Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Wednesday Roll Call 12/14/12

Wednesday is here again faithful readers! And it has brought with it the usual glorious weekly bounty of comics! So let us see what this week has to offer us, shall we?









NEW RELEASES:

Avengers 1959 #4
Avengers Academy #23
Avengers: X-Sanction #1
Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #526
Captain America #6
Carnage, U.S.A. #1
Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - Fourth Series #1
Ghost Rider #7
Iron Man 2.0 #11
John Carter: The World Of Mars #3
Journey Into Mystery #632
Magneto: Not A Hero #2
Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #21
Marvel Holiday Comic 2011 #1
New Avengers #19
Northanger Abbey #2
S.H.I.E.L.D. #4
Wolverine: The Best There Is #12


VARIANTS:

Carnage, U.S.A. #1 (Ramos Variant)













NEW RELEASES:

Absolute Promethea Book 3
The All New Batman: The Brave and The Bold #14
Batgirl #4
Batman And Robin #4
Batwoman #4
DC Comics Presents: Batman - The Secret City #1
DC Universe Online Legends #19
Deathstroke #4
Demon Knights #4
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #4
Green Lantern #4
Grifter #4
Hitman Vol. 5: Tommy's Heroes
Legion Lost #4
Mister Terrific #4
My Greatest Adventure #3
The Ray #1
Resurrection Man #4
The Shade #3
Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5
Showcase Presents: Wonder Woman Vol. 4
Suicide Squad #4
Superboy #4
Tales of The Batman: Don Newton Vol. 1


There they are my friends! This week looks jam-packed with all the best of our favorite pastime. So get out there and grab your favorite, and maybe even one or two new ones just for fun. Until next time, keep reading folks!



Libellus Pagina Amitorious,
Matt

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Avengers Vs. X-Men: War of the Phoenix

Greeting again, faithful readers! Apologies for the later than usual post (Finals Week Fever, you know), but I intend to make up for this dereliction of duty by sharing with you all the savory details concerning the recently announced first major Marvel Event of 2012; The Avengers Vs. The X-Men.


That's right. The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Vs. The X-Men, the mutant's powerhouse team.

While the majority of the specifics concerning this ground breaking and status quo shattering event are being kept firmly under wraps, Marvel has released a few plot points to set the stage for this war of the super teams. Make no mistake my friends, with Marvel enlisting the likes of Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, Brian Michael Bendis, Johnathan Hickman, and Matt Fraction to pen this universe wide event, this war will no doubt be something truly special.

According the the event's writers the impetus for this clash of titans is the deadly cosmic being known only as The Phoenix Force, and it's imminent return to Earth. For those unfamiliar with the Phoenix Force, it is a cosmic being of nigh unlimited power in the Marvel Universe that resided for a time in the psyche of the now deceased X-Man (and former wife of Cyclops) Jean Grey. This creature has been off planet for a number of years in the Marvel U, after being defeated by the X-Men when they made the heart wrenching decision to sacrifice Jean Grey in order to "slay" the Phoenix Force while it was in control of Jean  and going by the moniker of "The Dark Phoenix". Now it appears this god-like mass of power is coming home, and is looking for a new host to inhabit as it once had with Jean. It is this decision of who should be made the host of the phoenix that divides the Avengers and the X-Men, though why and in what way remains unclear.  



It has also been announced that Hope, the first mutant born since the events of the mutant decimation (for more on M-Day, click here) is to be a central player in this conflict. With her background including her adopted father Cable being the son of Cyclops and Jean Grey, her penchant for wearing a strikingly similar outfit to Jean's when she was the Phoenix, her habit of occasionally being surrounded by a VERY phoenix shaped fire, as well as her familiar red hair and striking green eyes (not unlike a certain former X-Man), Hope has been keeping fans guessing as to her ties to Jean and the Phoenix Force since her birth. It appears these questions will be answered in Avengers Vs. X-Men, as well as the reason behind the recent resurrection of the Avenger and M-Day instigator The Scarlet Witch. 



Marvel is also revealing that this event is most definitely nothing short of an all out war, with Cyclops of the X-Men and Captain America of the Avengers taking on the roles of Generals for their respective forces. The events writers held a Live Announcement via the website Livestream to talk about the general idea behind this story as well as answer a few fan questions about the war to come. Fortunately the folks at Marvel were kind enough to post the entire airing after they were done the stream for anyone not able to catch it the first time around, which you can view here: Marvel Press Conference: Avengers Vs X-Men Event.


It all kicks off in April with the release of Avengers Vs. X-Men Issue 0 which will show how the Scarlet Witch and Hope got to where they currently are, and what roles they are to play in the conflict to come.  I don't know about all of you, but just the premise of this event is enough to keep me on the edge of my seat until April, let alone the superb team of writers and artists Marvel has assembled to make this super team death match a reality. 


If you really want to get a head start on the action, i would seriously suggest getting a hold of The Avengers: X Sanction event coming up this month concerning the mysterious reappearance of the long thought dead Cable, and his shadowy mission to exterminate the Avengers within a 24 hour timeframe. Apparently this story is a direct set up for 2012's Avengers Vs. X-Men, with Cable seemingly trying to prevent the conflict itself from occurring by eliminating The Avengers from the picture entirely. What this plan means to prevent remains a mystery, and what could be so severe as to justify such actions from long time hero Cable should leave many readers scratching their heads.

Well that's all for now, ladies and gentlemen! Like I said before, if you want to get in on the action from the start, keep an eye out for the X Sanction limited series this month and Avengers Vs. X-Men Issue 0 this April. Until next time, keep on reading!

Libellus Pagina Amitorious,
Matt

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Wednesday Roll Call 12/7/11

We meet again weary travelers of the internet! Grab a seat, relax, and lets all see what great new releases are in store for us this week in the world of comics!








NEW RELEASES:

Amazing Spider-Man #675
Avenging Spider-Man #2
Deadpool #47
Deadpool MAX X-Mas Special #1
Defenders #1
Fear Itself: The Fearless #4
Hulk #45
Moon Knight #8
The Punisher #6
Thor: The Deviants Saga #2
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Must Have #1
Ultimate Comics Ultimates Must Have #1
Ultimate Comics X-Men Must Have #1
Uncanny X-Force #18
Venom #10
Villains For Hire #1
X-23 #18
X-Club #1
X-Factor #228
X-Men #22












NEW RELEASES:

Action Comics #4
Animal Man #4
Batman: No Man's Land New Edition Vol.1
Batwing #4
Brightest Day Vol.1
DC Comics Presents: Captain Atom #1
Detective Comics #4
Green Arrow #4
Hawk And Dove #4
The Huntress #3
Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol.1
Justice  League International #4
Men of War #4
O.M.A.C. #4
Penguin: Pain And Prejudice #3
Red Lanterns #4
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #16
Static Shock #4
Stormwatch #4
Superboy: Smallville Attacks
Superman: Grounded Vol.2
Superman: Secret Origin
Supernatural #3
Swamp Thing #4
Watchmen: The Absolute Edition - New Printing

Now that is one hefty list of comics! It seems Marvel and DC want to go out this year with a bang, so why don't you hop on for the ride? Well that's all for this week, so go on out, check out some titles, and enjoy!


Libellus Pagina Amitorious,
Matt

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Enroll In Gerard Way's "Umbrella Academy"!

Greetings once again fellow netizens! Today's post is a bit of a departure from my normal assortment of previews, reviews, and suggestions; mainly because it isn't published by Marvel or DC, but also because this particular series showcases the questionable and often avoided waters of cross-media comic writers.  By cross-media I of course refer to individuals who write in one particular medium and then try to write in a different medium (like film, comics, novels, screenplays, games etc.). These types of ventures seem to be more rare in the comic industry then most others, and the results are often hotly contested or less than huge successes.

 

This brings us to the series I wish to share with you today called The Umbrella Academy, a publication by Dark Horse Comics and the brain child of artist Gabriel Ba and writer Gerard Way.  If Gerard Way's name rings a faint bell that may be because Mr. Way is generally better known for his association with his rock band My Chemical Romance, the Gold and Platinum record selling band most famous for their hugely successful concept album called The Black Parade.  Now while Mr. Way and the rest of MCR have proven themselves more than capable artists, the prospect of Gerard's foray into the world of comics was both celebrated by his loyal fans and loathed by most every else.  Well fortunately for us Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba rewarded the loyalty of their supporters and embarrassed their naysayers by creating and selling one of the most original and strangely captivating offerings in the industry (and I'm including Marvel and DC in that statement).


In The Umbrella Academy, Way and Ba tell the strange and wonderfully absurd tale of seven super powered children who were born under strange circumstances and adopted by the mysterious and powerful entrepreneur Sir Reginald Hargreeves, otherwise known as "The Monocle".  The story is as strange as it is delightful with spaceships, aliens, super heroes, French zombie robots, and other things so outrageously  odd that one has to see (and read) it all to fully appreciate.  Gabriel Ba does an absolutely stellar job in bringing to life the world of Way's darkly whimsy tales, and gives the series an visual aesthetic akin to Alan Moore series like "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" and "Watchmen". This team strikes the strangest chord, and I admittedly can't imagine anyone finding this series (at the very least) not captivating to look at.  The series has had two series run so far, the first collected together with the subtitle "The Apocalypse Suite" and the second with the subtitle "Dallas". While Gerard Way had announced the subtitle of the upcoming third run for the series as "Hotel Oblivion" at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2009 the series has yet to hit shelves, with Dark Horse Comics originally slating the run for a summer 2010 release but later retracting the claim with no new date at which to expect the release.


So while we wait for the third ride of the Umbrella Academy, take my word for it and do yourself a favor by going out and purchasing this excellent (and 2008 Eisner Award winning) series in it's collected forms.  You'll not regret the purchase; I'll stake my non-existent blogging reputation on it! So what are you waiting for? Go enroll today!

Until the next!












Libellus Pagina Amitorious,
Matt

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wednesday Roll Call 11/30/11

Another Wednesday, another heaping pile of new comics for our collectively grubby hands! You all know the drill, so let us commence with unveiling of this week's offerings, shall we?









NEW RELEASES:

Avengers Origins: Thor #1
Daredevil #6
Disney-Pixar Giant Size Comics #7
Dorothy & the Wizard in Oz #3
FF #12
Ghost Rider #6
Herc #10
Red Skull #5
Thunderbolts #166
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #4
Uncanny X-Men #2
Victor Von Doom #1
X-Men Legacy #259


REPRINTS/VARIANTS:

Brilliant #1 (2nd Printing Variant)
FF #12 (Dell/ 'Otto Variant)
FF #12 (50th Anniversary Variant)
Herc #10 (Oeming Variant)
Thunderbolts #166 (Mc 50th Anniversary Variant)
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #4 (Mc 50th Anniversary Variant)
Uncanny X-Men #544 (2nd Printing Variant)
Uncanny X-Men #2 (Mc 50th Anniversary Variant)
X-Men Legacy #259 (Bradshaw Variant)
X-Men Legacy #259 (Mc 50th Anniversary Variant)













NEW RELEASES:

Absolute Batman: Hush - New Printing
Cartoon Network Action Pack #65
DC Comics Presents: Batman - Don't Blink #1
DC Comics Presents: Superman - Secret Identity #2
DC Universe Online Legends #18
Green Lantern: the Animated Series #0
Infamous
Jonah Hex: Bury Me In Hell
Legion: Secret Origin #2
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Vol. 1
Teen Titans by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 1
Tiny Titans #46
Uncharted #1
Wonder Woman Chronicles Vol. 2

There they are ladies and gentlemen, this week's installments of our favorite stories about our favorite characters! As always get out there and support the industry, your local comic suppliers, and your very own love of the genre! Until next post, keep reading!

Libellus Pagina Amitorious,
Matt

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Comical Holidays: Gifts with a Comic Heart

Hello again everyone! I hope everyone has had a safe and happy holiday weekend, and taken advantage of some of the amazing sales that have been flouting around the net and stores nationwide.  I though that I'd help out some of you late or frustrated shoppers and show some different avenues to consider and gifts for some different people in your circle of friends and family.

So to start off, here is a nice little list of some places to check out for some good sales and back catalogs:

1. Amazon

2. Marvel Online Shop

3. WBshop for DC Comics

4. Midtown Comics Online Store

5. Boom Studios Online Store

Now that we have some links and stores to check out, I think it only fair to put a few tips out for those of us shopping both with and without a strong understanding of comics or the way the industry sells them. So here is a little guide of things to consider:

- If you're looking for a specific story or character, you should probably aim more towards what are referred to as Trade Paper Backs (or TPB for short). These usually collect full arcs within an ongoing series so the reader can enjoy the arc all together, so finding a specific story is a lot easier as these act as collected volumes.

- If you're looking for a larger/complete story arc or potentially a large scale event you may want to look at an grabbing up an Omnibus. An Omnibus can consist of more story arcs than a normal TPB or even an entire series print run, so catching up on a large amount of material or getting a more substantial collection of stories are much easier to compile.


Now that we have all the official business out of the way, here is the fun part; here are some of my personal recommendations for good stories and excellent comics, as well as a few other things to tickle your comic loving funny bone. (I will make each series a link to a wikipedia page so you can decide if the comic is right for you, and if you find it is then scroll up and hit up those sellers!)

Current Series to Check Out:

1. Venom


2. Amazing Spider-Man


3. Wolverine


4. Captain America


5. Daken: Dark Wolverine


6. F.F. (Future Foundation)



Classic Series to Check Out:

1. Akira


2. Transmetropolitan


3. Watchmen


4. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen


5. V for Vendetta


6. The Umbrella Academy




These should definitely get you started, but there is so much out there that the only way to see it is to get out there and check it out! So good luck, and happy hunting!


Libellus Pagina Amitorious,
Matt

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Wednesday Roll Call 11/23/11

Hello again! It's that time again dear readers; the weekly comic releases! Let's see if these pre-Thanksgiving offerings are enough to satisfy our comic-centric hunger, shall we?








NEW RELEASES:

Alpha Flight #6
Annihilators: Earthfall #3
Astonishing X-Men #44
Avengers Origins: Quicksilver & The Scarlet Witch #1
Avengers: Solo #2
Brilliant #2
Captain America and Bucky #624
Daken: Dark Wolverine #17
Fantastic Four #600
Invincible Iron Man #510
Iron Man 2.0 #10
Kapow! Guinness World Record Special #1
Kick-Ass #5
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #20
Secret Avengers #19
The Mighty Thor #8
Ultimate Hawkeye #4
Uncanny X-Men #545
Vengeance #5
Wolverine #19
Wolverine & The X-Men #2


VARIANTS:

Avengers: Solo #2 (Movie Variant)
Brilliant #2 (Oeming Variant)
Brilliant #2 (Mack Variant)
Invincible Iron Man #510 (Mc 50th Anniversary Variant)
Secret Avengers #19 (Mc 50th Anniversary Variant)
Wolverine & The X-Men (Mc 50th Anniversary Variant)














NEW RELEASES:

All-Star Western #3
Aquaman #3
Batgirl: The Lesson
Batman: The Black Mirror
Batman: The Dark Knight #3
Blackhawks #3
DC Comics Presents: The Life Story Of The Flash #1
Diablo #1
The Flash #3
The Fury Of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #3
Gotham City Sirens: Songs of The Sirens
The Green Lantern Omnibus Vol. 2
Green Lantern: New Guardians #3
I, Vampire #3
Justice League Dark #3
The Savage Hawkman #3
Superman #3
Teen Titans #3
Voodoo #3


Well, there you have it! I don't know about all of you out there, but as for me I think this week's list of release seems pretty darn tantalizing! That's about it this week ladies and gentlemen, but look forward to a special post coming in the next day or two about some comic (and possibly other nerd like) goodies for those of you searching around for black friday holiday shopping! Til then!

Libellus Pagina Amitorious,
Matt