By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/10/2016
Marvel characters are becoming more relevant everyday. Since the Guardians of the Galaxy characters became a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one question has been littering the minds of long time Thanos fans: where the hell is Adam Warlock? With the release of The Infinity Entity #1, we get our answer. Not only that, we also get the launch of […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/9/2016
Let's get cosmic with the original. Jim Starlin continues his busy chronicling of the life of Adam Warlock with THE INFINITY ENTITY, a new limited series written by Starlin and drawn by Alan Davis. Can you saw classic comics team-up?
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/17/2015
The story of Vanth Dreadstar, and his struggle to end the intergalactic war between The Church of Instrumentality and the Monarchy, is coming to television; with Jim Starlin teaming with Universal Cable Productions and Benderspink to do it, per THR.
Dreadstar was a 64 issue series created by Starlin for Marvel’s Epic imprint, its initial trailblazing creator-owned line that published Dreadstar as its very first title. After 26 issues, the title was moved over to First Comics, the home of Howard Chaykin‘s American Flagg!. Starlin left the book with Issue #41, with Peter David and Angel Medina taking over creative duties through its then final installment. A 6 issue mini-series was published by Malibu Comics’ Bravura imprint in the 90’s.
At one point, Starlin’s creation was headed to the big screen with Illuminati Entertainment teaming up with Benderspink. But, in light of the latter’s collaboration with UCP in adapting Frank Barbiere and Chris Mooneyham‘s Five Ghosts for Syfy, the dramatic long-form potential of a weekly series probably proves a better bet.
Here’s Starlin on the big announcement:
I consider Dreadstar to be an extension of my family, so it took me a while to feel comfortable letting anyone else take care of this project. It has taken some time, but I know I’ve put my trust in the right team and I’m excited to collaborate with Universal Cable Productions and Benderspink to bring Dreadstar‘s unique brand of chaos to television.
Starlin is penning the initial script and will executive produce the series along with Ford Gilmore (Catacombs). Starlin and Gilmore were represented by attorney Harris Miller.
No network is currently attached to the project.
This is incredibly exciting news, and it’s fantastic to see one of comics most influential creators getting the Hollywood love he’s long deserved. Between this and the lead-up to Avengers: Infinity War, I can’t wait for the tidal wave of Starlin material and press focus that’s sure to come.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/16/2014
If you are a human and alive, you know someone who loved Guardians of the Galaxy this year. Odds are high you have a Guardians fan somewhere on your holiday shopping list, too. Whether they’re long-time comics fans or they’re new to space opera, here’s some gift ideas for cosmic Marvel fans of any level.
The Basics
Guardians of the Galaxy 3D Blu-Ray + Blu-Ray + Digital copy. The film, just as you saw it in theaters. There’s two discs, but not a lot of bells and whistles — concept art, commentary by director James Gunn, deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and all the other stuff you might look up on YouTube one day but never actually watch on your blu-ray. But still — Chris Pratt!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1. A real compact disc of the fake mix tape from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. All of the songs you might have listened to secretly/ironically before they were featured in the year’s biggest hit movie. If the person you are shopping for can find an operational cd player, they will love this mix. If they live in the actual present, it exists as a digital download.
Guardians of the Galaxy: The Complete Collection, vol. 1 by Abnett, Lanning, & friends, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers by Bendis, McNiven & Pichelli. Oh, hey! Comics! There isn’t really a collection that the movie is based on, but these are the most recognizable to a Guardians fan who knows the team from the movie. The Abnett/Lanning Complete Collection collects issues 1-12 of the 2008 relaunch that introduced the new team to the Marvel Universe, bringing Star-Lord, Rocket Racoon, and Drax to the fold. The Bendis-penned Cosmic Avengers collection was released this summer and collects the Marvel Now! relaunch and also features Iron Man as a member of the team. There’s a relatively large amount of GotG collections out there, but these are two versions that look closest to the team on the movie screen.
Intermediate Studies
Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus. Not a Guardians title, but this is the cosmic Marvel event by which all others are compared. Thanos, infinity gems, Avengers, Drax, Silver Sufer, Jim Starlin, George Perez — this one’s got it all, true believer. The omnibus is the motherlode collection, collecting the complete Infinity Gauntlet 1-6, the prequel series Thanos Quest, a good dozen Silver Surfer tie-in issues, and an assortment of other crossover titles. You can also find more economical collections of the Infinity Gauntlet series itself, as well the not-quite-a-sequel collection, Infinity Gauntlet: The Aftermath.
http://marveltoynews.com/ has a LOT more Marvel toy gift ideas.
Funco POP! Groot or Rocket Racoon. Star-Lord and Gamora and Drax are nice and all, but obviously it’s Groot and Rocket that you’d want to put on your desk at work. There’s an obviously preferable dancing Groot bobblehead available for pre-order, but if you need something under the tree for Christmas morning, all you have to do is decide between tree or raccoon.
Lego Milano Spaceship Rescue. The only thing I like more than building Ikea furniture is building Lego spaceships. Maybe I like the sound and feel of plastic pieces snapping together? Maybe I just like to follow directions? Either way, the blue & gold spaceship design is neat, and there are 5 minifigures in the box, including Gamora. You’ll have to look to other sets for your Lego Groot/Rocket fix, but if you gift only one Lego Guardians set this year — this is the one.
A Doctorate in Galactic Guardians.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow’s Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy by Jim Valentino, Vol. 1. Your mileage will vary, but these are the Guardians I remember. Tomorrow’s Avengers includes the team’s earliest 1960s & 70s appearances, back when the Badoon had taken over the Earth. Valentino, Vol. 1 collects issues 1-7 of the 1990s series by Jim Valentino, chronicling the team’s search for Captain America’s lost shield. It has a time travel, a lady with fire-hair, and a peek into the Marvel Universe of a thousand years from now. I can’t really separate the contents of these books from the nostalgia-filter I see them through, but the Valentino series was from the last wave of Marvel books before the great migration to Image. Yondu aside, there’s not much to link them to the movie — but if you’re buying for someone who likes cosmic superhero adventure stories, you can’t go wrong.
Star-Lord: Guardian of the Galaxy and Rocket Racoon and Groot: The Complete Collection. The title of the movie is Guardians of the Galaxy, but the characters onscreen are a consortium of 1970s/80s characters created and fleshed out by folks like Steve Englehart, Bill Mantlo, and Jim Starlin. These volumes collect some of the wonderfully weird space adventures that inspired the characters in the movie. Star-Lord is introduced in a Claremont/Byrne adventure from the 1970s, and Rocket Racoon and Groot collects everything from a Jack Kirby Groot story to Bill Mantlo’s 1980s Rocket Racoon mini to some modern era Annihilators titles. 
Warlock: The Complete Collection. This is the business. Thanos is Jim Starlin’s most recognizable cosmic creations, but it’s Adam Warlock — created by Lee & Kirby in the pages of the Fantastic Four – who brings out Starlin’s best work. I can’t say it has the Guardians sense of humor, but this complete collection of 1970s Warlock stories has cosmic grandeur, moral complexity, and a real sense of the weird.
And One More Thing…
Know someone who loved that post-credits tag? Take them from the end of reality t’ the middle of nowhere. Happy Holidays!
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 11/20/2014
The post-Guardians partnership between Marvel and Jim Starlin continues with the second original graphic novel in a proposed trilogy about Thanos the purple skinned Mad Titan created by Starlin. THANOS: THE INFINITY RELATIVITY OGN comes out in June. While standalone graphic novels were once rare at Marvel they’ve gotten into the pool with the Starlin books, and some introductory books aimed at beginning (as in not experts in Marvel continuity) readers. The first book in the trilogy, Thanos: The Infinity Revelation, made the NY Times bestseller list, so it probably did all right.
Starlin created Thanos, who is expected to be the big villain in a number of Avengers movies, and his daughter Gamora, and has had a major hand in developing the mythology of the Infinity Gems which have been a running theme throughout the Marvel MCU for a while. And as the blurb shows, the book includes more of the whole Thanos/Guardians/Warlock mythology that Starlin developed:
Annihilus, lord of the Negative Zone has re-ascended to power, more dangerous and more deadly than ever before. When he and his Negative Zone armies make another, renewed assault on our universe in search of a source of infinite power, a fragile alliance of the universe’s most unlikely protectors will form to stop him.
Now the Guardians of the Galaxy, Gladiator the Majestor of the Shi’ar Empire, and Adam Warlock and more must unite like never before! Only Adam Warlock’s complex cycle of death and rebirth has left him more confused than ever before. What is his purpose in the universe? Why is he here? With his Infinity Watch reunited alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy, between them they may hold the key to ending the threat of Annihilus once and for all – but to do so they’ll need to enlist the help of another.
Could it be that the fate of everything lies in the hands…of Thanos?
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/5/2014
I’ll post John Jackson Miller’s analysis when it comes in, but sales for the year inched up, although down from Five Wednesday July. Image had more than 10% of unit sales, always a good mark for them.
And sales analyst Miller weighs in pointing out this was the first “Normal” month in a while.
After a summer of “bombshell” covers, anniversary covers, high-profile relaunches, and giant purchases by online retailers, August appears to have been something more resembling a generic month in the comics industry. Comic-book retailers purchased more than $41 million in comic books, trade paperbacks, and magazines in August 2014, according Comichron’s analysis of data released today by Diamond Comic Distributors. Dollar sales for the month were up 7.6% year over year, bringing annual sales to $344 million, up nearly 3% over 2013.
July’s sales, the highest recorded dollar amount paid for comics and graphic novels in the seventeen-year long Diamond Exclusive Era, were boosted in part by a fifth week to the month, by the addition of thousands of Rocket Raccoon #1 copies bought by Loot Crate, and by DC’s Batman 75th Anniversary covers, among other things. August’s sales appear to have returned to a more regular pattern, with Batman#34 taking the top slot.
Batman hunts a killer lurking in the shadows of Gotham City in Scott Snyder and Matteo Scalera’s Batman #34 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling comic book of August 2014 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
Marvel Comics had five titles among August’s top ten best-selling comics, led by Amazing Spider-Man #5 at #2. DC Entertainment placed four titles in the top ten. Image Comics had one title, The Walking Dead #130 at #6.
Marvel Comics was August’s top publisher with a 34.27% dollar market share and a 35.85% unit market share. DC Entertainment was second with a 28.71% dollar share and 32.56% unit share. Image Comics was third with a 8.83% dollar share and a 10.97% unit share. IDW Publishing’s dollar share in August was fourth at 5.43% and Dark Horse Comics was fifth at 4.73%.
Jim Starlin returns to his signature character Thanos in the original graphic novel, Thanos: The Infinity Revelation from Marvel Comics, August’s best-selling graphic novel and one of the publisher’s three books among the top ten. DC Entertainment had four titles in the top led, led by Fables Volume 20: Camelot at #2. Additionally, all three volumes of Image Comics’ Saga placed among the top ten.
The second volume of Jeffrey Brown’s young readers Star Wars series, Star Wars: Jedi Academy: The Return of the Padawan from Chronicle Books was August’s best-selling book. Also in the top ten were IDW Publishing’s Dave Gibbons: The Watchmen Artifact Edition at #2, Dark Horse Comics’ Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia at #3, and Gemstone’s The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 44 remained in the top ten at #4.
The X-Men and their foes, including Wolverine and Magneto, were sculpted in the 6-inch scale for Hasbro’s X-Men Legends Action Figures, August’s best-selling toy product. DC Collectibles had eight of top ten toy products for the month, led by the Batman: Arkham Asylum: Harley Quinn Statue at #2. Diamond Select Toys’ best-selling product for August was the Godzilla 1989 Vinyl Bust Bank at #17.
The cosmic heroes of Marvel Comics’ Guardians of the Galaxy comic book are featured in NECA/WizKids’ Marvel Heroclix: Guardians of the Galaxy Booster Brick, August’s best-selling game product, and one of the manufacturer’s five titles in the top ten.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR |
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NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL |
SHIPPED
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| AUGUST 2014 VS. JULY 2014 | ||
| COMICS | -23.77% | -22.73% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -22.06% | -20.96% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -23.26% | -22.60% |
| AUGUST 2014 VS. AUGUST 2013 | ||
| COMICS | 7.30% | 4.20% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 8.31% | 9.95% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 7.60% | 4.63% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2013 | ||
| COMICS | 2.40% | -2.32% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 3.81% | 5.79% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 2.84% | -1.69% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN #34 | $3.99 | JUN140215-M | DC |
| 2 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5 | $3.99 | JUN140613-M | MAR |
| 3 | ORIGINAL SIN #7 | $3.99 | JUN140605-M | MAR |
| 4 | MULTIVERSITY #1 | $4.99 | JUN140145-M | DC |
| 5 | SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #32 | $4.99 | JUN140643-M | MAR |
| 6 | THE WALKING DEAD #130 (MR) | $2.99 | JUN140586 | IMA |
| 7 | HARLEY QUINN #9 | $2.99 | JUN140228-M | DC |
| 8 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.4 | $3.99 | JUN140645-M | MAR |
| 9 | GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #18 | $3.99 | JUN140622-M | MAR |
| 10 | BATMAN ETERNAL #18 | $2.99 | JUN140207 | DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | THANOS: THE INFINITY REVELATION OGN HC | $24.99 | APR140765 | MAR |
| 2 | FABLES VOLUME 20: CAMELOT TP (MR) | $19.99 | MAY140403 | DC |
| 3 | DEADPOOL VS. CARNAGE TP | $16.99 | MAY140932 | MAR |
| 4 | TRILLIUM TP (MR) | $16.99 | MAY140407 | DC |
| 5 | BATMAN: EARTH-ONE TP | $12.99 | MAY140376 | DC |
| 6 | GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 1: COSMIC AVENGERS TP | $19.99 | JAN140800 | MAR |
| 7 | SAGA VOLUME 3 TP (MR) | $14.99 | JAN140556 | IMA |
| 8 | WATCHMEN HC | $39.99 | JUL080172 | DC |
| 9 | SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) | $9.99 | AUG120491 | IMA |
| 10 | SAGA VOLUME 2 TP (MR) | $14.99 | APR130443 | IMA |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | STAR WARS: JEDI ACADEMY VOLUME 2: RETURN OF THE PADAWAN HC | $12.99 | MAY141839 | SCH |
| 2 | DAVE GIBBONS: WATCHMEN ARTIFACT EDITION HC | $75.00 | APR140347 | IDW |
| 3 | LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC | $34.99 | SEP120055 | DAR |
| 4 | THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOL. 44 SC | $29.95 | APR141239-M | GEM |
| 5 | THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 86 SC | $14.95 | JUN141674 | SAN |
| 6 | DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 76 SC | $14.95 | MAY141830 | SAN |
| 7 | JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER HC | $19.99 | JUN140971 | BOO |
| 8 | THE BOUNTY HUNTER CODE: REVELATIONS OF BOBA FETT HC | $19.95 | JUN141675 | CHR |
| 9 | SWORD ART ONLINE VOLUME 2: AINCRAD SC | $13.00 | JUN141575 | HAC |
| 10 | THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: BATTLE OF THE SUPER-HEROES SC | $3.95 | JUN141629 | CAP |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | X-MEN LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES | MAR148025 | HAS |
| 2 | BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM: HARLEY QUINN STATUE | FEB140310 | DC |
| 3 | DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: STARGIRL STATUE | FEB140309 | DC |
| 4 | DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: RED HOOD ACTION FIGURE | FEB140306 | DC |
| 5 | DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: EARTH-2 BATMAN ACTION FIGURE | MAR140310 | DC |
| 6 | DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: STARFIRE ACTION FIGURE | FEB140307 | DC |
| 7 | TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES CLASSIC COLLECTOR FIGURES | MAY142439 | PLA |
| 8 | DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: ARSENAL ACTION FIGURE | FEB140308 | DC |
| 9 | DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: EARTH-2 SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURE | MAR140308 | DC |
| 10 | ARKHAM ASYLUM: THE JOKER/HARLEY QUINN/BATMAN/THE SCARECROW ACTION FIGURE 4-PACK | MAR140312 | DC |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY COMIC BOOSTER BRICK | JUN142657 | NEC |
| 2 | DC HEROCLIX: WAR OF LIGHT BOOSTER BRICK WAVE 2 | MAY142842 | NEC |
| 3 | MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION | OCT128266 | USA |
| 4 | DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MINIATURES SET ONE | APR142391 | NEC |
| 5 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY COMIC BOOSTERS | JUN142656 | NEC |
| 6 | RISK LEGACY | JUN118204 | HAS |
| 7 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: INHUMANS FAST FORCES PACK | JUN142659 | NEC |
| 8 | MUNCHKIN ADVENTURE TIME | JUN142638 | PSI |
| 9 | TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MONOPOLY | APR142388 | USA |
| 10 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2015 CORE SET INTRO DECKS | JUN142652 | WIZ |
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/1/2014
It looks like Marvel has done the utterly impossible by turning Guardians of the Galaxy—a movie based on an obscure SF team of misfits—in a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, $65 mil at the BO certified feel good movie of the summer.
And their also releasing a bunch of comics that will keep the characters as fresh on the page as the screen. Among them is Thanos: The Infinity Revelation, a standalone graphic novel by Jim Starlin, the greater of GotG mainstays such as Gamora and Thanos. To make sure movie fans are aware of the book, Marvel has just released a newly lettered preview of the book, which goes on ales next Wednesday, 8/6. The story features Thanos and Warlock in the kind of cosmos battle for life and death Starlin is best known for, with guest stars along the way: the Guardians of the Galaxy, Silver Surfer, the Badoon, the Annihilators and—because this is a book by Jim Starlin—Death.
The book is part of a new line of oversized, original Graphic novels—a genre Marvel hasn’t had much presence in in recent years, but one they are putting some muscle behind. THe book also includes a code for a digital edition redeemable via the Marvel Comics app or online at the Marvel Digital Comics Shop.
THANOS: THE INFINITY REVELATION OGN (APR140765)
Written by JIM STARLIN
Art & Cover by JIM STARLIN
On Sale 08/06/14!
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 5/23/2014
Here’s an upbeat note as we head into the three-day weekend. There had been some recent mini-kerfuffles between Marvel and artist Jim Starlin, whose cosmic comics throughout the 70 and 90s and creations Thanos, Gamora and so on are so so integral to Marvel’s future movie plans. Starlin was back at Marvel happily working on a bunch of projects, including a Thanos original GN. All seemed well, but then a brief dust-up flared, concerning Starlin not getting a mini-series approved because of Marvel continuity issues, and then some pushback from Tom Brevoort and…yeah a mini kerfuffle.
But according to Starlin’s FB page, it was just a temporary thing, and it’s all good once more:
I would like to let folks know that Marvel and I will be doing further work together. Details on future projects will have to wait until a more appropriate time. Just wanted everyone to know that all is good.
Starlin accompanied this post with an image of the Silver Surfer—co-star of Thanos: The Infinity Revelation—which could be a hint or just a pretty picture.
And now you know….the rest of the story.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/11/2013
We head into week two of Villains Month, with thirteen more titles out this week. Ranging from Harley Quinn and The Riddler through to Mongul and Black Manta, a theme seems to emerge this week – DON’T EVER GO INTO SPACE!
Follow the jump for every issue reviewed, from my least-favourite through to my favourite.
One thing that you should note is that some of the comics take place as part of Forever Evil – the Batman and Flash comics, it seems – whilst the Green Lantern/Superman issues are more general. So some issues follow on immediately from the first issue of the event, whilst others are more general stories. Keep that in mind as you buy the comics – they’ll all make sense, but some will be directly following on from the main story whilst others are unconnected origin stories.
Solomon Grundy
Matt Kindt (w), Aaron Lopresti (a), Art Thibert (i), Travis Lanham (l), Michael Atiyeh (c), Anthony Marques, Mike Cotton (e)
It feels like there’s a big missing section from this comic somewhere, which would help tie the two stories together. This is an origin story interweaved with a scene of Grundy causing chaos in the modern day, but the end of the comic leaves readers with a whole load of questions. The issue starts with the character crash-landing on Earth from outer space…. the origin sequence ends with Grundy being created, a hundred years ago, on Earth. So how did he end up in outer space, so he can subsequently crash back to Earth? No idea.
It’s a massively melodramatic story as well, veering almost immediately into complete manic camp – especially in the origin sequence, which is the craziest thing I’ve seen in a long time. It’s almost parody of itself. This is a bad comic, but at the same time? Enjoyable BECAUSE it’s so bad.
Brainiac
Tony Bedard (w), Pascal Alixe (a), Hi-Fi (c), John J. Hill (l), Rickey Purdin (e)
There’s a lot of horror in space this week, and Tony Bedard’s Brainiac story – although not really capturing the character’s intelligence – offers another imminent threat. Crucially though, I simply didn’t find any of what happened to be particularly interesting. Hi-Fi’s colours have picked a strange palette which makes every page into a fuzzy blur, like we’re watching an out-of-focus tv channel. Their decision muffles Pascal Alixe’s artwork significantly, and also seems to cause some real problems for the narrative. It’s quite hard to tell how some of the images relate to each other due to the colouring, especially when panels move around within a fixed space.
The story isn’t all that interesting either, explaining the duller parts of Brainiac without telling us anything about the cool bits – why don’t we get to find out the point of the pink disks he attaches to his head halfway through? What do those do, then?
Lobo
Marguerite Bennett (w), Ben Oliver, Cliff Richards (a), Daniel Brown (c), Sal Ciprano (l), Rickey Purdin (e)
I didn’t understand the ‘controversy’ about this issue, but the story itself doesn’t really help endear this new character to readers. Despite Simon Bisley’s Lobo on the front cover, the character doesn’t make an appearance anywhere in the story. This is, instead, about a younger, sleeker Lobo who speaks in the same way (Bennett’s script absolutely nails the dialogue) but doesn’t really get much of a chance to shock the reader. The story is slow and doesn’t go anywhere, and the whole point of Lobo, surely, is that he does outrageous and over-the-top things – this issue doesn’t give readers any of that craziness.
It’s not a bad comic, but it’s nowhere near as dynamic and enjoyable ridiculous as a Lobo story should be.
Zod
Greg Pak (w), Ken Lashley (a), Steve Wands (l), Pete Pantazis (c), Anthony Marques (e)
There’s a miniseries hidden inside an issue here, with Zod a character who has a lengthy backstory which struggles to be crammed inside a single issue. The main concern with this issue is that Pak simply can’t get the whole story into this issue, leaving us with an issue which leaps around in time and sequencing almost as random, leaving readers slightly confused as to what’s happening. Ken Lashley’s artwork manages to do some heroic efforts in this regard, however, establishing the alien world Zod surrounds himself in as a really bizarre, weird place to live in.
Lashley seems to be the perfect fit for an outer-space story, as he manages to design around five different outfits for Zod (like I say, the story races through time like a dervish) which all seem appropriate to his place in Krypton’s society and his role as a constant outsider to it. If this had been expanded into a longer piece of work, it could have made for an interesting tale. As it is, this is a story which is constantly rushing forward, and the reader falls behind sooner rather than later.
Trigon
Marv Wolfman (w), Cafu (a), Jason Wright (c), Steve Wands (l), Anthony Marques, Mike Cotton (e)
Marv Wolfman returns to a character he co-created and gives him an utterly horrific backstory and motivation which I presume will be setting up some future storyline in Teen Titans. This wasn’t a bad issue by any means – almost every issue this week seemed fine, at the very least – but it is a bit reliant on the central shock value of the character’s actions. If you strip out the villainy, I’m not sure I really felt a true sense of what the character’s ambitions are beyond ‘be horrible’.
Cafu and Jason Wright offer some brilliantly realised artwork, however – Wright’s colouring is especially fantastic, and ensures that this isn’t an issue which looks as grimy and dirty as it reads. There’s a brightness and vibrancy in the colouring which takes the character and makes him seem more impressive and powerful. The secondary characters are all muted, leaving Trigon the brightest character on each page.
Harley Quinn
Matt Kindt (w), Neil Googe (a), Wil Quintana (c), Taylor Esposito (l), Harvey Richards, Will Moss (e)
Remember how Harley Quinn is a terrible person wrapped up in a sweet and adorable harlequin bow? Matt Kindt’s issue reminds you that within that candy coating beats an evil, evil person. Struggling a little to connect the two halves of her personality to each, Kindt’s script eventually resorts to having the two narratives in her head shout at each other – which actually seems to fit her pretty well. This is a madcap issue, running at a very quick speed thanks to Neil Googe’s utterly wonderful artwork.
Googe steals the issue, in fact, emphasising the utter horror of Harley’s power fantasies during a particularly grim, extended joke sequence in which she acquires her new costume. There’s an overwhelming presence of character on the pages of the issue and it’s very good fun, even if it is rather aimlessly. The final page is a mega disappointment in that regard – it puts her back to square one for the New 52.
Mr Freeze
Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray (w), Jason Masters (a), Dave McCaig (c), Jared K. Fletcher (l), Darren Shan, Rachel Gluckstern (e)
Mr Freeze has gone through an interesting development during the New 52, in that Scott Snyder invalidated the whole ‘dead wife tragedy’ aspect in the character. With Nora now a distant memory, Palmiotti and Gray are left with the task of finding a new thing for the character to fixate on. That they magae to do so may well be the greatest triumph of the New 52 thus far.
The character was so heavily motivated by a need to protect his wife that a more straightforward villainous agenda feels beneath him, but the creative team here do their very best to work on the character and make this new aspect work. Their tactic is to make him so amoral and unfeeling as to be completely unpredictable, and McCaig’s colours assist this greatly. The bright red goggles, the only dynamic feature of Freeze, hide his eyes for the entire issue – a very effective tactic. It’s a solid issue.
Mongul
Jim Starlin (w), Howard Porter (a), Hi-Fi (c), Carlos M. Mangual (l), Kyle Andrukiewicz, Joey Cavalieri (e)
An excellent reimagining for the character which realises the original design doesn’t really need to be changed. The last I saw of Mongul, he had one eye and was terrorising the Green Lantern Corps. Here, though, the New 52 reimagines him as a military genius, living on a massive spaceship the size of a planet and defeating every force in his wya.
Starlin writes the issue as a celebratory monologue from the character, as he takes his latest defeated foe for a tour round his house and gloats about how easy victory is for him. On a character level, we now have a great sense of what Mongul is like and how his mind works. Starlin’s script is tight, but still allows the character to show himself off repeatedly; aided by some of the best art I’ve seen from Howard Porter, whose style usually puts me off.
Reverse Flash
Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato (w), Scott Hepburn (a), Buccellato (c), Carlos M. Mangual (l), Harvey Richards, Will Moss (e)
It wasn’t until the last page that I realised this wasn’t an issue DRAWN by Manapul, but was instead the work of Scott Hepburn. Coloured by Buccellato, Hepburn hurls himself wholly into this issue, producing some dynamic and wonderful pages with a zip and pace only Manapul himself could match. For the most part, this is an issue featuring the Reverse Flash as a regular person, and the pages reflect that with a blocky style. But whenever he transforms? Suddenly the pages explode apart with zagged borders and fractured panels.
It’s a fantastic showcase for Hepburn. As far as story – this is okay. It gets the idea across of the main character, but in doing so it accidentally breaks one of the supporting characters. By establishing Reverse Flash as a sympathetic figure, it has to make his sister – Iris, perhaps you’ve heard of her – seem rather cruel. I didn’t buy that, particularly. As this is, however, essentially an advert/prelude to the next big arc on The Flash, perhaps the team will be able to sort that out later.
Court of Owls
James Tynion IV (w), Jorge Lucas (a), Dave McCaig (c), Steve Wands (l), Katie Kubert (e)
A paranoia thriller of a one-shot, here James Tynion IV lets loose with the conspiracy angle of the Court of Owls and manages to just-about put their ship back on water. Which is a strange metaphor to use, but I’ve written ten reviews about villains already and my mind hurts. The Court of Owls were an interesting idea which didn’t quite hit the target during Scott Snyder’s original story, but here Tynion manages to get the concept together and make it seem plausible that they would exist.
Jorge Lucas and Dave McCaig nail the issue, absolutely. Coupled with the disturbing white-on-black lettering from Wands, the issue manages to create an investing and fascinating tonal style which gives the concept of a secret society in Gotham a feeling of realism. There is one panel where Lucas misses this mark and creates an unintentionally funny moment, but overall this is an engaging issue.
Black Manta
Geoff Johns, Tony Bedard (w), Claude St. Aubin (a,/i), Blond (c), Carlos M. Mangual, Taylor Esposito (l), Kate Stewart, Brian Cunningham (e)
The most interesting aspect of Forever Evil is undoubtedly that several of the villains seem to have immediate plans to overthrow the Society of Super Villains and go their own way. This is once more the case with Black Manta, and the character seems primed for an interesting future following this issue.
Following Geoff Johns’ plot, Tony Bedard quickly sketches the basics of the character’s personality despite the book being heavily connected to Forever Evil. At least half the issue is working through the events of Forever Evil #1 from Manta’s perspective, expanding his role and motivations within a narrative we’ve already seen unfold. As a result, this is an issue which requires the reader to have seen the main event in order to get the most out of it. But, if you have, what follows is a surprisingly effective character issue.
The bulk of this story is based around the enmity between Black Manta and Aquaman, which makes one scene towards the end particularly effective – where Manta has the choice between two objects, and picks one over the other. It may be a little slight, but Black Manta is a quick and fun piece of the Forever Evil storyline, and shines a spotlight on a character who has seen significant growth over the last year.
Killer Frost
Sterling Gates (w), Derlis Santacruz (a), Brett Smith (c), Dave Sharpe (l), Kate Stewart, Brian Cunningham (e)
Killer Frost is a proper done-in-one horror story which then trails into the DC Universe right at the end, and is all the better for it. If Villains Month is proving anything, it’s that a lot of American writers struggle to create a proper done-in-one issue. Killer Frost – and the final issue of this month – are perhaps the two best exceptions to that rule, thus far. Sterling Gates and Derlis Santacruz take a note right out of Whiteout and The Thing, by stranding the central character in an Arctic Colony where people are acting suspiciously.
The majority of the issue is spent with her before she becomes a super-powered villainess, and as a result we get a real feel of her and her motivations, making her a sympathetic protagonist. When things go wrong, we get to experience John Carpenter-in-reverse, with Santacruz offering some exceptional suspense work which shows just enough of the violence to get the concept across – without ever showing so much that the comic feels gratuitous.
And when the issue moves into the DC Universe proper, Gates reconnects the character with her most well-known opponent, but adds a new wrinkle to their enmity which again serves her brilliantly. I knew nothing of the character before – now I’m excited to see where she moves next.
Riddler
Scott Snyder, Ray Fawkes (w), Jeremy Haun (a), John Rausch (c), Taylor Esposito (l), Katie Kubert (e)
The Riddler finally gets a showstopping sense of definition at DC, as Scott Snyder and Ray Fawkes take the character and evolve him into a fully-formed, unpredictable theorist. Creating several rather clever riddles (I only guessed two out of five) and leaving them on the first page of the issue, readers are then asked to work out how these five riddles are going to allow the character to complete his goal of breaking into Wayne Tower.
This is gripping stuff, with Haun’s artwork methodically detailing the character’s movements and body language. There’s a moment where the character plays golf halfway through the issue which is a brilliantly quirky detail, and demonstrates just what makes him so fun to root for. There’s a playfulness in this violent and mentally ill supergenius, and Fawkes’ script allows the character several interesting new tics and ideas. Riddler comes off as evil, but in a way which suits his high intelligence levels – he’s a bag of tics and fears and arrogance, shaken up and then let loose into the world.
Taylor Esposito’s lettering is a great asset to the story also. If the reveal of each riddle weren’t placed as perfectly as Esposito places them here, the issue would fall flat, regardless of the great script, art, and colouring. Esposito carefully works out how to set up each page, creating a seamless reading experience for the reader. It’s really a tremendous issue. I’m biased because I have a previous love for the character… but this issue took everything I like about him and made it sing.
Here are the numbers:
* four books directly follow from Forever Evil – including all the Batman books, aside from The Court of Owls.
* eight have no connection to Forever Evil whatsoever
* there is no origin story for Lobo or The Riddler
* Batman created by Bob Kane, Court of Owls created by Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo, Aquaman created by Paul Norris, Mongul created by Len Win/Jim Starlin, Harley Quinn created by Paul Dini/Bruce Timm, Superman created by Jerry Siegel/Joe Shuster, Lobo created by Roger Slifer/Keith Giffen, Trigon created by Marv Wolfman/George Perez
Who is this “Jim Starland” you speak of? And does he know Chelsea Cain or Chelsea Caine?
They are all residents of typo land, which I am the ruler of.
Wait, did you not pick up The Vision? It might be the best comic at the Big Two, period.
Of course I picked up The Vision! This column examines new #1’s and the books that I occasionally missed in my ongoing adventure into exploring the All-New, All-Different line as a whole. Here’s my first thoughts on vision back when the line was first launching:
http://www.comicsbeat.com/all-new-all-different-marvel-rundown-week-five/
Did you check out Mockingbird yet?
What does it mean for a Marvel characters to be relevant?