Week of April 4th

Honorable Mention

Age of Apocalypse # 2 (Marvel)

   The X-Terminated versus Cyclops!

Avengers versus X-Men # 1 (Marvel)

   It begins here! Cyclops fires the first shot, and Captain America is in his sights!

Batwing # 8 (DC Comics)

   At last...the identity of Massacre revealed! Bet you didn’t see this coming...

Fairest # 2 (DC Comics/ Vertigo)

   Captured by the Ice Princess! What next...?

Ferals # 4 (Avatar Press)

   Bergen, Lake County, Minnesota...a town with a secret, a town of gruesome death.

...and now for this weeks All-Stars!

The Boys # 65

Company: Dynamite Entertainment

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Garth Ennis, Artists: Russ Braun, John McCrea with Keithe Burns, Inkers: Russ Braun, Keith Burns with John McCrea,  Letterer: Simon Bowland, Colorist: Tony Avina, Editor: Joseph Rybandt

All-Star Summary for Choice: 

Wow.

That should really be my whole summary of this issue...just “wow.” I expected to see Billy Butcher go toe-to-toe with the Homelander. I was very interested in seeing how he could possibly kill the most sadistic Superman knock-off ever created. Imagine my surprise when the job of killing Homelander, should he ever go over the edge (like he did in this book...killling everyone in the White House and all) was already handed out to someone that actually can kill him: Black Noir

Now...I hate to spoil it for anyone, but the book is just THAT good, even if I spill the beans...seeing it will still blow your mind wide open. Instead, I’ll just say it’s the US Army versus the rogue heroes, Homelander versus Black Noir...and Billy Butcher finally gets to have the moment of revenge he’s been wanting since issue number one!

All this...and the book ends with Billy commenting that what’s going to happen next is even worse! I can’t even imagine anything that can be as bad as the unmitigated mayhem of this book...I just can’t imagine.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Look at that, he did have brains after all.”

NOTE : THIS BOOK CONTAINS PROFANITY, EXTREME VIOLENCE AND GORE.

Danger Club # 1

Company: Image Comics, Inc

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Landry Q. Walker, Artist: Eric Jones, Letterers: Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt, Colorist: Michael “Rusty” Drake, Editor: Branwyn Biggelstone

All-Star Summary for Choice: 

Talk about a breath of fresh air. This book has phenomenal artwork and one of the freshest ideas for a story I’ve seen in a comic in a long time. The inside cover delivers the hook:

Three months ago.

The universe was in deadly peril. The world’s greatest heroes were summoned into space to battle reality’s ultimate evil.

Our mentors. Our guardians. Our parents. Our teachers.

They left

And they didn’t come back.

The book delivers the rest as Yoshimi, Kid Vigilante, Fearless, and The Magician must put a stop to the sadistic rule of one of their own, Apollo...now the most powerful person on the planet. If that wasn’t bad enough, dealing with him is just the tip of the iceberg as the world’s sidekicks must step up and fill the shoes of the world’s lost heroes.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “The heroes didn’t just die out in space...they lost. And whatever they were fighting...it’s still coming to Earth.”

Daredevil # 10.1

Company: Marvel

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Mark Waid, Pencils: Khoi Pham, Colorist: Javier Rodriguez, Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna, Editor: Stephen Wacker

All-Star Summary for Choice: 

I really love how this book makes Matt Murdock such an interesting character. We know he’s Daredevil, but in a world where everyone suspects he is, but have no hard evidence to prove it...it’s interesting to see how the character has to constantly play it off while experiencing the world in a the very unique way that he does. The simple act of entering a prison can almost be overwhelming 

if you have enhanced hearing, smell, taste and hypersensitive touch.

Matt Murdock goes into a prison to investigate a claim of cruel and unusual punishment, made by Pyromaniac, the latest villain to be incarcerated because of Daredevil. Recounting how he came to be in prison, Pyromaniac gives a somewhat embellished version of how Daredevil took him down. He then decides that it’s time to fulfill his contract and take Matt Murdock hostage...a move he lived to regret.

The art works well enough for this book, but it is mostly story driven and grips with the way it seamlessly goes from past to present to give us the complete picture of the situation.


All-Star Quote of the Book: “He’s not Daredevil! I swear! Matt Murdock isn’t Daredevil!”

Invincible # 90

Company: Image Comics, Inc

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Robert Kirkman, Artist: Ryan Ottley,Inker: Cliff Rathburn, Letterer: Rus Wooton, Colorist: John Rauch, Editor: Sina Grace

All-Star Summary for Choice: Invincible is down...laid low by the Scourge Virus. His now ally, Dinosaurus is brilliant...a genius, and trying his best to save him. So you can imagine his reaction upon catching Grand Regent Thragg in the process of killing his pal. Yup...you guessed it, Grand Regent Thragg versus Dinosaurus!

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times...I’m a fan of the Viltrimites, and there is no Viltrimite more bad-ass than Grand Regent Thragg. Dinosaurus has fought Invincible on a number of occasions...and I imagine he figured fighting Thragg would be much the same. However, you don’t get to be Grand Regent for thousands of years because you can talk tough. You get it because you ARE tough...the toughest in fact.

But all is not lost, Dinosaurus is a genius remember? He came with a plan...he just needs to live long enough to execute it!

It goes without saying that the art is wonderful and brings the graphic nature of this encounter, out of the pages and into your waiting mind. Don’t miss this one as the plot thickens and the blood flows freely.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “I suspect it wasn’t until just now that you realized how foolish that course of action was.”

Whispers # 2

Company: Image Comics, Inc

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Story & Art: Joshua Luna

All-Star Summary for Choice: Anyone not familiar with the Luna Brothers is missing out on some quality stuff. I can’t really harp on you if you are though, I missed issue number one of this series and didn’t catch it until this month. Fortunately, I was able to still get a copy of the first issue, and now that this series in on my radar, it’s smooth sailing.

The Luna Brothers started out with “Ultra.” A series I didn’t catch on to until I was reading their second endeavor, “Girls.” By the time “Girls” was done, I was hooked! Following “Girls” was the mind-blowing series “The Sword.” In case you haven’t guessed, I’m purposely not giving any details of any of these projects (except, I linked them!)...because the best way to experience them is to have no idea what to expect, then get blown away with a megablast of awesome.

However, I will say something about “Whispers.” Sam Webber is having out-of-body experiences and is finding out that he can exert a small amount of influence over people he is close to. He has also found out that there are things that exist in this new pierced veil...evil and dangerous things.

Check out the Luna Brothers.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “I don’t know what’s more disturbing...someone not believing me, or when someone does.”