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Archive for January, 2017

First Impression: HEAD LOPPER #5

by Glenn Snow | January 25th, 2017

It’s back! The first four issues were a huge hit. There’s just something about this adventure comic that has such an attractive mix. The author wants it to have “long fights, dark jokes, creepy atmosphere, short plots and long plots, and comfortable conclusions that, hopefully, still leave you wanting more.” Seriously cool cover. “NEW STORY ARC! ‘IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWER’ Norgal and Agatha are back! A daring new adventure awaits, looming like the Crimson Tower, home of Ulrich the Twice Damned, sworn enemy of Zhaania Kota Ka. With old friends and new, our heroes boldly enter the bloodied pinnacle with bare steel and steady hearts. The quarterly series HEAD LOPPER has returned!”

First Impression: EXTREMITY #1

by Glenn Snow | January 23rd, 2017

The heavily manga-influenced art caught my eye on this one. The description mentions “…the beauty and imagination of Studio Ghibli meet the intensity of Mad Max…” That kind of description immediately evokes images of Akira in my mind, one of my all-time favorites. So, I should give this one from Kirkman’s Skybound studio a chance. “SERIES PREMIERE! Thea dreams. Not of a better life, but of revenge on the clan that ruined her family. With ferocious battles between man, machines, and monsters ahead…who knows where her quest for vengeance will take her? Creator DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON (Space Mullet) and colorist MIKE SPICER present a bold new vision, where the beauty and imagination of Studio Ghibli meet the intensity of Mad […]

First Impression: X-O MANOWAR #1

by Glenn Snow | January 23rd, 2017

I think X-O Manowar has a superhero origin story as strong as any other first-tier hero from the big two companies.  Someday I’ll see it on the big screen. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy the comics. You should check them out too! “Born under the oppressive thumb of the Roman Empire, Aric of Dacia learned warfare at an early age. It was amid such violence that he was abducted by an alien race. Forced into slavery, he survived where others perished. His escape would come from bonding with a weapon of immeasurable power: the X-O Manowar armor. With it, he returned to Earth…only to find himself stranded in the modern day. But that was a lifetime ago. Now, far […]

First Impression: X-MEN PRIME #1

by Glenn Snow | January 22nd, 2017

Following the war with the Inhumans, the X-Men will need a new status quo. This one-shot is a setup issue for whatever is coming next. Very excited to see Kitty Pryde leading a group of X-Men! This is a perfect jumping-on point for newbies! Check out Spiral Comics’ Get Started In X-Men page! “RESURRXION BEGINS HERE! In the wake of their war with the Inhumans, the X-MEN are at a crossroads. Where do they go from here? Luckily, one beloved X-Men has the answer to that question: Xavier’s dream comes full circle as KITTY PRYDE returns to the X-Men, ready to lead them in their mission to protect a world that hates and fears them. The next chapter of the […]

First Impression: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING PRELUDE #1 (OF 2)

by Glenn Snow | January 22nd, 2017

When I first saw this, I immediately thought it was a prelude to the upcoming film in the same way Marvel did a Doctor Strange prelude to that movie. And it is! But, it’s an adaptation of the awesome Captain America: Civil War, in which Spider-Man makes his MCU debut. It’ll still be very cool, just not new material for us avid MCU fans. This is a perfect jumping-on point for newbies! Check out Spiral Comics’ Get Started In Spider-Man (Peter Parker) page! ” YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN SWINGS INTO THE MCU! PETER PARKER is just your average, nerdy, tech-loving teenager…until an unexpected turn of events lands him with the power to cling to walls and the proportionate strength of […]

First Impression: MAN-THING #1 (OF 5)

by Glenn Snow | January 22nd, 2017

This is an interesting development: the Goosebumps mastermind himself, R.L. Stine, is writing a Man-Thing mini-series for Marvel. Not to be confused with DC’s Swamp Thing–who has a nearly identical origin story, Man-Thing is a scientist who transformed into a plant-matter creature by a combination of mystical energy and mutagenic compounds. A simple-minded beast, Man-Thing shuns human society, but is often an accidental hero when stumbling upon crime. His empathic abilities and his partly mystical origin make him an unusual Marvel citizen and a mainstream outsider to be sure. Stine’s spin will surely make for an interesting read. “MARVEL WELCOMES R.L. STINE! Beloved writer R.L. STINE (Goosebumps, Fear Street) brings his special brand of horror to MAN-THING!  After working for […]

First Impression: AMERICAN GODS: SHADOW #1

by Glenn Snow | January 21st, 2017

The cover of this one really caught my eye. Who isn’t a big fan of Minotaurs? Then you see that it’s from Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. And upon further investigation, you discover that Starz is making a television series of the book too. I smell a hit. “NEIL GAIMAN! P. CRAIG RUSSELL! SCOTT HAMPTON! Shadow Moon just got out of jail, only to discover his wife is dead. Defeated, broke, and uncertain as to where to go from here, he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, who employs him to serve as his bodyguard–thrusting Shadow into a deadly world of the supernatural, where ghosts of the past come back from the dead, and a brewing war between old and […]

First Impression: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25

by Glenn Snow | January 21st, 2017

Another gorgeous Alex Ross cover adorns this massive 88-page issue! No telling what direction Spider-Man will go in this first issue after the end of the Clone Conspiracy event storyline (…because the description doesn’t say). The “top secret bonus creative team” piques my interest too, but I’m always a little suspicious that Marvel just didn’t know who would be doing the work at time of copy. If it’s a high profile team whose names will help sell the book in advance, why keep it a secret? This is a perfect jumping-on point for newbies! Check out Spiral Comics’ Get Started In Spider-Man (Peter Parker) page! ” HUGE BLOWOUT ISSUE! STUART IMMONEN (STAR WARS, AVENGERS) takes the artist reins of AMAZING […]