When There's Trouble You Read DW

I am so upset I missed the release of a Darkwing Duck comic book. I am so upset that I am upset about that.

VIA Boom! Comics

Deadpool Overkill

This month Marvel has decided to print variant covers of it's biggest titles, all of them featuring Deadpool. "The Merc With A Mouth" has a growing popularity among comic book readers and will most definitely have a motion picture after his appearance in last summers "X-Men Origins: Wolvervine". Marvel, being the Disney-owned money printing factory made of indestructible adamantium that it is, will do anything to pry open nerd wallets everywhere. Check out the good, the bad and the ugly bellow.

The Good

The Bad

The Ugly

Comic Book Of The Year

This two-part series co-written by Neil Gaiman (The Sandman) and Andy Kubert (Marvel 1602, Batman vs Preadator) invites readers in to the funeral of Batman with hundreds in attendance. Friends and foes alike line-up to confess their sins and retell the story of how they are responsible for killing the caped crusader. Each gripping story more convincing than the last. I could of done without the guided-by-mom's-ghost-trippy-rebirthed-in-space ending when I first read the second book but it has grown on me over the year. Why did it take them so long to kill Batman? It has spawned incredible storylines and possibilities.

Runner-Up

Kick-Ass #5-7 (#8 available February 17th 2010) - Dave Lizewski's world is all that he ever wanted; A true superhero tale of bravery and creation through perseverance. But he's not ready for any of it. Creator Mark Millar has made the bumbling character in comic books cool like Seth Rogen did in films. As Kick-Ass progresses, events unravel that make the initial four comics books look like Archies.

Gotham Leap

Much like Dr. Sam Beckett and Al, Gotham's caped crusader, Bruce Wayne, is going to be leaping through time and space in 2010. After Batman was apparently killed by Darkseid in "Final Crisis" readers were shocked to find out he was actually alive! Only in another time and in a cave and having no knowledge of who he is. "Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne" begins here and takes the Dark Knight on his greatest adventure yet. Traveling through time making stops as a caveman (above), a viking, a puritan, a pirate (bellow), a P.I. and other pulp-hero hero archetypes. "It's Bruce Wayne's ultimate challenge - Batman VS History itself!" said comic book god and "...Return of Bruce Wayne" writer Grant Morrison.

VIA IGN

This Week In Covers

DC Comics

Lobo: Highway to Hell #2 (of 2)

Marvel
The Marvels Project #4

Vertigo
Northlanders #23

Scalped #33

Image Comics

One Model Nation (Graphic Novel)

This Week In Covers

Marvel

PUNISHERMAX #1

Luke Cage Noir #4

Amazing Spider-Man #611

DC Comics

Batman: Widening Gyre #3

Green Lantern: Agent Orange

Vertigo

Luna Park

The Unwritten #7

Ye Olde Man Of Spider

In 2003, comic book demi-god, Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert came together to create Marvel 1602. An Elizabethan era Marvel tale where many of the current Marvel heroes make their way over to North America after being run out of Europe. Since then it has spurred three spin-offs, New World, Fantastick Four and Spider-Man 1602. The most recent, Spider-Man 1602, hit shelves last week and got my five dollars and fifty cents. Revolving around Peter Paquagh, former apprentice of Sir Nicholas Fury, who works for the local paper illustrating. Suspicious of the local Harbourmaster, Norman Osborne, Parquagh stumbles upon a troubling situation that leaves him on a ship back to England. A blend of the fast-paced Spider-Man action readers are used to and fantastical images worthy of Oz or Narnia this comic aims to please. Go to your local comic book store and pick it up.

Comic Books Killed The Script Writer

I've become weary when visiting my local comic book store lately. I can't shake the feeling that any comic that has the littlest bit of quality writing will be scooped up by a film studio to be bastardized. Take "Kick-Ass" for example, a practically brand new comic about a teenager taking matters into his own hands via masked vigilantism who gets caught up in internet created buzz, is now wrapping up shooting. The worst part, Nic Cage is in it. How did this happen? Have script writers become extinct? I guess this all stems from my displeasure with "The Watchmen" being made into a movie. Something as perfect as "The Watchmen" shouldn't be tampered with and dumbed down for viewing audiences. "Kick-Ass" writer Mark Millar is brilliant and hopefully had his hands all over the film version. The one bright point from this movie being made is the casting of Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from "Superbad") as Red Mist, Kick-Ass' nemesis. 

Noir, Real Noir

"Wolverine Noir" takes place in the late 1930's where our hero Jim Logan, a expert with a knife, is running a detective agency with his imbecilic brother Dog. For a while these two are the best in The Bowery area. Things go awry when the seductive Mariko Yashida enters their lives and Logan is forced "to revisit his painful, bloody past." So far Marvel has wowed me with the first few of the "Noir" series. "Wolverine Noir", by critically acclaimed duo C.P. Smith and Stuart Moore, has the potential to continue this pattern. This newest chapter in everyone's favourite X-Men (Man?) is due out April 15th. Check out the first few pages here.

VIA Marvel 

Solomon Grundy Smash!

On the recommendation of the Mishka Bloglin's Mutant Massacre, I picked up the first of a mini-series about DC's Solomon Grundy. Created in a swamp, after being digested by gigantic crocodiles Grundy is burdened the task of finding the man who killed him and showing forgiveness. The art in this comic is full of gloomy images and dark colour schemes, but still finds away to pop of the pages. While battling the Demon Etrigan, we see that Solomon Grundy is also on a crash course with a LEXCORP truck transporting Bizzaro Superman setting up a clash of the brainless villains for the next issue. Get out and support your local comic book store. Otherwise you won't have any comic books to make your favourite movies from.

Japanese Splendor

N.Hollywood, a high fashion brand from Tokyo, recently released their 2009 Spring/Summer line based on Harvey Pekar's comic book series "American Splendor". Using elements of his conversations, the art and themes from "American Splendor" N.Hollywood comes out with a product which is insightful and witty. My personal favorite "Awake To The Terror..." (bellow) encapsulates my life perfectly. Thank you N.Hollywood, finally someone makes a  humorous t-shirt that says something more than "I Like Boobs/Beer/ETC...".

VIA Cliff Edge

At Least He's Still Cooler Than Fall Out Boy

Caught this over at Topless Robot earlier and couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that this was actually ever published. "Arm-Fall-Off-Boy" was featured in DC comics Secret Origins but never gained the cult following that other comic book characters have. I have no clue why.

At Least It Wasn't "Greenman"

I trust all the faces...except the shark.

Logan Wayne

Wolverine + Batman = Dark Claw. I missed out on this in 1996, but with varying reviews of Amalgam comics maybe I didn't. 

Comic Book of the Year

Omega: The Unknown by Johnathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple

Technically this comic book started in 1976 and was revamped in October of 2007, but I was late and didn't get on it til' early 2008. All 10 issues leave your craving for more much like an episode of "Lost". The imagery used in this comic is amazing and each character is unique and unlike your regular cliche superheroes. Go pick up the omnibus at your local comic book store, the hardcover without the sleeve looks badass.

Out There

Marvel Apes By Karl Kessel, Ramon Bachs, and John Watson

I'm not a comic book nerd, but simply a nerd who likes comics. This series began as a idea that someone had mentioned at a Q&A session, much like Marvel Zombies. At first I thought it was just another gimmick Marvel was using to get me to spend my money, but this series went a totally different direction than what I was expecting. Taking me back to my local comic bookshop four separate times. You should go out and support yours too!