Cyberspace Comics market report, reviews and more

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!

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

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

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!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: June 2010
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Sean McKeever
Artist: Emma Rios
Cover Artist: Stephanie Hans

Firestar (Angelica Jones) has used her microwave-controlling powers to make the world a better place as a member of the New Mutants. In recent years, she’s discovered that her microwave powers have encouraged cancer to develop early in her young body. In 2009’s Marvel Divas, she battled the cancer into remission but she’s currently undergoing chemo treatments to keep it in check. And, when duty calls, she continues to use her powers for good … even though it’s possible that they’re continuing to negatively affect her.

In this one-shot (her second solo title in 24 years!), she’ll have to help out Cassie Sandusky, a girl who used to pick on her in school. Cassie’s currently going through a difficult divorce and has developed a drinking problem. Angelica finds that, even though these are issues her powers can’t fight, she’s still got the ability to help someone in need.

As always, Sean McKeever delivers with his talented knack for writing believable and realistical dialogue. It’s engrossing and really helps the reader to feel for these characters. The artwork has a manga-inspired look that doesn’t quite deliver to the standards of past-McKeever-partner, Takeshi Miyazawa, but it doesn’t detract from the story. And, the cover doesn’t strike me as incredibly-inspired, either. (I mean, these things are what’re supposed to jump off the rack and scream “Buy Me!”) But, artwork aside, I really enjoyed this look at one of the few female super-heroes that I like checking in on from time to time.

Oh! And, what do you know? The last page says she’ll be appearing regularly in the an upcoming title written by Sean McKeever, the Young Allies. I’m there!

On Ebay: Firestar | Sean McKeever

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!

Publisher: Amalgam Comics
Cover Date: April 1996
Cover Price: $1.95
Writer: D.G. Chichester
Artist: Scott McDaniel

When the DC and Marvel Universes merged in Marvel vs DC, a new one was created: the Amalgam Universe. This one-shot combined Wonder Woman and Storm of the X-Men into one concept.

Dare (a female combination of Daredevil and Deathstroke) and Catsai (combining Elektra with Catwoman) have been hired to kill the criminal mayor of New Gotham: Enigma Fisk, the Big Question. They’ve got to fight their way up through dozens of floors on their way to his high-rise, each one armed with super-powered criminals sent to kill them. As the battle nears the boss villain, the question still remains: Who Hired Them? And, in the vicious final battle, it seems as if one of the girls might not make it out alive…

I really enjoyed Scott McDaniel‘s detailed and unique work and it was enjoyable to see the combos he came up with for the throw-away villains (Bullseye/Deadshot, Cable/Manhunter, etc). D.G. Chichester, the writer managed to throw in a bit of a twist by unveiling who hired the assassins but, the story seemed pretty self-contained and didn’t raise much interest for subsequent issues.

On Ebay: Amalgam | D.G. Chichester | Scott McDaniel
On AtomicAvenue: Amalgam Comics

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!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: March 2009
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Stuart Moore
Artist: Joe Suitor

Spider-Man ventures down to the Florida Everglades to put a stop to the Man-Thing‘s rampage. In the process, he gets infected by the muck-monster’s strange mix of supernatural vegetation and Super-Soldier Serum. Months later, the mix of the Man-Thing’s residue and radioactive spider-powers begin to transform Spider-Man into a floral being. Doctor Connors halts the process by giving Spidey injections of his lizard serum but, the only true cure lies at the source of the infection: the Man-Thing himself!

The Bad: There’s no real explanation of why the Man-Thing is going on a rampage. Something he’s not normally prone to do.

the Good: Something about this muck-monster just appeals to me. I’m always a sucker for a book with him as a prominent force. Suitor draws some very cool-looking monsters (the Lizard and the Man-Thing) but the cover by Mico Suayan takes the prize. Man-Thing has rarely looked more detailed!

The Verdict: It’s a fast read that offers very little actual sense of danger. I mean, c’mon! There’s no way Marvel would allow Spidey to come out of this story part plant-monster! But, the resolution is handled in a neat way and ends with a little nugget of wisdom from Aunt May.

On Ebay: Spider-Man | Man-Thing

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!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: November 2008
Cover Price: $2.99
Writer: Fred Van Lente & M. Blankier
Artist: Juan Santacruz

Pepper Potts’ assistant, Callee, is getting tired of her boss winning Stark’s “Employee of the Month” award so much. So, to put herself in the good graces of the company, she’s set up a situation where she’ll look great. By sending security home early and contacting four super-villains (Blacklash, Jolt, Plantman and Spymaster), she’s engineered a hostile situation which she intends to diffuse. Unfortunately for her, things get a little out of hand and it’s up to Iron Man … and Pepper? … to save the day!

I’m interested in this issue for a number of reasons. First of all, the photo cover and indicia date make me assume that this one-shot was among a number of Iron Man releases that were intended to catch the increased interest in Iron Man due to the release of the first movie.

After getting past that thought, my brain wandered towards the look and choice of the four villains. Jolt‘s presence (as far as I knew she stayed behind on an alternate Earth a while back in an issue of Thunderbolts) and Plantman‘s look (which is drastically different than his appearance in Marvel Next Inhumans title) indicate that this is probably not in-continuity with the mainstream Marvel Universe. Due to the writing presence of Van Lente, I’d assume it to be more linked with the Marvel Adventures line of books.

Finally, Blacklash’s appearance really caught my eye. Here’s the deal: Mark Scarlotti was the original Whiplash (first appearing in Tales of Suspense #97). His costume and weapons were later upgraded by Justin Hammer and he changed his super-villain name to Blacklash. “Wait a minute!” – shout all the Iron Man fans who only know about him through movies. “Isn’t Whiplash really a guy named Ivan Vanko?” And, the answer to that is a very big “no”. Y’see, Anton Vanko (Ivan’s father) is certainly an Iron Man villain but, his alias is really the Crimson Dynamo.

Anyway, back to the actual book in question. The art is a bit unpolished for an Iron Man book but it’s a quick, fun story (although it’s recommended that you check your brain at the door). There’s no way that the four of these villains would have left an unarmed Tony Stark alive as long as they did.

On Ebay: Iron Man | Fred Van Lente

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!

Publisher: Entity Comics
Cover Date: December 1996
Cover Price: $2.75
Writer: Bill Maus
Artist: Bill Maus

The Skunk and Macy are sent on a mission by the government to stop the Roll and Cyber-Licious from hijacking a satellite. Cyber-Licious and the Roll are on a mission to use the satellite to brainwash the inhabitants of Earth to act violently. I’ll let you in on a little secret here … only one of these duos is going to succeed in their mission.

In the battle that follows, the Roll removes the Skunk’s mask! (Something that had not been done in the six issues of the ongoing Skunk series). However, the “shocking” site is quite a large let-down and certainly doesn’t live up to the hype on the cover.

As with every other Skunk comic, the series is light and fun with nice, slick artwork. All action … no characterization … and farts.

On Ebay: the Skunk | Bill Maus

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!

Publisher: Amalgam Comics
Cover Date: April 1996
Cover Price: $1.95
Writer: John Byrne
Artist: John Byrne

When the DC and Marvel Universes merged in Marvel vs DC, a new one was created: the Amalgam Universe. This one-shot combined Wonder Woman and Storm of the X-Men into one concept.

Princess Ororo of Themyscira is a weather-controlling mutant who was orphaned at a young age in a shipwreck. She was found and raised by Amazons who, years later, selected her to bear the mantle of Wonder Woman. Now, the being who killed her father intends to do the same to her. But, can even an mutant Amazon defeat Poseidon?

Byrne pits our heroine against quite the heavy-hitter in this tale, all the while revealing her origin through flashbacks. The book is heavy on word balloons and thought bubbles but it’s not at all tedious to read. The art is undeniably Byrne’s work … the worst part of which is that I think he has a difficult time drawing girls with attractive faces. Interestingly enough, he wrote this comic as if it were part of an ongoing series (a practice that was executed in all the Amalgam books – they even went so far as to write a fake letters page and “next issue” box) and even goes so far as to set up a subplot (albeit briefly) involving a wounded Diana Prince that will never be resolved. However, it’s got me curious and I would certainly read the next issue … if it were ever published. And, that’s the sign of a good read!

On Ebay: Amalgam | John Byrne
On AtomicAvenue: Amalgam Comics

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!

Publisher: IDW
Cover Date: February 2010
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Dara Naraghi
Artist: Salgood Sam

When the Ghostbusters capture spirits that are terrorizing the scene of an upcoming Valentine’s Day school dance, Winston meets a pretty substitute teacher named Tiyah Clarke, who thinks she has ghost problems of her own. Smitten with the young woman, Winston decides to loan her his ghostbusting services, free of charge. But, can he get rid of the ghost, who seems to be smitten with her, without using his proton pack? And, more importantly, will all this derring-do lead to a date?

Dara’s plot makes for a nice Valentine’s Day one-shot read however, the lettering is a bit distracting. It almost seems like it was lifted from an underground comic with its inconsistent look and wobbly word-balloons. That and the sub-par artwork detracted from the book. However, the artist does have a pretty decent handle on portraying Egon and Peter so that they’re at least recognizable (his Ray and Winston, on the other hand, still need a lot of work). I really wish IDW would give their Ghostbusters series some better talent since none of their offerings have yet to stand out from the crowd.

On Ebay: Ghostbusters

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!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: August 2007
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Paolo Rivera

This is the fourth book in Marvel’s Mythos series, allowing Paul Jenkins and Paolo Rivera an opportunity to retell the origin stories of some of the most famous characters in the Marvel Universe.

If you’ve seen the movies or read the comics, I’m sure you’re familiar with the origin of Spider-Man. But, for those of you not in the know, Peter Parker (a nerdy teenager) gets bit by a radioactive spider which causes him to develop super-powers. Hoping to cash in on these newfound super-powers, he devises a costume and web-shooters and pursues fame. Caught up in his self-importance, he allows a thief to escape right in front of him. Arriving home later that night, he finds out that the uncle who’s raised him has been killed! When he hunts down the killer, he discovers it’s the very same burglar he let go earlier. From then on he swears to use his powers to fight crime and adopts the motto his Uncle Ben taught him: “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”.

Paul Jenkins’ script doesn’t add anything new to the story (aside from replacing the wrestling bit with an appearance on Conan O’Brien‘s Late Show) but it certainly captures all the important parts. I don’t think comic fans are ever in need of yet another re-telling of Spider-Man’s origin. After all, it’s been retold hundreds of times in countless comics, cartoons and movies. But, if one must recount it yet again, they could do much worse than to experience it as told through Paolo Rivera’s luscious paintings.

On Ebay: Spider-Man | Paul Jenkins | Paolo Rivera | Mythos

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 these ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!

Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Date: July 1988
Cover Price: $3.50
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Brian Bolland

What better place to start this article than with Batman: the Killing Joke? Originally published by DC Comics in 1988, this one-shot comic united writer, Alan Moore, with artist, Brian Bolland, and has undergone multiple reprintings ever since.

This story is a mix between current events and a flashback to a potential origin of the Joker. After all, being insane, the Joker wants to keep his origin a matter of multiple choice instead of certainty. In the past, an unsuccessful comedian joins some unlawful fellows to make ends meet. They dress him up as the Red Hood to commit a crime which is thwarted by Batman. Fleeing the crime, the comedian falls into a vat of toxic chemicals and comes out with white skin and green hair … not to mention a case of incurable madness.

In the present, the Joker sets out to show the world that one bad day can drive the best of us to insanity. To prove this point, he enters Jim Gordon‘s apartment, shoots his daughter, Barbara, and kidnaps him. Stripped naked and chained to a carnival ride, Gordon is exposed to photos the Joker took of his daughter, naked and terribly wounded. Now faced with the worst day of his life, Gordon manages to keep his wits about him with enough time for Batman to track them down and rescue him. After freeing Gordon, Batman hunts the Joker in yet another one of their cat-and-mouse games. Having done this dozens (hundreds?) of times before, the caped crusader wonders how their feud will come to a close. Will it end in death or rehabilitation? When he finally catches the villain, he presents the same question to him along with an offer of help. The Joker’s response leads to an extremely rare reaction from Batman … and you gotta see it to believe it!

Portending the importance of this comic, DC Comics published it in a prestige format (with a thicker cover and squarebound spine) and even added a minor cover enhancement by slightly embossing the title and credits. This ground-breaking one-shot took the threat of the Joker to an all-new level and revealed Batman’s self-cognizance of his never-ending battle. Shooting (and paralyzing) Barbara Gordon set the bar even higher for any future consideration of the danger the clown prince of crime presents. Paralyzation is such a major change to a character, that, previously, it would have taken place in the pages of the ongoing title. Allowing Alan Moore to do it (in continuity!) in this one-shot book changed the game for the comic publishing world and paved the way for the character to evolve into the character now known as Oracle.

On Ebay: Batman | Alan Moore | Brian Bolland