Review- JAMES BOND VOL. 1: VARGR

JAMES BOND VOL. 1: VARGR (Dynamite, First Printing, 2016; Hardcover)

Collects James Bond #1-6 (cover dates November, 2015- April, 2016)

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Jason Masters

Colorist: Guy Major

I borrowed this book from my local library.

Free works! The first issue was reprinted as a Free Comic Book Day comic this year and I loved it. I came across this at my local library and tore through it in one sitting. This is totally worth buying, especially if you are a James Bond jonesing for a fix.

All of which brings us to this story, where Bond is sent to Berlin to tackle a sophisticated drug trafficking ring. This being James Bond, nothing is what it seems on the surface and double crosses and intrigue are the norm. There is a definite Cold War 1960s vibe to the proceedings but things are tempered with 21^st century reality and technology. It's the best of both worlds.

Warren Ellis is a top shelf writer who gives us a cinematic feeling, brisk read. Jason Masters's artwork is beautiful and clearly displays the “camera angles” via perfect panel composition. Guy Major has tasteful color palette choices and uses just enough bells and whistles to give this a modern flair without going splat with the special effects.

This is an outstanding read high on action, high on intrigue, and true to the vibe of Sean Connery era Bond.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Library copies are fascinating studies in the durability of these books. I look at them like science experiments, as the average human handles their books like the Samsonite Gorilla when compared to how I handle my books.

Paper stock: Medium weight glossy coated stock.

Binding: Sewn binding. Book block glued square to the spine.

Hardback cover notes: This is a library copy, so it is fascinating to see how well the laminated casewrap has held up with repeated handling.

Reviews- MOON KNIGHT VOL. 1: FROM THE DEAD and MAGIC WIND VOL. 5: LONG KNIFE

MOON KNIGHT VOL. 1: FROM THE DEAD (Marvel, 2014; Softcover)

Collects Moon Knight #1-6 (cover dates May- October, 2014)

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Declan Shalvey

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Well all right! Now we're talking...a modern Marvel Comic not rooted in a crossover or designed to read as a bloated six issue arc. Warren Ellis has constructed six largely stand alone issues heavy on the action and light on the talking heads. I am unfamiliar with Declan Shalvey's artwork but loved it, ditto Jordie Bellaire's color art. Colorists do a lot more heavy lifting in terms of the artwork than they did even a decade ago, almost acting as an inker at times. Moon Knight has been reinterpreted in a way that doesn't discard what has happened before yet feels fresh and current. I'll be back for Volume 2.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone

Paper stock: Good weight semi-glossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Thick waxlike lamination. Marvel uses a thinner cardstock these days, allowing the book to be more malleable.

MAGIC WIND VOL. 5: LONG KNIFE (Epicenter, 2014; Softcover)

Collects Magic Wind #5 (cover date December, 1997)

Writer: Gianfranco Manfredi

Artist: Giuseppe Barbati and Bruno Ramella

Colorist: Connie Daidone

I buy too many damn books. I am making it something of a New Year's resolution to drop a lot of this ancillary stuff. I need to whittle my backlog down rather than add to it. The sad thing is that Magic Wind is good stuff. This is part one of a two-parter, but even the cliffhanger can't keep me hanging on.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone

Paper stock: Thick glossy coated stock.

Binding: Sewn binding.

Cardstock cover notes: Dull matte coating, sufficiently thick enough to resist scuffing.

Review- AVENGERS: ENDLESS WARTIME

AVENGERS: ENDLESS WARTIME (Marvel, 2013; Hardcover)

Original graphic novel.

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Mike McKone

Colorists: Jason Keith with Rain Beredo

Loathe as I am to admit it, the reign of 616 Marvel Universe continuity is almost at an end. To the world at large, the movie and cartoon versions of these characters are the real versions. If these versions which betray the foundations of the characters at worst or miss the mark at best keeps these characters alive and saves them from falling into obscurity, is this really such a bad thing? Yes. Yes, it is.

Warren Ellis is a writer whose work I usually adore. Here he is doing ham-fisted hack writing rife with bad dialogue and cheesy one-liners, all in an attempt to keep the characterizations of the movie versions of the Avengers intact. This is supposedly in continuity. I guess it is...just not comic book continuity. Mike McKone is a wonderful artist, so there isn't anything to complain about in the art department.

This is one of Marvel's new Original Graphic Novels, standalone stories originally published in a hardcover book format. DC has had much mainstream bookstore success with their Batman and Superman ones and so Marvel has rolled this out to cash in. Reaching new readers is never a bad thing in my opinion. I have been called a continuity snob. Continuity is important to a point. If you do not have a structure for these stories to take place in, then what is the point at all? You may as well keep retelling the origin stories over and over and over, like the movies. Because audiences will never grow tired of those, right?

Movie Captain America and movie Iron Man are the most likable of the bunch, while movie Hawkeye and movie Black Widow are forgettable. Oh, who am I kidding? I hate comic book Hawkeye, too. Anyhow, movie Bruce Banner (the second one) in comic form doesn't work for me. Referring to the Hulk as “the other guy”...I don't know. Granted, I am not a regular Hulk reader, but it doesn't ring true to me. And of course Wolverine is added in to crap things up.

The villain is a World War II-era artificial intelligence which has merged with some Asgardian creature to create some hybrid that wants to kill Captain America and Thor. There is also some political metaphor about drones. Like it or not (and I don't), drones are a reality in this century. They will be fighting our wars and delivering our pizzas, and we'll all keep telling ourselves how much better off we are now. 

If groan inducing dialogue and superheroes who swear are your cup of tea, then this book is for you. Face it, tiger...you've hit the ham and cheese jackpot!

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The free digital copy code is no longer on a stiff piece of cardboard glued into the book block. It is now behind a sticker which must be peeled off. While still annoying because it “ruins” the book, it is less annoying than the card.

The trim size of this book is the same as other Marvel oversized hardcovers, which is larger than the Premiere Edition hardcovers.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: None. 

Paper rating: 2.75 out of 5. While the glossy coated stock paper is of a fair weight, it is the shriveled nature of it which knocks it down 1.25 points on The OCD scale. At least a third of the book has this shriveling. This book came factory sealed in shrinkwrap. My house is a climate controlled environment, and it was like this as soon as I cracked open the cellophane. This is not the first time that I have noticed this from this printer (R.R. Donnelley) with books made in this timeframe. I believe that it has to do with using young, green trees which did not have time to properly cure. As paper demand shrinks and costs rise, printers cut corners as much as possible. Decontented product will only accelerate the demise of print, pushing fans to digital. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy...all to save a buck.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Perfect bound (glued) hardcover.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. The hardback has a nice, thick glossy lamination which is resistant to scuffing.

Buy AVENGERS: ENDLESS WARTIME OGN HC at InStockTrades!

Review- Astonishing X-Men Vol. 6: Exogenetic

ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL. 6: EXOGENETIC (Marvel, 2011; Softcover)

Collects Astonishing X-Men Nos. 31-35 (cover dates December, 2009- October, 2010)

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Phil Jimenez

This was X-cellent. I should have read this before Uncanny X-Men: The Birth of Generation Hope, because it foreshadows the falling out between the Beast and Cyclops in that book. Warren Ellis is a great writer, and I will add him to my short list of 'must buy' creators for modern X-titles. I love his characterization. He gets what the core of these characters are really about. Cyclops is not the military strategist/ genius that Matt Fraction has painted him as. Here, Ellis has him as the Cyclops of old, second guessing himself and flying by the seat of his pants. Wolverine is not the immortal, omnipotent ninja that countless writers have crapped him into being, but the Wolverine that I fell in love with. Tough to get along with but ultimately will do the right thing. Even The White Queen didn't make me cringe here, again unlike Fraction's take on the character. It was also great to see the Brood again, albeit in a mutated strain form. 

Phil Jimenez's artwork is top notch. This looks like a comic book, not a bunch of photoshop treated stills. He has the polish of prime John Byrne, and his action sequences are tremendous. His style is a marriage of Alan Davis and John Byrne, with modern flourishes. Tasty and tasteful.

This was a great read, but my opinion of the modern X-Men as a whole stands. I am still done with these titles unless specific creators who have earned my goodwill return to the title. Warren Ellis has earned my goodwill...and my hard earned money.

The OCD zone- My OCD is a strange beast. I usually prefer hardcovers at all costs, but since I started this series in softcover, I have passed on the past two Premiere Hardcovers, and waited for the softcovers instead. I have similarly avoided upgrading this series, first to over-sized hardcover, and next the Omnibus. Why, I can't say. I loved the first four softcovers which comprise the Omnibus, but have been able to resist the upgrade. Strange.

This has the same wax coated stock hardcover found on all Marvel trade paperbacks, and I love it. The paper is a tad thinner than the old paper Marvel used to use, but I doubt that anyone in their right mind would notice. Did I mention that I am not in my right mind? 

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Reviews: Supergod; The Red Wing

SUPERGOD (Avatar, 2011; Softcover)

Collects Supergod Nos. 1-5 (cover dates October, 2009- October, 2010)

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Garrie M. Gastonny

More of a terrifying look at our manmade need for salvation by the hands of something greater than us than a regular superhero book, Supergod is a mental exercise in fathoming the unfathomable. What happens when the deity doesn't need the disciples? Ellis writes some heady stuff here, and I enjoyed this immensely. I am enjoying everything that I read from Avatar Press.

The OCD zone- Wax coated cardstock cover, nice paper grade, this is par for the course quality product from Avatar Press. 

THE RED WING (Image, 2011; Softcover)

Collects The Red Wing Nos. 1-4 (cover dates July- October, 2011)

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artist: Nick Pitarra

Time travel is always an intriguing concept to explore, and Jonathan Hickman has a fresh spin on it. The problem with this series is that Nick Pitarra's artwork employs a 'cinematic scope' which basically means that they rely heavily on pictures and less on words. Cinematic styling does not work in comic books for a number of reasons. First, comic books have no sound. You, the reader, supply the sound of voices and objects in your mind. A movies does that for you, and it is part of the sensory experience. There is no musical score or soundtrack in a comic book to heighten suspenseful parts of the story. Using comic books as a storyboard flipbook is not only lazy, it is lame.

See that image up above? Looks like crap, right? Some stupid dot on a two page, all black spread. That's supposed to be a shuttle launching from a crashing ship. They show this same scene four times, with each double page spread showing the shuttle moving a few inches with no words on any of the pages. What a waste of time, and what padding! Eight pages of a comic book were dedicated to this. Horrible, horrible, lazy decompressed writing. That might have been effective for a half page layout, showing the shuttle touching down across 4 or 5 narrow panels, but eight pages? This outcraps the worse Bendis writing. Congratulations, Hickman! You've raised the bar on the suck-scale.

All in all, this is a mediocre read, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The characters are flat and lifeless, and the time shifts feel vanilla. I honestly didn't care if any of these characters lived or died. I am sure that this will sell boatloads because Jonathan Hickman's name is on the cover. I sure hope so, as I will be dumping this piece of crap on eBay during my next purging and would like to recoup as much of my money as possible.

The OCD zone- The production values on this trade paperback are top notch. High quality paper with a wax coated cardstock cover, this has a pleasing feel and heft to it. It's a shame that it sucked so much.

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Reviews: Jack The Ripper; Wolfskin Vol. 2- Hundredth Dream

JACK THE RIPPER (Transfuzion, 2010; Softcover)

Orignal Graphic Novel, 54 pages, black and white

Writer: Gary Reed

Artist: Mark Bloodworth

Not quite a book and not quite a comic, The Illustrated Jack the Ripper is a happy marriage of both. It features numerous written passages discussing various facts and theories and other pages done in comic book style. It also has reproductions of actual newspaper drawings and mortuary photographs from the era, which are a real treat and worth the price of admission alone. Like many people, I have long been a sucker for the whole Jack the Ripper thing. There is a real mystique, and the fact that it is virtually unsolvable means that we'll never tire of studying it. 

WOLFSKIN VOL.. 2: HUNDREDTH DREAM (Avatar, 2011; Softcover)

Collects Wolfskin: Hundredth Dream Nos. 1-6 (cover dates April, 2010- April, 2011)

Writer: Warren Ellis and Mike Wolfer

Artist: Gianluca Pagliarani and Chris Dreier

Like all Avatar titles, this boasts high quality writing, artwork and computer coloring. The production values are really top notch on this title. This is a very thinly veiled metaphor for today's society, albeit done with copious amounts of medieval, Dungeons & Dragons style bloodshed. I sometimes have a hard time embracing tomorrow, much like some of the characters in this story. I do not, however, go on a bloodsoaked rampage across the countryside to try and prevent that change from happening. This is a really good read, and I highly recommend it to the aforementioned D&D crowd as well as fans of Avatar Press' other titles.

The OCD zone- This book has a nice heft to it, the result of the thick paper stock used. All of the variant covers are included, making this a nice package even if you did collect the regular series.

Review: Wolfskin Vol. 1

I love reading comic books; I always have. For as long as I can remember (or at least since 1977), I can remember having comic books around. While I don't consider the "official" start of my hobby before January 9, 1983, they were always there, even if I didn't collect them. I took a sabbatical from the hobby some time in either late 1989 or early 1990 (I can't remember which), and came back sometime around 2003. (These stories are all available in greater detail in some of my earliest blog postings.)  I love nitpicking about paper quality, I love the feel of paper, and the fact that comic books are a physical medium. This is why everyone's interest in digital comic books eludes me. Yes, the obvious benefit would be in storage (much easier to store 25-30 boxes worth of comics on a hard drive), but I really don't see the allure of the iPad or other gadgets. I feel like I spend too much time already plugged into gadgets. My PC, laptop, smart phone...I feel like I have too many gadgets to update, charge, upload, and download to and from already. With comic books, there is no backing up, no crashing, no re-charging, no downloading, no viruses... In other words, a true escape from an increasingly digital world. I have always read comics for escapist pleasure, and the fact that they are not on my computer makes them even more escapist. I like how no one, no advertisers, are able to monitor when or what or how long or how often I read something. (I realize that this is rendered moot by the fact that I post 95% of what i read in my blog, but hey.)

There are tremendous benefits from computers in our hobby, too. The networking with other fans and creators is really something special. In the '80s, I had 2 friends who read comic books, and that was the extent of it. Maybe the occasional conversation with another fan at a comic book store, but these were few and far between. The sheer availability, both on online stores and eBay, can eliminate the hunt if you let it. I kind of like rummaging through boxes and shelves at comic shops and conventions.

If comics ever do go all digital, then I will have the excuse that I need to quit this hobby. A series of icons on a screen is not a collection. Rows of boxes...now that is a comic book collection. I may be a dinosaur, or a romantic, but this is just how I see things. Digital comics are the future, but they are a future that I won't be partaking in. Younger fans may enter the hobby this way, and we will likely see trade paperback and hardcover releases even if the periodical format ceases publication. I just enjoy the tactile experience of comic books too much to go all digital. If the day ever comes where physical comic books end, I can always re-read the thousands of comics that I already have, and that is fine by me.

WOLFSKIN VOL. 1 (Avatar, 2009; softcover)
Collects Wolfskin Nos. 1-3 and Wolfskin Annual No. 1 (cover dates April, 2006- June, 2008).
Holy crap! Excellent writing by Warren Ellis and brilliant artwork by Juan Jose Ryp on the core series make this an absolute must-read. I love how something so violent and gory is so beautifully rendered. Colorist Andrew Dalhouse also deserves a major shout out for his tasteful palette choices. Seriously, the artwork and coloring in Issues 1-3 are things of beauty. I am not a huge medieval/ Dungeons and Dragons type, but the premise works here. The second series will be collected in a trade paperback later this year or early next year, and I am looking forward to it. 

A sampling of the carnage in Wolfskin.

Reviews: X-Men- Powerless; Frankenstein's Womb; Aetheric Mechanics

X-MEN: POWERLESS (Marvel, 2010; softcover)

Collects Cable No. 78, Uncanny X-Men Nos. 379, 380, Wolverine No. 149, X-Force No. 101 and X-Men No. 99 (cover dates April- May, 2000)

This is one of those pleasant surprises. Marvel usually brings out collected editions of older material to cash in on/ hype up an old character returning and/or being relaunched, or starring in a movie. Once in a while, they throw a left field trade like this out there that has nothing to do with current happenings in the Marvel Universe. This was a decent read with palatable artwork. I love how the cover of each issue has the trade dress, unlike collections of  modern material. I'll never understand why they do that. I like seeing the logo, the TM box, etc.

FRANKENSTEIN'S WOMB (Avatar, 2009; softcover)

Original graphic novel.

I picked this up on a whim and was pleasantly surprised at how good it is. Warren Ellis writes a prequel of sorts to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Marek Oleksicki's artwork is excellent, presented in black and white and is genuinely creepy. The cover art is not by Marek, so I included a panel from the story to show how exquisite his artwork is.

I like how this is a skinny book rather than a padded 5 or 6 issues mini-series collected into a trade paperback. The story is the exact length that it needed to be, and that is refreshing in this day and age of "written for the trade" comic books.

AETHERIC MECHANICS (Avatar, 2008; softcover)

Original graphic novel

OK, so I am on a Warren Ellis kick. Sue me. This follows the same format as Frankenstein's Womb, basically a glorified 'prestige format' 48 page book. Graphic novella does sound sexier, I'll admit. Like FW, the shorter story length works because the story is long enough to make a point but is not bloated and padded out to fill a 120 page book. There isn't the investment of both time and money that often makes these things seem not worthwhile. I copped an attitude towards the story at first because it seemed kind of "steam punk", but there is a payoff at the end. This story isn't gripping but it is a worthwhile read.

Reviews: Eerie Archives Vol. 3; Black Summer; Magic Jake & The Power Crystals

EERIE ARCHIVES VOL. 3 (Dark Horse, 2010; Hardcover)
Collects Eerie Nos. 11-15 (cover dates September, 1967- June, 1968)
Another stellar collection of black and white old school Horror comics by the all-time greats. Too numerous to name, suffice it to say that I have named them all in previous reviews of the Creepy and Eerie Archives. I am thrilled to death (pun intended) that Dark Horse keeps cranking these deluxe hardcover editions out. My wallet (and my bookshelves...and my wife) are quite terrified by the number of these that have been released in such a short period of time. Boo! These puns are getting downright scary.
I hope that once the dust settles and the entire series has been reprinted that Dark Horse sees it fit to re-release these in a series of affordable phone books for the masses.

BLACK SUMMER (Avatar, 2008; softcover)
Collects Black Summer Nos. 0-7 (cover dates May, 2007- July, 2008)
If it has the Avatar Press logo on it, you can rest assured that the comic book will meet the following criteria: Adult-oriented topics with excessively high levels of violence and high quality writing, artwork and coloring. Black Summer follows suit and is a fun read for those looking for a 'real world' take on superheroes a la Watchmen. I myself would totally sell out and cash in if I had super powers.
The artwork by Juan Rose Ryp is just fantastic, and the coloring by Mark Sweeney and Greg Waller is equally stunning. There is so much going on in each and every panel, a real eye candy feast here. Warren Ellis always has characters smoking cigarettes and dropping F-bombs in his stories. I have no idea why. This story was obviously very topical during the George W. Bush administration but holds up well. Recommended reading for those that like their comics with "Mature Readers Only" labels on them.

Magic Jake and the Power Crystals/ Magic Jake and the Power Crystals (Burger Records)
All Rock and all fun, Magic Jake & The Power Crystals waste no time. There are no lengthy guitar solos, no slow songs, and no filler. This is all meat kids, and it's well done. Bobby Harlow's vocals sound like he was inhaling helium while recording them, and I mean that as a compliment. I have always been a sucker for higher register vocals (i.e. Robert Plant, Rob Halford, etc.) Loving Knife is pure Rock 'N' Roll and is my favorite of favorites on the album. These songs are very punchy and very catchy, and there isn't a second wasted on the entire album. Normally when I listen to music I dissect songs, thinking "oh, that wasn't necessary" or "that section was a total Prog-Rock waste of time" or "they should've chopped that in half and made two songs out of it". I didn't do that once here. My opinion of albums being over 40-45 minutes are a waste of time still stands. My only gripe is that there is no CD available, only vinyl and limited edition cassette (mine was 205 out of 250, hand numbered). Maybe someday...

Junk Food For Thought

IRON MAN: IRON MONGER (Marvel, 2010)

Collects Iron Man Nos. 193-200 (cover dates April- November, 1985)

Denny O'Neil is an exceptionally good comic book writer. This stuff holds up very well a quarter century after it's original publication. The only issue in this book that I bought off of the stands was #197 because it was a Secret Wars II tie-in. I really feel like I missed the boat not buying this title on a regular basis back in the day, but I can make up for it by reading these issues today.

It was a treat to see a D-lister like Doctor Demonicus (from the Shogun Warriors series from the '70s) and his giant, "mutated" green lizard (read: Godzilla, mutated just enough to avoid getting sued). All in all, this was a great read with decent artwork by various artists in a nice hardcover package complete with sewn binding.

AREA 10 (Vertigo/ DC, 2010) 

This is a graphic novel in the TRUE sense of the word, meaning that it is a comic book originally published in book format, hence the term graphic novel. People often mistakenly refer to trade paperbacks as 'graphic novels'. Watchmen and Walking Dead are great graphic novels. No, they are trade paperbacks. They compile comic books that were originally published in a single magazine format, and then reprinted/ compiled into a book format. There is a big difference, and it drives me nuts when people throw the term graphic novel around like that.

The format of this book is odd but neat. It's a hardcover smaller than a standard comic book but larger than a digest, in black and white on heavy pulp paper, 176 pages of story. Something like this could well be the comic book format of the future if all monthly comics were to stop being published.

The story by Christos N. Gage is very good, and while it is labeled as a Crime comic, it is in truth a hybrid between that genre and Horror. An edge of your seat page turner, there is only one scene towards the end that made them lose me. *S-P-O-I-L-E-R A-L-E-R-T* There is no way that the guy would take a drill to his head in order to fight the killer. No way. The rest of this book was pretty believable, but that part lost me. *END SPOILER* Recommended reading for fans of the genres listed above, this will also be available in softcover next year for the more budget conscious reader.

Swamp Thing Nos. 91-96 (DC, cover dates January- June, 1990)

The very first Direct Market retailer, or "real" comic book store that I ever went to was the Book Bin in Lincoln Park, MI. They were getting out of the comic business after 30 or so years, and were blowing out their stock for next to nothing. Even though the store had been picked over with a fine tooth comb, there were still plenty of cheap reads to be had. A quick history lesson for the 'civilians' out there. The Direct Market more or less got it's start because retailers wanted to be able to get pristine copies from the distributor to sell as back issues later on. They ordered many extra copies for this very reason. The Book Bin was in on this game for many, many years. The first time that I went in there was 1983, and there were already rows of back issues. I also recall playing the Tron video game there circa 1983 to the tune of Hungry Like the Wolf on the radio in the store. Why I remember that, I couldn't tell you. In any case, I got all of these issues for $1.00. The line of trades that DC was putting out ended with issue 81, and I was curious how things had turned out. These are decent, but the quality definitely ebbs in the writing department. Alfredo P. Alcala inks the title, and the artwork is still decent, but the story just seems to meander along. Still, this was a dollar well spent.

THE SUPERMAN CHRONICLES VOL. 8 (DC, 2010)

Collects Superman Nos. 14, 15 and material from Action Comics Nos. 44-47 (cover dates January- April, 1942)

Golden Age Superman rocks! I don't like to throw the word 'great' around often, or use it lightly, because when something is GREAT that to me means that it is something superior, the best, etc. The Superman and Action Comics issues collected in this book are, in fact, GREAT. Great writing by Jerry Siegel, great artwork by Leo Nowak, Paul Cassidy and John Sikela, great villains in Krazinski (a composer who lulls audiences asleep with his music while his gang robs them), The Lightning Master, The Domino, Lex Luthor...everything is just great.

I hate to sound like I am gushing, but really, this stuff just hits all of the sweet spots for this era. The stories still hold up in a very charming, dated way. I truly appreciate the Chronicles line of trades because I have never read this stuff before, and I cannot afford yet another line of $50 hardcovers.

Many of the things that made Superman seem so sucky to me when I was 10-11 years old are becoming more and more apparent. His super hearing, telescopic vision, x-ray vision, invulnerability, super-duper speed, etc., are all becoming more pronounced during this era than they were in the earlier issues. I loved these stories in spite of this corniness. I also loved the way that he keeps gaining more and more powers, such as the ability to modify his voice to sound like other people. He catches bullets in nearly every story, ditto his nonsensical smashing through walls. I'm not kidding, there could be a window five feet away and this lunkhead will choose to smash through the wall, damaging property.

In Concerts of Doom (from Superman No. 14), Krazinski loses Superman in a car chase. Being the heroic guy that he is, Superman breaks into the Auto License Bureau, where he illegally obtains Krazinski's address from his license plate number. Hilarious. In  The Invention Thief  (same issue), a young inventor is swindled out of his creation by a savvy businessman. This honest entrepreneur is portrayed to be the villain here, when it was in truth the fault of the inventor for not securing the proper patents or hiring a lawyer himself. Superman, ever the bully, refuses to put out a fire that was raging in the businessman's mansion until he signs over the rights to the invention back to that dimwit creator. The knucklehead probably traded his invention for a sack of magic beans after this story...who knows? In Saboteurs of Napkan (from Superman No. 15), Superman single-handedly defeats the Napkanese (read: Japanese) plot to overthrow the United States. Superman in Oxnalia, also from the same issue, finds Superman fighting the Oxnalians (read: Germans) who are under the command of Razkal (Hitler). Superman utters famous phrases like 'Up...Up...and Away", as well as lesser known ones like 'Papa Spank'.

All in all, an entertaining and sometimes hilarious read that you can't go wrong with, clocking in at 168 pages for a list price of 15 bucks.

EXCALIBUR VISIONARIES: WARREN ELLIS VOL. 1 (Marvel, 2010)

Collects Excalibur Nos. 83-90 and material from X-Men Prime (cover dates November, 1994- October, 1995)

Warren Ellis' writing is solid and holds up for the most part, while the artwork ranges from passable to laughably bad. The '90s had some of the ugliest artwork, ever. The then-revolutionary Malibu digital color enhancements look dated, but that is forgivable. I just appreciate modern coloring techniques even more now, and it's truly amazing to think how far technology has come in such a short period of time. This is a nice collection and a good read.

EXCALIBUR VISIONARIES: WARREN ELLIS VOL. 2 (Marvel, 2010)

Collects Excalibur Nos. 91-95, Starjammers Nos. 1-4 and X-Man No. 12 (cover dates October, 1995- March, 1996)

Wow, what a decline in quality from Volume 1! Things go south fast in all areas, writing, artwork...even the lettering and colors, for crying out loud. X-Man is THE worst concept ever introduced in the world of comics, and the other retardedly named characters, like Threnody, are equally dumb. Needless to say that I will not be picking up Vol. 3.

BLACK TERROR VOL. 2 (Dynamite, 2010)

Collects Black Terror Nos. 5-9 (cover dates November, 2009- March, 2010)

I was ready to chuck this whole line for a minute there. I was blue about the ever expanding hardcover and trade paperback lines from the various publishers, blue about my limited funds for all of these books, blue about the sheer glut of comic books out there. I almost allowed this to kill this line for me. I sat down and read this, with my mind already made up that I was done with it, and you know what? This was a fine read. I suppose that I will be sticking with the Project Superpowers line for a while longer. They only put out trades a few times a year, so I'll try and figure out some other corner to cut.

CROSSED VOL. 1 (Avatar, 2010)

Collects Crossed Nos. 0-9 (September, 2008- February, 2010)

Wow, this was truly stunning. I don't mean stunning in the adjective sense of the word, but stunning in the verb sense of the word. If this book doesn't offend, shock, or repulse you on a consistent basis, then you are a very, very sick person. Crossed crosses every single line of decency with the exception of child pornography, but there is a sequel currently being published, so give them time. Garth Ennis' writing is whacked, but it's really the beautiful artwork by Jacen Burrows that takes the cake. It's so clean and polished that it invites you to stare and linger even when you don't want to. If this ever gets made into a movie, it'll be NC-17 at least. I am disappointed in myself for enjoying a depraved work as this so much. It haunts you, even weeks after reading it. I want to read it again and again. If Saw seems too 'Disney' for your tastes, then give Crossed a try...you will be sorry!

SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE VOL. 8: THE BLACKHAWK AND THE RETURN OF THE SCARLET GHOST (Vertigo/ DC, 2010)

Collects Sandman Mystery Theatre Nos. 45-52 (cover dates December, 1996- July, 1997)
I am happy to see this line of trades continue. 2, maybe 3 more, and we'll have the entire series compiled in trade paperback format. Good reads one and all.

IRON MAN: ARMOR WARS II (Marvel, 2010)

Collects Iron Man Nos. 258-266 (cover dates July, 1990- March, 1991)

Really well done comic books by John Byrne (writer) and John Romita, Jr. (penciler). These issues still hold up 20 years after they were originally published. I think that when the Essential Iron Man line of black and white phone books hits the late 1970s then I will start picking them up. Everything that I have read from 1979-on (via trade paperback) has been extremely enjoyable.