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!

Subscribe on itunes here!

Or download directly here
(Right click.....save link as)

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.

Subscribe on itunes here!

Or download directly here
(right click...save link as)

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".

Subscribe on itunes here!

Or download the podcast directly here
(Right click....save file as)

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