Monday, December 3, 2018
‘Tis the season for Christmas Craft Shows. We hit three of them in three days. Drove out to the Carp Fair Grounds on Friday and milled about in the mobs out there. It was like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Saturday morning was the 613 Christmas Flea in the Fieldhouse at Carleton University. It’s so embarrassing trying to figure out how to use the parking meter while there’s a line up of people waiting behind you. Sunday morning was strolling casually around the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park in the Farmers’ Market. I found a local home made Jerk Sauce that was very tasty. That’s about all the holiday shopping that I can stand. Now to relax for three weeks.
Books of Magic #2 – Kat Howard (writer) Tom Fowler (illustrator) Jordan Boyd (colours) Todd Klein (letters). Tim starts to use magic but there are people that want to cut his career as a wizard short. I noticed similar themes in this book, Doctor Strange and Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea books. There are consequences to using magic. Most of them seem to be deadly. I want to thank Tom for the pretty sketch he drew of Doctor Rose for me.
Old Man Hawkeye #11 – Ethan Sacks (writer) Francesco Mobili (art) Andres Mossa (colours) VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters). This issue is titled “Finding Zemo”. Har. One big showdown takes place with Clint confronting Baron Zemo face to face at last. The bigger showdown that has been percolating since this story began should be next issue as Bullseye catches up to Hawkeye again. This issue promotes the myth that it’s always cold in Canada. Sure enough, but only in winter eh.
Marvel Two-In-One #12/LGY #112 – Chip Zdarsky (writer) Ramon K. Perez (art) Frederico Blee (colours) VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters). Toutles gang is back together again, but where the heck are they living? It looks like a rundown townhouse. The final issue features Sue and Johnny as the siblings work out their personal problems. Chip pays tribute to Fantastic Four #1 with a big fight between the team and the Mole Man and his monsters. I was really impressed with Chip’s work on this series and will be looking for his name on future projects.
Dead Man Logan #1 – Ed Brisson (writer) Mike Henderson (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC’s Cory Petit (letters). Here we go with the 12-issue series that I hope ends with Old Man Logan either dying nobly to save the world or getting zapped back to his own time and place to reunite with his family. Miss Sinister is the major villain this issue as she recruits Mysterio for her nefarious plans. I guess we won’t be seeing the Tarantula in any more stories.
Ironheart #1 – Eve L. Ewing (writer) Kevin Libranda & Luciano Vecchio (art) Geoffo (additional layouts) Matt Milla (colours) VC’s Clayton Cowles (letters). Riri Williams finally gets her own solo book using her super hero name. Marvel went big with this $4.99 US number one. I liked the art throughout and Eve did a great job of introducing Riri to new and old fans alike. You get a lot of book for your bucks in this first issue and it’s good enough for me to add it to my “must read” list.
Heroes in Crisis #3 – Tom King (writer) Clay Mann (art pages 1 and 20) Lee Weeks (art pages 2 to 19) Tomeu Morey (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Don’t start reading this title with this issue because you’ll be wondering what the fork is going on. We see Booster Gold arriving in Sanctuary, a place Batman built to help super heroes cope with their issues. It’s supposed to be psychotherapeutic and maybe that’s where Harley Quinn comes in. I dunno. I don’t see how bashing people in the head with a giant mallet helps. This is the kind of stuff Grant Morrison and Peter Milligan used to do that got my brain all discombobulated and made me stop reading their books. I hope Tom gets more lucid next issue.
Die!Die!Die! #5 – Robert Kirkman & Scott M. Gimple (writers) Chris Burnham (art) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Rus Wooton (letters). We start off this issue with a little back story about special agents Bethany and Theodore. I predict that one of them will Die! Die! Die! Before this story is over. If you recall from the end of #4 a team of commandos were about to attack John the hermit way out in the woods. I loved how they cut to the aftermath of what looked like an epic battle on page 4 and John’s talk with the surviving commando. Chris Burnham’s art is what keeps me reading this hyper violent story.
Marvel Action Spider-Man #1 – Delilah S. Dawson (writer) Fico Ossio (art) Ronda Pattison (colours) Shawn Lee (letters). This new kid friendly book is published by IDW and it made me feel like a kid again. We’ve got a 16-year-old Peter Parker along with Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy meeting for the first time as interns at the Daily Bugle. Peter’s the only one that dons a costume to fight mutant dogs but Miles helps out and Gwen follows along to post the story for the paper. I loved the art and the feeling of excitement and adventure of these young heroes. I highly recommend this for younger readers.
Fantastic Four #4/LGY #649 – Dan Slott (writer) Stefano Caselli & Nico Leon (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters). Marvel’s first family is back together and back on Earth but are the Fantastic Four needed when the Fantastix are around? You bet your sweet bippy they are. This issue’s guest villains are the new Wrecking Crew. I don’t know who the new Bulldozer is but I like her crop top. This issue also answered my question from Marvel 2-In-One #12 about where the family is living now since they don’t own the Baxter Building anymore. (it’s a building that Ben owns on Yancy Street). Get ready for the special issue #650 where Ben and Alicia get hitched. What kind of disaster does Dan have up his sleeve for that big event?
