Multiversity Comics

Discussion Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

davidlharper2@gmail.com (David Harper) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Yesterday you saw my review of Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and today we're bringing you Matt and I's takes. Given that Matt and I are very, very different when it comes to both comics and movies (for the most part), odds are this was going to provide highly disparate takes. Or would it?

Find out what we both thought after the jump.

David Harper: I think the most important question is Matt, do you think the movie stayed true to the spirit of the comics?

Matt Meylikhov: The SPIRIT? Yes. Very much so, in fact. The last time I saw a comic book movie that I watched and said "Wow, THIS is the comic!" was Sin City - and with that movie, they literally used the comic as storyboards! The movie very much kept Scott Pilgrim's essence at heart throughout the entire thing, and in that regard I really enjoyed and appreciated it.

There are other elements in which it failed, though.

DH: I agree, but sometimes I think the accuracy almost choked the life out of it. Mostly in the beginning - it felt more naturalistic throughout, or at least as naturalistic as a Scott Pilgrim movie could be.

What elements are you referring to though?

MM: Well, for me the movie is kind of split into two distinct halfs. The first half of the film is GREAT. I love it. I mean, it is the comic. A lot of my favorite scenes are in there, and they're recreated perfectly. There's some new stuff, but it fits in nicely, and there's some changed elements too, but it works out. See, my problem with films like this is generally: if it is a book, with a straight storyline, keep it that way. It's why I hate things like Kick-Ass or Watchmen. They start out as the book and then they get their own ideas and miss the point of the story and why people liked the book in the first place. Scott Pilgrim, as you said in your review, is SIX. It'll be hard to condense it - but for the most part they did.

However, as soon as the Roxy fight started, this is the clear point for me where I started enjoying things a bit less. The movie is still fun and funny, but I think this is where Edgar Wright started "missing" it. Granted, we all knew the film would end differently, but the first three exes are so fleshed out and their fight scenes are so brilliant, and everything else - ESPECIALLY the twins - seems rushed in order to get to Gideon. Then when we get to Gideon, he comes out as an entirely different character. The Gideon of the book is a twisted and evil pervert with really malicious intent. The film's Gideon is just kind of an arrogant dick. They work on different levels, but the movie said it itself right before the final fight - the comic does it better (which was a hilarious little line, by the way).

Another thing is, again as you said in your review, without everyone's backstory and the ability for characters to be fleshed out, a lot of people come off as... well, let's put it this way. Pretty much every character in that movie is selfish, idiotic, and filled with unlikable qualities. In the book, we have reasons WHY we should love everyone because everyone has had the ability to grow. The movie's timeframe and attempt to condense everything to one film has pretty much lost that.

DH: Yeah, I think the biggest fault to the film is the lack of emotional weight, as you covered to a degree in your last paragraph.

But I have to say, I didn't mine Wright rearranging and redesigning the latter half as much as you did. Frankly, even Bryan Lee O'Malley thought Roxy Richter wasn't interesting enough to carry a full book - most of book 4 was actually about Lisa and Scott, plus we even had a second villain to deal with in Knives' dad. Condensing her fight, as well as the completely disinteresting twins (they weren't that interesting in the comic either - remember Scott spent the opening of that book fighting their robot?).

I thought his reimagining of the latter half - save the very last fight - actually improved the flow of the story overall given that he only had an hour and 45 minutes to work with. I mean, what would you have him do? Make a video game like comic book movie that was 3 hours long?

MM: You know, it's kind of funny you bring up the time thing. It's actually the second time I've heard it in discussions to movies in the past week. The last time I heard it, someone was talking about how they didn't like Inception simply because it was too long. Me? I like long movies! I honestly do! If it keeps up it's pace and allows for a bigger payoff in the end, I say make your film as long as neccessary. I have a good attention span. I could sit through it. Could everyone else? No, probably not. What's good for me is not neccessarily good for everyone else, and probably isn't most of the time. But I really wouldn't have minded about a 3 hour comic book/video game movie. You know why? Because I've played Metal Gear Solid. BAZINGA.

On another note, though, I'm not entirely upset about the changes to the latter half. To be honest, I actually liked the twin fight sequence a lot. I did miss the robot... quite a bit, actually. But if you think about it, they got kind of the raw end of the stick in the villain world. They showed up for the performance, did some playing, and the end. Everyone else got at least the chance to talk, or at least banter. The twins showed up, fought, and boom - done. It just seemed like an incredibly glossed over element.

Another thing - what's up with subspace in the movie? Granted, I wasn't a huge fan of the explanation of subspace in the book, but at least there was one. Thinking purely in terms of someone seeing the movie who hasn't read the book, that element has to seem kind of awkward and/or annoying.

DH: Come on, you know this movie wouldn't have been commercial at all if they made it 3 hours long. I already think to a degree that it isn't commercial, and that this movie will flop. It's massively enjoyable if you've read the books. I'm not sure how much it is without that. 3 hours would stretch it so thin.

I really missed subspace. I think the way they handled it by just kind of having it there but never really explaining it kind of just made it confusing. I think it should have been either included fully or discluded entirely, but that's me.

We've been pretty negative so far - what did you like?

MM: Well yeah, that's what I mean! What works for me wouldn't work for everyone else! And you know me - I'm a HUGE comic nerd! My god is named accuracy! Hell, when they changed the costumes in Kick-Ass, a HUGE warning sign went off on my head! I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. At least - when it comes to graphic novels. Usually I'm more lenient on super hero movies, but I'm digressing here. I don't neccesarily think 3 hours would have worked. Would I have liked it? Probably. Depends on if they made it more accurate! But no, I don't think it would have been commercial.

What I liked? I generally liked the whole thing, to be honest! Yes, I had my problems as we've stated, but the movie was Scott Pilgrim more or less. Michael Cera was almost pitch perfect, and thank God we have Michael Cera not playing Michael Cera/George Michael in a movie! The exes were all great, and as I said I really enjoyed this newer version of the twins fight. I thought that was brilliant. In fact, the fight scenes were all quite amazing and cinematic (not to use too dull of a word there).

I also thought that the humor and infusion of video game culture into it. The movie didn't have as much focus on indie rock as the book did, but the video game moments were great. The 8-bit Universal intro, using Zelda music at every corner to time various gags, health bars, pee bars, you name it. The movie was a living and breathing video game, and there are so many good sight gags and little visual things (Scott sitting on a cough with a "no sitting" sign, the Lucas Lee posters, the name of TCAD's song titles) filling up the background... it was quite great. And let's not forget the opening Sex Bob-Omb song, with the room pulling out and the title of the film above the band. Brilliant!

Finally, can we just mention that Edgar Wright really knows how to write screenplays? I mean, I don't doubt he took a screenwriting 101 class or something, but he just UNDERSTANDS that when you put something in the beginning of the movie, you need to pay it off later. We've seen it in Shaun, we've seen it in Hot Fuzz, and we have it now. The things he adds are the things he remembers to deliver on - specifically, the Dance Dance Ninja game. The pay off for that was pretty awesome, not gonna lie - "Mega Ninja" included. Wright really is a great writer and director.

I have complaints, sure. But there is more to this movie that I liked than I didn't.

DH: As you said, I thought the whole cast was great. There were some that were most well cast than others (Scott, Wallace, Kim, Vegan Police, all of the exes), but it worked well as an ensemble. And THANK YOU for mentioning the fact that Michael Cera wasn't playing Michael Cera - he seemed to honestly be doing something a little different to me.

I also give Edgar Wright a ton of credit here. His attention to detail and desire to bring out the little things is what really set this movie apart from other comic movies. It's remarkable the details he got right and included.

Can we agree that there should have been more Wallace and Kim Pine, at least?

MM: Kim Pine, definitely. Biggest character in the book who was really represented poorly in the book. Her connection and past with Scott especially. There was a point where some of us actually thought the story might end with Scott going back to her! Yet, the movie version of her was just kind of bland and snarky, although still humorous. And I sitll loved her anyway. Wallace had some great moments in the film though, and a lot of them. I loved his role. I think his timely appearances made for a good structure. He could have been there more, sure, but he didn't have to as much as Kim did.

DH: Agreed. I think Kim's relationship with him needed to be more developed. I wanted more with them, but we never really got it besides some random additions of "oh, we dated."

I think one of the most amazing things that Wright did was perfectly recreate some scenes. For example, the scene where, post their first practice with Knives, Scott, Stephen Stills and Kim are sitting on Young Neil's bed (with Kim's legs on Scott's) while Young Neil played on the computer. It was kind of uncanny how exact he was at times.

MM: Oh, there were a ton of moments like that. Like I said, you watch the movie and you SEE the book. As much as the characters were always kinetic, you're literally watching the pages come to life. It was truly wonderful. Granted, things changed, but when the movie got it right, it got it freaking right!

Honestly, I give the movie a win. I'm usually disappointed when movies get the amount of things it got wrong wrong, but I truly believe that there was enough in this film that was right that it still ultimately got the look, feel, and point of Scott Pilgrim in general. It's not a perfect adaptation, but ultimately I think that's ok here.

DH: Agreed. The weird thing is, even though I had all of these issues with it, I think Edgar Wright did about as good a job as you possibly could. Adapting any thousand + page book into a film is a tough task to handle, but Wright did about as good of a job on it as you possibly could. I'd say it was a win in my book too.

MM: Ultimately, I guess what it all boils down to: would we recommend this movie as comic book nerds?

I would. I think fans of the comic will get a good kick out of it, and considering people have liked Watchmen and Kick-Ass, I'm willing to bet the general population is more forgiving than you and I about changes. Either way, I don't usually like graphic novel adaptations that stray from the plot even slightly, and to this day have enjoyed 3 other films of this caliber. Scott Pilgrim is welcomed into the fold as the 4th.

What about you, David? You psyched for all your comic book friends to see it?

DH: Considering the fact that my only comic friend in Alaska is Brandon (I don't know any comic people!) and we saw it together, not so much. But I do think that fans of Scott Pilgrim will be very happy with it. I think they'll leave the theater with a smile on their face and be overwhelmed by the awesome at points. While it wouldn't be anywhere near my favorite comic movie, I did enjoy it more than any other one I've seen this year.

Now get me some damn Eric O'Grady Ant Man from Edgar Wright already!

WINCBD - Burpee's Stack (7-28-10)

Burpee714@gmail.com (Burpee) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:19:00 +0000

This week I make my return to reviews. While it's more of a fly by than a comeback it'll still be nice to return to WINCBD. This week my selection of books consists of X-Men: Legacy #238, Justice League: Generation Lost #6, Green Lantern Corps #50, and Wolverine: Origins #50. Which books will I give some love to and which books will I slam like a beer on the set of 4 Color News & Brews? Well check out after the jump.

0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 - 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 - 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 - 3.9: You'd be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 - 4.9: "I'll give it another month...but that was not good."
5.0 - 5.9: "Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun."
6.0 - 6.9: "Hmm. That was decent."
7.0 - 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 - 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 - 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender

X-Men: Legacy #238
Written by Mike Carey
Art by Clay Mann
Cover by Lenil Yu

Legacy is a book where I have been able to find some of the most consistently good X-Book outside of X-Factor. Mike Carey has done a amazing job of pushing the characters we love into new directions while still paying respect to what has come before. He also does what Fraction on Uncanny has been able to do and that is give us a rotating cast while still providing character development.

This issue is the first under the Heroic Age banner and that seems to be the only change. This issue was just as entertaining as before if not more entertaining. I really enjoyed the story here as we saw all kinds of excellent character dynamics. We get to see Magneto and Rouge and their seemingly budding relationship. We see Rogue and Cyclops continue to hash it out albeit in a much more reasonable way than the last time we saw it. We also get to see more of the New X-Men era kids even though they aren’t the main characters I and other fans fell in love with.

The writing though is not the only enjoyable part of this book. The art in this book is a perfect fit for the story. Clay Mann’s art to me seemed almost Oliver Copiel like; at least in the way he draws faces like Magneto’s. Anytime an artist draws a Copiel comparison in my mind it’s a great thing.

Overall this is my favorite core X-Book. While X-Factor is the best X-Book out there this is the best one that focuses on characters traditionally considered X-Men. I highly recommend this book and if you aren’t reading this then you really need to reconsider.

Final Verdict: 8.0 Buy it!

Justice League: Generation Lost #6
Written by Judd Winnick
Breakdowns by Keith Giffen
Art by Fernando Dagnino
Cover by Lenil Yu

Do you like the Justice League? Are you not enjoying the Justice League title itself? Then this is the book you should be paying attention to. This is one of the best books on the shelf right now from DC. Along with Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps this book is a must for me. This issues focuses on Captain Atom and his origins as well as what makes him tick as a character. The truth is Captain Atom hasn’t looked this awesome in years.

For those Judd Winnick haters out there all I gotta say is suck it! This book is awesome and in large part it’s due to Winnick’s writing. Winnick really gets to the heart of Captain Atom as a character and shows us a future where the moon is jacked beyond belief. We also get to see Power Girl in a much different light than we are used to seeing her. The best part is it’s all Max Lord’s fault and by extension the DCU’s heroes because they didn’t listen to the JLI who have been trying to tell everyone what’s been going down.

As far as the art goes Fernando Dagnino kills it. The opening shot of Captain Atom is incredibly cool. I also really loved his shattered moon page. That was a crazy page where I literally dropped the F bomb when I turned the page. I’d really like to see this guy work on the, hopefully, obvious ongoing for JLI that spins out of this.

Let me just reiterate people. If you are not reading this title than I hate your face.

Final Verdict: 8.0 Buy it!

Green Lantern Corps #50
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Ardian Syaf
Cover by Ardian Syaf

While this book is still one of my favorites I feel like it’s had better days. While I don’t feel the art or the writing has seen a decline to a point where it is a bad book. I just feel like it’s consistently good and every once in awhile great. This issue was one of those good but not great issues.

This issue we get more of Emo Superman, I mean Cyborg Superman and his constant need for death. I really enjoy Cyborg Superman but I feel when it comes to his backstory I’ve heard it enough times already. When he goes to drop the whole, “I want to die kill me waa waa waa”, I almost instantly tune out anymore.

The idea of him having control of the Alpha Lanterns is one of those things that seems to be rehashed. I mean didn’t we see this with the Manhunters? So these are more powerful Manhunters and now he has upgraded? Ok, cool I guess but nothing too amazing.

What I did like is the continued spotlight on Soranik and Kyle. I feel this is a real strong relationship that if built up enough could provide us the readers some fantastic stories. Hopefully DC doesn’t just build them up to kill her and make Kyle brooding again. Her alive is better for Kyle as a character than her dead.

The art was nothing amazing but at times but like the writing on this title it wasn’t bad either. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that this title is a good read worth your money but at this point it’s almost paint by numbers more than a masterpiece in the making.

Final Verdict: 7.0 Buy it

Wolverine: Origins #50
Written by Daniel Way
Art by Will Conrad
Cover by Simone Bianchi

The best part of this issue is the part where it’s the Series Finale. I feel that this is a book that had great intentions and some really cool ideas and fell flatter than an A-Cup. This is a series that always shot sky high and never even reached the level of mediocre. 50 issues is more issues than a dump truck full of series got despite being better than this book and that’s a shame. Anyway, let’s review this issue shall we?

Much like the series in total, Daniel Way ‘s writing falls flat. I found that while it was one of his better issues of the series it was far too late. It was a character piece that when viewed for what it is, a final issue of a series, it was an epic fail for what should be an epic send off for an issue 5 1/2 years in the making. It does nothing nothing well though. The intention is to show Wolvie accepting his past and moving toward a future but all I could think was how it was a shame that we would accept a future created over the last 5 years of Wolverine books. It’s just not something I’m comfortable with. Now Jason Aaron’s books have been great and I’m willing to accept his future. Not this one though.

The only thing worse than the main story was the backstory written by Way as well. I mean really Wolvie and Hope fighting over drinking in an alley? While I know this is an over simplification it’s still accurate. No? LAME.

Will Conrad’s art was the best part of this issue. Even he couldn’t save a plot that was doomed like the Titanic and the Hindenburg. I’d be interested to see more of Conrad’s art assuming it’s not attached to Way’s writing. He even would be a nice fit on a Wolverine book. He had a good grasp on the character and his supporting women. I actually really dug the way he did Wolvie’s hair. Of all things to think looked great, right? But it’s the details that make something great.

In the end: art good, writing bad, and thank god it’s gone.

Final Verdict: 3.2 Oh hell no!

Design a T-Shirt to be Drawn Into Chew

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:31:00 +0000

Threadless, one of the most well known community-run online apparel stores is offering you the chance to have a t-shirt you design featured in an upcoming issue of John Layman's Chew. The only restriction is that it has to be related to comics, but I'm sure if you're reading our website that should be no challenge to you. Also available as prizes are the first two trades signed by Layman and Rob Guillory, an iPad, some cash and a whole lot more. Check out Threadless' official page for the full details and then get started designing!

Janet and Alex Evanovich's TROUBLEMAKER A Success At Comic-Con!

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:11:00 +0000

Last week, fourteen-time number-one best-selling author Janet Evanovich’s first-ever graphic novel, Troublemaker, saw a much-anticipated worldwide English-language release.

Troublemaker is available everywhere, from department stores to bookstores and comic shops across the U.S., making the title one of the most widely distributed the company has published without any Hollywood tie-ins.

Cowritten by daughter Alex Evanovich, Troublemaker is the continuation of the popular Barnaby series, which features the high-stakes misadventures of the main character, Alex Barnaby; NASCAR driver Sam Hooker; and, of course, Beans, the Saint Bernard. The third book in the series, this exciting new volume delivers more fast cars, fast-paced action, and steamy romance.
“I’ve loved comics all my life and it’s really exciting to be working with Dark Horse to produce my very own graphic novel,” said Janet Evanovich. “I’m also excited that I could do this with my daughter Alex (the family comicaholic).”

“This is a groundbreaking project in which Janet and Alex are telling the third chapter of an established prose series in graphic-novel format,” said Dark Horse president Mike Richardson. “We feel that this book will open up the characters to a brand-new audience, as well as expanding the authors’ fan base.”

Check behind the cut for the full press release

In celebration of the release, both Janet and Alex Evanovich attended San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, appearing on the company’s publishing panel on Friday, and signing in the Dark Horse booth later that day. Janet and Alex greeted hundreds of excited fans, and hosted one of the largest crowds of the convention.

Additionally, the two appeared at the Barnes & Noble in the Mira Mesa Market Center, and drew an even larger crowd of fans who could not attend the convention.

Janet and Alex Evanovich’s Troublemaker Volume 2 arrives in November.

About Dark Horse Comics
Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and best-selling prose author Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as The Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Mass Effect, Tim Burton, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.

Top Cow Celebrates Artifacts' Launch And Sell-Out At Two Release Parties

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:09:00 +0000

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that copies of Artifacts #1, have sold out at the distributor level. A second printing of Artifacts #1 is being sent to Diamond Comics Distributors to meet the demand for the publisher’s 13-issue mega-event series and will be available in upcoming weeks.

Written by Ron Marz (Witchblade, Green Lantern) and featuring the art team of Michael Broussard (The Darkness), Rick Basaldua (The Darkness), Sal Regla (Magdalena) and Sunny Gho of IFS (Velocity), the Artifacts event series promises to be Top Cow’s most ambitious art series to date and will weave together story lines from a number of Top Cow titles. The first issue kicks off with the abduction of Hope, the daughter of Sara Pezzini and Jackie Estacado and quickly spirals into a conspiracy, which threatens to destroy the entire Top Cow Universe.

”We have been working on Artifacts for almost two years and nothing has been more gratifying than hearing and seeing the reaction from reviewers and fans alike,” commented Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. “Ron, Michael, Rick, Sal, Sunny, and Marc have delivered a breath-taking, show-stopping first issue and let me assure you, we are just getting warmed up.”

Check behind the cut for the full press release

"We've been talking about Artifacts being a chance to put our best foot forward, so to speak, in terms of introducing the entire Top Cow Universe to readers,” added Marz. “So I'm absolutely thrilled with the response we've received, especially going to a second printing so quickly. I'm proud of what Michael and I and everyone else on the creative and editorial teams has produced, and I want to get it into as many hands as possible."

On Saturday, July 31st, Top Cow will co-host two bi-coastal launch parties to celebrate the release of this momentous first issue. The Los Angeles release party will be held at Collector’s Paradise from 7-10pm PST. Broussard, Basaldua, and Publisher Filip Sablik will be at the event signing copies of the Collector’s Paradise exclusive variant cover of Artifacts #1, as well as an exclusive limited edition print featuring art from Broussard. Collector’s Paradise is located at 7131 Winnetka Ave in Canoga Park. Additional information can be found at the store’s website at http://comicsandcards.net.

The New York release party will be held at Midtown Comics at Times Square from 3-5pm EST. Marz will be at the event signing copies of the Midtown Comics’ exclusive variant cover of Artifacts #1. Midtown Comics is located at 200 W 40th Street (Corner of 7th Avenue) in New York. Additional information can be found at the store’s website at http://www.midtowncomics.com/.

Momentum for the race to Artifacts began after the publisher released an Artifacts guide as part of the Top Cow Artifacts #0 Free Comic Book Day issue. Artifacts #1 is the perfect place for faithful readers to see their loyalty pay off, and for new readers to enter the Top Cow Universe.

Artifacts #1’s success joins other recent sold-out Top Cow titles – The Darkness/Pitt #1, The Darkness/Pitt #2, Tracker #1, Pilot Season: Murderer #1, Pilot Season: Demonic #1, Angelus #1, Angelus #2 and Magdalena #1.

Artifacts #1 Second Printing will be in stores August 18th, 2010.
Artifacts #2 will arrive in stores August 25th, 2010.

About Top Cow Productions Inc.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. A feature film, co-produced by Platinum Studios, Inc. and Arclight Films, is slated to begin production in Australia with director Michael Rymer. WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games.

Mass Effect: Redemption To Get Sequel

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:05:00 +0000

Dark Horse sent over this little bit of news today:

Fans of the series, now would be the time to get pumped.

WINCBD! - Walt's Stack (7-28-10)

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Let's cut to the chase: you want your reviews now and I'm not feeling particularly full of banter, so I'll tell you what comics I'm reviewing and you'll follow the cut to see what I have to say. Sound good? I thought so too. This week I'm reviewing Wonder Woman #601, Secret Avengers #3, Green Arrow #2 and Fantastic Four #581. As usual, read and enjoy our 10 point scale before following the cut if you haven't before.

0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 - 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 - 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 - 3.9: You'd be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 - 4.9: "I'll give it another month...but that was not good."
5.0 - 5.9: "Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun."
6.0 - 6.9: "Hmm. That was decent."
7.0 - 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 - 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 - 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender

Wonder Woman #601

Now that the fervor has died down (more or less) about Wonder Woman's costume change, it's time to focus on the actual story rather than the superficial details. After all, we comic fans would never complain about something without even reading the first full issue would we?

All sarcasm aside, this was the first full issue of JMS' already controversial Wonder Woman run. JMS already displayed a great facility with mythologically inspired characters in his Thor run, and while Diana isn't a direct transplant from mythology, she still shares many thematic elements with everyone's favorite god of thunder. Thus, despite many fan complaints about the costume change and the direction JMS was taking the book, I remained optimistic about the change in the creative team (as much as I love Gail Simone).

This issue was a really solid start, though I wouldn't quite call it a home run either. Then again, let's look at the facts: JMS just drastically the status quo (for the purposes of this story); of course he is going to have to handle a lot more exposition than if he just left things as they were. Even the best of writers buckle a bit when establishing a new playing field, especially when it is based off of a pre-existing continuity and needs to be distinguished as different. Other than the obvious flaws lengthy exposition presents, everything else was rather solid, and I was surprisingly pleased with the art (which I had my doubts about at first).

By the way, to everyone talking about how JMS ruined Wonder Woman's character forever, I'm going to repeat what I said in this week's Comics Should Be Cheap: if this doesn't scream temporary alternate timeline to you, then you haven't been reading comics very long.

Final Verdict: 6.5 - Browse, but buy it if you plan to keep reading.

Secret Avengers #3

This book is so cool. It may seem juvenile to put it that way, but there is no word I can think of that can describe Ed Brubaker's Secret Avengers any better than "cool." Brubaker is a master at taking standard superhero themes and presenting them in new and refreshing ways, as proven by his eclectic new super-team. Like many, I was a bit confused about the lineup of characters that make up the Secret Avengers at first, but after reading the third issue I can see that Brubaker took a good look at each characters' personality in order to create a team dynamic that is both strange and familiar.

Now, if there are two things that Brubaker knows how to write, they are action and intrigue. As one might expect from a comic centered on a covert ops Avengers team (who are currently on Mars), this book has plenty of both. The fight scenes with the possessed Nova are top notch, the mysteryious not-quite-Nick-Fury is intriguing, and the backstory told by the last remaining archon is fascinating. Brubaker is one of the kings of subtle retcons, and the way he is tying in the Serpent Crown, one of Marvel's oldest artifacts, with this new "Nameless Father" is a great example of how writers can take something old (but still good) and make it into something unique.

Finally, let's talk about Mike Deodato, whose art is exquisite as usual. Deodato's art is that great mix of realism and iconicism that works perfectly for superhero comics (or adventure comics of any type). People like Alex Ross, who invest heavily in the realistic aspect, certainly have incredible talent, but can often drain their own artwork of energy. Deodato leaves out just enough realism to retain a dynamic look which is perfect for the book. Trust me, you'll never hear someone calling his work "static." This fusion and balance is why Deodato is easily one of the best artists in the industry today.

Overall, the only one of the many new Avengers titles that competes with Secret Avengers is New Avengers, but, despite the similarity in names, comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. By the way, if the cover for the next issue isn't just an attempt to get readers to buy an issue and is actually part of the story, you can count me in.

Final Verdict: 8.3 - Buy it!

More reviews to come, check back later!

Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

davidlharper2@gmail.com (David Harper) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Sure, Edgar Wright's adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim series isn't coming until August 13th, but that doesn't mean we won't have features about the film itself ahead of time. While we're not part of the cool kids who saw it at SDCC, the sneak previews around the nation last night did give a few of us the chance to see the film. You'll see Matt and I talk about it more on Friday as well as Brandon and I discussing it on the next 4 Color News & Brews, but for now, you simply get my take.

So what did I think of the most anticipated comic film of 2010 (at least for me) - did Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World get a rating of awesome like it's titular hero? Find out after the jump.

I want to preface this review with an important note about myself as a reviewer. As a comic fan, my personal preference for comic movies is an entirely new take on a character/comic rather than a slavish recreation. I like to think of these films as another universe in which these characters exist, quite like All Star Superman is to Supes or Kingdom Come is to most of the DCU. Its a new sandbox for filmmakers to play in, which is why people like Christopher Nolan thrive while the Zack Snyder's of the world struggle.

With that said, Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim is a whole different animal than previous comic movies: its a comic in which so much of its charm exists in its specificity. In the careful exactitudes and moments and comedic beats that he nails throughout the series.

Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) clearly understands this, as throughout this film he nails the important bits that make O'Malley's series so transcendant in its existence. Kim Pine's count offs as Sex Bob-omb prepares to launch into "Launchpad McQuack." The pure hilarity of drunk Wallace's recreation of Scott's side of their conversation ("there he is"). The stylistic story bubbles that revealed ratings and the ownership of belongings and things of that sort. Comeau + Crash and the Boys being included. The way Stacey Pilgrim always knows everything immediately (thanks to Wallace). These are the types of things that makes this book so damn amusing to its core, and in kind, make the film so delightful.

In a lot of ways, Wright takes even the comic to a new level with the way he stages fights. Sure, he takes some short cuts in these sequences (no Honest Ed's as Todd and Scott face off, and no robots much to Brandon's chagrin), but at the same time, these are places he has to take them. The film is sub two hours. The series is SIX BOOKS LONG. Cutting these fights down to their core not only allows Wright to focus on making them hugely entertaining and kinetic (good lord are these fights energetic), but also allows more time for story and character moments. In particular, I liked the way he spliced together the Todd Ingram fight (and the stunt casting of Thomas Jane and Clifton Collins as the Vegan Police - yes!), losing some of the core elements but still making it work in its own right.

The movie shines as Wright turns this film into a living, breathing video game, having fights culminate with the Smash Bros. "K.O." ringing through our ears and one-ups being a way of life (literally). It is an uncanny visual accomplishment by Wright, and something that is really an astounding achievement overall (bonus points for incorporating O'Malley's art into the movie also).

Yet, not everything worked for me. In fact, there were a few things that bothered me greatly.

Namely, I felt that the core women in the story (Ramona Flowers, Kim Pine, Envy Adams) were poorly developed. Sure, their development had to be cut to a degree to make the movie a manageable length, but without their backstory and their fleshed out relationships with Scott, the movie seems weightless at times. Kim Pine was just there often, being sardonic but never really acting as the stabilizing factor she always did in the books. Envy Adams was a bitch, but not a redeemable one really at all. She was just kind of there, and then she wasn't.

Ramona was perhaps the most criminal, as not only was she not given a ton to do nor was the relationship between her and Scott really real feeling, but Mary Elizabeth Winstead left me feeling colder than the way she broke up with Scott. To me, in the books it was easy to fall in love with Ramona. She's mysterious, vivacious, and often brilliant, but in the movie she was mostly lifeless. I found myself wanting more from her as a character, and without her pushing the plot along the end game just felt like...well, a game. At a certain point, it seemed like a freaking awesome version of a fighting game fully realized on the screen.

The book series was so phenomenal because the way it infused the stylistic genius of O'Malley with a tried and true plot strained through years of video gaming and indie rock, as well as infusing it with rich characters that layered true weight into an occasionally fluffy story. Wright got most of it right, but was found lacking by yours truly at times.

I have to give credit where credit is due though, a lot of the cast killed it. Michael Cera...well, there just couldn't be another Scott Pilgrim. He is the guy, and he was right from the very beginning. Casting Kieran Culkin did two things: truly brought Wallace to life as well as making me even more shocked that Culkin isn't a star. Brandon Routh, Chris Evans and Jason Schartzman (unsurprisingly) stole the evil exes show in my book, and not just because they are the most famous...they also happened to be the most awesome (Routh in particular killed as Todd Ingram). Allison Pill was Kim Pine on screen, but she really didn't get a whole lot to do - I would have killed to have more with her.

Wasn't a huge fan of the casting jobs on Knives and Stephen Stills, but they were satisfactory, just not superb like most of the cast.

The music throughout was superb - I loved the Beck written, Broken Social Scene performed Sex Bob-omb tracks. I really dug The Clash at Demonhead in execution. They really made the music almost a character on its own, and I greatly appreciated how Wright worked throughout to make that such an important factor.

All in all, this movie was more successful than it wasn't. Was it enjoyable? Yes it was. I found myself to be incredibly pumped by many sequences, and I was enthralled throughout. However, there were things that nagged at me: the aforementioned weightlessness and some scenes (early ones, in particular) that were so aimed at the core audience that they almost felt choked out by the attempts to recreate the comic. It was a very entertaining movie and a damn fine adaptation, not to mention one of the most unique films I've ever seen. But it could have been so much more.

I do have to say Brandon and I went with someone who hadn't read the comics, and unlike the comic heavy group at the theater, he found most of the film to be utterly preposterous. More so than ever, I'm more than a little concerned about SP's chances at the box office - can a movie like this succeed financially? I have my doubts after seeing it for myself. It's a movie for the hardcore, and not many more, I fear.

We'll see if I'm wrong come August 13th.

Final Verdict: 7.8 - Buy (a ticket)

Thor Trailer Leaked! Watch it before it gets taken down!

noreply@blogger.com (Gilbert Short) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:59:00 +0000

UPDATE: The first video we placed of the trailer went down. We've replaced it with another site's. Get your viewings in while you can, people - I doubt this will last too long.

UPDATE #2: Removed again. Our third attempt to keep it up is underway!

With little fanfare, the Thor trailer leaked online. While I think this was carefully orchestrated in order to build buzz for the movie, I would still say watch it before Marvel sends out their cease and desist order! Supposedly, the site that posted the video had it sent to them anonymously, but who can complain, right?

It really sets the tone of the movie, and who doesn't love Agent Caulson! If this doesn't get you amped for May 2011, then we're not entirely sure what will. But suffice it to say, this looks pretty wow-tastic. While watching the trailer, you really get the feeling that this is Thor. It's fantastical and it's got an epic feeling to it, and could easily surpass Iron Man at this point. While they obviously changed the Donald Blake element of the story, it does keep the same basic premise of Thor being cast out, and we really do learn a lot from the trailer. The descriptions people did online really didn't do this justice.

Here's to hoping we see the Cap footage soon as well! Let us know what you thought in the comments below.

(source)

WINCBD! - Matt's Stack (7-28-10)

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:30:00 +0000

After a week off for celebrating the fantastic day of my birth, I have returned to bring you your favorite set of reviews. After a week away, I felt the only thing appropriate was to focus on some smaller titles that I feel needed some love - or possibly some hate! But before we start to look at the titles that I picked during the draft, let's take a look at our scale:

0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 - 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 - 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 - 3.9: You'd be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 - 4.9: "I'll give it another month...but that was not good."
5.0 - 5.9: "Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun."
6.0 - 6.9: "Hmm. That was decent."
7.0 - 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 - 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 - 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender

This week my reviews include Action Comics #891, The Amory Wars: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 #3, Pilot Season: Stellar #1 and Time Lincoln: Fists of Fuhrer #1 Quite a fun list this week.

Check out all the reviews after the jump.

Action Comics #891
I didn't want to be buying Action Comics. I didn't. My goal is to buy less books and not more, and Action Comics is a book that I have successfully dropped in the past. But dammit, Paul Cornell... you didn't even give me the option, now did you? No, you just had to go ahead and write one of the best damn comics I've read all week and get me hooked on this series again!

Action Comics #891 is a weird mix of both intrigue and comedy. In fact, it's one of the best mixes of these two elements that I got to read this week. Last week we had the outrageous reveal of Mr. Mind as the villain behind the first story, but we've known he's not the big bad. In reality, Cornell wants to put Luthor out of his element. Well, this issue certainly does that, and with Inception having just been released it feels like quite an appropriate time to have a story centralized around Luthor being attacked in his dreams.

Cornell has an excellent way about his writing that makes what could've been a terrible story come off quite well. In all reality, the idea of Luthor fighting Mr. Mind in his mind through various outlandish dreamscapes isn't something I feel I'd normally go for, but the way that Cornell writes it becomes endearing. I cheered along with the book as Luthor tore his shirt off, and I laughed at all the right moments. This issue does continue something that I commented on back in Blackest Night which to me seems odd, and that's that writers like to portray Luthor as envious of Superman instead of trying to overcome him and be better. Someone explained to me once why this would work, but I always felt that the whole point of Luthor is that he didn't want to be super - he just wanted to be better. Putting it in his dream that he wanted to be Superman, even to the point where he has a personal android created from Lois Lane, is odd... but ultimately it still works.

This issue also continues to be a testament to Pete Woods. I praised his artwork back in Last Stand of New Krypton and had noted that his work was one of the things I was looking forward to most in this comic run. This issue helps to prove why. Last issue was certainly an excellent and smooth/sexy treat for the eyes, but this issue - which bounces from dreamscape and setting back and forth - proves why Pete Woods is such a talented artist. I love his style, and his lines are so incredibly smooth. If you didn't believe Luthor was bald before, you most certainly will see your reflection in his head now.

So thanks a lot, Paul Cornell and Pete Woods. My wallet is crying in both sadness and joy.

Final Verdict: 9.2 - Buy

The Amory Wars: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 #3
I think I've reviewed every issue of this series now. With the first issue, I found myself really endeared with the tale. I thought that bringing in Peter David was a brilliant idea to help revitalize this series, which has failed in comic book form multiple times now. Three issues in, I'm beginning to waver a bit in my stance, but not enough to leave yet.

In the third issue, we actually see the plot that takes place in one of the catchiest songs on the album - the opening track! Man your own jackhammer, indeed. Under the water, Inferno and Dettinwolf's forces face off. It's quite an epic battle, although the underwater aspect certainly is a tad odd. We even get a bit of a deus ex machina victory for the heroes. Meanwhile, oblivious and thousands of miles away, Claudio continues to wander the streets as his life slowly intertwines with Al and Ambellina.

I enjoyed the issue for it's battle scenes, but I'm still waiting for the story to really get going. We've seen the Priests before, but that element of threat seemed fairly glossed over here in the case of Ambellina saving Claudio. I'm also really waiting for Claudio's story to begin, because so far this story has been about everyone but him. He's basically been wandering the streets, saving the occasional little girl and arguing with himself. Meanwhile, we've got this weirdo guy named Al who is also walking around... and although they keep crossing paths, nothing happens. We're three issues in, and I feel like something should happen already.

I'm also less impressed with Chris Burnham's art as time goes on. While it seemed interesting at first, some of it seems kind of awkward this issue. It's like he wants to be Frank Quitely, but he's not quite there with his pencils. I also think Ambellina comes off as a different character this issue than she did previously, and Al as well. Al originally seemed to be this bigger guy and more threatening of a character. Now he just looks like a creep.

IKSOSE:3 is a long album, and everyone has their interpretation of the story. With all of our opinions of the story already, does anyone think that 12 issues might not be enough at this rate? I'm sticking with the title and haven't given up hope yet, but I'm hoping that given the ending of this issue, something might really happen next issue in terms of advancing the plot. I get the feeling this might have been a wait for trade title, though.

Final Verdict: 6.9/7.0 - Browse/Buy

Pilot Season: Stellar #1
Pilot Season with Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri was something I was really excited for. I love the idea of a new series being started based on votes, and I was anxious to see a new Kirkman book on the market. As time went on and the issues stopped coming out on time, my excitement waned, and with this book finally on the shelves, I find myself fairly disinterested.

The latest entry, Stellar, features a mysterious girl crash landing on a planet and battling an alien while searching for a specific element not of our world. This element, as we find out, is the only thing that can save a poor boy who is dying of an insane infection on a distant planet - the son of a man who our heroine somewhat fancies. However, the poor girl isn't quite human, and as we learn, she is doomed to be alone forever. Or is she?

Kirkman is certainly no stranger to writing aliens, and certainly not ones who are on the offensive against us. While the heroine of Stellar is certainly no Viltrumite, her story surely has a similar angle to the Invincible one. I suppose this is where I lose interest in the story - I've seen it before. Alien is asked by race to join up and help destroy Earth, or else. It's a good idea, but it's one I've seen Kirkman run with before, so I'm not as enthralled. On top of that, I'm not sure entirely where the story will go from here. It doesn't really look like the title could sustain an ongoing, so much as it could sustain a really ominous cliffhanger. How can one person realistically stop their entire race?

I will say, though - Bernard Chang's artwork here? Fantastic. I read that Chang really wanted to inject emotion into the art, and I fully believe that he did it. You get a lot out of the character here. We are shown so much about her and the world she lives in, and Chang's art really brings it home. While I didn't get into the story, I did find myself gazing off at the artwork, which I really found enticing. Chang has a great set of pencils and inks here, and the coloring to match it is fantastic.

The comic looks brilliant, but it's the writing that doesn't hold up for me. It's not entirely surprising though. I can't expect a writer to come up with five great ideas in a row. Pilot Season as a whole is something I feel has ultimately fallen flat. The delays are hurting my interest in it, the stories end up feeling so short, and with no apparent place to vote to see these continue we're ultimately getting little tastes of things that I don't think will be coming. In that regard, I'd wait for the trade.

Final Verdict 6.7 - Browse

Time Lincoln: Fists of Fuhrer #1
The original Time Lincoln one-shot was something that I was personally enthralled with. I thought it was a hilarious concept executed brilliantly, and I lamented the fact that it was a one-shot because I thought that the ideas in the story were pretty brilliant and hilarious. Little did I know that Time Lincoln actually was an ongoing - at least, in a sense. That's how I was able to grab Fists of Fuhrer, the next entry into the Time Lincoln saga.

Of course, this isn't your average on-going series. In fact, with stories months apart, we're really getting whole stories condensed into single issue form. Now, the first issue worked really well because it presented all the facts - the entire time line was laid out with humorous little nods and winks at various directions. The second issue into this series - the first real story starring Time Lincoln - doesn't play out as well.

In this issue, Lincoln has fallen back through time only to end up with Albert Einstein. The rip in time has allowed him and various other great minds to link up due to the tear, but when Ben Franklin does finally cut through time with his device, he winds up in the middle of burning house fighting off the hordes of Mephitler, whose Demonazi's have kidnapped Einstein and are currently attempting to kill Lincoln.

The issue is decidedly hilarious. There really is nothing about it that isn't funny. The dialogue, the names (Mephitler!), and the interactions that characters bring to one another. I mean, the finale is atop of Lincoln's head on Mt Rushmore! There's so many little jokes and moments that the book reads as one great comedy, and that's good. The intention of the book is to be funny, poking fun at history and the genre in general. It is here that the book succeeds.

Where it doesn't, however, is that this time around the pacing is not as good. Last time we were looking at moment's in time as Void Stalin was about to destroy Lincoln and thus alter the timeline in his favor. Through all these little blip moments, the comic's timing worked. This time, we're still given a look at the blip factor as Franklin explains how time travel was discovered by he and his ilk, but then we are thrust into the story without being able to watch Lincoln grow as a hero as I would have initially assumed and/or hoped we would. Due to this story being condensed into single issues at a time, a lot of the story that SHOULD be elaborated on isn't. Why should I care that Einstein was kidnapped beyond my knowledge of Einstein due to history class. This is something that should be stretched out and built up, not condensed down into single issues at a time, and it in turn makes Mephitler kind of a throw away one-and-done villain, which is pretty disappointing.

Now, I enjoy Perry's work. As I said last time (much to the chagrin of a commentor on the site), I'm not familiar with his work so he and the publisher are new to me. I really enjoy the work being done here, and I think Perry's got a good grip on his story. His art is also enticing, and it's reminiscent of Mike Oeming's work. I just wish that the story wouldn't be condensed down as much as it is being. Perry's got a good sense of humor in these issues, and to see Einstein and Lincoln have longer and more meaningful interactions would have made the pay off of this issue's ending much more satisfying. I don't really think that the single issue story arc works very well, at least not here.

While I doubt that will change, I still recommend grabbing the issue if you can find it. Time Lincoln is a very fun ride, and while I may not entirely approve of the story, you do get your money's worth out of this comic (and, as a side note, who knows when the trade will come out with this one, so you might want to enjoy the story now while you can!).

Final Verdict: 7.1 - Buy

WINCBD! - Gil's Stack (7-28-10)

noreply@blogger.com (Gilbert Short) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Hello all! It's that time again. I'm back a different banner, one I like better. I'm also posting reviews with a decidedly DC theme, with three DCU proper titles (Green Lantern #56, The Flash #4, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #4) and a Vertigo title (American Vampire #5). Am I showing a bias? NAH! By now you should know how rating structure, but if you don't it's below!

0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 - 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 - 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 - 3.9: You'd be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 - 4.9: "I'll give it another month...but that was not good."
5.0 - 5.9: "Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun."
6.0 - 6.9: "Hmm. That was decent."
7.0 - 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 - 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 - 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender

Nowe that we have that out of the way, click the cut for the reiews!

Green Lantern #56
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by DOUG MAHNKE & CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by DOG MAHNKE & CHRISTIAN ALAMY; 1:25 Variant cover by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau

BRIGHTEST DAY shines on as the mystery of the White Lantern piques the curiosity of Hector Hammond. The bizarre telekinetic escapes his prison cell and sets his sights on one being – Larfleeze! Plus, Hal Jordan begins unlocking the secret behind who took Parallax during BLACKEST NIGHT!

Doug Mahnke is a freaking genius. From beginning to end, this book was a testament to the mastery he holds over the medium, with beautifully rendered landscapes and characters. We got even more of this with the reintroduction of the classic GL villain Hector Hammond. Someone so grotesquely misshapen shouldn’t be so…wonderful to look at, but it is. His Hector Hammond is just awesome. All three versions. Yeah, you’ll see.

Geoff Johns even inserted his trademark sit into the issue, with the addition of Larfleeze to the New Guardians storyarc. Larfleeze is a great addition to the Green Lantern supporting cast, as he adds a much needed dose of humor as the comic relief. His actions and expressions are all hilarious. I hope that Larfleeze Christmas Special actually happens, because I would buy it in a New York Minute.

But when he needs to, Geoff Johns also injects horror, tragedy, or even fantasy with ease. He’s back at the top of his game, and this episode shows all of that. It’s especially lovely with Hector Hammond, because he’s either suffering from, or causing, most of those story elements in a single issue. It all culminates in a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more.

And then you see Mahnke’s line teasing the next issue, and you fall apart laughing all over again. Hysterical.

If you’re a Green Lantern fan, you’ll love this book, and even if you’re not, there are so many pretty pictures here. Come for the art, stay for the awesome story.

Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy!

The Flash #4
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL;1:10 variant cover by Scott Kolins

The original Captain Boomerang returns as BRIGHTEST DAY continues. Meanwhile, Barry must prove his innocence to the Renegades, cops from the 25th century. Discover what connection they have to the Rogues and what travesties have occurred in the future.

First the Brave and now the Bold; I chose these books purposefully because of that theme, but also because I wanted to compare and contrast Geoff Johns’ books to see how they’ve been doing since Blackest Night ended and the Brightest Day started up.

Which is odd, because for the longest time, Flash was the superior book on the shelf. It was new, it wasn’t bogged down by 50+ issues of stories and not one but THREE crossovers and events sprinkled in between. But while Green Lantern was much more fun, Barry’s title faltered just a bit.

I’m not blaming Johns, as there was solid character and plot development, as we get just a peek at what the upcoming Flash event “Flashpoint” might just entail. It certainly drew me in, and I have a feeling it will draw you in as well.

I think my problem was shockingly with Francis Manapul. Do not get me wrong, I love his work to death and he is probably second only to Gary Frank when it comes to my favorite artist out there. But this issue just a little more rough than the previous issues. Maybe he was in a hurry because of Comic-Con, but some of the charm was lost when I noticed it. Granted it’s still better than most artists on higher profile books, but it’s still not as good as he could be. It’s a shame.

But despite all that, this is still one of the best books on the shelves, and you’re sorely mistaken if you decided to not pass on this book for any reason. I mean, if simply character politics make you stay away, then I feel sorry for you. This book is worth your money, plain and simple.

Final Verdict – 7.5 – Buy!

American Vampire #5
Written by SCOTT SNYDER & STEPHEN KING
Art by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE; 1:25 variant cover by PAUL POPE

It all comes down to this: revenge. It's payback time, as fledgling vampire Pearl Jones finally confronts the vicious Hollywood coven that left her for dead, and Will Bunting reveals the final, shocking chapter in the saga of James Book and his deadliest adversary, American vampire Skinner Sweet. Be there for the unforgettable, double conclusion to the first arc of AMERICAN VAMPIRE.

American Vampire is a tough book to review. It’s so uniformly well made that one finds it hard to give it a numerical value. I’ll try my best though.

First off, there’s the writing. Both stories were really well structured, with twists and turns around every corner. The final showdown between Pearl and the European Vampires is here, and it’s violent to be sure! It was told at a breakneck speed, giving a fitting conclusion to one of the best horror comics out there. Even if the series had been canceled, which I don’t believe it was even close to being; it would have been a near perfect ending to a great book. I admit that while Stephen King’s entry starring Skinner Sweet was really quite enthralling, I enjoyed Scott Snyder’s opus just that much more. That’s no fault of King’s though; I mean the man is a legend. I just find that Pearl is a much more relatable hero, whereas Skinner is a dark anti-hero, possibly even a villain. The idea of Skinner being a lead is a little off-putting, even if it is a flashback to the main story starring Pearl. Otherwise it’s a great arc on its own right, and it would even make a great standalone series.

And even though I do have an issue with Skinner as a lead, he still is a great character. He has an interesting status as both antagonist and supporting character, as you’re never quite sure where his allegiances lie. He’s in the running for best new character of the year, that’s for sure.

And then there’s Albuquerque’s art. David might kill me, but I never read his run on Blue Beetle. I’ve grown to love Jaime Reyes, but I never picked up the series when it was running. But now I want to go back and read his run on the series now, because his art here is just phenomenal. It’s moody and dark, but never gets drab. Not for a second. It’s just a lovely thing to look at. His character models are unique and each has a personality of its own. I grew to appreciate John her boyfriend for his simple farmboy modeling, as he really did look like he just fell off the hay truck. All of it is just gorgeous.

I can’t really say much more. If you like horror titles, this book is for you. If you’ve grown tired of weak vampires that don’t frighten, this is for you. If you like good books, this is for you.

Final Verdict – 8.5 – Buy!

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #4 (of 6)
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by GEROGES JEANTY
Cover by ANDY KUBERT; 1:25 variant cover by CAMERON STEWART

The most anticipated series of 2010 continues!

Grant Morrison's can't-miss Batman story rolls on as Bruce Wayne's next stop on his amazing journey through time brings him to the Wild West – but will he escape alive? Artist Georges Jeanty (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) joins Morrison to take The Dark Knight on a ride!

Georges Jeanty gets a bum rap. He is a super talented artist who happened to get the brunt of people’s rage when they found out the also brilliant Cameron Stewart wasn’t available for the issue. But even without Stewart, the book looks awesome. If you’ve seen his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you might actually be a little shocked to see this book. Where Buffy has matched the tone of the TV show, RoBW has a moodier look to it. You can certainly see it is his style, but he changed it to suit Grant Morrison’s vision.

Which brings me to Grant Morrison. When it came time to choose this book, I think I might have made a mistake. While it looks gorgeous, some of the book feels like it flies right over my head. It fits into Morrison’s overall arc, which is well written, just dense. He’s like the opposite of Ron Marz. Marz is one of the most new-reader-friendly writers out there, while Morrison’s books get heavily mired in continuity and almost pushes new readers away, kind of like the recently finished series LOST. I’m certain that when I finally catch up on Morrison’s work, this will make a lot more sense . Until then, it’s just unfair for me to give it a mere score for that.

I’ll say this, if you’ve been reading his Batman epic, you will LOVE this, and you will love dissecting his words, finding meaning in between the lines. If not…there’s not much here for you. Unsure, Check back again soon.

Final Verdict: 7.0 - Buy

Book of the Week: Uncanny X-Men #526

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Written by Matt Fraction with art by Whilce Portacio with a back up by Allan Heinberg and Olivier Coipel.

“THE FIVE LIGHTS” After the events of SECOND COMING, the X-Men’s world has changed. We can’t tell you much without spoiling the crossover, but here are some words to whet your appetite: Hope, Emma, Namor, Sebastian Shaw. Classic X-Men artist Whilce Portacio is back again for this story-arc of epic proportions!

What did we at Multiversity think of the first entry into the post-Second Coming world? Find out after the cut!

Matt's Thoughts: I don't care what anyone says at this point: I love Uncanny X-Men. The biggest complaint I hear is that it's not a "team" book, but the more I read the more I honestly feel that that is the point. There are a lot of X-Books on the market right now, and Uncanny X-Men is the "premiere" title. It's the one where the story of not just the X-Men is told, but the entire mutant race. This is not a team book, no - but it is a damn good story book.

The issue is the follow up to Second Coming, in which the Five Lights will be introduced (just in time for Gillen's Generation Hope!). We see Hope going on her journey introduced in the Heroic Age one-shot, and at the end we see the first new mutant. A lot has to be done right now in terms of the X-Men, so I can imagine that it must be rather hard as to which aspect needs to be focused on more. I think that Fraction showing us how he will be writing Hope was important, because she's going to be a huge part of the upcoming X-World - even moreso than she already was. Cable is dead and Hope is alone, and she's only recently discovered that she apparently has every mutant power ever, so with the issue of her father still in question, we're given an issue that allows Hope to finally come into her own at the end of the issue. It's a very nice moment.

Granted, a LOT happens in this issue that sets up several different stories - not all of which are paid off. Emma Frost is out with Tony Stark, Cyclops is doing who knows what with Logan (in their rad bromance, which I couldn't believe happened), and Hope doesn't decide what she wants to do until the end of the title. Even her team through the book (Rogue, Nemesis, Cypher) seems like an odd pair. It's here that I can see most people agreeing that the title suffers, and while I understand that this is mainly a story book, the choices do seem a tad odd. It's quite easy for me to move past this element though, because I really enjoy Fraction's writing here. Yes, it's scattered, but the dialogue is sharp and the funny characters maintain their razor sharp wit while also allowing for quieter and more touching moments. His balance here works.

I really have only two major complaints. The first is that, all in all this issue kind of screws up the time line of the entire X-Books. Rogue is in the main story and Magneto is in the back-up, and both are supposed to be in X-Men Legacy, which is having it's own storyline entirely. It feels kind of weird to have these characters in two places at once, and while timelines are always "screwy" in comic books, I believe the whole point of the Second Coming finale was to have Rogue benched and off with lesser known mutants instead of hanging around as Hope's BFF (considering they grew reasonably close throughout Second Coming). My other complaint is that I'm not really a fan of Whilce Portacio's art. It feels a bit scratchy to me, when we've been rather spoiled to having really smooth and neat art within the pages of the book, especially in the past few months with Second Coming. I kind of wish they had kept Dodson on the title, despite me complaining about his work months ago during the Utopia/Nation X arc. Especially with the cover, it just would have looked a lot cleaner.

I also have to say - the back-up really is great. I know I frowned due to the continuity grumbles, but it really is a great moment for Magneto. It even seemed like something that Fraction might write in terms of characterization, which made it meld even better. It was a really great moment for Magneto, especially to have Wolverine of all people remind him that despite how nice he's been for the past few months in the books, no one likes or trusts him regardless. It helps to solidify why I love his character so much, especially when he "wants" to be a good guy.

All in all, I still recommend the title. I love Uncanny, and I have for quite some time now. The straight team thing never bothers me, and as long as a story is being told that I enjoy, I'm complacent. This story is just getting started, but I like where it's heading. Give me a different artist and a tad more organization and you've got two thumbs up from me instead of just one and a grin.

One last note before I go: the mutants all live on an island alone, right? Utopia is their home. So... does no one own a t-shirt or something? I mean, do Magneto, Wolverine, and Cyclops HAVE to walk around in their uniforms 24/7? Can't they operate in jeans or slacks or something? It seems so odd to me that they never want to be out of their costumes. That must get uncomfortable.

Gil's Thoughts: Now that Second Coming is over, and The X-Men are rejoining the Marvel Universe at large, we can look forward to a few things. More crossovers with the other premiere superteam The Avengers, lighter stories with classic villains, and the new mutants that Hope activated upon using her Phoenix powers.

And I enjoyed every minute of it. Well, not all. I thought Whilce Portacio’s art was uneven; being awesome in some spots and downright awful in others. It was generally disappointing for someone of his caliber to put in such poor work in spots, but that was made up by the addition of Olivier Coipel in the second half of the book. His work was downright gorgeous in comparison. But it’s gorgeous anyway, so that’s neither here nor there. Allan Heinberg worked with him there, and it was direct lead-in to the Young Avengers mini Children’s Crusade. It’s almost a shame Olivier isn’t sticking to either book, because Portacio seems to be a poor fit for this title, and Coipel is just too awesome not to use. Even Terry Dodson would be a better fit. His cover is absolutely stunning, and if I were running Burpee’s Got Ya Covered, it might make its way to the list.

As for the story, here’s hoping a more defined team finds its way to the Uncanny X-Men pages, perhaps with a backup featuring a mutant not on any of the teams. That’d be cool, right?

Brandon's Thoughts: This book is extremely underwhelming to me. I love the idea of new mutants being developed and introduced but I just feel this doesn’t have the impact that it should. Hope activating them to full power was something I saw coming after the first couple of pages as well.

The thing I really dislike is the stupid character intro boxes. Really Iceman has a great three point shots? Really? How does that have anything to do with the book? It just doesn’t fit the tone of the book one bit and is incredibly annoying. Plus, on a fanboy aside the X-Men play baseball damn it! Well not anymore it seems but well…whatever.

The best part about this book was the backup but even that we saw coming considering that Children’s Crusade came out like three weeks ago. If anything the backup made the main story look awful as Alan Heinberg’s writing and character interactions were far superior to Matt Fractions. Just saying.

Walt's Thoughts: I'm always wary at the start of a new story in Matt Fraction's Uncanny X-Men because the quality seems to be divided in an arc-by-arc manner; if the first issue of the arc is good, the rest will be good too. Unfortunately, if the first issue of an arc is bad... well, just look at "Sisterhood." Thankfully, this issue was a pretty solid start, so I'm confident that the rest of the arc will be pleasant enough.

The plot of this story revolves around the X-Men seeking out the five new mutants ("the five lights") that showed up on Cerebro at the very end of Second Coming as well as Hope meeting her unknowing grandmother. There's a good amount of character development for one issue, and Fraction is able to make Hope's transition from a reluctant Messiah-figure to an optimistic beacon of... hope a lot more smoothly than one might think. Matt Fraction does everything a writer needs to do directly following a huge crossover like Second Coming, heading headfirst into a new storyline without pausing for breath. Plus, Tony Stark cameos are always fun (when everybody is no longer pissed at him).

However, as much as I enjoyed the issue, there were some weird little details that just didn't sit right with me. Firstly, maybe I misread something, but I find it slightly odd that Hope's grandmother lives in the same state as her daughter and seemed to be on good terms with her, yet never knew she was pregnant (that's what I'm assuming from the dialogue, anyways). I also didn't quite get how Dr. Nemesis "making a phone call" is a good reason for Hope's grandmother to show up at the graveyard the same time they were there. Maybe it was supposed to mean he knew she was showing up then, but that doesn't seem to fit with the dialogue, but that's just my opinion.

Overall, though, this was fun, and the slight problems I had did not detract from the story as I read it in the slightest. This is a great time to jump onto an X-title, so why don't you give Uncanny a flick through and decide for yourself if it's worth your time (the answer should be "yes").

The Blue Beetle/Smallville Test Footage

davidlharper2@gmail.com (David Harper) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:34:00 +0000

The Blue Beetle test footage from San Diego Comic Con impressed a lot of people, and it is now on the Internet in all its glory. It was revealed that this test footage will tie into Blue Beetle's appearance on Smallville next year, but some have theorized that this type of footage isn't often developed unless they have some intent to develop his own show.

A Jamie Reyes/Blue Beetle TV show? Sign me up, please. Get John Rogers to script the pilot and I'm even more in.

Look for more on Blue Beetle's appearance on Smallville (along with Booster Gold!) soon.

Check Out the Teaser for the Thor Video Game!

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:47:00 +0000

In more exciting alternative media news, Marvel has released a brief teaser trailer for the upcoming Thor video game. There is no gameplay footage in the trailer, but hey, that's what makes it a teaser, isn't it? As Matt Fraction is the story consultant, this will probably be a game to keep an eye on if you're a fan of a solid plot in your video games (though there's nothing to suggest that the gameplay won't be good). Expect the game to be released in Summer 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii and Nintendo DS, and be sure to check Marvel's site for more information, including some concept art.

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Trailer Released

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:19:00 +0000

Looks neat, doesn't it? Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is the next animated show from Marvel, and the trailer features all of the original Avengers team as well Nick Fury, Loki, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who I assume to be Maria Hill, and many more (as well as an... interesting theme song). Look for this show to debut on Disney XD in Fall 2010.

Comics Should Be Cheap! (Week of 7/28/10)

davidlharper2@gmail.com (David Harper) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

We're back with another week of Comics Should Be Cheap!, our weekly column in which each of our writers select the books they would read if they only had $20 to buy all of their comics. Given that each of us spend more than that because we're hooked on comics like Mel Gibson is hooked on crazy, this is a difficult exercise for us.

With that said, we take into consideration cost, value, how it reads without other books tying in, writing, art - everything. Everything that should factor into making a purchase on a budget. Feel free to share your picks in the comments, and let us know if you have any suggestions.

David's Picks

PunisherMAX #9 ($3.99) - The ending of Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon's exceptional "Bullseye" arc is much anticipated by your's truly, as Jason Aaron has quickly proven himself every bit the match for Garth Ennis in terms of handling The Punisher in the world of MAX. I can't wait for this issue, in which Aaron assured us Frank will not escape very healthy at all.

American Vampire #5 ($3.99) - This book has quickly vaulted up my list of favorite books on the market, as Scott Snyder, Stephen King and Rafael Albuquerque (and friends) have given us a book that exists in two eras but is massively entertaining in both. This marks the culmination of the first arc as well as the last issue for King, but I think it's safe to say as long as Snyder and Albuquerque are around, we're in good hands.

Northlanders #30 ($2.99) - The arc that begins in this issue is titled "Metal," and sees the collaboration between the deadly duo of DMZ move into the world of Vikings. Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli have been one of the best teams for the past five years, and I'm very, very excited to see their work combined in a new realm.

Fantastic Four #581 ($2.99) - Jonathan Hickman's Fantastic Four has been my favorite FF run I've ever read, and it hasn't even been going on for that long. While Dale Eaglesham (the evolutionary Jack Kirby, as I like to call him) is gone now, Neil Edwards keeps the book trucking along until Steve Epting unleashes his awesome on the book with (I believe) issue #583. This is my favorite Marvel team book, bar none.

Justice League: Generation Lost #6 ($2.99) - This book is about as much fun as any book on the market. While Keith Giffen may not be scripting and J.M. Dematteis may not be involved, Judd Winick has taken the JLI formula they established long ago and run with it. Not only that, but the plot continues to intrigue, Max Lord has evolved a villain, and the stable of the artists continue to impress.

Green Lantern #56 ($2.99) - Last issue was the best GL issue in a LONG time, and it was thanks to a resurgence in focus from Geoff Johns (as well as an infusion of fun) and flat out brilliant art from Doug Mahnke. The latter creator has long been a favorite of mine, and I am so glad to see him getting the renown he deserves on this HUGE book.

Matt's Picks

Action Comics #891 ($3.99) - Paul Cornell is currently a "writer to pay active attention to" in my book. Following up some unexpectedly great work at Marvel, his first issue of Action Comics was out of left field awesome. As a comic I wasn't originally planning to buy and only bought because it was voted MC BOTW, I'm happy to follow this book further along if it manages to stay as good as the first issue was.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #4 ($3.99) - Grant Morrison is my favorite writer, and this is an integral part in his Return of Bruce Wayne saga (obviously, hence the title). It also was originally slated to be Cameron Stewart's issue, but nevertheless. I haven't missed an issue of Morrison's Batrun yet, and I won't start now.

Fantastic Four #581 ($2.99) - Jonathan Hickman is an amazingly refreshing voice in comics, and for someone like me who has never been a huge fan of Fantastic Four to find the title one of the most incredible books on the market worth several reads per issue, I think it's saying something to Hickman's ability. With the foreboding "3" arc starting now, it'll be interesting to see Dr. Doom finally make his appearance under the hands of Hickman.

Thor #612 ($3.99) - Kieron Gillen is, without a doubt, an author who I will read anything he writes. His Thor run has been absolutely astounding, and something that I wish wouldn't end (as much as I may like Fraction). With Gillen tying up some loose ends, these are issues no one wants to miss.

Uncanny X-Men #526 ($3.99) - Fraction's X-Men is a very polarizing read for fans, but I've found it all pretty entertaining. I think that now, with Second Coming over and a brand new direction ahead and all of the X-books very clearly split up, it should be a very interesting time to see what ideas Fraction is bringing to the table as Bendis' "no more mutants" is undone.

Total: $18.95

Gil's Picks

Justice League: Generation Lost #6 ($2.99) - Plain and simple, of the two mini’s tying into Brightest Day, this one is the best. There’s a cohesive story from the beginning, and it doesn’t feel like it’s meandering. Plus: Rocket Red is amazing.

Green Lantern #56 ($2.99) - Probably the anchor to the Brightest Day arc, it’s probably the most important to the status quo. Plus, what is going on with that little Guardian guy? Creepy!

Uncanny X-Men #526 ($3.99) - The start of a new status quo for the X-Men; their enemies have been defeated and their numbers growing for the first time in ages. It’s exciting! Plus, no Greg Land!

Fantastic Four #581 ($2.99) - Probably the most mind-bending team book on the market, but it’s still pretty easy to follow. It’s a lot of fun, and you can’t help but love all the precocious kids!

Wonder Woman #601 ($2.99) - This has made my list because we should actually read the book before we condemn it so much. I’m in.

Action Comics #891 ($3.99) - Shaping up to be the best of the books in the Superman brand, it’s letting the bad guy be the bad guy. I love Lex Luthor and I’m ready to root for the bad guy. But this time it’s not Mel Gibson.

Total: $19.94

Brandon's Picks

Green Arrow #2 ($2.99) - While some have panned this title I actually really dig this book. I think that it starts Green Arrow in a great new direction as a Robin Hood of his own Sherwood Forrest. I think it is a great idea to make Green Arrow’s city it’s own unique place and I think the character and the DCU in general will really benefit from it.

Green Lantern #56 ($2.99) - Come on do I really need to explain why this book is a fucking must? No? Didn’t think so.

Green Lantern Corps #50 ($2.99) - This is a lot like GL in that this book is a must. Green Lantern Corps is continuously good and is a must for me every time it hits the stands.

X-Men Legacy #238 ($2.99) - Mike Carey is the best current X-Writer outside of Yost and Kyle. With Legacy focusing on Magneto, Rogue and some New X-Men characters I am on board. Easy sell to one such as myself.

Uncanny X-Men #526 ($3.99) - The Five Lights begins here! What’s the deal with the new generation of mutants? Well read this book to start on the journey to the answers that you seek young padawan.

X-Factor Forever #5 ($3.99) - If you haven’t been reading this book then you’re really blowing it. While X-Men Forever hasn’t been all that some hoped it would be this title has been everything and more. The best thing that could happen would be a sequel.

Josh's Picks

Fantastic Four #581 ($2.99) - Good lord is this book good...like jesus christ...Jonathan Hickman is very VERY quickly climbing my "best american comic writers in recent memory" list so quickly he might as well be written by Geoff Johns (get it? Its a Flash joke.) I'll admit, I was disappointed when I heard Dale Eagelsham was leaving the book...until I read the first issue without him and I didn't even notice since I was far, FAR more enthralled by Hickman's writing than I was by Eagelsham's pencils, as awesome as they were. This is not only how the FF should be written, not only how super heroes should be written, but how good comics in general should be written. I can't sing its praises enough.

Action Comics #891 ($3.99) - One of the snarkiest British writers out there today (Paul Cornell) writing a story about a sharply dressed, intriguing sociopath with a strong desire for power and extreme resentment of most things good and decent (Lex Luthor) accompanied by clean, precise yet still edgy pencil work (Pete Woods)? Also, Mr. Mind? Yes please. (Despite that ungodly cover price.)

Green Lantern #56 ($2.99) - I know some people are tired of them, but I'm still down with books about colorful rings...especially now that Johns has decided to look into and reveal the natures of the Entities that power these rings. Needs more Larfleeze though...he's been suspiciously absent these last few months.

The Flash #4 ($2.99) - Yes, more Johns love on my pull-list...I think I love the art on this book more than I love the story and the character it is being told about. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the scarlet speedster...any scarlet speedster really...but Francis Manapull is just KILLING it on this book...and Johns is adapting his story telling to better fit Manapul's art, resulting in a very old timey feeling but still undeniably modern, almost pulpy-tale with (so far) twists and turns around every corner. Like Zatanna last week, I fully acknowledge that the basic premise of the series (AKA Barry Allen) can hold my attention forever, I am currently enjoying this...for lack of a better term...run.

Uncanny X-Men #526 ($3.99) - I really have no choice...I've been picking up this book consistently since I was 13 years old, so I'm pretty much stuck...it also helps that the X-Men are the single reason I read comics at all and I've been loving Fraction's take on them enough to put up with Marvel's magical "gonna give as much content as any other book but charge more for this one" logic and keep with it. Also, finding out more about The Five Lights, Hope and the fallout from her Second Coming and the current fate of Kitty Pryde also has my interest piqued.

At this point I was going to attempt to decide between Green Lantern Corps and X-Men Legacy and while in reality both of them were on my DCBS order, when faced with paying full price for them, neither of them really come out worth it. So...

Total: $16.95 (the extra three dollars and five cents will be put toward half of a veggie burrito at Chipotle...or maybe some pretzel M&Ms....)

Walt's Picks

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #4 ($3.99)/Secret Avengers #3 ($3.99) - Honesty is the best policy, and I'm just being honest admitting that I love Grant Morrison's work. I do, however, acknowledge that his work is highly polarizing, and that not everyone finds his comics as enjoyable as I do, so in case you have no interest in The Return of Bruce Wayne I instead highly recommend the next issue of Ed Brubaker's Secret Avengers. Only two issues in and Brubaker has already done such a great job with such a bizarre team dynamic. Throw in that he is one of the most reliable writers in the industry and you've got a great pick.

The Flash #4 ($2.99) - Brightest Day may be letting me down, but I have to say that few people (aka only Mark Waid) write The Flash like Geoff Johns. This new volume has been nothing but fantastic so far, especially with Francis Manapul kicking ass and taking names in the visual department. I was wary of Barry's return at first, as I grew up with Wally West as The Flash, but I've been enjoying this title too much to really care about that anymore.

Green Lantern #56 ($2.99) - While Johns' earlier work on The Flash was excellent, Green Lantern was the title that made him truly famous, and with good reason. While I have yet to catch up with Brightest Day, it seems like this arc ties-in without making it unreadable if you aren't reading Brightest Day, which is as it should be. Johns is very much at home on this book, and I'm quite excited to see where this new arc is going.

Wonder Woman #601 ($2.99) - Despite all the complaints about the new costume, I don't see how this can't be good. JMS showed how well he could balance superheroes with mythology on Marvel's Thor, so I'm sure that he will do just fine with Wonder Woman. I know some are complaining about the changed origin, but if you can't see that it is only going to be temporary for the purposes of the story, you clearly haven't been reading comics very long. If I'm wrong and it's "permanent," I'll eat my hat.

Fantastic Four #581 ($2.99) - Jonathan Hickman. That's all I need to say.

Uncanny X-Men #526 ($3.99) - While X-Men Legacy tends to be slightly better than Uncanny, it's more of a companion to the flagship that is Uncanny. We have a brand new direction for all the X-titles, so now is a good time to jump onto the main book if you haven't been reading it recently. Matt Fraction's last few arcs have been much more solid than some of his earlier ones, so let's hope that he continues with that trend.

Total: $19.94

Five Cover Artists Revealed For Days Missing: Kestus

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:33:00 +0000

At the Archaia: Black Label panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Archaia Entertainment and Roddenberry Productions proudly announced the all-star lineup of cover artists contributing to the second volume of the critically acclaimed comic book series DAYS MISSING.

A different artist will illustrate each of the five upcoming covers of Days Missing: Kestus, which launches in September. As previously announced, Alex Ross (Kingdom Come, Astro City) will be creating the cover for issue #1. Jorge Molina (Marvel Superhero Team-Up, What If? Spiderman: House of M) will design the cover of issue #2, and Ryan Benjamin (Grifter/Midnighter, New Mutants) will lend his talents to the cover of issue #3. David Mack (Daredevil, Atomika) has signed on to draw issue #4’s cover, and Dale Keown (The Darkness, Pitt), who illustrated all of the covers for Days Missing volume 1, will return to illustrate the cover to issue #5.

“Each talented cover artist brings his own perspective of The Steward and Kestus to the series, which creates a richer, deeper understanding of these multi-layered characters,” said Roddenberry Productions Head of Development Trevor Roth.

Artist David Marquez (Syndrome: The Graphic Novel) will illustrate the pages of all five issues of the continuing epic, which fan-favorite and Eisner Award-nominated author Phil Hester (Firebreather, The Darkness, Green Arrow) will write.

Days Missing: Kestus continues the tale of The Steward, a mysterious being who has the ability to literally “fold” days of time, secretly removing critical days from history. At the end of the first series, hints were dropped that The Steward was not alone in his powers. The second series will focus on his relationship with a new being, Kestus, as well as more days for him to “fold.”

Hester and Marquez joined Archaia’s SDCC panel along with Roddenberry Productions’ CEO Rod Roddenberry. Fans were treated to a limited run, complimentary preview book written by Creator Trevor Roth and drawn by David Marquez.

“Archaia and Roddenberry Productions have assembled five of the best cover artists in the industry today to lend their talents to this exciting franchise,” said Archaia Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy. “It just goes to show that Days Missing is one of the best science-fiction comics out there, and this new set of issues will not only just add to its popularity, but bring in new fans!”

Days Missing: Kestus will be published under Archaia’s new Black Label line of titles, which specializes in co-developing intellectual properties with prestigious partners who are seeking to flesh out and realize their original ideas through the use of Archaia’s resources.

Issue #1 of Days Missing Vol. 2: Kestus (five-issue miniseries, full color, $3.95, 32 pages, Diamond Order Code JUL10 0764) is set to debut in September wherever comic books are sold.

Future updates on the series, including preview images and other behind-the-scenes material, can be found at www.daysmissing.com.

About Archaia Entertainment

Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds. Archaia is: An Elegy for Amelia Johnson, Artesia, Awakening, Beautiful Scars, Berona’s War, The Black Knight, Critical Millennium, Cyclops, The Dark Crystal, Dark Fall, Days Missing, The Devil’s Handshake, The Engineer, Everlast, Feeding Ground, Fraggle Rock, God Machine, The Grave Doug Freshley, Gunnerkrigg Court, Hybrid Bastards!, Inanna’s Tears, The Killer, Killing Pickman, Labyrinth, The Lone and Level Sands, Lucid, Miranda Mercury, Moon Lake, Mouse Guard, Mr. Murder Is Dead, Okko, One in a Million, Primordia, Return of the Dapper Men, Robotika, Saga, The Secret History, Some New Kind of Slaughter, Starkweather: Immortal, Syndrome, Titanium Rain, Trial By Fire, Tumor and 10 more new titles in 2010.

For more information on Archaia or any Archaia titles please visit www.Archaia.com or the Archaia Facebook page at facebook.com/archaiacomics. Follow Archaia on Twitter at twitter.com/archaiacomics.

About Roddenberry Productions

Roddenberry Productions is a science-fiction leader with a tradition of groundbreaking entertainment and quality merchandise. Originally founded in 1967 by Gene Roddenberry, the company has since led a steady stable of science fiction successes including Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and, most notably, the Star Trek brand. Roddenberry Productions continues to produce entertainment for all audiences, employing a viewer-centric creative process and resulting in insightful visions of humanity. Its merchandising business is based on quality and authenticity providing memorabilia for fans in today’s new multimedia generation. Roddenberry Productions has set itself apart by creating content that surpasses mere entertainment; it acknowledges the intelligence of audiences by challenging them to think, question and explore the world, and those potentially beyond.

For more information on Roddenberry Productions please visit www.Roddenberry.com. Roddenberry Productions can also be found on Facebook (facebook.com/roddenberrycom) and Twitter (twitter.com/roddenberry).

This Week In Comics!

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +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 tomorrow, 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 asterisks. Whenever you see one of those, it means we think you should be reading it. So keep your eyes open!

Comics
*28 DAYS LATER-#13-$3.99
*7 PSYCHOPATHS-#3-$3.99
ABE SAPIEN ABYSSAL PLAIN-#2 (Of 2)-$3.50
ACTION COMICS-#890-$3.99 (2ND PRINTING)
*ACTION COMICS-#891-$3.99
AFTER DARK-#1 (Of 3)-$4.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN-#634-$3.99 (2ND PRINTING LARK VARIANT)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN-#635-$3.99 (2ND PRINTING LARK VARIANT)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS BLACK CAT-#2 (Of 4)-$3.99
AMERICAN VAMPIRE-#5-$3.99
AMERICAN VAMPIRE-#5-$9.99 (1:25 VARIANT EDITION)
AMORY WARS KEEPING SECRETS OF SILENT EARTH 3-#3-$3.99
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Trades/Graphic Novels
ARCHIE PUREHEART THE POWERFUL-Vol 01-$19.99 (TRADE PAPERBACK)
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POKEMON ADVENTURES-Vol 08-$7.99 (TRADE PAPERBACK-2ND EDITION)
SHOWCASE PRESENTS SGT ROCK-Vol 03-$19.99 (TRADE PAPERBACK)
SIEGE BATTLEFIELD--$24.99 (HARCOVER)
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WOMEN OF MARVEL CELEBRATING SEVEN DECADES HANDBOOK-$19.99 (TRADE PAPERBACK)
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X-MEN POWERLESS-$16.99 (TRADE PAPERBACK)
X-MEN WE ARE X-MEN-$24.99 (TRADE PAPERBACK)

Advance Review: Hotwire: Deep Cut #1 (of 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Gilbert Short) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:30:00 +0000

HOTWIRE: DEEP CUT #1 (1 of 3)
Created by: STEVE PUGH and WARREN ELLIS
Writer and Illustrator: STEVE PUGH
Letterer: STEVE PUGH
Cover Artist: STEVE PUGH
$3.50
32 Pages
Full Color

Detective Exorcist Alice Hotwire is back! After the events of Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead, the city’s only supernatural investigator is taking some much needed R&R. But when a Blue Light from her colored past appears in front of her door, it sparks a series of events that lead Hotwire and Mobey across the city attempting to stop the results of a secret government project from turning the city into another living nightmare. With backup from Coroner Love and Metro Police, can Hotwire and Mobey save the day one more time? Join groundbreaking creator/writer/illustrator Steve Pugh for a glimpse into Alice Hotwire’s past and peer through a gateway into her future.

She’s back! Alice Hotwire, everyone’s favorite police officer/exorcist has returned to active duty to placate the dead, reducing the threat they pose to the people around the city. Published by Radical Publishing, a company that specializes in unique titles such as this one, the book promises to be a worthy follow up to the first series. Was it? Check it out!

This is clearly Steve Pugh’s baby. It was conceived by himself and Multiversity favorite Warren Ellis, but this is all Pugh. He wrote the script, he drew the panels, he did the cover, and he even lettered it. It’s truly a work of his own, and I don’t think anyone can dispute that.

Truth be told, I like this book, and the main character. She’s deeply flawed, and far from perfect, but she’s quite likable and to a certain extent one of the more relatable female leads in the indie market. Her supporting cast is one of the more interesting and fleshed out casts in comics, with a new addition that’s as creepy as he is see-through. The relationship they had before his death was especially tragic, from the details of their destructive relationship to the circumstances surrounding his demise. It gives a clear motivation to her character to do exactly what she does.

The story itself is a lot of set up. We see what happened to her after the previous series; including her recovery and just how she has a brand spanking new arm instead of just a stump. From there we jump right on in to another adventure, and one that was ill-conceived (on her part, not Pugh’s). She races to take care of some new Blues (slang term for ghosts) who have popped up following a grisly car wreck on the high way. But she’s not back on the force for 5 minutes before getting into a lot of trouble once again (Once and anti-hero, always an anti-hero). It’s a wonderful set up that doesn’t drag in the slightest. As a matter of fact, this book moves at breakneck speed, making you feel like you’ve got whiplash by issue’s end. And I couldn’t be happier. The book seems to benefit from shortening the series by one issue, from four issues to three. My only real complaints from the previous issue was the pacing which could drag a bit; and the length of time it took for issue four to come out, so maybe without that issue to worry about, Hotwire: Deep Cut will finish promptly without any lengthy wait.

Pugh’s art was also quite fantastic. Everyone has a distinct look to them, and you can tell Steve is English because everyone LOOKS English. Alice could have been a generic white girl, but his renderings give her a distinct look and personality; one that’s unmistakably British. I’m totally not being racist either. This actually makes it surprisingly easy for a future casting post, one that will be coming up in the near future, you can be sure of that.

One of my favorite things about the series, however, was the lettering. Lettering is something I genuinely don’t notice unless it’s spectacularly bad (see David’s Twilight review). But in this case, it’s very noticeable, and even furthers cements the personalities of each character. It’s a brilliant move.

The questions you should be asking are: do you like unique characters and plots? Do you like brilliant and engaging art that is unlike anything else out there? If you do, then you should check out this book. You won’t be sorry.

Final Verdict: 8.0 - Buy

Advance Review: Artifacts #1

noreply@blogger.com (Gilbert Short) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Artifacts #1 (of 13)
Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Michael Broussard
Cover: Top Cow’s Finest, John Tyler Christopher, Dale Keown
Full Color
32 pages
$3.99
limited series

The Event FIVE Years in the Making!
Thirteen mystical Artifacts, including the Witchblade, the Darkness and others, guide the fate of the Top Cow Universe. For centuries, it's been whispered that bringing together all 13 Artifacts would herald mankind's destruction. But a mysterious figure has been manipulating events, laying plans to put Armageddon into motion. The final phase begins here, with the abduction of Hope, the daughter of Sara Pezzini and Jackie Estacado. What ensues will remake the entirety of the Top Cow Universe, from the Witchblade and the Darkness, to the Angelus, Magdalena, and countless others. Artifacts #1 is the perfect place for faithful readers to see their loyalty pay off, and for new readers to experience the Top Cow Universe.

Today, Top Cow starts their latest event Artifacts, which seeks to unite all of the Top Cow Universe in a cohesive community much like Marvel or DC, have done. Written by Ron Marz and penciled by Michael Broussard, it certainly has the pedigree to be epic. But does it?

In a word; yes, it does. It’s shaping up to be a great jumping on point to the Top Cow universe, especially because Ron Marz’s specialty is boiling a story down to its most essential and letting you know exactly what you NEED To know, as opposed with making it too murky with continuity for new or perspective fans. Geoff Johns is another who is excellent at doing this, but Ron Marz doesn’t get nearly enough credit for doing the same. Every book of his I’ve read for the Top Cow brand is easily penetrable, with all back-story taken care of at the beginning of the story. Even before Top Cow he had the same talent. I recently read Emerald Twilight and it had the same inviting narrative.

He even introduces someone to me who could become a new favorite character. Tom Judge, this sort of defrocked priest who is clearly the anti-hero of the story, and one who seems to be striving for redemption. It’s actually all there in print, and I’m rooting for him all the way. A lot of Top Cow's properties are fully developed in ways I hadn't realized before, but Tom Judge is possibly my favorite.

The art is also quite brilliant. Michael Broussard. If you can imagine a happy balance between Leniel Francis Yu’s light and dark styles, it would be just about like that. Every character has their own look and personality to them, which is a great thing to have. Some artists might take a short cut, but not here. Anyone who thinks that The Witchblade is strictly a cheesecake character should pick this up, you will be surprised.

If there’s one thing I’m concerned about, it’s the pacing. This issue was mainly set up, and quite a bit happened. But this is a 13 issue series. I hope such a decompressed story won’t cause the story to drag or move at a glacial pace.

If you’re new to the universe or an old fan, this book is certain to please. Pick it up.

Final Verdict: 7.5 - Buy

4 Color News & Brews: Comic Con

davidlharper2@gmail.com (David Harper) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:04:00 +0000

4 Color News & Brews - Comic-Con from Multiversity Comics on Vimeo.

4 Color News & Brews is back this week, with Brandon and myself honoring Comic Con by drinking every time we say the words "Comic Con." Get your beers out and drink along with us, as we have a lot of different books and news to talk about this week.

We also changed up the news portion a bit - we're now going to decide if we "bag" (like) or "burn" (hate with a passion) each bit of news, that way you'll be able to know fully whether or not we're fans of it.

As per usual, if you have anything to add or anything you'd like us to talk about, email us at 4Color@multiversitycomics.com. Thanks to Yo La Tengo once again for hooking us up with a sweet, sweet theme song!

Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour: 0:54
Avengers #3/New Avengers #3: 8:32
The Walking Dead #75: 15:15
DV8 #4: 23:31
Amazing Spider-Man #638: 27:51
MISS MARTIAN BETTER NOT BE DEAD: 36:02
News/Bag or Burn: 36:17

Batman: Under The Red Hood Review

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

In the world of the animated, Marvel and DC have very different plans of attack. Marvel tends to shy away from adaptations and focus on original interpretations (although they do do them) whereas DC, for the most part, has been strictly adaptations, especially with their last couple of movies. To be honest, it’s probably the easier move to make because you already have your storyboards and plot laid out for you. It’s really just a matter of figuring out how to stretch the story out over time. Thus is the case with the adaptation of Judd Winnick’s Under the Hood, now entitled Under the Red Hood.

Featuring Winnick at the helm of the adaptation and impressive voice cast including John DiMaggio (famous for his role as Bender on Futurama) as well as Neil Patrick Harris, the movie seeks to adapt one of the more controversial stories from the DCU to film. Why so controversial? Because it featured the return of one of the classic “dead three” – Jason Todd.

Take a look behind the cut for my opinions of the film.

Out of all the things that he’s ever done, I think this is probably one of my least favorite things Winnick has ever done. I don’t think it was necessarily him and him alone that returned Jason Todd to the DCU, but the way that he did it was never something that really impressed me. It’s clever to a certain respect, but it’s also fairly odd. At least, to me. I never really understood the point of bringing back a Robin and making him into essentially a villain. Todd has been through a gauntlet of writers, all of whom have put their own personal spin on the character allowing him to be both a hero and a villain again, but it all starts here with the Under the Hood storyline.

Of course, when Under the Hood came out, it was in continuity with the DCU, so it was already assumed that every fan of the title had already read the classic story that is required reading for this kind of a tale: A Death in the Family. This story featured one of the classic and oft mentioned Batman moments, as the Joker beat Jason Todd to death in a crowbar. So if we’re making an animated film about one storyline that references another, how do we work with this? Why, we put them together of course!

The film opens in a redesigned version of Jason Todd’s death. Originally, Todd was given up by his mother (who he had just reunited with) in Ethiopia before being beaten and left to die in a warehouse with a time bomb. We basically have the same story here, but it jumps right into the middle of the beating and the setting is switched. Of course, Batman still doesn’t arrive on time, and we are treated with the classic scene of Batman holding the boy in his arms. We then jump to years later and are returned to the days of Black Mask’s occupation in Gotham, with Batman and Nightwing fighting Amazo and being brought into the storyline of Under the Hood. From there it pretty much follows the storyline to the T, although featuring a different ending.

For the most part, I thought that the story maintaining it’s roots worked well. Winnick was the one at the helm of the film’s plot here, so it only stands to reason that he’d effectively rewrite his tale. That’s something that I always hate about adaptations of storylines. When you’re simply reimagining a character, then go nuts with it, but if you have a book that already lays out the plot, there isn’t need to change it. If it worked in the book (assuming you think the originally story worked to begin with) then it’ll work in the movie. While it certainly was an odd choice to adapt this of all storylines, it did offer up an entertaining film. It even kept some of the important moments in the story, especially in regards to how the Red Hood was finally revealed to Batman. While the book featured a more hyperactive timeline, beginning with the end, watching the story “in order” worked just as well, especially when it paid tribute to it’s root.

There are three things that I do ultimately find odd about it though. There are two elements of the story that stayed in the film that I don’t think worked for a casual audience: the Amazo fight and Black Mask’s appearance in general. Black Mask is definitely a classic Batman villain at this point, especially considering War Games and all that fun stuff with Stephanie Brown, but for the average viewer who likes Batman because he’s Batman, it might seem a bit odd. The reason Amazo was there was because he was being shipped as a weapon to the Black Mask, and in the terms of an ongoing comic book where Batman had been going up the Black Mask for months it felt more natural. Here, we’re kind of thrown the Black Mask element not as a predominant feature, and it is assumed that the audience will understand who he is. To me, this felt a bit off putting despite my Bat-knowledge.

The third thing that I didn’t feel worked too well was the changed ending. Now, obviously the ending will be different, but (and these are pretty hefty spoilers, so if you don’t want to know don’t look) to me, taking away Todd’s moment of beating the Joker with a crowbar and leaving him for dead took away from his villainous return. Todd does get his hits in, but it’s in a different setting here. Obviously the movie isn’t going to take the time to establish that Joker had just been ousted from his position and forced to crawl and hide away in his old carnival from The Killing Joke, but that was my FAVORITE part of the story. To have Black Mask captured and Joker simply defeated after another crime spree was not as effective as the comic’s. Of course, it can definitely be argued that that ending only worked in the comics because of years of storytelling and different writers, but I’m allowed to be a stickler some days.

One thing that I really did like, though, is all the new sequences inserted that elaborate on Todd’s upbringing with Bruce Wayne. I think that, especially in comparison with Hood’s actions, showing a young Todd and allowing Wayne to reflect on where he went wrong was actually quite a sad and moving element of the story. My earlier problem revolved around poor adaptation to larger storylines that the casual viewer might not recognize, but these moments show that Winnick did at least try to bring this part of the story in for an unknown viewer. To most people, Robin is Robin and they probably don’t really care how many there have been. This is why it’s so important to SHOW us that Todd was a young Robin – and quite an innocent young child at that despite his recklessness – helps us empathize with what he ultimately became, and thus this becomes the movies most redeeming aspect. Granted, this made it PAINFULLY obvious that the Red Hood was Todd the whole time whereas the comic was more shocking, this is just something that comes with beginning your movie by killing Robin.

One of my biggest complaints about the last DC Animated film was the voice cast. For Crisis on Two Earths, it was pretty horrible. For this, it’s passable. It really depends on the character. Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing works surprisingly well, and DiMaggio as the Joker works at points too. DiMaggio has the harder role to overcome because his voice is so recognizable and the Joker’s character is as well, but there are moments where DiMaggio really brings out the fear of the character versus the insanity that Hammil usually brings. Bruce Greenwood has a tough time beating Kevin Conroy, but he adapts quite well to the role. However, Wade Williams as Black Mask and Jensen Ackles as the Red Hood are the voices that I couldn’t really get in to. Ackles didn’t seem like the logical progression for the rebirthed character after being voiced by spry young Alex and Vincent Martella, and Williams never quite instilled any fear at all into me as the viewer, especially not in comparison with the dark actions of the comic book counterpart.

All in all, Under The Red Hood is not a bad film in the slightest. In fact, it’s far more enjoyable than the last entry into DC’s Animated universe. The voice cast does a reasonably good job with their role, and the animation here is pretty fantastic. There are some odd mixes between 2D and 3D, but it’s not often enough to become overly jarring or detrimental. While I do have my problems with the storyline, they’re really just problems that I’ve always had in general with what happened with the character. The amount that I enjoyed this movie actually quite surprised me, and ultimately I do recommend giving this a watch over some of the other DC Animated films. While it’s not quite as good as A New Frontier (which is my favorite), it is definitely as good of an adaptation as Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

All-Star Superman DC's Next Animated Film For 2011

matthew@multiversitycomics.com (Matthew Meylikhov) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Every post about this news should start like this: All-Star Superman is the greatest Superman story ever told. It is quite possibly one of the most touching and moving pieces that Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely will ever do together, even more so than WE3. I'm not going to lie - every time I go back to reread All-Star Superman, I tear up quite a bit. It's just that damn good of a story.

Now, Dwayne McDuffie has revealed that his next big project is an adaptation of said film for DC's Animated universe. You might recognize Dwayne McDuffie's name as the co-creator of shows like Ben 10 and popular characters like Static. This is incredibly exciting news for fans of the comic, because anyone that's read it has clearly been struck by it. The story features Superman in his last days when, after being tricked by Lex Luthor, it turns out that he's dying. The rest of the series plays out as a Last Will and Testament of sorts, as Superman faces different challenges per issue and defines his legacy before the final confrontation against his greatest enemy.

The film will come out in 2011, after Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, and I can only hope it is as brilliantly epic as the comic will. It will be a difficult adaptation to do, but it's clear McDuffie does respect the work (as can be seen in his brief description of it in the post above), so here's to hoping it turns out.

Here's also to hoping that the film adapts Quitely's style of art to the animation as we've seen DC's Animated department do with A New Frontier and Public Enemies (although they didn't do it for Crisis on 2 Earths, an adaptation of Morrison and Quitely's Earth-2).

Multiversity's Best and Worst of SDCC

noreply@blogger.com (Walter) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

San-Diego Comic Con is the place to be for some of the biggest announcements regarding the comic industry, and even more not so big ones. We all have that project we want to hear more about, or the future of the characters we love, and with so many announcements you can bet that everyone has their own choice of what was the best announcement at the convention. Similarly, we each have some bits of news that we are wary about, to say the least. Follow the cut to see what some of Multiversity's writers considered the best and worst of this weekend's convention, and be sure to let us know in the comments section what you're most excited (or not excited) for.

Walt

Best: Finding out that both Frank Quitely and Cameron Stewart will be working on Multiversity with Grant Morrison. Few people work as well with Morrison as Quitely and Stewart, as the past has shown, and they're two of my favorite artists. In particular, the universes they will be depicting (the Watchmen-esque Charlton Comics one for Quitely and the Marvel Family one for Stewart) fit their respective styles very well, so I can't wait to see how it looks.

Worst: I know most are going to choose Red Hulk being an Avenger as the worst news, but I was more let down by the announcement that Will Eisner's classic A Contract With God will be adapted into film. I just don't get Hollywood's desire to adapt both books and comics at such a heavy rate. If you want to be exposed to one of the most influential graphic novels of all time, why not just read the graphic novel?

Matt

Best: For me, I think the most exciting thing was about the Avengers collective of films. I know that I'm always moaning about SDCC not being so much about actual comics, but it was kind of lost not to get swept up in all the craziness that will be taking place with these films. What with two cast members being announced (one of which is Jeremy freaking Renner as Hawkeye!) and the director being solidified, it's very easy to get excited for this movie. It's kind of like the ultimate nerd movie that has always needed to exist and finally does. On top of that, all the new info on Thor and Captain America makes me feel like next summer can not come soon enough. Marvel has figured out how to do their movies, and they're rocking it solid.

Worst: Oddly enough - and in a choice I'm sure many people will raise eyebrows at - Batman Inc is the worst thing. Here's the deal: I'm a huge Morrison fan and everyone knows this. However, after hearing about Batman Inc as the new book Morrison will be working on, I just can't seem to muster any excitement. With his reign in the Batbooks ending, I was hoping that this meant we would be getting more original work and the finale of Seaguy, or perhaps him moving on to work with other characters. Anything other than Batman. Instead, we're getting a Brave and the Bold-esque Batman team-up book. Well, I'm sure I'll buy it and love it and whatnot, but as of now I'm really pretty disappointed that after all this time, he's still just writing a Batman book. I was ready for something else and something more.

Gil

Best: To be honest: this is a tie, and it both comes from Marvel’s camp. The official announcement of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner further solidified the cast which was already badass. The other winner is as much a mystery as it was cool: the unveiling of the Infinity Gauntlet. Why was it made? I have no idea. But it was so

Worst: I could go the easy way out and say it was the stabbing (seriously, uncool), but I have a feeling that will be the worst for a lot of people. And even then, my “worst” wasn’t exactly a bad thing, just a disappointment for now. Nathan Fillion said he was NOT playing Hank Pym? My heart dropped.

David

Best: The best moment, without a doubt, was the Avengers lineup reveal. I figured it was coming yet seeing them all together along with what Whedon and RDJ had to say was just...momentous. This is really happening. It's easy to see the Avengers in a comic, but in a movie? God. Unimaginable. Marvel Films is killing it.

With that said, I have to give props to The Walking Dead and Scott Pilgrim teams. They both owned their respective sections of SDCC and the buzz behind them rocketed to new heights thanks to their performances.

Worst: I've already posted about this, but the confirmation of the Amazing Spider-Man changes with Dan Slott writing it twice monthly is disappointing. Slott is perhaps my least favorite writer from Team Spidey, and to go forward without Joe Kelly involved mitigates my excitement quite a bit. I love the selections of Stefano Caselli and Marcos Martin to be on the art team, but as a once mammoth Humberto Ramos fan, I just don't like his selection...couldn't we have seen Max Fiumura take the last spot? Or for the love of god, the epic talent of Chris Bachalo?

Brandon

Best: The best news for me was the announcement that Peter David would be working on the upcoming Young Justice cartoon. As an avid fan of the now defunct series I was incredibly amped to hear he would be contributing to the cartoon based on the comic that he made one of my all time favorites.

In a close second though would have to be the announcement that Booster and the superior Blue Beetle, Jamie Reyes, would be appearing in the final season of Smallville. While I know many feel this show has long past it's prime, and it would be hard to argue it hasn't, I am still crazy amped as I love those characters and that show.

Worst: The worst news of the con is that the Batman: Brave and the Bold cartoon will join other recently announced fatalities, Spectacular Spider-Man and Wolverine and the X-Men, in the cartoon based on comics category. All of these were truly excellent cartoons and I am baffled that the trio all never made it past season two. How these shows failed and the god awful Teen Titans cartoon survived so long is beyond me. At least there will be Young Justice right?

"Joe the Barbarian" Film Adaptation On Its Way

davidlharper2@gmail.com (David Harper) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:11:00 +0000

In an exclusive dropped on Robot 6 by Grant Morrison himself, the legendary comics creator revealed that his 2010 creator owned project for Vertigo Comics Joe the Barbarian is being adapted into a film by Thunder Road Pictures.

In this day and age, it's not surprising that a comic property is snatched up to be developed into a film, but still this is very exciting news. This has been a standout series for me this year, and I can very easily imagine it being turned into a hugely entertaining and legendary kids movie ala a lot of the family films from the 80's that often verged on creepy to a degree.

My only concern? Translating series artist Sean Murphy's visuals to the screen. While film can often pull off imagery as well if not better than comics, Murphy's work this year has been the absolute best art in the business in my book. His ability to stage shots and express the story visually has made the series far better than it would have been in another artist's hands, and if the director of the film is smart he will use Murphy's visuals as a bible to crafting this film.

Exciting news, and congrats to R6 for pulling this exclusive.