REVIEW: Daredevil #1

Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Ron Garney
Color Artist: Matt Milla

When Marvel first dropped the list of their post Secret Wars books I had a real hard time caring about most of them. Not for any particular reason really. I knew right off that there was no way I could afford every book with their four to five dollar price tags, but that’s nothing new as Marvel can really crank the titles out. The X-Men and Avengers books pretty much went straight to the chopping block along with the new Inhumans book; I did however pull one super-team book in Guardians of the Galaxy. Great decision by the way. I passed on the new Hulk book too because the title makes me cringe and honestly if it’s not Banner, then I don’t care. I went with the new Venom book because I love Venom and I don’t care who is wearing it. I added Carnage because . . . Carnage. Howard the Duck’s novelty ran out for me after a couple issues of his last series. All the Spidey related books were a given except the Web Warriors because no . . . just no. There were a few wildcards that I was undecided on . . . Black Knight, Hercules, Scarlet Witch, and Daredevil. The owner of my LCS sold me on Hercules. I decided to go with Daredevil. I’ve always liked the character, and it had been a good while since I had read any DD books. Turns out my wildcard picks were spot on. I’ve found Hercules pretty entertaining and DD didn’t disappoint me either.


Now like I mentioned it has been many moons since I have read a substantial run of Daredevil, so my knowledge is somewhat limited as to his recent goings on. In this here first issue Daredevil is up against a guy named Tenfingers . . . apparently some kind of typical Asian inspired cult leader type guy. First thought of Tenfingers was meh, but the more I stared at his 10 fingered hands the more I wanted to know about this chap.

The other thing that’s probably worth mentioning is DD has a side kick of sorts named Blindspot. Blindspot has some type of badass super suit that allows him to turn invisible. I like sidekicks, I can’t help it. I’s pretty sure he’s playin’ both sides though. The last page of the book is this Asian guy standing behind Tenfingers, and he says something to the effect of, “You got it bossman”, directed at Tenfingers. After DD and Blindside bust some skulls earlier in the issue Blindside says the exact same thing to Daredevil. So either this first arc is planning on highlighting sidekicks, or that’s the same guy playing both sides. Blindside never revealed his face but he most definitely had an Asian vibe about him.

All in all I really liked this book and will continue to read it. The story has me hooked already, and the art is fantastic. I am a big fan of darker art, and Matt Milla delivers big time on the use of color and at times ‘textures” to represent how Murdock “sees” the world. I’d buy the next issue just to look at the fancy drawings even if the writing sucked . . . but it doesn’t. Daredevil gets a passing grade.

REVIEW: Hercules #1 & 2

Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Luke Ross
Review: William R. Davis, Jr.

Marvel is pretty self aware of where their flagship titles fall, and so apparently is writer Dan Abnett. Hercules is now an immortal with an all-new identity crisis, attempting to find a way to be useful in a modern world that has forgotten the heroes and villains of mythology. It is an interesting take on the superhero, but not a new one. Silver Surfer was well known for dealing in self-reflective, philosophical meanderings, and Geoff Johns recently wrote some issues of Aquaman that poked fun at his B-List status.

Personally, my taste in comics would prefer the high fantasy approach, but I may be the only one I know still reading Conan the Barbarian, so there’s that. Take comfort in knowing that Peter Jackson is still doing his best to ruin the genre for everyone, and Thor in its current format is completely unrecognizable from the Thor we all used to know and love. It could still be the mainstream answer we’re looking for if the trend of re-launching entire universes continues to sell books, but there are a lot of “What ifs” and speculation in that scenario. Dark Horse is the only publisher with a pure contribution, doing a great job with the Conan series despite lack of readership. It should be able to whet your appetite a bit until the inevitable great resurgence. Perchance to dream, anyway. Current comic book fantasy genre prognosis: dismal.


The blending of smartphones and mythology is the current strategy to get Hercules past twelve issues in the modern market. It will not survive eight. This is not due to weak writing or art, but more the self-imposed restrictions placed on the title by the creative team. While a modern re-imagining of a classic character can Lazarus the shit out of a series, I don’t see how tongue-in-cheek jokes about WIFI and blogging are taking things to the next level. Every mythological element was completely shoe-horned into the plot — an afterthought in a book that should be the focus.

The second issue of Hercules was actually much more enjoyable than the very strong first issue in many respects. The theme of personal redemption after making tabloid covers for all of the wrong reasons is engaging, and a nice throwback to the Bob Layton era. The jokes work, but in order to maintain an extended run it’s going to take something greater than a comedic Dinner with Andre starring Hercules the immortal demigod. To really make this a must read, more than a soupcon of fantasy elements are needed in order to make a sustainable, and long-lived run.

After establishing the setting and characters there is a chance that future arcs will become more substantive and appealing to the core audience. In a Marvel universe churning out deathless Avengers and X-Men books, a great Hercules title could hit the sweet spot for burnt out old heads such as myself. At this point in my comic book reading career, I’m not sure if I’m the voice of reason, or a senile, shirtless geriatric wearing stained trousers and suspenders, shooing kids off of my lawn.

I enjoyed this book despite the pessimistic overtones of this doom and gloom review. Luke Ross puts forth art that you would expect from the largest publisher in American comics. No ground is being broken here, but it is not the work of an amateur, and far from a distraction. Hercules is a clever, well crafted read that does not rely on gimmicks. The irreverence is the most appealing part as of yet, but hopefully Dan Abnett can channel some Resurrection Man (underrated!) and give us what we really need, something other than the status quo from a publisher that just issued a press release trumpeting a new mega event called Civil War 2. I guess taking an extra five minutes to come up with a catchy title to slap on their tired, recycled content was too taxing. Let me be the first one to piss in their Cheerios. Have a well deserved ‘fuck you’ in advance from me, Marvel.

REVIEW: Huck #1

Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Rafael Albuquerque
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Review: Art Bee

Lately it seems I can’t find a bad comic to review. December is no exception, but I will try to find one next time to smear against the wall. This month I was thrown a title from Image called Huck. The name made several images race through my head and almost all of them involved some back-country character. Guess what? My dart is in the green circle. That’s right, a dart board reference.

This is nothing less than a jewel from Mark Millar and is one of his classic hook-setting first issues. Please don’t think me a fan boy of Millar. I respect his work, but many of his efforts do not get deposited in my comic folder each month. Huck might just be the first one to which I will subscribe (let the hate mail commence, artbee@thehammondcomicsblog.com).

Huck is about a simple orphan grown into a super-human boy scout. Granted, this sounds a bit cliché, but it is delivered in a very unique flavor. The entire first issue is designed to make you just fall in love with Huck. He is all about doing one good deed a day, and no task is too small. Seriously! The opening scene is him traversing a great distance to dive to the bottom of the ocean and dig a young lady’s lost necklace from the garbage. I could have done him one better by buying her a new one and promptly asking her to dinner. Anyway, with the joking aside, Millar has done an awesome job enamoring this character to the reader, especially with the integration of current events. Nice time capsule, Millar (see Hammond Swap Meet).

The artwork is spectacular, which is what I would expect from Rafael Albuquerque. McCaig really brings the artwork to life with his use of color and shading in the panels. This is one time I would almost think the colorist is outshining the artist. The best panel in my opinion is on page nine. Huck is shown as an infant abandoned in a basket. The two artists truly created a great piece in this one panel. My suggestion would be to blow it up and sell the prints, guys.

There have been several fantastic new series to come out of Image in the last few years, and I feel this could be one of the lasting ones if Millar really puts the time into it. He is pretty busy with his other titles. He did write the column at the end of the book and made an announcement for a writing and artist showcase featuring people who have never been published. Check this out at his website, MillarWorld.

Also be sure to check out The Hammond Comics Blog’s newest creation, Tales from the Dollar Box, which just launched. This will be where we at the HCB will post reviews of old comics every Wednesday.

REVIEW: Klaus #1 (of 6)

Written by: Grant Morrison
Illustrated by: Dan Mora
Review: Will Dubbeld

So I hear Grant Morrison is writing Santa Claus' origin story, which is absolutely insane if you stop and think about it. On the other hand, an equally logical response is, "well of course Wacky Grant is writing a Santa Claus origin story, that makes perfect sense."

So clearly I preordered it. My love/hate relationship with Grant Morrison compels me to try out almost everything Grant writes, as I have clearly failed a Will Save vs. his Chaos Magics.
That's clever on a couple levels, folks . . .

Dispel from your mind the vision of a jolly white-bearded fat man slinging toys and "ho ho ho-ing" appearing in this book. The Klaus of Grant Morrison's story is a steely-eyed, rugged wilderness warrior, all corded muscle and bearded machismo.
From the double page spread of Klaus overlooking a medieval walled city locked in a winter tundra to a scene duplicating the titular hero and his wolf companion (!) locked in mortal combat with a sinister looking reindeer, you're made to believe Santa is badass.

Klaus opens with our titular hero headed to the aforementioned walled city of Grimsvig to trade pelts and game. The opening scene is portrayed beautifully, a p.o.v. through the gates of Grimsvig depicting city life with a design reminiscent of a city in Fable II.
It's incredibly odd for me to make a video game reference, as I rarely play, but I really dug Fable II...

Klaus soon discovers the formerly friendly and progressive burg has fallen to ill times due to the oppressive reign of Lord Magnus, a stereotypical totalitarian sadistic ruler. Klaus finds his goods confiscated, Lord Magnus has forbidden children to have toys, and the tavern ale is watered down.
Adding injury to insult, our hero is beaten in the streets and ran out of town.

In an oblique way this is sounding very familiar...

We are soon treated to an uncomfortable family dinner with the sinister Lord Magnus, his horrible -terrible-no good-very bad bratchild Jonas, and the unnamed Mrs. Baron Magnus who seems to be either a hint of coldly sinister or the medieval equivalent to a 1950s housewife self-medicated on Mothers Little Helpers.

I haven't quite got a handle on Mrs. The Barons character yet...

Up to this point we've been treated to a fairly straightforward, if tongue-in-cheek, fantasy fairy tale book. The first words printed on the page are, "Once upon a time" for cryin' out loud.

But then Grant's mushrooms must've kicked in.

There Klaus sits, minding his own business, communing with nature and jamming out on a flute like so much Jethro Tull, when out of the woods come floating some psychedelic forest spirits.
A quartet of little guys that resemble disembodied Grey Aliens.
The Ghostbusters may have referred to them as "full torso, free-floating apparitions", if memory serves . . .

In any case, these big headed forest spirit/aliens zap Klaus with some trippy mojo and the comic explodes into a surreal Technicolor sequence showing Klaus madly crafting toys in his own personal trip factory. Finding the fruits of his labor in the morning, Klaus wonders, "What am I supposed to do now?"

I'm not sure, but I bet it involves Klaus bounding from rooftop to rooftop like so much Christmas Batman delivering contraband toys to the children of Grimsvig.
Did I mention the comic takes place during the Yuletide season...?
So this book is very much like that old stop-motion Christmas special where Santa Claus was a kickass freedom fighter in his younger days. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" was the special if memory serves, but in any case Mr. Morrison is giving the program a healthy nod here.

These are the Grant Morrison stories that really work in my opinion. Flex Mentallo, We3, Happy! and the like really capture the authors eclectic style without getting too pretentious (Doom Patrol, Invisibles, lookin' at you...) so this'll be a book I stick with, if nothing else to see if Lord Magnus learns the true meaning of Christmas or if Klaus dispenses some Yuletide justice on his ass with extreme prejudice.
Also, I really want to find out if the forest spirits just peripherally resemble Grey Aliens or if Santa Claus came about due to extraterrestrial mind control.

Because with Grant Morrison either theory is just as plausible as the other.

Between the superior script and great pencils, I'm recommending Klaus to everyone. Mora's art alone is with the price of admission due to the amazing background work and nearly Terry Moore-caliber attention to detail and expression. The colors are phenomenal atop Mora's line work and although the snow fallen winter is the story's backdrop there's a superior use of blues and earth tones with occasional slashes of bright color. Fantastic work.

Klaus is a $3.99 floppy available from Boom! Studios at your local comic shop. Don't wait for the trade, folks. If you don't buy the singles, there may not be a trade.

Merry (early) Christmas!
Happy Hanukkah, Kwazy Kwanzaa, etc. etc. and so on and so forth.

REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man #1-3

Writer: Don Slott
Penciler: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Inker: Cam Smith
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Review: Madman

First off, level the plane out . . . Secret Wars Part Deuce is over and we survived, although the MU . . . not so much. Things are so mixed up and coo-coo bonkers over at Marvel right now. Everything you thought you knew, everything you loved in the continuity of your super friends has gone the way of the buffalo. That’s right, ‘tis no more . . . aaannnnd I hate it already. Maybe I’m just old school? Maybe, just maybe, I’m being a hater? The fact is I’m sick and tired of the Big Two rebooting every other week. I get that they do it, because it brings in the $$ and puts the comic n00b on the same level as the veteran reader as far as long term knowledge goes. Screw that! Write quality works and spare us the $6 first issues. At a certain age the cute sassy little kid turns into a real annoying jerk. So I shelled out the $6 because . . . Spider-Man . . . Marvel . . . Never a question, but for $6 someone is getting my opinion.

So the whole deal is Spidey’s gone global . . . oh yay. The first panel of the first page is Parker showing off his fancy computer watch, while in a commercial for Parker Industries’ tech , and he says “With great power . . . comes greater speed, storage, and battery life”. Yep. Told you I hated it.

The 2^nd page opens with a high-speed car chase through the streets of Shanghai. In the rabbit car we have members from the Leo Sect of Zodiac’s forces. In the pursuit car . . . er, umm, pursuit Spidermobile . . . we find Spider-Man and Mockingbird. I dig Mockingbird. I do not dig the Spider-Car. It looks ridiculous, and it’s tacky as hell. Things get worse. It sticks to walls and at one point it actually transforms into a giant flying spider . . . that’s right. It would appear it grows legs and flies. I told you I hated it. The rest of the comic goes as you can imagine. Spidey and Mockingbird beat up the bad guys with their Spider-Tech, and then we get invited to the marriage of Max Modell and his partner Hector. The book goes on and Spidey tussles with Zodiac some more, and then the strangest thing happens: the cover’s promise of an “oversized and action packed first issue” evaporates into thin air as I realize that by “overstuffed” Marvel means full of gratuitous teasers for every other Spider-Person book Marvel is dropping. Yay. I hate it.

So far my previous doubts are justified. I hate the addition of all the tech. I hate how Peter has totally become Tony Stark. I hate it. I hated just about everything about this first issue except Mockingbird. I dig Mockingbird.

Issue 2

First off this issues cover was as bad as the cover to the first issue. They both are very turn-offish for me. Alex Ross, you have failed this city.

I’m really bummed about this new Spider-Stark concept. This issue continues to push the topic of Peter relying more and more on his fancy new tech. Ya see, two issues in and The Zodiac has already stolen Pete’s personal Super-Spider-Tech-Watch and of course the world will end if the good guys can’t retrieve it. The good guys being Spider-Man (who is posing as Peter Parker’s bodyguard . . . ), the Prowler (who dresses up as Spider-Man when Spidey and Peter need to be seen together . . . ), and Fury-n-Mockingbird are still in play.

Now if you liked the Spidermobile wait until you see the Spider-Sub . . . yeah, that’s right. I said it. I wish I hadn’t, but I had to. The sub has some super-awesome super-spider tech that allows it to project a hologram allowing it to appear as something it’s not. Such as turning into a humpback whale. As dumb as that sounds, Slott felt that triumph was worthy of a flashback of Parker telling Fury his Spider-Sub makes a mean Humpback whale. That happened. The Spider and the Prowler roll up on the super-secret super-bad guy hideout somewhere in the bottom of the ocean and win. They retrieve Parker’s stolen Skynet Rolex but not before Zodiac can send Parker’s encrypted data to every super-secret Zodiac base on the globe. Oh no! Whatever will our heroes do? Just kidding, Fury is on it. They trace all the emails and now S.H.I.E.L.D and our heroes can take the fight to Zodiac . . . hopefully in a super lame Spider-boat or Web-Copter, or maybe on the Spider-Vespa . . .

Have I mentioned I hate this Parker Tech business? I get a strange feeling that all this b.s. is going to unleash some super AI or something along those lines. Face it, no matter how much you dress Parker up he’s going to screw things up royally. Oh, he’ll no doubt save the day at the last possible minute as he tends to do. Slott, please I’m begging you . . . just give me a good ol’ fashioned Spider-Man vs. The Spot arc, and we’ll let bygones be bygones. No harm done.

This is the part where I call Camuncoli out for flat out ripping off Ryan Browne of God Hates Astronauts fame. Just as Spider-Man and the Prowler make it into the super-secret super-bad guy hideout is when it happens . . . a man with a crab for a head. I don’t care that his code name is Cancer. He has a crab for a head. That’s Ryan Browne right there. How many people can think up guys with a crab for a head? Busted, Marvel. Write that man a check. Saw it here first. I’m debating not reading issue #3 in protest. Just kidding . . . I’m going to read it.

Issue #3

At first glance this cover is much, much better, especially with the Human Torch blazing his way across the sky. Boy, I sure do enjoy a Torch/Spidey team up. I believe that’s pretty much a requirement for all Spider-Man fans. A lot of history there. I do feel the need to express my displeasure about the fact that Spider-Man’s symbol on his chest appears to glow now . . . I hate it. Maybe this whole ASM volume is really just a flashback back to sometime around Demon in a Bottle, and Stark is just having a "What If?" kind of drunken hallucination . . . please?

Peter Parker has bought the Baxter Building, and this angers Human Torch. So much so that he and Parker battle it out for a few at the beginning of the book. After the two call a truce Spider-Man takes his buddy on a tour of the new and improved Baxter Building. During said tour we learn that Harry Osborn (now known as Harry Lyman) is running the day to day of the building . . . ok. As the tour passes by Johnny’s room he goes inside to take a peek. It turns out Johnny’s old room is now the new Spider-Garage . . . huh. I know I was totally joking during the bit about all the super lame Spider-Vehicles (except the Spider-Car and Spider-Sub those are totally real . . . with pictures and everything) the last issue, but Johnny Storm made my worst fears a reality when he opened his old bedroom door. We got the new Spider-Mobile, the Spider-Skimmer, Spider-Copter, and Spider-Cycle, just to name a few. This is straight up torture. I hate it.

In other news, The Zodiac attack S.H.I.E.L.D's heli-carrier (which by issue #4 will be named the Spider-Carrier). The main crew of Zodiac reminds me of Battle Beasts and that pleases me. Zodiac puts a real beatdown on Fury and his minions and get away. All the while Peter, Johnny, and Harry are out at the bar drinking nonalcoholic cocktails.

On the last page we are teased with a last panel glimpse of a man in green and purple camo with a bandaged up head that is being identified as . . . Mr. Osborn. Sigh. Too soon. I hate it.

So there it is, as a life long Spidey fan I will honestly say I hate this new run. I hate it. My desire to continue reading this title is rapidly fading. Maybe Spidey and I have come as far as we were meant to come. I have a rule: never abandon a title until the 5^th issue. I figure if you can’t make me want to read your comic by issue #5 then you never will, so ASM has until issue 5 to fix my Spider-Man or our love affair is over. After all, I can get my Spider-Person fix from one of the many Spider-titles out there, and to be perfectly honest there are a lot of GOOD comics coming out by way of Image and other independent creators. So far this is book is the biggest let down of the year and that’s a damn shame.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH ROBERT VENDITTI

It seems like yesterday I walked in my local LCS and asked the store owner to recommend a graphic novel that was a “must read”. That book was The Surrogates, and at C2E2 I paid forward that recommendation and bought the entire HCB staff a copy. Getting the opportunity to briefly chat with the creator of this book and so many other quality titles is truly an honor.

Robert Venditti is the New York Times best-selling author of The Homeland Directive and the groundbreaking graphic novel series The Surrogates, which has since been adapted into a feature film starring Bruce Willis. He currently writes for both DC Comics and Valiant, writing four ongoing monthly titles: X-O Manowar, Green Lantern, The Flash, and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior. His debut novel, Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape: Attack of the Alien Horde, was released by Simon & Shuster in June 2015.

William: Firstly, thank you for this opportunity. Producing multiple contributions to the medium has to be a time consuming practice. To start, I want to talk Valiant. What attracted you to writing X-O Manowar? How is he different from the average superhero, and why should people be putting the title on their monthly pull list?

ROBERT VENDITTI: There were a lot of things that attracted me to X-O Manowar. First and foremost was the high concept, the tremendous mix of both historical fiction and science fiction. A 5th Century Visigoth fighting with sentient alien battle armor in the modern day . . . the appeal was apparent to me. It was also a chance to launch not just a new monthly series, but to help launch an entire universe as well. Those types of opportunities don't come along every day.

William: The Green Lantern Universe has become dense and filled with many different characters of every ilk. It has also had runs featuring some of the greatest comic writers of all-time. What do you hope will be your contribution to the mythos of such an iconic comic franchise?

VENDITTI: I try not to think about things in those terms. Green Lantern has been around for a long time, and it'll continue long after I'm gone. It's wonderful to be a part of that tradition, but I don't ever feel like I have to compete with that legacy. I just try to tell the stories that I like to tell the way I like to tell them, and hope readers enjoy the result.

William: Completely unrelated from comics, I noticed on your Twitter account that you're a huge Star Wars fan. Are you excited for the re-boot, or are you concerned about the missteps from the past? Will you and your family be first in line for Episode VII?

VENDITTI: I am. A new Stars Wars film was an event when I was a kid, so I'm excited to see what they do with the franchise. I don't know that I'll be jostling for a spot in line on opening night, though. That's probably going to be a madhouse.

William: Due to the immense success of The Flash moving to television, and the legions of fans waiting with bated breath for his emergence on the big screen, how do you think this will affect the monthly comic, if at all? What are your plans for Flash now and in the future?

VENDITTI: The Flash comic book operates separately from the T.V. and film endeavors. We aren't aware of what they're doing, and I doubt they're aware of what we're doing. I do watch and enjoy the show, but I'm just like every other viewer, experiencing the story for the first time when the episode airs. The show has helped bring the character to the forefront of the pop-culture consciousness, though, so it's a fun time to be writing the series.

William: "Grodd of War" from Flashpoint cemented Gorilla Grodd as one of my all-time favorite comic book villains. Who are yours?

VENDITTI: I love Grodd! What's not to love about a super-genius gorilla? Another of my favorites from Flash history is Mirror Man. Outside of Flash, I like Two-Face, General Zod, and my all-time favorite long-shot villain, Gentleman Ghost.

William: In that same vein, there have been many incarnations of the Green Lantern. Which one is your favorite and why?

VENDITTI: Aside from the human Lanterns, it'd have to be Mogo. Such a great concept. One of the first things I wanted to do when I took over the series was make Mogo a more permanent fixture. I'm glad I was able to do so.

William: The Surrogates has cemented your legacy in the world of comics, and I'll be the first to admit that when I see the name Venditti on a cover I'm in for at least one arc. What can Robert Venditti fans look forward to in the future? Are there any upcoming projects we need to know about?

VENDITTI: That's very kind of you to say. I'll always be proud of The Surrogates--it was my first book--and I still get people talking about it with me at conventions. The story isn't finished, so there are more Surrogates books that I hope to write one day. For right now, I'll be working on X-O Manowar and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior at Valiant, Green Lantern and The Flash at DC, and I just launched my first children's novel series, Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape. There are other projects in the works as well, but I'm not able to talk about them yet!

We want to thank Robert Venditti for agreeing to talk to us and answer our questions. Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, X-O Manowar, Green Lantern, and The Flash can be purchased at your LCBS. Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape: Attack of the Alien Horde can be purchased both online and at your local bookstore. Now go out and buy some comics. What are you doing? Go. Now.

Interviewer: William R. Davis, Jr.

REVIEW: Judges #1 - 3

Writer: Ben Miller
Artist: Cory Hamscher
Colors: Sean Forney
Review: Art Bee

Anyone calling themselves a comic enthusiast has to love comic conventions, the small ones as well as the big. Smaller cons are actually where you will find those rare stories that you won’t find at most local stores. Many great comic writers and artists can barely afford to pay for a table at a smaller convention, so larger ones like SDCC and NYCCC are just a goal for them. A comic enthusiast at a small convention, like Kokomocon (www.kokomocon.com)in my local area, can dive in and find a great story to get behind.

Two years ago I met Chris Charlton of Assailant Comics at Kokomocon and have been following a few of his stories since. This year I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Miller, the writer of Judges. While talking to him, the book’s artwork jumped right out at me. Hamscher has a wickedly distinct flow to his drawing that screams action.

While standing at the booth with issue #1 in my hands, Miller told me the story was about a group of soldiers, known as Judges, hunting down demons that plague the world. I admit that the plot is not completely original, but it sounded intriguing nonetheless. Willing to take the chance on it, I bought the three issues that are currently out (the free print was also an incentive).

The series starts with Jephthah Earl O’Neal, Jep for short, a Navy Seal sniper being sought to be a part of a small team for hunting down evil. The story is centered on the belief that all evil people are demons in disguise or under the control of demons. Judges exist to battle these agents of evil and have done so since the beginning of time.

The plot is solid enough and is easily followed. Miller’s writing transitions well from each scene and even better between issues. Bad transitions is one problem I hate to see in comics, because readers get bewildered from issue to issue if the it is not done well. The only problem I have with the writing is in the dialog. Sometimes the characters’ dialog does not seem to fit the character saying it. For example, Jep uses almost perfect English all through issue #1, but towards the end of issue #2, he almost sounds like he is from a stereotypical Harlem ghetto at one point. This is really just a minor thing, but it was cumbersome to read. I had to double check the character.

The series is a great read thus far, and I am glad to have invested in it. Supporting local and lesser known writers and artists is huge and if any of our readers is not doing it, get started. There are some real treasures to be found at these small conventions. Judges was a good grab for me, and I am looking forward to issue four. You can purchase Judges at www.benmillercomics.com.

REVIEW: Weirdworld #1

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Mike Del Mundo
Review: Will Dubbeld

Ah, Secret War. The Marvel Zombies amongst the HCB need no explanation and the rest of the lot are probably aware of the event via osmosis.
Not to bore the reader base (or myself) with the minutiae of the event, the condensed version is as follows:
Multiverse destroyed, Dr. Doom gets godlike power, salvages bits & pieces of Multiverse and crams them together to form a patchwork planet called Battleworld.
In the wake, Marvel is pumping out what seems like several hundred dozen thousand miniseries highlighting corners of Battleworld, as one does.

Mileage may vary on these, but I've been pleased more than not with the results. Chiefly amongst these is Weirdworld.
Originally a 1970s fantasy comic by creative team Mike Ploog and Doug Moench, writer Jason Aaron mined the Weirdworld name for a new fantasy title starring Arkon of Polemachus, a semi-esoteric other-dimensional warlord best known for sometimes tussling with the Avengers.
The Secret Wars incarnation of Arkon sees the warrior searching the length and breadth of Weirdworld for a way back to his kingdom of Polemachus. Jason Aaron's interpretation of Weirdworld is nothing short of spectacular, and he seems as enamored with Marvel's esoterica as I. This miniseries so far has bestowed upon we reading public the following:

• -Morgan le Fay, dragon-riding baroness of Weirdworld and her army of Lava Men
• -Skull the Slayer. Google him.
• -an underwater ape city called Apelantis.
• -Warbow, from 1983s seminal classic The Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior. God bless you, Jason Aaron. God bless you . . .
• -and not to be outdone, in issue 4, a swamp full of Man-Things.

You heard right. Man-Things.

Sidebar, your honor:
Loyal readers may or may not be familiar with my deep, abiding love for shambling vegetable monsters. Swamp Thing, Man-Thing, The Heap, hell, I'll even settle for a Glob or two. So when I heard about a whole swamp full of Man-Things, I could hardly contain myself...

Indeed, after having a hearty tussle with Skull the Slayer, Arkon finds himself trapped in the murky swamp, surrounded by Man-Things. He and Skull attempt to fight off the muck monsters, but are paralyzed and taken before the Queen of the Man-Things.

You guys, this book . . .

The Swamp Queen, revealed to be this realms interpretation of Jennifer Kale, wages a guerrilla war against Morgan le Fay and I don't know if I can adequately express my love for this book. It's just chock full of arcane characters from the dusty corners of the Marvel Universe and plotted like it could have been a sword-and-sandals fantasy VHS from the 1980s
And I mean one of the really good ones, like The Warrior & the Sorceress. Or Deathstalker. The Barbarians, maybe...

Anywho, tormented by visions of an inverted Polemachus in flames and beset by Man-Things, our hero Arkon snatches his quiver of lightning bolts (you read that correctly) and makes good his escape.
Will he find his way back home?
Will Morgan le Fay catch up to our hero?
Will The Orb show up?
Does whatever knows fear burn at the touch of the Man-Thing?

All these questions and more answered in issue 5.

This comic is boatloads of fun, ladies and gentlemen. The subject matter is right in Jason Aaron's wheelhouse. A free for all fantasy-adventure book featuring some of the Mortiest of the Morts seems to really be the perfect vehicle for Aaron to tell a great story.
Still waiting for The Orb to show up...

Mike del Mundo is absolutely murdering it on the art detail, seamlessly dovetailing his art with Jason Aaron's writing. The art's got an almost ethereal, dreamlike quality that lends itself perfectly to the surreal nature of Weirdworld.
Marco D'Alfonso pitches in on color detail with del Mundo and the result is an impressive, soft palette that further enhances the trip down Weirdworld's rabbit hole.

My biggest problem with Weirdworld is the fact that only one issue remains. On the bright side there's been announced a post-Secret War Weirdworld title starring the Black Knight (hopefully sporting a leather jacket and wielding a lightsaber), but we'll have to see if the new creative team can capture that near-lightning in a bottle dynamic that Jason Aaron and Mike del Mundo have.

REVIEW: Dr Strange #1

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Chris Bachalo
Review: William R. Davis Jr.

The Marvel Universe is filled with infinite possibilities – infinite possibilities that are left unexplored far too often in my opinion. My favorite titles from the publisher have always been Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, and The Fantastic Four (RIP), so my tastes definitely lie in the realm of fantasy and science fiction – books focusing on making the impossible possible. When Marvel does this well, their story arcs can rival any publisher in the medium of sequential art.

About a year ago I wrote a pretty vitriolic review of Silver Surfer. We all know that Mike Allred knows his way around a pen, but what left me disappointed was the wasted potential and the wannabe Whovian garbage after all of that anticipation from Dan Slott. Since issue one the book has found its legs to an extent, but I wanted to be the one to pen this review to see if Marvel could really speak to their hardcore fan base with their re-launch of Dr. Strange, and hopefully in some way make up for their Surfer sacrilege.

I have been a Dr. Strange fan for years, rummaging through stacks of hand me downs from my brother who may be the biggest Strange fan in the history of the world. Seriously. It’s true. Even at a young age I thought that “Sorcerer Supreme” sounded a bit like a Taco Bell value item, but other than that each issue was fuel for the imagination.

Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo are the perfect creative team to re-introduce Stephen Strange to the Marvel Universe. Starting with a backdrop that served as a great homage to Steve Ditko, issue one was non-stop action with a brief respite at a magician’s only pub that may have been my favorite part of the entire book.

Although Dr. Strange wields great power after his transformation from crippled surgeon to magical guru, his human flaws still remain keeping him grounded and searching for balance. While the “ladies man” trope used by Iron Man, Daredevil, and Dr. Strange tends to wear really thin, Aaron adds just enough to show human vice without being overly cringe worthy.

The fact that Bachalo pencils and inks his own books gives the issue a distinct feel that makes him a great fit. Stylistically he is a great choice for the re-launch. With an ominous warning at the end of issue one that left me wanting more, I for one am definitely excited to see where this series is headed. It is way too early to tell if Aaron and Bachalo are going to be able come to give us a run that could rival the fabled Brian K. Vaughn miniseries or Steve Ditko’s early work, but the first issue has given me hope that this new incarnation of Stephen Strange will be a welcome addition to the already rich legacy of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme.

REVIEW: Dr1ve #1

Writer: Michael Benedetto
Pencils: Antonio Fuso
Inks: Emilio Lecce
Colors: Jason Lewis
Review: Cody "Madman" Miller

I don’t know why, but the first thing I thought of when I saw this cover was Miami Vice. The purple city skyline and lettering like a neon sign . . .
Don’t get me wrong here; I was by no means excited by this. I could give two shits about Don Johnson and his television program.

My second observation was that the guy looking through the review mirror has a strong resemblance to Bryan Cranston’s character Walter White at first glance. Thinking this made me think of John Goodman’s character Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski and that made me smile.

Calmer then you are.
As it turns out it really annoys my wife when I keep calling her Donny. After asking her a couple hundred times if I was the only one who cared about the rules, I eventually came down from my Lebowski flashback.
Good night, sweet prince . . . I eventually read the comic.

To be honest my brain was releasing those feel good juices brought on by aforementioned flashback, and it's Lebowski so this book could have sucked horribly, and I would’ve been fine with that . . . calmer then you are.
I too dabbled in pacifism once. I was so happy that my Miami Viceish first impression was way off the mark. I actually really enjoyed this first issue of the four banger. So much so that I immediately introduced it to my pull list, and I know they’re going to be the best of friends. Mark it zero!

The book is all about a getaway driver, “the” getaway driver, whom shall ever remain nameless apparently. Not one time was he given a name throughout the first issue. I don’t find that a big deal or any such thing, in fact I find it rather sexy (in the modern over usage sense of the word. Strictly nonsexual). I like the mysterious drifter spiel as much as the next guy. The main character, Driver Guy, is a pretty cool cat. He’s a Hollywood stunt driver with an affinity toward driving the getaway car for men of ill repute.

You might already be privy to the story, either from the movie or the novel by James Sallis, all with the title of Dr1ve or maybe just plain Drive. I’m not really sure as I’ve never seen the movie or read the book. I just now learned they existed. I think there may possibly be a video game as well. I’m not sure on that one either as I don’t play video games. Life does not start and stop at your convenience, you miserable piece of #@*%.

The art is pure gratuitous eye candy of the sweetest nectar. The details of Fuso’s pencils and Lewis’s masterful use of color are where it’s at. Every page of Dr1ve is a thing of beauty. All in all a fantastic comic, be it a regurgitated story or not.

Way out of your element here, Donny.

REVIEW: Revelations #1-6 Tpb

Story: Paul Jenkins
Illustrations: Humberto Ramos
Colors: Leonardo Olea, Edgar Delgado, and Edgar Clement
Review: Art Bee

A couple of weeks ago when I stopped into Comic Cubed (Kokomo, Indiana), only two comics perched waiting for me in my subscription folder. Wanting more to read over the next week, I began to scan the wall of the current issues. Happily my stomach was empty, for the Marvel covers and titles made me retch. Seriously how wasted was the guy, whom first uttered “Battleworld”. Anyway, not finding anything to excite my eyeballs, I began looking at the trades and graphic novels. Seeing a few interesting ones, particularly Locke and Key, Shawn Hilton (Comic Cubed owner) suggested the trade paperback of the mini-series Revelations from BOOM! Studios. My skepticism was high as the story was based on the Catholic religion. Though I am not Catholic, I am a Christian and tend to stay away from comics that deal with the subject as I am not sure of their views on Christianity. It’s just my outlook.

Fortunately, I gave it a chance and was pleasantly surprised by it. Paul Jenkins delivers a very powerful mystery that baffles your intellect until the end. The story structure is sound and flows so well. This is difficult in such an endeavor, as most of the murder mystery comics I have seen or read have more information than they need or go out of their way to mislead the reader. Jenkins weaves an awesome web of mystery, suspense, and intrigue. Let me try to explain this without any spoilers.

First of all the main character is Detective Charlie Northern of Scotland Yard. He introduces himself with the following:

“My name is Charlie Northern. I’m forty-five years old, and I have been a soon-to-be-ex-smoker for thirty years. I’ve tried cough drops, patches, and cold turkey. My love affair with hypnotherapy never got off the ground. I’ve made promises and set dates and even stayed in bed for a week. Believe it or not ladies, I am still single. In life, I work for the flying squad out of Holborn Police Station. I like football and pretty girls and bloody awful yet thoroughly believable books on the unexplained.”

Charlie Northern is one of the most complete characters I have read about recently. The back story of this persistent detective is gradually divulged throughout the series, and he is very likable.

The mystery surrounds the murder of a Cardinal of the Catholic Church in Rome. The intrigue involves the massive cover up of the murder by local police and the other Cardinals. Paul Jenkins is well versed in the use of suspense as he unveils the plot.

As great as all of this sounds, it gets better. The artwork is great. Ramos has a particular style which he uses for the characters. At first I was not sure if I liked it, but as I read it really grew on me. The style is different but very consistent throughout in the series. What truly impresses me are the colors. Leonardo Olea has done all of the colors for the series except for chapter three, which is done by Edgar Delgado and Edgar Clement. What fascinates me is I couldn’t tell the difference between each of their work. The work is phenomenal!

Seriously, this is a series most everyone should read. Whether you like mysteries or not this story will entertain you with its many great facets. Honestly I don’t read much from BOOM!, but this is a jewel. Thank you, Shawn, for the great recommendation.

REVIEW: Godzilla in Hell #2

Art & story: Bob Eggleton
Review: Will Dubbeld

With the exception of the god-awful 1998 movie, I tend to love all things Godzilla.
Kaiju in general, really. Gamera runs a close second in the race for rubber-suited Japanese men capturing my heart.
The original 1950s movie was actually a pretty legit piece of postwar Japanese cinema, but most of us really fell in love with Godzilla as a cipher for professional wrestling among giant monsters.
Probably on Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Perhaps on KTMA in the Twin Cities.
Possibly as a sleepy-eyed dude and a couple of smartass robots cracked wise during the movie.
In any case, from renting Godzilla 1985 on VHS, to chasing down issues of the old Marvel Godzilla comic, to wishing I still had the cheap Godzilla toy that spat sparks from its mouth, it's safe to say he's been a fairly big part of my nerd life.

Godzilla has always struggled a bit in the comics, though. From getting hunted down by Dum Dum Dugan and occasionally rasslin' Red Ronin (because the Shogun Warriors were busy that day), to fighting Charles Barkley (because no shit that happened...), I've always had a hard time fully committing myself to Gojira funnybooks. Either the art hasn't sold me, the story was weak, or f'n seriously, Charles Barkley?!!! I think one of the main problems with Godzilla comics is the property is much more effective as a 90-minute movie. The action is much more effective (read: humorous) on screen, and the comics tend to bog themselves down with bad character arcs. Granted, there were actual human people storylines in the movies, but aside from the first couple of films, who cares? It's always some irritating brat named Timmy or Kenny, a doe-eyed cute girl, and some combination of nerdy inventor and/or suave neckerchief guy with a smooth ride.
Enough already, make with the Godzilla vs. Jet Jaguar already.*
Then along comes Godzilla in Hell.

I'd poked through some of IDWs other Gojira books but none of them piqued my curiosity until this one.
Godzilla has died and went to Hell?!!! Presumably for crimes against Japan?!!!
I had no idea, but I needed to find out. I didn't know if this series was the direct result of another books climax, like the Smog Monster finally k-o’d the big guy, or what. Frankly didn't care, either.
I was just really hoping at some point Godzilla would fight Satan because how rad would that be?
No Satan yet, but issue 2 finds Godzilla facing demonic representations of some members of his rogues gallery.
A twisted hellscape city serves as a battleground with Rodan.
Then an immense ice cavern over a frozen sea sets him up against Anguirus, then a storm-tossed ocean with Varan...
Etc. Etc. Ad nauseum, almost.
Herein lies the problem with Godzilla books. There's no dialogue among the main characters other than, "Grrrr!", "Hrowwwlll!", and perhaps the occasional "Skreeee-onk!"
Interjecting human characters into the books provides cohesion and dialogue, but who cares about those guys?
Hence the Kaiju Catch 22.
I'd pretty well lost interest by the time King Ghidorah showed up.
Monster Zero, if you will . . .

Some very nice exposition and descriptive text accompanies Godzilla’s through Hell, providing passages like, "Indeed, this pocket of Hell is a wasteland of doomed ships. Ones of sordid histories, horrific deeds and incidents...from all times, all places, trapped in a tomb of ice."
Eggleton nails the 19th century prose here, in an almost proto-Lovecraftian way that is reminiscent of a Coleridge, Blake, and/or Poe.

Flowery prose aside, a series of 2-3 page kaiju fights didn't exactly leave me waiting with baited breath for the next scene. The art, however, is goddamned gorgeous. Fully painted and inspired from 18th-19th century artists, these panels pop out and kick you right in the Tokyo Tower. Name dropping John Martin, Gustave Dore and J.M.W. Turner as influences in the afterward, Bob Eggleton invokes apocalyptic scenes of Biblical judgment and natures fury with a masters touch.

High marks on the art indeed.

Godzilla in Hell is a 5-part miniseries featuring a new creative team at the helm of every issue.
Hopefully one of these teams tells me exactly why Godzilla is in Hell, but in any case I'll still hold out in case there's a throwdown with Satan at some point.
SKREEONK!!!

*note: I'm pretty sure Godzilla and Jet Jaguar didn't actually fight at any point. I really just wanted to name-drop Jet Jaguar.

2015 Annual Hammy Awards

Another year is in the books for the HCB and that means it is time for the annual Hammy awards. This year I will be living vicariously through the HCB staff writers for I took my talents to mainland China over a year ago and am still here. China has many things, but one thing it does not have is comics or comic culture. As I find myself increasingly removed from the world of sequential art, more than ever I count on the boys in the trenches to keep me appraised of what is relevant and what to avoid. Here’s to all of their hard work, and to another year of an uncensored, critical look at the contemporary funny book.
- William R. Davis, Jr.

Madman's Picks:

Comic of the Year:
I must, in good conscience, give this to Manifest Destiny. MD has been my rock; it is consistently fantastic across the board. If you haven’t read the book, then you’re truly screwing yourself over royally.

Best Cover Art:

Manifest Destiny . . . no contest. Every single cover is frame worthy, every single one.

Best New Comic:
Copperhead. I called this after I read the first issue. Jay Faerber is easily on my list of top five current writers in the biz, he’s a true master of character development. I love me a good space western and Copperhead scratches that itch in all the hard to reach places.

Most Overrated:
Marvel mega events…no…please, just no. Fire everyone who had a hand in any of this crap.

Most Underrated:
God Hates Astronauts by Ryan Browne. The first 10 issue run from Image has just ended but hopefully there will be many more in the future. Each issue of this book is a hilarious adventure through insanity. The artwork is fantastic. The story is entertaining as hell and to be perfectly honest I have no idea what the actual plot is but that’s perfectly fine because it doesn’t matter. My favorite part of Browne’s work here is the way he does all his sound effects; they’re similar to the Adam West Batman sound effects but much more legit.

Most Disappointing:
What happened to The Walking Dead? Bueller? . . . Bueller? . . . anyone? Polishing the brass . . .

Most Likely to make you throw up in your mouth:
Island by way of Image. I paid $8 for this turd. Image puts out a lot of great comics but this thing was just plain butt mud.

Best Mini Series:

Veil from Dark Horse. I loved the creepy characters. Not sure if I’ve ever read anything other than Veil from Greg Rucka, but I want to. Toni Fejzula can pleasure my eyeholes any time he wants. Buy the trade…thank me later.

Worst Mini Series:
I’m throwing Spiderverse under the bus on this one. This abomination just seemed to drag on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on . . . some people started writing it not knowing what it was and they’ll continue writing it because this is the arc that never ends . . . some people started writing it not knowing what it was and they’ll continue writing it because this is the arc that never . . . and on and on. I hold Spider-Man above all other four color superstars but I just got sick of seeing so many alternate dumb ass versions of the web slinger. Except Spider-Ham. This I will allow, I love that guy.

Writer of the Year:
My man Jay Faerber gets my highest honor for his wordsmithing. Copperhead, I’m telling you.

Artist of the Year:
By default I should go with Fiona Staples because even if BKV let Saga’s writing slip for a bit, Fiona’s outstanding work on the art never faltered from absolutely best of what’s around. I bet she jams Eye of the Tiger while she works . . . maybe not. My non-default pick would be Ryan Browne, simply because of his hilarious, fresh, skill at drawing . . . everything. More cow head!

Art Bee's picks:

This has been a boring year in comics. We have watched the Big 2 take the majority of their product lines and flush them. The only saving grace for Marvel was starting the Star Wars line. They have definitely put Dark Horse’s work to shame in a very short time. Meanwhile Image continues to grow steadily and methodically.

Currently my pull list is absent of DC, 3 Marvel titles, and all the rest is Image.

Comic of the Year:

God Hates Astronauts vol. 2 is my pick, hands down, for the Hammy of Comic of the Year. Ryan Browne delivers great artwork and a surgical stitch busting dose of humor that would make a cow pie jump back up the anus that birthed it. Enough said.

Best Cover Art:
Marvel Star Wars #2 cover featuring Han and Chewie hiding behind debris, while Han is holding his finger in a “Shhh” sign. Meanwhile Darth Vader and dozens of storm troopers stand all around with AT-ATs looming over head. This cover is beautiful, funny, and catchy. People should have been drawn to it just to look at it closer.

I am just weak to anything Star Wars.

Best New Comic:
This Hammy in my opinion should go to Postal from Image. Brian Edward Hill delivers a unique storyline based on a completely original main character. Hill takes a leap of faith to deliver a griping and suspenseful story. Isaac Goodhart accompanies this with a fantastic display of drawings.

Most Overrated:
Death to Wolverine is the Most Overrated comic series in the last year. The covers were the best part in my opinion, and I almost chose one for Best Cover Art. I thought the death of one of the most loved super heroes was a mistake. Marvel seems to always have a way to undervalue the old for the new.

Most Underrated:

Wayward is the Most Underrated comic in my opinion. This series has really grown on me over the last year. Writer Jim Zub and Artist Steven Cummings have put together a gripping tale of super heroes of a different flavor. The Japanese culture and setting they use really adds to the mystery of the story. Also, at the end of each comic, space is used to educate the reader in Japanese mythology and other cultural information.

Most Disappointing Comic:
Secret Six from DC had a great first two issues. What happened? They waited too long for the third book, and we are still waiting on the fourth. It sounds to me like there is a commitment issue on the side of the creators, so they need to step up their work. They already lost me. I am not that patient.

Most Likely to Be Burned First for Heat in the Event of a Post Apocalyptic Earth “This is the End” Scenario AKA The Rob Liefeld:
Image produces a lot of great books. Apparently all the stories that don’t make the cut get sent to a deserted island to be left to die. Someone at Image decided to try to make a buck on this crap and published it for $8 as Island and dumped it in our laps. Thanks, guys. I promise to return the favor.

Best Miniseries:
Best Miniseries is the hardest for me to decide this year. There were so many good miniseries this past year. I pick would have to be Wildfire from Image. This short miniseries had me enthralled from first to last issue, and I am currently writing from a stage of stasis while I wait for volume two to be released this fall. As Tom Petty said it best, “waiting is the hardest part.”

Worst Miniseries:
Return of the Living Deadpool is a decrepit follow up of Night of the Living Deadpool, which was good in my opinion. Return of the Living Deadpool started off all wrong. Had this been a darts match, Marvel would have hit the metal separator and fallen to the floor.

Writer of the Year:
Artist of the Year:
My vote for Writer and Artist of the Year is one in the same, Ryan Browne. Call me biased if you like. This has been a major year for the independent comic creator. He went from self-published on his own site to being multi-nationally published by Image. Way to go, Mr. Ryan “launched to go nuclear on the world” Browne.

Will Dubbeld's picks:

Comic of the Year:

Star Wars. MF'N. STAR. WARS. I cut my teeth on Marvel's original SW comics and that was my original Expanded Universe. Dark Horse just didn't quite have the same punch with their adventures in a galaxy far, far away, so I was overjoyed when Marvel did right by me on this new series. Jason Aaron seems to understand the cadence of the Star Wars universe, and tossing John Cassady on art detail always guarantees a win. Kudos to all involved.
"Chewie, we're home."
Fuckin' A, Han. Fuckin' A...

Best Cover Art:
DC Comics Bombshell variants. I love vintage/Pulp/retro everything, especially '30s and '40s-themed pieces, so DC captured my love of nostalgia with these covers depicting the ladies of National Periodicals as superheroines of the Greatest Generation.
Because when you belong to the group that beat Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan, you're damn right you can call yourself the Greatest Generation.

Best New Comic:
Humans. This book is crazytown. It's Planet of the Apes as a 1970s grindhouse biker movie.
And I love both of those things.
Foul language, drug and alcohol abuse, gratuitous ape-on-ape violence and graphic ape-on-ape sex abound, often on the same page. Primate biker gang exploitation at its finest.
Also Vietnam flashbacks.

Most Overrated:
Batman. Goddammit, it's Batman. I wish it weren't so, as Batman jockeys for top spot in my All-Time Favorite Superhero list, but, damn, does this book not live up to the hype. Snyder has some great ideas, plants some interesting seeds, and comes up with some compelling (or at least interesting) characters, and then seems like he's unsure how to pull it all together. The result is Face/Off (maybe immortal?) Joker and Jim Gordon as Batman in a mech suit that reminds me of the Rabbot from the first episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I just want to throw a hardcover collection of Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle Batman at him and yell, "Do better!!!"
Capullo does a fine job on art, albeit it seems better suited to Hellspawns and Witchblades than Dark Knights. His background work and mechanical design is phenomenal, but I'm just not enamored with his figure work.
Maybe next year, Detective . . .

Most Underrated:
Ragnarok. Walt Simonson dropped the hammer on one of the most phenomenal Thor runs in Marvel history and gets back to his Nordic roots with Ragnarok. Set after the Norse extinction level event and starring a badass looking undead Thor. Simonson absolutely murders it on art detail, and the writing is clever stuff. The book also features the neatest looking Mjolner I've ever seen, but that's only a smidgen of the wonder contained in this underappreciated gem.
Go buy this book.

Most Disappointing:
Deathstroke, hands down. The initial Nu52 series was weak, and the new one followed suit. I was a big Slade Wilson fan back in the good ol' DCU pre-Flashpoint, back in his glory days as a Teen Titans villain and right up to and including when he defeated The Atom with a laser pointer.
I keep hoping, but those halcyon days are gone, and in a big way.

Most Likely to be Used as Toilet Paper in the Event of Nuclear Holocaust:
Actually, there weren't any books that raised my hackles to a vomitous level this year. There were Disappointments, for sure, but nothing that inspired Age of Ultron or Before Watchmen-level hate.
I guess if I had to pick one, it'd be that Chick Tract I found in the lobby of a Chinese restaurant. It involved some guy damned to hell for choosing poorly in life and something about learning the error of your heathen ways or somesuch. As much as I love some good propaganda, Chick Tracts are just the worst.

Best Miniseries:

It's a tie, ladies and gents! I couldn't choose between The Big Con Job and Rocket Salvage. Con Job is a caper story a la Ocean's Eleven involving a group of washed-up celebrities and a plot to rob San Diego Comic-Con. Great art and humorous, at times heartwarming, writing net a win for Jimmy Palmiotti and company.
Rocket Salvage is a science fiction tale about a washed up Podracer (for all intents and purposes...), his daughter, his clone, a wacky mad scientist, evil alien gangsters, superweapons, a sexy sci-fi lady, and all the good stuff that makes space opera great.
But it's mostly kinda about the importance of family, and that's the real deal.

Worst Miniseries:
Original Sin. I wanted to love this book so hard. A whodunit about The Watcher getting murdered? A Dr. Strange/Punisher buddy cop angle? Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato collaboration? It screamed win.
The first few issues were good, Deodato killed it on art duty and mad props for Aaron utilizing Midas and Oubliette from Grant Morrison's amazing Marvel Boy mini, but the series fell apart about halfway through. The 'Man on the Wall' angle was pretty ridiculous and after a certain point it reeked a bit of editorial mandate to retire Nick Fury from the scene.
But it had The Orb, so there's that.

Writer of the Year:
I'm gonna have to go with Kelly Sue DeConnick on this one. Her work on Captain Marvel has been stellar nearly across the board with almost no missteps in my opinion. I'm showing a bit of character favoritism as I've been in love with Carol Danvers since she punched Rogue into low orbit in an old issue of Uncanny X-Men, but Kelly Sue has evolved Captain Marvel into an almost ‘Rosie the Riveter’ role model archetype, strong and empowering.
I applaud her work on Captain Marvel, but the real reason writer of the year goes to Kelly Sue DeConnick is Bitch Planet.
Outward appearance leads one to believe that Bitch Planet is a sci-fi take on the old ‘Women in Prison’ exploitation genre, but behind the veneer of sadistic wardens and shower scenes the book is a well- crafted masterpiece about strong as Hell women. Mad as Hell and we’re not gonna take it women. The kind of women that inspire readers to get tattoos of the book’s ‘noncompliant’ mark and wear it like a badge of honor. Whereas Captain Marvel is a ‘Yes We Can!’ type of book, Bitch Planet is geared towards more of a ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It!’ aesthetic. I applaud both. Go get ‘em, girls.

Artist of the Year:
Jordie Bellaire.
These Four Color funnybooks of ours aren’t worth a whole helluva lot without a good colorist, and Jordie is among the best. Although colorists are an oft-overlooked facet of comicdom, her work pops off the page and demands attention. Magneto, Moon Knight and The Kitchen were the three books I read this year that featured her colors and I was ecstatic. Moon Knight and The Kitchen especially demonstrated her palette mastery and enhanced the storytelling to another level. Everyone has read a comic that, while otherwise good, has been diminished by rushed or poor colors. It can ruin your enjoyment of a comic and cause you to never revisit the piece.
I guarantee none of those books were colored by Jordie Bellaire.

The Hammy Awards will return about this time next year, dear readers.
-The HCB staff.

Madman at The Secret Stash

Post: Cody "Madman" Miller

I first heard about Kevin Smith’s comic book store, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, way back in my angst filled youth, in the late 90’s. At sixteen or seventeen New Jersey seemed like some far-off alien land that might as well be on the moon . . . but I wanted to go so, so bad. No question: a pilgrimage to Red Banks, New Jersey, was soundly on my top ten list of things to do before I died. In truth, my true motivation wasn’t necessarily to buy comics because for one I didn’t have any real cash at that age. You see, I saw the Stash as a sort of Mecca. It was a place where the fun was. I wanted to hang out in front with Jay and Silent Bob while listening to Brodie and Randal go off on a rant. What can I say? The world and my brain worked differently back then.

My friends and I drank the snoochie boochie kool-aid and in a big way. It was pretty much a weekly ritual to watch Clerks and Mallrats at least a few million times. We could and would recite the dialogue from Mallrats from beginning to end . . . verbatim. It’s crazy to look back and think about how something as ultimately trivial as a low budget movie could affect your life. I guess there are a lot of those types of things hidden deep down in the darkest depths of our humble beginnings. For us and our dark army Mallrats was a cornerstone that somehow justified our descent into geekdom . . . into counter culture . . . and we rallied around it. It’s like Brodie’s Grandmother used to say, “Why buy the cow, when you can get the sex for free?”

So that’s how this epic quest began. Someday . . . someday . . .

Fast forward eighteen years and there I was hauling ass on I-80, Northern Ohio a blur outside my window. I was embarking on an epic quest (vacation) to New York City to visit one of my favorite people on the planet and my oldest friend, Dustin Wayne Hunter. Dustin used to live right down the alley from me in a very small town in rural Indiana, and it was safe to say on any given day we’d be kickin’ it together. It worked out pretty well, he’d let me play with his He-Man and M.A.S.K toys, and I’d supply my GI Joes and my Battle Beasts. After high school “Life” happened, as it tends to do, Dustin, myself, and the rest of El Rancho’s Dark Army caught the current and dispersed to the four corners of the globe. Dustin joined the Air Force and was stationed in Europe for a good bit, and after reentering civilian life, he and his wife landed themselves in New York City. Hence me hauling ass down I-80 “faster than Walt Flanagan's dog” . . . towards NYC.

Fast forward four days and someday had finally come. This guy was headed to the Holy Land, but first I had to survive the chaotic New York/Jersey traffic and make it to Red Bank . . . "Small price to pay for the smiting of one's enemies."

We pulled up outside, and it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, guys were passing out chocolate covered pretzels, there was hockey on the roof . . . okay, not really . . . I made that up. New Jersey doesn’t even have birds. We fed the parking meter and headed toward the door. I was a little surprised to find a very large, no-neck security guard (complete with Secret Service ear piece) standing watch outside and making everyone sign waivers in case you were caught on camera. My very first thoughts were that the store is a lot smaller then it seems on the Comic Book Men television show, and the Stash doesn’t have that comic book shop smell. ”I love the smell of commerce in the morning.” If you venture into such places you know exactly what I’m talking about . . . that musty, vintage, four color smell that every collector loves. I immediately grew skeptical, which lasted about half a second as shortly thereafter I geeked out like an idiot at a Justin Bieber concert. Jaws has just popped out of the water! I may need a moment . . .

There was Mike Zapcic, Ming Chen, Walt Flanagan, and Steve-Dave himself, Bryan Johnson. There was also an army of television crew scurrying about doing their thing. It was pretty chaotic really. We browsed around for a good while just trying to blend in . . . yeah, not happening.

As far as comics go, I’m sorry to say I wasn’t that impressed. Of course they had the new releases, but they were lacking in back issues in my humble opinion. (This may be due to giving the camera dudes more room to maneuver but the back issues didn’t reach to “S”, so no Spiderman . . . sad face.) The six or so long boxes of back issues they had out were nothing that I personally wanted, not that I was in any condition to paw through long boxes. However, they had more trades and graphic novels than you could shake a dead cat at. I was perusing said trades when I glanced over and found myself staring Buddy Christ dead in the eyeholes. I don’t care who you are, that’ll put a smile on your face right there. There was also a 7-ft tall golden Mooby by the front door that I somehow missed on the way in. There was a menagerie of other art and goodies scattered about on the walls. They had a good-sized amount of legit action figures and other vintage treasures locked safely behind geek-proof glass, if you’re into that kind o’ thing. I recognized a few items in the cases that were literally “As seen on TV” featured on the TV show, such as vintage Batman nightlights. As was to be expected they had pretty much everything and anything related to Kevin Smith’s life’s work. The first pages of Bluntman & Chronic . . . there. Buddy Christ . . . there. Jay and Silent Bob’s blueprints from Mallrats . . . got them. We Assure You We’re Open sign . . . yep. Starry-eyed fanboy from Indiana . . . check.

The TV people eventually kicked us to the curb so they could film one of those fancy transactions of cash and geek treasure, so we do what any normal person would do. We walked a couple of doors down to a sweet ass bar called Gotham to wait this TV nonsense out and have a few adult beverages. Gotham is what I’d expect from an establishment with such a name. They actually had a menu for original works of art, both geek related and not, that were up for sale. We sat right next to an abstract sculpture of Batgirl or Batwoman, one of the two, which according the menu cost a meager $96,000 . . . Pay ya Tuesday?

So yeah, that’s what we did. We ended up hanging out with the security guard while he waited for the all-clear though his fancy ear-thingy. He turned out to be a really cool guy. He bullshitted with us for a good while and even went out to the street to take a picture for us. Eventually we got the all-clear from Hollywood and went in again. The guys were nice enough to take a few pictures and acknowledge our existence. We took one more lap around the store and that was pretty much it.

Dustin and I were truly kings amongst men. It’s not everyday that you get to cross off a bucket list item. The entire time we spent in the Stash looking around brought up fond memories of our youth. The Secret Stash was everything I had hoped it would be and spending the adventure with my oldest buddy and my wife made it all the better. A truly epic day and I have the Tee-shirt to prove it.

REVIEW: Gun #1

Story & Art: Jack Foster
Letters: Greg Sorkin
Review: Will Dubbeld

I wouldn't go so far as to say Kickstarter has completely revolutionized the world of independent comics, but it certainly changed its face. A creative team with a great pitch, a slick video and sound business plan usually has a good shot at getting their comic book made.

I've backed quite a few of these projects and have always been impressed with the results, but I missed out on Gun during its Kickstarter campaign. As fortune would have it, a friend of mine turned me onto the book. Writer/artist Jack Foster was a former co-worker of said friend, and I scouted out the book and ordered some copies.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT THE LITTLE GUY.

Gun tells the story of Mr. Twist, a minor league supervillain with vertigo-causing powers. Twist seems to have fallen on some hard times and has taken to attending villains anonymous meetings to make networking contacts, which played out like a weird melange of the support group scenes in Fight Club and an episode of Venture Bros.
Mr. Twist meets up with a few supervillain compatriots and the group runs across an unconscious superhero. The remainder of Gun plays out like a crime-action/caper grindhouse superhero movie gone awry as Mr. Twist and his fellow villains sell the superhero at a black market auction, run afoul of bounty hunting robots and spirit-possessed katana swords.

If that doesn't do it for ya, I dunno what will.

Despite being mildly played out on the Wanted/Suicide Squad/Thunderbolts theme of supervillains-as-protagonists, Gun is a fresh take on things by developing characters and a world that follow the tropes in superhero comics without making them seem like tired cliches.

The art in Gun is just as good as the script, kids. Jack Foster utilizes a fully hand painted method of illustration with a light, almost pastel color palette that reminded me of Ben Templesmiths work from the first 30 Days of Night miniseries. There were a few places where the art reminded me a bit of Richard Corbens work as well.
The only negative thing I have to say about Gun revolves around the art in the last few pages. It doesn't look as crisp or as well crafted as the rest of the book, almost as if Foster was pressed for time and had to rush it a bit. In the grand scheme of things this is a pretty minor inconvenience considering the script and art are tight throughout the remainder of Gun.

Buy this book, ladies and gentlemen. Copies are available for a modest price at www.guncomic.com and I urge you to avail yourself of a copy and request your local brick-and-mortar comic shop carry the book as well.

It isn't uncommon for comics coming off of a successful Kickstarter to get picked up by an established publishing company and get a wider audience and distribution. It'd do the world of comics a bit of good to have some Gun.

REVIEW: Big Man Plans #1-4

Writers: Eric Powell and Tim Wiesch
Art: Eric Powell
Review: Art Bee

When it comes to miniseries I start more than I finish. There is a real talent in producing a quality miniseries, and many are not up for the task. Numerous series have a great start only to fizzle out halfway through and end up with a finale that has nothing to do with the beginning. It’s as I have stated before: a creator has a great idea for a scene or a character and that becomes the focus. They bend the story around it and they end up with a sub par product.

When Big Man Plans #1 looked at me from the shelf of my LBCS, I thought I would give it a chance. What a great decision! This was truly a good series to read. Four issues and not a bit wasted.

The story starts with the main character, a man who has dwarfism and only referred to as Big Man in an interior monologue.

“When you don’t care about losing your own life, when you lose the fear of losing everything, you can do anything. And the moment I read that letter, my number of fucks to give had reached zero.”

This really had my curiosity piqued as to the letters contents and who sent the letter. Big Man is setting in a bar dealing with drunkards poking fun at him and pretty harshly I may add. They get theirs; don’t worry. The entire story reminds me of a Charles Bronson Death Wish movie if Bronson was about three and a half feet high.

The story is well planned and executed. The first issue is a perfect set up with the story hook, background, and character designs. The pace of each issue is the same and the story develops naturally. I really want to share some of the highlights, but I am trying to support the sales of the story not hand it out.

Now I save the best for last: the artwork. Eric Powell’s pencils are phenomenal. Much of the story is focused on the situations occurring and his art reflects with little background and sharp contrasting lines for the characters. Colors are used perfectly to enhance emotion rather than the scenes. My favorite feature of his art is the exaggerated emotions on character faces. It adds intensity to the story that many others lack.

As the last issue came out two weeks ago, please pick this up in a trade or get the back issues. By the look of my LCBS they had issues left over, so you may be about to find them in dollar boxes. This series is really worth the read. You will truly enjoy it, although it is recommended for mature audiences.