Comic Book Resources

"BOOM! Studios is an odd publisher. They put some good books like Mark Waid’s output, The Muppet Show, and Unthinkable, and there are licensed books which have their own audiences, and then… THEN! there are the utterly mediocre failed movie pitch books like this week’s Dead Run #1. And it seems whenever one of those books finally finishes, another one just up and starts again."

I couldn't agree more. It seems that every other book I pick up from BOOM reads like a movie pitch. They have a decent concept, but the actual craft (the storytelling and the art) are just not that good. Challenger Deep was a real disappointment. Wasn't that the entire premise of Platinum Press? Cowboys vs. Aliens was a fun concept and a pretty lousy comic.

Doesn't Dave Sim require people to sign an agreement absolving him of misogyny before he'll accept their money?

Or maybe that's just before he'll answer their questions, or something.

If I'm going to give my money to somebody, I'd like for them to be at least remotely sane. But that's just me.

I could have sworn Sim said he'd spend one year living as a woman after Cerebus wrapped up. Did he ever go through with that?

Not sure I'd buy that Jimmy Olsen comic...but it'd be damn tempting.

...no pun.

Dan -- I tend to try and separate an artist's personal views and their work. In Sim's case, that's a harder thing to do than most, so I always understand anyone who can't ignore his views. Personally, I find the work rewarding enough to do so, especially his look at photorealistic early in the early to mid 20th century.

Dave Sim's statements on women are worthy of ridicule, scorn, and, after the proper amount of derision, should pretty much be ignored. Glamourpuss is a very good comic, though.

It's good to see Dan Panosian getting more work as a penciller (he's got an issue of Agents of Atlas in the offing as well). I quite like his style. Now, if he'd just draw stuff I wanted to read...

Also: new Splash Page? I'm there.

Don't know if you care or not, but that Punisher preview link takes you to the Skaar preview.

Fixed. Thanks, Joe.

That first one doesn't seem so random to me.

That Jimmy Olsen cover would fit in perfectly with Superdickery.com.

Agree... Glamourpuss is definitely a great book. I haven't picked up the last issue, though... Have to take a look at that!

. And it seems whenever one of those books finally finishes, another one just up and starts again.

That's called a 'publishing schedule'.
Regardless of the quality, they've got to keep churning them out to keep the cogs turning, and hopefully make money.

I'll take a succubus bride over a gorilla one anyday, thank you! (and yes, that actually happened to Jimmy once! O_O .)

As for the guns thing, both Hawkeye's and Daredevil's weapons are non-lethal (unless you really, REALLY try to kill with them.) If most heroes wanted to use guns they'd carry them already, thank you.

While you can look at BOOM's stuff as failed movie pitches, what I see is at least BOOM is trying to put out different series with various genres. Too many companies are all licensed deals or tied into having to be a long term series. I can't disagree that some of the series have been less then inspiring, but enough of them have been well done and a pleasant change of pace from the norm.

Your comics were delayed by a day. That's for rubbing it in our Memorial-Day-celebrating faces, ya lousy Canuck!

Um Sijo, how can you call a bow and arrow non lethal. Unless you are incredibly accurate with every single shot in the middle of a huge fight then the odds say you will kill somebody with it. You can be just as accurate with a firearm and have the same non lethal effect. Besides, Cap fought in WWII and used plenty of weaspons there, whats the big deal?

I thought #6 was the weakest issue of glamourpuss thus far. Sim is good at broad parody and trans-media mimicry, but he both blows and sucks mighty hard at sharp satire. I keep hoping the book's focus will move further towards the historical end of things - it's a hell of a lot more engaging and entertaining to read (Excluding this issue's diversion into Margaret Mitchell conspiracy theories, which was pretty flimsy fare) than flaccid pokings at the fashion industry.

I second Jim's comment on BOOM. Yeah, not every mini-series they publish knocks it out of the park, but at least they're always trying different genres and not driving any one franchise or concept into the ground. I appreciate their business model and every so often, they do produce some really solid pulp comics.

I'm with Chuck D on the gun issue. Cap was/is a soldier (Steve Rogers AND Bucky Barnes). He can still shoot to wound. Just as Hawkeye can.

In fact, Hawkeye's arrowheads could probably cause a heck of a lot more damage!

For the record, Steve Rogers used guns since World War II. One instance that springs to mind is during Robert Morales's run on the book. He was trying to stop some terrorists from getting away or something -- not shooting to kill.

Speaking of Jimmy Olsen, no one seems to have made note of "Smallville" killing him. Though at his funeral we hear 'James' is his middle name, and his freckly little brother is given big brother's camera. So, the "younger than Superman and friends" Jimmy still can exist in the Smallville world, after all...

Sorry. I didn't really want to turn that into such a tangent.

Hawkeye's arrows are mostly *trick* arrows, you know, like glue arrows or electric-stun arrows. He does have regular, pointy arrows, but he almost never fires them at enemies he knows cannot take them.

Captain America has rarely ever used guns, even during WWII. He's got a nifty throwing weapon already, one that doesn't kill (unless he uses its sharp edge.) Note I'm not saying he doesn't believe in killing- he certainly blew up a lot of Nazi bases in commando missions. But that was war, and he was younger and less wise. The last time Rogers used a gun with any significance was when he had to use a terrorist's machine gun to kill him before he could shoot into a crowd, and I remember quite a bit of controversy about it at the time. For the record I think he did the right thing, but he's NOT the "kill first option" kind of hero.

I can't recall Hawkeye using trick arrows in quite a while. The art work that I've seen recently showing his arrows features regular sharp arrows.

As for Cap, both versions of Cap have used guns and killed. The current version of Cap, Bucky, carries a gun on him. You say that Cap was less wise and younger when he killed and I find that almost insulting. As somebody that has served in the military I can tell you that when somebody is trying to kill you you will do what it takes to keep yourself safe and complete your mission. It has nothing to do about being wise. I think the version of Cap that was a super pacifist and against all killing was out of character for a soldier.

-"I can’t recall Hawkeye using trick arrows in quite a while. The art work that I’ve seen recently showing his arrows features regular sharp arrows."

Green Arrow too went through a "normal arrows only" phase. Maybe the writers think it's more real or something. Except without those, he's just another archer. He eventually went back to the gimmicks and I'm sure Hawkeye will too. And both of these heroes are opposed to killing, which is the point I was making.

-"The current version of Cap, Bucky, carries a gun on him."

I Know. I wasn't talking about him, but about Rogers. Bucky was brainwashed into being an assassin. You'd think that would sour him on guns.

-"You say that Cap was less wise and younger when he killed and I find that almost insulting."

Then you're taking it way too personally. If you go back and read my comment, you'll see I wasn't condemning Cap for killing, and that in fact I think he has been justified in the times he has killed. But the fact is, Cap does *not* regularly use guns or kill, and several stories have pointed out that in his youth he was more idealistic and followed government orders blindly, something he later regretted. But that was not the real world's American military or government, just their Marvel Comics equivalent.