2016 Comic Challenge 086 Self-Indulgent Comics #38

TITLE-Self-Indulgent Comics #38
PUBLISHER-Colin Upton Comics

Last year,or maybe the year before, I got a package in the mail. It was full of mini comics from the Canadian artist/writer/painter Colin Upton. And to make a great package even better every issue was signed and had a quick doodle on it.

This issue has Colin walking around Vancouver Canada. And he runs into a group of guys on a scavenger hunt. They need a sketch of themselves by a major landmark. And they lucked out cause Colin just so happens to be a damn good artist. He does the best with the meager art supplies the guys have,standard paper and some crappy markers. After they leave Colin starts to let his mind wander and wonder if they won the hunt and who they worked for. Then on the last page we find out they do and get a small scan of the sketch.

I have read a decent amount of mini comix over the years. But the art in the various ones of Mr Upton's I have read is just soo damn good. The shading is perfect.The linework is perfect. I suspect that Colin is a fan of Robert Crumb. The next to last page feels like a loving tribute to various piece of Crumb artwork.

If you have an interest in Colin's work here's his website.www.colinupton.com

He has lots of his comix for sale and the price is great. One small warning,Colin lives in Canada so if you live outside Canada the postage will be a bit higher than you would suspect,but not that much higher than US postage. And it takes a bit longer for sometime to get to you. But it is at most 3 or 4 more days.  To me Colin's comix are worth the extra postage and wait.

Self-Indulgent Comics #38 gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 085 Adventures of Kool-Aid Man #04

TITLE-Adventures of Kool-Aid Man #04
PUBLISHER-Archie comics

Yes Kool-Aid Man not only had his own comic but it got at least 4 issues. I just looked and there is actually 8 issues of this series. Which started in 1983 and the final issue came out in 1991. Issue 4 was released in 1988. I know I had at least the first 2 issues of this series. As a kid all I drank was sugar free Kool-Aid. And of course I saved up my Kool-Aid points. The only things I ever remember getting with these points was the 2 comics and the Kool Aid Man Atari 2600 game.

This issue we get 2 stories.Both of which Michael J Pellowski wrote.The cover and interior pencils are by Dan Decarlo. Yep the same Dan that did so much work for Archie a few decades ago. And a Jim Decarlo handles the inks.

Honestly the comic isn't that good. But it is much more than just a shill for Kool-Aid. Plus it came with a great poster.

Adventures of Kool-Aid Man #04 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 084 X-force #01

TITLE-X-force #01
PUBLISHER-Marvel

Travel with me back to the summer of 91. New Mutants had just been cancelled and replaced with X-force. Rob Liefeld is one of the hottest comic artist in a long time. And of course since this was around the time the comic speculation boom started issue 01 was bagged with a trading card. 1 of 5 cards to be exact. And yes I did buy 6 copies of this comic. So I not only got all 5 cards but I had a copy to open and read.

Even though this comic is pretty much a direct sequel to the New Mutants series,they spend over half the issue introducing us to the various X-force members and setting up their history.

When I read this when it came out I loved it. Liefeld's art was so different from what I was use to getting from the big 2. And I liked the idea of taking the New Mutants,who were always pretty much X-men Jr,and making them this pro-active more military style team. Going back and re-reading it...well it doesn't hold up that well. The art I loved back then cause it was so different,but now when I see it all I see is all of Liefeld's faults. The story could have been told in 5 pages.

But you know what,even though the art isn't that good. And the story is kind of a big cliche,I still had fun while reading this. I brought me back to a time when I just wanted something to read while bored in Algebra II class.

X-force #01 gets a borrow.

2016 Comic Challenge 083 Typhoid #01

TITLE-Typhoid #01
PUBLISHER-Marvel/Marvel Edge

I have no clue where I got this comic. By the time it came out I had given up on Marvel. So I didn't buy it then. I don't remember buying it at a shop or con. I am guessing I got this in one of the many random lots of comics I won off Ebay.

I have always enjoyed Typhoid Mary. Having had read a decent amount of Daredevil comics where she appeared. And seeing that her co-creator Ann Nocenti wrote this issue I knew I wanted to read it. John Van Fleet's artwork reminds me a lot of Michael Gaydos art on Alias. I love it cause it isn't the standard bright cheery superhero art you get in lots of comics.

Typhoid is in hiding. Living a fairly normal life for her. Two guys with cameras and other equipment seem to be searching for her. And Mary ends up helping out one of her neighbors. Who's daughter is missing.

The comic seems to be flashing back in time fairly often.Lots of stuff,which is captured on videotape and viewed by the aforementioned 2 guys with cameras,showing her in the mental hospital. Since she is in her Typhoid makeup in these pages I am assuming she got put in the hospital after one of her arrests.

I want to give a quick shout out to Davlin.He recently mentioned Typhoid to me and that reminded me that I owned this issue and had never read it.He is a indy film maker based out of Ohio and has a few of his films up on this youtube channel Davlin's youtube channel click here

Typhoid #01 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 082 Yakuza #01

TITLE-Yakuza #01

PUBLISHER-Eternity 

After how bad the last comic was I just wanted something to get the stink of that comic out of my brain.So I dug into my longbox full of random comics I have bought cheap and never read. I saw the cover and thought Hey this might be OK. I was so wrong.

The story,what little there is,is crap. The art,even with Jimmy Palmiotti doing the inks,is terrible. The best parts of this comic are the cover and the fucking ads.

Yakuza #01 gets a PASS!

2016 Comic Challenge 081 Injustice:Gods among us Year One #01

TITLE-Injustice Gods Among Us Year One #01
PUBLISHER-DC comics

This was a tie in comic for a DC hero fighting game. So I skipped it. Cause really how good could it be. But then I had someone constantly talking about how great the series was. Plus it is free.

The story is fairly simple. We are a few years in the future. Gotham is free of crime. Thanks to Superman taking over control of the world. And now Batman is gonna stop him.

Up next is a flashback. Were we see Superman finding out Lois is pregnant. And doesn't want her to go on a semi-dangerous assignment. She goes anyway.

From this issue,and I went ahead and read 2 more,what I have been told about the series I see it for what it is. A watered down mash up of Mark Grunwald's Squadron Supreme 12 issue mini,the whole superhero takes over control of the world and the non powered superhero member of the same super team must stop him/them. And Mark Waid Irredeemable.So take those two really good comics. Mash them together. Then water it down so it won't offend anyone. And you get this turd sandwich.

I am gonna be fair and finish reading the rest of Year One of this series. Mostly to see if it gets any better or just gets worse.

Injustice Gods Among Us Year One #01 gets a Pass!