This week’s best cover is The Amazing Spider-Monkey #1.
Last Reign #5, Boom Studios. The ending lest you know there will be more mini-series for Last Reign but at four bucks a pop I won’t be picking them up.
Warlord #1 DC Comics. On the fence with this one. I like The Warlord a lot so we'll see if the get any better.
Marvel Apes: The Amazing Spider-Monkey #1 Marvel Comics. I had sworn off $3.99 titles… but this is just a one-shot so I couldn’t resist.
Army of Darkness #18, Dynamite Entertainment.
Army of Darkness #19, Dynamite Entertainment. Two this week hmmmmm....
You’ll notice that I didn’t pick up Marvel Zombies 4….
Also I dropped Doctor Who Classic, it’s just too expensive per issue plus the collected trade will be cheaper anyway. I deduced that I rather get Astounding Wolf-Man instead.
This week’s best cover is The Amazing Spider-Girl #30.
Fall of Cthulhu: Apocalypse #4, Boom Studios.
Red Sonja #42, Dynamite Entertainment.
Kull #5, Dark Horse.
The Amazing Spider-Girl #30, Marvel Comics. The final issue. I picked this up because, in a way, it’s the last 80s comic book. Think about it. Tom Defalco, Ron Frenz, & Sal Buscema… Plus, Peter and Mary Jane have a baby boy… how could I not get this one. The end of an era.
And last week I picked up Walking Dead #59, Image Comics.
Swinebread Jr's Grandma has been in town, so I've been busy but here is last week's list.
This last week’s best cover is The Age of Sentry #6.
Jonah Hex #41, Marvel Comics. I’m getting a latter-day Conan/Red Sonja vibe going on between Jonah and Tallulah Black. This comic hasn’t let me down yet.
Last Reign #4, Boom Studios. I wonder if they realize that the plot in this issue is stolen right out of TMNT RPG After the Bomb.
Doctor Who Classics Series 2 #4, IDW.
Army of Darkness #37, Dynamite Entertainment.
The Age of Sentry #6, Marvel. The End of another mini-series, and thus my box list gets smaller.
Trade Paperbacks: Savage Sword of Conan Volume 5 Dark Horse. Yeah Baby!
Books: With all the money I’ve been saving I went ahead and picked up the paperback of Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman. I can’t wait to dive into this one, but I gotta’ finish the paperback version of The Ten Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How it Changed America first. The Ten Cent Plague is must read for anybody that wants to understand how pop was culture negatively transformed and how the comic book medium’s potential was basically destroyed for the next 40 to 50 years. A chilling and sadly forgotten chapter (outside of comicdom) in US history... until now.
You can read the entire first series of this title online here.,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #23, Dark Horse - these books are pretty much for fans of the show. There's a lot of inside stuff from the seven years of the series. I love them.
Army of Darkness #17, Dynamite Entertainment- Consistently a strong title.
Sonic Universe #1, Archie Comics - Sigh.
Conan the Cimmerian #8, Dark Horse.
Sgt. Rock The Lost Battalion #4, DC Comics.
The Haunted Tank #4 , DC Comics.
I'm enjoying the hell out of this very adult take on a comic I loved in my childhood. The ghost of Jeb Stuart is forever condemned to help his ancestors if they bear his surname and they're soldiers. His modern ancestor is the commander of an Abrams tank during the Iraq war who just happens to be black. The writers don't shy away from the racial conflict this engenders. The tank action is pretty good as well.
I hit the comic shop every two weeks and all they had in my box was 3 comics and not a scotch n'cigar book in the lot? Wtf?
Zombie Tales #11, Boom Studios - I was going to cancel this series but this was the last book. A waste of money, in my opinion. Not very well written at all.
B.P.R.D. The Black Goddess #2, Dark Horse Comics
Sonic The Hedgehog #197, Archie Comics
Funny story about that last title which demonstrates why it's not always a great idea to take your wife that doesn't read comics with you to the comic book shop you frequent. My middle daughter has been begging me to add Sonic to my box, so when I was in there last time I told the clerk to add Sonic to my list. As it's a kid's title I made a big deal out of letting the clerk know it was for my daughter.
My wife then piped up with a sarcastic "Oh, please. Like it's any more nerdy than the other comics you're buying."
Last week’s best cover is Last Reign: King of War #3.
Doctor Who Classic Series 2 #3, IDW.
The Walking Dead #58, Image.
Last Reign: King of War #3, Boom Studios.
On the Rack Back Issue: I noticed that Booster Gold #16 had Enemy Ace so I picked that up too… a month late
Trade Paperbacks: Classic Invaders Vol 3, Marvel Comics. Reprints Invaders #22-23 and #25-34. It’s funny because my store forgot to keep putting the Avengers/Invaders in my box so now I’ve missed a few issues and I don’t feel like hunting down what I missed
In other news I’ve hit a wall. I’m really quite fed up with the price of comics. Recently I opened up Previews and noticed that Marvel had a few new titles that I wanted priced at $3.99. The first thing that went across my mind was “fuck this” We are going into a great depression here folks and Marvel expects us diehard fans to shoulder more and more of the burden. I’ve had it. Comics thrived during the 1930’s because they were a cheap form of entertainment and fucking four bucks per title is not cheap. Simply put, it’s a rip-off. I’m spending so much money on comics I can’t spend it on anything else irregardless if the cover price is four bucks or less. Fool me once shame on you, fool me every week year after year… well you get picture…
I’ve cancelled a slew of titles and I’ve cancelled a of bunch future orders as well. Hell if I really miss something great it’s gonna come out in a trade anyway right? There’s a few series I’ll continue with for right now but most are gone. Also, I’m gonna let the current mini-series I’m following run out and not pick up the next iteration. And that’s it.
Titles I’ve dropped: Terminator: Revolution, Dynamite Entertainment
Crossed, Avatar
Conan: The Cimmerian, Dark Horse Comics (I’ll pick up the trades at some point)
Northlanders, Vertigo/DC Comics
The Man with No Name, Dynamite Entertainment
Secret Six, DC Comics
Star Trek: Crew, IDW
Star Trek: Mission’s End, IDW
Astounding Wolf-Man (I’ll pick up the trades at some point)
Previews, I can’t order what I don’t know is coming out right?!
Oh Man I just remembered I gotta drop the Hulk too!
I guess this is really gonna screw up next year’s Atomic Romance Awards heh heh
It’s the Second Annual Atomic Romance Awards! This is my special tribute to the comic books of 2008 that have earned fame or infamy in my little corner of comic fandom. The Atomic Romance Awards reflect my personal preferences so that's why some obvious choices may not appear. But before we begin I'd like to take a moment to thank She-Hulk, my Co-presenter this time around. Also, I'd like to thank all of you, my net buddies, for stopping-by Atomic Romance this last year. It's been one hell of a ride.
Now on with the show!
Best Overall Title: The Astounding Wolf-Man, Image Comics Runner-up: Conan the Cimmerian
Best Writer: Robert Kirkman for both Astounding Wolf-Man and Walking Dead (and probably Invincible too, but I'm nont reading it right now), IDW
Runner-up: J. Michael Stryzinski for The Twelve, Marvel Comics (He could have won top honors if he had finished this series)
Best mini-series: Star Trek: Assignment Earth, IDW Runner-up: The Age of Sentry
Best Adventure Comic: Tor, DC Comics Runner Up: The War That Time forgot,DC Comics
Best Sword and Sorcery Title: Conan the Cimmerian, Dark Horse Comics Runner-up: Wolf-Skin, Avatar
Best Sci-Fi: North Wind, Boom Studios Runner Up: Star Trek: The Hollow Crown, IDW
Best Art: Chris Weston, The Twelve. Marvel Comics Runner-up: John Byrne, Star Trek: The Hollow Crown. IDW
Best Horror: Necronimicon Runner-up: The Crossed
Best Death: Rebecca gets accidentally slapped to death by Zecheriah the vampire, The Astounding Wolf-Man #7, Image Comics Runner-up: Drunk Officer pulped by a propeller in Phantom Eagle #1, Marvel Comics
Best Cover: Army@Love: The Art of War #3, Vertigo Runner-up: Amazing Spiderman #560
Worst Cover: 1985 #4, Marvel Comics Runner Up: The Man With No Name #2, one of the greatest western characters ever is drawn to look like Bush
Best Dramatic Moment: Dynamic Man (from the 1940s) discovers interracial marriage, The Twelve #2 Runner-up: Captain Wonder at his wife’s grave, The Twelve #2
Best Butt: She-Hulk on King Size Hulk #1 Runner-up: damsel in distress on cover of Conan the Cimmerian #2
Best Animal Hero: Monkey Speedball, Marvel Apes Rocket Raccoon, Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Geekout: Reading how Mirror Kirk assassinated Mirror Pike in Star Trek Mirror Images 1-5
Worst Costume: THE BLUE BLAAAADE! Oh come on, could there possibly be any other choice from 2008!? Runner-up: Jack Pot
Best Costume: Female Starhawk, Guardians of the Galaxy #5 Runner-up: The Crimson Reporter, The Twelve, Marvel Comics
Favorite Hero: Ambush Bug (If you can call him a hero)
Favorite Villain: Cranio, The Man with the Tri-Level Mind! The Age of the Sentry Runner-up: Catman, Secret Six
Horniest Villain: King Crimson, Dark Tower, Marvel Comics
Best New Character: Ape X, Marvel Apes
Worst New Character: Jackpot
Best Fake Covers: Marvel Apes
Best Essential or Showcase Presents: Savage Sword of Conan… Ha!
Most Likely To Piss Off PETA Badger Saves the world
Best Gunfight: Brothers in Arms#4 Runner-up: Bat Lash #6
Best Formerly Ugly Aliens that Are Now Sexpots: Skrulls
Best Sword Fight: Wolfskin Annual, Avatar
Best Reprint: Dr. Who Classics, IDW
Best Cross of Hellraiser Cenobites with Piers Anthony’s Incarnations of Immortality: Army of Darkness: Home Sweet Hell
Lamest Series I’m glad I didn’t read: It is a Tie Secret Invasion/Final Crisis and all of the spin offs
Best Single Issue: Fantastic Comics #24 Image Runner-up; Jonah Hex #33, DC Comics
Best Comedic Moment: Ambush Bug, it turns out, is responsible for the death of Sue Dibney, Ambush Bug Year None #1 Runner-up: A Medieval wizard buys a shit-load of goods at S-mart, AoD/Xena #1
Best Free Comic Book Day Comic: Gumby… of course
Best Trade Paperback: Zot!: The Complete Black and White Collection: 1987-1991 Runner-up: Captain Carrot and the Final Ark!
Biggest Warm Fuzzy: The Medieval Silent Knight is revealed to be an ancestor of Superman’s adopted Family, Brave and The Bold #10, DC Comics.
Best Collection of Older Comics: I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets Runner-up: The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics
Best Cameo: ‘Mazing Man: Ambush Bug: Year None. #1 Nazi Super Villains in the entrance way in Berlin Building The Twelve #1
Coolest Country in Marvel Atlas Volume 2: Boca Caliente (doesn’t that mean spicy hot mouth?)
Dumbest Moment: New Gods, New Gods New Gods!
Best Monster: Giant Eyeball Demon, Iron Man Legacy of Doom #4, Marvel Comics Runner-up: Ursus the Ultra Bear, The Age of The Sentry #2, Marvel Comics
Best Golden Age Retcon: The Twelve, Marvel Comics Runner-up: Fantastic Comics #24 Image
Worst Golden Age Retcon: Project Superpowers, Dynamite Entertainment
Worst Retcon Period: Red Sonja #29, her own Goddess set’s her up to get raped and have her family murdered.
Best Pimp Scene: Star Trek: Mirror Images #2, IDW
Best Terrorist Acronym: NACHO (Nihilist Anti-Capitalist Hate Organization) Badger Saves the World IDW
Best New Trick for an Old Dog: John Byrne doing Star Trek Comics Runner-up: DC Fontana doing Star Trek comics
Most Ruined Character: Red Sonja Runner-Up: The Wasp… because she’s like dead
Best Supporting Character: Cheeks the Toy Wonder (Of course) Runner Up: Abdul Alhazred, Fall of Cthulhu, Boom Studios
Best Western: Jonah Hex
Best Nonfiction Comic: Comic Book Comics, Evil Twin
Biggest Yawn: The Flash is coming Back!!!!! Zzzzzz
Best Revival from Suspended Animation: The Creature Commandos in Action Comics #872
Best Origin Story: The Black Widow, Twelve #8 Runner-up: Ungrounded Super Agent The Twelve #6
Lamest Promotion: Those Skrull "Who Do You Trust" ads Runner-up: What were you doing final crisis
Best Crossover: The Army of Darkness/Xena: Why Not, Dynamite Entertainment
Title I would Have Liked To Try from the Beginning But It Was Always Sold Out: Guardians of the Galaxy
Favorite Lesbian: Golden Age Black Widow, The Twelve, Marvel Comics She was Goth before there was Goth...
Best One Liner: “Hi Lois! I’ve got a weenie with your name one it” Earth 2 Superman. Ambush Bug: Year None # 3
Best Meh Ending: Y: The Last Man.
Best Capturing of the Spirit of 1980s Comics: Amazing Spider-Girl
Best Corporate Foot-Stepping: Moonstone vs. Dynamite over the publishing rights to The Phantom.
Biggest Disappointment: Project Superpowers, The heroes have been stuffed in a jar all these years? ...give me a break... Runner Up: What... No Poo flinging in Marvel Apes?
Star Trek The Next Generation: The Last Generation #2, IDW. This is basically a "What If" for Star Trek. Part of the Myriad Universe line.
The Walking Dead #56, Image. Five Years!
Cthulhu Tales #9, Boom Studios.
The Age of the Sentry #4, Marvel Comics.
Conan the Cimmerian #6, Dark Horse Comics.
Trade Paperbacks: Invaders Classic Vol 2 Marvel Comics. I was feeling a little blue about my friend Josh so I picked this up. There’s just something life affirming about Captain America and crew kicking Nazi butt.
I’ve been very busy with the taking care of Swinebread Jr. – as if you couldn’t tell from my lack of responses to all of your wonderful comments but I’m going to do a few quick reviews of SOME of what I’ve had time to read the last two weeks.
Necronomicon #2 This continues to be a great mythos series. Longtime readers of Lovecraftian horror will really enjoy the various entities that make their cameos herein. The real origin of Abdul Alhazred is a sinister treat. Also, I love that Necronomicon is set in the 1920s and how Henry Said is socially corrupted by western ways just as he is spiritually corrupted by the Necronomicon itself. I’ll have to see were this mini-series ends up but this just might be the best Cthulhu Mythos storyline published by Boom yet.
The Twelve # 12 The Twelve continues after a break and the plot thickens but then it thickens every issue doesn’t it. Finally, there’s something for Electro to do and it seems the Blue Blade has discovered the robot’s secrets. Also, the Fiery Mask’s origin might be more than it seems… I feel a retcon coming on. I’m greatly pleased with the Twelve but if you’re looking for lots of superhero fistfights you might want to look elsewhere. Happily, interaction of the “out of time” heroes is exactly want I want. Plus, I think Dynamic Man may be a Red herring, Kid Miracle-Man.
Barack Obama #1 This title is little more than a recitation of facts but it’s a nice read for a quick bio on Obama. It’s actually interesting to see Obama’s life laid out in comic book form and the various players from the political sphere rendered as comic characters is a refreshing dose of non-escapism. Folks that have read his books and watched the news won’t find much new here but I did learn a few things about him that I didn’t know. This title does mention some of the controversies surrounding the candidate as well but without context it seems kinda strange.
The Crossed #1 Looking for a good post-apocalyptic horror title? Then look no further than Crossed by Garth Ennis. This title doesn’t pull any punches and is very graphic. Crossed is sure as hell scary. Apparently a mental plague or some sort that turns folks into psycho killers has infected the world. Not for the faint of heart as no one is spared.
Giant Size Red Sonja #2 It’s great to read Sonja stories by Roy Thomas, Clara Noto and Frank Thorne. Ah the good old days. Thorne’s “The Wizard and Red Sonja Show” is fun homage to the shows that Frank and the Red Sonja gals used to put on back in the 1970s. One of the Sonja’s even looks like Wendy Pini. Also, Red Sonya of Rogatino makes an appearance too. I guess Paradox Entertainment and Red Sonja LLC have worked out their differences.
Star Trek Mirror Images #4 A fun issue all around. Kirk’s plot to assassinate Pike hits a bump in the road but he turns it to his advantage. Hey IDW, more Mirror Universe comics.
Marvel Zombies 3 #1 I like the parallel monitoring agency and the idea that Machine Man has to be one of the guys to investigate the zombie-verse but I hate that fact that Machine Man has to be this Human looking Aaron Stack guy. I liked him better when he was more of a robot.
Savage Sword of Conan #4 I drop everything and read these collections when Dark Horse puts them out. I love 'em! I think I might have convinced Dear Wormer to pick them up.
The End League #5 I don't like the new artist's style... it's gone
The Voyages of the She Buccaneer #3, Great Big Comics. Yeah, yeah I said I was dropping this title but they stuck it in my box and I was the one they ordered it for.
I haven’t even had a chance to pick up my comics for this week but here’s a few opinions on last week's stack.
Cthulhu Tales 5 This was an entertaining issue basically for the second story about Dr. Nyarlathotep. This tale is an obvious nod to a dream that H.P. Lovecraft had about a creepy sideshow magician named Nyarlathotep. This dream is the origin of the name Nyarlathotep by the way. I thought Boom’s interpretation of this wizard of Magnetism was horrifically fun and recalled a more whimsical time in horror stories.
Fall of Cthulhu: GodWar #2 Various characters from the previous Fall of Cthulhu series fall-in together as the war Between Nyarlathotep and Nodens begins to tear into the real world with devastating consequences. The more the story threads are gathered, the more the horror grows. The main characters are in way over their heads and they don’t’ even know it yet. This title is putting me on edge like a good horror flick or classic game session of Call of Cthulhu.
Northlanders #10 What we have here is essentially the second part of a story about a traitor, a boy who sells out his family and town to the Vikings in trade for a life as a warrior. It’s kinda hard to take but then life and death in the middle ages was very brutal. It’s strangely compelling to read a traitor’s story where the traitor succeeds.
She-Hulk #33 I remember when the Skrulls were short ugly aliens. Jazinda, She-Hulk’s Skull-friend, is just too hot. Basically she looks like a sexy 20 something with a ripple chin and green skin. Ahhh no. We already have one green skinned chick sticking her juicy ass out of the panels and we don’t need another. Sometimes aliens should just be the classic evil threat and not sympathetic. The art in this issue is great but She-Hulk seemed like a supporting character in her own title. Super Skrull is always good for a spectacular bashing though.
Hulk #6 This Hulk title has been a good series so far. I’ve enjoyed not knowing who the Red Hulk is and the appearances by the supporting cast are well done. Also, I think She-Hulk’s characterization is better here then in her own comic. Issue six really comes together in showing Hulk as not so bad when compared to the monsters that are always created to fight him. That’s classic hulk and that works. This isn’t a bunch psychological mumbo jumbo, it’s just straight up Hulk Smash. I’m not real familiar with what’s been going on with the Hulk stories so I’ve got no guesses on who the Red Hulk might be, but it is fun not having all the answers… as long as he doesn’t turn out to be a Skrull that is.
I thought I’d make some quickie reviews of last week’s comics
H.P. Lovecraft’s Vault of Horror #3 Horror and Sci-fi favorite Richard Corbin finishes out his mini-series which adapts some of the gentleman from Providence's smaller works including poems. The adaptations here are well done and the Heavy Metal art style suits these mythos tales quite well, although I wasn’t completely behind the black &white drawings until this issue. I’d consider the Arthur Jermyn adaptation in this issue quite stellar by making one of Lovecraft’s more obvious stories into something much more enjoyable to read. The last two tales in this issue are freely adapted from H.P’s horror poems The Well and The Window. Both are short but engaging.
She-Hulk #32 Secret Invasion invades She-Hulk with mixed results. I’m not interested in this lame crossover that is infecting the Marvel universe but I do like the Super-Skrull who figures as the main villain, so that’s something. The coloring is bowling me over as it remindes me of Heavy Metal (again). It’s such a dramatic visual look and unlike how comics colors used to appear that Shulkie seems like she’s in a sci-fi, anime movie.
Star Trek Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment #5 This is one of the best if not thee best Star Trek comic series that I’ve read, but what else could you expect from D.C. Fontana. The voice of the characters is correct and their actions are in line with the TOS. Fontana ties in concepts like the Preservers and the Organians, and she brings back popular characters such as the Kor, Koloth and the hottie Romulan commander from the Enterprise incident. Plus, she makes the Edosians important to the future of the Star Trek Universe, which is much appreciated. More ST if it is written by Fontana.
Necronomicon #1 A wonderful new Cthulhu Horror miniseries from Boom Studios centered around the most famous sanity-blasting tome off all time. Set in the 1920s, the narrative is told through a letter from an Arab student that comes to study at Miskatonic University and who ends up joining forces with academic occultists because of his language skills. The story, so far, is top notch and the Vertigo art style by Andrew Ritchie suits the Lovecraftian Horror theme.
Northlanders #9 You can’t tell realistic Viking tales without taking about Lidisfarne. This issue is part one of two-part standalone story on the sacking of a Monastery on the Northern coast of England in 793 A.D. A boy feels crushed under the yoke of medieval Christianity and calls upon the old gods for help and the Vikings seem to be the answer to his prayers. With adequate art and a solid narrative, this two-parter is kinda a placeholder until the next longer story arc commences.
Ambush Bug: Year None #2 Mitsu Bishi, Amber Butane, Blue Beetle, and Jann Jones are present and accounted for. What else do you need to know? Might not be as fun for folks that aren’t as familiar with all the crazy crap that’s been going on in DC comics that last few years but the OMAC Cheeks takes the cake! Did I mention Angryish Bear? Oh Well I just did.
Life Sucks Graphic Novel I recently finished up the graphic novel Life Sucks written by Jessica Abel and Gabe Soria. This isn’t my usual sort of fair, but I just had to give this vampire slacker story a look-see. If I had to give you a shorthand description for this it might be Love and Rockets crossed with the Lost Boys plus a dash of Clerks.
Life Sucks isn’t your typical vampire story. When the luckless vegetarian Dave is transformed into a vampire, none of his problems are solved, he still has to pay the rent and the Jocks still seem to get the girls. It’s supposedly Young Adult but I wouldn’t let that stop you if you’re looking for something different.