Gint's 1-27-16 Pull-List Review

Last week I was lazy and didn't bother going to the shop to get the only book on the Pull-List, so its included here. Last week's addition makes this week pretty strong.

Fourth Place:

Saga #33

This issue focuses on Doff and Upsher, the intrepid reporters that have been covering the Marko/Alana saga. It picks up years later like the rest of the current series with them being able to come out of the shadows and tell the tale.

When they were introduced, these two could have been throwaway characters that advance the story and then get killed off. But Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have given them such realized personalities, you can't help but be invested in them. One of Saga's strength's has been the fleshed out supporting cast that almost makes it an ensemble.

My biggest disappointment is what time has done to one of my favorite characters: The Will. Who was once the actual Boba Fett of Saga, time and loss have forced him to abandon the only people that cared about him and become a fat slob. Maybe this will set up a good redemption story for getting the sleek Will back instead of this doughy mess.

Third Place:

He-Man: The Eternity War #14

The Eternity War wraps here with the final showdown between He-Man and Skeletor. Its as big and epic as you would expect from where this book has taken us up to this point. There's a part of me that wanted a classic showdown between your basic He-Man and Skeletor instead of cosmic-infused demi-god versions of each, but this was a satisfying end.

What makes it so satisfying is the anticipation for what comes next. The decks have been cleared, characters have died (a lot of them) and a new beginning for Dan Abnett and Pop Mhan's Eternia is right around the corner. I trust they'll find a way to bring back some of the classic core characters that they killed off.

It seems like these He-Man books have been doing well enough for DC that they're being published independently from the rest of the line. With the mysterious Rebirth coming this June, hopefully these Masters books can withstand another DC reorganization and continue to be a consistently good comic.

Second Place:

Star Wars #15

Firstly, Mike Mayhew draws the shit out of this book. Crushes it. His faces are incredible. Young Luke looks like a real kid and his Uncle Owen and Obi-Wan are outstanding. If these guys did an Obi-Wan book, I'd be all over it.

While I praise the art, allow me to take a second to be disappointed in the forced argument between Owen and Obi-Wan. If this is all canon, Owen has no reason to dislike Obi-Wan. Owen accuses Obi-Wan of getting Anakin killed, but 1. what the fuck does Owen know about it, and 2. he barely knew Anakin. What the fuck does he care? He even acknowledges Obi-Wan has kept their house safe from Sand People and Jabba's thugs, and is UNGRATEFUL for keeping his family safe. Its like, "well George established in A New Hope that Own doesn't like him, we better go with that even though all the other evidence in the Prequels contradicts it."

That aside, the way Brian Azzarello writes Obi-Wan, coupled with Mayhew's art is like having that Ewan McGregor Obi-Wan movie we all want but Disney seems hesitant to make... maybe if Rogue One goes well it'll have a chance.

First Place:

JLA #7

This my have become my new favorite comic. I was really excited to read a few weeks ago that Bryan Hitch is committed to this book and has a wealth of stories that he wants to tell with this Justice League cast. Please, DC, don't screw this up. Just let Hitch do his thing.

There are moments that will always stand out as a comic book reader. Favorite moments where the artist and writer come together flawlessly and make an indelible mark in your fan-brain. This issue featured one of those where Hitch makes Superman so badass it makes you wonder why people don't like this character.

He also draws his best Chris Pine starring as Hal Jordan. I guess we're in the same camp that feel Pine's being underused as Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman movie.

If you want to read THE Justice League, definitely give this book a try. Hitch is even bucking his own trend of being a late artist. Yeah yeah there was a fill-in book a couple months ago, but we're on a pretty tight schedule seven-issues in. For all the stuff DC is doing wrong these days, this is one thing they're doing completely right.

Panels of the Week:

An example of Mike Mayhew absolutely slaying this issue of Star Wars.

-Gint

A Man's Man

The worlds of The Walking Dead and Ash vs. Evil Dead couldn't be more different. For one, there's comedy in Ash vs. Evil Dead. The Passion of the Christ had more zingers than The Walking Dead. Ash vs. Evil Dead also has "villains" that are actually frightening. I may have covered this here before, but allow me another.

Zombies aren't frightening. That's a pretty blanket statement, and if a horde of the undead (how does undead get flagged as a misspelling in 2016?) crashed through my living room window right now, there would be some alarm. But it would also be a situation that (I hope) I could escape without being bitten or worse, eaten alive. That would suck.

Aside from their numbers, the slow shambling and inability to perform simple functions (like turning a doorknob) makes zombies background noise. In The Walking Dead, the zombies aren't the real scare – the survivors are. Which leads me to the contrast with the demonic possession and supernatural flare of Ash vs. Evil Dead.

Coming from a world where your friends can be possessed, forests are rapey, evil doppelgangers can grow from a severed hand, and the demons can perform simple functions (like turning a doorknob), the world of The Walking Dead would seem like a walk in the park to Ash Williams. His biggest challenge would be the ability to pass out drunk every night.

But what about the Governer or Terminus or Negan? I don't think Ash would suffer such fools. I actually don't think he'd hang with Rick and the Gang too long either. That bunch of downers isn't the scene were a swinging single can get ripped and get his dick wet.

I doubt AMC or Starz, or even Dynamite or Image would indulge us fans in such a wild event. So if you see this particular crossover pop up here, you know the impetus: I think its funny.

-Gint

PS, I combined TV show Rick Grimes with comic Rick Grimes because I'm tired of AMC stubbornly not cutting off TV show Rick Grimes hand.

McSoss Podcast Episode 137: DC - Doesn't Like Color

This week the crew breaks down the new Suicide Squad trailer, DC’s Rebirth and reacts to the new footage of Wonder Woman.

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What's A Scaramouch?

When I hear "Bohemian Rhapsody," I think of Wayne's World. That is a stone cold fact. My first memories of "Bohemian Rhapsody" are FROM Wayne's World. Before the song was re-released as a single for the movie, I'm pretty sure I had never heard it before. As far as I was concerned, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey put this song together specifically for Wayne's World. I know how insane that sounds now, but to a kid in 1992 that didn't know any better, it made a world of sense. So now, twenty-four years later, "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Wayne's World are inextricably linked.

That brings us to the official Suicide Squad trailer released last week. It leans heavily on the use of "Bohemian Rhapsody." Is it the most effective use of the billions of times this song has been used? Absolutely not. Is it the least effective? Absolutely not. Sure, the trailer-makers use some questionable stops and starts that undercut how effective the song can be, but overall it highlights the up and down insanity of the characters.

Its a statement to Queen and the song itself that its endured so long under so many guises. When it can blend (mostly) seamlessly with the "worst heroes ever," and highlight one of the most memorable scenes from 90s comedies, I say "job well done."

Now, if Suicide Squad director David Ayer can give me just the tiniest nod to the scene from Wayne's World, he and Suicide Squad would be endeared to me forever, no matter the quality of the rest of the movie.

-Gint

Ps I'm really looking forward to Suicide Squad. Like, more than I probably should be.

Oh Mama Mia

This week we were treated to the second trailer for David Ayer's Suicide Squad. The spot features bright neon lights and a team of dark, mysterious villains. We get an expanded look at the main players, namely Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, Will Smith as Deadshot and loads of Jared Leto's Joker. While my excitement for Batman v Superman has cooled off the closer we get to the film, I find myself getting more wrapped up in this movie with each new piece of media. 

The main thing that stuck with me for the past few days is the use of "Bohemian Rhapsody" throughout the trailer. Maybe it's just me but I can't hear that song without thinking about Wayne and Garth cruising through their neighborhood on their way to get donuts. The track is a perfect compliment to the themes of this film. The dramatic musical shifts are right at home with the complex makeup of this band of villains. It is a roller coaster ride bent on making your eyes and ears spew. Of course, if you're gonna spew... spew into this. 

I'm hopeful that 2016 will be a year that comic book films take a bold step towards giving fans something fresh. From what I've seen from Suicide Squad and Deadpool I'm optimistic. -Soss

McSoss Podcast Episode 136: Alpha Hero

This week we discuss Paul’s problem with Luke Skywalker in The Force Awakens as well as the post Secret Wars plan for the Fantastic Four. 

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Not On Your Life

The Boy looks fucking terrifying. Above is where that movie should begin and end. I don't know what Lauren Cohan's character's situation is to make her agree to that nonsense, but I would have to be under some dire fucking straights to take on that babysitting job. Like if Ian's life depended on my watching "Brahms" for a week... sorry, pal. I'll make sure I clear your browser history and write a nice eulogy comic for you.

That said, I absolutely want to see it. The problem is I don't get to see many horror movies when they're in theatres. I still haven't seen The Conjuring. In about a year, you'll get my official The Boy review. Right around the time I review Goodnight Mommy and The Forest.

Until then, I think we all know better than to take jobs that involve babysitting dolls. That never ends well.

-Gint

Gint's 1-13-16 Pull-List Review

Before we get to the books, know that all four books this week were top notch. To the reviews!

Fourth Place:

Descender #9

There are times when I find this book so strange and different that I don't know if its for me. But riding along side those concepts are Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen's subtle plot twists and character designs that make this book completely worthwhile.

On one hand this book offers Star Wars-like aliens and spaceships and adventure... and on the other hand it offers Star Trek-like questions about how much control we should have over technology. It really defines action-adventure-sci-fi better than each of the previous franchises have done alone.

All that praise said, I would love to see this team of Lemire and Nguyen take their storytelling chemistry to Marvel or DC to see them stretch their legs on characters that I'm more invested in. As much as I enjoy Telsa and Andy, and even Driller, these guys could crush a Superman or Green Lantern book.

Third Place:

Darth Vader #15

And here Vader Down concludes. Its pretty satisfying considering all the pieces that were at play with lots of places for the story to take a tumble. Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen have done a great job together dovetailing their two books into one pretty tight story.

The decision to have one artist (in particular Mike Deodato) draw the entire crossover really pulled the whole story together, and makes for one of the better arcs of Marvel's whole Star Wars run. Overall I'd have liked to have seen Luke get a little more face time, but the rest of the main cast each had their time to shine.

Marvel may really be on to something with this license. Its been met with quite a bit of speculation from some corners, but it continues to be greatly entertaining. Marvel's priority of putting some of their best talent on these books seems to really be making a difference.

Second Place:

Secret Wars #9

Secret Wars wraps up with a big satisfying throwdown and a pretty satisfying resolution. I'll even go ahead and say very satisfying resolution since I'm not 100% invested in the Marvel U. Even though this book's release schedule has dragged a little, the story Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic constructed was pretty stellar.

It seems the biggest victims of Secret Wars are the Fantastic Four. From what I can tell, for the time being anyway, Reed & Sue Richards (and Valeria and Franklin, who don't really count anyway) are being eliminated from the Marvel U. Reed plays the big hero in this book and sets everything right after Dr. Doom messes it all up. Its actually one of the best Fantastic Four stories I've ever read. Shame it all ends here.

Regardless of the late releases, I'm really glad Marvel stuck to its guns and left Ribic on art no matter the delays. It makes for a greater story overall, and will be one hell of a hardback. Kudos to Marvel for doing a Universe-changing event the right way.

First Place:

Captain Canuck #6

Kalman Andrasofszky and Leonard Kirk (along with the rest of the creative team) wrap a hell of a first arc on Canada's favorite son. They give just the right amount through six issues to invest into Canuck and his team and set up the bad guys to set up an even more threatening second arc.

The overall story of Captain Canuck doesn't look like much on the surface. Its your basic super hero story: Canuck's the big masculine hero going after an evil villain bent on world domination. But its the subtlety of each character that really takes the book past standard comic fare.

Issue #7 starts in a month and I'll certainly be along for the ride. The only thing working against the Chapter House team is their own success on the first arc. They set a high bar for themselves. Best of luck!

Panel of the Week:

Kurt Russell as Han Solo, brought to you by Mike Deodato.

-Gint

 

Ash vs. Handjobs

A pleasant surprise of 2015 was Ash vs. Evil Dead on Starz. I had never seen the original Evil Dead until a couple years ago, and never saw Evil Dead 2, until this past Christmas. I of course was very familiar with Army of Darkness since it got tons of late 90s early 2000s TV play.

I appreciate Evil Deads 1 and 2 for what they are: old school horror movies, but both of them kind of stink. Neither of them push the comedy or camp far enough to be definitively "this isn't supposed to be scary." By Army of Darkness, the Raimi's understand exactly what this franchise could be.

So after binging on all three between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year it was time to dive into Ash vs. Evil Dead which masterfully blends all the gore and camp from the first two movies, with the comedy and tone of Army of Darkness. Its just fucking brilliant. Bruce Campbell retains all of Ash's swagger and nails every line delivery. Its pretty great how much Campbell has really given his all to this role over the decades.

As far as the Star Wars connection goes... well, they both don't have right hands. That's about it. I'm sure at some point Rick Grimes will show up with them at Hands Free, the local bar for the handless hero.

If you haven't watched Ash vs. Evil Dead, do so. Its only 10 half hour episodes and should be on Netflix soon for the Starz-impaired. Its worth every second and may be my favorite entry in Evil Dead canon.

-Gint

 

McSoss Podcast Episode 135: NPR Style

This week Paul and Matt discuss the upcoming comic books, TV shows and movies of 2016.

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A Poor Description

As fans of the podcast know I'm a big fan of military history. I subscribe to a handful of weekly history podcasts, listen to audio lectures and I have a small collection of World War I relics and trench art. It's a newer interest for me seeing that I was never a big fan of history in high school or college. Maybe that's because the teachers made it boring as hell. It’s not completely their fault. My old teachers pale in comparison to the worlds most dynamic speakers which I can now carry around in my phone.

A stronger understanding of history influences the way I look at fictional conflicts as well. It's clear to me that John Barber, the writer of IDW’s Transformers: Robots In Disguise, is heavily influenced by the French Revolution. The layered political intrigue mixed with insane levels of brutality are exactly what happened in France in the 1700s and early 1800s. Of course there are subtle differences in the two conflicts. Maximilien Robespierre was never able to transform into a jet. That's really the only difference that stood out to me. -Soss

Gint's 1-6-16 Pull-List Review

These Star Wars comics go against everything I believe in when it comes to augmenting licensed properties, but goddamn are they enjoyable.

Second Place:

Nailbiter #19

The last few issues have been taking us on a different journey, splitting up the cast we've grown to love and taking us out of Buckaroo, Oregon. We're now in the middle of a very interesting twist where we find out Warren has been helping children of Buckaroo Butchers escape Buckaroo and their pasts via a strange underground railroad of sorts. I didn't see this kind of twist coming, but its a good one.

It lends a lot of credence as to why we're off following Finch and the FBI to Atlanta and getting a little broader with the story. Seeing how Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson tell the story of the butchers across the country is pretty neat.

Henderson's art is still great. No drop off here, folks. And the new turn in the story has breathed new life into a series that I was afraid would have no where natural to go after one or two arcs.

First Place:

Star Wars #14

The penultimate chapter of Vader Down fucking delivers. Like I said above, I don't like stories that tell potentially contradictory stories to the movies they're based on, and these Marvel books aren't necessarily doing that, but they come awfully close.

Despite all that, I'm enjoying the hell out of the Vader Down crossover. And this is the issue where everything comes together and we see just how the layout of the story falls into place. Keiron Gillen and Jason Aaron set up all the pieces of the mousetrap properly to really create a fun issue.

Choosing one artist to work on both the Star Wars and Darth Vader issues of Vader Down was a great choice that really makes the story feel like something that stands on its own. Mike Deodato, besides a couple blatant movie screen grabs has been penciling one heck of a story.

Panel of the Week:

If you don't know this face from the Original Trilogy, you're just not a Star Wars fan. I also find this panel comically funny.

-Gint

McSoss Podcast Episode 134: Marvel is the Adrian Peterson of Comics

The McSoss crew air their grievances with the comic book industry and discuss the types of books they would like to see in 2016.

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This Isn't The Jedi You're Looking For

Episode VIII may clear up some questions about Luke Skywalker, but as it stands, he's my least favorite part of The Force Awakens.

I get the circumstances the story is setting up: he lost his students, probably his wife and maybe had to abandon his daughter, so he goes off and hides alone in his bedroom like an angst-ridden teenager until things are so bad he has to come out of hiding. I call bullshit.

I called bullshit between The Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises when Batman took off eight years because he was sad. This falls under the same circumstances. This isn't so much a Luke-specific thing as it is what I expect from my heroes. I expect them to keep going, not fucking hide like a bitch. When the road gets tough and all that.

Now there are also theories that he's off finding a hidden Jedi temple in order to get the answers there he needs to then come back and turn the tide against the Dark Side. I can get behind that. But there's no positivity surrounding Luke. No, "don't worry, Luke's got a plan." Its all, "he's vanished," and gruff "yeah, I knew him."

There's something to be said for the beaten down hero overcoming the odds to rejoin the fight, but that's only true when the fighter never gives up. You never saw Hulk Hogan leave the ring for eight years and THEN come back and raise his hand in the air, did you? Luke's responsible for this mess. He should have been an active participant cleaning it up this whole time.

So here's hoping Episode VIII takes my A-#1 hero, who I've looked up to more than any other hero for every one of my years on this Earth, and corrects the slanderous allusions cast by The Force Awakens.

Luke Skywalker is the greatest Jedi. Period. He should fucking act like it.

-Gint

Modern Fairytale

Hands down, after multiple viewings, the Finn/Poe scenes in The Force Awakens are still my favorites. The TIE Fighter escape being #1 closely followed by their romantic hug/jacket exchange. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega had some great chemistry, but the screen absolutely catches on fire when Boyega and Oscar Isaac are together.

Had you asked me before this movie released if I'd be comfortable with The Force Awakens introducing homosexuality to the Star Wars universe, I'd have said no. After watching the movie though, I'm in. Sure, it wouldn't have the same dynamic Ian and I can hang our bromance hat on like Han and Lando, but its cool.

The way the movie leaves off, it looks like we may get to see a lot of Finn and Poe (Foe for you shippers out there) together in Episode VIII while Rey is of with Luke. We won't get to see any more scenes with Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill like I had hoped, but there's plenty of time to give me more of that movie magic between the coolest bros or homos in the Star Wars universe!

-Gint

Gint's 12-30-15 Pull-List Review

Here we are; the last Pull-List of 2015. If 2015 taught us anything, its that DC and Marvel superhero contributions to the Pull-List have dwindled while other books like Saga, Captain Canuck and He-Man have picked up the slack.

Third Place (by way of late delivery from last week):

Saga #32

I'd love to get into a deeper Saga conversation on the podcast, but Matt hasn't read one issue. There's so much to cover in these last thirty-two issues, not all of it positive. The story has taken such a dark turn, and that's saying something since it's always been fairly dark. But these later issues see our characters changed from the characters we fell in love with, into images of their former selves.

That's no indictment on Brian K. Vaughan's writing. He's able to navigate the real changes in people and situations that happen though an insane life like the one Marko and Alana are living. This certainly isn't a superhero book where Superman is always Superman.

I'd love to see Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples bring it back around again before the series wraps. This is still a very enjoyable book, but it's now lacking the magic that made it an absolute must-read in its early life.

Second Place:

Chewbacca #5

Phil Noto and Gerry Duggan wrap their run on Chewbacca with issue #5. Truth be told, of all the enjoyable Star Wars books Marvel has published since they got the license, this one falls a little short.

There are things to love. Like how Duggan and Noto never gave Chewbacca thought bubbles or actual speech in any way. Just like the movies, we're left to guess what he's saying by the characters around him. A challenge, sure, but one Duggan and Noto navigated deftly.

And Phil Noto's art? Loved every panel of it. Noto is one of those artist who's books I'll buy just because he's drawing it. His sharp linework plus his color palette are exactly the kind of art I love. If not for Noto, I may not have made it to this issue.

The big flaw in this miniseries was that it was kind of boring. Its the perfect fill-in story in that it doesn't contradict anything from the movies, but it also didn't offer a whole lot to chew on. The heart of the story (Chewbacca returning a fallen Wookie's bandolier to his [the fallen Wookie's] son on Kashyyyk) is an incredibly sweet, heartfelt story, but its relegated to the last five pages of the series.

Unfortunately, as much as I love Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto, Chewbacca isn't one of Marvel's strongest Star Wars offerings.

First Place:

Justice League #47

One of few DC superhero universe books than I'm getting and still enjoying. But my enjoyment is wearing a tad thin. Why? Because the book is called Justice League, but the story has been focusing more on Mister Miracle, Grail, and Jessica Cruz among others than the REAL Justice League.

Maybe we're in the second act where our heroes are in trouble, only to save the day in a couple issues. Well, I hope so because I don't give too much of a fuck about the Crime Syndicate and I definitely don't give a fuck about Mister Miracle and Big Barda. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if I was Publisher at DC I'd put a moratorium on every New God character except Darkseid. In fact, I'd probably go out of my way to write a story where Darkseid kills them all just to make sure they don't get used.

Basically, I'd really like to see the normal, not godded-up versions of the Justice League back in action, over matched against an opponent they really have to work to defeat. There's plenty of time for that, but Geoff Johns seems to have dedicated a LOT of story to other potential heroes at this point.

Page of the Week:

Phil Noto's final page of Chewbacca is a beaut. Gorgeous.

-Gint

Bitter Benny

Happy New Year everyone! I know this comic has nothing to do with New Year's, but The Force Awakens has been more inspiring than the first of the year.

Seems the more people I talk to about The Force Awakens have the same argument about Rey's zero-to-Jedi power jump as Kylo Ren up there. Also, the more people I talk to say they can get past it because it was such a great movie. After the first viewing I was ready to fall on my sword fighting against Rey's quick learning. I don't think I'll ever see it as a perfectly natural progression, but that shouldn't mark what I also thought was a great movie.

The third act covers some rough road, but the first two acts are damn near perfect. The more I see it, the more I like it. And I bet Episode VIII cleans up some lingering questions and makes The Force Awakens even better when it becomes part of a larger story.

To hear mine (and Ian's and Matt's) detailed opinions on Rey's Force abilities, check out Episode 132 of the podcast. For now, I'm going to put the negative aside and focus on the positive like Finn and Poe's blossoming romance. Who saw that coming?

I hope all of you out there have an incredible 2016, and keep visiting McSoss in all our outlets. Ian and I would keep doing this for ourselves, but it makes it all the more special to share it with all of you.

Thanks for a great 2015!

-Gint