Last week’s send off to John Rogers’ ‘Blue Beetle’

Another blog post I meant to get up last week…

…was going to be an epic poem composed about the virtues and excellence of Blue Beetle as John Rogers run came to an end with the fantastically awesome “End Game” arc and its twenty fifth issue. Luckily, I got a chance to rave in last week’s Thursday Morning Quarterback’s Quick Hits about it, sparing you all the attempt at epic poetry, while giving me a chance to gush.
Here’s a snippet…

“I know it’s only March and big events like Secret Invasion and Final Crisis are still on the way, but I’m calling it right now: Blue Beetle #25 is my issue of the year!”

Being surrounded in the office full of other fans of the run, we hashed out some ways to get some good send-off coverage for the book after issue #25…

Indie Jones‘ Kiel Phegley did a retrospective chat with John Rogers on the book—seriously good read here, give it a look.

And Kevin Mahadeo featured Jaime Reyes as his character of the week in his new column obviously entitled “Character of the Week.” For the record, you’ll notice I called out Paco’s line of the week in QB on Thursday before Kevin did in COW on Friday…just saying. I mean—it’s not important—we both love the book and thought it was a great line…but I mentioned it first…just saying.

So, check those out and then go check out the past 25 issues of Blue Beetle, it was a heckuva a ride that you really shouldn’t miss!

Wonder Woman: Living Up To Her Potential

First, I have to apologize—I wrote majority of this post over a week ago and got busy and never found time to edit and complete it until now…so, not as timely as I would have liked, but here it is…
All iages below can be clicked on to enlarge.

In the past, I’ve never been a big fan of Wonder Woman. The character never really appealed to me because on the few occasions I cracked the spine of the Amazon’s book, it was mediocre at best. After hearing that Gail Simone’s first few issues were impressively good, I picked’em up to give the book a shot and I’ve been digging everything happening in the world of the Mighty Maiden with Simone at the helm ever since. However, it wasn’t until last week’s issue—with some great art by Bernard Chang—(See, told you I’d written up part of this post a while back, that was almost three weeks ago)that I’ve decided Gail Simone’s Wonder Woman is not only a complete badass, but perhaps the perfect woman as well!

In issue #18, Wonder Woman is finally the refreshingly multi-dimensional that the world’s most powerful woman should be. It’s simple and realistic human moments that make a great super hero book…follow me on this one, if you will…

The book begins with Diana at the hospital to visit her “sometimes he is/sometimes he isn’t” beau Nemesis, and she’s just plain driven. She’s not just there to be cutesy and try and smooch, she’s there to court him and tells him as much to his face. The woman has decided what she wants and she’s acting assertive about it. Wonder Woman is a drop dead beauty who can easily snap a man’s neck and she isn’t beating around the bush like a ditzy schoolgirl, she’s getting the man she wants with all the confidence an Amazon Princess should have.

There’s no pretense and no question in her actions. She’s the boss, but not in an abrasive way as she blends her strength with sensuality, softness and a straight-forward attitude. She demands the respect of her position and of her person, yet can be playful as well.

And even though she could physically crush her would-be mate or call all the shot’s in the future relationship, she has a respect and appreciation for his world—even if it isn’t her scene.

Sure, it’s kind of goofy, but when you consider this woman is the future leader of an island nation populated by warrior women who’s helped saved the Earth multiple times talking to an average Midwestern American, well, there’s going to be a bit of an awkwardness as she tries to relate to him—but it’s a natural and realistic moment here given the circumstances. It’s a ridiculous comic book world, but this sequence feels completely real regardless, and what’s really brilliant about this issue is how Simone takes all Diana’s sincerity, sensuality and humanity and juxtaposes it with her kicking the sh– out of a ship full of aliens!

It’s so nice to see a writer who has such a handle on this character that she can show the heroine’s not just sex appeal or just a brutish warrior, but a dynamic female character with the poise to balance her warrior world and her place as a leader in a modern world which isn’t as accepting of strong female leaders.

And, I loves me some strong female leads, so having Gail Simone making the strong female lead live up to her potential in the land of comics instead of falling short—as she has so often in the hands of other writers—has really been a treat!

WU’s newest weekly roundup!

Hey folks!

Now that the craziness from the build up and cool down of Wizard World LA is over, it’s time to start getting ahead…this week the Great Wizard Universe Roundup Revolution begins!

What does this mean? Well, the weekly roundups like “Dark Knight Developments” and “The Web Page”—that you have come to know and love—are multiplying! More comic recap content is on it’s way and it begins this week with our brand spankin’ new roundup “Going Solo” written by me: the Loudest Monkey himself!

“Going Solo” will cover those mightiest of Earth’s heroes who don’t need a team to back them up in every book. It’s everything you need to know about Marvel’s headliners who haven’t been “rounded-up” yet: Thor, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Black Panther and Iron Man. This week’s premiere installment features the Jade Giantess, the Mighty Avengers’ blonde bombshell and The King!

I linked the roundup to the WUMB (Wizard Universe Message Boards, check’em out!) and Father (one of many rad WUMBers) enjoyed my sign-off line so much he immortalized it with this chuckle-worthy MS Paint job…

Intrigued?! Check out the column and shoot me some feedback on the WUMB!

From the land of the rising sun…

Anime Insider Editor Summer Mullins has launched WU’s newest blog…from Japan! She’s off carousing overseas amongst the cherry blossoms…er…covention booths at Tokyo International Anime Fair and she’s posting directly from the show floors—pictures, videos, information and more great stuff! If you’re into anime or manga at all, you must check out The Melancholy of Anime Insider!

When Summer gets back from Japan, the blog will be contributed to by the whole AI staff, so check it often or all the time—your call!

Sympathy never looked so good

I was just reading next week’s Daredevil and while the issue was good, what really shined for me was seeing Paul Azaceta’s art on the book. It fit so well with the mood of the issue, and yet, it was a nice change from the super-moodiness of the last arc with Michael Lark—which was great, don’t get me wrong, but that arc was so heavy and the art worked with it so well that it literally began to hang over me as I read about Matt’s life being destroyed. You should all be picking up this issue anyway because it continues Bru’s great run with DD, but Azaceta’s art is the standout of this issue for me!

Damn good looking or just a time traveler?

A week or so ago, Dr. Hot Read’s Andy Serwin stumbled across a familiar face in an old Thor issue from back in 1972…MINE!

Prepare yourselves, this may blow your mind!

Here’s the issue for reference (Check your collection! Perhaps you can see this oddity in your own home!):

So, flipping through the comic, Andy came to this ad spread on pages 24 and 25…

Keen-eyed readers will spy this incredible spectacle immediately, but there at the top of the page in the center is what appears to be an illustration of me, Jim Gibbons—The Loudest Monkey himself!

Let me give you a quick comparison of some pictures, just in case you haven’t been shocked enough at this point…

Are you minds not blown?!

So, this means one of three things…
1) At some point in the future, I will travel back in time and become the inspiration for a series of fake facial hair because my ’stache and burns are so “exciting” and “romantic.”
2) I’ve inadvertently become a living homage to 1970s facial hair fashion.
3) I am, in fact, exciting and romantic.

I’m pretty sure the correct answer is Choice 3, though I’d be pretty okay with Choice 1 as well! Either way, get a fake mustache, a van dyke and some sideburns and you can look as impressive as I do at any time!

Me? I look impressive ALL THE TIME!

Phew…it’s finally over!

Well, Wizard World LA has come and gone, and boy was it a lot of work! But as I’ve seen in my blog stats, you folks were all checking it out and proving that my hard work was all worth it! Thanks!

After a Red Eye flight back from LA on Sunday night that got me home at 9 a.m. on Monday morning, followed by a day of sleeping and then a Tuesday of responding to a ton of email that got pushed onto the back burner over the hectic Con-heavy weekend, I’m still recovering from the madness. I’ll be back with some more on WWLA and some pretty funny stuff of a blog-worthy nature that recently cropped up soon, but for now, it’s all sleep, work and the recently acquired third season of Battlestar!

Make sure to keep checking Wizard Universe for tons more news and features from LA, including a full transcript of Jeph Loeb and Joe Mad’s Ultimates 3 commentary among other rad content!

WWLA Mondo Marvel Panel

Here’s the quickie version of the announcements…

—Thor: Tales of Asgard is a series of one-shots written by Matt Fraction.

—Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft will be a book under Marvel Editor Daniel Ketchum with Richard Corbin.

—Skaar: Son of Hulk will have art by Ron Garney with Greg Pak writing.

WWLA ‘DCU: Countdown to Crisis’ Panel

Here were the major announcements:
James Robinson will be doing a new Justice League book with the characters Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Green Arrow, Ray Palmer (who will not be the Atom), Supergirl, Batwoman, Freddy Freeman (Shazam), the alien Starman (the blue one) and Congo Bill.

Darwyn Cooke will be doing an issue of Jonah Hex with Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray.

Darwyn Cooke and James Robinson will be working on a JSA-related project.

WWLA ‘Secret Invasion’ panel

A few announcements and loads of art: some old, some new…
—Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust: This is a one shot, with five stories: Wonder Man vs. Beast, Agents of Atlas, Agent Brand, Marvel Boy, and Captain Marvel. Tom Brevoort, Jeff Parker, Mike Carey, Brian Reed, Zeb Wells, Christos Gage are all involved in the project.
—Secret Invasion: Front Line: Will be a series by Brian Reed with Brevoort on editing duties.