Comic Book Candy

(These reviews are part of an ongoing series. 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 #13 Writer: Marjorie Lui Artist: Phil Noto Cover Price: $2.99 After having read every other x-book out there, X-23 stands out amongst the bunch as one of the few worth reading. While many X-Men titles struggle to find a distinct voice, X-23 knows what it is, and that's the story off a girl trying to become her own person after circumstance and evil men have tried again and again to create and control her fate. What's best is that there aren't any overused characters looking over her shoulder along the way. Not one cameo from Wolverine, Emma, or  Cyclops. Gambit is the closest this book has to an older mentor but he seems to be led as much by X-23 as she is by him. There are moments when X-23 reminds me of the Terminator of T-2; understanding normal human emotional behavior is her greatest challen...

(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-Men Schism #2 Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Frank Cho Cover Price: $3.99 Perhaps expectations were high after such a satisfying first issue, but Schism #2 felt like a letdown.  This issue is cheaper and shorter than the first and unfortunately, those extra pages are missed in the storytelling. The exciting revelations in issue one are expanded upon, but often the action is happening off the page. The character interactions that made the first issue emotionally engaging are now shorter, and at times repetitious (it's becoming pretty obvious who the young X-Men will end up following since they've had little or no time with Scott). After wreaking havoc at an international delegation, Quentin Quire returns seeking asylum from the world leaders and super-heroes attempting to apprehend him. His return appears only as another way...

Retailer exclusive variants are nothing new to collectors, but for fans with love for their local comic shop, Amazing Spider-Man 666 will a be a must-have issue for their collection. Spidey is shown on the cover holding the Daily Bugle with a headline touting the rescue of your LCS by everyone's favorite webslinger. Because these variants required a large minimum order, not every store was able or willing to participate. But here in Chicago, four stores decided to order the incentive covers, and I was lucky enough to have my photography grace the covers of two. Considering only about 200 stores worldwide will have this incentive cover (see Marvel's master list ), I feel honored to have my work on these covers. A special thanks is necessary to both Challengers and Graham Crackers for entrusting me with the task of representing their unique stores. They could have taken their own photo, hired a different photographer, or just used a store logo, but they thought of me first and I...

(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-Men #15 Writer: Christopher Yost Artist(s): Dalibor Talajic & Wil Quintana Cover Price: $3.99 It's tough for a reader to jump into a story at the end of a multi-issue arc. All of the previous momentum is meant to culminate at long last, but instead of relief we get a bombardment of mindless action sequences with little attention to character development. At least that's how it felt reading X-Men #15. Cyclops and company are attempting to stop an old enemy who want to destroy all of mankind in order to protect mutants. The issue jumps back and forth between the current struggle and their original confrontation with these Evolutionaries. The big difference we see between "then" and "now" is that Magneto is no longer working with the enemy, but other than that it is the same, "We don't want yo...

Part of the appeal of completing Odyssey X ( reading all of the X-Men titles during X-Men: Schism ) is to experience these books with fresh eyes. What if a new reader tried all of these titles in one go? Would it make sense? Would it be engaging enough to bring them back for more? How much would it cost  to commit to reading every X-Men title? In the truest sense, I am not even reading every single mutant-featured comic. Wolverine will not be on my reading list, nor will Deadpool. Both of these over-exposed characters frequent the Marvel U proper as much as the X-Men titles. I also know my limits, and I have a pull list full of other Independent, DC, and Marvel books to read. Any extra books I pick up will be included as "bonus" reviews. This week saw the release of a second printing of Uncanny X-Force #11, and since it boldly states that it is "Chapter 1" of the Dark Angel Saga, I thought I'd jump in now so I can more easily understand "Chapter 2". ...

It's hard to think of an equal comparison for the downfall of the X-Men titles; once flagship books that were consistently among the top sellers in the industry, the last several years have seen dismal sales despite increasingly talented creative teams coming aboard. The likes of Warren Ellis, Ed Brubaker, and Matt Fraction have tried - and failed - to rejuvenate the once crowning jewel of the House of Ideas. That lost luster has come at a high price as once loyal readers are reluctant to give the books another chance. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I'll never buy your book again. Or so should be the saying in comics. With the econapocolypse showing no end in sight, readers are more selective than ever and that's not even considering competing (cheaper) entertainment. X-Men books brought me into a comic book shop as a 15 year old girl. Specifically, I wanted to be Jean Grey; intelligent, beautiful, sought after by many suitors, and oh yeah, insanely powerful. ...

Since news broke on June 2nd of DC's plans to relaunch their entire line of titles come September, it's clear that there won't be another comic book news story quite like this one for the rest of the year, and perhaps for years to come. Though countless speculation, opinions, rants, and other varied thoughts already exist on the internet concerning this huge announcement, I wouldn't be much of a comic book blogger if I didn't put in my two cents! If you don't follow comic news too closely and need more details, there is a great rundown of all of the title announcements here .   The Good -People are talking about the relaunch / comics in general. Before I get into any of the anticipated titles, it's exciting to see a story like this getting attention. Fans are discussing it in shops, non-comic book related websites are covering it , it's getting some genuine buzz. Whether this will bring anyone into shops off the streets is yet to be seen, but here...

Only a few short months after the opening of their downtown location in Block 37, both Chicago Comic Vault locations will be closing. The first to close will be the downtown store, then the uptown location. Effective this week, both have stopped ordering new merchandise. Until closing, everything in both stores is 35% off, with some items (like toys) at 50% off. My time with Comic Vault as an employee and customer has been short-lived. Owner Matt Sardo has stated personal reasons for the closing of the stores, and though I may be privy to more details than the average customer, I won’t go into details as those are irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Owning and maintaining a comic book store, or any small business, is a very time consuming stressful endeavor, and I don't think less of anyone who decides it is not for them. At the end of the day, business is not an altruistic endeavor; you can't be in it for anyone but yourself. But I do hope for the comic book community...

Batman: Gates of Gotham #1(of 5) Writer(s): Scott Snyder & Kyle Higgins Artist: Trevor McCarthy Batman: Gates of Gotham has many elements of a modern Gothic mystery. A hidden figure wreaks havoc on the city by planting bombs on several bridges, killing more than Batman and his fellow vigilantes can save. Vignettes into Gotham's history reveal a connection between major players in the story and their ancestors, including the grandfathers of The Penguin and Bruce Wayne. The bridge-as-target is an appropriate metaphor for connecting the past to the present, and it could make for an interesting visual element. Despite the potential this story has, the book doesn't quite come together. For starters, the artwork is not a good fit for the story; disturbing moments are awkwardly portrayed leading to some unintentionally hokey results (see Batman's attempts at underwater rescue, or his interrogation of a pleather wearing henchman). Complicated action sequences are furth...

This past weekend Mighty Fine Tee's revealed a new line of women's t-shirts featuring Marvel comic book characters depicted in the iconic style of Patrick Nagel's album artwork. But that wasn't the only artist to come to mind when I viewed these new duds - Cliff Chiang has been creating very similar parodies for years. Like showing up to Prom in the same dress... (Chiang's take at left) In Mighty Fine Tee's defense, they have a lot of really awesome, original designs available through their site. I myself own a Scott Pilgrim tee from their store, and I am seriously considering buying this art nouveau style Shadowcat tee . But these new designs have only been online for a day and already several of Cliff Chiang's fans have pointed out the similarities , myself included. This case is a little less cut and dry compared to some of the blatant infringements that have been brought forth by artists, such as Jess Fink's recent battle with several t-s...