-Easiest Contest Ever! Win a plethora of Bounty Head Bebop prizes!

-A Farewell to Joe – Make sure to let him know how much you appreciate all he’s done on the message boards.

-Matt’s recording in an airport this week.  He has to scoot early on. No worries, folks. We know what happened to him, unlike last time.

-The Origins of Clockworks

-Worst Cosplays

-Shawn’s GMing Pro-Tips

-The Voltron Interlude

-Splitting the Party and Psuedo-troupe play

-Persistent worlds across multiple GMs and campaigns as exemplified by Clockworks

-Chainmail Bikini revisited

-Shawn’s other works: Doors and Windows, Children’s Choir, True Tales of South City

-Clockworks Savage Worlds Adventures  and Sourcebook

-Sandwich Taco

Hosts: Adam, Matt, Luke, Shawn

The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite written by Gerard Way, art by Gabriel Ba, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Nate Piekos of Blambot

The first volume of the Umbrella Academy opens with a professional wrestler dropping a flying atomic elbow on a cyclopean space squid from Rigel X-9 and quickly begins to get weird. What kept surprising everyone about this comic wasn’t that musician Gerard Way had some decidedly odd ideas for his story. What surprised everyone was just how damn good the whole thing turned out to be. Seriously, outside of My Chemical Romance’s legions of teen fans, who was expecting the guy to have these levels of creative chops. But he does. And when matched with Brazillian artist Gabriel Ba you get what is easily one of the top comics for 2008.

Time travel, little kids fighting the Eiffel Tower, bad parenting, talking chimps and a family reunion that probably isn’t that much more of a disaster than most peoples. I mean sure most reunions don’t lead to the end of the world, but the crying and fighting is probably pretty typical…

Vampire Loves by Joann Sfar, colors by Audre Jardel, translated by Alexis Siegel

Vampire Loves is centered mostly around the vampire Ferdinand. He’s just broken up with Lani, his plant-spirit girlfriend after he caught her cheating on him with one of his friends. He’s a bit of a depressive type who normally only feeds with one tooth so as to make people think they’ve been bitten by a mosquito. And he really doesn’t have a clue about dating. Vampire Loves follows Ferdinand, Lani and their collection of spirits, robots, humans, mystics and others in their attempt to find love.

Sfar’s work often has a level of sadness to it, even the humor. But its charming and thought-provoking and hopeful. Sfar’s world is one where the occult and the normal converge, mostly showing that people are people and thus mostly confused. Even when they’re dead. Or a tree…

Skin Horse vol. 1 by Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells

The first collection for the Skin Horse webcomic. A comic about the semi-secret Black Ops Social Services department for non-human intelligences. The ones who go in with government assistances for those poor Destroyer Robots, Transgenic Beasts and Stranger Things That Result From Playing God. When the Rampage Ends, Thats Where Project Skin Horse Begins…

Well they try anyway. But with a field team consisting of a talking ex-pat Canadian dog (Sweetheart), a patchwork zombie girl (Unity) and a transvestite psychologist (Dr. Tip Wilkin) its possible things might not go according to plan. But that doesn’t mean they won’t find a way to solve their clients’ problems. Whether they be genetically-modified lions, warring mutant societies in the sub-basements or foul-mouthed cyborg battle copters…

Super Hero Happy Hour written by Dan Taylor, art by Chris Fason

A very simple concept. Neighborhood bar where the city’s super-heroes hang out. This volume collects the original 4-issue mini-series. The art is a bit crude to start, but Fason hits his stride by the second issue (“Ladies’ Night”) putting down simple but effective black & white, cartoon-like art.

Also Psiren and Knightengale are TOTALLY female hero names I wish I’d thought up first…

Sparks: An urban fairy tale by Lawrence Marvit

Jo is a lonely auto mechanic. She lives at home with her drunken cop father and zoned out mother. And one day she builds..well not a robot. More the shell of one. And that night a lightning strike brings him to life. Jo eventually names him Galahad and he becomes her closest friend. Even as she struggles to fit in and make friends with other people. But even an artificial man can love.

Or its the story of a beautiful princess trapped by a wicked king and the brave knight who will do anything to save her.

Or maybe both…

Mini Marvels: rock, paper, scissors by Chris Giarrusso

Chris G’s brilliantly adorable series of Marvel characters as children had previously been found scattered throughout various Marvel titles. But this collection gathers them up in one slim $10 volume. Thrill to Spidey and Venom’s paper delivery adventures. Wolverines quest for his favorite cereal. The Human Torch learning a valuable lesson about courtesy. And of course the most perfect adaptation of the World War Hulk story-arc…

Chris G’s all-ages comic never fails to make me laugh. Plus Elephant Steve. The Marvel universe could use more Elephant Steve.

Yotsuba&! vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma

I’m not normally a big manga reader. But there is something perfectly charming about this series. Its cute and funny and I found myself picking up all five volumes as well as picking them up for my nieces…

The series is about a strange green-haired girl named Yotsuba. She moves to a new town with her adoptive father. In the first volume she befriends her neighbors the Ayases. Especially the Ayase daughters, Fuku, Asagi and Ena. She also goes to the market. And goes cicada catching with Ena and her father’s best friend Jumbo. Yotsuba zooms from one idea to another. Watching the simple joy everything brings her always brings a smile to my face…

Nocturnals: Black Planet by Dan Brereton

Dan Brereton creates a world of gene-crafted humanoid animals, android-hired torpedos, and supernatural pulp heroes. The Nocturnals are led by Doc Horror of the heroic cursed genius and two-fisted guns variety. He fights the evil of the Narn K Corporation and the alien Crim with his crew of undead gunsels, freed hybrids, and pyschics.

Brereton’s signature painted style brings out the best for his post-dusk setting. Lots of shadows and moonlit settings. Brereton crafts an excellent mash-up of scifi, Lovecraftian and gangster tropes into a pulp noir story.

A Distant Soil: The Gathering by Colleen Doran

Within the first dozen pages of Doran’s sci-fi/fantasy/romance epic you get a brother and sister with mysterious powers and the villainous Martin Institute. Then soon after that, you get the aliens. Beautiful, human-looking aliens and weird, hulking ones both. And more psychics. And a cynical but heroic cop. And a gang-banger with a good heart. And more beautiful alien psychics. And Sir Galahad of Avalon. And alien revolutions. And an alien threat to Earth. And a plan to gather heroes to stop it. And a were-panther/alien. And evil dictators who aren’t. And so on…

Colleen Doran manages to somehow blend together all these disparate elements into a cohesive and compelling story in a A Distant Soil. Even the Faerie. Did I mention the Faerie? Yeah, from what could easily be a giant mess, Doran creates a world and tale that lives up to the description of epic.

Laika written and drawn by Nick Abadzis, colors by Hilary Sycamore

Laika follows former political prisoner who was one of prominent engineers in the Russian space program, Yelena a veterinary technician and Laika the dog aboard the second Soviet orbital launch. Having to meet Premiere Khruschev’s deadline of only a month to launch Sputnik II means that some things have to be cut. Like any means for the satellite to return safely to Earth. Abadzis mixes the available facts together to create a sad but touching story.

Poor, brave little dog…

The Savage Dragon by Erik Larsen, letters by Chris Eliopoulos, Colors by Gregory Wright & Steve Oliff

A collection of the original mini-series that introduced Larsen’s signature series. Waaaay back in ’92 when Image started I was a High School junior and a Marvel fan-boy. Especially of the X-books. So when several of the creative teams behind those left Marvel I followed along to see what else they’d do. And I checked out a couple other people. McFarlane on Spawn and Larsen on Savage Dragon. I had a few random issues of various Spider-Man books by both and thought they were nice enough. Seventeen years later and I’m still a fan of Larsen and his fin-headed hero.

I’ve followed through the silly cartoon, the numerous spin-offs, tragedies and triumphs in Larsen’s life, delays and more feuds than you could shake an internet browser at. And the book has remained one of my favorites. From when he starts out as a Chicago cop to the creation of Freak Force to encounters with Gods, with other dimensions, being fired, with being the leader of a government super-team, the destruction of the “original” Image Earth, overthrowing the tyrant leader of “new” Earth, getting married and to becoming a cop again, I’ve kept up…

It’s been seventeen years since that first mini-series and I’ve long since lost interest in the other Image founders and their creations. But I’ll probably be a Fin-Addict for another seventeen.

The Savage Sword of Conan: Vol. 1 written by Roy Thomas, art by various

By Crom! Fifteen tales of the Cimmerian adventurer! Fifteen tales of blood and glory and women and danger! Valeria of the flashing blade! Red Sonja of the fearsome temper! The art of Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Jim Starlin, Walter Simonson and more! Fifteen thrilling tales of Conan, filled with strange beasts, dark magics and conquest!

Who would dare pass up this opportunity? Only a fool!

CROOOOOOOOM!

Jack Staff: Yesterday’s Heroes written and drawn by Paul Grist

The world of Jack Staff is one of super-heroes, vampires, reports, and maverick cops. Named Maveryk. This collection of the first four indy press issues takes Britain’s greatest hero, Jack Staff, from a fight in the 1940s alongside the Freedom Fighters to a series of vampire attacks in the modern day.

This collection presents the first issues of one of the best—and sometimes oddest—super-hero books on the stands. While this edition is now out of print, it is collected as part of Image’s Jack Staff: Everything Used to be Black and White. Still theres something enjoyable about lucking into earlier editions. But whatever collected version or single issues, Jack Staff is one of best and most enjoyable comics out there.

Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka

Astro Boy originally named Tetsuwan Atom or “Mighty Atom” is one of the cornerstones of Japanese manga and anime. Created and written by comics legend Osamu Tezuka, the series ran for EIGHTEEN years. Tezuka’s stories, based around the adventures of the good-hearted robot boy became one of the cultural touchstones of Japan. Here you have the first two volumes collected and translated into English. You get stories of alien invaders, robot/human politics, stage magic and cyborg dogs. Trips to the moon, powerful battles and a robot hero with machine guns in his butt…

These early stories are fun to read and enhanced by the cartoonish but clean drawing style. The characters have exageratted physical characteristics, emotionally overreact and use classic sight-gags. While Tezuka himself was not always happy with his early work it still has a simple elegance to it and the stories are, above all, fun.

The Middleman: The Collected Series Indispensability written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, art by Les McClaine

The Middleman is the agent of an organization so top secret even he doesn’t know who they are. He’s tasked with protecting the world from those who would conquer it and also dealing with things too strange for normal authorities. Like crime-boss monkeys, rogue groups of los luchadors or giant city-buster robots…

His new partner is artist and temp worker Wendy Watson. Since he burned down her last job stopping a tentacle monster and had her framed for it, she’s been in need of work. So Mad Science Action Hero Sidekick will have to do for now…

Grillo-Marxuach’s series was adapted into a television show for ABC Family which was pretty good the one time I caught it. The book collects all three volumes of the comic as well as bonus comics featuring the Middleman in other eras. One of which features time traveling Soviet bears on motorcycles. And thats just awesome.

Scalped: Indian Country written by Jason Aaron, Art by R.M. Guera, Colors by Lee Loughridge, Letters by Phil Balsman

Jason Aaron is one of comics’ rising stars. He’s infusing new life into old properties at Marvel and, along with co-creator Guera, is doing one of Vertigo’s latest flagship titles with Scalped. The book looks at various characters living on or involved with the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation, focusing heavily on recently returned prodigal son Dashiell “Dash” Bad Horse. After fifteen years away he returns and gets hired on by local crime boss, tribal chief and chief of police Lincoln Red Crow. Red Crow used to be a major part of the activist movement, alongside Dash’s mother Gina Bad Horse. But now he’s a corrupt and violent bastard determined to get his new casino up and running at any cost.

Adding to the mix are other activists former and current (like crazy white boy Diesel), FBI agent Nitz looking to pin a 20 year old murder of two FBI agents on Red Crow, Red Crow’s self-destructive daughter and other crooks, cops and citizens on the Rez. Not that its always possible to tell those last three apart…

Aaron and Guera are telling a hyper-violent cops/noir/gangster/tribal life/spiritual journey mash-up of a story. And with its diverse cast and interlocking story arcs its no wonder its often looked at as the succesor to the recently ended 100 Bullets.

Dr. Strange: The Oath written by Brian K. Vaughn, art by Marcos Martin, inks & colors by Alvaro Lopez & Javier Rodriguez, letters by Willie Schubert

And welcome to the last good Dr. Strange story. One that opens with Strange being dragged into the clinic of Dr. Linda “Night Nurse” Carter. Strange has been shot and so Wong takes him to the only doctor in the city who specializes in vigilante trauma. From there we learn that Wong has a malignant brain tumor, Dr. Strange located a magical potion that can cure it and the person who shot him was a costumed burglur named Brigand who stole the potion on behalf of a mysterious enemy of the Sorcerer Supreme. And then we get demons, robots and Hitler’s Gun…

Vaughn tells what is probably one of the best Dr. Strange stories in years, an impressive talent given the difficulties most writer’s have in presenting the character (*glares at Bendis*). And Martin has a classical comic book style of art that meshes well. Though honestly, the book is almost worth picking up just for the first two pages and the conversation between rookie hero Arana and Iron Fist in Night Nurse’s waiting room…

Boneyard: Vol. 1 by Richard Moore

A collection of the first four-issues. Michael Paris inherits a plot of land in the town of Raven Hollow. When he gets to town he finds out he got a cemetery. One home to various strange and frightening creatures. And the locals would like his help in getting rid of the monsters. Though Paris finds himself unsure about siding with the townsfolk over the cemetery residents. Especially the vampire Abbigail…

Boneyard is a mostly light-hearted horror comic. I mean except when it isn’t. But Moore is enjoyable if for no other reason, then that he can remember that people come in more than one body type…

The Damned Script and Story by Cullen Bunn, Art and Story by Brian Hurt

The Damned is high concept at its most perfect. Think Miller’s Crossing with demons. And the story is one of those sadly rare times where the creators far and away deliver on the concept. The lead character is Eddie, your regular broken down cynical anti-hero. Except he can’t stay dead. When someone touches his corpse, skin to skin, they take his death and drag him out of hell.

Eddie’s boss needs him again so his corpse is revived from the half-empty field where its lying. The demon crime boss has a problem. Hell’s sent up someone to broker the war between the cities two biggest demon crime families. And that negotiator has gone missing. So Eddie’s been tapped to find him…

The Damned is perfect for fans of noir, crime movies or plain old good story-telling.

Cerebus by Dave Sim

So Cerebus. Lets get one thing out of the way first. Dave Sim. Dave Sim is crazy. Not wacky, not eccentric. Bug-fuck, rat-shit, random animal-random swear CRAZY. This is unarguable to anyone who’s read his non-comics writings. Well its arguable, and lots of people DO, but they’re really, really wrong. Misogynist + Crazy = Dave Sim. Simple fact. Which doesn’t change how really fucking good much of Cerebus is…

What started as a funny animal parody of Conan morphed into a satire on comics and then into just lots of weird philosophy, action, humor, celebrity cameos and more. Three hundred issues of it. Some of it is actually pretty terrible, having too much of the “real-world” Sim in it. Other stuff is just full-on awesome. Volume 1 here is the first 25 issues and its full of parody, barbarians, the greatest use of a fake Groucho Marx ever, violence, artists, weird women, weirder men, the Roach and more…

So there you go. Cerebus. Mostly excellent comic written by a really crazy person…

Hench written by Adam Beechan, art by Manny Bello

Mike Fulton is an ex-jock, sidelined by a knee injury, now just another blue collar guy. Trying to get buy and support a wife and kid. But he misses the excitement of football and the feeling of being part of something bigger. So when Randy Kirkman, another athlete taken out in his prime by an injury, approaches him about an opportunity he listens. And Randy introduces him into the world of professional henching. Hired muscle for costumed crooks and crazies. The new life goes well at first but when his wife threatens to leave him he quits. But then his son gets sick. And the medical bills keep mounting. And so Mike goes back to the only thing that will bring in the money fast enough. But henching costs him his job, gets him a prison record and gets him hurt.

Hench is far from the only piece of super-hero fiction to take a look at the costumed life from the henchman’s perspective. But in Mike Fulton it succeeds in creating a relatable everyman. Just another common guy working a job. Beechan and Bello’s background heroes and villains are interesting as well. I especially like the drunken Russian called the Cosmonaut and the mystic villain Hellbent. Who, ironically, is the best at looking out for his people and having well-thought out plans.

Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo written by Joe R. Lansdale, Drawn by Timothy Truman, Inks by Sam Glanzman, Colors by Sam Parsons and Letters by Todd Klein

Two-Gun Mojo was my introduction to both Jonah Hex and Lansdale. Its possible its even my first real introduction to Truman, before I found Grimjack even. Hex is a scarred Civil War vet turned bounty hunter. And thanks to various animated appearances on Batman: the Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited and Batman: The Brave & The Bold he’s probably DC’s best known Old West character…

In “Two-Gun Mojo” Lansdale mixes together his two favorite genres, Westerns and Horror. Here he uses a two-bit snake-oil salesman and his carnival of freaks that cross paths with Hex. And making them especially dangerous is that one of the freaks is the animated corpse of legendary gunfighter Wild Bill Hickock…

The story is as violent as a Peckinpah movie and darkly humorous. Lansdale and Truman are both recognized master’s in their fields and letterer Klein has more Eisner nominations than I’ve got fingers. Together with Glanzman and Parsons they craft a classic tale of murder, vengeance and dark magics…

Incredible Change-Bots by Jeffrey Brown

The not true story of the non-eternal war between the heroic Awesomebots and the villainous Fantasticons. After devastating their home world Electronocybercircuitron the two factions band together to explore the stars for a new home with a new source of energy. But a spirited debate leads to violence and the robotic masters of disguise find themselves crashing onto the strange new world called Earth. There, under the leadership of the amazing Big Rig and the fantastical Shootertron, their war continues!

While small in size every page is packed with 150% of your needed doses of humorous parody. Brown delivers a tale sure to delight everyone who has grown up watching giant robots turn into trucks and then back again to beat up ones that turn into jets. Chee choo che choo chee. Incredible change to vehicle mode and roll out!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gates Scripts by Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard, Pencils by Georges Jeanty, Inks Andy Owens, Colors Michelle Madsen, Letters Richard Starkings & Comicraft

The 3rd volume of “Season 8″ and probably the strongest. Collecting issues 11-15, with only the first written by Whedon. Which is a good issue. But Goddard honestly hits a home run with it. Capturing the idiosyncratic voice of the original series while adding his own improvements. This arc has the return of Dracula, a fairly flat character in the one television episode. But here, especially in the weird friendship between him and Xander, he’s a scene stealer. Also you have a giant teen-age girl getting in a fight with a giant robot version of herself. Also Andrew lecturing a group of Slayers about Dracula while wearing George Hamilton’s costume from Love at First Bite. And what else. Oh yeah, lesbianism. This is the arc with Buffy’s fling with fellow slayer Satsu. Which of course made it the greatest comic ever written. I have mathematical formulas proving it.

Not that everything is perfect with the writing. Aside from Dracula and the original cast few of the other characters have much in the way of developed personalties. And Xander Harris shows that he matches Kyle Rayner in being a guy no one should date. Ever. Seriously of all the people he’s EVER been romantically linked to, no matter how brief, two have survived. And one of those went gay…

Criminal: Coward written by Ed Brubaker, art by Sean Phillips

Criminal is probably one of the best books (not just comics, but books) being published. And probably one of the finest examples of noir you can find. No capes, no magic, nothing but cops and crooks and two-time losers and people looking for that last one big score and fools and madmen…

This first collected story arc follows Leo, a master pick pocket who gets recruited to work an armored car heist. One where damn near everything goes wrong and almost everyone involved is lying. Its violent and beautiful and tragic.

I’ve yet to see a bad review of this series and this first volume is a perfect start. The only thing thats really missing from the singles are the back-up essays on the noir genre, highlighting creators and works in print and film.

Proof Book 1: Goatsucker Script and letters by Alexander Grecian, Art & colors by Riley Rossmo, Colors by Tyler Jenkins

Proof is John Prufrock, agent of the Lodge and 200+ year old Sasquatch. The Lodge is in charge of watching cryptids. Keeping them safe from humanity and humanity safe from many of them. Ginger Brown is his new partner. She was FBI until a hostage situation she was negotiating was solved by a giant man made from clay. One no one else says they saw. And on her first day at her new job she and Proof are sent to Minnesota to investigate a chupacabra sighting…

Within the last couple years cryptozoology seems to have got an upswing in popularity again. Proof is one of a couple comics and shows featuring secret groups that employ and investigate “monsters”. And its probably my favorite of the bunch. The comic has a very early season X-Files feel to it. Especially if they’d only done the weird happenings episodes and not the Alien/Conspiracy Mythology ones…

Starman Omnibus, vol. 1 Written by James Robinson, Pencils by Tony Harris, Inks by Wade Von Grawbadger, Colors and Letters by various

It seems appropiate to have this collection get focused on today. Because one of the underlying themes of the entire series is fathers. Jack and Ted. The Mist and his two children. The O’Dare clan and the influence their father had on them. Throughout the run of this book the theme shows up…

For those unfamiliar with Robinson’s Starman, its the tale of a second generation hero, Jack Knight. Jack’s father Ted was the first Starman, though there were several others in between Ted’s WWII adventures and Jack taking up the mantle. Will Payton, the alien warrior Mikaal, alien Prince Gavyn. Even Jack’s older brother David. In fact this first volume opens with David’s assassination at the hands of the Mist’s son Kyle. The Mist had been one of Ted’s oldest foes. And in his twillight days he attempts to destroy his rival and all his works. But the attempt to kill Jack pushes him into taking up Starman’s Cosmic Rod…

While everyone else was spending the 90s trying to copy the worst excesses of Image, Starman set a different tone. With its gorgeous and fleshed out Opal City. With its expanded DCU history. And with its way of making bad guys into good guys…

Because just as much as the long term story was about the Starman legacy of the Knight family, it was also about the evolution of golden age villain the Shade into hero. And with these new omnibus editions all that will be seen. In this volume and the five to follow will be every issue and every story. Annuals, one-shots, mini series. Everything. Which explains, other than the fact that the thing is just amazing, why I’m buying this series for a third time…

Street Angel written by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca, drawn by Jim Rugg

Whats this? A Sunday Trade update in the morning???

Thats right! Be shocked and amazed by my get up and go attitude that is all for you and not linked in any way to my desire to spend all of Sunday in a coma so I can put off cleaning my apartment…

Rugg and Maruca’s title character is a martial arts bad-ass and skateboarding wizard. An orphaned girl, raised on the mean streets of the world’s worst ghetto she spends her time scrounging for food, ditching class and delivering savage and sometimes lethal beat downs to arrogant cops, ninjas, conquistidorspirates and/or robots. And maybe she’ll take some time to get recruited to rescue the mayor’s spoiled brat daughter from mad geologist Dr. Pangea. Or help out retired blaxploitation hero Afrodisiac or Irish astronaut CosMick. But mostly she’s just bad-ass awesome and wicked, crazy cool…

* NERD RAGE!

* How to design online content and not suck

* 4e, its successes and failures, a business prespective

* When can a company be a jerk?

* Where’s Waldo (by Waldo we mean Matt)

* Wanking about Joss Whedon is awesome

* This XKCD strip is the show’s thesis

* Joe talks about the graphic novel Serenity: Those Left Behind in the Hodge (Live!)

Justice League: A New Beginning written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, Pencils by Kevin Maguire, Inks by Terry Austin (Ch.1) and Al Gordon (Ch. 2-7), Letters by Bob Lappan, Colors by Gene D’Angelo and Daniel Vozzo

“A New Beginning” marks the start of the Giffen/DeMatteis run on Justice League of America aka The Justice League International era aka The Bwahaha League. The last because even during serious and dramatic story-lines it still wouldn’t take things totally seriously. Even the dourest of Detectives or emoest of Martians would crack wise or at least crack a smile. It’s an era that introduced the perfect team-up of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. And of course its the volume of One Punch…

While the original soft trade is now out-of-print thats mostly because DC is slowly releasing the entire run in a series of fairly affordable hard-back editions. An excellent addition to fans of capes and the DCU ones especially. The books should also be appealing to those whose main introduction to the DCU is from the Justice League and JLU cartoons.

Northlanders: Sven the Returned written by Brian Wood, illustrated by Davide Gianfelice, colors Dave McCaig, letters Travis Lanham

Collecting the first arc of Brian Wood’s most recent ongoing series. About, well, Vikings. In this case the story of Sven, a chieftan’s son working as a soldier in Constantinople as one of the Varangian. Sven learns that his father has died and his lands taken over by his uncle. So Sven decides to head back to the home he abandoned for his inheritance. Or at least the parts that clink and are easily portable…

Wood’s story reads like a violent gangster story really. Or maybe a adaption of a never filmed Kurosawa adaptation of a forgotten noir piece. Dark and brooding and full of blood and vengeance. All set in ink by the skilled Gianfelice and McCaig…

Plus its a fat 8-issue tpb that only runs 10 bucks. Thats a damned good deal…

Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds

Brit Posy Simmonds writes and draws a tale of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Well, ok its got an ex-rock star in it. The story actually centers around a writer’s retreat at the farm of Stonefields. The owner’s husband is a fairly successful writer of a detective series. He’s also more than a bit of a philandering prick. The titular character returns to a neighboring house after the death of her mother. Ms. Drewe is a newspaper columnist and would be novelist as well. The young and beautiful women soon has everyone entranced or upset. Especially after several local teens become obsessed with her and her ex-rock star boyfriend…

Simmonds’ art style is very clean and crisp and still detailed. Plus look, right there on the cover. Sex! Hard-core sheep on sheep action!

Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley

The first volume of six, introducing Scott Pilgrim, a good kid if a bit of a doofus. See him date cute teen-ager Knives Chau only to meet the mysterious Ramona Flowers. But even if he decides to go after Ramona, he’d still have to deal with her League of Evil Ex-Boyfriends. Like the magical Matthew Patel. Plus he’s got to cope with Wallace his gay room-mate, playing with his band Sex Bob-omb and that whole being an idiot at times…

But these books have it all! Canadians! Americans! Rock ‘n Roll! Video Game Jokes! Magic! AND MORE! Well not a lot more. BUT SOME MORE!

The New York Four written by Brian Wood, art by Ryan Kelly
Emiko Superstar written by Mariko Tamaki, art by Steve Rolston

As many of you likely already know, DC recently announced they were ending their minx line of books. Lots of armchair analysis as to why. Poor marketing, not producing a consistent product, etc etc. I still have no real idea if the line had much appeal to its target audience, but I know I liked the majority of it. And two of what look to be the last output were Brian Wood’s The New York Four and Emiko Superstar from Mariko Tamaki…

The first follows four female college freshman at a New York school. Wood excells when it comes to writing about people in New York, no matter what the rest of the setting looks like. With the only real criticism of the book being that it is very much the start of a series. The ending is weaker than it could be. Which, now that Wood will have to shop the series around for a new publisher, is kind of annoying…

Tamaki’s book is in some ways a normal teen-age coming of age story. Her lead has to discover her own self-worth, realize who is and isn’t worth listening to and balancing responsibility with staying true to self. But while the basic underlying story isn’t anything new, Tamaki crafts it well, using a background of an indy/underground performance art scene. Emiko Superstar makes a high point for minx to go out on…

Nat Turner by Kyle Baker

On August 21st, 1831 Nat Turner led a slave revolution in Southhampton County, Virginia. He and his followers executed fifty-five people, many of them children before being stopped. Turner himself was captured, tried, and executed. He was hung, beheaded, and skinned.

I’ve been meaning to review this book for months now, but kept putting it off. I’m not the right person to judge Turner or his actions. I can just say that the book makes me uncomfortable. Which is good. Kyle Baker tells a mostly dialogue-less story that challenges the reader. It doesn’t try to hide anything. And while it’s far from being a “fun” book, it is an important one. Like Spiegleman’s Maus, Nat Turner pushes the field of comics.

The War at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks

Faith Erin Hicks has been doing comics for over a decade now. At first online with the superb Demonology 101 and of late in regular print. She started with a light book about zombies and then moved on to something harder, teenage girls…

The War at Ellsmere has the normal tropes for a high school story. The new student. The evil clique. The clueless parents of the evil clique leader. And of course the administrators and teachers who seem unable or unwilling to notice how the evil clique scams them to the detriment of other students. Which actually really bugs me. I’ve got to find a work of fiction (book, movie, other) where the adults supposedly in charge just shut down the plots of cruel kids. 1st season Boston Public maybe? ANYWAY, back on topic…

There isn’t much thats truly NEW here, but Erin Hicks is a gifted writer and so you invest in the characters. You care about the New Girl and her friend, Shy Girl. You hate Evil Girl and her Helpers of Evil. An excellent book all around and I remain hopeful that F.E.H’s online works will be collected for print one day as well…

Knights of the Dinner Table Bundle of Trouble Vol. 1 by Jolly Blackburn

Ah KoDT. THE gamer’s gamer comic. For years now it’s embraced, mocked, and encouraged us in our mad, expensive hobby. Not just role-playing games but board games. And video games. And card games. All games. There are few others that tread the same ground (Kovalic’s Dork Tower or Kurtz’s PvP). But none truly capture the madness of the hard-core gamer so well…

The Bundles of Trouble are three-issue (later ones jump up to four issues) collections of the comic (really more comic/gaming magazine) Knights of the Dinner Table. Just the KoDT strips, with the normal articles, secondary comics and reviews removed. Which (though they only get put out as back-stock of single issues dries up) makes them a good way for people who don’t WANT those extra bits clogging up the comics…

And Volume One introduces the core cast of the Knights. B.A. and the Untouchable Trio +1. And the basic set-up of Gamemaster vs. Player in an endless cycle of one-upmanship. This first volume also gives game store owner and old-school gamer Weird Pete, former Knight Johnny Kizinski, and game company owner and designer Gary Jackson. But its mostly the Knights. Gamemaster B.A. Felton, often harried and stunned by his players actions. Bob, working out his frustrations and lack of “real” life at the game table. Dave, the reckless fool. Brian, the damn near autistic number cruncher and rules lawyer. And Sara, the girl. The one who wants social interaction and to move the story along. Except of course when she doesn’t. It is a rare gamer indeed who doesn’t look at the Knight’s table and recognize someone they’ve gamed with. Or a few of them. Or all of them. Or even looks at their weekend game and thought, “Damn, this is us.”

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things and Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics by Ted Naifeh

Courtney Crumrin is a young lass of the vaguely gothic and too smart for the world variety. Her parents, after years of living well beyond their means, have jumped at the chance to move in with her elderly great-uncle Aloysius at his mansion in the suburbs. Where dark things lurk in the woods and spoiled rich kids lurk everywhere else. And great-uncle Aloysius is very much more than the creepy old man in the creepy house (though he is that). Especially with his library full of strange books…

In the first volume Courtney deals with bullies, meets a goblin, gets a baby-sitting job, tries out a spell to make herself popular and then has to cope with being an outsider. In the second volume Courtney learns of the Coven of Mystics, the secret society of people like her. Witches and warlocks. And learns that people are still people and most of them are bastards, whether they’re “normal” or not…

Naifeh crafts darkly amusing stories here. Sort of Harry Potter meets The Adamms Family. The original comics more than the tv show. A welcome addition to the library of any fan of fairy tales, modern fantasy or just well done YA fiction. Perfect for that young relative with the drawer full of plastic bats or simply someone with the heart of a child. Probably in a jar somewhere…

G0dland: Hello, Cosmic! by Joe Casey & Tom Scioli, Design by Richard Starkings, Colors by Bill Crabtree

Adam Archer is the lone survivor of a mission to land on Mars. And while using the last of his oxygen to explore he stumbles into a strange alien building. There he’s bombarded with strange energies by mysterious energies, transforming him and allowing him to return to Earth. Once home he becomes, with the help of his sisters Neela, Stella and Angie, Earth’s premiere protector and investigator of the dangerous and unknown. Facing alien visitors, the drug-addled obsessive Basil Cronus, the twisted Discordia and the heroic Crashman…

G0dland is Kirby inspired super-heroics cranked up to eleven. Alien gods, bizarre villains and vibrant crackling colors. If ever there were a true succesor to the King’s 4th World work it would be Casey and Scioli…

Dead West by Rick Spears and Rob G

And in the spirit of the holidays, zombie western!

Yeah, Spears and Rob G are the creative talent behind the too long delayed Pirates of Coney Island as well as Teenagers From Mars. This short tale opens with the massacre of an Indian village, leaving a single survivor. One who turns to bad medicine to unleash a zombie plague. For one small town the dead shall rise to feast upon the living. And later a nameless bounty hunter chases a fat man into the town, each fighting thru the undead to end up in different clusters of survivors…

A perfect book for fans of zombies or Deadlands or Spaghetti westerns…

The ‘Nam written by Doug Murray, Pencils & colors by Michael Golden, Inks by Armando Gil, Letters by Phil Felix

Published in the mid-80s The ‘Nam was built around an unused cover for G.I. Joe. The Marvel Edito-in-Chief handed it to editor Larry Hama and told him to create a book around it. Hama agreed but only if he could get it done right. And so in the midst of all its super-hero books, Marvel put out one of the more realistic war comics. And one based on the Vietnam conflict at that. Hama tapped two-tour Vietnam vet and freelance writer Murray to handle the writing chores, and Golden–who draws people with a slightly cartoonish exaggeration but excels at realistic weapon details–as artist.

The book ended up doing surprisingly well, getting mainstream critical support, winning awards and drawing praise from veterans’ groups. And despite being a Comics Code approved book, it stays remarkably true to its source material…

Hama and the creative team expected that The ‘Nam would be lucky to last a dozen issues, but it ran for over eighty. It survived changes in writer and artist and even attempts to tie it into regular Marvel continuity (the last several issues had guest appearances by the Punisher). This trade collects the first four issues, introducing PFC Marks, the 23rd Mechanized infantry, and Sgt. Polkow’s squad.

Empowered: Vol. 4 by Adam Warren

What can I say about Empowered that I haven’t said before. Twice. Probably not much new. So lets just repeat some points.

1. Empowered is sexy
2. Empowered is fun
3. Empowered is sweet
4. Empowered is awesome.

Volume 4 picks up almost immediately after the ninja battle in Volume 3. Well almost. First Warren includes the color story originally published in Dark Horse Presents On MySpace (really thats the title the trade collection from the publisher is called). Where Emp practices her Hummer Fu. No. Not that kind you filthy pervert. The quasi-military vehicle kind. But AFTER that the new volume jumps right into it where the last left off. And you get super-hospitals, Caged Demonwolf lesbian fantasies (I knew there was a reason I liked the Demonwolf), the debut of the Goddamned Maidman (seriously he’s Batman if Bruce decided to cos-play as American Maid and STILL fight crime), a REALLY creepy sequence with Wiley Pete (*shudder*), Emp getting tied up as part of Make-a-Wish (its really weirdly sweet) and a super-hero Awards show. For which Emp has been nominated. Mostly as a cruel joke by her peers. But through it all Emp struggles and triumphs. As do Thugboy and Ninjette. And hell, the book even adds more depth to Sistah Spooky…

Its always nice to be reminded that there are GOOD things being done in the field of super-hero comics…

 

Thor: Visionaries Walter Simonson by Walter Simonson, additional inks Terry Austin & Bob Wiacek, letters by John Workman Jr, colors by George Roussos & Christie Scheele

The “Visionaries” series is meant to showcase those whose work exemplified a series. And few people left a greater mark on book than the Simonson did during his run on The Mighty Thor. This book collects issues #337-348 of his legendary run. It has the introduction of Beta Ray Bill, the fight with Fafnir, Malekith the Dark Elf and the opening of the invasion by Surtur and his armies. Which is annoyingly where the book ends. On a massive cliffhanger. Happily I see there are four more volumes of Simonson Thor. Sadly, I see volumes two and three are out of print and have tripled in price on the teritary markets. Annoying…

But given my volume one is a fairly new printing, hopefully that means Marvel will reprint the rest. I mean its not like Marvel would instead put out “Visionaries” books collecting the “legendary” Daredevil run of Kevin Smith or the X-Men run of Joe Madureira. Seriously, I bought damn near every X-book in the 90s and I couldn’t even guess which ones Madureira wrote…

But Simonson + Thor = Gods’-be-damned awesome. I mean it has Sif and a talking space battleship teaming up to kick the crap out of space-demons. Balder tries to be a pacifist. Loki gets his head cut off (he gets better). Comics where everything is larger than life and twice as colorful…

The information here doesn’t specifically lend itself to geekery, but it’s an amazing and interesting interview that does have ramifications in all of fiction and creators rights. We hope you enjoy listening to this discussion as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Geoff contributes to a blog at: http://iplitigator.huschblackwell.com Let us know what you think, and if you think we should try to get Geoff on the show again.

*Joe’s Episode 8 Promo is in the STUFF section

*Rob Justice is awesome

*The Bluebird, The Bureau, and Beatle Bob

*Logo Design Contest Winner

*The Bastard’s Blog

*Backseat Producers

*Growing out of gaming

*Gamer shame

*Growing out of comic books