Buy These Flippin Comics!!! (9.11.13) Die-Hard With A Vengeance
One of the great things about comics is the medium’s penchant for reinterpretation and reinvention. An endless catalogue of characters, fictitious and real, lie dormant in old books and film, waiting for another chance to tell their story. Hit the jump and let’s discuss a few of those appearing in comics this week, and I PROMISE I won’t make another crappy Die Hard reference!
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Prophet #39 – Image Comics
What Brandon Graham has done in the pages of this book is nothing short of remarkable, and I don’t think gets enough credit, though it does seem to be THE book creators and industry professionals point to as one of the best books on the shelves at the moment. Let’s set aside that it is a fantastic space epic, a futuristic spin on Robert Howard’s Conan, full of weird ideas, boundlessly imaginative alien worlds, creative language, and tense action sequences. Let us also set aside that Graham has had the immense creative talents of folks like Simon Roy, Giannis Milonogiannis, Farel Dalrymple, and Fil Barlow to assist him on the book, each bringing a different look and feel to every issue. Or that each issue contains a separate and unrelated back-up sci-fi story, giving the entire book the feel of old sci-fi mags like Heavy Metal or 2000AD. What most impresses me about this book is the fact that Brandon Graham has resurrected a character and universe that most had written off. In Graham’s hands the retread and stale Rob Liefeld creations have found new life, and in fact have even flourished and become richer than even the great Alan Moore could manage when he was on the Youngblood title. Slowly, and miraculously, Graham and Co. have drawn us back into Liefeld’s bizarre be-pouched world, without us even realizing it, adding layers and layers of development on characters that most considered unworthy of the process. Reinterpretation and reinvention are hallmarks of the medium, and in no book is this truer than in Prophet.
In this issue Graham is joined by a slew of guest artists to chronicle the long life of Liefeld’s creation Die-Hard (robot Deadpool, guys), so expect to see panels from James Stokoe, Malachi Ward, Matt Sheean and many more. NOTE – You do not need to know anything about Liefeld’s creations to read this book, but it does add a lot of flavor and a bit of nostalgia. Primarily, though, this is a sprawling sci-fi yarn that works great on its own.
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Avengers #19 – Marvel NOW
I think it’s safe to say that Infinity is a bona-fide hit, right? The Marvel U seems on the precipice in Hickman’s hands. Not just one but several forces work to harry the heroes, and though all NEVER seems lost, the hour is, indeed, a dark one. Half of the Avengers looked to be either dead or captured at the end of Infinity #2, and this chapter we see what happened to those folks. Expect breakout Infinity star, Captain Marvel, to shine here.
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X-Men #5 – Marvel NOW
So those kooky young lovebirds Scott and Jean (the past versions of them) are on the lam in present day, now being hounded by the present day X-Men, the future X-men, and probably some third as-yet-unseen faction (remember the Sentinels?). Fans of the X-corner of the Marvel U should have been fuggin thrilled at the events of part two of “Battle of the Atom,” and hopefully part 3 (this ish) carries that momentum forward.
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True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #4 (of 6) – Dark Horse Comics
Do I need to say more than “porno droids on the run?” No? Good. You folks that love classic sci-fi with pop sensibilities need to be reading this.
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Mighty Avengers #1 – Marvel NOW
I doubt I’ll be picking this book up right away…I’ll likely be waiting until word of mouth demands it, but it IS an Infinity tie-in, and the line-up seems interesting and promising. Luke Cage is BACK! And so is Power Man? Plus Photon/Capt. Marvel/Whoever-She-Is-Now is on the team, and I’ve always had a thing for her. Yeah, I said a “thing.” As in, she makes my bathing suit tighter. Anywho, this new Avengers squad forms to face off against one of the Cull Obsidian. It doesn’t matter which one. They won’t lose.
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Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography (10th Anniversary Edition TP) – Drawn & Quarterly
This is a must-have for fans of cartooning and history buffs alike. Chester Brown’s meticulously researched and beautifully drawn biopic is one of the highlights of the comic medium. Critically praised for its subtlety and non-sensational (is that a word?) portrayal of a divisive Canadian political/spiritual leader Louis Riel, this biopic is a surprisingly engaging read for people who are devoid of any knowledge of Canadian history (and who isn’t, amirite? It’s pretty much a land of myth, like Narnia, ain’t it?). I’ve read this book a couple times now and each time it reminds me of the versatility of comic books to tell stories in such a unique fashion. Louis Riel is a must own.
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That’s gonna do it for me this week, but I know that there are several other books coming out that demand our attention (Matt Kindt in the Marvel U? – Yep!), so hit us up in the comments section and let us know what we missed!
Til next week! Seek Rest Out!