Friday Night Fights: Something to think about

Esteemed announcer and master of the ring Bahlactus has rung the bell, calling an end to the four-color fisticuffs for the next two weeks and giving us all a chance to reflect. Of course, once you've entered deep thought, that Zen-like place of consciousness, it's easy to get lost in thought.

Right guys?


Umm ... guys?


Huh. I wonder what Bahlactus thinks?


Panel from Concrete: Land & Sea

The Pull-list: 6-6-07

It looks as if it's going to be a fairly small week here at the Post, with an unprecedented shut-out for the Big Two. That's right - this week's pull-list is 100 percent spandex-free. In place of unflattering bodysocks, we'll be freeing ourselves of the wedgie of superhero fare with the gently prying fingers of indie comics.

Well, mostly indie, anyway. Let's take a walk around, see it how it feels, shall we?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4: I really, really had no intention of getting this. I watched the show, but was never able to catch it regularly and so never became one of the true believers. But then someone lent me numbers 1-3, and now I'm hooked. Everything I like about Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men and all the things that turned me into a Browncoat are here in a fun little package that does indeed both "rule" and "kick-ass." Knowing something about the characters definitely helps, and it's not something I'd recommend going into cold, but if you know enough to recognize the names Willow or Xander, you'll be set.

Death and the Man Who Would Not Die #1: This would make it to the list almost based on the name alone. C'mon, how awesome is that title? If it had been the name of a movie in the early 80s I probably would have watched it a kajillion times. Luckily, the concept - someone stole something from Death and Death wants it back, all in the Old West - sounds like fun. The art makes me think of a less stilted version of what's happening over in the Dark Tower series, with an obvious Sienkiewicz influence mixed in, so there's another plus. Hopefully the follow-through will match the potential. And hey, look - there's a preview.

Strange Embrace #1: While it may put my comic-cred at risk, I have to admit that I'd never heard of this title before recently. But, after reading some reviews and checking out the decidedly creepy Web site, this first of an eight-issue mini-series suddenly became this week's gotta-have. What's it about? I've read three descriptions of this re-release (originally published in 1993) and I'm still not completely sure, but it seems to be a modern, Gothic horror story about alienation, obsession and a malicious clairvoyant. I'm sure I'm not doing it justice, but I will say it's what I'm most looking forward to reading this week. Not to mention it's 32 pages for $2.99, which is a nice chunk of comics for your money.


Maybe ...

MPD-Psycho Vol. 1: But maybe not - a description that includes "unflinchingly grotesque glory" and "inventive torture scenes" leaves me a little cold.


Recommended ...

Human Diastrophism and The Girl From H.O.P.P.E.R.S.: It's Love & Rockets stories in a new series of trade paperbacks - that's all that needs to be said.

Oh, and some of the work in H.O.P.P.E.R.S. wasn't in the hardcover Locas collection. Just so you know.

Friday Night Fights: Rock 'em-Sock 'em

Back before Frank Miller became the Goddamn Frank Miller, he and artist Geof Darrow produced the brilliantly manic Hard Boiled. Even now it's one of my favorites, and a prime example of Miller's previous mastery of violence and satire, not to mention Darrow's insanely intricate artwork.

Seriously, almost every page is like this.


I heed the call of Bahlactus!


Panel from Hard Boiled #3

The Pull-list: 5-31-07

This week's comics are a day late thanks to the federal holiday seemingly set aside for department store sales and low, low prices, so I'm a day late, too. OK, I'm two days late, but meh! Let's go shopping!

Blue Beetle #15: I'm just going to go ahead and say it: Pound for pound, this is my favorite superhero comic. The writing has been top-notch since the beginning, and gets noticeably better with almost every issue (particularly the diaglogue). The art is unique and always solid, and helps give Blue Beetle its own vibe while putting it smack-dab in the middle of the DC universe. And that leads to one of the things I like most about this title: Through Jaime Reyes, a new character thrown into an entirely new environment, readers get to experience everything as if it's new to us, too. It's fun, it's smart and it should be on your list.

Crossing Midnight #7: Vertigo has been winning back my interest with some of its new titles lately, and Crossing Midnight has had a lot to do with it. It features interesting characters, a familiar-but-different culture as a background, and a plot that makes me wonder what's going to happen next; in other words, some of the things a good comic is supposed to have. And that stuff that happened with the mom? Creepy.

Justice Society of America #6: Soooooo much better than JSA Classified! Seriously, it reminds me of what made me dig the JSA books in the first place. The ongoing story of a powerful, yet entirely human, team that ultimately functions as an extended family touches me in just the right spot (y'know ... the cockles), and this title manages it without being shmaltzy. The team producing it could stand to ease off on the whole "setting an example to the next generation" bit, but I've got to admit I like the way they handle the interaction between the older and younger heroes. And the way "guest stars" like Superman, Batman and that jerk Geo-Force have been used has been perfect.


The Usual ...

Green Lantern #20

Daredevil #97


Maybe ...

Ray Harryhausen Presents Wrath of the Titans #1: I loved the movie. I still love the movie. Shut up. (I just hope I don't hear that stupid owl in my head.)


Recommended ...

Fun Home (trade paperback): This memoir about growing up in the family funeral home, questions of sexuality and the complicated relationship between child and parent has been earning glowing reviews, and now it's been released in a softcover format selling for less than 15 bucks. Seriously, what are you waiting for?

Friday Night Fights: Railroaded!

Not only is Jonah Hex the deadliest gun in the West, but when he punches you in the face ...


... brother, it's like getting hit by a FREIGHT TRAIN.


(If you're going to wager, always bet on Bahlactus.)

Panel from Showcase Presents Jonah Hex Volume 1, originally printed in Weird Western Tales #23

I like you, but I'm breaking up with you

Comic books fans have a reputation - not completely undeserved - of being fickle. We expect a lot from our obsession, and we're willing to drop a title the minute an artist or writer we don't like takes over, or if a costume is changed, or if a character does something we think is, well, out of character.

But we are also intensely loyal, and this shows in how we shop. Or actually, in where we shop. Most regular comic book readers I know have a particular store they go to, a place that they consider their shop. This is where they go first, and a lot of times it will be the only place they go. And even if they have some gripes about it, they'll always go to their store.

Until they don't.

Let me explain what got me thinking about this. I like the store I go to, but it also drives me crazy. Since it's a smaller shop, it carries a mostly mainstream selection, which is fine since I read a lot of mainstream books. But, I also read indie titles and books that don't dress up in spandex, and that means I either have to place a special order or go to another shop to get everything on that week's list. The problem with a special order is it either takes weeks to be filled, or someone goofs and the order is never placed at all.

I usually end up going to the back-up shop for whatever's missing at my regular store. Every week.

Honestly, if I was better about ordering things in advance, that would take care of most of my problems with the shop. And like I said, I like my shop. It:

• is staffed by very nice people who make an effort to know what I'm in to
• offers a 15 percent discount to subscribers
• is literally blocks from my home

The back-up shop is more of a schlep (but still not that far, really) and doesn't offer any regular discounts (except 10 percent off graphic novels). They do, however, have almost every title being published in a given week.

But I doubt I'll switch. My main shop has built enough goodwill that I want to stick with them, and that fanboy loyalty makes me want to defend my shop, even from myself.

Which brings me to my point (or my question, actually): What would it take to make you leave your shop for a different one?

Tony Stark is a punk

Let me say something right up front: I used to be a huge fan of Iron Man.

What's not to love about an incredibly smart, successful - but otherwise completely average - guy with a bad ticker and a stalker's fondness for the bottle who somehow still manages to be a superhero? He was a like a drunk Bruce Wayne, fighting evil because it's the right thing to do, as well as an awesome way to pick up chicks.

Plus, no other comic gave you more "KRANG!" and "BLONG!" sound effects except maybe Thor, and if both characters were in the same issue you practically needed earplugs to read it.

As you can imagine, I was pretty unimpressed by what was done with the character during Civil War. Suddenly, Tony's not only a bit of an ass, he's completely amoral. A lot of that began with Iron Man and his Illuminati cronies shooting the Hulk into space "for the greater good," and quickly devolved from there. Now, Hulk's watched Gladiator like a million times and is coming back to Earth with a mad-on for pretty much everyone, but especially for the Illuminati and - you guessed it - Iron Man.

So Shellhead does the practical thing and suits up.


Whoa, wait a minute. What the hell is that? Let's take a closer look ...


Peek-a-boo, Spidey! Traded the "Iron Spider" suit for the black costume, huh? Yeah, good call.

So Iron Man, apparently aware he's about to get his metal ass welded to his face, decides to WRAP HIS ARMOR IN EVEN MORE ARMOR?!?

What a douche.

I used to love Iron Man, but I hope Hulk beats on him 'til he gets to the chewy Tony center.

Images from the upcoming World War Hulk #1

Friday Night Fights: The ol' one-two!

We'll miss Cap until they decide to resurrect 'im, but I think the Falcon's going to be A-OK.


Oh yeah ... he'll be just fine.

Bahlactus commands it!

The lame-ass return of GCP

So I seem to have finally gotten over the hump that is Work, but I'm just too tired to post anything substantial, much less anything about the MJ statue debate making the rounds.

I will say this, though: When I saw the statue, my first reaction was, "Oh, c'mon." Seriously, it's a ridiculous piece of merchandise. And yes, it's demeaning to women (and, in a much, much smaller way, to comic fans in general - I guess they figure we're all still in mom's basement, eh?). And of course some people are overreacting, and many more are underreacting, but hopefully all this heat will begin to generate some light.

There's been a lot of back-and-forth going on about the cheesecakiness of this statue (and others), and what it means in the greater scheme of things for how women are portrayed in the comics media, but so far I think I most like what Laura Hudson had to say. It's straight-forward, thoughtful and packed with common-sense, so go read it.

Speaking of cool, can you believe I just recently read Scott Pilgrim? I don't know what took me so long, either, but this weekend I read all three volumes that have been published, and I'm hooked.

Out of hundreds of pages of awesome, this may have been my favorite scene:


Scott Pilgrim - lovable jerk.

The Pull-list: 4-18-07

No time for love, Doctor Magnus! Who knew this whole "work" and "day-job" thing would be so demanding? Since I owe my soul to the company store, this weeks' pull-list is going to be charmingly simple - no fancy frills this time around.

Er ... yeah ... it's just a list. Sorry 'bout that. Keep your fingers crossed that work stops squatting on my head and giving me wet-willies before next week; now, on to the list!

52 #50: Almost there!

Army @ Love #2: I liked the first issue of this satire more each time I read it; looking forward to #2.

The Brave and The Bold #3: Pure awesome, now with more Blue Beetle.

Manhunter #30: Gets better and better; what hasn't killed it has made it stronger.

The Spirit #5: Great art, great writing and just a really great book.

Conan #39: Conan wants you to buy every book with his name on it, and I obey.


And maybe ...

World War III Parts 1-4: What the hell? Was I the only one who didn't know these four separate issues were coming out? And all at the same time? I feel a little manipulated here.

Death Dealer #1: Blame heavy metal album covers seeping into my head during my youth.


And if I could ...

The Professor's Daughter (graphic novel): First Second Books has been putting out some of the best original graphic novels for the past year or so, and this seems to be its latest addition to that list. A fun writer (though he did go on a bit in Vampire Loves) and gorgeous watercolor images puts this on my short list of trades and graphic novels.

Oh, Robin ...

Is that your solution to everything?

The Pull-list: 4-11-07

Do you know how many comics I bought last week? Since I didn't post a pull-list the answer is, "No, 'cause you're a slacker-ass slacker. Slacker."

But if I had posted you might've been surprised to see only two - just two - comics on my list and one of them was 52, which almost doesn't count. This week is a different story, with plenty of buttery-fresh comics to pile on your plate. I don't know what that means either; on to the list!

52 #49: I can't believe I've been buying this comic every week for almost a year (that's one for you, DC). I haven't missed an issue and neither has DC, putting it out every week without fail, which is incredible when you think about it. Not every issue has been a success. Some have felt like placeholders, some have been awkwardly written (or more often, awkwardly drawn), and worst of all some have been just plain boring. But overall? I've enjoyed this series and I'll be a little sorry to see it go. Not sorry enough to pick up Countdown (in your face, DC!), but I'm glad I kept up with it. Something I will miss are the consistently fantastic covers - I think this one might be my all-time favorite of the bunch.

All Star Superman #7: I hate to sound like an aging fanboy who looks back at the comics of 30 years ago with a fondness usually reserved for junior high school girlfriends and other impossible things, but I really dig the Silver Age vibe Grant Morrison has put into this title. And what I really, really like about it is the fact that it's all of the fun with none of the stupid. Weird, crazy things happen on an alarmingly regular basis in Morrison's Metropolis, but for some reason it all makes sense and even has an undertone of menace. Bad things happen and Superman can't save everyone, even though he tries like hell. My only complaint: Wasn't Superman supposed to be dying? What's happened to that little plot-point? Hopefully it'll be picked up again in this issue and if not ... who cares, it's got Bizarro! Oh, and Frank Quitely's doing his best work here, so check it out. first issue preview

BPRD Garden of Souls #2: So I typed something out, changed my mind because it sounded so corny and deleted it, and then changed my mind again because there's just something special about B.P.R.D. The title is melancholic and beautiful, with an atmosphere and characters that seem undeniably lonely. Everyone has questions and no one has all the answers, and in a weird way you relate to these fire-starters and fish-men. Sure, there are all sorts of supernatural goings-on, but they almost seem secondary to the missions of self-discovery the characters are put through. This is, quite frankly, the most emo book I read and I make no apologies. Plus, there's almost always some terrible monster that wants to eat someone's face. preview

Conan and The Midnight God #3: Dark Horse has been putting out so many Conan books that I actually have trouble keeping them all straight. But it doesn't really matter, because almost all of them have been winners (still looking at you, Jewels of Gwahlur). This is the second mini-series to tell a story of King Conan, and it's interesting to see the differences in the older, somewhat wiser ruler of Aquilonia. Of course, it's also fun to see things haven't changed that much; when someone talks smack and threatens his wife and country, the first thing Conan does is grab a sword and declare war. I've said it before about other Conan books and I'll happily, even giddily, say it again; somebody's gonna get their head chopped off. preview

Fell #8: Tell me you're reading Fell. Seriously, pleeeease tell me you've been reading Fell. If you haven't been reading this title, a: I pity you, and b: I pity you some more. And also kick you. Each issue is a self-contained story about police detective Richard Fell and the creepy city of Snowtown, where everyone seems a little screwed up and where they do very screwed up things to each other. Warren Ellis keeps his stories to a tight 19 pages, using recurring characters and themes that tie everything together while hinting at a larger plot. Plus, the gorgeous artwork of Ben Templesmith helps make the stark and moody Snowtown a character in itself. Do yourself a favor and pick this up (and avoid the ankle bruising). read the first issue!

Madman Atomic Comics #1: I have a soft spot for Madman. I'm not saying I always understand what's going on, but still. OK, let me try to explain a little: Frank Einstein (who's name isn't really Frank Einstein) was a guy who died and came back, complete with amnesia, blue skin, better-than-average acrobatic skills and a little pseudopod thingy that wiggles its way out of his forehead every now and then. He's got a hot girlfriend, a mad scientist for a mentor, and lives in a world that 50s sci-fi movie directors would tut-tut as unrealistic. There are random acts of philosophy. Mutant beatniks. A copius amount of robots. People say "ginchy" and "swell" without irony. Madman is basically a lot of fun, and I've heard that this first issue of the relaunch is a sort of flashback to past storylines, so now's a great time to hop on if you haven't already. preview

Utopiates #4: I've got a problem with Utopiates - I had a hard time finding it anywhere. I picked up the first issue at my local comic shop and naively thought I'd be able to pick it up the next month. Which means I didn't put it on my pull-list. Which means I missed the second issue because NOT ONE of the many comic shops in Austin was carrying it. Even the people at the big, popular store that prides itself on having the best indie selection in the city looked at me as if I was asking for a fried weasel. According to the publishers, I'm not the only one having this problem, and they're asking readers to tell their favorite shops to order copies of Utopiates so people can find it and, hopefully, become regular readers. I learned my lesson and put this title on my list after missing the second issue, and you should, too. Utopiates is a smart and interesting read about a near-future world where a drug offers what might be the ultimate addiction - the chance to be someone else, even if just for a little while. It doesn't hurt that this black-and-white indie is great to look at, with a style that manages to be photorealistic and sketchy at the same time. Do yourself - and the title - a favor and ask your store to put it on the shelves. (Oh, but don't look for this cover because I couldn't find an image for #4; this was the cover to #3. Something to think about, Bloodfire Studios). first issue preview

Wasteland #8: The concept behind this title shouldn't work. It's set in a post-apocalyptic world where everyone's agreed it's Western Day. There are mutants in the desert, hoity-toity "benefactors" running one of the only cities left, and a Man With No Name (OK, he's got a name, but you know what I mean) shepherding a bunch of refugees to civilization. It doesn't really sound like anything new, right. But it's so damn good! Wasteland is one of the best books of the year so far, with a subtly complex storyline bolstered by simple but evocative artwork. The first volume has been collected in trade, and I'd recommend starting with that and picking things up with the monthly issues - you don't want to miss what's been going on, and you won't want to wait until the next trade comes out. preview