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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: 2 (plus a retailer-exclusive preview)
First Issue: December 2006 ($5.99)
Last Issue: January 2007 ($5.99)
Writer: David B. Schwartz
Artist: Sean Wang

Cal’s heat-powers have destroyed his life. They put an end to a promising career as a major-league baseball pitcher. Since he quit high school to chase his baseball dream, he was left with no other job-worthy skills … so he became a super-hero out of desparation. They’ve rendered him infertile, ending his marriage to the love of his life. Now they’re eating his body from the inside out and he’s only got a few days to live.

In his final days on Earth, Flare (Cal’s super-hero code name) decides to end the threat of his arch-nemesis, Maelstrom, forever. He also intends to patch things up with his ex-wife, Amara. But, perhaps what he didn’t expect was to become the hero he never dreamed about being and leaving behind an inspiration.

The Bad: I wonder if the double-sized issue format may have hindered sales of this book. I can’t help but think it would have sold a bit more had it been four regular-sized issues, instead. It looks like every hero/villain name has been taken already. Flare (the main character) is the name of a well-established, indepenent super-heroine and Maelstorm (the villain) is a villain’s name from the Marvel Universe.

The Good: Schwartz told a touching super-hero story here while flushing out Flare’s characterization and past through a bunch of flashbacks. Wang did a great job of switching up his art-styles between the present action and the past experiences. These switches did a wonderful job of indicating what time period it belonged to. And, even though the character wasn’t too thrilled to be a super-hero, the story made him quite empathetic. Latinos will appreciate the main character’s heritage but, the writer did a nice job of not laying it on too thick (keeping it accessible to all ethnic groups). In addition to a fantastic art/story team, the covers were illustrated by two high-profile (yet diversely different in style) artists: Chris Bachalo and Greg Horn.

The Verdict: It’s rare to see a super-hero story told with so much heart but this series really makes you feel for its main character. This is probably because the story pushes him through so many extreme emotions … allowing the reader to experience his ups and downs. As mentioned before, the artist switches up his style, making it easy to tell when the story is set in the present or when it’s one of the many flashbacks that provide important character development. This book deals with a subject that mainstream super-hero publishers (logically) can’t believably take on and that’s what sets this series apart. It doesn’t pull any punches and allows us to witness the final days of a true hero.

On Ebay: Meltdown

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: New England Comics
Number of Issues: 3 (and a preview)
First Issue: August 1998 ($3.50)
Last Issue: December 1998 ($3.50)
Writer: Eli Stone
Artist: Eli Stone

The Tick is mind-controlled by J.P. Lovecraft into returning to the Evanston Clinic (the place he’d just escaped from prior to his first appearance way back the Tick #1). Incarcerated there, Lovecraft forces the Tick to re-experience his past – involving scenes of him and his wife, Cloris, separating; life at the Clinic, etc

Back in the City, its most nefarious villains, led by Chairface Chippendale, have gone on a crime spree now that they know the Tick is safely locked away and unable to stop them. But, after striking an unholy alliance with Barry Hubris (the original Tick – who has now reclaimed the mantle), they quickly find he can’t be trusted or contained. Meanwhile, it’s up to Arthur and the Mystic Order of Archnid Vigilance to free the Tick from Evanston and thwart Lovecraft’s evil plan to return him to … normalcy?

The Bad: While this series certainly answers some of the questions surrounding the Tick’s past, it doesn’t even come close to satisfying all of them. But, to be fair, all solicitations for this series told us that flat out.

the Good: For starters, the final issue features a cover by the Tick’s creator, Ben Edlund (his first Tick work in years!). This series (which is really just the tail-end of the Tick: Big Blue Destiny) is one of the best Tick tales out there. Maybe even the best (aside from the original, naturally). It’s got some significance to it by revealing why the Tick was at Evanston, how he got there and what Lovecraft’s intentions were. It’s got lots of Tick-style fun and plenty of characters from the Tick-universe. Eli Stone is easily the best writer that has been put in charge of filling Ben Edlund’s Tick-sized shoes!

The Verdict: This is easily the most important and high-quality Tick story since the original series was published. It provides some insight into the Tick’s past and answers some questions while dancing around many others. The artwork is superb and certainly fitting for a Tick comic … and it progresses the Tick story along in ways that other series haven’t (I’m looking at you the Tick: Karma Tornado!) If you’ve read the first Tick series and are looking for more Tick-fun … then this should be your next step.

On Ebay: the Tick | Eli Stone