Try Something Different: 6/29/05

Support Independent Comics!

Independent comics (and manga) being released tomorrow, 6/29/05, courtesy of ComicList. Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it.

Recommendations, sometimes blind, in BOLD. Which ones are YOU reading?

AAA MILWAUKEE PUBLISHING CO
Essential Arsenic Lullaby Vol 1 HC Sgn, $45.99

ABOUT COMICS
Licensable Bear #1 (AA), $2.95
Licensable Bear #2, $2.95

ALC PUBLISHING
Rica Tte Kanji GN, $15.00
Yuri Monogatari GN, $15.00

ALIAS ENTERPRISES LLC
10th Muse Vol 2 #2, $2.99
10th Muse Vol 2 Photo Cvr Foil Ed #2, $4.99
Elsinore #2 (Of 9), $2.99
Johnny Caronte Vol 1 Zombie Detective & Revolver GN, $5.99
Legend Of Isis #1 (Of 4), $2.99
Legend Of Isis Vol 1 Beginnings TPB, $9.99
Pakkins Land Vol 2 #2, $2.99
Penny & Aggie #1 (Of 4), $2.99
XIII #1, $0.75

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Oz The Manga #2 (Of 8), $2.99

ANTIMATTER/HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL
Vampire Pageant One Shot, $3.50

APCOMICS
Mr T #1, $3.50

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Go Go Gorilla & Jungle Crew Summer Sp, $2.95

ARCANA STUDIO
Ezra Vol 1 Egyptian Exchange TPB, $9.95

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
Archie Double Digest #162, $3.59
Betty #148, $2.25
Jughead #166, $2.25

ATOMEKA
Zombie Tales #1, $6.99

AVATAR PRESS
Belladonna #3 Siqueira Litho, $29.99
Brian Pulidos Belladonna Moonlight Ed #4 (Of 5), $5.99
Brian Pulidos Lady Death Swimsuit Prism Foil Cvr 2005, $12.99
Brian Pulidos Medieval Lady Death #4, $3.99
Brian Pulidos Medieval Lady Death Foil Inc #4, AR
Brian Pulidos Medieval Lady Death Portrait Ed #1, $5.99
Brian Pulidos Medieval Lady Death Premium Cvr #4, $9.99
Brian Pulidos Medieval Lady Death Wraparound #4, $3.99
Brian Pulidos Unholy Prism Cvr #1, $12.99
Brian Pulidos Unholy Sure Shot Cvr #2, $5.99
Brian Pulidos War Angel #3 (Of 3), $3.50
Brian Pulidos War Angel Adrian Cvr #3 (Of 3), $3.50
Brian Pulidos War Angel Premium Cvr #3 (Of 3), $9.99
Brian Pulidos War Angel Ryp Cvr #3 (Of 3), $3.50
Brian Pulidos War Angel Wraparound Cvr #3 (Of 3), $3.50
Demonslayer Vol 1 TPB Alt Cvr, $19.95
Exposure Second Coming #1 (Of 2) (AA), $3.50
Exposure Second Coming #2 (Of 2) (AA), $3.50
Exposure Special #1 (AA), $3.50
Jade Warriors Slave Of The Dragon #1 (Of 3) (AA), $3.50
Lady Death Leather & Lace 2005 Killer Body Ed, $5.99
Stargate Sg1 Daniels Song Royal Blue Ed #1, $75.00

BASEMENT COMICS / AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT
Vampire Pageant One Shot Sp Ed, AR

BONGO COMICS
Bart Simpson Comics #24, $2.99

BROADSWORD COMICS
Tarot Witch Of The Black Rose Vol 3 TPB, $24.99

BUD PLANT
Art Of John Van Fleet HC (AA), AR

CHECKER BOOK PUBLISHING GROUP
X-Files Vol 1 TPB, $19.95

CHRONIQUE FATIGUE
Ending Time #1 (Cold Cut Distribution), $3.95
Our World #3 (Cold Cut Distribution), $3.95

DARK HORSE COMICS
Bettie Page Mini Bust, $44.95
Billy The Kids Old Time Oddities #3 (Of 4), $2.99

DEL REY
Negima Vol 6 GN, $10.95
Othello Vol 4 GN, $10.95
Perfect Day For Love Letters Vol 1 GN (Of 3), $10.95
Wallflower Vol 4 GN, $10.95

DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING
Forgotten Realms Dark Elf Homeland Cvr A #1 (Of 3), $4.95
Forgotten Realms Dark Elf Homeland Cvr B #1 (Of 3), $8.95
GI Joe Americas Elite #1, $2.95

DRAWN & QUARTERLY
I Never Liked You (AA), $15.95
Satiroplastic HC, $19.95

DR MASTER
Cosplay Koromo Chan Vol 1 TPB (resolicited), $9.95
High School Girls Vol 3 TPB (resolicited), $9.95
Infinite Ryvius Vol 2 TPB, $9.95
Junk Force Vol 1 Novel, $7.95
King Of Fighters 2003 Vol 1 TPB (resolicited), $13.95

EIDOLON ENTERTAINMENT
Underlords #4, $2.95

FC9 PUBLISHING
Genie #1, $2.95
Hell Michigan #1, $2.95

FIERCE COMICS
Internal Fury #1, $2.00

GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
Big Big Overstreet Price Gd Vol 35, $37.00
Life And Times Of Scrooge Mcduck TPB, $16.99
Mickey Mouse Adventures Vol 4 TPB, $7.95

HEROIC PUBLISHING INC
Black Enchantress #3, $2.99
Tales Of The Champions #1, $2.99

HOARSE AND BUGGY PRODUCTIONS
Elks Run Vol 1 #2, $3.00

HYPERION BOOKS
W.I.T.C.H. Vol 1 GN, $4.99

IDW PUBLISHING
Angel The Curse #1 (Of 5), $3.99
CSI Secret Identity #5 (Of 5), $3.99
Complete Jon Sable Freelance Vol 2 TPB, $19.99
Dampyr #3 Sand Specters, $7.99
Hell House Vol 4 TPB, $6.49
Lurkers TPB, $17.99
Metal Gear Solid Vol 1 S/N HC, $50.00
Shaun Of The Dead #1 (Of 4), $3.99
Shaun Of The Dead #1 Signed Ed, $19.99

IMAGE COMICS
Avigon Gods & Demons GN, $19.95
Blacklight #1, $2.99
Girls New Prtg #1, $2.95
Keu Cha Pirate Darkness Litho, $19.99
Lullaby Wisdom Seeker #3 (Of 4), $2.95
Pact #3 (Of 4), $2.95
Spawn #147 (resolicited), $2.50
Witchblade #86, $2.99

KENZER & COMPANY
Knights Of The Dinner Table #104, $3.99

KYLE BAKER PUBLISHING
Nat Turner #1, $3.00

NBM
Zorro #2, $2.95

POISON PRESS
Cavalcade Of Boys Vol 2 TPB, $14.00

ROBERT SATO
Buring Sandwiches, $7.95

ROSEN PUBLISHING GROUP
Rosen Library Graphic Novelists Art Spiegelman (AA), $23.95
Rosen Library Graphic Novelists Neil Gaiman (AA), $23.95
Rosen Library Graphic Novelists Will Eisner (AA), $23.95

SPEAKEASY COMICS
Grimoire #4, $2.99
Hunger #2, $2.99

TOKYOPOP
Gravitation Vol 12 GN (Of 12), $9.99
Immortal Rain Vol 6 GN (Of 6), $9.99
Kare Kano Vol 16 GN (Of 18), $9.99

TONY RAIOLA
Dick Tracy Unholy Matrimony, $9.50

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
Surrogates #1 (Of 5), $2.95

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Modern Masters Vol 5 Jose Luis Garcia Lopez SC, $14.95

VIZ LLC
Fullmetal Alchemist Anime Comic #2, $17.99
Fullmetal Alchemist Manga #9, $7.99
Fullmetal Alchemist TV Animation Art Bk #2, $24.99
Fullmetal Alchemist TV Animation Comp Bk Material Side, $34.99
Fushigi Yugi Vol 7 2nd Ed TPB, $9.95
Howls Moving Castle Film Comic #1, $12.99
Howls Moving Castle Film Comic #2, $12.99
Howls Moving Castle Roman Album, $24.99
Mar Vol 2 GN, $9.99
Wolfs Rain Vol 2 GN (AA), $9.99

Buzzscope Reviews: 6/22/05

APComics 2005 Preview
Charging full-price for marketing promotions isn't cool. If this were a Free Comic Book Day offering, or even a $0.99 promo, it might have earned an A.

Catwoman #44
New creative teams are always a good time to peek in on a title you've never read before, or dropped a while back, and Pfeiffer and Woods get off to an entertaining start that's relatively accessible to new readers.

Deal with the Devil #2
Schwartzrock's art is solid, blue collar work that complements the real-world feel of the story. Unfortunately, it's more plot-driven than character-driven, and while sporting an interesting premise, its overall "potential" looks very different when it costs $2.99 versus $0.75.

Spider-Man: House of M #1 (of 5)
Waid and Peyer turn in an uninspired, by-the-numbers introduction to what is, essentially, an old-fashioned, if super-decompressed, What If...? story. It's not that it's bad, per se, but there's a certain "so what?" factor that comes from knowing it bears no consequences for any of the characters involved.

Be sure to check out all of this week's reviews from Buzzscope's crack staff of reviewers - some of the best out there, if I may say so myself. While you're there, sign up and leave some feedback in the forum. It's one of the more level-headed boards out there and while the usual suspects get the most attention, there's plenty of room to talk about good comics, too.

Peace!

Comment: Handicapping Batman Begins

As of Tuesday, June 21, Batman Begins has made $84,928,817 at the domestic box office, already ranking it as the 20th highest-grossing comic book adaptation ever. The Top 5 on that list are:

• Spider-Man: $403,706,375
  
• Spider-Man 2: $373,585,825
  
• Batman: $251,188,924
  
• Men in Black: $250,690,539
  
• X2: X-Men United: $214,949,694

Assuming a typical 50% dropoff this weekend, I'm guessing it'll leapfrog into the 13th spot, just behind The Hulk at #12 with $132,177,234. From there, though, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out, especially with the Fourth of July holiday next weekend which should boost its take despite War of the Worlds opening that weekend.

My prediction? Thanks to great reviews all around and the fact that its actually a pretty damn good movie, coupled with the likely bomb that will be Fantastic 4, I'm thinking it'll have some legs and pegging its final take at just under $200,000,000, beating out all of its predecessors except for Tim Burton's initial effort, and settling in at #6 on the adaptation list where it will remain until the sequel comes out and pushes it down a notch.

Fantastic 4? $125,000,000
Ghost Rider? $90,000,000
Superman Returns? $165,000,000
X-Men 3? $90,000,000 (Assuming they stick to next summer's intended release date.)

PS: Check out this piece about Marvel's slate of upcoming movies, including everything from X-men 3 to Captain America to Cloak & Dagger.

Pull List Review: June 2005

Here's what I'm currently buying on a regular basis, and why. What about you?

100 Girls
Because it's a great story, and Adam Gallardo's an interesting guy.

15 Minutes
Because it makes C-list superheroes interesting.

Action Philosophers
Because it's smart and funny and takes more than 5 minutes to read each issue.

Araña
Because I really wanted it to be good, and have been hoping it gets there. (Though, honestly, my hope is fading fast.)

The Atheist
Because it has an intriguing plot and a brother as a lead character who isn't a stereotype. (Well, not a bad one, at least, because he's definitely a bit of the stereotypical Sam Jackson badass.)

Atomika
Because of it's potential, and Andrew Dabb's a cool guy.

New Avengers
Because it's dumb superhero fun. No more, no less.

Young Avengers
Because it's way better than it has any right to be; good superhero fun without the dumb.

Batgirl
Because it's been pretty good under Gabrych's direction and I need a regular Batfix because Winnick has made Batman unreadable and Gotham Knights has been stagnant.

Black Panther
Because I want it to to succeed, and I love how Hudlin's making the fanboys lose their minds.

Captain America
Because Brubaker has made him interesting to me for the first time.

Captain Gravity And The Power Of Vril
Because Greg recommended it and he has pretty good taste.

Conan
Because Busiek and Nord have nailed the character and the setting, making both incredibly appealing.

Daredevil
Because the Decalogue arc looked interesting and, so far, has been great!

Death, Jr.
Because it was a random pickup that was surprisingly entertaining.

El Gato Negro
Because it's a self-published Latino character written by a Latino, and it's actually pretty good!

Elk's Run
Because it's got great atmosphere and art, and Joshua Hale Fialkov obviously has a passion for it.

Elsinore
Because I'm a sucker for atmosphere and this one has it in spades.

Ex Machina
Because it combines two of my favorite things, superheroes and politics, and keeps it interesting without ever being didactic.

The Expatriate
Because I have no idea what might happen next and I don't want to miss anything.

Ultimate Fantastic Four
Because Ellis nailed the characterization. (Unfortunately, Millar and Land are coming onboard to screw it all up.)

G.I. Joe: America's Elite
Because the introductory issue did its job by roping me in and making me curious about the characters.

Gotham Central
Because it is one of the most consistently good, sometimes great, comics being published right now.

The Grimoire
Because it's full-speed ahead fun and the raccoon, Chai, is one of the coolest characters EVER!

Alan Moore's Hypothetical Lizard
Because it makes me think about what I'm reading, after making me reread it twice.

Lex Luthor: Man of Steel
Because Lex Luthor has the potential to be a really interesting character when done right, and so far, Azzarello's been doing him right.

The Losers
Because I like Bruckheimer movies and Andy Diggle's a smarter writer than any of JB's screenwriters have been.

Lullaby
Because it's an interesting spin on fairy tales that proves all-ages comics don't have to be dumb.

Machine Teen
Because I loved what Sumerak did with Power Pack and Hawthorne's a fun artist.

Mora
Because Harmon's got talent and he's telling an intricately layered story that I haven't figured out yet.

Mu
Because I love Dungeons & Dragons and this is the closest I've come to it in comic book form.

NYC Mech: Beta Love
Because sometimes a comic leaves you breathless and giddy.

Papa Midnite
Because a brother's writing it and featured in it, and it's actually a pretty interesting story.

Powers
Because the letters column is often as good or better than the comic itself.

Random Encounter
Because never has the title of a comic been a more appropriate description of the feeling you get while reading it. And I love the art!

Runaways
Because I like Vaughan and would rather read his take on characters he created than the Ultimate X-Men.

Skyscrapers of the Midwest
Because it's quite possibly the best first two issues of a comic book that I've ever read.

Son of Vulcan
Because Beatty remembers comics used to be fun.

Western Tales of Terror
Because anthologies don't have to suck.

LINK: What's Next for Marvel Movies?

Avi Arad, Marvel's chairman and CEO, spoke with MTV.com about where several of the companies nearly 5,000 characters stand with regards to movie prospects, ranging from X-men 3 to Captain America to Cloak & Dagger.

• X-Men 3: Regarding Jean Grey's possible evolution at the end of the last movie, however, Arad says, "Dark Phoenix should not be the centerpiece of the movie."
  
• Wolverine: "2007/2008" film with Wolverine ("Totally different, just Wolverine's journey").
  
• Ghost Rider: Scheduled for August 2006, Arad refers to it as a "morality tale," and that it will have a PG-13 rating and a "Southern rock" soundtrack and ethos.
  
• Spider-Man 3: Due in theaters in May 2007, Arad confirmed that Dylan Baker will return as Dr. Curt Connors.
  
• The Punisher: Jigsaw will be the villain and it will be rated R. "[In the first movie,] blood and intestines should have been blown out on the wall, because that's the Punisher."
  
• The Hulk: "It's no secret, we took a lot of sh-- for Ang Lee's 'Hulk,' for all the wrong reasons... We couldn't get into the curiosity thing. Hulk having a butterfly land on his hand? He would never [smash it]. The Hulk would be curious. He is like a baby, in a way."
  
• Elektra: "I think Elektra is on ice now... If we could do her à la the 'Sin City' idea -- whoa."
  
• Captain America: "Captain America is the most famous character out there, by name. The biggest opportunity with him is as a man 'out of time,' coming back today -- looking at our world through the eyes of someone who thought the perfect world was small-town America. Sixty years go by, and who are we today? Are we better? I have a writer, and I have someone in mind to be the star, and I definitely have someone in mind to be the director."
  
• Iron Man: "It's been a war with [co-producers] New Line Cinema. I had a four-hour meeting with Nick Cassavetes in my house. If everything is cool, in the next few weeks there'll be an announcement about Nick writing it."
  
• Black Widow: "It's going to be ['X-Men' writer] David Hayter's directorial debut. David is very imaginative. Actually, his firstborn is named Natasha, so we think he is committed to the project."
  
• Silver Surfer: "Silver Surfer, from a spectacle standpoint, is second to none. It's 'Independence Day' meets Marvel, times 10... Galactus is a force of nature, not a being. That's all I'm saying."
  
• Ant-Man: "The Ant-Man is...a 'Honey I Shrunk the Superhero' kind of story."

Arad also discusses Daredevil, Black Panther, Cage, Cloak & Dagger, Nick Fury, Thor, Deathlok, and Namor. Check out the complete article at MTV.com.

Try Something Different: 6/22/05

Support Independent Comics!

Independent comics (and manga) being released tomorrow, 6/22/05, courtesy of ComicList. Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it.

Recommendations, sometimes blind, in BOLD. Which ones are YOU reading?

AEON
Bugtown #6 (Of 6), $2.95

ALIAS ENTERPRISES LLC
Deal With The Devil #2 (Of 5), $2.99
Judo Girl #2 (Of 4), $2.99
Killer Stunts Inc #2 (Of 4), $2.99
Lethal Instinct #2 (Of 6), $2.99

AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS)
Little Scrowlie #10, $2.95

ANIME WORKS PUBLICATIONS
Death Trance Vol 2 GN, $9.99
Kamunagara Rebirth Of The Demonslayer Vol 2 GN (Of 6), $9.99

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Heaven Sent Stand Alone Special, $2.99
I Hunt Monsters Vol 2 #6, $2.99
Ninja High School #129, $2.99

APCOMICS
APC Preview 2005, $3.50
Dark Mists #1 (Of 4), $3.50
Gloom #1 (Of 6), $3.50
Lexian Chronicles Full Circle #1, $3.50

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
Archie #558, $2.25
Tales From Riverdale Digest #3, $2.39

ATOMIC DINER
Freakshow #7, $2.95

ATTA BOY
Hi Fructose Toysploitation Magazine Quarterly #1, $5.95

AVATAR PRESS
Alan Moores Hypothetical Lizard Tarot Cvr #2 (Of 4), $3.99
Brian Pulidos Belladonna Nouveau Ed #5 (Of 5), $5.99
Frank Millers Robocop Irate Officer Lewis Ed #8 (Of 9), $5.99
Friday The 13Th Sp Blood Red Con Ed #1, $4.99
Nightmare On Elm Street Sp Blood Red Con Ed #1, $4.99
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Sp Blood Red Con Ed #1, $4.99

BOYCHILD PRODUCTIONS
Beautiful Things GN, $13.99

BROADSWORD COMICS
Art Of Jim Balent Magick In B&W #1, $14.99

BURLYMAN ENTERTAINMENT
Doc Frankenstein #3, $3.50
Shaolin Cowboy #3, $3.50

COMIC CAVALCADE
Brian Pulidos Lady Death Abandon All Hope #1/2 Commemorative, $5.99

DARK HORSE COMICS
Conan #17, $2.99
Doctor Solar Man Of The Atom Vol 2 HC, $49.95
Hellboy The Island #1 (Of 2), $2.99
Jackson 500 Vol 1 HC, $14.95
Little Lulu Vol 4 Sunday Afternoon TPB, $9.95
Magnus Robot Fighter Vol 2 4000 AD HC, $49.95
Man With The Screaming Brain #2 (Of 4), $2.99
Manga Darkchylde #2 (Of 5), $2.99
Nail Vol 1 TPB, $14.95
Steve Rude The Moth Vol 1 TPB, $12.95
Whats Michael Vol 10 Sleepless Nights TPB, $8.95

DIGITAL WEBBING
Burn Destiny, $3.50

DRAWN & QUARTERLY
Walt & Skeezix Vol 1 HC, $29.95

FELIX COMICS INC
Felix The Cat Silly Stories #1, $2.50

FULL CIRCLE PUBLICATIONS
Full Cirkle Cvr A #1 Signed Ed, $9.95
Full Cirkle Cvr B #1 Signed Ed, $9.95
Full Cirkle Preview Book Signed Ed, $4.95

GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
Uncle Scrooge #343, $6.95
Walt Disneys Comics & Stories #658, $6.95

HK COMICS LTD
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Vol 1 Revised & Expanded Ed, $13.95

IDW PUBLISHING
Castlevania The Belmont Legacy #4 (Of 5), $3.99
Easy Way #3 (Of 4), $3.99
Grimjack Killer Instinct #5 (Of 6), $3.99
Karney #3 (Of 4), $3.99
Little Book Of Horror War Of The Worlds HC, $15.99
Metal Gear Solid #10, $3.99
Wasting The Dawn Novel HC, $29.99
Wasting The Dawn Novel Ltd S/N HC, $50.00

IMAGE COMICS
Flaming Carrot Comics #3, $3.50
Girls #2, $2.95
Gray Area Vol 1 All Of This Can Be Yours HC Sgn, $39.95
Iron Ghost #2 (Of 6), $2.95
Liberty Meadows Vol 3 Summer Of Love TPB, $14.95
Monster War Tomb Raider Vs Wolf Men #2 (Of 4), $2.99
Noble Causes #11, $3.50
Savage Dragon God War #3 (Of 3), $2.95
Sea Of Red #3, $2.95
The Gift #12, $2.99

INFINITY STUDIOS
Nananana Vol 1 GN, $9.99

MIDNIGHT SHOW
Grave Grrrls Destroyers Of The Dead #2, $2.99

MIRAGE STUDIOS
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #22, $2.95

MOONSTONE
Phantom #7, $3.50

NBM
Boneyard #18, $2.95
Hardy Boys Vol 2 Identity Theft GN, $7.95
Hardy Boys Vol 2 Identity Theft HC, $12.95
Nancy Drew Vol 2 Writ In Stone GN, $7.95
Nancy Drew Vol 2 Writ In Stone HC, $12.95

ONI PRESS INC.
Queen & Country Declassified Vol 3 #1 (Of 3), $2.95

REBELLION
2000 AD #1441, $4.10
2000 AD #1442, $4.10

SHATTERED FRAMES
Angel Fire GN, $17.95

SHUCK COMICS
Shuck The Sulfurstar #1, $2.95

SIRIUS ENTERTAINMENT
Dogwitch #17, $2.95
Poison Elves Ventures #1 Cassandra #1, $3.50

SPEAKEASY COMICS
Wargod One Shot, $4.99

TITAN PUBLISHING
Comic Creators On Spider-Man (AA), $16.95

TOKYOPOP
Battle Royale Vol 13 GN (Of 14), $9.99
Beck Mongolian Chop Squad Vol 1 GN (Of 19), $9.99
Blade Of Heaven Vol 3 GN (Of 15), $9.99
Boys Be Vol 5 GN (Of 20), $9.99
Chrono Code Vol 1 GN (Of 2), $9.99
Dears Vol 3 GN (Of 6), $9.99
Doll Vol 5 GN (Of 6), $9.99
Fruits Basket Vol 10 GN (Of 14), $9.99
Get Backers Vol 10 GN (Of 26), $9.99
Gundam Seed Astray R Vol 3 GN (Of 4), $9.99
Heat Guy J GN, $9.99
Id Entity Vol 2 GN (Of 13), $9.99
In Dream World Vol 2 GN (Of 3), $9.99
King Of Hell Vol 10 GN (Of 10), $9.99
Mbq GN, $9.99
Peach Girl Vol 5 GN New Ptg (Of 8), $9.99
Phd Phantasy Degree Vol 3 GN (Of 8), $9.99
Princess Ai Vol 2 Lumination GN (Of 3), $9.99
Qwan Vol 2 GN (Of 3), $9.99
Remote Vol 6 GN (Of 10), $9.99
Rg Veda Vol 2 GN (Of 10), $9.99
Saiyuki Vol 9 GN (Of 9), $9.99
Sakura Taisen Vol 1 GN, $9.99
Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol 14 GN (Of 27), $9.99
Sorcerer Hunters New Ptg Vol 3 GN (Of 13), $9.99
Visitor Vol 2 GN (Of 5), $9.99

VIZ
Shojo Beat July 05 Vol 1 #1, $5.99

YAOI PRESS
Kingdom of Selfish Love TPB Vol. 1 (Cold Cut Distribution), $12.95

Buzzscope Reviews: 6/15/05

Batman Begins: The Official Movie Adaptation
While hitting all of the major plot points, there are several moments where Nolan must have altered the script during shooting to tighten things up that Beatty obviously wasn't privy to, completely ruining its function as an "official" adaptation of the movie and making its very existence ultimately pointless.

Black Diamond On Ramp
While the concept itself has potential, there's not much in this slight introduction to suggest that Young will pull it off thanks to its Marvel-style decompression and lack of any emotional connection to the lead character.

GI Joe: America's Elite #0
With Casey and Caselli at the creative controls, and a "one year later" storyline to ease any continuity concerns, as $0.25 introductions go, this is a pretty good one that doesn't merely rely on superficial nostalgia.

NYC Mech: Beta Love #2
Sometimes...a comic book comes along that connects with you on a subliminal level, tickling parts of your brain in ways that defy critical analysis and simply leaves you gushing like a mindless fanboy. NYC Mech: Beta Love is that kind of comic book.

Be sure to check out all of this week's reviews from Buzzscope's crack staff of reviewers - some of the best out there, if I may say so myself. While you're there, sign up and leave some feedback in the forum. It's one of the more level-headed boards out there and while the usual suspects get the most attention, there's plenty of room to talk about good comics, too.

Peace!

Retro: Runners #1-5

One of the best offerings from this year's Free Comic Book Day was Runners, a fun sci-fi comic that I raved about in my FCBD reviews for Buzzscope:

Atari Force was one of my favorite comics as a kid, and of course Star Wars remains one of the most influential movies I've ever seen, and Sean Wang's Runners evokes fond memories of both, with a welcome dose of humor thrown in the mix. Clever scripting and nice, clean artwork, I will be seeking out the other four issues to this series as soon as possible.

"As soon as possible" took a little bit longer than I'd hoped but I was thrilled to hear that Wang was releasing a Trade Paperback collecting the first story arc later this summer, and even more thrilled when I met him at Wizard World Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago and he gave me free copies of the full run! The best thing was that they fulfilled my expectations from the first issue and I can wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone who's a fan of fun, fast-paced and, most importantly, accessible sci-fi. I know I'll be buying my own copy of the TPB when it comes out!

Wang's titular "runners" are a diverse band of charismatic space smugglers who move questionable cargo for profit, no questions asked. Led by Roka Nostaco, the vaguely elephantine proprietor of the freighter Khoruysa Brimia, they are collectively the distillation of the best of George Lucas' original Star Wars characters, as Wang throws in everything from Han Solo's hotshot bravado to Luke Skywalker's naive idealism, mixing and matching personality traits for a more appealing cast than Lucas could ever have dreamed up. The "Remastered" first issue offered for Free Comic Book Day introduces them as they head for a routine rendezvous, only to discover the ship they're meeting up with is under attack by raiders and their cargo is in danger. After fending off the raiders, led by the vain Hamron the Handsome, they discover a surprise amongst the wreckage...a mysterious woman of indeterminate origin and race. Her identity is but one of the sub-plots Wang spins into motion in this rip-roaring introductory arc that hints at a fully realized world lying underneath and begs for elaboration.

Wang handles the action and characterization extremely well with smart dialogue and a steady pace, working the serial format the way it's meant to be with each issue telling an entertaining story that never feels decompressed, while offering the requisite cliffhanger that keeps things moving forward. Collected as a trade - which is pretty much how I read the individual issues - it reads even better.

His character designs are pretty original and inventive, rivaling the sense of wonder I felt the first time I saw the cantina scene in the original Star Wars, and his line work is clean and highly detailed. It's the kind of black-and-white art that feels like an artistic choice as opposed to a budgetary one. There's a terrific character "sketchbook" in the second issue that shows the evolution of Grissom, a supporting character who appears in that issue, from her original conception as a male character back in 1996, to the female Wang ultimately went with, and it is impressive for the glimpse at the potential depth of the series that a supporting character received so much attention when the primary cast is 6-8 characters large, depending on whom you include. Factor in the detailed ships and environments Wang illustrates and it's no wonder that this labor of love has taken a few years to get through five issues.

I hate reviews that say things like "this should be a movie," because it can come off as slighting the comic itself, but in this case..."Runners should be a movie!!!" First, however, someone needs to sign this guy up and let him devote 70 hours/week to telling his story as a comic book because Dark Horse's Star Wars comics shouldn't be the best-selling sci-fi on the shelves. Slap an Image logo on this baby and you've got a smash hit!

Runners #1-5, (Serve Man Press, 2003-2005; $2.95/ea); Story & Art by Sean Wang.

Sidekick Delay

Sorry folks. Been a hectic couple of weekends. That and I'm not sure I'm disciplined enough for such a regimented format. And I think it's safe to say that folks who come here go to the blogs and boards I draw reviews and commentary from anyway -- very 'preaching to converted.'

Do you really need another review of Green Lantern #1?

So...what now?

I'm going to try to diversify the reading list a bit. Throw in more independents. Some Manga and actual fiction. We'll see how it goes. Hope you like and if you don't hope you tell me.

Thanks.

Meanwhile...saw Batman Begins last night. Excellent. Midnight show was not sold-out though. Not that I have shares in Wayne Enterprises but I am scared it won't be a commercial success.

What do you think? Am I inhaling fear gas?

Nonetheless, the crowd in the theater was abuzz after seeing the movie. It's nice to see fanboys happy.

Ciao for now.