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Review Date: Friday, July 22, 2011
Here in Bongo Congo
It's Women In Comic Books Week again Here In Bongo
Congo, with Good King Leonardo decreeing that we review
the following three new comic books starring female
characters in the main story roles. So let's see how
these issues stack-up against each other: |
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Wolverine
& The Black Cat: Claws 2, Issue #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray: Writers
Joseph Michael Linsner: Art
Dan Brown & Nick Filardi: Colors
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Marvel Comics has just published issue
#1 of a three-issue mini-series as the second short
installment in the ongoing Wolverine & Black Cat:
Claws series. A page-one narrative informs the reader
that the first series teamed-up the Marvel duo in
an adventure that took place in the Antarctic wilds
of Ka-Zar's Savage Land. This current installment
is scripted by the team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin
Gray, with art by Joseph Michael Linsner and colors
by the team of Dan Brown and Nick Filardi.
Two sub-plots interweave and eventually combine in
this issue. The first storythread focuses on the dating
relationship between our two heroes; as they unwind
in an upscale New York restaurant after their Savage
Land adventure, they juggle sharp banter about their
relationship with the immediate crisis of an ongoing
robbery of the restaurant by a masked gang. The second
ploththread follows the escape from The Savage Land
of villains Arcade and White Rabbit. Naturally, they
end-up tracking our heroes to the New York restaurant,
(which is obviously having quite a busy night!), where
a new battle begins. Without being a detail spoiler,
the storyline takes a surprise twist as Wolverine
and Black Cat are abruptly tossed via alien technology
into the future, where they meet an unexpected futuristic
Marvel universe hero for further adventure in next
month's issue #2.
I enjoyed very much this kick-off issue of the Claws
2 mini-series, for a few reasons. First and foremost
among the high points is the writing team's dialogue.
Veterans Palmiotti and Gray are at the top of their
game in providing sharp and witty dialogue between
Wolverine and The Black Cat, who are fun and funny
whether sparring over a meal about their romance or
smoothly tossing zingers at their foes in the heat
of battle. Secondly, I liked the story continuance
from the first run of this title into this second
series; its tough to compress a detailed plot into
only three issues, so there's a lot more depth and
detail in the adventure by building on the previous
series as a strong backstory. And third, I was very
impressed and entertained by the sudden surprise futuristic
twist in the final pages of this issue. Taking a 180-degree
story turn by unexpectedly tossing our heroes into
a future setting could have been a blunder, but in
the capable hands of this writing team, the turn works
very well and provides a rich extra layer to all that's
happening in this fast and fun adventure tale.
So a definite thumbs-up positive recommendation to
get-in on the ground floor with issue #1 of this very
entertaining Wolverine and Black Cat team-up. And
also enjoy catching-up on the comic book issues of
the first series, Claw 1, available at That's Entertainment.
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Michael
Turner's Soulfire #0
Publisher: Aspen Comics
J.T. Krul: Writer
Marcus To: Pencils
Saleem Crawford: Inks
Beth Sotelo: Colors
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Aspen Comics has an issue #0 on the
new comics shelves this past week kicking-off Volume
#2 of its Soulfire series. The comic has an October,
2009 printing date, so I suspect its a reissuance
or restocking to push upcoming publications of this
title. Irregardless of the publication schedule, the
series is scripted by J.T. Krul with pencils by Marcus
To, inks by Saleem Crawford and colors by Beth Sotelo.
Issue #0 presents a limited, 12-page story that provides
an introduction to the storytelling universe of this
series. The year is 2212 and apparently magic is returning
to modern society. In high tech megacities such as
Beijing, China and Sydney, Australia, individuals
are emerging with meta-human style powers that are
deemed in this title as the reemergence of magic into
the modern world. Not much happens in this issue #0
beyond interactions among friends who exhibit these
powers. In the Beijing pages, two friends stumble
upon a magical lizard hatchling at the zoo. In Sydney,
a handful of magical-powered young adults talk about
the burden and confusion of their powers. Two leaders
are also introduced: Maliki, an eons-old winged magical
woman who mentors the good guys and by issue's end,
an unnamed magic-powered bad guy who's assembling
young bad folk about him in San Francisco.
I was a fan of the late Michael Turner's art and writing
efforts at Aspen Comics and I'm glad to see the creative
folk at that publishing house continuing their comic
book title efforts in his stylistic footsteps. There's
nothing cutting-edge here, just a brief, decent-enough
introductory storyline sold at a reduced price to
introduce readers to the second edition run of this
series. It serves its purpose of aquainting newbies
like me to the Soulfire characters and succeeds in
assuring us that if we get into this title we'll get
exquisite art along with a fresh take on the "emergence
of folks with powers" theme that is repeated often
in the comic book publishing world.
So a deserved positive recommendation for this decent
promo-style issue #0 of all-things-Soulfire over at
Aspen Comics. As a final review comment, beyond the
12-page kick-off story segment we're treated to some
very nice sketchbook pages of the characters, along
with some decent advertising of reprint compilations
of various Aspen Comics titles, including Fathom and
the Volume 1 series of Soulfire, all available in
one form or another at That's Entertainment.
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Flashpoint:
Lois Lane & The Resistance #1
Publisher: D.C. Comics
Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning: Writers
Eddie Nunez: Pencils
Don Ho: Inks
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Among the many mini-series titles
under D.C.'s Flashpoint mega-event umbrella is issue
#1 of the three-issue series entitled Flashpoint:
Lois Lane & The Resistance #1. As I've mentioned
in previous Flashpoint series reviews, the premise
of this series is that a foe of The Flash has altered
reality, such that Aquaman and Wonder Woman are leading
their respective kingdoms in world war against mankind,
resulting in millions of deaths at the war front in
Western Europe. While Barry Allen/The Flash seeks
to find a way to restore the world's proper reality,
he must interact with a wide range of DC universe
characters whose own backgrounds and storylines have
been radically altered in the new world timeline.
This particular Flashpoint title is scripted by the
team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, with pencils
by Eddie Nunez and inks by Don Ho.
Issue 31 is entitled "Breaking News" and weaves the
Lois Lane story piece into the fabric of the Flashpoint
saga. The plot moves forward quickly with much action
and adventure; reporting on a Parisian fashion show
when the war erupts, Lois is a rare survivor of Aquaman's
flooding destruction of Paris. Rescued by Amazons,
Lois is transported to England as a captive of Wonder
Woman's empire. The story progresses through Lois's
initial months of captivity as she develops a double
life as a spy for America against her captors balanced
with her cover as a supposedly willing convert to
the Amazon cause. The issue #1 storyline ends in a
cliffhanger as Lois and a surprise ally are exposed
and face life-threatening danger at the hands of the
Amazons.
This particular mini-series addresses a key piece
of the Flashpoint saga that's referred to in other
titles, that being the role of Lois Lane as a leader
of the human resistance behind enemy lines. As such,
its both informative regarding the wider story universe
being constructed within Flashpoint and entertaining
as a stand-alone action-adventure tale. This is the
first Flashpoint title I've read that drops the reader
right into the frontlines of the world war, so the
story also succeeds from the perspective of a war
comic book. A tip-of-the-review-hat is also deserved
to the creative team, who blend the story together
with a strong combination of excellent artwork and
engrossing dialogue. As a final review comment, the
front cover hints at the addition of The Demon and
an Ambush Bug-like character as future issues unfold,
which should add further interesting developments
to this unfolding tale.
So a well-deserved positive review for yet another
Flashpoint series comic book title. While I've enjoyed
the four titles that I've read so far, for its success
in filling-in some of the big picture elements of
the ongoing world war, this particular title is my
personal favorite read to-date in the Flashpoint series.
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Contest
Winner Announcement!!!
Our latest contest came about after New York
Yankee Derek Jeter recently reached the 3000-hit plateau
by hitting a home run. We asked you to tell us of the 27
Major League Baseball players who reached 3000 hits before
him, who is the only one to also hit a home run for number
3000? And our contest winner selected via a roll of the
dice from among several correct entries is (drumroll, please)...Kevin
Browne, who correctly tells us that former Red Sox Third
Baseman Wade Boggs also hit a homer for his hit number 3000.
Congratulations to Kevin, who wins our first prize $10.00
gift certificate to That's Entertainment!
New
Contest Announcement!!!
The Bongo Congo panel of contest judges have
an unusual historical trivia challenge for you this week.
As we all know, way back in the day before the advent of
e-mails, tweets, etc., penny postcards sent through the
U.S. mail were a very routine way for folks to drop notes
to each other; many collectible magazines refer to old-time
postcards as the e-mails and tweets of their day. The popularity
of postcards peaked in 1913, the year that a huge, and I
mean HUGE number of them were mailed around the U.S. Your
challenge this week is to e-mail us at Gordon_A@msn.com
and tell us just how many millions of postcards were mailed
in the U.S. in that peak year of 1913. If you're guessing,
again, think really huge, because its a pretty mind-boggling
number! As always, in the event of multiple correct answers,
we'll select the winner of the first prize $10.00 gift certificate
to That's Entertainment via a roll of the dice.
That's all for now, so stay cool in this
summertime heat by having a great comic book reading week
and see you again next week Here In Bongo Congo!
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