GLORY #23 + HELL YEAH #1

Writer Joe Keatinge is younger than me (he was born in '82) and the new "it" guy at Image. He previously worked in the PR department at Image and was the editor of the large Popgun anthologies. These are his first two ongoing books, and they're definitely a great start to what should be an interesting career. Glory #23 is one of the new Awesome Comics books, picking up where the Rob Liefeld book started over a decade ago (it ran from '95 to '97...when Keatinge was just entering high school). I never read the original, but a handy retread here helps that establishes the premise: an evil race and a good race of aliens were fighting on some distant alien planet until the leaders of both races fucked and had a daughter, Glory, a white-skinned, long-haired, warrior Goddess who traveled to Earth to fight crime. Picking up from that we learn that Glory is in bad shape and whatever almost killed her is coming back. The twist is that we learn all this from a junior detective student that's always been fascinated by Glory. So there's a merging of real world and the superhero world that melds nicely and interestingly together. The art, by Ross Campbell, is unique as well; very cartoon-like. A terrific book...which leads to Hell Yeah #1, another odd duck about a college kid with super powers that also (maybe) has super parents. In this world, super heroes from another planet traveled to Earth to change it for the better and now everything is totally different. Both books are bizarre and feel more Image than Marvel or DC. They have an indie streak to them that make them fresh. I picture Joe Keatinge writing Spider-Man in five years and bitching that he used to be better...remember him before he sold out? Kid had it. So enjoy the early stuff and hop on the bandwagon. GLORY #23 **** HELL YEAH #1 **1/2

AGE OF APOCALYPSE #1

I used to read, buy, & collect comic books back in the heyday of comic books; the early 90's. That's when I started and that's the last time comics were mega-big (when Jim Lee's X-Men #1 apparently sold a million copies). It was a great time to be a comic book fan because a lot happened (namely, Image Comics...but also The Death of Superman...Todd McFarlane still drawing Spider-Man...the holographic, foil, embossed, ridiculous cover craze...okay, that last one sucked). Comics from that era are worth shit, though, so that sucks. But after that era came Marvel's Age of Apocalypse saga. It ran through a billion books; 48 main books and over 20 assorted prequels, sequels, and tie-ins. It ran in '95 and '96, featured artists like Steve Epting, Joe Madureira, and Chris Bachalo. It also featured the temporary change of the title names; Uncanny X-Men became Astonishing X-Men, Cable became X-Man, etc. So, yeah, it was a big deal. The thing is; I never heard of it until last week when I searched for it read up on it. I started high school in '95 and started drinking and going to parties in '96...so I guess I was preoccupied. But The Age of Apocalypse is back thanks to writer Rick Remender who brought it back in his Uncanny X-Force book. Now it's back as a regular, ongoing series with writer David Lapham and artist Roberto De La Torre (who did amazing work with Brubaker on that epic Daredevil run). The premise of the original story had a mutant, Legion, going back in time to kill Prof. Charles Xavier. This created an alternative time where Apocalypse took over the world and killed all the humans so mutants could rule. So this new book takes place in this alternate world, a world where chaos reigns (sorry, Antichrist). Wolverine is a bad guy and Sabretooth, Jean Grey, and a cast of B-characters are taking up the fight for the little man. It's basically a scorched Earth, post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian future tale...which may have been fresh in '94 but is so been-there-done-that these days (see The Hunger Games). This issue is pretty basic; but it does make you interested in the original series, which I've never read. I'm not one for sequels or re-boots so I'm not sure what the point of this is. It's semi-enjoyable but mostly forgettable. Feels like a What-If? book. **1/2 (out of ****)

PROPHET #21

Image Comics is doing something so weird that I wonder who's idea it was: they're bringing back Extreme Studios. The weird thing is that not only are they only re-doing Rob Liefeld books...but they're, more or less, completely changing them. If you forget, Extreme Studios & Awesome Entertainment were the Rob Liefeld Image books. There were literally a ton; Youngblood, Team Youngblood, Bloodstrike, Prophet, Glory, Supreme, and a bunch of others. The most famous books out of this were written by Alan Moore...but for the most part they were big, dumb, superhero books in the classic Liefeld style. Prophet did get some buzz when superstar artist Stephen Platt quit Marvel and drew a few issues before quitting and going to Hollywood to draw storyboards (he never came back to comics). Prophet is back with a new team and it's super fucking bizarre. It features a guy that travels through time. In this issue he interacts with aliens. The art, by Simon Roy, is rugged and the colors, by Richard Ballerman, are beautiful. It's just weird, though; writer Brandon Graham shows us a jell city, weird, mutated beasts, and a sexual encounter with an alien. But it is fascinating and oh-so far away from the Liefeld/Platt stuff. ***

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1

"Hey, Conan, where's yer sword?" If you've ever watched Conan O'Brien then you've probably heard this story; as a kid growing up the Conan movies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger ruined his life. All of a sudden he was mocked...but really, who wouldn't want to be linked to a muscle-bound, womanizing warrior stud? The first film came out in 1982 but the books came out in the 30's. This particular issue, #1, is really #88 in Dark Horse Comics' re-telling of the old tales. The reason they made this a #1 is to get new readers and more money but they do have a new writer, Brian Wood, the writer of DMZ, Northlanders, and the current, excellent mini-series with the longest title in comic book history; Wolverine & the X-Men: Alpha and Omega. This book is part one of "Queen of the Black Coast," a tale about a super-hot, deadly woman pirate that Conan falls in love with. The story is typical old-world warrior stuff but it's not that silly. The pirate lore is a bit creepy/cool and Conan comes off as more of an arrogant prick than some perfect Adonis. & they got a chick to draw it! Becky Cloonan does a good job; it's spare, easy to soak up, but pretty to look at. All in all a pretty good entry in the mythos. **1/2 (out of ****)

WINTER SOLDIER #1

In January, the top 10 best-selling comic books were all DC books. I guess it's good news for Marvel that this week brings the first "big" new series of 2012: Ed Brubaker's Winter Soldier #1. I'll admit that Brubaker has revolutionized Captain America. I'll also admit that he's been treading water with these books lately. The new book has Bucky Barnes back as the Winter Soldier, teamed up with the Black Widow, and tracking down some evil dudes that are re-animating frozen soldiers from the Cold War. Bucky was once a frozen, "in stasis" super soldier programmed by the Russians to be a hit man but now he's a good guy and trying to stop them from doing it again. It's more or less a classic, spy/action book. Writer Ed Brubaker has added some kitsch; a machine-gun wielding ape, a cyborg woman villain, etc., but the book is fairly standard. The art, by Butch Guice, is also fairly standard. That's the big problem; this book is too pedestrain. ** (out of ****)

BEST COVER OF 2011: SECRET AVENGERS #17

John Cassaday's cover for this was so in your face that it practically leaped off the shelf and into your hands. This is what a good cover should do; jump out at you and get you to look at it. Very dynamic, very vibrant, truly alive.

BEST COMIC BOOK OF 2011: LOCKE & KEY

The first six-part series of Locke and Key was a bit too bloodthirsty even for me, but ever since then, writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez have gone in a thousand different directions and explored everything and anything to make this the most entertaining, beautiful, emotional, and surprising book out there. The three kids have become the heart of the book and while the book has explored the usual young-love and adolescent angst of most high school stories, this one feels real and raw and the way it truly is. Add on the supernatural element and a super-evil baddie and a ton of keys that unlock untold new worlds and this book just keeps getting wilder and better.