Oh Mandy... Patinkin?

Growing up, (like, in the single digit years) there were two singers I listened to more than any other: John Denver and Barry Manilow. I'm sure this has a lot to do with my singer/songwriter/pop music sensibilities as they are now. What never occurred to me until I was older and learned more about the shaping of my childhood is that John Denver was a giant hippie and Barry Manilow is a giant homo.

Regardless of their political or sexual agendas, those were/are damn good musicians. There's still an immense amount of comfort and satisfaction in listening to "Grandma's Feather Bed" or "Even Now." "Weekend In New England" still owns the saddest piano intro of all time.

Once at a Q&A, a fan asked Rob Thomas (of Matchbox Twenty) who the "guilty pleasure" was on his iPod. He said, (and I'm paraphrasing) "No one. I think if you like something you should own it and be proud of it." That's essentially how I've always felt about, well, everything. From comics to Backstreet Boys, if you dig it, own it.

So here's to you John Denver and Barry Manilow. My glass will always be raised to thee.

-Gint

Soss' Pull-List Review 5/30/13

Thunderbolts #9

The Thunderbolts are ambushed by a team of Crimson Dynamo troops. This is basically one long fight scene, beautifully illustrated by Phil Noto. 



Thunderbolts has turned out to be more of a war book then a super hero tale. Heavy on the action and military tactics and light on personal stories or bombastic super villains. Disappointing indeed. -Soss



Panel of the Week: Venom having a silly Spider-Man dream

McSoss Podcast Episode 11: The Urinator

Death, the comic book industries’ number one cheap marketing ploy. This week we talk about the death’s of Superman, Spider-Man, Bucky Barnes, Barry Allen and many more. We also celebrate Paul’s birthday by discussing his favorite hero, Hal Jordan. 

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Business Casual

As you can read in my glowing review of Geoff Johns' last issue of Green Lantern, we're getting a new writer next month. This is really going to be a new era of being a Fantern as Johns is the only writer I've ever known on the main book. I have a lot of Green Lantern shirts, not to mention other collectibles and whatnot. If Robert Venditti doesn't continue the Gold Standard of writing Johns established on the book, its going to be really hard pulling on a GL shirt every day being reminded of the "good ol' days."

Robert Venditti, you have an uphill climb ahead of you, sir. I wish you the best, but I will NOT balk at firing up the old Gintbot 2000 and coming after your ass.

-Gint

Gint's 5-22-13 Pull-List Review

This was a damn good week of books, but of course it all ends here. Geoff Johns last issue of Green Lantern. Of course its going to finish First Place.

Sixth Place:
Aquaman #20

Geoff Johns and Paul Pelletier take an issue off and let John Ostrander and Manuel Garcia tell a story featuring The Others, Aquaman's old team. It was really a much better story than I expected.

Aquaman sends the Others to an Indian reservation in Arizona to retrieve a super powered Atlantean glove that can punch through anything. Aquaman can't go himself due to poor American/Atlantean relations. While there they seemingly meet a future member of the Others, Sky Alchesay, who can see the future and commune with spirit worlds. I expected a throwaway issue, but if I'm going to be honest, I'm a little hooked to see what other adventures this C-list team can get into.

Cheers to Ostrander and Garcia for putting this new super-team on a good path.

Fifth Place: 
Justice League #20

For as much as I've bitched and moaned about Geoff Johns adding dumb characters just because he likes them, the additions of Element Woman, Firestorm and the Atom really sang in this issue.

Gene Ha carries the bulk of the art duties, and while you wouldn't think he's the preferred Justice League artist, he tells a great story. His darker style and storytelling really captures the mood of the three new, unexperienced characters being trapped in the Watchtower with Despero.

The highlight of the issue is the brief three-page talk that Batman and Superman have about contingency plans for each member of the League, including themselves. I like that Batman is fairly forthcoming about these plans, where as other iterations of this story keep him dark and secretive. Geoff Johns knows how to write these two friends having a candid talk with each other like best of them.

Justice League has had its ups and downs since the New 52 began. While I still prefer this book to be more consistent, this was a damn good issue.

Fourth Place: 
Green Lantern: New Guardians #20

Tony Bedard writes a beautiful sendoff for Kyle Rayner. If this was the end of Kyle's adventures in the DCU it would be a nice, quiet end.

Artist Andres Guinaldo draws a beautiful story setting up Kyle after the events of Wrath of the First Lantern. He heads back home to Earth to find Saint Walker on his way out. Before they split up, Kyle and Walker have a good heart to heart about their hopes and expectations for their friends and sometimes enemies. We also get to see what Kyle is capable of now that he's the White Lantern, a lantern that can tap into each color of the emotional spectrum. The issue is basically two characters talking. The kind of thing Soss and I appreciate.

Tony Bedard sets up a cool future for Kyle. Lets hope the new creative team on issue #21 are worthy of what Bedard and various artist brought to the book.

Third Place: 
Justice League Dark #20

Jeff Lemire, Mikel Janin and Ray Fawkes have done a great job with this book. They've really made an interesting team out of a handful of disparate characters.

The Flash guest-stars in last issue and this one, and Lemire writes the relationship between a Justice Leaguer and the Dark characters perfectly. Lemire has been really great at giving each character their own voice. Mikel Janin's work goes a long way in that regard by clearly defining who these characters are by body language and distinct facial features. Janin also draws the hell out of the New 52-ized Doctor Destiny, making him creepy as all get out.

I picked this book up well after it started and I'm glad I did. This book was damn entertaining.

Second Place: 
The Flash #20

Not to disparage Marcus To or any other artists that have filled in for Francis Manapul, but the combo of Manapul and Brian Buccellato on this book is really second to none. Its not a stretch to say this may be my favorite book from the New 52… but only when its strictly a Manapul/Buccellato joint.

#20 starts a new 6-issue story revolving around the first appearance of the Reverse-Flash in the New 52. So far we don't know anything about him, and its interesting seeing Barry Allen use his intellect to track down who this mysterious killer might be. Reverse-Flash doesn't leave a lot of evidence, but is capable of gruesomely murdering someone. His intentions are still unknown.

While I'd like to see the creative team advance the Barry/Patty/Iris love-triangle a little quicker, I might be liking the slow burn just as much. Manapul and Buccellato have really made you care about Barry Allen's personal life  just as much as the Flash's adventuring. I didn't think i could give a shit about Barry Allen when they brought him back, but damn do I love this book.

First Place: 
Green Lantern #20

The end is here. Since 2004 Geoff Johns has written Green Lantern. 2004 premiered Green Lantern: Rebirth #1. The issue that changed my life... well at least my comic book reading life. Since then I've followed Hal Jordan through thick and thin, love and hate, and life and death. The story by Geoff Johns (over 100 issues total) ends here.

Was the final story arc good? Not particularly. The First Lantern was kind of a stupid character. He can manipulate peoples emotions to the point of altering reality. I know you have to have a reality-destroying-type event for the big finish, but the character had none of the intimacy, sympathy or charm that some of the other arcs/villains had. What was great about it were the nods to all that's come before and bringing some old faces back for closure.

Parallax was a huge fixture in Rebirth. It was only fitting he play a big role in the end. Nekron was the major baddie in the mega-series Blackest Night. We see him too. Besides the so so story of the First Lantern, the real emotion of this issue lies in the smaller moments. The quiet moments between Hal and Sinestro. The epilogues for each Lantern where Geoff Johns shows us how he'd REALLY end our heroes' stories. And I don't think ANYONE will be disappointed by them.

One of my fears before I read the issue was the announcement of about a million different artists on the book. Those issues were quelled when I read it and saw the inimitable Doug Mahnke drew the entire main story. Lantern alumni like Cully Hamner, Patrick Gleason and Aaron Kuder handle the individual epilogues while Lantern Superstars Ivan Reis and Ethan VanSciver draw a stunning foldout at the end.

The First Lantern bit was a little soft, but the overall tone of the book, and all the small quiet moments, and the fact that it almost made me cry twice, is enough to be satisfied and accept that this is the end. Writer Brandon Venditti, who starts with the next issue, has the least enviable task in comics.

Thank you Geoff Johns and every creative hand that's touched Green Lantern since 2004.

Spread of the Week:

Doug Mahnke's Hal vs. Sinestro.

-Gint
 

I Ride Sidesaddle

One of the best compliments I can get from Soss when I send him a new strip for review is, "Sometimes I don't know where you draw your inspiration from." And truth be told, sometimes I don't know either. Like the above for instance. What makes it even creepier is I got this idea in the shower!

I've never seen My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, so I had to do a bit of Google Image research for this one. And while I had the joke of the strip written out well before that, I was still stunned (not unpleasantly so) to see how much dirty sex stuff came up in my image search. And that was without typing "porn" or "naked" after "My Little Pony." There are some sick (and very talented) folks out there. I was going to say dudes, but who's to say there isn't a cadre of ladies that "don't click the mouse" to Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash having a good ol' scissor fight?

Well, that's enough insight into my brain for the day. Have a happy Memorial Day weekend folks!

-Gint
 

Soss' Pull-List Reviews 5/23/13

Sorry folks, only read one book this week. I promise I'll get caught up over the holiday weekend. But for now....

Uncanny Avengers #8

Sunfire and Thor save Rio De Janeiro from sure destruction at the hands of the Apocalypse Twins while the Avengers search for a lost Captain America. This issue ties together the brief glimpse of the Onslaught/Red Skull flash forward from a few issues ago. I was starting to think that I had just imagined that happening since there has been no mention it for 3 issues. 

It looks like we will finally get the answers to Kang's master plan and why the Apocalypse Twins want to destroy this timeline so bad. I still wish John Cassaday was back on this book but Daniel Acuña has been serviceable in his absence. -Soss

Panel of the Week

Cap Smash!

McSoss Podcast Episode 10: The Fans Are The Winners (In Stereo)

Comic book movies are filled with amazing actors who can deliver performances so awe-inspiring that you would swear the heroes jumped from the pages to silver screen. There are also those performances so awful that you end up puking in your popcorn. We explore the best and worst comic book movie performances in this episode, speculate on Marvel’s Agent’s of S.H.I.E.L.D., and break down the many different types of invasion. We also review Shutterbug Follies, Voltron and Teen Titans.

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Oh Captain My Captain

I suppose I've said all I need to on the subject in the strip above. It pains me to say one of those fine gentlemen would have to be the loser.

Speaking of losers, I saw Star Trek Into Darkness this weekend. Oh, c'mon now I'm being purposefully harsh. It was a good movie, but it didn't leave me with the same sense of elation that the first one did. That's an admittedly high bar to match tough. Still its my definitive version of Trek. Not being a huge fan in my youth, J.J. Abrams and Co. have given me an Enterprise crew that I can really get behind. If you get a chance, make sure you go see Star Trek Into Darkness. Its definitely a big-budget, pocorn eating theater-movie.

Iron Man 3 was a couple weekends ago, Star Trek Into Darkness just passed and Man of Steel is the next big nerd movie on the horizon. So far its really hard to say which is the movie to beat. Both Iron Man 3 and Star Trek had their problems, but both also offered up some really great stuff.

It is the Golden Age of nerd movies. Smoke 'em while you got 'em.

-Gint 

Gint's 5-15-13 Pull-List Review

We bid adieu to two books this week, one which almost deserves the death, the other taken from us before its time.

Fifth Place:
Voltron #12

Well that was the worst conclusion to a final issue of a book I've ever read. And after such a strong run by writer Brandon Thomas... just... ugh.

The art on this book, from the start, has been utter garbage. N. Steven Harris should be banned from comic books for life. In fact, he should be banned from all drawing utensils. He's not an artist. I don't know how he got this gig. Had to be blowjobs.

Brandon Thomas however is a really good writer. A strong talent that I expect to see the name of quite a lot in the future. I don't know what happened in this last issue. Maybe he expected more time. Maybe he didn't expect to have to wrap everything up so quickly. The problem is nothing really gets wrapped up. Keith is in some weird conspiracy with Sven keeping secrets from the others, a mysterious villain called the Third Sphere has been hunting Keith but we don't know why... I guess we never will.

This book had a shit-ton of promise. With a good artist paired with Brandon Thomas this book could have made some noise. Instead it dies a quiet, anonymous death.    

Fourth Place:
Wonder Woman #20

If only this book took place in the New 52 Universe. Oh, it does? Then why haven't I seen ANYTHING RESEMBLING ANOTHER FUCKING SUPERHERO???!!!

I would for real enjoy this book so much more if there was even a HINT of the world outside this book. I guess Brian Azzarello is too good to play in a shared universe. You know what? The book isn't even that good anymore so I don't understand why editorial is treating him with kid gloves. Maybe they know they've already sent too many good writers packing by forcing decisions on them.

Its awesome in the book when Wonder Woman holds up the baby Zeke and he glows with a halo... oh wait, that cover is total bait and switch? Yep. Wonder Woman doesn't even see the damn baby in the book.

I'd like to see some kind of story resolution here, but something tells me that's not going to happen before I drop it.

Third Place:
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #2

This book's kind got it goin' on. Keith Giffen gets a little too quippy at times, but the majority of this book is solid. The main characters, He-Man and Teela, are getting tons of face time. I'm looking forward to Giffen exploring and fleshing out the other Masters of the Universe if he gets a chance.

Hordak has attacked Eternia, the Masters have their backs against the wall and there's a greater mystery involving Teela, Queen Marlena and Hordak's emissary, a girl that might be She-Ra.

Pop Mhan's art is MUCH better this time around. When he took over the first 6 issue arc, it was almost too light and cartoony. This time he's gritted it up a little bit. The colors are darker and the tone of the book fits the weight of the story a little bit more.

Is it a great update like the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series? Not quite, but its entertaining with tons of potential.

Second Place:
Nova #4

Brian Bendis and Ed McGuinness take a step back this week. This book has been pretty outstanding so far, but for a pretty important issue where you meet Sam's Dad's archnemesis, its pretty... I don't know... alright?

McGuinness' are is still second to none. He draws some really cool shit and his panel layouts are interesting. The flow of the book is great. I still don't like the Chitauri being taken right from Marvel's The Avengers, but the addition of Titus the Space Tiger adds a great dynamic.

A solid book that stays solid.  

First Place:
Sword of Sorcery #8

Much like Voltron, this is the last issue of this title. The big difference is this book is really good with amazing art. Voltron... not so much.

Christy Marx and Aaron Lopresti's Amethyst comes to a close and it was a great book. An underrated and unheralded book, but a great book none the less. Through all my internet reading, all I see are articles and stories about how "we need stronger female characters," "we want more female characters," well where the fuck were all you female character supporters when this book needed you to survive?

I've extolled the virtues of this book from the beginning and may even get the trade when its released. Aaron Lopresti is a true talent that doesn't get enough love. Maybe now that his run on Sword of Sorcery is done, they'll replace one of the lackeys on a big title and put him on that.

Farewell, Sword of Sorcery. We hardly knew ye. 

Panel of the Week:

Aaron Lopresti is one of the most underrated talents at DC. He deserves a better fate than a cancelled book.

-Gint