New Comics for Wednesday, August 31, 2011

With DC shipping only two books this week on the eve of their line-wide reboot, it's a pretty light week for me (I'm only picking up 3 books unless something appeals to me when I'm at the shop). Here's a list of what I'm picking up. You can find the full shipping list here.....

Justice League #1 - DC's new 52 starts here at the hands of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. There is no reason that Justice League shouldn't be DC's top-selling book every month, but sadly that hasn't been the case for a very long time. No matter who the creative team is, the book has just floundered. I haven't enjoyed a JLA book since Grant Morrison left the title back in 2000!! I'm curious to see what Johns has in store for us and it will nice to have Lee back on a monthly title. I'm definitely grabbing the first issue. We'll see how long that continues. It's also important to mention that this marks the beginning of DC's new day-and-date digital approach. So going forward, if the issue is on the stands, you can purchase it from DC's digital app the same day.

Rocketeer Adventures #4 - If you haven't been picking up this mini-series you missed out. Big time!! Each issue is made up of three short stories. The stories are unrelated, and so are the issues, so if you missed the first three there's no reason you can't jump on to the fourth and final issue. Did I mention that each issue has been written and drawn by some of the greatest writers and artists in the game? I can't believe the names that have worked on this book over four issues: Dave Gibbons, Joe Pruett, John Arcudi, Scott Hampton, Tony Harris, Brenadan McCarthy, Alex Ross, Dave Stewart, and Darwyn Cooke. Just to name a few!!!

Red Sonja #57 - This one is for my wife. I've read a few issues here and there but it's been a while so I'm not entirely sure what has been happening up to this point. At 57 issues it looks like I have some catching up to do.

Sketches, Commissions and Comic Conventions

This is my first post in just over a year so I may be a little rusty. Bear with me.

I attended the Baltimore Comic-Con for the third time just over a week ago. Having attended a few different conventions on the East Coast I can safely say that Baltimore puts on the best show. I was going to write a short recap of the day's events, but the more I thought about the show, and the more I thought about why I love this particular convention, the more I realized that all I kept thinking about was the amazing artists that make up Artist Alley. So I thought it was a good idea to focus on that exclusively.

When I attended my first comic book convention back in 2005 I had no idea what to expect. I'd never been to one, nor did I know anyone else who had. I assumed there would be vendors selling comics, t-shirts and action figures. I also knew that the various publishers (DC, Marvel, Image, etc.) usually set up booths to promote their books and various other projects. But what I was not prepared for was a little section known as Artist Alley.

For those who don't know, artist alley is a space on the convention floor where artists, both well-known and up-and-coming, can display and sell their work. This blew my mind. I had never seen this much comic book/sci-fi/anime inspired art on display like this before. It was like someone created an art gallery just for me. There was so much to take in that it was a little daunting the first time out, however the excitement I felt over having the chance to meet so many talented artists helped me forge ahead.

Typically the artists are selling some combination of original art, sketches, prints and sketchbooks. Some have even published their own comics or graphic novels and those are available as well. The first few conventions I attended saw me leaving with tons of prints. I was buying those up like crazy. I was almost oblivious to the fact that you could actually have an artist sketch you a character. I learned about that from a seasoned convention attendee while we were both standing in line at Wizard World Philly.

I was standing in line waiting to meet an artist in the hopes that he would sign a few of my comics. While waiting I struck up a conversation with the guy in front of me. As we were talking I noticed that he was dragging around a small suitcase on wheels. I assumed they were full of comics for this artist to sign and I was thinking "Great, now I have to stand behind this guy while he has every friggin' comic he bought since he was six-years-old signed." Thankfully that wasn't the case. While we were talking I mentioned that I just started going to shows and I was a little overwhelmed with all the things to see and do. At that point he leaned down to open his suitcase. It was full of sketchbooks. He told me that when he comes to conventions he always finds his favorite artists and has them draw a character in his book. He collected them for years and was easily in possession of hundreds of drawings. I was like, "Hold on. You can actually get an artist to draw something right in front of you? And you get to keep it?!" From that point on my approach to conventions changed substantially.

Over the last few years I've devoted the vast majority of my convention time in artist alley. I've started to move away from prints focusing exclusively on getting as many sketches and commissions as I can. The prints are beautiful, and you can tell the artists spent a lot of time and energy on them, but I love getting something unique. Plus, if you opt to get art commissioned, you may have the opportunity to kick ideas around with the artist and come up with something really special.

So far I've gotten nine pieces commissioned at various conventions. I'd love to have more but I must admit that I'm a little shy when it comes to approaching the artists I really like. I'm always overwhelmed by their talent and since I'm not very educated about art terminology I'm afraid of saying something about their work that I feel is complimentary but they take the wrong way. I'm trying to work on this because there are so many awesome people at these shows that I know I'm missing out on getting to know cool and talented people.

Here are few of my favorite sketches.......

Green Lantern

This was my first official sketch. I got it last year at Wizard World Philly. It was done by Tom Hodges, an artist known primarily for his work on a series of official Star Wars webcomics. What fascinated me most about Tom's technique was his use of colored construction paper. The color was chosen based on your character. If you asked for Green Lantern, you got green. If you asked for Catwoman or Batgirl you got purple. If you asked for Harley Quinn you got red. And so forth. At first I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but I couldn't be happier with the final result.















Ariel

Ariel was done last year in Baltimore by Mike Maihack, creator of the webcomics "Cleopatra in Space" and "Cow & Buffalo." This was the first sketch of the day and it was done for my wife. She's a huge fan of The Little Mermaid.

Red Sonja

This was also done last year in Baltimore by Erica Hesse. Erica self-publishes her own comic book "The Key," and creates art focused primarily on pin-up, burlesque, roller derby, horror, hot rod, and comic book related art. This was also done for my wife. Red Sonja is her favorite comic book character, followed by Harley Quinn. I was a little jealous of this one. It was the last sketch of the day and it was a great way to end another awesome convention in Baltimore.

Rogue and Batgirl

Although these were drawn at two separate conventions they were both done by the same artist, Tressa Bowling. Rogue was done last year in Baltimore. I was walking through artist alley and I caught a glimpse of Tressa's sketch cards out of the corner of my eye. I knew instantaneously that I was walking away with something from her table. I loved the colors, the expressions, and how she was able to capture each character's personality in such a small space. In addition to her sketch cards, Tressa has also put together quite a portfolio of portraits that you can see on her Deviant Art page. I noticed that she was offering sketches so I decided to get one. For some reason I was extremely nervous approaching her table and I must have stood there like a psycho for what seemed like an eternity trying to decide on what character to ask for. Although her sketch cards covered characters from Catwoman all the way to Bill, Sookie and Eric from "True Blood," I always freeze and choose a superhero. So I asked for Rogue. The results speak for themselves. I love the costume, the way she captured the white streak of hair, and the added touch of that quote put it over the top.

When I rolled in to Baltimore this year Tressa was the first artist I checked to see if they attended. I pulled out my sketch pad in the hopes that she remembered me. Thankfully she did. I've been going through a real Barbara Gordon/Batgirl phase (probably based on the fact that she's taking up the mantle again thanks to the DC Reboot), so that's what I asked for. Unfortunately I wasn't able to pick this one up at the show because I was there for only one day (#fail) but Tressa was nice enough to mail it out to me along with a Catwoman sketch card!! I LOVE the way she came out. You can tell I know absolutely nothing about art because I stared at this thing for about 25 minutes trying to figure out how she did the shading on her cowl and in the cape :-). There's something special about Barbara Gordon and I can't seem to put my finger on it. Maybe it's because of what the Joker did to her in "The Killing Joke" and how she was taken out of the game way to soon. I don't know. But this sketch captures the beauty of that character and makes me even more excited for her return.

In addition to her amazing art, you can check out Tressa's podcasting skills over at Beaucoup Pop.

I have more sketches but these are my favorites. Just looking at them makes me anxious to get more!!

I don't mean to end this on a serious note, or to get overly "preachy," but everyone in artist alley is their on their own dime. They are not being put up by a big publisher like DC or Marvel, nor do they have a huge marketing machine behind them. They are just regular people trying to reach others with their art. I'd much rather take the time to meet them, shake their hand, and support their work then stand in line for 9 hours to meet Todd McFarlane for 3 seconds. Now there's nothing wrong with going to a show to meet those types of creators. Let's be honest, if it wasn't for them we wouldn't even be at that type of convention. But don't overlook the amazing talents in artist alley. You'll be amazed at what you find over there.

M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender

So far the site's content has been pretty comic book heavy, so I'd like to switch gears to movies and animation for a minute.

Back in 2005, Nickelodeon premiered a new animated series called Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show, heavily influenced by Asian culture, depicted a world divided into four "nations," each in control of its own natural element: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Each nation has a set of individuals known as "Benders" who possess the power of elemental manipulation, granting them the ability to control and wield their nation's element as a weapon. According to legend, one Bender will possess the power of the Avatar, allowing them to master each bending art, starting with their native element.

The power of the Avatar is rotated among the elemental nations so no one nation has control over this power indefinitely. When an Avatar dies, their spirit is reincarnated into a member of the next nation in the Avatar Cycle. The Cycle changes according to the seasons, with each nation and element representing a different season: Autumn for the Air Nomads, winter for the Water Tribe, spring for the Earth Kingdom and summer for the Fire Nation.

When the series began, we were introduced to Aang, an airbender, just as he learns that he will be the next Avatar. Unable to cope with the responsibility, Aang flees from his home on the back of his flying bison, Appa. During their flight, Aang and Appa are confronted with a storm that forces them deep into the ocean freezing them in a state of suspended animation in a giant iceberg. Shortly after Aang's disappearance, Lord Sozin, leader of the Fire Nation, kills the current Avatar Roku, a member of the Fire Nation as well. Knowing that the next Avatar will come from the Air Nomads as dictated by the Avatar Cycle, Sozin and the Fire Nation launch a genocidal campaign against the Nomads. With no Avatar, no one will be able to stop the Fire Nation's quest for world domination. After being discovered by two waterbenders, Katara and Sokka, Aang is trained in the various bending arts and they assist him defeating the Fire Nation and restoring order to their world. 

I was late to the Avatar party. I would never have known the show existed if my brother-in-law, Robert, hadn't introduced me to it. Initially I was struck by the three key elements to the show's success. First, the series had a unique visual style, a combination of traditional American animation and anime (Japanese animation). This allowed the series to maintain a strong sense of East Asian influence, yet appeal to a larger North American audience unfamiliar with Asian art styles. Second, Avatar is very cinematic in both direction and scope. The camera angles, the meticulously choreographed fight sequences and the attention to detail in this fictional world were not something I found to be common in most Nickelodeon cartoons. They seemed to accomplish so much more and crafted a story that would rival anything found in most films. Although geared primarily towards children, the show is much more mature than most would think. Finally, the show teaches you a lot about friendship and family. You watch as the show's three main protagonists grow closer and very fond of one another as they move through their journey, willing to sacrifice their very lives for one another. You care about them and that helps you engage in the show on a deeper level than just entertainment.

I'll admit that I have yet to see every episode, most importantly I missed the series finale, it's highest-rated episode to date. I plan on going back and watching the DVDs, but what I saw I really enjoyed and think most people will if they give it a shot. If animation is not your thing (and it really should be), you'll be happy to know that on July 2, 2010, M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender will hit theaters, a live-action version of the animated series. The final trailer was released this past Friday and I've added the video below. Check it out. Although I will always prefer the original source material, I have to admit the movie looks pretty good.


Vezi mai multe video din Film

Free Comic Book Day - May 1, 2010

I just wanted to remind everyone that this coming Saturday, May 1, 2010, is "Free Comic Book Day." For those who don't know, "Free Comic Book Day" is a nationwide promotion where retailers and the larger comic book industry hand out free comics books to the public in an effort to help promote the industry and to bring new readers into shops.

"Free Comic Book Day" is always held on the first Saturday in May and has been since it started in 2002. To give you an idea how this promotion works, it's important to point out that you can't walk into a comic book store, pick any issue off the shelves and walk out without paying for it. Instead, retailers make available specially printed copies of free comic books chosen by the publishers to anyone who enters the store. Often times these issues are re-prints of titles that the publisher wishes to promote, however there are instances where a publisher, typically an independent company, will issue a brand new book hoping that the added exposure will build a fan following for their new title. In addition to the free comics, retailers often offer discounts on other comics and trade paperbacks and some even have creators at their store to sign books and do sketches. It's a good day for comics and comic book fans. I try and hit multiple stores because each one offers something different. Be mindful, however, that the store may limit how many comics you can take in an effort to ensure that everyone who comes in can get a free comic.

If you head out to a shop this year, and  you have a few bucks to spend, try to pick something up besides the free comics. This promotion wasn't set up just to promote comics, it was also set up as a way to get people in stores to help retailers with sales. Although the comics are free to the customer, the retailer does have to pay for them, so they do take on a good deal of cost to offer this promotion to you.

To get a look at the titles available this year, check out this link: http://www.freecomicbookday.com/comics.asp

Artist to Watch - Francis Manapul

I'm starting a new feature on the site called "Artist to Watch." I'll highlight a comic book artist who I think is putting out some of the best artwork in the game right now. The individual may not be a new artist per se, but they are someone who I feel deserves to be recognized for the top-notch work they are releasing on a regular basis. The post will provide some biographical information, a bibliography, some art samples, and then a brief story about my first experience with their work.

I couldn't have picked a better artist for the inaugural edition than Francis Manapul.

The Filipino-Canadian artist got his break, and is most easily recognized, for his work as the penciller on Top Cow's Witchblade. He began working on the title in 2001 and stayed on the book until 2005, pencilling a total of 23 issues. Following his work on Witchblade, Manapul stuck around the Top Cow offices providing interiors for other titles such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Darkness and The Necromancer.

Since 2007, Manapul has been an exclusive artist for DC Comics. He's drawn interiors for Adventure Comics, Superman/Batman, and he just recently signed on to draw the new ongoing Flash title written by Geoff Johns.

Manapul has quickly turned into my favorite artist working right now. He refers to his style as "Americana." His figures tend to buck the trend of the traditional superhero model. Gone are the excessive muscles and gargantuan physiques of male superheroes, and he avoids the tendency to overly sexualize female characters. His characters are expressive and each one is unique when compared to the rest. His work is clean and it reminds me a lot of the artwork we used to see in the 1960s and earlier.


There are two things Manapul does extremely well. The first relates to movement. He draws motion better than anyone I've seen, and this ability is on full display with his Flash artwork. The Flash is a character who is always moving and most artists tend to draw him almost in a blur. When you draw the Flash this way you lose the little things that makes him such a cool character. It's important to show his speed, but at the same time include enough detail to see what the Flash is doing while running so fast. To illustrate my point, look at his cover to The Flash: Secret Files and Origins. Here we have a series of images where Barry Allen dons the Flash costume. The image is dynamic. You get a sense of motion yet you can stop and appreciate the little details like the costume exploding out of the Flash's ring, Barry pulling down the mask and before you know it the Flash is right in front of you.

In addition to motion, Manapul draws animals so well it should be illegal. Most artists will tell you that animals are tough. During his run on Adventure Comics, the script required Manapul to draw Krypto, Superman's pet dog, quite a bit. I couldn't stop staring at the images of Krypto in every issue. I told myself that if I ever met Manapul at a convention, and he was sketching, I would ask for Krypto. His illustrations made Krypto feel "real," but not photo referenced. He was even expressive, capturing the little tilts of the head that give dogs their personality. I've never been so fascinated with an artist's rendering of a pet in my life.

The first time I saw Manapul's work was in Superman/Batman #60. In this issue, the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight find themselves mysteriously transported to a city in an alternate reality that is an amalgam of Metropolis and Gotham City. In this reality, not only have the cities merged, but the heroes have as well. Superman and Batman find themselves facing off against the the Justice Titans, a conglomeration of the JLA and the Teen Titans. The cover hooked me and the interiors were even more impressive. Manapul drew issues 60 and 61 and both are worth checking out.

I couldn't be happier to know that Manapul is back doing interiors on a regular basis with the Flash. The first issue arrived in stores on April 14, 2010 and you should still be able to get a copy at your local store. With Geoff Johns on writing duties and Francis Manapul on art, this should be a run for the ages. No pun intended.

Sites of interest:

http://www.francismanapul.com/
http://manapul.blogspot.com/

http://www.comicartlinks.com/for_sale/fjm.html

Kick-Ass Movie Review

With a marketing campaign centered around a 12-year-old girl cursing and shooting people in the face, it's no wonder this movie tanked at the box office. But should it have?

Adapted from the eight-issue comic book written by Mark Millar and drawn my John Romita, Jr., Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), your average American high school student. Dave is a bit of a nerd. He doesn't run with the popular crowd, he has trouble with the ladies, and he spends most of his time either reading comics books or furiously masturbating in his bedroom fantasizing about his English teacher. Oh how I miss high school....but I digress. One day while sitting in the local comic shop with his friends, Dave is struck by one of the most important philosophical questions of our time....Why hasn't anyone ever tried to be a superhero?

Think about it, millions of people have read comic books and watched superhero oriented movies and television shows, and even more have probably fantasized about what it would be like to be Batman or Superman. How is that no one has ever put on a make-shift costume and prowled the streets to dish out vigilante justice to the criminal element? Well the short answer is that any asshole who put on a pair of leotards and a mask would probably get shanked by a drug dealer name Lil' Big within the first 15 minutes of patrol. But this little nugget of truth is not enough to stop Dave from ordering himself a wetsuit online, doing a few sit-ups, and taking to the streets as Kick Ass.

Needless to say, Dave gets in over his head. And by over his head I mean he gets stabbed and hit by car during his first confrontation with a pair of carjackers.  Now at this point, after months of rehabilitation and shitting into a plastic bag, most people would come to the realization that they don't have what it takes to be a superhero. In fact, they'd probably come to the conclusion that no one does. Comic books are fiction. Fantasy really. But Dave isn't most people. He's been bitten by the superhero bug and soon finds himself back in uniform. This is when the movie really gets interesting as Dave is introduced to two of the most fascinating characters to hit movie screens in a while: Big Daddy and Hit Girl, played brilliantly by Nicholas Cage and Chloe Moretz.

Big Daddy and Hit Girl are a father-daughter team hell bent on taking down the mob. Gone are the days of the citizen arrest. These two are out for blood. And lots of it. When Kick Ass finds himself trapped in an apartment with several drug dealers about to kill him in ways he never imagined, Hit Girl comes to his aid. More accurately, Hit Girl and two samurai swords she wields in such a way as to make Akira Kurosawa nauseous. Now this sounds like a character you've seen in a dozen action movies prior to this. What makes Hit Girl so special, and so controversial?  Did I mention she's played by a twelve-year-old girl?

Chole Moretz steals the show as Hit Girl. Period. She's violent, she's foul mouthed, and she's cute as a button. A real triple threat. When she's on screen you love every minute of it. When she's off screen you can't wait for her to return. This girl is going to be a huge star. Her stunts were top notch, many of which she did herself, and she delivers one of the movies shining moments in a gut-wrenching scene where she attempts to rescue her father before he is killed by the mob. The audience whimpered. It was very moving. And she also delivers the movie's most memorable line where she tells Kick Ass the best way to contact her and Big Daddy if he needs any help. I won't spoil it here. You have to hear it for yourself.

As good as Moretz was, everyone else came a close second. There is not a single misstep in the casting of this movie. It's rare that I go to a movie and don't come out complaining about someone's performance, but every actor completely owned their role. Two cast members deserve special mention: Aaron Johnson and Clark Duke.

You can't review a movie called Kick Ass without mentioning the lead actor. I don't know much about Aaron Johnson. I can't name another movie or television show he has been in. But I do know that he was spectacular in this movie. He is a character that you like instantaneously and you find his pathetic attempts at heroism inspiring. You believe that he wants to do the right thing. That he's tired of being bullied and sitting idly by while criminals and assholes treat good people like garbage. You root for him the whole way through and that helps you buy into the movie and the premise that, even after nearly being killed, he would go back out and do it all again.

Clark Duke plays Dave's best friend Marty. Marty is skeptical of the whole idea of an average citizen becoming a costumed vigilante. He even tells Dave that no one as ever tried it because they would probably get killed day one. In this way, Marty represents the audience. He says what we're all thinking when Dave suggests that someone should become a real-life superhero. He also acts as a big part of the film's comic relief. Much of his performance is in subtle little glances he gives throughout the movie, but a simple look will make you laugh  your ass off. Duke isn't in the movie a lot, but when he is he's gold.

Finally, let's give it up for director Matthew Vaughn. Prior to Kick Ass, Vaughn directed two other movies: Layer Cake and Stardust, two movies that couldn't be more unlike Kick Ass. His choices in cinematography, music, and visual style all come together to make Kick Ass an all-around bad ass flick. There's not a decision he made that didn't work. I very much look forward to seeing his next project whatever it may be.


I can sum this movie up in one word: Fun. It's not a masterpiece. It won't win an Academy Award, nor will it make anyone's list of the top 100 movies of all time. But it will give you an enjoyable 2 hours at the movies. The more I think about it, the more I enjoyed it. As I sit and type this I wish I could see it again. Kick Ass is a definite 4 out of 5 star movie. I'm disappointed that it didn't have a stronger opening weekend. I think more people need to see it. Hopefully it will sell a shit-ton of DVDs. If this movie is any indicator of what the summer movie line-up will bring consider me on board.

The Guild

The other night I was scanning the iTunes store looking for new television shows to download when I came across a web series called The Guild. The pilot was free so I decided to take a chance and check it out. I had never heard of the series so I went into the pilot cold with zero expectations. When the first episode was over I was happy to know that I now had a new series to add to my list of "must watch" shows.
The Guild is an independent web series following the fictional day-to-day lives of seven online gamers who spend all their time in front of their computer screens playing a MMORPG. The guild is called the Knights of Good and the members include: Vork, Bladezz, Tinkerballa, Clara, Zaboo, and Codex.

Each episode, which varies in length from 3-8 minutes, begins with a webcam vlog by Codex (Felicia Day) where she brings the viewer up to speed on what happened in the prior episode and then sets up the events that will take place in the remainder of the show. Although the show centers around the group's involvement in an online multi-player game, the episdoes are written in such a way as to offer something to viewers with no familiarity with such forms of entertainment. The majority of the series focuses on the guild's offline activities, including the guild assisting one member in getting out from under the thumb of his overprotective and controlling mother, to chronicling Codex's awkward attempts to woo her new stuntman neighbor. It's a look at the personalities that make up the online gaming community and how, through years of acting as an organized gaming entity, these personalities come to develop lasting friendships.
While it's true that the series is geared towards gamers and card-carrying-members of the geek community, I belive most viewers will find the humor refreshing and the character personalities are truly something to behold, drawing from a wealth of gamer stereotypes.

The Guild is the creation of actress and avid gamer Felicia Day. After years of gaming, Day decided to turn her love of video games into something a bit more productive, leading her to write a pilot originally created for television. After concluding that the show's premise targeted a niche audience as opposed to a mainstream viewership,it was decided to turn the show into a web series instead, a decision that proved to be very lucrative in the long run. In addition to being an award-winning series, the show has it's own line of merchandise, three seasons of DVDs, a distribution deal with Microsoft, and in March of 2010 the show was adapted into a three-issue comic book series from Dark Horse Comics. Not bad for a show that started on YouTube.

What I like most about the show, and find most refreshing, is the presence of three female leads. Up until this point the average gamer was depicted as an overweight male in his late 20s or early 30s who may or may not have seen a naked woman that he didn't have to pay for. It's about time someone spotlighted the female gamer.

If you're interested in checking out something new with a sharp sense of humor, give The Guild a try.

http://www.watchtheguild.com/

Review: Batman Cacophony #3

What the hell happened to Kevin Smith? More specifically, what the hell happened to Kevin Smith as a comic book writer? There was a time when his name attached to a comic would have resulted in hordes of fanboys scampering to their local shops in hopes of getting their greedy little hands on it. His run on Daredevil and Green Arrow were legendary, and although his mini-series sold well, interest in his seemed to diminish over the years. Once again, what the hell happened?

As is the case with many comic books these days, especially those written by high profile creators, Smith's work was notorious for being delayed. After finishing up his run on Green Arrow over at DC, Smith headed to Marvel to pen a Spider-Man/Black Cat mini-series entitled, The Evil That Men Do. The series was slated to run six issues. Given that this was to be a monthly book, the whole arc should have taken six months to be released. When all was said and done, the six issue arc took over three years to hit shelves. In addition to The Evil That Men Do, Smith agreed to write Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target. The first issue hit shelves in 2002. The second issue has yet to be released.

It's hard to argue that Smith's inability to release a book on time didn't have an adverse affect on interest and sales for titles he agreed to work on. Yet with the timely release of his latest mini, Batman: Cacophony, Smith appears poised to show comic fans that he is ready once again to take these writing duties seriously, and will not release an issue until the entire story is in the can and ready to be published. Now if only he'd write something worth reading things would really be perfect. Unfortunately, Cacophony is not that story.

After finishing the arc, I was left with the feeling that Smith saw The Dark Knight, loved it, and said to himself, "I want to write a Batman and Joker story too!!"(insert the sound of a whiny little child). There are three problems with this approach. First, one gets the feeling that the entire arc was written as a path to this final confrontation. The story up to this point feels fairly "stock." It was interesting enough to read, but in the end, pretty forgettable. Smith just needed something to keep you reading to the book until the final act.

Second, there were moments during the confrontation when I felt as if dialogue was simply lifted from both Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, and Christopher Nolan's script for The Dark Knight. Moore's classic tale of the Joker's origin begins with Batman visiting the Joker in Arkham to prove to the Joker that their feud will only end with one of them dead. However, Batman believes this can be avoided if the Joker would just listen to reason and allow himself to be rehabilitated. In a similar vein, Smith's confrontation begins with Batman telling the Joker that after analyzing their storied history, he's determined that their battle follows a pattern: The Joker does something heinous, Batman tracks him down, the Joker gets tossed in Arkham and subsequently escapes. The cycle then repeats indefinitely. Batman wants to know whether or not the Joker really wants to kill him, realizing that this is the path their on, or if this is just some sick game with no end. About halfway through this exchange, the Joker says that he always knew Batman's vow to never take a like comes from a "misguided sense of self-righteousness." A belieft that somehow Batman is above taking a life and thus assuring the fact that their feud will have no end. This line is almost taken verbatim from a monologue Heath Ledger delivers at the end of Dark Knight. Perhaps I'm a being a little harsh when I say Smith "lifted" dialogue from these two sources, but they are eerily similar. At best, his script lacked originality, and this is not something I'd expect from a writer known almost exclusively for his ability to write dialogue.

Finally, Smith's overall goal was to use this exchange to explain the dynamic between Batman and the Joker and, unfortunately, he missed the mark big time. This is probably due to the fact that Nolan nailed it in the latest Batman flick and Smith was conscious of the fact that if he had written the same ending the comparison would have been too much to get past. In Nolan's universe, the Joker exists to mock Batman's entire mission and belief system. Batman is a man that believes in justice and order, whereas the Joker sees that the world is inherently unjust and chaotic. There is no order. There is no reason. Things happen, sometimes very terrible things to very good people. Batman's Utopian view of the world is an unattainable fantasy. But, so long as Batman chooses to devote his life to this ideal, his arch nemesis will always be there to show him it's all a joke. The Joker would never kill Batman, because as Heath Ledger put it, Batman's "just too damn fun." Here's where Smith's story derailed. At the end of their exchange, the Joker tells Batman that he wants nothing more than to kill him. That Batman's existence is what has driven him crazy and that once Batman is six fee under, the Joker will voluntarily turn himself over to the doctors at Arkham to live out his remaining days. That's it??? The Joker isn't out for blood. He realizes that Batman is the yin to his yang. He loves the challenge and loves making Batman's life a living hell. He wants so desperately to show Batman that he's not crazy. That all it takes is one bad day and anyone could be the Joker. We all have this inherent demon just waiting to come out. Batman believes everyone is, deep down, a good person. That they deserve to be protected. The Joker exists to show him otherwise. To say that the Joker wants to kill Batman reduces the character to that of a common street thug. It removes all the depth, all the mind games, everything that has made this blood feud so intriguing for all these years.

This arc seemed forced. It was written by a man trying to get back into comics and choosing to capitalize on the success of better piece of work, namely Christopher Nolan's epic The Dark Knight. I would love nothing more than a great comic written by Kevin Smith. I enjoyed his earlier films and I think he has, for the most part, a real handle on many of the great characters that DC and Marvel have to offer. Now he just has to sit back and find something original to say. To write something that has meaning and originality. Not just a cheap knockoff written to try and outdo a superior work.

2.5 out of 5 stars

What makes a hero?

One of the supplements to the new animated DVD from DC Comics, Justice League: The New Frontier, is a documentary called The Legion of Doom: Pathology of a Super Villain. In it a series of creators past and present sit down to discuss the background of a handful of DC's most infamous villains. Toward the end of the documentary, each creator gives their take on what separates a villain from a hero.

The one answer that stood out to me the most was put forth by Jim Krueger. Jim is probably best known for his work on Justice, the twelve-issue Justice League story he co-wrote with Alex Ross. When asked what differentiates a villain from a hero Krueger said: The villain wants to be the hero, but can't. The hero doesn't want to be the hero but knows they have to.

I found this interesting because its an argument I don't hear all that often. A hero, especially in comics, usually has a certain gift or ability that the vast majority of citizens do not possess. This ability can be something as incredible as a super power, or something as simple as a strong desire to help those who can not help themselves (in the real world we call these people police officers, firefighters, and members of the armed forces). This "power" affords them the opportunity to do great things that others either can not do, or choose not to do, often putting themselves in harm's way. A hero knows that by taking up this mantle they are placing themselves at great risk, all the while carrying a very heavy burden on their shoulders, the fate and well-being of mankind. This is not a responsibility most clear thinking men and women would want to take on willingly. What if you screw up? How many people will suffer because of your failure? Can you be everywhere you are needed when you need to be there? Will you ever be too afraid to act in time? These are serious questions. Questions that would send most people fleeing for the hills. But not a hero. They stand and fight because they know that even in the face of all these questions and all this danger, they are the ones who can truly answer the call.

I was reminded of Krueger's comment, and the concept of what makes a hero, while reading issue #31 of Red Sonja from Dynamite Entertainment. In this issue, Sonja is being ferried down the River Styx on her way to the Underworld. While on the trip, the ferryman is showing her moments in her life in an effort to judge whether or not her actions have been just. This particular issue focuses on a time in Sonja's life when she served as bodyguard to a King. When the issue begins Sonja aids King Teran and his people in holding off an invasion. Once the battle is complete, Teran, so enamored with Sonja as a woman and a warrior, proposes marriage. Sonja, believing her life should be devoted exclusively towards her duties as a warrior, declines. The King understands and lets her be, believing that as time progresses she will change her mind.

Teran's beliefs are correct, and as the story progresses Sonja realizes that she is in fact falling in love with him. During a sparring session Sonja tells him that she vowed to never marry unless the man could best her in combat. The reason being, once she casts aside her role as a warrior, the powers granted to her will disappear and there will be no going back. Knowing that Teran can not be her equal, she rejects his proposal once again. In the end, her love for him is too much to overcome and she goes to his bedchamber to finally accept. Just as she awakens him, Teran's palace is attacked by a wizard-king and his minions. During the fight Teran is almost killed, but Sonja saves his life yet again and the enemy escapes fearing for his life. At this moment, Sonja comes to an important realization.

Had she given up her life as a warrior and married Teran when he asked initially, he would have been killed that night because she would have been unable to protect him. Not only would Teran have died, but his people would have been murdered and enslaved. She wants a normal life living as Teran's queen, but she knows that her duty lies elsewhere. She doesn't want to be the hero but she knows she has to. Sonja leaves Teran telling him that she will not return. When the story returns to the present the ferryman tells her that Teran eventually married and raised a family. Sonja, noticeably saddened by this information, is told by the ferryman that she did the right thing. The ferryman forgot the most important detail. She did the heroic thing.

Review: Super Friends #1

I didn't read comic books a child. Well, I didn't read comics consistently. From time to time my mother would buy me certain books that I picked out while at a newsstand or at the bookstore, but I never bought issues week to week or followed story arcs on a monthly basis the way I do now. My initial exposure to superheroes came in the form of the animated series Super Friends.

In 1973, Hanna-Barabara produced the series based on DC Comics Justice League. When the show first aired, it featured Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. Over the series run, additional characters appeared as guest stars such as Plastic Man, the Flash, and Green Arrow, just to name a few.

Unlike the animated series which have come after, such as Batman the Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited, which have a more mature tone, Super Friends was geared exclusively towards children. The plot lines were simple, the dialogue was humorous, and each episode stressed the importance of teamwork and good triumphing over evil. When watching these shows now its difficult not to laugh and tease oneself about how at one time we thought these shows were the coolest we've ever seen. But, in an era of morally ambiguous superheroes, and a blurred line between right and wrong, Super Friends harkens back to a time of moral certainty among its heroes. A concept foreign to superhero stories today.

Although the show has been off the air for just over 20 years, DC has recently shown us that the series may be gone but not forgotten. This past week, DC released a new monthly series based on the old television show and the highly popular action figure line that followed. Following in its predecessor's footsteps, Issue 1 is simple, offering a plot that children can easily follow and understand. The main villain is a man named Professor Ivo. He is, as almost all villains are, a scientific genius. He has created hundreds of different inventions over the years but nothing he creates garners any media attention or accolades because the press, and the public at large, are always focused on the Justice League and their exploits. Ivo wants to be famous. In an effort to gain the notoriety he believes he so richly deserves, he creates an android by the name of Amazo (clever, huh?) to defeat the Super Friends for good so they can no longer steal his limelight.

Amazo turns out to be more than just an android. He is programmed to possess all the powers of each member of the Justice League, and he is instructed to use their powers against them. Seemingly defeated, the Super Friends must ban together as a team to defeat an enemy too powerful for any one member to handle. I won't spoil the ending, however I will say that the solution to the Friend's problem is also a life lesson for kids to keep them safe in the future. Think of it as a "knowing is half the battle" type ending for all you G.I. Joe fans out there.

Super Friends is a great jumping on point for children to be introduced to the heroes of the DC Universe without being turned away by the decades worth of continuity plaguing the mainstream titles. Parents should run to the store to pick this up. It's fun, it has interactive puzzles to get the kids involved in the story, and it will get them reading. Something all kids could do a lot more of.

4 stars out of 5!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight: #6

I didn’t begin watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on television until Season 3. I saw the movie in the theater and enjoyed it in a campy sort of way. When I heard it was going to become an ongoing television series, I rolled my eyes as I remembered the many failed attempts network executives made in the past when trying to bring serialized versions of successful films to the small screen. So naturally I stayed away from the pilot episode and those that followed.

My father watched the series from day one, and was a loyal fan until the day the show went off the air. He introduced me to the Buffyverse, and, I have to admit, I fell in love with it. Everything about the show worked for me. The stories were engrossing, the characters larger-than-life, and I actually found myself caring about each character and the situations they found themselves in. Buffy was, quite simply, the most well-written show at the time. It is no wonder that the show has garnered such a devoted fan following.

Although I felt the show’s quality started to wane towards the last season and a half, I was sad to see it go. I always wished Joss Whedon would return the show to greatness. When I first heard the idea of a Season 8 comic, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Would it translate well in comic form? Would it be as engrossing? At first, the answer for me was a resounding no. I wasn’t as drawn to the book as I was the show. The dialogue felt flat, and appeared a tad childish at times. It felt as though the whole gang was stuck in high school, when in actuality they hadn’t been enrolled at Sunnydale High for some time. I bought every issue even though I had trouble justifying it at the time. Whedon’s run didn’t produce results for me until issue #5, the last of his writing duties. With Whedon off, and Brian K. Vaughan on, I knew it wasn’t time to drop the title just yet. I wanted to see if a new writer could reinvigorate the series for me. Thankfully, Vaughan did just that.

Issue #6 centers around Faith, the anti-hero who was the third slayer to appear on the series. Faith always had a bit of a dark side. Being the second best to Buffy never sat well with her. Unlike Buffy, and many of the other slayers under Buffy’s tutelage, Faith has always had a penchant for violence and, more importantly, killing. On the show, she even suggested that killing provided her with a drug-like high, causing her to experience withdrawal when she is unable to inflict pain on another human or demon. Because of her affinity for the rough stuff, Faith is often called upon to handle the “dirty work”: the tasks no one else has the stomach for. It is her perceived indifference to these tasks that garners her a visit from Giles. He has an assignment that only Faith can complete.

Lady Geneveve Savidge is one of the wealthiest heiresses in Britain. She is also an apocalyptic threat, or at least that is the feeling Giles has. Needless to say, Lady Geneveve is too far gone for simple rehabilitation. She needs to be neutralized. And only Faith can do it. But in order to get near her, Faith must pass as a member of the British upper class, forcing Giles to train the slayer in the art of etiquette, diction and the arts; a formidable task for those familiar with Faith as a character.

The story is intriguing and shows real promise. Vaughan appears to understand the characters’ histories and motivations, and writes them just as well as, if not better then, Whedon himself. My only problem with this issue, and the series more specifically, is the lackluster pencils. Jeanty’s art makes for some hideous panels at times, and not only does his characters not resemble the actors they are based on, at times they barely resemble human beings. Thankfully the writing works because this book is not much to look at. Hopefully, this will improve as the story continues. If not, it’s time to bring on another artist to improve the art much the same way as a new writer improved the story.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #6
“No Future for You: Part 1”
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Pencilled by: Georges Jeanty
Inked by: Andy Owens
Colored by: Dave Stewart
Lettered by: Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Jimmy
Cover by: Jo Chen

The Mice Templar #1

The comic book industry is no stranger to delays, and this trend appears to be more common now than ever before. Many factors play a role in why creators are unable to get books on the shelves when originally solicited. But no matter what the circumstances, most will tell you it all comes down to their schedule. The busier they get, and the more projects they take on, the more likely their books will come out late. No one understands this more than Michael Avon Oeming.

Oeming is fast becoming one of the most prolific writers and artists in comics. He has penned such titles as Thor, Ares, Cross Bronx, the new Omega Flight, and he is currently writing the very popular Red Sonja. In addition to his writing credits, Oeming has found time to pencil a few titles, most notably the creator-owned Powers, written by Brian Michael Bendis. With a workload like this, it’s a wonder any of his books come out on time. There is one project, however, that Oeming never thought would make its way into the stores, The Mice Templar.

The story revolves around a society of anthropomorphic mice, while the first issue focuses primarily on one young mouse, Karik. Karik lives in a small tree village with his family. He is obsessed with the legendary tales of the Mice Templar, warrior nights of the past who disappeared from the world shortly after a civil war raged among the heroic mice. Their story has been passed down through the ages, and the young mice of the village often pretend to be the very heroes whose stories they have been told by the local elders. Without giving too much away, the village is suddenly attacked by a band of rats looking for remaining members of the Mice Templar. This sudden invasion turns the village upside down and provides Karik with the opportunity to become the hero he always dreamed of. But at what cost?

The idea for this story dates back to the early 1990s through a series of Oeming’s sketches. These were followed by a short story he drafted in 1998. Over the years, the mythology of the Mice Templar, and the world they inhabit, was further expanded upon by Oeming’s long-time friend, Bryan J.L. Glass. What started as a six-issue outline quickly grew to an epic tale of a fallen culture and its eventual rebirth. With so much time and energy spent on creating the Templar history, coupled with Oeming’s workload, The Mice Templar sat idle for well over 15 years. It’s almost cliche to say it was worth the wait, but after reading the first issue, there are no words more fitting.

With this book, Oeming and Glass illustrate a very important point about writers and artists in the field of comics. When working on their own projects, these creators shine brighter, and publish work more inspired, than anything they have done with the iconic heroes of the “big two.” You see this with Kirkman and The Walking Dead, and more importantly, Brubaker with Criminal. The first issue leaves the reader with a few unanswered questions, but that only leaves you wanting more. The history of the Templar is explained in the book’s first few pages, and the rest of the 56-page issue plunges you into the brutal world of a society fighting for its own survival. The art is incredible, and Oeming does not shy away from illustrating the harsh realities of war. Where Mouse Guard seemed to avoid depicting violence as it exists in the real world, Templar approaches this head on. The only problem with the art is the difficulty in telling one mouse from the other. Hopefully this will become less of an issue in future books.

In the end, Oeming and Glass can sit back and feel a sense of accomplishment as a book they worked so tirelessly on has finally made its way into the hands of readers and did not disappoint. I can’t wait to see this story develop over the upcoming issues. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story with strong character development and plenty of surprises. Pick this up if you can find it!! This book is going to fly off the shelves.

The Mice Templar #1
Written by: Bryan J.L. Glass & Michael Avon Oeming
Pencilled by: Michael Avon Oeming
Colored by: Wil Quintana