Comic Of The Week: 12302012

 

 

This week's pick is really a dual pick. Justice League #15 and Aquaman #15. The Throne of Atlantis storyline begins. The team still has trust issues, and Aquaman's brother, Orm, shows up questioning Arthur's loyalty to Atlantis. Oh yeah, and he does this while launching an attack on the surface world that was strategized by Aquaman himself!

You have to love how well the character is written as he struggles between both of his homelands.

The comics of the week are Justice League #15 and Aquaman #15. Pick them up at your local comic shop or on www.comixology.com.

LAW: 12302012

I'm being lazy today. Yeah. I've still got a few days left on my vacation. Lycurtis' Artist of the Week will actually be Michelle's Artist of the Week. I am letting Lois pick the artist. Her choice is Squeeze with Black Coffee In Bed. Enjoy!

Comic Of The Week: 12232012

Just a couple of days until Xmas, and this week's pick is apropos. Anyone who doesn't see the messianic / savior / baby Jeebus story in the Man of Steel's various origin stories is blind as a Bat(man).

So Comixology is having a Superman 101 sale on all things Kal-El. $0.99 issues of some of the best Superman stories ever written. Go on over and give it a look-see. You won't be disappointed. I wasn't.

I picked up the 2010 6-issue miniseries release of Geoff Johns' and Gary Frank's Superman: Secret Origin. Great read. Geoff Johns pulls in elements of old origin stories as well as weaving in some Smallville threads. Beautifully done. It also doesn't hurt that Gary Frank's depiction of Superman / Clark Kent is spot on with the Christopher Reeve portrayal. You can't help but hear the John Williams score when you read through some of this. Pulls a smile right out of you as you read it.

I'd say this is the best modern-day origin story for Superman. Sorry, DC New52, my Man of Steel will always wear his undies over his trunks and be a small-town Kansas farmboy. I appreciate what you're doing with the revamp. But this is classic Supes for this era right behind John Byrne's Man Of Steel from the 80s.

Pick up these six issues on Comixology.com. You won't regret it.

LAW: 12232012

This week's artist is a classic. Hall and Oates are one of my all-time favorite duos. Blue-eyed soulmen at their finest. I still remember the first time I heard this song back in 1981 on the radio. My cousins had come over to hang out, and we were hiding in the hallway listening to "grown folks' business" as our parents sat at the dining room table. Somehow the subject of demon possession came up among the adults. Yeah. No kidding. Scared the bejeezus out of me. This song was playing in the background. It's funny how we relate memories to our senses. To this day, I still can't help but listen to this song with dark and spooky overtones. I often wonder if the adults at the table knew we were hiding out eavesdropping and they let that subject slip to mess with our heads. 

Anyway. This is Hall & Oates with Kiss On My List. 


Kiss On My ListMy friends wonder why I call you all of the timeWhat can I sayI don't feel the need to give such secrets awayYou think maybe I need help, no I know I'm right all rightI'm just better off not listening to friends' advice
When they insist on blowing my blissI tell them thisWhen they want to know what the reason isI only smile when alive, and I tell them why

(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my listBecause (your kiss is on my list) of the best things in life(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list(Because your kiss) your kiss I can't resist(Because your kiss is what I miss) when I turn off the light

I go crazy wondering what there is to really seeDid the night just take up your time, 'cause it means more to meSometimes I forget what I'm doing, I don't forget what I want, I wantRegret what I've done, regret you? I couldn't go on
But if you insist on blowing my blissI'll tell you thisIf you want to know what the reason isI only smile when alive, then I'll tell you why

(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my listBecause (your kiss is on my list) of the best things in life(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list(Because your kiss) your kiss I can't resist(Because your kiss is what I miss) when I turn off the light
I really missAhhh, (Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list(Because your kiss is on my list) of the best things in life oh babe(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list(Because your kiss) your kiss I can't resist(Because your kiss is what I miss) when I turn off the light(Because your kiss) your kiss is on my list(Because your kiss) your kiss I can't resist(Because your kiss is on my list) of the best things in life

Comic Book Pulls: 12192012

I'm a little late posting today. I've been just a tad busy trying to get things wrapped up before week's end, so I can go on vacation with a clear head and no worries.

It'll be a mighty haul this week, and I'm looking forward to it. I am anxious for Dynamite Comics' Masks and Marvel Comics' Venom.

So here are the books I picked up today:

ALL NEW XMEN
AVENGERS
BATWOMAN
CAPTAIN AMERICA
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BLACK WIDOW
CAPTAIN MARVEL
DAREDEVIL
DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS
GAMBIT
HAWKEYE
INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK
THE VICTORIES
NIGHTWING
SCARLET SPIDER
SECRET AVENGERS
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER
THUNDERBOLTS
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN
ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES
UNCANNY X-FORCE
VENOM
WOLVERINE & THE XMEN
XMEN LEGACY
X-O MANOWAR
WONDER WOMAN
MASKS

Comic Of The Week: 12162012

This week's pick is Venom #27.1. This series has become my favorite Marvel comic. Flash Thompson, former bully and current best friend of Peter Parker, donning the Venom symbiote to fight evil. Not a bad concept. Especially given that the symbiote hates Peter Parker, or rather, it hates Spider-Man. There is so much potential for this version of the character given the history between Flash & Parker. 

This issue deals with Flash confronting his past as a bully. Or maybe more like his past confronting him. Cullen Bunn does an incredible job of exploring the psyche of a bully at an adolescent age, and the effects it has on the victims and their future. At one point, Flash asks Peter just how bad he was in high school as a bully. And he lays it out on the line for him. No holds barred. Very emotional if you've been the victim of bullying. Parker wasn't always Spidey. So you get a sense of what life was like for him before the irradiated spider.

There's other comic book, superheroic stuff that happens in this issue regarding Daimon Hellstrom, demon possession, etc. But the real meat is the emotional story told of a bully trying to make up for his past sins and becoming a hero with all the odds against him (alcoholism, handicaps, emotional turmoil, etc.). 

This is also a good jumping on point for the next arc as the hero heads to Philadelphia in issue #28. 

Pick up Venom #27.1 at your local comic shop or on www.comixology.com. 

LAW: 12162012

This week's artist is Toto with Cheryl "Got To Be Real" Lynn doing Georgy Porgy. This is definitely one of my all-time faves. I had planned to do their song Out Of Love, but I couldn't pass up this gem. Classic. If this doesn't make you groove, you are of the devil and have no soul.



Georgy Porgy
It's not your situation, I just need contemplation over you 
I'm not so systematic, it's just that I'm an addict for your love 
Not the only one that holds you, I never ever should have told you 
You're my only girl 
I'm not the only one that holds you, I never ever should have told you 
You're my only world 

Just think how long I've known you, it's long for me to own you, lock and key 
It's really not confusing, I'm just the young illusion, can't you see 
 
I'm not the only one that holds you, I never ever should have told you 
You're my only girl 
I'm not the only one that holds you, I never ever should have told you 
You're my only world 
 Georgy Porgy, pudding pie, kissed the girls and made them cry 
Kissed the girls and made them cry, kissed the girls and made them cry  
(Instrumental break)  
It's not your situation, I just need contemplation over you 
I'm not so systematic, it's just that I'm an addict for your love 
 
Not the only one that holds you, I never ever should have told you 
You're my only girl 
I'm not the only one that holds you, I never ever should have told you 
You're my only world 
 
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie, kissed the girls and made them cry 
Kissed the girls and made them cry, kissed the girls and made them cry 
 
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie, kissed the girls and made them cry 
Kissed the girls and made them cry, kissed the girls and made them high 
 
Georgy Porgy 
Kissed the girls and made them cry, kissed the girls and made them high 
Georgy Porgy 
Kissed the girls and made them cry, kissed the girls and made them cry

Comic Book Pulls: 12122012

And welcome to 12-12-12, folks! Humpday is here. And it's new comic book Wednesday. Not a major week for my pulls. I am excited for what I'm getting today, but I am missing that "oomph" I normally get each week. Nothing really stands out this week. I have officially subscribed to Archer & Armstrong from Valiant Comics. So I'm excited to get my first print copy of that comic. I'm also a big fan of Venom from Marvel Comics. Other than that, nothing special.

And here are my pulls for the week:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #699.1

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #5

BATGIRL #15 (DOTF)

BATMAN #15 (DOTF)

BATMAN AND ROBIN #15 (DOTF)

BEFORE WATCHMEN DR MANHATTAN #3 (MR)

BEFORE WATCHMEN RORSCHACH #3 (MR)

DEATHSTROKE #15

FANTASTIC FOUR #2 NOW

IRON MAN #4 NOW

PETER CANNON THUNDERBOLT #4

SCARLET SPIDER #12

SUICIDE SQUAD #15 (DOTF)

TEAM 7 #3

ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #20

VENOM #27.1

WINTER SOLDIER #13

WOLVERINE #317

X-TREME X-MEN #7.1

Nerdgasm

yes.

Comic Of The Week: 12092012

So I'm still a little behind on my comic book reading. This week's pick would've been the pick of the week when it originally came out if I'd read it then. Captain Marvel #7 is this week's pick.

The 6-issue time traveling story arc is over now. I am thrilled. I have no issues with dimension hopping, but for some reason, time travel makes my brain hurt. But it was written by Kelly Sue Deconnick. So I can't complain. And I can't complain about this next arc either. Upon taking the mantle of Captain Marvel, the confrontation in this issue was bound to happen: a verbal throwdown with the former Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau.

The issue is worth the cover price for the banter between these two alone. And it's not that jokey mindless, Spider-Man banter or Avengers movie banter. There is real passion and emotion behind the exchange surrounding Carol Danvers' code name change to Captain Marvel. Very well-written. Also, the story of  Bermuda Triangle type disappearances in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana is a good fit for this girl buddy story. After just a few pages of introduction (or re-introduction) to Rambeau, you feel an emotional investment to the character, her weaknesses, and her attempt to balance a normal life with her super-powered one. Have I mentioned that Deconnick rules? And the art is beautiful!

Pick up a copy of Captain Marvel #7 at your local comic shop or digitally on www.comixology.com.

LAW: 12092012

This week's LAW is a duet between two powerhouses of the 80s: Whitney Houston & George Michael with If I Told You That. There's really not much of a personal back story here from me, other than my obsession with all things 80s and George Michael. I can take Whitney is small doses, and this is one of them. And of course, George Michael could sing the genealogy chapters from the Bible book of Numbers, and I'd still be grooving. Plus, I just love duets / jam sessions. 




If I Told You That
Dark Child Hey baby,
ha ha ha

Chorus
If I told you that
I wanted to see you
And if I told you that
I'd beg to please you
If I told you that
I'll always keep you
What would you say?
If I told you that

[George]
Now tell me how you'd feel
If I told you that
I had feelings for you, yeah
Tell me baby

[Whitney]
And would it be so wrong
To say what's on my mind
I'm sorry I have to baby, baby

We were friends
But with time
What I feel deep inside
For you has changed
But I'd give up for love
If I thought that it was untrue (Untrue)
For you (For you baby)

Chorus

[George]
I know that we're just friends
But what if I decide
To bring something in,
ooh yeah Baby, baby

[Whitney]
I hope it won't offend
The trust we have cuz
I don't want this to end
No, no, no, baby

If you think we will lose what we have
Then I'd just rather stay the same
(Rather stay, rather stay the same)
Cuz I don't want to chose between two
Of the most precious things to me
(Precious things to me, oh yeah)

Chorus

[Whitney](George)
If we (If we)
Take this chance (Take this chance)
And extend to each other romance
I hope (Baby I hope)
It would be (It would be)
The right thing for you and me, oh yeah
Baby, baby, baby, baby

Chorus

If I told you that
Chorus

If I told you that (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Would you be there for me?
(Could you?) Could you dare to hold me?
Will my feelings lead me, love always
(Baby what would you say?)

If I told you
Chorus

Comic Book Pulls: 12052012

Another Humpday is upon us along with new comic books! I'm really excited for the revamp of Thunderbolts on the Marvel side of things. A team book with Punisher, Red Hulk, Elektra, Deadpool, and Venom! Yes, please, and thank you! Also, I am looking forward to the second issue of Shadowman from Valiant Comics. I am really enjoying the relaunch of their line with X-O Manowar, Archer & Armstrong, and this title.

Below are my pulls:

ACTION COMICS #15

ALL NEW X-MEN #3 NOW

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #699

ANIMAL MAN #15 (ROT)

AVENGERS #1 NOW

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #15

BATWING #15

BEFORE WATCHMEN COMEDIAN #4 (MR)

BEFORE WATCHMEN MINUTEMEN #5 (MR)

DEADPOOL #3 NOW

DETECTIVE COMICS #15 (DOTF)

EARTH 2 #7

GREEN ARROW #15

HAWKEYE #5

IRON MAN #3 NOW

PHANTOM STRANGER #3

PUNISHER WAR ZONE #2

RED SHE-HULK #60 NOW

SHADOWMAN #2

SWAMP THING #15 (ROT)

THUNDERBOLTS #1 NOW

ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #18.1

LAW: 12022012

I've been feeling a little nostalgic for the 90s lately. Life seemed a little easier then. Work wasn't that stressful. I had friends that I hung with consistently. And I had a crush on a girl that lasted three years. Yeah. I was slow to pull the trigger romantically back then.

Anyway, during that time, some really good R & B music was released. And that's the music of love, with this week's artist being no exception. I played Jon B's Bonafide cassette till it popped off the reels! And I constantly rewound to this track. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And if you're wondering... I never did get the girl. LOL

This is Jon B. with Burning 4 U.

Burning 4 U

Saying how I feel so deep inside (now girl)

You are somethin' special, don't you know

Treasure is mystery I find (now baby)

Girl for now we can take it slow

In the air outside I feel you

And you know just where you're goin'

Girl I need to have you're here right next to me

If you know just what to do

Then baby come I can show you

It's a different way with me

[Chorus:]

Midnight

Fireside

Blazing bright

This candle's burning 4 U

Moonlight

It's late at night

It's cold outside

This candle's burning 4 U

Saying how I feel so deep inside

We have something gentle,

Girl you know

Measure up the distance,

Can we find (out baby)

Just how far this thing could go

Oh, girl, it's like a natural high

I got a love I can't be denied

Hey girl, just give my love a try

And I won't let you down

[Chorus:]

Midnight

Fireside

Blazing bright

This candle's burning 4 U

Moonlight

It's late at night

It's cold outside

This candle's burning 4 U

Comic Of The Week: 12022012

Yeah. You guessed it. My enthusiasm for this week's pulls gave me away. The comic of the week is Masks #1 from Dynamite Comics. Come on.. it's not like it was going to be anything else. Green Hornet, Kato, The Shadow, & The Spider all appear in the first issue with a nod to Zorro. Plus covers and interior artwork done by the master himself, Alex Ross. This was definitely my pick. 

Pick up this issue in your local comic book shop or digitally on www.comixology.com. Although, I really must encourage you to see the beauty of the artwork with a tangible issue. But I'm sure it looks just as stunning in HD.