Mr. H, Author at Graphic Policy

Author Archives: Mr. H

Boston Comic Con 2015, Snyder, Lee, and a lot of Cosplay!

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Mr. H

“Welcome to the geekiest place on Earth”

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of stepping into the transformed halls of the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, MA as it became hallowed ground, Boston Comic Con. For three days this piece of property became a haven for geek and nerd alike as they celebrated like no others. I am proud to say that I was not above the fray and Sunday I joined in the festivities as well. Now I have been to a few Comic-Cons before but this one was something special.

I like many of the folks, went in with the intent of meeting the Man among Gods in comics, Stan Lee. That’s right, Stan Lee. You heard me correctly. To realize that I was going to be sharing the same air as the man who brought us Spider-Man, The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, X-Men, The Hulk and so much more, was a distinct honor. To say I was jacked was an understatement. However that was the main event, and there was oh so much more to go.

One foot in the door and it was apparent that I was nowhere near the vicinity of Kansas anymore. The “cosplayers” as they are referred to, not only took it up a notch but they kicked the damn thing off! These costumes were great! They absolutely had to take a lot of time and it’s very hard to not give credit to that fact. Kudos to them all. (Especially you Mr. Freeze, just plain cool)

Countless cosplayers weren’t the only ones who were turning heads this day. I had the great pleasure of sharing the Con with not only close family (you catch him on his own blog at Steven’s Sport Central) but also a very good long time friend Jon Costanza from Arlington, MA who would give both his arms and then some for his passion of comics. (Not to mention he has some of the coolest ink I’ve ever seen) Jon and I had the chance to meet one of the all time greatest and current scribe on DC Comics’ main Batman title: Scott Snyder.

I have been lucky enough to meet Mr. Snyder on two separate occasions at back to back Cons. He is an amazing person and a consummate professional. He not only signed anything you asked for (free of charge I might add) but he took the time to gab and photo-op with anyone who wanted it. Now for a raging fanboy like me, it’s a dream come true. Oh and did I mention I said to Mr. Snyder that making Jim Gordon as the current Batman is like having any one of us as Batman? His reply? “That’s exactly what I was going for.” This made my day. Two Cons in a row and he has been a complete joy to meet. I hope a lot of people in the business take notes. THAT is how you treat your fans. Mr. Snyder, once again you were fantastic, thank you for taking your time and appreciating mine as well. One last thing, I said to you that I never want you or Mr. Capullo (who is just as great in person like him but wasn’t scheduled to be there) to leave Batman. However if you leave to write Captain America when you do, that’s just awesome with me! (Glad you enjoyed the shield too, and thank you for signing my copy of Batman #1)

(So cool! Seriously the man is one of the greatest, if you don’t already follow him @Ssnyder1835)

Once I finished there and was able to get my bearings back, it was time to venture around the Con floor. There was everything: vendors, artists, memorabilia, paraphernalia, you name it, and it was there. I spent some time looking for some Ant-Man collectibles and to my surprise there was not much. I figured with the recent movie it would be booming. I guess he’s still small time. (Sorry for the pun Scott Lang, you’ll make it yet) I did however procure a very sweet Pym Technologies T-Shirt later in the day though. Something that was very popular this year which I did not foresee was a lot of Agent Carter merchandise. Must be something due to that Hailey Atwell who plays her. She seems like a nice lady. Many cosplayers took up the red hat charge, but unfortunately none of them wanted to be photogenic, so you will just have to take my word for it.

The lines were long and the day flew by and it was almost that time to venture up and meet “The Man” himself. So I hopped up a few flights of escalators and saw this sight:

One which was probably the best Boba Fett cosplay I’ve ever seen, and the other was to me the Joker of the day. (Joker was a nice guy btw, don’t tell Batman)

A couple of pics snapped and some handshakes exchanged, it was now time. I slung my shield over my shoulder, drew a deep breath and went into the main ballroom to be in the presence of greatness. To my surprise I was one of the first in line. I thought hmm this ought to be very quick. Alas I was wrong, it was almost two hours later before I would see him enter. Now mind you I was waiting with some very hospitable and wonderful people in line, whom I enjoyed conversation with. However the actual process of meeting Mr. Lee was torturous. So much misinformation was exchanged, and the people who guarded the line took themselves way too seriously that they were almost a caricature of their hired position. Nevertheless I was so close, nothing would deter me.

I was beginning to feel like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark as I inched closer to the table. This was my time and this was what the day was about. It should be noted that you will hear many different stories and opinions on meeting of him, but I will say my brief time with Stan Lee was what it needed to be. Would I have loved to have a private meeting where I could pick his brilliant brain about how he came up with the ideas that have revolutionized over a half century of Comic Books? Well, of course I would. This was not that day though. I had to be a realist. Stan Lee is not only the ICON in all of Comicdom, but he is 92 years old. The fact he still even does this is a testament to the man himself. So I gently held out my prized Captain America shield, he drew his pen and asked “Where would you like me to sign young man?” I was speechless, he used that voice of a caring grandfather and I humbly replied “Where ever you may like sir.” The black tip of the sharpie then pressed against the metal of my shield, and history was made. His name then joined a pantheon of who’s who in Marvel Comics history and my mission was complete. I shook his hand, let him know it was my honor and then it was done. It was a moment so brief, yet also completely memorable. Unlike the valued collectible I now held in my grateful hand, it was also priceless. I can say I met the man who shaped my love of this entertainment medium for all my life. I met Stan Lee.

I did the only thing I could, I placed the shield down and gazed upon it’s beauty. It was all over. Time to go back to the real world and real life. So I gathered my things and head down to the main lobby to make my way to the booths for the remainder of the Con. What I saw when I reached the bottom put a large smile across my face. Why what is this? It’s a family of cosplayers dressed as the cast of He-Man and Masters of the Universe.

This here is just proof that being a geek knows no age or bounds and I loved it!

The remainder of day was spent just perusing the booths and grabbing some comic books. It was all very draining. After all you have had a day where you broke metaphorical bread with Scott Snyder and spoke words to Stan Lee, what could possibly be left to surprise you?

How about a quick impromptu meet and greet with resident Arrow badass, Slade Wilson himself: Mr Manu Bennett?

He was on his way out but took the time for a quick exchange and some banter. Just a cool experience made even cooler. My cousin also friendly stated said he liked him for Season 1 but then he killed Moira. To which Mr. Bennett replied “Yes I did and it was glorious!” Ha. What a great quote. A perfect one to sum up the day too. Many people always say to be weary when meeting your heroes up close, well I’m happy to report that it wasn’t the case for me. In fact, other than the capes and bright costumes I don’t see much of a difference at all. Thank you each, Mr. Snyder, Mr. Bennett, and Mr. Stan Lee for making my Boston Comic Con experience a very Excelsior one!!

Till the next journey true readers…

Conventions

Review: Hellboy in Hell #7

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Mr. H

“How much worse can it get?”

Now I have been a big fan of Mike Mignola since the days he was doing covers for Batman in the late 1980’s, (most notably Batman: Death in the Family are extremely iconic) and I’ve seen a lot in comics but this was definitely something new.

Hellboy has always been a very cool character to me. He represents the superhero and supernatural in one kick ass package. I’ve enjoyed his adventures with the BPRD and read many of his stories. So when I heard about a series that was all about Hellboy in Hell, I was like brother sign me up! The concept of Hell is nothing new to comics. Spawn (By Image Comics) is all about an avenger from Hell, that tries to redeem himself for his family. Even Apokolips in DC Comics is supposed to be the embodiment of Hell that the Justice League battles, and Mephisto in Marvel Comics is self explanatory. With that being said, this was not what I expected.

The title character Hellboy has died and is guess where? Well yes and no, because the underworld in this case looks dangerously a lot like Old Victorian England. In fact it is England. Only it looks like it hasn’t been exposed to Technicolor yet. Red (As Hellboy is referred to often) is wasting away from a disease ravaging his already dead body. (what?) Not a lot goes on, other than two “doctors” befriend him and help navigate him through his ailment. Red is trying to figure out why he is even having this issue? (You and me both dude) They go into a very lengthy explanation about the Tree of Life and how him dying has left it weak. However he can restore it. Lots of symbolism was presented that isn’t lost on me but it just didn’t grab or interest me at all. Lots and lots of talk and really nothing else.

There was one point where Red drank an elixir that gave him back his old fiery complexion but left him still very gaunt and not imposing at all. He even struck a match and lit his trademark cigar, and that was..it. I mean nothing happened. There is a cliffhanger at the end but with the whole book pacing and uninteresting story, it did nothing for me.

Overall: Wow. I expected so much more from a creator that I truly like. I enjoy the character of Hellboy a lot but this wasn’t the outing. I hope they restore him to the land of the living with the rest of the BPRD soon because reading this book was torturous. Strike a match, clear the air and onto the next one please. Maybe Red, will get his Samaritan back or a surprise visit from Abe Sapien but I don’t know if I’ll be back. My apologies to you Mr. Mignola but this was just missing for me. At least I have your classics.

Story: Mike Mignola Art: Mike Mignola
Story: 3 Art: 7 Overall: 4 Recommendation: Pass

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #48

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Mr. H

“Rat on the run”

This month its high-octane right out the gate as our beloved “heroes in a half shell” are under siege in their subterranean lair. The Stockman Swarm is closing in hot and fast and it’s getting dire. Leonardo, being the fearless leader that he’s always been, orders his brother and father to leave the quarters immediately. Since the swarms primary target is Splinter, the main priority is protecting the comatose body of their fallen brother Donetello above all else.

Raphael and Splinter make it quick to get out of dodge with Leo, while Mikey remains behind to protect his brother. Mikey assumes the battle ready when a robot Donetello (Metalhead) tells him there is no way they can remain there despite the damage to his real body. Donnie.. er Metalhead wants to keep all communications encrypted so he utilizes codenames: Kirbyfan01 (a nod to the late great King of Comic Books, Jack Kirby) and Duz_Machines 84 (recalling the creation date of the Ninja Turtles themselves). This was just a cool little in joke to long time comic fans like myself that I enjoyed greatly.

Continuing on with the action, we see two members of the police transporting the incarcerated Hun. Detective Lewis explains to her partner there is a lot of concern as he is a particularly dangerous individual. She warns him they need to keep their eyes open. Having said that, at that very moment the transport becomes under attack! A small band of Meta Mutants free Hun from his human captors and form an uneasy alliance with him. This will spell bad luck for the Turtles for sure.

Meanwhile, The Shredder is planning his next move as he plans to double cross Baxter Stockman once he outlives his usefulness. (Who couldn’t see that one coming?) All the pieces are soon to be in place for the ultimate revenge and Shredder wants a front row seat to the ultimate destruction of Hamato Yoshi and his green offspring. He intends to finish it once and for all.

Things are looking more dire by the second for Splinter and the Turtles as they leap from the frying pan of their sewer lair to the fire of the harbor. They fight off a mega horde of mousers and flybots to no avail as they are controlled by Stockman’s neural link and there seems to be an almost endless supply of them.

The remainder of the issue is the Turtles making their harrowing escape from certain doom and preparing for what’s to come.

Overall: While I didn’t enjoy this issue quite as much as last month’s, it was still pretty good overall. I loved the banter between Mikey and Donnie as his “Robo Bro”. Also seeing the Shredder of old back in rare form was a great sight. I know things are building and it’s so palpable you can taste it, I just wish we got a bigger piece this time around. Plus that retro style cover below is just freaking rad!

Story: Kevin Eastman Art: Mateus Santolouco
Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Grayson #10

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Mr. H

“Bird without a net”

We open up where last issue left off, at the museum during the aftermath of the daring heist on the Duchess. Our hero Dick Grayson Super Secret Agent Spy (or Agent 37 to you cool kids) is currently making his exit stage left with a smile and witty quips in tow.

While making his escape he is talking to his Director (the lovely former Huntress: Helena Bertanelli) as she informs him that someone is killing fellow agents and making it look like he’s the one doing it. Naturally Dick knows this isn’t true so he sets off to clear his good name.

Meanwhile back at the scene of the crime, Agent 1 is clearing the cobwebs having just been knocked for a loop by his fellow cohort and is not happy. Before he can collect his thoughts he has a brawl with museum security (seriously?) and dispatches them very swiftly. He thinks to himself that Dick has had it easy under the tutillage of “some billionaire”. (We all know who that is, and it ain’t Donald Trump) Short story even shorter, he vows vengeance. He contacts Director Bertanelli and asks for permission to eliminate Dick, with extreme prejudice. She does not comply with his wish, and he accuses her being too “involved” with this agent. (Quick way to get your butt stuck on latrine duty, fella.) She tells Agent 1 that she will be handling Dick personally.

(You’ve got to love that splash page, this team really gets Dick Grayson!)

We then switch gears to a remote bistro, where Dick is enjoying a nice latte and he receives the company of the most unexpected guest: The man who “murdered” him (back in Forever Evil #6) Lex Luthor.

Lex rocks Mr. Grayson’s world by telling him that not only did he know he was still alive, but it’s his company’s technology that SPYRAL has been using on all his missions. He then tells Dick to hand over the Kryptonite that was procured from the neck of the Duchess. Dick laughs and refuses, saying he will not hand over such a dangerous substance to a Super Villain. Lex enlightens him that the world at large no longer considers him as such. He is now a card-carrying member of the Justice League of America! He also informs Dick that he knows Bruce’s secret and that Batman is gone.

Dick still refuses and after a few “Mr. Clean” jokes tries to leave when Luthor drops another bombshell. The hypnosis training that Dick received becoming Agent 37, is his to control. He makes a rather crude demonstration by making Dick attempt to grab the derriere of the barista walking by. Knowing that sexual lawsuits are bad mojo for Super Secret Agents he does the only sensible thing, and splashes hot coffee in Luthor’s face and jumps off the cliff!

Lex then states he killed him once, he can do it again. Dick hops in his ultra cool spy plane and has a quick duel with Lex’s attack drones and escapes. He realizes at this point that even though he hates it, there is some truth to what Lex said. At this point he attempts to reach out to Bruce one more time and fails. He sets course for Rome for answers.

Overall: The remainder of the issue is a conversation between Helena and Agent 1 and we leave off again on a cliffhanger that makes you want to come back next month. I am really digging this series and it feels like I’m watching a TV show in its sophomore season. I love the art, the story is strong and having the long-awaited confrontation between Dick and Lex was fantastic. As I read that scene I envisioned Michael Rosenbaum’s performance as Lex from Smallville TV show. (The best live action version of the character, until you prove me wrong Jesse) This issue was another great “episode” for me, but it went by far too quickly. I can’t wait to see where it all goes.

So while I prefer my beverages neither shaken nor stirred, I prefer my spy stories Grayson style straight up with a twist. Till next month folks, stay safe and don’t blow your cover.

Agent H… out.

Story: Tom King and Tim Seeley Art: Mikel Janin
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Superman/ Wonder Woman #19

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Mr. H

“A change has come.”

A statement that seems to be the norm in comic books these days. After all we have Robo-Bat Bunny Jim Gordon, a near powerless Man of Steel, and a Wonder Woman with pants! (gasp) Yes DC Comics has hit the reset button in a lot of ways, but still can’t miss the mixing popular (Soon to be movie) franchises allure. Here we get Superman and Wonder Woman in Smallville, squaring off against.. the Suicide Squad.

Most definitely an unusual sight for Amanda Waller’s cohorts, but it’s explained away pretty quick with the storyline bounty being placed on the last Son of Krypton’s now easily targeted head. Once you move past the cringe invoking dialogue of the first pages (“You could call us a Suicide Squad!”. Jeez Harl, the Joker would slap you with an oversized tuna for that one!) this one moves along rather quickly.

It’s your classic smash-em up brawl, cemetery showdown. You know how those go, smashed headstones, messed up grass, etc. The plot folks is paper-thin. (the good folks at Dunder Mifflin, couldn’t sell this) In a nutshell Waller wants Superman’s limits tested, Suicide Squad attacks Superman, Wonder Woman with Superman kicks SS ass. That is it. We find out that Superman is very vulnerable but we don’t know to what length, so it’s hard to gauge. We still have no explanation for it, which makes it all the more maddening. All in due time I suppose.

After a fairly quick fight, Superman and Wonder Woman make a hasty retreat to an underground hide out on Kent farmland to nurse Superman’s many wounds.

(Apparently his body is still somewhat bulletproof, although that’s a hell of a lot of bruising going on)

Wonder Woman takes this quiet time to say out loud what we all are thinking. What if this isn’t even the baseline and his powers sink even further? (Good thinking Diana, I just want an explanation) She explains to him while removing the shells one by one, that its humbling sight to see him like this. Clark agrees but he will not stop, it’s who he is. He also makes Diana promise that she won’t worry about him in the field and take precaution going forward. He tells her he loves her but he has something to do. Alone.

Overall: I wanted to like this issue much more. I really like the creative team, and I’m usually a big fan of Mahnke’s art. His Clark looks great in action and the dialogue scenes, but his Diana is very angular this issue and it just didn’t work. Hoping it’s a one time thing and this improves next issue. As a whole I’m enjoying the “Truth” crossover in the Superman titles, this was just a bad bump in the road. Still I’m optimistic going forward. It just wasn’t a good showing this month. Let the bullet wounds heal and back at it next time.

Story: Peter J. Tomasi Art: Doug Mahnke
Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Pass

Review: Red Sonja #1973

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Mr. H

“Tall tales and Swords”

Red Sonja: The She-Devil with a sword has been around since she was created in 1973. (Which I love how the number of this issue is an homage to that particular fact.) She’s been a brave warrior, a fierce lover and loyal comrade all through out her existence. Her stories are the stuff that “tall tales” are made of. Which is exactly why I loved this book. It’s a collection of tall tales of sorts, each showcasing different aspects to the She Devil’s personality so that you could get the impression that these would be the type of stories told by friends of hers or others whom merely came into contact with her on their daily travels. The stories are told well. Some of them have adventure and bloodshed while others have heart. Since this is anniversary issue done in anthology style we are not bogged down by long-standing continuity that might be found in other current comics on the shelves today. (Which works out great for me since I am a big fan of the character but admittedly have not been an avid follower of her exploits throughout the years)

Our first story opens with Sonja tracking a caravan through the trail that is transporting suspicious cargo. She views the caravan from afar before making her move. She decides to ambush the marauders, which ends up quite badly. For them. We get some great moments and dialogue here as she kicks the driver off of the moving wagon and says “One side fellow.. I need your wagon more than you do.” This indignation of course draws the ire of the leader of the pack. The warrior decides to attack her head on. While he holds his own at first it is shown that he cannot handle the fierce barbarian and she relieves him of his hands via her blade. My favorite moment of the story is when after she disarms (literally) their leader she tells them she won’t take it personally if they feel that they have not brought enough men to handle her in combat. She then gives this mischievous smile and the remaining warriors quickly retreat. Such a great scene.

In the second story we follow Sonja at a local watering dive, enjoying a brew while she is propositioned by a rather untimely beast. He makes his intentions to Sonja quite clear and which she declines and quietly walks off. Having been embarrassed the beast makes his way after the fire haired beauty to make her change her mind. (Sure that always works, sigh) Sonja being the smart cookie she is, realizes this is about to occur and she makes her way to the next bridge and stops. She readies her weapon for conflict and all of a sudden behind her a larger troll rises from beneath the bridge! (I know it’s a stereotype here, but it just works.) The troll says he’s the new troll of the bridge and thus sworn to eat any human that dares crosses it. Sonja says fair enough but there is a brute twice her size chasing her, perhaps he could wait for that meal. Sonja gleefully takes back a top her horse and sets off. She gets only a few yards up the way when she can hear the sound of the troll and her deranged suitor in battle. She then doubles back and just as the troll is going to enjoy a meal, he shrieks loudly as a sword pierces his eye and he falls backwards. Sonja then strikes him with her blade twice more to give a fair warning. The troll does not heed and she finishes him off swiftly. Upon the troll’s demise she tells her unwanted admirer, that there is “No need to thank me.” To which he tries yet another advance. (Jeez some guys don’t know that no means no) A quick shot to the barbarians “treasure chest” and he finds himself down on the ground mating with the road. This was pretty funny. It showed Sonja’s softer side by offering to save her adversary from a grim death, but then relighted her fiery spirit when she knocked him out. Two stories in and it’s just plain fun.

Our next tale finds Sonja deep in the mountains of winter, trying to keep warm when she spots a cabin. The cabin contains a couple and their ungrateful son. The couple take Sonja in no questions asked and they clothe her and feed her accordingly. Sonja takes notice this is the first time she’s felt safe and cared for since the slaughter of her own family. She chokes back tears thinking “Don’t let them see you cry here Sonja. Not now not ever.” Character moments like this go a long way into making Sonja likeable from her battle tested exterior, and enrich her great character. The son gets jealous and does not like the attention being bestowed upon the beautiful stranger, and in a fit of anger lashes out at both of his parents. Sonja upset that this young man can not see what he has in his family, wants him to realize the error of his ways. He then strikes his own mother, which makes Sonja furious and confronts him. He challenges her to a test of wills with his blade to an unarmed Sonja and she obliges. He makes his way to do battle in the front yard when he turns his back a moment and Sonja packs a snowball with a large rock. With his back turned, she hurls the rock at him and takes him off his feet. Sonja quickly disarms him and has the young man at her mercy. Since she views him as a creature devoid of honor, she marks him for death. Before she can strike the killing blow, the boy’s father intervenes with his bow aimed squarely at Sonja’s head. He and his wife thank her for bringing them small joy, but that is their blood and will handle it themselves. Sonja reluctantly agrees and honors their wish to leave this place. They tell her to keep the blade as it will suit better in her hands than in the clutches of their fool of a son. It is bittersweet as she takes her leave because she realizes that Ori their son, no matter how much of a mess up he is and how much he may prove to be in the future he will always have a place with family. She stows her blade and makes her way on the road not sure of what’s to follow but crystal clearly sure what she’s lost. Very poignant tale, indeed.

Overall: The rest of the issue is rounded out with a few more short tales. One depicting Sonja on trial for a murder (Written by Gail Simone! of Batgirl and Birds of Prey fame) the other with her being captive and forced to be the love slave for a disgusting wealthy patron, and last but not least in a short silent tale written by Cullen Bunn, with no words whatsoever and art by Jonathan Lau (Who must have studied Frank Frazetta, because each panel is gorgeous stuff) makes this quite the collection of talent in one place. So like any good birthday party you want to hit the major bullet points:

Honor the guest of day properly: check

Throw a good feast: check

Have some entertainment: check

Leave people talking with a story: check

I’m surprised it took me so long to come back to these pages, but now that I’ve crashed the party so to speak I will most definitely be a regular. Great story, good dialogue, fantastic art, what’s not to love? I only have one question. Who does Sonja’s dry cleaning? All the blood spilled she should look into that. Dynamite Entertainment blew me away here with their homage to in my opinion the best action/fantasy heroine of all time. Raise a tall glass to this one! Here! Here!

Story: Eric Trautmann, Roy Thomas, Luke Lieberman, Gail Simone, David Walker and Cullen Bunn Art: Ivan Rodriguez, Rich Buckler, Kewbar Baal, Bilquis Evely, Jonathan Lau
Story: 8 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Strong Buy

Dynamite Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

SDCC 2015: Conan recap 7/11/2015

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Mr. H

“The Final Conan Frontier: Davos’ Revenge”

It’s that time again folks, we’ve reached the end of our long week journey from the couch to Comic Con. Once again coming to us live from San Diego at the top of Geek Mountain, it’s Conan O’ Briennnnn!! Tonight we have a big show in store with the cast of the upcoming movie X-Men: Apocalypse (Hear that? It was the sound of the internet cracking.) He let’s us know that he is extremely sad that it’s his last night here at Comic Con, to which he says he want’s to go out “Jon Snow style” (Oh Conan just let the dead rest) He then goes on to tell us that his favorite superhero team of all time is “The Avengers”. He especially enjoys their iconic battle cry of “Avenger’s Assemble!” Conan then proposes what is sure to be the team’s ultimate challenge: Assembling some IKEA furniture.

Here we have the super trio of Black Widow, Captain America, and the Mighty Thor (not really) attempting their collective best to put together some furniture to no avail. (Just goes to show folks, just about everyone has trouble assembling this stuff) Conan and Andy watch as our heroes falter and even comment on Thor’s dropping the open bag and losing the screws. Personally I just laughed when “Captain America” was punching the box to get it open. Way to go Cap! We will check in with these folks later. On with the show..

Conan now takes a moment to get serious about an important problem that has been plaguing comic books for decades now: the depiction of women heroes with overly large breasts. (it’s a double difficult problem for sure. Hopefully they all have great health insurance to go with it.)

Conan though being the upstanding gentleman of virtue that he is, decides to level the playing field. He introduces us to Ant-Man with gigantic testicles!

(That’s right. Looks like our jaws, weren’t the only thing that decended. Look on the bright side Scott, at least they aren’t blue.) Red testicles aside, moving on..

Next Conan brings up a great point, as on last nights show he had 9 cast members from Game of Thrones as the guest stars. He explains to us that due to rigid time constraint (yeah, I wonder why.) he was not able to speak with all the cast members. He then informs us that Liam Cunningham who plays Davros is here again tonight. (What a good sport) He introduces Liam, and thanks him for appearing again and after apologizing to him he says he has an important question. He asks “Now that Melissandre has arrived in Winterfell, will Davros seek to avenge Stanis?”

The actor the professionally replies “Go f&*^ yourself.” to a dumfounded Conan and exits stage left. Good for you Liam don’t take no sh&^ from anyone!

(You’ve got to love that as he leaves he walks right by the giant Ant-Man balls almost adding an extra sense of “FU” to the moment. Kudos to the cameraman for capturing it.)

Quick commercial break and we get a short teaser for the new Fantastic Four movie. (I must say as a huge fan after how bad Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was, I am cautiously optimistic. As long as the studio gets Doom right this time, all will be fine with me.)

We’re back and Conan informs us that his week from Comic Con was such a success and the producers and cast have decided to return again next year! With that being said it’s time for the final PoP! Toys exclusive offer for the Conan’s Monster figurine. (I of course re entered for this and I’m hoping that fourth time’s the charm) These were too cool and I really hope PoP! does a different run of these for SDCC next year.

It’s no secret how Conan is a proud promoter of diversity and equal rights on the show as he tells us his latest new hire for the week: R5-D4 (Even Droids got to work y’know)

Conan tells us R5’s duties for the week in some funny cut scenes. They show him scrubbing toilets, massaging Andy’s feet, writing most of the jokes for the monologues (as long as you aren’t responsible for those dreadful alien saxophone and Weather bits from last night we’re cool. I’ve no quarrel with you my shiny little friend.) Then just as the little guy shows some pride a selfish droid from the other side of the galaxy rears his chromed plated head: R2-D2. R2 is shown flanked with a pretty lady on each side. He heckles R5 as he is much a more successful character. (Hmmm didn’t know Droids heckled) This prompts R5 to say goodbye to it all as he races to the window to go to that big tool box in the sky.

(Okay now you can get endless mem’s out of that. “That’s gold Conan!…Gold!”)

Time to check back in with the “Avengers” and see how they are doing combatting the dreaded furniture. We check and they still aren’t finished. Just goes to show with out Iron Man they really aren’t much.

We then are joined by a very special visitor from outside time and space, as Dr. Who himself Peter Capaldi arrives on set via a TARDIS! (Yeah, a freaking TARDIS!)

We get a quick little interview with the good Doctor. Conan even apologizes for making an entrance through a very poor special effect. (Just a fog machine and some rope pulling) Capaldi replies “That’s ok I come from BBC.” (Ha, brilliant!) Capaldi tells us that this is indeed his very first time at Comic Con and he was nervous at first, but that all subsided when he walked down the street of his hotel and he saw all the fans. He tells us that he even grew up a big Dr. Who fan and used to write letters to the show and he is now humbled he gets to play and contribute to the legendary role. Conan tells us that all the actors tend to put their own spin on the Doctor and Capaldi is know as the “Grumpy Doctor.” Capaldi retorts “Well hey he’s over two thousand years old.” Conan thanks him for coming and taking the time out of his very busy schedule. (read it with a Brit accent though, it’s cooler) That was a cool little surprise. I must say they have absolutely redeemed themselves from the show last night. The jokes, the pacing, even the commercials have really flowed well. Fantastic stuff.

Finally now, the moment we have all waited for: the arrival of everyone’s favorite on again off again mutant bromance James McAvoy (Charles Xavier) and Michael Fassbender (Magneto) arrive. Conan starts off with welcoming them and that the movie is very much anticipated next summer. (Absolutely I’m X-static for it) He asks them if there was any pressure when they took on these roles due to having to live up to the iconic performances of Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan. Michael says there was at first but then he read what the directors had planned for his version of Magneto and he just went with it. James says likewise and interjects that the war between the two is really a love story between two best friends. He states their ideology is what separates them but they can’t bring themselves to let one another go. Very well put. The actors then state that through their roles they have grown to become such good friends. Conan then shows a fan spoof video with tears and all set to the music of Coldplay. That was pretty funny.

Back from the final commercial break, we are joined by the rest of the cast of X-Men: Apocalypse– Olivia Munn (Betsy Braddock, Psylocke) Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy, Beast) Evan Peters (Quicksilver) and last Oscar Issac playing Apocalypse himself. Conan speaks to Olivia first and reveals that it has always been her dream to play a superhero (I used to watch Attack of the Show on G4 network, I can attest to it.) She tells us it’s amazing because Psylocke has always been a favorite character of hers and now she gets to act her out on screen. She goes over the fact that Psylocke is a telepath but also a fearless warrior who likes to get very physical with her enemies. Conan then shows us a classic image of the Psylocke character and asks if her costume will be close to that.

Olivia reassures us that the costume will be almost a literal interpretation which pleases the audience. James then jokes that there is a lot of lubrication involved in getting her into the costume. She says that’s right it takes two women to “lube” her up to get into the outfit which elicits a lot of laughter from the cast and the viewers. (Looking at the photo side by side there and knowing how dedicated a nerd that Ms. Munn is, I have no doubt she will do Betsy Braddock justice on the silver screen) Fun little fact, Olivia is actually the longtime girlfriend of Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Next we hear from Evan Peters who tells us how cool it was to film Quicksilvers big scene in X-Men: Days of Future Past. He jokes the crew and special effects people were great because he didn’t have to do any real work at all. Last we get a tidbit from Oscar Issac on what we can expect from the Apocalypse costume in the film. He says it’s massive and very noisy but true to the source material from the classic comics. (My inner fanboy just squealed hard) Conan tells us that we have run out of time and thanks them all for coming. That was just a great segment and made up for the Game of Thrones interview the night before. I doff my cap to you sir.

Overall: It’s been a week of ups and downs, thankfully many more ups. After the middle shows I was wondering how Conan would close it out. Watching this episode with Ms. B, she and I were definitely in agreement this one was great, had a good feel and pulled out all the stops. It’s bittersweet that we have to say goodbye but at least we know that Conan will return from Comic Con next year and I have a gut feeling it will only get bigger and better. Thank you good sir! Till next year!

Remember Conan like I and many others, The Watcher watches you…

Review: TMNT Color Classics Series 3 #7

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Mr. H

“What about honor?”

That seems to be the question throughout this month as we open up with Casey Jones (Sans hockey mask and stick) is humbly bagging groceries at the local super market. However his humility is so easily achieved as his boss Mr. Talbot is pushing his buttons by publicly humiliating him. Casey doesn’t take the bait at first but then he loses his cool and slugs his boss soundly. As he’s on his way out of the store he has a change of heart and walks back in and begs for his job back. Mr. Talbot having been embarrassed orders Casey to get down on his knees. Casey obliges but Talbot degrades him even further. At this moment Casey has enough and knocks out his now former boss. Though he is now jobless he leaves the premises but with his head held high.

At the same moment across town we follow Splinter who is lost in thought wandering back alleys and smoke stacks. He is on his own, separated from his four sons. In the midst of his roaming he spots a small colony of ordinary rats and reminisces. His train of thought quickly gets derailed due to a collapse in a loose foundation and he takes a long fall down a dark hole. When he comes to, he realizes his ankle is broken in two places and tries to power through by sheer will. He is soon overcome by pain and succumbs to the darkness.

Across town a familiar face, April O’ Neil is being harassed by a new colleague who seems to have less than good willed intentions on his mind. (though with the way April was illustrated in these early days one would seem to wonder why.) April is then picked up by a very close friend and her young son and they reminisce about the Connecticut Christmases of yesteryear. Determined to get a tree of their own they head out on the travelled road.

It’s at here we are introduced to the stars of our show and in a page that could have been drawn by Frank Miller himself, one of our heroes cloaked in what appears to be a burlap hood falls from the sky. A few moments later we are revealed that it is actually Michaelangelo. He was disguising himself on the way to the Turtles safe house inside a local water tower. When he arrives it is a most solemn sight indeed. The downtrodden heroes are holding sanctuary against weather and foe alike. Even their most faithful and optimistic of their family, Leonardo is having serious doubt about whether they make a difference in the world at all. The rest of his brothers are struggling with the fact that he may just be right.

At that very moment we then are looking down at these problems from over 30,000 feet. As we peer inside we are shown a woman passenger on an airplane plotting her next move. She is viewing important captured video footage and she discovers a most interesting fact. One of the Turtles in action. She stares intently with a wry smile across her face.

The rest of the issue contains a sweet holiday moment and a harbinger of things to come with our fearless foursome. Not much to do but ride out the calm before the storm and prepare for the war ahead.

Overall: This title was my first taste of comic rebellion in the 1980’s and amen was it ever sweet. It was my alternative to the big “Two” Marvel and DC Comics and it was a sight to behold. From the moment I first laid my eyes on the intense imagery of the black and white original comics of Mirage Studios I have been hooked. The Turtles were so different, such a kidish concept but yet not handled with kid gloves whatsoever. Years later now seeing these adventures in color is quite a sight. (Big ups to Adam Guzowski, the colorist) Honestly, I do maintain that still to this day the art was very rough in some places. Any scene that has April or a normal human being can appear to look juvenile. However the scenes and splash pages with any of the Turtles is something that could be displayed in the Smithsonian. It’s just breathtaking stuff. I remember this storyline well as kid, and years later with the increased color and touch up it doesn’t really increase it’s merit from the filler issue it is. I cannot wait for the remaining chapters of the “City at War” storyline. Even though I know how it turns out, it will be nice to see it through a different “color” lens.

Till the next we meet, it should be a Shell of a time!

Story: Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird Art: Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird and Jim Lawson
Story: 6 Art: 7 Overall: 6.5 Recommendation: Pass (this chapter)

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

SDCC 2015: Conan Recap: 7/10/2015

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Mr. H

“The Walk of Thrones”

Conan goes for the hat trick as he hosts his third live show from the nexus of the universe via Comic Con in San Diego, CA. Tonight’s episodes promise to be big as two HUGE blockbuster casts: The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones will be the special guests. I for one cannot wait. (As the kids would say these days, I can’t even.)

In the opening monologue he tells us what to expect while putting a zany spin on it of course. He pokes fun that the cast of Game of Thrones is here but they are all dead. He then says wahhh Jon Snow, prompting Andy to say “Never kill someone that’s hot.” (It’s all fun and games till a pack of fans dressed as wildlings attack.. No not really, but hey it could happen.) Conan tells us about the great panels that Comic Con hosts. The big one of course and one of the most anticipated in all the Nerd Nebula is the Star Wars panel. Conan like I, thinks ace director J.J. Abrams will do wonders with the franchise. (Go ahead and recount your billions George, I sense the Force is quite strong with this one.) In a funny yet sad point Conan points out what I’ve often wondered for years. He poses the question of “Why are there so many people at the My Little Pony panels, and why are the audiences mostly men?” To each his own I guess but its nice to see that I am not the only one who is plagued by this conundrum. Another unsolved mystery I suppose.

Next we switch gears to the topic of Game of Thrones, but more specifically it’s gargantuan author George R.R. Martin himself. Now It’s pretty well known fact that he is currently at work on the next installment of the fantasy novel powerhouse titled: The Winds of Winter, but Conan tells us that he has procured “illegal” footage of the author from his home as he rolls the tape..

Now I must say the sight of George on his estate playing with bubbles was just hilarious! The fun doesn’t stop there as we next see him sitting in a lounge chair controlling a remote toy car. We then find George in what appears to be deep thought and just when you think he might write something, he switches modes and heads to his game room to perform a solo on his bongos. Then later on in the footage he goes mysteriously missing until a sweep of the rooms in his house shows him running from his patio wearing a bathing suit and suspenders to jump on a giant inflatable turtle! (There’s more here but I can’t do it all justice. It’s just nice to see such a big celebrity have an even larger sense of whimsy.) This was all around great. Liking the show’s pacing tonight so far.

Then of course, my praise yields because we get a ridiculous throw away bit of a fake astronaut supposedly coming back from a mission to Jupiter after his crew has been killed by aliens. (Yawn) Wait! he’s here to play us some smooth tunes on his saxophone. (Double yawn) All of a sudden an alien breaks free from his chest, just like the movie Alien and decides to play a mini sax of it’s own. (Triple yawn and super face palm. That was just terrible and dragged on too long for mine and anyone with taste, tastes.)

We return back from commercial and get a offer for another special edition Conan PoP! toy. Tonight’s giveaway is Zombie Conan and viewers need to use the code: The Walking Red to win. Besides the Batman one from the previous episode this would be the most sought after one for me.)

Just when I thought he’d get the show back on track we get another bloated skit, with Andy showing us the weather in CA as well as almost every major fictional realm. The only part of this that was anywhere near entertaining was when he gave us the forcast for Westeros (The world of Game of Thrones) for the next 5,000 years. In short, Winter is Coming. Moving on..

Finally after way too commercials and skits we get to the meaning of the evening and we are joined by the cast of The Walking Dead Danai Gurira (Michonne) Steven Yuen (Glenn) and Darryl himself, Norman Reedus. Once the women are done losing their minds and the squealing subsides we actually get a pretty good interview. Conan asks them about what is the level of crazy they go through now that the cast of the show is so well known. Each of them shares a brief story. Up first is Norman who says that he was on a plane recently waiting for take off when he noticed that all of the passengers were video taping him. He states he was just trying to eat his sandwich and in a moment that makes you say “Say it ain’t so Darryl!” he gets up and takes his sandwich to the airplane urinal. (Not to worry Norman, the ladies still love you, even if you eat some meals on the hopper.) Next up Danai tells us that the fans of the show are unique in that they seem to know the cast’s flight locations at all times. She shares with us a small group of fans that follow her to multiple airports on a consistant basis. (I’m a dedicated fan of the “Dead” but that’s a bit much. TSA should really screen those people. Oh wait..) Finally Steven shares with us that his inner most darkest fear is ghosts. Not because they ghosts mind you, but because they don’t play fair. (Well they been dead along time Steven, what else do they have to do?)

We then get a cool onscreen statistic about the total number of “walker kills” for each of the cast’s characters.

(Behold the badassness)

Before the gang heads back to the walls of Alexandria, Conan asks them if they can share anything at all about the upcoming Season 6 in October. Norman tells us that there is sure to be conflict in this season. (Geesh no kidding Norman. Maybe even some Walking too?) Well those juicy spoilers are sure to whet our appetites until the Fall. Conan then thanks them all for coming and they head off. All in all, just a likable bunch of people and a good interview. October can’t arrive soon enough.

Quick commercial break and we are back with our main even of the evening, the cast of Game of Thrones! There are clearly too many of them and the set would need a limo couch to hold them all. Conan welcomes Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Carice Van Houten (Melisandre) Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth) John-Bradley West (Samwell Tarly) and Conleth Hill (Lord Varys) (Whew try saying that just one time fast!) Since there are so many chairs on the set Conan jokingly welcomes us to his version of “The View”. Each of the cast like the previous get to share a spicy tidbit with us. John-Bradley says fans despite all the amazing things they see on a “fantasy” show, can’t believe he’s still fat. (That had me speechless) Carice tells us she’s just happy she doesn’t have to be naked on the show all the time because it saves her from counting carbs. Maisie tells us she’s glad her character gets to actually shoot on location in a beautiful setting this season. Those were all entertaining comments but by far and away the best one of the night goes to Sophie. She tells us she’s had to grow up fast on the show and has been part of it since she was 13. Her parents asked her if they should have the “talk” with her. Her reply is epic. “Mom I’m on Game of Thrones! What could you teach me?” The cast also reveals that the writers play gags with fake scripts. As the interview starts to heat up, Conan informs us that we are out of time. What? Gee maybe because all the lame skits? If you’re going to book this, do it right. That was a rookie move.

Overall: This had such promise with both casts on board, but with the insane amount of commercials and long skits it really took something away here. Tomorrow we venture to the Final Conan Frontier and we are promised a surprise movie cast! If only we could do this one over properly..

Conventions

SDCC 2015: Conan Recap 7/9/15

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Mr. H

“Everyone needs an origin sometime.”

We open up the show in a galaxy very very near. Coming to you from on location in San Diego, from deep in the heart of Comic Con it’s … Conan O’ Brien!! Conan opens with very loud reaction from the crowd to which he jokes is that a cheer or vote from them to kill him in the next installment of The Hunger Games. (Ahh forshadowing the guests, clap clap)

The rest of the monologue is rounded out with a fun not so well known fact that Comic Con has actually been around in one form or another for the past 46 years. (That is some really wild stuff, I did not know that.) He peppers in a joke about people in costume during Comic Con such as waiting in line for coffee being flanked by Darth Vader and taking a pot shot at fellow fans of The Walking Dead, by saying some could be retitled as “The Dead Who Could Stand to Do a Little More Walking”. (Meh) The segment concludes with a weird creepy nod to Japanese Anime in which both Conan and Andy sport huge watery eyes and speak in girlish geisha voices. (ummmm. Take a look for yourself.)

(Thanks Andy for opening up some brand new nightmares)

Conan then attempts to get serious for a moment and regale us with the awe inspiring tale (picture this said in the best Stan Lee voice) of his Origin. This was actually the best part of the show as he cleverly cherry picks from all time favorite comic origins and puts his Conan spin on it.

First up is a poke at Green Lantern’s classic origin with Abin Sur crash landing in the site of Brookline, MA in 1972. However it is not a young Hal Jordan whom stumbles upon the ring, but rather a boyhood Conan who forsakes the most powerful weapon in the universe for the shiny allure of a single quarter. (Guess he just wasn’t a jewelry person then.)

Next stop is 1973 New York, in the recesses of a back alley where a mugger waits in the dark. He asks the couple and their son if they are the famous wealthy industrialists, Thomas and Martha Wayne. The man simple states “No we’re the O’Briens.” The young boy points the mugger in the direction of the next alley over. (Thanks Conan, you just gave us Batman!) As we pan out we can hear the famous two gun shots that would start the single greatest comic book legend EVER. I thought this was great.

Lastly we find ourselves transported to a remote desert in Nevada the year of 1992. On a secret base a Top Secret Government group is looking to detonate a bomb. Conan is carefree as he rides his bicycle down the path, unaware that any moment the horrible fate he’s about to confront. Poking fun at the Incredible Hulk of course, the bomb detonates and Conan wakes up in the hospital as the doctor explains he was exposed to large doses of “humor waves” and “chortle beams” in the blast. The doctor then informs Conan due to a side effect of the calamity, he is now 5,000 times funnier than Louis C.K. and Amy Schumer combined (Sure I’ll go for that) It’s at this point the skit is stopped dead in it’s tracks as Andy states to the audience that this is all b.s. and back in the day he was working on as a writer of The Simpsons and David Letterman was standing down and he just took the job. The end. Origin over. (Still better than the Ben Affleck Daredevil movie I say.)

Conan brings the audience back by saying he has an exclusive look at the new Batman vs. Superman movie which is highly anticipated next year. Let’s see..

Once I saw this all I could picture was Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor in Superman Returns saying “WROOOONNNGGG!” This was truly dreadful. Maybe it was because I was a little bit bitter and expected an actual trailer with new footage being shown (This is Comic Con after all) but the cast of Saturday Night Live on their worst day couldn’t conjure up this poop fest. It was a skit of Batman vs. Superman in small claims court. The only watchable part was when they called Bane to the witness stand and you couldn’t understand what he was saying at all. Otherwise this was a fail of epic proportions.

We take a quick break and we are back with the cast of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth (Or as I call him Thor Jr.) Conan asks them what is the craziest fan experience they’ve had so far and Josh points out a time where they were in Rome, they were behind four armed military guards and fans broke down a barrier. (Wow I hate to see what fans would do to the cast of new Fantastic Four movie then.) Josh accidentally dishes that there might be some future installments of the Hunger Games franchise and you can hear a pin drop on the internet. Conan also points out that there are rumblings of how Jennifer has quite the potty mouth and he pulls out a “Swearing is caring” jar that he will fill with one hundread dollars cash each time a swear shall fall out of her mouth. (Here I will take the time to point out that both my gf and I said watching this that Ms. Lawrence looked way too plastic. I have to say it was weird stuff.) Before they make their exit the cast assures us that the final movie will not disappoint. (Never heard that before) Bit of a long interview for my taste but I guess it gets the job done and the fanboys and gals can sigh dreamily for a moment.

Quick commercial break and we are brought our second Conan PoP! toy giveaway and tonight’s is Conan as Batman. (I am not ashamed to say that I entered twice. If a family member gets a mysterious package from PoP Vinyl he will be surprised. Even Ms. B entered.) Just very cool indeed. Crossing fingers…

(na na na na na na na na I want one!)

Finally to close out the show Conan re-introduces a concept that he came up with legendary Warner Bros. Animator (as well as a personal hero of mine) Bruce Timm. That’s right the guy who made Batman so cool in the 90’s and gave us in my opinion the best animated TV show of all time: Batman: the animated series. Timm and Conan cooked up an idea for a superhero and thus they gave birth to The Flaming C.

Flaming C’s adventures contain slapstick, action and literally toilet humor. His arch nemesis Anton Piss is trying to rule the world with technologically advanced toilets. Flaming C is able to light his left hand on fire while it is covered with an oven mitt. He can fly and has super strength. He is aided in his journeys by Intern Rachel who is a techno geek and drives a magical mini van. It’s obviously a wacky concept but it’s Conan and damn it all, it works.

Overall: While I found this episode not as enticing as the first salvo, Conan shows us his resolve runs deep. Hopefully the injection of casts of both The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones tomorrow night hit a home run. A couple bits and the long cast interview slowed it down. So while I can’t call it “Must see TV” it’s still worth a “see”. A Flaming C…

Till Tomorrow night True Believers!

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