Sunday, June 23, 2013

Review- FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2013 offerings Part the First

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2013 offerings Part the First
Note: Free Comic Book Day will be referred to as FCBD from here on out.

Superman: The Last Son of Krypton FCBD Special Edition No. 1 (DC, cover date July, 2013)
Writers: Geoff Johns and Richard Donner
Artist: Adam Kubert
Colorist: Dave Stewart
This was an okay read. I have never been a fan of Kubert's artwork. This doesn't make me want to pick up a new Superman comic book or anything.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.75 out of 5. 

Finding Gossamyr/ The Stuff of Legend (Th3rd World Studios, cover date 2013)
Writers: David A. Rodriguez (FG) and Mike Raicht and Brian Smith (TSoL)
Artists: Sarah Ellerton (FG) and Charles Paul Wilson III (TSoL)
Colorists: Dave Stewart (FG) and Jon Conkling and Michael DeVito (TSoL)
The Stuff of Legend is an intriguing concept, so much so that I am wrestling with buying the Omnibus hardcover. Kill me.
Finding Gossamyr will appeal to all ages but is not my cup of tea. It is well done for what it is, and I admire the craftsmanship even if the material isn't to my liking.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 3 out of 5. 

FCBD: Mass Effect/ R.I.P.D. and The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Dark Horse, cover date May, 2013)
Writers: Mac Walters (ME), Jeremy Barlow (ME and R.I.P.D.), and Gerard Way and Shaun Simon (TTLotFK)
Artists: Garry Brown (ME), Tony Parker (R.I.P.D.), and Becky Cloonan (TTLotFK)
Colorists: Michael Atiyeh (ME), Michelle Madson (R.I.P.D.), and Dan Jackson (TTLotFK)
Dark Horse gives us a three-for-one in this year's FCBD offering. Mass Effect is a decent enough concept but doesn't really grab me. R.I.P.D. is something that requires a closer look, as the writing and artwork are both extremely well done. And anything that that My Chemical Romance douchebag touches should be avoided at all costs. Way was brought up on '90s cheese comics, and it has informed his comic book value system. Pass.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.75 out of 5. 

FCBD 2013: Judge Dredd Classics (IDW, cover date May, 2013)
Writers: John Wagner and Joe Collins
Artist: Brian Bolland
Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff
IDW has been coloring old black and white Judge Dredd strips from England's 2000 A.D. and releasing them in artist-centric hardcover collections. This book compiles the classic introduction of Judge Death from 2000 A.D. Progs. 52-57 and some Walter the Wobot throwaways from Progs. 149-151. This is a great re-re-read, although the color doesn't add anything in my opinion. Still, the modern coloring may help to attract new readers, so it does serve a purpose. The original black and white versions are available in the Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files trade paperbacks for you purists out there.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.75 out of 5. 

Brother Bedlam No. 1 (Image, cover date August, 2006)
Writer: Shannon Eric Denton
Artist: Matt Jacobs
Colorists: Eric Spikes and David Polston
Sometimes stores give away their deadweight inventory on FCBD along with their FCBD offerings. This floppy is one such book. I have a rule that if I buy it I have to read it. That rule, fortunately, does not apply to FCBD offerings. This was unreadable. I couldn't make it more than a page or two. Pure garbage.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 0 out of 5. 

The Defenders No. 1 (Marvel, cover date February, 2012)
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artists: Terry and Rachel Dodson
Colorists: Sonia Oback
Another deadweight store inventory FCBD special. I normally enjoy Matt Fraction's writing, but this was borderline fan fiction. (In a Beavis and Butthead voice) Huh-huh huh-huh, hey Beavis, wouldn't it be cool if superheroes slept around? A-huh-huh huh-huh. Yeah Butthead, that would be cool. Boing-oing-oing-oing-oing!! Stuff like this makes me embarrassed to read mainstream superhero comics. This isn't sophisticated, “adult” writing, it is adolescent cheese.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 2 out of 5.

I will have lots more FCBD reviews over the next week or so. I spent the entire day hitting various comic shops in the Detroit area.

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