C2E2 Report: Marvel – The Next Big Thing

 

 

Not to be outdone, Marvel had me scrambling out of the Batman panel to secure a spot in Marvel: The Next Big Thing. While the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman still rule the roost, Marvel’s made huge strides with some of their less famous characters lately and this was the place to hear about it.

Nick Lowe, our moderator and editor of Spider-Man and Moon Knight, took a moment to thank the Chicago fans before introducing the panelists. The first was Mike Marts, an Executive Editor, newly returned from DC’s Batman office. Lowe asked him what it was like to be back. Marts replied that it felt like slipping on an old shoe. Lowe was not entirely thrilled with the analogy, leading Marts to amend his statement, “A shoe that makes a lot of great movies.” Next up was Joshua Hale Fialkov, the writer of Ultimate FF. After him came Charles Soule, the writer of Thunderbolts, Inhuman, and She-Hulk, the last of which received particular applause. Then came James Robinson, writer of Fantastic Four and All-New Invaders. A trio of artists rounded out the panel; Mahmud Asrar, Wolverine and the X-Men; Ryan Stegman, Wolverine; and Skottie Young, both writer and artist on Rocket Racoon.

CBLDF Liberty Annual 2010 – Review

By: Various including Darick Robertson, Fabio Moon, Gabriel Ba, Garth Ennis, Paul Pope, Evan Dorkin, Rob Liefeld, Gail Simone, Scott Morse, Geoff Johns, Scott Kolins, Brian Azzarello, Frank Miller, Terry Moore, Jeff Smith, Skottie Young, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Ben McCool, Billy Tucci, Larry Marder and more

The Story: Comic creators collaborate on an anthology comic to raise money to protect free speech!

What’s Good: You know what’s good: free speech!  Too often the term “free speech” is only thought of as it applies to journalists, but as soon as you start eroding artists abilities to portray their art in whatever why they please because some people find it distasteful, you start to threaten some of the essential liberties that are part of what it means to be human (much less American).  There are places in the world where people cannot say and print what they please and there are people in the good old USA who occasionally give a comic shop a hard time about displaying comics with – gasp – wanton violence or – double gasp – naked people or – triple gasp – naked people doing naughty things! And by “hard time” we mean “take the comic shop to court”.  The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit that helps comic shops and creators defend themselves against such intrusions into free speech and every so often they put out an Annual to raise awareness and money.

The Marvelous Land Of Oz #1 – Review

by Eric Shanower (writer), Skottie Young (art), Jean-Francois Beaulieu (color), Jeff Eckleberry (letters)

The Story: New character Tip takes center stage as we return to the fantastic Land of Oz. The mischievous Tip has lived with old witch Mombi for as long as he can remember, but when she tires of his presence, the boy decides to take flight with magical new friend Jack Pumpkinhead!

What’s Good: Marvel’s adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a highlight of their publishing output earlier this year.  I’d never read any of the original novels by Baum and my knowledge of the world stretched only as far as the 1939 MGM film version had taught me.  However, once I’d finished the miniseries I found myself wanting to seek out the original novels so that I could find out what was next for these characters and the (forgive the pun) wonderful world they lived in.  I decided against it, though, if only to not spoil the next installment in Marvel’s Oz series.  My patience was not in vain if this first issue is any indication of the enjoyment to be had.

Shanower does a superb job adapting the work here.  I’m not entirely sure how much credit to give him, as I get the feeling that he’s not straying far from the source material in his re-telling.  In particular, the dialogue spoken by the characters has the feel of being taken directly from the novel.  Whatever the case may be, the writer deserves credit for making it work in comic book form.  Making a story meant for one medium work in a different one is no easy feat, but Shanower makes it look and sound that way.  Specifically, he knows when to indulge in narration and when to let the art tell the story.  He never forgets that this is a comic book he’s writing and the story benefits from his economical use of that narrative device.

Skottie Young is truly doing the work of his career with the Oz series.  I know that is a phrase that gets overused a lot when trying to heap praise on artists for a particular work, but it’s distinctly apt here.  Young’s enthusiasm for the material shines through in every panel.  Take one look at his Scarecrow or his Jack Pumpkinhead and tell me that his interpretations won’t become the definitive version of these characters whenever you next picture them.  His cartoony pencils have a rough, sketchy nature to them that makes the visuals work in a way that gives them a sense of movement.  His vision of Oz’s landscapes and denizens contains a slightly skewed, exaggerated element to it that, I’d imagine, is exactly how a child would see the world.  I can imagine no other artist better suited to bringing Baum’s vision to life than Skottie Young.  ‘Nuff said.

Two more creators who really make this issue, and the entire Oz series, work so well are colorist Beaulieu and letterer Eckleberry.  Beaulieu’s colors heighten the entire experience and help each page come to life.  He makes Young’s artwork sing in ways that it wouldn’t otherwise.  The man can also do no wrong when working with sunsets.  The scene where Jack, Tip and Mombi talk as dusk fills the sky is one of the most beautiful panels ever in a comic book.  Eckleberry’s lettering deserves credit for adding to Young’s pencils as well.  A good letterer will be sure that their work meshes with their artist’s style, and that is the case here.  Making the caption boxes and word balloons slightly uneven, mirroring Young’s sketchy, askew art-style, is a smart decision that shows that Eckleberry knows what he’s doing.

What’s Not So Good: I’ll admit, as much as I enjoyed the change of pace presented here by introducing an entirely new cast, I miss the iconic foursome of the first Oz installment.  There was a mythic quality that was present whenever Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion were shown making their way down the Yellow Brick Road.  Perhaps it’s nostalgia.  Whatever the reason, I’m not sure Tip and company have quite captured my interest yet.  We’ll see.

Conclusion: Whether you’re an adult or child, this comic book is a must-have.  Young and Shanower manage to make you remember fondly what it’s like to be young and have an unknown, fantastic world laid out before you.  And if you can’t remember, they certainly make you wish you that could.

Grade: A

-Joe Lopez

 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #8 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Script), Skottie Young (Art), Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m sad to see The Wonderful Wizard of Oz come to an end… But what a mini-series it has been.

The Story: Dorothy and her friends make their way to Glinda, the good witch. A land made of china, a fearsome giant spider, and quadlings stand in the way of the group.

It’s All Good: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #8 has a little bit of everything that’s made the series so great. The visuals are as impressive as they’ve ever been, the color work has never complimented the art more, and the writing/ storyline brings everything to a close in a satisfying, fun, and heartwarming manner. To be honest, I don’t have a single complaint. If you want more details about what makes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz such an incredible accomplishment, feel free to check out the other reviews I’ve written.

Conclusion: Bring on The Marvelous Land of Oz ASAP because I’m ready for more!

Grade: A+

Mini-Series Grade: E (Epic)

-Kyle Posluszny

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #7 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Art), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I normally don’t do short reviews, but when I sat down to write about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #7…well let’s just say that I realized I’ve pretty much run out of ways to praise the brilliant mini-series for the length of a full review.

The Story: Thanks to some clever thinking by a humbug from Omaha claiming to be a wizard, the Lion gets some courage, the Scarecrow gets a brain, and the Tin Man gets a heart. Dorothy, however, has a wish that is very difficult to deal with…

It’s All Good: So…how killer does the Scarecrow look on the cover?! Alright, with that out of the way, I might as well just go ahead and say that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #7 is just as awesome as the first six issues of the series. The artwork is incredible, the colors look brilliant, and the writing couldn’t be any better. You probably expected as much. What you probably didn’t expect is that there is a fantastic teaser image on the final page that actually makes me wish for the winter to come a bit early this year. Be sure to check it out!

Conclusion: If you haven’t been buying The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a monthly, be sure to get the collected edition as soon as possible. I can’t possibly recommend the mini-series enough…

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #6 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Artist), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Color Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Marvel’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz adaptation really is something special. It’s a must read for comic fans of all ages because it’s easily one of the best minis of the year. I can’t recommend Oz enough. As a reviewer, I am honestly starting to run out of ways to praise it.

The Story: Dorothy must call upon the flying monkeys in order for her group to find a way back to the Emerald City. During the journey, the monkeys tell their tale. After arriving at the Emerald City, the travelers learn the truth about the great and terrible Wizard of Oz.

It’s All Good: The only negative thing I can really say about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #6 is that it makes me think that the last two issues may feel a bit stretched out so the series can fill eight full issues. Then again, that’s really not such a bad thing considering that it means you and I will get more fantastic artwork by Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu. So is the length thing a true negative? Not so much.

So if “iIt’s All Good” in Wizard of Oz #6, you must be wondering why that is. I’ll tell you. The comic is whimsical, magical, funny, touching, clever, charming, beautiful, artistic, excellent, entertaining, engaging, accurate, cute, awesome, fun, and absolutely worth every cent of it’s cover price. If that doesn’t convince you to give the series a shot, I don’t know what will.

Conclusion: If you’ve sat on the sidelines this long, you may be better off waiting for the trade. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s an a must-read series in every way. Hunt down the back issues or wait a while for the trade. Either way, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz should not be missed!

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Artist), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I know it’s only April and that only five issues have been released, but I’m about ninety percent certain that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is going to win my vote for mini-series of the year. On top of that, I’m also fairly certain that Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu are going to win my vote for best art team. The series (especially the artwork) has just been that good so far…

The Story: On a mission to reluctantly try to kill the Wicked Witch, Dorothy and her companions leave the Emerald City. Soon enough though, the Wicked Witch of the West learns about the group’s journey. Wolves and crows are only the beginning of the obstacles Dorothy, Toto, The Tin Man, The Scarecrow, and The Cowardly Lion must overcome…

What’s Good: Comics don’t get much better than The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5. Seriously. The visuals are absolutely spectacular, Eric Shanower’s adaptation is extremely compelling, and the package as a whole is really something special.
Especially impressive is how the creative team mixes the whimsical and the sinister. It finally allows the writing to stand up next to the artwork without being overshadowed in any way. While I’ve had no problems with Eric Shanower’s writing so far, up until this issue it has generally taken a back seat to the artwork from Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu. That is not the case here.

What’s Not So Good: I have absolutely no complaints about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #5. In my opinion it is a perfect example of how downright incredible the comic book medium can be.

Conclusion: Do yourself a favor and hunt down the first four issues of the series if you haven’t already. It’s well worth it. Once you are caught up, then sit back and enjoy what I’m sure will be remembered as one of the single best comics of the year.

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1 – Review

By Eric Shanower (Writer), Skottie Young (Artist), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I initially had very little interest in picking up Marvel’s Wizard of Oz series. Then I saw Skottie Young’s fantastic take on the classic characters in the free sketchbook that was released a little while back; and surpisingly I was convinced to give the first issue of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz a shot.

The Story: Based off the classic children’s story by L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz begins just as you might expect. So, to save you some time, I’ll just say that there is a tornado, there are Munchkins, a farmhouse lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, and Dorothy meets one of her traveling companions. No big surprises story wise, but don’t take that as a negative.

What’s Good: Pretty much everything. Simply put, you really can’t ask for much more from a comic adaptation of a classic story. Eric Shanower’s writing effortlessly (and effectively) captures the tone and feel of L. Frank Baum’s tale without ever getting in the way of the real star of the show, the artwork.

Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu both deserve equal amounts of credit for how absolutely outstanding The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1 looks. Truth be told, Young’s character and scene design are some of the best I’ve ever seen. It manages to be endearing, charming, whimsical, original, and stylish, without ever truly abandoning the source material. And the coloring by Beaulieu easily adds on to making this one of the most visually impressive books of the year. A prime example of the magic that can happen when an artist and a colorist prove to be a perfect match for the material they are working with.

What’s Not So Good: Next to nothing. From a critical standpoint, the biggest negative I can think of is the fact that the comic is simply telling a story pretty much everybody knows. As such, you probably won’t find any surprises outside of those offered by the art team.

Conclusion: The start of an exceptional, visually superb adaptation of a classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1 easily ranks as one of the best comics of the year. This is one of those rare times I have absolutely no qualms with recommending a $3.99 comic book. It is worth every penny.

Grade: A+

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Men: Manifest Destiny #2 – Review

By 1) Mike Carey (Writer), Michael Ryan (Penciller), Victor Olazaba (Inker), and Chris Sotomayor (Colorist); 2) Skottie Young (Writer), Daniel Panosian (Artist), and Nick Filardi (Colorist); 3) Chris Yost (Writer), Paco Diaz (Artist), and Matt Milla (Colors)

The Story: 1) After being shot by Mystique in the last issue, Iceman is hospitalized. However it doesn’t seem to be over as Mystique catches up with him there and shoots him full of a nerve-killer that will either “kill or cure” him. 2) The Juggernaut sits in a bar somewhere out west, talking with the locals about whether he should be “good” or “bad.” 3) Emma Frost has a long, boring internal monologue because she’s afraid that the other X-Men don’t like or trust her. Boo hoo.

What’s good: Juggernaut is always cool, especially in scenes like this where he’s taking a break from being an unstoppable engine of destruction.

What’s not so good: Emma Frost is always cool, except here, where she’s acting totally out of character. If you’re a world-class telepath, how can you not know whether or not people like you? And since when does she give a damn? The whole point of Emma Frost is that she doesn’t care.

Conclusion: Comics are so short already, Marvel really isn’t doing themselves any service by splitting books like these into even shorter vignettes. There’s no reason the last two stories couldn’t have been placed in the context of one of the many other X-books. The Iceman/Mystique storyline is obviously leading up to something, but I have no idea what. Reversal of the Decimation? But didn’t Bobby already get his powers back? And the two of them have zero chemistry. Manifest Destiny feels like a grab-bag of lukewarm leftovers.

Grade: C+

– Andrew C. Murphy

X-Men: Divided We Stand Book 1 #1 – Review

By Mike Carey, Matt Fraction, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Skottie Young (writers), Brandon Peterson, Jamie McKelvie, Sana Takeda, Skottie Young (pencils/art)

I honestly do not understand the point of this mini-series. X-Men: Divided We Stand is an anthology of short stories that showcase a number of C-List mutants who’ve been put out to pasture following the events of the Messiah Complex. One of the stories isn’t even about one of the mutants, either. I just don’t know, maybe I’m missing the point.

I mean, do people really care about an eight page story where Cannonball gets into a bar room brawl? Or how about a story where Scalphunter’s become a cook and Nightcrawler comes to lecture him about history and art? A lot of these stories are completely soulless and feel forced when it comes to playing to its audiences’ sympathies. It’s as if Marvel came up to these writers and asked, “Hey, wanna make a quick $200? Write me an 8 page story and we’ll make a ton of money because this’ll be a #1 issue.” I almost feel insulted.

It’s a shame, too, because there’s some diverse talent here in the forms of Jamie McKelvie, Skottie Young, and Sana Takeda that just feels wasted. In fact, I found it kind of funny that Scottie Young, who drew and wrote a chapter, himself, had the strongest story, yet the worst art!  All the other stories felt contrived, too cliche, and too filler.

Ultimately, we don’t need a book like this. We don’t need to see what the lesser X-Men characters are doing during their time off. There’s a reason why New X-Men was canceled: It sucked and so did the characters. This issue does little to prove otherwise. (Grade: D)

– J. Montes

FIRST LOOK: X-Men: Divided We Stand Book 1 – #1

COVER BY: BRANDON PETERSON
WRITER: MIKE CAREY
MATT FRACTION
CRAIG KYLE
CHRISTOPHER YOST
SKOTTIE YOUNG
PENCILS: BRANDON PETERSON
JAMIE MCKELVIE
SANA TAKEDA
SKOTTIE YOUNG
LETTERED BY: DAVE SHARPE

THE STORY:
In the wake of Messiah CompleX, there are no X-Men. But where does that leave the mutants that WERE X-Men? Some of the industry’s hottest creators bring you stories of your favorite mutants. Mike Carey (X-MEN, ULTIMATE FF) and Brandon Peterson (ULTIMATE EXTINCTION) bring you a tale of Cannonball and Husk. Matt Fraction (PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL, IRON FIST) and Jamie McKelvie (Suburban Glamour, Phonogram) tell a story about Nightcrawler. Craig Kyle & Christ Yost (X-FORCE) and Sana Takeda (Drain) take you to Wakanda for a tale of Storm, Black Panther and Neznho. And Skottie Young (NEW X-MEN) writes and draws a story about your favorite New X-Man Anole.

Rated T+…$3.99
IN STORES: April 16, 2008