The Best Book You're Probably Not Reading Right Now.

Grimm Fairy Tales and all the other books being published by Zenescope Entertainment are some very good books. I was skeptical when they first appeared because they reminded me of the bad-girl books from the 90's, which were light on story, great art, but essentially just T & A books.

I have read every one of the books in this series and all other series in this universe. When they first started this series it was a little tough to read because the writers were just starting to find their voice. As the world they were creating started to solidify, the characters began to find their own voice, and things really started to gel.

Art has always been a high point for this series. Sometimes there is a little too much risque art for my taste, but it is good nonetheless.

The entire universe is starting to come together now during "The Dream Eater Saga" which is bringing all the characters and worlds together. If you pick it up now it may confuse a new reader. My suggestion to you is to start with the first trade, or the hardback that collects the first two trades. If you do you will pick all of them up within a few months and be hooked. They have even released a source book for all the characters, worlds, and events.

I think you should run out to your local comic shop or call Poe Poz and order the trades or visit www.poepoz.net to order. You will be glad you did. I leave you with another cover to entice you to buy soon.

Review: Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing

This is a book that should be labeled required reading for the DCnU launch in September. It reintroduces John Constantine and Swamp Thing back into the DCU just in time for the re-launch. It even introduces on of Constantine's long time associates Chas into the universe.

This book is well written, the only problem with it is that if you don't know who Constantine or Swamp Thing are you may be lost. It does no introductions of the characters other than Constantine remembering Batman from the original Crisis. It brings in Zatanna as well, which is good since she will be part of Constantine's JL Dark come September.

I am not going to spoil the book for you, you need to go to Poe Poz and buy a copy to read, but I will say that it should be read by those who are comics fans and want a glimpse into how the events of the re-launch are being set up. If you have not read DC and are interested for September, it is a good book, but you will need to ask a few questions of your local comic shop staff on who the characters are and maybe get them to explain where Constantine and Swamp Thing have been for 20+ years.

This book gets a 3 out of 5 batarangs from me. If it had more character introduction it would have been higher. I use batarangs instead of stars because a) I am a Batman apologist, b) I am the one writing, and c)they are cooler than stars.

Here is the cover for this issue for those interested.

Uncanny X-Men #1 coming in October

With all of the hype and publicity surrounding DC and their September “don’t call it a reboot” re-launch, other companies have been fighting for media attention. Marvel has garnered some of that attention with the announcement that in September their longstanding title, Uncanny X-Men would be ending. They recently announced that in October it would be back with a new #1 and they would be launching a Wolverine and the X-Men #1 alongside it. This is the results of what happens in the storyline called Schism that they are in currently and will be culminating in September.

Some people will say that this is in response to what DC is doing and they are just trying to get some of that attention now. Even if this is what they were doing I would not blame them because in a dwindling marketplace any news can be considered good news. They are actually doing a smart thing here….character progression that will take their mutants somewhere that should have been visited before.

This is fallout from Wolverine and Cyclops, who have never gotten along, essentially splitting the X-Men and making people pick sides as to whose team they will be on. According to a Newsarama interview with Kerion Gillen, who will be writing Uncanny, “each team will think that they are the X-Men”. Jason Aaron, also the writer on the critically acclaimed Vertigo series Scalped, will be writing the Wolverine and the X-Men book.
I am looking forward to this and might actually pick up the first few issues of each to see the characterization and why certain teammates pick either side. Why might Kitty pick Cyclops over Wolverine, or will she? These character moments and moments of seeing how two new teams will have to come together and be a team while dealing with the pressure of still being hated by the human race, not having all of the resources or numbers they used to have, and still having villains to fight should be interesting.

This will be on my pick up list (which is saying something, because I am not Mr. Marvel) and it should be checked out by all comic fans. I think with DC raising the bar and making their stories new, fresh and more accessible will in turn make other companies do the same to compete. There is nothing wrong with competition; it only makes things better in the long run. Comic fans (notice I said comic fans and not Marvel Zombies or DC Fanatics) should be rejoicing right now. We are going through a revival with more comic movies than ever, it is ok to like comics now, DC has raised the bar, Valiant is on the way back to publishing in 2012, and more.

The only problem we should be having is not knowing where our money for all of the goodness will come from, and having to pick and choose what we can afford. I for one will not complain about anything until I read the stories…if they are horrible then I will complain as loud or louder than anyone. I don’t think they will be though….this is one of their last shots and they know it. Maybe Marvel should “don’t call it a reboot” re-launch as well, because if it didn’t work at least they have “Mephisto Magic” to fix everything.

See ya next week-Walls

DC’s New Universe…..What to look forward to.

DC’s New Universe…..What to look forward to.

DC Comics announced last week that in September their comic universe would be changing and they were going to re-number every issue to #1. In honor of this historic announcement I am going to give you my pick of the day so to speak. DC has announced on their blog different titles and creative teams for a select number of books each day; so I will go back to each day and pick one and only one title to highlight as a book to buy. Some days picking only one book will be hard but that is my job. I do the hard stuff so you can just read and consider. These are my opinions and not those of DC Comics or Poe Poz……so let’s get to it.

Day 1
This first day there were 11 books solicited and there were some surprises among them to be sure. I was excited about DC Universe Presents, an anthology title with rotating creative teams. I have always enjoyed anthology books and this one looks good. It begins with an initial creative team of Paul Jenkins (writer) and Bernard Chang (artist) on a Deadman story. The book I am most excited about though is……Wonder Woman #1. It is being written by Brian Azzarello of 100 Bullets fame. If you would have given me 20 guesses on who the new writer on this book would have been, I would not have guessed Azzarello. Maybe this is just the kind of boost that her book needs. Art will be by Cliff Chiang.

Day 2
This day brought us Green Lantern solicits. There were a number of surprises again. The most surprising being a Red Lanterns #1, written by Peter Milligan. The book that I am most looking forward to though is …..Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1. It is being written by Tony Bedard, who does space opera pretty well, and drawn by Tyler Kirkham. What is making me look forward to this book though is not the creative team, but the concept. One of all the many colored lanterns (green, red, yellow, blue, orange, purple and pink) will be on one team under the leadership of Kyle Rayner. This is an interesting concept and could make for a great book.

Day 3
This day brought us the books most dear to me….the Bat-Family books. There are many, still too many, but they are a range of titles. Barbara Gordon is back as Batgirl, Jason Todd leads his own team including Arsenal and Starfire, Dick is back as Nightwing, Tim was nowhere to be seen (yet), and Bruce back as the only Batman. With all these shake-ups which book am I looking forward to? Batman #1 with Detective Comics #1 a close second, just for the nostalgia factor. Batman is being written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo. This is exciting because Snyder has been doing a fantastic job on the current Detective Comics. This is going to be a great book.

Day 4
I am a sucker for all of the classic horror/suspense comics of the 60’s and 70’s. DC is bringing back some of that with the Dark line of comics. It will include Swamp Thing #1, Justice League Dark #1, Animal Man #1, Demon Knights #1, Resurrection Man #1, Voodoo #1, and Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE #1. I am most excited about Justice League Dark. Here is a book that will have John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, and Shade the Changing Man. The cover also looks like it may have Zatanna in the book as well. This cast alone would make for a great book but it is also being written by Peter Milligan who knows the dark corners of the DCU well. This will be a definite day one buy.

Day 5
This day brought us teen heroes and the biggest surprise is the one I am looking forward to. Teen Titans #1, written by Scott Lobdell with art by Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund. This is the expected big 4, but with different costumes and it seems stories as well. Red Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl with a couple of unidentified characters are on the cover. This look interesting and I can’t wait for this one.

Day 6
This day brought us the Edge line of books. War, western, and a couple of old Wildstorm books make this day interesting. I was not a big fan of Wildstorm or war books so the only title I am really watching for out of this book is All-Star Western #1. This title will feature Jonah Hex and feature back-ups of the other DCU western heroes. It is being written by the exceptional team of Jimmy Palmotti and Justin Gray, with art by Moritat. This should be a great book. Another couple of solicits hit the wire close to the end of the day….Blue Beetle #1 and Suicide Squad #1. The Suicide Squad will include Deadshot, King Shark and Harley Quinn.

Day 7
The four books revealed today were Superman, Action Comics, Supergirl, and Superboy. The book I am most looking forward to though is Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales. It is not everyday that we get to own a piece of history and we have the chance with this book. Action Comics #1 has been the “Holy Grail” of comics…now we are starting over with another #1 that we all have a chance to own.

These are my #1 buys for the month of September, but you make your own decisions, or better yet just go ahead and buy all 52 #1’s that month.
See ya in September-Walls

Hey everyone,

My name is Wayne Walls, most people know me as Walls. I am going to be helping with the blogging duties here at Poe Poz. Make sure to come back each week on Mon. Wed. and Friday to see what is new at Poe Poz and in my head. I will be giving reviews of new and classic comics, as well as all of the comic movies that come out. I will be giving you my reading list and those comics that are too good for you to pass up. I will also be posting about new trends and news in the world of comics and movies. So stop by and check out the blog, but more important than that.......you need to stop by and check out the store....go ahead now...leave and go to the store then come back and read.

See ya in a few-Walls

From newsarama.com

Comics
Palmiotti Sails Pirate DEATHSTROKE on FLASHPOINT High Seas

By Vaneta Rogers
posted: 08 June 2011 12:06 pm ET
Text Size:


ENLARGE
Mixing the fun of pirates with a map-hopping tour of the Flashpoint universe, Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager takes readers on a journey both epic and personal.

And it's what the writer calls "key" to the Flashpoint universe.

The extent of the Flashpoint universe was recently revealed by DC with a map that showed a wide variety of lands and factions, as wars rage across the globe. The three-issue Deathstroke mini-series takes readers across this vast alternate universe as the villainous pirate Slade Wilson searches for his daughter, Rose.

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And because the story is written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Joe Bennett, things get a little crazy. Known for his mind-boggling moments in the Jonah Hex series he writes with Justin Gray, Palmiotti has been given the directive to really push the limits in Deathstroke, fully utilizing the boldness of Bennett's art.

"I got to do some really crazy stuff," Palmiotti said, "and it actually all fits in the bigger scheme of the Flashpoint storyline."

Along Deathstroke's pirating trip, many familiar villainous faces show up, as well as some new characters created by Flashpoint architect Geoff Johns and Palmiotti himself.

Newsarama talked with Palmiotti to find out more.

Newsarama: Jimmy, who is Deathstroke in the Flashpoint universe?

Jimmy Palmiotti: Deathstroke is still the mercenary and assassin and bad-ass character that Slade Wilson's always been, except now he's a pirate. And he has this ship called Ravager.

He's taking advantage of all the chaos going on in the world and making stuff his own. He does what pirates do -- they rob, they steal, they kill.

The three issues cover a lot of ground. There's a lot of stuff going on, but it's a personal story as well. He's a man on a mission, and that is to find his daughter Rose.

Nrama: DC has indicated that we'll see a lot of the Flashpoint world in this mini-series?

Palmiotti: Yeah, he's searching for his daughter, but he still has a crew to satisfy. So as they rob, steal and plunder, they'll make their way through much of the Flashpoint universe.

And his life is not being made easy. Rose is keeping a couple steps ahead of him, and the people he's after are making sure things do not go well for him.

There are a lot of different stories going down within the three issues. And then it's also very involved with what's happening in the Flashpoint book and the world Geoff is creating there.

Nrama: It seems like you have the perfect artist for a big story like this. Joe Bennett's art is very big and grand.

Palmiotti: Oh yeah. I worked with Joe on Hawkman way back when, and he's gotten so much better, even though I didn't think he could. It's fantastic, it's over-the-top. The stuff I've seen has made me laugh because it's so filled with energy. There's a certain joy in the madness going on in the book, and Joe and John Dell really nailed it. I'm really, really happy with the way the first issue looks.

Nrama: What made you want to get involved with the Flashpoint story?

Palmiotti: I just think this is such an interesting part of the overall Flashpoint story, because we get to use this amazing character in Deathstroke and find out what he'd be like as a pirate, plus we get to really delve into all the corners of this world that Geoff has created.



ENLARGE
I'm not sure why DC wanted me on this title in particular, but I guess when they thought about murdering, thieving mercenaries and killers, I must have come to mind. Geoff especially felt that I would be the right person to write this kind of character.

Of course, the first thing out of my mouth was, "What can't I do? When am I going too far?" And they said, "Just write it the way you see it, and then we'll take a look and go from there."

And the funny thing about writing this series is that not much is censored. It's as crazy as I wanted to get, and they loved it, so it's kind of a great gig all around. I got to do some really crazy stuff, and it actually all fits in the bigger scheme of the Flashpoint storyline.

The concept's great, the character's terrific -- I've been a fan of Deathstroke since way back, even in the '80s when Marv [Wolfman] and George [Perez] were doing the character -- so I couldn't say no to the offer.

Nrama: Deathstroke has usually been portrayed as a mercenary, doing jobs for other people who pay him. But it sounds like you're letting him loose in this crazy world. Does that make him different at all?

Palmiotti: Well, he's still the same character, but even more bad-ass, with no holds barred, really. But of course, there's a point where he realizes there are some things money can't buy, and that's his daughter.

But yeah, there are no limitations when he's a pirate, traveling the world, so we made a comic that, if it were a movie, would have a $300 million budget. But because it's a comic, we could do pretty much anything we wanted.

So we went a little crazy in this book. I tried to get as creative as I could with how he does his job as a pirate. Extreme violence, when it's creative, is very entertaining to me. I had a lot of creativity in this book with how to take a guy down.

Nrama: Will you touch upon other things going on in the Flashpoint universe?

Palmiotti: It's actually key. There are key scenes in the first two issues that are actually important to the story of Flashpoint. They relate to what's going on in Geoff's book, even so far as some things are actually different angles or different perspectives. So you see events happening in Flashpoint, and then you're going to see Deathstroke's perspective. It's sort of like two people watch the same thing and get two different things out of it. So that's why the book's so cool.

Nrama: Are there a lot of new characters?

Palmiotti: There are existing characters in it and there are some new characters that Geoff created, there are a few that I created, and some of them have some horrible ends.



ENLARGE
The supporting cast kind of gets put through hell in the book. Some make it out OK, some not so OK. But that's the price of hanging out with a guy like Deathstroke. If you're on his ship and on his crew, then you're as good as dead in other people's eyes.

And we also deal with other ships. I don't want to give it away, but there are other ships. One in particular has another hero in the DCU on it that's a lot of fun. So we get to see pirates battling each other. And we get some hand-to-hand combat.

The idea that I got to write a pirate book with Deathstroke in it was a big, fun riot. It's the kind of thing where you get the premise and your imagination goes crazy. And that's what readers are going to see on the page. Just this crazy, fun tour of the Flashpoint Universe with DC characters as pirates and lots of swashbuckling action.

X-Men Prelude to Schism 2 of 4

Written by Paul Jenkins
Art by Andrea Mutti and Lee Loughridge
I liked this issue mostly because of how much insight we get into Erick's (Magneto) past and how we are shown a good bit into his mind. The art work is gravitatingly breath taking to say the least. It pulls you into the days of Hitler and with the dialog it keeps you there. But not just there as the story comes and goes from past to present at just the right moments. This issue left me wanting more. I can't wait to see what happens next.--Kat

Fear Itself Book One

As this has been said to be the biggest event in the Marvel Universe this year. It starts out just perfect as the pace of the story starts right out the door grasping your attention and holds on to it for dear life through out the book. The art is beautiful with such detail that bewilders you more and more with each scene. All in all it is my favorite book of the day.

Dc Universe Online Legends # 1

Though the game is not doing as well as many had hoped, i am already over whelmed by the comic book. Not only do you have Lex beating down Superman but you get the action of how one enemy of of man creates a band allies around the world. The art work is just eye candy to say the least. I love how so many scenes are so busy but clear. Tough I do wish the dialog had been more talkative less screaming, but when Brainic is attacking a planet you don't have much time to talk. All in all I liked it and look forward to future issues.- Kat

Gaming update

Flashpoint #2 (of 6) - comiXology