Brightest Day Volume 1

Title: Brightest Day Volume 1



ISBN: 9781401229665

Price: $29.99

Publisher/Year: DC, 2010

Artist: Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Fernando Pasarin, Ardian Syaf, Scott Clark, Joe Prado

Writer: Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi

Collects: Brightest Day #0-7

Rating: 3/5

After the twin disappointments that were DC Comics last two weekly series, Countdown to Final Crisis and Trinity, I felt considerably wary about DC's newest every-other-week foray, Brightest Day. I am pleased to report, however, that the combination of two of DC's premiere writers -- Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi -- and a story tied but not-too-tied to the ongoing DC Universe, are exactly the recipe for a winning miniseries, one that I'd be willing to say evokes -- and even in some areas surpasses -- that gold ring of all weekly series, 52.



The first chapter of Brightest Day volume 1 name-checks all twelve characters resurrected at the end of Blackest Night, but mainly focuses on the Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Firestorm, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and Hawk and Dove, whose plot intersects by the end with that of the book's narrator, Deadman. Already in the first book, Brightest Day overcomes a number of the shortcomings of previous weekly series: all of the stories appear to move forward each issue, such that no character seems forgotten; and there is enough forward action -- Hawk and Dove meeting Deadman, Deadman encountering the Anti-Monitor, for gosh sakes! -- to make this series more than just a extended trailer for DC's other monthly titles.



I read some criticism online when Brightest Day began about excessive violence in the title. Personally, after the horror-fest that was Blackest Night, I found the first volume of Brightest Day rather tame. Yes, a White Martian kills an entire family, including the kids, and yes, Black Manta stabs to death all the customers at a fish counter, but I maintain none of it was as gory as when a Black Lantern tortured Firestorm's girlfriend to death. Maybe sliding scales of violence are a bad thing, but one person's opinion is that Brightest Day's violence didn't strike me as being greater than your average issue of Batman.



Speaking of Firestorm, I found the Jason Rusch/Ronnie Raymond plotline the most compelling of this book, perhaps because it's the most new to me (both Hawman and Hawgirl, and Hawk and Dove, picking up mostly where they left off). My experience with Ronnie Raymond is admittedly limited to Super Friends, to start, and then in Extreme Justice, neither being perhaps the most faithful incarnation of the character. In Extreme Justice, Dan Vado portrayed Ronnie as an alcoholic; given Firestorm's sunny presentation in Super Friends, I thought this was Vado taking some licenses (unnecessary, perhaps) with Ronnie's character.



Johns and Tomasi, however, preserve Ronnie's hard-partying, bad-boy image, something I still find implausable but at least consistent with what came before. The idea of two personalities merged in the Firestorm matrix hating one another the way Jason hates Ronnie is an interesting one; I imagine Jason won't ultimately hate Ronnie for too long, but for now it's a Firestorm dynamic I haven't seen before. I liked the relevation that Ronnie remembers killing Jason's girlfriend Gehenna despite claiming otherwise, and I'm curious to see how that story unfolds.



As is often their wont, Johns and Tomasi engage in a bit of retroactive continuity in these pages. I don't mind so much the revelation that Professor Erdel, who brought the Martian Manhunter to Earth, had a daughter present who will affect the Manhunter in some way (though I'm confused whether the merged green Martian and the White Martian are one and the same or not), but I was disappointed by Aquaman's wife Mera's claims that all we've known about her so far is a lie. Maybe the former is easier to take because it's just a tweak to the Manhunter's origins, which has withstood tweaks before; but I'm not familiar enough with Mera's origins to know what's right and wrong any more, when it seems like the majority of what came before is now invalid. Too confusing for my tastes.



There's a scene in the beginning of Brightest Day volume 1 where Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Sinestro, and Star Sapphire Carol Ferris drop by; the Flash Barry Allen cameos a few times, and Martian Manhunter teams with Oracle, Superboy, and Miss Martian, among others. All of these appearances give a life to this series, the kind 52 had also, except Brightest Day has the added benefit of taking place in the present. This is standard superhero fare, to be sure, and does not distinguish itself with 52's sense of real time or Final Crisis's smarts, but one feels in reading it that this is where the DC Universe lives.



Even after Brightest Day ends, it would be easy to convince me that DC needs this kind of anthology book, where anyone could show up and anything could happen, and you really get a sense of the "universe" in the DCU. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and I'm in for the next volume.

Wolverine: Weapon X

Title: Wolverine: Weapon X



ISBN: 9780785137269

Price: $16.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2009

Artist: Barry Windsor-Smith

Writer: Barry Windsor-Smith

Collects: Marvel Comics Presents #72-84

Rating: 3/5

Having hopefully allowed themselves the opportunity to dive deeper into the comics over the past 15 years since, readers can see which stories made the cut and which were significantly changed along the way. One story that proved a major influence on the animated series and its successors was Barry Windsor-Smith's Weapon X. This 1991 story showed readers a firsthand glimpse of the terrible process that turned Logan the man into Weapon X the killer. The cartoon offered some small piece of this tale, but the real thing is far more violent, more disturbing, and more engrossing than any children's program could hope to offer.



At the time, Windsor-Smith was best known for his work on Marvel's long-running Conan comics. His experience with the X-Men was meager, and he must have seemed an odd choice to readers at the time to chronicle such a pivotal moment in Wolverine's life. However, it's precisely this outsider quality to Windsor-Smith's work that makes Weapon X standout even 18 years later.



Weapon X was originally serialized in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents, which at the time tended to feature one Wolverine tale and several back-up stories each issue. Appearing as 13 segments of roughly a dozen pages each, Weapon X followed Logan's story from his capture by Weapon X scientists to the adamantium bonding procedure to his inevitable escape. Along the way, Windsor-Smith offers a glimpse of the men and women who molded Wolverine into what he is today.



In his introduction to this trade, Larry Hama eloquently explains just what makes Weapon X so unique. Windsor-Smith was not interested in rehashing the same style of writing that has so dominated Wolverine comics over the years. Forget the standard Wolverine monologue – the script rarely delves into Wolverine's mind at all. Instead, the story reflects on the nature of the character and the duality of his man/beast persona through the eyes of the Weapon X scientists. We meet Dr. Cornelius, an ambitious but disgraced scientist who finds a second shot at glory in Weapon X. We meet Carol Hines, a chipper, innocent young woman who nonetheless subjects Wolverine to the harshest of experiments. And we meet the enigmatic Professor Thorton, who appears to be in charge but, in truth, answers to a higher master.



The writing in this story is often fractured, but not in a bad way. The entire experience borders on the surreal, as narrative captions and word balloons swirl across the page and sometimes battle each other for supremacy. And yet, Windsor-Smith rarely wastes words. You'll find no needless narration or exposition here. There are times when the circular flow of word balloons becomes a bit hard to follow, but nothing too serious.



And though the bonding procedure seemed a simple thing in the cartoon, the comics depict it as much more difficult and time-consuming. Wolverine is subjected to test after test as the scientists struggle to make sense of his physiology and determine how to first restrain and then harness their new weapon. Even after Wolverine breaks from captivity, the story continues along and reaches a few surprising twists before granting Logan his hard-won freedom.



Weapon X is easily the most thoughtful and well-crafted look at this portion of Wolverine's life. Even Logan's oppressors become sympathetic in their own way. It certainly doesn't provide all the answers about Wolverine's life. It would be another ten years before readers learned his true name. But in terms of a character study, there is none finer. And the script even offers a fair bit of leeway in allowing itself to link with other stories down the road. One almost wonders if Marvel wasn't planning the revelation that Wolverine had bone claws this far ahead of fatal Attractions. And in Thorton's many phone calls to his mysterious benefactor, it's easy to imagine he's talking to a character like Romulus or Sublime, both of whom didn't debut until this decade.



But as strong as the script may be, the real asset of Weapon X is the art and the way it syncs with the script. Windsor-Smith illustrated Weapon X as well as wrote it. In fact, he performed nearly every task down to some of the lettering. It's a labor of love, and it definitely shows. Page layouts are far more creative and engaging than many contemporary stories. The sheer amount of detail crammed into panels as Logan is hooked up to wires or a he cleaves flesh from bone is remarkable. And as the story dips further and further into the surreal, Windsor-Smith's work only becomes more visually stunning.



The current edition of Weapon X offers a bit more in the way of bonus content than readers might expect from a standard trade paperback. In addition to a cover gallery, Marvel included a short segment from Wolverine Vol. 2 #166 illustrated by Windsor-Smith. Unfortunately, this segment doesn't impress much taken out of context, but it is an interesting showcase of how Windsor-Smith's art has evolved over the years.

For my money, Weapon X is the definitive Wolverine story. It offers up much of what readers love about the character – the violence, the mystery, and the inner turmoil. But it also dares to be different. Many of the classic Wolverine stories ultimately feel dated by modern standards. In terms of content, of visuals, and of impact, Weapon X remains as relevant today as it was in 1991.

G.I. Joe: Cobra Vol. 1 – Cobra Civil War

Title: G.I. Joe: Cobra Vol. 1 – Cobra Civil War



ISBN: 9781613770368

Price: $17.99

Publisher/Year: IDW, 2011

Artist: Antonio Fuso, Chee

Writer: Mike Costa

Collects: G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War #0, Cobra #1-4



Rating: 4/5



Cobra Commander is dead. Long live the Commander. Now they need to find his replacement. There are 9 candidates to the throne, and this trade gives us a unique viewpoint into the lives of a few of them. Baroness, Tomax, Serpentor and Major Bludd.



If you haven’t read any of the preceding issues or volumes of the Cobra limited series, you might be a little confused as to what is going on. This is not the trade you should start reading if you haven’t been reading any of the other IDW stories. When it comes to continuity for their original work, IDW is on the ball… even with multiple writers and artists working on a number of different titles. I feel that IDW has a better grasp of keeping continuity than Marvel ever did with the original series. (My apologies to Larry Hama, but these writers don’t have the toy designers breathing down their necks to write for them and I think that makes a huge difference.)



As with the entirety of the G.I. Joe titles from IDW, they are not the Joes you grew-up with as a kid. People die… there’s innuendo… you have masterful manipulations… oh, and there are alligators that eat people. I don’t recall seeing anything like that from Marvel. They have taken certain iconic characters we remember (Baroness, Serpentor, Major Bludd, Breaker, Steeler) and bring them into the new generation without the old comic book code. This approach makes for a wonderful read.



Mike Costa is yet another great writer in the employ of IDW. I wish I could have been a part of the team that selected writers like him for the G.I. Joe project. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a better team of artists with their writers.



Add this trade to your collection and look forward to the next volume. If you haven’t started reading IDW’s G.I. Joe titles, what are you waiting for?

G.I. Joe Vol. 1 – Cobra Civil War

Title: G.I. Joe Vol. 1 – Cobra Civil War



ISBN: 9781613770238

Price: $17.99

Publisher/Year: IDW, 2011

Artist: Javier Saltares

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Collects: G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War #0-4



Rating: 4/5



Cobra has gone to Hell, and the Joes need to figure out what’s going on. It also doesn’t help that they still don’t know that much about the entire organization that is Cobra. Within Cobra, we know that Cobra Commander is dead, and there are a select few that are “auditioning” as his replacement.



In this trade, we see the “civil war” primarily from the outside perspective of the Joes. They seem to be reacting rather than anticipating, and that has the entire team thrown out of whack. What happens when the Pit is compromised by Cobra agents? Who thought that would even be possible?



The art is well done and is a compliment to Chuck Dixon’s script. I look forward to seeing more work from this team in further volumes. Dixon understands G.I. Joe, and that’s why he one of the best writers on the IDW payroll and best suited on his duties.



If you aren’t reading this series from IDW, you should be. When they took over a few years back, they made this brand better than the way Marvel had left it. The only G.I. Joe title that I’ve been disappointed in from IDW has been the adaptation of the movie. Everything else, get it… read it… add it to your collection. Due to their work on the various G.I. Joe titles, IDW comprises the majority of the titles I subscribe to.

Secret Wars 2

Title: Secret Wars 2



ISBN: 9780785158301

Price: $29.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2011

Artist: Al Milgrom

Writer: Jim Shooter

Collects: Secret Wars 2 #1-9



Rating: 1/5



A year after the success of the original Secret Wars, Marvel published a follow-up in an attempt to keep the ride going. I remember reading some of the original comics in 1985, but it was reading this trade that makes me think that though the marketing probably worked, the story lacked the same flair that the original mini-series had.



We have the return of the “One from Beyond”, or simply the Beyonder. He’s trying to figure humanity out and decides to become human himself to learn from the experiences. This doesn’t work all too well. It also seems as though every superhero that meets-up with the Beyonder tries to attack him on site. I think that would be a clue to him to leave Earth and go back to his own little area of the universe.



My biggest problem with this trade is that if you want to follow the entire story, you have to also pick-up specific issues where the Beyonder makes an appearance. Reading this trade alone, you receive a sense of what happens in some of the other books. This is where the marketing probably worked because if you wanted to follow the complete Secret Wars 2 story, you’d want/need to buy the additional comic books. If you were an active reader of certain titles and the Beyonder made an appearance, then you might just get interested in what else was going on and pick-up the Secret Wars 2 issues. Here are the list of tie-ins for this storyline alone:



New Mutants #30; Captain America #308; Uncanny X-Men #196; Iron Man #197; Web of Spider-Man #6; Amazing Spider-Man #268; Fantastic Four #282; Daredevil #223; Incredible Hulk #312; Avengers #260; Dazzler #40; Alpha Flight #28; Rom #72; Avengers #261; Doctor Strange #74; Thing #30; Fantastic Four #285; Power Pack #18; Thor #363; Micronauts: The New Voyages #16; Power Man and Iron Fist #121; Cloak & Dagger #4; New Mutants #36; Amazing Spider-Man #273; Uncanny X-Men #202; New Defenders #152; Spectacular Spider-Man #111; New Mutants #37; Amazing Spider-Man #274; Avengers #265; Uncanny X-Men #203; Fantastic Four #288; Avengers #266; Deadpool Team-Up #1 (Deadpool sent by Kingpin to kill Beyonder)



The story is also very lacking in depth. This isn’t a “Good vs. Evil” story like the original Secret Wars was. This story is centered on the Beyonder, and there’s not enough to make him interesting. There have been very few trades that I have read that I don’t enjoy, but this is one of them. I’m keeping this in my collection simply because I am a completist and without it there would be a continuity hole in my collection.

Favorite Super Bowl Commercials for 2012

I thought I'd share some of the best commercials I noticed while watching this years Super Bowl. Enjoy.



G.I. Joe: Retaliation-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN3MaKunpEQ&feature=youtu.be



VW (Dog)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-9EYFJ4Clo



M&M's-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33drZUXSzY



Oikos (John Stamos)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQPM6y3ZnAo



The Voice (Betty White)-

http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/video/Vocal-Kombat/1383319



The Avengers-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwq0prHs6_I&feature=related



Jack in the Box (Marry Bacon)-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H4anFpVsbSw



Doritos (Sling Baby)-

http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/#/?finalist=13253



Doritos (Man's Best Friend)-

http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/#/?finalist=10925



Audi: Vampire Party-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lw9ZeXB2uKs

Secret Wars

Title: Secret Wars

ISBN: 9780785158684

Price: $34.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2011

Artist: Mike Zeck, Bob Layton

Writer: Jim Shooter

Collects: Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #1-12

Rating: 3/5

1984 was an interesting year for me. This was the year that I was first introduced to the role playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. This was also the year that I began reading and collecting comic books. I remember my parent’s gifted me with a subscription to G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and The Amazing Spider-Man. There was only a single comic store in my city and I only ever was able to visit around the 4^th of July when my Dad would take me there to pick-up some more Star Wars trading cards.

This was also the year of the first huge company crossover storyline from Marvel; Secret Wars. This was so huge, and some of the ramifications from it are still apparent in today’s stories.

Classic heroes and villains are brought to Battleworld to help the entity known as the Beyonder understand human desire. I’m not exactly sure that the Beyonder got what he was looking for, but this is a good read none the less.

On the side of the heroes you have the Avengers, Hulk, 3 of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the X-Men and… for some reason… Magneto. On the villain side you have Doctor Octopus, the Lizard, Molecule Man, Kang, Doctor Doom, the Enchantress, the Wrecking Crew and Galactus.

This is your classic "Good vs. Evil" story. The heroes, generally, seem to work well together. There's some friction towards the X-Men, but it get's worked out in the end. The villains don't work well together until there is a clearly defined leader... and that leader is Doom. His eyes are on more than the prize the is offered, and he will not let anyone stand in his way.

You can defienetly tell that this was written and penciled in the 80's as the dialog is a bit campy at times and the art isn't as crisp as what you would find on the shelves now. It is still a good trade and one that every collector should have in their collection.