WELCOME TO A RATHER INTERESTING VISIT TO DOC’S CORNER. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE BOOK REQUEST, TONIGHT WE’LL BE LOOKING AT SOME REALLY DIFFERENT COMICS. AND I FOR ONE CAN’T WAIT.
NEW HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #4 DC COMICS
Well, at least I have collected all four of Scott Koblish and Hi-Fi’s outstanding collaborated covers. Which, mind you, not only wrap around each issue but also interconnect into a giant mural! I expect to see a giant wall poster of this soon! But before we get into the story itself, I must admit that this issue has a few characters that I cannot identify without help. One of the things the folks at Doc’s Corner like to do is point at random characters on each cover and see if I can name them. And up until this issue, I’ve been pretty spot on. And while I was glad to see Wonder Woman’s Kanga, the legacy version of the Crimson Avenger, and Isis here, this one really crossed over the generation gap for me. This final issue depressed me. We start off with the Black Lantern Corps and end on veiled threats of a Dark Legion and King Omega. This upcoming future looks dark and hopeless. And while I can hear you trying to cheer me up by reminding me that heroes always win in the end, I can’t help but sigh as I think of all the year long crossovers with overly complicated storylines filled with death, destruction, and the rewriting of classic heroes. How many new #1 issues will there be? How many deaths and rebirths? And I honestly feel a little cheated by the end of the story here. In my day, there were dozens of versions of the future. Kamandi’s talking animal future, Omac (the original one) mohawk and all, the Legion of Super-Heroes. They are skipped over. With mentions in the text timeline, I can’t help but feel like these charactrers and stories got stuffed to the back of the file cabinet. And even though my hearts not in it, I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams.
HELLO HALLOWEEN #1 BOOM STUDIOS
Since we have entered the spooky holiday season, you can’t ignore the multiple Halloween comics out there. But this independant comic brings together a dynamic collection of creative talents including R.L. Stine and Jenny Frison. A collection of short tales of horror, and they are really quite good. Nothing overly terrifying but each with a sort of twisted look that I thoroughly enjoyed. Robert Hack’s page on one panel comics and Paul Allor’s Billy Pritzker Talked Too Much were especially noteworthy. This one is worth tuning into, scary but thought provoking. 9 out of 10 Grahams.
THANKSGIVING #1 AHOY COMICS
Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that has an interesting connection to Halloween. Ask any horror movie fan and when they are done quoting “That’s not cranberry sauce!” they’ll tell you all about the very few holiday horror movies there are for Halloween. Mark Ruissell’s story would make a perfect horror film. The story of an extended family celebrating Turkey Day while a serial killer prowls the town collecting fingers from his victims. The tale is thought provoking and raises several moral questions for the reader to ponder. This one makes you think and I can really get behind that. 9 out of 10 Grahams.
ALL-NEGRO COMICS TPB IMAGE COMICS
It’s a really a rare moment when I get to go back to comic college and learn something I didn’t know. And as the Forward by Chris Robinson tells us, ‘We’re proud to continue this educational committment made decades ago, and hopefully you will too.’ In June of 1947, this comic would have certainly made waves. I knew of it’s existance but never thought I’d have a chance to read it, let alone learn the history behind it. So thanks to Image Comics for getting this on the comic store shelves. And while this is a time capsule that some may be uncomfortable with, this is an amazing look back at what might have been a successful title if the forces of the day hadn’t interfered. With a staff of talented artists and writers, characters such as Ace Harlem, Lion Man, and Lil’ Eggie told tales just as interesting as those from Timely and All-American. And featuring bonus content and fascinating sidetracks to get lost in, this is a look at a different time and place. Makes you wonder what might have happened if Orrin C. Evans had been given access to a supply of newsprint to continue on the promised issue #2. For all comic historians. 10 out of 10 Grahams.
