Best of 2007 - Mini-Series

This is an inexact listing at best. This year I have not kept the type of records that I should and I may have forgotten some deserving candidates (as I type this Green Arrow Year One springs to mind). So this is more based on pure remembrance, but that is not a bad way to judge best of as long as I get the year right. Also some "mini-series" are a series of mini-series and I classified them in this grouping as opposed to ongoing series because they had to go one place on the other.

The numerical order of the books is really a non-event to me after the first five, 6-10 are all in the same category. Also some series are still ongoing and that puts a different light on them and makes it really hard to break into my top five.

1)Left on Mission - This book as I have stated many times before is one hell of a series. I mean who the hell is the writer Chip Mosher (I now know) and artist Francesco Francavilla. This book had so much thought put into it that it was amazing. A spy thriller, with a tragic love story and a little political thought all put into one great novel. The pacing was a revelation. Each page, each issue had its own rhythm and I can't wait for the trade. Without a doubt the best mini-series for 2007.

2)Alien Pig Farm - This book was another fantastic mini-series and like Left on Mission the trade already has a place in my home, before it is published. Raw Studios produced the comic and Steve Niles, Thomas Jane and Todd Farmer are the writers and the art was by Don Marquez. This book was so much fun. An alien invasion occurs in the backwoods of America and some good old boys defend the Earth and save the day. It was so frelling hilarious that I smile just writing about it. So many of the independent creators have remembered that comics are suppose to fun at times also. The big plus is not only is it fun it is well written, drawn, colored and produced.

3) Nightly News - For a first project Jonathan Hickman knew how to push all of my buttons. This is a straight up conspiracy book loaded with additional information that sends up much of corporate America, our government and the major media. It never fails to tell an entertaining story while making a point. The style of the book is based on design work and not your standard panel grids. Great work and right up my alley as I dislike big government and the state of our global corporations. And major media for news, why bother.

4)Atomic Rob0 - The highest rated mini-series that is not completed. The simple reason is all about fun. This book defines the term. It tells a great story, it is an easy read, it has really nice clean lines, it has great coloring and outstanding production values. It also has all six issues drawn before #1 was every solicited and the people who produce Red 5 Comics are just out and out nice people. A winner from Brian Clevinger (writer) and Scott Wegner (artist).

5)Mouse Guard - Okay the first mini-series is over and the second mini-series has only two issues produced so far, so is it a mini-series or an ongoing book broken into a series of mini-series. It has to be somewhere and it has to be a top book, so I included it here. Mouse Guard is everything I want in a modern day fairy tale. It has characters that you care about, it has an epic feel to it, beautiful art and it tells a story. What I think it really is, is one of the best books to read with your kids ever. I almost regret that my children have grown or else I would be reading this book to them at bedtime with Gwen on my left and Jamie on my right. Gwen urging me to go faster and Jamie telling me to do different voices for each character.Instead now we all read it separately but all three of us have enjoyed this story immensely. Story and art by David Peterson.

6)Wormwood Gentleman Corpse - Okay another one that maybe in the wrong category and has hardly had any material produced this year, but this is Ben Templesmith's seminal creation. A worm that animates a corpse to go around and drink beer, watch strippers and fight monsters and extra dimensional menaces to keep our world safe. The complete opposite of Mouse Guard. This is a book I would have hid from my daughters when they were younger, but now they can enjoy the out and out gross out humor and brilliant artwork from Ben Templsemith. I love this book and always enjoy seeing another issue.

7)Black Adam - Yes a mini-series from the big two made it onto my list. This book has not finished yet, but it is a book that has done a great job of giving us the full complexities of Black Adam. A villain and an evil man, but as all great villains, he does not see himself as a villain. What is even better is we know how this story ends, but the journey to get there has been a great story by Peter Tomasi and Doug Mahnke.

8) Killer - What a fantastic book from Arachaia Studios Press. A story from a Killer's point of view. Also surprising instead of a dark and moody colored book it is relatively bright with clean line work. This book gives a portrait of a Killer who is going in a downward spiral and never once tries to makes us like him, just understand him. Can't wait to see how this ends. By Matz and Luc Jacobson.

9)Cover Girl - Another BOOM studio book and one that is coming out in trade very soon. If Left on Mission is a high octane thrill ride, this is a high octane tongue in cheek thrill ride. Characters you care about, a little tragedy, great dialogue, improbable events and a good time. A book that makes you laugh, shake your head with the improbable events and keep turning the pages to see what happens next. Written by Andrew Crosby ands art by Kevin Church.

10)Bad Planet - Still ongoing this is a another Raw Studios book by Steve Niles and Thomas Jane with art by Lewis Lasrosa and Tim Bradstreet. A madcap romp of invading aliens, an alien warrior, military might, great looking women and just outstanding art and production values. For one issue they even did some outstanding "3-D" work.

The overall theme is excellence, passion and a desire to actually work on these books. I can not know for sure, but I believe that each creator on these books actually believes in what they are doing and their energy and passion shines in each book.

Next year I may just do one list of the best books, whether, mini-series, ongoings, hybrids, graphic novel or whatever.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Pops, Sparky & Princess

Really Bad Christmas Presents

Ok, as regular readers know, I have three little monsters. And, one of the things that comes with having little monsters is a deluge of catalogs. Seriously, you have no concept of how much junk mail you get when you have kids. We used to get two, maybe three, catalogs a week pre kids. Now, we get two or three a day and they are predominantly focused at the kids. They are either toys, or clothes, or even home furnishing. According to the cover, I am a bad parent if my daughters don't have the $100 matching horse and pony sheet set. And that $100 doesn't even touch the cost of the comforter.

And, within all this garbage is yet another sign of why America occasionally fails. I received a catalog from a company call Learning Resources. Now Learning Resources bills themselves as an educational toy company. You know the "buy our stuff and your kids will get smarter and be admitted to Harvard" thing.

In between all the educational toys is a product line call "Smart Snacks". With such a line you would think, there would be an emphasis on healthy eating and learning.

WOW!!! WAS I WRONG!!! And not just a little wrong but way over the top wrong.

Let's look at some of the "Smart Snacks" toys that are available. First up is the Mix'n'Match doughnuts set. HELLO? Doughnuts? While they taste good, doughnuts aren't even healthy for raccoons and those rodents will eat anything. So, the first smart snack is a doughnut.

The second item in the "Smart Snack" toy line is the Counting Cookies set. It's a cookie jar and 10 chocolate chip cookies the kids can learn to count. Wha??? Let's not even ask why they can't count carrots or something healthy. So far, my kids have learned smart eating includes doughnuts and cookies.

But the whopper has got to be the "Hide and Peek Chocolates". And who is this good for???? It's a box of friggin' chocolates? Oddly enough, Girl has requested this for Christmas. Gee, there's a shocker.

I know America is a great country and 90% of Americans are good people but who thought this was a good idea? Occasionally, marketing people earn their reputations as glorified used car salesmen.

Anyway, in case you don't believe me…

www.learningresources.com

What's really odd about the whole situation, it's hard to find this on the website. It's like the company had an attack of conscience or something. If you go to the web site and pick "Theme" and then "Nutrition" you actually get good counting with carrots.

So, the direct link to counting with junk food…

http://www.learningresources.com/category/parents/shop+by+brand/smart+snacks--174--splash--174--safari--153-/smart+snacks--174-.do

Marvel Preview Review for March 2008

Lee: Let’s start with I am so disgusted with Marvel this month it’s unbelievable. There are so many inane storylines and bad ideas it’s killing me. So, this month, I am making fun of covers and pointing out the stupidity of new ideas. If you’re looking for hot picks go elsewhere!
Jim: New products from both of the majors appear to be few and far between. It is almost sad to me that some of my favorite picks are collections of older material. I know DC seems to be building to Final Crisis and then we will see the fall out from that, but Marvel seems to have stagnated after Civil War and it now just treading water until the Secret Invasion is over. I seriously hope that the major cross-overs and events are done after 2008.

ULTIMATES 3 #4 (of 5) Written by JEPH LOEB Art & Cover by JOE MADUREIRA & christian lichtner Who rules the Savage Land? Who could possibly challenge Magneto's authority? How about the Ultimates with special guest Wolverine! Plus: back in NYC, the Wasp makes a discovery that will change everything!
Lee: So if I read the hype correctly, Ultimate Wolverine has started crossing over in all the Ultimate titles. Just like the Earth-616 Wolverine crosses over into all the regular Marvel U titles. This is definitely a positive sign for the overall health of the Ultimates line.
Jim: Also this has the honor of being one of the worse books produced by marvel in a long time. From over colored art, to a nonsensical story, to some stuff that had Dr. Wertham screaming “I knew it”, and now the put Wolverine in it coup de grace.

ULTIMATE X-MEN #92 Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN Pencils & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCAHey, on the cover...is that Stryfe and Onslaught? Apocalypse's endgame is revealed as the beleaguered X-Men mount a last-ditch attack to save the world! Meanwhile, two more monstrous threats rear their ugly heads to ensure the young mutants' downfall!
Lee: Seriously? Stryfe and Onslaught? Out of all the ideas ever… EVER… introduced into X-men mythology Kirkman chooses Stryfe and Onslaught. Maybe one of the editors over the age of 21 should mention those character really aren’t selling points.
Jim: I also find it amusing with the entire history of the X-Men to choose from and all the great villains and battles to choose from you get to this trash this early.

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #52 Written by MIKE CAREY Penciled by TYLER KIRKHAMThe Thanos saga continues! Last issue saw Mr. Fantastic square off one-on-one with Thanos for the Cosmic Cube -- so who now holds the deadly weapon? Why have the Human Torch and Invisible Girl undergone a horrifying transformation? And will the Thing survive his encounter with the never-before-seen third child of Thanos?
Lee: WHOP WHOP. Stupid idea alert! Stupid idea alert! Work with me but isn’t Thanos a death worshipper? Why would someone who worships Death make babies??? Makes no sense people!!! HELLO!!! But, I don’t read the series so maybe there’s a nice logical explanation. I doubt it but you never know.
Jim: Lee we are in the “Ultimate” universe. Maybe Thanos is not a worshipper of death. Maybe he came to worship death after he had kids.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #552 - 554 Written by BOB GALE Pencils & Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Lee: OMG! I have to say this issue might be good. The last I remember Bob Gale did some issue of Batman: No Man’s Land, and they were really good. Oh wait, Marvel is releasing THREE ISSUES this month! One step forward, two steps.. or is it three steps back. Dollar says one of the issues gets delayed (most likely the middle one)
Jim: Bob Gale and the “Back to the Future” screenwriter is suppose to excite me. I mean that movie has aged so bad that I can not even imagine anyone really watching it anymore. It was basically a bad sitcom script with space effects and “time travel”. This looks to be a waste of a major artist talent.

CIVIL WAR CHRONICLES #9 Collecting CIVIL WAR: FRONT LINE #9, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #537 and CIVIL WAR #6.
Lee: Are they still milking this? Is anyone buying it????
Jim: I believe this is aimed strictly for the book store market.

AVENGERS FAIRY TALES #1 (of 4)Written by C.B. CEBULSKI Pencils by JOÃO LEMOS Cover by CLAIRE WENDLING
Lee: I really have nothing bad to say about this. Marvel is publishing. People are buying. The theme is consistent. This is the closest thing to “new characters” Marvel is getting to so Bravo for them!
Jim: Again Marvel is producing a lot of material that is really aimed to be a trade paperback for bookstores.

ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST #5 (of 6) Written by DAN ABNETT & ANDY LANNING Penciled by TOM RANEYCan anyone stop Ultron? How did the evil android unite with the Phalanx? What are his secret plans? And have any of our desperate and divided heroes survived to fight back?
Lee: And, I really like the idea of Ultron taking over the Phalanx. So maybe the who month isn’t a complete waste.
Jim: This series has not been as good as the Giffen helmed Annihilation series, but it is still a solid read. Abnett and Lanning always produce an exciting comic book story and seldom fail to deliver.

GHOST RIDER #21 Written by JASON AARON Art by ROLAND BOSCHIIn a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Johnny Blaze's quest for vengeance continues when he faces off with a group of nurses who are armed to the teeth and looking to violate their Hippocratic Oath six ways to Sunday. Plus we meet a young cop named Kowalski who runs into a bit of trouble of his own while researching his town's strange proclivity for deadly car accidents. And of course there's also your regular dose of flaming skulls and big, honking, bad--%&$ motorcycles. Lee: Then again, speaking of complete wastes, this month Ghost Rider fights Stripper Nurses!!! Where do I sign up? Oh wait… nevermind turns out they’re actually psychotic serial killers. That changes everything. I can’t be reading about psychotic serial killers stripper nurses. That’s just wrong.
Jim: Where does it say stripper nurses. What I can not believe is that the solicitation I’m reading was written by Jason (Scalped) Aaron. I was thinking of trying Ghost Rider again as he was writing it, but this sounds LAME.

HULK #3 Written by JEPH LOEB Pencils & Cover by ED MCGUINNESSNot a flashback! Not a dream! Together again for the first time! The battle you NEVER thought you'd see -- The Hulk Vs. The Abomination! But...wait, we've seen that lots of times! Well... No you HAVE NOT.
Lee: Because the Ultimate Hulk and regular Hulk weren’t enough we got a red hulk. And because Ultimate Abomination and regular Abomination weren’t enough we get another one of those too. I wonder if the Hulk is going to go the Green Lantern route with a Violet Hulk, Black Hulk, and Yellow Hulk?
Jim: Maybe he is the first “Red Lantern”. Was the printer having a red sale? It has been a long, long time since Mr. Loeb has had an idea that I care to read. Also I have never been a big Ed McGuinness fan, but the Hulk should be a perfect book for him.

INCREDIBLE HERCULES #115 Written by GREG PAK & FRED VAN LENTE Penciled by KHOI PHAM Cover by ART ADAMS
Lee: It’s a comic book and I understand that but if you crash an airplane straight into the ground at a 90 degree angle ALL THE PEOPLE WILL FALL OFF. Unless they happen to be Shield agents at which point it’s no big deal.
Jim: If you drop the “inc” and the “ible” you have Red Hercules. That would be really, really, double-stuff oreoes awesome.

THE LAST DEFENDERS #1 (of 6) Written by JOE CASEY Pencils by JIM MUNIZ At long last, the team book you've been waiting for! The return of the Defenders! (no trademark infringement here!) And look who's on the team: The mutant Colossus! The sensational She-Hulk! The unpredicatable Blazing Skull! An all-new lineup led by the enigmatic Nighthawk! Injected into the heart of the modern Marvel Universe, the Defenders have been reformed to serve a specific policital purpose...but is there a greater destiny in store for this crew? It's hi-octane superheroics mainlined right into your fanboy brain!
Lee: Not to be confused with the ORIGINAL Defenders or the NEW Defenders or the SECRET Defenders. Nope this is the LAST Defenders. Composed of characters that HAVE nothing to do with any of the previous incarnations of the Defenders and lead by the one that does (Nighthawk) that no one cares about. Yeah. This is a winner. Is that big sales I smell? Oh wait, nevermind, I just left the toilet seat up again, my bad.
Jim: If no one has ever been on the non-team before why would they be “The Defenders”. Another thing I would not join a group and call myself the last anything.

SECRET INVASION SAGA Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS Cover by LEINIL YU The Secret Invasion has been underway for years. For how long and to what extent, Tony Stark is not sure, but there is one thing he does know: Now is not the time for complacency. Following hot on the heels of the stunning revelation that Skrulls have been masquerading as Elektra and Black Bolt, Stark puts his best data-mining technology to the test to piece together their treacherous plot. From their first encounter with the Fantastic Four, through the epic clash of the Kree/Skrull War and the destruction of the Skrull Throneworld, all the way to the recent Annihilation War and subsequent invasion of Earth, the timeline of known Skrull activity is made clear so effective battle plans can be drawn. With the Classified Top Secret Secret Invasion Saga report, the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. must leave no stone unturned in his analysis of this insidious enemy's history: The fate of the Earth will depend on it!32 PGS./ Rated T+ ...FREE!
Lee: So let me recap, the story is so convoluted and mired in history the only way a person can understand “secret invasion” is to have this primer. That’s a good starting point for a mega crossover. BUT, on the up side at least it’s free.
Jim: What is even funnier is reading the convoluted explanation of the primer. I recently saw a movie and it started out with a narrator explaining the setting of the world and knew right away we had a problem. Anything so convoluted and dense that needs a detailed explanation to start it off is usually a bad idea. With a visual medium you story should be able to be told with pictures more then words. This story is simple, anyone can be skrull add in the background as you tell the story. A long convoluted history of these characters dating back 40 years worth of stories is not needed.

MYTHOS: CAPTAIN AMERICA Written by PAUL JENKINS Art and Cover by PAOLO RIVERA
Lee: It will be interesting to see if they ever collect these in a nice trade/HC format. They are beautiful to look at but otherwise pretty much a waste of money. Pretty though.
Jim: Again I believe Marvel is actively producing books that are for the book store market. By breaking it into 5/6 chapters and selling them as a comic they underwrite the cost of producing the book. Even worse if thier standard contract is one rate for producing and a much lower rate for reprints, the trade is a reprint and the actual cost to publish one copy is much less then the comic and therefore a higher profit margin for the company. All in all this is somewhat insidious if that is what they are doing to the creators, but a smart idea for having an evergreen project on the shelves of the book stores. DC actually should do some of these projects. Personally I plan to skip all of them as they are not made for the long time fan anyway.

OMEGA: THE UNKNOWN #6 (of 10) Written by JONATHAN LETHEM & KARL RUSNAKPencils & Cover by FAREL DALRYMPLE & PAUL HORNSCHEMEIER
Lee: Don’t know if it’s any good but the cover is one of the best so far this month.
Jim: This is one book that I’m waiting for someone to tell me what a great series it is and why and then I will buy the trade.

POWER PACK: DAY ONE #1 (of 4) Written by Fred Van Lente Penciled by Gurihiru & COLLEEN COOVER Alex, Julie, Jack, and Katie Power are just four regular kids, but in twenty-four hours, they're going to have to escape alien abduction, learn how to use their bizarre new super powers, rescue their parents from an intergalactic tyrant, and save Earth from total destruction! The origin of Marvel's premiere kid super-team establishes a new continuity for the Pack!
Lee: AND, out of all the other crap out there, something I can actually share with my kids.
Jim: Way too little of that type of material out there. It is a shame in some ways.

THE TWELVE #3 (of 12) Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKIPenciled by CHRIS WESTONCover by KAARE ANDREWS
Lee: Kaare Andrews… shame on you. You didn’t even try to make a new cover. Talk about really bad swipe… His cover, and the doc savage painting by Bama.
Jim: At least he gave props to Bama.

THOR #8 Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKIArt and Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Lee: How about we have a cover that actually represents something on the inside of the book? To much to ask for? All eight Thor covers have him in a pose, at some point they’re going to run out of poses and have him sitting on a rock doing his best Rodan’s Thinker.
Jim: LOL, you may be right, but still you have to admit it is a nice cover.

YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #3 (of 6) Written by ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA Penciled by ALINA URUSOV“Wiccan & Speed: THE LOST BOYS”
Lee: Story may be good but Wiccan is still the dumbest name for a male character ever. YES EVER! That’s not true, dumbest name if you actually want to be taken seriously.
Jim: I’m still confused that Wanda has any kids. One day I need to read the Young Avengers trade. Marvel really dropped the ball on this series and I guess this is thier way of trying to re-start it.

X-MEN: LEGACY #209 Written by MIKE CAREYPenciled by BILLY TAN & SCOTT EATON
Lee: Can we please all put our tongues back in our mouth? Would that be too much to ask? Venom is bad enough but the retro fit of Toad’s tongue is just nasty. And stupid.
Jim: On the plus side Wanda looks great.

CABLE #1 Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKIPencils & Cover by ARIEL OLIVETTIVariant Cover by ROB LIEFELD"ARMS," Part 1A new ongoing series spinning out of the decade's biggest X-Men event! The future of mutantkind starts here!32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
Jim: My favorite cover is Cable using the baby as a shield. Hope that kid is invulnerable or something.
Lee: I like the big red "X" on the baby that screams "shoot here". Classic! Upon closer inspection, I like the biohazard symbol on Cables arm... right next to the babies head.

X-FORCE #2 Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLEPencils & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Lee: OoOoOhhhh. Villians dressed in black attack heroes dressed in navy blue. Excellent color choices because any other primary color might have made this look like something other than a rorschach test.
Jim: Really who thought this was a good idea? Who thought this concept was a good idea? Who thought adding Wolverine to every Marvel comic was a good idea?

NEW EXILES #3 Written by Chris Claremont Penciled by Tom Grummett On an Earth ravaged almost a half-century ago by a brutal storm of meteors, the first mission of the New Exiles has turned into a madcap exercise in survival against increasingly deadly adversaries. In the heart of the Central African desert, Rogue learns the identity of Gambit's parents and the truth about his origin. At the same time, Sabretooth and Psylocke try to deal with the apparent loss of Mystiq while preparing to embark on a search and rescue mission to recover Rogue, unaware that they've already been caught up in an enemy's cunning and deadly web. Instead of a rescue, this new team of Exiles may be heading straight for disaster.
Lee: Is it me or doesn’t Gambit already have an origin? And, if he doesn’t why give it to him here? Or, if he does, why is he getting another one? All this will do is make X-men continuity even more of a cluster than it was before. Good work Marvel!
Jim: I have never cared about Gambit, but this is a waste of Tom Grummett’s art in my opinion. This guy is one of the better super hero artist in the business and he is on “Exiles”.


X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #10
Cover by John Romita Jr.
Lee: Don’t Cyclops eye blasts shot in straight lines????
Jim: Maybe he had been drinking.

WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS #1 Written by FRED VAN LENTE Penciled by ANDREA DI VITOReturn with us again to the early days of the all-new, all-different, X-Men for all-new solo adventures of Wolverine and Kitty Pryde! The next generation of students has arrived at Xavier's School--Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, and the mysterious Wolverine--and with them, new teaching methods. Professor X pairs up green recruit Kitty Pryde with the been-everywhere, done-everything vet Logan, and neither of them are all that happy about it. But unless they learn to work together, neither of them will come back from their first mission together alive! 32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
Lee: Did anyone read the original X-men series? Wolverine, circa Uncanny 133, chops a bunch of Hellfire stooges into little bits because he goes nuts. Less than a year later Kitty Pryde joins the X-men. Soooo based on that, Prof X will let Wolverine pairs the unstable psychotic with the brand new recruit. Is it me or does anyone else see how this doesn’t work???
Jim: I enjoy X-Men first class, but I will pass on this book. Not the same premise and what Lee said is right. Plus STOP WITH ALL THE WOLVERINE.

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #23 Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
Lee: OOOHHHH A cover of Wolverine smelling his own armpit. I hope they make a big ol’poster of this bad boy!!!
Jim: Have to admit this does look stupid as all get out.

DEAD OF NIGHT FEATURING MAN-THING #2 (of 4)Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Lee: What the!? Andrews drew his own cover??? How did that slip in? Needless to say, love the cover but still waiting for the trade.
Jim: Maybe he failed to credit his swipe this time.

WAR IS HELL: THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE #1 (of 5) Written by GARTH ENNIS Penciled by HOWARD CHAYKIN Cover by JOHN CASSADAY Set against the grim backdrop of Word War I, mysterious aviator Karl Kaufmann arrives on the western front dressed outlandishly and at the controls of his own plane. Overconfident and full of romantic ideals, he has come to fight and kill the Hun. But soon Kaufmann confronts staggering loss and witnesses violence on a scale he has never imagined. In the process, he learns the harsh truth of conflict: war is hell. Written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Howard Chaykin.
Lee: We seriously need to have a conversation about how there are no new ideas and just recycled crap. Seriously, the Phantom Eagle??? I’m a Marvel Silverage buff and even I will admit this was a bad idea. Maybe DC will revive Balloon Buster next!! And for those unaware, yes there really was a DC character named Balloon Buster.
Jim: Hey Balloon Buster was a cool character. Ennis usually does a good war story so if anyone can take this concept and run with it, it could be Ennis.

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 4 HC Written by STAN LEEPenciled by GENE COLAN, JOHN ROMITA & JOHN BUSCEMACollecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #114-124.240 PGS./All Ages ...$54.99
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA TALES TO ASTONISH VOL. 2 HC Written by STAN LEE, LARRY LIEBER & VARIOUSPenciled by JACK KIRBY, STEVE DITKO, DON HECK & PAUL REINMAN Collecting TALES TO ASTONISH #11-20.272 PGS./All Ages ...$59.99
Lee: Yes, these are really expensive but you really can’t go wrong with them. Classic Captain America and the first appearance of the Falcon. AND, groovy goodness with giant monster stories from Kirby and Ditko. I am really looking forward to both of these.
Jim: I love the Monster stuff. Most of it needs to be read a couple issues at a time as the sameness of many of these stories becomes more evident if you read all of it as once and loses some of its charm. The Captain America stuff is good, but dated.

IRON MAN VS. DOCTOR DOOM: DOOMQUEST PREMIERE HC Written by DAVID MICHELINIE & BOB LAYTONPenciled and Covers by JOHN ROMITA JR. & BOB LAYTONCollecting IRON MAN #149-150 and #249-250.144 PGS./Rated A ...$19.99
Lee: These are some great Iron Man reprints. I know these are only available because of the movie coming out but I’m ok with that. It’s better than the current Iron Man book on the stands.
Jim: I like this format for some of the old arcs and will be buying this one also.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN SPANISH COLLECTION TPB ULTIMATE X-MEN ULTIMATE COLLECIÒN LIBRO 1 TPB
Lee: Interesting. Spanish collections in America. I wonder if DC will follow suit. I wonder if the local store will carry them?
Jim: As a business you need to market out as far as you can. I have some issues with doing this from an overall cultural standpoint, but as a business I would be doing this and trying it out in many markets. DC is doing a “Blue Beetle” issue in Spanish.

X-MEN VS. APOCALYPSE VOL. 1: THE TWELVE TPB Written by ALAN DAVIS, TERRY KAVANAGH, JOE PRUETT,CHRIS CLAREMONT, FABIAN NICIEZA & ERIK LARSENPenciled by ROGER CRUZ, ROB LIEFELD, ALAN DAVIS, MIKE MILLER, TOM RANEY & BERNARD CHANGSetting his grand plan for godhood into motion, Apocalypse dispatches his agents to capture the world's most powerful mutants, the fabled Twelve: Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Iceman, Sunfire, Polaris, Cable, Bishop, Mikhail Rasputin, the Living Monolith and Magneto. Having himself planted the seeds of the Twelve legend, Apocalypse hopes to siphon their power, granting him omnipotency. Desperate to stave off his ascension, the X-Men must strike a temporary truce with Magneto to battle the warlord's forces as the Twelve are assembled -- and one longtime member seemingly sacrifices his own life to end the threat of Apocalypse once and for all! Collecting Uncanny X-Men 376-377, Cable 73-76, X-Men 96-97, Wolverine 145-147, X-Men 1999 Yearbook.280 PGS./Rated T+ ...$29.99
CABLE CLASSIC VOL. 1 TPB Written by LOUISE SIMONSON & FABIAN NICIEZAPenciled by ROB LIEFELD, JOHN ROMITA JR., ART THIBERT, RON LIM, PAUL SMITH, BRANDON PETERSON, KERRY GAMMIL, IAN CHURCHILL, PAUL RYAN, JIM REDDINGTON, BILL WYLIE & SCOTT KOBLISHCollecting NEW MUTANTS #87, CABLE: BLOOD & METAL #1-2 and CABLE #1-4.248 PGS./Rated A ...$29.99
Lee: Was there a demand for either of these books? I don’t remember either one being all that good. I could be wrong but I doubt it.
Jim: My question is “Does everything become a classic after a certain number of years?” My answer is no, and this stuff is a pass.

Lee: Wow. Overall a crappy month but I was surprised to find some things I liked. Not many but better than none.
Jim: Marvel seems to lack a strong direction at this point. I think Civil War has left the status quo of the MU in an awkward spot and it just seems like some of the energy from the MU has escaped.

Help Bill Mantlo

Every now and then I think it's important to help former comic book writers and artists. This is an industry that tends to discard those that have worked in it. Today, we should try and help Bill Mantlo. Fpr those unfamiliar with Bill, he wrote on just about every Marvel book from the late 70's through the early 90's. Anyone who is a fan of the Micronauts or Sword of the Swashbucklers knows Bill Mantlo's work.

In 1992, Bill Mantlo was struck by a car and suffered extensive brain injuries. Today, he requires 24-hour care and is not expected to fully recover. Though Medicaid covers his basic needs, the project will help with new clothes and other life improvements.

WOWIO, a site where readers can legally download high-quality copyrighted ebooks (and comics) from leading publishers for free, is offering the Sword of the Swashbucklers GN and 12 issues mini series for free. Each issue contains an ad and the publisher is paid . 50$ for each download. With the cooperation of Bill's brother Mike Mantlo, co-creator Guice and series artists Geof Isherwood and Colleen Doran, all royalties from Swords of the Swashbucklers will be redirected to Mike, to assist with Bill's quality of life.

If you have never read the series this is a perfect time to check out some great art and cool swashbuckling stories. Even if you own the gn and the series I asked that download them all. It goes to a good cause. Besides the Swashbucklers WOWIO has other comics and graphic novels to download for free.

Just goto
http://www.wowio.com/users/searchresults.asp?txtSearch=%22swords+of+the+swashbucklers%22

Sign up and download. You can only download 3 a day and the swashbucklers issues are started to be offered Dec 18.

Be seeing you,

Jim: Thanks Lee. - Just in case some people don't remember Bill gave us Rocket Racoon and one of the best series from Marvel in that era Rom. Thanks Bill

J Korim On Neozoic

A little while back I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview the writer of Neozoic, Paul Ens. Today I'm happy to say I had the chance to converse with the artist on the same book, J Korim. J was nice enough to take the time to give us some insight into the art side of Neozoic. As I'm a big fan of this comic book I'm pretty happy I've had the chance to speak with two of the creators so far. Enjoy!

Gwen: How did you first become interested in drawing comics?

J: I was always drawing for as far back as I can remember, cartoonish kinda stuff cuz I grew up on the Looney Tunes and strips like Bloom County but I didn't get into real comics and drawing in a comic book style until I was about 11 or 12, which feels kind late. I remember exactly what got me into it. Way back in the early 90's there was a commercial for Levi's 501 'Button Fly' jeans, one of 'em starred Rob Liefeld hanging out with Spike Lee. Rob was drawing his X-Force characters and Spike was filming him in that early 90's 'shaky-cam' indie-style, it all looked really cool to me, especially the drawings. Pretty soon I started hitting my local comic shop and picking up the various X-books. It was a good time to do that for an aspiring artist too, Jim Lee was drawing X-Men, Wilce Portacio was on Uncanny X-men and Liefeld was doing X-Force. I know it's more fashionable to bash Liefeld these days but his X-Force issues are some of the first comics I ever picked up, they’re freaky and weird and over the top and I still love ‘em to death! So I dunno how long it would've taken me to finally walk into a comic shop if he didn't show up on TV sketching his characters and talking about his 'button fly'.

Gwen: What's been the most enjoyable project you've worked on up until now and why?

J: Neozoic has a great look that I’ve had more input in designing and developing than anything else I’ve worked on so this would be it. And I’m not struggling as much with my art & style the way I used to. I think the first time I drew comics I definitely wasn’t ready and the quality of my work dropped off too much. Now I’m getting the hang of it and it's getting fun.

Gwen: Many artists take quite a bit of time to develop a distinctive style and tend to pull heavily from the work of their predecessors for inspiration. You already seem to have a unique style to your work. How did you manage to find your own artistic niche so quickly? Are there artists who have influenced your work in the past?

J: Y'know, if I was better at imitating other people's work I probably would but I'm not that talented so I'm stuck with my own 'style' and trying to squeeze every last drop of juice out of it that I can. I learn a lot from looking at Scott Campbell's work, Joe Mad, LeSean Thomas, French artists like Olivier Vatine and Phillipe Buchet, and lots of Japanese artists. I guess whatever style I’ve fallen into comes from not getting too hung up on one particular artists approach. And being formally educated as an animator definitely helped too.

Gwen: Are there any already established comic book series that you'd like the chance to work on ,or any specific writers you'd like the chance to work with?

J: X-Men has always been at the top of that list for me cuz I grew up with it, and definitely anything Star Wars. Those are the two groups of characters I’m most attached to personally and I think my art style would work well in those worlds. I’m also a huge fan of Sergio Leone’s movies so I’d love to draw ‘The Man With No Name’ sometime.

Gwen: How closely do you work with the team on Neozoic?

J: Well, Paul works in Calgary and Jessie Lam (colorist) is on the other side of Toronto from where I live so it comes down to some creative messaging back and forth. I think I get about 80-90% of what Paul writes in his script onto the page, if I leave anything out it's usually to make room for some visual idea I wanna run with and Paul’s been good about letting me do that. Jessie's a fantastic colorist, always comes up with great textures so I only offer a few vague suggestions when I hand her a page and she brings back gold.

Gwen: What's the most challenging part of creating the visual world of Neozoic?

J: There’s a lotta characters, lots of story, lots of subplots with even more characters and crowd scenes, lots of everything. It’s kinda disorienting. With the exception of Lilli (the main chick) I haven’t had the chance to draw any one character long enough to really become comfortable with them visually. So every time I start a new scene I’m still looking for reference material on my own character designs(!!) "How is this guy supposed to be drawn again?" Creating a fantasy world with a huge main cast is a bit overwhelming for a rookie like me. Still got a lot to learn.

Gwen: How did you end up working with Red 5 Comics (Paul said he originally found you by searching the web for images of girls with swords)?

J: Yeah, Paul found my work online and I was looking to get back into comics so it was just good timing. He found some Kill Bill fan art I made a while back that keeps floating around the net, the same piece that’s now on the side of Atlanta Thrasher’s goalie Kari Lehtonen’s mask. Paul found that mask too, the Toronto Maple Leaf’s are my team and they barely ever play Atlanta so it would’ve taken me forever to find out my art was on Kari’s mask.

Gwen: A number of my friends are aspiring artists and a few of them have expressed concerns about going into art as a career. They seem to be concerned that their art would become less enjoyable if it was a job. Have you found this to be a problem? Is there a way you've found that helps your work stay enjoyable?

J: If you struggle with your own art it can be very demanding and emotionally draining but if you're flexible and one of those lucky bastards who can be creative on cue, it could feel like you're getting paid for nothing at all. I fall somewhere in between but the more I learn, the more enjoyable it gets. I like the part where you're forced to learn and develop, maybe that's not for everyone cuz it can get very discouraging when improvement doesn’t happen fast enough.

Gwen: What do you have the most fun drawing so far within the world of Neozoic?

J: The opening scene in the second issue has Lilli doing some serious acrobatics, a great action sequence with lots of flipping & jumping among a huge pack of creatures. That’s my favorite kinda stuff, I love drawing the very basic running/jumping/sword swinging adventure, making characters very agile and that scene turned out perfectly. The covers have also been a blast, we just finished with the 4rth issue cover and it’s a knockout. It’s always fun to take a break from pages and do an ass-kicking pin-up.

Gwen: If I become incredibly wealthy, will you draw comic books for me?

J: Jeez, I don't think I'm very expensive at the moment but yeah, you go ahead and get wealthy! So you can pay me way more than anyone else would! How could I not support that?

Thanks again to J! I look forward to seeing more of his artwork.

J's websites:
http://www.jkorim.ca/
http://www.myspace.com/jkorim

Review: North Wind #1

Written by David DiGillio Cover by Andrew Huerta Art by Alex Cal Full color, 24 pages

The future: mankind has suffered a disaster. Climate change has seen the earth's temperature change due to damage to the environment. Where there was once a lush, thriving planet, there is now only ice and snow. What cities are left are buried under the surface in ice caves. Skinrunners trade valuable pelts for rations and warmth and survival. Into this violent, damaged world, a hero will rise... A new post-apocalyptic hero in the vein of Mad Max and The Road Warrior!

Gwen: This was exactly what a first issue of a new series should be - informative, intriguing and leaving the reader with a desire for more.


That said, I know this isn't going to be my favorite comic. Don't get me wrong, the story was well done, the art was dramatic and the coloring was gorgeous. It's just not my favorite genre. No matter what new twists are thrown in I just have a hard time joyfully embracing future apocalyptic world type stories. That's just a personal preference though.


Regardless of my general boredom with the genre, I was engaged and quickly drawn into the story. It had a fast pace and an exciting opening while still managing to give us insight into both the world and the characters. For the readers out there who enjoy this type of setting I strongly encourage you to add this book to your reading list - even with my hesitations I am eagerly awaiting the next installment. If nothing else I'd like to see more of the Skinrunner who was introduced this issue.


Overall, this book probably won't make my top 10 anytime soon, but I found it to be very well executed. I've had a lot of fun with BOOM produced comic books this past year, and with The Foundation and North Wind starting up in 2008 it looks to be the start of another excellent year. I'd especially like to see more work from all the creators on this book as they all do an excellent job.

Jim: I just love a good post apocalypse tale, and this should be one of them. The premise of a new ice age is quickly established. Then the story lays out the idea that people returned north as the wars on the Equator were killing everyone. We jump ahead a couple hundred years and we have our setting. Heat has become the currency in trade and a feudal society has formed in Lost Angeles. The city name is a little too cute, and the name of the ruler of the city being Slaughter-House Joe is also a little over the top, but the set-up is great.

We are introduced to the leader of a small group of outcasts, her son and his friend (a young girl), and an older Scavenger who lives in the wilderness on his own. From there we move into a confrontation between our village leader and Joe. This was a solid first issue that leaves you wanting to come back for more. The writer is David DiGilio and while he is unknown to me he is a good writer. Starting these types of stories is hard, but I think keeping a small focus when you have a large story to tell is a good way to start.

I’m saving the best for last, the art is outstanding. I have no clue who Alex Cal is, but boy can this guy draw. He has a realistic style that is rich with details and conveys both action and emotion very well. He manages to draw young children that actually look like kids and his wildlife work is beautiful. I also appreciate the fluid feel to his work which is very important in a comic book. Finally his realistic style makes you believe these people are living in a new ice age. As with any artist in today’s comics a tip of the hat has to go to the colorists (Fran Gambra & Rocio Canteros) as I could almost feel the chill coming off the pages with how well they colored the ice and snow against the people and landscape of this new world.

Go out and buy this book when it hits the stands in early January. BOOM looks like they have another winning concept on their hands. So when do we get issue #2?