Review! Detective Comics #872

Detective Comics #872

After reading Scott Snyder's debut issue of Detective Comics last month, I was really hoping it wasn't too good to be true. Could it be that there was an intriguing, street level, Dick Grayson as Batman book where he did actual detective work? Issue #872 has set my mind at ease. I didn't experience a hallucination, it is quite real.

Scott Snyder, of American Vampire fame, is crafting an intriguing mystery for our new Batman to solve. How are items from Gotham's rogues gallery ending up in the hands of wealthy citizens? The answer turns out to be fairly simple, but it's how Dick gets to the that answer makes it such a good read. Snyder has an excellent grasp on the character and his history. The dialogue between supporting cast members, especially Oracle, is strong and mindful of the past. I felt fully enveloped into their dark world.

We also have a new villain, named The Dealer. It was nice to see Snyder create a villain that's more cerebral than brutish. I've always thought they were better foils for Batman. I'm interested in seeing where this character goes. His spindly form may be hiding something far more sinister.

The art, by Jock, suits this title well. His characters are expressive and Batman looks terrifying when cloaked in the shadows. He's also mindful of Dick being a former acrobat. He has him twisting in various ways when going through the air. The art is moody and gritty, perfect for this story.

If you've been turned off by the time spanning adventures of Bruce Wayne, you'll want to read this book. It's what Batman is all about, solving crazy mysteries with insane villains. It's just that simple and just that good. He also rides a one wheel, rocket powered, flying motorcycle...just saying.

Larfleeze Cookies!

Hey guys! As I'm sure many of you know, the Larfleeze Christmas Special had an Orange Lantern cookie recipe in it. Since I'm a huge fan of cookies and Larfleeze, this seemed like the perfect excuse to make a batch. I was also fortunate enough to have Larfleeze and Globulus stop by and lend a hand.

The recipe contains a fair amount of orange juice concentrate and zested orange peels. It helps give the cookies a nice sweet flavor. Glomulus, much like a child, is jumping the gun here. He wants to put the frosting on before anything has been mixed.

Larfleeze summoned a greedy orange cat, named Brooklyn, that tried to steal my sandwich.

Everything has been mixed, put into doughy balls, and cooked in the oven. We'll wait for the cookies to cool, while we get the frosting ready. If you put the frosting on too soon, it will become runny and gross.

The cookies have been frosted, and decorated with the orange gel. Larfleeze and Glomulus are ecstatic that the cookies are finished.

A mother at the grocery store gave me a hard time about the decorating gel I bought. She didn't think it was good for me to eat something that was mostly food coloring. Her daughters gave her a hard time about criticizing someones purchase at the grocery store. Her daughters were right, mind your own business lady.

We brought the cookies to Coast City for everyone to enjoy. Luckily, Larfleeze had learned the true meaning of Christmas in the holiday special comic book. He didn't put up much of a fight above giving them away. He just wanted to let everyone know that the recipe was his, and his alone.

Stop in and grab one while supplies last! They're totally free and REALLY good!

Happy Holidays everyone!!

I would also like to point out that my lovely fiance helped with these cookies. She's an excellent baker! Larfleeze, Glomulus, Brooklyn, and myself could not have done it without her!

Archie Haiku

Riverdale has snow
Betty and Veronica tan
Jughead eats cupcakes

Review Black Panther: Man Without Fear #513

Black Panther: Man Without Fear #513


It took a lot of people by surprise when Marvel revealed that Black Panther would be filling in for Daredevil when Shadowland was over. Why would the former ruler of the African nation of Wakanda start protecting a small, albeit dangerous, section of New York City (Hell's Kitchen)? Out of all the candidates presented, was the Black Panther really the best choice? He was a king that had advanced technology at his fingertips. Could he fit into a book that has become the standard for gritty, street level, super hero crime drama? As it turns out, yeah.

At the beginning of the issue we find that Daredevil had requested Black Panther to take his place, since he felt he could no longer be Daredevil after the events of Shadowland. Black Panther accepts his offer, but not as a favor. Black Panther has been going through some emotional turmoil himself, after the events of Doomwar. He sees this as an oppurtunity to prove to himself that he is man worthy of being the Black Panther. It's solid motivation for the character to make this change in scenery, but it may be lost upon readers who didn't check out Doomwar months back. Luckily for new readers, that information is really only relevant in the first couple of pages. After that, it becomes its own story.

Black Panther now finds himself in an unfamiliar environment. He has a new name, a new job, and is without the aid of advanced technology from his homeland of Wakanda. This is truly a unique situation for the Black Panther. The writer, David Liss, handles this transition well. It moves at a brisk pace and is full of meaningful dialogue and action. There's even a new villain introduced in this book, and he seems like an interesting foil to our new man without fear. The artist, Francesco Francavilla, does a great job at making this new world look dark and dangerous. His redesign of Black Panther's costume is fantastic as well. It's more militaristic, and fits the mood of the book well.

Overall, this is not a typical Daredevil book. It's not really a typical Black Panther book either. Instead, we have a nice middle ground between the two types of book. The result is a gritty, street level, super hero book. It's well written, beautiful to look at, and worth your time. It was a great read and I'm looking forward to seeing where this series takes us.

Wolverine eats

Here's a compilation of all the pictures of Wolverine eating in New Avengers #7

Extreme Justice

I wish I could pinpoint the exact moment when "extreme" took on a life of its own in the 90's. Most would assume that it probably began with a snowboarder or a rebellious musician doing something outrageous. Personally, I think the word "extreme" became a buzz word the second Dan Cortese put on his bandanna for the first time. Reading the wiki article that link leads you to may be surprising for some. Yes, MTV used to have a sports show... Regardless of what started the usage of "extreme" (or its bastard cousin x-treme), it only makes sense that DC Comics would apply it to one of their books. I give you Extreme Justice.

What's interesting about this book, is that it features half of the Justice League International roster, except more extreme than normal. How extreme? How about Captain Atom has long hair! I know right, he's a military man. Guys in the military are supposed to have short hair. What an extreme disregard for the norm. You'll also find that Blue Beetle is flipping around like he's Spider-Man in this book. They also made his goggles bigger, which I'm assume is also an effort to mimic Spider-Man. Either way, it's out of control and in your face!

Booster Gold gets a new, dare I say extreme, costume in this issue as well. Tights were beyond out of style during the 90's. If you didn't have a costume with a bunch of extra bulky crap all over it (especially pouches), then you were a total loser. Booster receives an amazing costume upgrade(?) in this issue when Blue Beetle presents him with his new battle armor suit. It's bulky, looks like guns could pop out of it from anywhere, has a cool visor, and leaves a hole up top for Booster's flowing blonde locks to flow freely. It's so extreme, it's like getting an injection of Mountain Dew straight into your veins while snowboarding down K2.

This extreme team does not only consist of JLI members though. There are two members on the team that I had never seen before. There's Amazing Man who has the ability to absorb stuff. This seems redundant since Captain Atom can already do that. There was probably so much extreme energy that needed absorbing, they needed two absorbing guys to handle it. He's also the only minority on the team, so that makes me think they put him on the team so it wasn't only white guys. I doubt there wasn't a lot of extreme thought put into what his powers would be, just that they had a black guy on the team. Which is insulting, almost as insulting as how excessive his shoulder pads are. They probably called him Amazing Man because it was amazing he could fit through doors with those things on. The other new face is a female telepath called Maxima (extreme to the max??). It's another flat character that I'm sure was created because they didn't have a female hero on the team. Her costume is a delightful mix of thongs, bandanas, and shoulder pads. It's an extreme concoction that will leave you in a skydiving, bmx riding coma that you will never recover from.

It's not all fun and games though. Firestorm is also on the team, and he has an extreme problem. Firestorm is a wild party animal and is an alcoholic. I'm serious about this, he gets drunk in this issue. This made me think though, what a terrifying super hero to get drunk. If you thought a drunk driver was dangerous, try a guy that can make anything out of thin air coming at you while plastered. I'll take my chances with the drunk guy in the car, at least he's not going to turn all of the air in my lungs into mercury or my eyeballs into ice cream. He can do that! It's giving me a panic attack just thinking about it. The only good thing about Firestorm is that he's such an idiot. If a person with any type of intelligence had his powers, they would have taken over the world already. Thankfully, he's too busy downing beers and trying to figure out the chemical formula for nachos... EXTREME!

What a delightful trip back to the 90's this book was. Some people really hate that era, but that's when I grew up with comics. It's fun to go back and see how much things have changed, or haven't, since then. I'm also glad I was able to work in a reference to Dan Cortese in this post. He's listed on UNC's famous alumni page alongside John Edwards and Andy Griffith! Go Tar Heels!

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go see if I can find any Rock N' Jock episodes online. Keep it extreme everyone!

-Action Chad

Cyclops knows how to wrestle an octopus

You don't get to be leader of the X-Men without learning how to wrestle an octopus.

Archie Haiku

Haiku for Jughead #204


jughead is hired
amusement misdeeds are found
tanning at the beach

Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova

Hello and welcome, one and all, to part 2 of my guided tour through Marvels space opus. This time, I'll be taking a look at the series that started after Annihilation was finished. Those two books are Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova.

For those who have read comics throughout the years, the names on these books are not new ones. Both Guardians and Nova have had several runs in the past, which are typically quarter bin fodder now. Abnett and Lanning took a different approach to both of these books, than how they had been handled in the past.


After giving Nova an updated look in the pages of Annihilation, it only makes sense to do the same for the Guardians. With a fresh look, and a vastly different lineup, this book was able to distinguish itself from it's guilty pleasure past. It was an important first step for this book, if they wanted to ensure the book had even mild success.

Both books covered a wide range of topics in the Marvel U. From Nova's visit home during the Civil War, to the Guardians finding a lost Celestial head/space station on the outermost regions of the universe, it was clear these books were not going to hold back in terms of thought provoking stories. It was evident that there wasn't a leash on these writers, as anything seemed possible within these pages.

By "anything", I'm referring to telepathic Russian space dogs, holographic bounty hunters, trips to Phalanx home world, and possessed living planets. These books took you on a wild tour of faraway worlds, and insane concepts. They really brought the excitement and mystery back into the Marvel U. Did I mention they had a raccoon with a rocket launcher that hung out with a talking tree? If that doesn't do anything for you, then chances are your inner child has died. These books are just fun, plain and simple.

While major events like Annihilation set the stage for this rebirth of space stories, it's books like Guardians and Nova that held it together. These books were the mortar to the bricks. If you haven't taken the time to familiarize yourself with these books, then do yourself a favor and pick them up.

Next up! Annihilation: Conquest

Namor is a dick!

You would think that a guy that spent as much time hanging around with Captain America as much as Namor has, would probably learn a thing or too about being a decent person. A person that spent the majority of his youth fighting the good fight against the nazis, for the freedom of the world, would have developed a strong moral fiber. If you thought all of that, you would be wrong.

Let me tell you what Namor spends the majority of his time doing. He spends his time swimming around the ocean yelling at fish, whining, and trying to bang your girlfriend. If you need proof of the latter, check out this weeks issue of the Fantastic Four. Namor is still trying to bang Sue Storm. It's been about 30 years Namor, she's not giving it up man. Reed Richards is smarter than you, and can stretch any part of his body out...ANY part. You can't compete with that Namor. Your lucky that Reed hasn't invented a virus specifically designed to kill you, and only you. It's time to move on. Perhaps there are some lovely fish ladies swooning over you....

Oh wait, he did move on. He's been trying to get with Emma Frost in the X-books for the past year and a half. Big surprise, she's not giving it up either. You want to know why? Because she's with Cyclops, leader of the damn X-Men. Namor, and his winged feet, can't compete with that level of awesomeness. Regardless if you managed to get with her for a brief moment in the past. It's the PAST man, get over it. It's cool that Namor tried to hook up with someone of than Sue, but let's try and go for a lady without a man in her life. You're the drunk frat guy hanging out at a trashy bar of the Marvel Universe.

It wouldn't be so bad, if he wasn't an indignant ass to everyone he meets. Always prattling on about how the surface world is full of jerks and how Atlantis is the best ever. You're not endearing yourself to anyone by insulting where they live constantly. You're just acting like a snotty kid that says he has all the cool stuff at his house, in hopes to make everyone think he's awesome. It's not working, get a new shtick or shut up.

If I was Reed Richards and Cyclops, I'd hold this guy down and optic blast his face off. He's the idiotic frat boy of the Marvel Universe. Any guy that has abs like Namor does, and still can't get a girl, is easily a huge ass.Do the math!

"Imperius Rex" means "I'm a giant tool and a dumbass".

Marvel's Space Opus Part 1

Annihilation

If I had told you ten years ago that Marvel will publish a line of comics set in outerspace that are awesome, you would have laughed in my face. Marvel's outer space had been stuck in the 70's for what seemed like an eternity. Occasionally some jerk would get a hold of infinity gem, and the avengers would go stomp them. The worlds of Marvel's outer space were an after thought at best. That was until recently though. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have performed an act that many would have considered impossible, they made space the place to be.

These talented writers first rubbed their defibrillator paddles together when they produced the first issue of Annihilation. The premise was simple, Annihilus gathers his army in the Negative Zone and launches attack into the Marvel heroes space. Annihilus, a Fantastic Four villain, never really seemed like a threat before. The FF tended to handle him easily, so the idea of him trying to attack the universe seemed like a bit of a stretch. That is, until you see the first few pages of this book. A massive, menacing armada enters space and immediately starts to destroy planets, which includes the home planet of the Nova Corps. Their ships all look like giant bugs, and the soldiers are twice as gruesome. This Annihilus means business, and it doesn't look like anyone will stop him. The idea of giving a C-list villain a bump like this is one of several tricks these writers implored to make things interesting. This power jump takes you off guard, and suddenly you don't know what to expect from each issue.


Since they gave a power bump to a villain, it seems only logical to give one to a hero as well. This is where Nova comes into the picture. Nova has been in one second rate group after another throughout his years in comics. He's had several solo series, but they never really gained any traction. He belongs to an intergalactic police force, but spends most of his time trying to nab muggers in NYC. Abnett and Lanning saw the potential in this character, and endowed him with the power of the entire Nova Corps. If you're looking for a comparison, imagine if Hal Jordan had the power of every Green Lantern. Yeah, Nova is pretty hardcore now. He's also patroling space now, something you would have assumed he would have done from the very beginning of his career.

Nova isn't the only character that receives an update though. Many of Marvel's space characters now have modern looks, including Drax, Gamora, Super Skrull, and Ronan the Accuser. These are characters that you probably haven't though of in a while, but suddenly look pretty damn awesome. You also get to see them use their powers in new, and exciting ways. They have depth now! It's such a radical departure from how these characters have been treated for years, that it's shocking. It's part of what makes this series so interesting, it's almost like they're all brand new characters.

Once you get over the shock of seeing these characters handled with care and purpose, you realize that this is a serious war story. These are epic space battles, and land battles to boot. There are massive casualties on both sides. Even characters that you wouldn't expect to die end up receiving the axe. It's a bold story that isn't afraid to try something different.

You also get to see characters move on with their lives. What I mean is, some of these characters have been floating in limbo with what they say they're supposed to be doing. In this series, characters make choices and move forward. Any historian of the Marvel U will appreciate these actions, it's a breath of fresh air to see. I mean if Drax has been trying to kill Thanos since the 70's, maybe he should just kill him already. Just sayin'...

The whole series feels epic, and features a lot of back and forth action between Annihilus and our heroes. While that's awesome, it was still possible for this series to fall flat on its face if it didn't end well. When you're staging a comeback for several characters, you need something that's going to seal the deal. Something that's going to make the reader say "Hell yeah, this is awesome." Well this ending delivers in spades. Fleets of ships in ruins, tons of people have died, and Annihilus and Nova are battling in space to determine who will win this war. With each fighter pushed to the brink, Nova throws a hail Mary. He forces hit fist down Annihilus's throat and rips his heart out.... Hell yeah, that was awesome.

This book sets the stage for what will become the best Marvel space books in the companies history. It's an amazing feat for these two writers to assemble so many characters, that most comic readers could have given a damn about, and tell a story that has you cheering for them by the end. Nobody walks out the same way they walked in here, and that's a good thing.

Next: Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy Series

Review Invincible #75

Invincible #75

It's a bloody, intergalactic, superhuman, throwdown the likes o' which ya never seen in this months milestone issue of Invincible!

The Viltrumite War nears its conclusion in this issue as Invincible and the rest of the United Planets troops make a final assault on the Viltrumite home-world. If you figured the Viltrumites wouldn't take this type of aggressive behavior lying down, then you are correct. A bloody battle begins in this issue, with some serious casualties for both sides. This story continues to escalate into something that is so vast and epic, you wonder if they could ever bring Invincible down to fighting guys on Earth again.

Robert Kirkman's writing in this issue is good, but doesn't really advance any characters. Besides checking off the deceased box next to their names. It's an action issue, lots of brutal superhuman battles. For what it is, it's top notch. It moves at a quick pace and is full of dialogue that fits the scenes. Given the issue previous was an exposition issue, I think its safe to excuse that this is all action.

The art is where this book will blow you away. Ryan Ottley blows the doors off of the place with this issue. If you were wondering why this extra long issue was late, just take a look through to see why. Anyone that is familiar with Ottley's work, knows that it's full of detail. Thankfully, none of that was sacrificed for the daunting task of recreating this epic battles. I've also never seen someone punching someone through their fist into their opponents stomach, then continue upwards with the fist coming out of their opponents mouth look so good. Heads be bein' ripped off, and it's beautiful!

You may be thinking "Chad, this issue is $6.00! I'm not an oil tycoon! I can't afford that!". I say this! The invincible story is 36 pages, plus there's a science dog back-up story, PLUS there's a Tech Jacket back-up story. You're literally getting two comic books worth of material, for the price of two comic books. It's worth it.

I would definitely recommend this issue for anyone who was disappointed with War of the Superman or someone who loves Dragonball Z as well. It's an epic superhero space battle that is sure to entertain even the most jaded of comic book fans.

Review Teen Titans #88

Teen Titans #88

Take a good look at this cover. Notice how the characters are exploding off the page with smiles on their faces. That's because this book, much like Stella, has finally got its groove back. Keep in mind that they don't spend a Caribbean vacation Taye Diggs to do this. That's my obligatory "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" reference for this review.

The biggest change you're going to notice in this issue is going to be the roster. The fat has been trimmed and has been reverted back to the core members, as for as the 2000's are concerned. You have Superboy, Wonder Girl, Beast Boy, Kid Flash, Raven, Ravager, and another memeber that is revealed on the last page. To say that this mystery member has left me giddy for what is to come, is an understatement. It's a team that looks like it can do some damage, and it looks good.

J.T. Krul, writer, demonstrates a great understanding of these characters right from the beginning. It's very reminiscent of how Geoff Johns handled the characters when the series was rebooted several years ago. By that, I mean the characters are complex, interesting, and fun. He manages to throw in some new monkey wrenches into their lives in this issue, that are sure to make for some interesting moments in the future. He also has them beat down blood thirsty mutants in the first issue! Fantastic!

Nicola Scott really blew me away in this issue. The Teen Titans look phenomenal in this issue. He uses a lot of dynamic angles and poses for the characters, which make them look powerful. He reminds me a lot of Frank Cho, who is one my favorite artists. He also made Raven and Beast Boy look older than the rest of their team mates. I only point that out, because they're supposed to be. I usually seem them as still being drawn as teenagers, as opposed to the mentors of the group. It's awesome stuff and I hope he stays on this book for a while.

If you felt like Teen Titans left you out in the cold a long time ago, then come back into the warmth. The weather is beautiful on Titans island and looks like things are only going to get better from here.

-Action Chad
@chadventure
chad@coastcitycomics.net

X-Men Only

Spidey on The Simpsons

Hell Yeah

The Ghost Rider Omnibus

Halloween is less than a week away, so I hope you guys are close to having your costumes finished. If you already do have one finished you should email me a photo of it. That way you'll be entered into our Halloween Costume Contest. We'll pick our favorite and the winner will receive a $25 gift card!

Around this time last year, I posted an article about why I thought Ghost Rider was the most brutal guy on the planet. This year, I decided to write a review for the Ghost Rider omnibus that came out a couple of weeks ago. Flaming skulls, vengeance, demons, and motorcycles... it doesn't get any more Halloween than that.

Ghost Rider Omnibus

Ghost Rider, the Spirit of Vengeance, dishes out the pain to a number of scumbags, murderers, and cultists in this book. His path of destruction eventually leading him to his final encounter with the angel Zadkiel, who has thrown Ghost Rider's life into the proverbial blender. Think of it as a wild cross country trip full of flaming skulls and Armageddon like visuals.

The writer responsible for all of this chaos is Jason Aaron. You may know him as the guy who recently sent Wolverine to Hell. The horrors of the afterlife seem to be Aaron's bread and butter. His writing makes you feel for Ghost Rider, as he searches for his own vengeance. He's a very human character at his core, and that's what makes this such an enjoyable read. It didn't get so wrapped up in the mythology, that I would have felt distanced from the story. No matter how crazy it became, it never wasn't a story about a guy trying to get someone who wronged him. Aaron's Ghost Rider is down-to-earth while doing things that are otherworldly. He also references "Vengeance", a horrible knock-off of Ghost Rider from the 90's. It's nods to those oh-so-bad Ghost Rider books of the 90's that made me smile, as I grew up on them. Thanks for that flaming motorcycle drive down memory lane.


Aaron also used an idea that Iron Fist did a couple of years ago. They made Ghost Rider a legacy character. By that, I mean that there have been tons of Ghost Riders throughout the ages. They've been in different countries, and date pretty far back. It gave the artists of this book a chance to have fun, and create some really interesting characters. My personal favorite was the Smokey and the Bandit Ghost Riders. I love those movies! It's a great idea, and really opens up the field for what types of Ghost Rider stories can be told in the future.

The art in this collection is handled by Roland Boschi, Tan Eng Huat, and Tony Moore. Each of these artists handled their stories beautifully. They really captured the dark tone of the book, but also captured the more human moments of the story as well. Overall, it's a great collection of artists that are showcasing some of their best work.

The other thing should mention is the price of this book. It's only $50.00! Marvel omnibus collections typically go for $80 - $100, so this is more than a bargain. It's probably the best deal you're going to get when comparing the awesomeness to cost ratio. I'd make some crack about how crappy the economy is, but to hell with it. You already know that.

The Ghost Rider omnibus by Jason Aaron is a well written, good looking, and well priced collection of awesome comics. I can't imagine a better book to sit down with on Halloween.

Review Hulk #26

After conducting some extensive research via my twitter account (@chadventure). I have discovered that you people, you internet people, want to see more cheeseburgers. I am more than happy to oblige.


On to the review!

HULK #26

After the events of World War Hulks, I've been more than a little cautious about reading anything that says "Hulk" on it. I haven't been a fanof the Red Hulk. He was arrogant, hateful, and seemingly unstoppable. Couple those traits with the fact it took way too long for us to find out who he was, I lost interest pretty quickly. The character didn't seem to have any legs to me. I assumed he wouldn't stick around after the events of World War Hulks. As you can see from the cover of this issue, I was wrong. Granted, he's getting the stuffing beat out of him by Thor...but I was still wrong.

What I quickly learned is that I was wrong to treat this as Red Hulk centered issue of the past year. The status quo for the character has changed in a big way. He's been humbled and drop down a couple of notches on the power scale. He's at the mercy of his former rival and looking for purpose. He's everything that he was not before. He's changed so much that I'll even go out on a limb and say he's likable. (gasp!)
I credit this change to the new creative team, Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman (good last name). You may know them from their work on the recently canceled, yet insanely awesome, Atlas series. Putting this creative team on this book makes sense, as it's full of sci-fi threats and complex characters. That's their bread and butter! Kudos to the editor that called these guys.

Atonement is a big theme in this issue, as the Red Hulk knows he screwed up during the events of World War Hulks. Everybody hates him, and for good reason. When doomsday weapons built by The Leader and MODOK (his evil partners in crime from WWH's) start to terrorize the world, it makes sense that he would be willing to help stop them. This is his chance to change how people perceive him, maybe even how he perceives himself. It's a great idea and is providing some really compelling moments.

While Jeff Parker has written the Red Hulk to be a likable character, a feat which is Herculean in my mind, Gabriel Hardman really distinguishes this book as "not your typical Hulk book" with his art. I've found most Hulk books tend to have giant faces, or full body muscle flexing battles that take up the whole page. This isn't the case here. Instead of seeing the Hulk smashing in one giant panel, you'll several panels and poses of him in action. By putting the Hulk in smaller boxes, we actually get to see more of him than normal. It's more interesting to the eye and leads you on the visual path that a comic should. It's great stuff.

This series has taken a turn for the better. If you felt burned out by the events of World War Hulks like I did, then give this series a shot. Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman have given this character a stay of execution and it's worth your time to read it.

That's all for now guys!
-Action Chad
chad@coastcitycomics.net
@chadventure

Review Strange Tales II #1

Hey guys! I bet some of you were wondering about what happened on the third day of Comic Con. To answer your question, much like Tony's third day at SDCC, not a whole lot happened. Gerald and I just walked around and played video games for the day. Towards the end of the day I paid $13 for a cheeseburger with fries and a coke. I cried while I ate that meal. Thanks New York Comic Con!

Strange Tales Vol. II #1

The idea behind Strange Tales is that indie comic creators take Marvel characters and put them in odd, and often hilarious situations. The result is a collection of several stories, each with a different look and feel. Have you ever wondered why Spider-Man never tricked Kraven into attending the prom so he could hang out in a hammock. I know I have, and luckily the folks behind Strange Tales did too.

One of the best elements of the Strange Tales series is that you don't know what is going to appear on the next page. It could be a story where Wolverine and Deadpool are members of a wrestling league for people who regenerate. It could also be a dreamily illustrated story about the Silver Surfer longing for his lost love. Either way, the excitement of flipping the page never goes away.

Strange Tales is a wild trip that is a lot of fun. It's full of beautifully illustrated, well written stories that will make any comic fan, no matter how jaded, chuckle at the very least. If that doesn't make you want to buy this book, then know you should know one thing. There is a story where Wolverine eats hundreds of hot dogs while complaining about being dumped. Amazing.

That's all for now guys!

- Action Chad
chad@coastcitycomics.net
@chadventure

HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST!

How would you like to wear your Halloween costume and win a $25 gift card in the process? All you have to do is send a picture of yourself in your costume and send it to chad@coastcitycomics.net. We'll pick the best costume on October 29th! We will be displaying our favorite costumes on the blog.

PLEASE NOTE: It does not have to be a superhero costume! We will accept costumes of all shapes and sizes!

REMEMBER!
send to chad@coastcitycomics.net

New York Comic Con Day 2

The hits keep on coming as day 2 has come to a close. What manner of beasts and magic did I witness today?

The con was absolutely packed today. I joked with one guy about how I felt like cattle being sent to the slaughter house. He laughed, but then sighed and stared at the floor. We shuffled forward. There were a lot of people.

My first stop was David Mack's table. David is one of the nicest guys in comics. If you ever get a chance to stop by his table, then you should take it. I purchased a Spiderman print from him which he was cool enough to sign.

I also had my copy of Uncanny X-Force signed by Rick Remender and Jerome Opena at the Midtown Comics booth. It was a real "wam bam thank ya ma'am" type of deal. I was a little hummed about that, but at least I got it signed by two talented guys.

Also! I spent some time talking to other comic shop employees this week and I can say for sure that our store is some type of Bermuda Triangle anomaly. They were all shocked when I told them Shadowland and Franken-Castle had sold well for us. Apparently you guys are the only ones that like our best selling books. I don't know why and I don't care either. You guys have great taste.

After that, I went to the Avengers Assemble panel. This panel was a lot of fun, and they gave us a few bits of information about upcoming Avengers titles. The most important thing, to me anyways, is that Luke Cage and Jessica Jone's nanny will be Squirrel Girl! Bendis told the crowd that upon hearing this, Matt Fraction told him "well we better call the Eisner committee and inform that there will be no need for voting this year." It was also revealed that Nick Spencer will be writing a War Machine title called Iron Man 2.0. Exciting stuff! The marvel group was a lot of fun. Especially Jonathan Hickman, who is a genuine crazy person.

After that, I went and paid $4 for a cherry coke. I'm from Maine guys. That's some serious cash to be dropping on a soda. My bank called me to make sure my card had not been stolen. I told them no, but I had been molested.

I then went to the Green Lantern: Emerald Empire panel. You're probably wondering what gems were revealed at this panel. What tasty comic book nuggets will leave you salivating for more? Well there weren't any. None, not a one. The only highlights were a guy in an amazing Larfleeze costume asking Geoff Johns what his most prized possession was and Ivan Reis acting like a nutcase. Reis kept saying his mother was in the crowd as the answer to any fans question. If you ever want me to do an impression of it, just ask me. Gerald really enjoys it. It's also important to note that Larfleeze tried to steal the mic stand after his question.

After that, the place was shutting down. We stopped off at Chipotle and then saw the new Resident Evil movie in 3D. I LOVE CHIPOTLE!

That's all for now guys!

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New York Comic Con Day 1

Wow, what a day. It feels like weeks have passed me by since I woke up at 6:30 this morning.

My first stop was a retailers breakfast, that was hosted by our distributor Diamond. I won't bore you with a lot of the details, ordering and numbers us pretty dry stuff. The good stuff that was announced for you guys is that all books from DC Marvel won't go above $2.99 beginning January 2011. Hooray! There was also Bacon, and I drank a whole pitcher of orange juice.

I played a lot of video games today. I finally got my mits on Marvel vs Capcom 3. It was an awesome game and I even won a few matches in the tournament, until I was destroyed by a professional player. Oh well, at least I received a free poster.

I also played the new Donkey Kong Country, and it is amazing. It will be in my home for sure. Not even two girls arguing over what is canon from previous Donkey Kong Country games ruined my experience.

The good folks at Sega gave me a demonstration on their upcoming Captain America game. This game looks really promising. I asked the developer if Cap-Wolf would be an alternate costume. He laughed and told me they wouldn't be digging that deep into the franchise.

Gerald met Rick Remender (Franken-Castle, X-Force, Fear Agent) while I was playing games. He bought some stuff from him and came and grabbed me, so I could meet him. Rick was one if the guys I wanted to see the most, so I was excited. We get over to his table and Remender informs Gerald that he really appreciated him buying his books, but he never paid him. Obviously, this wasn't intentional so we rib Gerald about this for a little while. I then asked him to sign my Punisher book. I posted a picture of what he wrote above. It's pretty funny.

I spent more time walking around checking out some great artists and booths. It's really a blast seeing all of these creative people being really excited about what they're working on.

To close out the night, I went to the Venture Bros panel. Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick are out of their minds. I love it. They didn't have any footage to show, since the season had just started. Instead they just took questions from the crowd and told stories. It was hilarious and well worth the hour plus I waited in line.

Tomorow ill be checking out the cup o' Joe panel and walking around eating pizza. It's a tough job folks!

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