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| << August14, 2004 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 484.7 |
August28, 2004 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 486.02 >> |
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------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/bGIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ----------------------------------------------------------------- [9] ComiX-Fan Reviews Eric J. Moreels X-Fan Editor-in-Chief x-fan@bigpond.net.au From ComiX-Fan: http://www.comixfan.com/xfan EXILES #50 Reviewer: Elliot Vazquez, excelsior420@yahoo.com Quick Rating: Quite Good Story Title: The Big "M" - Part 1 of 2 The Exiles are manipulated by the master manipulator. Script: Tony Bedard Art: Mizuki Sakakibara Colors: JC Letters: Dave Sharpe Asst. Editor: Sedlmeier, Moore, & Ryan Editor: Mike Marts Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley Cover Artist: Mizuki Sakakibara Though the few previous issues of this phenomenal book has been lacking, it has regained its steam in Exiles #50. The story starts off with a great format: What if the Exiles were actually expected in the new reality they enter? Unfortunately, they are expected by Destiny and Mystique, key members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This incarnation of the Brotherhood, the classic lineup that included Avalanche, Pyro and the Blob, made me yearn for the days of Chris Claremont's run of the X-men in the 80's. They were represented quite well here, to the credit of Tony Bedard. Mystique was utilized to her most potential, masquerading as an Exiles member after sabotaging their entry into this universe. This is what is so great about Mystique. She plans things to such a degree that things will go her way. This is why she led the Brotherhood of Mutants for such a long time. Her characterization was so on point that I wish Bedard would do a few issues of the Mystique book. Tony Bedard was also able to make Mystique's plot believable and interesting. A train full of some toxic gas prohibited Mimic and Sasquatch from using their extraordinary sense of smell to determine Mystique as a fake. Of course, the train was exploded by Mystique herself. A random attack by M.O.D.O.K. humbled Namora, the queen of Atlantis, in such a way that it was enjoyable. The resolution of this particular fight, with Mimic kicking M.O.D.O.K. while he was down, actually elicited a laugh from me. Not to make things go too swimmingly, Mystique made a few mistakes along the way, which is natural. When inquired about a discrepancy of the Tallus, she remained quiet, lest she reveal too much. This added to the believability of this story because nothing goes as smooth as you plan in the superhero world. However Mystique was overtly suspicious while recruiting the Brotherhood team, whispering in their ear about the true intention of this "mission." Thankfully, Bedard had the foresight to explain this as Mystique told Mimic, "Just some stuff the Tallus told me to help convince [the Brotherhood]." This story wasn't so much an Exiles story to me as it was a Brotherhood using the Exiles story, which sat well with me. It was a good take on this book, and that kind of ingenuity is one I wish to see more of from Tony Bedard. The art by Mizuki Sakakibara has only developed since the last time she graced this book with her presence. The characters were fluid in their depictions, whether if they were full of anger or confusion. While not especially flawless, it was enjoyable and easy to follow. The coloring by JC, as always, was impeccable and a treat to the eyes. It is also quite easy to overlook the importance of a good letterer, but Dave Sharpe did a good job with his clear and concise writing. And, as per usual, the cover art by Sakakibara was incredible. The rendering of the whole team was fantastic. Exiles #50 was exactly what I expected it to be: a solid story, good art, and an improvement from its previous issues. It delivered quite well. The surprise twist at the end only enhanced the overall story and made me eager to read the next issue immediately. (Thankfully, issue #51 will be out on the 18th of this month, so be prepared!) This was a great jumping on point for the interested reader. The star of this issue, Mystique, is recognizable to most people thanks to the two X-men movies. That appeal, and the easy to follow story, should make any new readers welcome as well as any veteran fans elated. ART: 3.5 STORY: 4.0 OVERALL: 4.0 X-FORCE #1 Reviewer: Robin Lewis, lucillerobin@aol.com Quick Rating: Below Average. Story Title: X-Force Grit your teeth, thin your ankles, make your left-eye glow and grab your two-bladed sword. They're back. Script by: Fabian Nicieza Pencils, Inks, Plot and Cover by: Rob Liefeld Colors by: Matt Yackey Letters by: Virtual Calligraphy's Rus Wooton Editor: Mike Marts Assistant Editors: Stephanie Moore and Sean Ryan Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley I think it's safe to say that news of the imminent return of X- Force was met with a somewhat mixed critical reception. Claims that they are back because 'You demanded it!' were answered with angry online voices wanting to know just who exactly has been demanding it, where these people might be found, and where they would like their sharp object inserted. On the other hand, equally loud cries of 'Awesome!', 'Cool!', and possibly even 'Rad!' have greeted the news that Rob Liefeld is drawing Cable & Co. with unabashed glee. Now that the product is actually here, early reviews are treating the book in a manner not unfamiliar to someone who has seen a butcher at work neatly dismembering a dumb animal. Can it possibly be that bad? Well, no. Not that bad. It isn't the worst comic ever made, but that isn't exactly glowing praise. I've read several interviews with the creators that state plainly this is a comic that should (and very well might) appeal to a younger generation of readers. 10-14 years of age was the group they were aiming at, if I recall. That's a laudable aim, but what we have here is a comic that's apparently been plotted by a 10-14 year old. The book feels as though it started off as a brainstorm by hyperactive teenagers: 'Wouldn't it be cool if some bad guys from the future attacked Cable?', and 'Wouldn't it be cool if the bad guy was a monster that ate mutants?', and 'Wouldn't it be cool if the met up with Shatterstar?' and 'Wouldn't it be cool if the monster's only weakness was a cool sword?'. And that's what we've got. A series of cool ideas that feel as though they were fuelled by a sugar-rush. Reasons why these things are happening are brushed over. How do they meet up with Shatterstar? They just do. Why is the monster's only weakness this sword? It just is. Oh, and Cable apparently once spent some time doing a passable imitation of Conan the Barbarian. I wasn't expecting Alan Moore, but I would have settled for some coherency. The script doesn't help. I'm a fan of Fabian Nicieza, with fond memories of the days when Marvel's solution to the talent exodus in the early nineties was to place him on every single title they were putting out. This is well below his best work, however, though perhaps he's been left with the job of joining together the dots of a plot that doesn't want to make sense in the first place. The dialogue often feels stilted and daft, especially when spoken by everybody's favourite ginger psycho, Shatterstar. An invincible killing machine that looks cool when he's kicking someone's teeth in, but seems less so when you realise his main weapon is the attempt to bore his enemies to death with never- ending twaddle. Domino's is a more welcome return, but is given practically nothing to do other than make weak jokes and back Cable up. Cable himself is back to gritting his teeth and taking it all in his stride, though longtime fans may be put off by the pig-and-ponytail haircut we discover he once used to sport. It's not quite as lustrous as Shatterstars, but it comes close. The rest of X-Force will presumably be phased in gradually (Cannonball next issue) over the course of the arc. Rob Liefeld has stated that the story will only get going about two and a half issues in. In the meantime we have a wedge of silly plot, the return of the least interesting original member of X-Force, and some fighting. It's a strange way to begin a series that has ambitions to become an ongoing. Of course, the main draw on any book Rob Liefeld works on isn't going to be the script, so let's get to the art. It's very .... well .... Liefeld, only more so. He still has a grasp of anatomy that might charitably be described as 'refreshingly loose' , but the energy and enthusiasm that powered his early name-making work haven't faded. Backgrounds and incidental detail receive short shrift, but you don't buy a Rob Liefeld comic to admire the draftsmanship or the subtle play of emotion as it touches a character's face. His strength has always been to gamely crash on past the criticisms and keep going, throwing image after image into your face, hoping it all moves too fast for you to see the joins and the continuity errors. There's nothing to touch my favourite Liefeld moment of wonky continuity (Rictor's leather vest suddenly becoming a t-shirt, then changing back again, then into a t-shirt again - sometimes on the same page - in New Mutants #90), but there are a few tiny glitches for the connoisseur to find and savour. So, does it work? Has the old Liefeld magic kept its touch? Well, sort of. Liefeld has definitely improved, but not by correcting the weaknesses of his art. Instead, he has perfected its strengths. All the familiar motifs are present (everybody has a utility belt, massive muscles, dysfunctional left eye and an ability to pose heroically in any given situation), but everything else has been stripped away, leaving only that which would look good on a t-shirt. The action splash pages in here are great fun, but unfortunately you can't make a 23 page comic out of them. After Hitch, Quitely, Gene Ha and the rest of the new trailblazers have laid their wares before my eyes it isn't enough. The colours are wonderfully bright and lush, though, doing wonders for the page's impact. This was supposed to be the rebirth of one of the most popular X- Teams there's ever been (millions of copies of X-Force were sold, and you're not fooling anyone when you say you never bought them), but as a first issue it fails to provide much to enjoy beyond some Liefeld action pages. The jokes aren't funny enough, the new villains so far are a big unscary monster and some dull generic Deadpool-lookalike future villains, and the plot makes little or no sense. There is an undeniable energy about some of it, but not enough to carry it past the gaping flaws. Hopefully, now that the story, such as it is, has been laid out Liefeld and Nicieza will relax and begin to have some fun. I await Cannonball's entrance with some expectation that he'll provide more entertainment than we've had so far. We were promised an slam-bang fun-fest; a Big-Mac-with-extra- fries sort of comic that would leave us satisfied and happy. Instead, it feels like we've been given a picture of a Big Mac. It looks tasty, but there's nothing to get your teeth into. A fun-fest? I've had fun, and this isn't it. ART: 2.5 STORY: 1.5 OVERALL: 2.0 _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [10] Rich's Reviews Richard Vasseur richardv@sympatico.ca [Rich has been collecting comic books for about 25 years. He belongs to two comic book clubs Jazma and ORCA. He has been writing reviews for Jazma's paper newsletter for about 2 years and has his own review page at www.jazmaonline.com] SPOILER WARNING: Some plot details may be revealed in these reviews! Title: Ripperman # 1 Publisher: Chanting Monks Studios and JGM Comics Writer: Joe Martino Pencilers: Rick Buckler Jr. & Joe Martino Inkers: Peter Palmiotti, Dash Martin, Peter J. Romero, Naser Subashi Artists: Steven Preston pgs 27-30, 32, Jim Taylor & Jeff Austin pg 33 Price: $ 5.95 US Comments: God and the Devil have created Ripperman a killer of killers. Ben Templesmith has created a cover reminiscent of the vertigo line from DC; while Jeff Pittareli's cover is a dark vision of the Ripperman. The artwork is well-defined; the facial expressions convey emotion well. Demons and angels are going to keep showing up and guiding or interfering in Ripperman's mission. His mission to send deserving souls to Hell. He is good at his job. His battle with the demon Iglet is fierce as he rips the demons guts out. Ripperman is a warrior and he comes equipped with weapons hidden beneath his skin until he needs them. Ripping hooks and a Saber make him a force to be reckoned with. Ripperman abandons both God and the Devil to strike out on his own. He shows that he can stand on his own, that he needs no one to look out for him. This is a strong character. The demon G'aanelsk is drawn evil and sadistic looking. The battle is well choreographed as the two combatants engaged each other. The pin-ups in the back really show off Ripperman's essence. The poses are dynamic and eye catching. This character is new and fresh. The comic has a dark side, but also hope for victims of killers. Because if you are a killer, he is coming for you. Title: Marshal Law: The Day Of The Dead Publisher: Titan Books Writer: Pat Mills Artist: Kevin O'Neill Price: $ 16.95 US Comments: If you want the toughest Cop around forget Judge Dredd, forget Batman, even Dirty Harry would cower in fear at Marshal Law. The story is filled with tons of action. There are more fights than you could ever want. Marshal Law is the toughest, baddest, meanest ex-super-hero super-hero hunter there is. The art is beautifully done. All the characters look outrageous in their costumes. Some of the super-heroes are made up to poke fun at well known super-heroes from other companies. If you want a tough as nails hero who follows his own set of laws Marshal Law is for you. It's an over the top thrill ride of violence and mayhem. Title: Man-Thing # 1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Hans Rodionoff Artist: Kyle Hotz Price: $ 2.99 US, $ 4.25 Can Comments: This comic is based on the upcoming Marvel film. You'll find it different than what you are used to from the Man-Thing comics. It is a slow paced comic. It's slowly building up the story as Nathan Mehr investigates an insurance claim about swamp plants destroying machines. The story is written and drawn like a movie. The cover art and swamp scenes in the comic are drawn subdued in quiet colors that make the art stand out. Title: normalman Twentieth Anniversary Special # 1 Publisher: Image Writer: Jim Valentino Artist: Jim Valentino Price: $ 2.95 US, $ 3.95 Can Comments: Lets all go to a comic book convention with Captain Everything and normalman! The book pokes good natured fun at the fans and comic book industry. Cap is completely disillusioned as to his importance as a super-hero. The comic is very entertaining and fun. normalman is Captain Everything's friend maybe his only friend. The two are complete opposites so of course they mesh great together for this hilarious tour de farce of the wild and exciting world of comic books! The art is a perfect match for this style of story. It is exaggerated especially Cap's face. He has a huge chin. The second story has the two going to Hollywood to make a TV series. We get a look at the crazy mixed up world of Hollywood and the people that work there. Jim Valentino has a unique way of twisting reality into an amusing story. Title: Trailer Park of Terror # 1 Publisher: Imperium Comics Writers: Simeon Wilkins, Matthew Filer, Joel Russel, John-Paul Kamath, Russ McIntosh Artists: Chris Mendoza, Matthew Filer, Mannie Abeleda, Mark Layne & Francis Ordonez, Brandon Hovet Price: $ 3.99 US Comments: Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti deliver a wonderfully strange and weird cover filled with various monsters. The comic delivers four short stories. The first called "Spooky House" has a little boy imaging things while he explores an old house but it's what he doesn't imagine that he should have looked out for. This story has no words but the pictures do tell the tale quite well. The second story "Death Pawn" has a young woman playing chess with Death to prolong her life. The art shows off Death and the Devil that he turns out to really be really well. The story's ending is hard to figure out. But with some thinking it kind of makes sense. "The Passendropper" is a quiet little story featuring a nervous passenger on a subway. John-Paul Kamath and Mark Layne & Francis Ordonez bring across this passenger's fears and bring them to life. "Once Upon A Time" is a bloody retelling of Jack and Jill. The werewolf monster is a thing to scare more than just children. Norma the trailer park gal plays hostess to these tales. She is a strange character living in a strange trailer. She is lovable all the same though. Title: Astonishing X-Men # 3 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Joss Whedon Artist: John Cassaday Price: $ 2.99 US, $ 4.25 Can Comments: On the cover Wolverine is leaping right out at you. There is a nice feral expression on his face. His new costume suits him; it's great to see him in costume. Tensions run high as Wolverine wants the mutant cure destroyed but Beast might want to use it on himself. This cure could change the face of the world. Mutants no longer have to be mutants. Now this cure is being tested on the body of Jean Grey can you believe it? Can't Marvel let the poor woman rest in peace? There is still too much in fighting Kitty and Emma, Logan and Scott, Logan and Hank. Something needs to happen to pull them together as a team. At least Scott and Emma are working well together, and so are Logan and Kitty. The art is in a somewhat more realistic light. No costumes this issue. The X-Men except for Hank just look like a bunch of humans. Title: Shi: Ju-Nen # 1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writer: Billy Tucci Artist: Billy Tucci Price: $ 2.99 US Comments: Billy Tucci and Mark Sparacio give us a gorgeous cover of a nude Shi. It is a work of art. The art of course is good but it is also toned down. It doesn't show off Shi and Tomoe anywhere near as well as it could. The females are drawn nice and skinny almost anorexic in appearance. The story is hard to follow. I guess basically it just says Shi and Tomoe are back. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [11] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet98@cs.com [Paul promotes amateur and professional comic book artwork, scripts, storylines, and unpublished comic books with a newsletter called the Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter. Its website is at Jazma Comic Book Newsletter Productions at http://www.jazmaonline.com/ He is also a prominent letter hack, as anyone who reads comic letter pages would know. He is in production of his own self-published comic book called The Legendary Dark Silhouette and has copyrighted over 600 characters for his Jazma Universe.] SPOILER WARNING: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN MAY REVEAL SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF THE PLOTS OF SOME COMIC BOOKS, OR THE ENTIRE STORY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Name: Simpsons #1 Summer 2004 Publisher: Bongo Comics Price: $3.99 Creators: Many. Comments: Wow! A huge Simpson's comic book the size of a Life magazine! A whole lot of stories that fun, wacky in the typical Simpson's tradition! Only $3.99, this is a great price for this collectible. You'll see things like graffiti that says that 'Skinner is a weiner' or Skinner chasing after Bart and yelling...'you young whipper snapper!" There is one story in which Bart is doing some penitentiary time, working on a chain gang with no other than Sideshow Bob. Things get a little hairy for Bart as he has to deal with the threatening presence of a man that wants to kill him. This comic book is fun for anyone 14 years and older. Name: Vampirella Magazine #6 Publisher: Harris Comics Price: $5.95 Creators: Many. Comments: Vampirella Magazine #6 was filled with surprises! I have one request, I would love to see Vampirella on each and every cover of Vampirella Magazine #6. Even though the cover featured Aliens v. Predator, it would have been soooo cool to see Vampirella in between these two great movie monsters, sort of holding them back or something. I absolutely enjoyed the story The Convent, not only is Vampirella a legend, but she showed her heroic prose in this conflict by portraying herself as Sister Pirella (loved the way she came up with that name). Father Leresque must have been ready to have a heart attack seeing Vampirella behead a sister, then burning the vile women who were actually vampires. The whole Convent was infested with these nasty vampire types. Vampirella has done many legendary escapades and many heroic acts which is an easy way to categorize her as legend and hero. I was only referred to as legendary once in my life when I made many drug busts throughout Germany, working with the Army's Drug Suppression Team undercover with an alias known as Porkchops and have been referred to as a hero when I was a firefighter fighting the big fires in the Sierras. Those moments stick with a person for the rest of their lives and Vampirella has become a household name and I would say almost everyone in the world knows the legendary and heroic exploits of this vampiress goddess. Even my son who isn't really into comics knows who Vampirella is, so I congratulate Harris Comics for making such a large impact with this incredible character that has remained the same throughout the years. As for the rest of your magazine, I highly enjoyed the artwork of Dan Brereton and his creation of The Nocturnals is top-notch! I hope he continues with the stories of the Nocturnals, because I love his characters! The write-ups on writer Antony Johnston and author China Mieville were incredible, it really got into the minds of these two great creators. Of course, I always get a kick out of the Vault, I always want to know what is new on the stands and this is a great source for that. I have read Scurvy Dogs and enjoyed your feature on this new comic book and it was a piece of pie to see Vampirella interact with the Scurvy Dogs. Thank you! I am truly looking forward to the Vampirella/Witchblade crossover, this will be the crossover event of the decade! The insight on Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Classic) v. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Remake) was quite interesting. I saw them both and actually appreciated both stories in their different takes and it was great reading another perspective on both movies. I am still waiting for the day when Leatherface takes on Ash of Evil Dead, it would be great to see two chainsaw wielding powerhouses go after each other. Well, this was another exciting read and I definitely couldn't put your magazine down! Name: Peanuts - Lucy Must be Traded Adapted by Justine & Ron Fontes Art adapted by Tom Brannon Based on the comic strip and characters created by Charles M. Schulz and the television special produced by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez Publisher: Little Simon Contact information: www.crittertainment.com critter@gwi.net Price: $5.99 Comments: Linus hits Charlie Brown with some bad news, that the team is in trouble, that they are weak in every position. Lucy overhears this and she says that she is exceptionally cute and Linus can only say that the right fielder, even though it is his sister, is hopeless. Lucy and Charlie have their moments, like when Charlie sends out a flyball to Lucy and she lets the ball fall into the bushes and brings the whole bush to Charlie and says it's someplace in here. Charlie can only sigh and say it's going to be a long baseball season. Charlie tries to do what the big leagues do, trade players and it's up to him to get rid of one bad apple and that trade would involve Lucy! Hilarious comic antics are thrown throughout this comic book and if you are a Peanuts fan, you will definitely love this comic book that is great for the whole family to read. All of the artwork is in color and this story is based on the latest TV Special. For more information go to www.crittertainment.com and tell Justine & Ron hi for me! _________________________________________________________________ Thanks for subscribing to the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine (CBEM) --------------------------->Disclaimer<--------------------------- This is an ANNOUNCE only mailing list, only the Editor can send messages to the list. No one else has access to the subscriber list. Replies to these messages will be received by the Editor ONLY, so you must CC: individual contributors if you want them to get your E-Mail. The E-mail to the E-mag MAY be used in future issues at the Editor's discretion UNLESS you specifically request that they not be. It is our policy to withhold names and/or Addresses, by request only, from letters of comment. All contributors are required to use their real name and have a valid Email address for their columns to be published. Send Email comments to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Material for inclusion in the Emag - press releases, solicitations, column submissions, Letters to the Editor, guesses for the trivia contest should be sent to ComicBkNet@aol.com The EDITOR, not the submitter, has final approval and edit rights on ALL material. Printed comic books and advanced copies for review in the Emag should be sent via US Mail or UPS to David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 TO Subscribe send a message FROM the intended address to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-subscribe@yahoogroups.com TO Unsubscribe send a message FROM the address to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com You may also unsubscribe from the Egroups Web page at the short cut below. Shortcut URL to the Egroup page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag All contents COPYRIGHT 2004 The Comic Book Network. 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| << August14, 2004 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 484.7 |
August28, 2004 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 486.02 >> |
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