Ant-Man is the Marvel’s most recent attempt to make me care about Scott Lang. Writer Nick Spencer and artist Ramon Rosanas go the quirky route. Scott’s ex-wife and daughter have moved to Miami to get away from Scott’s craziness. Now it’s up to Scott to pull his life together by starting a small business where all the employees are also superpowered rejects. Surely he can then win his wife’s respect and his daughter’s love! That’s the idea anyway.
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Rumble is pure two-dimensional energy from John Arcudi, James Harren, and Dave Stewart. Giant monsters and big swords can have a tendency to drag a story into grim, realistic action; but that isn’t Rumble’s style. And Rumble is all style. Exaggerated characters with hugely expressive faces. Vibrant colors and beautiful attention to detail in the setting. Every motion is huge on the page. Rumble is as much Ren & Stimpy as it is BPRD.
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This week on Arc Reaction we’re taking a look at Velvet by writer Ed Brubaker, artist Steve Epting, and colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser. Now that Velvet has finished its second story arc, “The Secret Lives of Dead Men,” it’s a good time to take a look. We know who Velvet is, but now we’re here to see where Brubaker and Epting are really going to take her. The problem is, at the end of this story arc I’m still a bit unsure.
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Eternal is a book I find difficult to give a second thought. It’s a sci-fi story written by William Harms, illustrated by Giovanni Valletta, and with colors by Adam Metcalfe. The premise is that in the world of Eternal people are immortal thanks to cloning and mind transfers, but the cloning is only possible because they harvest genetic material from innocent people labeled “pures.” The premise isn’t unique, but it’s certainly something that can prompt an interesting story if tightly written and driven by compelling characters.
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Hey folks. Sadly there’s no Arc Reaction today and we apologize, but we’re preparing something special for the new Daredevil show. So go finish watching it on Netflix, and check comicimpact.com tomorrow for our thoughts. Don’t forget to subscribe for even more comic related videos. Travers Capps travers@comicimpact.com
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Southern Bastards depicts The South in a dim light. Jason Aaron and Jason Latour tell the story of the insular and corrupt Craw County run by Euless Boss, the coach of the local high school football team the Runnin’ Rebs. Southern Bastards is a Southern Gothic comic born from literary influences like Flannery O’Connor and Tennessee Williams; and that makes it a bit unique in the comic landscape and definitely worth taking a look at. The second story arc, “Gridiron,” will be the focus of this week’s Arc Reaction. Beware, there will be spoilers ahead.
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This week in Arc Reaction we’re discussing the first story arc of Gotham Academy by Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan, and Karl Kerschl. Gotham Academy saw its release as Brenden Fletcher and Babs Tarr took over Batgirl, and both of these releases have played a part in showing the diversity of Gotham City. While Batgirl rebrands an existing character, Gotham Academy introduces a bunch of new characters, places, and mysteries into the world. So I must warn you now, there are spoilers ahead.
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The end of the world isn’t easy. Bullets, grenades, and napalm are still the weapons of choice for the BPRD in the post-apocalypse. Luckily, they have a secret weapon: Agent Howards aka Gall Denar. The latest story arc of BPRD Hell on Earth by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, James Harren, and Dave Stewart puts the spotlight on Agent Howards and his history with the monsters. Beware! Spoilers ahead! This week we’re discussing “Flesh and Stone!”
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The Silver Surfer holds an odd place in the Marvel pantheon. His name’s self explanatory. He’s the first Herald of Galactus, and he possesses the Power Cosmic as a result. But he lacks a certain charisma. He’s often more of a plot device than a character. He’s awesome, but not charming. Dan Slott, Mike Allred, and Laura Allred make him charming. So let’s discuss the latest story arc of Silver Surfer, in which Norrin Radd encounters Galactus. Again. Spoilers beyond this point!
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There are a lot of takes on Batman, but we all have our favorites. Sometimes he’s campy, other times he’s gritty. Batman’s one of the most versatile characters in media today. My favorite take on Batman isn’t one steeped in the DC universe. I like to see Batman the noir detective, who’s more of a vigilante than a superhero. So needless to say, I absolutely adore Detective Comics from Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, they’re doing my Batman. This is my Batman book. Beware spoilers.
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Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini have crafted an absolutely gorgeous underwater post-apocalyptic world, but the most beautiful thing in the world of Low is the Caine family. I actually want to discuss this book in some detail, so I warn you there will be some major spoilers ahead. I read the first story arc in one sitting, and I instantly knew it’s something special. It’s meticulously crafted, and today I want to discuss how Low has quickly become my favorite ongoing series.
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I’m reading Deadly Class, and I hate the main character. It’s hard not to draw comparisons between Deadly Class’s Marcus and Holden from The Catcher in the Rye. They, whoever “they” are, say you should read Catcher as a teen, but avoid it as an adult. After a point all that teen angst just seems childish. I can’t help but feel like I’m just too old for Deadly Class. Marcus thinks he’s got everything figured out, yet he’s blissfully self-unaware. I just want to smack him. And here I am trying to figure out if I even enjoy reading about this character I detest.
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This week on Arc Reaction we’re discussing Critical Hit by Matt Miner, Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, and Doug Garbark. Critical Hit is a spin-off from Liberator, another vigilante comic by Matt Miner and Black Mask Studios. Miner’s a socially conscious writer unafraid to tackle environmentalism, substance abuse, and domestic violence in four issues–but does it work? Let’s dig in. Spoilers ahead!
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Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr. have their sights set on Superman, and they’re aiming straight for the heart. “The Men of Tomorrow” spends seven chapters exploring what makes Superman tick. It’s chock full of optimism and whimsy with Superman at his most hopeful and idealistic. The complication? Ulysses, a man born on Earth and sent to the 4th Dimension to save his life. There he was raised on the Great World–a utopia with no need of superheroes. “The Men of Tomorrow” is the story of Ulysses, Superman’s dark mirror.
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Beware the Skyrens! The final story arc of Flash Gordon from Jeff Parker, Evan Shaner, and Jordie Bellaire takes Flash and the crew to Sky World! Can Dale Arden save Flash and Zarkov from their impending doom? Will the Hawkmen get the gatestone crystal? Will Ming the Merciless actually conquer the Earth? This week on Arc Reaction we’re discussing “Flash Gordon and the Hawkmen,” so stay tuned! Spoilers ahead!
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All-New X-Factor by Peter David, Carmine Di Giandomenico, and Lee Loughridge has come to a flamboyant end. Identities are unveiled, schemes are unraveled, and robots have robo-sex! Plus Gambit’s there. It’s exciting stuff. So let’s jump into the latest Arc Reaction brought to you by our friends at Serval Industries! Spoilers beyond.
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Jupiter’s Legacy is finished after almost a year of delays. Mark Millar, Frank Quitely, and Peter Doherty have finally given us the final piece of the puzzle. So what is it we have in our hands? It’s a violent deconstructive take on the superhero genre, but it’s hardly the first.
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Hawkeye vs. Deadpool is a love letter from Gerry Duggan & Matteo Lolli to Matt Fraction & David Aja. It’s a blessing and a curse. If you happen to be in that cross-section of fans who absolutely love both Duggan’s Deadpool and Fraction’s Hawkeye, then this is your thing. But I can’t help but imagine a future scenario in which a new reader, a Deadpool lover, picks up this book while unfamiliar with the Hawkeye run it references. This sad hypothetical person will never laugh at the Pizza Dog jokes. Is this a huge problem? Not really. This is a comedic book, and comedy is often bound by temporal limitations.
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This week on Arc Reaction we’re starting the year off discussing Robin Rises. That’s where the problems begin. First, this story actually runs through a few books: Robin Rises Omega, Batman and Robin issues 33-37, and Robin Rises Alpha. Peter J. Tomasi writes the whole thing, while Andy Kubert pencils Omega and Alpha, and Patrick Gleason pencils the Batman and Robin issues. Why is it done this way? I couldn’t tell you. So we’re just going to dub the whole thing Robin Rises and move on. But Robin Rises isn’t really about Robin rising, or Robins (plural) rising, or about any of the Bat family really. It’s about Robin being raised. There’s a distinction. It’s about Batman taking a new bat-toy out for a joyride, going to metaphorical hell (Apokolips), beating up the metaphorical devil (Darkseid), and bringing back Damian Wayne from the dead. Jason, Tim, and Barbara, the “Robins” that join Bruce to save their Bat-brother, are just there for ornamentation. Robin Rises should be a celebration of the Robin mantle, but it’s not. Dick Grayson isn’t even present for this story, and that just feels wrong. Dick is not just the original Robin, but he’s the other Batman, the […]
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