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.

shrinking budget and New Avengers

So yesterday was finally able to clear out my box at my comic shop (Christmas money woot), and i a had to cut a few of my marvel titles. I was a on pull for Invincible Iron Man, Deadpool, Avengers, New Avengers, Black Panther, and everything Ultimate. I dropped a lot of marvel stuff because of the price, as im sure you are aware most of Marvel's good stuff is 3.99 while all DC's normal monthly stuff is 2.99, this is very hard to ignore. (especially when you house needs new gutters) Ironman, deadpool, Avengers, and a lot of the ultimate stuff. Ironman got dropped because i wasn't digging the story it was moving kinda slow for me and i didn't like the villains. Deadpool i dropped because i was just getting it for the laughs, and thet was hit and miss some months. Avengers because i had to choose one. (sorry JRjr) A lot of the Ultimate stuff im gonna wait and see, but im staying on ultimate Spider-Man, because most of it is mini series and i will be able to filter out the bad and keep the good. (bad = vampires; good = ultimate mystery)

Moving on, just read issue 7 of New Avengers and i am glad that I am sticking with it. This issue deals with all the aftermath of the first 6 issues arc as they continue with setting up the team. This is great, i love seeing heroes in there everyday not so everyday lives, it probably helps that Bendis is writing. All the personal conflict and story setups and what not just amazing.(spiderman even gets screwed twice; classic spiderman) Im still kinda mad they killed Brother/Doctor Voodoo cause i liked the character, but i think they will make up for it in the coming months. Definitely worth the 3.99

And remember kids, save your dollars they might be worth something some day.

Avenger's Earth's Mightiest new superhero cartoon show

So, found out about this new Avengers cartoon show a few weeks ago and was able to catch up on it last weekend, and it was one of the best super hero cartoons to come out in the last few years, the last being Justice League Unlimited. This first season was great and i love seeing a cartoon that is great for kids and people, like me, who are 25 year old kids. The show started off strong with the whole gravity guy super villain breakout thing, then went back in time to show the lead up to the break out gravity guy thing. I thought that was an interesting way to develop the story, and explain why nick fury was a weird cross between ultimate black and normal marvel gray temple nick fury. (that was weird to me during that first ep) I cannot wait to see what they do with the series going onward especially with the shifting roster. (hope black panther stays on a while) cant wait to see if they bring in the sentry, that would be cool.

Watchman vs Watchmen

So, i know this is a bit late, but im gonna say a few things about the Watchman movie because i recently re watched it for the first time since the theater. (and did not have a blog when it came out) If you havent seen the movie this will probably have spoilers for both the movie and book.

First off, i thought it was a cool movie, better than most and not your typical super hero movie; and with that, i did read the comic many years and just before seeing it in theaters. They stuck to the main plot and kept all the main characters, something i did not expect because of the nontraditional and dark themes of the story. I feel that they followed the books over arching idea of what super heroes would be like in real life very well, and the only gripes i have with it are superficial.

Some said (me included) that they hated that the ending was changed so drastically, but to me after seeing it again i am not feeling that way anymore. They still had the "bad guys" win and unite the world at a high cost and the "good guys" had to make a very very difficult decision as to whether or not to go along with the ruse, and that is really all you need to do to get the point of the book across. Really the idea of having a bunch of scientists and artist on an island build some giant creature is a little too comic booky for the big screen, much like the X-Men costume change in the movie. (grown men in spandex = gross)

The one main thing that still bugs me is how they did Rorschach's Rorschachs' origin story with the kidnapped little girl. Rorschach finds the guys hide, realizes what happened, confronts the man, and handcuffs him to a stove then in a rage splits the guys head with a meat cleaver. For me this just was not Rorschach. For me he is insane, in a sense, but he is in control; he does not fly off the handle or go overboard unless he is proving a point, much like the prison lunch line scene. It is like they are saying that in the movie Rorschach truly went insane at that moment instead of just coming to the conclusion that he needs to change in order to be a better tool for justice. (Im thinking now they may have changed that only because of the similarities between that scene and the first Saw movie, the whole "hand or your life thing")

They really played up the sex and the fight scenes, but i dont know how i feel about this. Im conflicted; it is fun to watch, but it cheapens the source material. There also seemed to be more full frontal on Dr. Manhattan than in the book. (again conflicted lol)

The last thing, Rorschach's final scene. I didnt like Nite Owl being there (the whole NOOOOOOO!!! thing) and i didnt like Jackie Earle Haley's execution of his final lines(He really did a great job a Rorschach throught out though). But, like i said these a superficial imperfections that are completely in one owns opinion. if you dont like it write your own blog.

Invincible #75

Just read Invincible 75. It was pretty cool. I have read all of the series, and have been reading monthly since issue 38. The book is great because it looks and feels almost like a kids super hero book, but very jarringly lets you know it is not with some of the issues dealt with and the level of violence. It has a great mix of humor, action, and darkness. I highly recommend this book for any one who like a good superhero book.

Issue 75 was cool, stuff is going down. what i love the most about this story arc is we get to see more of Tech Jacket and Battle Beast. TJ is just a cool character that never got a chance, in my mind, and BB is just awesome when ever he shows up. (did i say awesome i meant badass) I cannot say enough good things about this book in general, if you are reading this and not reading that stop reading this and start reading that.

PS: why doesn't omniman wear shoes anymore