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Review Date: 02/05/2010
Good King Leonardo has decreed that we review this week
the latest issues of four new comic books that also each have
a strong historic presence as television shows. The
comics either began as comic books and crossed over into
televison, or vice-versa. So let's start with the
latest issue in the popular "Marriage of Archie" mega-event:
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Archie
#605
Publisher: Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
Muchael Uslan: Writer
Stan Goldberg: Pencils
Bob Smith: Inks
Glenn Whitmore: Colors
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Archie #605
is the final installment in the six-issue story arc
which explores the "What If?" possibilities of Archie
marrying one or the other of his two on-again,
off-again girlfriends, Betty and Veronica. The
first three issues detailed a potential Archie-Veronica
marriage, while the latest three issues explore the
alternative of a post-collegiate Archie marrying perennial
blond girlfriend Betty.
Issue #605 explores the life of newlyweds Archie and
Betty in the few years following their issue
#604 wedding. While the couple first moves to
New York City for Betty's career opportunities, they
quickly move back to their hometown of Riverdale and
reconnect with their roots. Betty teaches English
at Riverdale High and Archie is recruited to become
the new high school music teacher. A second
interweaving storyline includes the newlyweds having
their first two babies, while a third plotline focuses
on advancing the lives of many of Archie's Riverdale
friends, including Jughead, Midge, Moose and of course,
Archie's sidekicks Veronica and Reggie.
This sixth and final installment in the "What If?"
story arc differs greatly from the previous five installments
with the depth and detail of the plot. Each
of Archie's two alternate marriage scenarios followed
the three-issue process of a dating/engagement issue,
a wedding issue and a life-as-newlyweds issue.
However, this final comic book gives us a much richer
and more elaborate plot about Betty and Archie
adjusting to life as a young married couple.
Unlike the Veronica alternative, this issue also explores
how the lives of the rest of the Riverdale gang advance
with the years, surprising us with who else pairs-up
and gets married amongst the Archie universe characters.
My reaction to this is that the Betty scenario has
much more story heft to it because it makes that
much more sense; Archie as married to the more spoiled
and self-centered Veronica would result in a more
vacant and less fulfilling life. As such, the
Betty scenario that we're treated to in the current
issue #605 gives us the alternate to that unfulfilling
life, presenting the reader with a richer and happier
Betty scenario. But hey, I've made it clear
in my review of the first issue in this series that
I'm a big Betty fan over Veronica, so maybe I'm just
rationalizing it all. There's probably a PhD.
dissertation topic in all of this for a popular
culture grad student, so for now, let's just lighten-up
and give the final installment in this entertaining
storyline the thumbs-up recommendation that it deserves.
On a final note, there's already an advertisement
in issue #605 for the one-volume graphic reprint compilation
of this six-issue series, so feel free to collect
all six individual comic book issues or alternatively
see the good staff at That's Entertainment about buying
the full set reprint volume.
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Star
Trek: The Next Generation: Ghosts #3
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Zander Cannon: Writer
Javier Aranda: Art
Maerc Rueda: Inks
John Hunt: Colors
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Issue #3 is out this past
week in one of IDW's Star Trek titles based on "Star
Trek: The Next Generation," which was the second show
in the multi-show Star Trek television empire.
The title is subtitled "Ghosts" and stars the comic
book versions of the television series characters,
including Commander Jean Luc Picard, Second-In-Command
Ryker, the android Data and Lieutenant Worf.
While there is no first page narrative to catch us
up on the first two issues, its clear at the beginning
of issue #3 that the Enterprise crew is caught in
the middle of a conflict between two separate nations
of the same alien race on a far-off planet.
The less technologically advanced nation has kidnapped
Lieutenant Worf and is holding him hostage to their
demands against both the other nation and the Enterprise
crew. A second storyline addresses the "Ghosts"
title, in which scientists from the more advanced
nation who are conducting research on an ore with
miraculous properties claim to be seeing ghosts of
people who are gone. Without being a spoiler,
by issue's end we recieve a scientific explanation
for the phenomena, while we're also left with a cliffhanger
in which the "ghost" phenomenon dangerously affects
Captain Picard.
I've reviewed several television show-based comic
books in the past two years, including issues of Battlestar
Galactica, Angel and Jericho, and a common flaw in
each has been a lack of story details which unfortunately
does not match the depth of the individual television
episodes of each of those very popular shows.
I'm pleased to report that this Star Trek comic book
title overcomes that common problem. In addition
to the high quality of the script, the creative team
gives us a story presentation on par with the complexity
and narrative detail of one of the original "Next
Generation" show episodes. Combine this quality
with excellent art that accurately portrays the original
show actors, and we've got a very enjoyable comic
book, for both comic readers and fans of the old show,
alike.
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Witchblade
#134
Publisher: Image Comics, Inc.
Ron Marz: Writer
Stjepan Sejic: Art
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Issue #134 of Witchblade is on the new issues shelves
this week. This long-running comic book title
began in 1995 and has maintained a devoted readership
to this day. The main character is Sara Pezzini,
a New York City police detective who possesses the
Witchblade, a supernatural and sentient artifact of
immense power, which Sara wears as armor on her
arm and hand. Supported by her fellow NYPD detective
and boyfriend Patrick Gleason, Sara and several support
characters deal with criminal and supernatural/superhero
situations throughout the Witchblade comic universe.
The comic was also a popular television show back
in 2001-2002 starring Yancy Butler as Sara, and is
also slated for a 2010 feature movie.
Issue #134 is entitled "Almost Human" and is part
one of a new multi-issue story arc. Page one
gives us a nice background narrative of the Wicthblade
comic universe, along with the fact that the female android
assassin Aphrodite IV is pursuing a human target in
Manhattan. Most of the issue focuses on Sara
and Gleason in their role as NYPD detectives trying
to find clues to explain a mysterious rooftop gunfight
involving a futuristic airship and the unidentified female
figure, who turns out to be the android assassin Aphrodite
IV. The tension builds to a climax as Sara accidentally
crosses paths with the robotic assassin in a warehouse,
ending in a violent cliffhanger in which the two may
have to reluctantly pair-up in the next issue to save
their respective lives.
Similar to the Star Trek comic book reviewed above,
the creative team here has jumped the hurdle and given
us a storyline nicely structured along the lines of
a detailed television episode. Most of the comic
is more of a CSI noir-type detective thriller, as
Sara and Gleason operate as standard detectives in
trying to unravel the mystery of the futuristic rooftop
gun battle. This standard detective story builds
nicely to a four page climax in which the story gets
more science fiction-oriented, as Sara activates the
Witchblade in her confrontation with Aphrodite IV.
I
also liked very much the whole concept of the Aphrodite
line of female android assassins. The green-haired
assassins are portrayed with personalities of equal
mix Terminator-like woodiness and some humanness to
them, making for a believable sentient robot character.
On a final note, artist Stjepan Sejic's style is perfect
for this type of comic book title, giving us both
very realistic visuals and almost cinematic facial
expressions that connect this comic book strongly
to the television series side of this franchise.
I've never read an issue of this title before, but
the high quality of issue #134 guarantees that I'll
definitely read more of this excellent comic book
in the future and I recommend that you do, too!
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Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Special #1
Publisher: Mirage Publishing, Inc.
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird: Script & Art
Steve Lavigne: Colors
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Our fourth extra review for this week is of Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Special #1. This
issue is a colorization reprint of the original black-and-white
TMNT story, colorized by Steve Lavigne and reprinted
here as a 25th anniversary tribute honoring the original
debut of this iconic comic book and its unique characters.
Color Special #1 reprises the original 40-page origin
story of the four turtles. There are two interacting
sub-plots here. One is a classic origin story,
as the turtle's martial arts mentor, the rat Splinter,
recounts to them their origin as tiny fishbowl turtles
who grow up to be the world-wide famous Ninja turtles
Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello and Raphael.
The second plotline is a detailed Japanese ninja fable,
recounting how Splinter's human Japanese warrior
master was murdered by a former ninja friend, thus
leading to a major action sequence here in issue #1
as Splinter dispatches our four favorite turtles to
avenge the fallen warrior by challenging and defeating/killing
the murderer.
I'm ashamed to admit that I've never read a single
TMNT comic book story, although I soaked-in enough
of the media blitz and television coverage of the
Turtles back during the height of their worldwide
popularity. So it was especially enjoyable to
experience my first comic book exposure to them through
this 25th anniversary tribute reprinting of their
very first comic book story. I loved two things
about it. First, the wonderful and high quality
storyline combined with the perfect visual story lay-out
reaffirm why the Turtles were such a smash hit right
out of the publishing gate from their debut.
Secondly, I was very surprised and delighted to learn
that the Turtle's origin story is actually a tribute
to Jack Kirby and Frank Miller's origin of Marvel's
Daredevil superhero. Without specifically naming
Matt Murdock/Daredevil, the origin story clearly shows
the irradiated rod that hit Murdock in the head, thereby
creating Daredevil, bouncing away and irradiating
four tiny turtles and a rat, who ultimately transform
into the human-intelligent Splinter and his four turtle
disciples. Even the Turtle's mentor's name Splinter
is a take-off on Daredevil's ninja mentor Stick. Writers
Eastman and Laird reaffirm these tribute facts by
ending the anniversary issue with a back page dedication
to Jack Kirby and Frank Miller. Maybe this is
all common knowledge to the average Turtles fan, but
it was a fun and unexpected surprise origin fact for
me.
So whether you're a novice Turtles reader like me
or a veteran fan, don't miss out on the opportunity
to add this wonderful colorization and anniversary
reprint tribute to your comic book collection.
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Ongoing
Contest Reminder!!!
Just a quick reminder that
you have until Wednesday, February 10 to e-mail us at Gordon_A@msn.com with your entry for our current
contest, in which you're telling us about your favorite
non-superhero oriented comic book character or comic book
title. So whether its a western, romance, horror,
or any other genre in which folks don't fly around wearing
capes and using heat vision, drop us an e-mail and tell
us what you like to read. First prize is a $10.00 gift
certificate to That's Entertainment.
That's all for now, so have a great comic book reading week
and see you again next week Here In Bongo Congo!
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