The Graphic Landscape

?Hey there, everyone! What’s up? Back for more? Alrighty then! We got an all-star line up for you folks today! There’s tons to read, so turn of the TV, make some popcorn, and pull up a chair! I’ll just stop talking so’s we can get to the reviews!

Ultimates 3 #5 (of 5): The stunning conclusion to the Sex, Lies, and DVDs that everyone’s been waiting for! Who outed Tony Stark’s, well, you know, video? Who is the Black Panther and what’s his connection to Captain America? Why did Venom melt? Who killed the Scarlet Witch? Why are robots declaring war against humanity? And just who is Hank Pym’s son? It answers all of those questions, and the answers just lead to more questions. Hank Pym’s son conveniently monologues his whole plan and history while Ant-Man and the Wasp are in the vents, so you know almost everything by the fourth page. Plus, it leads right into Ultimatum! Anyways, a great story and pretty good drawings. Total Score: 5 out of 5 stars!

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Ultimates 3 #5

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?The New Avengers #45: During House of M, whatever happened to the Skrulls? ?They were there. But they knew more than you think! Good story and great drawings. ?Total Score: 4 out of 5 stars!

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New Avengers #45

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The Mighty Avengers #18: Are you wondering how Nick Fury turned a bunch of nobodies with powers into Howling Commandos? Well, you won’t be after reading this issue! And let me just tell you, I wouldn’t want to put through what the Commandos were put through. Good story and good drawings. Total Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars!

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Mighty Avengers #18

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Avengers: The Initiative #17: Hey, I just realized something. I’m doing all the Avengers-type comics first aren’t I? That’s weird. Anyways, so the Shadow Initiative, Trauma, Bengal, Mutant Zero, and Constrictor, joined by Ant-Man, try to take back Camp Hammond. Meanwhile, the Skrull Kill Krew, now joined by Hardball, are wondering just how they’re going to get around, when suddenly, they’re problem is fixed right before their eyes! I love this story, and I like the drawings, too. Total Score: 4.5 stars out of 5!

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Avengers: The Initiative #17

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Marvel Apes #2 (of 4): Let me start by saying this book is not for small kids under the age of 10. So for those of you who thought they were going to give Marvel Apes to their 8-year-old nephews as a birthday gift or whatever, think again. It’s got depth, blood and supernatural creatures, so it’s not nearly as stupid as we all thought it was going to be. Plus, it’s got monkey Speedball on the cover! So Marty and Fiona have finally finished the interdimensional portal with the help of monkey Mr. Fantastic, but who’s there to stop them? It’s…it’s…nah, I’m not gonna tell you. But let me just say, it’s not who you think it is! Great story and great drawings. I give it: 4.5 out of 5 stars!

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Marvel Apes #2

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Deadpool #2: The Skrulls don’t exactly trust the Merc with a Mouth, so they lock him up. Luckily, (I think) Deadpool manages to convince them to let him train a new breed of Deadpool-spliced Super-Skrulls! You know, like how the Clone Army is cloned from Jango Fett? It’s the same thing. Of course, the ensuing chaos follows when the Skrulls start learning from Deadpool. But, you’ll never guess who Deadpool is really working for! Tony Stark! Queen Veranke! Norman Osborn! Dr. Doom! Nah, I’m kidding. It’s not them. But you will be surprised by who it is! Great and funny story and good drawings! Total Score: 4.5 stars out of 5!

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Deadpool #2

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Ultimate Origins #4 (out of 5): First of all, this issue explains a lot. Have you wondered how Bruce Banner became the Hulk? How Peter Parker’s parents died? Why Nick Fury has taken such a liking to Peter Parker? If so, wonder no longer! Also, if you’re wondering just what those little statues are, you’ll find out! Great drawings, great story, 5 out of 5 stars!

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Ultimate Origins #4

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Marvel Apes #3 (of 4): In this issue, Marty, Fiona, and the Outcasts hatch a plan to stop, well, you’ll find out. In the meantime, they’re being chased by Captain America and the Invaders! But there’s more than meets the eye with them, and no, they’re not Transformers. However, it has a pretty good story and good drawings. Total Score: 4.5 stars!

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Marvel Apes #3

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Marvel Apes #4 (of 4): The, well, not so stunning conclusion to the Marvel Apes saga! It shows the final battle between the Ape-vengers/Invaders and the Outcasts! Also, it has an ape version of Captain America #25, the Death of Captain America! Good story and good drawings. Total Score: 4.5 stars!

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Marvel Apes #4

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Marvel Zombies 3 #1 (of 4): Woweewow. For those of you who have read Marvel Zombies 2 #5 and know the tagline is “The Zombies Invade the Marvel Universe,”? its not what you’re thinking. Malcolm didn’t send the zombies to the Marvel Universe. Well, he might’ve, but that’s not what this series (at least this issue) is about. Instead, Citrusville, Florida, the “Nexus of All Realities,”? is invaded by zombie Deadpool, who takes out half of Florida’s Initiative team, The Command. He is apprehended by S.H.I.E.L.D., who send Machine Man and Jocasta into the Zombie Universe to find an antidote. But what they don’t know is that Deadpool isn’t the only zombie on Earth. Pretty good drawings and a great story. Total Score: 4.5 stars!

Oh, and, sorry about the picture, folks. For some reason, I can’t get a caption or the top of the picture.

The Amazing Spider-Man #572: Part 5 of New Ways to Die! The Thunderbolts police, led by Bullseye, attack Pete, Harry, and his girlfriend Lily at The Coffee Bean. Spidey, aided by Anti-Venom, who arrives just in time, manages to trick Bullseye and escape. In the meantime, ol’ Normy is back in his old Halloween costume. Only it’s not Halloween! And he has a new costume for his pal Mac! Pretty good drawings and a great story! Total Score: 4.5 stars!

Wow. Once again, I can’t get the picture right. Sorry.

The Amazing Spider-Man #573: The Conclusion of New Ways to Die! It’s Anti-Venom vs. Ven-orpian! (You’ll see.) Meanwhile, Spidey confronts the Goblin! Pretty good story, good drawings! Total Score: 4.5 stars!

?Avengers: The Initiative #18: The Skrull Kill Krew, now joined by Hardball, Gravity, Cloud 9, Ant-Man, Ultragirl, Jocasta, and Devil-Slayer, are making their way across the country, weeding out all the Initiative’s Skrulls! It’s pretty much the same thing over and over again. The Skrull Kill Krew, well, killing Skrulls! Yeah, it’s cool, and it’s not worn out yet, but it will be by next issue. Good drawings and pretty good storyline. Total Score: 4 stars!

Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (of 3): It’s Jackpot against a Sinister Six Super-Skrull! (Try saying that five times fast!) The Skrull is looking for Spider-Man, and he doesn’t know that Spidey’s in the Savage Land fighting his brethren. So, while he and Jackpot are fighting, Vin Gonzales, Joe Robertson, Dexter Bennett, and Betty Brant are running for their lives! Meanwhile, Harry Osborn and his gf Lily are also running for their lives from Super-Skrulls! And who is also following Jackpot? That’s right, everyone’s favorite (okay, maybe not) goblin, Menace! Good drawings and a good story. Total Score: 4 stars!

The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1: Speaking of Jackpot, just who is she? (I know what you’re thinking and it’s not her.) How did she get her powers? And just what did Sara Ehret mean by “I’m sorry, but you really should keep out of this?”? Find all that out! Plus! Jackpot dies! That’s right! But that’s all I’m telling ya! Great story and good drawings! Total Score: 4.5 stars!

The Mighty Avengers #19: Sorry, but it’s a long two months. Anyways, the story of the Captain Marvel sleeper Skrull! He must choose whether he should follow his Skrull teachings or his Captain Marvel instincts! Plus, Marvel Boy! Good story and pretty good drawings. Total Score: 3.5 stars!

The New Avengers #46: The Hood breaks Madame Masque out of S.H.I.E.L.D custody, only to find that it’s not S.H.I.E.L.D at all! It’s Skrulls! The Syndicate of Criminals gets back together to discuss what’s going on, only to find that one of them is a Skrull! Now they’re mad! And just who is giving the Hood his power? I’ll tell you! It’s…darn it. Out of ink. Good story and great drawings. Total Score: 4.5 stars!

Thunderbolts #125: Norman Osborn: Hero! Never thought you’d here that, didja? But, in the world of Civil Wars and Brand New Days and Initiatives, anything is possible. Anyways, the Thunderbolts are still in the process of liberating Washington D.C. And Norman Osborn is being honored as a hero. Pretty good drawings and a great story. Total Score: 4 stars!

Avengers/Invaders #6 (of 12): The Human Torch (no, not Johnny Storm) is on a rampage, leading S.H.I.E.L.D. LMDs (Life Model Decoys) against the Mighty Avengers! But the LMDs have more of a plan than just freeing themselves. Good drawings and a great story. Total Score: 4.5 stars!

Ultimate Captain America Annual #1: The story of Ultimate Black Panther! Why does he not talk? How did he get his powers? Why did Captain America recommend Panther to the Ultimates? And just why is Panther actually Cap? Find out all this! Great drawings, great story! Total Score: 5 stars!

Ultimatum #1 (of 5): This is the Ultimate Universe event that everyone’s been waiting for! So Reed (Richards, Mr. Fantastic) is about to propose to Sue (Susan, Invisible Woman) while Henry Pym uses the Yellowjacket suit. Then all of New York floods and hundreds, including the Beast, Nightcrawler, and Dazzler die. Mr. Fantastic goes and attacks and knocks out Namor, thinking he did it. Not only that, but Dr. Doom finds Latveria and everyone in it frozen! Professor X telepathically contacts Captain America, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, and Spider-Man, telling them just who it was! Great art and a great storyline. Total Score: 5 stars!

Alrighty then. Sorry the pictures were all screwed up. Oh, and sorry it took so long. See ya soon!

            Back already? All right, then! We got a plethora of awesome comic books this month just for you!

            We’ll start with The Amazing Spider-Man #568, the start of the New Ways to Die arc. So Spidey stops Menace once again (and appropriately nicknames him the Mock Goblin), and then starts looking for a job. He ends up at (why, oh why, didn’t he think of this earlier) Front Line, which also houses ex-Daily Bugle employees Ben Urich and Joe Robertson. In the meantime, Ms. Brant is assigned to dig up something on Mr. Li, Aunt May’s boos and founder of F.E.A.S.T., even though he seems perfectly normal (little do they know). While there, Ms. Brant meets Eddie Brock, who now works at F.E.A.S.T.! And if you think that’s not exciting, wait ‘till you read the whole thing! Pretty good drawings, but I thought they were better at the beginning of Brand New Day. An awesome story, too. Overall, I’d give  it 5 stars! (Out of 5.)

   

Amazing Spider-Man #568

            Then we have The Amazing Spider-Man #569. So the Thunderbolts show  up at Pete’s apartment, looking for Spidey. Thanks to Mephisto, even Norman  can’t make the connection, so he does the next best thing: ask Peter. After they  leave, Spidey takes the fight to them in Osborn Mansion, but not before Venom  goes renegade and attacks Eddie Brock in the F.E.A.S.T. shelter. Once again,  pretty good drawings and a great story. Total Score: 5 stars out of 5!

  

Amazing Spider-Man #569

            The Amazing Spider-Man #570 is next on the line-up. Anti-Venom takes on real Venom, and Spidey really doesn’t want to get involved, but unfortunately, he really doesn’t have a choice. However he does manage to turn Anti-Venom to the good side, and let me tell you, he makes a really bad good guy. The two Venoms and Spidey are drawn well, but the rest of the people aren’t. Anyways, I give this comic 5½ stars out of 5!

Amazing Spider-Man #570

            Alright, The Amazing Spider-Man #571 is next. So Menace attacks Norman Osborn, which doesn’t go so well for either of them. The Thunderbolts (by which I mean Songbird and Radioactive Man) go in to retrieve Mac Gargan, and end up in a fight with Anti-Venom. Anti-Venom beats the living daylights out of them, so they go after Spider-Man instead. Not so good for him. So good drawings and a great story. Total Score: 4 out of 5 stars!

Amazing Spider-Man #571

            Next on the agenda we have Mini Marvels: Rock, Paper, Scissors digest. Okay, technically, it came out in July, but I didn’t get it until August. I have to say, those Mini Marvels are hilarious! If you like comedy and you like Marvel characters, than this is the book for you! (I know, I know, I’m starting to sound like an ad, but it’s true!) I just love how those little characters are drawn, and the stories are “rib-tickling knee-slappers”! Total Score: 4 ½ stars out of 5!

Mini Marvels

            Then we have Avengers: The Initiative #16. So, 3-D Man hijacked a Quinjet from Camp Hammond, but when the Skrulls disable all StarkTech, his Quinjet crashes. It lands in New Mexico, where She-Thing finds it. She rescues 3-D Man, but 3-D Man sees that she’s a Skrull. She reverts back, and then Ryder and Riot of the Skrull Kill Krew leap out and kill her. Then, 3-D Man joins the Skrull Kill Krew, and one by one they venture out to kill the Skrull hiding in every state. My favorite line: When the Krew finds out that they’ll have to travel cross-country, Ryder exclaims, “I call shotgun! And chainsaw. And blowtorch…” Anyways, yeah, I know I’m not even old enough to know who the Skrull Kill Krew are, but I still appreciate the historical significance. Pretty good drawings, and I love the story. Anyways, I give this comic 5 out of 5 stars!

Avengers: The Initiative

            Up next is Thunderbolts #123. As you should know from Secret Invasion #5, Norman Osborn talks the Captain Marvel Skrull into leaving. Then the Thunderbolts head to Washington D.C. to defend their nation’s capital. Oh, and by the way, remember when Moonstone said that she wanted to become Director of the Thunderbolts? Well, let’s just say that she goes way beyond that. The drawings were better in the Caged Angels arc, but they were still pretty good. And the story was pretty good too. Total Score: 4 ½ stars out of 5!

Thunderbolts #123

            Seventh in line is The New Avengers #44. Have you ever wondered exactly how the Skrulls figured out how to produce the new Super-Skrulls and render them completely undetectable until death? Well, read this to find out! With great drawings and a great story, I give this 5 out of 5 stars!

New Avengers #44

            Next we have Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (of 3). Honestly, I think this book should be called Secret Invasion: Jackpot or something like that, because this whole book is about Jackpot. So, Jackpot is patrolling when she makes a dire mistake and attacks a bunch of “crooks” for selling…DVD players?!? So the Daily Bugle calls her on it publicly (their headline being “Jackpot or Crackpot?”), and she hires a Registration Act lawyer, who turns out to be a complete crackpot herself. And that’s when the Skrulls attack New York! Good drawings, and a good story. Total Score: 4 out of 5  stars.

Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man #1

            Ninth, (Yeah, I know, but I just couldn’t put any down!) is The Mighty  Avengers #17. The Skrull that replaced Yellowjacket starts saying that their plan won’t  work, leaving the Skrull Dum-Dum Dugan with one choice: Kill him! Pretty good  drawings, and a pretty good story. Total Score, 3½ stars out of 5!

        Mighty Avengers #17

            Then is Ultimate Origins #2. The backstory of Ultimate Captain America’s  creation. I know I didn’t review #1 last month, because I didn’t start getting into it  until this month. And let me tell you, it’s really interesting. Pretty good drawings (I  liked The Ultimates 1, 2, & 3 and the old Ultimate Spider-Man better) and the story is cool too. Total Score: 4 out of 5 stars!

Ultimate Origins #2

            After is Ultimate Origins #3.  So This is the story of how  Professor X and Magneto met. Its actually pretty interesting.  Anyways, it has good drawings and a great story. I give it 4½ stars  out of 5!

        Ultimate Origins #3

            Not last and not least is Marvel Apes #1. So, the now-  registered Gibbon tries to stop the Red Ghost from robbing a  bank, but the Mighty Avengers get there first. So the Gibbon gets depressed and lets himself be tested upon by a scientist. Then something goes terribly awry (Don’t they always?) and the two of them get transported to the world of apes, including Spider-Monkey, Iron Mandrill, and Gro-rilla! Actually, it’s better then it looks. The drawings and the story are pretty good. I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars!

Marvel Apes #1

            Next is Venom: Dark Origin #2. So Eddie Brock is now a reporter for the Daily Globe. He is contacted by the villain Sin-Eater and earns a big promotion. But something funky’s going on with the symbiote! Good drawings and a good story. Total Score: 4 out of 4 stars!

Venom: Dark Origin #2

            Last (Oh, wait, no, we still have another one) is Deadpool #1. Deadpool dresses up as the Phillie Phanatic and traps a ship full of Skrulls inside a baseball stadium. He takes them all on, but then completely changes face! Great drawings and a good story. I give it 4½ stars out of 5!

Deadpool #1

            Last (For real, this time) is Secret Invasion #6. So the New Avengers, the Mighty Avengers the Howling Commandos, Thor, Captain America, Mr. Fantastic, Agent Brand, the Initiative, the Young Avengers, the Thunderbolts, and the Hood’s gang all gather in New York city, and meet up with Spider-Woman, Yellowjacket, and the Skrull armada for the final battle! (Which isn’t this issue.) Pretty good drawings and a great story. 4½ stars!

Secret Invasion #6

            All right folks! See ya next month! And hopefully, the list won’t be as long. Though I doubt it.

Cybils Nominations Open October 1st: How Can You Participate?

Nominations for the third annual Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’
Literary Awards (the Cybils) will be open Wednesday, October 1st through
Wednesday, October 15th. The goal of the Cybils team (some 100 bloggers) is
to highlight books that are high in both literary quality and kid appeal.
The Cybils were founded by Anne Boles Levy
(http://dadtalk.typepad.com/book_buds_kidlit_reviews/) and Kelly Herold
(http://kidslitinformation.blogspot.com/).

This year, awards will be given in nine categories (Easy Readers, Fantasy &
Science Fiction, Fiction Picture Books, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade Novels,
Non-Fiction Middle Grade/Young Adult Books, Non-Fiction Picture Books,
Poetry, Young Adult Novels). Anyone can nominate books in these categories
(one nomination per person per category). Nominated titles must be published
between January 1st and October 15th of this year, and the books must be in
English (or bilingual, where one of the languages is English). To nominate
titles, visit the Cybils blog (http://www.cybils.com/) between October 1st
and 15th. A separate post will be available for each category - simply
nominate by commenting on those individual posts. If you are not sure which
category to choose for a particular book, a questions thread will also be
available.

Between October 16th and January 1st, Cybils panelists (children’s and young
adult bloggers) will winnow the nominations down to a 5-7 book short list
for each category. A second set of panelists will then select the winning
titles for the different categories. The winners will be announced on
February 14th, 2009.

The Cybils lists, from long lists to short lists
(http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/finalists/index.html) to the lists of
winners (http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2007/02/the_2006_cybils.html),
offer a wonderful resource to anyone looking for high-quality, kid-friendly
books. The Cybils team has worked hard to balance democracy (anyone can
nominate titles) with quality control (two rounds of panel judging by people
who focus on children’s books every day). We do this work because we
consider it vital to get great books into the hands of children and young
adults.

How Can You Participate?

We think that the Cybils nominations will be of interest to parents,
teachers, librarians, writers, and teens. If you have a blog or an email
list or belong to a newsgroup that serves one of these populations, and you
feel that your readers would be interested, please consider distributing
this announcement (you are welcome to copy it). The Cybils team would very
much appreciate your help in spreading the word. And if you, or the children
that you know, have any titles to suggest, we would love to see your
nominations at the Cybils blog (http://www.cybils.com/), starting on
Wednesday. Thanks for your help, and stay tuned for further news!

Jen Robinson (http://jkrbooks.typepad.com)
Literacy Evangelist for the 2008 Cybils

Live the Dream with Jesse Reklaw

Cartoonist Jesse Reklaw turns the dreams of strangers into insightful, humorous, and clever four-panel comic strips in The Night of Your Life. This stunning hardcover collects over five years of Reklaw’s comic strip, Slow Wave, which appears in alternative newsweeklies all over the country.

Sometimes playful, sometimes thought provoking, but always entertaining, The Night of Your Life is a testament to the ability of comics to illuminate the corridors of the imagination with wit, sincerity, and delight.

We are excited to announce the Night of Your Life East Coast book tour. Jesse will be hitting up six states along the East Coast in nine days doing signings, readings, and lectures.

This is the largest book tour I’ve been on – fifteen different events in nine states,” admits Reklaw. “In some newsweeklies my comic strip has been running for over ten years. I’ve followed the dream lives of people who’ve grown up, gotten married, had kids, etc. So it’ll be fascinating to meet these people in real life. I’m also really happy with the book; some of these comics I drew years ago, but I still get a chuckle out of them.”
For more information, please visit www.slowwave.com/noyltour.html

Tue Sep 30 6:30pm
Yale Bookstore, 77 Broadway, New Haven CT 06511>
203.777.8440 / yale.bncollege.com

Presentation and book signing

Wed Oct 01 5pm

Amherst Books, 8 Main St, Amherst MA 01002

413.256.1547 / 800.503.5865 /

Book signing and comics social

Jesse Reklaw, Robyn Chapman, Alec Longstreth, Clutch, Samuel C. Gaskin,

Colleen Frakes, and the Center for Cartoon Studies

Thu Oct 02 3-5pm

Center for Cartoon Studies, 94 S Main St, White River Junction VT

802.295.3319 / www.cartoonstudies.org

Private Lecture

Jesse Reklaw

Fri Oct 03 7-10pm

Atomic Books, 3620 Falls Rd, Baltimore MD 21211

410.662.4444 / www.atomicbooks.com

SPX kickoff party and comics reading

Jesse Reklaw, Brian Ralph, Lauren Weinstein, Theo Ellsworth, Ken Dahl,

Julia Wertz, Laura Park, Austin English, and Ben Claassen

Sun Oct 04-05

Small Press Expo

Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center

5701 Marinelli Rd, North Bethesda MD 20852

301-822-9200 / www.spxpo.com

Mon Oct 06 5-7pm

George Washington University, Gelman Library

2130 H Street NW, Washington DC 20052

202.994.6558 / www.gwu.edu

Presentation and panel discussion

Jesse Reklaw, Dash Shaw, Trevor Alixopulos, and Ken Dahl

Tue Oct 07 6-8pm

Robin’s Books, 108 S 13th St, Philadelphia PA 19107

215.735.9600 / www.robinsbookstore.com

Presentation and book signing

Jesse Reklaw, Trevor Alixopulos, Ken Dahl, and Joey Sayers

Wed Oct 08 7-9pm

Desert Island, 540 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211

718.388.5087 / www.desertislandbrooklyn.com

Book signing and comics social

            Hey there, comic book lovers! Here are reviews of this month’s best Marvel comics! (Sorry, DC fans.) And if you don’t know Marvel comics, then you’re gonna have a problem understanding this.

Avengers/Invaders #4

 Anyways, we’ll start with Avengers/Invaders #4. In the beginning, Bucky gets Cap’s  shield and throws it to Cap, but misses, and the shield falls off the helicarrier, only to  be picked up by the new Captain America. Meanwhile, the New Avengers join up with  the Invaders and fight the Mighty Avengers! The story is great, and the drawing is  pretty good, and just the fact that the Invaders are back is great! Total Score: 4 of 5  stars!

            Next, we have The Mighty Avengers #16. A Secret Invasion tie-in, Elektra, while  meditating, is attacked by not one, not two, not three, but four Super-Skrulls! Plus: the  truth about the New Avengers Breakout! Once again, a great story, and good art. Total  Score: 4 of 5 stars!

            Third is Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #3 (of 3). En route to Fantasy Island, the “New New” Fantastic Four are attacked by weird bat-demon creatures. They take the children, and while Johnny rescues Valeria, Lyja comes back and saves Franklin! Johnny and Lyja stay and talk, the rest of the “New New” Fantastic Four proceed with Project: Breakout. With great drawings, and a great story, plus, the entire history of Lyja the Skrull! Total Score: 4 out of 5 stars!

      Secret Invasion: Fantastic         Four #3

            Next on the setlist (I’m also a big fan of music), we have Venom: Dark Origin #1 (of 5). Showing the childhood through college-hood of Eddie Brock, I just have one thing to say. Brock is just as much a creep, a coward, and a liar as he was when he was Venom. He is nothing without the symbiote. It has great drawings (Brock looks creepy!) and an excellent story.  Total Score: 5 of 5 stars!

Venom: Dark Origin #1

            Fifth is Secret Invasion: Skrulls! Basically, Skrull  Chancellor Kal’Du’s Skrull Warbook Files for Queen  Veranke, a.k.a. Spider-Woman. Even more  simplistically, the Skrulls’ point of view on every Skrull-  Earth encounter ever. Pretty boring, but useful if you  know nothing about Skrulls or if you want to know  everything about them. Not much of a story, and since the pictures are from different  comics scattered throughout Marvel history, I can’t really comment on the art. Total  Score: 3 of 5 stars!

Skrulls!

            Up next is the The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe one-shot. This is a very dark story. It’s just like a What If? comic, except it’s not called What If? and it’s not narrated by the Watcher. Frank Castle is a soldier. One day, in a battle between the Avengers and X-Men and the Skrulls, Frank’s family is killed. This prompts Frank to kill about half of the X-Men. He gets arrested, but a group of people who have somehow been harmed by superhumans break him out and give him the means to kill every single superhuman alive. The art is pretty good,  and the story is great. Total Score: 4 out of 5 stars!

The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe

            Last, but not least, we have Secret Invasion #5. I have to say, I was a little  disappointed by this issue. The previous four had tons of surprises and shocking  secrets, but not this one. The surprise level has gone down. Agent Brand breaks Reed  Richards out of the Skrull ship, and the two of them go to rescue Iron Man. I love the  part where Stephen Colbert, Barack Obama, John McCain, the Pope, Kim Jong Il,  Condoleezza Rice, Tiger Woods, and other stars turn out to be Skrulls! Great story, and  pretty good art. Total Score: 4 out of 5 stars!

Secret Invasion #5

            All right, fellow geeks! See ya next month with more comic             reviews!  

JEFF LEMIRE’S ESSEX COUNTY WINS DOUG WRIGHT AWARD! (Final volume in Previews now)

2008 is continuing to be a banner year for Toronto cartoonist Jeff Lemire and his ESSEX COUNTY trilogy of graphic novels: he was honored on Friday with the Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent. This award is the latest of several honors received by the ESSEX COUNTY trilogy, published by Top Shelf Productions: already the first two volumes have been awarded the Alex Award from the American Library Association/YALSA (for adult books with teen appeal), the Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist (Writer/Artist), and nominations for one Harvey and two Eisner awards. This most recent award arrives just as the trilogy’s final volume, THE COUNTRY NURSE, is listed for retailer pre-order in the Diamond PREVIEWS catalog (order code AUG08-4324). The Doug Wright Award, announced August 8th in an evening ceremony at the Toronto Public Library, celebrates the best in Canadian cartooning. “It’s a great honor to be included in the lineage of incredible Canadian cartooning talent which the Wright awards help to shine a light on every year,” said Lemire after the ceremony. “It’s even nicer to receive such a beautiful award (designed by Seth himself) from a jury which includes some of my own favorite cartoonists and writers including Seth, Ho Che Anderson, Mariko Tamaki and Chester Brown.” The ceremony’s guest of honor was Lynn Johnston, the award-winning creator of “For Better or For Worse.” Lemire’s ESSEX COUNTY trilogy is an intimate portrait of one small-town community through the years, charged with themes of family, memory, grief, secrets, and reconciliation. The first two volumes, TALES FROM THE FARM and GHOST STORIES, have earned rave reviews from critics (including two starred reviews from Booklist), leading The Oregonian to name ESSEX COUNTY “a trilogy that firmly establishes Lemire as one of the premier storytellers in the graphic arts.” THE COUNTRY NURSE, which completes the trilogy, will be published by Top Shelf in October. “The Essex County Trilogy has been a true labor of love for me,” says Lemire, “and now that the final volume is due to be released, I’m very excited for my readers to be able to share in its conclusion with me.” ABOUT JEFF LEMIRE: Born in a tiny farming town in southwestern Ontario, Canada in 1976, cartoonist Jeff Lemire now resides in Toronto. His previous projects include two issues of his self-published anthology comic Ashtray (2003) as well as the Xeric-Award-winning graphic novel Lost Dogs (2005). His Essex County trilogy has been nominated for the Ignatz Award and two Eisner Awards, received the American Library Association’s Alex Award (for adult books with teen appeal), and won the Joe Shuster Award for outstanding Canadian comic book cartoonist. Most recently, he was named Best Emerging Talent at Canada’s Doug Wright Awards in August 2008. Following the Essex County trilogy, Lemire is currently preparing The Nobody, a graphic novel for DC/Vertigo, and an untitled future project for Top Shelf. For more information about the 2008 Doug Wright Awards, visit: http://www.wrightawards.ca/ For more information about Jeff Lemire and ESSEX COUNTY, visit: http://www.topshelfcomix.com/jefflemire

         When we arrived at Comic-Con for the fourth year in a row, we did what everybody else did, which was register. Of course, the woman who was writing up my name tag got my name wrong, even though my mom and I spelled it twice each. So now I was

enzo de pemea

(Which is not even close to my last name!)

 And I worked for

graphic landcape

         Great first start! Then we were able to catch the last 20 or so minutes of the Batman panel, which was all Q&A, and didn’t tell me anything about Batman, considering I don’t follow the comics.

         Next, we went to the Marvel to the Nth Degree panel, because Marvel.com said that it would change the Marvel universe. Turns out it was some Stephen King stuff called “N,” which I had no interest for whatsoever.

 

A guy dressed up as the Egyptian god Ra.

         My next panel wasn’t until 8:00 at night, so I hit the floor. I bought a LEGO Batman set, which was Robin in his little mini-sub that had two lasers and the Penguin with his huge penguin-submarine, which had three missiles and two penguins, one with a pistol and the other with a giant harpoon. I also got the Invaders Minimates and the Iron Man Through the Ages Minimates. Of course, as soon as I put the Mark VI helmet on Iron Man, it got stuck, but eventually my mom got it off with a mini screwdriver.

 

The Diamond Select Toys booth, where Minimates are sold.

For those of you that don’t know what Minimates are, they’re like a mix between Kubricks and LEGO minifigures. There are Star Trek, Battlestar Galagtica, Back to the Future, Marvel, DC, and many more Minimates, but I only care about DC and Marvel ones.

         After a quick dinner, we went to the Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow screening. By the time we got there, the line stretched down the hallway, down the next hallway, down the next hallway, outside and around the whole patio. We finally managed to get in, but we missed the beginning. Thankfully, I figured out what I had missed from the commercial I had seen on Marvel.com. Basically, Ultron killed all the Avengers except Iron Man and the Vision, and Iron Man is raising the children of the Avengers in a Wakanda-like paradise. James is the son of Captain America and Black Widow (that surprised me). Notice they named their son after Bucky. Pym is the son of Giant-Man and the Wasp. Torrent (or Torren or something) is the son of Thor, and the last kid is the son of Black Panther and Storm (I forget his name). Then the battle-damaged Vision comes to their paradise and Iron Man helps him. The kids discreetly follow them and James accidentally awakens robots of the Avengers, who go after Ultron. Ultron corrupts the robots and tracks down the kids and Iron Man, so Iron Man sacrifices himself while the kids and the Vision get away. The kids decide to rescue Iron Man in Ultronville or Robot City or something, but they lose and meet Hawkeye’s son and realize they have to find the Hulk to fight Ultron. In the end, it’s a happy ending. My only question is: Why was Iron Man the creator of Ultron in this movie instead of Giant-Man? So, yeah, it fit the story better, but that’s like saying George Washington was the King of Egypt!

 

Some of the actors and creators of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow.

         The next day, we went on a LEGO Joker scavenger hunt. You had to go to the DC, LEGO, and WB booths and play the LEGO Batman video game. Once you played, you would get a different piece of LEGO Joker, and then if you brought him to the WB booth, you would get a box and LEGO Batman.

 

LEGO Batman and Joker in their case.

After hitting the floor again, we went to the Minimates panel. One of the people was a guy named Digger (who reminded me of Tony Stark), who created Minimates. I practically worship this guy. Minimates were based on Kubricks, and the first Minimates were rock stars like Ozzy Osbourn and Rob Zombie. The panelists said they want to do Star Wars Minimates, and they want to return to DC ‘Mates. (They stopped making them a while ago.) Possible Hobbit movie ‘Mates are in the future. The original plan was to use the C3 construction sets with all Minimates sets, not just DC, but it just didn’t work. For all the Ghostbusters fans, the license is obviously impossible to obtain, as it has been tried for the past 4 years. When asked which person they would like to see as a Minimate, the panelists answered, “Bruce Springsteen.” A little Minimate history: Minimates started out as 3” figures, and Lord of the Rings ‘Mates started the different sizes. As for why the Hulk is not three times taller than Bucky, Marvel wanted all of their ‘Mates the same size. Future ‘Mates: A Punisher: War Zone box set coming out, including, Frank Castle, the Punisher (who somehow has 9 weapons), Jigsaw, and a plain ol’ thug. Also, a Spirit box set will soon come out. The panelists also hinted at a Deadpool Minimate coming out next year. For those of you who like easter eggs, check the Art Asylum site. (Art Asylum makes Minimates.)

 

The Minimates panelists, with Digger on the right.

         After that, we went to the Marvel: Secret Invasion panel. There were so many panelists (13!) that I’m not gonna bother naming them. Secret Invasion #5 comes out on August 13. The panel wasn’t really a Secret Invasion panel, as much as a Marvel Universe panel. For all the Thunderbolts fans, there will be a new team coming in November. Out of Secret Invasion comes War of Kings, a battle for the King of the Universe or the Shi’ar Empire (or something like that). It includes characters like Vulcan, Nova, the Inhumans, Havok and the Starjammers, Polaris, and Marvel Girl. Back to Secret Invasion: Brian Bendis, the writer of Secret Invasion, has been inserting clues about SI since the New Avengers Breakout, and didn’t tell the rest of the Marvel creators until a couple of years ago.  Then the panelists opened up the floor to questions. In response to one person’s question about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, one of the panelists said that Mephisto might or might not have fast forwarded through time, and that all will be revealed in 12-14 months. One man, named Bob, called Bendis a punk for not showing up. Bendis called over the phone and spoke to the guy. (I wonder what he said?) One man asked why Marvel was better than DC. (Whoo-hoo!) Joe Quesada (separately) said that at Wizard World in Chicago a while back, a 7-year-old in a perfect Hawkeye costume came up to Bendis and said, “Why do you hate me?” (For those of you who don’t get that, Hawkeye was killed off in Avengers: Disassembled a few years ago.) And for all you Punisher fans out there, he will be incorporated into SI in October. Also in October, Marvel Zombies 3 will come out!

 

A fraction of the Secret Invasion panelists, with Joe Quesada on the right.

         Then we went to a screening of Wolverine and the X-Men, a TV show airing on Nicktoons Network next year. In the first episode, it’s a normal day at Xavier’s mansion, until something weird happens and there’s an explosion and both the Prof and Jean Grey disappear and half the mansion is destroyed. A year later, the X-Men have broken up, and Logan saves a little girl from a fire, but the family is arrested for aiding an illegal mutation. Wolverine finds the Beast and they rescue the family and restart the X-Men. In the second episode (I think), they get Iceman, Rogue (who defects to the Brotherhood, just like in the comics), and Cyclops. The Brotherhood attacks Warren Warthington II, an anti-mutant activist, with the help of Rogue. Then, in the third episode, Emma Frost comes and says she can help find Professor X. She uses Cerebro and finds out that Charlie is on Genosha, Magneto’s mutant haven. They go and get him from Magneto, who says the Charlie just appeared in Genosha. At Xavier’s mansion, which was rebuilt thanks to Warren Warthington III, better known as the Angel, the X-Men are contacted by Professor X from the future. He says that it’s 20 years later and that he has just woken up from his coma. Sentinels are attacking and restraining every mutant they find. He also says Wolverine has to lead the X-Men, and you see Cyclops get all angry. The Prof signs off and he stands up with his robo-legs and runs from the Sentinels. This series is based a lot on the modern comics, which I like. I think this is an X-Men series that will be really good, better than X-Men: Evolution and the original X-Men series.

 

Me checking out future toys.

         The next morning, we went to the Nickelodeon: Spongebob Squarepants Sneak Peek and More! They showed two new episodes of Spongebob. In one of them, Squidward, who is trying to get away from Spongebob, drives away, but crashes into a stop sign. The cop sentences him to a day of boating school. Of course, it just so happens that he goes to Mrs. Puff’s Boating School! I forget what happened in the other Spongebob episode, but I think it had to do with Squidward. Then there was an episode of The Mighty B! Bessie and Happy roll down a hill and get hurt, and then have to go to the vet. I didn’t see the rest of it, because my mom had to give Comic-Con passes to her boss and his friend. When we got back up to the room, they were in the middle of showing an episode of Back to the Barnyard. The gang was involved in a dress-up role-play game, until the cow-tipper kid discovers that the animals can talk and think. However, the animals convince him that the outhouse he just exited was a portal to the magical land of Barnia! The kid then proceeds to “take over the kingdom of the troll king,” or the farmer. In the next episode of Barnyard, the gang enters an American Idol-like contest, entering the pig, who has the voice of an angel. After, there was a preview of Penguins of Madagascar, a spinoff of the movie Madagascar. It was a thirty-second clip that I think had to do with the head penguin interrogating a stuffed animal or something.

         After that, we hit the floor another time. I talked with Frank Beddor, the author of The Looking Glass Wars, Seeing Redd, and Hatter M. Actually, this is the third time I’ve met him, and he remembers me! Two years ago, he came to my school, and last year, I met him at Comic-Con. So, that was pretty cool.

         Another cool thing I saw on the floor was a Guitar Hero Air Guitar. You wore a belt buckle and moved your hand in front of the sensor on it, and somehow it works.

 

Guitar Hero Air Guitar.

         Also, the costumes were amazing! Well, most of them were. I took pictures of the best ones. Some I didn’t get a picture of: Doctor Strange (that one was realistic!), Orson Randall Iron Fist (points for originality), and Weapon X Wolverine (although he was wearing pants).

         Then we headed home! All in all, I think this was the best Comic-Con yet. But it was really crowded! At one point, the floor was so crowded that we couldn’t move, which was very annoying. But it was well worth it!

         (And for those of you wondering, I am indeed 12 years old.)

 

I’m not sure what these costumes are, but I like ‘em.

 
Enzo D. is a 12-year-old boy who lives in the Los Angeles area. He likes
comic books, Minimates, action movies, anything funny, and Chuck Norris. He
plays the piano and the guitar. He also loves sushi, the color blue, and
platipi (or is it platypuses?). In addition, he likes Spongebob Squarepants
and both Marvel and DC. He holds an orange belt in Tang Soo Do as well. (And
he may be a Skrull!) Quote-”He loves yo-um…I mean…don’t lick the
rotisserie!”

Mike Mignola’s B.P.R.D. clashes with ancient evil in the 1940s

After the overwhelming praise from fans and critics alike for B.P.R.D.: 1946, Mike Mignola and cowriter Joshua Dysart return to the Hellboy universe for B.P.R.D.: 1947, a five-issue miniseries continuing the early exploits of the fledgling Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense and its founder, Trevor Bruttenhom—occult investigator and guardian of the infant Hellboy.

In 1946, the Nazi Occult Bureau’s Project Vampir Sturm threatened to destroy the fragile peace following the end of the second World War. A year later, the B.P.R.D. learns that there are creatures far older—and far more dangerous—than the Nazis’ creations, as a lone vampire nobleman ruthlessly hunts the survivors of the Third Reich.

“I’m really excited about this one. In the 1946 series, the B.P.R.D. was just two guys and one of them died. In 1947 we see the humble beginnings of the Bureau we know and love today,” said writer Mike Mignola. “We meet new agents (some of whom will actually survive) and we see more of young Hellboy. We start to see where his personality comes from. And there are Vampires (my favorite creatures) as we have never seen them before in the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. world. And Josh and I get to work with Gabriel and Fábio, who really are geniuses. I can’t wait to see what they do.”

“This is a unique tale, needing a unique approach, and bringing Fábio and Gabriel into the family of Hellboy artists is really exciting to all involved,” said editor Scott Allie. “Their work is amazing, and we’re giving them an epic gothic tale, a moody and shadowy nightmare unlike anything they’ve done, and darker, scarier, and more mysterious than anything we’ve done in such a long format.”

“We’ve crafted a more open story this time around,” explains cowriter Joshua Dysart. “Lots of dreamy, fantastic imagery and lots of muted character beats. I’ve been a fan of Fábio since I first read De:Tales. I can’t wait to see them dance on this thing.”

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and critically acclaimed writer Josh Dysart plot out the next chapter in the history of comics’ greatest paranormal investigators, with art by sequential heartthrobs Gabriel Bá (Umbrella Academy) and Fábio Moon (Sugarshock).

B.P.R.D.: 1947 arrives on shelves in June 2009.

Gerard Way’s Eisner-winning
The Umbrella Academy returns with an all-new series this fall!

“There’s no doubting Gerard’s commitment to his fans . . . Gerard has managed to tap into the hearts and minds of his fans to a remarkable degree . . . ” - NME Magazine

Following the critically acclaimed, Harvey-and Eisner Award—nominated miniseries Apocalypse Suite comes the newest chapter in the lives of the Umbrella Academy from series creator Gerard Way and artist Gabriel Bá: Dallas—a story as American as a 1961 Lincoln Continental, where everything will change, and yet . . . remain the same.

After the catastrophic events of Apocalypse Suite, the Umbrella Academy celebrates victory in the ruins of their former home. One member’s bedridden and mutilated, following the brutal showdown with her siblings that saved the world, and another has lost her voice—a casualty of war—and along with it, all of her power. With another victory under their belts, and seemingly too much free time on their hands, what’s next for this sordid cast of misfit geniuses?

Find out this fall when Dallas hits stands November 26, 2008, carrying a $2.99 price tag, and a special variant cover by the legendary artist Jim Lee.

About the Creators

Gerard Way began writing and drawing comics at age five when his grandmother first put a pencil in his hand. Having developed a love of the arts, Way attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he honed his skills as both writer and artist before he made a career as a musician. He was a guest speaker at the prestigious Oxford Union, and was Grammy nominated for his art direction of the album The Black Parade Special Edition. His work on The Umbrella Academy has added Eisner and Harvey-Award nominations to his list of accomplishments. He currently lives with his wife in Los Angeles, California. He’s also in a band.

Multiple Eisner and Harvey Award nominee Gabriel Bá and his twin brother Fábio Moon have been telling comic-book stories for the last ten years in their hometown, São Paulo—Brazil’s biggest megalopolis. Their first major US release, De:TALES, also from Dark Horse, collects stories that show their interest in human relations and their eye for the details that make each person unique. As an artist, after taking on the challenge of creating the sci-fi mind-bending Casanova with writer Matt Fraction, Bá saw with The Umbrella Academy the chance to work on a mainstream superhero project where he could get deep into the characters while throwing punches and flying around.

Martha Gets a Makeover

Martha Washington is the twenty-first century freedom fighter created by comic book megastars Frank Miller (Sin City, 300) and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen).

A masterpiece nearly twenty years in the making, The Life and Times of Martha Washington is an archival, oversized hardcover volume with slipcase containing over 600 pages and the complete life story of this remarkable character.

Collecting meticulously remastered versions of every Martha Washington story and featuring an extensive behind-the-scenes section, this is the ultimate edition of a modern comics epic crafted by two of the medium’s greatest living masters.

Our story begins in the squalid corridors of a maximum-security housing project, where a young girl will rise from the war-torn streets of Chicago to battle injustice in a world insane with corruption. Her fight will take her far, from the frontlines of the second American Civil War, to the cold, unforgiving reaches of space. She will be called a hero, a traitor, and nearly everything in between, but all along the way, her courage, her integrity, and her unwavering commitment to that most valuable of rights—liberty—will inspire a movement that will never surrender.

“I know there are people that have been waiting for her to come back,” says Frank Miller about his beloved character Martha.

“She really lives her life in the best way she can,” explains Gibbons, “which is a heroism of a more truthful kind.”

The Life and Times of Martha Washington hits shelves in the summer of 2009.