Back Issues: New Mutants #2

New Mutants #2 was among the batch of comics that I found on the spinner rack during my second ever trip to buy comics at my local Store 24 when I was a kid. My appetite for comics in general and the New Mutants and the X-Men in particular had been whetted by Uncanny X-Men #167, so I was excited to find both New Mutants #2 and Uncanny X-Men #168 - among other gems - on my next trip to the store. It hadn’t been a full month since my last purchase, so I imagine that issue Uncanny X-Men #167 must have been sitting on the rack for a while when I came across it. Uncanny X-Men #168 is a great issue that I’ll cover in another entry. For this entry, I’ll focus on the New Mutants.

The story in New Mutants #2 actually takes place before the events in Uncanny X-Men #167, so I’m certain that it took me a little while to figure out how this issue tied to the issue I had just read. The story starts out with Dani Moonstar (Psyche) in a Danger Room session gone awry, revealing the presence of the evil Brood Queen and foreshadowing the storyline that would culminate with the showdown between the two X-Teams and the Brood Queen-infested Prof. Xavier. As an 11-year old, I probably thought to myself, “Wait, didn’t the X-Men take care of the Brood Queen already? Is there another one hiding in the X-Mansion? What the hell is going on here?” But, I figured it all out in due course.

While Psyche is fighting for her life in the Danger Room, the rest of the team is at the Salem Center Mall catching a showing of the movie E.T. They meet a group of kids from the local high school and are having a good time until Federal Agents, working for Henry Peter Gyrich under the auspices of Project Wide-Awake, show up and take them into custody. The kids are rescued by Air Force Intelligence Agent Michael Rossi and the X-Men’s dance instructor Stevie Hunter just as a fleet of rogue Sentinels, deployed by duplicitous industrialist and Hellfire Club Black King Sebastian Shaw, show up and attack the team. A great battle ensues in which the New Mutants destroy the Sentinels and much of the Salem Center Mall in the process. It’s a fun story, ending in victory for the young heroes and setting the stage for action, intrigue and conflict in future issues.

I have always liked the social, interpersonal and romantic aspects of comic book plots as much as the pulse-pounding, senses-shattering action promised on the cover of nearly every issue. Those aspects of the stories clearly do the most in terms of character development and are instrumental in endearing the heroes to the reader. Some of my favorite and most memorable scenes from comics are the X-Men’s team baseball games, Storm and Cyclops fixing dinner after playing racket ball sans rackets, Wolverine and Nightcrawler drinking beer and playing “tag,” Bobby Drake's 18th birthday at the Coffee A Go-Go, and, of course, the New Mutants hanging out at the mall, having a slumber party, sneaking out, etc.

As a kid, I thought it was very cool to see these young superheroes out at a mall that happened to look a lot like my mall – and probably a lot of other people’s malls as well. I could relate to seeing E.T., eating ice cream, meeting new people, making friends, battling giant robots…..ok, check that last one. In any case, seeing these young heroes in age-appropriate activities in the "real world" resonated with me, made me feel that I could relate to the characters, and helped make the jump to the surreal superhero adventures that much more credible and compelling. The “kids being kids” dynamic essentially disappeared when Rob Liefeld took over the New Mutants and turned the team into X-Force, but it was fun while it lasted.

New Mutants #2 was my first introduction to the “feared and hated by the world they have sworn to protect” concept. Up until this point, my limited knowledge of the X-Men had me thinking that they were international and intergalactic superstars. In fact, most of the comics that I had seen in the past showcased superheroes that were widely loved by the general public. So I was both perplexed and intrigued by the notion of this government conspiracy against the X-Men intertwined with involvement by members of the villainous Hellfire Club. This storyline would play out on a variety of levels over the coming years and I would eventually learn all about Project Wide-Awake, Henry Peter Gyrich, Sebastian Shaw, and the Hellfire Club as the saga continued and as I started to discover the X-Men back issues.



As agents of Project Wide-Awake and as cool creations in their own right, the Sentinels left quite an impression on me. I had no previous exposure to giant robots, although I soon would in cartoons such as Voltron, Transformers and some of the dubbed Japanese Mecha cartoons that they ran on Boston’s Channel 25 back in the 80s. But I digress…Yes, I love the Sentinels. It’s hard to say exactly why, but they are my all-time favorite X-Villains. I suppose it’s some combination of their great design, fighting prowess and the fact that fighting giant robots makes for a great opportunity to showcase teamwork and superpowered combat in big, bold scenes. On a slightly more cerebral level, I think a fight against the Sentinels is really a fight against the embodiment of intolerance and oppression, which certainly gets the reader invested in the story and rooting for the good guys.

I read some time back that Bob McLeod is known today as a fine penciler and a better inker. I’m not an art critic, but I’m inclined to give him high marks on both counts. Admittedly, it’s hard for me to be objective because of my nostalgic fondness for the New Mutants, but I loved Bob McLeod’s art in the New Mutants when I was a kid and I love it today. Clean lines, expressive faces, distinctive characterization, rich detail, great action…..what’s not to like? Since I started collecting original comic art a few years ago, I’ve focused on trying to find pages from comics that I read and loved as a kid. So, I’ve been very fortunate to find a few Bob McLeod New Mutants pages and to have the man himself do a few commissions for me. Aside from being a great artist, I have to say that Bob McLeod is a consummate professional and a pleasure to deal with. I recommend taking a look at the commission galleries on his web site bobmcleod.com. The site showcases commissions that he’s done of a wide variety of characters, including an amazing color commission of the New Mutants battling a Sentinel.

The Pull List: Wednesday, March 25, 2009

After the strong start to Return of the King with the prologue in the last Daredevil, I could hardly wait for this week’s issue. Brubaker and Lark certainly didn’t disappoint with a tightly wound story that brings the Kingpin back from exile to join forces with Daredevil. Lady Bullseye and the Hand are going to have a fight on their hands and there are certain to be some interesting twists and turns with the uneasy alliance between Daredevil and the Kingpin along the way. Daredevil #117 was in good company on the shelves this week with lots of other new releases. Among my buys this week were:

Amazing Spider-Man #589
Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War #3
Captain America #48
Conan the Cimmerian #9
Daredevil #117
Fantastic Four #565
Incredible Hercules #127
Immortal Iron Fist #24
Indiana Jones: Tomb of the Gods #4 of 4
Justice League America #31
Mighty Avengers #23
Ms. Marvel #37
New Avengers #51
Oracle: The Cure #1
Secret Invasion Chronicles #1
Skaar Son of Hulk #9
Squadron Supreme #9
Thunderbolts #130
Umbrella Academy #5
War Machine #4
Wolverine: First Class #13
X-Infernus #4
X-Men: Sword of the Braddocks #1

Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War #3 was a nice fix after going cold turkey after the television series finale last week. There are still a lot of stories to be told in the BSG universe, so I hope that Dynamite keeps going with its titles. Conan the Cimmerian #9 was also great and the series is a winner month-after-month. An unexpected pleasure this week was X-Men: Sword of the Braddocks #1 by Chris Claremont. I’ve enjoyed his work on New Exiles and it’s fun to see him revisit the age-old conflict between the Braddocks and Slaymaster.

Check out the full list of the week's new releases at the Diamond Comics web site.

Comic Shop Stop: Golden Apple Comics

I was out in Los Angeles on a business trip back in January and I took the time to visit the famous Golden Apple Comics in West Hollywood. I’ve heard great things about the store for a long time: Most notably that it’s huge, has a fantastic selection of both mainstream and indie comics and graphic novels as well as action figures, toys, statues, props and other great stuff. The other cool thing is that Golden Apple is known as the place that Hollywood stars go to buy their comics and the store also tends to attract a lot of comic writers and artists that live in the greater Los Angeles area.

I almost didn’t make it to Golden Apple because I underestimated the amount of traffic on the relatively short distance between my hotel and the store at 7018 Melrose Avenue in order to get there before their 7:00 PM closing time. (Yes, that seems to be a recurring problem for me). Fortunately, I phoned ahead and they were kind enough to keep the store open for a few minutes after closing for me. Golden Apple certainly didn’t disappoint and while I didn’t bump into any Hollywood stars – the store was closed, after all – I did pick up a bunch of comics and graphic novels to read on my long flight home.

Among my pickups at Golden Apple were the Secret Wars Omnibus, an issue of the Kirby Collector, Y: The Last Man Deluxe Hardcover Edition Vol. 1, and a cool misprint of X-Men/Spider-Man #3, which was wrapped in the cover to X-Men: Manifest Destiny #5. In retrospect, I probably didn’t need an extra 10 pounds to load into my carry on luggage, but it was nice to have some quality reading on the flight back. Although I whipped through Golden Apple pretty quickly, I have to say that I was very impressed with the store and I can definitely see why it is so popular for fans in the Los Angeles area.

Another fun vignette from my trip to Los Angeles was seeing the construction on the air traffic control tower at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The tower has always been a cool attraction because looks distinctly like a UFO. But with the scaffolding that’s been put up for the maintenance and repair project, it looks a bit like they are trying to turn it into the Legion of Doom headquarters or a Star Wars Death Star. I’m personally rooting for the Legion of Doom headquarters, so I’ll be interested to see how it turns out when I’m back in Los Angeles this Spring.

David Mack’s Kabuki: The Alchemy Hardcover

Sales of the Kabuki: The Alchemy hardcover by Eisner Award-nominated creator David Mack are off to a very strong start following the volume’s release at the beginning of March. The long-awaited hardcover collects all nine issues of the critically-acclaimed Kabuki: The Alchemy series from Marvel's creator-owned Icon imprint for the first time ever. This unprecedented look at Mack's work is full of bonus material including original scripts, a "best of fan letters" section, never before seen art and new story pages, including updated versions of previously published scenes! If that's not enough, the book includes a powerful introduction by Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk and a special afterword from David Mack himself. The book was ranked in the New York Times Graphic Novels Best Seller List in its first week of release and is also reported to have sold out quickly during WonderCon. I only just got around to ordering a copy from Tales of Wonder, so I’ll look forward to reading it when it arrives next week.

The Flying Car: Terrafugia Transition

For fans of adventure, espionage, sci-fi or superheroes in mediums ranging from comics to television to film, I don’t think that there’s ever been an object of unrequited love quite like the flying car. Whether it’s S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury’s flying Ferrari 330/P4 Berlinetta, Francisco Scaramanga’s flying AMC Matador from James Bond The Man with the Golden Gun, the flying and time-traveling DeLorean from Back to the Future 2, etc., it’s hard not to wish for this ultimate vehicle. So, I was psyched to see an article on Yahoo! last week that showed a test flight of a flying car called the Terrafugia Transition. Sure, it’s very expensive ($194,000!!) and not quite as cool as Nick Fury’s Ferrari, but it definitely shows promise. I'd still prefer a Nite Owl's Owlship from Watchmen, but I think a flying car is still a more realistic aspiration in my lifetime. Check out the footage below to see the flying car in action.

Statuesque: Bowen Designs Marvel Girl

I received an email from Sideshow Collectibles yesterday saying that they are going to begin processing orders for the Bowen Designs Jean Grey: Marvel Girl statue on Monday, March 23rd. The email was a happy reminder because I pre-ordered the statue way back in December, so I had almost forgotten that it was still in the pipeline. I don’t actually buy that many statues - at least in comparison to my consumption of comics and other related collectibles - but this 12” polystone statue sculpted by Mark Newman really stood out to me when I first saw it advertised. I haven’t read anything about Newman’s inspiration and source material for the piece, but it’s definitely reminiscent of Jim Lee’s great rendering of Jean Grey in WILDC.A.T.S. X-Men: The Silver Age or in his amazing pin up of the team in their Silver Age uniforms at the end of X-Men #1.

Back Issues: Uncanny X-Men #167

Uncanny X-Men #167 will always represent to me what is great about the Marvel Universe in general and the X-Men in particular. It was one of the first comics that I actually bought with my own money - if allowance really counts as one's own money - and is largely responsible for what has turned into a lifelong love of comics. By way of background, I moved to West Newton, MA in the Fall of 1982 just before starting the Fifth Grade and was (re)introduced to comics by my new best friend in the neighborhood. After reading his small collection of comics again and again, I found my way to the spinner rack at the local Store 24 ready to buy some comics of my own.

I don't have any specific recollection of what was else was on the rack that fateful day, but I know that I was very pleased to find an issue of the Uncanny X-Men. I had just recently read issue #162 from my friend’s collection in which the X-Men were stranded on an alien world fighting the evil Brood, and Wolverine #4, in which Wolverine faced off against Shingen Yashida in final battle to reclaim his honor and win the hand of Shingen's daughter Mariko. To put things in context, it's probably worth noting that at that point in my life I had never seen the movie Alien, never heard of ninjas, and certainly never seen a hero kill a villain in a bloody sword vs. adamantium claw battle. This was pretty intense stuff in the mind and imagination of an 11 year old.

So I paid my 60 cents - maybe it was a whole dollar including a pack of Hubba Bubba - and rode my bike home to read my new comic. I won't pretend to recall exactly what I thought about the comic when I first read it, but I certainly know that it left an indelible impression on me. Looking at the condition of that original copy today, it's clear that it's been read at least a hundred times. In retrospect, issue #167 was really the perfect first book as a (re)introduction both to the X-Men and the broader Marvel Universe.

The combination of Chris Claremont's writing and Paul Smith's art is pure genius. It's fair to say that Claremont did a better job writing the X-Men than anyone that came before him and anyone who has come after him. Claremont's talent is evidenced by his ability to write a convincing interstellar alien vs. super-hero epic and then bring it back to earth for a conclusion that combines great action with compelling interpersonal dynamics while setting the stage for key events that would take place both in the X-Men and elsewhere in the Marvel Universe. I can't say enough good things about Paul Smith's art. It takes a talented artist to transform Claremont's intensely complex writing into a good and comprehensible comic and Smith was certainly up to the task. Notwithstanding my love for John Byrne's work, Smith stands out as my favorite X-Men penciler of all time.

The fight between the X-Men and the New Mutants is fun. It's essentially high school junior varsity against seasoned professionals with the outcome never really in doubt. The fight inspires awe in the capabilities of the X-Men and endears the characters of both teams to the reader. When the Brood Queen that has possessed Professor Xavier emerges, both teams unite against the common foe. Claremont does his trademark great job of scripting a fight sequence that communicates the key aspects of each team member's character while they do battle. The story transitions from a fight to a rescue mission without missing a beat as they all beam up to the Starjammer to save Professor Xavier. The balance of the story is a whirlwind of interpersonal vignettes, guest appearances, and further character and plot development culminating with a more-or-less happy ending. I came away from this comic fascinated with these characters and their universe and with a deep desire to read more about them.



I love that the story begins with an introduction to the New Mutants. At that age, I thought it was very cool see a bunch of kids not much older than me going to a boarding school for gifted (super-powered) youngsters. The concept of a such a school is one that resonated deeply with me then and has clearly done so with others over time; most notably evidenced by the remarkable success of the Harry Potter stories set at Hoggwarts Academy. "Wow, wouldn't it be great to have powers and go to boarding school with these cool and beautiful people and have great adventures and be away from my oppressive parents!" Escapism looms large with this theme. I bought New Mutants #2 off the rack shortly after this issue and was hooked.

Having read only issue #162, I was acutely aware of the X-Men's conflict with the Brood but in the dark as to most of the details. That issue is largely a Wolverine solo story with lots of flashbacks and hallucinations that set my mind spinning. I was very pleased to have the conclusion to the Brood saga since several of my early comics experiences had left me with cliffhanger endings to which I never had closure. The fact that Marvel's comics were really an ongoing saga greatly appealed to me as opposed to the "done in one" stories in many of the other comics that I'd read as a kid. This fact whetted my appetite to buy the next issue and to go in search of back issues so that I could fill in the blanks. As a reader and collector of comics, I am to this day both a completist and a bear for continuity.

Guest appearances and crossovers have always been a hallmark of Marvel Comics and Uncanny X-Men #167 delivers on this theme in spades. In addition to the New Mutants, this comic features appearances by Binary (Ms. Marvel), Lilandra, the Star Jammers, Gladiator, and the Fantastic Four. What's great about these appearances is that they were core to the X-Men storyline and also set the stage for critical events that would take place elsewhere in the Marvel Universe. In particular, this issue sets the stage for the Trial of Reed Richards which unfolds in subsequent issues of the Fantastic Four.

The Pull List: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Although I won’t be picking up this week’s comics until I get home from vacation this weekend, it looks like a great week and there are a number of books that I’ve been eagerly anticipating. In particular, the series finale to Amazing Spider-Girl, which has been hyped as the potential death of Spider-Girl. Can Peter and Mayday overcome Norman Osborn’s final revenge?! Will the Black Tarantula and Araña survive against the Goblin Lord and the brand new May? It’s a shame that that the series is coming to an end, but it’s certainly going out with a bang. Dark Avengers #3 also promises to be a great issue as the last one left off as a cliff-hanger with the Dark Avengers about to go head-to-head with Morgana LeFay to save Dr. Doom in Latveria. My pull list for this week includes:

Amazing Spider-Girl #30
Amazing Spider-Man #588
Amazing Spider-Man Extra #3
American Flagg TPB Vol. 2
Black Lightning: Year One #6 of 6
Dark Avengers #3
Enders Game: Battle School #4 of 5
Marvel Adventures: Avengers #34
Moon Knight #28
Punisher #3
Spider-Man Noir #4 of 4
Trinity #4
Super Friends #13
Tiny Titans #14
Ultimate X-Men #100
Ultimatum #3 of 5
Uncanny X-Men #507
Vigilante #4
Wolverine #71
Wolverine Origins #34
X-Force #13
X-Men Legacy #222
Young X-Men #12

Spider-Man Noir #4 will bring to a conclusion the title that has been the most pleasant surprise of the Marvel Noir titles. Although it feels as if they’ll wrap this series up with a bow, I do hope that they leave the door open for another limited series at some point down the line. In the DC Universe, I’m really looking forward to Vigilante #4, written by Marv Wolfman with pencils by Rick Leonardi and John Stanisci and a cover by Walter Simonson. What a great combination of legendary creators! On a less serious - but no less important - note, my son and I are always happy when Super Friends and Tiny Titans come out. Overall, it looks like a great week of new releases, so that’ll be one thing I’m looking forward to when I get home from vacation.

Check out the full list of the week's new releases at the Diamond Comics web site.

Monster Island?

The mighty Gormuu, Warlord of Kraalo, may have some competition as our fearsome mascot….errr….I mean fearless leader. I’m currently on Spring Break with my family on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the island seems to have been overrun by giant Iguanas. Seriously, this place is pretty much like the Mole Man’s Monster Island from Fantastic Four #1. These Iguanas are like 30’ long! Or is that 30” long? Sometimes I forget which is which. Anyway, they seem to be pretty docile so far, but I’m prepared to re-declare my allegiance to the King of the Iguanas if they stage a coup. Sorry, Gormuu!

Original Art: Dave Cockrum’s Fiend with No Name

After not making its reserve price in the August 2008 Heritage Comics Signature auction, this fantastic sketch of Wolverine and the Fiend with No Name by Dave Cockrum reappeared in Heritage’s most recent Signature Auction. I was outbid last time around, so I was happy to have another shot at this great piece, which features Wolverine and the Fiend With No Name sharing a few brews. Cockrum did this sketch in 1982 after his return to Uncanny X-Men when John Byrne left the title to write and illustrate the Fantastic Four. Following the Fiend with No Name's appearance in Kitty’s Fairy Tale, told by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum in Uncanny X-Men #153, this sketch is the only piece I’ve ever seen with Wolverine and his caricature together. I’m looking forward to finally see the piece in person when it arrives from Heritage next week.

Toywatch: Hasbro’s Fantasticar

Waiting at home for me when I got back from my trip to Toronto was a large package from LaToys Etcetera containing the toy Fantasticar that Hasbro put out in conjunction with the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer movie. I recall meaning to buy the Fantasticar at the time, but I never got around to it. In fact, I had forgotten all about it until my son told me last week that we needed a cool vehicle to use with all our action figures. He originally started playing with my vintage G.I. Joe Adventure Team vehicles, but I had to confiscate them after my Seawolf Submarine took an unexpected ride down the front stairs with the Sea Adventurer and Namor the Sub-Mariner. The Hasbro Fantasticar is well rendered and faithful to the movie as well as the inspiration from the comics. It seats all four members of the Fantastic Four – or any other action figures you want to substitute – and the three-in-one vehicle features, a flame cannon, bomb bay doors, snap-out wings and breaks into three different mini vehicles. The Fantasticar has now been dubbed “the best toy ever” by my son, so it’s definitely a great pickup for kids of all ages.

Paradise....Lost

I was in Toronto today on a business trip and I had high hopes of combining business with pleasure by making a visit to Paradise Comics while I was up there. Paradise has a reputation as one of the best comic book stores in Toronto and they’re also the sponsor of Toronto Comicon, so I was excited to check out the store and meet the people. I even brought a copy of our 11” x 17” Mini Watchmen poster by Chris Giarrusso to give them to help spread the word about Mid-Ohio-Con 2009. After a productive day of meetings, I got in a cab and headed for 3278 Yonge Street, thinking that I would have ample time to get there. But, cross-town rush hour traffic got the better of me and after 30 minutes of mind numbing delays, I ended up jumping on the highway and heading for the airport to make sure I was there at least 1 ½ hours before my flight as required by American Airlines. As it turned out, highway traffic was very light and I made it to Pearson airport in about 15 minutes and breezed through check-in and customs, arriving at my gate with plenty of time to spare. To add insult to injury, my flight ended up being delayed by an hour. Oh well. The best laid plans often run afoul and I was certainly better off missing Paradise Comics than risk missing my flight home. I’ll have to try them next time around.

The Pull List: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

It was a pretty light week for new comics, but there were some good new books on the shelves. I’m finally current on Batman: R.I.P., but must admit that I’m still trying to wrap my arms around both the sequence of events and the implications of Final Crisis. I’m really hoping that DC will publish some sort of summary Final Crisis for Dummies or at least do what Marvel did with Civil War Saga and Secret Invasion Saga. Anyway, I wasn’t going to let my partial ignorance stand in the way of picking up Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1 which is written and drawn by Tony Daniel. Another book I was looking forward to this week was Invincible Iron Man, which is written by the incomparable Matt Fraction and features pencils by one of my favorite artists, Salvador Larroca. The story has been something of a slow burn so far, but the writing and art has definitely kept me interested and I’m certain that this series will turn out to be important in the context of Tony Stark’s return to grace. Among my other buys this week were:

Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #5 of 5
Astonishing Tales #2
Batman: Cacophony #1-3
Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1 of 3
Black Terror #3
Captain Britain and MI13 #11
Cartoon Network Action Pack #35
Fathom #5
Ghost Rider #33
G.I. Joe #3
Green Arrow and Black Canary #18
Guardians of the Galaxy #11
Invincible Iron Man #11
Immortal Iron Fist #23
Marvel Apes: Speedball #1 (One-Shot)
Official Index to the Marvel Universe #3
Scooby-Doo #142
Titans #11
Toyfare #141
Trinity #41
Wolverine: Marvel Spotlight
X-Men Manifest Destiny: Nightcrawler
X-Men Noir #4

I’m heading out on Spring Break this weekend with my wife and my four year-old son, so I was definitely psyched to find a few new kids titles, including Cartoon Network Action Pack, Scooby-Doo, and the Justice League trade paperback. That should give him something to do on the four hour plane ride after my laptop battery runs out and he can’t watch cartoons anymore. Another new book that I particularly enjoyed this week was Titans #11. In this issue, the Titans take a much needed break after a wild run during Final Crisis to spend quality time with friends, family and their teammates. It’s a nice departure from the hectic pace of the book in recent months and an enjoyable reminder that these characters are not only superheroes – they’re people too. Another new book in that vein was the X-Men Manifest Destiny: Nightcrawler One-Shot in which Nightcrawler decides he’s outlived his usefulness to the X-Men and returns to Bavaria. It’s a fun story and it was great to see Nightcrawler as the fun and swashbuckling character I knew growing up for a change.

Check out the full list of the week's new releases at the Diamond Comics web site and you can visit Marvel and DC for an advance look at next week’s books. Another site worth checking out – particularly if you were dragged into comics by the Watchmen movie or graphic novel – is DC’s afterwatchmen.com site. It’s a great marketing effort on the #2 comic publisher’s part to push new fans toward other work by Alan Moore as well as other more “mature” materials by a number of great creators in DC’s stable.

Toywatch: Hasbro's Wolverine Electronic Claw

My son and I first saw the Wolverine Electronic Claw from Hasbro's X-Men Origins: Wolverine toy collection at Marvel's exhibit at New York Comic Con back in February. It was love at first sight - yes, for both of us - and we were disappointed that they weren't on sale yet. The description on Hasbro's web site further whetted our appetites: "Born with mutant ability to extend claws from his wrists, Wolverine is made for battle. Slide your hand inside the molded plastic glove and flick your wrist to extend the realistic-looking claws with exciting claw-clashing sounds. Don Wolverine’s claw and charge into action like the world’s ultimate warrior!" Awesome no? Amazon.com recently listed them as available April 1st and were were waiting patiently, so imagine our pleasant surprise to find boxes of them stacked high when we strolled into Toys 'R Us yesterday. Anyway, my son is loving his new Wolverine claws and has truly been charging around like the world's ultimate warrior all day. "Snikt...Ok, Daddy. Let's do this!" Ah, good times!

The Watchmen Movie Review

Watchmen is an impressive production: Ambitiously crafted, perfectly cast, and packed with all the action, adventure, mystery, romance and horror that you would expect from a Hollywood rendering of the acclaimed graphic novel. Zak Snyder had an unenviable – some would say impossible – task of translating the labyrinthine saga to the silver screen, but he really rose to the occasion with a film that faithfully and painstakingly tries to recreate the magic of the original text while condensing the story into 2 hours and 43 minutes. The film has its flaws, to be sure: It’s really long, occasionally rambles and has uneven pacing, but the good far outweighs the bad.

The casting and costumes in Watchmen were fantastic and a key element in effectively translating the graphic novel to the screen. I was particularly impressed with the performances by Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian. Haley’s dynamic ink blot mask, rigid physicality and gravel-throated voice bring Rorschach to life as well as I could possibly imagine. His performance really takes off when he’s unmasked and sent to prison. "You don't get it! I'm not in here with you! You're in here with me!" Yikes! Morgan delivers a perfect portrayal of The Comedian as a true force of nature: Fierce, violent, amoral, and completely over-the-top in all respects. His performance actually adds greater depth to the character than was portrayed in the Watchmen graphic novel. Not to leave them out, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Mathew Goode, and Patrick Wilson were all great in their respective roles.

The adaptation of the graphic novel to film was well done and the various additions, deletions and revisions generally worked well in the context of the production. The one revision I really question was the decision to start the film with the vicious fight that leads to The Comedian being thrown through a plate glass window to his death. I think that Alan Moore had it right in the graphic novel when he started with an opening sequence like a Law & Order episode with a police investigation of Blake’s murder and a few flashbacks that show only a well-built old guy getting pummeled. It’s not until Rorschach investigates and discovers the secret closet in his apartment that you realize Edward Blake was in fact a costumed hero. That was a powerful "hook" in the original text that would have worked well in the film as an opening sequence to be followed by opening credits.

The major rewrite in the story was the apocalyptic plot hatched by Ozymandias. In the graphic novel, a giant alien squid monster attacks New York, killing and terrorizing millions. There are a lot of hints dropped throughout the graphic novel that put the attack in context that may or may not have worked with the film. But, I imagine that the biggest reason for the change of the ending was the fear by the writers and producers that the appearance of a giant alien squid would have been a serious “WTF!?!” moment for the audience. In fact, I think it might have been such a non-sequitor that people may have laughed out loud in the theaters. In any case, framing Dr. Manhattan for an attack on key cities around the world was a very clever twist.

On a number of levels, Watchmen is definitely not a film for everyone. The combination of its 2 hour and 43 minute length and intensely complex plot will limit its mass appeal to some degree. Some of the comments by teens and college kids walking out after the movie were “That was boring, long, disappointing, etc.” If that was the word of mouth among the general public, that may partially explain the 24% falloff in box office receipts from Friday to Saturday. Aside from its complexity and length, Watchmen appropriately carries an R rating for some sexual content and a lot of gruesome violence. I suppose that the compound fractures, severed limbs, and split skulls were all there in the graphic novel, but some of it seemed gratuitous in the film.

The bottom line is that I enjoyed Watchmen and I really want to see it again. As I noted, it’s a long and complex story and I think that I’m going to enjoy it more and get a lot more out of it the next time around. Watchmen the movie has also rekindled my fascination with the graphic novel, so I’m definitely going to break out my Absolute Watchmen book this week. I also plan to start construction on my own personal Owlship as soon as my schedule allows. Man, that thing was awesome! If you saw the movie this weekend, please jump in with any comments. I'd love to hear what people thought.

Megan Fox to Star in Fathom, Jonah Hex

The Hollywood Reporter writes that the aptly named Megan Fox is set to expand her comic book movie work beyond Transformers with lead roles in the forthcoming Jonah Hex and Fathom feature films.

According to the article, Fox is in final negotiations to join Josh Brolin and John Malkovich in Jonah Hex, Warner Bros.' action Western based on the DC Comics character. She also is attached to star in and develop Fathom, Fox Atomic 's comic book-based underwater adventure.

In Jonah Hex, Fox will play Leila, a gun-wielding beauty and love interest of Hex (Brolin), a scarred bounty hunter tracking a voodoo practitioner (Malkovich) who wants to raise an army of undead to liberate the South. The movie is preparing for a shoot in April, with Jimmy Hayward directing.

Fathom, a comic created by the late Michael Turner, follows a young woman named Aspen who learns she is a member of a race of aquatic humanoids who possess the ability to control water. Fox, a fan of the comic since its 1998 debut, will star as Aspen and also receive a producer credit.

Fox will next appear in this summer's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and stars in the Diablo Cody-penned comedic supernatural thriller movie Jennifer's Body, which opens in the fall. She recently appeared in the comedy How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.

You can check out the full article online at Yahoo! Movies.

The Pull List: Wednesday, March 4, 2009

My hopes for a respite after last Wednesday’s comic onslaught were short lived when I looked at the list of new releases on the Diamond Comics web site this morning. Fortunately there weren’t two Marvel Masterworks volumes out this week, so I didn’t have to break the bank at the comic store again. Black Panther #2 was out today and I’m sorry to say that we still don’t know the identity of the new Black Panther. Marvel is really pushing the limits of decompression with this relaunch, which is unfortunate given the great potential of the book and all the hype that led up to its release. A comic that definitely didn’t disappoint me today was Daredevil #116. The magic that Ed Brubaker and David Aja brought to The Immortal Iron Fist seems to have been rekindled in Daredevil. Based on the prologue in this issue, The Return of the King saga promises to be fantastic. Another new Marvel book worth mentioning is New Avengers: The Reunion #1, which brings back together Hawkeye (ok, he’s Ronin now) and Mockingbird after Secret Invasion. Among my buys this week were:

Agents of Atlas #2
The Age of The Sentry #6
The Authority #8
Ben 10 Returns Vol. 1
Black Panther #2
Cable #12
Daredevil #116
Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1 of 5
Flash Gordon #4
Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #4 of 8
Hulk: Broken Worlds #1
Jonah Hex #41
New Avengers: The Reunion #1
No Hero #4
Secret Six #7
Secret Warriors #2
Solomon Grundy #1 of 7
Spider-Man & The Human Torch #1 (One-Shot)
Terror Titans #6 of 6
Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #3
War of Kings #1
X-Men: First Class Finals #2
X-Men & Spider-Man #4 of 4

Over in the DC Universe, the villains continue to rule. With issue #7, Secret Six shifts from high gear into overdrive as Gail Simone and Nicola Scott bring their first story art to a climactic conclusion. It's an appropriately big finale with a punishing battle royal, Gotham City style, as the bloody, ragged remains of the Secret Six fight their way through throngs of Gotham City heroes and villains. The finale of Sean McKeever and Joe Bennett’s Terror Titans pits heroes versus villains as Clock King's final, twisted plan terrorizes Los Angeles. DC’s villainous titles have been great over the past year and I hope that the books have been commercially successful enough for them to justify launching new titles in 2009 and beyond. What else? Ah yes, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine #3. After all, I think we’ve been waiting for almost three years for this series to continue where it left off. With Leinil Yu at the drawing board, I’m looking forward to seeing this series through to the finish.

Check out the full list of the week's new releases at the Diamond Comics web site.

New DVD Releases: Wonder Woman

Among this week's new DVD releases was Wonder Woman from Warner Bros., which has recently put out a number of animated features set in the DC Universe. First came Superman: Doomsday based on the record-selling comic book story in which Superman was actually killed, next came Justice League: The New Frontier based on Darwyn Cooke's award-winning graphic novel, then came Batman: Gotham Knight, which told several stories set between the two latest live action films. These features have all been pretty good, so between that strong track record and the very positive reviews that I've read leading up to this week's release, I'm definitely looking forward to Wonder Woman.

Rated PG-13 for violence and some suggestive (really..?!) material, the Wonder Woman animated feature tells the story of the amazon princess Diana's first encounter with Steve Trevor, a pilot who crash lands on Themyscira - the island of no men. After fighting in a tournament against her fellow amazons competing for the right to escort Trevor back to 'man's world' Diana dons the Wonder Woman outfit for her first time. As she tries to understand the world of man, Diana must deal with the threat of God Of War Ares, who has escaped from a centuries long imprisonment and is looking to start trouble. The Wonder Woman DVD is now at the top of my Netflix queue, so I hope that the wait isn't too long.

New York Post: Secrets of Watchmen

It's not every day that a superhero graces the front page, so I was pleased to see the Watchmen's Silk Spectre II on the cover of today's New York Post. The article, entitled Darker Knights in the printed edition and Less Than Hero online, fills a double-page spread in the paper with background on the acclaimed graphic novel and its characters, director Zak Snyder's challenges of bringing it from the printed page to the big screen, and the palpable mix of hype, enthusiasm and fear that fans are feeling ahead of the film's release this Friday. Post writer Reed Tucker jokes that five days from now, director Zack Snyder will either be the most beloved man in pop culture, or he will be dead - murdered by a chubby guy with bad hygiene wielding a replica light saber. Personally, I'm hoping it's the former and not the the latter. You can check out the article online at nypost.com

Original Art: Sal Buscema’s New Mutants

New Mutants was one of my favorite titles back when I started reading comics. As the first expansion of the X-Universe into a new recurring title, Chris Claremont did a masterful job with the book, initially alongside his co-creator Bob McLeod and later with Sal Buscema, Bill Sienkiewicz and a number of other great artists. New Mutants was magic to me because the stories really focused on the fact that Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters was truly a school, so you got to see the kids being kids and going through all the trials and tribulations of adolescence…in addition going on incredible adventures, fighting super villains, etc.

One of Claremont’s strengths as a writer on the New Mutants was mixing high adventure with great interpersonal situations to establish characters that you really knew, understood and cared about deeply. In some respects Claremont’s X-Universe was a bit of a soap opera because drama, intrigue and romance played as much a role in the stories as the pulse-pounding, senses-shattering action typically expected in comic books. Love was an important thematic element in his writing and the love triangle between Kitty Pryde-Colossus-Doug Ramsey was up there in my mind at the time in the same league as the Jean Grey-Cyclops-Wolverine love triangle.

So, when I saw page 13 from New Mutants #13 on eBay, I couldn’t resist. It was a great issue and this page was a fun reminder of one of my favorite titles in all of comics. As tends to be the case with original art of this vintage, the word balloons and other indicia are done right on the page, so you essentially get the whole story with the original art. As much as I like the superior finished result from today’s digital production process in which lettering and sometimes inking are done in post-production, I still prefer original art of an earlier vintage because it really feels like you're being given a window into the creative process.

One other cool thing about this page is a note from Sal Buscema to Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson written in the margins and onto the back of the page. "Chris & Louise: I’ve checked all my recent issues of X-Men and can’t find Doug Walsh. Who the hell is he? In the future, could you please send reference on these lesser known characters. Or at least tell me what books they’re in. Thanx, Sal. P.S. I used my psychic powers to draw what I thought he might look like!" Well, Sal pretty much nailed what Doug Ramsey looked like without any reference, so his mutant powers must be mighty indeed.