Sunday, January 27, 2019

Comics Lust 1/26/2019

Welcome back, Donist World Denizens! For those of you new to our site, I’m Donist, and I am joined by Donist World CFO the Reverse Obie* (my friends’ Boston terrier whose fur recently swapped colors) and by our marketing director/administrative assistant/crime stopper Tulip. After hearing the news and seeing the video (awesome!) of a longstanding, lying criminal getting arrested at his home for being a longstanding, lying criminal, we thought what better time to return to the crime comic genre. Anyhow, be kind to each other, mind your health and sanity, treat your friends to some tacos (which we can't eat except for the meat and veggies), keep your pets safe, cherish the ones you love, hydrate, and read some great comics. Thank you for reading!


*Obie, through his dabbling in arcane magiks mixed with ancient corrupt business practices, has had not just the colors of his fur switched, but a complete overhaul of his work ethic as well…I think I’m kinda okay with the mishap.


Not sure what “Comics Lust” is about? Take a look at the Introduction to “Comics Lust” post or take a look at the static “Comics Lust Table of Contents” page to jump to a topic.

Comics Lust

The Scene of the Crime (Part 2)



There are a fair amount of crime comics out there and admittedly, there are only a few that I have actually read, which is something I am in the process of remedying for a “Part 3” and a “Part 4” in the near future. For the past few years I have been riding the wave of great crime Podcasts like The Last Podcast on the Left, Serial, My Favorite Murder, Up and Vanished, and many others, which have led the way to some great television shows. Comics, however, are my first love and crime comics have been around for a good long while and I took notice of them way before the podcasts and television shows re-sparked my interests. As a timely aside, a recent newsletter from none other than Warren Ellis reminded me of the Paradox Press titles from the ‘90s that I never read and I am now plotting a course to collect them all. At the tail end of the “The Scene of the Crime (Part 1),” I teased there was a must-read, must-own series that demands all crime enthusiasts, art lovers, and/or those looking for an introduction to the comic medium to experience, so we open with…


Parker: The Hunter

(Everythinged by Darwyn Cooke, originally published in 2009 by IDW Publishing)
There are soooooo many reasons to read this brilliant masterwork from Cooke: Cooke’s oh-so-gorgeous art that was tailor-made for a noir comic; Cooke’s flawless adaptation of Richard Stark’s Parker novels through the storytelling of the art and the placement of the dialogue; the perfectly suited design and production of the actual book from dust jacket, to hardcover material, to form factor, to the simplistic embossing on the cover, to the two-color print job, to the interior lettering, to the interior lead-in design; and the fact that Cooke did everything. The Parker novels were written by Donald Westlake under the pseudonym Richard Stark, who was supposedly quite hesitant to allow his name to be attached to any sort of adaptation, but Cooke’s respect for the work and his willingness to listen to Westlake’s feedback is what garnered the author’s approval. Unfortunately, Westlake died in 2008 before being able to see the first volume. Thankfully, we were blessed with four editions before Cooke’s untimely passing in 2016 at the age of 53. Here are the books in order:


After all of that lead-up, what is the first book about? Well…Parker may very well be the best heist guy there is. He pulls off a robbery, lives off the gains in luxury hotels for as long as he can, and then moves on to the next job. Only this time, he’s betrayed by his woman and double-crossed by his best friend. Unfortunately for those who wronged him…Parker is alive and he wants what’s his. All four of these OGN adaptations are just too damn good to miss. Read while sitting in a smoke-filled room and drinking bourbon on the rocks.


Blacksad

(Written by Juan Díaz Canales, illustrated by Juanjo Guarnido, lettered by Studio Cutie, originally published in 2010 by Dark Horse Books)
I often hear of people disliking anthropomorphic animal stories, which is so very limiting considering the treasure that is Blacksad. Yes, the main character, private investigator John Blacksad, is a bipedal feline, but by the time you make it to page three you quickly forget that he is a cat, and instead see a man who just found the woman he once loved (another cat) murdered, and who vows make the killer pay. Now, I have a soft spot in my heart for painted comics and Guarnido’s work is nothing short of heavenly. Whether he is capturing all of the drama of a scene through the expressions of animal characters (few can successfully do this, by the way), or showing exactly why Blacksad is so irresistible to the ladies in this book (hint: he’s one helluva tall drink of water, if you get my drift), or showing just how stunningly gorgeous his animal women can be, I promise that you have not seen anything like this book—don’t even get me started on his cityscapes, oh my goodness. Equally strong are the three stories contained in the first volume, which deal not only with murder and crime in ‘50s America, but also with racism and even the “Red Scare” amidst conspiracies and political maneuverings. Once you read the first volume, you best be scrambling to get the other two. Here are the hardcover books you need:


You know you want to jump on these!


Satellite Sam

(Written by Matt Fraction, illustrated by Howard Chaykin, originally published in 2013 by Image Comics)
In New York City, 1951, America’s television darling, Carlyle White, star of the hit show Satellite Sam, is found dead in a secret flophouse with an impressive assortment of scandalous photographs in his collection. When Carlyle’s rarely-sober son, Mike, explores the room, he begins to suspect foul play and suddenly recognizes one of the women in the stacks of his father’s lascivious photographs. This 15-issue series has a robust cast of characters all brought to life in black and white by Chaykin—including all the lovely women and handsome men you can expect in one of his books—all while providing a fascinating look at the seedy side of the Golden Age of television. Fraction gives fans of Mad Men, crime tales, period pieces, sex scandals, and the television biz all they could hope for in this thrilling and titillating ride. You can read in issues, three trades, or in one glorious hardcover.


Detectives, Inc.
(Written by Don McGregor, illustrated by Marshall Rogers and Gene Colan, originally published in 1980 by Eclipse Comics)
Ted Denning and Bob Rainier make up the private detective team Detectives, Inc. In their first appearance, “A Remembrance of Threatening Green,” illustrated by Marshall Rogers, the detectives, whose personal lives are falling apart as their business teeters on the brink of collapse, take a case to help a woman bring her lesbian lover’s killer to justice. In the second volume, “A Terror of Dying Dreams,” printed directly from Gene Colan’s pencils, sees Denning and Rainier investigating a wife-beating millionaire at the behest of a concerned social worker. Both story and art alone make for a fantastic read for crime junkies, but what is equally important is that “A Remembrance of Threatening Green” is the first mass-market comic to feature a lesbian character, and “A Terror of Dying Dreams” is to be commended for dealing with the subject of domestic violence. The sadly short-lived series can also be praised for its take on race relations and abortion in addition to being a straight-up thrilling read. Unfortunately, the publication history is somewhat complex, so here goes:

  • Detectives, Inc.: A Remembrance of Threatening Green (Written by Don McGregor, illustrated by Marshall Rogers, published in 1980 by Eclipse Comics) Where it all began. Printed in black and white.
  • Detectives, Inc.: A Terror of Dying Dreams (Written by Don McGregor, illustrated by Gene Colan, published in ???? by Eclipse Comics) Supposedly there was a black and white graphic novel of this before the three-issue series debuted, but I cannot find anything about it.
  • Detectives, Inc. #1–2 (Written by Don McGregor, illustrated by Marshall Rogers, published in 1985 by Eclipse Comics) A color reprinting of “A Remembrance of Threatening Green” spread over two issues.
  • Detectives, Inc. #1–3 (Written by Don McGregor, illustrated by Gene Colan, published in 1987 by Eclipse Comics) A sepia-tone wash version of “A Terror of Dying Dreams” spread over three issues.
  • Detectives, Inc.: A Remembrance of Threatening Green (Written by Don McGregor, illustrated by Marshall Rogers, published in 1999 by Image Comics) A black and white reprint of the original graphic novel.
  • Detectives, Inc.: A Terror of Dying Dreams (Written by Don McGregor, illustrated by Gene Colan, published in 1999 by Image Comics) A black and white reprinting of the original graphic novel (of which I can find no evidence of). (Head scratching)
  • Detectives, Inc. HC (Written by Don McGregor, illustrated by Marshall Rogers and Gene Colan, published in 2009 by IDW Publishing) Now THIS is the way you need to read this monumental detective series. In black and white and both chapters in one beautiful hardcover will get you the whole shebang.

Now, it looks like I need to put on my detective hat and see if I can actually find if there is indeed a 1985 graphic novel or not.


There you have it, Denizens, enough crime comic reading to keep you busy until the next installment. Happy reading!



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Saturday, January 19, 2019

Comics Lust 1/19/2019

Welcome back, Donist World Denizens! For those of you new to our site, I’m Donist, and I am joined by Donist World CFO the Reverse Obie* (my friends’ Boston terrier whose fur recently swapped colors) and by our marketing director/administrative assistant/Real Food Challenge trooper Tulip. We are in the deepest pit of the Real Food Challenge, Denizens, and we have been without dairy, corn, gluten, sugar, peanuts, and a few other things since Monday morning. It ain’t easy. If that wasn’t difficult enough, we are only allowed grains once per day, and beer…well, beer is a strict no-no. Thus, we suffer. Six days are down with 24 more to go. Thank goodness, my puppy executive team and I have plenty of great comics to help pass the time. Anyhow, be kind to each other, mind your health and sanity, treat your friends to some tacos (which we can't eat except for the meat and veggies), keep your pets safe, cherish the ones you love, hydrate, and read some great comics. Thank you for reading!


*Obie, through his dabbling in arcane magiks mixed with ancient corrupt business practices, has had not just the colors of his fur switched, but a complete overhaul of his work ethic as well…I think I’m kinda okay with the mishap.


Not sure what “Comics Lust” is about? Take a look at the Introduction to “Comics Lust” post or take a look at the static “Comics Lust Table of Contents” page to jump to a topic.

Comics Lust

Otherworldly Wonders (Part 2)



As readers, comics guide us to other places whether it is a character’s life of relative normalcy or the most extreme of the fantastic. They take us somewhere new, somewhere different. That’s a given. But sometimes these stories deal with new worlds that intersect our own, whether the characters are the travelers or the characters are dealing with visiting/invading strangers—or some combination of both—is what we are looking at today. The main point is that the planet Earth is central to the story. So, what better way to celebrate other worlds than to open by re-experiencing one of the best comic book series of the past couple years.


Black Hammer

(Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Dean Ormston and David Rubín, colored by Dave Stewart, lettered by Todd Klein, originally published in 2016 by Dark Horse Books)
As I have said before, I didn’t jump on this series right away, and it was a grave error on my part that I quickly remedied; thank goodness I did. Black Hammer is the story of a group of superheroes who upon succeeding in stopping a world-ending threat are seemingly destroyed in the aftermath of their victory. This not the case. Ten years have passed and the heroes, despite most of Earth believing them dead, are alive and well (relatively) on a farm in a rural town from which they cannot escape. One is dead, most desperately want to leave, and a few seem to enjoy their new life, but when a newcomer travels to this otherworldly version of Earth, she discovers all is not right in this odd town.
Lemire brings to life multiple amalgamations of the finest Gold, Silver, and Bronze Age heroes from The Big Two while injecting a grand mystery as to what exactly is keeping the heroes stranded and whether or not they are even on Earth at all. Ormston’s fine lines are a bridge between Lemire’s style of illustration and that of traditional superhero comics and his work truly shines when it comes to the character acting which lets the reader know exactly what the characters are feeling even when their words might suggest otherwise. Stewart’s muted color palette beautifully sets the tone for each moment, while the two issues illustrated by Rubín create a vibrant cross between traditional comics and the cartoony—and subsequently left me scrambling to read everything, like Ether, that Rubín has ever illustrated.
Lemire and Ormston kicked off not just one of the best comics of the past decade, they also created a Black Hammer universe that has branched out to side stories, one-shots, and even a new series, ALL of which you need to be reading. Here are the releases to date:


Not only these titles, but there will be a Black Hammer ’45 four-issue miniseries (Co-written by Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes, illustrated by Matt Kindt) releasing March 2019 and who knows what other goodies are heading our way in the future given that there will one day be a Black Hammer movie and television shows coming our way soon. Whether or not you have read the books in this ever-expanding world, you owe it to yourself to pick up the impressive Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 1, which contains Black Hammer #1–13, the annual, a whole mess of bonus material, and is greatly oversized so you can enjoy the finest Ormston and Rubín have to offer. Dang, I can’t wait to finally dive into my new Black Hammer: Age of Doom trade next!


Paper Girls

(Written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matt Wilson, originally published in 2015 by Image Comics)
Nostalgia for the ‘80s? Yup. Love of sci-fi, time travel, monsters, and four paper girls trying to make sense of the madness that has engulfed their lives? Double yup. A story that will complete after five more issues with issue #30? Heck, yeah…although I will definitely be sad to see it go. Vaughan, Chiang, and Wilson brought us this fantastic series of what happens when a rip in time/space brings monsters and weirdos from the future into a Cleveland suburb in the ‘80s and it’s up to a team of kids on bikes to set things right. Sound kind of familiar? I’m sure it does, but know that this fine comic came out before the great Stranger Things Netflix series. A thoroughly entertaining story and gorgeous art await you and can be bought in trade or glorious hardcover.


The Micronauts

(Written by Bill Mantlo; illustrated primarily by Michael Golden, Pat Broderick, and Jackson Guice, originally published in 1979 by Marvel Comics)
I told you I can’t go longer than a few months without mentioning the Donist World Darling that is The Micronauts, and with good reason: it’s one hell of a damn fine comic in both story and (usually) art. But what makes it relevant to today’s installment is the tagline “They Came From Inner Space.” This team of heroes struggling to thwart the diabolical Baron Karza’s attempts to dominate what is known as the Microverse. The Microverse, however, is right here on planet Earth, only it exists at the subatomic level. Commander Rann, Princess Mari, Bug, Acroyear, Biotron, Microtron, and a whole host of others find themselves crossing between their world and ours in an effort to put an end to Karza’s reign. Exciting, thrilling, and at times devastating this series is forever on my top-five list. Unfortunately, a licensing nightmare prevents this must-read series from getting the omnibus treatment it so richly deserves. To the back issue bins with you!


Kill 6 Billion Demons

(Everythinged by Tom Parkinson-Morgan, originally published online beginning in 2013 at killsixbilliondemons.com, and originally published in print in 2016 by Image Comics)
Angels and demons, gods and devils, none of the above is what you want to come calling when you are…you know…doin’ it for the first time with your college boyfriend. Then suddenly, WHAMMY, an angel/demon or whatever shows up gets kilt and sticks a magical key type thing into your forehead immediately after the things that kilt the angel/demon thing grab your boyfriend and vanish into another dimension called Throne. We’ve all been there, right? Anyhow, the magic doohickey in Allison Ruth’s head blows her away...literally...and dumps her in the bizarre world of Throne.
Now, although this series first began appearing digitally one page at a time in 2013, it is definitely new to me. I freaking love it. You have a true everythinger delivering a trippy as hell story with trippy as hell art to match. In this wonderfully developed world, there are no two creatures alike and, trust me, there are TONS of creatures to see in this vibrant, funny, thrilling, highly imaginative series that strikes me as what you would get if Hayao Miyazaki was a bit more twisted and developed a story for adults. I’m currently on the fourth chapter and loving every page of this comic. Check it out online, but this is one you will want to ultimately get in print and have on your favorite shelf.


The Stuff of Legend

(Written by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith, illustrated by C.P. Wilson III, designed and colored by Jon Conkling and Michael De Vito, originally published in 2009 by Th3rd World Studios)
What if traveling to another world, one in which your favorite toys were alive and walking and talking with one another, was only a matter of stepping into your darkened closet. That would be nice, but in this instance, the Boogieman is very much real and has abducted the toys’ boy into the realm known as The Dark. Now, it’s up to the boy’s favorite toys to venture into the closet and into The Dark to rescue him from the clutches of the wicked Boogieman. I positively love this comic and although there are brutal delays between issues, it is very much worth checking into not only for the fascinating and oftentimes harsh story from Raicht and Smith, or for the fantastic character designs and beautiful storytelling skills of Wilson III, but also for the book’s unique and gorgeous production and design. These black, white, and sepia-colored comics, trades, and hardcover collections have a square form factor and mimic the look of old children’s books from the ’40s and ’50s. I just hope the creators are able to finish it someday soon, as this one is something special.


That’s it for this installment and I hope you get to travel to many magical worlds over this three-day weekend. All the best. See you next week.



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Saturday, January 12, 2019

Comics Lust 1/12/2019

Welcome back, Donist World Denizens! For those of you new to our site, I’m Donist, and I am joined by Donist World CFO the Reverse Obie* (my friends’ Boston terrier whose fur recently swapped colors) and by our marketing director/administrative assistant/w00t Stout sipper Tulip. Reverse Obie, Tulip, and I are going to keep this intro a bit short as we’re about to head out to get some beers at M*Special before we start our month-long Real Food Challenge on Monday. If we’re lucky, there’ll also be a food truck that has French fries or something along those lines that we can gorge on as our days (months, actually) of free eating are numbered…one and half days to be exact. Anyhow, be kind to each other, mind your health and sanity, treat your friends to some tacos, keep your pets safe, cherish the ones you love, hydrate, and read some great comics. Thank you for reading!


*Obie, through his dabbling in arcane magiks mixed with ancient corrupt business practices, has had not just the colors of his fur switched, but a complete overhaul of his work ethic as well…I think I’m kinda okay with the mishap.


Not sure what “Comics Lust” is about? Take a look at the Introduction to “Comics Lust” post or take a look at the static “Comics Lust Table of Contents” page to jump to a topic.

Comics Lust

Otherworldly Wonders (Part 1)


After reading the latest issue of today’s first entry—we’ll get to it in a moment—I knew I had to come up with a topic that would ensure this particular title would be at the forefront of today’s post. Then I read my second new comic of the week—that follows second, of course—and I knew exactly what I wanted to share with you today: comics about other worlds. Whether people are traveling to other worlds/planes of existence or those worlds/planes are sending their inhabitants to ours, that’s what we are looking at today. So, sit back, relax, and open your mind as we open doorways to places that tend to not be all that welcoming.

Murder Falcon

(Everythinged by Daniel Warren Johnson, colored by Mike Spicer, lettered by Rus Wooton, published originally in 2018 by Skybound Entertainment an Image Comics imprint)
I love this comic. I love this comic. I love this comic! I first became aware of this creator through his exceptionally written and illustrated Extremity series (a comic everyone MUST read) and I knew I would be following him on anything and everything he touched both prior to and after that incredible series. Then, along came Murder Falcon. In this series, Jake has all but given up on life: he’s lost the one he loves, his band, and the will to play music. To complicate matters, the world is besieged by monsters and one just showed up in Jake’s living room. Thankfully, Murder Falcon, a warrior from a realm known as “The Heavy,” has appeared and needs Jake’s help to fight the terrors seeping into our world. Yes, the premise sounds kind of ridiculous, but trust me, it’s all in the execution, which Johnson does beautifully. The story is heartfelt, heart-wrenching, and always earnest, while the art delivers monster-stomping goodness with a heavy metal vibe that can be felt deep in your bones. The dynamic use of sound effects within the art (in addition to Wooton’s lettering), and Johnson’s switch from thin or thick straight lines to jagged ones—implying ferocious speed—accentuates his masterful storytelling prowess, giving us a helluva damn fine comic. We’re halfway through this thrilling run that features not just one but two worlds besides our own, and I suspect once we reach the end we will have something that transcends to even higher planes.


Oblivion Song

(Written by Robert Kirkman, illustrated by Lorenzo De Felici, colored by Annalise Leoni, lettered by Rus Wooton, published originally in 2018 by Skybound Entertainment an Image Comics imprint)
Now, this one snuck up on us out of the blue, but that was by design. Per the notes of the first issue, Kirkman and De Felici had a good number of issues in the bag before announcing this thrilling new series. In Oblivion Song, a large portion of Philadelphia swapped places with another dimension, losing over 300,000 people and replacing them with nightmarish monsters. Years have passed and the monster problem at home has been dealt with, but Nathan Cole continues to jump into the world called Oblivion to find and rescue the humans still stuck there. But are Nathan’s efforts truly altruistic or is he searching for something else? De Felici’s cartooning is quite different from what you will find in most Big Two comics, which makes it stand out as his work brings life to the characters through his excellent storytelling and grasp of drama, while Leoni’s colors bring a vibrant excitement to the dark subject matter of this thrilling comic. Oh, and the monsters…those things are otherworldly and terrifying. There is one trade currently available with the second on the way soon.


Ether

(Written by Matt Kindt, art and letters by David Rubín, originally published in 2016 by Dark Horse Books)
I’ve known of, read, and enjoyed many of Kindt’s comics, but it was Rubín’s art in a couple of guest-artist issues of the Donist World Darling Black Hammer series that had me searching out everything the man has illustrated. Thankfully, Ether soon found its way into my grubby, little paws. If the inhabitants of alternate worlds won’t come to us, then Boone Dias goes to them. Boone has used his extraordinary gift for science to burst into another dimension, but this dimension believes heavily in magic, something Boone attempts to explain away with science at every opportunity he can. But when a hero of the Ether is murdered with no logical explanation as to how it was done, the Ether’s inhabitants hire Boone to solve the case. Kindt’s story is sculpted into something truly delightful as Rubín brings to life some of the loveliest magical beings and monsters I have ever seen in a comic book and when you couple this with his bold, vibrant colors, you have a stunning work worthy of your favorite bookshelf. The first trade, Ether Volume 1: Death of the Golden Blaze, has been out for a while now, and the second trade, Ether Volume 2: Copper Golems, drops in the next month; I couldn’t be more excited! The magical world of Ether is one I will return to time and time again.


Doctor Strange: Damnation

(Written mostly by Donny Cates and Nick Spencer; mostly illustrated by Rod Reis, Szymon Kudranski, and Niko Henrichon, originally published in 2018 by Marvel Comics)
Some alternate worlds are more well known than others and who hasn’t heard of H-E-double hockey sticks? Yes, Hell, and I’m not talking about the hell that is getting caught in a conversation with your Aunt Bonnie, or facing a tower of dirty dishes, but rather the hell that begins with a capital “H.” In this fantastic mini event, Mephisto has brought Hell to Las Vegas and enslaved many of Earth’s strongest heroes while doing it, including Doctor Strange. Now, it’s up to Wong to gather a group of heroes who have transcended death to free the others and to miraculously restore a soul to Las Vegas. Cates was 100% the reason I sought out the thoroughly amazing Doctor Strange: Damnation the Complete Collection, which you simply must read, but with a warning. The book is a blast from beginning to end…provided you know the correct reading order, which Marvel confusingly attempts to give you on the indecipherable “Reading Chronology.” Why is this a problem? Well, instead of printing the issues in chronological order, Marvel instead opted to give us Damnation #1–4, then Doctor Strange #386–389, then Damnation: Johnny Blaze - Ghost Rider #1, then Iron Fist #78–80, and finally Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #15–17. Why not put them in the proper reading order so you don’t have to flip around and possibly spoil things?! No idea, but to help a Denizen out, here is the recommended reading order of things for you:

  • Damnation #1
  • Doctor Strange #386
  • Damnation #2
  • Doctor Strange # 387
  • Scarlet Spider #15
  • Damnation #3
  • Iron Fist 78
  • Scarlet Spider #16
  • Johnny Blaze - Ghost Rider #1
  • Doctor Strange #388
  • Iron Fist #79
  • Iron Fist #80
  • Scarlet Spider #17
  • Damnation #4
  • Doctor Strange #389

Don’t let the reading order stuff dissuade you from reading this exciting mini event.


The Authority

(Written by Warren Ellis, illustrated by Bryan Hitch, inked by Paul Neary, colored by Laura Depuy, originally published in 1999 by Wildstorm)
The Authority is up about as high as it goes when it comes to must-read, must-own comics. Ellis’s run would definitely accompany me during any sort of prolonged stay on a deserted island. The crazy thing is that Ellis was only around for the first 12 issues—although there’s a grip of comics in his Stormwatch run, which led up to The Authority, that would certainly keep me entertained, as well—but those 12 issues are the ones that hold a special place in my heart. Jenny Sparks (master of electricity), Swift (winged aerial specialist), Apollo (solar-powered superman), The Midnighter (master combatant who sees all possible outcomes), The Engineer (nanobots in her blood that allow her to create anything she conceives), the Doctor (a man of magic), and Jack Hawksmoor (a being whose abilities escalate depending on the size of the city he inhabits) meet the most severe threats to the world head on and make sure those threats are ended quickly and with extreme prejudice. These mighty, god-like beings inhabit a living ship known as the Carrier that allows them to teleport and to travel between parallel worlds through a dividing barrier known as The Bleed. Unfortunately for both The Authority and the Earth, other worlds have the ability to navigate The Bleed which pits our heroes against an invading parallel Britain called Sliding-Albion which is ruled by a blue-skinned alien despot. More than anything, this series made me wish I was sitting aboard The Carrier as it surfs The Bleed and I witnessed its many wonders. You absolutely must check out this series whether you do so in issues, trades, or the recent hardcover.


That’ll do it for this installment. I love the idea of parallel dimensions and other worlds whether or not contacting them is in anyone’s best interests. I will definitely revisit this topic at some point in the future. Take care.



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Sunday, January 6, 2019

Comics Lust 1/5/2019

Welcome back, Donist World Denizens! For those of you new to our site, I’m Donist, and I am joined by Donist World CFO the Reverse Obie* (my friends’ Boston terrier whose fur recently swapped colors) and by our marketing director/administrative assistant/New Year notable Tulip. I’m going to keep this one short as I'm still physically exhausted from Thursday’s food poisoning and I definitely need a beer. Tulip, Reverse Obie, and I all want to wish you a happy New Year and one that will be much much much better than 2018. Anyhow, be kind to each other, mind your health and sanity, treat your friends to some tacos, keep your pets safe, cherish the ones you love, hydrate, and read some great comics. Thank you for reading!


*Obie, through his dabbling in arcane magiks mixed with ancient corrupt business practices, has had not just the colors of his fur switched, but a complete overhaul of his work ethic as well…I think I’m kinda okay with the mishap.


Not sure what “Comics Lust” is about? Take a look at the Introduction to “Comics Lust” post or take a look at the static “Comics Lust Table of Contents” page to jump to a topic.

Comics Lust

Running the Maze: Ed Brubaker’s Captain America


A few entries ago, I mentioned Ed Brubaker’s fantastic Captain America run. It’s an enthralling, roller coaster of a ride spy thriller that would see the return of Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, a character thought dead for many decades. After much praise back in the day, I decided to give good ol’ Cap a try; I had not read a Captain America comic since I was a kid. It rocked my world. I was more than happy to talk about Brubaker’s run, in fact, I was quite eager to dig in and tell you all about which books to read and in what order, but I hit a few snags: namely, renumberings, one-shots, miniseries, renumberings again, new series, and stuff I had never even known about. You absolutely do not want to miss out on the intrigues and thrills of the story or any of the fantastic artists who brought Brubaker’s words to life, not to mention Cap’s ”death,” his crucial stand-in, Steve Rogers’s rebirth, the villains, the introduction of the Winter Soldier, and most importantly all-around great, must-read comics. So, today, we are going to run the maze of Brubaker’s run from issues to trades to omnibus editions and try to make some sense of this convoluted, overly-corporate mess so you know where to start and where to end. Let’s hope I can make it through this with my sanity intact.

Issues

It all started off simple enough unless you take into account that this is the “2005, Fifth Series”—meaning this is the fifth reboot/renumbering of Captain America—but with this new number one comes the official start of Brubaker’s run.
  • Captain America #1–50 (Fifth Series) (Primarily illustrated by Steve Epting, published from Jan 2005–July 2009) pretty straightforward. All good. No sweat following along. This is the start of the “Fifth Series.”
  • Captain America 65th Anniversary Special #1 (Illustrated by Eric Wight, published May 2006) And thus came unto us the first special/one-shot issue. Hey, at least it was an extra-long 48 pages.
  • Winter Soldier: Winter Kills #1 (Illustrated by Lee Weeks, published Feb 2007) Yes, another one-shot, but dang if this is not getting freakin’ good!
  • Captain America #600–615, 615.1, 616–619 (Some co-writing by Sean McKeever, primarily illustrated by Butch Guice, published Aug 2009–Aug 2011) Okay, here we go: renumbering to classic “First Series” numbering, with a 615.1 issue released as a jumping on point. Okay, fine. This is still part of the “Fifth Series.”
  • Captain America: Reborn #1–6 (Illustrated by Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice, published Sep 2009–Mar 2010) Let’s add some extra difficulty into the mix by offering this miniseries one month after the renumbering to issue #600 and having it run concurrent to the main series. Kind of like tie-in issues during big “Event” comic runs.
  • Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield? #1 (Illustrated by Butch Guice and Luke Ross, published Mar 2010) Let me get this straight: it’s March 2010, you’re already buying the renumbered Cap book with #602 dropping this month, you’re about to finish off the Reborn mini with issue #6, and now you’re also getting WWWtS. A triple-ship month. I’m not even certain which came out when during the month, but best be certain you read them all in order!
  • Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier #1–4 (illustrated by Dave Eaglesham, published Sep 2010–Dec 2010) Somehow I missed this one, which is easy to do as it came out during Captain America #608–611.
  • Captain America & Bucky #620–628 (Illustrated by Chris Samnee, Francesco Francavilla, and others, published Sep 2011–May 2012) Okay, I didn’t even know this had happened and I need to get a hold of it…preferably in a nice, nifty collection, but if your grandpappy saw this on the shelf, he might be wonderin’ about the other 619 Captain America & Bucky issues that are floating around out there, which actually do not exist.
  • Captain America #1–19 (Sixth Series) (Some issues co-written by Cullen Bunn; illustrated by Steve McNiven, Patrick Zircher, Alan Davis, Scott Eaton, and others; published Sep 2011–Dec 2012) Let me try to understand this: Brubaker writes 50 issues of Cap, then the numbers switch to being in the 600s, then the title changes to Captain America & Bucky while retaining the numbering scheme in the 600s, then this new series comes along that is also titled Captain America that starts over with issue number one and also has an artist named Steve. Toss in a bunch of specials and mini-series, and any Brubaker fan should be able to follow. No sweat? No way. Best loosen up by listening to some Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon” before going down this road to madness.
  • Winter Soldier #1–14 (primarily illustrated by Butch Guice, published Apr 2012–Mar 2013) I am ashamed to say I have not read these issues...something I fully intend to remedy. That said, this one released alongside Captain America & Bucky for a few months of kinda-sorta double shipping.


Not only do you have all of this, but you have some “events” getting involved with Fear Itself #7.1: Captain America, then “House of M” touched down in 2005’s Captain America #10, followed by Civil War with Captain America #22–24,


Trades


Yeah, traversing the quagmire above seems an insurmountable task, but thankfully, there are some trades out there…provided you can find them. To start, I’m going to cut out the first eight trades and start with the “Ultimate Collections”:

Okay, now. THAT’S a bit easier to digest. But if you want to make things even easier, then pick up the…


Omnibus Editions


Denizens, if you got the coin and the means to track them down, then this is by far the easiest route to go to get the whole kit and kaboodle.


After following the breadcrumbs and retracing my steps in the snow, I was finally able to make it through this grand labyrinth of Overlook Hotel proportions. It makes me wonder…wouldn’t it all be much easier for both current (at the time), new, and future readers if Marvel had put out two series and two limited series and cut out the single issues, renumberings, and miniseries? Like, put out Captain America #1–100 (or whatever), Winter Soldier #1–19, Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier #1–4, and Captain America and Bucky #1–9. Then you can roll Captain America: Reborn and all of the other stuff into the main series—double ship on some months, if you must—and clearly number all of the trades, labeling that they are all by Ed Brubaker. Sheesh. Anyways, I hope I don’t have to type the word “Captain America” again for a good long while, and I could sure use a drink. All work and no play makes Donist a dull boy. Until next time.



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Posted by Don McMillan at 9:14 AM 0 comments
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