Comic Book Journal

In the not-so-distant past I reviewed an Action Comics annual didn’t I? Time flies when you’re having fun. Well this year’s annual wasn’t as light-hearted, nor attractive to new readers I fear. Here’s the scoop. That ne’er do well General Zod escaped from the Phantom Zone once again and it’s up to Kal-El, Last Son of Krypton, to save the world from the Kryptonian invasion. The twist at the end is, however, that lovable scamp, Christopher Kent saves the day instead, sacrificing himself into the Phantom Zone to save Earth. This issue is much darker than last year’s annual, and the story is more poignant then fun. Clark laments the fact he cannot bear children with Lois, and Lex Luthor falls deeper into madness, feeling invalidated by not receiving recognition in his part to design the weapons to take out Zod. All in all, I’d have to give this issue a xix out of ten (which to my recollection is what I gave the last annual) The story, with the exception of the biographies in the back, is not really a great jumping on point for new readers. While Richard Donner and Geoff Johns create a fairly good story about Superman’s heritage versus his role on Earth, it’s just all a little…depressing for an annual. On the plus side Adam Kubert’s artwork is outstanding and his different panel viewpoints and camera angles make for a visually compelling read. I’d recommend this title for Superman enthusiasts or completists only though. Novice readers I fear, won’t have much to connect with. Who’s funnier than Jerry Seinfeld? Practically no one. Who’s mightier than Superman? Practically no one. What do you get when you pair the two together? No kids, it’s not a credit card commercial. It’s that really cool page I found with the Superman references in Seinfeld. Here’s the link. Check it out. http://www.comicbookjournal.net/calling-all-superfriends/

Being a Mike Mignola fan, I thought I’d pick up an issue of Abe Sapien. Again, Dark Horse, has made a wise decision keeping Mike, and of course, Hellboy, in their stable of growing horror comics. Dark Horse, as a publisher, is in my opinion, one of the most fan-oriented publishers in the marketplace. They have also launched campaign to capture the hearts of online readers with their Myspace Dark Horse Presents site. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, back to Abe. Did Abe Sapien impress me? As far as story goes, I’ve seen a little better from Mignola. Did Abe Sapien intrigue me? Yes, yes it did. Granted, I picked up this issue right near the end of the storyline, so I wasn’t as engrossed with the storyline as I would have been if I followed the story from the beginning, but this is the beauty of Mike Mignola’s plotting. Through this stand-alone issue the compelling plot and the fantastic artwork did make me want to find the first three issues, or perhaps get the graphic novel when published. If the arc is finished with the same quality and care as this particular issue, I anticipate those sales figures to be strong and steady for Dark Horse. Do not be mistaken, this title is not the typical Hellboy fare, that at times can be tongue in cheek. This is a serious horror comic and has almost a Lovecraftian feel to it. Also I can’t say enough about Jason Shawn Alexander’s artwork. His detail, pacing, and textures give the artwork the exact same tone the storyline has as well. Again, shades of H.P. Lovecraft. On a scale of one to ten, I’d have to give this book a solid eight to ten on the basis of originality alone. For more reasons why I like Mike Mignola, see my post at: http://www.comicbookjournal.net/why-i-like-mike-mignola/
Stay tuned…more reviews cometh!

I thought I’d pick up a copy of Thor and give the Asgardian God a try. I was pleasantly surprised–the book actually lived up to the hype. Marvel made a good choice with J. Michael Straczynsk tapped as series writer. His style meshes well with the art and action sequences and his transitions are superior. As far as the storyline goes, the plot is coming along nicely and it was nice to see Thor and Odin side by side with a father and son relationship theme. Now for the artwork. I think I salivated a bit when I saw the cover and the interior art. Both are equally gorgeous. Marko Djurdjevic has a superior command of anatomy, camera angles, and also has a keen eye for texture and detail. I see him being a hot artist to watch this year. On a scale of one to ten I’d have to give this book a solid ten out of ten. Right now Marvel is the company to beat. DC has a lot of ground to make up at the moment. That’s why I enjoy the comic book world so much–anything is subject to change at any given time.

Speaking of Thor, does anyone remember the Incredible Hulk Returns. It was a TV movie in the late eighties which teamed up both the Hulk and Thor. Anyone wanting to take a trip down memory lane and enjoy this classic, see you tube. Here’s the link:link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PAYMlgFLgo

As far a merry Marvel movies go, this summer may be the hottest yet, Iron Man is still getting great critical reviews (I still haven’t went yet) and the new Incredible Hulk might be the marketing crossover giant this summer. That is, if DC doesn’t win out with the latest Batman. So go see Hulk on June 13th then go see Batman or vice versa.

Sorry, I went on a bit of a tangent there, I’ll be back soon with more reviews and hopefully some good news within the industry.

Well, we’ve just passed another free comic book day on May 3rd. This has been a really positive force in the industry and this May 3rd was no exception. What impressed me this go around was the variety that publishers were willing to put into the marketplace for the unofficial holiday. I took a few moments and perused one title, and that was the X-Men free comic book day edition. I was actually pleased and hope this title is an indication of what’s to come for the merry Marvel mutants. This was a simple story which involves a new mutant character, Pixie, who longs to be back at the Xavier Academy. She encounters a few baddies and attempts to save the day, but cannot do so alone as she is aided by the X-Men. What I like about this story is even though the Messiah Complex is over, there’s still a hardcore feel as to the atmosphere of danger, but at the same time there is a lightheartedness which gives the group a happy ending. The writing and artwork both remind me of the old Chris Claremont storylines. My prediction, is that Marvel’s back on top but this is the group to watch for 2008 and this issues is sure to be one of those sleeper collectibles that could be scarce in the future. Also corresponding with Free Comic Book Day Marvel released Iron Man this past weekend, and while I haven’t seen it yet I think I might either Saturday or Sunday, so stay tuned for my overly critical review true believers. I’ll give you the hardcore fan’s critical thoughts. The old shellhead looks exciting for once. Also stay tuned later in the week as I’ve had piles of reviews waiting to be posted.