Everybody's Linking For The Weekend (Late)

Sorry this are late... you know how it goes when you have a weekend sometimes.

Rick gets us started as usual with this nifty Guardians Of The Galaxy letterhead.

I remember this Storm miniseries that G Kendall is blogging about, and even back then I wasn't sure why it existed.  Now it is even less clear.

Lilbones shows us horror straight from the Treehouse.

Scipio presents: The Vixen Effect, an effect which neither Luke Cage nor Black Lightning are effected by.

rob! shows off this very cool painting of Aquaman from the Vs card game.

james gets into the act with a look at the legendary Elf from the Defenders.

And finally, Frank shows us what the Justice League endorses as far as candy, apparently.

What I Read This Week

Kull #1 -- The barbarian king of Valusia has all but solidified his rule, but Count Areyas still stands against him.  Will Kull be able to breach the Iron Fortress, and if he does, what will his next move be to maintain control?  The new miniseries starring Howard's "other" barbarian hero gets off to a great start here, as
Arvid Nelson and Will Conrad weave an engrossing adaption of Howard's "The Shadow Kingdom," which is very demonstrative of the differences between the Atlantean and the Cimmerian.  I ended up with the Kubert alternate cover, which is also quite cool.  S&S fans will definitely want to check this one out.

House of Mystery #7 -- Fig, Harry, and Lady Anne begin to explore the dark and scary basement of the House, while the Poet entertains the guests at the pub with a tale about the never-ending battle between the cats and the birds in the eternal gardens.  The mystery deepens, as is appropriate, and the basement seems to have an odd effect on the residents of the House.  Just where this is heading (and what is lurking down there) is anyone's guess at this point.  The Poet's story was quite charming in a sort of C. S. Lewis kind of way.  

Justice Society of America #20  -- It's a reunion of sorts as the JSA meets the JSI, and New Earth and Earth-2 are introduced to each other proper.  It's a lot of explanation and hand-wringing, as we learn how the Earths of the new multiverse relate to one another and why exactly we have 2 Power Girls.  There's some good sequences (a section with Mr. Terrific meeting Earth-2 Paula Holt is really quite moving), but overall this feels more like a story which Johns "had to" tell in order to explain how things work more than anything else.  Pretty unmemorable, though the art from Eaglesham (New Earth) and Ordway (Earth-2) is top notch as usual.

Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion #1 -- From the landing at Omaha Beach to preparing to move deeper into France, cartoonist Kilroy and top kick Sgt. Frank Rock run into each other, keeping up on each other as the Army moves deeper and deeper into the French countryside.  But this next manuver might very well be the last for all involved.  Bill Tucci's labor of love dedicated to the real Lost Battalion has been a long time coming, and is a very different animal than pretty much any Rock comic I have ever seen before.  For one thing, Tucci's look has a sort of Expressionist look to it, with deep colors and humanistic characters.  His Rock is not a square-jawed super-man (like the sketch Kilroy makes on the first page, obviously a Kubert Rock), but just a tough SOB who is going to do his job no matter what.  I'm not sold on the look just yet but the story and the detail have me, so I am on board here.

Storming Paradise #4 -- As 1945 gives way to 1946, the American advancement in Japan is slow going.  But while the Allied forces are bogged down moving from village to village filled with fanatical defenders, the remaining Axis powers have begun work on a weapon which will change the course of history.  This series is very thought provoking, but the way it goes about it is somewhat unusual, with Dixon and Guice focusing less on battles and brass and more on skirmishes and downtime; there's a sense of isolation and fear which I imagine is pretty accurate.  Features an appearance by a celebrity who already popped up in this series, which was a nice callback.

Invincible Iron Man #7 -- My Marvel subscription is acting up, it seems, as I did not get this yet.

Iron Man: The End -- Tony Stark, CEO and Chief Technologist of Stark Universal, is finally ready to unveil his greatest and last gift to humanity: Big Jump, a space elevator which will allow transportation to orbit at rougly 2% the current cost.  But even as Tony unveils his ultimate achievement, can he ever give up his earliest?  Or is he destined to wear the armor of Iron Man forever, wasting away after years of abuse inside the iron shell?  David Michelinie and Bob Layton, along with penciller Bernard Chang, tell a story which clearly draws a through-line from their time scripting the adventures of Shellhead, telling a story about control, heroism, and mortality.  A long time coming (I remember reading about the basics of this on Bob Layton's website at least a year ago), this does not disappoint, and any and all Iron Fans need to pick up this examination of Tony Stark as he comes to grips with not only the world but with himself.

Venom: Dark Origin #4 -- The newly united Eddie and symbiote take some time to get to know one another, and then head out to track down the hated Parker.  We hit more established Venom continuity here, and Wells and Medina do an admirable job of adapting it, though Medina's Venom is clearly more radical a design than anything MacFarlane concocted.  I don't think anyone who is not already a Venom fan would enjoy this, but as I am a fan, this is a lot of fun to read.

Two-Face: Year One #2 -- How bad has the justice system gotten in Gotham City?  Bad enough that having your fate decided by the flip of a coin gives you a better shot at a a fair verdict than a trial by jury.  And bad enough that Two-Face is leading in the polls for the position of District Attorney!  With Gordon and Batman at odds with how to deal with their former friend, will Two-Face extert his own brand of justice over the city?  Or will the mob still control the courts?  Mark Sable and Jesus Saiz go all out here, as we get to see Two-Face's campaign volunteers at work (including Riddler, Scarface, and Joker, who threatens to blind a voter's child if they don't vote for Two-Face), and Gordon's team of "untouchable" cops bring law and order back to the city.  This won't go down as one of the greatest or most important Bat-stories of all time, but this fits in very nicely with the other stories from this era and is one of the better Batbooks I have ever read.

Final Crisis: Resist -- Or, Checkmate shows up in Final Crisis.  I picked this one up on a whim and while there is some neat stuff going on here, I could have passed on it as I don't read Checkmate.

The Pick Of The Pile is Iron Man: The End, which was simply too strong for this Iron Fan to overcome.  But had that title not come out this week it would have been a dogfight.

So what did YOU read this week?

Weekly Dose Of Weird!

Weird War Tales #112 -- There are seven things wrong with this cover. Can you name them?

I. "The Medusa Sting!" -- In Egypt, the Creature Commandos are on a mission to harass Rommel's Panzer lines in order to buy General Patton enough time to set up his counterattack. After downing a Luftwaffe fighter, the Commandos take refuge inside a pyramid, where they find a gorgon-headed mummified queen, the spitting image of Dr. Medusa. All of the Commandos save the doctor then drink of a potent wine, which shrinks them down to the size of dolls! Carrying them in her hair, but now seemingly useless at their size, Dr. Medusa makes the charge on a Panzer encampment on her own, but is helped by her pint-sized comrades who team up to fire a machine gun and help wipe out the camp, giving Patton the time he needs. The Commandos return to normal thanks to the venom of the snakes in Dr. Medusa's hair, who had bitten the team while the doctor carried them.

II. "The Head Of The Battalion" -- During the French revolution, an ambitious lieutenant has all of his superior officers added to the list of traitors who shall meet Madame Le Guillotine. Now the commander of the battalion, the lieutenant leads his men into battle, only to find himself along against an army of headless corpses -- along with the ghosts of the officers he murdered! Startling his horse, the ghosts lead the lieutenant into a trap, complete with a wire, which decapitates the lieutenant and reunites his spirit with his unhappy former comrades.

III. "Nine Lives Are Not Enough!" -- A GI liberating France in the later stages of WWII saves a black cat from the Nazis, and is rewarded by the cat's mysterious owner with nine lives. Now a reckless hero, the GI throws himself into every situation, dying each time but returning thanks to his gift. Rising to the rank of sergeant, the GI now has other men's lives in his hands. Saving one of his Privates by diving on a grenade, the GI uses his last life... only to be reborn as a black cat, given another chance for his sacrifice.

Overall Weird Rating: 4 (out of 5).

A good introduction to the Creature Commandos, who really are pretty similar to the Losers except that they are all monsters. Kanigher seems to enjoy writing them and that shows through. The other two segments are also well done, making this a strong issue all told, even if I was a little skeptical up front because of the Commandos, whom I had never read before. Adding to the Weird Factor is an ad for the Swamp Thing film, as well as a clasified ad in the block used to hawk comic book catalogs which appears to be hand written -- and very badly at that!

What Looks Good?

Man, I'm groggy after all that political back-and-forth.  I think I'll go to the comic shop and decompress, as it were.

(Congratulations to Barack Obama.  I didn't vote for him, but he pulled it off.)

Kull #1 -- Well, I said I wanted to avoid politics and look what is first?  The King of Valusia makes his return to the 4 Color page!

House of Mystery #7 -- What terrors lie in the basement of the House?  And what twisted tale of love shall we hear?

Justice Society of America #20 -- The JSA is fracturing from within, as the Justice Society Infinity shows up on the scene to make things worse!

Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion #1 -- I've been waiting for this one months on end!  Billy Tucci spinsa tale honoring the sacrifices and bravery of the real Lost Battalion in what promises to be a top flight series.

Storming Paradise #4 -- Speaking of War titles, I have missed this one and am eager to see the next part.

Invincible Iron Man #7 -- Guest starring Spider-Man!  Will Fraction job out Shellhead to appease the anti-Iron Man newbie readers this title is aimed at?  Wait and see!

Iron Man: The End -- Bob and Dave are back, to tell the final Iron Man story ever.  Given what I know about this story from what Bob has talked about on his blog, this should be mind-bendingly awesome.

Venom: Dark Origin #4 -- We saw the birth of Venom last time.  Now that the two are together, what evil will they cause first?

So, what looks good to YOU?

Unbridled Capitalism: Greenville Comic Con

Celebrating Halloween weekend, this past Saturday a couple of friends (including Adama from Dispatches To The Arrowcave) and I heaed to the ultra-posh (yeah right) Super Lodge in Mauldin for the Greenville Comic Con!  It was... well, a little small.  But when admission is a buck you expect that.  Still, for a small con in a small hotel, they had plenty of good deals to be found, especially in the very prevalent 50-cent bins.  So how much damage did I do?  Let's find out!

Iron Man -- As I get closer to finishing up my collection, I end up finding less and less of what I need at the shows, because mostly I need books which are going to be pricier.  Anyway, I did manage to add two more issues -- #102 (Sweet!  Dreadknight!) and 114 -- to the collection.  This leaves me with 35 remaining comics to track down!  I also picked up What If? #8, which looks at if Iron Man had lost the Armor Wars, and Soviet Super Soldiers #1, which features IM baddies such as the Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man.

Hawkman -- As I detailed over at Being Carter Hall, there was some Winged Wonder stuff to be found, including Hawkman v.2:no.1, the 1986 Hawkman Special, Action Comics #588 (featuring a crossover with Superman), Secret Origins #11 (with the origin of the Golden Age Hawkman), Showcase #101 (featuring the Hawks and Adam Strange), and the Rann-Thanagar War TPB.

Power Man and Iron Fist -- Sadly, just one issue this time out, #61.

Batman And The Outsiders -- This seems to be a title that when I find it I tend to find it in bunches.  I was able to find a good run of the original series and finish my collection, snagging #20, 22-27, 30 and 32.  Now I just need to (somehow) make more headway in the 90s series!

Arak, Son Of Thunder -- See what I said about finding Outsiders in bunches?  Same with this series.  For 50 cents apiece I found #4, 6, 8-9, 11, 13-14, 16, 19, 26, 29-30, 32, and 34-35.  I'm very close to completing what is, believe it or not, DC's second most successful S&S series.

Flash -- A pair of Barry Allen issues (#238 and 293) coupled with a few of Wally West: #7, 9, 51, and Annual 2.

Weird War Tales -- Another single issue, #112, featuring the Creature Commandos!

"Weird" Comics -- Some interesting stuff here, including a pair of issues of House of Mystery (#213, 216), and DC Comics Presents #53, which teams Superman up with the House of Mystery itself!

Random Stuff -- I did manage to find a few odds and ends.  First up is Mystery, Incorporated, AKA 1963 #1, the Silver Age homage by Alan Moore.  I had this whole series once but ended up having to sell it, so should be fun to read it again.  Next was Secret Origins #21, which pairs up Jonah Hex and Black Condor of all people.  I also picked up Claw The Unconquered #12, the final issue of the barbarian's first series, and Action Comics #592, which features the infamous story of Big Barda and Superman making a porno!  Finally, I also managed to find Justice League of America #260... that's right, where Steel gets blow'd up.

All in all it was a very worthwhile trip.  Lots of Outsiders and Arak, and some new Hawkman stuff is always welcome.  Sometimes the small cons are a waste, but this was a great way to spend a morning with friends and comics.

What I Read This Week

The War That Time Forgot #6 -- Things get weirder (if that's possible) as it becomes clear that something even more bizarre than soldiers from different eras of Earth's history are trapped on Dinosaur Island, as it we get our first glimpse at just who is pulling the strings!  Bruce Jones' story has a lot of different elements to it, like an ensemble television show, but it comes together pretty nicely, and pairs up nicely with penciller Al Barrionuevo's consistant linework.  This should be enjoyable for fans of DC "weird" stuff or the classic War characters.

Captain America Theater Of War: Operation Zero-Point -- In the midst of the European Theater, Captain America is ordered to extract a Polish scientist who is trying to defect to the US.  But to rescue this man, Cap will have to face down the Nazi's new squadron of flying saucers and a German commandant who is both machine and man!  The Knaufs and Breitweiser deliver one hell of a slam-bang one shot for the Captain, with double crosses, super-science, and good old fashion fisticuffs.  Breitweiser's art is insane, depicting everything with a harsh reality which is perfectly suited to this sort of story.  

Marvel Apes #4 -- Marty Blank, AKA The Gibbon, along with the other outcast apes, must stop Captain America and his vamprific Invaders from opening the portal to the mainstream Marvel Universe and feasting on an all-you-can-eat blood buffet!  All this plus the Watcher Watcher.  Kesel and Bachs' miniseries has been high on the silly, but high on the fun quotient, too.  The conclusion does not disappoint, plus sets up the opportunity for a followup as well as introducing a new hero to the Marvel Universe, whom I am sure we'll see more of soon enough.  The "blogosphere" may have decided that this series "sucks," but obviously your mileage will vary.  Worth picking up the trade if you missed it.

Captain Action #1 -- The new Captain Action, son of the original, must single-handledly take down the all powerful team of superheroes who claim to defend the planet, but are actually the vanguard of the insidious extraterrestrial Red Crawl.  As the proper launch to the new series, this is alright, although much too short, as there are backups for both Fant'mas and Mandrake the Magician to fill up space.  I think I will pass on this "modern" series, though if Moonstone puts out any more "classic" adventures like the novella First Mission, Last Day, then I will pick them up.

Project Superpowers #7 -- The Superpowers fight against the F-Troop while the Fighting Yank makes the sacrifice which will either redeem him for his actions or curse him for all eternity.  The first chapter of the new Superpowers universe wraps up in pretty satisfactory manner, closing out the main thrust of what was set up at the front end while still keeping some things mysterious (including just who is running things, and who the other Superpowers are).  A better issue than the last couple, but I think I am going to pass on the next wave of titles.

Nova #18 -- Deep under Project Pegasus, the seige by the Skrulls continues.  But Nova and Darkhawk get some unexpected backup in the form of... Wendell Vaughn, the original Quasar?!  If you had told me that an issue of Nova would have guest-starred Darkhawk and Quasar as well as being a tie-in to a big crossover event, I would have told you it was published in 1993.  But here we are, and even more amazingly, it's really good.  Just goes to show that sometimes doing action superheroics is just fine, thank you.

The Pick of the Pile was Captain America Theater Of War.  I definitely felt that this was worth the $3.99 price point, considering the length and quality of the story, plus the great if not "name" creative team.

So what did YOU read this week?

Everybody's Linking For The Weekend

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! And remember kids -- you earned that candy, don't let your parents steal it for themselves!

Rick shows us the letterhead to the Now Comics version of The Twilight Zone.

Rick also checks in with this very cool Carmine Infantino repro of the cover to The Brave And The Bold #70, featuring Batman and Hawkman.

Revel in the adorableness of The Lilbones clan on Halloween.

I really dig this model sheet of Aquaman by Alex Toth, as shown by rob! The link at the bottom of the entry also leads us to...

BONUS GAME! The Phantom Stranger!

And finally, with her increased profile lately, its appropriate that Frank gives us Vixen's profile.

Have fun folks and don't eat too much candy! (Is there such a thing?)