Justice League #22

And thus begins the long-awaited Trinity War crossover event that DC has been building up to, probably since the start of the New 52 almost two years ago. The event was prequeled in Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1 and continue in Justice League #22, penned by DC creative talent extraordinaire Geoff Johns and drawn by Ivan Reis. Also, it has a shiny sleek cover!

As with most things that have an advertisement campaign in comics, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this issue of Justice League, despite the JL being my least favorite of the three League books (JLD topping the charts). I was pleasantly surprised to see Johns weave all three Justice Leagues into this issue, with three stories moving simultaneously in time and coming to a climactic end in which *spoilers* someone bites the bullet and an evil mastermind is revealed. Still, the great reveal wasn’t all that exciting, and perhaps spoilers elsewhere forewarned me and therefore robbed me of the shock of that someone’s death.

Reis delivered his usual, realistic yet larger-than-life art aided by the work of inkers Joe Prado and Oclair Albert, and colorist Rod Reis. It’s understandable why this issue needed so many artistic minds: it’s panel-for-panel action, with superbodies spread across each page and supported by an ominous script and the card-turning Madame Xanadu.

I’m looking forward to where Trinity War takes the DCU, but I believe after this first issue and the Pandora prologue that this specific event might fade into obscurity despite its importance (sorta like the Throne of Atlantis crossover, which fed in part into Trinity War). At the very least, Johns has paved a clear path for the first all-DCU event: Forever Evil, which I hope does not fall flat like Marvel’s recent Age of Ultron.

Story: Geoff Johns  Art: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, Rod Reis
Story: 8  Art: 8  Overall: 8  Recommendation: Buy

Daredevil #28

Wow, and I thought the last few issues of Daredevil by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee were some of the best comics I’ve ever read. Daredevil #28 blew me away!

Waid pens a stellar script about the Man without Fear following in the footsteps of his final crippling of Bullseye, who may have masterminded his way into Daredevil’s life and punched a bit too low. This issue begins what looks to be a new arc, one involving the Sons of the Serpent (and we get a great visual allusion to events from Marvel comics in the 1960s and 1970s) and a childhood friend of Matt Murdock. What’s great about this issue is it challenges Matt in a new way—seriously, Waid’s not going easy on Daredevil, from Foggy’s cancer and the drama there, to the touching realizations he’s presented with by an old elementary school bully. Matt’s been challenged by supervillains, friendship and relationship troubles, cancer, and now…this.

Javier Rodriguez fills in for Samnee, since he’s out having a kid, and Rodriguez does not disappoint. I’m not at all familiar with his work, but he captures the style that Samnee has cultivated for Daredevil to a t, and he brings his own flare in the form of one of the most impressive page spreads I’ve seen in a while. Seriously, if for nothing else, buy this book for pages sixteen and seventeen. You won’t be disappointed. Unless you’re blind (haha, that’s a Daredevil joke).

Daredveil #28 is yet another example of why this series continues to be probably my absolute favorite book on the market right now, despite my great love for Dark Horse’s books and DC more generally.

Story: Mark Waid  Art: Javier Rodriguez
Story: 9  Art: 9  Overall: 10  Recommendation: Buy

Batman #22

I’ve been with the New 52 Batman series since the prologue to the Death of the Family crossover (#13), and I have enjoyed Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s work with the Dark Knight. I thought Zero Year sounded like a bit of a strange way to take the comic, but it makes sense given that we haven’t seen much of anything about the New 52 Batman’s origin, and with all of the emotional high-intensity of Bruce’s saga being carried out in books like Batman, Incorporated and Batman and Robin, Zero Year offers a more relaxed, less suffocatingly dark Batman book.

Snyder truly impresses with this issue, an improvement on Batman #21, including more glimpses of a young, not-yet-the-Riddler Riddler, a plot with one of Batman’s earliest enemies, and a real test of faith between Alfred and Bruce. Snyder is skilled at building the tension and turning your anticipation a whole 180—if you read this issue, you’ll know exactly what I mean. I recently chided current comics for being less wordy and more focused on big-panel, muscleman art, but Batman #22 offers a great balance between solid art and plenty of narrative and character development in the speech bubbles.

Capullo continues to capture the Dark Knight in his own way (despite, ironically, the Batman actually being absent…), and the colorist FCO Plascencia brings more light to a Batman book than I’ve seen in a long time. But, the crowning glory of this book, is the full page illustration on page nineteen. At first I was confused, but then I was amused, amazed, and the scholar in me was ready to take out a pen and start drafting an analysis for some semiotics or comic art journal.

I’m looking forward to watching the Riddler develop, since Snyder has been placing him just left of center field, and I want to see how the glimpses of the classic Bruce-fell-in-a-well story play out in the next issue.

Story: Scott Snyder  Art: Greg Capullo
Story: 7.5  Art: 8  Overall: 8  Recommendation: Buy

After reflecting on the three reviews above, I don’t know how anyone (I’m looking at you, curmudgeony fellas who always bicker about there being no good comics, yet are still in the comic shop ever Wednesday so that I can hear you bicker about it) can say that comics today aren’t worth reading. Clearly you haven’t stopped to read any of the above titles (well, I’m iffy myself on Justice League…), and these aren’t even all the books I’d recommend to anyone looking for great books that capture the spirit of comics.

There’s numerous business models when it comes to digital media. Some have stuck to the typical model of a consumer paying money, but others have branched out into different models, such as advertising based. One of my favorites is Free All Music which allows you watch an advertisement and then you can download a song.  With all of the announcements and overblown statements about a certain other recent digital comics announcement, it’s nice to see Archie Comics actually changing things up a bit.

Archie has teamed up with iVerse and Tapjoy for a new partnership that will allow fans a new way to “buy” their digital comics, this time for FREE. Starting July 18, the Archie Comics App, will integrate the Tapjoy Mobile Value Exchange model where consumers engage with advertisements to earn virtual rewards to spend on more than 2,000 Archie Comics.

This isn’t the first time this has been done though, VIZ Media announced a similar program towards the end of 2012. That differs from what Archie is doing, in that you have an extremely limited choice for VIZ, instead of their entire digital catalogue with Archie.

By simply watching a video, taking a survey or engaging with an ad, users will be able to earn credits to unlock Archie Comics via the Archie Comics app. This will give fans an opportunity to add to their digital comics library without going over budget.

Occupy Comics #2

The Kickstarter phenomenon is in it’s second issue and it shows no sign of diminishing in quality. Occupy Comics #2 continues the thought provoking anthology with more strips, prose and in general contributions that actually makes you think. The second issue continues to show that comics and politics do mix. The comics boast an impressive line-up of creators like Alan Moore, David Lloyd, Charlie Adlard, Art Spiegelman, Molly Crabapple, Matt Bors, Mike Allred, Ben Templesmith, J.M. DeMatteis, Tyler Crook, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Joe Infurnari, Ales Kot, Dean Haspiel, Joshua Dysart and Matt Pizzolo.

This issue continues to impress with thought-provoking contributions. Again, it’s pretty non-partisan and numerous entries border on graphic journalism, and might be creating a whole new genre of graphic social commentary. This is a perfect marriage of comics and politics, of course I dug it. Continue to ignore that word “occupy” and don’t let it taint your willingness to give this series a chance. You’ll be surprised, though shouldn’t be considering the talent behind it.

But on top of the political message and commentary, the series continues to be entertaining. The stories contained within are smartly written and beautifully illustrated, making this a package that has depth in message as well as presentation, an awesome combination. It’s a perfect connection between emotion, facts and art. The stories have depth and are well thought out, their intelligence shows.

Despite some pretty heavy hitter names, Matt Miner’s contribution about his experience with Occupy Sandy during Hurricane Sandy is especially emotional. It really opens up your eyes as to what occurred during that storm and clean up after and the travesty that was relief efforts by the government.

I’m a political nerd. I’m a comic geek. Lets occupy some comics!

Story and art: Alan Moore, David Lloyd, Charlie Adlard, Art Spiegelman, Molly Crabapple, Matt Bors, Mike Allred, Ben Templesmith, J.M. DeMatteis, Tyler Crook, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Joe Infurnari, Ales Kot, Dean Haspiel, Joshua Dysart and Matt Pizzolo
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

12 Reasons to Die #2

This horror-crime hybrid is the latest comic book from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Ghostface Killah. A brutal tale of gangsters, betrayal, and one vengeful soul hunting the 12 most powerful crimelords in the world.

Two issues in and I’m still pretty entertained by the series which mixes horror and crime. Overall though, this second issue isn’t quite as polished as the first and I wonder if the limited series might be better read in one sitting or as a trade paperback.

Again the comic comes off as disjointed stories, with an attempt to weave them together. That weaving isn’t quite as tight as the first one, and that might be where my issue comes into this. The stories don’t fit as quite nicely together as that first issue, jumping around in the subjects and characters and the art at times differing either too much or not much causing delineation between the chapters to be more difficult.

And that’s where I struggle with the comic. Take each of the stories by themselves and they’d be great. But, together there’s an issue for me and the flow between them is part of it. Breaking each section up, even with a page that just says “chapter 1,” etc. might have helped. It could also be the fact I’m reading it digitally, which makes that more difficult.

I’m also at the point I’d like more information about these records and the bigger picture around them. If they’re just a story device, that’s fine, but I’d like that a bit more clearer.

The series is an example of a multi-platform, transmedia concept project with a storyline that spans from the comic book to the new Ghostface Killah album released simultaneously by RZA’s Soul Temple Records. So, you have a soundtrack to check out while reading the comic.

Overall, this is an entertaining example of cross-media entertainment, but the series needs to pick up a bit for me.

Story: Adrian Younge, Ce Garcia, Matthew Rosenberg, Patrick Kindlon Art: Breno Tamura, Gus Storms, Tim Seeley, Nate Powell, Brian Level, Dave Murdoch
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read

Ballistic #1

Welcome to Repo City State, where everyone’s an asshole… even the air conditioners.

Darick Robertson and Adam Egypt Mortimer’s madcap, psychedelic, transreal, utterly-wacko buddy adventure about Butch and his best friend Gun, a drug-addicted, genetically-modified, foul-mouthed firearm, as they attempt to elevate Butch from air conditioner repairman to master criminal in the twisted, post-eco-apocalyptic Repo City State, a reclaimed trash island built entirely from DNA-based, living technology with bad attitudes.

Ballistic marks Darick Robertson’s return to the hard sci-fi worldbuilding of his classic Transmetropolitan but mixed with The Boys’ ultra-violence and the lunacy of Happy. Mortimer’s mix of speculative science, pulpy noire, and drug-addled adventure cooks up a strange brew of Lethal Weapon by way of Cronenberg meets Dr. Who if written by Odd Future.

If you’re a fan of 80s British comics, then you need to do yourself a favor and pick up this debut issue of a series that I’m sure will be making “best of” lists at the end of the year. The story is a mad rush full of adrenaline in a world so far out there and crazy, it’s hard not to be entertained.

Though it might have that “80s British” vibe, the story also feels fresh and innovative. That package also has a main character that has the snappy banter of coolness of Ash from Army of Darkness. You can take your pick as to which character I’m referring to with that one.

On top of the fun story, there’s visuals that’ll blow you away. The world can’t be described, it can only be seen and you’ll find yourself lingering on pages to catch everything and coming back to do that some more once you’re done reading.

The comic lives up to it’s name and blew me away. This one might be a sleeper, but do yourself a favor and go grab a copy!

Story: Adam Egypt Mortimer Art: Darick Robertson
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Black Mask Studios provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review

Summers are filled with blockbuster movies. And as often happens with those blockbusters, spectacle trumps story and acting. Often this irritates me, as I think we’ve seen there is a way to do big blockbusters with both of those things still present. There are times though when I’m more than happy to sit back and enjoy the over the top imagery on the big screen. Pacific Rim is one of those times and movies.

The plot is simple, thin and something I’d expect to find on SyFy. Giant monsters come through a dimensional rift at the bottom of the ocean. We’re talking big monsters, like Godzilla big. To fight the monsters, the world bands together to create robots as big as the monsters. Basically, this is big fucking robots versus big fucking monsters. If you expect anything more than that, you’ll be disappointed.

This movie is all visual feast, something director Guillermo del Toro is known for and excels at. You know when his name is attached, the movie will look amazing. But this is a film that’s a celebration go what’s come before as well, steeped in Japanese pop-culture fun.

The monsters are called Kaiju, a Japanese term and the first obvious nod to what’s come before. Those monsters are given names like Knifehead, Slattern, Raiju, Scunner and Leatherback. Sadly there’s no “mega” or “mecha,” that’s saved for the robots. Those are called Jaegers a German term and they have names like Gipsy Danger, Striker Eureka, Cherno Alpha, Crimson Typhoon and Coyote Tango. Those sound like something out of Battletech, MechWarrior or even Voltron or Robotech. The influence was so strong, I almost felt like I was watching test footage for a future live action film of any of those properties.

If your a fan of those giant monster movies or anything involving giant robots you’ll dig this movie. That’s the draw, and that’s all there is. I could talk about the actors and acting, but it’s dog shit, as I expected. There’s a few known names, but generally the delivery of lines and acting is laughable. Luckily del Toro is smart enough to know that’s not what we want to see. Just give me the giant robots.

It’s funny, the direction was ok, the acting sub-par, the plot thin as can be, but I left the theater wanting to watch the movie again. Even the 3D was good adding a depth to the destruction that didn’t cause me to flinch or want to reach out and grab something, but instead added a layer for the snow, water and debris to fall. This was a summer popcorn movie I knew I was going to turn my brain off for and thoroughly enjoyed because of that. The whole was stronger than any individual part.

I went in to the theater wanting one thing, giant robots fighting giant monsters. Nothing more and nothing less. The movie delivered exactly what I wanted and exactly what I expected. And for that, it’s a success for me and tons of entertainment.

Direction: 7 Acting: 5 Plot: 5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: See in Theater

Comics and the prose book go way back. Marvel was starting its golden age and books like the Avengers, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four were quickly becoming childhood favorites, and they took advantage of this to write what’s now called in the business a “prose novel” (though anyone should know that that’s rather redundant; no, “prose book” isn’t redundant because a book can be non-prose, like a TPB or graphic novel). Marvel’s first prose novel was 1967′s The Avengers Battle the Earth-Wrecker by Otto Binder, and it was an attempt among other things to show that comic book characters could transcend their images, that they could be literary legends as well. I don’t doubt that it was also a smart marketing ploy to allow parents the satisfaction of knowing their kids were reading books, not comics, while still allowing kids (or adults!) to follow their favorite characters’ sagas. DC did this as well, albeit since some of their characters were older, they were able to build the wagon that then carried the proverbial band, with 1942′s The Adventures of Superman by George Lowther. You can check out more titles on Wikipedia. This paragraph is my way of justifying writing a review of a book on a largely comics-based website, so just go with it…

Despite Marvel and DC having founded, pioneered, and created monuments in the comic book prose novel category (though I’m not sure how good the writings of these are), it’s Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden who take home the prize, since they’ve penned two novels to-date and a novella that are spawned from the Gothic atmosphere of the Mignolaverse, aided by Golden’s experience as a novelist, and accompanied with eerie drawing from the mind of Mignola. Now it’s no secret that I’m a Dark Horse fan, since the majority of my reviews are for their stuff, and it should likewise be no secret that I’m a Mignolverse acolyte (hell, I’m planning on writing my Master’s Thesis on the role of the occult and Gothic fascination of American society as it is experienced in modern comics, with special attention Mignola’s books). So when I discovered Father Gaetano’s Puppet Catechism: A Novella, with a promising synopsis on Amazon, I just had to see how he adopted his comic genius to the big page, as it were. What I found in the short novella was entirely worthwhile.

(SPOILERS) The story begins in Sicily during WWII, after Sicily has just witnessed a major battle and the Allies have thrown off the German occupation of the island, making it once again a somewhat insignificant island in the grand scheme of the war. The setting is a rectory in the village of Tringale that’s been turned into an orphanage for those children who lost their parents in the bombing. Already, this is a rather depressed setting rife with emotional possibilities–a key facet of Mignola’s writing. And has anyone else realized that many of his stories are set in wartime? It’s a perfect neo-Gothic setting. A new priest has arrived to take control of the orphanage and local ministry, Father Gaetano. Other protagonists include Sebastiano, a lonely 9-year-old orphan; Sister Teresa, a beautiful but commanding abbess; and Pagliacco, a clown puppet.

Perhaps you can see where this is going given the name of the novella and the cast above? But you’d be only somewhat right. Faith and the ‘parts’ we play in life are the major themes of this book, and Father Gaetano struggles to teach the orphans about free will and the good of God. After all, these kids have lost everything, they’ve seen the worst of human kind, and they’re naturally disenchanted with the religious fold. I know a death in my life caused me to start thinking God wasn’t real; then an anthropology degree led me to the idea that religion is a cultural creation, nothing more (my opinion, the the opinion of this website or anyone else associated herewith). In an effort to capture the children’s imagination and awe them with the word of God, Gaetano uses a puppet theatre left behind by a former caretaker and puppet-master. It is slowly revealed that the puppets might actually be alive; Sebastiano is a key player in all of this, and the development of this plot point is haunting and foreboding.

It becomes obvious to the children, who are visited at night by the puppets, that whatever characters Father Gaetano makes the puppets play during the teaching of the Bible, is the role the puppets take on in their late-hour after-dark lives. The David and Goliath puppets try to kill one another, and the Noah puppet causes a disturbance trying to get the children to help him build an ark. It’s not until Father Gaetano decides to teach the children about good and evil, the double-edged sword of ‘free will,’ and the Fall, that the eerie animation of the puppets takes a turn for the dark. A Lucifer puppet! His creation changes the game, forces realizations that childhood play and the opinions of children are not something to cast off as young, imaginative nonsense. The ending is dark, ominous, and suggestive of the sort of sinister, calculating evil feared by the Church for so long–another of Mignola’s literary watermarks.

Several small, black-and-white Mignola illustrations are included in the book, probably no more than a dozen, and they create a relationship with the text that is not always exactly representative of the actions in the narrative, but more often captures, expresses, and intensifies the tone of Mignola and Golden’s narrative. My only complaint is a petty desire for more, more, more of Mignola’s illustrations!

Hopefully this has your interest, and maybe you’ll have the time to break away from your growing stack of comics to check out Mignola and Golden’s Father Gaetano’s Puppter Catechism, a chilling and instructive novella about the evil we create in our own lives, and that humans are ultimately responsible for their creations, not deities.

Story: Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden  Art: Mike Mignola
Story: 9  Art: 8  Overall: 9  Recommendation: Buy and Read

A1 #2

In the second smashing issue of the award-winning anthology we find…

Carpediem Agents must save their leader, Sir 8th Day, from an army of clowns, commanded by the fascist Clown Nazi!  But who is The Clown Nazi? And what is the reason for his grudge against Sir 8th Day? Find out in BY BLOOD A KING, IN HEART A CLOWN!

Blazing Glory’s supernatural Odyssey continues, as John Wilson joins the war effort and ends up on the front line — in arm’s reach of ADOLPH HITLER!

Weirding Willows gets ever weirder as the White Rabbit, Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny lead Alice to the heart of the Wild Wood to face a destructive new visitor. Meanwhile, Dr Moreau and the Wicked Witch of the West finalize their deal for the creation of an army of Flying Monkeys.

The anthology is in it’s second issue and continues to blow me away. Three different stories with three different tones in both plot and look. Each excellent in varying ways.

Carpediem, continues to the story of the strange band of super-spies that is as bizarre in story as it looks. The characters and story is original, entertaining and fun, exactly what a comic should be.

Odyssey is the least original of the bunch with a look and feel of a certain Marvel character. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as we’re only two parts in we’ll see how it differentiates itself. The art is beautiful and story is still entertaining. It just feels like I’ve “seen” it before.

Mash-up tales, especially with literary characters, has been very popular these last few years and Weirding Willows is the latest example. Still, this spin is original and definitely entertaining. I’m still figuring out the world it inhabits, but we’re two parts in.

And that’s the only negative thing I have to say about this series, I want more. The stories feel a bit short and as soon as I’m done I want to find out more. Any of these stories can be a series unto itself. They’re that good I want them to be, so I can get more of it at one time instead of bit by bit month by month.

As I finish each issue I want to read more, that’s a good thing right?

Story: Dave Elliot, W.H. Rauf Art: Barnaby Bagenda, Sami Basri, Sakti Yuwono, Jessica Kholinne, Garrie Gastony, Rhoald Marcelius
Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Chronos Commandos: Dawn Patrol #1

When the Allies and Nazis develop time-diving technology that could see the course of the Second World War derailed by creatures from the Cretaceous period, only the Sarge and his band of misfit soldiers can save the future – by saving history!

Dinosaurs! Giant crocodiles! Time travel! Nazis! Albert Einstein with a machinegun! All that barely scratches the surface of this astounding, fully-painted pulp spectacular!

Buckle up, ladies, it’s going to be a bumpy, cigar-chewin’ thrill-ride!

Take soldiers, mix in time travel and add a bit of dinosaurs and you get this series. It feel straight out of the B-Movies I used to watch on Sundays and that’s awesome.

The first issue feels like the scene just before the credits roll in a movie, setting up the main characters and generally what’s going on. We don’t know how time travel works, but are given some rules in which this world runs. Given as a bit of dialogue that you know will come back later and be important, just like I’d imagine in a movie.

The characters are cookie cutter and that’s ok. When it comes to soldiers do you really need more than the “nervous guy,” “wise guy,” and the “grizzled leader”? That’s what we get and I’m totally good with it, because this comic is all about pulp fun, not some deep introspection on characters or war.

I went in to the comic fully expecting what it turned out to be. It knows what type of comic it is and wants to be and delivers it in beautiful pages and art. Chronos Commandos could wind up being one of the most fun pulp comics of the summer.

Story and Art: Stuart Jennett
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Titan Comics provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review

Unless you’re H. G. Wells, time travel is a difficult subject to get right, but the latest installment of Dynamite‘s Miss Fury makes a pretty good effort.

For the unfamiliar, our heroine is the sultry Marla Drake…billionaire heiress, petty thief, and Nazi slayer. After downing a magical potion on a trip to Kenya, funded by daddy’s pocketbook, she inherits superpowers (four books in and I’m not entirely sure what they are though, super strength?). The story isn’t that simple though…Miss Fury gets a chance to demonstrate these powers in 1943, 2013, and ‘the future,’ made possible by time traveling Nazis attempting to destroy America from within. I think.

When I first heard about the plot of Rob Williams‘ new series I thought he had bitten off more than he could chew…and at times he does (there’s a giant battleship sitting on the streets of D.C.). For the most part though, he treats the readers as intellectuals and makes us keep up with the time jumps (watch for the word SWITCH). Williams continues to build on Marla’s emotional backstory with a childhood memory and an equally poignant telegram scene.

Jack Herbert‘s art keeps up with the non linear script. Not everyone can make the transition from Victorian hand gloves to Nazi cyborgs look seamless. His panels, coupled with some brilliant covers by a host of contributing artists, make for a visually stunning series.

Miss Fury has clearly come a long way since her her 1941 debut. Williams chose a unique direction for her resurgence, and although the storyline might lose some folks, those that stick with it will be glad they did.

Story: Rob Williams Art: Jack Herbert
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Buy

Dynamite Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Oni Press‘ Viking saga, Helheim, continues to be one of the best new titles of the year. Set in a harsh Scandanavian landscape, the story centers around Rikard, a once fearsome warrior, and now resurrected Draugr (think Norse Frankenstein Zombie) who scours the countryside in search of vengeance. His anger directed at two dueling witches, Bera (who controls the undead) and Groa (who controls the ungodly), both of whom had a hand in his current state. The otherworldly battle between the creatures of the night and Rikard’s army is over, but, after seeing the toll taken, victory is a distant word.

Cullen Bunn‘s writing continues to amaze. At first I was concerned at how quickly Rikard became a Draugr (back in issue #1), but through memories, dialogue, and actions, he is able to keep developing our undead protagonist’s character. He even sheds a sympathetic light on the witches during a talk between Bera and Groa’s insectoid surrogate on their ill-fated actions.

In a perfect pairing, Joelle Jones‘ artwork and Nick Filardi‘s colors breathe life into the otherwise bleak scenery (particularly the reds). The soft pastels and faded panels of Rikard’s childhood with his father is a brilliant contrast to the ax wielding, blood splattered warrior of the present. The winged Draugr was a genius touch, though I wish they had celebrated it more on the cover. Instead of folded wings jumping through the air, they could have had him hunched over, gargoyle-like on the edge of the cliff with them outstretched.

For those that have yet to journey into Oni’s territory, you need not fear, this series is a far cry from their now-popular Scott Pilgrim title. Bunn and Jones continue to push the boundaries, and I have yet to see anything short of excellence.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Joelle Jones
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Oh boy, oh boy! Gail Simone’s highly anticipate Red Sonja #1 is finally here—at last an end to the long run of lame ducks that has been Red Sonja for the past few years. Well, sort of…but you be the judge, oh lovers of the She-Devil with a Sword!

*Spoilers* The premiere issue in this series is written by Gail Simone and penciled by Walter Geovani, and while the two make an excellent team, pairing mainstream style few-panel pages with Simone’s script, the whole first issue seems a bit awkward. For one, the events that lead Sonja to the main plot of this first issue (and which will likely consist of the first arc in the series) are a bit unbelievable, and minor characters are given rather silly lines, especially the two ‘bodyguards’ sent to bring Sonja to the aid of King Dimath.

It seems for the first few pages that Simone hasn’t really mastered the voice of Sonja—or perhaps I just don’t like the atmosphere of the Red Sonja comics as they’ve been written of late—but by the time Sonja finds herself training a legion of rejects and children to fight an army, the script picks up in quality and tone. And the issue wraps nicely in on itself, linking beginning and end in a surprising way. Surely there’s something familiar in a parable of the psychological effects of inhuman torture and imprisonment.

The narrative is one for legends: a great warrior is chosen to teach a city of rejects and children to fight a trained army within a week. That warrior is Sonja, who takes to her task out of thanks for Dimath saving her life, and who actually apologizes when she is unable to prepare the conscripts in time. The apology aside, this is definitely the essence of Red Sonja, who constantly bathes in war and feeds off the donning of her bikini-mail armor.

The cover by Nicola Scott is fantastic, and I wish Scott had illustrated the whole book. Geovani’s artwork was certainly adept at capturing the violence and blood of Sonja, but it’s disappointing that the most artistic flare is seen in the curves and exposed skin of Sonja’s body, rather than in bringing to life a fantasy world deserving of more artistic attention.

I’m a big nerd for sword-and-sorcery type books: I love Dark Horse’s Conan, was sad to see DC’s Sword of Sorcery cancelled, and I even have collected issues from Marvel’s original run of Red Sonja in the 1970s. But I’ve constantly gone back and forth regarding Dynamite’s books like Red Sonja and Warlord of Mars, as they tend to feature writers who make the stories awkward and artists that spend more time on boobs and butts than on captivating imagery. This isn’t to say all of Dynamite’s books are bad; in fact they have a good line-up, but I wish they’d do something more engaging with the franchises beloved by so many.

I’ll continue to read Simone’s run on Red Sonja, and I hope to see an improvement in the script as she becomes more familiar with the character’s tone and the book itself. If she can bring the emotional depth and quality of writing I experience every time I read Batgirl, then I know Dynamite’s new Red Sonja will be a book worth putting at the top of the week’s pull-list.

Story: Gail Simone  Art: Walter Geovani, Nicola Scott (Regular Cover)
Story: 7  Art: 6.5  Overall: 7  Recommendation: Read

Dynamite Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

It’s Monday so that means we look at a segment of the comic book fanbase on Facebook. This week is a bit different though. I’ve been doing these posts comparing one to the other, but, how does it compare to Facebook users in general? With San Diego Comic-Con kicking off this week, I thought it’d be great to do a week of reports, but first kicking off with just Facebook users in general based on their geography.

For this study there were no terms used, just geography. So, this is straight users in the United States and then users globally which includes 21 countries, a mix of heavy comic readers and some of the most populous and representative of across the world.

Facebook Population: Over 176,000,000 in the United States

Facebook Population: Over 700,000,000 fans globally

Spanish speakers account for now 8,800,000 fans, 5% in the United States and 92 million, 13.14% globally.

Gender and Age

I’ve known this for a while, but women dominate Facebook users in the United States with a majority of 53.41% of the population. Globally it flips with women making up the minority with 46.29%. The fact women are the majority in the United States accounts for some of the statistics we’ve seen in the past when it comes to fandoms.

United States

Global

We’ll next look at how the percentage of women and men break down through age.

United States

Global

What’s interesting is women become the majority in both after some time, in the United States much sooner and in the United States women hold the majority in all age brackets except one.

And here’s all of that raw data.

United States

Global

Relationship Status

Comparing the US and global statistics, the United States percentage wise has more married individuals, but less engaged or in relationships.

United States

Global

And for those that like pie charts.

United States

Global

Education

When it comes to percentages, the United States has a greater percent listed as a college graduate compared to the greater global group.

United States

Global

Gender Interest

this one is interesting in that globally, the percentages of individuals interested in individuals of the same sex dwarfs that of the United States, pretty much all at the expense of women interested in men.

United States

Global

Now that we know how the United States and global statistics break down, we’ll be able to compare fandoms going forward. Join us tomorrow as we start off with a mid-Month look at comic fans in general!

For thousands of years, the world has been controlled by the “50 Families” — a secret network of vampire covens engaged in a timeless struggle for power. But when the sun rises, the vampires are forced to employ the services of a human who acts as their daytime fixer and protector…Trained for centuries to be the mortal soldiers of their vampire employers, the Day Men go forth at sunrise, alone into the world, to do the bidding of their sleeping benefactors.

This week sees the release of BOOM! Studios‘ newest original series Day Men. It also marks the first release from industry legend Brian Stelfreeze as part of the BOOM! family, his first monthly drawing of a comic since 2005. The series is created by Matt Gagnon and co-written by Michael Alan Nelson someone who absolutely knows how to write these types of comics.

Do yourself a favor and check out this new series that has a hell of a lot of buzz.

Below are nine other choices in alphabetical order.

• Batman ’66 #1 – The DC comic book has a lot of chatter and all of it good in this campy return to the feel of the classic television series.
• Blood Brothers #1 – Dark Horse’s new series that has two vampires who are also modern day bounty hunters. There’s a great comedic tone in this one.
• The Killer Vol. 4 Unfair Competition – Matz is back with his amazing international series following an international assassin. It’s beyond cool and perfect for fans of Bond.
• Numbercruncher #1 – Titan Comics has been cranking out some amazing series, and this is no exception. By Si Spurrier!
• Red Sonja #1 - Gail Simone’s anticipated new take on Red Sonja arrives! And it’s already sold out at the distributor level.
• Revival #12 – You folks should be reading this!!!!
• Scarlet #7 - Brian Michael Bendis’ take on the current political unease and activism. It might be a while between issues, but its worth the wait.
• The Strain: The Fall #1 – The horror series is back with the next volume. Pick it up before it hits the airwaves as a television series.
• Superior Carnage #1 – So far all of Marvel’s “Superior” comics have been fantastic (though it is just two of them). Can they three-peat?

B.P.R.D. #109 Mike Mingola, accompanied by Mignolaverse and B.P.R.D. regular John Arcudi, brings some clarity and relief to the plot that’s been developing in the Hell on Earth series, concluding the Wasteland story line by wrapping up some narratives and turning the spotlight onto new ones—the best way to keep a long-running series interesting and attention-grabbing.

With the absence of original B.P.R.D. characters, except for Johann Kraus, the book just doesn’t feel the same, but it’s a good difference that allows Mignola to explore a new aspect of the paranormal reality he’s brought to life in hundreds of comics. The apocalypse seems all around, and the last few B.P.R.D. issues have the feel of a zombie thriller in which the plague is airborne. But, as we learn, with the advent of a new character, Howards, the demon-making gas hasn’t affected everyone (or the horses). Mignola uses the child Lucas introduced in B.P.R.D. #107 as a foil to bring about a ‘final battle’ against the monsters, with a twist ending and a Conan easter egg.

Laurence Campbell, as I’ve said before, is perfect for the Hell on Earth series, since he creates a truly bleak atmosphere with disgusting monsters and a truly horrifying glimpse of deathly visages. Additionally, his art is well suited to the zombie apocalypse feel of the book. Dave Stewart brings his talented history with Mignola books to bear on Campbell’s art. Stewart plays on the sketched-lines and minimalistic facial and figure art to expand the feel of Campbell’s pencils and inks, and though he has proved his mastery of vibrant colors elsewhere, he exacerbates Campbell’s artistic atmosphere by limiting the issue’s color spectrum, the feat of a truly skilled colorist.

B.P.R.D. #109 is another fine addition to the Mignolaverse narrative, strong in horror-comic artistry and hitting home with a dead mother and a mysterious new character.

Story: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi  Art: Laurence Campbell and Dave Stewart
Story: 8  Art: 8  Overall: 8  Recommendation: Buy

The Strain: The Fall #1 I really wasn’t sure if David Lapham’s adaptation of Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s vampire horror novel The Strain, and continuation of the Dark Horse comics of the same name, was something I wanted to read—after all, while I may be a horror comics fan, the images Dark Horse has been using for advertisement are a bit too creepy for me. I can say now, though, if you’re like me, and you decided against The Strain: the Fall #1, you might want to rethink that decision and check this book out!

The Strain: The Fall #1 is a thrilling, complex, and innovative new take on the all-too familiar vampire mythos, blending the mystery of Mesopotamia and mystical books with city-wide epidemic paranoia and devious plotting by a Master and his pawns. Though I haven’t read del Toro of Hogan’s novel, by the end of this premiere issue I knew this is a vampire tale I was meant to fall in bloody love with!

Lapham’s script is well written, introducing plenty of main characters, several plot lines, and all of it in a well-paced package wrapped up neatly in Mike Huddleston’s apt art. (Not sure if these characters were in the previous The Strain comics, since this is my first experience therewith) There was a lot going on in this first issue, and I got lost on some of the names and their motivations, but that didn’t stop me from flipping back through the pages to re-enjoy everything and figure it out—sometimes things need a second time through; sometimes that’s bad, but this is time it’s well worth it!

Our culture is truly vampire crazed, and has been for a long time; this is the sort of stuff I study outside of comics: America’s cultural fascination with the occult and the Gothic. The Strain: The Fall is a great take on vampires because it makes them into the apex predator we believe they would be, one with a tendril tongue that infects and drinks blood, a true horror to behold, because they can strike from afar! Seriously, on a scale of Twilight to shit-my-pants, these are probably the most fear-inducing vamps I’ve come across.

Kudos to Lapham and crew for adapting del Toro and Hogan’s story and making it into something truly incredible. Another fantastic debut from Dark Horse.

Story: David Lapham  Art: Mike Huddleston
Story: 9  Art: 9  Overall: 9  Recommendation: Buy

Star Wars: Dark Times—A Spark Remains #1 While Star Wars: Dark Times has always been about the pain of war and defeat, and the fate of the Jedi and their compatriots following the Clone Wars and Order 66, A Spark Remains #1 is a touching, more human look at the lives, losses, and love of what seem in the hands of Randy Stradley and Douglas Wheatley to be real people, torn by war, hunted by the Dark Side. We see Jedi, warriors, and smugglers cooking, fearing, watching the Holonet, trying to figure out how to survive.

Stradley starts this issue in media res, capturing his audience with an incredible 5-page layout that hooks us into a plot to…erm, *spoilers,* take Darth Vader’s life. We then are transported several weeks into the past, where we get to see the beginning of this storyline and a more human side of Dass Jennir and his non-human compatriots. Stradley’s writing is spotless (then again, can’t expect much less from an editor, eh?) and sophisticated, and moves along at such a pace that we get nice forays into the everyday side of life on the run from the Empire alongside (and at the same time as) rebellion and devious plots.

Wheatley proves his mettle by taking characters who would otherwise look awkward and fantastically out of place in the Star Wars universe—like the Verpine Jedi Sahdett, the Nosaurian freedom fighter Bomo Greenbark, Ratty the Rannat mechanic, and the Yarkora captain Heren, who belong to species that usually are drawn as completely unrealistic and unbelievable in their settings—and he makes them look comfortable amongst the most diverse crew to ever grace a Star Wars publication. This is a truly a great diversification of the largely (white, male) human-centric cast of much of Star Wars.

Reviewers (including myself) have said that Wood’s Star Wars ongoing is what the franchise is the saga at its finest, but Dark Times, and especially A Spark Remains, is what Star Wars has become for a new era in which the future of the film franchise is in question and the EU threatened. It’s a grown-up book recognizes that its readers expected more of the beloved franchise than just lightsaber duels and blaster shoot-outs. Stradley, editor of Dark Horse’s Star Wars Zone has made a significant contribution to the great legacy of Star Wars comics in the form of A Spark Remains #1. It’s about camaraderie, something all Star Wars fans could use these days.

Story: Randy Stradley  Art: Douglas Wheatley
Story: 8  Art: 8  Overall: 8.5  Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review

We’re charging right ahead with our special editions of our Facebook Fandom Spotlight, this time with comic fans in the United States! Yesterday we looked at the below statistics for Facebook user in general, both in the United States and globally. So, now we have something to compare these statistics to.

For this report, I again looked at the terms we used in previous reports, over 40 “likes” on Facebook, primarily focused on terms like “comics” or “graphic novels” or publishers. I stay away from specific characters, creators or series, because this does not indicate they are a comic book fan. You can see our previous report from two weeks ago to compare.

Facebook Population: Over 10,600,000 in the United States

That’s a fraction of the United States Facebook user population, but about 6%, which is a decent amount, much higher than the niche interest many would have you believe it is. Spanish speakers account for now 580,000 fans, 5.47% in the United States that’s almost 1% higher than the general Facebook population.

Gender and Age

I’ve known this for a while, but women dominate Facebook users in the United States with a majority of 53.41% of the population. That doesn’t hold up for comic book fans though, which is a little over 60% male. That’s greater than a complete flip from the general population.

Facebook Users

Comic Fans

We’ll next look at how the percentage of women and men break down through age.

Facebook Users

Comic Fans

So, we can say that the trend lines are partially affected by those on Facebook. After some time, women are the majority of fans, just like the gap between men and women increases over the time for the general Facebook populace. But, there is clearly a gender gap that reaches it’s peak in the early 30s.

And here’s all of that raw data.

Facebook Users

Comic Fans

Relationship Status

There’s a stereotype that comic fans are single, and these statistics don’t help that at all. The general Facebook population is older percentage wise, so this isn’t too surprising. But, more comic fans are in relationships!

Facebook Users

Comic Fans

And for those that like pie charts.

Facebook Users

Comic Fans

Education

In education levels, the comic fans are very similar to general Facebook users, but more are in college and high school, easily accounted for due to the younger population.

Facebook Users

Comic Fans

Gender Interest

This one surprised me a bit. Comic fans are less interested in individuals of the same gender. I expected it to be at least the same if not higher due to the inclusive nature of many “geek” related hobbies.

Facebook Users

Comic Fans

We continue this tomorrow where we compare global fans!

Yesterday we looked at comic fans on Facebook in the United States and today we continue that, but on a global scale. We also have an idea of what the general Facebook users are like as well. So, much like yesterday we’ll compare comic fans to Facebook users, but globally.

For this report, I again looked at the terms we used in previous reports, over 40 “likes” on Facebook, primarily focused on terms like “comics” or “graphic novels” or publishers. I stay away from specific characters, creators or series, because this does not indicate they are a comic book fan. You can see our previous report from two weeks ago to compare. This also includes 21 countries that either are known for the comic fans or a major population center.

Facebook Population: Over 42,000,000 fans globally

Again, that’s right about 6% of the population, just like we saw in the United States. Spanish speakers account for now 6,600,000 fans, 15.71% over 2% more than the general Facebook user population.

Gender and Age

Globally, men are the majority of Facebook users, 52.57%, and no surprise the percentage increases for comic fans. Men account for 61.9% of the population. An increase, but not nearly the same as we saw in the US population.

Global

Global Comic Fans

We’ll next look at how the percentage of women and men break down through age.

Global

Global Comic Fans

The global trend of gender and age mimics the United States comic fans more so than anything else. But again, women are the majority later in age, so this might account for the global trend as well.

And here’s all of that raw data.

Global

Global Comic Fans

Relationship Status

Again, comic fans are far less in relationships with a clear majority single. This is a major change from the global Facebook user breakdown.

Global

Global Comic Fans

And for those that like pie charts.

Global

Global Comic Fans

Education

Again much like the US fandom, the percentage of fans in college and high school is greater.

Global

Global Comic Fans

Gender Interest

Also like the US fandom global comic fans are also less interested in the same gender as the general global Facebook user.

Global

Global Comic Fans

Tomorrow we’ll compare the US and global Facebook fandoms!

After being introduced to a plethora of pulp heroes in Dynamite‘s Masks, I’ve been hoping for a quality monthly series on one of the lesser known characters…and this is it.

Brian Buccellato teamed up with Ronan Cliquet to create one of the pulpiest (there’s no red squiggly line, so this has to be a word) storylines in print. After former mob defense attorney Tony Quinn is blinded during a falling out with his clientele, a secretive organization gives him a new sense of sight and accompanying combat skills. His first self-determined task his to rescue dozens of kidnapped police officers, but it’s an uphill battle against a bomb-wielding drug kingpin and a distrustful police force.

Despite the indelible impression that Batman has on our psyche, Buccellato manages to take an anti-hero of similar name, abilities, and even original release date and make him stand apart. He develops Quinn, and his informant sidekick, just enough each issue to keep us coming back. He’s also given us a look at the man behind the organization’s curtain, or in this instance, beautiful woman and Xavierish co-worker. There are still a lot more questions that need answers though, including who’s ‘upstairs’ that they report to.

Ronan Cliquet took Buccellato’s modern pulp vision and made it a reality. His gritty pencils and use of shadows enable the Black Bat to traverse the city as naturally as the smoke billowing from the industrial plants. Although almost snakelike, Cliquet’s bat fangs are slowly transforming Tony Quinn from man into symbol…and I welcome it.

With glimpses at who Tony Quinn was, is, and can be, there is a wealth of storyline left to build on. Cliquet’s canvas is as vast and opportunistic as Buccellato’s plot. Together, they are going to make The Black Bat one of the best series on the market.

Story: Brian Buccellato Art: Ronan Cliquet
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Dynamite Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

With San Diego Comic-Con kicking off this week, we got a chance to interview the writer of Night of the 80′s Undead, Jason Martin about the series, Action Lab, and his career in comics.

Martin was nice enough to be subjected to 10 Questions!

Graphic Policy: How did you get involved in the comic book industry?

Jason Martin: I self-published my own comic, Super Real, an over-the-top mash-up of reality TV and comic book super-heroes, and then started publishing other books under my Super Real Graphics (SRG) imprint (such as Wolves of Odin, and Zombie Tramp).

GP: Did you read comics growing up? Do you read them now?

JM: Yes, and yes. I started reading Marvel in the late 70’s with their Star Wars adaptations, and then got into the black & white indie comics of the early to mid-80’s. I stopped reading for about a decade and then got back into them in the mid-90’s, and haven’t stopped since. (I’m a junkie, it’s true!)

GP: How did you come to work with Action Lab on this project?

JM: I actually run their mature readers imprint, Danger Zone, which my Night of the 80’s Undead is a part of. Dave Dwonch, Action Lab’s creative director and I have worked together before, and things lined up for me to join him at Action Lab. He and I both really love working with other creators to help bring cool projects to the market (and our own books too).

GP: Where did the idea of Night of the 80s Undead come from?

JM: I was looking to create a zombie anthology, featuring Zombie Tramp stories and more, and wanted to create a short zombie story of my own. My idea to do something 80’s with zombies came later, but once it did, it quickly took on a life of it’s own…

GP:  Night of the 80s Undead has a lot of pop culture references, what’d you do to prep for the series and are you a general fan of pop culture?

JM: Watched too much TV, read too many comics, listened to massive amounts of music, and checked out as many cool movies as I could… for 40 years!

GP: The coloring of the series screams 80s with its pastel coloring. How much input did you have when it came to the art and coloring?

JM: Well, I’m an artist, but on this book I’m collaborating with Bill McKay for the art, he’s great. Since I’m pretty visual, my scripts tend to be fairly detailed, but Bill adds and changes things some (and tolerates my panel layout OCD). Also, I color the book, and asked Bill to let me do so straight from his pencils. I love pencil art, plus, his pencils are great, and they add a nice raw/rough element to the art. But yes, I’m using a pretty aggressive 80’s color scheme to help scorch the awesomeness into retinas.

GP:  The comics from the time were the beginning of the “gritty” period and when it blew up. Were there any thoughts on incorporating that time for comic books?

JM: No, I saw this as more an exploration of 80’s genre cinema (aka VHS movies), and 80’s Undead, while gory and dark, is all about fun and the joy of comics.

GP: There’s a lot of winks and nods as to what’s happened over the years to some of these celebrities, were there any jokes you didn’t use because they went too far?

JM: Nope. I try not to censor myself. If I offend folks with a comic book about raging cocaine fueled zombie celebrities, then perhaps I’m doing something right.

GP: What types of hurdles have you met creating comics, and any lessons learned you can share? What advice do you have for someone breaking into the entertainment industry?

JM: The biggest hurdle is just committing to do it. To create that book you’ve dreamed up. In this day, if you have a passion for comics and want to tell your own stories, there are so many options for you. Go for it!

GP: What can we expect from you next?

JM: Maybe some 80’s Undead sequels? But first, issue 2 and 3, then the trade paperback collection. Plus you can get the book digitally too. We’ve got lots of really cool books coming out now from Danger Zone, and more on the way. So hopefully I can get some more concepts of my own into the mix. I have no shortage of ideas and stories.

Talk about a weird line up for a review…but these titles caught my eye this week, and though there were plenty of other gems on my pull list from the Big Two, like Batman and Catwoman #22, Batwoman #22, Wonder Woman #22, the titles in this review deserved just a little bit more attention. We’re talking debuts and major events, people!

Justice League of America #6

I wasn’t incredibly impressed with Justice League #22, the first part of the Trinity War event, if only because there was a ton going on, and although it melded well over a dozen stories together, for some reason it didn’t click. Must’ve been the Doctor Light thing…such a huge lead up to “someone” getting killed, and it just kinds puttered by (albeit wrapped up in a fancy Ivan Reis package to go). That, paired with Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1 and my qualms therewith, I really just wasn’t sure what to think before opening JLA #6. But, damn! It. Got. Good.

Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire pull us into the aftermath of what is a life-changing event for the New 52 Superman, and which has the two non-Dark JLs rather shook up. I think Justice League of America #6 has revived Trinity War from the path of Age of Ultron because it combined serious mythological mystery, superhumans plagued with the problems of mortals, and strikes fear and concern into the hearts of the World’s Finest. We start to learn more about the Question, and just what he can do, and we find out that the gods of Olympus used Pandora because they were afraid of the box (that clarifies some of my conundrums with Pandora #1).

Johns and Lemire deliver what is not only the best JLA issue so far, matching the Johns’ skill at complex multi-level narrative creation with Lemire’s ability to make his characters seem human, imbuing them with emotions and fears we never think to see in the like of Superman (who’s now got a cold!). Douglas Mahnke provides pencils that rival Reis’, though they have a more cartoony feel compared to Reis’ very realist approach to character representation. The page spreads in this book are magnificent, fitting the grandeur of two Justice Leagues going head to head.

Trinity Warriors, Justice League of America #6 effectively redeems the long-awaited event, takes the intrigue of Justice League #22 to a new level by questioning the origin of evil, pitting mythology and science and magic against one another in a tale of drama that captures the mystico-scientific and superpower paranoia facing us mortals in the real world.

Trinity War continues with Justice League Dark #22, and if JLA #6 is any indication of how earth-shatteringly awesome this event is panning out to be, then you can’t miss the next installment.

Story: Geoff Johns, Jeff Lemire  Art: Douglas Mahnke
Story: 8  Art: 7.75  Overall: 8  Recommendation: Buy

Superior Carnage #1

I’ll lay it bare: even for a Spidey fan (my second favorite Marvel menace), I had absolutely no idea who Carnage was until the solicits for Superior Spider-Month, and I’m not necessarily ashamed, though my collection includes Amazing Spider-Man #340, an issue in which Peter is attack by a bunch of female baddies, and just four issues before Carnage’s debut in #344 (1991). So putting Superior Carnage #1 on my pull-list was really just a nod to the whole Superior Spider-Month of July. I can say after reading it, that as a fan of horror comics, this five-part mini-series is going to stay securely on that list.

Writer Kevin Shinick, who has a very diverse track record, and artist Stephen Segovia blew me out of the water with this first issue, and creeper me out just a bit…they almost had me a shit-stained Ted Connelly. Scarlet Spider’s monstrous side, and the more demonic incarnations of Venom, have nothing on Superior Carnage, who’s really a blood-red Venom on bathsalts, a murdering, rampaging monster, and the ultimate weapon.

Shinick’s use of the throwaway Connelly character is a brilliant way to build the legend of Carnage for a first-time reader, allowing the anticipation of the red horror to sink in for seven pages before SPLOOSH! Carnage is back, baby! Segovia’s Carnage is the child of nightmares, and he expertly captures the fear and piss-stains of Connelly, and shows his talent with a remarkable full-page bleed panel in which The Wizard reveals something of Venom’s history and his own plans for Carnage. The transitions between characters while juxtaposing Shinick’s monologue for The Wizard is cover-worthy comic art.

Superior Carnage #1 is a fantastic debut for this creative team, and a great way to get to know this absolutely terrifying character. I’m a little on edge to see what The Wizard has in store for Carnage, but I trust this series will live up to the first issue and make for a great Marvel horror saga.

Story: Kevin Shinick  Art: Stephen Segovia
Story: 7.5  Art: 8  Overall: 8  Recommendation: Buy

 Batman ’66 #1

I’ve saved the best for last, and no, I didn’t think this comic was going to be worth even the $3.99 cover price—I think I need to stop underestimating comics, or maybe I should keep doing it so I keep reading great ones when I’m expecting drivel. Batman ’66 #1 really is a case of judging a book by its cover; it’s a little mean to say, but Michael and Laura Allred’s cover is offputtingly ugly (which is weird, because Michael Allred’s covers are usually fantastic), but once you get past its ugly exterior, it’s a joyride inside.

Jeff Parker weaves a tale of the Riddler and his quest to solve a riddle left in the statues of a bygone artist, and this first issue involves Batman, the Boy Wonder, Catwoman, and the Riddler. Holy Good Writing, Parker must have rewatched Batman: The Movie (1966) and the original television show (1966-1968), because all of the dialogic camp of Adam West and Burt Ward is incarnate in the script. The original TV series and movie will always have a place in comic fans’ hearts, and though we may laugh at the ridiculousness of the 60s Batman, Parker has made Batman ’66 #1 both an impressive homage to that era in the Dark Knight’s history as well as a light-hearted adventure that I think even the most close-minded of Batman fans with take seriously.

Jonathan Case goes miles beyond Parker’s script to creates the atmosphere of the iconographically pot-drenched, acid-tripping 1960s (seriously people, there was more to that whole decade that peculiar intoxicants and smelly dancers swinging to guitar medleys), and with the fell swoop of his artistic genius he invigorates Batman ’66 #1 with bold pastels and bright psychedelic hues. Case does not shy away from an ingenious and plainly fun use of Kirby dots in a nod to that era’s artistic style, and he pairs these with some of the best colorist work I’ve seen all year. Is it too late to sign him up for a Harvey?!

Batman ’66 #1 is a unique pleasant surprise, a nice break from the dark world of today’s larger-than-life superhero narratives, yet still couched in the mythology of the Dark Knight! Go figure, folks!

Story: Jeff Parker  Art: Jonathan Case
Story: 9  Art: 9  Overall: 9  Recommendation: Buy

With the new Wolverine movie set to open, I felt it was worth looking at who fans of the X-Men and Wolverine are!

For this report, I again looked at the terms we used in previous reports, over 40 “likes” on Facebook, this time the terms were characters that are popular in the X-Men, movies, video games, and cartoons. We’ll also be focused on the United States for this report.

Facebook Population: Over 7,200,000 fans in the United States

I reached that number and kept piling on terms, but it didn’t move. The general comic fan population in the US is 10.6 million folks, so that’s a pretty good size no matter how you compare it. Spanish speakers account for now 400,000 fans, 5.56%, a little bit higher than the general fandom.

Gender and Age

The breakdown of male and women fans is a bit better than the general US. Men account for just over 58% while women are almost 42%. That’s a slight difference from the general population where men are a little over 60%.

X-Men and Wolverine Fans

 We’ll next look at how the percentage of women and men break down through age.

X-Men and Wolverine Fans

That trend line chart is very similar to the previous study of general comic fans in the US.

X-Men and Wolverine Fans

Relationship Status

The fans of the X-Men are also similar to general comic fans, but a bit more of them are married.

X-Men and Wolverine Fans

And for those that like pie charts.

X-Men and Wolverine Fans

Education

Here women stand out as percentage wise more of them are college grads, but overall the population has more education than the general comic fandom.

X-Men and Wolverine Fans

Gender Interest

Men interested in men is much greater than the general comic fandom, while women interested in women is less. An interesting difference that stands out here.

X-Men and Wolverine Fans

Join us Monday when we look at fans of comic blogs!

This review originally appeared in a slightly different form on my now-dead, short-lived personal blog back in May. But Graphic Policy is a much better location for this review!

A few months ago (back in May) I helped to organize a local convention at my university, serving as a panelist coordinator, and while the convention wasn’t the most successful to date in the history of cons, it was nonetheless a wonderful experience to be involved in, and especially to meet all of the wonderful artists, writers, cosplayers, and even actors who participated in our wide-ranging panels. I got the opportunity to check out our exhibition hall, where we had several comic book industry insiders, including Brandon Jerwa (Vampirella, Battlestar Galactica, G.I. Joe), Mark Rahner (Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Rotten), Mike Catron and Gary Groth (co-founders of Fantagraphics Books and the guys who took over The Nostalgia Journal and turned it into today’s famous The Comics Journal), James Taylor (artist and co-founder of Jet City Comic Show), and a number of authors (Danika Dinsmre, Janet Lee Carey), several professors from Western Washington University and the University of Washington, and many vendors from Portland, OR to Vancouver, B.C.

One of the best finds of the con, however, was meeting Jordan Kotzebue and cashing in a well-spent $15 for the first three issues of his Hominids series. Kotzebue’s work in this creator-owned, independent comic series is outstanding, with a playful artistic style that is beautiful, fun to look at, and richly detailed. One quick flip through his books and I was sold (quite literally) on their ability to at least visually captivate and tell and solid story. I was not disappointed, either, by the writing, especially after the story comes into its own in issues #2 and #3 (it feels as though #1 was written by someone completely different).

Hominids is not just good and original art, though, it’s also a really intricate and playful story which deals with complex issues that plague society today. While it’s not necessarily a good review to say “this connects to society,” since almost every comic or piece of Nerd media nowadays is talking about issues pertinent to modern, globally conscious citizens (this is, after all, due to the fact that media is partly a reflection of its time and grapples with the complexities its consumers face in situ), Koztebue’s work does more than just calmly allude to race and, to a lesser extent, gender relation in the U.S. and elsewhere. Instead, Hominids vividly challenges notions of biologized racial attributes by showing that culture and historical circumstances are what shape individuals’ and groups’ actions.

Disavowing the idea that racial and ethnic groups have innate, born-in-the-bled differences is incredibly important to achieving racial inequality, since arguments about biologized race have been the basis for oppression, genocide, ethnocide, linguicide, and slavery for hundreds (thousands) of years of interaction between Western Euro-America and the largely non-White rest of the world. And while I can’t say for sure that Kotzebue means to create a parable about race and the nature vs. nurture/biology vs. culture debates, the prehistorical context with multiple Hominid groups vying for dominance in their respective ecological niches provides a great foil for this kind of fun, lighthearted exploration of a very serious present-day issue.

By virtue of its temporally distant setting, Hominids can call into question the belief that race is something genetic. The Homo sapiens (Humans) in the second issue are shown as a violent species, constantly warring with the other Hominid groups, but especially Kotzebue’s forest-dwelling, tree-climbing Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals). With the introduction of the human character Icari, who was cast out of his human city for believing he found the One True God (which looks like a demon on a spaceship…time travel?!), antagonism and mistrust erupts in the Neanderthal pack, who want little to do with a violent human. However, pack leader Zona points out that this human might be proof that the humans’ culture is to blame for their violence, and not their nature.

The second and third issues are packed full of useful insights that hearken to issues of colonialism worldwide, but which especially parallel the struggle of Native Americans against Whites, a point made all the more potent since all the humans drawn thus far are ‘Caucasian’ (and, curiously, so are the Neanderthals). There are also issues raised about disability, given that two of the main characters are albino; while not a physical or mental disability, albinism is definitely a social one.

In terms of gender dynamics, it could be pointed out that the female characters bearing their breasts is sexualizing, but given the context of the story (Hello, they’re Neanderthal’s…who look just like humans…) and the fact that Zona and Sno don’t seem to be hyper-sexualized like most comics these days, Hominds doesn’t strongly reinforce stereotypes about female characters, and even goes so far as to provide a major female leader. It is possible, though, that Sno’s albinism and Icari’s fascination with her could easily develop overtones of objectification of Sno as a goddess figure. I trust in Jordan, though, given Hominids‘ other overall themes.

As a reader, I’m wondering whether or not the savage and chimp-like peoples will get their fair say as well, or if Zona’s argument about culture driving action will fall in on itself and contradict what is one of the most socially conscious and critical points of the whole series thus far.

I find Hominids a thrilling, light-hearted and yet somehow serious, additional to my comic collection. Primatology and Hominid evolution is great fun to study in class, but it’s so much more exciting in fiction (think, Planet of the Apes, Tarzan of the Apes, Auel’s Earth’s Children series), not the least of which because pondering what-ifs regarding our nearest ancestors and cousins is so delightfully threatening to our assumed specialness as evolved, intelligent, and evolutionarily successful critters.

If it could be put on your local comic bookstore pull list, I would recommend everyone to do so. Unfortunately, for now, we’ll have to settle for the online version and what becomes available in Kotzebue’s e-store. Hominids is available page-by-page online and updated every Tuesday, but I thoroughly suggest that you buy the individual issues through his e-store, not only because they are a wonderful addition to any comic collector’s stash, but because they look so much better in person! Also, I’m a sucker for getting to interact physically with the media I consume–there’s nothing better than smell and feel of new comics and old books! And supporting an up-and-coming artist is a way you can contribute personally to the creation of great, socially conscious art.

You can check out Hominds on Facebook, and follow Jordan Kotzebue on both Twitter and Tumblr, where you can check out his non-Hominids art and experience the full range of his dynamic style.

Story and art: Jordan Kotzebue
Story: 8.5  Art: 9  Overall: 9  Recommendation: Buy