Comics

Viper’s got Perfect Teeth

Viper comics have teamed up
with Vinnie Fiorello, the drummer of the kick-ass ska punk-band Less Than Jake.  Fiorello, along
with writer Matt Anderson (White Picket Fences) and artist Peter Wonsowski, present the comic world a book about
the horror of a music celebrity.

In a matter of weeks, the comic’s character Nathan Almost goes from an unknown
suburbanite to the biggest musician who ever existed! Fans adore him, buying
his t-shirts and posters. Critics chase him, wielding their torches and
pitchforks!

Samurai’s Blood #2 – Review

Samurai’s Blood #2
is not going to surprise anyone and it does not break the mold. If
you’ve read or seen a samurai story before, then you already have a
pretty good idea of what is on offer. There’s honor, there are swords,
there’s revenge and geishas. Having said that, the whole reason we’re
familiar with these stories is because they work, and in Samurai’s Blood it works very well. Issue
#2 continues the story of young clan head Junishi Sanjo, newly
appointed after everyone else was slaughtered by the villainous Gakushi,
leaving only himself, his sister Mayuko, and his friend and fellow
samurai Katashi as survivors. These three young adults are on the run
from those who would attempt to kill them, until they can strike back
and regain their lives. Also, Mayuko and Katashi are a couple. Like I
said, it is not anything most of us haven’t seen before. Even so, the
presentation is carried out so well that it is hard to care.

Manga 101 – Seinen Studies Part 1

Previously
in Manga 101 we learned about a few series that are great to get
started with. These series all fall into what is considered “shonen,” a
genre that is primarily targeted towards adolescent boys. Of course,
that does not keep them from kicking ass, but for those looking for
something that aims at an older demographic we have “seinen” manga.
Seinen manga tends to take a greater shift towards realism in its art
and themes in an effort to appeal to an older audience. Sometimes this
means that the violence and sexuality is more graphic, sometimes it
means that the plot and characters are genuinely more mature, but most
of the time it just means that the violence and sexuality is more
graphic. In the end, though, young or old, full frontal or just a bit of
fan service, all that really matters is whether or not it’s a good
comic. Here are a few that are:

Who Would Win – Aquaman vs. Namor the Sub-Mariner

In this
new segment of Who Would Win we judge two superpowered beings and decide
who would win in a fight. The seven seas are not big enough for both
of these Kings of the Sea, but who would win? Namor the Sub-mariner,
or Aquaman? Both have massive strength and speed, but this grand fight
between the two will actually be a rematch. Aquaman fought Namor before
in the out of canon issue Marvel Comics vs. DC #2 and won, thanks to fan-based voting, but could a rematch bring different results or will Namor crash and burn again?

The Red Wing #1 – Review

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Jonathan Hickman’s return to Image and his first creator owned book since A Red Mass for Mars. I intentionally kept myself in the dark about the series so that I could go into The Red Wing the same way I did The Nightly News, Pax Romana, Transhuman and the afore mentioned A Red Mass for Mars. Each of these I went in not knowing what I would get and each one was more than surprisingly good. Now Hickman has become part of the Marvel system and while he’s done some great and amazing things in the corporate playground his creator owned stuff always sits high on my must read list as true examples of what can be achieved in comics.

Guarding The Globe #5 – Review

Confused. That is the word that comes to mind when I consider the thing I just read; that which bears the moniker Guarding the Globe #5. One problem with any book featuring a superhero team is that each hero demands some of the spotlight and things can tend to get a bit mixed up between different characters and story lines. This is pretty much the case with Guarding the Globe #5, and by “pretty much,” I mean, goodness gracious this thing is cluttered.

Mysterious Ways #1 – Review

This horror title from Top Cow will feel oddly familiar to Image fans: the art, plot and dialogue are all reminiscent of one of the many series from Image which came out in the 90’s. These titles ranged from downright stupid to sub-par, and sub-par is where Mysterious Ways #1 is. The art is mediocre and the characters somewhat stereotypical, but some interesting elements are introduced that do make the next issue something to look forward to, if only slightly.

In Mysterious Ways an alcoholic cop is struggling to put his life back together after being released from prison for saving a guard’s life. His life takes another backward spiral when he wakes up with a silver piece and to the news that he is the prime suspect in a murder investigation with an abnormal agent hot on his trail.