Every week we at Geekanerd rip panels from our comics and put them on display here, recognizing the best, worst, and weirdest moments of the week. Beware some major SPOILERS.
Click the pics for high res goodness!
Only In Comics: Hack/Slash #11
You know you're reading a comic book when a girl like that gives a look like that to a dude wearing a replica Star Trek uniform. Also unlikely; that a guy with such model-esque looks would be wearing a Star Trek uniform in the first place. But this part of why we read comics; they're better than real life.
After the jump, farewell to Countdown and Bruce Wayne just like we like him; violently insane!
Writer Self-Commentary: Countdown #1
This may not in fact be meta-commentary, but I'd guess that many folks on the Countdown team are glad to be done with what must have been a pretty unrewarding book to work on. That and Donna and Co's laughably self-important hero stances makes me think that Ray Palmer speaks for the DC creatives as well as DC readers.
Best Actor: Bruce Wayne, Batman #675
These panels could also be filed under our "Clearest Example of Batman's Insanity" catagory, but I really want to give props to artist Ryan Benjamin, whose work I've had problems with in the past, but who really brings it with his depiction of Bruce Wayne going from smarmy jerk to monstrous bat-demon.
First we get several of these shit-eating grins as Bruce attempts to smooth things over with his girlfriend...
But as she presses him on his increasingly evident dark side, the cracks begin to show...
This pic is a little silly, but I love how Bruce's bulk is accentuated and his eyes are just black silvers of nothingness...almost fully into Bat territory here...
One terrorist attack later, Bruce goes Bat for reals, sans costume. Nothing scarier than Batman with out the cowl.
This classic splash panel makes no apologies. Lightning crashing in the night sky before the bat signal? I'll take it!
Read More...
Summary only...
Short comic reviews based on initial, lizard-brain opinions. There are probably some spoilers herein. Arranged from BEST to WORST.
Batman #675 gets an A from AHR
Excellent emotionally-charged art from Ryan Benjamin, and a story from Grant Morrison that on one hand feels like covered ground (Bruce's girlfriend senses a dark side), but on the other is done with a raw sense of urgency and ugliness that indicates a very dark road to come in the R.I.P. storyline.
Hack/Slash #11 gets an A from AHR
I dropped off this book for a while cause I thought it was getting a little cheeseball. But this issue is great; it picks up on old plot threads, yet also has a simple, impacting done-in-one storyline. It's nowhere near as depressing as the last issue, but still maintains some emotional depth around main character Cassie, who is thoughtful and reserved about her sexuality in a way that's highly unusual for an ass-kicking comic heroine to be. I'm hooked again.
Ultimate Spider-Man #121, Fall of Cthulhu #11, The Spirit #16, Countdown #01 and Flash Gordon #0 all after the jump!
Ultimate Spider-Man #121 gets an A from Albo
I haven't read an issue of this comic since the first couple of years it was on the stands. I never could get past Bagley's art to fully enjoy Bendis' great storytelling. Now Bagley is gone and the team of Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger are producing some really great stuff. They are capable of drawing teenage kids that actually look like teenage kids and have oodles of personality. Oh yeah, and Bendis is still a great writer.
Fall of Cthulhu #11 gets a B from Albo
I picked up Cthulhu Tales on a whim last week and really enjoyed it, so I took a chance and hopped onto this book to see if it provided the same level of solid horror storytelling. The verdict: Pretty much. It doesn't really do anything new, but the ominous sense that the people in this small town are about to face some truly horrific shit provides a chilly enjoyment.
The Spirit #16 gets a C from Albo
*Sigh* I miss Darwyn Cooke. This tale is such a by-the-numbers murder mystery you wonder why they bothered.
Countdown #01 gets a D+ from AHR
This issue opens with Jimmy Olsen recounting a bad dream in which he was given the impossible task of writing a good story about the post-52 multiverse. Get it? Bet the fans who bought this crap every week for a year are loving that one. Though apparently Harley and Holly Robinson are living together now, so maybe it was all worth it.
Flash Gordon #0 gets an F from Albo
Oh God why? The storytelling in this preview book is nonsense. The art looks like the anime crap you can find painstakingly scrawled on notepaper in every high school in America. And not content to just draw poorly, the artist reuses the same drawings over and over again. Not in succession or for comedic effect but just whenever he doesn't have the energy to draw a character's face again. Which for some reason is a lot. You'll see what I mean when we do Panel Discussion this weekend.
Read More...
Summary only...
Every week Geekanerd brings you the best, worst and weirdest panels from our week in comics. If you didn't read your books, there will be giant SPOILERS. Click the images for high res action!
Best Moves - Detective Comics #843
AHR: Zatanna kicks ass in this issue. So she's hanging out with Bruce at a party, and someone asks if they're an item, and he's all, "NO WAI!" And she's like, "O RLY?"
Man, how are you going to be that cavalier about asking out Batman? Do the words severe dissociative disorder mean anything to her? But seriously, Dini's run on Detective has featured a lot of great work on recovering relationship between these two, so I buy it. And there's a nice visual touch in the first panel - instead of asking Bruce to hand her a glass of water, she levitates it over to herself. Pretty cool customer.
More Zatanna, plus a racist vampire, an awesome comic cover and more after the jump!
Best Comeback - Zatanna, Detective Comics #843
AHR: This is just a good line any time someone tries to stick you with a label. I'm gonna remember it. Although it probably doesn't pack as much of a punch if one of the other things you are isn't a magician who can zap people's brains if she feels like it.
Coolest Development - Secret Invasion #1
Albo: The only interesting thing that really happened in the first issue of Marvel's newest big event was this panel--a Skrull ship crash lands on Earth, and when Luke Cage pries it open a bunch of throwback heroes flow out saying things like "At last we're back!" Are they Skrulls? Are they the real deal and their counterparts the Skrulls? Or are they time-displaced heroes destined to team up with their current time counterparts against a massive Skrullian menace? Who the heck knows, but I can't wait to find out. (Ooh, I hope they're the real deal)
Best Acting - Xander and Renee, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8: #10
AHR: When Xander and his slayer GF Renee go to visit Dracula, it quickly devolves into a melange of awkwardness. Dracula calls Renee a "moor", which is what they're reacting to in this first panel. Wonderful facial expressions here, also great nervous hand gesture from Xander.
Before long Xander is back under Dracula's ledgendary thrall, as Renee facepalms...
This next panel is the height of comedy as far as I'm concerned...
Xander's blithe expression and Renee's goggle-eyed take are absolutely perfect.
And much later, as Dracula learns of some Japanese vamps stealing his powers...
Facepalm again! I love when artists use dot-eyes for really silly gags. Let's hear it for Georges Jeanty!
Worst Dialogue - Countdown #4
AHR: "Like, totally ohmygosh you guys! I'm so sweet and innocent I can't even take the Lord's name in vain when the world is ending! Even though I get my powers from a number of Greek gods!" Where are the editors on this book? Honestly, who's minding the store?
Albo: Could it also be some writer self-commentary on the reviled series?
Sweetest Cover - Omega: The Unknown #7
Albo: Gary Panter really comes through in his artist guest spot, not only contributing a sweet ass comic within a comic but also the best cover of the series... Or any series in recent memory, for that matter.
Most Horrific Plot Development - The Walking Dead #48
AHR: For all the hemming and hawing over at Marvel about how Secret Invasion "CHANGES EVERYTHING", the developments of Walking Dead #48 make all the stuff at Marvel seem like small potatoes. For the last several years, The Walking Dead has been a story about a band of families, lovers and strangers, forced together by the need to survive. After this issue, in which about half of the cast dies including the hero's wife and new baby, I have to believe much of the rest of this book is going to be about grief.
Most Effective Small Talk Killer - American Splendor #1
Albo: Can't say the guy's off base. If anyone needs a little perspective it's Harvey Pekar.
Read More...
Summary only...
Every week we at Geekanerd rip panels from our comics and put them on display here, recognizing the best, worst, and weirdest moments of the week. Click the pics for high res goodness, and beware SPOILERS.
Best Action Sequence - The Goon #20
We love colorist Dave Stewart here at Geekanerd. These muted sepia tones elevate Eric Powell's pencils from awesome to stunning. Not to mention these panels feature a man fighting bird monsters in the air, while being hung. And he wins!
Hit the jump for Nazi lechers, alien exhibitionists, bratty superheroes and more...
World's Second Greatest Detective - The Twelve #1
The setup here is that this guy is a WWII superhero who was frozen at the end of the war and just unfrozen by the US Military in 2008. They haven't broken the news to him yet, but we've got a sharp one here and he knows something is up.
Banana Randomizer Award For Achievement in WTF - Countdown #16
That's a horrible comeback. Kit Fisto 1, Jason Todd 0.
Bad Touch - The Twelve #1
We all know Nazis are bad dudes, but groping an unconscious superheroine? Inexcusable. As well as extremely random.
Embarrassed For Everyone Award - Countdown #16
This maybe already be the worst comic book panel of the year. Pink naked alien girl with breasts bigger than her head, check. A thin line of steam shooting out of the bathroom to cover her vagina (or something), check. Giant floppy cartoon antennae, check. The line "I owe you a boon." I can't check that one off because my hands are busy clawing my eyes out.
Peter Parker is a Brat - Amazing Spider-Man #546
It appears that removing Mary Jane from Peter Parker's life has made him revert to an impulsive, bratty teenager. Exhibit A: 
"For once I'll be the hero?" Surely he got over this kinda crap a long time ago. Exhibit B:
This isn't how Aunt May and Uncle Ben raised Pete. This is some crazy Spider-Man 3 "Tobey Maguire Goes Wild" Spider-Man. Seriously, "I made you!"? Really? As much as I liked seeing him finally tell off J.J.J., it doesn't seem true to character. He's not even under any stress.
Superman Ex Machina - Green Arrow/Black Canary #4
So what's going on here is Green Arrow is calling Superman's name from the other side of the planet to get his help. This being possible raises some important questions: How are we meant to feel any sort of danger in any DC superhero comic now that we know all anyone has to do is ask (loudly) and Superman will stop what he's doing and come to the rescue? And why haven't people been doing this all along? Have they just been too stubborn to ask for help from Superman? Even when people are dying? What babies. Secondly, if his hearing is really that good, has Supes just learned to tune out every one of the millions of people screaming for help across the globe everyday?
Stupid Stupid Comic Artists - Hulk #1
Ok, the Hulk is wielding a gun. Your first question should be "Where does he find a gun big enough for his meaty Gamma-irradiated fingers?" Luckily for you, Iron Man reveals on the next page that S.H.I.E.L.D. in fact makes guns that large. Your second question should be "Ok, I can see S.H.I.E.L.D. making big guns, but why in flaming flip would it be a six-shooter revolver?!"
Fanboy Wet Dream - Mighty Avengers #7
Yeah yeah, New York pedestrians have turned into an army of Venoms and Carnages . On a side note, has it ever been explained why the symbiote didn't give Peter Parker big jaws and a giant tongue?
Most Chilling Image - Killing Pickman #2
I wrote a review for this issue on Wednesday, but scrapped it cause I couldn't do proper justice to the exquisite fusion of text and art that's being put out in this book. The purely expressionistic splatter of red makes this otherwise innocent image one of the most haunting in an book with enough dark, disturbing imagery to go around.
Now That's Comedy - Simon Dark #4
HAHAHAHA! We don't see this gag enough in comics.
Read More...
Summary only...
Albo is shirking his blogging responsibilities this week, so Panel Discussion this week is all AHR, which roughly translates to all DC. Hoo boy. Get ready for some goofy, wacky, and bizarrely violent crap! Also, huge spoilers for last week's comics after the jump...
Meme Alert: Countdown - Arena #2
That's Earth 32's Bruce Wayne, and of course what he means is "I'm the goddamn green lantern." Putting damn in bold won't make up for the PG rated swears, DC.
Enough Already! - Countdown #20
So on his blog, Paul Dini said that since Trickster recently died of a smashed face, "Piper won't have to listen to gay jokes anymore". He LIED to us, readers! Unable to cope with the lost of his boorishly gaycist non-friend, Piper has resorted to talking to Trickster's corpse and making gay jokes about himself. Make it stop.
The Banana Randomizer Award For Achievement in WTF: Wonder Woman #15
Silly nazis; if you go poking around in an Amazonian horse stable, don't look surprised when you find a vagina-with-teeth tentacle monster. Try to die with dignity.
Less Is More Award - Simon Dark #3
Comics have the habit of cluttering up the frames with extraneous sound effects and non verbal exclamations like "Wh-" or "Hhn?". A good facial expression and a sharp panel composition can speak volumes all by themselves, as shown by this completely "silent" sequence which perfectly evokes Simon's unnatural stealth. The art in this book has been fantastic for all three issues, I hope it finds an audience soon.
Beatdown of the Week: The Joker vs Booster Gold, Booster Gold #5
Booster time travels into the Killing Joke to try to save Barbara Gorden's spine (and make a lot of comic fans very happy), and succeeds only in getting beat across the face with his own adorable robot pal. Where is your futuristic artillery now, Skeets? Even AI gets flustered around the Joker.
Biggest Set Up: Green Arrow - Black Canary #3
Ollie, please! "Safe"? Don't say things like that. You're a Superhero. A DC Superhero. Your loved ones are not safe. Oh well, it's not as if some sort of hand-of-god lightning bolt is going to come down and...
...right. As much as I usually love Cliff Chiang's smooth cartoony art (not to mention Trish Mulvihill's exquisite colors), the horrified expressions here are a little reserved given the situation. Canary and Speedy seem to be wearing looks of "Is he alright?" His ribcage is showing, ladies, that's a bad sign.
Read More...
Summary only...
Clearest Example Of Batman's Insanity - Justice League of America Wedding Special, #1
Okay, Batman, seriously, TURN IT OFF. You don't need to be deducing whether or not Green Arrow wants strippers at his bachelor party. And PS - he doesn't?! WTF? Granted, most of the JLA women wear what amount to stripper outfits on a day-to-day basis, so maybe it just seemed redundant.
Most Self-Satisfied Kid - Parade (With Fireworks) #1
This character design is priceless. Those floppy arms and legs, the slightly menacing shadow on the eyes, the huge chair. Life is good. But in a comic, you know such a smug tyke is clearly destined for some reverses. But at least when things turn ugly, he'll always have the memory of that sweet curtain.
Beatdown of the Week - Black Adam Vs Yeti, Black Adam #2
Memo to me: never, never, never come between Black Adam and a backpack full of his dead wife's remains. I like my intestines right where they are.
Best Father-Son Moment - Daredevil #100
Daredevil #100 was awash with fantastic art, but it was this dream sequence where Battlin' Jack Murdock gives Matt some suitably wizened advice that really got me. See Double D? All you needed to work out your relationship/daddy issues was a forcible hallucinogenic drug injection.
Best Save - Superman, Black Adam #2
I give Superman a lot of crap, but every now and then he actually uses his ridiculously powerful powers to do something impressive. Here, he saves an Innocent family from two stray bullets by zapping them in mid-air, leaving this charming pseudo-ethnic family free to enjoy their dinner and prime-time TV in peace. And...*sniff*...they'll never even know know what Superman did for them....that man is a saint.
Best Explanation - Countdown #33
Bruce Wayne + Cave, Utility Belt & Cash Monies = BAT. Hush is like, "Of course!"
Read More...
Summary only...
Geekanerd brings you the week's most notable comic book panels. Spoiler Alert for those who haven't read their books yet.
Wackiest Plan - Metal Men #2
That's what I call teamwork! If saving the day demands you pop a giant balloon monster, you might as well do it with style.
Biggest Fake-Out - The Incredible Hulk #110
Oh Noes! The Incredibly Angry Hulk just killed his teenaged pal Amadeus! And an adorable puppy! Look, you can even see the blade of the big Final Fantasy sword poking out the back of the kid's jacket, hewn fibers and all! C'mon everyone, let's start a letter-writing campaign, this level of Hulk-on-Puppy violence is unacceptable...*turns the page*....oh. Never mind.
No Comment Award - Countdown #34
Okay, this time I really have no comment. Except: Poor Piper.
Most Severe Beatdown - King Karateka, Lucha Libre #1
When a book stars five dudes who model themselves after the heroes of Mexican "free wrestling", you know you're going to see some good fights. There are plenty of awesome moves being perpetrated against these werewolves, but the start of the fight is King Karaterka, the guy in white. Look at those holds! That can't be legal! And this certainly must be against regulations...
Best Spin On A Classic - Metal Men #2
Duncan Rouleau is doing wonderful things with the art in the new Metal Men series. The first two issues have featured a retro-futuristic feel, as seen here in his interpretation of a classic "evil lair on a hill". Nothing like making an old favorite feel new again.
Best and Worst Actor Award - Night Thrasher and Tempest, New Warriors #4
Here are two great examples of character's reacting to another character's death - one is effective, the other, not so much.
Artist Paco Medina manages to nail shock and horror using only Night Thrasher's eyes, but Tempest, well...that's more of an "Aww, man!" or "What the F, you guys?!" face than a "NoOOOoOOo" face. To be fair, I'm sure it's hard to draw a good "NooOOoOO" face. You don't see many of them in real life. Unless you have a really intense life.
Read all of our past Panel Discussions!
Read More...
Summary only...
Geekanerd's Snap Judgments gives you Triple-S comic reviews: short, sweet, and spoiler-free.
Countdown #34 (DC)
Thought I'd give this title another chance. Aaaand it let me down again.
Things started out promisingly enough, with Batman interrogating Piper and Trickster. The Bat's rooftop shakedowns rarely disappoint. But this spark of excitement is soon extinguished, and we're soon wading through boring fake science talk, two scenes that take place in laboratories, Clarion the Witchboy looking like a drag queen, and Holly Robinson fighting Harley Quinn in Gladiatorial Combat. Actually that last part was okay. But still no bang for your buck. Wake me when Eclipso comes back.
Hope Springs Eternal - Disappointment + Harley Kicking Holly Robinson in the Face = C-
Reviews for The Boy #10 and Lucha Libre #1 (awesome) after the jump...
The Boys #10 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Now that this arc is over, I can finally stop buying this book. Not that I haven't been enjoying The Boys - it's been fun, but when reading a hard, nasty series like this, I'd prefer to revel in the opulence of a trade paperback, rather than lurch along every month with single-servings of depravity. But that's just me.
This issue lacked the head-busting finale I was expecting, and continued with an annoying habit of playing gotcha games with certain character's perceived homophobia. I'm all for defying expectations, but how many times do we need to be told that men who use gay epithets may not, in fact, hate gay people after all? Wow, the more you know! On the plus side, this issue features a wonderfully over-the-top epilogue that encapsulates the series' attitude towards super heroes, and for once doesn't involve a splash page of a woman being sexually assaulted. It involves something getting sexually assaulted, but I wouldn't want to spoil the details of that whimsical surprise.
Unsatisfying Mystery Solved - More Lessons + A Touch of Humanity + Absurdist Perversity = C+
Lucha Libre #1 (Image)
It's a good time for Latino characters in comic books. Jaimie Reyes (Blue Beetle) is the best written teen character in the DC Universe, Renee Montoya is getting her own sexy, sexy series, and now we've got Lucha Libre, a slam-bang cartoon style series about five Mexican dudes in wrestling masks who fight monsters in East L.A. I hasten to add that none of these books are in fact written by Latinos, but...well...let's focus on the positive here.
Written by Jerry Frissen, ish #1 introduces a huge cast of characters, including an evil bug-eyed Elvis impersonator, stereo-stealing werewolves, bickering aliens, and of course our heroes, the Luchadores Five. The unblinking absurdity never seems forced, and the tone recalls the comedic glory of Sam and Max, and that, my amigos, is high praise indeed.
Even more impressive is the art, drawn and colored by Bill. Just Bill. His backgrounds are beautifully detailed, and his more subtle depictions of the characters go a long way in supplying some of the depth that can feel lacking in Frissen's writing.
Rockin' Toon Art + Bonkers Plot + Great Extra Story - A Wee Bit Light on Characterization = A-
Read More...
Summary only...
Best Way of Illustrating the Passage Of Time: Welcome To Tranquility, #11
The Coyote Kid lives as long as he hates the monsters that killed his family, and this hilarious panel illustrates the kind of beasts he's run afoul of every two decades or so. Werewolf Gangsters in the 20s, Nazi Vampires in the 40s, Hippie Swamp Thing in the 60s, and worst of all, the dreaded 80's Guy. "HERE'S MY CARD...WE'LL DO LUNCH."
Mixing Bid'ness With Pleasure Alert: Countdown #39
Hmm, what's with that expensive-looking redhead in the foreground? Could it be Kate Kane, AKA The Batwoman, who appears moments later outside the Iceberg Lounge with her partner (in crime fighting), Renee "The Question" Montoya? Ladies, you two are both new at the alter-ego thing, I know, but when staking-out a restaurant, try to resist the temptation to dine together in that restaurant. To their credit, though, neither appears to have actually touched their wine (good for you, ex-alcoholic Renee!).
Best Visual Framing Device: Metal Men #1
While still maintaining the the classic Dave Gibbonesque 3x3 panel scheme, Duncan Rouleau allows the action within the panels to spill out across the page, while tying whole thing together with a cool, retro-futuristic gear-motif. Click to savor the page in detail.
Most Reassuring Sign that Hulk Won't Kill Us All: Ant-Man #11
This conversation takes place weeks after World War Hulk and confirms that not EVERYONE dies at the Hulk's hands. Double spoiler: Iron Man shows up later in the ish!
Most Embarrassing Confession: Tony Stark in Illuminati #4
Related: More of Geekanerd's Panel Discussions
Read More...
Summary only...
Guest Writer Gotham Gal brings you some sassitude highlights in the career of hard boiled detective, Renee Montoya.
She cuts through all the red-tape BS.
She’s all, it’s the 21st century, bitch.
This is sass without a shirt on.
I love a good gay guilt harangue.
This is some mild sass cause she doesn’t want to overplay her hand with red.
Her doodles were really cute. But her sass, that ain’t cute at all.
Read More...
Summary only...
SPOILER ALERT: Some panels contain plot points...those who haven't read their books this week should beware.
INAPPROPRIATE FUNERAL BEHAVIOR: Countdown #43
Faux Pas abound at Bart Allen's funeral. This segment comes in three parts:
Part One: Things Not to Bring to a Funeral
Intent on bringing something to entertain herself during gray-haired Jay Garrick's long-winded eulogy, Ravager settles on her... muscle massager.
Continued after the jump.
Part Two: Things Not to Wear to a Funeral
Namely, civvies that look exactly like your supervillain costume:
Voicemail From Trickster to Pied Piper:
"Hey P, just wanted to remind you, the funeral is today if you want to go. Not sure what the mood there is gonna be like, but we should probably play down the supervillian thing. I think the days of going out to dinner in full costume are pretty much over. Still, I'm going to wear a hat with my colors just to keep it real, so I don't know, maybe you could get like a green tie or something. Just remember the idea is not be recognized, so for the love of God, do NOT wear something that looks exactly like your costume. Kay, see you at three thirty."
Part Three: Things Not to Say at a Funeral 
MOST NSFW REUNION: Y The Last Man #57
Kind of like the "Nice to see you again, let's hump like bunnies" reunion of Jesse Custer and Tulip in the final story arch of Preacher, except way naughtier. Yorick and Beth are naked for no less than seven pages of this book. Definitely not one to read on public transportation. Or in a restaurant. Or around loved ones. Or anywhere but alone at home. With a flashlight under your blankets.
BEST SOCIAL APPLICATION OF A SUPERPOWER: Irredeemable Ant-Man #10
Now that's a hard argument to rebut. Thankfully for our hero, The Incredibly Upset Hulk lands his spaceship just in time.
MOST GRUESOME, SHOCKING CONCLUSION: Astounding Wolf-Man #2
And everything seemed to be going so well...
Seemingly well-adjusted werewolf Gary goes into a bit of a freak-out and executes a Robert Kirkman trademark: the shocking disemboweling punch from someone thought to be a good guy.
Link: More of Geekanerd's Panel Discussions
Read More...
Summary only...
As always, Snap Judgements gives you Triple-S comic reviews: short, sweet, and spoiler-free.
You know you're reading a comic book when a girl like that gives a look like that to a dude wearing a replica Star Trek uniform. Also unlikely; that a guy with such model-esque looks would be wearing a Star Trek uniform in the first place. But this part of why we read comics; they're better than real life.
This may not in fact be meta-commentary, but I'd guess that many folks on the Countdown team are glad to be done with what must have been a pretty unrewarding book to work on. That and Donna and Co's laughably self-important hero stances makes me think that Ray Palmer speaks for the DC creatives as well as DC readers.
First we get several of these shit-eating grins as Bruce attempts to smooth things over with his girlfriend...
But as she presses him on his increasingly evident dark side, the cracks begin to show...
