Doom's year of comics: Top 5 of 2012

2012, we bid you farewell! Lots of comics were released, which by definition means lots of comics were read. It's been a year of mutants vs the genetically enhanced, re-incarnated twins searching for their crazy mutant nullifying mother, warring alien races, intergalactic chases and of course total revamps.
And because we couldn't think of anything more interesting we here at What Would Doom Do have decided to come up with our top 5 comics of the year.

1. Avengers: The Childrens Crusade
   The final quest for the Scarlet Witch ended with 6 teenagers and a young Vision. Although Cheung and Heinberg started this project in 2010, it didn't reach it's conclusion until this year.
   There were tears, twin tantrums, time wimey space stuff, resurrections, remorseful granfathers, pissed off uncles, teenage deaths and of course the (almost) triumphant return of Doom. A:CC was definitely one of the events of the year, resulting in the Young Avengers (what's left of them) finally being acknowlegded as Avengers. 2013 will see the reigns handed over to Jamie McKelvie and Keiron Gillen, definitely one to watch...but WHERE THE HELL IS SPEED?!
   
   
2. Saga
   Image Comics have be FLYING this year with a host of amazing releases including Mind The Gap, Danger Club, Nowhere Men, Change, and topping our list is Saga. Brain K.Vaughan and Fiona Staple's space opera has been setting new standards this year as it blends sci-fi, mystery, fantasy,  romance with outlandishly epic and sometimes borderline gross characters.
   It's still only 7 issues in and we've barely scratched the surface of the awesomeness that's still to come. Vaughan and Staples are amazing story tellers, and geniuses at the element of surprise. We're going into 2013 with our eyes wide open for this badboy
   
   
3. Wolverine and the X-men
   
   What we have here is a truly spectacular piece of work by Jason Aaron, from issue one onwards it is brilliant.  Not only is it incredibly well written with a great cast of characters all being given time to shine but it is all brought to life by some wonderful artwork thanks to Chris Bachalo and Nick Bradshaw.
   Spinning out of X-men Schism the X-men have split, and Wolverine starts up the Xavier School for Higher Learning again, and many choose to follow. But since its the X-men of course nothing goes to plan, not only do the school inspectors turn up but the very school itself turns against the staff and pupils, oh and the Hellfire club returns, and it's run by children, which is terrifying.
   
   This book has no downside. Just read it, and revel in the glory of ICEMAN!!!!!!
   
   
4. The Hypernaturals
   Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett's work is amazing, you will read it, you already love it. Its awesome, its just....blarrghhhee!!! Its so good it makes me crazy. A truly fantastic comic, a science fiction epic that even goes so far as to have its own fictional adverts instead of actual adverts on the ad pages. its the same level of excellent writing that we have come to expect from the team of Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett only taken to the next level by artwork from the likes of  Tom Derenick, Andres Guinaldo and Brad Walker which only goes to elevate this work to realms of godhood....I'm a massive fan of The Hypernaturals in case you haven't  guessed.
   
   I hope to see this run for a very long time, its definitely got the plot for it, with mystery and intrigue, action, deceit and a villain so evil he has evil smoke surrounding his face. It also has some truly human characters, not super heroes  but people, who happen to be better than normal, Hypernatural you might say, who get elevated to celebrity status due to their power and help to better the world however they can, even if its not the way they would prefer.
   
   Seriously, you need to read this book.
   
   
5. 
   Extermination
   Here we have a book that is genius from Simon Spurrier, it takes a fresh look at the relationship between good and evil, hero and villain and what this values even are. With excellent characters, stunning environments and one hell of a plot courtesy of Simon Spurrier, easily one of the best writers of 2012. Not only a book with truly great writing but also beautiful imagery thanks to Jeffrey Edwards and V Ken Marion. Definitely worth a read just to see the relationship between the so called hero and villain, such a human relationship that you forget at times your reading something so fantastical as a comic book with giant aliens and humanity on the brink of extinction. I can honestly say this is the first time I've ever been truly drawn into a comic for the relationships of the characters, which I think is a testament to the skill of Simon Spurrier, and that's what makes this book worth of a Top 5 spot of 2012.

Holiday helpers: Image Comics

Easily our top publishers of 2012, and the perfect holiday companions, Image Comics just keeps coughing up the goods.

Saga #8
We will continue to sing the praises of this series by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, and today is no exception! #7 left us knee deep in Marko's parents and hilariously gross intergalactic genitalia, and with #8 it is definitely more of the same.

Finally, and albeit unexpectedly, we get a glimpse into Alana's 'forbidden book' (these scenes are hilarious) but also how Alana and Marko first met. The setting of this first encounter is to be expected, considering their 'occupations', but it's obvious that Vaughan will be doing something more with this, as it's quite clear that it definitely wasn't love at first sight - although Staples panel would have you believe otherwise.

If we're completely honest, this issue seemed like a bit of a filler, we didn't really learn anything new, and even Marko and Alana's first meeting didn't seem like much of a big bang. But Vaughan and Staples can even make filler awesome, and one again they bring the boom at the end, and we finally get an answer to "who the fuck is Gwendolyn?!", and yes, this reveal is definitely worth the wait.

This series is full of serious awesomeness, and the women are really stealing the show. Alana, The Stalk and Marko's mother are some pretty dominant ladies, and by the looks of it, Gwendolyn will also be a major player. Issue #9 please.




Nowhere Men #2
Stephenson and Bellegarde have pretty much struck gold with Nowhere Men as #2 kicks it up a notch.

This series is still a big ball of mystery, with only a few more clues being offered. So what do we know now?

- World Corp now only consists of Emerson Strange
- Emerson Strange (and maybe Dade & Simon?) commissioned the building of a space station that is unknown to the rest of the world, and they are aware that the crew are sick.
- Apparently Dade is ill and now awake?! (had to do a double take on this and make sure this really was issue 2...)
- Simon is planning revenge (due to being ousted from WC?)

Stephenson is completely on point with this issue, and begins to build a really tense story. He is definitely doing an amazing job of keeping readers hanging on (but hopefully not for too long). Although the only pitfall with this issue is the disconnect from #1. Whilst the space-station scenes have continuity, i'm feeling pretty lost with our friendly scientists. How much time has passed since we were first introduced to them? What about the Evangelion looking monster? I'm sure these will all be answered, but at the moment it's a bit confusing.

Bellegarde is killing it with the artwork and colours. He really is dictating these pages and the flow of #2. The pages aren't too busy or messy - which can sometimes happen with lots of characters in a shot - you really can follow the sequences, and the tension flows effortlessly across the panels right to the end. It's almost as if Bellegarde is able to depict various chemical reactions through the characters - a slow build up of kinetic energy resulting in a 'big bang'.

Image Comics own 2012.

What would doom do?
Trade in all his finest Marvel autobiographies, throw in a few dark horses and comics with Superman in them, so he can stock up on a whole bunch of Image.

Holiday helpers: DC Comics

Less of a helper and more a holiday glance. I feel like the glow of The New 52 seems to be wearing off for me- i've already chosen to ditch Aquaman (although my partner in crime remains loyal) -but with the whiff of Wally West on the horizon for 2013 I may very well change my fickle mind.

I feel like I should show some sisterly solidarity and stick with Kate Kane as Batwoman. 15 issues into this series, and Kane is still on the hunt for Gotham's lost children hand in hand with the goddess of the hour- Wonder Woman.

I've seen that there are a few haters of Batman #15 in terms of conceptual execution, but personally I really liked it. So far this series of Batwoman has been pretty dark and rather detached from the civilian point of view, so it was nice to see Maggie Sawyer and the police force taking the lead with this issue.

Gotham is once again a playground for mayhem, and without a Bat in sight (for now), Maggie and her force take it upon themselves to try and restore some sort of order.

Now, whilst I liked the concept, there was definitely something missing. The more I read, the more it started to feel a bit more "filler and no killer". The grittiness of the dialogue was a bit TOO gritty, and Maggie just came across as a bit cold, the stereotypical 'no bullshit female cop', and it was definitely on the verge of emotionless. But I love and respect what Williams and Blackman tried to do here, I just wish they could have done a bit more.

My real issue probably lies with the artwork. Trevor McCarthy steps up to take the reigns for this issue. Whilst I like McCarthy's work, something about it just didn't connect. The grittiness of it matched the tone, but I just felt that it lacked the gracefulness that we'd seen in previous issues, and Maggie just looked far to hard. Sure the mayhem would do that to you, but it didn't seem to fit right.

All in all, Batwoman #15 has slowly rekindled our dwindling lust for DC, but it's safe to say that we're ready for this saga to reach its conclusion and get to kicking with some new Kane-based antics.

What would doom do?
He'd hold on to his huffing and puffing and let the DC flame burn just a little longer. WE WANT WALLY - Sorry Kate.

Holiday helpers: Dark Horse Comics

Tis the season, and we've been in hibernation recovering from stupid amounts of food and crappy TV, but now it's back to business.

In the last couple of months we've jumped back on board the Dark Horse wagon with the Whedonverse (Willow, Angel & Faith), and now Kelly Sue Deconnick & Phil Noto's 'Ghost' and Robert Love & David Walker's brainchild 'Number 13'


Ghost
Kelly Sue Deconnick and Phil Noto come together to resurrect a Dark Horse classic. In true fashion, we weren't too familiar with the original - only the basics. Elisa Cameron is a murdered reporter on a quest to discover the truth about her death.

Now under the control of  Deconnick and Noto, she has been revived for a 4 part series under a new storyline -"Resurrection Mary", in which Elisa's spirit is revived by two 'ghost hunter' investigators with a weird piece of paranormal tech, after investigating a graveyard in search of the 'woman in white' - Resurrection Mary. Elisa appears memory-less and after some 'accidental' killings, the investigators vow to help her solve the mystery of her mysterious identity! Simples!

Deconnick was a massive draw for reading this. Her work with the new Captain Marvel has been the best thing since sliced bread, and we were hoping that she could attach the same awesomeness to this. We're happy to say that indeed she has done it again. Deconnick has a great way of making female leads REALLY lead. Even as a 'damsel in distress' (kinda), Elisa is still very badass, menacing and for me, hilarious when it comes to leading the slightly more squeaky clean male leads astray.
We're really feeling Noto's artwork. It's simple and graceful, and very fitting for the story, especially Elisa's ghostly scenes. He gives her the perfect glow, and it great at making elements within a scene 'pop'.

2 issues in, and this 4 part series is gritty, fun and the perfect introduction to a character that been in the comic world for years but some of us are too slow to pick up on.



Number 13
Yet another "The cover art looks fun, lets get this badboy". God bless our talent for judging a comic by it's cover.

Robert Love and David Walker's 'Number 13' is the kind of sci-fi, post-apocalyptic goodness that we love. The premise is clear and simple - A mutation has affected some humans, with the immune at war with the infected. The world has pretty much ended, and in comes Number 13 - the potential savior who appears to be some kind of humanoid robot. We don't know as of yet how he can 'save' (or destroy) the human race. What more do you need!

Love keeps the dialogue simple, a story like this really sells itself, but Love is definitely taking this in an interesting direction, and somewhere potentially quite dark.
Walker's work is a massive driving force here. It's nothing amazingly special, but it's fun, very easy on the eye, and based in the little glimpses of action we've seen so far, we get the feeling that Walker is definitely just warming up.

There is so much room for character development, and this will definitely be it's strongest point. These are characters that you can see yourself falling in love with straight away. They already remind me of The Runaways (Brain K Vaughan can do no wrong), and if you're going along that route, then there really isn't much room for error (hopefully).

I don't really see any issues with this story so far, however, I do think that it has the potential to fall into the age old anti-climactic trap - building so much hype that the end result just falls a little flat. But fingers crossed.

Captain A-MEH-rica: The Underwhelming story.

For today, I have chosen to discuss Marvel NOW!'s (and I'm sick of using NOW!, so will just be using now, from now on (though I guess that could get confusing in situations like now, so maybe not.)) new Captain America book.

Having recently read issue #1 of the new Captain America book from Rick Remender, John Romita, Klaus Janson and Dean White. I was disappointed, I found the artwork jarring and difficult to relate to, it seemed to prevented me from really engaging with the story.

And then there is the story. Oh look, its Armin Zola, again, one of the most ridiculous looking villains possible, even M.O.D.O.K looks more intimidating. And oh, Captain America has been transported away and locked up...how many times does that make it?







Anyway, I wasn't a fan, but then came issue #2.

Wow was I wrong, this is actually an incredibly good book, maybe still not the best, but much better than I first thought. I'm still not the biggest fan of the artwork but I finding that the story more than makes up for it. What we are being given here is a Captain America that hasn't really been explored, or at least not recently. A Captain that is on the verge of losing hope, with no country, no home and on the edge of exhaustion.

Plus, Captain America is a baby stealer!!! Though probably for the best of course, but this adds another dimension to the book. It could be said that Steve Rogers is a father figure in the Marvel universe, but now he really has to take on the role, he has to look after a child and keep him safe, and in another dimension as well. So although I had a bit of a rocky start I will now definitely keep reading to the end of this arc at least and see how it goes from there.

Supergirl the movie: Why it it is better than the DC movies of today

That's right, they've been rockin comic movies as early as the 80s and YES a Supergirl movie exists. Helen Slater takes the lead role as Kara (Linda Lee) with appearences from Peter O'Toole, Mia Farrow and Maureen Teffy as (the most recent Supergirl) Lucy Lane.

This is still one of my ultimate favourite comic superhero films and here are 5 reasons why YOU should watch it and why it reigns supreme over Marvel and DC's more recent installments.


1. Lets make it old school

The story is so simple and stripped back. Kara is in search of a powerful item - the Omegahedron, which has fallen to earth. She follows it in an effort to recover it and save Argo City. Well what's so special about that? The effects. These are just as simple, but so graceful and soft - her flying scenes are my favourite. I think that some of these scenes are even better than Superman I-IV, and to an extent, some of the DC films today. It's all too flash, deceptive and just distracting (I may eat my words after 'Man of Steel'). There's nothing tense about her using her powers, you don't sit there thinking 'shit, whats going down'...it's nice to see her using them for the hell of it. why? Because it comes naturally to her! There's no gimmicks (that much), just pure unadulterated awesomeness with a PG rating. And the soundtrack is a perfect fit


2. Plot holes? What Plot holes!

One of the biggest issues people might have - "erm, if she's Superman's cousin and shes in town, dontcha think he'd see her". Errr no. If you listen carefully, at the beginning of the film (when we finally see earth) As one of the badies drives off, from his car radio you hear a new correspondent saying that our friendly neighbourhood Superman is off on a peacekeeping mission billions of light years away. PROBLEM SOLVED. Can't get any better than that.


3. Clever castings and character connections

I'm a sucker for a good ole piece of well known characters crossing paths, and this film does it perfectly. First there is Lois Lane's sister (and future Supergirl) Lucy Lane. And through Lucy we are introduced to Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure from Superman I-IV), who pretty much becomes a main character throughout half of the film, and although her role is minor Mia Farrow takes on the role as Kara's mother Alura. They even manage to sneak a Danvers in there, in the form of Kara's school head teacher. It's good stuff people.

4. THAT Scene

One of my FAVOURITE scenes in a film ever. It's so simple, yet so smart, and when I was younger it really seemed like the best thing ever, and really played on my imagination (not in THAT way...filth). The simple transition from Supergirl to Linda Lee. There was something mysterious about it, yet it seemed to make her so accessible...witnessing her transition. Something i'd always thought was so personal to a Superhero (like you should be closing your eyes), and you get to see it! And the wig wasn't half bad either. That's some grade A camera work right there.

5. Twilight and DC damsels can suck it 

No women need saving here. This is a film about strong women on multiple accounts, the heroine, the unconventional hero and even the villian is a strong woman (kinda). Yes, Kara is very innocent, and she's discovering a lot of stuff about Earth, and yes she does develop feeling for someone but she doesn't fawn at his feet. She doesn't comprise her character and she still kicks arse. Her admirer becomes her bitch without any kind of power play and its refreshing to see. And then there's Lucy - she shows that a hero is more than the badge. When there is chaos she is the only person who appears to step up to the plate and help. And when the villains appear to be winning she takes the driving seat in trying to get them over thrown. Lucy is a great female role model (pfftt Bella who?) and the perfect person to take the Supergirl mantle.

And finally they became Fantastic

Let's keep this short and under 300 words.

Welcome back Fantastic Four.

Matt Fraction has taken the helm to lead this new series of the Fantastic Four (as well as the FF) and i'm finally falling back in love with this team. Fraction has taken it back to basics by returning them to the "astronaut family" that they really are. But of course this is Reed Richards, so of course there is a hidden agenda. After being bitten by a dinosaur (lol), upon further investigation Reed discovers that the molecular reconstruction that made these 4 'fantastic' is now deconstructing. So in an attempt to save his family, Reed whisks them off into space - under the guise of teaching the kids and showing them the universe- in an attempt to find answers and a cure.

The story is well written, witty and as far as i'm concerned it makes perfect sense, and it's great to see them returning to their roots. Jonny is back on top form (presenting his number to Darla in a ring box) and Ben is as awesome as ever. The introduction of the new FF aligns perfectly with where Fraction left with FF #1, and to be honest it makes sense to read both, if not for continuity, but Fractions work is not to be missed.

Mark Bagley and Mark Farmer are leaving their mark on this series, and I really can't fault their work at all. Very excited to see what they will produce for the space and action scenes.

This series just screams action and fun, and personally I think it's something that's been missing from the Fantastic Four recently, and with Franklin and Valeria in tow (FINALLY) you just know it's gonna be good.

What would Doom do?
Well this would definitely be a massive sore spot from his highness of Latervia, but hey there might be a chance of a cameo?! So he'd hold his banner high and chant "Yay for family fun!"

Bring on the Battle: Avengers Arena #1

Yes, just absolute yes. Now this right here is what I've been waiting for. Marvel NOW is DOMINATING our lives at the moment. There are already some fantastic heavy hitters - Iron Man, FF, Cable and X-Force, All New X-Men...just to name a few. And now Avengers Arena for me has just rocketed right up there.

Yes, we all know the story of Battle Royale (and The Hunger Games...FYI, both the BR book and film are in my top 5 ultimate faves hence all the excitement), and Hopeless gets this out of the way by acknowledging that the idea of AA came to the villain Arcade after reading "a couple of kids' books". 16 of Marvel's next generation of young heroes - including Hazmat & Mettle (Avengers Academy), Chase & Nico (The Runaways), X-23, Darkhawk, Kid Briton - find themselves zapped into kill or be killed scenario run by Arcade.

From the get go you can tell which characters are not destined for survival, not only does the cover art give this away, but you also know which characters are currently major players in the Marvel Universe. But what im really impressed with is the choice of characters - a mix of known and unknown, giving the unknown a chance to rise to the forefront of Marvels' younger generation. And for me I get to broaden my own knowledge of these characters.

I'm already loving what Hopeless is doing with with Cable, and AA doesn't disappoint. The dialogue is quick, witty and differentiates easily between each character. I'm not too clued up on all of them, but from the one's I do know, Hopeless has them on point. But at the same time this issue isn't too bogged down with text (it really doesn't need to be), all the basics are there and it gets right to the point. Although it does suffer from the same pitfull as Cable - why these characters and why this situation? There's no real explanation except that Arcade likes to see people die. This seriously can't be all? If that's gonna come later, then good, but if it's 'just because' then that's a little lame...so fingers crossed.

The artists at the moment are really owning these new series', and Kev Walker with colours by Frank Martin are on top form. This story is gonna be full of action sequences, and they are certainly up to the challenge. As soon as I got to the pages with Hazmat and X-23, I knew I was in for something pretty awesome. The colours are just brilliant. Theya re gonna play a big part in defining each character and Martin has got this locked down straight away. The scene where Mettle goes splat is beyond great...Hazmat's reaction is perfect. Although i do which this that particular scene had a whoe page dedicated to itself and that there had been no text. It definitely would have made it more powerful I think.

This is probably the first series so far where I have no conceive able idea of whats gonna happen next and how this is gonna pan out. Will they kill each other off completely? will they be saved. What the hell is gonna happen!

What would Doom do?
Whack on his best shiny cameo and hid real good in those bushes. How else is he gonna watch all this badass action happen. Keen.

In Cable be trust: Cable & X-Force #1

What can we say. Cable has done it again.

Our favourite Messiah-deluded telepath is back, but this time he isn't sporting his peksy techno-virus, which now means that his mutant abilities are stifled  his left arm is purely "meat and bone", and to top it all off, he now has this crazy (deadly?) brain thing which appear to be premonitions of the future. What more could you ask for.

His followers so far include Domino, Dr. Nemesis, and my personal favourite, Forge. We also see a great reunion between father and daughter with the return of Hope (wondered where she was hiding). Somewhere down the line Colossus will be joining this already amazing line up but when, how and why will be a whole different story.

Issue #1 and I already think that this is gonna be a pretty amazing series. Like All New X-Men, I think the bar has been set quite high, and Dennis Hopeless has gone in hard and we now know that the first few issues of this arc will be working retrospectively - as they lead up to the events of the first few scenes of this issue.
Probably one of my favourite things about it was the Uncanny Avengers cameo. This is definitely a set up for some really good crossovers between the two teams, especially with both Nephew and Uncle at the helm. And I have no doubt that sooner or later Daddy will appear in mix.

There are a few issues with Hopeless' story telling as some bits seems  to fall a bit flat, and its almost like it's written with the intention that everyone should know whats happening already. Also  there's no explanation as to why Cable has formed this team and what hes intentions are. This may be intentional by Hopeless, but if not, well..sad times. But I think he's done a great job, and this is definitely a Cable I can learn to love again.

Metal and shiney things everywhere and Salvador Larroca and Frank D’Armata are amazing. Their work together is so visual and appealing and almost compensates for Hopeless' more confusing moments. The opening scenes with the Uncanny Avengers are great, and its great to see the whole team together from the get go. However, Larroca does seem to be playing it a bit safe for now, but we're expecting some big things to come once it all kicks off.

What would Doom do?

He'd ransack his little Reed Richards pigbank for all those Latverian pennies he'd be squirreling away and he'd buy this mofo, like now...like right now.

Change #1

This week my good friends over at Image Comics released #1 of a 4 issue mini-series 'Change'. All I can say is 'Huh?'. Check out Image's description of the series:

"A foul-mouthed struggling screenwriter who moonlights as a car thief. An obscenely wealthy rapper completely disconnected from the real world. A dying cosmonaut on his way back to Earth.

Los Angeles is being toyed with by destructive forces that repeatedly find the city through time and swallow it whole, and those three are the only people able to save it - if they survive the fanatics who live in the hills, National Security Agency agents, and the horrors that lurk in the Pacific Ocean"

So back to my earlier comment...Huh? It's safe to say that 'Change' is fairly confusing. The main characters - rapper turned film producer Wallace (W-2) and a foul-mouthed screenwriter Sonia are presented instantaneously, and we already see that they have some sort of relationship (to what extent is still unclear). Then there's the unknown astronaut returning from a mission to Jupiter, and this opens to doors for a whole lot of possibilities. And what started off as a not so simple story about fame begins to develop into an even more confusing story of space and fantasy.

It takes a couple of pages to discern the tone of voice and who the hell is narrating. I'm still unsure as to whether or not the reader is meant to keep guessing, or if the story itself is a story of a story as written by a 'real life' screen writer. I can kinda of see what they're trying to do with this comic - taking a more creative edge, with elements of a 'love story' somewhere in there through a series of ambiguous dialogue. But I also detected a hint of Bret Easton Ellis, with what I read as the criticisms of 'celebrity' and 'fame' and even a couple of cameos (Chris Brown and Jack Nicholson...not in person)

As you can probably tell, I found it quite tricky to follow Ales Kot's dialogue and train of thought. But I did warm to the way in which Kot's has his characters deal with the horrible situations they find themselves in, and you can see that there is more to Sonia and W-2 than meets the eye, and that these aren't your typical writer, rapper stereotypes.

I quite like the artwork of Morgan Jeske as its a nice departure from the more defined works of the Marvel, Dark Horse, DC and Image comics that i'm currently reading. But it's definitely an acquired taste, but it's not distracting me too much from the story...to be honest it's the only thing that makes sense for me at the moment. Although it does get a bit confusing and jumbled towards the end of the issue, and I can see what effect they were going for, but to be honest it's one that you can only really get away with on the big screen. And what in the hell are those things on Sonia's face?!

Although i'm pretty damn confused about where the hell this is heading, I am pretty intrigued to see whats coming next. It's only a mini-series so there isn't much to lose. Change #1 definitely stands out from the crowd, and has the potential to be something bigger.

What would doom do?
He'd try and finish this joke... "A screenwriter, a rapper and an astronaut walk into a bar..."

Science is definitely the new Rock 'n' Roll

Nowhere Men #1

We've been waiting for this bad boy pretty much since it's announcement, why? Not only does it combine 3 of my ultimate favourite things - Art, Comics AND Science, but writer Eric Stephenson has really dominated my comic world this year with all the Ah-mazing releases comin straight outta Image Comics (Saga, Mind the Gap...). But also, the artist- Nate Bellegarde is a comic art babe.

So what the hell is 'Nowhere Men'? As it stands, it is the story of 4 scientists - Simon Grimshaw, Emerson Strange, Dade Allis and Thomas Walker, who are the nations most well regarded sweethearts.They band together to create the ultimate science alliance - World Corp. Whilst this has created some amazing changes, there have definitely been some negative effects.

Simple, unassuming, yet awesome.

In the first half of the story Stephenson and Bellegarde waste no time presenting you with the 4 main characters younger and at the height of their fame, and they work well to present each of their personalities through a simple head shot and some very clever wording. Any more info is displayed perfectly in the first double spread as a faux newspaper article and after that we know pretty much everything we need to know about who these men are on the surface - Simon: the stone cold businessman, Emerson: the calm, chillaxed intellectual, Dade: the uptight but artistic do-gooder, and Simon: the troubled genius stoner.

Fast forward a few years, the guys are older and it's obvious that somewhere down the line it all went wrong and the early pages are just fantastic. Bellegardes work says everything it needs to and these pages work brilliantly without the dialogue.

The second half of the story presents further troubles on the horizon - with the random and un-explainable illness of a team of crew members. Again, I pretty much loved these pages. Seriously, Stephenson is really good at illustrating a persons personality and potential role within the bigger picture in only a few words, but yet retains the perfect element of mystery.

And just went you thought that was over, the final section returns to the faux newspaper article style, but this time it covers an interview with only one of the scientists - Thomas Walker, who we now know has departed from the group, although we're not really sure when and why, all we know is that he's pretty nuts.

None of these sections really seem to make sense yet in regards to how they will fit together. But I feel like all the wheels have been set in motion and that its only a matter of time before all their paths cross and we can start to build the full story. Whatever it is, we're pretty sure it's gonna be awesome, and we're definitely sticking along for the ride

What would doom do?
He'd cower in the corner ruing the day he ever called himself a real scientist with these geeked up Beatles running around. It's time he sat back to see how it's really done.

Thunderbolts #1: More like a light drizzle

Now this is a series that i've been wanting to read since it was announced. The Thunderbolts - a team of (mismatched) 'reformed' heroes/villians looking to deal their own brand of justice. So whilst the premise is always good, sadly enough this issue was not.

General Thaddeus Ross is back and setting up the new Thunderbolts, traveling the world to recruit his new team - now comprised of Punisher, Deadpool, Elektra, Venom and sooner or later Mercy.

Unfortunately I felt that the issue fell a little flat on Way's side, all the ground work was there, but it just didn't seem to rise to much. It was pretty anti-climatic and predictable and to be honest I don't think that Steve Dillion's work is doing it any favours. I don't think that he's able to capture the 'epicness' of the Hulk or Venom, which I think will really become an issue as the series goes on; especially when it boils down to the big action sequences.

It's probably worth sticking with to see if Way can make it work, if not just to see the next gen. of Thunderbolts.

What would doom do?

He'd kick back and really, there's definitely no worry of Way's latest set of vigilantes turned hero trekking their way to his back yard. But it wouldn't hurt to keep his ear to the ground

Doom's guide to Deadpool

Ok, lets keep this short and simple. I am loving this new series of Deadpool. Our Merc with a mouth is on a quest to kill resurrected dead Presidents, followed by his new pal; the ghost of Ben Franklin.

Brian Posehn & Gerry Duggan are the perfect duo for this project, with a good amount of violence, humor and awesome one-liners. Anyone who can make the likes Dr Strange hilarious definitely have my vote - and who knew that Ben Franklin stole his woman!

Only 3 issues in and Deadpool is shooting and slashing his way through POTIS's galore in stunning fashion. Tony Moore's work is perfect. It's slapstick, gore-filled and just hilarious. Wade has been sliced and diced in every fashion...i've never seen so many way's to keep impaling a man! (the elephant was a perfect touch).

My only gripe with this is amount of times they've shown Wade without the mask. Of course we're no stranger to how he looks without it, but I feel like the element of mystery has been taken away.

But nevertheless this is a great series so far and a nice interval between the more intense/serious issues of Marvel NOW that are currently out.

What would doom do?
Fish out his finest Latverian dollar, hire himself a certain Merc with a mouth and get this monkey to keep on dancing.

I Kill Giants

The story of Barbara; a young high school girl who is struggling to accept a tragedy in her family.

Barbara is sarcastic, bombastic, headstrong, hates school, loves D&D, isn’t interested in friends or dumb people, and oh yeh, she’s obsessed with giants – finding them, hunting them and killing them.

Saying that what writer Joe Kelly has produced is a work of genius probably doesn’t give IKG enough credit, but if you’re anything like me and have suffered a personal loss at a young age then this book definitely is as good as it gets. I bought the whole volume so I feel like I was lucky enough to take this in all at once and ‘feel the emotion’ all in one sitting – as opposed to waiting each month.

From the opening pages, Kelly sets the scene – a busy town, people going about their day to day life, and right in the middle of them, amongst them there’s Barb. Right from the get go with the manga-esque style, Barb’s appearance and the sci-fi-ish title it’s so easy to fall into the “this is just another fantasy book” trap - but IKG definitely isn’t that. This is a story about the real world, and real people. IKG wears a similar deceptive mask to those that are grieving or in pain.

This is a story about grief and loss. Kelly tells the story of Barbara and her relationships in such a deep and beautiful way that I was so thrown. It had such a strong impact on me as I felt I could identify with Barbara, and if you’ve ever been in a similar position, you know how comforting and helpful these mental retreats can be. Kelly brings so much emotion to this story as Barb battles her own demons. Her fear and turmoil slowly creeps through the pages and it culminates in an outlandish fantasy sequence in the penultimate chapter where she faces off with a Titan. It pretty much gets blurry at that point on account of all my sobbing.

Kelly manages to tell a difficult story that provides a simple but beautiful message about courage, hope and facing your fears. Even till the very end there’s no clear explanation as to whether these giants exists or not, and whilst it appears that they don’t, the penultimate chapter suggests otherwise. But when it comes to fear and adversity, don’t we all face our own giants?

Kelly’s work is only made more amazing by the pencils of Ken Niimura. What can I say about Niirmura’s work - it’s swift, graceful, beautiful and emotive. Some of the most perfect scenes of IKG are definitely the faces of the characters. The scenes which depict Barb finally confronting ‘the room’ are both heart-breaking and terrifying.

Niimura says everything he needs to in black and white. Even the small details such as Barb and her bunny ears mean so much. They are so random yet so her. The fact that on-one mentions a thing about them further displays her ‘oddness’ and that these have become the norm. Either that or maybe no-one really is paying attention.

I Kill Giants is amazing. Kelly and Niimura tell a heart-wrenching story through a metaphor of fantasy and art that transcends mere entertainment and displays the complexities of such raw emotion. It really goes on to fully illustrate Kelly’s words:

“To those fighting their own giants, you're stronger than you think”.

It definitely holds a strong place in my heart.

IDW Borderlands Origins! Its Borderlands! In a Comic!

Now, some of you may be aware of a craze sweeping the nations of the world, something all the cool kids are doing. Even I've starting having a go. It's Borderlands! The awesomely fantastimazing loot and shoot game that is so amazing it requires the use of the made up word fantastimazing. For those of you who are fans of the game, both the original and the recently released Borderlands 2 you know that it is filled to the brim with excellently crafted characters and some truly stunning locations, and guns, lots and lots for guns. All of which lends itself wonderfully to story telling. So it was only a matter of time before it was picked up for a comic book series. And luckily it was IDW that picked it up, a publisher than is known for its handling of established franchises and bringing out there true potential in a comic book format.

Which brings me to the main point of this post, IDW's new offering 'Borderlands: Origins' telling the tale of how that mismatched bunch of misfits got on the bus in the beginning of the first game. With the first issue telling the story of Roland, an ex-military badass.

And IDW are off to a fantastic start, thanks to writer Mikey Neumann and artist Augustin Padilla. What we have been given is Borderlands as a comic book, pure and simple, no messing about, no trying new things, its Borderlands but on paper. And I thoroughly recommend it to any fan of the games. Due in large to the artwork from Padilla  and Esther Sanz, who together have beautifully brought life to pages in a style that fits right in with the style of the game, taking life, and adding just enough cartoon to make it fantastical without going over board. It really is a pleasure to look at and blends in seamlessly with the already established visual style which makes it all the more enjoyable. 

Then of course we have the writing, and thank you Mikey Neumann, you have done justice to the world of Borderlands. Not only has he taken on the role of writing for a character that has already been established but also writing an entire comic that already had a style or writing before pen hit paper. But it has been done very well, taking the same off sense of humour and level of action and running with it. With the end result being a comic that is not only well written, but also easy to read and doesn't take you out of the world but only helps to submerge you in it. I can honestly say I can't wait for the next issue, to see how the other characters are managed will be awesome! This is definitely one of my new favourites, due mostly to the excellent way an existing love of mine, he Borderlands games, have been handling and given a new dimension. I hope to see more of this.

What Would Doom Do?

He would read this so hard he would accidentally obliterate it from reality forcing him to go buy more. And then dig out that old time machine of his so he can travel forward in time to get the next issue so he doesn't have to wait. And then reverse time so he can read it again for the first time, again, for the joy. And then travel forward in time to read the next issue again, and so on and so forth.

READ IT!!!!!!

FF #1: Future Foundation FTW

Well what can I say, Marvel NOW has done it again...and this time I was at the mercy of Matt Fraction and Michael Allred. FF #1 pretty much delivers everything you want in a #1, and what it lacks in action, it makes up for in strong, witty dialogue, FANTASTIC artwork, and just general hilarity.

This first issue establish the new line up for the FF team, who have been tasked to become the earth's great defenders for 4 minutes whilst Richards and the family go on 'holiday' (no spoilers here my friend). This new team of consists of Ant-Man (Scott Lang), She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters), Medusa and Ms Thing (Darla Deering), with each hero being scouted by an existing member of the FF squad.


Throughout this little jingle jangle of rallying the troops, are a series of clips of the younger members Future Foundation talking to Lang about what the FF is and what it means to them. I LOVE these little clips - especially the opening scene with Franklin and Valeria. They really provide some extra character to this issue, and kinda gives you a handle on things - cause if we're honest it can get a little complicated.

I must say, initially, Scott Lang was the main draw for me; not only is he grade A awesome as Ant-Man (I adore Pym and O'Grady, but no-one can own the ant like Lang), I really wanted to see how they'd develop his story since his reanimation and the Cassie's death. (Avengers: The Childrens Crusade).

But in the end it was Allred who's the star of the show. His work is cool, slick, bloody cool and comic pop art at its finest - and Laura Allred's colours don't do it any harm either.
With Allred's work, I really feel like i'm watching an adventure unfold, and I really reallllyyy hope that Fraction can maintain the high standard that he has set with this first issues.

What would doom do?
Grab his finest set of colouring pencils, draw himself a little doom doodle self portrait, and march it across these badass pages of FF. We all know that it's only a matter of time before it'll actually be the real thing.