One-Shot At Greatness #10 Hellboy in Mexico

June 7, 2010

One-Shot At Greatness #10 Hellboy in Mexico

Filed under: One-Shot At Greatness — Doorman @ 7:15 am

Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!

Hellboy in Mexico Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Date: May 2010
Cover Price: $3.50
Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Richard Corben

*Warning! Plot Spoilers Below*

Mexico in 1982. While waiting for the B.P.R.D. to pick them up, Hellboy and Abe Sapien decide to wander around the area. In a shrine to luchadores, Abe discovers a photograph of Hellboy that prompts “Red” to tell the story behind the picture. Y’see, back in 1956, Hellboy and three super-powered luchadores set out to rid a town of vampires. But, the adventure quickly turns to heartache; when one of his friends becomes infected, it’s up to Hellboy to take him down.

This story marks a continuing team-up of writer, Mike Mignola, with classic horror artist, Richard Corben (who’s work, which was first published in 1969, now spans six decades!). The story is set up to invoke heartbreak but, unfortunately the one-shot format doesn’t really allow for us to get a feel for how deep this friendship went. That leaves the experience a little on the flat side but, it’s still a wonderful opportunity to show off Corben’s unique style. And, this being my first Hellboy read, I can tell that I’m missing some nice little “easter eggs”. There are dates, pictures, names and situations included that I’m sure are nods to the rich Hellboy history that has been developed over the years.

On Ebay: Hellboy | Mike Mignola | Richard Corben

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June 5, 2010

Minimate Spotlight #5 The Question

Filed under: Minimate Spotlight — Donny B @ 7:19 am

Action figures have long been a perfect compliment to comic books, since every kid (or kid at heart) has that natural desire to act out adventures with their favorite heroes off the drawn page. Every so often, a unique style of figure comes along that breaks the mold, so to speak. Each Saturday, Donny B will be showcasing various offerings from Art Asylum’s take on the ‘block figure’, with a weekly spotlight on Minimates.

The Question has been around for a pretty decent amount of time… well, the original one, anyway. After his first appearance back in Blue Beetle #1 (June 1967), Vic Sage (later retconned to Charles “Charlie” Victor Szasz) made the transition from Charlton Comics to DC Comics in a buyout that merged many characters into the DC universe. Once there, he found his way to a larger status via interactions with Superman, among other big name characters. Then, in DC’s year-long weekly comic event, “52”, the original man behind the mask passed his mantle to Renee Montoya. It is this incarnation of The Question that we are given in Minimate form.

Behind the Image:

This one isn’t a straight-up photograph. I wanted to visualize the dark, gritty feel of the character’s essence, so I over cranked the exposure while taking the photograph. Then, through photoshop, I muted out some of the highs and lows, and superimposed it over a photo of some buildings. Once I placed all of that together, I ran each layer through filters to give it a sort of grainy look, as if it were an older photo taken with a cheap camera. The overall effect gives off a feel that is reminiscent of an old pulp comic, which I found to be very appropriate for this character.

On Ebay: the Question

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June 4, 2010

Retro-Read #9 Shadowhawk II

Filed under: Retro-Read — Doorman @ 9:09 am

With years spent reading single issues here and there, juggling storylines of dozens of titles, I decided it was time to find a better way to read comics. So, it was off to the back issue bins armed with the longest want list you’ve ever seen! Putting together series after series and reading them in their complete goodness, I was reborn as the Retro-Reader!

Publisher: Image Comics
Number of Issues: 3
First Issue: May 1993 ($3.50)
Last Issue: August 1993 ($2.95)
Writer: Jim Valentino
Artist: Jim Valentino

*Warning! Plot Spoilers Below*

A copycat vigilante calling himself Hawk’s Shadow has been spotted in the City, killing black males. However, our spine-breaking “hero”, Shadowhawk, isn’t happy with another murderer stalking the streets of his city. So, he tracks down the criminal right in the middle of another hate-crime. And, amid a hate-spewn speech, Shadowhawk reveals his true identity. A black man. (telling which one would just ruin the surprise!) He then proceeds to beat him bloody in a righteous rage.

Following these events, the police department contacts Chapel to hunt down Shadowhawk. He turns down the job but recommends that they hire Slaughter, instead. Unfortunately for them, Slaughter’s warrior code and respect for Shadowhawk messes up their plan.

The Bad: All the clues that would allow you to guess Shadowhawk’s secret identity are contained in the first series so if you’re reading this by itself, the reveal is not as significant. And, despite the revelation, the book shines much more light on action than on characterization.

The Good: The revelation of the secret identity is timed to provide a strong impact. And, a letter in issue two does a wonderful job of highlighting all the clues left in the first series. Valentino’s artwork has improved since the first series. Also, fans of enhanced covers will enjoy looking at every issue as they all have some type of gimmick.

The Verdict: Aside from the lure of finding out who Shadowhawk is, not much else goes on in this series. Readers who are looking for strong characterization are encouraged to quickly find the nearest exit. Fans of action, action, and more action … this one’s for you.

On Ebay: Shadowhawk | Jim Valentino

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June 3, 2010

Famous Fan-Mail #9 Mary Jo Duffy

Filed under: Famous Fanmail — Doorman @ 7:49 am

You may not be surprised to learn that most people in the comic business grew up reading comic books. However, you might be interested in knowing what they were reading. Here’s a look at “Famous Fanmail”!

Mary Jo Duffy has written for many comics titles including Catwoman, Glory, and Wolverine . She even created the team, Fallen Angels, who had their own mini-series in the 1980s and interacted with the New Mutants. But, before that she was a faithful follower of Iron Fist, probably (as her letter points out) because of the strong, female characters in that book’s supporting cast. You can read her letter below which was published in Iron Fist #12 (cover date – April 1977).

Iron Fist letters page with Mary Jo Duffy

On Ebay: Jo Duffy | Iron Fist

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June 2, 2010

Before They Were Stars #5 Eric Powell

Filed under: Before They Were (Comic Book) Stars — Doorman @ 7:42 am

Not every comic writer or artist starts at the top, working on books like Batman or X-Men. In fact, most don’t even start at Marvel or DC. Here’s a look at some work by comic book creators … before they were stars.

Eric Powell has gained prominence in the comic industry mostly due to his creator-owned work, the Goon. The Goon began publication in 1999 from Avatar Press and then later moved to Dark Horse Comics, where it’s still published today. But, years before the first issue came out, Eric Powell (at the age of 20) debuted a Goon prototype called Monster Boy in the anthology book, Best Cellars, which was published by Out of the Cellar Comics in 1995.

On Ebay: Eric Powell | Goon

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June 1, 2010

Comic Book Cover Swipes Exposed #9 Fantastic Four

Filed under: Swiped: Comic Book Cover Swipes Exposed! — Doorman @ 7:02 am

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

There are few beings in the Marvel Universe as powerful as Galactus. And, his appearances are normally marked as important events that make readers take special notice. In Fantastic Four #243, The FF teams up with Doctor Strange, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and the Wasp to accomplish a rare sight. They actually manage to defeat Galactus in battle!

Married With Children was a very popular TV show that lasted for eleven seasons from the late 1980s into the mid 1990s. Capitalizing on its success, NOW Comics licensed the show and began publishing comics based on it. As sales began to fall off, NOW experimented with some strange stories. One such spin-off was Married With Children: the Quantum Quartet, which re-invisioned the cast of the TV show as super-heroes based on the Fantastic Four. It didn’t last long. In fact, issues #3 and 4 were never published. But, a while later, those final two issues emerged, combined within this Big Wrap-Up special. As always, there’s no better way to begin a spoof comic than starting off with a cover swipe.