Look, 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, we discuss Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything 4, Aloha Hawaiian Dick 3, and Bitch Planet 8. Continue reading
Category Taylor Anderson
Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 6/22/16
We try to stay up on what’s going on at Marvel, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of Marvel Comics. Today, we’re discussing Doctor Strange 9, Gwenpool 3, Ms. Marvel 8, Power Man and Iron Fist 5, Rocket Raccoon and Groot 6, and The Ultimates 8.
The Mighty Thor 8
Today, Taylor and Patrick are discussing The Mighty Thor 8, originally released June 22nd, 2016.
Taylor: What exactly makes someone heroic? I know, I know – that’s a trite question when talking about a genre that asks some version of that question virtually every day. Still, I think it’s important. By confronting this question we consider what society counts as good and honorable and whether or not we live our lives according to those standards. This question is thrown around often enough that we tend to take these standards at face value and don’t consider their deeper implications. For example, if you take a stand for something you believe in, most would say that’s heroic. However, if the stand you’re taking is for something reprehensible, is the deed still heroic? The Mighty Thor 8 has your answer.
Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 6/15/16
Look, 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, we discuss Star Wars 20, Descender 12, Jughead 7, Lazarus 22, Lumberjanes 27, The Spire 8 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything 3. Continue reading
Star Wars: Han Solo 1
Today, Michael and Taylor are discussing Star Wars: Han Solo 1, originally released June 15th, 2016.
Taylor: Towards the end of A New Hope, it seems like Han is going to abandon the rebels in their time of need, choosing instead to take his money and run. We all know how the rest of the movie plays out, but what we don’t know is how and why he endears himself to the rebels thereafter. By the time we see Han again in the Empire Strikes Back, he’s a general, and it’s clear he has both the admiration and trust of everyone in the rebellion. But how did this happen? How does Han go from a gallant rogue to a respected general? Why does he join the rebellion instead of paying off the price on his head? Issue one of the Han Solo miniseries has the answers.
Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 6/15/16
We try to stay up on what’s going on at Marvel, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of Marvel Comics. Today, we’re discussing All-New Inhumans 8, Amazing Spider-Man 14, Astonishing Ant-Man 9, Black Widow 4, Civil War II 2, Deadpool 14, and Uncanny Inhumans 10.
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Wonder Woman: Rebirth 1
Today, Mark and Taylor are discussing Wonder Woman: Rebirth 1, originally released June 8th, 2016.
Mark: Who is Wonder Woman? What defines her?
Of DC’s key Trinity, Wonder Woman is the character most in need of a Rebirth. The New 52 Batman was able to essentially cruise along same as he ever was (which, of course he did – he’s Batman), and while some of us yearned for New 52 Superman to be more like his pre-Flashpoint counterpart there’s no argument either icon suffered as hard or as long at the hands of ineffectual creative decisions as Wonder Woman. This isn’t dismissing Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang’s run on the book, but Meredith and David Finch’s Wonder Woman was, frankly, awful – almost immediately and so poisoned the water that DC needed to dig a whole new well. Like so many New 52 books, Wonder Woman went out of this world with a sad, wet fart. Continue reading
Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 6/8/16
Look, 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, we discuss Star Wars: Poe Dameron 3, Black Canary 12, 4001 A.D. Bloodshot 1, The Fix 3, House of Penance 3, Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy 1, Merry Men 1, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything 2, Weavers 2, and The Wicked + The Divine 20. Continue reading
Darth Vader 21
Today, Taylor and Patrick are discussing Darth Vader 21, originally released June 8th, 2015.
Taylor: One of the things film geeks have come to appreciate about Episode IV is the way George Lucas incorporated techniques pioneered by Japanese director and genius Akira Kurosawa into his movie. In particular, Lucas draws from Kurosawa’s most famous film, the Seven Samurai, which was eventually remade for American audiences as the Magnificent Seven. That Star Wars would be so closely related to a film about cowboys shouldn’t come as a surprise. In many ways, Luke and Han are heroic space cowboys fighting the their way across the open plains of the universe, battling against those who would oppress their freedom. Darth Vader 21 returns Star Wars to this western and in so doing cleverly inverts my assumptions about the motif in fun and new ways.
All-New Wolverine 9
Today,Taylor and Spencer are discussing All-New Wolverine 9, originally released June 1st, 2015.
Taylor: In middle school I was a wallflower. I would go to dances with the hopes of dancing with a girl only to find myself retreating to the sidelines once the first few bars of a slow song wafted their way across the gym. By doing so I guaranteed my safety, even though that also guaranteed my mission to dance with a girl would fail. There was, and continues to be, safety in fading into the background. There, you aren’t the focus of attention, you can be overlooked, and most importantly, you’re just part of a larger tapestry. But that doesn’t mean you’re any less important than those people on the dance floor; you’re just different. The same can be said for comics, where background, while often overlooked, is an integral part of the art, as All-New Wolverine 9 demonstrates.
Retcon Punch 