FIrst Hand Account - New York Comic Con 2009

Ryan O, TwoCents Guest Columnist

My wife and I made New York Comic Con 2009 our first convention.

Before the convention, we took a look at the list of panels and picked out a bunch we'd like to see. We printed out a list of just ones we wanted to see. This was pretty helpful since we didn't have to page through the 100-page official guide to find the room listing for the DC Universe panel. It also let us plan our time a little bit.

We arrived late Friday afternoon and went straight to a panel discussing the latest Batman cartoon, "Batman: The Brave and the Bold." One thing we hadn't expected was how much fun it was to watch a favorite show with like-minded people who were laughing when we were laughing. It made our experience that much more fun.

Continue Reading...

Comic Geek Review - "Ultimate Spider-Man #111"

The Comic Geek review of:

Ultimate Spider-Man

Issue # 111,
Marvel Comics
Release date 7/18/2007

Written by: Brian Michael Bendis, Art by: Mark Bagley, Stuart Immonen

Ultimate Spiderman is a Marvel comic published since 2000. The title is a modernized version of Spiderman’s origin and earlier days. The hope was that Spiderman’s story could be retold in a hip, modern way, that today’s youngsters could embrace. The series has succeeded and has been a huge seller. As a boy in the 80’s I loved Spiderman, and he was by far my favorite superhero. When I first heard about Ultimate Spiderman and the changes to the character I loved so much, I admit, I hated the idea. Well, I was way off on this one, as this is one cool Spiderman.

Issue 111 is a landmark issue, as Mark Bagley the series artist since book one, has decided to work on different projects. Considering Bagley originally signed on for six issues, this is quite the run. This issue was co-drawn by Stuart Immonen, his replacement, and is considered a "passing of the torch."

The story itself consists of Peter Parker and Aunt May sitting down and talking about Spiderman and why all the things that have happened up to now have happened to Peter. Aunt May tells Peter for a long time she blamed herself for Uncle Ben's death because she is the one that wanted to move into their current house even though he didn't. She also told him she has been seeing a psychiatrist for the past year. This conversation was drawn by Bagley, and was a fitting end to his legacy. Stuart Immomen drew the scene with Peter explaining that before he picked up May at the hospital, he fought the criminal Spot at a Roxxon warehouse. This scene was filled with action and a neatly drawn fight sequence. It was a good way for Immomen to kick off his career with Ultimate Spiderman, and the art was top notch and extremely detailed. I am looking forward to seeing how a new artist influences this series which is one of the best comics on the market today. The last page of the comic shows a happy and less burdened Spiderman swinging through the city and almost off the page. Classic image, great last shot for Bagley.

This issue, I believe, will go down as a classic Ultimate Spiderman issue and one I suggest any Spiderman fan, casual or hardcore, picks up.

Issue # 111 rating 4 of 5
Overall Series rating 5 of 5

[Submitted By: TM]

Comic Geek Review - "All Star Superman #8"

A new correspond ant has joined the ranks of TheTwoCents.

TM, who refers to himself lovingly as a "Comic Geek" will be reviewing the latest and greatest in the world of comics.

Here is his first submission. Welcome to the team TM!

[submitted by TM]

The Comic Geek review of:

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #8

DC Comics: Release date 07-05-07

Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant, Cover by Frank Quitely.

All Star Superman is one of the two titles in the DC comics All Star imprint. (All Star Batman is the other) These books are DC’s attempt to allow all star comic artists and writers a chance to tell stories showcasing the main DC characters, without being restricted by DC Universe continuity.

The plot:
A horrific Bizarro plague spreads across Metropolis leaving terrified Daily Planet staffers holed up at the office as Superman is trapped in the reverse madness of a dying Bizarro World!

What is a Bizarro?:
An imperfect duplicate of Superman made using a stolen strand of Superman's DNA by Lex Luthor. The cloning process was unstable and the Superman clone mutated in form and mind into a grotesque parody of the Man of Steel dubbed a "Bizzaro" by a horrified Metropolis. Possessing bits of the original Superman's memory, Bizzaro set about imitating Superman's heroic actions with disastrous results.

What happens?
In this version there is a whole mad world of Superman-like beings with Paris Hilton-like brains. (This is referred to as Bizarro World) The planet is dying and on the whole planet there is only one smart Bizarro. (Zibarro) It is Zibarro’s job to help a sick and dying Superman motivate and supervise a cast of some of dimmest bulbs ever seen to build him a rocket to escape the planet. The premise and the idea behind the story was good, and if executed properly it could have been great unfortunately a comic full of backwards speaking Superman clones leads to confusion and a big fat head ache. Bizarro versions of Superman’s father Jor-El, Green Lantern & the Flash were highlights. (A Green Lantern with a brain powered power ring that is worthless as Bizarro’s are brainless, and a Flash who’s top speed is two inches per hour is quite comical) and made this book a decent read, but it is not a book I recommend for a first time buyer , a child or a casual reader as the book was hard to follow and understand, and by far the worst of the series so far.

That said Grant Morrison is one of the best comic writers in the business today, and the artist on this book Frank Quietly is brilliant and a future star. The art and coloring in this book truly is All Star in caliber. My recommendation is to pick up All Star Superman Volume 1 featuring the first six issues of the series. “A back to basics new vision of the World's First Super-Hero”

All Star Superman 8 rating 2 of 5
Overall Series rating 4 of 5

Please look for my upcoming review of:
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN # 111