The new Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers is set early in Cap's career, telling the pulse-pounding tale of his first mission with Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos! The Howlers & Cap are off to Wakanda to head off Hitler's attempt, led by Baron Strucker, to steal the African nation's Vibranium for use in their missile technology. Cap quickly runs afoul of T'chaka, the WWII-era Black Panther, and that leads into the next issue.
There's plenty of nasty Nazi business, a great battle scene right in the first few pages of the book, amusing dialog from the Howlers about this new star-spangled joker that never removes his mask (Nick Fury, particularly, is suspicious of him), but what really grabbed me with this first issue was Gabriel Jones' narration during the Howlers scenes. I'd never thought about how it might've been, being a black soldier, hand-picked by Fury himself, in an elite WWII commando squad. The Army's not desegregated yet, he's on this elite force with guys from Brooklyn & Kentucky, and they're heading into Africa for the first time (well, I think Fury had been there before). There's thoughtless comments and jokes about Africa from his teammates, and an impressive scene in the mess hall when Cap sits down right next to Gabe, doesn't have any silverware, and asks to uses Gabes, who is done eating. That's something you just didn't do back then (heck, I wouldn't do it now; not outa racism-that's just plain unsanitary w/anybody)! Actions like this, and Cap's fighting skills, yet ridiculous (to them, at that time) costume, have all the Howlers asking "who IS this guy?" When Cap first shows up, Dum Dum Dugan asks "who is this clown?" to which Fury replies "America's secret weapon." "I thought WE were America's secret weapon" is his response, shown in a tight close up of Dugan's shadowed eyes and hard-set jaw. Tension's a-brewing, right away!
These tensions of preconceived judgments and prejudices, roles, and battle action will make for a great Cap, Year One-style story with a little more than just Nazi-bashing (not that that ain't enough any day o' the week), if writer Reginald Hudlin (Black Panther) can keep it up. The art, by Denys Cowan (The Question) and Klaus Janson (tons o' stuff) is nice, too, lots of good character perspectives and cinematic transitions.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Hey, this here is a blog, so I can write any ol' cr . . pearls o' wisdom, or goofy ramblin', even when I don't have a rollickin' review (I just realized this; kinda slow on the uptake with this here technology). So here goes . . .
My guess for the Red Hulk (sorry, I ain't calling him "Rulk." That's just stupid. And not even awesomely stupid) . . ? Colonel John D. Armbruster!
Ah, the collective gasp of recognition is deafening. "Who?" you're all asking. He died (or did he . . ?) in Incredible Hulk #185 (1975) stopping an exploding Glenn Talbot (he was an "organic bomb," y'see) from killing the president. BUT! Talbot is now back, as is Betty (maybe the ones that died were actually Skrulls! Yeesh, I hope not), so why not this guy?
Armbruster was another career military man, who had a mad-on for the Hulk. He even took over Project: Greenskin from General Ross, and was instrumental in stopping the Russian terrorist attack by a mind-controlled Major Talbot. The Red Hulk is a military man, a strategist, familiar with weapons, had a rivalry with "Thunderbolt" Ross, and I think he may've once been involved with turning people into gamma-powered monsters. And he died, supposedly with Talbot, in heat energy pit thingie (it may've even been a volcano; I can't remember), which combined with Talbot's "organic bomb" explosion, could, in fine comic book logic, explain how they survived, and Red can absorb energy. That ability, and his military & anti-Hulk background , could've made him a great candidate for the Intelligentsia's "create-a-Hulk" experiments.
Either that, or Red is really Uncle Ben.
We're supposed to find out in June, if any of still care by then. Meanwhile, it's already slipped who the Red She-Hulk is, but I won't spoil it here, in case you haven't heard. (. . . Maybe it's an alternate timeline Aunt May!)
Bad Dog is a collarless mongrel, kicked bleeding and disoriented from the back of a pickup onto the side of a lifeless desert road, whose wounds are cared for by a family full of spirit, compassion, and true Americana. However, despite giving the animal a third lease on life, it still finds time to chew through, piss in, crap on, and openly hump everything that ‘Ma & Pa Kent’ value. A nomadic, uncivilized creature roaming from town to town, passing on whatever it picked up along the back alleys and shady truck stops to anyone merciful enough to give the flea bitten hound asylum. The type of mangy varmint that looks up at you with those tender eyes, and despite the dirt caked fur and glass cut paws, you just can’t stop yourself from picking it up and taking it home with you.
From the open mind of writer Joe Kelly (Deadpool, Four Eyes, I Kill Giants) comes a belligerently truthful dark comedy that empowers the medium by telling a story fixed best within the pages of comic books. Best described by the author, Kelly describes Bad Dog as "channeling a lifetime of bad behavior into two misfit bounty hunters incapable of catching a break, let alone a criminal... Lou is a werewolf who despises people so much that he refuses to shift back into human form and Wendell is a vertically-challenged, gutter-mouthed ex-preacher with a hair-trigger temper." A tattered tale about anti-heroes drinking there way to rock bottom on the dusty back roads of civilization, while hunting down the ever-failing dollar, howls straight from the heart of the Gonzo-fueled American Dream. The kind of comic that makes you stand up like a patriotic rebel and beg for the forgotten freedoms of our fore fathers. Crafting a story drowned in alcohol and self pity requires an artistic balance that keeps the reader engrossed without grossing them out with the thought of vomit oozing off the pages. Enter Diego Greco, an Argentinean artist known for advertising, erotic comics, and a loser superhero story called Doméstico. With his soft brushes and enriched tones, Greco displays a style that is easy on the eyes yet comically engaging. Together, the team create a comic book that sets the mood for a bar brawl in the middle of a Don Bluth film; keeping every hurled glass bottle in focus, making every broken bone look enchanting, and polishing the toothless smiles of all ages brave enough to endure self destruction.
As you take Bad Dog out of the weekly comic grab, you see a fuzzy face full of golden brown fur, wearing Elvis shades, a white cowboy hat, and a dead cold stare. Once opened to the first page, it becomes apparent you have past far beyond the safety and sanity of so-called city limits a few exits ago. From page to page, the dialogue poetically rants like a drunken pastor slam dancing to hymns on shattered stained-glass windows, while the art gracefully shines a harmonious spectrum through each broken shard upon the floor. By the time you reach the middle of the story, you are already intoxicated by the recurring visits to dive bars and backwater saloons. If you can reach the end of the book, you will need two bottles of whiskey to cure the pounding headache where you once had a brain and the number to a back alley surgeon for an emergency liver transplant.
Bad Dog exists because, as much as we want to pretend we are ALL good people, some of us know deep down in the dank pit of our failed kidneys, that everyone is capable of both love AND destruction. That is why we all look when we drive past a car wreck; it's in our nature to observe, even when we want to poke our eyes out with olive picks. Bad Dog might not stay long with most crowds, but the few of us who welcome the disruptive truthfulness and rebellious abandonment will always have a spare room for this mongrel… Furniture and rugs be damned! And if MY carbonated ramblings haven't been enough to convince you to try a shot of this 100 proof series, you need the kind of help that only an enabler can give... When creator Joe Kelly was asked by comicbookresources.com to convince them to purchase a copy of Bad Dog in just 10 verbs, he replied, "Drink. Shoot. Ponder. Drink. Laugh. &@%$%. Drink. Howl. Weep. Become. Aw, yeah... Artsy!"
I don't know why, but I am always surprised when Geoff Johns manages to take a previously lame villain and turn him/her into a complex psychological creature, but more importantly, into a frightening and imposing villain. Previously, my favorite example of Johns' doing this was in The Flash #218, where he spotlighted the Rogue Heatwave and made his infatuation with fire into a deeply perverse obsession that cost the character his entire family.
That favoritism, however, has shifted to Green Lantern #43 and the villain Black Hand.
There's still a lot we don't know about the Black Lantern Corps in this issue and we didn't know exactly what their full function was until we opened up Blackest Night #1 on July 15th. But that mystery, coupled with the unnerving exposition of Black Hand and the steps he ultimately takes to embrace the power of death, is a big part of why this story is so compelling. Hal Jordan and the usual suspects don't appear in this issue in any large capacity. We get introduced to William Hand in a way we never have before, as a deep psyche evaluation that dives headfirst into his obsession with death, and everything that has to do with it.
What does living in a mortuary mean for someone who's so consumed by an unhealthy and sadistic love of corpses? What does this extreme personality do when he discovers a power greater than that of a man's? And what does that mean for the Blackest Night? This issue explains thoroughly why Black Hand is the way he is currently portrayed, and why he will be a force to be reckoned with, not only against the Green Lantern Corps, but the DC Universe. With a strong debut from new ongoing artist Doug Mahnke, the aesthetics coupled with the complex look into the mind of Black Hand is a total winner.
Green Lantern #43 leads into Blackest Night #1 in the best way possible: by showing how you, the reader, will absolutely love to hate this sadistic son of a b*^$%.
Ed Brubaker's 51st issue of Captain America has gotten the consolidation treatment, and we've gone from Volume 5 back to Volume 1 by assuming #600. This issue represents a tide change in the course of Brubaker's recent issues in the sense that, for the first time in 26 issues, a little over two years, this one is about Steve Rogers. Sure, he's been mentioned over the past couple of years and nearly deified in the eyes of many of Marvel's heroes, but Steve has become the driving force behind the Cap title again, because it's setting the stage for what some have been hoping and some have been dreading:
The Return of Steve Rogers.
On the anniversary of Steve Rogers' death, Sharon Carter begins to gain more and more of her memory from when she was under the control of Dr. Faustus. In short, the result is that she remembers a small but very important detail from the day she was forced to murder Steve Rogers: there was something...different about the "murder" weapon.
We are also taken around to various other reactions to the anniversary of Cap's death, including an appearance from the Grand Director, who ominously says he wants to be Captain America when he finds people that are "worth saving." The New Avengers and the current Captain America, Bucky Barnes, plan to attend the candlelight vigil that will be held for Rogers in full costume, but are convinced by the Black Widow to go in street clothes. As per usual, Norman Osborn takes the vigil as a publicity stunt, saying great things about a man he referred to only seconds before as a man who "died a traitor."
Sharon then appears before the New Avengers saying that she now knows that they all can "save Steve."
As he's my favorite character in Marvel's stable, I am positively thrilled about the return of Steve Rogers. This issue, however, fell a little flat for me because of the pacing. We're moving along rather quickly with the adventures of Bucky as Captain America and there's a sudden screech to make way for Rogers' supporting cast and his own return. I don't criticize the return itself, I think it's about a year overdue. But, I do think that Brubaker could've eased into it starting back at least at #45.
I can take it, though. He delivers the goods on emotional power and the simple dumbfoundedness that Bucky and the Avengers have when an ex-girlfriend walks up to them saying that they can "save" a man who's been a corpse for 1 in-universe year. What will Brubaker do with that gun? Why is it so different? How can it permit the return of Steve Rogers?
Great question to have as we await the arrival of Captain America: Reborn #1 and the one true Star-Spangled Avenger.
Review by Chris Clow The return of Barry Allen continues in parts 2 and 3 of The Flash: Rebirth. To get you up to speed, at the end of #1 Barry finds out that his touch has the ability to kill speedsters in the DC Universe. Using this knowledge and trying to find out how he could cause such things, he and Wally West go to Fallville, Iowa where they find the corpse of the Speed Force's apparition of death: the Black Flash. Upon this discovery, another manic speedster, the Lady Flash, arrives on the scene attempting to kill Allen, but when she touches him, it creates a surge so powerful that in addition to killing the Lady, it reveals why Allen is able to kill with his touch: he is the NEW Black Flash.
When the JLA and the JSA arrive on the scene in Iowa, they contain Barry. He warns Wally and the rest of them to stay away from him, fearing he could harm them. All the while, lightning strikes all around Barry, attempting to strike him. The combined efforts of the League and the Society decide it's best if Barry be moved, but instead Barry is released from his containment and says that in order to save everyone from himself, he will run back into the Speed Force to end his life on Earth once again. Superman takes off after him attempting to stop him, but Barry easily outraces the Man of Steel. When Barry is finally flung into the Speed Force, he sees his friends Johnny Quick and Max Mercury. After accidentally killing Johnny when touching him, he explains to Max that he's the new Black Flash. "It's not you!" Max says. "It's Professor--" BOOM! Suddenly they are pulled into another pocket of the Speed Force, where a man simply says, "Isn't it obvious what I've done to you, Barry? I've shifted you into reverse." It is revealed to be Eobard Thawne, the original Reverse Flash known as Professor Zoom.
Whew! Mouthful. If you're not a Flash fan, there are plenty of things to keep this book interesting. From the characters, to the locales, to the awesome speed effects from the mind of Ethan Van Sciver, this book looks great and reads like an action/adventure epic. BUT, if you ARE a Flash fan, it's even BETTER. Not only do we see some old beloved speedster characters in Quick and Mercury, one of DC's all-time greatest rivalries in Barry Allen vs. Eobard Thawne is brutally reignited leading into the next issue. Flash vs. Zoom is up there with the best of the DC Hero/Villain rivalries like Superman vs. Luthor, Green Lantern vs. Sinestro (also reignited by Johns and Van Sciver), and Batman vs. Joker. The conflicts and the stakes can only go up from here, and I thought we'd already reached the ceiling.
Johns continues his quest to make Barry Allen relevant by bringing the character's own belief of irrelevance into the forefront. Kid Flash Bart Allen makes an appearance in #3, and Barry, through inner monologue, thinks that if ever there was proof that his time was passed, it was in his grandson that stood right before him. How will this self-deprecating belief of Barry's change? Will it change? Will the arrival of Professor Zoom have the same impact on Flash that the reappearance of Sinestro had in Green Lantern: Rebirth?
Time will tell, but if you're not following this series, do it. Flash Fact:Rebirth kicks ass.
It took an evil, despotic God to kill the world's greatest man, but how many will it take to replace him? Crime as thick as pitch has descended upon the dank alleyways of a city drowned in sorrow and fear. As the Dark Knight fades slowly into the onyx twilight, the duty of upholding Gotham's safety and sanity falls heavy on the shoulders of many costumed crusaders. Some have proven themselves worthy of such an honor, while others arrogantly believe the mantle to rightfully belong to them. Mentors, allies, and enemies alike gather beat back the growing darkness or take full advantage of it, either way, they all question their own intentions and the expectations placed upon them. One thing is for sure, the Batman is dead and another knight needs to be sired in or Gotham will burn.
Battle for the Cowl is a three part story written and illustrated by Tony Daniel, who came into the Batman franchise during Grant Morrison's monumental "RIP" story arc. From his gutter pictorial of Gotham City streets, to his cryptic revival of villains long forgotten, Tony Daniel has made his stake as one of the pioneer Batman artists. Using heavy shading to showcase the perpetual darkness that surrounds Gotham, Daniel highlights the beam of hope the Dark Knight shines on his citizens by snuffing the light around him. Both creators bring forth a masterful piece of work that shakes the very foundations of everything we have come to know about the Caped Crusader. After the heart stopping finale of "RIP," Morrison chills us to the bone with Final Crisis #6; as we witness the New God Darkseid and Batman destroy each other. Enter Neil Gaimen and Andy Kubert's "Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?"two part funeral story, in which we witness Bruce, Batman, and the child that would never be transcend to his final reward through eloquently poetic writing and beautifully haunting art. With the vibrations of one man's death felt around the world, Gotham trembles from the aftershock and the foundation begins to crack at an alarming rate. The Bat Family is still reeling from the demise of Bruce Wayne, but crime waits for no man... no matter how statuesque he maybe. The streets have become more violent than ever before, with gangs warring over turf and civilian looting at an all time high. All the while, crime lords and colorfully dressed madmen take full advantage of the opportunity at hand, making a claim for the throne of Gotham's criminal underworld. The heroes and citizens in mourn must rise up, reluctantly placing their fears and grievances aside to stop the fire from consuming all of Gotham. With the Batman missing, Bruce's three adopted sons will strive to do what they believe to be the proper course of action. Nightwing, Robin, and Jason Todd all have their own agendas and plans for retaliation, but which one is righteous enough to don the cowl in the name of justice? Are any of these vigilantes actually capable, or even redeemed enough, to take own such an iconic role? The answers lie within the pages of Battle for the Cowl... or online if need be.
In recent comic years, numerous tie-ins have had little to do with the actual continuity of the main book and served as nothing more than $1 bin fodder. With Battle for the Cowl being only three issues, the tie-ins actually add some background to the who, what, when, where, and sometimes why some of us would ask. Of all the BFTC tie-ins, I recommend "The Underground,""The Network," and Azrael: Death's Dark Knight to get behind the faces patrolling Gotham's rooftops and lurking through its sewers, the two Gotham Gazette One Shots to understand the cast of characters that have cared for Bruce over all these vigilant years, and Secret Six#9... Because I believe Catman to be worthy enough for a nomination. The other tie-ins would strengthen your knowledge for future developments, but is not on a must read basis. With all that said, Battle for the Cowlis a great read, but not necessary to start Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's exciting new chapter, Batman and Robin. With Quitely on board to draw the first three issue story arc, Phillip Tan will take on the second three issue story arc, followed by Quitely for three more, this series will shake the conventional style of the franchise while keeping traditional and deep-rooted themes at the murky surface. For fans of Detective Comics, Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III will take over the monthly title while bringing Batwoman into the foreground as the central character. With all these titles becoming fresh again, I expect nothing but great things from the Bat Franchise in the years to come. Once again, I am getting ahead of myself...
Throughout Grant Morrison's exceptional run on Batman, he has taken us places few of us have been to. Places only a seasoned veteran would understand, let alone remember. For those new to the book, he brought a fresh take on the Bat-Mythos, allowing novice fans to jump aboard without bombarding them with too much information. The first story arc, "Batman and Son," is a jovial, roller coaster ride incorporating the same feeling of childlike intrigue and imaginative acceptance as the golden age, while adding a young and fresh feel to the characters with art by Andy Kubert’s. Fueling the dark knight nostalgia with pop art influenced backgrounds and Ninja Man Bats, the team craft a story rich in subtle detail and classic detective undertones that mix together like a thick gumbo. Taking from the idea originally instilled by Mike W. Barr and Jerry Bingham's phenomenal graphic novel "Son of the Demon"Morrison continues the controversial plot of Batman conceiving a child with Talia al Ghul, daughter of the tyrannical genius Ra's al Ghul . During the events of "Son of the Demon" Talia and Bruce contemplate marriage and parenting, while sharing a passionate night upon an ocean of satin. After Batman deciphers Ra's true goals and thwarts the despot like never before, Talia breaks it to Bruce like a knee to the back... she has miscarried. Shattered yet understanding, Bruce recovers back in Gotham while Talia secretly births the child and leaves him within an orphanage with only a jewel encrusted necklace as proof of his natural heritage. Many Batman aficionados claimed blasphemy on the new addition to the Wayne Family bloodline, and thus, the story continued on outside normal continuity as Elseworld stories where he would don the mantle Ibn al Xu'ffasch; roughly translated from Arabic to mean "Son of the Bat." When Grant Morrison got a hold of these loose threads, he not only added a more scientific and cohesive approach to the child's birth, but he gave him a name worthy of the adolescent’s malicious, precarious, and spoiled attitude... Damian. In Morrison's story, Damian was genetically produced within an artificial womb using both Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne's DNA to create a flawless physical specimen. Breed by the League of Assassins to be the perfect warrior, Damian became a master of the martial arts and a harbinger of death before he reached puberty. During "Batman and Son,"Talia introduces Damian to his father as a way of disrupting Batman's work and allowing the violent teenager to confront his biological father accordingly. Though arrogant and full of piss & vinegar, Damian is still a Wayne and the rest of the family is determined to rehabilitate him or kill him in the process. Neither Alfred, Nightwing, nor Robin have any desire to help this devious boy along, but will not give up on the brat all the same. Somewhere deep down, they can all see the capacity for greatness that Batman saw in all of the boy wonders. In Batman#666, we see an older version of Damian (who looks remarkably like Grant Morrison) carrying on his father's quest for justice in a futuristic Gotham City, entertaining the thought of inheritance and redemption for the rebellious youth. A prophetic vision showing Damian violently sacrificing himself physically, mentally, and even soulfully; Is this the Batman of the future or is it all a hazy prediction? Shall the fate of Gotham City rest on the shoulders of the one taking up the cowl or does the future depend on a ruthless killer’s redemption? Only time, training, and tact will tell...
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