Book of the Week 12/28/07 Captain America #33

Written by Ed Brubaker
Pencils by Steve Epting
Inks by Butch Guice
Colors by Frank D'Armata


Damn this book is good! Even when there was a really strong showing this week (finally), this title stands head and shoulders above most. As much as I love stories where crap hits the fan, I also love when there is finally an understanding made between characters that the reader has been aware of for some time. It's like now everyone is up to speed. This issue finally brings resolution to the Winter Soldier/Iron Man showdown that has been brewing for several months. Even though the fight was brief, it is always great to see what a badass Winter Soldier is. There is a great balance of action and development in this issue. As the first half is mainly the escape/fight, the second half brings the characters together in an non-cheesy way while respecting the memory and wishes of a departed friend. Any questions about who the new Captain America will be are firmly answered at the end of this issue.


Brubakers writing is always solid. There is no question about that. What is amazing is that he's been able to keep this momentum going for so long as well as keep a book interesting while its main character has been dead for some time. Also, while he is really able to stretch his legs on his creator titles, he is equally masterful of established heroes. Something else I've loved is that Brubaker is able to shift perspectives on characters like Tony Stark. Where Tony was written as a cold over-logical jerk in Civil War...this Tony seems more human and realistic about the events he's brought upon himself.


Epting continues to shine as well. Something that always kept me away from Captain America when I was younger was that he and the world he lived in just looked goofy. The primary colors..eh, and what was with the little wings on his head? I cannot stress enough how great it is that Epting sets the tone of this book with non-primary darker colors. Nothing is bright, nor should it be. The art is gritty, realistic, and non-stylized. The characters look real and feel real. Tony especially seems to have aged in this book as its clear the stress of his new head role in Shield is taking its toll.

I really have to hand it to Marvel and the people working on this book for creating one of the most compelling stories in comics in years as well. Oh, and Winter Soldier's disembodied moving arm will be giving me the creeps for quite a while now.

Taking the holidays off!

The fanboys will be taking this week off from podcasting but will return next week with a new Book of the Week and Top 5. Happy Holidays everyone!

Jumping onto screens Feburary 14th

Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson, prior Jedi Knights re-team in Jumper a film by Doug Liman(Mr and Mrs Smith, The Bourne Identity) The movie stars Christensen as David, a young boy who finds out he has the ability to teleport and Jackson as Roland, who hurts down and kills teleporters fearing they are too powerful to exist.

This looks like it's going to be an amazing film and it's one of the best original idea I've seen in a while.

Here's the trailer so you can judge for yourself

Dan DiDio on DC 2007

newsorama.com has an interview with editor-in-chief of DC comics Dan DiDio. DiDio discusses the problems with Countdown, the success of The Sinestro Corps War and what death really means in the DCU today. I was really impressed with the interview, they asked a lot of questions that represents the average comic book reader.

DiDio's responses? I'm not too sure I was impressed with those.

Here's hoping 2008 is a better year for the DCU

Check out the interview here

Book of the Week 12/19/07 Superman-Batman #44

Written by Michael Green
Pencils by Shane Davis
Colors by Alex Sinclair
Letters by Rob Leigh


This week was one of those weeks where unfortunately several boxes of comics went missing from my LCS shipment. This forced me to try some books that I don't normally pick up. Superman-Batman was a book I'd dismissed since Loeb's early run. Surprisingly, this book was a fun little romp.


Issue 44 starts a story arc that sees Superman basically saying "Why the hell is there so much kryptonite around these days?" It's a fair question as different kinds of kryptonite have littered the landscape of the DCU in the past several years. Its always bothered me that it is so abundant and if Supermans father had to program his sons ship with coordinates for earth, how the hell did all that rock come with him. It seems that he could have just strapped Kal-El onto a rock and let er rip. Jokes were also made about when Clark was younger and had a "freak of the week" situation from the kryptonite near Smallville (another way the show is being integrated to comics). After an excellent conversation between Bats and Supes about how Clarks vulnerability helps make him human, Clark decides to round up all the Kryptonite on earth and remove it. While Greens dialogue was a little hit or miss with me, I enjoyed the flow and pacing of the story and also how he addressed parts of the Superman world that I've had issues with.


Shane Davis is becoming one of my favorite artists. His work on the Batman titles several years ago helped add much needed drama to the resurrection of Jason Todd. Davis really seems to have studied Jim Lee's work but does not just copy it. He adds even more depth to the style and a weariness to the faces of his characters. In the end, I'm glad to see this book strive for more than just cosmic adventure and campiness.

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 23- Green Lantern #25

I picked Green Lantern #25 as the book of the week because the Sinestro Corps War is now over and it was probably the best story I've read in the DCU since the Death and Return of Superman. Eric and I also discuss Green Lantern Corps #19, Nightwing #139, X-Factor #26 and more. We give you our thoughts on the first full length Dark Knight trailer, talk about the twists and turns in the latest episode of Smallville "Gemini" and finish off the show with our review of Rock Band. Is it the best multi-player game ever? Listen and find out!

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Official Dark Knight trailer is now up

The Dark Knight trailer that premiered with I Am Legend is now online and it's looking very good. This looks like a Joker that we have never seen before and I'm all on board for this new vision!

Check out the trailer here


And take a look at the new international teaser poster

Geoff Johns on the future of Green Lantern

Newsarama.com has an interview with Geoff Johns and they talk about the Sinestro Corps War, The Blackest Night and everything that Johns has planned for the future of Green Lantern.

I've been on quite a GL high since the war ended(I just went back and read Rebirth)and this article is really getting me excited about the coming stories that Johns has to tell.

You can check out the interview here.

More Bat News

New posters for The Dark Knight are showing up in theaters. The trailer will be released soon before I Am Legend.

Book of the Week 12/12/07 Green Lantern #25

Written by Geoff Johns
Pencils by Ivan Reis & Ethan Van Sciver
Inks by Oclair albert, Julio Ferreira & Ivan Reis
Coloring by Moose Baumann & Rod Reis
Letters by Rob Leigh

There hasn't been any question that Eric and I have loved the Sinestro Corps War storyline in Green Lantern, GL titles have dominated the books of the week in the past months with everything leading up into this issue and I have to admit I was doubting Johns. How could everything get tied up? How could this story that has been so good so far end on a great note? I really didn't think it was going to happen and boy was I wrong.

About a month back I both mentioned that Johns could be writing the definitive Green Lantern story and I no longer believe that he "could" do it.

He did do it.

In this issue we are bombarded with the Lantern essence, past, present and future. We finally see what The Blackest Night is. We learn of 7 different lanterns based on 7 different emotions and 7 different corps! We know why the Green Lanterns are green, what happens to Super....man Prime, the anti-monitor, the cyborg, everything was wrapped up. It was simply incredible. Every now and then there comes a comic, something a single issue, sometimes a series that is so good that it makes you stop and think about how much you love comics in the first place. This book makes you love and appreciate comics, this book is a book that you recommend, this story, this issue, truly was perfect.

Ivan Reis and Van Sciver, the inkers, the colorists, the lettering. It was perfect. Last week Eric and I had a bitter taste in our mouths because issue #25 was late and there was a filler and that means nothing to me anymore. I can't say anything bad about this book at all. I wish it would have got more attention, I loved Infinite Crisis, I actually think I liked it a lot more then most people but I believe that this is the best story that DC has put out since the Death of Superman and I wish it would be received a little more attention.

That being said I'm just glad this story was given to us, I absolutely cannot wait for The Blackest Night in 2009!

Final Crisis? Who cares! I want to read about the CORPS!

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 22- Ultimates 3 #1

This week I had to say that Ultimates 3 #1 was the best book that I read because I have missed Joe Madureira's art for close to ten years and it's great to have him back in comics, even if it is for a little while. Eric and I also discuss Avengers: the initiative annual, JSA #11, Uncanny X-men #493 and more. We discuss a rumor sent to us from a listener about the JLA possible replacing the New Gods and Jason Todd becoming Batman and we finish off the show with our top 5 guilty pleasure books.

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Indy's back!

Check out the new teaser poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. 2008 can't get here fast enough!

Go, Speed Racer, Go!

The first Speed Racer trailer is online and I'm not sure what to think. I was a moderate fan of the anime and when I heard that the Wachowski brothers would be directing it, I was pretty excited. It has a lot of.....flair. I guess that would be a great way to put it. What do you guys think?

Check out the trailer here

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 21- Green Lantern Corps #18

Eric chose Green Lantern Corps #18 as the book of the week because of the great knock down-drag out fight between the new Ion and Superman Prime. We also discuss Batman #671, Sensational Spider-man #41, X-men #205 and more. We give you our thoughts on the new Dark Knight teaser poster and Christian's Bale new movie role and finish off the show with our review of the season finale of Heroes, "Powerless".

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Book of the Week 12/5/07 Ultimates 3 #1

Written by Jeph Loeb
Art by Joe Madureira
Colors by Christian Lichtner
Letters by Richard Starkings

I've been waiting for this book for a long time.

I was very sad when I heard that Hitch and Millar were not going to continue The Ultimates because it's been one of my favorite books in the last couple of years. I always loved the book, no matter how late it was and in my head you can't have the Ultimates without Hitch or Millar.

Now I felt a little better when I found out Jeph Loeb would be writing it because I've always been a fan of Loeb's work(we'll disregard his Wolverine run), he's done some great work lately on Heroes and I was touched with the Fallen Son series.

But the icing on the cake is when I found out that Joe Madureira would be doing the art for the book. I've been a huge fan of Mad every since the Deadpool mini-series in the mid-90's, which led to his great on the X-men in the Age of apocalypse and ended with his run on Uncanny X-men in the late 90's. Sadly Mad left Marvel shortly after that to do his own indie book and then left comic books altogether.

Now I love Jeph Loeb and I think he did a great job of taking some stories that Millar had worked with and expanding on them while adding his own touch, but this review will be dedicated mostly to Mad's art because I've missed him so.

I truly believe there isn't another artist out there with his style. It's extremely anime influenced, with it's simple design, hard edges and vibrant colors but somehow it's toned down enough that it's not too in your face and it works on a regular superhero book. I'm so glad to see him back in comic books, even if it's only for a while and he hasn't lost his edge at all.

This is definitely a new Ultimates team, led by Wasp and with a slightly different roster and with this only being a five issue series, I'm excited to see with Loeb and Mad are going to take us. Ultimatum is an ultimate event set for 2008 and apparently Ultimates 3 leads into that so I'm along for the ride.

2008 is looking good...

Yesterday we were treated with the teaser poster to The Dark Knight and today we are handed a new pic from Iron Man. I say it every time that I see something new from this movie but it just looks really good. The armor looks sleek and pretty but also looks like it could rough you up a little. I think we're going to get two very quality comic films next year.

Dark Knight teaser poster

The Dark Knight teaser poster was released today and I have to say I'm really impressed. It definitely looks different than any other poster out there and clearly sends the message that the Joker is back. I can't wait for this movie

Hellboy II: The Golden Army comes out next July and some posters and theater displays have just been released. I was a little juke warm on the first Hellboy movie and I have to admit, I've never read the book but I'm looking forward to the sequel. I like the characters a lot and I think the overall story is very interesting. I just hope Ron Perlman tones it down a little bit this time around. I thought he was great as hellboy, just a little too over the top at times. Check out the character images below.

Amazing animation, amazing story...

In our top five animated series I mentioned a show called Avatar: The Last Airbender currently airing on Nickelodeon and I think it was my number two pick.....I now think it's number one. Avatar deals with a young boy named Aang who is the Avatar (a living god) who must learn to master all four elements (air,water,fire and earth) and bring balance to the world. The Avatar movie, The Day of Black Sun premiered this week and I cannot say enough great things about this show. The motion capture animation is fluid and striking, the voice action in top notch and the story truly is epic. I ask anyone here who is a fan of animation, or good stories in general to check this show out. You can wiki it here to get some history and then go get the dvd's or watch the episodes online . It's well worth it!

Book of the Week 11/29/07 Green Lantern Corps #18

Written by Peter Tomasi
Pencils by Patrick Gleason and Jamal Igle
Inks by Jerry Ordway
Colors by Guy Major


I wish I could say that something really stood out this week. In all my "regular" books, I felt a little let down. Per Davids advice however I picked up several of the back issues of Green Lantern Corps lately and mostly enjoyed them. Issue 18 was one of the last books in my pile this week and while already feeling let down by most of my books, I was surprised and quite enjoyed spending some time with a character I had already dismissed. I got to know him a bit better.


Sodam Yat is the new Ion. I had previously stated my problems with this...his "kryptonian" like powers, his brashness, etc. However, this issue gave him a backstory as we are shown through flashbacks, the life Sodam had growing up and what turned him into a soldier. The flashbacks are shown during Sodams fight with Superman Prime. With both of their "super" powers acting up, this was really a battle royal! The panels of them using their heat vision on eachother and "burning till their wasn't anything left to burn" was great. Even though I had mentioned that I didn't enjoy how quick Sodam seemed to jump into trouble, this issue really made me admire his fortitude and his soldier like personality. He is not Kyle, Hal, John, or even Guy. Sodam is a whole new Lantern. This story almost made me believe he was going to beat SP...and that kid needs a beating! While I'm still unsure about Sodam being the new Ion, I do think he will be one of the more memorable GL corps members for years to come.


Gleason and Igles artwork in this book was great. While it may not have the refinement of the art on its big sister book, there is so much kinetic feeling on the pages. Nothing ever seems to be sitting still. This factor made story elements like the SP battle seem to go on forever, and at the end of the book, I really felt why Sodam would be starting to falter. Tomasi makes a bold move in this issue by focusing on only one character in what is essentially a team book. No other GL is really present in this issue. While I don't believe that Sodam could carry his own book all the time, I liked narrowing the focus just this once to give more depth to a character the writers obviously want us to care about. Make mine Green Lantern Corps!

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 20- Powers #27

Eric went with Powers #27 as the book of the week because, since it's new bi-monthly schedule and more pages, less ads change, it's been better than ever. We also discuss New-X-men #44, Flash #234 and many more. In comic news we talk about how scary Heath Ledger looks as the news joker pic was revealed and we discuss the shocking new that Mark Bagley may be leaving Marvel for DC. We finish the show off with our reviews of the last two Heroes episodes "Cautionary tales" and "truth and consequences" and give our guesses as to what two heroes may die in the finale.

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No more joking around....

Empire magazine is the newest source to give us a closer look at Heath Ledger as The Joker in next year's The Dark Knight. I think I can speak for most of us when I say I am excited......and frightened.....

Book of the Week 11/21/07 Powers #27

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils by Mike Avon Oeming
Colors by Nick Filardi

"I want you to put yourself into this one". With that first sentence, this book engulfed me. This is a perfect comic book. Period. Even after being published for several years now and roughly a year of stories that weren't incredibly thrilling, Powers is back in the game and leading the pack! With each issue getting more and more intriguing, Bendis and Oeming blend a perfect mix of action and drama with a moody atmosphere that sucks the reader into the comic in a way few others can.


This issue puts us in the middle of the the investigation regarding the murder of missing teenage girls all over the city. The morgues are filling up and the cops are visibly strained. The body language and appearance of both Walker and the Chief show the toll that this investigation is having on them and the rest of the precinct. This issue also has a surprise appearance by an old hero from Walker's past whose daughter is one of the missing, adding even more tension to the mix. The second story in this arc continues to follow Deena Pilgrim as she investigates the underworld on her own for the killer while also evading the cops. Surprisingly, this second story doesn't miss a step either as Bendis continues to follow Deena down the rabbit hole. It's interesting and tragic to compare Deena from the beginning of the book to her current state. The character has been through so much that I truly feel for her and am curious how or if Bendis will redeem her.


The new format really works for this book. While it's never been published regularly, we now have it bi-monthly, on great paper, and with an increased page count with NO ADDS in the middle. Never has $4 been more worth it than this. This is the book that I would give readers new to comics or to show just how good the comic form can be. This is an epic piece of crime fiction that is not to be missed.

We had a good one for you...

Unfortunatly due to technical difficulties, our recording didn't come out suitable for use. We will be back next week with a new podcast with TV reviews and a new Top-5. Until then, happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 19- Uncanny X-men #492

There were some big books this week but in then end I picked Uncanny X-men #492 as the best book of the week because it finally feels like the X-men are back together and it hasn't been that way in a while. Eric and I also discuss The Search for Ray Palmer:Red Rain, Astonishing X-men #23 and we were floored by the Skrull reveal in New Avengers:Illuminati #5. We review the latest episode of Heroes, "Four months ago" and finish off the show with our top 5 super villains.

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Book of the Week 11/14/07 Avengers: The Initiative #7

Written by Dan Slott
Art by Stefano Caselli
Colors by Daniele Rudoni
Letters by Joe Caramagna


This book just keeps getting better and better! As hesitant as I was for all the titles with "Initiative" stamped on the cover in this post civil war world, I'm so happy to have this book. The idea of a government sponsored super-team isn't a new concept however Dan Slott has just the right mix of action and intrigue in this comic to keep my interest piqued at every turn, especially now that we're clear of World War Hulk.


This issue centers around the scarlet spiders making their first public appearance and Peter Parker's reaction to it. Peter's jokes about Tony telling him the suit was specially made for him made me laugh out loud. Slott's handling of Peter is reminiscent of Bendis, and that's no small feet. This story culminates with a hint of doubt cast towards the public as to Spiderman's true identity which I figured would be the first step towards a retcon. A side story of this issue involves Justice investigating the death and possible resurrection of MVP. The ending of this part of the book was great if not a little ruined by the previews for this issue (which I'm starting to avoid like the plague).


The art and layouts on this book are great. The characters are vibrant and full of expression. I noticed as I read this issue that the action scenes have a very kinetic feel to them. Panels subtly overlap creating a sense of quickness and urgency. So far the Initiative has proven quite enjoyable. Kudos Mr. Stark, you're Initiative is a success.

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 18- Batman #670

Eric chose Batman #670 as the best book he read this week because it's the kickoff to the resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul and it was pretty damn good. We also discuss another huge event starting right now with the X-men: Messiah Complex one-shot, and we touch on Countdown #26, JSA #10 and more. We finish the show out with our reviews of the latest episodes of Heroes and Smallvile and discuss the upcoming JLA movie, is it a good or bad idea?

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Book of the Week 11/7/07 Uncanny X-men #492

Written by Ed Brubaker
Pencils by Billy Tan
Inks by Danny Miki & Allan Martinez
Coloring by Frank D'Armata
Letters by Chris Eliopoulos

Well Messiah Complex is officially off and running and we're getting a good glimpse into what this crossover has in store for us in this issue. It's great to see the X-men united again, in this issue we see Scott send word to Jamie Madrox that they need to put their differences aside and work together because this new mutant is more important than anything else that is going on.

As Eric and I talked about in the latest podcast, you really understand just how important this new mutant is to the world, it's great to know that the stakes are higher than they've ever been and the X-men are ready to meet this challenge head-on.

I've talked about how I haven't been huge fans of Brubaker and Carey's run the X-books but things feel really different now and it really feels like everything that they've been plotting has been leading into this storyline, it's very exciting to be an X-men fan right now!

Billy Tan has been a little hit or miss since starting Uncanny, I've been a fan of his art overall but on some issues it seems a bit rushed. I was happy to see that Tan was in great form in this issue and this is probably his best pencils on the book yet, he lends a subtle dark, yet realistic tone to his art and I think that's something that a lot of superhero books could use more of.

Overall I'm glad to see the X-men back as I've remembered them, as great superheroes who fight for their own distinct cause. I've complained a lot of Grant Morrison's run on the X-men and how much it changed things and I feel that right now the X-men are finally back to where they used to be, where they should be, and that is a complete breath of fresh air.


-And man oh man was this a badass week for Scott Summers, between his revelations in Astonishing and his dealings with Xavier in this book, ah it's good to have you back Scott, better than ever!

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 17- X-men #204

I picked X-men #204 this week because I finally understood what's been going on and that it was linked to Messiah Complex and I was pretty stoked about that. Eric and I also discuss our mixed feelings about Flash and Green Lantern Corps and more. We throw you guys a little bone with a great DVD recommendation and we finish off the podcast with our top 5 superhero costume changes/upgrades.

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Book of the Week 10/31/07 Batman #670

Written by Grant Morrison
Pencilled by Tony Daniel
Inks by Jonathan Glapion

This week kicked off two big events from the big two companies. While I thought Messiah Complex was very good, with it being Halloween, I've gotta go with the guy in the bat costume. I've been awfully critical of Morrison's work on Batman thus far but I'll admit I'm really excited for the resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul. This issue mainly serves as setup for the main drama which kicks off soon. We do get treated to some great scenes between Talia, the "new" Ra's, and the original plan for Damian. To Morrison's credit, Damian isn't completely irritating in this book and his need for approval from his father is clearly shown. The dynamic between Damian and Ra's will be an interesting thing to watch as this story unfolds. Talia seems to be a third wheel in this story so far so I'm hoping that she will take on a larger role as time goes on. With Ra's back in the picture, I think she's going back to second string status.

This has the feel of the large, off-beat story that Morrison is known for, as did his previous arcs. I think the difference with this story is that it's a subject that fans have been wanting to see happen since the end of "Batman and Son". There is a slight worry that I've had (and this issue only reinforces it) that DC may be grooming a new Robin. That drama alone will keep me coming back for more.

This Tony Daniel guy can draw! Working somewhere between Andy Kubert and Jim Lee, Daniel's Batman is a stylistic masterpiece. Together with Glapion's inks, the shadows in this book come alive. I know this is all expected in the world of Batman but it's not everyday that the finished product looks so good.

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 16 Catwoman #72

Eric thought Catwoman #72 was the best book he read this week because of the emotional punch in the gut that it gave him. We also give you guys our thoughts of Mighty Avengers #5, Captain America #31 and more. We finish off the podcast by discussing the current season of Smallville, a review of this week's Heroes episode "Fight or Flight" and a little listener feedback.

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Book of the week 10/24/07 X-men#204

Written by Mike Carey
Art by Mike Choi
Coloring by Sonia Oback
Lettering by Cory Petit


I can't believe there was a time that i didn't like Mike Carey's X-men run. I really didn't like his first story arc with Rogue's new team, the weird children villians and the whole hecotomb stuff but with this issue it really seems like all of those things happened for a reason and it's now building to a head.


This issue is taking us straight into Messiah Complex and like I've said on the podcast, I'm really excited about this crossover. Carey does a great job of doing a little re-cap in this issue but also with finally providing us with answers as to what it going on with the X-men

I've said before that it seemed like what was going on in X-men was big, but was still being kept a mystery and in this issue, the cat is finally out of the bag. We found out that sinister is hunting down mutants with ties to the future because he doesn't want the X-men to know about something that about to happen, and it looks like that event is the first mutant birth since Decimation and that's taking us straight into Messiah Complex.

Mike Choi also did a wonderful job with the art in this issue, while I did think that Humberto Ramos' art was growing on me, I think Choi is a better fit with this title. His art is very sleek and straight forward and I think Ramos' cartoony style distracted you from the story.

So congratulations Mr. Mike Carey. I did not like you're first two arcs at all but this last one has made it all worth it, you don't see that a lot in comics, but I'm so glad I stuck with you and this book and I can't wait for Messiah Complex.......which starts next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Book of the Week 10/17/07 Catwoman #72

Written by Will Pfeifer
Pencils by David Lopez
Inks by Alvardo Fletcher
Letters by Adam Hughes

This was a really tough one for me. While buying my books, I realized I finally had the good fortune of opportunity to review Powers and thought for sure it would be the pick. Catwoman came out of left field this week and blew me away, earning it the Book of the Week title.

This issue deals with Selina attempting to deal with her decision to give her daughter up to foster parents. Asking Zatanna to help her forget what had happened and also change her back to a villian were "lump in the throat" moments. I truly thought this might be the issue that the Countdown promo teases as Catwoman stands side by side with the Joker (which as a fan, I'm not especially looking forward to). What we get instead is Selina's reasoning for why she made that decision (I don't want to give it away here, read the book!) and a look at how Selina changed over the years.

Will Pfeifer knows these characters! Selina has just the right amount of attitude and tenderness that make her character so interesting and one of the most compelling female characters in comics. The interactions between Selina, Zatanna, and Bruce flow naturally and left me feeling like I got punched in the gut. Good work gentlemen!

CAP LIVES!!!

Marvel announced today that Captain America will return in Captain America #34 and it won't be Steve Rogers in the costume. Speaking of the costume, Superstar Alex Ross designed the new suit which goes back to the old school feel of Captain America but also includes a gun. Obviously the first thought is the Winter Soldier will step into the uniform but who knows! I can't wait to find out. Here's some pics of the new suit.




And you can read the article with Ross and Brubaker here

Book of the Week 10/10/07 Green Lantern #24

Written by Geoff Johns
Pencils by Ivan Reis
Inks by Oclair Albert and Julio Ferreira
Colors by Moose Baumann
Letters by Rob Leigh


Are you kidding me?

Seriously, you have to be kidding me!

I honestly didn't think a single issue could be this good!!!

I know that we have picked Green Lantern titles a lot since the Sinestro Corps War started and with good reason, because the books are fantastic, but when I saw that Green Lantern #24 was coming out this week I decided then and there that it couldn't be the book of the week no matter how good it was.......

I guess I should just give up trying to fight Johns' work.

The main reason why I pick this book is because it was by leaps and bounds, the best issue of the Sinestro Corps storyline so far and all the prior issues have also been fantastic. I'm not sure how long Johns has been planning this but honestly a grand kudos goes out to him for one of the greatest storylines in comics, without a doubt.

We're really getting to the final hour of the war here and you actually feel that reading this book, I honestly got chills upon reading the last page. Reis really needs to be commended just as much as Johns with his book because the art is stellar. It's very crisp, extremely clean and I love his facial expressions, they really lend to the tone of the book. Something else that Eric and I am keep on mentioning is the coloring in this book and really coloring is key to a Green Lantern book, but with this war going on and the distinct parallel between will and green and fear and yellow, well Mr. Moose Baumann has also done a brilliant job.


Simply put, not only is this storyline exact what a big event should be, but Green Lantern #24 is the perfect example of what a single comic book should be. It was fun, engaging, moving, humorous, epic.......I could go on forever.

Bottom Line: Go read this book, and after that......go tell everyone else to read it also!

Great work DC!

Ganthet: "Will you forgo your elevated status and accept this ring again?"

Kyle Rayner: " Hell, yes"

Marvel unveiling Alex Ross' secret project

Go to the marvel.com website and this is what you'll see, a big banner indicating that tomorrow 10/11 Marvel plans on unveiling the new project that's bringing Alex Ross back to Marvel. We've seen some teasers posters of a Cap suit with "The Return" in the background so it should be interesting to see what this new project is all about.......I'll remain hopefully optimistic until I hear what it is, but be sure that we'll post it here tomorrow for you guys.

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 15- The Vinyl Underground #1

This was a pretty light week for books so Eric took a chance on The Vinyl Underground #1 and dug its originality. We also discuss Cyborg:Superman #1, Green Lantern Corps #16, Buffy The Vampire Slayer #7 and more. All this and we give you reviews of the things for taking up a lot of out time lately....video games! I give you my spoiler free review of Halo 3 and let you know if it makes up for the lackluster ending of Halo 2. And Eric gives his reviews of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the DS and Metroid Prime for the Wii.


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Weekly Review Podcast Episode 14- X-men #203

We're back!!! After a little hiatus we're back and I picked X-men #203 as the book of the week because Mike Carey really seems to know what he's doing. We also give you our thoughts on JLA #13, Avengers: The Initiative #6 and Eric discusses the shocking ending of the Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding series. The new season of Heroes started so we run down some highlights of the first two episodes and we also give you our review of Superman:Doomsday, DC's first animated movie. All this and we give you guys a few surprises about some changes we'll be making in the future.


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New iron Man Teaser Poster

Superherohype.com has given us a first pic at the new Iron Man poster and man is it looking good. I was pretty skeptical about this movie at first but now I am just getting more and more excited about it. I mean just look at this pic? How can you not be excited about that?

Book of the Week 10/3/07 The Vinyl Underground #1

Written by Si Spencer
Pencils by Simen Gane
Inks by Cameron Stew
Letters by Jared Fletcher

In a week that left much to be desired, I had a hard time getting into my normal group of books. A few were somewhat exciting but still left me feeling underwelmed (Sinestro Corps Special) and others, despite their great writers, were fraught with holes and tie-ins to a story I have no interest in (Detective Comics). A new title that sounded interesting was the only thing that left me intrigued this week. While not the strongest first issue I've read, The Vinyl Underground was exciting and fresh enough to keep my interest.

The premise of this book is nothing new. The subtitle "Cracking occult crimes in the U.K." should give you an idea. However, this is not an idea that I feel is played out or boring. I like investigative stories, I like occult stories, let's put those hands together. This book introduces a gang of misfit celebrity Londonites who unsuspectingly solve occult mysteries as a side job to their normally wayward lives.

This issue serves as the introduction to our main characters as well as starts them off on a new mystery. While the dialogue didn't always feel natural (which may just be because I'm not from England), it was the mystery aspect that intrigued me with this book. This very much felt like CSI meets E! In a week of normal superhero shenanigans, this book provided a breath of fresh air.

Book of the Week 9/26/07 X-men # 203

Written by Mike Carey
Pencils by Humberto Ramos
Inks by Carlos Cuevas
Coloring by Edgar Delgado
Lettering by Cory Petit


I haven't been a huge fan of Mike Carey's run on X-men, in fact I haven't really liked it at all but ever since X-men #200, Carey has been on a great stride. In this issue we're still dealing with the aftermath of issue #200 and the return of the marauders and Mystique's betrayal and while there is a lot of stuff going on, Carey has a firm grip on these characters and the separate story lines of the issue so the issue flows really well. (This only applies to current and probably long time X-men fans. This is not a jump on point by any means.)

Humberto Ramos is always a little hit and miss with me but i really like what he's doing here on X-men. It seems like he's toned his art down a little over the years so that it's not quite as dynamic and childish. I've always loved his character designs and I think he's a great fit for X-men right now.

The main reason that I had to pick this as the book of the week is because a lot of stuff went down in this issue. Sinister finally showed his head and took down Cannonball and Iceman in a single blow. There was some great developments with Blindfold, the precog new x-man and it seems that something big is looming over the horizon and Mr. Carey has me really excited about the next couple of issues.

Book of the Week 9/19/2007 Tale of the Sinestro Corps - Parallax #1

Written by Ron Marz
Pencils by Adriana Melo
Inks by Marlo Alquiza
Letters by Jared Fletcher

I was really trying to avoid picking a green lantern book again but damn this was good! Stepping back from the intense action that the Sinestro Corps has been giving us, this special explores the characters of Parallax and Kyle Rayner. Who better to write this story than Mr. Marz, the man who gave us both. The issue is basically an internal exchange between Kyle and Parallax. Kyles past is explored and we're given insight into the events that allowed him to become infected by Parallax. This works as a good recap of events that occurred in the Ion miniseries for those who missed it. Parallax taunts Kyle much like the Emperor taunting Luke in Jedi. Also, Marz provided a great fanboy moment for Kyle fans as Kyle actually suits up in his original suite to fight Parallax. I cheered!

Alquiza's art is decent for the story but the true gem is Marz's writing. When I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Marz earlier this year, I asked him how he felt about Kyle's place in the DCU now that Hal Jordan was back. He said that even with Hal in the spotlight, Kyle would have a place. I'm happy to know his story isn't over.

Podcast postponed

With one of the fanboys on the move and still in need of securing an internet connection, unfortunately the podcast will postponed for awhile. We will be back soon with some new movie reviews and top 5 lists we think you will enjoy. The site will continually be updated so keep checking it out and keep an eye on the forums. We'll be back soon.

Book of the Week 9/12/07 The Search for Ray Palmer #1

Written by Ron Marz
Pencilled by Angel Unzueta

WOW! This one surprised even me folks! With such a big week in comics, alot went down. With all the bad taste in my mouth from recent the Countdown disasters I thought long and hard about even picking up this book. However, I am a fanboy and three of my all time favorite characters are on a team together. Not only that but this book is written by the legendary Ron Marz! Okay, we'll try it out.

I am now firmly convinced that the train went off the rails somewhere in Countdown. Too much is TRYING to happen and no story is completely focused on. Even the considerable talent behind the writing of the book are just not getting enough room to explore. I guess that's part of why this off-shoot book worked so well. We finally got to have a good chunk of story told, we got progression, we got characters added to the team, and my favorite, we were delivered great interactions.

Ron knows Kyle hands down. Nobody with the exception of Judd Winnick writes Kyle Rayner as well so it was great to see Kyle back up to full potential (even if he is suffering from a slight case of Parallax in GL still). Donna is a character that is fairly easy to get but Marz still does a good job of having her deal with being the single female in the "boys club". It's also occurred to me that no one really knows how to write Jason Todd. I think this stems from the fact that he was dead so long that everyone just remembered him from the times he acted up as the "bad" Robin and his character was never able to develop beyond that. Fast forward 20 years and he's suddenly in his early twenties with a bad reputation. The bad boy image snowballed so far over the years that writers just seem to play Jason as an asshole because he's typecast that way. Nobody really takes the effort to make him anything else. That being said, Marz writes Jason as a bit of a tough guy jerk but not a sociopathic ass but also makes him competent (something Countdown has failed miserably to do). Maybe that Lazerus effect is wearing off (God, I hope). Anyways, the competition between Kyle and Jason over Donna was fantastic and made me laugh out loud several times. This character interaction is why I picked the book. You could take them out of the multiverse, put them in regular clothing and its still two completely different guys arguing over a girl and that's always entertaining to watch.

I'm not too familiar with the Wildstorm universe but I enjoyed the brief tour. As I'm against the idea of the multiverse, I think this SEARCH book will be a good tour through it to get our bearings. Honorable mentions also go out to Ultimate Spidey, Black Adam, Green Lantern, and the JLA Wedding Special. In the end it was great to see my characters treated with an ounce of respect again.

Official Iron Man trailer now online.

The first Iron Man trailer was finally put up online today. It's a smaller clip of the trailer shown at Comic-con but it still looks amazing. Robert Downey Jr. is now Tony Stark as far as I am concerned and I was wondering about the special effects but they look amazing.

May 2nd, 2008 cannot come soon enough.


Check out the trailer here

Death of Superman DVD

This September, the animated Death of Superman DVD is being released. It's the first of DCs animated projects which include the New Frontier and the Judas Contract. Check out the trailer!

Book of the Week 9/6/07 Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdock #4(of 4)

Written by Zeb Wells
Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico
Letters by Artmonkeys Studio


I've actually been reading this mini since it came out but I never mentioned it on the podcast because I felt like I had to read it all the way through to see if it would be a hit or miss.


This story was a hit.



Battlin' Jack Murdock is a re-telling of Daredevil's origin but through the view of his father. Matt Murdock got his powers when he was in an accident but he didn't become a hero until his father's death. Anyone who knows of Daredevil's origin know that his father is killed because he refuses to throw a fight and that's what is depicted in this story. Each issue takes place during that said fight and we get flashbacks into the life of Jack Murdock and how that leads to fight's end as we have known it.


The reason why I was so impressed with this book is because Wells and Di Giandomenico really point out that Jack Murdock is a normal guy. He's a drunk, he has a temper, and he can be a horrible father. But you also see this man fight against his demons and fight for his son. I really came away from this story feeling like I knew who Jack Murdock was and I truly believe that he loved his son.


It took me four issues to decide but go back and buy this book. If you're a Daredevil fan you'll love it, and if you're not, you'll love it too. The writing is solid, the art is beautiful and there's more heart in this story than I've seen in comics in a while, maybe ever.


Good fight Jack.

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 13- Teen Titans #50

It was a pretty light week of comics and Avengers:The initiative #5 and Teen Titans #50 fought for the top spot of book of the week and the Titans won. We also discuss the origin of Ra's Al Ghul in the Batman annual #26 and more. And we finish off with our top 5 animated series.



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Where's the beef...er...podcast?

For those looking for our weekly review podcast for the week of 8-22-2007, unfortunately Davids and my day jobs have been taking up much of our time lately. With the need to focus time on our jobs, which keep us in comics, we will return for a podcast review of the books for 8-29-07 Until then, there is a post on the forums for anyone wanting to discuss the previous weeks books. (Anyone as mad as I am about "Back in Black"?)

Book of the Week 8/29/07 Teen Titans #50

Written by Sean McKeever, Geoff Johns, Marv Wolfman, Todd Dezago
Pencilled by Randy Green, Mike McKone, George Perez, Todd Hauck
Inks by Andy Lanning & Sandra Hope, Marlo Alquiza, George Perez, Lary Stucker
Letters by Rob Leigh

This week provided a strong showing that I didn't expect. Avengers-The Initiative was great and Countdown finally picked up with an action packed issue. My choice for this week's honor of book of the week though went to the nostalgia fest that was Teen Titans #50.


Let me start by saying that this issue wasn't entirely built on nostalgia. However, it surprised me to see that writers and artists from the past (even young justice!) returned to deliver flashback moments that pushed character development of characters that have been dead or gone for years. Hell, we even got a great Wally West/Kid Flash story. It was great to revisit the various teams and watch how these teenagers have grown up together. Most importantly, they act like teenagers, they fight and bicker, their hormones are out of control, they sneak out and do stupid things, and most importantly they trust and confide in eachother. which anyone who went through their teen years with a strong group of friends will understand. I was excited for every turn of the page. Between the flashbacks though, we were offered sneaks at what is in store for the new team of titans, Blue Beetle joining the team, Ms. Martian's crush on Robin, Cassie and Tim exploring a new romance, and last but not least...well, I won't spoil it here for you...catch the podcast for that.


The art also stood out as amazing. Randy Green is hopefully on this book for the rest of it's span. He brings just the right look to the team that makes them look and feel like teenagers and not just little adults. Hopefully this title can keep the momentum from this issue going for a long time. The Titans are back!

A taste of things to come...

I guess marvel is following DC's Countdown picture promos and released a page of art from newcomer Marko Djurdjevic. I don't know who he is, but I'm excited to see what else he can do because the page looks awesome. Apparently this preview (which starts this december) has something to do with Civil War. We see Wolverine, Cable and some sentinels so I think it may connect to the upcoming messiah complex storyline and that is a younger Captain America so here's hoping it's Bucky. I have no idea who the guy in the upper right corner is but I'm intrigued......and just a little worried.

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 12- Robin #165

Eric was tired of all the big events and chose Robin #165 as the book of the week because of its great stand alone story. We also discuss what we thought of JLA #12, Ultimate Spider-man #112, Booster Gold #1 and more. This week we also give you our top 5 under-rated characters.

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Book of the week 7/22/07 Astonishing X-men #22

Written by Joss Whedon
Art by John Cassaday
Coloring by Laura Martin
Lettering by Chris Eliopoulos


Oh Astonishing X-men,why must you change? Joss, John, please oh please stay.


I'm sure that has to be the opinion of many X-men fans out there because this is simply THE X-men book out there right now and I still don't know how Whedon is pulling all of this off. I can't even go into detail about what's going on in this story because it's so deep and organized and I have a good feeling that I don't even know what's truly going on. Whedon has these characters down flat which is simply amazing for only writing X-men for 22 issues and I am simply giddy about how this story is going to end.


John Cassaday cannot be denied his glory on this book though, as his art is simply breathtaking. Cassaday is one of the few artists that probably doesn't need a writer to tell a story because his art is so strong and has it's own sense of emotion. His detailed characters leave me staring at pages for minutes and he has the best facial expressions that I have ever seen. Some of them are simply priceless.


This has been a powerhouse team on an amazing run, one that I am sure will go down in comic history and rightfully so. I am excited to see where this run is going to take the x-men and how Whedon and Cassaday will leave marvel's mightiest mutants. I won't spoil the end of this issue in this review but you better be sure that I'm excited to talk about it on this week's podcast!

Joss, John...Make Mine Marvel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, September 24th

Chapter 2 begins....

Book of the Week 8/15/07 Robin #165

Written by Adam Beechen
Pencils by Freddie Williams II
Colors by Guy Major
Letters by John J. Hill

I've been mentioning lately how good this book is and this week fate has dropped it into my lap for a review. With a week of several strong contenders, this was still the book that I had the most fun with. Nothing spectacular happened in this book, which isn't a bad thing. It' s just a continuation of the great level of work that I've come to expect from this team. Ever since "one year later", this book has been on a continuing level of greatness much to my joy.

I've always been a fan of Tim Drake. It's been interesting to watch him grow from the plucky twelve year old from when we first met him, and follow him along the tragic path his life has taken, bringing him to the competent, moody, seventeen year old he is now. Within the last several issues, Beechen has crafted a rogues gallery hellbent on Tim's destruction. This issue starts us out with Tim abiding by the villains rules and facing them alone in a hospital full of hostages. The lone hero facing the madhouse of villains is a common concept in Batman books. This isn't a new storytelling device but it is one that I really love. Tim's confidence as he starts to take them down is equally brilliant (Remember the scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with the swordsman and Indy? That's pretty much the beginning of this issue). As the stakes gradually rise, we watch our hero gradually start to wear down. Needless to say, the fight scenes were excellent.

I cannot say enough good things about Freddie Williams II. His animated style suits this book perfectly. The energy is intense, fast paced, at sometimes shocking, and Tim Drake has never looked so badass! I strongly recommend this book to anyone thinking of trying it. Thanks to a few flashback scenes, this issue can be picked up without the reader having to collect previous issues. On the verge of big event burnout, this book is the perfect antidote.

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 11- X-Factor #22

X-Factor #22 was the best thing that I read this week for its deep plotlines, great humor and a little girl named Layla Miller who "knows stuff". We also discuss New Avengers #33, Green Lantern #22, Green Arrow Year One #3 and more. We finish off the show with our picks for the top 5 comic stories that we would like to see get made into animated movies.

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Weekly Review Podcast Episode 10- New Avengers: Illuminati #4

This week after the first couple of pages of New Avengers:Illuminati #4, I just knew it was the best book of the week. We also discuss JSA #8, Thor #2, New Warriors #3 and more. And we finish the podcast off with our picks for the top 5 best video games.

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Book of the Week 8/8/07 X-Factor #22

Written by Peter David
Art by Pablo Raimondi
Coloring by Brian Reber
Letters by Cory Petit

I haven't really talked about this book since we started the podcast and the last couple of issues have been kind of a letdown but this was a great issue and reminded me why I love this book so much.


Peter David is revisiting his X-Factor team from the 90's and while that team never seemed to be a serious or even an important team, David has made his new X-Factor team more of the street level X-men and shows just how much mutants need that right now. David can write Madrox than anyone else and let's just be clear that this is a Madrox and Friends book and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's great seeing a character like Jamie Madrox go from being in the background, to taking on the leadership role of the team.


But the best part of this book is Layla Miller and that's why I picked this as the book of the week. I was big fan of House of M and I have loved what David has done with Layla afterwards but I really want to know more about her. When Bendis was doing House of M, he stated that Layla Miller would have a big impact on the world post House of M and that never happened so I would like to know more about that. I'm not going to ruin anything for people who haven't read this book yet but Layla has been struggling with her powers for a while and in this issue.....well it's not looking good for her.


So kudos to David for striking lighting twice in the same place and giving us an unbelievably character driven X book, if you're not reading this, go pick up the trades now and tell everyone that you know. After Astonishing X-men, this is the best X-men book out right now.

And Endangered Species part 7 was in this book, I had mixed feelings about that so check out the podcast to hear more on how this story is going

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 9- Amazing Spider-man #542

This week Eric was a little disappointed with two different Batman books and ended up deciding that Amazing Spider-man #542 was the best book he read. We also discuss those Batman Books, Batman #666 and All Star Batman and Robin and more. We go over the breaking news from Comic-Con and we finish off with the top 5 reasons that we love comics.

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Book of the week 8/1/07 New Avengers: The Illuminati #4

Written by Brian Michael Bendis & Brian Reed
Art by Jim Cheung
Inks by John Dell, David Meikes & Mark Morales
Coloring by Justin Ponsor
Lettering by Cory Petit

This was actually a pretty hard week to pick a "best book" because everything was actually really good. A part of me didn't want to pick this book because it's so predictable but that's not really what this podcast and site is all about. The bottom line is that this is the best book that came out this week and as of right now I think that the only other book fighting against Illuminati for book of the year is the Sinestro Corps storyline.(Although that's not really a book.....but this is also a mini-series....ah never mind!)

Bendis and Reed really know what they're doing here and as a Marvel fanboy I am simply awestruck by their writing. This book basically starts off with a bunch of male super-heroes complaining and bickering about women and love and ends with a young boy that could have a huge impact of the Marvel U, positive or negative.

I must also say that Jim Cheung is my new favorite artist. I never saw any of his stuff until Young Avengers and I was instantly in love with his pencils. His art is both dynamic and soft and the way he is able to capture emotion in his art is simply amazing.

I do have a lot of questions about this book, just like the other Illuminati titles. We saw in the Young Avengers/Runaways mini that Marvel Boy has already broke out of the Cell, where is he now? We know Captain Marvel is indeed coming back and it's been said that is will be Mahr Vell, so how does Noh play into that? Is this really leading up to another Kree/Skrull war?

This series has raised a lot of questions and that was it's intent to a grand kudos to Bendis, Reed and Cheung for telling a grand story so far. I can't wait until the last issue comes out and we see how all of this is going to end.


What did you guys think of The New Avengers: Illuminati #4

Countdown to Final Crisis

DC comic's Dan DiDio announced that in issue #26, Countdown changes it's name to Countdown to Final Crisis. While we don't know how this new Crisis will differ from the others, rumors are stating that a main character will die and that this will indeed be the final crisis.......we'll see about that last part. DC comics did reveal two promotional pics so check them out.

Whedon's and Cassaday's Astonishing Replacements

marvel.com has a new article up revealing the new writer and artist of Astonishing X-men. Warren Ellis will take over the writing duties while Simone Bianchi comes on as the new series artist. I can't say that I'm thrilled at these choices but I guess I should wait and see. I think they should just end the book and re-structure the teams but I know that's not going to happen so I'll try to be optimistic.

What do you guys think?

Read the article here

SDCC 2007 Snyder set for Watchmen

Superherohype.com has details on Zach Snyder's new movie, Watchmen. I think everyone is a bit nervous about adapting Watchmen to the big screen but I don't think any of us can complain about 300 so bring it on!

Check out the article here

SDCC 2007 Amazing Spider-man One More Day Talent unveiled

ign.com has an article detailing the full lineup of the new Amazing Spider-man book. The book will ship three times a month and will be the only Spider-man book for Marvel, so while I'm a little nervous about the whole idea, there's some good writers and artists involved so I'm looking forward to it.

Read the interview here.

SDCC 2007 Iron Man Footage

This footage of Iron Man showed up on youtube and we just have to share it with you guys. It looks amazing and the CGI at the end....I just can't wait!

Go Silver Surfer Go!

G4 may not be the station that it once was but it does have its shining moments, such as this clip of the Fantastic Four 2 musical shown this week during comic-con. Check it out!

Why so serious?

The new Dark Knight viral site Whysoserious.com has a link to the first Dark Knight trailer. Go to the page and click on the white dot in the bottom right corner and then enjoy........looks good!




Download the trailer here

Wait till they get a load of me...

A new pic of the joker from The Dark Knight has been revealed this week from Warner Bros. I think this will be a whole different kind of Joker from what we usually have. Anyone notice the Joker's entire body isn't white? New origin perhaps?

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 8- Ultimate Spider-man #111

This week was a no-brainer for me as I picked Ultimate Spider-man #111 as the book of the week. We also discuss JLA #7, Avengers- the initiative #4, All Flash #1 and more. I also give you my spoiler filled review of the last Harry Potter book and Eric gives some recommendations for some new trades. We finish off with our top 5 current TV shows....it was a busy week.

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Book of the Week 7/25/07 Amazing Spiderman #542

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Pencilled by Ron Garney
Inks by Bill Reinhold
Letters by Cory Petit

In a week with two of comics big name writers churning out Batman books, strangely the best batman book I read was Amazing Spiderman #542. Peter Parker has been sliding towards the dark side throughout the Back in Black storyline which has seen the fallout from Peter's civil war revalation including the near death of Aunt May. This issue picks up as Peter confronts the man responsible for his aunt's condition. This book really made me feel the anger that's seething inside Peter at this point.

Straczynski has outdone his fellow writers this month in my eyes by taking a formerly light hearted character and making him genuinly scary and not seem completely out of character. Throughout the story, as Peter pushes himself further and further, he walks the line of losing himself. Strczynski however, pulls Peter back from the brink at the end, allowing the character to remain someone that we want to root for and stand by. This seems to be something completely lost on most Batman writers (Miller and Morrison, I'm looking at you) who feel that since they have a dark character on their hands, they can feel free to push the envelope so much that the character is no longer recognizable. This book also does a nice job addressing how Peter will keep his family safe in the future now that his secret is out.

Garney's art is great in its simplicity. Throughout the fight scene, the backgrounds are palettes of color instead of detail. This allows the reader to focus on the character movements and the brutality of the scene. Out of all the books this week, I felt this one conveyed the most emotion across the pages and was easily this weeks pick.

Smallville's newest edition

Superherohype.com has the first pic of the newest edition to the Smallville TV show.....Supergirl. While I agree that the show's last season was the best in a while, I'm not sure I want to see a Kara Zor-El flying around Smallville. Just give us a younger Bruce Wayne please!


What do you guys think of this addition?
Comment here and let us know.

Book of the Week 7/18/07 Ultimate Spider-man #111

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils by Mark Bagley and Stuart Immonen
Inks by Drew Hennessy
Colors by Justin Ponsor
Letters by Cory Petit


Man what a no-brianer pick this was.

Unless you've been living in a hole for the past six years, you already know that Bendis and Bagley broke the continual writer/artist run previously held by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and this issue is Mark Bagley's last of the run.

And what a run it was.

As I said on the podcast this week, if you're a Spider-man fan, then there is nothing better than this book. Bendis is the modern Spider-man writer and personally Mark Bagley is THE Spider-man artist and this book has been absolutely amazing.

In this issue we're treated to the aftermath of the clone saga and Peter telling Aunt May about being Spider-man and I just couldn't get enough of it. It's obvious that Bagley took a lot of time on this issue as his art is absolutely stunning and kudos go out to Hennessy and Ponsor, whose inks and coloring really helped to honor Bagley in his final issue.

Immonen draws a couple of pages in the middle of the book to give us a sneak peak at the future of USM but Bagley was the star of this issue and rightfully so. The man has had an amazing career and his work on this title has been astounding.

This is a great single story, an easy jumping on point and a great comic with beautiful art. GO BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!

Thanks for an amazing 111 issues Mr. Bagley


David

Weekly Review Podcast Episode 7- New Avengers #32

This week Eric chose New Avengers #32 as the best book of the week as the fallout of the mysterious skrull invasion begins. We also discuss JSA #7, Green Lantern #21, Green Arrow Year One #1 and more. We also give you our top 5 current monthly books as requested.

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Revealing Answers

As we mentioned in this week's podcast Dan DiDio gave a full walkthrough on this first teaser poster of countdown and revealed all the secrets that were hidden. I thought this was a great marketing tool and this has been the only thing that I've been excited about when it comes to Countdown.

Read all the details here.

And remember, Eric posted the second teaser poster below,so check it out again and post what you think may be going on.