Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Cover of the Week

I hope you enjoyed my Book of the Week post. Here's some more comic book goodness for you. I could say there are plenty of good looking books on shelves today, but that rings true every week.

Here is Mark Brooks' variant cover for AvX: Consequences #4.

Here are the aspects of this cover that won me over:

1. It's drawn by Mark Brooks

2. It's Magneto

3. It's Magneto drawn by Mark Brooks!

No, that last one is not cheating. This cover has a lot going for it. I love how Mags' eyes are lit up. There's all kinds of stuff going on around him. He's ready to do some damage and I want to be there for it. We all know Mark Brooks is pretty awesome. He did two covers this week and I was torn at first about which to choose. I almost posted both, but I had to pick one.

Let me know what you think. Thanks for looking.

Book of the Week for 10-24-12

Happy New Comic Book Day! And Happy Halloween as well. Before we get to some comic book goodness, I just want to send some love to our friends on the east coast as they deal with a force of nature which has already claimed lives and done massive amounts of damage. We're sending well wishes your way.

As usual, before I reveal the best read, I'll go over the other comics which found a home in my collection. Amazing Spider-Man #696, Astonishing X-Men #55, Avengers #32, AvX: Consequences #3, Captain America #19, Gambit #4, Invincible Iron Man #527, Punisher: War Zone #1, Secret Avengers #33, Invincible #96, Spawn #224, Cobra #18, Extermination #5 and Ghostbusters 100-Page Spooktacular. Sadly, I'm behind on two of those titles, so their newest releases were not read and thus did not qualify. It happens.

My favorite read of the week came from DC Comics. That's pretty rare considering the quality of the New 52. I have to give it to the creative team behind I, Vampire #13. Joshua Hale Fialkov, Andrea Sorrentino, and Marcelo Maiolo have been doing quality work. I'm reading nine DC books and this one is near the top of the list for consistency. I have no doubt that it's one of the better books of the New 52.

This issue is a game-changer. If you've been reading, you've seen how the book has progressed through the first 12 issues. Credit to Fialkov for the overall tale and the characters. The events of the previous issue left Mary, formerly Queen of the vampires, powerless. This issue begins with the focus on her settling into life as a human. She reveals aspects about vampires that I can't say I've ever come across before. As the book progresses, Andrew comes back into the picture. This transition is where things change and you'll want to jump on board to see how.

Visually, Sorrentino and Maiolo work well together. I've already mentioned the consistency this title has brought. That extends beyond the writing to Sorrentino's pencils. Maiolo's colors add that sense of darkness and mystery. His shadows serve the book well. There's a two-page spread where Mary is just sitting in a chair. That may not sound exciting, but the image conveys a lot about the character's current state. It appears she's dwelling on her new role. It's simple, but powerful.

This is going up late, but even though Halloween books are here, I still wanted to post it. And let's be honest, it having been out a week doesn't make it less of an entertaining read. Now get out there and buy some books. Happy reading and thanks for looking.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Cover of the Week

New Comic Book Day has come and gone. I hope it was good for everyone. I picked up a ton of books and can't wait to read them. Two books I ordered didn't come in, but that happens unfortunately.

Now let's get to some serious business. Yes, it's Cover of the Week. Sometimes a cover can sell a book. Sometimes a cover will keep a book on the shelf. But that's pretty rare. Or is it? Check out Phil Noto's cover for Astonishing X-Men #55.

Noto's cover depicts the X-Men as part of the ammo belt for a weapon. That by itself gets my vote. On the belt are Wolverine, Iceman, Gambit, Northstar and Warbird. It does tie into the ongoing story; you'll know how if you're reading this title. I'm curious about the language going down the cover just under the trigger. We'll to just have to read to find out what it means.

What do you think? Do you have another pick in mind? Let the world know. Thanks for looking.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Book of the Week for 10-17-12

Happy New Comic Book Day! Yes, new comics are out. But before you head to your lcs, keep reading. You're going to want to make note of this book in the slightest chance that you did not pick it up last week. Which of course sounds crazy, but you know, it happens.

Before we get to the champ, take a look at the competition: The Activity #9, AvX: Consequences #2, Batwoman #13, Birds of Prey #13, Captain Marvel #5, Daredevil #19, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #183, Hawkeye #3, Justice League #13, New Avengers #31, Nightwing #13, Shinku #5, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow #18, Supergirl #13, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #16, Uncanny X-Men #20 and Venom #26.

You already know there were several good reads in there. Some of the highlights were: AvX: Consequences #2, Birds of Prey #13, Daredevil #18, Hawkeye #3, Shinku #5 and Supergirl #13. This isn't to say I didn't enjoy some of the other books, but these were the best reads of the week. But of course one has to rise above the others.

Let's give a round of applause to the creative team behind Daredevil #19: Mark Waid, Chris Samnee and Javier Rodriguez. This issue was another homerun. Just look back at all the industry awards this title has taken home this year and you'll see that's a common assessment of their work.

Mark Waid and company have been taking Matt Murdock on a journey like he's never been on before. Waid shows off his strong grasp of who Daredevil is, in and out of costume, with some amazing writing. Readers learn why Matt is seemingly losing his mind. I can't speak for everyone, but I've been extremely curious as to what's been going on with Matt in recent issues. The pacing for it all has been handled expertly. It didn't drag on and it wasn't so quick to make you question it.

Chris Samnee has been progressively making me a fan of his work. The man of the hour looks great with and without the mask. Every character has a distinct look. The panels have a nice flow through the pages. Javier Rodriguez' touch just makes it better. The colors of DD's costume look great. When Daredevil is out at night, the city sky is lit up beautifully.

You should definitely pick this up if you haven't. It's a great book. I'll point back to all the industry awards. If you did read this issue, let the world know what you thought and whether you liked it (which I'm sure you did). Thanks for looking.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Cover of the Week

Happy New Comic Book Day! This week brings something new from a familiar artist. Here is Stjepan Sejic's cover to Sleepy Hollow #1 brought to us by Zenescope Entertainment. You might recognize Sejic's name and style from the beautiful pages of his Witchblade run with writer Ron Marz.

It's the headless horseman people. Headless. Horseman. Need I say more? I really don't NEED to, but of course I will anyway. Check out the black horse. I'm digging the fiery eyes, mouth and nostrils.

The only aspect I would've preferred to see differently is the main weapon. Horseman, especially of the headless variety, like swords. I'm pretty sure it's in the headless horseman guidebook. But he'll do damage with what he has, which includes a chain-whip. And how often do you see one of those? Nice addition if I say so myself. And of course there's the giant moon in the background. Another nice looking piece from a talented artist.

I might look into this series. I'm unfamiliar with series artist Alan Otero, so I'll have to do some research.

What do you all think? Did any of you pre-order this book? I'd love to hear thoughts. Your fellow readers await. Thanks for looking.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Book of the Week

It was a big week in comics. Surprised? Of course you aren't. I picked up a good amount of books and it was good reading all around for the most part. The books that found a home my collection were Avengers #31, Avenging Spider-Man #13, AvX: Consequences #1, Invincible Iron Man #526, Scarlet Spider #10, Secret Avengers #32, Uncanny Avengers #1, Wolverine and the X-Men #18, X-Men #37, Batman #13, Green Lantern Corps #13 and G.I. Joe #18.

The comic book reading world seems to have reached a consensus and I have to agree. Batman #13 is a damn good read. Easily recommendable. Everything about the book lives up to the hype. The return of Joker is certainly better than expected and it's all unexpected. This may be my favorite Scott Snyder Bat-book. The back-up feature co-written by James Tynion IV just adds to the value of the book by showing the set-up of an event occurring later in the book. And the ending? I didn't think I'd ever see that. This is going to be BIG. You can believe the good reviews are spreading and more people will be looking for this issue as well as the next.

But this isn't all about Snyder's writing. The artists are on point again. Greg Capullo, Fco Plascencia and Jonathan Glapion turn out another good looking issue. Capullo's storytelling can stand on its own if necessary. Not only did this book get my vote for best read, it also got my cover of the week for the art team's very slick cover. Jock, who's certainly no stranger to the Bat-universe, joins co-writers Snyder and Tynion as artist for the back-up.

If you've been curious about Batman, this is definitely the time to jump on. This is also the beginning of a huge crossover spanning multiple books, Death of the Family. I'm pretty sure you'll want to be around for everything that transpires.

What did my fellow readers think of Batman #13? I have yet to come across any comments from anyone displeased with this issue. Any comments always welcome. Thanks for looking.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Comics, Posters, and Toys...Oh My!!

New Comic Book Day was a glorious one for me this week. As the title indicates, get ready for comics, posters, and toys. I'll kick it off with the comics.

I haven't been reading Scarlet Spider, but you better believe I'm picking it up for the Minimum Carnage storyline. Dark Horse Presents #13 is rather redundant because my reason for ordering it was to read the section on Ghost. What I didn't know was it would all be collected in Ghost #0. Which I read last week. But since I have it, I'll of course read the rest of it. I was planning on ordering Saga TPB Vol. 1, but my shop was already on top of that, so I grabbed one.

And the best part? I'm all caught up on comics, so I can actually read these and discuss them in a timely manner. As you can see, I have some good reading ahead of me.

I am a fan of decorating walls with comic posters. If you could see my place, you'd probably fall in love with it. When I walked into my shop yesterday, I noticed they'd put up new posters. The owner pulled some out for me and the X-Men and Carnage posters jumped out to me. Let's just say my love for the X-Men and Carnage has been well documented.

Now on to some toys. You know how I love some action figures, especially Marvel Universe. For those of you who don't know, Hasbro's Marvel Universe toyline consists of G.I. Joe sized (roughly 3.75 inch) representations of Marvel Comics characters. Most of the figures below are from wave 18 (part of series 4). I missed this wave at retail but did fine wave 19, which you can see here. I am a bit of a MOC collector. I limit it to characters I really like, who also look good carded. So Beta Ray Bill got a twin.

All but Magneto came from Hasbro Toy Shop, while he came from Walmart. When I was placing my order, I was $0.05 short of free shipping. The difference between shipping cost and another figure was minimal, so I figured if I'm going to pay that, I'd rather take another toy. I went with Ghost Rider because I wanted to see how I could make him look in black. I grabbed Magneto so I could paint him in his true colors. GR and Mags are from earlier waves, 10 (series 2) and 16 (series 3), respectively. I'll post updates when I'm done with them.

I've been looking forward to Beta Ray Bill since he was announced and I'm not disappointed. His jaw even hinges which is a great touch on a smaller sized figure. Toy Biz had the same feature on their Marvel Legends version. His shoulder pads are attached to his cape. It's a serious issue, just a design aspect to note. If you look at Beast in package, you might be able to see his right leg is warped. In this picture, you can see him leaning a bit. It's easily remedied and as of this posting, he has been fixed. Easy peezy.

I'm digging the new Hulk sculpt. Here's a comparison with the Secret Wars comic pack Hulk. The first one is bulkier and the articulation suffers for it. I like the new paint job too. So my vote goes to the wave 18 Hulk.

So that's my amazing haul for the week. Did you have a great haul you wanna share? Are you reading any of the same comics? What do you think of my decorative material? Are you a toy collector? Let the world know. Thanks for looking.

Cover of the Week

Hey comic readers, New Comic Book Day has come and gone but the fun doesn't have to end there. And fun it was. I got some great stuff, which you'll see shortly. On to the matter at hand. That is Greg Capullo and FCO Plascencia's slick die-cut cover for Batman #13. Check it out.


Once you flipped Joker's stretched out skin, it reveals Batman's always cheery mug. It's just a good looking cover that brings back images of many 90's comics. I remember seeing complaints about Capullo's work at the start of this series. I didn't understand it because I liked what he was doing issue after issue. This cover only adds to what he's brought visually to the number one Bat-book since the New 52 began.

Lots of readers have been curious about what the Joker has been up to since his earlier appearance. I can't wait to read it. The response from the twitterverse has been nothing but positive. That's pretty much expected because this is definitely one of the better DCnU books.

What do you think of Capullo and Plascencia's piece? Let the world know. Thanks for looking.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Cover of the Week

Welcome fellow comic readers. This week (ahem, last week), sees the addition of a new name to this illustrious group. Let's give an e-applause to James O'Barr for his work on the cover of Crow #4. The retailer incentive cover too, ooh.

Photo courtesy of mycomicshop.com

I'm not sure I've ever heard of James O'Barr, but I like what he's done here. The reason I chose this cover is simply because it reminds me of Brandon Lee. It really looks just like him. I was quite the fan of Brandon Lee and thought he would've gone on to do so much. But beyond just the resemblance, I like the look on his face. There's a subtle smirk there. Bloody arms? Nothing wrong with that all. And I can't forget the cat facing the wall. I like cats.

What do you think? Are you a fan of the Crow? Let us know. Thanks for looking.