Oct 14 2013

Thor: God of Thunder 14

thor 14

Today, Ethan and Shelby are discussing Thor: God of Thunder 13, originally released October 9th, 2013.

Ethan: If you’re like most people, when someone asks you what type of music you prefer, you reply “oh, most kinds” or “I’m not picky” or “pretty much anything except [insert genre name].” That said, no matter how coy you are about your favorites, when you find a band that really grabs you, that buzzes to your bones in just the right way – a way that feels a little bit like it must be unique, like it was kinda-sorta written for you specifically – it’s a wonderful thing. So for at least one tour cycle you’re set, maybe you see them live, maybe you wait after the show to get some autographs, and you hear the music in your sleep. But when the interval ends, when the band goes off the grid to put together their next album, there’s room for trepidation. What if their new songs don’t have that special texture that the old ones do? What if they sound EXACTLY the same and there’s no new magic? Well, as far as I’m concerned, Jason Aaron is facing off with a very similar situation in Thor: God of Thunder #14. His first God-Bomb arc knocked it out of the park with great big ideas like faith and deity, and the current question is whether or not he can do it again using dwarves, elves, and goats. Continue reading →

Oct 14 2013

Astro City 5

astro city 5Today, Spencer and Greg are discussing Astro City 5, originally released October 9th, 2013.

Spencer: Astro City contains a world of superheroes, supervillains, and their exploits that, if properly explored, could probably fill a line of books as large as DC or Marvel’s. Instead, though, it mainly uses that world as a backdrop to explore the little people, the ordinary citizens whose lives are affected and changed by the actions of Astro City’s super-powered residents. It’s a fascinating and often heartwarming approach that doesn’t really need any justification, but in Issue 5, writer Kurt Busiek provides one anyway through the actions of The Broken Man and his silent war against the Oubor. Turns out the most important character in the world of Astro City may just be the reader—you, me, and everyone else who bought this book. Continue reading →

Oct 13 2013

ComicConPunch: NYCC Day Three

nycc 3Love them or hate them, conventions have become the industry standard for fan-engagement and giant announcements. Of course, very few fans can make it to any one con. Fortunately, Retcon Punch is there when you can’t be with our exclusive con coverage, ComicConPunch.

Patrick: Okay, okay, okay — let’s get over our second-day con grumpies. We hit up the Artists’ Alley first thing, and this time, with no agenda. I actually stopped to listen to some random pitches — a comic that staged 80s rock songs, a webcomic about moon convention, a series about a noir rhinoceros. There’s a lot of energy and creativity that floats around at this thing that has nothing to do with the big publishers, and when we walk around the con with stars in our eyes, I have a tendency to forget that. Continue reading →

Oct 12 2013

ComicConPunch: NYCC Day Two

nycc 2Love them or hate them, conventions have become the industry standard for fan-engagement and giant announcements. Of course, very few fans can make it to any one con. Fortunately, Retcon Punch is there when you can’t be with our exclusive con coverage, ComicConPunch.

Drew: Day two of the NYCC, and the size of this event is starting to sink in. Patrick and I were both overwhelmed by the size of the Javits Center on Thursday, but Friday was when the fans started showing up in earnest, and it was crowded. There were very suddenly lines for events, lines for autographs, lines to use the bathroom (for girls, anyway), which meant we needed to invest significantly more time waiting to do things. It’s absolutely unavoidable for an event this size, but it made me question the utility of having events this size. Continue reading →

Oct 11 2013

ComicConPunch: NYCC Day One

nycc 1Love them or hate them, conventions have become the industry standard for fan-engagement and giant announcements. Of course, very few fans can make it to any one con. Fortunately, Retcon Punch is there when you can’t be with our exclusive con coverage, ComicConPunch.

Drew: Our coverage got off to a casual start with the Deadpool Signing & Drink-Up at the near(ish)by Landsdowne, where we spoke individually with writers Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan, and artist Declan Shalvey, all of whom were incredibly gracious. I was particularly excited to talk about the “BAMF SNIKT silence” sequence I raved about in issue 18. Shalvey hadn’t seen a lettered copy of that issue, so actually grabbed our copy and started flipping through it, explaining why he prefers widescreen panels, and expressing excitement that his colorist (and girlfriend) Jordie Bellaire elevated the art in that issue. It was a treat for us to get those insights — Patrick, I believe you called it a “dream come true”?

Patrick and Declan Shalvey

Continue reading →

Oct 11 2013

Red Sonja 4

red sonja 4

Today, Shelby and Patrick are discussing Red Sonja 4, originally released October 9th, 2013.

Shelby: There was a period of time when I used to run on a pretty regular basis. When you’re doing a race, or even just going for a long morning run, there’s comes a point when your brain starts to tell you your body can’t do it any more. Now, brains are great, but sometimes they’re all full of nonsense; they’ll try to trick you to stop doing something that’s hard. There’s a fine line to walk, however, between ignoring your brain’s advice and ignoring your body’s. Once your body starts telling you it really can’t do any more, that’s the point you need to start paying attention, before you seriously hurt yourself. Of course, if your body is telling you it can’t go on because it’s riddled with the plague and you’re going to die anyway, it doesn’t really matter if you over-exert.
Continue reading →

Oct 11 2013

Superman/Wonder Woman 1

superman wonder woman 1

Today, Mikyzptlk and Taylor are discussing Superman/Wonder Woman 1, originally released October 11th, 2013

Mikyzptlk: Superman and Wonder Woman have been an item for a little while now. I was as surprised as anyone to hear the news about their romantic union, and I was a bit worried as well. For whatever reason, the news just didn’t sit right with me, and I felt I needed some convincing as to whether these two characters were right for each other. Although Wondy and Supes have been seen together in a handful of stories since they’ve started shacking up, I still haven’t been convinced as to why these two characters would want to be with one another, besides the fact that they are both super strong and super hot. Superman/Wonder Woman is primed and ready to explore the relationship of these two iconic characters, and while I still may not be convinced that they should be together, the first issue of this series does a good job at making me consider the merits of their entanglement. Continue reading →

Oct 11 2013

Infinity 4

infinity 4-INFINITYToday, Spencer and Ethan are discussing Infinity 4, originally released October 9th, 2013. This issue is part of the Infinity crossover event. Click here for complete Infinity coverage.

infinity divider

Spencer: As children, most of us swear we won’t grow up to be our parents. Maybe we just hate the way they nag us, or maybe there’s a more serious fault of theirs we’re trying to avoid; either way, while it’s possible to avoid our parents’ faults, more often than not we end up repeating those exact same mistakes we once declared we’d never make. Poor Thane—the half-Inhuman son of Thanos—has more reason than most to endeavor to never become his father, but unfortunately, it turns out he may be more like the Mad Titan than he ever feared. Continue reading →

Oct 11 2013

Rocket Girl 1

rocket girl 1

Today, Patrick and Shelby are discussing Rocket Girl 1, originally released October 9th, 2013.

Patrick: The first weekend I ever owned an iPhone, my friends I tried to see James Bond: Quantum of Solace at a movie theatre in downtown Chicago. We had driven, which was atypical for us at the time – we were very train-reliant when we lived in Chicago. But on this particular evening we had a car. Much to our dismay, the movie was sold out. That’s when I, armed with my shiny new phone , found another theatre that was playing the flick, bought us tickets and got directions to this new theatre. The night’s revised plans were a rousing success, due in no small part to wicked piece of sorcery in my pocket. I boldly declared then that we were Living In The Future. Of course, this was over five years ago now, and the ability to access that kind of future tech is commonplace — and much of the software and hardware I was using on that night would seems repulsively slow and awkward to me now. But I love this idea that the present is just  our past’s future. Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder leverage this idea to present us with an insane alternate future… set in 2013. Continue reading →

Oct 10 2013

Deadpool 18

deadpool 18

Today, Drew and Scott are discussing Deadpool 18, originally released October 9th, 2013.

Drew: Color theory has always had an interesting relationship with superhero comics. To make the heroes stand out on the printed page, they were put in bright, primary colors. That practicality had a counterpart in the way the characters were written — with equally clear ideals (think “truth, justice, and the American way”). Those ideals (like the colors) can be mixed in ever more complex ways, covering all of the possible hues, but as any colorist can tell you: hue is only one dimension of color theory. Another is saturation, or the opacity of a color. Deadpool, with its knack for fourth-wall breaking, has long had a lot of play with this kind of figurative saturation, as Wade regularly peels the curtain back to comment on the absurdities of the world he inhabits. Desaturating Wade has always revealed a bright, zany world — even when disembowling presidents, the tone was always incredibly upbeat — but as writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn move further into their “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” arc, they’ve revealed an increasing interest in the third dimension of color theory: value, or darkness. The result is a surprisingly rich comic, made up of all of the colors of the real world. Continue reading →