Multiversity Comics

Marvel Teases Spider-MEN (And It's Probably Something Ultimate)

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:06:00 +0000

Arriving in our inbox mere seconds ago with no additional information, the above image features a mash-up of the new Ultimate Spider-Man's logo and the rather famous Spider-Man logo (and cover to Ultimate Spider-Man #160) into one, with a June 2012 release date attached.

The last time Marvel teased something big and vague with Spider-Man, it turned out to be about Ultimate Spider-Man, so with Bendis tweeting about the image, it seems likely that the return of Ultimate Peter Parker is nigh. It's the Ultimate Universe after all -- anything's possible!

Keep your eyes peeled and you ears open, but remember you heard it here first: Ultimate Peter Parker. Miles Morales. Kicking ass and taking names together in June 2012.

(And remember to give full credit to Walter Richardson, who pointed out the Ultimate Spider-Man #160 cover to me -- which, really, should've been obvious, but somehow wasn't. Walt is the best.)

Art of the Week (2/1/12)

noreply@blogger.com (Gilbert Short) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0000

We have a lot of great stuff in this week's Art of the Week. First, Jorge Coelho brought it with two gorgeous pieces, one of one of the greatest rock musicians of all time. Then we have to tributes to the recently finished Brian Wood epic DMZ from Jorge Munoz former Ultimate Spider-Man artist David LaFuente. Francesco Francavilla posted a striking interpretation of a classic movie poster. Finally, Stephen Mooney, Steve Ellis, Jamie McKelvie and Declan (or is it Duncan?) Shalvey provided some great superhero renditions featuring some popular heroes and villains from DC and Marvel.

The pick of the week, however, comes from James Harren at the Sindiecate.The use of colors made this an easy choice for the featured piece. Being a tribute to the Paul Pope mini-series Heavy Liquid, the colors are a natural choice, but that doesn't diminish the impressive mixture of blues and pinks to make it jump off the screen. Great stuff!

Mexican Warrior by Jorge Coelho

Tommy Iommi by Jorge Coelho

DMZ by Jorge Muñoz

DMZ by David LaFuente

Phantoms of Space by Francesco Francavilla

Grifter by Stephen Mooney

Catwoman "Steal Everything" by Steve Ellis

Songbird by Declan Shalvey

"The White Queen" Emma Frost by Jamie McKelvie

Before Watchmen: The Multiversity Response

noreply@blogger.com (Joshua Mocle) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:35:00 +0000

In the last few hours since the announcement of DC's Prequel Series Before Watchmen, it has seemed like everyone and their mother has publicly stated an opinion on it, with more and more coming out of the woodwork as the day goes by. Is it a blatant cash grab or isn't it? Is it sacrilege or not? Should Alan Moore's thoughts on the matter mean anything to anyone? Will people ever be able to look at Dr. Manhattan the same way after the movie made his genitalia famous? Regardless of the statements swirling around, I'd say this is arguably the most anyone has talked about Watchmen in at least a few years and is the second blockbuster announcement of the last twelve months from DC. Like it or not, you were probably talking about it to someone before you came to our site and saw the post.

So, because no one demanded it, here is the official Multiversity staff response to the announcement and a few of the thoughts swirling in our heads about the project in general and the reaction it has so far received.

Click on down for musings!

Matthew Meylikhov
Pass.

Walter Richardson
Are you one of the people "upset" that DC would treat Moore and his creation this way?

Do you read DC and/or Marvel superhero comics?

Then for the love of God, please shut up. The superhero comic industry is built on the backs of creators who have been treated by publishers significantly worse than Moore has. Just because Watchmen was a maxiseries with an ending doesn't make this case any different. I'm not endorsing DC's decision -- though some of the talent lined up does look quite nice - I'm just saying that if you're pretending to care about respecting original creators and have been buying, say, Superman comics for the past ten years, then your actions say differently.

Brian Salvatore
Whenever I am deciding whether or not to buy a comic, I ask myself three questions:

1) do I have an affinity for the character(s)?

2) have I enjoyed the work that the creative team has done in the past?

3) does the story interest me?

In the case of Before Watchmen, all three are yeses - but that doesn't mean that I am completely gung ho on this project. Yes, it feels cheap to be taking these characters are out of their perfectly crafted, small universe and telling origins that were pretty clearly touched upon in the original work. Yes, this has a certain stink of "old ideas are easier/more profitable than new ideas," but what major comic series doesn't adhere to that very principle? And no, this isn't essential to getting maximum enjoyment out of Watchmen. That said, have you seen the creators involved? The artwork alone seems to be in contention for some of the best of 2012, and while some of the writers have done less than superior work over the last few years, each writer seems very nicely paired with their characters. Plus, THE ART! Whether or not I will be buying in single issues or waiting for the trades is still up in the air, but I can't imagine this group of creators, working within the world Moore/Gibbons fashioned, creating anything less than something that's "pretty good." And in my book, "pretty good" for a Watchmen-related product is good news.

David Harper
I like Watchmen. It's a good comic. It isn't a holy grail comic for me, so this isn't a big deal. It's not something I'm particularly fascinated in, nor do I think there is any real story that is needed to be told left in that world.

That said, do I like the idea of a book that Darwyn Cooke writes and illustrates on top of a new Parker book? Hell yeah. Some of the creative teams are great. I might pick them up simply because I believe they'll be well crafted comics. It was only a matter of time until DC did this, and if they were going to do it, I'm stoked that they have people like Cooke, Amanda Conner, Brian Azzarello, J.G. Jones, Jae Lee and others on it. It may be disrespectful in the mind of Moore, but they respect the legacy enough to put A-list talent on it.

I do want to say though: I hate JMS on this, and I kind of genuinely don't like him either (as a person, I enjoy his writing often, just not here). What happened to only doing graphic novels?

All of that said, these will be the most pirated comics ever. That is a cold hard fact.

Josh Mocle
I'm in, at least tentatively. Like some of my fellow writers, I don't think Watchmen is the sacred cow it once was and, whereas I once firmly believed the opposite, I'm not sure the universe itself should not be revisted. In fact, all of Alan Moore's crotchity, regressive bitching only makes me want it to happen more, strictly out of spite. There is, of course, a right way and a wrong way to do it. If they had gone the full on sequel route, I'd cry foul because ultimately negating the end of that book is akin to negating the entire book. But turning back the clock and adding to the already deep backstory present in the original text is not the worst way to go about this blatant cash grab. If the company itself didn't have reverence for the original text, it wouldn't have assigned the level of talent to the books that they did nor give them as much time to work on them as they did. The ability of these books to be a great addition to the Watchmen mythology is not guaranteed, but given the pedigree of the creators the likelihood of them being great comics in general is pretty high. So lets roll the dice and see where it goes.

That having been said, I'll be buying all of these in trade. Because while some of my stances on Watchmen have softened over the years, I still believe that Watchmen, any Watchmen, is a bookshelf book, not a longbox book. Unless DC offers to pay me to pick up the singles, I'm looking forward to reading these stories sometime in late 2013.

Advance Review: Alpha Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Gilbert Short) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Written by Jean-Paul Bonjour, Jeff Roenning
Illustrated by Robert Love

It's 1984, and Judith is your typical 17 year old. She chain smokes, cuts class, sells her tampons to perverts, and she just might be the last sane woman left on the planet. When a third-rate cosmetics company creates a pheromone that turns women into crazed man-eaters, the world dives into chaos. Judith must break her little brother out of juvie, all the while dodging rabid women and the men who hunt them. Already a proven survivor, she picks up some interesting strays along the way and kicks some serious zombie ass! Judith is Alpha Girl!

Zombies! Everyone loves Zombies. Image is banking on that with their new title Alpha Girl. Part zombie flick, part Buffy, all horror, it could either go really well, or really poorly. So, how did it fair?

The answers lie beyond the jump!

Ever since The Walking Dead really hit televisions and became a mainstream hit, it seems there has been a resurgence of horror themed books hitting comic book shelves. From Dark Horse’s The Strain to Red 5’s Dead or Alive. Image takes it a step further with an homage to zombie b-flicks called Alpha Girl.

Alpha Girl was a book I wasn’t expecting to enjoy, in all honesty. The book seemed like it would be a generic gore-fest, and that’s not really my cup of tea.

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. The book, while not being original in many ways, succeeds in the most important aspect of a book in this genre; it’s a lot of fun. Everything about the book, aside from a few choice moments, is told with tongue placed firmly in cheek, and that’s to the benefit of the story. Everything is over the top, from the plot to the characters.

Judith herself is an interesting character. Wry and sarcastic, as aloof as she is punk rock; she seems to be the last person to fight off the hordes of (female) zombies bent on mankind’s destruction, but here we are. Her home life is mostly in focus in this issue, providing a character backstory for exactly why she’s the person she is and her connection to her brother, who will be a focus of the story later on.

If there is one complaint I have about the characters so early on, it’s the fact her brother has to have such a…dark…backstory. It’s a bit disturbing to have been put in a story so early on, even if such stories aren’t as, let’s say, prevalent for male characters to have endured such abuse in their lifetime. Although being “pretty” should never be a reason for abuse, male or female.

You might have noticed I’m talking about a lot of backstory being covered in this issue, and you’d be right. That’s another problem within the book itself. There is so much backstory; it’s only teasing what’s going to go on in the rest of the arc, if not the entire series. The zombies don’t show up until the end of the issue itself! While the book is indeed enjoyable, it could have been better if there were more meat and less appetizer.

Some of the best parts of the book, however, are the villains. Described not as some conniving scientists or evil masterminds, they find themselves described by Judith our narrator as “Assholes from a Third Rate Cosmetics Company.” While that is at its heart dismissive and always insulting, that’s’ exactly what they are. They’re not evil, and they’re not idiots either. They’re simply selfish and driven people who are driven to the do the wrong things for their own benefit, without realizing how their actions will affect the world. It could be used as an allegory for the world as a whole where people screw over others because of their short-sightedness or greed. While they are AWFUL people, they’re not EVIL. There’s an important distinction.

With regards to the art from Robert Love, it’s likely some of the best art I’ve seen in a “horror” book. I say that because instead of trying too hard to be creepy or gory, Love’s art has an aura of Rob Guillory’s pencils over at Chew. The art is no less gorgeous than Guillory’s; and the decision for such cartoonish art adds to the story and gives it a real cheesy horror movies much like the movie Slither did a few years back. Gruesome? Yes. Something that will give you nightmares? Not at all, unless zombie boobs scare you THAT much.

To put it plainly, this book is silly. But it’s silly in the best way possible. If you like zombies or b-flicks, it’s definitely worth a perusal. Just don’t take it too seriously. But if you like zombies and b-flicks, why would you?

Final Verdict: 7.0 - Buy

The Hour Cosmic Episode 2: Adult High School

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Banner provided by Tim Daniel

THE HOUR COSMIC! When podcasters walk the Earth!

Welcome back to THE HOUR COSMIC!, brought to you by the lovely folks at Multiversity Comics and Tell Me Something. Hosted by Brian Salvatore, Chad Bowers and Matthew Meylikhov, The Hour Cosmic returns for its second bi-weekly update to discuss all things comic related.

In this second sensational episode, Brian, Chad and Matt bring their books to the table for Book Club, including a thrilling explanation of Batman: Odyssey, discuss recent changes to the Captain Marvel franchise, and attempt to figure out what matters in mainstream superhero comics.

Additionally, for those interested in the article by Cullen Bunn which Brian discusses, check out this link.

When the old podcasts died, there arose The Hour Cosmic!

We hope to have our iTunes account up and running soon, but in the meantime be sure to check out our RSS feed and official site. You can also download the mp3 of the show for your personal mp3 player and listen below via a stream. Enjoy the show!

DC Confirms Before Watchmen Event for Summer 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Salvatore) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Art courtesy of the Source

After being a rumor for years, and especially fervent in the last 6 months or so, DC Comics has announced Before Watchmen, an event made up of seven miniseries that tell the tales of the characters from the classic Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons series to be released this summer. The Source has confirmed some truly incredible artists and writers have been lined up to create these stories. They are:

Rorschach, written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo
Minutemen, written and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke
Comedian, written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by J.G. Jones
Dr. Manhattan, written by J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Adam Hughes
Nite Owl, written by J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Andy and Joe Kubert
Ozymandias, written by Len Wein and illustrated by Jae Lee
Silk Spectre, written by Darwyn Cooke and illustrated by Amanda Conner

The Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre series are 4-issues each, with Minutemen, Comedian and Ozymandias each running for 6 issues.

In addition, each book will feature a 2 page back up called The Curse of the Crimson Corsair written by Len Wein and illustrated by John Higgins, the original series's editor and colorist, respectively. That story will culminate, along threads of the other stories, in a one shot called Before Watchmen: Epilogue.

Dave Gibbons is quoted by the Source saying, "“The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC’s reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire.” While Gibbons was not exactly endorsing the project, Alan Moore had a stronger quote to the New York Times. “I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago,” Moore said, along with calling the idea "completely shameless." He also feels that sequels de-legitimize comics as a genre, stating "As far as I know, there weren’t that many prequels or sequels to Moby-Dick.”

Stay tuned for more on this self-professed "highly anticipated and controversial" series, and check behind the cut for seven more covers.

Dr. Manhattan via Comic Book Resources

Silk Spectre via Entertainment Weekly

Comedian via the New York Times

Minutemen via the LA Times

Niteowl via the Hollywood Reporter

Ozymandias via Wired

Rorschach via the Beat

Image Promotes Patience For More Butcher Baker

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Sent over this morning from Image Comics, the above image -- a parody/homage to Shepard Fairey's famous HOPE poster -- features Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker over one simple word: PATIENCE.

The last time we had an issue of Butcher Baker, it was issue #7 and it was released in October, although it was originally scheduled for September. Issue #8, originally scheduled for October, was never seen, but Image's website has its release scheduled come February. There is no news on the possible existence of a #9, but given that Butcher Baker was scheduled as an ongoing, one could assume to maybe see it in the future, once Mike Huddleston's work on The Strain for Dark Horse has cleared up a bit.

Butcher Baker has continually been one of our favorite books, from back when it first came out to well into its run. Needless to say, anticipation for #8 in February is very high, and further installments even higher.

The Next Issue - Pull List #3

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Romeo) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:01:00 +0000

Welcome to the third installment of our new weekly series, The Next Issue - Pull List! For this show, the boys will be picking out a couple of comics on their pull lists for this week and talking about why they're excited to read them. Clocking in at around 15 minutes, this bite sized audio nugget is the perfect companion for any Wednesday Warrior!

Picks for Wednesday January 25, 2012

Greg - John Romita Artist Edition

Mike - Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes and Kramer's Ergot

Aitch - The Twelve #7-8

(Here's the direct link!)

We hope you enjoyed our last episode. It was a whole bunch of talking, including last weekend's South Maryland Comic Con, DC's campaign to end hunger, Marvel's appearance at SXSW, and then we get a little sidetracked discussing the 'finalized' DC Logos. And of course there's our reviews, first impressions, and a bunch of other goodness (including an awesome contest at the top of the show!).

Be sure to check out The Next Issue podcast at our official site, and be sure to subscribe to our feeds in iTunes! This one is for our regular episodes, and this one is for all our interviews and specials. Don't forget to tell everyone you know as well, because we're absolutely ready to be your new favorite podcast on the internet.

There Will Be Explosions in "Avengers" Super Bowl Teaser

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:01:00 +0000

This is one of those times where you don't really need any editorializing. Here's a ten second tease of the Super Bowl ad for "Avengers." You know you're going to see it. I know I'm going to see it. Just enjoy the violence people, and continue to let the anticipation build.

Nate Edmondson Announces Jake Ellis Sequel

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

During is Reddit AMA, writer Nate Edmondson promised an exclusive tease for those reading, and today he snuck it online.

Fans of Who is Jake Ellis? have been waiting quite diligently for a sequel, and to that, Edmondson provides a simple link to a flash animation. The major tease in it is that the question is not "when" (will it be released), but "where" -- assumedly meaning that the sequel to Who Is... is Where Is Jake Ellis?, coming sometime in 2012 (assumedly when Zonjic is done with his Lobster Johnson mini work).

We had reported some time ago that Edmondson and Zonjic had planned to have Jake Ellis be a multi-part story for some time, with a planned fifteen issues for the entire saga. One could assumedly expect, considering the first Jake Ellis book was five issues, that there are two more five-issue minis on the way for the story of Jake Ellis.

We'll let you know more on the Jake Ellis sequel When Is Jake Ellis? as soon as we find it, but for now be sure to check out the flash animation for the tease.

DC Plays A Three-Way Switch Up With Stormwatch, JL Dark and Frankenstein

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:52:00 +0000

Announced today over at DC's Source blog, three new creative change ups for the DCnU were revealed.

For starters, Jeff Lemire will be taking over Justice League Dark with issue #9. As he notes on the Source, Lemire plans to bring more connections between this team and the "main" Justice League, as well as move the team to a new headquarters and appoint Constantine as the official team leader. In addition to that, Lemire will be introducing two new characters to the book, as well as re-imagining a classic villain for the New 52. Mikal Janin will stay on for art details.

Former Justice League Dark writer Peter Milligan will in turn take over Stormwatch with issue #9. On the Source blog, Milligan notes that he plans to tie the book with his other title, Red Lantern Corps, as well as explore the secret history of Stormwatch and bring the Shadow Lords to the book. No word on the artist yet.

As a final and quite exciting announcement, Matt Kindt will be taking over for Jeff Lemire on Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE with issue #10. This will be Kindts first DC ongoing, having written part of My Greatest Adventure. Kindts plans includes Frankenstein in a relationship with someone (assumedly not his Bride), more with the Mummy, and the intricacies of SHADE. Kindt describes it as "Steranko meets Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", which is a pretty fantastic sell, all things considered. Alberto Ponticelli is staying on board as artist.

Also of note, DC mentioned that Kindt and Lemire have collaborated for the final issue of Men of War (on sale April 4), which will have somewhat of a tie-in to Kindt's plans for Frankenstein (with the inclusion of GI Robot), with Tom Derenick on board as artist.

Brubaker to Appear at Image Expo, Fatale Back to Print

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:13:00 +0000

Image Expo is right around the corner (as you can see at the top of our page), as a litany of top creators will be appearing at the largest creator-owned centric con in the country February 24 through 26.

Today, they added one of the new creators to their line-up at the con, as Ed Brubaker will be appearing only Saturday, February 25. While there, he'll appear on a panel on the art of crafting scripts and stories with a murderer's row of writers, including Steven Seagle, Joe Casey, Jonathan Hickman, Brian K. Vaughan, Nick Spencer and John Layman, which is surely not to be missed for con-goers.

On top of that, it was announced that Brubaker's Image title Fatale with frequent collaborator Sean Phillips will be going back to press on the yet-to-be-released second issue. With a distributor-wide sell out pre-release as well as the first issue going to a third print, it's become abundantly clear that fan interest in this book is huge.

Hype Machine: Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' Saga

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

I'd hope I don't need to tell you that buying Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' Saga is a good idea. I hope that you, as a discerning reader, already have either pre-ordered this book or 100% committed yourself to the idea that you should buy this Image Comics title.

But in case you haven't and have not been sufficiently convinced by those who have already praised this book, let me take a stab at doing that.

I've been a fan of the writer many know as BKV since I started reading comics again after a hiatus in the early 00's, with his Y the Last Man being one of my all-time favorite comics as well as the book that got me back into them. His creative partner on this endeavor, Staples, is an artist that shockingly few know - to my constant amazement. Her first prominent work - a little, under read mini-series from Wildstorm called North 40 - earned her an Eisner nomination and my eternal adoration. They're two of the most talented creators in the business, and supremely nice people to boot.

They're earning a lot of buzz for Saga, but I say this unreservedly: it's not enough.

I know this will come as a) hyperbole and b) an apples to oranges comparison to some, but in Vaughan's prodigious career, he's never written a better first issue. That includes some greats, people. Not just the aforementioned Y, but Ex-Machina and Runaways - two gems of gems - as well.

On one hand, Saga wins from a sheer cost/value standpoint. This book is a robust 44 pages (with no ads!) of pure imagination and brilliant character work for only $2.99. Think about that. That's more than twice as many pages as you get in a New 52 book from DC for the same price.

Not only that, but this first issue finds Vaughan doing what he does best: creating a new world that is familiar in ways but still special in many others, and filling it with fully realized, marvelously engaging characters. I'm not just talking about the leads either (although Marko and Alana are wonderful), but supporting characters who don't get a lot of screen time (yet) but manage to stand out with what they have.

In the time since the close of Ex-Machina, we didn't see or hear much about Vaughan. However, it's clear that the time away has been good for him, as this is him at his most confident and assured as a storyteller.

Then you have Staples putting down some work that is, simply put, about as gorgeous as anything you can find on the racks. The visuals in this book are truly unlike anything else you'll find in comics, but in only the best ways.

If I could recommend one book for our readers to try out this year, in a year that includes mega events and any number of high profile launches and relaunches, it wouldn't even be a contest. This is that book.

Saga is your new favorite book, and when March 14th comes, I wholeheartedly hope each and every one of you walks out of your shop with this book in your hands.

Covers of the Month (January 2012)

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Wolverine #300 variant by Geof Darrow

Today at MC, I'm going to start a monthly round-up of the Best Covers. We normally feature covers in our weekly "Got You Covered" series, but I want to start a monthly one up too. I'll track those who have covers in each monthly edition for a rolling count that will feed into my own personal end of the year rankings for Best Cover Artist.

These covers won't be ranked, they'll just be a look at which covers are my favorite with a quick note as to why they made the list, all in alphabetical order. The featured cover this month is Geof Darrow's exceptionally detailed variant to Wolverine #300. Any time Darrow makes an appearance is reason to be celebrated, but this cover is an outstanding example of his work and of the story inside of it (to a certain degree).

The rest of the covers can be found after the jump.

Batwoman #5
Art by JH Williams III

JH Williams III is, needless to say, one of the best artists in comics today. His cover work is almost an underrated aspect of his work at this point, as his interiors allow him for the inventive, innovative layouts he's become known for. However, his covers are beautiful, and this gorgeous cover is no different. It's a dense image that ties into the story and has many layers of meaning, and I have to say, one of my sneaky favorite things about it is simply how the credits are structured into it. Wildly impressive work by Williams, as per usual.

Fables #113
Art by Joao Ruas

Joao Ruas has one of the hardest jobs in comics, as the cover artist who replaced James Jean on his legendary run on Fables. While he hasn't been uniformly superb like Jean, on occasion, he has a stunner on par with Jean's work. This is one of those, as he highlights the stories from inside of the book in a wonderfully layered piece. I have to say though, my favorite part of this piece are the colors. The muted, unnatural palette he uses gives the cover an ethereal and haunting quality that makes it really incredible.

Journey into Mystery #633
Art by Stephanie Hans

I just recently caught up with Journey into Mystery, and I have to give everyone involved credit: this book is great. Everyone praises Kieron Gillen, Rich Elson, Dougie Braithwaite and Mitch Breitweiser, but one name I've seen rarely is Stephanie Hans. This French artist has provided all of the covers for the book since it changed its name, and she's been killing it every issue. This one is no different, depicting Loki as a rock in a rather hard place. It's beautiful, otherworldly work, but come on Marvel, cut it out with the "Shattered Heroes" banner at the top. It kills me to see beautiful work like this downgraded by a forced banner.

Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand #1
Art by Dave Johnson

This cover is rock awesome (rock lobster?). It makes sense, because this book is also amazing, and it comes from cover artist rock star Dave Johnson. His work is typically great, but this one does a superb job of recreating the feel of old pulp covers. It's a perfect stylistic blend, and the composition itself is not too shabby. Bonus points to Johnson or whomever for the pitch perfect credit font choice. There is something about that font that just pops.

Morning Glories #15
Art by Rodin Esquejo

Esquejo is one of the underrated players in the cover art game (even if he was nominated for an Eisner), and this cover is a good example as to why. It's not a flashy cover, and it easily could be an up close shot from the interior of the book, showing Zoe in the midst of a torturous game of Woodrun. But the composition of the cover, with the shadows and the distrustful look that subtly graces her face, really makes the book pass the rack test. It's hard not to notice this book as you look through comics at your local shop. That's a great thing indeed for a cover.

Punisher Max #21
Art by Dave Johnson

Two Johnson efforts this month on the list, and with good reason. Both are great, but this one is definitely my favorite. I've loved his work on Punisher Max, and this cover does a marvelous job of pairing a small color assortment with white space to make a highly effective image, both from a storytelling and composition standpoint. Keeping the page mostly to black and white allows for the red of the dropped blood and of the "Max" to have significantly more effect on you visually. This is a top notch example of a master at work here my friends.

The Unwritten #33
Art by Yuko Shimizu

The Unwritten #33.5
Art by Yuko Shimizu

I'm keeping my write-up for both of The Unwritten covers in one spot because...well, there's only so many different ways I can say that Yuko Shimizu is incredible. I'm a huge fan of her work, and both of these examples are a great reason why. From a sheer visual standpoint, they're gorgeous, with phenomenal colors and a unique look that is entirely Shimizu's. But the thing that I love the most about her work the most is that each cover is a story unto its own. For a book about the power of the written word and storytelling on the collective consciousness of the world, having someone who is such an effective visual storyteller to cover each book is a match made in heaven. She's one of my favorites, and even with two covers of a month for this stretch, her work hasn't suffered in the least.

4 Color News and Brews: We Got This (Part Five)

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

On the last part of this week's 4 Color News and Brews, Brandon and David each go into their top two books of January, with some old favorites and some new choices showing up for the both of them.

Comics Should Be Cheap! (2/1/2012)

noreply@blogger.com (Walter Richardson) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Buying comics can be an expensive hobby. A lot of fans simply can't afford everything they're interested in, due to rising prices and the over-saturation of the market with superhero titles.

That's why we're here. Every week, the Multiversity staff is asked "What would you buy this week if you couldn't go over $20?" and shares their reasons why, in order to help others who might have similar tastes make their own decisions in buying comics on a budget.

Follow the cut to see everyone's picks for the week.

Walt's Picks

Fatale #2 ($3.50) - I adored the first issue of this comic. My expectations were high, due to Criminal: Last of the Innocent being hands-down the best miniseries of 2011 (and don't let anyone tell you otherwise), but Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips managed to exceed those expectations. At this point, I accept that exceeding expectations is what they do. It's crime fiction meets Lovecraftian horror, by a team that has proven themselves to be the masters of the former and are shaping up to be equally adept with the latter. Buy it.

Sweet Tooth #30 ($2.99) - Vertigo's second-best ongoing seems like it's entering its "third act," so to speak. The mysteries are slowly being revealed, which is the perfect time for things to go horribly awry. Last issue's cliffhanger might have been a tad obvious in some regards, but there was a little extra "oomph" to it that surprised me. While I'm interested in what Gus and Jeppard encounter in the wilderness, I'm even more ready to see how things play out back in the dam.

The Strange Talent of Luther Strode ($2.99) - There's a fine line when it comes to blood and gore, that line that separates maturity with "maturity." Luther Strode comes close to crossing that line, but manages to stay… well, tasteful isn't the right word, but something like that. That Luther Strode is probably the most violent comic I've seen that hasn't gotten me to roll my eyes means it deserves being looked at. That it's incredibly well-written and illustrated means it deserves being purchased.

Winter Soldier #1 ($2.99) - Almost a year ago, I f&*$ing called it.

Animal Man #6 ($2.99) - Buddy Baker as an indie movie star, written by Jeff Lemire, and illustrated by John Paul Leon, with framing sequences by Travel Foreman. I don't need to give you any commentary beyond the facts.

Swamp Thing #6 ($2.99) - Now that all the exposition is out of the way, this is a close contender with the above-mentioned Animal Man for my favorite New 52 title. Good thing they're closely-related, so I don't really have to choose between them!

Total: $18.45

Matt's Picks:

Locke and Key: Clockworks #4 ($3.99) - Hands down the best horror comic on the market (yes, over that book with all the zed-words). One of the few books I literally can not wait to read month in and month out, to the point my excitement reaches a fever pitch and I write more about it in this CSBC paragraph than any of the other books I recommend this week.

The Twelve #9 ($2.99) - It's about fucking time.

Winder Soldier #1 ($2.99) - The Brubaker title I always wanted but never had.

Hulk #48 ($2.99) - How many times do I have to rant and rave about this book before my point is made?

The Punisher #8 ($2.99) - Greg Rucka has been doing fantastic work on this title, and I will sing its praises until the end of the world (and then some).

The Strange Talent of Luther Strode #5 ($2.99) - The issue in which shit, quite literally, gets real.

Total: $18.94

Brian's Picks:

Alpha Girl #1 ($2.99) – Even though I am #1’d out, this sounds like a John Hughes movie meets From Dusk ‘Til Dawn – and that is a combination I can’t be expected to resist.

The Twelve #9 ($2.99) – I was in the camp that thought this would never see the light of day – let us be glad and rejoice!

Batwing #6 ($2.99) – Going in, I had firmly believed that Scott Snyder’s Batman and JH Williams’s Batwoman would be the only Bat-books worth reading. Both Nightwing and Batwing (the ‘wings?) have proven me wrong, with Batwing in particular being a quality book month in, month out.

Action Comics #6 ($3.99) – For a guy with a reputation for heavily-layered storytelling, Action Comics has been pretty simple so far. Expect that all to change when present day Superman must save 5-years ago Superman with help of an alternate Legion of Superheroes! So glad the New 52 straightened out all that confusing stuff, am I right?

Swamp Thing #6 / Animal Man #6 ($2.99 Each) – You know why you should be buying these – because they’re really good.

Total: $18.94

This Week In Comics!

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We figure it might help to let you guys know what's coming out this week in comics, so welcome to our weekly feature! Our reviews come out Thursday (with perhaps some advances for tomorrow if you're lucky), so be sure to look over this list to get a preview of what we may or may not be reviewing tomorrow. We've added all of our own personal recommendations into this list as well, so be on the look out for bolded titles. Whenever you see one of those, it means we think you should be reading it. So keep your eyes open!

Comic list provided by NewburyComics.com

Comics
ACTION COMICS-#6-$3.99
ACTION COMICS-#6 (Combo Pack)-$4.99
ACTION COMICS-#6 (Variant)-$3.99
ALPHA GIRL-#1-$2.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN-#679-$3.99
ANIMAL MAN-#6-$2.99
ANNE RICE'S SERVANT OF THE BONES-#6 (Of 6)-$3.99
AVENGERS ACADEMY-#25-$2.99
AVENGERS: X-SANCTION-#3 (Of 4)-$3.99
AVENGERS: X-SANCTION-#3 (Of 4/1:25 Yu Variant)-$9.99
AVENGERS: X-SANCTION-#3 (Of 4/1:50 Churchill Variant)-$16.99
BATWING-#6-$2.99
BETRAYAL OF THE PLANET OF THE APES-#4 (Of 4)-$3.99
BOYS-#63-$3.99
CARNAGE USA-#1 (Of 5/2nd Printing/Crain Variant)-$3.99
CHARMED-#18-$3.50
DAMAGED-#5 (Of 6)-$3.50
DARK HORSE PRESENTS-#8 (Donaldson Cover)-$7.99
DARK HORSE PRESENTS-#8 (Fergredo Cover)-$7.99
DEFENDERS-#3-$3.99
DEFENDERS-#3 (1:25 Adam Kubert Variant)-$8.99
DETECTIVE COMICS-#6-$2.99
DETECTIVE COMICS-#6 (Variant)-$7.99
DOCTOR WHO ONGOING: VOLUME 2-#14-$3.99
FATALE-#1 (Variant/2nd Printing)-$3.50
FATALE-#2-$3.50
FATHOM: VOLUME 4-#4-$3.50
FEAR ITSELF: FEARLESS-#8 (Of 12)-$2.99
FUTURAMA COMICS-#59-$2.99
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO-#175-$3.99
G.I. JOE: VOLUME 2 ONGOING-#10-$3.99
GREEN ARROW-#6-$2.99
HAUNTED CITY-#2-$3.50
HAWK AND DOVE-#6-$2.99
HEAVY METAL-March 2012-$6.95
HELLRAISER-#10-$3.99
HELLRAISER MASTERPIECES-#7-$3.99
HULK-#48-$2.99
ICE AGE: ICED IN-(One Shot)-$3.99
INFESTATION 2: TRANSFORMERS-#1 (Of 2)-$3.99
INFESTATION 2: TRANSFORMERS-#1 (Of 2/1:10 Copy Variant)-$4.99
INVINCIBLE-#88-$2.99
IRREDEEMABLE-#34-$3.99
IZOMBIE-#22-$2.99
JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5-#1-$2.99
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL-#6-$2.99
KIRBY GENESIS: CAPTAIN VICTORY-#3-$3.99
KIRBY GENESIS: CAPTAIN VICTORY-#3 (1:10 Copy Ross Variant)-$4.99
LOCKE & KEY: CLOCKWORKS-#4 (Of 6)-$3.99
LOCKE & KEY: GUIDE TO KNOWN KEYS-(One Shot/2nd Printing)-$3.99
MAGIC: THE GATHERING-#1 (W/Exclusive Playable Alternate Art Card)-$3.99
MAGIC: THE GATHERING-#1 (1:10 Copy Variant)-$5.99
MAGIC: THE GATHERING-#1 (1:20 Copy Variant)-$7.99
MEN OF WAR-#6-$3.99
OMAC-#6-$2.99
PUNISHER-#8-$2.99
RED LANTERNS-#6-$2.99
RICHIE RICH: GEMS WINTER SPECIAL-(One Shot)-$3.99
SAVAGE DRAGON-#178-$3.50
SCOOBY DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?-#18-$2.99
SERGIO ARAGONES FUNNIES-#7-$3.50
SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED-#1-$3.99
SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE-#2-$9.99
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG-#233-$2.99
STAR WARS: DAWN OF THE JEDI-#0-$3.50
STATIC SHOCK-#6-$2.99
STORMWATCH-#6-$2.99
STORMWATCH-#6 (1:25 Variant)-$7.99
STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE-#5 (Of 6)-$2.99
SUPERNATURAL-#5 (Of 6)-$2.99
SWAMP THING-#6-$2.99
SWAMP THING-#6 (1:25 Variant)-$7.99
SWEET TOOTH-#30-$2.99
THE LONE RANGER-#2-$3.99
THOR: DEVIANTS SAGA-#4 (Of 5)-$3.99
TWELVE-#9 (Of 12)-$2.99
TWELVE: MUST HAVE-#1 (Collects #7-8)-$3.99
UNCANNY X-FORCE-#21-$3.99
UNCANNY X-MEN-#6-$3.99
VALEN THE OUTCAST-#3-$3.99
VENOM-#13 ("Venom," Part 1)-$3.99
VENOM-#13 ("Venom," Part 1/1:25 Crain Variant)-$9.99
VENOM-#13 ("Venom," Part 1/1:50 Simonson Variant)-$16.99
VENOM-#13 ("Venom," Part 1/1:100 Simonson Sketch Variant)-$44.99
VILLAINS FOR HIRE-#3 (Of 4)-$2.99
WARLORD OF MARS ANNUAL-#1-$4.99
WARRIORS OF MARS-#1-$3.99
WINTER SOLDIER-#1-$2.99
WINTER SOLDIER-#1 (1:25 Joe Kubert Variant)-$8.99
WINTER SOLDIER-#1 (1:50 Dell'otto Variant)-$15.99
WINTER SOLDIER-#1 (1:100 Bermejo Sketch Variant)-$43.99
WOLVERINE AND X-MEN-#3 (2nd Printing/Bachalo Variant)-$3.99
X-CLUB-#3 (Of 5)-$2.99
X-FACTOR-#231-$2.99

Trades/Graphic Novels
AMERICAN VAMPIRE-Volume 3 (Hardcover/Collects #12-18)-$24.99
ASSASSINS CREED: THE FALL-(Trade Paperback)-$18.99
AVENGELYNE-Volume 1: Devil In The Flesh (Hardcover)-$24.99
AVENGERS HAWKEYE-(Trade Paperback)-$19.99
BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM-(Trade Paperback)-$14.99
ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR-Volume 6 (Trade Paperback/New Edition)-$19.99
GARTH ENNIS' JENNIFER BLOOD-Volume 1 (Trade Paperback)-$19.99
GREEN ARROW: SALVATION-(Hardcover/Collects #8-15)-$22.99
JOHN CARTER'S A PRINCESS OF MARS-(Trade Paperback)-$14.99
JOHN CARTER'S WORLD OF MARS-(Trade Paperback)-$14.99
JOHN ROMITA AMAZING SPIDER-MAN-Artist Edition (Hardcover)-$125.00
LIFE & DEATH OF FRITZ THE CAT-(Hardcover)-$19.99
LIL DEPRESSED BOY-Volume 2 (Trade Paperback)-$12.99
MADMAN: 20TH ANNIVERSARY MONSTER-(Hardcover)-$100.00
RAT CATCHER-(Trade Paperback)-$12.99
SUPERMAN: REIGN OF DOOMSDAY-(Hardcover)-$22.99
XOMBI-(Trade Paperback)-$14.99

Multiversity Casting Couch: Michael Bay's "Justice League"

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

"America!"

This week's Casting Couch is a special one, one that was very near and dear to MC EIC Matt Meylikhov and I's hearts. With the DC relaunch, they went big on Justice League, bringing in their biggest name writer (Geoff Johns) and biggest name artist (Jim Lee) and rebooted the whole deal. The results have been fantastic from a sales standpoint, as every issue has been the top selling book of its respective month.

The creative side has been... a little more uneven. As Matt said in his review of this past week's fifth issue, the whole exercise is quite a bit like a Michael Bay flick: Big action. Very little character development. Lots of ridiculousness.

So for this week's Casting Couch, we're going to cast a Justice League movie as if we were Michael Bay. Take that how you will, and remember, this isn't us casting it - it's Michael Bay.

The Format - Movie

One movie. One glorious movie of action, posturing and abs.

The Director - Michael Bay

No one could be more perfect to direct Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's Justice League than Bay. This guy will make the stakes higher, the explosions larger, the one-liners...one-linier. Basically, he'll make it the epic punchfest that DC knows we all want. Or something like that. Don't worry guys -- Michael Bay's got this.

Superman - Josh Duhamel

Bay loves Duhamel. This is a fact. He's a prototypical Bay player. He's all-American looking. He's beefy. He's handsome. He's spot on for the v-neck wearing power lead for this first arc, although let's go ahead and admit it: this version of Superman doesn't really do much. He spends most of his time looking beefy and handsome. Perfect for Duhamel.

Batman - Sam Worthington

Someone needs to explain to me why Sam Worthington hasn't been in a Bay movie yet. The guy is being tailored to do so. He's rockin' Cameron and Cameron-lite films. He's already going the sequel route with double the Titans, double the fun (or something like that). The dude is the heir apparent for a long legacy of emotionless, vapid action stars. Can't you imagine him brooding throughout a Bay JL Awesome as Batman? It kills you a little bit to agree, but you do. You know you do.

Wonder Woman - Odette Yustman

It was very hard for us to not cast Megan Fox here. It's perfect. There was a time everyone wanted her to be Wonder Woman. She didn't want to be her, but her career has kind of went away. She and Bay had a huge falling out. This casting has the potential for pure gold. But Matt overruled me, because both Fox and Bay said they would never work together again. For shame.

Instead, Odette Yustman makes the cut, as she's an Amazonian beauty who is kind of non-descript besides that. As you likely know, that's perfect for a female lead in a Michael Bay movie.

Green Lantern - Bradley Cooper

As much as we didn't want to recast perfection with Ryan Reynolds, we had to let Mikey Mike do his thing and cast someone new here. For the supreme jerk that is Hal Jordan in this version of the Justice League, you need someone who does smarmy a-hole well. And man, Bradley Cooper can charm the pants off someone ("Dibs.") just as well as he can be an obnoxious jerk to nearly anyone around him ("Paging Dr. Douchebag."). He's already been in a Bay-esque movie (The A-Team), and he'd be a perfect member of Bay's Dream Team.

The Flash - Chris Pine

As much as I do enjoy Chris Pine, he seems like the type of person who would eventually be part of a Michael Bay ensemble. (For example, couldn't you see him play Ben Affleck's role in a remake of Armageddon? And don't pretend we won't see that sooner rather than later) For Barry Allen, he's gotta jive well with Hal Jordan (or so far that's all we really know about him, besides that he's a boy scout), and we think Pine and Cooper would banter with the best of them.

Aquaman - Alex Pettyfer

Aquaman in Justice League is kind of a jerky asshole. Just sayin'. The first line he has is questioning why he shouldn't be the leader of the team, even though he's never met any of them. He may be a gem and a half, but Pettyfer sort of looks the type. Not only that, but he looks really damn similar to Jim Lee's Aquaman. Throw in the fact that his big movie so far was a Michael Bay produced joint, and we've got ourselves our fish out of water!

Cyborg - Drake

Top five reasons why Michael Bay would cast Drake as Cyborg:

1) Michael Bay loves casting rappers
2) He has experience playing high schoolers (see: Degrassi)
3) So Drake would drop a beat on the soundtrack (potential song titles: "We Got This!" "Why doesn't my dad love me even though I scored, like, 30 touchdowns last game?")
4) When you have the opportunity to cast a person who's last name is ever and his first name is greatest (or Aubrey) you have to take it
5) According to this Sprite commercial, Drake is ALREADY A CYBORG

Darkseid - Michael Clark Duncan (voice)

When I (and by I, I mean Michael Bay) suggested this to Matt (and by Matt, I mean Michael Bay), he told me that MCD was actually supposedly playing Darkseid in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. I'm not sure if that is actually happening, but it is happening when it comes to this movie. His booming voice will make the CHOOOOM DOOOOOM of Darkseid all the more badass.

Every Parademon - Nicolas Cage

Fact: Michael Bay LOVES Nicolas Cage. Fact: Nicolas Cage LOVES comics. You know they would find a way to get Nic involved, and what better way to do so than to cast him as every parademon. "FOR DARKSEID!" is right, if only Darkseid was Michael Bay.

4 Color News and Brews: We Got This (Parts Three and Four)

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Brandon and David continue going through their favorite books of the month on this segment of 4 Color News and Brews, getting into some rather heavy beer and some premium comics in the process.

Kurtis Wiebe Begins Teasing The Grim Leaper

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:40:00 +0000

While we may be losing one of our favorites with Green Wake, that doesn't mean we've heard the last of prolific independent creator Kurtis Wiebe. Far from it! In the near future alone, we've got the upcoming Peter Panzerfaust and a project known as Debris. However, back at NYCC, Wiebe told us about a book called The Grim Leaper which we haven't heard of in quite some time -- that is, until today.

Launching a Facebook page over the weekend, Grim Leaper was described to us as Final Destination meets Quantum Leap, and is about a "guy who has a curse, and he dies in really gruesome, horrific and hopefully original ways and he wakes up in the body of another person, and he seems to be in this curse where he can't seem to figure out why it's happening. And one day he meets a girl who has the exact same curse, and so they're dating while this is going on."

Noting it as a rather black comedy, the book sees Wiebe teaming up with a new artist named Aluisio Santos, and just a brief look at the preview pages alone should have you rather excited for the book. While it originally had a "hopeful release date" of March, keep your eyes peeled for those upcoming May solicits.

We want to make sure you check out the Facebook page, so we won't post the entire preview here. For a three page preview and the cover of the book, be sure to look behind the cut. For the rest, however, be sure to check out the official Grim Reaper Facebook page and give it a "like."

The Next Issue #72 -- and More!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Romeo) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:12:00 +0000

Welcome back to the show! HEY! We're on Twitter now, so you can follow us @TheNextIssue for all kinds of updates and things of the such, and to celebrate, we're having a contest! Listen in for details near the top of the show.

This episode you'll hear us discuss last weekend's South Maryland Comic con, where Aitch snagged a short interview with Dan Noakes (Adam and Eve: Bizzare Love Triangle in the Zombie Apocalypse) and animator Omar Mroz (Tales of Isolation).We also cover DC's campaign to end hunger, Marvel's appearance at SXSW, then get a little sidetracked discussing the 'finalized' DC Logos. And of course there's our reviews, first impressions, and a bunch of other goodness.

(Here's the direct download!)

BONUS! We've got two extra episodes over in our TNI: Specials feed! First, Aitch sits down with Marc Lombardi of Shadowline Comics for a little comics industry talk. Then he has a chat with fellow toy collectors Josh and Rafael to give you the skinny on all manner of Marvel Universe figures.

4 Color News and Brews: We Got This! (Parts One and Two)

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

It's the end of the month, so you know what that means...the Best and the Worst books according to Brandon and David! In these segments, the guys share their least favorite book of the month and go through their runner ups for Best of the Month. So grab a beer and join us, and share your most and least favorite books of the month in the comments.

The Weekend Week In Review (1/25/2012)

noreply@blogger.com (Walter Richardson) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Want to keep up with the ever-advancing continuity porn of the DC and Marvel universes, but simply don't have the time or money to buy every ongoing? We're here to help. The Weekend Week In Review aims to give you ((usually) very) brief synopses of what happened in a select few of DC and Marvel's titles — with a helping of sarcastic commentary — so that when some nasty old writer wants to punish you by heavily referencing a title you didn't pick up, you won't be left in the dark. Of course, that means that spoilers are in abundance after the cut, but I figure that you could figure that out.

The ongoing summer blockbuster that is the relaunched Justice League continued into #5 this week, filled with enough explosions and VZZZEEOOOs to please even the most discerning Michael Bay fan. After making his grand entrance last month, Darkseid took out Superman with one of his homing eye-beams, while Barry was able to use Speed Force shenanigans to avoid the same fate. After watching Superman being taken out in a single blow, you'd think the other heroes would fall back and come up with a strategy before mounting a second attack on Darkseid, but they wouldn't be the best of the best if the weren't quasi-suicidal — as evidenced by the four pages of Hal throwing himself at Darkseid and repeatedly getting his ass handed to him. That's what he gets for the stupidest battle cry ever:

What does one need after a solid whooping? A Bat-pep-talk. For a moment Bruce showed that he was the only sensible member of the team by suggesting that they regroup, but any boost to his ethos was undercut by him trying to tell Hal that they, a man in a batsuit and a guy with a magic space cop ring, were the two normal guys of the team. Apparently once you have been struck with a lightning bolt, you no longer count as a person. Sorry, Barry. As if that wasn't enough, Bruce removed his cowl and revealed his identity to a guy he had just met in an effort to win Hal's trust, or something like that. Thankfully, the rest of the would-be league had just kind of… disappeared. Stripping his costume of any Bat-iconography, Bruce let himself be captured and brought through a portal to Apokolips, while the rest of the team — surprise, surprise — regrouped and mounted a new attack. All together, everybody!

As is often the case, Mighty Thor #10 began with Heimdall seeing something foreboding — namely, the assassination of the All-Mother. As is often the case, Heimdall wasn't sure who would be doing the assassinating. Meanwhile, Tanarus was crass and rude to Sif, proving himself to be a better Thor than Thor himself. His "wooing" was interrupted by the entrance of Heimdall, whose remark that he couldn't see Tanarus was enough to make the new thunder god beat the hell out of the seer. Temper, temper. While Tanarus was busy being extra norse-y, kid Loki and the now pants-ed Norrin Radd regarded the mysterious hammer of someone named "Thor." Apparently those are some special pants that Norrin found, because he was back to being all silver and powerful with no real explanation. That's the only explanation I can think of, because it certainly isn't something really obvious being missed by editorial. No sir. Norrin pulled and tugged on Mjolnir for a while, and somehow that was enough for it to dislodge and go flying through dimensions to where Thor was about to be devoured by the dead-god-eating Demiurge. That didn't take long.

Fantastic Four #602 opened with the reunited first family fighting off the Kree with the help of the Avengers and Johnny's Annihilation Wave. In an attempt to turn the tides, Reed and Sue went to the back of Johhny's ship find and activate a mysterious device they had been holding onto, but before they could get there the hull was breached by Kree kommandos, briefly taking out Reed in the process and leaving Sue to fend for herself. A walk in the park for a bunch of highly trained warriors, right?

Okay, maybe not. Once Reed regained his bearings, he activated the mysterious device in question, which summoned the big purple planet-eater of the cosmos himself, Galactus. Galactus warned Reed that this wasn't what he was waiting to be summoned for, but nevertheless began to absolutely decimate the Kree fleet. Then, in a blinding flash, the real reason for Galactus's aid appeared: A host of mad Celestials. Wha-huh?

For an explanation, we head over to FF, where Valeria, Franklin, Nathaniel, Doom, and the rest of the Future Foundation fought to close the Bridge to the realm of said mad Celestials. A flashback with Nathaniel and Valeria revealed that the whole point wasn't to stop them entirely, as they would always break through no matter what, but to delay them enough so that they wouldn't arrive at the same time as the Kree fleet, but not so much that when Reed summoned Galactus to crush the Kree fleet, the guy with the funny hat wouldn't leave before the Celestials arrived, as he would be necessary to defeat them. Is this Fantastic Four or Doctor Who? In the efforts to slow the Celestials down, Evil Reed used his Ultimate Nullifier, but ended up being fried, while Doom made some magnanimous speech before falling himself. The kids tried to close the gate, but the celestials inevitably — literally — broke through and headed of to Fantastic Four #602… after twenty-eight minutes had elapsed.

I would tell you what happened in the finale of the Alpha Flight miniseries that was originally an ongoing that was originally a miniseries, but I have a deep-seated hatred for all things Canadian — especially Multiversity contributor Josh Mocle. Instead, Gil will give you the dirt on those filthy Canucks.

If there's one thing that's always been true about Americans, it's that we don't care about Canada. Even when a massive political change overtakes the country directly to our north and turns them into Xenophobic hate mongers, we don't care about them, and xenophobia and hate mongering are the United States' primary exports!

The shit really hit the fan in this, the final issue. The team fought back against a despotic government and saved Moose and Maple Syrup-Land from evil alien supervillains who wanted to turn Canada into the seat of their new intergalactic empire, which is kind of like saying Justin Bieber is your new overlord. It just doesn't mesh. But while that happened, some little-known Canadian named Wolverine made his splash against Unity and stabbed someone in the eyes. He immediately apologized and they went for poutine. By the end of the book, There was True Unity, the team was back together (except for the Mac's wife who left him for the second time in eight issues), Aurora's split-personalities reformed, and Northstar's boyfriend got his toes back. Apparently it's NOT normal for Canadians to have lost their toes to frostbite. Who knew? By the end of the issue the nation was like a Robin Sparkles music video again.

Anyway, I'm going to mourn the loss of a good title from the Great White North by drinking some Canadian Whiskey, listen to some Bryan Adams, followed by a Degrassi marathon. Bless you, Mac and company, we lost you too soon.

Anything we didn't get to that you're interested in? Email me at the link below! This also applies for if you read something that we didn't and want to share it with others, as I, too, have only so much money and time to spend on comics. Don't worry, I'll give you credit.

Review: "Chuck Versus Sarah"/"Chuck Versus the Goodbye"

noreply@blogger.com (David Harper) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

It's been a while people. "Chuck" has been surviving through smoke and mirrors for years, but last night, its series finale, the last episodes of its fifth and final season, played on NBC. "Chuck" used to be a show I reviewed weekly on Multiversity, and while I never was able to keep up with reviewing it as much as I'd like, I tried to share my love for it as much as I had time for because let's face it: I have a lot of love for the show.

With the finale airing though, it felt only right to check back in with Team Buy More, the Bartowski Clan, Jeffster!, and the rest of the cast of this show I'll dearly miss. You can find my thoughts after the jump, but really, it's just an ode to this show that I've loved for five years.

The thing about Chuck is that, if you really wanted to, you easily could make a compelling argument that there are a lot of shows better than it. Names like "Homeland" or "Boardwalk Empire" are pristine examples of that, combining big budgets with flashy casts and high production values to make great television (my fellow MC writer could list out at a litany of British shows out there that do the same).

The true greatness of Chuck isn't in its explicit quality, although it is a damn fine TV show with one of the best ensemble casts around. The greatness that I speak of is that, unlike those aforementioned shows, it can elicit true joy out of you as a viewer.

When I was watching the series finale last night, particularly in the second half, I was overjoyed by the relationships between the characters and major moments like Jeffster! saving the day or Beckman needing ruthless Casey or any number of other top sections. Save perhaps Parks and Recreation, no show has ever made me feel better while watching it. We've had five years of relationship building with this cast, and like the characters to each other, we've developed a connection to them that can only be properly represented by a huge hug (like the Russians do).

For that reason, I'll freely admit it, these last hours made the Harper household get a little dusty. The final two hours found Chuck (and team) trying to help Sarah find herself again, having her memories been wiped out by the same Intersect that made Morgan think frosted tips were a good idea earlier in the season. Really, when you get down to it, this show ultimately is a boy meets girl story with an elaborate high concept that made it appealing to a wider (but still not that wide) audience.

But, as I said, it's still just boy meets girl. Thankfully, you have leads like Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski as Chuck and Sarah, who make their love not just believable but palpable. These two episodes make that all the more obvious, and both are given their time to shine. Levi, in particular, absolutely nails every moment. The pain and anguish he is going through because the thought that he might be losing the love of his life is worn on his face all of the time, but when the deck is stacked against them, Levi makes it believable that he would do the right thing and save the day instead of possibly saving his relationship.

Strahovski is given a number of great moments, in particular her report videos to the CIA that Casey shares with her, as you see her daily status reports tracking the path of Operation Bartowski and her feelings for Chuck. Strahvoski is so expressive with her face in these sequences that you can actually see the realization of her love for Chuck well before she ever admits to it.

That's the point of the show though. There are missions. There's Fulcrum, The Ring, Shaw, Quinn and Volkoff. There was the Buy More, Wienerlicious and Carmichael Industries. There was action, there was comedy, there was any number of genres mixed into the blender of awesome that was this show.

When you get down to it, it was always about Chuck and Sarah. This show ends the way it should: with Chuck and Sarah, hope for tomorrow, and a whole lot of joy for right now.

I'll miss this show, perhaps more than any other that I've enjoyed watching previously. I always knew that, no matter how I was feeling, this show was sure to make me happy. If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is.

Dragotta Replacing Bobillo Early On FF?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:12:00 +0000

While this could easily be chalked up to a printing error, a curiosity appeared in this week's issue of FF #14.

When originally solicited, the next issue of FF, #15, was noted to have current series artist Juan Bobillo as the artist of the issue, with Bobillo illustrating through March's #16, which would serve as the epilogue to the current Doom storyline (all of which Bobillo has illustrated) and would assumedly solidify the Future Foundation's place in the Marvel U now that the Fantastic Four has seemingly reformed.

Then, come April, Multiversity favorite Nick Dragotta, hot off a sweet stint with Joe Casey with Marvel's mini "event" Vengeance, would join with issue #17 for a brand new story arc (which admittedly put a big smile on our face).

Yet, in an advertisement in the back of issue #14 (pictured above), it is Dragotta getting credit for the interior art of next issue, not Bobillo -- which would seem to indicate that for whatever reason, Bobillo is off the book early and Dragotta is replacing him.

This isn't inherently a bad thing; Dragotta is certainly an excellent artist, and a perfect fit for the world of the Future Foundation. Yet still, it does seem rather curious that Bobillo might not get to finish his arc on FF for whatever reason (and at this point, there is no reason to assume anything negative -- something might have come up, and Bobillo might have had to bow out early for personal reasons). Again, this could simply be a printing error, but it does seem rather odd regardless.

We'll keep you posted as we find out more, but for now keep your eyes peeled. In the mean time and for posterity, here is the original solicitation:

FF #15
JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) JUAN BOBILLO (A)
COVER BY MIKE CHOI
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• ALL HOPE LIES IN DOOM, PART 4: The Fall of Doom
• The FINAL CHAPTER for the COUNCIL of REEDS.
• GUEST STARRING: POWER PACK!
32 PGS./Rated T - $2.99