Spider-Man’s “Gauntlet” Throws Down Everything but Subtlety
Over the past few weeks, images of Spider-Man lying in a grave surrounded by various pieces and accessories from a list of his classic villains such as Sandman and Mysterio have been shown in the buildup to what began in this week’s issue of Amazing Spider-Man, issue number 612 for those of you keeping score at home! Yes folks, the event known as “The Gauntlet” kicks off here, brought to you by Mark Waid and Paul Azaceta, and big things are promised as Spidey gets put through the wringer by a host of villains. Down on his luck Max Dillon, Electro, kicks things off with this issue, one that pulls on many modern parallels in regards to the economy, fears of Socialism and the cause of the working man. All of this is set against the backdrop of problems at The Daily Bugle (pardon me, The DB), and Electro’s bad case of the blues! Read more
My Marvel Memories: A Personal Reflection on Marvel’s 70th Birthday
One of the things my late grandfather was always lamenting to me was his treatment of comic books when he was a youngster in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. I started collecting comic books when I was in high school, the mid-1990’s, and my grandfather was always quick to tell me about how they used to be a dime, how he couldn’t believe he got rid of them, and of how they burned so many of them for warmth or used them for various bodily functions and household cleaning.
I know for a fact, based on his observations, that several of those long-lost comics came from Marvel, then known as Timely Comics. The comic book collector/reader/writer I am today cringes when I think of all those lost gems and characters and my grandfather’s memories of them, but I know, on this 70th birthday of Marvel’s, that I will have plenty of my own memories for years to come. Read more
Comic Book Releases for July 29, 2009
Well kids of all ages, the final days of July are upon us, and as we turn to our final vacations, cookouts and day trips before the children head back to school and the final heat waves hit us, it’s time to celebrate the last week of this month with some comic book happenings for July 29th, 2009! Mystery, terror and lots more await us! Let’s dive right in! Read more
Comic Book Releases for July 8, 2009
Another week, another set of exciting comic book releases! This week once again brings several new titles, series, and events! Let’s jump right in!
Dark Horse Comics expands the Hellboy universe a bit more this week, releasing B.P.R.D.: 1947 #1, a new story focusing on our team of supernatural investigators, this time dealing with the after effects of a vampire on the loose at the end of World War II. Image Comics releases the trade paperback of Back to Brooklyn this week. The Garth Ennis and Jimmy Palmiotti penned series is finally collected here, and fans of gritty drama and crime should pick this one up! The Darkness returns this week with issue #78, and be sure to look for Elephantmen War Toys: Yvette, a one shot focusing on one of the popular characters from the War Toys miniseries. Read more
HeroesCon News! Marvel’s Dark Reign Panel
HeroesCon hosted another Marvel panel on Saturday, focusing on the highly successful and intriguing Dark Reign storylines that show no signs of slowing down. Marvel talent scout C.B. Cebulski once again helmed the discussion, with Marvel editor Jeanine Schaefer, Jonathan Hickman (Secret Warriors), Brian Michael Bendis (Dark Avengers, New Avengers) and Matt Fraction (X-Men/Dark Avengers) on hand to answer questions and make announcements about upcoming events and happenings with Dark Reign.
Starting with a question and answer period, one fan asked about the tendency of Marvel to pose questions for their story lines, such as the “who’s side are you on” question for Civil War. Would there be a similar question to go along with this next arc of Dark Reign? The answer seems to be the one on everyone’s mind, and Matt Fraction said it best, “when will Norman Osborn lose his $#!*”. Good question! Read more
