This is Entry 242: The World's Greatest Comic Magazine Returns!

So... Last week this came out:

There are a couple different covers this just happens to be the one I have

The "Fantastic Four" comic book is back after about a year away with Issue #600. The last issue before this was the "final issue" & #588. Where are issue 589-599? Uh.....

(Marvel is counting the issues of the first 11 issues of the FF comic as those "missing" issues but unless you know that in a few years when people are looking for back issues of Fantastic Four might be a bit confused where those 10 issues are.)

This is the 2nd over sized book I've bought from Marvel in the last few weeks. The other one was their Point One anthology. Both of these books have some similarities:

- Both are longer them an average 32 comic book: Point One is 64 pages, Fantastic Four #600 is 100 pages.
- Both are more expensive then an average comic book (which ranges from $2.99 or $3.99 most times): Point One was $5.99 & Fantastic Four #600 was $7.99).
- There are multiple stories in both (Point One has 6 stories, Fantastic Four has 5).
- Both are preparing what future comic books (Point One has a bunch of stating points for stuff Marvel is soon to put out & Fantastic Four #600 is a getting you set for what's happening in future issues of Fantastic Four & FF).

But as I said when I talked about Point One I got the book half off from my local comic book store because they didn't anyone would spend 6 dollars for it & of the 6 stories I'd only read 1 or 2 of them. Is Fantastic Four #600 any better?

Oh heck yeah!

Of the 100 pages in the book, 6 pages are ads. That's 94 pages of story. (Point One had 10 ads but also has almost half as much pages). In those 94 pages, writer Jonathan Hickman packs in a lot of story. Things that have been building since around the time he started writing the book which he's done for 30 or more issues.

My 1 complain about the last few issues of "FF" was that it all felt like set up & I was getting tired of reading the set up without getting much of a payoff. This issue was the payoff & then some. Oh man, was it a pay off. I did not mind at all the $7.99 price tag: I got my money's worth!

The 1st/main story was almost the length of an average comic (27 pages, no ads in that story). If that 1 story was all we got in a double sized issue of "FF" that would have been awesome & worth the cover price. But this being a 100 page book & we are only on page 27: we still got a lot more to get to.

With the reveal at the end of the 1st story, we our first ad before getting to the 2nd story which takes of most of the book (The story is 46 pages long with 2 ads). In it we find out what *SPOILER CHARACTER* has been up since we last saw them & they have been busy which is partly why I think it takes up the majority of the book.

I felt the art change from Steve Epting in the 1st story to Carmine Di Giandomenico in the 2nd was if a tonal change but Carmine's art did fit with the location (The Negative Zone) & for the Bug Horde that is present. But I found how the characters are drawn to be a bit wonky or at least for me. They can look a bit odd at time when I don't think they are meant to look odd.

We flip the page for 3rd ad of the book & past that is the 3rd story of the book a 7 page story involving the Inhumans & we see how Medusa & Blackbolt "talk" to each other. Once again the art changes (each story has a different artist but all the stories are written by Hickman). The art for the 3rd story is by Ming Doyle & nicely goes with the story.

I will say this that all the art in the book while it changes from story to story they all compliment the story nicely if as I said might look "wonky" at times.

On to Story #4 with art by Lenil Francis Yu it is set on the moon with Reed & Sue talking Galactus. They talk about the future of Earth & how it's not going to be a great one. It's only 6 pages long but it sets up a lot.

On to the 5th & final story, it's 7 pages long & the art is by Farel Dalrymple (They also letter the story, too). It's a story involving Franklin Richards & Leech. The art has a childlike quality to it (That is not a bad thing). There is also a mysterious white man. They are completely white. Just the outline of a man with nothing but white in the outline. The "white man" also seen in 1 panel standing partly outside the panel I partly think this is "white man" the writer, Hickman talking to Franklin & Leech but I might be wrong.

And with that we end the book on a text page with some words from Tom Brevoort (Editor at Marvel among other things), Stan Goldberg (Artist & the original colorist for the Fantastic Four comic book) & Paul Mounts (the current colorist for the book). The very last page is the last ad for issue 601 of "Fantastic Four" & Issue 12 of "FF".

From the looks of the ads, what I've seen elsewhere & read elsewhere, the Adults (The Thing, Reed & Sue Richards, *SPOILER CHARACTER* & maybe a few others) will be the focus of the newly restarted Fantastic Four where the "Kids" in the Future Foundation will be the focus of the FF book now.  Which I don't mind I think Hickman has enough to fill both books. But this does mean that I now have one more book to read a month :)

Now this wasn't the only book I picked up last week (It certainly couple have been given that I was that good). There were 3 others but I'll talk about them when I talk about the books from this week & that will be a post for another day.

Until then: Stay Jazzy everybody!

- Brian

This is Entry 241: I'm thankful for...

So, last week in the good ol' U.S. of A. was the Thanksgiving holiday & a day where we gather together with family & eat lots of food. We are also to think about what we are thankful for & I probably should have posted this last week but I didn't. So, 1 thing I'm thankful is this:

It has slipped my mind when I was talking about the latest issue of Demon Knights to talk about the last page of the issue (which that image is). I'm thankful for writer Paul Cornell & Artist Diogenes Neves for not showing me all the gore of the decapitated head. Yeah, it's a bit odd to not see their faces but if I had to a choice to not see their faces or to see blood, guts & gore: I'll got with not seeing their faces. That's all I got to say about it.

Until next time: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 240: Comic Book Round-Up for 11/9/11 & 11/16/11

I think that I'm going to be doing more & more of these 2 weeks of Comics in 1 post round-up posts what with the schedule I've been keeping with these post. I've got most of my comics from last week (except for Marvel Point One which got it's own post) & all of the comics I picked up this week.

Let's start off with the lone Marvel comic I picked up this week & the 2nd/3rd time I've talked about this month: Avengers Academy #22:

Not only does it get the "Shattered Heroes" banner (Still not sure what that means, not one here seems "shattered" other then Jocasta) but it also gets the "Regenesis" banner at the bottom of the cover because every book that has the X-Men in it for the next few months is getting that. So... yeah. The X-Men are in this issue or at least Magneto, Cyclops & Emma Frost are in the book.  I liked this issue & the appearance of the X-Trio didn't seem likely a meaningless cameo just because the Academy has not moved to California. There was some really nice scenes between Magneto & Quicksilver. Also, some nice scenes between Hawkeye (who has changed costumes in between issues for some reason) & Hank Pym regarding the X-Men (or at least regarding Magneto & Emma Frost). Again as I said last time regarding this book: another good issue. One of the better Marvel book I read.

On to the DC books & there are a lot of them.




--------------

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3: First off I like the cover.  Now what is shown on the cover (The group fighting their past selves) doesn't happen but we do get to see a flashback to a time in each of the group's past which I thought was cool. I liked the flashbacks for Roy Harper (Arsenal) & Jason Todd (Red Hood) better then the one for Starfire. They were all good but felt the flashbacks for the guys were more interesting. I was also nice seeing what Jason looked like when he was Robin.

Suicide Squad #3: 1 thing about the cover. Harley's Boobs: they are bigger then her head! What the What? Moving on to the book it's self as seen on the cover, Mad Dog is back!

Cover to Issue #1 of the mini-series.

Who? yeah. Mad Dog is a minor DC character who got a 4 issue mini series way back in the 80's & I don't think had been seen since. How he is seen on the cover is not how he was seen in the 80's. I will say this about  redesign. I sort of miss the Hockey Jersey & the laughing dog. But they kept the look of a hockey mask for his present day mask. Something not seen on the cover but he has a necklace which has the design of the target symbol on it. (The target looked like the "O" from the old mini series' logo). I don't well see much more from Mad Dog given what I think happened to him at the end of the issue but he might be. I'm not sure.

But how was the comic? Getting better issue by issue. My 1 real complaint about there being more then 1 artist per issue seems to be solved. There was some great moments in the book (They should do more with King Shark, he was great in this issue). There was some great banter between the Squad members. If the banter in Suicide Squad became a bit more like the banter Red Hood and the Outlaws that would be cool.  Also, at the end of the issue we got a new Squad member: Captain Boomerang! 1 person we haven't really seen much since issue 1 is Amanda Waller. We've heard her a few times but not seen her much.

Demon Knights #3: Kind of of an off issue for me. It's not that it was bad. Just more of the same from Issue #2 which was good. Nothing truly new, still a good book.

DC Universe Presents: Deadman #3: We are half way through Deadman's story. DCU Presents is an anthology book with a rotating cast of characters (I think I read that The Challengers of the Fantastic will be the next story in the book). EDIT: As pointed out to me Jay Boaz, It's Challengers of the Unknown not the Challengers of the Fantastic.  How was Part 3 of the Deadman's story? Good. The story has nicely clipped along. Each issue has introduced some interesting ideas or characters. Some which I'd like to see elsewhere but am not sure I will.  A good story but not much else  to say.

Mister Terrific #3: We have the conclusion to Mr. T's fight with Brainstorm which was good. Much like with Deadman: a good story but not much else to say beyond that.

Batgirl #: *sigh*. I didn't see much point of this book existing. They spend much of the issue with Batgirl hanging out with Nightwing which could be a interesting idea for an issue. It wasn't. They don't do much. Almost nothing really (they spend a few pages talking about how they were both trained by Batman. Really???!!! I did not know that! Please, waste a few more pages talking about that). I know writer Gail Simone can do better then this! I'm seriously thinking about stopping reading this book.

Speaking of books I'm thinking of no longer reading....

Catwoman #3: Before we talk about the book (which there isn't much to talk about) let's talk about the cover. Actually more 1 thing on the cover: The Bat. You can't really read it at the size I have it at but on the the Bat is the logo "Gotham Bats" which I guess is a local sports team (Really Gotham City? Does Metropolis have a team named the Metropolis Supers? Is there also the Central City Flashes?). But just that Artist Guillem March put that on the bat is kind a groin worthy moment (Not as much as Nova's "Epic Fail" comment from last week but I still groined a bit after looking at the bat). 

What about the book it's self? meh. Not really bad, not really good. Just kind of there. I know writer Judd Winick can do better. He's done better stories & better Catwoman stories in the past. The art is nice but I'm seriously stopping reading this book which mean the only books I'd be reading for DC that have female main characters would be Red Hood and the Outlaws (with Starfire) & Suicide Squad (with Harley Quinn) & they aren't the best female characters DC has now are they? :)

Nightwing #3: That is an awesome cover! 

I want to show you a panel from the comic:

It's probably my favorite panel from the issue. The art by Eddy Barrows is really nice through the whole book & from the past 2 issues also.

So.... what about the story? It was also pretty darn cool. Good book: Good Art & a Good Story. A book I will continue to read.

------

I have a short list of books that I am thinking of stopping reading (both DC & Marvel) they have until January to be better or I stop buying them.

Also, the next round up post might not becoming all that quickly. Next weeks comic will be out later then normal due to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday screwing with shipping. That means I'll get the comics later which means I'll be talking about them later then normal. That will also happen in December due to Christmas screwing with shipping.

1 more thing: My Life in a Longbox is on Facebook so like me & get updates about the blog on your wall! :)

Until next time: Stay Jazzy everybody!

- Brian 

This is Entry 239: Rapping & Comics Collide!

Still saddened that she doesn't exactly exist in the "New 52" (if you count the Karen Starr in Mr. Terrific as a non powered version of her). But I have a theory of how he could exist in the new 52 that I'll be posting here once I collect all my thoughts on the subject.

Until next time Stay Jazzy everybody!

- Brian

This is Entry 238: The Future begins Here!

Back in Entry 230, I talked a little bit about Marvel's upcoming Point One event/thingy. Which I said that it might be the reaction by Marvel to DC's New 52. And they do need something since DC is beating them currently in sale something that hasn't happened in years.

To get you excited/interested in what is coming down the pike, Marvel put out a anthology book called well... what else but:

Before we talk about the cover, let's talk about the price of this here comic book for a moment. It's over 6 dollars. There are 7 stories (6 with a framing sequence) in the book so your almost paying a dollar per story & in this down economy the price point might turn people off buying this book. The comic book store I went to (Arcane Comics) knew this & was offering this book at half off the cover price so it was only 3 dollars for the book. Why did they do this? I was told that they didn't think anyone would buy the book for 6 dollars. I was willing to, just because I wanted to talk about it here on the blog. If I didn't have that as a reason. I would have flipped through it & not bought it. Marvel could have priced it cheaper but maybe they are trying to make up for money lost to the New 52 :)

On to the cover: A general mish mash of characters. Some people are drawn better then others. Nova (way in the back) looks too wide. The Scarlet Spider (to the right of The Watcher's big, bald head) is drawn weird or at least looks a bit weird to me. Maybe Adam Kubert, the cover artist, wasn't exactly sure what the costume was going to look like so kept it vague. Ultron (under the Watcher's Left hand) looks weird. I think it's the head that throws me off a bit. The rest of the people look ok. Still not sure if the archer at the bottom is Hawkeye or not. If it is him, then he's getting a new costume because he ain't wearing that now. When I first saw the cover, I thought that was Sabertooth. Not sure why but that what my mind connected to. Also, I have looked at this cover a half dozen times & it wasn't until I had scanned it in & had it starring me in the face while typing up this post, did I noticed that the Phoenix was on the cover. I thought that was the sun, a lens flare, something other then The Phoenix.

Let's talk the book it's self. I'll say what the stories title is & who made it (The writer & artist only).

The framing sequence (by Ed Brubaker & Javier Pulido) I made mention of is that there are 2 astronauts who are part some group called The Unseen who break into the Watcher's moon base while he is in a trance. A trance that lasts only 42 minutes (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference? Doctor Who Reference? Random Number?). So, the 2 astronaut go look at to the quote the book "a Wall of Memories and windows into Alternate Universe". So, the Watcher's TV which he uses to watch events that have or might happen. The two are there to record what the Watcher has been watching (Who watches the Watcher? Apparently these to). From there we get out first story.

Story #1: "Harbinger" by Jeph Loeb & Ed McGuinness. A story featuring Nova in a story that I feel like I've read before. It's not just that this story is telling me that the Phoenix has returned & that it just killed a planet (because that what The Phoenix does). But this felt very much like Crisis on Infinite Earths #1. Nova is Pariah, the one who witnessed the destruction. The Phoenix is Earth-3 because it had a bad guy who thought he fight against the all encompassing whiteness of death (Earth-3 had Ultraman where as the Planet Birj had Terrax). This story probably has the worse line of the whole book & Nova says it as he flies away from the planet as Phoenix sits on it (or eats it depending on how you look at the picture):

... All those people... I... epic fail...

No, Nova. You don't. Don't blame yourself, Jeph Loeb epic fails because that's a stupid line & he was the one who came up with it & had you say it. That line might be the stupidest line I've read in a while & not in a stupid/awesome kind of way. Just a stupid/makes my brain hurt kind of way.

I also don't understand why this exists. Unless they don't something new & different with The Phoenix I don't see why there needs to be yet another Phoenix story. But they might. They might not.

Onto the next story, Story #2 "The Myth of Man" by David Lapham & Roberto De La Torre. This story brings up back to the Age of Apocalypse for a 3rd, 4th time. Not really sure why we need to return to this alternate timeline. It seems kind of pointless since I didn't there was anything left to cover in this timeline. Sure, not everything had been covered but you don't need cover everything. The story we have here is that basically the entire human race is dead (The rest of Earth's population are Mutants) except for a group of 5 humans who are on a quest to kill mutants. What does merry little quintet but the most extreme name that could come up with: The X-Terminated! Which I guess works for a alternate timeline that came into being during the Mid-1990's & as Lewis Lovhaug has a habit of telling us poor literacy is of course kewl. :)

Story #3, yet another story with calls back to the Mid-1990's "The Scarlet Thread" by Chris Yost & Ryan Stegman. The Scarlet Spider is back in action! But it's not who you might think it is but you'd be close. Scarlet Spider was the identity original created & use by Ben Reily, a clone of Peter Parker (Spider-Man). But this time it's Kaine. Who? He's another clone of Peter Parker. During the 90's he had a lot of clones running around. In fact there was a whole saga about him & his clones. This story spins out of the events of Spider-Island, which is a story I haven't read but it does kind of interest me. Something I might pick up when they collect it into trade paperback form. We see Kaine in his Spider outfit beat up a few bad guys. One of the better stories in the book but I'm not sure if I read the continuing stories with the new Scarlet Spider.

Story #4 "Yin & Yang" by Fred Van Lente & Salvador Larroca. The main characters in this story (codenamed Dragonfire & Coldmoon) are from the only story to not get some representation on the cover. All the other stories have at least 1 character on the cover (2 stories get 2 of their characters on the cover). This brother & sister duo (DF is the brother & CM is the sister) are 2 characters I had never heard of. From the looks of the story & how it is told they are new characters. They will be teaming up with the Avengers to help take down an evil corporation by the name of Taiji because as Coldmoon said in the story:

"Taiji is infecting this planet with alien technology that will enslave humanity if we don't stop it."

so... yeah. This is all set up for something in the future. The book doesn't tell us where to read their further adventure (most likely an Avengers book). This story has a slightly funny interchange between Hawkeye & Wolverine after seeing Dragonfire & Coldmoon show up:

Hawkeye: Friend... or Foe?

Wolverine: Or somethin' in between?

I got a laugh out of it.

On to the next story, one of the better of the book. Story #5 "The Shaman of Greenwich Village" by Matt Fraction & The Dodsons (Terry penciled the art & Rachel inked the art). I read an interview with writer Matt Fraction over at Comics Alliance about the upcoming The Defenders book which this story leads us into & it sounds like a cool book with an interesting story to tell. Given the interview & this story, "The Defenders" is maybe the only book I'd think about picking up.

The last story in the book is "Age of Ultron" by Brian Michael Bendis & Bryan Hitch. This story & the Defenders' story might have the best art in the book. I got an Old Man Logan feeling from this story but that might just be the "Story set in a not to distant crappy future" setting to both of those stories. It doesn't tell you much but that's ok. I might pick this up.



-----------

So... out of the 6 stories in the book I'd pick up 1 or 2 of the books, I find 1 pointless & 3 I'm sort of non plussed about. Was it worth my 3 dollars? Not sure. But It certainly wasn't worth my 6 dollars.

I'll be back soon with my thought on the other books I picked up this week.

One more thing: My Life in a Longbox is on Facebook. I've set up a group page which I think you should be able to find just by searching for by name. If you "like" it you can get message about this blog on your Facebook wall. How cool is that? :)

Well... until next time: Stay Jazzy, everybody!

- Brian

This is Entry 237: Comic Book Round-Up for 10/26/11 & 11/2/11

I did mean to make a Round Up post last week but I just never got around to it & that was sort of good since 1 book I've been reading has put out 2 issues in the last 2 weeks. So... Let's start with that book:

Avengers Academy #20 & 21: Issue 20 is the last issue to tie into the "Fear Itself" event. Now where with Invincible Iron Man I've been pretty much lost on what is going on in the book. With AA's ties in, I have not been. Sure, AA's tie has mostly been not involved in the main action of Fear Itself like Iron Man has been but IIM seemed to have dropped it's story lines/plot lines to focus on FI completely. AA did not do that. It found a way to incorporate it's ongoing story elements into the FI event. Another thing nice about AA & it's FI tie in's, It filled in the reader who might not be reading the main event (i.e. Me) what is going on in that book & why some of the stuff that is happen is actually happening & it didn't seemed forced in there. I don't think I have read a truly bad issue of the series. It's always a book I look forward to reading each time it comes out (which is sometimes once a month & sometimes twice a month).

In reading Issue 20 I was worried that it would be the last issue. The title of the story was "Endings" & the cover sort of looked like it could have been a last issue cover. But as evident by there being an Issue 21 this was not the case. It was just a ending of a few of it's plot lines. A member of the group (Veil, the girl with the orange hair & black suit as seen on Issue 20's cover) has parted ways with the group. But I don't think she's gone from the book as how her leaving is seen in the book & the end of of 21. 2 teachers (Speedball & Justice, the men either end of the back row on Issue 20's cover) have left to go on a road trip. I'm not sure that we'll see their road trip in the book but it would be nice to check in on them every couple of issues.

The major change in Issue 20 is the group's membership is growing & the team in moving. Previously there was only 6 members & they were headquartered in the Infinite Avengers Mansion (which was location in another dimension). With the IAM being destroyed/lost (not sure which it is), the team is moving into the old West Coast Avengers headquarters in California.

The Academy is being opened to any & all young superhuman who would some further instruction/training. From the sounds of it there will still be the small core ground of Academy members with a rotating group of "part time" Academy members. 1 part timer I'm excited about is Emery Schaub, the hero known as either Boulder or Butterball (depending on who you ask). He's awesome!


1 thing I thought was interesting that on the cover of 21: it says it's a "1st Issue" but it also says it's Issue 21. Why? Because under the large "1st Issue" text it also has a smaller "of a new era" text. They are trying to get some new readers because most people will pick up something labeled a 1st issue. It's stupid but it works so they keep doing it. Another thing about 21's cover, I have no idea what "Shattered Heroes" it's probably something to do with the fall out from Fear Itself but the Heroes in AA don't seem to shattered. 


Also, in 21 the Academy is gets a new Teacher: veteran Avenger (and former West Coast Avenger member) Hawkeye. There is a mystery set up in 21 that will play out over the next couple of issues. The next issue (which comes out in 2 weeks) has the Academy meeting up with some of the X-Men.


Before I'm going on to the DC books I've picked up in the last 2 weeks, 1 more Marvel thing: FF is actually doing some stuff, so the last issue (Issue 11) was a good one. Still not sure if I'll drop it or not. There might come a time when the only Marvel I'm reading will be Avengers Academy.




------


Now on to DC!

Justice League Dark #2: As far as I say there was no burning of witches in the book. Zatanna & Constanine didn't even meet in the book either (But Constantine does make a "connection" with Zatanna). But it was still a good book. I am interested in seeing where this book goes. I still don't really like the name "Justice League Dark" but it has yet to be used in the book yet which is good.


Justice League International #3: I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It could be better. I'll at least stick around until at least the end of this story line & see how I feel about it then.

The Flash #2: I'm enjoying this book. It's got some nice art, a cool cover, some inventive use of panels & a interesting story, too. Also, this issue marks the first New 52 appearance of the Cosmic Treadmill, a cool old piece of technology that had been used in Flash of the past. It has been used in the past to test Flash's speed (which what it was used here) but it's also been used for time travel in the past too. Not sure if it will be used for that here. But It could lead to some cool stories in the future if they do use it in that way.


That's all I got for you this time. When I get more comics, I'll be back with more thoughts on them. Until then, Stay Jazzy everybody!


- Brian