The "New 52": Six Months Later (#6 Reviews: part one)

It's six months later....and time to grade the "New 52", and how it's going so far.....I started the "New 52" collecting 11 titles, but have dropped a few (BM: Dark Knight, Mister Terrific & I, Vampire), one is being cancelled (O.M.A.C.), and a few have been relegated to Graphic Novel collecting (Aquaman, Green Lantern, GL Corps, GL: New Guardians, & Justice League), to save $$$ or just have in book form.  Overall, that puts me at -1, but that number will probably go up as a few of the titles are on the fence for various reasons (possible cancellation, financial concerns, or just not interested in where the title is going).  The drop is largest for me in the monthly category (-4 when O.M.A.C. ends), with Image Comics quickly filling 3 spots & Conan The Barbarian (Dark Horse Comics) the other.

In Part One, I have #6 reviews and 6-months-later grades for Deathstroke, Green Arrow, O.M.A.C., & Red Lanterns.......I also have further thoughts about how DC Comics is doing so far at the very end of the post as well.

My Comic Book Corner

With the idea in mind to make my Comic Book/Graphic Novel Collection aesthetically pleasing to the eyes; both  for myself and any friend or family member...whether they are into comics or not, I invested in some magazine racks for my monthly issues and displayed the Graphic Novels with various statues/action figures/etc. on the shelves.  I think it gives the two book shelves a fuller look without the clutter of a Barnes & Noble shelf, and collects my entire love of Comic Books & Characters into a smaller space (which any Wife, Girlfriend, or Mother of a Comic Fan can appreciate).

The Savage Hawkman!!!

This is interior artwork from the NEW The Savage Hawkman series being launched in September from DC Comics.....the Artwork is Awesome!!! Congrats Philip Tan on some very impressive work!

The DC Comics "Revamp"

DC Comics announced today that their line will be revamped! I'm sure Dan DiDio, Geoff Johns, and Jim Lee will need bodyguards for a while....and middle-aged and older comic book fans will sit teary-eyed gazing at their huge collections of Golden, Silver, Bronze, kinda-modern, semi-modern, modern, and present day era comic books. The nostalgia of years of wasted money, effort, and time all for not....since all of that ink-blotted paper may become irrelevant in September when 52 comic book titles will be re-vamped, re-numbered (restarted at #1....including the Industry's two longest running comic books, Action Comics and Detective Comics), and re-tooled to attract younger audiences, compete with Marvel Comics (who has consistently kicked their ass over the last decade), and beg at the feet of movie producers.

New Comic Series to consider......

Here are a few new Comic Series to consider reading....they are in no particular order, just as I've heard of them. Xombi & Carbon Grey have just had their first issues released. Moon Knight, Witch Doctor & Marijuana Man will be released in the next few months.....


1. Witch Doctor. Writer Brandon Seifert describes the book as "Dr. House meets Dr. Strange." Their website; Witchdoctorcomic.com, describes the series as a "medical horror comic". It follows the adventures of Dr. Vincent Morrow as he practices the black arts while battling demons, vampires, and creatures of myth and folklore. Artwork to be done by Lukas Ketner. Issue #1 expected to hit bookshelves June 29.


2. Marijuana Man. A philosophical superhero comic created by the legendary Ziggy Marley, written by Joe Casey and drawn by Jim Mahfood. I believe the title & creator speak for themselves, so toke it up while reading this one...just kidding. Casey is a good writer, and it is scheduled for release on April 20. You can check it out on Ziggy's website.


3. Carbon Grey. Created over eight years by Hoang Nguyen, Khari Evans, Paul Gardner, Mike Kennedy and Kinsun Loh, Carbon Grey centers around Mathilde and Giselle....the Sisters Grey. For generations the Sisters have protected and counseled the Kaiser, ruler of a central European kingdom that looks and feels a lot like "old" Prussia . But times have changed...a bustling industrial age and a great war are dividing the empire and loyalties. When the Kaiser is assassinated, Giselle is accused. Pursued by her sisters and hunted by the enemy, Giselle must unravel the prophecy of the Carbon Grey before it's too late. I picked up the first issue, the artwork is phenomenal!


4. Xombi. The immortal David Kim; kept "alive" by nanotech enhancements, and accompanied by weird nuns and mind-bending images...this is one of DC Comics' "off-the-beaten-path" and refreshing new books. Creator John Rozum and artist Frazer Irving team up to deliver the finest in contemporary urban horror – with a Super Hero twist! As an undying, unchanging Xombi, David Kim must watch the world consume itself and burn while humanity grows more distant from each other due to the rise of technology. What would a Xombi do just to feel change again? And where will he ever be able to find a kindred soul? I perused the first issue and it looks good, definitely "outside-the-box".


5. Moon Knight. Marvel Comics' reboot of the character written by Brian Michael Bendis, with artwork by Alex Maleev. Moon Knight has been around since I was a child (i.e. a long time), and was one of the first comic books I ever read. Gaining supernatural abilities from the moon and mixed with Egyptian myth and tormented by on-and-off again drug addiction and a schizophrenic personality, the Moon Knight is a complicated and interesting personality among Marvel's heroes. I've been skeptical of past incarnations of the character, but I trust the great writing talents of Bendis to bring this hero back to the forefront of Marvel's universe. Maleev is a great artist, so this series (starting in May) should be great!

District Court Judge Crabb for Supreme Court!!!

That's right! Federal District Court Judge Barbara B. Crabb ruled on Thursday (7/29/10) that "Dark Ages" Spawn, Domina and Tiffany, characters from Todd McFarlane’s Spawn comics, are derivatives of "Medieval" Spawn and Angela, two characters created by Neil Gaiman for Spawn #9 in 1992. Here is an excerpt from her ruling:

“According to the rules of the Spawn universe, only one Hellspawn could be on Earth at the same time and the Al Simmons Hellspawn was already around....

Top 10 things Comic Books do Better than any other Book...period!

Comic Books are for everyone....A simple sentence that would have jocks, the "cool" crowd, academics, and "arm-chair" philosophers with delusions of grandeur snuffing and snorting their disapproval. But it's true...why else would Hollywood keep making films based on Superheroes? Because people want to be entertained.

Most people have a picture in their mind of some comic book cover from the 50's whenever someone talks on the subject, but the comic book genre of today is some of the best writing, artwork, and vision of anything anywhere. They are now written and drawn for an adult audience....so if you haven't been in a comic shop since you were 8, check one out and peruse through some of the books.....

Conspiracy Theory.....How Marvel Comics tried to kill Superman

I remember when all the buzz was going on about Bryan Singer leaving the X-Men movie franchise to revive the Superman movie franchise....I was excited! I watched all the trailers, saw the History Channel's show about Superpowers, etc. I knew this would bring Superman to new heights! The special effects that the 80's movies weren't yet privy to.....

Then I saw the movie...

Elephantmen: Must have for Comic Fans!!

Issue #24 was released just this week for Elephantmen. Although sometimes delayed, this series is probably the best regular monthly comic in the industry right now. Unfortunately, many comic fans are unaware of it & many comic shops don't sell it. It is a travesty!! Richard Starkings consistently has great stories, many directions and multiple characters going on in every issue! The artwork is always stellar no matter who is doing the drawing....Moritat is a master!