Walking Dead Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBiI6YRfWIY&feature=youtube_gdata

It's coming!

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highly RECOMMENDED – american jesus, book one: chosen by Mark Millar

I must admit I’ve always been more of a super heroes in comics kind of a fan, so reading a book like this is certainly not the norm for me nor would I devote any of my spare time to anything religious in nature. Having said that, I was very surprised at what I found when I picked this up. If you are aware of Mark Millar’s body of work, for example Civil War and Old Man Logan, it tends to centre around one big idea which often makes for a roller coaster of a ride without too much in the way of characterisation. However, with American Jesus, Millar delivers his usual big idea wrapped in controversy but all the while manages to make you identify and care about the characters involved and the journeys they are on. The story revolves around a 12 year old boy named Jodie who through a strange set of occurrences discovers that he is in fact the returned Jesus Christ. The most enjoyable aspect of the book for me is that a fantastic job is done of keeping things grounded and just how aware you always are that although this is a farfetched tale it is very much about a young boy's journey through life, and that boy is a very human boy who is just as prone to our trials and tribulations. He starts the book by bunking off school with mates so they can go scouring for “stroke mags”, not very Christian but very endearing and a reminder of what it’s like to be a 12 year old boy, not that I ever did stuff like that!! As the book continues I enjoyed watching him grow into his new role and responsibilities whilst struggling with the ramifications and his own hormones. What we have here is a very contemporary story that is not only intelligent but also very funny. I personally can’t wait for the next chapter to arrive and if the rumours are true for a film version directed by Matthew Vaughn ( Kick – Ass ).

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superman 700 – another milestone reached

Before I start I should get one thing off my chest – I really don’t like Superman, never have and I doubt I ever will. He’s always been too much of a goodie two shoes and his rogues gallery has always been pretty terrible. Before anyone moans, Lex Luthor is a great bad guy but that’s about it. He’s just too powerful and soooo boring. The only times I can handle Superman are when he’s in a group like the Justice League or serving as an opposite in Superman and Batman titles. Why would I write a review then I hear you all ask? Well the honest answer is J.Michael Straczynski. I’ve loved all the work that he has done over the years with Spider – Man and more recently with Thor. I was never a Thor fan but his work on there was awesome so I’m hoping to see the same on Superman.
Superman 700 is broken into three parts the first of which is James Robinson wrapping up his two years of work and serves as an epilogue to the New Krypton story line. Let’s face it, New Krypton was rubbish and was a complete waste of time and this epilogue serves as a perfect example of what I hate about Superman. The dialogue was filled with sentimental nonsense and it was basically a few pages of Lois and Superman re acquainting themselves. Absolute twaddle.
The Second part has Dan Jurgens telling a classic Dick Grayson as Robin meets Superman tale. I’ve always enjoyed the Superman Dick Grayson dynamic and this served as a nice trip down memory lane. Again, it highlights the Boy Scout element in Superman that I loathe but I could just about read it because of my fondness for the Robin character and Dick Grayson.
The Third part is the main event and serves as the beginning to JMS’ grounded story line which is exactly what he tries to do by bringing Superman literally back down to earth. It’s a bold direction that he goes for but I’m not overly convinced with the reconnecting with Earth. I liked the panels with Barry Allen and thought they were well thought out but the honest truth is that it’s too early to give any indications as to how good this will or won’t be. I really feel for JMS as he’s coming off the back of some pretty poor story telling so it’s going to be hard for a writer even as talented as he is to rescue this franchise. I’m hoping that it will be great but quite frankly it also has the potential to be awful.
This book will be a must for collectors but if you’re like me and you’re hoping for a radical improvement in the franchise you will be disappointed. I would give it a miss.

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Batman 700... it's here

It’s finally here, Batman 700 has hit the shops and at the helm is Grant Morrison. Morrison’s work not only on Batman but in general has polarised many readers but for me I couldn’t have asked for a better writer to cover the milestone issue of one of the most iconic and loved comic book characters of all time. Not only is Morrison on the book, but also we have the art work of Tony Daniel, Frank Quitely, Scott Kolins, Andy Kubert and David Finch. It all ties together beautifully as a homeage to this long running character and pays its respect to past, present and future iterations of not only Batman but also the artists Morrison has used on his run. The symmetry of it all will not be lost on anyone who picks this book up.

The story itself is the normal fair for Morrison, take a loopy idea and run wild with it. To be honest the story gets a little bit lost along the way and can easily be summed up as typical time travel jaunt but that’s not the point of it all. The story is broken into three chapters and covers the main Batmen in the form of Bruce, Dick and Damien (see what I mean about past present and future) so there is something for everyone. Each chapter is drawn by a different artist which brings a different life and pace to things. I love all three as artists and think that even though they all differ from one another they do compliment the writing perfectly. Quitely’s art work is immense and I have sorely missed seeing it after he finished his introductory arc to Batman and Robin.
Morrison litters the book with lots of lovely little touches that again centre around the theme of past, present and future. Whether it’s the reverting of the joker to the more slapstick George Romero-esque character from the loved 60’s TV show rather than the more homicidal and sadist version he has used up until now, the continuing development of the Dick and Damian chemistry as a new team or finally the future Batman in the form of a cruel and bitter Damian Wayne. All of this centred around a silver age character in the form of Dr.Nichols. What more could you ask for? A cheaper price I hear you all say !! $4.99 is not cheap but I think it’s worth every cent.

Here’s to another 700 more.

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an introduction

As this is my first time writing here (or any where in this fashion) I thought I would give you a insight as to how comics first grabbed me.
The first comic I ever bought was the 200th anniversary edition of Marvel Tales which was a reprint of a Spider Man annual 14 and I was hooked from that point on. It was written by Deny O’Neill and illustrated by the legendary Frank Miller. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, magical realms outside of our own ruled by an evil dictator whilst two gallant heroes, Dr. strange and Spider Man battled to save us from them. I was mesmerised by Frank Miller’s creations of hordes of headless fiends clambering all over Spidey. It transported an 8 year old boy to a place I didn’t know existed and I have made that journey many times ever since. Let’s face it, we all like a good bit of escapism from time to time and I’ve never found a better medium than comic books. They’re just not constrained by financial budgets or technology so your journey can be as realistic and gritty as you care for or you can take a ride to the furthest reaches of your imagination, all for a couple of pounds a month.
Hopefully you will check in with us on a regular basis to see what journeys we are making and pull up a seat.

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