On comics and other pop culture topics, including archived Comic Book Commentary posts from 2005-2007.
Judging by the presence of all seven issues of Jonah Hex spread throughout, among others, it had been at least seven months since I'd filed away any comics, and the stack (as seen here) was growing out control, threatening to topple over onto our bed at any moment. The stack at the back on the left was everything I'd already read, mostly floppies, with a handful of thinner TPBs in the mix. To its right and direct front were TPBs of various dimensions, some read, some not. Finally, the stack closest to me was yet another mix of unread comics,…
Black Adam <> Teth Adam (DCR-123) I absolutely L-O-V-E the Infinite Crisis expansion for Vs. Seriously. The new teams are all cool, each with challenging mechanics and a variety of appealing cards spread throughout the curve. Also, while I'm not really the best judge of such things, I'd say the primary teams -- JSA, Villains United, Checkmate and Shadowpact -- are all strong enough to go up against any of the previous teams introduced, Marvel or DC, including those frustrating, team attacking Avengers Dan was killing me with for a while. Our last session, featuring fledgling decks built from our…
This is by far the best edition of On the Web. Below you'll find the first episode of the Japanese live action Spider-Man TV show. The opening credits are incredibly good. In fact it's hilarious! I have two favorite parts during the show open. The first being the amazing use of freeze frames, and the second is..... Oh I shouldn't spoil it. I beg you to be patient and download the whole show. There are many funny scenes. All you have to do is scan through the episode once it's fully downloaded. I promise you that toward the end of…
Via this week's Lying in the Gutters:Alan Davis presented either a cynical or realistic interpretation of the industry, where writers, needing to increase their salary after royalty payments disappeared as the norm, stretched their story ideas into multiple issue arcs, a five issue arc taking less time to write that [sic] five separate stories, so that they could write more titles. And artists demanding that editorial ask writers to give them splash and double splash pages for extra resale value. And editorially driven comics deriving from set plot points, and the writer's job nothing more than finding acceptable ways to…
Support GOOD Comics! Try something new EVERY month. My weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 5/17/06. The full shipping is list available at ComicList. [NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com] PICK OF THE WEEK Comics Creators on X-MenBOOM! STUDIOS Jeremiah Harm #3, $3.99 Jeremiah Harm 2nd Prtg #1, $3.99 Talent #1 (Of 4), $3.99 Talent is really good. Jeremiah Harm, not so much. I reviewed both in…
The current issue of Time magazine has an interesting article about the upcoming Nintendo Wii that makes a few good points that I think can also be applied to the comics industry.A Game For All AgesBy LEV GROSSMAN/KYOTOVideo games are an unusual medium in that they carry a heavy stigma among nongamers. Not everybody likes ballet, but most nonballet fans don't accuse ballet of leading to violent crime and mental backwardness. Video games aren't so lucky. There's a sharp divide between gamers and nongamers, and the result is a market that, while large and devoted--last year video-game software and hardware…
HELLBOY JOINS UPPER DECK'S "VS" GAMING SYSTEM CARLSBAD, Ca. -- May 10, 2006 -- The comic industry's "Greatest Paranormal Investigator" makes his trading card game debut as Upper Deck Entertainment (UDE) -- in association with Dark Horse Comics -- today announces plans to add Hellboy to UDE's Vs. System superhero portfolio. Based on Mike Mignola's ("Gotham by Gaslight") best-selling comic book mini-series "Hellboy," the set will premiere as the first release of UDE's new Essential Collection, which features highly competitive decks themed around some of today's most notable comic icons. The new Hellboy-themed Essential Collection will be available on store…
