Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 05-05-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 05-05-10

(Or as they say in Arizona "Cinco de Mayo!)

by John Judy

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #630 by Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo.  Spidey must fight a cold-blooded reptile and it ain't Dick Cheney!  The Lizard is back!  Yowza!

 

ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE #1 by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert.  The best Wolverine writer ever gets his hands on the web-slinger too!  Brace yourself for the MARVEL TEAM-UP from hell!  Recommended!

 

ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #4 of 4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson.  This is it!  The final chapter of THE DARK AGE!  Years in the making, two covers and eight extra pages of Astro City WOW!  Recommended!

 

BATMAN AND ROBIN #12 by Grant Morrison and Andy Clarke.  Wrapping up the big Batman-Robin fight and revealing a lot of stuff you'd never guess about characters you'd never heard of until Morrison made them up.  It's bat-stuff crazy!

 

THE BEATS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY SC by Harvey Pekar and Various Collaborators.  This is a softcover edition of Pekar's graphic exploration of a literary movement that shaped his generation.  A mixed bag well worth digging into.

 

BRIGHTEST DAY #1 by Geoff Johns and a Lot of People.  You'd think after coming back from the dead everything else would be a cake-walk.  And you'd be wrong, as a whole bunch of DC heroes are about to learn.

 

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #35 by Brad Meltzer and Georges Jeanty.  Somehow they're really going to wrap this all up in this issue.  With an X-Men tribute cover no less!  Must read!

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA/BLACK PANTHER: FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS #2 by Reginald Hudlin and Denys Cowan.  A World War Two adventure starring a rookie Cap versus a seasoned Panther.  Oh, and the Nazis are in there too.  Recommended.

 

DONG XOAI VIETNAM 1965 written and illustrated by Joe Kubert.  A devastating true story from the days of the Vietnam War, told as only the great Joe Kubert can.  Highly recommended.

 

ELECTRIC ANT #2 of 5 by David Mack and Pascal Alixe.  Based on an original story by the legendary Philip K. Dick, this is already one of the most promising sci-fi comics in a long time.  Great art and a familiar Dick theme of figuring out how much we really know about ourselves and what it means to be human.  Highly recommended.

 

INCORRUPTIBLE, VOL. 1 SC by Mark Waid and Jean Diaz.  In which we meet Max Damage, the bad guy who gets more powerful the longer he's awake.  Except Max isn't bad anymore since the Plutonian went nuts.  Now he's "Incorruptible."  Highly recommended.

 

IRREDEEMABLE #13 by Mark Waid and Peter Krause.  The Paradigm are locked up, leaving the mad Plutonian completely in the hands of the one guy crazier than he is.  Recommended.

 

IZOMBIE #1 by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred.  The adventures of a grave-robbing, brain-eating girl detective.  Yes, you do have to look!  Not for kids.

 

PILOT SEASON: STEALTH #1 by Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri.  In the midst of a number of other difficulties a man takes in his aging father who's suffering from dementia.  Unfortunately dad was also the superhero Stealth.  Will Obamacare be able to handle this?  From the creator of WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE.

 

PRIDE, PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES GN by Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith, Tony Lee and Cliff Richards.  The only thing that could make me read Jane Austen: Flesh-eating fiends from the depths of hell!!!  Recommended.

 

SECRET SIX #21 by Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore.  Catman's got his claws out like never before.  Definitely not for younger kids.  Recommended.

 

SPIDER-MAN: FEVER #2 of 3 written and drawn by Brendan McCarthy.  Doctor Strange must rescue Spidey's soul from demons in a book that looks like it was painted with melted Good-n-Fruitys!  Gotta look!

 

STEPHEN KING'S N #3 of 4 by Marc Guggenheim and Alex Maleev.  Adapting a Stephen King horror story about a shrink who catches his patient's demon-induced OCD.  You must read this comic ten times before you can put it down safely, in mylar, in a comic box facing north-south.  Seriously.

 

SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #1 of 4 by James Robinson, Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle.  Brainiac is now an afterthought as Supes and Zod tear into each other while 100,000 Kryptonians wait in the wings.

 

ULTIMATE COMICS: NEW ULTIMATES #2 by Jeph Loeb and Frank Cho.  This comic was drawn by Frank Cho.

 

UNCANNY X-MEN #524 by Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson.  Last issue "a beloved X-Man died defending Hope."  Okay, I'm not gonna give it away, but come on.  "Beloved?"  Really?  Some of these X-threads are better than others.

 

VERONICA #200 written and drawn by Dan Parent.  A milestone issue starring Riverdale's poor little rich girl, Veronica Lodge!  This issue, Veronica gets a time machine!

 

And this week don't forget to ask for your WHITE LANTERN PROMO RINGS for enhancing your enjoyment of comics and bringing back the dead!

 

www.johnjudy.net

TODAY: Kal on Kojo on NPR, May 8th in Baltimore

Kal sends in a note about 2 events he'll be doing this week:

On Monday May 3 I will be a guest Washington's NPR showcase station , WAMU (www.wamu.org,  88.5 FM), on the Kojo Nnamdi show. I will be on the 1-2PM slot as part of a discussion on Satire and Culture.

I will be the guest speaker at the annual benefit fundraiser for "At Jacob's Well" (http://atjacobswell.org) a very worthy charity dedicated to aiding the homeless community in Baltimore.  Here are the details: 

When: Saturday, May 8, 2PM 

Where: Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD

Details: $20. Admission includes Wine and Hors d'oeuvres. Silent auction to benefit the charity

If you cannot attend but want to help this very worthy group, please visit their website: http://atjacobswell.org/

Also,

Best 

Kal

Kevin Kallaugher

kaltoons@comcast.net

www.Kaltoons.com

The KAL iPhone App is now available at the iTunes store.

Book reviews up at City Paper

International Ink: Clowes, Kids, Crackers and Hellboy

Posted by Mike Rhode on Apr. 29, 2010 at 10:40 am

PR: DC Comic-Con Costume Contest

DC Comic-Con Costume Contest Washington, DC - April 28, 2010 - JUST ANNOUNCED!  Iron Man 2, hitting theatres on May 7, 2010, presents the Inaugural DC Comic-Con Costume Contest!   Come out to the Iron Man 2 table dressed as your favorite comic book character to enter-to-win Iron Man 2 prizes.  The person with the best costume will win reserve seats at the advance screening of the film in DC!  Best Costume will be picked from all entries at 3pm, so enter early!   For more information on Iron Man 2, go to www.ironmanmovie.com.   Directions The show will be held at the George Mason University campus at 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA  22030 in the Student Union Building II (SUB II).  Free Parking is available in Lot A (beside the Patriot Center), which is a short walk from SUB II.  A map of the campus can be found at http://parking.gmu.edu/pdf%20files/parkingmap09.pdf, and directions to the show can be found on the show website at http://dccomicon.com/?page_id=63.    About The DC Comic-Con The DC Comic-Con, launching in 2010 on Sunday, May 2nd from 10am-5pm, is a result of the cooperative work of Marc Nathan, sponsor of the Baltimore Comic-Con (http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/) and Brett Carreras, sponsor of the VA Comicon (http://www.vacomicon.com/). For more information about guests, games, show exclusives, and contests, please visit http://dccomicon.com/.

May 3: Daniel Clowes at Politics and Prose

I'll have a brief review of the book up at the City Paper this week, and an amusing interview with him posted there on Monday morning.

Daniel Clowes - Wilson

Start: May 3, 2010 - 7:00pm
End: May 3, 2010 - 8:00pm
The latest graphic novel by Clowes, the author of David Boring and Ghost World is his first not to be serialized. A sequence of single-page vignettes, it’s drawn in different styles and dramatizes the life of a lonely, bitter man searching for human connection.

Weldon recommendations on Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day: A Checklist for the Comics Agnostic
by Glen Weldon
April 28, 2010

Post's Parker editorializes again on Danish Islam cartoon controversy

Freedom of sketch
By Kathleen Parker
Washington Post April 28, 2010; A21

Marc Singer on teaching American Born Chinese

Marc must be near to wrapping his course at Howard up - here he is on Gene Yang's award-winning book -

Week 12: Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese
April 26, 2010

BANG! The Universe Verse highlighted in Post

Without seeing the book "BANG! The Universe Verse: Book 1" (James Lu Dunbar), I'm not sure it's a comic, but...

Comic book uses verse to describe the beginning of the universe
-- Rachel Saslow
Washington Post April 27, 2010

National Archives' Civil War manga style

Comic book-style exhibit tells Civil War saga has pictures from the interactive computer display in the new National Archives' exhibit.

"Free Comic Book Day, and How It Helps You" up at Washington City Paper

Free Comic Book Day, and How It Helps You

Posted by Mike Rhode on Apr. 27, 2010

Comic Riffs on let's not "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day"

Post-'South Park': Cartoonist retreats from 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!' [UPDATED], By Michael Cavna, Washington Post's Comic Riffs blog April 26, 2010.

I'm a pretty irreligious guy, and dedicated to free speech, but even I feel this is all getting ridiculous. To use a loaded analogy, it's starting to remind me of the Islam conquest, and countering Crusades, where you 'convinced' the other side by brute force.

John Kelly on the post-cartoon Smokey the Bear

The biography of Smokey Bear: the cartoon came first
By John Kelly
Washington Post April 25, 2010; C03

Zadzooks reviews licensed comics

Comic book reviews: Terminator, Star Wars and Conan, Thursday, April 22, 2010 - Zadzooks - Worlds of Comics, Gaming and Action Figures by Joseph Szadkowski

Nate Beeler chosen for Cartoons for the Classroom

Nate Beeler's drawing of the Iceland volcano was chosen for the April 26th Cartoons for the Classroom educational feature. One can enter a caption contest as well.

Post on South Park censorship

I completely missed this until Cavna's Comic Riffs linked to it -

Comedy Central censors "South Park"
By Lisa de Moraes
Washington Post April 23, 2010

Day late - Iron Man 2 poster in USA Weekend

There's an Iron Man 2 poster by John Romita Jr in USA Weekend, which was distributed in yesterday's Examiner. There's a story on the movie by Brian Truitt as well.

Free Comic Book Day - cartoonists at Beyond Comics

From Beyond Comics website:

at the Frederick store

Micah Gunnell
Artist of Aspen Comics Dellec.

Like most artists, I've been drawing almost non-stop since I was young. I discovered comics at 14 and decided at that point that was what I wanted to do as a career. After attending community college for a bit and taking a few art courses, I decided to go to the Joe Kubert School. I only attended the first year because I didn't want to take out any more loans and also because people kept telling me I was ready for pro work. The summer following my year at Kubert's I was selected as one of the ten finalists competing in ComicBookResources.com's "Comic Book Idol" contest, and from there was noticed by Aspen Comics, where I have been working for the past 3 years on titles like 'Soulfire: Dying of the Light','Shrugged', and also doing many short stories for NBC's Heroes.


Danielle Corsetto
Artist/Writer of internet sensation Girls With Slingshots.

Danielle has been making comic strips since she was 8 and hasn't stopped. Her comics have been featured on the web - thus making them, you got it, WEBCOMICS - since 2000. She's a fully self-employed cartoonist working on several projects including the comic strip "Bat Boy" for The Weekly World News. She lives in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, loves traveling, and drinks just about anything fruity + vodka. She misses painting and photography, a lot.


Michael Imboden
Writer/Creator of Maryland's own Fist of Justice.

Mike is the co-creator and writer of Digital Webbing's "Fist of Justice". In addition to 'Fist of Justice', Mike has written stories that appeared in DW's anthology book, "Digital Webbing Presents". It was one of these stories that lead him to L. Jamal, Inc. and "Warmageddon" where he helped to create and write some of the more popular characters that live in the world of "Warmageddon". Mike also created "Dr. Brainchild", a villain that appeared in the second issue of "The Living Corpse", which Mike guest-wrote. Mike is currently concentrating on FoJ, but has a few other irons in the fire including a return to "The Living Corpse" with a sequel to the Dr. Brainchild story. There's also more Warmageddon work coming, including a weekly strip so top secret that we can't tell you it involves "Izzy & Gunnar, Monster Hunters". Mike once wrestled a bear, winning by DQ when the bear used a foreign object to gain the advantage.


Rafer Roberts
Artist/Writer of self published Plastic farms.

is the creator of the comic series Plastic Farm. Plastic Farm was originally a self-published series, first appearing as oversized mini-comics in 2001 and then in traditional comic book form in 2003.


Terry Flippo
Artist/Writer of self published Big Headz comics and drawings.

Terry Flippo has been drawing his own comic books for over 6 years. From Axel and Alex to his current work with the Big Headz, his style has made him a fan favorite to comic book readers of all ages. Featuring two Big Headz collections to date.

at the Gaithersburg store:

Monica Ghallagher
Artist/Writer of Lipstick & Malice.

Monica Gallagher is a graphic designer during the daylight hours and a comicker at night. While an animation major in college, Monica first tiptoed onto the comics scene with her webcomic Gods & Undergrads, following the awkward adventures of a girl transitioning into college life while simultaneously discovering her connection to Greek gods. Once her eyes had been opened to the online comics scene, Monica couldn't help herself and continued to produce more work.

A short stint in amateur modeling led Monica to create both an autobiographical story dealing with her struggles with self-esteem (titled Boobage) and a fictional series dealing with a professional model who works part-time as an assassin (titled Lipstick & Malice). Luckily, Monica emerged from modeling with both her boobs and her criminal record intact. She then discovered something else to become obsessed with and inspired by -- Roller Derby. Bonnie N. Collide, Nine to Five is the result of her inspiration -- a weekly webcomic that combines the superhero side of being a rollergirl with the Clark Kent side of working a day job. Monica was just drafted by the Junkyard Dolls, one of the four teams of lovely ladies of the Charm City Roller Girls, and she is getting ready for her first bout in 2010.

Monica continues to create short stories, contribute to anthologies, and tackle illustration work from her home in Baltimore, where she lives with her boyfriend and their dueling cats. Check out her art and news pages for the latest dirt - you never know where she'll pop up next!


Matt Dembicki
Artist/Writer of the award-winning nature parable Mr. Big.

His work has appeared in numerous comics anthologies, including Bash Magazine, and the recently released Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection. He’s currently working on his new project, an ecological tale about a great white shark called Xoc.


Andrew Cohen
Artist/Writer Howzit Funnies.

Andrew Cohen is a Washington, D.C. creator. His current projects include Howzit Funnies and Law Monger. He is a contributor to Trickster.

Comics on the Rack, Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-28-10

COMICS ON THE RACK

Quick Picks for Comics Due 04-28-10

By John Judy

 

(Note: Don't forget to celebrate Free Comic Book Day 2010 at your local shop this Saturday, May 1^st!  Excelsior!)

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #629 by Roger Stern and Lee Weeks.  Captain Universe, Juggernaut and Spidey!  All fightin'!

 

BLAZING COMBAT SC by Archie Goodwin and Other Legends of the Medium.  Collecting all four issues of the war comic so good it got banished from the PXs in 1965.  Finally in paperback!  Highly recommended.

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA #605 by Ed Brubaker and Like Ross.  Bucky America versus Teabagger Cap!  The final round!

 

FALL OF THE HULKS: RED HULK #4 of 4 by Jeff Parker and Carlos Rodriguez.  I'd tell you we learn who the Red Hulk is but I hate to lie.

 

FANTASTIC FOUR #578 by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham.    Annihilus and the Cult of the Negative Zone!  No, it's not a band!

 

FLASH: REBIRTH HC by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.  Collecting the true return of Barry Allen!  Recommended.

 

GARRISON #1 of 6 by Jeff Marriotte and Francesco Francavilla.  In the future everyone is on the grid, except Garrison.  And that makes him dangerous.  The adventures of the last guy on Earth without a Facebook page.

 

INCORRUPTIBLE #5 by Mark Waid and Jean Diaz.  The origin of Jailbait!  It ain't what you think!  Recommended!

 

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #25 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca.  Double sized with new armor, oh, and did we mention a certain MOVIE coming out next week?!?  Yes!

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #2 of 4 by J.T. Krul and Geraldo Borges.  Cheshire, the villainess who keeps having babies with super-types and then watching them die at the hands of other super-types, is back in Arsenal's life.  And you thought your crazy ex was bad…

 

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #38 by Bill Willingham and Jesus Merino.  JSA's fightin' the Nazis!  Never gets old!

 

KEVIN SMITH'S GREEN HORNET #3 by Smith and Jonathan Lau.  The real reason for all the volcanoes and earthquakes?  A Kevin Smith book coming out on schedule.  Total sign of The End.

 

MARVEL ZOMBIES 5 #2 of 5 by Fred Van Lente and Kano.  Okay, Van Lente's making it work.  Lotsa universe hoping and brain eating.  It's a ride.

 

MIGHTY AVENGERS #36 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham.  The comic that dares to ask the question "What would Janet Van Dyne do?"  Recommended.

 

NEIL GAIMAN INSTRUCTIONS HC by Neil and Charles Vess.  How to get along if you find yourself in a fairytale world, as told in illustrated verse by Mssrs. Gaiman and Vess.  Highly recommended.

 

NEW AVENGERS #64 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike McKone.  Asgard?  Still under siege. Sentry?  Still nuts.  Mockingbird?  Still dead?  Again?  Gotta look.

 

NORTHLANDERS #27 by Brian Wood and Leandro Fernandez.  How far will Hilda go to keep her daughter alive as her Viking village starts eating its own tail?

 

PREVIEWS by Diamond and Marvel Comics.  Someday it will be interwebs-only but not today.

 

SCALPED #37 by Jason Aaron and Davide Furno.  Okay, few things could top last issue's shocking revelation about Red Crow's royal executioner Shunka, but if anyone can do it it's Jason Aaron.  If you're not reading this book you're insane.  Highly recommended.

 

STUMPTOWN #3 by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth.  Noir set in the City of Roses, Portland Oregon.  Real purty art and writings.  Recommended.

 

SUPERMAN #699 by James Robinson and Bernard Chang.  Brainiac is due for his latest super ass-kicking!

 

SUPERMAN: LAST STAND ON NEW KRYPTON #3 of 3 by James Robinson, Sterling Gates and Pete Woods. Brainiac is due for his latest super ass-kicking!

 

THOR #609 Kieron Gillen and Billy Tan.  Thor fights his evil cyborg-clone double.  Well, somebody has to!

 

THUNDERBOLTS #143 by Jeff Parker and Miguel Angel Sepulveda.  The kids get smacked around real good by the Avengers.

 

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS 2 #1 by Mark Millar and Leinil Francis Yu.  Ultimate Punisher joins the team.  Because the book was too wussy before.

 

VICTORIAN UNDEAD #6 of 6 by Ian Edginton and Davide Fabri.  At last, Sherlock Holmes and zombie Moriarty throw down!  See who has the most "braaaaiiiiinnnnsss!"

 

WALKING DEAD #61 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard.  The zombie-free, traffic-free DC suburbs are way too good to be true.  Highly recommended.  Not for kids.

 

WONDER WOMAN #43 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott.  Boy, after all the planetary invasions Diana has turned back you'd think word would get around.  Oh well.  Big fight!

 

www.johnjudy.net

My Life with Charlie Brown review

My friend Tom's new book is reviewed

Book review: "My Life with Charlie Brown," by Charles Schulz

By James Rosen
Washington Post Sunday, April 25, 2010; B07

MY LIFE WITH CHARLIE BROWN
By Charles M. Schulz
Edited by M. Thomas Inge
Univ. of Mississippi. 193 pp. $25