recent reads; Superman Triple Play

Superman: Brainiac

In this stand alone story, Superman finally goes up against his foe, Brainiac. He has dealt with various probes and forms of Brainiac in the past, but here Superman decides on a showdown with the real, original Brainiac. This features great art, has some wonderful moments with Kents and the story is a good examination of Brainiac and his motivations.

I love that the countenance of Superman in this comic is based on Christopher Reeve.

This book was adapted as a direct-to-disc animated movie, SUPERMAN UNBOUND. (Though, the animation didn't carryover the Reeve image.)

Superman: Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow?

"Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow?" was a swan song story written by Alan Moore. In 1985, the DC line was rebooting. This is their "last" story of Superman up to 1985.

After quiet years, Superman's remaining super-villains try one last all-out assault on the Man of Steel. After his identity is compromised, Superman flies his family and friends to the Fortress of Solitude where he makes his last stand.

This collection also includes a Superman & Swamp Thing story, which is surprisingly good.

The book is rounded out by "For The Man Who Has Everything," now considered a classic Superman tale that was adapted for both the animated JUSTICE LEAGUE television series, as well as recently being adapted for an episode of the new live action SUPERGIRL series. A parasitic alien plant gives Superman a comatose dream of life on Krypton. His friends struggle to free him from the parasite and save themselves from the alien warlord, Mongul.

Superman / Tarzan: Sons of the Jungle

What if John Clayton had not been orphaned in the African jungle? What if Superman's rocketship had delivered the baby Kryptonian to the great apes, instead?

I must admit that I am only halfway through this one. I am enjoying this story. But the cartoony style illustration leaves me cold. I'd prefered a more direct approach to the art.

recent reads: weekend superheroing

Justice League: Gods and Monsters

This collection serves as a prequel to the animated movie of the same name.

Each character - Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman - had their own prequel issue and then they joined forces in the 3-issue story arc.

The story involves a scientist who is creating super-humans. Do the Justice League see a potential threat to humanity, or are they merely jealous and want to keep their position of superiority?

For the most part, I enjoyed this book and I think it weaves nicely with the movie.

On the down side, the artwork sometimes confused me about action that was happening. The strong start of the story felt like it was going off the rails by the end. Personally, I wanted to know more about Luthor and how he ended up like he was in the movie, but this story wasn't about that. Maybe they can do another comic or movie.

The Hernan Guerra, son of Zod, Superman is growing on me. I liked him quite a bit after the movie and I like him, mostly, here. He is a character that has to grow on you. He has an abrasive side, for sure.

I even like the Kirk Langstrom vampiric Batman a bit more after reading this. In the movie his character didn't move me very much but he plays better in this story, I think.

Team-ups of the Brave and the Bold

A thin book but some interesting team-up choices. Straczynski can write stories, and these are all solid, fun and some have poignant moments. We get Batman and Dial-H for Hero, Flash and the Blackhawks in the Battle of the Bulge, Batman and a really obscure hero from the 1960s, Brother Power. The Atom doesn't exactly team-up with the Joker but their story heavily involves both both of them. Wonder Woman, Zatanna and Batgirl have a night on the town.

Perhaps the most fun of the bunch is Aquaman teaming up with the Demon to stop an underwater interdimensional invasion. Mutated fish, resurrected drowned men, and a ruined city with angles that are all wrong. Yeah, they went there. And it was cool.

recent reads; Batman:Haunted Knight and Superman: Kryptonite

New Year Reading Goal; make a dent reading the graphic novels & collected trades I've been acquiring over the past few years (largely thanks to sales.)

Batman: Haunted Knight

Collects three stories of the Dark Knight, all centered on Halloween. Yesterday was a rainy & windy day and these tales were a perfect match for the mood. The first story has Batman tangling with the Scarecrow. The second story, Batman is taking on The Mad Hatter and trying to save Gordon's daughter from the villain. The third story brings in Penguin, Joker and Scarecrow, but they are not what they seem - they are spirits and the story is a Halloween & Batman take on A Christmas Carol.

Superman: Kryptonite

Darwyn Cooke does good DC work. He's very renowned for his work on a semi-historical take of the Justice League in The New Frontier (which also was adapted as an animated movie.)

Here, Cooke tackles a revamp of Superman's discovery of his weakness to kryptonite. (Cooke only did the writing on this one, art is by Tim Sale - who also did the art on Batman: Haunted Knight.) Though the story setting is modern (cell phones) there is a retro feel throughout, and it winds back the clock to Superman's early superheroing. A mobster is opening a casino in Metropolis, and he brings with him a large green stone. Lex Luthor bides his time, testing Superman and waiting to take out his criminal rival.

There is nice layering here with Superman, his life as Clark, his relationship with Lois Lane and his relationship with his adoptive parents, the Kents.

Again, my highest compliment to any DC story is a desire to see it animated. I wouldn't mind seeing either Batman: Haunted Knight or Superman: Kryptonite adapted to animation. They're enjoyable reads.

recent reads; digital graphic novels

I read through a lot of digital comics this weekend. Much easier than reading prose when multitasking, a.k.a. minding kids.

Gotham by Gaslight (A Tale of the Batman)

Not steampunk, but a Victorian take on a late 19th century Gotham with a prowling Batman, Jack the Ripper and art by Mike Mignola. Who could say no? It was good, though I guessed who was the Ripper fairly early on. Good twist with Bruce Wayne nearly at the gallows for the crimes, which did make for a suspenseful moment - perhaps in this alternate world Bruce/Batman would turn out to be a mad murderer? You'll need to read this one to see for yourself.

The Tower Chronicles: (Volume1) Geisthawk

John Tower, investigator/mercenary for hire when you have a supernatural problem. The art by Simon Bisley is excellent. All manners of creatures pop up along the way; vengeful ghosts, vampires, kobolds, demons. Tower also has a history with a secret society, The Brotherhood of the Rose, who weave their unwelcome threads along his immortal history. I am looking forward to reading the second series.

Buck Rogers, Volume 1 Future Shock

This was fun. This Buck Rogers ends up in a future where men are meat and intelligent animals, "The Pack, threaten mankind. All the while he must also discover who he is and what to make of himself in the new world. Lots of pulpy fun here. Flight suits, spaceships, atomzier pistols., etc.

Buck Rogers, Volume 2 Brave New World

The fact that I kept going onto Volume 2 immediately should tell you that I did indeed enjoy Volume 1.

This followup had even more space opera derring-do. Instead of one enemy, Buck goes from breathless adventure to breathless adventure. He saves the world from underground mutants, air pirates, and rogue robots on the moon.

I don't know what became of this series. Volume 2 ends on a cliffhanger with the promise Rogers will be back. Of course, that was back in 2010. I can't even find these listed at Comixology for sale anymore. I don't know if something fell through with the rights. (There is a new, retro Buck Rogers now from Hermes Press with art by Howard Chaykin.) Too bad. I would have continued with the Dynamite storyline it if it kept going.

Trinity (Superman / Batman / Wonder Woman)

A stand-alone tale of the famous trio's first team-up. In this story, Batman and Superman know each other, but Wonder Woman is a new arrival. A mystery villain recruits a rogue amazon and frees Bizarro from the Antarctic ice (where Luthor put his failed experiment for safekeeping.) The hand is soon revealed to be Ra's al Ghul. He is on yet another mission to purge the world of the evil elements of mankind.

In addition to a decent villainous plot and heroes interplay, I appreciated that there wasn't a cliche "battle of heroes over a misunderstanding." When Wonder Woman first confronts Superman, thinking he is guilty of a crime committed by Bizarro, she uses diplomacy (appropriately enough) before any fisticuffs. Wonder Woman and Batman almost come to blows, but Superman keeps the peace. In other words, this is indeed a team, no "versus" here.

The one negative here was implication of Ra's al Ghul as a rapist. He threatens such on Wonder Woman and invades Themyscira making comments about Amazon "breeding stock." It seemed a bit ignoble of the character - but I'm not well-versed in the character's comic history, either.

Again, my highest compliment would be to see this one animated as a movie by DC/WB. I think it would be a fun one.

Overall, a good batch of stuff, I am happy to report.

recently read comics; Thun'da, Kade, Sledgehammer 44

Stumbled on this one from Arcana during a Comixology sale. It intrigued me as Kade seemed - from a quick glance - to be a combination of Karl Edward Wagner's Kane and Barry Sadler's Casca.

Kade: Mourning Sun

Although the cover clearly indicates a WW2 adventure, the blurb mentioned turn-of-the-20th-century Cossacks, which made me even more interested. I was a little disappointed the Cossack section didn't last very long. I think it would have been more interesting. The story largely involves Kade chasing after Lucifer. Lucifer is impersonating a German officer (Sympathy for the Devil?) and trying to raise an undead army in a most gruesome manner. Kade just misses Lucifer more than once, usually at a physical cost - including years of 'death.'

This story did not make clear to me (nor was there a foreword to explain) where Kade comes from. I can't tell if he is man, demon or angel. He is immortal and he feels no physical pain. Once I figure out which book is the first one, it might have his origins.

There are quite a few of these Kade collections, and in the back of this one, they list each era & location were each story is set. I already have a couple more (it was a half-price sale) and might get some more if I like those.


Onto the jungles of Africa, where Dynamite Entertainment revived the old King of the Jungle...- Thun'da. As Tarzan knockoffs go, I didn't find Thun'da too bad, and hey - originally created and drawn by Frank Frazetta!

Roger Drum is an Army specialist who crash lands in a strange land populated by dinosaurs, Stone Age tribes and other nasties. The crash gave his partial amnesia. He tries to piece together his memories as he fights to survive and climb to the top of the food chain.

Thun'da

The very nice touch here is that each issue includes original Thun'da comics, drawn & created by Frank Frazetta (and, a lot of the stories were written by Gardner Fox.) It also allows you to follow the revamp and see where the new stuff came from. Very neat.


Last up, we have a Mike Mignola entry, Sledgehammer 44.

Sledgehammer 44

I enjoyed this, but I must say... - the opening and the opening of Atomic Robo's first tale are very similar. I sure hope that is coincidence. In each case, the metal heroes are delivered into an enemy position via a bomb, from which they then exit. Someone else already did the footwork.

I found a little thread here, too. The Sledgehammer suit predates Robo, but the Robo story and layout predate this Sledgehammer 44 spinoff. And the Sledgehammer is just a suit (a'la Iron Man) whereas Robo is an actual robot.

Anyway, once the story got rolling, it was certainly its own entity. I enjoyed it enough to try another Sledgehammer 44 title sometime in the future.

recent reads; comic capsules

Thanks to the iPad, I've been tearing through comics lately.  In addition to many single issues (some of which have added series to my wishlist, some which have not) I've read a few collected arcs.

Superman Beyond: Man of Tomorrow

Superman Beyond is new digital exclusive title from DC, though this collected edition was available in trade paperback (which is how I read it.)  Set in the Batman Beyond universe/timeline, the focus here is on an older Superman in the future.  He has recently come out of "retirement," and must face a new era without the friends and family who used to keep him centered.  Battling Lex Luthor (and Luthor's post-death plans,) future super-cops gone rogue and alien oppressors, Superman squares off against the future and his own misgivings & doubts.  I think there was a lot of good going on here, and I plan to continue on with the series - as well as adding Justice League Beyond and Batman Beyond to my wishlist, too.

Neozoic

Welcome to a world where dinosaurs never died out.  Mankind live in fortress-cities reminiscent of feudal Japan.  When the big, hungry lizards come calling, it's time to call out the Predator Defense League - experts in ways to kill T-Rexs and other nasties.  This wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it is still an enjoyable dino romp with politics and religion in the mix.  One complaint is the art-style which is fine but occasionally I felt faces looked too much alike and I lost context a few times on close-ups.  Red 5 Comics just started up a 4-issue sequel, which I will probably be reading in the future.

Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand

Hellboy is a hero, but what heroes inspired Hellboy?  Well, Lobster Johnson was one.  A pulp/noir fighter of crime & evil, Lobster dispatched the baddies with a claw-mark burned in their foreheads.  When mobsters playing Indian (Native American) ghosts try to stir up New York City, Johnson is determined to get to the bottom of things.  But, the occult trappings might be more than trappings, as mobster-fighting leads to deeper, darker things.  This is great, fun stuff.  If you like Hellboy and/or pulp adventures, this will satisfy.

King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword

While Dark Horse uncoupled from the faithful Conan adaptation wagon with their (IMHO) horrible and loose Conan the Barbarian main title, it seems maybe they were hedging their bets by producing some excellent King Conan titles.  The Phoenix on the Sword was the second tale directly adapted from Robert E. Howard under Dark Horse's own King Conan series (as opposed to Marvel reprints.)  (The Scarlet Citadel was first, and The Hour of the Dragon starts soon.)

This is truly excellent.  The adaptation is faithful, though bookends have been added.  The artwork pops off every page.  It is as detailed as the old black-&-white The Savage Sword of Conan, but in full, glorious color.

Stunning artwork.  Faithful adaptation of Robert E. Howard's original story.  Couldn't ask for anything more!

note: I believe all these titles are available in trades (Neozoic was recently reprinted,) or digital through Comixology and/or Dark Horse.

comics

Sorry for lack of posts.  Been busy and tired.

Most of last month's reading was spent in comics, largely in the behemoth collected story, The Return of Superman.

Some good stuff in there, but also some of goofy stuff, too.  Series that have gone on so long that they keep adding on crazy stuff to keep going, or retcon deaths or retcon character behavior, do seem to get out of hand.  I find myself preferring self-contained story arcs.

But it was good to read, finally, the original story for myself.

I am also continuing to follow the various Planet of the Apes stories coming from Boom Studios. I like that we get to see the wider Ape world beyond Ape City, and they are setting up interesting plot lines and elements that later become exposed in the original movie.  (For instance, when Zaius accuses Taylor of being a mutant, and references "nests" of mutants - did you ever wonder why Zaius had that idea in his head?)

Snuck in a read of Atomic Robo: Real Science Adventures; Volume 1, which features a host of guest artists doing short one-offs with Robo's writer, Brain Clevinger.  I can't rave about this comic enough.  Get yourself some, you'll be glad you did!

Atomic Robo treasure chest

Not too long ago I discovered and posted about Atomic Robo.

Over the past few days, I made discoveries that are of interest.

First, here is a cache of free Atomic Robo comics, mostly the digital editions of the Free Comic Book Day issues from the last few years, and some others sprinkled in.

I especially enjoyed "Why Atomic Robo Hates Dr. Dinosaur" and "When Science Attacks"

Dr. Dinosaur is hilarious!

Secondly, I would have put money into this, but now I don't need to.  There was a Kickstarter campaign earlier in the year.  They are funded, and will be creating a short movie, Last Stop, which will be free on the Web when they are done.

You can view the Last Stop trailer here.

Exciting time to be discovering something new and vibrant!

recent read; Queen Sonja, Volume 1

I read this one while on vacation in August.

The plot is a bit pedestrian fantasy, but not bad.  Sonja seeks a special sword and along way gets involved with bandits who are really royalty in exile from a conquered land.  The stakes keep rising, until Sonja becomes involved in a battle that leaves her with the crown of Sogoria.  To keep her crown she must battle against wizardry and political machinations.

I suppose if it's not the usurper tale (Conan, Kull) it would the be "farm girl learns she is the real queen and must kill her evil aunt" story.

Weekend Scores at the Comic Shops

Last month, a local comic store (a mini-chain with three locations) had a sale at their warehouse, and I made quite the splash, picking up a pile of Dynamite's Savage Tales and some trade paperbacks.

This weekend, a different local comic shop had a sale on collected trade hardcovers and paperbacks.   The 'buy 1, get 2 free' sale was limited to a recently acquired collection only.  However, it was a large collection.  Mostly Marvel books, which I wasn't really looking for.  But I did end up with Skaar, Son of Hulk, and Hulk: Planet Skaar.  I am hoping for some flavor of sword-&-planet with those two.

Confession; the third book I acquired was Spider-Man/Red Sonja.  A silly team-up, to be sure.  But, I had my youngest toddler in tow.  I needed to flip through and make quick grabs.

Recent Reads

The Gods Return by David Drake

The Gods Return marks the end of Drake's Isles series, and the third act of the closing trilogy of novels.  I've enjoyed the series, and revisiting the main characters every year or so since I started reading it.

The Isles have become a single continent, the land mass upheaved from time & space through sorcery.  This makes for interesting challenges for seafaring city-states that find themselves landlocked.

The old gods - if they ever existed - have fled from the new continent, and malefic gods from other dimensions are ready to invade, aided by marching armies of conquerors who wish to take advantage of the chaos in the wake of the upheaval.

Drake delivers a good novel, with the usual beats that have been happening all along in the series.  The ending surprised me, though it was setup and can be seen in hindsight.  The surprise was a good thing.

I did feel that this novel took a while to get going.  There is a lot of setup before the action gets cooking, but in the end, The Gods Return is a solid wrap to the Isles series.

p.s. - The classical style of the Donato covers on this series have been fantastic.  The Gods Return was no exception, which is why I went for the full wraparound here.

Ironwolf - Fires of the Revolution by Howard Chaykin (writer,) John Francis Moore(writer,) Mike Mignola (penciller,) & P. Craig Russel (inker)

This graphic novel was mentioned on The Swords & Planet League on Facebook. I spotted it at a comic store not long after. Mike Mignola's involvement piqued my interest, so I grabbed it.

The story is more along the lines of steampunk swashbuckler in a space opera setting, rather than sword-&-planet. (to me, anyway. I suppose the genre doesn't really matter – I am just trying to give you an idea of the flavor.)

Ironwolf is a nobleman from a decrepit and decadent empire, ruled by heartless vampires and their drug-addled sycophants. Disgusted by what he sees and experiences, he joins the rebellion, only to be betrayed by allies and family alike. After a multi-year coma, Ironwolf returns for revenge. But, his side lost the war, so navigating the Empire is fraught with peril.

It was entertaining enough for what it is, but I don't know if I'd return to the setting for another story.

The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning by Hallgrimur Helgason

When the e'book edition of this title popped up as the Kindle Daily Deal, the blurb intrigued me;

With some 66 hits under his belt, Tomislav Bokšić, or Toxic, has a flawless record as hitman for the Croatian mafia in New York. That is, until he kills the wrong guy and is forced to flee the States, leaving behind the life he knows and loves. Suddenly, he finds himself on a plane hurtling toward Reykjavik, Iceland, borrowing the identity of an American televangelist named Father Friendly. With no means of escape from this island devoid of gun shops and contract killing, tragicomic hilarity ensues as he is forced to come to terms with his bloody past and reevaluate his future.

I expected something along the lines of a British gangster movie – violence and grim humor. It turns out, this novel is straight ahead black comedy; though it does slip into drama along the way. There isn't a central crime caper like a gangster movie. The story is about Toxic's exile, and being on the lam, surviving day-to-day, eventually making a genuine effort to live straight and narrow.

Helgason has the sharp ability elicit laughter and then just as equally generate horror and sympathy for Toxic in regards to his past of warfare and violence. But the laughs subtly return again a few pages later. It that respect, I felt echoes of Joseph Heller.

A murderous hitman could be difficult to present as a sympathetic hero, but Helgason pulls the reader in. Given Toxic's mad world of the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, his violent life as a hitman, and the crazy characters and situations Toxic experiences every day, Helgason manages to make the gun-free, idyllic life of Icelanders seem to be the absurdity.

What is with these Icelanders? No army. No guns. No nothing. Only gorgeous women driving luxury jeeps...

I really enjoyed this novel. It's dark and twisted, but it was such a change of pace, I couldn't help smiling most of the way through.

Superman in the New 52

I finished up reading the initial arcs for the revamped Superman (and, everyone else in the DC Universe - see "New 52") in Action Comics and Superman.

Superman meets the new Brainiac, Action Comics #8.

I wasn't all that taken with the Superman opening story.  It was tied to the Action Comics tale, but I didn't feel a strong connection.  There was just something about the tone and timbre of Action Comics that I preferred.  It probably didn't hurt that they had Grant Morrison writing the opening story of the Action Comics revamp.

The Action Comics story involves Superman as a newly emerging superhero, trying to find his footing. He is very much a crusader for the little people, his cause augmented by liberal, investigative reporter Clark Kent.  Superman begins on the wrong side of the law, but with the arrival of a dangerous alien entity, Brainiac, people learn to value Superman's presence.

Recently read

Savage Red Sonja: Queen of the Frozen Wastes

Other than the curves and red hair, I haven't really gotten into Red Sonja.  She looks great, but I can't think of a single story that really stands out in my head from what I have read. (granted, I haven't read too much.)  This one was in the bargain bin at the local music/comic store, so I grabbed it for yucks.

Not sure about the "Savage" part of the title.  The Conan Dark Horse series thankfully has a detailed Wikipedia page on the various imprints, but from what I could find, Red Sonja's Dynamite run doesn't have as concise a page listing.

Sonja has hired herself out as a scout amongst warring faction in the Gunderland mountains.  After the battle is concluded, the survivors are beset by beast men who overpower them (and Sonja) and bring them into the underground lair of the Queen of the Frozen Wastes.  The Queen rules over neanderthal men, yeti and human slaves, and enjoys watching arena battles and partaking of flesh.

Planet of the Apes (via Boom Studios)

For prose, I have been reading Tim Willocks' The Religion, which is great so far.  But it is a thick, meaty read, so I've been knocking off some comics when I don't have time for a deep reading session.

Somewhere I had read about the new Planet of the Apes comic from Boom Studios, and read that it was set in the timeline of the original movies.  Even though I am a huge ApeHead, this information slipped to the back of my mind (as did the new movie, The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which I have not yet seen.)

I was at the comic store, and spotted the back issues on the shelf, and figured, why not?  I bought the first issue.  I bought #2 & #3 the following week.

I'm glad I did.  I like this comic.  It remains faithful to the original setting, while creating its own niche.

The New 52 - DC Comics

I gave in.  I bought these two issues from DC Comics.  I had sworn off individual issues a while back, but I just got too curious about the new Superman revamp.

I would have bought the e-comics.  And maybe, with my tired, getting-older eyes, being able to see frames on the big screen probably wouldn't hurt.  But the price is the same as print right now (where's the incentive, DC?)  I have extra cardboard and bags from when I was still collecting issues.

So, I figured - why not?

I haven't bothered following the news and myriad comments whether this regeneration of most of the DC line has been good or bad for their business.  I am sure there are fans.  I am sure some were alienated.  I might as well decide for myself if I like this new paradigm or not.

Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword #2

"El Borak: The Incident at Hakim's Rest"

Written by Mark Finn

Good self-contained El Borak story.  At the very end, though, I did get a little confused as to which side was controlling the fort and who were the besieged and who were the attackers.
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"Dark Agnes: Storytelling" (Part 2 of 2)

Written by Marc Andreyko

Back at the tavern, the swords come out.  Agnes draws some blood.  That's it - story over.
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"A New Game for Costigan"

Written by Joe Casey

I enjoyed this one, though it is a humorous tale.  Costigan takes up fight reporting, and proceeds to offend both boxers in the upcoming big match.  Hijinks ensue.
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"Sea Curse"

Written by Robert E. Howard

Not a comic, but a printing of the horror tale with some b&w illustrations.  An old hag curses two vile sailors as they embark on another sea outing.  A young boy witnesses the Flying Dutchman bringing one of the men home.
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"The Valley of the Worm"

Written by Robert E. Howard Adapted by Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway

A reprint from 1972, this is an excellent, chilling adaptation of the original Howard story.  Niord, an man of ancient times, kills a Cthuluian "worm", and creates the race memory of all the stories of a single man vs. dragon - St. George, Perseus, Beowulf, etc.
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"Conan and The Jewels of Hesterm" (Part 2 of 3)
Written by Paul Tobin

The story goes right off the rails in this part. Conan breaks into the Temple of the Elder Queen and sneaks past a roomful of guards. Then, he pauses, says, "No, you will know that Conan of Cimmeria was here!" He turns around, marches into the room and kills all the guards but one.

(nitpick rant follows)

Geek out - The Cult of Timm

(more Speak Out With Your Geek Out)

In Hollywood chat among 'geeks', Joss Whedon fans have been referred to as "cult of Whedon" and some t-shirts are emblazoned "Whedon is God."

Now, I am not here to slam Whedon or compare, at all.  I just use this example to illustrate those who love everything he touches.

Personally, I'd like to start a "Cult of (Bruce) Timm."  Because, I thoroughly enjoy any animation project he does that involves the DC Comics universe.

I didn't get into comics until I was well into adulthood.  Oh, I had the occasional horror comic, or old Conan comic, (Later, I would acquire graphic novels, collections and issues when Dark Horse revived the Conan line.)  But, I never really appreciated the superhero vein.

Then I watched Cartoon Network's Justice League, produced by Bruce Timm.

I was hooked.  I still am.  I have all the series he produced, Batman: the Animated Series, Superman: the Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League.  I went back and caught up.  I also have a shelf full of the action figures in my home office.

Since 2007, Timm & company have been producing DC Universe Animated Original Movies.  These feature a rotating cast and crew and even changing animation styles.  They don't need to have continuity, each stands alone, and I enjoy the mix up.  All the movies have been from good to excellent.

I've delved into the occasional comic title, or graphic novel of DC superheroes now.  Either because they were directly adapted or because I was curious to learn more.  I will continue to do so.  I've even picked some issues of the New 52 reboot.  I know DC are probably losing some longtime fans, but for me - still a relative newbie - it's exciting to get in the ground floor.  As a writer and fan, it will be interesting to see how the line is revamped - and what works, and what doesn't.

In short, I'm excited about superheroes and I don't think I would be saying that without Bruce Timm's work.

I don't know if this is a full geek out because I am not an expert on the history of the DC line, and I don't know minutiae about Bruce Timm.  But, he opened the world of superheroes for me like no one had before.

If you haven't seen any of his DC Animated work, do yourself a favor.  Pick an episode or a movie, any one should do.  If you want a starting point, my favorite of the movies so far was Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.

Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword #1

"Conan and The Jewels of Hesterm" (Part 1 of 3)
Written by Paul Tobin

This story opening left me cold. It really felt like Dungeons & Dragons. "Hesterm"? "Temple of the Elder Queen"?  Jewel thieves chased into the streets by fire-demon guards.  Conan's first appearance is cliche as they come, sitting in a tavern, flirting with the bar wench.  There is a very large stolen jewel and vague references to it being the temple's second greatest treasure.  It's extremely easy to guess what the first greatest treasure is.  So, not very Hyborian Age and a predictable storyline.
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"John Silent: The Earthbound Dead"
Written by Scott Allie

A sequel short to Allie's adaptation of "The Castle of the Devil". Not too bad a horror tale.  The cursed book Silent acquired has driven him mad.
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Six Guns and Scimitars: The Wild West in The Middle East
Written by Mark Finn

An illuminating treatise on El Borak and his world at the very start of the 20th century. No comic here, just a setup for a story in issue #2, which is also written by Mark Finn.
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"Dark Agnes: Storytelling" (Part 1 of 2)
Written by Marc Andreydo

Another tavern tale.  This time setting up the arrival of Agnes.  Nice use of conflicting backstory imagery against the tale being told.  Not much else going on.
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"Worms of the Earth"
Written by Robert E. Howard, Adapted by Roy Thomas

This is a reprint of an old b&w Savage Sword of Conan comic. I wasn't sure about the colorizing.   I know from some of the Roy Thomas introductions to the Chronicles of Conan collections that occasionally they would colorize a SSOC issue to cover the main Conan comic if something fell through.   I always thought the coloring made the pictures too busy, with all the b&w lining already on the page.  I'm happy to say "Worms of the Earth" looks great!  The colors are earthen, muted and dark.  They really fit the tone of the tale.
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So, that's it for issue #1 contents.  Probably worth it for the "Worms of the Earth" reprint, if you don't already have it.

I am no artist, I can't draw, and I feel weird critiquing art but the cover leaves a lot to be desired.  It seems, to me, crude.  And the bloody face evokes more thoughts of a bloody nose than a hard fight, to me.

The interior art is well done, though.

Notice something about all the stories?  We have a comic book named Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword with one Howard adaptation - and that is a reprint. Everything else is "pastiche".  I guess part of the charter here is to explore REH's characters further, but shouldn't they start off with adaptations of the original stories and then move into new tales?  I can understand keeping the Conan stories for the main comic but no "Blades for France" for Dark Agnes?

Maybe they're saving them for later.

Recent reads

I finally found a stride of more than one post per month, so I figure I should keep it going.

Two recent reads to discuss;


Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

This was a free pre-order on the Kindle. It's a short pep rally. It tangents off Pressfield's War of Art and deals with fighting--what he calls--Resistance. All that intangible fear, laziness, procrastination, etc, that keep you from doing what you need to as an 'artist' (writer, painter, entrepreneur, etc.)

I do like Pressfield's "foolscap" method - any story (or idea) should breakdown to a single sheet of yellow lined paper. For a tale that would be - sentence first act, sentence second act, sentence third act, theme written across the bottom. Take that skeleton and run. (also how this short book is presented, and it's a nice mirroring effect.)

Good pep for free, not sure I'd want to spend too much if you already have War of Art, though.

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(Classic) Battlestar Galactica: Cylon Apocalyse by Javier Grillo-Marxuach / Carlos Rafael

I mostly liked the revamped SciFi Channel Battlestar Galactica, but I'm still a child of the 70s, and camp or not, the original still appeals as well. This graphic novel popped up for $5 at the comic store, so I figured, "why not"?

The book opens with an especially enjoyable introduction, where Grillo-Marxuach describes pitching an unaired treatment to Glen Larson in 1979 - only that's not how it really happened because Grillo-Marxuach was only 9 yrs old and living in Puerto Rico at the time.

The story revolves around the Cylons experimenting with biological components and things go very wrong. It is a boon for the 'rag-tag fugitive fleet'. Or is it? Will they be as genocidal as the Cylons if they turn the biology experiment into a weapon?

It delivers on the nostalgia and it was fun to see a 'new' episode in the style and cast of the original series.

I don't know if I would have been fully satisfied had I paid full list price ($15) but for a bargain, it was just the dose of space opera remembrance I needed.

Free Comic Book Day results

I hadn't planned on shopping on Free Comic Book Day. But, I received a Facebook note from a local music/comic chain (Newbury Comics) and in addition to free comics, they offered 'buy one graphic novel, get a 2nd for $1'.

So, I took my daughter and headed out. We were there by 10:45AM and it was quiet. The hardcore crowds had already descended and gone. The freebies were wiped out. No big loss - though I had thought about getting the new Elric series teaser if it was there.

I also wanted to get some Hellboy graphic novels, but they had none. I went with two Hellboy spinoffs, BPRD (vol 7) and Witchfinder (vol 1). I would have liked to start earlier in BPRD, but that was the oldest volume they had on hand.

I also bought a $1 grab bag. Came out with a 1-in-10 rare Red Sonja issue (cover art is "virgin" - no imprint). The oddest thing in the grab bag has to be Female Force with a fictional(?) spy account of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Definitely not one I'd read on my own, but because I have it, I'm rather curious read it. Grab bag also had #1 of The Expendables. I don't know if it is the movie adaptation or a spinoff of the movie storyline. (sequel or prequel?)

And a free pint glass, too.

Not a bad haul for spur of the moment shopping.