ComicDorksCast Episode 031

ComicDorkscastEp031.mp3
(Download Directly: Right Click and choose "Save As..." and save locally on your computer)

Running Time: 01:18:16

• 00:02:43 - It's no secret, Secret Six #1 was a favorite among the Dorks.
• 00:12:01 - Rob's Pick of the Week: Green Lantern #34.
• 00:23:54 - Tony Was Right! And Invincible Iron Man #5 was too.
• 00:33:34 - Darren's Pick of the Week: Dead of Night: Devil Slayer #1.
• 00:41:37 - The Boys #22 was chock full of shocking revelations.
• 00:51:15 - Scott's Pick of the Week: El Diablo #1.
• Best Issue of Last Month:
  
• 00:57:59 - Rob: X-Factor: Layla Miller (One Shot).
  
• 01:02:54 - Darren: Welcome to Hoxford #1.
  
• 01:05:14 - Scott: Antoine Sharp, The Atheist #1. (Check out Scott's article all about the first trade paper back, Belief in The Atheist)
  
• 01:07:00 - Brief Mentions
• 01:09:46 - 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: "5 Years Time" by Noah & The Whale.

The Best Books You Didn't Read this Week, Issue 7

End League #4
Written by: Rick Remender
Art by: Mat Broome & Eric Canete

The world has ended. The Super-heroes lost. The Super-villains have taken over. Thor has been lobotomized and has killed the most powerful force for good in all of the world, Astonishman. With little choice but to do whatever it takes to survive more and more of the heroes spread further and further apart as their one greatest shot at re-taking Mjolnir, what might have been the only thing that could have leveled the playing field, has perished. More important than the story this is the first issue with pages pencilled by Eric Canete, the new ongoing artist for the series, and thus with this issue we go from a bi-monthly shipping schedule (which Mat Broome for all his talents could not manage to stay on) to a monthly shipping schedule and one of my early picks for best new ongoing series of the year might actually get 8 or 9 issues out before the year is up. Rick Remender is one of the most exciting new creators working today and if you aren't into what he's doing with Fear Agent, or Punisher War Journal then maybe just maybe you need to check out his mix of super-heroes and "Lord of the Rings" style epic fantasy.

Manhunter #34
Written by: Marc Andreyko
Art by: Michael Gaydos

Kate goes toe-to-toe with the whole of the Suicide Squad and allow me to assure you that if nothing else she gets some much needed stress relief out of the way in her combat with Multi-Plex. There is a pretty big twist to be found in this issue so I will do my best to avoid spoiling it and instead focus on the creators behind this book. Marc Andreyko is one of the most underrated writers currently working at DC and to be honest I think that he might be one of the most underrated writers working in the industry, this guy has just as much going for him as creators like Geoff Johns, Brian Bendis, Greg Rucka, and Ed Brubaker ... all it is going to take is that one big moment for everyone to start paying attention. Allow me to assure you that you should get in now while the getting is good and you don't have to fret about tracking down all the hard to find issues and out of print trade paperbacks. So go get Torso and the first 4 volumes of Manhunter while the getting is good. And if you want great art with your Super-hero books then look no further. Michael Gaydos is perhaps best known for his work with Brian Michael Bendis on Alias but if more people would pay attention to the work he is doing here they would see that he is doing some of the very best work of his career. Great characters who all look distinctly different and all look distinctly great.

Jonah Hex #35
Written by: Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art by: J.H. Williams III

I LOVE WESTERNS! I do. And really there isn't a higher quality western currently on the shelves than Jonah Hex. Each issue is completely stand alone and tells a story with a beginning middle and end. The character of Jonah Hex is incredibly compelling, deeply complex, and a bastard through and through. I assure you that if you check out just one issue of this book that you will find yourself one fine story with incredibly interesting artwork. This issue in particular features the incredible artwork of J.H. Williams III and a story the likes of which you would expect an artist like J.H. to undertake. Jonah fights off a band of ruffians with the help of a posse from town only to be invited to the sheriff's home for dinner ... but the sheriff ... he has ulterior motives. No one illustrates a hallucination better than J.H. Williams III and allow me to assure you that if you decide to just pick up this issue that you will not be disappointed.

Brief Mentions: Titans…Teens No Longer

Titans. Nightwing, Beast Boy, Donna Troy, The Flash, Raven, Starfire, Red Arrow, and Cyborg. We have grown up with these characters and we have been privileged to watch them grow up as well. They've been through the hands of great writers throughout the years and the team has nearly done everything… then they grew up. Titans, written by Judd Winick (Barry Ween, Grean Arrow/Black Canary) and art by Joe Benitez (The Darkness, Weapon Zero), is the old team back together, only no longer teenagers (hence the title). I was very excited to see Judd Winick on this book because I am a huge fan of The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius. But despite my anticipation, I wasn’t sold on the first couple issues. But in this issue I began to gain more confidence in this title. In this issue, the Titans face-off the offspring of Trigon who are named after three of the seven deadly sins: Lust, Wrath, Envy. And I loved this issue because the powers of these enemies were very interesting and how the team handled the situation was very intriguing and fun. Although the fight itself was fun, towards the end I lost interest in the plans on Trigon and we had the cliché “re-uniting of the team” experience that I felt could have been done in a more unique way. As the story is getting better, I feel that the art is getting better as well. Joe Benitez did a great job penciling this issue and also the layout were very well done. So are all the kinks worked out of this title yet? No, not yet but it seems to be getting better and I look forward to the future of the Titans in Judd Winick’s hands.

Blog Log # 2 (Quote of the Week)

T.G.I. the quote of the week. Yep, it’s Friday and you know what that means, another installment of the quote of the week. Strap in here we go. “It’s stinkin’ thinkin’, that’s what it is.” No, it’s not about me and my wonderful sense of humor. I must admit this was not my first pick. My first pick was “It’s official. I work with idiots.” But to print that would let Scott know that I have the ComicDorks headquarters (I call it our secret lair. Yes, Dawn we have a secret lair.) bugged. Due to the fact that this operation is based on trust, he would probably get mad and that would lead to me not being able to fall asleep to the sweet sounds of him cursing my name. I will never tell him of the mics I have in the lights, the comics, the computer, the bathroom, and the top secret hidden room. Can you keep a secret as well as I can? -Rob

Living Up to Expectations

Green Lantern # 34


Writer- Geoff Johns
Pencils- Ivan Reis


This week brought us part 6 of the Secret Origin arc and man oh man can this book get any better? Green Lantern has been one of the best books at DC since Rebirth. Would you expect anything less from Johns? He has proved his amazing storytelling abilities time and time again. Secret Origin has taken us back in Hal’s past to the days of him becoming Green Lantern. From the Abin Sur crash to a Sinestro team up. Johns has left no stones unturned. In this issue we watch as Hal gets some great advice from the greatest Green Lantern of them all but the real question is will Hal be able to overcome what dwells inside? We see Hal accomplish a task that is supposed to be impossible for any Green Lantern, as well as, an Earth shattering insight to the Ferris family. I must admit for a character that I thought was rather bland and without a personality this story has been packed with emotions. Now with one issue remaining in the Secret Origin story we await to see what will happen next in the evolution of Highball Jordan. Who is really the greatest Green Latrine of them all? If you want to know you should be reading this book.

Detective Comics # 848

Writer- Paul Dini
Pencils- “all we are is” Dustin Nguyen

It is no wonder this book always seems to be a book we love to talk about. Anybody out there that has been reading this story knows how great it is. Everybody else needs to find out. Paul Dini has led us into the world of Hush and it is not pretty. In this issue we see what Scarecrow has been up to and why he has taken to terrorizing a young boy by the name of Colin. We get another hint to what lies beneath Hush’s bandages and what Selina is up to since her book has been cancelled. This issue is the third in a five-issue arc containing the life of Bruce Wayne leading to the events in R.I.P. and there is a thorn, we will call Hush, twisting in Batman’s side. Hush told Bruce he would strike from a distance and that is exactly what he is doing. We know that Hush has been performing plastic surgery on himself and now we know that someone has seen the work he has done. Judging by the reaction we got, I believe it is a face we will all recognize. The only question remaining is whose face is it? Hush beware, now you are messing with my people. Your Indiana Jones rip off is bush league to the wrath I will call down on your ass… Check yourself fool!

Guess I know how to pick 'em!- Rob

What I’m Reading Now: Scott Pilgrim…Please Insert Coin(s)

This week has been pretty loaded with schoolwork and recovering from the massive week of comics I had previous, but a book I was able to sit down and catch up on was a little book called Scott Pilgrim. Written and drawn by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Lost at Sea), Scott Pilgrim is a six-volume series that follows the life of Scott W. Pilgrim. Pilgrim is a 23 year-old bass player in a band named Sex Bob-omb (yes, as in the Mario Bros. character) and falls in love with a girl named Ramona Victoria Flowers, the ultimate girl-next-door. But unlike most people, Scott has to battle “The League of the Seven Evil Exes” until he can date her. A lot of work I know. But this provides for a great story in which Scott battles her boyfriends (or girlfriends...) who often turn into coins or even extra lives when they are defeated. Weird I know. Frequently, O’Malley weaves fantasy and reality, which provides an interesting context for the story. And the series is filled with hilarious moments and you will often find yourself laughing out loud (LOL – ing if you will). The text boxes that O’Malley places throughout the series further describe situations (such as the exact cost of a character’s outfit equaling 50 million dollars) and also add to the experience and make you piss your pants further… in hilarity of course. In each book, Scott encounters one or two of Ramona’s evil exes and furthers his journey of one day being Ramona’s boyfriend. As you know, the two main characters are Scott and Ramona but the book also has an excellent supporting cast from vegans with superpowers to crazy ex-girlfriends. But all kidding aside, this is a fun book, which at its core speaks about a man struggling to date a girl he likes. Scott Pilgrim is unlike any comic out there to date. Its intelligent and fast-paced dialogue has a lot to offer and Bryan Lee O’Malley is one of the most talented writers in the industry. The series began in 2004 with Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life the first of six in the series. The fourth book of this series hit the shelves in November of 2007 and the next book, Scott Pilgrim v. The Universe, premieres in February of 2009. Universal Pictures has also bought the rights to do a Scott Pilgrim film. Edgar Wright will direct the film and Michael Cera (arrested development, Superbad) will fill the shoes of Scott Pilgrim and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Sky High, Live Free of Die Hard) will play the role of Ramona Flowers. I have just finished the third book and cannot wait to see what happens in the fourth. If you like video games, music, romance, action, adventure, comedy, suspense, horror, vegans, superpowers, awesome fight scenes, jealous girlfriends, drama, mystery, science fiction, sushi, cat-fights, over-sized hammers, anime, or feel any human emotion there should be no reason why you wouldn’t like this book. I give it five dorks out of five for both art and story. To quote a wise man, “it is a great-great-great read.” We got two more books in the series to go and there is close to 200 pages of comic for a low low price of $11.95. Scott Pilgrim is a great comic and I look forward to the future of this creator. Game Over.

What Do You Mean They're Not Superheroes?: Sneak Peek Reviews 9/3/2008

Secret Six #1
Written by: Gail Simone
Art by: Nicola Scott

It's finally here. It all started back before Infinite Crisis. The Villains United mini-series was written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham. When the Villains of the DCU decided to unite under one cause, to make sure that heroes could never again alter the minds of the villains, the way they had with Doctor Light, The Top, and Catwoman. Many didn't want to unite no matter the circumstance, most were cowed by the strength of the society, some were outright killed. Six were strong enough to stand against the new Secret Society. Catman, Scandal Savage, Deadshot, Ragdoll, Cheshire, and Parademon. Parademon didn't survive, and Cheshire turned traitor but ultimately the alliance that had formed remained intact, and the group decided to sort of straddle the line, to be mercenaries, to work for the all-mighty dollar, to ... sometimes do good. The popularity of the characters resulted in a follow up mini-series called The Secret Six which was also written by Gail Simone but this time around with art by Brad Walker. The group added two members, Mad Hatter and Knockout, to once again become 6. They went toe to toe with Scandal's father Vandal Savage and survived mostly intact, Ragdoll did however do his best to dispatch The Mad Hatter (though Hatter managed to survive and may someday return to exact his revenge) because there was really only room for one clinically insane individual in the group. The Six returned again in the pages of Birds of Prey where the group was rounded out to 6 once again with the addition of Harley Quinn. This time out they were going after the same item in Russia as the Birds ... by the end of the story the group was once again reduced in numbers ... Harley had left and Knockout fell to the hands of the mysterious assassin who had been hunting all of the New Gods from Apokolips and New Genesis. Now their back ... and they've once again filled back out to six. This was a totally fantastic first issue and it seems like it might just be one of the most entertaining books of the fall and I hope you all take the chance on the most unlikely team book in the DCU.

Dead of Night: Devil Slayer #1
Written by: Brian Keene
Art by: Chris Samnee

So, a while back Marvel made two interesting decisions, 1. Aside from Punisher there wouldn't be any ongoing Marvel MAX series. 2. Marvel Knights would no longer have any ongoing series, it would only be an imprint for mini-series stories that would take place outside the current continuity of Marvel Comics. So a new imprint has become a part of the Marvel MAX line: Dead of Night, which is devoted to telling horror stories with some of the many Marvel horror characters that have been languishing in some state of disuse or another. First up was Man-Thing as penned by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Devil Slayer marks the second mini-series of the new line and is a horror story set in a modern Iraq set against the backdrop of the war that is currently going on there, civillian mercenary groups and all. The series feels a little like Generation: Kill mixed with some Demons. It is written by horror novelist Brian Keene and drawn by Saint Louis' own Chris Samnee. The characters are rather well written and really well rendered. I hope that the rest of the series lives up to the promise of the first issue. I have become really fascinated with the current spate of horror titles as they have held a lot more promise and quality than those of recent years, and this is an example of the kind of series that I have really appreciated lately. So check it out for good writing from an established novelist and perhaps more importantly great art by a local artist.

Submariner: The Depths #1
Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Esad Ribic

So, as I mentioned in the previous review Marvel Knights has gone from imprint for ongoing series to mini-series where writers can tell stories from unexplored periods of major characters lives. So far we've seen the end of Spider-Man's career in Spider-Man: Reign, the beginning of Spider-Man's career with Spider-Man: With Great Power, the end of Silver Surfer's life with Silver Surfer: Requiem, the beginning of Daredevil's misery with Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdock, and also the end of Captain America's life with Captain America: The Chosen. Now we find ourselves in the midst of an untold Namor story set in an ambiguous time that could easily be between WW2 and his reappearance in the sixties or it could be a far flung story of the future. We see a man of science in search of Atlantis, perhaps more accurately he searches to disprove the existence of Atlantis. Our main character finds himself surrounded by Submariners of a different kind. Men of the sea, men of the deep, men who spend most of their lives on a submarine. Deep down in that black you start to believe all kinds of unscientific things. And so the men begin to butt heads ... in the one place where there is no opportunity to go out for a breath of fresh air and allow cooler heads to prevail. There is nothing quite so fun as a dark drama set in a place so claustrophobic. Esad Ribic's artwork is fantastic and Milligan's storytelling is at the top of his game. I assure you that this is not your father's Namor story.

What Do You Mean They're Not Superheroes?: Brewing Up a Storm so Wild

So, for the last month or so I have been speaking really highly about the next step in the evolution of the Wildstorm Universe. What started with Worldstorm, an event that was supposed to change the face of the Wildstorm Universe forever unfortunately sputtered out because of the projects that some of the head creators had on their plates. Grant Morrison didn't really realize just how big his workload was going to be with this ambitious idea that had begun over in the DCU ... it was called "52". And Jim Lee was working on two little projects, one that was a little more public than another, the public one was a 12 issue commitment to work with another innovator in the industry ... it was called All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder ... and the not so public one was doing a handful of character designs for what would become known as DCUO ... or DC Universe Online ... yeah an MMORPG. So, despite some really great work from writers like Mike Carey, Gail Simone, and Christos Gage, as well as some really great artwork by Neil Googe, Talent Caldwell, Doug Mahnke, and Whilce Portacio the line started plummeting down the sales charts and all of a sudden the only title that was still on the shelf was Gen¹³ ... which was on it's second writer and was starting to dip in sales as well. Then something big happened.

One thing to remember is that the world ended because of three men, Christos Gage, Scott Beatty, and Ben Abernathy.

December 2007 ... something unexpected started happening. Wildstorm: Armageddon began. A six issue bi-weekly mini-series of sorts, all written by Christos GageVoid started appearing to characters from all the major titles of the current WSU, to Midnighter of The Authority, Caitlin Fairchild of Gen¹³, John Doran of Stormwatch: PHD, Jackson Michael Dane of Wetworks, Maximum Man resident of the Tranquility Retirement Home, and Nemesis the sometimes friend sometimes foe of The WildCATS. Upon encountering each of these individuals she explains that she knows that the world is going to end and that she must show each one of them what the world will be like if they cannot save it. So one by one each character is transported into the future in order to try and understand what has happened to the world and how the heroes might be able to stop it. We slowly start to learn that super-humans are the cause of the devastation of the world, and no one knows where they came from or who they were, but some seem to believe that they were individuals long thought dead or disappeared. The mini-series worked on a lot of levels, in particular the art of some of the issues was truly fantastic, in particular the art of Brandon Badeaux on Wetworks: Armageddon was truly stunning. Each issue served as a great introduction to the world of Wildstorm as well as the base of characters that the main character for each issue was pulled from, it also showed a terrifying world post the coming armageddon and much like any other event in any other universe the reader is certainly left with the impression that the heroes will win in the end.

And so began the sewing of the seeds of discontent.

January 2008 saw the beginning of the 8 issue bi-weekly mini-series Wilstorm: Revalations written by Scott Beatty & Christos Gage with artwork by industry newcomer Wes Craig. Beatty and Gage team well and tell a fantastic story but more importantly Wes Craig made a hugely impressive showing and quickly went from guy who works on shlocky horror comics to artist to watch, he has a really kinetic style that manages to show his influences without relying on them. The mini-series follows Nemesis, Savant, and Backlash as they stomp around the WSU trying to uncover the reason behind the coming apocalypse. Along the way they make enemies of pretty well every major team in the WSU, realizing that explaining what is coming would take longer, and be more complicated than just stealing the infromation they need. As they start to peel back the layers they start hearing some disconcerting things. The name "The Number of the Beast" keeps cropping up along side some other disconcerting names like Henry Bendix and Miles Craven as well as the name of an unknown "Gen. Zebulon" ... all things considered though you'd never want to be associated with those two names. Also they had a sit-down conversation with Maximum Man who confirmed a lot of the suspicions about missing heroes and whatnot. Ultimately they wind up raiding the facility of the Number of the Beast and find that indeed they are imprisoning super-humans for some purpose or another ... they destroy the facitlity and consider the threat neutralized.

But little do they know ...

April 2008 saw the beginning of Number of the Beast, an 8 issue bi-weekly mini-series written by Scott Beatty with art by industry stalwarts Chris Sprouse & Karl Story. And here is where it all ends. The Number of the Beast has more than one facility ... as a matter of fact they have dozens ... and in each there are super-humans who are being tortured. Driven insane. Each station has their subjects trapped in a virtual world, kind of like the Matrix, only there are soldiers who subject these men and women who were all once heroes to the end of the world over and over and over ... And why? They were subjected to the end of the world over and over again in hope that it would serve as training to save humanity when the end of the world came. But when you are planning to save the world from it's end with super-humans you have to realize that there is a remote possibility that the super-humans might be the reason for the end. So how does one solve that? You take the genetic material of one of the greatest super-humans ever to grace your planet ... sure he may have also been one of her greatest threats, but if you can raise him however you want you can make him perfect right? You could make sure that The High never became the meglomaniac that tried to remake the world in his own image right? You could make sure that if each clone couldn't achieve it's goal of destroying the world's super-humans that they wouldn't throw a temper tantrum and try to destroy the whole world since instead ... right ... right?

Reap What You Sow. Change. Or. Die.

ComicDorksCast Episode 030

ComicDorkscastEp030.mp3
(Download Directly: Right Click and choose "Save As..." and save locally on your computer)

Running Time: 01:17:02

00:04:50 - Rob and Scott enjoyed the progression of the back story in New Avengers #44.
00:14:06 - Scott's Pick of the Week: Guerrillas #1.
00:23:20 - Geoff Johns continues to wow us all with Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge #2.
00:29:19 - Rob's Pick of the Week: Catwoman #82.
00:36:03 - Opinions are mixed over Runaways Vol 3 #1.
00:41:35 - Darren's Pick of the Week: Superman #679
00:49:01 - PREVIEWS!
01:03:00 - Brief Mentions
01:05:35 - 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: "Don't Talk Down" by The Stills.

The Best Books You Didn't Read this Week, Issue 6

The Immortal Iron Fist #18
Written by: Duane Swierczynski
Art by: Travel Foreman & Russ Heath

The Mortal Iron Fist story-arc continues as we see the continuation of the confrontation between Danny and the Demon that wants him dead. Ultimately I think that the most impressive part about this comic is that despite changing creative teams that the book remains as high quality and as action packed and exciting as it ever was when Fraction and Brubaker were at the helm. I might even say that it is somewhat better when those two were steering the ship. Travel Foreman's artwork continues to knock my socks off and the flashback sequences by Russ Heath are everything you could possibly ask for. This story started out in a dark place but I have to say that the plans that the demon has for Danny's circle of support promises to make the story even darker as we progress. I highly recommend that if you haven't already started reading The Immortal Iron Fist that you at least give this arc a shot, because I can assure you that you won't be disappointed.



DMZ #34
Written by: Brian Wood
Art by: Riccardo Burchielli

Honest to god I believe that DMZ should be the successor to Y: The Last Man. Everyone is always looking for that one great Vertigo book to follow and I think that if you are overlooking DMZ that you are doing yourself a complete disservice. The characters of DMZ are incredibly compelling and are constantly growing and changing thanks not only to the changing world around them but also to the way that they look at the world around them. Matty Roth is a character that I love to follow, his role as the narrator of the story is engaging and complex as he fights with himself over whether what he is doing is right or wrong. Matty must constantly debate whether or not he does the people of the DMZ service or disservice by the way he reports what he sees. Should he keep at arms distance in order to be an ethical observer or should he get his hands dirty to try and foster the kinds of change he would hope to see in the place he has come to call home. Honestly this is probably one of the best books I am currently reading and there are 5 trade paperbacks out there for all of you who have yet to check it out.

Blue Beetle #30
Written by: Matthew Sturges
Art by: Rafael Albuquerque

At some point every protege has the chance to outdo his mentor. I think that between what Matthew Sturges is doing with House of Mystery and what he has already begun here with Blue Beetle that he is starting to consider that everything he has learned from Bill Willingham might just make him a better writer than his mentor. What Sturges does here is craft incredibly interesting and identifiable characters within these already established voices. Watching the way he deals with the still young and learning super-hero Blue Beetle is fantastically fun and even moreso the way he plays with the supporting cast makes for a thrilling ride. I think that if you haven't yet started checking out The Blue Beetle that you are missing a book on the same kind of level as Ultimate Spider-Man or even Invincible. Add to the fantastic story telling of Sturges the incredible graphic story telling of Rafael Albuquerque and you have all the right components for a long lasting and incredibly entertaining series. Count me in as one of the fans who hopes that DC, as well as the fans, let Sturges and Albuquerque make a run for Bendis and Bagley's record!

Brief Mentions: Avengers The Initiative #19

(This is a review. I tried not to spoil too much but no promises.)

Writers- Dan Slott & Christos N. Gage
Artist- Stefano Caselli
Color Artist- Luca Malsan
Cast- Buy the issue and find out on your own. I guarantee you will love them.

Avengers Initiative has been one of my favorite books since issue #1. I just about passed on this whole “third” Avenger book but I’m a Dan Slott fan. Could I live with myself if I was to turn my back on Danny boy? No I could not! Danny boy… I heard the pipes a calling and I am so glad I did.

This book is an absolute gem over there at Marvel. Now… how about we get down to brass tax. The greatness that is the Avengers The Initiative # 19. This was brought to us with the Secret Invasion banner and yes, there was Skrull o’plenty. In this issue we get introduced to the Skrull Kill Krew, who are totally badass, as well as She-Thing. (yep she-thing) Now, with us knowing 3-D Man can see who is or isn’t a Skrull, obviously, the Skrull Kill Krew (who prefer another name) could use him. Use him they do.

The pages in between the Skrull-fuckers (that’s what they prefer, I use it out of respect) adventures we get a glimpse of what is going on back at Camp Hammond. War Machine, Yellow Jacket, Baron van Blitzschlag, Irredeemable Ant-Man, and plenty more is what’s going on back at the camp. Question… Have you ever wanted to know how you could see the true colors of a Skrull? Within these pages lies a recipe for you, brought to you by your friends the Skrull-fuckers. BBQ anyone?

These pages were action packed. So action packed it called for the Howlers to emerge. Eric O’Grady finds himself in a very awkward situation, which is how we usually find him. We discover another traitor amongst the Initiative crew and some wonderful insight into what the Kill Krew will be up to. To place the cherry on top, we leave this issue wondering what will come next or should I say how big of fight will come next.

All and all this title is a must for any Marvel fan anywhere. My advice is starting at the beginning. (that’s just me) I believe there are 2 beautiful hardcovers available if you are that kind of person. If not, I think it would be easy to track down the back issues. Please, Marvel fans do yourselves a favor. Get down with this book!

- Rob

Saturday Night Theater: Fall TV

We're mere weeks away from the beginning of an all new season of television ... which is the first season after the writers strike that crippled Hollywood last winter and ended all of our favorite shows early.

So, now it's time to start looking at what is coming this season, what's new, what's returning, and perhaps most importantly what died too soon thanks to he abbreviated 2007-2008 season.

Monday Nights:
September 1st -

Prison Break 7pm Central FOX
For those of you who haven't checked out Prison Break yet you can be rest assured that you are missing out on one of the most exciting series currently on television. With the way season 3 ended it must be noted that this season might just be the best yet!

September 22nd -

Heroes 7pm central NBC
Many people gave up on this show with the start of season 2 and the knowledge that this wasn't a superhero team show and was going to remain a super powered ensemble show. Look forward to the introduction of some all new characters who might find themselves on either side of the hero/villain line.

Californication 9pm SHO (moves to Sundays starting the 28th)
David Duchovny's totally kick-ass new comedy/drama series returns to Showtime.

September 29th -

Chuck 7pm NBC
I was late to the game on this one and it wasn't until they announced that DC/Wildstorm was going to be doing a mini-series to take place between season 1 and season 2 that I decided it might be worth checking this series out. And boy was I pleased that I did. Check out Chuck and find an incredibly funny, action packed, and totally engaging series

Life 9pm NBC
I have always been a fan of cop dramas and mystery series. This is a really unique series and the characters are incredibly engaging. A detective back on the streets after he spent a whole lot of time in prison after being falsely accused and found guilty of a murder.

Tuesdays:
September 2nd -

The Shield 9pm FX
The final season. I need say no more for those who know how amazing this show really is.

September 9th -

Fringe 7pm FOX
JJ Abrams new show, not sure what it's about yet but he has a great track record.

September 16th -

House 8pm FOX
Television's most popular show. Gregory House returns in just a few weeks.

October 14th -

Eli Stone 9pm ABC
Comic writer Marc Guggenheim's baby returns for a second season as the lawyer who has discovered prophetic powers continues to help those in need.

Wednesdays:
September 3rd -

Bones 7pm FOX
I just recently started checking this series out have been really thrilled with what I have seen.

October 1st -

Pushing Daisies 7pm ABC
This was easily the most exciting new show of last year and it is wholly imaginative and completely unique.

Friday Night Lights 7pm DirecTV Channel 101
Best. Show. You. Aren't. Watching.

Dirty Sexy Money 9pm ABC
For fans of Sports Night and Six Feet Under.

Thursdays:
September 11th -

Kitchen Nightmares 8pm FOX
Gordon Ramsey tours some of America's most dysfunctional restaurants.

September 18th -

Supernatural 8pm CW
Perhaps the true successor of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer

September 25th -

The Office 8pm NBC
One of the funniest shows on television.

October 9th -

Life on Mars 9pm ABC
Yet another in a long line of remakes of BBC Drama's

October 30th -

30 Rock 8:30pm NBC
A great show full of laughs.

Fridays:
October 3rd -

Numb3rs 9pm CBS
I love this show.

October 17th -

Crusoe 7pm NBC
A new show with a new take on the story of Robinson Crusoe.

Sundays:
September 7th -

True Blood 8pm HBO
Vampires feast on synthetic blood in an attempt to get reintegrated back in to society.

September 21st -

Valentine 7pm The CW
A story of modern Greek gods who inspire romance in others.

September 28th -

Dexter 8pm SHO
One hell of a controversial show.

The Unit 9pm CBS
One show I never expected to like but have totally fallen in love with.

Let me know what you guys are looking forward to this coming season, tell me what you think of the new shows that are coming out this season, let me know what I am missing out on.

Blog Log # 2 (Quote of the Week)

“Where’s Bruno?” Last I heard he was in California. That’s unless you mean big Bruno who is still representing STL. I’m sure they both appreciate your concern but last I heard they were both doing just fine. Right now you are probably wondering what the hell I am talking about. You see, this quote of the week is killing two birds with one stone. First, it is filling my quote of the week quota and second, it is giving me a chance to give a shout out to my friends. Yes, Bruno did own a restaurant but he sold it. His establishment was not blown up. The fine residents of Rolla, Missouri knew of this magical place. It was magical because they allowed the Atomic Earwig a.k.a. Muff Potter to play live music there and feed us free drinks while doing so. I know Bruno’s is still around but ever since Bruno sold we have not been asked to come back, therefore, the magic is gone. Actually, I haven’t celebrated St. Patty’s day since those golden years of drunken debauchery.

Straight From the Donut Hole: A New Look on The New Frontier Vol. 1

Darwyn Cooke, a name I had never heard before, but now a title I will not soon forget. The New Frontier (if you are as ignorant a comic reader as I and have yet to read this beautiful work, or at least seen the sweet animated film) is a story of Cold War America and how the DC super hero population lived in that time of America’s confusion.

Im not writing to summarize the book to you readers, but merely to express my own thoughts on how KICK ASS this story was!! Also the reason I am writing this article on only volume one is because I personally want to see if I change my views after finishing the final volume.

Lets begin, First off I love the character introductions that Darwyn makes for these already beloved DC heroes. The epic landing of the martian, the news report of a police scientist being struck by lightning and leaving only with bruises. A masked man who has the intelligence and spirit of the devil himself, the Alien that wears our flag, a goddess who fights with our steel, and a pilot who so often finds failure…

Who are those heroes? (if you don’t know stop reading now because I hate you) The true beauty of this story is that we already know these famous paragons, but what we so often ignore is their humanity. So often when reading a super hero comic we are put under the impression that “hey these are supes, they save the world everyday” but this story shows that they are more than just masked crusaders devoted to saving the world. They are people like you and me, who use their gifts to provide for our country in anyway that they can. But in the era of Red fear, we as normal human beings became scared of such power and resented it in our ignorance.

It’s that point that makes me love this book, that mankind is so quick to love and hate. When the people believed there were no longer threats that called for superhero answers they banished them, but when it came to situations that we didn’t want to deal with we embraced them with open arms. And its not only that but it shows how scared we are of something different, something that isn’t of our everyday must be wrong…

And it’s the role of our favorite Martian that shows us what America needs to know, that change will come and it must be accepted. As Jon Jonzz studies our culture and becomes Jon Jones police detective, he knows that showing his true form would do nothing but scare the people who don’t want to understand. So he does what is necessary to help the world the way he can and leave us all feeling safe and sound. Its his uncanny wisdom that has caused me to fall in love with this character, his truthful judgment and pristine spirit that he lives by no matter what the situation.

I thank this book for further helping my compassion in the world of comic books and its events. For now that I have this new perspective on the “Green Man from Mars” his death is that much more of a loss to me. As I learned to love this character, I instantly felt sorrow for his death. In the dramatic Irony of watching him embrace hope for our world and that omnipotent knowledge of his death that the future will bring him that really had this book it home to me…

So what did you guys feel reading the New Frontier? Well don’t be shy let me know. So until my next reflection of comics from the past, This is your Donut Dork peacing out…