book review

‘James Bond Vol.1: VARGR’ (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

 

James Bond Vol. 1: VARGR
Written by Warren Ellis
Illustrated by Jason Masters
Published by Dynamite Entertainment
ISBN: 9781606909010 | Price $19.99
Release date: June 22, 2016

Those fans of 007 may not have gotten all they wanted from Daniel Craig’s most recent performance of the MI-6 agent in Spectre last year, but may very well be delighted at what Warren Ellis has been able to do in the comic series from Dynamite.

Ian Fleming Publications and the Fleming Estate commissioned Ellis to approach the character for comics stemming from a licensing deal with Dynamite. The first story art is collected here in one volume, VARGR. Currently on stands is Ellis’ second arc with artist Jason Masters. More writers and artists including Andy Diggle (Green Arrow) will be brought on later this year to fill out more of 007’s modern comic continuity.

 

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‘The Sheriff of Babylon Vol. 1: Bang. Bang. Bang.’ (book review) at Forces of Geek

 

 

The Sheriff of Babylon Vol. 1: Bang. Bang. Bang
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by Mitch Gerards
Cover by John Paul Leon
Published by Vertigo Comics
ISBN: 978-1401264666 | Price $14.99
Release date: July 13, 2016

Crime and war in post-9/11 Iraq is captured in Sheriff of Babylon written by Tom King (Batman, The Vision) and drawn by Mitch Gerads (The Activity, The Punisher).

King draws on his experience as a CIA officer to create a deeply personal rich reflection of the Baghdad of 2004 through the eyes of a former cop and current military contractor Christopher, his Muslim Iraqi girlfriend Sophia and former Iraqi police officer Nassir.

By being exposed to the environment, King has created, along with the carefully researched accuracy of Gerads’ artwork, a military crime fiction of the highest order—it just so happens to be in comic book form.


‘Tetris: The Games People Play’ by Box Brown (graphic novel review) at Forces Of Geek

 

Tetris: The Games People Play
Written and Illustrated by Box Brown
Published by First Second
Release Date: October 11, 2016
EAN 9781626723153
Price: $19.99

The New York Times Bestselling author Box Brown (Andre The Giant: Life and Legend) returns for his second major release through First Second to be released in October of this year. With herds of roaming purple-eyed glow kids tripping on curbs to collect the latest Pokemon lately, we thought this a fitting time to review the origin of Tetris in Tetris: The Games People Play.

Brown illustrates the graphic novel using two color printing (yellow and black) and a simplistic but humorous style that is uniquely his.

The story of Tetris doesn’t include Man from U.N.C.L.E. espionage, but it does have a dramatic element and compelling story that is difficult to put down.

Back in my day, my family, like Brown’s, all fought over the grey screened Game Boys and this addictive Russian video game, shrunken down from the full color version on our ‘big’ TVs.

 

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The Cloud GN (book review) at Forces Of Geek

 

 

Written by K. I. Zachopoulos
Illustrated by Vincenzo Balzano
Published by BOOM! Studios/Archaia
Pub. Date: July 20, 2016
Price: $24.99
UPC:  978160886725752499
Buy It Here

The Cloud is the latest graphic novel release from Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios. This fantasy world is set far in the future as a boy and his trusty flying wolf Cloud travel to discover the secrets of his father and seek after a totem for wishes.

Come along and get lost in this beautifully delightful adventure story with pirates, defiant pachyderms, and talking statues.

This adventure story of a boy and his wolf will transport you to another world that is familiar but forever changed by the actions of our time. In the future of The Cloud we are left with mountain cities in the sky as the earth below is no longer fit from the actions occurring in “The Great Before”.

Each page of this graphic novel is beautifully painted by Vincenzo Balzano (Revenge: The Secret Origin of Emily Thorne) borrowing thoughtful stylistic elements from the likes of Dave McKean (Sandman) and Bill Sienkiewicz.

Fans of The Sandman: The Dream Hunters will most certainly enjoy this story tonally. The pitch and solicit also make sure to mention The NeverEnding Story a bit and for good reason. Cloud and Falkor have much in common. The boys in both stories are adventurers on a quest.

 

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Review: A Look Back at DARWYN COOKE's BEFORE WATCHMEN at FORCES OF GEEK - COSMIC TREADMILL

 

Before Watchmen was released in 2012 to the grousing of original co-creator Alan Moore and a blessing from the original series artist Dave Gibbons.

Fans at the time seemed to be evenly split on the matter as well, but greeted the new Watchmen books with the skepticism of a new Star Wars movie. I’d be interested in seeing a Venn diagram of original Watchmen fans and their reactions to both the limited prequel and also Zach Snyder’s 2009 film adaptation.

In short, one would be hard pressed to find a more controversial DC property writ large. One of the men responsible for revisiting the Minutemen was Darwyn Cooke. His untimely passing last week spurred this review, but truth be told we’ve been thinking about these books for a long time.

Darwyn provided both the story and his unique Golden to Silver Age pulp magazine style illustration to Hollis Mason’s story in Before Watchmen: Minutemen (6 issues) and also teamed up with Amanda Conner, co-writing her book,  Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre (4 issues).

If you were on the fence about these books, now is a great time to honor Darwyn’s memory and rediscover this amazing work you may have overlooked.

Back in the 90’s when Swingers was all the rage (yeah, I went there), I would scour my school’s magazine library for gas station advertisements, winking lightbulbs and all sorts of retro design to (literally) cut and paste to make new art.

I was always extremely jealous of that cool style, drawn with a pen, perhaps a wash of a single color and dashes of Tex Avery’s cartoon “The House of Tomorrow”. Nothing appealed to me more than that aesthetic, as I sat listening to the chairman of the board on wax, smoking cigarettes in my fedora, pretending to be an Artist!

Darwyn’s illustration was all of the corny stuff and more, a Mad Men explosion of a simpler time when you could forge a driver’s license with penmanship, rattle scotch around in your tumbler and men tried their darnedest to be honorable. How this man was touched with such incredible skill to make things look ‘older’ we may never know. Except, in the industry he was known as a hard worker, perfecting his craft and always drawing until it was right.

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WONDER WOMAN: EARTH ONE by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette (graphic novel review) at FORCES OF GEEK

 

 

DC Comics gave us a sneak peak into Grant Morrison’s Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 1 hardcover coming out in April of next year. It may be a few months before you can lasso this hefty treat into your hands, so we thought we would give you a sneak peak.

The Earth-One series, for comic fans, delivers what the title implies. This self-contained universe allows creators to take on DC heroes under an umbrella imprint that is easy for mainstream audiences to pick up at the local chain bookstore. I’ve been enjoying these Earth One with stories from writers Geoff Johns, J. Michael Straczynski, Jeff Lemire and art by heavy hitters Shane Davis, Gary Frank and Terry Dodson.

Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 1 showcases one of our favorite Grant MorrisonBatman, Inc. artists, the versatile and award winning Yanick Paquette. With Morrison’s plan for icons and superheroes laid out in his book Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero (2011), the Scottish writer’s twirling take on his remaining hero of the DC Trinity, Wonder Woman, is highly anticipated.

Wonder Woman has one of the strangest creation stories in all of comics, the history on psychologist William Moulton Marston, his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston and live in lover Olive Byrne alone is fascinating. This tryst formulated some if not all of the bondage imagery, ropes and chains often associated with the character.

No bat, no alien rocketship, just good old fashioned bondage and submission bore the child that is the Amazonian princess we know today starting with the character’s inception back in 1941.

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JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE DARKSEID WAR PART 1 (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE DARKSEID WAR PART 1 (review) at FORCES OF GEEK
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Jason Fabok, Various
Publisher: DC Comics
Pub. Date: March 09, 2016
Price: $24.99
UPC: 978140125977852499



In this week leading up to the biggest DC movie event ever, the debut ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (still a mouthful), we’ve got a hardcover release of volume 7 of Justice League from Geoff Johns with art by Jason Fabok.  

Volume 7: Darkseid War Part 1 pits the New 52 Justice League against a reimagined Fourth World and introduces some new and interesting characters for the modern age.

These are definitely comics more skewed toward the longstanding DC Comics fan than the casual reader, but if someone were to wander off of the streets and grab this hardcover in preparation for the movie (a scenario often prescribed by comics journalists like myself, but rarely do the masses imbibe) they may be entertained but will certainly leave with a lot of questions.

Johns, recently announcing yet another ‘Crisis’ aka Rebirth, lays the groundwork for the theory of the DC multiverse in Darkseid War.  Besides the usual cast on the side of the righteous, we see Darkseid pitted against the powerful Anti-Monitor and a view of how these worlds came to be.

 

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TRIPLE SHOT with a DIGITAL CHASER: Black Magick #5, Army of Darkness Furious Road #1, Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1 Plus Adventures of Supergirl #3 - Forces Of Geek

EDITOR’S NOTE: This reviewer read an unlettered proof of ARMY OF DARKNESS: FURIOUS ROAD. it is now known that this is not a ‘silent’ issue. The new, Updated TRIPLE SHOT below!

TRIPLE SHOT with a DIGITAL CHASER: Black Magick #5, Army of Darkness Furious Road #1, Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1 Plus Adventures of Supergirl #3

 

We’ve got witches, werewolves (not swear wolves), and Ivan meeting G.I. Joe
in this week’s Triple Shot!

Rucka and Scott finish up the first volume of Wiccan detective story Black Magick. 

Over at Dynamite, Ash stars in Army of Darkness and a Clash Sandinista track comes

to life as they team up with Capcom to promote a battle royale game 
Street Fighter V
 with Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1. I got next game!

Sterling Gates continues on a very satisfying compliment to Supergirl on CBS
with Adventures of Supergirl Chapter 3 only on ComiXology!

Black Magick #5 
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Nicola Scott
Publisher: Image Comics
Pub. Date: February 24, 2016
UPC: 70985301997800511
Price: $3.99
BUY IT HERE


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The latest in this witchy supernatural detective story Black Magick
from the superstar team of Greg Rucka (Lazarus, Stumptown,
Star Wars, Gotham Central
) and Nicola Scott (Earth 2, Birds of Prey)
wraps up the first arc before taking a hiatus to get an issue in the can
and to release a trade in April.

When the trade hits, I’m hoping for more attention to this incredible book.

Part police procedural, part Wiccan ceremony, Black Magick tells the story
of Rowan Black, a witch on the Portsmouth police department as a detective. 

Fans of the show iZombie (and the comic, duh) will appreciate the
supernatural mixed with the police work that we know Rucka
is so great at constructing. When I read Rucka’s crime books
I want to marathon The Rockford Files!

Of course Nicola Scott’s art is knockout amazing, full of detail, and with the
exception of expressions of magick it self is black and white (published in
four color process, with greyscale inks). She draws beautiful and
realistic ladies and is one of the best artists on the shelves today.
Color assists on the art by Chiara Arena.

This story wraps up some loose ends but leaves you wanting to know more
about the threats darkening Rowan’s door.

I don’t know much about spells and witchcraft in real life but if
I want to pretend, I can recite the spells from this well-researched book,
cleverly edited by Jeanine Schaefer (formerly of Marvel, now a freelance editor).


Army of Darkness Furious Road #1
Writer: Nancy A. Collins
Art: Kewber Baal
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Pub. Date: March 2, 2016
UPC: 72513024590801011
Price: $3.99
BUY IT HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve said it before, and now that I see another Army of Darkness title from Dynamite,
I’m even more confused.

Oh well, we live in a time where Flash and Supergirl will team up across different
networks, Ash vs. Evil Dead is a TV show and someone more scary than a
hologram from The Dark Knight Returns is angling to be president.

What am I on about? I simply do not understand the rights issues
involved with Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise! Can the TV show not really
not use the store name of S-Mart? Is it even possible to break up print distribution
rights for a property? 

Just last month, I praised Space Goat’s Evil Dead 2: Cradle of the Damned
and looked forward to Ash taking on Hitler. …and then this happened!

Dynamite (perhaps the holder of the MGM Army of Darkness license?
Spitballing here…) is about to unleash Furious Road, a Mad Max
 style look into the future 20 years from ‘now’.
This story is set twenty years from whenever ‘now’ is.

Acclaimed horror writer Nancy A. Collins also has a few
comics under her belt (Swamp Thing, Jason vs. Leatherface, Vampirella)
set us up here with a post-apocalyptic road warrior view of Ash’s beloved hometown,
complete with ridiculous outfits, shaved haircuts and heavily armored cars. 

Many reviewers (myself included) were mistakenly slipped an unlettered proof.
Thankfully we received a new copy of the book for us to revise our review. Sorry about that! 

What was criminally missing was the famous Ash quips and references to
previous issues and even a certain Cabin in the Woods.

Not to be one-upped by a Hitler book, Dynamite goes Legion of Monsters 

 with this one has Frank N. Stein (he prefers Michael),
Eva and the Daughter of Dracula enlist Ash to track down the Necronomicon.
I guess this is just another tricky day at the Housewares Department at S-Mart for Ash.

Highly recommended for fans of whatever movie or tv show is your
favorite one starring the guy with the chainsaw hand!

 

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Classic PEANUTS Return To Ride THE COSMIC TREADMILL - at FORCES OF GEEK


Charles Shultz’ comic creation The Peanuts Movie hit the big screen earlier this month and Titan Comics has been releasing volumes all year to commemorate the occasion.

Snoopy and the kids looked a lot different in the early strips, (Charlie Brown himself sometimes missing his signature zig-zag shirt) but the timeless humor of the daily and Sunday Peanuts comics can still resonate with children of all ages today.


Titan Comics offered us a look at these modern day reprints of classic black and white Peanuts strips from the early days before Snoopy took on The Red Baron.

Titan has the rights to reproduce favorites from my childhood, the Rinehart & Company (Holt, Rinehart & Winston) collected black and white paperbacks accumulated from yard sales or perhaps even my parent’s well spent youth.

It had been years since I remembered even reading these books, and as an adult a new appreciation and nostalgia sets in.

 

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APAMA THE UNDISCOVERED ANIMAL V. 1 (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Written by Ted Sikora and Milo Miller
Art by Benito Gallego
Colors and Letters by Ted Sikora



The Kickstarter video for Apama explains the origin of our favorite new super hero story.

Hero Tomorrow was a film project screened at New York Comic Con in 2009. Since then, the animalistic hero did a backflip into the pages of comic books themselves.

A successful Kickstarter, ComiXology Submit issues and a Cleveland origin story that rivals Segel and Shuster combined with amazing feedback for the overall project bring this hardcover collected edition to the masses.

The creative team of co-writers Milo Miller and Ted Sikoro and artist Benito Gallego have an awesome independently funded and fun Bronze Age style tale on their hands.

Comparisons can be made from Animal Man and Concrete to Iron Fist and Ka-Zar with Apama: The Undiscovered Animal Vol. 1.

Apama is set against the backdrop of modern day Cleveland, Ohio where our soon-to-be hero Ilyia the ice cream truck driver is having typical malaise. He’ll never get the girl, his parents are dogging him about doing something with his life and his boss makes the joyful act of selling ice cream somehow miserable.

One day while hiking in the woods, Ilyia chases a Native American ghost, trips and falls and has the strangest dream about animals facing off against each other.

In the end, an animal called Apama, an ancient, unfamiliar and mysteriously powerful beast with unique markings.

When Ilyia awakens, he finds his way to a cave adorned with paintings and a shrunken corpse. Perhaps the power of Apama comes from this place.

He takes an ancient scroll and some cave clothes home and mediates on his dream and new discoveries to find the answers.

The supernatural cave origin is both new and familiar, referencing Captain Marvel or Concrete.

After nearly a hundred days of investigating and meditating on his scroll, he throws on the clothes and BLAMMO — Ilyia has the power of Apama flowing through his veins.

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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Triple Shot: THE INFINITE ADVENTURES OF JONAS QUANTUM #1, CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #1, D4VE2 #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

Who isn’t ready for the weekend, amiright? We hope your weekend is filled with many glossy pages (or screens) of comics outdoors for one last time this summer. Crack open that cold can and drink in this last weekend of the Summer because it’s all crashing to an end.

Looking for something to read as you slowly realize you wasted your summer away at the DMV and Dunkin Donuts? Maybe you were toiling away at the boat motor you never could get started?

Here’s some suggestions!

Mark Guggenheim (Arrow, The Flash, Amazing Spider-Man) teams up with Freddie E. Williams II and the tight bros at Legendary Studios (yes, that Legendary responsible for Pacific Rim, The Dark Knight Trilogy and so many more) to give us the smartest man in the world, The Infinite Adventures of Jonas Quantum #1.

Contrast that book with the most put upon robot in the world in former FOG! columnist, Ryan Ferrier’s D4VE2 #1, the sequel to his desk-jockey-robot-turned-hero book D4VE. 

Of course, 98 pound weakling Marvel nerds exhaled a collective wheezy “yay” when they heard that Captain America: White from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale was finally going to see the light of day and the $4.99 price point is totally worth it if you can’t wait for the collected edition.


The Infinite Adventures of Jonas Quantum #1
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Pencils and Cover: Freddie E. Williams II
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Pub. Date: September 16, 2015
Age Rating:15+ Only
Publisher: 2015 Legendary Comics, LLC



I’m not shy when it comes to my love of the work that the CW team has done with Arrow and The Flash. I scoop up insider information on the shows like a Hoover in a hotel lobby from Twitter and have always enjoyed behind the scenes interviews with Marc Guggenheim. 

Marc was also one of the weekly writers of Spidey when I had my resurgence back into comic book fandom so I always keep an eye out for his work. 

What appears to be on the Millarworld model of writing a volume of comics custom built for an easy adaptation to the big (or small) screen is this very fun superhero story about the smartest man in the world.

A clever way of marking time in the book marks Jonas’ advanced intellect and milestones. Keep that calculator handy because you need to know that in the flashbacks on DAY 4800, Jonas is 13 years old and mastering time travel.

At 35, he cures Death.

The superheroing comes in as someone has broken into an off-world pocket universe and stolen his ‘Cure for Death’. 

Jonas has powers, or has invented suits and gear to make him superpowered, can travel through time and there is plenty of action. Interacting with real humans, Jonas has some social problems but he seems to get by.

Great fights and action for the first issue, and as usual Freddie Williams is a master. Quite a great looking book with Chris Sotomayer on colors. 

Five stars for me on this first issue for fans of über-smart heroes (Reed, Tony, Bruce) and the cliffhangers and high drama of Guggenheim’s TV work.

 

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Triple Shot: ATOMIC ROBO AND THE RING OF FIRE #1, STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN: THE SPECTRUM WAR #2 & TET #1! at FORCES OF GEEK


IDW Publishing takes over Triple Shot with as many big phasers and constructs as there are handguns. 

That is to say, you’ve heard us gush at the Star Trek and Green Lantern crossover but the publisher’s connections withComics Experience bring Tet to print and independent creator-owned titles like Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener’sAtomic Robo keep the independent spirit alive among a sea of licenses. 


TET #1 (of 4)


Writer: Paul Allor
Artist: Paul Tucker
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Pub. Date: September 09, 2015
UPC: 82771400916300121



Our friend Paul Allor (TMNT, G.I.Joe) sent FOG! an advance copy of his latest,Tet #1, out today from IDW in association with Andy Schmidt’s Comics Experience class. 

Paul is a comics professional with some great titles under his belt, but also he is a crucial part of the community and staff over at Comics Experience. His title is Pro Critique Provider, helping would-be creators develop scripts and gives students much needed feedback as a professional that has worked with publishers.


Tet is a murder mystery set during the Tet Offensive, one of the key campaigns in the Vietnam War. 

Much like Marvel ‘80s books The ‘Nam and flashbacks in Classic G.I.Joe, Tet offers a look at the war from the soldier’s perspective. 

This book satisfies a lot of checkmarks for an interesting war tale. Romance, a murder mystery and a team up with U.S. soldiers and local authorities to solve said mystery. Of course the new partners don’t get along.

I’m compelled to recommend this issue. Tet is different than Allor’s other work and in my opinion, shows his growth as a writer. Setting the story in the Vietnam War gives a gritty backdrop to the mystery and allows for some great dialogue work.

Much praise to Paul Tucker’s realistic art, in the vein of David Mazzucchelli’s Batman: Year One style as an easy comparison. 

I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the story and recommending the trade. Tet runs four issues.

 

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THE NEW DEAL By Jonathan Case (graphic novel review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Written and Illustrated by Jonathan Case
Published by Dark Horse Comics
ISBN: 978-1-61655-731-7
Price: $16.99
Publication Date: 9/23/15
Buy it HERE


While based in 1936, Jonathan Case’s The New Deal is not a hum-drum historical drama based on FDR’s realignment. 

No sir, this is a beautifully rendered period heist comedy based the Waldorf Astoria highlighting income disparity from the bellhops and chamber maids kowtowing to the needs of the very rich that choose to make the ritzy hotel their home.

Published under Dark Horse’s seldom used, but high end Dark Horse Originals imprint, The New Deal looks as if it was published at Fantagraphics or Drawn and Quarterly, not necessarily at the home of Barb Wire and Itty Bitty Mask. 


Nice production design, classy art deco endpapers and a black and white plus wash look to the pages make for an excellent looking hardcover.

 

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ARMY OF DARKNESS: ASH IN SPACE TPB (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

 

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Larry Watts
Cover: Gabriel Hardman
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Pub. Date: August 26, 2015
UPC: 978160690691051999
$19.99



The recent Ashley Williams hack has exposed information that has global and interstellar consequences.  

Ash in Space has revealed that Sheila (his bride from Army of Darkness) is long dead and there may have had some hanky-panky between The Chosen One, the real Ash Williams, and a female astronaut on the International Space Station.

What are we talking about, here?


Come on, baby! We’re just using the latest click bait headlines to get you into the world of the Deadites once again as we review Dynamite’s Army of Darkness: Ash in Space! 

Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Harrow County, Magneto) brings Ash, his new hand and a chainsaw all the way past the stratosphere to fight Deadites and an evil satellite. Larry Watts (Robyn Hood, Grimm Fairy Tales) slays it on the art.

I wonder if Ash’s boss at S-Mart ever wondered where he went. He’s been gone awhile in the time stream, thanks to the spells in the Necronomicon.

If he times his return right, maybe he’ll be able to cash in some sick days.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952 TPB (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952 TPB
Written by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
Art by Alex Maleev
Colored by Dave Stewart
Cover by Mike Mignola
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $19.99
Diamond ID:APR150064
ISBN: 978-1-61655-660-0
Published: August 12, 2015

 

Hellboy embarks on his first mission with the B.P.R.D. Team and wouldn’t you know it, there are demon monkeys, drunken priests and someone out to get the Big Red One.

Returning to Hellboy for the first time since 2003 is frequent Bendis collaborator Alex Maleev for art duties on this Mike Mignola & John Arcudi penned tale set in 1952.

Of course, regular Hellboy colorist Dave Stewart joins the fun on this fantastic adventure.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952 is part mystery, part adventure story and explores some growth and development to how Hellboy came up in our world.

The 5 issue series is collected in one volume to hit shelves next week. This is a highly recommended addition to your Hellboy collection and also a great introduction this world as it focuses on a younger Hellboy and Maleev’s art fits the world of the B.P.R.D. so well.

Hellboy fanatics have likely grabbed these issues in floppy form, or perhaps are waiting until this trade drops to line up the spines perfectly with their other Hellboy volumes. However you end up consuming this (Dark Horse is finally onComiXology, FYI), be prepared for some familiar faces as well as some creepy introductions.

Mignola admits to being a bit of a control freak when it comes to other artists drawing his stories. What evolved from tweaking camera angles on Alex’s initial sketches eventually became Mike sending his own thumbnails to the artist. I’m sure the two got along fine, however. The pages and storytelling have the patina of classic Mignola Hellboy tales or old vampiric horror movies. You know how you feel when you read Hellboy Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction? You feel the same here.

 

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

 

 

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BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA V. 1: THE HELL OF THE MIDNIGHT ROAD & THE GHOSTS OF STORMS (review) AT FORCES OF GEEK

Big Trouble In Little China V. 1:
The Hell of The Midnight Road & The Ghosts of Storms
Story by John Carpenter and Eric Powell
Written by Eric Powell
Art by Brian Churilla
Colored by Michael Garland
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
Cover by Eric Powell
Published by BOOM! Studios
Publication Date: June 03, 2015
UPC 978160886716551499
Buy it HERE
Available on Comixology


John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China returned last year in comic book form thanks to Carpenter himself (story) and The Goon’s Eric Powell with Brian Churilla (The Sixth Gun) on art.

BOOM! Studios released the first volume of continuing adventures of The Pork Chop Express last month. Jack is back, baby and he’s born ready to rock!

Let him regale you with tales of his ex-wives as he deals with a pet demon named Pete takes on the evil Wing Kong with his pal Egg Shen.


Issue #12 is out today but to get the party started, check out Volume 1 collecting issues 1—4.

“Have ya paid your dues, Jack?”

“Yessir, the check is in the mail”.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]


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THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES TPB (review) - at FORCES OF GEEK

 

THE ROCKETEER - THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES TPB

By Dave Stevens
Coloring by Laura Martin
Lettering by Carrie Spiegle
Volume 1 art assist by Jaimie Hernandez
Co-writers of Volume 2, chapters 2 & 3: 
Danny Bilson & Paul Demeo
Volume 2 art assist by: Art Adams, 
Geof Darrow, Gary Gianni, Mike Kaluta,
 Stan Manoukian, Sandy Plunkett, and Vince Roucher
Volume 2, chapters 2 & 3 covers by: Dave Stevens
 and painted by Dave Dorman and Paul Chadwick
Edited by Scott Dunbier
Collected Edition by: Justin Eisinger and Alonzo Simon
Cover by Dave Stevens
IDW Publishing
Release Date: March 18, 2015
Cover Price: $19.99
UPC: 978163140227251999


Summertime is the best time to catch up on reading! One of the classic comic characters I have always wanted to know more about, since seeing his 1991 film was The Rocketeer. 

The pulp hero, inspired by art deco design and the creations of Howard Hughes (see The Aviator) was the titular work of Dave Stevens, a cartoonist and storyboard artist that passed away in 2008.

IDW released an accessible paperback volume of our hood ornament of a hero with The Rocketeer The Complete Adventures in association with the Stevens Estate. The publisher and Stevens before his death tapped the talented Laura Martin to remaster the colors for the hardcover edition.

This book is the best independent comics has to offer, a legendarily rare creation with extraordinary art and dogfight action.


The Rocketeer wasn’t created in the time of the pulps, but instead captures the spirit of that high-flying time in American history with Cliff Secord,  The Rocketeer and his sometime pin-up gal pal Betty.

Back in 2013, we covered Mark Waid’s Rocketeer & The Spirit: Pulp Friction. The two heroes are a perfect pairing for an adventure, but this was all I knew of Cliff and Peevy the mechanic besides the film.

Reading the ‘real’ Rocketeer makes me itch for more of these kinds of tales, hopefully Waid, Langridge. Samnee and J. Bone continue to work on more tales of Cliff under the IDW imprint.

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

 


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THE COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF COMICS (book review) at FORCE OF GEEK

 

The Comic Book History of Comics
By: Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey
Type: Graphic Novels
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Pub. Date: May 23, 2012
UPC: 978161377197652199



Pencils down, True Believers!

As the The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture edX course winds down, my extra curricular activities have not stagnated.

In fact, I’ve dusted off a few academic books about comics to further my station (in an audited class—I was never one for impressing actual teachers).

A few weeks ago we talked The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics.  This week, I completed Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s illustrated Comic Book History of Comics and am still processing what they’ve done.

By breaking down the history of comics in the selfsame sequential art medium, they have achieved nerd nirvana.

Not since Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics have I felt such a connection with the books I love so much.

I was lucky enough to speak with the ‘Evil Twin Studios’ artist Ryan back in 2013 for the debut of Action Presidents #1(George Washington).

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]


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Timey-Wimey Tees at TeeFury.com

Nintendo Retro t-shirts

DC COMICS GUIDE TO WRITING COMICS By Dennis O'Neil (book review) at FORCES OF GEEK

 

I’ve been fascinated by the credits pages of comics for longer than I can remember, and the all important “Writer” title is the one I have aspired to.

Fortunately for you, dear readers, this eventually shifted to the comics critique and ‘reporting’ steadfastly disappointing you here each and every week! 

Writing is hard. Scripting is hard. You guessed it, making comics is hard work. Drawing comics is probably much harder than it looks.

As much as I thought my dogeared copy of How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way (1978) by Stan Lee and John Buscema would have me at the drawing board for 8 hours a day like an Extreme Studios understudy, that was not my path in life either.

I’m always up for a good challenge, though.

Upon urging from my colleague Matt Dursin (an actual published comics writer!) I have audited The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture MOOC with Stan Lee’s and Michael Uslan course of study. 


In preparation, I dusted off 2001’s The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by industry giant, and writer of my favorite Batman tales, Dennis (Denny) O’Neil.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]


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BATMAN: EARTH ONE Vol. 1 & 2 (review) AT FORCES OF GEEK

 

 

Shortly before The Dark Knight Rises closed the chapter on director Christopher Nolans’ cinematic take on Batman, DC Comics released the hardcover original graphic novel Batman: Earth One (2012) written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank. 

Johns, protege to Superman: The Movie’s Richard Donner, became famous for his Green Lantern, JSA and The Flash runs before becoming DC Comics’ Chief Creative Officer. The Blackest Night scribe also is the link between comics and movies across the lot at Warner Bros., consulting on everything from Green Lantern to Batman v. Superman and down to the successful Flash and Arrow programs on CW. 

Gary Frank, artist for Batman: Earth One drew an uncanny Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman in 2009’s pre-Flashpoint Superman: Secret Origin. While many artists have taken on the iconic DC heroes, Frank’s style rises to the top as a modern master. 

Batman: Earth One Volume 2 featuring the same creative team was released earlier this month.

Batman: Earth One Volumes 1 & 2 are out of the current DC continuities as we know it, are perhaps meant as chain bookstore (mass market) sellers but the two great hardcovers make great gifts for Batman fans of varied interest levels. Everyone from the enthusiastic FOG! crowd to your more causal The Dark Knight Trilogy or Gotham tv series fans will get lost in this version of the Caped Crusader.

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]


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