TEX'S BACK-ISSUE QUEST #19 PART 2

Last time on TEX's Back-Issue Quest, we talked about Metamorpho (click here if you need to see read the last episode),

    What I didn't realize is that...I own Metamorpho, vol 1 #1!! I totally forgot!

    So, for your viewing pleasure:

I present to you my well-read copy of Metamorpho vol 1, #1!! In this issue, another of Simon Stagg's assistants gone wrong, Kurt Vornak, seeks to cure Metamorpho - not for altruistic reasons, mind you - but simply because he is a criminal who wants to get meddling Metamorpho out of the way for good. But Vornak's attempt to cure Metamorpho goes horribly wrong...For him.

FUN FACT: Kurt Vornak never appeared again after this issue. Gotta love those Silver-Age throw-a-way villains!

ENJOY!!

Shadow Glass #2 Review

The Shadow Glass #2 (Dark Horse)

Oh! yeah, This was a great read, Well done Aly Fell.
Dr. Dee & Tomas (Rosalind's real father) are remembering the old days whist Rosalind, looks on through the dark upper staircase. They want to open the doorway into the Astral Plane that killed Rosalind's mother (they admit they weren't strong enough the first time).

The shadow glass is a Aztecs sacrificial item used it during there many killings to please the gods. Oh dear what are these men up too???

Tomas asks about the young lady he saw earlier, Dr. Dee hears Rosalind up behind the stairs saying "he doesn't know" & Quickly changes the conversation to protect her from her somewhat evil father Tomas. But she is too stubborn to leave it at that & Tomas knows that Dr. Dee is lying about her.

At the end of this issue they summon a creature through the Shadow glass that they were not expected to see.

Once again, Beautiful artwork & Direction in the by Aly Fell. Thank you Dark Horse for publishing some great books.

Rating 9/10.

B.E.K. (Black-Eyed Kids) #1 Review

B.E.K. (black eyed kids) #1 (Aftershock)

Well...The worst thing about this book is that it was way to short, A snap shot of a true horror story that (is obviously) brief. Reminded me of the Movie Amityville Horror & Village of the Damned.

Is a little hard to describe as it involves the killing of a service station attendant (brutally i might add) & a brother stabbing his sister & another sibling to death, All while a duo of kids with black eyes say "is it done", "you are worthy".
I am intrigued with this book. Love the horror & it has just enough interest for me to continue with it.

The artwork is great by Szymon Kudranski, Written by Joe Pruett. Was a good read, Low price as well.

NOT FOR KIDS. The story almost got there as a complete read, Hope more is added on the next issue to keep me entertained.

Rating: 8/10.

TEX'S Back-Issue Quest 2.0 Episode 19

It's time again for another blast from the comic-book past with TEX!

      I love Silver-Age comics, especially from DC; unfortunately, not all of the comics DC put out in the Silver Age grew to be huge hits, no matter how great the writing and characters may have been. I have an example of this today on the Quest:

     Here is my copy of The Brave and the Bold (Vol 1), #57, published in 1965, which features the 1st appearance of Rex Mason, AKA Metamorpho, The Element Man! It also features the first appearance of Rex's love interest, Sapphire Stagg, her dastardly father, Simon Stagg and his Neanderthal right-hand man, Java. Soldier-of-fortune, Rex Mason is on a mission in Egypt for Simon Stagg when he is exposed to the rays of the Orb of Ra. The rays give Mason the power to transform his body into any element in the human body, but leave him freakishly disfigured, an unattractive composite man. Now forced to exist as Metamorpho, Rex seeks to use his powers for good, and find a cure for himself so that he and Sapphire can be together again. What an exciting character, with tight scripting and amazing pencils. 

FUN FACT 1: Metamorpho was created by the great Bob Haney, and legendary female penciler, Ramona Fradon.

FUN FACT 2: Rex Mason was not the first Element Man. Almost 800 years ago, Egyptian Priest Ahk-Ton, found a meteorite that he fashioned into the Orb of Ra...Which he promptly used for evil. Post-Crisis, Ahk-Ton was upgraded from priest to pharaoh.

FUN FACT #3: Metamorpho appeared in The Brave and the Bold #57 and #58, and then got his own series which ran for only 17 issues before being canceled. 

FUN FACT 3: In the future, Metamorpho would become affiliated with several superhero groups. Most notable are The Outsiders, and The Justice League. 

FUN FACT 4: Batman would ultimately come to lead The Outsiders...But that is another TEX'S Back-Issue Quest.

:)

Thanks for reading!

Happy Trails.

Chrononauts Vol 1 Review

Chrononauts, Vol 1, from Image Comics -

     Ostentatious and bodacious scientist, Dr. Corbin Quinn, has sacrificed it all for science...and for fame and fortune. His wife, his father, his future happiness - all has slipped though his fingers for the chance to prove that he alone could do the impossible: peer through the wall of time. And, with the help of his best pal, Dr. Danny Reilly, he has succeeded far beyond what his detractors could ever imagine...With the new chronosuits Corbin and Danny are going to be the very first men to step into the time-stream! Of course, everything spirals out of control when Corbin is hit by a rogue wave in the time stream that hurtles him far into the past. With one-half of the bromance in peril, Danny goes in to save him; however, what Danny finds boggles his mind, and just might cost him his life...And destroy the future of the entire planet.

   Chrononauts, Vol 1, collects Chrononauts issues 1 through 4. As usual, Mark Millar brings us action, adventure, laughs and crazy fun in this rip-roaring, time-traveling smash hit that seems made for translation to the big screen. Corbin and Danny are bad boy scientists who like to live it up, explore, and go all the way. These guys are extremely likable, and fun to journey with. After a while, you learn, while they discover as well, that both of them are far more than they seem to be on the surface. Millar goes balls-out of the story, throwing caution, and the entire timeline, to the wind which leaves the reader wondering how in the world Corbin and Danny are going to fix the humongous chronological cock-ups they are committing one after the other. Sean Gordon Murphy's sketchy but gorgeously meticulous art kicks the afterburners on this already wonderfully nutty story. Throw your brain out the window and ride into the future with these lovable Tony Stark clones. Chrononauts, Vol 1, is fun from start to finish.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

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Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises #1 (Darby Pop Publishing)

I don't have many comics based on my most favorite hero. Darby Pop Publishing has done a fantastic job with a book that mixes our crazy modern age & the early 70's.

A somewhat secret org. has glass boxes with some serous tech attached to them. A person is encased that's in suspended stasis (think demolition Man). A dude put his hot coffee on a box & suddenly there is an earthquake (this story takes place in California). All turns out o.k. except that the box is broken.

Some kids (brother & sister) are at a dodo learning the fine art & there instructor is a meanie. A short time later this Asian man walks in to stop him from hitting the teenage girl teaching her a life lesson. After leaving the kids take the Asian man home because he is confused as to who his is & what hell is going on. They meet up with Joe Toomey (he's a cool cat) & all is revealed. The secret org. has caught up with them & taser the Asian man, put him back in the glass box for a woman that seems very powerful indeed. But the kids hitched a ride in the back of Joe's trunk without him knowing...What follows is (well you will just have to buy this book to find out)

Artwork by Brandon McKinney, Written by Shannon Lee & Jeff Kline. We see a most fun fantastical take on the most popular figure in pop culture history, Bruce Lee.

Rating: 10/10

Get the book, Would make for a brilliant TV series (i figured that just after this first issue) Sweet read whilst looking at the flag i have of him (Way of the Dragon) draped over a doorway near my computer.

Best line, Joe: "Everybody has a GPS now. Video cameras in their smartphones. They can search Facebook & Instagram all by themselves"...Bruce: "I didn't understand anything you just said".

House of Penance #1 Review

House of Penance #1 (of 6) (Dark Horse)

Based on the famous haunted crazy Winchester house. Stairs, Halls & Doors that lead to no-where.
Sarah Winchester is hiring a ton of reputable men (out laws, Gun-slingers) to build the giant house. She is highly motivated & stern in her orders. No-one questions why & they frankly don't want to know why (these men are happy for a feed & roof to sleep under).
A man appears in the barn one late evening with a blooded side, Get's some work & then sits down to rest. He says "this seems like a good place to die as any".

Fantastic artwork by Ian Bertram (Regular Show & Bowery Boys), Really works well with the story which is by Peter J. Tomasi (heaps of DC works including possibly the best book of last year Justice League: Darkseid War: Batman).
Dark Horse excels at publishing this dark/horror theme comic books. Great cover & even the next issue has sweet cover. Can't wait for more.

Rating: 10/10.

Hot Damn #1 (IDW)

This new title from IDW is...Hot stuff! Lots of life lessons can be learned from reading this.
We see Ted Graham in hell, After a hilarious group session (think AA meetings, Fight club) with a goat headed demon he tell us why he's there. Drugs, Heavy booze, Theft etc.

He has a mate who is a lower demon that's breaking all the rules, They both decided to take a astral trip to earth & posses a fat dude making him punch himself & spew uncontrollably.
After being caught out by both the demons & angels on watch (they all know each other & are friends) Ted is called into see the big man himself Satan whom says "we need to talk".

Great artwork by Val Ramon & written by Ryan Ferrier. Highly intelligent read, Lots going on the background, Look out for Hitler, Stalin & Mussolini. But this is still hell & one can't relax. You see the 3rd worst bar in hell & you don't want to order a drink (oh noooo!)
Recommended read for those who are able to get this stuff, NOT FOR KIDS.

Rating: 9/10

Best line: "This is horse s!#%. Why am i in hell? All i did was jerk it in a food court...couple of times. But didn't steal no damn cop car!"

Batman V Superman Comics...From General Mills?

Yep, it's true.

    Through April, General Mills and DC Comics are teaming up to bring you four different Batman v Superman comics inside specially marked boxes of Golden Grahams (my fave), Trix, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Honey Nut Cheerios. Never one to let a comic book collecting opportunity pass me by, I jumped at the opportunity to buy all four sealed issues in one fell swoop, locking down the entire collection in classic TEX-Style.

    Can you dig it? I know you can. Check it out:

It's BatmanvSuperman: Dawn of Justice #1, written by Jeff Parker with art from R.B. Silva and Jose Marzan, Jr., and BatmanvSuperman: Dawn of Justice #2, written by Christos Gage with art by Federico Delloccio.

and

It's BatmanvSuperman: Dawn of Justice #3, written by Marguerite Bennett with art by Marcus To, and SupermanvBatman: Dawn of Justice #4, written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Eduardo Pansica. These books are rated "All Ages" for fun reading that the whole family can share, and a must-have for all fans of BatmanvSuperman: Dawn of Justice! They are only available through April, and then they are gone. Sets have been selling on eBay for around $25 USD.

I bet you'd like to read them - I sure did, since mine are (and shall remain) sealed. Luckily for us, our friends over at Cosmic Book News have all for books scanned and available for reading! Just click on the link and enjoy!

Here is a nice pic of all four comics, courtesy of the website, A Taste of General Mills:

Just click the link above to check out their site and get more info on these great limited edition BvS comics!

BvS 4-Life.

Heads Up Episode 1

Heads Up! My comic-book collecting friends.

Tex is used to me saying this over the years so it's about time i made public to all the other awesome people out there.

What's coming that one should now about...???

Tokyo Ghost #6 (due out on the 20th April) If your into universal goodness, Then get it.

Karnak #3 Oh! yeah

Shadow Glass #2 Nice.

Lucifer #5 Read at your own risk.

And the coup de gras... Elseworlds Batman TPB Vol. 1...With, Dark Allegiances, Holy Terror, Dark Joker & In Darkest Knight & Robin 3000. (i don't have half of these). I need to have this in my life, Well done DC...please give us more.

They are the picks to look out for...Please feel free to add what you think i missed.

-Enjoy!

The Shadow of Glass #1 Review

The Shadow Glass #1 (of 6) Dark Horse.

Dark Horse has a fantastic series on there hand, Great read & artwork (both by Aly Fell). I'm new to her work but what a riveting first book of 6. 

A story that involves old school magic (that's the shadow glass) set in London between 1560's - 1580's.

A young beautiful lady that's a somewhat of a tomboy Rosalind who is 20 yrs of age finds out that her father is dying from cancer. To add salt to a wound she also finds that he is not her real father at all...But a English man from the Americas i think who has a dark intentions involving an occult.

You see she was not born by natural means but of a summoning of a creature involving the Shadow Glass.

If your into a gripping Elizabethan yarn then this is for you, I for one am excited for the next issue.

Rating 9/10.

Grayson Vol 1 and Vol 2

Grayson Vol 1: Agents of Spyral from DC Comics

Grayson Vol 2: We Die At Dawn from DC Comics

     During the Events of Forever Evil, Richard Grayson died. He tracked, unmasked and murdered before the eyes of the world...But it was a clever ruse by Lex Luthor to save him. No longer viable as a masked vigilante, Dick Grayson is Nightwing no more. Now he is Agent 37 of Spyral, a shadowy and supremely elite spy agency that takes on the most impossible tasks to further their ultimate goal: to uncover the identities of the world's greatest superheroes. To do this, Spyral seeks a power of their own - the power of the Paragon Protocol - metahuman biological organs that gift their owners with supernatural abilities. Alongside Helena Bertinelli, Grayson pushes himself to the limits to become the ultimate spy for Spyral, and it mysterious Director without a face, Mr. Minos. But Richard Grayson has a secret, a secret that he only shares with one man: The Batman. If he isn't careful, his secret will get him killed...And this time, there will be no saving him.


   Tim Seeley and Tom King write this thrilling superhero/superspy mash-up. In these volumes we see Dick Grayson in some very entertaining, high-adventure tales that have it all - great artwork, plenty of action, lots of humor, mystery, high-tech-hijinks and a little bit of romance. Through it all, Grayson is ever true, firmly planted in his in his beliefs and ready to sacrifice it all to do what is right. Entrenched in possibly the world's most dangerous clandestine agency with no one to trust, Grayson fights the good fight, and he does it with confidence and style. Mikel Janín and Stephen Mooney provide gorgeous pencils while Jeremy Cox makes it all pop with rich, lavish colors. These stories are just what you would expect from the DCU's greatest, good-hearted natural acrobat.

RATING: 10 out of 10. Grayson is high-flying fun!

Paper Girls TPB Review

Paper Girls TPB (Image)

Well...This was more than better, Great, Fantastic stuff. I read the whole damn thing in minutes, Simply could not put it down. It reminded me of being a kid in the 80's.
The good direction & the artwork was fantastic.

Time travel, Monsters, Awkward Teenagers (we were all like that), 1980's...Oh! this is good stuff. Mutants, Dinosaurs birds, Harvesting humans & Dudes who can obliterate you with a laser stick.
B K Vaughan on the the writing & Cliff Chiang artwork that fits like a beautiful glove.

Tex you said this was good, You were not wrong. I recommend anyone who's after something old & something new, Then this is for you. The best TPB i have read in years, Get it now!!!!!

Rating 10/10

Well...Don't think about it, It's awesome stuff when you a have bunch of cute cool girls trying to save the world, whilst arguing over computer games levels.

A Heartfelt Thank You To Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Just hit play,

    And be amazed by what this young woman articulates and how she articulates it. I couldn't have communicated it any better.

    She's pretty awesome.

International Iron Man #1 Review

International Iron Man #1 from Marvel Comics -


    Tony Stark is a genius. His cool smoothness masks inner turmoil driven by a feeling of deep isolation and the awkwardness that comes along with it. Twenty years ago, during his time at the University of Cambridge in England, these feelings were shared with another. His first love, Cassandra Gillespie, a woman also from a background of affluence and isolation. Tony fell hard, not knowing of Cassandra's mother's hidden, dark past. Tony's world spirals out of control when he and Cassandra are sucked into her mother's deadly affairs...To save them, Tony may have to kill...Or be killed. Whatever happens, Tony will end up at the mercy of Cassandra, in more ways than one. She has the key to a secret that Tony needs desperately: the identity of his birth parents.

   International Iron Man #1 was written by Brian Michael Bendis, and rendered by Alex Maleev. In itself, International Iron Man #1 has the beginnings of a great story: great character interactions, amazing dialogue, and a great gut-punch ending. Bends is a master at all of these things; he loves those Ultimate Spider-Man-type slow burns, letting the story take off EXTREMELY slowly and picking up the pace in the final pages of the issue. It usually works, but in this issue it was a bit off-putting as almost the entire book was written around a young Tony Stark and his burgeoning relationship with Cassandra Gillespie - it was almost like reading one of those old Young Love comics from DC, or Our Love Story from Marvel. I did love were the revamped origin story - Howard Stark isn't Tony Stark's real father?  Wow. That has been a truth in Marvel canon forever; it will be fun to see how Bendis works this out, and to see how/if it changes any of the essentials of who Tony Stark, and by extension, Iron Man, is. Maleev does a great job on the artwork of this issue, giving us clean lines and toning down his sometimes exaggerated sketchiness that annoys my eyes to death. I wasn't wowed by the issue, but I was intrigued enough to hang around for a few more issues. Maybe Bendis will succeed in giving us Iron Man as we have never seen him before. If anyone can do that, it's BMB.

RATING 8 out of 10.

FUN FACT: This comic features the 1st appearance of Cassandra Gillespie, a seemingly VERY MAJOR addition to the Iron Man mythos.

Batman #50 (Vol 2) review

Batman #50 from DC Comics -

   Mr. Bloom, a flower-faced madman, is intent on destroying Gotham. From its ashes, he intends to grow things better, as they should be: a world where the "gardeners" have fallen, a world where everything is savage but fair. With his power-siphoning seeds implanted in nearly every Gothamite, Bloom has nearly an unlimited power source to wreak havoc and burn the city back by block. Jim Gordon, Gotham's new Batman has been severely injured fighting Bloom, so it seems that no one is left to stand between Gotham and total annihilation...But there is one. He is the night, and the Dark Knight. He has healed, remembered, and now he will return. But is even he enough to stop the force of nature that is Mr. Bloom? Will Batman, Jim Gordon, Duke Thomas and their allies be able to save Gotham, or, in the end, will it be that Mr. Bloom puts the flowers on all their graves?

    Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are putting the finishing touches on the absolute greatest run on Batman in recent history, and the absolute greatest run in the New 52. In their penultimate issue, they blow the freaking roof off with an amazing, over-the-top storyline that puts Gotham in peril like we have never seen, and brings back the original Batman for nonstop mayhem and action. This over-sized comic has more than 50 pages of Capullo's insanely amazing artwork supporting a storyline like only Snyder can pen. Take a look to the new Batsuit:

     WOW!

     Snyder is the new architect of the DCYou, and nowhere does his genius shine more brightly than on Batman. Besides all that, in this issue, we may witness the genesis of a new Robin! EXCITING!! I don't know who DC could possibly hire that could top Snyder's and Capullo's run on Batman. I am looking forward to their final issue, which I've heard will be a love letter-type story to the fans.

RATING: 10 out of 10. This issue will leave you breathless.

Godzilla: Oblivion #1 1:10 variant (mini series) IDW

I was excited to get this & found one problem...The artwork figgin' sucks. Sorry IDW but you let the ball drop on that dept. damn i was upset. (looks as though a 9 year old had to draw it for a late a school project) please don't do this again :(

Other than that it was a good read, A group of scientist have created a machine that opens a portal to another dimension. & they enter of course  & see nothing but utter devastation, After witnessing a bird like creature attack Robo-Zilla they run. A group of mercenaries (they live in this world) told them to leave & shut the portal before...Yes the supreme "King Ghidorah" appears & heads to the portal, Comes through to our world & you know who will follow.

The cover to #2 is awesome indeed, Just hope the interior artwork gets better...Hmph!!!

Rating 7.5/10

Satan's hollow #1 (of 6) Zenescope 

Based on some urban legend in Ohio woods that a demon was summoned through human sacrifice some years ago in a old abandoned tunnel. Two young dudes with a Go-pro go in search of ghost & find a hell of alot more than just that...One is attacked by a a creature that is called shadow-man (no not the valiant one) & is well, We don't know yet.
A young couple whom have just moved into town have helped in the search for the 13 yr old dude who went missing. The Lady found the tunnel & was stopped abruptly by a local policeman saying 'nothing to see here' (but she could have sworn she heard someone say...help...) Hmm!!!
Well this was a brilliant read, Hair raising stuff, I need more now!

Joe Brusha does a fantastic job with the writing & Allan Otero artwork is just perfect for the job (well done Allan). If your into the dark stuff I mean the dark stuff too!!! then this mini series is for you.
Can't wait for the next issue.
rating 10/10.
As the cover so says...For Mature readers.

Detective Comics #50 Review

Detective Comics #50 from DC Comics -

    Bruce Wayne is gone. Commissioner Jim Gordon carries the mantle of The Bat, and he's doing everything he can to carry it well, and to deal with the insanity that is the world of the Batman. Now, Gotham is under siege by a deranged villain once again. This may seem like nothing new, but this villain is different - he removes, and absconds with, part of his victims for an unknown, sinister purpose. The only clue is that these murders are linked to heroes and heroic deeds. With little to go on, Batman races against time to keep this macabre maniac from killing his next two victims - victims who have already been chosen, captured and readied for the gory sacrifice. Can Jim save them, or will the Batman himself wind up dead and missing a few parts?

   Peter J. Tomasi pens a classic Batman tale in Detective Comics #50, a tale that is entertaining, and dark, taking Batman back to his gothic roots. It's a tight little mystery/horror mash-up that is sure to please fans of the Batman. I must admit, Jim Gordon as Batman is not totally satisfying to me, but it is an interesting way to shake things up, and it showcases all the reasons that Gordon is Batman's perfect partner in crime, so to speak. This iteration of Gordon is a lean, mean, ex-Marine fighting machine, and while he lacks Bruce Wayne's intellect and resourcefulness, he is resolute and tireless. Fernando Pasarin and Scott Eaton rock the pencils on this issue, and they are very good - even though Batman looks a bit like Daredevil in black at times. All in all, it's a solid issue, because at the heart of it all, Batman isn't a head-cracking psycho, but he is the world's greatest, most motivated detective. This shines through in Detective Comics #50 - Jim Gordon has to to put his greatest asset to work to solve stop this madman: his brain. I dig it.

RATING 8 out of 10. 

Superman #50 Review

Superman #50 from DC Comics -

    Superman is up against the greatest threat that he, or the planet has ever faced: an all-powerful Vandal Savage. The comet that gave Savage his powers is within Savage's grasp, and if he gets control of it he will absolutely rule the entire world - a world in which strength will be the measuring stick for all things, a world win which the strong not only survive, but they will reign supreme. Savage offers Superman a pivotal role in his new world; Superman must join him or die, and watch the world and everything he loves destroyed. Even though Superman's powers have returned...Are they enough to stop a power-mad god?

   Superman #50 was penned by Gene Luen Yang, and it's really great. I stopped reading Superman in the early issues of this comic because Superman just didn't seem like Superman anymore. I turned to the Superman Earth One titles to get an updated version of the classic Superman I loved. This issue, Superman is fully Superman once more, a shining beacon of hope, a super-powered farm boy willing to sacrifice everything, and make those hard decisions to do the right thing. Although there were several artists, Howard Porter's art stands out, as do the colors of HI-FI - these guys made the Justice League 3000 books really pop, and their work in this book is no less amazing. Superman #50 is a comic for true fans of Superman. Even though the wrap-up in the final pages felt a bit rushed, I loved it.

RATING: 9.5 out of 10. Superman soars in this issue - in more ways than one.

TEX'S one problem: Vandal Savage is everywhere. But how can can we bring in Vandal Savage without even mentioning his greatest foe: Immortal Man?

Imposter #1 Review

Imposter #1 from 21 Pulp -

    Detective Hale Barker is having one hell of a day. He's been pinned down by gunfire, the target of rocket-fire, and the mark of every bad guy in the city. Just another day on the mean streets of Black City. But Barker's not alone, he's got the best kind of help. He's friends with the Centipede, one of Black City's premier masked vigilantes, so help is always on the way. Unfortunately, this night is about to turn into a nightmare that will launch Detective Barker down a path of no return, and give him knowledge of deep things that he'll wish that he'd never learned. It all begins with the death of the Centipede and the revelation of a secret about all of the planet's superheroes...A secret so dangerous that it not only endangers Black City, but the entire world! What can one man do? A lot...When he is legion!

    Writer James Patrick brings us this action-packed tale, of magic, mystery and masked vigilantes in this new, sleeper-hit from 21 Pulp. This book is jam-packed with great, new (but a bit familiar) characters, and lots of questions that are answered rather wonderfully in the last few pages of this high-octane book. At first the story seemed choppy, as the main story was interrupted by weird interludes into other, seemingly unconnected, stories; however, by the end, Patrick ties it all together masterfully in a few jaw-dropping moments that nearly took my breath away. Martin Szymanski's artwork is kinetic, sketchy, and moody - this guy does action right. Imposter is an extremely strong showing for a first issue from a publisher I've never even heard of. This comic has it all: superheroes, science-fiction, sorcery, action, drama - I enjoyed every page, and I cannot wait for more. 

RATING 10 out of 10. I'll have to keep an eye on 21 Pulp. 

Legends of Tomorrow #1 Review

Legends of Tomorrow #1 from DC Comics -

    The Firestorm matrix is unstable. What will explode first: Firestorm, or the friendship between Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rausch? Corporate giant, Simon Stagg has soldier of fortune, Rex Mason, trapped in his high security lab. Why? Because on one of his missions, Mason found an orb so powerful and mysterious, it turned into Morgan into something more than human - and Stagg wants the power for himself. Sugar Plumm and Cecil "Spike" Wilson are childhood friends, now detectives, who specialize in metahuman problems. They have been hired to retrieve some important evidence, but will the growing space between them be the end of their relationship...And their lives? Doctor Will Magnus has created the greatest weapons mankind has ever seen - weapons with hearts: the Metal Men. They do battle with untouchable hacker, the Nameless, who will do anything to have them at his disposal...Even destroy their beloved city, Santa Verde, and anyone and everyone in it.


    Legends of Tomorrow #1 is a comic book for people who love good, old fashioned, superhero comic books. It's a huge anthology with four complete stories penned by writers like Gerry Conway, Keith Griffen, and Len Wein, with artwork by pencilers like Aaron Lopresti and Bilquis Everly. Only Metamorpho's story has enough backstory to put it in the "origin story" category; the others take off from where they are. Firestorm's story is heavy on the drama and light on action. Metamorpho's story is the same, but much more interesting. I was excited for Sugar and Spike, but I did not expect and unlikeable Sugar and a much put upon and under-appreciated Spike. However, the story itself was fun, with some chuckles sprinkled in. The Metal Men story was equal parts action, drama, humor and sci-fi - they were clearly the stars of this book, and their story, along with Everly's art, was the highlight. All in all, Legends of Tomorrow made a good showing for an anthology book - good with the potential to be great.

  But I'm partial to anthologies, anyway.

RATING: 8.5 out of 10. Legends of Tomorrow isn't legendary yet, but the potential is there. I'll hang on for a few issues and see where it goes.

Caveat: $7.99 per issue. Yikes.

TEX'S Back-ISSUE QUEST EPISODE 18

Hey there, brothers and sisters!

    There is something that I want you to know...And knowing is half the battle!! G.I. Joe!!

    LOL!! Oh, me.

    Check this out, here's what I want you to know:

I've got G.I. Joe #10, published by Ziff-Davis in 1950 which features the first appearance of G.I. Joe...Well, kinda. It is his first appearance in comic book format.

 You see, Dave Breger, the creator of G.I. Joe was a successful magazine cartoon artist in the early 1940s, before America joined WWII. Around the same time, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and created a strip called Private Breger for The Saturday Evening Post. When the Army got wind of his talent, he was pulled from his job as a mechanic in Camp Livingston, LA, and transferred to the Special Services Division in NY. There he was assigned to the staff of Yank the Army Weekly, a weekly magazine published by the U.S. military during WWII. Yank wanted Breger to do a strip similar to his own successful one. Knowing that "government issued" was stamped on nearly everything the Army used, and being fully aware that soldiers themselves had taken to calling themselves, G.I.s since WWI, Breger created G.I. Joe, full name Joe Trooper, whose adventures began being published in June of 1942 in the very first issue of Yank. G.I. Joe ran in Yank until its final issue in 1945.

In 1950, G.I. Joe was revived by Ziff-Davis. WWII was over, but the Korean War was in high gear. G.I. Joe was brought back as Private Joe Burch, a dim (for comedic relief), but heroic soldier. The comic lasted for 2 volumes and and a total of 51 issues. 

In the mid 1960s, G.I. Joe reappeared in DC Comics' Showcase series (#53 and #54), and quickly faded again. But it wasn't long until G.I. Joe was back in comics. This time it was Hasbro, a toy company, that was leading the charge for a toyline based on American fighting men, and G.I. Joe. Hasbro published a comic named G.I. Joe: America's Movable Fighting Man in 1967 which was followed by others, including the G.I. Joe Adventure Team printed in 1969 to coincide with toy releases which birthed the concept of G.I. Joe as a team and not a single fighting man. 

Then came the goldmine:

It's my copy of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1, published in 1982, which gave us our modern concept of our beloved G.I. Joe team. This comic series coincided with the launch of new, smaller action figures (3.75 inch), and a hit animated TV show. This comic features too many 1st appearances  to list, but here are some highlights: Gen. Flagg, Hawk, Scarlett, Cobra Commander, the Baroness and, last but not least, Snake Eyes!!

FUN FACT #1: Ziff-Davis had a habit of starting their first issues off as #10. So my copy of G.I. Joe #10 is actually #1.

FUN FACT #2: The Adventure Team line is remembered for several fun changes to action figures, like "Life-Like Hair," "Eagle-Eyes," and the famous "Kung-Fu Grip."

FUN FACT #3: G.I. Joe action figures were marketed as Action Man and Action Force in the UK; however, the soldiers were international - meaning members of militaries of varying nationalities.

FUN FACT #4: The G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic was published in the UK under Marvel UK as Action Force in 1987. It included reprints of the American comic, and new, short strips that were only published in the UK.

Oh, you knew that I had a copy didn't ya? TEX loves Marvel UK. 

I hope you enjoy the reading as much as I enjoyed the telling!

YO, JOE!!!!