Green Lantern #20 Book

All right, what an issue! The “Wrath of the First Lantern” has been a fun and interesting story. It has tied together all of the various Lantern Corps as well as other familiar faces. We’ve been able to read about Guy Gardner and John Stewart, of course Hal Jordan, and also Green Lantern turned White Lantern, Kyle Rayner. This issue truly makes it feel like everything since Green Lantern Rebirth #1 has led up to this moment, this battle, this universe level event.

Off the bat, I just want to say that some of the images and scenes depicted in this issue are truly beautiful and exciting. The issue is action packed and intense until the very end.  If I have anything negative to say about this issue it’s simply my anxiety moving forward. So much occurs in this issue, some much is finalized that I am not sure where our Lantern heroes are going from here. Starting in issue #21 for all of the various Lantern series, we will be given a new creative team and I’m excited to see what they will come up with. With that said, this Green Lantern #20 truly shows how talented Johns and his team is and just how much they understand and love the universe they’ve been a part of for roughly 100 different issues.

Green Lantern #20 Sinestro

This being an epic climax to a major story line, I do not wish to give anything away but I think most readers will be happy and excited during and after this issue. The issue is relentless, never letting up the intensity or action which is impressive given its length. Personally, I think this is a complex issue and that goes with the complex universe that has been evolving. It appears that one of the takeaways from this story should be exactly that those things that are truly important on a grand scale are complex. Just look at what the First Lantern can do. He literally can remake time and existence. This is not just some battle with a physical enemy where some lives will be lost. The war with the Sinestro Corps was exciting but there were limits to the possible destruction. The recent issues, including “The Third Army” story, raised the stakes by putting all life – and even history as we know it – on the line. This issue continues to push that kind of pressure.

The issue is also filled with various thank yous and congratulations to Johns and his team. They definitely treated Green Lantern #20 as his farewell tour. This leads to some nice sentiments and fun illustrations of our heroes across the light spectrum.

In the end, which is a common thread in this issue, the “Wrath of the First Lantern” has been an exciting and fun story. I believe I even enjoyed it more than the “Blackest Night” and “Brightest Day” stories prior to The New 52 reboots. If you like DC comics and the Green Lantern universe, then you should truly enjoy this epic finale.

Look for the epilogues in Green Lantern Corps, Red Lanterns and Green Lantern: New Guardians #20 issues.

And for those that are new to the Green Lantern universe, with this story ending and a new creative team joining, now is a fantastic time to jump in and enjoy the wonder of the Lanterns. The Green Lantern series is made up of Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern: New Guardians, Red Lantern Corps and the new Larfleeze.

You have been warned.

Alright… so in the previous issue Otto had discovered the reason he was acting out of character more than usual: Peter Parker was still slumming around in his brain. It was a problem he solved rather quickly and, for the time being, permanently by entering his mind and erasing Parker’s memories completely.

This issue begins with Otto waking up and beginning his first Parker-free day. He has a run-in with the Owl and the White Dragon and quickly takes care of them in rather nasty ways, something that’s becoming a trademark for the Superior Spider-Man. But when he leaves them for the police they begin to miss the days when Spider-Man would just leave villains webbed up with a note on them. He’s gotten very vicious.

Meanwhile, Carlie Cooper is still trying to figure out what it is that’s different about Spider-Man. But the police are rallying around the Web-Slinger now so it’s near impossible for Carlie to get any solid answers about the change in his attitude. Also noticing a change is Mary Jane, who basically gets blown off by “Peter” on the Empire State University campus where he’s earning his doctorate (but his smug attitude might hurt him in that quest). I’m wondering when or if these two gals are going to seriously get together and share what they know and think about Peter’s new attitude.

Speaking of family, Aunt May either doesn’t see the change or isn’t allowing herself to acknowledge it. She’s proud that her beloved nephew has finally pulled his life together, and it might also be because “Peter” isn’t as smug around her, but she’s known him longer than anyone; it seems like she would sense something was different. Especially with J.J.J. actually liking him.

But while Otto thinks he has everything under control in Peter’s former life, there are people working in the shadows against him. The Owl and White Dragon’s gangs have left their leadership and joined another. A guy who likes to laugh, has a love of green and jack o’ lanterns, and has a hatred for Spider-Man. Yeah, there’s a new Green Goblin in town and he’s already got a few hits against Spider-Man and the Wall Crawler doesn’t even know it yet!

So, Spider-Writer Dan Slott has given some closure on the whole ‘spirit of Peter Parker’ thing, which most likely won’t last forever, and has decided that this new Superior Spider-Man has pretty much had it way too easy for far too long. It’s time to turn up the dial some and see how he reacts when he faces off against a villain who is apparently able to bring chaos to his carefully constructed world. Now, I know there is a LOT of criticism about how Slott is running this book. I’ve mentioned a few of the insane complaints that people have had, but here’s the thing: what he’s doing works. Amazing Spider-Man #700 came out in December 2012, and it’s May 2013 now and people are STILL talking about it. People are also still talking about Brand New Day so that tells you that despite the complaints people are still paying attention and still care a lot about this character. Honestly, I don’t recall this happening when DC made Superman give up his red trunks so I guess that means more people care about Spider-Man than The Man Of Steel.

Love it or hate it, in my opinion this series has not slowed down and shows no signs of weakness. Every issue is one more step down a path that we’ve never tread before and when you think about it, isn’t that what we all really want? There are no promises of happy endings here and while we all know that eventually Peter will come back it certainly looks like it’s less possible now, doesn’t it? But for now it’s going to be interesting to see where Slott takes us from here with no Parker and no restraints other than the line Otto himself won’t cross… but are there any lines he won’t cross?

Now, I can’t finish this until I talk about Ryan Stegman’s art. It’s amazing and it’s great to have two artists, Stegman and Humberto Ramos, that are absolutely perfect for this book. There isn’t anything more I can say because I’d just be repeating myself.

Overall, Superior Spider-Man is exciting, fresh, and amazing (natch). It’s given us a whole new era in Spider-Man stories and the fact that people are so passionate, either for or against it, just shows that, despite everything, Slott is doing something right because people are constantly talking. I know I am and I cannot wait for the next issue!

This Saturday’s question: Which characters were destroyed by creators who obviously didn’t like them?

Did Brian Michael Bendis really need to kill off Hawkeye, bring him back, kill him again, bring him back again, make him crazy, bring his long-thought-dead wife back when he was in the middle of what might have been a healthy relationship, and then basically make him a worthless character in the period of less than a decade? Was it really necessary for Geoff Johns to kill off so many characters in Infinite Crisis? Did Joe Quesada and J. Michael Straczynski break the one rule of superhero comics (don’t let the bad guy win) with the ending of One More Day, the now infamous Spider-Man story? And how many X-Men writers have proven time after time that they simply hate the character Gambit? Or is it just a coincidence when characters who are most likely someone’s favorite hero or villain are so senselessly and utterly destroyed?

So go forth and debate! But be sure to back up your responses. Don’t be scared. And don’t give up. After all, no one likes a quitter. And you’re not a quitter, are you?

ALL OR NOTHING – AGE OF ULTRON #10A.I. First Look

It’s the hit comic book event of the spring, and this June – get your first look at the monumental fallout from Age Of Ultron in Age Of Ultron #10A.I.! From  Eisner Award winning writer Mark Waid & red-hot artist Andre Araujo, founding Avenger Hank Pym, stands at a crossroads! Faced with a dilemma only he can solve, Pym must gamble his past AND his future! By the end of this issue, one of the smartest men in the Marvel Universe will have an entirely new role, but will he have been redeemed?

 

So what are you waiting for? A whole new world is about to be unveiled following the end of Age Of Ultron #10! Head on over to your local comic shop and reserve a copy of Age Of Ultron #10A.I - TODAY!

 

Join the conversation on Twitter using #AgeOfUltron, and don’t forget to follow us at @Marvel [www.twitter.com/Marvel]!

AGE OF ULTRON #10A.I. (APR130594)

AGE OF ULTRON #10A.I. RIVERA VARIANT (APR130595)

Written by MARK WAID

Pencils by ANDRE ARAUJO

Cover by SARA PICHELLI
Variant Cover by PAOLO RIVERA

FOC – 5/27/13, ON-SALE – 6/26/13

Spoiler alert! You have been warned!

So here it is. The very first issue of Talon with writer James Tynion IV on his own. He has been rocking backup stories for quite some time now across the Batman titles, but his recent foray into solo writing has been quite a bumpy road over in Red Hood and the Outlaws. And I’ll admit, not seeing Scott Snyder’s name on this issue made me a little hesitant. Especially when I saw that regular series artist Guillem March had nothing to do with this one as well. So, taking those fears of mine into consideration, here are my thoughts on the issue.

We start, right off the bat, with damsel in distress situation. Then we get a two-page spread of a dead Calvin Rose. You know, the main character of the book? This is followed by a two page meeting of the Court of Owls, discussing the events of the last few issues. And then we are magically transported to a torture scene with the previously-mentioned damsel in distress, some more dead Calvin, and his inevitable and predictable resurrection and swearing to serve the Court willingly so they won’t kill his lady friend. But now the Court knows that Sebastian Clark is working with Bane and they are training an army in Santa Prisca, which we get a brief glimpse of, and they’re going to send Calvin to fight them… Eventually. But first, he’s got to take out another rogue Talon. The one named Mary Turner. The one who works for good. And the one who works alongside the Birds of Prey.

So we don’t get the Bane fight we want. We don’t even really get a lead-in to the Birds of Prey and Talon fight (which will eventually become a team-up because, hey, it’s a comic!). He’s just getting his armor on one minute and watching Batgirl and her all-female team of Gotham City protectors. So yeah, this issue wasn’t exactly the greatest. It just seemed like a get from point A to point B type of issue. Which is fine, for a filler issue, but makes me a little skeptical about the future of the title if this is going to be the format of every single issue. I have faith, though. After all, Tynion has proven himself as a good writer in the past. And the second issue of his solo run on Red Hood and the Outlaws was significantly better than his first. So here’s hoping that issue nine of Talon is much, much better than this one.

Spoiler alert! You have been warned!

This issue is a classic example of two things that can kill a good comic: writer fatigue and terrible fill-in artists. Now, before you all go off the deep end, let me tell you one thing. This issue is still a far cry from bad. But, that being said, I think we’ve been spoiled by most of what Geoff Johns and regular artists (first Jim Lee, then Tony Daniel, then Ivan Reis) have presented to us on a fairly consistent monthly basis. So artwork aside, I’ll just say that my major gripe has nothing to do with the script itself, but rather, the pacing and jarring pictures from what I had come to expect each time I pick up the main New 52 DC Universe title. I also think that it was a little unnecessary to announce, two issues in, that this story leads into the upcoming Trinity War. Duh. I have a brain. I figured that out last issue when the shit started to hit the fan.

The story picks up where we left off last issue, with the three new members of the Justice League (Element Woman, the Atom, and Firestorm) fighting Despero, who is filled with rage and trying to kill the team. Then Martian Manhunter shows up and beats the crap out of the villain. Just in time for the rest of the League to show up and realize that Batman’s kryptonite ring was stolen and given to Despero. Which we already knew. Perhaps the one saving grace of this lackluster issue is the sequence where Batman and Superman talk about the rationale behind owning such a dangerous weapon. Batman told the team that he was searching for a cure. He tells Superman that it is to keep him in line. He also reveals that Superman is to keep Wonder Woman in line. He is her kryptonite. And then he gives his teammate a box with his weakness hidden inside. This proves that Batman not only thinks of everything, but is, in all honesty, truly Superman’s friend. This was the moment that I’ve been waiting almost two years for. Finally, we have the friendship that should not be possible, but is really the backbone for the whole DC Universe.

The rest of the issue shows that (surprise, surprise) the Atom is a spy and secretly working for Amanda Waller. Now, let’s face it. The three heroes featured at the beginning of this issue will probably just be casualties of the Trinity War, so this is essentially just Geoff Johns doing his obligatory best to make them likable before maiming, vilifying, or just flat-out killing them. And the fact that the Shazam! backup feature is finally almost over brings a great sigh of relief to this loyal reader. All-in-all, this issue proves that even great series need to just take an issue off every now and then. Next issue, I’m certain, will be back to what we have come to love and expect from such a great monthly title. And as far as I’m concerned, it can’t come soon enough.

Spoiler alert! You have been warned!

Do not be deceived by the cover credits of this issue. Regular Aquaman scribe Geoff Johns and artist Paul Pelletier have nothing to do with this issue. At all. But that’s okay, because we get a little bit of a blast from the past. At least, for those of us who remember the Pre-New 52 DC Universe, that is. That’s right. The legendary John Ostrander pens this filler issue. And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t good to have him back in the DCU.

The issue is a relatively simple one in terms of plot, but that’s okay with me. After all, it is, as the title says, an interlude. We are given a brief entirely on-land story while we catch our breath from the current Death of a King storyline. This issue features a tale of the Others. You know, that team that Aquaman belonged to before he joined the Justice League? Manuel Garcia’s art is top-notch (especially for a fill-in issue) and he shows great depth in his portrayal of all of these relatively unknown characters. Essentially, this entire issue is a spotlight on characters that are building the Aquaman mythos to an epic scale that is beginning to rival that which Geoff Johns created for Green Lantern, yet another character that a lot of people didn’t really care too much about until he took over. On a slightly tangential side note, I’m assuming that with Johns’ finale that was nine years in the making over in the GL title that came out this week as well, we really can’t blame him for taking an issue off. And boy did he leave it in capable hands. So the story involves Aquaman going to his old teammates and asking them to recover some of the stuff in the driest and hottest parts of Arizona before his new adversary the Scavenger can do so. They agree. And then Aquaman’s gone. Literally. For the rest of the issue.

Now, some readers and fans of Arthur might not like that. But I personally have come to find it not only endearing that Aquaman usually takes a backseat in his own book, but also realistic. I mean, come on. He’s the King of Atlantis. He’s got stuff to do. So we get a cool fight sequence with a bunch of characters who are slowly growing, a brief but necessary recap of events for readers who might be picking up the issue solely to see if Ostrander’s still got it, and a pretty much entirely self-contained story that fits into (and bridges) a bigger arc. What more can you ask for in a filler issue? No complaints on this end. Overall, this was a solid issue that makes me anxious for the return of Johns and begs the question of why Ostrander hasn’t been given his own ongoing title yet.

 J. Michael Straczynski’s story feels like the occult updated for the current generation. In this wonderful mixture of the

Amazing artwork

mystics and modern technology, smartphones are used as mediums for spirits, firewalls keep the monsters out, and the undead have their own search engine. The tradition story of loss and redemption feels unique thanks to the setting, and you have to see the art in this thing to believe it. Ben Templesmith’s artwork is deceptively complex, and viewing it as abstract (as I did for the first couple of pages) is a mistake. One a first view, the reader can think that the art is stylistically haphazard. Lines shift in thickness and length; proportions warp from panel to panel. Looking closer though, the reader begins to see the mastery Templesmith uses in building the characters and world on the page. He is selective of the details he highlights, making sure each line is worthy of being marked. If a line in on the page, look at it closely because it has to be there. It really is a beautiful book, and you owe it to yourself to go through it at least once and just focus on each panel as its own piece of art. It might not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw.

Beyond the overall story being set up within Ten Grand #1’s pages, and the amazing artwork, the actual issue itself is damn near perfect for a “first of.” The world the story takes place in is fleshed-out nicely for the reader, and enough detail is given about it so that the suspension of belief isn’t a problem. There is ample characterization of the main character Joe Fitzgerald, and by the end the motivations are clear. An interesting antagonist is revealed, along with some back-story, and the end is not a cliffhanger that makes it difficult to wait for the next issue, but one that makes the waiting feel good in your soul, as you grasp from details not yet given.

 The first issue of Ten Grand reads like a “How-To” for kicking off a new series. Some of the themes and characters will seem a bit familiar, but that isn’t a bad thing. They are quickly built upon so that the scaffolding doesn’t show. If I had to recommend one issue of one new series to pick up, it’s this one. Do yourself a favor and jump on board this thing while it’s still on the shelves. Ebay prices are way too high on excellent first issues to try and get this sucker later.

There are some spoilers here, but I’ve marked those sections so if you want to read the spoiler-free section only simply jump down to after the asterisks.

*** SPOILERS BEGIN ***

For new readers to the GFT universe, there are basically several realms that exist where the fairy tale characters we know about are based in a form of reality. As you can expect, some are good and some are bad. This story has the bad guys get together and attack the United Nations in New York City – and it gets pretty nasty. In order to battle these villains, a government agency “recruits” a number of individuals who are a force for good – the Highborns known as Sela Mathers (who has been around since the beginning of Grimm Fairy Tales; Shang; Hecate; Hook; Red (as in Little Red Riding Hood); and Robyn Hood.

These heroes take the battle to the baddies, led by a false Highborn (at least, that’s my interpretation) named Cindy. She leads a few others in attacking the UN, including someone identified as a necromancer who I do not recognize (and as he gets taken down pretty easily I’m not sure how instrumental he is), Nox, and Grendel. In order to stop them, the team splits up with Red and Robyn Hood taking on Grendel and the rest of the group heading indoors to take on Cindy and her main team. Although the battle snaps back and forth among the teams at various times, the good guys are eventually victorious… but at a price. Robyn and Red have met before, and it turns out that only Robyn knew that Red could turn all wolfen. She exploited that fact to defeat Grendel, forcing Red to lose her concentration and wolf out.

The team departs at the end, with Robyn heading out to New Jersey (where she can be found in the pages of Robyn Hood: Wanted #1). Shang reads Cindy’s mind and discovers that something bad is about to happen, and that’s where Unleashed comes into play.

*** SPOILERS END ***

OK, so now that that’s done. Pat Shand is one of those writers for Zenescope that, no matter what I pick up, he seems to be writing it. Here, he has written the story in such a way that as a new reader to Zenescope, it gives you a great introduction to some of these characters who have had a history with the series. You don’t need the whole history here, as you gather some of the salient bits as you read the story. That means that a new reader, such as myself, don’t need to worry about missing a lot of backstory in order to jump into the action in this issue, and that’s a good thing. It also shows that Shand has a handle on many of the characters quite well. In fact, he is the writer on many of the Zenescope books each month so he definitely has a handle on the nuances. The story was co-plotted by Shand and Joe Brusha, and if you look at the actual Unleashed titles you see that Shand has his hands in there as well. Although I think some of the action in this story is minimized as it turns into a battle of quips at times. Not every story needs words in every panel, but that’s one thing I have noticed with many Zenescope books. There needs to be a word balloon or a narrative point in almost every scene; other publishers have shown that that’s not the case so long as the writer can give strong direction to his artistic team. I think Shand is capable of this and I would love to see more of that.

The pencils of the book are due to 2 individuals: Noah Salonga and Wagner Souza. The art in this book is actually quite amazing. Some of the Zenescope books I have read, you see the cover art and that’s done by a number of artists, but then you get to the interiors and it’s nothing like what you expect for the book. This team definitely works well in delivering the action in the story. I think the main reason we have 2 artists here is that this is a one-shot and it’s a 40+-page story. Even though I am not the biggest fan of multiple artists on a book, that really seems to depend on the artists involved. Here, it did not take away from the story and so that’s a very good thing. The activity continued on from one artist to the next and it was seamless – so excellent work there.

So,overall, what’s my thought? This was a good read. Not exceptional, but good. I think that’s because (as I said above) the writer is writing a large quantity of books for this publisher as well as helping flesh out the stories for them. I have read a few things from him which are exceptional (such as the aforementioned Robyn Hood series) and although this story is good, it’s not to that caliber. The art does make up for it here, though, and really seemed to work with this combination of artists. If you’re a Zenescope fan, this is a good pick for you; if you want somewhere to start with Zenescope, it may introduce you to a few of the characters you will find in their event currently going on but it won’t give you all the answers. I’ll leave it up to you there to determine how you want to proceed!

But last year saw the launch of a comic book series which showed us that stories can be whimsical and gritty; that characters can be flamboyant and deep. A series that refused to grow up and taught us to believe in fairies again. From Image Comics’ sister company Shadowline, that series was Peter Panzerfaust, a World War Two reimagining of Peter Pan, by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins.

In the first volume, we were introduced to the magnificent, larger-than-life eponymous hero and his struggles in Nazi-occupied France via the remembrances of one of the elderly Lost Boys (a group of French orphans Peter takes under his wing). It was a glorious, old-fashioned adventure; fun, but unafraid to show harsher realities. In that vein, and very much in keeping with superhero tradition, this second volume sees Peter face this version of his classic nemesis: Kapitan Haken, AKA The Hook.

Peter in the rain

Indeed, this volume gets very dark. While it does serve to amp up the peril, it is a little disheartening to see the wonder drain out of Peter. If that was writer Wiebe’s intention, he succeeded, but failed to really draw anything from the radical change in tone. It feels like darkness for darkness’ sake.

And while I was enraptured by the first collection, I did feel that Jenkins’ artwork was a little underwhelming. Here, even moreso. He captures landscapes and scenery perfectly, evoking the spirit of the narrative, but his figures seem awkward, stiff and are often difficult to tell apart. I realise that specific criticism on a WW2-era book has unfortunate connotations, but I assume it’s purely coincidental. Moving on…

These story differences could, I suppose, be put down to the change in narrator. The framing device of the story, which is more interesting and expanded here than in the previous volume, sees a man — hinted to be Peter’s son — tracking down the Lost Boys in the present day and interviewing them about their experiences. Last time it was Tootles, here it is Curly.

Despite my criticisms, the series is not out of pixie dust yet. While dark thematically, the character of Haken is superb. He is very much a time-transplanted Captain Hook — while not as theatrical as that role usually is, you can see signs of him reigning it in, only unleashed in anger at Peter.

Curly also makes for a better audience surrogate than the flavourless Tootles. He is more actively involved in the plot, pretty much serving as Peter’s second-in-command. Although he is narrating and could thus be lying, I suppose. But that uncertainty just adds to the whimsy.

Peter’s relationship with Wendy is explored more; we see that, in his bleakest moments, she is there for him as an equal with her own tragic past. It never feels forced, as it could easily do.

Other elements from Peter Pan are brought in here, such as the fierce Tiger Lily and her “Braves” — French resistance fighters. It is a clever reinvention, and she quickly becomes one of the strongest characters in the series (sadly, most of the Lost Boys and Wendy’s brothers aren’t up to much).

And the framing story I mentioned early is becoming more and more intriguing. Just when you think you know a classic story, they make you wonder how it’s all going to end.

While Hooked strays a little far from Neverland, there’s no denying that this is one of the most inventive, enjoyable, and powerful series out there right now.

Kapitan Haken

It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Let’s run through a quick refresher (for the full article, click here to check it out).

ONE: Pick a Character. Not just which one, but which version and how accurate the costume will be.
TWO: Gathering Reference Images. Pictures of character and costume from as many angles as possible.
THREE. Multiple Lists. Helping to organize what you need and what you need to do, including any tutorials or things you think you might need to learn.

So you have all your research completed. The next step is to get everything you need!

Step Four: Purchasing

Buying everything should seem so self-explanatory that it doesn’t require a step description, but there are some ways to go about it to help both your finances and your sanity.

these things come in BATCHES.

If you plan far enough in advance, you can wait for discount sales. Stores like Michael’s and JoAnn’s have massive weekly sales and joining their mailing lists gives you access to a ton of coupons, especially around major holiday weekends (though not exclusively). Some of them will be store-wide or even a percentage off your total purchase, like 40 or even 50% off! I try to make an effort not to buy anything full price at these stores, because chances are if it’s full price this week, next week it won’t be. This changes when you’re under a time constraint, of course, but if it’s possible, it can help save you a lot of money.

Also be aware of which stores in your area accept competitor coupons. This is something I’m not so good at, but it can be wholly successful if you’re willing to put a little time into figuring it out. Thrift stores and discount stores like Wal-Mart have a lot of options for cheap clothes that might be something you can modify to look like what you want.

I also like to plan shopping days mid-week, if your schedule allows for it. That way the stores are less crowded and it takes less time to get what you are looking for.

There are a couple of ways you can purchase things, and neither are better than the other per se, it’s just about finding what works for you. You can buy everything in one or two days, hitting up multiple stores and checking things off on your list, which sometimes saves time because you’re not making so many trips. You could also break it up by the pieces you’re making and shop for them individually, which is often financially better.

What I do is mark off what I need and where, but also when I need it.

For example, when making an Iron Man costume a few months back, I knew I needed craft foam, cheesecloth and modpodge first. I wasn’t sure yet what kind of spray paint or sealant I’d need, so even though it was on my list, it wasn’t something I needed right away, so it was pushed to the bottom.

swatches to match snaps & zippers

Something to keep in mind as you shop: carry swatches of your fabrics with you. Swatches are little scraps of fabrics and they’re important for matching colours, like if you needed a red helmet to match a red shirt, you’d bring the red shirt to the store, right? Same goes for fabric. You might hit up multiple fabric stores on your search for the perfect ones, and having swatches of what you’ve already purchased ensures you’re not going to buy something that clashes or doesn’t completely match.

Step Five: Beginning Assembling

Easier said than done, right? Let’s break this down in to sub-steps, if you will.

so many fabrics…..

Here are all your items in one giant pile on your table.

Maybe a bit overwhelming?

Break down how you want to start the costume. Are you the kind of person that would like to tackle the hardest thing first and get it over with? Or are you someone that does better working on something simple first, and saving the hardest for later? Do you do better working on multiple pieces at once? Those are all logical ways of going about making a costume, but make sure you know how you function best, because making a cosplay costume can be surprisingly frustrating, and if you’re easily discouraged, starting with the hardest part first will just make you struggle even more.

For me, I like to make the main part of the costume first. For Iron Man, it would be his chest panels. Sometimes, like with Iron Man, it’s actually the hardest part, but usually it’s just the biggest part. It stresses me out to start working on smaller stuff first, because the main piece is primarily the most important.

This is another point when your lists are great. Let’s look at another example. A few years back I made a Nightwing costume for a child, this costume in particular:

Breaking that down, I made a list of simple necessities:

•    shirt
•    pants
•    boots
•    gloves
•    mask

I’m someone that functions well on having things to check off and see that I’ve done them, like a stupid toddler kindergarten reward chart, but it is the best way for ME to complete a costume. This would be the list I made for assembling Nightwing’s costume:

Checklist for a Nightwing costume

Notice that I have a little box for every step…haha. This isn’t necessarily the method that’ll work for you. You’ll figure out what works best for you once you start.

Step Six: Assembling!

You already decided what you needed to make, what you could modify, and what you could just plain buy.

“just plain buy”

weathering a boot

Obviously the bought-to-wear items don’t need to be adjusted, but sometimes they might need a little love. For example, if your character is wearing army boots and you buy a pair, weathering and wearing them down a little, instead of a brand new, shiny pair of boots. Little things like that help to make a costume look cohesive instead of patched together, and make you more believable as your character.

spoiler alert, the new robin is going to a boxer dog

Weathering clothes is easy and can be really fun. Tools like super rough sandpaper and acrylic paints are great for this, but also just the basic wear and tear of actually wearing an item can help too (if you have the time). You can get creative with this too; once, I needed to tear up a cape and make it look pretty beat up, so I chased my friend’s boxer dog around the yard and let him attack it and get it covered in grass stains. I washed it after, but it worked really well!

Modifying clothes

Modifying clothes to fit a costume can be easy, but sometimes it looks more easy than it actually is, especially if you’re modifying the actual fit of the clothing (as opposed to the visual look). There are so many ways to modify clothes, and a lot of tutorials for them, so this is where Google is your best friend. Sites like Instructables and eHow offer countless tutorials on what to do to t-shirts or jeans, for example, which can be a great starting point.

Also, modifying clothes is a great way to create the “less important” parts of a costume, which can alleviate stress and allow you to focus on hard parts. For example, the green t-shirt under Robin’s red tunic, or the collared shirt the Joker wears underneath his purple suit. These are items that you can, in theory, buy in the store, but maybe they’re not the right colour so you have to dye them.

Construction

simple comparisons are hard to see when things are pink and fluffy

Arguably the hardest part of making a costume is actually, well, making it. Often there will be parts of your costume that you can’t find or easily modify, and it’s better to just make it. Making a pattern from scratch is really hard, but fabric & craft stores like JoAnn’s sell patterns for a variety of clothes. Don’t be turned away by the example images, look at the SHAPES of the clothes and try to imagine how it would look with the colours and fabrics you need for your costume. A witch’s cape could be the right length for a Robin cape. A dog jumpsuit could make a perfect Pikachu. There’s a chance you’ll have to change the pattern around a little (say for ears or a collar) but it’s still easier than making it completely on your own.

muslin for Joker’s tailcoat

For me, as a costume designer, my process might be different than yours since I make all my patterns, but one thing that I do that you could learn a lot from is making a “muslin.” This is basically a “test run” of your costume, made with cheap fabric (muslin is cheap cotton) that is similar to your final fabrics.

For example, if you’re making a Catwoman costume, you might buy really good spandex that’s the perfect colour and shine. But you could find cheap spandex to use to make a test/muslin and make sure the pattern and size fits you the way you want, instead of wasting the expensive fabric you purchased.

left, the muslin for right, the final product

Sometimes I will go through four or five muslins to really lock down the look that I want. That isn’t something you necessarily need to do, but making just one can be extremely helpful. If nothing else, it familiarizes you with the pattern and the instructions, so that you don’t make as many mistakes with your final product.

Not all costumes are just primarily sewing. You might need to knit or crochet. You might need to make armor or construct things out of various materials, like cardboard and plastic.

The key is to be okay with failing. Each costume is something new, whether you are a professional costumer or someone interested in a new hobby. It’s going to take a few tries to get something to look how you want it to, and it’s going to be frustrating. But in the end, you’ll get a costume that is well thought-out and looks great. And all that effort will be entirely worth it.

Until the next costume idea comes along!

AGE OF ULTRON #8 (Marvel NOW!)
The entirety of this issue takes place in the modified future after Logan and Sue Storm have killed Hank Pym. Things are definitely bleaker and, whereas the last issue kind of showed Tony Stark as being a total dick, we find out the truth: he is a dick, but he’s a dick trying to protect everyone. He is assisted by Charles Xavier (who, if Wolverine were to meet him, would probably sh*t bricks) and Emma Frost; after all, since they are no longer dealing with Ultron in this world, you just might need a couple of telepaths on your side! We see Ben Grimm get the Defenders to help him find Sue Storm who is being interrogated by Stark and his team, and then things happen. The ultimate evil in that universe, Morgan LeFay, attacks and is accompanied by her army of demonic Doombots. We have only a single artist on this issue in Brandon Peterson as we have no time shifts going on, but we all know that with only 2 issues left and how the art work has been broken up (Peterson on the alterna-present, Hitch on the previous present, and Pacheco on the past) we’ll end up seeing the trio working together again to tie everything up. And with some teasers as to AoU #10 working around, such as the inclusion of Neil Gaiman’s Angela into the issue as well as a single word lurking as an aftermath of the series – “Hunger” – there is definitely more to come within the Marvel Universe as a result of the AoU. -Kelly Cassidy

AVENGERS: THE ENEMY WITHIN #1 (Marvel NOW!)
This is the first issue in a crossover between Captain Marvel and Avengers Assemble, both books written by Kelly Sue Deconnick. With what’s been going on with Captain Marvel since the launch of her series, we see some of the conflict (including her losing her powers) coming to a head in this crossover. The story actually goes back further than this series, dealing with the object that turned Carol into Ms. Marvel in the first place. Although she has been depowered before (when Rogue stole all her memories and powers WAAAAY back when), I’ve never seen her be this… down. She has her Avengers pals to help her, though, which is good; they even get to toss a little humor into the fray. From Spider-Woman pulling a prank on her to Thor even getting a one liner as they are fighting T-Rex’s – “Mayhap your enemy hath wee little arms.” This is part 1 of 5, with the remaining 4 issues taking place in the aforementioned Captain Marvel and Avengers Assemble. The story is strong, the art is good, and I am looking forward to the next 4 parts of the story. -Kelly Cassidy

THE COLONIZED #2 (IDW)
So what happens when you have aliens arriving on Earth just in time for a zombie invasion in a town full of rednecks and ‘anti-government’ hillbillies? Well, The Colonized pretty much answers this question. Another question I have is did the aliens cause this? They were hoping to study a human before they made full contact because they needed to know if there were germs or anything that could harm them. But there is still the question, to me anyway, if they actually caused this or if something else made the dead rise? But this issue gave us some interesting developments. We find out the aliens cannot become zombies because when they die they turn into dust. But what was really interesting is when a zombie bites one of them the zombie seems to regain some of its former personality and dies again… and for good this time. So can the aliens cure and kill the zombies? I guess it doesn’t really matter because at this point there aren’t enough of them to fight the zombie hordes. There is also the question of the ATF Agent who was supposed to be finding out their weapon and man-power capabilities because they insist on living ‘off the grid’ who sees the aliens and now figures he can use them to make his career he just needs to try to survive the zombie attack first.
The story by Chris Ryall is fine and intriguing. It certainly can’t be easy to have this many different elements in one story and make it work but Ryall actually does it. What could easily be little more than a campy sci-fi story can actually be taken a little more serious even with zombie cows attacking people.
Oh, and eagle-eyed IDW fans should be on the look out for Archibald, the alien character from IDW’s Groom Lake miniseries by Ryall and Ben Templesmith, he also appeared in the Infestation 2 event in a one-shot. -Skott Jimenez

DOOMSDAY .1 #1 (IDW)
This comic book series is another edition to the flooded market of apocalyptic storylines. I’m going to try to avoid spoilers in this Bullet Review but zombies were not the cause of this particular doomsday. The first issue of Doomsday.1 introduces us to several characters that all have some cliché background or connection. We’ve got the woman who is early in her pregnancy, the son whose father never truly apologized or worked things out. We have a farmer type who seems completely out-of-place given the location and an early hero who is portrayed in a somewhat negative light but who sacrifices himself to save others. The dialogue is just as clichéd but it’s used to push the played out plot points.
To be honest, by page 8 of this 32 page book, I was ready to stop reading. I feel like this issue doesn’t bring anything original to the table, well nothing that survives for more than a few pages. In fact, the only unique things about this story literally go up in flames and that is unfortunate because I would have rather had them explore what would happen to a handful of people stranded in space after a doomsday occurs on Earth. Instead, we are introduced to many characters in specific different situations, the White House, a religious group (I’m assuming the Catholic Church’s top Bishops and maybe the Pope), prison inmates, a military sub and then our primary characters whose unique situation becomes completely irrelevant in a matter of this one issue.
I might give the second issue a chance in hopes that the writers to have a plan that gives this story its own unique voice but based on the stereo typical characters and plot devices used in just this first issue, my hopes are not high. Unless you simply have an unbridled love for doomsday stories, I’d skip this particular series. – Derreck Mayer

FABLES #129 (Vertigo)
We bring Snow White to an end and, unlike the Disney versions of these stories, this time there is no ‘happily ever after’. The final showdown between Snow and Brandish ends in death as fans of the series figured because whenever a story is named after a character… the story usually has a sad ending  and for Fables Fans this ending is probably up there with the ending of Amazing Spider-Man #700. But that’s what makes this issue sad but grand at the same time. But it’s also a shining example of why this has been one of the best books being published today, and has been for over 10 years. Just as with ASM #700 we didn’t get a cheapened ending with a last-minute save, we got a sliver of hope that things might not get worse and still have a chance to get better but with a tap of a sword things went south and we are now without a long running character. You’ll notice I’m not being very specific here, that’s because I know a lot of  readers follow this series through trades only and I don’t want to spoil it. So just be prepared when you reach this point.
But then there are the plans by the Witches to try to fix the situation. Can it work? Should it? Young Ambrose makes a very good point about bringing people back from the dead and how in the stories it never ends well to bring someone back from the dead and makes the connection they are all from ‘the stories.’ It all can possibly lead to future stories but this issue here is, and I know I say this a lot, one of the best issues in the series because it had a real ending and there was no cheap exit. Fables #129 will go down in history as a game changer for this series, the loss of a major character in any series will do that but unlike your typical superhero stuff… in Fables death is usually not something you get better from. This character will be missed and will never be replaced and now, while we grieve the loss, we must move forward. What’s really sad about this is since it isn’t Spider-Man or Superman this death isn’t going to get major coverage outside of fans like me and others who have outlets to talk about it online. -Skott Jimenez

FF #7 (Marvel NOW!)
This has been one of those books that I have been on the fence about keeping. I am still on the fence, but I have not dismissed it yet. Although I have been liking Fantastic Four, FF is something… that I cannot put my finger on. Yes, we are seeing the series tie together (this issue of FF seems to do something to Blastaar that we are seeing the resulting actions of in the last issue of Fantastic Four), but… that’s about it. The cover of the book is also somewhat misleading, as the Human Torch and She-Hulk are actually nowhere to be found within the pages. Well, She-Hulk shows up at the end of the book, but that’s about it. I do get that the cover is an homage to an old Buscema cover and so we needed the 4 members of the team there. Although I love Mike Allred’s work usually (iZombie was an amazing book), I’m still on the fence for him here. Maybe it’s the uniforms for the team which are just… Well, they wouldn’t have designed an outfit like that for the FF back in the 1960s so to do it now just seems… garish. Apart from the outfits Allred does a great job here; I really, REALLY like his rendition of Dragon Man. But this story was really about Scott “Ant Man” Lang becoming comfortable in his role as team leader, and that eventually happened. His grief of his daughter being taken from him always overwhelmed him at the wrong times, and now he’s coming to see the team as his family. He couldn’t save Cassie, but he can save this crew. The only other notable thing to say: we see the Inhumans here. I have heard rumors that something is coming down the pipe at Marvel that includes them and, since Medusa is a team member here, we can assume there will be some overlap and some teases here as the months go on. -Kelly Cassidy

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA’S VIBE #4 (DC)
If you’ve been reading this series and it’s “parent” title, Justice League of America, you know that Vibe has been a reluctant hero. He’s part of the team being formed in order to take down the Justice League, should the need arise. Even though DC architect Geoff Johns helped to bring Vibe back to the DCU, this is the first issue where his name no longer appears in the credits. He took co-plotter and co-writer on the first few issues, but the writing of the book here shows that maybe he was more plotter than anything as the dialogue appears consistent from the first few issues. Sterling Gates continues to run with Vibe as being the reluctant hero who has no clue as to what’s going on, and considering this issue contains his old JLA teammate of Gypsy (from the old DCU) it’s a nice touch. It was nice, as a longtime JLA fan, to see the two of them together, even if Vibe’s mission is to hunt her down. Having Dale Gunn as his handler (Dale was the civilian helping the League out back in the day, as well) is a nice touch to give the feel of that era again. Gypsy’s powers seem to be different from what they used to be, though; she used to be able to generate illusions and turn herself invisible but anything more powerful seemed beyond her. Maybe her time as a prisoner of ARGUS has boosted her powers somewhat? Who knows? Maybe we’ll get to see more of the old JLA in this series – perhaps Steel and Vixen will show up soon. -Kelly Cassidy

MARK WAID’S GREEN HORNET #2 (Dynamite)
I’ve been impressed with the Dynamite books of late, really for their pulp nature. I recall listening to some of the classic Green Hornet audio serials on the radio a long time ago and had not given the Green Hornet series a try. But, with Mark Waid’s name tied to the story, I had to give it a shot. This issue continues the story set by Waid and artist Daniel Indro in the first issue with the Hornet attempting to cement his place into the criminal underworld. He does this in a number of ways, including setting a man on fire, as well as using his alter ego to place the Hornet into a negative light. It all comes to a head when things don’t go as planned and the Hornet and Kato are suddenly in range of a number of police guns. Waid and Indro do a great job in bringing you into this story, however if you missed the first issue you might be a little confused. Not a lot, but it does make things clearer with the perspective of what that first issue has. This is a definite great read, especially if you like heroes without powers or simply the pulp style of story. -Kelly Cassidy

SWORD OF SORCERY #8 (DC)
FINAL ISSUE
This is the final issue of the series which has suffered low sales. I really wanted this book to succeed ever since I first heard that it was being released, as there are many fantasy stories that originated within the DCU. I think the problem, though, was tying it too tightly to the DCU. I mean, we have Eclipso as the big bad and then we had Constantine being… well, a dick in earlier issues. Had Amethyst’s story begun as taking place in the New 52 somehow, that would have been different, but Christy Marx did not have the history in writing the character as, say, Palmiotti and Gray who put Jonah Hex into the New 52 and somehow made it work. I think this series suffered from trying to re-introduce Amethyst without initially tying her to the New 52 (with the exception of the brief Constantine cameo in the first issue), but also that most of the books that have backup stories trying to put too much into an issue. The price point of this series was $3.99, but really the book could have been cut to $2.99 and just had the Amethyst story and I think it would have been OK. The backup stories were not strong enough to keep the series going. I would recommend picking up this series in trade as it is worth a read; I am sorry to say, though, that I don’t think the run was done as well as it could have been. -Kelly Cassidy

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #91 (IDW)
The Autobots are recovering from the effects of Scorponok’s Gene Key that really messed up a lot of the inhabitants of Cybertron, making them see a side of themselves they never knew existed. While some are able to cope with it, many aren’t and are practically begging to be punished for their actions even though they had no control over themselves. Add to this the rather unpopular Hot Rod, appointed leader by Optimus Prime, and his strange obsessions with Cybertron’s inner depths and its history/future and you have a population on the verge of total breakdown. What ever happens next these ‘Bots need to get their acts together because there is not one but two major threats heading their way and if they can’t pull themselves together there won’t be many Autobots surviving this series.
For a series based on a toyline that celebrates 30 years next year, this series has more intrigue that you’d expect. There are story threads spreading all over the place but writer Simon Furman does an amazing job keeping them straight and ending some at the right time while introducing new threads seamlessly. I’m not sure how the other Transformers books are going but as long as this one keeps firing on all cylinders I won’t need to find out! -Skott Jimenez

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Gold Digger #200

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
World Of Archie Double Digest #29

ASPEN COMICS
Jirni #2

AVATAR PRESS
Crossed Badlands #28

BLACK MASK COMICS
Occupy Comics #1

BLUE JUICE COMICS
Accelerators #1

BONGO COMICS
Bart Simpson Comics #83

BOOM! STUDIOS
Adventure Time #16
Adventure Time With Fionna And Cake #5
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser The Dark Watch #4
Steed And Mrs Peel #8

DARK HORSE COMICS
Akaneiro #1
Dark Horse Presents #24
Deep Sea (One Shot)
House Of Gold And Bones #2
Lobster Johnson Satan Smells A Rat (One Shot)
Massive #12
Mind MGMT #11
Star Wars Legacy Volume 2 Prisoner Of The Floating World #3

DC COMICS
All-Star Western #20
Aquaman #20
Arrow #7
Batman Beyond Unlimited #16
Batman Incorporated #11
Batman Li’l Gotham #2
Batman The Dark Knight #20
Flash #20
Fury Of Firestorm The Nuclear Man #20
Green Lantern #20
Green Lantern New Guardians #20
Green Team Teen Trillionaires #1
Justice League #20
Justice League Dark #20
Red Lanterns #20
Savage Hawkman #20
Superman #20
Talon #8
Teen Titans #20
Unwritten #49

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Damsels #7
Dark Shadows Year One #2
Masks #7
Red Sonja #75

IDW PUBLISHING
Doctor Who #9
G.I. JOE The Cobra Files #2
Ghostbusters #4
Half Past Danger #1
Judge Dredd #7
KISS Solo #3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villain Microseries #2
Transformers Robots In Disguise #17
True Blood #13

IMAGE COMICS
Activity #13
Bounce #1
Dia De Los Muertos #3
Five Ghosts The Haunting Of Fabian Gray #3
Miniature Jesus #2
Nowhere Men #5
Revival #10
Sex #3

MARVEL COMICS
A+X #8
Avengers #12
Daredevil #26
Deadpool #10
Disney Pixar Cars Magazine #14 
Fantastic Four #8
Fearless Defenders #4AU
Iron Man #258.3
Journey Into Mystery #652
Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man #14
Powers Bureau #4
Scarlet Spider #17
Superior Spider-Man #10
Ultimate Comics Wolverine #4
Uncanny Avengers #8AU
Uncanny X-Men #6
X-Men Legacy #11
Young Avengers #5

ONI PRESS
Sixth Gun #31
Wasteland #45

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Hunters The Shadowlands #1
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Werewolves The Hunger #1

So there’s quite a few books here to be excited about. Not only is Zenescope continuing their Unleashed event with 2 tie-in books, but we also have 2 tie-ins for Age of Ultron by Marvel! Not only that, but we have some first issues in the likes of Image’s Bounce, IDW’s Half Past Danger, Dark Horse’s Akaneiro and DC’s Green Team Teen Trillionaires. Not only that but we have the last issue of Geoff Johns epic run on Green Lantern! 

What’s on your pull list?

PRELUDE TO INFINITY – AVENGERS #14 First Look

 

This June, jump on the road to the biggest comic book event of the summer with Avengers #14 – a prelude to Infinity! From the blockbuster creative team of writers Jonathan Hickman & Nick Spencer and artist Stefano Caselli! With the Builders light years away, all of the Origin Sites across the globe activate sending their signal across the Marvel Universe! But what do they mean? And with A.I.M.’s S7 program about to kickoff – can the Avengers tackle both threats before it’s too late?

 

Every issue of Avengers includes a code for a free digital copy of that same comic on the Marvel Comics app for iOS and Android devices. Additionally, each issue of Avengers features special augmented reality content available exclusive through the Marvel AR app – including cover recaps, behind the scenes features and more that add value to your reading experience at no additional cost.

 

This June, Hickman, Spencer & Caselli prepare the Avengers for the worst in Avengers #14!

 

Join the conversation on Twitter with hash tag #MarvelINFINITY, and don’t forget to follow us at @Marvel[www.twitter.com/Marvel]!

 

For more on Marvel’s Infinity, please visit www.marvel.com.

AVENGERS #14 (APR130640)

Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN & NICK SPENCER

Art by STEFANO CASELLI

Cover by LEINIL YU

FOC- 05/27/13 On-Sale – 06/19/13

UNCANNY X-MEN #6 NOW!
(W) Brian Michael Bendis
(A/Cover) Frazer Irving
Cover Price $3.99

The Uncanny X-Men face evil sorcerer Dormammu! Don’t miss this new take on the evil sorcerer demon courtesy of Bendis and Irving. Discover the secrets Magik has been hiding since the Phoenix Force left her in Avengers Vs. X-Men.

 

 

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #10
(W) Dan Slott
(A) Ryan Stegman
(Cover) Marcos Martin
Cover Price $3.99

It begins here.

A perfect jumping-on point as The Green Goblin returns…and Spider-Man is nowhere to be found.

No one promised you a rose garden. And you’re not getting one.

OK, so before I go on, to describe how good the book is there will be spoilers. If you don’t want to read those, stop reading now.

Giffen is giving a change to the franchise when, to be honest, was considered quite stagnant back in the late 80s. After a few attempts at relaunches which didn’t last too long, I think what the series was missing is that those who would most likely pick up this series are those who were enthralled with it as children in both toy and cartoon format. That’s what Giffen has done here – the characters and the world we loved as kids are still there, but it’s grown over time. It’s no longer the 1980s where the sight of blood or the fact that a weapon can actually pierce the skin is taboo; we see worse all the time. Instead, we see that this is an era where swords are swords and they can cause damage, but it’s not done to excess which is good. It’s not gratuitous violence for the sake of violence. This is a world where swordplay and magic are the norm and it’s launched as a fantasy series but simply with characters we recognize.

As the issue opens (and as the previous one concluded), we saw Adam and Teela under attack by a young woman who is a lieutenant of Hordak, the new bad for the series. Teela recognizes the woman as Adora, an old imaginary friend of Teela. But, with all of the mind-mucking going on for everyone on Eternia, is that really the truth? In the old cartoon run, Adora is actually the twin sister of Adam/He-Man, kidnapped as a child and taken to Etheria (a world similar to Eternia) but where the ultimate bad guy was… wait for it… Hordak. Adora is an agent of this dude and is granted a sword from the Sorceress which turns her into She-Ra, the Princess of Power. So… it almost sounds like we know what’s gonna happen here, huh?

I don’t think it’s going to be that simple. We saw the Sorceress (supposedly) killed at the end of the miniseries. So where is the sword going to originate from? OK, Adora used to say “For the honor of Grayskull” to begin her transformation, and since the Masters are currently holed up in Grayskull while waiting the Hordak’s Horde to attack, it’s possible that something can happen here. It still is a strong possibility that Adora is the sister of Adam, since at the end of the issue we have King Randor hearing the name Adora and then – eyes wide – mentioning the name of his wife, Marlena, who appears to be missing so far in the series.

As I mentioned, this is a change. There is an extensive amount of sarcasm going on (Teela is the biggest culprit) and the group of Masters has also significantly diminished as a result of the attack. We can assume that many of them have survived and are perhaps captured, but we only have a handful as part of the resistance here. What’s vastly different here is that everyone seems aware that Adam is He-Man – that was not the case in the old series. Hell, when the toys came out, He-Man didn’t even have an alter ego! He was He-Man – pure and simple. By removing the whole “Clark Kent” bit it shows that maybe Eternians aren’t as blind as those in Metropolis – they are the same character. Let’s move on.

Whereas I can spend a lot more time praising the writing, I need to comment on Pop Mhan’s art. Although good, I think it could be better. One of the reasons that many books thrive is because of the art, as comics are definitely a visual medium. I’m not sure how familiar Mhan is with the Masters characters, and maybe that’s part of the problem, but I think he is trying to do too much in some of the scenes. Some of the scenes are drawn strangely, with body dimensions being somewhat off. Facial expressions are jumping around like crazy – the drawing of mouths are way off and the dimensions seem to change from panel to panel for the same character. In most cases it’s good art, but the spots that are off are just… off. The best example: the scene where Battle Cat attacks Adora has such a strange angle that it just doesn’t seem possible as being something that can actually happen. I have seen Mhan do some amazing stuff but this issue just appears somewhat rushed to me – maybe it’s just me, but that’s how I see it.

So… is it worth picking up? I think so. Issue 1 had great work by Mhan, but it seems to be lacking here. The story, though, is going strong and if you read the miniseries you’ll see the revelation of who Skeletor actually is to He-Man, which is touched upon here. It’s definitely worth the read for fans of the franchise, but I would say you do need to be familiar with the franchise to like this issue as a standalone one, but reading the miniseries and how it’s been relaunched is almost a must. We’ll see what happens at the conclusion of this first arc, but I’m hopeful that the series will continue!

Chuck Dixon continues the rebranding of  the G.I. Joe universe and his stories are exciting and usually well plotted out.  There are a lot of fun bits to this issue and the entire series so far.  Scarlett punching the shark is one.  Another is seeing how much of a threat Baroness is while on her own.  Serpentor even raises an eyebrow or two with his scheming.  Seeds are sown for future stories.

The bad for this book is the slow pacing.  The team has not been formed yet all the action has centered on Scarlett and Mainframe with Dial Tone adding extra pieces of dialogue when a fresh voice is needed.  Rounding out the support staff are Torpedo and Deep Six as glorified taxi drivers, Ripcord as a glorified babysitter and Beachhead makes an apprearance.   Serpentor as a whacked out cult leader is a diferent role for him however who he worships is likely to make old G.I. Joe fans to drop the book right there.

Special Missions was once a title that had missions that were done in one and sometimes two issue stories.  Forming the team in one issue linking stories would have been different but would have also kept the same goals.  In the cover recap page it is described that this team does the missions that the public can not know about and none of those missions are here.

Look, G.I. Joe is the main PR book and Cobra is their spy book so shouldn’t Special Missions be the Black Ops book where the stakes are higher and the failures are equally devastating?  Right now, unfortunately, this book is G. I. Joe light.  It would be better in a more intimate setting and it would be nice to see Dixon take clues from the recent James Bond Movies and Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force.  It seemed that threats always seemed to give Daniel Craig’s Bond a few gut punches and with X-Force the reader might not have agreed with why the team did what they did but you knew why they were there.  That is what this book needs to be – all of these characters can be cool given the right circumstances and, except for Scarlett, the Baroness and eventually Stalker, most of these characters were either in the background or not in the books at all.

As for the art, Paul Gulacy shines and it is like he is a new talent but the guy has been around since at least the early 80′s.  Gulacy has not lost a step.  The artwork is as sharp is ever.  All of the characters can be told apart, the reader can feel the rain as it pours, the wind as it blows and the waves as they hit.  Welcome back Mr. Gulacy; it is nice to see your art again so keep doing what you are doing.

This book really is just for Joe fans or even fans of Chuck Dixon.  The writing is not bad it just doesn’t need four issue story arcs.  Relaunches are done because something in the last run just didn’t work and the status quo needs to be shaken up.  This book should be the wild card especially with characters like Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow off the table and taking a vacation.  This book needs to be the book that says we do not need him to save our bacon here is why.  So stop playing it safe and be all that you can be.

W) Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman
(A) Gabriel Hardman
(CA) Rachelle Rosenberg, Dave Wilkins

Ania Solo and her friends have been chased, blockaded, and shot at, and now they’re stuck on a world of molten sulfur all because an Imperial Knight wants them dead.

Just when things seem bleakest, another Imperial Knight shows up! Is he here to help them, or help destroy them?

When Miles first came onto the scene, there were a lot of naysayers. I hold out the belief that it was because this was simply not Peter Parker in the role of Spider-Man, and I think that is the case (if the comments to 616 Spider-Man writer and, I presume, architect Dan Slott are any indication). The most recent issue, #23, dealers with the struggles of Miles in coming to grip with his mother’s death and knowing that his being Spider-Man was the reason. That’s definitely something quite hard for a young teenager to come to terms with, never mind everything else going on in the Ultimate universe around him (which definitely seems to not be as impacting to Miles as one would expect). Without spoiling anything within this issue, and the fact that Miles has quite being Spider-Man is not a spoiler based on the cover above, this is the perfect time for a new reader to discover the adventures of Miles Morales.

Brian Michael Bendis seems to have his hands full with a number of things in the Marvel universe, but this is his child within the Ultimate line. He has directed the adventures of Spider-Man within the Ultimate line of books since day 1, and his choice to kill off Peter Parker there seemed to not be as controversial as what Dan Slott has done in the pages of Amazing/Superior Spider-Man. (Perhaps this is because when Ultimate Parker was killed, the world still had 616 Parker around… but now I am wondering which Spider-Man that was in the pages of Spider-Men?) This story is well written and doesn’t rely on countless discussion to get things going, which is one of the things Bendis was known for as the architect of the Avengers line for some time and now taking on the X-franchise. No, he is able to convey the emotion and conflict of Miles with some distinct instruction to his artistic partner to make it all happen quite well. This is Bendis at his best, dealing with the conflict of the character and it not relying on a huge battle… He has the emotional pieces and the conflict down and it’s not 2-dimensional. We have supporting characters, some of which we know from the 616 and others we don’t, but they don’t serve to distract us rather they complement the character of Miles. Bendis is currently writing THE book that I think keeps the Ultimate universe still around within the Marvel offices as the others just don’t seem to have the stories or energy or quality compared to the original Ultimate run.

Dave Marquez takes over the art duties beginning this issue, which makes it one reason why this is a great starting on point. The first “chapter” in Miles life has had him struggling to come to terms with the powers without truly understanding what it means to be Spider-Man and that was done with some wonderful art by Sara Pichelli; this next chapter in Miles’ story will be using the visuals of Marquez. And it’s a great place to start, right with the new era in Miles and one year after the previous issue. First off, the cover. This is an homage to a classic cover by classic Amazing Spider-Man John Romita, and it truly sums up the content of the issue without giving anything away. He captures the emotion on Miles’ face as well as that of the supporting cast, including someone you may not be expecting to show up. The detail is there. The feeling is there. The flashback scenes of his mom’s passing in his arms gives the emotional connection we needed in order to truly relate to Miles. He is now one of the true Marvel pantheon – he needed the tragedy in order to progress into that arena and that has now happened. Regardless of what else happens, Miles can now well and truly be considered Spider-Man.

If you cannot tell, I loved this issue. It was a new chapter without starting the series over and it was marked by several pieces: An emotional struggle. A new art team to move the character forward without the need for a relaunch. But still keeping it the same world, the same cast, as we have grown to love. This is what Marvel can do when they want to – deliver an amazing story full of strong characters, strong emotion, and truly get the reader immersed in the story. Of all the Ultimate books, this is the one I look forward to every month. I’ve heard rumors that we’re going to see the 616 and Ultimate worlds meet again, but it’s hard to say how that will pass. All I know is that wherever Miles ends up at the end of that, I will be following him.

To honor its 35th anniversary, Dynamite Entertainment launched a new series of Battlestar Galactica this week that continues the adventures of the original series. Yes, we have the story of Commander Adama, Colonel Tigh, Apollo, Starbuck, and the rest of the crew back in the day when their names actually WERE Apollo and Starbuck and not just call signs. For fans of the original series, this book appears to take place between the end of the Battlestar Galactica series but before Galactica 1980, when the ship actually did reach Earth but in the 1980s. And for fans of that original series I can honestly say that this series has the feel of the original show.

Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning are well-known for their science fiction and outer space stories, as they were the individuals who revitalized Marvel’s cosmic line several years back and introduce the team we now know of as the Guardians of the Galaxy. They are quite experience in spinning some immense sci-fi based epics and this first issue of BSG is no different. From the guilt-ridden dreams of Commander Adama  to the smart-ass attitude of Starbuck, we also see the beginnings of what is sure to be a large epic story that can spin off in any number of directions. The personas of the main characters are written quite well and actually match the personas of the original characters. There are gaps in the writing, such as when Adama asks for an update on the situation and suddenly continues to speak with no update. Although some may see this as a fault… this is how it was done in the original series as well. You cannot fault Abnett and Lanning for simply continuing what began in the series and keeping it true. In fact, had it gotten too technical , it simply wouldn’t be the same BSG. What they have done is brought some unique technology to the fleet as well, such as the use of temporal weapons that had banned by the colonies. They were charged with continuing the saga of the fleet and giving it some new life and some new energy, and they have succeeded.

Before talking about the interior art, let’s talk about the covers. The primary cover is done by Dynamite’s cover guru, Alex Ross. The detail that Ross puts into his work is simply amazing – as a result he has become one of my favorite artists. The fact that we can see the actual characters of the original series clearly portrayed truly lets the fan know this is a continuation of the original run.  The only criticism I can make on the cover is that he appears to have Adama from the series premiere and not from the time that this story takes place – you can tell by the lack of facial hair on the Commander. As with all Dynamite books, there are a number of variant covers and the one shown to the right by Chris Eliopoulos is one of my favorites. The child-looking variant covers have become quite popular and quite fun, and this one is no different. Although I am the kind of person who really dislikes the fact that the covers have almost taken a higher precedence than the story within (when a book has 20 alternate covers that’s a tad too much) but a cover or 2 is all good.

The interior art is by Cezar Razek on both pencils and inks with coloring by Vinicius Townsend. The story wouldn’t be as good without the complementary art from this team and the art is very well done. The fact that in some scenes I can actually see, without the dialogue, that the character is Starbuck as the facial appearance is easily recognizable as Dirk Benedict and the same goes for the appearance of Adama and how it looks like Lorne Greene. Additionally, the space battles have detail that makes it look amazing. This is a team that can truly get both the characters and the space epicness of the story down. Even though I am not familiar with this team, I don’t know of anyone else who could have possible pulled off this issue with the detail needed to make this a proper continuation of the series (unless Alex Ross had done the entire thing himself).

This was my favorite book of the week and one that I put at the bottom of my read list so that I read it last and it stayed forefront in my mind. I was glad to hear this was book was coming out, but was hesitant at first because most TV adaptations are either really good or really bad. This was the former. I’m looking forward to the next issue and I can say that if you are a fan of the original series you will love this continuation too.

This Saturday’s question: Which characters are (or were) better without origins stories?

Does reading the secret origin of Wolverine still make you feel a little like it’s a crappy attempt at retelling The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Whenever they redo Wonder Woman’s origin, doesn’t it get a little less believable? Wouldn’t it be cool if we never really knew anything about where Superman came from? Does the fact that even the Joker probably doesn’t really know his own origin make him that much creepier? And even though we have his parents dying when he’s a kid and his training just before the events of Year One, doesn’t part of you kind of enjoy the fact that we don’t really know much about the origin of Batman? Or do you love origins do you absolutely need to know every single detail about your favorite heroes and villains?

So go forth and debate! But be sure to back up your responses. Don’t be scared. And don’t give up. After all, no one likes a quitter. And you’re not a quitter, are you?

Speaking of those subsequent issues… They are not yet out. Why not? Well, these guys want to deliver the best product that they can. I’ve seen some sample art from issue #2, and I can honestly say that it has increased dramatically from the first issue to the samples I saw. But like all independent books, there are a few factors that require the move to a Kickstarter campaign in order to make the magic happen. And make no mistake – I feel that there is definitely magic here.

I’m not going to rehash what Unit 5 is all about – I think the guys who made it can do that much better than I. So, to see what they have to say, take a look at their Kickstarter video:

You can see that I’m not the only one excited about this. Unit 5 has been featured on the FanboysInc podcast as well as on several SModcast episodes of “I Sell Comics” which is managed by Mike and Ming (whom many may recognize from Comic Booked Men on AMC).

But really, why do I think that a comic reader should care about this book? It’s quite simple.

• The story is captivating. There are very few stories that originated out of the tragedy of 9/11 but that comes to the heart of this series. We have characters who were impacted by the attacks and have made it a personal mission to fight against terrorism. It’s a great message and, even though we have seen a number of terrorism-related TV series, the comic book realm has shied away from it. This being an independent title with an extremely passionate creative team, we have characters who we only get a tease of in the first issue but who are more than just 2-dimensional characters.
• The art is intriguing. As I mentioned in my original review, I can see a number of inspirations and styles used and it’s great to see how those styles mix and mix well. I mentioned earlier that I had seen some early pics of what to expect in issue 2, and I can say that Robson has been working and is finely crafting his art. It’s becoming something that can mesh several styles into a new look that truly works and complements one another. It’s a pleasure to look at.
• It’s fun. It’s that simple. I have continually said that it reminds me of those TV shows from the 80s where the vehicle was another part of the character. Remember Knight Rider? Michael had KITT. In The A-Team we had B.A. with his van but also Murdock with every aircraft out there. He was a flying savant! Let’s not forget the cartoons of the era, too – MASK, where every character had their own vehicle which transformed into something else. These were the times when many of us were truly innocent, before the harshness of the world was placed in front of us. Unit 5 has taken the ability to blend the innocence with todayès reality and show us that heroes still exist.

So there you have it. My thoughts on this Kickstarter. It is definitely worth a look and in my opinion it is definitely worth your contribution. These guys are doing this to get the book out there, produce and create the remaining issues, as well as to get the book available so others can see what a great title this is. They aren’t out to make millions (although I don’t think they’d turn down the opportunity) but simply to deliver something that they are this passionate about. It’s definitely a treat to see creators THIS passionate, and I say that both from the intro video as well as from talking to them on several occasions. Give them a look. Give them your consideration. And if you like what you say, help to make this happen.

Spoiler alert! You have been warned!

This month’s issue was a slight improvement over the last issue. It seems that new series writer James Tynion IV is starting to get his footing. It also seems that new series artist Julius Gopez is starting to slow down and take a little more time with the pencils. That being said, this is still a far cry from the book that Scott Lobdell and friends were putting out on a monthly basis. Man oh man do I miss Lobdell’s dialogue and storytelling. But he’s gone. And I have to adjust. And thankfully, this new team is making it easier as they continue their run with three characters who I, along with many other fans, love to hate and hate to love. The Outlaws are certainly not going to be topping anyone’s favorite characters lists, but that is part of the beauty of such a series as this one. The double-edged sword that is a project like this is that you have to try and make arguably hateable characters into anti-heroes that we care about while simultaneously not changing the characters so completely that you might as well be writing about different people entirely. All of that, and the fact that Lobdell had pretty much mastered it before his untimely exit, and you have quite a task. So, that being said, I’m still hopeful that eventually this series can be restored to its status as one of my favorite monthly reads.

So we start off with what is most likely going to be a temporarily memory-less Jason, being confronted by his friends and teammates. We’ve got Roy overacting as usual, and some yelling interspersed with some flashback sequences (where really showed that Gopez is definitely a suitable artist for such characters). We see Jason’s life, which, as we all already know, pretty much has always sucked. We see Roy’s life, which, again, has never been the greatest. We don’t get to see any flashes of Kory’s rotten backstory, because she puts an end to the prying evil little mind-wiping floating midget monk. (What? That’s what he is!) And we have three pretty big events taking place at the end of the issue. The first is that Starfire finally admits that she does care about Roy, and that she may have exaggerated about her Tamaranean memories, which will make a lot of grumpy post-New 52 fans happy. The second is that all three of the people from Jason’s past who have been showing up as far back as the beginning of this title are working together, which was a pleasant surprise. And the third is that Roy’s old mentor, Green Arrow, is on his trail and is going to save him… Again. Whether he likes it or not. So there are enough seeds planted for future stories that I’m going to try and put my skepticism aside and embrace the change in creative teams. This could be good. I really think there’s a lot of potential with the stories they’re setting up.

But the potentially awesome fights and team-ups are not the only reason I’m still sticking with this book. There was a brief flashback sequence that not only added to the series and its characters’ already stunning mythology, but also showed that Tynion knows how to script a good human drama sequence. The fact that Jason tried to help Roy when he was at his very worst is not that big of a shock. But the fact that he did so right before finding out that his mother was alive, which led him to his death at the hands of the Joker? That certainly changes things. And the fact that Jason never told Roy that means that there might actually be some shred of humanity left inside the Red Hood. Hopefully his memories return. Because if they don’t, that’s just going to be a pointless story that could have been so much more. I have faith. I am liking this book. I can’t wait to love it again.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Spoiler alert! You have been warned!

Yet another great installment in the monthly adventures of Batman’s first and greatest sidekick, brought to us by veteran Nightwing writer Kyle Higgins and new series artist Brett Booth. This book continues to prove that the Batman line is the best in comics. The dialogue is witty, quick, and realistic and the art speaks to the 90s kid in me but also the adult comic reader within. It’s one of many examples of the New 52 line really understanding the necessity of pairing a writer with an artist who complements his or her own work. It’s something that can make a good book great, which is definitely the case in this new creative team.

We start right where we left off last issue, with the Prankster continuing his (or her) single-handed fight against… well… we’re not quite sure yet. We also get to see more of Dick’s roommate and surprise third roommate, who is both female and sassy, which means she is either going to be a love interest or a villain. But the humor of their first couple of encounters is very well juxtaposed with the horror of the Prankster’s crimes. Not to mention the behind-the-scenes search for Tony Zucco and his involvement with the seemingly corrupt Chicago mayor. Another highlight in this issue is the subtle posturing between Nightwing and his informant (one of Commissioner Gordon’s from his days in the Windy City). A lesser writer/artist team would have ruined this scene, but it comes off as flawless and really cool. Which leads us to the last part of the book, which includes the first official meeting between Nightwing and the Prankster. I’m still not entirely sure about the gender of the new villain, but I think that’s what makes it so cool. I even found myself looking at the eye color of various characters to see if I could get any clues on my own. No such luck. But I’m sure we won’t have to wait much longer, because even though the cliffhanger ending shows Nightwing in a jam (with the Prankster currently holding the upper hand), the next issue blurb and advanced solicitations hint that there is a team-up in the newly-acquainted masked vigilantes.

This could prove to be interesting for a number of reasons. First and foremost, we could be given an interesting take on the whole “tragic villain” angle that almost all of the villains in the Batman universe share. Perhaps the Prankster isn’t even a villain per se, but rather, a vigilante who is possibly just more realistic in his or her approach. After all, he or she is currently only targeting those who deserve it or cross him or her. Could this simply be a New 52 version of Nite-Wing, the vigilante who was simply a more violent (but effective) version of our beloved hero? Or does the Prankster have something to do with the secret not-yet-told story about what exactly happened to all of the “masks” in Chicago? And, of course, there’s the question of who is behind that mask? No matter what the outcome, or how long it is drawn out; count me in. This book rocks.

My Rating: 5/5

The series starts off with a nice sized issue #1.  The Dream Merchant throws us right into the main characters life and struggles with his dreams.  The main character is named Winslow.  He doesn’t know why he keeps having the same dreams over and over.  It seems a bit wild that he is in a mental hospital but we can skip over that for the meat of the story.  Throughout the book the dialogue is mainly caption boxes of the main characters thoughts.  It is heavy dose of first person narrative, but it works pretty well in this first issue.  We really get the sense of what is going on in Winslow’s head.  He is not crazy but everyone thinks he might be because of all these dreams.

He meets a new doctor half way through the first issue.  This doctor helps him to find out why he keeps having this one reoccurring dream.  The falls into a dream state while the doctor is there, but this time it is not exactly the same.  Someone or something is there coming for Winslow.  He jumps up back into reality with a sense of fear from his dream. But is this reality really reality?? That comes to mind when reading issue #1 of The Dream Merchant.

The artwork is pretty solid for this type of story-telling.  The change of scenes from reality to the dream world is noticeable from the change of colors in the panels.  Konstantin Novosadov has a unique style to his line work.  His work isn’t super detailed but gives you a sense of the characters.  I think he fits in well with Nathan’s script of The Dream Merchant.  My only drawback is some of the panels have a cartoony feel to them but then again it could all be part of what they want us to see in that panel.

Overall this book has some potential.  I really dig dream style concepts and love to see them morph into something amazing.  Will The Dream Merchant do that?  I can’t tell just yet.  Even though this first issue is a solid 52 pages it still felt a bit empty to me.  It could be because the pacing of the book is a bit slower for a first issue into the series.  I wanted to know more about this world Winslow lives in and what he is trying to get from his dreams.  We will see where Edmondson and Novosadov take us when issue #2 drops next month.  I will check it out and see what dreamy road they begin to spin this story.

So head on out to your local comic book shop for this and other great books that are out this week.  Don’t know what came out this week? Well we here at Comic Booked have got you covered.  Check them all out here.