Monthly Archives: May 2010
Prejudged! 05.25.10
It’s another big week in comics and Prejudged! is here to shed some light on a few of them.
SECRET AVENGERS #1
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Art by: Mike Deodato
Cover by: Marco Djurdjevic
Marvel’s Heroic Age is in full swing with this week seeing the debut of Steve Rogers’ Secret Avengers. Moon Knight, Black Widow, Nova, War Machine, Beast, and Valkyrie. I don’t recall an Avengers team as badass as this. With Brubaker and Deodato on board, now it’s the heroes’ turn start breaking some heads. Although I hope Deodato doesn’t give War Machine “ass armor” like he did for the Iron Patriot.
MYSTERY SOCIETY #1
Written by: Steve Niles
Art by: Fiona Staples
Cover by: Ashley Wood
If you’re a sucker for underground cults and such, you might want to jump onto this new series by acclaimed horror writer Steve Niles. Based on the solicitations, the Mystery Society are Nick Hammond and Anastasia Collins, who like to spend their time and money infiltrating secret bases like Area 51. I’ve never read anything that mashed up Horror with Espionage before, and Mystery Society should be interesting.
GREEN HORNET #4
Written by: Kevin Smith
Art by: Jonathan Lau
Cover by: Alex Ross
This title has been surprisingly good. It’s good that Kevin Smith turned the Green Hornet and Kato into legacy characters. Female Kato is a very nice touch too. The artwork by Jonathan Lau is solid and captures the mood of Green Hornet’s world. Anyone who was a fan of the original TV series should definitely pick this up. Also, if you can, grab the one with the J. Scott Campbell cover.
POWER GIRL #12
Written by: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by : Amanda Conner
Cover by: Amanda Conner
Here it is. The last issue of Power Girl for Palmiotti, Gray, and Conner. It’s very sad to see this team leave this title, especially Amanda Conner’s art. I really suggest that DC should collect this entire run into one big hardbound edition, complete with Palmiotti and Gray’s script and Conner’s sketches.
So, that’s it for this week’s Prejudged! See you next week, True Believers!
Cover of the Week – May 20, 2010
Cover of the Week is a presentation of the best cover from last week’s comic book releases, based on the art, design, and overall good looks.
This week, we will showcase an awesome art from ink master Sean Gordon Murphy.
Joe the Barbarian #5, art by Sean Murphy
The first thing I noticed about this cover is it’s composition. At first glance, the main focus on this image is the big knight holding a chain. But then after a few seconds Joe and Jack come into the picture and few seconds more you will see the swirling water behind them establishing that they are in the water and the knight is actually an reflection of what Joe is looking at!
For me it was 3-step process with the last step seeing the “whole” image. I really like how the cover was conceptualized and designed. The cover set up the mood for the book, a feel of exploration and awe, and how the point of interest is both in and out of the image!
The linework here is great. I’ve always admired Sean Murhpy’s work ever since he started with this style in Hellblazer. He has great control over blacks and whites and his images are always moving and dynamic.
As an artist, looking at this cover would make me shoot myself.
So what’s your cover of the week?
Tres Komikeros 49
Alex and John have a heart-to-heart talk about Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #1, Zatanna #1, and Avengers #1! After a round of quickshots, the boys talk about Megan Fox’s recent TF3 upset. Lastly, John asks Alex who he would like to meet at a comic con if deceased creators could somehow be given black lantern rings.
Download the audio file here
Cover of the Week – May 12, 2010 releases
Cover of the Week is a presentation of the best cover from last week’s comic book releases, based on the art, design, and overall good looks.
Hello everyone and welcome again to another issue of Cover of the Week. Today we will discuss the beauty of Kaare Andrews’ Astonishing X-Men.
Astonishing X-Men – Xenogenesis #1, art by Kaare Andrews
I rarely use group shot covers because of two things. One, the cover looks cramped with all the characters in it; and two, they all have these generic poses. So why choose a group shot this time? Well, because of two things! One, because it’s a double spread, that means you don’t have to cramp 6 characters in one page; and two, the poses are generic, yet Andrews is able to draw it in such a way that each characters’ personality shows on their poses! I also like how he used a plain white background, that way the characters are highlighted without unnecessary details. A black border on the top that blends in to the title, which doesn’t make the title very awkwardly placed. If you want, you can buy another copy of this book and turn the cover into a poster!
I know some people don’t like Kaare Andrew’s art. They say the anatomy is so off and everything looks weird. Well, Andrews is one of those artists who sacrifice anatomical accuracy to gain fluidity in storytelling. Sure, he’s not accurately drawing which muscle contracts when drinking a glass of water, but he sure knows how to make his characters “move” from panel to panel. It also allows him to draw characters who are oozing with individuality and personality that other “realistic” artists cannot do. And that’s exactly what he was able to do with this cover.
It’s a clean straightforward cover that’s perfect for a first issue arc. And if you like to check out more Kaare Andrews art, try picking up Spider-Man: Reign.
So, what’s your cover of the week?
Prejudged! 05.17.10
Welcome to a very special edition of Prejudged! This week sees a plethora of new #1 issues from the Big Two, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to get people to jump onto a new book. This edition of Prejudged! is very “NEW READER FRIENDLY”. Let’s kick off with a look at the return of Legion Vet Paul Levitz.
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1
Written by: Paul Levitz
Art by: Yildiray Cinar and Wayne Faucher
Cover by Yildiray Cinar and Wayne Faucher
Anyone who’s ever been interested in diving into the 31st century and joining the Legion of Super-Heroes in their adventures across the future of the DC Universe will want to jump straight onto this new #1 from legendary Legion squire, Paul Levitz. Coming off the heels of Action Comics: Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes and Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds, we see the return of the original, post-Infinite Crisis Legion of Super-Heroes team in full form. The Legion is one of the very first super-hero teams in comic book history and the first to ever tackle themes of racism and homosexuality. This series also has a Green Lantern Corps second feature. If you have room for another team book on your pull list, I highly recommend picking up this title.
ATLAS #1
Written: Jeff Parker
Art by: Gabriel Hardman
Cover by: Terry Dodson
Marvel’s Rat Pack is back! The Agents of Atlas, a ragtag team of a spy, a spaceman, a siren, a killer robot, a mermaid, and a gorilla-man, has to be the strangest team in the Marvel Universe. When Jimmy Woo discovered that he was the heir to Genghis Khan and a powerful secret criminal organization called the Atlas Foundation, he saw to achieve the foundation’s goals through more passive means while still maintaing his cover. With the guidance of his advisor dragon, Mr. Lao, Woo travels the globe in search of adventure. This title is definitely for comic book readers who are looking for something different, and you don’t get any more different than Atlas.
ZATANNA #1
Written by: Paul Dini
Art by: Stephanie Roux
Cover by: Stephanie Roux
The backwards-talking, Mistress of Magic finally lands her own ongoing series. Brought to us by Batman: The Animated Series producer and writer, Paul Dini, this new series sees the many magical hijinks of everyone’s favorite fishnet stocking wearing heroine. (Okay, maybe it’s a tie between Zatanna and Black Canary.) Personally, the biggest draw of this book is the wonderful art of Stephanie Roux. With Amanda Conner leaving Power Girl, it’s good to see Roux on art duties for another of DC’s most beloved female heroes. Trust me, the artwork alone is reason enough to pick this up.
AVENGERS #1
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Art by: John Romita Jr.
Cover by: John Romita Jr.
I’ll leave this to the solicitation:
THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! There came a day! A day unlike any other…where two of Marvel’s top creators teamed up for the very first time to create a bombastic new monthly Marvel comic that not only ushers in the Heroic Age of Marvel Comics but unleashes onto the world the most blockbuster Avengers team ever! Who will answer the call? And will they assemble just in time…because Kang the Conqueror is here from the future. And wait till you find out why…! Bonus back up feature: the oral history of the Avengers, part one. A brand new illustrated look at the Avengers in a way you have never seen before by series writer Brian Michael Bendis.
Nuff Said.
Come back next week for another bombastic edition of Prejudged!
Tres Komikeros 48
Alex and John sit down and talk about last week’s hot books. This episode features Batman and Robin #12, Hellboy in Mexico, and Brightest Day #1. In the panel discussion, John raises some concerns about comic industry trends and compares the comic fanbase to manga enthusiasts.
Download the audio file here
Comic Odyssey
The Tres Komikeros crew is happy to announce a brand-spankin’ new partnership with Comic Odyssey! In the months to come, everyone who enjoys the show will also be able to listen over at the Comic Odyssey blog.
Special offers will also be made available to fans in connection with our monthly Book Club! TK would like to thank Sandy and everyone at Comic Odyssey for their warm support.
Tres Komikeros 47 – Swamp Thing
In the first TK Book Club episode, EJ, Alex, and John assemble to talk about Alan Moore’s classic run on everyone’s favorite muck monster! With Jad chiming in at random parts of the show to spoil us all, join the boys as they share their thoughts on this classic Vertigo series, and then discuss recent changes in the Zuda Comics modus operandi.
Download the audio file here
Book Club Pick for May:
Tres Komikeros 