I have to admit I've been enjoying the crossover specials between Marvel and DC Comics. It's nice seeing comics created by writers and artists who aren't "company men" obsessed with brand loyalty or having one character one-up the other. How can that exist anymore in this age? Anyway, here's a page from the story "Our Kryptonite," written by Brad Meltzer and drawn by Pepe Larraz.
The infamous killing of the gay Marvel Comics character Freedom Ring. A reminder that comics still have a long way to go towards representation. From Marvel Team #24 (third volume), written by Robert Kirkman with art by Andy Kuhn.
I miss being able to just sit down and read poetry. In this week's entry, non-breakout character Feron enjoys (off-page) a lesser=known poem by William Butler Yeats in the Alan Davis helmed Excalibur #48. Written and penciled by Davis with inks by Mark Farmer.
I read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight before college for personal enjoyment. It helped me appreciate what writer Walt Simonson was doing with Thor and his final fight with Jormungand the World Serpent, his writing style emulating an epic poem. From Thor #380, words and breakdown by living legend Simonson with finishes by the recently departed Sal Buscema.
Steve Ditko did the licensed property comic Chuck Norris and the Karate Kommandos in 1987. He went on to do his own creation Speedball. Both these titles were done for Marvel. Did Ditko have a long term plan to do a Chuck Norris crossover with his own hero early on only for the Norris comic to only last four issues? Regardless of what happened, Chuck Norris was replaced by famous martial artist and actor and totally original Marvel character Chick Harris. A page from Speedball #3, drawn and plotted by Ditko with scripting by Jo Duffy.
Our nation is one of regret, parent to millions of baby Hitlers who should have been smothered in their cribs. A page from Elektra #5 written by Brian Michael Bendis with artwork by Chuck Austen.
This month isn't going to be all Captain America, but I couldn't resist with this week's choice. I saw a joke video the other day about the Marvel villains having an alliance and Doctor Doom was dumb enough to invite both the Red Skull, a Nazi, and Magneto, a Jewish Holocaust survivor. Thing is, this did happen in Marvel's Acts of Vengeance" crossover story from 1989-1990. Loki brought the villains together, and it makes sense he wouldn't care much about the politics of mere mortals.
This previously featured panle from The Ren & Stimpy Christmas Special just keeps giving. Stay calm for the next thirty six hours people.
Thbe idea of being chased around by an Alien knockoff seems idyllic compared to today's America. A page from the holiday themed Uncanny X-Men #143. Plotted by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, drawn by Byrne and inked by Terry Austin.
I don't normally care about too many non-Garth Ennis Punisher titles, but I had to do some research for my recent Comic Book Haiku and another article that will hopefully be out in November. This is one of the final pages from Dark Reign: The List – Punisher, the one-shot issue from the Dark Reign crossover event that helped to transition to the "Franken-Castle" storyline. Story by Rick Remender, pencils by John Romita Jr. and inks by Klaus Janson.
My Comic Book Haiku on Captain America #3 (the twelfth volume) is up at The Ugly Monster. Thanks to Oscar. More work coming soon.
My Comic Book Haiku on the second issue of the latest Captain America series is up now at The Ugly Monster. Thanks, Oscar!
Enjoyed Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman #1. Loved the bonus crossover stories. Below is a page from the Captain American/Wonder Woman story "The Gun & The Sword," written by Chip Zdarsky with pencils (and colors!) by Terry Dodson and inks by Rachel Dodson. It parallels another Chip Zdarsky comic I've written about (article out soon).
I don't know if the nightmare will ever be over, but if it is while still healthy and lucid, I don't know if I'm ever going to feel compassion towards those who made all this happen. Below is the last page from The Incredible Hulk #367, written by Peter David with pencils by Dale Keown and inks by Marie Severin. Such an underrated and underappreciated combination of art.
I'm glad that Mark Gruenwald went all in for having his likeness used for the character of Mobius M. Mobius, junior member of the of multiverse management group the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Here is the story "Mobius's Trip," Here Gruenwald writes his own homage character with pencils by Mike Gustovich and inks by Donald Hudson. All for Fantastic Four Annual #27 which sported the cover blurb "The F.F. vs. the Wheels of Bureaucracy."
"That's the trouble with a war you never want to end. " With the idea of World War III being thrown around for the past few days, I've been thinking about this page from Punisher: The End by writer Garth Ennis and artist Richard Corben. Particularly this page where Frank Castle explains how the world blew itself up to a fellow soon-to-be-dead survivor.
