Your weekly dose of Jeff Parker

You may have heard of some nobody called Jeff Parker. He's just a comic writer, is all, and by dumb luck, there happens to be two of his comics in my weekly review pile. On a whim, I decided I'd look at them today!

X-Men: First Class
by Jeff Parker and Roger Cruz

First of all, I am so glad that Roger Cruz is back on art after a two- or three-issue absence.

Second of all, that's the best I can say about this comic, spotlighting on Warren Worthington, AKA Angel of the X-Men.

First Class usually has irreverent humor, but the past issues have seemed kind of bland to me. I'm not exactly sure what changed, but First Class has lost some of its fun-ness. Maybe it's because the issue is about Angel, for whom I don't care, but I just didn't enjoy this issue.

By the way, Angel is getting a three-issue mini or so by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, I believe. I'm not checking that out, but it could be an example of Marvel's need to saturate the market with X-books I guess.

Marvel Adventures the Avengers #24
by Jeff Parker and Ig Guara

Just look at that cover. That is a great cover to a great issue.

Here, the Avengers suddenly, as by some monger, hate each other, go to Doc Samson for therapy, and stop Hydra subsequently. It's great for kids; it's fun, and when people rave about Jeff Parker, this is what they mean.

For some reason, he writes the Avengers here better than the X-Men up top, and that's a real shame.

There are so many great jokes here that I need to show you at least one of them:

There. That oughta do it.

I totally recommend Parker's Marvel Adventures the Avengers for the short time he's there. It's a great comic for anyone who likes fun in their comics.

There are also these cool Mini Marvels by Chris Giarusso. Here was this month's: I love how each of the three skrulls have different eye shapes.
Chris G. is so playful with the Marvel Universe; just say the word, and I'll post some more of these.

Better yet, here's his website! Good stuff right?

friendly neighborhood housekeeping

I have a HUGE reading pile, and having just finished up the school year, just noticed how much there is to blog!

I really wanna do some reviews today, but y'know what? Let's do something different, because, after all:

Well said, American Dream. Don't be a stranger to the blog now, y'hear?

My reading pile is kind of huge now. It ranges from early issues of Gail Simone's Birds of Prey to some portions of Essential Howard the Duck, not to mention the glut of Free Comics from Free Comic Book Day.

I'm kind of tired right now, and there's a huge pile of books on top of my scanner, and I feel compelled to show you some cool scans. I want to try to clean up and organize stuff today, but come tomorrow, I promise I'll whip out the scanner and talk about all kinds of stuff, from Fables #73 to Ultimate Spider-Man #122.

BUT!

That doesn't mean we can't talk about upcoming comics (because I already have the images on my computer)!

Specifically, John Romita Jr. coming up on Amazing Spider-Man. If you couldn't tell, I'm a huge fan of his, and he was a gateway artist for me into comic books.

His Spider-Man will always be the iconic rendition for me, from the eyes right down to the (slightly anorexic) anatomy, to the head shape, to the fingers, to the everything else.

But of course, his style varies, so let's take a break from the hectic day-to-day thunder that we call LIFE to examine this variation. Specifically, let's talk about Romita in the Stracyznski era of Amazing and the transition to the BND era. Although our sight's a bit limited (preview pages are all I have!), that doesn't mean that there is no difference!

Naturally, a little promo page serves as evidence:

And now a panel from a preview page for Amazing 568:

You may squeal at any time of course, but let's keep it at our indoor voices, all right?

Look at these two and then compare it to the other two images above them. Let's size up the differences:

1) First of all, notice the muscle tone in the legs as well as his biceps. I think it's safe to say that they've been increased to make Spidey look less anoreexic. Good.

2) The coloring is a little drier, less dynamic than Scott Hanna's coloring, but I don't think that should really detract from the storytelling. I sure do miss Scott Hanna though.

3) And the biggest part of any Spidey costume: the eyes! The eyes always have it, and there's definitely a change here. The edges taper less and the curves aren't as strong. Compare the first spidey image and the last on this post, and you should notice a difference, much to my dismay.

I wish this change hadn't occurred, but that's just me being a purist tightwad. Maybe it's due to a different inker? Anyways:

4) Lastly, we should never forget the most important proponent in any Spidey comic: Peter Parker! We've yet to see any preview pages for the guy, but hopefully, he's not changed too drastically right?

Weekly reviews are comin' up, so sit tight, true believers.

Candle Crisis in Gotham

Today in 1939 featured the debut of a very special dark knight in DC's Detective Comics #27!

Who wouldn't, Wally West, who wouldn't?

But of course, Batman takes this none too well. You see him grimace and brood all the same, but when he takes off that cape and cowl in the cozy comfort of his cave, a different facade appears. . .

Yes, Bruce, you've reached that point in your life. It's bigger than any kind of Final Crisis or Infinite Crisis or even impending death. It's your mid-life crisis in comics time.

God help us all.

Hey! Look at me!

Hey there! Hey! Look at me, look at me!

Wait, no, don't look at me. Look at Dinah.

Over at the link, Wizard gives a sneak peek at the coming Black Canary 13" action figure (in her JSA costume).

Overall, I don't like the expression-less face on Dinah, and the holes in her fishnets appear too minute, but that jacket is rockin' and I love her karate-chop action pose.

I won't lie though; this post was just an excuse for me to show you this page, from the four-issue Black Canary mini, written by Tony Bedard and Paulo Siquiera.

That's what you call finesse, people.

Slummin' it up at Club Dark Side: Birds of Prey #118

Today we finish up our weekly bonanza in review of. . .

Birds of Prey #118
by Tony Bedard and Nicola Scott

Note the little banner that says "The Dark Side Club," a very blunt allusion to the recently deceased New God, Darkseid. Is that supposed to boost sales or something? Lords knows our Birds needs it, because the title never surpasses the 90th rank.

And frankly, the issue doesn't present any argument for why it should do any better. I have a lot of respect for Tony Bedard, since he's written some wonderful fill-in issues for Supergirl and Birds of Prey, but his debut issue here doesn't bring that respect into mind.

Here, Misfit and Black Alice - the teenage Birds - find themselves in California's "Dark Side Club," a nightclub where metas are forced to fight each other for entertainment. Apparently, all the New Gods have become members of the Club, and this does not bode well for our teenage birds, or the dialogue:

I get that this person is supposed to be "street." The problem is that this person was also Granny Goodness, The New God. There was absolutely no transition from "demigod" to "crime thugs" for the New Gods. This stuff is very jarring to hear from Granny Goodness, and although I'll be inured to it by next month, I'm very peeved for now.

On the art side, though, I'm seeing some nice things about Nicola Scott that I didn't know. There's an absolutely ingenious couple of pages that Scott uses to show Misfit's flashback. In a book that rarely uses flashback, this border-less, muted scene was refreshing to see.

Now back to the writing, which, unfortunately, runs a bit soap-opera-y:

The problem here is that the issue's premise actually could've been done well. The Dark Side Club could have helped to heal the needless teenage angst that McKeever had written between Misfit and Black Alice, but it only made it worse by introducing possible blood connection. Time will only tell if this is really for the worse though, and I truly believe in Bedard's vision for the Birds, despite this issue.

Overall, this was not a strong debut issue for Mr. Bedard. Not at all. Nothing groundbreaking with nothing extraordinary character-wise. Black Canary appears next issue though, so we should get something important there.

And why is it that Dinah has to leave the Birds in order to spend more time in Green Arrow/Black Canary - a book ineptly written by Winick by the way - while Ollie is just about to join yet another team, the Justice League, while he's already a part of Batman and the Outsiders?

That is just preposterous.

P.S. There is a totally nasty scene in which Black Alice finds out what happens when you 'port someplace and carry someone with you. As Misfit would say. . .

Right on Charlie, and it's for this very reason that I can't tell you what actually happens. (sorry)

4-Color Review: Guess who's back?

So it's night in Gotham city right? And you're a hoodlum, up against the wall, right? And Batman, no way is he letting hoodlums into Gotham, so he's staring right down into your face and he's got his arms right up above you. You can just see his eyes grimacing at you from behind that cowl. Face it; you're terrified, and you say "Crazy! You're crazy!" Batman responds,

Is that what they say?

That I'm crazy?

You nod furiously and say "Yeah. . . yeah. . ." as he leans even further forward towards you. The Dark Knight continues,

Then you know what that means.

It means there's no telling what I might do.

And. . . scene. This little flashback in Catwoman #79 was meant to show how Catwoman learned to interrogate people with fear, and quite frankly, it wasn't done so well. That dialogue from Batman sounded way too Millerian, and I'm talking ASBAR Millerian.

I'm really emphasizing this scene, because it's very out of Pfeifer's usual style of writing. Aside from that though, this month's issue of Catwoman was standard fun comic book action. Catwoman finds the culprit who took her home and possessions, "the Thief" while she was on the Hell Planet, but now she's back. . . With A Vengeance! The writing is very direct and anyone who can read should pick this up.

There was a particular smart part from David Lopez's art in subtly showing that Catwoman's gun was loaded with blanks, but the rest is Will Pfeifer having lots of fun with a female antihero, and lemme tell you, this is some good fun.

And check out the cover!

That cover is gorgeous! Everything about it is so right! Look at Selina's expression amid all of the neon lights of urban decay! It's great isn't it! And check out the use of the Catwoman banner! That's too clever! And the tail from her coat! She's finally back from the Hell Planet!


Amazing Spider-Man #560
by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin

Boy, the pacing on this issue was really fantastic. It seemed like something significant happened in every page, only some of which include Paper Doll's murdering spree, Peter's descent into celebrity photog sleaze, to JJJ's anger, to Dexter Bennett's manipulation, to Carlie Cooper's crush on Peter, to Peter's guilt over the murder to Peter being renamed "Scoopy."

Basically, a lot of stuff happens here, and I think Slott is really putting a lot of effort into Brand New Day. Also, an observation: he likes to make lots of plays on words, and I think it really works with Spidey here. Marcos Martin on art is really cool too; his style brings a nostalgic tone that very much fits Brand New Day, and he really knows how to use Spider-Man's anatomy to play up Spidey's acrobatic side.

I may not be fond of Brand New Day, but it is getting treated pretty well.

Oh, and I forgot to mention one small tidbit. It's only EVERYTHING I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SINCE ONE MORE DAY:

Note the allusion to Faust, which involves a guy making a deal with the devil.

You also gotta love that little blurb on the bottom.

Note the tongue-in-cheek reference to the infamous "It's magic. We don't have to explain it."

Well face it, tiger. MJ's gonna explain it to us!

So with Mary Jane returning to Amazing, and Catwoman returning to Gotham, it just seems to be a great day for comebacks, and a great week for comics, period.

Snippets from Marvel's website

Holy crap did you guys know that Marvel released an animated version of the first issue of Astonishing X-Men (reproduced below)?



I have to say, the editing is really well done. Excellent use of zooming in, blurring, music, all done to tell the beginning to a very strong story.

There are a few problems though, where Emma Frost's line of ". . . and I still rate below a corpse" is whispered when she finishes it.

Kitty and Scott's voices are spot-on, but Emma doesn't sound condescending enough and Wolverine doesn't sound mean enough.

All in all, a very smart way to market one of Marvel's strongest franchises and comic books. I'm very impressed with the steps that they're taking to shape modern-day comics.

ITEM: Kneel before M.O.D.O.G.!

At this article, Dan Slott and Marcos Martin tells us about Paper Doll, the villain who's obsessed with Celebrity Bobby Carr. It turns out that she's a meta-comment on fans who got worked up about One More Day. Slott tells us that Paper Doll is an example of how fans can,

"if they're not careful, might get a little two-dimensional."

Is this clever or is this a little condescending? I'm not so sure, because it's a smart way of writing, but I do believe that fans have the right to be indignant.

Feel free to comment on what you will. All I know is that Marvel is taking so many steps forward, no wonder it takes the top share every month.

Yes, DC, I'm looking at you and acknowledging your conglomeracy as a single being. Please get with the times before you're left in the dust.

I mean, Marvel's jointing up with other publishers from other countries (Soleil, France); they've got the Digital Comics Unlimited; they've got videos and blogs on their website; they've got movies every step you turn; they are the market.

And what have you done to keep up with this DC?

Is it just me. . .

. . . Or did Gamora and Nova totally get it on off-panel?

This is only further proof that the two are meant to be, and Nova better appear in Guardians of the Galaxy more.

Because if it's wrong to live in a world where sex equals intimacy, baby, I don't wanna be right.

I still think Paul Pelletier needs to make his curves harsher though. The characters look too soft to me.

Serials: Swamps, Soleil and Slott

We continue this week's four-color bonanza in review of Amazing Spider-Man #559, Dead of Night, featuring Man-Thing #4, and Sky Doll #1.

Are you ready to rock?????

Dead of Night, featuring Man-Thing #4
by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Nic Klein and Nick Percival

I'm gonna be honest here: I hated the last two issues. I just hated them. I wanted to pick them up and throw them across the bathroom as I read them on the toilet.

Not so for this issue, the conclusion to the miniseries. The writing finally goes back to the mystique of the Swamp-Thing as well as the fun narration from Digger, as well as bad people getting what they deserve in delicious gore-o-vision.

You know what I thought was particularly genius? It's the way Aguirre-Sacasa basically summarizes the past three issues. Commander Brandt is basically explaining the situation to her soldiers, and along the way, she's explaining it to us as well. A very smart technique from Aguirre-Sacasa here.

And never forget kids. Beware the terror that is. . . THE MAN-THING!

Sky-Doll #1
by Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa

Are you sick of dumb comics? Do you want a comic that doesn't take your intelligence for granted?

You should totally check out Sky-Doll then. Originally from Soleil Publishing of France, Marvel worked together to bring this sci-fi fantasy story to us. I don't wanna spoil too much, but basically, everyday life is supported by these Sky Dolls, which are mechanized puppets designed to "satisfy our needs without soiling our souls." Make of that what you will.

There's political intrigue here, religious fervor, (and even nudity) all through the personal perspective of a Sky Doll who wants to be something more than a machine. The comic may be France-based, but one of the themes couldn't be more American: that of individuality and autonomy.

This issue is great. The dialogue is so simple and innocent, but the themes that are communicated are nothing near simple. Maybe it's because I'm a Yank, and the content is unchanged from its European version, but I'm impressed. I am pretty impressed. The art and the writing work hand in hand, so no one factor dominates the story, and there's a real beauty to that.

All in all, you're paying 6 dollars for 44 pages of story, as well as some previews and a couple articles. I very much think you should Check This Out.

Amazing Spider-Man #559
by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin

Whatever happened to my self-imposed moratorium on reading Amazing?

Oh, I know. The "Parkour Luck" happened. Peter "Pekar" happened. "Starbrand Coffee" happened. In summary, Dan Slott happened.

Gimme a chance to explain the three things: Peter was bragging about "the Parker Luck" when Brand New Day was kicking up. Then, in this issue, a viral video villain, Screwball, comes and bests him in city acrobatics -- with Parkour (pronounced: "par-core.")!

That is some clever stuff right there.

The second thing is Dexter Bennett's constant misunderstanding of Peter Parker's name. Since Brand New Day began, it's a running joke, but Slott uses it to make a reference to underground comic legend Harvey Pekar.

Dan Slott, I love you.

The third thing is Spidey and Screwball passing by Starbrand Coffee. This is a reference to the (pretty much defunct) Star Brand Universe of Marvel Comics. Not only has Slott parodied Starbuck's, he managed to fit a goddamn comics reference to it.

There is so much fanservice here, I can't help but like this comic. The problem at large still remains a problem at large, though: Peter PekarParker's sense of morals has pretty much gone down the drain, and it's manifested here when he takes sleazy photos of a celebrity. There is some hint of hope though, in that Joe Robertson (remember him?) is serving as a moral compass and showing that what Peter doing is wrong. To me, this is a hint that Peter's morals are currently sour, but Slott has plans to show us growth.

Because that's what we really want from Peter: growth as a human being.

Other parts I liked were Jonah's exercising in the park, and Peter's moving out of May's house. It also turns out that Peter is moving in with Vin Gonzales, the same person who distrusts Spider-Man! Artist Marcos Martin really shines here too. His pencils are direct and to-the-point, and they deliver the story effectively and with a bit of fun (check out the paneling).

I enjoy the tongue-in-cheek reference to porn ("Peter Parker, Paparazzi -- Part One: The Money Shot"), but I'm not sure if it's appropriate for a Brand New Day comic, which is designed to attract new readers.

All in all, there's a lot to get from this issue, and that makes me very glad. Peter is not, of course, the same Peter I was reading two years ago, but when you can tell stories as well as this, I won't hold that against you. I'm fine with Peter being a sleazeball, so long as it means he learns not to be a sleazeball in the end.

So maybe you have another opinion on these comics? Would you like to point something out that I didn't mention or take a perspective that I didn't?

Don't be afraid to hit that "comment" link and leave a comment. Only beware the terror that is. . . THE MAN-THING!

Four-Color Bonanza: LIVE from Space, England and Japan

ANNOUNCEMENT! I'm going to retire the "Panel by Panel" and "Cover to Cover" segments. To review the week, we're going to have these Four-Color Bonanzas instead.

Exciting isn't it? I can feel the electricity in my. . . computer.

No covers, no panels (unless I really think it's stand-out). This blog is going to be propped up by writing mainly, and I'd like to try it out. Today we review Guardians of the Galaxy #1, Green Arrow/Black Canary #8 and Bloodrayne: Tokyo Rogue #1.

So let's get ready to rrrrrrreeeeaaaaaddd!

Guardians of the Galaxy #1
by Abnett, Lanning and Pelletier

This was awesome. Great team banter, great dialogue from everyone, strong characterization.

I love Rocket Raccoon's sense of camaraderie, and you can't forget about his wit, and then Gamora is really getting looked at as a character. She's not just "the deadliest woman in the universe," and that gets somewhat explored here, as she talks to Richard Rider. I just hope the two of them hook up, as they should be, eventually.

Some other awesome things are how each character has a role within the team. It's Mantis' job to tend to everyones' mental well-being, as it's Cosmo's job to be their transport conductor, as it's Warlock's job to be the team leader. Drax the Destroyer even has his own different style of humor from Starlord or Rocket Raccoon. The individuality of these characters come out even when they're in the team, and that's the best kind of team book you can write.

A note about the art: I think Pelletier's curves are too soft for Guardians. Also, I don't think Drax should look that buff. Mitch Breitweiser had a much better design for Drax.

All in all though, a great jumping on point for anyone who thinks that Guardians is nothing but a niche book. You should really Check This Out. It looks like a great team book with strong individuals and equally strong dynamics between individuals. I only wonder if Richard Rider (the Nova Prime!) is going to appear here, because he and Gamora are totally meant for each other.

Green Arrow/Black Canary #8
by Judd Winick and Mike Norton

So, last issue, I was really whiny about the art. It was partly due to the fact that I loved Cliff Chiang so much that I wanted him to stay on GA/BC, and it was partly due to other facts.
That's not the case today. I feel like Norton's done a little polishing on the many things that irked me last time, particularly Dinah's face/eyes, and even the feet. There are still things that irk me, such as Ollie's beard, which is too exaggerated to look realistic, and his hair, which could look better, but I'm glad that Norton is improving himself. That's more than I can say for some other artists.

So if I'm not complaining about the art, what am I complaining about?

It's the Winick. Oh dear god help us all, it's the Winick.

The dialogue isn't too bad in this issue, actually, but that's because it was so scant here. The real problem I have is that the characters aren't getting proper attention. The title is more about Action! and Explosions! and Action-style Humor! then it is about Dinah and Ollie.

I swear, in eight issues, we've had so little character beats. So Ollie is trying to be a father figure. Okay, that was in, what, one issue? So Dinah is kick-ass. That was in one panel??? This is a big problem that I have with Winick's writing. Anyone could be doing these stories; it could be any generic superhero team. Anyone could be teaming up with this dodger guy, and anyone could be searching for Ra's Al Ghul. Hell, Chuck Dixon is writing Ollie better than Winick is, in Batman and the Outsiders. The characters aren't so much the focus as it is the action.

And action is not what I want. And no, neither is explosions or the jokes here. Anyone could be making these jokes. What I want is the jokes that can be told only with Dinah and Ollie. As long as you can tell me about Dinah's penchant for food, or for Ollie's need to be a father figure, or Dinah's technology peeves, or Ollie's sense of superhero camaraderie, I'll be happy. I only want to read about the characters I love, and I want to get the sense that Winick actually knows who these people are.

Is that too much to ask for three dollars?

Rant over. I'm disappointed with this issue, and I'm actually very bewildered why I didn't drop it last issue. If I were you, I'd definitely Run Away from this book.


Bloodrayne: Tokyo Rogue #1
by Troy Wall and Jake Bilbao

You know, for someone who has an innate fear of anything that mews, I read way too many horror comics. Bloodrayne is one of them, focusing on a half-human half-vampire (AKA dhampir) and her adventures working for the Brimstone Society.

In Tokyo Rogue she visits some friends in Japan to get some help against the ancient "gods" who just recently destroyed the Brimstone Society. The Brimstone annex in Japan has also been recently destroyed, thanks to a guy called "Hicharo" and his "samurai immortal," AKA Ayano.

I'm trying to figure out if Hicharo is the villain, but this Lord Noburu guy also seems villain-esque, because he hangs men atop a pit of lava and has a few agents called shrikes who "revel in their talents for creative torture."

Anyways, there's a fight between Rayne and Ayano at a strip club, and yes, THIS is how you do action right. Winick, please take a look at the page on the left.

Rayne fights. Yes, that is true, but that isn't so important as what is revealed in the fight. Namely, Rayne's character. Her wit and her sense of snark. Have you heard of that Winick? A little something called character? HM?

Anyways, Rayne loses, as is mandatory in the first issue, and she finds herself inside a Japanese hondo, and "the last hope for the survival of the Brimstone Society." CLIFFHANGER!

The dialogue is well-done, and although I think Bilbao's covers are hit-or-miss, I'm getting a liking for the way he pencils Rayne.

This dialogue is so great that I have to reproduce it for you guys: Rayne is riding a motorcycle with her British friend Severin who says:

Severin: I feel so . . . inadequate.
Rayne: Poor boy. I'll let you drive on the way out if it'll make you feel like more of a man.
Severin: As a matter of fact, it will. So what are we doing here?
. . .
Rayne: I'm going to burst in on the scene and kick some ass. You are going to stay here and do what you do best -- run recon.
Severin: I hate you.
Rayne: You love me. Now be a good boy and do your job.

Hah! This month's issue of Bloodrayne sure was enjoyable. If you like fun vampire action, you should really Check This Out.


The next batch of Four-Color Bonanza will be coming out this week. I got way too many comics today.

On a final note, I'd kind of like some help from you guys. What do you think of the rating system? I hate doing a star system, because a book can do a two-star writing-wise, but if it's full of fanservice, I can't just write that off. Sometimes I read a book that I really like personally and give it three stars, while a book that I pretty much didn't like but was generally okay gets three stars as well! A star system is way too ambiguous unless you're giving a one-star or five-star, and that's just too rare.

Mainly I do the rating system for you guys, so what do you think? What kind of ratings would you like to see from me? Stars or my overall opinion, or what I just did today ("check this out," "run away"), or some fourth thing?

Snow White's HOW TO SET A BARN ON FIRE

Step 1:
Call everyone an idiot and tell them what's what in your Fabletown.

You're the goddamn Snow White after all!

Step 2:
Get your trusty walkie-talkie and call in your pet dragon, Clarathea.

Every mayor should have a pet dragon.


Step 3:

LOOK AWESOME.

Snow White will end you. Scans taken from Fables vol. 2: Animal Farm, by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham.

Oh, and I'm back by the way, if you couldn't tell.

Begins with "H" and ends with "iatus"

I want you to brace yourself, kids, because what I'm going to tell you. . . will devastate you out of your spider-man undies.

Are you ready? Do you have your teddy bears firmly in hand? Have you hidden your heads tightly enough inside your shirts?*
Whoa now! Don't let Mr. Ursine slip out of your grip! Are you ready?

Your friendly neighborhood comics blogger has to go on hiatus. Since I'm a student, the scores that I get on standardized tests determine my future and, quite frankly, I'd like that future to be less bleak than it currently appears.

And what could possibly brighten it better than --

--THE BEST SEX DIALOGUE EVER:

This is Prince Charming from Fables, if you couldn't tell. He's great in the sack, as you can see, but he's a complete and total jerk. Doesn't stop me from being jealous though. Sigh.

So yeah, no blogging from me for two weeks roughly. I thought it'd be appropriate to warn what readership I have (KOFF KOFF!), so there ya go.

I really, really wanted to talk about the May comics for Marvel and DC, but this test thingamajig, it just won't let me. My soul is burning to chew the fat with the solicits for books like Final Crisis #1 or Birds of Prey #118 (with Tony Bedard's run beginning!!!) or Marvel Adventures Avengers #24 (featuring the return of fan-favorite Jeff Parker!)

If you'd like to say anything, about the blog, about the comics, about what you found in your shoe today, you can always leave a message to this post, because I'll still be checking my mail and roaming the blogosphere.

Some tests won't make me disappear off the face of the earth, after all! Furbies maybe, but tests we don't have to worry about.


*assuming you're wearing any.

follow-up to FCBD

So Free Comic Book Day was today!

I saw a little girl with her father, and she was all like "Daddy, daddy, look, free comics!" but the dad totally ignored the sign and just grabbed her hand and kept walking. That really sucked.

But then there was a small boy, who managed to make his way into the shop. He was having a tough time to decide, so I suggested All-Star Superman #1, because, well, it really is Superman done well.

That's really all the small children I saw. I wanted to take my six-year-old cousin, but his mom was being very anal, and he was with his friend at the time, who had half his head stuck in that gameboy of his.

So, going to the shop myself, I was limited to three free comics. Here they are:

1) Transformers: Animated-- Aside from the blurriness, it told everything right, from the Autobot-human interactions to the characters themselves. it's a perfect entry point for children into the franchise, although maybe not so much comic-wise. It kind of annoyed me that the panels (which were screen caps from the animated show) were so blurry, but for approximately zero cents, there is no way that I'm complaining.

2) Top Cow's Broken Trinity: Prelude-- It's a nice small story from the perspective of a journalist. The writer cleverly used her to tell us all about the Top Cow Universe that we need to know, but this didn't really get me excited about the "Broken Trinity" event that's coming up. I do like Phil Hester as an artist, but that's really all the enthusiasm I have for Top Cow. I just got this to see what I'm missing out on the indie side.

Speaking of indies, why didn't Vertigo release a Free Comic book? I would've been on that like cute on Tiny Titans.

3) And yes, Tiny Titans was my last free comic! It was really fun and awesome, and I love how the Titans universe translated into an ultra-cute universe. My favorite was the dialogue-less "Beast Boy meets a puppy" short story. That was just wonderful.

A book I'd ANTI-recommend would be the X-Men free comic. I really don't understand why Pornface McGee is still working for the industry, and for a children's event, no less.

Oh wait, yes I do. It's because most of fandom is totally fine with all his pornface, and, well, you can't blame them. As long as the women are pretty, most comics fans won't complain if they're anatomically hideous, blatantly traced, in the middle of orgasm every other panel, or emotively inappropriate.

But enough about porn. Let's talk comics. I also got DC Universe #0, because I didn't go to the shop this Wednesday, postponing it for today. This event preview, in my opinion, is actually better than Marvel's event preview, in that it attempts to tell a story, and isn't just an uninspiring history lesson. It's worse however, in that it costs money.

Cash money, and on Free Comic Book Day, that's an even worse stigma.

But not a bad enough stigma to bring down the day! This year's FCBD was on the whole fun and interesting, and I'm glad I went, although I regret not having told other people.

So maybe I'm missing out on a free comic that you liked? Don't be afraid to tell me all about it.

Maybe FCBD brought some new people to your regular shop, or maybe you yourself were new? How was the experience?

Because no force can bring people together stronger than free stuff.

Fly! Be Free!

Tomorrow is free comic book day, kids!

Head over to your friendly neighborhood comics shop for special *free* comics!

My store's limiting me to three per person, which is totally all right by me. A free comic's a free comic after all.

So don't forget guys, and have a great Free Comic Book Day!

A post is forthcoming on what's going on with the blog this month.