Off To See The Wizard…
So, in an effort to sort out my junk room, I decided that I could probably start with my longbox of Wizard publications. I quickly tired of being reminded of Wetworks and Vampirella books, so I decided to focus on my issues of Toyfare instead. For those not really "in the know", Toyfare was a monthly magazine published by the fine folks who also gave the world Wizard: The Guide to Comics (which later rebranded itself as a "Men's Pop Culture Magazine", whatever that means). Anyway, Wizard used to highlight toys, but as the industry ramped up, there was too much to report than the meager 2 pages in Wizard allowed, so the toy focus was spun off into its own magazine. At its best, Toyfare gave an in-depth look at fan favorite toy lines. At its worst, it was a glorified toy catalog. To be honest, "glorified" doesn't even fit, as regular toy catalogs at least listed prices - something Toyfare couldn't be bothered to do in many cases. Anyway, while flipping through the pages, a few thoughts came to mind, and I figured I'd share them here.
-What happened to Palisades Toys? I was never a Muppets fan, but I could respect that they truly paid attention to detail in making those Muppets toys.
-Diamond Select should've been run out of business for those horrible Serenity figures. I've actually said this to DST staffers. They like to change the subject when that line is brought up. I'm no Serenity fan, but I know a slap in the face when I see it.
-Did Hasbro ever present a use for those Jedi Master points?
-Is bbi still around? I remember they used to make those awesomely detailed solider dolls. Sometimes they'd use a Hollywood likeness without ever really securing the rights. So, instead of a Saving Private Ryan doll, it'd be a "World War II Officer" with a Tom Hanks face or something.
-An issue from 2002 stated that we had a better shot of seeing a Thundercats revival before a true G.I. Joe renaissance. Huh.
-The book REALLY started to suck when they took a parody approach to the articles. It was cute for the April Fools issue, but for a good 3 years every article in the book was like a Robot Chicken skit. While Robot Chicken showed that approach could be funny, it just gets tired in print.
-I wonder how many of the toys previewed in Toyfare actually NEVER came to fruition. I know for a fact that King of the Hill Series 2 never came out. That was when everyone wanted to jump on the interactive soundchip playset bandwagon, but I guess Toycom realized they couldn't swing it.
-When they started posting the Complete Photo Guides to toy lines, that made the magazine worth the price of admission.
-Near the end, they were just reprinting the movie articles from Wizard, seeing as how comic movies also tended to have toylines.
-I never realized how many 80s Toy Quizzes they published. That magazine survived an extra 3 years just by jerking off fans to fantasies of a M.A.S.K. revival.
Culling the ranks of the Toyfare stash didn't take much time, so then I cam back around for the herculean task of weeding out the Wizards. After all, I had a complete run for about 10 years or so. Along the way, I noticed a few interesting things:
-Where is Christina Z these days? For those not in the know, she was the first woman to make Wizard's Top 10 Writers List, and she used to write Witchblade back when it was all T&A. That way, whenever someone criticized it for being a T&A book, Top Cow could protest, "No, it's written by a woman!" Her last publicized work was Jenna Jameson's Shadow Hunter. I bet that wasn't a T&A book at all...
-Paula Cole should sing "Where have all the CCGs gone?"
-I don't want anything to do with J. Scott Campbell until he finishes Wildsiderz.
-Brandon Jerwa started his career on G.I. Joe with a fan submission
-I had no idea Fox has been using the "Animation Domination" name for its Sunday block since 2005!
-Broken Promises: Bryan Singer's Ultimate X-Men arc
-Broken Promises: Jeff Loeb & J. Scott Campbell's Spidey title
-Broken Promises: When Bendis left The Pulse, he said it would continue with another writer. This didn't happen.
-Yay! Kubert's on Batman. Surely, he'll have a long run on this book!
-In '03, J.Scott Campbell went exclusive with DC. Can anyone name what came from that? Anyone? No, because NOTHING came from that contract.
-Why did they stop making DC Minimates?
-There was actually an article called "Treasured Chests", where they compared the cleavage of Talia Al Ghul, Power Girl, and some Wildstorm chick.
-Kia Asamiya. Yes, I get that everyone had Manga Fever, but WHO THE FUCK PUT HIM ON X-MEN?!!!
-Broken Promises: Loeb & Lee's promised post-Hush 6-issue arc on Batman.
-Before they diversified their brand with Pilot Season, Top Cow was pretty much just, "Hey, kids! Tits!"
-After Chaos went under, Lady Death went to the Code 6 imprint at Crossgen. Now, she's at Avatar, under the Boundless imprint. Lady Death: She Doesn't Just LOOK Like The Village Bicycle!
-There was an Olympic ad in the March 2002 issue. Like, a real brand, and not some e-store or superhero-inspired motorcycle jackets. The actual Olympics, with the athletes and shit. SO out of place.
-Chaos allowed fans to serve as associte editors on books. They spun it as "interaction", but it was really just cheap labor. They went under soon afterwards.
-Only in 2002 could Joe Mad make the Top 10 Most Influential Artists List. He ranked higher than Sienkiewicz!!!
-Broken Promises: Kevin Smith was supposed to take over Amazing Spider-Man, and JMS was to move over to a new book. Smith also said in interviews that he only agreed if they would allow him to reunite MJ and Peter.
-Broken Promises: Kevin Smith was also announced as the writer of a new iteration of Brave and the Bold just before signing an exclusive with Marvel.
-Based on the number of articles, Fathom "returned" about 12 times, but never actually finished.
-Top Cow has been streamlining its universe since 2001, with no end in sight. The first event, Universe, made Tomb Raider & Fathom part of TC canon...interesting, seeing as how both properties are no longer under the TC umbrella.
-Where is Devin Grayson? Did her career end at the same time as her relationship with Mark Waid?
-I think the best depiction of Rogue was the promo image to her Icons mini. She's strong and athletic - believably 19 (which is the age she's rumored to be), and not a busty, 30-something skunkhead.
-Alicia Witt would've been a MUCH better Mary Jane in the Spider-Man movies.
-Instead of rushing to reprint them, Bill Jemas put the Ultimate titles online, 12 pages at a time, to "reward the readers and retailers who jumped on the Ultimate bandwagon at the beginning, thus making those initial issues all the more valuable." - 2001
-In 2001, Poison Elves creator Drew Hayes signed an unprecedented 50 year deal with Sirius Entertainment. While this was clearly a publicity stunt, Drew would pass away in 2007.
-Casting Call: Geoff Johns cast Heath Ledger as Wally West and Owen Wilson as Trickster.
-Issue #110's letter column only featured mail sent by prisoners.
-They used to have a column called "oops..." where they made corrections to previous stories. This was phased out in later years, as the entire magazine became one giant collection of typos and mistakes.
-Broken Promises: Top Cow got the A-Team rights in 2000. Did nothing with them.
-Did America ever get Bandai's handheld system, the WonderSwan Color?
-They were REALLY pushing for Brendan Fraser to be Superman, as they cast him in 3 different Casting Call articles over the years.
-Casting Call: Tom Selleck as Tony Stark, Kevin Sorbo as Thor, and Howie Long as Cap. This would've been fine...in 1990. They also cast Howie Long as Duke in G.I. Joe. Wizard really liked Howie Long.
-The same character was named "Venus", "Sexbot", and finally "Aphrodite IX"
-Finally, back when DC did the whole Superman Red/Blue thing, a few high profile artists were asked to redesign Superman's iconic suit. One of those artists happened to be Jim Lee. Looks like he's been married to that high-collar design for quite some time...
So, what were your favorite Toyfare/Wizard memories?
Greatest Haul: Origins
In Greatest Haul: Prelude, you got a teaser of the spoils. Now, learn the fantastical origin of the treasures you merely glimpsed! I'd cap this off with a "True Believer", but I don't want my ass to get sued...
So, as many of my twitter followers can attest, I've developed a bit of a thrift store addiction as of late. We have a few really good ones in my area, so I've found myself swinging by a couple times a week. That said, like any gateway drug, thrift stores weren't enough. I soon turned to Craigslist to satisfy my urges. It started out with me buying a couple of Mighty Muggs, and then it just got out of hand. Pretty soon, I found myself scouring the "toys & games" and "collectibles" categories several times a day. Eventually, I made a bigger leap: yard and garage sales.
I've been going to estate sales with my mom for the past 15 or so years, but they're a different animal from yard sales. Estate sales tend to be where the stuff of old/dead folks is sold, so the selection follows accordingly. I got my golf clubs at an estate sale. I got old books at estate sales. You do not, however, tend to find toys at such places. In any case, I had come to look down on yard/garage sales, as estate sales were more "high-end". A few of my twitter pals, however, have had quite a bit of luck with yard sales lately, and I didn't want to be left out in the cold.
A few weeks ago I decided to wake up early that Saturday morning and get in on the yard sale action. I'd found a nearby sale that was touting "25 Years of Collectibles". This was both intriguing and off putting. You see, when people sell what they believe to be "collectibles", they tend to overcharge. They factor in all the time and money they put into acquiring the item, as well as what they feel it's worth on the market. The result is typically an asking price that's both foolish AND too rich for my blood. It was still intriguing, though, as a lot of good crap came out in the last 25 years.
Anyway, the next morning, I woke up earlier than I typically do for work (a part of me is somewhat ashamed of that), and set out on my quest. The ad said the garage door wouldn't go up until 7, and I was there along with 2 older guys. Within 5 minutes, I knew this hadn't been worth my time or lost sleep. He was selling loose Toy Biz Marvel figures for $10 each. Not the good Legends stuff, but the crappy Magneto with the magnet in his chest. Or a random VR Trooper. Who's gonna pay $10 for a loose VR Trooper figure of a present-day soap star? I said my thanks, and went on my way.
Next on the list was a multifamily sale not too far away. I'd seen the listing, and I liked the idea of a multifamily sale, as I could hit several mini sales in one area. Apparently, the sales were along a block, so I could just work my way down the street. Or so I thought. Instead, I ended up spending the bulk of my time at the first house. Before we get to that, though, let's back up a bit.
After that first "collectibles" sale was a bust, I considered going home. Sitting with my McDonald's breakfast, I fired up my phone's browser and decided to see if any new, more promising sales had been listed. At this point, I noticed one that touted "carded action figures". Well, paint me green and call me Gumby! Plus, it turned out it was part of the multifamily sale that I was already planning to hit! The idea of carded action figures was too great to pass up. Little did I know how great of a find it would be.
So, it turns out that the woman hosting the sale used to work for American Entertainment. If you were collecting comics in the late 90s, then that name will be familiar to you. If you've never heard of it, American Entertainment was a mail order comic company that specialized in exclusive covers and products (if you've ever shopped at Entertainment Earth, it was a lot like that). If you have a comic from the 90s, there's probably an AE ad in it. Eventually, they branched out into a few brick and mortar shops, but AE cranked out a TON of Image/Top Cow variants and Buffy exclusives, amongst other things. Now, since I worked at Diamond, I kinda have an idea of the sort of items that cross your desk in that industry. Just as in my situation, she didn't sell anything while she was with the company, so she just accumulated it without really keeping track of what she had. She decided that she finally needed to clear out space, so she was getting rid of all the swag she'd acquired. And she wasn't lying about carded figures. Buffy, Starting Lineup, Batman, WWF (yes, before they were forced to "get the F Out"), Toy Biz Marvel figures...and many were just $1-2 each! Most yard sales are just a "One man's trash..." situation, but she actually had good stuff. It was just too much of it to try to price accordingly and sell, so it was like a collectible fire sale. I was expecting to wake up at any minute. When I call it "The Greatest Haul", it's not that I stumbled upon a particular holy grail - it's that I got a lot of cool stuff for the low, low price! Toys, comics, and cards. So, what did I get? Well, you'll just have to tune in next time!
52 Thoughts…
So, I already talked about the future of DC Comics in this post. At that time, I figured it was best to be optimistic, and just wait and see what was in store for us. Now, the 52 launch titles of "DCnU" (yes, I hate that, but it seems to be catching) have been announced, so I thought I'd give BRIEF thoughts on each one.
1. Justice League #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee
Great idea, but we all know that this is the creative team for, at best, the initial arc. By #6, we'll still Johns on board, but we'll have a Kubert or Scott McDaniel on art. You could do worse, but this is a book that deserves to ALWAYS have A-list talent on it.
2. Justice League International #1 by Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti
I like Booster Gold, so I'll give it a shot. I just don't have the love for the JLI that a lot of fans seem to have. I'm here for Batman and Booster.
3. Teen Titans #1 by Scott Lobdell, Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund
All hail our Image overlords. Seriously, this is more DV8 than Teen Titans. At least Tim Drake's still around...
4. Suicide Squad #1 by Adam Glass and Marco Rudy
Another concept for which I've never had much love. It's got Harley in it, though. Crazy, redesigned Harley.
5. Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales
This is an iconic comic cover:
This is NOT:
Good luck with that.
6. Superman #1 by George Pérez and Jesus Merino
Meh. This would mean something in 1988. Perez doesn't exactly "bring all the boys to the yard" these days.
7. Superboy #1 by Scott Lobdell and R.B. Silva and Rob Lean
Loved the writer 20 years ago, but don't know those artists.
8. Supergirl #1 by Michael Green, Mike Johnson and Mahmud A. Asrar
These guys kept Superman/Batman chugging along, but I think I was the only one buying that book. Liked Asrar on Dynamo 5, though.
9. Batman #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
Same problem as Action - this cover isn't dynamic enough for a book that's being relaunched after 700 issues:
10. Detective Comics #1 by Tony Daniel
Can't believe Daniel's still on this franchise. He came along because Kubert couldn't stay on schedule. Then, they reward him by making him the artist AND writer once Morrison went off to do what he does, resulting in a run that felt like filler. Now, they shift him over to Detective to do more of the same?
11. Batman: The Dark Knight #1 by David Finch
Relaunched after 2 long-delayed issues. Yeah, this'll work. Paul Cornell or Peter Tomasi will be on this book in a year.
12. Batgirl #1 by Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes.
She is HEALED! Barbara Gordon can WALK, and it is a MIRACLE! This one's causing a lot of chatter online. I'm kind hoping hoping the last panel of #1 shows her getting shot.
13. Batwoman #1 by J.H. Williams III, Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder
Do we really need this is the one, true Batchick is back on the prowl? I get that it contributes to DC's "diversity", but she feels pretty redundant at the moment. Plus, Williams is the draw. No one's gonna care once Calafiore gets put on the book.
14. Catwoman #1 by Judd Winick and Guillem March
Winick, eh? How long before Selina gets a trusted confidante who's then diagnosed with HIV? That's the Winick Special right there!
15. Red Hood And The Outlaws #1 by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort
I like Rocafort, but Red Hood is kinda like Hush: less is more. Don't keep him in the spotlight. Plus, a team comprised of Arsenal and Starfire hardly makes it a "must read".
16. Batwing #1 by Judd Winick and Ben Oliver
'Cause we've all been wanting to read Bat Panther. Nobody likes reading Black Panther, so who thought putting bat ears on that concept would be a winner? This is an affirmative action ploy right here.
17. Nightwing #1 by Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows
Surprise, surprise. Not. We knew it was coming, but we thought it would come through a more organic process than what's seemingly taking place.
18. Batman And Robin #1 by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Why does this book still exist? It was created as the "new flagship", a la Astonishing X-Men so that Morrison would have his own sandbox to play in. Once his stuff expanded to other titles, this book's purpose ceased to exist. It's superfluous.
19. Birds Of Prey #1 by Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz
No Gail and no Oracle. This title hasn't fared as well when Gail's not at the helm. Also not sure about the lineup. However, if they're still in Gotham, I'll check it out.
20. Green Lantern #1 by Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy
Doesn't seem like anything changes here. Good for its fans.
21. Green Lantern Corps #1 by Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna
See #20
22. Green Lanterns: New Guardians #1 by Tony Bedard, Tyler Kirkham and Batt
This will be the first Green Lantern book of DCnU to be canceled.
23. Red Lanterns #1 by Peter Milligan, Ed Benes and Rob Hunter.
This will be the first Lantern book of DCnU to be canceled.
*NOTE: Since there seems to always be a Green Lantern mega event on the horizon, I suspect this book, along with New Guardians will be canceled "as a result of those events" - even though it'll really be due to sales.
24. Aquaman #1 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis
It's Johns, so it shows DC's committed, but Aquaman, at his best, has still been considered a joke.
25. Wonder Woman #1 by Brian Azzarello #1 and Cliff Chiang
I came for the art, but I stayed for the story. Seriously, I love anything by Cliff Chiang. Can't say the same for Azzarello, but I'll give it a chance.
26. Flash #1 by Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul
Who? I mean, I know Manapul - he's supposedly the reason the last series was so late, but this other guy. I assume Flash will have a high profile, due to Flashpoint, but this ain't a team that instills confidence.
27. Green Arrow #1 by JT Krul and Dan Jurgens
JT Krul, huh? He did the lambasted Rise of Arsenal, but people swear he's good. Pass.
28. DC Universe Presents #1 by Paul Jenkins and Bernard Chang
Anthology books don't do well, but Jenkins is a good name to have on this. Plus, it'll serve a key purpose in the beginning, as it will help to explain the new status quo in areas not covered in the established series.
29. Savage Hawkman #1 by Tony Daniel and Philip Tan
Ha! Hawkman's always been a continuity bitch, and Daniel's writing it. I saw it won't last 2 years.
30. Blue Beetle #1 by Tony Bedard and Ig Guara
Glad Jaime's back. It's another diversity book, and it could be DC's Ultimate Spider-Man if handled right.
31. Fury Of Firestorm #1 by Gail Simone, Ethan Van Sciver and Yildiray Cinar.
This is just City Guys with nuclear powers thrown in. Look at that cover. They should really be back to back, with their arms crossed. "They're from different worlds, but they find out they have more in common than they thought." Sitcom 101.
Plus, Gail doesn't have the best track record as co-writer on a book about young heroes. Her run with Byrne on The Atom left a LOT to be desired. It's debatable whether that was due to her or Byrne. Then, her Gen 13 run was also pretty lackluster, but that could also be attributed to that fact that it was a stale franchise. I just don't think she has the same grasp on the "young voice" that writers like Bendis and Kirkman have.
32. Mr Terrific #1 by Eric Wallace and Roger Robinson
Affirmative action hire! Kiss this goodbye.
33. Captain Atom #1 by JT Krul and Freddie Williams II
JT Krul again, and another character nobody really gives a shit about. Won't see year 2.
34. OMAC #1 by Dan DiDio, Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish
Didio on a Kirby concept. Since it's Didio, they won't cancel it until it's only selling 10 copies, but the writing will always be horrible.
35. Static Shock #1 by John Rozum, Scott McDaniel and Jonathan Glapion.
Who? Only one I know here is McDaniel. He's got a nice, kinetic style, but I don't know how this'll play. Basically, Static and Blue Beetle are courting the same audience. If they're aiming for a new audience, this is good, as it could bring in diverse readers. If we're counting on those already reading comics, they hate minority characters.
36. Hawk And Dove #1 by Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld
This is a joke, right?
37. Deathstroke #1 by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Art Thibert
He's had his own series before, but he's another character where less is more. Don't try to turn him into an anti-hero, or try to make us sympathize with him.
38. Legion of Superheroes #1 by Paul Levitz and Francis Portela
Levitz knows the Legion, I'll give him that. This is also, like, their 9th reboot since I've been born.
39. Legion Lost #1 by Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods
Fabian Nicieza AND Scott Lobdell? DC really broke out the time machine, huh? Hope we get some hologram covers out of the deal!
40. Grifter #1 by Nathan Edmondson, CAFU and BIT
So, Wildstorm's back, eh? It could work.
41. Voodoo #1 by Ron Marz and Sami Basri.
Wasn't she a stripper? I don't entirely remember. Based on the cover I've seen, and the fact that Marz is writing it, I get the feeling he's just gonna use some of his Witchblade ideas over here. After all, more people will read this than those buying Top Cow books.
42. Stormwatch #1 by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda
Martian Manhunter's in The Authority? It might work.
43. Animal Man #1 by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green
Jeff Lemire is that indie darling DC keeps trying to push on us, but just like "fetch", I don't know if it's gonna catch on.
44. Swamp Thing #1 by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette
Here's your Swamp Thing, hippies. It's even got that Scott Snyder y'all love so much. I feel like this might be a "be careful what you wish for" situation, where having ST in the main DCU isn't as awesome as you thought it was going to be.
45. Justice League Dark #1 by Peter Milligan and Mikel Janin
Better hope this is a mini. Sure, it's Milligan, but this is just Shadowpact all over again.
46. Demon Knights #1 by Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert
See #45
47. Frankenstein: Agent Of SHADE #1 by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli
I like Frankenstein. I like SHADE. I also realize this is just Hellboy and the BPRD. Luckily, I like this character more than I do Hellboy - that is if it's the same characterization as in Seven Soldiers.
48. Resurrection Man #1 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino
Doesn't see year 2.
49. I, Vampire #1 by Josh Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino
Might've worked as a low-selling-as-singles-but-sells-respectably-in-trade Vertigo title, but I don't see it working as a mainstream DCU book.
50. Blackhawks #1 by Mike Costa and Ken Lashley
A cool, honor-bound group of pilots is now updated into a band of infojock mercenaries. Like Checkmate, I think this concept would be cool woven throughout the universe, and maybe given a mini here and there, but I don't think it's a viable ongoing concept.
51. Sgt Rock And The Men Of War #1 by Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick
There are folks who love war comics. Then again, that war is typically WWII. The Big One. All that. Not sure if modernizing it will work, based on common opinions of our current wars. However, it's the DCU, so all the battles will take place in fictional places, like Bialya, so it won't matter.
52. All-Star Western #1 by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Grey and Meridat.
It'll march along just like Jonah Hex did. "A rose by any other name..."
So, those are my initial thoughts. I hope I wasn't too mean. If anything, I kinda wanted to make a note of this point in time so that I can come back to it when the books ship, and see if I still feel the same. What are your thoughts on the new lineup?
Comical Thoughts: Quick Hits
I've got the long form stuff coming for Bruce Wayne and X-Men, but there were just a few other comic matters that didn't warrant their own posts.
Kickass 2 #1: Why? I mean, the first series was created and fast tracked to Hollywood faster than anything I know of. When you think about how Spider-Man was in development limbo for over 20 years, yet Millar gets cameras rolling before the last issue ships, well it's just mindblowing. Say what you will about the man, but he seems to know business. That said, why keep this as a comic? The money can't be better than Hollywood. It's a movie now, so keep it a movie.
Also, I didn't like the look of JR Jr's art this time around. Looked almost like watercolors. Gave it a dreamy effect I did not like.
Based on the way the Millar Model works, this book feels like one of those movie prequel/sequels that IDW puts out. Ya know, the ones that you know don't "count" or "matter", despite the publisher's protests to the contrary. When Kickass 2 makes it to theaters, it ain't gonna look like this. What you're reading is just something Millar threw together to tide you over.
Avengers #6: I went on an Avengers rant during the last batch of Comical Thoughts, but the end of this story arc just brought about more things I didn't like. At the end of the day, you hire Bendis for his "talky talky" shtick. You do NOT hire Bendis for time travel stories. We have Warren Ellis for those. Time travel''s not supposed to "make sense", as it's time travel. At the same time, it should be written in a way where the reader immediately cosigns with "Well, time travel is confusing". Instead, this storyline was built on the back of Bendis's desire to really make you think about time travel, which is where it falls apart. Countless web geeks have pointed out the temporal flaws in Back to the Future, but you're not supposed to focus on them. It feels like Bendis set out to make time travel "accessible", when he really just pointed out that he didn't know what the fuck he was talking about.
It's ironic because this was an example where Bendis's signature strength was his biggest failure. The man is known for his decompression, as he can stretch any story out to the 6-issue length that is loved by Borders and Barnes & Noble. The problem here is that this story should've been told in no more than 3 issues. By stretching it out, it exposed more holes and flaws. You can keep your mouth shut, and have people assume you're an idiot, or you can open your mouth and prove to them that you're one. This introductory arc just proved that Bendis still needs to learn when to keep his mouth closed.
Secret Avengers #6: I get why "Avengers" is on the cover, but that's not an accurate description of who they are. If anything, this book should've been a relaunch of the Secret Warriors concept.
Teen Titans #88: this is the debut of yet another creative team tasked with making the team relevant again. Since the Young Justice cartoon is on the way, starring much of the Teen Titans roster, you could say a lot is riding on this one. It was a decent read, with good art, and a last page that teases a development I find intriguing.
I will say this: I dropped Teen Titans over a year ago, as the creative teams just seemed to be flying without a plan. While I was gone, Titans were killed, new members were added, and there were a couple of Titans-wide crossovers. To join the book today, it's almost like reading the book from the good days, right before I dropped it. That might sound like a good thing - that I can pick it up after all this time without feeling I've missed a beat. However, I can't help but feel that it's a slap in the face to the people who stuck with the book through all that, only to find that those stories and events no longer "matter". It's not like there was a retcon, as the stories still exist, however the script even drops a reference to the fact that those issues were the wrong direction for the team. The acknowledgment is refreshing, but it's still odd how a year's worth of comics were nothing more than the result of a "Well, we had to put out something" attitude. I guess I'm just used to comics using cataclysmic events as agents of change rather than the way Teen Titans has gone about it.
Detective Comics #870: This was the conclusion of a filler arc, but I just wanted to say how glad I was to see Scott McDaniel's art. About 10 years ago, he was THE Batman artist. Sure, his style may not have been as clean as an Aparo or even Lee, but it was always kinetic. He's great at showing Batman in action. He went from Nightwing to Batman to Green Arrow, and then kinda fell off the map. It just goes to show how easily someone can go from golden boy to guest star in this industry.
Uncanny X-Men #529: I'm going to need someone to get Whilce Portacio off this book. He brings a reputation with him, as he was one of the Image founders. That said, he's always the one who dropped out and never really perfected his style.
If you look back, ALL the Image founders had similar styles. Over time, it seems like Top Cow is the only Image imprint that retains a house style. Everyone is built on the foundation of Silvestri, while adding their own particular flourishes. This was true of Michael Turner, Brandon Peterson, David Finch and Michael Broussard. You even see hints of it in early J. Scott Campbell, before he developed his own style. That's what Whilce Portacio's art looks like today: unfinished early J. Scott Campbell. Some might think that's a compliment, but there are many homeroom classes in America, with kids in the back row, doodling in an early J. Scott Campbell style. Those same kids aren't being paid to draw friggin' X-Men.
Ultimate Enemy #4: Saw that coming a mile away. When you consider that any Marvel Universe *needs* a Dr Doom, combined with the oft-discussed FF period where Reed became Dr Doom, you kinda knew the Ultimate Universe would eat that up. I AM surprised that it was based out of Ultimate Power, seeing as how nobody read that book. Then again, it, too, was written by Jeph Loeb (by the end of the series, at least), so of course he was gonna pimp his own work. I just don't see why this "saga" requires three 4-part miniseries. It would be best if he would take some of that time and figure out what he wants to do with Ultimate X. After all, it really hard to tell a compelling story about Alternate Universe Wolverine's son, when Regular Wolverine's son is a badass bisexual assassin. The Ultimate Universe is no longer the most exciting place to be in the Marvel Multiverse - especially since the Ultimatum Wave killed all the interesting characters.
Darkwing Duck #4: I've already tweeted that I felt this series was a love letter to the fans. It's that good and more. We already knew that Darkwing Duck was in the same universe as Duck Tales, due to Launchpad and Gizmoduck's appearances. This issue, however, just served to strengthen those bonds. So, what started out as a Darkwing Duck revival, is now also a Duck Tales revival. I didn't think things could get any better, and then we got that last page reveal. I'm really excited to see where this comic is heading.
Skullkickers #1: more like "Walletfuckers". Overhyped, derivative dreck. It was billed as "The Hangover meets D&D". Whoever came up with that either needs to be fired or promoted. Either way, I won't be taking a second look.
Action Comics #894: This is the one we'd all been awaiting: the reintroduction of Vertigo characters into DCU Proper. I've always been a fan of Neil Gaiman's depiction of Death, as no one can resist a cute goth girl with a sense of naivete. That said, I don't know if this issue accomplished all that we were expecting. If nothing else, I think it just planted the seed of the future possibilities now that these characters are available for DCU creators to use. I am curious how they will fit into a theological model that also includes The Spectre. It was certainly an interesting read, but it read more like "special filler" than an "event". Maybe that was the point.
That does it for now. Guess I should do some "work" or something...
Adventures West Coast #9: Witchblade Vol 1
Adventures West Coast #9: Witchblade Vol 1
Can I be fair to this book? That's the ultimate question here. You see, as my girlfriend, family, and enemies will tell you, I don't forget anything. As I result, I have a hard time grasping the notion of "forgive and forget", as I don't see them as mutually exclusive. This also carries over to the realm of entertainment. For some reason, I can never forget an actor's first role, and if it's a bad performance, I can't forgive it, either. For example, I don't care how sexy and successful he may be, George Clooney will always be the guy from The Facts of Life. Some days, I might let that slide, but he's still Booker from Roseanne. In any case, it took him a bit to get his career on track. That's a lot like Witchblade. It seems like it's on the right track, but I can't forget what came before. This is ultimately going to be more a review of packaging and presentation than the actual plot itself.
The cover might say "Volume 1", but that's a lie. You see, Witchblade existed for about 80 issues prior to those collected in this volume, and that's not counting all the one shots and miniseries. At launch, it was really just a mystical T&A book, which describes most of the early Top Cow output. I mean, this is a company that had a headlining character named Sexbot. That's just who they were, and I can't really shake it. It tends to cause problems, as I consider the current publisher of Top Cow to be friend. That said, I don't think he likes me very much in an online capacity, as every bit of PR he puts out about a Top Cow product triggers some snark on my part. It got to the point where I simply unfollowed him on Twitter because I felt that it was probably for the best. I commend them on the desire to take the book in a less cheesecake direction, but it's such a guerilla tactic to just act like those prior years never happened. I almost wish they had just cancelled the original series and relaunched with this. Sure, this is all just numbers and things printed on covers, but it would've seemed more...pure to me. You just can't collect a storyline that takes place at #80 of a 13 year old series and just decide, "OK, this is gonna be Volume 1 from here on out"!
I had actually read some earlier Witchblade issues, published during the brief period in the mid '90s when Top Cow broke away from Image in order to be their own company. That didn't last long, and I was done with the book by the time they returned to the Image fold. Back then, at its best, it was a tits & ass book set against a supernatural backdrop. It never quite knew if it wanted to be NYPD Blue or Poltergeist: The Legacy. It followed Sara Pezzeni, a New York City detective, who finds herself in the possession of a mysterious weapon known as the Witchblade. She doesn't know why she has it, let alone what it means. She's a cop, but when she "witches out", she looks like this:
Yup, just a regular old cop who kills demons in a thong made of supernatural thorns. Apparently, the Witchblade also provides good cup support! Well, that art made a household name of the late Michael Turner, who went on to create his own company, Aspen Entertainment. In any case, that's the gist of the character for the first 80 issues or so. That's YEARS worth of comics. Then, a funny thing happened: as is common with comic properties, Witchblade was turned into a TV series for TNT. Yancy Butler (Drop Zone, Brooklyn South) starred as Sara, in a weekly series where Sara tries to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Witchblade. Despite the fact that Yancy didn't run around half-naked, the show was actually a success. The only reason production stopped was because Yancy went to rehab for substance abuse. Anyway, during the run of the show, Sara/Witchblade looked like this:
Pretty conservative, huh? Well, in a lot of ways, the TV show was ahead of its time, as it was the first appearance of what Sara would come to look like after the bold new direction of issue #80:
As this story opens, Sara wakes up in a hospital bed, with little to no memory as to how she got there. At her side is her partner (work, not banging), Jake McCarthy. Anyone familiar with prior issues know him as the other half of the "will they, won't they" dynamic of the book. In walks Special Investigator Patrick Gleason, who's been sent to getthe details on what happened to Detective Pezzini. Immediately, this sets off a dick measuring contest between the 2 guys, seemingly setting up a potential love triangle.
Patrick Gleason's a really good character. Not only is he fairly likeable, but he also serves as "the eyes" for new readers. Once Sara comes out of the coma and jumps into her investigation, Gleason's right there at her side, trying to get answers. Whenever something supernatural happens, it's old hat for Sara, but it's all completely new to Gleason. It's a pretty nice dynamic, which also helps for a bond between the two characters.
So, the plot. Well, the only real witness to the events surrounding Sara's coma was her childhood priest. Upon further investigation, she finds out that he's part of an ancient sect of the Catholic church that dabbled in the dark arts. An event is coming that would allow some pretty major demons to pierce the veil and destroy our world. The sect wants this event to come to pass, but they want Sara dead, as the Witchblade has the power to stop them. She was to die the night she ended up in the coma, and the prist was ordered to finish the job. Instead, he's killed by the Witchblade, but partner Jake gets injured in the process. Sara and Patrick team up for the final act, as he creates a diversion, while she uses the Witchblade to give those priests the old what for! In the end, Patrick and Sara find their relationship changed by the experience, while Jake clings to life in a hospital bed.
My biggest gripe of the collection comes down to packaging. You see, it was offered at the low, introductory price of $4.99. I've been working around comics long enough to know that some corners may have been cut in order to pass savings along to the consumer. In my case, the binding was shit. The pages just started falling out near the end of the book. I'm not sure if this was a common problem with the print run, but it certainly marred my experience.
Prior to reading this collection, I'd been sampling Witchblade via more recent issues, especially those leading into the Broken Trinity event. It's at that point that Sara and Patrick are first entering into a real relationship, so it's nice to see how they first met. I like what Ron Marz has done with the series, and it seems like the book had just been waiting for him to come along. He seems to have a plan, and it's not the same old stories of "Sara goes undercover as an escort and poses a lot" that we seemed to have in the '90s. Stjepen Sejic's art is pretty nice, and quite reminiscent of Clayton Crain (X-Force) before his work got all muddy (Necrosha). I can be a cruel man, but I also believe in giving credit where it's due. Witchblade may have a bit of a checkered history, but I think this collection signals the beginning of a promising future.
Remembering Michael Turner
"The hardest thing in the world to do...is take a blow you can see coming."
So, comic artist Michael Turner passed away early this morning after a lengthy battle with chondrosarcoma. I've known for a few hours, but it seemed the rest of the internet hadn't been informed, and I didn't want to be the a-hole to break such a delicate topic on some vanity project blog. That said, I think this is the first comic death that truly hits home for me. Typically, we get news of the passing of the pioneers, the Old Guard - people who were the architects of the medium, yet who haven't been treated as kindly in their later years. Still, these people were revered for their history, and respected by fans until the end. I didn't know those creators from the beginning, and watched from the sidelines with awe.
Michael was different, though, as I watched his career from the ground. Starting around the same time that I really gave myself over to comics, I've been there from the beginning of his career to, sadly, the untimely end. As far as respect from his peers, Michael, however, has always had a different road to hoe. He's a pioneer in his own right. While he may have started as a student of "the Top Cow style", he's one of the first of that wave to break free from the stable and set up his own studio. Despite the sickness, he was still the go-to variant cover guy for BOTH Marvel and DC over the past 3 years, as well as working to get Aspen Studios back on the map.
I think Michael will be remembered most for his work ethic, as well as for his intense battle with cancer. I say "battle" and I mean it. The man had so many ups-and-downs, but it never stopped him as long as he had a say in the matter. Some might say that he was more prolific over the past few years than earlier in his career. Even after all of that, I'm still surprised by the amount of fanboys and professionals who used the topic of Mike's illness to offer their not entirely positive, or necessary, two cents about him. I worked in comics for almost 2 years, and I can't count how many times at cons I would hear something like, "Did you hear about Mike? It seems he's had a relapse. Never really been a fan of his work, ya know, but he's just such a great guy." I mean, really...was that middle part even necessary?
Now, this morning, we're getting posts like,
"Could never stand his work, so much so that I even commited [sic] a personal sin numerous times by buying the more expensive variant covers just to avoid the cheaper regular version that he did.
But that doesn't mean I ever wished him ill.
Condolences to his family, friends and fans."
Everyone deals with death in their own way, but I can't begin to tell you how much this did, and still does, bother me. Sure, I could take the whole "If you can't say anything nice,..." approach, but Lord knows I've never followed that to a tee on this site. That said, I guess it bothers me how these people have always made it about themselves. It's been almost like they were dying to find a way to work in that slight. And now, today, it seems that nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is that the world has lost a talented workhorse, who (while I tend to shy away from throwing this around) courageously fought his illness.
I only hope that the same basement critics will, in time, find a way to truly understand the man and his work. I'm not even saying they have to like it, but they need to appreciate the ethic, appreciate the dedication, and appreciate the man. They may not realize it now, but the world of comics won't be the same after today. This isn't one of those "He meant a lot to me, and I'll miss him" posts. He meant a lot to all of us, just some don't realize it yet. We'll all miss him, and the medium is better, in many ways, for having the benefit of his contributions.
- RT @MeisterShake: Seriously folks, WHY THE FUCK would I care about YOUR horoscope? Stop tweeting it.
- A midget!!! #SNL
- I love how that Bon Iver photo was like Find The Black Guy. Oh, there he is! Between Chad and Tyler!
- If y'all wanna make fun of Lana Del Ray, you can make fun of this dude's Eunuch Wails.
- This dude is just making noises - like the kind you make when you catch your balls in the zipper. I hope the internet takes notice!
- This Bon Iver song sounds like Johnny Hates Jazz. Not complaining. I just need bigger shoulder pads.
- That's why Harlem Nights is such a good movie - it passes the torch, but you'll never get that much black talent in the same movie again.
- When is Tyler Perry gonna get cracking on the black version of The Expendables?
- If I investigated rape cases, like on SVU, my first question to the vic (that's Cop Talk) would be "Did he look like Guy Fieri?"
- Ten seconds, gun to your head - who won The Voice last season?
From The Vault
- She Lost It For Guys In Black Turtlenecks
- Her Husband's Out Of Town...
- It's A Trampoline!
- H&M Training Not In Philly After All
- Conan's Taking Over The Tonight Show?
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