E.C. Archives: Crime SuspenStories vol. 1

Author: Various
Artist: Various
Publisher: EC

For the past two years during the month of October we have done a Halloween special podcast. To be more specific it covers the horror genre in comics. If you have heard them, you know how much I love EC's (Entertainment Comics) Tales From the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, and Vault of Horror. But each of those books had a beginning somewhere else. Since 2006 EC has been publishing re-printings of all their comics in a new EC Archive Edition. Each volume is printed in full color and includes six comics or about 20+ stories.

Crime SuspenStories was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. This was a crime comic that ran for 27 issues, ending with the 1955 issue. Of course this all happened when the Comics Code Authority whitewashed all comic books to remove all themes of horror and violence. And if you have seen the infamous cover to issue 22 Crime SuspenStories, you can tell why this was one of their primary hits.

The first volume contains the original first six comics in their entirely. There is an introduction by novelist Max Collins (Road to Perdition, Ms. Tree, and Dark Angel). These first six issues collect a total of 24 stories mainly focusing on noir-styled detective stories that had the classic O Henry twist endings. The stories range from detective stories to stories of revenge and then to the occult which you can see spawned the titles like The Vault of Horror. To be honest, they feel more like horror stories than detective stories. For the cover, they used the classic cover to issue five, which is a story called The Sewer.

Overall the volume is a fantastic collection of old stories, that seem timeless due to the wonderful talent of the creative team. I have to say that Johnny Craig is a master of his craft. I had seen his covers countless of times, but his interior pages are some of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of art I have ever seen. The colors really make not only his pencils stand out, but the rest of the artist like Jack Kamen, Graham Ingles, and the legendary Havery Kurtzman. Of course the colors wouldn't be so dazzling without the glossy pages it is printed on. However, there are a few pages, at least in my copy that seem like the art is printed in low resolution. But, those are nothing more than five pages and the rest of the book looks phenomenal. I can't recommend this book highly enough and cannot wait for the next volume of this great series. A

Episode 89 - Why Omar Doesn't Care That Professor X Is Dead

Nick sends us some of the e-mails that he received from the contest, which start us on a discussion of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics, past and present. We talk about X-Men 207 and Messiah Complex, Countdown 14, Blue Beetle 23, Astonishing X-Men 25, Amazing Spider-Man 548, Young Avengers: Patriot, and Transformers Spotlight: Blaster.

Episode 89 - Why Omar Doesn't Care That Professor X Is Dead

Picture of the Week!

Been a long time since I posted a picture of the week. Thanks to John Parrot for this wonderful inspirational picture!

Monday Manga Reviews: From guys with giant swords to students with demon powers!

As you may have noticed last week there was no Monday Manga Reviews and it’s not because we got lazy (well I guess we could have sped-read through some books, but I’m glad we don’t do that). It’s because we got a double dosage of books coming up this week, but you’ll see, so for now on to the reviews!

Berserk vol. 20
Story & Art: Kentaro Miura
Translation: Duane Johnson
Lettering & Retouch: Replibooks
Publisher: Dark Horse

After many years and volumes Guts and Casca are briefly reunited in this volume. But it wouldn’t be Berserk if they weren’t reunited amidst a heard of demons and angel/demon amalgamations. It seems that the demons didn’t eat Father Mozgus’ and his minions, but instead have given them angel wings and immense powers. Of course this wicked clan thinks that these gifts are from God and plan to use it to destroy the non-believers. Just when you didn’t expect it; the Skull Knight makes a valiant return as he rescues Luca from falling to her death. It is through her we learn the demon’s true intentions and his background story. What I meant earlier by the brief reunion is that as soon as Guts reaches his old flame she is taken to the skies by the winged Mozgus and as we see later is about to be burned alive for her sins. Meanwhile Isidiro, Puck, Nina, and the guard are trying to find their way out of the tower while trying to survive demons coming out of every corner. This book is in your face with action and gore. I think Miura is on a mission to try and outdo his previous volume with more carnage and onslaught in each new volume he puts out. I mean in this volume, we get to see demon infested humans gobble up on a kid’s intestines. Which I guess leads to the only problem I had with this volume and that is it seemed that the story is back to where we left off in volume 19. Very little happened in the volume that moved the story along and it focused more on the action panels and gore than any previous volume. This book is definitely not for the weak of heart; however it is so damn fun if you can take all this violence. B

Doors of Chaos vol. 1
Story & Art: Ryoko Mitsuki
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Adaptation: Shannon Foreman
Publisher: Tokyopop

I’ll be honest and go ahead and admit that the cover really didn’t do anything for me with the exception of Clarissa’s tattoo on her back. I thought it was going to be a cheesy love story that spanned through time and space. But for some reason that tattoo lured me into reading this book and I’m sure glad I picked it up because I literally couldn’t put it down until I had read it in one sitting. Legend states that when all the doors open, the world will slip into chaos. That sets up where the story goes. The twins Clarissa (open) and Mizeria (close) are the only two that control the Four Doors which protect the world from descending into chaos. Along comes Rikhter, their guardian and kidnaps Clarissa. This in turn weakens the Door of Chaos and demons begin to pour through, threatening to destroy the entire kingdom. Now it is up to Mizeria to find her sister in time before everything goes to hell. But she won’t be doing this alone, because Zelfa from the temple of time has been sent to help her to get the doors back in place. I loved everything about this book, the story, the pacing, and the magnificent pictures. I really like that Zelfa is not the stereotypical good guy, he is very forceful and a bit of a jerk to the so called key! I can’t wait to read the next volume and highly recommend this series. A

Dr. Slump vol. 14
Story & Art: Akira Toriyama
Translation & Adaptation: Alexander O. Smith
Touch-up art & Lettering: Walden Wong
Publisher: Viz

Before Akira Toriyama put his name on the map with Dragon Ball and DBZ, he created a wacky series called Dr. Slump; A story about mad inventor Senbei Norimaki and his “perfect humanoid robot” Arale. She does not understand the world, and the world just can't understand her! She has very weird ways of having fun like to poking poop on the ground or completely ruining any chance for Dr. Norimaki to get some action with the ladies. She is also super strong, and does not know her own strength. This volume continues the story of Dr. Mashirito and his obsession with the destruction of Arale with his latest invention Caramel Man 007!!! The robot does succeed in destroying Arale and Caramel Man 004 (Obotchan), but we all know that everything will be back to normal…err insane in the end. It’s kind of funny that Viz gives this a Teen rating, because Dr. Slump is targeted at the Elementary school level in Japan, which really shows the different level of body-comfort between the two societies. Even with the Teen rating, Viz has edited the some of the sexual references, nudity, and alcohol humor. But I guess that’s a small price to pay for a wonderful translation to a fantastic over-the-top hilarious series. If I had to compare this to an American comic, my guess would be something like Little Lulu or Casper the Friendly Ghost on crack! I love this series and I recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor. A+

Gunsmith Cats Revised Edition vol. 4
Story & Art: Kenichi Sonoda
Translation: Dana Lewis
Adaptation: Toren Smith
Publisher: Dark Horse

The final installment of the revised Gunsmith Cats edition is finally here. But not to worry, this isn’t the last we’ll see of the girls, because the Burst series is coming out on schedule. The Cats' informant Becky gets word that a new Italian Mafia syndicate is moving into Chicago in full force and they are pushing a new drug called Kerasine Two. This new mafia are taking out police sharpshooters and tearing through competing Mafia groups. Of course Rally knows who's behind it all: her arch-enemy the lesbian dominatrix mob-woman Goldie, back to make good on her promise to make Rally her personal slave. Every member of the supporting cast plays a key role in this final volume and they all have their shining moments. Rally realizes that without her “extended” family she wouldn’t have been able to take down Goldie. This final volume may not deliver as much of the hard-hitting action that made readers fall in love with the series, but it retroactively gives the preceding stories an emotional core with some great character development moments to go along with the gleeful T&A and fetishistic violence. Dark Horse also adds of ton exclusive gag strips and a few issues of Sonoda’s left-to-right reading Riding Bean stories from 1989. Also included are some "making of Riding Bean" comics and sketches and notes from the early days. We really get to see the behind the scenes in the making of a fantastic series. If you love chicks with guns.....this is the story for you! A+

.hack //G.U. + vol. 1
Story: Tatsuya Hamazaki
Art: Yuzuka Morita
Translation: Ryan Peterson
Publisher: Tokyopop

I will be the first to admit that I am only vaguely familiar with the .hack// universe. I have only seen the anime and attempted to play the first game on the PS2. I was aware of the existence of the manga and tons of games that followed, but have never looked into it. Now, keep that in mind when you read this review. I was really excited to sink my teeth into this manga. For years I have wanted to read what the hype was all about amongst the fans. Words can’t begin to describe the amount of disappointment when I finally read the whole volume, twice (because trust me it really takes no time to read it). I was completely lost from beginning to end. The main character Haseo (the terror of death) is searching for the wielder of the double three bladed swords, Azure Flame. He believes that Azure is responsible for putting his friend Shino in a coma. While in the “World” he comes across Pi and Yata, who are members of the G.U. and want Haseo to join, because they believe he has the ability to draw Avatar because he is an Epitath. Even with the author’s, character guides, and timelines the story was just everywhere. It didn’t make any sense how fast the pacing was and it just made the story feel horribly structured. It was like this manga was written for people with extreme A.D.D. and hell, even I love stories with that formula, but this one was just terrible. Even the great artwork couldn’t save a bad story. That is the one positive thing I can say about the book, is the artwork is great. The character designs are right out of the videogame and the action sequences are nicely laid out. But like I mention at the beginning of the review, it might be my lack of knowledge in the world of .hack that made me lose my interest quick. I am not saying I am opposed to reading any other manga based on this world, but this one was just not for me. But hey, if you are a fan of the manga or videogame, you already know you are buying this book! D

Shin Megami Tensei Kahn vol. 1
Story & Art: Kazuaki Yanagisawa
Translation: Nan Rymer
Adaptation: Mike Wellman
Publisher: Tokyopop

Before I even read this book, it already had two strikes against it. 1) It was based on a hit videogame (and I had just finished reading .hack). 2) It compared itself to Battle Royale. I think I mentioned before how there are only a hand full of manga that made me feel the huge range of emotion that BR made me go through. So I wasn’t expecting much, but this was another book that drew me in from the beginning. The premise is about Karukozaka high school being taken to hell with all its students. Along with the help of the demon Pixie, only two students came back; Nobu and Yumi. Hoping to start over again by enrolling in new schools Nobu and Yumi just can’t get away from the demons they escaped once. Now Nobu is aware of a government plot to raise Hell on Earth and only he and a small group of demons/humans can prevent that from happening. I really enjoyed the book, I loved how slowly we get to learn about the old high school and Nobu’s past. Now on the cover it has a parental advisory sticker and I’m assuming that is because of two scenes. One is a scene featuring Nobu’s mom and her naked body with her intestines on the floor and the other is a lesbian/demon sexual scene between teacher and student. While those are a bit extreme it’s really nothing too extreme we haven’t seen before. I’m not sure if it gets worse as the series progresses, but it’s nowhere near the level of violence and sex found in BR. Still, it’s a fun story with some clean artwork and some sick and twisted use of demons. B+

Young Avengers Presents: Patriot Review

Author: Ed Brubaker
Penciler: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colors: Nathan Faibairn

There are two things I would like to mention before we jump into the review. One: I am such a sucker for covers where new characters are jumping out of old pictures or After pictures. Always have been and always will be. It all goes back to Giant Size X-men 1. This simple, yet complex cover by Jimmy Cheung is no exception. With a little borrowed from Jack Kirby, Mike Zeck, John Byrne, and John Romita for the images in the back it makes this a wonderful looking cover. Oh yeah, there was a second point I was going to make…..right. I miss the Young Avengers so damn much. I really wish Marvel would go ahead and give the green light to do a YA without Allen Heinberg.

Brubaker is the first writer of this six issue limited series that will focus on one member of the team in each issue. The first issue is of course Patriot, the grandson of Isaiah Bradley (the original Cap in Truth). After the death of Captain America Eli doesn’t know what his place in the world is and what the codename Patriot means to a black kid living in a country he really doesn’t like. So, yes race is the central theme in this issue, but it doesn’t come off tasteless, because Bru manages to tell an intelligent story without going to overboard on the black vs. white theme. Eli makes a special trip to talk to Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier and has a talk with him about why he fights and what made Steve keep fighting for a country he didn’t believe in all the time.

I am impressed with Paco Medina’s pencils, because for some reason it seems more polished than his work on New Warriors and certainly tighter than his run on New X-men. I expect great things from such a talented artist and the guy has still to find that style he is most comfortable with. While his young characters look great, he still seems to draw everyone with a young take such as Eli’s grandmother and grandfather, hell even Bucky looks like he is in his early 20s. This is an impressive story about legacy, loss, and the search for one’s motives and while it’s only a one-shot it really moves the character of Eli in a great direction. B+

Teen Titans # 55 Review

Author: Sean Mckeever
Penciler: Jamal Igle
Inkers: Ruy Jose & Jimmy Palmiotti
Cover: Eddy Barrows

A few weeks back during a podcast I talked about how much Teen Titans has been spiraling downhill since Superboy died. It sunk even further downhill after Geoff Johns left the book. While I do enjoy reading about Miss Martian, Kid Devil, Ravager, and Blue Beetle; it seems that the writers are still looming in the shadows of Geoff Johns. It’s been two damn years since Superboy was killed and we are still coping with his death. The old dynamic that put the book in motion is long gone and there is very little keeping me from completely leaving the book.

This issue is what back in the 80s (I’m sure it was called that long before I started reading comics) we used to call a character study issue. It focuses on the individual characters and has very minimal plot movement. Robin and Wonder Girl have a heart to heart discussion as to why she wanted Supergirl off the team and they explore their feelings for each other. Miss Martian seems to be going fucking nuts and Kid Devil tries to confront Ravager about the way he feels about her. One thing is for sure in this issue; Mckeever can write some dramatic teenager conflicts. He’s got Blue Beetle down and I actually enjoy reading his Kid Devil, but for some reason I can’t stand the way he portrays Wonder Girl as a whiney spoiled child and Ravager as a one dimensional bitch!

I understand the point of the issue was to make me feel for the team and connect with them and feel for them, but maybe it’s because I’m not a teenager anymore or it could be just bad storytelling, but I can’t seem to care one way or another. I have mixed feeling with the artwork too because some of the facial expressions that Igle draws capture the rage and frustration exquisitely while some facial expressions look gawky and don’t seem to fit with what the character is supposed to be saying or feeling. Mckeever’s Blue Beetle, Kid Devil, and the semi interesting Miss Martian keep me reading this book, but I really need something else to look forward to. C

Episode 88 - You don't f@$* with Rip Hunter, Time Master

This week, in another awe-inspiring episode of About Heroes, we discuss Spider-Man's Brand New Day, X-Men's Messiah Complex, Wolverine Origins 21, Countdown 15, Cable & Deadpool 49, Booster Gold 6 (from whence comes the title of this episode), The Sword 4 & other Luna brothers comics, Catwoman 75 and Justice League of America 17. We also talk a bit about Shannon Wheeler's new work, "Screw Heaven, When I Die, I'm Going to Mars," and we talk briefly about the passing of Heath Ledger.

Episode 88 - You don't fuck with Rip Hunter, Time Master

The Tattoo Of Destruction

Beware the Lobster's Claw

New Warriors # 8 Review

Author: Kevin Grevioux
Penciler: Jon Malin
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Cover: Nic Klein

I’m still recovering from the fact that Night Thrasher is not Dwayne Taylor, but instead his brother Donyell Taylor (the original Bandit). This issue picks up where we last left the new Night Thrasher; at the grave site of his brother Dwayne Taylor an about to get his ass handed to him by Midnight’s Fire.

While talking to Silhouette, Night Thrasher is interrupted by Midnight’s Fire (which some of you know is Sil’s brother from the original New Warriors series). Midnight’s Fire thinks that Dwayne is still under the Night Thrasher mask and a fight takes place. Meanwhile the rest of the Warriors are debating whether they are terrorist or not during dinner. By the end they all hug and give each other kisses ala Full House (okay it is written 10 times better than any episode of Full House….and I’ve seen them all!)
Malin is the guest artist again for this issue and although some of his poses are static and sometimes it’s hard to tell the women apart, I really am starting to dig his work. It reminds me of Chap Yaep, Rob Liefeld, Stephen Platt, and Ron Lim….those artist that made the 90s stand out. I really wish the guy would go on to do the Cable book or he would work great for the Punisher!

The mix between Kevin Grevioux’s story that draws from the classic NW continuity and Malin’s art makes it seem as if I’m visiting the characters that I remembered from years ago. With the invitation to join the New Warriors I really want to know what MF decides to do and what it will mean for the future of the team. This has been a fantastic book and damn, do I miss Dwayne, but thank you Mr. Grevioux for taking a little time to do something most writers don’t do….read past issues! And I can't wait to see Justice and Rage join the team! B

Cable & Deadpool (Kazar & Zabu & Deadpool) # 49 Review

Script: Fabian Nicieza
Writer & Penciler: Reilly Brown
Inker: Jeremy Freeman
Colors: Gotham with Sotocolor

I have to come to terms with the fact that my favorite Marvel title is about to meet it’s premature ending. This issue is the penultimate issue and as you can see Fabian has stepped down as writer and is only doing the script.

Deadpool, Weasel, and Bob: Agent of Hydra head to the Savage Land to retrieve one of Magneto’s Electro-Polarity Reconfiguration Engine for the country of Rumekistan. While in the Savage they run into Kazar and Sabu that are being controlled by Brainchild. So of course there is a big fight between Kazar and Deadpool that ends up with Deadpool with a knife through his head. By the end of the issue you can tell that Deadpool and friends are about to join the Venom Attack crossover!

Damn, I’m going to miss this book. I have to keep wiping the keyboard from the tears that keep rolling down my face. I laughed so damn hard, I can’t think of another book that makes me laugh so much. Deadpool bringing up the fact that both Cable and Magneto will be back in some sort of crossover and Weasel mesmerized by Lorelei’s rack just reminds me why this book stands above the rest. So many pop culture references and funny moments will keep these 50 issues in my heart always. I have heard a rumor of a Deadpool series and got excited, but then I read “this”: http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/007103801.cfm just shrivels my nuts! Reilly Brown’s art really does a really nice job with his clean pencils and his story, while not the best in the series, is still pretty solid. If you’ve never check out this series, do yourself a favor and pick up some back issues, which I’m sure you can find for less than a buck or pick up the trades. If you happen to enjoy them, you might want to let Marvel know. A

Star Wars: Dark Times - Vol. 1 The Path to Nowhere TPB Review

This review was submitted by Ray Hoey
Writer: Welles Hartley
Artist: Douglas Wheatley
Publisher: Dark Horse

Yay! A new Star Wars TPB to review. With the anticipation of the live action Star Wars TV series that George Lucas is planning, this is one title I will be keeping a close eye on. This first volume is a great start. It begins shortly after the events of "Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith" in which the Galactic Empire is now underway, and recently titled Darth Vader is beginning his first steps as the Emperor's chief enforcer.

But they are baby steps to be sure. Vader is not quite sure yet of what his place is in this New Order, and he finds people looking up to him for answers. And whether he chooses to admit it or not, the small part of him that is still good, that his son would have the insight to realize his conflicted emotions twenty years from now, is still there. It comes to a head when Vader receives word from a clone trooper battalion that the surviving population of the defeated Separatist planet New Plympto have been sent to slave markets to profit the Empire. Having been a former slave himself, Vader is taken aback and consults with the Emperor on this issue. The argument that Palpatine uses to validate the slave marketing goes a long toward showing how evil and manipulative he truly is.

Meanwhile, despite Order 66 and the near-complete extermination of the Jedi Order, a surviving Jedi General named Dass Jennir leads a Separatist resistance force on New Plympto that fights to the last warrior. He then escapes, along with his aide, Bomo Greenbark, a native of New Plympto, whose wife and child were evacuated, but then captured by slavers. Bomo sets off to rescue them, and Dass goes along to help.

Along the way, they enlist the help of a freighter crew in their task, but nothing comes easy.
Dass is forced to do things no Jedi would ever consider doing, and Bomo keeps running into obstacle after obstacle in the search for his family. Will they succeed?

Douglas Wheatley's art is superb, reminiscent of Jan Duursema's work on the "Clone Wars" trades. There is careful attention to detail and depth in the backgrounds as well as the foregrounds. "Rich" would be the word I would choose to describe it. (My one objection, if any, is the introduction in this story of the Imperial Class Star Destroyer that is so familiar to Star Wars fans, since I associate those closer to Episode IV) Welles Hartley has written a tight story, and one of the best things about it is that he demonstrates how the level of uncertainty in this new era of the now dead Republic is striking everyone. Vader has his reservations, as mentioned before; Dass is beginning to wonder whether he truly can uphold the principles of the Jedi, when circumstance keeps forcing him to look the other way; Bomo has no idea what he will do if the worst happens to his family; even clone troopers are unsure of what their place will be once the last Separatist planet is subjugated and the Clone Wars are over. After all, what good is a soldier, without a war to fight?

Overall, a worthy addition to the Star Wars comics pantheon...hell, the Star Wars pantheon, PERIOD.

A gratifying A+

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Before Dishonor Novel Review

This Review was submitted by Ray Hoey

Author: Peter David

Not too long ago, I asked the hosts of "About Heroes" a question: What did they like about Peter David's work in comics? Here were their responses:

Melanie: "...He makes characters seem like real people..."

Chris:"...He's got a very good grasp on the psychology of multiple characters and he can
handle that really well..."

Dan: "...He is able to submerge his own voice into the voice of the character in the series.
He's much more transparent as a writer. He tells good stories without stamping them
with his unique trademarks..."

Omar: "...He's one of the few writers these days that tries to get into the characters...I don't
think I've ever read anything by him where someone has been out of character..."

The interesting thing is that all these comments could just as easily be applied to Peter David's novel writing. You see, that was my first introduction to Peter David, specifically, his Star Trek novels. So, when I heard he was coming out with a new Next Generation novel, I was over the moon. He's written some classic Star Trek: Next Generation stories, and this one is another winner.

The story of "Before Dishonor" is actually a direct continuation of a STNG novel by another great author, J.M. Dillard, called "Resistance". In that story, Captain Jean Luc Picard is about to embark on a newly repaired USS Enterprise-E, with some new crew members, on what is supposed to be a routine test shakedown cruise. Instead, through his link with the hive mind, he hears the Borg once again. And what he hears is terrifying: The Borg, despite their repeated defeats at the hands of Picard and Admiral Kathryn Janeway, are now regrouping. Their first order of business...utilize a dead Borg cube and build a new Borg queen. (Those damn Borg...don't they ever give up?) Rather than wait for Seven of Nine to meet up with the Enterprise to advise him (and thus violating Starfleet's orders, surprise, surprise) , Picard takes matters into his own hands, and through a temporary "re-assimilation", is able to defeat the Borg's plans.

"Before Dishonor" picks up from there. Admiral Janeway, through her past experience with the Borg, goes out to this dead cube to make certain it can never be used again, and to perhaps learn whatever can be discerned by Picard's victory so that it can be used to prevent future Borg incursions. She then makes a chilling discovery. The cube and its Borg are still very much alive, and worse...they've evolved. These Borg no longer care about assimilation. Revenge and destruction are the top items on their agenda. Their target? Jean Luc Picard and Earth. Thus begins a series of events that will change the Star Trek universe forever.

What makes this novel great is that there are some Star Trek authors, who only watch the TV shows and maybe some of the films when they write their books. Peter David, a known Trekker, has watched the TV shows, films, the comics, the novels, the computer games, etc. and utilizes ideas from all of them effectively. His dialogue is such that you can truly hear Patrick Stewart's voice when Capt. Picard speaks, or Leonard Nimoy, when Spock speaks. Yes, that's right, Spock is in this novel, along with a host of other delightful surprise cameos.

And just so comic book fans are not left out, David even includes a few names of characters
that comic book fans should be familiar with. In any case, David's references to all parts of the Star Trek universe, past and present, make this a delight to read, because it reinforces just how vast the Trek universe is. This is our reward as Trek fans, folks.

READ IT.

A++

About Heroes Episode 87

This week, Nick announces his contest winners, and we talk about some books: Amazing Spider-Man 546, Wolverine 61, Nova 10, Salvation Run 3, Green Lantern Corps 20, Green Arrow - Black Canary 4, X-Factor 27, Mighty Avengers 7, Hulk 1, The Goon 20, and Countdown week 36.

About Heroes, Episode 87

Monday Manga Reviews: Aria, Hell Girl, Hunter X Hunter, Here is Greenwood, Short Suzen, and V.B. Rose

Aria vol. 1
Story & Art: Kozue Amano
Translation: Elina Ishikawa
Adaptation: Gina Lee Ferenzi
Publisher: Tokyopop

A few months ago I reviewed Aqua and fell in love with the world of Aqua (which as it turns out was Mars in the 24th century). Aqua was the prequel for the manga Aria, which at the time I thought was released in America. Well, as it turns out the Aria manga just hit the US and I finally got around to reading it. I would first love to point out the gorgeous cover; something about Kozue’s covers really brings out my inner-child. The story takes place in the city of Neo-Venezia, based on Venice in both architecture and atmosphere; it also serves as harbor city of narrow canals that people use to get around instead of streets, traveled by gondolas. At the start of Aqua, Akari arrives from Manhome (Earth) to become a trainee gondolier with Aria Company because her dream is to become an undine. While Aqua showed us her training in pairs, her solo adventures are shown in Aria. The artwork is clean, detailed, and utterly breathtaking. Amano does a wonderful job on the beautiful scenery (whether it’s calm or raucous), loveable characters, and a fun, simple outlook on a simple life. There is a feeling I get when reading this manga that I can’t describe. It’s the same feeling when I watch a Miyazaki film and I get taken away to that timeless and endless world. I highly recommend this wonderful book. A+

Hell Girl vol.1
Story & Art: Miyuki Eto
Original Story: The Jigoku Shoujo Project
Publisher: Del Rey
Many years ago I read a manga called Hell Baby that scared the crap out of me. Let’s just go on the record and state that Hell Girl has nothing to do with Hell Baby….thank goodness. Judging from that cover of what appears to be an innocent little high school girl I couldn’t tell how dark this story really was until I started reading it. When you have a hate in your heart so deep that you seek revenge on your enemy; there is a website you can go to that will solve your problems. According to the urban legend if you type in the name of your enemy on a mysterious website known as Hell Correspondence that only appears at midnight, the Hell Girl will appear and take your tormentor to hell. Of course this comes with a price and you guessed it: Your soul!!! The first volume contains five stand alone stories and feature Ai Enma aka Hell Girl and her clients that she helps to avenge. All the protagonist, happen to be women, so I really have no idea if Hell Girl can help guys out and they all share similar story. The stories range from a girl being picked on to a girl wanting revenge on the vet that didn’t help her dog. The outcome however is always the same. The stories get repetitive and even the dialogue gets repetitive. With every story having rumors about the website and Enma mentioning the same contract over and over it all feels the same. But for some reason I really wanted to see the people get theirs in the end. The art really doesn’t seem the type to be telling a dark and demented story such as this one and I think that is the reason why it works. No one expects a cute young girl to have such horrible intentions. I really hope later volumes do however get away from the formulaic storyline that the first volume is filled with. B

Here is Greenwood vol. 6
Story & Art: Yukie Nasu
Adaptation: Mayumi Kobashi
Publisher: Viz

A little over 10 years ago there was a set of 6 oav episodes that I completely loved and wished they did more with. I had no idea that 10 years later I would be reading the manga that the Here is Greenwood oav was based on. I never thought anyone would release this great series mainly because of the outdated artwork, but I’m sure glad the folks at Viz saw something that most publishers passed on. The story of Greenwood is about Kazuya Hasukawa's belated arrival at Ryokuto Academy, a little over a month into the start of the term thanks to unfortunate events that include being injured in a car accident, a stress-induced ulcer, and a freak series of mishaps that delayed touring the academy and completing his admissions process. The dormitory is known as Greenwood and many of its tenants are insane, funny enough because the dorm was originally an insane asylum. To give you an idea of how crazy some of these characters are Kazuya’s roommate is Shun Kisaragi, who is a pretty girl that is living in an all male dorm. Kazuya walks in on Shun using the urinal one time and it turns out Shun is a guy; funny thing was the rest of the dorm not only knew Shun’s secret, but were placing bets to see how long it would take Kazuya to figure it out. In this volume there is a run in with an alien who has lost his humanoid pet, a crazy baseball game that takes the whole dorm by surprise, and the return of Nitta Mieko. I can’t say enough about this wacky book, other than go and try it out. A

Hunter X Hunter vol.18
Story & Art: Yoshihiro Togashi
Translation & Adaptation: Lillian Olsen
Lettering: Mark Griffin
Publisher: Viz

From the same guy that brought you Yu Yu Hakusho comes a story about a quest for a lost father and becoming a special breed of hunters. Gon dreams to be a Hunter, much like his father that he hardly remembers. He has passed the selective licensing exam, but finding his father Ging is proving harder. Along with Killua and Biscuit they investigate the Hunter only game Greed Island (Joystation video game that could help Gon find his father. So while Gon, Killua, and Leorio try different methods to make enough money to buy Greed Island, Kurapika takes center stage. The game runs on a complex card-based gaming system, not really like Yugioh, but close. The goal of the game is to collect a number of set cards, although almost everything in the game, from money to food, can be turned into cards. There is a long and gruesome battle between Gon and Genthru and even though he eventually gets healed, Gon loses a hand in this gruesome battle. Throughout the series I’ve noticed that the art style has changed dramatically. While I wasn’t a big fan of the art style in Yu Yu Hakusho, I really love his new sketchier art style. I really enjoy the where the story is going; it seems we will finally get answers to questions that have spanned the first 18 volumes. I have heard a nasty rumor that this series has gone on hiatus in Japan as of December 5, 2007. I hope it won’t last that long, because I am enjoying where the story is taken us. B

Short Sunzen! vol.1
Story & Art: Susugi Sakura
Translation: Kristi Harmon
Adaptation: Zachary Rau
Publisher: Tokypop

I’m the first to tell you that some of my favorite manga are nothing but love stories: Maison Ikkoku, Video Girl Ai, and Oh My Goddess! Just to name a few. So I don’t shy away from love stories even when I read an over abundance of them in one month, I still give everything a fair shot. Having going on the record with that statement, I can now go on with the review of Short Sunzen! Satsuki is a rather rough and mannish looking girl, who acts more like a tough girl than the lady she is supposed to be. When she's not trying to beat people up, she secretly longs for her handsome and cool classmate, Aya. Unfortunately, he sees her as just a friend and that’s all. So it’s your typical story of unrequited love between two friends. However, these friends are spending more and more time with each other and it seems that there might be something blossoming there. It really seems that I have read this story more than once. Violent girls who are really nothing more than love struck gentle creatures has been done before and better. I can’t find a unique thing about this manga and I really looked. Even the artwork seems borrowed for this type of story and I really hate saying that. But, I’m serious there was nothing that kept me reading and I ended up reading the whole volume. There are some panels that seemed cluttered and some of the interaction between characters is lost because of this. However it seems that Sakurai does have a grip on clothing and at times that is the only way to tell the characters apart. If you are a fan of love stories and can’t get enough of them this book is for you! But there really are better ones out there such as the recently released Love Attack that stand out. D+ So, why the plus you ask? Well, I think that Sakura has lots of potential to be a fantastic artist.

V.B. Rose vol. 1
Story & Art: Banri Hidaka
Translation: Yuya Otake
Adaptation: Rachel Brown
Publisher: Tokyopop
V.B. are the initials used for the Velvet Blue Rose bridal design shop. Now what does this have to do with this book? Well in one word; everything. Ageha has just learned that her older sister Hibari is pregnant and is going to marry her plain boring boyfriend (at least in Ageha’s eyes). During a visit to the Velvet Blue Rose where Hibari is getting her wedding dress made, Ageha makes friends with the two owners who also happen to be cute guys Yukari and Mitsuya. She ends up causing Mitsuya to cut his hand open and makes them a promise that she will help make her sister’s wedding dress. I have to say that Ageha is a spoiled rotten brat. She is very selfish in her thinking ways. Now that her sister is pregnant and engage she can’t spend that much time with her. She gets into arguments with her sister and gets thrown out of places. However, the character really starts growing on you. Because everything she says and does, deep down inside is an unselfish act. She makes purses for her forgetful sister to help her keep things organized and she has taken it upon herself to make this dress perfect. This manga contains some truly breathtaking art between the characters and gorgeous designs. I am really curious what Ageha’s story will be after the wedding day. B

Wolverine # 61 Review

Author: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Howard Chaykin
Colors: Edgar Delgado
Cover: Arthur Suydam

It’s been a few months since I reviewed a Wolverine book, but you know what they say if you can’t say anything nice….fuck it, I was just being lazy. The five part story Logan Dies wraps up with this issue and how does it make me feel as a Wolverine fan of 20+ years? But before we get on that, I would like to point out that all five part covers were drawn by Marvel Zombies cover artist Suydam. Can the guy draw normal people without looking like they are dying or coming back from the dead? I would love to see him do a self portrait.

Alright let’s do a quick recap of all the crap that’s been happening in this story arc. Since World War I Wolverine has defeated a being called Lazaer, every time he is faced with he is on the brink of death, he must battle Lazaer on a spiritual plane. Wolverine died again, this time he was blowup by Shogun and found out he couldn’t come back from the dead, because his heart was broken. After spending time in Purgatory he escapes and is out to question Shogun and Phaedra (the lady that brought him back from the dead with the Hand), but finds them in collusion with Lord Shingen Yashida (who has been dead since Wolverine 4 mini-series).

While this isn’t the most horrible of Wolverine stories, it’s up there among the worst. It turns out that Wolverine’s soul has been inside of Shogun’s all of this time. I fucking kid you not! The whole book is a fight between Wolverine and Lazaer…or rather Azrael (the angel of death). Wolverine finally makes a deal with Azrael to put his soul back in his body, if he kills Phaedra. Bam soul is back in Wolverine, but he can no longer heal as well as he has been since he came back from the dead….err why do I even bother with this character sometimes? Anyways, Wolverine not having the same kind of healing factor just means he can’t come back from a single cell anymore. But, I’m assuming he still has to fight Lazaer if he dies again. There were some good things about the issue. I like the idea of putting Wolverine where he was 15 years ago well at least with his healing factor and Guggenheim went back and filled some lose ends that Millar left open in his story arc. But the execution was horrible and at times I really couldn’t make head or tails of the story without going back and re-reading the issue. Ohh yeah, and now Lord Shingen is back, I guess the only way to truly him truly back is to sing Bruce Springsteen.

I think I was blinded by the love that I have for American Flagg, because I almost made myself believe that Chaykin was capable of drawing a decent Wolverine story. Hell, at times it even looked like Miller’s work on Wolverine, but the dull fight scenes, obscure angles on swords that just seem to be made of rubber, Wolverine’s claws looking like popsicles at times, and odd looking chins that keep changing shape and size; I just can’t do it anymore. I think Chaykin is still a great artist and if it didn’t look so rushed or if it was printed in black & white I’m sure I would be happy, but his recent work has been unbearable. This is Guggenheim’s last issue and next month we have a whole new creative team that will probably try to destroy my favorite character, but who knows. I hope to eat my words one day. D+

Hulk # 1 review

Author: Jeph Loeb
Penciler: Ed McGuinnes
Inker: Dexter Vines
Colors: Comicraft

Judging from the reviews of Jeph Loeb’s Marvel work and listening to our podcast you can probably tell I am not his biggest fan. While I appreciated his wonderful stories such as Long Halloween, Hush, and his run on Superman; his work on Marvel has always left me wandering why he just doesn’t stay at DC. Anything from his run on X-force, Cable, Gambit & Wolverine to the recent Ultimates, Wolverine, and Onslaught Reborn were nothing short of craptacular. Be that as it may, I always like to judge a new book base on the story it manages to tell, not the creative team’s past works. That may all change when Daniel Way starts his Deadpool book though.

In the aftermath of World War Hulk we partake in a crime scene investigation with She-Hulk, Iron-Man, Thunderbolt Ross (who still has the fucking coolest non-superhero name), and Doc Samson. It seems the victim was none other than the Hulk’s old nemesis Emil Blonsky aka Abomination. However, it seems that the Winter Guard (with a new Red Guardian and Dark Star) want the body to stay in mother Russia…..so there is a pointless fight and a revelation that it was a “red” Hulk that killed Annihilation and destroyed a town. So who do Samson and Ross turn to for help? Well, none other than Bruce Banner….so who is the red Hulk?

Since this is the first issue I was not surprise there was no mention of the events that followed WW Hulk and to be honest I really don’t know if we are going to get any. It seems that the great minds of She Hulk and Doc Samson believe that Hulk killed Abomination with a big gun. I repeat a gun. Loeb writes a bratty She-Hulk and a not-so-bright Doc Samson that for no reason starts a fight with the Russian super-team. The identity of the red Hulk seems to be Rick Jones, or at least that is what we are led to believe. Rick Jones appears in an Alaskan frontier about 100 miles from anything…funny thing was he takes two steps and there are about 20 people trying to put out a fire. Good catch editors!

While I’ve never been the biggest McGuinness fan his pencils are good enough to see what is happening panel to panel. His oversized characters could work on a book whose character happens to be one of the bulkiest characters in comics. However, the art doesn’t save the book from just being a mediocre title. The dialogue seems out of character and the revelation that Bruce Banner is already out of his comma and back at the end of the first issue kind of kills the momentum built in WW Hulk…and I really don’t see Ross going to Banner for help so early. It’s a first issue and as all first issues they are hard to judge, but I hope Jeph at least answers all the questions left open from the last pages of WW Hulk to the beginning of this book. C+

Amazing Spider-Man #546

Amazing Spider-Man #546
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Steve McNiven
Cover: Steve McNiven

Last issue saw the conclusion of “One More Day” and I dubbed that issue the worst Spider-Man comic I ever read. Now realize I’ve read the Clone Saga, I’ve read Spider-Man Chapter one, I’ve read the Howard Mackie and John Byrne Spider-man reboot from 1999. I’ve read some shitty Spidey stories, but One More Day was the worst. Now the Brand New Day begins and it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I like Dan Slott, I have wanted him to write Spidey for years. But man, not even Stan Lee can make this new status quo work. The issue opens with Peter kissing some girl in a club. Things get worse as we learn Peter doesn’t have a job and is living with Aunt May. He went from a successful teacher and scientist to a bum. Peter hasn’t been Spider-Man in 100 days and the Daily Bugle is struggling to make it without Spider-Man photos. A random mugger is going around with a Spider-Man mask on wanting money. Peter goes out with Harry and his new girlfriend. Harry gives Peter money and a woman named Mia kisses Peter so she can work her way into the Harry Osborn crowd. Peter whines about how he is too young to marry someone and MJ is hardly mentioned. Aunt May is working in a soup kitchen and apparently interested in politics. Another new girl named Carlie is introduced, she is friends with Harry’s girl Lily. Peter runs away from Mia and jumps outside to find Carlie. The spider-mugger robs them and instead of suiting up, Peter follows the guy and chases him into the soup kitchen Aunt May is working at. Peter can’t find the mugger and Aunt May thinks he is a poor dear since he is missing his shoes (his excuse? He was mugged) and the founder of the soup kitchen takes pity on Peter. Later, Peter goes to the Daily Bugle, Peter bitches with Jonah and Jonah has a heart attack. Next we have three back up stories featuring Jackpot, Aunt May, and Harry. There is also a two-page spread explaining the new status quo.

Thoughts/Comments:
Man, what a letdown. This issue felt nothing like the Peter Parker I’ve known and loved all these years. Peter comes off as this irresponsible child instead of the proud man and hero I’ve known all these years. Every scene with Harry Osborne was naseuating, and the fact the issue opens with some random drunk girl kissing Peter makes fans of the Peter/MJ marriage feel like they are kicked in the nuts once more. Jonah and Peter bickering was also weird. Jonah always had some respect for Peter even if he wouldn’t admit it. Remember the Trial of Peter Parker during the clone saga? Jonah totally footed the bill to help Peter out with his lawyers. Remember the issue of Amazing after Peter unmasked? Jonah told Robbie that Peter was the one man who was always honest with him, the last honest guy alive. None of the respect these two have had over the years was shown. Peter having to bum money off Harry was weak and I hate that Carlie was introduced so Peter can have some fling with her. Plus, I know it isn’t confirmed MJ is Jackpot but it looks like that is coming. MJ as a disco looking hero is a terrible idea. I also find it weird that Peter didn’t suit up to stop the mugger, he just came off looking more sad and pathetic. The back up stories weren’t all that great and I could have done without them if it saved me a dollar. Like I said before, I like Dan Slott and Steve Mcniven but even they can’t make this work. I give this issue and new direction a D, the art alone saved it from an F.

Mighty Avengers #7

Mighty Avengers #7
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Aritst: Mark Bagley
Cover: Frank Cho

Mark Bagley is back baby! Sure, he’s about to head to DC but he is back with Bendis once again! What’s even better, Mighty Avengers is shipping on time once more! Plus, many symbiotes show up in this issue and Bagley can totally nail drawing the nasty alien parasites!
The issue starts off with Spider-Woman bringing Skrull-Lectra to Tony Stark. Yes, we have known this was going to happen for some time now (Since New Avengers is so far ahead) but this is finally happening and Bagley is drawing it. Tony and Jessica talk about this secret invasion happening around them, and Tony tells Jesssica to join his Avengers team. This will surprise the Skrulls and maybe flush out the Skrull who is on Tony’s team (I still think Carol Danvers is a Skrull, but who knows what will be revealed) and this will also help Tony orchestrate a game plan about this global invasion taking place. The next day Simon Williams makes a speech about how much he enjoys being an Avenger, and Tony tells his team Jessica Drew is joining. Jessica comes out (looking smoking hot, way to go Bagley!) and Carol and her team are shocked and pissed. Natasha doesn’t buy this at all and Ares totally wants to nail Jessica (who can blame him) while Carol dwells on why she wasn’t told before hand. See, isn’t she acting all Skrull like? Her friend just joined her team and she is all sad and mad about it! Jessica states she wants to do something right and if it doesn’t work out, Sentry can throw her in the sun. Sentry doesn’t find this funny, but I did! Meanwhile, in space some astronauts repair some Stark satellites damaged in the last arc. A small metallic orb falls to earth and lands in New York City. A woman walks her child and the baby turns into Venom Jr! The mom screams for help but everyone around her are turning into symbiote. The woman turns into a symbiote as well and all hell breaks loose. Bagley totally nails this double page spread of everyone getting their symbiote on. At Avengers tower, Tony still doesn’t trust his team and everyone is all jittery. Lindy, Sentry’s wife, tells Tony to de-power or kill Sentry since he is too powerful. Just as the team tries to figure out what is happening, Maria Hill alerts the team with a new mission. The Avengers assemble in a beautiful splash page by Bagley with Spider-Woman now a member.

Thoughts/Comments:
By far the best comic I read this week. Man this issue was fun. Bendis and Bagley bring all the fun and love the put into Ultimate Spidey and make me care about Tony Stark and his Avengers team. I love that Jessica Drew joins in this issue, and man does Bagley draw her (and the entire Mighty Avengers team) beautifully. I still think Carol Danvers is a Skrull, and maybe Lindy as well. I mean she just out of the blue wants to kill Bob. I understand she is scared of his power, but that’s her freaking husband! There was some great humor in this issue. I loved Tony telling Jessica “Fuck the Registration Act” when discussing the Skrulls, and the part with Ares thinking “I will have you fair creature” when looking at Jessica Drew was great. The art was top notch and I’m glad this book is back on schedule! If you want a fun super hero comic with great art and humor, but this issue. Solid A+!

The Twelve #1 Review

The Twelve #1
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Chris Weston
Cover: Kaare Andrews

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t going to buy this series. I know nothing about the characters and already have a large number of comics I buy every month anyway. My friend Nate at my comic store told me that if I reviewed this book he would buy me both issues 0 and 1. I can’t pass up a deal like that and I’m actually surprised at how good this comic was.
The first issue basically brings the twelve heroes into the current marvel universe. The story begins in the year 1945; Captain America and the Invaders are fighting in the war going on in Berlin, Germany. The twelve heroes are there as well, charging into battle and kicking nazi ass. The twelve heroes don’t really know one another, but they work together while investigating the headquarters of nazi spies. Dick Jones, the Phantom Reporter, narrates the comic. He gives readers a quick run down of who these twelve heroes are and what reveals what powers they might possess. Along with the Phantom Reporter, the other heroes are: Mister E, Master Mind Excello, Rockman, Black Widow (Not Natasha, some blonde haired hottie) Captain Wonder, Dynamic Man, Blue Blade, Laughing Mask, The Fiery Mask, The Witness, and Electro (A big robot, not Max Dillon). The heroes fall into a trap and are knocked unconscious by some gas filtered into the chamber. The two nazi scientists put the heroes into freezing tubes except for Electro. Electro has a signal that controls him, yet the heroes are so far underground the signal can’t reach him. So basically the eleven heroes are frozen and Electro just kind of goes offline. The two nazis feel powerful with the heroes as their captives, yet the Russians invade Berlin and the nazi’s are killed, captured, or sent to work camps. So the location of the twelve remains a mystery and the heroes slumber the years away. This has a Captain America vibe with the heroes staying in stasis for many years.
Now the story cuts to Germany in 2008. Construction workers are building new apartment complexes and the world has pretty much forgotten about the twelve. Suddenly, a bulldozer falls into a crevasse and the secret lab containing the twelve is unearthed. The authorities show up and recognize the twelve. The heroes are still young and alive and slumbering (like I said, this is just like what happened to Captain America in Avengers #4) and the government wants to take advantage of having these heroes back on their side. The Civil War is brought up and the Russians realize that these heroes only served their government, thus they are still enlisted to serve their country. The heroes are taken to a hospital and the government tries to keep the heroes from realizing they have been asleep for 60 years. The really cool thing is that the Phantom Reporter automatically finds out he isn’t in the same time era. His nurse has three ear piercings in one ear and she is wearing stockings with no garters to hold them. The Reporter and Captain Wonder make it outside and find out the world has drastically changed. Later the twelve heroes are given the truth by the government and the heroes decide to serve their country and continue to fight the good fight. The last page shows the Phantom Reporter standing over the body of the Blue Blade. I didn’t see that coming, this was a great cliffhanger ending!

Thoughts/Comments:
WOW! I am actually shocked how good this comic was. For a comic I had no interest in it really delivered. The art was beautiful, get Chris Weston over on Ultimate Spider-Man ASAP! JMS did a great job bringing these forgotten heroes into the current day Marvel Universe. I’m interested in seeing where these lost heroes go from here, and the Black Widow is a total hottie! Apparently her touch can kill, but as JMS states “many GI’s and men were willing to take that chance.” I still think I’m going to wait for the trade due to money issues, but this was a great start to a great mini-series. Check it out, I think it will surprise many comic fans. It sure surprised me! I give issue one a solid A!

Iron Man #24

Writer: Daniel and Charles Knauf

Wolverine: Firebreak

Writers: Mike Carey & Macon Bair

The Goon 20

Writer/Artist/Creator: Eric Powell

Oh man, the new issue of Goon, ""insert Beatles-Mania style scream"" Technically it has been a while since we last saw Goon and Franky tear through another adventure, but you have remember the awesomtastic (that’s right I made up a new word) Chinatown Hardcover that pretty much delivered all your hopes and dreams. Even if you don’t take into concideration Chinatown this book was still written and drawn so awesometastically that it pulled off the rare “so good it was worth the wait” feelings when you reach the back cover.

We’re back to the funny style Goon we all know and love with issue #20, right off the bat we’re introduced to Ralph the poo brushing idiot that instigates this issues plot. We get a good number of nods to the Chinatown HC for any fans going straight from that to this issue, you can see the Goon is still as wrapped up as ever over Bella. And Franky is still trying to pull him out of his funk. The considerable amount of mentioning Bella and the reveal of how she left in Chinatown makes me think that Bella will be making an appearance soon. Maybe that’s just me dreaming though.

The art was, dare I say it, better than it has been in the last couple of issues. It’s tough for me to say that because it’s always been awesometastic, but this issue was like mondoawesometastic. I could have used more burlesque girls gyrating, but who couldn’t? Powell seems to be doing more with colors in this issue then I’ve seen in some previous ones, and it is considerably different from Chinatown, which was mostly gray and tan wash. One of the reasons I like the Goon so much is the various types of art styles used in every issue. Powell is never one to get settled into one art form, while other artists may change up their style once they get bored with it, Powell never lets himself, or the reader, get bored.

The story is great and seems at first to be self-contained. But then you get the “to be continued…” at the very bottom. I love the one issue stories that have an overarching story to them, and I hope the Goon goes back to that soon. With the priest out of the picture for a while, I hope Frenchy, or heck even Spider, plot against Goon but end up foiled time and time again. I also miss Buzzard, who is an awesome character, the reverse zombie who can only eat the dead who eat the living, and I would love to see a Buzzard spin off or one shot. All in all, I gotta give it up again A, if your not reading this book, your doing yourself a disservice.

About Heroes Episode 86

It was a slow week, so we've got a bit of a shorter episode. We talk a little bit more about One More Day, and then on to things we actually enjoyed: Detective Comics 840, Countdown 17, Messiah Complex and Uncanny X-Men 494, Teen Titans - Year One 1, The End League 1, Umbrella Academy and Lobster Johnson.

About Heroes, Episode 86

Thunderbolts # 118 Review

Author: Warren Ellis
Art: Mike Deodato Jr.
Colors: Rain Bareo
Cover: Marko Djurdjevic

Been so long since I’ve reviewed comics, I almost forgot what I used to review. Besides manga, I think my reviews have all but disappeared, but hell new year/new beginning that kind of thing. So why not review a book I haven’t reviewed in a long time. Thunderbolts! These aren’t your big brother’s Thunderbolts!!!
So much happens within these pages and while some are great; some are just right down weird. Leave it to Ellis to bring a mix feeling out of me.

We find that Norman Osborn is confronted with his past, as he has a mental breakdown, whether that is caused by the prisoners messing with his mind or Moonstone messing with his meds we really don’t know yet. Venom devours some guards…fuck, they not only want to eat your brain anymore. We also find out that Swordsman is power hungry and pulls a Britney Spears and starts calling himself Baron Strucker. That’s right good old Andreas seems to be trying to take over his daddy’s shoes.

This whole time, I’m not sure if the prisoners are doing telepathic attack on the team and making them act weird or if Warren Ellis is pulling a disassembled act here. While three characters are taken to the limit, I think that the portrayal of Venom and Swordsman are a bit off. The symbiote whether under Peter Parker or Eddie Brock never showed any signs of devouring human flesh….hell, even Carnage didn’t get that sick. So I find this Venom literally eating bodies hard to believe. Swordsman’s devotion has always been to his sister, and for him to become his father just makes me think I’m reading about another character. But, then again I find this team hard to believe to exist in the 616 universe. If it’s meant to be taken like Next Wave….well count me in, but to be taken seriously it just doesn’t make any sense.

While I haven’t been the biggest fan of Deodato’s new art style, I really think that he added the mood to this book with his heavy dark inks. He makes the scenes with Venom much harder to read and it really did leave an imprint in my head for the rest of the day. Of course the colors by Bareo really make his characters stand out. The book is still a damn fun book to read, while yeah the continuity doesn’t make sense anymore, but hey they could blame all of this on One More Day!!!! B+

Monday Manga Reviews: Back on schedule with Goddesses, endless love, spirals, knockout makers, kids with powers, and shaman!

Deja-vu: A Love Story
Story Youn in-wan
Art: Lots!
Translation: Woo Sok Park
Adaptation: Ren Zatopek
Publisher: Tokyopop
Funny enough, just a couple of weeks ago I rented Déjà vu with Denzel Washington and I thought the movie was great. When I saw the title to this book, I really wasn’t in the mood for a love story. About an hour and a half later I was so glad that I picked up the book, because I couldn’t put it down. The title includes spring, summer, fall, and winter because Dejavu is a story of unfulfilled love that takes place through different seasons and years. Through different seasons and different eras in time, two lovers cross paths again and again, trying for that one chance to get it right this time around. Although they have different lives at different points in history, one thing remains constant; their love for each other. The stories span from the beginning of history, WWII-era Japan, modern-day America, and the far distant future, and let me say that by the time the book ends you will be cheering for their love to go on. Although the overall story is continuous each of the four episodes is drawn by a different artist. Each artist breathes their own life into the story making it more enjoyable. There are a couple of short stories in the back along with an afterward by Clamp. By far my favorite story is fall with art by Kim Tae-Hyung. His artwork is completely amazing, it’s got that perfect blend of East meets west; I couldn’t be more satisfied with the art in this beautiful story. It’s a standalone book that I recommend to the romantic fools in all of us. A+

Knockout Makers vol.1
Story & Art: Kyoko Hashimoto
Translations: Jeremiah Bourque
Retouch & Lettering: Star Print Brokers
Publisher: Tokyopop

Mover over Extreme Make Over, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and What Not to Wear; because here comes the Knockout Makers! The concept is simple enough three guys are an urban legend in their city and turn out to be real. Toshiro, Nobuo, and Ryohei are the three mysterious beauticians that can take an average girl and turn her into a knockout. There you go! Anything from a hairdo, nails, makeup, to a simple push of confidence these guys are up for the challenge. There are six girls that introduced in the first volume and they range from a tomboy to a girl who wants to look like her idol. While the concept reminds me of the aforementioned shows, the guys really aren’t as vicious as their TV counterparts. While they do end up transforming the girls, they also give them the pep talk so they can find their inner confidence that they lack in the first place. For example the girl that is too skinny just needed someone to let her know that she doesn’t have to look like the fashion models. The only thing working against Hashimoto’s story is unfortunately the artwork. The problem is that it’s too perfect. Everyone looks like stereotypical shojo characters: pretty. This really works against the idea of what these women are supposed to look like before their makeover. The story also seems very repetitive and by the end of the book I am wondering how they are going to keep going for another volume. B-