Baltimore Comic-Con: The Panels

In anticipation of the trip to Baltimore next weekend for the Baltimore Comic-Con, I thought I'd give a preview of a few of the panels I'm looking forward to.

Saturday, Oct. 10th
Avengers Mansion

11:00 - 12:00 Kids Love Comics Presents: Comic Book Carnival for Kids - If you're not familiar with Kids Love Comics, you should be. They're an organization devoted to helping build the next generation of comics fans in an industry that has been downright woeful at gaining new readership over the last decade. In a nutshell, they fight the good fight. At this particular panel event, they'll have some of the industry's best kids book talent (John Gallagher [Buzzboy], Join Franco [Tiny Titans], Andy Runton [Owly]) on hand offering a workshop to children interested in learning to draw for comics. The folks at KLC take this job very seriously and they always present a lot of fun activities for kids and parents alike, so if you've got a little one with you next weekend in Baltimore, I highly suggest stopping by the Mansion for a little fun.

The Batcave

12:30 - 1:30 Spotlight on George Perez - An hour long retrospective and Q & A with one of the industry's most prolific illustrators? Sounds like a blast to me. Perez, the undisputed king of fitting an obscene amount of characters onto one page, will be discussing his years working for both Marvel and DC. That work includes iconic runs on The Avengers, Crisis On Infinite Earths and Wonder Woman. Most recently, Perez teamed up with Geoff Johns for the critical darling, Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. This should be an hour well spent for any lifelong comics fan.

1:30 - 2:30 Comic Rewind: The 70s - Oh man, oh man, oh man! I am so excited about this panel I can hardly contain myself. In my opinion, the 1970s is a real high water mark for superhero comics. The decade that gave us the brilliance that was Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams must always be mentioned as one of (if not the) best decades in comics history. The 1970s gave us a better Bat, a roadtrip of epic (and very green) proportions, a new class of mutant and a shambling verdant mass that would become one of the most acclaimed characters in comics history. This panel will feature some of the creators responsible for this great shift forward, including Chris Claremont (X-Men), Len Wein (Swamp Thing) and Walt Simonson (The Mighty Thor). To cap it off, the panel is moderated by comic historian, editor and writer extraordinaire, Mark Waid. I'll see you there!

3:30 - 4:30 Spotlight on Wednesday Comics - Wednesday Comics was an ambitious project that met with a great deal of critical, as well as fanboy, acclaim. This panel will feature some of the creators from editor Mark Chiarello's latest success, including Andy Kubert (Sgt. Rock) and Mike Allred (Metamorpho). What I find most exciting about this panel though is the inclusion of editor Mark Chiarello as the moderator. Chiarello is one of the most exciting and talented people in comics. The projects he takes on are some of the most innovative in the business and I am fairly in awe of his talent. I might, just possibly, be considering approaching him with my The Question pitch. Am I crazy?

Sunday, Oct. 11th
Avengers Mansion

12:00 - 1:00 Marvel: Your Universe - Tom Breevort puts his own head on the chopping block and turns the microphone over to the fans for a bit of lively discussion. In an interesting twist on the big company panel, the Your Universe panel is meant to act as a soapbox for fans to express their own opinions about the direction that Marvel is taking. Do you think Agents of Atlas deserves more attention? Let 'em know. Do you think that bringing Steve Rogers back was an awful idea (it was)? Let 'em have it! This hour of opinion slinging could be the most entertaining hour you'll spend all weekend. Better bring your gloves! Fanboys are a rowdy bunch.

The Batcave

11:30 - 12:30 DC Conversation w/ Ian Sattler - Do you prefer DC to Marvel? If so, maybe you'll want to wait till 11:30 and hit up the DC Conversation with Ian Sattler. The DC equivalent of the Your Universe panel from Marvel, Sattler will be on hand to field all your questions (and attempt to deflect your ire) about the current state of DC comics. I'm sorry, DC Entertainment. Unimpressed with Blackest Night? Think that Barry Allen should have stayed dead? Not digging Batman: Reborn? Well, here's your chance to let 'em know. On a related note, these discussions can also be used as a vehicle to express your positive opinions. Just putting that out there.

12:30 - 1:30 Spotlight on Jo Chen - This spotlight panel would be exciting enough if it were just Jo Chen. Add to it the fact that Jose Villarubia is the moderator and you've got a can't miss event. If you're a fan of either of these creators (and you should be a fan of both) then make sure you clear your lunchtime schedule. After all, that hot dog cart will still be there at 1:30.

Baltimore looks to be a great con. From what I can tell, it appears to be more about celebrating the people who make comics and the people who read them than creating a giant pop culture circus. As much as I loved NYCC this year, I'm more excited about Baltimore. Perhaps it's that my comics acumen (and my resume) is better now than it was back in February, and that's making me more confident about being thrust back into this environment. Whatever the reason, I'm very excited. This will be my first con ever where I'm trying to pitch things on the floor (or over beers) and (hopefully) getting editorial feedback in the process. Wish me luck, true believers! It's going to be a blast!

Baltimore Comic-Con Creator Profiles Round 2

JASON AARON - Jason Aaron is the anti-hero hero. A man that certainly looks the part he plays, Aaron is a staunch defender of real country music (Johnny Cash, the various Hanks), a fan of hard knock football team the Pittsburgh Steelers and the writer of such badasses as Wolverine, Ghost Rider and his own creation, Dashell Bad Horse. Aaron has made a reputation for himself as the go-to guy for insuring that Marvel's anti-hero icons remain as bad as possible. He's turned Wolverine into the bloodthirsty, vengeful Rambo we always knew he could be, made Ghost Rider into one of the most interesting characters on the Marvel roster and now he's taking over Punisher MAX (ya know, the one where he kills about a hundred people an issue) for his idol Garth Ennis. But what makes Aaron truly great is his creator-owned series Scalped, which DC/Vertigo recently contracted for twelve more issues, bringing the seris count up to forty-eight. It seems like, despite the high volume of titles released by Vertigo each month, there has always been a book that you could describe as the company's flagship. Sandman was that book, Preacher, Hellblazer perhaps, 100 Bullets, Y: The Last Man, Fables. Lost in the hoopla surrounding Y's last issue, 100 Bullets' last issue and the continuation of the Fables epic is the quality of Scalped. Aaron's crime epic, set on and around an Indian reservation, is, in my opinion, the best book Vertigo has published since Preacher. It's one of the few comics I've ever read that literally gets better with every single issue. Equal parts Raymond Chandler and Robert Rodriguez, Scalped is a book that deserves to continue for a long, long time.

PETER TOMASI - Leave it to a guy with fourteen years of editing experience to know how to tell a good story. Tomasi began his career with DC in the early 90s and over the years lent his editing skill to titles such as Green Lantern and JSA, eventually working his way up to the position of senior editor. In 2007 he decided to see how the other half lived though, becoming a regular writer for the company he'd spent the last fourteen years editing. Over the last year, Tomasi has made a name for himself as the storyteller in charge of Nightwing and Green Lantern Corps. He's currently aiding Geoff Johns and a number of other DC writers in raising the dead each month in the Blackest Night mega-event. Not a name you hear bandied about very often, Tomasi is one of the most consistent writers working for DC these days. If you haven't been reading his stuff then I highly suggest you start.

JOSE VILLARUBIA - If not for Dave Stewart, Jose Villarubia would likely be the consensus choice for best colorist in comics. His contributions to the industry as a colorist are prolific. Over the years, he's brought to life the artwork of extremely talented artists such as JH Williams, III, Jae Lee, Ryan Sook and frequent collaborator, Paul Pope. He also teamed with comics juggernaut Alan Moore for two separate graphic novels, including Mirror of Love, a sort of illustrated history of prominent homosexual artists and writers. This was no doubt a project of great personal importance to Villarubia as he is himself openly gay and has been very outspoken for the rights of homosexuals. Most recently, Villarubia lent his talent to Paul Pope, coloring the striking Strange Adventures strip for DC's Wednesday Comics.

The Surfing the Bleed Interview: Joe Quinones

Joe Quinones may not be a household name yet, but give it time. The artist on DC's Teen Titans GO! and most recently the man in charge of bringing Kurt Busiek's Green Lantern to life for Wednesday Comics, comics' new Joe Q. brings Silver Age style to the modern age. Surfing the Bleed was lucky enough to get Quinones to sit down for an interview. The results are fun and beardtastic. Enjoy!

Me: Hey Joe! Welcome to Surfing the Bleed. Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for the fans!

Joe Quinones: Anytime.

Me: Could you give the readers out there a quick recap of who you are and what work you've done in the industry thus far?

JQ: Well, my name is Joe Quinones and I'm a freelance artist and educator living just outside of Boston. Over the past two years or so, I've been slowly breaking into the mainstream comics scene with work for DC comics, Marvel, Boom! studios and Devil's Due Publishing. Also, I really love Star Wars.

Me: How did you first get involved in art? I saw some of your "long time ago" blog posts. It looks like you've been interested in art for quite some time. That's a pretty frightening rendering of a T-800, by the way.

JQ: Oh, thank you. Believe me, there's far more terrifying and embarrassing drawings I have from that era. But yes, I've been drawing for some time. My mom has a closet full of my scribblings dating back to before I entered the public school system.

Me: I know at times artists have to battle against the impression that their life's goal is frivolous or unrealistic. Did you encounter that at all as you grew up? Was your family supportive of your artistic goals?

JQ: I was really lucky in that regard, actually. My folks were always extremely supportive of me and my art growing up. I think they recognized an ability in me early on, and did everything they could to encourage me to strengthen that skill and ultimately pursue a career in it. I was constantly entering this art contest and the next, taking extracurricular art classes and so on. For me, it was never a question whether I would be an artist when I grew up, and I owe that completely to the ol' madre and padre.

Me: Was there, do you recall, a specific class or a specific teacher that really pushed you to pursue art and convinced you that you had a really special talent that you should work to develop?

JQ: Totally. My high school art department was really strong. Specifically, my AP Art teacher Mrs. Fitchett went to great lengths to book representatives from various art schools for portfolio reviews and slideshows. She, as well as my drawing and painting teachers, Mr. Massa and Mr. Winter, were very much instrumental in my forming a portfolio of work strong enough to get me into a good art school. They're the best.

Me: Talk a bit about your college education. You went to the Rhode Island Institute of Design, correct? I'm assuming you studied illustration while you were there. Did they offer any courses directly geared toward the creation of sequential art and did you know at that point that you wanted to be a professional comics artist?

JQ: Yup, I ended up going to the Rhode Island School of Design, or RISD as it's sometimes known. There I majored in Illustration and had a wonderful time. RISD creates a really proactive atmosphere, where all of the students and teachers thrive off of one another. Challenging each other to work harder, do better. A built in network of constructive criticism and positive energy. It was a great experience. As far as sequential art goes, it's something I had always had an interest in pursuing, but by the time I got to RISD it certainly had faded into the background as a notion for a career path. However when I took David Mazzucchelli's Comics course that all changed. David taught a class that stressed clarity in storytelling over all else with an enthusiasm and love for the medium that was contagious. He really made me fall in love with comics all over again. I can't say I took his class and instantly knew I would then go into comics, but I certainly wouldn't be where I am today, or know what I know about comics had I not taken his class. It was really invaluable.

Me: This seems like a good time for my favorite question. Do you remember your first comic book? What sort of an effect did it have on you?

JQ: Um... I can't remember exactly... but it was definitely a Batman story. It was either a weird oversize comic about Batman and the Man-Bat, or it was a comic about Batman discovering and stopping a kid from swiping the wheels off the Batmobile... Yeah.... Maybe it was Jason Todd? Yes. It was Jason Todd. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Batman_issue_408.jpg Thank you, internet!

Me: Definitely the superior Robin origin story. Chuckle.

Me: How did you get discovered? I know that you've been a regular contributor to Dean Trippe's Project Rooftop contests (Batman, ftw!). Did your contributions to that site help you find work? What was your first professional gig?

JQ: Oh thanks! Glad you dug the Batman redesign. That site is so much fun. I know Dean's a busy guy, but man oh man I wish running that site was his job. I'd love to just endlessly click through my favorite artists drawing up their own takes on my favorite characters. He's a saint for running that site and keeping the awesome coming.

As far as work goes, I don't know that any of my redesigns for the site ever directly led to a job, but they certainly brought me a lot more visibility and I'm grateful for that.

My first mainstream gig was working on Teen Titans GO! for DC's kids line. Mark Chiarello landed the job for me and I remember beforehand while I was sitting with him in his office, he was flipping through my portfolio and mentioned seeing my Wonder Woman redesign from P:R online - so there you go.

Me: You're currently working on the ambitious (and awesome) Wednesday Comics for DC. It must have been such an honor to be asked to participate in this, and your Green Lantern strip with Kurt Busiek is creating some serious "Next Big Thing" buzz for you. Can you talk about what the experience of working on this project has been like and how huge it is to be able to draw a Kurt Busiek script?

JQ: Well, actually, I took so long to answer this interview, that Wednesday Comics is all done now.. (Sorry!) Anyway, I don't know about me being the "next big" anything, but it was certainly an honor to have been invited to work on the book. To be collaborating with Mark Chiarello and Kurt Busiek on top of that was like a dream. That they both wanted to work with me in the first place, is still mind boggling to me. It's really humbling to work with such giants.

Me: I've discussed what I'll refer to as the "DC Effect" with various friends and creators, and it seems to be a consensus that working in that universe just feels really natural. Almost like there's this steady flow of stories and all you have to do is tap into it. Do you agree with that sentiment? Do you feel comfortable working with such iconic figures?

JQ: Yeah, I'd say it's felt pretty natural. My first introduction to comics was with Superman and Batman, so certainly there was a nice familiarity there.

Me: Were you more a Marvel or DC guy as a kid? Why?

JQ: Well, really I like elements of both of the big two. The flawed, more reality based characters of Marvel, and the grander, operatic characters of DC. I think what it really comes down to is classic versus cool. Of the two, in general, I was more often drawn to DC as a kid. Their characters were larger than life. Modern myths. There was less grey area there, and as a kid, I think that really appealed to me.

Me: Could you speak to your process for a bit? What kind of workspace do you have, what sort of environment do you find most productive? Do you prefer a more structured, detailed style of scripting or would you rather see a script from a writer that leaves much of the visual storytelling in your hands?

JQ: I draw at a boring old drafting table in my studio in my apartment. Generally I like to have some sorta background noise while I'm working - whether it be a podcast, music or an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (At this point, the interviewer would like to point out that Joe Quinones is his new best friend.) Working with scripts, looking at more structured and detailed versus something more loose, I'd say something somewhere in between. Where there is a some clear focus in the script, but I have a bit of creative license in figuring out how to illustrate it.

Me: Let's shift gears for just a moment. With each passing year, the comic book industry shifts more toward digital publishing. Could you give your opinion on where you see the industry headed during the digital age?

JQ: Meh. Certainly the digital world can not and should not be discounted as a valid forum to view and read comics. For me though, nothing beats the tactile experience of picking up and holding a comic in your hands while you read it. It makes the experience that much richer. Kindles be damned.

Me: The main point of these interviews is to get some perspective on "breaking in" from some of the industry's best young talent. What advice can you give an upcoming creator trying to make his way in comics?

JQ: Take your criticisms and rejections on the chin. Keep an open mind. Challenge yourself and keep drawing, keep drawing, keep drawing.

Me: Just for a bit of fun, is there any creator out there today that you'd really love to work with? I do offer cookies (or cupcakes, if that's more your speed) for anybody who answers this question with "Brett Williams." Ha!

JQ: Oh believe me, if there's one thing I don't need more of, it's cookies. Other creators... geez. Too many to name really. I love Ed Brubaker's work. Mark Waid. Would love to work with Grant Morrison. I don't know. Again, it was a dream to have worked with Kurt, and I would love to work with him again. There's another writer who is hero of mine that I'll be collaborating on a longer project with this year, but I can't give any details yet I'm afraid.

Me: From one bearded creator to another, you have a pretty impressive beard, sir. How important do you think it is that comic creators finally shuck the clean shaven look and fully embrace their inner mountain man?

JQ: Oh thank you. I think it should be a prerequisite that all comic artists sport a beard at least of equal quality to my own. I'm kidding - what am I a beard-nazi? I mostly just have this thing because I'm lazy - and my girlfriend likes it. Actually she won't let me shave it. Anyway, I do appreciate a man that can grow a nice beard. Though I'm not beard exclusive. I have some friends that grow a mighty impressive mustache. I just can't pull that off. (The interviewer would like to point out that he can, in fact, pull that off.)

Me: Last but certainly not least. You grew up in New England. Red Sox fan?

JQ: NO. Actually I'm from New York originally, so if I had to be painted any kind of baseball fan it would be a Yankees/Mets one (sorry, Kurt). I'm not really a baseball fan though. If I follow it at all, it would usually just be during playoffs and by proxy of my Dad.

Me: Thanks again for your time Joe. Good luck with all your endeavors in the future!

JQ: Thanks! Beard Pride!

Wednesday Comics: The Awards Show

I haven't written much about Wednesday Comics here on the blog, so I thought, in honor of the twelfth and final issue, I'd create my own series of awards to illustrate what I thought was best (and in one case worst) about this ambitious DC project. Please comment freely. I would love to hear everyone's opinions on my choices and on Wednesday Comics as a whole.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT (SUPERMAN) - The Superman strip by Arcudi and Bermejo has to be the biggest disappointment. While I don't believe it to be the worst strip in the collection (that dubious honor goes to Teen Titans), it is the one strip that fell seriously short of my expectations. The Superman strip in Wednesday Comics had no serious issues, it was just...dull. It felt like it took weeks for anything to actually happen and once it did happen, it was so anti-climactic that it felt entirely flat. The "Superman's Whiny Internal Monologue Is Interfering With Him Kicking Some Alien Ass" approach was just a little too (Winick) Smallville to ever grab my interest. I'm still shocked that this is the strip DC decided to syndicate nationally.

STRIP THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SYNDICATED NATIONALLY (GREEEN LANTERN) - People love stories that evoke the neon-lit, cocktail-fueled time period of the late-50s and early-60s. Just look at the success of Mad Men if you don't believe me. And what Kurt Busiek and Joe Quinones created in Green Lantern tapped directly into that American myth of rocket ships and square-jawed heroics. At a time when America is struggling with its identity, Green Lantern would have made a great escape for the readers of USA Today. A place they could go each week for a little space age fun that would hopefully remind them of a time when America was on the forefront of everything great in the world. Plus, with a Green Lantern movie coming down the pipeline, placing this strip in such a highly circulated publication as USA Today would have helped drum up interest in the character amongst the general public. As much as we all love him, sometimes Superman isn't the best man for the job.

BEST NEWCOMER - (JOE QUINONES) - For those of you who don't follow Dean Trippe's supehero costume re-design site Project Rooftop, this is probably the first time you've seen Joe Quinones. And boy howdy what a coming out party he had. Joe's artwork, similar to someone like Carmine Infantino, recalls the Silver Age as well as anyone currently working in the industry. But the thing that may be getting lost in the shuffle here is the artists's talent as a colorist. Every GL construct, every figure hugging mod dress, every neon sign pulses with energy and life. I predict very good things for Mr. Quinones in the future. Now if I could just get him to finish that interview I wrote for him.

BEST OLD DOG, OLD TRICKS (JOE KUBERT) - Wednesday Comics' other Joe has slightly more experience under his belt. Joe Kubert created (along with Robert Kanigher) Sergeant Rock in 1959 and in doing so gave America one of it's most enduring comic icons. Nobody has kicked more Nazi ass than Sgt. Rock. Not Hellboy, not Indiana Jones, not punk rockers in Minnesota circa 1983. So seeing Joe Kubert return to the character he helped make iconic was exciting. Seeing him do it with his son Adam, more so. Hats off, Joe, hats off.

BEST IMITATION KIRBY (KAMANDI) - By any standards, Dave Gibbons and Ryan Sook's Kamandi strip is excellent. A strong candidate for best in the series, Gibbons and Sook created a post-apocalyptic epic in just twelve short pages. While Dave Gibbons is best known for being the artist on the most famous graphic novel of all time (maybe you've heard of it?), he showed off his more than adequate writhing chops on Kamandi. The story is full of action, suspense, heartache, mystery, sacrifice and incredible, memorable characters, all of which are brought to life by Ryan Sook's beautiful pencils. Sook is one of my favorite artists working in comics today and his work on Kamandi does not disappoint. Striking, beautiful and at times terrifying, the art is the perfect compliment to the story. A truly wonderful marriage of word and image, Gibbons and Sook's Kamandi does its hallowed creator proud.

BIGGEST SURPRISE (HAWKMAN) - The reason Hawkman surprised me so much has nothing to do with Kyle Baker, whom I adore regardless of the charcter or the format (Plastic Man, ftw). Rather, it has to do with the fact that I really can't stand Hawkman. Sure, there are interpretations of the character, certain aspects I suppose, that I find appealing. But Hawkman as a whole just bores (or confuses) the hell out of me. Not so in Wednesday Comics. What Kyle Baker created with his Hawkman strip is just plain ol' fun. Lots of adventure, lots of jokes and even a couple weeks worth of Aquaman using the creatures of the sea to battle a Tyranosaurus Rex. Comics should always be this good. Hawkman also possesses the best line of dialogue from the entire series:

Superman: Sorry we're late, Batman. There was a black hole in hyperspace. Don't ask.

Batman: Save the Earth, and all is forgiven.

EPIC!

BEST GUEST STAR (AQUAMAN) - Whether he's helping Supergirl deal with the rampaging super pets or aiding Hawkman in his battle with the T.Rex lord of Dinosaur freakin' Island, Aquaman left his signature all over Wednesday Comics. Was this perhaps an audition by the Lord of the Oceans for inclusion in the next round, if and when there is one? Let's hope so!

BEST STRIP - I've gone back and forth on this the entire time, wondering which strip was ultimately better, The Flash or Strange Adventures. A sound argument could be made for either one, but when it comes right down to it, I give the nod to The Flash. Karl Kerschl and Brendan Fletcher did more than simply tell a great story with great art. They took the medium and did something truly special with it. Each page of The Flash is a singluar work of art, each layout a thing of beauty. And the story, a tale of the strong bond between Iris West and Barry Allen, takes the reader on a journey through time, alternate universes and, ultimately, through the medium and history of comics itself. The Flash is a masterpiece from start to finish and is my personal choice for the best strip in Wednesday Comics.

In case you're wondering, my Top 5 is as follows;

1. The Flash
2. Strange Adventures
3. Kamandi
4. Supergirl
5. Hawkman

Wednesday Comics was an ambitious and, in my opinion, largely successful project. While some strips were certainly more enjoyable than others, as a complete body of work Wednesday Comics is one of the most exciting things I've ever seen happen in the industry. If you liked it, please don't hesitate to speak out. If you haven't gotten into it, get down to your local comic shop and grab the back issues. We need more things like this in comics and the only way we're going to get them is if the fans show their support. Hope will out, Wednesday Comics will be successful enough that DC will feel compelled to do it again. If they do, could someone pass on to Mark Chiarello that I have a great idea for a Question story?

And don't forget...keep reading comics!

Pull List

Here's my pull list for this week.

Dark Horse

Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #6
BPRD: 1947 #3

DC (Entertainment)

Adventure Comics #2
Blackest Night: Batman #2
Green Lantern Corps #40
World of New Krypton #7
Wednesday Comics #10

Marvel (Mouseworks)

Captain Britain and MI13: Vampire State TPB
Marvels Project #2

Pull List

Here's this week's pull list.

BOOM

Irredeemable #6

DARK HORSE

Buffy Season 8 #28
Witchfinder #3

DC

Jonah Hex #47
Justice League: Cry for Justice #3 (because I need a laugh)
Supergirl Annual #1
Wednesday Comics #9

MARVEL

Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire #2
Strange Tales #1

It's a much lighter list this week than last week, which is a relief. Last week was almost more than I could handle. It's interesting to see that Marvel finally managed to slip into the list with a book that is written by neither Ed Brubaker nor Jason Aaron (though Mr. Aaron did still find his way in).

Enjoy your books!

Pull List

Here's the pull list for this week.

Batgirl #1
Batman: Streets of Gotham #3
Blackest Night: Superman #1
Power Girl #4
Supergirl #44
Superman Annual #14
Wednesday Comics #7
Wolverine: Weapon X #4

And Marvel manages to slip a book in there at the end. No surprise it's a book written by Jason Aaron.

Three Week Recap

Adventure Comics #1 - I've been excited about this book for a while now and it was definitely worth the wait. Written by Geoff Johns and penciled by excellent new talent Francis Manapul, Adventure Comics tells the story of Connor Kent's return to the DCU. As ignorant as I am of Connor (I was a Marvel guy as a kid and have thus been fairly underexposed to the Teen Titans), I had no trouble following this book at all. Johns's script offers a great jump on point for the character and doesn't get bogged down in pages of exposition attempting to explain Superboy. He hits the high points and gets on with it. The gist of the story is this; Connor Kent, back from the dead, has returned to Smallville to live with Ma Kent and to walk in the footsteps of his forebear, Clark Kal-El Superman Kent. The tone of this issue is light-hearted while also being introspective. Johns really manages to get at the heart of what it must feel like to be a super-powered young man torn between two very distinct paths. Connor Kent is a young man going through changes and facing a lot of very tough decisions in his very near future. In a word, teenager. In true Johns fashion, the script highlights the human in superhuman. The script is accompanied by the wonderful art of Francis Manapul, a relative newcomer and Top Cow contributor that we'll be hearing a lot more from in the very near future. His style plays up the youthful exuberance of Connor Kent and offers a perfect compliment for what Johns is doing on the book. Top notch work all around. This is the best book I've read in three weeks. Still not sold? Well, there's an excellent Legion of Superheroes back-up feature as well. Lots of bang for the buck here!

Superman: World of New Krypton #6 - Things get crazy on New Krypton after (SPOILER ALERT) an attempted assassination on General Zod. Kal-El and his fellow commanders Gor and Ursa take control of the Kryptonian military in the absence of their beloved (by some) general. You have to hand it to Greg Rucka, the man is good at building suspence. He and James Robinson have spent the first five issues of this story establishing New Krypton, giving us glimpses of it's environment, fashion and socio-economic structure. All of which was intended to lay the ground work to a slow burn mystery worthy of some of Rucka's best work in the darker recesses of Gotham City. This week, the two finally press down on the accelarator. Is Earth responsible for the attack on New Krypton, can Kal-El solve this mystery in time to avert an all-out galactic war and will Superman return? World of New Krypton is one of the most rewarding and consistent books in the DCU right now. If you aren't reading it, then it's time to start.

Blackest Night #2 - Fights! And then some more fights! Blood! Shark attacks! More blood! Fights! Still loving it, but it was more action and less fright this month. There is a genuinely awesome and heartfelt exchange between Commissioner and Barbara Gordon that is interrupted by an amazing title page involving a busted up Hal Jordan and a Bat-signal. Fun issue, but mostly fights and establishing exposition. I expect things to heat up next month. Or cool down, rather. I mean, they're all dead, so they probably don't generate a lot of heat.

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3 (of 3) - Green Lantern Kenny Loggins trains his daughter to deal with the Danger Zone and Killowog gets a brief Year One treatment. I smiled a lot while I read this. Good stuff.

Wednesday Comics #5 & #6 - The good is still good, the bad is still bad and the Paul Pope is still the excellent. Wonder Woman takes a turn for the better, Superman takes a turn for the worse and Catwoman continues to refuse to appear in the strip that shares her name. I'm still enjoying it each week, but I do agree with certain of my peers when they wish for more innovation in these pages. Hey, at least it all looks great, right? I mean, even Metal Men is a nice looking page.

Justice League of America: Cry For Justice #2 - I'm a pretty big James Robinson fan, but this book is sort of baffling to me. Hal Jordan is having threesomes, some guy in Reeboks with Mystique-skin is fighting the only intelligent gorilla in the DCU I don't give a damn about, and Ray Palmer is feeling really, really sorry for himself. The only saving grace so far has been the interaction between Green Lantern and Green Arrow, which recalls the Hard Traveling Heroes stuff by Neal Adams and (my personal favorite) Denny O'Neil. While Robinson doesn't quite nail O'Neil's voice for the characters, he does offer an entertaining approximation. I think I'd enjoy this book a lot more if it were just GL/GA, not a JLA lead-in.

Did I even read a Marvel book? Oh yeah!

Captain America: Reborn #2 - Captain America (Steve Rogers) takes a leisurely stroll through his own history and wonders if he could do anything to change the course of that history but ultimately decides against it on, well...on almost every single page. Go ahead Cap, kill Hitler, let's see what happens. So yeah, Rogers basically goes on a search for Daniel Farraday, Osborn kills Sharon Carter in the court of public opinion and Bucky and Natasha do their level best to beat the snot out of the worst Avengers line-up ever. Why is this even happening, again?

My First CBR Contribution

Okay, so it's not much. Really it's just a couple of quick thoughts on Wednesday Comics, but it is CBR and it is my name and it is a link to this very blog!

Woot!

Go read Mr. Callahan's Guest-Filled Splash Page column right now!

Grab These Books

I've decided to do something a little bit different this week. Instead of reviewing specific issues from last week, I'm going to talk a bit about my favorite strips from Wednesday Comics. If you're not aware, Wednesday Comics is the brainchild of Mark Chiarello. It collects some of the most exciting talent in the comics industry and lets them run wild with a page the size of a traditional newspaper. The stories are all serialized tales from the DCU, twelve chapters, with a new issue coming out each week. So far it's been nothing if not fun. I'd like to take this week's Grab These Books as a chance to talk about some of my favorite strips from this ambitious project.

Strange Adventures by Paul Pope & Jose Villarrubia - Paul Pope doing Adam Strange? Epic! The pencils, the inks, the colors, the story, it all just explodes off the page. For the first three weeks of this project Strange Adventures has been the feature I've dug the most. Pope makes great use of the large format to create a full, sweeping and striking view of Adam Strange at war. This is big, weird and beautiful. We've come to expect nothing less from Paul Pope.


Green Lantern by Kurt Busiek and Joe Quinones - What could be seen as an otherwise generic (yet entertaining) early Hal Jordan/Green Lantern story is turned into a can't miss by relative newcomer Joe Quinones. Quinones, a regular contributor to Surfing the Bleed friends Project Rooftop may be the best artist working in comics today that you haven't heard of. His jutting chins, exaggerated jawlines and playful facial expressions create a 50s lounge pastiche that works perfectly for Hal "Highball" Jordan and his crew. Expect to see a lot more from Joe Quinones in the near future.



Metamorpho by Neil Gaiman and Mike Allred - With an all-star team like Neil Gaiman and Mike Allred, you'd expect a lot. Metamorpho does not disappoint. While the majority of the strips in Wednesday Comics are simply larger format comic pages, a few do everything they can to utilize the new format to do something truly unique. Metamorpho succeeds at this perhaps better than any other strip in the comic. A fun, old pulp adventure style comic, each page is exactly that; a page. Gaiman and Allred aren't just making a giant comic here, they're telling this Metamorpho story one page at a time. Allred will pencil one expanisve environment and then show Metamorpho and crew moving through various stages of it and Gaiman's conversational narrative works perfectly for this format. Seriously fun, seriously great work by two of the comic book world's heaviest hitters. Great colors too from longtime collaborator and wife, Laura Allred.


Deadman by Dave Bullock, Vinton Heuck and Dave Stewart - While this Deadman story is little more than a psychadelic whodunnit, it gets serious points for using the format to create some vastly interesting layouts. The combined force of Bullock, Heuck and Stewart has created something worth framing here. Like Metamorpho, the Deadman creative team has shucked the tradition of panels and gutters for a more free-flowing, full page narrative. While I don't think it succeeds as well as Metamorpho (few people write as good a story as Neil Gaiman), it does use this new format for innovation and fun. And Dave Stewart? Egads! The colors on this strip are the best part. They really should just name the Eisner for achievement in coloring after this guy.



Those are my four favorite strips from Wednesday Comics but that's certainly not all there is to see. If you haven't been following this new DC experiment I suggest you start. Back issues may be hard to find but they're still out there. I highly suggest you inquire at your local comic shop about this if you haven't already. And today is Wednesday, so don't forget to get out there and grab these books!



Pull List

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #7
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3
Detective Comics #855
Superman #690
Wednesday Comics #4

...and Marvel comes up a big goose egg again this week. : (

That's it for this week!

Grab These Books

Action Comics #879 - This issue really puts me back into this book that, honestly, I'd become fairly bored with over the last couple of months. Greg Rucka is one of my favorite writers working in the industry, but I usually feel that he works better in Gotham City than Metropolis. Of course, most of this issue takes place just outside Los Angeles, but you get the idea. Not that I don't look forward to Action each month, but of the four major Super-titles (World of New Krypton, Superman, Action Comics and Supergirl), Action Comics has been my least favorite for a while now. That all changed with this issue. The script just seemed a lot tighter this month and the story ran along at a great pace. Plus, Flamebird went all Phoenix-force, Lois played detective, Chris almost found his groove and they finally fixed those annoying Kryptonian to English subtitles so that you could actually read them. Add to all of that a beautifully-pencilled Captain Atom back-up full of adventure and this month's AC definitely had a lot of bang for the buck

Scalped #30 - There's no rest on the rez for Dashell Bad Horse and company as Scalped continues to be the best damn comic Vertigo has put out since the last issue of Preacher left the shelves. You know that moment in between thunder storms where everything seems to calm down for a bit and the world seems a little brighter, but there's something about the air, the color of the sky, that tells you this next storm is going to be even worse than the first? That's exactly what Scalped #30 feels like. Red Crow grows more suspicious of Dash and goes to war with Johnny Tongue, Dash gets an ominous visit from Catcher and Granny lays down a bit of prophecy. Whichever direction you look in, a storm is coming. You'd better batten down the hatches. By the way, if you're not reading this book then please, for the love of all that's good, start. While Aaron and Guera's crime epic is still doing pretty well, it doesn't hold a candle in sells each month to some far less worthy offerings from both major publishers. Get out there and grab the trades and give this book the support it deserves.

Blackest Night #1 - Terrifying. Terrifying is the best possible word to describe this issue. Seeing the undead herald of the Black Light carrying your hero's skull around with him like a trophy is, to say the least, unsettling. Despite it's bright and hopeful beginning, a serious sense of foreboding pulses through this entire issue. Like the reader, Hal Jordan can feel that something isn't right, that something dark is coming. Brilliantly written by Johns and brilliantly rendered by collaborator Ivan Reis, Blackest Night #1 is an impressive opening salvo. The most impressive thing to me about this issue, from a creative standpoint, is the fact that Johns makes this book feel like a book about heroes, not just a book about Green Lanterns. While Johns has certainly laid the foundation for this story in Green Lantern over the last year, you can also see threads from his work on JSA as well as things left over from Grant Morrison's Final Crisis showing up in this issue. While Hal Jordan may be the central focus of this title, it's obvious that it's a book about the DC Universe and that when all is said and done, that universe will be forever changed. If this is a sign of things to come, we're all in for a very exciting, very frightening Fall.

Wednesday Comics #1 and #2 - What can I say about Wednesday Comics that hasn't already been said? Just the fact that DC was willing to take a gamble on this concept is impressive enough, nevermind that they've assembled one of the greatest collections of talent the comics industry has ever seen. Sure, some of the strips represent better than others, but they're each a great experiment in form. So far, the strips that are standing out to me are Deadman, Adam Strange, Batman, Green Lantern and Metamorpho. That's not to say that there isn't quality to be found on every page here. Go grab a copy (if you can find them. Some shops drastically under-ordered) and take a look for yourself. Wednesday Comics is such an ambitious project and I hope that all of you out there who are fans of the medium and the industry will do what you can to support it. Might I suggest, if you can, buying more than one copy and framing some of the pages for your walls at home or at the office. Yes, they're that good.

That concludes this segment of Grab These Books. Let me give you my pull list for this week.

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #2
Gotham City Sirens #2
Green Lantern #44
Power Girl #3
Supergirl #43
Wednesday Comics #3

That will do it for this week. Remember to head out to your local comic shops on Wednesday and grab these books! And for those of you going to the San Diego Comic Con, have a great time and best of luck!