TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents THE ACCELERATORS #1, SECUNDUS #1, HELL’S BREW at FORCES OF GEEK

This week at our ongoing coverage of creator-owned digital comics reviews at Comixology Submit we time travel for gladiator battles and hot rod desert races.

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March of this year.

Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer. The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books.

The Accelerators #1
Writer: R.F.I. Porto
Artist: Gavin P. Smith 
Cover: Walt Flanagan
Price: $2.99
Page Count: 29 Pages
Imprint: Blue Juice Comics
Digital Release Date: 5/22/13
Age Rating: 15+ Only
BUY IT HERE

Time crimes! The story starts out in the future in a gladiator arena, good and bad guys throughout history are pitted against each other for dominance. Stormtrooper vs. Caveman, The Mayan vs. The Professor.

We then cut to a doctor being chased by a soldier through time and pick up a smart teenager along the way.

The time travelers are using a device shaped like a donut to travel through time.

By the end, the chase has led our heroes back to the arena, surely to face combat in the Games.

Fun story here, I’m a sucker for time travel stories and superhero battles like Deathmatch andAvengers Arena. Looking forward to issue #2.

Secundus #1
Written and drawn by: Mike Tomas
Price: $2.99
Page Count: 32 Pages
Digital Release Date: 5/22/13
Age Rating: 15+ Only
BUY IT HERE

Secundus is the story of a brave warrior in Roman times, also set in a battle arena.

He always wins his battles, and he got his name by always fighting two at a time.

After winning his last battle and gaining freedom, he’s challenged by a magician who conjures up a creature to aid him in his battle against the mighty Secundus “Secundus fights two”! 

I loved this mostly black and white story, at once a parable and classic story set in ancient time.

A very quick read but a story that makes you think!

Hell’s Brew #1
Story & Art: Michael Liggett
More info: TBA
Imprint: Forgotten Dialect Publishing
BUY IT HERE

This book is drawn like underground comics of the 60s, and is also set in an alternate history 1968. In this land, muscle cars, or ‘firebugs’ are king, and this is the story of infamous racers The Brothers Garcia.

There’s a fun car chase, an element of a murder mystery and some romance in the first issue. I’m really attracted to the art in this book, with a minimal color palette and sometimes awkward but not bad storytelling.

Overall, it works and I enjoyed this hot rod tale.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 - HOMEBOY SANDMAN, OPEN MIKE EAGLE, MEGA RAN at CHURCH (of Boston)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 - HOMEBOY SANDMAN, OPEN MIKE EAGLE, MEGA RAN at CHURCH (of Boston)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Stones Throw Records’ Homeboy Sandman embarks on the Dear Hunter Tour

On the heels of the release of his critically acclaimed LP First of a Living Breed (Stones Throw) and in support of two new projects (Kool Herc Fertile Crescent EP and All that I Hold Dear LP, Stones Throw 2013), his national tour with Brother Ali (Rhymesayers Entertainment), and a headlining tour of Europe, Homeboy Sandman will headline a tour of the US this summer. Open Mike Eagle (Hellfyre Club, Fake Four Inc, Mush Records) and Random aka Mega Ran (officially licensed by Capcom) will support.

Sandman says of the tour  “The Dear Hunter Tour is in promotion of my latest Stones Throw release, ‘All That I Hold Dear.’ I’m blessed to join forces with two musicians also searching for substance, magic, brilliance, love, and truth. We’re going to find them too. When we do, we’re going to share them.”

Kool Herc Fertile Crescent EP (Stones Throw) vinyl/digital relase available now. 8-track release produced entirely by El RTNC (aka Rthentic). The record is an unapologetic homage to old school hip-hop in its bare-bones production, lyrical themes, cover art and even the title. With the blessing of DJ Kool Herc, one of the originators of hip-hop, Sandman pays respect to the pioneering DJ by proudly naming the release in his honor.

Homeboy Sandman

Homeboy Sandman is a musician. His genre is hip-hop. An emcee that prides himself on musical growth and evolution, he has adopted as his motto and creative mission statement, “Boy Sand like you’ve never seen him before. As usual.”

Before signing to Stones Throw he’d already been chosen as a coach on MTV’s MADE, featured in preeminent print hip-hop rags XXL and The Source, and perpetually championed on foremost online hubs. And since the signing, his accolades have extended beyond the realm of the hip hop specific. Rolling Stone has noted his “skill for wordplay that keeps you hooked.” NPR has highlighted his “artful, hysterical, disobedient hip-hop that you can dance to.” Pitchfork has straightforwardly dubbed him “one of the best pure lyricists around.

Open Mike Eagle

“One of LA’s smartest young voices” says the LA Times…which the artist suspects, may just be a covert way of saying LA is dumb. “Open” Mike Eagle wouldn’t terribly mind, being born and raised in Chicago where the painful winters and his uppity grandparents kept him inside as a youth. He spent his formative years watching alternative music happen on MTV and hoping to one day be able to audition for the Native Tongues. As a young adult after graduating with a degree in Psychology, he did the next best thing and moved to Los Angeles,

joining the Project Blowed collective where he made music and toured with Busdriver, Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, Nocando and more. He’s also gained notoriety in the world of comedy by being invited by professional funny people (Paul F. Tompkins, Hannibal Buress, Matt Besser/UCB) to rap at their shows. He’d like to be rap’s Kurt Vonnegut

but recognizes that he’d first have to create something as iconic as the four-stroke illustration of an anus. He practices by releasing rap albums that delight, entertain, and confuse.

Random aka Mega Ran

If you put video games, the 80’s, hip-hop, soul music, jazz and standup comedy into a blender and hit “puree,” you’d have something close to The Random Experience.

The self-proclaimed “TeacherRapperHero” made waves by going way left of his backpack roots by combining 8-bit video game sounds and hard hitting hip-hop tracks, and has become a trailblazer in the budding genres of chiptune and nerd-rap. A Capcom cosign and admiration from the genre’s toughest critics has led to placements in TV, movies, university coursework, and of course, games.

Today, Random is no longer a teacher by title, but travels the world to entertain and educate through the gift of facemelting raps.

H.W.

Boston rapper H.W. dumps his demons - By Martín Caballero |  BOSTON GLOBE 

Last July, H.W. (short for “Hazardous Wastes”) released one of Boston hip-hop’s most literate, emotionally complex albums of the year in “Wall Papered Exit Wounds.” Delivered in the lyrically dense and raw personal style that has become his signature, the record quietly distinguished itself from the crowded local marketplace by vividly exposing its author’s titular emotional wounds for all to see, allowing listeners to eavesdrop on his internal struggle for peace of mind. It’s occasionally jarring and hardly uplifting stuff, but his gift for articulating pain is a rare one.

Yet there’s an important piece of context to note with “Exit Wounds”: The material was recorded six years ago, and the H.W. whose emotional turmoil fueled that record is not the same one who’ll be performing on June 5 at The Sinclair in Harvard Square.

“I hated that record,” H.W., born Josh DeCosta, says bluntly over a midday beer at a bar in Central Square. “The only reason I released it is because people told me it was good and I should put it out.”

Naturally, an intensely introspective album in which he struggles to find scraps of optimism within darkness would understandably be difficult to embrace in the same way that a detached listener might. But this isn’t his first release in that vein: “Exit Wounds” built on the foundation of 2009’s “A Year’s Worth of Worry,” where songs like “The End of the Line” established his reputation as a sensitive, emotional lyricist fueled by tumultuous romantic relationships that often ended in heartbreak. In 2013, that’s the reputation he’s working to change.

“It’s unbearable in a way,” says the Fall River native. “I was the guy who did songs about ex-girlfriends, and that’s all it was. And it got sickening being that person. It bothers me in the sense that there are so many more aspects of my personal life. If people talk to me they know that I’m not that person, I’m not that guy who goes home and cries every night and hates myself. I needed something to write about other than that.

‘In the studio I’m hyperly critical and constantly tweaking stuff, while on stage I don’t have enough time to think about it like that.

For someone whose creative output was so closely linked to his state of mind, shifting directions musically first necessitated a change in mentality.

“I based my worth on who I dated, and because of that every relationship was the end-all, be-all. So when those ended, it was devastating to the point that it destroyed by self-esteem. I eventually slowly realized that life doesn’t revolve around relationships. These girls, or these moments in time, as important as they may feel at the moment, are just that. It took a long time for me to understand what I cared about and how to write about what I cared about.”

“I’ve seen him grow and mature as a rapper and a performer drastically,” says longtime friend and DJ Emoh Bettah. “Most, if not all, of his earlier songs were about relationships gone sour or about friendships with ex-girlfriends, and I’d often joke with him about it but since then he’s been writing songs about other topics. His music may be too personal for some, but he does what he does well. All of his songs tell a story and he is just being himself, which is what I think people love about him.”

Yet for a rapper with a highly technical lyrical style and no shortage of things to say (“I think I’m way too personal in general, I’m just an over-sharer,” he admits), it’s surprising H.W.’s output isn’t more prodigious: case in point being the long gap between the recording and release of “Exit Wounds.” Rather than adhering to the modern rap marketing scheme of flooding the Internet with new material via social media in search of approval, he takes his work direct to live audiences.

“On stage, there’s something that clicks within me and I am the person who I am with my closest friends,” he says of his shows, which often find him performing unreleased or incomplete songs and interacting with the audience. “I love that feeling, maybe because it’s the sense of self-gratification that I’ve always sought from everything in life. In the studio I’m hyperly critical and constantly tweaking stuff, while on stage I don’t have enough time to think about it like that.”

That said, you’re more likely to hear H.W.’s musical evolution at an upcoming show before you can get it on iTunes. His next release will be the conceptual album “I Only Exist on the Internet,” targeted for late June release, which should show glimpses of the broader material he’s seeking to explore: topics like politics, environmental issues, and yes, maybe even a party jam. It’s not so much a rejection of the melancholic raps of the past, but an appreciation for their role in getting him to this new, more optimistic place in life and music.

“I’m not the best rapper ever,” he says. “I just would like to be able to display all aspects of myself. There are way more important things to talk about than my feelings on this one person I care about. The world is crumbling around me; there should be something else I’m able to share. A lot of this new album is about liking life, because I actually like life right now. ”

http://longlivehw.bandcamp.com

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EARTH PRIME TIME: SUMMER OF VALIANT ’13 PART 1 WITH 8-BIT COVERS

We’re at a year into the relaunch of popular ’90s comic book publisher Valiant Comics and just in time for another Summer of Valiant. We’ll try not to get any water on these comics as we sit by the pool, drink in the sun and follow the adventures of Archer and Armstrong and Shadowman in our summer series that celebrates successes on our first birthday of our cherished Valiant Comics. Also, we take a look at their cool 8-bit variant covers and Harbinger Wars: Battle For Las Vegas free retro video game for iOS andAndroid.

A look through the Earth Prime Time Archives will show you what we have an affinity for, and that’s the story of an independent publisher rising from near obscurity. Valiant was fortunate enough to have a loyal fanbase to rebuild on their properties long thought lost to many die-hard comic fans. It is the underdog story that Bostonians write about ad nauseam and tend to wear on our sleeves. This column was only a few months old when X-O Manowar #1 hit the shelves, and naturally we have covered most major events in the universe since then.

What can we say a year in?

There is likely a better reaction to the Valiant books, on a whole, than after the first twelve months of DC’s New 52initiative.

Marvel NOW! reaction from fans seems to be split between both positive and negative, with a varied selection of titles appealing to different kinds of fans.

Valiant’s strength lies in not relying on a 75 or 50 year history to complicate matters.

Over at the new publisher, they can make the same kinds of superhero and supernatural books with the industry’s top talent and a completely clean slate. There certainly are nods to the previous continuity as fan service, but with low-numbered issues and trades, the appeal to a new audience without being intimidated by continuity allows for an easier entry point.

As far as the old characters go, Valiant has paced the introduction of new books, concepts, leading heroes and villains, and background information on the shared universe in a way that paints a lush tapestry but does not rely on throwing everything at you at once.

Let’s take a look at two books that are coming out today, Archer and Armstrong #10 and Shadowman #7.

Both books ship with an 8-bit variant cover that ties into their cool 8-bit side scroller Harbinger Wars: Battle for Las Vegas (Storm City Games).

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

MAD MEN: "A Tale of Two Cities" S6 E10 REVIEW AT FORCES OF GEEK

MAD MEN: “A Tale of Two Cities” S6E10 (recap)

The firm is still quibbling over naming rights as some partners go for business trips and Joan (Christina Hendricks) expands her horizons at the office with Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) as a companion and accomplice.

Will Bob Benson’s (James Wolk) enthusiasm and inserting himself into every situation finally give him the leg up he’s been waiting for? 

We open to a partner’s meeting that Don arrives at the end of. The merged firm’s name “Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Cutler Gleason & Chaough” or “SCDPCG&C” is agreed to be a mouthful, but the subject is tabled as Ted (Kevin Rahm) leaves for Detroit to handle Chevy and Don and Roger head to L.A.

In this John Slattery (Roger) directed episode we’re treated to a bit more color—from the wardrobes of the stars as they visit California—to the color television set coverage of the Chicago riots at the Democratic National Convention, 1968. National television and Hollywood take center stage as Don (Jon Hamm) and Roger visit Los Angeles to woo West Coast clients.

Slattery shines on the plane with Hamm as the two go back and for the about the trip. Roger wants Don to be the self-assured east coast business man that he knows he is, and not to be an over-prepared worry wart. Roger knows that the New York confidence and swagger will get the job done, not reading about Carnation Instant Breakfast and Sunkist on the flight.

Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) is aplomb as he dons a scarf and sunglasses to check Don and Roger into the hotel.  Roger heads to the Sunset Strip for a Steak, Don orders room service in the hotel and sees the riots on TV. He gets a phone call from Megan, who, as we are reminded of, cannot vote in the election because of her Canadian citizenship.

When Joan’s friend Kate was visiting, she made the connection with Avon Cosmetics to Joan directly. Looking to expand her role or define herself as a partner, Joan takes a meeting with the Avon executive, on the pretense that it was a date.

Joan returns to the office (having picked up the tab) with a hot lead on the company and tells Peggy. Ted is excited but takes Joan off as the contact and assigns partner Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) to the job, frustrating Joan.

In an act of defiance and claiming her own stake in the company, Joan takes the next meeting with Avon without inviting Pete. Peggy is along for the breakfast meeting, and Joan leans on her for the heavy questions. Joan handles the meeting well but deals with the consequences later. Back at the office, Peggy is convinced that Joan has made a mistake by breaking protocol, but Joan firmly explains herself and asks for support.

What about Bob Benson, you may ask? He may be found listening to “How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling” on phonograph in his office, or breaking the tension between former Air Force officer Jim Cutler (Harry Hamlin) and Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman). Cutler puts Bob to the test as Roger is out of town to take care of the Manischewitz account. The account puts the firm under review, so Benson had best give that record another spin.

Out in Beverly Hills, Harry, Don and Roger hit up a pool party with hot men and women, no shortage of dope and they run into an old friend, Danny Siegel (Danny Strong). Danny is a failed copywriter and former employee of SCDP. Roger jabs at Danny’s height and tries to steal his girl, Lotus. Lotus is tripping and high as a kite, but as we know, Roger is ‘experienced’.

Don makes his way to the restroom but is distracted by beautiful ladies smoking hashish out of a hookah. When the stuff hits him, it’s bad news. He hallucinates a pregnant Megan stalking him, and Private Dinkins visiting him from Vietnam, missing an arm. Cut to Don being fished out of the pool by Roger. Never trust a hookah nipple from a stranger!

Back at the firm, Joan’s secret Avon meeting is exposed to Pete and Ted. As she’s asked to repent for her crimes, and Pete is dressing her down, Peggy saves the day by lobbing a fake phone message into the conference room by way of her secretary. The Avon rep is calling for Joan, so Ted demands she take the call. Where Peggy did not agree with how Joan took her piece of the pie, the women stick together to change are changing the sexist workplace environment together.  Gender roles are expanding and now Joan has an account she is responsible for. Since Lane’s suicide, Joan’s partnership has been purely as a figurehead.

All partners except for Joan meet in Don’s office upon everyone’s return. Ted is excited that Chevy’s approvals will come easier now, Don and Roger’s trip may or may not bear fruit, and Manischewitz goes away. 

Jim Cutler and Bert Cooper (Robert Morse) reveal the company name to be reduced to Sterling, Cooper & Partners. Jim says this is the only way because it is equally offensive to members of both firms. Don and Ted drop the fight about the name and all agree that SC&P will look good on the stationary. The partner with the most to say about the change is the resistant Pete, to whom Don invites to leave if he doesn’t like it. Pete storms out of Don’s office to steal a joint from Stan’s mouth and mellows out on the couch.

What can we expect from the preview of next week’s episode?

Megan’s got a surprise visitor or two, Peggy and Ted have more than a drink together, Betty returns and Don pays Pete a visit to his desperate bachelor pad. We’re also reminded of the countdown. There are only three episodes left this season before we see the summer of love in 1969.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for June 5, 2013

COMICS

One sign of summer is the #summerofvaliant, and more time for video games like Valiant Comic’s Harbinger Wars: Battle for Las Vegas for iOS and Android. This week the company releases two more 8-bit variant covers for our heroes. … Archer and Armstrong #10 written by Fred Van Lente is a mystery wrapped inside a puzzle inside an invasion of Area 51. … In NOLA, our pal Shadowman alongside Doctor Mirage take on Master Darque as the dead are screaming in Shadowman #7. … Daredevil: End of Days ends it’s limited run at Issue #8. We finally get the reveal of what Matt Murdock’s final words, “Mapone” mean, as this supergroup of a creative team (Bendis, Mack, Janson, Maleev, Sienkiewicz) give Daredevil his Dark Knight Returns future tale. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

Triple Shot: X-MEN #1, CHEW #34 and EARTH 2 ANNUAL #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

This week’s Triple Shot relaunches one of Marvel’s hottest books with an all-female cast, you’ll be hungry for more after reading the latest issues of Chew and Earth 2, but for different reasons.

There’s a new Batman in the town, but is his reveal the ultimate bat-tease?

X-MEN #1
WRITER: Brian Wood
ART: Olivier Coipel
Publication Date: May 29, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607924700111
Buy it HERE

The role of female characters and creators diminishes over the years for some unknown reasons. When a book stars a female, or if Gail Simone publishes a new book, tumblr explodes with glee. 

This book, is certainly no exception to that rule, as popular writer Brian Wood (The Massive, Star Wars, Mara) relaunches X-Men at number one. 

Starring in the book are Psylocke, Rachel Summers, Storm, Kitty Pryde, Rogue and the return of Jubilee.

Jubilee’s a mom now, that is to say she’s the adopted mother to an orphaned baby. She’s on here way back to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning with the tyke when she realizes she’s being followed and calls home for help.

This book has all of the elements of great comics, X-Men or otherwise. An orphaned baby with powers that may hold the secret to mankind’s survival, the best train scene we’ve seen since Skyfall, and a billion year old mystery to be solved with Caselli and his sister, Arkea Prime.

Oh, and there’s a Doop cameo. 

So far Bendis has done Uncanny and All-New X-Men right, and here comes along Brian Wood to add to the modern mythos. This is for certain the book people will be talking about most this week.

CHEW #34
WRITER: John Layman
ART: Rob Guillory
Publication Date: May 29, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Image Comics
UPC: 70985300808803411
Buy it HERE

This cover ships with three covers!

No, no no, silly, not three variant covers available from exclusive retailer, three covers on your book, with the cut along the lines marks so that you, the comic collector can play the interchangeable face game with the covers.

ComiXology customers will have to use their imagination on this gimmick cover that is the direct opposite of your comic shipping in a bag, it’s asking, nay, begging for you to take scissors to your cover!

Do you have the guts…or another $2.99 to spend? Layman and Guillory continue to have fun with this detective book from the lettering to the cover concepts and sneaky inside jokes. This issue has Olive donning a Mike Norton Battlepug shirt.

We’re 4/5ths of the way through the Bad Apples storyline, wherein our hero Tony Chu is hunting down the Vampire Cibopath. His hunt leads him to Eastern Europe, an undisclosed location that could be Transylvania.

This issue serves us up a plate of new food-related powers including one guy that can string guitars with pasta noodles. Admittedly, not a very useful power but he looks like Slash so that’s cool. Senator David Eccles is a Bromaformutare—meaning his head transforms into the last thing he ate. On his campaign trail, he first looks like Mayor McCheese but takes a bite out of an apple pie before his speech is over. That is one way to get votes in the Chew-verse. Also, this can get you in trouble if you are literally what you eat in the Chew-verse where chicken is illegal.

This book is consistently great and surprising, and the schedule ships toward the end of each month. Just as I’m getting full from a month’s worth of comics, I always find room for Chew!

EARTH 2 ANNUAL #1
WRITER: James Robinson
ART: Cafu / Julius Gopez / Cam Smith
Publication Date: May 29, 2013
Price: $4.99
Publisher: DC Comics
Buy it HERE

It all seemed right. I mean, I’m not buying issues of Earth 2regularly, but I’m hip to the concept.

Earth 2 is the closest we’ll get to Elseworlds in the New 52 so you an imagine how I nearly made a boom tube when the solicits were shoving a new Batman my way. I’d already bought the action figure in my mind because the design was equal parts Batman Beyond, Flashpoint Thomas Wayne Batman and Alex RossKingdom Come Batman.

Spoiler warning - if you desperately want to know the identity of the Earth 2 Batman, you won’t find him here. Batman stays on the sidelines as we watch the origin of Captain Atom and briefly see some action with Kirby Fourth World creations Mister Miracle and Big Barda. 

James Robinson is a great writer, and the art by Cafu (T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents) is amazing. Sure, not everyone buys these Annuals, but I feel completely duped by DC Editorial promising something (for a hefty $5, noless) and not delivering. 

I’ve no gripe with the Captain Atom origin or the Barda, Scott Free and Hawkgirl cameos but I bought this book under false pretenses. Marketing led me to believe an alternate version of the Dark Knight would be revealed. He was there and he fought a bit, but we are no closer to knowing the man behind the mask. This was a miscalculation, I can’t imagine I’m the only one feeling this way. I don’t care about the Earth 2 continuity a year after it’s launch but thought this might lead me in.

No way am I enthusiastic about getting the next issue to have the same bait and switch happen. This was a $5 trick you played on me, DC. I’m not happy.

EARTH PRIME TIME: COMIC FAN INVADES ANIME BOSTON 2013

Comic book fans and enthusiasts of any niche pop culture genre can be secular at times, closed minded, and exclusionary. It is the nature of the thing, I suppose, to be deeply invested and engaged by taking ownership of what appeals to you and what may become the building blocks of your identity. I’ve ignored the last ten Anime Boston conventions on this narrow-minded reasoning. After the Marathon bombings postponing Boston Comic Con this year, I put on my black costume karate gi to embrace the sense of pride and engagement with the nerd fan community that one can only get at a large convention in your hometown. This is how I, as a superhero comic fan, learned to stop worrying and love Anime Boston 2013. 

My photographer Stacey and I headed for our passes early in the day, eager to take in the wonders of Anime Boston on Saturday. Lines were manageable with bag checks and plenty of volunteers to assist directing traffic. In light of the terrorist attacks, no weapons were allowed at the con this year.

There were plenty of foam swords, accessories, and larger than life costumes this year, so the restriction was certainly not affecting anyone’s creativity.

It should be noted, cosplay at Anime Boston is intricate and omnipresent. Well over 80 percent of the crowd is dressed up or decorated in some way.

Iron Man takes a load off - Photo By Stacey Rizoli

Nerds of all fashions are here, Doctor Who fans, Vorlons (Babylon 5), superheroes, kitty cats with mechanical ears, all manner of tails and white masks swarm around you in a sea of paper mache, facepaint, leather, and vinyl. Cosplayers range in age from young to old and costume materials range from $2 to $2,000.

Cosplay at Comic Con is huge, don’t get me wrong, but as Stacey pointed out, “You’d be out of place if you didn’t dress up here.”

My thirst for nerd knowledge makes me a panel junkie. Anime Boston uses Guidebook, a live updating smartphone app that makes it easy to look at a complicated schedule such as this that includes screenings, martial arts demos, panels, kid’s activities, signings, and contests. We had set up our schedule in advance the night before and backed this up with the hard copy on the convention floor. Getting the lay of the land took some getting used to, Anime Boston uses most spaces in the gigantic Hynes Convention Center.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents THE RED TEN #1, TIGER LAWYER #1 and MULTIPLAYER #1 at FORCES of GEEK!

This week at our ongoing coverage of creator-owned digital comics reviews at Comixology Submit we tackle the superhero murder mystery The Red Ten, a feline attorney, Tiger Lawyer from FOG! alum Ryan Ferrier and aLeague of Extrordinary Gentlemen for video gamers!


The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March.

Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer.

The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books.

The Red Ten #1 (of 10)(Digital Deluxe Editon)
Writer: Tyler James
Artist:  Cesar Feliciano
Price: $0.99
Page Count: 48 Pages
Imprint: ComixTribe
Digital Release Date: 04/24/2013
Age Rating: 15+ Only
Buy it HERE

The Red Ten is, unapologetically, a send off to the classic Agatha Christie novel “And Then There Were None”.

The cool twist is that this is also the author’s chance to use a creator owned property to kill the Justice League or the Avengers one by one.

Drawing some influence from Meltzer’s Identity Crisis as well, James and Feliciano have created a familiar world of the superhero team and injected a compelling mystery with top notch art.

Supporting this series for 1/4th the price of a mainstream comic is a steal. Oxymoron, our Joker/Luthor villian is scary, but is he picking off these heroes?

Tiger Lawyer #1
Written By: Ryan Ferrier
Art By: Mat McCray / Vic Malhotra
Price: $0.99
Page Count: 31 Pages
Digital Release Date: 12/21/2013
Age Rating: 15+ Only
Buy it HERE

A sucker for an animal in the courtroom and Harvey Birdman, I tried out Tiger Lawyer for a parade around the three ring circus of the courtroom.

The first story seemed like a scene from Night Court, as a weary judge concedes to Mr. Tiger Lawyer’s defense strategy.  The second story was quite good, a more noirBatman: Year One short story told in black and white.

Not sure the strategy on presenting a cartoony version of the main cat vs. a dark detective story, but both worked on different levels.

This book is worth checking out, for fans of Frosted Flakes and Perry Mason.

Multiplayer #1
Story & Art: Tomi Hanzek

 Price: $0.99
Page Count: 28 Pages
Digital Release Date: 05/07/2013
Age Rating: 13+ Only
Buy it HERE

Multiplayer is a fun release combining the mythos of familiar but dissimilar video game heroes into a superhero team across time to the present day to save the world.Legends of Zelda, Tomb Raider, and Street Fighter fans will recognize some faces, as the strongest warriors are assembled to take on Necrolord.

Fun stuff!

My lack of familiarity with all of the video game references did not distract nor turn me off on this book. I enjoy the concept.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

MAD MEN: "THE BETTER HALF" S6 E09 REVIEW at FORCES OF GEEK

The family dynamic is explored in depth on the latest episode of Mad Men.

Now that Don (Jon Hamm) has more time to focus on his work and relationships, will he drown in a sea of margarine, or stay afloat on his bourbon ice cube?

Who will Joan (Christina Hendricks) trust to be the father figure to Kevin?

It’s not that smiley Bob Benson (James Wolk) is it?

Roger (John Slattery) has difficulty connecting with the children in his life, but Don and Betty (January Jones) re-connect at Bobby Draper’s (Mason Vale Cotton) upstate summer camp.

We open on Don and Ted (Kevin Rahm) arguing over the price of margarine, or rather the strategy to woo the Fleishman’s Margarine account.

 

Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) , Harry (Rich Sommer) and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) try to stay neutral, but Don’s insistent on Peggy’s input. She doesn’t relent, as she is loyal to both men and the company itself. In fact, her loyalty to Ted may be romantic. The two have feelings for each other, but Ted does not want to have an office romance (though his feelings for her are strong).

Harry recommends Pete see a headhunter, a familiar face, Duck (Mark Moses) from Season 2. The men are weigh their options on leaving the firm with no name but Pete’s not worth much to the market these days, he’s not a partner.

On the set of Megan’s (Jessica Paré) soap, we find Megan in a blonde wig, playing double duty as Collette, her character Marie’s twin. Megan opens up to Don about work drama over a drink, as we hear the din of sirens in the city as the ‘60s youth revolts and a crime wave hits Manhattan.

Don hits the road for the weekend to visit Bobby at summer camp. Along the way, he runs into a slim Betty at the gas station. The two make love at the Motel and talk about Don’s relationship to Megan and his disconnectedness to the act of sex. Betty has a line that steals the episode, “That poor girl, she doesn’t know that loving you…is the worst way to get to you”. Betty admits that she’s forgotten about how upset she was with Don over the events of the last episode, leaving his kids alone in the apartment as it was robbed.

Megan invites fellow actress Arlene (Joanna Going) over to talk about the acting craft, but Arlene is more interested in making more passes at Megan, which Megan denies. Arlene’s husband, also a swinger is Megan’s boss, so she fears recourse. In the end, there are no hard feelings as Arlene leaves to walk back home.

Uptown, Peggy and Abe (Charlie Hofheimer) are feeling unsafe. Abe has been stabbed and mugged, but refuses to tell the cops what the race of the perps were. Peggy feels uneasy in her new home, and Abe stays on the side of the oppressed.

Peggy sleeps with a homemade harpoon by her bed with a knife attached to a broomstick. A smash and grab outside startles her from bed, armed with the harpoon. Abe is there to ask what is up, and Peggy ends up stabbing her boyfriend…with a harpoon! This unexpected violent act was comic relief for many, I’m sure.

On the way to the hospital, Abe breaks up with Peggy. He does so not because his girlfriend stabbed her, but because he sees her as part of the establishment, and he is a cutting edge journalist. They simply cannot exist in the same world. Peggy is left alone at the end of this chapter, as Ted pushes her away when she confides in him of the breakup. Poor Peggy, but we’ve seen her on the prowl as of late, she will bounce back.

Hey, how about that Bob Benson? He’s swell and certainly has found himself at Joan’s apartment for a trip to the beach! As Joan (elegantly) is packing beach blankets for the trip with Bob and baby Kevin to the beach, Roger pops in with Lincoln Logs for the little tyke (Roger is Kevin’s biological Dad). Roger doesn’t recognize the brownnose Bob from the office, and feels awkward coming by unannounced. Joan flawlessly conducts Roger’s exit and makes Bob feel at home. Oh Joan, you are so independent and wonderful. And a supermom at that! Yay Joan!

Poor Roger, this is his second failing with kids this week. His daughter Margaret (Elizabeth Rice) wasn’t happy with Roger taking 4 year-old grandson to Planet of the Apes. Maybe 4 years old is a bit young for that movie, but that’s when I saw it…and I’m obviously perfectly fine!

When Don returns home to Megan, they talk about their relationship.

Don promises to be more present, though we will have to see if anything else distracts him. Let us not forget, the main motivation to having this talk with Megan was an affair he had with his ex-wife.

This episode explored how close we can get to people in our lives, and once again we see how being close to people makes it easier to hurt them. Quite literally in the case of Peggy and Abe! Pete searches for something, we don’t know what, but Bob Benson has come to Pete’s rescue with a nurse recommendation for Pete’s senile mother. Don and Megan have some issues to work out, and both seem willing.

On the next Mad Men puzzle game we hear Ted talking about “kissing the ring”, perhaps Don’s ego is pushing his business acumen from the subtle to the blunt. Ginsberg talks of body bags from the war and Roger calls a partner’s meeting. Let’s hope Peggy gives up her dream to be a whaler and concentrates on what she does best, writing copy and breaking hearts.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for May 29, 2013

COMICS

For some reason, it is still X-Men, but this X-Book puts the ladies at the forefront. X-Men #1 debuts this week at Marvel NOW! with ladies at the helm of this team featuring Storm, Rogue, Jubilee, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Grey, Rogue & Psylocke. … Whoa-oh-oh! Positive. Last summer we interviewed Alan Grant (Detective Comics, Judge Dredd) about his Tales of the Buddha Before He Got Enlightened and now the trade paperback is available. Tales of Sex, absurdity, meditation, smoke and rock & roll from Alan and Jon Haward are now available at the TFAW.com link and Renegade Arts Entertainment. … Who is the new Batman of Earth 2? Find out in Earth 2 Annual #1 - the closest thing you can get to an Elseworlds story these days. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com..

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

TRIPLE SHOT: GREEN TEAM TEEN TRILLIONAIRES #1, AKANIERO #1 and THE DEEP SEA #1 at FORCES OF GEEK!

Your triple shot inoculation this week is full of 1% rich kids with money to blow on special toys, a solution of Japanese folklore mixed with video game action and Little Red Riding Hood and is topped off with your cure for the bends in Palmiotti & Gray’s The Deep Sea.

GREEN TEAM: TEEN TRILLIONAIRES #1
WRITERS: Art Baltazar & Franco
ART: Ig Guera
Publication Date: May 22, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131597300111
Buy it HERE

Aw, Yeah Green Team!

DC Comics has resurrected the 1975 Joe Simon Green Team in The New 52 to compliment Gail Simone’s The Movement comic.

The best part?

It’s written by Art Baltazar and Franco—the famous cartoonists behind Tiny Titans, Superman Family Adventures and most recently Aw Yeah Comics.


Up until now, the guys of have been on an all ages initiative at DC, so it is exciting news to see them writing in The New 52.

The Green Team consists of Commodore, J.P. Huston, Cecilia Sunbeam, and young Mohammad. The kids don’t have super powers, can’t tell you where the Batcave is, and aren’t trying to save the world…yet.

They all meet up in the first issue at a pop up expo, POXPO ’13. Here, inventors try to gain angel funding for their latest and greatest machinations. Commodore (Nicknamed “64”—an excellent joke referencing the ‘80s computer) Murphy strolls around the expo determining who should get the funding. That is until he discovers Prince Mohammad is broadcasting the location with his Instagram app. This brings on the trouble and the bad guys looking to rob the youngsters, and steal the tech.

This is a very fun book, and it is great to see Art & Franco in The New 52, bringing their unique brand of humor and universal appeal. These are not known properties, so we can imagine some fun stuff coming down the pike, as the team works from a pretty clean slate.

These kids have a good heart, so let’s not condemn this 1% — I have a feeling they will use this funny money to help the world, not doom it.

 

AKANEIRO #1 (of 3)
WRITER: Justin Aclin
ART: Vasilis Lolos
Publication Date: May 22, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
UPC: 76156822674400111
Buy it HERE

Who’s afraid of a big bad mash-up? Not us!

Akaneiro is part fairy tale, part Japanese folklore and 100% video game tie in. The book is based on America McGee’sAkaneiro: Demon Hunters video game which itself draws it’s storyline from Little Red Riding Hood.

Set in a mystical version of Japan’s Edo era, the Red Hunter Fumiyo avenges the death of her mother who was killed by a wolf yokai (apparition).

She is sent to train with a rival clan, the Akane.

In order to start this training journey, she must travel through the woods alone, with her axe. Some demon rabbit yokai try to slow her down but do not. She is faced with a fork in the path and a wolf yokai has disguised himself to trick her into choosing her direction. She awakes in a strange cottage, with a doting Mother Tanaka taking care of her. What big head Tanaka has, we notice.

Will the wolf spirit devour Fumi, or will her axe lead her out of the forest?

The demons are well drawn, and the color palette seems consistent with the game. This is a fun book for fans of Fables and The Unwritten.

THE DEEP SEA #1 (One-Shot)
WRITERS: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
ART: Tony Akins & Paul Mounts
Publication Date: May 22, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
UPC: 76156822662100111
Buy it HERE

Writers Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray (Jonah Hex, All-Star Western) give us a time-displaced underwater exploration team in this one-shot comic originally published in Dark Horse Presents.

In 1958, a team of underwater explorers are set to explore the Mariana Trench. An injury leaves team leader Paul topside for the mission. When the ship descends, the powerful winch rigging cannot support the ship any more, it is being dragged to the depths by a force more powerful than ever. The crew is mourned and thought lost.

Fast forward to present day and 80 year old Paul is sent to recover the just discovered wreckage. He’s surprised to find his teammates alive, and they have not aged a day. Mixing the Captain America frozen in ice idea with the Fantastic Four team tragedy seems to work.

Both sides are skeptical of the reality of the situation, but as they are trying to figure this out, the recovery ship is attacked by a sea monster. Does the monster hold the secret to the disappearance of the crew?

Palmiotti and Gray are expert storytellers, and this is the great start to a series that I should hope gets continued in later chapters of DHP. Submarine and nautical battles are great fun, and not seen nearly enough in comics. Art and story remind me of John Byrne’s Star Trek titles and they have laid the groundwork for the mystery of the monsters to be solved. Great story and art!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE FIRST LOOK

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble on Disney XD debuts this Sunday, May 26th. Marvel Television has released the first half of the one hour premier on exclusively on iTunesfor free for fans to get a first look at the show. The cancellation of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes last November made some fans upset, but Jeph Loeb and the Man of Action Team have set us up for another smash hit. We’re guessing the 2009 Disney buyout of Marvel is finally flexing that animation muscle.

 
Marvel TV has released an early preview for Avengers Assemble. This version of The Avengers is more in line with the look and feel Marvel NOW! comics and the Ultimate Spider-Man television series. Costumes are updated to match Marvel’s The Avengers movie as well.

The last episode of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was a practical Secret War of guest stars including The Fantastic Four, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ant-Man and Wasp. The Avengers defeatGalactus and the Earth was saved at the last minute as Iron Man and Thor knocked the planet eater into the Negative Zone.

IRON MAN - Avengers Assemble

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes aligned itself with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a way, based on the Robert Downey Jr. voice clone Eric Loomis as Iron Man, the movie responsible for kicking off the franchise.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - Avengers Assemble

The first season had guest stars and the introduction of deep cut Marvel/Jack Kirby creation Black Panther, and Marvel/Roy Thomas Avengers The Vision and Ms. Marvel.

The show was good, not great. Certainly this is a step up from the young generation Muppet Baby versions of The Avengers in Super Hero Squad.

HAWKEYE - Avengers Assemble

DC took a chance of it’s own on investing in a darker-tone teenage superhero team adventure with Young Justice, existing in a universe all it’s own.

The chance was all too risky, and Warner decided not to renew Young Justice for a third season. Fanboys cried when they also cancelled the strangely CGI animated Green Lantern: The Animated Series Saturday morning show on the same day. From DC, we’re promised a CGI version of Beware The Batman starring Bruce with Katana as his sidekick facing off against villains like Professor Pygand Magpie. Fans of the ’90s Bruce Timm Animated series may have problems adjusting to the look of the show.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

MAD MEN: "THE CRASH" S6 E08 REVIEW at FORCES OF GEEK

Back in the days before Red Bulls and when red eye meant a late night flight, not an espresso infused drink, some well to do movers and shakers saw a doctor for an energy boost in the way of a vitamin shot.

The secret ingredient?

Speed, amphetamines, uppers aka dope. Jim Cutler (Harry Hamlin) prescribes the shots for the yet unnamed agency in the latest episode and we see more running around and hear more phones ringing than ever.

Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) is seen speeding with a carload of drunk executives in a Chevy Impala. He’s there in Detroit to get approvals on the new agency’s ideas. They nearly kill him with a game if chicken. He returns with a 3 year approval schedule from the company. The partners are disappointed, though Ken has been injured from an accident related to playing chicken on the highway with the Chevy executives.

Don (Jon Hamm) struggles with his ending affair with Sylvia (Linda Cardellini). An upsetting phone call from her brings us to the first of a series of flashbacks to Dick Whitman’s childhood (Don’s original identity).

New partner and artist Frank Gleason (Craig Anton) passes away and the firm mourns by getting energy shots from Jim Cutler’s doctor.  The speed gets everyone going, including Roger (John Slattery)—the only one there with a heart condition.

As the stuff kicks in, Don heads back in time to his whorehouse upbringing. Aimée takes care of a young Dick Whitman, and this leads to sexual abuse and Don losing his virginity to the prostitute.

After the commercial break, the creative department is swimming around and grasping for ideas, cranking out lists of cracked out gibberish all the while Don is sweating and running around like a mad man. Time passes in psychedelic jump cuts with dialogs references to Alice and Wonderland and even a cult favorite 60s psych. spy-fi show The Prisoner is shown in the background of a scene.

Sally (Kiernan Shipka) and get brothers are left at home in the Manhattan apartment and across town Don speed binges on work and obsesses over Sylvia. 

Also at the office, Stan (Jay R. Ferguson) gets ‘accidentally’ stabbed with an Xacto by Ginsberg (Ben Feldman).

Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) heals his wounds, and Stan leans in for a kiss. Peggy seems like she is dissatisfied with her boyfriend and is flattered again by another man passing at her.

Sally hears someone in the apartment, discovering that she is being burgled by an older black lady Ida (Davenia McFadden).

At the conclusion of the episode we find that Don left the rear door open in his drug addled frenzy. The children were not harmed, but Megan (Jessica Paré) and Betty (January Jones) realize the kids are not old enough to be left alone. 14 year old Sally did try to call the cops but the robber intercepted the phone call.

Draper, still at the office cranks out some nonsense on his typewriter, and calls in Peggy and Ginsberg.

As I have stated before, Don’s creative energy is tapped out. He has lost sight of the Chevy overtime goal, has ignored his family as he reflects on his loss of virginity at a young age.

When he returns to his apartment he finds Betty, Henry (Christopher Stanley), Megan and the police. 

By now the weight of the amphetamine rush, his professional and personal failings drop him to the ground like a ton of bricks. The 3 day binge has taken its toll on Don. 

He also misses Sylvia and this is the closest he has gotten to expressing his real emotions. The disgrace of another flashback to his past wakes Don up.

The next morning, Don and Sylvia share an elevator ride. They only mutter pleasantries, though barely so.

The episode ends with Don being rested and a bit more clear headed, fresh in his suit. He tells Ted (Kevin Rahm) that he will be the creative director for the Chevy campaign but not a copy writer. The long-tail of the assignment has Don weary.

This was a purposely confusing episode with rapid paced jump cuts to portray the passage of time. Learning more about what makes Don tick, sexually and personally is intriguing but the reveal that he lost his virginity at the whorehouse he grew up in was not surprising. Imagining the young innocent Dick Whitman growing up to be the Don Draper we know today is a huge leap. The background flashbacks do paint a picture of how he deals with women in his life.

A highlight of the episode, and the meme posted the day after air was Ken Cosgrove’s “It’s my job” speed-induced tap dance. With the writing on the side, he’s a triple threat on the sales team!

To speculate on the next episode from the teaser is fun but hardly fruitful. Pete and Joan are getting along, tensions are high between Don and Ted, and Don takes a road trip. I think we’ve seen all of the Dick Whitman reveals for the season, my feeling is that the will be taking a break from flashbacks for now.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for May 22, 2013

COMICS

Aw, Yeah New 52! Our favorite all ages comic artist/writer team and famous cartoonists Art Baltazar and Franco put down the pen and pick up the typewriter for Green Team Teen Trillionaires #1 this week. Let the 1% finance your next important project! They’ve got more money than Scrooge McDuck! Art by Ig Guara … What’s going on with the glitchy tech in Mega City One? Judge Dredd investigates while being targeted for being killed by a fellow Judge. Judge Dredd #7 from Duane Swierczynski is THE LAW this week! … A new take on Little Red Riding hood takes the form of Akaneiro #1 from Dark Horse, based on American McGee’s new Spicy Horse video Game and Japanese folklore. … Picks LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

STARLABFEST 2013 - JUNE 15, 2013

The FOURTH ANNUAL STARLABFEST will take place on Saturday, June 15th (June 22nd rain-date).  As always, the fest will take place in the parking lot of the studio.  It will feature 12 awesome local bands on two stages, free burgers, hot dogs and veggies from the grill as well as free food from local vendors, Narragansett beer and local folks selling their used gear, vintage clothing and other fun stuff.  Everyone is welcome!

THE FEST BEGINS AT 12NOON WITH THE FLEA MARKET AND BBQ, LIVE MUSIC BEGINS AT 2PM SHARP.

WEST STAGE MEAN CREEK SLOWDIM THE SHILLS THUNDERBLOODS THE NEW LIGHTS NONPAREILS

EAST STAGE FAGETTES DAN WEBB & THE SPIDERS ST. RIPPER PHANTOM GLUE EX-MAGICIANS FIXED BAYONETS

TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents MOTH CITY, ULTRASYLVANIA & THE RAPTOR at FORCES OF GEEK

Look at this cool icon!, thanks Stefan!

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March. Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer.

The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books.

Here are three Comixology Submit titles on the store now worth checking out. 

Moth City
Story & Art: Tim Gibson
Price: $.99
Page Count: 168 Pages
Digital Release Date: 04/24/2013
Age Rating: 15+ Only
Buy it HERE

Moth City truly takes advantage of the digital medium, in the way that Mark Waid has been talking about with Thrillbent for the past year.

Most notable about this book is the stunning art, and page transitions, using layers as a storytelling device.

An American becomes a Chinese crime lord in terrible dealings with the military for canisters of chemical weapons.

Amazing art for fans of Paul Pope’s work. Highly recommended.

Ultrasylvania Vol.1
Written By: Brian Schirmer
Art By: Various
Price: $9.99
Page Count: 92 Pages
Digital Release Date: 05/15/2013
Age Rating: 15+ Only
Buy it HERE


I naturally gravitated to this vampire book on title alone, and was delighted to find a fully realized alternate fictional history where both King Vlad Dracula and King Victor Frankenstein were rulers of their own countries.

This was a fun read, for fans of classic horror.

I quite enjoyed the twist on it, and the war between the two countries.

The art was ‘sourced’ by students at The Academy of Art University. Great work from all of the students and a compelling story.

The Raptor #1
Story & Art: Blair Shedd
Price: $1.99
Page Count: 36 Pages
Digital Release Date: 05/15/2013
Age Rating: 12+ Only
Buy it HERE


Kubert School Graduate Blair Shedd (Doctor Who) unleashes a superhero and cop story with The Raptor.

His cool looking and wise cracking hero looks a bit like Shadowhawk. The story is pretty standard street level superhero fare but that’s not a knock on the book. Great action and cool art makes for a solid superhero read.

No origin story yet for The Raptor, as they are focusing on the murder investigation.

A solid offering, even if the art does outshine the story a bit.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK] 

TRIPLE SHOT: SOLID STATE TANK GIRL #1, DOOMSDAY.1 #1 and DREAM MERCHANT #1 - FORCES OF GEEK

Three shots of comics are served down and neat for you today, burning up and investigating the insides of your body and soul!  We start off with the return of Tank Girl, John Bryne singes the Earth with a solar flare, and Nathan Edmondson delivers another story that branches out into a new fantasy genre, the mysteries of Dream Merchant.

SOLID STATE TANK GIRL #1 (of 4)
WRITER: Alan Martin
ART: Warwick J. Cadwell
Publication Date: May 15, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Titan Comics
UPC: 07447028032301
Buy it HERE


Remember Tank Girl? I sorta do. There was a 1995 movie, right? With the guy from Body Count and SVU.

Do you remember rock and roll radio, The Clash, Love and Rockets? The creators crammed all of that into a dyke role model with post apocalyptic kangaroo sidekick that live in a tank in Australia.

Jamie Hewlett went on to form Gorillaz, and original creator Alan Martin sort of wandered the countryside (seriously) looking to uncover ancient mysteries.

Martin has since resurrected the character in 2007, and Titan Books has released his latest story, Solid State Tank Girl with art by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell.

We see familiar faces—Booga, Jet Girl and Tank Girl.

We’re in a radio repair shop, something likely useful I the ‘80s or in post apocalyptic times. Booga zaps himself on an old radio and Tank Girl is put to task to revive him.

How do they do it? Honey I Shrunk the Kids style.

There’s a delightful few pages of ball humor before they do the Osmosis Jones bit and float into the gross kangaroo insides.

To cram just one more Netflix classic in there, perhaps the reason Booga has fallen ill could be found in the plot of Three Men and a Baby.

A fun, punk rock read with a female leading cast.

A backup story pits Tank Girl against Dick Strangeballs!

Tank Girl is Dead. Long Live Tank Girl!

DOOMSDAY.1 #1 (of 4)
WRITER/ARTIST: John Byrne
Publication Date: May 15, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing
UPC: 82771400459500111
Buy it HERE


Master of storytelling and the comic book form John Byrne reboots a classic concept of his from the ‘70s withDoomsday.1 this week.

The four issue limited series is a post apocalyptic tale of solar flares wiping out the most of the habitable places on Earth.

Stuck in orbit on an international space voyage, a crew of seven watches helplessly as the planet is decimated by fire.

On the ground, The President, The Pope, a prison and a submarine crew hunker down away on different parts of the planet to save themselves. This gives us an idea that some pockets of humanity will survive the destruction.

A sacrifice is made in space to return the astronauts home after many orbits and the flare subsiding. A crash landing in the southern United States leaves the crew to to survive on a familiar an foreign planet.

I am a fan of John Byrne’s polarizing artwork and storytelling, and follow his work at IDW closely—from Angel to Star Trek. This book is for fans of The Walking Dead, Planet of the Apes, and Mad Max. Will these astronauts survive past the four issue mini-series, or will they bake on the surface of a planet they used to call home? I’m along for the ride!

Dream Merchant #1 (of 6)
WRITER: Nathan Edmondson
ART: Konstantin Novosadov
Publication Date: May 15, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Image Comics
UPC: 70985301362400111
Buy it HERE

Nathan Edmondson is no stranger to poking around in someone’s head.

His spy-fi action comic Jake Ellis takes place somewhat in protagonist Jon Moore’s head, as the specter of Jake Ellis guides him through missions. The Dream Merchant mini series is off to a strong start here.

Winslow has been plagued by persistent and recurring dreams, that preoccupy his waking moments. He’s checked for observation into a mental hospital in Burbank.

While there he befriends the cafeteria worker, juvenile delinquent Anne, who has a fondness for Wilson and lends him many books on dreams.

Sleep demons chase the two out of the hospital and they are guided by a mysteriously shrouded mentor with a staff, one who seems to have control over the dream state. The two hop a train and escape onto the road, following the bizarre figure.

This is a different type of story that Edmondson’s other work, The Activity or Jake Ellis in that there is no spy action or military tech involved yet.

This is more of a teenage adventure story that half takes place in the realm of dreams. The flavor of the dream world is more Harry Potter than it is ‘The Dreaming’ of Sandman books, and a bit more fun. Chapter 1 has the heroes on their journey, with no hints at where the roads may take the three next.

Art by Siberian Konstantin Novosadov is more Disney cartoon than Darwyn Cooke ‘50s illustration, but the solid black line work and facial expressions are seemingly influenced by both. 

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: SUPERMAN: UNBOUND

Superman: Unbound is the latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie based on an Action Comics arc written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank. Though not bogged down by New 52 continuity or pre-Flashpoint Superman Family architecture, the movie does a fair job at retelling the story of the five part Superman: Braniac in 75 minutes. Rumors are that this could be the last DCAU movie set in the old timelines, so continuity buffs and those wishing to celebrate Superman’s 75th birthday this year should give this a chance if you have not already. Since the story references Silver and Golden Age Superman subjects like the Bottled City Of Kandor and Collector of Worlds, this is both a movie for new fans anticipating Man of Steel and those with the House of El’s shield tattooed on their arms. Speaking of which, Supergirl is in for the action too.

 
Our story opens with Lois being abducted by some bad dudes in all black swat outfits from The Daily Planet. Perhaps a nod to our favorite Superman joke, Lois is in a pink outfit (and later has a pink phone and a pink laptop). She’s amazingly calm, because in this version, Lois and Clark are boyfriend and girlfriend. He has a way of saving her from these things.

It turns out that she’s not going to be rescued by big blue because he is dealing with an earthquake elsewhere. High over Metropolis, Miss Lane is in the back of a helicopter, almost helpless if not for her wit.

Heeding the call for action Supergirl uses her powers to defeat the bad guys until Kal shows up.

Cousin Kal reprimands her for using excessive force. This serves the story as an opportunity to introduce the villain of the movie, Braniac. Though not a direct sequel to Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, one can see this as the introduction of the character of Kara-El, cousin to Kal-El Superman.

Lois and Supergirl - Superman Unbound

Both movies rely on Supergirl’s motivations to drive the main story, in fact my girlfriend pointed out to me that the first film should really have been called Superman/Supergirl Apocalypse, as Batman and Wonder Woman were secondary characters.

Even with the amazing Andrea Romano as voice director there are still old fashioned gender issues in mainstream media.

Back on Krypton, before the explosion and Kal being sent to the Kent Farm, older cousin Kara witnessed a ship helmed by Braniac invade the capital of Kandor and slaughter many innocents. As the collector of worlds, Braniac bottled the city after shrinking it and he put this among his collection. Kara’s parents survived the blast and live in the bottle. Kara now can’t stand bullies, so she feels justified using so much force.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

MAD MEN: "MAN WITH A PLAN" S6E 07 (RECAP) AT FORCES OF GEEK

Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and CG&C have merged to handle the Chevrolet account and bring the forces of both firms together.

Not everyone is able to keep their jobs as the union comes with some redundancies. In this episode we marvel at how the higher ups at the company deal with the power shifts in the workplace and at home.

All the while, those at the bottom of the totem pole scramble to prove their worth and save their own jobs.

The story opens with the recurring elevator scene in Don Draper’s (Jon Hamm) building. On his way in to the new company’s first day, the elevator door opens to Sylvia’s (Linda Cardellini) floor. We hear her argue with husband Doctor Arnold Rosen (Brian Markinson) who is leaving his practice and headed to Minnesota. Don closes the door, just before the doctor turns the corner for the lift.

At Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, the as yet unnamed amalgamation of the two firms is physically taking place. Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is shown to her new office by a put upon Joan (Christina Hendricks). Joan assigns new offices to the salesmen and the secretaries.

Sterling moves upstairs, as Ted (Kevin Rahm) takes the office directly across from Don’s. This positions these two gentlemen at an equal level psychologically.

The first board meeting divides the client base among reps. Ted Chaough shows an assertive and clear headed side.

Pete (Vincent Kartheiser), the last to the meeting and temporarily without a seat is called away to deal with his senile mother. This accompanies the theme of any self-imposed punishment he’s carved out for himself these past weeks. He is, in his own way, compassionate toward his mother, and puts her up in his stag apartment, offering her the bed.

Don leaves the partner meeting for a different calling. He and Sylvia have a hotel quickie that devolves into a master/slave BSDM power play. It’s clear that while she plays along, this is Don’s game, not her as he demands she stay naked waiting for him to be done with work.

After blowing off a meeting with the creative department and Ted about Fleischmann’s Margarine to have his affair, Don returns to the office. Ted dresses him down about the tardiness, and Don slams the door on Ted.

In a power play, Don visits Ted’s office with a full bottle of Canadian Club. Not being as much of a drinker as Don, Ted is quickly hammered and unable to do any more work. They visit the creative suite in the middle of the offices where Peggy, Stan and Ginsberg are still meeting.

 

Ted passes out, with Don assuring everyone that Ted will “Sleep it off”. The move to embarrass the new partner gets Peggy irked, and she says as much to Don later in the episode.

Our new pal, Bob Benson (James Wolk), the man who has been sticking his nose in everyone’s business, but in a friendly ass-kissing sort of way has moments with Joan that redeem the character in the eyes of the viewer. Joan is not only dealing with the merger of the two companies, but is doing so under incredible pain. Bob takes her to the hospital and is able to use his sideways smirk to get her immediate treatment for what turns out to be an ovarian cyst. When it comes time for Joan, Jim Cutler (Harry Hamlin) and Pete to fire redundant employees, Joan saves Benson.

What mysterious reveals about Bob will we see in the second half of the season? He is certainly having many people talking about him and some important allies in the office (Ted and Joan). 

Don has imposed an imprisonment for Sylvia as he leaves with Ted in a two-seater plane to deal with the Mohawk plane account upstate. In this instance, Ted has the upper hand, being a pilot and identifying more closely with the client, trumping Don’s history with the client.

When Don returns to the hotel to boss Sylvia around and get kinky, she is about to leave and calls off the affair. She realizes that she needs to end the whole thing, and Don protests. In the end, that’s where it leaves off. Drenched from a downpour, Sylvia returns home on to the floor below Don’s, departing the elevator without a word. Don returns home, and Megan (Jessica Paré) fixes him a drink.

Megan asks Don to go on vacation with her, but Don can hardly focus on her words. His world seems to be falling apart. Can he reinvent himself again?

Pete’s mom awakes him to tell him the news of the RFK assassination, but also that he is going to be late for school at 6AM. Chalking this up to her senility, Pete returns to sleep on the couch in his apartment. A grown man who is also powerless, though in a different way that Don.

The story ends with Don staring into space as Megan cries, touched by the loss of Bobby Kennedy.

In a world where freedom rings, there is a sense of unknown powerlessness. Don has lost some control of his business and creativity and his mistress. Is he losing control of everything? Time will tell.

What do we have to look forward to in episode 8 from the teaser?

Furrowed brows, a reaction to the RFK shooting, tired partners and the return of Ken Cosgrove from the midwest with what seems like dire news. Is this merger a success? We’ll see in the long-tail, this new super agency doesn’t have a name yet!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for May 15, 2013

COMICS

John Byrne (Superman, Star Trek, Next Men) takes a page from Marvel NOW! and gives us a Point One reboot of his post-apocolyptic space race 1975 Charlton comic Doomsday +1. The new book is Doomsday.1 #1 from IDW, taking place on the International Space Station with astronauts looking to return home to an Earth decimated by a solar flare! Hot Stuff! … The JSA Liberty Files have only been cracked this once since the New 52, and this issue of The Whistling Skull #6 marks the end of the miniseries. Written by B. Clay Moore and drawn by Tony F’n Harris, this steampunk via Hitler-smashing Sherlock Holmes type story is a masterpiece of the bizarre and macabre featuring the Whistling Skull and dimwit sidekick Nigel. Hard to put into words, really. … We haven’t forgotten about the all ages comic picks, this week we have Regular Show #1 from Boom! Studios. Mordecai the Bluejay and Rigby the Raccoon are just chillin’, yo. Whoa-Oh-Oh! Join ‘em for a regular day! … Picks LeaguePodcast.com.

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