Comic Book Candy

At its best, comic book cover art gets you to buy a comic you would otherwise pass by. At its worst, the art is ridiculed and overshadows the content of the comic itself. But good or bad, how often does one mention cover art in a comic book review? Even the best designed cover may get a quick mention, but rarely is cover art extensively evaluated. When the series itself is under-appreciated, the cover art is even less likely to be discussed. One artist worthy of more recognition is David Yardin, who is doing standout work on the Marvel series X-Factor. The Peter David penned series about mutant private eye Madrox and company has remained under the radar since its relaunch in 2005, which is unfortunate since it is consistently one of Marvel's best books. It is hard to imagine that any title could survive for that long at Marvel without Captain, Amazing, or Wolverine in the name but the book has a lot going for it. From the stable character roster, humorous yet moving stories form D...

This year's Comic Con International, or "Nerd Mecca", ended yesterday after four days of exciting comic book, film, and television announcements. It would be impossible to cover every single revelation, but here are the ones that got the most people talking, the most retweets, and reblogs, and maybe a few announcements that we're just a little more excited about than others. Neil Gaiman to write Sandman prequel for 2013 release, JH Williams III will be artist DC's got the prequel fever, but unlike Before Watchman, Sandman's original creator Neil Gaiman is willingly spearheading the project. The five issue mini will focus on revealing the background of Morpheus leading up to his unexpected imprisonment. Everyone is still heartbroken over the cancelation of Firefly, but that's okay As if missing Comic Con International wasn't hard enough year after year, 2012 was particularly difficult to miss due to a cast reunion of Serenity, a show havi...

On the eve of San Diego Comic Con and having passed the 4th of July weekend, we've reached the pinnacle of summer in 2012. What better way to celebrate than with a final look at the 94' Marvel Swimsuit Special? It's been a titillating journey, but this comic proves that yes, you can have too much of a questionably good thing. However, here at Comic Book Candy we are considering tracking down Marvel's other classic pin-up collections for further analysis should public demand prove sufficient. Until then, enjoy this final visual feast before you and fondly remember the 90's comic book landscape.   Doc Samson is Marvel's resident psychiatrist, and frankly I'm a little disappointed with the lack of creativity displayed in this depiction. Maybe some bookish glasses, a notepad, and Doc wearing these same swimmers while inviting us, the viewer, to lie on his couch, now that's something that would demonstrate the "allure of science" as Uatu say...

The heat wave continues as we analyze more baffling beachside scenes featuring the likes of Iron Man, She-Hulk, and the Wasp (you'll want to stick around for that one, believe me). Catch up on Part I of our analysis here , then join Uatu in I as we do our best to understand Earth's Mightiest as they enjoy their spacecation. Please enjoy more after the jump, some of these photos are too hot for the front page (and too numerous).  If it wasn't for her Spidey pattern towel, it would be easy to mistake Mary Jane for any number of other Marvel redheaded women. In the description it is implied that Peter invited her on this cosmic vacation, yet he apparently didn't make the cut for pinup depictions. As my husband pointed out, "Why is there a child in this?" A sexy day at the beach does seem an unlikely place to see a child. Uatu observes, "…it's no wonder (daughter) Luna is carefree!" I guess she hasn't gotten a glimpse of mom's...

When it comes to comic books, eccentricity has never been in short order. The silver age of comics  is considered the heyday for the weird and wacky, followed by the gritty reactionary tales of Frank Miller and Alan Moore in the 80's. Like a pendulum, the industry swung back to the zany in the 90's. Clones! Robot Superman! Spawn! One of the more ridiculous books of this time period is the Marvel Swimsuit Special. Released annually between 1992 and 1995, these collections of pinups did not hesitate to embrace their shallow purpose. Not quite poster books and lacking any semblance of a storyline, these infamous tomes embody their place and time in an industry that has since strayed from such blatant fan service. The cheesecake stuck around, but it made its home in every brokeback pose (mostly executed by female characters), while the men left behind their speedos and went back to their stoic ways. By no means do I miss properties like the Marvel Swimsuit Special; but it is n...

Saturdays are always the biggest day for conventions, and yet it never fails to surprise me just how crazy this day gets. The ability to shop / walk / and talk at your own pace was replaced by the frantic non-stop atmosphere that is Saturday. Attendance wasn't the only thing that was bigger; late comers to artist alley filled several empty tables, more celebrities made appearances, and with the longest hours, there were more panels than any other day. Like Friday, I could not make it to every panel I wanted, and the sacrifice on Saturday was the Womanthology panel early on. I did make it to  the announcement heavy Marvel: Cup of Joe panel. After making a few (overly long) plugs and announcements, the majority of the time was spent on Q&A, and the people giving answers included Editor in Chief Axel Alonso, writers Jason Aaron, Rick Remender, and Jeph Loeb. To quickly go over the big announcements: Matt Fraction and David Aja will be the creative team behind a new Hawkeye ong...

You're in the right place Though my legs are tired and my wallet is lighter, I've managed to survive a long first day at C2E2. For anyone that is still on the fence about attending this show, let me assure you, it is more than worth the admission price. This would be true even if you only had access to the artist alley. Add to that a wide variety of vendors, panels, and special guests, and you'll be hard pressed to walk away empty handed. Today I spent most of my time wondering the vast artist alley, commissioning sketches, chatting with local creators, and meeting ones from far away. Tomorrow I will be spending just as much time there, but I'll be committing to more purchases. The retail vendors are also just as tempting, and I have several t-shirt, mugs, bags, dresses, and jewelry in mind, not to mention the trades and comic books (I think I'll play the odds and hold out for Sunday discounts on the books). From the looks of it, retailers were not hurting for bu...

It has been widely speculated how Marvel would respond to DC's New 52, especially with DC dominating media attention and market share in the last three months. Would they do a "revamp" of their line as well? Would they try to use their new parent company to gain a wider audience? Would they keep calm and carry on? We may now have our answer with recent announcements that Marvel is canceling several of their lowest selling series, yet offering just as many issues as last year.  Instead of offering a wider variety of titles to appeal to more readers, Marvel's (continued) strategy will focus on "double shipping" their flagship character titles each month, forcing loyal customers to spend more and make up for Marvel's loss in short term sales. As of late, I've found it hard to find the time to write about comics. I have been reading plenty, but few subjects seemed pressing enough to motivate me to make the time to voice my opinion. The month of October ...

(For those joining late, please see the introductory post on Odyssey X , where I explain my attempt to read every X-Men title during X-Men: Schism) X-23 #14 Writer: Marjorie Liu Artist: Phil Noto Cover Price: $2.99 The Future Foundation are a greater focus than the usual cast of X-23, making Lara feel like a bit of a guest in her own series; still, it's a well written continuation of the "fish out of water" concept. Marjorie Liu effectively shows Lara's struggle to come to terms with her past by having her work with well adjusted super-heros and their precocious children. The recent earthquake in New York brought together X-23 and the FF and they quickly realized they had more in common than saving lives. While trying to pinpoint the source of the selective destruction, Valeria Richards solves the mystery but inadvertently causes Spidey, Sue, and Laura to be transported to another dimension. Their selection for this unexpected transportation has something to ...

(For those joining late, please see the introductory post on Odyssey X, where I explain my attempt to read every X-Men title during X-Men: Schism. Or stay here and read my mid-point reflections on the project after my review of Uncanny X-Force!) Uncanny X-Force #14 Writer: Rick Remender Artist: Jerome Opena Cover Price: $3.99 So much for a monthly schedule! (For those not keeping track, Uncanny X-Force just came out last week.) After nearly two months of Odyssey X, this is the only week thus far where only one x-title has been released, and it happens to be the best series of the entire line. Remender continues to weave an entertaining action heavy book while still keeping the focus on characterization. After returning from the AoA timeline one member short, the X-Force team find they have been deceived into helping the enemy they were seeking to destroy. As we learn more about the nefarious plans of Archangel, it is obvious that this incarnation of Apocalypse is very differe...