if you don't know, now you know- Scream Awards 2010

Yes it is that time again where you and I get to let our voices be heard and pick (before October 19th) from all of those wacky, crazed Spike: Scream Awards covering all that streams through the Popular Arts- be it film, television, animation and yes, comicbooks. 

The 4 categories that we really only care about are:

BEST COMICBOOK ARTIST:  Charlie Adlard- The Walking Dead / Darwyn Cooke- Parker: The Hunter / Fabio Moon- BPRD: 1947, Sugarshock, Daytripper / Frank Quitely- Batman and Robin, Batman / Jill Thompson- Beasts of Burden / JH Williams III- Detective Comics: Batwoman...and the C&D vote goes to..

BEST COMICBOOK WRITER:  Jason Aaron- Scalped, Wolverine: Weapon X / Darwyn Cooke- Parker: The Hunter / Garth Ennis- The Boys / Geoff Johns- Green Lantern, Blackest Night, The Flash Rebirth / Robert Kirkman- Thwe Walking Dead / Mike Mignola- BPRD:1947, Hellboy In Mexico...and the C&D vote goes to..

BEST COMICBOOK MOVIE:  Iron Man 2 / Kick-Ass / The Losers...and the C&D vote goes to..

BEST COMICBOOK or GRAPHIC NOVEL:  Asterios Polyp / Blackest Night / Chew / Parker: The Hunter / Scalped / The Walking Dead...and the C&D vote goes to..

I am looking forward to Geoff Johns coming home on October 19th with two more matching Screams to go with his 2 awards from last year.  Props to Spike for throwing shine toward this once invisible art prior to it being the cool thing to do these days.


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big O

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Chiang is Killing It

One of Brooklyn's finest-- Cliff Chiang-- has been raising the cover art game and definitely taken notice by all of us the last 6 months with all of his brilliant work on what has been the most impressive of the Brightest Day titles- Justice League: Generation Lost.

Chiang's poignant style is as affecting from his rough thumbnails, to clean B&W inks and of course with the insertion of colors on the final product- see all of the stages here.

From looking at that last cover, I couldn't help but think of how the horde of Checkmate pawns resemble a mass of Stormtroopers, that he may have subconsciously drawn in from some recent work he produced for Star Wars Celebration V.  On his blog, Chiang commented how he drew inspiration from 60's Parisian Art Deco, which is so ideal in it's glamorous, yet subtle hues to work as highly effective propaganda for all those poor, deluded Empire enlistees out there.

I love getting to meet some of my fave creators, especially when they are as humble, down to earth and just straight cool-- as was the case when I found his table and got to chat with Cliff at SDCC.  Chiang is in that small group of artists, like say Phil Noto, Cameron Stewart, Chris Samnee and Guillem March that can easily pull readers towards light to very mature places emotionally cause of their dynamic style.

The three limited edition pieces that Chiang created are only available through Acme Archives.  And if you haven't already peeped the amazing cover to Generation Lost #10 on the DCU blog, enjoy!











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big O

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New Gameplay Footage! Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions

Where comiccon last year pulled me back to being a poser (into action figs) again, this year gave me the itch to dust off my dual-shock and reboot my gaming ways.

Between DC Universe Online, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 & Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions having huge showings at SDCC and just being the badass games they are, how could I not?!

Though Marvel hasn't really captivated me to get back into the Spidey books again (I dabbled in the Noir series but have yet to finish it), everything about this Activision-killer app drips of awesomeness.  The concept of playing through four different alternate realities of Spidey-- Spiderman Noir, Ulitmate Spiderman, Amazing Spiderman and Spiderman 2099-- allows for nearly any fan of Spiderman to be engaged and ready to make a run for the shop on September 7th!!

Noticing remnants of the OG Tony Hawk engine in the game trailer takes me back to my first experience playing as Spidey on my old PS2 and it looks like they have only pushed it farther with the more advanced techniques and sophisticated tech at their disposal.

Love that you can play as Symbiote Spidey while kicking Deadpool's annoying ass and flip into other unlockable suits like Cosmic-Spidey, Iron Spider, Scarlet Spidey and more.  So funny how I just thought of this being a dood version of Barbie dress-up..okay not so funny.

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big O

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Mixed Plate Comics- Week of 8.25.2010

With the official word at the shops on Comicbook Wednesday becoming Comicbook Tuesday starting sometime next year, gives us an additional day to rev books-- I was thinking, hmm.. I suppose my weekly reviews won't be out on Thursday--well even though I am usually late.  Hence the change in the column to simply- Mixed Plate Comics.

So there you go and here are the lucky books that I swooped on:  Justice League Generation Lost #8 / Action Comics #892 / Black Widow #5 / Astonishing X-Men #35 / Gotham City Sirens #15 / The Avengers #4 / Batman #702 / Fantastic Four  #582 / Time Masters: Vanishing Point #2 / Wonder Woman #602 / Superman: Secret Origin #6  / Superman Batman #75 / Secret Warriors #19

If this is your first time peeping this- we pick the top weekly reads usually 3, but sometimes 5 if there are that many more Wednesday pulls.

5  The Avengers #4  Brian Michael Bendis & John Romita Jr.

To be honest I typed in Gotham City Sirens, glanced one more time at Avengers with the rad future Tony Stark cover and decided to give both books a quick re-read.  As much as I love Bedard's crafty humor, the iconic Bendis/Romita team-up can not be denied in my top 5.

As much as we have seen the dismal future stories- Days of Future Past, Dark Knight Returns, Future Imperfect, Old Man Logan and so on-- Bendis has kept this fresh, original and not just another time-trip tale. 

I so love when creators give props to the legends like Bendis and Romita are doing by bringing back Peter David/George Perez creation- Maestro and as we can expect in any book that just so happens to have, Wolvie and Hulk collide, it's safe to say we will all be seeing more than just some bromance action like right over <-- there.

The perfect serving of action and humor served fresh monthly by this relaunched Avengers title.

4  Astonishing X-Men #35  Warren Elllis & Phil Jimenez

 I hate that this book has ended, but Ellis and Jimenez truly delivered on a finale that gives this title the respectful ending it deserves.  Not only for what was created by the original duo of Cassaday &Whedon but primarily for what Astonishing X-Men has meant to longtime fans of those fab mutants.

The title of Astonishing X-Men is like a promise that guarantees this is where you need to be if you want to read the consummate legacy tales of the X-Men.  Ellis, Bianchi, and Jimenez- thank you for doing your thing and putting your balls on the line following what are now considered the master storytellers of the X-Men (sorry Chris Claremont and John Byrne- but I think even you would agree).

I am and always will be a Emma Frost fan, Armor is a badass second coming of Kitty Pryde (oh yeah even she busted the fast ball special a few times huh?) and what a great way to end the title with the classic animosity between Cyke and Logan.  Astonishing.

3  Black Widow #5  Marjorie Liu & Daniel Acuna

The opening salvo of Black Widow has been fab and gotta love how many different ways Liu and Acuna kept us trapped in the deadly web of this book.  Effing genius that Natasha actually has some kinda killer STD that she passed off to her lovers...superfly that she got to haze in Lady Bullseye to the supervillian community.. and her link to Wolvie & Buckycap/Avengers..equals a hat-trick of geek gold!

From the teasers on the next creative team to take on the Widow-- Duane Swiercynski and Manuel Garcia and that fly Travel Foreman cover-- I am gonna see how well they continue this book that went from only a random pickup to top 10 title.

2  Action Comics #892  Paul Cornell & Pete Woods

I can't recall Deathstroke vs. Lex Luthor in all of the many iconic matchups I have read and I think to myself why?  Well, I suppose it was so Paul Cornell and Pete Woods can be the first! 

Lex's wit and genius taking on the ultimate tactical strategist was a thing of beauty to see and to connect it with any emotional trigger-- how a Black ring feeds-- kicked booty.  And how does Luthor make Slade realize how pissed he is for what goes down?  Gettin' him in the pocketbook baby!  Cha-ching!

Action Comics, since the badass creative team took over, has been a Top 3 book, only after Green Lantern & any Winick title (whether PG of JLI).  It just seems perfect that Brightest Day has in many ways allowed for so many other characters and scribes/artists to unearth the best of the DCU.  These AC Finch covers even rival some of my fave Ethan Van Sciver works.



1  Justice League Generation Lost #8   Judd Winick & Aaron Lopresti

Much love to Winick for being the only storyteller outside of Giffen & DeMatteis to blow my mind on busting a JLI book that can be taken seriously and in a whim break you down into laughter.

Lopresti is on that level with Guillem March and Adam Hughes on drawing the female anatomy like no other.  Right?!

The team dynamics have really fallen into place and I enjoy how Rocket Red and Fire are the comedy relief-- with Booster being more the leader and Beetle as the up and coming young-gun.

Generation Lost has made both of these cats go from demigods to straight comicbook immortals IMO.  It has to be one of the best things ever to be involved in work that allows for mutual growth as artists and for your audience and peers to see it.


Max Lord is being written and portrayed as well as I can remember any of the top-tier villains have been covered whether it be Luthor, Joker, Darkseid and Sinestro. 




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big O

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Classic Material- Batman: The Lazarus Affair

Been sometime since I looked in the bins and gave due to the classic creators and their stories that have paved the way to make the world of comics what it is today.  So at that, going with legendary scribe Marv Wolfman's timeless tale- The Lazarus Affair-- originally told in Batman issues #332-335.  What makes this story so good?

First off, this is the beginning of the end for the classic duo of Batman and Robin (Dick Grayson).  Along with Dick maturing and beginning to grow out of his sidekick role, Wolfman spices it up by having Talia Al Ghul make her move on Bats-- which wears Robin down even more as the third wheel-- when Bruce allows her to stay with them.

While Talia continues to work Bruce out of his need to have his young ward around, Robin in somewhat of a desperate act- turns to none other than the recently retired Catwoman- to help him make Bats see how he is being manipulated.

Oh how sweet it is!  Sure there is plenty of action, which highly resembles the Bond flicks that were such the rage in the early 80's and of course some undercover detective work- where Bruce and Talia try to figure out who has been siphoning off millions from Wayne Enterprises.  Meanwhile, Selina and Dick are working to figure out the haps on some odd local gang dealings with Lucious Fox's son and are tipped off by King Faraday to meet in in Shanghai for some serious Bat-biz. 

Catwoman slowly begins to show signs that Robin isn't the only one emotionally conflicted on their adventure.  In classic Wolfman fashion, he pours it on thick with the drama and tugs at the emotional shackles he has you locked into. 

After more tussles with mutates and other baddies, everyone ends up getting captured, well except Talia and as some of us may have thought...there is something else sinister going on.  Some voice from behind the scenes continues to tell Talia that there is only death without joining him/her...and soon enough we find out why.  Yes, a Curious Case moment.
Low and behold, the dark force behind everything is a very much alive--the Demon's Head-- Ra's Al Ghul.

 Ra's uses the Lazarus Pit to sway his daughter back to his side and looking like a 20yr old again...ah, sorry Selina!


Though you feel a lot more of the age in this book in the fight scenes and would would make any MMA grappler feel a bit..ahem..indifferent- this book does go out with a bang.

All is well back in the batcave, Selina retains her mysterious single-life, Talia's youth and moral standing is restored though she decides to do her own thang, leaving Robin & Batman back to their bromance status-- free and clear of any women to come between them..for now..

The late Jim Aparo covers are a thing of beauty.  Classic realness yo.  Out!

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big O

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New Gameplay Footage! Marvel vs Capcom 3

Yes, still 8 months away from the rightfully hyped Marvel vs Capcom 3 and I am only more and more convinced that my gaming hours (will be so up on DCUO too when it hits, but Jim Lee- please make it in the Fall!!!) will be only consuming other social activities that I partake in.  In this new game footage released by Marvel this morning-- Doom, Dormammu and a Super Skrull-- show how good it is to be bad.  Poor ole Viewtiful Joe, Chun Li and Chris Redfield didn't really stand a chance...

Yes, we are having fun.

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Mixed Plate Thursday- Week of 8.19.2010

Last Wednesday I found myself leaving Comics Conspiracy with at least 20 books in hand so it all but consumed me to the point that I missed this regular feature--DOH!!  Who here is not reading R.E.B.E.L.S.?!  Oh-em-gee, so I ended up picking up the current Brainiac arc and then found the rest of the issues after the Blackest Night specials in my box...and I just might be picking up the rest of the series (1-10 soon..ugh)  Okay, I am back.  These are the titles that I traded in for dead prez this week:  Power Girl #15 / Secret Avengers #4 / Green Lantern Corps #51 / Brightest Day #8 / Justice Society #42 / Legacies #4 / Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Riley / Wolverine Weapon X  #16

1  Power Girl #15  Judd Winick & Sami Basri  

Like that REBELS rant I went on, PG is another title that I have been telling friends is off the chain.  Funny thing is they all knew already.  Oh I am so slow yeah.  The pace is mad quick cos it's a serious slug-fest between the mysterious, Parasite-look a like- Crash (yeah the name is lame) and miss Starr.

Through the brawl, PG gets all cerebral and concocts her Korean-manservant-technophile into cracking into some government secret files to see what makes this Purple-ruskee tick.

They endup discovering Crash's softspot but little does PG know that this was all a crackpot plan to power-up/test this "weapon" with a heavy hitter.  Ha!!  Bet you thought I was going to throw the spoiler your way huh?!  Good Lord...Basri's art is like optic crack.

2  Secret Avengers #4   Ed Brubaker & Mike Deodato    The much-hyped image of Commander Rogers taking on the power of Nova to help release...Nova from the possession of the Thorned Crown was kinda anti-climactic.  But as usual, the Brubaker/Deodato combo brings the pain on those panels with the odd squad of Beast, Valkyrie, Sharon, Ant-Man, Moon Knight, War-Machine and Black Widow in every way-- to more than make up for that meh moment.  

Ant-Man coming up clutch was raw, especially with everyone not believing he had anything to do with the win.  Build-up for the next arc with the Shadow Council and Nick Fury is looking sweet, just a shame that we only have 2 more issues of the Brubaker/Eaglesham Super-Soldier mini.  Ah bummahs!!
 

3  Green Lantern Corps #52   Tony Bedard & Adrian Syaf

It was real crafty how they created an angle for Cyborg-Supes to comeback and not only continue his terror on the GLC, but to incorporate the Alpha Lanterns and further entrench his villainy with the Corps as Alpha Prime. 

Rather than the standard ring-slinging brawls which are dope, don't get it twisted-- Bedard goes more sick and twisted by having Alpha Prime force Ganthet to bring the Alpha Corps back from their mechanical life-- which is a plot to have himself restored to humanity (yeah, wasn't this the guy that just wanted to die back in Sinestro Corps War?) Syaf is no Pasarin, but he is developing better fleshed out pages and hopefully he will tap into more and more of that talent.  Stewart is getting some long, overdue shine with Gardner, Ganthet and Kilowog in their own book (Emerald Warriors is pretty badass) and how about blessing us with some more Arisia??



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big O

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Cornell is Killing It

For all of you that regularly check in with the C&D camp --mahalo!!-- and you know how hard I am jocking Paul Cornell (with David Finch on covers and Pete Woods on interiors) in his utterly fab-fresh tale in Action Comics.  Cornell explores how Lex Luthor is going through Avarice withdrawals from Blackest Night and starts a new quest for a Black Ring.

Thanks to DC Source, we not only get an early look (coming out next week) at the jaw-dropping Finch exterior art, but also some preview pages that picks up where Lex, Lois-bot, Deathstroke and his other minions left off from the last ish, in Antarctica.

Woods continues climbing the ranks of my top interior artists and Cornell solidifies his masterful scribe-work and is up there with Judd Winick, Ed Brubaker & Geoff Johns as the creme ala creme of fave monthly writers.  Ivan Reis remixes a classic Flash/Superman cover variant and you also get a peek into what Jeff Lemire has in store for Superboy in his upcoming monthly.  Get it, get it!!! 

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big O

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I HAVE THE POWER!

Somewhere along the line, while HE-MAN, the animated series/half-hour toy commercial was at its peak, some enterprising, self-proclaimed studio genius must have said, "Dolph Lundgren! He'd be a perfect He-Man!" The error lay, of course, in not realizing the differences between the two: one is a lifeless, two-dimensional caricature of masculinity; the other is a cartoon character.

So instead of a faithful adaption of the cartoon series, the producers offered this stripped-down rendition (scaled back, one would suppose, to accommodate the thespian abilities of its star). Lundgren -- blond, brawny and with a set of pecs that would give Dolly Parton pause -- plays the superhero locked in an eternal, epic battle with Skeletor, a power-crazed super villain played by scenery-shredding "superham" Frank Langella. They move through the story, such as it is, as statically as their counterparts in the afternoon kiddie cartoon.

Langella, (made up to look like Jack Palance with leprosy), aims to take over the planet Eternia, a war-torn paradise ruled by the Sorceress of Greyskull Castle ("St. Elsewhere's" Christina Pickles, wearing what appears to be a chandelier on her head), but her champion He-Man opposes him with his mighty sword. The titanic battle is brought to Earth when a brilliantly grating little troll (Billy Barty) magically transports them to Colby, Calif., via his Cosmic Key.

Actually they were headed for another planet, but a stray power bolt (or perhaps a chintzy producer) altered their orbit. Why build an out-of-this-world set when you can just go down to the mall and shoot off sparklers? So Earth waitress Courtney Cox and her boyfriend Robert Duncan Mitchell are drawn into the otherworldly warfare when they happen to find the key, mistaking it for some sort of Japanese stereo speaker.

Director Gary Goddard had previously created mythical kingdoms for Universal Studios -- "Kong on the Loose" and "Conan." And let's just say he hadn't quite made the leap from tourist traps to feature films. The actors are basically on their own -- either hamming it up behind a mask ( Langella), or nearly numb (Lundgren). It sounds as if the Scandinavian-born muscleman had been studying under Stallone's diction coach, but he has a sort-of-sweet, shining charisma, grinning and glistening, wearing thongs and things and accentuating his funkiness with plenty of grease. (It takes a lot of Wesson Oil to make a movie like Masters of the Universe.) Goddard later went on to direct the live action segments for the Terminator 3-D ride.

Over the years, Hollywood keeps threatening to remake He-Man or collect royalties from Showtime Beyond. Please do us a favor, stop! I rather see Mowgli and the Jungle Book come back to life.

Currently airing this month: Showtime Beyond

08/19/10 at 6:15 AM
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