Living Up To Expectations: A World of New

The Mighty #2


Written by: Peter J. Tomasi & Keith Champagne


Art by: Peter Snejbjerg

This is a really damn good book. Anyone who thought they knew where the book was going after having read only one issue is clearly very shortsighted. This is going to be one hell of a ride. I heard somewhere that Keith Champagne thinks that this is going to be the breakout book of the year, I think he might be right. I think that this book is currently the sleeper hit waiting to happen. The kind of things that go on in this issue are the kind of things that you might imagine would really happen more often if there was a character like Superman, or in this case Alpha One around. As much as someone might want to stop crime from happening, people from getting hurt, there will always be times when the unforeseen can, and often will, happen. This is a book all about the ramifications of action, inaction, education, ignorance, life ... consequences of the decisions of life. Gabriel Cole is an incredibly endearing character, there is so much about him that I can identify with. The great hope to live up to expectations that might have been set on you by parents you never got the chance to know. I try not to talk too much about my own personal life here on the website but when I come across a character that touches parts of my life that others don't I get a little emotional. Superman does this for me. Superman is the coolest adopted kid ever in my opinion. When I see the way Superman treated the Kobra babies from Checkmate in the recent Faces of Evil: Kobra one shot it reminded me of what it's like to be adopted, what it's like to be somewhere where you are different. Gabriel Cole does this for me. This issue we find out what happened to his parents (for the most part) and how he first encountered Alpha One ... and it got to me. It reached into my guts and made me feel something. Peter Tomasi and Keith Champagne did this to me. Peter Snejbjerg drew the perfect emotion on Gabe's face when Alpha One told him that his parents would have been proud. I know that feeling, I have had that feeling. Good on you guys. Good on you. Keep up the good work. This is one of the books that everyone, regardless of how you feel about DC or the comics industry these days, should be reading. I think that if this series doesn't recieve a "second season" as it were that there would be no greater injustice in the industry. I will champion this book myself if I have to, I will make it my own personal quest to make sure that everyone with an open mind takes a copy of this book home with them.

Jersey Gods #2


Written by: Glen Brunswick


Art by: Dan McDaid

This is another really fun book from Image. They've been doing a really good job at that lately. Take one part New Gods and one part Love Fights and you'll pretty well wind up with Jersey Gods. It's a great series of action, comedy, and romance featuring engaging characters, fun art (not the kind that would instantly appeal to most of the comics market but in my opinion great) and interesting story beats. If you're a fan of books like Madman, GODLAND, or Charlatan Ball then this is the kind of book that you'll really enjoy. I think this is fast becoming one of my favorite new series from Image and I hope that people catch on because far too many books that I love get cancelled ... it's just frustrating ... so, check out some books that are a little further from the beaten path and we can be alright ... I'd hate for us to not be alright.

ComicDorksCast Episode 053

ComicDorkscastEp053.mp3
(Download Directly: Right Click and choose "Save As..." and save locally on your computer)

Running Time: 01:24:50

• Darren shows the love for The Mighty, the rest of the Dorks Heartily agree.
• Rob's Pick of the Week: Agents of Atlas #1.
  
• Secret Warriors is awesome because of the team, both the creative one and the fictional one.
  
• Darren's Pick of the Week: Jonah Hex #40.
  
• Violence continues in Punisher #2.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Immortal Iron Fist #22.
  
• Best Single Issues 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: "Colorshow" by The Avett Brothers.

Sneak Peek Reviews: 2/3/09

The Mighty #1

Written by: Peter J. Tomasi & Keith Champagne

Art by: Peter Snejbjerg

I am the ultimate fanboy. When writers work on a first issue they should know that I am going to giggle like a school girl at least once in the reading. Lately there have been more and more really great first issues that have made my fanboydom a little worn out and my pocket a little frayed but I'll be honest and say that there are worse problems to have. Peter Tomasi has had his fair share of my girlish giggles in his career thus far. Ever since leaving the editorial chair behind and finding himself in a way that few could have expected at the writer's desk he has penned fantastic story after fantastic story after fantastic story. Add to that the near boundless imagination of Keith Champagne and you'll be hard pressed to turn out a bad comic book. Champagne has clearly been having some fun since branching out from a very prolific career as an inker and has turned out a lot of really fun romps in the DCU and elsewhere. If Champagne has any flaw as a writer it is that he is too ambitious and that his imagination sometimes out paces his ability to convey his excitement to the reader. Add to the writing duo the fantastic pencils of living legend in the making Peter Snejbjerg and you've got a near unstoppable force of comic-y goodness. I really think that the series is going to knock some socks off and while I think that Snejbjerg might not be the right fit for the series as it proceeds you certainly won't find me arguing anytime I get the chance to see his work.
The premise of the book is that there is but one superhero in the world, Alpha One. And that he has been around since 1952 when he was irradiated during a nuclear test. Imagine Superman. But he has a support system known the world over as Team Omega, think of them as the first responders when something terrible happens, they come to clean up the destruction once Alpha One has stopped the unthinkable from happening.
The main character we follow throughout this issue, and probably through the rest of the series, is Gabriel Cole. He is second in command at Team Omega and he clearly has some history with Alpha One. I think that this is one hell of a promising start to a new series and that everyone with an extra $3 tomorrow should have no good reason at all to not leave the store without a copy in hand (unless your store sells out, which I can see happening at a lot of places).


Bad Dog #1

Written by: Joe Kelly

Art by: Diego Greco

Who likes The Boys? Who likes Golly!? Who liked Agent X? Who liked ... Bad Scotty ... Stop comparing this book to other books. There is a really frustrating thing about writing reviews as opposed to talking to a particular customer and getting an idea about what they like and then recommending. There is a lot of very, very good stuff about this book. It is totally not what you might expect if your first experience with Joe Kelly was I Kill Giants. Bad Dog is very much the kind of stuff he was doing back when he was working on Deadpool. There is a lot of very funny dialogue in this story and there are a ton of great scenes that made me laugh out loud. Take one werewolf who refuses to return to human form and one fallen preacher and make them foul mouthed bounty hunters and you've got Bad Dog. The artwork in here is fantastic and if Kelly's track record is any indicator then this is going to be a far more complex and far more entertaining story than most people are going to give it credit for. I also can't help but mention that while the main character is a werewolf he looks a whole lot like a bear and there is something about that visual that makes me giggle too. A great #1 and if it manages to stay on schedule I think that it might be just a great little title for Image, for Kelly, and for your pull and hold.

Agents of Atlas #1

Written by: Jeff Parker

Art by: Carlo Pagulayan (back up story art by Benton Jew)

Jeff Parker really knows how to give you everything you coould ask for $3.99. Too many comics these days are ... I've already done this rant ... a comic that's $3.99 should be more than 22 pages or have a card stock cover ... that's all I'm asking for.

Jeff Parker ... right. Man does this guy know how to write comics. He knows how to make a villain a villain but also the hero of his own story. He knows how to make a hero a hero but not the very model of a modern major general. He knows that when it comes to comics there are few things that'll get me to read a book faster than a man sized robot, a gorilla wearing clothes and toting guns, and a guy in a bubble domed space suit.

In 2006 Parker brought back some characters that had been relegated to the pages of What If? and made them not only viable but incredibly interesting. I think that it was one of the best mini-series that came out that year and it was certainly the kind of introduction that any writer would hope to have to the mainstream. Sure it wasn't the number one selling book of it's time or anything but it has sold rather well in collection and it has made for an opportunity for Jeff to continue telling the tales of Jimmy Woo, Undercover Agent. There just happens to be a perfect place for the Agents of Atlas to exist in the current Marvel continuity thanks to the recent Secret Invasion and ensuing Dark Reign.

And for your $3.99 you get a 24 page main story and a 12 page back up story featuring none other than Wolverine, Fidel Castro, and Che Guevarra!