by Desiato

It’s hard to avoid the rampant rumors and speculation that has been building over the past two weeks or so concerning the job security of DC’s Editor in Chief Dan DiDio. And 90% of it is just that: rumors and speculation. We all saw the hubub over the release of Diamond’s Top 300 comics for May that showed Secret Invasion 2 outselling Final Crisis 1 by a pretty good margin (which I don’t necessarily think is that big a deal, but hey) and the fact that despite three big event books (Final Crisis 1 and the two Batman RIP books) DC slipped below 30% in market share based on units sold for the top 300 comics. We saw Chuck Dixon’s unmistakable shots at the DiDio regime after being abruptly fired from DC. We saw the outcry after Grant Morrison’s post Final Crisis 1 interview where he basically enunciated the opinions of much of the comics populous that Countdown was a hastily put together mess that will be completely ignored during the course of Final Crisis. We all have seen these things. And they have led to rampant (and for the most part baseless) rumors that two things are due to happen any day now: 1. Dan DiDio will be fired. 2. Jimmy Palmiotti will replace him as EIC at DC. I still don’t know where or how Palmiotti’s name got pulled into this, but it’s arguably immaterial for what I find fascinating about all this...

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...the-past-week/

Would you believe I’ve never read these stories before? Crazy, huh? Well, I recently got a craving to read some Jack Kirby comics and I figured this would satisfy that craving in a big way. I’m going to be reviewing these in parts covering about 2 issues per post...

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...mnibus-part-1/

by Foilball & Kidginger

Mandy: So in Issue 8, we find out the real reason behind all those Sci-Fi B-movies of the fifties and sixties, obviously a by-product of the government experimentation to test the limits of the human body. Oh Americans. Your ignorance has a flavor. I mean arrogance.

Billy: Ignorance was funnier.

Mandy: Because my ignorance has a flavor.

Billy: Tastes like burning. So, Planetary shows up in the middle of the desert at a city that isn’t on any maps to meet a girl that glows in the dark? WTF?

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...w-planetary-8/

In regards to the Dan Didio issue, I totally don't know what to think. I believe that his job is firmly intact and we will not see a regime change. The whole Palmiotti thing is probably a jab at the whole JOE Q thing over at marvel.

Damn, the movie is coming up very soon and I’m only on volume 3. Sorry folks but I have faith I can make it. This trade begins with The Corpse. This is one of if not my favorite Hellboy stories ever. This is the one that got me hooked on that loveable red lug. This was originally released in two-page installments. That means that there is something big happening every two pages! The story is simply that Helboy is looking for a missing baby and encounters some creatures that know the child’s whereabouts. They will divulge the information to Hellboy if in return he finds a proper resting place for an old corpse. This is such a short yarn but it contains all the necessary ingredients to make a great story...

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...in-and-others/

by Foilball

It’s no secret I love Geoff Johns. It’s no secret I love Superman. What some of you might not know is, I also love, love, love the first two Superman films. I know, me and everyone else. But still, it needed to be said, I think, in order for you all to truly understand how much I love this book. Bruce wrote up a nice review of it last week that can be found here. He used a lot of words to describe the book so I’m going to rely on pictures, because that’s what I do...

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...-comics-866-2/

This comic opens with one of the best Hellboy moments ever. It’s called Pancakes and only two pages long, but it is sooo awesome! You have to read it!

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...-hand-of-doom/

So Billy, are you relieved that the last issue of The Programme is slated to come out today? I know I am. Now if only I can shake off this compulsion of mine to buy Project Superpowers before it's too late...

not yet, i won't get my copy till next week i think.

speaking of project superpowers... i think i saw an add that had some faraway date on it with the words "End of Part 1" or something. um, does that mean what i think it means? is this gonna be Earth X long with sequel upon sequel? EFF ME!!! :mad:

by Foilball

Without any further hubbub, I’ll just get right to it. A list of all the Eggs I can remember from Marvel Universe. Oh, and just as a working definition, “Easter Egg” will mean any flavor text, powers, versions or names that reference anything from outside Marvel Universe or the comics that directly inspired the characters and themes chosen. Everything else, like where the art came from or the more obvious versions, you can figure out for yourself. Or, if you’re stumped you can ask and I might answer. Deal?

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...ggs-of-easter/

As I stated earlier in my reviews of those Hellboy trades, I like to reread a comic right before it is adapted into a movie. This Friday the adaptation of Wanted comes out. The movie will probably be less of an adaptation and more of a movie that is very loosely based on the comic. This story is written by Mark Millar and drawn wonderfully by J.G. Jones. This was the second time I’ve read Wanted. I hadn’t read it since it came out like four years ago. When I first read it, it just seemed like kind of an incredibly violent guilty pleasure. This seems to be the way a lot of people treat it. The second time I read the story, I got a lot more out of it...

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...chives-wanted/

Bomb Queen is my guilty pleasure, she kinda reminds me of the wife though.

by Foilball


The scans I’m about to present to you are filled with spoilers. Be forewarned...

Okay, so Luthor is like, “Killing the Martian is like whatever and all, but if you want my vote you’ll have to do better.” Libra replies, “Superman?”

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...inal-crisis-2/

by Foilball

Whoa, okay. I expected the fight in this issue (just look at that cover), but the action we got instead (the stuff with Bucky and Sharon I didn’t scan or mention) was more than adequate. Not the best issue in the run, but I’d put it in the top 20% easy. I’m almost sad that events are coming to a close… and then I remember it’s been more than a year since Cap died. Bring on the finale, Brubaker!

And, hell yes! I can’t wait for Bucky to shoot this faker in the face!

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...in-america-39/

This is my favorite trade so far. It’s available at 17.95 and includes an introduction by Guillermo del Toro and a sketchbook. In the end of WW2, a team of Nazi scientists launch a deceased man into space. They hope to capture an alien presence trapped for eons in the stratosphere and then use it to destroy the Allied forces. But the capsule is lost and of course the Nazi’s are defeated. Fifty years later, the capsule returns to earth, crashing down in Austria. The B.P.R.D. sends agents Hellboy and Roger the Homunculus to investigate...

http://readrant.wordpress.com/2008/0...onqueror-worm/