Thursday, September 30, 2010

There's more out there besides Marvel & DC.

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Something has been bothering me for quite some time. I have been reading comic books for over 20 years and have been a serious collector for over 17, I have read comics from basically every major comic book publisher who has ever printed a comic and I have read comics from publishers that you would not even know about unless someone told you about them, the thing that has been bothering me for so long is that small press publishers can‘t seem to break into the mainstream because comic book fans won‘t let them. Yes, you read that right, comic book fans won’t let small press publishers get a foot into the door and grow to become a big-time publisher. You’re probably wondering what the hell I am talking about, you’re probably thinking I am crazy, but the reason why small press publishers cannot break through and are closing up shop left and right is because today’s comic book fans are too wrapped up in the mediocre and substandard comics being put out by comic book giants Marvel and DC and refuse to accept the fact that their comics have become flat and don’t want to give small press a chance.

Today’s comic buyer would rather plunk down hundreds of dollars on some company wide crossover event that ties into every major book in the publishers line and spawns countless mini-series based on whatever huge event Marvel or DC has come up with next only to find out that the ending was not nearly as earth shattering as it had promised to be or that some characters history has been re-written and the past 30 years of his/her existence has been eliminated in favor of changing the norm. I’m flippin’ sick of it. I’m sorry, but today’s “big two” make sure that you have to go out and purchase titles that you never had any interest in just to be able to see the big picture of whatever kind of a story they are trying to tell, they come up with a huge event and they make sure to weave it into every title on the shelf in order to try to boost their sales and drag readers into a book that they have never needed to read before but they have no choice now if they want to know what happens in the story, it's not fair and I refuse to take part in it.

Now, I want to make it clear with my readers that I do still read comics from Marvel and DC but I stick to the core characters and I don’t let a storyline trick me into buying something I don’t want or need, by doing this I find myself with extra cash in my pocket which allows me to check out other publishers who may be putting out quality books that are trying to find an audience. I’ll give you an example, I read The Avengers, New Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man, I don’t read any of the other six Avengers titles on the shelves and I don’t purchase any of the other 8 different Spider-Man books and mini-series that litter the new release racks week in and week out, most of that stuff falls by the wayside and ends up being irrelevant while the core books are the ones that stick to actual Marvel continuity anyway, so I don’t waste the time or money into something that won’t effect the core “616” anyhow unless it’s by a great creator and is said to have a fantastic story by those who have read them. Now, with a billion comics put out monthly by Marvel and DC there are sure to be some gems in the bunch (and there are) but I’ve seen first hand fan boys who will purchase anything with a Marvel or DC logo slapped on the cover because they think that that’s what comics books are and it has to be good if it’s put out by the “big two”, meanwhile good comics are sitting on the racks and are being ignored because comic book fans are ignorant (and too stupid) to give them a try.

Now, I know that as of this writing things are still messed up in the United States, unemployment is still very high and jobs aren’t paying a whole lot these days so I can’t fully blame someone for not trying something new when it comes to the economy rearing it’s ugly head, but when they see one of their books tapering off and becoming stale then they should use that opportunity to possibly try out something new, especially if a specific title goes a few months within a lackluster state. I think I’ll take this time to point out a few key companies and a few amazing titles that are currently sitting on store shelves that are well worth putting a few dollars into, some of which may excite you and others may not but at least there is something else out there for today's comic book fan who has waken up and smelled the coffee only to notice that what they are reading may have lost it’s spunk quite some time ago.

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One thing I have been really interested in and enjoying as of late has been Jim Shooter's revival of many classic Gold Key/Valiant characters that have been out of print for quite some time, it started with Doctor Solar: Man of the Atom and Magnus: Robot Fighter and over the next few months we will see The Mighty Samson and Turok: Son of Stone released into the line as well. Honestly, both of the kickoff books have been really action packed and very character driven so far and and I'm excited to see what becomes of these (new to me) characters in the near future, I wouldn't mind seeing even more characters brought into the line by other creators as well, there is always room for more when something has been this enjoyable. It's funny because I never cared for these characters back in the early days of my comic book collecting and nothing about them was appealing to me in the least, but when I found out that they were being revived and with new story lines and re-imagined for a new audience I figured I would give them a shot, I'm so glad that I did because it's been a delightful ride so far.

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Dynamite Entertainment puts out quite a few fantastic comics every month that people should be reading, first and foremost is the revival of tons of golden age characters in a series called Project: Superpowers, this line of comics is probably the next best thing to a start of a brand new universe of superheroes being superheroes and villains being villains, the huge success of this line has been headed by legendary cover artist Alex Ross and series scribe Jim Krueger. Another huge line that Dynamite puts out each and every month is the Green Hornet books, the core title is written by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Jay & Silent Bob) and the "Year One" series which is currently crafted by Matt Wagner, both books are worthy reads as are the Kato titles that round out the series of books in the Green Hornet line. Other fantastic titles put out monthly by this amazing publisher are Red Sonja, The Last Phantom, Robert Jordan:Wheel of Time and the upcoming Kirby: Genesis, there is also a slew of already established properties Dynamite publishes monthly like RoboCop, Vampirella, The Expendables, Buck Rodgers, The Lone Ranger and Zorro. With a publisher like Dynamite Entertainment there really is something for everybody and it seems like they are acquiring new licenses and properties all the time, I smell a future #3 in the industry if they keep up this trend of quality comics.

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Image Comics isn't exactly a "small press" company and they certainly are not a new comer to the party, but as of the past few years the publisher has been putting out many high quality comic books that deserve a much larger readership, one of those books is a title called Dynamo 5 which is one of the best team books on the market and has been for the better part of 4 years now. The company's flagship title (sorta) is a book called Invincible and be warned, this series is not ashamed to be a superhero comic, instead I would say that it loves that fact that it's a superhero comic and it does not shy away from delivering a deep storyline and nice visuals in the process. Image Comics prints many other fun and interesting titles that deserve a moment or two to be in the limelight, books such as The Walking Dead, Haunt, Guardians of the Globe and Noble Causes are all worthy reads and even books like Savage Dragon and Spawn are still very much in print and still in the limelight, Image Comics has a little something for everyone and a wide range of top tier creative talent helping to keep them in the current #3 slot behind Marvel and DC.

Well, that's it from me for now, I just wanted to put it out there that comic books do not begin and end with only 2 company's and that there are alternatives out there to the mediocre swamp that has become Marvel and DC. Seriously folks, there are plenty of choices out there and lot's of quality titles to chose from, I urge you to take the chance on any of the books or publishers mentioned above and to get back to me on how you felt about these comics and what you plan to do in the future as a collector. My ear is open :)

As always I want to thank those who took the time to read my blog, it's much appreciated and you can always check me out at www.twitter.com/manga4life as well as TZ and FUNI.

Take care,
***Manga4life***

Friday, September 17, 2010

Manga you should be reading: Ultimo

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As many well know, I am a huge fan of Japanese manga and I enjoy discovering and reading new manga when I grow tiresome of the run of the mill popular titles that are so often promoted and discussed by the rabid internet crowd. Don't get me wrong though, I love Naruto and Bleach as much as everyone else who reads them weekly, but sometimes it's nice to stray from the mainstream and check out something that is starting from the ground up, sometimes I seek out such stories and other times they just kind of fall into my lap, this time it certainly fell into my lap. Well, earlier this year through the pages of Shonen Jump (USA) I discovered a new manga series called "Ultimo" and I was immediately attracted to it because of the name I saw attached to the title, the name was Stan Lee, the legendary creator of many of Marvel's biggest and most popular superheroes. I thought to myself, "Holy cow, Stan Lee is involving himself in manga now, this is interesting.....I think I'll give it a shot.", and so I did. Another aspect of the comic that also attracted me to it was the art and I felt it was better and more detailed than any other series in that month's Shonen Jump, the pencils were crisp and the characters had a really good look to them so I was excited to dive in and see what Ultimo was all about.

The story starts out in medieval times with a man named Dunstan (who looks a lot like Stan Lee) traveling along a lonely road with two boxes in tow both containing a pair of what originally looked to be dolls, but these were no ordinary dolls, they were mechanical boys who were created with the embodiment of good and evil stored inside of them. Dunstan is eventually hijacked by a rouge group of bandits who demand who know what is inside the two boxes he is carrying with him, Dunstan refuses to let them see what is inside of the crates but after much warning and pleading by the traveling man he finally agrees to open the boxes for the bandits, not too long after that Ultimo (good) and his brother Vice (evil) are awaken and then all hell breaks loose. Cut to present day Japan and the main bandit, Yamato, is actually nothing more than a normal run of the mill guy who has a life and personal problems of his own and has no idea that he exists in another timeline as a ring leader for a bunch of theives and bandits. One day while minding his own business Yamato was walking by an old antique shop and spots Ultimo in the window, when he notices the doll he begins to feel as if he has seen it before, this would be the lead in to Yamato finding out more and more about his alternate identity, it's also the beginning of the ultimate battle between what is right and what is wrong, the classic clash of good versus evil.

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The story is written exceptionally well and the art is very smooth and attractive, and I enjoyed the first two volumes so much that it kind of bothers me that nobody is really discussing this manga and that there is not much of a buzz (if any at all) about Stan Lee entering into manga after creating such classic American comic book characters and helping to popularize comics as a world wide medium. If you enjoy Japanese manga or comic books in general than you should definitely give this title a shot, it takes the basic formula of good versus evil and it mixes it up into an enjoyable story that almost anyone can get into, both children and adults alike. I just want to be clear about something here, this article is not meant to be a review of the series or anything along those lines, I'm more or less trying to bring awareness to an amazing manga series that has yet to really get off the ground and since most of my internet friends and followers are "Otaku's" I figured that this would be the best possible way to get the word out that Ultimo is a fantastic series and should be given a try. The main selling point of this title would of course be the fact that Stan Lee is attached to it and that the interior art is breathtaking for a Japanese manga, but the true gem lies in the storytelling and the character of Yamato who has become somewhat of a sleeper favorite of mine, I for one plan on reading this series until it's end. The first two volumes are on store shelves right now and new chapters appear inside of Shonen Jump every month or two, so there is plenty of opportunity to check out this title and pass a judgement on it for yourself, I certainly hope that you do.

As always I want to thank those who took the time to read my blog, it's much appreciated and you can always check me out at www.twitter.com/manga4life as well as TZ and FUNI.

Take care,
***Manga4life***

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

In a state of "WoW" and loving every minute of it!

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I have been somewhat quiet as of late when it comes to places I usually like to haunt (Toonzone, FUNi, Twitter) and some of it has to do with the busy work schedule I've had over the past week or so, but a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am once again playing World of Warcraft, better known to some as "WoW". For those who are unfamiliar with WoW, it's an MMORPG with a vast community of over 12 million players and it takes place in a world that is forever changing and evolving, seriously, things happen within the world and it creates a ripple that can be felt server wide at times and things that your character does can have a profound impact on others throughout the game. It's really quite neat how they were able to fit so much content and so much realism into the game, the entire landscape of the game really does feel like a living world from the things that happen to the NPC's, the player characters and even right down to the economy (auction house) and other aspects, it's as if it's become a second life to many players because of the ammount of time you need to put into the game to enjoy the benefits of it. I've been playing WoW a lot as of late, mainly because when I came back to the game (I used to play last year) I had to start from scratch because I forgot my old log in information and I had to create a brand new character (Night Elf - Warrior), leveling him up and running dungeons with other players has been a high priority to get him to the levels he needs to be at for when the new expansion comes out this fall/winter, I'm so excited about it yet I'm somewhat bummed because the world of Azeroth as players have known it for 6+ years is going to be completely transformed for the Cataclysm that is approaching.

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A lot of people out there may be curious about WoW and why so many people play it, I've even talked to a friend of mine who say's that it may not be his cup of tea, all I can say is that if you're curious about it then you should give it a try because it's deeper and more complex than any other RPG or MMORPG on the market and the joys of raiding with other members cannot be explained until you have actually done it. Other than doing dungeon raids and running quests to level up my character, one of my favorite things to do as a member of the Alliance is to march into a Horde town or city with 10-20 of my close guild members and lay waste to all of the important NPC's because it takes a while for them to respawn and it leaves some Horde players with a bitter taste in their mouths, then if we get around to it we take out of the the players characters too, that's always a blast. Other fun things to do in the game is to up your profession and your talents, the game features many different professions that allow you to craft items or make potions to sell or use within the game, talents such as fishing and cooking become very important and the higher your skills are the better you can help out yourself and others in your group. In one short sentence, you will probably never get bored of playing World of Warcraft because there is just so much damn stuff to do.

Anyhow, I didn't really have anything in mind with this post other than to explain where I have been and what I have been up to as of late (this is not a review) but I ended up talking about WoW and some of the fun things that you can do in the game and why other people should play it, LoL, it's as if I'm a religious freak and I'm pushing the bible onto people or something. Sorry about that. Anyhow, I'm still on TZ, FUNi and Twitter so feel free to say hello if you want, I'm not going anywhere or anything, I'm just dedicating a lot of time to World of Warcraft at the moment and probably will be for quite some time to come. "For the Alliance!"

As always I want to thank those who took the time to read my blog, it's much appreciated and you can always check me out at www.twitter.com/manga4life as well as TZ and FUNI.

Take care,
***Manga4life***