Comical Resolutions 2011

It’s still early January so it’s not too late for me to share my comic related resolutions for the coming year. 

1.  Step outside of my comic reading comfort zone.  I admit it.  I have a comic type.  It involves cute animals and chick characters.  Thor the Mighty Avenger was my toe in the water stepping out of my type and Marvel responded by cancelling it.  (Yes, Ted, I’m still complaining about that.  Damn it, people, put down the Deadpool and read TMA.)  Thanks to the lending library of Brandon (Big Dog), I have read more comics outside by type, the Walking Dead for example.  However my purchases for 2010 stayed clearly within my comfort zone.  In 2011, I will make an effort to add different comics to my personal library. 

2.  Write more reviews for the Dollar Bin.  I read a number of comics in 2010 that I really enjoyed and fully intended to review so I could share stories that I enjoyed.  Like Cragmore by Pat Lewis.  I will finish that review and post it along with others this year.

3.  Do more interviews.  I love talking to artists and writers.  Off the record, I have some truly ridiculous conversations with creative people.  I want to channel that into interviews.  Interviews get me interested in reading new comics which will be very helpful for resolution number one. 

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Stages of Grief: Thor the Mighty Avenger

The cancellation of Thor the Mighty Avenger is my first experience in losing a series that I really enjoyed. The discussion in the forums reflects everyone else’s dismay in the cancellation. Many of you have experienced previous cancellations. As Tee said, “Welcome to my world.” In entering Tee’s world of disappointment, I have to work through the stages of grief in losing my first series.

Denial: TMA combined the efforts of two creators I have come to love, Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee. Who would be crazy and/or evil enough to cancel this team? Obviously Marvel recognizes this is a crazy and evil decision as Editor-In-Chief, Joe Quesada, has claimed the decision was not his. I must not be the only one in denial.

Anger: I don’t pick up many comics monthly. TMA was my second monthly after Buffy. Why does Marvel hate me? Is it because I think they have too many Deadpools? Why do they want me to spend hours on Wikipedia if I want to read the remaining Thor books?

Bargaining: In response to the cancellation, fans of the series began tweeting with the hash tag #SaveThorTheMightyAvenger. I tweeted Marvel asking for at least allowing for a more complete end of the series in the traditional 12 issue arc many mini-series take. Just let them finish the plans they currently had. It makes sense from a trade standpoint. How can Marvel ignore such logic?

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Review: Cover Run: The DC Comic Art of Adam Hughes

If you’ve ever glanced through the shelves of a comic book store, chances are you’ve seen the beautiful art of Adam Hughes who has drawn characters from Wonder Woman to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Cover Run: The DC Comic Art of Adam Hughes assembles many of his covers for your viewing pleasure.

The title gives away that the art is his, but in Cover Run Hughes wrote everything included in the book including the introduction, the narratives of the covers, and his own biography.  Hughes’ covers are eye candy enough to justify a coffee table book, but he gives the reader additional insight into many of his covers throughout the years.   Hughes shows and tells us about his evolution as an artist.

Cover Run includes extensive collections of the covers of Hughes’ two main leading ladies: Wonder Woman and Cat Woman.  It is through these characters you can see the most definitive changes in Hughes’ style.  In his narratives of highlighted covers, Hughes answers what has to be the most annoying fan question of all time - “What were you thinking when you drew that one (insert character name here) cover?” and in reading we don’t have to be embarrassed that we actually want to know the answer.  Hughes also shares gems throughout the book in the form of unpublished sketches and covers.  He also shares insight into covers that he was ultimately unhappy with and why.

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Review: FCHS

At the Heroescon 2009 art auction I was lucky to win an adorable piece of the FCHS female characters as DC heroines.  I’m not sure who was more excited about the bidding on the piece, me or the artist, Rachel Freire.  Rachel is one of the sweetest artists that I have met at Heroescon and based on the overall friendly amtosphere of both fans and professionals, this is saying a lot.

I had missed Free Comic Book Day that year and did not yet have a copy of the AdHouse published FCHS prequel to the FCHS graphic novel .  Shawn (from Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find and the Dollar Bin) hooked me up with a copy after the con and I was introduced to the student body of Forest City High School. FCHS sold out at Heroescon and I was lucky enough to get the last copy at their booth.  I’m glad to see that so many were interested in this self-published novel. 

Vito Delsante, author of FCHS,  describes this series as “Archie Comics meets 90210”.   I’m not sure how many comic fans fall into the viewing audiences of both shows, but I do.  Archie was my original foray into comics and the first 90210 guided me through my high school years.  FCHS falls solidly into my wheelhouse of pop culture. 

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Review: Red Moon

One of the books I picked up at Heroescon 2009 was the prequel to the Red Moon graphic novel.  The prequel introduces several of the Red Moon main characters, specifically Mox and Daeden, the protagonists of the series.  I enjoyed the prequel and had been eagerly awaiting the release of the graphic novel. 

Dave McAdoo, creator of Red Moon and Steve Kosak, the editor, debuted  Red Moon at Heroescon 2010.  I was lucky to receive a review copy and interview both Dave and Steve at the con (You might want to link the interview here if that’s not difficult). 

Red Moon is the story of two dogs, Mox and Daeden, and their journey to save the world and humankind from the impending doom signaled by Mox’s visions of a red moon.

Mox begins the story simply seeking freedom from neglectful and sometimes cruel owners, but  as he is freed by his friend Daeden the journey soon becomes a quest for understanding Mox’s visions.  With the help of super-natural creatures, the Masters, and some animal friends including Kitch, a cicada sent to guide them, Mox and Daeden set out to save the world. 

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