Podcast - Episode 111: Favourite Single Issues (Part 1)

This week we tasked ourselves with each choosing five of our favourite single comic book issues. It was not easy, but between us we have a pretty solid list of ten comics. Because it was so challenging to get it down to so few, we are probably going to make this a recurring episode theme. Maybe monthly? I dunno.

Here are the lists, so you can head to your local shop and hunt them down:

DAVE:

Avengers #154
GI Joe #21
Doom Patrol #19
Tom Strong #1
Eightball #22

Rachelle:

Jonah Hex #50
Captain America (and Bucky) #620
All-Star Superman #5
Wolverine Weapon X #11
Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #125

And here's that very important Jeremy Renner Instagram post:

Dear fans, please do NOT engage with any fakes on social media asking for money or anything else for that matter . Only visit official blue checked sites on social media and my app for contests or offers that never ask for MONEY!!! #fakessuck #dangerousinternet #whensocialmediagoeswrong #shameonscammers #notohackers #notofakes #TWITTER #instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Renner (@renner4real) on Sep 18, 2017 at 8:50pm PDT

Good stuff. 

Alright, we will see you next week! Thanks for listening!

This Week's Haul: Flash Back!

The Flash: Rebirth #1

I have made it pretty clear that I will buy anything that Geoff Johns writes, so I was pretty excited about this. Plus, I really enjoyed Green Lantern: Rebirth, so I was hoping that this would promise to be as good. The first issue of the story of Barry Allen's return starts with some blood spashing all over the page, just in case you forgot that Geoff Johns is writing it. It also features lots of "Welcome Back" parties and parades being set up in various locations on the same day (because, y'know, The Flash can make it to all of them no problem. Cute!). It also features a lot of Barry chatting with his old pal Hal Jordan, which I loved.

It's a very exciting first issue and I can't wait for the next one!

JSA #25

And since we're talking about Geoff Johns anyway, this is the penultimate issue of his very enjoyable run on JSA. It's also the finale of a pretty exciting Marvel family story featuring Crazy Black Adam, Crazier Isis, Slutty Mary Marvel, Powerless Billy Batson, and Pissed Off Shazam.

Speaking of the JSA, I highly recommend Johnathan's recent and important posts about whether or not the member of the Golden Age Justice Society would make the Legion of Super Heroes. I was laughing my ass off reading it, and my husband was like "what are you doing?" to which I had to reply "reading Johnathan's post about whether or not members of the Golden Age Justice League would be admitted into the Legion of Super Heroes...which is NOT AS NERDY AS IT SOUNDS!" Anyway, check them out here and here.

Jonah Hex #42

In this issue, young Jonah Hex is put through a merciless, abusive involuntary Batman-style training regimen by his crazy drunken father to toughen him up. As we all know, it worked. But that doesn't make it right.

Or does it?

Either way it makes for great reading!

I love how nearly every issue starts with some dudes who are like "Say your prayers, Hex, because you are going to die now." And I'm all like "Oh shit! Those guys are totally going to die SO HARD!" Good comics.

Captain America Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1

Holy hell. This was awesome. In general, I really love Captain America's origin story. And I really, really love Marcos Martin's art. But even I was surprised at how awesome the two things combined turned out to be. This is a definite must-own, people.

X-Men First Class Finals #3

Ok, the main story was really great and everything as usual, but I have to totally freak out here about the long and awesome Colleen Coover back-up story. She totally draws the most adorable Man-Thing ever! Check it out:

Pride and Prejudice #1

I didn't actually buy this or read it, I just flipped through it. I just want to say this: what if Colleen Coover had been the artist on this?

Awesome, right?

Other things I read this week: Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam #3 (A rare treat! A perfect kids superhero comic, I say. If only it came out faster!), Amazing Spider-Man #590 (it's got the Fantastic Four in it!), and Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius: April Fools (hilarious!).

Things I haven't read yet: Doctor Doom and the Masters of Evil #3 (I forgot to buy it! Drat!) and Jersey Gods #3 (I just realized I haven't read issue #2 yet! Smack!).

Wednesday Interview: Jimmy Palmiotti

And now we start a new weekly feature where we post an interview with one of our favourite comic book creators every Wednesday! Each interview will coincide with something exciting that is hitting the shelves that week.

We kick off this exciting new series with one of my very favourite writers/artists, Jimmy Palmiotti! As you probably know, Jimmy and his writing partner Justin Gray write a lot of comics together, including the recent mini-series Terra, Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom, and the amazing ongoing series Jonah Hex. He also writes a very entertaining blog over at Newsarama.

Jonah Hex #42 drops today, along with the latest trade of the series, Bullets Don't Lie. You would be a fool not to buy at least one of these.

Alright, here we go with the interview, where Mr. Palmiotti mentions exciting things like the upcoming Jonah Hex #50 (art by Darwyn Cooke) and the Wednesday Comics project he's doing for DC with his awesome lady-partner, Amanda Conner!

1. While consistently being one of my favorite comics every month, Jonah Hex has officially made it into my 'do not read before bed' pile. The latest two issues were particularly gristly and creepy. Are you intentionally trying to test the limits of what you can get away with, or do you just occasionally get inspired to write a particularly gruesome story?

Well, the idea and basic thing about the Jonah Hex character is that he is a bounty hunter in a pretty rough world but doing forty issues of him just fighting thieves and bringing them in for a reward is something we don’t want to put on the reader each and every month. With the current storyline and a few others we did in the past, we try to visit a genre within a genre and the horror aspect of the character is a fun one, but unlike others before us, we are staying away from the supernatural aspect as best we can and keeping it grounded in reality.

The sawbones story was actually a lot more graphic and David Beck had to rework a bunch of the pages to get it past D.C.standards and honestly, I don’t blame them for making us do so. The original pages even creeped me the hell out. That all said, we do try to test the limits all the time with the book and we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t. Both Justin and I want this series to go down as one of the best out there each and every month and are doing our best to keep our loyal readers interested and a little freaked now and again.

2. I really like the rotating cast of artists on Jonah Hex that has included some of the best in the business, including Jordi Bernet, Darwyn Cooke, JH Williams III, and Phil Noto. Have you written stories specifically to suit certain artists, or do the artists typically sign on after a story is written? Which artists are on deck for future issues?

What happens is really simple. We do the convention circuit and eventually some of the artists I hang out with or meet say to me that they would love to fit an issue of Jonah Hex in one day. First thing we do is try to see if its possible with their work load , next we make sure DC is cool with the selection and then…we write the story to play with their artistic strengths. Being an artist myself, I have a pretty good eye to what makes an artist swoon, so we do our best to give them something that they aren’t getting from drawing their other books and especially a chance, for a change, to illustrate a complete story with a beginning, middle and an end.

That said, we have a full group of guest artists lined up like another Darwyn Cooke issue for the 50th issue that will be a longer tale, classic artists like Paul Gulacy and Dick Giordano, and some old and new favorites I cannot announce yet. For me, the biggest thrill I get is still working with one of my favorites, Jordi Bernet.

3. Tallulah Black is an original character that you and Justin Gray created for this series, and I think she's really compelling as a love interest and a partner for Hex. I was glad to see her return in the latest two-part story. Are there plans for the future for her?

There will always be plans for Tallulah if we have our way…and yes, she does come back into the book very soon…actually, sooner than you think. We happen to love the character on a number of levels and also find it exciting to bring something new to the comic legacy of Hex.

4. For the most part Jonah Hex has been a series of one-shot issues, with the occasional two- or three-part story mixed in. Do you still think this is the best formula for this title, and has there been any pressure from DC to write longer story arcs in an attempt to increase sales?

Well, the pressure is obvious from the company because they would like to see the book perform better so we are experimenting with a 6-part story in issue 44-49 and we shall see how the fans feel about that. D.C. comics and especially Paul and Dan have been wonderful and very giving with the series and the way they have been sticking by us. Normally, with the numbers Hex sees monthly, a lot of other companies would have thrown in the towel, but they believe in the book, the character, the genre and the best part, in Justin and I. this kind of support honestly, in my eyes, makes them the greatest comic company out there and I am loyal as hell to them for it.

5. In the latest issue (#42) we're going to see a bit of Jonah Hex's childhood. Can I assume it was a happy one?

You can assume incorrectly, lol…Jonah went through a lot of B.S. from his father and we see a bit of his mom in this issue as well. Let's say that everything that happened in his childhood years had a lot to do with the man we see today.

6. The writing team of yourself and Justin Gray has produced a hell of a lot of comics lately. One of my favorites was the Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom story that wrapped up a few months ago. Will that story be released as a trade? And what else are you guys working on right now?

Yes, that will be released as a trade in July or August I am told and Phil Noto will be going back and re-coloring parts that he felt he wanted to enhance more, so we are happy with that. Justin and I also have POWERGIRL coming in May and that's a monthly series featuring Amanda’s artwork. Its looking amazing …I have to tell you, the book is gonna do very well out there…the art is simply stunning. Amanda and I are actually doing one of the Wednesday Comics together based on her idea. It’s a fun silly story that is all ages and honestly is all Amanda .

Outside of D.C. Justin and I are working on the book LAST RESORT for IDW comics that hits in July about a group of people stuck on a tropical island where a bio hazard screw up has happened and we have the game related series PROTOTYPE coming from Wildstorm based on the video game. It’s the most violent thing you have ever seen…honest!!

This Week's Haul: Supergirl for Everyone!

So I've already told you how awesome The War at Ellsmere, which came out this week, is. But there were also a lot of other awesome comics! Probably some bad ones too, but I fortunately didn't read any of those!

Batman #682

I think that all the confusing mess that was Batman: R.I.P. was worth it if it got us to this issue. It is absolutely bananas, but really, really enjoyable. It reminded me of All-Star Superman, the way that it embraced and celebrated Batman's zany silver age past. Grant Morrison...you are alright with me!

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #1

I definitely had high hopes for this one, and I wasn't let down. It's fun and silly and it pays no attention to proper canon or continuity. In other words, it's perfect for kids. And, much like Tiny Titans, it is fun for adult nerds as well.

Superman/Supergirl: Maelstrom #3

Everyone should seriously be reading this series. I am going to keep saying that every week until it is over. This is the Superman/Supergirl interaction I have been waiting for.

Jonah Hex #38

And everyone should seriously be reading this series. I can't say enough good things about Jonah Hex, even though I don't talk about this comic nearly enough on this blog. It's completely and totally awesome. I know it is perpetually in danger of being canceled, and it would be tragic if it happens. Comic fans keep asking for one-shots and this is a whole series made up of them. Plus it has great writing and all-star artists.
 

The Amazing Spider-Man #579

I don't want to say the word 'perfect' here, but these last two issues of Spider-Man, by Mark Waid and Marcos Martin, have been pretty damn close. They have everything you could possibly want in a Spider-Man comic. Not only is Spider-Man witty and likable throughout, he is also incredibly heroic. I was almost teary-eyed. HE JUST GIVES SO MUCH OF HIMSELF!

JSA #21

Man, that Gog guy wasn't as cool as he seemed. Colour me surprised. I was sure everything would work out fine for those tortured souls who populate the Justice Society.

Hey! Y'know what else came out this week?! Showcase Presents: Supergirl v.2!!!

Ohhhh yessssss.

Not convinced? How about a 2-part story where Comet the Superhorse turns into a human temporarily and starts dating Supergirl?

Oh it gets worse...

That's why I don't date horses. They lie.

This Week's Haul: New Format

Here are some comics you shouldn't miss this week:

Jonah Hex #35

Why?: Because JH Williams III does the art. And that's all the reason you need. But if you need more, then how about the fact that Palmiotti and Gray come up with a story that takes full advantage of the artist's incredible talent.

Plus...a couple drugs Jonah Hex and attempts to rape him. Yeah, that's what I said.

Green Lantern #34

Why?: Because it's the penultimate issue of Geoff Johns' awesome Secret Origins story, and Hal and Sinestro are pretty entertaining in it. And because Hal tells Sinestro "#$%& you," which Sinestro's ring is unable to translate.

And Ivan Reis continues to throw down fantastic art.

Secret Six #1

Why?: Because it's back! And it's an ongoing! And it's Gail Simone with Nicola Scott (and Cliff Chiang covers, at least for the first couple of issues)! And Catman and Deadshot go shopping for ice cream for Scandal's birthday. And because Deadshot is hilarious.

Manhunter #34

Why?: Because this series is great and if you don't buy it they will take it away again.

Amazing Spider-Man #570

Why?: Venom vs Venom...and it doesn't even suck! Plus Romita Jr's been rocking the art.

AND ALSO...

Showcase Presents Superman Volume 4

Why?: Because the cover is worth $16.99 alone. Look at it! I could look at that all day.

And besides that, it's 500 pages and every single panel will blow your mind.

How's this for a new format? I want to do weekly comic reviews, but I don't have time for all the scanning that I used to do. I also don't have the webspace for it anymore.

This Week's Haul: Grab Bag Week

Every four to five weeks or so I hit what I call the 'grab bag week.' This was one of those weeks. The big titles this week were, of course Buffy and Dark Tower, but since I don't read those I get an odd selection of sidekicks and minor characters. With a couple of notable Marvel exceptions.

Nightwing #145

This has actually turned itself into a really good Bat title. The current storyline is totally messed up and insane, but very fun. And the Morales art has been fantastic.

This issue is also monumental because, I believe, it's the first time I've seen the word 'vaginally' in a mainstream superhero comic. And it's not even used the way you'd expect in a Nightwing comic!

Robin/Spoiler Special

As I mentioned in the comment section of the last post, I don't really care one way or the other about the lack of memorial in the Batcave for poor Stephanie Brown. I liked her as a character, I hated everything about the War Games storyline, and I am glad that she's back. I think the whole "Hey guys! I faked my own death! Leslie helped!" return is pretty lazy, but I forgive it. I kinda feel the same way about it that I do about Brand New Day: I don't care how they did it, as long as they fixed it.

So this comic was pretty good. Two stories, both by Chuck Dixon and both with great art. I enjoy Robin and Spoiler together. It's got a nice old school Robin/Batgirl feel. Stephanie is the Barbara to Tim's Dick.

Wait. That didn't come out right.

Secret Invasion #3

Alright, here we go.

So, is Tony Stark a Skrull or what? And if he is, is that good or bad? I mean, obviously that's an easy way to explain away why he's such a douche now, but at the same time...

Well, either way, Yu has been at the top of his game with the art on this series so far. And I'll say this: whatever is happening in this whole Secret Invasion thing, it's holding my interest. Keep it up, Marvel!

Jonah Hex #32

Matador vs Bull!

Bear vs Bull!

Hex vs Bull!

Hex vs Scum Bag!

And all with fabulous Jordi Bernet art! Darwyn Cooke is doing the art for the next issue, in which Hex travels to Canada! I can't wait! I'll bet Darwyn draws some attractive mounties!

Justice Society of America #16

I really like comics/television episodes where the characters are granted wishes, so I really enjoyed this.

Damage gets his face fixed! Yay!

Lookin' good, buddy! We should introduce Gog to Jonah Hex.

Overall, I'm not super into this whole Kingdom Come storyline, but I really like this big, happy Gog.

And I like that Black Adam is working his way back into a JSA title.

Midnighter #20

This is a the final issue in a story that, I'm just gonna say it, got pretty bland after Giffen took over. Love Giffen, but this just wasn't a good run. This series started with a fantastic Ennis story about traveling through time to kill Hitler, and continued to be very good until the latest storyline. This issue, however, was pretty good. Certainly very violent, which is the reason to read Midnighter comics.

I am sorry it's canceled because I was hoping for a day that it would get awesome again. Oh well. If only the Morrison/Ha Authority comics would ever continue.

Justice League Unlimited #46

Another final issue. I find it sad when an all-ages title bites the dust, but I guess it's inevitable when the series has been off the air for several years. And, really, the series was more for nerdy adults than kids anyway. The end of this series means the end of the fantastic institution that is Justice League Unlimited. A great show, and a fun comic. This issue, much like every issue of this series, probably had too much going on in it for young kids, which is why Super Friends makes a lot more sense as an all-ages title. But it did make me think that a Green Lantern Corps cartoon series/all-ages comic would be a great idea. I mean, come on...Gnort? Gnort is made for all-ages reading!

Trinity #1

I love the cover because Superman is all "My logo's in focus! Bam!" As an aside...I really hate that Trinity logo. It's like "We need a logo for this series...pile them all on top of each other! No wait...that looks weird...um, blur the bottom two."

I had pretty low expectations for this, after the crushing disappointment that was Countdown. This wasn't bad though. At worst, it was boring. And that's just how I felt. Maybe I just don't have the energy for another weekly. The issue was fine, I just didn't read it and think "Sign me up for another 51 issues of this!"

The Amazing Spider-Man #561

This was SO GOOD. Really, there are no complaints at all about this series so far coming from me. Especially if they are putting people like Marcos Martin on art. (It should come as no surprise that I am a huge fan of Batgirl: Year One).

I never thought I would say this, but Spider-Man is now one of my favourite titles. And JLA is one of my least favourite. What crazy, upside-down times we live in.

Sorry these reviews are so late this week. I was having some computer troubles. Better late than never though, right? And I am trying really hard to not make it never.