MileStone

Just started collecting Milestone comics. For those who don't know this was a DC imprint back in the 90's that ran for a few years then shut down. I they featured a more racially and culturally divers cast of characters in there books and dealt with the issue of race and class in there titles. I didn't know this going in; i just wanted to see if the comic, that Static Shock the tv series was based on, was any good. I picked up the first issue from a half price books for fifty cents. It was actually a pretty cool first issue and first arc of 4 issues (which i got in trade). I am sort of on a black super hero kick right now, so i decided to try and get the rest of the series on ebay. I found a great deal on a bunch of static books along with first issues of Icon, Blood Syndicate, and Kobolt books. Icon and Blood Syndicate were both very cool, but Kobolt did strike my fancy.

So far I am really feeling these books as a collector on a budget. These are great because they are not expensive books, and they are somewhat hard to find because they were not that popular(because of the 90's boom in my opinion). They also are just cool to read; they have great art, the stories grab you early on, and they approach issues you don't see often in comics.

So, i started with Static. Like i said it was a cool first couple issues just telling you who static is and what he is about. He basically is a black spider-man with electrical powers; a mouthy smart teenager who has real person problems. The thing that sets it apart is that he lives in the inner city and has dealt with the violence his entire life, right up until the moment he got his powers in fact. A draw back to the book is the language, it is very 90's and now it just seems like it is trying to be to "urban." I don't know if it is just dated or they are just trying to hard even for the 90's. It's good for coming out of the 90's, it doesn't have all the armor and guns and darkness (figuratively) that the 90's is known for (ie death of superman, lobo, azrael batman.) In the first arc they kept it simple, kid with powers deals with life with powers: saving people, keeping a job and teaming up with a bad guy because he found out he is "only friends" with a girl he likes.

Now, Icon is next. If you would of asked me before reading this book if i would find a black superman interesting i probably would have said no, but this book has grabbed me. This is a very conservative superman that doesn't really want to be, or thinks there is a need, to be a hero because he thinks people should help them selves. Also, the story behind his origins has was not explained in the first 4 issues, just a short flash back. He is an alien that crashed on earth, was changed into a black child by his ship then has lived over a hundred years as a black person in America. I would really like to know more about what he did before now on earth and what he did as an alien, or if he even knows. Draw back of the book is only that i want to know more about the character and his history(not really a draw back technically).

Last is Blood Syndicate. The whole idea of this book really intrigues me, I have had an interest in gangs there history, development, and impact on society for a while, and reading a book about a street gang that is given powers and seeing how they use those powers to do good and not so good is cool to me. This particular book i have only been able to read the first issues of, and it was great. I want to read more and see where this all goes.




Like I said in the beginning Kobolt did not grab me. It was very 90's. dude with a bunch of chain and a knife fights crime (think human Lobo). not good just look at the picture.










PS Just started Hardware and Shadow Cabinet. They are looking pretty good. More later

Fist Stick Knife Gun

Just read this graphic novel, Fist Stick Knife Gun by Geoffry Canada, a story about a young man who grows up in the heart of New York city and how violence shaped and affected him. It moves from his early life in the 50's to is college life in the 70's. I thought the story was only some what interesting, but my wife enjoyed it very much(I think that is saying a lot since she reads almost no comics). It did have a very moving ending though.

This is definitely a comic that steps outside of what most people think of when they imagine funny books. I would definitely recommend this for some sort of educational reading for an English, sociology, or modern American history course. Just thought i would give it a mention.

Black Panther: Man Without Fear

I am happy to see my one of my favorite Marvel characters in a book again, even if it is a borrowed title. It seems that Black Panther is without a home(in more ways than one), everything that was set up for him in his own series has been ripped from him. I am sorry to say that I think this might be the way to go for the Black Panther. While, I liked parts of the 2005 series with T'challa as Black Panther (mostly how its started and how it ended), to me most of the series was an excuse to have T'challa team up with another black character in the marvel universe that issue. This cheapened the book, between the major events and cross overs it was not able to develop the character/story of the Black Panther/Wakanda. Then Shuri takes over the mantel of the Black Panther in her series in 2009. While, some important things happened in this series it was drawn out over a year only to bridge this gap to Doom war. Large pieces of T'challa's life has fallen away to get us to where he is in Dare Devil's book, but i think this could be a good thing. they are taking the character out of its usual elements and seeing what could happen. I look forward to seeing where it takes the character, but i hope it lasts. I cannot see Black Panther in Dare Devil's book for more than a year, if that. Hopefully it moves the Black Panther into some new places, like a book that is truly his own.