The Boys Omnibus Volume 1

Title: The Boys Omnibus Volume 1 

ISBN: 9781524108595

Price: $29.99

Publisher/Year: Dynamite, 2020

Artist: Darick Robertson & Peter Snejbjerg

Writer: Garth Ennis

Rating: 4.5/5

In a world where costumed heroes soar through the sky and masked vigilantes prowl the night, someone’s got to make sure the “supes” don’t get out of line. And someone will! Billy Butcher, Wee Hughie, Mother’s Milk, The Frenchman, and The Female are The Boys: A CIA-backed team of very dangerous people, each one dedicated to the struggle against the most dangerous force on Earth – superpower! Some superheroes have to be watched. Some have to be controlled. And some of them – sometimes – need to be taken out of the picture. That’s when you call in The Boys! After the opening story arc introducing Hughie to the team (issues 1-6), Dark avenger Tek-Knight and his ex-partner Swingwing are in trouble (issues 7-14). Big trouble. One has lost control of his terrifyingly overactive sex-drive, and the other might just be a murderer. It’s up to Hughie and Butcher to work out which is which, in Get Some. Then, in Glorious Five-Year Plan, The Boys travel to Russia – where their corporate opponents are working with the mob, in a super-conspiracy that threatens to spiral lethally out of control. Good thing our heroes have Love Sausage on their side. 

Like so many people out there, I am a fan of Amazon Prime’s The Boys though I have never once picked up the comic it was based on.  

The comic tells a different (though similar) story, following the CIA operatives known as The Boys. There is less tension between the crew, focusing on their work rather than their personal lives and any conflict that may arise from their differences (at least with this first omnibus). This sort of makes the characters seem flat and one-dimensional which can leave the reader who’s familiar with the show wanting more. I will hold off on judging the character development until later in the series as I get the feeling the larger picture has yet to be revealed. 

It was fun seeing certain scenes and details that were lifted for television series – that whole thing with Tek Knight? Holy fucking shit! I thought that was just Seth Rogen influencing the show he helps produce.  

The artwork skirts the series’ grittiness and graphic nature while not feeling toned-down by comparison. (In other words, much like the series, do not read this at work.) 

I’ve heard some complaints and suggestion to stay away from the comic books; however, it was still a fun read and do recommend it to fans of the Amazon Prime series.  

Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

Title: Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

ISBN: 9780785134503

Price: $14.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2022

Artist: Mike Zeck

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis

Rating: 4.5/5

As a wide-eyed youngster taking his first steps into the wide world of comic books, I somehow managed to avoid all the twee, wholesome superhero stories lining the shelves of my local comic shop in the late ’80s and instead found myself picking up J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck’s Kraven’s Last Hunt Spider-Man arc.  And with my only real American comic experience prior to that being Secret Wars (also drawn by Zeck, coincidentally enough), it’s safe to say that my per-pubescent mind was completely and utterly blown from the first page to the last.

For those of you who don’t know, the story sees Kraven the Hunter planning one last great hunt for himself by not only taking down but actually supplanting Spider-Man, proving that he’s more than equal to his long-time adversary by actually donning the mask himself.  He shoots and drugs Spider-Man before burying him alive and single-handedly taking down long-standing and incredibly dangerous Spidey foe Vermin, seemingly proving his claim to be true.

Peter returns, Kraven surrenders without a fight, Vermin nearly kills Peter, Kraven actually saves his enemy but then takes his own life, feeling that his work is finally done.  Oh, and then Spidey cleans up the Vermin mess himself.  It’s a poetic arc filled with emotion and gravitas, and feels far deeper and more nuanced than a lot of the ‘punch the bad guy, save the girl’ Spider-Man stories I’ve read since. What’s doubly impressive about this story is the fact that is succeeds in spite of Spider-Man himself – for the most part, at least – almost feeling like a supporting character.  And while Peter’s personal arc undoubtedly provides the beating heart of the series, it can’t be overstated just how bold a decision it was to keep Spidey in a goddamn grave for the bulk of the early part of this story, or just how well that decision ultimately paid off.

DeMatteis makes some equally bold decisions with his narration and storyline choices, from the subtle tweaking of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” into “The Spyder”, to the frequent blood, cannibalism and death that punctuates the story.  This is a darker, edgier Spider-Man story, and DeMatteis has the characters narrate their own scenes beautifully, from the single-minded determination of Kraven to the claustrophobic, terror-fueled doubt of Peter to the feral, animalistic instincts of Vermin.

What’s also impressive is that, unlike a lot of other 80s comics, Kraven’s Last Hunt still holds up incredibly well.  Zeck and inker Bob McLeod’s artwork is slick and polished even by today’s standards, and DeMatteis’ writing is some of the absolute best from that era. And, while a lot of other “classic” stories suffer from the diminishing returns of rose-tinted nostalgia, Kraven’s Last Hunt still feels fresh and exciting almost thirty years later.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the artwork in this arc was perhaps the first thing that really opened my eyes to just how amazing comics could be.  Between this and Marvel’s Secret Wars, Mike Zeck basically illustrated my childhood, but as much as I love his art on the character-heavy Jim Shooter event, his work alongside McLeod here feels like Zeck taking things to a whole new level.

There are so many memorable pages and moments here, from Kraven’s flash of elation as he buries his greatest prey, to the gradual accumulation of spiders on Peter’s grave, to the iconic scene where Spidey is forced to dig himself out of that very same grave, emerging in a dramatic splash page as lightning erupts in the background.

The artwork here is truly stunning in a lot of different ways, from Kraven’s almost hallucinogenic preparations to the classic Spidey action shenanigans to the almost Eerie Comics-esque sequences featuring Vermin.  Zeck’s layouts are superb, mixing simple panel structures with more thought-provoking and unconventional pages, giving the book a unique aesthetic that really sets itself apart from a lot of other books of the era.  McLeod’s inks are light enough to let Zeck’s mastery shine through, but skillful enough to stamp his own unique mark on the proceedings, managing to different sequences of the story their own unique visual styles.

   

MtG Decklist - Giada, Font of Hope

When I first started to play Magic the Gathering, there were no formats or limitations on how to construct your decks. There were a couple of interesting ideas on playstyles and deck constructions techniques back in the days of magazines such as Scrye and InQuest Gamer. My favorite was a chess themed deck build where there were strict limitations on how to build your decks and how each card/piece could be used. I wish I could find the rules for that online, but every time I try a search, I keep getting Commander decklists with chess themes.

I recently arrived at the fact that my playgroup typically now plays more Commander format than just normal Magic the Gathering. With that in mind, I decided to take my 60 card Angels deck as the beginnings of a full fledged Commander deck.

I obviously had to remove all the duplicated cards and the Mox Pearl, and I also removed the unnecessary lands; Karoo and Ancient Den. I think I only added those lands to the original deck for some extra flavor. I don't remember if they ever got played then I used the 60 card deck, but as I take a look at them now, I don't see any reason for them in there at all.

One of my next deck ideas will be to create a Demon version to be the dark opposite of this deck. I will make sure to post the decklist when it's complete.

Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances

Title: Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances

ISBN: 9781302918002

Price: $15.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2024

Artist: Pat Olliffee, Andrea Di Vito

Writer: Timothy Zahn, Jody Hauser

Rating: 3/5

When Timothy Zahn, author of perhaps the most important Star Wars Expanded Universe arc of all time, writes a new title featuring his iconic villain, it’s going to get some attention. When the novel was released in 2018, it received generally positive reviews from fans and critics, so its adaptation to the comic format boded well. Like most of these reworkings, the Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances graphic novel sufficiently captures the main thrust of the storyline, accompanied with some very beautiful artwork, but feels like an abbreviated summary of the book with a questionable end point.

The story unfolds during the Empire’s rule, following Grand Admiral Thrawn as he embarks on a mission alongside the Dark Lord of the Sith in both the past and Imperial Age. Plot wise, it jumps between a past encounter where Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker’s teamed up to search for Padmé Amidala with the Imperial portion forcing the two to face a powerful new enemy, testing their strength and forcing them to confront their past partnership. This is an interesting way to situate Thrawn as a pivotal figure in both the prequels, as well as the original film era of the Star Wars mythos. 

I would usually be worried to see a four-issue miniseries with two authors, but since one of them is the author of the adapted novel (Timothy Zahn), this shouldn’t be seen as a blemish. Jody Houser does a venerable job translating the novel into a visual format, hitting the right emotional beats and plot points. Thrawn and Vader are given purpose and personal conflict to their team ups, making this a worthwhile addition to canon. 

Unfortunately, the main problem with this trade is its ending. We generally expect to have a complete tale collected in a single trade, or at least a satisfying point to complete an arc, but this book ends on a questionable cliffhanger, making me wonder if Marvel intends to complete this narrative in comic form. That’s unfortunate, because the writing and art from Pat Olliffee and Andrea Di Vito is very strong. 

Not much in the way of supplemental material is provided, which is common for a small TPB, but the variant covers by Leinil Francis Yu and Rahzzah are quite nice. Based on what’s on the page, Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances gets high marks for its strong scripting and artistic design. Where it falters is its hurried conclusion. Hopefully Marvel will remedy this by completing the story in a future miniseries. 

Daredevil: Born Again [Marvel Premier Collection]

Title: Daredevil: Born Again [Marvel Premier Collection]

ISBN: 9781302965983

Price: $14.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2024

Artist: David Mazzucchelli

Writer: Frank Miller

Rating: 3.5/5

Originally released back in 1986, Born Again chronicles the complete and utter destruction of Matt Murdock’s life following a catastrophic turn of events whereby his former girlfriend Karen Page – whose attempt at an acting career has led her to become addicted to heroin and starring in pornographic movies – sells out his identity for another ‘hit’. Upon obtaining this information, The Kingpin begins a systematic campaign designed to break the lawyer down, freezing his accounts, trying to discredit his professional reputation and – in one particularly powerful moment – firebombing his apartment and leaving his costume in the burned wreckage as a message.

As you can probably tell, this isn’t the lively, upbeat Daredevil that some of us may know and love. Writer Frank Miller seemingly takes great pleasure in putting the Man Without Fear through the absolute wringer here, tearing him down both physically and emotionally over the course of the story. This is Miller’s DD at its bleakest, forcing us to stand by helplessly as our hero is pushed to the very brink of his sanity – or perhaps just beyond.

Now I know there are a few people out there whose knowledge of Daredevil is limited, and who are using these reviews as recommendations, so I won’t delve too deeply into spoiler territory for fear of diminishing the effect of what easily ranks as one of my top two or three comics of all time. It’s not flawless, true, and some moments in the third act occasionally lose the powerful impact of the beginning, but as a self-contained journey – and a perfect microcosm of everything that makes the Daredevil character so completely unlike any of the other ‘superheroes’ in the Marvel canon – this is utterly sublime reading.

Matt’s pain-filled journey is brought to life here by acclaimed artist David Mazzucchelli, whose stellar run on the character reaches its absolute pinnacle here. Not flashy by any means, but always masterful in his approach and filled with realism and perfectly framed detail. The action flows smoothly, the emotion pours out onto the page, and the subtle (and occasionally not-so-subtle) use of religious symbolism throughout gives a deeper, almost spiritual air to the proceedings.

What this book does perhaps better than anything else, however, is establish the Kingpin as one of the most powerful villains, not just in Daredevil’s rogues gallery, but in the world of comics as a whole. The calm, calculating and frankly ruthless approach he adopts throughout these pages is utterly chilling stuff, and above all else shows how practically untouchable the character is. Even when he loses a battle, he still escapes with barely a scratch, already plotting his next step in the war. Honestly, if you’ve ever looked at the Kingpin and thought “hang on, what’s the big deal about this fat bald guy in the white jacket?”, then you owe it to yourself to see him at his absolute best (read: worst) here.

I’m not sure what else I can say about this one, folks. One of my favorite comics of all time, and the absolute pinnacle of Daredevil as a character. If ever there was a recommended Daredevil title for a newcomer ahead of the Netflix show’s debut, then this would have to be it. Hell, if ever there was a title full-stop to show someone just how powerful, multi-layered and exciting the ‘superhero’ genre can be in the right hands, then Born Again is undoubtedly that book. Add it to the national syllabus and have kids at school discuss its finer points, while we’re at it. Seriously. It’s that good.

Pathfinder: Goblins

Title: Pathfinder: Goblins

ISBN: 9781606905074

Price: $29.99

Publisher/Year: Dynamite, 2014

Artist: Ivan Anaya, Shane White, Sean Izaakse, Lee Moder, Craig Rousseau, Jennifer Meyer, Christian Meesey, Alberto Jiménez Alburquerque, Jainai Jeffries, Adam Moore, Kevin Stokes

Writer: Jim Zub, Adam Warren, Erik Mona, Carlos Soule, Ron Marz, James L. Sutter, Ray Fawkes, Paul Allor, Jeremy Holt, Eric Trautmann, F. Wesley Schneider, Larry White

Rating: 4/5

Back in 2013, the folks at Paizo and the folks at Dynamite comics came together and made a beautiful baby in the 5 issue series entitled Pathfinder Goblins! Each issue features two stories by various writers and artists centered around the little green heathens and their laughable shenanigans.

Each story stands alone and is absolutely fun and funny, but Paizo and Dynamite did not stop at producing a few entertaining short stories. If they had, the likelihood that I would be covering the series for Nerds on Earth is miniscule. The Pathfinder Goblins! issues bring more to the table than that.

Many of the ten stories contained with these five issues are perfect one-off adventure hooks; particularly for kids. The younger generation of tabletop gamers will get a kick out of the tomfoolery of the little beasts, and the brevity inherent in the stories plays well with the average attention span of children.

At what’s more, they are all but set and ready to go for you!  Included in the back of each issue are a couple of goodies for the DM side of the screen to add a little flavor to the game. You’ll get item descriptions and stats, random treasure tables, lore, and creature stat blocks for at least one of the featured and named goblins from the stories in that issue.

Three of the stories in particular lend themselves to quick and fun one-shots.

The One-Eyed Goblin is King

A gang of goblins ambushes a party of adventurers at their weakest point (on their way out of a perilous dungeon) and absconds with the magical item the party fought for – an eye of the Undying Arch-Lich Kalzaroth.

The goblins feud over who should keep the eye and this leads to a hilarious series of goblins cutting out one of their eyes to replace it with the magical item until Kalzaroth returns and claims what is rightfully his.  

You could have your party arrive on the scene of a roiling mass of goblins as they alternatively kill the current owner of the eye, gouge their own eye out, and shove Kalzaroth’s eye into their now empty socket.

Each round would be absolutely bonkers as PCs and goblins alike attacked the current keeper of the eye. And just when they PCs thinks its over…they could have a bunch of reanimated goblin corpses to deal with (as “undeath is a side effect” of possession of the eye, however brief) and/or an appearance by Kalzaroth himself!

TIP: Since liches can be tricky adversaries (they get a standard +2 to whatever the CR is of the base creature), you’re going to want to forgo an early combat encounter with Kalzaroth, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t or shouldn’t have him hunt down the PCs when they’re at a more reasonable level to reclaim that which is rightfully his! Perhaps in this first encounter he is too weak to retake the eye, but makes a foreboding promise to take it back once he’s back to full strength.  

Prize Pupil

Someone had the bright idea of taming goblins to use as house servants for the rich nobles of Korvosa.  One of the goblins, Gribbet, steals his master’s “magic eye” (a monocle that grants +4 to Intelligence) while he sleeps and hatches a plan to plant goblins in several of the prominent homes; positioning them ideally for thievery and blackmail.

Valuable jewelry goes missing and dangerous secrets are revealed all throughout the city. Can your PCs bring an end to Gribbet’s grip on Korvosa?

TIP: Gribbet’s stat block is provided in the back of issue #1.  Additionally, the missing jewelry and unearthed secrets can lead to all kinds of side quests within Korvosa. Get creative!  Use this as a fun tutorial for newcomers to the Pathfinder system and maybe even transition them from this into the Curse of the Crimson Throne adventure path which begins in Korvosa.

The Gobbling Goblin

All over the realm, goblin raiding parties are entering cities and stealing wheelbarrows full of food and nothing else. Soon other stories start to spread around; stories of a hulking goblin found eating dogs over an open fire and sitting amidst a pile of humanoids bones and armor.  There’s even the rumor that he’s eaten a dragon.

As your party investigates the stories, they might run into a goblin raiding party only to find out that Kronkshaft (the voracious eater) has been kicked out of the clan and is roaming afield on his own. Or maybe the PCs just follow a trail of rinds, bones, and cores out of a city and into Kronkshaft’s cave.

TIP: Kronkshaft’s stats are not provided in the comics, but he can be built using the Over-sized Goblin options available here or you can home-brew something else reasonable. He is no ordinary goblin, after all! You can also make his weapon, Dragon’s Claw (a dagger), a bit more formidable just by making it +1 and possibly beefing it up further with Keen. That would make for a sweet loot drop for a lower level PC for sure!

Kids will get a kick out of the goblin encounters; particularly if you ham them up as you role-play as the little green monsters. Adopt some of the choppy speech mannerisms and made up words when they speak. Conjure up a silly voice to go along with them. Keep the dialogue funny and use it often! If a round goes by in which you don’t make some silly wisecrack, laugh-inducing threat, or engage in some hilarious and completely random name-calling (You smelly bellybutton muncher! You eat your boogers in bowls of earwax for breakfast!), you’re roleplaying the goblin wrong!

There’s a reason the goblin is the only plush toy Paizo has on the market. They’re about as cute and entertaining as any threatening creature from the Bestiary gets! You might even considering rewarding your intrepid young heroes with the toy as an out-of-game reward for in-game victory. That’ll be something they won’t soon forget!

The five issues are available here, collected as a hardback, which is a pretty average deal if you are only in it for the comics themselves. The value added by the inclusion of the usable Pathfinder material (stat blocks, items, tables, etc) elevates that price to a good deal, for sure.

The Little Endless Storybook

Title: The Little Endless Storybook

ISBN: 1401204287

Price: $9.95

Publisher/Year: Vertigo, 2004

Artist: Jill Thompson

Writer: Jill Thompson

Rating: 3.5/5

Vertigo's Sandman series is well known for its mature, intricate storylines and gothic feel. Characters like Morpheus and Death would look right at home at the next Cure concert, commiserating on the deplorable state of their lives in true emo fashion. So I was a little bewildered to see The Little Endless Storybook tucked away among the innumerable volumes of Sandman.

The name explains it all. The Little Endless Storybook is literally a story about the 7 Endless siblings told in the format of a children's book. No deep storylines or dark imagery here. Instead the book follows the youngest sibling, Delirium, as she traverses far and wide in search of her missing puppy, Barnabas. Accompanying the story are a series of colorfully eccentric illustrations. This book lives up to its name, and could conceivably be read to youngsters at bedtime.

But for the typical Vertigo reader, that probably isn't a strong selling point. However, just because it isn't plastered with a "Mature Readers" warning doesn't mean they should pass it up. The story is charming, if simple. As Delirium searches for Barnabas, she travels through a fairy tale version of each one of the Endless' realms until the inevitable conclusion. No prior understanding of the characters is necessary, though long-term fans will probably get more enjoyment out of it.

The real joy in reading the book is looking at the delightfully childlike pictures. Jill Thompson had already attracted a small but dedicated fanbase with her Scary Godmother comics, and her art is in fine form here. Every one of the Endless has been reimagined as adorable little cherubs. Little Death rivals Owly as the cutest comic book character ever put to paper. The somber, muted tones of Sandman have given way to bright pastels and cheery locales. Luckily, it stops just short of being too cute to stomach.

The Little Endless Storybook is an endearing and heartfelt story, much like Owly, and should prove to be a welcome addition to any Sandman fan's library. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to read through, but the quirky story and images can serve as a readymade pick-me-up for anyone who needs a little more brightness in their dreary world of grim and gritty comics.