Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Alien Zapping Fun: Fear Agent #1

How do you prefer your sci-fi? Do you like the boring and tedious SF where people go on and on about physics and gravity and, you know, actual science stuff? The kind of SF where WAY too much time is spent explaining how plausible intergalactic travel is and what it would be like to set up tariff rates for alien civilizations. OR do you prefer stories that just get on with the business of zapping aliens with ray guns and blowing stuff up?

If you prefer the latter, then Fear Agent #1 is just the rocket-ride to interplanetary action you've been waiting for! Fear Agent chronicles the adventures of alien exterminator Heath Huston. Huston is a slightly seedy, somewhat alcoholic, Mark Twain quoting, gun-for-hire whose jobs often seem to land him on the wrong side of the law. Fortunately for him, his motto is "If the law didn't see me, I didn't do it," and that seems to be working for him so far.

The first issue is really an action-packed teaser for what is to come. We follow Heath on what must be a "typical" day on the job for him. Luckily for readers, a typical day involves fighting off hordes of under-evolved ape men, dealing with brain-sucking jelly monsters, literally cliff hanging, and blowing up lots of stuff. It's enough to make a down on his luck alien exterminator really need a drink. Too bad for Heath he left his flask at home...

Fear Agent is written by Rick Remender with pencils by Tony Moore. The afterword in this issue makes it clear that these guys want Fear Agent to recapture the glory days of '50s comic book sci-fi as it was done by guys like Wally Wood. This is going to be a book loaded with action. Heath Huston is a rough and tumble adventurer who will find himself saving the galaxy from killer robots and hideous, tentacled horrors with a variety of zap guns and good, old fashioned ingenuity. The creators have big plans for this book, and I think it's gonna be an exciting ride.

Strap on your jet pack and don't let the Zagulon Hordes stand in your way! Do whatever it takes to get to Four Color Fantasies and try out this week's guaranteed Book of the Week, Fear Agent #1. If you don't read this book, the other space heroes will think you're a big scaredy cat. You're not gonna let them get away with that are you? Show 'em what you're made of, hero!

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

A Relaunch Not to Miss: She-Hulk #1

Some super-heroes never get the respect they truly deserve. I mean, honestly, what makes Spider-Man or Green Lantern any better than Speedball or Sleepwalker? Their powers aren't any more believable, and Spidey has had just as many bad stories as any other character. Spidey has even fought losers like Kangaroo and the Gibbon, yet he holds on to the respect of his fans while the Speedballs of the hero community are dismissed as unimportant. Some truly great characters have been unjustifiably ignored by fans, and it is time we put a stop to this cavalier treatment of those heroes who don't have the name recognition they deserve!

Start the movement today by heading straight to Four Color to buy She-Hulk #1! She-Hulk has been underappreciated for far too long. Maybe her origin as a girly Hulk spin-off wasn't one of comics most original moments, but look how far she has come since those early days! She's been in the Fantastic Four, she's been an Avenger, she's racked up almost one hundred issues in several series of her own, she's even saved the world on multiple occasions! What more does a lady need to do to prove herself?

Jennifer Walters (AKA She-Hulk) is no mere flavor of the month, eye candy heroine in a leotard. Sure, she's a gorgeous, green villain-smacking machine, but she's also got brains! Jen is a lawyer, and a darn good one. And Ms. Walters hasn't screwed her life up like some other super-hero lawyers, with a string of dead girlfriends and questionable legal ethics, that I COULD mention. On top of everything else, Shulkie has a great sense of humor. She can quip as fast as Spidey at his best, and look sexy doing it.

In case you missed it, Marvel published She-Hulk "Season One" last year. Written by Dan Slott (Marvel's go-to guy for stories that bring some much needed humor to the genre) with art by Juan Bobillo and Paul Pelletier, She-Hulk was a huge hit with critics and with any fans who actually read the book. Unfortunately, not enough people were reading these great stories, so the series was rested and relaunched (with the same creators) to hopefully attract more readers. The relaunch is upon us! Don't miss out this time!

She-Hulk has some of the most clever writing in comics today. The stories are witty, and include loads of subtle (and some not so subtle) references to the world of comics that will reward attentive fans. The very first issue has guest appearances by several New Avengers, and the Young Avengers, AND the Vision, AND Hawkeye (Not a hoax or an imaginary story!) She-Hulk WILL entertain you, so give Jen the respect she so richly deserves. Buy this book today, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. If you miss out this time, all the cool kids will laugh at you.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Not a Cheap Trick: Spellgame #1

It's maaagic! With the occasional Harry Potter-esque exception, most magic is pretty cheesy. Magic is the stuff of Vegas stage shows and lame TV specials where guys with ponytails wear puffy, silk shirts and dance around while pretending to saw a Victoria's Secret model in half. On the lower end of the magical spectrum, there are the sleazy con-men with big belt buckles and unbuttoned shirts who use card tricks to impress women and scam cash from the gullible.

Spellgame #1, from Speakeasy Comics, is about one of those sleazy con-men. John Dodge and his partner Harry make a living as "street performers," scamming the rubes with a combination of sleight of hand and confidence tricks. Of course, since this is a comic book, things aren't really that simple. Strange forces seem to be gathering around John, and his "tricks" suddenly take on a life of their own.

Being a skeptic and a cynic through and through, John doesn't believe in "real" magic. No matter how bizarre the circumstances around him, no matter how hard it is to deny the evidence in front of him, John refuses to believe that magic really exists. Dodge isn't going to be swayed by goblins, other-dimensional beings in bondage gear, or even walking, talking playing cards. Not even messages delivered by the re-animated body of his dead friend....well, maybe THAT will work.

Spellgame #1 is written by Dan Mishkin with artwork by Ramon Perez, and a cover by Darwyn Cooke. Mishkin's story is intriguing, and leaves a whole lot of unanswered questions to tempt readers back for more. The art by Perez has a simple, and slightly cartoony style that really shows off the magical weirdness that goes down around John Dodge.

If you want something a little different, and you enjoy stories that leave you just a little mystified, try out Spellgame #1. It is Four Color Fantasies' Guaranteed Book of the Week, so buy one today. Before it disappears, like, you know, um, magic. Poof!

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Monster Mayhem All Month: Devil Dinosaur

Hey, it's October already, and you know what that means! No, not Oktoberfest, ya lushes! October means cooler weather, crummy plastic costumes, WAY too much cheap candy (just stay away from that mean old lady who gives kids those nasty Circus Peanuts and Candy Corn), horror movies, and, best of all, MONSTER COMICS!

Lucky for you, your good friends at Marvel Comics are lookin' out for ya this October with a whole month of cool monster comics! Under the banner of the Marvel Monsters Group, they're releasing a monster-themed comic every single week in October. Each book features monsters from the days of yore, before super-heroes ruled the comic book landscape. Each book also features a mighty fancy cover by monster artist supreme, Eric Powell. (And if you ain't readin' Powell's own book, The Goon, you better have a darn solid reason. Trust me, it's good comics.) Marvel wisely kicks off their monster-iffic celebrations with the return of one of Jack Kirby's weirdest creations, Devil Dinosaur.

Just in case you haven't been exposed to the wonders of Devil Dinosaur before, I'll fill you in on everything you need to know. Devil is a big, red, leathery tyranosaurus with a monkey-man named Moon Boy riding on his back. What a great concept! The only way Devil D could possibly be any cooler would be if Moon Boy was also a pirate, but that might just be too much of a good thing. Kirby was wise in his restraint.

Devil Dinosaur is written by Tom Sniegoski and Eric Powell, with sweet, sweet art also by Powell. (I'm tellin' ya, Eric Powell is a comics genius!) Are these great men content to give us page after page of Devil eating cave men? No sirree! This book also features Kirby's Celestials lurking around behind the scenes. In any other comic, that would be excitement enough. But Devil Dinosaur also has a titanic smack-down between the red one and the always incredible Hulk! Wait, there's more! This issue also has a reprint from Tales to Astonish featuring Kirby monster Xemnu-the ORIGINAL Hulk!

This comic is pure entertainment and Marvel Monster Mayhem. It is more fun than gorging on popcorn balls and cheap chocolate. It is ALSO Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. With a money-back guarantee, you can't lose! So, if you don't give this great comic a try, I'm gonna save up all my Circus Peanuts and leave 'em in a flaming bag on your doorstep. That'll learn ya!