The Pilots of Soultron

Of all the creations Paul and myself have dreamed up over the years one of the most beloved is Voltron’s brother from another mother: Soultron. Be it on postcards, buttons or prints The Smoothest Defender of The Galaxy always receives a lot of laughs when we hit the summer convention circuit. 

I’ve always wanted to explore more of this characters world. I never really had any ideas worth fleshing out until last Friday when inspiration stuck me like a bolt of lightning. 

The first order of business was to answer the question of who the pilots of the "Panthers" would be. In an earlier strip we revealed that Lando Calrissian was part of the Soultron Force. In my opinion there is no one more qualified to lead than the former administrator of Cloud City.

For the muscle, I went with The A-Team’s B. A. Baracus. His expertise as a mechanic should come in handy to keep the Panthers up and running. 

The katana wielding Michonne pilots the Blue Panther while Beverly Hills Cop Axel Foley takes control of the Red Panther. Finally, you always need a nerdy pipsqueak. Family Matters pain-in-the-ass neighbor Steve Urkel was the perfect candidate to round out this group of space explorers.

I hope that you all have as much fun reading the upcoming Soultron Saga as I had working on it. -Soss

McSoss Podcast Episode 114: Paul Wayne, Ian Parker and Matt Stark

This week answer questions from the McSoss mailbag and do a little Whatcha Been Readin’. 

McSoss.com

Itunes.com

Stitcher.com

McSoss Instagram

McSoss Facebook Fan Page

Something More

To be clear: I did not hate Ant-Man. I liked it quite a bit. Quite a bit more than Avengers: Age of Ultron even. But ultimately, I'm ready for something a little more serious.

I understand the lighter, comedic tone has been bringing in mountains of money for the Mighty Marvel Machine, but after the last three movies which all had the same tone, its time to shift gears. You'd expect the (assumed) subject matter of heroes vs. heroes for Captain America: Civil War would up the stakes and force the studio to get serious. Well, we all thought that about those Age of Ultron trailers too, didn't we? And that wound up being a movie Fozzy Bear wouldn't have looked out of place in.

But there is hope on the horizon. With Fantastic Four, X-Men: Apokolips, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad right around the corner, there are some superheroic avenues to pursue that don't boast of fun and frivolity. Batman v Superman certainly doesn't. Especially if it follows the joyless tone of Man of Steel. At this point, that's exactly what I'm looking for.

Man of Steel provided a lot to think about. A lot of grey areas and character motivations to mine for hours. Sure, Ant-Man's Scott Lang was in prison... but for doing something noble. Even Hank Pym's neglect of his daughter is because he was trying to save his wife. And there was nothing grey about Darren "The Demon" Cross.

These straight up good vs. evil superhero stories are fun, but they don't provide much to get invested in. I want an emotional experience when I go see a movie. I want to be moved. I could be asking for too much, but Marvel has been swinging and missing. Lets see what some other properties can do at the plate of satisfying my movie needs.

-Gint

Gint's 7-22-15 Pull-List Review

Who has two thumbs and likes a Pull-List full of two great books? This guy!

Second Place:

Prez #2

I've been on my own personal crusade for people to buy this book. DC solicits sold it as a fun "teen girl president" book to get with all your other teen girl books like Batgirl and Black Canary, but Prez is really something different.

Its part teen girl becoming president and part satire on a very bleak future that the United States is currently racing toward. The way Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell incorporate the growth of technology and advertising in our lives is scary and also on the nose. Its a future that doesn't seem all that incredulous. Its the over-the-top insanity that makes the book a lot of fun instead of a look at a dystopian future.

Caldwell really draws the hell out of the book. His style is all his own. He understands what writer Russell is doing with the book and their work together fits like a glove.

Check out Prez. Its a much smarter book than you've been led to believe.

First Place:
Captain Canuck #3

Where do you go when DC and Marvel keep letting you down? You go north, my son. To Chapter House comics and Captain Canuck. Canada's very own Captain America. Three issues in and this book has expertly taken the best parts of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and blended them with some heavy sci-fi and even a little B.P.R.D.

Writer Kalman Andrasofszky has given Tom Evans (Captain Canuck) an excellent supporting cast with a personal story of Tom and his brother Michael. #3 uses a flashback to explore Tom and Michael's backstory with the mysterious site Aleph in the North Pole. The site where, presumably, Tom gets his powers and Michael gets his mechanical hand. There have been enough hints throughout the first three issues to see that Andrasofszky has a long term plan built for his run on the book.

Pretty amazing stuff coming from an unsuspecting source. Love to see this book keep it up and have a great series run. 

Panel of the Week:

Caldwell draws some pandas fighting to the death... because that's what U.S. senators do in this universe.

-Gint

Dr. Evil

Marvel Studios has quite a lengthy list of things they've done right regarding their movies and characters. "Good Villains" is not on that list – unless the quantifier is "One-dimensional villains." In that case, no one does it better.

From Obadiah Stane in Iron Man all the way to Ronan in Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man's Darren Cross continues the tradition of villains that love being evil for the sake of being evil with just the subtlest hint of pathos. Even Cross' Yellowjacket presentation was a highlight reel of evil-doing complete with shooting a guy in the face from a briefcase and a mid-traffic assassination that causes multiple car wrecks. It was so evil it was funny.

What gets lost in all this evil-i-tude is the fact that Corey Stoll is a great actor. Seeing him in Ant-Man and then The Strain is like watching two different people. And its not just the fantastic wig in The Strain. Stoll has the ability to pull back a little bit of the evil and show a character that we can empathize with, but that clearly wasn't the direction. With having to squeeze in character arcs for Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym, along with the Moron's Three plus Scott Lang and family, Stoll had one direction: we need to know you're evil and make it FAST!

Granted, not everyone needs to have the emotional depth of Magneto. Some dudes ARE just bad dudes out for making bank no matter where they can get it (Hydra). But there are enough hints from Hope and Hank that at some point in the past, Darren Cross was a decent guy. Unfortunately, the hints don't jive with the character we're seeing who is one scene away from twirling his mustache while laughing like Skeletor.

-Gint

Ps Go to that link. You won't be disappointed.

Soss' Suggestions 07-23-15

Elektra #1

I’ve always thought that Elektra was a pretty cool character. She has been a standout background character in Daredevil and more recently Thunderbolts. I wanted to give this book a chance to see if she could carry her own monthly title.

W. Haden Blackman handles the writing duties while Michael Del Mundo brings the heat with the art. It’s a beautifully painted work. The composition and energy that Del Mundo lays down on the page is breathtaking.

The story... not so much. Elektra is tasked to go after an assassin that is assassinating assassins. It felt very tired and clichéd to me.

Since the first two arcs of this story are available on Marvel Unlimited, I’ll probably finish them, but once you get past the excellent art, the story isn't much to write home about in this first issue. -Soss 

Panel of the Week: I love the blood-heart she is making. 

McSoss Podcast Episode 113: Two If By Sea

This week we bring you our giant-sized breakdown of the aftermath of Convergence and Secret Wars, the recent offerings from Valiant Comics and the debut issue of Archie by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples. 

McSoss.com

Itunes.com

Stitcher.com

McSoss Instagram

McSoss Facebook Fan Page

Good Grief

I am bitter. I have been for quite some time. At the very least since Man of Steel was released and gave me (and me alone [see that was bitter]) the emotional satisfaction I was looking for from a superhero movie. My gushing about the artistic style, earnest tone and different levels of character development at play was constantly met with derision and snide remarks about "hobo Superman," and the ever popular, "Superman killed MILLIONS!"

Meanwhile, Marvel marches on churning out good movie after good movie and building on a worldwide success that the Marvel name has never seen.

For a long time I've been denying my bitterness about Marvel's success, but I think its time I accept it. I am bitter. But not directly because of Marvel, but because I think DC deserves better.

Sure, I had Spider-Man and Iron Man Secret Wars figures growing up, but they always played second fiddle to DC's Super Powers line. And I was the absolute perfect age to accept Christopher Reeve as the one and only Superman. John Williams' Superman theme still chokes me up. Couple that with Tim Burton's Batman and then the Animated Series and Marvel didn't stand a chance when it came ingraining these characters in my nerd DNA as a kid.

"But when you grew up, wasn't it easier to relate to Marvel's character's real world issues?" Well, I certainly drink more like Tony Stark than Bruce Wayne, but real world relatability isn't what I look for from comic characters. I want my comic characters to be larger than life. Impossibly good with gigantic power sets. Unfortunately, that also takes away from the fact that these characters are just as complex, but in different ways. Just because Superman has the strength to move a mountain doesn't mean he doesn't deal with personal responsibility or acceptance on a world wide and personal level. The fact DC heroes have both of these things is what sets them apart and makes them more interesting. All I want is for the greater movie going audience to see these characters the way I do: with awe and adoration.

So here we are, eight months out from the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and another opportunity for DC to finally wow audiences and bring people along for the ride. To finally generate the kind of love and acceptance Marvel has.

As much as I want Superman to kick the proverbial football, I won't be all that surprised if I'm left fighting the good fight once again with the minority.

DC heroes may not be for everybody, but they are for me. If it makes me sound bitter from time to time, that's just fine, because I know it only comes from a place of love.

-Gint

Ps Thanks to Charles Schultz for giving us Peanuts.

Pps The above-mentioned bitterness may have gotten the best of me when I wrote a special fourth panel for the above comic:

 

Gint's 7-15-15 Pull-List Review

Want to know what I thought of the final Matt Fraction Hawkeye issue and Justice League #42? Read on, children. 

Fifth Place:

Superman Wonder Woman #19

I suppose even your heroes can write a stinker every so often. Look at Flash: Rebirth. Peter Tomasi and Doug Mahnke are masters of their craft. They're responsible for tons of great comics. But now they're saddled with writing the current DCU, which isn't a place I'm all that interested in.

Superman is de-powered, and seems to be getting worse. When Deadshot can mess him up pretty good (with special bullets of course) you know Supes is in trouble. That, coupled with the fact he can't fly and wears jeans and t-shirt doesn't seem to be my bag. As interesting as it is to see Supes covered in bruises, that should be reserved for special events like Doomsday or Darkseid, not a quick tango with Deadshot. (That's a lot of D's).

My current favorite DC books (Justice League and Bryan Hitch's JLA) are books that are outside current continuity. The current DC Universe is a strange place. I don't like it ... but I'd like to. If anyone has a shot at selling me on it, its Tomasi and Mahnke. Unfortunately they've got an uphill battle ahead of them.

Fourth Place:

Green Lantern: Lost Army #2

I'm still treading lightly with this one. Bernard Chang's art is an easy sell, but the concept of the entire Green Lantern Corps being mysteriously plucked out of our universe and dropped in another is one I don't think can be satisfactorily reconciled. Writer Cullen Bunn has his work cut out for him.

Unfortunately at the end of this issue we see Relic. Relic is a character created by Robert Venditti in his Green Lantern run that is the poster boy (for me anyway) of all that is wrong with the current Green Lantern line. Venditti helped flush that book down the toilet and now that shit is seeping into other parts of the GL house.

After two issues, this book hasn't moved the needle much. As much as I appreciate what John Stewart and Guy Gardner bring to the GL mythology, I will always wish they were Hal. Again, this isn't a bad book, but I want more.

Third Place:

Hawkeye #22

Its been so long since the last issue released that I wasn't sure what I was seeing in my Pull-List this week. The new Hawkeye written by Jeff Lemire is what... 5 issues deep now? But I guess better late than never.

Unfortunately, as the final issue in Matt Fraction and David Aja's (with other guest creators) run, its not all that poignant. Through the whole series there was a level of really interesting storytelling concepts and character bits that made this run fantastic. This issue carried some of that, but felt like those quirks that became this books trademark were just plopped in to make it feel like the rest of the run. There wasn't much interest or point this issue.

That said, this was a really great run. The creative teams knocked it out of the park besides the various delays. In a lot of ways, this book is responsible for the different styles of storytelling we're seeing across superhero comics right now. So, bummer of a last issue aside, slow clap for this team that had a hell of a run on a great book.

Second Place:

Martian Manhunter #2

There are many reasons I'm not a professional comic book writer. One would probably be that I would be unable to force fights between heroes. I've read a bajillion comics and it never ever makes 100% sense. So, Martian Manhunter breaks into a science installation to use a machine to kill himself before the White Martian's use him to end the world. The Justice League tries to stop him. A fight breaks out. Seems like a conversation would take place instead, right? The neat trick we get from writer Rob Williams is that whole fight is in their heads – an implant by J'onn before he escapes. Tricky.

I loved the first issue. The second ... a little less. The business with some alien named Mr. Biscuits is intriguing, as is the stuff with Indian thief Pearl. But I wanted a little more out of J'onn. I guess I'm jumping the gun. We need setup before we get character payoff.

I would classify this is a surprise hit of the DC You campaign. Books like Prez and Bizarro and Black Canary were highly hyped, but there was nary a word about Martian Manhunter. Nice to see a book sneak onto the Pull-List and surpass its expectation, even if those expectations didn't exist.

First Place:
Justice League #42

I am having an incredibly enjoyable time reading this book. Jason Fabok and Geoff Johns have tapped into the magic Johns did with Ivan Reis during their Green Lantern run. They've been delivering each issue. They're even making the New Gods cool (sort of... they will never actually be cool).

There's been some hubbub about Batman finding out the Joker's true identity this issue when he sits on Metron's chair and gets the answers to the Universe. Because of course, Batman has to be the one to do it. I'm willing to bet by the time he's off the chair, he (and we by extension) doesn't retain any of that knowledge, and the Joker remains anonymous.

I wish the rest of the DC line was as good as this book. This and Bryan Hitch's JLA are two of few DC books that give you a good depiction of real DC heroes. This team (sans Shazam, add J'onn J'onzz) should have been together for a long time since the relaunch in 2011. Too many lineup's have shuffled throughout the company, so its nice to see one book that gives me legitimate DC goodness each month.

Panel of the Week:

David Aja really hooked up his time on Hawkeye. The way he closes out the run on the book here really stuck with me. Reminded me of something from an 80s cop show.

-Gint

McSoss Podcast Episode 112: Ariel’s Castle

This week we are joined by special guest Dominic Yosi as we give our official review of Ant-Man.

McSoss.com

Itunes.com

Stitcher.com

McSoss Instagram

McSoss Facebook Fan Page

You Can't Fool Me That Easily

The situation with the confederate flag is multi-layered. It's a symbol of hate, not state’s rights. Let's get that straight. It was never officially used by the Confederate Army during the Civil War. It was more infamously and widely adopted by KKK in the Jim Crow era South. In the aftermath of the massacre in South Carolina the only logical thing to do was to remove it from any and all government facilities. 

However I don’t agree with some of the overreactions. Last week TVLand removed The Dukes of Hazzard from its programing schedule. Hazzard County is a fictional place and having that flag on a make believe car is worlds different then having it fly in front of a state building. -Soss

McSoss Podcast Episode 111: 10 and 10

This week we return with a giant-sized edition to review San Diego Comic Con 2015. We discuss the trailers for Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman and the behind-the-scenes look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

McSoss.com
Itunes.com
Stitcher.com
McSoss Instagram
McSoss Facebook Fan Page

My Interpretation

It was a random, rainy weeknight and I stopped in at my local pizza joint. The person working the counter handed me my order and told me to “Have fun”. Not “Have a good night” or “Enjoy”. That got me thinking about the kind of fun I could have with a pizza. This was the first thing that popped into my head -Soss

Masters of the Mushroom Kingdom

I know its been an onslaught of He-Man references in the comics lately, but I am for real working through a He-Man Mania at the moment. Barely 15 minutes goes by without my whistling the He-Man theme. Between the current comic and the Art of He-Man coffee table book, I'm in Eternian glory.

What does that have to do with Super Mario Bros.? Nothing really. Just that I thought Mario and Luigi would look funnier as He-Man and Man-At-Arms than Superman or Spider-Man. Not a whole lot of video games get brought up in this space because... well... I don't play them. I played all the Nintendo and SNES classics growing up, but I can't tell you the last time I played something that wasn't an NHL game. If I had to play one right now though, it would probably be Super Mario World. How much fucking fun was that game?

I never liked Super Mario Bros. 2. Yeah, playing with the Princess and Toad was neat, but it was animated differently and felt strange overall. Super Mario Bros. 3 was a throwback to the original, and in its own right is awesome, but its World that gets it done for me. My buddy Steve and I would lose days on his living room floor playing this game until the console started to smoke. So much time dedicated to... plumbers? Whatever the case, it worked. I can't say it'd have hurt to have one of those mushrooms give Mario a lightsaber, but I'll give the creators a pass.

How cool would it be though to have a He-Man game in the Super Mario Bros. animation with the Horde Troopers as goombas or koopa troopas and a villain like Trap Jaw or Tri-Klops as each levels big bad. Fuck that would be awesome...

-Gint

What Have We Become?

When I started my journey into the monthly comic game, Soss had told me stories about his local comic shop and it's owner who "hated" comics. I found this out the more I frequented stores and wound up talking to the old owners more about hockey when I went in than the books I was buying. During those days I always thought, "man, I hope I don't get so jaded over what I love." Well, that didn't take long.

What I learned first hand is that the old comic guys aren't so much jaded as calloused. They've been burned before by promises of great stories and amazing art and have been let down time and time again. That's the boat we find ourselves in now. We need more. Your basic superhero story just isn't going to get it done anymore unless its truly spectacular.

When I say "we" I mean the McSoss crew. We'll get Superman and The Amazing Spider-Man and the big names, but usually what we find the most enjoyment in is stuff like Saga or Nailbiter. Not just because of their adult themes, but because they're better books at this point. Marvel and DC seem to be bogged down by continuity and editorial, while books like Captain Canuck and Descender have limitless potential.

The Flaming Trashcan has been a McSoss comic staple for a long time. Going back to its first appearance, it kept popping up over and over when Soss or I would be completely disgusting with something. These days though, we don't seem to be so disgusted. Have comics beaten us down so much we just don't have the energy? Perhaps. But we are passionate dudes who will more than likely have our passions turned against us by the industry we love once again. Its only a matter of time before DC or Marvel does something so ridiculous we're relighting the comic bonfire.

-Gint

Gint's 7-1-15 Pull-List Review

Nice run of books this week moving steadily from blah to brilliant!

Sixth Place:

Princess Leia #5

Truth? I only bought this issue because I knew it was the last one. If this was an ongoing, I'd have dropped it this week.

The 5-issue miniseries concludes with Leia finding a shit-ton of Alderaanians and saving them and the day. Like we thought it would end any other way? And overall, it was a cute little story, but it didn't really provide anything to sink your teeth into.

What I really liked, and this is somewhat of a backhanded compliment, is that this story was inconsequential. Being that all these Marvel Star Wars books are now canon, if this story doesn't happen, it doesn't change a thing. But that's also what's wrong with it: it doesn't change a thing... so does it even need told? We'll touch more on the fine line of things that matter in the Darth Vader review below.

Overall this was a fun story about Leia and R2 going off on a mini-adventure. Unfortunately, no harm no foul is the best review I can give it.

Fifth Place:

Batman Beyond #2

I hate hate hate the design of the eyes on Bernard Chang's Batman Beyond suit. Hate them. Chang is a favorite of mine, but sweet Terry McGinnis do I hate these eyes. Its nitpicky, but if you know me, that's what I do.

Tim Drake gets sent into a future that's been taken over by Brother Eye. But somehow a dome has been erected over Gotham City protecting it from Eye's invasion forces. We get a little exposition this issue with Tim finding all this out. Barbara Gordon, now a 50-something hardened Sarah Connor-type co-stars.

Neat story, but nothing ground breaking. We get to see Inque, who is one of my favorite Beyond characters, so that was cool. And Chang's pages are essentially flawless. This is your basic superhero comic in all the best ways.

Fourth Place:

Darth Vader #7

So... about that fine line of Star Wars stories that matter. This issue, contrary to Princess Leia, has quite a lot of what a Star Wars comic should have. And oddly enough, it doesn't have much to do with Darth Vader.

The Star Wars universe, from the first time we saw A New Hope, offers a universe bursting with characters and untold stories. Stories that would be perfect for a comic that wouldn't interfere in any way with the movies, which should be held solely on their own. Yes this book is about Darth Vader hunting Luke between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, but its also about the side characters along for the ride. Characters like the bevvy of bounty hunters and scum that writer Keiron Gillen is able to flesh out without making anything from the movies seem wonky. The Princess Leia miniseries tried to do that, but being based around a character like Princess Leia, it seems unlikely that would really happen. But a character like Vader, who you don't really get much of in the Original Trilogy, we can shed a little light on him without causing many ripples.

Shit, maybe its just that Gillen's story is better than what Mark Waid was offering up. But I don't think so. As much as we want our Star Wars comics to be about Han, Luke and Leia, those stories are always more invasive and a little less fun.

Third Place:

He-Man: The Eternity War #7

God, I feel like this book comes out every other week. And its awesome. And maybe that's why we get Edgar Salazar on pencils instead of He-Man mainstay Pop Mhan. The poor guy is probably burned out. Rightfully so. He's been doing amazing work non-stop. Salazar fills in nicely; though being so familiar with Mhan doing the art, its hard not to critique a little harder.

This issue focuses on Skeletor and what he's been up to during the years of Adora's growing up in Despondos as the daughter of Hordak. Well, Skeletor has been her adopted father this whole time with Shadow Weaver standing in as her mother. There's time travel and an explanation of the Havoc Staff and its origins... and really, this issue gets a little out there. I appreciate Dan Abnett's pure passion for this property, but he should pump the brakes. This issue almost goes off the rails a couple times before he brings it back.

Still, the Masters of the Universe mythology has never been so rich. A real testament to Abnett and Mhan.

Second Place:

Nailbiter #14

The story gets a little deeper, literally and figuratively as our intrepid heroes find an Aztec temple buried beneath Buckaroo. And when they find it, they realize its only from the 1960s, and it was possible used as a depository for serial killers. How 'bout dem apples?

What I really liked was the hint that maybe there's something supernatural at play when Finch suggests it might be a curse that's responsible for the high serial killer rate coming out of Buckaroo. Unlike Pretty Little Liars, I hope that's the direction Nailbiter goes in. I mean, it has to, right? The odds of so many serial killers from one town has to be supernatural.

Each issue I am damn impressed with Mike Henderson's artwork. There's always at least one panel per issue, where I say to myself, "damn that's cool." Even something simple like three people riding in a car, Henderson makes interesting.

First Place:

Secret Wars #4

This book is really good. Now, its fucking huge and convoluted, and if I explained it it would sound like "comic book shit," but the way these first four issues have laid it all out, it's really digestible. You just get it. If you don't, you're bad at reading comics.

Reed Richards has rarely (in my limited Reed Richards-reading) been set up to be such a hero as he is in this issue. Doctor Doom has stolen his entire life and family. Doom knows it, but Reed doesn't. Reed thinks they're all dead. Instead, they see Doom as if he were always the husband and father of Sue and the kids. When Reed finds out, he's gonna flip his shit.

Its also my second favorite version of Doctor Strange courtesy writer Johnathan Hickman. Strange made some tough choices and got caught up helping Doctor Doom be God to save some of the universes that were collapsing. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all that. For as big and sprawling as the story is, its the quiet, honest moments between Strange and Doom that really hook me.

Esad Ribic's art is pretty neat too. Besides his penchant for drawing weird bug eyes from time to time, shit is slick. These dudes are making a very cool Marvel story.

Panel of the Week:

The previously mentioned Mike Henderson panel of three people riding in a car.

-Gint

 

Slip 'O The Tongue

Back in the late 90s, when Star Wars woke up from its over-a-decade of slumber, I worked at Toys R Us. Being a child of the 80s and growing up collecting the now cherished late 70s early 80s figures, this was a chance to relive my childhood and collect it all again. And I did. Much to the dismay of my rent and utility bills, my Star Wars mania was priority Number One (proper noun). And working at Toys R Us at the time was like a sex addict working in a brothel. It was obscene.

During that time I collected just about anything with the Star Wars name on it. 3-3/4" figures, their respective vehicles and playsets, the 12" figures, Micromachines, board games... you name it, it was coming home with me. The end result was a basement full of shit that was essentially worthless.

Worthless is harsh. That stuff is still worth something, but just like the early 90s comic boom, the market was so saturated with the product, nothing really became a collectors item. So while I had a lot of it, none of it was a gold bar waiting to be unearthed. Most of it was opened anyway because I'm a giant child and wanted to play with everything. So came the decision to finally part with it.

The yard sale, which already had a built in clientele, was the best way to go. I probably could have made more money putting everything up on eBay but that would have taken for-fucking-ever. Not just to get everything photographed and documented on there, but also to have it actually sell. While I was researching prices for everything I realized there are a billion other people like me with that shit on eBay. So the yard sale was quick and easy. And I made a pretty penny anyhow, if I do say so myself.

All that said, I couldn't part with everything. I kept my favorite vehicles and the core cast of 3-3/4" figures. All the various Luke's, Han's and Leia's stayed; all the Ponda Baba's, Momaw Nadon's and Death Star Gunner's went. I also kept the entire Original Trilogy collection of 12" figures. I know they're essentially Star Wars Barbies, but for some oddball reason they mean the most to me. Maybe because I have the entire collection? Its certainly not because of the sculpt of Mark Hamill's face. Yikes.

So after a long run I bid my 90s Star Wars mania adieu. The basement is only so big and I've got to make room for more long boxes. One obsession gives way to another. Such is life.

-Gint

Soss' Suggestions 07-02-15

Descender #1 

In the distant future the Core Planets have been attacked by a race of gigantic sentient robots. Think of it as Marvel’s Celestials versus the Federation from Star Trek. Ten years after first contact with these machines, the intergalactic war rages on. A team of scientists have discovered a possible weakness in the machines. They quickly enlist the aid of disgraced robotics scientist Dr. Quon. Apparently one of Quon’s inventions, a one-of-a-kind robot boy, has been found on a distant moon and contains the codex needed to save humanity. 

Jeff Lemire is well versed in science fiction. His Eisner Award nominated work on DC’s Trillium was one of my favorites of the past year. I’m a little disappointed that he chose to skip over all the fun space battle excitement and jumped right to this personal story about a lost robot boy. That said I have faith that I’ll still be entertained.

Dustin Nguyen does some nice watercolor work here. I usually need some inks with my comic art but Nguyen’s style is a good fit for this sci-fi tale.

This first book started slow but shows promise and features creative talent that will have me coming back for more. -Soss

Panel of the Week: What a rude awakening. 

McSoss Podcast Episode 110: Red Is The New Black

This week we review Netflix’s Daredevil. 

McSoss.com
Itunes.com
Stitcher.com
McSoss Instagram
McSoss Facebook Fan Page