Mistaken Identity

Most of the time the costume selection of the cosplayers at conventions goes right over my head. I don’t watch anime or play video games anymore so the hours spent on coming up with the perfect outfit is lost on me. -Soss

Gint's 9-23-15 Pull-List Review

My wallet really benefits when DC and Marvel keep shitting the bed with their superhero lines. It results in my spending less money at the comic shop (sorry, Phantom of the Attic).

First (and only) Place:

He-Man: The Eternity War #10

The only book on the list is a pretty good one. Dan Abnett and Pop Mhan continue to deserve my graces. This issue starts the walk to the climax of the Eternity War. King Adam has finally made his march on Grayskull, which has been under Horde occupation for a while. Little do they know, Skeletor has been on the scene causing all kinds of shit behind closed doors.

Each issue I'm impressed by the amount of detail put into the book regarding the He-Man mythology. During the assault on Grayskull, Abnett and Mhan bring the Dragon Walkers out of moth balls. We even get to see a Roton in action. Even a brief passing mention that Adora killed Flutterina when she was Despara. Brutally awesome.

Superhero comics have had me so discouraged as of late, that its had me questioning if I really like that genre of comics any more. But its books like this one that that tell me I do, providing they're done right.

I still have some Superman and Spider-Man in me. DC and Marvel just need to quit fucking them up.

Page of the Week:

Don't you dare tell me Pop Mhan didn't have the Phantom Menace trailer in his mind when he drew this page. How incredible would these Dragon Walkers look coming out of the red mist in a faithful live-action He-Man movie?!

-Gint

The Force Teases

I am ready for The Force Awakens right now. I say that, not as a fan that can't wait until December, but as a fan who has seen the proper amount of teases for the movie. The longer we wait, the more information will come to light. Well, I don't want any more.

Unlike Matt Casale, I'm not digging down the internet's Star Wars rabbit hole looking for every tiny crumb to piece the story together. Here's what I know so far:

1. Kylo Ren is a bad guy who honors Darth Vader, and is probably Han, Luke or Leia's son.

2. Rey is probably Han, Luke or Leia's daughter and will more than likely be a Jedi.

3. Han might die and we may not see Luke til the waning moments of the movie.

That's plenty to enter the movie on. Let J.J. Abrams and the movie tell me the rest. I want to experience it as it's all happening. I'm ready to go into The Force Awakens with as much of a clean slate as possible. No opening night viewing, "oh yeah, I knew about that," for me, please.

Do I expect a "Luke, I am your father," moment? Well, sort of. Pretty good chance there's a twist in there somewhere. Like Kylo Ren can't be touched by water or something. The kind of lock and key secrecy that's been surrounding this movie says we're going to get that. Chances are its not going to shock the world like The Empire Strikes Back did, but if it has a chance, lets give it that chance.

Unfortunately we have three more months to go before the movie's release. That's plenty of time to read something I didn't mean to, or to have someone tell me something I didn't want to hear.

Plus, having a podcast about just such things makes it hard to stay completely in the dark. But goddamnit I'm going to try.

I want to cum my brains out during that movie.

-Gint

Soss' Suggestion 9-24-15 Tokyo Ghost #1

As you know I’m a sucker for a post-apocalyptic romp and Tokyo Ghost is no exception. I honestly liked this type of story more when they were less available. It seems that in the past five years with the clearly dangerous ways that technology and corporate interests have invaded our lives every writer is sharing their take on the near future. 

Rick Remender and Sean Murphy paint a bleak and believable picture of the Isle of Los Angeles in 2089. Society has been overrun by the Flak Entertainment Conglomerate with the help of their patented injectable nano-bots. These devices enable consumers to surf the internet with nothing by their eyes. A great war has just ended, as always, and the only law that remains is the Flak appointed constables. Remender admits that this is a pretty clear rip off of Judge Dread so don’t get too mad folks. The first issue follows constables Led Dent and Debbie Decay as they go on one last job to earn their freedom and escape to the last technology free place left on the planet, Tokyo.

Remender builds a thrilling world filled with villains that can control their subjects with Powerglove-style devices and massive death races. He also was able to convey the sadness and hopelessness of a world transformed into an endless opium den via the power of the internet.

Sean Murphy has been knocking the art out of the park with his last two books The Wake and Chrononauts. This books fits perfectly in with the rest of his work.

As I mentioned Remender is very open about his influences on this book. He states that this is his homage to Road Warrior, 13 Assassins and 2000 A.D.  If you are a fan of that type of sci-fi this probably is a book for you. -Soss

Panel of the Week: Love the meta self deprecating humor 

Big Ern

Admittedly, this wasn't my joke. I can't remember which one of my colleagues said it, but it needed captured in a comic.

A couple weekends ago we spent three days at Wizard World Pittsburgh, the first time Pittsburgh hosted a Wizard World event. We got to see William Shatner and got to talk to some very personable, very genuine guys like Eddie McClintock, Dean Cain and yes, Ernie Hudson.

These guys really made the convention a great experience. Ian and I don't usually track down celebrities in fear of having a bad interaction and thus ruining the work we previously loved them for. But having such great chats with McClintock, Cain and Hudson made me appreciate their work even more. Each was gracious, affable and welcoming. They helped make Wizard World Pittsburgh one of the best shows we've been to this year.

We have one more convention coming up before we start having some weekends to ourselves again, and that's this weekend at Baltimore Comicon. Last time we went in 2013, McSoss was myself, Ian and some business cards at a table. Not surprisingly, we weren't the hit of the show. But since adding Matt to the team and having Dom help us with anything and everything, we expect to have a much different go at things this year in Baltimore.

Look for our Baltimore Comicon wrap up show next week. Hopefully Baltimore's guests will be as amazing as Wizard World Pittsburgh's.

-Gint

Gint's 9-16-15 Pull-List Review

Star Wars, man... these books are really juicin' my goose lately.

Fifth Place:

Superman Wonder Woman #21

This really isn't your father's (or your pre-New 52) Superman. He's a jerk. A lot happens in this book, but I can't get past the end where Supes admonishes Lois and Diana for doing the best they could to help him out. Its so bizarre that I hope he's being mind controlled somehow.

Lois reveals his secret identity to the public... to save his life. And Diana helps the government's interrogation of Lois, Perry and Co. to make sure it goes properly and smoothly... to help Supe's friends. This current Superman apparently isn't understanding like the old one.

As much as I love writer Pete Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke, this issue was just bizarre.

Fourth Place:

Prez #4

Mark Russell really takes the kid gloves off this issue and shows us just how awful his future America is. Beyond just the illuminati-ish mechanisms of the big corporations, we get a first hand look at how wantonly the government kills too. This is the least "happy" issue of the run so far.

One of the most interesting characters is Senator Thorn. He's your basic crotchety old white Republican villain, but Russell manages to write him as one of the most entertaining characters in the book. I guess its like how we find Dick Cheney and Donald Trump amusing? Russell is mastering walking that fine line.

And cheers to penciler Dominike Stanton for doing his best Ben Caldwell. He does such a great job filling in in Caldwell's style, that I'm not 100% sure is ISN'T Caldwell. I also like it because he seems to draw big heads like I do.

Third Place:

Martian Manhunter #4

The plot thickens as our five separate characters begin to learn that 1. they're not human, and 2. they're housing the split consciousness of J'onn J'onzz. Rob Williams is doing what he said he wanted to do, and that's taking the Martian Manhunter to places the character has never been before.

With allowing J'onn to split his consciousness, and let the bodies he's inhabiting exhibit some of the same superpowers he has, I guess we're walking too close to making J'onn "too powerful." But Williams is still unrolling the story. This new talent seems to come from J'onn being in dire straights. Williams is really making this interesting.

And where would the book be without the art team? Nowhere. Or maybe just less successful. Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Gabe Elteab are simply crushing this thing. Its not quite on the level that Jason Fabok and Stuart Immonen are at right now, but its a damn well constructed book.

Second Place:

Star Wars #9

I'm shocked at how much of a difference the art in this book has made. I was considering dropping this one, but Stuart Immonen's pencils have turned the whole thing around and even legitimized un-legitimizable characters. Really, I don't know what happened.

Maybe its the cues taken from the Original Trilogy that are making things tick. Han and Leia are off on their own and Luke and R2 are similarly, alone, like in Empire. That way Jason Aaron gets to use similar beats and attitudes to make the voices of the characters ring true.

The story is still a little outlandish (Han and Leia on the run with Han's wife and Luke being kidnapped by a Hutt on another planet), but somehow they've turned this thing around. I'm all in and can't wait for the next issue.

First Place:

Lando #4

I really hope this book does well enough to turn into a regular on-going. Its been, hands down the best of Marvel's Star Wars line. Charles Soule and Alex Maleev are really hooking it up. They're telling a hell of an interesting story considering the whole thing essentially takes place in one location.

We get a little twist at the end of this issue that makes so much sense I'm mad I didn't think of it sooner. The book is about Lando, who apparently has done some swindly things with his buddy Han Solo in the past. It makes complete sense that he'd know some things about the bounty hunters in the galaxy.

The strangest thing about this book is still the design and naming of Pavol and Aleksin, the mercenary warriors that look like black panthers walking on their hind legs. The first thing that pulls me out of the story are their Russian-ass names. Those are some Earth names if I ever heard them. And also the Earthen quality of the panther motif... they should look more alien. Be more other worldly, you know?

Still cool, fucking book.

Panel of the Week:

Speaking of things I wish I had thought of sooner: Stuart Immonen draws a cut Hutt with a six pack! They're not all fat pieces of shit!

-Gint

Guardian Jedi

There's been a lot of talk lately about the Star Wars Stories movies. Ugh, I'm sorry, I can't bring myself to call them that like they're Little Golden Books. We'll refer to them as the Star Wars Anthology Movies here at McSoss. Give it a little more grandeur. Well, one of the potential movies rumored is an Obi-Wan movie starring Ewan McGregor and what old Ben was getting up to between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

Personally, I'd love to see this movie. McGregor was hands down the best, most consistently great thing about the Prequels, and deserves another turn as Obi-Wan Kenobi. This time with a competent writer and director to really make him shine as the character. Certainly Obi-Wan's time on Tatooine was more exciting than saving a clueless young Luke from Tusken Raiders and rampaging banthas, right?

I don't have a pitch prepared, but with McGregor already saying he's in if Disney is, I think that's the green light right there to get the gears turning.

C'mon, Disney – a solo Obi-Wan movie is infinitely more exciting than a story about a bunch of nobody characters that steal the Death Star plans. I'm looking at you Rogue One.

-Gint

Hard Water

This year has involved a lot of traveling. Lots of staying with friends or family or various hotel chains. Being a person of particular concerns, water pressure rates high on my list. Always has. I've turned down renting apartments over this in the past.

If water pressure doesn't concern you, then you're not living right. I think we can all agree when we step under a weak-ass shower that barely gets the shampoo out of your hair, it sets a domino effect in play that results in your spending a night with the local police department. Or maybe that's just me.

Personally, if I have to fight my way closer to the shower head and leave the bathroom with a billion tiny bruises – that was a damn good shower. Bonus points if it scalds me while knocking me on my ass.

Happy travels, and happy showering, everyone!

-Gint

McSoss Podcast Episode 120: A Good Taste In His Mouth

This week we wrap up our trip to Wizard World Pittsburgh and discuss our interactions with Eddie McClintock, Ernie Hudson, Dean Cain and comic legend Rob Liefeld. We also discuss the latest Star Wars news. 

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Gint's 9-9-15 Pull-List Review

The only thing that interested me enough to buy this week were two Star Wars books. One of them, I took a complete chance on.

Second Place:

Star Wars: Shattered Empire #1

That chance was taken on this book. What happens immediately after Return of the Jedi? Greg Rucka and Marco Checcetto try to tell us. Much like the disappointment of the Aftermath novel being about anyone BUT the main cast of the Original Trilogy, Shattered Empire is close to the same.

We see a little Han and Chewie and a brief glance at Lando. But ultimately, this book is about Poe Dameron's parents, or so it seems initially. Looks like he's conceived on Endor in an Ewok hut. Kinky.

Aside from that, it seems the Empire doesn't just give up after the second Death Star explodes. There are still outposts that aren't giving up, and this is where our new heroes come in.

Rucka does a decent job, and Checcetto's art is pretty slick. Interesting angles and all that. But they have the uphill climb every Star Wars book writer faces: making the audience give a damn about characters that weren't in the movies.

It should also be mentioned that the only reason I gave this book a try is because Phil Noto's cover may be my favorite Star Wars art of all time. Click on it for a larger version.

First Place:

Darth Vader #9

Keiron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's run continues. This is a book that's getting harder and harder to talk about because its just been so consistent. It hasn't lit my world on fire, but each issue has been good.

What the creative team has done masterfully so far is given us a reason to pull for Vader and Aphra. Aphra moreso than Vader since our love for him has already been established. But Aphra and the murder droids are brand spanking new and have our empathy... even though they're bad guys.

So keep on keeping on, boys. This continues to be the most consistently entertaining book of the Marvel Star Wars line.

Panel of the Week:

I really liked this floor-up angle. There's lots of interesting camera choices by Checcetto this issue.

-Gint

Dr. Testosterone

My cohorts were surprised a couple weeks ago when they found out I had been watching Doctor Who. It was revealed accidentally, though I wasn't purposely keeping it a secret. It just wasn't something that had come up since, generally, McSoss is a Who-free zone. Well, those times have changed. At least for now.

I started watching Doctor Who at the Christopher Eccleston season to see what it was actually about. I've been slamming it for so long without ever seeing an episode, I thought I may as well know something about my enemy. Turns out the Doctor isn't my enemy at all. I'm 11 episodes into Eccleston (Season 1?) and well... I like it.

The first thing I noticed was that Doctor Who doesn't give one fuck that its a low budget product. If you told me the first episode of the season was actually a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode from 1988, I wouldn't have blinked. It was in fact from 2005, but between the music, sets and effects, this shit was 80s low budget sci-fi mania! But that all plays a big part in the charm of the show. It understands that if you're going to show a world filled with crazy aliens (not just standard Star Trek-type head gear), gigantic space stations, and other worldly locales, a little bit of tongue-in-cheekiness goes a long way.

Now, that doesn't mean you get completely swept away. The show's self-awareness carries you only so far. Sometimes a plunger sticking out of a robot, is still just a plunger.

As for the comic above, our good friend Darcy did tell me Christopher Eccleston is the most American of the Doctors – much more likely to get involved in fisticuffs than to use his brain like David Tennant or Matt Smith eventually do. Eccleston has grown on me so much (previously I had only seen him in 28 Days Later and The Leftovers) I'll be sad when the switch to Tennant happens, even though he's known as the high water mark for Doctors. Eccleston really masters the switch between silly and serious.

So yeah, I guess I'm a Doctor Who fan now. Who'd have thought? (see what I did there?)

-Gint

Ps Billie Piper isn't bad to look at either.

Sweet Sweet Dreams

I fucking hate the Minions. I cannot stress that enough. They are not cute, nor amusing. They were the worst part of Despicable Me and I just don't understand how they got their own goddamn movie. There's apparently a part of society that enjoys them, and I can't bring myself to accept those people as well-functioning individuals.

Seems an odd stance coming from a guy who finds mass Minion murder the recipe for a good night's sleep, but I am nothing in this space, if not honest with you, the reader.

-Gint

Gint's 9-2-15 Pull-List Review

What are we talking about this week? Well the one and only book on the Pull-List...

First (and only) Place:

Batman Beyond #4

When I flipped to the last page of this issue, I groaned. I have actively stayed away from DC's current Batman universe because I disagree with most of what Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are doing in it. That includes the Bat-bunny suit. I thought by reading Tim Drake (my favorite Robin) as Batman Beyond in the far future, I'd get away from all the present day nonsense. Nope.

In the future, Tim's beyond suit craps out on him, and he needs another. He and old Barbara Gordon go find the old Batcave to find something to fight Brother Eye with. What Tim is forced to don is... the Bat-bunny suit. Gahddamnit.

Up until that point, I was convinced I'd be getting this book next month. Its been on the fence, but the quick read and action of this issue was really well done. Sucked me right in. And then the Bat-bunny spat me right back out. I think the Bat-bunny has become my own symbol for all the bad stuff Snyder and Capullo have done on Batman. Unfortunately its spilling over here.

Next month, Batman Beyond will be a game-time decision.

Panel of the Week:

That said, Bernard Chang's art has been stellar. This panel of a Joker henchman that's been taken over by Brother Eye was good and intense.

-Gint

Victory

My favorite part of drawing this strip was the hunched over Klan Beast. I was tempted to have his tongue sticking out and X's over his eyes but I thought that might be way to goofy. -Soss

McSoss Podcast Episode 119: Toony Stark

This week we spin the Dealie Cheelie Wheelie and answer listener submitted questions. 

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The Kill Shot

One of the original idea’s I had for Soultron’s nemesis was a monster called The Grand Dragon. While the Klan Beast ultimately was my final choice I still wanted to mixing in some fire breathing for good measure. -Soss