MONDOmagazine

Up
Directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
Pixar, 2009

By Miles Baker

Up is a story that you want to share with people. I want my family and friends to see it because I think they’ll like it. I think everybody should like this. I don’t know what’s not to like. I want to see it again. Right now. It’s the kind of movie that if you heard someone say they didn’t like it, you’d think less of that person. It’s a serious lapse in taste to dislike Up.

The writing is so sharp. Nothing is said that doesn’t build character or move the plot — and there’s a nice balance of both. Every action scene has the intensity of the door chase in Monsters Inc. and just as much of the fun. Though it is a little unrealistic that an old man can take that much falling down and getting thrown out of things, but we’re watching a story about a house that floats with helium balloons — we’re talking some liberties with reality.

And what a moment that is. The sight of Carl’s house being lifted by thousands of colourful balloons is such a magical moment. It’s a moment of true awe in an age where we think the word means explosions.

Ed Asner does an amazing job as Carl. He brings such a great mix of heart and heartlessness to the character that you can’t help but love him. His origin story is beautiful and made me misty. For the first 15 minutes of the film Carl is completely silent. You fall in love with Carl because of what he does, and it’s so powerful. Without words, Up is able to connect you to its main characters, so wait until you meet Dug the dog with a collar that talks for him. It’s one of the funniest introductions to a character I’ve ever seen. Everything he does makes you laugh or cry or both. I love Dug. And his name is Dug! It’s so funny and cute my heart hurts. Get used to that feeling — heart pain I mean — because this film is filled with moments that make your heart hurt with joy.

And you have to see this in 3-D because it’s artfully directed. When the scenes are quiet, the look is a little flatter, has less depth, is further away from you. When the characters are excited, everything is bigger, big as can be. It’s an effective choice as Carl’s house feels small at first, but then much larger as his adventure begins. It’s so subtle, but very effective. The colours are a treat as is the quality of the animation and lighting. It’s all carefully chosen to create the most amount of wonder in the audience.

It’s a story I think parents should show their kids to make them better people. I feel better for having seen it. Go in with high expectations because they will be met and then exceeded.

Dance Party of Newfoundland
Performed by Phil Churchill, Steve Cochrane, Jonny Harris, and Susan Kent
May 21-24, 2009 @ Factory Theatre (part of the Performance Spring Festival)

By Matt McGeachy

A spunky and irreverent comedy troupe, Dance Party of Newfoundland’s skit sets — presented as part of the Performance Spring Festival at Factory Theatre — were fresh, delightfully ironic, and at times wonderfully wicked.

This troupe makes fun of Newfs as only Newfs can, or are allowed to.  Beginning with a skit where a Newfoundlander brings his new wife to meet his family in an isolated coastal town with true Shakespearean dialects, followed by an old woman talking about the joys of molestation money, these comedians are not afraid of political incorrectness.

Whereas a less talented (or funny) group would have seriously offended even the most irreverent among us with the molestation gig — my god, did I just write “molestation gig?” — DPN skillfully treads on some dangerous topics.

Among the best of the night were: the man-cats, where two grown men behaved like cats in a fashion instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever owned one; Pervlerte, the sexy Spanish guitar maestro, who — no joke — licked a member of the audience; Chinesus, an Asian-fusion version of Jesus who was upset that Mary Magdalene and Timothy have taken up together since his crucifixion; and the translating of an extreme Cockney English accent.

Punctuated with Newf-inspired musical themes from the international rock sensations “The Sons of Our Fathers”, the entire evening was good, heady, Canadian humour.  In what other country would a group of hosers on the pogey, planning their holidays to Latin America on their Blackberries, elicit a string of laughter from an audience?

The woman sitting behind me had it all right when she said through laughter, “I thought I knew where they were going with that, but I was all wrong!”

The unexpected musings of Dance Party of Newfoundland were a treat — the troupe offers up the droll sense of humour for which this country is famous.  It doesn’t make your gut hurt from laughter, but it sure does tickle your funny bone.

The Amazing Spider-Man #595
Joe Kelly (w), Phil Jimenez (p), Andy Lanning (i) Chris Chuckry (c). Marvel Comics.

There are a lot of great things about this comic, but maybe the best is the title page, where Harry Osborn and Peter Parker look up at Avengers Tower from Central Park. No, there’s no cool character flying to the tower itself or anything. And, yes, the architecture is a bit out there. Honestly, a pretty normal set-up scene, but it’s a perspective too few of us indulge in — looking up and seeing the world around us. It gives a whole new appreciation for the idea of a guy swinging around fifty stories up. It’s real and surreal at the same time, an amazing moment. There’s a cool Wolverine appearance and homage to Amazing Spider-Man #39 too, so go get it already. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Miles’ Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Owen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Avengers: The Initiative #24
Christos N. Gage (w), Huberto Ramos (a), José Marzan Jr. (i), Marvel Comics

I’ve been very frustrated with Marvel lately for continually putting Humberto Ramos on comics I like, from Mike Carey’s X-Men to Runaways and now on Avengers: the Initiative. It’s not that I don’t like a cartoony style; it’s that I don’t like a cartoony style when it’s expressionless, unclear and has a poor sense of anatomy. For an example of this have a look at the first splash page of this issue: I stared at this page for several minutes and I still don’t really understand what’s going on. Maybe the writing was good, I don’t know. I just know that I can’t stand to look at this artwork. Please, Marvel, please stop putting Ramos on books I like. It just makes me sad. — Owen Craig

Owen’s Rating: 2 out of 5

Avengers/Invaders #11 (of 12)
Alex Ross and Jim Krueger (w), Steve Sadowski and Patrick Berkenkotter (p), Tom Mason (c). Marvel Comics.

There are moments in this book that are really sappy, but when they work they work. Like having WW2 era Bucky tell Iron Man “It’s too bad my Cap wasn’t around in your era. I think you two would have been great friends.” I’m a sucker for sweet odes to friendship, I guess? Wolverine yelling “Avengers Assemble” on the last page doesn’t do anything for me though. Could have something to do with how he prefaced it with a “know I’m not supposed to say this now in this time, but…” It’s really clunky writing, forcing bits you think sound cool together that don’t work. Bucky chronicling the adventure in a note pad is cute — a classic sidekick thing to do — but not the best representation to sell Bucky to modern audiences. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Battlefields: The Tankies #2 of 3
Garth Ennis (w), Carlos Ezquerra (p), Hector Ezquerra (i), Tony Avina (c). Dynamite Entertainment.

So it seems I’ve been picking up a lot of Ennis’ work and the only reason for that is because it’s great. His characters are well-developed and show a lot of personality. With the creation of Battlefields, Ennis has really been able to create a niche for himself writing war comics. He pushes the preconceived notions that have developed over the years in terms of the weaponry and the tactics used in war. In this mini he explores and defies the once widely held belief that tanks were invincible weapons. Ezquerra’s art is fantastic and really matches Ennis’ edgy writing. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s Rating: 4 out of 5

Dark Reign: The Hood #1
Jeff Parker (w), Kyle Holtz (a), Frank Martin (c). Marvel Comics

I picked up the original Hood mini-series because Brian K. Vaughan wrote it. That was the only reason behind it. I liked it, not BKV’s strongest work but a good heist story with a cool concept. When Brian Michael Bendis gave the character a huge push in New Avengers I was surprised and disappointed that so few threads of the original mini-series were picked up. The Hood seemed like a totally different character. Well, not anymore. This is the sequel to The Hood and it’s a really good one so far. It settles you back into Parker Robbinson’s — The Hood’s — life, complete with supporting cast and the return of a character that I never thought I’d see again. So, if you read and enjoyed the first Hood I recommend reading this series. If you skipped BKV’s The Hood it’s worth going back, if only to read this. — Miles Baker

Miles’ Rating: 4 out of 5

Ghost Rider #35
Jason Aaron (w), Terry Moore (a), Marvel Comics

I still can’t believe it. Ghost Rider is fan-bloody-tastic. I know I’ve covered this territory before, but I’m still in shock. Moving on, this issue is gross, in the best possible way. An absolutely creepy new (right? I’ve never heard of her before, but correct me if I’m wrong) villain is introduced and madness ensues. Tony Moore draws the Hell out of it and Jason Aaron does what he does best: writes some kickass scenes. If you’ve ever said to yourself “Ghost Rider sucks, I’m not buying that” then just remember…I’ve said that too. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 4 out of 5

Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive? #1
Fabian Nicieza (w); Dustin Nguyen, Guillem March, Chriscross, Jamie McKelvie, Alex Konat and Mike McKenna (a); Guy Major and Guillem March (c). DC Comics.

It’s hard to go wrong with so much packed into a book like this: something will grab your eye. The last page has a Dustin Nguyen version of the classic “leaping Batman in front of a bolt of lighting” and it’s hard to deny how great that is. The art in the Leslie Thompkins story is far too bright for Gotham, a problem Robin had before it was cancelled (just readying for the relaunch folks). The story from Vicki Vale’s perspective (art by Guillem March) should have been the whole focus of the comic, nicely showcasing the Bat-family with their new status quo while Vale is busy figuring out the double identity thing. Of course March’s artwork is beautiful. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Green Lantern #41
Geoff Johns (w), Philip Tan & Eddy Barrows (p), Jonathan Glapion, Ruy José & Julio Ferreira (i), DC Comics

This is sad. Johns is telling a great story here but it’s a story I’ve found a little bit meandering since the Sinestro Corps War. In this chapter Johns finds his focus and really delivers an emotional punch that I thought worked beautifully, but the art slightly ruined it for me. I don’t know what was going on here, but I don’t think the penciller(s) is (are) to blame. I don’t know too much about the process of inking and colouring, but something happened to give the art in this issue an incredibly inconsistent feel. One panel the lines were clean and clear, the next they were sketchy and gritty and in some panels there was even a pastel-like style going on. Any of these are fine choices in their own right, but switching between them seemingly at random and a last page which featured ALL THREE STYLES ON ONE PAGE completely undercut what should have been a great last page. It’s a pity; this could’ve been a great issue. Ivan Reis and “The Blackest Night” can’t get here fast enough. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 3 out of 5

Ignition City #3 of 5
Warren Ellis (w), Gianluca Pagliarani (a), Chris Dreier (i), Digicore Studios (c). Avatar Press.

There is something to be said about Warren Ellis and his writing abilities. I’m a huge fan of his online series Freak Angels and have become a fan of this mini-series as well. He creates new worlds through the establishment of complex stories within new cities that you just want to explore. In this series, Mary Raven’s been asking some dangerous questions about the death of her father, Rock. She finds herself at the end of some smoking ray guns trying to keep herself from getting killed. I’m excited. There is one problem though, the art just doesn’t do the story justice. I actually had a hard time reading the last issue because the art bothered me so much. Nevertheless, the story matters more to me, so I still love the series. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s Rating: 4 out of 5

The Incredible Hercules #129
Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (w), Ryan Stegman (p), Terry Pallot (i), Marvel Comics

If you like awesomeness then this book is for you. If hate kickass fight scenes, hilarious dialogue and amazing characters then maybe give this comic a pass. Because seriously, every issue of this comic is golden. This journey into Hades is taking the comic’s “fun with mythology” approach to new heights. If you’re not buying this comic then what is wrong with you? — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 4 out of 5

Justice Society of America #27
Jerry Ordway (w+p), Bob Wiacek (i), Hi-Fi Design (c). DC Comics.

Now that Geoff Johns is off JSA, I was wondering whether or not I’d like to keep buying it. I don’t get Justice League, but two pages into this and I remembered I like these characters. That Atom-Smasher somehow imprinted himself on my heart (I hated this guy before) and now he’s centre stage, and for this issue trying to get on Bibbo Bibbowski’s good side, so that’s another blast from the past right there. Or it would be if I didn’t read all those Superman: Man of Steel trades recently. This book got a couple of laughs from me. In fact, it just got feelings out of me in general: worried about Stargirl being possessed, frustrated at Obsidian’s quiet recalcitrance, and understanding Hourman’s fear. This is a good comic, I hope Willingham can follow suit when he takes it over. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Rating: 4 out of 5
Owen’s Rating: 2 out of 5

The Last Days of Animal Man #1
Gerry Conway(w), Chris Batista(p), Dave Meikis (i), DC Comics

I love Animal Man. So if any of you are wondering who this book is aimed at, look no further. The big question, though, is how did this Animal Man fan like the book? Honestly, quite a lot. Conway does a great job with the character of an aging Buddy Baker, an intriguing new villain is introduced and Conway takes the time to set up the future world of Buddy Baker before he marches in the future DCU guest stars (a wise move). The art is great, clean and detailed, and the Brian Bolland cover is amazing. My only real complaint is the cliffhanger. We’ve seen it. Many times. In fact, we just saw an almost identical cover in last month’s Superman (not that that’s Conway’s fault). I loved the book, but nothing about that ending has me chomping at the bit for the next issue. But honestly, fans of superhero stories should be checking this out. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Literals #2
Bill Willingham & Matthew Sturges (w), Mark Buckingham (p), Andrew Pepoy (i), Vertigo Comics

Now this is more like it. Just when I was feeling ready to give up on this storyline an issue comes along and nails down what should have been nailed down many issues ago. After parts 1-5 wasted time making jokes about storytelling and genre while portraying the Fables-verse characters mucking about outside their respective books this issue does what I’ve been waiting for: all of that PLUS progressing the plot. Toss in Mark Buckingham’s art and you’ve got yourself a solid book. Bravo, gents. Now bring it home in the final three parts. — Owen Craig

Owen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Northlanders #17
Brian Wood (w), Vasilis Lolos (a), Dave McCaig (c). Vertigo

If you’ve been looking for a new series to pick up, you could do a lot worse than Northlanders and this issue in particular. As an introduction to the series, this issue is pretty much perfect because it has all the elements that make Northlanders great. The entire issue is about two men fighting in a circle as a ritual. The captions explain the practice while giving you inside into the men desperately trying to stay alive and kill their opponent. The fight is gruesome and realistically portrays how hard it would be to kill a man with an axe or a sword. But what makes the issue more than an illustrated text book is how well the characters are written. They don’t speak a lot in the issue, but the details that Wood gives about their lives are interesting and makes the whole thing so very human.

Miles’ Rating: 4 out of 5

Nova #25
Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Kevin Sharpe (p), Jeffrey Huet and Nelson Pereira (i) Bruno Hang (c). Marvel Comics.

I didn’t even realize this was an issue #25 until after I’d read it: they don’t make a big deal about it which is refreshing. Of course, Nova has always been about telling a good story, so I shouldn’t be surprised that Abnett and Lanning eschewed faux anniversary conventions. This issue has Richard Rider find out what’s wrong with Worldmind and how to fix it. Awesome, so now it’ll be, what? Another two issues before everything is resolved and the next story arc can happen? Oh, wait, they solve the problem in this issue too? That’s good pacing. They also answer the question about whether Rider will lose his sanity upon regaining the incredible power of the Nova force: “Nah, you seem to cope okay.” That’s pretty funny.  — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Rating: 4 out of 5

Runaways #10
Christopher Yost and James Asmus (w), Sara Pichelli and Emma Rios (a), Christina Strain (c). Marvel Comics

Yay, the Runaways are back! It’s been a rough couple of years for my favourite comic teens: Whedon’s came out incredibly slow, then Terry Moore just missed the mark completely. He wrote them as dumber than they all were and that was the biggest piss off as a fan. When you know your characters are smarter than they are being written. Well, thankfully, the smart has returned to Runaways and they’re celebrating with two stories in issue 10. The lead story is definitely the stronger of the two, plus we get to see new series artist Sara Pichelli take a first crack at drawing the kids – she does a wonderful job. She reminds me of original series artist Adrian Alphona in a really good way. The second story is fun, but doesn’t flow as well. There are parts where  I wasn’t sure what was happening. However, Asmus writes the kids well — just the way nature intended. — Miles Baker

Miles Rating: 4 out of 5
Owen’s Rating: 4 out of 5

Spider-Man: The Short Halloween #1
Bill Hader and Seth Meyers (w), Kevin Maguire (a), Dean White (c). Marvel Comics.

For those of you unfamiliar with the reference, the title’s a take on Batman: The Long Halloween, a story which I rather enjoy. That’s just the start of some of the fun comic type references you find in this book. When a couple of guys dressed as the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus get into a fight with the REAL Spider-Man you get such moments as “Hey Spider-Man, read any good books lately?” before tipping over a bookcase which doesn’t come near Spidey. And then there’s Doc Ock swearing revenge when Spider-Man leaves (he’s really in character). It’s supposed to be pretty goofy — and yeah it is — but it’s a sweet adventure where a villain decides he’s a hero and a bumbling Spider-Guy finds redemption (to a degree) with his friends. I was thinking how it’d be cool to see Kevin Maguire do a Spider-Man comic, but that he’d be wasted with the full face mask — I should have trusted him to know his strengths, the final panel is an unmasked Spidey with a simple smile. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Superman #688
James Robinson (w), Renato Guedes (p), José Wilson Magalhâes (i), DC Comics

If anyone has been saying to themselves “where is that James Robinson who wrote Starman, I want to read more of his work” then look no further. I, too, have been reading Robinson’s latest DC work, hoping that some of it would live up to the greatness that is his Starman run. After some pretty decent (but not spectacular) issues over the last year his work on Superman has broken through and reached the heights I’ve been waiting for. This issue is terrific. It won’t be for everyone, it is a quiet issue after all. There’s not much in the way of fights (although there are some), but there is some well-written character interaction, some philosophy from the guards of a secret door and a quiet moment for Mon-El as he comes to an important decision. I would call that a winning issue. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 4.5 out of 5

Teen Titans #71
Sean McKeever (w), Yildiray Cinar (p), Julio Ferreira (i), Rod Reis (c). DC Comics.

This issue follows Ravager and the fallout from the “Death Trap” storyline that I didn’t like. It’s a back and forth of her deciding whether or not to stick around with the team, even though she actively dislikes the leader. The indecision and ultimately Ravager’s leaving is all pretty standard fair, however a showdown with another member, Bombshell, to see whether she will stick by the team shows an interesting depth to Ravager’s character — she’s, at least, protective of her “friends.” The art is a big improvement in this issue over the last few. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Wonder Woman #32
Gail Simone (w), Aaron Lopresti (a), Matt Ryan (i). DC Comics.

So I’ve been reading Wonder Woman, not because I’m on love with the series, but more because I don’t want to stop until this story arc is finished. There is something about it that keeps me from being able to completely relate to her as character. Maybe it’s just me. Regardless, the story has been consistently picking up and it’s great to see Wonder Woman kick some serious Genocide ass. She comes to terms with the duty that she has as a protector of the human species, but keeps intact the essence of who she is at the same time. It’s a complicated balance and constant struggle, but she’s doing her best. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

X-Force #15
Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle (w), Clayton Crain (a). Marvel Comics

Thankfully, this issue finally moves the plot a little. However, even though the plot has moved, the writing seems unable to raise the stakes at all. I don’t feel any danger for Hope or Thunderbird while they’re captives of Stryfe. The writers haven’t given me a reason not to think that they both won’t be skipping out of there in a couple issues’ time completely unscathed. And someone really needs to give me a reason to care about Bishop’s plan, it’s infuriating that no one has really bothered to explain it (perhaps they did in that Bishop mini-series, but if they wanted anyone to buy it they wouldn’t have put Larry Stroman on the art). Also, can someone tell me what Cable’s powers are? He’s a revolving door of mutant abilities. On the upside, there’s a really good last page that makes me want to read the next issue. — Miles Baker

Miles Rating: 2.5 out of 5

X-Men Legacy #224
Mike Carey (w), Scott Eaton (p), Andrew Hennessy (i), Brian Reber (c). Marvel Comics

The end of the “Salvage” arch brings about some interesting changes to Rogue and Danger, two characters who never really interested me before but do now. This arch really served as the “pass the torch between Xavier and Rogue as the lead of X-Men Legacy and served that job well. Carey writes both characters with intelligence and pathos and an amazing comprehension of where they come from. He seems to know everything about the X-Men, even the terrible stuff. The biggest weakness of this issue (and really the whole arc) is that Carey’s Shiar villains weren’t very compelling. They’re drugged up space pirates, and while that sounds cool it isn’t. I feel they had no resonance with the characters. However, it’s still a solid series and I’m looking forward to what Carey will do with next. — Miles Baker

Miles Rating: 3.5 out of 5

By Helen Fylactou

Fashion designer Natalie Simms, with her perpetual smile and her bright red hair, is a breath of fresh air in the fashion industry.  She first exploded onto the scene in 2006 with her own design company.  Based out of Toronto, n.s designs draws inspirations from music and nature.

Simms’ street fashion designs can be worn right off the runway. The Hot White Night collection encompasses designs for men and women. Using light linens, and with a hint of bold colour, the garments are natural. The slim pants are tailoring with perfect line making the cut incredibly flattering. Simms has mastered the art of screen printing: n.s. designs makes its mark by customizing all the designs with graphic prints. Simms explains her dedication and love for the process of design as “satisfying and liberating” — her designs a therapeutic expression of art.

In addition to the Hot White Night collection, Simms’ 2007 Swing Tanzen Verboten collection makes you see and feel the connection between self and landscape. These designs are filled with earth tones and warm colours. Always remembering the body’s silhouette, the garments have a crisp lightness and daring prints. Simms’ design motto: “keep it very wearable but with funky details and a hint of sophistication that can be a bit unexpected, but still work.”

My personal favourite collection from n.s. designs is the Desolate collection. The collection was created for an avant-garde fashion show. The dresses range from the “little black dress” with a boat-cut neck line to hooded dresses with an open front (for the more adventurous woman).

Beyond giving the world something more than skinny jeans and leggings, n.s. designs is creating versatile collections for the everyday man and woman. With collections varying from cotton skirts to fluid-shaped dresses to silk blouses, this up-and-coming designer’s appealing and flattering apparel is gaining the attention of industry professionals. Such intrigue has allowed Simms to break into a competitive industry and to showcase her signature style.

Natalie Simms and n.s. designs will be at The Creators‘ Marketplace Show & Sale, taking place on May 31 from 10am-6pm at the Thornhill Community Centre Hall (7755 Bayview Avenue). This one-day event will showcase original and handmade work from artists and craftspeople of all types, such as comic art, fine art, jewellery, food, clothing, photography, toys and more. One dollar from every admission fee, plus proceeds from a silent auction, will be donated to the Hospital for Sick Children’s Foundation.

By Jake Shenker

Yes, it’s that time of week — New Release Tuesday! This week, MONDOmusic introduces a new weekly feature designed to help you spend your hard-earned paycheck on shiny new CDs (or digital downloads, if you run with the cool crowd).

Here’s what’s new this week:

Grizzly Bear — Veckatimest (Warp)
These guys opened for Radiohead last summer, and despite that ridiculously high-profile exposure, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Grizzly Bear. They did their best and put on an interesting show, but the cutthroat Radiohead fans were having none of it. Grizzly Bear got booed, they got ignored, and I’m pretty sure someone chucked something at them. Do these guys a favor and check out their Arcade Fire-flavoured record — they’ve earned it.

Marilyn Manson — The High End of the Low (3D)
That’s right, a fresh new way to scare children and another album on which to blame senseless violence. The High End of the Low is an earnest effort to sneak Marilyn Manson back into the mainstream, and… it’s actually not bad. You’ve got the usual Manson sound, but a good chunk of this record is infused with a classic Nine Inch Nails-meets-Beck sound. If that comparison just blew your mind, go give this record a listen.

Phoenix — Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)
I’ll be honest, there’s nothing here I haven’t heard a hundred times before — Phoenix’s new record is another album full of potential background music for iPod commercials, but that doesn’t make it boring. If you like The Kooks or Jet, go have a listen.

Next week: I shower undue praise on the new Dave Matthews Band album.

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By Owen Craig

One of the most fun things about being a comic book fan is getting to rummage through back-issue looking for the collector’s version of buried treasure. Recently I was at Dragon Lady, a neat store with some old comics and magazines checking out their 30-50% off sale and walked home with a great haul. Let’s take a quick look at what I bought.

Amazing Spider-Man #162

Nightcrawler was guest-starring in Amazing Spider-Man with The Punisher…I dunno, seemed like fun to me.

Devil Dinosaur #1

Devil Dinosaur. It’s a comic about a giant red tyrannosaurus. Not only that, but it’s a Jack Kirby-created red tyrannosaurus with a monkey-man sidekick. This a slam-dunk.

The House of Mystery #249

I bought this one based on the amazingness of the dialogue on the cover. “No! NO! You were just a voice on a record!” “Yes! The voice of your DOOM!” That’s fantastic. I miss dialogue on the covers of my comics these days. It still happens once in a while, and I always appreciate it when it does. I can only hope that the story inside this issue is as much fun as the cover. Plus it features two terrifying tales. Two!

The Mighty Thor #364-366

Ever since I heard of Frog Thor I knew I had to own those issues. Thor is turned into a frog, awesomeness ensues. If you’re reading Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers (and if you aren’t then why not?) and want to know where the concept of Frog Thor originated then this is what you need to track down.

Uncle Scrooge #300

I’m a huge Uncle Scrooge fan, so it’s hard to resist a cover like this one where Don Rosa draws a bunch of characters from Scrooge’s past. The issue also reprints some great stories I hadn’t read.

World’s Finest #289

This is the famous (on the internet) issue of World’s Finest that I read about on The Invincible Super-Blog and had to check out for myself. Sure enough, Superman and Batman are engaging in long handshakes, reaching out gently for each other and helping alien creatures mate. It’s awesome. They make a cute couple.

I can’t remember the last time I walked away with a stack of comics I was so pleased with. Feel free to recommend great old comics for me to look for next time I’m doing some rummaging through back-issue bins.

By Miles Baker

The advance solicitations for books from Wildstorm, Vertigo, DC and Marvel are out now. Here’s most of what I’ll be buying that month.

From DC/Wildstorm/Vertigo:

WEDNESDAY COMICS #5-8
This still looks really impressive. Huge talent and a unique format. I hope it’s good because my expectations are high.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #3
I’ve promised some good friends I will at least try this opening arc. I’m excited for it.

DETECTIVE COMICS #856
Man, the cover for this looks so awesome. I’m so pumped for this series.

THE SPIRIT BOOK TWO TPB
Actually, I already have this in hardcover, but if I didn’t I’d be totally buying this. If you want to see how The Spirit should have been adapted for the big screen you should read Darwyn Cooke’s take on the character, which wrapped up last year.

SLEEPER SEASON TWO TPB
I’m so pumped for this to come out. Sleeper is one of my favourite comics of all time. It’s about a spy in deep cover named Holden Carver. He’s infiltrated a super-villain crime syndicate, getting pretty high up, when his handler — the only one who knows he’s an undercover operative — gets shot and is put in a coma. Carver is left out in the cold and desperately wants back. It basically asks whether a good guy who does terrible things in the name of good still gets to be a good guy. This volume concludes the Sleeper story and it’s one helluva ending.

AIR #12
I’m thinking of bumping this from a “wait for the trade” to a monthly pick up. Hmm… undetermined.

THE UNWRITTEN #4
The first issue of this came out last week and it was good as I was hoping it would be. This could be the start of Vertigo’s new flagship title.

YOUNG LIARS #18
Tear. This is the last issue of Vertigo’s craziest series. Rock, alien spiders, transvestites, post-modernism: what’s not to love?

From Marvel:

DARK X-MEN: THE BEGINNING #3 (of 3)
I’ll make the final call on this purchase after I’ve seen some previews, but I really like that Jae Lee cover.

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1
Ultimate Spider-Man was a consistently great title, and this new re-start could prove to be as great. From what I’ve seen, I also really like David LaFuente’s art. I’ll give at least this first issue a shot.

UNCANNY X-MEN #514 and DARK AVENGERS #8
Matt Fraction’s Utopia crossover interests me even if it will probably result in the current Uncanny storyline (which I am enjoying quite a bit) being disrupted.

X-FACTOR #47
I’m so glad I stuck with this series through the rough times, because Peter David has hit his stride again. A great balance of misery and humour, and I’m excited to see how this “Cortex” storyline wraps up.

X-FORCE #18
I’ll buy this as long as Mike Choi does the art for it. It has good writing, but the regular series artist really turns me off.

X-MEN LEGACY #227
Mike Carey didn’t let me down with the first year of X-Men Legacy, so I don’t know why he’d start doing it now.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA OMNIBUS HC
Killing Captain America was the best thing Captain America ever did.

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE TPB
The team behind Preacher takes on Marvel’s most gun-happy character. And there are a lot of gun-happy characters in the Marvel U. This is a purchase based entirely on who is making it rather than what is in it.

REBORN #2 (of 5)
Secret project of mystery is still being written by Ed Brubaker, so I’m  still going to buy it.

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 (of 8)
Yeah, I have a deep man-love for Brubaker, and considering this re-teams him with Steve Epting, I can’t wait.

THUNDERBOLTS #135
I don’t usually buy Thunderbolts, but Nick Fury is on the cover of this comic and I really like Nick Fury. So… yeah… I’m weak.

DAREDEVIL #500
It seems like only a year ago that Daredevil was celebrating #100 — oh, wait, that was only a year ago. I’m not a big fan of this combining new and original numbering to manufacture an anniversary issue. However, I am a big fan of Daredevil and this looks like it will conclude the amazing “Return of the King” storyline.

RUNAWAYS #13
I’m so happy that I’ll be back to buying Runaways again. I met Kathryn Immonen briefly at TCAF and got the feeling she’s really excited about the book.

SECRET WARRIORS #7
This title gets better with every issue. Marvel was right to hype Jonathan Hickman as their new star.

MIGHTY AVENGERS #28
“Guest-starring the YOUNG AVENGERS!” Yay! I love those kids.

NEW AVENGERS #56
Just when I think I’m out, they pull be back in with a far superior interior artist.

DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #4 (of 5)
If this series is half as good as the original Brian K. Vaughan series, then it will still be pretty damn good.

DARK REIGN: MISTER NEGATIVE #3 (of 3)
Damn those attractive Jae Lee covers!

MYSTIC COMICS #1 70
This is written and drawn by David Lapham so it’s pretty much a no brainer that I’ll pick this one up.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #601-3

Even though issue 601 has a gross cover by J. Scott Campbell, I’m really excited for the return of Mary Jane in the Amazing Spider-Man comics. They’ve been teasing her arrival for over a year now and I’m curious to see what the payoff will be.

By Caesar Martini and Brian Last

Remember I told you that we’d be seeing a smaller crew for now? Well here we have it — prolific newcomer Brian Last and the irascible Caesar Martini have returned to weigh in with their takes on June’s big releases. The guys have more optimism for Pelham but uncertainty and conflict remain the only staples in pre-assessing Year One. Read on, enjoy, and throw your voices into the mix!

JUNE 5th

The Hangover

Caesar:

I love the premise of this movie — three buddies (Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Bradley Cooper) wake up from a bachelor party bender in Vegas with no memory of the previous night, and no groom. The trio try to piece together what happened and find their missing man in time for his wedding. I think everyone can relate to this plot — after all, who amongst us hasn’t woken up with Mike Tyson in their living room singing “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins? That guy’s a menace. Collins, I mean, not Tyson.

Brian:

Todd Phillips, who has brought us such classics as Old School, Starsky and Hutch, and Road Trip, is back with another comedy. His last film, School for Scoundrels, did not do so well, perhaps because he moved away from his Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, and Ben Stiller bubble, something Judd Apatow may want to think about when people start to get tired of Seth Rogen. Phillips has a new crew of funny, talented guys to work with and I think the audience will enjoy them. The trailer had me laughing and I doubt very much the funniest bits were in the trailer. I believe that there is a whole lot more hilarity in store for this film.

JUNE 12th

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Caesar:

John Travolta, in badass mode, takes a subway train hostage and starts using subway traffic conductor Denzel Washington as a relay station for his demands.

There are a lot of Travolta-haters out there, and to be honest I can’t blame them. He’s Scientology’s #2 celebrity and is in as many terrible movies as he is good ones. Plus he can fly his own private jet, so there’s always the worry of a Travolta-From-Above sneak attack. But Denzel hasn’t done anything wrong in what seems like forever, and when he teams up with director Tony Scott usually something pretty good happens. And I do like me a good heist movie.

Brian:

Denzel plays Walter Garber, an ordinary dispatcher for the New York city transit system. When Ryder (Travolta) hijacks a train, things escalate into an intense face off as Garber has to be extraordinary and rise to the call to end this ordeal.

Director Tony Scott is back with another crime caper that will take the audience on an adventure that will thrill and entertain them. He’s armed with an all-star cast that also includes Luis Guzman, Jon Turturro, and James Gandolfini — perfect choices to work within Scott’s always sharp, mile-a-minute style of directing. It will be interesting to see how he tackles remaking a highly praised film. I predict a solid film that is smart and intriguing with Tony Scott‘s signature all over it.

JUNE 19th

Year One

Caesar:

This movie stars Michael Cera and Jack Black (playing pretty much the only characters either of them ever play) having wacky adventures in the distant past. I can’t remember exactly which year. Anyway, this is going to be one of those silly movies that guest stars a whack of people I love to see in silly movies (Paul Rudd, David Cross, and Hank Azaria for starters). I think I will laugh heartily and not be in any danger of learning even the smallest little thing. Hooray!

Plus it’s directed by Egon from Ghostbusters.

Brian:

After two slacker gatherers are kicked out of their village they go on an adventure through the ancient world where they encounter many crazy things. I am not anticipating much from this movie. Even though it has the comedic master Harold Ramis at the helm, you will get the same old jokes that have been done in the past. The only difference is that it is set in the past, so the jokes will be all about that time period, nothing groundbreaking — we’ve all seen The Flintstones, right? Jack Black’s over-the-top goofiness with some elongated words to build to some potential singing, and Cera’s awkward naivety will make for some passable reused entertainment. Even with all of the cameos in this film, it will not be saved.

JUNE 26th

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Caesar:

HOLY CRAP. Have you guys seen this preview?? Look at it. Look at it. Michael Bay catches a lot of flack for his directing, and sure, a lot of it is well deserved, but anyone who didn’t enjoy the first Transformers just has a black, black heart, or maybe they just didn’t understand that the movie was about giant awesome transforming robots doing awesome things. I mean, I had complaints about the first movie, but I couldn’t voice them over the gleeful giggling I was suffering from after watching said awesome robots do said awesome things. It’s just a fun, fun movie.

In this sequel, it looks like Devastator comes to Earth (the Voltron-esque construction-vehicle super-Transformer that breaks up into six regular sized Transformers), resurrects Megatron, and a lot more robot fights happen… which is basically all I’m asking for. Tee hee! To borrow from Borat, VERY EXCITE!

By Sean Kelly, Leo K. Moncel and Shane McNeil

Remember what fun we had last time? We’re back, with a leaner team (for now…) Sean Kelly, the father of this beast, returns to lead the charge. Shane McNeil is stepping up to the plate in place of Rachel West, and I, Leo, am putting my whole two cents in the pot this time. Jump in as we round up this month’s somewhat peculiar batch of films from Ferrell’s latest, Land of the Lost, disturbing indie sci-fi Moon, Cera and Black in Year One, heaps more, plus a little picture that may transform the summer. Read, comment and let our insightful quips spring to mind when you’re next gambling on a feature with real life money.

JUNE 5th

The Hangover

Sean:

I can’t believe this film was off my radar until about a month ago. It seems that Todd Phillips has finally created a worthy follow-up to Old School (which apparently has a sequel proper scheduled for 2011). The premise here almost reminds me of Dude, Where’s My Car? insofar as the characters do not remember what happened the night before, minus Ashton Kutcher of course. Hopefully, this will become one of the summer’s comedy gems.

Land of the Lost

Sean:

At the very least, I can say Will Ferrell is trying something different. It’s really good to see Ferrell in a film that does not involve sports or him playing a man-child. In addition, this will be the first time since Elf that Ferrell is in family-friendly territory. I am not entirely sold on the film yet, and I may even skip it opening weekend. However, I do think it might be worth a look, if only to watch Danny McBride’s continuing rise to stardom.

Shane:

I’m a big believer in the duality of certain actors. You have your Pursuit of Happyness Will Smith and your Hancock Will Smith. Got your Cider House Rules Michael Caine and your Miss Congeniality Michael Caine.

Then there’s Will Ferrell. The man has got fans and you have to respect that, but you can never quite predict what’s going to show up on any given night. He’s like the Alex Rios of comedy… the numbers end up looking decent, but don’t account for the nights he takes off.

I have the feeling Land of the Lost will fall short of the Old School Will and a lot closer to the Kicking and Screaming Will. And there’s nothing wrong with that, if that’s your thing… it’s just not mine. I’ll file this one under “looks a little too much like Journey to the Center of the Earth” and take the weekend off.

JUNE 12th

Imagine That

Shane:

Holy Shit! Eddie Murphy’s in a movie where he only plays one role! Imagine that.

Moon

Sean:

The star of Sundance, this independent sci-fi film directed by David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones definitely looks interesting. This film will probably result in comparisons with 2001: A Space Odyssey, especially considering the cast only looks to be made up only of Sam Rockwell and his on-ship computer. I’m a big sci-fi fan, so I will definitely be checking this film out.

Leo:

I don’t often gush over actors, but Sam Rockwell is the most underrated and unjustly neglected actor I’ve ever known of. Sam Rockwell here plays Sam Bell, the lone workman on a lunar mining operation. With just three weeks left in his contract, something turns up – a corpse that exactly resembles him. Things go awry from there.

Let’s hope the creepy premise sustains the feature. But, recall that even in the disorganized PG-13 fuckfest Choke, Rockwell made every second count. Looking at Moon’s contained sets and events (low budget, sure) this one should be a perfect platform to watch Rockwell work his craft. And he is a master craftsman worthy of the highest praise.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Sean:

Denzel Washington is starring in a Tony Scott film for the umpteenth time and John Travolta is playing the role he plays best (a villain). Not really sure what to think of this film. It looks like one of those films that people see when there isn’t really anything else to see. But, since there are other things for me to see, this film will likely be lost in the shuffle.

JUNE 19th

Food, Inc.

Leo:

Just shattering. After catching this one at TIFF I named it my number two film of last year. We’ve already heard much of what guests Michael Pollan and company have to say, but as the saying goes, “seeing is believing” and Food has the imagery to tell us emotionally what we know psychologically: agribusiness run amok is destroying our planet and our health.

Do not be surprised if this film becomes more widely discussed than An Inconvenient Truth. Filmicly, it’s several times the movie that was and the argument it makes is as urgent and universally relevant.

Year One

Sean:

I think the big joke with this film is that it features modern humour in a biblical setting. It’s good to see Harold Ramis directing a mainstream comedy again, after going the dark-comic route with The Ice Harvest. Don’t be fooled by the loincloth, Michael Cera is STILL pretty much the same character he has always played – it’s up to you if that’s a good or bad thing.

Shane:

Maybe the toughest call of the summer for me. On paper it should be very funny. At the top of their games, Michael Cera and Jack Black can be two of the funniest men (yes, Mike, I called you a man, don’t let it go to your head) in the biz, and you have to like the odds of that kind of talent being harnessed by the guy who directed Caddyshack and Groundhog Day.

The problem is that they’ve both been playing the same damn characters for the past few years and are both desperately in need of a new approach. If Ramis can get more than awkward out of Cera – and a bit more High Fidelity and a bit less Tropic Thunder out of Jack Black – this film has some real potential. If not, don’t come calling me for your $13 back.

JUNE 26th

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Sean:

This is the big one! It doesn’t seem the fanboys are as annoyed at Michael Bay this time around as they were for the first film. Perhaps, it’s the promise that this film will feature WAY more Autobot Vs. Decepticon action than was seen in the original (there are at least twenty robots confirmed). I am going to declare right now that this will be the biggest film of the summer.

Leo:

Man, am I stupid? I seem to be the only one I talk to who actually enjoyed the first Transformers movie. I’m willing to accept I may be objectively wrong here, but I thought that movie was well-plotted and quite clever. It was sharply absurd to make the adolescent joke about hiding these 10-tonne robots from your parents. And [spoiler] the part where they reveal that we caught a Transformer in the 1930’s and reverse engineered today’s technology off of it? That was the sort of plausible-feeling massive secret that recalled seeing Men In Black the first time! I’ll give this one a shot.

Shane:

I’m gonna out my bias. I hate Michael Bay. Shocking, I know.

But here’s why I’m going to err on the side of popcorn. Steven Spielberg really knows how to make a spectacle. There were parts of the first Transfromers that I didn’t totally hate, and I attribute that to Steven Spielberg’s acumen as a producer of great summer fare.

If we can see more Spielberg and less Bay… and, dare we dream, more Megan Fox and less Shia Laboeuf… it could be not-terrible. That’s high praise. This could be one of the best opportunities we have to shut off our brains this summer. Worst case scenario: this movie is only as bad as Michael Bay’s recent work. Proceed with caution.

Agents of Atlas #5
Jeff Parker (w), Carlo Pagulayan (p), Jason Paz (i), Jana Schirmer (c). Marvel Comics.

In this issue Parker writes a better New Avengers than the man who created the team. It was really nice to see Peter Parker, who is the smartest person on the New Avengers team, actually use his brains and not just react to things like he normally seems to do in these situations. It’s also nice to see two teams of good guys fighting over an intentional misunderstanding rather than a silly one, where if they just talked for two seconds they would stop fighting. You might be confused by “intentional misunderstanding” — basically the Agents of Atlas are a team of sheep in wolves clothing. They’re using a big evil corporation to advance their do-gooder agenda. It’s like season five of Angel except there are more robots. This issue concludes what will be in the first trade and I think it’s worth a buy. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 4 out of 5
Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5

Amazing Spider-Man #594
Mark Waid (w), Barry Kitson and Mike McKone (p), Morals and Lanning (i), Jeromy Cox (c). Marvel Comics.

For people who complain that comics aren’t like they used to be there is Amazing Spider-Man. The structure of this book is 100% old school. Two fights with the same villain as the main plot, and then two or three scenes that build sub-plots in the background. That’s it. I think some of these subplots are being rushed. The Aunt May/Jameson Sr. romance for one. They address it in the story, but it’s one of those developments where as an audience member you go, “Well, this will end badly or be very annoying.” We all know that marriages don’t seem to have happy endings (or beginnings at all, I guess) in the Spidey world. I challenge the writers of Spider-Man to keep this marriage together for six years. Give me six years where Peter has a supporting male figure in his life and I won’t call this a tired, lame plot. (This is a really long-term bet). Also, this issue sees the return of beefcake Peter — with him walking around his apartment naked. I don’t see why his new roommate is so pissed off about it. She should be impressed — he’s really buff. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 3 out of 5
Isaac’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Owen’s rating: 3 out of 5

Amazing Spider-Man Family #6
Brian Reed, Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, Abby Denson, Paul Tobin (w), Tim Levins, Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema, Adam Dekraker (a). Marvel Comics.

A really fun comic; it’s hard to go wrong when there are four stories and half of them are done by a veteran Spidey team like DeFalco, Frenz, and Buscema. There’s one misstep for me, though — “The Amazing Spider-Ma’am,” starring Aunt May going around in Peter’s costume to help out the neighborhood. I’m pretty flexible, but my continuity hard wiring just won’t allow for that story — even though it’s technically cute. The last story, “Between Flights,” has some great heroics from Peter Parker just keeping some kids calm in a stuck elevator; it’s really sweet and I like it a lot. You don’t need spider powers to be a hero! — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3 (of 3)
Tony S. Daniel (w and a), Sandu Florea (i), Ian Hanin & JD Smith (c). DC Comics.

I’m not ever sure why I picked up this series in the first place. I’ve never really been a big fan of Batman and knew very little about the history of the character. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. I wasn’t blown away, but I also wasn’t particularly rattled about any of it either. I still feel the same way. The writing isn’t anything to celebrate and the same goes for the art. I did enjoy the scene where Jason Todd and Dick Grayson battle it out, blow for blow, but I was also confused as to who I was looking at. They kind of looked like the same person. The end was supposed to be a big reveal for all readers, but it pretty much played out the way I thought and there was no big sigh of satisfaction at the end for me either. So in the end, sure, it was alright, but nothing to get worked up about. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s rating: 2.5 out of 5
Isaac’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Owen’s rating: 3 out of 5

Brave and the Bold #23
Dan Jurgens (w and a), Brian Miller (c), Norm Rapmund (i). DC Comics.

I’ve been a little down on recent issues of Booster Gold; they’ve been focusing more on time travel stuff (only digging their own grave when it comes to setting straight their particular philosophy of time travel mechanics) instead of heroics starring Booster Gold. Well this book has heroics starring Booster Gold! In that great way he has, he’s both dumb and smart, not listening to Rip Hunter (dumb) and schooling Magog in “how to save kids 101″ (smart). More of this, please. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5
Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5

Captain America #50
Ed Brubaker (w), Luke Ross (p), Rick Magyar & Luke Ross (i), Frank D’Armata (c). Marvel Comics.

It’s just another day in the life of Captain America — fighting crime, saving lives — but today is a little different, it’s Bucky’s birthday! I really enjoyed reading this issue. It’s a great bridging issue that helps to solidify the passing away of Steve Rogers and the entrance of Bucky Barnes as the new Captain America. If there is anything that Ed Brubaker does best, it’s creating depth in his characters. In this issue, we’re taken back to Bucky’s early years as a young soldier fighting in World War II to his eventual partnership with Captain America and taking on of the position. They’re some big shoes that he’s been asked to fill and Bucky makes no qualms about it. He’s not Captain America. He’s not Steve Rogers. He’s Bucky Barnes and he’s trying his best. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
Miles’ rating: 5 out of 5
Owen’s rating: 4 out of 5

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #1 (of 6)
Joe Casey (w), Chriscross (a), Snakebite (c), Rob Stull, Mick Gray, Wayne Faucher, Chriscross (i). DC Comics.

It speaks very well of this issue that I went back after reading everything else and read through parts of it again; it was a lot of fun. The first page is just a splash of the characters with Most Excellent Superbat saying: “SUPER YOUNG TEAM! Suspension of disbelief: ON.” And with that, we are all on the Super Young Team, and this comic can pretty much get away with anything. It’s pretty fun to follow the adventures of a group of silly narcissists, especially when they just may rise to a challenge and become real super heroes. Or not. But it’s still fun. Most Excellent Superbat’s interior narration is relayed through a comic version of Twitter; it’s cynical, self involved, and is perfect for this series. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 4 out of 5

Green Arrow/Black Canary #20
Andrew Kreisberg (w), Mike Norton (p), Josef Rubinstein (i). DC Comics.

I’m kind of enjoying this book? I guess? It’s certainly improved since Andrew Kreisberg took over, but I can’t shake the feeling that this title remains somewhat bland. It lacks the majesty of DC’s bigger titles, but doesn’t have the same sense of fun as their more successful smaller titles. This issue pretty much continued on the slow improvement trend. It’s getting better, but it’s still not where it needs to be. It needs to funnier or more exciting or I don’t know what, just more something. Also, what was with the colouring in the first scene? Were they trying to recreate bad lighting? It was weird. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 2.5 out of 5

Herogasm #1 (of 6)
Garth Ennis (w), John McCrea and Keith Burns (a). Dynamite Entertainment.

As a fan of Garth Ennis and with a suggestive title like Herogasm it was very hard to overlook this release. And believe me folks the title is a mere glimpse as to what lies inside. This mini-series is a spin-off of Ennis’ The Boys. The superheroes within the series are just mere marketing tools used by companies to make money. Every year heroes and villains alike gather together to defend earth from some sort of eminent danger but in reality it all just a way to boost comic sales. The first issue slowly unravels an intriguing plot involving The Boys and another significant player that will definitely prove to be an exciting read. I’m always into reading about dirty secret lives, so I thoroughly recommend this title. — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s rating: 4 out of 5

The Incredibles: Family Matters #2
Mark Waid (w), Marcio Takara (a). Boom Studios.

Out of all the titles in Boom’s new Boom Kids line, this was the one that cried out to be a comic. While I can kind of see a Finding Nemo comic, and have no interest in reading a Cars comic, an Incredibles comic is a perfect fit, for obvious reasons. Not only that, but Mark Waid gets it. He does the characters justice, adds some neat development (even if he goes back to the old stand-by “I’m losing my powers” plotline we’ve all seen before), and gives Takara some great visuals to draw. Nobody’s trying to reinvent the wheel here, they’re just making some great comics for kids (or adults like me who love kid’s comics) to read. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5

Jack of Fables #34
Matthew Sturges & Bill Willingham (w), Russ Braun (p), José Marzan Jr. (i). Vertigo.

Honestly, this is just not what I wanted from an epic Fables crossover. The tone feels weird for the Fables half of the crossover books and not a whole lot has happened except for shuffling the characters around the books. I’ve been reserving judgement until I was further into the plotline, but at part 5 of 9 I feel comfortable saying that in my eyes “The Great Fables Crossover” is yet another in a long string of disappointing crossovers. But hey, feel free to prove me wrong with a great ending, guys! — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 2.5 out of 5

Locke and Key: Head Games #5
Joe Hill (w), Gabriel Rodriguez (a), Jay Fotos (c). IDW Publishing.

One of my first reviews here on MONDO was actually the first issue of this series. I really liked it then and that hasn’t changed as of yet. Although, I must say that the story has been moving at a slower pace than I would like it to — not enough is happening. I have a feeling Joe Hill is really trying to slowly develop the characters and build towards a very exciting plot, but I’m getting antsy from all the waiting. The art by Rodriguez is still amazing and fits the story really well. I can’t wait to see where this goes. I just wish it were going there a little faster.  — Sandra Yao

Sandra’s rating: 3.5 out of 5

Mysterius The Unfathomable #5 (of 6)
Jeff Parker (w), Tom Fowler (a), Dave McCaig (c). Wildstorm.

I pulled the premier issue of Mysterius back when we were doing Random Comics of the Week (seems so long ago) and stuck with it: I’m happy that I did. Mysterius is such a lovable yet insane bastard. He and his assistant Dephi finally get to see who has been pulling their magical strings for the last few issues. It’s not a total shocker, but it’s well executed. And the fun blending of magic and the real world is interesting and charming. Fowler’s art is just perfect for this book and for this series. In this issue he gets to do a little more drama than in previous issues and he really nails the moment. This is my pick of the week. You should really give Mysterius a chance — it’s a funny, interesting comic with memorable characters and a unique feel. And I can’t really say that about most of the stuff I read. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 5 out of 5

Supergirl #41
Sterling Gates (w), Fernando Dagnino (p), Raúl Fernandez (i). DC Comics.

Supergirl is an exciting comic. Not only that, but it’s an exciting comic that my fiancée wants to read every week. I feel like that’s all I need to say, but I suppose I should address this specific issue. Jamal Igle is missed on pencils, but the conclusion to this story is extremely shocking, so much so that I can’t wait for the next issue. It’s still not my favourite comic, but the fact that I’m excited for the next issue of Supergirl is pretty darn impressive.  — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 3 out of 5

Timestorm 2009 2099 #2 (of 4)
Brian Reed (w), Eric Battle and R.B. Silva (a), Bruno Hang (c), Andrew Hennessy and Vincente Cifuentes (i). Marvel Comics.

Well, you don’t need to know anything about the 2099 series to follow this comic, because they totally change the timeline. Which would be great — except for all those issues of Spider-Man 2099 I own that totally influence my expectations here. As cheap a shot as it is, good move sending Wolverine and Spider-Man into the future for this story — if you can’t use a classic Miguel O’Hara, you may as well bring in the big guns to sell the story. It is pretty good when Wolverine asks “How come my futures always stink?” Maybe next issue things will start to happen (aside from a fun Wolverine versus Future Hulks fight) and I’ll like this, but probably not. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 2 out of 5

Tiny Titans: Adventures In Awesomeness
Art Balthazar & Franco (w), Art Balthazar (a). DC Comics.

This is the second collection of Tiny Titans issues, and if you haven’t taken a look yet than you are either unaware of its existence or have a heart of stone. After all, who can resist the cuteness? Who, I ask you, who? Alright, perhaps cute isn’t for everyone, but if Blue Beetle getting painted yellow and pink or the Titans worrying that they didn’t study for their “Finals Crisis” sounds funny to you then you should check this out. I know I did, and I loved it. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 4 out of 5

Uncanny X-Men #510
Matt Fraction (w), Greg Land (p), Jay Leisten (i), Justin Ponsor (c). Marvel Comics.

I don’t understand why Greg Land takes such a beating in online communities. His women’s faces are similar, but John Romita Jr draws men’s and women’s faces the exact same way and people love him. His T and A factor is high, but his men are pretty smoking too and he’s no worse than Adam Hughes and far better than J. Scott Campbell in that department. Anyway, I think his art is pretty good and that he’s starting to find his feet as a storyteller. Already on their feet — Matt Fraction. He’s been doing this slow burn pacing for the last ten issues and he’s now moved the X-Men pan to an open flame. He also writes a Cyclops I can get behind with great lines like, “Please. I have bigger nervous breakdowns for breakfast.” A badly written Cyclops can be a deal-breaker for me and thankfully I don’t have that problem here. — Miles Baker

Miles’ rating: 4 out of 5
Owen’s rating: 3 out of 5

Vigilante #6
Marv Wolfman (w), Tom Lyle and Scott Hanna (a), David Baron (c). DC Comics.

Yes, this crossover is finally done — I’m not proud that I picked up the entire series.  The whole adventure was too small for the Titans books, though maybe just the right size for Vigilante. I liked the art, it kind of reminds me of Howard Chaykin if I liked Howard Chaykin (sorry, just not appealing). Flash got to do the faster-than-a-speeding-bullet routine and they got to have the gruesome ending that was probably the whole reason behind having Vigilante here in the first place. It sort of makes sense, but it was not worth this much work. — Isaac Mills

Isaac’s rating: 2 out of 5

Wolverine: Weapon X #2
Jason Aaron (w), Ron Garney (a). Marvel Comics.

Aaron and Garney know how to tell a story and that is in evidence here: this comic flows beautifully, Wolverine is more fun here than anywhere else in the Marvel universe right now, and the art is great. Plus, that last page shows you that not every last page has to be a cliffhanger to be satisfying (see also last week’s Secret Warriors). This is a darn fine comic. — Owen Craig

Owen’s rating: 3.5 out of 5

By Sam Linton

Well, it happened. After much speculation about the fate of the book, writer Paul Cornell announced on his blog this week that Captain Britain and MI:13, his project for thirteen issues so far along with penciller Leonard Kirk, was not being solicited for a 16^th issue. That means that after the next two issues hit the shelves, it’s over. Obviously, this is not only disappointing news for Cornell, Kirk, and the rest of the Captain Britain creative team; it’s bad news for everyone, and the comics world is made less special with this book’s passing.

Captain Britain and MI:13 was, and for the next two months, will continue to be without question, the finest of the “big two” monthly comics series I currently read. Better than X-Factor, even. By simple virtue of where it was situated (in Britain, obviously), it avoided all the current Companywide Crossover Massively Multiplayer bullshit every other Marvel title currently seems to find itself suffocating under. Secret Invasion? Captain Britain finished that in four issues, well ahead of its American counterparts and entirely by itself. Dark Reign? Never even heard of it, thank you. This may not seem all that important, but because of this, the book got to grow under its own terms, giving it its own story in and of itself, rather than as a part of whatever batshit bizarre Kudzu plot Marvel is drowning all its other titles in at the moment. And that’s important, dammit. I know that comics are a business, and crossover titles sell, but when I read my comics, I want to feel like I’m reading a story, not a business report. And reading Captain Britain was always an unreserved pleasure.

Because Paul Cornell’s writing on this title was so, so tight. Every character distinct, none seeming flat or dull, not even Captain Britain himself, who has always been a bit of a pompous twit. Established characters like the Black Knight, Blade and Captain Britain mingled with second-stringers like Pete Wisdom, Spitfire and the newly introduced Excalibur, Faiza Hussain. And every one was a delight, coming off the page as real people and, morever, equal partners in the book. It may have been called Captain Britain, but this was the best team book I’d read in a while. But it wasn’t just the characterizations that were tight, it was thematically tight, too. By way of example, observe his last (as of this writing) completed arc, Hell Comes to Birmingham. On my first read, I enjoyed it greatly, as Plokta, a Duke of Hell, takes advantage of a weakening in the fabric of English magic to create a “Dream Corridor” in Birmingham, granting people illusory copies of their fondest desires in exchange for the use of the power of their souls to turn England and, eventually, the world into a giant factory for mindless ones, the Marvel universe’s staple magical foot soldiers. The plot twisted and turned, the characters all had great moments to shine (Blade managing to hurt the incorporeal Duke of Hell by using a paper maché sword made from the pages of holy books, Pete Wisdom’s heart’s desire, etc.) and it resolved in a satisfying way. All in all, a ripping good comics yarn. Then later, the thematics hit me. Birmingham, England, turned into a factory for mindless ones at the cost of its soul? The same Birmingham, England that  served as ground zero for the factories of the industrial revolution that took over England and, eventually, the world? That promised us a shining new future and delivered it with smog-choked skies, colonial oppression and world wars? That’s fun to read and smart. That’s thematic. That’s like… Neil Gaiman/Alan Moore territory, there. At the very least, echoes of Jamie Delano. Maybe not quite there yet, but I was willing to give the book time. Time, alas, that it just doesn’t have.

If the last paragraph didn’t make it quite clear, I do tend to focus on writing over art in my comics, but that is not to take away from Leonard Kirk’s excellent penciling. So much of characterization is carried out in the nonverbal areas; expression, body language, the angles of the scenes. I never had any difficulty knowing what the characters were feeling, because it was always as plain as the noses on their faces. Kirk’s pencils complemented Cornell’s writing so well, it was hard to recognize, intellectually at least, that this comic was a collaborative effort. The look on someone’s face when, say, they find out that their father has been abducted by Dracula (that’s right. Dracula.) is so perfect to the situation, I can’t imagine the scene as drawn any other way. The small fill-in sections by other artists in the more recent issues exemplify this; they’re serviceable enough in their own right, and they’re technically very well drafted, but they’re not right. They’re not Kirk.

At this point, you’re probably all tired of my public lamentation, so I’ll cut myself short without going into, say, how great it was to read a book dealing heavily with magic and the supernatural that actually seemed to understand how magic works, and that it actually does need to be explained, albeit in highly metaphysical terms.  Or how wonderfully it managed to at once be heavily tied into some pretty convoluted continuity but required very little in the way of background info to get into. Suffice it to say, it was a good book. It was fun to read, well written, and visually exciting. It was everything a good superhero book ought to be, and now it’s gone. Like I said, the comics world is less special for its passing.

Goodbye, Captain.

You will be missed.

By Matt McGeachy

Last week, I sat down with Daniela Vlaskalic, who plays Sister James, a young, idealistic nun, in CanStage’s production of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt. Vlaskalic is a newly minted Stratford veteran, a playwright, and a graduate of the University of Alberta. We talked about politics, religion, guilty pleasures, innocence, and, of course, Doubt.

MONDO: In the director’s notes for Doubt, Marti Maraden wrote that a good portion of play’s allure comes from the fact that it’s unresolved, and maybe can’t be resolved. Was it important for you to come to a resolution for this play?  If so, what was it?

Daniela Vlaskalic: I think that Sister James really goes back and forth in the play. I really believe that after the scene with Father Flynn, she does believe that he’s innocent. But once again, Sister Aloysius puts doubt back into her mind —  she can’t be certain.  She’s left like the audience.  Sister James tracks what the audience is going through a lot of the time.  She is constantly pulled back and forth between these two strong forces.  Someone described her as the child of divorced parents, and has great love and respect for both, and so she also is left with doubt.  Her certainty is taken away.

MONDO: Is there any one character for whom you have the most sympathy?

DV: I think I have the most sympathy for Sister James, not only because I am playing her, but also because it is sad that we can’t live seeing only the good in people. I don’t think you can really live in the world that way, and it’s sad to watch someone have their innocence taken away. It does happen to Sister Aloysius as well but not really to the same degree.

MONDO: The loss of innocence is such an important character arc for Sister James. When you were working through this in rehearsals, and in your own mind, was there a tipping point for the character, where she realizes that the world is not what she thought it was?

DV: There’s such a constant pull back and forth. I think it starts to happen for me when she begins to question what she sees, and it all topples from there. I think what she ultimately wants is to say to Sister Aloysius, “I saw this thing with this boy,” and Sister Aloysius to say, “You’re overreacting, it’s nothing.”

She wants simplicity, but instead this scene sets in motion the loss of innocence. From there forward, everything she thought was supposed to be crumbles. With Sister Aloysius, she really tries to teach Sister James, and James almost goes against her for it. It becomes clear that she really cannot have certainty at all.

MONDO: It is a parable, but there are a lot of people who might say that this is a very accurate portrayal of the Catholic Church, especially with the gender dynamic. Was this something that you were able to use as motivation as a female actor?

DV: Fortunately or unfortunately, I don’t know which, I have never felt like I’ve come up against that in my life. Maybe that’s naïve of me, but I feel fortunate that I haven’t encountered that as much. In this business, there are obviously a lot more male roles and a lot of men who run companies, but I have worked with a lot of female artists. I’ve worked with Marti [Maraden] several times, and I really feel like the male dominance is changing, slowly, but changing. So I don’t know if that really motivated me as much as other things.

I did a lot more research in the time period, and the Church. It’s really intelligent for John Patrick Shanley [the playwright] to set the play in 1964, because in many ways it feels like that was America’s last “innocent” year: the death of John Kennedy the year before meant that Americans could no longer live behind this veneer of innocence — the world had changed. This helped me a lot more, by helping me to get into the mindset of someone who is innocent and loses that.

MONDO: Did the role require a lot of emotional vulnerability because of that?

DV: Yes, I think so. It did, and also a lot of energy caring about the other characters in the play. That’s where it comes from, a real concern for the kids. Although the kids are not in the play, they are a very important part of it. I felt like I could really latch onto that: having a great love for these kids and for the people that I’m working with. Then when everyone is not getting along and Sister James is stuck in the middle, it gets very emotional.

MONDO: You are also a playwright. Does this provide you with greater insight for your acting?

DV: It’s an incredible thing — when you actually start to put a play together and you realize how much work and thought has to go into it. I think it has informed my acting. You start to look at it from different places: not just from your character’s perspective, which is where you begin, but also from the other characters’ perspectives, and the audience’s, too. I really find it helpful and I enjoy writing as well.

This play is so well written; it’s fun to figure out Shanley’s thinking. He was inspired to write this play by news on the Iraq war. He didn’t write a huge political play, though this is a political play, but he wrote something that was more personal to him. He really loved these nuns from his childhood, and Sister James is the only real character in the play.

MONDO: Does writing your own work make you more critical when playing a role?

DV: Yes! This is such a well-written play that it’s hard to find fault. I’ve been in situations where I’ve been much more critical! But even in this play, we all wondered about things like punctuation. When you’re a playwright it’s so difficult to make people understand the little things: how do the lines look on the page? This is an indication of the tempo. We were all interpreting what he [Shanley] wanted us to do.

MONDO: So much of the play is written in rapid-fire dialogue between Sister James and Sister Aloysius. How did you and Seana McKenna develop this rhythm?

DV: That just came over time, really. Sometimes you come in and you’re already off book. With this play, we didn’t really do that. You really need the other person’s rhythm. We didn’t just come in and fire back and forth. We took it all apart and then put it back together to find the pace.

MONDO: Religion is one of the things you’re never supposed to talk about at parties, yet this play takes the business of the Catholic Church at this time head on. Do people have a strong reaction to the religious aspects of the play?

DV: No, the religious people I’ve talked to really like to come and see it. It’s not anti-Church or anti-religion, it’s more about an issue within the Church. Shanley’s beautiful forward to the play talks about his admiration for the nuns and a priest he liked; he really had a good relationship with them. I think that a lot of people in the Church have enjoyed seeing this play.

MONDO: How did the costume and habit affect your character and physicality on stage?

DV: Well, quite a bit. We had our bonnets early on, and they’re a stage version of the real thing, which are quite deep and wouldn’t work on stage with the lighting. We had those right from the beginning, and now it would be weird not to wear them. There is a real style, very humble; our hands are always hidden, really. It does inform how much movement you have, and it’s kind of oppressive. There is no skin, and even your hands are meant to be hidden. It informs the whole feeling and makes you feel different.

MONDO: Was it a lot of fun building this play?

DV: Yes, it was! It’s a wonderful cast, and everyone is really generous. We had a great time, really figuring it out. It appears deceptively simple: when you read it you realize how complex it is. There are so many years of experience between them, and it was great to work with more experienced, generous actors [David Storch and Seana McKenna]. They were great about helping to grow, and gave a lot of time and energy in rehearsals and on stage.

MONDO: Finally, do you have any theatrical guilty pleasures, and if so, what are they?

DV: Oh gosh — I guess it’s that I like to see plays by myself. I see a lot of theatre; some actors don’t like seeing plays, but I try to see everything. I don’t know if that’s a guilty pleasure of not, but there is something very liberating about it. I can think about it, spend some time with it, and form my own opinions.