Headman # 1: "The Many-Eyed Monster"

Writer/Artist: Matt Thompson
Publisher: Innovation
Published: February 1990

Now before I hear it from anyone else, yes, Headman is a poor follow up to yesterdays post. This was the only comic I read today, and I'm too tired/lazy to read something else.

I don't know much about Innovation, but from the couple of issues I own, they seem to focus more on an adult audience. That, and the stories are fantasy/sci-fi driven. Headman is definitely a sci-fi tale. Basically, this guy who looks like Sting whose name is Ethan ends up assassinating the President of the United States. He is sent to a prison that is 400 miles from Earth that is called Argus (which is directly named after the Many Eyed Monster Argos).

There he is decapitated, and using advanced technology, his head is given life inside of a jar. The head scientist/warden's daughter Andrea, is hired as a psychiatrist, but her real goal is to kill her father. During her time on Argus she falls in love with Ethan, the head. They make out, real creepy like, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Andrea ends up getting shot by Ethan, (he has a robot body at this point), who was defending her father. Turns out her father was onto a Soviet plot to kill something or the other, and Ethan finds out that an exact duplicate was responsible for assassinating the President, but he was ultimately betrayed by the US government because they needed him...I guess...it got a bit confusing at this point. Moving ahead a bit, it ends with Ethan and Andrea reunited in heady bliss.

Marvel Holiday Special One-Shot

Cover Art: Frazer Irving
Publisher: Marvel
Published: February 2007

Nineteen days till X-Mas, and with that joyful event comes the holiday specials from the comic publishers. I was going to wait a bit before I started reviewing the holiday comics, but I just had to get this one out to the fans ASAP! This is the Marvel Holiday Special from 2007. All I'm going to post is the cover. If you want a review on one of the stories included in this ish, check out Chris's Invincible Super-Blog, but don't stay too long on his site, because you'll begin to like it more than mine, and well, that'll just hurt. Just kidding - his blog is harder, faster, better, and stronger.

So, back to the cover! Check it out. Anything seem odd. Nope, just your standard Christmas cover with a grumpy Hulk and some adolescent Marvel Heroes.
But wait, what's the deal with Iron Man's stomach armor?Maybe it's just me, but does that look like a giant armored erection? I always thought abs were more squarish, and not so much, uh, penish. Anyway if this is just a Marvel gaff, I'd say it's almost as bad as the phallic tower on the Little Mermaid VHS cover.

If it isn't a gaff, then there's nothing like heralding the start of the holidays like an ambiguous armored stiffy.

Gross.

Note: Before I hear it from some long-time-fan-first-time-commenter, but today being the 69th comic review on my 365 run and it just so happens to be about a possible phallus is purely coincidental. I swear! I just bought the darn comic today!

Solo # 1: Tim Sale

Writers: Tim Sale, Darwyn Cooke, Diana Schutz, Jeph Loeb, Brian Azzarello
Artist: Tim Sale
Publisher: DC
Published: December 2004

This is the first issue that started this magnificent series. Sale is teamed up with a pantheon of great writers, which is a testament to his level of artistic skill. I've read that Tim Sale is color blind. This isn't too surprising considering his work is highly stylistic, his brushwork is crisp, and his art looks fantastic when viewed in black and white.

Tim Sale's Solo issue has 6 short tales. The first one concerns a non-typical date between Catwoman and Batman. The second story is about debts owed, and the third tale is a 50's style romance with an extremely sad ending about Supergirl and Dick Wilson. The fourth tale is about Superman's prom date, and the fifth tale is a pitch perfect crime noir. Finally the last tale concerns a single kiss and a tear.

This issue of Solo is absolutely fantastic. I had read some of Sales work, The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Daredevil Yellow, and I found his artwork was breathtaking, seductive, moody, and stylized. With this issue, a sad romantic Sale emerges forth. Each story is about a relationship of some kind, be it crazy love, enduring love, first loves, bitter love, to old love. Each story is quite touching, and that combined with his artwork, Sale creates a romance comic of the highest order. Certainly one of the bests I've ever read.








More Comix 365 articles:  

X-Men Classic #47

Tales Designed to Thrizzle

Wolverine: Manifest Destiny # 2 of 4

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Stephen Segovia
Publisher: Marvel
Published: December 2008

Here we have part 2 of the Manifest Destiny Wolvie series. This issue picks up with Wolvies old girlfriend ordering his death by the Black Dragon Death Squad. Now they aren't called Death Squad without a reason, and they sure put one helluva beating on Wolverine. One of them punches him in the soul! Thanks to this act we now have conclusive evidence that humans have souls. The issue ends with what is setting up to be an awesome training montage, a la Rocky style.

As usual the artwork is fantastic, and Jason Aaron definitely has a handle on old martial arts dialogue and even manages to throw in THE Chinatown quote. Can't wait for the next one.




I wish I could have made that my high school yearbook quote.

Zombie Tales # 5

Writers: William Messner-Loebs, Ian Brill, Brian Augustyn
Artists: Matt Cossin, Leno Carvalho, Jason Ho
Published: August 2008
Publisher: Boom! Studios

Z is for "it's the end of the world!"

Zombies, zombies, zombies, what's life without zombies? Well I'll tell ya - bor-ring!

Zombie Tales # 5 is surprisingly good. I didn't expect much, considering that zombies have been on the comic scene for some time now, but the 3 short tales included in this issue have a definite unique slant.

The first tale, He ain't Heaven, He's My Brother, concerns a devoted sister who takes her zombie brother to a televangelist for a $50 cure. The second tale, Sanctuary, is about an jaded atheist's who is on the run from zombie monsters, and seeks shelter in the last place she would consider, a church. Finally the last tale, Bait, is just that. A story about using a loved one as bait, but not in the traditional sense (if using loved ones as bait could be considered traditional.) The art is fantastic, and the stories reminded me of shortened tales straight out of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. If you've seen any Alfred Hitchcock, you'll know what I mean.

There is a site called PostSecret, and the site is all about secrets. People send in postcards that has a secret written down they've never told anyone. I got really into the site for about a week, and would obsessively look at peoples "secrets." I got a bit turned off by the whole affair. I could never figure out a good secret I would want to send in. Also, some of the secrets seemed a bit pretentious, too "arty" for my tastes, and some were just too sad. However, once and a while I would stumble across a real gem. While it's not exactly zombie specific, it certainly captures my inner desire if the zombie apocalypse took place. That would be my time to shine.Ah who am I kidding, I'd be one of the first ones down. That's it. My big postsecret would be: "I secretly fear the day the zombies take over that I'd be one of the first ones eaten, and that my experiments with monkeys and cheese drink would be the cause of the zombie apocalypse. Serves me right though. Nobody should mess with cheese drink. Ever."

Y the Last Man # 1

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Pia Guerra
Publisher: Vertigo
Published: September 2002

Y are all the males dead? More like why ask Y?

Just one year after September 11, Vertigo releases the apocalyptic Y the Last Man. The issue is set in a reality that has a mysterious "unknown something" kill all the males on the planet. The first issue introduces the players: Yorick the last man, Beth his girlfriend, Agent 355, Senator Jen Brown (Yoricks mom), Dr. Mann, and Alter.

The story unfolds in the manner of a countdown. The comic opens with all the men dead or dying. The story then jumps back 29 minutes earlier. In this time we meet Yorick who is an unemployed English Major and amateur escape artist/magician. At this time he is talking to his girlfriend Beth, who is in the Australian Outback. We then are introduced to Senator Jen Brown, who in a quick conversation with a fellow male senator tells him she is going to oppose abortion rights in Mexico. Agent 355 is a just that, an agent for the US government, on a secret mission. Dr. Mann is a pregnant scientist who is her own baby's father. Alter is an Israeli military combatant. Oh, and Yorick has a monkey named Ampersand.So there you have it. A rag tag group of characters who will be forced into each others paths, with plenty of sex and opportunities for more sex. I mean, come on, he is the only guy left on Earth. Oh wait, I forgot, Yorick is hopelessly devoted to his long distance girlfriend Beth and plans to propose to her. Well, there goes the plenitude of sex and opportunities for more sex.

I really liked this series. The characters are extremely interesting, and the events that unfold because of the gendercide are well thought out and plausible (in a comic book kinda way of course). All round a great series for the OCD in all of us, 'cause once you start reading Y, you won't be able to stop.

X-Men Unlimited # 37

Writer: Kaare Andrews
Artist: Kaare Andrews, Dave McCaig, Mike Kunkel, Joshua Middleton, Troy Nixey, Dave Stewart, Skottie Young, Pat Duke
Publisher: Marvel
Published: September 2002

X is for X-Men! X-Men!

This is another one of those issues that I picked up because the cover kicked ass. As you can see, it has many, many versions of Wolverine duking it out and it looks absolutely awesome! As for the story, it's pretty awesome too.

The issue follows a farmer who summons a boy named Hutch into his plain of existence. Hutch is a boy who was born into all worlds but none. He is split between all the different realities, but when the farmer summons him he ends up creating a convergence in all the worlds which allows Mephisto a chance to destroy everything. The X-Men, all the many versions are there to fight him. As the issue progresses we find out that Hutch is the son of Illyana, who just wants her boy back. In the end Hutch sacrifices his solidarity in one reality to save all realities. What a nice boy!

The great thing about these type of tales is that it offers a wide range of artists. It's like a sampler of talent, and it allows the reader the chance to see a variety of styles. I was greatly impressed by Nixey and Stewarts version of Mephisto. Real creepy and yet powerful! Also the little Wolverine and little X-Men scene was pretty wicked. The comic is worth a read just for the artistic wonders inside.