Three Dog Night once sang, "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know." (Go ahead and give the song a listen and then come back here. I'll wait.) Truer words were never spoken, yet so many superheroes in comicdom feel the need to be all "lone wolf" and broody, waging a one hero war against the forces of evil. Sure there are the big hero teams out there, but those guys can't hold a candle to the teamwork of a good duo. Batman and Robin, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, the Doctor and the Tardis, they all prove that a good pair is the way to go.
For a long time the Marvel Universe's best pair was broken up, mostly due to both of them being dead. (At different times, but still...) Luckily, now that all that Dark Civil Siege business is over and naughty little Norman Osborne has been locked up, the Marvel U is a happier place. Many characters long thought dead, or lost in new identities, are back where they belong. Amongst those returnng to the fold are the dynamic duo of Hawkeye & Mockingbird! These two heroes are both lovers and fighters and, when they're not smooching, they love nothing better than teaming up to save the world from terrorists and evil-doers of all kinds.
Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1, by Jim McCann and David Lopez, puts this titanic twosome front and center. Sometimes it's easy for these lesser-powered types to get lost in the huge casts of Avengers teams, so having their own book really gives them a chance to shine. The book starts with a great action sequence that really shows off how much fun these two have fighting evil, even when things don't quite go according to plan. Mockingbird, not really comfortable hanging with Hawkeye's Avenger buddies, has gathered up a bunch of former S.H.I.E.L.D. types to form the World Counterterrorism Agency. The WCA does the behind the scenes work of figuring out who needs a good kicking, and then Hawkeye and Mockingbird deliver.
Of course, a monthly comic needs conflict, so all is now sweetness and light with our heroes. Coming back from the dead leaves you with a few issues, and Bobbi (AKA Mockingbird) seems to be struggling with those complications a little more than Clint "Hawkeye" Barton. Like a good boyfriend, Clint tries to figure out how he can help, but his efforts just make things weirder. There are also a few members of the WCA team who may not be all that they seem, and it probably doesn't help matters that the couple has guys like Crossfire shooting at them...
This is a fun book with great art and a daring duo who deserve your attention. (On a side note, Mockingbird's redesigned costume is excellent. Definitely one of the best superhero looks out there.) Don't be a loner! Try Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1 now, while it is Four Color Fantasies guaranteed Book of the Week!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
No need to be wary, Serenity: Float Out! lives up to licensed property
Licensed comics based on TV shows and movies can be a bit of a mixed bag. Sometimes they provide a great way for beloved characters to live on in another medium, giving fans a chance to experience further adventures of their favorites. Unfortunately, sometimes fans must be wary because tie-in comics can be a ridiculous, lame excuse to part fans from their cash while despoiling the likenesses of once great characters. Luckily, for Joss Whedon fans, Mr. Whedon seems to keep a pretty close eye on what is done with his creations in comics. Some excellent books have been created featuring Buffy, Doctor Horrible, and Firefly/Serenity. Serenity: Float Out is one such book!
Serenity: Float Out deals with the aftermath of the death of pilot Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the movie Serenity. (I'm not worried about spoilers at this point. If you haven't seen the 5 year old movie by now, you probably aren't going to!) Three of his former comrades are christening a new ship, the Jetwash, in his honor. Each tells a tale of Wash's amazing prowess as a pilot, and his unusual quirks as a friend. As it does deal with the death of an important character, this is a somber book, but it does also have some moments of humor and hope.
This Dark Horse book is written by actor/comedian/comics fan Patton Oswalt with art from Patric Reynolds. Oswalt does a great job with the script, capturing the feel and voice of the characters and telling us the kind of story that would be hard to make work in a movie or TV episode. Reynolds art does a nice job of capturing likenesses without making it look like he just traced publicity shots of the actors. I've seen enough licensed comics where that happens to be glad it isn't the case here!
If you are a fan of Firefly/Serenity, you know you can't miss this book! If you aren't a fan and just want a nifty sci-fi tale about ships flying around and shooting at each other (and there seriously aren't enough of those nowadays!), then you should give this one a chance. Either way, Serenity: Float Out is guaranteed all week at Four Color Fantasies, so you've got nothing to lose by zipping through the old asteroid field and buying this comic. (Bottle of christening champaigne not inlcuded.)
Serenity: Float Out deals with the aftermath of the death of pilot Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the movie Serenity. (I'm not worried about spoilers at this point. If you haven't seen the 5 year old movie by now, you probably aren't going to!) Three of his former comrades are christening a new ship, the Jetwash, in his honor. Each tells a tale of Wash's amazing prowess as a pilot, and his unusual quirks as a friend. As it does deal with the death of an important character, this is a somber book, but it does also have some moments of humor and hope.
This Dark Horse book is written by actor/comedian/comics fan Patton Oswalt with art from Patric Reynolds. Oswalt does a great job with the script, capturing the feel and voice of the characters and telling us the kind of story that would be hard to make work in a movie or TV episode. Reynolds art does a nice job of capturing likenesses without making it look like he just traced publicity shots of the actors. I've seen enough licensed comics where that happens to be glad it isn't the case here!
If you are a fan of Firefly/Serenity, you know you can't miss this book! If you aren't a fan and just want a nifty sci-fi tale about ships flying around and shooting at each other (and there seriously aren't enough of those nowadays!), then you should give this one a chance. Either way, Serenity: Float Out is guaranteed all week at Four Color Fantasies, so you've got nothing to lose by zipping through the old asteroid field and buying this comic. (Bottle of christening champaigne not inlcuded.)
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
It's MAGIC - great art and writing come together in Zatanna #1
"Hey, Batman, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!"
"Again? Clark, this trick never works."
"This time for sure. Nothing up my sleeve....And Presto!"
(Horrific, fanged, Kryptonian beast emerges from the hat and begins frantically chewing on Superman's indestructible head. Batman smirks.)
"Hmmm, maybe I need to get another hat..."
This exchange, with apologies to the great Bullwinkle J Moose, does have a point. If there is one thing the Big Boys of the DC Universe don't really know how to handle, it's magic. Batman and Superman are all about logic and science, even if some of that science sometimes seems pretty close to magic. So when a bad guy shows up who is all about the Hocus Pocus, and the rules of the universe suddenly no longer apply, they need an expert who can wave a helping wand. Lucky for them, that expert just happens to be a gorgeous lady in fishnet stockings and thigh-high boots: Zatanna!
Zatanna #1 gives DC's first lady of magic a chance to shine in her own ongoing series by fan-favorite writer Paul Dini and penciller Stephane Roux. Zatanna is a stage magician by trade, but she's genuine super-heroic spell-caster when the unexplained and weird hits the good folks of the DCU. When Detective Dale Colton shows up backstage, it isn't because he wants to catch the secrets of Zee's act. He has a club full of dead crime bosses who died in some seriously disturbing ways. As in "completely impossible according to the laws of Physics" kinds of ways.
The investigation leads Zee to a skeevy necromancer called Brother Night and his merry band of supernatural horrors: Romalthi the transmogrifier, Ember the unborn dragon, and a little freak, with a box of bugs, named Teddy. Don't get me started on Teddy. He's an icky little sucker. Though Brother Night and his cronies don't seem to be much of a match for Zatanna, he has made a deal with some very powerful entities that just might threaten our heroine more than she suspects...
Dini's love of this character really comes through in the writing, and Roux's artwork makes Zatanna look gorgeous and the foes she faces look truly disturbing. Plus, how many super-heroes can pull off the trick of fighting evil in a sexy tuxedo and top hat? I'd like to see the Hulk or Aquaman try that. Even Doctor Strange can't get away with a top hat.
So, what do we have up our sleeve this week? Only a great deal on an excellent new book! Zatanna #1 is our guaranteed Book of the Week! If you don't like it, you can return it for a full refund. Taa-Daa! It's MAGIC! (Insert mystical hand waving and puff of obscuring smoke here.)
"Again? Clark, this trick never works."
"This time for sure. Nothing up my sleeve....And Presto!"
(Horrific, fanged, Kryptonian beast emerges from the hat and begins frantically chewing on Superman's indestructible head. Batman smirks.)
"Hmmm, maybe I need to get another hat..."
This exchange, with apologies to the great Bullwinkle J Moose, does have a point. If there is one thing the Big Boys of the DC Universe don't really know how to handle, it's magic. Batman and Superman are all about logic and science, even if some of that science sometimes seems pretty close to magic. So when a bad guy shows up who is all about the Hocus Pocus, and the rules of the universe suddenly no longer apply, they need an expert who can wave a helping wand. Lucky for them, that expert just happens to be a gorgeous lady in fishnet stockings and thigh-high boots: Zatanna!
Zatanna #1 gives DC's first lady of magic a chance to shine in her own ongoing series by fan-favorite writer Paul Dini and penciller Stephane Roux. Zatanna is a stage magician by trade, but she's genuine super-heroic spell-caster when the unexplained and weird hits the good folks of the DCU. When Detective Dale Colton shows up backstage, it isn't because he wants to catch the secrets of Zee's act. He has a club full of dead crime bosses who died in some seriously disturbing ways. As in "completely impossible according to the laws of Physics" kinds of ways.
The investigation leads Zee to a skeevy necromancer called Brother Night and his merry band of supernatural horrors: Romalthi the transmogrifier, Ember the unborn dragon, and a little freak, with a box of bugs, named Teddy. Don't get me started on Teddy. He's an icky little sucker. Though Brother Night and his cronies don't seem to be much of a match for Zatanna, he has made a deal with some very powerful entities that just might threaten our heroine more than she suspects...
Dini's love of this character really comes through in the writing, and Roux's artwork makes Zatanna look gorgeous and the foes she faces look truly disturbing. Plus, how many super-heroes can pull off the trick of fighting evil in a sexy tuxedo and top hat? I'd like to see the Hulk or Aquaman try that. Even Doctor Strange can't get away with a top hat.
So, what do we have up our sleeve this week? Only a great deal on an excellent new book! Zatanna #1 is our guaranteed Book of the Week! If you don't like it, you can return it for a full refund. Taa-Daa! It's MAGIC! (Insert mystical hand waving and puff of obscuring smoke here.)
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