Well, check the Free Comic Book Day Webpage, where all the winners have been posted. Thanks again to everyone who registered! If you missed Free Comic Book Day, we're still giving away some of the leftovers. Just ask us and we'll hook you up.
Well, check the Free Comic Book Day Webpage, where all the winners have been posted. Thanks again to everyone who registered! If you missed Free Comic Book Day, we're still giving away some of the leftovers. Just ask us and we'll hook you up.
UPDATE 5/16/07: My bad, the demos are on Tuesday and Friday, not Tuesday and Saturday. I changed the text below, but to reiterate: Game Demos on Tuesday and Friday from 5:00 to 9:00 PM.
It's easy to learn to play games! Just stop by Fanboy Comics on Tuesday or Friday from 5:00 to 9:00 PM and find Atwood "The Rib" Boyd, our newly hired Game Counselor! He'll be available to teach you any game you want, or just to play games! That's right, we've got someone on staff whos job is to play games! As a fellow employee who has to spend hours photoshopping together obscure video game magazine references, I can confindently say that I'm not bitter at all. Oh, wait, I was mistaken, I'm incredibly bitter. That's not really a change from the status quo, though, since I am pretty much a barely contained fountain of rage.
The Rib will also be around to help people paint and build their armies, and he'll have a ton of free stuff to give away to people who show up for demos. You can also sign up in our game directory, a way for people to connect with gamers they don't even know yet!
It would seem that my favorite miniatures game is finally catching on in the area, and thankfully Fanboy Comics is going to be supporting it! Every Thursday Night from 6-10:30 PM we'll be hosting free play for Warmachine, and every new player who shows up this month gets two free movie tickets! That's radical, to steal a line from the year 1993! Warmachine is an awesome game with awesome models and awesome rules, so you should definitely play it. Heck, we can even help you learn to play the game. I've got some extra minis. It's a ton of fun.
Here are the scheduled board games for the next four weeks:
May 21st - Kill Doctor Lucky
May 28th - Lunch Money
June 4th - Killer Bunnies
June 11th - Settlers of Catan
FOREWARD: This is not a joke. According to our invoice, these books will be arriving with our shipment tomorrow. You might wonder why I'm saying this, but you'll see why when you see the titles shipping this week.
All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #5
Wow. I don't really know what to say. I mean, my brain never prepared itself for the eventuality that this book would actually come out. Sure, there were solicitations and announcements and such, but I never thought that there was any possibility whatsoever of this book being released. I mean, not only has it been probably about a year since the last issue came out, but the book wasn't even any good to begin with! Of course, it has been hilariously bad, almost like Frank Miller doing a parody of himself--which, if it is meant to be that, means it is brilliant--so it's worth picking up just for the hilarity of a clearly psychotic Batman, a smarmy obnoxious Robin, and pacing reminiscent of an Escher painting. Oh, and Jim Lee's art is really, really pretty.
Ultimates 2 #13
Normally, I'd have something sarcastic to say about how late this book was, (outside of the alt text) but since All-Star Batman and Robin came out this week, I can't even consider this book to be late. As it is I'm a little worried, but since Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #3 didn't come out this week I'm not worried. I think you need at least three ridiculously-delayed titles to ship on the same week for that Wednesday to count as a herald of the apocalypse. So thanks to Damon Lindelof for not actually doing any comic writing and thereby delaying the ascension of the antichrist for another month or so!
Fallen Son - The Death of Captain America: Captain America
Finally, we'll get to see how Captain America reacts to the most momentous event in the past year of comics--his own death. I guess this issue represents the "bargaining" stage of grief. Hopefully that means we'll get to see Captain America's ghost trying to bargain with God so he could come back to life.
Captain America: Come on, man, let me go back! Seriously!
God: SORRY, CAPTAIN AMERICA. THE RULES ARE THE RULES.
Captain America: Dude, I'll totally trade you this awesome shield!
God: OH REALLY THAT THING IS AWESOME
Buddha: Remember, God, worldly possessions are the path to suffering.
God: YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT BUDDHA. SORRY STEVE.
Captain America: Oh, fiddlesticks. Damn you Buddha!
The Mighty Avengers #3
The Cat and the Mouse
A PLAY IN ONE ACT
Brian Michael Bendis: Frank, I got these pages you sent me. Most of them are just various naked images of Tigra.
Frank Cho: What can I say? I draw what I like. And I like catgirls.
Brian Michael Bendis: Yeah, but what am I supposed to do? These pages have no place in the comic!
Frank Cho: Well, I don't have enough time to draw whole new pages.
Brian Michael Bendis: Dammit. Fine. Can you just draw Hank Pym into the scenes? I'll write up some dialogue about it. Oh, and draw a bikini or something on Tigra.
Frank Cho: I don't know, my left hand is cramping. You might have to do it yourself.
Brian Michael Bendis: You draw with your right hand.
Frank Cho: I know what I said.
~FIN~
Comic books are awesome and, in my opinion, people don't read nearly enough of them. Just so you know, I don't work on commission, so that statement isn't clouded by my intense, intense avarice. Still, here are some suggestions of some less popular titles and stories for people who have been reading some of the massively popular titles. For example, the latest arc of New Avengers (pictured at left) has been probably the best since the book started--but do you know where some of these lesser-known characters involved started their careers? The answers may surprise you!
Jessica Jones, the former super-hero turned private investigator turned stay-at-home mom, got her start in the Alias series by Brian Michael Bendis, who, coincidentally enough, is writing the New Avengers right now. The Alias book is a gritty, fascinating street-level comic that was written back when Bendis was winning Eisners like they were in the crane game at Wal-Mart. It's an awesome, interesting look at the Marvel Universe with some fascinating storylines and excellent characterization. Also, it's published under the MAX imprint, and it takes full advantage of the freedom to curse that provides. A lot.
Luke Cage has been around for decades, starting his career as Power Man, but Brian Azzarello's Cage miniseries really sunk its teeth into the characters blaxploitation roots and showed him off as a bad motha-SHUT YO MOUTH! Like Alias, Cage is filled with dirty language and adult situations, but it's a good read and if there's anything Azzarello can write, it's books about gangs and urban crime.
Spider-Woman has, like Luke Cage, been around for a while, but was largely irrelevant until Brian Michael Bendis decided he wanted to force her down our throats by making her part of the New Avengers. Well, in this Spider-Woman: Origin miniseries, Bendis fleshes out the past of this mysterious (code word for irrelevant) caracter, with art by the Luna Brothers who can only draw one woman, but fortunately she's pretty enough that nobody cares.
A lot of people who read New Avengers have probably been saying stuff along the lines of, "Who the heck is Ronin?" Then, it was revealed that Ronin was, in fact, Echo! Which lead to the question, "Who the heck is Echo?" The answer is in this Daredevil story, "Parts of a Hole," written and illustrated by Kabuki writer/artist David Mack. Mack followed Kevin Smith on Daredevil and preceded Brian Michael Bendis's Multiple-Eisner-Winning run that really made the character interesting again, so you'd think he'd have a hard time. However, this Daredevil story stacks up favorably to Bendis's run, and Kevin Smith's Daredevil story wasn't really all that great. Be sure to check this out to find out why Echo is actually a really cool character, and not just a largely unexplained loose thread that's been dangling in New Avengers for years.
White Dwarf, the magazine about all things Warhammer, is celebrating its 30th year of publication! To celebrate this, they're releasing a rare limited edition White Dwarf miniature, available for $25 on May 26 and 27 ONLY. Pre-Order one now to make sure you get one! There will also be one given away as the prize for winning the Free Warhammer Fantasy tournament we will be holding that weekend.
Also, we will be placing our monthly bits order with Games Workshop on Monday, so if there are any bits you want, you should order them by Monday! Now's the time to customize your wacky Blood Angels chaplain with a set of swooping hawk wings or whatever zany thing you want to do!
Check out information on the upcoming WE Fest XI at their official website! You can listen to bands and other music at WE Fest's myspace page!
Fanboy is also going to be working with WE Fest to spotlight independent and local comics, with more information coming soon! If you are a self-published comic creator or have a small press comic and would like to attend WE Fest, please contact Fanboy Comics at fanboycomics@bellsouth.net.
$3.95 per pack
Well, I don't know anything about Yu-Gi-Oh, and the only description I can find about this product is on a German website. I guess Yu-Gi-Oh players just need to know that the set exists. If you read German, I guess this information can help you, too!
Force of the Breaker ist eine Serie, die besonders auf die Wünsche der Spieler eingeht. Zudem führt sie eine neue Spielmechanik ein und enthält 20 Karten, die in Staffel 3 der Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Serie gezeigt werden.
$34.95
Take it away, faceless marketing stooge!
At last, dark elves get their due! Drow of the Underdark is a 224-page Dungeons & Dragons supplement that provides the definitive treatise on the drow, arguably the D&D game's most evocative evil race. Everything you want to know about drow and their subterranean homeland-as well as some things you didn't know-can be found in this tome. This supplement is intended for players who want to play drow characters and Dungeon Masters who want to run D&D adventures and campaigns featuring drow.
$24.95
Have you read Mouse Guard? If not, now's your opportunity to solve that problem with this slick hardcover collecting the smash indie hit of 2006. First printings of Mouse Guard #1 were valued at up to $100, which is pretty insane for a brand new book from a small press publisher. It's sharply written, vividly illustrated, and--most of all--it doesn't waste space. The Mouse Guard world is quickly defined, the characters are quickly recognizable, and the plot moves at a brisk pace with minimal work. Any comic writer who takes more than six issues to tell a story less complex than this one needs to read Mouse Guard to see how it should be done.
$7.99
This stunning poster is an accurate depiction of the image to the right, except larger! Just like many posters! Not really sure what else to add here, except that if you like that picture of the poster, you will probably like the poster, too. I suppose I could make up lies, like that it is radioactive or was bombarded with cosmic rays, but that's not really in my nature.
Oh, wait, no, I forget that I actually am a liar. My bad.
$19.99
If you like motorcyclists with flaming heads and leather jackets and magical chains or something, then have I got the action figure for you! This one, right here! Boy, that sure is great, and I don't even care at this point if everything I write from now on is filler text. Filler text, filler text, filler text. Ghost Rider Action Figure. HOO HAH!
Thanks for listening!
Also catch them at We Fest XI that same weekend! But who is Second Dan?
Rockin newcomers from down under, Second Dan launched with irreverent determination a year ago in New York City. These lads write songs that combine the pop sensibilities of Foo Fighters and Jane's Addiction with the passion and world-view of super group U2 and their fellow countrymen Midnight Oil.
It was only a while back that the band gained national visibility in Australia when heir debut EP "Running Out of Feelings," achieved award-winning airplay on Triple J's "Unearthed" - a known rocket boom for a number of Australian acts such as the Grates, Silverchair and Jet. "Running Out of Feelings," along with the follow up single, "Everything is Good" were both in heavy rotation for over two months with regular National Net 50 charting and received national airplay on several commercial stations such as Triple M, Austereo and NOVA.
The band has spent the past year plotting their next steps. They returned to the studio to record their first full-length album with Andy Baldwin (Cat Empire, Powderfinger, Waikiki) and have been building a passionate following around the tri-state area. The live stage is Second Dan's first home. They regularly play headlining shows at Mercury Lounge, Arlene's Grocery and Crash Mansion along with supporting gigs at Irving Plaza. The band has toured Australia on festival bills with the bands like The White Stripes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and The Vines.
Second Dan features Dan Rosen on vocals and guitars, Adam Lerner on lead guitar, Danny Reisbick on bass and Sonny Ratcliffe on drums. Their debut album, Bringing Down Goliath, will be released via Rola Pola Records/Organic Entertainment in late-summer 2007.
Sealed Boxes of World of Warcraft TCG have been greatly reduced in price!
Boxes of Heroes of Azeroth: $65.00!
Boxes of Through the Dark Portal: $82.00!
We've expanded our Free First Fridays, where we run free constructed tournaments and provide one booster as prize support for every participant, into Free Every Fridays which, while ruining the alliteration, means that we're having these tournaments every Friday! We'll also be adding more events to our schedule soon.
Quest 1: Getting Started
-Purchase a WoW TCG Starter Deck, or get a DEMO of the game.
REWARD: Earn an exclusive extended-art TCG card.
Quest 2: Prepare for Battle!
1st Objective - Claim your 1st victory--find and play your 1st opponent. Accept all challengers until you WIN your first game.
2nd Objective - Best multiple foes--try to win 2-out-of-3 games against a single opponent (this is called a MATCH).
REWARD: Loot the remains to fin another extended-art TCG card.
Quest 3: Own the Opposition.
1st Objective - Ask the
storeowner about joining a release celebration tournament for a chance
to win an exclusive Through the Dark Portal play mat.
2nd Objective - Ask the storeowner about World of Warcraft TCG: Battlegrounds--where the rewards are endless!
THESE ARE THE EXTENDED ART PROMOS:
Here are just a few of the many great items we have available on E-bay! We start new auctions every Monday at 6:00 PM that last through Saturday at 6:00 PM. Local customers can bid and pick up their purchase at the store to save on shipping! We also add new items to our E-bay Store every Wednesday and Thursday. We currently have over 1000 items, including pulps, vintage paperbacks, handbills, comics, and more!
This auction contains a vintage 3 book Lot of The Avenger Books, by Kenneth Robeson:
Overall, these 3 vintage books have very nice eye appeal and can complete any Avenger collection.
Lot of 4 Ellery Queen Magazine Records for the Blind
This auction contains a Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Lot of 4 Jan.-April 1983, 8 rmp, 9 inch record, flexible disc for the blind or handicapped. There are four discs reading Side 2, Side 4, and Side 6 and Side 8. There's also an additional disc in each of the Jan. and Feb. packages that don't say anything on them. They were recorded in 1982 for the Library of Congress. This unique item features stories from the Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. There are braille titles on the record. Records are in perfect shape, no scratches or marks. Envelopes are nice shape with some lite creasing along edges. They are opened along the bottom edges. There's also an address stickers on front of covers and the words "A 1-83 (or whatever month it is)" written on front covers. These records are very rare, hard-to-find items and perfect for mystery fans and collectors. Also, perfect for record collectors.
If you produce a comic, or have some art you'd like to submit, or have written a review or anything else that you'd like to see in the newsletter, we're totally cool with that! Just email editor@fanboycomics.biz, and we'll put your submission in the newsletter if it's appropriate! Heck, you can even send in plain old comments about the newsletter, the store, or one of our events and we might publish them! We're really accommodating, it would seem.
We also buy things! Here's a rundown of the main stuff:
...Mystery Bags, that is! These hand-crafted packages are created with all the love and care my mother used to pack my lunches with. Fortunately, that's an appropriately vague statement that could be interpreted in any number of ways, depending on exactly how unhealthy my relationship with my mother was! Freudian overtones aside, these Mystery Bags are $5.00 and contain 20 comics! You can barely get TWO comics for five dollars these days, and here we are selling you 20 comics for that amount. That's ridiculous. We also try our hardest to make these bags as all-ages-friendly as possible, so kids can enjoy them too! We've restocked from the Free Comic Book Day blitz on these Mystery Bags, so be sure to get yours soon!
If you produce a comic, or have some art you'd like to submit, or have written a review or anything else that you'd like to see in the newsletter, we're totally cool with that! Just email editor@fanboycomics.biz, and we'll put your submission in the newsletter if it's appropriate! Heck, you can even send in plain old comments about the newsletter, the store, or one of our events and we might publish them! We're really accommodating, it would seem.
Let us know what you're looking for! We can special order most items, depending on their availability at our distributor. All that's required on your part is a 50% deposit, and your order will be placed on the next Tuesday and will arrive on either Thursday or Friday of that week, at which point we'll call you. It's a pretty easy system!
That's right, May is Manga month! That's because, as AMERICANS, we pronounce it MAY-nga, which makes the whole play on words work. What does this mean? Well, it means several things.
First, all manga backissues in our back issue boxes are reduced to $1.00!
Second, all manga trade paperbacks are 30% off!
Finally, Yu-Gi-Oh structure decks are 50% off!
All these specials exclude new releases, because that would just be kerrrazy, much like that maid up there with that spinning plate! They're only in effect on Tuesday, too! My bad about not mentioning that earlier!
Don't forget our regular Tuesday Specials, either!
Every Monday we'll be sending out a MySpace bulletin to all of our friends announcing what the specials will be the following Tuesday! Great!
There was a certain unconscious feeling after I saw Spider-man 2 a few years ago. I was with a group of people who weren't Spider-man fans, who probably never even picked up a comic before. But the entire theater was in the grip of Sam Raimi and his vision for the movie. Spider-man 2 felt perfect. In a lot of ways, it was perfect. And it was balanced, tuned to the point of obsessive. It could have been the movies theme, that of acceptance and responsibility. I think it was a creative stroke of genius, where the cast and crew handled the creation of the movie with skill and love.
That feeling I was talking about? The silent hush of "awwww"? That wasn't in the theater when I saw Spider-man 3. It was, maybe, for a second. But there was a point in the movie where it took a strange turn and I remember pointing my finger and thinking, "This is where the pendulum swings left." That's not to see Spider-man 3 isn't a good movie. It is. But it has problems that I can't believe someone didn't catch before it left the editing room.
The good stuff first. And if you haven't seen the movie, spoilers are ahead by the ton. Spider-man 3 handles the darkness and the pain of the Black Suit perfectly. The movie starts off at a high point, with the world loving Spider-man, with Mary Jane on Broadway, and nothing but love on the horizon. But everything goes sour. Harry Osborn plots his revenge on Peter, because he believes Peter killed his father. Mary Jane loses her singing gig and when she tries to go to Peter for support, he's too caught up in himself to be there for her. James Franco is a wonderful villain. I was impressed and glad he pulled it off. I love that Gwen Stacy is in the movie. Bryce Dallas Howard handled her perfectly. She's beautiful, and interested in Peter and Spider-man. But she respects Mary Jane and the situation she's in. In the comic Gwen and Mary were friends, and I wish they would have been in the movie. I couldn't help but daydream about how Gwen Stacy could have been used to help the plot more in the movie. I'll admit it. I have a crush on her.
And Spider-man 3 has action. Lots of it and I loved every second of it. My biggest complaint of the first two movies were that there wasn't enough Spider-man action. The first two had four major action scenes each Three had five, and they were long and intricate. If you go see a Spider-man movie, you want to see him swinging and sticking to walls and jumping around. I understand that the Spider-man franchise is character based, focusing on Peter Parker and Mary Jane's relationship. But Spider-man 3 was the most action packed out of all of the previous films, hands down. The New Goblin and Venom were handled brilliantly. And Spidey couldn't look better in the black suit, even though we don't get enough of him in it.
Notice that I haven't said anything about Sandman. Well, there's a reason for that. There is absolutely no reason why Sandman needed to be in this movie. None, what so ever. The Sandman parts of the movie complicated an otherwise simple storyline, and that's why the movie seems too packed, too full, and dealing with too much. Watching the final action scene made me feel like I was on acid. I was trying to catch my breath at the end, and not because it was exciting. But because it was just too much. I'm not saying that the Sandman wasn't handled correctly. The scene were Flint Marco forms from the sand for the first time is quite possibility one of the coolest special effects scenes I've ever seen. It's impossible to watch it without being stunned by its perfection. But, it didn't fit in this movie. There's not enough room. Spider-man 3 has enough room for either Venom or Sandman. Not both. One of the classic rules of comic book movies: One villain. I don't want to talk about what happens when you break the rule. Spider-man 3 has three villains. Sandman,Venom, and Peter's inner demons. Harry wasn't really a bad guy. He was more of a supporting character. If Sandman wasn't in the movie, more screen time could have been given to the Black Suit and Venom. We never see Eddie Brock "train" or get use to his new powers. We don't see Venom as anything more than a monster, which is two dimensional. And the New Goblin could have made Peter's life far more complicated. It would have made Harry's redemption that much more realistic. And even though Thomas Haden Church is a great actor, and looks the part, he was never sure who Sandman was, and neither were we.
Still, the movie works in all the good ways. No one can play Peter Parker like Tobey Maguire. Mary Jane is Kristen Dunst. These actors have turned those characters into icons. Just like Michael Keaton is the one, true Batman, Tobey Maguire has perfected Peter Parker to the point that no one else can do him justice. And people can complain all they want about the Jazz bar scene or the "James Brown" walk scenes. They were funny and fun and ridiculous. Why can't a director have a good time on the screen? And why can't we just enjoy it? Spider-man 3 isn't the movie that Spider-man 2 was. But Spider-man 2 is damn close to perfect. Spider-man 3 is just good. And like most movies made by brilliant directors, Sam Raimi's latest endeavor probably won't be fully appreciated for years to come.
Writer: Marjane Satrapi
Artist: Marjane Satrapi
Publisher: Pantheon Books
Price: $12.95
Earlier this spring, Wilmingtonians with passable reading skills and a vested interest in the written word selected the next tome to be studied and scrutinized during the county library's "One Book, One Community" program. The goal here is to get the entire town together to read the same book this fall, and then get them to discuss the read with groupthink. In the past two yearly incarnations of the program, Port City readers sprung for strictly prose-driven pieces. This year they've gone for a comic, graphic novel, graphic memoir-whatever you want to call it. Just don't call Persepolis common.
Marjane Satrapi's illustrated memoir of a childhood in the post-Islamic Revolution Iran navigates the space between the emotionally draining territory of Art Spiegelman's Maus and Lynda Barry's awkward journey through adolescence in One Hundred Demons and Cruddy. Satrapi's memoir is engaging right from the start, offering a loss of innocence and confusing maturity as witnessed through the eyes of a child, but delivered with the clarity and hindsight of a smartly reflective narrator. Although she navigates both the younger and adult selves, one never betrays the other; despite youthful helplessness, Satrapi, as the child, intellectualizes her confusing world and political upheaval with surprising wit and precision.
The book opens with an word-only introduction by Satrapi, one that mostly sets the historical moment into play for the reader. The author spends just as much time exacting the events of the time as she does showing how she and her revolutionary, Marxist parents deal with the fundamentalist upheaval of the Shah and his government. The history never feels forced, and the author never wallows in even an ounce of "woe-is-me." The Islamic fundamentalist regime that controls Iran through the 1980s is shown as a cookie-cutter parade of soldiers and goons (much as the Nazis in Maus) who systematically work to subdue the outspoken elements in the country. Throughout each segment of the story, all of which are limited-page affairs, chronologically arranged and narrowly focused, Satrapi expands the lens to show how she and her friends and family react to the frightening national developments and increasing claustrophobia of daily life. There's no way the reader doesn't feel the tightening as well. Despite Satrapi's light pen, the fear and emotion always resonates.
The artwork is as startling an achievement as the narration and dialogue. Satrapi's panels are organized simply and her character designs are deceptively uncomplicated, as if a child illustrated the script. The style keeps the story moving quickly, and there are several visually-arresting moments that just sing loudly. Families rush down to basements in silhouette to survive Iraqi bombings during the Iran-Iraq war; ghosts of rabble-rousers escape from a burning moving theatre after being locked inside during a purposefully set fire; a family narrowly escapes the country by hiding among a herd of sheep. There are scenes of torture, emotional terror and intense heartache; it's a child's world, but this isn't a child's story. I'm thankful to Satrapi for drawing herself as narrator so clearly so that childish humor often sneaks through the narrow cracks. She's an assertive young girl, smart and feisty, the product of parents who educated her in independent thought and self-motivation. No way could this girl be controlled by extremists. Her tiny, personal and interior revolution is something to behold.
Persepolis is in several ways the perfect selection for a community reading project. For one, the story is culturally relevant and enlightens readers to the confusing and convoluted history of a major world player. But it's also an emotional story, one that will resonate for readers both young and old. Another great effect of this great story: readers will surely seek out Persepolis 2 and other fantastic stories of adolescence told through graphic form (see: Blankets and Chosen). Not everyone is Wilmington is a dummy, but the still found a book with pictures.
RATING: 5/5
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Sean Phillips
Colorist: June Chung
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
This was inevitable; Marvel's successful 2006 mini Marvel Zombies wasn't going to fade away into comic obscurity without a series of follow-ups. Earlier this year, we got the unexpected (and unexpectedly enjoyable and hilarious) good time that was the Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness five-issue series. There's more to come later this year, but first there's this: a prequel one-shot to last year's hero-horror laugher, one where the horror is amped up, the humor is played down, and the overall effect is one that ultimately succeeds but can't help being a bit of a letdown.
The book opens with a bang; a freshly-bit Spider-Man zooms through the city to find MJ and Aunt May, only to quickly turn, chew them up, and have his next moves dictated by the "hunger"-that being the undying (sorry...) need to munch the flesh of mutant, hero or otherwise. As he did in the original series, Kirkman blows this story wide open with a cast of thousands, literally. Well, maybe not literally, but hundreds, for sure! Every Marvel hero you'd ask for (and subsequently resent asking for-talking to you, Sleepwalker!) makes an appearance. Zombie Luke Cage faces off with uninfected Iron Fist. Doctor Doom refuses to help Nick Fury fight off the zombie hordes. Spider-Man's entire rogue's gallery appears in a single panel taking on the team-up of Magneto and Wolverine. Yeah, it's a Marvel readers wet dream, for sure, and that's more than enough to make this book a must read. But it's also interesting to see Kirkman's hero zombies take a much darker turn.
Turns out the whole infection was Magneto's fault. Although we don't ever find out (yes...there's still more to come this year) exactly what was the cause of the outbreak, Magneto's missteps caused the madness. He wanted to even the fight between humans and mutants by thinning out the non-gifted masses, but things, as they tend to do, have gotten out of hand. Zombie carnage and fantastic Sean Phillips splash pages ensue. Add to this further intrigue: Nick Fury, who's organized the uninfected heroes into a last-ditch showdown, enlists Tony Stark to built a teleportation device to get survivors into the N-Zone (used by zombie Reed Richards is the Ultimate Fantastic Four zombie arc that starting this whole thing), and (SPOLIER ALERT) Richards later infects his fantastic brood in order to force what he perceives as the next step in human evolution. It's a terrifying character move, one that Kirkman delivers straight-faced, without a hind of cheeky winking. This story is pure evil. Sort of fun, but more demonic and violent.
While the story ultimately succeeds with its twists and turns, the humor is definitely missed, especially considering the effectiveness of the Army of Darkness crossover. Sean Phillip's artwork is as incredible as it was in his last Marvel Zombies outing, but the pencil work here seems sillier in parts (eyeballs bulge too often) and perspectives are out of whack (Giant-Man carrying a too-tiny Black Panther). But those violent flesh-munchings and gorgeous splashes, as punctuated by June Chung's colors, are brilliant. You can't beat them for devilish delights.
It's pointless to complain about logic in a book like this. It's all about the good time. Don't think about it too much. Just enjoy the blood-soaked ride.
RATING: 3.5/5
Writer: Paul Dini
Penciler: Jesus Saiz
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colorist: Tom Chu
Publisher: DC
Price: $2.99
I think the biggest mistake someone can make regarding Countdown is to assume that it's going to be like 52. It's not. Sure, there are a few similarities between the two series, like the the weekly release schedule (we'll see about that) and the giant numbers on the cover. Other than that, you're looking at a completely different concept altogether. That being said, the only other similarity between the two books is their focus on relatively obscure characters, but you won't hear me complaining about that because I personally get a little sick of reading about the same ten characters in almost every book I read every every week. Judging from this first issue, important characters in countdown include Jason Todd (Robin II), Duela Dent (don't worry, if you don't know who she is, because she doesn't either), the Trickster (lame), the Pied Piper (interesting enough), and Darkseid (awesome).
Given the relatively slow pace of weekly comics, it's hard to give a plot synopsis of this issue, as it only serves as the starting mark for numerous story lines that will inevitably be built upon with each new issue, and will most likely intertwine throughout the series. As of issue #51, the only thing that makes any sense to me at this point, is that Darkseid is apparently manipulating many of the heroes for his own purposes. I'm willing to bet a fairly large sum of money that he's probably going to be involved with the “Great Disaster” that's supposedly coming. I could give a very boring synopsis of the other things that happen in this issue, but like I said, none of them make much sense at this point.
Other than that, there's not much else to say about this issue. Paul Dini does a good job with the writing and the dialogue, though anybody who's read his run on Detective Comics shouldn't be at all surprised about that. The art is excellent throughout the entire book. I especially appreciate the use of bold, dark colors. It gives every panel a dreary sense of impending disaster, which is a good thing if your entire series relies on a sense of impending disaster.
If you're even slightly invested in the continuity of the DCU, this book is a must read, because the events that transpire in Countdown will affect every other book in the DCU over the next year. If you're on the edge because you think it might be a good read, give it a few issues to see if it appeals to you. If you don't care about DC continuity, and just want another 52, you'll be sorely disappointed. Countdown is worth getting into, but you should do it for the right reasons. Ugh, I feel like I'm teaching a middle school sex-ed class. -What reviewer Tristan Hoagland doesn't know is that we actually sell his reviews to abstinence education programs, where they are used to reduce adolescent sex drive. Don't ask me how; I just know that the results are apparently shocking.
RATING: 4/5
Well, the new issue of Captain America has a variant cover where you can get your favorite artist to draw on a blank cover to create a unique cover for yourself! Well, speculators should be knocking down my door, because I've already made an awesome Fallen Son cover that is guaranteed to be incredibly valuable because of its sheer amazingness. Feast your eyes on this:
Avenger Paperback 1-3 Lot
