Cosmic Treadmill - Reviewing BATMAN/SUPERMAN VOL. 2: GAME OVER AT FORCES OF GEEK

Last week we took on Nightwing, and in these last weeks of the year that celebrate 75 years of Batman, we take a look at Greg Pak’s Batman/Superman Vol. 2: Game Over. 

Pak’s take on the World’s Finest team begins its second volume with an art change and video game story then the rest of the book tackles Mongul and son, Jochi, and a battle on Warworld. 

Pak is joined by Paul Levitz on some writing duties and the art team is split up between the talents of Brett Booth, Jae Lee, R.B. Silva, Kenneth Rocafort, Philip Tan, Scott McDaniel, Norm Rapmund and Joe Weems.

I did note in my Nightwing review that the art inconsistencies were less than ideal for such an expensive volume. Much the same could be said for this book but Booth’s tight and traditional comic pages contrast nicely with the ethereal Jae Lee art of this book. The supporting artists keep it all together as well. 

This hardcover volume is a great gift idea for the DC Comics fan in your life this holiday season featuringBatman/Superman Issues #5—9, Annual #1 and the crossover tale for Worlds’ Finest #20-21.

Batman Superman HC Vol. 2 Game Over
Writer: Greg Pak, Paul Jenkins
Artist: Brett Booth, Jae Lee, Various
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date: 11/22/14
Price: $24.99
UPC: 978140124935952499
Buy It HERE 
Digital: readdcentertainment.com


No stranger to the world of video games and programmers — Greg Pak’s Code Monkey Save World is a compendium on Jonathan Coulton songs brought to the page — the opening salvo of this volume is a gamer’s delight, all illustrated in landscape pages from superstar Brett Booth (The Flash).

A great experiment for this format was the McFarlane/Liefeld Spider-Man and X-Force: Sabotage from November 1991. Even more recently, Erik Larsen did this in Savage Dragon #199.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Get Your Tickets to Big Hero 6 Now on Fandango.

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: UNITY #2, G.I. JOE #11, BRAIN BOY #0 plus CODE MONKEY SAVE WORLD #2 at FORCES OF GEEK

Christmas comes a little early this year with some amazing comics this week!

In fact, paring this list down to four was hard for the first time in a while.

The Valiant Universe crossover continues in Unity #2, our friend Fred Van Lente takes two spots with his last G.I. Joe #11 and an early adventure in Brain Boy #0.

On ComiXology, Code Monkey get pants and more in his origin, Code Monkey Save World #2. 

UNITY #2
WRITER: Matt Kindt
ARTIST: Doug Braithwaite
Publication Date: December 11, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Valiant Comics
UPC: 85899200312300211
Buy it HERE

The struggle against X-O Manowar continues this week in the Valiant crossover Unity #2.

Toyo Harada’s first wave of infiltrators, a team of Harbingers was largely unsuccessful, and Ninjak got himself captured by the Visigoth and is now trapped in the Vine ship in Romania.

Does none of that make sense to you?

Don’t worry, with only two issues in, you can start from the beginning and get a sense of story.

Valiant, by design, is making their second wave of comics great jumping on points for new readers, and are attracting more with consistent five-star reviews for this Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) written crossover limited series.

In issue #2, Livewire, Eternal Warrior and Harada infiltrate the ship and tap into the virtual controls, in attempt to rescue Ninjak and save the planet from Aric’s invasion. 

The virtual reality fight scenes drawn by Doug Braithwaite ramp the action up to eleven, making for a true page turner.

I’m telling you, drop event comics from the big two and hop on Unity. Valiant is doing it right.

Explosive action with real consequences to characters you’ve just met makes for the best kind of comics.

Not sure quite yet? Wait for the reasonably priced trade in a few months.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #19, S.H.O.O.T. FIRST #1, BATMAN AND TWO-FACE #24 plus CODE MONKEY SAVE WORLD

Parker gets fired in Superior Spider-Man (surprise, surprise), a team of atheists are charged with facing the occult in S.H.O.O.T. First #1 from Dark Horse, and the New 52 Origin of Two-Face has just begun in the Batman and… series.

Hang out with your boss Skullcrusher on Chiron Beta Prime with Greg Pak and JoCo with Code Monkey Save World, only available on ComiXology.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #19
WRITER: Dan Slott
ART: Ryan Stegman
Publication Date: October 16, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607912401911
Buy it HERE

Slott really jacks up the action and resolves more than one hanging plotline, referencing his Amazing Spider-Man run and looking forward to2099 in the latest issue of Superior Spider-Man.  Things are looking like they are coming to a head as Octavius finds himself unemployed and Horizon Labs takes to the sea. Spoiler warning for those that want to catch up in trade, as this issue resolved some major beats!

Michael O’Mara, Spider-Man of 2099 is in the present day as a result of Tiberius Stone mucking about in the Marvel timeline — a common theme this year that we’re hoping will continue as past and future versions of heroes mix with the current day.

Horizon Labs is rigged to explode and all future time will diminish if our Superior Spidey fails to solve an equation—an equation only Peter Parker knows how to formulate! Otto fudges it, saves the day but not Horizon, which is imploded and destroyed.

In the end here are the major points: Parker’s fired from Horizon, O’Mara is now stuck in 2013, Horizon is not allowed to re-open and someone very close to Spider-Man is now on the case of a connection between Superior Spidey and Doc Ock. Can the end be near? Where’s Peter? Gone forever?

The amazing and spectacular team of Ryan Stegman and the masterful Doctor Who time bending make this issue a BIG TIME deal. How long are we with Superior? I have a feeling the payoff and the buildup will continue to impress as Slott keeps us guessing and wanting more.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

Costumes

80sTees.com, Inc.

Cosmic Treadmill: CODE MONEY SAVE WORLD NYCC Panel With Greg Pak and Jonathan Coulton

College friends Grek Pak (Action Comics, Planet Hulk, Eternal Warrior) and Internet famous musician Jonathan Coulton held a panel at New York Comic Con to explain to the world that needs saving about the wildly successful Kickstarter comic based on ten of JoCo’s most popular songs, themes and lyrical insanity.

As so many legends go these days, “It all started with a tweet”.

Issue #1 of Code Monkey Save World  (MonkeyBrain Comics) is available on ComiXology on Wednesday, October 16. 

Greg Pak stood at the panel with sculptor and comic book artist Sean Chen, JoCo’s assistant Drew Westphal aka Scarface and Jonathan Coulton to his left. Upcoming covers for the debut four issues of Code Monkey Save World were revealed to an audience of JoCo and Greg Pak fans. The amazingly talented series artist Takeshi Miyazawa (Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane) was not in attendance

 [READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

Costumes

80sTees.com, Inc.

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: ETERNAL WARRIOR #1, AVENGERS ARENA #15, PROPHET #39 plus MYSTERYMAN #1

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: ETERNAL WARRIOR #1, AVENGERS ARENA #15, PROPHET #39 plus MYSTERYMAN #1

Valiant picks up Greg Pak (Planet Hulk, Superman/Batman) to write the timeless tales of Eternal Warrior #1, Dennis Hopeless keeps the tournament troupe tolerable in Avengers Arena #15 and take a future walk with Prophet #39 from Image.

Like your heroes old school like Doc Savage or The Spirit?Mysteryman #1 awaits you at ComiXology Submit!

ETERNAL WARRIOR #1
WRITER: Greg Pak 
ART:  Trevor Hairsine
Publication Date: September 11, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Valiant Comics
UPC: 85899200311600111
Buy it HERE

This tale spans the millennia from ancient Mesopotamia to present day as one of Valiant’s most recognizable characters gets launched in a new title with a new number one.

Gilad has been appearing in Archer & Armstrong and most recently in X-O Manowar, so he hasn’t been missing, just the title has.

Fans of Pak’s work on Planet Hulk will revel in the ancient scenes of elephants being ridden into battle, strong conflict within a family structure and page after page of Hairsine’s masterful axe-swinging Conan the Barbarian battle scenes, complete with blood smears across the faces of the warriors. 

All seems to be going right over at Valiant right now with a variety of books existing in the same congruent universe.

Pak now joins Van Lente and Venditti, Asmus, and Dysart to construct a Valiant Universe that literally stretches over space and time and fits together very nicely. At Marvel, they might call these guys Architects.

At Valiant, I’d call these creators Mayan Architects, baffling future generations with beautiful work artwork set up for games of human sacrifice and a lot of blood spilled on the battlefield.

Has Gilad turned his back on fighting after centuries of battle? Pick up issue #1 to find out.  

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for September 11, 2013

COMICS

We’re still in the Summer of Valiant for a couple of weeks! This week shows the debut of the immortal soldier in Eternal Warrior #1 written by Greg Pak (Planet Hulk, Batman/Superman) and drawn by Valiant exclusive artist Trevor Hairsine. … Fred Van Lente launches a new title at Dark Horse with Brain Boy #1, reviving a short lived ’60s comic about a psychic working for the secret service. … Martians invade Mega-City One in Mars Attacks Judge Dredd #1. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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Triple Shot: TYRANNY OF THE MUSE #1, BATMAN SUPERMAN #1, DAREDEVIL #27

This week’s Triple Shot drags you into the cold depths of writer’s block, teams up the World’s Finest and concludes the two-year storyline orchestrated by Bullseye over at Daredevil #27.

TYRANNY OF THE MUSE #1 (ComiXology Submit)
WRITER: Eddie Wright
ART: Jesse Balmer
Pages: 50
Price: $.99
Age Rating: 15+ only
Buy it HERE

TYRANNY OF THE MUSE #1 is a bizarre existential tale of writer Frank Fisher reliant on a perennial injection of a mysterious substance that fuels his creativity, perhaps his soul.

The muse is his girlfriend, purveyor of the stuff, delivered shots into a festering wound on his head.

Our protagonist is also addicted to crystallized iced tea and coffee, apparently.

For fans of outside-the-box indie comics of Dash Shaw, Charles Burns, Peter Bagge and Robert Crumb, the artwork has an uncomfortable tension of a fever dream on the realm of the subconscious. For those of us staring at white pages and blinking cursors daily, the fright of a writer’s block could send you off of the deep end. What price might you pay to make it go away?

What is most disturbing is the festering wound on his head, constantly begging for more juice as the days go on. This is a story about co-dependence, anxiety, addiction and sickness. You might feel uncomfortable reading this book, and if you do, I think that’s the point.

Dig into it and coast on the weird!


 

BATMAN / SUPERMAN #1
WRITER: Greg Pak
ART: Jae Lee, Ben Oliver
Publication Date: June 27, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131581200111
Buy it HERE

Batman/Superman #1 recreates the classic World’s Finest orSuperman/Batman title for The New 52, with a killer team of Greg Pak (World War Hulk) and Jae Lee (Namor, Dark Tower).  Teaming up the Man of Steel with the Dark Knight outside of the Justice League is certainly nothing new, the balance of the two characters is more of a tense and interesting dynamic than say Wolverine and Captain America or Spider-Man and Ice-Man.

The godlike nature of the heroes makes for more of a compelling story.

The art is knockout amazing from both Jae Lee and Ben Oliver. The art switch is in service of the story (a different setting). I especially appreciated Jae Lee taking a new approach to his panel layouts, like we have seen recently in the Batwoman book ( J.H. Williams, Trevor McCarthy). Ben Oliver’s art is more organic and well illustrated in contrast to Lee’s more painterly lines and organic drapery. My favorite panel is Pa Kent holding Clark by his suspenders, literally saving a kitten for Lana in a flashback.

On to the story, and spoilers after this point. This version Superman and Batman seems to be set in the ‘5 years ago’ timeline of The New 52 (Superman in jeans, Bruce Wayne on his Army jacket recon missions a la Year One). It gets confusing, and sure to be cleared up next issue, but Clark is teleported to Earth 2…perhaps? Not sure but Pa Kent, presumed dead according to New 52 continuity makes an appearance.

Either way, the story will reveal itself, and it is great to see these two main creators working on this title at DC. I’m on board, this will make up for me dropping both flagship titles that don’t interest me much anymore, Action Comics and Detective Comics.

DAREDEVIL #27
WRITER: Mark Waid
ARTIST: Chris Samnee
COLOR: Javier Rodriguez
Publication Date: June 26, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Buy it HERE

Clearly one of my favorite titles, referenced if not picked here at TRIPLE SHOT is Daredevil by Mark Waid and most of the time with art by Chris Samnee. This issue marks the end of the road for this particular storyline, being built up since issue #1.

Waid sure can wrap things up nicely — even with a 27 issue slow burn.  We have appreciated this new version of Daredevil, that doesn’t turn grim and gritty, but has some humor but mostly a positive or go with the flow attitude from Matt Murdock.

Early on, we were treated to a new canonical way of illustrating Matt’s radar sense, and action scenes took full advantage of his powers.

As is the way with Daredevil, his personal and professional life start to fall apart. He’s fought The Spot, Stilt-Man, Mole Man, Klaw and so many more these past two years. He’s lost his firm and his practice, his secret identity and his best friend Foggy is battling cancer. 

It has come to be revealed that this all has been masterminded by his old enemy, Bullseye who was presumed dead but has been kept alive in an iron lung, resuscitated by The Hand, who were not able to repair his spine.

Daredevil fights off Ikari while Bullseye reveals his plans to Daredevil from his iron sarcophagus. Luckily, Daredevil has protected his loved ones with bodyguards ranging from Iron Fist to Ant Man, Black Widow and Spider-Man so they are safe from The Hand during this final battle.

It is no surprise that Daredevil is victorious over the weakened Bullseye but this was not without some cost. A fearless Daredevil swings into the night after relaying the story to the recovering Foggy.

I can’t wait to embark on new Daredevil adventures after this, it is hard to believe this book has been so consistently awesome for two years running already. The trade paperbacks or ComiXology collections of these books are top of the stack recommendations to Daredevil or non-comic book fans. Great writing and art, and not bogged down by gloomy emotions from years of the character’s history.

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for January 18, 2012

COMICS

The controversial and gifted storyteller Grant Morrison released an analysis of super heroes and autobiography Supergods last year. Check out his take on British TV’s Avengers in Steed and Mrs. Peel #1. Best read in your worst Scottish accent aloud on the bus with one eyebrow raised! … If you’re trapped in the prison of Hell, you had best outsmart the mysterious Warden to escape. Greg Pak (Hulk) and Tony Parker (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) debut Dead Mans Run #1 this week. Preview here. … We hate repeating ourselves but, come on! This Mark Waid Daredevil book is what everyone is talking about, plus Daredevil #8 features The Amazing Spider-Man and Black Cat! Don’t miss the astounding classic art style of Paolo Rivera and Matt Murdock being happy for once! Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.

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