Category Mike Logsdon

Jun 18 2013

Green Lantern Corps 21

green lantern corps 21

Today, Patrick and Mikyzptlk are discussing Green Lantern Corps 21, originally released June 11th, 2013.

Patrick: Any comic series you’re going to read from the Big Two publishers is going to be something of a Frankenstein monster. In an editor-driven system, even the most auteur creators have to construct their stories by committee. And that’s great: there’s no way a single mind would have the time or patience to construct all these stories on their own. Plus, collaboration yields kick-ass art, and the one-man comic creation is the incredibly rare exception. The latest incarnation of Green Lantern Corps has a tall family tree, with prestigious branches like Peter Tomasi and Alan Moore, but it also has a confusing mishmash of fathers — after Josh Fialkov walked off the series, Green Lantern writer Robert Venditti (he’s credited as “co-pilot”) constructed a story  for which Van Jensen wrote the script. It’s no wonder that first issue for the new creative team is a jumble of interesting ideas and characters, impossibly focused on both embracing and escaping the past. It’s a mess, but sort of a charming one. Continue reading →

Jun 18 2013

Chat Cave: Man of Steel

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Between the commercial success of a near-constant stream of Marvel Studios Avengers movies and the critical success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, there are impossible expectations for Man of Steel. Expectations like reigniting the public’s love for Superman; expectations like launching a blockbuster film franchise; expectations like being any good in its own right. Zach Snyder’s Superman slug-fest has a lot to accomplish. Does it achieve any of that? Welcome to the Chat Cave.

Drew: Like many comics fans, I was incredibly excited by the teaser trailer for this movie. In spite of the trailer’s own prominent reminder that Zach Snyder directed both Watchmen and 300, it felt like this movie got Superman. Indeed, the trailer trades in Snyder’s standard embarrassing music cues and slow-motion punches for meditative statements about Superman’s power as a symbol. Between story credits by Dark Knight Trilogy scribe David S. Goyer and director  Christopher Nolan, I dared hope that Man of Steel might be to Superman what The Dark Knight films were to Batman: an operatic drama that understands the defining nature of the hero.

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Jun 14 2013

Suicide Squad 21

suicide squad 21

Today, Mikyzptlk and Shelby are discussing Suicide Squad 21, originally released June 12th, 2013.

Mikyzptlk: Ales Kot completely blew me away with issue 20 of Suicide Squad, giving fans of the original series a taste of what made it so great, while completely reinvigorating the New 52 version of the book. With issue 21, Mr. Kot has blown me away again (along with a few security guards) and has delivered another absolutely thrilling entry. Best of all, Kot manages to continue his course correction of the character Harley Quinn by brilliantly using her to fix yet another troubled character of the New 52: Amanda Waller.

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Jun 13 2013

Guardians of the Galaxy: Infinite Comics 1-4

guardians infinite 1-4Today, Patrick, Shelby, Mikyzptlk and Drew are discussing Guardians of the Galaxy: Infinite Comics 1-4, originally released March 6th, March 20th, April 10th and May 1st, 2013. 

Patrick: Marvel Studios makes no great secret of their film plans. We already know that a Guardians of the Galaxy movie is to be released in 2014 as part of their second phase of Avengers movies. Unlike Thor or Hulk or Iron Man, regular movie goers have absolutely no idea who these “Guardians” are, and — truth be told — I could use the introduction as well. Enter: Guardians of the Galaxy: Infinite Comic, a series of free digital comics that will introduce the four non-human members of the team.

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Jun 12 2013

Chat Cave: September is Villains Month

DC has staked their claim on the month of September. Two years ago saw the relaunch of the entire publishing line, and last year saw special “zero” issues for every series. This year, DC is releasing 52 issues featuring villains, old and new, from the DC Universe. There’s no one-for-one correspondence to existing series, and DC hasn’t been the most forthcoming with information about what exactly they’re putting out. There’s a lot to sort through here and no easy answers for what’s going to be worth our time and money. Welcome to the Chat Cave.
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Jun 11 2013

Green Arrow 21

green arrow 21

Today, Mikyzptlk and Patrick are discussing Green Arrow 21, originally released June 5th, 2013.

Mikyzptlk:  Jeff Lemire is easily one of the best creators involved with The New 52. He relaunched Animal Man, one of my all-time favorites; produced the surprisingly entertaining (and undoubtedly wacky) Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.; and reinvigorated the perfectly premised, if originally a little lacking, Justice League Dark. He’s also reinvigorated Green Arrow, and has managed to turn the troubled series into something worthy of the top of anyone’s reading list. Jeff Lemire knows how to tell a story, his comics are character-driven, fun, and exciting as hell. The same can be said of his Green Arrow series, and even this issue. Here’s the thing though, there’s a problem. The thing about the thing, though? The problem may be entirely my own. Continue reading →

Jun 7 2013

All-New X-Men 12

all new x-men 12

Today,  Shelby and Mikyzptlk are discussing All-New X-Men 12, originally released June 5th, 2013.

Shelby: Making a mistake is a simple matter. Whether it’s your fault or not, when you make a mistake you acknowledge the error, fix it as best you can, and apologize. Provided you’re not a total asshole, of course. Nothing is ever so simple in ComicBookWorldLand, though; when you can be suddenly possessed by some sort of malevolent cosmic entity, that adds a lot of layers to the idea of mistakes and culpability. Things can get really complicated really quickly, and if there’s anyone who isn’t going to understand a nuanced situation, it’s going to be a bunch of teenagers.

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Jun 5 2013

Aquaman 20

aquaman 20

Today, Shelby and Mikyzptlk are discussing Aquaman 20, originally released May 29th, 2013.

Shelby: An interlude is a mini bit of music, inserted in the middle of a larger musical composition. Like an intermission, except you don’t get to go to the lobby to stretch your legs and stand in the bathroom line for 15 minutes. If we’re talking a theatrical interlude, it’s a little play squished between acts of a bigger play; why we wouldn’t just keep watching the regular play, I couldn’t tell you. I may not see the necessity of an interlude as a member of the audience, but sometimes the entertainers just need a 15 minute breather, and I guess providing some sort of filler entertainment is considerate. But if you’re going to stop the action for something completely different that isn’t especially good, don’t be surprised if I walk out before the second act.
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Jun 4 2013

A + X 8

a+x 8

Today, Scott and Mikyzptlk are discussing A + X 8, originally released May 22nd, 2013.

Scott: Some would describe A + X as “fluff”, but that’s not entirely fair. These ten-page stories featuring one Avenger and one X-Man teaming up have no choice but to get to the very root of what the characters are all about. It’s fun for comic nerds because it shows how these characters, who wouldn’t normally be paired together, are able to compliment each other. It’s also great for new readers, looking for a quick way to familiarize themselves with several characters and decide whether they want to pick up their titles. Sure, A + X is just for fun and has no bearing on any other stories, but it provides a surprisingly good summary of Marvel’s characters.

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May 30 2013

Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual 1

red hood annual

Today, Mikyzptlk and Patrick are discussing Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual 1, originally released May 29th, 2013. 

Mikyzptlk: Our past is a part of who we are. Often enough, it can be something that defines us if we let it. Now, that can either be a good or a bad thing depending on who you are. The last few issues of Red Hood and the Outlaws have focussed on Jason erasing his own past from his memories in an attempt to start fresh. Things haven’t gone as smoothly for Jason as he had hoped it seems as he is finding it harder to escape his past than he thought. Jason’s teammates are no strangers to a past they’d rather forget too, and this issue finds everyone looking back, when all they really want to do is look forward. The Annual is definitely another step in the right direction, even if I do have a bone or two to pick. Continue reading →