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Review – Aaron and Ahmed: A Love Story

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Brett

Vertigo has taken up the reigns of a major publisher putting out some pretty ballsy pieces of work lately. Aaron and Ahmed is a complicated piece of work and though it’s been over a week since I finished reading it, I’m still struggling to fully grasp it. The title of the graphic novel calls it “A Love Story” and boy is it a messed up one, full of abuse (mostly in the psychological sense). “What causes terrorism?” the graphic novel asks, but much the answer to the question, the graphic novel is deep and opens up more questions.

The tale is a metaphor of love following a member of the army who has a twisted relationship with a member of Al Qaeda in Guantanamo. While at first glimpse the story focuses on the question of what makes a suicide bomber commit that act, the bigger question is why do we do anything we do? Most importantly why do we fall in love?

Written by Jay Cantor with art by James Romberger, I struggle with the story. On the surface it creates a cop-out answer as to why people murder in the name of God and terror, but deeper down it very well may nail why we act on love and feelings. They rather risque surface story is a cover and has so many depths much like the subject matter itself.

The tail touches on 9/11, the war on terror, terrorism, torture and love. It’s an in depth and complicated tail and one weeks after reading I’m still thinking about and wishing I had someone to discuss it with.

Review – Wildcats Version 3.0 Year Two

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Brett

I never really got the original Wildcats series, I remember it being kinetic and all over the place, but the art and characters were pretty cool. With that being said, I was skeptical when I received Wildcats Version 3.0 Year One in the mail a few months ago. I was blown away. Here was a brilliant mix of the traditional action comic book, but also a mix of political and corporate intrigue.

The second trade paperback of the series, Wildcats version 3.0 Year Two, picks up where the first left off. However, it dives a lot more into the Wildcats lore with a pretty hefty side story featuring the Coda. It’s an ok side story, but the main focus is the political and corporate storyline. Jack Marlowe continues to build the Halo corporation. They have now moved into the automotive and entertainment sectors.

What’s fascinating is the political aspect of the book. What would happen if someone presented the ultimate solution to energy that occurs in this book? Corporate and oil interests would of course flex their political muscle. Washington would do everything they could to shut it down. As rightfully pointed out in this comic series, an unlimited source of energy that’s able to power everything would fundamentally change the world and nations would rise and fall.

But, there’s a subtler theme about corporate altruism. Can any corporation really be out for the greater good? Is it possible with so many people they need to support? Or the investors or stock holders that need to be kept happy? It’s an interesting question and one I’m hoping the next volume looks at even more.

These first two volumes have it all, they’re both an absolute buy.

Around the Tubes

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Brett

The news kicked up a bit this Sunday, but it was still a pretty quiet weekend. Hope everyone had a great Easter.

Around the Blogs:

Los Angeles Times – ‘Spider-Man’ musical dissected by a classics scholar in the New York Review of Books – A much more interesting take on what went wrong with Julie Taymor’s vision for the Spider-Man musical.

The Mary Sue – The Accidental Viral Web Comic Hit (About Libraries. And Zombies.) – If you want to read comics but not drop $3 or $4, there’s some great webcomics out there.

Bleeding Cool – Rob Williams Signs Exclusive With Marvel – Another exclusive is announced.

Bleeding Cool – Captain America And Nick Fury Filming In Times Square… But Why? – I’m guessing it was to see the retooled Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark or maybe Cats, most likely to see the well reviewed Book of Mormon.

Bleeding Cool – Peter Milligan Confirms John Constantine Returning To DC Universe – Could be interesting.

Wizkids – On the Road…GenCon – To play in the tournament or not to play in the tournament, that is the question.

Kotaku – Sunday Comics – Every Sunday Kotaku brings some great web comics.

Con Coverage:

Comic Book Resources – WC11: Sunday Photo Parade

Comic Book Weekly Reviews – 4/20/11

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Brett

It’s a solid week of books as an average size of releases were found in my pull box. There’s some top notch titles and quite a few of my favorites.

Monthly Comics

Avengers #12 – The Avengers take on Parker Robbins and the issue with the Infinity Gauntlet is resolved. But now, what will happen with the gems? The ending had a twist I wasn’t expecting but I guess I should have seen coming.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Avengers: Academy #12 – While overall I think the battle with Korvac was pretty lackluster but the final two pages of this comic are very solid. The series isn’t quite as good as I hoped it would be, but we’ll see where it continues to go.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.25

Dark Horse Presents #1 – A thick 80 page comic book showcasing some of the best talent out there, Dark Horse Presents is back and absolutely fantastic. The various stories are fantastic with a nice variation of stories and art styles. There’s something here for everyone. This is an absolute buy that should be on everyone’s pull list.

Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10

DMZ #64 – The political games keep going in part four of Free States Rising. The ending of this issue is pretty shocking as Brian Wood’s brilliant series continues. This is one of the most politically relevant pieces of writing of the past decade.

Story: 10 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.5

Fables #104 – Are the Fable doomed and Mister Dark’s victory assured? The series has a quiet reflective moment before the big battle, but there’s a bit of family business to take care of before hand.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Generation X #8 – A new mutant alerts the team and they go off to awaken it (or whatever Hope does). The story and series as a whole is just ok, definitely the weakest of the “X” bunch.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Green Hornet #15 – A real good issue as the Hornet has doubts after getting Kato injured and killing a bad guy. It’s a great issue that shows off the quality of this entire series.

Story: 9 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9

Green Lantern #65 – The Green Lantern line of comics needed a kick in the ass with too much build up and some boring stories. But War of the Green Lanterns has been the nice charge I’ve been waiting for. The only issue I have is a too convenient plot point in this issue, but that last panel is awesome.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.5

Green Lantern Corps. #59 – The fourth installment of the War of the Green Lanterns hinted at some awesomesauce but this issue stumbles a bit and for some reason seems really short. It’s a lot of fighting, but overall ho-hum.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.75

Invincible Iron Man #503 – The Doc Ock story is rushed and ends and then there’s a lead in to Fear Itself. The issue is a bridge into that event, but it feels rushed and nothing really fleshed out, just moments and none are particularly good.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Iron Man 2.0 #4 – Who is Palmer Addley? You find out what’s in his real file in this issue and it’s a doozy. Nick Spencer shows off his amazing writing skills right here.

Story: 9.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.25

Thunderbolts #156 – One team is sent on a mission with their new mystical member while another is being put together. This issue is hit and miss, with the best parts being the new team being put together.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25

Uncanny X-Force #8 – A solid one-off issue that opens up a whole lot of shit down the road and clearly leads to some of the teasers we’ve seen for the future of this team. Easily the best “X” book on the market.

Story: 9 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9

Wolverine #8 – Logan fighting for his soul = a horrible storyline. Thank go it’s over, but then again, I got one false ending already. Can we please move on from this bad storyline?

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 6.5

X-Factor #218 – For as good as last issue was, something was off about this one. Will Guido live or die? Find out here cause it’s interesting. Overall the story is missing something and the art is definitely off. What’s up with everyone’s breasts busting out of their costumes?

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Zombies vs. Robots: Undercity #1 – Yup, it’s more robots and zombies and it’s awesome. The world is ending the President has ordered the underground city to be opened and humanities hope to be shuffled in. It’s awesome.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Around the Tubes

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Brett

It’s a pretty quiet weekend so far, but here’s some of the news and a few reviews for you.

Around the Blogs:

Bleeding Cool – Greg Capullo To Draw Batman For DC Comics – His style seems like it’d be a good match for the character.

The Mary Sue – Comic Books Are Coming to Barnes & Noble – They tend to have an ok graphic novel section, so we’ll see how the monthly issues are treated.

Spinoff Online – Is Marvel Studios Expanding Too Fast? – I’ve been thinking about and wondering the same thing. Three movies in one year seems like a lot and 2012 has at least two.

Con Coverage:

The Beat – Stumptown 2011: More promised pictures

Around the Tubes Reviews:

Seattle PI – Buffy Season Eight Volume Five: Predators And Prey

Now Read This – Showcase Presents Eclipso

Around the Tubes

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Brett

Some more reviews and other interesting articles. Check out below what you might have missed!

Around the Blogs:

The Beat – Avatar hires Kuhoric as VP-Publishing/Managing Editor – This site has become much friendlier with the company over the past week (thanks Twitter!) and it’s great to see any company hiring a talented person.

Kotaku – Raise Your Expectations For The Captain America Video Game – I’m not usually the biggest fan of video games based off of comic books, but here’s hoping this one’s decent.

Around the Tubes Reviews:

Now Read This – The Agents

Good Comic Books – Fear Itself: The Home Front #1

Graphic Novel News – The Finieous Treasury, Vol. I

Seattle PI – Jack and the Zombie Box

Around the Tubes

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Brett

It’s Friday which means the weekend is here and we’re one week closer to Free Comic Book Day! There wasn’t much as far as news, but there’s lots of reviews for today. Check out what you should be checking out this week according to other sites. Hope everyone has a fun, relaxing and great weekend!

Around the Tubes Reviews:

IGN – The Avengers #12

IGN – Avengers Academy #12

IGN – Batman #709

IGN – DC Universe Online: Legends #6

IGN – DMZ #64

IGN – Fables #104

IGN – Fear Itself: Sin’s Past #1

IGN – Green Lantern #65

IGN – Green Lantern Corps #59

IGN – Hack/Slash #3

IGN – Halo: Fall of Reach – Covenant #1

IGN – Hulk #32

IGN – Invincible #79

IGN – Invincible Iron Man #503

IGN – Iron Man 2.0 #4

IGN – Malignant Man #1

IGN – Mass Effect: Evolution #4

Boing Boing – Mister Wonderful

IGN – Sigil #2

IGN – Silver Surfer #3

IGN – Soldier Zero #7

IGN – The Spectacular Spider-Man #1000

IGN – Super Dinosaur #1

IGN – Supergirl #63

IGN – Teen Titans #94

IGN – Thunderbolts #156

IGN – Uncanny X-Force #8

IGN – Wolverine #8

IGN – X-Factor #218

IGN – Zatanna #12

IGN – Comic Book Reviews for 4/20/11

Explosive New Releases From Boom! Studios Available 4/20/11!

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Brett

Official Press Release

4/20/11 Releases!

MALIGNANT MAN #1 (A)
MALIGNANT MAN #1 (B)
Alan Gates, a cancer patient with a terminal diagnosis, is resigned to his fate…until he discovers that his tumor is actually a mysterious parasite! Granted a second lease on life and incredible, otherworldly powers, Alan must fight against an evil army buried beneath society’s skin, all the while unlocking the secrets of his forgotten past. Dark, twisted, and unlike anything else on the stands, MALIGNANT MAN is a sci-fi thriller that can’t be missed!

STAN LEE’S SOLDIER ZERO #7 (A)
STAN LEE’S SOLDIER ZERO #7 (B)
Stan Lee’s bestselling series marches on with Paul Cornell, Dan Abnett, and Andy Lanning leading the charge! Soldier Zero is wrongly labeled a menace to society and it’s up to Stewart to clear the name of his alter ego. But will it prove to be too much for him? Find out the answers, true believers, in this issue of Stan Lee’s SOLDIER ZERO!

28 DAYS LATER #22
Why would Selena enter the hell she escaped more than a year ago? We finally learn the reason Selena agreed to go back to London. But as she searches for closure and Clint is about to finish his story, they both realize their survival depends on one another! If you loved the 28 DAYS LATER movies, this is the comic book you should be reading!

DARKWING DUCK #11 (A)
DARKWING DUCK #11 (B)
“Revenge” is a dish best served cold, but “Double-Cross” turns out to be a dish best served…with duck? In this epic installment of the Disney Afternoon juggernaut, nothing is as it seems…or is it? Tune in and find out as Part 3 of Darkwing Duck’s “F.O.W.L. Disposition” charges on!

MICKEY MOUSE #307
The celebration of 70 years of Walt Disney’s Comics continues here with some of the greatest classic Mickey Mouse stories ever told! This month, experience master Disney artist Bill Wright’s “Jungle Magic,” an epic globetrotting adventure not printed in the U.S. since 1948! Also features the short “Trade Secret” from the inimitable Floyd Gottfredson that was last published in 1932!

DARKWING DUCK: CRISIS ON INFINITE DARKWINGS TPB
Don’t miss the blockbuster, much-heralded return of Darkwing Duck in this new volume collecting the new arc of the hit ongoing series! Darkwing Duck is back, and back, and back and back some more as the city of St. Canard is under siege by an army of twisted Darkwings under the control of the original deranged Darkwing double, Negaduck, and his new partner in crime, the wicked witch Magica de Spell! How will our hero dispense justice when he’s public enemy number-one?! The Duck Knight has returned so hop aboard for danger and deadly doppelgangers in the epic “Crisis on Infinite Darkwings!”

DC Digital Comics On Sale Now!

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Brett

Official Press Release

Featuring the week of April 20, 2011

Spotlight: Countdown to Infinite Crisis

Written by: Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Judd Winick; Pencils by: Ed Benes, Phil Jimenez, Rags Morales, Ivan Reis, Jesus Saiz; Inks by: Michael Bair, Ed Benes, Marc Campos, Andy Lanning, Jimmy Palmiotti; Cover by: Jim Lee and Alex Ross

Everything you knew about the DC Universe changes and it all begins right here with a prelude issue to the DCU mega-event INFINITE CRISIS! Superstar writers Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka and Judd Winick team with a bevy of artists for a story that alters the very face of the DC Universe for years to come!

Daytripper #1

Rann-Thanagar War #1

OMAC Project #1

Day of Vengeance #1

Villains United #1

Other DC Comics on sale this week:

100 Bullets #31
Batman & Robin #10
Birds of Prey #115
Black Cherry Bombshells #5
Brightest Day #15
Chase #4-5
Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1
Day of Vengeance #1
Daytripper #1-5
DC Universe Online Legends #6
DC: The New Frontier #5
Deus Ex #3
Ex Machina #40
Fables #55
Global Frequency #5
Gotham Central #11-13
Gotham City Sirens #5
Green Arrow #40
Hawkman #23
Hellblazer #51-52
Hitman #7-8
Imaginary Boys #3
Jack of Fables #5
JLA #67
JSA #56
Justice League of America #27
Legends of the DC Universe #16
Preacher #38-39
Rann-Thanagar War #1
Re-Evolution #2
Sandman #44
Scalped #14
Superman/Batman #59
Superman/Batman Annual #3
Swamp Thing #44
The Authority Vol 1 #28
The Flash #6
The OMAC Project #1
The Unwritten #6-9
Tomorrow Stories #7
Top10 #7
Transmetropolitan #36
Villains United #1
World of Warcraft #23
Y: The Last Man #38
Young Justice #2-3

Five Prominent Video Game Composers To Attend Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con, April 29-May 1

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Brett

Official Press Release

Five Prominent Video Game Composers To Attend Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con, April 29-May 1

Greg Edmonson, Sean Murray, Garry Schyman, Kevin Sherwood, Inon Zur To Meet Fans At Anaheim Comic Con

NEW YORK and ANAHEIM, Calif., April 19, 2011 – Music has been a huge part of video game production for years, and five composers who have created memorable themes and soundtracks for major releases such as “Bioshock,” “Dragon Age,” “Uncharted” and “Call of Duty: Black Ops” will be in attendance at next weekend’s Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con. Greg Edmonson, Sean Murray, Garry Schyman, Kevin Sherwood, and Inon Zur will meet fans, sign autographs throughout the weekend and share some of their experiences in a special panel at the event, set for April 29 – May 1 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The interactive panel and demonstration session with the five will take place on Sunday, May 1, at noon.

Greg Edmonson is perhaps best known for composing the soundtrack to the cult space western TV series “Firefly,” written and directed by Joss Whedon. He is also the composer for the PlayStation 3 blockbuster video game series “Uncharted,” winner of Best Original Music from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Sean Murray has provided the emotional and memorable dramatic musical scores for numerous international films as well as hit television series and blockbuster video games spanning diverse genres from the gothic horror of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and urban action of “True Crime: Streets Of L.A.” to the emotionally intense themes of “Call of Duty: World At War” and “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” the biggest entertainment series in history.

Garry Schyman has emerged as one of the medium’s foremost composers, creator of the music for the multiple award-winning video game “BioShock,” winner of Best Original Score from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, SPIKE TV’s Best Original Video Game Score Award, and G4 TV’s Soundtrack of the Year Award. That success led his being assigned by Electronic Arts to create the hellish, dramatic score for Visceral Games’ adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, “Dante’s Inferno.”

Kevin Sherwood is the composer, musician and sound designer for “Treyarch,” in which he displays his trademark heavy guitars. He wrote the Nazi Zombie songs “Lullaby for a Dead Man,” “The One,” “Beauty of Annihilation,” “115” and “Abracadavre.” Additionally, he wrote several of the “Dead Ops” chip tune songs and is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Inon Zur composes emotionally dynamic music for film, television, anime and video games. His credits include hundreds of episodes of “Escaflowne,” “Digimon” and “Power Rangers” as well as blockbuster videogame franchises such as ”Dragon Age,” “RIFT,” “TERA,” “Prince of Persia,” “EverQuest,” “Lineage,” “Crysis” and “Fallout,” for which he has received award nominations from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and SPIKE TV as well as top honors at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards.

Anaheim Comic Con will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop culture, movies, comics, toys, video gaming, television, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Among the celebrities scheduled to attend are Tricia Helfer, Alaina Huffman, Harry Hamlin, Michael McMillian, John Schneider, Adam West, Burt Ward and Chase Masterson.

Anaheim Comic Con is the fourth stop on Wizard World’s 2011 North American tour, which to date has 13 events scheduled. Hours are Friday, April 29, 5-9 p.m., Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.. Tickets are available in advance online at www.wizardworld.com/anaheim.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door. Advance adult single-day tickets are $25 ($35 on site); three-day weekend tickets are $45 ($55 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult). VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World is a producer of pop culture and multimedia conventions across North America that markets movies, TV shows, video games, technology, toys, social networking/gaming platforms, comic books and graphic novels. It has the rights to the names, marks, domains, customer lists and production rights for a portfolio of pop culture and multimedia conventions.

For the most recent event information please visit www.wizardworld.com and become an Anaheim Comic Con Fan on Facebook.

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