There’s so many great horror titles around and Halloween themed stories set within a lot of well established stories that it seemed like it would be obscene not to look into it….and if that isn’t enough, I’ve also put together a nice little Halloween themed playlist for you all to enjoy whilst reading! That’s right. Horror metal/rock/ambient stuff to compliment watching Michael Myers slice and dice his way through a group of randy teenagers by the creek, in the old abandoned shack, that was shut down due to Michael Myers slicing his way through a group of randy teenagers by the creek a few years beforehand.
ASM. The Amazing Spider-Man. Possibly THE most iconic Superhero in the world. Easily the most recognisable. “Fhwip”-ing his way around New York City, fighting crime, super villains and a Newspaper editor hell bent on crushing under his heel like, well, like a spider, all the while wise cracking and joking his way into the hearts and minds of millions of comic book fans world wide. And do you know something, I love him.
Hello again! Not as many swears this week guys and gals. Shit. However, a couple of weeks ago, you lovely lot voted on which X-Men book I should read first. I gave you a selection Days of Future Past, Broodfall, Astonishing X-men Vol 1, Age of Apocalypse and The Tomorrow People. You voted justly and the winner by a mile was Joss Whedon’s (Praise be to the geek God!!!) Astonishing Xmen Vol 1: Gifted.
Garth Ennis. A name synonymous with weird, dark, funny comics. He’s written Judge Dredd, Hellblazer, Preacher, The Punisher, Hitman, and The Boys. It’s the later we’re concerned with today! Having won two Eisner awards and been nominated for ten, I was expecting damn good things from The Boys.
The other day, Mr postman brought me an absolutely amazing nugget of brilliance. For the poultry sum of £3.50 I ordered Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s “The Killing Joke” Deluxe Edition, ranked #03 in IGN’s best Batman stories of all time, ever, ever, ever, ever so nerr. Or whatever it was called. It’s pretty, oh so pretty. The Dust jacket is all purple and gilded, then remove that and you have a beautifully embossed hardcover, with that famous final scene on it, and a delightful Joker card on the back.
When a mysterious worldwide plague starts putting millions of people into deadly comas, Earth’s foremost expert on the bizarre, John Constantine, steps in with the “cure,” After traveling from the dreary alleys of London to the glittering boulevards of L.A., Constantine realizes that a cadre of wicked demons and hellish monsters is behind the outbreak, and he’ll have to sacrifice more than himself to put an end to the nightmare.
Comic books. Comic books are weird. Lets be honest. They’re 23 paged little balls of death and emotion. They aren’t even a novella. They’re an assault on your senses and we lap them up like skittles at fat camp. There also isn’t just two major companies making these, as many non comic book readers may not be aware of. There are… indie comics. Not something I’m particularly used to reading if I’m honest.
I’ve had a fair few responses to my post, Get a look at her breast…plate. Some negative, some positive, but ultimately it’s getting people to discuss the problems of objectification and sexualisation. I wanted to do the age old comic thing and re-print a lot of my favourite answers and responses! Therefore welcome to the party Richter… I mean mail room buddy, enjoy the responses and thanks for reading!
Well, to celebrate the fact that I can write a load of old bollocks each week, and that you guys are still reading it, I would like to celebrate with a competition of such magnitude! I really appreciate all the support I’ve gotten from you all over the past ten weeks, the suggested reads, the feedback, the interactions and how many of you are spreading my little column all over the place. I wanted to repay the kindness! So, I have a little prize bundle, including the Walking Dead vol 1 & 2 trade paperbacks, a small collection of Top Cow Image imprints, a War Machine keyring and four Marvel Mega Blocks figures including Iron Man and Captain America.
San Diego Comic Con is over for another year. We’ve had thrills, excitement, laughs, terror, upset and boobs. In fact, plenty of boobs. Too many boobs if I’m honest. I’m not here to talk at length about all the announcements at Comic Con, but I will mention some I find intriguing! Batman/Superman should be interesting, as it’s the first time they’ll have been on screen. Zakk Snyder said “Let’s face it, it’s beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest Super Heroes in the world.” Plus it has also been confirmed that they’re looking at Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns as source material which could prove interesting!
Whilst I was reading the excellent and atmospheric Y the Last Man, I lay sprawled on my sofa, the warm air of the new-fangled British summertime hanging over me like a deeply hidden shameful memory, and I had an interesting thought. What music would complement this brilliant book? After five minutes or so of debating, I reached over lazily and turned on the Xbox and started streaming Joe Bonamassa’s “Dust Bowl” album.
“In the beginning, Zod created man, this man, Black Adam had a female counterpart, Atom Eve, though she had strayed from her Image. Atom Eve took a big ole bite out of an apple given to her by Snake Eyes, and so they were cast out of Wakanda and into the cold wastes of Latveria. Born unto Black Adam and Atom Eve, the twins Quiksilver and Scarlett Witch soon led their mutant brethren into Zod’s promised lands, Genosha. Lo, the mutants flourished in Genosha…”
Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime, They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them or they’ll send the talon for your head…
Before I start, if you haven’t read Court of Owls, then be warned, this post of mine contains spoilers galore! Don’t say I didn’t pre-warn you!
And low, so it came to pass, that the first proper comic book series I’ve ever read was a Superman arc, and not just any arc, but the beautifully, poignant, thought provoking All Star Superman. It also must have been providence since this week sees the last son of Krypton being very much in the spotlight with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel being unleashed like a speeding bullet in the cinemas with reviews claiming it to be more powerful than a locomotive and leaping over tall buildings in a single bound is the new comic series Superman Unchained from Scott Snyder and Jim Lee.
Now, as I sit here now on the red, fluffy rug that adorns my living room, the guitar solo laden intro to Justice League Unlimited is kicking out from the telly, goosebumps are crawling their way up my arm, and a very excited four year old boy is bouncing off the sofa shouting “How are they gonna get that weird purple thing off of Superman!”
Mongul had caught Kal-El off guard and unleashed a plant known as the Black Mercy upon him, sending him into a deep sleep, with a dream populated by his deepest idyll’s. He is married, has a son and is living out his life on an un-exploded Krypton.