MEDIA BLITZ~ Comic News, Reviews, and More

a-CRITICSCOPE...reviews
    World War Three (JLA 36-41)
    BATMAN/HUNTRESS: Cry for Blood

b-CYBERSPACES...comics websites

c- PREVIEWS BRIEF ...previews of comic books

World War III (JLA # 36-41)
by Grant Morrison. Art by Howard Porter
Reviewed by Mikel John

        "LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS! I'M SERIOUS AND I HAVE THE FIREPOWER TO PROVE It! SWORN PROTECTORATE OF OVER FIFTEEN THOUSAND SUBMARINE STATES. My territory surrounds every continent on the planet. I rule most of this planet's surface and almost all of its depth. So don't even think about picking a fight with the King of Atlantis." So states Aquaman.
        The Injustice Gang has reformed. Lex Luthor, Prometheus, The General, and Zazzala, the Queen of Bees. They will bring the world to war and the brink of annihilation. Actually, they'll go over into annihilation. The General is invulnerable, self-regenerating, unstoppable. What is Superman's strategy to defeat him? "Full power." Who will help Batman defeat Prometheus? Prometheus, the man who defeated Batman in their first encounter. Stephen Hawkings.Zazzala has taken control of Steel, Green Lantern and most of New York. Their savior will be Plastic Man. Only one man can defeat, and save, Lex Luthor. His name isÉwell I'll let that be a surprise.
        World War III promises to be a great ride. In this series, the JLA and the JLA reserves, and the JLA reserves reserves, and pretty much as many other super-heroes that they can find. I promise you the death of a hero. I promise you the death of two heroes. In fact, I promise you many more heroes will die before the last issue. And they won't be coming back.
        Mageddon is coming. "It is like a factoryÉNever-ending. Its purpose is to turn life into death." It brings out the beast within man, effecting the human mind, making him more aggressive. It has defeated Orion and has Superman. It has rendered Green Lantern's ring useless. When you feel it, dark empty, meaningless oblivion. "All we've ever done is try to save Krypton or Mars, save our parents and loved ones over and over again but we never will. No matter how many we save we'll never make it rightÉwe'll always be too late to save the ones we most needed to save.Better to die, just die, let it all die," states Superman.
        The art is superb in this series, as is the writing. I recommend you pick this series up or the trade paperback when it comes out later. With that, one last quote. "Thousands are dying right now! Billions more will die in minutes! Save them Superman, or, God help me, I'll hound you through the afterlife until you beg for mercy." Batman.
Story: 5 (of 5)
Art: 5 (of 5)
Overall: 5 (of 5)

BATMAN/HUNTRESS: Cry for Blood (# 1 of 6)
  Written by: Greg Rucka, Art by: Rick Burchett, Colors by: Tatjana Wood
  Reviewed by Brian Bengston

        Would someone please give Helena Bertinelli a break? Isn't it enough that she came from one of the five Cosa Nostra families in Gotham? Isn't it enough that her father, mother, and older brother where killed in front of her gangland-style when she was eight? Isn't it enough that she became the Huntress as a way of tracking down those killers and wiping out all the Mafia influences in Gotham? Isn't it enough that she joined the JLA (Justice League of America) not too long ago, only to be forced out over ideological differences? Now she is framed for the murder of Claudio Panessa, Gotham crime boss and first cousin to our heroine. And her biggest accuser is her sponsor for JLA membership, the Batman.
        I have always thought that this version of the Huntress was pretty cool (in the pre-Crisis DC Universe, the Huntress is actually the daughter of Earth-2s Batman and Catwoman). I liked the idea of some vigilante running around Gotham, ticking Bats off by not following his rules of conduct. And after reading her antics in the NIGHTWING/HUNTRESS mini-series and in JLA, I am starting to become a follower.
        In this first chapter of the six issue series, we get to see not only an in-depth flashback sequence that tells the story of her family's history in Gotham City, but we get to share in the feelings of alienation and persecution Helena feels as she tries to clean up the city in her own way. There is a wonderful comment that she makes as to how Batman would never question that Nightwing was not involved in the murder of Panessa if he had been found a Bat-A-Rang in his back instead of an arrow from a crossbow (which is the Huntress weapon of choice).
        The art in this issue is very reminiscent of all the bat-related books, heavy on the lines and an overall feeling of darkness and grit. You can especially see this effect when Batman is in a panel, his prescience almost seems to suck you and the background in. All in all very Crime Noir vibe.
        With five more issues to go, we the reader can only hope to learn more about what makes Helena tick, since the story seems to be told more from her perspective, unlike the previously mentioned NIGHTWING/HUNTRESS. I think that Rucka is carrying on with Grant Morrison's portrayal of the Huntress feeling like she is in way over her head when she involves herself with other super heroes and the world they live in. I also think he is playing with the Mafia princess angle of her character as we see her interact with her family at her cousins funeral (of course she is in her civilian identity). It seems that she is not even welcome in that circle either.
        This book and series seems to have a lot of potential. I am still not used to the six-issue mini-series as I am with the traditional four, so I hope the pacing does pick up a bit. We tend to dwell a bit too much on her past as the reader starts to wonder what her life is like now. But truth be told, I wouldn't want to be in her shoes right now. The Batman can be one tough taskmaster. Just ask any Robin.
Story: 3 (of 5)
Art: 4 (of 5)
Overall: 4 (of 5)

[BACK TO TOP]

    [BACK TO TOP]

        When Scribes Press said that more help was needed to write articles, I nearly jumped at the chance. I really couldn't figure out what to write about, but, then, it occurred to me that there are a lot of other comic book related websites online today that remain largely unknown. Plus, there are comic books on the market, that too few people see. So, I did some research with the help of Wahoo! (Not to be confused with Yahoo!) to find five great websites for everyone to check out.

Rating System:
$- Unbearable $$- Needs Work $$$- Average $$$$- Superior $$$$$- Unforgettable

Wahoo!
URL: www.comicbookwebsites.com
Features: Chat room, comic book database, search, message boards
Review: This is the Yahoo! for comic books. It is great and happens to be the best one that I have seen thus far. Currently, there are 1,206 entries in the Wahoo! comic book website database listings, but the number grows daily. The database directories include: auctions, mailing lists, biographies, news, characters/teams/titles, news groups, checklists, online comics, conventions, organizations, creators fan sites, publishers, creators official sites, retailers, reviews, general resources, software, history of comics, images, and toys. I used this particular website to find the other four comic book related websites for this article, and Wahoo! was great. You'll like it, too.
Positive: Has a lot of information on almost every subject, if not every, of comic books
Negative: Plain; too few graphics
Rating: $$$$$ (Unforgettable)

The Long Box
URL: www.longbox.com     E-mail: comics@ravelution.com
Features: surveys, creators' birthdays, contests, trivia, top 5 most popular comic characters
Review: The Long Box is a comic book database and website similar to Wahoo! The Long Box has a search feature to help you find information on characters, creators, series and teams, and organizations. You can also join The Long Box mailing list and become a member of the website. This site covers a wide range of information that may be difficult to find elsewhere.
Positive: very, very professional
Negative: extremely plain; too conservative; used only four colors (blue, white, black, gray)
Rating: $$$ (Average)

Rocket Rangers
URL: temple.ctimes.net/rocket     E-mail: shonuff@hotmail.com
Review: Rocket Rangers and the Robots from Hell is "the comic book of the future" or so boasts creator Terry Parr. The site claims that the book has "out of this world action, evil robots summoned from the fiery pits of Hell, and two women in deadly combat armed with good looks and awesome ray guns." The comic book itself is self-published by Parr, who also illustrates and writes. Check out his in-depth biography page, because it is very interesting. But that is the only thing on the site worth looking at, besides Rocket Rangers co-star Sherilyn Vargas. Wahoo! says: "Weird, retro 50's classic adventure. The story of pretty girls running wild in outer space."
Positive: although few, the graphics are great; colorful; easy to read text
Negative: very plain; too much white space; not very informative; needs more graphics
Rating: $$ (Needs Work)

Blue Monkey Comics
URL: www.bluemonkeycomics.com     E-mail: admin@bluemonkeycomics.com
Features: This site features a humorous online comic strip called Liberty Meadows by Frank Cho. Since the strip is not exclusive to Blue Monkey Comics, the strip occasionally runs a day or two ahead of schedule.
Review: Blue Monkey Comics is the home of a new breed of comic characters, many of which have yet to reach print. They include: Adam Bomb, Turkey Boy, Kringle, Momo the Obnoxious Kid, Lucky Cat, The Heavy Hitters, and Maximum Manpower. Current books on sale include Adam Bomb for just $2.00 and Dead Celebrities, a 200-page graphic novel. This site also has ten links, which include original art, where you can actually buy unique comic book artwork by the page, and comic books, which lists the titles, costs, writers and artists, and a general summary of the book. Also, you can buy Blue Monkey merchandise, such as T-shirts for only $13.99 plus shipping and handling and postage, mugs, and mousepads.
Positive: awesome graphics and original artwork; images colorful and bold; detailed information
Negative: too much activity per page
Rating: $$$$ (Superior)

Electric Girl: The Official Site of the Electric Girl Comic Book
URL: www.electricgirl.com     E-mail: mike@electricgirl.com
Features: picture gallery, Electric Girl reviews, update page, story previews, excerpts from past stories, author biography, e-mail link, character biographies, book history
Review: Michael Brennan is the creator of Electric Girl and the owner and president of Mighty Gremlin, publisher of the book. The author graduated from Massachusetts College of Art with a BFA in illustration. He also helped to found Stormship Studios, a graphic design firm. Electric Girl features three main characters. Virginia is a typical 19-year-old with the ability to conduct small amounts of electricity. Her best friend is Oogleeoog, an invisible gremlin. And Virginia has a dog named Blammo, who was named by Oogleeoog. This comic book is G-rated with good-natured adventures. I liked it, and I think that I'll pick up a copy very soon.
Positive: creative links; professional; G-rated humor; great use of different shades of blue
Negative: more text than pictures
Rating: $$$$ (Superior)

[BACK TO TOP]

    [BACK TO TOP]

        It is time once again to take a look into the future at the world of comics. July will be a very big month for comics.
        Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier are back. They who brought you Groo are starting a new 4 part mini series entitled Space Circus. Kids today do not think about running away to join just any circus, but now wish to join the Doodah Brother's Astral Traveling Entertainment and Fun Brigade.
        DC comics is bringing many new series that are of interest. We all know of Arkham Asylum. Many a villain has been locked away there; Poison Ivy, The Joker, Killer Croc, Superman, The Riddler. Wait what was that, Superman? Superman: Arkham takes place in the Superman titles starting with Superman #160 for the next two months. But don't worry, the hero of Metropolis will keep that villain Superman locked up. That hero being Bizarro. The villain behind this is known only as Emperor. Hitman/Lobo: That Stupid Bastich is a one shot story written by Garth Ennis. It has the greatest bounty hunter in the world, and Hitman, who is going to be in way over his head. For Batman fans out there is Batman: Outlaws, a three issue mini series where the Government hunts Batman and friends. With no GCPD support, will our heroes be able to stop crime or are they now the Crime?
        Image presents Spawn #100. The first Image comic to hit one hundred issues and Todd McFarlane is going all out. It offers not one, not two, but six variant covers by Todd McFarlane, Frank Miller, Greg Capullo, Ashley Wood, Mike Mignola, and Alex Ross. It will be interesting to watch how retailers order this issue. Do they order equal amounts of each cover, or order by popularity. Suffice it to say, completists will want all six, but at 4.95 a pop, that will get expensive. And to add some spice, "She dies."
        Marvel Comics is once again trying to prove themselves the best. Hellcat has been brought back to unlife and finds herself in a three issue mini series. Avengers Infinity teams Thor, Quasar, Photon, Moondragon, and Tigra in a four issue galactic spanning issue, where they do battle against the Infinities. In an Elseworld's style comic book, Avataars: Covenant of the Shield looks to be an excellent read. The Marvel Universe goes Medieval in this short mini series. Rob Liefeld starts his run on Wolverine and he decides to bring in Deadpool. Wolverine has a price on his head, and Deadpool aims to get it.
        If you truly want to get an exciting comic book, then look no further then VIP. Based on the hit TV show with Pamela Anderson Lee, this comic book should be very interesting. Look for this book to have low orders, so make sure you tell your comic store that you want it.
        Dynamic Forces is a comic company you may never have heard of. What do they sell? Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image comics. But what makes these different is that they are signed. Can't make it to a show, but really want something signed by Alex Ross, or any other artists or writers? Then check out the Dynamic Forces section.
        Toys, just the mere mention of these should send shivers down your spine. The 200th Batman toy is coming out and it will be Batman Beyond this time. For all you Robotech (Macross) fans out their, who have always wanted your own Valkyrie, Previews is offering one. This is the first of three that is being offered. All Robotech fans should place their order for this immaculate toy.
        That's it for this month.

    [BACK TO TOP]