War of The Supermen (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Sigh...

New Krypton has been destroyed, tens of thousands of Kryptonians are dead at the hands of Brainiac, and Earth was behind it all! Zod is angry! All the remaining Kryptonians are angry! Superman & Supergirl are angry! Earth must pay! The remaining remnants of New Krypton have declared WAR on EARTH!!

They will have vengeance....that is the theme of War of the Supermen....and what can humanity do to stop thousands of Supermen? Absolutely nothing. Earth's mightiest heroes try to slow the onslaught,

Top 5 Comic Book Writers (Updated...)

It's been over a year since my first Top 5 Comic Book Writers list was posted (See: Top 5 Comic Book Writers), so I thought I would update my list...They are ranked according to how quickly I’ll pull out my wallet whenever I see their name on a comic book title. Note: Previous "Rank" in parenthesis next to writer's name.

Amazing Spider-Man by JMS (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love J. Michael Straczynski? Although I haven't given him an "Awesome" grade yet, he is consistently one of the best Comic Book Writers in the business today....and I buy anything with his name on it!

Thor by JMS (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

J. Michael Straczynski (affectionately known as "JMS" to his fans!) is a genius! Though misunderstood sometimes (I'll explain below), no one can question the quality of his work. Only he could bring back the Marvel Comics mythical legend....Thor! After the Norse City of the gods...Asgard...had fallen in the prophesied Ragnarok, Thor is in the beyond, where because of one's belief in him he comes back from death. Alone now (all the other Asgardians were killed in Ragnarok), he and his human host, Dr. Donald Blake move to Oklahoma.

Top 5 Monthly Comics to collect in 2010

I collect about 12 different monthlies in Graphic Novel form, but I’ve narrowed them down to my essential 5 for 2010:

1. Green Lantern. You cannot go wrong collecting this series! Geoff Johns continues to impress more and more taking Green Lantern into uncharted territory and writing stories on par with anything in the market today! The Blackest Night event will blanket the DC Universe into 2010, and Green Lantern will be at the forefront of DC’s heroes.

2. Batman. With the announcement that Bruce Wayne will be returning in 2010, the Batman series led by Grant Morrison should impress as never before! Always a winner and worth spending the money on, DC’s flagship character will carry the DC franchise in 2010.

3. Elephantmen. If your local comic book shop doesn’t carry this title, you should be begging and pleading with them to start! Richard Starking’s story and characters seem to get better with every issue, and the artwork is always phenomenal! A real up-&-comer getting a lot of attention on the comic websites.

4. Daredevil. The man without fear is riding high, and new writer Andy Diggle should keep him that way in 2010. The story is usually for mature audiences and often reads as a detective/crime novel with pictures. Following in the footsteps of Kevin Smith, Brian Michael Bendis, & Ed Brubaker isn’t easy…..but I believe it will bring out Diggle’s best work to date!

5. The Brave and The Bold. With J. Michael Straczynski taking over as writer, I fully expect this to be one of my favorites for 2010! Sales numbers are in the toilet…..but if you love a good story, or just love JMS than you’ll love this title. I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed if they cancel this title and then restart it from #1 with JMS as regular writer.

Special Mentions go to Superman and Green Arrow & Black Canary. Both titles are on the brink of disaster, but with good writers on board and “mega-events” coming up in 2010 for both titles, they should be worth reading. Also….Hulk. Despite some fan criticism, the Fall of The Hulks event in 2010 should make this title worth spending the money for.

Top 5 Comic Book Writers

I thought I would post my Top 5 Comic Book writers. I will be polite and NOT post my top 5 worst writers. They are ranked according to how quickly I’ll pull out my wallet whenever I see their name on a comic book title.

1. Geoff Johns. I absolutely love his style of writing, and his willingness to delve into the minds of Rogues/Villains. He made me love the Flash’s Rogues almost as much as I love the Flash! Same with Sinestro. He seems to be able to weave great short stories into huge “never-saw-it-coming” events that leave my mouth gaping open saying “Whoa!” His list includes: Green Lantern, Flash, JSA, Hawkman, Superman, and the new Flash series “Rebirth” and upcoming new monthly.

2. Jeph Loeb. I love his ability to tell a story from multiple angles. This was never better done than during his Superman/Batman run. He wrote the first 4 volumes of that monthly series, and I still collect them although he no longer writes them…..now that’s a good writer! the Batman trilogy series he wrote was also fantastic. He is currently writing Hulk for Marvel Comics, which has had a lot of bad reviews on the forums….but I like it, and collect the volumes. His list includes: Batman: Haunted Knight, BM: Long Halloween, BM: Dark Victory, Superman/Batman (vol. 1-4), Batman: Hush, & Hulk (Vol. 1 thru present).

3. Grant Morrison. He is different. He has the ability to use little known heroes/villains in new and unique ways that make you love them. A prime example was Aquaman during his JLA run. They started a Aquaman monthly based on the popularity Morrison gave him, then cancelled the monthly when Morrison stopped writing JLA. He didn’t even write the monthly series!! Now that is POWER!! He also is not scared to take characters into new directions. Prime example: Batman. Killed in R.I.P./Final Crisis shocked the comic world! Now, Bruce Wayne Returns will turn the comic world upside down again! His list includes: JLA, All-Star Superman, Final Crisis, Batman, and is currently writing Batman & Robin.

4. J. Michael Straczynski. Creator of Babylon 5 (tv series), screen writer of Changling (starring Angelina Jolie) & Ninja Assassin… also writes Comics! The only Amazing Spiderman I’ve ever collected is what he wrote. The only Thor I’ve ever collected is what he wrote. I am no longer collecting either since he left……enough said. Although I didn’t really get into his independent stuff, he is a great writer who likes to weave long stories over years. However, he has proved recently he is just as adapted to doing “one & dones” as he is telling mega-plots. His list includes: Amazing Spiderman (vol. 1-10, The Other, Civil War, Back in Black, & One More Day), Thor (vol. 1-3), and is currently writing The Brave & The Bold for DC Comics.

5. Richard Starkings. Creator and Writer of the Elephantmen series from Image Comics. As much as I’d love to see him write characters in the big 2, I love that he puts all his best work into probably the best comic series going right now…. Elephantmen! I actually bought Strange Embrace (which I didn’t like & He didn’t write) based solely on his recommendation. I do not hold it against him either…. that is how much I love his work. He also seems to pull the best artists out of thin air to draw his Elephantmen…..making me wonder why DC or Marvel didn’t find them? In a couple years may be at the top of this list. His list includes: Elephantmen (vol. 1-3), Hip Flask (vol. 1 & 2), Elephantmen: War Toys, & E: Damaged Goods.

Special mentions go to Larry Gonick (creator/writer/artist of the Cartoon History of the Universe vol. 1-3, C.H. of The Modern World vol. 1-2, and C.H. of the United States), Kevin Smith (wrote Daredevil, Green Arrow, & Batman: Cacophony), & Mark Millar (Superman: Red Son, & Ultimates).