Panel Discussion: Scans from Wednesday Comics, Batman, Dark X-Men, and More

The Magic of Comics - Wednesday Comics This could be a silk screen print hanging on a gallery wall of a pop art exhibit. It looks unlike anything you expect to see in most mainstream superhero comics because it's extremely flat, the birds in the backgrounds almost just look like stamps or stencils, and yet there's a fantastic sense of dynamism. It gives up the illusion of movement and instead just gives us a single moment frozen in time. Kyle Baker rules.


Simile of the Week - Batman #688
For those of you who don't have amazing eyesight and don't want to click to enlarge, Dick is comparing wearing Batman's cape to "wearing a ball gown made of Kevlar". Judd Winick, every now and then you really come through. Dick's complaint is certainly valid, but how can anyone pass up a chance for effects like this?

Achievement in Character Design - Wednesday Comics
Karl Kerschl is pretty much my favorite comic artist working today. Here, he gives us Iris West in the classic newspaper comic style that inspired Wednesday Comics in the first place. The result is a strikingly beautiful character design that is on one level an homage to an older time, but the clean lines and quality of expression is timeless.
Even though Iris is emoting Roy Lichtenstein-esque pangs of lovesickness, Kerschl brings a gravity that keeps it away from camp, and allows these panels a sort of unironic dignity that really caught me by surprise.

Fun with Lighting - Dark X-Men #1
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but to me this looks like a photo that was taken with almost no light, so the exposure had to be cranked way up. This would make the dark stuff visible, but the bright spots, such as the monitors, would be crazy blown out. Taking this image into that level of realism makes the freaky character design of Evil Beast all the more creepy.

Best Head Trip - Wednesday Comics
Ben Caldwell takes a simple concept (Wonder Woman suddenly finds herself in "the land of men" for the first time, with no idea how she got there), and makes it extremely trippy by ramping up the fish-out-of-water feeling by making our world seem as bizarre as any alien world seen in comics. The neon gaslight colors of this night cityscape make the whole thing seem like a terrible dream....and check out that Shreck building - is this taking place in the Tim Burtonverse?! Crazy!
Even something as familiar as a pigeon looks like a horrible alien when viewed through the eyes of someone who's never seen one before. Still kinda cute though.

Best Running Gag - Ms Marvel #40
Deadpool isn't even IN this panel, but his inner-panel-voice is still doing the editor's job of catching readers up on references to past issues. He does it a few time in the first part of the book, and you know when Deadpool does something more than once he's setting you up for an awesome joke...
Boom! Goodnight, everybody!

Panel Discussion: Scans from Wolverine #66, Teen Titans: Year One #5, RASL #2 and More

Every week we at Geekanerd rip panels from our comics and put them on display here, recognizing the best, worst, and weirdest moments of the week. Beware some major SPOILERS.

Click the pics for high res goodness!

Heart of Gold Award - Logan, Wolverine #66

That's right, Logan's future son is named Scotty. Sounds like Wolvie found some common ground with Cyke before the one eyed bastard bit the big one. -Albo

Scans from Teen Titans: Year One #5, RASL #2, Genius #1, and Tales of Cthulhu #3 after the jump.

Best Save - Wonder Girl, Teen Titans: Year One #5
Stupid Speedy doesn't appreciate having his life saved by a guuurrrl, but we can all appreciate this fun, efficient rendering of superstrength physics. I'm a sucker for any time a hero stops a car short like this, as in this previous Panel Discussion. -AHR

Artist's Trademark - Rasl #2
Oh man, when Jeff Smith pulls out that pointy chin, you know shit is going to go down. -AHR

Signs of the Post Apocalypse - Wolverine #66
Times are tough in the post apocalypse. So tough, in fact, that Logan's daughter has to play an old GBA instead of upgrading to a sweet new DS. -Albo

Achievement in Character Re-Design- Teen Titans: Year One #5
One thing that always bothered me about Green Arrow is that he's suppose to be this rakish ladies man, but his costume is nerdiest in all of DC (and that is SAYING something) and his usual mustashe/tight goatee/conservative hair cut combo always make him look like a total square. But leave it to Karl to make me believe this dude could actually get a hot number like Black Canary. And on the other side of the spectrum, I love that Speed looks a little awkward and half-baked; he's a teenager for godsake, and not all kids have to be cute to be appealing. -AHR

Most In-Your-Face Foreshadowing - Wolverine #66
Were you wondering where this "Old Man Logan" storyline is going? Well you aren't anymore, cause the issue ends with this double page spread laying out every step Wolvie and Blind Hawkeye are gonna take this year. On another note, though... Are Kingpin and Doom really still alive? This is 50 years after all the heroes on earth die, Bruce Banner's grandchildren are Logan's landlords... Surely there isn't a 100 year old Kingpin stomping around? I guess we'll see... Also, I love that Paste Pot Pete claimed a little land for himself. -Albo

Beatdown of the Week - Genius #1
Tiny girl, but boy can she whup some ass. -Albo

Art Hall of Shame - Tales of Cthulhu #3
Aach! Are you kidding me? I paid for this asshole's scribbles? Those aren't faces! -Albo

Definitely Not Safe Sex - Tales of Cthulhu #3
Oh, can't draw a freaking face, but "sea monster engaging in some hot canoodle action with a nice young lady"? Guy's all over it. I think I probably saw a picture like this in sex ed. "Having unprotected sex? You might as well be sleeping with a giant AID!" -Albo

Nitpick Award and Cameo Alert - Teen Titans: Year One #5
I mentioned this in my review of this issue; I wish that last panel was silent. Whether or not we could infer that she's crying without text, the art makes it clear she's devestated. That (SOBS) really takes me out of the momment, because it makes me think of a stage direction and not an actual sound. I would have loved this ending if it was just that lonley panel combined with that ironic title.

There is one thing I love about this last panel; the stuffed animal on WG's desk is the main character from Karl Kershel's weekly online comic, The Abominable Charles Christopher. The strip is hilarious and the art is to die for. It's nice that Wondy is a fan of both boy bands and indie web comics. -AHR

Banana Randomizer Award for Achievement in WTF? - Tales of Cthulhu #3
The end of this short story devolves into some really in(s)ane nonsense. And why? Well, I guess WhyTF not? To be honest, the more I look at these panels the more I like them in some backward way. -Albo

Snap Judgments: Reviews for My Inner Bimbo #5, Wolverine #66, RASL #2 and More

Short comic reviews based on initial, lizard-brain opinions. Arranged from BEST to WORST.

My Inner Bimbo #5 gets an A from Albo
This book is Sam Keith at his absolute rawest. The pages feature some of his best looking art in years and are densely packed with an incredibly personal story the likes of which I've never read before. Make no mistake, the book is slow going, but it is supremely rewarding. The story follows a sixty-something man who has spent his whole life looking for female approval and whose "femmy" side manifests herself as a "Bimbo," who starts as a sex slave but is always transforming into more mature forms, many of which are decidedly antagonistic. This is the last issue of the series, and I'm not sure if it was popular enough to collect in a trade, so I can't recommend strongly enough that you get out there and try to find some back issues. If you like Sam Keith at all, or are just looking for something completely different from every other book on the shelf, you really shouldn't miss this.

Review for Wolverine #66, Teen Titans: Year One #5, Genius #1, RASL #2, and Cthulhu Tales #3 after the jump!

Wolverine #66 gets an A from Albo
Awesome! The first issue in the "Old Man Logan" story, this book takes place fifty years after the villains finally won. Almost all of the heroes are dead, and the United States have been split into regions controlled by supervillain factions. Logan lives the quiet life of a farmer with a wife and kids (one of which is named Scotty... Awwww), getting by and paying rent to a gang of the Hulk's descendants who ride around in the old Fantasticar. It's a cool post-apocalyptic world, and while it certainly shares the Mad Max aesthetic touchstones that no post-apocalypse can get away from, there are a few cool little touches that separate it from what you've seen before. Anyway, the problems arise when pacifist Logan can't make rent and gets his ass kicked by the gang. His healing factor isn't what it used to be, which introduces some tension that most Wolverine stories don't have--finally the man isn't unbeatable. He has to accept a proposition from Hawkeye to go on a delivery mission for some cash, leaving his family behind. As long as they don't all get slaughtered, thus slinging this story down a cliched path we've all seen before, it should be a fun ride. Oh, did I mention Steve McNiven is a goddamn stunning artist?

Teen Titans: Year One #5 gets an A- from AHR
God the art in this book is fantastic. I can't get over it. Speedy's oval-shaped face and Little Rascals grin. Wonder Girl's continual wonder. The most convincingly handsome version of Green Arrow I've ever seen; let's all welcome Oliver's facial hair to modern times. This could be a picture book, and the story would be as engaging and clear as ever. But what of those word bubbles? I want to like Amy Wolfram's script, because the early-teen exuberance of the characters really does shine through, and it keeps the pace so quick there's little time to dwell on how clunky some of the dialogue feels. There's also some serious editorial problems in this book, from typos to lines that really needed another pass for clarity of action's sake. I also really wish that last panel was silent. Still the best looking book in comics today, anyone interested in cartooning or illustration must pick it up if only to steal from it.

Genius #1 gets a B from Albo
One of Top Cow's six "Pilot Season" comics, from which two will be voted "By You!" to become ongoing series. This is the first I've read, and it's pretty damn good. The pleasing art consists of nice clean cartoony line work (think a less pretty Karl Kerschl) with mostly subtle colors and just a few too many Photoshop tricks thrown in. The story is pretty original, about a physically diminutive but mentally colossal woman organizing street gangs into an all out war with the police. There's some connection between her and a cop that is trying to convince his superior officers that this is coming, but it's left unclear what that connection is in this ish. Definitely a fresh story, hopefully we'll be seeing more of it!

RASL #2 gets a B- from AHR
This is one moody book. I like the wordless and paranoia-inspiring walks around town, but Smith spends more than half the book having character engage in conversation about the very basics of parallel universes. Why? I don't think it's a difficult concept for most comic fans to grasp. The text of these conversations offer little in the way or new ideas or character development, but from an art standpoint it is nice to watch Smith do some fairly detailed work with his characters facial expression. It's a whole lot of close-ups, and the level of detail Smith puts into communicating their thoughts in their expressions is impressive to observe, but without an interesting plot to sink my teeth into it still feels like an illustration exercise.

Cthulhu Tales #3 gets a D from Albo
So I think my three month love affair with Cthulhu is over. The first story in this book is honestly some of the worst crap I've paid for in a long time. Actually, you know what? All three of these stories are some of the worst crap I've paid for in a long time. Pointless tales + sub-par art - $3.99 = one unhappy Albo.

Tribute to Stephane Peru in Teen Titans: Year One

Teen Titans: Year One #4 was the first comic I read today, and I noticed this panel:


If you'll notice the stock ticker near the bottom of the panel, you'll see that above the Wayne Enterprises and Lexcorp stock quotes, the words "PERU 81-08" are scrolling across the screen. This is a nod to artist Stephane Peru, who died from a heart attack in February. I had no idea the guy was so young. Peru had been doing colors for the beautifully illustrated Teen Titans: Year One, which I had gotten so excited about when the first cover images showed up in previews. Back then I had given all the credit to penciler Karl Kerschl, but I wish I had taken the time to look up the name of the incredibly talented, young guy who had brought the excellent art to life with subtle yet vibrant, sculptural colors.

This is the cover for Teen Titans #6, the final issue in the series, due in May. I hope it's not morbid or crass to assume this too is a nod to Peru, given the obvious theme of the cover and the uncolored Titans in the sky. It reminds me of the famous "Speechless" tribute to Mel Blanc.

Issue #5 (thanks to inker Serge la Pointe for the correction) will be the last issue of Teen Titans:Year One with a cover colored by Peru, make sure to check it out.

Emotional Trauma in Teen Titans: Year One

When you were a kid, were you ever struck by the idea that in this chaotic, unknowable universe, it was within the realm of possibility that you might wake up one day to find your parents no longer liked you, as in this horrifying Ducktales episode? In Teen Titans: Year One, the Justice League is being turned evil by an unknown foe, but the teens only figure that out after some supremely pathetic moments of emotional trauma. Just look at poor Wally in the above panel, as drawn by the supremely talented Karl Kerschl. The weight of his wet hair and mask make this panel exceptionally dreary. I will leave the significance of the Easter Island heads up to your discretion.

Robin and Aqualad look into the abyss, after the jump...

I just noticed that their speech bubbles are all wobbly since they're underwater. Awesome. But what I wanted to point out is that as Aqualad is left to ponder his own mortality, his emo-cloud of sadness is actually ink created by Aquaman's octopus pal. Insult to injury.

These panels are preceded by a splash page of Batman knocking Robin down with a backhand to the face, which is already enough to make me want to call 911. But what really puts it over top is this last panel with an anime-style Your-Parents-Are-Dead spotlight.

Here's a slapstick chaser after that depressorama...


I love how Robin uses a Batman-style cape maneuver to avoid the spray which is not even close to hitting him. Kerschl is truly a master of comic book character moments.

Socks, Prepare To Be Knocked Off - Preview Pages of Teen Titans: Year One

Just when I think I can't possibly love artist Karl Kerschl any more, he comes out with something like this. Yowz. Why don't all comics look like this? Why don't all animated films look like this? This retelling of the original Teen Titans' origin looks to be astoundingly gorgeous, and I can only hope it's the first of many Kerschl/DC projects. The first three pages can be viewed on his blog, a well as the new DC Previews catalogue.

As we saw with his work on All Flash, Kerschl has the rare ability to draw super-powered kids that actually look like kids, as opposed to muscled-out adults who happen to be four feet tall. I like the tone of the writing as well, even as the first three pages jump right into some serious generational re-contextualization (get it? ConTEXTualization? Text mes- sorry.). What I'm trying to say is I don't mind that Dick Grayson is IM'ing. I think it's great that we can have a new version of an origin story without having it to be set in some non-specific, pseudo retro time period. As a late-comer to superhero books, I never really got to know Dick during his sidekicking days, and I can't think of a better way to get to know the original Robin than through Kerschl's superb artwork. January can't come fast enough.

The Abominable Charles Christopher

Geekanerd really likes comics with woodland creatures. Or maybe it's just me. Either way, The Abominable Charles Christopher, by New Favorite Artist Karl Kerschl, is full of animules drawn with the care and detail of a rangers guidebook, but who still manage to pull cartoony wild takes as seen below. Also there's a Bigfoot. Who doesn't like a good Bigfoot?Related:
Geekanerd Salivates Over Karl's Teen Titans Cover
Geekanerd Waxes Poetic About His Panels From All-Flash #1

So Hot Right Now: Artist Karl Kerschl

A few weeks ago, you may recall I just about melted into a puddle over artist Karl Kerschl's pages in All Flash #1. Well, happy days are here again, cause get a load of this gorgeous cover for the first ish of the upcoming Teen Titans: Year One miniseries. They look great! They actually have the bodies of young teens, awkwardness included. Love it.

Karl is part of the Horhaus illustration studio; he blogs regularly and posts sketches on their official site, Horhaus.com. Many of these aforementioned sketches are of pretty ladies. And in more recent news, Karl was at the San Diego Comic Con and met Pikachu! Man, he's a great artist AND confidant to the stars?! Some guys have all the luck.

Image via Newsarama
Panel Discussion of All Flash #1 (with spoilerific scans)
Geekanerd's Review of All Flash #1

Snap Judgements: The Spirit, Avengers: The Initiative, All Flash, World War Hulk, The Programme, Shazam!

As always, Snap Judgements gives you Triple-S comic reviews: short, sweet, and spoiler-free.

The Spirit #8: You Must Remember This, A Kiss Is Just A Kiss..

While most issues in this revamped run of The Spirit have been self-contained stories, "Time Bomb" fits into a larger continuity dating back to Issue #4. But despite having the events of a past narrative to spice things up, this issue ends up feeling very light on story. There's not one but two cliched plot devices - one is a ticking time bomb and the other I won't spoil, but it's all feels very unadventurous for a series that has distinguished itself with clever, off-the-wall storylines. But not all is lost, since Darwyn Cooke still fills the book up with art so rich and pretty you want to rub the pages against your face. There's also quite a few comedic moments to enjoy, even if the silliness keeps the emotional climax from feeling completely earned.

Tired Plot Devices + Purty Pictures- High Expectations = C+

Reviews for Avengers: The Initiative #4, All Flash #1, World War Hulk #2, The Programme #1, and Shazam! Monster Society of Evil #4 after the jump...


Avengers: The Initiative #4: Nice Going, Jerk!

Writer Dan Slott has a lot to say about about the teenaged trainees involved in the Initiative; if only he had more than 24 pages a month to say it in! Like the previous issues, Initiative #4 is jam packed with great characters, twisting conspiratorial plots, and solid, distinctive art. However, since every Marvel book is currently required to be ROCKED TO IT'S VERY FOUNDATION by World War Hulk, all the exciting developments of the last issues have to be pushed aside so the Hulk can come in and make these poor kids feel horribly inadequate.

Before the Hulk touches down, however, we get some great bombshell plot twists, one of which involves coverboy Hardball being even more of an ass than we'd suspected he was. At least he feels bad about it. Tool!

Mucho Intrigue - Big Bad Hulk + Hardball Ruins It For Everyone = B+

All Flash #1: The Flash Is Dead; Long Live The Flash

This is absolutely worth picking up for Karl Kerschl's unbelievably gorgeous art. Each panel looks like a cel from a big budget animated feature, and the vibrant colors make every page-turn a visceral experience. It's fitting that a Flash book should feature such crisp, high-energy artwork, and if All Flash can consistently bring this kind of quality to the table, consider me sold.

Unfortunately, Kerschl only illustrates about half of this book - specifically, the story's framing device which follows Wally West as he drags that Inertia around the circumference of the earth by his lapels. Do bodysuits have lapels?

The rest of the art feels crushingly boring when compared with the visual narcotic of Kerschl's pages. The main story deals with answering questions no one was asking from The Lightning Saga and the last issue of The Flash. Sure, it's fun to see the Rouges experience buyers-remorse after offing Bart, but it's already been covered in Countdown. I would have loved to see more of the Wally and Inertia scene, and not just because of the superior illustration; between Wally's rage and Inertia's almost stupefying fear, it's the most tense scene in any recent DC book. Plus the art is good. Keep that in mind.

Breathtakingly Awesome Art - Breathtakingly Medicore Art + Open Season On Rouges = B+

World War Hulk #2: Whakoom Whakoom Bbkbkkkbkoom!

Will someone tell me why the Hulk isn't angrier? I mean, the whole point of this story is that he's stronger than he's ever been because he's angrier than he's ever been, no? So why is he so calm about everything? First he announces his Intent to Smash in issue one, gives everyone 24 hours to leave, and now in this ish he has a heart to heart with his cousin, engages in intelligent debate with Sue Richards, and nearly cries when he sees Rick Jones. Yeah, Hulk's smashing, but he's being awfully civil about it. I suppose he's just bottling up all his rage deep inside, but that so... UnHulklike.

That conceit aside, the book is a fun read, if only to see your favorite heroes get smashed like you've never seen them get smashed before. Romita's art is great, his rendition of the Hulk makes you believe that this one green giant could wipe out everything. The bits of story that are there are well done, but the issue as a whole feels like an outline that will get filled in by the individual tie-in issues. There are a lot of characters here, and you can tell they're all going through their own dramas, but this particular book doesn't go into them too much. Which makes the whole thing feel a bit shallow, because there isn't any character that you are really given a chance to relate to.

Awesome Smashups - Shallow Characterization + Romita's Imposing Art = B-

The Programme #1: Good, I think?

Beginning a new comic book series presents some problems that aren't present in most other entertainment mediums. The writer is only given twenty-four pages to introduce their mythology, premise, characters and conflict to a reader who won't be able to read the next part of the story for another month. Movies can start off slow, books can be hard to get into, but the audience will usually stick around long enough to catch the hook. With comics, those first twenty-four pages are life or death, because if an impression isn't made, the readers will not be back.

This also presents an interesting problem for the reader, because it can sometimes be very hard to distinguish between a good book and a bad book based on twenty pages. Which brings me to The Programme. The book is completely impenetrable. It shuffles back and forth through time without warning or explanation, brings up mysterious plot points without explaining what the heck is going on, and throws a handful of underdeveloped characters at you. But! I want to understand the importance of the different time periods, I want to explore the mysteries, I want to know these characters. In other words, the book's got promise. I've been burned by many a "Promise Book" before, but I do believe I'll be back for the next twenty-four on this one.

Oh, sorry there's no plot synopsis, I just don't know what the shit's going on. Soviets, Nazis, test tube babies, mysterious guy glowing green... Who knows?

Tough But Rewarding Artwork - Tough Storytelling + Promise of Good Things to Come = B


Shazam! Monster Society of Evil #4: Simply Wonderful

Jeff Smith's take on Captain Marvel (more Billy Batson, really) draws to a close and it ends every bit as strongly as it began. The characters are still great, the art and design still show a wonderful playfulness and imagination. My only gripe could be that the conflict was wrapped up a little to easily, but that's hardly what the book was really about so I'm not taking that too seriously. It's good ole simple storytelling at it's best. If you haven't read any other issues don't try to start now, wait for the inevitable trade.

Wonderful Imagination + New Take On Billy Batson + Just Plain Fun = A