Panel Discussion: The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Panels of the Week

SPOILER ALERT: Some panels contain plot points...those who haven't read their books this week should beware.

INAPPROPRIATE FUNERAL BEHAVIOR: Countdown #43
Faux Pas abound at Bart Allen's funeral. This segment comes in three parts:

Part One: Things Not to Bring to a Funeral
Intent on bringing something to entertain herself during gray-haired Jay Garrick's long-winded eulogy, Ravager settles on her... muscle massager.

Continued after the jump.

Part Two: Things Not to Wear to a Funeral
Namely, civvies that look exactly like your supervillain costume:

Voicemail From Trickster to Pied Piper:
"Hey P, just wanted to remind you, the funeral is today if you want to go. Not sure what the mood there is gonna be like, but we should probably play down the supervillian thing. I think the days of going out to dinner in full costume are pretty much over. Still, I'm going to wear a hat with my colors just to keep it real, so I don't know, maybe you could get like a green tie or something. Just remember the idea is not be recognized, so for the love of God, do NOT wear something that looks exactly like your costume. Kay, see you at three thirty."

Part Three: Things Not to Say at a Funeral
MOST NSFW REUNION: Y The Last Man #57
Kind of like the "Nice to see you again, let's hump like bunnies" reunion of Jesse Custer and Tulip in the final story arch of Preacher, except way naughtier. Yorick and Beth are naked for no less than seven pages of this book. Definitely not one to read on public transportation. Or in a restaurant. Or around loved ones. Or anywhere but alone at home. With a flashlight under your blankets.

BEST SOCIAL APPLICATION OF A SUPERPOWER: Irredeemable Ant-Man #10

Now that's a hard argument to rebut. Thankfully for our hero, The Incredibly Upset Hulk lands his spaceship just in time.


MOST GRUESOME, SHOCKING CONCLUSION: Astounding Wolf-Man #2
And everything seemed to be going so well...

Seemingly well-adjusted werewolf Gary goes into a bit of a freak-out and executes a Robert Kirkman trademark: the shocking disemboweling punch from someone thought to be a good guy.

Link: More of Geekanerd's Panel Discussions

World War Old Spice UPDATED with Phil Hester Statement

Forget the Incredibly Upset Hulk and his promise to wipe out Earth's Mightiest Heroes... The real danger facing the Marvel Universe is an alien invasion from the planet Oldspiceooine in the Productplacementylat Sector of the Sellingoutlikeabitch Galaxy. See all SEVENTEEN signs of the invasion from the latest issue of the Irredeemable Ant-Man #10 after the jump.

Seriously, there is an Old Spice billboard behind everyone, Old Spice in apartments, Old Spice flying through the air, and TWO UNIQUE Old Spice products in the stomach of the Incredible Hulk. Like somewhere along his long space journey to New York he stopped off to snack on an Old Spice factory?! I just don't get it. I really love this book, and I hate to have the experience soured like this. I understand that comics are a business like any other and money must be made, but this is not the way to do it. Shame on editor Aubrey Sitterson.

UPDATE: The Blog @ Newsarama picked up the story, and it's been getting some interesting comments. Commenter Caleb spotted a reflection of the S.S. Old Spice that I missed:And Phil Hester himself showed up to explain a bit: "The product placement was required, but we took it upon ourselves to do it on every page as a laugh. And it is on every page." Asked if being forced to shoehorn advertisements into his work was frustrating, he said "Yes, but we tried to be funny and semi-subversive about it, so it wasn’t so bad. Then I think about the many artists who spend their entire careers working in advertising and thank my lucky stars."

The Black Fox Steals The Irredeemable Ant-Man's Wii

Mere months ago they were playing nice, but with Ant-Man out of his apartment due to the World War Hulk evacuation, Black Fox spies an opportunity to avoid long lines in the procurement of a Wii of his own.

Via Kotaku.