QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-29-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-29-09
By John Judy

ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #15 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. Wolfie goes nuts in prison. How can this not be great? Also Vol. 2 SC is out, collecting issues 8-12 and his crossover with INVINCIBLE.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATRE OF WAR: BROTHERS IN ARMS #1 by Paul Jenkins and John McCrea. If you miss the real Cap, here’s him back in WWII, fighting Nazis and taking one of them captive behind enemy lines. Tough gig.

DARK AVENGERS #4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato. Crazy Norman Osborn makes some adjustments to the roster. Ouch.

FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #4 of 5 by Geoff Johns and George Perez. Yes, I know FINAL CRISIS ended months ago and this title’s kind of taking its sweet time coming out. But the villian’s the Time-Trapper so you have to expect this sort of thing. Recommended anyway.

GARTH ENNIS: BATTLEFIELDS: TANKIES #1 of 3 by Ennis and Carlos Ezquerra. In WWII Normandy a lone British tank crew struggles to rejoin their mates while keeping one step ahead of the ratzis. Ennis war comics remain top of the line, but not for younger kids.

GREEN LANTERN #40 by Geoff Johns and Philip Tan. Hal Jordan must battle the leader of the Orange Lantern Corps, “the most disgusting, filthiest, vilest being in the universe!” It’s Green Lantern vs. Ann Coulter! To the death!

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #26 by Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham. Stargirl’s having a birthday. Party-crashers beware!

LITERALS #1 of 3 by Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges and Mark Buckingham. A tough one to jump into if you’re not already up to speed on the whole FABLES universe. Put another way, this first issue is chapter 3 of 9 of “The Great Fables Crossover.” But if it’s what you like…!

MODERN MASTERS, VOL. 20: KYLE BAKER SC by Eric Nolen-Weathington. Certain artists in this series from Two Morrows Publishing arguably may not quite warrant the term “Modern Master.” And then you have Kyle Baker for whom the term is an understatement. Any collection of his work must rate a Highly Recommended.

PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. Comics and stuff in your future! It ain’t all on-line yet, kids!

RASL #4 written and drawn by Jeff Smith. Our interdimensional alkie art-thief has hard choices to make or else the lizard-faced killer will make them for him. From the award-winning creator of BONE and SHAZAM: MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL. Recommended.

SECOND THOUGHTS GN written and drawn by Niklas Asker. A story about a brief encounter between a novelist and a photographer and the repercussions in both their lives. Not exactly a Big Fight, but nothing’s perfect. Recommended.

SHERLOCK HOLMES #1 by Leah Moore, John Reppion and Aaron Campbell. Alan Moore’s daughter and her husband present their take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation. From the folks who brought you ALBION and WILD GIRL.

SUPERMAN #687 by James Robinson and Renato Guedes. Mon-El learns how hard it is to fill the Man of Steel’s big red boots.

THUNDERBOLTS #131 by Andy Diggle and Bong Dazo. Deadpool and the T-Bolts have a Big Fight! Bong Dazo!

ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS. HULK #5 of 6 by Damon Lindelof and Leinil Francis Yu. Ultimate Betty She-Hulk is in the mix! Could get awkward! Can’t believe this thing is actually coming out! Monthly too! Excelsior!

UNCANNY X-MEN #509 by Matt Fraction and Greg Land. It’s a mutant soap-opera on ‘roids and it’s working! Yes, this book is rapidly becoming the most consistently entertaining X-book on the stands. Who’da thunk it? Recommended.

WONDER WOMAN #31 by Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti. Between Achilles and the creature called Genocide, our heroine has used up all her time-outs. Action-packed!

www.johnjudy.net

Yoe on Shuster on radio and in DC

Craig writes, I'm on NPR's Fresh Air program today interviewed by Terry Gross about "Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman's Co-Creator Joe Shuster". Plus the book's in "Time" magazine this week and Washington Post, and I'll be at Politics and Prose and Big Planet bookstores in Washington D.C. this weekend. For more info on the book see http://secret-identity.net

May 1: Jules & Kate Feiffer

Trish Brown writes in:

We’d be thrilled if you would mention that Jules & Kate Feiffer will be appearing at Hooray For Books! 1555 King St., Alexandria, VA on Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m. We’ll have copies of “The Explainers” and “Great Comic Book Heroes” on hand.

Kate Beaton, Robbi Behr, Emmanuel Guibert et al @ O’Neill Literary House MD 4/26

April 26, 2009 Pictures + Words: The New Literature of Graphic Narrative
With Kate Beaton, Robbi Behr, Emmanuel Guibert, Chad Parmenter, and Matthew Swanson

Don’t miss this special afternoon on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for a perspective on a compelling literary form. Featuring Emmanuel Guibert from France, Kate Beaton from Canada, and Robbi Behr, Chad Parmenter, and Matthew Swanson from the United States.

When: Saturday, April 26, 2009: 2–7 p.m.
Where: The Rose O’Neill Literary House: 407 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD

http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/3285/prmID/1831

OT: The Book of Marvels: An Explorer's Miscellany

A good friend of mine, Mark C. Jenkins, the unofficial historian of National Geographic, has a book coming out on April 28. It is a wonderful compendium of the best of travel writing through the centuries, and the accompanying illustrations are gorgeous.

Here is the link to Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426204094/ref=s9_sims_gw_s1_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0MMKCWA76E1352SH73N4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Searching inside the book isn't available yet, but the chapter titles are as follows:
1. Wild and Unfathomable Always--The Sea
2. The Mournful Kingdom of Sand--The Desert
3. One Boundless Pasture--The Grasslands
4. Arborious Wonders--The Forest
5. The Sublime Harp--Peaks and Chasms
6. The Mystic Circles--The Poles

Many thanks for taking the time to check it out! Cathy

Cul de Sac gets animated, again

Cartoonist Michael Jantze, who created them, would like you to know that Cul de Sac animations are online again. I didn't post about it earlier, because if you're reading this, I assume you're also reading Richard's blog.

Dental cartoons from National Museum of Health & Medicine

Switching hats, one of the other archivists at the Medical Museum posted a set of 1960s dental cartoons to Flickr last week. I didn't even remember these existed, although judging from their numbers, I would have catalogued them. I think the scans are probably of 35mm slides, although the original artwork would have been done by the Museum's Scientific Illustration Division and is probably long-gone.

Steve Artley's cartoons added to Alexandria Times

Countering the general trend towards firing political cartoonists, the Alexandria (VA) Times has hired Alexandria cartoonist Steve Artley to provide local cartoons twice a week. See "Toons for the Times," Alexandria Times April 19 2009. Excellent news - we haven't had anyone in neighboring Arlington since the Sun-Gazette let Mikula go.

The cartoonists who visited troops in Washington

An article mentioned here recently noted that Jef Mallet was on a USO tour that visited troops in Washington hospitals - the rest are named in "Oh, and as for that list of generous cartoonists ..." Posted by Neal Rubin (The Detroit News) on Neal Rubin's Blog Sun, Apr 19, 2009.

Beni may be Mexican, says Cul de Sac cartoonist

Actually Richard said, "I think he’s Mexican. I’m not real sure." in this interview with his latest paper - "‘Cul de Sac’ comic strip starts today in The Star," By JAMES A. FUSSELL, The Kansas City Star April 19 2009.

Matt Wuerker was a Pulitzer Prize finalist

Alan Gardener has the story that Politico's Matt Wuerker was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for "his engaging mix of art and ideas, resulting in cleverly conceived cartoons that persuade rather than rant and that sometimes use animation to widen their impact." Congratulations, Matt, and best of luck getting it next year.

Oh yeah, Steve Breen won, and Mike Thompson was another finalist.

Serious Comics presentations at GWU, April 23-24

Phil Troutman writes in saying, several first-year students in my "Serious Comics" course will be presenting research at The George Washington University's annual Writing and Research Symposium, this Thursday/Friday, April 23-24 (free & open to the public). The program is at http://www.gwu.edu/~capstone/symposium/program.htm

Gelman Library events are accessed via Foggy Bottom Metro.
For GW's Mount Vernon campus (Foxhall Rd. & W St. NW), there is on-street parking on nearby 46th Street (do not park on W St.). And campus maps might be helpful: download PDFs at http://gwired.gwu.edu/adm/visit/directions/GWCampusMaps/

Here are the relevant panels:

Th. 2:30-3:45
SESSION MV 09
Location: Academic 122, Mt Vernon campus
PANEL: Wonder Women
includes: "Wonder Woman and Popular Culture," Deborah Kye

Th. 4:00-5:15
SESSION MV12
Location: Eckles Auditorium, Mount Vernon campus
PANEL: Political Pop
includes:
"Watchmen's Utopia: Utopias and Dystopias in Comic Books as Compared to SF," Lindsay Life
"Miller Misunderstood: Rethinking the Politics of the Dark Knight," Jessica M. Kowalik

Fri. 1:00-2:15
SESSION MV 20
Location: Eckles Auditorium, Mount Vernon campus
PANEL: Choices and Problems in Media Production
includes:
"Moving Pictures: The Technique of Adapting Comics to Film," John Bramley

Fri. 2:30-3:45
SESSION G20
Location: Gelman Library 301, Foggy Bottom
Roundtable: Cold War Comics: Exploring Thematic Changes in American Ideologies
PRESENTERS: A roundtable discussion with Brad Canales, Medha Gupta, Lindsay Life, Travis Reynolds, Graham Robinson, and Christina Williams

Neil Gaiman Appearance in MD

This is a little off the beaten track, but still arguably pertinent geographically (and I've never gotten to see Neil, even though he's been through here 4-5 times now):

http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/3190/prmID/1831


April 27 Neil Gaiman in Conversation with Joshua Wolf Shenk

With Neil Gaiman and Joshua Wolf Shenk

Nowhere do the combinations of words and images make for more fantastical creations than in the work of Neil Gaiman. Author of the Sandman series, The Books of Magic, and many others, Gaiman will discuss his inspiration with Joshua Wolf Shenk, the director of Washington College’s Rose O’Neill Literary House.

SEATS STILL AVAILABLE!
Please note that this event has moved to a new venue.*

When: Monday, April 27, 2009: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Cain Gymnasium: 300 Washington Avenue, Washington College, Chestertown, MD.

Free and open to the public. No reservations required.

Cosponsored by Washington College

Minor Washington links to cartoonists

In "Lansing cartoonist's talks with troops rewarding," Detroit News Thursday, April 16, 2009, Neal Rubin wrote, "Lifelong Michiganian Jef Mallett, the creator of "Frazz," just came home from a USO tour of military hospitals in Washington, D.C., and Germany."

In "Former KU student wins cartoonist award," By Jennifer Torline, University Daily Kansan on Thu., April 9th, 2009, she notes "Grant Snider and his wife, Kayla, will travel on April 24 to the National Press Club in Washington D.C. to attend a banquet where Snider will receive the award."

Post on Disney's latest Princess ... who's black

Fortunately, we know that it had to be in production long before the Obamas entered the White House so it's not as opportunistic as it might appear. For information on The Princess and the Frog, see "A Fairy Tale Beginning: Snow White, She's Not. Among Disney's Royal Ladies, Tiana Is a Notable First," By Neely Tucker, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, April 19, 2009.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-22-09

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-22-09
By John Judy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #592 by Mark Waid and Mike McKone. Quite a few surprises awaiting Spidey when he gets home, mostly courtesy of the Jameson family. Featuring an extra cover that looks like an issue of WOLVERINE as rendered by Salvador Dali. Recommended anyway.

ASTONISHING X-MEN #29 by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. Are you ready for the secret of the Ghost Box? Well, you’d better be, because Warren Ellis waits for no man!

AVENGERS INITIATIVE #23 by Christos Gage and Humberto Ramos. Your monthly Big Fight is served up here.

BUCK ROGERS #0 by Scott Beatty and Carlos Rafael. It’s back to the future with comics’ original time-tossed spaceman! Guaranteed Gil Gerard-free!

DAREDEVIL #118 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Lotsa people want to kill the Kingpin. That’s always good for some laughs. Plus another Wolverine variant cover. Oh well. Recommended.

DC LIBRARY: BATMAN THE ANNUALS, VOL. 1 HC by Various Creators. Collecting the first three Bat-Annuals from the early sixties. Classic stuff!

DETECTIVE COMICS #853 by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert. Part two of “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” Recommended.

EX MACHINA #18 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. In which we begin to learn the true source of Mayor Mitchell Hundred’s power over machines. And our hearts…

FREAKANGELS VOL. 2 SC by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield. Collecting the second arc of Ellis and Duffield’s post-apocalyptic web-comic for old people who like paper.

HELLBLAZER #254 by Peter Milligan and Goran Sudzuka. John Constantine plus The Wrong Girl equals reliable entertainment.

HULK #11 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness. Your other Big Fight can be found here. Along with four variant covers, one of which features Sir Cuts-a-lot, him, the one with the movie coming out. Sigh…

IGNITION CITY #2 of 5 by Warren Ellis and Gianluca Pagliarani. Mary Raven has made it to the IC in search of more info on her dead space-hero dad. There’s folks who don’t want that and they’ve got cool, retro zap guns. Good-looking comic.

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #25 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. What?! No Wolverine variant cover?! What kind of rip-off is this?! I don’t care if he’s not in the story! I just want him on the cover of…. EVERYTHING!!!!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #32 by Dwayne McDuffie and Frederico Dallocchio. Starbreaker wants what he wants when he wants it, especially when it’s a cosmic source of unimaginable power. Understandable really.

KICK-ASS #6 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. It does, you know. “Kick ass.” In its own special way. But it really needs a Wolverine variant cover.

MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #5 of 6 by Kurt Busiek and Jay Anacieto. This is a good, smart comic with characters I believe in and relate to. On the other hand its variant cover is merely black and white. No Canadian, serial-killing mutants. It’s like Marvel doesn’t even care anymore…

MIGHTY AVENGERS #24 by Dan Slott and Rafa Sandoval. So after the big reveal last issue about “The Scarlet Witch” things start to get very interesting. Great character work by Slott as usual. Recommended.

NEW AVENGERS #52 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. You know the economy’s getting bad when even the Sorcerer Supreme is getting laid off. Worse yet, they’re making him train his replacement. I hope ol’ Doc Strange steals a ton of office supplies.

QUESTION, VOL. 4: WELCOME TO OZ SC by Dennis O’Neil, Denys Cowan and Other Talented Folk. Collecting issues 19-24 of this iconic eighties zen noir series, featuring fights, philosophy and facelessness. Worth a read even if you weren’t even born in the eighties and think Ayn Rand was nuts.

SCALPED #28 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. In which we finally learn who greased those two FBI Agents in 1975. Must! Have! Highly recommended.

SCALPED, VOL. 4: THE GRAVEL IN YOUR GUTS SC by Jason Aaron, Davide Furno and R.M. Guera. Collecting issues 19-24 in which we learn exactly what Chief Lincoln Red Crow will and will not put up with in his quest for absolute power. Glorious stuff but not for kids.

THOR #601 by J. Michael Straczynski and Marko Djurdjevic. Thor’s out. Balder’s in. But will anyone care about the monthly adventures of The Mighty Balder?

VIKING #1 by Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein. A couple of 9th century Viking brothers decide they want to move up in the world. Think “Goodfellas” meets NORTHLANDERS. Cool.

www.johnjudy.net

Judge Parker returns to Post, Cul de Sac joins KC Star and Twitterverse

Michael Cavna of the Post's Comic Riffs blog naturally had the story first, but I think there's a few unattributed quotes in "Here Comes the Judge: Reader Protests Bring Back Comic Strip," By Harry Jaffe, Washingtonian's Capital Comment Blog Friday, April 17, 2009. Michael also noted that the Post's ombudsman felt compelled to address the Judge Parker issue tomorrow.


Also Cul de Sac has been picked up by the Kansas City Star. Yay, Richard! Ohh, and Richard's Tweeting. Boo, Richard!

April 25: Sal Buscema Spider-Man drawing auctioned

The bit of interest to us is "we also have an original 11 x 17 black and white drawing of "Spiderman" drawn for us and donated by Mr. Sal Buscema, artist and inker for Marvel Comics since the late 1960s."

Spring Auction at Northern Virginia Christian Academy
On Friday, April 24 from 7 - 10 p.m. the Northern Virginia Christian Academy, 11000 Berry St., Fairfax, is holding a Silent and Live Auction. Sports, vacation, day excursion, and children's party packages available for bids. Admission is $10 per person. Call 703-273-0803 or visit www.nvchristianacademy.org.

April 25: Library Workshop: Creating Graphic Novels

Reminder time.

Workshop: Creating Graphic Novels
Saturday, April 25 1pm

Columbia Pike Branch Library
816 S. Walter Reed Drive
Arlington, Va.
Learn the basic and finer points of creating graphic novels from Josh Elder, a graphic novelist and author of "Mail Order Ninja."

Appropriate for students ages 10 and up.

Contact mmiller@arlingtonva.us or call 703-228-5261 for more details.

Ivan Brandon Signing at Laughing Ogre Comics

After a reasonably lengthy dry-spell, DC's getting a massive influx of comics-oriented events going on during this weekend! In addition to Craig Yoe and Josh Elder appearances, we now get Ivan Brandon!

Ivan Brandon Signing
Writer of Viking
April 25, 2009 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Landsdowne, VA
Ivan Brandon, writer of the new Image book Viking will be signing at Laughing Ogre Comics LANSDOWNE from 4-7 on Saturday April 25. Brandon is also known for writing such titles as NYC Mech and Cross Bronx.