COMICS
SEP110963 21ST CENTURIONS TP NEW CLEAR DAY $19.95
NOV110801 7 WARRIORS #3 (OF 3) (MR) $3.99
OCT111215 AMAZING AGENT JENNIFER GN VOL 02 $10.99
OCT110810 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #225 $3.99
OCT111191 ASTERIX OMNIBUS SC VOL 11 NEW PTG $19.95
SEP111234 AYE TAKEO WEBCOMIC COLL TP $12.99
OCT111137 BEFORE THE INCAL CLASSIC COLL DLX HC (MR) $99.95
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SEP110695 CRYPT OF HORROR #13 $29.95
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OCT111080 DF AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #1 HAESER REMARK ED $49.99
SEP111071 DF FLASH GORDON ZEITGEIST #1 EX VIRGIN CVR $12.99
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AUG111035 DF WOLVERINE & X-MEN #1 ROMITA SR SGN ED $50.00
SEP111247 FALL GN $7.99
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SEP110750 JIM HENSONS DARK CRYSTAL HC VOL 01 CREATION MYTHS $19.95
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MAY110901 POLITICAL POWER JON STEWART $3.99
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NOV110831 STAN LEES SOLDIER ZERO TRAVELER STARBORN #1 SGN VAR SET $399.99
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MAGAZINES
AUG111760 BRICKJOURNAL #17 $8.95
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OCT111357 SFX #217 $10.99
NOV111254 STAR WARS FIG COLL MAG #43 SNOWTROOPER $14.00
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Hyde & Closer: Window
I read Hyde & Closer, Vol. 7
I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps and comics).
I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps and comics).
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Review: Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives Volume 4
DARK HORSE BOOKS
WRITERS: John Warner, Gary Poole
ARTISTS: Carlos Garzón, Frank Bolle
INTRODUCTION: Arthur Lortie
ISBN: 978-1-59582-717-3; hardcover
224pp, Color, $49.99 U.S., $54.99 CAN
Flash Gordon and the science fiction, newspaper comic strip that shares his name debuted on January 7, 1934. Created by Alex Raymond, the strip followed the adventures of Gordon and his companions, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov, on the planet Mongo. There, they battle the evil despot, Ming the Merciless.
The first Flash Gordon comic books were published in the 1930s and 1940s and were reprints of the comic strip. In the 1940s, Dell Comics began publishing Flash Gordon comic books with original stories from the mid-1940s to the early 1950s
Published by Dark Horse Books, Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives is reprinting Flash Gordon comic books that were produced by various publishers, including Dell Comics and Charlton Comics. Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives Volume 4 reprints Flash Gordon #19-27, which were published by Gold Key Comics from 1978 to 1980. Prior to Gold Key, there had not been a Flash Gordon comic book series since Charlton Comics’ Flash Gordon #18 hit newsstands in 1970.
According to the introduction to this volume by Arthur Lortie, Gordon’s nemesis, Ming the Merciless, was deposed as ruler of the planet, Mongo, in the 1930/40s continuity of the comics strip. Gold Key Comics staff writer, John David Warner restores Ming to power and returns Gordon, and his companions, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov, to Mongo to battle Ming. Warner sends the three on an odyssey through Mongo’s myriad regions as they try to build a coalition of kingdoms to defeat Ming.
Warner wrote issues #19-24, and writer/editor Gary T. Poole wrote the last three issues of the Gold Key series, #25-27. Columbian-born comic book artist and comics illustrator, Carlos Garzón drew every issue of the Gold Key series, except for two issues. Garzón was also an assistant to Al Williamson, a noted Flash Gordon comic book artist who had grown up idolizing Flash Gordon creator, Alex Raymond. The two issues not drawn by Garzón were drawn by New York City-born and bred artist and illustrator, Frank Bolle.
I received a review copy of Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives Volume 4 because Dark Horse was doing some shelf cleaning, getting rid of some books to make way for review copies of newer titles. I didn’t expect to like this because I mistakenly associated Gold Key Comics with substandard material, mainly because it has been decades since I’ve read a Gold Key comic book. I was wrong to prejudge these Flash Gordon comic books because I actually had a great time reading them.
Warner and Poole stick to the pulp fiction and weird fiction roots of Flash Gordon without being hokey. These are smoothly-written sword-and-fantasy tales that recall Silver Age DC science fiction and fantasy comic book titles. Both writers build tension by spinning Flash Gordon’s fiery, man-of-action nature: never use words when fists can be just as articulate, in diverse conflict scenarios. That is contrasted against the personalities of Gordon’s co-stars. Dale Arden is quick to lay her head on Gordon’s strong chest, but she is something of a woman-of-action herself. Combine her with the eccentric Zarkov, who is also not above kicking some butt, and the Gold Key Flash Gordon is unpredictable. This is because the co-stars are not window dressing simply meant to make Gordon look like the great White hero; Arden and Zarkov are also capable of moving the story forward and resolving problems.
Plus, Warner and Poole are quite inventive when it comes to creating settings and plots. Two that stand out for me are. Flash Gordon #21’s “Wolf in the Fold” is rousing political suspense thriller and moving love story (surrogate father and son). “The Enchanted City” from issue #27 is quirky and engaging.
Both series artists produce good work. Carlos Garzón’s compositional style and design recall both Raymond and Williamson, especially the latter. In many ways, the art is Williamson-inspired or has his visual sensibilities. Garzón’s art on issues #19-20 is not good. After a two-issue break, he returns in Flash Gordon #23 and hits his stride with his best Williamson-inspired work.
However, I prefer Frank Bolle’s two-issue run (#21-22). His solid figure drawing and draftsmanship give Warner’s scripts, for those two issues, added dramatic heft. Perhaps, I like Bolle’s work here so much because it reminds me of one of my favorite artists, the late and still great, Gil Kane.
I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this collection. I think Flash Gordon fans should definitely consider either purchasing this pricey volume or finding the originals through online dealers. The “pleasant surprises,” like this one are the books that justify archive editions.
B+
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
I Reads You Review: BATMAN AND ROBIN: Batman Reborn – The Deluxe Edition
DC COMICS
WRITER: Grant Morrison
PENCILS: Frank Quitely, Philip Tan
INKS: Frank Quitely, Jonathan Glapion
COLORS: Alex Sinclair, Pete Pantazis
LETTERS: Patrick Brosseau
EXTRA ART: Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, J.G. Jones, Andy Kubert with Chris Chuckry, Tony S. Daniel with Ian Hannin
COVER: Frank Quitely and Alex Sinclair
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2566-7; hardcover
168pp, Color, $24.99 U.S., $29.99 CAN
I see the last 26 years of DC Comics as an onslaught of events, launches, re-launches, etc., especially the last 10 years. It seems as if the powers at DC and also the writers, artists, and editors who are looked upon with favor have been restarting, destroying, making-over, re-imagining, revamping, re-jiggering and remaking every corner of the DC Universe, every character in the DC catalog, and every page of comics ever published by DC Comics.
Out of the 2008-09 conflagration that was “Batman: R.I.P.,” Final Crisis, and “Battle for the Cowl,” came a new Batman comic book series, Batman and Robin. Bruce Wayne was no longer Batman. Bruce was dead/missing/lost in time and the Bat-mantle was picked up by the original Robin, Richard “Dick” Grayson, and the new Robin (#4) was Damian Wayne, Batman and Talia al Ghul’s lovechild.
The new Batman and Robin debuted in Batman and Robin #1 (cover date August 2009). The series was created by Grant Morrison and the first three issues were drawn by Morrison’s All-Star Superman collaborator, Frank Quitely. Like All-Star Superman and the other Morrison/Quitely joint, New X-Men, Batman and Robin was snazzy and jazzy compared to the dark-dark that has mostly been Batman since Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. The Richard Grayson Batman is light-hearted and more conscious about violence and the Damian Wayne Robin is more like the scowling, Dirty Harry Batman.
The first six issues of Batman and Robin (which was re-launched during DC Comics’ “The New 52), are collected in the 2010 hardcover, Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn – The Deluxe Edition. The book collects two storylines: “Batman Reborn” (#1-3) and “Revenge of the Red Hood” (#4-6); the latter is penciled by Philip Tan. The book also includes a 16-page section in the back of the book, entitled “Batman Redrawn” which includes art, character and costume designs, and some text about the creation, graphics, and design of the new series.
Originally, I only read the first issue of the series. I thought it was excellent, and it reminded me of the start-off-with-a-bang that was Morrison and Quitely’s New X-Men #114 (cover date July 2001). Rereading Batman and Robin #1 for the first time in over two years, I have to admit that I didn’t find it as sparkly as I did the first time. That surprises me because every time I reread New X-Men #114, which I do every few years, I love it as much as I did the first time. And boy, did I love it.
In “Batman Reborn,” the new Dynamic Duo takes on Professor Pyg, a villain with a predilection for changing people’s faces. He is the boss of an extreme circus based in Europe, but he is also a creator of and dealer in designer drugs. “Revenge of the Red Hood” pits Batman and Robin against rivals who want to replace them, Red Hood and Scarlet. The twist is that Red Hood was Robin #2, the tragic Jason Todd. Todd, who claims to want to really cleanup Gotham City, actually brings more trouble to the city with his antics.
Although it ultimately goes out with a whimper, the “Batman Reborn” storyline is imaginative. It’s not Morrison’s best work (The Invisibles), but it is some of the most colorful and inventive Batman comics, probably since the Batman comic books of the 1950s and 1960s. Quitely’s intricate line work in All-Star Superman needed color to give it texture and form. In “Batman Reborn,” ragged brushwork pushes Alex Sinclair’s colors aside, so that the color is just that – color. Quitely’s artwork would look lovely reprinted as a black and white comic book. The clotted blacks and scratchy lines give Batman and his Gotham City milieu a screwy, but unique neo-Noir touch.
“Revenge of the Red Hood” is hodge-podge of character conflicts that don’t interest me enough to analyze them. The art by the usually good Philip Tan is ugly. With that in mind, overall, I think of this collection, Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn – The Deluxe Edition, as being another DC Comics event that does not live up to the hype or to some readers’ expectations (like mine). This isn’t essential Batman or essential Grant Morrison, but Batman and Morrison fans will want to sample it.
B
2012 Eagle Awards Open for Nominations
Nominations Open for 2012 Eagle Awards
Do you want to boost the profile of your favourite comic of 2011? Would you like the opportunity to shine the spotlight on those artists and writers who really grabbed your attention last year? Well, now’s the time!
Nominations are now open for the 2012 round of the world-famous Eagle Awards. They will remain open until midnight (GMT) on 1 February... and if you want to make your voice heard, the sooner you head on over to http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/ the better.
Once the nominations close, the top five nominations in each category will be verified before being moved forward to the voting round. That gets underway on 15 February, so let us know who you want to see honoured this year!
The 2012 awards will be presented on Friday, 25 May at the MCM London Comic Con, which this year runs from 25-27 May at Excel London. Once again, the big night will also be streamed live to the world via http://www.mcmbuzz.com/
Introduced in 1976, the Eagles are the comics industry’s most prestigious fan-selected awards, giving the entire comics community the opportunity to vote for the finest publications and brightest talent of the past year, with categories covering the whole world of comics, including manga, movies and web comics.
“All nominees will be invited to the Awards Ceremony with the winners offered the opportunity to give an acceptance speech,” commented Eagle Awards chair Cassandra Conroy. “The full list of 2012 winners will be released to the world at midnight on 26 May.”
For general Eagle Awards enquiries, please contact info@eagleawards.co.uk
For press information/interviews, please contact press@eagleawards.co.uk
To buy tickets to the MCM London Comic Con at Excel London on 26-28 May, please visit: https://www.mcmexpostore.com/store/
ABOUT THE EAGLE AWARDS:
Introduced in 1976, the Eagles are the comics industry’s longest established awards. Acknowledged as the pre-eminent international prizes, they have been featured on the covers of leading US and UK titles across the last 28 years ranging from Uncanny X-Men and Swamp Thing to MAD Magazine and 2000 AD.
Unique in the comics industry in that they reflect both the professional and the reader’s choice, the Eagle Awards consists of two distinct stages:
(i) A Nominations Round allows the entire comics community to choose their favourites.
(ii) The top five nominations then appear on the voting form for the readers and fans to choose from, thus focusing the voting public on the main contenders resulting in no wasted votes.
ABOUT THE MCM LONDON COMIC CON:
MCM London Comic Con is organized by the MCM Expo Group as one of a number of pop culture events in their portfolio. London Comic Con is supported by major media companies such as Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros., Disney, Nintendo, Manga Entertainment, SFX and NEO to name but a few.
Taking place each May and October at London’s massive ExCeL exhibition centre, the MCM London Comic Con is now the main focus and must-be event for UK fans and industry to attend to promote new releases and forthcoming productions whether comics, movies, videogames, DVDs or books.
Over the last decade, the MCM London Comic Con has grown into the one UK show that is not to be missed. To find out more, visit http://www.londoncomiccon.net/
Web: http://www.mcmexpo.net/
Mailing Address: MCM Expo Group, PO Box 38727, London, E10 7YH, UK
FOLLOW:
www.twitter.com/mcmexpo
FRIEND:
www.facebook.com/mcmexpo
WATCH:
www.youtube.com/mcmexpo
Do you want to boost the profile of your favourite comic of 2011? Would you like the opportunity to shine the spotlight on those artists and writers who really grabbed your attention last year? Well, now’s the time!
Nominations are now open for the 2012 round of the world-famous Eagle Awards. They will remain open until midnight (GMT) on 1 February... and if you want to make your voice heard, the sooner you head on over to http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/ the better.
Once the nominations close, the top five nominations in each category will be verified before being moved forward to the voting round. That gets underway on 15 February, so let us know who you want to see honoured this year!
The 2012 awards will be presented on Friday, 25 May at the MCM London Comic Con, which this year runs from 25-27 May at Excel London. Once again, the big night will also be streamed live to the world via http://www.mcmbuzz.com/
Introduced in 1976, the Eagles are the comics industry’s most prestigious fan-selected awards, giving the entire comics community the opportunity to vote for the finest publications and brightest talent of the past year, with categories covering the whole world of comics, including manga, movies and web comics.
“All nominees will be invited to the Awards Ceremony with the winners offered the opportunity to give an acceptance speech,” commented Eagle Awards chair Cassandra Conroy. “The full list of 2012 winners will be released to the world at midnight on 26 May.”
For general Eagle Awards enquiries, please contact info@eagleawards.co.uk
For press information/interviews, please contact press@eagleawards.co.uk
To buy tickets to the MCM London Comic Con at Excel London on 26-28 May, please visit: https://www.mcmexpostore.com/store/
ABOUT THE EAGLE AWARDS:
Introduced in 1976, the Eagles are the comics industry’s longest established awards. Acknowledged as the pre-eminent international prizes, they have been featured on the covers of leading US and UK titles across the last 28 years ranging from Uncanny X-Men and Swamp Thing to MAD Magazine and 2000 AD.
Unique in the comics industry in that they reflect both the professional and the reader’s choice, the Eagle Awards consists of two distinct stages:
(i) A Nominations Round allows the entire comics community to choose their favourites.
(ii) The top five nominations then appear on the voting form for the readers and fans to choose from, thus focusing the voting public on the main contenders resulting in no wasted votes.
ABOUT THE MCM LONDON COMIC CON:
MCM London Comic Con is organized by the MCM Expo Group as one of a number of pop culture events in their portfolio. London Comic Con is supported by major media companies such as Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros., Disney, Nintendo, Manga Entertainment, SFX and NEO to name but a few.
Taking place each May and October at London’s massive ExCeL exhibition centre, the MCM London Comic Con is now the main focus and must-be event for UK fans and industry to attend to promote new releases and forthcoming productions whether comics, movies, videogames, DVDs or books.
Over the last decade, the MCM London Comic Con has grown into the one UK show that is not to be missed. To find out more, visit http://www.londoncomiccon.net/
Web: http://www.mcmexpo.net/
Mailing Address: MCM Expo Group, PO Box 38727, London, E10 7YH, UK
FOLLOW:
www.twitter.com/mcmexpo
FRIEND:
www.facebook.com/mcmexpo
WATCH:
www.youtube.com/mcmexpo
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