Sneak Peek Reviews: 03/31/2009

Flash: Rebirth #1


Written by: Geoff Johns


Art by: Ethan Van Sciver

There are a whole lot of books that get labeled "Most Anticipated Book of the Year" ... for a whole lot of people though Flash: Rebirth really and truly is that elusive beast. For the last 24 years a whole lot of people have wondered if Barry Allen would ever return to the pages of DC comics and if so when and under what circumstances. Final Crisis revealed the when and the how of Barry's eventual return and now we have to deal with some of the bigger questions like the why and the what next. How will Barry Allen fit into a world where there are already several other crimson clad speedsters? How will his relationship with his wife be effected after years seperated by the untravellable distance of death? How will his city take to his return, and more importantly how will his rogue's gallery react to his sudden reappearance? There are a lot of questions and this story starts to answer some within the first issue but at the same time there are plenty of new questions posed. Geoff Johns' love of The Flash mythos is clear from the very first page and Ethan Van Sciver's talent has never been more evident, his art is better than it has ever looked. This is going to be one of those stories that will have an incredible impact on the look of comics for a long time to come. This is the kind of book that only Johns and Van Sciver could do. If you thought that Green Lantern: Rebirth was great then you are in for one hell of a treat, and if you thought that Green Lantern: Rebirth changed the way you looked at a character then you haven't seen anything yet.

Irredeemable #1


Written by: Mark Waid


Art by: Peter Krause

MARK WAID IS EVIL. It was plastered across a shirt that The Fantasy Shop recieved a few months back and it was the first hint that Mark Waid was going to be doing something big. Since I was the only manager who wore and extra large t-shirt I was given the shirt and shortly thereafter I tried to learn as much as I could about what it meant. I would come to find that it was an indicator that the next series that Mark Waid was going to be working on wouldn't be the kind of work he had done before (or at least not the kind of work he had done before if you never read EMPIRE). Irredeemable is what I learned it would be called and the premise would basically be "What if a superhero with the power level of Superman snapped and became the world's most terrifying supervillain?". I was sold. I told tons of people about it thanks to them asking about my shirt. And I am glad that I did. Cause this book rocks. A whole lot. Mark Waid has always been a preeminent story teller in my opinion and his teaming with Peter Krause on this story is visionary. Krause has a style very reminiscent of Jerry Ordway and thus there is this classic style to the look of the book while there is also this incredibly modern feel to the storytelling. All in all I think that anyone would like this book and that everyone should at least look through it before they leave the comic store tomorrow, it'd be in you best interest.

Destroyer #1 (of 5)


Written by: Robert Kirkman


Art by: Cory Walker

This is going to be one interesting book. The basic premise of this book is an aging superhero is told that he's got a very limited amount of time to live and so he decides that once and for all he is going to make sure that the world is safe from those who only he could stop. Since it's a MAX book we can safely assume that there is going to be a decent amount of blood. Come to think of it since it's written by Kirkman I think that there should be a safe assumption that there is going to be a Kill Bill level of blood. This first issue sets up an interesting world that could very easily be explored at a later date should Kirkman ever decide to revisit working for one of the BIG TWO. Previous adventures of The Destroyer would be madcap fun. But working under the assumption that this is going to be the only exposure we'll get to the character I'll simply say that I think that anyone who likes Invincible and perhaps more importantly Brit should be reading this book. Cory Walker's artwork looks great as ever and if he would work more frequently in the industry I think that he would be a household name by now. But in the meantime we'll just continue to enjoy his work on books like The Destroyer.

ComicDorkscastSpecialEp-PlanetComicon2009.mp3
(Download Directly: Right Click and choose "Save As..." and save locally on your computer)

Running Time: 00:47:22

• Due to Scott's incredible ability to sleep there will not be a regular episode of The ComicDorksCast this week, though if you want to find out what we liked last week be sure to check out this space because for the first time ever we will be doing solo-text-versions of the show ... I know ... crazy. In the meantime though, we are proud to bring you the audio interviews we were able to conduct during the snowstorm that was Planet Comicon in Kansas City this weekend. We were able to sit down and talk with: Matt Fraction, Alexander Grecian, Jeremy Haun, Kevin Mellon & Dennis Hopeless, Chris Samnee, and Jason Aaron!
  

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com

Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards.

Check out our website at ComicDorksCast.Blogspot.com.

The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "No I in Threesome" by Interpol.

Brief Mentions: (It’s All About the Text… My Sweet Babies.)

Death Defying Devil #4

Writer: Joe Casey

Penciller/Inker: Edgar Salazar

Squadron Supreme 2 #9
WRITER: HOWARD CHAYKIN

PENCILS: MARCO CHECCHETTO

Oracle #1

Written by Kevin VanHook

Art by Julian Lopez & Fernando Pasarin

Jack Of Fables #32
Written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham
Art by Tony Akins and Jose Marzan Jr.

Superman #686

Written by James Robinson

Art by Renato Guedes and Wilson Magalháes

Wonder Woman #30
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan

Avengers Initiative Featuring Reptil #1 WRITER: CHRISTOS GAGE

PENCILS: STEVE UY

Fantastic Four #565
WRITER: MARK MILLAR
PENCILS: BRYAN HITCH

New Avengers #51

WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS

PENCILS: BILLY TAN

Mighty Avengers #23
WRITER: DAN SLOTT
PENCILS: KHOI PHAM

Captain America #48

WRITER: ED BRUBAKER

PENCILS: BUTCH GUICE

Daredevil #117
WRITER: ED BRUBAKER

PENCILS: MICHAEL LARK

Well, this is going to be interesting. What I will now attempt to do is briefly mention all the great stuff in the comics from this week and it will probably make your head explode. For that I am sorry.

3… 2… …

Hi there this is Rob and you are reading the brief mentions for the books released on 3/25/09. I will try not to spoil them too much but I am not responsible for ruined books. For your enjoyment this will be brought to you in robnotes version kickass.1.

So Death Defying- Devil wrapped up like a burrito supreme with sour cream running down my shirt. That Devil dude could use a can of shut the hell up though, man but this whole Project Superpowers is a great thing to be a part of. That Oracle cover was pretty awesome! (Yep… the chesticles!) Calculator is still being a douche, man but now on a whole new level. I’m sure some minds will be blown. Lovecraft showed up in Fantastic Four and it was pretty cool. Old Jack Horner can still spin a pretty damned good yarn and viva la turtle revolution! Jack of Fables= A fun must read. Johnny Kent takes his first go at Metropolis, obviously, that book is still really goddamned good. Two words… Robinson… Superman! I finally feel like sticking with the Squadron Supreme is about to pay off in a big way. Thank you, Chaykin. Brubaker batted 2 for 2 with a fish man, a fat man, a blind man, and a metal armed captain. A heart weighed heavy in a Manazon and a mud baby, with a shout out to Rucka. (Naturally, that deserves a shout out to the one, the only, wonderful… Gail Simone. Keep on bringing the rock there Gail!) Wonder Woman is man but one of a bunch of great stuff Gail has given us. Now to the Avengers, or at least three of them: is anyone in the Initiative on the same page… besides that awesomely crazy ass scientist. Of’ course, the Initiative still rules. The New gave a great shout out to us Alias fans and a hilarious one-sided conversation involving Luke and Luke. To me it was worth the extra dollar. I like getting raises when it is deserved; therefore, I assume everybody else does too. So, I will pay an extra dollar for something I still really enjoy. (I mean how much were those final crisis issues not to mention the superman beyond? Yeah… yeah, Secret Invasion blah… blah… blah… speed on!) The Mighty is absolutely “muthafuckin” The Avenger book. It had gods o’plenty, Jarvis included. I have yet to get to Top 10 man but I am sure it will be great. My nose tells me so. And that’s the end of the blog, I am Rob and I will, looking out of my nose, see you around the racks. Y’all have a good one.

-Rob

*Outtake- “Drive to Washington, take a left, and then Kayak across the Pacific Ocean.”

( Due to the fact there is a limit to the numbers of letters you can use in a label, I could not label each book. Not my fault!)

Whatever You Want: Odds and Ends and a fried Twinkie

In an effort to get input from each of the Dorks, I asked Darren to pick a book for me to read. Two weeks ago, he pick Animal Man by Grant Morrison. I tried, I really really tried to read this book. For two weeks I tried to read it. Ask my roommates, they had to watch me spend two weeks reading a page or two before giving up in disgust. I failed to finish reading the book. I found it to be disjointed and the animal rights parts to be heavy handed. I hate saying that I don't like a book, but I'm going to have to say that about this one. I couldn't connect to the main character; I didn't feel for him or his struggles. Which leaves me yet to find a Grant Morrison book I've liked.

As an apology to any Grant Morrison or Animal Man Fans, here's a fried Twinkie.



One thing I did read this week, and enjoyed, was Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman. Short and sweet, it was written for an unborn baby. If you know anyone who's pregnant with a little girl, I suggest you pick it up for them. Plus Charles Vess's artwork is awesome as always. It's written as a prayer for a blueberry girl, wishes of good things and for no bad things to happen to her.


On the subject of cute things, we've reached the halfway point the the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. When I initially saw the artwork for it, I was skeptical. But it works well with Frank L. Baum's classic story. That's right folks, this is not the same story from the movie. The tin man slowly cuts parts off of himself because of a witch's spell until he is completely made of tin. The slippers are silver instead of ruby. Mice save them in the poppy fields, not the good witch. If you haven't figured it out, I'm a big Oz nerd. I've read every book, or at least every book I know of for it. This is a great addition to my collection and I'm looking forward to the next four issues.

Blog Log #2 (Quote of the Week)

“SPEED ON BEFORE YOU GET PEED ON!”

If you don’t like that, check this out.

“GET ON BEFORE YOU GET SHIT ON!”

- Rob

What I’m Reading Now: The Big Ole Book Of Violence

The Punisher Omnibus

Written By: Garth Ennis

Art By: Steve Dillon, Darick Robertson, Tom Mandrake, Cam Kennedy, John McCrea, Joe Quesada, Doug Braithwaite


“And get a haircut.” These four words were the beginning of what would be an eight-year run for Garth Ennis on The Punisher. My relationship with Punisher begins with The Punisher MAX series issue #37, part 1 of the “Man of Stone” story arc. I followed Ennis’ run all the way until his unfortunate departure in 2008 with “Valley Forge, Valley Forge.” The first time I saw Punisher in his original costume was in 2008 with Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Punisher: War Zone - a six issue mini-series concluding Ennis and Dillon’s 46 (ish) issue Marvel Knights series (including “Welcome Back Frank”). Now I know that reading the last six issues of a series doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and believe me, it didn’t. I had no idea who the characters were (besides Frank obviously) and what was going on. It was a well-crafted story and enjoyable but I wish I had some background information. Several months ago, I saw that a Punisher Omnibus, collecting all of Garth Ennis’ Marvel Knights (#1-12, #1-7, #13-37, and Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe). Recently, I was able to require this big book of violence in all its 10 lbs glory (yea, I weighted it. Wanna fight about it?) Don’t worry though, it doesn’t put your leg to sleep while you read it. This series so far has everything I want: violence, comedy, and Frank Castle. The experience is kind of like watching Star Wars Episode 4-6 and then discovering how Darth Vader came to be. This creative team is meant to work together and their work, including Preacher, is some of the best in comics. The omnibus contains 56 issues and will set you back about 100 bones. But think about it, 56 issues for 100 dollars? I say yes. It’s a fast, fun, and entertaining read and is worth every penny. Plus the books sheer size could do some punishing itself. So relive Ennis’ epic Punisher run or read it for the first time, either way, THERE WILL BE BLOOD!!


There's the man himself, Garth Ennis!

What Do You Mean They're Not Superheroes?!?: Reviews ... and an apology.

I'd like to start with my apology. I've been very lax on my posting the last few days and there is a very specific reason for it. Last Tuesday afternoon my cousin Trenton "Trent" Nathaniel Jiles, died in a car accident. He was 27. I'm 27. It took a whole lot out of me, you might have noticed that I wasn't myself on the most recent episode. I am getting better, a lot better. I'm going to live the rest of my life with a better sense of his desire for freedom in life. I bring a lot of myself to this website and to the podcast and I hope that everyone who listens to the show and reads the articles gets at least half as much out of them as I put into them. I think that if he had seen the site and read some of the articles that he would have laughed and if he had listened to the podcast he probably would have laughed a whole lot. A whole lot of my formative experience was informed by Trent and the man I am today is thanks in part to the things I learned from him while we were growing up, and he never got the chance to really know that ... so this message is for him and this life will be lived more fully in memory of him. So though none of you ever met him (as far as I know) I would like to take this moment to remember him.









Trenton Nathaniel Jiles 4/17/1981 - 3/17/2009


Nothing like a text version of a moment of silence.

And now ...


Living Up To Expectations!

Jack of Fables #32

Written by: Bill Willingham & Matthew Sturges

Art by: Tony Akins
I took a nice sabbatical from Jack of Fables for a while ... I'll admit that it wasn't my proudest hour. But recently I sat down and slammed through about 17 issues of the book and am now all caught up ... and let me tell you, dear readers and kind friends, I have been missing the fuck out. This is easily as good a book as the book from which it spawned. The idea that we can follow a character through as interesting adventures as we have in the 32 issues of this book and all the while there be this underlying seriousness and have it be delivered in such a covert and subconcious way ... brilliant. Toward the beginning of the series we first saw Kevin Thorn and it was almost a throw-away scene and probably lead to more confusion in readers than it did anything ... but now as we've progressed for over thirty issues into this book I have to say that the groundwork that Sturges and Willingham have done leading up to the Literals crossover that starts in the next issues of Fables, Jack and the Literals mini-series is astounding. This is seriously one of the funniest books that I have ever read and at the same time it has this brilliant level of complexity and drama and incredibly interesting, and often endearing, characterization. Expect to hear more about this series on the show this week as I think that it is quickly becoming one of my favorite reads.

The Oracle #1 (of 3)


Written by: Kevin Vanhook


Art by: Julian Lopez & Fernando Pasarin

There has been a lot of controversy about this book on the internet, people who both think that it is great and those who think that it is drek ... I come in on the former as opposed to the latter. I thought that Vanhook did an admirable job with all of the characters in this story. I thought the characterizations were spot on and if not perfect for some people's tastes I think that they were great. This ... yeah ... this is going to be my pick of the week. For the first time ever I am announcing my pick of the week before the show is recorded ... Listen to episode 60 for more of my thoughts on The Oracle #1.

ComicDorksCast Episode 059

ComicDorkscastEp059.mp3
(Download Directly: Right Click and choose "Save As..." and save locally on your computer)

Running Time: 01:22:40

• Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle rock our faces to the bone with Supergirl #39.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Potters Field: Stone Cold.
  
• Biggest Crossover in Image history in the pages of Invincible #60.
  
• Rob's Pick of the Week: Punisher #3.
  
• The End League #7 brings back all the fond memories.
  
• Darren's Pick of the Week: Uncanny X-Men #507.
• The Dorks talk Y: The Last Man.
  
• Brief Mentions.
• Anticipated Books.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com

Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards.

Check out our website at ComicDorksCast.Blogspot.com.

The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "The Bangers Embrace" by Propagandhi.

Newbery Award Goes to my favorite Author!

First, I have to say a big thank you to Rob for pointing this out to me. As you may have guessed, Neil Gaiman is my favorite author. He had me hooked at Sandman and Stardust, American Gods I have read multiple times, so when I heard he was doing a children's book called The Graveyard Book, needless to say, I was excited.

This book is creepy on an epic scale. Within the first three pages almost an entire family gets killed, all but the baby. Did I mention this is a kid's book? The baby gets out of his crib and toddles his way to a nearby cemetery while the Man Jack is killing the rest of the family. The baby boy is eventually taken in by a nice ghost family and given the name Nobody. They care for him the best they can, in fact, the whole graveyard pitches in on raising the child. He has two tutors of note while he lives in the graveyard, Silas and Miss Lupescu, both of which are more than they seem.

Nobody, Bod for short, has more adventures than cats have lives, from befriending Scarlett to meeting the Sleer to finding a gravestone for the witch Liza Hempstock. Bod must use all of his wits and knowhow to outwit the group Jack of All Trades. They sent the Man Jack (also known as Jack Frost) to kill Bod when he was a baby so that a prophecy will never come to pass.

All in all, it is a creepy and wonderful book. While I wouldn't give it to my five year old niece, I would give it to the older ones. It's also a great read for the young at heart; you find yourself cheering on Bod throughout his adventures. Plus, it's a Newbery Award winning book, what more could you ask for? You want art? Dave McKean does all of the interior art. When I heard that, I was super excited (he's the man that did all of the Sandman covers as well as Wolves in the Walls). The art is not classic Dave McKean though, and for that I was disappointed. It's all pencil drawings and, in my opinion, not as wonderful had they been his cut and paste style. Upon reflection, it does work for this book, the drawings lend an air of ghostliness to the story. So if you like a well written story that has some fun twists and turns, go out and pick up this book.

Blog Log # 2 (Quote of the Week)

HELLO INTERWEB! ARE YOU READY TO ROCK …This quote of the week? If so “Put your damn hands in the air!” Not to get too personal but this week was tragic. Now, I’m won’t bog you down with details, just a quote you’ve all heard “With friends like these.” At least, some comforting words found me. Calmed me. They read like this, “I found a book by a guy named Friedrich Nietzsche. It was dog-eared to a quote… Always stuck with me. ‘The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also hate his friends.’” Then I started to think of another well-known quote. “Don’t get mad, get even.” Well, as you all know, I’m a highroad kind of guy so we will see what happens. Maybe I will sit back and think about how much I hope someone will enjoy a free story in trade paper form and someone else enjoying the mindscaping of a mind. It’s cool though, guys. I will be all right in due time. Cuts heal, right? But sometimes they leave scars. Until then, I guess all that can be said is this new mantra, “Do your worst.” -Rob

Living Up To Expectation: Some Comics Leave Us Speechless; Some Comics We Don’t Have Enough To Say

Invincible #60

Written By: Robert Kirkman

Art By: Ryan Ottley

Wow! Just read it.










The Punisher #3

Written By: Rick Remender

Art By: Jerome Opena

Some comics consistently remind me monthly why I read comics. In depth characters, impossible scenarios and beautiful artwork are just a few reasons. The Punisher fulfills all of these. Written by Rick Remender with art by Jarome Opena, The Punisher is really making its mark in the Marvel publishing house. Since issue #1 with the face off between Frank Castle and the Sentry I knew this was the beginning of something great. It’s hard to imagine any one coming close to the great work Garth Ennis did for ten years on this character but Remender comes damn near close and doesn’t have the comfort of a MAX title. Punisher has recruited a sidekick, an oracle-esque computer whiz, capable of hacking and tracking almost anything possible. Seeing Punisher in the old school Punisher uniform is also a treat. Jerome Opena puts really dark pencils on these pages and remind me of a Daredevil or Captain America book (which is a huge compliment). Killing is The Punisher’s business and in this era of Dark Reign – killing is good. Punisher takes to the streets and strategically takes out the criminal element. The hood appears to start some trouble as well as mysterious figure (who likes to play chess). Remender and Opena really have a great handle on this character and masterfully balance the violence and action to provide great story telling. So embrace Dark Reign and enter the world of The Punisher.

Ryan Ottley drew a great review of Invincible #60 this week. It looks like this:

What Do You Mean They're Not Superheroes?: How Cool is This?!?

Alright, full disclosure, Chris Samnee (pronounced Sah-mnee not Sam-nee ... by the way) is a pull and hold customer at the store that I manage and when he comes in he usually has questions about what's going on in comics today, (he's a busy artist he doesn't have time to read much of anything these days) and I try to provide as best an answer as I can. He mentioned the other day that he wanted to do something for me as a sort of payment for always being apprised of the current world of comics and so he did this piece for me:

Sneak Peek Reviews: 03-17-09

Lillim #1 (of 5)

Written by: Shaun Lapacek & Ian Keiser

Art by: Matrix

Ever want a book to be really good? A book you have no ability to  develop preconceptions about? That's the problem I ran into with Lillim. I have no idea who Shaun Lapacek and Ian Keiser are and I will likely never meet them. But there is something about the way that they wrote this book that seems like a poor translation of a foreign language comic. There is something about the pacing of the dialogue as well as the intent of the story that comes across as vaguely European. I wanted to like this book. I saw the solicit in previews and thought that it looked cool but couldn't really get my head around how what I saw there translated into what I was now reading. I love the concept of "Lillim" in a mythological pretext, the sons and daughters of Adam's first mate, Lillith. The concept was so interestingly and complexly executed with Mike Carey's Lucifer book ... and I guess my familiarity with the word may have put me down the wrong path. All in all I wouldn't say that this is a bad comic, by any stretch of the imagination. I think that artist Matrix evokes the kind of art that fans of Kia Asamiya or Pat Lee would find familiar. I think that the story is a mix of played out (a god of olden times reawakens in the presence of someone who looks like the mortal he loved so many centuries ago) with interesting new concepts (all the gods of different pantheons were in fact the same individuals playing the same roles with different names throughout time). I just wanted it to be more. Perhaps over the next four issues we might see something interesting develop. I suppose I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed.

Battle for the Cowl: Azrael - Death's Dark Knight #1 (of 3)

Written by: Fabian Nicieza

Art by: Frazer Irving

When you're a comic fan for over 20 years you reach the point where you realize that there just isn't time to care about everything. Where you start thinking "I've never really liked that character so I couldn't care less what's going on in his/her books" or "I've never had a good experience with that creator so I just won't read what he/she works on". So when something happens and a creator you've come to respect starts working on a character you've never cared for you are presented with an interesting conundrum. That is what happened with me on this particular book. I have never liked Azrael, I thought he was a terrible Batman and that his ongoing series (that ran from 1995 - 2003) never found a consistent direction long enough to bear resemblence to something I would ever like to read. So when Fabian Nicieza, a writer that I have come to have a great deal of respect for, and Frazer Irving, and artist whose work I am unabashedly in love with, decide to work on the character I had to think pretty hard about whether or not I was going to read the book. Ultimately I am glad that I did. Between the revamping that the character is going to receive at the hands of Nicieza and the way that pretty much anything in the Gotham Universe has been pressing all of my buttons lately I am certainly excited to see where the mini-series is going to take us. There is something about the way that Grant Morrison works on a book that establishes so many interesting nuances and ancillary characters that makes for rich birthing grounds for later concepts. This has been clear on his runs on books like JLA, New X-Men, Seven Soldiers, Final Crisis and more. This book takes a concept from Ressurection of R'as Al Ghul and a character from the stories right before R.I.P. began and turns them both into golden concepts that made me smile. I really think that anyone looking to see how interesting and complex the characters of Gotham City are going to be by the time that June rolls around would be serving their own best interests by checking this book out (not to mention ... the artwork rocks).

G.I. Joe: Cobra #1 (of 4)

Written by: Christos Gage & Mike Costa

Art by: Antonio Fuso

Jesus ... I've said this at least once already but I will say it again now. You win. IDW, you (you fine sirs) win. When you bring the likes of Christos Gage and Mike Costa in to write a mini-series about the Hawaiian shirt clad Chuckles, a man who spends more time on undercover missions than he does being himself, you have to know you had me at the word "Hello". Add to that the artistic prowess of a guy like Antonio Fuso and you've really got a killer package on your hands. This issue thrusts you right into the action and then does it's best to fill you in on as much of the twists and turns that Chuckles has had to go through to get to where you find him. It's really good. It's the first time that I have ever read one of the books that is meant to mine the fond memories of cartoons from my childhood that I ever felt like it lived up to the hype. The guys at IDW have put together such an interesting group of story tellers that I can't help but enjoy the fruits of their efforts. So for what it's worth it's official, I'm a G.I. JOE fan again.

Air #7

Written by: G. Willow Wilson

Art by: M.K. Perker

Vertigo has long held my heart, seemingly for ransom. I can't seem to get more than a few months without falling in love with something from Vertigo. So much so that I try pretty much everything that they publish worrying that I might miss something great. Every now and again I read something that isn't to my taste but more often than not I find myself knee deep in loving another series. Air had me from the cover of issue #1. I had already read and enjoyed G. Willow Wilson & M.K. Perker's first collaboration Cairo and knew that I would be getting into something unlike I had ever read before. And I was right, and more than that I was rewarded for sticking with it. Air is a complex piece of story telling that unfolds in the same kind of fashion that shows like LOST and comics like Locke & Key have. There is something inherently magical about the book and I wish there were words that I could say that would assure you that the book is well worth your money. The trade paperback comes out this week as well and it collects issues 1-5 for the low low price of $9.99 and with issue 7 only being $1 that means that you can get completely caught up for under $15 (depending on the tax rate at your particular comic store, at mine it'll be $14.82). I realize that I probably can't put the kind of words together that might get you to check out this book so I'll use the words of some people you might lend more creedence to:

"I've read the first five issues of Air and have enjoyed them to no end - it starts off as Rushdie and then parachutes off into Pynchon." - Neil Gaiman

"I am knee deep in Air ... There's so much to love in this story" - Brian Azzarello

"The fantasy is real, and the reality is fantastic. Air is a compelling and completely original read that thrills, surprises and delights." - Gail Simone

"It's a beautiful and intriguing post-9/11 fairy tale, part Gabriel Garcia Marquez, part LOST, all very fresh and exciting. I can't wait top see where it leads next." - Jason Aaron

"Challenging and original, a groundbreaking look at air travel and the politics of terrorism." - Brian Wood

"An interesting mixture of fantasy, romance, and air travel." - Variety

"Best thing I read ..." - USA Today, Pop Candy

"Take a lieap with the premier issue of Air. ... With shows like Lost and 24 having viewers hang on every mystery, there's no reason to suspect Air can't do the same." - Oklahoma Gazette

"An entertaining read with some serious points to make about the fluidity of borders in the 21st Century." - The Onion

"Complex, great characterizations, mysteries, a hint of something mystical ... this Air has substance." - Valdosta Daily Times

"The opening scene is breathtaking... Perker's work is compelling and easy on the eyes... Air certainly has potential." - IGN

"[A] fantastic new series... There's little excuse not to buy this book and get in on the ground floor of a bright career." - Newsarama

"Wilson and Perker share a deep love for comics, and it shoes in every pretty page. The feeling of magic just around the corner is on every page of the book." - Bust Magazine

"Vertigo's real sleeper hit of the year" - Comic Shop News

So check out the ongoing adventures of Blythe and Zayn before this gem gets lost in the rough. 

Brief Mentions: From Pharaohs to Heroes

Booster Gold #18

Written By: Dan Jurgens

Art By: Norm Rapmund

The greatest hero you’ve never heard of may very well be the greatest comic book you’ve never heard of. Booster Gold is a comic book that has really flourished after post-johns era and continues to produce great story telling. Written by Dan Jurgens (who originally created the character) with art by Norm Rapmund, Booster Gold #18 provides a classic comic experience: good guys, bad guys, and big fight at the end. My first exposure to Booster Gold occurs in the pages of 52 and I’m not going to lie – I hated him. He was just that character that was easy hate. He was a sold-out superhero who put himself primarily before anyone else. Where I saw a horrible character Geoff Johns saw potential. After two story arcs with Johns, Booster Gold has been in the capable hands of Dan Jurgens. Issue #18 is the finale of the “Reality Lost” story arc. Booster Gold along with his sister Goldstar and sidekick Skeets, travel time with out the time master, Rip Hunter, and try to track down the creation of a certain dagger. This trip ultimately leads to Egypt. One underlines theme to this book is a look at how fragile time is. Events that occurred of 4000 years ago directly affect the lives of the heroes today. If you are a fan of Back to the Future (ALL 3 OF THEM!) then you will love this time traveling trio. Norm Rapmund provides excellent pencils that really enhance the story telling. It is a great book and I hope to see in the hands of more readers in the future… or maybe the past…time traveling is confusing.

Batman Confidential #27

Written By: Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir

Art By: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

So Bruce Wayne is gone. He is no longer throughout the pages of Batman Detective Comics and Batman. So maybe your asking yourself: What is a Batman book without Bruce Wayne? Well I have good news for you. For those Bruce Wayne Batman fans you can find refuge throughout the pages of Batman Confidential. Batman Confidential is a series that is focused on the early years of Gotham’s Caped Crusader. This story as well provides excellent comic reading experience and also focuses on minor characters throughout Gotham as well. Batman Confidential #27, written by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir with art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, is part 2 of “Riddle of the Sphinx” story arc. King Tut is going around Gotham using The Riddler’s m.o to attack a museum’s board of trustees (who dress quite scantily might I add). So in this issue we see a SUPERHERO SUPERVILLAIN T-TEAM UP! Nigma and Bruce join forces to discover who is behind these attacks and how to stop them. It’s excellent to see The Riddler’s humor juxtaposed to Bruce’s serious attitude. These two distinctly different personalities provide for great character interaction and dialogue. So if you need a little Bruce Wayne in your life, then check out Batman Confidential. Enjoy!

Brief Mentions (Briefly Mentioning Unfortunate Delays)

As a ComicDork it is important to keep up with are responsibilities, duties if you will. (Yep… I said duties.) For all of you who actually read our thoughts, I would like to apologize for the “late articles.” It’s seems most days you wake up and say, “Shit! How the hell am I going to do all the things I have to do today?” To make this short; working on a degree, working a job, having relationships with all the people we love, and sleep, amongst many other things will sometimes conflict with deadlines. I assure you this is still fun, nay, a labor of love and we will post every chance we get. Patience my darlings, we will get this train running on time.

-Rob

And now some speed bumps in the life of a ComicDork. (Besides mime masturbation.)

ComicDorksCast Episode 058

ComicDorkscastEp058.mp3
(Download Directly: Right Click and choose "Save As..." and save locally on your computer)

Running Time: 01:21:36

• Walking Dead #59 shows that nothing is more frightening than the strength of stupid people in large groups.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1.
  
• Some new familiar faces cause a stir in Action Comics #875.
  
• Rob's Pick of the Week: Top Ten Season 2 #4.
  
• The first part of the next chapter of blissful weirdness arrives in Young Liars #13.
  
• Darren's Pick of the Week: Invincible Iron Man #11.
• The Best Trade Paperbacks of Last Month: Absolute Ronin HC, DMZ Vol 1 & 2, Gearhead.
  
• Brief Mentions.
• Anticipated Books.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com

Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards.

Check out our website at ComicDorksCast.Blogspot.com.

The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "One Foot in the Grave" by The Pernice Brothers.

Blog Log # 2 (Quote of the Week)

“You told me to kill the comic-book people next. They’re the worst offenders of all at least newspapers are eventually recycled. But comics are virgin paper going into virgin hands that tuck them into poisonous plastic. Forever. Those who create and consume them will be next to die.” “You take that back, you traitorous, fly- munching motherfucker!” …“Oh what? I can’t say I hate the guy? He’s a tool.” “Crap.” Guess it’s true, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves –Abraham Lincoln.” “Scott hates people with Parkinson. The end.”
-Rob

P.S. Back to the Future... BEST! TRILOGY! EVER!

Whatever You Want: Superman for all seasons

Superman For All Seasons

By: Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale with Bjarne Hansen

I'll admit that I am a big fan of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale when they work together. You've seen my post on Spider-man Blue to prove this fact. This book is broken up into the four seasons. I ate it up, ask Rob. I finished the first two chapters in under an half hour. I think that might be a new record for me, but I could be wrong.

This book takes you back to the beginning of Superman's career, back to when he was just a man's son trying to make his way in the world. Back to when he wasn't anything super to his friends. He wasn't Superman yet. He was just a teenager helping his father in the fields (lifting a boulder out of the dirt one handed) and sneaking his dog scraps from the table at dinner time. When a tornadoe hits Smallville, he's wracked with guilt that he could have done more. This seems to be a common theme for Superman. There's always something more that he thinks he could have done. Other than his family, he lets one other person in on his secret, Lana. And then he goes off to Metropolis and becomes Superman.

But he's still the same boy we see in Smallville, the one that doubts he's doing the right thing. The one who worries about who he is or where he came from. And I think that's the magic of Jeph Loeb and Time Sale. When they collaborate, you get to see the inner workings of the characters. Superman isn't all powerful, he's a young man with serious self doubts. It's nice to see him constantly returning to Smallville to work through his issues and how he gives a nod to his mother for making his costume.

We get to see the world through Lex Luthor's eyes as well, how the seeds of hate are sown towards Superman. He tries very hard to mold Metropolis into his own image, not caring that the people don't want him to. He makes his own super bots to try to take over Superman's job, not that it works. But he does suceed in sowing a virus that makes Superman doubt that he's human. And that only Luthor has the cure for.

All in all, I have to recommend this book to any Superman fans, anyone who likes origin stories, and anyone who likes any of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's other books. I'll be adding this one to my personal collection.

From The Dorks' Soundtrack: Yours, Mine, & Ours

Music from Episode #58


Artist: The Pernice Brothers


Album: Yours, Mine & Ours


Song: One Foot In The Grave


I think I first heard about The Pernice Brothers on one of my favorite sources for finding out about new music: NPR. For a talk radio station they sure have great music critics who have really educated views and conduct really interesting interviews with the artists whenever possible. I think it was probably on Fresh Air that I first heard about Joe Pernice and it was because he had both a novella and an album out at the same time that I thought it would be essential for me to check out his stuff, so I went out and bought his contribution to the 33 1/3 series all about The Smiths' Meat is Murder album and the Pernice Brothers record Yours, Mine & Ours the same day and then fell down the rabbit hole with Joe Pernice and his compatriots ... and I don't know if I have ever poked my head back out.

There was something wonderfully melancholic about the Pernice Brothers' lyrics and songs. That it was simultaneously scored to somewhat delightful instrumentation that made for a wonderful experience. There was also something about Joe's prose that made me simultaneously happy to read it and depressed by what I was reading. I had already had an appreciation for The Smiths but I was suddenly far more fascinated by them just from experiencing them through the thoughts and viewpoints as expressed by Joe Pernice. I've probably read his novella about 4 times now and it always makes me want to listen to The Smiths and it always makes me love The records of The Pernice Brothers even more. There is just something about the way that the story is told that also makes me remember what it was like to be in high school and the many wonders that I experienced there, falling in love for the first time, getting my heart broken for the first time, attempting suicide for the only time, finding a love for creative writing like I had never had before, losing my love for all things learning and beginning to understand that I loved only certain subjects. There was something magical and dark about my high school years and there was something about the way that Pernice talked about these possibly true experiences that made me immediately identify with them. It made me wish that I had discovered The Smiths and Morrissey in high school instead of college. And whenever I listen to Yours, Mine & Ours I am reminded of that book.

There is something about the music that I was discovering in and around the year 2003 that has changed my life in many ways. The music of The Pernice Brothers, Grant Lee Buffalo (and Grant Lee Phillips), Mojave 3, The Kings of Convenience, Low, Hayden ... sort of indie rock mixed with alt-country ideals and sadcore and ... Let's just say that 2003 was not the happiest year that I had ever experienced but it was a year that I changed a great deal. I first started taking anti-depressants (which was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I can't thank the people who pushed me to make that decision enough). I found myself making whole circle of friends (a few actually). I moved into my own place for the first time (the place that I will finally be moving out of in May). I found out that I loved karaoke. I fell in love a few more times and each one of them was delightfully unspoken and unrealized.

So I guess this article and this song and this episode is all somehow dedicated to 2003.

The music of The Pernice Brothers is perhaps best described as intelligent, literary, accessible, emotional, genuine, guitar driven, melodic, austere in it's approach but lush in it's execution. It's a great song off of a great record from a great band and I hope you all love it.