|
ComicBookNetworkEmag Archives Index
|
|
| << January07, 2006 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 557.07 |
January07, 2006 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 557.09 >> |
|
AN: Beyond this tale what do you see as the future of the story, does it ever go cosmic or does it go further inward into the protagonist's personal struggle? NILES: The focus of the story will always be Mark's personal struggles. The outside factors are the world taking advantage. I have an ending, one last 4-8 issue stretch I'd like to do on Fused and wrap the whole thing up. Hopefully we'll get to do that someday. All I need is an artist...oh and a publisher...and um a lot of spare cash. I hope to tell the ending someday, but we'll see. JHFialkov: I think that's what great about the character. He can do both. Easily, in fact. With his core scientist in mind, you can really explore the chances to fulfill his dreams from childhood with the sacrifice of the rest of his life that he's made to be what he is. It's pretty rare for a character to work so well in just about every situation, but, Mark is one with just about endless possibilities. NStakal: Well, it ain't up to me. But regardless of the journey Mark will ultimately make as Cy-Bot I'd love to see him take on some darker more monstrous stuff along the way than he's seen thus far. I love the idea of pitting him against the more ancient lurking evils that hide in the dark corners of the world... or even not of this world. CLong: The sky's the limit with "Fused." Chee: I think the Fused! world is very grounded and Haggerty's personal struggle within and without the suit is something people can relate with. And from the story I did with Steve, I'm guessing he won't go cosmic any time in the near future or I hope he won't. But that's my opinion. AN: Cast the FUSED Movie!!! NILES: Luke Wilson plays Cy-Bot/Mark. Um...after that I draw a blank. JHFialkov: I've always seen Mark as sort of a cross between Jeff Bridges and Paul Giamatti. He's nebbishy, while still being brave, and even in his current condition, at times quite dashing. He's a man's man with an internal struggle between the nerd and the hero. Nikki has this sort of Kim Bassinger-esque feel to her, I think. She was very, very beautiful, but middle-age has made her just beautiful. But, as she's peaked into middle age, her depth has come out, although it constantly fights with her insecurities. The General... I'd go with J.K. Simmons, y'know, J. Jonah Jameson. The guy's got an intensity, even in his crappy guest star stints on Law & Order. He has this sort of sinister intensity, and some outstanding comic timing. That's one of the great things about the property, it's about characters, not tech or effects. I think that it's just rife for Hollywood's pickings. CLong: Mark Haggarty - Zach Braff (he's got a great voice for V.O.), Nikki Haggarty - Jessica Alba (she's got a great ... everything). Chee: I'm thinking Pauly Shore as Mark Haggerty. He needs to make a comeback. I already have the title. Fused!: In the Army Now Ok. I kid I kid. I've been watching Bio-Dome on cable again. I'll leave the casting to professionals and not mouth-breathers like me. THANKS TO: The fine gentlemen Fialkov, Stakal, Long, Chee, Niles -- Alex Ness ||| The Land of Frost Box 142 Rockford MN 55373-0142 _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- COMICS OBSCURA Mike Curtis shandafa@cyberback.com [COMICS OBSCURA are facts Mike Curtis has dug out during his 30 years of collecting Superman and writing about comics. His website for his comic imprint is www.shandafantasyarts.net ] LEAVE IT TO THE SUITS, THEY KNOW IT ALL When the first toy figures were produced from Charles Schulz's PEANUTS comic strip, PIG PEN was included. However, the manufacturer was worried that a dirty child would be frowned upon by parents, so they manufactured only a clean version of the character. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Suspended Animation Michael Vance & Mark Allen MiklVance2@worldnet.att.net http://www.starland.com/sus [Michael Vance, a professional writer since 1977 and has been published in dozens of magazines including Starlog and Jack and Jill, and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, Forbidden Adventure: The History of the American Comics Group, has been called a "benchmark in comics history". He ghosted an internationally syndicated comic strip, and his wrote own strip, Holiday Out, that was reprinted as a comic book. Vance also wrote the comic books Straw Men, Angel of Death, The Adventures of Captain Nemo, and Bloodtide. He is listed in the Who's Who of American Comic Books and Comic Book Superstars. His short stories have appeared in dozens of magazines and recorded by actor William (Murder She Wrote) Windom. Suspended Animation, has been published for more than sixteen years, and Vance worked in newspapers for 22 years as an editor, writer and advertising manager. Mark Allen lives in Western Oklahoma with his wife and daughter. He has been a Baptist minister for over 15 years, and has also written for the Oklahoma news industry. Having indulged in comics for nearly 30 years, Mark now enjoys using the written word to share with others what he believes is a true, and extremely under-acknowledged, art form.] Dear Editor, This is one wonderful graphic novel although I must admit my initial confusion over its intended audience. Spiral-Bound is drawn in a style common for children's books written for pre-literate kids who must be read to, or beginning readers. All of its characters are cute little talking animals like baby elephants, puppy dogs, rabbits, frogs and kitty cats. I loved the sperm-whale in that huge glass bubble on wheels. But I can't imagine a hardcore fan of, say, The X-Men thumbing through this book and buying it. Making this graphic novel look like a spiral notebook was a nice touch although that also makes it look as if it is intended for very young readers. In addition, I thought the art was visually imaginative, the story was visually well told (except for a few awkward scene changes), and the characters and settings were fun to ogle. That statement won't attract Batman fans. So, whom do you wish to buy this book? Because when I read it, I immediately found simple but delightful dialogue that, at least on the surface, seemed to target very young human beans. But I also discovered that Spiral-Bound is simply too long and complex for very young, pre-literate children or beginning readers. In fact, Spiral-Bound is well-written, clever, and fun to read with lots of twists and excellent character development. Its surprise ending was completely satisfying. So whom do you wish to buy this innovative graphic novel? I'm admittedly a bit slow, but I think I've figured it out. Spiral-Bound is meant for people who love to read to children and for those who just love good work created by the marriage of words and pictures. It is highly recommended by yours truly, Michael Vance. Spiral-Bound/184 pgs & $14.95 from Top Shelf/art and words by Aaron Renier/sold at book and comics stores or at www.topshelfcomix.com. Order you copy of the all-Michael Vance horror paperback Apocris 1 at http://www.lighthousemediaone.co.uk/FutureProjects.html For information on the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection and Toy and Action Figure Museum go to www.fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com/ _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- COMICS OBSCURA Mike Curtis shandafa@cyberback.com [COMICS OBSCURA are facts Mike Curtis has dug out during his 30 years of collecting Superman and writing about comics. His website for his comic imprint is www.shandafantasyarts.net ] ONE OF THE STRANGEST EARTHS OF ALL On the BRADY KIDS cartoon series, one episode guest starred SUPERMAN. This may or may not have been the parallel Earth depicted in the giveaway comic SUPERMAN AND THE QUIK BUNNY. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [8] ComiX-Fan Reviews Eric J. Moreels x-fan@bigpond.net.au http://www.comixfan.com/xfan [Editor's note: Some of the following reviews have spoilers to plot details. This is a TEXT ONLY newsletter so those spoilers are not hidden by HTML code as they are on the ComiX-fan site.] X-FACTOR #2 Reviewer: Brian Wilkinson, bewilkinson@yahoo.ca Story Title: Star Power The team rounds itself and settles into its first case. But how does a multiple man deal with a singular foe? Writer: Peter David Pencils: Ryan Sook, Dennis Callero Inks: Wade Von Grawbadger, Dennis Callero Color Art: Jose Villarrubia Letters: VC's Cory Petit Assisstant Editors: Molly Lazer & Aubrey Sitterson Editor: Andy Schmidt Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley Published by: Marvel Comics Rictor's dead! Multiple Man pushed him off the building at the end of last issue and poor Rictor falls to his death in one of the most ghastly deaths the Marvel Universe has ever seen! The splatter was everywhere! Well, okay, obviously Ric is just fine as he was rescued by M at the last second (much to Rahne's frustration as she was doing her best to save Ric as well), but the truth is that Ric's brush with death wasn't the cliffhanger we were left with last issue. Writer Peter David certainly knows how to start things off with a bit of a bang. Followers of the Madrox limited series were introduced to Jamie's dupes each having distinct personality traits more emphasized from the original, but the threat at the end of last issue came from Jamie himself. It was his dupe who pushed Ric off the building and set many reader's minds abuzz with the potential storylines this could involve. Multiple Man has always been one of my favorite characters, and while I loved the original concept of each one being indistinguishable from the rest, I have to admit that this new take on Jamie's powers makes things a lot more interesting. You already have a huge and complex cast before any of the other team members come into play. It makes sense, more than ever, to have Jamie as the focal point in this book. While I was hoping for more from our secondary characters, it's interesting to see Teresa, aka Siryn, showing a harder edge than I'm used to. Rictor and Rahne have always had an interesting dynamic, and Guido (Strong Guy) is just the perfect add-on to any cast. I'm hoping to see more of womanizing Guido in the future, as well as more interplay between him and Jamie. M balances out this book in an unexpected way. Of all the cast, she's the one who seems most out of place. Other than X-Corp, she's had no ties to this group that any reader has seen before and as she was a part of Generation X, she's technically not even in their age bracket. I'm curious to see where her friendship with Rictor will lead. The biggest mystery is Layla Miller. The newest cast member is interesting because of the role she played in House of M as potentially an aspect of Scarlet Witch's powers, and she's mentioned in this book by Singularity (the villain of the series) as having the potential to reverse what Wanda has done. Would Marvel throw a monkey wrench into everything already, or is this going to be a slow-burn storyline like 'The Twelve'? Personally, I'm hoping for the latter, as the main thing missing from Marvel these days is a strong mythology and clues as to the whole future roadmap that we may never get to read about. Some find that frustrating, I call it 'enrichment.' The worst part about Layla is that she continuously introduces herself and repeats the phrase "I know stuff." It's cool that it happens with each cast member and that none of them seem inclined to toss her out, but I want to know more about her. I suppose time will tell on that score, but I can see her getting old fast unless David is clever with her handling. She seems like the Cordelia (from Angel) of the group, which isn't necessarily bad. I'm hoping she'll add some sass. I'm loving this book so far. The noir look, the retro feel, all of it blends perfectly under artist Ryan Sook's pencils and David's writing is the sharpest I think I've ever seen it. This is issue #2, but I'm just as eager for issue #3 as I am for issue #68. When there's magic from the start and each issue, pardon the pun, duplicates it with ease, you know this is a must-own book. Where are things going? Investigations, murders, powers, super- villains, a corporation-style villain and more... I'd say it's going towards comic gold. It's Angel meets X-Men and it's brilliant. ART: 4.0 STORY: 5.0 OVERALL: 4.5 WOLVERINE #37 Reviewer: W. Molstad mols0019@umn.edu Story Title: Origins and Endings: Part 2 One comic and one awesome fight scene later, but still no answers... Writer: Daniel Way Breakdowns: Javier Saltares Finishes: Mark Texiera Lettering: VC's Randy Gentile Colors: J.D. Smith Cover Artist: Kaare Andrews Assistant Editor: Michael O'Connor Executive Editor: Alex Alonso Production: James Taveras Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada Published by: Marvel Comics "Origins & Endings" is turning out like its namesake, Origin. They seem to be saving the reveal for the end. There is a lot happening - fights, Wolverine questioning himself, heroes wondering where he is - but little solid exposition. There isn't a single origin scene or flashback here. It's the usual Wolverine stuff so far. Logan wandering through his own mystery. The difference is that he's supposed to know what's going on. Problem is, he's not telling us. He's telling off the Silver Samurai and getting into a brutal melee that I expect to become another classic Wolverine showdown. That's really what this issue is worth. It's nice when comics get realistic - what would really happen if two guys with blades got together? Answer here. But other than that, few answers that we really want. Just a reasonably entertaining issue. There is also little external dialogue - what we mostly read is narration by Wolverine. It's well done. The art like last month suits Wolverine especially well, but it's not incredibly detailed or dynamic except in the fight scenes. You'd expect the "finishes" by Mark Texiera to have a little more texture, but instead little of his trademark grittiness comes through. Javier Saltares draws excellent figures and faces, but sparse backgrounds. He relies on "action lines" a little too often. Still, it's pleasant and quite readable, especially thanks to excellent coloring. This issue to me should be more about revelations, and how many they could include. Instead it ends up being about what it doesn't include. So why should you drop the $2.50? Only if you can't miss a great fight scene with the Silver Samurai. I also like the cover, with the Japanese woodblock print background. Let's hope though that Wolverine has finally found what we're looking for next issue! ART: 3.0 STORY: 3.0 OVERALL: 3.0 X-MEN #180 Story Title: What Lorna Said: Part One of Two: "A Sign of the Times" Reviewer: W. Molstad, mols0019@umn.edu Was what Lorna saw.. round.. and green?!? Writer: Peter Milligan Pencils: Roger Cruz Inkers: Victor Olazaba Colorist: Liquid! Letterer: VC's Cory Petit Asst. Editor: Sean Ryan Assoc. Editor: Nick Lowe Editor: Mike Marts Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley Published by: Marvel Comics I'd hate to say it, but maybe the reason that this X-Men series has been so inconsistent and hard to read is, well, the art. Because this issue, Salvador Larroca has finally taken a break, and is substituted with Roger Cruz. Cruz has art which looks slightly all-ages, slightly anime, and slightly Mexican. I can't really place it. But it works far better with Peter Milligan's story than Larroca's has in the past year or so. Bland coloring, inconsistent inks, and little variation on character faces has been hurting this title. Larroca, normally a pretty solid artist (See: Fantastic Four and X-Treme X-Men) who can even look good inkless, hasn't been able to get across what the characters are doing or feeling. Despite Cruz's art not really working well with me, it at least tells the story far clearer than Larroca's most recent work. It's especially evident in the panel layouts. And the coloring is far better than in any issue of Larroca's run. As for the story, it mostly focuses on Havok and the now powerless Polaris. I liked the scenes of them taking a vacation. As far as the backstory, which is supposed to connect to the tepidly-received Golgotha, it's pointing in a direction that I wouldn't have expected. Does what Lorna saw have anything to do with the hard to notice shadow on the front cover? You'll have to look inside. There is another "temper-tantrum" scene towards the beginning of the book. It's been funny seeing an X-Man freak out like a child pretty much once per issue during Milligan's run. It's Iceman's turn to spazz out this time, and I don't know why he would considering that he beat the editors and got his powers back. Oh House of M, sigh. Milligan is doing about as well with dialogue and plot as he did during the mediocre parts of X-Statix. His sense of humor and the soap-operatic style of writing though is not for everyone. It may appeal to the X-Fan but not to most others. I at least give him a mark for doing well with Polaris and Havok compared to the way that he's depicted the both of them in recent storylines. But you have to care about the two B-list characters to really get into this comic. X-Men isn't the best X-book on the shelves and isn't a must-have. At least it's a bit better than last month. Milligan seems to have a better grasp on the characters with each issue. I'm pretty optimistic as long as Larroca improves after his short hiatus. His upcoming covers look great. This is a book to watch, but give it a good look-through before you pick it up. ART: 3.0 STORY: 3.5 OVERALL: 3.0 _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- COMICS OBSCURA Mike Curtis shandafa@cyberback.com [COMICS OBSCURA are facts Mike Curtis has dug out during his 30 years of collecting Superman and writing about comics. His website for his comic imprint is www.shandafantasyarts.net ] MAYBE IT WAS A FRANCHISE Much is made of SUPERMAN inheriting the FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE name from DOC SAVAGE. Yet another long running comic book series pulled the same swipe. In the 1920's the first TEENAGE comic strip was Carl Ed's HAROLD TEEN. The series was very popular, leading to both silent and talking movie versions. Harold and his pals hung out at POP JENK'S SUGAR BOWL, which ARCHIE later appropriated and made into POP TATE'S SUGAR BOWL. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [9] Rich's Reviews Richard Vasseur richardv@sympatico.ca http://www.jazmaonline.com [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: Dragonlance: Chronicles # 4 Publisher: Devil's Due Writer: Andrew Dabb Artist: Steve Kurth Price: $ 2.95 US Rating: 2 out of 5 stars Comments: The art is too bland and it is hard to see much detail as it blends too much together. The story has this rag tag band of warriors going into the dragons' lair in search of a religious object. We get to see Gold moon's bravery as she faces the dragon on her own. There is nothing of real interest happening for most of the story. They are just walking through the tunnels and you don't learn much of anything about the characters. The colorization around the dragon's words looks great. It adds a look of power to them. Title: Snake Eyes: Declassified # 4 Publisher: Devil's Due Writer: Brandon Jerwa Artist: Emiliano Santalucia Price: $ 2.95 US Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Comments: Snake Eyes and Tommy are two ninjas in training there skill level is almost equal. Tommy becomes jealous and is manipulated by a manipulating mole within the clan. Will these two grow farther apart? Will they become enemies? The story isn't al that exciting. There are no fights even with all the ninjas around. The story does get into the relationships of all involved. The art does show off the ninjas well. Although more action poses might have been nice. The art does help to show off the part of the story that is showing us the mental and spiritual side of martial arts. As we watch the forging of a new sword we see it is as much spiritual as physical. By putting your soul into it we see a thing of beauty created. Title: Forgotten Realms: Exile # 2 Publisher: Devil's Due Writer: Andrew Dabb Penciler: Tim Seeley Inkers: John Lowe, Marco Galli with Serge LaPointe, Rebekah Isaacs, Johnny Timmons, Robert Grabe, Shaun Beaudry and Alex McCaffrey Price: $ 4.95 US Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Comments: Drizzt is trying to make a life for himself but his mother is determined to track him down and have him killed. So she sends his dead father Zak after him. Zak is now filled with bloodlust and cannot rest until he kills his son. Drizzt, Belwar and Guenhwyvar as they venture forth into the Underdark they encounter some crow men. Drizzt moves with a grace and speed that is shown well by the artist. After the slaughter the look of fierceness on Drizzt's face shows that he is death incarnate. Drizzt's band seems to be growing as a rock child turned hook monster joins them. Meanwhile Zak closes in. Drizzt is an interesting man as he is completely different than his race. Which makes him unique. Title: Black Harvest # 2 Publisher: Devil's Due Writer: Josh Howard Artist: Josh Howard Price: $ 3.25 US Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Comments: Zaya is beautiful; Josh Howard knows how to draw an eye catching woman. She is also a mystery. Her troubles though are just beginning. Something was done to her in her missing three years. She is no longer the same person. There is something dark in her. She seems sweet unless she doesn't get her way. The reporter doing a story on the Jerico Lights makes for an interesting background story which may tie into Zaya somehow. He is just an ordinary guy he could be you or me. He is easy to relate to. The part that gets you is the strangeness of it. This town, Zaya and the atmosphere will give you a weird feeling but you won't quite be able to put your finger on what it is. Zaya's attitude though and appearance will keep you coming back. Title: Superman/Batman # 23 Publisher: DC Writer: Jeph Loeb Penciler: Ed McGuinness Inker: Dexter Vines Price: $ 2.99 US, $ 4.00 Can Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Comments: Bizarro Superman and Batzarro Batman, a Russian Superman, Batman Beyond, a Kyptonite Batman all these versions of the heroes means someone must be behind it. But who? Even the Maximums have someone manipulating them. Now watching all these heroes and villains fighting each other is fun and entertaining. The Maximums though of course are just cheap copies of Marvel's Avengers. Some are pretty silly looking versions of Marvel's greatest heroes. The full drawing of Supergirl saying "Hello" to Bizarro Superman is a gorgeous pose of her in action. Ok this comic just got really strange as Superwoman and Batwoman show up. Just how many versions of the original two heroes are there? They are drawn great and look really sexy. Now they finally reveal who is behind it all. And if you were paying attention you probably figured it out, but not who the accomplice is. There is plenty of action and great art and an intriguing story. Title: Brian Pulido's Lady Death: 2005 Bikini Special Publisher: Avatar Artists: various Price: $ 3.99 US Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Comments: The lovely Lady of Death, the Diva of sexiness is portrayed in a number of breathtaking poses. Richard Ortez gives us a scantilating pose of Hope in a sharp looking mini bikini with her hair flowing out behind her. There are lots of butt shots as well. Walter Geovani & Datty Meyer show off Lady Death in a classic warrior stance standing ready for anything. She gives off a sense of danger as someone you don't want on your bad side. The mosaic type glass behind her sets off the rest of the drawing perfectly. Di Amorim & Joao Paulo draw a sexy looking Lady with her female charms showing through. If you are interested in basking in the Diva of Death's charms you'll enjoy this pictorial comic of her. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- COMICS OBSCURA Mike Curtis shandafa@cyberback.com [COMICS OBSCURA are facts Mike Curtis has dug out during his 30 years of collecting Superman and writing about comics. His website for his comic imprint is www.shandafantasyarts.net ] SPEAKING OF PARALLEL EARTHS In a 1930's theatrical short, BELA LUGOSI did a sketch as DRACULA, menacing MAE QUESTAL, who was dressed and made up as the cartoon character she voiced, BETTY BOOP. His line? "You have booped your last boop!" _________________________________________________________________ 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 2005 The Comic Book Network. This messages may be reproduced only in its original form, and in its entirety for non-commercial purposes. Contact the original author(s) or the Editor for permission to use individual items. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ |
|
| << January07, 2006 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 557.07 |
January07, 2006 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 557.09 >> |
|
ComicBookNetworkEmag Archives Index
|
|
|
Archives powered by Zinester's Mailing List Service
Details on ComicBookNetworkEmag |
Browse for more newsletters at Zinester's Ezine Directory
Managed by Zinester's Mailing List Management |