Monday, June 24, 2018
Yesterday was a perfect fishing day. Due to scheduling and health problems I went out on my own on a cloudy morning with a slight breeze. I started out using a surface lure called a Skitterpop and had a missed hit on it after a few casts. The splash was pretty big. I waited a couple of minutes and switched to a shallow running minnow lure and cast it back to where the fish missed my popper. Sure enough, it took it and I landed a nice two pound largemouth bass in the first 10 minutes of fishing. We fishermen have appropriated the baseball term “double header” for when two people catch fish at the same time. I use the term “a double” when I catch a fish on two consecutive casts. I have even accomplished the rare “triple” where I hooked a fish and released it, then on my next cast hooked another and after releasing the second fish, hooked another on my third consecutive cast. I found a spot in the lake yesterday where I got a “home run”. I landed and released 4 fish on four consecutive casts. Sure, the first fish was a little sunfish that wasn’t even as long as my lure, and the other three were small bass, but man was it fun. My next goal will be a “grand slam”, 5 fish on 5 casts. I even had a double later on. I finished yesterday’s trip with a new high score for this year landing 26 fish, setting a new solo record. I hooked up 10 other times but the fish got off my barbless hooks before I could get them into the boat. I hope that I can convey the joy that I feel from my two hobbies, fishing and reading comic books, to you all in some small way.
Man of Steel #4 – Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Kevin Maguire (art) Jason Fabok (art pages 12 – 13) Alex Sinclair (colours) Josh Reed (letters). Superman and Supergirl engage in fisticuffs with the bad guy. There are little touches like rescuing the falling girl and someone saying “agh” in this issue that made me smile. Another hint to what happened to Lois and Jon is given and new players join the fight. The Kevin Maguire art is a bonus. I am disappointed with this story but it’s not so bad that I’m not going to read the last two issues.
Tony Stark Iron Man #601/1 – Dan Slott (writer) Valerio Schiti (art) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters). I enjoyed Dan Slott’s run on Amazing Spider-Man. He basically made Peter Parker a Tony Stark clone when he started up Parker Industries so I’m not surprised that he has taken over Iron Man after Brian Michael Bendis’s departure. The focus now is on Tony and his multiple suits of Iron Man armour with the first big giant super hero fight against a classic Iron Man super villain. We’re starting off with a lighter tone and this debut was fun to read. There’s no iron hide nor hair of Riri Williams and I was disappointed, but the great art made up for that. It’s nice to keep Iron Man on my “must read” list.
Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky #1– Tim Seeley (writer) Javier Fernandez (art) Hugo Petrus (pencils pages 14 – 16, 18) Otto Schmidt (epilogue art) John Kalisz (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Prelude to the wedding part 4. Batman hires the Red Hood to shadow Selina while she’s out with her girlfriends at her bachelorette party. Anarky doesn’t crash the party but Selina and the girls end up at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t read the Red Hood comic book but I might now. He’s leading a team that has Bizarro as a member. That sounds cool. Meanwhile, the Joker is still looking for his invite to the wedding.
Runaways #10 – Rainbow Rowell (writer) Kris Anka (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters). Best Friends Forever part 4. The team tries to get Julie Power back to normal after she eats the enchanted cupcake and reverts back to her thirteen year old self. Great foreshadowing on the Alice in Wonderland cover. I liked the juxtaposition of Molly and Abigail’s friendship and Karolina and Julie’s relationship.
Doctor Strange #392/2 – Mark Waid (writer) Jesus Saiz (art) VC’s Cory Petit (letters). Sorcerer Supreme of the Galaxy part 2. Well, that didn’t take long. Two weeks for us but over two months for Stephen while being held captive by the Gryndans. I like the new sidekick. She’s no Wong or Clea but she’s got spunk. The Doc’s space adventure continues with the next alien encounter sure to make Marvel fans happy.
Hunt for Wolverine: The Claws of a Killer #2 – Mariko Tamaki (writer) Butch Guice & Mack Chater (pencils) Cam Smith & Mack Chater (inks) Dan Brown (colours) VC’s Joe Sabino (letters). I’m benching this team. Daken, Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth don’t look like they’re going to find out anything of significance. This issue is just them fighting zombies and some mystery organization wanting to get their hands on Daken.
Ant-Man and the Wasp #2 – Mark Waid (writer) Javier Garron (art) Israel Silva (colours) VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters). Things get even more harrowing for Nadia and Scott in the Microverse as Scott tries to reverse Nadia’s blindness when the natives interfere. The art in this is absolutely amazing. If the FX in the new movie is as good as this comic book, it will be bonkers.
Avengers #693/3 – Jason Aaron (writer) Paco Medina & Ed McGuinness (pencils) Juan Vlasco with Mark Morales and Jay Leisten (inks) David Curiel (colours) VC’s Cory Petit (letters). Finding out whether Loki is friend or foe to these Avengers is what’s keeping me reading. He shows Captain America what’s ailing Earth so that the heroes can come up with a way to save the planet. Meanwhile Thor and She-Hulk confront Odin to get answers to what happened in the distant past to make the Celestials pissed off with our planet. Jason Aaron makes this team book interesting by splitting it up into smaller groups so that it’s not just one big giant fight scene. At least not yet.
Amazing Spider-Man #801 – Dan Slott (writer) Marcos Martin (art) Muntsa Vicente (colours) Joe Caramagna (letters). Dan Slott’s last issue on this title is a fitting tribute to the character and all that he did writing the book for ten years. Spider-Man is my all time favourite super hero and I give credit to Dan and all the artists that he worked with for creating interesting and entertaining stories. I may have been disappointed at times but never so much that I stopped reading this book. Now we’ll see what Nick Spencer (writer) and Ryan Ottley (art) have in store for us when their first issue hits the rack July 11.
Batman #49 – Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin (art) June Chung (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). The Joker incapacitated Batman last issue and Catwoman comes to the rescue this issue. She doesn’t pussyfoot around with the crazed killer and both antagonists wind up fatally wounded. Most of this issue is the two of them talking about their relationship with the Dark Knight. The potential for both of them dying is very real. Next issue is The Wedding, so you know who lives. I love when writers get into the heads of these characters.
