Jim Shooter speaks about the art on LSH

Jim Shooter on his recent run on the Legion of Superheroes,

“I must add that Francis Manapul is going to be great someday – maybe one of the best of all time.”

“He already shows flashes of brilliance. He works very hard and seems to care a lot – but that and a $1.85 gets you a cup of coffee. As soon as Francis grasps what business he’s in – storytelling – as soon as he realizes that conveying the story and information clearly, at a glance, is first priority, he’ll be a contender."

"It’s not just about making cool shots that vaguely relate to what was asked for in the script. It’s about thinking things through until you can come up with just-as-cool shots that effectively deliver all the content required; about making the visual storytelling ‘read’ effortlessly."

"Francis is incapable of drawing a dull picture, so if he ever really grasps the importance of the story and science of storytelling, he’s going to be a hall-of-famer."

Review by the Dork: Superman Back in Action

Writer: Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza. Len Wein and Gerry Conway for DC Comics Presents
Artist: Pete Woods. José Luis García-López for DC Comics Presents
Publisher: DC Comics (2007)
Price: $14.99 (Softcover)
Format: TPB
Includes: Action Comics #841-843 and DC Comics Presents #4, #17, and #24

Kurt Busiek writes a fun old school tale in this 3 issue story arc. Busiek shows the superheroes and us dorks a world where collectability goes amok.

In this story Busiek is also paying homage to Simpson's Treehouse of Horror X where the Comic Guy becomes The Collector and starts putting people in protective sleeves only to be stopped by the heroes Clobber Girl (Lisa) and Stretch Dude (Bart). If you haven't seen the episode I recommend you do.

The only thing that seems weird in this TPB is the extra stories that were selected. Like I have said previously in posts, I love the fact DC is adding these reprints to their TPBs, but usually they have something to do with the main story. These three stories really have nothing to do with it other than they star Superman, are cool stories and drawn by a favorite of mine José Luis García-López.

So I ain't bitchin just wondering why?

Review by the Dork: Superman Escape From Bizarro World

Writer: Richard Donner and Geoff Johns with various
Artist: Eric Powell and various
Publisher: DC Comics (2008)
Price: $24.99 (Hardcover)
Format: TPB
Includes: Action Comics #855-857, Superman #140, DC Comics Presents #71 and Man of Steel #5

This TPB is in the vein of what DC has been doing lately; which I applaud. They take a story arc from a comic book series, one that doesn't have enough issues to really make a complete TPB and then flesh it out with relevant back stories. So not only do you get a great current story you get also all these cool old stories.

This Bizarro story is great and once again shows how Geoff Johns with THE Richard Donner is the master of mixing the old universes with the new ones in ways that are coherent and not clunky.

I have both DC Comics Presents #71 and Man of Steel #5 in some boxes packed away so it was nice to reread these tales and remember how much I liked them. It was also great to read a much older tale of Bizarro that was new to me.

So DC keep up what you're doing and I'll keep slapping the cash down.

Review by the Dork: Breathe

Writer: John Sheridan
Artist: Kit Wallis
Publisher: Markosia Enterprise(2007)
Price: $19.99 (Hardcover)
Format: TPB
Includes: Breathe #1-4

The Dork Review is meant to be a positive and fun site celebrating what we enjoy and not what we hate. So I usually won't be commenting on a book if I don't particularly like it, but sometimes a book rides the good/bad fence for me. Breathe is one of those books.

In some ways I like the book, especially the art. I like the serene quality to it as it reminds me of the one issue comic Joshua Middleton put out called Sky Between Branches. The soft quality could have been really contrasted by the harshness of the acts in the book.

But something in the story or the way the characters talk doesn't draw me in but pushes me out of the story. I think this had the potential to be more. If the creators had had a stiff critique before publication I think this book would have shined.

I know it's hard to go back, but I would like to see this story if it was reworked and republished.

The Passing of Bettie Page, the Pin Up Queen

Bettie Page, the muse of thousands of artists and adored by millions has died at the age of 85. She was one of the most beautiful women ever to live and will be missed.

Bettie Page was an iconic figure who will go down in history for being grander than most people realize. She gave birth to styles both in fashion, culture, and art that will live long after today.

Comicology's The Kingdom Come Companion

Facts (clipped from Wikipedia): In January, 1999, Harbor Press published the first (special) issue of their comics magazine Comicology. The 272-page Comicology: Kingdom Come Companion, edited by Brian Lamken, focused heavily on Kingdom Come, featuring an A-Z of almost everything with extensive illustrations by Ross and various other commentary on the mini-series.

It was the subject of a swift cease-and-desist notice from DC, objecting that the volume "constitute[d] an unauthorized derivative work that infringed upon DC's copyrights, violates their trademark rights, and misappropriates their good will."Lamken acquiesed to the recall, despite protesting that DC had prior knowledge of the project.

It is likely that the similarities between the material contained in the Revelations Volume available only with the purchase of the considerably-more-expensive Graphitti/DC two-volume set contributed to the recall of the Comicology volume.

The recall made the Companion arguably the most difficult Kingdom Come item to find on Ebay and elsewhere.

Marvel Tumbler Glasses from 1978

Glasses from Marvel released in 1978. I love these old 1970's tumblers and their iconic use of comic book poses.

I also think it is interesting to see which characters they chose to put on a glass. Spider-Woman as a choice and not Invisible Woman seems weird, but she did have a cartoon out at this time. Perhaps that is why they went with her instead.

By the way, the Spider-Woman tumbler is by far the hardest one to get in this series and can seriously set you back.

Specs: 6.25" tall Federal glass tumbler ©1978 Marvel Comics Group. Glasses are not marked with sponsor name and were probably distributed by a restaurant or store. Issued in a set of 5 including Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man and Spider-Woman. Full gloss and Rare.

Thundarr the Barbarian-Kicks ASS!

The year 1994: From out of space comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction. Man's civilization is cast in ruin. Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn... A strange new world rises from the old: a world of savagery, super science, and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword against the forces of evil.

He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!

FUCK YA!!!

Thundarr without a doubt needs to be given the comic book treatment, but only by the right people. My money would be on Geoff Johns as the writer and Alex Ross as the artist. It should be a limited series and a self contained story.
Fun Fact (clipped from Wikipedia): Comic book writer-artist Jack Kirby worked on the production design for the show. While many people believe that Kirby was the primary designer of the show (mainly due to his similarly themed Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth), the main characters were in fact designed by fellow comic book writer-artist Alex Toth, who also designed the popular character Space Ghost for Saturday morning television.

Toth, however, was unavailable to continue working on the show, so most of the wizards and other villains and secondary characters that appear on the show were designed by Kirby. He was brought onto the show at the recommendation of comic writer Steve Gerber and comics and animation veteran Mark Evanier, who realized that the same imagination that produced Kamandi could contribute significantly to the series. Indeed, the evil wizard Gemini, the only repeating villain on the show, resembles Darkseid, an infamous Kirby villain.
Coloring Book: Thundarr the Barbarian in the Floating Palace.
This was the only printed type of book produced for Thundarr.