Random MoCCA Festival 2009 Photos

Commentary on MoCCA 2009 to appear in tomorrow's "When Words Collide" column. Now I just have to write it.

Batman and Robin and Seaguy Hit THE SPLASH PAGE

Chad Nevett and I couldn't resist talking about Grant Morrison comics when two of them shipped on the same day. So that's what we did:

Chad Nevett: Oh my god, we're discussing Grant Morrison again! What a surprise! I am so shocked! This never happens! Ever! Seriously! Er... so... yeah... "Batman and Robin" #1 and "Seaguy" #3. Want to kick things off, Tim?

Tim Callahan: "Batman and Robin" #1? Oh, did that come out?

Honestly, I haven't been anticipating a comic this much since "Final Crisis" #7, how about you?

The first thing that pops to mind is, "yeah, had Quitely drawn all of Morrison's 'Batman' run, our brains would not have been able to handle the awesomeness." Boy, is he the perfect guy to take this Morrisonian weirdness and make it sing. And, yeah, this issue immediately renders all of "Battle for the Cowl" moot, filling in just enough plot details to get everyone up to speed, and then jumping right into the action. This is definitely a much more accessible Morrison Batman comic, with very little in the way of subtext beyond the Dick/Damian relationship and the new strangeness descending on Gotham in the absence of Bruce Wayne. But Morrison's "Batman" run started out simple too, with a Man-Bat Ninja attack and the introduction of his hitherto-unknown son. I think people forget that when they complain about the dense and indecipherable earlier Morrison Batman comics (which, as we both know, were slightly dense but hardly indecipherable). Still, this is a "Batman and Robin" comic for everyone to enjoy. I didn't even miss Jamie Grant's colors as much as I thought I would -- Alex Sinclair does a nice, bold job with the color palatte here, and perhaps Grant would have made it too ephemeral for a Batman comic (although I probably shouldn't assume that, since a pro like Grant would have changed his approach to suit this series).

As much as I liked "Batman and Robin" #1, I think I prefered "Seaguy" #3, though. "Batman and Robin" #1 was great and all, but it seemed to be pretty much exactly what I expected going in -- based on the preview art and the interviews. I never know what to expect from "Seaguy," and this final issue (of the middle series) had it all: action, madness, thrills, nonsense, satire, and most of all, romance! I loved the heck out of this "Seaguy" series. What about you? "Batman and Robin" #1 or "Seaguy" #3? What takes the Nevett Award for Best Morrison Comic of Early June?

CN: Yeah, "Seaguy" was the better comic. I was looking forward to "Batman and Robin" more, but "Seaguy" is just too damn good for a lighter superhero book to really match up. And "Batman and Robin" is very much a light superhero book -- a very good one, but, in many ways, I don't think it quite matches up to what Morrison did up until this point on "Batman." As you said, it's very superficial and lacking in subtext, which is fine and good, but a book like that is always going to look inferior next to one that is so rich and deep like "Seaguy." I love both, but one is going to get reread this weekend and the other isn't.

Actually, there's something about "Batman and Robin" that felt off for me. I didn't mention it in my review of the issue, because I was going for something a bit more objective -- and because I haven't been able to figure out what feels off yet. Maybe it's the lack of subtext. In many ways, this comic feels too easy, too self-explanatory. Too unchallenging. One of the things that we've loved about Morrison's "Batman" run has been that it demands that the reader step up and engage the comic in a far more active way than he or she usually would. Now, maybe we'll discover later that there really was tons of stuff going on here -- because, as you said, Morrison's "Batman" run began similarly -- but, I was maybe just expecting more. That said, "Batman and Robin" is a very smart, well-executed comic that reads briskly. I don't think it's as groundshaking as others have said, but it's a very strong start to this book and this new dynamic duo. Are you missing the subtext like I am?

To Be Continued at GraphiContent!

Review: Astonishing Tales #5

This is a terrible comic with the single redeeming feature of Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra's story. Their "Mojoworld" might not be all that great, but it's funny, it looks different from everything else, and it has a sense of absurdity about it.

The rest of this comic isn't worth reading at all. Check out my CBR review to see why.

Batman and Robin #1 Annotations

Like my previous annotations/commentary on Morrison's Batman, this is not so much a scholarly look at a comic book page-by-page as it is me making fun of stuff and/or pointing out what I notice. I may point you in directions you hadn't yet considered, but I would never guarantee anything that foolish.

Batman and Robin #1 Annotations

Cover: I'm not a huge fan of the "Battle of the Planets" Batmobile, but I'm sure it will grow on me as it continues to fly through Gotham and blow stuff up. I do like the utter simplicity of Quitely's Batman design -- classic, yet with a bit of weight in the boots to show this well-grounded Dick Grayson incarnation. I also like the return of the green on the Robin costume, as if Damian insisted "hey, Neal Adams, man! We can't just throw out his design!" and I like the Doc Martens, because Damian Wayne does not wear slippers (in fact, that's the subtitle of the next Robin spin-off miniseries). The best bit of the Robin costume is the black hood on top of the yellow cape because Damian doesn't care about fashion rules. He'll put a damn hood of a different color on top of a a damn yellow cape anytime he wants. He was raised by ninja assassins. Were you?

Page 1: Mr. Toad. Note that "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" isn't actually a ride at Disney World anymore. Instead you can journey through a lame, and pointlessly bouncy, tour of Winne the Pooh's house. Perhaps Morrison's anger at this switch led to the Mickey Eye thing in "Seaguy."

Pages 2-3: Flying Batmobile vs. old-timey car.

Pages 4-5: I imagine Batman says "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Damian" in the tone of a middle school basketball coach, trying his best to be patient and supportive, but really wanting to tell the other kids to beat the little punk up after practice. This Batmobile shoots rockets that go boom.

Pages 6-7: "Never use real names in the field" is code for: "the exposition's over, pal, so start talking like these readers have actually read 'Battle for the Cowl' (even though we're as surprised as anyone that they actually did)." This Batmobile also has grappling powers. All it needs is a pair of metal fists. And Mr. Toad speaks like a carnie.

Pages 8-9: The double punch is a strategy employed heavily in the "Batman" television show from the 1960s, which is the feeling Morrison is apparently aiming for here. No sound effects, though, because that wouldn't make this panel ironic, it would just make it silly. Dominoes are also known as "bones" because doctors, aka "sawbones" used to get paid in dominoes (okay, that is probably not true at all). Does anyone draw gloves better than Frank Quitely? The answer is no.

Pages 10-11: The two pages that render all of "Battle of the Cowl" and its tie-ins completely irrelevant. Good. Also: Batman's grave, but nothing is written on it! Could it be that he's not really dead? Perhaps that final page at the end of "Final Crisis" #7 that showed Bruce Wayne alive in a caveman cave meant that Bruce Wayne is not, in fact, dead but rather alive in a caveman cave.

Page 12: See, I told you dominoes were called bones! Also, this page is a complete rip-off of Chris Ware's "Building Stories" and he should probably sue.

Page 13: The exposition ain't done yet, it turns out. But a European circus performer? That's menacing. And, no, eating chicken and jalapeno sandwiches don't make you a badass, Dick Grayson, as Damian is quick to prove.

Page 14: Who says, "crime is doomed"? Dick Grayson, right? He is turning into the sarcastic middle school basketball coach already. Also, Damian should drop a League of Assassins reference in every conversation. "So, did you catch the 'Lost' season finale?" "No, because I was raised by the masters of my mother's League of Assassins." "Do you like jalapeno sandwiches, with chicken?" "Dick Grayson, I will cut out your pansy tongue with a machete I carved from the spine of Charles Manson as I was taught by the masters of my mother's League of Assassins." Etc.

Pages 15-16: Disrespectful brats always talk about other people having to "earn" their respect. The "Tim Drake" line really puts Damian in his place, though. Dick Grayson may get promoted to junior varsity b-ball coach before this issue is over. Also, Pyg's doll gals are creepy. Pyg and his dolls appeared way back in "Batman" #666, remember that one? The one that was an "alternate future" where Damian was Batman? The one that seems less and less like an alternate future and more and more like what could really happen if Morrison stayed on this comic long enough? That was a good issue, wasn't it? This art is way better.

Pages 17-18: I know it's expressionistic and I understand foreshortening, but Frank Quitely's Batman can reach down and grab hold of his kneecaps without even bending over. His arms must have stretched after all those years of swinging around Gotham. I do like how Robin is bigger and in the foreground. This is the "Robin and Batman" series at this point. Grayson needs to step up and smack the little brat with those baboon arms of his.

Pages 19-20: That guy with the flaming skull? It's not the Flaming Skull. (He's Phosphorus Rex.)

Pages 21-22: Pyg is apparently not a professor yet. He's got a whole Leatherface thing going on here, which is pretty terrifying actually. And the acid mask gag? Didn't the Black Mask used to do something like that? Anyway, things look bleak for Niko and family. I don't think Robin will care too much about saving them. He was raised by assassins.

Page 23: I don't know if that's Jason Todd or not, but in that single panel, he looks cooler than he does in every previous appearance combined. Also: Dr. Hurt returns and he's got the keys to a building that's been blown up. Why is he all braggy about it? Because he's Satan, that's why! Or he's Bruce Wayne's father, that's why! Neither of which were raised by any sort of assassins, as far as I know.

No obscure 1950's "Batman" comics to reference this month? Maybe I'll drop this series and see what Winick's got going on.

Morrison and Quitely!!!

Review: Ultimate Spider-Man #133 -- UPDATED

Though I use words like "tragedy" and "weighty" and "Bendis," I provide a spoiler-free review of the final issue of "Ultimate Spider-Man." But it's not very hard to connect the dots and figure out what happens, especially when I quote from the solicitations for the "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man" series headed our way later this fall.

Oh, and as an extra bonus for Geniusboy Firemelon subscribers, here's my one-sentence review of "Ultimatum" #4: It reads as if it were written by Sid from "Toy Story."

UPDATED TO ADD: Bendis, via Twitter, emphasizes that this is NOT the last issue. There are two double-sized issues left. Yet, as I pointed out to him, when Marvel.com solicitations for #133 clearly say "this final issue," then why would we assume otherwise?

Batman and Robin #1 Commentary Coming Soon

You're probably expecting my "Batman and Robin" #1 thoughts, and they will be coming soon. Friday night at the latest. Until then, know this: I HATED that first issue.

Just kidding. Of course I loved it. It's Morrison and Quitely.

Reviews: Aliens #1 and Incredible Hercules #129

I wrote a couple of CBR review from last week that I never got around to linking to: Aliens #1 and Incredible Hercules #129.

Surprisingly, the Aliens comic ended up with the better score, although I'm quite fond of the Hercules series. But Arcudi has some fun with subverting reader expectation in the Aliens comic, and the art on the newest issue of Hercules is too hammy for my tastes.

See what I have to say, and then come back here and tell me what you think.

WWC: Comics in the Danger Zone

The cancellation of "Captain Britain and MI13" coupled with the recently-announced demise of "Young Liars" has really annoyed me. Chad Nevett and I had a Splash Page discussion (that's been lost to the wilds of the internet) about cancelled comics last summer, and we took a "hey, maybe it's better to go out while you're on top" approach, but while that's all well and good, it's frustrating that readers flock to the most mediocre X-crap while ignoring the stuff right next to it on the shelf that's actually produced with some intelligence and creativity.

So I decided to spend this week's "When Words Collide" column, the first of the all-new MONDAY TIME-SLOT COLUMNS, talking about 10 comics that deserve more readers. I stuck with the mainstream stuff from the Big Two, because that's the stuff that everyone should already have access to, and all they have to do is start picking it up off the shelf and telling their retailers, "you sold out of 'Northlanders'?!? Don't you know that book is awesome enough to order extra quantities???" etc.

Question: What comics would you have added to the "under-the-radar" list?

Final Crisis Aftermath Hits THE SPLASH PAGE

Chad Nevett and I have resurrected "The Splash Page" just in time to look at the first issues of the four "Final Crisis Aftermath" series. The first part of the discussion is posted at Chad's blog, and the second half is presented below for your edification and amusement:

CN: Following up on Grant Morrison ideas and characters has always been a tricky/problematic area. If companies don't follow the path Morrison's laid out, we bitch. When we do, they usually can't match Morrison's skill, so we bitch. There's really no winning with us fans, honestly. Then again, I've been saying for quite a long time that the writer they should be tapping to follow-up Morrison is Joe Casey (usually when discussing Noh-Varr) and, finally, it's happened and I was right. Or, look at what Ivan Brandon is doing on "Escape" by taking the very basic concept of that world peacekeeping organisation group on one of the parallel Earths and putting a spin on it that's both reminiscent of Morrison's work (specifically "The Invisibles" and "The Filth"), but still writing it in different ways. It reminds me of adaptations where the worst ones are often the ones that recreate the plot faithfully while getting the tone and feel wrong, while the best ones are often the ones that have no problem changing the plot while maintaining the feel of the original. That's what "Dance" and "Escape" do very well: they share a feel with Morrison's work while not necessarily reading like one of his comics. If that makes sense. Of course, neither "Run!" nor "Ink" seem to attempt to go for duplication of plot or feel, so maybe that explains them.

Ideally, you want writers who will make their own statement and be unafraid to take these characters in different directions, while, at the same time, maintaining some of the feel of Morrison's depictions of them. It's an incredibly hard thing to do, but I think where too many go wrong is getting caught up in the small details or flat-out stealing from Morrison's writings -- a tactic you'd think would work, but doesn't. In that "Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?" one-shot, Zeb Wells did a Noh-Varr story that was utterly lifeless despite being filled with elements from "Marvel Boy," and it didn't work because it was filled with elements from "Marvel Boy." It was, on the surface, 100% true to the character, but was devoid of any of the life or energy Morrison gave the character, because it was just a pastiche of pre-existing lines or situations. Christ, I'm just rambling on, aren't I? Help me out here, Tim, and, hopefully, put what I'm saying into words that, you know, make sense.

TC: Well, I think you make a good point, but it's the same point that's made about almost every comic that sucks: "100% true to the character, but...devoid of any of the life or energy." See everyone who followed Jack Kirby for more examples.

So here we are talking too much about Morrison again, but what does he do that stays true to the character but injects energy? And why is it so difficult for others to do the same thing? Why is Morrison's "Animal Man" vibrant, but Peter Milligan's is flat. Why is Morrison's "X-Men" new, while Chuck Austen's is unreadable melodrama? Why wasn't Mark Waid able to pull off "JLA," even though he had the same tools and some of the same concepts as Morrison?

And do you really think Casey and Brandon can pull it off? I like to hope they can, by doing what you're saying: taking the tone and spinning it out in new plot directions, while putting their own personalities into it. I mean, Joe Casey of "The Intimates" and "Godland" was BORN to write the Super Young Team.

Speaking of that -- and to go off on a tangent -- I've seen readers complain about the use of Twitter in "Dance." What's that about? Do you think it's cheesy and too of-the-moment for Casey to have Most Excellent Superbat tweeting throughout the issue?

CN: I honestly think that Morrison's approach lends itself to a certain feeling that's hard to replicate -- Joe Casey and Matt Fraction have a similar feeling at times. Part fun, part "who gives a crap," part "this is the greatest moment of all time," part... I don't know what. The only way to describe it is in contradictory terms, because it's both insanely fun and light, while also being heavy and serious.

I don't understand the Twitter complaint. The only Twitter-related complaint I've thought made sense was a guy who lives in Japan arguing that Japanese teens don't use Twitter, so it's not true to the characters. Other than that, how is it any different from regular narrative captions or excerpts from journals? I think it's very clever, not because it relates to contemporary times, but because Twitter allows him to narrate and comment in a manner that is immediate and, contextually, fits into the book. Sometimes, narrative captions seem out of place and you wonder why a character would be thinking that, but people are more conscious about what's going on when posting on Twitter, so it makes sense for Most Excellent Superbat to say some of the things he says. Twitter is immediate and, at times, random, which fits here. It really comes off as a combination of traditional narrative captions and the infoscroll Casey used in "The Intimates." I never understand people who complain that references that place a work within a specific time is somehow bad. Those people obviously haven't read... well, any book worth reading since they all are products of their time. Is there any way to depict young people well other than placing them firmly within the cultural context from which they've sprung? What else do they even care about?

"Escape" draws me back it for some reason, but, as you said earlier, there isn't a lot there. It's mostly a jumble of images that don't really lead anywhere, so do you think future issues may begin to suffer once the plot becomes clearer? I think that this odd way of doing an issue is what makes it so good, so I'm a little concerned that Brandon won't be able to keep it going once things become clearer.

TC: I know what you mean about "Escape." If its greatness lies in its mystery, and then things start to become clearer and we uncover more and more about what's really going on, then it loses the very thing that attracted us to it. Maybe that's why "The Prisoner" isn't such a strong narrative model, unless the comic book series ends on issue #4 and we never find out the secrets, which would be even more annoying in its own way. BUT, I think that Brandon can use the strangeness and mystery as the hook and then still tell an interesting story as Tom Tresser (and the reader) start piecing things together, as long as the ultimate truth is at least different than "oh, he's in a prison somewhere and he's drugged." If there's an actual story with twists and turns beneath the mysterious exterior, then "Escape" could very well end up being the best of the bunch.

I only have one last question: will you drop "Ink" and "Run" now that you've seen the first issue and just stick with "Dance" and "Escape"? Or will you keep buying all four to see how it all plays out in the end? (I think I know the answer to this already.)

CN: I won't be buying "Run!" or "Ink" again, sticking just with "Dance" and "Escape." Unless I'm buying it for review purposes, I just can't support a comic I know to be bad. I just can't. I assume you'll keep buying all four titles, because you buy everything, right?

TC: I might drop the two I didn't like, but my comic book habit pays for itself these days, so I think I might stick with all four and I'll let you know how they all turn out. Or you could keep buying them too, and then we could come back when it's all over and see if our opinions have changed. Somehow, I suspect they won't.

Review: Batman in Barcelona: Dragon's Knight #1

Boy, I'm not a fan of that Jim Lee cover. It's got a bit of the Spanish architecture in the background, but it's such a generic pose otherwise. Some might call it "iconic," but I'd just call it lifeless and insipid.

Anyway, I didn't review the cover over at CBR, I reviewed the inside bits. You know, the story and the art and the dialogue and the stuff that matters. Because everyone knows that a Batman story from the past about that one time he fought Killer Kroc in Spain is totally essential to understanding the Batman mythos.

But I shouldn't tease, because I did like this issue, and it was fun to see Bruce Wayne doing the Batman thing after reading three issues of the supposed "Battle for the Cowl" that was really not about battling for the cowl at all, was it?

"Marshal Law": The Non-Movie!

A couple of months ago, I posted something about how the non-smash success of the "Watchmen" movie might be a bit of a blessing since if it had been a huge it, the studios would have rushed to produce more "grim and gritty" R-rated superhero stuff and we would have had the sins of the 90s comic books repeated on the big screen.

Some people were aghast that I'd make such a comment, saying that it's like I'm throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

But if you listened to the Word Balloon interview with Kevin O'Neill from a few weeks back (which I just got around to listening to today), you'll hear a little story about how a "Marshal Law" movie WAS in the works as the build-up to "Watchmen" started to increase, but after "Watchmen" came out and kind of fizzled, the "Marshal Law" project was abandoned. The director who was attached to the movie -- the one who met with Kev O'Neill to discuss the project: McG.

So maybe I was throwing out the baby with the bathwater, but when the baby is McG's "Marshal Law," I'll throw that baby right out into the back yard. And then I'll kick it.

Man, I love "Marshal Law" by Pat Mills and Kev O'Neill, though. I'll have to find my copies of that first Epic series and do a reread for "When Words Collide" this summer. That series was genius.

Review: Ghost Rider #35

I review the heck out of "Ghost Rider" #35 over at CBR. You should probably read the comic, read my review, then come back here and say, "you were right about everything! How can you be so right?"

So the ongoing "Ghost Rider" series ends, an uglified Sailor Moon is injected into the Marvel universe, and we have to wait a few months for the continued adventure of Johnny Blaze and company.

Such is the hardscrabble life of a Spirit of Vengeance.

Review: X-Force #15

Yes, the Mutant Messiah is still cause for a whole lot of fervor. Everyone's out to kill her or save her, because the fate of the world depends on it. It's a tired concept that doesn't seem able to evolve into anything new, and "X-Force" #15 just gives us more of it.

Clayton Crain's doing some pretty nice work on this issue, though, taking his style into more of an expressionistic realm, giving a deranged look to the proceedings.

Yet, it's just a whole lot of fuss over the Mutant Messiah and do we really want to see more of that, with Cable, Deadpool, and Stryfe thrown into the X-Force mix? I don't think I do.

Check out my CBR review of the issue for more details: X-Force #15

What do you think about this Kyle/Yost/Crain confection?

When Words Collide: Best and Worst of Morrison

Do I dare to make a Top Five Worst Grant Morrison Comics list? Indeed I do!

Will I relent to the unyielding attacks by the pro-"DC 1,000,000" readers? Never!

Do I also provide a Ten Best list? Of course.

I don't hate any of these Morrison comics, but something has to be the worst, and it's these five.

Check out the lists in this week's "When Words Collide," see me superficially try to explain my position in 2,000 words, and then come back here to tell me your Top 10/Bottom 5 of Grant Morrison. I dare you!

UPDATE: Bill Reed fires a counter-attack at CSBG!

Review: Impaler #3

Here's a comic I didn't know anything about when I got the .pdf from Top Cow to review, but I was so impressed with "Impaler" #3 that I asked if I could take a look at the first two issues, and then ordered the collected edition of Volume 1 from Amazon.

So, yeah, it's a very good comic.

I'm mostly impressed with artist Matt Timson who uses a mixed-media style to make this comic look unlike anything else from the Top Cow line. Timson's a damned good artist, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him working on higher profile projects before long. "Impaler" is pretty cool, though, and as long as he's working on it, I'll be interested in reading the series.

Check out my CBR review and see what Vlad is up to these days: Impaler #3

Guess Who's Sliding to Mondays?

Now that Rich Johnston's FINAL "Lying in the Gutters" column has come out, I can finally talk about a secret plan that's been brewing over at CBR:

Yup, my "When Words Collide" column will move to the Monday slot beginning next week!

Obviously, I'm not any kind of replacement for Rich, and "WWC" will continue to feature the same kind of insightful/random/witty/serious/arch/dorky commentary that you're used to seeing from me, but it will be cool to be the Monday CBR guy from now on.

And, no, I'm certainly not the "next big thing" Jonah mentions in Rich's column -- I do know what that is, and it will definitely be a popular addition to the CBR site, but I'm sworn to secrecy -- but that particular new addition will not be popping up on Mondays. Mondays are all mine!

Aw yeah, Mondays!

Oh, and if you have any suggestions for topics/questions that you'd like me to tackle in "WWC," let me know. This week's final Wednesday column is based on the reader-requested "Worst Morrison Comics Ever" topic.

Dungeons and Dragons: It Begins

So if you're a follower of mine on Twitter or a Facebook pal, you know that I received the 4th Edition D&D rules boxed set for my birthday and I've launched an ultra-nerdy, ultra-awesome family D&D night which may or may not expand to more hardcore gaming in the future (maybe at the local comic shop -- James, what do you say? -- or maybe an after-school club I'd run). I've owned a lot of D&D books in my day (mostly 1st Edition), and played a fair amount, but not in a long while.

So here's my question to you genius gaming readers of mine: What's the best pre-packaged 4th Edition adventure module (or modules) for beginning gamers? I could use some help on this one.

Review: Batman Mad Love and Other Stories

I thought Paul Dini did a decent job on his "Detective Comics" run -- I enjoyed it for what it was, though it suffered in scale compared to Morrison's "Batman" -- but he was definitely responsible for some of the best Batman stories of the 1990s in "Batman: The Animated Series" and the various comic book spin-offs of that project.

This hardcover collection brings all (as far as I know) the Paul Dini/Bruce Timm Batman comics together for a meal-sized romp through Gotham's wacky underworld. And I review the heck out of it.

See what I have to say over at CBR: Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories

And here's a question (or three) for you: Were there any Batman stories set in the regular DCU that were worth reading in the 1990s? Which ones? Why?

"Nana in my Pants"

You haven't seen the newest episode of "Advanced Common Sense"? "How old ARE you people?"

A Few Thoughts on Brubaker and Hitch and "Reborn"

1) It seems too early to bring Steve Rogers back -- somewhere, sometime, I predicted that he wouldn't be back until summer 2010 at the earliest -- but that thinking is based on how good Brubaker has been at selling Bucky-Cap. But now that "Captain America" #50 has come out, Brubaker has written as many Bucky-Cap issues as he has Steve Rogers issues.

2) Brubaker's leaving "Daredevil," and he won't stay on "Captain America" forever, so I'd rather see him bring back Steve Rogers and complete his epic Steve Rogers/Bucky storyline than have someone else come in and finish it their own way.

3) "Reborn" may not bring Steve Rogers back from the dead anyway. It might be a fake-out like that Captain Marvel/Brainwashed Skrull thing. Oh, that turned out to be a terrible waste of time, didn't it?

4) I've become less and less interested in Bryan Hitch over the years. I think he peaked during his short tenure on "JLA," but this series has Butch Guice on inks, so I wonder how that will change the look of the comic. Still, Hitch has shifted from Widescreen artist, to Wide-Angle-Lens with photorealistic Closeup artist, and I prefer the former.

5) If Steve Rogers does come back, perhaps he and the Bucky-Cap, and the crazed 1950s Cap can all team up when Bendis takes over the series and changes it to "The Captain American Super-Squad."

6) Or maybe Geoff Johns, post-Blackest Night, will take over the series and explore the metaphysical meaning of the "Cap Force."

7) How exactly would Steve Rogers come back, do you think? Cosmic Cube?

8) I'm more annoyed at the change in numbering on the "Captain America" series than I am about anything this "Reborn" series could possibly be about.

9) I trust Brubaker to do this right, whatever it is.

10) I trust the internet to overreact, whatever it is.

Review: Killapalooza #1

When Adam Beechen moved from television writer to Johnny DC writer, I said, "great." Then when he moved from Johnny DC writer to "Teen Titans" scribe, I rooted for him. I thought he would be a great addition to the "Countdown" crew.

As it turned out, "Countdown" was a disaster that dragged nearly everyone involved into the DC gutters. (Sean McKeever and Tony Bedard certainly didn't make it out unscathed, either.) And Beechen's "Teen Titans" was widely considered the weakest run on this incarnation of the series.

But I was glad to hear about Beechen bouncing back with a new series from Wildstorm, drawn by the quite-good Trevor Hairsine. Hairsine's work on Paul Cornell's "Wisdom" series was fantastic, at least until he dropped out of the project (or was pushed out), and I looked forward to seeing what he could do on something with the unlikely name of "Killapalooza."

Unfortunately, the first issue is not very good. Not very good at all. Read my review, and find out why: Killapalooza #1

"Oww, my eye," indeed.

Five Reasons Why "Batman: Battle for the Cowl" is Terrible

I know many of you gave up after the first issue, and even more of you passed entirely on Tony Daniel's "Battle for the Cowl," but I stuck it out until the end because that's what I do.

And like everything I do, I do it for you.

So now that I've read all three issues, plus too many tie-ins to bother counting, I can safely say that "Battle for the Cowl" has been a terrible mini-event, not worth the paper it's printed on. Here are just five reasons why, and they're all based on just issue #3:

1) The whole thing about Black Mask unleashing all the villains on Gotham? Ultimately pointless. Though emphasized in the first issue, by issue #3 it's barely an afterthought. More anti-climactic than "Salvation Run"!

2) The Jason Todd/Dick Grayson confrontation becomes Oprah-style pop-psychology and punching.

3) Any time a character faced upwards, Tony Daniel draws their necks and chins as a black slab, as if the neck-to-chin line is as flat as an iron. It's a little thing, but it's the type of approach you see in a lot of amateurish superhero art, and Daniel can do better.

4) SPOILERS! Jason Todd falls to his "death." Again with the falling to the death? See the ending of 99% of superhero movies ever for the same ending.

5) SPOILERS AGAIN! In-story reason for Dick Grayson adopting the Batman identity? None! Not really. He just does because he kind of realizes that he should. In-story reason for Damian adopting the new Robin costume (which will be spotlighted in the Morrison/Quitely "Batman and Robin" comic)? None. At all. So a series seemingly designed to fill in the the gaps between the last Morrison run and the new one just ends up as a bunch of irrelevant fight scenes, an attempt to show how far Jason Todd has fallen (and, by the way, Jason Todd wears the domino mask under the Batman cowl!), and the thinnest of justifications for the new status quo.

When the new "Batman and Robin" series begins with the line, "After the death of Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson has adopted the role of his mentor. Joined by young Damian Wayne, they are...Batman and Robin," well, then "Batman: Battle for the Cowl" will be immediately rendered irrelevant.

Raise your hands if you were going to say, "I told you so."

When Words Collide: We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us

Readers whine about and/or praise Geoff Johns and his use of Superboy Prime as a metafictional fanboy, one who complains that the DC heroes aren't how they used to be, and then cries about how everything's not the way he remembers it.

But the truth is that Superman's rogues gallery overlaps with comic book fandom in more than just that one case. Some may argue -- some like me -- that Superman's villains are all various types of comic book fans, and his heroic act is in fighting against the very readers who sustain him.

It's all part of my Grand Nemesis Theory in this week's "When Words Collide." Read it and tell me how crazy I am.

Review: Uncanny X-Men #510

What movie is this from? It looks familiar, but I can't quite place it. Anyway, it's been filtered through the pencil magic of Greg Land for this week's "Uncanny X-Men" #510 which is a pretty kickass issue about the Red Queen's assault on the X-HQ.

Flipping back and forth between this week's "Uncanny" and the Jim Lee stuff reprinted in "X-Men Forever Alpha" shows the shocking difference between the more open, airy visuals of today vs. the overly packed panels of the early 1990s. Man is that Jim Lee X-Men stuff hideous! Say what you will about Greg Land -- and I'll be the first to admit that he's just doing collage at this point -- but it's a hell of a lot easier on the eyes than a billion random shading lines and those pouches and rippling muscles.

Plus, this comic has the Matt Fraction advantage. Read my review: Uncanny X-Men #510

And, just for kicks, here's a sample of that atrocious Jim Lee stuff that turned me off his work back then and is supposed to make us interested in picking up this new Claremont-penned series:


No thanks. (And is that really even Jim Lee? It looks like it was drawn by assistants.)

Review: Agents of Atlas #5

A gorilla with a gun vs. Wolverine. That's all you really need to make a comic worth buying, right? Especially when it's as well-drawn as "Agents of Atlas" #5.

Ever since the original Jeff Parker/Leonard Kirk miniseries, I've wanted to like "Agents of Atlas" more than I actually have, and I'm not sure that's changed now that the ongoing series is out. (Though as much as I like Kirk's artwork, the stuff Pagulayan's doing here is even better.)

So what do I think about issue #5, scheduled to hit comic shops tomorrow? Read my review and find out: AGENTS OF ATLAS #5 CBR REVIEW

Columns and Reviews Ahoy

Though I was away from blogging for a bit during the last week or two (except for my fake Abrams/drilling piece and my Jason Aaron totally-improbable assumption), I was certainly not absent from the comic book internet landscape. I produced no less than seventeen (!) columns and reviews while ignoring my blog-o-responsibilities, and in case you missed any of them, I've included them here for your edutainment. Don't let me hear you say that I ever let you down by not linking to my own work!

Recent "When Words Collide" Columns:
Me vs. Superman vs. Jim Lee
Me vs. a Five-Year-Old vs. Free Comic Book Day
Tucker Stone vs. Me vs. Moebius's Blueberry

Recent Reviews:
Immortal Iron Fist #25
Captain America Theater of War: A Brother in Arms #1
War Machine #5
Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #4
The Muppet Show #2
Destroyer #2
Exiles #2
The Mighty #4
Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1
Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #1
Super Zombies #3
I Kill Giants
Dark Reign: Hawkeye #2
Secret Warriors #4

Now, back to your regularly-scheduled daily Geniusboy Firemelon updates.

Jason Aaron on Noh-Varr?

I listened to the Word Balloon interview with Jason Aaron a week or so ago, but my hiatus from posting prevented me from talking about a little nugget of information Aaron dropped on the show.

He briefly mentioned how Morrison's "Doom Patrol" was one of his favorites as a younger reader, and that he will have the chance to work on a couple of Morrison's Marvel characters in a project later this year.

How many Marvel characters does Morrison have? The Skrull Kill Krew is already in their own series, and while I suppose Aaron could be working on an Angel and Beak limited series, I can't help but hope that Aaron will get a chance to tackle "Marvel Boy" himself, Noh-Varr (and company).

What say you?

Abrams Brings Penchant for "Bit" Parts to Screens Big and Small

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- J.J. Abrams long dreamed of bringing "Star Trek" to the big screen, but his first love has always been something more simple: drilling.

"I hadn't even heard of 'Star Trek' until my college roommate greeting me with his fingers split apart and a 'live long and prosper' on the first day of my Freshman year," says Abrams from his elegant grotto in the Hollywood Hills. "That was my first exposure to 'Star Trek," really, and then I was made more aware of it when I woke up one night to find that same roommate seated next to my bed, staring at me while I was asleep and wearing pointed clip-on ears." "He taught me about Vulcan traditions," says Abrams, "and I was hooked."

But Abrams admits that his passion for "Star Trek" is a distant second to his passion for the science and pleasure of deep core drilling. "My father produced a made-for-tv movie starring Michael Biehn in the late Seventies. It was called 'Steeletown,' and it was mostly about welding, but as I watched the dailies as an innocent lad of 13, I was fascinated by the drilling that went on between the welding scenes." "From that day on," reveals Abrams, "I knew that I would do my best to bring drilling to the public. The bigger the drill, the better."

Abrams first gained critical attention for his screenplay for the Michael Bay epic "Armageddon," which was Abrams's first foray into the sci-fi/drilling hybrid. "I knew that I could build a movie around drilling," says Abrams, "and I figured what better way to show the different facets of the drilling community than to have the drilling take place in outer space?" Audiences loved it, and the film has become a classic, even gaining prominence as part of the presigious "Criterion Collection" of dvds.

After a few non-drilling diversions like "Felicity" and the misguided "Alias," Abrams returned to his roots with the initial pitch for "Lost." Although he's given up day-to-day production of the critically-acclaimed fantasy/sci-fi show, Abrams admits that when he turned the reigns over to Damon Lindelof, he gave very specific instructions. "I told him, 'I don't know what I was thinking with the smoke monster or the polar bear, but just make sure that you tie in all together with drilling somehow. I love drilling,'" says Abrams.

Fans who watched this season's finale know just how far Lindelof took his mentor's advice.

And fans of the new "Star Trek" film, the most eagerly-anticipated film of this season, know that drilling is more than just a sideline interest for Abrams. "I wanted to show the power and glory of drilling," reveals Abrams, "and how it could be used for evil as well as good." The Romulan Nero, a space-driller with a thirst for vengeance, is, in many ways, Abrams's most perfect creation. "Nero embodies everything that drilling means to me," says Abrams, "and I wanted to teach people not to take drilling lightly. Look what it did to the planet Vulcan! That's the kind of drilling audiences will remember for generations. That's my dream, at least."

With "Star Trek" behind him, Abrams doesn't know if he has anything more to say about the emotional impact of drilling. "I don't want to say, 'never,' you know?" says Abrams. "I've always wanted to do a deep space drilling movie with Mickey Rourke, and if he's interested then I think we might have a sure winner on our hands. Who wouldn't pay to see Rourke commanding a gigantic outer-space drill some two hundred miles long? That sounds like a surefire hit to me."

Another Brief Hiatus

Personal issues have kept me from posting, and I won't be back on the "daily update" bandwagon for another week or so. I will be fulfilling my CBR responsibilities for now and posting on Twitter here and there.

There's really nothing all that exciting in comics these days anyway, is there?

(Note: I do plan on catching up with my "Legion of 3 Worlds" annotations sometime this month, and I've been reading a lot of comics each week, even if I haven't been writing much about them. So stay tuned for plenty of Geniusboy Firemelon thoughts on comics in coming weeks.)

Kevin Colden Still Rules the Night

If you haven't been keeping up with Eisner-nominated Kevin Colden's Zuda comic, "I Rule the Night," here's what you've been missing:



It's a weird companion piece to Morrison's "Batman" run, and as of page 29, I have no idea where it's headed next. But it is good, indeed.

Playing Catch-Up: What I've Been Doing

So.

After my two-week break, I'm back to talk comics. Or to catch you up on the comics I've been talking about elsewhere at least.

Since I last posted, I reviewed a whole bunch of comics for CBR (with linkery for you to enjoy):

Daredevil Noir #1
Northlanders #16
Batman Confidential #28
Captain America #49
Punisher #4
Squadron Supreme #10
Green Lantern Corps #25
Astonishing X-Men #29
Skrull Kill Krew #1

And I tackled the career of the awesome Bernie Mireault in a two-part retrospective/interview in "When Words Collide":

Me on Mireault's Masterpieces
Me talking comics with Mireault

But you already knew that, I'm sure.

What do I have in store for the future of "Geniusboy Firemelon"? I don't know, but I'm back!

I'm supposed to be on break, but: Jann Jones No Longer at DC

I tried to e-mail Johnny DC editor Jann Jones about the situation with Mike Kunkel and the "Shazam!" book (which, if you don't know, is that Kunkel is being replaced by Art Baltzar and Franco on the writing, and an as-yet-unnamed artist, but Kunkel will come back and do some issues in the future), and Jones's DC e-mail is no longer active, and it sends an auto reply saying to contact another DC employee.

When I e-mailed this other employee, she confirmed that "Jann no longer works here."

I haven't seen this reported anywhere.

I wonder what that means for the Johnny DC line, which Jones had so strongly redirected. I wonder what that means for the still-unreleased "Ambush Bug: Year None" #6.

Anyone know anything?

The 2009 Eisner Award Nominations Hit THE SPLASH PAGE

Hundreds of years ago, Chad Nevett and I began writing a column called "The Splash Page" for Sequart.com. With that website's temporary inactivity, we moved the discussion to our blogs (and starting this summer, we'll be doing a modified version of this for CBR, but that's all hush-hush for now, so don't tell anyone about it yet). Though we haven't maintained our weekly schedule since leaving the hallowed halls of Sequart, we do still talk about comics regularly, and this week we talk EISNER NOMINATIONS!

Chad Nevett: On Tuesday, this year's Eisner nominations were announced to their usual vocal reception online. Some were pleased, some weren't, most were in between, but, what you may be wondering is, how do Tim and I feel about the nominations. Well, we're going to tell you. I know there's one nomination we can both agree is great, which is CBR's nomination for "Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism." We both have ties to the site, so our bias is fairly obvious, wouldn't you say, Tim?

Tim Callahan: That is indeed a great and proper nomination, and I'd love to see Jonah win the life-size Will Eisner trophy in San Diego this summer. Though he's up against some tough competition with "The Comics Journal," "The Comics Reporter," and "Comics Comics." CBR definitely has a wider range of content -- and MORE content -- than the other three, but we'll see what the judges think. I know CBR publishes a certain Chad Nevett (now of "Comics Should be Good"!) and a certain...me, so that's gotta count for something. We are awesome, as we keep telling ourselves.

Let's move on to something people might actually care about, though, like the "Best Continuing Series" category. "All-Star Superman," "Fables," "Monster," "Thor," and "Usagi Yojimbo" all got the nod, and though everyone in the world kind of shrugged, "huh," when "All-Star" was listed in that particular category, I can't say I'm surprised to see it nominated somewhere. What do you think about those five nominations overall?

CN: Yeah, I went "What?" when I saw "All-Star Superman" was listed there. The only other title nominated that I read is "Thor" and that also gave me pause, because while a decent enough read, it never struck me as best-continuing-series-in-all-of-comicdom good. It's not even the best continuing series Marvel publishes (though, I would put it in Marvel's top five). I always hear good things about "Fables," but never had any desire to read that series, because the concept doesn't appeal to me. "Usagi Yojimbo" is one of those books where, again, I always hear positive things and I've always meant to check out, but just never seem to. Never read or heard of "Monster," but it's manga and what I know about manga you could fit into a small comic box with room to spare. Nothing nominated really seems to warrant outrage, but nothing also seems to warrant a lot of celebration and passion -- at least on my part.

The category I find more interesting is the "Best New Series" one with at least one or two books that had me scratching my head: "Air," "Echo," "Invincible Iron Man," "Madame Xanadu," and "The Unknown Soldier." Now, my problems with "Invincible Iron Man" are documented well here and in my CBR reviews, but, I think, one of the big surprises was the nomination for "Madame Xanadu," which, beyond a few lackluster reviews of the first issue, I haven't heard, well, anything about.

TC: I don't understand the "Thor" nomination either, since it's just a good, but not great, series. As you point out, it's not even the best continuing series Marvel publishes. "Captain America" is better. "Captain Britain and MI: 13," better. "Ghost Rider," better. "Daredevil," too. And that's just the superhero stuff. What about "Criminal"?

And, geez, Matt Fraction gets the nod for "Iron Man" but not "Casanova"?

"Fables" is good enough, I suppose, but I don't love it as much as others seem to, and I've never actually read "Usagi Yojimbo" even though I did pre-order the massive hardcover omnibus, so I'm trying to rectify that. I'm two volumes in on "Monster," and after those two volumes, and how much I adored "Pluto" so far, I had already ordered the next eight "Monster" books before these nominations hit. So, yeah, it makes sense that it's there. Two volumes in, and I'm hooked.

For the "Best New Series" category, I don't think any of the nominees make sense. I read three out of the five regularly, and I like them, but I wouldn't consider any of them the BEST new series. "Air" has the terrible M. K. Perker artwork, "Invincible Iron Man" has the annoying Sal Larroca art, and "The Unknown Soldier" hasn't developed into anything great yet, even if it's pretty damn good. The first few issues of "Madame Xanadu" were enough to make me never want to read another Matt Wagner comic again, and that's sad, because I really used to love "Grendel." It was just one cliche after another, though CBR's Andy Khouri insists that it's a great comic, so I'm clearly wrong about it.

I can't think of a lot of great series that began last year, but what about "Rasl," or "Gigantic," or, your favorite, "Young Liars"? "Hulk" is even better than most of the nominees (though that probably didn't start in 2008, did it?).

CN: The lack of love for "Young Liars" and David Lapham bothered me, yeah. I didn't want to trash the other "Best New Series" noms since I haven't read most of them -- of course, that I haven't had anyone talk those books up enough to make me want to probably says something about their quality -- but, hot damn, "Young Liars" is just so good. It's, by far, my favorite ongoing comic at the moment. Maybe the slow start affected it's chances. Who knows.

"Casanova" didn't publish too many issues since last year's awards, so it not being nominated didn't bother me that much, although that final issue deserved something. One idea put forth (by someone who I can't remember since I read a bunch of random thoughts on the Eisners earlier in the week), though, is whether or not something like "Invincible Iron Man" really is a new series. Does Marvel relaunching one of their titles with a new number one really count, especially when you look at their habit of reverting to old numbering when a big round number comes around? Is "Invincible Iron Man" a new series or really just another run on the broader Iron Man ongoing series? Is it "Invincible Iron Man" #12 or is it REALLY "Iron Man" #481? Or, to put it in a way that Marvel operates: will we see "Invincible Iron Man" #31 or will it be "Iron Man" #500? Should the Eisner's distinguish between actual new series and "fake" ones like Marvel's various relaunch books?

TO BE CONTINUED AT GRAPHICONTENT!

A Short Break From Posting

You may have noticed that I've slipped from the daily update schedule I had maintained for the past year. Well, I just don't have a whole lot to say about comics right now that can't be said in my four-to-six CBR reviews and my weekly "When Words Collide" column. And since I've jumped to Twitter, if I have a little comment to make, I'll probably just make it there, rather than spending time developing it into a full blog post.

So, other than a discussion with Chad Nevett on this year's Eisner nominees (which will probably run tonight or tomorrow), I will take a TWO WEEK VACATION from posting here, but I will return at the end of the month with updates and new posts galore.

Those two weeks off from regular posting will let me recharge my comic book commentary batteries and give me a chance to see what I really feel like writing about. Because I get the sense that I'm not the only one who has less to say about comics these days. There's kind of a lull now, isn't there, and the only recourse seems to be to go deeply into the Humanoids back catalog or just step away for a couple of weeks until things start getting interesting again?

When Words Collide: Albany Adventures

Some comic fans get really annoyed at the media coverage of comic conventions since all the television reports ever show are the weirdos dressed in costumes, and the thousands of regular fans are forced to cry to the heavens, "it's not like that -- it's mostly just middle-aged guys with t-shirts and backpacks standing in lines, and, oh... forget it, I understand why they show the costumed weirdos on tv now."

So even though like six people out of the entire crowd at the Albany Comic Con actually showed up in costume, I had to include this image as part of the required convention coverage social contract. And who doesn't like to see Darth Vader in a Holiday Inn courtyard anyway?

So, the Albany Comic Con! I broke free from my normal "When Words Collide" routine of saying semi-smart stuff about old comics and/or interviewing someone who had even smarter stuff to say to do a full-on convention report about my experiences, past and present, at the little Albany show. Because sometimes, comic books are not about the words and pictures on the page. Sometimes they're about hanging out in a motel and talking to Herb Trimpe.

Read this week's "When Words Collide" HERE!

Wolverine: Weapon X #1 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Wolverine: Weapon X #1, about which I write the following sentences: "In this issue, we get the return of Maverick, Wolverine's old Weapon X colleague, and a growing mystery involving the Blackguard group and the introduction of some mysterious laser-claw wielding killers. Aaron is building some new mythology for Logan, not by telling stories from the past, but by using the legacy of the past to drive the story forward. Like most of Aaron's protagonists, Wolverine's fate is bound to into his history, but he has no choice but to boldly push forward and make amends for who he is and what he's done."

Read the entire review HERE.

Haunted Tank #5 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Haunted Tank #5, about which I write the following sentences: "It doesn't become about the racist ghost of a confederate soldier learning to accept the ways of the world today, and it doesn't become about the soldiers of today learning to live with this charming old racist codger. In other words, it's not 'Gran Torino: Iraq.'"

Read the entire review HERE.

Justice Society of America #25 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Justice Society of America #25, about which I write the following sentences: "And what makes it more than just merely fine. What makes it fine in a way that implies yeah-it-was-a-compressed-resolution-of-a-lot-of-stuff is that Jerry Ordway provides the art. Who better than Ordway -- the Platonic ideal of the 'All-Star Squadron'/'Infinity Inc.' approach to comic book nostalgia -- to work on Geoff Johns's 'Justice Society of America'? He's really the perfect artist for the kind of story being told here, a classic artist for a story drenched in old-school storytelling tropes."

Read the entire review HERE.

Full Ninjawolf and Squidhunter Story Now Online

For superhero buddy comedy/action/intrigue/tomfoolery, check out the eight page "Ninjawolf and Squidhunter" story I wrote a few years ago, drawn by the always loveable Todd Casey.

Click HERE to read the whole thing. For FREE!

Albany Comic Con Today

I'll be there. Stop by as I moderate a panel that still doesn't have a name or a list of participants. So let's call it: "Comic Book Scissor Kick."

Secret Invasion Reading Order via Chad Nevett

You've been clamoring for it, so Chad Nevett has gone and done it: Bendis Secret Invasion Reading Order.

The question is: Is it WORTH reading again, now that its corpse has grown cold?

What say you?

The Destroyer #1 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: The Destroyer #1, about which I write the following sentences: "This comic is drenched in blood, and if Val Staples had to hand-paint this issue he would have had to prepare buckets of the red stuff. Yet it's Cory Walker doing the drawing, so the extreme gore takes on a delightful absurdity. This isn't a gruesome, stomach-churning story even if blood drips from its pages. It's a ridiculous, over-the-top, post-'Nextwave' comic full of ultra-violence and explosive action. But since this comic stars a geriatric hero facing the end of his life, the extreme visual bombast contrasts sharply with Marlow's underlying sadness. He's a larger-than-life action hero, but even he doesn't have the courage to tell the ones he loves that he's been given a death sentence by his physician."

Read the entire review HERE.

Pride and Prejudice #1 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: "Pride and Prejudice" #1, about which I write the following sentence: "this isn't a good comic. Not at all."

Read the entire review HERE.

When Words Collide: Wolverine and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I've been doing the "When Words Collide" columns for what, like 30-something weeks in a row? And in all that time, I've spotlighted a Marvel character or comic book only once before, when I tackled Marvel's "Punisher Omnibus" and wrote about my preference for Garth Ennis's more blatantly absurd take on the character.

That column led to some harsh criticism from a certain corners of the internet as one angry e-mailer told me that I should stick to reading my "pre-9/11 comics."

But here I am, spending time with another Marvel character: the little-known character called "Wolverine." You may not have heard much about him, since he's Canadian and all -- and one of those, ick, mutant types -- but he's a cool little character who's kind of like a angry badger with a lot of smelly habits. And to examine this character I decided to talk with my old pal Barry Lyga who has a young adult novel coming out soon, featuring this obscure character with the funny hair and the metal pig-stickers.

Join us, won't you, as Lyga and I discuss what's so special about Wolverine in "Wolverine and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."

Todd Casey: Artist of Goodness

Check out this picture on the left. Squidhunter is definitely in trouble, what with the giant robot tentacles and all. It's a fine little illustration by artist Todd Casey, and you can see more of his work on his newly-minted blog: Rotting in the Berkshires.

I've worked with Todd on a bunch of projects (and he's currently drawing a monkey story of mine for a yet-to-be-announced anthology -- think trampolines, robot monkeys, and magic bananas), and he's a guy who deserves a shot at the big time. So check out his blog, encourage him to post even more art, and let's get this guy working on graphic novel or a Johnny DC title (I'd love to see his Ace the Bathound epic).

Yeah, Todd Casey!

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Vol. 2 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: "Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka" Vol. 2, about which I write the following sentences: "It's the shift in focus that makes 'Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka' so powerful. It's probably a silly comparison to make, but as a longtime superhero reader and relative manga neophyte, this series struck me as a kind of 'Watchmen' for the manga crowd. It deconstructs the mythic characters of Tezuka's immensely influential 'Astro Boy' comics, taking them from cartoonish exaggerations and treating them with a subtle realism. This is softer than 'Watchmen,' and it's less formally inventive, but it reminds me of the experience I had while reading Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's work for the first time: 'Oh,' I thought, 'this is certainly a different take on things.' And I have that same feeling reading this series."

Read the entire review HERE.