Calvin and Hobbes - Hand Drawn

Calvin and Hobbes

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Classic Peanuts.. - My Own Hand Drawn Cartoon

Classic Peanuts

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Classic Peanuts

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The Fantastic Four Face The World's Greatest Threat!

The Fantastic Four have explored the Negative Zone, faced death and even defeated the mighty Galactus…so what kind of threat could possibly be more than the Fantastic Four can handle? Set in the near future, The Last Fantastic Four Story is all-new epic that will show you a different side of Marvel's First Family and they may not survive the experience! Stan Lee, the icon himself, returns to the Fantastic Four and teams with one of the greatest modern comic book artists, John Romita Jr., to bring you the kind of cosmic action that can only be found in the World's Greatest Comic Magazine! Since their inception, the Fantastic Four have broken new ground for super hero stories, presented a unique view of the super-powered life and now, with the return of one of the original co-creators, the FF are set to redefine just where super heroes can boldly go! And don't adjust your monitors—you're getting 48, that's right, 48 story pages of exciting action in the Mighty Marvel Manner from Lee & Romita Jr!

Editor Tom Brevoort explained, "This is Stan writing his final story for the Fantastic Four, the characters who began the Marvel Age of Comics—so in some ways, this is like Stan's bookend on his entire career at Marvel. Plus, he's working with John Romita Jr. for the first time, an artist who embodies all of the best qualities in terms of storytelling and power as those classic creators who collaborated with Stan back in the glory days, but who is simultaneously an artist of the here and now. So hopefully, this will be a rare treat for readers everywhere.

"It's Stan "The Man" Lee, returning to the Fantastic Four and John Romita Jr.'s lush art bringing you a special Fantastic Four tale like no other…so what are you waiting for? Also, don't miss the special poster of John Romita's gorgeous cover to The Last Fantastic Four Story, arriving in stores later this August. The Fantastic Four are nearing the end…but is it the end of their careers or the end of their lives?

Comics: Jane's World Classics

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BRIT #1: MAKING SUPERHEROES SUPER AGAIN

love superheroes.

Don't get me wrong. I don't love them exclusively. Some of my all-time favorite comics don't have anything to do with capes and tights. In fact, with some creators I prefer their non-superhero work. For instance, SHADOWHAWK was great when I was younger, but in the long run I'll always prefer Jim's VALENTINO and, more recently, DRAWING FROM LIFE work.

That said, I find that a lot of superheroes don't act so super anymore. There's an awful lot more crying and talking to therapists than I ever remember seeing. I like my superheroes to face new concepts that promise to tear the Earth apart. That's the good stuff you just don't get enough of these days.

Luckily, it seems that Bruce Brown and Cliff Rathburn feel the same way. Next week they're launching the ongoing series BRIT and, man, this is how I like my superheroes.

First page? Brit's running away from a rampaging dinosaur. Why? WHO CARES?! There's no psychological implications here. There's a Tyrannosaurus Rex tearing apart an airport with no one other than Brit and his best friend & android with a big gun, Donald to stop it. That's all you need to know.

The rest of the story keeps up the pace. Brit is, as the book describes, an "invincibility haver" who spent most of his life punching out bad guys for the government. However, his most recent adventures (conveniently collected in BRIT: OLD SOLDIER VOL. 1 - order code NOV061857) put that relationship on the fritz. These days he's reluctantly fighting the good fight strictly when there's no one else to do the job. However, a job comes up only he can handle and then...? That's what you find out next week. It's not a pretty ending.

Don't get the wrong impression, this is far from a mindless fight the entire issue. Bruce, the writer of the series, does a great job of fleshing out Brit and his supporting cast into real, three dimensional people. By the end of the first issue you feel like you know the guy.

One of the other things I love about the series is it's solid connection to INVINCIBLE. It reminds me of the old days, when characters in one book would appear consistently in the background of another. I imagine if a huge event takes place in INVINCIBLE, you'll see ramifications in BRIT and vice versa. Just compare the last third of BRIT with earlier issues of INVINCIBLE. Does that alien invasion look familiar? This issue even has a little mention of Mark Grayson's corner of the universe which hints to Brit's still mysterious early days.

The first issue hits the shelves next week. Once again, you can use a handy Diamond order code - JUN071871 - to ensure there's a copy waiting for you.

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.This week's Action Comics #854 by Brad Walker features Superman & Jimmy Olsen battling a giant Kryptonite ape!(Standard disclaimer about big green apes not really being monkeys applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version

Much Like “Where’s Wally?”, Except JLA Cleared That Up.

Today’s exercise for the reader is an answer to the question “Where is Onyx?”

However, for many readers, particularly those who aren’t interested in the Bat-books or Green Arrow, this should be prefaced by “Who is Onyx?”

This is she:

Onyx used to be in the League of Assassins, but she reformed. I love this origin. No rape, no child abuse, no special woman!reason to fight crime - just a straight story of evil she’s done and a personal quest for redemption. Sometimes she reforms by beating the crap out of criminals and monsters, and sometimes she reforms by sitting in an ashram and meditating. I think the monastery thing is why she’s bald, but it’s also a good way of ensuring that at least no one will fuck up her hair.

Onyx is funny, bold, and very, very good at her job. She’s sparred with Shiva (and survived) and she held off both Batman and Batgirl for whole minutes – it was a trick fight, designed to make her look dangerous, but she is dangerous, and she made it look real. (Afterwards, Batgirl asked if they could fight again sometime “just for fun”.) She’s aware of the wrong she’s done, but she’s not paralysed by it. She takes a certain delight in hurting those who deserve hurting, but she won’t kill again.

And she’s a black, female martial artist. That’s important, because non-powered, non-white-or-Asian heroes who will just kick your teeth through your skull are very rare in the DCU. Vixen (whose name is Vixen, guys, come on) has spirit-of-animal powers. Empress has voodoo (and where is she these days?). Steel has powered armour. John Stewart/Green Lantern has a fancy ring. They’re all great characters who have done fantastic work addressing and exploding stereotypes, but they’re all powered-up in some way.
Black people should also be represented by Bat/Arrow-style heroes, who don’t have superhuman powers, just guts and ability and a mission. The only non-powered black hero who easily comes to mind is Mister Terrific, and he’s chiefly known for being the “third smartest man in the world” and those spiffy holographic spheres. And I can’t think of a single black woman in the DCU who keeps pace with the best of them armed with nothing but fists and feet and consummate skill.
Other, that is, than Onyx.

So she’s totally awesome, whenever we see her. But we don’t see nearly enough of her. Post-ashram, she worked as Orpheus’ bodyguard for a while, then after he died in War Games she worked independently in Gotham - the only independent vigilante Batman allows in his town. She had a run-in with Jason Todd and then… she disappeared.

Bag the Dog

The form of the Garfield Beware of Dog sign joke is normally that the sign seems absurdly specific or unlikely, then Garfield finds out it is accurate or ironic in a way that effects the degree to which one should be concerned about the dog's propensity to attack. This looks like it may be a different joke, but at heart it is not.

The dog having a bag on its head does not render it unable to attack, though Garfield stands by comfortably, as if now that the sign's message is reconciled, he is safe from harm. The sign does not warn of traditional attack, but an assault on aesthetics: the dog's ugliness itself requires wariness. The bag on the dog's ugly face neutralizes the threat, so Garfield is "safe" and unharmed, though standing within inches of a growling dog twice his size.But Garfield still favors us with his sidelong glance of revolted disappointment.

Casual readers will probably interpret the expression as acknowledges of the outlandish image, or even the half-heartedness of the joke. I propose the strip is also about the aesthetic of Garfield itself. Garfield passes contentedly through the first panel, an uncluttered ideal Garfield landscape, with a mid-frame horizon line, and utter void of other details; most Dog Sign strips do not start with such an image. Piece by piece this ideal is cluttered with props debris and partially-coherent raw joke-material, first shocking, then disgusting Garfield as he forges further ahead into the mess and mystery. After the release of the punchline, Garfield seems less impressed by the resolution than repulsed by the effort of resolving the illegible. Garfield is happier with no one, and nothing else crowding and complicating the space without permission.

A Nerd in the Door

In every world except Garfield's, automatic doors have sensors to protect people from being smashed in their mighty jaws. In Jon's double-barreled dumb-move, he not only managed to injure himself in an impossible way, but wants to twist the focus into a joke about our horrible relationship with technology. It's not that joke. It's a story about Jon's good intentions being squashed under the weight of his zealousness.

It's about unnecessary, overwhelming desire to please others, and being thwarted by your own stupidity and inabilities. Jon feels on some sublimated level that his chivalrous intentions are a positive trait, and refuses to acknowledge that the automatic doors of the Garfield world are telling him otherwise.Garfield, meanwhile, has concocted a coping strategy that leaves his arm unwrenched and ego unbruised: he doesn't try to impress anyone, and pretends he doesn't care about them.

Classic Peanuts - "Good Ol' Charlie Brown"

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Stop using cartoons to sell snacks, say parents

Food manufacturers were urged yesterday to stop using cartoon characters to promote unhealthy snacks and cereals.
A survey by Which? found that cartoon characters including The Simpsons, Bratz, Shrek and Spiderman were used to promote products including biscuits, popcorn, and high-sugar cereals. This undermined parents' efforts to persuade their children to eat a healthier diet. Three quarters of parents felt it was irresponsible for companies to feature cartoon characters on unhealthy foods and thought the practice should be stopped. Disney have recently announced that they will no longer allow their characters to be used to promote unhealthy foods.
Sue Davies, Which? chief policy adviser, called for regulations to protect children from irresponsible marketing.

Paper Cartoon

Classic Peanuts

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Countdown #36 -Review

Counting down everything you NEED to know about Countdown #36!

9. Rubber Tree. I had higher hopes for issue #36 after seeing the solicited cover, admiring its witty, cheeky cleverness and its spotlighting of what has become the Countdown story to watch, in my opinion. I wasn’t terribly disappointed with the actual issue, happy to report, and Tony Bedard triumphantly joins Palmiotti & Gray as Countdown scribes who “get it.” Their track records to date are consistently good, and though this is only Bedard’s third outing on the series, he once again delivers moments and movements to ponder and savor.

8. The Ruining of the Bull. The cover was wisely designed this week as it showcases Mary Marvel and Zatanna, or as I like to call them, “The Duo That Could Save Countdown.” Though they only receive seven pages of story, for me they dominate the book. At first, the entire sequence can be very frustrating, for fans of Mary know that she isn’t that much of a brat and likewise, fans of Zatanna know that she isn’t that naïve. Zee seems to do exactly what she describes, “giving a loaded gun to a child,” but when she tells us that she believed, truly believed Mary could be some sort of “sorcery savant,” we see the caring hero we know her to be. She’s honestly interested in Mary’s welfare, that much is evident, and though she loosed a bull in a china shop, Zee knew it had to be her china shop that the bull would have to be trained in. Now, she’s taking some lumps for her beliefs. Mary, well, Mary’s “under the influence” we discover, and the thought rankles me. A golden child, a perfect heroine, an unsoiled soul, on the verge of a change she may not recover from. I’m not too thrilled that Eclipso suddenly shows up again without much in the way of buildup in the series, but it's an intriguing development that can only spell trouble for our magical heroines. Mary’s Countdown story has been noteworthy for its serious tone, its interesting locales, its dire mood, and its beat-down of one of the world’s most powerful magic-users. It was also sad to see Robin Williams torn in two. He prided himself on service.

7. Jason, Are You Looking in My Window? Once again the Palmernauts spin their wheels and are attacked by yet another strange group of beings. It’s particularly sad to have a character in the story, and one I dislike, voice my own thoughts: “…why the hell are we sticking around!?” Once there was a sense of Ray Palmer surrounding this story, a presence that spoke of a quest that mattered. That quest is now mired in quicksand, and the spirit of the original Atom has deserted it. “Bob” the Monitor seems useless, Donna Troy has no impact beyond being the only female in the group, and Ryan Choi is mere window-dressing. This story needs a shot of life. This story needs to travel to a new level, literally and figuratively. I have some hope for whomever has stolen Ryan’s “boom stick,” but it’s a very, very small hope.

6. Swords and Botany. Moving onto more positive things, the Rogues run offered up a few interesting tidbits…and one good ol’ explosive final page. This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten a kick out of Trickster’s antics, and he delivered once more with his quick-thinking dodge. It was just enough to sound reasonable to Poison Ivy, and it made me wonder who her new partner could be to inspire such hedging in her. We soon find out as big, bad Slade Wilson, Deathstroke, steps on stage. Deathstroke is what I call an “uh-oh” bad guy, meaning you know that when he appears, it usually means something very, very bad for someone else’s health. He makes an impact, an “uh-oh” when he appears – you know, like the feeling the Joker used to give us. Can’t imagine how Slade and Pamela hooked up, but I also can’t help but wonder if this has anything to do at all with the ‘Stroke’s appearance over in Justice League of America. Anyway, it was an interesting development that was made all the more explosive by the book following it up with…

5. “The Origin of Deathstroke”! I mean, it was like an epiphany of sorts – have a great “bum-bum-BUMM!” cliffhanger followed by an Origin of the character who just showed up! Don’t know Deathstroke? This is him. Don’t remember much about Deathstroke? Here’s a reminder. Know Deathstroke but can’t get enough of him? Here’s more! Hate Deathstroke? Well, you lose, I guess! I for one appreciated this cool connection, as I’ve never been too “up” on this guy and was glad for feeling much more secure in my elation at the story’s dénouement. Thanks, DC (though that “you’ll call me, right?” panel is creepy –brrr).

4. Here Come the Big Boss. Karate Kid leads his little lovely Legion lass on one helluva date and runs into a few Superman opponents along the way. I feel pretty tepid about this sequence, still sore at the leaps and bounds it made in logic and sense in previous issues, but I read along and was mildly amused by the proceedings. What could have been quite a cool karate-choppin’ panel with Val showin’ Equus why he’s the martial artist was painfully marred by poor art by Jim Calafiore and Jack Purcell. Their figures are choppy, not their karate moves, sadly. And Una? Just when we thought she couldn’t be more useless – she’s more useless. Apparently, her Legion training has all but been forgotten (as is her flight ring) and her stunningly high marks in Victim/Target 101 come to the fore. Time to ditch the skirt, Val.

3. Selective Memory Loss. Who am I forgetting? Holly Robinson? No, I didn’t miss her in the slightest this week. I know there was someone else in the book this time…had a page all to himself…tip of my tongue…huh. Nope, can’t think of it right now. Regardless, I know it was some fairly interesting scene that could have really benefited from a few more pages. You know, a scene that was potentially wild, a crazy set-up, the kind that you want to know more about but you only get one stupid tiny glimpse at…? Ah, well. No biggie.

2. Makin’ a List… The progress that first began to show on Countdown around issue #40 or so is in some evidence again this week. I’ve also learned that there are writers who seem to spark with the nutty assembling of this series, and there are those who make me feel as if it's just another book they write on occasion. I’m adding Tony Bedard to my very short list of names to sit up and take notice of on Countdown, and I’ll be placing some wishes of good things to come on his next go-round.

1. That About Just Barely Covers It. Oh, and DC, could we take a break from the cheesecake covers for a bit? That was, like, two in a row (and I liked this week’s), but I have to keep ‘em turned upside down at home, y’know…

Liftoff!

Major Tom to Ground Control: send up another Bedard script or two, some decent art, an issue dominated by one or possibly two of the stories, much, much more connection with everything, and a few unopened boxes of Bandai’s Classic Godzilla Selection (1955-1975) of miniature Godzilla dioramas sculpted by Sakai.

My Pencil Drawing - Bastila.

Stone Soup

Funny Cartoons.

Comic Co-op

Much prior to the PS3 and online gaming, in fact, even before the Internet and the television, there was a common interest that kept a lot of teenagers busy - comic books. Even though comics are a less chosen form of entertainment today, no one can take away the fact that that's where the legendary heroes like Spiderman, Black Panther, Wonder Woman, Scarlett Witch, and many more came into being. Don't worry, this isn't a blog entry, nor is it a futile effort to sell my collection of comic books. I recently saw a new trailer for an EA game called Army of Two, a game that will test one's skill as a team member. The trailer showcases how one team member helps another to overcome obstacles. It made me wonder, if the same could be done with super-heroes - two very competent heroes put together in a game that is well designed. Even though there have been many games based on super-heroes, none of them have been exceptional. Marvel has released two games in their "Ultimate Alliance" series, the games although well received, still lack punch.

I am listing a few combinations of super-heroes from both, Marvel and DC comics, and one from India that I believe would make a great force, and at times even an indestructible one. Let's see if these combinations impress you, or can you think of better ones?

Batman - Captain America

The two belong to different universes, but most comic book veterans would agree that they are both excellent leaders, strong, skilled, as well as resourceful. Playing co-op with these two would be a great experience. Captain America boasts of superhuman strength and agility; and as for Batman, he is the most skilled mortal ever. One can demolish a tank with his bare hands, and the other can form a battle strategy to defeat an army within minutes. Maybe he should have had 300 Spartans behind him, no offense to King Leonidas. I believe this would be the ultimate combination of strength and intelligence in a game.

Thor - Hulk

What does an out of control, raging, maniac of a super hero need? Well, he needs help from a God. I guess that's why Thor - the Norse God of thunder and the mighty Hulk are a great team. The Hulk is often regarded by most people as a deadly killing force who can take on an entire team of super heroes if he wanted to. In case you didn't know, the Hulk is one of the most powerful beings in comic book history. His strength increases with his anger; the angrier he gets, the more dangerous he becomes. He doesn't belong to any side and just roams around from place to place in search of redemption. Thor on the other hand is a God, and has sworn to protect earth from humanity and its selfish mistakes. I remember one particular issue when the Hulk and Thor go one on one with each other. They stood at the same spot arm-locked with each other, testing each others strength. I believe these two would make a very powerful combination.

Wolverine - Shaktimaan

Wolverine is my second-most favorite superhero after Batman, and I want him teaming up with Shaktimaan because the combo will be outrageously funny. What I mean is, Shaktimaan has been portrayed as a very mild-mannered super-hero who doesn't loose his cool; putting him along the likes of Wolverine is just asking for trouble. Wolverine is the most agile mutant ever and his abilities as a destructive force make him a grave threat to the enemies. A league apart from most super-heroes, Wolverine will hardly leave any scum for Shaktimaan to clean up. Wolverine's indestructible skeleton and his razor sharp claws give him the attributes of an animal who's out to prey, yet he is vigilant enough to evade enemy traps. His teaming up with Shaktimaan, who has abilities like flying and super strength, will probably make a good combo.

The Thing - Flash

The fastest man on the planet joining hands with one of the strongest mortals makes sense, doesn't it? Flash can outrun anything, and The Thing can demolish anything; Flash is witty, while The Thing is gritty; Flash is always on the move, The Thing hardly ever moves; so all in all, they do make a good team. From a gamer's perspective, I think it would be rather awesome to be able to run like the Flash and to be able to demolish like The Thing. I know, there are more than a few games featuring The Thing, yet none of them are good enough. Both put together in a co-op game will be pretty wild, but I guess the level designers will have to go through hell to design a campaign for these two.

Superman - Mr. Fantastic

The man of steel, invincible Superman teaming up with the smartest superhero will spell doom for the villains. This is a very interesting combination as it brings together the strongest man alive with a man who can solve any scientific propaganda. Considering Superman, regular missions in space for a Mr. Darkseid (his nemesis) with a little help from Mr. Fantastic, Superman could have a much easier life. Again, making them both playable together will require skill and effort, and also luck.

Johnny Storm or The Human Torch - Spiderman

I remember playing a game called The Ultimate Spiderman, a decent game with some very cool concepts. One of the concepts was "Spidey racing" with Johnny through the city. I've always imagined what it would be like to be able to play with these characters in co-op level design. I guess both their abilities will be fun to play with as there can be many possible combinations. I hope some competent game company decides to put them both together in a game that's designed to be fun. This is just a small effort to reach out to comic book fans all over. We all want our favorite super heroes as playable characters and although Marvel: Ultimate Alliance does give us some options, I personally believe that we can get a much better experience.