ECCC: ONYX will be your new favorite comic!!

This summer, things are going to get a little......congested. With a about 500 Secret Wars titles coming from Marvel and DC putting out old new versions of their new characters (wait, does that even make sense?), comic store shelves might be a little too packed and you might be a little confused about some things. The cure? ONYX, coming this July from IDW. It's the title that's going to stand out from the rest this summer, I promise you. Coming from the mind of writer Chris Ryall and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, here's the lowdown on this 4 issue mini-series.

"Onyx' tells the tale of a female metal-suited warrior who comes to Earth on a quest to either save the planet or destroy it. It’s up to a team of super-soldiers to figure out which before it’s too late, and before a much greater threat overwhelms both them and the planet itself"
-BUT, we don't have to wait until July to get a look at this book. In May, a 5 page stand alone story, Onyx #0 will be included in many of your favorite IDW comics. Stay tuned RIGHT HERE, for a TON of coverage on this awesome upcoming title. OK, look, you know I always try and give you something special, and if you promise not to tell anyone, I'll give you a special look at that awesome cover.....

I know, right? Gorgeous!! And yes, this is officially the first creator owned title that I'm absolutely overboard excited about.

PS-Any toy customizers out there think they can take a stab at making an ONYX figure? Hit me up!

What I thought of...GI Joe #6

GI Joe #6: This latest installment of the ongoing (?) GI Joe series, brings us some much needed resolution to some of the ongoing story. The Joes are sort of back together, but not really. And we finally get some movement on the Isaac Craft storyline.
The Good: First and foremost, the resolution with Isaac Craft. I have to admit, as much as I was loving this book, his storyline was dragging pretty bad. There's not TOTAL resolution in this issue, but we got some big forward movement, AND it's actually pretty good. Add to that, some movement on the part of Cobra and the Joes, and Steve Kurth's awesome art, and you've got a great issue.
The Bad: Even though we get some pay-off in this issue, I'm still waiting for the Joes and the Cobras to finally get their teams organized and make a call to action.
The Verdict: BUY IT!!! It's got some great action, the story takes some BIG leaps forward, and the book has some gorgeous art. What's not to love?

What I thought of...Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra #1

Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra #1: Snake Eyes, the ultimate member of the GI Joe team is working for what, now? Yeah, you read the title right. One of the ORIGINAL members of the (1982) GI Joe team has turned traitor and is working for Cobra. Jerkstore.
The Good: Mike Costa writes. Paolo Villanelli art. Do I need to list anything else? OK, I will anyway. The story is WAY better than I thought it would be (no offense Mike Costa)! I thought this would be the typical "Duke tells Snake Eyes to infiltrate Cobra, Snake does, but gets threatened into working for them" kinda thing. That is far FAR from the case here. Truth be told, we haven't seen Snake Eyes in quite a while, and now that he'd back, we're REALLY not sure where his loyalties lay. The last we knew, he got screwed over by the Joe team pretty bad. So this story actually has the feel of "Wow.Snake Eyes really COULD be a bad guy now!"!
The Bad: We spend a lot of time with Destro in this issue. Quite a lot. But, since Snake Eyes doesn't really talk we need someone to "narrate" the story, for lack of a better term.
The Verdict: BUY IT!!!! It's Mike Costa writing GI Joe! Also, he introduces a character that, to my knowledge, makes his debut in IDW GI Joe continuity, and is a pretty big deal. You do NOT want to miss this issue!

Take me home! For just $4!!!!

So, The Most Electrifying Man in Comic Retail is on a limited edition copy of Ghostbusters #1!!! If you live in Chicago, swing by Challengers Comics and grab one. If you DON'T, you can get your right here, but they're on sale starting TODAY!!!! And just to get you in the mood:

GHOSTBUSTERS #1 REVIEW!!

Even though it's not out for about 3 weeks yet, I was lucky enought to read a copy of IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters #1 this evening. Written by Erik Burnham, who doesn't write enough comics(seriously, check out A-Team War Stories), with a back-up story by Tristan Jones, and edited by Tom Waltz (If you haven't read his new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book yet, do it NOW!) the thing that will have EVERY "Ghosthead" cheering is that artist Dan Schoening is drawing this book. Schoening was every fans dream choice for penciler on this series, and IDW made the right choice.

-Now, I'm not about to give spoilers away in this review, so just wipe that thought outta your head. What I WILL tell you, is that we get to see the Ghostbusters do EVERYTHING that you want to see them doing. Hanging out in the firehouse exchanging snappy dialogue, investigating the paranormal, and yes, even busting some ghosts. It's got it all. We all know that Ghostbusters is one of the most quotable movies in history and quite often, with licensed comics, writers rely on movie dialogue as a crutch by going out of their way to put the characters in a position just so they can deliver that "classic" line from the movie that everyone loved. Thankfully, Burnham does NOT fall into that trap here. There's no "Nice shootin' Tex", "He slimed me" or "cats and dogs living together". What Burnham DOES capture is the spirit of the characters, dead on. As you read the comic, you can actually hear Bill Murray saying the Venkman dialogue. The story acknowledges the movies, but doesn't depend on them. There's nice nods to both Ghostbusters movies, and a couple of Easter eggs that hardcore fans will go nuts over. And the last page? EPIC.

-As far as the art goes, the word PERFECT comes to mind. Schoening is THE best Ghostbuster artist out there today. Or any other day, for that matter. You know how Carmine Infantino was born to draw The Flash? Or Mark Bagley was born to draw Spider-Man? Yeah, that's what we're talking about here, people. It's THAT good.

-It's hard to talk about the back-up story without giving up a big spoiler, so I'll just say this-it'll have you APPLAUDING when you read it. Hat's off to Tristan Jones, who is a heck of a talented guy.

-The thing that impressed me the most about this book was the "bonus" pages in the back. You can see just HOW MUCH work went into the comic and how deep the love is that the creators have for this property. And, it shows. In a big way. Whether your a HUGE Ghostbusters fan, or have just a passing interest after seeing the movie a couple of times on TV, you will LOVE this book. Hat's off to everyone involved for making THE. BEST. GHOSTBUSTERS. COMIC. EVER.

Snake Eyes #4 Review

After a slightly disappointing issue #3, Chuck Dixon and Robert Atkins decided to kick my ass with issue 4 of Snake Eyes. THIS is why I read GI Joe comics. Scratch that, this is why I read COMICS!!! Holy crap, this was awesome!!! First off, you have Snake Eyes vs Slice & Dice. That should be enough to sell you on the book right there. You have GOT to see(read)this fight to believe it. I will go to my grave saying that Atkins draws THE best fights in comics. It's like reading an action movie. Then, you've got the Alpine/Iceberg story line which actually has a decent amount of action and resolves very nicely.

-The part I'm most impressed about is that while the COBRA Civil War story is present, it never feels like it overtakes the issue or story at any point. It's in the background, keeping you up to date and giving you just what you need to know, but never too much or taking the focus off the ass-kicking ninjas. This is, without a doubt, my favorite issue of the series so far. Yo Joe!!

Book Report: COBRA #1

Let's be honest, the GI Joe team always beats Cobra. In the comic book world, however, Cobra may have just won the battle. Released this week, Cobra #1 is, from start to finish, everything you could want in a comic book featuring almost exclusively-bad guys. It's very easy, and pretty much now the norm, for comics starring villains to portray the villains as misunderstood heroes and make the audience sympathize with them. That is not the case here. The Cobra agents are EVIL people and pull out all the stops to claim the ultimate prize-becoming the new Cobra Commander. Writer Mike Costa handles the story very well, while throwing in a ton of nice-OK, not really NICE-character moments. And I have to be honest, while I've never been a fan of Antonio Fuso's art in the past, he really hits it with this book. The only drawback? You really need to be reading GI Joe to get the full story of what's going on in this issue.

Snake Eyes #1 Review

Who's the most bad-ass character in comic book history? Right. Wolverine. Who would somebody send to kill Wolverine? Snake Eyes. Yes, that's how formidalbe Snake Eyes is. So, why is it we're just getting a solo Snake Eyes series now, in 2011, almost 30 years after his action figure debut? I can't answer that. BUT, when I can tell you is that it's worth the wait.
-You get exactly what you'd expect and what you'd want from a Snake Eyes comic-ninja moves & awesomeness. I'm not sure time-line wise where this book fits in. It flashes back to Cobra Civil War #0, but I'm guessing it takes place before last week's GI Joe #1, due to spoilerish reasons that I won't get into. We join Snake Eyes, Helix, Alpine and Iceberg on a mission to find an enemy that is holed up in a really remote arctic area. And best of all? You get to see Snake Eyes being Snake Eyes. I really don't know if it was writer Chuck Dixon or artist Robert Atkins that choreographed the action, but whoever did, deserves a salute. It's never confusing, and always entertaining. The only thing I didn't really care for in this issue was the art in the flashback sequences. Yikes.
-I give this issue 4 out of 4 (ninja throwing)stars!

GI Joe #0 review-COBRA CIVIL WAR!!!!

"War does not determine who is right - only who is left." ~Bertrand Russell

This comic is basically 3 original previews of IDW's upcoming GI Joe line which includes, GI Joe, COBRA and the new Snake Eyes ongoing series. AND IT'S AWESOME! First, we get the GI Joe preview featuring a team of Joe's investigating the abandoned town of Springfield. No spoilers, but it's explosive and introduces a new villain into the GI Joe brand. I can't wait to get his action figure.
Next up, we head over to see what the good, I mean nasty, folks at COBRA are up to. This story is probably the most interesting. For those not following along, Chuckles killed COBRA Commander. Yes, you read that right, CHUCKLES killed Cobra Commander. So, it seems that the folks behind Cobra want to hold a "contest" of sorts. The one who deals the biggest blow to the GI Joe team becomes the new Cobra Commander. It sets up who's in the running and hints at their plans for attacking the Joes.
-Next up, is the Snake Eyes story. I'm going to say it's the weakest of the three, just because there's not enough Snake Eyes in it. It does set up the on-going Snake Eyes book nicely,though. And I'm very glad that Robert Atkins in the artist in the regular Snake Eyes book.
VERDICT: Buy it....NOW!!! Seriously, it's a great read. Nice art and even though it's 3 totally different stories, they all flow seamlessly into the next.

Ghostbusters Infestation #1 Review

OK, let's get this out of the way first thing. I. HATE. ZOMBIES. Passionately and completely. I realize that I'm going against the grain of comic book & pop culture, but I'd rather watch-well, almost ANYTHING ELSE in the world, than zombies. Having said that, I was looking forward to this Infestation comic the most, because zombies would fit most naturally into the world of the Ghostbusters franchise. And, in short, I was NOT disappointed.
-First, let's talk about the story. Writer Erik Burnham manages NOT to fall into the trap that a lot of other writers of Ghostbusters comics do-and that is finding a way to write their favorite line of dialogue from the films into the comic. Erik, next time I see you, you're getting a Crunch bar. You...you've earned it.(See what I did there?)This comic could very well NOT be a part of the Infestation storyline and it would still be an awesome Ghostbusters comic. Characters are written true to their..well...character, plot moves along at a nice place, we get to see everyone we love, and the ending? I'm not going to spoil it, but AW YEAH!!!
-The art: I've never been a Kyle Hotz fan, but he did some nice work on this. Well played.
Final verdict: BUY IT!

More details on the best movie EVER!!!

The folks over at Comingsoon.net published an article from Variety this morning with more details on the A-Team movie. You can check out the article right here.
-I've no problem with them "updating" the origin. I just want this movie to be FUN! And I'm sure it will be. I'd also like some merchandise(where the REAL money from the movie is made!). And please God, let there be a comic book that I can sell!!! Chris Ryall-I'm looking at YOU!