Mesmo Delivery Packs a Whalop!

I've just been punched upside the head by a comic book. Mesmo Delivery, the debut full length comic by up-and-comer Rafael Grampa arrived today after what seems like months of waiting. And MAN was it worth it!

I don't recall exactly how I first noticed Grampa...maybe through Drawn. Probably through Becky Cloonan's blog. Whatever. The point is, I found his blog, and I was floored by what I was seeing there. I scanned the Portuguese, trying to figure out where I could buy his stuff, searched the Internet, looking for ANYTHING he had done. For months, there was nothing. Finally, one of those posts gave me a title...Mesmo Delivery. One quick Google search and PayPal purchase later, the deed had been done...Mesmo Delivery would be arriving at my house in 3 to 5 business days.

Wow, was it worth the wait. Mesmo is one part Grindhouse and one part Hard Boiled. It's one part Twilight Zone, one part Fight Club. It's a greasy, filthy, beautiful mess of a book that starts off going one direction and then totally flips you on your rear as it takes you out of your comfort zone and rubs your nose in all it's gory, freaky goodness. It's unlike anything else out there, and the artwork is so beautiful you can get lost in it. I can't wait to see what Grampa will do as a follow up to what was obviously a labor of love. Do yourself a favor, check it out as soon as you can. Then spread the word...we have to encourage this man to keep doing what he's doing!

The Incredible Hulk Movie Review

So...THAT is how you make a HULK movie!

Wow. Marvel is on fire. This is the movie that the Hulk deserves...huge, loud, violent and totally fun.

I find it interesting that instead of continuing with the story set up in Ang Lee's flaccid 2003 movie, they instead seem to have embraced the old Bill Bixby TV show. We've got a Bruce Banner on the run, trying to find a cure, and keep from hurting those around him.

The acting is all stellar. Ed Norton does his usually fantastic job as Bruce Banner. Liv Tyler is good as well. I like that she wasn't just a damsel in distress in this film, though she did play that part as well, but her Betty Ross helped move the story along. (Though, I wish we could have had someone who had a bit more of a bookish quality about them...she IS supposed to be a scientist in this, after all!) Still, she and Norton seemed to have some real chemistry between them, and you bought that they were in love. Then, there was Tim Roth. God, he was just creepy in this. Genius casting as the big villain of the film, and he was a great foil to Ed Norton.

As for the Hulk himself, there were a few problems. Outside of Gollum, I've never bought a CGI character in a live action film. It almost always pulls me from the story, and this Hulk was no different. He didn't seem quite real, though the decision to make him look not just solid but hard was a good one...much better than the squishy Hulk of the Ang Lee film. However, he did suffer from not looking quite real enough in many shots, not to mention the fact that his size relative to everyone else changed throughout the film (sometimes he looked 10 feet tall, others, around 7 feet tall)

Still, overall, the movie was great. It's a good time to be a superhero fan.

Secret War Trailer

OK, this is pretty sweet...

SECRET INVASION Animated Webisode!


So far, Secret Invasion has been stellar. It looks like it's going to be just huge. I'm normally not a "comic book event" king of guy, but apparently there have been so many hints about this, and so much groundwork laid for this story that I can't help but think that there will be no cheating here. Big story. Big consequences? Loads of fun.

DC Joins the Online Comics Community!

Comic Book Resources just posted an article about a new online comics community being created by DC Comics called Zuda. It sounds like they are going to try for a very interactive community, where users will vote for their favorite strips (which are the ones that will actually appear on that Zuda "ongoing series" pages). The submission process is open to anyone and everyone, and it sounds like it would be a great place to break into the comics business for anyone with an inkling and the talent to do so!

I can't wait to see what they have planned!

XKCD.com

I've been really enjoying this web comic I found called "XKCD". It's just crudely drawn stick figures with some of the most clever gags I've ever read.

Today's was a great example.

Wikipedian Protester

The strip also does something you don't see a lot of in any form of comics...it gets very romantic. Not necessarily hearts and roses, but romantic in the sense of expressing huge emotions. Take this for example:

It's such a simple, sweet sentiment. Not something I'm used to finding in a web comic (let alone the Internet as a whole!)

Many of the jokes revolve around the web, or science of some kind. I think I would love to sit down and have a beer with the guy that does this site. I just love the way his mind works.

Enjoy!

The Joker!?!!

Holy crap. This is so exciting!

Apparently, this is our first look at Heath Ledger as The Joker from his part in the upcoming Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight.

The image was revealed on ibelieveinharveydenttoo.com, where a picture of Heath in the makeup was slowly revealed. The site now claims to be down, giving a "Page Not Found" error (however, try doing a "select all" while on that page...)

This looks bad ass. I can't wait to see the take Nolan has on the Joker. I've heard a lot of people complain that no one could follow Jack Nicholson's performance in the original Tim Burton "Batman" film, but it looks like they aren't trying to compete with that portrayal. This is looking to be an entirely new Joker. One who may actually be as scary as he has been portrayed in the comic.

I'm trying not to get my hopes too high for this film, but wow. So far, so good.

Comics on a Cosmic Scale

It's funny that writer Brian Michael Bendis first became known for his smaller, character driven crime pieces, because recently, he has been writing some of the most epic, cosmic storylines this side of Jim Starlin.

The Illuminati, a five issue limited series penned by Bendis, is the best example of this concept. As of this writing, 3 issues have come out, and each book has topped the previous one in it's ability to blow my tiny mind. The basic gist of The Illuminati is that a small team of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel canon, The Sub-Mariner, Iron Man, Professor Xavier, Black Bolt, Mr. Fantastic and Doctor Strange, gather at times of great crisis to handle threats too big to be taken care of by conventional means. So far, we've seen them act on past events, usually cleaning up the messes left after the threat has already passed. In the first issue, they ensured that Earth would be spared any more harm in the wake of the Kree/Skrull war. In issue two, they decided the fate of the Infinity Gauntlet. The most recent issue (and best issue so far) deals with The Beyonder. Now, part of the enjoyment from these stories comes from simply revisiting these classic Marvel moments, but the spin that Bendis puts on these stories make them feel new and fresh. (At this point, I should probably mention co-writer Brian Reed, with spectacular art by Jim Cheung...they have a lot to do with the success of this book, I imagine.)

While the collection of heroes at first seemed a little odd (these are the most powerful? What about Thor? Why isn't Captain America included?), the personalities clash and blend in such wonderful ways. Add to that the fact that each issue puts these characters in the most dangerous situations imaginable (both the Infinity Gauntlet and The Beyonder have the power to wipe people from existence by simply wanting it) and you get some tense, sometimes dark books. However, it is Bendis, so you can be assured of some genuinely funny moments in the course of the stories.

The only warning I can think of in terms of this book is that if you aren't steeped in Marvel culture and history, you may not fully appreciate them. While I enjoyed the issue dealing with the Kree-Skull war, I had never read those issues of the Avengers, and it has been my least favorite of the series. I can imagine similar reactions to non-comic readers towards the stories about the Beyonder and the Infinity Gauntlet. Without knowing the history of these storylines, the danger (and, admittedly, nostalgia) would be mostly lost.

That having been said, I simply can't say enough about this title so far, and I recommend it to anyone who loves Marvel comics. Do yourself a favor, and pick them up!

My Supergirl...

So, there have been all these drawing memes recently, that I really wanted to get in on, but when I saw the talent posting there, I could never squeeze one out in time.

So, this week, I finally got around to just playing with a Supergirl re-design, and came up with something kind of fun. (Click the image for a little bit larger view)

The idea stemmed from this: "Who the hell is going to go out and buy / make a costume?! Even for aliens from another world, one would think that crimefighting gear should be comfortable. Like clothes you wear to work out in." So, I thought about what people wear to the gym, threw on some Chuck Taylor's for good measure, because they are always cool, and there you go. Supergirl.

A Quick Spider-Man 3 Review!

So, I'm just back from the film. I'm still trying to digest it all...it seems like there was a LOT of movie.

I liked it. I enjoyed the entire thing, and I'm sure I'll watch it again, but I don't think I liked it as much as Spider-Man 2. I can't tell you why, though. It just didn't leave me quite as satisfied as that film did. Here is a quick synopsis (I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum!)

The Good
The Villains! - Christ, you can really see where the money went in this movie. Venom and Sandman look amazing. I couldn't believe some of the Sandman scenes. To be honest, if there is one reason to see this film, it is Sandman. Not only because he looks fantastic, but because Thomas Haden Church did an amazing job of fleshing out his character in the few moments of character development he was given in this film. There is a pretty quick scene in the very beginning of this film that tells us pretty much all we really need to know to enjoy Flint Marco.

Black Spider-Man! - Spider-Man in the black costume looks really, really good. I've always thought they did a pretty good job of making me buy the classic red and blue costume, but the black costume? Freakin' awesome!

Mary Jane! - OK, I still have a hard time buying the Peter / MJ romance. They don't have a lot of chemistry together on screen. But wow, do I enjoy looking at Kirsten Dunst. At least in the Spider-Man films.

The Bad-ish
There was very little that was really bad about the film, but there were a few things that made me cringe.

The Cheese - OK, I love the fact that Sam Raimi isn't afraid to get corny. Hell, he built and entire career off of it! And Spider-Man is by NO means some dark and gritty hero a-la Batman. But Peter dancing down the road, pointing to every hot chick that passes by? Even the great Bruce Campbell would have trouble pulling that off (by the way...the Bruce Campbell cameo in this ROCKED!)

Gwen Stacy - I don't think I can really blame Bryce Dallas Howard for this. She wasn't given a lot to do here, except show up and be pretty. I would have liked more of this story, and a little more character development. Maybe that would have saved her?

Three Villains - The villains may have been the best thing about this movie, but having three of them hurt it, as well. I bought the reasons they were all there, and the film did a good job of making the whole thing feel organic, but as I said earlier, there was a LOT of movie going on, and I think they could have narrowed the focus a bit more and had a tighter plot. The Hobgoblin material could easily have carried a shorter, tighter movie.

Overall, I'm hardly disappointed. This is a great summer popcorn movie. I just wish it could have been a great movie. Period.

Watchmen Movie a Go?

Woah...I must be slipping. I hadn't heard anything about Watchmen being made into a movie and all of a sudden, I find a link off of the iFanboy.com website to director Zach Snyder talking about MAKING it...is this a go? IMDB has it listed as "pre-production". Wow. Watchmen as a movie. I don't know...

For those of you who don't know, Watchmen is considered one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) comic book of all time. It was a 12-issue miniseries released in 1986, written by Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons. It is a huge, sprawling, complex story. But one that can be effectively translated to the big screen? Personally, I don't think so. At least, it can't be made in any manner that would replicate the comic. The layers in that story, and the non-linear method of moving that story along, would be very, very hard to reproduce.

But who knows? I've been pleasantly surprised before. A man can dream.

Captain America is Dead...

I was surprised at the amount of attention this kicked up. So what? Cap is dead. He'll be back, people! It's a comic book!?! Does the name Doomsday mean nothing to you!? (er...probably not, I guess.) He killed Superman. Yeah, Superman died. Don't worry. He's back. Which is my point.

Seriously, though, it seems like EVERYONE is talking about this. But leave it to Stephen Colbert to put it all in perspective.

When comics meet politics. That's good stuff, there.

Minimal Color = More Pretty

So, I'm playing around with computer coloring, trying to come up with a look for a story I want to tell. I'm crap with coloring...I've just never had a good eye for what colors work well together. I think I know it when I see it, but there is just WAY too much trial and error.

Anyway, I've been seeing a lot of really beautiful work recently with some really minimal color palettes (most recently, the art of Van Beater)so I thought I would try something along that line.

It's not as easy as it looks, but I think I may finally be on my way...what do you think?

Seriously, I've never been one to beg for comments, but any critiques that you have of the piece would be more than welcome! Just leave them in the comments section of this post!

Thanks!

Wow!

When I first started this blog, I listed Sean Esty as a major inspiration. (see here) So you can imagine how honored I was when I found that he had LINKED TO ME! Somehow, he had found the original post I had made over at my livejournal blog, and he really liked my fan art! (GOD, I wish I would have finished that bird now!)

Anyway, let me just re-iterate....if you haven't checked out Marooned yet, you are missing out. It's a beautiful thing. Can't wait to see where it goes!

Thanks again, Sean!

My Pull List

So, earlier this week, my wife asked me how much I spend a week on comics (I had been teasing her about how much money she spent on scrapbooking stuff...last time I pull THAT!)

But it brought up a good question...I have no idea how much I spend each month on comics, or even how MANY books I pick up!

So, I thought it would be fun to go through this month's pull and see what on the list.

Superman Confidential - Not a huge Superman fan, but if Darwyn Cooke is on the book, I'll be buying it.

Nextwave : Agents of Hate - Not the best Warren Ellis book on the stands, but one of the only ones to come out on a regular schedule. I've enjoyed it so far, but won't miss it too much when it's gone in a few issues.

The Walking Dead - Oh HELL yeah! One of the best books on the stands. Issue #33 nearly made me gag. That's some intense stuff.

Desolation Jones - Really enjoyed the first arc of this book, but now it's almost ruined by Zezelj's art. It's pretty, but you can't tell one character from another!

Daredevil - I honestly didn't think even Brubaker could follow Bendis' run. He's not only followed it, I think he's surpassing it. The man is amazing.

Ex Machina - I can't believe that Brian K. Vaughan can keep up so many fantastic, quality books each month. This one kind of smolders. It sneaks up on you when you aren't ready for it. Intriguing, fascinating look at politics and our culture.

Criminal - Another gem by Brubaker. I missed Sleeper desperately when it ended. So nice to have something of that caliber again.

Y the Last Man - Vaughan again. Every issue surprises me. This book is begging to be made into a mediocre movie that could never begin to stand up to it's source material. =)

The New Avengers - Bendis has been really on and off for me recently. But when he writes a good story, it's gold.

Ultimate Spider-Man - My favorite Bendis book. Even beats what he did on Daredevil. The man can write teen angst.

Conan - Every month, I think I should drop this book. Yet, I pick it up, read it, love it and wonder how I could ever think of dropping it. I thought that Busiek leaving would give me my out, but Truman is knocking out of the park now too. Damn it.

All-Star Superman - Not a book I thought I would enjoy. Grant Morrison is SO hit or miss, but I came for Quitely and I'm sticking around for the fun neo-Silver Age-y madness.

The Boys - Not as good as Preacher, but it's a fine substitute. As the story is starting to build some steam, I'm becoming more and more of a fan.

Astonishing X-Men - Dear God, it's been years and years and years since the X-Men have been good. And this is really, really good. I love you Joss Whedon!!!

The Spirit - There's that Darwyn Cooke again! It's somehow very appropriate that he's doing this book. He still seems kind of fresh on the scene to be "legendary", but his storytelling is some of the best I've seen in years. A worthy heir to Eisner.

True Story, Swear to God - I am so wrapped up with what is going to happen in this book. It's hypnotic. Wish it came out more.

Ultimates - Bryan Hitch can make me believe in anything. This is bigger and better than any blockbuster movie ever made.

Runaways - The best of the Brian K. Vaughan books. And that's saying a hell of a lot. I love these kids, and the fact that no one is safe while Vaughan is on the book makes this the most "must read" of all my books. I live for this book. Buy the damn book already! (Joss Whedon is taking over once Vaughan leaves for Hollywood to write "Lost"...is that reason enough!?)

100 Bullets - I'm just sticking around to see how it ends now. This book started SO strong, but it's just gotten muddy as hell. Maybe if I sit down and read it front to back? At least the art is still gorgeous.

Astro City - Wish it came out more. It's like comic books distilled to their essence.

Fell - The best Warren Ellis in ages. Please tell me this isn't canceled. Please! (I miss it! Where did it go!?)

The Goon - God, this book is cool.

Local - Brian Wood's slice of life books rock my socks off.

Planetary - I so don't want this to end. This one has it's hooks in me deep. OK, I lied earlier. THIS is the best Warren Ellis book.

Stray Bullets - And here she is. The big momma of them all. The most outrageous, insane, you-never-know-what-you're-gonna-get book on the market. It doesn't come out near enough, and I don't care. I'll wait years between issues if it keeps up the quality. My favorite book.

Now, these don't all come out every month, but it's a pretty good representation of what I'll pick up. Besides, I always have a mini-series or one shot that I'm picking up. So, that's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...23, 24, TWENTY-FIVE!? And let's see, at around three bucks a book, that makes...um...seventy-five dollars?! (you won't tell my wife, right?)

Check that Crazy Cat!

I always wondered who they got to do those hip little characters for cocktail napkins. Now I know!

Seriously, though, this is a truly inspiring video. Splatters of paint in the hands of the artist known only as Elio turn into the greatest little characters! I love what he does with the TV!



One critique, though...HOW THE HELL DOES HE HOLD HIS PEN LIKE THAT!?! It hurts my hand just to watch!!!!!

(found on Drawn!)

Flight Anthologies

I'm going to do a huge favor. You are seriously going to thank me. Ready?

...

Go Buy the Flight Anthologies

I can honestly say that these things have brought me more comic reading pleasure than anything that I have bought in a long time, and those are some strong words considering how many books I'm currently reading!

I need to learn the story behind these books, and happily, while I was looking for some pictures of the book online that I could upload here, I found that they have a website! And it's a pretty, informative, full-of-links-y website that I am sure I will waste many, many hours on!

But what I really wanted to get across are the artists that contribute to these things. I know some of them...you have your superstars like Jeff Smith and Becky Cloonan, but you also have a TON of people who I have never heard of before, but who I cannot wait to explore! For example, who is this Doug Holgate guy, who turned in this charming story about a dog shot into space, but every website I find on him seems to be down!? And where can I buy more work from Kazu Kibuishi (who I just discovered is the guy behind Copper!?!)



The amount of inspiration and beauty in these books are mind-blowing. Seek them out and discover what comics are capable of.

Peanuts Meets Marvel!

Good Grief! I LOVE these!

PEANUTS MEETS MARVEL!

A small sampling of what you will see:







(It's sad that I can tell you where almost all these images come from, isn't it? I mean, not just the characters...the issue numbers. Yeah, I thought it was. *sigh*)