Tag Archives: comic books

Review – The Rising


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This $1 issue teases what we can expect next year from The Rising.  The series is a mix of a bunch of different plots including the penal gang, a bit of Avatar and some War of the Worlds thrown in for good measure.

After years of war, economic chaos, and mankind, itself, teetering on the verge of thermonuclear extinction, an alien force invades the planet.  When a deadly virus is released, this militaristic empire massacres the world’s defense forces and most of the human population. The survivors are forced into slavery, helpless as they watch this new enemy plunder the remaining natural resources of Earth. Jarrett Jakes, chosen to fight and die as a gladiator, escapes from Zone R.X. 84 (formerly New York City) to lead a ragged band of guerrilla warriors in hopes of inspiring a downtrodden world to rise up against their alien oppressors.

The story written by E. Max Frye is interesting though really relies on the art by J.P. Targete as a lot of the pages have little to no words.

For $1 it’s kind of hard to go wrong with a comic book nowadays, it’s worth checking out for that alone.

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Review – After Dark #1


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Earth is destroyed and a group of mercenaries must head out into the scorched planet to retrieve a messiah who just might be humanities last hope.  After Dark #1 contains a plot and cast of characters that are very much been there and done that.

From celebrated director Antoine Fuqua (Brooklyn’s Finest, Training Day), acclaimed actor Wesley Snipes (Blade) and award-winning writer Peter Milligan (X-Statix, Skreemer) comes the post-apocalyptic saga of After Dark!

Guided by an amoral drifter, a crew of jaded mercenaries must travel into the dark places of the ruined planet, and the even darker places of their own pasts, on a journey to find a woman who might just save the world. But maybe the world is past saving. And maybe the people who still inhabit that world aren’t worth saving. After Dark is a story of hidden demons and the passion for survival, set in a future that could very well be ours.

If you take a pot of rehashed post-apocalyptic movies and stereotypical characters and threw them together, this is the comic book series you’d get.  It’s not that it’s bad in any way, to me, there’s just nothing that makes it stand out as a buy or a read.

Coming from Antoine Fuqua, Wesley Snipes and Peter Milligan I expected more.  And maybe the names created an unfair higher standard?  But to me the series screams as a three issue treatment for a future movie project.

Overall, pretty ho-hum.

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Review – Hotwire: Deep Cut #1


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An interesting series that focuses on a future where the dead wander aimlessly and police are charged with dispatching them.  Hotwire: Deep Cut #1 stands out not for the story, but instead, the use of colors is impressive.  The entire issue glows in neon with the use of almost fluorescent colors.

Detective Exorcist Alice Hotwire is back! After the events of Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead, the city’s only supernatural investigator is taking some much needed R&R. But when a Blue Light from her colored past appears in front of her door, it sparks a series of events that lead Hotwire and Mobey across the city attempting to stop the results of a secret government project from turning the city into another living nightmare. With backup from Coroner Love and Metro Police, can Hotwire and Mobey save the day one more time? Join groundbreaking creator/writer/illustrator Steve Pugh for a glimpse into Alice Hotwire’s past and peer through a gateway into her future.

Created by Steve Pugh and Warren Ellis, written and art by Pugh Hotwire is definitely an entertaining series.  I haven’t read the previous arc, but was quickly caught up and didn’t feel like I missed anything.  The characters are interesting and art and coloring definitely unique.  Overall, this is one of the other Radical Publishing comics for the week that I’d recommend checking out.

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Review – Driver for the Dead #1


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Driver for the Dead #1 is fantastic.  I’m just going to outright say, this is a must buy for the week.  Written by John Heffernan and art by Leonard Manco the story has two parts.  The first part focuses on a voodoo priest and the second half a driver for a funeral home who does a bit more than just move dead bodies around.

Alabaster Graves is a driver for the dead. As a veteran of funeral homes, mortuaries, and coroners’ offices across the Deep South, Graves chauffeurs hundreds of bodies to their final resting places. But now, Alabaster must cover the distance from Shreveport to New Orleans to retrieve the remains of Mose Freeman, renown voodoo priest, with Freeman’s sultry granddaughter riding shotgun. What he doesn’t know is that he’s being pursued by a resurrectionist named Fallow – a necromancer who gets his power from stealing body parts… and for whom the corpse of Mose Freeman would be the ultimate prize.

The story, art, setting all comes together to set the perfect mood.  This is great synergy on the comic page.  The story takes place in a post-Katrina Louisiana.  A lot is played off of the state’s history of supernatural and ties to voodoo and hoodoo.

The first part focusing on Freeman just sets the tone and builds that supernatural tension, and in the end sets the standard that anything can happen.  The quick transition to the main focus on Alabaster gives us a picture of who our hero is quickly.

I’m not the biggest fan of horror as a genre, but this is a series I can get behind and can’t wait for the next issue to come.  It’s just so solid and entertaining.  If you haven’t picked up a comic from Radical Publishing, this is a great series to start with.

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Review – Pilot Season: Stellar #1


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Pilot Season: Stellar COVA_stampedTop Cow‘s Pilot Season takes a bunch of concepts and produces one shots, allowing the public to vote as to witch they want see turned into a mini-series.  Stellar #1 is the latest from Robert Kirkman, Marc Silvestri and Bernard Chang.

Stellar is one of five genetically-enhanced super-humans created by the government of Earth. The process used on her has made her toxic to other humans and drove the other four volunteers insane.  Banished from Earth, Stellar now roams the cosmos trying to use her powers for good, haunted by the fact that she can never return home and all to aware that her fellow super-humans are out there, eager to strike at any moment.

There’s a lot I liked about the first issue and some I didn’t.  The concept of a super human who’s become toxic to other humans and attempts to use their power for good is a great concept.  The inability to touch another person and redemption are two ideas that could make a powerful series and of what we see of that, it works quite well.

The issue is, with one issue you need to put it all out there and towards the end we’re teased with the usual “action” trappings.  A fight is teased and what could be a great deconstruction of super heroes and the isolation they face due to their role is dragged down in those last few panels to the usual action and fight sequences.

There’s a lot of potential here though, and I’d be interested in seeing what direction Kirkman would take and what he could pull off in a mini-series.  The one shot as a series is very intriguing.

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Sarah Palin is a Zombie


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Rotten #7 from Moonstone by Mark Rahner, Robert Horton and Dan Dougherty out this week has one zombie who looks a bit like a certain Republican politician.  Judge for yourself below.

Rotten #7 Sarah Palin

The same issue also takes a dig at Teabaggers and Bill O’Reilly.  The O’Reilly lookalike rouses a mob of folks to protest against a visiting Charles Darwin.  The panel is also a bit insulting to the faux Teabaggers referring to them as “troglodytes.”

Rotten #7 Tea Party(via Bleeding Cool)

Preview – Your First Look At Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3!

Official Press Release

Your First Look At Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3!

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3, from the acclaimed creative team of Jen Van Meter and Javier Pullido! The Kravens have set their sights on the Black Cat! Now, Felicia Hardy must face down the family who has made it their mission to take out Spider-Man and everyone he holds dear! Will the Black Cat luck out or will she fall before the dreaded Kravinoff family? Find out in Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS: BLACK CAT #3 (JUN100547)

Written by JEN VAN METER

Penciled by JAVIER PULIDO

Cover by AMANDA CONNER

Rated T+ …$3.99

FOC – 8/5/10, On-Sale – 8/25/10

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3 PREVIEW1 Read more

Transformers Cyberton Con

Official Press Release

HASBRO ANNOUNCES THE FIRST EVER “TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON CONVENTION” IN CHINA

The Largest Official Gathering of TRANSFORMERS Fans Starts Today at Landmark Brand Expo in Shanghai

Pawtucket, RI – July 30, 2010 – Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) is kicking off the start of the first ever official TRANSFORMERS fan convention to be held in Asia, “TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Con,” at the East Asia Exhibition Hall at the Shanghai World Expo. Building on the tremendous momentum and enthusiasm for Hasbro’s popular brand around the world, the Company is presenting an extensive collection of historical TRANSFORMERS items from throughout the brand’s 26 year history.  In a visually stunning exhibit, Hasbro is welcoming fans to experience a wide variety of offerings from the brand’s current toy line and entertainment.

This “history corridor” will be featured in the central section of the expansive TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Convention footprint within the East Asia Exhibition Hall at the Shanghai World Expo.  Within the corridor, visitors and fans can see the chronological progression of the TRANSFORMERS brand beginning with the classic “Generation 1” era.  As fans proceed through they will be able to view extensive artwork and information about characters and stories from different eras of the brand from BEAST WARS to the most recent entertainment blockbuster movies and current HUNT FOR THE DECEPTICONS promotion.

“The first ever ‘TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Convention’ in Shanghai is a testament to the global phenomenon that Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS brand has become over its twenty-six year history,” said John Frascotti, Global Chief Marketing Officer Hasbro, Inc.  “We’re thrilled to welcome tens of thousands of fans to this unprecedented convention to celebrate the stories, characters, art, action figures and entertainment surrounding the TRANSFORMERS franchise.”

In addition to the historical retrospective, the first “TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Convention” will feature a wide variety of displays, interactive experiences and special events.  TRANSFORMERS brand leaders and designers from Hasbro’s global headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island will also be in attendance to meet with fans and attend special events and panel discussions.  In all, over two thousand TRANSFORMERS action figures will be on display and the retrospective will feature TRANSFORMERS artwork including figure designs, cartoon animation and comics.  Some artwork featured will have been previously unreleased prior to the convention.

In addition to expert panels and the historical retrospective, special events and exhibits will include:

  • An opening ceremony where Hasbro will unveil a 23-foot tall BUMBLEBEE character statue, one of the largest TRANSFORMERS statues ever, made for the TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Convention.
  • A “grafitti wall” featuring TRANSFORMERS characters in the Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Hall.
  • Demonstrations of the recently released Transformers: War for Cybertron video game from Activision.
  • TRANSFORMERS drawing classes for attendees (at select times).
  • Three-dimensional action figure dioramas capturing scenes from popular TRANSFORMERS entertainment including the blockbuster movies and 1980’s animated series.
  • TRANSFORMERS Challenge competitions testing attendees skills at converting TRANSFORMERS action figures from “robot” to “vehicle” modes.

The TRANSFORMERS Cybertron Convention starts today, Friday, July 30 and ends on Tuesday, August 3. For more information about the convention, fans can visit http://ad.sh.sohu.com/transformers//index.html.  For more information about the TRANSFORMERS brand, fans can visit www.TRANSFORMERS.com.

About HASBRO
Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com © 2010 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Preview – Your New Look At Matt Fraction And Pasqual Ferry’s Thor Debut!

Official Press Release

Your New Look At Matt Fraction And Pasqual Ferry’s Thor Debut!

Marvel is pleased to present your new look at Thor #615 as superstar creators Matt Fraction, Pasqual Ferry and Matt Hollingsworth take Thor to new heights! Witness the dawn of a new age as Asgard is restored to its former glory and retakes its place as the Golden Realm. But an ominous threat from another dimension has its sights set on Earth. It’s up to Thor and his godly brethren to defend the Marvel Universe from this dark, destructive force! This is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers. A bold new era for Thor begins under Fraction, Ferry and Hollingsworth in Thor #615!

THOR #615 (JUL100614)

THOR #615 QUESADA VARIANT (MAY108068)

Written by MATT FRACTION

Art & Cover by PASQUAL FERRY

Variant Cover by JOE QUESADA

Rated T+ …$3.99

FOC – 9/2/10, On-Sale – 9/22/10

THOR #615 COVER Read more

Preview – Your First Look At Amazing Spider-Man: Origin Of The Species!

Official Press Release

Your First Look At Amazing Spider-Man: Origin Of The Species!

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Amazing Spider-Man #642, from superstar writer Mark Waid and fan-favorite artist Paul Azaceta! Origin Of The Species starts here! The birth of Norman Osborn’s son ignites a fire in the supervillain community and everyone is on the hunt for the new strain of Goblin blood. Spider-Man must keep the child out of the hands of the world’s most powerful villains, but at what cost? With Mary Jane back in Peter’s life and the most dangerous mission he has ever faced in front of him, Spidey stands to lose everything. Discover the Origin Of The Species in Amazing Spider-Man #642!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #642 (JUL100529)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #642 ROMITA SR. VARIANT (JUL100530)

Written by MARK WAID & STAN LEE

Penciled by PAUL AZACETA & MARCOS MARTIN

Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC

Variant Cover by JOHN ROMITA SR.

Rated A …$2.99

FOC – 8/12/10, On-Sale – 9/1/10

Amazing Spider-Man #642 cover Read more

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