Talk of Circadian Rhythm

After a year long hiatus, I've decided to jump back into writing the rest of my Daysleepers comic book project. The year was spent working on my X-Men fan fiction stories, which were a fun experiment and writing exercise. Also, I think that writing for The Comic Addiction and interviewing people within the comic book industry may have afforded me a few connections that I might be able to exploit.

I posted on the CA forum that I was looking for an artist, but I haven't had any bites. Interestingly enough, Robert, the original artist, contacted me yesterday with an image of a freshly finished page seven. He says he's still interested and that he's been really busy with other projects. I would total write the guy off if it wasn't for the fact that his work is so good.

I guess the best thing I can do is just finish the script for the rest of the issues (I'm planning the opening arc to be five issues), and see where he's at when I'm done. In the meantime, I think I'm going to set up a blog for Daysleepers where I'll post the pencils and the corresponding script pages. This way the work is "published" and might make potential publishers more comfortable about looking at it.

I've got the roots of another series buzzing around my head, too (calling it Dirty Bomb at the moment just to have something to call it). It's a different world than Daysleepers and my attempt at coming up with some sort of superpower based series. It involves such fun topics as terrorism, religious freedoms, collective living, airline disaster, dirty bombs, and possibly time travel mechanics.

Starting Over: Superman

As a child, I loved the first two Superman movies. The first one did an excellent job of re-introducing the character for a 1978 mainstream audience, had a great cast, and established the core mythology of the character. The second one explored the idea of Clark giving up his powers to be with the woman he loved, only to sacrifice that desire to combat a huge threat in the form of Zod (Terrance Stamp rocks!), Ursa, and Non. It was a great balance of character exploration and hi-octane action. For the longest time, I felt that these two films established the model that most successful superhero movies tended to follow: set up in the first flick, take the ball and run on the sequel. The first two X-Men films did this, as did Spider-Man and the Chris Nolan Batman movies. The Iron Man film franchise seems poised to do the same.

Superman Returns wasn't a bad film. Unfortunately, several decisions were made in the casting, writing, and performance that cast a green glow upon it and did not allow for it to be a really great movie. The first was the initial concept. Instead of rebooting the franchise, the new film was a sequel of sorts to the first two Christopher Reeve/Margot Kidder/Gene Hackman films, but wisely ignoring third and fourth movies. As a result, Superman Returns played more like a love letter to first two films rather than a movie that entertained on the merits of its own red booted feet. Also, the casting was weak. Brandon Routh was primarily brought in due to his looks capturing the ghost of Christopher Reeve. Kate Bosworth just didn't have the physical presence of Margot Kidder or her charm. Kevin Spacey, who is usually a fantastic actor, channeled his inner Gene Hackman and didn't really put his own spin on Lex Luthor. To tell you the truth, the most interesting character in the movie was Lois' new man played by Cyclops himself, James Marsden.

I purpose a hard reboot. Let's start the Superman movie franchise over from scratch. Let's take the best of the Superman comics and the movies and boil it down to a great movie for the 21st century. The first one should follow the model established by the 1978 film: introduce the character and have him face his first big crisis. Also, introduce the important players of Clark Kent's world as well as his arch-nemesis. Superman Returns did have some fantastic special effects and the costume looked really cool. Bryan Singer can direct the hell out of a movie, so I'm not adverse to giving him a second go.

So, who do I see playing the three most important roles in this reboot?

Superman/Clark Kent: Michael Trucco
If you're a fan of Battlestar Galactica then you know that Michael Trucco not only looks good and is physically fit, but he's really, really grown as an actor over the past two seasons. The problem with Routh was that he was just... there and I didn't get a real sense of who Clark Kent was (also the script turned him into a creepy super voyeur). Trucco is more than good enough for an exploration of a man raised by Kansas farmer who has moved to the big city to further his career, as well as a superpowered alien Jesus figure. I think he is more than capable of finding the human underneath the alien (he'd done it before). He can also act and look younger than he actually is.

Also, look at the man. He's tall, athletic, and he would only need to do a little working out just to bulk up a little, but that's it. How would he look in the glasses though? Clark Kent is a disguise and it's all about the body language and the delivery. I hate buffoon Clark. Clark can have as a distinct personality and presence as Superman without looking like an incompetent fool. I say make him behaviourally different than when he's in the cape, but still attractive and skilled enough to draw Lois Lane's attention in a way that she's intrigued by both men.

Trivia note: Michael Trucco was in a car accident in December of 2007 in which he fractured four of his vertebrea. He's made a full recovery from an injury that doctors say was almost identical to that sustained by Christopher Reeve.

Lois Lane: Rashida Jones
First off, she looks and sounds sort of like a young Margot Kidder, only in my opinion, Rashida is prettier. I know what you're saying, "But, Paul, you didn't like that they cast Routh for similar reasons!" Homage is fine as long as you can build on it. I think she's a far better actress than Kate Bosworth and she's got some decent comedic timing which is a nice element for the quick-witted and savvy Lois Lane.

The daughter of music pioneer Quincy Jones can do that. Look at her character of Karen Filippelli on The Office (US). She wasn't just book smart, but she could hold her own with the pranksters and smart-asses around her. Her Lois would be similar but with more of a proactive edge to get the story and sharpness that would allow her to hold her own in a room with either a superpowered Kryptonian or a the world's smartest man.

Lex Luthor: Bruce Willis
I think that Lex Luthor should as be charismatic as he is intelligent. He knows how to manipulate the world around him and that includes people. I think Willis could easily pull this off. I also like Lex to be older than Superman. Here's a man that has worked hard to establish himself as Metropolis' main businessman and innovator, then along comes this guy who can lift a 747 over his head and everyone forgets about the first guy. Superman becomes one part target of envy and one part riddle needed to be cracked and another part obstacle of Luthor's ambitions.

Another thing is that Willis has a physical presence that can be conveyed without the maniacal rantings utilized by Hackman and Spacey. I want a calm, cool Luthor where the wheels are always turning behind the eyes. Luthor is not a wimp mentally and I don't think he needs to be a wimp physically either.

Are Trucco and Jones too old to play Clark and Lois in a Superman film that restarts everything? That's a fair criticism. But let's look at some real world practicalities. If Lois Lane is supposed to be a hard hitting and respected journalist at one of the biggest newspapers in the country, she's not going to be a recent college graduate. She's going to have fought her way up the corporate ladder and made a name for herself in the trenches. I don't have problem with her being around thirty when we first meet her.

The same thing with Clark Kent. He's a farm kid that went off to school and got a journalism degree. Wouldn't it make sense that he worked a few years at a paper in Kansas first? He loves his family dearly and despite the ability to fly home in the blink of an eye, he could be a bit resistant about straying too far from the nest, especially as his parents get older. It's not until he hears Jonathan Kent's dying words that urge him to be something more and to use his gifts for a greater purpose, does Clark decide to move to the big city and eventually go public.

The last half of the film would be a battle of wills between Superman and Luthor. We would get to see how these two are perfect counter parts to each other. Superman is physically powerful, but not a dummy. Luthor has the mental advantage, but isn't a wimp. One thing I don't want to see is Lex Luthor in the real estate business. That "ultimate goal" always seemed a bit silly in the Hackman/Spacey version of the character. Also, no spinning the Earth backwards to undo events. Even as a kid I knew there was something totally false about the maneuver as far as the "science" of time travel is concerned.

I don't think Superman needs to go darker either. Superman is not Batman. Superman defends us from evil in full view. Also, his fight with Luthor is as much a public relations battle as a mental or physical one. A newspaper plays a major role in the story of Superman and the PR aspect could be crafted into the narrative.

Ultimately, I'd like a Superman film that is just darn entertaining. As Iron Man proved you can still have a fun and exciting superhero film that has serious character exploration, a strong plot, and solid acting. There's no reason why the Man of Steel can't have one in the next few years.

Life and How to Live It - Project Updates

With the regular television season wrapped up and BSG on hiatus until 2009 (grrr...), I have a little more time to focus on my various projects (when I can pull myself away from Team Fortress 2 on the Xbox 360).

Old Man: The new Old Man line-up made its debut the weekend before last. We played in a bar that Neil and I had never performed at before. Melissa and Jana had played there before in other groups. It was loud, sweaty, drunken, and very rock 'n' roll. I loved it. The crowd was enthusiastic, too, which always helps.

We've got another gig set up at our old stompin' grounds, the Rudyard Kipling one July 1st. It's with a band from the UK, I think, and on a Tuesday night, but I'm sure it'll be fun. We'll probably use the same setlist. If it ain't broke...

Comic Addiction: I've got a couple advance reviews up at the site this week (another one pending until Chris comes back from his vacation). I'm also working on an article which is an overview of what the X-Men titles for the first half of the year.

I'm still editing reviews by other writers and co-hosting the podcast every week. It can be hassle at times, but I'm still enjoying the responsibility and the work. I'm going to Wizard World Chicago this weekend, so it'll be more comic book overload for me.

Fan Fiction: I'm still having a ton of fun with my take on the Uncanny X-Men. The first issue was well received, and I posted the second story last night. The third issue has been scripted out and is ready to be translated into prose format, and I've begun work on issue four's script.

I don't read much fan fic, if any, because it's usually pretty bad. People tend to replace the regular characters with their own creations or it devolves into slash/erotica. The other folks involved in this project with me have done a great job. I think it helps that most of us are new to writing fan fic, so we'll hopefully avoid those typical pitfalls.

nerd[heart]geek: I've still got the rest of the New Order catalogue to discuss (the last three albums and a single, I think). I'll hopefully get at least one review posted this week. Also, I'll continue to review the new Cure singles that come out on a monthly basis, which will lead to the full length album's release in September. Maybe I'll write and overview of their catalogue next.

C'Mon Marvel! It's Really Easy If You Think About It!

This picture got me thinking:

All you need is a classic batch of X-Men drawn by a kickass artist and written by a really good writer.

Build it and they will come, Marvel.

The real reason why Uncanny and Adjectiveless aren't rocking the sales charts like they used to, despite having the best writers on the books in over a decade is this: the casts. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the books and I don't mind the strange lineups, but when I see a picture like this, my heart skips a beat. Those are X-Men. If you couple really good writing with classic, recognizable characters, people are more willing to come back or take a chance. One of the reasons why Morrison's New X-Men and Astonishing get alot of outside readership is the casts. If you are an infrequent X-Reader and you saw Astonishing, Uncanny, and Adjectiveless on the shelf which would you pick up? Probably the one that looks like the X-Men, or at least the closest to a classic lineup of characters.

You can't really blame Joe or Jane Comic Book Reader when they skip over Uncanny with Hepzibah, Caliban and Warpath or Adjectiveless with Omega Sentinel, Lady Mastermind and Sabretooth. It's not that I'm calling for an embargo on any new characters in the X-Men, but rather I think that instead of drastic lineup overhauls, it should happen more naturally. Remember the good ol' days? At the end of the Claremont/Byrne run? Cyclops left and Angel came back, Kitty joined, and Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Storm and Colossus were still there. Eventually Angel left (again), Cyclops would pop in and out, Rogue eventually joined, a few years later Rachel came in, and Magneto would occasionaly lend a hand here or there. My point is that the team evolved at an organic pace. It seemed real (or as real as a comic book can).

Which brings me to my biggest gripe with the X-Books: a book like Astonishing is fun and awesome, but it reduces any significant storytelling for its cast members down to about five or six issues a year. This causes all the other creators on the X-Men books to have to tip-toe around and not do anything of substance with those characters as not to interfere with the "A-List" creator's story plans. I've loved Astonishing, but when a three or four issue story is ballooned to six issues for trade reading purposes, and in turn takes at least a year to be completely published, there is no momentum and development is slowed to a snail's pace. Now we're going to get Warren Ellis as writer and Simone Bianchi as the artist; I'm less than thrilled. But that's another article altogether.

So, Marvel, if you really want to win the hearts and minds and wallets of comic readers and X-Fans alike, try following these steps:

1. Put a reliable and well-liked writer on Uncanny X-Men. Make is someone that understands the continuity and history, but isn't driven by it (Brubaker is fine, Carey would be awesome).

2. Add two eyecatching artists that can alternate storyarcs and whose styles aren't extremely polarizing. In other words, less cartoony but distinct. It wouldn't hurt if their styles were somewhat relatable, say if you had Marc Silvestri, David Finch and Billy Tan taking turns. It would add cohesion.

3. Six classic X-Men on the team. By classic I'm talking about the most recognizable mutants that have long histories with the team as former members of the X-Men. The more Pre-Mutant Massacre characters you use the better. A couple of the 90s era Blue/Gold team members have their place and are heavily recognizable, too. Throw in one character that has never been an X-Man for a dash of spice and you're in business.

4. I don't care how ridiculous they would look in real life, this is a comic book, so give me superhero costumes. No movie black leather, no bland Ultimate-zation - I want pointy shoulders on Colossus and Nightcrawler, capes on Storm, and Wolverine in a mask. Immediate visual recognition.

5. Balance old school villains and threats with brand new ones. Hit us with the Children of the Vault, but then follow up with the Marauders; introduce us to Vulcan, but then give us some Morlocks (they're actually doing a decent job of this).

6. Give me a couple quiet issues a year. What separated the X-Men from the other comics back in the day was the soap opera nature it had. The team would go on a mission, bad stuff would happen, but then there would be an issue where the X-Men chilled out at the mansion or Harry's Hideaway, and reflected what had happened and what they need to do. This more than anything made me understand and fall in love with these characters.

7. Tell daring stories but stay true to the characters. Early Claremont did it, Morrison made a good go of it, Whedon and Carey seems to be getting it right.

This went on longer than I intended, but when I saw that picture, it really hit me. It summed up what I love about the X-Men and what the core X-Men (Uncanny and Adjectiveless) have been lacking. Maybe this is a sign of what's in store for Uncanny post-Messiah Complex - moving forward while giving us a little of the good ol' days. I can only hope.

I Got Better

I took the last half of the day off from work yesterday. This was apparently a good call since I was in a way better mood after dinner. I spent the rest of the evening reading the second Blue Beetle trade and the newest Star Trek book, as well as watching television (Heroes was been a little disappointing so far this season). Hopefully, I've the last of that state of mind for a while.

In other news, I've got rock practice tonight and tomorrow the new Radiohead album becomes available for download. Looks like Trent Reznor might be following in their footsteps. What will those poor record executives do now?

Up Against the Wall

I've been really bad about not posting here on a regular basis. Comic Addiction has been monopolizing my writing "talents" as of late. I'm not complaining; it's been a lot of fun and I'm working with a great group of folks. I've even been involved in a couple of the site's podcasts, too (which is featuring intro and outro music by my beloved band, Old Man). In addition, I'm also attempting to write another comic book script. This time my focus is on an underused '80s property owned by one of the Big Two. I think I've got a great story idea and a solid handle on the characters. I wouldn't waste my time making a pitch to a major unless I thought it was really good.

No new developments on the my other comic book project: Daysleepers. The first six pages have been completely pencilled and two of those have been inked. They look great, but I can't help but get impatient at times. I want to have something to show some publishers in November at the Mid Ohio Comic Con.

Old Man is going to audition a new drummer soon. A young woman has expressed interest in playing with us, so we're going to give her a try. I hope she works out, because I'd like to play some shows, again. I'd also like to get moving on getting the record out. All we need to do is package it and mass produce it. Sure, it'll cost some money, but I think it'll be worth it. It sounds really, really good and I think people will really respond to it.

It feels like I'm in a constant state of "almost there" with all these projects. I'm not about to pile blame on anybody that I'm working with. Every person I'm collaborating with is a vital part of the experience and the end result would suffer without their involvement. I also don't want to come off as being pushy. Maybe I'm not pulling my weight. Maybe I'm expecting too much. I don't know. Erg. I just need to relax, I guess, but I'm too excited about this stuff. When I'm working on Old Man or Daysleepers or Comic Addiction, I feel like I'm actually doing something with my life. I'm not curing cancer or anything, but I'm getting a ton of self-gratification. That's not a bad thing is it?

This is where growing up Catholic sometimes really fucks with you.

Coming Attractions

The artist on the comic book I'm writing came up with this catchy little banner:






Every new piece of art makes me more and more excited about this project.

Mistaken For Strangers

Oy. It's been a while since I've posted here. I've been pretty busy with Comic Addiction, so the bulk of my writting has been going there. I've been having a lot of fun with it and we've got plans to make it bigger and better. Speaking of comics, there are a couple comics blogs and reviews sites I've been digging (some new, some old). The X-Axis provides great reviews on all the X-Men related titles. Paul O'Brien has been writing it for several years and he's well versed in X-History, so this site is a must-read for me when it is updated every Sunday. Eye On Comics is by Don MacPherson formerly of the now defunct, but very enjoyable The Fourth Rail comic book review site. He usually updates once or twice week. Very well written site. I've recently started keeping up with Comic By Comic. Lots of fun commentary there and Rich has a link to nerd[heart]geek on the page. The newest one I found and just started reading today is Wednesday is My Sabbath. A good start and Justing seems to know his stuff so I'm going to keep my eye on this one.

The Great Music Buy of 2007 continues. I picked up the new National cd as well as the Besnard Lakes. I really enjoyed the last National record and saw them for a second time when they were in town a few weeks ago. The Besnard Lakes have been getting a lot of play on Sirius and I've liked what I've heard, so I took a chance. I've been very happy with both purchases, so check them out.

Less... Than I Used To...

I must put in a plug for the new Blonde Redhead album, 23. It is quite excellent and very different from their last two efforts. 2000's Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons had a stripped-down, art rock vibe that ran counter to their earlier noise rock sound. 2004's Misery Is a Butterfly was a neo-baroque offering full of lush keyboards and synth-strings. While 23 takes the band in yet another direction, it does have somewhat of a tone from an earlier musical era.

To be specific, it feels like a record that could have been recorded and released in 1998. While this is still very much a Blonde Redhead album, there are some hints of the Caridgans' Gran Turismo and Garbage's Version 2.0. A few tracks even callback to early 90s shoegazing acts like My Bloody Valentine and Lush. This is not necessarily a bad thing; Blonde Redhead still manage to craft these styles into a record that very much their own.

Also worth noting is that Kazu Makino (guitars/keyboards) handles the bulk of the lead vocal duties (seven out of ten tracks). She and guitarist Amedeo Pace (here with only three lead tracks) split the voice work fairly evenly on past albums. This is still a very strong album, but may turn off those who could view it as a more "commercial" piece of work. B+


I didn't intend for the entire post to turn into a record review. I guess that's the mode of writing I've been crafting, as of late. Speaking of which, an article I wrote for Comic Addiction seems to have been the inspiration for someone else's article, which is pretty neat. This means people are actually reading my work. (Just discovered a quote from my review for Phonogram #6 at that comic's official site!)

I had a scare yesterday when I found out that somebody was about to publish a comic book with a premise similar to the eleven page story I'm writing for an anthology. My artist and I realized that the differences in direction and tone were enough to keep moving forward with our project (Robert pointed out that this is a world where the movies A Bug's Life and Antz can come out in the same year without much of stink being raised). Also, we really, really want to complete it. It's shaping up better than I'd ever expected.

Kill Your Television

It's been a while since I've posted. I guess when I've been motivated to write it's been for the comic book review site, Comic Addiction. I'm really enjoying exercising my writer's muscles, again. It's funny, when I was in school and had to write papers, I wasn't as enthused. But, now that I think about it, I didn't have immediate access to a word processor or computer back then, so it was even more of an ordeal.

TV this season has been crazy good. Battlestar Galactica's season finale was a total mind-blower. Lost seems to be putting the pieces together this season. It's slow, but things are really starting to fall into place. To top it all off, Heroes continues to kick my ass week after week. They did the whole X-Men "Days of Futures Past" thing in the last episode and it rocked. The summer hiatus is about to hit, but I've got the 4400 to look forward to. At least, I'll have more time for other things, like the band.

Speaking of which, I've got the last of the money we owe the fellow that recorded our album. I've left him a voicemail, so I'm sure he'll be happy to get his money and us out of his hair.

Tonight Belongs to Lovers, So Show Some Respect

My band, Old Man, played our first show in over two years last Friday. Wouldn't have known it from the where I was standing or from the reactions of our friends. It was a fun, energetic set and the new songs seemed to go over really well. Now, if we can only get that record out...

Speaking of music, I've been listening the hell out of a few new albums. Besides the previously posted about Shins record, I'm listening to heavy doses of the new Jarvis Cocker solo effort, Damon Albarn's new band The Good, The Band, and the Queen, as well as the Peter Bjorn & John disc and the new one from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I recommend them all.

I finished the rough draft of the plot/script for the comic book anthology I mentioned in the previous post. I e-mailed it to the penciller last night and he still seems quite enthusiastic about the project. I can't wait to see what he does with it.

And Love Is the Province Of the Brave.

Lucky for Marvel Comics, Wednesday was a slow news day. As a result, there was plenty of mainstream media coverage for the "Death of Captain America". This led to a stampede to the comic stores and a swift selling out of, in many cases, the under ordered Captain America #25. If you look at Marvel's side of the story, you can understand that they didn't want to spoil the impact of the issue, and hinted as strongly as possible to the comic retailers to order high. At the same time, the comic retailers are cautious anytime one of the comic companies hypes up their product, and are now angry that Marvel didn't clue them in on the contents of the book. So, this left Marvel in a "damn if you do, damn if you don't" situation. They did overprint the book and plan a second printing, but the direct market is set up in such a way that the earliest stores will get new copies will be Wednesday. By that time, the buzz may have cooled off considerably.

My favorite bit of media exposure was on the Colbert Report. The man (and/or his writers) must love comics because he dropped all sorts of geeky tidbit during "The WØrd". A couple of episodes later, Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, Joe Quesada, sent Cap's shield as a gift. Hopefully, it will find a proud place on Steve's Wall of Democracy.


I didn't bother picking up Captain America #25. I buy comics to read, not to collect and resell on ebay. I'm going to wait for when the story is collected in the trade. Besides, he'll be back in a couple years, anyway. It's how these things tend to work out in the world of comics.

Friday evening, Allison and I went to the Brown Theater and caught a truly excellent performance by TV on the Radio. They ratcheted up some of their songs to give them that big rock show vibe. I loved their first album but only liked their second one. But, seeing those songs live made me appreciate Return to Cookie Mountain more.

On Saturday, we made a return trip to Lexington to visit my new niece. It's amazing how much babies grow in such a short time. She was also a lot more alert and squirmy. This time, my mother was in town, so it was pretty neat to see her as a proud grandmother. My other sister was there as well, so it was good to see her, too.

And finally, Monday evening my band, Old Man, moved into our new practice space. Talk about a workout! A bunch of amps, a set of drums, and a P.A. system gets kind of heavy after a while, but it was all worth it. The rooms that we are sharing with our friends Lucifigous Prick, are clean, well lit and climate controlled. Now, we've just have to schedule practices around the two bands, but I don't think that it'll be too much of a problem.

Comic Book Reviews - Week of 2/28/07

Spoilers ahead. You have been warned.

X-Factor #16
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Pablo Raimondi

Jamie Maddrox continues to track down his missing duplicates. This issue he finds one that has become a priest in an Episcopal Church. What further complicates the matter is the fact that “John Maddox” has a wife and young son. This sets up a wonderfully scripted dilemma where Jamie and John both have legitimate arguments for what they individually want/need. Peter David continues to expand and develop Madrox with each issue in complex and entertaining ways.

The b-story is a continuation of last issues’ “Terry and Monet in France” subplot. It shows what lengths Monet is willing to go help her people. It’s a strange mix of extremes. She’s willing to crucify a man that fire bombed, thereby killing, a building full of mutants, then takes in a girl orphaned as a result of this atrocity. Terry pretty much plays the role of counterpoint here, pointing out the possible consequences of Monet’s actions.

Also, a mystery figure in the shadows appears to be stalking the young women. He even goes as far as disappears the police that are pursuing them, as they are about to fly out of France. Due to the red, glowing eyes, my money is on Gambit or Sinister. I also have the sneaking suspicion that this will be resolved in this summer’s crossover with Uncanny, New, and Adjectiveless.
Overall: A

Speaking of Adjectiveless…

X-Men #196
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Humberto Ramos

This is the third and final part of the “Primary Infection” story arc. Thankfully, Mike Carey’s arcs bleed into each other more naturally than most current Marvel titles, giving the title a more old school feel, though not going as far as X-Factor. Unfortunately, this is probably the weakest issue of Carey’s run. It’s by no means horrible and most of the fault does not lie with Carey. My biggest grievances are with penciler Humberto Ramos… again.

The big boobs and exaggerated figures are still here. In addition, the storytelling quality of the art has really dropped off from the last two issues. What makes this even more infuriating is that this is the “big battle issue” and it’s really heard sometimes to tell what’s going on. Well, Ramos is gone next issue and the more visually pleasing, yet equally difficult to follow, Chris Bachelo returns. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Humberto Ramos on Adjectiveless X-Men; I have feeling he’ll be back for issue #200.

As for the story, it was okay. The way the Pan was defeated was kind of neat and it looks like Rogue is going to have a hard way to go for a little bit. Part of me fears another reboot of her powers, but if it ends in her returning to the high-flying, super strong, invulnerable, sassy Rogue we haven’t seen in about six years, I will be extremely happy.
Overall: C

Green Lantern #17
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciler: Ivan Reis

Ever since the DC superhero titles made the “One Year Later” jump, this book has been a thousand times better than before. Geoff Johns set up several plot threads in issue #10, the first issue after the great leap forward, and has been paying them off over the following seven issues. Unfortunately, this title is pretty much on a bi-monthly schedule even though it’s labeled as a monthly. On the bright side, Ivan Reis has been able to draw all eight issues and he gets better with each one. He is very much in the vain of Alan Davis and Bryan Hitch. I guess DC is finally convinced of his ability, because they actually let him draw the cover for once.

The “Wanted: Hal Jordan” story arc comes to a close with this issue. The resolution of the Amon Sur portion of the story is wonderful and it set’s up a future arc that I’m really chomping at the bit to read. I can’t wait for the Sinestro Corps to make their appearance. Apparently, that storyline will crossover into Green Lantern Corps, as well. The idea of the yellow Sinestro ring choosing Batman as this sectors representative was great. The reasoning for his being able to reject it was set up nicely a while back, too.
Overall: A-

Runaways #24
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Penciler: Adrian Alphona

For eighteen issues of the first volume of Runaways and twenty-four of the present one, Brian K. Vaughn has been providing a fun, original and exciting batch of stories. After this issue, he is leaving the series, and apparently Adrian Alphona with him. But, Marvel has found a great replacement, at least for the next six issues, in Joss Whedon. All is not lost, but thanks anyway, Brian and Alphona; it’s been a hell of fun ride for forty-two issues and this last one is no exception.
Issue #24: A- The Entire Forty-Two Issue Run: A

Comic Book Reviews: 2/21/07

Caution: Spoilers Ahead!

Civil War #7
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Steve McNiven

So, the big epic crossover from Marvel has finally come to a conclusion. Some people have already expressed dissatisfaction with the result, especially the decision made by one character that brings the big fight to a halt. I personally think that it’s completely in character and, given the circumstances, it was the best decision to make to save lives and end the damage. That being said, at the end of the day the landscape of the Marvel Universe is very different than it was before Civil War began. There seems to be plenty of story opportunities to spin out of this mini-series. Sure it had some rough patches getting there, but it was still an action-packed, beautifully illustrated, thought-provoking ride.
Issue #7: B-
Civil War Mini-Series: B-
Overall Crossover: C


Amazing Spider-Man #538
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Penciler: Ron Garney

This issue gives us the new big status quo changing moment in Spider-Man’s life. Unfortunately, the issue ends right at the moment the victim is shot, so we have no idea if this person is alive, dead or maimed. As far as the Civil War crossover goes, Spider-Man has played the third most important role in the whole sha-bang. Captain America and Iron Man representing the two sides of the argument, while Peter Parker is the guy stuck in the middle. He starts out on one side, has a moment of clarity, and then jumps to the other team. The seven-part “War at Home” storyline in this title has done a great job fleshing out Peter’s role and thought process throughout this entire ordeal. By the close of this story arc, he has made his secret identity public, thereby exposing his family to potential harm at the hands of his enemies, which has now resulted in death or maiming of someone very close to him. It will be very interesting to see what happens to Spider-Man next.
Issue #538: B
Overall Story Arc: A-


52 Week Forty-Two
Writers: Geoff John, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid
Artists: Keith Giffen & Darick Robertson

This was probably my favorite issue of the series, thus far. This is mainly due to the resolution of one of the main plots, which is the focus of the entire issue, save two pages. Ralph Dibny has had a long hard road to travel in past couple years since Identity Crisis. With this issue, he is reestablished as an intellect to be reckoned with. Where his story goes from here is very uncertain due to the finality of last couple pages.
Overall: A-


New Avengers: Illuminati
Writers: Brian Michael Bendis & Brian Reed
Penciler: Jim Cheung

Upon reading this issue, I was a bit confused about the time frame. Sometimes when comic books say things like “Several Months Ago”, the events could have actually transpired several years ago in real time. At first, I thought editorial had dropped the ball and the wrong outfits on a few of the characters were drawn wrong given the timeframe I thought these events were occurring. The cover seemed to get it right but the interior was off and I got extremely annoyed. I thought, “If Marvel is leading the readers to believe that these events fit nicely behind the scenes and match up with established continuity, than why make such a grievous error like putting characters in the wrong outfits?” It turns out the “Several Months Ago” was a lot more recent than I thought. It doesn’t help that footnotes indicating the past issues when and where previous events took place isn’t en vogue these days. That would have cleared things up pretty quickly. As for the issue itself? Entertaining and Cheung’s art is always a treat.
Overall: B+

Comic Book Reviews 2/7/07 & 2/14/07

I didn't get around to posting comic book reviews last week, so I made up for it this week by smushing two weeks worth together. As always, beware of spoilers.

Uncanny X-Men #483
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciler: Clayton Henry
This is the third and hopefully final “Catching Up With Vulcan” chapter. This issue our homeboy, Gabe, hooks up with Deathbird, they share a similar bloodlust and some good ol’ fashioned regular lust, and she’s able to postpone his whole “Kill D’Ken” plan. If the Vulcan plot had been developed and spread over the other chapters instead of being surrogated in its own issues, this change in plan may not have seemed so sudden. But, as I’ve said before, what’s being done in twelve issues seems like it could have been taken care of in six or eight. Thankfully, we’ve got only three issues to wrap up this blotted saga. I still have faith in Brubaker, because his Captain America work is amazing. As it were, I’m ready to see what he can do with a smaller, tighter Uncanny X-Men arc. Overall: C+


X-Men Annual #1
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Mark Brooks
Marvel has been trying to make their Annuals “count” in last two years. They wised up to the idea that if they expect us to pay a dollar more for an extra issue, it better have a purpose. This is no exception. X-Men writer Mike Carey delivers a tale that builds on what he’s already developed and fits snuggly between the stories of the regular series. There’s some reasonable resolution to the Aurora and Northstar story, Rogue and Mystique’s relationship is re-examined, and Exodus returns to plant some seeds for future stories. Mark Brooks delivers some great work visually. Also, he’s the first artist to work with Carey on the title able to translate the story with the least amount of confusion. Bachalo and Ramos are dynamic, but, as stated before, their storytelling is really confusing. Overall: B+


Fantastic Four: The End #5
Writer & Penciler: Alan Davis
This has just been a fun ride. Alan Davis is firing on all cylinders and he’s presenting one hell of a Fantastic Four tale. This will probably make one sweet collected volume. The characters are spot on and the series has been chock full of guest that have been major players in the world of the Fantastic Four (the Inhumans, Super Skrull, Annihilus, Namor, etc.). Overall: A

Ms. Marvel #12
Writer: Brian Reed
Penciler: Roberto De La Torre & Patrick Zircher
Thought I’d comment real quickly about the latest issue in the ongoing series after my criticism of the one-shot special. This is a good action issue and closing chapter for the first year of stories. The regular series is still really entertaining. The Greg Horn cover was pretty aweful, though. Overall: B

X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong #5
Writer: Greg Pak
Penciler: Tyler Kirkham
Simply awful. What started out as some insight into the origin of the Stepford Cuckoos has devolved into nonsense. I’m so over the Phoenix, especially if Marvel uses it as an excuse to create this kind of garbage. Stay away, please. D-

Astonishing X-Men #20
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: John Cassaday
This has to be the best issue of the series so far. It pushes the story forward. The character moments are spot on and great. Plus, there's a lot of great action. Maybe, we are finally reaping the fruits of all of Whedon and Cassaday's labors from the past nineteen issues. Everything seems to be coming together amazingly with this issue. The balance of the prophecy and the tension between Kitty and Peter was well handled. The confusion and the inevitability of his role in the fate of the Breakworld is beginning to have an effect on Colossus. I can't wait to see how it plays out. Other great moments:

- Emma's tea room re-entry distraction.

- Ms. Pryde's long arms.

- Hisako and Logan's conversation as he heals.

- Beast's threat to Agent Brand.

- The mystery of Lockheed's role in it all.

- Shadowcat and Colossus' amazing plummet to the ground.

- "It's not carved in stone."

Unfortunately, issue #21 will not be out until May. An issue this good will make the wait all the longer. Overall: A+

New X-Men #35
Writers: Craig Kyle & Chris Yost
Penciler: Paco Medina
This chapter is pretty similar to the last issue. X-23 and Hellion are running around, shaking down bad guys so they can find their missing teammate, Mercury. Mercury continues to get tortured and experimented on for some yet-to-be revealed reason. And, the O*N*E Sentinels continue to look like a bunch of idiots. Seriously part two and part three could have easily been combined into a single issue. Overall: C+

Y: The Last Man #54
Writer: Brian K Vaughan
Penciler: Goran Sudzuka
This is another one of those “done in one” issues that come between story arcs in this series. This time the focus is on the theater troupe that found Ampersand a couple years back. They’re still creative people trying to find ways to express themselves and make a difference in this post-man world. Nice enough, but the resolution comes across a little self-indulgent. I’m ready for the next story arc. Overall: B-

Green Lantern Corps #9
Writer: Keith Champagne
Penciler: Patrick Gleason
This is the conclusion of the three part “The Dark Side of Green” story by guest writer Keith Champagne. It’s been a decent enough story, but I wonder if it will have any effect on the greater scheme of things when Dave Gibbons comes back as writer next issue. The idea of a black ops, Section 31-esque division of the GLC is intriguing, but I miss the rings. I’m also looking forward to catching up with GL newbie Soranik Natu. I find her to be the series most interesting character, besides Guy Gardner. Patrick Gleason continues to give the series a really dynamic look. Overall: B

Comic Book Reviews - 01/31/07

X-Men #195

Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Humberto Ramos

Uncanny X-Men does epic. Astonishing X-Men does hip. New X-Men does angst. X-Factor does funny. Adjectiveless X-Men seems to handle the big action chores in the mutant corner of the Marvel Universe. At least, that's been the recipe for this current story arc, “Primary Infection” and “Part Two” ramps it up even more.

So far, the story has been fairly straightforward: search for the bad guy, fight the henchmen, head up a rescue mission, get ambushed, fight the big bad, get knocked down, call in the calvary. Mike Carey still manages to sprinkle little character moments throughout the issue. Karima and Lady Mastermind appear to be the focus of character development for this arc. This is justified since these two suffered at the hands of the main villain.

Speaking of which, I’m still not sold on Pan. So far he has come across as poor man’s Mr. Sinister. He has the ability to call upon powers of mutants that he has come in contact with. Visually, it looks like Havok, Cyclops and Colossus are among those people, and he name checks Paige Guthrie and Jean Grey. This power siphoning links him to Rogue, but I’m curious to why he needs her now.

I guess I need to talk about the art since my main problems with this issue are with this area of the book. As I’ve stated before, I’m not the biggest fan of Humberto Ramos. The T & A is simply obnoxious. Plus, there are moments in this issue that it seems Carey has to add dialogue to compensate for liberties Ramos has taken with the storytelling. When the heroes reach Pan’s towering headquarters, Iceman and Karima are shown taking flight, leaving Lady M on the ground, forcing her to comment about it. During the fight, a bolt of energy lashes out from the back of Lady M’s head, leading Iceman to comment on that. The first page’s sideways splash of Cable and Cannonball invoked unpleasant memories of X-Force #4 (the entire issue was drawn sideways) and leads Sam to comment that the controls of the ship have been locked out as they rocket straight up into the stratosphere. Whether or not all these incidents were scripted this way is unknown, but they were odd enough to take me out of the book and make note.

This is probably the weakest issue of the Mike Carey Era so far, but it’s far from being bad. The final page shot of the weapon launched by Cable was hilarious and the high point of the issue. I would still like to see how Carey’s stories would look drawn by a more tempered hand. Humberto Ramos and regular artist Chris Bachelo can make visuals that pop off the page, but the exaggeration and less-than-stellar storytelling wears on me. I’d love to see a Steve Epting or a Trevor Hairsine take a crack at this book.

Overall: B-


Ms. Marvel Special #1

Writer: Brian Reed
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli

What was the point of making this a special one-shot and not an issue in the regular series. It could have easily fit before or after the Rogue/Warbird two-parter. Maybe Marvel is trying to do something schedule-wise and this issue was already drawn and ready to go. There isn’t anything in this issue that could be deemed special enough for a one-shot. Hell, it’s only twenty-two pages. The story was lackluster, but the art was decent enough. The cover made me believe that this might be a story of how Carol, back in her days as Binary, left the Starjammers and made her way back to Earth. No such luck. I’m simply baffled by the existence of this issue.

Overall: D

Comic Book Review - Week of 01/24/07

X-Factor #15

Writer: Peter David
Artist: Pablo Raimondi

It seems that with the second year of X-Factor, the title has lost most of its noir feel and gone into more comedy/action/tragedy territory. In other words, all the pathos of a good X-Men book, but with plenty of room for laughs. It's also a plus that the funny comes from smart dialogue and creative resolution, rather than shtick (see classic Excalibur).

Take the most recent issue #15 for example. Jamie is brainwashed by use of some rather creepy dream imagery. His guilt over his parents' death is manifested in them tying him to a fence, beating him and telling him that he's a bad boy. How Jamie overcomes this brainwashing process is hilarious and makes sense.

The other plotline in this issue involves Monet and Terry dealing with anti-mutant protesters in France. I liked the fact that Terry decides not to resist arrest from the police because it would send a message that super powered being think that they are above the law. This also reflects the recent events in the Marvel Universe, as a result of Civil War. By the end of the issue Monet makes her own political statement with great comedic effect.

X-Factor has recaptured the comic book reading joy of my youth. There are over arcing story threads but plenty of "in issue" subplots. More than most titles, this one seems not to be overly concerned with "writing for the trade". Also, all the characters are very realized with distinct and complex personalities. Kudos to writer Peter David and artist Pablo Raimondi for delivering a great product every month, on time.

Overall: A

Captain America: Winter Soldier - Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Steve Epting & Michael Lark

Volume One collects issues 1 – 7 of the current series.
Volume Two collects issues 8 – 9 & 11 – 14 of the current series.

I’ve read Captain America titles (as well as his appearances in the Avengers) on and off for the last twenty years, but this has to be the best Cap story I’ve ever read. Ed Brubaker has crafted a tale that honors Cap’s WWII past and at the same time delivers a modern day tale of action and emotion. Steve Rogers is presented as good man that is proud of the work he does, but still feels responsible for the loss of his best friend back during the war. Though most regular comic book fans know the big reveal of this storyline, I don’t want to go into much detail in case anyone who isn’t informed wants to read it. Let’s just say that if they made a Captain America movie that establishes the character’s origin, this would have to be the sequel.

I must mention the artwork by Steve Epting and Michael Lark. Epting has a photo realistic style that still lends itself to artistic creativity. He has a great balance of reality and dynamic line work. Also, his environments are not blank walls; the bodies are physically in the rooms he draws. Over the thirteen issues collected in the volume, the layout of Cap’s apartment remains the same. Epting apparently has it all laid out; this allows us to become familiar with it when Cap returns to it, lending even more to a sense of reality. Michael Lark provides pencils for few issues and is smartly utilized during the flashbacks. This lets the reader know that we are witnessing a different place and time, without taking us out of the story.

Don’t be afraid of the name Captain America. This is not a flag-waving nationalistic propaganda piece. It is a story of a very strong person that still has his emotional vulnerabilities. These two volumes are great reads and can be appreciated by both longtime fans, as well as those new to the character.

Overall: A+

Comic Book Reviews - Week of 01/04/07

As with all my reviews, there will be spoilers. You have been forewarned.

Uncanny X-Men #482


Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciler: Billy Tan

We’ve reached part eight of twelve in the “Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire” storyline, and it’s been a long road getting here. Truth be told, I have really enjoyed this story arc, this title has suffered plenty of bad-to-mediocre writing over the last five year, but I can completely understand the complaints of how slow this story has been progressing. This issue, however, gives us plenty to enjoy.

First is the reappearance of the Starjammers, and more importantly, the reunion of Havok with his father Corsair and latter’s newfound knowledge that his third son, Vulcan, is alive. One thing I liked was the fact that Brubaker and Tan have given the Starjammer real crew outside the four or so principles we always see (Raza, Ch’od, Hepzibah, etc.). If the Starjammer were big ship going to war, than it would make sense that she would need more than a handful of people running her. A minor detail, but I enjoyed it.

The rescue was fun and exciting, plus there was room for little character moments; the scene between Polaris and Marvel Girl comes to mind. Tan’s art continues to be lively and his storytelling seems to do an adequate job. He seems a little off this issue, though. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it’s there.

Darwin’s super adaptability still leads me to believe that he’s not making it out of this mission alive. He’s too powerful and I really can’t see him working as a regular character after this arc. I predict a Spock/Wrath of Khan moment near the end of the story.

Looks like next issue we’ll get the third, and hopefully the last, “Vulcan’s Progress” issue. The last one was a vast improvement over the first, and I see the point, but I’ll be happy to be done with them. At least we’ll get clued in on the big reveal at the end of this issue.

Overall: B

Civil War #6



Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Steve McNiven

Part six of seven is here and it’s basically an issue that gets the pieces into place for the big finale. It looks pretty, Morry Hollowell is simply an amazing color artist, and it will read well in the trade format, but am I enjoying it. “Yes” and “No”. On the “Yes” front, by the end of this story the 616 Marvel Universe will be completely changed. A whole host of story ideas will hopefully be generated over the next few years, as a result. Also, plenty of underutilized characters (Cloak & Dagger, Hercules, and a bunch of unemployed Avengers) have been given enough “airtime” to spark interest in them again. On the “No” side of matters, there are lots of leaps in logic and plenty of uncharacteristic behavior on both sides of the war. In a sense, this is a big screen interpretation of the Marvel Universe, and everything is being boiled down to an essence. But at the end of the day, I’m not complaining too loudly. It has been a hell of a ride and I look forward to a big bang of a conclusion.

Overall: C+

All Star Superman #6


Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciler: Frank Quitely

It has been months since the last issue came out, but thanks to the storytelling format, this series isn’t any worse for it. Frank Quitely’s pencils are incredible, wonderfully detailed and a visual delight, but as a result, he’s very slow. Thankfully, Grant Morrison is writing standalone stories for this series. There is evidence of an overall arc for these twelve issues, but it’s tucked enough away into the corners that it doesn’t distract from each issues plot. My only complaint for this issue is a bit of odd sequencing. One of the characters leaves in the middle of the big battle to talk to someone and then gets right back into the middle of the fight two pages later. This series has been a joy to read. Morrison and Quitely (and amazing color artist Jamie Grant) have been delivering Silver Age zany fun with a modern edge and sincerity. Do yourself a favor and pick up any of the first six issues and, if you enjoy it as much as I have, pick up the collected volume… whenever it comes out… in a couple years.

Overall: A

Review: New Mutants Classic: Volume One

On the forum for my favorite podcast, Uncanny X-Cast, I suggested that we super-frequent posters pick a collected volume to read and then discuss. This would be done on the forum and, hopefully, via Skype. The idea is sort of a book club for comic book geeks that love the X-Men. I drew up a poll of various X-Men related trade paperbacks, and we voted. The winner was New Mutants Classic: Volume One. I finished it last night, so I thought I’d share some thoughts.

The volume collects Marvel Graphic Novel #4, which introduced the team, New Mutants #1 – 7, and Uncanny X-Men #167. Every issue was written by longtime X-Men legend, Chris Claremont with art mostly supplied by Bob McLeod and Sal Buscema. I think the only glaring omission from this first package is Marvel Team-Up #100, which depicted the first appearance of Karma. Since her past is referenced quite a few times in the collection and she disappears by the end of the first volume, this origin issue would have been a welcome addition.

The packaging is pretty much the same format that Marvel has been using for all its “Classic” and “Visionaries” collections. The cover image is a digitally colored version of a cover from one of the collected issue and the colors inside have been reconstructed to be true to the original printing, but without the old-fashion four-color dots. I found it odd that when the cast is listed on the back cover, everyone’s codename is used except Psyche is listed as “Moonstar” and Wolfsbane is called “Rahne”. I wonder if Marvel thought modern readers wouldn’t be familiar with Dani and Rahne’s original codenames (though, Rahne still goes by “Wolfsbane” the last time I checked).

The Marvel Graphic Novel #4 portion of the collection does a decent job introducing Wolfsbane, Cannonball, Sunspot and Psyche. Karma is already at the school (as per the aforementioned MTU #100), but her background is made fairly clear to the reader. Charles Xavier’s original team of mutants, the X-Men, is missing in action at this point in history, so he begins to recruit a new batch of mutant-powered students. By the end of the story, the cast is all in one place and their personalities fairly well established.

The following seven issues of the original New Mutants series are a mixed bag (the Uncanny X-Men issue included resolves a plotline from the first three issues as well as introduces the New Mutants to the senior team). It starts out fairly strong, especially in the handling of Dani Moonstar, also known as Psyche. She’s very defiant to authority yet balanced by insecurities with her powers. Rahne Sinclair the young girl called Wolfsbane would be the next realized character of the bunch. She’s a bundle of wholesome Christian values mixed with the instincts and impulses of a wolf. The other three, Cannonball, Karma and Sunspot, have pretty distinct personalities as well, but don’t seem standout as much as the other two.

The strength of the first group of issues is also due to the tension provided by a mystery enemy, as well as an appearance by the Sentinels, those longtime, robotic enemies of the X-Men. Issue #4 starts out as a classic by having the New Mutants searching and chasing down someone who has been terrorizing their teacher, Stevie Hunter. Each student and their powers are utilized in very fun and effective ways. Unfortunately, the mystery is telegraphed very early and the issue ends in a very “After School Special” fashion. The last three issues are marred by the appearance of Team America, a group of motorcycle riding heroes that once had a comic book series in the early ‘80s, and a jive talking adversary named Axe that is insultingly stereotypical and ridiculous. Also, the motivations of the enemies are unclear: Why does Viper want that stupid crystal in the first place? What was the reason behind Nina’s kidnapping? The later may be answered in the next volume.

If you’re a fan of all things X-Men then I’d recommend picking this collection up purely for historical reference. The writing and art are very early ‘80s in style, but the characterization of the young heroes shine through. The art and coloring in Marvel Graphic Novel #4 are considerably better than that of the series proper. This is probably due to the production quality of the graphic novel being higher and Bob McLeod inking his own pencils. Having the beautiful art by Paul Smith from Uncanny X-Men #167 was a nice bonus, but only parts of that issue are truly significant in the grand scheme of this collection.

Overall: C

An extremely concise comic book review, nerd-style

Y: The Last Man #50, #51, and #52



Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Pia Guerra

I really, really liked this book... before the Bad Science hit. Bad, BAD science. What is it with crackpot, nonsensical evolutionary theories these days? Between this and NBC's Heroes, I might have to punch somebody in the neck. You know, for the sake of plausibility and reason.

Overall: D