Mister X: Condemned

Dark Horse has really led the pack this year with a number of tasty offerings to the comic gods. They have inched their way up to become the largest comic publisher that I wouldn't want to describe as a corporation; their motives are pure. Sure, they want to make money--but they make money publishing really top notch art. They appear to have no intentions to slow down in 2009.

To coincide with the release of an all-new 4-issue Mister X mini-series (by Dean Motter himself) DH has released a hardcover collection of the first 13-issue Mister X series (featuring Dave McKean, Seth, the Hernandez Brothers, Bill Sienkiewicz, Howard Chaykin and more!) I have been suckered into scwooping up some really expensive hardcover books, but I was a little reluctant with this one since I wasn't sure I was going to like it; I wasn't even familar with the character until recently.

I decided to dip my toes into the first issue of the new series to make sure I was even interested. I don't want to talk about it. I'll just say that it looks like now I have to buy an $80 hardcover.

Mister X: Condemned #1 (of 4) gets 3.5 (out of 5) demonically possessed children.
-sanford c bledsoe iii

Joker (Azzarello/Bermejo)

Brian Azzarello pretty much sweats the type of uncomfortable crime fiction where good and bad become grey, where everyone is getting played, and most everyone is going to die. The really neat thing about this Joker book is that it's perfect for fans of Batman comics or fans of Batman movies. Not that those affiliations are mutually exclusive, but there are a lot of folks out there who just don't read comics (for whatever reason), and this book is a perfect segue to convert those who have not discovered the glory of "sequential narrative". At the end of the day, this was just a really good story, with a really creepy villain. It didn't have to be the Joker, necessarilly, but boy was he fucking scary. Bermejo's art doesn't make you any less uncomfortable, and occasionally he takes off the kid gloves and throws in a nasty fully-painted panel.

A must read for fans of Criminal, 100 Bullets, Hellblazer, Scalped, etc.

4 (out of 5) wounded children,

-sanford c bledsoe iii

so, you've read watchmen........

ASTRO CITY-CONFESSION and TARNISHED ANGEL
w-kurt busiek a-brent anderson

hey man,watchmen was totally sweet wasn't it! maybe you're like "aw crud what's next?" well check out this Astro City! its phenomenally scripted by Kurt Busiek (dude wrote Marvels!) and he does superheroes as Extra-ordinary folks who do extraordinary things.start with "confession" for a wholly original take on the batman/robin dichotomy! "Tarnished Angel" follows multiple felon "steeljack" as he's released from prison and determined to go straight.He has no where to go,can't get a job on account of him being a career criminal and his flesh being 100% steel.He ends up in the slums of astro city where all of his former friends and partners in crime live.....and someone is killing them one by one.The law doesn't care at all because they're all criminals and steeljack is hired to find the killer.Problem is steeljack is no detective and is hired 'cause he's pretty much invincible.It's great mystery but its totally from the point of view of a terrible investigator.What steeljack lacks in brains he makes up for in heart...he really wants to stop his friends from getting murdered.Oh,and Steeljack's appearence is based off of one the greatest actors and faces in film history,Robert Mitchum.He has a face that has seen rough times and still has optimism,this is a perfect "cherry on top" to get the right "noir when its down on its luck" feel.awesome.

-5 outta 5 perfectley made bloody marys.

Invincible Iron Man #8

w-matt fraction a-salvador larroca marvel comics $3.99
dude this ish of iron man so effing sweet!last week i was real hyped up for what "dark reign" would do to invincible iron man since marvel made it the core iron man book,.......and it totally fuckin' delivered! the issue is the set up for one of the illest mistaken-identity espionage/action movies,and the dude everybody wants ice is IRON MAN! Im not excited much about the company wide bannering of "dark reign" but it is making tony stark an underdog which is awesome.this might even cleanse tony out of "complete asshole" fallout from civil war.

- matt fraction writes Tony Stark as a dude who puts on a suit not a robot with a human inside. GO GO GO FRACTION ACTION!
-salvador larroca-all the tech looks amazing! (OOH!they have this really fresh technique of showing tonys face through the armor so you can actually see HIS emotions!its badass.)
-the color is amazing here as well.i kinda finally noticed it.my apologies Mr.Frank D'Armata.
-this is an amazing place to start reading up on this piece.WORD.

Secret Invasion Dark Reign

w-Brian Micheal Bendis a-Alex Maleev published by marvel comics $3.99
Five dudes (one who is dressed like a woman) hang out in a room with no windows and stare and a gorgeous scantily clad woman.I need a $4.23 comic to do this? I call that saturday night.

- Alex Maleev really phones it on this one.Maybe he was trying a new style but it ends up looking like half photocopied uh...photos.
- All jokes aside, this was kind of a cool issue.It was all talking and set up but got me kind of curious as to what is gonna pop up next in the marvel universe.
(the inevietable answer is "WHATEVER THEY WANT" )
-I really want to love you marvel you just have to love me back.
- Some things are revealed and alls im saying is that Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man is going to get REALLY good.The collection of issues 1-7 just came out and #8 drops this wednesday.Get it.

Tommysaurus Rex!!

w/a- Doug tenapel published by image comics,2004 $11.95
Doug tenapel is the creator of the earthworm jim videogame series.much like those games which included loads of bathroom humor and challenging gameplay; Tommysaurus Rex is comic suitable for most ages while still having some real substance to it.Ely is a young boy who finds a A FRICKIN T-REX in a cave on his grampas farmland!Ely christens him Tommysaurus and they become fast friends under the judgemental watch of the small town.Families are united,lives are saved,lessons are learned,and the local fauna are rejuvenated by the copious amounts of T-rex turds!By the last page of this book i was leaking from my eye....uh cuz there was somethin' in it....yeah.Much like one my favorite comics of '08 "the Amulet", Tommy Rex (yeh,we're homies now) is mostly appropriate for all ages and is immediately accessible and enjoyable for everybody.

- Mr.Tenapel's work is always top ranking.in the vault's continuing effort to read anything that could be cool for kids,im reading everything by him again and im going bonkers for it.get used to posts like this.