The Saga Begins

One day into the blog and I have already decided on some changes. There is no way I can possibly cover 5 specific topics in each and every post and possibly keep you interested! So I have decided to just talk about whichever one is on my mind at the moment

So in this first installment of The Fan-boy Strikes Back, I wanna talk about comics. Why? because comics come out on Wednesdays... so of course, as always, I bought a few yesterday!

As I mentioned in my introduction, I have always loved comics, but just recently began collecting them again. When I was a kid, I was strictly a DC guy. (or kid I guess) Batman, Superman, and the Flash were my favorite characters.

 

I used to look down on Marvel and felt their universe was far inferior to that of DC. That's no longer the case. Fast forward to today and the tables have turned. Over the last five years or so, Marvel Studios have released some of the best Super Hero movies ever made, culminating with this years smash hit The Avengers.

 

These movies have helped me fall in love with characters like Captain America, Thor, and my personal favorite, Iron Man. These films are so captivating that they actually reignited my interest in comics.

 

Coincidentally my renewed interest aligned perfectly with this years biggest comic book crossover event, Avengers vs. X-men, so my collection began.... again. I loved AvX, and soon I was branching out into other Marvel lines. A little Spider-Man here, a little Wolverine there. If your not careful it can get out of hand quickly!

 

Comic books have changed quite a bit since my childhood. The biggest difference is the artwork. The work of today's pencilers and inkers is absolutely amazing. I feel like I have an art gallery in my longbox! The stories are also compelling, I cant wait for Wednesdays to come so I can find out what happens next.

 

I'm so glad I made it back to this great hobby and hope I never leave again. and don't worry about good ol' DC. I recently returned to them as well. The Flash, written by Brian Buccellato, and fantastically drawn by Francis Manapul, is one of my favorite titles out there right now. I've even started reading Batman again, but more on that another time!

So without further ado, here is what I've been reading over the last few weeks, special thanks to my friends at The Dragons Refuge in Peotone IL where I get all my comics. Those guys are great and I highly recommend you check them out.








 

Avengers Assemble #8

This is a fairly new title that serves as a nice jumping off point for fans of the Avengers film, and features the same cast of characters. The first story arc, which culminates in this issue, features a battle with the Mad Titan, Thanos. You may remember Thanos from the post credits scene at the end of the movie.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley have crafted a fun, eye popping story that has been entertaining from the first issue. However, the finale of this tale seems a bit rushed. This may be due in part to the upcoming Marvel Now initiative, which is a soft reboot of the entire Marvel line. A new creative team takes over next month with new stories to tell, so apparently the current team was forced to wrap it up in issue #8. Overall I highly recommend this book, especially for those looking to jump into comics from the Avengers film. This wasn't the best issue of the series, a villain like Thanos shouldn't be explained away so   quickly, but overall its definitely worth a read

 The Flash  #0 and #13

 

As previously mentioned, The Flash may be my all-around favorite comic right now. The art is the best I've seen (check out the samples below!) Issue zero, which serves as somewhat of a supplemental origin story gave some great background info on Barry Allen's childhood and the repercussions that drive his motivations as the Flash. Issue #13 transitions us into a new story arc featuring the villain Gorilla Grodd. My favorite thing about this issue is how The Flash is forced to work with the Rogues (a collection of his enemies) in order to contain the Gorilla threat. Pretty entertaining stuff! I have to read all of the Flash comics twice just to fully appreciate the visuals

AvX Consequences #2 and #3

This series showcases the fallout from Avengers vs. X-men. I was hesitant to jump on board with this 6 part series initially, for fear that it was created simply as way to cash in off of the success of AvX. The first issue didn't do much to alter my viewpoint, but issue #2 was a whole different matter! I really enjoyed it and issue #3! The art is not on the level of many comics that I read, but the dialogue between an imprisoned Scott Summers (A.K.A Cyclops) and a very angry Wolverine was compelling. It just goes to show that you don't always need non-stop action to make a great comic book. I'm officially on board now and can't wait for next week to see what happens next!

 

Well, we covered a lot today.... Ill be checking in early next week to talk about the results of Sunday nights upcoming WWE pay per view Hell in the Cell!!
 

Till then, may the force be with you! and don't forget to read your comics!