Sunday, September 30, 2012

Review- DREDD

Dredd (Lionsgate, 2012)
Forget the 1995 Judge Dredd movie with Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider in it. Lord knows that I've spent the last 17 years trying to do just that. Instead, walk in with no expectations and bag of popcorn and enjoy the ultra-violent mayhem on the screen. I have only read a handful of Judge Dredd comics, and none since the '80s, so my knowledge of the character is extremely limited.
I saw this in 3D. I am so over 3D, especially the extra $3 that they charge you per ticket. They won't even let you reuse your glasses. Even if you bring them back, they make you pay this “technology surcharge”. There was a limited 2D release, but it was only one showing after 9PM. I went to the 10:15 AM showing today with my brother, and it was empty. We rented out the entire theatre for the price of our two tickets. Winning!
This movie is apparently a box office bomb here in the States, and that's a shame. It's not a bad movie; in fact, I found it to be a highly enjoyable, action packed flick without a moment to catch your breath. The 3D was used to maximum effect, with bullets and blood flying every which way. It would be almost impossible to calculate a body count as Judge Dredd passes judgment on the criminals of Megacity One.
I have no idea how this ranks in comparison with the comic books. A quick check revealed that The Complete Case Files trade paperbacks compile the entire series in a series of 19 books. The problem is that many of them are out of print. You'd think that they would have reprinted Volume 1 to coincide with the film's release. Sheesh. You'd also think that they would've used the classic Anthrax song I Am The Law in the film's credits. I'd wager that Anthrax introduced Dredd to most American fans circa 1987, and with Joey Belladonna back in the band these days it would have made a nice, full circle.
If you are a comic book movie fan, an action film fan, or a fan of the Dredd-inspired fare like Robocop, then you should give Dredd a looksee. You won't be sorry.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5. 

I recently relocated my Fortress of Solitude, and it took an entire Uhaul cargo van to move my collection. The back row has a couple of empty boxes and blankets for buffering, but the rest of it is my beloved collection.

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Friday, September 28, 2012

Review- ALPHA FLIGHT: THE COMPLETE SERIES BY GREG PAK & FRED VAN LENTE


ALPHA FLIGHT: THE COMPLETE SERIES BY GREG PAK & FRED VAN LENTE (Marvel, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Alpha Flight Nos. 0.1, 1-8 (cover dates July, 2011- March, 2012)

Writers: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente

Artists: Dale Eagelsham, Ben Oliver (penciler, issue 0.1) and Dan Green (inker, issue 0.1)

As I stated in my review of Alpha Flight by Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente Vol. 1 Premiere Hardcover, this is a half double dip. Marvel canceled this series and then scrapped the plans for both the second hardcover (collecting 5-8) and the first softcover (collecting 0.1 and 1-4, identical to the Premiere Hardcover), instead soliciting this trade paperback of the entire series. It's really a no win scenario any way you slice it, but here we are.

I will review this with two things in mind: 1. How does this rate as a standalone read? Meaning, how does this read to someone who has never heard of Alpha Flight before? And 2. How does this compare to the original John Byrne run on the title? Let's proceed. Dale Eaglesham's artwork is, as always, a delight to the eyes. Pak and Van Lente do a mostly effective set-up of who the team is and what they can do in the 0.1 issue that kicks things off. You see everyone's powers displayed. Things are laid out clearly, but I suspect that there are things that wouldn't make sense to the uninitiated. Nothing insurmountable as the series progresses, mind you, but the Great Beasts and Master of the World references probably don't mean much to those not already invested in the characters from the original series.


Point 2: This compares favorably to the original series, with a few minor qualms. Marrina's characterization is completely different, but as I stated in my review of the Premiere Hardcover of this series, the original was so vanilla that I doubt anyone minds. I enjoyed the Spaced Invaders Easter egg. Prepare to die, Earth Scum! Was a catchphrase that myself and my idiot friends used circa 1989 after seeing that movie. Shaman cracking a joke was slightly out of character, but nothing major. Everyone seems to be a cut-up in comic books these days. 


I enjoyed the Master's team, Alpha Strike. It was nice to see the whole team involved in a real donnybrook, like when they took on Omega Flight back in the day. Puck seems off of his rocker, which is kind of interesting. It's never really explored here, my guess being that they intended this to be the focus of a second or third arc. Sadly, the sales weren't there. I am glad that we have the first title worthy of the name Alpha Flight since the original series. The abysmal 2004 reboot? Forget about it. Jump right from the original series into this one.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This book has a decent weight coated stock paper. It's a bit shiny but is perfectly acceptable for modern, computer colored material. This has the same nice wax coated cardstock cover as all Marvel trade paperbacks.

Paper rating: 4 out of 5.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5.

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Review- ESSENTIAL SPIDER-MAN VOL. 11


ESSENTIAL SPIDER-MAN VOL. 11 (Marvel, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Amazing Spider-Man Nos. 231-248 and Amazing Spider-Man Annual Nos. 16, 17 (cover dates August, 1982- January, 1984)

Writers: Roger Stern and Bill Mantlo (co-writer 237, Annual 17)

Artists: John Romita, Jr. (Penciler on all except for Annual 17) with Inkers Al Milgrom, Jim Mooney, Dan Green, Frank Giaco, Bob Hall, John Romita, , Bob Layton, Klaus Janson, and Ron Frenz (artist on back-up story from 248), and others

My golden age of Spider-Man “officially” begins here, at age 9.5. (cue Wonder Years music and the adult Kevin Arnold voice) My Mom bought me issue 239 on Sunday, January 9, 1983 at the Farmer Jack by my house where I grew up, and it kicked off my official collecting habit that has led me down my long road to ruin. That Farmer Jack (both the chain and that store) are long shuttered and abandoned, and the neighborhood that I grew up in has seen better days. The house that I grew up in has since been condemned and burned down, and the 7-11 that I lived by no longer has a spinner rack of comic books. Back in those halcyon days of youth, though, it was a different story. A story of a working class neighborhood and a little boy who rode his bike to buy comic books. I apologize in advance for the abundant nostalgic rambling that you are about to be subjected to. 


Roger Stern is a spider-writer near and dear to my heart. I can pretty much recite these issues word for word. These issues were affordable circa 1983-1984, and even high grade copies could be snagged for little more than cover price. I had every single one of these issues at one time. See the sob story about how I sold my collection in my review of Essential Spider-Man Vol. 10. 


The Cobra and Mr. Hyde 2 parter in 231-232 is godlike. How can anybody look at John Romita Jr.'s artwork and then say that Humberto Ramos is their favorite artist of all time on this title? When it comes to great Spider-Man artists, Ramos doesn't even enter the conversation. Make mine Romita! Either one of them.


The Brand Corporation work behind the scenes in a number of titles during this era, and their backdrop of corporate wrongdoings resonates even more loudly today. The Will O' The Wisp and Tarantula 3 parter is epic. The crown jewel of Roger Stern's run on this title has to be the Hobgoblin. I remember the thrill of stumbling onto this new villain, and thoroughly enjoyed watching the saga unfold over the next several years. Stern restores the Vulture as a force to be reckoned with, and he restores Spider-Man himself after the lower power levels that Len Wein and Marv Wolfman displayed him having.

This sequence from issue 239 is burned into my brain and shows how awesome John Romita, Jr. is.

No review of this book could be considered complete without a mention of Issue 248's back-up story, The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man. It is a powerful story about a little boy who is dying of leukemia that gets a visit from his idol. It still chokes me up to this day, and I've read it dozens of times over the past two decades. 

Between the high quality of these issues and the monthly reprints of the classic Lee/Ditko issues from the '60s in Marvel Tales, the '80s were a great time to be a reader and a kid. I grew up without a father, and as corny as it sounds, Spider-Man sort of helped me do the right thing. These issues are part of my DNA and moral fiber, and are art of the highest order.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The linework is excellent throughout this book, with the exception of one page in The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man back-up story in issue 248. I suspect that Wizard mishandled the film when they reprinted that story in their Spider-Man Wizard Masterpiece Edition hardcover several years ago. This is the same deal as any of the phonebooks, and gets the same praise for value as any other one that I've reviewed prior to this.

My only gripe with these Essentials is the table of contents don't list the cover artists for each issue. It's rather annoying. Also annoying is how there are no page numbers in these books. DC has page numbers and cover artist credits in their Showcase Presents line of phonebooks.

Linework restoration rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Paper rating: 3 out of 5.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Review- ACTS OF VENGEANCE OMNIBUS


ACTS OF VENGEANCE OMNIBUS (Marvel, 2010; Hardcover)

Note: Book actually released in 2011

Collects Amazing Spider-Man Nos. 326-329, Avengers Nos. 311-313, Avengers Spotlight Nos. 26-29, Avengers West Coast Nos. 53-55, Captain America Nos. 365-367, Cloak and Dagger No. 9, Iron Man Nos. 251, 252, Quasar Nos. 5-7, Spectacular Spider-Man Nos. 158-160, Thor Nos. 411-413, Web of Spider-Man Nos. 59-61, and selections from Avengers Annual No. 19 (cover dates December, 1989- February, 1990)


Writers: John Byrne, Ron Frenz, Tom DeFalco, Mark Gruenwald, Dwayne McDuffie, David Michelinie, Gerry Conway, Howard Mackie, and Terry Austin

Artists: Paul Ryan, Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema, Alex Saviuk, Kieron Dwyer, Al Milgrom, Herb Trimpe, John Byrne, Ron Lim, Mike Vosburg, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Tom Palmer, Joe Sinnott, Andy Mushynsky, Mike Esposito, Don Heck, and others


Stop me if any of this sounds familiar to you: Super villains unite to swap their foes in order to gain a strategic advantage over them. The Avengers' headquarters gets destroyed. There's a big supervillain prison breakout. The Government is trying to pass the Superhero Powers Act, which would make being a superhero illegal. Am I referring to Avengers Disassembled? The opening New Avengers arc, Breakout? Civil War? DC's Villains United? Nope. All of these things occurred here more than a decade before they were re-purposed (read: ripped off) and padded out to ensure maximum decompression. And here you kids thought that Avengers centric events were new!


Loki manipulates Doctor Doom, the Red Skull, the Mandarin, the Kingpin, Magneto, and the Wizard into forming a tenuous partnership where they will swap each others' enemies and catch them unawares. This results in some pretty cool brawls: Quasar vs. the Absorbing Man. Iron Man vs. the Wrecker. The West Coast Avengers vs. the U-Foes. Thor vs. the Juggernaut. The Avengers vs. Freedom Force (a/k/a the New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants), my personal favorite battle in this crossover. There are lots of cool, fun moments throughout this book.


Spider-Man temporarily gets the power of Captain Universe, which helps him win some upsets over villains who clearly outclass his normal power range (i.e. Graviton, Magneto). This Omnibus also serves as a clear cut upgrade over the old Spider-Man: The Cosmic Adventures trade paperback from the '90s, as this has superior linework and color restoration. 

Long before we had Illuminati or Dark Reign, we had Acts of Vengeance.

I look forward to cracking open my Acts of Vengeance Companion Omnibus, which collects the rest of the crossover issues.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5. 


The OCD zone- Superb coated stock paper and high quality sewn binding that enables this book to lay completely flat from the first page to the last equals one happy OCD camper. Couple it with double page spreads with zero gutter loss and you have the definitive document of this crossover for the ages.

Extras include the Marvel Age cover and article from issue 81, the pin-ups from Cloak and Dagger No. 9, the cover to the Spider-Man: The Cosmic Adventures trade paperback, the house ad for this crossover (which was used for this direct market variant cover that I bought), and the Alan Davis cover for the bookstore market version of this book.

Linework restoration rating: 4.75 out of 5.

Color restoration rating: 5 out of 5.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5.

Binding rating: 5 out of 5.

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Saturday, September 22, 2012

Review- CLANDESTINE CLASSIC


CLANDESTINE CLASSIC (Marvel, 2008; Hardcover)

Collects ClanDestine (Vol. 1) Nos. 1-8, X-Men/ClanDestine Nos. 1, 2, and The ClanDestine story from Marvel Comics Presents No. 158 (cover dates Early July, 1994- November, 1996)

Writer and Artist: Alan Davis

Inker: Mark Farmer

Alan Davis is among the upper echelon of comic book artists and writers. His stuff has a distinctly British flavoUr to it, full of whimsical humor and over the top violence. The action scenes are frenetic and almost seem to move on the page. 


The ClanDestine are the Destine family, who have lived for hundreds of years. They are the offspring of Adam Destine and a genie, and all have various powers as well as longevity. There are hints dropped throughout the series of various relatives and exploits over the years, and this series seems rife with possibilities that have gone largely unrealized. 


The X-Men/ ClanDestine mini-series is good, but man those '90s X-Men were an ugly bunch. Forge's uber-mullet, the guy with the fire mouth, Bishop, Wolverine with the cheesy bone claws...I feel sorry for the kids who grew up with this version of the team.


The ClanDestine are the focus of the upcoming Marvel Tales by Alan Davis trade paperback, which collects a series of Annuals released in the summer of 2012. I have cash in fist waiting for this book to be released. 
Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

I loved this series so much that I “upgraded” from the ClanDestine Vs. The X-Men trade paperback, which wasn't much of an upgrade at all. Aside from the inclusion of the previously uncollected Marvel Comic Presents story and DVD-style extras, this book is inferior because...

The OCD zone- Before I begin my rant, I will state that I love the dull matte finish coated stock paper that Marvel used in many of it's collected editons during this era. That cannot offset the horrible, horrible glued mousetrap binding that plagues this book though. It is not hyperbole when I say that this is a two-fisted read. If you let go, SNAP!, like a rat in a trap. It's just horrible. While there is zero chance of this book ever falling apart, there is also zero chance of it laying flat. Even if you flex the binding to try and make it a little more flexible it doesn't work. It's a damn shame, because if this had sewn binding like the Marvel Premiere Classic line adopted shortly after this book was released then we would have a definitive version of this material.

Linework restoration rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Color restoration rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5.

Binding rating: 0.5 out of 5.
 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Review- Blood of the Demon Nos. 1-17


Blood of the Demon Nos. 1-17 (DC, cover dates May, 2005- September, 2006)

Plotter and Penciler: John Byrne

Writer: Will Pfeifer

Inkers: Nekros (1-7), Dan Green (8-12, 14-17), and Doug Hazelwood (13).

This title is a prime example of why DC's collected editions department is still in the stone age. Marvel would have issued a couple of trade paperbacks as the series was ongoing and maybe an Omnibus. I would have likely bought this material twice. Instead, I got these as dirt cheap/free back issues with frequent buyer comic shop credit, with DC and John Byrne getting no royalties off of this. DC seems to have rectified errors like this nowadays, but Marvel has put 98% of it's comics in collected editions for the past decade. They have spoiled us, and we love them for it.


You know what the real shame of all of this is? These are some decent comic books that now only exist as back issues in bags and boards, hoarded away by collectors. No trade paperback or hardcover to remain in print for a number of years to gain new fans. They were published, released for a month, then *poof!*, they're gone, lost to the ages. Byrne turns the character back to it's Jack Kirby roots. No rhyming, no super technical demonology, just over the top macabre superhero fun. 


I was really enjoying this until issue 13, which had the “1 year later” blurb. I guess that this all ties into Infinite Crisis and 52 mini-series and crossovers, but I am not buying all of that crap just to figure out what I missed. Byrne sort of recaps it a little later, but issue 13 feels disjointed to me. Guess I had to be there at the time. I am curious if the items that Byrne recapped actually occurred on page during those series, and if so, in which issues.


The Demon's main nemeses are Morgan Le Fay and “Joshua”, a Christ-like fellow who is not at all what he seems. I won't spoil it for you, but there are some pretty cool things that happen in those issues. My main gripe is Byrne's everything is not what it seems, time stream slips, and back and forth versions of the same character. It gets tiring after a while. This seems like a warm up for his current Next Men series over at IDW, with things being turned on their head, only to be turned on their head again, and then finally placed back to their beginning position. Byrne resets everything to the original status quo by the end of the series. 


I did enjoy reading this in spite of those frustrations and repetition. Byrne's artwork seems to vary a bit throughout the series but is generally solid. I remain a fan of his work after all of these years. This series deserves to be rescued from back issue bins and re-released to the world at large again. I hope that DC sees the error of their ways and issues a nice, big hardcover of this run. I know that I'd buy it.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- DC used paper which did not make the most out of the computer coloring, looking little better than newsprint. I love newsprint for old four color comics, but computer coloring demands a more vibrant coated stock. DC switched to the better paper with issue 15, but the cover price went from $2.50 to $2.99. Since I don't buy singles too often, this seems like a huge price jump. A 20 percent increase seems crazy. Whatever happened to .05 or .10 cover price bumps? Back when I was a kid...
Paper rating: 1-14: 3 out of 5; 15-17: 5 out of 5.


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Review- CAPTAIN AMERICA: WAR & REMEMBRANCE


CAPTAIN AMERICA: WAR & REMEMBRANCE (MARVEL PREMIERE CLASSIC VOL. 57) (Marvel, 2010; Hardcover)

Collects Captain America Nos. 247-255 (cover dates July, 1980- March, 1981)

Writers: Roger Stern and John Byrne (co-plotter)

Artists: John Byrne and Joe Rubinstein (inker)

I love the soon-to-be-defunct Marvel Premiere Classic line of hardcovers. It served two purposes: 1: To get long out of print trade paperbacks from the '80s and '90s fully restored by modern standards and back in print. 2: To collect select arcs or second or third string properties. Sort of like a line of “junior Masterworks”. Sadly, this line failed due to low sales, which can be attributed to there simply being too many collected editions being released each month. This was a double dip upgrade for me from the 1990 trade paperback.


If you have never read this arc, then you need to do yourself a favor and run out and buy it immediately. Roger Stern and John Byrne were in their prime and firing on all cylinders. This book features a wonderful rogues gallery: the Machinesmith, Dragon Man, Mr. Hyde, Batroc the Leaper, and Baron Blood. The Baron Blood issues are the highlight among a book of highlights. 


Stern and Byrne have that go for the throat intensity that makes so many modern comic books seem flat and dull by comparison. Byrne's artwork leaps off of the page. The fluidity is reminiscent of Byrne's unparalleled run on The Uncanny X-Men, where there is never a dull moment or chance to catch your breath. If space aliens land on Earth and ask me “what is a superhero comic book?”, I will hand them this book.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The Marvel Premiere Classic line have superb coated stock paper and sewn binding. The linework and color restoration are great here, with maybe one or two pages looking spotty to my anal-retentive eyes. They are printed with the delectable aroma of Chinese ink with paper likely sourced from virgin Amazon rainforest trees. Sorry rainforest, but I like my books to be made with superior craftsmanship.

Linework restoration rating: 5 out of 5.

Color restoration rating: 5 out of 5.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5.

Binding rating: 5 out of 5.