One World Under Gog

"God created the world in seven days. Gog will save it in seven more." -William Matthews

Is it just me, or does DC really not understand how to promote their epic stories? They missed the boat on Sinestro Corps Wars and didn't push it until the end, and now they are making the same mistake with the current JSA arc. I am enjoying this story about a million times more than Final Crisis right now.

"After Gog's here for seven days, we won't have an earth." -Sand

What started as a hint of a god showing up in the DCU has just blown the #$%^ up. I was shocked when we first saw Gog a few issues back. When he showed up as a god people loved (ala Jasmine from Angel) I knew Johns was going to do something kickass. Doc Mid-Nite's sight is restored, Damage gets a new face, Sand loses his nightmares, and Powergirl goes home to Earth-2. All of this was pretty sweet, but when we saw a JSA member die and Gog brought him back to life as Magog, I #$%^ my pants. 

I just finished reading The Kingdom and we are finally starting to see what Gog's intentions actually are. The JSA has split in two as KC Superman predicted would happen. One side is following Gog toward Kahndaq (Black Adam is there waiting), and the older half of the JSA is trying to figure out what to do about a God marching across the globe performing miracles. In this issue we see the cost of Gog's "miracles". A blind Dr. Mid-Nite could spot tumors just as they began to grow, but his new gift of sight has cost him his ability to heal others. Sand's nightmares would let him experience an actual crime as if he were the victim. Now he's forced to do his detective work the old fashioned way which is a little too slow to save lives. Damage has turned into an apostle for Gog and is spreading the word while representing the JSA. Of course, this offends some members and we see Stargirl try to intervene by bringing in Atam Smasher. It's always fun to see the adopted youth take on the actual offspring in superhero fashion. We get a good brawl between the two culminating with Damage blowing up his father's (now Al's) home.

"It is the final day. It is time to give thanks to Gog. All of you on your knees. Worship me." -Gog

Next issue can't come soon enough!

-G$

Can't Stop Thinking About X-Chicks

If you're looking to quench your thirst for X-Men in a post Joss Whedon Astonishing world, Uncanny X-Men is where you wanna start. This book is going back to the core of what the X-Men are all about. Cyclops and the gang have set up shop in San Francisco and have put out a call to the rest of the mutant population to enjoy the California sunshine with them. This latest issue starts in the Mojoverse (yea!) and then we jump into the head of Scott Summers. Scott's head isn't really that different from mine circa 1993-ish when Wizard did that swimsuit issue with the X-Chicks...anyway Matt Fraction was obviously playing to Terry Dodson's strengths scipting in a ton of hot chicks. The issue ends with Beast building a scientist dream team to fight the mojo Scarlet Witch unleashed at the end of House of M. I don't see myself dropping this book anytime soon.

I also read the newest issue of Punisher (Max of course) and for the first time since Garth Ennis left, I can say I'm digging it. This issue finally captures the "MAX" tone that has defined Punisher over the last several years. The book starts out with naked chicks, profanity, a shark, and a little blow. We see Punisher waste people, and Jigsaw shows up. The Jigsaw bit may be a little forced due to the impending movie, but it was still a fun ride.

Thanksgiving this week, so I won't be grabbing comics soon. I will be too busy eating and watching Australia.

Just read this over at Newsarama. Next time I'm in Orlando, I will def check this place out. Loved the Cival War promotion.

"If you wanna be a god and don't wanna be subject to our laws, then get your ass back to Asgard."

-G$

Bag it or Trash it…

This is a new segment that I’ll be doing every so often exclaiming to ‘Bag’ or ‘Trash’ books of the week. To ‘Bag it’ simply means, place it in a comic bag because it is good or worthy of re-reads later and to ‘Trash it’ means…well, it means just that. So on to some of this week’s books.

Terra #2 –
In the opening scene of this issue, we get to watch as Amanda Conner weaves an ‘Austin Power’ish scene of everything from hands to owl feathers covering up the protagonist’s most private parts as she dances through countless word balloons filled with chatter. Ultimately, what I love about Amanda’s art is the fact that she doesn’t need to draw images referenced from actual movie stars or overdo crosshatching & accent lines in attempt to create life-like characters. Instead, her style is deceivingly simple, but very full of life. In the two issues of Terra, we get to see just how life-like they are, whether it be with her wonderful array of facial expressions that really define her characters or with the mundane tasks her characters carry out in the back & foregrounds (such as Doctor Mid-nite having to reach for a canister of Fowl Towls to clean up after his pet owl). The story isn’t bad so far, but it’s the art that has me coming back for more right now.
Amanda Conner is always bag’able and this comic is more of the same.
--BAG IT!

Fantastic Four #561 –
I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Millar, but I must say, this comic is not half bad. There are plenty of twists and turns with fun reveals in it. Seems to be a good mix of story & action with art that is pretty good. All in all, it’s a good job by Millar & Hitch. Oh, and someone dies in it, you almost have to bag it just based on that.
And since there is not a twelve-year-old ninja running people through with swords in this one, I’ll have to say…
--BAG IT!

I’ll try and get some more posted soon. If you have any comics you would like to suggest to make it to this list, please let me know in a comment. Till next time…

-JaY k.

The Lich King's Wrath Unleashed

New WoW xpac is out. It's not bad, lost internet the day after I got the game but I was able to ninja my neighbor's wifi to get a couple levels in before my net was restored. The first thing the Lich King has unleashed his wrath upon would be my comic bewks. I did manage to read a few things last week, but I was forced to do it the old fashioned way....looking at the pictures. Couple things I noticed...

1.) Alex Ross should do more work with inks.

2.) Judd Winick's Green Arrow run would have been much better had I just looked at the pictures instead of reading it. Thank god we get a new writer next month, these last 5 years have been torture. I would rather be in a circle jerk with my dad and grandpa than re-read this crap.

3.) When Kevin Smith was researching the Joker for his new Onomatopoeia arc in "Batman Cacophony", he watched Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain instead of Dark Knight.

That is all.

-G$

Con-Artist(s)

Do you hate waiting for a Star Wars movie to get an excuse to stand in lines for days?

Do you like being in a room the size of a Taco Bell with 2,000 people dressed as Heath Ledger?

Do you think Corey Feldman is still cool after watching Surreal Life?

Then Wizard World Texas 2008 was the place for you!

Apparently, the best way to run a con is to have your guests only sign during set times and in 1 hour windows (often times overlapping with other guests). When you schedule your signings this way, it makes the guest feel like they are super special. No more wasting time answering questions about funky legs on the cover of Batman #500. Artists can now sit and draw commissions for $Arm.Leg all day long! 

I'm not even kidding. 

As I post this, I'm dealing with the pain that comes when you spend an entire afternoon staring down at the ground. This pain can be attributed to the genius that thought it would be a good idea to put booth names on the FLOOR. This also makes artists feel cool, because by the time you read their name on the ground you have to look up like a lost puppy dog and say something stupid like, "Are you Rags Morales?" and then the artist can say something cool like, "Of course I'm Rags Morales, you can't read my floor mat?". So after you're finished looking like a 10 year old that only stares at the pictures in a comic book because you can't read, you get to ask the artist to sign your crap. The really cool artists (like Rags Morales for example) will let you start pulling out your books and then point to the cardboard sign that says if you want something signed stand there till 4pm... or go make yourself feel tall by standing next to Corey Feldman to kill time.

Pop quiz, you only have 1 hour to get comics signed by Rags Morales, Phil Hester, and Ethan Van Sciver. There are lines a quarter mile long for each artist. What do you do?

If you're me, you leave and go see Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Yes it owned.

I did manage to score some 50% trades. Picked up Frank Miller's Daredevil vol.3, Sin City Hell and Back, and V for Vendetta.

Marko Djurdjevic is cool.

Danny Trejo gave me a high five, so he is cool also.

Pics Here.

-G$

My Origin Story

1992 was a big year. After serving only one term in office, President George H. W. Bush was defeated by William Jefferson Clinton, we had a "Dream Team", Batman Returned, Robin Williams was a Genie, Kurt Cobain got married, and John Gotti went to prison (2 years after Earnest). I can honestly say, the only thing I can remember from that year is that John Romita Jr. drew Punisher War Zone. That may be due to the fact I was 10 years old. Regardless, when I discovered JRJr, I was hooked. With the exception of some teenage years spent chasing tail (after I scored I quickly realized comics were cooler anyway), I've been reading comics ever since.

Here I am 16 years later waking up to Jeph Loeb getting axed from Heroes. I have to say this came as a shock to me. Here I was watching this third season of Heroes thinking I'm finally getting the payoff that's been building since the first season originally aired. Judging by the comments in that article, I'm in the minority that feels that way. While I have to say I quit reading Loeb's comics after his Superman/Batman run (which I dropped a few issues in and didn't come back till Supergirl showed up), I still respect him as a writer and will miss him on this show.

Justice Society of America #20 comes out this Wednesday. Really liking the direction this book is going. Kingdom Come was a killer read back in the day and Geoff Johns is tying his newest JSA book into it perfectly. Looks like a pretty slow week in comics so unless by some freak chance I pick up Ultimatum (see paragraph above), this will be the title I post about next week.

Wizard World Texas starts this Friday. The only convention I've ever been to is Megacon in Orlando Florida and from what I can tell WWT doesn't compare. This doesn't come as much of a surprise to me. I know last time I was at Megacon, I had a blast. By the time the trip was over, Jay and I spent an evening in a bar with more creators I can name, Erica Durance (or Erica Sexy-pants as I like to call her) was on the phone with my wife, and Jay was buying drinks for Kristy Swanson. That being said, hard not to get pumped for a convention. Look for pics next week.

Kevin Smith's newest movie Zach and Miri Make a Porno came out last week. I opted to see the Eastwood/JMS flick "Changling" instead (yes it is badass), figured I'd save the Porno to go with my comics this weekend.

This Tuesday night is a big night, that's the night I play WoW with my buddies and we kill internet dragons....and I think there's an election or something. See ya next week.

-G$