Bowen Statues & Busts for Summer 2009

Bowen Designs put a number of new statues and busts on their website. Statues are of Terrax and Destroyer, while the busts include Ronan the Accuser, Super Adaptoid, Titanium Man, and Hydra Men (collection of 3) - are all green.

Take a quick look. Out of the collection, I would put Ronan and Terrax at the top of the lists.

TM & © 2008 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Copyrighted Bowen Design Statues & Busts.

Warren Ellis' FreakAngels

You may have noticed the FreakAngels widget in the sidebar. FreakAngels is a weekly six page webcomic written by Warren Ellis, art by Paul Duffield, and sponsored/published by Avatar Press. There will be a collected edition out in November 2008 available in both Hard Cover and Paperback version.

This series is Warren Ellis' vision of what if the Midwich Cuckoos (from the John Wyndham novel) lived to be in their twenties? They live in a flooded London after a crisis they appear to have caused and protect a small group of survivors in the Whitechapel district.

The first volume is the story of what happens when Alice, a survivor from Manchester, is sent to kill Connor of the FreakAngels by Mark, a FreakAngel that had been kicked out of Whitechapel. The FreakAngels take Alice in after she fails to kill Connor and give her a place in their community and a job to do.

The dialogue is some of the best Ellis has ever written. Each character has such a distinct voice, you can almost identify the characters as much by their dialogue as you can from the artwork.

The artwork is some of the cleanest I've seen in a webcomic or even in most independent print comics. Paul Duffield is yet another great artist to be paired up with Warren Ellis. He brings a manga flavor to the artwork and just enough grit and grime to show what conditions the characters are living in. All of that, plus the guy is producing six pages of finished and colored artwork every week, with the occasional break week. Impressive!

Pros: Cost, it's free if you read it on the web. Written by Warren Ellis. Gorgeous art. Good science fiction comic.

Cons: The biggest (and only) complaint I have is the interface. Don't get me wrong, it works pretty well. It's probably one of the best interfaces I've seen for that matter. The load time is pretty quick.

Final Call: Hot Buy



Also, Paul Duffield will be signing the collected editions at Wizard World Texas where they will premiere.

New episodes are available here each Friday. Hey, look, it's Friday. I guess I better go read FreakAngels.

Comics are getting more expensive again

Marvel is raising the price of a single issue from $2.99 to $3.99. And when Marvel raises prices, DC is never far behind.

What does this mean? Cancellations for one thing. Sales figures will drop on most titles, causing many borderline titles to get the axe.

Who should replace David Tennant as the Doctor?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7699513.stm

Interesting choices for the most part, my picks from their list would be Paterson Joseph or Sean Pertwee. I may be wrong, but I don't think James McAvoy would stick around very long.

I'm a big James Nesbitt fan (Murphy's Law, Jekyll), but I can't really see him as the Doctor. The Master, maybe.

I was actually hoping we'd get two more seasons from David Tennant after the four specials next year. Such is life.

Who would you pick to replace David Tennant as the Doctor?

You can say "No" to buying some statues.

Take this one for example. I don't even want to write about it, but I do want to say, "No!" I would not even pick this one up on clearance. I am just frustrated that I see it all the time.

If you haven't guessed by now, I do not like this statue. If someone wants to try and convince me why I should like it, go ahead. Otherwise, when you are looking to buy a statue, this one is a definitive, "NO." Buy a toy instead or buy a decent graphic novel like the "Umbrella Academy" and enjoy some money well spent.

Amazon TV Deals

For a limited time, Amazon has seasons from a few shows including Heroes, House, and Battlestar Galactica for $5.00 from their video on demand. You can either watch them on the web or download them. They are WMV files and they do have DRM, but for $5...who's gonna cry?


TV Shows for $5

Update: I want to mention you can download Amazon On Demand videos and TV shows to your Tivo too. The con for me with the Amazon downloads is you can't play them on an iPod.

Hellboy by Mike Mignola and Friends

OK, for those of you out there who have never read Hellboy, now's the time. The first thing to realize is the movie is not the comic. They are different visions of the same concept.

This is not going to be so much a review, but an opinion piece on where to start and how to read the Hellboy series.

Hellboy:
Where to start? You have three options. You can go out and track down the single issues. You can either purchase the trades. Or you can buy the new Library Edition Hardcovers. If you are going to buy the trades Amazon even has a collection of the first seven trades for one price or you can buy the individual trades. I'll provide links below.

If you are going the trade paperback route, I'd recommend reading at least the first three trades before deciding whether you like the series or not. The next leap would be through the fifth trade. If you're still not hooked? You should probably try some of the BPRD trades below.

The Library Editions collect two trades each and are in a larger, although not quite Absolute sized, page size and have more extras than the trades.

The Library Editions:


The Trades:


Or you can buy the first seven trades at once for a bit of a savings at the time this is being written:


BPRD:
The BPRD is a series about the Bureau for Paranormal Research & Defense, mostly after Hellboy left the group in the Conqueror Worm (TPB 5). The first two trades were collections of mini series and one shots that were published with a variety of creators attached.

Starting with Volume 3, BPRD is an ongoing series of mini series with occasional breaks, co written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi with art by the fabulously talented Guy Davis.

Volume 9 is the beginning of a series of mini series focusing on the BPRD, and specifically Professor Bruttenholm, in the time following the discovery of Hellboy in 1945, up until the time Hellboy joined the BPRD as an agent. This series within a series gives us a peek at who Professor Bruttenholm really since he died early in the first Hellboy mini series.

Finally, we have the Abe Sapien trade that is about Abe Sapien's first solo mission as a member of the BPRD. I've included this here because it is a book about the BPRD that doesn't focus on Hellboy and it seems the most appropriate place at this time. Also, BPRD is on a kinda sorta monthly schedule with brief hiatus months in between.



Additional reading:
There are also a few additional one shot trades/books available. First up, the Art of Hellboy. Buy this. If you like Mike Mignola's art or Hellboy this is a must have. Also released in a hard cover edition. Very nice. Beautiful art. Unseen covers and concepts. Beautiful. Must have.

The Hellboy Companion is a fairly comprehensive guide to Hellboy and the HB Universe. It has encyclopedic articles on various characters in the HB Universe, some we have only seen a glimpse of and some we are very familiar with. Several pin ups by Mike Mignola and each entry reads like a short story. There are only a couple of factual errors (Kate's birthdate is given as two different years) and I want to say it was originally solicited as a color book (it's black & white), but otherwise, it's a great book to have/read.

Lobster Johnson is a vigilante from the HB Universe. He appears in several Hellboy and BPRD stories. However this is his first solo mini series. He's very much in the milleu of Doc Savage, The Shadow, and The Spider. He and his band of merry men fight a character who is familiar if you are reading BPRD, but you needn't read the BPRD story to appreciate this story.



If you've read all of these and are hungering for more, there is the series titled Hellboy: Weird Tales. This is a two trade series of non canon Hellboy/BPRD stories by other writers and artists. There is even a Lobster Johnson story with art by John Cassaday and a Liz Sherman story with art by Jason Pearson. Unfortunately I couldn't find a link to the first trade on Amazon, but here's a link to the second trade.



I'll do a piece later on the series of novels, the three short story collections, and the animated movies.

Finally, there are the Hellboy: Art of the Movie books. If you are a fan of the movies, these are great books. If you are in it just for the comics, these are not essential. There is a little Mike Mignola art in the first book and even less in the second.


When all else fails there is a friendly and active community over at the Hellboy boards on CBR.

Wrapup: Honestly? I still love Hellboy and the supporting titles. I can't say I enjoy it as much as I did before it became a franchise. If you read nothing but the first five trades, you've had a wonderful experience. If you read the rest, it's just gravy. I miss the almost improv feeling of the first couple of trades. The later stories feel over thought some times as Mike has realized he eventually has to explain the stuff he throws in each issue. Still overall, I think Hellboy & BPRD are series you should try and continue to be at the top of my list of books I make sure I get each time they are released.

Noooooo!!!!!!!!

David Tennant announces he's leaving Doctor Who at the end of the 2009 Season.

Manhunter by Marc Andreyko

Manhunter is about the latest in the long line of costumed adventurers to go by that name. The name Manhunter dates back to the 40's when there were two, count 'em, two characters running around by that name; Dan Simmons and his dog Thor, published by Quality Comics and Paul Kirk, a big game hunter turned costumed vigilante, introduced by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

There was a Manhunter introduced in the 70's, written by the late great Archie Goodwin and drawn by Walt Simonson, which was a reimagining of the Paul Kirk version from the 40's and presented primarily in 8 page backups in Detective Comics. This is my favorite version of the character.

Then there were the android precursors of the Green Lantern Corps created by the Guardians of the Universe.

DC connected the android Manhunters to the others by making the previous heroes known as Manhunter sleeper agents of the android Manhunters in the 80's.

Coming out of the Millennium mini series, a new Manhunter was introduced, Mark Shaw.

In the 90's, following the Zero Hour event, one of the new books that was launched was another Manhunter series starring another Manhunter, Chase Lawler.

In the Power Company series written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Tom Grummett, featured as a main member (or partner)on the team a Manhunter, who was the last living clone of Paul Kirk, named Kirk DePaul.

Now, Marc Andreyko has introduced his version of a new Manhunter, LA based federal prosecutor, Kate Spencer.

Like Spider-Girl, Manhunter is the title that won't die. I think it has to get cancelled every few months so it can pick up new readers when it is relaunched.

I've resisted picking up this series for one reason or 20. Recently, Marc Andreyko was on the Wordballoon podcast and John Siuntres, who is honest but glowing whenever interviewing subjects, really raved about this series. So I decided to try it. I recently bought the first four trades of Manhunter and I have to say this latest version of Manhunter is really good and I like it. The "but" is, I don't know that I love this book. I don't need to buy it either in singles or in trade. In fact, if I knew someone else reading this and could borrow it from them I would. Or if I knew someone else who would like to read it, I'd loan/give them my trades and borrow the rest from them if they decide to like it.

And of course as I'm typing this I get the news that Manhunter's final issue (again) will be #38. So if it really is cancelled, I'll probably buy the rest of the trades to finish the story. If it's not, I have the fifth GN in my shopping cart at Amazon.com, but I haven't made a decision yet.

The first four trades are out now, and the fifth is due April 2009.


Forthcoming:


As for the cancellation notice, for those who need their Kate Spencer fix, she is in the ongoing Birds of Prey series featuring female heroes from the DC Universe including, Oracle (formerly Batgirl), Black Canary, the Cassandra Cain Batgirl, Power Girl, and Huntress. I think that book is currently being written by Gail Simone and it should be a good fit for this version of Manhunter. Also, I read that they would be releasing a Manhunter featuring the Paul Kirk version in some fashion.

Me, I'm giving it a C. I can really see where someone would really enjoy the series, but it just didn't hook me.

Rating: C

Hellboy 2 3-Disc Set

Amazon.com has the Hellboy II 3-Disc Set for the same price as the standard edition. I don't know how long this will last so hurry now.

UNI-FORMZ™ Batman

Manufacturer: DC Direct
Designed & Sculpted by: Monster 5
Dimensions: Over 8" tall
Articulation: 12 Points
Edition Size: Limited Unknown
Release Date: June 2009
Retail Prices:
Batman Modern: $34.99
Batman "Armored Variant": $99.99
Batman "Classic Variant": $99.99
Case of Three: $99.99
Case of Six: $189.99

While I tend to prefer spending my money on statues, I have had a tendency to collect some toys from time-to-time, and this series looks fun, sleek, and "contemporary". As I am not as up-to-date on the toy lines as I should be, I will be doing some additional research into the "UNI-FORMZ" design and the designer/sculptor Monster 5.

For now, I thought that I would share a few pics, let you know that they are out there, and decide if a toy for you wanted a toy like statue for your collection.

This one is cataloged under the Statues & Busts sections of the Wizard Universe, however, it has some articulation points. I like the idea that it does have these points of articulation that would allow me to manipulate it into different poses. Usually, when I want something different from my statues, I have to move them around the room.

Tell me what you think. And then tell me anything that you have heard of or know of about UNI-FORMZ and/or Monster 5.

UPDATE: This is the first in an ongoing series of DC Direct Statues. If that is true, than it would be fun to have my own DC Universe made up of these characters. The decision would then be - do I just grab the $39.99 version or try to collect all three.

Bowen Designs’ Mark Newman

As my collection of statues continues to grow, I started to notice a trend toward natural sculptures depicting the characters in a natural position or movement. I constantly fine myself initially drawn to statues that almost seem to flow or are “art nouveau” in style.

One such sculptor that has provided some incredibly fluid statues is Bowen Designs’ Mark Newman. When he focuses on these fluid designs, I find them incredibly hard to pass up. From the Scorpion, to a series of Daredevil busts, to probably one of the best female statues I have seen – Medusa.

I know, I know. Medusa has not been released yet, but the flow and use of her hair definitely puts this statue on my order list. I was even pleasantly surprised to see the softness of her character portrayed within the design of her face.

While not all of his statues have followed this format (e.g. Powerman, She-Hulk) and he is not the only one to provide such designs, I know that future statues by him – following this design – are definitely going to at least catch my attention.

So, my recommendations for of Mark Newman are:

• Buys include spring 2009 Jean Grey or Medusa (shown here)
• Personal Choice on the other Jean Grey’s (Marvel Girl & Black Queen)
• Pass on the January 2009 Storm. Both the cloud’s and her face are a turnoff to me. I preferred his earlier rendition of Storm from March 2002 – though I am glad to see he passed on the Lightning Bolts this time.

Keep an eye on Mark Newman’s work, as I think he still has some great work in store for us.

TM & © 2008 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Copyrighted Bowen Design Statues & Busts.

Pick 3 Graphic Novels/Trade Paperbacks For This Week

Pick 3 Graphic Novels/Trade Paperbacks For This Week

This is the part where I pick 3 graphic novels/trade paperbacks and give them a grade. You'll probably mostly see B's and C's because I don't normally read books I don't like and I don't really think there are that many out there that you gotta own/read. I'm going to ignore the obvious ones, Watchmen and Dark Knight, although I will probably eventually get around to the sequel to Dark Knight and maybe the Absolute Edition. Also, since I'm randomly selecting these books for review, I'm probably picking books I have at hand, so mostly new books and there are probably more of the ones I like lying around.

In no particular order:

1. All-Star Superman Volumes 1 & 2 - A+ - Why? Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Almost anything by these two is a must buy.

This series particularly is a look back on the Pre Crisis Superman taking what worked, and taking what didn't work and making it work. Grant Morrison also pulls in elements from the DC 1,000,000 event in the late 90's. It's Grant Morrison, so there are a million ideas on each page. He doesn't hold back. Frank Quitely does storytelling like nobody's business and he does it with such detail that it makes you squirm. I am always reminded of one page from Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot by Geoff Darrow or even Shaolin Cowboy, when I see the detail in a Quitely page and that's no small comparison.

I'd actually read Superman every month if this was what it was like. Most of the issues can be read as a stand alone. However, the whole series tells an overall story. So the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You can read it as a "done in one" or as an overall arc.

Volume one is out in paperback now and the hardback for volume two will be available in February.



2. Impossible Territories by Jess Nevins - B - OK, this one is not a comic book (I'm already violating the rules), but a book about a comic book. Impossible Territories is the annotations of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Black Dossier, available in an Absolute Edition and the paperback will be available in November.

Some of this material was posted previously at one of Jess Nevins' many sites. Jess is a research librarian in Texas who takes great delight in torturing himself. He goes through comics like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and finds many if not all of the obscure references with the help of many of his internet friends and organizes them in a format that we as laypersons can understand. With the LoEG material, he also has the advantage of being able to verify references with series artist, Kevin O'Neill and even some with Alan Moore himself.

I think part of the reason Alan Moore enjoys the League material as much as he does is the prospect of stumping Jess Nevins and friends. He also enjoys when Jess finds references that he and Kevin O'Neill weren't aware. So it is a reference book, which makes it a geek item for sure, but if you enjoy the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books and are curious where these characters and settings come from, Jess' series of League Reference books are a must have. If you're not, then it is still an interesting read.



Also available are guides to the previous LoEG series:


3. Compleat John Byrne's Next Men - C - John Byrne is a name that brings about many feelings amongst comic book fans. He and Rob Liefeld are the only topics I can remember being banned from one Avengers related fan group I belong to. He runs a board where he says things that enrage many people and has apparently burned many bridges with people within the industry. However, in my opinion he is one of the best artists in the business. He is one of the few who can consistently produce two books a month of great quality.

This review is about the Compleat collections of his creator owned series John Byrne's Next Men published by IDW. The original series, published by Dark Horse Comics, was release in the early 90's during the Image/Valiant boom and was about six teens who lived in a virtual reality world and wake up to find the real world nothing like the world they came from (years before the Matrix). The Compleat Next Men are black and white collections of the original series including the prequel, 2112, graphic novel, and also the Mark IV backup features. While they are interesting and good books, I think Byrne's writing is almost a little too hard science fiction for comic books some times and that shows here. The series ended a bit too rapidly. It reads like he still had six more issues of story to tell. Plus, I'd rather see this series collected in color.

If John Byrne was to revive this property today, I'd be there. Volume 1 is out now and Volume 2 will be out in November 2008.



Addendum: One series by John Byrne I'd like to see collected that hasn't been is the X-Men: The Hidden Years by Marvel Comics. It takes place after the original X-Men series had become a reprint book and before Giant Size X-Men # 1, running for 22 issues. That would be a book on my Hot Buys list.

Update: 10:35 Robert - I just found this. It's a hard cover collection of issues 0-10 of John Byrne's Next Men to be released by IDW in March 2009 according to Amazon.com.



Also, I forgot to mention Hellboy made an early appearance in JBNM 21.

Black Lightning Year One

In the DC solicitations for January 2009, they have listed the two issue mini series Black Lightning: Year One.

So what? Well, it's written by the phenomenal Jen Van Meter and drawn by the one and only Cully Hamner of Gaijin Studios.

Jen Van Meter has written many of DC Comics' characters from the Outsiders to the JSA. She also has her Hopeless Savages series from Oni Press.

I'd love to see more of Cully's artwork. He seems to have a 6 issue per year threshold.

Black Lightning, while being one of those 70s black characters who had to have the word black in their names (Black Vulcan, Black Goliath, Black Panther, etc.). He has transcended that status to become a mainstay of the DC Universe. He's been a member of teams from the Outsiders to the JLA. I'm tentatively making this a HOT BUY, but just know I'm buying both issues in January.

For more info I'm going to refer you to: this article on CBR.

Bowen Hot Buys by the Kucharek Brothers

Bowen has some great statues coming out next year, and two of them are the Nova and Bullseye statues. Both statues were sculpted by The Kucharek brothers, who have regularly caught my eye with their consistent attention to detail and characterization.

Nova
Manufacturer: Bowen Designs
Sculpted by: Kucharek Brothers
Dimensions: Over 12" tall
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: Spring 2009
Retail Price: $170.00

Points in Favor:
Classic Nova costume
Sculpted by the Kucharek Brothers
The pose is something that I could see the Nova character doing

Bullseye
Manufacturer: Bowen Designs
Sculpted by: Kucharek Brothers
Dimensions: Over 12" tall
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: Spring 2009
Retail Price: $170.00

Points in Favor:
Interchangeable hand with playing card and sai
Sculpted by the Kucharek Brothers
Smile on the face portrays Bullseye's arrogance

Point Against:
Two good statues at once - which really isn't a point against, and actually, there is a third Kucharek Brother's sculpture available, which would also be a good buy. Stealth Iron Man.

How do they keep doing it? I don't know, but I promise you this: the next sculpture of theirs - that I don't like - I will gladly share with you.

Personal Choice: HOT BUYS - if you are only going to get one, choose the character that you like the most. My preference would probably be Nova.

Whichever one you pickup, I am quite certain that I will be jealous, as you have it, and I won't.

Next up: Sculpture Mark Newman

Comics and Geeks Paraphernalia

It's Saturday morning, and I am already enjoying the day.

I have always found it awesome to attend a convention and see things that I normally don't get to see on a regular basis. A lot of it is simple comics and geeks' paraphernalia. With that said, I am constantly searching the net for wide variety of stuff that I really don't need.

With all of that said, I have attempted to create a search that focuses only on those sites that I have identified as comics related. You can see it in the right hand column, and I hope that it helps you find what you are looking for. However, if you do a search and do not see a site appear within the search that you think should be there, please drop me a line, and I will gladly add it into the search.

Update: As of late, I have been searching for a Batman Hoodie Shirt, that pulls over with the ears and mask. Believe it or not - I found it and several others. I love the idea; however, I am not quite certain how "fashion forward" I would be (or if I would even be fashion forward.) Your thoughts?

They also have the Flash, and I think that it would be cool to even have some Marvel characters.

Batman Titanium Bracelet Med

While I am not that big of a fan of wearing jewelry, watches, or even rings, this bracelet really caught my eye. It is one of the few pieces of superhero jewelry that I saw that did not look cheap, kiddish, or just plain geeky.

As for cheap, it is not. You had better be prepared to give up several comics, a statue or even some of your graphic novels, as this bracelet runs $125.00; however, in my opinion, it would be money well spent. It is something that you could wear to work, dinner, or any other formal event.

The only negative that I have about the bracelet is with Skymiles. I ordered the bracelet and waited - and waited - and waited. Eventually, I was sent a letter offering to cancel or continue to wait.

Guess what - I waited some more; however, with the next notification telling me that it would still take some time, I gave up and opted for a statue.

I still would not mind having this as part of my collection, and if you are patient and wanting some high-end geek fashion that the spouse can't really say anything about, I would recommend ordering the bracelet, sitting back, and start waiting.

Hal Jordan: Green Lantern Bust

Manufacturer: DC Comics
Product Type: Porcelain Bust
Designed by: Carlos Pacheco
Dimensions: 5.76" tall
Edition Size: Unknown
Release Date: April 2009
Retail Price: $65.00

This Green Lantern bust, is the first in an "ongoing" Heroes of the DC Universe bust series, which is supposed to compliment the "Women of the DC Universe" bust series. While there were a few "Women of the DC Universe" that I considered collecting, the only reason that I considered collecting them was to increase the number of DC characters within my collection (which does not make sense, as I try to collect the ones that I like - not the ones that I necessarily need.)

Anyway, I was glad to see that DC was providing a number of different characters within both the Women of the DC Universe bust series and Ami-Comi series. I hope that they continue to provide such a wide diversity of characters and designs for characters other than Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

So, with that said, this statue actually looks like it could be a decent addition and/or beginning of a larger collection.
Points in Favor

• First in the new ongoing DC Universe series
• Non-traditional (but tradition Green Lantern) design
• Green Lantern makes for a good bust character to start with other than Superman or Batman

Points Against

• Lacking the detail in some of the better busts that I have collected
• Uncertain of the production size, as DC tends to distribute and/or redistribute to meet consumer demands

Overall, none of the DC line of busts have driven me to an immediate purchase or a purchase over another bust and/or statue that is currently available.

Personal Choice: This one is up to the collector. - Neutral

Queen & Country

Queen & Country Series

Queen & Country is a comic book/novel series written by Greg Rucka. The comics are published by Oni Press and the Novels are published by Bantam.

Queen & Country focuses on Tara Chace as a Minder. The Minders are a three person team within MI-6 and are sent into situations Her Majesty's Government can't be openly involved in (like assassinations) and have a very high casualty rate. Queen & Country is definitely more in the vein of LeCarre than James Bond.

Unfortunately I discovered this series late. I discovered Greg Rucka's writing during a period of Batman I didn't enjoy. So, I didn't go out looking for other works by him. I did however discover discover the first Queen & Country novel in a Wal-Mart in the summer of 2005. I bought it for $4.97 and took it home. After reading the first 50 pages, I realized I could enjoy it without reading the graphic novels/comics, but I'd probably enjoy it much more if I had the backstory. I checked the comic book stores in Gainesville and they didn't carry any of the trades, so I went on Amazon.com and they had them. I bought the first three and was hooked immediately. By the time I was halfway through the second trade, I was back on Amazon ordering the rest of the trades and Whiteout plus the first three Atticus Kodiak novels the following week.

This led to me buying the Sandbaggers DVDs. Sandbaggers was a British tv show written by Ian Mackintosh, who may or may not have been an actual spy. While the DVDs are expensive, they're worth every penny. I watched them all over the period of a week. I've watched them three time since.

There is another novel due out next summer, and then Volume 2 of Queen & Country is scheduled to start again late 2010. In the meantime, Stumptown, Greg Rucka's love letter to The Rockford Files, should begin soon. I can't find the planned start date online anywhere at the time of this posting. The first three Definitive Edition collections are out and the fourth is scheduled for February 2009. You can grab the Definitive Editions of the first two Whiteout series and a third series should be out in time for the film, starring Kate Beckinsale. Finally, the next Atticus Kodiak novel should be out summer 2009. Plenty of good stuff coming out from Greg Rucka.

Where to Start:
Queen & Country: The Definitive Edition, Vol. 1
Queen & Country: The Definitive Edition, Vol. 2
Queen & Country: The Definitive Edition, Vol. 3
Queen & Country The Definitive Edition, Vol. 4

Queen & Country: A Gentleman's Game Novel
Queen & Country: Private Wars Novel


Whiteout Volume 1: The Definitive Edition
Whiteout Volume 2: Melt - The Definitive Edition


The Sandbaggers Collection Set 1
The Sandbaggers Collection Set 2
The Sandbaggers Collection Set 3

Definitely a Hot Buy.

Update 10/14 1:34 pm:
I just received my copy of Q&C Definitive Edition 3 and it includes the Q&C Scriptbook. That said, I'm still not sure what order I'd read these in. Probably the first two Definitive Editions, the first novel, Gentleman's Game, the third Definitive Edition, then the second novel, Private Wars. The fourth Definitive Edition can be read at any time as they are flashbacks of characters before they joined this series. I think my favorite of the stories that will be in volume 4 is the Nicky Poole story.

Ame-Comi Wonder Woman (& Others)

Manufacturer: Ame-Comi
Product Type: Vinyl Statue
Designed by: Udon Studios
Dimensions: 9" tall
Edition Size: TBD
Release Date:
Retail Price: $59.99
Grab it For: $29.99

Background to why I picked the Ame-Comi series:
I did not notice this series until my niece went into great detail about the Anime style, faces, eyes, hair, and so forth - and yes, I have been addicted to Anime series. Anyway - as I am an avid collector, I wanted to get something that bridged the gap between the two of us. When I originally saw the pictures and statues, I liked them but was uncertain.

Now, after having seen three of them and passing them on to my niece, I must admit that I like the series. The casting, colors, and "anime" version make for some really awesome characters. I was lucky enough to grab her Supergirl and Cheetah, while I gave her mom Wonder Woman.

For this review, I am talking about all of the statues in general; however, one of my favorites in this collection is the Wonder Woman statue.

Points in Favor

• Great collection for the younger geeks, female geeks, and/or anime geeks.
• Great designs and colors.
• They have some great shoes. (Okay - this last point came from my niece. When I showed her the series of statues, she included the shoes in determining if she liked the outfits or not. Go figure on this point.)
• Wizard Universe is having some great sales on a number of these.

Points Against

• Some of the outfits have a little to be desired in the way of maintaining the character they represent.
• Also - again - not all of the shoes are that great.
• Figuring out how to get Wonder Woman's sword in her hand or Supergirl hooked to base without driving self crazy.

Personal Choice: Some are on CLEARANCE, so why not grab a few.

Top 5 Kotobukiya Advanced Orders To Consider

If you are thinking of purchasing a statue and like Kotobukiya's style, here are the top 5 Hot Buy statues or busts that you should consider:

5. Marvel Studios Presents: Iron Man Movie Fine Art Bust Kotobukiya
One of the better affordable movie busts variants that I have seen. Spend your money here - before you do on some of the other movie paraphernalia.

4. Marvel Collection: Colossus Fine Art Bust Kotobukiya Limited Edition
Definitely a nice Colossus to have, if you don't have one in your collection already.

3. Marvel Collection: Nightcrawler Fine Art Bust Kotobukiya Limited Edition
This one is for Robert.

2. Supergirl Vinyl Statue Kotobukiya
Only because she is being manufactured again; however, as a parent, you might have to keep this out of your teenage son's room. Got one for Robert, and I think that he likes it.

1. Batman Vinyl Statue Kotobukiya
Awesome design - especially with how the cape holds him up. Coloring could be subjective.

Hellboy Moloch Preview

Hellboy: Moloch Preview here.

First Hellboy story drawn by Mike Mignola in a while.

What comics are your Hot Buys each month?

What comics are those you anxiously await each month? I mean the ones you're just sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for them to arrive each month.

Mine are:

Immortal Iron Fist - Especially the Matt Fraction/Ed Brubaker/David Aja period, but Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman are good too. The only thing I don't like in the current run is the billionaire guilt trip that Danny's going through. I think he could put his money to better use by helping people than giving it all away. I'm glad they're putting Danny & Luke Cage back together as a team. To me they're the Spenser & Hawk of comic books. But sorta in reverse. (One continuity question I have is how did he get his company back? I thought Namor had bought it as part of his Oracle, Inc.)

Umbrella Academy - See my write up from earlier this week. It's the Royal Tenenbaums, Amazing Screw-On Head, and Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol rolled up into one and is drawn by Gabrial Ba, one of the best artists currently in the business.

Hellboy & BPRD - Mike Mignola, Guy Davis, Duncan Fegredo, John Arcudi, and more. Guy Davis is another of the best talents out there right now. Duncan's art is amazing. I had my doubts about him on Hellboy, but he's awesome. The only thing I miss are the old style Hellboy stories. To me Mignola used to do like Grant Morrison and throw everything out there and see what worked and build on that. Now he is too busy cleaning up the mess he made earlier on and not just having fun throwing things out there that Hellboy is a Brand.

Criminal - Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips on a crime book that rivals some of the best crime movies ever made. Nuff Said!

Ex Machina - Tony Harris and Brian Vaughn have created a very interesting world of politics and super-heroics in one. Not a combination I would normally think of, but they've made it one of the best comics series around. Plus Mitchell Hundred has one of the few super powers I think I'd actually like, but they even show the reasons why I might not like it as much as I think I would.

Planetary - It's probably the longest running 27 issue series of all time. Warren Ellis and John Cassaday have created a commentary on pulp fiction of the 20th century from comics to pulp magazines to movies. I don't think I will live that long, but I could entertain another 12 issues. Hopefully we'll see the 27th issue (the final issue) early 2009. John Cassaday is about half way through issue 27 according to Warren Ellis' e-mail list, Bad Signal. Issue 27 is supposed to be the epilogue. There are few comics I'd like to see as a movie or really good TV series, but Planetary is at the top of the list. I'd probably whine a lot if they screwed it up. Have you seen the Global Frequency pilot they made? Sweet!

Lone Ranger - Sweet! And the John Cassaday covers are just the gravy on the cake...you know what I mean. It's one of those rare comics than my father-in-law and I agree on. He likes it for the nostalgic reasons. I like it because, in my opinion, they've successfully updated a classic and made it believable/likable for a modern aesthetic and haven't lost the integrity of the source material.

Astonishing X-Men - Warren Ellis has taken this title to new heights. I know it's only two issues in. I generally don't enjoy Warren's Marvel work as much as his Wildstorm work and a lot of his other work is pretty hit or miss with me. I actually amazes me what of his stuff I like (Scars anyone?). He's made the X-Men interesting again. For me Joss Whedon and Grant Morrison were trying to tell new stories while also telling stories that were at least partially tributes to prior X-Men stories. Warren Ellis, on the other hand, has taken them and made them work again on their own in new stories.

Trades I anxiously await when they come out:

Y the Last Man - To me, this series was much easier to read in trade form. As soon as I'd get one, I'd speed read it cover to cover. Then I'd read it again at normal speed to see what I missed. The whole idea of being the "Last Man on Earth" if he was a total geek. It's also interesting to see a theoretical world completely run and populated by women.

100 Bullets - I discovered that I liked this series way late in the game. I picked up the first 10 trades in two weeks two at a time. As soon as I'd pick up the second one to read each time, I'd be exciting I would have to jump onto Amazon.com and order the next two. Just like a junkie looking for his next fix. Now that I'm having to wait on its normal publishing schedule I have to reread all of the trades at least every six weeks. Eduardo Risso and Brian Azzarello doing another great crime book that is also one of the great conspiracy theory books of all time.

Queen & Country - The best darned spy story ever (In my opinion). Queen & Country is Greg Rucka's love letter to the UK TV Show the Sandbaggers from the 70s and is another series I discovered late. I wasn't a huge Greg Rucka fan until I discovered Queen & Country. Actually I discovered the first novel first, then 50 pages into the first novel, I set it aside and ordered all of the available trades at the time and read them cover-to-cover twice. Then I finished the novel and bought the next one when it came out. It's funny though, I don't really know what order to put the novels and the last trade on my shelf. The last TPB, Red Panda, and the last novel overlap. I even bought all three seasons of the Sandbaggers DVDs for $50 each and watched them twice. I wish they had made more. He's supposed to do another novel next year to fill the gap and then pick up act two the following year. The existing issues are being republished in novel sized omnibus style editions called Definitive Editions. If you like Q & C, you should also read the two Whiteout trades (soon to be a major motion picture starring Kate Beckinsale). Tara Chace, star of Q & C, also has a guest appearance (almost a cameo) in Whiteout.

Daredevil - Ed Brubaker on a crime book, Nuff Said! It's probably the most I've enjoyed Daredevil in a long time. There was no one better to follow up Bendis on DD.

Captain America - OK, I'm one of those who doesn't like that Bucky is alive still, but he did make it believable (in a Marvel Universe sort of way). I also am still trusting Ed Brubaker to not screw it up. Meanwhile he's telling interesting stories in the Marvel Universe in a book whose title character is dead.

Usagi Yojimbo - Stan Sakai's story that originally started out as a tribute to Miyomoto Musashi. It's an epic tale of a ronin living during the Edo period in Japan. Very cool! He's the quintessential good guy. Think David Carradine in Kung Fu, Zatoichi, most Kurosawa films, and/or Lone Wolf and Cub.

Zombie Statue by Bowen

Bowen Designs and Marvel Comics Presents

Retail Price: $100
Release Date: January 2009
Dimensions: 13" Tall
Sculpter: Randy Bowen

OK, first of all, a Bowen Designs statue for $100. A full sized statue, sculpted by Randy Bowen. When's the last time you saw that? This is clearly a statue Randy did because he wanted to see it.

This statue is one of the more detailed I've seen in a while. The base alone is unlike any I've seen in a while. It reminds me a bit of the base to the Avengers Beast statue. Very organic.

No one does fabric on comic sculptures like Randy Bowen. The folds and tears are nearly perfect.

This statue is really pretty awesome for a character that I barely remember. I think the only comic I own with him in it is a Mark Gruenwald era Captain America. And I think this statue is Da Bomb (even though I'm making fun of Zimm and the Red Wolf bust).

Then when I saw the price. Ordered!

Pros: Detail. Spooky face. The uber detailed base. Price.

Cons: It's going to scare my daughter. Obscurity of character.

A Hot Buy if you're into obscure characters or just a fan of the sculptures. Probably a Buy or Neutral if you don't or if it were at a higher price point.

Next I'd like to see Marvel's Frankenstein Creature as a companion piece.

TM & © 2008 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Copyrighted Bowen Design Statues & Busts.

Red Wolf Mini-Bust

Manufacturer: Bowen Designs
Product Type: Mini-Busts
Sculpted by: Randy Bowen
Dimensions: 6" tall
Edition Size: TBD
Release Date: Spring 2009
Retail Price: $50.00

Randy Bowen does it again, and I had to provide you with two images as proof!

I really enjoy his sculptures, and this lives up to my expectations. Once again, he is not afraid to provide us true geeks with characters outside the standard Marvel mainstream.

Bowen provided incredible (but simple) details, painting and personality all in this one bust. The sculpture portrays a simple silent wisdom, while maintaining the strength of Red Wolf's heritage. I really like this one. It caught my eye immediately.

Points in Favor:

• Color Selection - from the wolf to the skin, to the black around his eyes. I think that this statue was painted perfectly.
• Attention to detail - facial expression to the fangs on the wolf
• Body detail - Bowen did not "over sculpt" the body by adding in muscles that could not and would not ever exist.
  

Points Against:

• I know that it is a bust, but I really do prefer my busts to have arms. Something about "no arms" really throws me off; however, in this case, I can immediately look it over. So - I would almost not consider this a point against.

Personal Choice: Hot Buy

This one was just placed on the Bowen Designs website, and I recommend contacting your retailer immediately and placing your order.

Other Bowen Statues slated for Summer 2009 and my thoughts:

Mephisto - Hot Buy
Kraven - Definitive Pass

Bowen Designs Odin Bust

Manufacturer: Bowen Designs

Product Type: Bust

Edition Size: 1500

Estimated Availability Date: Oct-08

Retail Price: $80.00

Sculpted by: Randy Bowen

What can I say? This bust is awesome. It's the first statue/bust item I've ordered in a while. I'm dying to see it in person when it comes in. Zimm has his already. I was late getting mine ordered.

While I would have preferred the Bowen Designs Odin statue, at over $100 less, this bust is the next best thing.

With his battle axe raised high, Odin is prepared to go into battle.

Pros: It's awesome and the price isn't terrible for such a cool piece.

Cons: Odin would probably kill me if I said there were any cons. If I had to say anything, I guess I'd say, it's not the statue. For my money that's the only thing wrong with this bust.

Seriously Hot Buy.