When most people think of the holidays, they think of family, food, charity, and mutants. Well, maybe only folks who live in the Marvel Universe, or near nuclear power plants, think of mutants. But really, who doesn't love mutants?
X-Men #165 , by Chris Claremont and Salvador Larroca, is a great holiday treat for comics fans who don't feel like watching "It's a Wonderful Life" for the 1000th time. It is a stand-alone issue that takes a look at how the members of the X-tended X-Men family celebrate the most festive season of the year.
The best X-Men stories are always the ones that keep things small. Just stories about life around the X-mansion. In this issue, the X-People come to the rescue at the scene of a traffic accident, help out at a hospice, have a holiday party, and even X-change a few gifts. All in the spirit of good holiday fun. (Especially the snowball fight!)
Writer Chris Claremont does a great job of building up the relationships between characters in this issue. Some new members of the X-Family are fleshed out, and relationships between the old guys are developed. And Larroca is a heck of a mutant artist.
If you are in the mood for some holiday fun with everyone's favorite oppressed muties, you can't go wrong with X-Men #165. The hilarious holiday-themed cover alone is worth the price of admission. (Though Emma Frost's snow-gear seems sadly lacking in the warmth department.) Try out a taste of mutant holiday cheer and pick up Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week: X-Men #165. It's X-citing!
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Questioning Big Business: Trigger #1
Ethicorp owns everything. They own all the businesses, all the insurance companies, all of the media, all of the technology, and all of the government. Lucky for you, Ethicorp "gets the bad out" of everything. Thanks to Ethicorp, you have the opportunity to enjoy this pro-active discouragement of "bad" comics.
Trigger #1, from DC's Vertigo imprint, is a dark tale in the tradition of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brazil, and many other repressed future societies in which "Big Brother is watching you." If you try to create a perfect society, there are always going to be some people who just have to ruin it for everybody. They refuse to be happy, or to believe everything they're told, or just want to think for themselves. In Ethicorp's world, those people tend to "disappear" with the help of mysterious hit men called"Triggers." (Which, of course, don't exist.)
Writer Jason Hall's protagonist is a low-level office worker named Carter. Carter is unhappy with his pointless, sanitized life, but he takes some comfort in the oddly violent stories he writes in his spare time, and in the quaint, antique books he reads. Carter sure doesn't believe the "crackpots" and their crazy conspiracy theories about Ethicorp. That is, he doesn't until he runs into some Triggers out taking care of business one dark and stormy night. Are the conspiracy theories true? And if the Triggers do exist, what do they have to do with Carter?
Trigger #1 presents a dystopic future, not too far from the world we know today. The dark and moody art by John Watkiss adds to the feeling of impending doom. This story, like 1984, gives readers some serious issues to think about, and provides enough action to keep things interesting. Besides, you should buy it because Ethicorp cares about you. Count yourself lucky that Ethicorp has asked Four Color Fantasies to make Trigger #1 their Book of the Week. It is guaranteed, but really, you know you can trust us. Don't you? (Yes, of course you do.)
Trigger #1, from DC's Vertigo imprint, is a dark tale in the tradition of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brazil, and many other repressed future societies in which "Big Brother is watching you." If you try to create a perfect society, there are always going to be some people who just have to ruin it for everybody. They refuse to be happy, or to believe everything they're told, or just want to think for themselves. In Ethicorp's world, those people tend to "disappear" with the help of mysterious hit men called"Triggers." (Which, of course, don't exist.)
Writer Jason Hall's protagonist is a low-level office worker named Carter. Carter is unhappy with his pointless, sanitized life, but he takes some comfort in the oddly violent stories he writes in his spare time, and in the quaint, antique books he reads. Carter sure doesn't believe the "crackpots" and their crazy conspiracy theories about Ethicorp. That is, he doesn't until he runs into some Triggers out taking care of business one dark and stormy night. Are the conspiracy theories true? And if the Triggers do exist, what do they have to do with Carter?
Trigger #1 presents a dystopic future, not too far from the world we know today. The dark and moody art by John Watkiss adds to the feeling of impending doom. This story, like 1984, gives readers some serious issues to think about, and provides enough action to keep things interesting. Besides, you should buy it because Ethicorp cares about you. Count yourself lucky that Ethicorp has asked Four Color Fantasies to make Trigger #1 their Book of the Week. It is guaranteed, but really, you know you can trust us. Don't you? (Yes, of course you do.)
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Green with Envy: She-Hulk #10
Who is the coolest, yet least appreciated, character in the entire Marvel Universe? A few hints: she's witty, she's a lawyer, she's been a member of both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, she's got big muscles, AND she's green. Give up? It's SHE-HULK!
She-Hulk has always been one cool chick, yet she has always had a tough time maintaining a book of her own. Until recently, Shulkie's best attempt to go solo was the John Byrne series of a few years ago. Now that classic series has been pushed back to second best. It's about time Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, got back in the spotlight.
She-Hulk, written by Dan Slott, has consistently been at the top of my must-read pile since the first issue. Slott's stories give us a great chance to look in on the lighter side of the Marvel Universe. Jen puts her legal talents to good use, working for the Superhuman Law Offices of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg, and Holliway. This provides a great backdrop to her stories, and a great cast of characters for Jen to hang with. (Including the Mad Thinker's rogue android, Awesome Andy, who works as a gofer at the office.) Where else could you read about the chaos that ensues when the Constrictor sues Hercules for the extreme physical damage done by Herc's pummeling? (Pick up issue 9 while you are in the shop!)
The latest issue, She-Hulk #10, makes a bit of a change of pace, and we learn about the events of the original Secret War from Titania's point of view, and really come to understand why she hates Shulkie so much. Even though this issue builds on past events, and is clearly setting up a short story arc, you get a pretty complete tale.
Marvel apparently has big plans for She-Hulk, including an upcoming relaunch of the book, with the same great creative team, and lots more. Now is your chance to jump onto her big, green bandwagon! Don't miss out on the fun. Give She-Hulk #10 a try. You can't go wrong, since it is Four Color Fantasies guaranteed Book of the Week!
She-Hulk has always been one cool chick, yet she has always had a tough time maintaining a book of her own. Until recently, Shulkie's best attempt to go solo was the John Byrne series of a few years ago. Now that classic series has been pushed back to second best. It's about time Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, got back in the spotlight.
She-Hulk, written by Dan Slott, has consistently been at the top of my must-read pile since the first issue. Slott's stories give us a great chance to look in on the lighter side of the Marvel Universe. Jen puts her legal talents to good use, working for the Superhuman Law Offices of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg, and Holliway. This provides a great backdrop to her stories, and a great cast of characters for Jen to hang with. (Including the Mad Thinker's rogue android, Awesome Andy, who works as a gofer at the office.) Where else could you read about the chaos that ensues when the Constrictor sues Hercules for the extreme physical damage done by Herc's pummeling? (Pick up issue 9 while you are in the shop!)
The latest issue, She-Hulk #10, makes a bit of a change of pace, and we learn about the events of the original Secret War from Titania's point of view, and really come to understand why she hates Shulkie so much. Even though this issue builds on past events, and is clearly setting up a short story arc, you get a pretty complete tale.
Marvel apparently has big plans for She-Hulk, including an upcoming relaunch of the book, with the same great creative team, and lots more. Now is your chance to jump onto her big, green bandwagon! Don't miss out on the fun. Give She-Hulk #10 a try. You can't go wrong, since it is Four Color Fantasies guaranteed Book of the Week!
Thursday, December 02, 2004
A sensitive hit man: Deadshot #1
Deadshot: The hit man who goes where superheroes can't! Like icky hotels in the seedy part of town, and other unsavory places. Okay, maybe superheroes CAN go there, they just choose not too. Perhaps Deadshot should re-think his slogan. Don't tell him, though. You wouldn't want to hurt his feelings.
DC's Deadshot #1 (of 5) gives the nefarious hit man, and all-around bad guy, a chance to grab the spotlight as the star of his own series. In the action-packed opening scene, Deadshot, along with fellow bad people Killer Frost, Firebug and the Closer, carries out a hit on a really well-protected Russian mob target. Watching D.S. do his stuff, it readily becomes apparent that he doesn't play well with others. Not even other bad guy types.
"Law and Order" writer Christos N. Gage then spends a few pages getting under Deadshot's skin. (Not really a very nice place to be!) D.S., AKA Floyd Lawton, has not had the best life. From parents who disowned him to the tragic fate of his son, existence has been pretty grim for Floyd. He makes it clear that he doesn't have a death-wish, he just plain doesn't care whether he lives or dies. The chance discovery of a previously unknown daughter brings out Floyd's soft and fuzzy side (which is NOT really very soft or fuzzy) and Deadshot moves into the seedy side of town (remember the icky hotel?) to start cleaning up the streets.
The story moves along at a good pace, with lots of action and very nice art from penciller Steven Cummings. The only possible complaint about Cummings' art is that he makes some things look too good. The icky side of town and the resident "crack ho's" don't look half bad. His rendition of Killer Frost would make a lot of men seriously consider taking up villainy as a career.
For a guy who doesn't care about life, Deadshot sure helps a lot of other folks end theirs. If you like tough guy comics, great action and bullet wounds, you should not miss Four Color Fantasies' Book of theWeek-Deadshot #1! Besides, if you don't buy it, you might hurt Floyd's feelings. And I think I have already made it clear that you do not want to do that!
DC's Deadshot #1 (of 5) gives the nefarious hit man, and all-around bad guy, a chance to grab the spotlight as the star of his own series. In the action-packed opening scene, Deadshot, along with fellow bad people Killer Frost, Firebug and the Closer, carries out a hit on a really well-protected Russian mob target. Watching D.S. do his stuff, it readily becomes apparent that he doesn't play well with others. Not even other bad guy types.
"Law and Order" writer Christos N. Gage then spends a few pages getting under Deadshot's skin. (Not really a very nice place to be!) D.S., AKA Floyd Lawton, has not had the best life. From parents who disowned him to the tragic fate of his son, existence has been pretty grim for Floyd. He makes it clear that he doesn't have a death-wish, he just plain doesn't care whether he lives or dies. The chance discovery of a previously unknown daughter brings out Floyd's soft and fuzzy side (which is NOT really very soft or fuzzy) and Deadshot moves into the seedy side of town (remember the icky hotel?) to start cleaning up the streets.
The story moves along at a good pace, with lots of action and very nice art from penciller Steven Cummings. The only possible complaint about Cummings' art is that he makes some things look too good. The icky side of town and the resident "crack ho's" don't look half bad. His rendition of Killer Frost would make a lot of men seriously consider taking up villainy as a career.
For a guy who doesn't care about life, Deadshot sure helps a lot of other folks end theirs. If you like tough guy comics, great action and bullet wounds, you should not miss Four Color Fantasies' Book of theWeek-Deadshot #1! Besides, if you don't buy it, you might hurt Floyd's feelings. And I think I have already made it clear that you do not want to do that!
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