Sunday, September 30, 2012

Cover of the Week

Are you ready to celebrate some art? You should or I'd expect you'd have little reason to be here otherwise. This one is sort of special in that it comes from an art team I've recently come across and whose work I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of.

Marco Checchetto and Matt Hollingsworth, for your cover to Punisher #16, we would like to welcome you both to this very exclusive club. There's no prize to collect. Nor are there any benefits. But I'm sure that's okay with you guys.

Seriously, look at that. First, it would be hard to ignore the GIANT skull in the background. Then there's Frank holding a gun to Cole's head with blood flowing down the bottom of the cover. I wonder what that means for the story. Hmmm. I also like the reflection of both of the characters in the blood. Nice touch. It's all topped off by the series' colorist Hollingsworth.

As stated, I do own one issue of this series from the Omega Effect crossover (which was good reading) and I liked Checchetto's work there. His pencils and Hollingsworth's colors are a great combination. I've been a fan of Rucka for a while and haven't read much Punisher, so I figured I'd try out the first collected volume. I'm looking forward to reading it.

What do you think of this week's winner? Are you a Punisher reader? What do you think of Rucka, Checchetto, and Hollingsworth's run? Let me know. Thanks for looking.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Action Figure Foursome #1: Turtles Named NICK

Welcome to Action Figure Foursome! Here I will put the spotlight on action figures in sets of four. I may briefly review the figures, but it won't be too extensive. While their connections will vary from entry to entry, you can always count on some cool action figures. Well, that's unless I decide to do an entry focusing on horrible figures. It could happen.

For this first entry, let's take a look at the most recent figures I've acquired fitting my (limited) criteria. Say hello to the 2012 Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures from Playmates Toys. These figures are tied to the new Nick cartoon marking the resurgence of the Heroes in a Half-Shell. I grabbed these guys from Wally World for $7.77 each. I passed on the other figures because they don't look good at all.


The biggest issue I have with them is Mikey's height. I can take him being shorter than the others, but he didn't have to be that short. I also don't like how Leo has three katana but they're all different lengths. So much for twin katana.

Leonardo is my favorite turtle for several reasons, but I'm most fond of Donatello's figure. I think Donnie's head-sculpt is the best of the four.


Another issue which can barely be seen here deals with Mikey. His nunchucks don't fit well on his back to the point where they collect some damage squeezing them in. It would've been great if they would have gone with the chain link similar to that of the NECA Mikey figure.


Their weapons are pretty cool because it reminds me of the TMNT toys as a kid that had weapons on a weapon tree. Leo and Raph's are done in gray while Mikey's are more orange and Donnie's are colored in brown.

Overall, they're pretty nice figures and there is even a new van which could definitely make for some cool playtime. They have pretty good articulation, which is more than we can say for the rest of the line at this point. If you're in the market for some Ninja Turtle toys, you'll enjoy these.

Thanks for joining me on this first edition of Action Figure Foursome. Be back for more toy goodness (and other stuff as well of course). I'll be going through my entire collection and have some interesting team-ups planned. Hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for looking.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Comic and Action Figure Haul

Another new comic day has come and gone. That doesn't mean the fun ends though. Here's my haul for the week. I had some good books waiting for me and also some surprise action figure pick-ups. I did miss out on Ultimate Spider-Man #15. That's my own fault because I haven't updated my pull-list in a while. I expect Daredevil #18, Cobra #17, and Ghostbusters #13 to be the best books of the week. I'm quite curious to see how Ghost #0 reads. I'm a bit behind in reading, so I won't know too soon.
 

I also hit up a Wal-Mart (one which hasn't been friendly to collectors of cool action figures) to find Marvel Universe wave 19. It's always nice when you can catch a full wave in one spot. It doesn't get any better than that. They were acually restocking that night, so I caught a fresh case. Check out wave 19 below.
 

The figure I was looking forward to most in this wave was She-Hulk. She's had some recent appearances of which I was fond. When I pick up my books this week, I'm going to see if I can order some trades from her last solo series. I'm curious how she holds her own. I know a few people who are still searching for Kang and Scarlet Witch. Good luck to them.

The paint apps are good for the most part. Punisher and Future Foundation Spider-Man have some questionable spots though. I was thinking about touching up both of them. The problem area on Punisher isn't that bad. FF Spidey's are a bit different. I'm not sure if Hasbro wanted his costume to have a more grayish look or shaded effect as opposed to the Marvel Legends Future Foundation Spider-Man which is pure white and black. Looking at it makes me think of art by Mike Deodato Jr. I happen to like that, but it didn't translate well. But then again, it could just be bad paint application. Toy collectors are quite familiar with that. Here are a few pictures to see it for yourself.



Well that's that. Of course I'll be picking up my books this week, but I'm also hoping to find Marvel Universe wave 18. Yeah, I missed a wave. How? I'm still not sure. That wave consists of Beast (in Astonishing costume), Beta Ray Bill (hell yeah), Hulk (new sculpt), and Kraven. Also in that wave are two versions of Ultimate Spider-Man. One of which is the Miles Morales variant. I don't want Ultimate Spider-man though. But I do want two of Beta Ray Bill as I'll be keeping one MOC.
Thanks for looking. Happy reading and toy hunting to everyone.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Cover of the Week

Happy New Comic Day! I should have new comics in hand, but that will be delayed several hours. These shenanigans will not stop the fun. This does give me time to catch up on reading as I've been behind by about a week of books. But enough of that. Let's get to some beautiful art.

I like to call this one Daredevil #18. Paolo Rivera is certainly not afraid to provide readers with awesome art. Do yourself and your eyes a favor by looking at this piece.



Paolo Rivera knocked out an awesome cover for this issue. Just look at that. How cool is that? I'm no doctor, but my guess would be that this is the nervous system. If you have some medical knowledge, please feel free to correct me. I can't say anymore than that and the cover just speaks for itself. It says "I win." And I won't argue with it.

What do you think of my choice? Let me know. Thanks for looking. Happy reading to everyone.

Cover of the Week for 9-12-12

Happy early morning New Comic Day. Yeah, another one going up late, but it's here. I'll make this one quick. Here is Star Wars Lost Tribe of the Sity: Spiral #2.

I've seen some work from Paul Renaud, but nothing like this. One of the many visuals I love in comics are wings. There are many ways they can be represented. So we have some good looking wings on one lady who's carrying a lady wielding a lightsaber. Add in some unique architectural visuals (which is never a bad idea) to the background and you have a winner.

What do you think? Comments are welcome. Thanks for looking.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Congrats to the 2012 Harvey Award Winners

This past weekend, fans and creators headed east to unite at Baltimore Comic-Con. We all know what comes when we gather at conventions: fans and creators meet, costumes are seen, and all that other good stuff we love. Beyond that though, BCC also held the Harvey Awards which honor some of the best talent and work in comics.

As I was not in attendance, of course I had to check the list of winners. Congrats to them as well as those even nominated. I also wanted to check a prediction. I guessed that Daredevil and its creative team would take home several awards and it took home four. It's safe to say I was correct. Let's be honest, that wasn't hard to foresee if you've been reading the book and if you saw how well it did at the Eisners in San Diego. But Daredevil was only part of the show, so here are some highlights from the winners starting with the big ones.

Hero Initiative's Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year presented by Kevin Brogan
- Joe Kubert
What can you really say that hasn't been said about the late great talent? When we lost Joe, we lost a man who had a talented hand and someone who helped others enhance their skills and bring us fantastic work.

Hero Initiative's Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.
- John Romita Jr.
I'm no stranger to JRJR's work. I've been a fan of his since way back. While I didn't catch his earlier work as it was released, I would pick it up later on.

Best Artist
- J.H. Williams III on Batwoman
I've pointed out on twitter how much I've enjoyed Williams work on this book. The way he lays out the panels and incorporates background imagery is worth the price of admission alone.

Best Continuing or Limited Series
- Daredevil from Marvel Comics
I've been a DD fan for several years and I recommend this series if you haven't been reading. I wouldn't say its the best book out there, but the voters have spoken and it definitely deserves its credit.

Best Domestic Reprint Project
- Walt Simonson's The Mighty Thor Artists' Edition from IDW Publishing
I don't have this edition but I have many of Simonson's Thor issues and it's good stuff. The writing and art are both quality.

Best New Series
- Daredevil from Marvel Comics
This category is one which should always be recognized because in the world of comics, a lot of attention is on the next thing. This is also a category which had been removed from this years Eisners for lack of quality books meeting their standards.

Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers
- Anya's Ghost from First Second
I don't know anything about this book. I felt it deserved some attention because I feel books aimed at younger readers are lost in the shuffle when everyone wants books to be dripping with grit and mature themes. That tends to leave the younger generations without quality reads.

Best Writer
- Mark Waid on Daredevil
If it's the best book, it is for a reason and that's the creative team behind. Waid is no stranger to praise as I'm sure he fits into many fans' personal best writer category.

Most Promising New Talent
- Sara Pichelli on Ultimate Spider-Man
Pichelli's work at Marvel has been amazing and I can't wait to see what's lined up for her in the future. You can check her out on Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Men.

For the full list of nominees and winners CBR has them laid out for you. Again, congrats to all the winners. To the readers, keep buying and reading and spread the love.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Cover of the Week

Happy New Comic Day! Well that may not apply to everyone. It looks as if comics are delayed a bit due to the holiday, but that doesn't mean our fun has to stop. Here's the variant for Venom #24. Check it out my friends.


I'll say I originally didn't like Skottie Young's style. I don't know what changed my mind, but it was within the last year that I began to do so. And what's not to like here? Venom springing out of a birthday cake is all kinds of fun. And he's HUGE! Then look at little ol' Spidey. He's carrying presents and has a party blower. A party blower. A fun cover all around.

Cover of the Week for 8-29-12

Technically, it's New Comic Day, but we're going to turn the clock back a week just for this post. But come back later as I'll be back up to speed. Things have been going sort of fast, so let's slow it down with Flash Annual #1. Wait...I don't think that works. Well, here it does.


I'm not a big Flash fan, but I'm a big fan of Francis Manapul's art. For this Annual issue, the story incorporates the Rogues and we get a taste of that on the cover. The aspects that stand out are how Manapul places Mirror Master in the subtitle and that alone with the ice. Well done.

Come back later as I get back to the present for this week's entry.