Comic Fans Be-Aware!!

Good day all, I know, I know - this weeks column is terribly late and this on top of not having one in last week... well its unforgivable and I as all of your pardons and apologise before going any further.
Thank you.

Now, to the matter at hand - I was going to do a review this week of the Marvel Cosmic universe of comics but that will have to wait another week I'm afraid. This week I want to talk about something in recent news that I think all comic fans, as people who have a personal attachment to the industry, deserve to be made aware of and understand.

Firstly I would like to given an introduction to "The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund" (CBLDF) which is essentially a:

...non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals.

Now to some of you this might seem like something to laugh at - believe me the first time I heard about it I did quite uproariously! But after the humour ran short of breath for a moment I read a few news bits and did some research and stopped laughing soon enough.

Nish's Notepad: Do the DCU! Part I

Hola People! Missed me? Ah, I know you did. So, I'm Back! (drumrolls). This week, I'm not reviewing a particular comic book, but will be giving my opinion on the upcoming DCnU titles. This week I'm going to take on my top 10 titles about Squads. They're arranged alphabetically, not rank-wise! :) And yes, the images are in super high quality. So, feel free to click on 'em to view the covers in HQP (Highest Quality Possible) :D!

Comic Addicts Exclusive: Raj Comics Preview - Dhikkar!!!

In another first of it's kind, we at Comic Addicts are proud to present an exclusive preview of 'Dhikkar', an upcoming Bhokal issue by Raj Comics.

This is a special treat for all your Indian Comic Fans out there.

Scripted by Nitin Mishra

Pencils by Hemant

Inking by Amit and 

Effects by Abdul Rasheed

We would also like to thank Mr. Sanjay Gupta, the illustrious founder and editor of Raj Comics for joining the movement of uniting publishers and fans attempted by Comic Addicts.

Manga Mondays presents: Sidooh

More on swords, and this time its back to feudal Japan. By this time I'm sure some of you would have noticed my unhealthy obsession with all things chanbara. Yes, indeed a Samurai is one of the many career choices that I was certain I was gonna choose when I was young. As a result, as I grew up and slowly realized that society in general would not be too pleased if I chose to live out the Bushido code and always wore a badass katana, my interests gravitated more and more towards learning what I could of this fascinating subculture.


First off, a warning. If you are the kind of reader who prefers the more comedic and lighter note of Shonen manga then read no further. This manga is not for you. This is as adult a manga as it gets. Nothing is left to be faded, nothing left to the imagination. Death is alive in this comic, and it stalks each character with a force that is generally lacking in comics. The most surprising find for me in this manga was that I could not rightly predict who among the characters would live, who would die. Just as it is in real life, and this worried me immensely. For the characters themselves do little to alleviate your concerns jumping from one dangerous situation into the next.

The Adventures of Karen Ross (Part 7)

Suddenly I found us heading into a dense fog. It had been bright and sunny not thirty seconds before, but now it was grey and damp. It was hard to see anything all I had to give me any sense of surroundings was the sound of the water below. Then just as abruptly as we had come into it we came out of the fog. Peering around Ares I saw a small emerald island with rocky coasts. It was really bizarre having this quaint island in the middle of a dense fog surrounding like the eye within a storm. Ares landed the chariot in front of a small hut. Jeff and I climbed got out, and while I was sorry for the ride to be over Jeff kissed the ground. I smirked and shook my head at him as I went to explore the hut. The wooden door squeaked open letting me into the one room that comprised it. To the back right were a set of old looking bunk beds next to the only other window aside from the one next to the door. On the left under the front window was a table which matched the bunk beds with four chairs. The left wall housed a brick fireplace with an iron hook extending into it with a large cast iron pot hanging from it. Well this was a cute stereotypical ancient home set up I sighed as I took it all in.

When Literature Meets Comics. Who Makes the Superhero Cut?

There are many comic book heroes out there and many more that have not been published yet that people are coming up with in their homes. The interesting thing to consider is that before comic book heroes there were classic literary heroes. Heroes such as Robin Hood, Peter Pan, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and King Arthur. In fact The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series combined comics and literature.

Comic Geeks Unite did a poll asking which literary character fellow comic geeks thought would qualify as a superhero. CGU said that they purposely didn’t include and of the characters from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen so as to focus on a fresh literary character. 

The choices were: Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Peter Pan, and Alice (from Alice in Wonderland). 

Comic Addicts talk to Yogesh Pugaonkar

With Ravanayan being the next big thing on the charts for the month of July, we decided to have a little tête à tête with Yogesh Pugaonkar, the colorist who has done a lot of work on Ravanayan along with several other projects. Here is the excerpt from the interview:

Yogesh Pugaonkar

STEWARTS SLATE: REVIEW OF THE BOYS volume 6: THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY

THE BOYS volume 6: THE SELF-PRESERVATION SOCIETY graphic novel

Collects #31-38

Writer: Garth Ennis

Art: Darick Robertson, Carlos Ezquera, John McCrea, Kieth Burns

Publisher: Titan Books

Review by Stewart Loud

The conflict between The Boys and the worlds super human community jumps up a notch as, Vought America launches their first open attack against Butcher and his crew since they resumed their campaign to police the super heroes that inhabit Garth Ennis' fucked up Marvel/DC universe parody. Then the pace slows down a bit for some origin stories about Mother's Milk, Frenchie and the Female. Another shockingly violent, laugh out loud instalment of the New York Times best selling series, The Boys.

Animal Man: Origin of the Species

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Chas Truog, Tom Grummett

Published under VERTIGO

Collects: ANIMAL MAN issues 10-17, origin story from SECRET ORIGINS

(SPOILERS continue, though no interior pages this time around! )

And I continue into Vol 2 of the unbridled harrowing rollercoaster ride that is Animal Man. I think the only problem I’m going to have in this series is I’m going to hate to see it end. But end it must, eventually.

In Memory - Gene Colan

I was saddened to hear of the passing of longtime artist for DC & Marvel, Gene Colan (23-6-11). According to me, he was one of the most under rated artists in the industry.
Let me elaborate about what made the man so different from other artists of the time period - his style due to which even his roughest pencils had that finished look. Check out his pencils illustrating Dracula, Lord of the Vampires for Tomb of Dracula. He also co-created Blade, with writer Marv Wolfman.



The image directly above is from 2009, shows Mr. Colan hadn't lost his touch.

The Pondering Pawaskar - An opinion on WERE HOUSE titled…….If wishes WERE HORSES….or…..I’m a WERE-ASS….

[The author wishes to make it ridiculously clear that the opinions mentioned below have sprung from his own messed up head & the owners/administrators/co-contributors (one of whom has been mentioned below) of this site do not necessarily support these opinions. He would understand if the said owners/administrators/co-contributors resort to concocting tales of his dementia or of his being a were-ass to counter the bad publicity the opinions below might garner.]

I titled this article as an opinion instead of a review because I believe that reviews are done by people who know a thing or two about comics. Opinions on the other hand are like assholes. Everyone has one and so I qualify! Two things to note before you read. There are SPOILERS and a spoilt comic geek stuck in a thankless job venting his fury ahead. You have been sufficiently warned.

I am Kalki - The Silver Book - a review



After I got the book in my hands, I decided to first re-read the Golden book to refresh my memory in case there was any continuity involved, but since the Golden book was only a Preview Title, there was little or nothing in the way of a story line. This is particularly helpful for people who don’t have the first book. You can simply pick up the Silver Book and start from here. It all starts here!

The overall art work of the book is excellent and the print and paper quality meets the standard Vimanika has set for them in the industry today. I was a little surprised to find no artist name for the book, I am sure many people would be interested in knowing the artists behind the amazing artwork.

"I am Kalki - The Silver Book" Cover

Cick to view high quality image

Manga Mondays presents, for your slicing pleasure...

Imagine a world not unlike our own. Inhabited by people like us, similar strengths, similar weaknesses. Yet subtly different, and often wrongly so. Modern lingo and expressions pop up in a sword slashing fantasy and surprisingly mature reactions come out from where you least expect them.


Welcome to a the world of Vagrant Soldier Ares as created by Ryu Kum-chel. Remember all the untold tales of wandering swordsmen and gifted masters of the blade, remember the untold fantasies of hidden empires with Gladiator champions, remember the fables of clever princes who come up from down under to become the greatest ruler in the lands. Remember them each and all and relive them all in this glorious epic. Not technically a manga, but a manhwa(Korean comics in manga format), Ares pulls absolutely no punches and is a giddy ride through the various ups and downs in the life of Ares. Vagrant soldier and wandering swordsman, questing hero, and Temple Mercenary. Ares rises up through the ranks of an elite mercenary outfit, gains new friends, makes new enemies and gets embroiled in conflicts reaching high up in the aristocracy of the surrounding kingdoms. Ultimately playing a key role in a massive war involving all the nations of the world.

The Adventures of Karen Ross (Part 6)

Jeff led me down the steps of where we were, which I'm assuming was a guest house. Although I had to wonder how many guests the Gods had. Touching my feet on the ground it was weird how soft the terrain was. This was the epitome of luxury. Jeff led me around the path to a huge white pantheon.

It was what I always imagined the meeting house of Mount Olympus would look like. In fact it resembled the one in The Clash of the Titans very much. Going inside though the set up was much different. There was a long hallway lined with large marble statues and torches. There were murals along the wall behind the statues. As I looked at those murals I found that they told the history of the Earth. The history according to Gods. It was remarkable really. At the end of the hallway were more giant gold doors. Before we got to them Ares came out from the other side of them pushing it open waiting for us. Walking past him I found myself in a room much like the Wizard's throne room in The Wizard of Oz. Only instead of a holographic head sitting on the throne was a man with long white curly hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He was in amazing shape and his muscles showed through his toga. His smile was warm and inviting while his eyes sparkled a certain mischievousness masking a great power and temper. I knew at once that it was Zeus. I stood before him in complete awe. Despite all of the things I was physically feeling that told me this was real I was still willing to believe this was all a dream.

Remembering George

George Reeves was one of THE most iconic men to play Superman. The most iconic of course being Christopher Reeve. George Reeves had the classic body builder build which Kirk Alyn didn’t possess. He also had classic rugged Hollywood good looks.

Why are we focusing on George Reeves today? Well we’re focusing on him for a few reasons. The first reason being that he was the first actor to bring Superman to life on the small screen. The Adventures of Superman was a family show that people would gather around to watch week after week. Again, would also like to restate that George Reeves is the second most iconic Superman next to Christopher Reeve. Which is the second reason we’re focusing on him. Reason number three is because George Reeves has permanently embedded himself in pop culture not just because of his portrayal of Superman, but because of his death. George Reeves’ death is still an unsolved murder. There are three popular scenarios as to what actually happened. His death was ”officially” ruled a suicide by the Hollywood police department who investigated it, but there is evidence to suggest otherwise. Now lastly, and most importantly, we are focusing on George Reeves because June 16 was the anniversary of his death. We felt it fitting to pay tribute to a man who was the first great portrayal of Superman and brought him to the little screen into people’s homes each and every week.

Green Lantern Movie Review

The buzz this weekend is about the premier of the Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong as Hal Jordan and Sinestro. Why is this movie such a big deal? Well the only DC heroes that have made it to the big screen are Superman and Batman. This is one of the main Justice League of America members who has his own following and yet this is Green Lantern’s first big screen debut. Therefore, OF COURSE IT’S A BIG DEAL!

We here at Comic Addicts were naturally jumping at the chance to see this flick. So we donned our glowing Green Lantern rings and went for the theater. We still had to drive there because as the fine print says on the rings, “This will not enable you to fly”. Sad yes, but we made do.

Animal Man by Grant Morrison

ANIMAL MAN

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Chas Truog

Published under VERTIGO

Collects: ANIMAL MAN issues 1-9

Reviewed by Aalok Joshi

Colossally MAJOR SPOILERS ahead...if you have decided to go and buy this book and read it, STOP RIGHT HERE! If not, well, this post gives you umpteen reasons to, including select samplings.

With the slowly and steadily growing mess that is my life pushing my insides out, I find far and few books that are as satisfying a read; driving me towards the fringes, far from the relative comfort zones of the standard Superman , Batman or Flash story and into the morass where the more seedy characters lurk…not all of them are seedy, just…odd. Places inhabited by THE QUESTION , GREEN ARROW, SWAMP THING & ANIMAL MAN.

STEWARTS SLATE: REVIEW OF THE ADVENTURES OF BLAKE AND MORTIMER, THE SARCOPHAGI OF THE SIXTH CONTINENT

Review of THE ADVENTURES OF BLAKE & MORTIMER: THE SARCOPHAGI OF THE SIXTH CONTINENT

Written by: Yves Sente

Art: Andre Juillard

Published by Cinebook

Review by Stewart Loud

In the latest book publisher, Cinebook, sent me to review, Philip Mortimer and his homosexual lover, Francis Blake, pit their wits against the masked Indian mincer, Emperor Ashoka and his army of communist soldiers and Baboons as he attempts to take revenge upon Mortimer and the British empire as a whole for their past indescretions against him and his beloved India!

And they shall call it... NEW DCU!

**UPDATE!** 20th June 2011 (end of post)
New info added for 2 titles continuing post October
**UPDATE!** 17th June 2011 (end of post)
 New info added for 1 new title possible starting October, waiting confirmation

 Hey folks!
Welcome once again! We have something a little extra special for you today - a full on breakdown of the new DC Universe that we can expect to see come September and the end of FLASHPOINT.
Apologies for delays with this weeks post but it was unavoidable given how much time it took to compile all this and sift through it all to find the facts! Just for you! And you should not, this post will be linked (we hope) to the main page in some fashion and all updates on the titles and on new titles not yet to announced will be added in here and updated on Facebook when it is done.
Now! According to the nice folks over at DC, there are major changes to come and while there have been any number of rumours, innuendos and speculation about what will be coming to our comic-racks come summers end - we have need of sifting through the mountains of internet "information" to get to the actual matters at hand.
So with this in mind (some of its been on my mind solidly as you'll see shortly!) I decided to compile a database of sorts where fans such as you good people could see whats coming, what is to become of some of our beloved series that have not made it to the new Universe ahead and others that have changed drastically, while others yet seem unaffected at all.

Collected here I am listing the 52 new titles that DC will be launching after the ENTIRE existing list of monthly titles is shut down and restarted. Breakdowns are to be found here with creative teams, intended story-lines and of course - my own snippets of opinion about each and every one! These titles will be launching through September and will be the front-line of DC comics for the foreseeable future.
What I am doing here though is listing the comics in order of interest, i.e, we start with the ones Im most looking forward to and why and then follow the list down all the way till the titles Im least looking forward to and why.

No Manga Madness, Simply Shamik's Sanity

Ahoy! Today be a Monday, so ye'd expect a Monday Manga Madness, but today we got a surprise for ye, me hearties.  

Our Good friend and the exalted writer sans compare Shamik Dasgupta was kind enough to write an article that takes a unique perspective on the life of a comic fanboy. Anyone who has loved comic books (and you probably wouldn't be here, reading this article, if you didn't), would associate with it and would love this article, as we did.

For those who do not know Shamik (you were probably abducted by aliens for some, eh probing, or maybe you were cryogenically frozen in 1920 and were just let out of it, to NOT know the man), he is the brain behind Ramayan 3392, Irith and now Daksh and is considered one of the top comic book/graphic novel writers in the country today.

Shamik in a pondering mood, no doubt cooking up another fantastical tale

The Adventures of Karen Ross (Part 5)

There was a light in my eyes. I closed them tight and moved away from it. There was a dull ache all over my body. Either I was still alive or no one told you about the pain of what killed you went along with crossing over. I could feel fingers on my neck. Ok, a good clue that I'm alive. I opened my eyes slowly and turned to the right where I could feel the fingers. Jeff was looking at his watch taking my pulse. His eyes lit up when he saw that I was awake.

"Thank God you're alive!" he said hugging me.

"Easy, still not completely with it yet, but it is good to see you too," I said returning the hug as best as I could.

Aalok deciphers DC - Superman: Birthright

Writer: Mark Waid

Artist: Leinil Francis Yu

Collects: SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT issues 1-12

With the massive revamp of the DCU coming in September, I thought that this origin is already written over (SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN, by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank) let me get around to it before it goes off the map completely.

Mark Waid is famous for his love of the Superman franchise, and reading this, it’s obvious that he loves Superman. This one, though it adds a lot of new elements to the popular franchise, doesn’t deviate too much from the source material, wherein it’s beauty lies – preserving continuity while adding to it.

STEWARTS SLATE: REVIEW OF XIII books 6-7 THE JASON FLY CASE and THE NIGHT OF AUGUST THIRD

Review of XIII books 6-7 The Jason Fly Case and The Night Of August Third

Writer: Jean Van Hamme.

Art: William Vance.

Published by Cinebook.

Review by Stewart Loud.

This week I'm doing the write-up for the latest couple of books publishers, Cinebook, have kindly sent over for me to review.

Jumping straight in at books 6 and 7, the back story is quickly recapped and we're introduced to Jason Fly, a man who, after waking with terrible amnesia and injuries with no memory of his past or who he is whatsoever, has so far discovered that he used to work as some sort of American government super operative after taking part in a top secret, black ops training program and was subsequently injured (in the brains) causing his total memory loss. Now he wonders the land looking for information and people that might help him piece together his life and help him regain some memory of who he used to be, all the while being hunted by shadowy government agencies and assassins who want him dead because of what he might discover.

Leaping Windows, & Mocha TRIP with Comic Addicts present Campfire

Friends, Romans and Countrymen... lend me your ears... and your mobile phones and handsfree and tablets and your iPads and iPods and your Blackberries (yes, they don't count it under "regular" mobile phone, you see)

It's time for our next event! Come spend an afternoon with Campfire who will be featuring Lalit Kumar Sharma - illustrator of Prisoner of Zenda, In Defence of the Realm and the forthcoming Muhammad Ali graphic novel (that's just to name a few; he's done a whole bunch of stuff). Here's the detailed agenda for the day (so you can plan your day)

Eagerly awaited Md. Ali Graphic Novel by Campfire. Knock out art by Lalit

Click on image for full size view

When   : 18th June 2011

Where : Cafe Mocha, Defense Colony

Time    : 12 in the afternoon (yes, it'll be hot, but that's why there's gonna be chilling AC and Mocha serves some really cool refreshing beverages - all paid by you, of course) 

Why     : Er... You really want us to tell you??? I'll give you 3 solid ones, as starters...

Marvel Mangaverse Mania

Fantastic Four kidnap young Captain Marvel in this sequence.

How many pop culture references can you find in this one page? Post you answers and be declared the King of Geeks. After all, The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth...

Click on the image to view full size

London Anime Con cometh...

London Anime Con, the home for all British and European anime and gaming fans is being hosted in... er...  London (D'oh!) taking place on Saturday 30th July and Sunday 31st July!



Time may be free, yet it remains priceless!

"But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day."

~Benjamin Disraeli

Welcome back to our regularly scheduled programming folks!

You may well be wondering about this random epigram at the start here from a former British PM. Well its because the idea he espouses has some connection to today's wayfaring so bear with me as always and you will not be disappointed. I promise.

Today we return take a step back from the maddening world of mainstream comic news to once again dig into the pile of books that I keep around just to break the mold and keep it interesting - nothing like a good rolled up book to whack and break things eh?
For today's wayfaring we head into shallow waters I normally don't tread - those known as the sea of Antarctic Press! Ordinarily I tend to steer clear of these manga filled straits with their weak story-telling and average and uninspiring art with ladies more...ahem, prodigious... then even regular comics. But I came across by chance a most unusual series that fed my love of humour, creativity and that rare ingredient: Steampunk!
I don't know about everyone else out there but as a genre it is one of the most fun to see in comics with the potential for such visual awesomeness, few others can compare just by default - in fact the works of greats like H.G.Wells and Jules Verne (just to name some familiars) are prime examples of how it can capture the imagination. Of course though we refer to comics so take the examples of works like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (not that weak-arsed movie please) by Alan Moore, Iron West by Doug TenNapal and Ignition City by Warren Ellis to name but a few.

Of course this genre has few enough people who can truly bring it to life so I was kicked to see this and doubly so when I read the premise because its completely my kind of mental!
So without further build up I present to you: TIME LINCOLN!

Taking a Look at the X-Men Movies

With X-Men: First Class having hit theaters this weekend we thought it appropriate to take a closer look at the X-Men movies. The movies have become a continuum all unto themselves. Still we have to ask: where exactly does X-Men: First Class fit into the other movies? Does it follow the timelines and stories set up in the original trilogy? Does it have the core essentials from the comics? That is what we are going to explore.

There are currently five X-men movies out and one that’s a bit stalled. The movies are: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, Wolverine Origins, and X-Men: First Class. There is a sequel to Wolverine, but the director has walked off due to a divorce. So far the X-Men movie franchise has made $786,495,030. Granted this doesn’t include the latest installment X-Men: First Class. So far the numbers for X-Men: First Class is $56,000,000. The interesting aspect of the franchise is that the latest installments have been prequels. Wolverine Origins specifically follows Wolverine on his journeys before joining up with the X-Men. First Class is the formation of the X-Men and how Charles Xavier and Eric Lehnsherr formed their friendship before becoming frenemies.

Manga Mondays: The Master of all Spirits

This week why not take something from the traditional, Shonen slice of the pie. Nurarihyon No Mago, reads like the typical shonen manga. Initially I almost wrote it off as a cheap knockoff Naruto. But this manga surprises you, if only by the sheer depth of its storyline. This comic draws from a lot of folk sources, Nurarihyon is indeed the Master of all Spirits in Japanese folklore. The popular figure of the demon as a bent misshapen man who has the ability to deceive your senses upon his will is cleverly shown as the protagonist's aging grandfather.

Comic Addicts discusses Ravana with Campfire

Comic Addicts decided to question Campfire about their latest release Ravana: Roar of the Demon King.

It is the story of Ravana, the demon lord of Lanka, who decided to challenge the Gods and almost got away with it. Ravana is penned by Abhimanyu Singh Sisodia with some fantastic art by Sachin Nagar.

 Here is the transcript of the interview: 

The Itch You Can't Scratch - A Re-review

After the Comic Con 2010 ended, we were all on a high. My cousin had won a bundle of free comic as the 2nd prize, and he had left the entire thing at my place for me to consume. For all you foreign readers – It is an age old custom in India that whatever a younger brother wins, he has to share it with his elder brother. For reference, read the wiki about Draupadi. Yes. It is true. That is what we still do in India :P. For the non-American foreign readers, well, it’s just this arrangement between my cousin and I. He is the keeper, so I read and then he takes them, reads them and archives them. I am a mess and nothing stays safe with me.

Anyway, I digress. Among the lot, the first book I started reading The Itch You Can't Scratch by Sumit Kumar (one of the writers for Savita Bhabhi, which was ONE of the reasons I picked this one up first) and I must say, it turned out to be a pretty interesting read, contrary to all my apprehension.

Main Cover: The itch you can't scratch



Aalok Deciphers DC - The Question

Welcome to another edition of deciphering DC. Today, we take a look at one of the most acclaimed, oft requested to be collected and now finally here series from the late 80s, featuring erstwhile Charlton Comics character, THE QUESTION.

Writer: Dennis O’Neil

Artists: Denys Cowan, Rick Magyar, Malcolm Jones III, Bill Wray

I never thought reading DC Comics would be so intellectually stimulating. Apart from the standard stereotyped superheroes (aka Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash & the Justice League) the ones that would really seem different would be the detective (Batman & Detective Comics) but the truth is, everything DC was doing after the Crisis was dashingly different, turning Superman into a conflicted hero (here & here), Batman into the dark Knight (here) and the Justice League into….well, something completely different (here) and unveiling (now) classic takes on older, established DC Comics characters the all new, and sometimes all Brit way (Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing , Neil Gaiman’s Black Orchid & Sandman, Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol & Animal Man, & Jamie Delano’s Hellblazer). Amidst all of this, is it any wonder that a morally dark, suggested for mature readers title gets the short shift?

STEWART'S SLATE: REVIEW OF ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN and REQUIEM VAMPIRE KNIGHT Book 2

By Stewart Loud.

This week I'm reviewing Frank Miller's All Star Batman and Robin volume 1 and the second book in my new best mate, Pat Mills, (well, I met him last week anyway) Requiem Vampire Knight series. Amazing just how different the quality of writing in these two books is! I used to think Frank Miller could do no wrong until I read the first of these two publications. Was he really drunk when he wrote it or something?

Nish's Notepad: The Itch You Can't Scratch

Post India's first Comic Con, I read an awesome book, which admittedly I should have reviewed somewhere in February, but my apologies for being late people!



After 20th Feb, 2011 or Day 2 of the Comic Con, as some like to call it; the first graphic novel I read was "The Itch You Can't Scratch".

More then just a Flash-in-the-pan?

 Good day folks!
Welcome back to another Weekly sit-down with yours truly. A pleasure, as always, bringing comic thoughts to you.
I was going to write about a new madcap series in an effort to top last weeks Kill Shakespeare piece which Ive actually been told was enjoyed by more than a few - but at the last minute decided to shelve that till next week because there's something I really want to talk about NOW!! (While there's still time...)
Those of you who saw the previous post here by our venerable leader himself know have read DC comics announcement of the relaunch of all DC title post August when the latest event "Flashpoint" by the nigh-legen-waitforit!-dary Geoff Johns comes to a close.

What I want to touch on is a little more of a readers perspective on the event itself and the aftermath. I have to admit right off the bat that my eagerness for this series is predicated on three points primarily:

1. I love alternate world titles, some of the best ever have been in this genre!
2. Im a MEGA fan of Booster Gold, even more so since DC's iconic "52" event and how that has tied into this event! :) Love it!
3. And finally, because the teams of writers and artists working this event... I dont think Ive been this awed by the writing talent in a LOOOOOOONG time!