Posted in: Comics | Tagged: action comics, all new x-men, amazing spider-man, animal man, avengers, avenging spider-man, Comics, creator owned heroes, deadpool, detective comics, fashion beast, great pacific, hawkeye, hellboy, i love trouble, kevin keller, Minutemen, swamp thing, thunderbolts, ultimates

Twenty-One Thoughts About Twenty-One Comics – Detective Comics, Avengers, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Action Comics, Kevin Keller, Wake The F*ck Up, Deadpool, Amazing Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Hellboy, Daredevil End Of Days, Avenging Spider-Man, Ultimates, Thunderbolts, All New X-Men, Fashion Beast, I Love Trouble, Great Pacific, Minutemen And Creator Owned Heroes

There are more aspects that tie into Death Of The Family in some of the non-tie books that with today's die cut cover Detective Comics #15. At least on the surface. But this juxtaposition rather fits the themes in Snyder's book…

Jonathan Hickman gives us the stylistic illustrations for Avengers #1, a quite remarkable book. More on that later. And if nothing else, a whole host of symbols to figure out…

In Animal Man's trip to the future of Metropolis we get a John Constantine who's a little bit, well, heroic in a 1950s sort of ironic way. Hmm. Still prefer the John who would go down the pub and let the capes sort this kind of thing out. Or at least point them in the right directiuon and then hang back, popping by later to pick up the pieces.

While Swamp Thing's future trip to Gotham also finds a Batman… changed. If you don't like Synder's Batman in the main book? I wonder if you will like this one any more…

Action Comics gets its own trip to the future, or rather we see the future ahead, and the past, and the present, as Superman is attacked on all counts from the fifth dimension. One of the more remarkable issues of Action Comics to date.

George Takei visits Riverdale in Kevin Keller, by way of a local comic con. And yes everyone cosplays up for the event, despite Veronica not even getting the name of the Star Trek costume she wears correct. Quick someone! Set the internet on her!

Bill Jemas brings us Wake The F*ck Up, a comic book that parodies the Go The Fuck To Sleep book, by addressing the titked screed to teenagers. The book then runs all the pages again, but from the teenager's point of view, taking the stereotyped view to pieces and running it again with more complexity. It's not quite a comic book, it is an exercise in narrative and is rather successful, if let down by some problematic lettering and production choices. Which of course, are in lower case…

Deadpool has its own litle experiment in narrative, taking over the rols of the editor's box. Interestingly, I notice that in at least one comic today, the asterixed box refers to a previuous trade paperback collection rather than the individual issue. A taste of more to come?

There we go. Back to Amazing Spider-Man #600… Dr Octopus' tricks revealed.

Yeah, ugh, Hawkeye presses hope Marvel's anti-smoking policy.

I didn't know what to expect from Hellboy In Hell #1. But I definitely didn't expect a puppet theatre retelling of A Christmas Carol, with Marley's spectacles calling back to Hellboy's shaven horns.

And while Daredevil: End Of Days gives us Janson and Sienkiewicz, we also get, for a fleeting moment of meeting with Echo, a touch of the David Mack. And it takes me straight back to those issues. Very effective.

Devil's Dinosaur meets his match in Avenging Spider-Man – and we may get yet anothr look for Spider-Man by the book's epilogue. Say, this didn't just solve who is under the suit in Superior Spider-Man #1, did it?

The Ultimates shows that even if you are carrying the bodies of people you have just saved from certain death, the liberal lamestream media just won't give you a break when you're President.

Picture the scene. "Steve, just got the pencils for Elektra's appearance in Thunderbolts #1." "And?" "Her breasts just aren't big enough" "But I made them double-D" "I know, sorry, look just move that pencil line a centimetre or so down" "But she can't walk like that" "She can, she's a ninja" "Oh, okay. On their way."

Cyclops goes back to basics as his powers wig out in All New X-Men. It turns out that being posessed by the Phoenix Force can have side effects such as cramps, depression, ankle swelling and mutant powers going all unpredictable. Consult your family doctor.

Fashion Beast really betrays its cinematic origins this month, the moment to moment storytelling rather than faster scene changes, decompression and widescreening in full effect. Yet it gives us the kind of grotesques that only comics can really get away with.

I Love Trouble is totally jonesing for a Hawkeye Initiative treatment, all over the place.

The Great Pacific feels like a true classic in the making, its high concept battering down all objections, as it moves further into Robinson Crusoe territory with a new, an unfamiliar population to this floating landmass of rubbish.

Smiley faces all over the place in Comedian, as we even get the smiley faced LSD tabs in Vietnam. And now inspired by the Comedian. Time to enter the Heart Of Darkness, folks…

Minutemen takes the characters through their biggest test and their greatest threat. And, well, um… yeah people might not exactly like the way the Hooded JUstice is portrayed here. More on that later.

But it's not the only Darwyn Cooke book out today, as he contributed a rather brilliant strip that gives us a literary version of The Ring. It's one of a number of classics, backed into a thick glossy Creator Owned Heroes #7 that belongs on anyone's shelf. Ties with Avengers #1 for comic of the week. Or Action Comics. Or Great Pacific. Or…

Comics courtesy of Orbital Comics, London.

Launching on Thursday Dec 6th 2012 the 'Torchsongs and Fire Hoses' issue of The Illustrated Ape magazine at Orbital Comics sponsored with an exhibition of artwork from the issue running from December 6 to January 6.

This 200 copy limited edition publication comes in a 'Take Away Gallery' bag with a 50 page comics section, CD & special Monkey Shoulder gift.

Contributing artists include: Mina Milk, Debbie Griffin , Marko Matysik. Anthony Ausgang, Matt Valentine, Molly Crabapple , Billy Chainsaw , Henry Hate , Jason Atomic, Jack Mclean , Carl Stimpson , Scott Jason Smith, Dwam Ipomee, Paul Ashley Brown, Trina Dalziel, RiotQueer, Nigel Burch, Jacob Stead, Sina Sparrow, Jessica Kemp, Beibei Nie, Bern Campbell, Madoka Nagata and Zak Smith.

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