Comics Review: I Hate Fairyland

Skottie Young is a very talented artist and writer. You might recognize the Young Marvek titles he has recently worked on. I think I have only noticed his work in the past year, possibly following an interaction at c2e2 with him in Artist’s Alley. He has a style that stands apart, to be sure. He leans toward cartoon much more than photorealistic. His creator-owned Image comic, I Hate Fairyland, has only been out for a couple of weeks, but it’s making some waves.

  
I read a lot of the hype during the first week. That, combined with really enjoying Mr. Young’ style, prompted me to pick up the first issue. Truthfully, it was a worthwhile purchase for me. If you like dark comedy, it’s probably for you.

  
I Hate Fairyland takes the clichés of a fairy tale and puts them on their sides. The story follows Gertrude, a seemingly ten year old who is actually 37. She has been trapped in Fairyland since she was 10, and she’s bitter about it. She has been searching for a key for most of that time. She sort of swears, and she flips the bird to other Fairyland residents. She has no qualms about killing creatures just to shut them up.

  
I Hate Fairyland is essentially a fantasy realm that would make Tarantino proud. There are bright colors and cute creatures, but there is also blood and guts. The plot is fairly compelling as well. I truly can’t wait to see what issue 2 brings us.

  
I Hate Fairyland is available at your local comic book store. In south Chicago, pick it up at Amazing Fantasy.

Comics review: The Flash: Move Forward

To be very honest, I don’t usually make it a point to read solo comic books starring The Flash. I enjoy him when he teams up with other characters, and I cannot imagine a Justice League without either Barry or Wally in the lineup.

In The Flash: Move Forward, some significant changes are in place. Most notably, Barry Allen, like most of the other main heroes, has only been the Flash for 5 years. He is dating Patty Spivot, but is aware of journalist Iris West. His mother was killed, so that aspect stuck with the new story. This isn’t an origin story, but it’s unique in that Barry considers for the first time how the Speed Force affects his brain, which he feels he will need to defeat Mob Rule, a nearly omnipresent villain.

This book crackles with great dialogue and art, both brought to us by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccatello. The art has a very optimistic feel, almost retro in some instances. We do run into Captain Cold and Grodd, and the story wraps up with a massive cliffhanger.

The Flash: Move Forward is available wherever comics are sold. In south Chicago, pick it up at Amazing Fantasy.

Comic Book Roundup

I managed to read a few titles today. I’ll focus on 2 of them here.

Captain America: White #3: This series is consistent, but a bit too carefully measured. Anyone who has read Loeb’s previous work will recognize the story beats and will see them coming. That’s not to say the story is bad. It’s rolling along nicely. The real treat is Sale’s art, which is a thing of beauty. His stylized characters practically leap off of the page. The issue ends strong. Looking forward to #4.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1: Part of the “all-new, all-different” Marvel, this new GotG is close in style and humor to the 2014 movie, even if it doesn’t use the same lineup. Peter Quill has inherited his father’s legacy, so he has passed the Star Lord mantle to Kitty Pryde. Venom and Thing are additions, joining Rocket, Drax, and Groot. This book has action and laughs. Brian Michael Bendis brings it on every front. Well worth your time.

Look for my summation of Batman: Endgame on Crime Alley soon.

Flash 2.2 thoughts

Wow! If last week’s episode was a set up, 2.2 was the payoff! We got a full-on intro to Jay Garrick, whose character is written very well, and who is portrayed earnestly by Teddy Sears. This iteration of Jay is also a scientist. Brilliant move by the writers to make Barry distrustful of Jay due to Barry’s father figure issues. Zoom looks wicked!

The finale played out really well. How cool to get a quick glimpse of that classic cover image for a split second! And the button with the Earth 2 Harrison Wells was just icing on the cake! Can’t wait for 3.0!

New podcast!

Go here: GeekCast Episode #2

Thanks, and happy listening!

Lego Dimensions: Too Much Fun to be Legal

  
So…I’ve been a huge fan of the Disney Infinity series since I got the first starter set. It just appeals to me to be able to do specific missions in that character’s world, and then to be able to take them elsewhere to cross over with other characters. Having the figures to hold onto is admittedly a huge part of the fun.

  

Lego Dimensions knows that last part too well. They capitalize on that element of toy-in-game by having the player build vehicles, figures, and the portal itself. It doesn’t stop there, either. Each vehicle has two rebuilds which change the vehicle’s capabilities and are earned in-game. It also crosses many universes into one game, both in its main story and in the separate worlds for each individual license. These include Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, DC Comics, The Lego Movie, Jurassic World, The Wizard of Oz, and more. 

  
The main story involves Batman, Gandalf, and WyldStyle (of Lego Movie fame) getting drawn into a battle against Lord Vortech, who enlists the aid of the Joker, Saruman, Lex Luthor, Mr. Burns, and other villains to bring his evil plot to life. Also, Vortech has kidnapped Frodo Baggins, Robin, and Metalbeard.

Of course, any world that is involved in the through story can be accessed through the main hub, as long as you have a figure from that world, and possibly downloaded the specific content needed. This does get expensive, but it’s insanely fun. Level Packs add another quest for you to enjoy.

If you like Legos or toy-in-game play or both, drop the dough on this one. It’s insanely fun and hard to put down.

The Flash Episode 2.1 thoughts

I absolutely loved season 1 of The Flash. It’s by far the best comic book show on TV, in my opinion. I am happy to say that the season 2 premiere met my expectations in every way. 

In the opening, Barry talks about being alone 6 months after the singularity we saw at the close of season 1. It seems he has pushed everyone away, and so Team Flash has moved on. Iris is buried in work, Caitlyn has moved on to work at Mercury Labs, and Cisco has teamed with Joe to help prepare the police for future metahuman attacks. Barry has a daydream about the old days, and we see then that he is quite alone, standing in the halls of STAR Labs. Harrison Wells – really Thawne – left the lab to Barry in his living will, on the condition that Barry watches a special farewell video that Wells prepared. In this video, Wells confesses to the murder of Nora Allen. Meanwhile, a large (and growing) meta shows up to confront Barry. His name is Al Rothstein. The problem is this: Al Rothstein is dead. Really dead. So who is this?

What follows sets up Earth-2 rather nicely, as we meet Jay Garrick briefly at the end of the episode. The script is pretty well balanced. Everyone’s performances are on point. My only gripe is that the Atom-Smasher effects are pretty weak, but l understand that TV budgets are limited. Still…

Looking forward to next week.

Comics Review: Shazam Volume 1

Captain Marvel has been a favorite of mine since I was pretty young. He was always third to Batman and Superman, but there was something about him that I just felt connected to. It was probably the fact that he was a kid like me who happened to turn into a superhero.

  
If there’s one thing that doesn’t play in modern superhero stories, it’s complete naïveté. What worked beautifully in Richard Donner’s “Superman” no longer resonates in a post-9/11 world. Billy Batson was always a gee-whiz, goody two shoes kid who just happened to be an orphan. Even in more recent comic book incarnations, Billy seemed to be pulled straight out of 1940. Somehow these stories worked, perhaps because of the kitch factor. When DC Comics launched the New 52, Captain Marvel had to be brought into our world somehow. As with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel movie, some innocence needed to be lost for the story to be relevant.

  
Geoff Johns, no stranger to risk-taking in comics, offers a darker story, beginning with an edgy Billy Batson. This Billy is 15 and a bit of a problem child. When he is taken in by a caring Philadelphia foster family, it becomes apparent that Billy is a cynic and is looking to survive. Billy sneaks away to the local zoo, where he talks to one of the tigers, his only trusted friend. The other foster kids in the house try to reach out to Billy, but he’s been burned before. Billy bonds a bit with the other kids when he finds out they share a mutual bully at school.

One night, Billy winds up on a subway. The car empties out, and Billy finds himself at a dark, mysterious station at the end of the line. He, of course, eventually finds an old wizard, who tells Billy to say the infamous name.

  
The art by Gary Frank deserves special mention. Frank makes the simplest panel seem alive with detail and expression, and when he does a splash page, it’s hard to look away. He and Johns deliver a Shazam that retains the kitschy fun, but adds some darker edges to the mythology. When the book ended, I immediately wanted more. I didn’t even mind that they dropped the Captain Marvel name.

  
Shazam is available wherever comics are sold.

Batman Day is coming!

Bat-Day!!!
If you don’t know about Batman Day, click on the link above and clear your calendars for this Saturday! Lots of great stuff is going on somewhere near you!

Podcast!!! Podcast!!!!

Well, it’s a bit rough, and the quality isn’t outstanding, but I’ve done a brief solo podcast! Listen to me gear up for this season’s superhero TV shows. GeekCast #0 is ready for you! Give me feedback here, or on Twitter @sdctenor at your leisure. Thanks for listening!