SONIC THE HEDGEHOG X GODZILLA #1 IDW COMICS
This is one of those WTH titles that just make me wonder who is coming up with these title. And normally, I would have side stepped this one but my friend Sly Hondo over at imaginary cable access station WSTV is a huge Godzilla fan and asked me to check it out. The debate between us went something like this … ME: Was this even necessary? SLY: Well, both characters have Japanese origins. ME: But one is a movie character and the other is a video game character. SLY: Maybe in the beginning but Sonic has had a successful series of movies and Sega had a few Godzill video games. ME: Fine. You win, I’ll review it. All that being said this really isn’t a bad crossover. Nick Marino’s story is pretty standard interdimensional warp crossover. Jack Lawrence does his usual fine job with the Sonic characters but actually does a good job making Mothra and MechaGodzilla look realistic. And Reggie Graham really does an excellent job with Mothra’s colors. And the fact that Godzilla is noticably absent in this first issue is actually a credit to Marino’s writing talents as I really didn’t miss the King of the Monsters in this first issue. A bit of fun that actually is worth reading. 8 out of 10 Grahams.
BACK ISSUE MAGAZINE ANNUAL #1 TWOMORROWS
I have an on-going debate with an old friend on which of TwoMorrows Publishing magazines is better, Alter Ego or Back Issue. But in a case like this annual, there is no debate. First off, slapping a classic DC 100 Page Giant Size Banner across the cover is a sure way to get me to pick it up. Next, make the main focus about the late great Neal Adamsand it’s a done deal. Neal Adams art (and personality) were iconic. He was one of the few artists I knew in my youth. And with page after page of unique art and tales about the man, you can’t want much more. And I hope that this might be the start of an ongoing thing where Back Issue dedicates a yearly annual to some comic superstar. 10 out of 10 Grahams.
NSFWEST #1 IRON AGE COMICS
Have you ever been in a video store and stumbled across a movie title that you knew was going to be terrible but between the title and box art, you just had to watch it? (Think Sorority Babes In the Slimeball-Bowl-Arama.) This is the newsprint version of that. What we have here is an all female GI Joe squad fighting the bad girls with bad innuendo. This is a behind the counter book from the 1980’s with no nudity in it. But it makes up for it in so many other ways. I was actually expecting a lot more and didn’t get it. So, don’t say I didn’t warn you. 4 out of 10 Grahams.
AMERICAN NATURE PRESENTS #4
For those of you old enough to remember bar hopping in downtown Chicago in the 1970’s and 80’s, you would always seem to end up with a copy of the Chicago Reader newspaper in your hands. With a page or two of comics throughout the newspaper, the American Nature Presents title reminds me of that. With interviews, articles, comics (of course) and some of the most intriguing and somewhat twisted ads this side of the Reader, this publication highlights the current world of independant comics that aren’t as main stream. And with odds and ends from Greg & Fake and their Santos Sisters, this is a must read for comic people with their finger on the pulse of humanity. Be ready to think, and learn, and wonder. 9 out of 10 Grahams.