Hey, Atomic Robo! I think I heard someone knocking — would you mind getting the ...
Panel from Atomic Robo #1When the rebooted Immortal Iron Fist recently began a storyline that combined my favorite kung-fu hero with a celestial martial arts tournament, I thought things had gotten as good as it could get. Then Iron Fist's first opponent was introduced, and it was a sumo-like fighter going by the name Fat Cobra.
Fat Cobra! Obviously writers Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction — along with David Aja and his moody, fluid artwork — were determined to bring the title to levels of awesome I wouldn't have thought possible.
And then it got even better.
"Bullshit!" you cry. "Surely you exaggerate!" To which I say, "Nuh-uh!" and maybe poke you in the eye for good measure. How can I be so sure?
Because the recent Immortal Iron First Annual included a story with art by personal favorite Dan Brereton to bring us THIS:
If that doesn't make you want to shout, "Oh, YES!" then you should just lie down now, because you're obviously dead inside and I feel sorry for you.
Barko agrees!
I'm sorry about the even-lighter-than-usual posting lately (er ... assuming anyone actually noticed), but a burst of too-vigorous and astonishingly ninja-like activity was enough to completely wrench my back and put me off my feet for the past few days.
OK, I bent down and then straightened up — that was all it took to twist it. Shut up.
Aaaaaanyway, it was actually pretty painful. I imagine it could be illustrated like so:
I did manage to get in to work today, so look for regular posting this week. And remember kids — limber up before reaching for that sandwich and/or copy of Witchblade Takeru!
Panel from Sugarshock #2, Dark Horse Presents online
Wow, no Pull List this week, and then no WTF Wednesday? What's going on here at the Post, anyway?!?
Eh, slackin', mostly.
But to make up for it, I give you this pair of ads from 1983 promoting Power Man and Iron Fist, which are obviously awesome! Both ads manage to be funny and sum up the characters really well, not to mention they're rockin' classic Bill Sienkiewicz art. You have to give credit to whatever unnamed shlub in the Marvel marketing department came up with the idea of running the ads in separate, consecutive issues — it was a cute and clever way to reward regular readers with an old-fashioned "a-ha!" moment.
Continuity in house-ads — exactly the crazy-great kind of thing that made me love comics in the first place.
Hey, Iron Man! What position do you play on the company softball team?
Panels from Invincible Iron Man #166
Click for the majesty!After some fairly heavy weeks, it looks as if things have slowed down with only four, count 'em FOUR, titles on the pull list. Granted, it's all good stuff but after weeks of having to trim the list down to something realistic (I'm on a budget, people!) it's a little weird — like going from a buffet to bistro dining. These sandwiches are so small!
Yikes. Before I get any more esoteric — to the list!
Atomic Robo #1 (of 6): When I first went through the solicits for the week, this one went into the "maybe" column. But then I read a little more about it and realized it's about a smart-alecky robot fighting Nazis! Plus, it has nice, clean art that's both cartoony and perfectly suited to the tone of the writing. Then I saw the preview and read this little exchange between Robo (I don't know if that's actually his name), some Nazi soldiers, and a gang of even more Nazis who are trying to dog-pile Robo into submission:
Nazi: Move and we shoot!
Robo: I'm comfortable with that.
(Nazis clinging to Robo commence to freaking out)
If I wasn't already almost guaranteed to pick up this book, that kind of dialogue pushed me right over. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, I like the style of art being used - it reminds me of Robert Kirkman's stuff in Invincible, as well as some of Evan Dorkin's work. In other words, it looks like fun stuff and I'm looking forward to reading it.
The rest ...
Booster Gold #3
BPRD: Killing Ground #3
Green Lantern #24
Maybe ...
Simon Dark #1: I don't know - I'm just not convinced. It looks pretty, but I can't see the story being maintained over time. Maybe if it was under the Vertigo imprint I'd have more faith, but for now the "creepy, neighborhood boogey-man who's also a superhero" vibe isn't clicking. And it's set in Gotham, which means there's going to be the inevitable Batman cameo; I'll come right out and put my money on issue five.
Deadlander #1: I really, really want to have more enthusiasm for this one, but I'm also really, really tired of undead/zombie titles. Still, I'm torn between my ambivalence for zombie books and my love for westerns, even if the concept for the hero reminds me of both Preacher's Saint of Killers and Gunwitch from Nocturnals. And the art looks great, so this one will come down right to the minute I take it off the rack. Take a look at the preview and let me know what you think.
Recommended ...
Gyo Vol. 1 (2nd ed.): I don't know what happened to the Japanese (OK, I have an idea), but they've got to have the most imaginative and seriously screwed-up collective subconscious ever. How else do you explain something like Gyo, a horror tale that centers around ... hell, I don't even know where to begin. Let's just say it starts with bloated fish sporting mechanical legs skittering out of the ocean, carrying with them a bacteria that begins to spread very quickly. And then it gets worse. Sooo much worse. Just thinking about what goes on in Gyo gives me the creeps and honestly makes me slightly queasy, so of course it's one of my favorites. Want to get into the Halloween mood and then not sleep until Christmas? Read Gyo.
(No, it won't ...)
I've mentioned before how much I'm enjoying the relaunched, online-only version of Dark Horse Presents (in a previous bout, now that I think about it), but it's worth repeating. As a matter of fact, I think I will.
Man, I'm really enjoying the relaunched Dark Horse Presents.
For me, it's not going to replace floppy-copies but I enjoy reading these comics online just as much as if I had 'em in my grubby paws. A big part of that is because Dark Horse keeps offering a nice variety of really, really good stories (though that new reader interface isn't as elegant as what ComicMix has set up).
Whew! This is wordy for a Friday Night Fight! Let's quit jawin' and get to maulin', courtesy of the excellent Fear Agent. In this installment, Heath Huston has recovered his previously dead son, only to lose him again to the soldiers of his backstabbing benefactor. He breaks out of the castle in hot pursuit, but it turns out be one of those frying pan/fire situations.
Uh oh ... I've got a bad feeling about this. Maybe it'll be OK ...
Damn! Faced with a horde of bloodthirsty mercenaries, the last Fear Agent comes to the only reasonable solution.
Panels from Fear Agent: Nothing to Fear #1That Mighty Devourer known as Bahlactus has once again rung his cosmic bell, and we all heed the call to battle! Fighting will be fierce, and when you're facing a full-on melee it's not a bad idea to have someone with the word "supreme" in their title.
With that in mind, I give you that master of the mystic arts, that goliath of Greenwich Village, the Sorcerer Supreme, DOCTOR STEEE-PHENNNN STA-RRRRAAAAANGE-AH!!!!
Sure, judging by classic depictions, it'd be easy to dismiss Doctor Strange as more of a bookworm than a fighter. And what's up with his ever-present manservant, Wong? It's no wonder people talk.
But I'll tell you what's up with Wong; he may be Doctor Strange's assistant, but he's also his teacher. What does he teach, you ask?
The ancient art of Whup Ass, that's what.
Panel from Doctor Strange: The Oath #4
Click to plant a big one!I'm schizophrenic when it comes to Wednesdays. On one hand, it's the day of my weekly department meeting at work. On the other, it's also the day new comics come out. I'm no math guy, but I'm pretty sure it works out like this:
meeting = no fun
comics = big fun
Therefore, comics are mathematically superior to meetings. Hmm. I'm not sure we needed science to figure that one out, actually. Still, this week looks like it's packed with especially fun titles, so - to the list!
Uncle Sam and The Freedom Fighters #1 (of 8): This is the second mini-series starring the revamped Freedom Fighters, and I think it's the perfect way to keep this current version going. Tight, self-contained story-arcs which, hopefully, aren't too reliant on new readers having deep knowledge of what's gone before will help maintain interest better than an ongoing series featuring what many consider fringe characters. And believe me, it kills me to say that, but I actually had someone outright mock my love of the original Freedom Fighters (I never forget, Lisa - never). Maybe someone in the DC offices had the same problem, because these Fighters - with the exception of grandfatherly ass-kicker Uncle Sam - are definitely more grim-and-gritty than the originals. Returning writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti do a good job of giving the angst well-weighted context, though, as well as infusing each character with a distinct personality and motivation. The work of new artist Renato Arlem looks as if it will be a good fit, and look at that cover by Dave Johnson! The first mini-series certainly had some clunky spots, but all in all I'm looking forward to this.
The rest ...
Annihilation Conquest: Star-Lord #3
Blue Beetle #19
Crossing Midnight #11
Immortal Iron Fist #9
Immortal Iron Fist Annual #1
The Spirit #10
Maybe ...
I Killed Adolf Hitler (trade paperback): Contract killers, time-travel and waiting decades to catch up with a wiley Adolf Hitler puts this slim trade (48 pages) on the short-list. Also, it's supposed to be funny, so I'll be giving it a close look.
Justice League of America #13: The recent Wedding Special was OK, and I hear there are high-hopes that the JLA will be worth reading about again - we'll see. Can anyone give me a solid recommendation for this? Speaking of which ...
Recommended ...
Daredevil: Hell to Pay Vol. 1: It's Ed Brubaker, it's some of the best Daredevil writing in a long time, and if you haven't been reading it monthly you really should be getting this trade.
Madman Vol. 1 (Image edition): A caveat! If you've been reading the latest Madman series, or have read it in the past, and been amused, interested or intrigued - pick this up. If it only frustrated you with what can honestly be described as superhero navel-gazing and sometimes meandering plotting, then take a pass.
Showcase Presents: Metal Men Vol. 1: With another caveat that you must have a high-tolerance for comics that are so packed with awesome that there's no room left for logic. Bob Kanigher, who brought us The War That Time Forgot, was on a roll when he came up with these stories.
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