Tag: IDW

Pop Culture Squad > IDW
Brainiac On Banjo: Branding Ironic

Brainiac On Banjo: Branding Ironic

Posted on by Mike Gold

“Diamonds on velvets on goldens on Vixen, on Comet and Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen, on up and away and afar and a go-go, escape from the weight of your corporate logo.” From Absolutely Free, written by Frank Zappa

One of the many things I’ve enjoyed in my career has been working with letterers, calligraphers, and designers. It’s artistic, it’s creative, and it’s a lot of fun. Having taken design at the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I can fake knowing their language.

I had the privilege of working with a great many such artists, dating all the way back to my hippie days at the Chicago Seed watching the brilliant Lester Dore turn words into emotion-provoking art.

I first got to DC Comics back in 1976. They had just changed their name to “DC Comics”, and they decided to hire award-winning designer Milton Glaser to come up with their new corporate logo. It was their first in quite a while. When Batman started outselling Superman, there was talk n about changing the “Superman” part of the Superman/DC/National Comics bullet, or so I’m told. Instead, they decided on nothing and simply let the letters “DC” stand undressed for trade. Jenette Kahn hired Glaser to change all that. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Branding Ironic” →

Brainiac On Banjo: More Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mind

Brainiac On Banjo: More Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mind

Posted on by Mike Gold

“Semolina pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower. Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna. Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe!” From I Am The Walrus, written by John Lennon.

As the great Hedley Lamarr famously said, “My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.” It is under this premise I share these random errant thoughts.

The closer President Joe Biden comes to the end of his term, the more he looks like he was drawn by Will Elder.

I firmly believe DC’s latest sub-imprint launch is being co-funded by a major vodka company.

Will Robert Downey Jr. be cast as Dr. Thomas Wayne? Will we see him buying those damn pearls?

I think Agatha All Along is a great example of contemporary social satire. Sorry, incels. She still won’t sleep with you.

There’s a great job opportunity waiting for a person qualified to keep IDW’s revolving door well-oiled.

The current Ryan North run on The Fantastic Four is nothing short of brilliant. The stuff that should be there is there, hung on the strong framework of great human interest stories. I highly recommend it. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: More Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mind” →

Brainiac On Banjo #094: Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah!

Brainiac On Banjo #094: Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah!

Posted on by Mike Gold

Well, I went to the doctor / I said, “I’m feeling kind of rough” / He said, “Let me break it to you, son / “Your shit’s fucked up.” / I said, “My shit’s fucked up? / “Well, I don’t see how / He said, “The shit that used to work / It won’t work now.” – Warren Zevon, My Shit’s Fucked Up, from the album Life’ll Kill Ya, 2000

This week we offer a three short subjects for our attention-span impaired friends…

ITEM 1: Beware of Falling Objects

A couple months ago, WarnerMedia announced HBOMax, the ultimate Warner Bros streaming service. And the most expensive, as I noted. They consumed their first Pac-Man, HBOGo. Go? Go know… I also noted, a few hours after the announcement, that there no longer was a way to keep their DC Universe going. I certainly wasn’t the only person who came up with this analysis — it was obvious, sorta like saying “that yellow thing in the sky is ‘the sun’” — but I blurted it out faster than a speeding bullet.

However, there was some significant collateral damage. The death of DCU (which, as predicted, will see its original programming going over to HBOMax) begat a very severe round of staff-hatcheting at DC comics. After moving 3,000 miles to new “state-of-the-art” facilities — they didn’t mention which art — their parking lot now can welcome more pigeons. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo #094: Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah!” →

With Further Ado #067: Gramercy Park

With Further Ado #067: Gramercy Park

Posted on by Ed Catto

Last week in this column, I celebrated Halloween with a look at the latest Yoe Books collection, GHOSTS: Classic Monsters of Pre-Code Horror Comics by Steve Banes. It features a smorgasbord of creepy comics from the 1940s and 1950s.  This week I need to tell you about another treasure, a just-published comic that takes place in the 1940s and 1950s. And in stark contrast to those old comics produced domestically, this a translated European comic. I started out kind of liking it, but by the end I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

Gramercy Park, written by Timothée de Fombelle and illustrated by Christian Cailleaux, is a comic that the rest of the world will definitely feel more comfortable calling a graphic novel. It’s tight and clever, scattering just the right amount narrative breadcrumbs to keep the reader involved. Author de Fombelle mixes intriguing characters and thoughtful dialogue that rope you in. I had planned, in fact, to just read a few pages at a time. But at one point, about halfway through, the creators had me and wouldn’t let me go.  Continue reading “With Further Ado #067: Gramercy Park” →

New Number Ones: Comics Coming in November 2019

New Number Ones: Comics Coming in November 2019

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome back to New Number Ones!!

This is where we give our readers a preview of the exciting new comic book series debuting each month. We have compiled an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from PREVIEWSworld. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you some more about the new comics in question.

There is a bunch of new series of interest starting in November. There is a good mix of both existing and new characters featured in these books. Below you will find a slate of new books from a wide variety of publishers. Some of our favorite comic book talents are bringing us some of these new series.

Both Marvel and DC are significant represented here which is a change from the past few months. These are not just rebooted number ones either. We are very excited about the creativity being rewarded with new series by all comic publishers.

We hope you will take a look and think about giving these a try. We will bring you reviews of most of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.

Continue reading “New Number Ones: Comics Coming in November 2019” →

With Further Ado #058: Discoveries beyond Discovery

With Further Ado #058: Discoveries beyond Discovery

Posted on by Ed Catto

Back in the day, when we had no idea that the Star Trek mythology would become so expansive, there was always a hint of untold stories about the folks on the Enterprise before Uhura, Scotty and the gang.   We were briefly introduced to Captain Kirk’s predecessor, Captain Pike, and shown the tragic ending to his career.  Little fanboys watching the show via 70s reruns (like me) couldn’t help but wonder what adventures that guy had in the earlier part of his career.

Over the years, I read a few paperback books focusing on Captain Pike. Marvel published a series called Early Voyages (that didn’t really do it for me) and more recently John Byrne took a crack at it again at IDW.

With all that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised by IDW’s new series Star Trek: Discovery – Aftermath. This series spins out of the recent Star Trek Discovery mythology.  As is the case for many longtime fans, this new reboot seemed to have so many troublesome issues for me that I’ve kind of drifted away from it.  Oh, I’m not shaking my fists with fan rage. Like a party that isn’t that great, or meant for me, I found myself slinking out the back door when no one was looking.  Continue reading “With Further Ado #058: Discoveries beyond Discovery” →

New Number Ones: Comics Coming in September 2019

New Number Ones: Comics Coming in September 2019

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome back to New Number Ones!!

Here, we give our readers a preview of the new comic book series that we are looking forward to each month. We have compiled an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from PREVIEWSworld. Look for our PCS NOTES below where we just have to tell you some more about the new comic in question.

There are a ton of new series of interest starting in September. We pared down the list that we are most interested in to just over twenty. Most of these are creator-owned new series which make them extra special. There is a good mix of both existing and new characters featured in these book. Below you will find a slate of new books from a wide variety of publishers. Some of our favorite comic book talents are bringing us some of these new series.

Watch out for the first week. There are about eight great new series hitting stores on September 4th.

We hope you will take a look and think about giving these a try. We will bring you reviews of most of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.

Continue reading “New Number Ones: Comics Coming in September 2019” →

Preview Reviews for the week of 8/28/2019: Doctor Mirage #1 and Mountainhead #1

Preview Reviews for the week of 8/28/2019: Doctor Mirage #1 and Mountainhead #1

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.  This is where we give advanced glimpses at some of the comics that will be coming out this Wednesday.

A reminder for you. Here at PopCultureSquad, we are decidedly Anti-Spoiler.  We feel that ruining someone’s experience with something for the sake of getting a scoop or clicks is the wrong thing to do. Therefore, we have decided to publish this column, as necessary, with mostly spoiler-free reviews of upcoming issues.  Hopefully, the information that we share with you will increase your excitement for these books.

This week we have TWO preview comics. The first is the debut of Doctor Mirage by Magdalene Visaggio and Nick Robles, published by Valiant Entertainment. The second book is the premiere issue of Mountainhead by John Lees and Ryan Lee from IDW. Both of these books have been eagerly anticipated and are featured in our New Number Ones column for August.

You can find Doctor Mirage and Mountainhead at your LCS on August 28, 2019.

Doctor Mirage #1
Valiant Entertainment
Written by Magdalene Visaggio
Art by Nick Robles
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover art by Philip Tan

Original Solicitation:

How do you solve the case of your own death? Paranormal expert Doctor Shan Fong Mirage was born with the ability to see and speak to the dead-an ability that has mysteriously stopped working. Have her powers failed or is something far more sinister at work? Will she figure out her fate and the fate of the one she loves the most? Valiant’s gripping supernatural mystery starts here!

PCS Review:

Valiant’s decision to bring back and refresh older characters in their control has been full of bright spots, and this is another one. Magdalene Visaggio delivers a head spinning narrative that explores the sense of self and purpose that the lead character possesses, and she introduces a new character that immediately commands your attention. The plot of this story unfolds into a supernatural mystery that begins the audience on a journey of recovery, or maybe we just think that.

This book is lovely. The combination of Nick Robles’ line art and Jordie Bellaire’s color work is a treat to behold. Bellaire’s colors create a pervasive feeling of the supernatural and chaos simultaneously. The creative panel layouts that Robles uses in this book add to the interesting read of this mysterious plot. Dave Sharpe’s work in this issue is some high level stuff. The letters are clean and the word art is organic and thoughtfully placed.

We will definitely be looking forward to the next issue of this limited series.

Mountainhead #1
IDW Entertainment
Written by John Lees
Art by Ryan Lee
Colors by Doug Garbark
Letters by Shawn Lee
Cover art by Lee

Original Solicitation:

Abraham Stubbs and his father Noah roam America in a nomadic existence. Convinced they are being pursued by sinister government forces, Noah has them living off the grid, burgling houses to survive. Elsewhere, on Mount Rector, the lone survivor of a climbing expedition staggers homeward, covered in blood. Both are on an inevitable collision course with the picturesque Canadian resort town of Braeriach. From writer John Lees and artist Ryan Lee, featuring colors from Doug Garbark and letters from Shawn Lee.

An exciting psychological thriller and horror story, all in one!

PCS Review:

The story that John Lees weaves in this initial issue to Mountainhead is compelling and heartbreaking. It would be safe to say that Abraham is the most easily sympathetic new character that I have read this year. Holy crap does that kid need a hug. Sorry. No more spoilers. This is an interesting story and the pace of the book leads the audience to the idea that there is lots more we will find out in the coming issues.

The art team really knocked it out of the park in this issue. There are stylistic choices made for the visual presentation of the story that really work well. The color work is outstanding and really does a lot of heavy lifting in setting the tone of each page. This book is a worthwhile read with an intriguing story that is just getting underway. Give it a shot.

New Number Ones: Comics Coming in August 2019

New Number Ones: Comics Coming in August 2019

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome back to New Number Ones!!

Here, we give our readers a preview of the new comic book series that we are looking forward to each month. We have compiled an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from PREVIEWSworld. Look for our PCS NOTES below where we just have to tell you some more about the new comic in question.

There are a ton of new series of interest starting in August. Most of these are creator-owned new series which make them extra special. DC is missing from this list but September appears to be a good month for them. In the meantime, we are presenting a slate of new books from a wide variety of publishers. Some of our favorite comic book talents are bringing us some of these new series.

We hope you will take a look and think about giving these a try. We will bring you reviews of most of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.

Continue reading “New Number Ones: Comics Coming in August 2019” →

Everything We Read This Week – 07/24/2019

Everything We Read This Week – 07/24/2019

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome back to Everything We Read This Week.  Sorry that we have been away for a couple of weeks. Lots of summer travel hit us hard this month. This is the place that we make our weekly trip through this week’s pull-list. It features mostly spoiler-free brief analysis and commentary of each book.

While we were gone, there were some fantastic comics we read. Make sure you go find some.  This week we were able to read some excellent comics by a variety of publishers. Some important series began and we have the reviews for you. Find the comics you like and remember, Read More Comics!!

We reviewed books from DC, Marvel, Image, IDW, Dark Horse, Valiant, and AfterShock Comics this week. As always, we hope you might find what we say interesting enough to try some of these comics. Don’t forget we welcome comments on these and any other comics that you read. Feel free to leave a comment and get the conversation moving.

Also, Don’t forget to check our hotlist of new books debuting this month over here. You will see books that we were looking forward to with the designation Hot #1 by them. There are a few of them out this week, and they are really good.

DISCLAIMER: 

There is a 4 star rating system. It is simple and not to be taken too seriously as everyone gets their own impressions of art. These ratings are just to give our readers an idea of what we thought of the book, and they will be on the generous side normally. So don’t expect to see a lot of 1 Stars. After all, it’s not often that you have a bad book on your pull-list.

The rating system is as follows:

Great

 Good

 OK

 Not Good

 

And here are the books we read in alphabetical order:

Continue reading “Everything We Read This Week – 07/24/2019” →