Here In Bongo Congo
Good King Leonardo has decreed that we once again review an eclectic group of new comic book issues, so let's get right to this varied bunch and see how they fare:
Good King Leonardo has decreed that we once again review an eclectic group of new comic book issues, so let's get right to this varied bunch and see how they fare:
Fantastic Four #600
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Jonathan Hickman: Writer
Various Artists
Marvel Comics has finally reached the milestone issue
#600 of one of its original Silver Age titles, the Fantastic Four. This is also
the 50th anniversary issue of the title. The oversized, 100-page commemorative
comic book is scripted by Jonathan Hickman with art by a wide-ranging team of
artists, who take turns illustrating Hickman's overall script in five separate
story parts or chapters. For the uninitiated, Hickman has been unfolding a
grand, epic-scale Fantastic Four storyline for a few years now, involving a
large group of old and new Marvel Universe characters within this science
fiction adventure that takes place on Earth but also spans outer space, other
planets, dimensions and various alien races. The approach here is to bring many
of these storythreads together in issue #600 for some significant Fantastic Four
universe developments.
Part One of this issue serves as an orientation to
the reader of all that Hickman has previously laid-out. Everyone initially
comes together in a New York City-based battle, including the FF, other Marvel
heroes, lots of bad guys and aliens both good and bad. The new reader will
learn that Johnny Storm/The Human Torch is supposedly dead and has been replaced
on the FF by your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The plot narrows-down in
Part Two to focus on bad alien Annihulus trying to invade our world with his
army of monsters from the otherwordly Negative Zone. Through alternating past
and present scenes, we learn that The Human Torch is alive and a captive of
Annihulus. The bulk of the plotline unfolds with Johnny Storm and his fellow
alien captives planning and undertaking a revolt against their captors, leading
to a dramatic, epic conclusion, the details of which I won't reveal in this
review.
Praise is definitely due to writer Jonathan Hickman
for managing to bring his lengthy and detailed sci-fi FF tale to a head in an
entertaining and credible manner in this special issue. I've read several of
his previous story installments and reviewed a few to boot, and while I've
enjoyed it a lot, I questioned how this large-scale story spanning so many key
characters, races and locations would eventually come together in a satisfying
manner for us readers. Suffice to say that Hickman and team pull it off with a
high-grade story segment that deserves the attention of a 100-page spread that
its afforded in this jumbo issue. While major stuff happens here, the story is
by no means concluded; instead, issue #600 serves as a satisfying intersection,
a point where many story elements progress nicely and take a different turn to
continue down the road of future monthly issues.
As a final review note, there's a very interesting
one-page column in the back of the issue in which Marvel colorist Stan Goldberg
reflects on his 50 years of working at Marvel. That alone is worth the price of
admission to this special anniversary event! So by all means, enjoy the
grandeur, plot quality and overall just-plain-fun of this Fantastic Four special
tribute issue!
The Flash #3
Publisher: D.C. Comics
Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato: Writers
Francis Manapul: Art
Brian Buccellato: Colors
DC Comics is up to issue #3 of the new Flash title
currently published under "The New 52" event umbrella. This re-booted Flash
comic book is co-scripted by the team of Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato,
with art by Francis Manapul and colors by Brian Buccellato.
This issue is the latest installment in a multi-issue
story arc entitled "Lights Out," in which the Flash and support characters deal
with a range of action/adventure situations and issues resulting from a
mysterious electromagnetic pulse which has knocked-out all power throughout the
Central City-Keystone City metropolitan area. Interweaving sub-plots include
our hero saving a powerless jetliner, local scientist Darwin Elias sleuthing to
solve the mystery of the strange pulse and the local police improvising
old-school, power-free solutions to address emergencies. A fourth and final
sub-plot features The Flash/Barry Allen in his police staffer guise, along with
his policewoman partner, stumbling into a mystery involving a former military
black ops team-turned-criminals, which concludes in a very dramatic bridge to
next month's issue #4 of this title.
A positive thumbs-up recommendation is due for this
New 52 re-boot of The Flash. While its not a cutting-edge or great comic, the
quality is very solid in terms of an interesting and entertaining plot, and is a
major improvement on the stale (to me, at least) Flash universe structure that
DC ran with for a few years prior to the New 52 re-boot. I like very much the
support structure around Barry Allen/The Flash within this New 52 universe,
which includes several well-crafted local police department characters, as well
as local scientist Darwin Elias. The science sleuthing of Elias was very
interesting, with some dramatic thriller twists that intrigued me enough to want
to go back and read issues #1 and #2 in order to fully understand and
appreciate the plot twists that Elias experiences in this issue #3.
My only constructive criticism of this issue is
colorist Brian Buccellato's color tone choices, which for about two-third's of
the panels and pages are very bleak and dark. It makes for an uncomfortable
visual experience and just seems out of place for the style of this comic,
adding a Dark Knight atmosphere to this more mainstream-style superhero story,
which doesn't blend with that type of coloring. But that one comment aside,
this is a very entertaining and enjoyable new Flash tale that
definitely deserves a place in the positive column of worthwhile New 52 DC
universe comics for all good DC readers to check-out. And if you're like me and
want to backtrack to the recent beginning of this new title, there are still
copies of all three monthly issues available on the That's Entertainment new
issues shelves.
X-Men Giant-Size #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Christopher Yost: Writer
Various Artists
Marvel has recently added to its very wide-ranging
inventory of X-Men titles a new X-Men Giant-Size title. The comic book is
scripted by Christopher Yost with various story sections prepared by alternating
teams of artists. The concept here is to present a multi-issue story arc
entitled "First To Last," by balancing a present-day, modern X-men
team sub-plot with a second storythread starring the original team of X-Men at
the beginning of the Marvel Silver Age.
In the present-day storythread, the San
Francisco-based X-Men, led by Scott/Cyclops and Emma Frost, are attacked by an
offshoot group of mutants named The Neo. Similar to the X-Men in powers, The
Neo are seemingly invincible. In an extended battle scene, The Neo
are unstoppable until a mysterious alien race called The Evolutionaries
intercede in the struggle on the side of our heroes. In the alternating
throwback storythread, the original, old-school team of X-Men experience a
similar battle with the Magneto-led bad mutants, with the same result of The
Evolutionaries interceding at a crucial moment to help the X-Men. The issue #1
story segment ends in a dramatic bridge to next month's issue as The
Evolutionaries are revealed to wield devastating power, instantaneously
slaughtering all worldwide members of The Neo as their choice of how to protect
the favored X-Men.
Lifelong X-Men fans such as myself are always on the
lookout for a new title or issue that provides a fresh approach to the huge
inventory of X-Men comics out there. I'm happy to say that this new comic book
falls into that hoped-for reading category for four strong reasons. The
first positive element is the story structure, which is well-balanced between
the original team and modern-day team story segments, seamlessly alternating
throughout the issue between the tales. Secondly, writer Christopher Yost
skillfully connects the two sub-plots together, with a storyline in which
Scott/Cyclops has somehow caused a problem with The Evolutionaries in the past
tale, resulting in their devastating return to Earth in the modern day. Third,
The Evolutionaries themselves are an entertaining threat in this comic, serving
as omnipotent, Earth-busting visitors wielding a judgmental, robotic and
narrow sense of right-and-wrong. You just know that one wrong comment from the
X-Men and these powerful visitors could blow the world away. And fourth but
hardly least, the wide-ranging art team provides an excellent mix of alternating
visual styles between the modern and past eras of X-Men.
So my thumbs-up, positive review recommendation is
for all readers to experience this rare two-for-one opportunity to enjoy in one
giant-sized mix both the old-school Silver Age and modern-day teams of X-Men in
interconnected story action and entertainment. This one's an X-Men keeper, for
sure!
Decision 2012: Ron Paul #1
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Dean Kotz: Art
Lisa Moore: Colors
Earlier this Fall as the 2012 Presidential primary
season got underway, BOOM! Studios released a series of eight "Decision 2012"
comic book biographies of potential presidential candidates. The series
includes bio comics of President Barack Obama and seven Republican contenders
(or potential contenders): Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman, Sarah
Palin, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. The comics are currently on
display in front of the That's Entertainment cash register, so on a review whim
last week I randomly selected the Ron Paul comic book bio for a review look.
The title is drawn by Dean Kotz with colors by Lisa Moore. Strangely, a writer
credit is not listed in the comic book.
The comic book plotline and visual lay-out follows a
traditional chronological biographical presentation. The first half of the
comic presents details about Ron Paul's childhood and teen years growing-up in
Pennsylvania from the mid-1930's to the 1950's, followed by his career as an Air
Force flight surgeon and accomplished civilian surgeon in Texas. By mid-comic
book, the bio tale switches to Paul's political career as a Congressman from a
Texas district. We learn that his congressional career followed a pattern of
winning many two-year terms in Congress, with a few losses in between campaign
comebacks. Mixed-into the bio story is information on the development of Paul's
national economic philosophy, as he became a proponent of a well-known Austrian
economist. By issue's end, the Ron Paul bio takes us up to the present day in
which he's thrown his hat into the current Republican presidential primary
race.
The purpose (and responsibility) of any personal
biography published in comic book format is the same as any conventional bio
journal article or book: to help the reader learn facts and details about the
biographical subject while presenting it all in an interesting and entertaining
manner. As such, this BOOM! Studios bio succeeds in presenting Ron Paul's
personal storyline in comic book format. Its hard in today's high tech media
circus environment to strip away political spin and campaign rhetoric and just
learn something as simple as the basic facts of who any particular candidate is
and what his or her life's journey has been about. Readers of this comic, and I
suspect the rest of the Decision 2012 comic series, will definitely be able to
learn those interesting personal details regarding Ron Paul and the other
candidates.
Three quick technical comments regarding the comic.
On the negative side, the artwork in many panels is oddly sketchy and
unfinished. On the weird side, it just seems odd to me that a writer is not
listed in the comic's credits; even a bio story obviously has a writer who
applies his or her skills toward organizing the true tale, an effort that our
mystery writer does very well here and deserves a well-earned credit shout-out.
And on a final positive note, in a fun and creative twist, one or more trivia
facts are listed at the bottom of every page of this comic book, related to the
information presented in the story panels of that particular page. It adds kind
of a VH1/MTV "pop-up video" trivia element to the story that's actually pretty
interesting.
So a positive recommendation for all good fanboys and
fangirls to expand your reading horizons beyond superhero drama; throw
yourselves into the current presidential political season by doing your duty as
adult voters (and young reader future voters) and read as many of the Decision
2012 comic book series as are available at That's Entertainment! Then make-up
your minds and cast a vote for somebody in next year's election-and don't even
think of voting for Superman, Wonder Woman or Spider-Man instead of a real human
being!
Contest Winner Announcement!!!
Our latest contest challenged you to tell us who your
favorite Marvel Comics Avenger team member is and why. And our contest winner
is (drumroll, please)...Giovanni Petrella, who nominates Captain America for his
favorite Avenger. Our winner tells us that "my favorite Avenger by far is
Captain America because he fights for the American Way, he uses a shield for
offense and defense and he is a classic super hero." An excellent nomination
for a superhero who's had a great year with a smash new movie along with many
excellent comic book adventures. Congratulations to Giovanni as the winner of
our first prize $10.00 gift certificate to That's Entertainment!
New Contest Challenge Announcement!!!
As the holiday season is upon us, the Bongo Congo
panel of contest judges has decreed that we offer to you this week a seasonal
holiday contest challenge. As such, our contest subject this week isn't about
the holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwaanza, but instead honors the
lesser-known seasonal holiday of...Festivus! That's right, the holiday invented
back in the 1990's on the Seinfeld show by George Costanza's father, crazy Frank
himself...Festivus, or as Frank called it "the holiday for the rest of us!" Who
can forget such very special Festivus holiday family traditions as "the airing
of greivances" or "the feats of strength." So your challenge is to e-mail us at
Gordon_A@msn.com and tell us what your
favorite Festivus family tradition is. It could be a tradition from one of the
Festivus episodes of Seinfeld, or one from writer Allen Salkin's popular
Festivus book, or one that you made-up yourself for your own Festivus
celebration (or just for the purposes of this contest!). So come-one, come-all
and share your Festivus holiday cheer with "the rest of us"! Our contest winner
will receive our first place prize of a $10.00 gift certificate to that
special place of seasonal Festivus cheer, That's Entertainment!
That's all for now, so have two great holiday season
and comic book reading weeks and see you again on Friday, December 23 Here In
Bongo Congo!
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