A Descent into Dullness

Punishermax: Kingpin written by Jason Aaron, art by Steve Dillon, colors by Matt Hollingsworth, letters by VC's Cory Petit

Marvel's MAX line is meant to allow them to mature stories. Mature meaning truly gruesome violence and some nudity. The original MAX version of Punisher was Garth Ennis' five, six year run. Stripping away the ties to the super-hero Marvel universe and show-casing the essence of the character. A man whose personal tragedy and loss led to him slaughtering thousands of criminals...

In this volume the title has been taken over by Jason Aaron (Ghost Rider, Scalped) who adds a MAX version of Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. And he's backed by the pencils of long-time Ennis collaborator Steve Dillon. And there are few artists as skilled when it comes to presenting the over-the-top comedic horrorshow of violence that is Punishermax. Aaron takes a risk by making Frank Castle almost a secondary character in this first arc, concentrating more on the origin and motivations of Fisk. But it pays off in creating a criminal antagonist for the Punisher that you can believe could survive and even best him. At least for now...

Brain Camp written by Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan, art by Faith Erin Hicks, colors by Hilary Sycamore

I must admit I ordered this comic because I thought it was both drawn and written by Faith Erin Hicks. But despite that Kim & Klavan turn out an excellent story of a Stepford teen camp. Brainwashed teens, strange bird-things and some truly bad parenting. Pretty good, plus all drawn by the talented Faith Erin Hicks...






Demo vol. 2 written by Brian Wood, illustrated by Becky Cloonan, lettered by Jared K. Fletcher

A second volume to Wood and Cloonan's first mini-series. With six new short tales that take the concept of super-powers and twist and mold them into something different. Wood and Cloonan, as always, make for a near-perfect storytelling team...

Giantkiller by Dan Brereton

Brereton again mixes horror and action, this time focusing his talents on the world of kaiju or giant monsters. In 1999 California's Diablo Valley suffers a volcanic eruption. One that leaves the area a tainted wasteland with a poisoned atmosphere. And where strange giant beasts now roam. Every expedition into the area has resulted in total casualties. But now three years later, the U.S. government has Project: Giantkiller aka Jack. A human/monster hybrid, grown in a lab and set loose on the monsters...

Beyond everything else, Dan Brereton draws one hell of a monster. And his variations on the many classic rubber-suit monsters from Saturday afternoon movies do not disappoint...

Atomic Robo and the Deadly Art of Science written by Brian Clevinger, art by Scott Wegenger, colors by Ronda Pattison and letters by Jeff Powell

Ok, so we've covered Atomic Robo before. And all the main points remain true. Killer dialogue. Sweet action sequences. Robots and super-science. Of course this one, which is about Robo in '31 teaming up with pulp-hero Jack Tarot to hunt gangsters, also actually has appearances by Robo's father, Nikolai Tesla. Plus Robo getting a girlfriend. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL, the '11 Free Comic Book Day story which features Dr. Dinosaur. Crazy ol', terrbile plans, funny ol' gun toting Dr. Dinosaur...

The world will always need comics where robots punch dinosaurs in the face...

Marvel Zombies 3 written by Fred Van Lente, art by Kev Walker, colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, letters by Rus Wooten

The original concept for Marvel Zombies was simple enough. An alternate version of the Marvel universe that underwent a zombie apocalypse. Where the world is infected by a Hunger Virus that creates flesh hungry undead. Ones still capable of reason and what not. And if you wonder how invulnrebility or healing factors or already being undead aren't effective at resisting being infected? Well its hand-waved away with "because zombies, thats why". Marvel put out three series all written by Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman. Plus a Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness mini-series. And I fucking hated all of them. I mean one of them ends with super-zombies eating Galactus and becoming Cosmic Super-Zombies. Ugh...

But then Marvel handed the concept over to Fred Van Lente who has written some of the better comics out there, both for Marvel and on his own. And he went with an attempted invasion of regular Marvel Earth by Zombie Marvel Earth. And brought in Aaron "Machine Man" Stack as the major protaganist. Recruited by A.R.M.O.R. (Alternate Reality Monitoring and Operational Response). And then just made it all work. It still has its moments of "Oh Come On!" for me. Like why Ghost Rider is now a zombie. Seriously, how do you infect a flaming skeleton with a virus? But despite that Van Lente keeps up the pace so that the story just moves past it. And Kev Walker can draw some hella icky looking super-zombies...

Artesia by Mark Smylie

Epic fantasy with war and blood and ghosts and monsters and sex and murder and betrayal and religion and visions and violence and ladies with pole arms. What more do you want? Ok its also got wonderful crisp and clean art teamed with its high-stakes, large scale story. Its always good to find a fantasy series that doesn't feel like a rehash of someone's D&D campaign. I mean don't get me wrong. I love a decent D&D inspired fantasy as much as the next RPG nerd, but its still nice to have something with a creator not afraid to aim big...

Story and art by Bob Layton, colors by Christie Scheele and Bob Sharen and letters by Rick Parker

See yon noble godling Hercules. Verily, doth he climb up unto the heights of Olympus, home of his brethren. And lo, there he be mightly shushed for his father Zeus has proclaimed that it be a day of quiet reflection for it is truly the anniversary of the day upon which the mightiest of the Olympians was born. And lo all droopy pants is the mighty Hercules for truly he had hoped to return home and have a truly righteous party. But weep not for mopey Hercules for are these not some of the handmaidens of Olympus come to offer him refreshment?

But alas! For it is not in the nature of the Lion of Olympus to quietly partake of either refreshment or haindmaiden. But the groovin' and the shakin' of the Prince of Power has disturbed the solemn contemplations of all-mighty Zeus and truly he is most wroth! And so the scion of Zeus is banished! Let him go forth unto Bel Airedeepest space until he has learned humility...

And so Hercules sets forth upon the borrowed sun chariot of his brother into the vastness of space. There to encounter recording robots, aliens, sexy space ladies and even Galactus the World Devourer...

Inanana's Tears written by Rob Vollmar, drawn by M.P. Mann

Set some 5000 years in the past in the Fertile Crescent of the Tigris and Euphrates during the pre-history of humanity. Somewhat literally pre-history as part of the story concerns the birth of the concept of a written language. As well as the conflict between the old way of living as nomadic tribes and the new ways in cities built around the early mastery of agriculture. A story of religious conflict and gender roles and simple greed for power...

Inanna's Tears is less historical fiction than it is a possible fiction of what might have become history. All set at the beginning of what we might consider to be civilization...

Tricked by Alex Robinson

In many ways Tricked is similar to Robinson's earlier Box Office Poison in that both have a large cast of odd Life in the City type characters. But where BOP is less a single story then a collection of loosely connected pieces, the six characters in Tricked all have their tales move inevitably together for the big climatic moment. Ray the rock star, Nick with the secret life, Phoebe the young girl in search of her past, Steve the weirdo, Caprice the waitress looking for love and Lily the luckiest office temp ever...

Franklin Richards Son of a Genius: Ultimate Collection Book 2 Story & script - Chris Eliopolous & Marc Sumerac, art & letters by Eliopolous and colors by Brad Anderson

Isn't calling Book 2 an Ultimate collection unfair to the ultimateness of Book 1? Anyway, this volume collects the "Spring Break", "Not So Secret Invasion", "Summer Smackdown", "Sons of Geniuses", "Its Dark Reigning Cats & Dogs", "April Fools!" and "Schools Out" one-shots...

One thing Marvel manages to do well are their all-ages books. Whenever their mainline is swimming in angst or cynicism or disappointing Big Event cross-overs I can count on books like Franklin Richards Son of a Genius to bring back the fun. Eliopolous and Sumerac always do that with their stories about Franklin and his robot baby-sitter H.E.R.B.I.E. With Franklin being a well-meaning, but impulsive little kid. One who, no surprise, would rather treat a lab full of super-science as the World's Greatest Toy Chest then do his chores or homework....