Frank Tieri’s wild ride into a Mad Max future and more than a hat tip to a comic property across the street with Old Lady Harley continues with issue #2 (of 5). The cover from longtime Harley artist Amanda Connor reveals what lies within “Anarchy in Arkham”.
Because exactly no one demanded it, Nightwing teams up with Magilla Gorilla in the latest Hanna-Barbera / DC Comics Special.
Dan DiDio delivers one of the least anticipated and least likely Hanna-Barbera / DC crossover with Superman/Top Cat Special #1.
Old Lady Harley gets “Shiny and Chrome,” as Frank Tieri takes a post-apocalyptic view of the DC Universe with a version of his Gang of Harleys and a more than a tip of the hat to Millar’s Old Man Logan creation.
This week marks the first return of Gaiman to Sandman since 2013’s Sandman Overture prequel released 17 years after The Sandman #75 and some notable spinoffs. The anthology first issue for The Sandman Universe arrived this week to solve the mystery of the missing Dream of the Endless.
Julie and Shawna Benson take over on Green Arrow after a long run on Batgirl and the Birds of Prey – Rebirth.
Rebuked by Batman for not surrendering her sister, Beth aka supervillian Alice, to Arkham for treatment, Kate Kane has taken her in.
This is the DC equivalent of Deadpool 2 in comic form. I haven’t been checking in on creator Sam Humphries for a while now, though I was a fan of watching his rise to stardom at Marvel. His fun style translates well into the adventures of Harleen Quinzel.
Last issue, Ollie was tasked with transporting Superman villain Parasite from one prison to another.
It's not often that I pick up an issue of Batgirl (of Burnside), but when I saw one of my favorite villains, Two-Face, on the cover flipping a Batgirl coin I was intrigued!
This return of Triple Shot brings us a little known action hero from the UK getting his due with IDW’s Action Man #1, a teenage girl wolf’s out in She-Wolf #1 from Image and the Duke of Dapper James Bond starts in on a new adventure “Eidolon” written by Warren Ellis issue #007!.
Are you missing out on Supergirl lately? Don’t fret because Sterling Gates has been keeping Kara and the Danvers girls busy in our Digital Chaser for Adventures of Supergirl #11.
Action Man #1Writer: John Barber
Artist: Paolo Villanelli
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Pub. Date: June 22, 2016
UPC: 82771401090900121
BUY IT HERE
John Barber (Transformers) starts us out in media res with our hero Action Man infiltrating Doctor X’s headquarters.
Don’t know who Action Man is? Picture G.I. Joe but for Anglophiles.
I’m not talking the little guys, we’re talking Original 1960’s Kung-Fu Grip that might ask for a spot of tea.
Paolo Villanelli (Snake Eyes) is on art and if you crave a modern G.I.Joe title (one that is noticeably missing from the current IDW line), Action Manmight be what you are looking for!
Action Man is a highly trained soldier in martial arts, weapons and even the culinary arts according to this incarnation. He’s Duke, Snake-Eyes and Roadblock all rolled into one!
That is, of course until a Wrath of Khan moment changes the fate of Action Man!
This is a fun start to the series that I look forward to continuing, a mashup of James Bond, The Kingsmen: Secret Service, G.I. Joe and Torchwood, Action Man has what it takes to keep me interested!
And to be honest, the Train Fight certainly jumped my ratings from a low 4 to a high 5, targeting for my own locomotive combat preference.
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK.COM]
Captain America and Civil War II! Rom The Space Knight Returns! The Tick multiplies! Supergirl has test anxiety in DC Superhero Girls!
We cleaned up at Free Comic Book Day this year and here are the books that caught our eye, if you are lucky, maybe your store will have some left over when you pop in there on Wednesday!
We’re plowing through the stack, but these are the books that we were most excited about in this roundup report edition of Triple Shot!
Alright, we crammed more than three books into our Triple Shot but isn’t that always the case? Who cares about numbering anyway? Not the big comic book companies, that’s for sure!
Hopefully you were able to make it to your store this weekend for the free fare. Many places had cosplayers, free candy and creator signings to make the event (their largest retail date of the year) even more special. From 8-months-old to eighty-days-sober, the fifteen year tradition continues to bring comics and regular people through the doors of your local comic book store.
This year’s associated film for Free Comic Book Day was Captain America: Civil War, so it makes sense to tackle the two big Marvel offerings for our special nerd holiday!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 FCBD 2016 EDITION
Cap is back, baby! He’s celebrating 75 years this year, so that makes it special that Steve Rogers is returning to the Captain America cowl and pirate boots (in my mind only).
The current Marvel Universe will have two Caps running around, Sam Wilson and Steve donning separate shields. The costume revealed for Steve in FCBD is very cool, and his shield is like Joe Simon’s original concept, the ‘badge’ shield design.
Why the change? Who knows…but this is a different and cool design and I’m fine with that.
S. H. I. E. L. D. is facing charges in a Senate committee hearing. Agent Sharon Carter is doing her level best to defend the actions of the team before Steve steps in and sets the Senate straight! More to be revealed in Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 written by Nick Spencer.
Welcome back, AGAIN, Cap!
Backup Spidey story sets up the next big move for Slott and team. Is anyone ever truly dead? Ask Cap! He’s been there before!
{READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK.COM]
It’s a DC Comics takeover today as we get closer to the Rebirth event and a new Batman on screen. We start off with a new creative team on Grayson before Rebirth, more Gotham sidekick action with We Are Robin and Teen Titans (guest starring Wonder Woman). Over in Secret Six, Strix is faced with dilemmas from the League of Assassins.
Are you ready for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Be sure to check back Friday morning for the Forces of Geek review when it is posted!
Grayson #18
Writers: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Artist: Roge Antonio
Publisher: DC Comics
Pub. Date: March 23, 2016
UPC: 76194132185101811
PRICE: $3.99
BUY IT HERE
Things are really heating up for Dick and Spyral this issue, but Grayson aka Agent 37 isn’t really at the center of all the action.
With Lanzing and Kelly (Batman and Robin Eternal) jumping on as writers to wrap up this arc, where a lot of threads were just sort of hanging there, we start the issue in the middle of the action at the St. Hadrian’s school for wayward spy girls.
With guest appearances from Bronze Tiger, Grifter and Midnighter, Dick leads a team against Leviathan.
Helena is seriously injured in the melee, but at the end we have Agent Zero and her sister vying for the top of the stack as someone from their past makes a surprise appearance.
This is most certainly not a jumping on point for readers, perhaps not many people out there are even aware that Dick is a spy now, but no matter. With Rebirth, Nightwing returns and we can turn our back on this now overly complicated spy story.
I sure wish Seeley wrapped this arc up, though because this issue is a bit confusing, and I have been reading this book since the beginning!
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]
Harley’s shaping up to ship out of Belle Reve as Tim Seeley takes over on New Suicide Squad #17, the cadets are up to their necks in secrets and competition in Star Trek: Star Fleet Academy #3 and Springfield might not last as ‘A Nice Little Town’ as it survives the conclusion of Cobra World Order in Hama’s G.I. Joe #225.
Still reeling from this week’s Alan Moore inspired Supergirl episode? There’s more to be had in ComiXology for the tie-in weekly Adventures of Supergirl Chapter 2 written by fan favorite Sterling Gates!
NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #17
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist/Cover: Juan Ferreyra
Publisher: DC Comics
Pub. Date: February 10, 2016
UPC: 76194132184401711
Price: $2.99
BUY IT HERE
Tim Seeley has been an architect of the current Batman & Robin: Eternal and other Bat-Books, Nightwing and most recently, Grayson.
Aside from his work as an artist and writer on many independent books, Seeley has grown into a DC Comics powerhouse, adapting to these important legacy characters and making them his own.
This August’s Suicide Squad movie will re-introduce the world to Joker and Harley Quinn with familiar faces filling the rolls. Suicide Squad is soon to be a household name, beyond the reach of the CW version we’ve seen in the Arrow-verse.
This jumping on point for readers feels much the same for Seeley, as he has admitted to not knowing much of Task Force X before taking this assignment. This is refreshing for me as well, as I’m not a huge Suicide Squad fan generally speaking, but was excited to check out these pages.
When Fred Van Lente took over on G.I. Joe in 2013, I feel like he had the same attitude, and these were some of the most refreshing stories I have read in the IDW run. Van Lente played it loose but with reverence, a fine line and difficult to do if you are a dyed in the wool fan.
Tim Seeley’s Suicide Squad starts fresh with a basic mission of mismatched baddies selected by Amanda Waller to kick some ass before being locked up again. It’s formulaic for sure but a great jumping on point. Seeley himself cites Harley Quinn for a big influence on his own Hack/Slash’s titular character Cassie Hack. All of that seems right.
If his first issue is any indication, there will be roster changes in the coming months and status quo will be messed with. This new run is off to a fun start, and a welcome shift from the issues leading up to #17.
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]
From Krypton to Themyscira to the Deadite infested woods of North Carolina, we are kicking off 2016 with a return to form of the classic Triple Shot comics review column!
Can’t make heads or tails of a pull list? Are you easily confused by staring at rows of comics on the shelf? We hope these recommendations do you well. Why think when we can tell you what comics to buy!
This week, Max Landis and Joëlle Jones give you a unique spotlight on a young Clark Kent, Renae De Liz (Peter Pan, The Last Unicorn) and Ray Dillon retell Wonder Woman’s origin in Legend of Wonder Woman and lastly Ash is back, baby, inEvil Dead 2: Cradle of the Damned!
This week you get an extra bonus Heavy Metal chaser as one of our very own FOG!’s very own (Steven) Scott Duvall! drops his new book Necropolis: Continuum #1 from Heavy Metal Comics.
That’s right, that Heavy Metal!
Groovy!
Max Landis (Chronicle, Dirk Gently) has been surprising comic fans the past few months with his take on different eras of Clark Kent, Superboy and Superman. With different artists assigned to each chapter of this mini-series, we are able to appreciate different aspects of Clark’s home life.
Of course, this is the almost predictable ‘modern retelling’ of the Superman origin. What sets it apart, besides the art treatment, is a feeling that Superman is a legend.
No chapter picks up where the last story left off.
Much like in American television, each artist on a chapter shows a different era of Clark’s life, and each of the artists would be the guest director of the episode.
This particular chapter’s director is the talented Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer, Adventures of Superman).
The story takes place on Bruce Wayne’s yacht, but master Bruce is not even there to celebrate his birthday. Clark stands in for the absent Bruce, who is ‘Never at his (own) parties’.
A young Clark lives it up, hooks up with a lady, gets drunk and has all of the fun Bruce Wayne would only pretend to have.
There have been plenty of stories where these two have switched places but what sets this story apart is that they have yet to be acquainted.
It’s not all booze and cupcakes as a popular DC villain is after Bruce Wayne and Clark has to face him.
In conclusion, this a fun issue, even if it just stands alone. It is a fun take for fans of the classic Batman and Superman dynamic that flashes back to the pre-superhero days.
The art is gorgeous and I’m enjoying what Max has to say with ‘his’ Superman!
[READ MORE 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.
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.
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]
Three new number ones this week for our Triple Shot!
Ming Doyle teams up with James Tynion IV for the DCYou take on Constantine: The Hellblazer, Liz Prince (Tomboy) and artist Evan Palmer (Munchkin) step into the world of Cartoon Network’s newest creation, Clarence and we preview next month’s Negative Space #1 from Ryan K Lindsay.
CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER #1
WRITER: Ming Doyle, James Tynion IV
ART: Riley Rossmo
Publication Date: June 10, 2015
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194133011200111
Buy it HERE
New creative team Ming Doyle (Mara, The Kitchen)
and James Tynion IV (Talon, Batman Eternal) relaunch Constantine for the #DCYou.
The much beleaguered title and main character has to be an
intimidating one — Constantine has seen many forms, from
a Vertigo comic to a movie starring Keanu Reaves (what?)
and riding the recent wave of comic book television with 2014’s Constantine (RIP).
Getting a handle on the character is no easy task —
Vertigo writers in the past include Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis,
Peter Milligan, Andy Diggle and many more.
Constantine in the DCU is a younger character and Doyle and Tynion
are allowed to play him that way, hopefully to generate a new
audience for Constantine as well as bridge the gap with older readers.
This being a DC Comic and not Vertigo hurts the book in my opinion.
John Constantine should be able to swear and be raunchy.
Issue #1 isn’t a bad go at the old guy, though.
Our demon whisperer shows up naked in a clothing shop covered in blood
and brains. Later in the story, he is drafted by Blythe for a quick shag
and his first ‘mission’ against some demons.
Riley Rossmo has great stylistic choices for his art, including a
landscape splash page cutaway view of the club and by the end of the book gets to draw some cool looking demons.
I’m interested to see where this goes, issue #1 had enough bite to
want me to pick up the next issue. This book doesn’t seem to be
pandering to any fans of any Hellblazer incarnations — that could be a blessing or a curse once the story develops more.
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]
Get $1 off your purchase of 3 or more tickets to Jurassic World with promo code: TREX. Offer valid 6/2 - 6/14 11:59 PM PST or While Supplies Last. Terms Apply.
Fresh Romance is in the air, courtesy of Janelle Asselin. Bendis opens up three old wounds on each hand with Andrea Sorrentino on art in Old Man Logan (Secret Wars) #1 and don’t forget about The Endless Dreaming with Sandman: Overture #5 in this week’s edition of Triple Shot!
FRESH ROMANCE #1
WRITER: Sarah Kuhn, Kate Leth, Sarah Vaughn
ART: Arielle Jovellanos, Sarah Winifred Searle, Sally Jane Thompson
Publication Date: May 27, 2015
Price: $4.99
Publisher: Rosy Press/Janelle Asselin
UPC: 70985301875900111
Buy it HERE: RosyPress.com / Comixology
As I’m learning in my current comic book class with professor Michael Uslan, Romance Comics as genre came to prominence after the end of World War II.
Everyone hung up their collective capes, and even Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon filled the newsstands with tales of heartbreak, secret crushes and handkerchief hand wringing.
These days, superheroes dominate the scene and the big screen, but former DC Comics editor Jannelle Asselin is resurrecting the genre over at Rosy Press and also utilizing her vast established audience for Kickstarter funding for this special project.
[Read an amazing FOG! interview with Jannelle over here with Stefan Blitz, conducted after the project was funded!]
This inaugural issue of Fresh Romance is an anthology book highlighting 3 separate stories from some of the best talent around. Kate Leth (Adventure Time, Bravest Warriors, Edward Scissorhands) starts off with a classic high school tale of locker talk and Mean Girls swagger. I’m most looking forward to the next installment for the twist introduced at the end of these pages.
Upcoming talent Sarah Vaughn (Alex + Ada) goes back to the post-Revolutionary War days for an impending tale of arranged marriage from ye olde tymes. I wasn’t expecting to go back to the age of AMC’s Turn but it was a nice place to visit and Sarah Winifred Searle’s art is divine.
‘The Ruby Equation’, the final tale by Sarah Kuhn and Sally Jane Thompson was perhaps my favorite. Without spoiling, this was the most comic-booky of the tales. Modern day cupid meets coffee shop barista. Very cute story with more to come.
Congrats on getting the ball rolling—this was a fun book, and I may have been quoted as saying, “I hate stupid love stories because they are stupid”.
Yet again, I was wrong.
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]
