Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Sat, 04/11/2015 - 03:00
As I was sitting down with my tablet trying to figure out which Convergence titles I wanted to review this week, I suddenly had the idea “LET’S DO THEM ALL!” This probably was a terrible idea, and speaks to mental illness, but let’s try this! I am posting this in two parts. Convergence 0, Convergence 1, and the first five issues today (alphabetically) and the rest tomorrow.
Submitted by Critical Blast Staff on Fri, 04/10/2015 - 03:00
by Mike Maillaro and Mike Weaver
Maillaro: This column might look a little familiar. Last week, we reviewed Convergence 0 and 100 Bullets Vol. 1. Both books left us in a place where it felt like there was more to talk about as the two series continued, so we decided to give Convergence 1 and 100 Bullets Vol. 2 a shot this week.
Picking up from the ashes of SON OF BATMAN, BATMAN VS ROBIN pits father against son in one of the most dysfunctional family dynamics that could be imagined.
Damian Wayne (Stuart Allan) is a ten-year-old assassin, trained by the best in the business. His bloodlust is potentially inborn, what with having Talia al Ghul as a mother. United with his father, Bruce Wayne (Jason O'Mara) for the first time has been tumultuous at best, as Damian is eager to accompany his father in the battle against crime as Batman and Robin. Only this Robin has to be reined in to keep him from killing the bad guys.
As BATMAN VS ROBIN opens, Robin has gone off on his own in search of some missing children taken by The Dollmaker ("Weird Al" Yankovic). It is during this encounter that Robin meets Talon (Jeremy Sisto), who fights like Batman but isn't timid about crossing the line of taking lives. He offers Robin an opportunity to join him, which Robin begins to seriously consider.
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Wed, 04/08/2015 - 03:00
Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week. Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that. Let's get to it!
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Tue, 04/07/2015 - 09:18
When I did my review of Legenderry Green Hornet, I mentioned that I loved Dynamite’s out-of-the-box crossovers like Legenderry and Song of Sorrows. Writing this review, it occurred to me that I completely forgot to mention Masks. Huge mistake on my part!
Masks was a team-up of many of Dynamite’s pulp characters. This year, Dynamite decided to up the ante with Masks 2. Masks 2 is going to feature pulp heroes from the 30’s, 70’s, and modern day all dealing with the same threat, a new villain called The Red Death. I actually still have not read Masks, but when I saw Cullen Bunn was doing Masks 2, I decided to check this series out. I am a huge fan of Bunn's work, and he is the perfect fit for this kind of pulp adventure.
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Tue, 04/07/2015 - 03:00
When someone asks "which comic company does the best licensed comics?" my typical answer has been IDW. IDW has a wide range of titles from Star Trek to G.I. Joe to My Little Pony, and they are adding Disney titles in the upcoming months. But in the last few weeks, I've had a chance to check out some of Dynamite's offerings, and I have to admit, IDW has some serious competition here.
IDW Publishing, CBS Consumer Products and DC Entertainment announced today that they will boldly go where no one has gone before…in brightest day, in blackest night.
Two iconic franchises will meet this summer in a legendary crossover event with the release of a six-part comic book miniseries, STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN: THE SPECTRUM WAR. Both Star Trek and Green Lantern are known for their strong cast of interstellar characters, and when they come together for the first time this July, fans new and old are sure to experience a galaxy-sized thrill.
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Sat, 04/04/2015 - 12:50
Star Wars Rebels has provided fans with a look at the early days of the Rebellion. At times, it's been a little strange watching Rebels, because I keep find myself wondering what happens to the characters between now and A New Hope. I assume most of them have to have been killed at some point, maybe some kind of huge sacrifice that helped move the Rebellion to the next level. Otherwise, maybe we will get Disney Special Editions with the Rebels characters being added via CGI to the original trilogy. I am not advocating for that idea...please put down the pitchforks.
Throughout Rebels first season, Kanan has been pretty stingy about giving his back story. We knew he was a Jedi at some point, but not much else. This miniseries is set during the Clone Wars and looks to fill in some of the blanks.
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Fri, 04/03/2015 - 10:41
It has to be ridiculously difficult to do to a project like Batman Eternal. 52 issues weekly, with a massive creative team and several major plot threads that had to all be tied together in a neat little bow. Not to mention because of the structure of the story, many Batman stories that came out during Batman Eternal ended up being set AFTER Batman Eternal.
So, I have to give the editorial team a huge round of applause for the work they did here. Batman Eternal truly is a masterpiece, one of the best Batman epics I've ever read. I had all but given up on Batman over the last few years, but between Batman Eternal, Tomasi's work on Batman and Robin, and Snyder's run on Batman, I have found myself enjoying the Batfamily more than I have in a long time.
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Wed, 04/01/2015 - 12:17
I will admit, I had never heard of Masked (or the original French series which was called Masqué). But Titan had sent us a press release saying it was like "Superman meets Blade Runner." So I decided to check it out.
This collection is translated versions of Masqué 1-4. Clearly the originals were not "full length" comics, as we tend to view them in America. This entire collection is only 48 pages.
Masked Vol. 1 - Anomalies
Written by: Serge Lehman Penciled by: Stephane Crety Inked by: Julien Hogonnard-Bert Colored by: Gaetan Georges Lettered by: Kirsten Murphy Translated by: Edward Gauvin
Published by: Titan Cover Price: $14.99
Warning! This review contains quite a few spoilers!
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 03:00
My go to website for Comic Releases was down the last few days, and I am posting this long in advance because I will be away. I got this from Comixology, and I can see one big mistake on it already. They list Secret Six #4 as coming out, and issue 3 still hasn't come out. So BUYER BEWARE!
It's a huge week for DC with the three weekly series ending (Batman Eternal, World's End, Future's End) and Convergence starting. I have said a few times that it felt like these series were dragging a little to get to the end, but for the most part I've really enjoyed them. I hope they all come to satisfying ends!
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Tue, 03/24/2015 - 03:00
Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week. Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that. Let's get to it!
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Sat, 03/21/2015 - 03:00
Mark Millar's writing tends to be hit or miss for me. I think he has a ton of great ideas, but sometimes his execution leaves me a little flat. BUT, Mark Millar is actually one of my favorite people in the comic industry. He seems to love the fans and always seems to be having a good time. I met him in Columbus, Ohio at a comic convention years ago during a nasty rainy, snowy weekend. The fire alarm kept going off at the convention, and the fire department kept evacuating us out into the rain and snow. Despite this, Mark Millar stayed in good spirits, continuing to sign autographes, draw sketches (my wife asked him to draw Batman, and he did it without hesitation), and tell hilarious stories. Just for that alone, I will pretty much always give his book a fair shot.
Last year, he launched two mini-series for Image: MPH and Starlight. Both books were great. So when I heard he was doing a time travel series named Chrononauts, I had to check it out.
Submitted by Grey Scherl on Fri, 03/20/2015 - 14:44
So the other night I’m sitting around with my best friend, and I’m gushing about the finale of Spider-verse...which isn’t as easy at it sounds. See, she’s not a regular reader, and when it comes to Spider-Man, she’s a never-reader. This means I had to break down the context for each and every individual thing I wanted to gush over. Not a problem! I do that kind of shit for fun! The real trick, and this is the accomplishment, is afterwards when she asks me for a reading order so she can get in on it.
Submitted by Critical Blast Staff on Thu, 03/19/2015 - 10:08
Amazing Spider-Man #16.1
Written by: Gerry Conway Penciled by: Carlo Barberi Inked by: Juan Vlasco Colored by: Israel Silva Lettered by: VC’s Joe Caramagna Cover by: Arthur Adams and Sonia Oback
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Wed, 03/18/2015 - 12:00
I absolutely loved Chris Eccelston as the ninth incarnation of Doctor Who. But, because he only starred in the role for one season, there weren't a lot of tie-in media that featured the Ninth Doctor. There were a handful of novels, and that was about it. I always thought this was a huge loss. The Ninth Doctor seemed to have a lot more story to tell, especially since he was the incarnation of the Doctor that had just survived the Time War.
I was actually at the New York Comic Con panel where they announced that they would be doing rotating mini-series featuring the older versions of the Doctor. I am really glad they started with Chris Eccelston's Doctor. It was especially a bonus that Rose and Captain Jack Harkness would be featured in this mini series too.
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Tue, 03/17/2015 - 12:13
From Newsarama:
Earlier this week Disney has announced via StarWars.com a new publishing intitiative that aims to bridge the gap between Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Entitled Journey to The Force Awakens, the initiative will feature books and comics that tie directly into Marvel's ongoing Star Wars comic, and will be considered in continuity and canon.
The first title, entitled Star Wars: Journey to the Force Awakens - Shattered Empire #1 was also previewed on the site Friday, with the cover by Phil Noto.
Michael Siglain, director, Creative Franchise, Lucasfilm had this to say about the upcoming titles, “The filmmakers have a lot of surprises in store, and the hints and puzzle pieces in the publishing program will keep fans guessing until the film opens. Until then, let the anticipation — and the speculation — begin,”
Submitted by Mike 'Ace' Maillaro on Tue, 03/17/2015 - 03:00
Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week. Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that. Let's get to it!
Batman Eternal #52
