Zen and the Art of Bellybuttons

This month, I have a preview for Made Men, and reviews for Inhumans: Once and Future Kings, Star Wars: Rogue One - Cassian and K-2SO Special, and  Nightwing: New Order. Inhumans: Once and Future Kings (Marvel Comics): With the first taste of the Inhumans in the second season of SHIELD, we get a better idea of what the Inhumans and the Royal Family are all about (right before the TV series). The comic is set before Black Bolt and Medusa become king and queen. The comic starts with a brief overview of the Inhumans, genetically altered by the Kree (aka aliens that have a track record of mucking about and causing chaos with superheroes -- a lot) and isolated from human society. For most of us that don't understand what's going on, this will feel fractured, as the scenes are wordy and jump from one set of characters to another, sometimes with only one page of material. For those of you with more knowledge of the Inhumans, it might feel like a good representation of these beloved characters. As someone who isn't familiar with the Inhumans, I felt I needed to read more of these characters before I understood such a fond flashback to 'our heroes as brash and awkward teenagers.

Nightwing: New Order: Welcome to Gotham City, 2040. The government has made some choices for the good of other super-powered people to inhibit their powers through medication. Dick Grayson sports some gray around the sides of his hair, leading the Crusaders, a team specifically to hunt these now outlawed superheroes. As a twist, the governmental agency starts eyeing Grayson's own family, so Dick has to betray his Crusaders to save his loved ones, enlisting the same superheroes he once hunted. The panels are dynamic, pushing the action to a fast tempo. Nightwing leaps and twists his way through the story with a vivid color palette. The script is very good, and seems realistic to a brave new world without becoming over-dramatic. 

Star Wars: Rogue One - Cassian and K-2SO Special: For those of you wondering how Rogue One's Cassian ended up with the sassy and sarcastic K-2SO, this is an excellent read.  Similarly to how I felt about the C-3PO Special, in which we watch C-3PO end up with an entirely different red arm, there is no doubt of how the story is going to end. However, the story is interesting and funny in just the right places. Cassian bears a passing resemblance to the movie actor without being a photo-realistic comic, which I think works well. Too much realism and detail means that I pay more attention to the artwork than the story, and I like it when there's a complimentary art style to the dialogue. The stilted interactions between Cassian with an alien species and the splash pages emphasize the variety of life in the universe. I enjoyed this issue very much, and I''m looking forward to other specials and one-shot Star Wars comics. 

Made Men (Oni Press): This book starts off with a bang, as there is a brutal shootout involving the Detroit Special Ops team. Our heroine gets killed within the first few pages, but here's the thing: she's a Frankenstein. This means that though she had fatal wounds, she didn't actually die. This is the tale of Dr. Frankenstein's grand-niece, with all of the secrets and science that the lineage brings. She's going into the family business, with a debt to pay to a crime boss: return his loved one to life. What's a Frankenstein to do but resurrect her team in order to exact revenge on their killers? This is a bloody book from the beginning, so if you are not accustomed to gratuitous bloodshed, this might not be the book for you.  The author Paul Tobin is known for the horror series Colder under his belt, as well as the Eisner-winning for Bandette and an Eisner nomination for I Was the Cat. Release date: September 6

Here at Atomic Empire, we eagerly anticipate Free Comic Book Day on May 6 this year: it is a time of superheroes and costumes, anti-heroes and angst, whimsy and people-out-of-time. We're getting all of the Gold level titles, so check the list out here. The previews this week are of FCBD titles we think you should scoop up when you stop by. See you then!

All New Guardians of the Galaxy by Gerry Duggan, with artist Aaron Kuder Gerry Duggan is currently writing for the Deadpool (2016), so getting him in this new project is excellent. The dynamic of Baby Groot with the GotG cast is such a fun relationship to explore, and it's more than enough to whet the appetite of anyone awaiting the GotG: Vol 2 movie in a few months. Sadly, the super-hush-hush sound-bite sized preview is a couple of panels with no dialogue *silently rages and shakes fists*, but it looks fun.

Secret Empire // Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man, with Chip Zdarsky and art by Paulo Siqueira Secret Empire This is coming straight out of the now infamous Captain America "Hail Hydra" story. Since Captain America as having been an agent of Hydra this whole time (don't worry, this is an unusual alternate universe situation), the entirety of the Marvel Universe is being threatened by Hydra. Spider-Man, the Avengers, X-Men, Inhumans, Defenders, Champions and more are banding together to destroy Hydra.

Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man is a new "back-to-basics" Spider-Man series which will run parallel to the current volume of The Amazing Spider-Man written by Dan Slott. You can look for the new title to start in June 2017. Chip Zdarsky's best known work is with Matt Fraction on the wildly popular Sex Criminals. He's well known for irreverent humor, and excellent writing that will get you hooked.

I Hate Image by Skottie Young This is delightful bloody romp through many of the titles from Image starring the cast of I Hate Fairyland. If you are not familiar with Skottie Young already, see my I Hate Fairyland review. Based on the cover of this title, our heroine Gertrude is standing over the broken bodies of very recognizable characters from some major Image titles: B!tch Planet, Walking Dead, Savage Dragon, Spawn, Invincible, Wicked and Divine, Saga, Southern Bastards, Descender, Black Science and more. If you don't know any of the series I just listed, you might feel quite lost. With the limited preview pages available, I was able to see a brief snippet of this quirky love letter to Image. This might prompt some people to pick up these titles, but the references are fast-paced and seamless enough that if you blink, you might miss the point entirely.

DC Girls -- This is an all-ages comic about teenage versions of Wonder Woman and the most visible super-ladies in DC. This is a light read, geared towards a younger audience that will catapult them into reading some of the main titles. Or simply realizing how awesome Wonder Woman is.

Boom! Studios Summer Blast -- This is a neat collection of stories from Mouse Guard, Brave Chef Brianna, and from the Lumberjanes' universe a new series: Coady and the Creepies. I'm looking forward to reading everything in this book, as Mouse Guard is an old favorite, somewhere between Redwall (book series) and Game of Thrones. Brave Chef Brianna is an owner of a new bakery, who moves into a reasonably priced store location which happens to be in Monster Town. Shenanigans ensue. Coady and the Creepies is a story of teenage band members that survive a horrible car accident, but the one person who was uninjured isn't talking about what happened.

Kid Savage -- The concept behind this is solid: a survival story of a caveboy and his two-headed pet in a prehistoric landscape. Then a strange thing from the sky crashes into his world, and nothing is ever the same. I'm told it's the beginning of a graphic novel conveniently releasing on the same day, so if you want more, it's available for order.

Knowing is half the battle; the other half is hiding the bodies,

by Dee. 3/25/2017

Hi guys:

We’ve got a few series to review this week, and one preview, so I hope you enjoy my comic ramblings about comics.

Mother Panic (DC Comics):

The concept of this series is incredible: Violet Page is a celebutante in Gotham City, who could hang out with Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) in costume or out: she’s a violent vigilante with a prickly outer shell, and nothing on the inside.

The art is symbolic and surreal at times, with dynamic fight scenes right against static images of trees struck by lightning, candle wax spilling like blood down from a birthday cake, and more. Some of it is evocative like Fight Club in the desolate environment, the surreal touches, and the challenging themes.

The relationship dynamics and interactions are heart-breaking or terse, witty and cutting, and compelling enough that it is an effective comic in my mind.

—

Iron Fist (2017)(Marvel Comics):

Opinion seems to be split on Iron Fist’s initial issue just as much as the critical reception of the TV show. The timing of the comic is obvious, but you can say the same thing for both Jessica Jones and different iterations of Luke Cage as a TV series and a comic.

Power Man and Iron Fist (2016) is the newer version of Luke Cage and Danny Rand, and so like many other iconic characters, have seen different uniforms and portrayals. For an introduction to Iron Fist, I’d check out some of the trade collections to help figure out which Danny Rand appeals to you. There is quite a range.

For Iron Fist (2017), Danny Rand is darker and more alcoholic than is shown in the Netflix series and Power Man and Iron Fist (2016). The main concept revolves around his loss of power and connection to Kun'Lun, the place where he strived for the mantle of Iron Fist. This sounds like a familiar story for some superheroes, but the narrative threads imply a different direction for Danny.

—

Curse Words (Image Comics):

This book is in a few words, effing magical. The scene opens on New York City, introducing Wizord, a bearded motorcycle-riding spell-slinger. But (shh!) he’s actually evil. His sidekick is Margaret, a sarcastic talking koala, and the tone of the book is darker and more ridiculous than you’d probably expect. This is no Harry Dresden or Harry Potter, this is more like Hunter S. Thompson if he were an actual wizard and rocked an awesome beard.

Asking wishes from Wizord is a bad idea: Johnny One asks to “go platinum” so that he’d be the best in the music business. Our protagonist turns him into literal metal, and the dope bemoans his fate of not being able to feel anything (well, he’s metal, so…). Wizord plays fast and loose with wishes, like a temperamental djinn. Siccing baby alligators on personal guards, sassy centaurs and a shape-shifting ex-girlfriend from hell (literally) populate the various realms of this story, and there’s so much more in store.

The minds behind this creation are writer Charles Soule (Daredevil, Death of Wolverine, Star Wars: Poe Dameron, She-Hulk and creator-owned Letter 44) and artist Ryan Browne (Bedlam, God Hates Astronauts, The Legend of Luther Strode and Manhattan Projects).

—

Preview: Redneck

Did you see the opening scenes of True Blood? If not, the main punchline is that vampires don’t have to be goth kids. What is scarier than facing down a vampire? Not knowing who the vampires are.

Not all vampires are Anne Rice’s sophisticated and Machiavellian aristocrats. Sometimes they are reclusive good-ol’-boys in East Texas, still making regrettable mistakes even in their old age. The main drive of the story is the super dysfunctional family, with deep ties to the community and longer memories.

Donny Cates (God Country, The Paybacks, Buzzkill) has an interesting approach, calling it in an interview the inverse of Walking Dead: instead of people surviving in a world of zombies, it is a story of vampires surviving in a world filled with humans.

The artwork compliments the concept with bold lines, gritty settings and enough tension to tie taut any nerves. The soft subdued palette of red and blues in the first issue is an excellent foil to the dialogue and story in more general terms. The previews of issue two and three show the expansion into bold and bleak yellows, browns and darker reds. Bravissimo to artist Lisandro Estherren (Last Contract) and colorist Dee Cunniffe (Ody-C, Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl, Wicked and Divine).

Release Date: April 19

Exit stage right,

I come from the future, with important news. There will be comics the likes of which have never been seen before nor since. This is the Comics Zone.

Bullseye (Marvel Comics): The infamous assassin from Daredevil gets his own comic, and he's already got someone on his trail. Bullseye has never been one for subtlety, so this assignment gets him involved with an international drug cartel and with a revenge-driven FBI widow at his heels.

This is a quick paced, bloody romp (because you better believe he's having fun) that feels quite a bit like 100 Bullets (Vertigo). The art style is dynamic rather than looking meticulously posed and detailed. Considering the casual nature of the blood-soaked mayhem, you wouldn't want to get tripped up by the bodies (pun intended).

Elektra and Kingpin are two other recent titles to pick up for more stories from the Daredevil universe.

Wild Storm (DC Comics): This is a comics with some history: Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Red, FreakAngels) started this series under the WildStorm Productions publisher, so this is a re-imagining, a re-framing of his previous characters, a redesign of the stories, heavier on the political intrigue and dystopian future, with a dash of snark to keep it current.

Honestly, I only vaguely remember this universe, and I saw it through the Authority and a few issues of Wetworks. The good news is that if you aren't familiar with the original works, you might be inclined to look up the older series. It is not mandatory to read it otherwise. The other news is that there are definitely some references and call-backs for loyal readers, so there's a little bit of a "what did I miss" feeling that I get while looking at this issue.

All in all, Warren Ellis is an author I will revisit more than once, so I will follow him (not blindly) into this new story, to see how he winds his path. It will be an interesting journey, that's for sure.

Colossi (Vault Comics): This comic is more than meets the eye: It starts as a sci-fi adventure when Trans Atmos Shuttle 34 disappears into a wormhole, and is lost in an oversized parallel universe. The tension between the passengers is just as hostile as their new environment. Though we see more of the parallel universe in the first issue, there are hints of their previous lives that peek through the stress-filled situation that is crashing into a vast, alien environment.

The perspective of their situation changes and changes again, as we are taken along for the adventure, meeting challenges and complications head on.

This story is from Ricardo Mo and artist Alberto Muriel, who both worked on a similarly sci-fi Hitchcock/ Twilight Zone -flavored book Propeller. These creative minds work well in Colossi, with the dialogue and art complimenting each other and heightening the abrasive tension of the story.

Release Date: April 5

Apologies to all, I have fallen down on my duties on putting my comics reviews up here. If you didn’t know, I have a 14 month y.o. boy.

Not an excuse, just an explanation of my attention focused elsewhere.

I will get back to posting things shortly.

Hello friends, 

Atomic Empire sailed through the hazardous holiday waters, and has landed miraculously on the mysterious island of 2015.  What adventures are in store for our intrepid heroes and heroines? Stay tuned to find out: January has already brought some interesting comics thus far. Effigy (Vertigo): This is the story of a disgraced former-child-star of a superhero TV show, working as a police officer years later in her hometown. Her first murder case is an unusual one with a couple of cryptic clues which may have something to do with her haunting past. I'll be interested to see how this story unfolds, and how deep the rabbit-hole really goes. 

Powers (2014) (Marvel): I have been a big fan of Powers for years, so the return of Deena makes me dance a tiny dance of joy. New powers and heroes are emerging from everywhere, so she's got her job as a detective cut out for her.      

Feathers (Boom!): This is one of those charming and quirky books that catches you by surprise in a moment of quiet. A young baby boy covered in feathers is discovered in a dark Victorian back alley by Gabriel. Though larger forces are heard arguing about the child's future, the gears are already in motion. This is a world divided by its walls and its social classes, so when young Poe meets Bianca, daughter of a city planner, the world opens up for both of them.  This has a lighter, whimsical nature of Marvel's Wonderful Wizard of Oz series, with only a small touch of Victorian style, rather than the full-blown Tim Burton / Charles Dickens depressing-nightmare-treatment.

I really enjoy the writing, and I look forward to reading and exploring more of this unique world.

Until next time, 

Good morning, campers:

The December edition of “What Comics Dee is Going to Babble About” is brought to you by: snow. There’s something about frozen precipitation falling from the sky that makes me want to clap my hands in glee, run outdoors and play.

Today however, I clap my hands in glee, make some hot cocoa in my newly gifted Darth Vader mug and read comics. And there’s quite a good list of comic series to choose from:

For the Marvel fan: 

Marvel Universe Avengers Assemble Season Two (Marvel) - Hello Red Skull, my old friend… if you’ve seen the TV show, the comic has a similiar, more modern, slightly snarky/ sarcastic tone than the Avengers of previous assemblies. Thor, Captain America, Hulk and Iron Man are friendly jerks to each other, but when you mess with them, they actually make a semi-cohesive and functional team. Kid-friendly for the most part, as the super-hero violence is tame enough for any parent that let their kids watch recent Marvel movies. 

For the DC/ Vertigo fan:

Kitchen (from Vertigo) -  This sassy 1970’s story about mobsters’ wives stepping up to run “business” while the mobsters are in the slammer has serious chops. Imminent threats include the rolling blackouts in the eponymous Hell’s Kitchen, and that time period in New York before the City got cleaned up (see Son of Sam, etc). Somewhere between the feel of “Charlie’s [EXPLETIVE DELETED] Angels” and “The Untouchables”, this is an interesting read.  

For the indie comic fan:

Fade Out (Image) - You know those wicked alcohol-induced bender mornings, where you wake up and say some equivalent of “Where am I / how’d I get in this inexplicable situation?” Me neither. Poor Charlie is trying to piece together everything, and the worst part is that it involves a wrong-place, wrong-time situation and a dead Hollywood starlet.    

For the horror comic fan:

Wytches (Image) - The Salem Witch trials were a tragedy, considering that mass hysteria killed so many innocent people. These are not the witches in this comic, however. These wytches are the wickedly smart, cunning, savage creatures of the dark that are spoken of in whispers and legends. 

For the kids (and kids at heart):

Edward Scissorhands (IDW) - This homage to a favorite movie is done with love, made obvious by the change in story focus (young granddaughter), while having the mystery, gothic appeal and alienation that Tim Burton does so well. Nostalgic fans and newly inducted fans of Edward Scissorhands will appreciate the story for the quirky wonder that it is and always has been.

For you, avid subscribers: Seriously, I’d pick up the Comic Shop News #1435 and Winter Special 2015, even if just to check out comics that are coming down the pipeline in the new year. You might find something unexpected and intriguing walking among the comics.

Check back in with me around New Year’s Eve, and I’ll have more to say, I’m sure. 

Happy holidays from all of us!