ComicDorksCast Episode 067 - Let's Cruise

ComicDorkscastEp067.mp3
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Running Time: This is a long one

• Supergirl #41 was explosive (pun!).
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Invincible #61 (was totally Ottley!).
• Is there a better way to celebrate your birthday than being Captain America? We find out in Captain America #50
• Rob's Pick of the Week: Uncanny X-Men #510
• Alfred continues to be amazing in Outsiders #18.
• Darren's Pick of the Week: Punisher #5
• Time to answer and e-mail?
• 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: "Daylight" by Matt & Kim.

Blog Log # 2 (Out of the Milkcrates: Here’s Another Blog Log For The Fire… I Reckon.)

Loveless

Written by: Brian Azzarello

Art by: Marcelo Frusin, Werther Dell’Edera (is that right?), and Dayron’s boy Danijel Zezelij

Whelp folks, I finally get it. It took a little while but now… now, I get it. Loveless was very much a book I enjoyed monthly but had the side effect of hoping nobody would asked me what was going on in it. Come to find out, I never ran across anyone who told me anything about Loveless that lead me to believe I knew the big picture. Turns out I was right. (Surprise… surprise.) What I experienced a few nights ago was something I could have never expected, not in a gazillion, not even in a zillion years.

Like I said before, I read this book up monthly, that doesn’t mean I fully understood it or that I didn’t enjoy it. I am an Azzarello fan, so why the hell wouldn’t I pick it up? Not to mention, it being a Western set in a little Missouri (I’m sorry Missoura, I’m a native, and I have the right, not to mention the privilege.) town in the 1800’s called Blackwater. F.Y.I for you unknowing folks, Blackwater lays west, off Highway 70 in Cooper County, closer to Kansas City than it is to St. Louis. This story is set two years after the Confederate Army lost the war for their way of life. (“Your Goddamned right,” says the Yankee in me, with added a mocking rebel yell.) But, let us not forget that those below the Mason Dixon had an abrupt change to their way of life. No matter their skin tone.

Now, me saying this book was set two years after the Civil War (America’s not Marvel’s) is not exactly accurate. You see this story is told using literary tools such as flashbacks, foreshadowing, mysticisms, and of course my good friend, words. It is a tale of love; mystery, vengeance, gun slinging, lynching, and racisms with a hard look at how the good old days really were. Those of you who are hip to Azzarello understand his talent of laying out an epic story with a pace that is fast to read but takes time to unfold. As great as Azzarello story telling was, I truly believe that at least half, if not more, of this book was told by the artists and their amazing panels. It is apparent that this book would have only gotten better with time. Now, don’t act like I said it wasn’t a complete story because that is slander. All I mean is that, in my humble opinion, this book could have gone on for longer and only become even more of another Missoura great folktale. You know, fine wine and all that jazz?

I remember when Loveless was coming to a close and I couldn’t wait to know what I had been reading for 24 months. (Give or take a few, you know how comics work.) So there I was all excited and what I got was a, what appeared to be a self-contained story set in the late 1920’s. What the hell is that about? But, hey we got two issues left. And guess what. The same thing happened, both times. Needless to say, I wouldn’t have described myself as a happy camper or happy as a clam. Little did I know that roughly a year later I would pick this book up and see what it was all about. What was it all about? The only answer I have is, many things but mostly hardcore badassery.

Loveless is 24 issues of an emotionally rollercoastering journey of what it must have been like to be a citizen in Azzarello’s Blackwater. There is joy and sadness, love and madness, and for me a great amount of tingling and gladness. Plus, in my mind, a new look at what it must have been like to live in a Rebel town under the control of the Yanks. And folks, by the end of this story I felt it was easy to roll along with and the connection were clear. If you have any interest in westerns, history (alt or otherwise), great story telling and great, fitting art here is your next read. Obviously, you can gather that this book has no choice but to be gritty and that’s what all parties involved delivered. So, Dayron check this out, your boy Danijel Zezelij was great in this book. And yes, I said great. He gave us exactly what we needed in this run of comics that everybody should get into or at least give an honest shot. Here's to you Vertigo and the Loveless team, thank you.
–Rob

* If you do not own it and would like to with out hunting done issues you can find it collected in trades. They are as follows.

1
A Kin of Homecoming
ISBN 1-84576-337-8
2006
Loveless #1-5

2
Thicker than Blackwater
ISBN 1-84576-453-6
2007
Loveless #6–12

3
Blackwater Falls
ISBN 1-40121-495-9
2008
Loveless #13-24

Blog Log # 2 (Quote of the Week)

"...ELDARC EHT SLLAB..."

*This is a special gift just for you, Dayron. Happy birthday buddy... you should buy me a drink? -Rob

What I’m Reading Now: Barry Ween Boy Genius… Related to Dean or Gene?

The Adventures of Barry Ween: Boy Genius

Written By: Judd Winick

Art By: Judd Winick

This is more of a nostalgic post. When I was getting into comics, I stuck close to familiar titles: basically anything from the big two. Superman, Batman and X-Men were the titles that were frequent on my pull and hold list. One of the first titles that strayed from the comfortable was The Adventures of Barry Ween: Boy Genius. This was a title that really showed me that companies such as Oni-Press and other companies had a lot to offer. This book also made me a life long fan of Judd Winick – his words and his art. Barry Ween was very early in Judd Winick’s comic career. The title explains to overall plot of the story. Barry Ween, very much in the fashion of Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory, is a boy genius whose inventions often cause him to get into trouble. Winick interweaves adventure and comedy to create a comic that should be on every serious comic reader’s shelf. Garth Ennis has this to say about this series:

“Barry Ween is Calvin & Hobbes on PCP with a copy of Mein Kampf thrown into the mix. Barry will take comics by storm and tomorrow the world!”

See! Look at that. Calvin & Hobbes, Drugs and Nazis… what else do you what? Winick’s website has talked about a return to Barry Ween in 2010 but for now we have four great books of action, adventure and comedy. Last Wednesday, Oni-Press released The Big Book of Barry Ween: Boy Genius, which collects all four books and every panel of Barry Ween ever written. I think that’s enough said.


There's Winick drawing Barry Ween himself*

ComicDorksCast Episode 066 - Stalking You

ComicDorkscastEp066.mp3
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Running Time: 01:24:57

• Show Notes Later This Evening!
• Best Trade of Last Month!
• 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: "Bus Stop Boxer" by The Eels.

Whatever You Want: Emiko Superstar

Emiko Superstar

By: Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston

I randomly picked out a Minx book for this week's whatever you want article. It just so happened to be something that I can totally relate to. Emiko is an outsider among everyone her age, a dork even among the dorks. Instead of going to the finance summer camp with them, she resigns herself for a boring summer of work. She gets a job as a baby-sitter after being the whip girl at a coffee shop. On a shopping trip to spend her ill-gotten gains, Emiko sees an art freak dancing and passing out fliers for a place called the Freak Show. After a couple of tries, she does manage to convince herself to go inside. She watches a bunch of performance art and meets a guy named Henry, who asks her if she is a performer. Without thinking, she answers yes and finds out that there is an open mic night for new performers.

After a false start at becoming a performer, she finds the diary of the lady she is baby-sitting for. Without much hesitation, she copies down all of the stuff in the diary and uses it as her performance art. Her summer takes a wild spin as she becomes accepted at the Freak Show and learns that everyone has problems fitting in, freaks to normal people.

I can totally relate to Emiko. She's shy and awkward and just a bit out of step with her peers. I was that girl in high school. Unlike Emiko, I didn't get the outlet of the Freak Show to express myself. I enjoyed the hell out of this book; Poppy reminds me a lot of some of my friends, all flash and glitz until you get to know them. I understand now why Scotty has been trying so hard to get me to read books from the Minx line. If all of them are this entertaining, I will be reading them all.

Blog Log # 2 (Out of the Milk Crates… and into a box)

Batman: Legends Of

The Dark Knight # 168

Story by: Bill Willingham

Art: Tom Fowler


So, last night folks, I was trying to make space in my crates. To do so I must resort to doing something I hate, putting comics in boxes. Before ya’ll get pissy at me understand that this is my own personal belief. Do what you want but I like to gaze at my crates for hours, until I start to think about the kind of car I could own with all the money I spend on my funny book habit. But I always say, “why spend money to drive when you can spend money for other people take you for a ride.” (Clearly I just proved that I am a genius and you should hang on my every word.) The point being, how can I bask in the glory of my comics if they are in dark and lonely boxes? …Don’t judge me! …Don’t you dare judge me!

Now, let us get to the real reason I felt the need to drop this blog log on you. (Poop… Joke… Funny.) While, shuffling my books around I took a gang of Batman issues out of the crates and buried them away in a cardboard coffin until I find a house that is made out of shelves. In the process I found a handful of Legends of the Dark Knight, which included a one-issue story called Urban Legend. I thought, “Holy shitty drawers Batman Legends of the Dark Knight I forgot all about you.” Obviously, I had to sit down and read it again. This issue is out of 2003. Now, I can smell the future but it comes at a price. My memory suffers every time I use my power. Blessing or curse, you be the judge? Well, I can tell you folks that when I read this story it felt like it was the first time and it was a real joy. It is not Willingham’s only great work at DC but one of my favorites. In one issue he wrote a fun story involving some action, some drama, some surprises, and some humor… of course. Seriously, Batman told a joke that made me laugh out loud… belly jiggling… moobies waving and all.

Not to mention, this book could have shown me a glimpse in to my future. Willingham did this by writing a good guy with a loving wife and a fulfilling life. (You smell that? It’s sarcasm.) And what to name a character like that? How about Rob? (Real cool… real cool… cool guy.) Now that I think about it; this issue was one of them issues I could relate to. It brought back memories of the good old days of waking up and wondering why my car is parked in my neighbors front yard, who all I need to apologize to, and why I’m peeing like I didn’t have sex? Needless to say, this issue is definitely worth hunting down. So I say to you comic hunters everywhere. There is a new prey and it’s open season all year round. You will recognize it by its awesomeness and that picture at the top of this post.
-Rob

Living Up To Expectations:

Oracle The Cure # 3 (of 3)

Writer: Kevin Vanhook

Pencillers: Julian Lopez

and Fernando Pasarin

Warning… spoiler.

By the end of this book…

BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR!
BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR! BABS IN STILL IN THE CHAIR!

I’m so glad I don’t have to punch somebody in the face.

I may be a black-hearted ass face but I was so worried Babs would be Jitterbugging at the conclusion of the mini-series. Come on it’s called the cure. Barbara Gordon could very well be my favorite Gotham resident. Don’t be fooled with her North American tour. The old folks would say, “You can take that there girl out of that there city but you could never take that city out of that girl. What it is with her and that city beats the hell out of me… well… with all those hooligans and that dumbass clown. Now come give us a kiss. I promise I won’t use too much tongue this time. Did I ever tell you how much you remind me of your granddad? He was so handsome. Come closer.” The old folks are right. We should forget about the cowl and realize we can use Oracle how she needs to be used. (nonsexually, of course) She would work out of her new secret Batcave and she would control our Gotham heroes, who remain to wear their own costumes, until the return of Bruce. I’m sure Alfred wouldn’t mind the company. And I’m sure Bruce would mind there being a bright light with a wheelchair symbol in the middle of it shining above the Gotham streets. Isn’t Gotham as much Oracle’s city as it is Batman’s? And let’s not forget she can still deliver a beat down that is always fun to watch.

I was pleasantly surprised by Oracle: The Cure. It was the first story I have read by Kevin Vanhook and he won me over. He also gave me a perfect end cap to my Birds of Prey run. The characters in these books were dead on, not to mention that we learned a little bit more about who those characters are… as characters. For a three-issue story it felt complete, while leaving me wondering what Babs will be up to in the coming months. One last thing I would like to point out before I leave this book. The first two covers were nice to the eyeballs, you know? If your not catching my drift, the first two issues had covers that featured Babs bountiful breasticles. Naturally, as a man I approved. Then we get to the last issue and on the cover we find out we are busted. Babs is looking right at me with that face that says you perverted, hairy bastard. My face is up here and what ever is going on in your head needs to end or I will end you. After, a nice discussion and a hug I made her understand that if you don’t want me staring you shouldn’t be baring. I am happy to say we are still good friends even though she thinks she’s so smart with her computers and brainpower and stuff.

The Amazon # 3 (of 3)

Co-created and

Written by: Steven T. Seagle

Illustrated by: Tim Sale

The Amazon was a nice little three-issue story. It was an interesting tale about a very serious issue that still persists after all these years. Though this is not the first time this absurd and life-threatening issue has been touched on, these guys did it in a way that shed a new kind of light on the price of our evolutional advancements as humans. Plus the format of these issues was really consumer friendly. Much like Criminal, except the supplemental material was a discussion with Seagle and Sale. The Amazon was certainly a nice break from superhero stories for me. Some times friends I need a break from powers. The Amazon had an ending point that is fine on it's own but I can imagine some sweet things Seagle and Sale could do to continue the story. So check it out. Go! Now!
-Rob

Brief Mentions: (From A While Ago, But Aged Like A Fine Wine, Great Stories In Time, And My Bumpin’ Behind.)

Solomon Grundy # 3 (of 7)

Story, Art,

And Cover by: Scott Kolins

Listen up all you hate mongering nay Sayers! This book is A-Ok in my; always right, never wrong, indescribable, incomprehensible genius of a mind. First off, how cool is it that we are getting a Grundy mini done by Kolins. Second, I hear you and recognize the resemblance between Grundy and another gray, well eventually green, smashing character over their at Marvel. Again, I am cool with that because Jack’s friend Grundy just can’t be beat. But Thirdly, this is not just a Grundy story. The flashback and Cyrus Gold panels seem to be the beauty behind this story. Here is a man desperate to stop his horrid curse and having a hell of a time doing it. Though, that could be his saving grace, looking at his life before becoming Grundy he should be good at the whole hell thing.

Issue # 3 gave us more history, more beaten down Cyrus, and more destruction. We got some Poison Ivy, who ran her game, and oh what game she has. It's game called “poison smacker, yet oh so sexy kissy poo” and I assure you it will not be as good for you as it will be for her. I got to say that the flashbacks in these issues are brilliant. Usually, when I get Grundy it is Grundy (and he is usually smashing things… nay sayers.) not Cyrus. Not to mention, that Kolins does an excellent job and intertwining the past and the present in a well-balanced and very enjoyable fashion. He obviously knows what he is doing. I mean he even let’s us see the greatest Green Lantern, yup… the first one Alan “muthafuckin” Scott. (Hear that Dayron, you haterade guzzlin' fool!) Don’t get me wrong Hal is kicking ass, as well as, a few of the other members of the different color spectrum of Lanterns. Scott Kolins is a great talent, so needless to say Solomon Grundy is a book you probably should look into. And if you are all ready checking it out, don’t let your expectations of getting the greatest Grundy story to end all Grundy stories get in the way of you enjoying a really cool book. And in closing I would like to say… Bart Fargo, eat a dick. Actually, eat a whole bag of dicks.

Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye # 2 (of 3)

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Cameron Stewart

Colorist: Dave Stewart

To be honest, when the first issue of this story came out I debated whether or not to pick it up. I had bought the first series way back when it was coming out so in that regard as a complete-ist, elite-ist, and a comic book enjoyer it made since to pick it up. The other side of the coin is that the recent events involving Morrison over at DC let me a little jaded at the idea of trying to decipher a wacky dude’s thoughts. It turns out that when a wacky dude writes in his own wacky universe it is okay, even fun to read. I believe the difference between Seaguy and the DC stuff is that I’m reading about characters that I only know of because of this book, not characters I have known and loved for years. Seaguy has definitely been fun to read and if you look close enough you will see word bubbles that contain one word… “Chubby!”
-Rob

Sneak Peek Reviews: 05/12/09

Unwritten #1

Written by: Mike Carey

Art by: Peter Gross

Get ready for a pretty lofty review. This is a seriously awesome comic. Vertigo has been scratching all the right itches for me lately. With Air, House of Mystery, Madame Xanadu, and now Unwritten. I devoured each and every issue of Lucifer while it was coming out and I think that it might well have been Mike Carey's best work to date and that it put Peter Gross in the limelight like he had always deserved. I think that everytime someone picks up a copy of the first Lucifer trade that I smile a mile wide. These are two guys with some serious talent and to have them come back together to work on another Vertigo book gives me the kind of happiness that I find difficult to describe. The story of Unwritten holds the kind of promise that a lot of Carey's work has, the kind of promise that makes me giddy. I find it a little hard to describe the story, but basically it is about Tom "Little Tommy" Taylor, who was the basis for his father's Harry-Potter-esque character that has become the most popular fictional character of all time. There are some questions about whether or not Tom is really his father's son, there are some questions about where his father has disappeared to, there are some questions as to whether he is human at all and not fiction come to life. The kind of questions that this series is bound to ask make my head spin in a good way. Peter Gross became one of my favorite artists when he worked on Books of Magic and then his work on Lucifer only further confirmed my love for his work, and now any time I read stuff he's drawn it's like putting on a favorite coat, like slipping into your favorite sneakers, like eating your favorite simple meal (grilled cheese, chicken noodle soup and jalapeno Crunchers). I am going to love the hell out of this book, but don't just take my word on why you should check it out, you can get it yourself when it comes out tomorrow ... for $1! That's right 32 pages of comic (48 if you count ads) for $1!

Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1

Written by: Paul Cornell

Art by: Mark Brooks

This was a really fun book that also asks some serious questions about what a post H.A.M.M.E.R. world would look like, and how young heroes would develop in that kind of world. I'm pretty unfamiliar with all of these characters and if Cornell created them for this mini-series then he did a great job of making them feel like they already belonged in the Marvel U. Mark Brooks does an excellent job on the art chores for this mini-series as well. However I think that the unsung hero on art in this issue is Christina Strain, her colors bring an excellent level of depth and reality to this book. I think that a group of young super-powered individuals that comes together during the reign of Osborn would unquestionably look like this, would make these same mistakes, would dance around these same philisophical quandries. I think that fans of Avengers: Initiative, and the original Young Avengers would probably really dig this mini-series and I think that it certainly serves as a compliment to Cornell and crew that I think so highly of the direction after just one issue. Grats to all involved.

ComicDorksCast Episode 065 - Have You Met Me?

ComicDorkscastEp065.mp3
(Download Directly: Right Click and choose "Save As..." and save locally on your computer)

Running Time: 01:24:57

• Superman: World of New Krypton #3 shakes things up and straightens things out.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Jonah Hex #43.
• Tony's world just keeps getting worse and worse as the comic gets better and better in Invincible Iron Man #13.
• Darren's Pick of the Week: Flash: Rebirth #2.
• The Boys #30 takes a turn none of us saw coming.
• Rob's Pick of the Week: Agents of Atlas #4.
• Best Single Issue of Last Month!
• 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: "Certain Songs" by The Hold Steady.

Whatever You Want: Mr. Stuffins

Mr. Stuffins #1

By: Andrew Cosby and Johanna Stokes

I remember growing up, jealous of some of my friends' toys. One in particular was Teddy Ruxpin, the teddy bear that told you stories. What better to do with your day than have a teddy bear read you all of your favorite books on tape? Sadly, I never got one. But I was intrigued when I saw the cover of Mr. Stuffins #1. Part James Bond, part Teddy Ruxpin, all badass teddy.

Unlike some people, when Mike uses the word cute to describe a book, I don't hesitate to dive right in. A scientist, desperate to conceal his research, pops the disc into a Mr. Stuffins in a toy store and marks the box so he can retrieve it later. Before he can come back, Zach and his father go into the store to buy a toy. Zach's father tries to get him to get a more macho toy like a football or a tank (or both), but all Zach sees is the Mr. Stuffins display.

Later that night, Zach turns on his toy, but nothing happens. Or so he thinks. While he sleeps, Mr. Stuffins new program starts running and he calls the Tattertot Toys line on his box to get mission parameters. "Thank you for calling . . . your child's safety is our number one priority." Not realizing that this is an automated reply, he takes it literally. When Zach wakes up in the morning, Mr. Stuffins has one of Zach's stuffed bunnies duct taped to a chair and is interrigating it. In one of the coolest moments in the book, Mr. Stuffins goes on a rant about the weapons in the house and how the gun only shoots foam, and it's not even riot foam. To prove his point about how ineffective foam is, he shoots Zach.

This was one of the funnest, cutest books I have read in awhile. It reminds me of my childhood and Sandman Presents: Merv Pumpkinhead Agent of Dream. It's equal parts James Bond and everything you hoped your toys would be (including beating up the bullies at school). Go out and read this book, it's gearing up to be a great story.

What Do You Mean They're Not Superheroes?!: Alright Mister Lapham ... You Win ... (or alternately: You Had Me at Hello)

David Lapham has been one of my favorite comic creators for the last 6 years or so. I first discovered his work when I started reading the second Stray Bullets hardcover while working at the Saint Charles location of The Fantasy Shop. I just remember looking at it there on the independent shelf and thinking "I've heard good stuff about Stray Bullets ... and I've never read any. But we don't have the first Hardcover." And eventually I broke down and read it anyway. And I was totally enthralled. And since then I have read anything and everything his name has graced. Some were better than others but they were all, in my opinion, very good. When he works with established characters he brings a bit of himself to them and there is something interesting about adding his interesting mix of noir, excitement, and nihilism to those characters. But it's when he creates something wholecloth that I get really excited. So when he announced that he was going to be doing some work under the Vertigo umbrella I was excited. I loved Silverfish and have spoken about it before on the show and have recommended it to quite an awfully large amount of people in the stores I have worked in since it was released. Then Young Liars came out and I got even more pumped because it was like what I imagine reading Stray Bullets on LSD would be like (or perhaps more likely what reading Stray Bullets would have been like if Lapham himself had been on LSD during the whole creative process). And when it was recently announced that the series would be ending with the forthcoming #18 I was saddened ... not because I thought "Why aren't people reading this book?!?! It should have been the next Sandman!!!!", because it simply wasn't that kind of book. I was saddened more because I had really grown attached to that book in a way that I tend to about a lot of the non-traditional books that I encounter. 

And then ...

Today I hear about something new coming down the pike.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21126

It's hard to explain why I am excited about Sparta. U.S.A. but there is something about the mix of suburban life, magic, high school football, betrayal and David Lapham makes me smile ... like ten feet wide.

What I’m Reading Now: Furry Creatures + Swords = Adorably Badass

Mice Templar

Written By: Bryan J.L. Glass

Art By: Michael Avon Oeming

When you think of mice and rats, what comes to mind? Laboratories? Cheese? A kung-fu master and leader of the ninja turtles? Well prepare to think again. Michael Avon Oeming & Bryan J.L. Glass takes you to the world of Mice Templar. In Cricket’s Glen, a future hero is born. His name is Karic and he has a great destiny laid before him. Mice and rats are at war; the time of the templar is long since past, and mice begin to falter in their faith to Wotan, god of the templar. In the first six issues of this series, Oeming and Glass envelope us in this new world and give us an in depth look at these characters. The journey of Karic is an epic one, using reminiscent virtues from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey to J. R. R. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. Oeming and Glass bring virtues fantasy together and also describing a compelling and action packed story. Oeming, a veteran in the comic medium, offers great pencils to this book and enhances the action and plot. This story was recently collected into an excellent hardcover collection and just in time for the release of Mice Templar: Destiny #1 in the coming months. After reading this and you are yearning for more furry adventures, another great title is David Petersen’s Mouse Guard. Both these titles give a whole knew spin about what people think about mice. When you think of mice and rats, what comes to mind? The correct answer is badasses.


Check out more online yo! http://www.hiddenrobot.com/MICETEMPLAR/

Sneak Peek Reviews: 05/05/09

Final Crisis Aftermath: RUN! #1

Written by: Matthew Sturges

Art by: Freddie Williams II

Lately the name Matthew Sturges has been synonymous with excellent comics. When I heard that he was going to be penning one of the Final Crisis Aftermath books I was equal parts excited and nervous for him. I mean this is sort of a bigger stage than a lot of his work has been on in the past. Final Crisis (whether you loved it or hated it) was a huge story line for DC last year and the Aftermath books have the established love from some fans and the established hate from other fans both working for and against them. Someone who didn't love Final Crisis might still pick up RUN! #1 because they want to see what happens to the man behind the death of The Martian Manhunter, someone who loved Final Crisis might be picking up RUN! #1 because they want to see how things have changed for the characters who had been under the influence of the Justifier helmets. But either way there is a lot to live up to or live down when it comes to fan reaction when it comes to these books. I think that anyone familiar with Sturges incredible work on Jack of Fables, Blue Beetle, & House of Mystery is going to be enthralled by this book. It has a lot of the tell tale markings of a Sturges book. And at the same time those who aren't familiar with Sturges' previous work are going to really get a kick out of the kind of sense of humor and sense of pacing and storytelling that Sturges brings to his books. Freddie Williams II is really kicking butt on this mini-series as well. His art work is always improving and the case is no different here. I really think that he was a great choice to illustrate this story and when you read it I think you'll know why. There was one coloring gaff (Firestorm is colored as being white or perhaps light skinned but Jason Rusch [the current Firestorm] is a fairly dark-complected young black man [and one of my favorite {and woefully overlooked} characters of recent memory] but aside from that I think that the issue was really brilliant through and through. I highly recommend it and hope that you'll check it out when you hit the shop tomorrow.

New Mutants #1

Written by: Zeb Wells

Art by: Diogenes Neves

You ever have one of those childhood experiences that makes it hard for you to use good judgment about particular sections of geek culture. I have a few. One of them is New Mutants. There was something about the first couple of issues of New Mutants that I picked up that really stuck with me. There was something about the thought of Xavier Academy being an actual school and having classes and students that just thrilled me to the bone. And so whenever Marvel launches a new, New Mutants title I have to check it out, no matter what my gut tells me about it. Zeb Wells isn't one of my favorite writers. He and I had a good first experience together with his book from Virgin Comics "Snake Woman" I really dug that. But since then I have thought that most of his work has been pretty average. But like I said, it's New Mutants. Either issue #64 or #38 was my first issue of New Mutants (either way it was bought out of a back issue box) ... and like I said there was something about it. Zeb Wells manages to get on my good side with this issue, I think he captured the characters pretty well and I think that the story might be interesting as it unfolds. Diogenes Neves is pretty darn good as well. I think that anyone who is a fan of the Louise Simonson era of New Mutants is probably going to enjoy this issue and likely this series. So, prepare for a blast from the past as pre-Liefeld New Mutants are about to get all up in your business!

Sword of My Mouth #1

Written by: Jim Munroe

Art by: Shannon Gerard

A good long while ago I read a really great graphic novel called “Therefore Repent!” it was written by Jim Munroe and drawn by Salgood Sam. It was a really brilliant and rather touching book that takes place after The Rapture. Reading that got me to check out some of Jim Munroe's novels and I really dug those as well. So when I heard that he was going to be doing a mini-series to follow up Therefore Repent! I got excited. And my excitement was well aimed. “Therefore Repent!” introduced the concept that in a world after The Rapture, in a world no longer looked upon by God that Magic would work. It seems like a dreadfully simple idea but it really took me by surprise and made me love the book. Sword of My Mouth takes place in post-Rapture Detroit and focuses on a mother who is raising her young infant son without the help of the child's father. There is something dreadfully simple about the book but at the same time that simplicity strikes me as brilliant. I really, really liked this first issue and I can honestly say that I am really excited to see where this goes. I think that a lot of people might like this series and should check out “Therefore Repent!” you can read the first 60 pages herehttp://tinyurl.com/64lcvc and you can order it through your favorite local Fantasy Shop! I also recommend that you check out Jim Munroe's website nomediakings.org.

ComicDorksCast Episode 064 - Dutch Rudder

ComicDorkscastEp064.mp3
(Download Directly: Right Click and choose "Save As..." and save locally on your computer)

Running Time: 01:24:56

• We bid a fond farewell to Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham with Justice Society of America #26.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Wonder Woman #31.
• WOW! Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #4.
• Rob's Pick of the Week: Dark Avengers #4.
• Uncanny X-Men #509 continues to prove that Matt Fraction is the MAN.
• Darren's Pick of the Week: RASL #4.
• PREVIEWS!
• 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: "97" by Alkaline Trio.

Brief Mentions: Free Comic Book Day!

Savage Dragon #148

Written & Drawn by: Erik Larsen

Colors by: Nikos Koutsis

Letter by: Tom Orzechowski

Free Comic Book Day was this weekend and I decided that I would focus on a couple of the books that came out as part of the industry-wide push to bring new readers into the fold. The first one is Savage Dragon. I started reading Savage Dragon again with issue #145 and I have been loving what the book brings to my monthly stack of books. Erik Larsen brings a huge level of fun and action to each issue without being pandering or skimping on story progression. I know that in the past that a lot of people complained that month in month out that not a lot was going on in Savage Dragon and I think that Larsen must have heard the complaints and is responding in kind by bringing the thunder on this book. I don't even remember the last single issue of Savage Dragon that I bought but my interest in getting back into the series started when I started reading the Savage Dragon Archives last year. The action and character and interest that went on in those pages could barely be contained, they were phone-books that managed to be page turners and that's certainly saying something these days. I think that Savage Dragon brings the best concepts of the Silver Age, the Modern Age, and European Comics (like Judge Dredd) and wraps it all up in a fantastic little package. This issue was jam packed with fights and wraps up an ongoing plot thread (IN THE FREE COMIC BOOK DAY ISSUE!!!) and is part of the regular numbering! With DC having released the Green Lantern: Blackest Night #0 issue for free comic book day (that was pretty much just a catch up book for people who haven't been reading) and Marvel releasing smaller than standard sized books (for god only knows what reason) I think that this Free Comic Book Day was a chance for some of the smaller names in the industry to make a mark and I think that Image did so by releasing Savage Dragon #148 for free, and they weren't the only ones ...

Resurrection #0

Written by: Mark Guggenheim

Art by: Justin Greenwood

One of the books that Darren and I were both super excited about when we started the podcast early last year was Resurrection from ONI Press. It was the story of what happens after the alien invasion ends, when humanity starts to crawl out of it's hiding spaces and tries to remake the Earth into something they can recognize. We saw people trying to cope with loss, we saw others trying to understand alien technology, we saw politicians getting their hands dirty to try to keep America from falling into the hands of the military, we saw a lot of chaos ... we saw people keeping secrets that should have never been kept. And in this issue we see the beginnings of the new Resurrection series, now in color and with a new artist. I think that this series still holds as much promise if not moreso going into the future, I think that Guggenheim has brought his A-game and that this new artist Justin Greenwood has a whole lot of great things that he can bring to the table. This issue showed us a little bit of what happened before the invasion and a little bit of what might be coming now that it's over. I really think that anyone who like the television show "Jericho" or who is digging Walking Dead would dig this book and should jump on board as soon as possible, go to your stores, order the trade (which collects the first 6 issues of the B&W series as well as the annual and will only set you back $6!) and then see if your store still has some copies of Resurrection #0 left around from Free Comic Book Day and get all caught up before issue #1 comes out in June!

Whatever You Want: Reporting from the Trenches

While not strictly a post about comic books, this is one about Free Comic Book Day 2009 and the Fantasy Shop's Back Issue Sale. We decided to make the weekend a Big Damn Deal by pulling out all of our warehouse overstock and pricing it to sell at a quarter an issue. In addition to that, regular back issues at the St. Charles location were a dollar a book. If that wouldn't be insanity enough for one weekend, we did this on the same weekend as Free Comic Book Day and got a couple of our favorite super heroes to come out and spend some time with their fans.

Let me just say, it was insanity when I showed up on Saturday. Batman and Wonder Woman were testing people's knowledge of different super hero teams. Comics were being dug through and sorted. Mike got bench pressed by Batman. In short, it was organized chaos. I don't think I have ever condensed that many long boxes of comics in one day in the two years I have worked for the fantasy shop.


We were joined by Wolverine (he's a lot shorter in person than you'd expect).


And a very short Hulk.


A shot of the insanity.


Mike getting bench pressed by Batman. This is why you don't piss off Batman.


A shot of the St. Charles Fantasy Shop employees (minus Rob) with Wonder Woman and Batman.

Whatever You Want: Sandman Presents the Dead Boy Detectives

The Dead Boy Detectives

By: Ed Brubaker

For those of you that know me, you know that Sandman is my favorite series. I'm suck a dork for it that I'm collecting all of the Sandman Presents and Dreaming that I can get my hands on. That being said, I don't know what took me so long to actually read this book. I'd blame Rob, but I can't.

The story starts with Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland opening their own detective agency. They have one advantage over any other agency in the world: they're dead. That's right, both boys died and refused to go with Death to the lands beyond. They are almost hired by Marcia, a runaway, to solve the murders of her friends. She leaves without hiring them because she thinks that they are nothing more than kids playing at being detectives. Charles falls pretty hard for her so he drags Edwin into trying to solve the case. They go and look at one of the bodies, only to find out that it looks like it has been sucked dry of everything that once made it a person.

This is where the story gets good for any Sandman fan. You get to revisit some of the ensemble cast that made up Sandman. The boys meet Mad Hettie, thinking she is a witch that is killing the kids. They go down into the tube tunnels and find the runaways' village. They run into Marcia while chasing down a mysterious man that was watching the village. Edwin and Charles lose him in the tunnels, so they head back to their treetop headquarters. The mysterious man, also known as the Marquis de Marquez, is there waiting for them. He tells them a tale of a man in search of the carefree days of childhood. The man found a way, he had to drain the life essence of a child to shed ten years and to slow the effects of time. The spell's effect was short lived and he had to keep draining children to keep his new found lifespan. He was condemned as a murderer, but his body was pulled from the fire before it was consumed.

The Marquis tells Edwin and Charles that he is from a long line of men that have been chasing the bad guy, always one step behind him. He entrusts the task of finding the guy because they boys will go on forever while he gets old. He pays the boys with a gold coin as a down payment and trains them on how to use their ghost powers to find the bad guy. They do find the bad guy, his name is Hob Gadling (yes that Hob Gadling, the one that Dream meets every hundred years).

I really enjoyed this book. It was quick paced and just kept the action going. Edwin and Charles are really fun characters. They are eternal children, spending their days haunting movie theaters and libraries to become detectives. Ed Brubaker continues his spellbinding magic on me. Keep an eye out for a couple extra articles from me in the next week or so as I frantically catch up on the weeks I missed writing.

Blog Log # 2 (Quote of the Week)

“Well, Free Comic Book Day is when companies send certain comics to shops that people can come in and get for free.”

“That’s correct you cannot just come to the store and pick up any comic, off the shelf, you want and take it home for free.”

“ Your welcome. Have a nice night.”

Happy Free Comic Book Day everybody! -Rob