Unbridled Capitalism: The Life Story Of The Flash

Picked up from Mr. K's using my December 20% off coupon was The Life Story Of The Flash by Iris Allen (with assistance from Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn, Gil Kane and others).  I had passed on this a few years back when I saw it for $10 at a small show in Greenville, but for less than $10 I decided to bite on it.  It should be interesting to see how this reads now, in the wake of Flash: Rebirth and the new ongoing Flash title.  But In Waid And Augustyn I Trust, so this one should be fun.

And Then There Was That Time That Sunny Managed R2-D2

 

What Looks Good?

Do comics come out today or tomorrow?  I dunno!  But when they do come out, these are the ones which I intend to purchase!

Flash #8 -- I am so far behind on this series it is not even funny.  But I always mark out for the Reverse-Flash so we are in business!

Tiny Titans #35 -- This one, not as big a deal if you are behind an issue or two.  Because the present awesome is usually not dependant on the previous awesome.

So, what looks good to YOU?

Christmas Swag 2010!

It's that most wonderful time of the year, when grown men get childish gifts from their loved ones and squeal with delight, and this year was no different.  So here's the haul!

Showcase Presents Hawkman v.2 -- Continuing the trend of getting phonebook comics for Christmas, this one finishes up all of Hawkman's first solo title and his run in The Atom & Hawkman.  I have so many of these to read it's not even funny at this point, and yet, more keep coming out and ending up in my house!

Smallville seasons 8 and 9 -- I joked to my wife that at some point when the kids are grown and out of the house, we will have the time to rewatch this entire series.  These two years were defined by a marked increase in the quality of the show after the doldrums for a couple of years, a trend which continues to this day.  Season 9 also includes the Absolute Justice telefilm!

Iron Man glass tumblers -- These came from my son, but seeing as he is barely old enough to talk, let alone purchase a gift, I am willing to bet his mom had some part in this.  Anyway, these are two glass tumblers decorated with George Tuska art (!), which is appropriate as I am currently reading Essential Iron Man v.4 which has an awful lot of Tuska in it.  These are a good match with my exclusive Shellhead Toon Tumbler from NYCC.

And to round things out, my father got me somewhere along the lines of three dozen Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman mini dioramas, to the point that I actually need more shelving to display them.  Yikes!

So what did YOU get for Christmas?

What Looks Good?

Christmas is coming up fast, so be sure to get to your favorite local merchant and spread some cheer.

Kull: The Hate Witch #2 -- The return of the Exile to Atlantis!

DC Direct Black Lantern Hawkgirl -- If you had any doubts about DCD Direct toys not being for kids, this should settle it.

Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special #1 -- Larfleeze finding the Christmas spirit?  Yeah, maybe to keep it all for himself!

Outsiders #35 -- The Outsiders have problems on two continents and things aren't going to get any better any time soon.

Invincible Iron Man #33 -- The final showdown with Detroit Steel and the Hammer Girls (finally)!

Iron Man: Rapture #3 -- What will the murderous AI do next?

Namor: The First Mutant #5 -- I like how they keep trying to tie this into the X-Men.  It's almost quaint.

So, what looks good to YOU?

The King Of The Monsters (Comics)!

Godzilla: Monster World is coming from IDW!

The King of the Monsters rises again, and for the first time in comics, he's bringing lots of other beloved Toho monsters with him in one destructive saga, and The Goon's Eric Powell is sounding the alarm. Powell will also paint covers for each issue of this new ongoing series, including a wraparound cover to kick things off! Acclaimed artist Phil Hester signs on for the first storyline, and Alex Ross supplies a painted 50/50 variant cover! This is the Big G storyline you've been waiting for!

Other monsters from the Toho pantheon, huh?  Wonder who will make the cut?  If the cover is anything to go by then Goji fans such as myself should be in for a treat.  Appropriately, the wake of Final Wars is a perfect restarting point, so I am now all hopped up for lots of daikaiju chaos!  

Long Live Monster Comics!

Richie Rich Conquers The Internet

Hey you!  Yes you at the computer or mobile computing device!  Looking for some fun with the Richest Boy In The World?  Then head over to Crackle.com and check out all of the fun with Richie Rich!

There's a good deal of other classic and original shows to check out as well, but let's face it: Richie Rich owns them all.  Yeah.  I went there.

The Vault Of Startling Monster Horror Tales Of Terror Episode 5: Christine!

Hey there monsters and monstettes!  I've got a question for you:  How do you kill something which cannot possible be alive?  Not sure?  Then you should listen to episode 5 of The Vault Of Startling Monster Horror Tales Of Terror with myself, Chris Honeywell and the Hair-Metal Hero as well critique and comment on John Carpenter's adaption of the Stephen King classic Christine!  Just remember: She was born bad.

Bunker News Briefs - 12/17/2010

ITEM!  DC ends the Red Circle, including the team of American heroes known as the Mighty Crusaders, and instead hypes the hell out of a UN-based team the THUNDER Agents.  In South Carolina, one fan fumes and broods.

ITEM!  Kieth Giffen is kicking it hardcore as the new regular penciller on The Outsiders.

ITEM!  Marvel finally decides to stop lying and comes out and explains their take on Cyclops, the mature, responsible leader of the X-Men.

ITEM!  Newark, New Jersey: two men stole a container labeled "Beefeaters" thinking it was filled with premium gin that would be easy to resell. Instead of gin, the container contained... 800 cases of toy dog bones. The men apparently didn't know that the gin's name does not have a final "s", but the pet company's products do. Police say dog bones are much harder to resell than liquor.

What Looks Good?

It's Wednesday so you know what that means!  It's time for some Christmas shopping!

Mighty Samson #1 -- Never read the Gold Key originals, but this sounds awesome!

Brightest Day #16 -- This is the one I miss buying as it comes out the most.  This series is insane.

Mighty Crusaders #6 -- I really wish I had #3 so I could be caught up on this series!

Showcase Presents: Our Army At War -- Because I need another Showcase.  But... DC War comics!

Superman #706 -- How will this story play out with JMS leaving?  Time will tell I suppose.

Iron Man: Legacy #9 -- I'm sorry but this book rocks.  This is Iron Man, dammit.

Charmed #4 -- The Source is back?  Uh... that is bad...

Darkwing Duck #7 -- A Crisis of Disney Afternoon Proportions!

So, what looks good to YOU?

The Return Of The Mandarin

Head on over to Marvel.com to get a preview of the upcoming Invincible Iron Man #500, due next month from the House of Ideas.  One such idea which shall fall in the anniversary issue: the return of the big bad Mandarin.

"It's over 40 years in the future and The Mandarin rules the world,"teases INVINCIBLE IRON MAN Editor Alejandro Arbona of what to expect. "He's being kept alive by a repulsor implant in his chest and a living battery he calls 'pig:'Tony Stark.

Marvel is doing teases counting down to IIM #500 all week on their site.  I am always excited for The Mandarin, and I do want to see how this connects with the new, more scummy take on the character from the Annual.  

What I Read... This Week?

Getting a month's worth of comics in a box at one time is a weird adjustment, folks.  

Brightest Day #13 - -We finally catch up with Hawkman and Hawkgirl on Hawkworld (try saying that three times fast), and we learn about Queen Shrike, and see the rage of the Hawks laid out.  Great issue, but of course I may be biased.  Definitely going to give this one a thorough working over for Being Carter Hall in the coming week or so.

Brightest Day #14 -- Batman as the White Lantern?  Boston Brand thinks he is on the right track but things are never what they seem with the White Ring.  Contains a  great retelling of Deadman's origin, itself recently reprinted in DC Comics Presents: Brightest Day #1.  I have no idea where all of this is heading but it is awesome nonetheless.

Doom Patrol #16 -- You know how the Doom Patrol are considered freaks and monsters?  You don't know the half.  Giffen draws this one instead of writing it, but its definitely cut from the same cloth as the rest of the series.  Very strong little monster story.

Futurama Comics #52 -- Bender becomes addicted to modifying his body through plastic surgery - to the point that he is unrecognizable!  And being unrecognizable when all you want is fame can be a problem!  Goofy fun, and a great supplement to the revived TV series, which I almost never get to see.

glamourpuss #16 -- So you wanna bag a supermodel?  Awesome counterpoint to last issue's questionnaire on bagging a billionaire.  Also, some interesting speculation about the relationship between Stan Drake's use of the lightbox and Alex Raymond's reaction to that; this is doubly interesting because of some of the accusations made towards Sim regarding this very title.  Coincidence?  I don't know if I believe that.

Invincible Iron Man #32 -- Stark Resilient's presser is turned into a battleground as Detroit Steel and his drones launch an all-out assault!  We finally get the confrontation (the first part of it anyway!) between Shellhead and Detroit Steel, which alone is worth the cost of admission.  But otherwise this is a solid issue, one of the better ones Fraction and LaRocca have put out lately.  I like to give credit where credit is due.

Iron Man: Legacy #8 -- Still down on his luck in California, Tony does what he does best - becomes and entrepreneur.  But The Pride is not happy with him.  This title is one which gets me going every month, and this month is no exception.  This is the kind of Iron Man story I would like to read - Tony is smart and brave, but not without his faults, and he has to deal with his situation as both Tony and Iron Man.  

Iron Man: Rapture #1/#2 -- After suffering a heart attack, Tony Stark creates a new shell for himself in the form of Iron Man 2.0.  Only IM2.0 wants nothing to do with Tony!  A big mess, this rehashes ideas which were much better covered in the Hypervelocity mini a few years back.  Not sure where the heck this is supposed to take place, continuity wise, and frankly I am not really interested in trying to figure it out.  A real let-down.

Iron Man/Thor #1 -- Shellhead and Goldilocks find themselves facing a common threat.  Strong introduction to the team-up mini, which promises to be classic Marvel-styled fun.  Both heroes come across very well and the baddie is a good choice as well.

Kull: The Hate Witch #1 -- Kull is accosted in his court by an old hag who foretells of the fall of man, which drives the King to return to very place he was exiled from: Atlantis!  For an original Kull story, this is a strong beginning.  If you didn't like the first mini (and there are those who did not), this won't convince you.  Me, I dug it.

Namor: The First Mutant #4 -- The Aqueos descend on New Atlantis in force as Namor has to try one final gambit to stop them.  Pretty good underwater action, and I like how Namor is written.  Still, I am on the fence with this title because it doesn't really stand out in my mind too much.  Going to give it a few issues and re-evaluate.

Outsiders #34 -- It's Geo-Force versus the Olympian in the second such tour de force for the King of Markovia which DiDio has turned in, this time with Giffen on pencils.  And personally, I am eating this stuff up!  I don't know where things are going, and the stakes always seem high.  And if Giffen wants to be the regular penciller, I'm done with that.  This book is consistently near the top of my pile.

Tiny Titans #34 -- It's the Lookalike issue!  Didja ever notice that Superboy looks like Zatara?  Plus Zatara's magic hat gets put to, uhhh, good use at a tea party.  Very funny as usual.  The activity page in the back is a set of Superboy and Zatara paper dolls, which really made me laugh!

Tiny Titans/Little Archie #2 -- The main gag here - the collision course between Pet Club and Joise And The Pussycats - gets lots of play here, but that's alright because the joke is rife with punchlines.  Great funnybook.
 
One heck of a pile!

700?!

In honor of this being my SEVEN HUNDRETH POST here on the Bunker, this is the cover of Action Comics #700, featuring the supposedly deceased Lex Luthor taking back "his" city after his death -- including the destruction of the Daily Planet!  I remember digging the ever-loving heck out of this issue when it came out, and reread it multiple times.  It, unfortunately, was part of the First Great Comic Purge Of El Jacone back in 2003.  But some good memories there for sure.

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of my readers out there who has helped keep this humble little blog going.  I'm nowhere near the top of the heap when it comes to comic blogging but I like to think that my little corner of that market is one where not only I can share my thoughts, but where everyone who visits can share as well.  And I want to keep that vibe going.  So thanks to everyone who takes some time out of their day to read the Bunker.

Here's to 700 more!

Unbridled Capitalism: Mr. K's for December

Took a little trip to Mr. K's Used Books last week to trade in some paperbacks I culled while cleaning out a bookcase.  And I can't go to Mr. K's without indulging in a little bit of capitalism.

Nick Fury: Agent Of SHIELD: Who Is Scorpio? -- This is a small collection, but I have never read any of Steranko's Nick Fury stuff so any amount of it is appreciated.  Specifically, this collection grabs 4 of the first 5 issues when the feature was spun into it's own mag, and Steranko was doing words and pictures.  Definitely a nice little find for (ahem) 2 bucks.

For Your Eyes Only -- Marvel did a two issue adaption of this 1981 James Bond 007 film (Roger Moore's fifth outing), and it was eventually collected in this mass market paperback.  FYEO is the hardest, meanest, and most straightforward of the Moore Bonds, departing from the global threats are returning to a more simple Cold War story.  But it's a very strong film and I am looking forward to checking out this adaptation.  Considering the amazing success of the film series, it was a surprise for me to hear that there have been very few comic adaptions of the 007 movies.  Some of them, such as Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker, and A View To A Kill, seem perfect for the medium.

(Trying to get back on track here... work schedule has been crazy and will continue to be crazy for the next few weeks... sorry folks.)

What Looks Good?

Magnus, Robot Fighter Archives v.1 -- Now in softcover!  Oh damn!

Mighty Samson Archives HC v.2 -- Still in hardcover!  Ahhh, damn!

DCU Holiday Special 2010 -- These holiday specials always get your right *there*, don't they?

Flash #7 -- I'm still waiting on getting #6, so I guess the Flash has to wait on me!  D'oh!

Tiny Titans/Little Archie #3 -- After Joise and the Pussycats last issue, I can't wait for what's next!

So, what looks good to you?

Here Comes The Money!

*cha-ching* Money talks!

The Richest Boy... IN THE WORLD is back!  The Gold Level comics for Free Comic Book Day 2011 have been announced, and Ape Entertainment is bringing the cash in the form of the Richie Rich/Kung-Fu Panda flipbook.  It looks like our favorite Poor Little Rich Boy has been upgraded, with Cadbury packing heat and Irona looking like she stepped out of a super-robot anime!

I am all over this like green on money, honey.

What Looks Good?

I finally got some new comics yesterday, as my first mail order box came in, so let's take a look at some comics which I'll be reading next month!

Brightest Day #15 -- Just read #13.  Ohhhhh damn.

Doom Patrol #17 -- Let the insanity loose!

Marineman #1 -- Is this new Image character the Silver Age Aquaman for a new generation?

ShadowHawk #5 -- It's about time, yeesh...

Iron Man/Thor #2 -- Haven't had a chance to read the first one yet, but I have high hopes for Tony getting put over in this series.

What If: Iron Man: Demon In An Armor -- Everybody loves a What If?!

So, what looks good to YOU?

The Return Of The Monster (Hero)!

Check out this awesome page by Aaron Lopresti featuring his new monster character Garbageman from Weird Worlds #1!  I have this upcoming anthology book on preorder and am very eager to get it in my hands.  I can live without Lobo, but Garbageman and Kevin Maguire new science fiction character Tanga sound like fun reads.  I am almost always willing to check out a new "weird" book and this one definitely seems to fit the mold.

You can check out a preview over at DC's The Source blog.

Weird Worlds #1 is due next month.