Believable characters peak interest: Necessary Evil #1

When you're a teenager, parents are always problematic. Sometimes you struggle to live up to their expectations, sometimes you are embarassed by their dorky oldness, and sometimes you can't stop arguing with them. So imagine the psychological trauma you have to deal with when you find out that your sweet, pie-baking mom was killed in action as one of the world's greatest super-villains! You might as well pack your bags and head to therapy. Or super-villain school. Whichever works for you.

That is pretty much the choice faced by twin brothers Jake and Miller in Desperado's Necessary Evil #1. 10 years after their mom's death (She was the villain known as "The Matriarch."), they get a mysterious invitation to a secret meeting place. On arrival, they discover the Necessary Evil Academy-a school for super-villain hopefuls. The purple-dreadlocked Mr. Anti, who was with their mother the night she died, welcomes the boys to a convocation that will change their lives forever.

Writer Joshua Williamson has created believable characters and thrust them into this somewhat unlikely scenario. Jake is a little unsure about the idea of becoming a villain. He would like to get revenge for his mother's death, but he isn't too gung-ho about killing or mass destruction. Miller, on the other hand, is all too eager to get down to the business of being evil, maybe too eager for his own good. The other students at the school will be pretty familiar to most readers. There's the tough guy who wants to bully everyone, there's the dorky dude who just wants a friend, and there's the rich, hot, snobby girl who has all these teen guys in the palm of her hand.

The mix of familiar, real, characters in a larger-than-life setting is what makes this series worth checking out. The simple, yet effective, animated style art from Marcus L. Harris really brings these characters to life. (Though I'm still unconvinced as to the soundness of purple dreadlocks as a style choice. With a goatee and cape, no less!)

Let your dark side out for some air and check out Necessary Evil #1 this week at Four Color Fantasies! (If your parents will let you out of the house, that is.) It's guaranteed, and WAY cheaper than therapy.

Excellent One for the Kiddies: Teen Titans Go! #47

Hey kids, comics!

Most of us started reading comics at a tender young age. Luckily for us old-timers, the medium really grew up with us. The increasing range and sophistication of comics meant we never had to give them up. Hooray! But what about the new kids? Where are the comics for them? Unfortunately, there aren't many good books out there aimed at the younger audience. How will we hook a new generation of readers? DC has at least one answer: Teen Titans Go!

The comic book version of the popular Cartoon Network show, Teen Titans Go! offers up continuity-free stories with clean, animation-style art. Each issue stands alone and offers readers fun stories, without the violence and darker themes that might upset parents or the complicated histories that might confuse new fans.

Teen Titans Go! #47 offers up two stories about the lives of our young heroes. In the first tale, by J. Torres and Michael Chang, Robin has to deal with the anniversary of his parent's death with a little help from his friends and a mysterious, unseen observer. The second feature, by Torres and Christine Norrie, cleverly shows two different sides of the same morning seen from the opposing viewpoints of Starfire and Raven. Both stories are positive and fun with attractive, anime-styled art.

If you're looking for a comic that you can happily hand to a young reader, Teen Titans Go! is the book for you. On top of two great stories, you also get an (unintentionally?) hilarious story-tisement in which Superman fights crime with the awesome power of candy! (Remember those old Hostess Fruit Pies ads?) TTG is good, clean, fun for kids and adults alike. Check it out now, while it's guaranteed at Four Color Fantasies!

An Awesome Duo: Immortal Iron Fist #9/Annual

One thing I think we can all agree on: watching martial artists kick people in the face is excellent fun for the whole family. Obviously, it's not so great to be on the receiving end, but the guilty pleasure of watching is sheer joy. If you haven't been reading The Immortal Iron Fist, you've been missing out on heaping helpings of face-kicking action.

Of course, no comic can be built on face-kicking alone, so there is a lot of other great stuff happening in Immortal Iron Fist. The series is written by the deadly combo of Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker, with nerve-crushingly gorgeous art by David Aja. The story has just the right balance of gravitas and snarky fun. When dealing with the ancient and mystical land of K'un-Lun, these guys adopt an appropriately serious and thoughtful tone. This is a land steeped in mystery and ancient traditions, and they pay enough attention to detail to make it seem imposing and real. Danny Rand (AKA Iron Fist) is a rich guy steeped in being a bit of a smarty-pants, and the writers capture him believably.

In recent issues, Danny has discovered more about the past of K'un-Lun, and the previous bearers of the Iron Fist, than he ever knew before. He'll need all of that knowledge if he is going to have a chance to survive the Tournament of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. K'un-Lun and its six sister cities have come together for a short time, so, naturally, they have to kick each other in the face. Each city sends its champion out to fight for the honor of their sacred name, and the Iron Fist has to represent for K'un-Lun. Let the kicking begin!

This week you have a chance to try not one, but TWO awesome doses of iron-fisted, yellow-bootied action! Immortal Iron Fist #9 not only starts the tournament, it also leads directly into the Immortal Iron Fist Annual #1. The annual fills in even more of the excellent, pulpy, back-story of Danny's predecessor in the role of Iron Fist, Orson Randall. The annual has incredible art from legends like Howard Chaykin and Dan Brereton, and appearances by such incredible characters as The Bride of Nine Spiders, the Super Lightning Lord, and (seriously!) The Harem Harlots of Harlem. I think that is a level of excellence that speaks for itself!

Unless you want to find yourself on the receiving end of a yellow boot to the face, you better check out Immortal Iron Fist this week! Try issue #9, or the incredible annual, OR try them both because they're two great tastes that taste great together! Both issues are guaranteed comic book excellence loaded with great art, great characters, and your recommended daily allowance of face-kicking! Hyyyaaahhhh!