Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes #1

October 31, 2011

Writer: Chris Roberson
Pencils: Jeffrey Moy
Inks: Philip Moy
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer: Robbie Robbins
Cover Artist: Phil Jimenez
Editor: Chris Ryall
Publisher: IDW Publishing/DC Comics

In the 23^rd Century, the planet Earth has become the seat of the Imperial Planets, a powerful force that sets out to subjugate any race that doesn’t join it. But that’s just the future of one universe. In another 23^rd Century, the United Federation of Planets is a peaceful organization that explores the stars, and in a third world’s 30^th century, the United Planets are defended by the valiant Legion of Super-Heroes, In the first issue of this awesome crossover, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise are tossed to an alternate world, one that melds elements of their own universe with that of the Legion. Meanwhile, Cosmic Boy and a team of Legionnaires, attempting time travel, are dropped into the same alternate 23^rd century. The question of how the two groups of heroes arrived there and why the world has changed around them hangs in the air, but the first question is one of survival. This book is fun on so many levels. First of all, just seeing these two groups of science fiction legends thrust together is a lot of fun, even if they don’t actually interact yet in this issue. It’s also fun to examine the strange, blended universe Chris Roberson has constructed. DCU fans and Trekkers alike will find elements of their universes clipped together like some sort of twisted jigsaw, which (let’s be honest here) is the sort of thing we geeks always love to do. Jeffrey Moy and Philip Moy give us good depictions of both groups, making them look fairly natural together, although the Phil Jimenez cover really makes you wish you could see him do a full story with these groups some time.

Rating: 9/10

Recent Reviews: September 21 & 28 Releases

I’m just realizing I neglected to do a “recent reviews” post last Tuesday. It was a busy day, sorry about that. So here are my recent reviews from CXPulp.com for the past two weeks, including a lot of New 52 and several other goodies.

• All-Star Western (2011) #1
• Avengers Academy #19
• Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #7
• Batman (2011) #1
• Blue Beetle (2011) #1
• Captain Atom (2011) #1
• Darkwing Duck (2010) #16
• DC Universe Presents #1
• Doctor Who (2011) #9
• Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #1
• Fables #109
• FF #9
• Ghostbusters (2011) #1
• Green Lantern Corps (2011) #1
• Green Lantern: New Guardians #1
• The Guild: Clara #1
• Justice League Dark #1
• Legion of Super-Heroes (2011) #1
• Nightwing (2011) #1
• The Red Wing #3
• Star Trek (2011) #1
• Supergirl (2011) #1
• Superman (2011) #1
• Teen Titans (2011) #1
• Voodoo (2011) #1
• Witch Doctor #3
• X-Men: Schism #4

PVP (2003 Series) #15

March 19, 2005

Quick Rating: Very Good

Francis embarks on a quest to make the greatest fan film of all time!

Writer: Scott Kurtz
Art: Scott Kurtz
Full Frontal Nerdity Back-Up: Aaron Williams
Cover Art: Scott Kurtz
Publisher: Image Comics

This issue of PVP marks the last issue in the current format of the book – Kurtz has announced that starting with next issue the comic will feature new long-form stories in addition to the reprints of the web comics, plus the comic will switch from “landscape” binding (staples at the top) to traditional side binding. And I’m happy about both of those changes. But to wrap up the current format, Kurtz couldn’t have picked two better PVP stories.

The first story in the issue is a takeoff on the real Batman: Dead End fan film that made the rounds of the Internet last summer and took the world of comicdom by storm. When Francis sees the film, which features Batman fighting an Alien, he comes up with a brainstorm: make the ultimate fan film. Batman, Star Wars, Star Trek and Indiana Jones are thrown together as he suits his friends up in costume and sets out to violate any number of copyrights in the quest of total geekdom.

I loved this storyline when it showed up on PVP Online and I love it even more in its collected edition. Francis is living every comic geek’s dream – to make a crossover movie with characters and ideas from a dozen different sources, and it’s as much fun to watch him try to make the film as it ever would have been to watch the movie itself.

The second storyline is a bit smaller, a bit more personal, and a lot sweeter. Francis rejects the idea of taking Marcy to the school dance, but is torn with jealousy when she decides to go with his arch-rival Teezo instead. What follows is your standard teenage angst romantic comedy, with Jade trying to get Marcy ready for the dance, Francis plotting ways to win her back, and Skull walking around in drag. Because it’s funny, that’s why.

This is probably the strongest issue of the regular comic yet, with two of the best stories – one that’s unparalleled in pure geekdom and one that’s surprisingly emotional and touching. Put ‘em together and you’ve got a really strong comic to do out on before the new PVP debuts next month.

Rating: 8/10

Infestation #2

April 29, 2011

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: David Messina
Art Assist: Claudia Balboni
Inks: Gaetano Carlucci
Colorist: ScarletGothica
Letterer: Robbie Robbins
Cover: David Messina
Editor: Chris Ryall & Tom Waltz
Publisher: IDW Publishing

The Infestation has come back home. The Undermind back in the world of Covert Vampire Operations is calling back the aspects of itself that infested the worlds of TransFormers, Star Trek, G.I. Joe and the Ghostbusters, building its power for one more bid to take over this world. But at least one member of CVO is willing to go to any lengths to stop that from happening. I’m a little disappointed with the end of this crossover, to be honest with you. The four different worlds into which the zombies reached don’t really have any impact on the conclusion to the storyline. I didn’t really expect to see Optimus Prime and Peter Venkman leaping through the dimensional portal and kicking ass alongside one another, but it seems like there should have been something gained by the Undermind through its contact with the other worlds. Instead, the four crossovers feel simply superfluous, without having any real impact on the world of the CVO. I am glad to see lasting implications for CVO itself, as the new series spinning out of this crossover seems like it will have been very heavily influenced by the crossover. If you’re not really a fan of the CVO franchise, though, it doesn’t give you much to cling to. Messina’s artwork isn’t bad at all, fortunately. The final confrontation looks really cool, with great color effects to help with the whole interdimensional doomsday thing. In the long run, the crossover was fun, but it doesn’t feel… significant. And that’s a shame.

Rating: 7/10

Ghostbusters: Infestation #1

March 27, 2011

Writer: Erik Burnham
Art: Kyle Hotz
Colorist: Dan Brown
Letterer: Chris Mowry
Cover: Kyle Hotz
Editor: Tom Waltz
Publisher: IDW Publishing

The zombie invasion has made its way into the world of the Ghostbusters, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. There’s been a rash of poltergeist attacks that have the unfortunate ability to defy the containment unit. It’s not a good time for zombies to attack – especially zombies that have a tendency to explode when blasted with a proton pack, spewing noxious, zombie-spawning goo all over everything.

I’ve read all of the Infestation books to date, and I really think this is the best one. Erik Burnham has mastered the voices of the Ghostbusters, seeding the book with just the right doses of comedy and terror in a perfect balance. The approach to the zombies, naturally, is also different for these characters than you get in the worlds of the TransFormers, Star Trek, or G.I. Joe. These guys are used to the supernatural. When your job is catching ghosts, dealing qith zombies really isn’t that much of a stretch. In fact, Egon pulls out a flawless examination of the plague of the undead that shows their relationship to the usual terrors the Ghostbusters deal with. Kyle Hotz helps boost an already-strong script with artwork that’s just as strong, again blending the horror and the humor in just the right doses. Infestation has been okay, but if all the crossovers had been like this, it could have been great.

Rating: 9/10

Star Trek: Infestation #1

February 20, 2011

Writer: Scott Tipton & David Tipton
Pencils: Gary Erskine
Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado
Letterer: Chris Mowry
Cover: John K. Snyder III & Jason Wright
Editor: Tom Waltz
Publisher: IDW Publishing

We join second of four universes invaded by the creatures of Zombies Vs. Robots in this issue. Set in that little-explored time between the first and second original series Star Trek movies, Admiral Kirk is travelling with Spock and McCoy to a colony world where McCoy is being honored for curing a deadly disease. After the Enterprise drops them off and heads away on a supply run, Kirk and company discover that a much deadlier disease has gripped the planet – a plague of the living dead. Unlike the TransFormers chapter of this crossover, the Tiptons don’t actually spend any time this issue discussing the backstory of the plague. There’s no reference to the CVO or alternate dimensions at all. If you were to pick this issue up independently of the other books, you’d just get a classic Star Trek series where they find a planet that’s full of zombies. Which, c’mon, is a cool enough idea by itself, right? The works out, although it does smack a bit of fanfic to see the three greatest icons of the original series facing off against a swarm of the undead. But as I’ve noted elsewhere, most of these “expanded universe” stories have kind of a fanfic flavor to them anyway, so there’s not really any harm in that. It’s weird and incongruous to see Spock shooting a phaser at a zombie, but it’s also a lot of fun for all that. This crossover is working for me.

Rating: 7/10

Infestation #1

February 3, 2011

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: David Messina & Elena Casagrande
Inks: Gaetano Carlucci
Colorist: ScarletGothica
Letterer: Robbie Robbins
Cover: Gabriel Rodriguez (Cover A); John K. Snyder (Cover B)
Editor: Chris Ryall & Tom Waltz
Publisher: IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing is finally bringing us their first-ever crossover, bringing together two of the company’s original properties and putting them on a collision course with four of their licensed properties. It’s an unprecedented sort of story, and the first issue is a lot of fun.

In the world of CVO: Covert Vampiric Operations, a team of vampires protect the human race from supernatural threats. They run into the greatest threat of all, however, when an interdimensional portal leads them to a world where a zombie plague not only is sweeping the human race, but has somehow gained the ability to infect electronic entities as well. That’s right: it’s the world of Zombies Vs. Robots. As CVO attempts to hold the line against the infestation, one of their own gets overwhelmed by the plague.

If you know anything about this series ahead of time, the end isn’t too much of a surprise. The dimensional rift splits, sending both the infected CVO member and the plague itself into four different dimensions, worlds we’ve seen in comics, movies and TV shows for years: TransFormers, Star Trek, G.I. Joe and the Ghostbusters. It’s a screwy idea, but we don’t quite get into that this month. The whole book is taken up with the CVO vs. Zombies routine, which is actually pretty good. I’ve never read either of the two original IDW titles that lead into this book, but the first issue makes me very much inclined to give CVO in particular a try. The concept of an “undermind” – a sort of controlling consciousness that propels the zombies and gains power the more undead there are – is a clever one that makes this story more than just your standard zombie fare. Abnett and Lanning, the masters of the cosmic adventure, bring a nice amount of horror story to this book. The assorted artists do have a solid, unified style, one that serves both the horror elements and the sci-fi.

I loved the idea of bringing these four properties together for such a strange crossover to begin with. I’m really glad it got off to a good start.

Rating: 7/10

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine-Fool’s Gold #1

December 19, 2009

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine-Fool’s Gold #1 (IDW Publishing)
By Scott & David Tipson, Fabio Mantovani & David Messina

Although I haven’t jumped full-bore into the IDW Star Trek comics, I decided to take a chance on Fool’s Gold. DS9 remains my favorite Trek series, and seeing the characters again was something that got me really excited. So I was a bit let down when I read this issue and found it to be just okay. The book is partially taken up by some establishing moments — newcomers to the station clue each other (and by proxy, the reader) into just what station Deep Space Nine is and how it came to be. We then get a quick overview of the characters and eventually find our way into the story. Apparently, there’s been a huge influx of people coming into the station lately, but nobody is leaving. While Sisko sees no problem, ever-suspicious Kira decides to look into the situation. The plot is fine, and I don’t even mind the recap, but some of the dialogue is a bit stilted and the artwork leaves something to be desired. Like a lot of TV and movie adaptations, the artist works hard to try to emulate the actors from the show, but loses some of the energy needed for a comic book in the process. It’s not bad, but DS9 deserves better.
Rating: 6/10

Somebody’s First Comic Book: Knights of the Dinner Table #105

Wondering what Somebody’s First Comic Book is all about? The explanation is on this page!

TITLE: The Incredible Hack

CREDITS:
Writers: Jolly R. Blackburn, Barb Blackburn, Noah J.D. Chinn & the Brothers Grinn
Artists: Jolly R. Blackburn, Bendon Fraim, Brian Fraim, Noah J.D. Chinn & the Brothers Grinn
Publisher: Kenzer and Company

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Nothing. It looks like this comic is making fun of The Hulk or something.

IMPRESSIONS: Okay, definitely not a Hulk parody, at least not any deeper than the cover. This thick book is actually half comic book, half magazine full of articles and features for different roleplaying games. Since I’ve been asked to read a comic book, I’ll pass on those other features and just give you my impressions of the comic stories.

Raise Yer Sights kicks off the issue with six pages of people sitting around a table talking about playing a western game. In fact “people sitting around a table talking about playing a game” is pretty much the high concept of this entire comic. There are some funny tidbits, but a lot of the jokes are going straight over my head. You’ve got to be part of the gamer mindset, I suppose, to get this stuff… and I am not.

Celebrity Hack, both features, is a little better. It’s still people sitting around a table, but it’s people I recognize – Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Mr. Spock, and one guy I think they call the Flash. It’s still a lot of gaming jokes, but familiarity with these characters makes them a bit funnier. (Apparently Batman carries around Kryptonite dice for just such an occasion.)

Then there’s On the Count of Three, which is probably the easiest-to-read story in the book (except the Celebrity ones), because it’s all about a group of gamers essentially plotting to screw one of their friends. Anybody can relate to that.

The next story is Fuzzy Knights of the Dinner Table, a story that’s pretty much identical to the others except that instead of drawings of people sitting around playing a game, the artwork is a series of photographs of stuffed animals sitting around playing a game. That one’s… weird. The Brothers Grinn end the book with “wrapping up,” which appears to be the story of some of the characters the other characters have been pretending to be.

This book may kill in the gamer market, but the jokes here just flew right past me. It wasn’t my sort of thing at all.

GRADE: C-