Review – Hellboy in Hell #1 and #2

Graphic Policy

I’ve been a relative newcomer when it comes to the world of Hellboy. I’ve been reading the B.P.R.D. mini-series and saw the movies. I’ve read one or two of the early trades, so when it comes to the whole Hellboy actually in Hell part, that’s news to me. I know it happened, but didn’t read the story… so with that being the case I read the first two issues of this series wondering where it was going to go. So, to sum it all up for folks, Hellboy sacrificed himself while protecting the world and has wound up in Hell (couldn’t figure that last part out from the title, could you?).

I figured the first two issues and the series as a whole would be a battle against demons as Hellboy attempts to make his way back to the living. But, it’s not that. Not even close. Think more “this…

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Monstrology

-Creative Pixels-

I was one of the lucky ones to be able to work with a great group of talented people on Monstrology, an anthology that mixes and matches monsters in new milieus that bring out new and interesting twists on the monsters and their victims.

The View of Mumbichi Valley by Walt Mancing & Horacio Lalia

Troll Behavior by Andrew Foley & G. Gerald Garcia

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Preview: Godzilla: Half Century War #4

The Dynamic Buzz!

New technologies and new recruits lead the AMF now, while Ota and Kentaro are stuck watching. But when a new threat comes to town from space, technology and young blood mean nothing. Will the grizzled vets be able to save the day? Don’t miss this action packed issue, it’ll have you seeing three Godzillas!

STORY BY: James Stokoe

ART BY: James Stokoe

COVER BY: James Stokoe

PUBLISHER: IDW

COVER PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE DATE: Wed, January 2nd, 2013

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Neil Gaiman’s “Make Good Art” Speech to Come to Print in May 2013

Pastrami Nation

“If you make mistakes, it means you’re out there doing something.”

Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite authors and the man behind DC Comics The Sandman, as well as the epic American Gods, gave a riveting speech to the University of the Arts Class of 2012. Now, HarperCollins announced that they will bring his speech to the printed page in May 2013, with a book beautifully designed by Chip Kidd. Make Good Art will hit stores May 14th, and I will be there on day one to get it.

Haven’t heard the speech? Check it out below, lots of great advice from a man who has done it all, done everything I hope to accomplish one day.

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The full run of Wimmen’s Comix

women's comix

All 17 issues of Wimmen’s Comix are on display now at the San Francisco Public Library, along with original artwork from the comic books, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the seminal anthology.

The show will be up through February 7, 2013. For more information on the show, visit the library’s website here.

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Executive Assistant Assassins #7 Preview. Coming January 16th from Aspen Comics.

The Laughing Magician – A review of John Constantine, Hellblazer Issue #2

Geek Activate

Title A Feast of Friends originally published Feb ’88

Written by Jamie  Delano art by John Ridgway

Location : New York

Time : November ’87

This is the issue that we really see what kind of man Constantine can be; a true and right bastard.  However we are made to feel for him because he’s doing the only thing he can do in the situation.

A hunger demon is loose about NYC making people become consumed by their own hungers and desire.  There is a neat panel where A man chokes himself on classic comic books (in the panel are the issues Action Comics and Watchmen, which was about a year to two years old at this point and a nod to Constantine creator Alan Moore).  The only thing Constantine can do is entice the demon to re-enter John’s friend who released it in the first place.  We see John…

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Aspen Comics Reveals the Full 10 for 10!

Comic Review: Daredevil: End of Days #4

The Pop Cultist

Daredevil: End of Days #4 delves deeper into the ugly underbelly of New York City as reporter Ben Urich continues to follow Matt Murdoch’s last days, and his last word, “Mapone.”

Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack have really captured the spirit and tone of the hardboiled detective story, and putting it against the tarnished shine of a murdered superhero seems to make it all the more depressing for its loss of idealism. It’s more of the deliciously dour here as Bendis and Mack continue to raise more questions than answers.

Issue #4 takes Ben Urich to the bullet-riddled apartment of the recently deceased Bullseye, then drags him deeper into the muck by sending him to a strip club called Visions.

Depressing as this comic is, the fast-forward in time gives the Visions scene a great opportunity to wink at the past. All the dancers are dressed like Marvel heroines…

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New Avengers 1 review

healed1337

Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers 1 and 2 are mostly just build-up. Apart from the villains, there isn’t any character work so far. It’s exciting build up, but it feels a bit dry in some ways. This issue is also build up towards the New Avengers Illuminati series, but the core of this issue is its lead character, Black Panther. For the most part this issue is great, but it’s not flawless.

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Morbius: The Living Vampire 1 review

healed1337

Morbius has existed in Marvel Comics since 1971 – shortly after the comic code allowed vampires. While he was initially a villain, he’s since become more of an anti-hero/anti-villain (depending on when you ask). As this issue describes, he’s vampire-ish. This series has a lot of potential to be the most unique of all the Marvel Now titles, and for the most part it’s off to a decent start.

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All New X-Men 5 review

healed1337

As good as Brian Michael Bendis’s All New X-Men has been so far, each issue seems to focus on a completely different set of characters. It’s a risky move when you’re writing a team book and I hope it will feel more focused once Uncanny X-Men kicks off. Despite that, this series has been a pleasant surprise so far.

The first focused almost exclusively on current Beast. The second focused on all five of the original X-Men. The third focused on current Cyclops’s group and the fourth was about … pretty much everyone. Aside from some off-character moments in issue 3 and Bendis unnecessarily humiliating Wolverine, the characterization has been very strong so far. Issue 4 in particular was brilliant, as the original teenaged x-men confronted Cyclops’s team directly. This issue focuses almost exclusively on young Jean Grey and both versions of Beast, and it’s the best issue of the…

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The Pull List: Must Read Comics of 1/2/2012

Funk's House of Geekery

Hellboy in Hell #2

By: Mike Mignola, Dave Stewart

Publisher” Dark Horse

Price: $2.99

The Lowdown: The first issue of Hellboy in Hell was an amazing ride. With Mignola back on drawing duties for a character he created, he is not holding back at all. The visuals are so cool and Hellboy is just in total wheelhouse mode.

American Vampire #34

By: Scott Snyder, Francesco Francavilla, Rafael Albuquerque

Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo Imprint

Price: $2.99

The Lowdown: I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t crazy about The Blacklist storyline. That said, Snyder never just does anything. It all seems to have purpose and long term consequences. Now, with the status quo shaking storyline over, we are seeing the first issue of a new day in American Vampire.

Fury Of Firestorm The Nuclear Men #15

By: Dan Jurgens

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $2.99

The Lowdown: I haven’t really followed Firestorm. 52 books…

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New Avengers #1

capekiller

New Avengers has been one of my consistently favourite books over the past seven years.  I have loved the rebel nature of the team, and really enjoyed watching them grow through the “Big Events” of the Marvel U.  In fact, I would have to say, that this is one of the few books that actually fared well throughout all of the events.  So how does this re-launch compare to its original counterpart from 2005?  Unfortunately, not well!

Marvel has been dropping hints for months now that this new New Avengers title was going to reintroduce readers to the idea of the Illuminati. As this is easily one of my favourite all-time New Avengers story ideas, you can imagine my excitement!  I mean, I have always found it rather common sense that a small group of the world’s greatest superhero minds would secretly come together to decide the fate of the 616

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Review: Amazing Spider-Man #700

I Got Issues...

Title: Amazing Spider-Man #700

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Cost: $7.99

Storytellers: Dying Wish: Suicide Run: Dan Slott (writer), Humberto Ramos (pencils) and Victor Olazaba (inks); Spider-Dreams: J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (pencils) and Sal Buscema (inks); Date Night: Jen Van Meter (writer) and Stephanie Buscema (pencils)

NOTE: I have not read a Spider-Man comic since the One More Day storyline, which erased Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson’s marriage from continuity, and therefore have very little knowledge of the storyarcs from the past few years. Also, this review WILL contain SPOILERS, you’ve been warned!

At the start of Dying Wish, Doc Ock has ALREADY switched bodies with Peter and is trying to hook-up with MJ (I didn’t realize she was still in the books). We soon learn that Doc Ock (Peter) has broken out of jail with the help of the Scorpion (who is back in the Scorpion-suit and not…

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Marvel NOW! – Review Post .1

Sparrows with Machineguns

HA! Take that Marvel! You aren’t the only one who can use the bullshit “.1” numbering system!

Not all Marvel NOW! titles will be restarting with a #1, as some are new enough to not require the renumbering. These following titles are the continuing series that I feel are good enough to bring to your attention and should not be lost in the shuffle of new premiere comics.

Captain Marvel

“You all right?” 

“You kidding me? I’m the best.”

Ah, Carol Danvers, we love you. For years your fans have been saying you needed a series to show you the love you deserved and here it is, and it is breathtaking.

The series starts off with Captain America and Ms. Marvel fighting side by side and Captain America trying to convince her to take on the Captain Marvel name, as Mar-Vell is now gone and since she has always…

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Batman: Noel — A Holiday Story for Batman Fans

Dakster903

When I first heard about Batman: Noel, I thought it was going to be a complete retelling of A Christmas Carol and in a way it was. The narrator tells the famous Charles Dickens tale as best as he can, while we watch Batman have some similar experiences to Ebeneezer Scrooge. In the place of the spirits, we have three individuals who make their presence known to the Dark Knight.

The story opens with the narrator telling us a little about himself and how he first heard the story. We see a man following instructions in a note and running for dear life from the Batman. After threatning the man and letting him go, Bruce heads back to the cave to spy on him with the tracking device he placed on the man’s shirt. It turns out the man has a child and Batman couldn’t care less about what…

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The Laughing Magician – A review of John Constantine : Hellblazer, an introduction and issue #1

Geek Activate

Hellblazer has been my favorite comic book for some time now.  I can’t seem to remember how exactly I got into it but I have every issue.  The series is Vertigo’s (DC mature line of comics) longest running title and much to my despair is ending this February (2013).  I have decided to go back and read an issue a day (or there so about) and review them, trying to really capture and excogitate on what makes John Constantine so wonderful a character to me.  Up until recently DC had published inconsistent trade-paperbacks of the series, missing many issues right in the middle of the run.  Currently DC has re-issued a new set of volumes reprinting the full series in order (previous trades would have maybe issues 16-19, 22, & 24 for example, never printing issues 20, 21 & 23).  The most current volume (4) brings us only to issue…

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DEADPOOL VS. CAT by Reilly Brown

Earth's Mightiest Blog

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Covers of the Week 12/26/12

The Speech Bubble

It is time for the best covers from the week that was. A quick reminder: only comics that I personally have purchased qualify for this piece. If a title contains more than one cover, only the one I own is taken into consideration. Now without further ado:

Third PlaceAvenging Spider-Man #15.1
Paolo Rivera delivered one brilliant cover this week in this homage to the Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus relationship. Instead of copying and pasting the various iconic moments/comic covers they have been involved in, Paolo made the  commendable choice of redrawing these events and putting his own spin to them while still maintaining that retro look. I also love that these moments are being reflected in one of Doc Ock’s tentacles and that by having his claw grip a torn shred of Spider-Man’s costume it successfully creates a foreboding tone. The premise and the cover itself are truly great because it looks…

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