Comic Book Candy

This Wednesday is shaping up to be quite an impressive day for comics! In addition to Superman: Secret Origin making its debut (see previous post), we have a book making its explosive conclusion: Wolverine: Old Man Logan . Not everyone is a regular comic book shop visitor, so I'll give you a little recap. Set 50 years into the future, the bad guys have won, and all superheroes in the Marvel Universe have fallen. Enter a broken down farmer and family man who would hardly be recognized as the once killing machine Wolverine. The story hints at something having gone horribly wrong in Logan's past, something that has made him vow to never pop his adamantium claws again. Many of the villains in this story are descendants of past powerhouses, such as the "Hulk gang", inbred relatives of the Hulk who hound Logan's family for rent on their small farm. Though some of the issues are a quick read, and you may easily guess where this story leads (a once killer turned pacifist...

As summer comes to an end, we enter prime comic book reading season. Just a few reasons why you should get excited for the turning of leaves and turning of pages: It's getting colder, meaning you are less likely to ruin your comics with sweaty palms. It's not too cold, so you won't be putting off your weekly visits to the comic book store. Did I mention there are a ton of awesome books coming out in the next few months? Our favorite talented artists and writers are surely pale creatures, as they have been working all summer on exciting projects coming this fall. Criminal (2006) and Powers (2000) will make their triumphant returns, plus we still have the ongoing Blackest Night to supply us with our epic universe-altering fix. But as far as new series, there is one in particular that I have had my eye on since it was solicited (offered for order to vendors for those of you outside of the comics retail world), and that book is Superman: Secret Origin (see image below...

Two page spreads in comic books smack you across the face, force you to take everything in at once, and if they're really fantastic, can bring forth a Keanu Reeves impersonation with an involuntary "whoa". I love these all consuming visuals, especially cause they are rare. (You'll see more two page ads than artwork.) This secret weapon, part of the writer / artist arsenal, is only used during the most deserving moments of wonderment. At least the most successful ones achieve this, the ones that feel necessary when you turn the page, knowing that it could not have been shown any other way. So here is the first of many to come in a regular focus on two page spreads. I have quite  a few from memory's past, but the first ones to be shown will be from recent memory (the last two years.) Here Be Spoilers!!! Giant Size Astonishing X-Men #1 Writer: Joss Whedon Artist: (that dreamboat) John Cassaday Giant Size Astonishing X-Men 1 from Comic Book Candy on Vime...

Sometimes its easy to see patterns in what you like. Garth Ennis is writing a new book? I'll check it out. Steve Dillion is drawing it too? Well, that makes it "the team that brought you Preacher". But this post isn't about Ennis and Dillion (expect that post in the future). No, this is about the noir loving, femme fatale fearing duo: Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. As each issue of Criminal reminds us, the secret ingredient is crime. And these two definitely share a passion for the genre that shines through in each of their collaborations. Here's a look at what they've done so far, with a peak at the wonderful things to come: Batman: Gotham Noir Publisher: DC (2001) If you like: What if? comics, alternate universe reads, Jim Gordon centric stories. This Elseworlds one-shot shows us Gotham as imagined in the late 1940's. It isn't a stretch to see the caped crusader in this time period, especially considering that Batman was created in 1939. T...

Whether you have a subscription pull list at your local store, keep a mental note of the books you are reading, or just buy randomly every Wednesday depending on what strikes your fancy, you have a list of comic books you don't want to miss. The books that you frantically worry about selling out before you get a chance to make a stop at the store. These are the keepers. Here's what I currently enthusiastically read: Blackest Night The Boys Criminal Fables Green Lantern Green Lantern Corps House of Mystery Incognito Powers Scalped Walking Dead Wednesday Comics Wolverine (at least until Old Man Logan ends) X-Factor Now, a few of these series are obviously on hiatus (Criminal and Powers, oddly both are my Noir fixes) but I will patiently await their returns. Both of these series are rumored to be relaunching as early as this fall.  And The Boys I still have to read the last trade to catch up, but I can't wait for the chance to buy this series book to book, as ...