across a green mist and walk through it, well everyone but Spitfire and a dying Union Jack. Meanwhile Spider-man is having a fight with the Thunderbolts about registering for the government (I can’t believe they are still ramming us this down our throats). Out of nowhere the Invaders appear and it’s Thunderbolts vs. Invaders with Spider-man caught in the middle. That’s pretty much about it, with the exception that Iron Man knows that Steve is somehow back.

It’s good to see a side by side comparison of classic heroes and the new anti-heroes that exist in the Marvel U. Everything that is good about a superhero and the shady heroes clashing together was a great analogy of today’s comics. I really like the young Bucky and Toro interaction; they really stole the spotlight….even from Spider-man, who was just trying too hard to get a joke in every panel. It really bothers me that not all the Invaders made it across the time rift. I really appreciate how much Ross loves the golden age characters, both here and in the DCU, but I wish he was just a little more involved than doing covers and co-plotting. The time travel mist wasn’t explained and to be honest I really don’t know if it will since that doesn’t seem to be the focus of the story.
Sadowski is a very talented artist and I love the colors just going over his pencils. He was able to do two different styles for two different time periods in the book and that takes some talent. He seems to put so much detail in each character and I think sometimes that backfires on him. Some of the lines he adds to the characters are completely unnecessary. Now, the one thing that I am definitely confused about is Cap’s shield. I thought at the time he was donning the classic 40’s shield . I could be wrong, but if anyone knows for sure, please correct me. It’s not a bad start, but the story really needs to get moving if the story is going to last only 12 issues. B-

The Invincible Iron Man # 1 Review

Author: Matt Fraction
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colors: Stephane Peru & Frank D’Armata

It’s been a long time since we’ve reviewed an Iron Man book here at Aboutheroes. Even though the Knauf brother’s storylines have been really good, for some reason we just talked about the book on the podcast. I really didn’t think there was a need for another Iron Man title, considering the ongoing doesn’t fly off the shelves. But, with a number 1 movie in the world, I figured it would happen sooner or later. This book happens to be Stephane Peru’s last interior colors before he shockingly passed away of a heart attack at the age of 26.

It seems that Tony’s has five nightmares and some are coming to life: 1) Drinking alcohol again after six years of sobriety. 2) The Iron Man armor becoming replicable. 3) Someone other than him or Rhodey will operate the Iron Man. 4) The Iron Man becoming disposable. 5) Someone else other than him making Iron Man 2.0. The issue also focuses on Obadiah Stane’s son Ezekiel, who seems to be a new kind of threat to Stark Enterprises.

Since taken over SHIELD and leading the Mighty Avengers it seems that Iron Man has become more of an authoritarian figure in the Marvel universe, but in this book we get to see more of the lighter side of Tony’s qualities. I love how anyone can just pick up this book and enjoy it. Fraction does an amazing job of touching all the important aspects of Tony’s life from SHIELD to booze and women. Instead of following the main title storyline, the book really does its own thing. This is the Tony Stark that I used to like in my childhood. Not the poorly written piece of evil dictator that Mark Millar wrote him to be. I love the use of Pepper Potts, just the way she was intended to be used in the shortly lived, but great series The Order.

I have been a fan of Larroca’s artworks for years. To me his best work is still in X-treme X-men when he didn’t have an inker and the colors were done right on top of his pencils. He is a very fast and talented artist and has a complete understanding on the way the human body/muscles work. Which brings me to the next point….is it just me or does he seem like he is pulling a Greg Land on some of these pictures and using a light-box? Some of his panels have that photographic style that Land is notorious for over-using and it doesn’t seem like the usual Larroca stuff. I put a page on the left hand side as an example of his possible use of light-boxing. However, the Iron Man armor and action sequences are completely Larroca. The colors are completely amazing and D’Armata does a perfect job finishing Peru’s pages.

Overall, a great first issue for long time readers and a good jumping on point for new readers that are interested in the character. Even though I don’t see the need for another Iron Man series, it’s one that I will be reading monthly. A

Midweek Manga Reviews: From Bleach to Toto!

Bleach vol. 22
Story & Art: Tite Kubo
Translation: Joe Yamazaki
Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Publisher: Viz

So much is going on in Bleach that it’s hard to keep track of. I really do mean that in a good way. Even though it’s a very linear story, the focus jumps from so many characters to others that each chapter keeps me in suspense. Last volume left us with the revelation that Ichigo’s dad Isshin was once a Soul Reaper (and very much still is). He also has some kind of connection with Urahara and has finally avenged his deceased wife. Meanwhile the Vizards have taken an interest in Ichigo and are taking their time approaching him with their intentions. Two new villains appear in town: Ulquiorra and Yammy, the first of the Arrancar. A few bystanders are killed when they arrive, but when Yammy tries to suck Tatsuki’s soul the cavalry arrives. We learn just how powerful these new menaces are and who they are working for. That’s right, Aizen is back! But not to worry, Soul Society has sent reinforcements to Earth to help Ichigo and gang with this new battle. I loved the tribute to the arrival of Vegeta and Nappa on Earth with these two new characters. The art just keeps getting better and better and the story really seems to be hinting that we are in for a new long arc. I have to say that I’m really glad Viz decided to leave the artwork as is for the graphic novel release. After what just two of the Arrancar did to Chado and Orihime the good guys are in for the fight of their lives. One quick note though, this is actually more to do with the translation. Ichigo’s dad says that for the last 20 years he has regretted not avenging his wife, but how can this be when Ichigo is only 15/16? That’s just a small little confusing bit of info, other than that a flawless book. A

Hellgate: London vol. 1
Story: Arvid Nelson
Art: J.M.
Publisher: Tokyopop

This book already had two strikes against it going into it. 1) It was an original English Language Manga and 2) It was the prequel to a video game. From my experience, I have yet to read a good OEL manga and most of the time I end up disappointed on books based on videogames. Damn, I love it when I am wrong. All I knew about the Hellgate world is that it is a computer game made by the same guys that did Diablo. Seriously it really doesn’t take that much previous knowledge to enjoy the book. On Halloween 2020 there is a demon invasion that strikes at several major cities around the world. This particular story begins on October first and focuses on the city of London, more particularly around John and Lindsey Fowler. John is a rugby player haunted by nightmares of things to come and along with his sister attempts to discover the meaning behind all the bizarre occurrences. It seems that both siblings are descendants of a Knight Templar family and John’s grandfather seems to be the black sheep of the family. Unfortunately the siblings can’t stay together by the end of the volume because John is a demon hybrid. J.M. can tell a good story with some great sequential art. Clean when it needs to be and really dark and gory when the Fowler’s family are being killed. The book was such a good prequel that it has me interested in playing the game or reading more about the characters. It’s your typical action/horror story, but come on, how can you go wrong with a chick whacking demons with a cricket paddle? I really would like to know what happens to John and Lindsey, so if anyone has played the game, shoot me an email. B+

Kurohime vol. 3
Story & Art: Masanori Ookamigumi Katakura
Translation: Joe Yamazaki
Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Publisher: Viz

Quick little recap on the story of the buxom bullet witch. Kurohime was a witch with the power to control magical guns. She once made the mistake of challenging the gods and for her foolishness, she was cursed! The curse changed Kurohime into a little girl named Himeko, and now she can only regain her true form and her powers when she is in love. After 10 years of living with this curse, Kurohime/Himeko meets a skilled gunfighter named Zero. It turns out that when Zero was a boy, Kurohime saved his life, and he's been in love with her ever since. Together, the two have set out to find a way to permanently break the curse. Himeko and Zero hear about a witch who loves terrorizing villagers by turning them into household goods and prepare to do battle. However they end up getting turned into a plate and a chair…so a lot of good they did. We are also introduced to Asuna, a mysterious girl that wants to help Kurohime get rid of the curse. Of course things are never that easy when a God interferes and challenges Kurohime. Katakura is an artist of different styles. Most of the art is done in a simplified shonen style, but when Kurohime manifests in her full adult form, she’s rendered with the detail (of a more seinen (mature) title. Just when you start thinking this might be a love story, those wonderful crotch shots show up to remind us what this book is mostly about. B

Ral Grad vol. 1
Story: Tsuneo Takano
Art: Takeshi Obata
Adaptation: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Publisher: Viz

I wasn’t really sure what to call the title of the book, because to be accurate it would have to be Ral Omega Grad. When I think of Ral Grad, for some reason I think of Ra’s Al Ghul from the Batman comic, but I think it’s just the name. Sorry…rambling again. From the artist that brought you Hikaru no Go and Death Not e comes a new fantasy adventure story. When I started reading this, I was really reminded of Bastard!!! And you all know how much I love Bastard!!! Fifteen years before this story starts Le Noir (an army of shadow creatures) invaded the world of light. Led by the crazy Lady Bira, who wants to make all the beautiful women part of her and devour their souls. Ral was an infant and he was merged with the shadow dragon Grad and they were sealed away. Lady Bira’s forces have become stronger over the years and Lord Roy decides to release Ral and Grad in hopes that they can turn the tide in the battle front. In this new world he is befriended by his robust tutor Miss Mio and another human that was partnered with a shadow creature. This human also happens to be a 13 year old girl by the name of Aia. This book had such a great mix of fantasy, adventure, humor, and so much sexual innuendos that to me it became an instant page turner. Of course the art helps carry the story, because to sum it up in one word I would have to use stunning. The character designs are top notch the battle scenes keep you wanting more and the facial expressions really give you a look at the depth of the characters. It’s a shame I have to wait until October to read volume 2. A+

Toto! The Wonderful Adventure vol. 1
Story & Art: Yuko Osada
Translation: Elina Ishikawa
Publisher: Del Rey

Alright time to come clean. I was not interested in reading this book at all. I’ve had it for a couple of weeks now and looking at the cover I just kept putting it at the bottom of the manga pile. I think it was the colors that really turned me off from reading the book. I am so glad I finally got around to reading this book though, because as you will see I regret not reading it sooner. We meet Kakashi a small town boy who dreams of being a world adventurer much like his father, who left him a journal. He ends up stowing away on a zeppelin. Unbeknownst to him the zeppelin was being hijacked by the Man chicken family. Only Kakashi and a stow-away puppy remained on board the zeppelin. Unfortunately the zeppelin is blown out of the sky and after befriending the Man Chicken family Kakashi and Toto (the puppy) are the only ones left alive out of the invasion. It seems that the military is after Toto, because he did turn into a giant demon-dog to save Kakashi’s life not once, but twice. Along with Toto and his new found friend Dorothy Kakashi has sworn to see the world. From the very beginning I couldn’t put the book down; I was so hooked with the characters and the art. I really felt sorry for Kakashi for not only losing his father, but the friends he made in the Man Chicken family. I love all the little references to OZ and the feel of the story just reminded of one of those classic Miyazaki films. Its books like this that makes me glad I read manga and keep reading. A+

Episode 101 - A Perfect Movie

It's a post-100 world, folks. We're older and wiser now. It just doesn't show.

We start our episode with a recap of the Cincinnati Botcon and a little talk about the 25th Anniversary Transformers line they previewed at the show. Then we run through some wonderful e-mails and we talk about a few comics from the last two weeks, including Free Comic Book Day X-Men, Blue Beetle 26, Mighty Avengers 12 & New Avengers 40, DC Universe 0 and Green Lantern 30. Then we wrap up the episode with a discussion of the best comic book movie ever filmed, IRON MAN.

Episode 101 - A Perfect Movie

Cap's Shield in Iron Man?!?

So on a post in a community I usually check out, I saw a screen-grab from the Iron Man movie claiming that Captain America's shield was hidden in Tony's Workshop in the scene where Pepper walks in on him trying to get the Iron Man Armor off after his real first Iron-Many adventure. Well...I somehow magically procured a cam-copy of the movie (after paying for myself and 3 friends to see it in theaters) for the sole purpose of checking this out for myself, and I'll be damned...here it is...

Too hard to see? Here's a closer look. I've gone ahead and darkened out the stuff around it and kinda enhanced the colors a bit painting over the the dull colors to show what they're meant to be seen as...

And in case you need a reference pic...

I gotta say, I love how they're weaving them all together in small ways like this. My theory is that Tony was using the Cap shield as a reference for material when constructing the Iron Man costume. What else could it be? Anyway, I give this a solid, whole-hearted thumbs up!