Episode 078: Exalted

Episode 078: Exalted

This week, Vince and I have the pleasure of discussing an absolutely fantastic story arc which ran in Astonishing X-Men recently, penned by Greg Pak. “Exalted” is a great story involving alternate dimensions, complete with a kid Kurt and his adorable Spider-Man lunchpail. Seriously… I want to adopt that kid. We both really enjoyed this story, though did have choicer words for some of what we’ve been reading; I’m looking at you Avenging Spider-Man, The Walking Dead and the Astonishing X-Men which followed Pak’s run. Enjoy the show. Discussion Astonishing X-Men #44-47 What We’re Reading Vince: Wolverine and the X-Men #10, Skullkickers #14 Roger: Avenging Spider-Man #7, Ultimate Comics X-Men #11, The Walking Dead #97, Astonishing X-Men #48-49 New Releases Marvel Amazing Spider-Man: Ends of the Earth Avengers #26 Avengers Academy #30 Avengers vs X-Men #4 Avengers vs X-Men: Vs #2 Invincible Iron Man #517 New Avengers #24 New Mutants #42 Thunderbolts #174 Uncanny X-Men #12 Venom #18 X-Factor #236 Marvel Universe vs Wolverine TPB DC DC Universe Presents #9 Hellblazer #291 Justice League #9 Scalped #58 Wonder Woman #9 Other Voltron #5 (Dynamite) Hardcore #1 (Image)i Sage #3 (Image) iTunes | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review!...

Dead Man’s Run Issue 0

Dead Man’s Run Issue 0

I was very happy to receive an advance copy of Dead Man’s Run #0, a preview issue of the latest comic from Greg Pak (Incredible Hulk, Vision Machine) and Tony Parker (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). The preview issue will be available in comic shops this week. As Pak states in his afterword, Dead Man’s Run is based on a simple premise; “Jailbreak from Hell”. While that may not seem terribly different from any number of Ghost Rider comics, it’s the setup that sets Dead Man’s Run apart. This is quite literally a jailbreak, as Hell seems to be situated underneath an actual prison. The comic follows Frank Romero, a guard captain at the prison. Under normal circumstances, his job would be merely to contain a breach of this magnitude. However, there are powerful (and likely sinister) forces at work behind the scenes and he must lead his team into the depths. This is where the comic grabbed me; Parker’s art, with amazing color from Peter Steigerwald, really jumps off the page. The smoke, the fire, the shadows; Hell has been crisply translated to the page. I don’t want to give too much more away; the twists are worth checking out for yourself. The plot moves quickly to establish the tone of the series in its twelve pages, and there’s several intriguing mysteries at work here that I’d like to know more about. I’ve always liked fiction with a supernatural aspect, especially in comics; look no further than my love of Ghost Rider and Hellblazer. Dead Man’s Run fits that mold nicely, telling a big, crazy story that probably wouldn’t work in any other medium. There also seems to be enough depth behind it that will keep me coming back from more. The first full issue comes out in January, and that seems so far away after this little taste. Dead Man’s Run Issue 0 Aspen Comics Story: Greg Pak Art: Tony Parker, Peter Steigerwald...

Comic of the Week (5/25/11) – Incredible Hulks Issue 629

Comic of the Week (5/25/11) – Incredible Hulks Issue 629

After all these years, you wouldn’t think there’s much fresh characterization left for Bruce Banner and his angry alter-ego, the Hulk. Luckily for us, Greg Pak does. With only a handful of issues left in his years-long run on the title, Pak is still finding new and interesting stories to tell. In this issue, Bruce Banner races to save the love of his life, Betty Ross, before he loses her to the Red She Hulk forever. Along the way, he may just save the world, too. Incredible Hulks #629: “License to Smash” Marvel Comics Story: Greg Pak Art: Tom Grummett, Cory Hamscher, Edgar Delgado...

Chaos War Issue 2 of 5

Chaos War Issue 2 of 5

Okay, first of all, what he hell is up with that cover? Every character looks like crap; it’s definitely not something that would entice me to pick this comic up off the shelf. Just… no. I’m actually going to stay on the art, as it’s been an ongoing point of discussion with this series. It’s apparent that Khoi Pham spent more time and effort on the first issue than here. While issue 1 had some impressive visuals with only a few awkward panels, every character here seems off, with too many lines where they’re not needed. There are still some high points, but overall, it just doesn’t look right most of the time. The heavy-handed light and shadow effects only make it worse. Maybe I had rose-tinted glasses on with the first issue, but Chaos War 2 just looks worse to me. The story is more of the same; cosmic and divine entities are waging war on all existence. Hercules’s big assault at the end of the first issue failed miserably, leaving all of Earth’s mortal heroes down for the count. The issue mostly revolves around Hercules building up a force that can withstand the Chaos King, a new incarnation of the God Squad. Thor and Venus are already at his side and he quickly adds Sersi (from The Eternals), as well as Galactus and the Silver Surfer to his ranks. It also seems you simply can’t tell a story these days without Daimon Hellstrom making an appearance. The team works, and each character actually has their own motivations for fighting at Herc’s side; the table is set for big action in the next few issues. A side story in this issue focuses on the chaos King attacking the various realms of the dead, and fallen heroes being called forth to fight back. It’s actually a solid setup for the various Chaos War tie-ins; X-Men, Dead Avengers and Alpha Flight. Besides, any time Ares is leading the charge to battle, your comic grows in awesomeness. The whole story is told in the usual straight-forward, Incredible Hercules style. The dialog isn’t very deep, but it keeps the pace up, constantly driving the story forward. In an odd twist, there isn’t even much humor to be found here; it fits the story, but there’s definitely more Pak here than Van Lente. Chaos War may not be the greatest miniseries I’ve ever read, but I’m still enjoying it. The art’s making it difficult, and while the quality of the writing may not be on par with the likes of Shadowland, the content is solid. It’s big and fun and, when the story and art click into place, I can still see the potential here. Chaos War Issue 2 of 5 Marvel Comics Story: Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente Art: Khoi Pham, Tom Palmer...

Chaos War Issue 3 of 5

Chaos War Issue 3 of 5

This really is getting hard to look at; the first panel of the comic features what’s supposed to be Balder, and it’s a total mess. At least the cover looks good this time. It’s also getting a bit hard to read. The first panel of the fight shows why Hercules is the worst leader ever. He basically just tells everyone to use their specific powers, “Thor! Lightning! Sersi! Transmutation! Hellstrom! Fire! Surfer! Power Cosmic!” No shit, Herc. Goofy art and goofier dialog aside, there’s still a solid story going on here. The fallen gods of Hades, Valhalla and the other afterlives are now under the control of the Chaos King; as if the God Squad wasn’t screwed enough. The battle between the living and dead gods is entertaining. Thor, a God of Thunder himself, gets completely owned by Zeus and his lightning; the Skyfather even knocks Galactus around. In this particular sequence, with Hercules, Zeus, Ares and the other Athenians interacting, the simple, almost clichéd, dialog actually seems to work. It makes sense that these beings who have been around for thousands of years would talk like this. Once Herc finally cuts loose and takes down his father, Zeus gives him some advice. In order to take down the Chaos King, Hercules needs more than the God Squad; he needs the power of the heads of all the pantheons. Unfortunately, they have sealed themselves away, protecting their realms from the Chaos King. Hercules uses his newfound power to open the way, falling right into the Chaos King’s trap. The universe is screwed. I’ve criticized the art, I’ve criticized the dialog, and yet I’m still reading. Chaos War has become the equivalent of a summer blockbuster for me; it’s not GOOD, but it’s still entertaining. Pak and Van Lente have backed our heroes so far into a corner, now I have to know how they’re going to get out of it. Chaos War Issue 3 of 5 Marvel Comics Story: Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente Art: Khoi Pham, Tom Palmer...

Chaos War Issue 1 of 5

Chaos War Issue 1 of 5

This one is going to require a bit of backstory. During the “Secret Invasion” event, where the alien Skrulls attempted to conquer Earth, a battle was waged on a higher plane of existence. For the Skrulls, it literally was a holy war, their mission blessed by their deity. In order to combat that higher power, the pantheons of Earth sent a group of representatives to combat the Skrull gods and prevent them from intervening with the battle on Earth. This “God Squad” consisted of Hercules, representing the Greeks; Snowbird, representing the Norse; Amatsu-Mikaboshi, representing the Japanese and several others. This “Sacred Invasion” took place in the pages of Incredible Hercules and saw Earth’s heroes defeating the Skrull gods, as well as the enslaved gods of the Skrull’s conquered enemies. All good, right? Well… one small problem; Amatsu-Mikaboshi is bad news. In the Ares miniseries, he destroyed Olympus and killed Zeus. After the “Sacred Invasion”, he was thought dead and left behind with the remaining enslaved gods. Fast forward a bit, and Hercules is lost in another dimension. In the Prince of Power miniseries, his young friend, the supergenius Amadeus Cho, gained god-like powers of his own through a ritual and brought Herc back. Realizing no mortal can wield such power, Cho bequeathed it to Hercules. With his newfound omniscience, Hercules saw the coming of the Chaos King. It took a crap-ton of continuity to get us here, but that’s the basis of Chaos War. Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the Chaos King, existed in the nothingness before the universe was born; he WAS the nothingness, and now he wants to destroy reality to go back to that time. Backed by all the gods enslaved by the Skrulls, the Chaos King is a force to be reckoned with. We begin “Chaos War” with Hercules wrecking everything he comes in contact with. Never the most composed of heroes, he lacks the self-control to contain his new level of power. He tries his best to warn everyone of the Chaos King, but with him causing more harm than good, even lashing out at the heads of Earth’s pantheons, the warning is ignored. Van Lente and Pak do a nice job giving us a look at the other heroes’ opinions of Hercules; he’s a great hero, but lacks any leadership qualities. So, if none of his fellow heroes will volunteer, Herc will just draft them. He summons all of Earth’s heroes, gives a rousing motivational speech, endows them with a fraction of his own power and leads them into battle. The whole issue moves at a breakneck pace, which is both one of its best and worst qualities. For someone like me, who’s read all the stories leading up to Chaos War, it’s nice to just get to the action. However, someone who hasn’t been reading second-tier titles like Incredible Hercules (as awesome as it was), may be lost if they just want to read Marvel’s latest event title. Pacing aside, it’s good fun. Chaos War features the same larger-than-life characterizations and quick humor as its predecessors, not to mention the hilariously over-the-top sound effects. I think it will be a nice change of pace for this potentially monumental story to be told with a bit of silliness; many event comics take themselves too seriously. I look forward to seeing the story play out. What I don’t particularly look forward to is the art. It’s not bad, the characters are wonderfully detailed. Hercules definitely looks heroic, and there’s a great sense of scale to the characters; you definitely feel the strength Hercules and Thor possess. While there are occasional inconsistencies, Khoi Pham’s basic artwork is overall impressive. My issue lies in the coloring of the comic. I’ve never been a fan of the washed-out watercolor style. As I mentioned in my review of the first issue of Scarlet, in a comic, it just looks like the art was run through one too many PhotoShop filters. I may be in the minority on this, as the art in both titles has been highly praised, but it just isn’t my preference. Unlike Scarlet, I’ll continue to look forward to Chaos War. It’s a huge, fun story featuring two of my favorite characters, Thor and Hercules. It’s big, it’s loud, it’s goofy and it’s fun. That’s enough entertainment to keep me on board. Though, again, the story is deeply dependant on previous storylines, so comic noobs beware. Chaos War Issue 1 of 5 Marvel Comics Story: Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente Art: Khoi Pham, Tom Palmer...