The Roundtable

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NOTE: The individual opinions of each Roundtable contributor are their own, and is not representative of anybody but that contributor.


Marvel solicitations for April 2005 [Look-See: Comics Continuum]

PAUL “MANGA MAN” SEBERT: Woo-hoo! POWER PACK is back. A four issue mini-series, but still. Boo-yah!

Spider-Man’s *finally* making an appearance in ARAÑA and while normally I scoff at gratuitous guest appearances, I have to ask why it took so long for a book that’s supposedly part of the Spider-Man family.

Toxin from last year’s VENOM vs. CARNAGE mini-series has his own mini-series… I guess Peter Milligan had to write something to pay the bills in between the end of X-STATIX and the start of his X-MEN run.

Speaking of the Spidey family, Funny Face makes his dramatic return in SPIDER-GIRL… and people wonder why I like ARAÑA better…

Last issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON is shipping this month as well… according to Priest’s blog they’re re-launching it as an ongoing series for Falcon.

Talented journeyman inker and writer Karl Kesel’s taking on a fill-in arc on FANTASTIC FOUR featuring the return of Diablo. A villain that even creator Stan Lee called a failure.

Dan Slott successfully pitched a GREAT LAKES AVENGERS mini-series. This guy is officially my hero now.

In MARVEL TEAM-UP #7, we are asked if Moon Knight and Spider-Man can stop the Ringmaster’s master plan. Well… can they?

Brother Voodoo returns in GAMBIT #9. BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT!

IAIN “THE HOST” BURNSIDE: Ah, solicitations… the pleasant calm before the storm of buying too much, using up my overdraft, and still not being paid for another week… *sigh*

Anyway, there’s really not that much I’m going to be getting from
Marvel in April, it would seem. SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #27 is a must as it’s the last Jenkins issue. I’m really going to miss his Spidey
stories. As long as they didn’t involve tenuous NEW AVENGERS crossovers and they weren’t written by someone else, they were
awesome. Issues #14 and #21 were particular stand-outs. Apart from
that, there’s only MARVEL TEAM-UP and ASTONISHING X-MEN, with the rest just waiting for trades…

As for the trades, I’ll be picking up SHE-HULK vol. 2 for damn sure.
Loved that first book. I demand an Awesome Andy Heroclix!! SUPREME
POWER HC is tempting, but I’ll just get it at a later date as I
already have the single issues, including the extras from the
Supremely Shiny Edition of #1. It was quite shiny. CABLE/DEADPOOL vol. 2 I’ll pick up if I have the money for it, and perhaps the BLACK WIDOW trade for the Sienkiewicz art. Still, it seems that most of my
money will be going to DC…


DC solicitations for April 2005 [Look-See: Comics Continuum]

PAUL SEBERT: Looking forward to Winick’s 3-part crossover between Superman and Captain Marvel. Now if only we could get a new Shazam series.

DC introduces a new writer/artist team on CATWOMAN and celebrates by
giving us a cover via the homogenizing pen of Paul Gulacy. *sighs*

BLOODHOUND is ending too ah dammit…

Wildcat’s guest-starring in BIRDS OF PREY this month, and it feels like he’s been making a lot of guest-spots over the last two years but hasn’t had his own title in ages. He’s like DC’s Luke Cage.

RICHARD DRAGON is ending… I know not many people were reading the book but… I kinda enjoyed this one. *sighs* I’m the kiss of death.

God I love the cover of JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED, and man… it’s great to see The Question getting a little spotlight.

JOHN “NEARLY MINT” BABOS: Re: NIGHTWING #107.

I haven’t read much of Devin Grayson’s work, but many of my Nexus colleagues love her work so I may try this. I was a big fan of the early Scott McDaniel art days on NIGHTWING, but the combo of Phil Hester and Ande Parks, from GREEN ARROW fame, should give this book both a boast and sport the best stylized art since McDaniel (from the series’ debut and the recent Year One arc).

Re: ACTION COMICS #826, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #639 and SUPERMAN #216.

I am a huge Captain Marvel fan and am glad that 2005 seems to be his year with other projects in the works too. However, Judd Winick IMHO does not write solo books well, but his team books are solid. Hopefully, since we have a “teaming” of Captain Marvel and Superman, Judd will be bringing his “A” game to the writing. Eclipso as the villain seems like a very good choice. He’s proved to be a solid GREEN LANTERN villain in the 1980s (gorgeously rendered by Dave Gibbons) and for the JSA in the new millennium. Lots of potential with this villain and I hope there’s a link back to JSA explaining then to now. Ian Churchill is an excellent artist and his dynamic pencils should not only energize the action, but also kick start “Shazam Year 2005” for DC. (I’m also looking forward to when John Byrne takes over the pencilling chores on ACTION, but that is for another Roundtable. ;)) The problem with this Shazam arc? The gimmick. 3 books in 1 month. The story better be high quality for this cash-grab. I thought the triangle story days were over. Hey, at least it’s the same creative team on all books. That will hopefully be a plus.

Re: BLOODHOUND #10.

This was one of the two best new books to debut from DC in 2004. The other is MANHUNTER (Hint, hint. Pick that book up!) I’m sad to see BLOODHOUND end and have the excellent art of Leonard Kirk now grace the pages of Marvel’s AMAZING FANTASY title. Hopefully we’ll see Leonard on a DCU book again soon. As I am with books I enjoy that are cancelled, I’ll read this with mixed emotions. Anyone that actually reads and appreciates comics should know exactly what I’m talking about. Writer Dan Jolley is also leaving FIRESTORM. He’s got some hush-hush work on the go at DC. Hopefully we’ll find out soon, but let me start the speculation. Could one of Jolley’s next projects be… the SUICIDE SQUAD? I hope so. It’s been too long since those golden Ostrander days.

Re: DAY OF VENGEANCE #1.

This is underwhelming. DC better deliver on its “Crisis” for 2005. This series isn’t it, but it’ll be good to see SUICIDE SQUAD alumni Enchantress again!

Re: BREACH #4.

The first issue of this new series was brilliant. I am intrigued. This may be the best new book of 2005!

Re: DOOM PATROL #11.

This book picks up steam with every issue. Byrne is delivering 2-part stories for each arc. I wonder if in our era of compressed storytelling and writing for trade paperbacks whether his style will be appreciated by new readers. Hey, I’m looking forward to next 11
issues! Byrne is still a master penciller.

Re: FIRESTORM #12.

What the hell? Is Jason out and Ronnie in? Dan’s on his way out for sure.

Re: DEADSHOT #5.

As a huge SUICIDE SQUAD fan, it was self-evident that I would pick up DEADSHOT. Gage has an ear for dialogue and has delivered an entertaining yarn so far – ghetto stereotypes aside. My big complaint on the art side is the change in costume. He had one of the best costumes in comics. Why mess with what works?

Re: JSA #72.

JSA. Per Degaton. Conflict. It doesn’t get any better than this. This arc has been “classic” JSA vitality, fun and action.

Re: MANHUNTER #9.

This is the best new book of 2005. This is a gem. No collection of words can properly capture how good this series is. Hurry. Go out now and pick up all the issues you’ve missed. Go. Now. Also, who is hunting the Manhunters of the past? I hope we see Mark Shaw again… soon!

Re: THE OMAC PROJECT #1.

CHECKMATE and OMAC? Wow, DC is actually delivering post DC COUNTDOWN! But, Rucka? Hmm. At least we know the art will be solid with MANHUNTER’s Jesus Saiz on pencils.

Re: TEEN TITANS #23.

Doctor Light vs. the Teen Titans. This time is no longer laughable. This should be excruciating, but entertaining for fans.

Re: [WILDSTORM’s] CITY OF TOMORROW #1.

An all-Chaykin project!!! This is worth a peak.

IAIN BURNSIDE: Well, in addition to the usual suspects there is…

The end of ADAM STRANGE! Nooo! Hopefully the spin-off series will
start in May…

DAY OF VENGEANCE has me intrigued simply for being tied into the
events of DC COUNTDOWN. Once I’ve read that, I’ll decide whether or
not this is something that I want to read. It certainly sounds like
Spectre is going to go back to his ass-kicking ways…

BREACH #4 – guest starring the popular characters! Now you have no
excuse! Resistance is futile! Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Shut up!

We’ve already covered GREEN LANTERN: SECRET FILES 2005 down below, but I just wanna add some suitably eager words here, so let’s have a
“wowsers”, a “pretty” and top it all off with a Homer-style “mmm…
Darwyn…”

For the love of piss, stop printing IDENTITY CRISIS!!

THE OMAC PROJECT sounds infinitely more interesting on its own merits than DAY OF VENGEANCE does, even without the tie-ins to the larger
events. It’s basically taking IC’s Calculator threat to a global level and aiming it at both the heroes and the villains… Plus, I’d bet my last dollar (if, in fact, I used dollars – or had any pounds to convert to dollars) that Greg Rucka is capable of writing a far more convincing DCU mystery than Brad Meltzer managed. I am also intrigued by this Jesus Saiz – if that is his real name – whose art is apparently both “brooding” and “gorgeous”, thus proving once again
that “nobody ***** with The Jesus.”

Klarion the Witch Boy and Zatanna are scooped up into SEVEN SOLDIERS
minis of their own, adding to the weirdness. I’m very much looking
forward to this one!

THE FOUNTAIN HC. It will be mine. Oh, yes. It WILL be mine.

Why can’t they make Wayne’s World 3?


Geoff Johns & Darwyn Cooke to release GREEN LANTERN: SECRET FILES in April [More: Millarworld]

PAUL SEBERT: As much as I’m digging GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH is anyone ever really *that* excited over yet another Secret Files one-shot?

I just hope this one actually has a significant number of Secret Files, as opposed to DC’s last JLA Secret Files one-shot, which had a whopping 3 profiles.

IAIN BURNSIDE: Apparently it joins the dots between NEW FRONTIER and REBIRTH, which means that NEW FRONTIER is now vaguely in-continuity, which means more people should be inclined to pick up the trades, which makes me happy as it’s a brilliant read and we should all just throw money at Darwyn Cooke for giving us the pleasure of reading it… Plus, the chance for a couple of new Cooke
stories makes me excited, even if most of the Secret Files stories are a load of old tosh.

Tosh.


IRON MAN #4 delayed until July [Credit: Lying in the Gutters]

PAUL SEBERT: Aaaaah crap! The first two issues of Warren Ellis’s IRON MAN run totally rocked my world… Dammit, dammit, dammit…

IAIN BURNSIDE: This is exactly why I was just waiting for the trade. Ellis & Granov were already on a pretty lax schedule, and I would expect this one to get worse before it gets better… Must be that wonderful example the Editor-in-Chief is setting for his staff…

WILL “BEWARE BRISTOL” COOLING: The bizarre thing is that both Ellis and Granov have said that they are on schedule!!! So god knows what’s going on over at Marvel (although the words “cock” and “up” spring to mind). To be honest I find the delays present in US comics extremely annoying and off putting; maybe I’m spoilt collecting a comic that has in its nearly 30 year history only shipped late once (a six week period) and that was due to a strike. I mean bloody hell if 2000AD with the same editorial team as the average American comic can put out 28 pages of original strip, every week with no delays then I think the likes of Marvel should be expected to do so – even if it means having one-off filler stories ready to go. This isn’t a knock on the creators (although when you hear the punishing schedule of the likes of John Romita Sr. and other old school artists you do sometimes wonder) but the marks that pass for editors at Marvel.

On other Ellis news; his Wildstorm series DESOLATION JONES has been delayed by a month from April to May due to JH Williams III asking for extra time. Which is a shame as its one of the few US comics I’m looking forward to…


Image solicitations for April 2005 [Look-See: CBR]

PAUL SEBERT: IRON MAN may be delayed… but at least we have the ever-cool Tom Tom the Robot Man (who is in fact neither) on the cover of JACK STAFF.


Marvel launches new initiatives with book publishers [Details: Newsarama]

PAUL SEBERT: Sounds like a pretty solid business plan. I just wish they’d use one of these initiatives to help introduce some newer characters (i.e. Runaways) to the general public.

IAIN BURNSIDE: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – RUNAWAYS TV SERIES! RUNAWAYS TV SERIES!


RUMOUR: G.I. JOE will be cancelled with #45, then relaunched by Joe Casey [Credit: Lying in the Gutters]

PAUL SEBERT: Ok not sure if this is true… but well I’m guessing this means the 80s nostalgia boom is pretty much over. Now quick, who wants to help me buy the rights to EXOSQUAD before the ’90s nostalgia boom hits?

IAIN BURNSIDE: ’90s nostalgia?? Aw crap, now I feel really old… Wait a minute… 10 years since Britpop… BLAST!!


1949 Batman & Robin serial to be released on DVD [Credit: Comics Continuum

PAUL SEBERT: You know I haven’t seen this serial… but I just love that old trick they use every week in those old things where the hero dies, and the next week we find out they didn’t actually die, they jumped out of the way of the runaway train or something completely different from what we saw the week before.


Mark Bagley renews contract with Marvel [Details: Pulse]

PAUL SEBERT: W00t! Keep the Ultimate Spidey run a comin’.


Free Comic Book Day 2005 information [Here: Newsarama]

: Looks like a good spread of books this year. I’m somewhat concerned that DC’s give-away is based on the gawd-awful Batman series. Marvel, no surprise, is doing a tie-in to their big summer movie and doing it with the Spidey/Fantastic Four team-up issue of MARVEL AGE TEAM-UP. I like the look of some of the smaller press people getting some attention (particularly Bongo Comics and Flare) but I can’t help but wonder where Dork Storm Press’s annual freebie is?

PAUL SEBERT: THE BATMAN isn’t really a bad show per-say… I actually dig most of Korean artist Jeff Masuda’s character designs. It’s just in a sort of George Lazenby situation of following up Bruce Timm and Paul Dini’s iconic BATMAN TAS. Any new Bats show is going to look week compared to their work.

But yeah… it does look like there’s a pretty good variety of comics out there. I’d actually love to see Marvel or DC actually use the event to launch a new property rather than pimp the latest kiddie friendly book staring a mainline character. (Granted it was cool how DC gave out TEEN TITANS GO! last year.)

Of the indy books the one I’m intrigued the most by is Beckett’s RONIN HOOD OF THE 47 SAMURAI #1 just because that may very well be the greatest name for a comic ever.

AMELIA RULES is also a wonderful little indy book that’s worth checking out, so now you really have no excuse not to look into it.


Stan Lee defeats Marvel in court [The Man Explained: The Beat]

MATT MORRISON: Does Stan need all that money? Probably not. But considering everything he’s done for Marvel with his life and the fact that this deal had been made, it’s only fair that Marvel should keep up their end of the deal. I just hope Stan considers doing something truly heroic with part of it. Say donation to the Tsunami relief fund or Comic Book Legal Defence Fund or some such…

PAUL SEBERT: Hey good for Stan just so long as he doesn’t get hoodwinked by someone like Peter Paul again.


Sim, Smith, Gaiman & Bisley band together for tsunami relief effort [Details: Newsarama]

MATT MORRISON: Coolness. Always nice to see when creators do this kind of thing.

PAUL SEBERT: Nice to see Smith and Sim burying the hatchet for a good cause. They had a rather infamous falling out a few years ago, with Sim at one point challenging Jeff Smith to a boxing match of all things.


Update on the Marvel/City of Heroes lawsuit [Legality: Newsarama

MATT MORRISON: Between the Stan Lee lawsuit and this, it looks like Marvel is just running over themselves trying to make them look bad. Yes, NCSoft probably wasn’t too smart in animating the claws function the way they did (3 claws out of the back of the hand) but the fact is that their hero creation system is vague enough and allows for enough options for some people to try and create exact duplicates of their favorite characters. This is the fault of the players and not them. Their management has been pretty good about weeding out the obvious rip-offs and not allowing any company’s characters to be copied. Hence the reason we rarely see 30 “Ticks” running around yelling “Spoon!” on the public channels now.

PAUL SEBERT: Welcome to the incredibly confusing mess that is American Copyright Law where corporations have to sue to protect their copyrights or lose their intellectual property. Fun for the whole family.

Actually I’m kind of surprised the subject of how and if copyright law applies to create-a-character tools in video games hasn’t come up before, particularly when the WCW and WWE were churning out numerous videogames in late 90s.


David Fuller discusses THE AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD adaptation [Discussion: Newsarama]

PAUL SEBERT: I don’t know anything about this book, but I can’t say the title out loud without snickering…

IAIN BURNSIDE: Well, after WONDERFALLS I think I would gladly pay to see anything of Fuller’s. A funny name only strengthens his case…

Adam Warren’s LIVEWIRES mini-series previewed [Look-See: CBR

PAUL SEBERT: And well for those complaining about decompressed storytelling there’s a giant burning robot by page 5 so apparently it’s moving at a pretty fast pace.

I was a really big fan Adam Warren’s work in high school for reasons I can’t quite remember, possibly because back then an American artist could draw Manga-style without being accused of trying to cash in on a trend! Anyway, I’m still kind of on the fence about this book, but I have to admit it looks kind of fun.