NB of the Week

SPOILS BE THE NAME OF THE GAME!!!!

Uncanny Avengers #4
Written by Rick Remender
Drawn by John Cassaday
The very late Uncanny Avengers came out again today and while it's been good and the art's been amazing, there was one reason why I loved it. Even though people may disagree.
Essentially what's happened so far is that old, Nazi Red Skull is now in out time, has taken the brain of dead Charles Xavier and is now trying to eradicate all mutants. The Uncanny Avengers stop him for now and he gets away but after that is when things get tricky. We cut to three months in the future as Havok, Scarlet Witch and Sunfire are on the run from something(s?). They travel into the sewers to find a dead Immortus body (yes, the time-traveling villain), they talk about the Apocalypse Twins locking the "era as prime" and the the Red Skull incident is "The moment the seven became one", followed by this last page...

...What the hell?! A red Skull/Onslaught/Xavier hybrid? what the hell is going on?! This last page alone makes me want to keep reading this, let alone the Apocalypse Twins that are coming. Remender is doing it again and I couldn't be happier.

Brain-Tunes

Device - Vilify
David Draiman of Disturbed has a new band coming out called Device. Which is obviously very original naming. But none of that matter to me. This song is awesome. Definitely a Disturbed sounding song but I'm fine with that too. I love Disturbed so no problems.
HARSH LANGUAGE IS USED. LISTEN AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

Trailer Watch: Game of Thrones Season 3

My stoke factor is cranked up for this one. Only one more month...

Am I Alone In This?

I was watching tv the other day (as I tend to do) and a commercial for Stevens-Henager college came on. Now, these are on often and they are all very stupid but this one caught me and I'm not sure if I should find it as disturbing as I do. In this one, a mother (I presume single since there isn't a mention or showing of a male) is happily telling her infant daughter that she's going to college. How can I tell it's (I refer to babies as "it" all the time so that could be part of my problem) a girl? It had it's ears pierced. Which I find very creepy. Now, before anybody gets mad and tells me why that's done (I don't really care, to be honest), I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm not saying that parents shouldn't or that it reflects their parenting skills at all. I just find it creepy. Like how I feel when a 6-year old in a "beauty pageant" wears a two-piece bathing suit. Give it whatever reason or definition you want, to me it comes off as a few steps away from being called Cherry at the club by the airport. I'm sorry if it offends anybody but that's how it comes off to me. Stop trying to make your kids look older. Babies don't need earrings and I find it creepy when they have 'em. I'm not alone in this, am I?

NB of the Week

Nova #1
Written by Jeph Loeb
Drawn by Ed McGuinness

First point: Nova was not the best comic I read this week. The regular batch of greats like Thor, Wonder Woman, Saga and Avengers were all up there as well as others. Nova was not the best. I shall explain...
Seven years ago, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (known as DnA) wrote the Annihilation: Nova mini and they brought in a spark to a character that really needed it. Keith Giffen then further made him badass in the Annihilation mini. After that, DnA brought him into his own series and I was hooked for good. Well, for five years until they "killed" him, sacrificing himself along side Star-Lord to make sure Thanos never came back. Which he and Star-Lord now have...
Jeph Loeb has done some amazing stories over the last two decades. He's also written some pretty awful ones in the last five or so years. He has fallen off the horse and I have liked very, very little of his latest books (let's not get started in Hush....).

When Marvel brought back Nova in AvX, it wasn't the much loved Richard Rider, it was the often loathed (I've heard from many) Sam Alexander from the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, of which Loeb is an executive producer. When Marvel crams something they really cram it.
The Issue is pretty simple. Sam is a high school kid with a lousy father. He's grown up hearing tales of how his dad used to be a member of the Nova Corps but all he saw was a man drowning in his alcoholism and trying his best to not get fired from his janitorial duties at his son's school. Life's not horrible but it's hard for a boy his age to have to deal with these problems. Until he finds his father gone one day. He storms out to look for him when a nasty fall sends him to the hospital. When he wakes up, he finds the raccoon and the green assassin his father always told him about, wanting to talk about his father.
Here's the simple of why this book gets my pick: as a huge fan of Richard Rider, I refuse to believe he didn't make it out with Thanos and Star-Lord. That Marvel is using this as an attempt to bring in a younger character aimed at a younger audience. They're spitting in the face of the fans they just brought in and I wasn't happy with this new kid. However, there is something I can understand that it seems many don't and that is the fact that Nova was cancelled because it wasn't selling. When a property isn't working as it should be, they have to do something about that and if a character doesn't succeed for the majority of it's life, things need to move in another direction.
All things considered, if you can leave Richard out for now and read it as a new start, it's surprisingly good. I'm not in love with it but it wasn't the angry train-wreck I was expecting. This series could turn into something great so my fingers are crossed that it doesn't go the way of most Loeb books.

Emerald Warrior - 1

-A Nine-Year Retrospect, One Story At A Time-

As I said a few days ago, Geoff Johns is stepping down as writer of Green Lantern. As I prepare myself for who DC puts in his place, I decided it was time to go back and read through all of Johns' run (something I've meant to do but never have). Up First:

Green Lantern: Rebirth
In 1994, Hal Jordan had lost Coast City and finally gave into personal gain. As Parallax, he killed many people and went down the path of the Dark Side. He tried to redeem himself two years later in Final Night when he sacrificed himself to reignite the sun (if I remember right). His soul then joined with the Spectre and he became the Spirit of Vengeance in the DCU.
This is eight years later (out time).
Issue 1 - Things start off with everything coming apart. Two guys walking through the desert are surprised when a giant, green ship crashes in front of them. Checking it out, they find it's Kyle Rayner. Along with a coffin, he brings news before he passes out: "... it has a name." Meanwhile, John Stewart and Guy Gardner (still under the alien mantle of Warrior) head to a baseball game, where they meet up with Hal. Sadly, with the power of the Spectre, it doesn't take long before the people around them are starting to confess like he's a clergyman so he hightails it to find some vengeance. We move to Green Arrow and Mia (I think known as Speedy at that point) when the Black Hand busts in, looking for the Lantern ring that Hal left Ollie. Arrow pins his hand to the wall, knocking the found ring to the ground before Spectre shows up and disintegrates his right hand. Hal takes off, leaving Ollie to dead with Hand and leaving a bloody ring for Ollie to ponder. Things get worse for Guy as we see him and Stewart at his bar when his powers go crazy, blowing up the joint. Cut quickly to Belle Reve Prison and people are loosing it there as well as we get an ominous shot of Hector Hammond. Back to Stewart as he got himself and Guy out and has taken Guy to the Justice League to figure things out. Batman is pissed as always, thinking Hal is to blame. Lastly, Carol Ferris is moping around Jordan's old plane when everything gets fixed up magically and Jordan appears

Issue 2 - Eerie first pages of Kyle's Ring saying "Parallax is coming" to him and the two guys. Immediately cut to Hal and Carol remembering their first encounter as children and both watching Hal's father die. Hal is a little more "human" in talking and says he needs to find his way back to being himself. Arrow is now in the Watch Tower talking with Stewart about Black Hand and Hal while the rest of the League is discussing what to do about Hal and the activity that's going on and it all comes back down onto Hal. As Hal and Carol as she tells him she's now married but it's interrupted as the League appears looking for answers. Unfortunately, before any answers happen, John Stewart freaks out and attacks everybody. Hal tries to help as Spectre but the two don't seem to wanna work together anymore. As all the Lantern rings begin to glow, they all hear the same thing, "Parallax is coming". the Ring Ollie has takes off and attaches itself to Guy, turning him into a Lantern once again. Back to Kyle, who is now awake enough to tell the two guys that Parallax is the name of the impurity. At this point, an also crazy Kilowog appears, trying to force Kyle to use his ring. Before it gets too ugly, Ganthet appears, claiming the coffin and the body of Hal Jordan in it is under their protection.

Issue 3 - Hal comes back to Coast City to find that it's somehow remade itself. in parts. He goes back to his apartment to find his old Lantern and an evil reflection of himself in it telling him they did all this together. Go back to Kilowog who is still crazy and trying to fight Ganthet and take the body of Jordan. Ganthet sends Kyle and the body away to the Watch Tower where me finds Ollie. Back as Hal is now fighting his Parallax-self as the Spectre appears,wanting to join. Spectre must show Hal the truth about him and Parallax. Meanwhile, Kyle sits Ollie down to tell him what he found too: the truth about Parallax which is that its the embodiment of fear. An actual being who is made of an emotion. When the Guardians were able to stop it and imprison it, they did so in the central battery. Oops. Parallax has been slowly working its way out through the rings (hence the weakness to yellow, which is the manifestation of fear) but once Coast City was destroyed, Hal left himself completely open and Parallax took hold of him. And now Parallax, Spectre and Hal are all fighting for his body. But who helped Parallax escape the Battery? the Man Hal killed, Sinestro.

Issue 4 - Fights galore! Sinestro fights Ollie and Kyle. Hal fights Spectre and Parallax for his body. Guy and Stewart join Kilowog (all under Parallax's control, we found out). Ganthet is able to free them of the hold but it may be too late. Parallax has Jordan's body. Thankfully they have some friends and the Justice League come swooping in. As Kyle and Sinestro continue fighting, Ollie makes his way to a battery and begins reciting the oath for his ring (how did he get another? Maybe I missed that part...). As Sinestro gets the upper hand over Kyle, Ollie show up and with every once of energy and life he can find, makes the ring shoot an arrow at Sinestro. Kyle helps get him away (telling him that using the ring is that hard every time, which was a real badass moment). As the battle with Parallax continues, Spectre is able to split all three of them apart, at which time Parallax begins to join with Ganthet and Hal takes off. He looks to be running but he's actually joining his old ring that Ollie has. Both join the body in the coffin. Welcome back Lantern Jordan.

Issue 5 - Hal Jordan and Sinestro beat the living hell outta each other. Back and forth for quite a while until Kyle joins in to help. In a final, Rocky-like moment, Hal and Sinestro connect fists together, cracking Sinestro's ring and sends him back to the Anti-Matter Universe where it was forged. After officially meeting for the first time, Hal and Kyle make their way to Parallax and the League but before they can all group and take Parallax down, Batman wants some answers.

Issue 6 - Jordan has no time for Batman and with one punch, makes his point clear. Sentinel and Jade show up and help separate the League from the Lanterns as they know this is a Lantern matter. they fight and they fight and they fight. And then the Lanterns win (duh) and imprison Parallax back into the central battery where the Guardians are waiting. Pretty expected ending with everybody going on their own ways. We get to see Hector Hammond again for one more page. Bigger things are obviously coming. Ollie and Hal meet up so that Ollie can give Hal his Lantern back. A new ongoing is coming.

Great way to bring back Hal. Turning Parallax into a parasitic entity was brilliant. It seems o fit perfectly and as we know, was the first step of Johns reinventing the Corps and their mytho. Hammond and Black Hand had little to nothing to do with this particular story but, again, fans know that there is more to come from both. Hopefully the ongoing reads just as amazingly the second time as Rebirth did.

RUN TO THE HILLS!!!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!!

Age of Apocalypse #12
Jean Grey may or may not have been successful in destroying the Apocalypse Seed but before the X-Terminated can even find out, Penance is claiming herself the new world leader. Too bad Weapon Omega has his people still around, even if he may not be. Cyclops and Havok attack her as Prophet (human William Stryker) makes his way to epicenter where Grey and Weapon were located. As he comes closer, ready to kill Jean Grey (as the power may have chosen her as Omega's successor), he is surprised to find Weapon Omega alive and telling than neither he nor Grey have the power anymore. It has been transferred to the machine that Reed Richards built. They now have control of the Apocalypse Seed.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #18
Not much happened in this issue. Last time, the Turtles were accidentally taken to an alternate dimension where Krang is trying to overrun everything. After some fighting and the rescuing of a Princess, they are finally told what's going on just in time for Krang to threaten to kill the King and Queen if he(it?) doesn't get his demands.

Before Watchmen: Comedian #5 (of 6)
The recap is simple: Comedian is a bad man who you don't want to muck with and a lot of people are really starting to figure that out. Dark and gritty writing and amazing art with one of the most beautifully dark covers I have ever seen.

Cyber Force #3
Velocity is still searching for Morgan Stryker as she reveals to the other rebels about her father's plan to wipe out humanity and replace it with bio-synthetic lifeforms that they can better control. Her and the rebels are soon attacked by Aphrodite and her army only to have a surprise show up and help them: Stryker. He tells them to run, to fix themselves up and to lay low. He tells them they are on their own and won't be getting his help ever again. The issue ends with Velocity yelling at him:
"No, you're not leaving us... You not leaving me... I'm not letting you walk away from me again...
... dad."
This book was started through Kickstarter and the first five issues are free so hit up your local comic shop.

Ultimate X-Men #22 - Reservation X: Conclusion
Utopia is in turmoil. Half the remaining mutants don't trust Kitty and the other half don't know much at all. They have created a seed that will evolve and grow in any climate and soil and a lot of companies aren't happy with that. After Iron Man helps stop one threat, another comes and blows up the seed house. Their time was for nothing. Except apparently Kitty did that herself. She's playing a game that she may not be able to finish.

A Sad Day for Lantern Fans

Goeff Johns, the man who wrote Green Lantern back into our hearts for the last nine years has announced that he is leaving the title. Issue #20 shall be his last and it is the finale to The Wrath of the First Lantern story. I read some Lantern before Johns when it was Ron Marz and about Kyle Rayner but no Lantern story won me over as Johns did on Rebirth and every story since. His run had a few slow and low moments but all the highs made up for for 'em. No word yet on who the new writer will be but it had better be somebody great if they want to keep me.

Clif-Notes: Green Lantern - New Guardians

When the New 52 started up, I was looking at getting three of the four Lantern Books (Lantern, Corps and Red Lanterns). The one I didn't want? New Guardians. Writing this new title was Tony Bedard, with whom I have a sketchy past with. His GrossGen stuff (Mystic, Negation, Route 666) was pretty decent. Not brilliant but good, solid reads. After that is when he started loosing me. He killed Exiles (lazy bugs? Lazy bugs are the reason for it all?) and he's the reason I stopped getting GL Corps the first time around. Now he's put in charge of New Guardians in which Kyle Rayner must lead a ragtag group of Lanterns from each of the factions: Fatality (Sapphire), Bleez (Rage), Arkillo (Fear - as the last Yellow and Sinestro going back to Green, he refuses to call it the Sinestro Corps), Glomulus (an Avarice construct of Larfleeze), Munk (Indigo) and Saint Walker (Hope).
The first half-ish of the current run was very "meh" to me. Somebody had stolen a ring from each faction and they all tried to attach to Rayner at the same time. The obvious thing is to then assume that Rayner did it but after proving he didn't, they went to the man of greed, Larfleeze. He claims he did nothing as he and his slave, former Guardian Sayd, convince them to go fight this big dude named Invictus with whom Larfleeze has a long history with. This part, to me, was also stupid. After that, the Scarabs from Blue Beetle (also a dumb, Bedard title) attacked the home-world of the Blue Lanterns, causing them to leave it behind. Also pointless (for now). However, after this part, things really picked up.
Saint Walker believe Larfleeze was the one behind giving up the location of their world so everybody wants answers. In doing this, we actually come to find out the things have all been the plan of Sayd. As the former love of Ganthet (who has been stripped of his emotions and taken by the Guardians), she wants to free him. She is the one who took the Lantern Rings and sent them to Rayner in the hope that him being a "special" Lantern (t'was not the ring that choose him but Ganthet, not to mention his time as Ion and being the next big deal for the Lanterns), he could harness them all and help free the man she loves. Rayner begins to journey to each of the Lanterns, trying to get their help on how to harness that emotion. As he has already been a part of them all, he just needs to learn how to tap into it. And what a perfect time for this to happen then during the Rise of the Third Army. Carol has joined back up as her Sapphire-self in hopes that Rayner can help find Jordan. Through each emotion, Rayner is able to tap in and use that power whenever he needs. However, it's not enough to save Sayd from the Third Army, as she sacrifices herself to help him get away. It's in trying to connect to Love that Rayner finally comes face-to-face with Ganthet, who does the typical villain stuff of saying how impossible it all is and how he'll never know love. And then he kills him. But apparently in death, you learn Love the most as Rayner is able to come back with Love. In finding the final Emotion, Kyle Rayner has now been turned into the White Lantern.
However, this is where NG ends and everything continues over into Corps Annual where the Third Army story ends. Kinda. It actually just leads into the next story, Wrath of the First Lantern.
 Bedard may be a choppy writer at best but I will give him this: the concept of this story and it's setup is pretty great. Harnessing each emotion and turning into the White Lantern is perfect for him. It again separates him from the other Earth Lanterns and gives his a role that is unique. The writing may not have matched the story (and for all I know, Geoff Johns coulda been a big reason behind the story) but Bedard has started to win me back over. Here's to hoping that the next year and a half is as uphill as the last.

Facebook Sucks

So I fell to guilt and joined up on Facebook about a month ago and I gotta tell ya, I'm not liking it. I really don't see a purpose for it. Maybe it's because I'm a social pariah or maybe it's because I don't feel like throwing out my opinion every ten minutes (by the way, this is all a generalization. I don't mean anybody specific when I complain about this) or maybe it's just because I haven't taken time to really learn it and its application. I enjoy reading what those of you from the shop-days say when it pertains to nerdy things but I have trouble caring when "Roman is having an OK day, and bought a Coke Zero at the gas station. Raise the roof." Maybe I'm just finally turning into a bitter old man who wants you damn kids to stop playing on my lawn. Maybe I just need some convincing. That's where you people come in. Convince me. That's all I ask of you.
Aaaaaaannndd go........

NB of the Week

BEWARE MY SPOILS, GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!

New Avengers #3 - Infinity
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Drawn by Steve Epting

When the Illuminati formed, they had to think large. It would fall upon them to help guide the course of their world and the world is a heavy responsibility. But what if there were two worlds? Or three or four? How heavy would the burden be if you found out that every possible world in every possible dimension was in danger of collapsing in on each other?
That's the weight the new Illuminati must face.
This issue begins with a new member taking the place of the now deceased Charles Xavier: Hank McCoy. Having had a memory released and finding the Mind Gem, Beast is brought into the fold. Their plan is to wield the Infinity Gauntlet in order to will/force the collapsing dimension out of theirs and save both. If this works, they could possibly save everything. Alas, nothing is ever that easy. As they get warning that their incursion is happening, they find the focal point and bring out the Gauntlet. After deciding that Captain America will be the one to use it, they all have no choice but to watch as Steve wills his hardest into being. And is successful. Mostly.
There is some kind of "feedback" from the event and all are shocked to see that the Time Gem has disappeared and all five other gems have been shattered. Now they are back to where they began and without their main plan. Hours later, they all sit down to decide the next course of action. As Steve pleads his case that no dimension should be killed in order to save another, he is left stunned as each member goes against him in his belief. As he sternly stares at Tony Stark, he makes his clear point,
"We're doing this for the right reasons. There's no other choice. It's the lesser of two evils. Isn't that right, brother?"
"Dammit, Steve. Why do you always have to be this way? I'm sorry... I'll find some way to make this right."
And as a confused Steve looks forward, Dr. Strange comes in and wipes Steve's memory clear everything. The Illuminati are now one less and that weight just got a little heavier.

If you are not reading this book, shame on you. It really is that simple in my book.

The New Face of Marvel Movies...

Well, not quite but maybe. It's being reported that Marvel has found their man to play Peter Quill/Star-Lord, the lead charter of the upcoming movie Guardians of the Galaxy and that man is Chris Pratt. Best know for his dumb guy role on Parks and Recreation, he was also Barry in Wanted (who got his face smashed in with the keyboard) and did pretty well in Moneyball. He just recently had a role in Zero Dark Thirty in which he got crazy buff for (he was quite the chubby dude before that). He's also married to Anna Faris so all-in-all, he's doing alright in life. He was never listed as a candidate on any of the rumor lists that have been making the rounds but oh well. The more I see him and think about it, the more I'm for this move. He has my support. I've been a Guardians fan for a while now and am stoked for this movie. And to be fair, I'd probably love the movie no matter who was cast or hot bad it turned out (counterpoint: James Gunn is directing it so I doubt it being bad is gonna be an option)

Boobs of the Day

NAME THOSE BOOBS!
I wanted to see if there were any deviants out there who were as obsessed as I was so here are some top comic racks. Some easier than others but guess whose are which in the comments. I'll put in the answers later at some point so as to avoid any cheating (by the two of you who will partake). Special bonus high-five to anybody who can also name artists just be the boobs alone.

In Which I Steal from Adam...

I'm not the biggest fan of change but when it comes to my rambles here, I get a little tired of seeing things the same. And after constantly seeing Adam's blog, I decided that I had to steal his setup. Sorry Adam. Give it a few months and I'll probably want to change it again. Until them, I'll just be a second-rate Rob Liefeld (those that know, know).

A Time for Revival

You may think I'm speaking of the lord and his love but no, I'm not. Believe it or not, I'm about to speak about something related to comic books (a shocker of there ever was one).
 
Trading Cards

Back when I first got into comics, one of the main things that caught me were the amazing trading cards. The 1993, X-Men Series 2 cards to be exact. Each card was a character with amazing art on the front and character statistics on the back. It was a joy to be able to get a pack and see what characters we got. My brother and I would fight over who got what cards and my mother would buy them herself and then use them as bargaining chips to get us to do chores (the better the card the more work had to be done). In each set there also the special insert cards. They had some awesome gimmicks like foil writing, embossed pictures or even 3D images. Some were easier to find at maybe 1:4 packs while others got much harder and were only one or two per box (24 or 36 packs per box usually). Trading cards were everything great about the 90s and comics for me.
Sadly they were also some of the worst things. Pretty soon the market became flooded with sets. Team sets became character sets as specific ones got there own like Wolverine, Ghost Rider and Punisher. One set became two, became three and different companies started doing different sets adding even more. The market was flooded (which was a very common trait in the 90s) and cards soon died out.
Over the next years, Marvel and DC still tried somethings here and there. They started to gear 'em towards movies, capturing shots from the movie itself and telling the plot throughout on their backsides. In these cards were a few inserts but they took from sports cards and started inserting autographs of the actors and memorabilia cards with pieces of material from the costumes. Marvel has been going back to comic cards for a number of years now but the cards were mostly just single shot art from the comics themselves. Hand-drawn sketch cards are now the hot thing to get. Marvel, DC, movies, Star Wars, Garbage Pail Kids, Family Guy. You name it, it has cards and hand-drawn sketches. But that seems to be all anybody cares about. Pulling the good stuff to resell 'em for more.
I want the old cards back. I want some inserts with awesome 3D holograms and embossed pictures so that I know they're special. I don't want autographs or sketch cards to be the main attraction. I want to get pissed off when I keep pulling Wolfsbane cards and can't pull the damn Wolverine that goes next to it. I want a full set with all-new art and a card #100 checklist at the end. The 90s had a lot of bad things going on for the them and the comic industry. But maybe, just maybe, at least one thing was done right.