Panel Discussion: Scans from Rasl, The Cabal, Runaways, and More

Every week Geekanerd throws their books in a scanner to bring you the best, worst, and weirdest panels from the week's comics. Moderate SPOILERS after the jump.

Project Runway Award - Ms. Marvel #38
Wow, Emma Frost. We all knew your original costume was purposefully sexy but...you just grabbed it out of one of those sleazoid porn/lingerie stores on 8th avenue? Girl could have at least paid for it, it probably cost like $30 bucks. Stay classy, Marvel!


Most Horriffic Death - Rasl #4
Make sure to click this for the full effect. These saliors crewed a ship that was teleported as part of a millitary experiment. But every sci-fi geek knows if there's one kind of future-tech you don't want to mess with before it's ready, and that's teleportation. The guy in the middle panel is the most horrifying, with the majority of his head and face stuck in an iron beam. The guy behind him is so scared he turned into The Scream!

Movie Moment - Runaways #10
Even superheroes like to pretend that they're Jedi.


Most Irresponsible Use of Superpowers - Ms Marvel #38
As previously seen in other Dark Reign titles, now that the Avengers team is staffed entirely with villains, cops on the Superhero Cleanup Beat will have to get used to dealing with a lot more corpses.

Banana Randomizer Award for Achivement in WTF - Runaways #10
In comics, the whole dramatic premise of "magic" is anything can happen at literally any time. In this climactic scene, the villian manages to steal whatsername's powerful staff, when a heretofore undiscovered giant dragon EXPLODES OUT OF IT and eats him alive. Problem solved!

Best Acting - Dark Avengers #4
Usually we don't give out the best actor award for one panel, and we ESPECIALLY don't give it out to a character as photo referenced as the new Tommy Lee Osborn. BUT: I just love Norman's expression in this issue-ending panel. I've really enjoyed Osborn since he's been on anti-psychotics (OR IS HE), we've seen him in a lot of very desperate moments that are generally rare in mainstream supervillians. His palpable fear at seeing the Sentry alive and well after being killed for like the BILLIONTH TIME is a nice moment to end on.

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.

Panel Discussion: Scans From Kick-Ass#1, Batman & Robin #9, RASL #1, and More

Why Batman Is the Coolest: All-Star Batman & Robin #9
Say what you will about Miller's take on "The Goddamn Batman," this is some classy shit. He agrees to meet with Green Lantern but has Robin paint the whole place yellow to nullify the effects of Hal Jordan's ring. And then just to be a jerk he serves lemonade and has Robin prance around with a vanilla ice cream cone. Man this guy is cool.



Why Bruce Wayne Is Not The Coolest: Batman #674
After pulling some truly awe-inspiring tricks to get out of yet another death-defying situation, Batman has to suffer the indignity of staging an explanation as to how Gotham's most irrisponsible millionaire has managed to get himself blown up and battered within an inch of his life....FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME. Going far beyond the "I fell down the stairs" standby, he fakes a parachute accident that ends with poor Bruce in a dumpster. Was that humiliating touch necessary to sell the cover story to Gotham's cruel paparazzi, or is Batman just showing his own ingrained contempt for his feckless alter-ego?

Mark Millar On...: Kick-Ass #1
It's not often you get direct comics criticism in comics, so it was fun reading this bit about why Galactus as a cloud was stupid, why movie Spidey's organic web shooters made sense and why Joss Whedon's X-Men work is better than Buffy... It also is a quick way to establish the setting of the book as "our real world." Because I think I said all that stuff within the last month.

Achievement in Villain Design: RASL #1
Good God this weird little lizard man that chases our hero around is creepy creepy CREEPY! The stare he gives you in this panel chilled me to the bone.

Project Runway Winner: Spider-Man: With Great Power... #2
As much as I'm not into this book, I was really digging Spidey's temporary wrestling duds. I think the eye holes and the gloves are a really cool design!

Most Severe Beatdown of the Week : Kick-Ass #1
A Tragedy in Four Acts

It's fitting that one of our most severe beatdowns EVER (Come on Albo, no one even gets their head punched through! - AHR) should come from a book called Kick-Ass. This poor bastard gets it bad and keeps on getting it.

Act One, wherein our hero gets it in the nads.>
Act Two, wherein our hero's neck takes a whompin'.
Act Three, wherein our hero takes the business end of a knife to the chest.

Act Four, wherein our hero is proven to be the unluckiest bastard on earth.