Occasional Reviews: Hulk #1, Nightwing #140, Teen Titans Lost Annual

Hulk #1
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artists: Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Rating: A
On My Pull List? Yes

Hulk #1 skillfully carries on the momentum that World War Hulk started. Though no actual real-time Hulk action is depicted in this issue (making it interestingly similar in that regard to the Spider-Man-less Amazing Spiderman #546 & the Captain America-less current Cap run), his massive footprints (and, apparently, fingerprints) are everywhere in evidence.

Spoilers: Classic villain Abomination is apparently killed by the Hulk. With a gun. Meanwhile, a half-naked Rick Jones, who, despite the end of "WWH," is quite alive, roams the Russian countryside in a daze. Is he this mysterious "Red Hulk?" And the Winter Guard make an appearance, much to my boyfriend's delight (he loves those "global" teams).


I admit that I was very turned off by Jeph Loeb's recent writing for DC, but his work in Hulk #1 is both fast-paced and engaging. Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines's art is appropriately massive, and Loeb provides the sort of wide, open storytelling that plays that art to its biggest advantage. There are spreads so massive in this book you'll feel as if you're reading one of those old treasury editions.

A great start; I hope they keep it up.



Nightwing #140
Writer: Pete Tomasi
Artists: Rags Morales & Michael Bair
Publisher: DC Comics

Rating: B
On My Pull List? I will give it one more issue before deciding.

Nightwing enters a whole new phase with issue #140 and the new creative team of Tomasi, Morales, and Bair. With a story that takes place mostly in New York City instead of the familiar haunts of Gotham or Bludhaven and a far more realistic art style than I'm used to for this character, it certainly does feel like Dick Grayson's own "Brand New Day."

Tomasi's writing does not lack feeling for the characters or a penchant for manly action scenes (indeed, Dick's skydive at the beginning of the issue seemed more at home with a James Bond novel). However, the copious use of dialogue and narrative captions denotes more of a prose approach to a graphic medium. For example, the scene with Robin & Nightwing at the end of the issue -- there are a tremendous amount of words on those two pages.


It is really the art of Morales & Bair that are the showstoppers here. If ever there was a comic most likely to appeal to females based on the sexiness of the male superhero alone, it is Nightwing. If there ever was a male character in the DC roster in danger of being exploited for his good looks alone, it is Dick Grayson. The sheer number of gratuitous shower scenes featuring Mr. Grayson through the years testifies to that.

Simply put, the Dick Grayson (and Tim Drake, assuming he's of legal age) of Nightwing #140 is incredibly good-looking. It makes me wish Devin Grayson was still writing the book.




Teen Titans Lost Annual
Writer: Bob Haney
Artists: Jay Stephens & Mike Allred
Publisher: DC Comics

Rating: B+

I watched this book grow from its inception while I was an assistant to its original editor, Dan Raspler; so it might be more valuable to my blog readers to give you some background to it in in addition to just a review.

If my memory serves me correctly, Bob Haney, a classic writer of Silver Age DC material, wrote the script for Teen Titans Lost Annual on a manual type writer, all in caps. Almost every other line ended with a double hyphen & double exclamation point. We stood around the office just looking in awe at the thing. And yet, it was the perfect vehicle for Jay Stephens & Mike Allred to express their love of that time period.

Titans Lost Annual was shelved before publication because it was considered "weird." A new Teen Titans title was launching, and it was believed the one-shot would confuse branding.

The thing is -- the book is weird. It features hippie cavemen going up against mod aliens in Beatles haircuts. And John F. Kennedy.

But, like last year's The Last Fantastic Four Story by Stan Lee, the book is a love-letter to a kinder, gentler period in comic book history. It was written by someone who wasn't trying to be ironic, but just wanted to tell an action-packed, fun story. On those merits, the book can be enjoyed.


But, the biggest draw is the art by Jay Stephens & Mike Allred. It is spot-on perfect. Plus, you get a cover & "sketchbook" by original Titans cover artist Nick Cardy. I would almost recommend that you get this for a child and let them enjoy the wonder of the early Titans stuff, if it wasn't for the inherent bizarreness & occasional deaths in the book.

But, would today's kids enjoy the 60s version of the Teen Titans, or the current "in continuity" comic, or Titans Year One, or even the upcoming Tiny Titans?

These are some damn sophisticated kids. I think it's Teen Titans Go! all the way.

New Red Hulk Images...

Multiple covers (naturally) for Hulk #1, accompanied by the following ad copy:

"Now that the dust has cleared and World War Hulk has ended, the Hulk is seemingly no more. But if that’s true…then who is this new, red skinned Hulk? And what connection does he have to the murder of a classic Hulk character? With Iron Man, She-Hulk and Doc Samson on the case, the answers will be unearthed—and you won’t believe what they discover!"

What do you think?

With Amadeus Cho doing the "hard-travelling heroes" bit with Hercules -- and Doc Samson, She-Hulk, and Thunderbolt Ross (all in the original promo art) apparently in the clear -- my bets are with Rick Jones as Tomato Hulk. Which would dovetail nicely with Bucky-as-Cap and, dare I say it, Jason Todd as Batman.

It's "youthsplosion" down mainstream comics way! The kids have taken over. Only, the kids are all kinda pushing thirty.

It's Another Vidcast!

"The Occasional Superheroine Show"

This week on the show:

Wolvie gets pwned!

The Illuminati get off the hook!

Supergirl brushes her teeth!

Lower-level superheroes die!

Inappropriate laughter at a New God's expense!

And plenty more!

Hoo-boy!

Fangirl Fridays: The New Kitchen Edition

Hi-ho. I'm stuck for the greater part of this day at home while my kitchen is being torn out and replaced. I didn't think that in a small space like an apartment you could "dig up" things and find artifacts like old newspapers from the 1960s and queerly-shaped metal hooks but apparently you can.

This seems like a good time to talk about Change. I think I've talked about it before. But I feel strongly that there is Change afoot in Comics and figured it's as good a topic as any to chat about on a Friday afternoon as the rubble of a 50-year-old structure floats about me in a nice splintery haze.

The last time I think things were "normal" in comics -- the way "they have always been" -- was 2000, 2001. Things seemed still predictable. The phrase "oh, women don't really read comics" still had some currency. Manga was still very off-the-radar of the mainstream, though Marvel gave it an early shot with their brief "Marvel Mangaverse" and DC editor Andy Helfer was crying in the wilderness about these strange books he got in Japan that he swore were going to take over the industry. Sure, Andy. "Soon everybody will be reading manga." Right.

Back in 2000, Vertigo Comics was still synonymous with "comic books that adults read," and "Preacher" and "Sandman" had a dead-lock on the bookstore market. The Internet was mainly a place to engage in flame wars and read episode spoilers; the apparent failure of the e-book helped ease our fears that print was in any danger from the digital format. We were sure that "people want to read on paper."

And comic book movies, after a brief respite with Tim Burton at the beginning of the 90s, still sucked.

I'm not sure I can pinpoint when everything exactly changed. It might have been the success of Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man." It might have been when a big crater was blown into my city. Who knows? The important thing is, things changed.


Events like "House of M," "Identity Crisis," "Civil War," "Infinite Crisis," "World War Hulk," and "Countdown" are all responses to this change. It certainly seems as if nothing has been stable in either the Marvel or DC Universes in quite some time, hasn't it? It sometimes feels like as readers we are in danger of having the floors pulled out from the narratives and structures of our favorite comics at any second.


By next Summer, more than likely the structures of at least some of our most beloved characters are going to get a massive facelift. Whether those facelifts will be permanent, merely flash-in-the-pan gimmicks, or changes that receive early abortions when the public balks remains to be seen.

But I think, on the part of the publishers, the desire to change and present heroes that are not so much "legacies" as "peers" is strong. I think the publishers want to change. I think they are making active efforts to "keep with the times," even though there might not be a consensus as to what those times are and where they are leading us.

2008 will be a very key year for comics. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd predict major changes of status quo in the Marvel, Marvel Ultimates, DC, Vertigo, and Wildstorm Universes. I'd predict the Spring and Summer comic book conventions as the major staging areas for rolling announcements of relaunches, reboots, and "universe integrations."

I know sometimes we bitch about this comic creator and that, this editor and that. But in the end, for better or for worse, they are the mythmakers and "world-shapers." They are, most likely, furiously laboring away at the future plans and reshapings of many of our favorite characters right at this very second.

I, for one, am very curious as to what's in store.

Well, it looks like they're just about done with my kitchen. Cherry oak on particle-board...very nice. But the fridge and the stove really need to go.

Oh...and I need a floor.

World War Hulk #5 Preview

As can be readily discerned by the following preview pages, all sorts of messed-up goings-on are happening in this last issue of the World War Hulk miniseries. We have:

1) Explody things
2) Things helping Things
3) Blams
4) Kra-ka-dooms
5) Ouches
6) and Holy S**t!

Is that an H-bomb being thrown into the "Hulk Square Garden?"

This miniseries has been a roller-coaster ride and I've enjoyed it immensely. That said, I'm hoping the final issue will deliver the appropriate -- how shall I say -- payload.

Who Is "Tomato" Hulk???

Ah, a chance for more idle unfounded troublemaking speculation...

Who is this new red Hulk?

Doc Samson?

Rick Jones?

Amadeus Cho?

Hercules?

Tony Stark?

My money is on Rick Jones, for the "oh, sweet irony why do you torture my soul?!" factor.

What'd ya'll think?

Not impressed by new Hulk:

Fangirl Fridays

Welcome to the latest edition of Fangirl Fridays, featuring a whole bunch of damn nice stuff.

Longboxes
Good God! I finally set up an office in the house. It has bulletin boards, Post-It notes, the whole schmear.

Comic books are everywhere in the apartment. Do you have this problem? We're thinking of getting longboxes to put them in. They're in regular bookshelves now (that ones that fit), but we might take the plunge and get the longboxes.

Once you get the longboxes, you're pretty hardcore. There is no real way to disguise your longboxes from the judging eyes of the non-comics initiated.

Yes, you could turn them into the frame for a bed. I don't recommend it.

Anyway, we heard there are plastic-coated longboxes for extra-special comic book goodness protection. Can a little spreadsheet on my computer with spaces to tick off variant covers be far behind??


Emo X-Men Fan Music Videos: My Torture
So we had the following argument at home as to whether Rogue from the "X-Men" movie phased like Kitty Pride when Wolverine put his claws through her. I could have sworn that she phased, but the BF insisted that she absorbed Logan's healing factor and that she was really stabbed.

Well, I was wrong -- so I was forced to watch emo X-Men fan music videos starring Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin. And so you must share in my pain as Rogue & Wolvie cast longing eyes at each other to the tune of "Invisible Touch" by Genesis:



"The Meat Locker"
What erotic entertainment for wimmins looks like in the DC Universe:


Bored and went home early:

Pfeiffer's Day Off
Speaking of "The Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special," the infamous last three pages of that book have really taken the heat off of Will Pfeiffer for the ending to "Amazons Attack."

Who IS really plotting these DC events nowadays, anyhow?

Oh I know...



52.3 Gallons...
...the amount of collective snot punched out of Tony, Reed, and Stephen in "World War Hulk" so far. (One must assume somewhere along the line at least one of these gentlemen pooped their spandex as well)

The Character With The Saddest History In the Marvel Universe


His wife leaves him for Luke Cage, he gets cancer, and then he's killed in Civil War, draped with an ill-fitting tarp, and bulldozed into a grave.

Geez, somebody give this guy a one-shot or a Heroclix or something...


The Joys Of Comic Book Editing, Part One of Many


You really know you've been working in comics way too long when you get the spelling for "Dubbilex" right and the spelling of "Sterling" wrong. From "Countdown."


Special Thanks To My Sweet Babboo...


...for really helping me keep it real, honest, serious, on-track, etc. He takes a lot of interest in my work & my career and he's awesome!

See you next time on Fangirl Fridays!

"World War Hulk" #4 Preview Pages: Bad@$$!

Here's a selection of preview pages from "World War Hulk" #4.
(click for full-size)

What, is Tony hitting the bottle again?


Wouldn't you?

Hulk Gets Snot Beat Out Of Him
In "World War Hulk" #4

Okay, maybe it's Hulk-blood, but it looks kinda like snot.

I think the rumor is that somebody dies or something in this issue (or by the end of the series)?

Seems some people on the Newsarama board are pushing for Sentry to bite the big one.

I know the last cover of the mini-series features Hulk fighting Sentry. And Sentry is pretty despondent about the recent death of his wife. Would he sacrifice himself to stop the Hulk -- either by beating him to a pulp or convincing him that his quest for revenge is wrong?

That would be good comics!<---never really "got" the Sentry, but doesn't hate him or anything.

"World War Hulk"
Sequel "Warbound" Announced

Greg Pak announced at Fan Expo Canada this weekend that he's working on a sequel to "World War Hulk," Comic Book Resources reports.

Details on the mini-series, called "Warbound," are sketchy, but the surviving members of Hulk's Sakaarian gladitorial team will be involved.

Leonard Kirk will be on board as artist. He filled in on "Incredible Hulk" #111.

Fangirl Fridays

I first want to really thank all the people who have signed up for the message board. You've contributed some good topics and fine debate. Before we know it, it might even be as good as The Engine, or-or-or as...The Byrne Forums. Just something to work towards.

Strange Days

Let's see...freak pipe explosion in Midtown NYC, bridge collapse in Minneapolis, NY subway trains grounded because of flood, tornado in Brooklyn, my SO's co-worker hurt when elevator cable snaps...

Time to break out the "The End Is Near" sandwich board?

Or is life always this weird and unpredictable and this is just going over it with a neon yellow highlighter?

We've got the case in Pittsburgh of the comic shop owner/convention organizer accused of murdering his wife execution-style on his birthday. Not going to dwell on it, as the facts are not all out and the gentleman seems to be well-liked and respected in the comics community. But I'd be lying if I said that this story doesn't creep me out. And while I think the outpouring of support for the accused is awesome and justified, let's not forget that whomever the murderer, there is a woman dead -- most likely forced into a kneeling position before she was shot in the head, terrified, pleading for her life. And she died in a f**king comic book store.

Rounding out strange news, I turn your attention to the latest YouTube viral video: "Reptile Girl." This video supposedly depicts a normal-looking woman hanging out in her kitchen who suddenly morphs into a snake-like creature. Doubtful? Yes. But I only got about ten seconds into the vid before I saw an eye expand and I just the damn thing off. I don't know, maybe I don't want a call on my Blackberry saying, "7 days!" But if you have the stones to watch this whole thing, let me know if you think we are being invaded by Skrulls.

"Mars needs comics!"

Hulk Buzz

If you want a healthy, narcotics free buzz akin to 50 cans of Red Bull with a steroid chaser, read issues 1-3 of "World War Hulk" really fast at 1:00 in the morning. It's beyond mere comic entertainment; with sledgehammer-impact renderings by John Romita Jr. and effective (not gratuitous) use of motion-blur color effects, "WWH" is an experience.

As for the tie-ins...yeh & meh. Some a good. Some are clearly filler. I like the "Iron Man" crossover issues because Christos Gage and Butch Guice put out a good solid old-school read on the level (IMHO) of Brubaker & Lark's "Captain America."

Personally, there is a lot on "WWH" that reminds me of an extended 911/Iraq metaphor. If and when I decide to touch that metaphor with a ten-foot-pole, I'll let you know.

Zudammit?

Is "Zuda"' a dastardly plot by DC to co-opt & destroy the webcomic market while at the same time greedily stealing IPs like a coked-out Grinch under a Christmas tree decorated with lapsed "Valiant Comics" trademarks?

I understand the anti-Zuda points about creator's rights and all that. But DC is a business. The argument "they should morally know better than to want to control rights to characters they didn't create" and so on is really nice, but ignores the fact that DC is a business. I know a business asking "what's in it for me?" sounds evil and greedy. But if you were sitting in the chair of Paul Levitz and staring at stacks and stacks of financial reports and had Time Warner periodically checking in with "hey dude, whassup," I guarantee you would ask on behalf of your company, "what's in it for me?"

A lot of this is perspective. Yeah, DC & Marvel are real evil corporate monsters until you get that deal to write for them. Then they are ok. "Blah-blah-blah sexist" until you get that deal to write "Cottoncandy Lady" for Marv-DC. Then they're ok.

It's not hypocrisy. It's just that this industry is too f**king small. I'd rather see the good as well as bad in the corporate comics rather than just build myself a bamboo tower on the "Lost" island, and damn any comics publisher bigger than Top Shelf.

Telling an aspiring webcomics creator or female writer/artist to eschew Zuda or DC right off the bat "on principle" is like telling them to cut one of the arms off of their personified career.

That said, when travelling it always helps to carry a flashlight.

"Black Adam" the "Titus Andronicus" of the DCU?

There seems to be a bit of negative buzz surrounding DC's "Black Adam" mini-series, especially concerning its depiction of cannibalism, grisly murder, gore, and nudity.

I haven't read the book but I'm picking up a copy today. I've worked with both the series writer Pete Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke, and I've enjoyed their work in the past. So I'm giving the book a chance.

However.

Issues surrounding "tainting" the Captain Marvel franchise with dark topics aside, for DC not to put "mature readers" labels on a book like this not only does a disservice to its readers but to its creators. Tomasi and others have every right to pen adult material like "Black Adam." And there are readers who cotton to that sort of book -- me included. Heck, I'm a horror movie fan. But horror movies have ratings so (in theory) a seven-year-old doesn't watch a woman pulling out some guy's intestines in "Saw."

If DC really wants to compete with Marvel -- put some $%@#$@ ratings on the covers of your books!


Supergirl in: "NO MORE CAMEL TOE FOR YOU!"

Whatever happened to the good old days of superheroine upskirt shots where the naughty bits were clearly defined underneath her sheer undies? Why must DC continue to "punish" their "hardcore" Supergirl fans by not offering up her nubile young flesh to the altar of the same crowd that types search terms like "Dakota Fanning barefoot?"

Luckily, Mary Marvel is there to pick up the slack. Maybe she's not as high-profile as Kara. But she has boobies. And she's a little "slow."


And There Is A "Johnny DC" Comic Coming Out About The Marvels, Too!


Yayyyyy!!! Great timing!


Girl-Wonder Auction

As I've mentioned in an earlier post, Girl-Wonder.org is having an auction in October to help fund the organization and possibly get a scholarship started.

They have an open call for donations of art and etc to help with the auction.

If you're reading this and a comic artist and you might have time to knock out a piece for the auction or donate a piece of original art, contact Girl-Wonder and let them know.


One-Shots

Yeah, I know I supported those Jenna Jameson "Porn Star" graphic novels last year, but I have to be honest and say that reading about her collaboration with Virgin Comics really knocked the publishing company several pegs down for me.

Um..things don't look that great for MJ right now, do they?

I really want to buy that Captain America Omnibus. But I want to buy a lot of things.

You know, if DC decided to put "Countdown" out of its misery now, I don't think the retailers would hold it against them.

Batman #667 Cover:
Alright, alright, I get it -- "childhood's end," life is darker now, our candy-colored illusions of yesterday are splattered with the cruel reality of the world we live in. Got it.

The real reason the new "Dr. Who" is so popular is because he's hawt. (runs)

And lastly, I want to take this opportunity to publicly say how much I adore my Sweetie, and how I hope we stay together forever in happiness and bliss -- though of course if he was a superhero most likely we'd be divorced or I'd be killed off in one of several interesting ways or I'd be a drug addict/prostitute or I'd turn evil and kill other spouses of superheroes or turn evil and become an alien nymphomaniac or have imaginary babies and go insane.

That's why I like real-life. Don't you?

Fangirl FridaysGood morning!
Formerly known as "A Cup of Me," "Fangirl Fridays"
is where I post my thoughts on this week in comics:

What I bought:
Marvel Two-in-One #1
Thor #1
Fallen Son The Death of Captain America: Iron Man
Detective Comics #834
All-Star Superman #8
Will You Still Love Me If I Wet The Bed?


WWHulk
I think I have officially decided not to buy the "World War Hulk" tie-ins. Thumbed through the crossover w/"Ghost Rider," Hulk is basically only on last page. And I'm not buying "Heroes for Hire."

Countdown
Scanned "Countdown" as I usually do, looking for new outrages. The funeral of Bart Allen -- not quite the match to this week's Cap mourner, is it? Holly Robinson spends her time bathing with Amazons & runs into a familiar face -- neither characters relevant to the Wonder Woman universe. And Jimmy still looks like he's around 40.

New Collected Editions
The Jimmy Olsen and Invaders TPBs looked enticing, but didn't want to make a commitment quite yet; still smarting from earlier expenditures at MoCCA.


She-Hulk & Sex
Apparently, She-Hulk has had sex with a lot of men.

Goodbye Jailbait Supergirl (with apologies to Sammy)
Last issue of Joe Kelly "Supergirl" -- I'll spoil it for ya, Supergirl hugs Superman and basically says "I'm sorry for being such a bad girl." Fitting way to end this run.

Thor
"Thor" #1 looks beautiful, wanted more substance. Olivier Coipel has really matured as an artist.

Sinestro Sold Out
"Sinestro Corps" #1 gone.

Me Am Like You
I think that the Bizzaro storyline in "All Star Superman" is Morrison's way of criticizing fanboys & "Red State" Americans. Sounds crazy, but I've said it.

S.O.M.O.D.O.K.
"Ms. Marvel" #17 features the son of M.O.D.O.K., who turns his father into a living bomb and drops him in Times Square. Apparently in this issue he doesn't romantically manipulate Carol Danvers and make her give birth to himself -- but it still looks good.

Iron Man, You Suck
"Fallen Son: Iron Man" showcases some of the best work of Cassaday's career. The writing wasn't bad, either. Worth the hype.

Losing Your Powers Make Your Boobs Get Bigger
New Warriors #2, last page, Jubilee.


Of Camel Toe And Gods
Comics Fairplay wants to know if the cover to "The Ride: Die Valkyrie" was gratuitous. Camel toe and white panty crotch shots are always gratuitous. "What if Alex Ross painted camel toe," a friend asks me. It's still gratuitous.

"It's Not A Weave"
A new Manstream post, about how Storm is too noble to care about what people say regarding her hair, sparked a commenting frenzy that culminated with Digital Femme sort of removing herself from the "comics feminism movement" --
" I can't roll with the feminist fan movement (or the feminist movement in general). Because when issues pop up pertaining to black women specifically, the response is to either ignore it completely or dismiss it as a superficial non-issue. So there's no point in even opening up a dialogue in the first place. Why bother if the response is going to be indifference or derision?"

"The Best Comic Book Of Geoff Johns's Career! Or Ever Made!"
The mass woody for "Sinestro Corps," as evidenced by passionate posters on my and many other blogs, brings up several issues for me:

* For all of DC's attempts to be like Marvel, they really in the end stuck to what they do best -- obsessively continuity-driven stories that trade on their loyal fans. It doesn't exactly bring in new readers, but it maximizes your sales and keeps your base happy. And there's nothing wrong with that.

* Green Lantern fans are the most intense comic fans I have ever seen. When I was at DC they showed me the letters from "H.E.A.T." I know of which I speak.

* At least one of these Lanterns has to die. I predict Guy going down in a sacrificial blaze of glory for his pals, redeeming himself -- it would be a good way to round out the killing off of the Giffen JLA.

Transformers:
* Probably doesn't suck, not unless you hate fun.

* Shia LaBeouf IS the new John Cusack. Just thought I'd say it.

* "Avengers/Transformers?" Almost as good as "Witchblade/JLA." Which. Means. Kinda suck.



On My "To Buy" List
* M.O.D.O.K.'s Eleven
* "Action Comics" - Escape From Bizarro World 3-parter w/Eric Powell art
* "Star Lord"

Question of the Week:
Why don't I buy any of the female solo books from either DC or Marvel -- other than "Spider-Girl" -- on a regular basis?

Enjoy your weekend!