Tag: comic books

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 5-22-24 & 5-29-24)

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Bruce

So as you might have read, I was out last week at the grand and glorious Geocaching event known as GeoWoodstock. Visiting Flagstaff Arizona, the Grand Canyon, Route 66, and a little time in Las Vegas. Keeping that in mind I was not home to pick up my comics and arrived at Comic Carnival Wednesday to get two week’s worth of books.

As we now get into Con season I find it amazing the number and variety of conventions going on during what I like to call the “Off Season” for teachers. This weekend I’m heading to WonderFest to check out the hobby of model making. I’m looking at this in a similar way that I looked at “PowerCon” last year. I want to take a day and see what it’s all about. I’ll get into more detail when I write up my experience next week.

Then we have the weekend in which EVERYTHING is happening, (June 14-16) making it impossible to do it all. There’s Brickworld Chicago, the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF), Heroes Con, and MINIs on Top just to name a few things I would like to attend.

Brickworld is a four day conventions for LEGO fans in which the first two days are exclusively for that group to learn about new techniques, play games, talk and celebrate the brick. Saturday and Sunday are open to the public to see some amazing displays of work. I’m always impressed and feel that I have a long way to go to get to the level of most of the builds there. I will not be attending this year.

A2CAF or the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival is an amazing get together put on by the local library system to celebrate comics. It was originally called Kids Read Comics and focuses on all ages books and creators. If you are a parent, or a teacher (or both) and want to learn about comics for kids, meet up and coming artists, and get ideas for activities to do in your classroom this is the place to be. Did I mention it’s free? I highly recommend it although since I have retired I will not be attending it either.

Heroes Con is a comic book convention held in Charlotte, NC and is different than a lot of “Comic Cons” in the fact that they seem to 😳focus on comic books and not pop culture. So instead of a long list of stars attending and most of the effort going to the famous faces of TV and film, they focus on the creators of comics. I’ve never attended, but the list of attendees makes my wallet cry out in pain. I will be attending for the first time this year and will write it up when I return. I’m already planning on getting some artwork from some of my favorite artists (I’m on the commission list for Tony Harris!!! 😁)

MINIs on Top is one of the big MINI Cooper events in the Northeast. I had completely forgotten about it until over GeoWoodstock and friend reminded me and asked if I was going. Like MINIs on the Dragon, this is an event for MINI enthusiasts to get together, socialize and drive their MINI on some really cool roads. In this case it is up to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. While I would like to go, but this year with MINI Takes The States and everything else going on that weekend, I’m just not able to attend. It is on my list to look at next year.

This Week’s (and Last Week’s) Comics:

Man’s Best #2 – Athos & Porthos are still searching for their master on an alien world and come across some trippy lifeforms that well, made me a little hungry. If they can rescue Lovey from the other really weird aliens they can set off and resume their quest.

Star Trek Defiant #15 – Will the crew of the Defiant be able to escape Starbase 99 alive and in control of their minds? What about Spock? What about Belanna? What does Seal have to do with all this?

Rogue Sun #19 – Interesting issue… Since Rogue sun is kind of like a Firestorm character in which the body who is in charge of Rogue Sun, communicates with the spirit of the last Rogue Sun they did a really cool thing in this issue. Half of it is from the point of view of the spirit and the other half is from the point of view of the teenager who is currently Rogue Sun. Interesting way of seeing both points of view.

Undiscovered Country #29 – So our main characters have discovered that all the work to provide food in the bounty district is a sham since the train to deliver the food just ends up plummeting into a chasm. They find out who knew about it and now must escape a death sentence… can they?

Spider-Boy #7 – The conclusion to Bailey’s arc dealing with his origin and Madame Monstrosity! Will Bailey escape (hmm… interesting that a number of issues as Summer begins deal with escape) and save his friends and everyone else held campitive on the farm? Who will come to his rescue? Bailey realizes his true power in the Marvel universe.

Ultimate Spider-Man #5 – The story of Harry Osborne and how he got to the position he currently is in. Nice to see a different point of view in this world, making it even more like the storytelling from the original Ultimate Comics.

Primer #3 – So we finally get to the point in the origin that brings us back to the exciting beginning where Primer saves a crashing plane. We also get introduced to our real villain, and the Night Nights scourge of children’s bedtimes… Yes, if they want to keep going, they really need a better name.

The Flash # 9 – We move along with some more secrets uncovered as the speedsters try to figure out why the world (Amanda Waller especially) has it in for them.

Detective Comics # 1085 – Oh boy… Batman gets together with members of his rogues gallery to stop the Orgham’s continued domination of Gotham City… will it work? Will someone take this opportunity to do something nefarious? Did Batman learn anything while wandering for a few issues in the desert after being hung?

Superman #14 – Oh boy… So Lobo and Superman battle while Brainiac’s plan comes to fruition. What was Brainiac planning? Can anyone stop him?

The Amazing Spider-Man #50 – Peter doesn’t seem to be a naive as he leads on as he goes against the Green Goblin… Yes, the Green Goblin- it’s on the cover so it must be true. Being the 50th issue (Legacy numbering 944) there are some nice side stories that are like the end credits in a Marvel film, meaning read to the end to find out more about what is coming up. I especially liked “Time To Make The Doughnuts.”

Titans #11 – Really?!? Circ-En-Arrh? Batman really knows how to mess around with his sidekicks. Then again Amanda Waller sends a brainwashed Titan Amazo after the group… can they survive? Will Raven be uncovered? Does Nightwing know something, and will he survive long enough to reveal what he has figured out (or what Circ-En-Arrh figured out)?

Alan Scott Green Lantern #6 – The conclusion to this series brings about Alan Scott finally coming to terms with who he is both in the present and in the past. Nice conclusion to this story.

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 5-15-24) and traveling with the Monkey

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Bruce

So last weekend we headed to Mansfield, Ohio to go prison. What does this have to do with comics? Not much, but it does have something to with environment and images. You see one of the MINI groups we run with planned a tour of the Ohio State Reformatory. This is the same group that had tour of the Randolph County Asylum, hmmm… coincidence?

Why the Ohio State Reformatory? It was the location for the film “The Shawshank Redemption.” It’s an impressive building from the outside and a work in progress on the inside. Sue and I spent the night before in Mansfield and did some geocaching and adventure labbing. There is an Adventure Lab that takes you to many of the locations used in the film which was cool. It seems that thanks to “Hollywood Magic” Mansfield took the place of Maine with almost every scene being shot there except the final scene on the beach… which was done using primitive AI technology 🤪 (it wasn’t, they actually went to the U.S. Virgin Islands).

I understand the importance of drawing from real life and one of those things I always find frustrating is trying to do that with a group of people wanting to move onto the next spot. or trying to draw while also trying to learn about the place from the tour guide. So I take some photos and maybe use them as inspiration when needed. So far I haven’t needed, but someday I might.

Cecil came along (of course) and since this is a newish group of people I got to explain the monkey all over again. My usual response is “I’m an old elementary school teacher, and this is my class mascot. I take him places and my students like to see where he’s been.” As you get know me, you know he’s a lot more than that. Besides being a character in this comic (when I actually draw the comic) you learn he’s my extroverted personality. He does all the silly things, I don’t do. He’s my excuse to come up to complete strangers and ask for a photo. He’s an icebreaker for when I’m too shy to talk to someone. He’s an alter ego… with a big ego. I have friends, not because of me, but specifically because of the monkey.

I just remember being at a MINI event and someone was coveting the exclusive MINIon badge that each person in the group I drove with had. They met someone from the group and when they found out I was involved asked I was still carrying around that stupid monkey. I found out about it. When they came up to me and asked if they could get a badge, because they had heard I was the guy to talk to (I am the guy to talk to), I replied that being MINIon 4238 I was so far down the line, I had nothing to do with it. They needed to talk to someone with a lower MINIon number. Don’t ever disrespect the monkey.

This Week’s Comics:

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #20 – One of those “filler issues” that I actually like. It gives you a chance to build up characters and relationships without much chaos. Of course there is some chaos, but still and nice art walk with friends and “Shift” stats to gain a bigger role, which is nice. Of course we have to end the whole thing with Vampires since that is the summer mega event. 🙄

Action Comics #1065 (House of Brainiac 3) – we’ve got Lobo, Superman, the whole Super Family against Brainiac and a special guest appearance by the Space Cabbie! It seems that Brainiac has a city collection more vast that we first thought and this will play into future issues (next in Superman #14).

Batman and Robin # 9 – Batman captured by Man-Bat and Robin still trying to figure things out… and finally doing it. getting the Principal to snap (I think it really had to do with low test scores and not getting teacher evaluations done on time) and the identity of “Shush.” So now Gotham is about to be “saved” in some weird psychotic way by Man-Bat. Let’s see- No Zur En Arrh, no Orghams, it’s interesting to try and figure out when in Batman’s timeline all these stories are taking place. It’s a comic, it really doesn’t matter.

Dark Ride #12 – It looks like the conclusion. Who will end up controlling Devil Land? Who lives? Who dies? It has been an interesting ride as we see the story behind Satanic Disneyland.

Fishflies #6 – Yes! a history lesson and we finally learn why a giant bug is running around the county and what his purpose is. I like the way the flashback was done monochromatically. How will the news at the end impact the story?

U & I # 4 of 6 – So the bad guts go after U. Can Isabelle save him? I frankly have sadistically enjoyed the trouble Isabelle’s uncle has gotten himself into- Karma is beautiful. Unfortunately, it might not work out well for U & I in the end, but we have two issues to get there.

The Displaced #4 – It’s been months since the small town of (weird, I don’t remember it’s name) disappeared from the map and memories of everyone in the world, except those who escaped it. Those folks now are forgotten the minute they leave your sight. This has lead to some interesting ways to dealing with life- rob someone, and they don’t remember it, check into a hotel, and they don’t remember you did and give the room to someone else. Now it’s starting to wear on everyone… the way to escape? leave everyone, and go off on your own… although it looks painful, you then disappear too. Where do you go? I think many hope they return to the friends and family they lost when the town vanished.

It’s interesting, when I read this comic I go back and think of how people come in and out of our lives. Sometimes you forget them, others you don’t. I feel bad, because I’m one of those teachers who, try as I might, can’t remember all of my students. After 35 years, 3 schools, and thousands of kids, my memory is faulty. Having taught elementary school doesn’t help, because kids age and change (I think it’s called puberty) which doesn’t help. Worse yet is 20 minutes after a former student leaves, sad that I don’t recall their humorous exploits, I remember everything, and feel even worse. What’s also sad are the number of kids (now adults) who come up and tell me they were “bad kids.” In 35 years I’ve only had a handful of kids who were “bad” and most of them it was their parents who really made them memorable (or the thing of nightmares).

Ultimate X-Men #3 – We learn the story of Mei the white haired girl with lightning bolt earrings. The last word of the speech bubble in the last panel… “mutants” I wonder what that could mean?

Star Trek #20 – Since this takes place in a pre-Picard time period as the Theseus gets and overhaul at Utopia Planitia we get to meet Commander Liam Shaw who seems to be making the rounds in the comics since he can’t make the rounds anymore streaming because <SPOILERS>. So off they go where “No Man Has Gone Before” in hopes to save the Organians. Who will they meet? Dr. Crusher is hoping to be reunited with Wesley.

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 5-8-24 & Free Comic Book Day Whimventure®)

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Bruce

Last week I rambled on about Free Comic Book Day and all the wonders you can get for free. I do hope you headed out to your Local Comic Shop and partook in some free comics. I headed out to Comic Carnival to pick up six titles that I wanted to read and then Sue and I decided to head to Dayton, Ohio first in order to hopefully complete the quest on the Aviation Trail and get a Wilbear. I had started this off on whim, getting some the the geocaches and Adventure Labs in Dayton. We had missed a few spots, so since we had a day, the idea was to pick up two more and get a Wilbear for our efforts. Unfortunately, the cemetery’s visitor center was closed and that was our first stop. Instead, we had a nice lunch and went out to Bell, Book, and Comic, a local shop, that happened to have a friend of mine as a guest. I was able to pick up a few more free comics and a couple of things I was interested in. So here are the free comics I ended up with by the end of the day:

Flash Gordon – I started reading Flash Gordon when I was in 3rd grade. It was the Kitchen Sink Press Volume 1 of the original Alex Raymond Sunday Strips… It was amazing and changed my life. I have always been a fan of Flash ever since. I watched Buster Crabbe, and the awesomely cheesy 1980’s film (which I also loved). Currently I read the Dan Schkade strips online over at Comics Kingdom. The art style is completely different, and that’s OK. The story he is telling is compelling and sheds a different light on Mongo. So now Mad Cave has gotten the comic rights to Flash and it is also a unique take on it. Starting with the defeat of Ming the Merciless. This comic, like many Free Comic Book Day options is just supposed to get you interested, it does not tell a complete story, and leave you at a massive cliffhanger. Characterize, the non-humans in this comic are more alien, Ming, who used to look like the last emperor of China, now is humanoid, but definitely not human as are most of the inhabitants Mongo. The war is over, but Ming has one last trick up his sleeve and Flash needs to stop him. Unfortunately, the cost may be too high. SO we need to wait until at least July to find out what will happen next. Mad Cave was kind enough to put a publishing schedule at the end of the comic along with som ads for Action figures and the like…

Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe – Major publishers with long histories tend to use Free Comic Book Day to introduce some new series or major event. Marvel decided to do a little bit of both in this issue. The first part is Target: Peter Parker which has poor peter on a date when he gets targeted by assassin robots and needs to be Spider-Man to save the day. Of course, his date doesn’t understand and thinks Peter just left her to fend for herself… The next part deals with the new Ultimate Universe as seen in the new Ultimate titles, the big one missing right now would be the Avengers or as they were know in the ultimate universe the Ultimates. This seems to be a heist storyline where a group of heroes go into a secret base to steal something… They end up in a battle royale with bad guys and end up activating a long lost hero which should make things interesting. Finally a few pages to introduce Venom War which look like a summer event to beat all summer events… because all summer events are ones that beat all other summer events. I did not pick up the DC Summer event prequel, because I’m old and am tired of summer events.

The Night Librarian – The concept is books have power.. and sometimes that power escapes. Basically, if you were a character in a book would you want to live the same scene over and over and over and over again? No, you’d want to get away too. Night Librarians keep the world safe from these things. So we are introduced to the world, and the main characters who happen to be apprentice night librarians. One is anxious, a rule follower the other, of course, isn’t and hence hijinks ensue. This looks like a great book (probably a planned series) for young readers, but like many books for young readers can be perfect for readers of all ages.

Unicorn Crush – The next book in the Phoebe and her Unicorn series. This was a series that tended to disappear off my classroom shelves. so basically think of a buddy story where one is a girl and the other is a unicorn, both with attitudes.

Boom! Box 10th Anniversary Extravaganza – This is an anthology of four different titles celebrating the old and the new series produced under the Boom! Box label. Lumberjanes, Giant Days, Zara, and Midas. Lumberjanes was an amazing series about a girls summer camp and the adventures the girls have. You would thing “ho hum” except for the compelling characters and the fact that the camp was surrounded by weird and strange stuff. Giant Days is about a group of people away at university (that’s a hint it happens in England). Basically a group of people who become friends even though they come from different backgrounds. I recall when I picked up my first issue and was supposed to be a limited series, it was successful enough that it just kept going… Both of these mini stories had to do with music and bands. the complete series for both titles have been put together in trades. The last two stories where introductions to new series

Katie the Catsitter and Max Meow – Katie the Catsitter is a great story about a girl who ends up in the world of superheroes and really amazing cats! One of those ‘Strong female protagonist” comics that is AWESOME! This offering for FCBD joins Katie with Max Meow a cat super hero due to s dimensional portal. It’s a great introduction to both titles.

Snoopy Beagle Scout Adventures – A collection of Charles Schulz Peanuts cartoons dealing with Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts. Being an old Boy Scout myself I had to pick this one up. Peanuts was one of the first comic strips I read so it definitely hits all the nostalgia buttons.

Ultra Duck – Introducing a new world and character- Ultra Duck! A duck with amazing superpowers and his world. Interesting that I was initially thinking this was some kind of a Disney related title. While the artwork definitely reminds me of Disney… it isn’t as far as I can tell.

Eye Lie Popeye – Popeye the Sailor Man done in a rather Manga style… An interesting way to bring a character up to date. This is a preview (and therefore has a massive (no pun intended) cliffhanger at the end.

Asterix – I have always felt a little behind when dealing with the classic European comics, Asterix and TinTin. I know of both of them, I’ve even read a bit, but I also know how big they are outside of the U.S. This is an introduction to the world of Asterix the Gaul through a “Sports Guide” bringing together classic scenes and comedic commentary. Definitely something to take some time to go through and maybe even pick up some other Asterix books afterwards.

Witches of Brooklyn – This Graphic Novel series is great! Another one of those that gets pulled off the shelves of my classroom. For Free Comic Book Day they have put together a short story and a bunch of activities to hook kids on the series. I highly recommend picking this series up for a child you like, or for yourself.

Pokémon – What can I say? It’s the manga even printed in the appropriate Japanese style (for those of us in the US- that would be backwards.

I realize that with Free Comic Book day long past you may not have a chance to pick up these comics, but I do recommend picking up the regular titles if you have the chance. I know I will be continuing using with Flash Gordon, The Night Librarians, Katie the Catsitter, and looking into some of the other books. Unfortunately not being in a classroom anymore, I really don’t have a reason to buy every all ages comic and graphic novel since I have no place for them to go when I’m done with them. If only my HOA allowed Little Free Libraries.

Finally, while not a “Free Comic Book” I did pick up Stuart Sanger’s “The Wise Old Owl” which since it is a limited run, blah, blah, blah I had a bit of concern even opening it since that would cause the value to plummet faster than a car the second you drive it off the dealership lot. I embraced Whimventure® and decided to gingerly read it as far away from greasy food, and stuff as possible. The entire comic is a homage to the classic superhero detective stories of the past.

As a Batmanesque character our hero is of course wealthy, brilliant, and philanthropic. I found it great that Stuart included the fact that he reverse engineers villain’s devices to create products for his company to sell and therefore makes his fortune from doing what the villains could have done. Stuart’s painterly style makes each page a work of art. If you have the chance I do suggest you pick this up so you to can enjoy the quips and playful take on the dark detective superhero genre.

This Weeks Comics:

It’s getting close to summer so that means it’s time for the Summer Universe Altering Mega Event! An event that will change the face of comics forever… like some of those other events that changed the face of comics forever. Things will happen, heroes will die (for about a month or two), costumes will change… the world as you know it will NEVER BE THE SAME (for at least a few months) until they change everything back to the way it was.

DC is going with Amanda Waller pushing for Absolute Power and Marvel is going Goth with Blood Hunt in which due to an extended solar eclipse vampires take over. 🙄 I personally decided after DC had their “Last Final Ultimate Crisis on Infinite Earths Identity War Battle Thingie” that I would no longer participate in these events. I continue to buy the comics I normally do and “miss out” on the whole event. This decision has changed my universe forever… or at least for a few months.

Batman #147 – While Batman is coming up with a plan to defeat is alternate personality, Zur En Arrh, Damian Wayne has come to the realization that this robot may not be his father (for a super genius this kid isn’t very bright, or maybe for a cold calculating assassin this kids is way too optimistic). Zur-Batman goes after Waller in a connection or set up for this summer’s mega event to end all mega events. Batman (Bruce) is staying off the grid and ends up with some unexpected help.

Amazing Spider-Man #49 – Hey! We’ve got vampires! Umm… didn’t we just finish up Gang War? so now we have “Blood Hunt.” 🙄 I really hope the Spider-Man writers could maybe tell stories that aren’t interconnected with other titles? Maybe just a Spider-Man story that deals with umm… Spider-Man?

Strange Academy Blood Hunt #1 – Wait a second, didn’t I say I wouldn’t get tied into any of these crazy Summer mega events? I lied (sort of) I really like Strange Academy and event though this is a tie-in I decided to see how those crazy kids over at Strange Academy handle themselves since they are junior masters of the mystics arts. Here we are introduced to a new student “Pia” and her familiar “Tito Peping” (who looks like a little French Lop bunny with a monkey tail and is translucent). Things go horribly wrong (as they usually do) when they seek out to confront what we assume is the cause of all this mayhem. We then discover things are not as they seem.

Captain America #9 – Cap goes in search of a change agent in Chile with his new sidekick, a penguin… literally a penguin. We learn a bit more about the importance of his mission and how this weird spiritual world he now deals with works. Also no vampires were harmed in the making of this comic.

Quested Season Two #3 – Time to learn what it takes to be a Quester. It seams the most important thing is embrace your own personal style… SO after losing King Varela, the crew go to rescue the king and things go just as you would expect.

I Hate Fairyland #14 – Larry’s cousin Bubba comes for a visit and regales them with tales of the Gertlin’s that destroyed his world… You wouldn’t believe what happens next! OK You probably would, and Gert comes to save the day or not.

See You Next Week… Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel. Or should that be “Same Wise Old Owl Time, Same Wise Old Owl Channel”?

This Week in Comics (FREE COMIC BOOK DAY & My Pull List for 5-1-24)

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Bruce

Ummm… Free Comic Book Day.  The first Saturday in May has been “Free Comic Book Day” for 22 years.  It is a chance for people to visit their local comic book shop (a VERY SCARY PLACE) and pick up FREE comics provided by the shop and the publishers.  Each year is a little different, sometimes there are previews to new series, or maybe the launch of the summer universe shattering event.  I think last year they gave out a preview to “Primer” which just released issue 2 last week and is really good, so with some previews you may have to be patient.

For some (like teachers) this is a great time to stock up on comics for your classroom. Caveat Emptor, while Free Comic Book Day originally focused on all ages titles, now free comics range from those for kids to those that will get you fired if they are found in your classroom.  

How Does It Work? 

Each shop is different.  Some will bring in guests or invite cosplayers to come out.  Making it an event. With it coinciding with “May the Fourth” expect to see a lot of Star Wars themed stuff.  Some will give away one of every title, while other shops will ask you to choose a limited number of titles.  There may be sales, or coupons to get you to come back later.  This is not the time to come in and ask about specific titles or have a conversation about your favorite comic.  Yes, talk to folks working (be polite).  Usually shops are slammed with people and are just trying to keep their heads above water.  While it isn’t the time to ask questions, it is a perfect time to check out a shop and decide if you may want to return and ask those questions.  If you are a teacher, check out their all ages section and see if they have a lot to choose from… return later to talk to them about your students and what might work for your classroom.  The people who work at a comic shop are knowledgeable and if they can’t help you, they can point you in the right direction. 

One thing… if you can, buy something, don’t just grab free comics and run.  The shop does have to pay for the comics they give away, and it is nice to support your LCS since without you, they may go out of business.

Also, if you are unable to make it to a comic book shop (a VERY SCARY PLACE) check to see what your local library may be doing.  I know the Indianapolis Public Library Branches will have free comics available on Saturday (while supplies last).  I’m not sure of what titles they will have and their selection (due to Indiana Law 🙄) will probably be limited.

So what is being offered this year that I recommend?

Descriptions are from: https://www.freecomicbookday.com/ I’m not one of those fancy influencers who get things early and sent to them free.

These are ones I would pick up for my classroom spinner rack and even ask (the next week) if the shop had leftovers since they will go missing.

Unicorn Crush preview – Love and magic are in the air in this enchanting collection of Phoebe and Her Unicorn comic strips featuring Phoebe and her one-of-a-kind unicorn friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. Young readers will enjoy the caring and comedic adventures of this colorful duo as they rediscover the magic in themselves and in each other. Whether you’re a devoted fan or new to the spellbinding world of Phoebe and Marigold, Unicorn Crush will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm, sparkly feeling in your heart.

Witches of Brooklyn – The smash-hit Witches of Brooklyn series returns! Join Effie and friends on a one-of-a-kind, magical adventure in this new story from Sophie Escabasse. Featuring fun activities, new and existing fans can jump right into this exclusive comic! 

Investi-Gators – Get a sneak peek at book 8 in John Patrick Green’s bestselling InvestiGators series! Mango and Brash have always been a class act but can these alligator detectives convincingly go undercover as middle-school students to protect a team mascot? And is it a coincidence that the school is the same one Agent Mango (just barely) graduated from? Find out in Class Action!

Katie the Catsitter & Max Meow – Go on a CAT-TASTIC adventure with Max Meow and Katie the Catsitter! Your favorite crime-fighting superheroes are back with two exclusive excerpts packed into one purr-fect comic-featuring more cats, more villains, and who knows? Maybe these meow-riffic heroes will even join forces to save the day! With bonus activities included, readers and cat fans everywhere will love this furr-ociously fun comic! 

The Night Librarian – Night at the Museum meets The Land of Stories in this thrilling new graphic novel adventure series in which two siblings, a mysterious Night Librarian, and a motley cast of book characters try to save the New York Public Library. Twins Page and Turner know about the magic a library holds-they’ve been going to their beloved New York City public library for years, especially since their parents are always traveling for work.But a secret mission involving their dad’s rare and valuable edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula uncovers a world they’ve never known, featuring a mysterious Night Librarian, famous heroes (and villains) that have broken free from classic books, and an epic battle to save the library from total destruction!

Boom Box 10th Anniversary Special – Celebrate a decade of BOOM! Box whimsy and fun! This special FCBD issue contains an exclusive look at brand new series from BOOM! Box, alongside some returning favorites and a whole bunch of fun surprises. To help celebrate the milestone, this special will also feature a heartfelt look back at the history of the imprint and the people who made it all possible!

You might have noticed I have avoided most of the major publishers (DC/Marvel) or more of the pop culture (Disney) based titles. I would pride myself on putting comics out to kids that weren’t based on a TV show, or movie because I hoped that kids would see comics as a storytelling medium and not a genre that dealt with superheroes.  Although many teachers seem to disapprove of using multimodal literacy (comics & graphic novels) as a way to introduce concepts and some parents think comics are “fluff” that ruin a kids imagination 🙄 as you can guess, I wholeheartedly disagree. I divested myself of most of my classroom library at the end of last year, and unfortunately sometimes the really good titles go out of print, so if you have a chance, pick up these while you can. I’ll have to ramble about comics in the classroom sometime in more depth – you have been warned.

This Week’s Comics:

Sons of Star Trek #2 – When last we left Jake, Nog, and Alexander they had been transported to another reality in which they were members of Starfleet on the U.S.S. Avery with an interesting crew, some of which were dead or never in Starfleet in our timeline. Gul Ducat (Captain not “Gul”), Liam Shaw (Chief Engineer), Tuvix, Jadzia (not joined to the Dax symbiote), Beckett Mariner, Morn, etc. Against the Breen and they’ve only died 57 times. Will they survive, will QJ (Q Junior) be able to guide them into becoming the best versions of themselves? This issue focuses mostly on Alexander’s trauma from following the Red Path and the group deciding to trust each other and the crew as they try to survive the 58th time in this temporal loop and hopefully break the cycle.

Power Pack Intro The Storm #5 – How do the Power Pack save Franklin Richards and get home? One of the joys of reading most comics taking place in the past with characters you know are still active is knowing that they will survive. So it’s more of a chance to see how an event may have shaped them into the hero they currently are. In this case <No Spoilers, really> they all survive and return to Earth safe and sound.

The Flash Annual 2024 – What is an Annual issue? It is an issue with more pages and usually does a couple things- it can kick off a new story line and using those extra pages really help build up the importance of the story. It can complete a story arc using those pages to get into more detail or at least allow the writer and artist more room to finish the tale. It can also be a stand alone story that uses those extra pages to help develop characters and maybe introduce someone new… This is none of those things. I came into it thinking this the whole arc dealing with Wally trying to figure out life, the universe, and everything would come to an end and we would return to something more akin to superhero comic storytelling. I was mistaken, and hope that once this arc is over I may be able to comeback and reread the individual issues and gain something from it. Right now, I’m not so sure. One thing I have learned, is usually the minute I decide to stop reading a title, It suddenly gets good and you can’t find any of the issues you need, so I will embrace the still force and be patient.

The White Trees: A Blacksand Tale The Complete Edition – I’ve read a number of stories written by Chip Zdarsky… none f them all ages, but all them really unique. This is one of those stories. Fantasy dealing with the aftermath of a war and how people deal with it. It also has to do with that great bit about how power corrupts. Let’s just say three old warriors (once friends) go on a quest to find their missing children only to discover the lies that people tell to get things done…

The Whisper Queen: A Black Sand Tale #1 – “The Long Awaited Sequel to The White Trees: A Blacksand Tale” I guess that should mean something to someone who read the first part, as someone who got the “Complete Edition” at the same time I was a bit confused, since I hadn’t been waiting too long, and could have even read them in the wrong order if I just read through my stack without looking at covers. Even more confusing was the “Complete Edition had an ad on the back cover that was a duplicate of the cover of this issue. The folks at my LCS almost thought I was buying two of the same comics!

I wrote that first part before reading anything, because I was confused… This story starts off where the The White Trees ended with a chase to find the those who have run off. Of course we deal with different sides of the story having reading part one, we know what really happened, and now we deal with the next part from the perspective of people who know a lot of the secrets the past, but not what really happened just one issue ago. We are now on another quest to find a child this one not lost but on their own mission. OK, this “child” is as much of a child as those in the first story. As I have told my little brothers- it doesn’t matter how old you are- I can call you “kid” until the day I die since I changed your diapers. Looking forward to the next issue, Zdarsky weaves a wonderful tale. and I am caught up in this one. Glad I read them in the right order.

This Week In Comics (My Pull List 4-24-24)

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Bruce

I’ve commented that I’ve been doing some work for my Local Comic Shop (LCS) and figured I might want to share some of it as we get close to Free Comic Book Day on May 4th. Strangely enough (call it fate, kismet, or something like that) but Comic Carnival (my LCS) has a monkey as a mascot. They’ve had other mascots over the past 50 years, but currently it is Cee Cee the Comic Carnival Monkey. I played around with a character design years ago, and recently (after Indiana “Comic” Con) decided to help out where I could. This gives me a reason to draw (monkeys) and helps me flex my creative muscles helping out a place I consider a second home (especially on Wednesdays). I started off with a simple circular design and then played around with some other ideas like homages to classic comic covers with Cee Cee taking a prominent place. So far these have been turned into stickers and buttons. I’ve also worked on a topper for a classic spinner rack and recently new signage for one of my favorite places the All Ages Comics section.

Dark Knight Returns homage
Amazing Fantasy #15 homage
Superman #1 homage
Shirt design Idea
Sticker Idea
Frame for this week’s comics
All Ages Comics Sign
Spinner rack signage

I’m still working through some ideas and to quote Rick from Casablanca “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

For those confused or think “All monkey’s look alike” 🙄 From L to R – Cee Cee the Comic Carnival Monkey, Cecil Evil GeoCaching Monkey (bent on world domination), and random Cecil Minion (MINIon).

This Weeks Comics:

Star Trek Defiant #14 – unlike the worms from Ceti Alpha V the bugs infesting Starbase 99 have a plan, and it looks like it’s getting worse. With Bellana Torres infected and attacking everyone… Will she be a bug drone or a Borg drone? And it looks like Spock has gotten himself into a bit a trouble… mind melds can do that and the Vulcan Surgeon General has warned against overuse of mind melds… guess Spock ignored that memo.

Man’s Best #002 – Being a cat person I find it amusing that the issues our animal friends are getting into are all caused by a dog, not listening to a cat… Will they ever find the humans? will the flankers stop them, or some new even worse danger? Will Porthos ever listen, or is he just a “bad dog.”

Amazing Spider-Man #48 – Ben and Janine trying to get back to normal lives… but can they trust Queen Goblin? Will Peter and Betty save them and the Winkler Device (named after Henry Winkler aka “the Fonz?”) before it’s too late? What about the Sinister Six and the Living Brain?

Primer #2 of 4 – The story continues as we learn about Ashley and her foster mother’s job (which she may not have for long). We learn also about where Ashley get’s her powers. I wonder what Violet does? For an all ages comic I’m liking the pacing and look forward to hopefully more than 4 issues.

Detective Comics #1084 – Batman returns to Gotham and learns what happens in his absence. The Orgham plans have been in place, the wealthy are happy, the middle class are oblivious, and the people in need are disappearing. Just when I thought things were getting understandable-

The Flash #8 – So we are leading up to the massive summer crossover event. I hate massive summer crossover events. At least this issue was more heroes fighting things and saving people and not metaphysical pondering in the speed force.

Ultimate Spider-Man #4 – “And with great power comes great responsibility.” it took four issues, and Uncle Ben wasn’t the one to say it, but it has been said to Peter Parker and I’m guessing the world will never be the same again. Someone online pointed something out that I have found interesting about the new line of Ultimate comics- Each issue takes place in the month they are published. So time is progressing at a pace that makes the reader have to guess what has happened in the last month. Last issue Peter meets and begins to team up with Harry Osborne- that team up has now brought them together outside of the super hero world, where they mingle a bit in public and meet each others wives.

Scales & Tales – I know, I know, I keep saying I’m taking a step back from gaming. I can’t seem to find a reliable gaming group and while I like role playing games, I just get too frustrated as I try to play. So what do I do? I go and buy Scales & Tales – A Beginner’s Guide to Fantasy Role-Playing Games. If I was still in the classroom this would be something I would consider using with kids. It is a simplified RPG system and explains how things work especially to those who have no clue. I would send it to my brother or niece, except that I have the feeling that it would be put on a shelf for more trendy pursuits to finally disappear sometime during a cleaning before company arrives.🙄

I would recommend it for anyone interested in starting out roleplaying, but want a less complicated introduction. Most RPG’s end up with enough baggage and investment to make them prohibitive to try out. A 5th Edition Players handbook is around $50 and will be kinda sorta out of date in a few months as they update bits and pieces of it. Scales & Tales ($20ish) seems to keep things easy and go more into simple role playing. With three ability scores (power, skill, and wit), only four classes (Guardian- Jack of All Trades, Wizard- Spellcaster, Rogue- Sneaky sneaky, and Warrior- Hulk smash!) and 10 character types (races/species) things are definitely easier. The book itself explains in simple easy to understand terms how everything works and you only need six sided and 20 sided dice. In fact almost every bit of character creation can be done by rolling dice. Like I said, I wish I had something like this when I was teaching- it would have taken a lot of the drudgery out of character creation and we could have gotten into playing a lot faster. Half the book deals with mechanics and the other half is adventures! While it looks childish (I like the illustrations, but some might want something more LOTR like) I think this is a great starting place for gamers of all ages.

Scales and Tales even has a place to help you determine your character’s name. I have found that your first character tends to be based on the name of a character from a pop culture, or literature. My brother had a fighter named Gareth, my friend had an elf named Elrond, I had an assassin (back when that class was allowed) named Count Iblis, by then end of his first adventure he rose in ranks and became the Marquis de Iblis. I now tend to name my character something silly, while I can be a serious player, I don’t want to come in with people thinking I’m too serious. My favorite characters recently have been bards – Peter Paulenmary, and Simon Garnetfunkel. I also have wizards named Sazerac and Antir Rhynum. Sazerac is a mixed drink using rye whiskey and Antirrhinum is the scientific name for the snapdragon.

When I was in middle school, I did something similar to what I have been doing recently, I’d find a cool looking game, buy it and then either get lost in the intricacies of character creation, or never find anyone willing to play. I recall one game called ‘Space Opera” which for a middle schooler, was so intense that I had to put it down when I was trying to figure out from my various ability scores what my GPA was at the academy in each subject and how that impacted my career prospects before I started adventuring! The cover had a cool drawing of a Flash Gordon character and all I could think off was Flash was a polo player and never went to the Academy. I’ve also played around int Steve Jackson’s “The Fantasy Trip” the games: Wizard and Melee for simplicity, but even those can get complex and people want to add more realism to them.

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 4-17-24)

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Bruce

SO what am I going to blather about this week? On Social Media – Books & Brews, one of our local Used Bookstores/Microbreweries (yes, a great combination), asked people to list their three favorite books… That’s hard but here are my go to books that usually live in my nightstand for when I have trouble sleeping.

  • Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – Proof that you should never judge a book by its movie. I do understand the reasons there were so many changes from the book, but still, the book is so much better. If you don’t know the story- dystopian world in which people retreat from reality in a virtual world. The guy running the whole thing dies and leaves his entire fortune and control of the company to who ever can find the three eggs he’s hidden throughout the simulation. Lots of eighties nostalgia so I like it. If you’ve seen the movie – no race cars vs. giant gorillas, or The Shining references… a lot more geeky than that. Oh, the main characters don’t meet face to face until pretty much the last page.
  • Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin – May not have aged well (humor usually doesn’t), but my introduction into the genre of “Comic Fantasy.” The story of Skeeve an apprentice to a wizard. He really just wants a good meal and to be a thief. By the end of the first chapter the wizard is dead and he is face to face with a demon. Hilarity ensues and the series continues for a number of books. Unfortunately, maybe I grew up, or the later books just don’t have the same feeling. Also consider: Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.
  • Dream Park by Larry Niven & Steven Barnes – Dream Park is Disneyland on steroids. Besides being a mystery, it interweaves a fantasy story as the suspects are part of a LARP being playing in one of the parks “Gaming areas.” One of those things I wish was real, and actually could be the way technology is developing.

Any of these books I can pick up and open anywhere and just start reading. I usually won’t put them down until I’ve finished. Oh, I’m sorry, I’ve loaned them out before and then had to track down new copies – so you can’t borrow them.

This Week’s Comics:

Jay Garrick: The Flash #6 – Comic stories happen in 6 issue arcs, I was really concerned that this issue would mark the end of Judy Garrick. I actually left this comic as the last one for me to read, because I figured I would need a break at the end. It was a satisfying conclusion and I look forward to the future if they could just figure out what they are doing in the regular Flash comics.

U & I #3 of 6 – The plot thickens… The bad guy, “Bishop,” is on the trail to find U and eliminate him for interfering with his business (you know, running drugs, laundering money, and a protection racket just for starters) Will he find U? Who will get caught in the collateral damage? U and Isabelle have (for the time being) found safety in an enclave of the Reborn.

Helen of Wyndhorn #1 & #2 – Issue one is a typical introduction to the world the writer and artist have created. The story is from the perspective of a writer who was writing about a famous fantasy/horror author (I’m getting H.P. Lovecraft vibes) and stumbled upon a little known tidbit of information leading him to interview the governess of the author’s daughter. The governess was hired after the author’s death when the girl was in her teens. So the story is from those interviews, with bits where we return to the writer in the present day… Issue two the grandfather comes into play and the world around the Wyndhorn estate is fleshed out even more. I had originally put this on my pull list and then decided not to at the last minute. I am very happy I decided to grab it this week.

The Spectacular Spider-Men #2 – Miles and Peter adventuring together while we are still figuring out what is really going on. Clones? Yes, clones, but it doesn’t look like it will end up being a saga. Mind control? Hmmm… strange things are happening in the Arcadium.

Spider-Boy #6 – Bailey has been captured and Madame Monstrosity is trying to figure out why she has no clue about who he is and desperately wants to know. We also learn more about her “Humanimals” as things get weird.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #19 – Is this the end? Lots of fighting and injuries as Miles takes on Rabble and his friends deal with the super up Cape Killers. Who will live? Who will Die? who will end up escaping to create havoc another day?

Titans #10 – Sibling rivalry is a wonderful thing. Trilogy (Raven’s brother) decides he wants to show Dad (Trigon) that he is just as good as his sister and things… well, it’;s a comic so there is a battle, and…

Superman #13 – Let’s bring in the Main Man- Lobo joins to help Superman recover those taken by Brainiac. Since Earth has been quarantined by the United Planets (I don’t know why, I don’t read Green Lantern) Superman needs to figure out how to leave the plane to pursue him. Still trying to figure out what is going on with Brainiac and what his master plan is…

The Displaced #3 – The folks who got out of Oshawa are just trying to figure things out, while also using their new found ability to not be remembered to their advantage. Some more lawfully than others. Some new theories are discussed and there is a power play for leading the group.

Star Trek #19 – So the Theseus is still dealing with the results of the Kahless and his attempts to destroy (pretty much everything). It seems the Prophets what Sisko to return to the Celestial Temple and Benjamin isn’t ready. The ramifications of Kahless’s actions – just reality unraveling have caused T’lir to come out of the closet and admit to everyone that he is an Organian. You know the Organian Peace Treaty from TOS? So now the crew heads to boldly go and save the universe with hopes of maybe a family reunion.

Brick Journal #85 – Yup! It’s Brick Journal the LEGO Fan magazine. The focus is on the Minifigure! Which was interesting, As always inspiring and making me wonder if I’m just not fanboy enough to want to build the stuff I want out of LEGO bricks. Better yet, once I build it, where would I put it?


This Week in Comics (My Pull List 4-10-24)

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Bruce

Oh well, time to update my bucket list – I added “think deep thoughts while embracing the darkness of a total solar eclipse.” (Bucket List #72) It was pretty easy to check that one off on Monday. It was amazing… awe inspiring and glad I travelled all the way to the driveway to see it. Then I had a brief conversation dealing with how comic books don’t promote imagination… It was a losing battle, the person I was talking to was just parroting what they had heard from an adult. An adult who probably never read a comic book. Stupid adults, always getting in the way of being a kid. Sadly, it looks like I’m taking whimsical adventures with this kid off my bucket list. (Bucket List #35 & #55) I don’t think they will have that much fun… why be a kid when you can be an uptight adult? Part of having an “adventure” is not having a plan…

“Doesn’t matter. There are only four rules you need to remember: make the plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan. Follow my lead and you’ll be fine.”

Leonard Snart, Infantino Street May 16, 2017

I guess I’ll just have whimsical adventures (whimventures®) either with Sue or Cecil. Wait… Cecil’s not imaginary, is he? He shouldn’t be since I read comic books and those ruin a person’s imagination. 😉 Then again, maybe Sue’s imaginary. At least I think the cats aren’t imaginary. (Birds, though, aren’t real)
Oh, and I’m happy that I have time now to embrace the things I loved as a kid, we all should. As Uncle Walt says “You have to grow old, you don’t have to grow up.”

As an educator I could recommend chapter books for this child, but I’m under the impression anything I purchase or recommend will be scoffed at as not being a “classic” or “serious literature.” 🙄 Plus, I might suggest something that the crowd she hangs with is trying to ban… (but their red hats do look fabulous)
What?
Who?
Me? 😱

This Week’s Comics (to ruin your imagination):

Action Comics #1064 – Starting a new super crossover story! As with many of these I’m concerned over the continuity of the story. I recall one Batman multi title crossover in which the story bounced in weird ways. It was like they didn’t have an editor make sure the van in the car chase was the same color and make through all the issues…🙄
Here’s fingers crossed that in the end this actually makes sense.
So Brainiac has some amazing plan that requires him to kidnap a bunch of people with the help of Lobo’s people (who are supposed to be all dead but aren’t?!?). So after a bit of a battle Superman is now the only person who can solve this mystery, stop Brainiac, and get everyone back safe and sound…

Ultimate X-Men #2 – still a mystery… I’d probably know more if I had kept up with so 2,473 X-Men related titles over the past decade or so…. Then again, one of the things I like about Ultimate comics is the slow set up and character building that hoes on. In the early days of comics an entire origin story would take a page, at most. Hisako is still trying to figure out what is going on, but she’s met a friend who right now makes me think of a Japanese version of Storm.

Batman and Robin #8 – the joys of obviously missing an issue… or two. Usually either one issue, you can put together some of the pieces, two? A lot harder.

Speed Force #6 – Yes! Issue six completing this arc. Um battling AVI rappers?!? The disconcerting part for me was the switch in art style midway through the issue. I haven’t been following this story very well- must be age.

The Amazing Spider-Man #47 – so Peter has a promising blind date cut short by a call from an old friend which leads to… the typical cliff hanger with a bunch of bad guys and possible bad guys and kinda of sort of bad guys… the least he could have done is picked up the bill.

Phantom Road #10 – so weird creature in alternate world… does weird things after a nice nap. As things get weird for Birdie & Dom we might have a clue as to what is going on in our world with Donnie and Theresa.

I Hate Fairyland #13 – What happens when Gert’s story gets turned into a movie? Ummm… remembers the great elder’s advice: “Never judge a book by its movie.” I’ve got that on a button somewhere around here.

The Batman First Knight, Book Two – I’m really liking this take on the Batman’s adventures during the 1930’s, a time before Alfred, or Robin. While definitely not all ages, it does a wonderful job of taking you back to that time period. It also does something I said earlier I liked about the Ultimate Marvel Comics – slows down the storytelling in order to focus more on characters and less on “BIFF!” “BAM!” & “OOF!” Oh, and great artwork.

So what will next week bring? Who knows? More adventure, excitement, and other kid stuff that kids today can’t fit in between all their important activities.🙄

In conclusion… get off my lawn!

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 4-3-24)

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Bruce

What a very light week for me! Pretty much just a few comics and catching up with a title I had forgotten about (probably because I’m old).

I’d like to take a moment to babble on about some other places to get comics, specifically Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a rabbit hole for many creative people or people who like to get things before anyone else. I started playing around on Kickstarter when it first started and it could be a crap shoot as to whether the item you helped along would actually come to fruition. I did get some cool things like the watch band for my iPod nano which kind of made it the first Apple Watch. I also tried some other ones that weren’t that successful, like the animatronic Arduino run head, the creator realized that he had over extended himself since was just a kid in college and didn’t have access to the school’s laser cutter after he completed the class he was in… ugh. The early days of anything can be frustrating… but as the bugs got worked out it became easier to use and almost a guarantee for those who have the patience to wait things out. Comic book creators use Kickstarter (and other platforms) to see if they can get enough people committed to their idea so it can be printed. Usually this includes special bonuses if certain levels of funding are achieved. I mention comics, but it really encompasses everything. The areas I tend to follow deal with comics/art and board games. I am cutting down on board games, not because they aren’t excellent, but because I’ve found I’m not playing games as much as once did (I think I’ve mentioned this before). Back to Kickstarter… This week something wonderful arrived in my mailbox. That’s one thing that is cool, is you sometimes have no idea when something will arrive. This week it was Thorn by Jeff Smith. If you didn’t already know, Jeff Smith is one of my favorite creators. His comic Bone wasn’t originally all ages, but has become a staple in many school libraries. The characters started out at Ohio State University in their school newspaper when Jeff was a student. He’s taken the time to pull all those strips together and publish them for fans like me. A publisher would probably look at it and say there’s not a large enough audience for this, but on Kickstarter if you don’t get enough support… you just don’t do the project. No one is charged until the project gets enough pledges to get made. Sometimes I’ll wait until I know a project has broken (or is really close to) that barrier before funding it, other times, I just jump into it on a whim.

This Week’s Comics:

Thorn by Jeff Smith: The Complete Proto-Bone College Strips 1982-1986 and Other Early Drawings- I really enjoy seeing the evolution of a character.  Seeing the early strips with Phone Bone and knowing what the character becomes is amazing.  Having done a comic strip (off & on) for over a decade I think about how Cecil has evolved from a simple concept and (horrible) drawing to what he is now, this is what I get to do with Bone.  Some of the basic story is there, but there are so many ideas that made it into Jeff’s college strips that didn’t make it into Bone.  Understandably so, since many parts were tied to time current events of the day, and the college audience.  I have a few regrets, one of those is not having the guts to actually do a strip in high school or college.  The strips done in my school papers I saw as much better than anything I could produce, so why try?  It’s awesome that creators are now releasing early works so we can see that it takes time and effort to get something great. 

Power Pack into the Storm #2-#4 – I know I missed a few, but to sum it up the Power Pack get captured and Franklin Richard’s is the only one who can save them by getting help from the X-Men.  When it comes to involving the X-Men and evil aliens it means the Brood are now involved.  Will they be able to save Franklin?  Does Mayhem know what she is getting herself into- we know, but she is clueless.

Captain America #8 – so Cap is now saving the world from mystic evil… what happened to just punching Nazis in the face?  I’ve seen Cap trapped in other dimensions – which made me seriously stop reading for a while. Now he’s fighting an army of evil (in another dimension?) in order to save the innocent.  His new mission- he must go and find four catalysts for change and bring them back to The Front Door…. I’m giving Straczynski some leeway since I usually love his stuff.

Batman #146 – Has Batman figured it all out?  That doesn’t mean he’s won and this arc is over… it’s only part two so we’ve got four more issues to go.  For it to follow the “Heroes Journey” he’s got a few more steps to go before he can leave the cave… a lot more villains to fight, and then there’s everyone who are now thinking Zur-En-Arrh is Bruce Wayne- even though he’s a robot. Maybe I’m just used to six issue arcs and not epic sagas. (Although I do like Saga)

Love Everlasting #14 – the Cowboy’s Tale continues… BLAM! Joan dies so many times I lost count, BLAM! but we do find out who is behind all this, will the cowboy survive finding out? 

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 3-27-24)

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Bruce

So If you read my last post about Indiana Comic Con you know about that. I wouldn’t say “Worst Con Ever” because I’ve been to worse Cons, but I would have to say it wasn’t what was advertised, or at least if this is the direction Comic Cons are going- I don’t see the need to attend them, unless I want photos and autographs (which I don’t). Heroes Con in Charlotte and Baltimore Comic Con seem to be the hold outs when it comes to die-hard comic cons, I’m sure there are others, but those are the ones that jump out.

I have said in the past that I’m torn between a bunch of different things I like- with retirement I’m trying to decide what I really want to focus on. Yes, I know I don’t have to focus on one thing, but with limited resources I need to decide what I really want to invest in. First there’s comic books- something I have been interested in since I was probably six or seven years old. Something I keep returning to when I need to escape. I returned to comics the last time when I was in grad school and needed to escape the pressure of classes. Tied closely to that is drawing. Again something I return to over and over again. I don’t see this going away anytime soon.

After Billund I have renewed my interest in building with LEGO Bricks, but mostly sets and not full on MOCs (My Own Creation). The thing keeping me from diving in again is the community. While there are some amazing people, the local LUG seems to be a a bunch of people who are into being in power and not willing to change or adapt. One of the reasons I retired was that I felt the robotics program could not evolve as long as I was in charge. It needed new ideas and other people to be responsible. Same goes for our local LUG. “We’ve always done this way” seems to be their mantra, and they will argue until you just give up.

I have met some of my best friends through MINI Coopers. I’m not a car guy, but I do love the MINI Community and the people in it. Like LEGO, the local group seems stuck in doing the same things over and over again with the same people in charge. There is another group in Fort Wayne which I’ve attended a number of events, then there are the national events like MINI Takes The States which are awesome. If only MINI would go back to making smaller cars, but as long as the Roadster is running (and when I get the classic back to working) things are fine. Unfortunately when people start talking to me about cars, I realize just how much I don’t know.

Geocaching is Sue’s thing. I have made a lot of friends while hunting down Tupperware in the woods, but I’m definitely not as competitive or completist enough to geocache more than when I’m traveling (see comments on Caching in my posts about Denmark).

I’ve been into games since I was in middle school playing the Marquis de Iblis in D&D. The problem with gaming is having to rely on other people and in this day and age it is impossible to coordinate calendars. I’m tired of thinking I’m going to play only to have it cancelled at the last minute. This is the thing on the chopping block, I’ve invested a lot into games, but if they aren’t being played, it’s kind of silly. I’m torn between attending Gen Con this year because I could use the resources in other interests… and I don’t really need anything more. Although it is an amazing Con and I highly recommend it if you are into games.

This Weeks Comics:

Primer #1 (of 4) – Primer is an all ages comic introducing Ashley, a foster kid who can just be trouble. She get’s placed with a couple who are polar opposites and tries to escape, only to discover one of their secrets… Since it’s a first issue there is a lot of character background going on, which is good. Sadly it looks like this will only be 4 issues, hopefully it will continue, The premise is interesting.

The Flash # 7 – What happened to Max Mercury and Impulse?!? In this issue we find out. Something weird is also going on with everyone else, but I’m sure Barry will figure that out while Wally is in the garden looking at statues and finding out about the Arc Angles… no that isn’t a typo. Angle not Angel.

Detective Comics #1083 – This version of Batman is hopefully going to get out of the desert and return to Gotham to save it from the Orthams who have made Gotham a better place (on the surface, but under that chocolate coating is it still an ooey gooey mess of corruption and bad stuff?) The Question finds evidence, but is it too late? A then Dr. Hate’s story comes to a conclusion… or does it? So many question marks…

Black Hammer The End #6 – So, this is the end… Will Lucy save the world from the Anti-God? What about the extremely large cast of characters gathered throughout the previous 5 issues? DC took 12 issues to do what Dark Horse and Lemire are doing in six…

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #18 (Legacy #300) – Big issue in which Miles goes up against the Cape Killers who have more impressive powers even if they don’t want to use them! Will Miles finally confront Rabble and save Brooklyn? Who lives? Who dies? Only the next issue will tell.

Amazing Spider-Man #46 – The Sinister Six return and try to help a reluctant Sandman escape Ravencroft (no relation to Ravenloft in Barovia). Spider-Man and Jackpot (MJ) try to thwart the attempt made by Electro… and succeed?

Star Trek Defiant #13 – OK- if you read the last issue there are no spoilers, if you didn’t- shame on you. IN the last issue we find out what happened to those weird bug creatures that had infiltrated the Federation way, way back in ST:TNG’s first season (Episode 25- Conspiracy). The alien enemy I think we all thought would be the new big bad, but they never showed up again, instead the Borg took their place. They have taken over a Starbase (for Lower Deck fans , not Starbase 80) and Worf and the crew of the Defiant have been sent there (probably by someone taken over by the alien bugs). Now they need to escape but seeing as this is only part 2, we’ve got a long way to go in this arc. I’m OK with that.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 – Wow. Just like the original Ultimate universe we are starting to get into some interesting stuff! Spider-Man gets help with his costume (with amusing options). He also meets and teams up with an old friend (who is a new friend in this universe).

Alan Scott Green Lantern #5 – The penultimate issue in which Red Lantern reveals more about his origin and we finally meet the real bad guys and (redacted) show up to make the next issue awesome.

Nacelleverse #0- This was recommended to me at Indiana Comic Con (but I won’t hold that against it). Basically take some of your 1980-90’s toy lines and create a comic book encompassing all of them. Robo Force, Biker Mice from Mars, Sectaurs, Power Lords, and The Great Garloo are brought back in a story featuring Garloo. If you don’t recognize any of these brands… you (like me) won’t have the nostalgia button pressed, but it still was a good story setting up a series and the return of these toys to market. Toy marketing has always been a part of cartoons and comics, so this just updates it a bit to tug at the heartstrings of people who now have more deposable income and don’t need their parents permission to buy stuff. Unless they are still living in their parent’s basement.

Time2 Omnibus – I had the chance to meet Howard Chaykin at Galaxy Con. I went to a panel and then paid for a workshop. He’s done a lot in his career but the one I got caught up with was “American Flagg” a take on the future in which a lot of the things going on in the comic seem logical if things continue the way they have been (Have you ever seen “Idiocracy”?). Time2 started off connected to American Flagg- kind of in the multiverse alternate timeline crossover kind of way. It then branched off on its own. A future based on the 1930’s style with gangsters and robots and jazz and… It reminds me somewhat of the Will Eisner’s Contract with God, with a cool American Flagg science fiction twist. This omnibus actually was released a while ago, but I finally picked up a copy.

Recap: Indiana “Comic” Con- “My God, it’s full of stars!”

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Bruce

For those reading my babbling reviews of comics I’ve had a bit of commentary about Comic Cons. Last weekend I had the opportunity to help out my Local Comic Shop (LCS) at Indiana Comic Con held at the Indiana Convention Center. What I got in return was a non-attendee view of the Con and an exhibitor badge that allowed me access to the exhibit floor. Added bonuses were three days of standing on an unpadded concrete floor (so yes, my feet hurt).

My previous posts about this “Comic” Con have focused on the list of celebrities advertised and the lack of anything dealing with comic books and their creators. I asked the owner of my LCS if they were getting a booth and then if they needed any help. I figured as I was looking at post retirement employment this might be a good way to test the waters. So Thursday I helped set up and then “worked” Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

This is My First Con and it’s Amazing!

I heard this from almost every attendee. They have nothing to compare this to, so it is a little overwhelming. It’s like going to a geek freak show/flea market for the uninitiated. There are people walking around in costume, there are booths selling everything from coffee and tea, to battle axes, to light sabers, to stuffed Cthulhu. Lord knows what their reaction would be if they attended a larger con, although it is pretty much just more of the same. They’ve heard stories of San Diego Comic-Con so this is the same isn’t it? This isn’t my first con, my first con was a Creation Con in the early 80’s in Los Angeles. Where someone was cosplaying a character from “V” (1983) walking around asking if anyone had a mouse they could snack on. I’ve been to “a few” other Cons since then- check my CV for details.😉 Here I saw a lot of the same sellers that I have seen at other regional cons – by the same I mean a few comic book shops from around the midwest, but mostly the same places selling knick knacks and “stuff” for the “Ooooh shiny!” crowd.

If you have never been to a Con understand this:

  • It is a great place for people watching. Many cosplayers put a lot of time and effort into their works and they can be amazing feats of engineering. People who truly love a character will dress up in as accurate a representation as they can make. This could be simply putting on a hat, or building a suit of armor. For many of these people it is a chance to let it go… literally and figuratively. There are many people who, if it wasn’t a Con wouldn’t be caught dead dressed like that. At a Con it is OK… everyone embraces your love of a fandom. Even if you are a 350 pound guy with a full beard who happens to dress like Raven from the Teen Titans. (OK, I didn’t see that but I did see a 6’3″ bearded guy dressed as Sailor Moon). There are also those people who arrive in their store bought halloween costumes which is OK too.
  • Things are expensive. It’s like going to Disney… if you expect to get a soft drink for less than $5 (that was the small size) or a chicken strip basket for less than $11 you will be disappointed. Parking alone this weekend was outlandish by Indianapolis standards. Where I usually park downtown was a flat rate of $35. It usually tops out at $20 if you leave your car overnight. The NCAA was in town also so I’m sure that drove up parking prices. I hope this trend doesn’t continue for Gen Con or people will complain, more than they already do. Don’t even get me started on the cost of stuff connected to the show (like autographs).
  • Be prepared to scratch your head and try to figure out what you just saw. You would think a comic con would have people focused on comic book characters… Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, etc. Instead you will see characters from TV, film, anime… my favorite are the mash ups like the Mandalorian Woody I saw while walking the hall. The other thing will be the gender bending cosplays- like the bearded Sailor Moon. At New York Comic Con my brother would ask me about a cosplay as they walked by- my patented answer was “It’s from an obscure anime, manga, or video game.”

But is Indian Comic Con really a Comic Con?

In my opinion- no. A comic con celebrates comic books and properties that have been spawned from comic books. It is full of comic book art, and artists. Yes, there will be people selling other things, but the focus is on Comics. San Diego Comic-Con is close to not being a true comic con with all the focus on Hall H and Ballroom 20, but at least they have comic book companies present and a ton of comic creators. Indiana Comic Con was a “Fan Fest” or as someone put it, an “Autograph, Photo Op Stampede.” This was pretty easy to figure out since all their pre-advertising was dealing with which celebrities were going to be there, and virtually nothing about comics. Yes, some of the celebrities present had played roles as a comic book based character, but… one of my favorite quotes from a teenager walking by the booth was “Hayden Christensen is the greatest actor of our time…” now there’s a true fan.

I sat at lunch each day, and talked (or listened) to the people around me. All of them were excited over who they were going to see, and get a photo with or autograph. I have nothing against that, it’s just not my thing. The problem I had, was that I was working for a comic shop and it seemed like everyone had already spent all of their cash on photo ops and autographs. They had no money to buy anything else. You see when a show ends, or a film saga is complete, many celebrities have difficulty finding roles after their iconic portrayal of… whoever. The way to pay the bills is to go to con and charge a hundred bucks (or more, most of them more) to sign something for a fan, or pose for a photo. Being an introvert, trying to have small talk with an actor who played a character I admire would be similar to getting a root canal. I have a hard enough time trying to talk with an artist whose work I like when asking for a sketch. I understand why some of my favorite artists have decided to no longer go to cons that boast the number of celebrities they have in attendance.

Is it a comic con? Just look at the app. “Guests” have their own tab so you can see who is here. There was a banner over the spot for “Guest Artists” but on the app, the guest artists were listed under Vendors, and the list of who was going to be there wasn’t published until a few days before the con. So If I wanted to see where to find an artist, I had to wade through the vendor list and look for a booth probably called the “The art of…” (right after the fudge and chocolate vendor) while if I wanted to find the guy who played that one character in that one episode of that show… You know the one I’m talking about… just look under guests and I’ll get his exact location with a photo, when he was doing signings, when he was doing photos and how much he would charge me for the privilege- without a certificate of authenticity (which costs more).

Most of the cosplayers I saw were from anime or were Star Wars based… A number of the celebrities were from the Star Wars franchise so it made sense. If I saw one person with Ahsoka mouse ears I saw a dozen. I didn’t get chance to even look at the panels, but it seemed like most of the crowds were going to panels dealing with the celebrities present, that was the draw. They even charged more for tickets to some panels. I can’t complain, I went to the William Shatner panel at Galaxy Con in Columbus (a con which had more comic book artists). No charge to hear Bill ramble on about whatever he wanted to ignoring the question asked by the fan at the mic.

If I had not been volunteering, I don’t think I would have attended. It was funny that many of the comic shops in Indianapolis did not have a presence. That should say something about if it was a “Comic Con.” Local shops don’t have to move stuff that far, they don’t have to pay for hotels or meals for whoever is working… so why aren’t they there? I understand that some other vendors did better, but I know the ones around us were grumbling as every morning the crowds of regular folks would rush by to get in line for an autograph, this after the VIP and Ruby (more expensive badges) had already lined up 30 minutes earlier. Afterwards people would then pass through without a second glance as they thought another row might be quicker to get to the autograph area.

What did I end up with at the end of this? Three chicken finger baskets for lunches. A few comics from the booth I was working at… I had time to see what I was missing in my collection and fill in a few holes from what was there. A Mark Bagley headshot of the Rocketeer. For those non-comic book people Mark Bagley was the artist for Ultimate Spider-Man along with a lot of other titles. A signed canvas print of the Rocketeer done by James Mulligan, an artist for Disney. The poor booth across from us was selling these and they were nice, and I felt a bit sorry for them. A hard cover “Art of Stardust” book by Charles Vest. One of my favorite fantasy stories by Neil Gaiman and a really good movie adaptation too. Finally a patch of a gelatinous cube for my jacket.

What did I learn?

  • To trust my instincts.
  • I’m overjoyed that so many people got the photos and autographs that they so desperately needed to show their friends how cool they are… Like I said- that’s not my thing, but if it makes you happy- good for you!
  • Concrete floors are hard on your feet.
  • Middle booths are not “prime real estate.”
  • This con should be called “Indiana Fan Fest” if we are looking for truth in advertising.
  • Indiana could really use a real Comic Con.
  • I’m going to write up some suggestions for my LCS on how to possibly improve the experience (besides avoid Indiana Comic Con like the plague). Like NEW Signage! which I can help out with.
  • I am planning on attending at least one of the more comic centric cons coming up over the summer and fall. Don’t worry, I’ll be just as honest when I report back.
As I was leaving, I saw this on the floor… Since no one was around to assist me I didn’t dare pick it up-plus the misspelling might mean snakes are involved,