Be Resolute: 2013

1. You've tried deleting Facebook; it's unnecessary and doesn't stick. So scale back Facebook presence to near-obscurity.
2. Exercise. Everyday. Somehow, some way.
3. Stop pirating comics and music. Only taking from major labels of artists you have philosophical issues with is no excuse. If you're not willing to pay for it you don't need to read or listen to it.
4. Subscribe to Spotify (see #3.)
5. Limit comics pull-list to 5 titles.
6. Comic books are great but read more book books.
7. Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper. Cool it on supper; you don't get home until 7 anyway so enjoy a light soup or salad.
8. Don't argue or instigate Republicans regarding politics or religion no matter how right you may be.
9. No fast food for the entire year. Fast food being as Anthony Bourdain refers to the likes of McDs and BK: soggy discs of ground up elbows and assholes. It's not even real food.
10. Get up and out of Hobbiton and back to the W-B, even temporarily so as to...
11. Get to school on time: this Fall. Web Development AS, here I come!

New List'nin': Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city

Ross Campbell to Publish Fan Fiction TMNT Webcomic

Joe Keatinge recently made a few revelations regarding Glory, his revamp of the dubious 90's Rob Liefeld not-quite-Wonder Woman knock-off. Among them was a price hike due to meager sales (shame on all of you) and an impending end to his and Ross Campbell's creative run. While I would generally welcome some wiggle room for my comics budget I would just as soon sacrifice a number of major label titles for Glory.

Although not the breakout hit Prophet became Glory sets the standard for a comic book reboot. With the inclusion of an almost all-female supporting cast to the bold reinvention of Glory herself, the title shows what a strong force women can be in modern comics. I'd declare it the definitive modern Wonder Woman if her own reboot wasn't so damned good itself. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. Keatinge seems to be juggling offers by the Big Two as well as his own surprise success, Hell Yeah [Image], but illustrator Ross Campbell hasn't strayed far from publishing his own web comics, nor does he intend to.

Like the rest of the industry Campbell has gotten cozy with nineties nostalgia, announcing a return to his TMNT work...but it's not what you might think. Last June the artist posted the above sketch via Tumblr with the following statement:

"[T]his is the first sketch for a TMNT fan-comic i’m cooking up called Secrets of the Ooze, which is a retelling of the second Turtles movie (a.k.a. the one with Vanilla Ice XD) with my own spin on the story and characters."

Having spent much of my elementary days sketching Ninja Turtles all over my composition books and later making fan-fic designs of my own, I'm a sucker for these redesigns. I haven't seen Campbell's TMNT: Micro-Series Leonardo work but his style is a perfect match; all round features, cartoonishly exaggerated calves and Sam Keith feet. Among the changes included is a fifth turtle, a female named Artemisia, DayGlo markings in place of bandanas, and hand-made junk heap weaponry.

As for when we can anticipate SOTO, Campbell states, "[I]’m hoping next year, [I]’m hoping [I] can squeeze a page a week into my schedule and run it as weekly webcomic." Make sure to follow his website and Tumblr for more news and artwork including a lineup of SOTO's villains.

Pull List 101: September 12, 2012

With my admittedly harsh comments yesterday regarding the recent output of the comic industry's Big Two publishers I should probably clarify exactly what it is I am reading. You might be surprised to find my LCBS pull list is nearly half what I so offhandedly referred to as New 52 fluff. While my opinion of DC's continuity relaunch is mixed at best, its probably left to a blog post all its own. Suffice it to say, there are some great comics to be found among the editorial muck.

On the flip-side, I have exactly two Marvel titles reserved in paper copy. This can fluctuate from week-to-week depending on rotating creative teams and might change entirely with the coming Marvel New 22NOW! relaunch starting this October. Secret Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, and Wolverine & the X-Men were solid reads until they took on the role of token summer event tie-ins, the latter looking to be the first AVX victim to be released from the asylum with this week's issue. *psst* Chris Bachalo's back on art; can't miss it.

My love of Rob Liefeld's relaunched and completely re-purposed Prophet and Glory kill me a little inside with each recurring issue. Brandon Graham (King City, Multiple Warheads) and crew have taken the former comic atrocity and re-imagined it into a Heavy Metal romp—an intergalactic barbaric adventure through the artistic lens of three of the industry's best. It could only be topped by Brian K. Vaughn's (Y: the Last Man, Ex Machina) adult Star Wars space saga Saga, which is ironic given its childhood inspiration and children's book illustrated narrative style.

Having been raised on pioneer indie publishers Image Comics and Dark Horse, Sam Keith's psychological head-fuck the Maxx and Mike Mignola's brimstone bruiser Hellboy were my two watershed influences. It only makes sense I would seek out similarly unique and non-editorially shackled books. Luckily Image has become an increasingly popular presence in the industry—arguably on the back of the Walking Dead's success—and has been pumping out creator owneds and this December sees the return of Mignola on story and art with Hellboy In Hell. All I asked was a jumping on point on one or two indie titles and I've been given a cornucopia.

Today being New Comic Day, as Big Bang Theory has attempted to catch-phrase into popularity, I should probably list today's purchases and downloads. Reviews/comments/vague oversight to come, possibly maybe. Check it:

Purchase: Wolverine & the X-Men #16, Batman #0, the Victories #2, Uncanny X-Force #31, the Manhattan Projects #6

Download: AVX #11, Uncanny X-Men #18, Batman & Robin #0, X-Treme X-Men #3, Creep #1

Tomorrow, some music news: the passing of an indie label great, and an update on colossus fave Black Moth Super Rainbow. Lates.

Long Time No Blog

I started reading "Eating the Dinosaur" by Chuck Klosterman during a power outage this past weekend. It opens with a series of discussions between Klosterman and various (and varying types of) journalists regarding the art and craft of the interview. In one such discussion, British author Chris Heath states the following:

I'm not sure that we aren't seeing the emergence of a society in which almost everyone who isn't famous considers themselves cruelly and unfairly unheard. As though being famous, and the subject of wide attention, is considered to be a fulfilled human being's natural state—and so, as a corollary, the cruelly unheard millions are perpetually primed and fired up to answer any and all questions in order to redress this awful imbalance.

Klosterman deduces that very statement explains the "rise of New Media." Do I believe that I inherently desire to be some entitled, perpetually drunk heiress? No. Do I believe that the internet has opened up an expansive playground in which I, as a unique individual, feel I must be heard?

Yes. Guilty as charged.

As such, this is an attempt to prove that my blogging has not merely been a byproduct of my unemployment. I've been correcting a lot of errs, getting my life back on track. I'm four months employed, looking at school next Fall, losing weight (19.8 lbs down), and getting my financial weight in check.

Not unlike my diet, so much of my comic book appetite (having primarily being a comic book blog) became full of empty calories. Crossover continuity crushing Avengers vs. X-Men tie-ins. New 52 fluff. I was consuming comics simply to feed my weekly(ish) panels feature and finding myself not enjoying all the satisfying whole food comics.

So like my diet (and by extension, my life) I've cut the crap. I can count my local comic book store (LCBS) pull list on two hands and I'm downloading far fewer titles. That being said, I'm not sure what, if any, form a panels feature will be... featured here. It's kind of played out anyway, right? I mean, they're everywhere (my personal favorites being here and here.) So unless I come up with some unique idea, panels will merely play as part of larger reviews and features.

I have no delusions to any overall purpose for almost colossus. We'll see what it slowly evolves into but for now, consider it my expanded Facebook without all the New Media-ness. Much like it began, really. There will be a couple small posts coming tomorrow and we'll see where things go from there.

Peas.

PULL LIST: Proper Superhero Shit | April 4, 2012

Things got a little hectic this past week. I'm going to wrap things up briefly with a couple legit reviews and simply panels and a few words for the rest. Then, on to this week's comics. There's simply too much to cover the first half of each month and little the second. Maybe I'll spread the reviews out in the future so that they're not necessarily specific to the date of release.

Take note of the new rating system as well. Let's call it X out of 5 Mokkelbosts, hm?

Swamp Thing #8

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Swamp Thing is finally revealed in full as he confronts Sethe, the "stinking Lord of the Rot," in hopes of rescuing Abigail Arcane from its clenches. Head-to-toe in Mignolia-esque medieval armor of his own Green composition, Swampy bears lush wings and a crown of spiked antlers. It would seem goofy if it didn't look so badass.

Snyder nails Alec Holland's complete acceptance of his role, having dragged him kicking and screaming to accept his role as heir to the Swamp Thing legacy. There are no traces of the reluctant hero here.

PULL LIST: AVX | April 4, 2012

PULL LIST was originally intended to kick off with a lengthy Avengers vs. X-Men event review which I had all but ready to post until my (n)ever trusty HTC Android phone decided to take a shit and die. I've lost track of the times I've performed a factory restore on this thing. This is by no means a tech blog, but just say no to HTC products.

But I digress. Comic panels are late, late, late this week. I've had a few job prospects, interviews, Zombie Jesus Day, etc. So, here's installment one of PULL LIST: the AVX edition.

Wolverine & the X-Men #8

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Without a functioning Matter Transmuter to repair a crippled Wolverine from last issue's foiled casino raid on Planet Sin, the Beast, né Dr. Henry McCoy, PhD. must rocket to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Earth's orbit to recover his backup. But what Dr. McCoy finds instead is a bloody murder scene and his girlfriend, The Peak's Director, held captive by a rehabilitated Sabretooth who forces Beast to shed his diplomatic exterior if he wants to save Abigail's life.

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: March 28, 2012

Last week for THIS WEEK IN PANELS, folks. In case you missed yesterday's post, later this week TWIP will undergo an expanded format under the title PULL LISTED. I'll probably let the link to TWIP linger for a few weeks in the Features column but I don't have any intention of merging labels for the two features. So bookmark away or get friendly with the search function if you want to backtrack.

Let's start this (last) week off with one of my favorite comics by one of my favorite artists. I missed it in the March 21st post and, frankly, nothing this week compared for the coveted "panel of the week." Abbreviations still go (S) Story, (A) Art, O))) Sunn.

The Goon #38

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This month's Goon marks the second issue focusing on tales of semi-fictional characters that aren't Goon. Kizzie, feeling out of place in her podunk town, leaves her family and fiancé to join the traveling circus, eventually displaying her brute strength as the Iron Maiden, and (without giving too much away) becomes a very prominent figure in the Goon's life.

More panels make ya jump, jump.

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: March 21, 2012

Revel, one and all, in the new formatting! Bask in the equalizing page breaks! Tremble at the sight of creator credits! (S) Story, (A) Art, (You) Smitten!

Also, next update -- new feature title (finally) and header icon. Excelsior!

Dark Horse Presents #10

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DHP #10 is a welcome return to the indies of my rebellious teens. The return of Milk & Cheese? (Not entirely sure they went anywhere, really. Time to bone up on that.) Geof Darrow and Andrew Vachss? All I needed was some Tank Girl and I'd have been transported back to hovering over longboxes, flipping through back issues of Deadline USA.

More after the jump. Don't stop, get it get it!

Jean Giraud "Moebius" (1938-2012)

On March 10, 2012 the comic and art world lost a living legend in prolific illustrator Jean Henri Gaston Giraud, more widely known as the singular moniker Moebius. Anyone with even a fleeting interest in fantasy and science fiction in the late 20th century has felt Giraud's broad influence. His film contributions alone are immense, contributing storyboards and concept designs to the films Alien, Willow, Tron, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, and The Fifth Element.

It is, perhaps, his comic work that defines him -- from co-founding Métal Hurlant which would translate into the long-running English science fiction magazine Heavy Metal, to his own ambitious independent titles: Blueberry, Azrach, The Incal, and the Airtight Garage of Jerry Cornelius. But it is perhaps his work on Marvel's own space philosopher that sealed his legend. In just two issues, Stan Lee and Moebius' Silver Surfer: Parable depicted a showdown between the Surfer and intergalactic devourer of worlds, Galactus, that has since defined the character on par with creator Jack Kirby himself.

Having read several obituaries and tributes over the past week, it seems that most fans in their early thirties and on have a similar story regarding their introduction to Moebius. I am no different. As far back as middle school, I had been fascinated with an illustration of late guitarist Jimi Hendrix eating a surreal bowl of soup floating out of its own dish in psychedelic appendages as smoke billows from Hendrix's own purple afro that graced the cover of a double album import of Are You Experienced / Axis: Bold As Love. Eventually I would discover the work credited to a single name: Moebius.

Already, I recognized his style on the screen (or rather, the video rental store), in Ralph Bakshi's animated science-fantasy Wizards and, of course, in comic books. The cover of SS: Parable was everywhere -- on ads and t-shirts -- and his detailed abstract style was so apparent in the works of Geof Darrow (Hard Boiled, Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot) and Frank Quitely (All-Star Superman, New X-Men) and in the anime of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Gibli (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke). It's no wonder blogs like Comic Twart and What Not are abundant with illustrated homages to the artist.

Brazilian author Paulo Coelho appropriately eulogized, "the great Moebius died today, but the great Moebius is still alive. Your body died today, your work is more alive than ever." Jean Giraud was 73. His work can be found in the collected volumes Moebius 0-9 and several editions and reprints of his comics and art.

Watch a bittersweet video of the master in action below:

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: March 14, 2012

THIS WEEK IN PANELS features the best in comic book panels each week. No criteria, no rhyme, no reason. Excelsior! (Click pictures to embiggen)

The Strange Talent of Luthor Strode #6 by Justin Jordan & Tradd Moore; Image 2012

Going on a year of reintegrating into comics after a lengthy break (Battle Chasers was still ongoing when I stopped), I find myself already tiring of the same ol' hero-punch-villain routine. The DC reboot was revitalizing at first for new/return readers but seven issues in, it seems most titles are already running on superhero auto-pilot.

Luckily, indie titles are vibrant in today's industry with Image pumping out new creator-owneds each week. I don't know that I'll find anything quite like, say, The Maxx which blew my 16-year-old mind, but Luthor Strode came pretty damn close. The pivotal panel above illustrates Moore's Adam Warren-esque style with the hyper-reality pacing of Scott Pilgrim that made this mini such a quick and incredibly satisfying read.

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: March 7, 2012

THIS WEEK IN PANELS features the best in comic book panels each week. No criteria, no rhyme, no reason. Excelsior! (Click pictures to embiggen)

Swamp Thing #7 by Scott Snyder & Yanick Paquette; DC 2012

Snyder and crew absolutely killed it this week in Swamp Thing. Paquette's art here is the best we've ever seen, its beautiful and gruesome (that child's head on the Rot's abomination) and minutely detailed in all of the Green fauna: the sunflower in panel border bloom, Swampy's cabbage coccoon, the psychedelic haze, leaves, and distortion of the Rot borders. J.H. Williams III better come back from his break on Batwoman with a vengeance because Paquette's progressive page designs are giving him a serious run.

Oh, and did I mention Swampy? This is the issue we've all been waiting for. Although I could have posted any damn panel here there was only ever one. The beast is back.

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: Feb. 29, 2012

THIS WEEK IN PANELS features the best in comic book panels each week. No criteria, no rhyme, no reason. Excelsior! (Click pictures to embiggen)

Wednesday I tweeted a lack of variety among new titles this week and indicated I may feature some titles I was late to the draw on from past weeks. Rather than backtrack, I'm going to feature more than one panel of this week's comics

So, with only three titles what say we blow our load right off the bat. Spoiler alert, an' all 'at.

Venom #13.4 by Rick Remender, et al, & Lan Medina; Marvel 2012

Having just plowed through a stack of Ghost Rider comics from my childhood, the final page of part four -- no, wait... five? Can we just agree this point system is ridiculous? -- is every aggressive, adolescent, comic geek's wet dream. All that amalgamation of Red Hulk, Venom, and Ghost Rider up there needs is a set of adamantium claws and this would be a million-selling title for Marvel each month in 1996.

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: Feb. 22, 2012

THIS WEEK IN PANELS showcases our favorite comic book panels each week. No criteria, no rhyme, no reason. Excelsior! (Click pictures to embiggen)

The theme this week seems to be superhero team dynamics. And, go:

Secret Avengers #23 by Rick Remender & Gabriel Hardman; Marvel 2012

Secret Avengers has Hawkeye on the verge of a breakdown, unable to manage his new team and clearly opposed to Captain America's newly appointed recruit. Remender does a great job of establishing a new villain in The Father who threatens the creation of a new species homo synthezoidus -- superior even to the homo superior mutant -- and for making Ant-Man a total bad-ass, even if he had to kill him to do so.

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: Feb. 15, 2012

THIS WEEK IN PANELS showcases our favorite comic book panels each week. No criteria, no rhyme, no reason. Excelsior! (Click pictures to embiggen)

No recurring theme in panels this week, folks; just an à la carte of great art, storytelling, and notable moments. More, of course, after the jump.

Batman #6 by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo; DC 2012

The "Court of the Owls" storyline continues from last month's dizzying maze issue as Batman takes a serious beating by Talon at the bequest of the Court. This marks a literal turning point to the story arc, though, as the events of this issue seem to mirror themselves as the *ahem* Dark Knight rises.

Max Landis and the "death" of Superman

Supergeek Max Landis

When does a Youtube fan video become a legitimate film? When it features the likes of Elijah Wood, Simon Pegg, Ron Howard, and Mandy Moore. Or perhaps when written by and starring the son of one of the most iconic comedy film directors of the last century. Max Landis, son of John Landis (Blues Brothers, Animal House, Coming to America, Michael Jackson's "Thriller;" need I continue?), seems to be a bit of a comic book geek. Judging from the reception of Chronicle (written by Landis), a sort of Blair Witch Project faux-superhero home video, he's already begun to redefine the idea of the superhero in Hollywood.

A look at his IMDB profile also lists a writer credit for a short entitled The Death and Return of Superman. DAROS (produced by Brian Basham) features Landis as he tells the tale of, well -- read the title, but also of comic books in the 1990s, when a single issue could potentially sell in the millions and, as a friend of mine recounts, one's first comic book could have even been purchased at a hair salon. Acting out the hilarious events of the *sigh* classic Superman story are Elijah Wood as Cyborg Superman, Mandy Moore as Lois Lane, and more, as Landis narrates from a white leather chair, Johnny Walker Black in hand, in what appears to be the Matrix white room.

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: Feb. 8, 2012

THIS WEEK IN PANELS showcases our favorite comic book panels each week. No criteria, no rhyme, no reason. Excelsior! (Click pictures to embiggen)

A common theme across Marvel Comics this week seems to be economic and civil unrest. To quote the late, great comedian Bill Hicks, they must be "going for the righteous indignation dollar. That's a big dollar. A lot of people are feeling that indignation. We've done research -- huge market."

First, Sgt. Nick Fury lays into a couple "candy-ass pogues" over the handling of the UC Davis protestors and more in the finale to what can and should be considered the equivalent to Morrison and Quitely's All-Star Superman -- the quintessential continuity-free Punisher story:

PunisherMAX #22 by Jason Aaron & Steve Dillon; Marvel 2012

Then the England riots in Secret Avengers and general economic woes (albeit of the supernatural variety) in part 2 of the "Circle of Four" storyline in Venom:

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: Venom #13

THIS WEEK IN PANELS is a feature presenting our favorite solicited comic panel(s) each week. No criteria, no rhyme, no reason. Excelsior!

Venom #13
by Rick Remender & Tony Moore
Marvel Comics; 2012

Aside from being one of my surprise favorite issues this past week, part 1 of the Circle of Four arc (reprising The New Fantastic Four from Fantastic Four #'s 544-550) features two laugh-out-loud panels. The first suggests what's on Johnny Blaze's iPod:

While the second shows Raoul Duke, the bumbling, perpetually tweeked narrator of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and his attorney Dr. Gonzo, among the tourists outside Flash Thompson's motel. Buy the ticket, take the ride:

Did you see what God just did us, man?!: Various artists, We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie

THIS WEEK IN PANELS: Justice League Dark #5

THIS WEEK IN PANELS is a feature presenting our favorite solicited comic panel(s) each week. No criteria, no rhyme, no reason. Excelsior!

Justice League Dark #5

by Peter Milligan & Mikel Janin
DC Comics; 2012

[Edited to accommodate THIS WEEK IN PANELS feature. Original post follows:]

Here is a panel from DC's Justice League Dark #5 out last week. I cropped it for a "this week in comic panels" type feature that never came to fruition and I just couldn't pass up posting. You should just be reading Justice League Dark, anyway.

I like to think the fiction readers are book owners and the reality TV folks are eBook readers.

Tunage: A Place to Bury Strangers, Onwards to the Wall [EP]

Review: DC Comic Logo, or Logo Lingo

Comic book fans today have been inundated with a barrage of public relations and advertising lingo upon reveal of the new DC Comics and DC Entertainment logo(s). We're talking the type of "corporate ladder" terminology rarely heard outside team meetings, focus groups, and Jack Donaghy's inner monologue. But there's been little professional mention of the quality or effectiveness of the logo(s) outside of DC's "brand identity" in what Fast Company, the media and design website that broke the news this morning, calls DC's "ongoing corporate and creative initiatives".

 

Basically, are they any good?

 

SOPA-compliant Batman - Dean Trippe

Here's a missed meme opportunity if I ever saw one. During yesterday's SOPA protest black out comic illustrator Dean Trippe posted the following piece on his Tumblr account, entitled "SOPA-compliant B*TMAN".

Batman has been protesting SOPA since the fateful day that bat crashed through the windows of Wayne Manor, inspiring Bruce Wayne to take on the mantle of The Bat and fight crime and injustice and the censorship of kitten blogs everywhere.

And for those of you still fired up from yesterday's protest, here's a little piece of jaded-yet-entirely-accurate commentary by internet villain Maddox on yesterday's events and the Passive-Aggressive Protest Complex in general.

11 Albums of 2011 feature by day's end. I promise.

Soundtrack: T. Rex, Electric Warrior | Thin Lizzy, Jailbreak