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!