Thursday Morning Superhero

I think we can definitively say that this is the best week of new comics of 2016.  This may have been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make in terms of what should be the pick of the week.  I stand by my decision, but Dept. H and The Walking Dead: The Alien were both brilliant as well.  Sadly I haven't read my copy of Divinity II #1 yet, but from what I have heard that would also be a contender.  This week speaks to how innovative comics can be.  We have a 10th anniversary special that is a beautiful homage to a staple in this industry, a digital pay what you want one-shot for a series with over 150 issues, and a stunning water colored mystery that takes place six miles under the sea.  Good stuff.

Pick of the Week:
Criminal 10th Anniversary Special - It is hard to believe that Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have been producing their crime noir series for 10 years.  While I haven't read all of the past issues, I have enjoyed the vast majority of them and am pleased that Image is rereleasing all new editions of the entire library.  You can tell that this is a series that Brubaker and Phillips are passionate about and that it is personal to them.  The special focuses on a father who is trying to tie up some loose ends that might cause trouble for him.  To help maintain a low profile, he enlists the help of his son who has the bad fortune of spending a lot of time alone in motel rooms while his father seeks out information.  Criminal does an amazing job of humanizing violent and troubled offenders.  At no point do you feel sympathy for the father, but the characters all feel real.  As an added bonus, we are treated to a comic within the comic ala Watchmen.  Elizabeth Breitweiser does an amazing job with the colors in this book, as the feeling of switching between our story and the comic that the child is reading is extremely immersive.  Fang, the Kung Fu Werewolf is the comic in question, and it does a great job synching with the young boy's experience.  I will be surprised if this title is not nominated for an Eisner next year, as it is a beautiful edition to this amazing series.  Fans of crime novels and noir should really check this series out.

The Rest:
Dept. H #1 - Matt Kindt has teamed up with his wife, Sharlene, in a murder mystery set deep in the midnight zone of the ocean.  Mia's father was murdered when he was stationed miles below the surface at Dept. H.  Dept. H is a deep sea station managed by Underwater Science Exploration and Research (USEAR), a government organization who has been supporting Mia's father's research for over a century.  Since the crime and the murderer are self-contained at the bottom of the ocean, Mia's friends urge her not to make the trip to the bottom of the ocean, but she knows the truth will haunt her.  Featuring some of the most stunning water color work to grace the pages of a comic book, Sharlene's artistic chops really bring a sense of peace and horror to book.  The ocean seems peaceful, yet heavy, and the potential suspects stationed at Dept. H all seem flawed, and likely candidates in this whodunit that has me mesmerized.  This should fill the gap that has been missing in my pull list since the conclusion of Mind MGMT.

The Walking Dead: The Alien - What a pleasant surprise!  The Panel Syndicate, a creator owned DRM-free comics website, published a one-off Walking Dead story from the creative duo of Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin.  For the first time to my knowledge, we get a glimpse on an international level of the zombie apocalypse as our story opens in Spain.  In "The Alien", which is confirmed as canon by Skybound, we meet Claudia and Jeff.  Jeff is an American who wants to get back to the states to check on his brother in the hospital, and Claudia has a plan to get out of Europe, but needs something that Jeff possesses.  After reading well over 100 issues of the Walking Dead featuring the art of Charlie Adlard, it was an interesting experience to see another artists take on this world.  Brian K. Vaughan gives us another fabulous leading lady in Claudia and I hope she makes her way into the print series in the near future.

The Haunted Mansion #2 - When we left off, Danny Crowe had ventured into the Haunted Mansion in an attempt to set the spirit of his grandfather free.  In another friendly nod to the ride, Danny makes his way into the Grand Hall.  Much like the ride, our first glimpse into the party that is taking place is from up above as we peer down on the ghosts enjoying themselves.  We learn more about the curses placed on the mansion by the Captain, the ghost in control of the building, and a bit more about the perils that Danny must overcome in order to help the residents who wish to be free.   While not my favorite book, I love the nostalgia that this fun all-ages title provides.



Huck #6 - Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque's tale about the kind lad with super powers reached a very fitting conclusion.  In what might be my shortest review, it was great to see this title come full circle and return to the warm and fuzzies it had early on.  It took a dark turn, that was enjoyable, but it is nice to see things wrap up with daisies, kittens, and buttercups.







POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.   

Thursday Morning Superhero

While I didn't get to enjoy the festivities due to work, there was a minor invasion from the comic book world this past week in my hometown of Austin.  The big news, at least in my opinion, was the debut of the first issue of Preacher.  Produced by Seth Rogan and airing on AMC, Preacher is an adaptation of Garth Ennis' comic published by Vertigo.  While I heard it is not completely true to the comic in a literal sense, it maintains the dark tone of the comic and should appeal to even the hard core fans.  Look for it on the airwaves this summer. 

Pick of the Week:
Huck #5 - Huck and his mom have been captured and it doesn't look good for the pair.  There will be some minor spoilers in this review so if you are concerned about that you should move on to the other books I read this week.   If you haven't read this series then I highly recommend going back from the start.  Mark Millar has once again delivered a truly stunning series.  That should be enough of a buffer.  In this issue we learn that Huck's mom had been held captive in an attempt to serve as a surrogate mother for a series of super soldiers.  She has the ability to control what someone thinks if she touches them, and the two find themselves trapped behind reinforced glass.  The new plan is for Huck to be a stud of an entire generation of super soldiers.  This is setting up for an amazing finish for what has been a breathtaking series.  Rafael Albuquerque and Dave McCaig really bring Millar's vision to life and we finally get to experience an angry Huck.  I think I am going to enjoy this angry Huck.

The Rest:
A&A: The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong #1 - If you aren't familiar with these Valiant characters, Armstrong is an immortal being, possibly the devil himself, who has spent the past 7,000 years drinking and partying with some of history's greatest figures.  Archer is a teenage martial arts expert who has been raised to kill the devil incarnate.  Fortunately for Armstrong, the two became friends.  This new series opens as the duo takes a trip into Armstrong's magical bag.  If that doesn't sound exciting enough, you should know that the bag is home to a library, a crew of goblins, trash monsters, a fully stocked bar, and much, much, more.  I will be honest and state that I haven't read much of either of these characters, and immediately regret doing so.  This series is packed with humor and insane action and was an absolute blast to read.  I didn't even get into the details about Archer's sister Mary-Maria, head of the Ninja-Nun Assassins or Davey the Mackerel, some sort of sarcastic fish-man who resides in the bag.  Really fun debut that has me searching for back issues of Archer and Armstrong to learn more about this duo.

Usagi Yojimbo #153 - This is a series that I am familiar with and one I have always been interested in, but for some reason have not read any of it.  This issue marked a part 1 of an arc called Kyuri so I thought I would give it a read.  Usagi is confronted by a savage Kappa who seeks to undo a truce that Usagi's people have made with the local Kappa population.  Kappa's are part turtle, frog, and monkey and from what I gather have always been a nuisance to Usagi's people until the truce was reached.  The comic has a vintage feel to it and was quick and to the point.  Stan Sakai has been writing and drawing this series for many years and it is clear he knows his characters well.  Definitely an enjoyable title and one that I will revisit down the road.


POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.   

Thursday Morning Superhero

I hope you are preparing yourself for this weekend's general San Diego Comic Con sale.  If you haven't created your official Comic Con ID, I think you are already out of the game.  In an event that is sure to fill your social media feed with complaints and tales of victory, I wish my fellow nerds the best of luck as they try for the coveted golden ticket.  Good luck all!

Pick of the Week:
Huck #4 - Holy twist, Mark Millar!  Huck is the only superhero that is even more of a goody-goody than Superman and Captain America combined and his story has been one of the most endearing I have read in recent memory.  Thanks to his powers going public, Huck has reconnected with his brother and has learned that his mom escaped from the Russians during the Cold War.  Using his special abilities, Huck is on the trail of his mother, but being the good Samaritan he is, he is delayed in his efforts to help others along the way.  This title needs to be developed into a television series or movie so that this story can reach the masses.   This is the issue that cements it as a must read.

The Rest:
Birthright #14 - The tension between Mikey and Brennan reaches a boiling point in an emotional issue that is setting up an epic ending to the current arc.  Brennan finally has had enough and stands up for himself in a series of panels that I can relate to as a younger brother.  It is amazing to think about how composed he has been considering what his family has been through.  This was the issue that humanized Brennan and Mikey's relationship and Joshua Williamson should be applauded for doing so in such a realistic fashion.  Add in the drama that breaks at the end of the issue with their parents and we are fully set up for a truly special ending of this arc in the next issue.


Star Wars #16 - Dr. Aphra has just been secured in a secret rebel prison that exists on a star.  Leia is ensured that this is a secure location, but Aphra reminds the prison that she is a friend of Vader and that she won't remain long on this star.  Meanwhile, Han Solo is gambling with funds that were intended for supplies and may be a bit rusty on his act.  The Marvel take on Star Wars continues to shine as it sheds light on events that took place between the movies.  I am curious to see where Solo's failed gambling brings him and Luke as they attempt to strengthen their tie to the rebellion.  It is easy to think they were always a key part, but both of them fell into their roles and their struggle to fit in is an enjoyable read.



POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.   

Thursday Morning Superhero

 This week we are gifted a wonderful new superhero from Mark Millar.  Apparantly Millar was traumatized by the actions of Super Man, and inspired to create a superhero that wouldn't frighten people, but inspire them to do good deeds.  On top of that there are three stellar titles from Jason Aaron and things get a bit dicey in the latest issue of Beauty.

Pick of the Week:
Huck #1 - Mark Millar launched a new title this week, his take on a Superman type hero named Huck.  Huck was left at an orphanage as a baby, and it quickly became apparent that he was special.  The town's little secret, Huck was raised to do one good deed per day.  We get a glimpse into how he accomplishes this, and sometimes it is as simple as buying someone lunch, while other times it involves using his super strength to lend a helping hand.  Millar does a great job of building an instant rapport between the reader and Huck, and I cannot wait to learn more about him.  In celebration of his beloved character, Millar launched #DoaGoodDeedToday on Twitter and is sending 10 people signed comic books.  I love a good book that has the ability to create a positive impact like this.

The Rest:
Star Wars: Vader Down #1 - The first event from Marvel's Star Wars began this week and it was quite enjoyable.  Written by Jason Aaron, Darth Vader tracks down Luke Skywalker to a base on Vrogas Vas and all hell breaks loose.  One things that Marvel really nails in its Star Wars comics, is a sense of scale.  Vader jumps out of hyperspace in the middle of multiple X-Wing squadrons working on manuevers.  The ensuing battle is truly epic and once again we are treated to how powerful Vader is.  I never fully appreciated his power in the movies, but the comics have dramatically changed my perspective.


The Mighty Thor #1 - I have not remained in the loop, but couldn't resist reading the re-boot of the re-boot, so I gave this title a whirl.  The new Thor, Dr. Jane Foster, has cancer and is dying in her human form.  In an interesting twist, when she takes hold of Mjolnir and becomes Thor, the cancer treatment in her body is purged.  On top of that, she is unwelcome in Asgardia, as many accuse her of stealing Mjolnir, and Odin has gone insane.  Whew.  That is a lot of personal drama to mix in with the impending war of the realms.  Not sure I am up for taking this title on, but it was an interesting read that should be worth your time with Jason Aaron penning it.

Star Wars #12 - I have to hand it to Jason Aaron, who wrote three of the five books I am reviewing this week, for delivering one of the most wonderful scenes that has ever hit the pages.  Chewbacca wielding two lightsabers.  R2D2 raided Grakkus' personal stash of lightsabers, and delivered them to Luke, Chewie, Han, and Leia, following an E.M.P. that disabled all other weapons.  Using the lightsabers, they are able to free Luke from the Gamemaster and once again slip through Vader's fingers.





Beauty #4 - Calaveras once again launches an attack Detective Vaughan and his team.  The plan was  to leak the story to a popular beauty television show, but Calaveras, who we learn is not to be messed with, launches an attack that the three are barely able to escape.  We learn a bit more about the beauty and the chain of command at those who are behind it, but much remains a mystery and I look forward to seeing where this one is headed.  Definitely one of the best new series of 2015.





 POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.