Blog #2: Comic Pull List Review, Part I

As you may have guessed by this blog, I am a comic book fan. I live in a small town in central Alberta, as such we do not have a local comic book store. The nearest one is over an hours drive away, so I don't get there too often. I order my books from a company out of Quebec called 'Comic Pull'. They are a good service, I get my books shipped to me once every month. I save money on the comics themselves rather than buying them in a store, but the problem is the shipping costs. Shipping costs more than the books. I actually only read $30-40 worth of titles in a month, but the shipping is almost double that price. Unless I buy at least $75 worth of books from Comic Pull, then I get FREE shipping. So that is what I do, I order more books than I actually read to save money in the long run. So anyway I decided to break down what I order and give a brief review of what I think of my pull list.

 

- Justice League International: I actually only have read the first issue. I liked it and I have been meaning to read the other 3 issues I have. This was a title I liked in the late 80's, early 90's and it seems to be going back to that style, minus the campy factor.

 

- Action Comics: Grant Morrison is a great writer. I love his take on this rookie man of steel. Wish the art was better, some one like Gary Frank should be on this. Morrison is an excellent writer for Superman. This is one of my favourites and it is awesome that I can actually say that I own Action Comics #1!

 

- Detective Comics: I really like this series. Story is interesting and the art is great.

 

- Stormwatch : I enjoyed the first issue, but this is another series I need to get caught up on. i'm definitely liking what they are doing with this Wildstorm franchise in the new DCU.

 

- Avengers: I like Brian Michael Bendis, but I am seriously considering dropping the Avengers. The interview style of storytelling that Bendis has been using is really starting to wear thin on me. They need to take a Grant Morrison/JLA approach to this series. This should be the flagship book for Marvel, but it is not...

 

- Amazing Spiderman: This is another must read for me. I love reading Dan Slott's take on Spiderman. He has fun with the character and it shows on the page. I even liked the recent 'Spider-Island' storyline. And the art tends to be good as well.

 

- Venom: I like Rick Remenders take on Venom. It is such a cool concept, but the art tends to suck on this title. I also heard a rumour that this series may be cancelled... I hope not.

 

- Hulk: I was a huge fan of Peter David's 'Incredible Hulk' and I thought I would never enjoy a hulk title after he left, but I'm liking this title. this book features the 'Red Hulk', who as it turns out is Thunderbolt Ross. That is a plot twist I love because I have always liked that character.

 

 

Well folks that is all for now. I've just scratched the surface of my Comic Pull List. More reviews and insights to come.

Blog#1: Rick Jones

Blog#1: Rick Jones

 

For this entry on the blog I wanted to discuss my favourite super-hero sidekick, and that has got to be Rick Jones. Especially during the late 80's and early 90's during Peter Davids run on 'The Incredible Hulk'. Now in current Marvel Continuity he can turn into a Hulk-like creature called A-bomb but back in the day he was just a normal dude who hung out with super heroes. For a while he trained with Captain America and was his side kick, but most of his side-kicking career was with the Hulk. I liked him because he was funny, hip and just a normal human with no powers just martial arts training. He was also indirectly responsible for Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk. Bruce Banner rushed out to the Gamma bomb, which Rick was beside playing a harmonica, to save Jones from the test detonation of the Gamma bomb. Banner managed to push Jones into the fall out crater but he himself was blasted with Gamma rays upon detonation of the bomb and he then became the Hulk. Jones felt responsible and stayed with Banner, off and on for many years.

 

Rick Jones was always a fun character to read and see on the comic page. He had a great sense of humour, he was a wannabe rock star, a normal guy who hung out with super people, and he had a way with the ladies. He eventually married the beautiful Marlo Chandler, a stunningly beautiful woman by comic standards.

 

In a memorable Hulk mini-series called 'Future Imperfect' a very elderly Rick Jones from the future leads a band of humans who fight against an evil oppressor called The Maestro, who as it turns out is a twisted evil future version of the Hulk. Jones, who is about 100 years old at this point and confined to a wheelchair, sends his grand-daughter Janis (named after Janis Joplin) back in time using Dr Doom's time machine to find a young Rick Jones, who would in turn convince the Hulk to go with Janis back to the future to stop this evil tyrant. Sounds complicated, but it was one of the greatest comic book stories of all time.

 

I'm not a fan of the current status of Rick Jones, being a gamma behemoth called 'A-bomb', I think what made Jones such a great character was that he was just a normal dude who did incredible things. Giving him super powers just took away from the character and made him less interesting. But all the same, Rick Jones I salute your comic book greatness!

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That's all folks! Talk to you later!