Monthly Archives: January 2014

Jan 31 2014

The Superior Spider-Man 26

superior spider-man 26Today, Spencer and Shelby are discussing The Superior Spider-Man 26, originally released January 29th, 2014.

Spencer: The Superior Spider-Man 26 is unique in that it features three different stories—each illustrated by a different artist, no less—that do not intersect or connect at all throughout the issue. All three plots are building up to the sure-to-be-epic conclusion of Superior, but each also ruminates about identity, whether it be something as superhero-esque as secret identities or something more complex, like how memories help form a person’s core identity. You’ll find it all in The Superior Spider-Man 26, folks! Continue reading →

Jan 31 2014

Saga 18

saga 18

Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Saga 18, originally released January 29th, 2014.

Patrick: In the Season 2 episode of Community “Cooperative Calligraphy,” the group voluntarily sequesters itself in the study room until they can determine who stole Annie’s pen. Jeff eventually brings about peace by saying that he would rather believe the impossible — in this case, that a ghost stole it — than believe that one of his friends would subject the rest of them to this kind of psychological and emotional torture. It’s a play on the idea that we make ourselves believe all kinds of things that aren’t true in the name of love. We believe our friends and family to be capable of so much, exaggerating their talents or intelligence or compassion in our minds. Brian K Vaughan’s world has been punishing Marko and Alana for their love, but this issue tangibly rewards them for their blind faith in one another. It’s the metaphorical made real, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Continue reading →

Jan 31 2014

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 30

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Today, Ethan and Taylor are discussing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 30, originally released January 29th, 2013.

Ethan: It’s easier to break than to mend. Anyone who’s ever fallen out of a tree and landed on their arm, or dropped an upright piano on their foot on moving day*, has first-hand experience with this phenomenon. Bones snap in a hurry, but they take forever to rebuild. The Mutant Ninja family just went through hell, and now that they’re safely ensconced in the barn down the road from April’s parents’ house in the country, they’re getting down to the painful process of knitting themselves back together. While this issue deals with the same setting and general themes as the previous one, it moves us forward in ways that make sure we don’t feel like it’s just a re-tread. Not to mention that its final panels signal that we’ll soon be leaving the realm of sleepy barns in the woods for a return to beat-down brawls against the Foot. Continue reading →

Jan 30 2014

The Flash 27

Alternating Currents: The Flash 27, Drew and Scott

Today, Drew and Scott are discussing The Flash 27, originally released January 29th, 2014.

Drew: As a society, we emphasize “truth” above all else — even as we often acknowledge the necessity (or at least convenience) of small lies. We tell lies to beg off of social invitations, or to save face after doing something stupid — I once even made a fake email account just to avoid having to explain a too-complicated truth. These lies are generally pretty transparent, but we feel compelled to maintain the facade because “actually, your band sounded terrible,” just feels cruel. Of course, all of those lies flying around make it possible for people to get a false sense of themselves (or at least a false sense of how interested coworkers are in looking at pictures of their cats), that is, those little lies can become a bigger truth, upon which someones own sense of self might be based. Its those kinds of truths that seem to be in play in The Flash 27, as Barry begins to chip at the finish of his candy-colored world. Continue reading →

Jan 30 2014

Serenity: Leaves on the Wind 1

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Today, Shelby and Patrick are discussing Serenity: Leaves on the Wind 1, originally released January 29th, 2014. 

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Shelby: I recently finished the final book of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned it here before; it’s a fantasy series I have been reading for 20 years, and I just finished the last book after re-reading the whole series. The ending was amazing, I cried like a baby: a hungry, angry baby. It’s not that it was sad, I cried because it was so perfect, and because it was over. This epic saga that I had read for so long was finished; it left a little book-shaped hole in my heart, a hole that not even my Wheel of Time tattoo could fill. Fans of Joss Whedon’s Firefly and subsequent movie Serenity know exactly what I’m talking about. As satisfying as it was to see Malcom Reynold’s ragtag crew of space cowboys aim to misbehave and deliver a crushing blow to the Alliance, there’s always been a little Firefly class-shaped hole in my heart since it’s been over. When I heard there was a new miniseries coming, written by Joss’ brother Zack Whedon, that takes place immediately after the movie, I knew there was no power in the ‘verse could stop me from reading it. Also, obviously, we’ve got major spoilers below, for the series and movie.
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Jan 29 2014

Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 1/22/14

round upLook, there are a lot of comics out there. Too many. We can never hope to have in-depth conversations about all of them. But, we sure can round up some of the more noteworthy titles we didn’t get around to from the week. Today, Drew and Patrick discuss Batwoman 27, Batman and Two-Face 27, Justice League 27, Avengers 25, Indestructible Hulk 18.INH, George Romero’s Empire of the Dead Act One 1, and All-New Invaders 1.

slim-banner4Drew: History is complicated. That’s not exactly the message of Mark Andreyko’s Batwoman 27, but it might as well be. His run, with it’s abrupt start after an aborted arc by the previous writers, was always going to have a complex relationship with the series, which he sets to address directly in this issue. Only, he addresses it in a dream sequence, so not only is it not clear what is memory and what is dream, but he doesn’t do much besides show it to us. We see Bane reciting lines from that previous arc, but it comes alongside talking rabbit skeletons. More distressingly, we see Colonel Kane expressing profound shame in Kate (“I wish it had been you who was killed”), which flies in direct opposition to Greg Rucka’s version of her coming out story. Is that a nightmare fantasy, or an accurate memory (or somewhere in between)? This series has never truly addressed its pre-New 52 history (which we might have assumed meant it hadn’t changed), but this at least suggests that we might not actually know anything about Kate’s past. Continue reading →

Jan 29 2014

Wonder Woman 27

wonder woman 27

Today, Scott and Patrick are discussing Wonder Woman 27, originally released January 22nd, 2014.

Scott: What’s a reasonable attention span? Could anyone actually sit through all three hours of The Wolf of Wall Street without their mind wandering at least once? I doubt it. The average time between commercial breaks is seven minutes, and I have trouble staying engaged that long. I’ve been working a lot with preschoolers over the past few months and I can tell you that getting a three year old to stay focused on a task for even one minute is a challenge. It’s just so easy to get distracted by the thought of a snack or going to play outside. Well, much like a three year old’s brain, the hectic world of Wonder Woman is full of distractions, ready to yank you away from that thing that was so interesting just one minute ago. Brian Azzarello keeps things moving at such a pace that you might just forget about the thing you were just…Sorry. I lost my train of thought.
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Jan 29 2014

Black Widow 2

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Today, Shelby and Spencer are discussing Black Widow 2, originally released January 22nd, 2014. 

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Shelby: I have lived alone for a little over 3 years. Like anything, living alone has its pros and cons. I love having space that is completely mine, that I can do anything I want with because I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself. I’m a pretty independent person, and living alone is a part of that. On the other hand, sometimes being alone is just really lonely, and at the end of the day I just want someone else to be around. Even with that loneliness, I prefer living alone; having to share my space with someone all the time seems like a weird idea, now. I almost can’t imagine letting someone in to my life and space like that anymore. For Natasha Romanov, being alone is just a part of the job description, which makes it easy enough to carry into her personal life as well.
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Jan 28 2014

FF 16

ff 16

Today, Ethan and Drew are discussing FF 16, originally released January 22nd, 2013.

Ethan: With the arrival of FF 16 Scott Lang’s campaign to end Doom is itself at an end. Even though Doom was the cause of the crusade, it’s always been more about Scott — this finale is no different. As Scott confronts the mortal enemy of the Fantastic Four and the man who killed his daughter, there’s never going to be a better time to prove who or what the latest incarnation of Ant-Man has become. Unsurprisingly, Matt Fraction and Lee Allred do not disappoint.

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Jan 28 2014

All-New X-Men 22

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Today,  Taylor and Shelby are discussing All-New X-Men 22, originally released January 22, 2014. This issue is part of the Trial of Jean Grey event.

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Taylor: Poor Jean Grey, girl just can’t catch break. When you’re one of the world’s most powerful mutants, it’s hard to lead anything resembling a normal, happy life. There’s always going to be someone who wants to harness your power or someone who wants your help for good or for evil. If that weren’t bad enough, when you wield the powers she does maintaining your everyday life and personal relationships becomes a challenge in and of itself. The ability to read people’s thoughts while maybe useful can also be a burden, for the old axiom “ignorance is bliss” sometimes proves too true. All-New X-Men 22 begins The Trial of Jean Grey, a crossover event with Guardians of the Galaxy, and if this issue is a harbinger of things of things to come, it will be a blast. Not only will we get some great “X-Men in Space” action, but the complex of character of Jean Grey will step into the limelight virtually guaranteeing an entering and emotional ride.

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