Stuff you should buy...7/17/13

OK, comic fans!!! Listen, I'm short on time, BUT it's San Diego week, so some posts later in the week will make up for this one. That being said, I'm only going to spotlight TWO comics this week. The first one, is a frequent here on the site, and it's....

He-Man & The Masters of the Universe #4: Eternia has been defeated. The bad guys have won. Yes, I'm crying. Shut up.
Next comes a book that I've been waiting for since I was a kid....

BATMAN '66 #1!!!!!!!!!!!! Do I really need to tell you why you need to buy this?!?!??!?! NO, I didn't think so.
-Now, there's lots of other great comics out this week: Dream Thief, GI Joe: Special Missions, Justice League of America, Red Sonja and more. Get on down to Challengers Comics + Conversation and pick some up!!!!

What you should buy-6/26/13

LOTS and LOTS of good stuff this week!! Let's get right to it!!

Justice League #21: The origin of Shazam concludes and the road to Trinity War gets underway!!!

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #3: He-Man has to defend Castle Grayskull! Seriously, people think he does it all the damn time, but this issue he ACTUALLY has to defend Castle Grayskull.

Ghostbusters #5: Spooky train!!!

Flash #21: Flash meets Kid Flash! And from the looks of things, he's not too impressed!

Captain America #8: Crazy. Super freakin crazy.

Previews #298: Spotlighting stuff coming out in September of this year-this issue features the upcoming The Star Wars from Dark Horse!!
-Get all this stuff and MORE at you're local comic shop. As always, I'll be at Challengers Comics + Conversation, so if you're in the neighborhood, stop by!! And get ready for next week:

What you should buy-5/15/13

A decent size week of really entertaining books. Let's dive right in:

He-Man & The Masters of The Universe #2: BOOK OF THE WEEK!!! After last issue's shock ending, what more can go wrong for He-Man? I guess we'll find out!

Mark Waid's Green Hornet #2: This book is AWESOME!!! It's what the Green Hornet should've been from the start!!

Dream Thief #1: This book is CRAZY awesome!!!!! Now, you can tell just what kind of comics that I like. This is about as far removed from that kind of book that you can get and I'm over the moon crazy about it!!!! BUY IT!!

Battlestar Galactica #1: The ORIGINAL BSG returns!!! And I can't think of a better creative team than "DNA"! If you're even a slight fan of the show, grab this one!

Conan the Barbarian #16: Stop being so awesome, Brian Wood!!!

Avengers: The Enemy Within #1: This is GREAT!!!! Starts a crossover with a few other Avengers titles. VERY well written and interesting.

Bionic Man vs Bionic Woman #5: This is it! The last issue of this awesome crossover!!! Sad to see it go, but can't wait to read the ending!!

-This is one of those weeks, were I really haven't even scratched the surface of all the good stuff that's coming out. Make sure you head down to your local comic store and grab them up!!! If you're in Chicago, stop by the city's finest comic store, Challengers Comics + Conversation. Have a great Wednesday!!!

He-Man Week-Day 7!!!

Did you know that Mattel is STILL making Masters of the Universe figures? And that they're better than ever No, I'm not kidding, not in the least.

Head on over to http://www.mattycollector.com and check out the HUGE line of Masters of the Universe Classics!!! They offer at the very LEAST one new figure every month, and most months they offer 2-3 figures. There's new versions of the toys that were made in the 80's, and they also have recently started offering figures based on characters featured in the Filmation cartoon series! Like this awesome Shadow Weaver figure!

They also offer subscription so that you don't have to sit at the computer every month and hope that you can order the new figures, as they tend to sell out REALLY fast!! Happy hunting!!!

He-Man Week-Day 5!!!!!

OK, so I got ahead of myself. Yesterday I posted Day SIX, when I should've posted Day FIVE, sorry for anyone thinking that they either missed a day or where in a coma for a day. Anyways, in 1987, when the Masters of the Universe line was pretty close to being over, Cannon Films released a live action Masters of the Universe movie!!!



............yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah. Children everywhere that went expecting to see He-Man, Skeletor, Beast Man, Trap Jaw, Orko, ect. were all VERY dissapointed. The movie was NOTHING like the cartoon that everyone had come to know and love. It was basically a sort of Flash Gordon/generic sci-fi movie that pitted He-Man against Skeletor and the majority of it took place on EARTH. Not cool!!! But, it does have that certain cheesy appeal, and it's reached cult classic status.
Fast forward 30 years and there's a NEW Masters of the Universe movie in the works!! John M. Chu, director of GI Joe Retaliation, has been tapped to bring He-Man and company to the big screen for what promises to be a HUGE blockbuster film. The best part? John Chu LOVES Masters of the Universe!!! Here's a quote from shortly after he landed the MOTU gig:

Chu: I LOVED the toys growing up. I had Grayskull, I had BattleCat/Cringer, I had Stratos and Orko and obviously He-Man and Skeletor. I also watched the cartoon a lot growing up. This is my era, so going to Mattel to visit their headquarters was like walking into a childhood fantasy. They had a lifesized He-Man in the lobby as well as a glass case with EVERY SINGLE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE action figure on display. It brought me back to my youth and I knew I had to be a part of getting this movie together. For every MOTU fan out there, it felt like it was time and I wanted to make sure to protect it in the process.

-Now, more than ever, I am SUPER excited about this movie. Having someone who loves and respects the franchise directing can only make the movie more awesome. According to some sites, the movie is set for a 2014 release. I wouldn't hold me breath on that, we're almost at the halfway point of 2013 and the movie hasn't even been cast yet. I hope that when it DOES hit theaters, there's plenty of this guy in the movie....

He-Man Week-Day 4!!!

Masters of the Universe #1 Comic Review

He-Man & The Masters of the Universe #1: First awesome issue in this brand new ongoing title!!! While the Masters attend a funeral, Hordak sends his forces into Eternia to invade. Led by Despara, the Horde takes out a huge group of normal citizens. but He-Man shows up to save the day. There's also a GREAT last page shocker!!
The Good: If you like He-Man, it's ALL good!! And, I think, that even if you're not a hardcore fan, just know anything about the property, you'd enjoy it too. It doesn't get bogged down in heavy Masters continuity, it stays with what everyone knows and loves about Masters of the Universe.
The Bad: If I have to pick something, I'd say I'm not 100% in love with Hordak's design. Now, I'm not sure if the creative team is waiting to give us the Hordak that we all know and love, or if this change is permanent. If it is, I'm not a fan. If it changes,I'll be glad to have the classic Hordak back. But, kudos to the creative team for using someone else other than Skeletor. And, Dekker is in it and I HATE that guy.
  Are you kidding me? BUY THIS!!! Even if you're a casual fan, pretty much everybody knows the basic story of He-Mna, and this will refresh your memory and get you excited about future issues about this comic. If you're a die hard fan like me, it's really enjoyable seeing the new status-quo for the Masters of the Universe!

He-Man Week-Day 1!!!

He's the coolest. He's the most bad-ass. He's the Most Powerful Man in the Universe!!! He is...HE-MAN!!! This week, in celebration of the new DC Comic (Out this Wednesday) I'll be taking a look back (and forward) at some of the different incarnations of He-Man & The Masters of the Universe. Now, where else would I start, but with the toy that started it all. The year was 1982 and all across America kids, including myself, went nuts for this guy...

Shield, sword AND ax? How awesome was this guy? Plus, he came with something not to commonplace at all....a COMIC BOOK!!! Well, the first few "mini-comics" weren't really comic books. Tiny illustrated storybooks would be more accurate. The first one told the story of He-Man, the most powerful man in his.....tribe? Yup, his tribe. He left his tribe because evil had come to his planet, Eternia, and although he would've rather stayed with them, he decided to go on his "noble mission" and go and battle the forces of evil so that his tribe would have long-lasting peace. Quite different from the He-Man we know and love, right?

Up until that point in my childhood, pretty much all of my figures had been 3&3/4", which was fine by me, but then came these GIANT figures that were super awesome to play with. The only problem? I wanted Castle Grayskull. Bad. And, in 1983, it may as well have been a million dollars.



Still, it was wicked awesome. Come back tomorrow for another look at the best toy line IN THE UNIVERSE!!!

Comics You Should Buy-1/30/13

Wow! ANOTHER awesome week of comics! When will these big weeks stop? Personally, I'm hoping never, cause they're awesome. Yeah, it's hard on the wallet, but it's just so much FUN!!! Let's get right to it:

Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #9: It's no secret that this is one of my favorite series. It's got everything to please both a hard-core Flash Gordon fan like myself, and someone who's never heard of Flash Gordon before. GRAB IT!!

Bad Medicine Volume 1: This is a FANTASTIC mystery series that will leave you guessing right up until the end. Then, you'll want to read it again, just because it's that awesome. Featuring art by THE Christopher Mitten.

MacGyver: The Fugitive Gauntlet #4: Mac is being hunted by bounty hunters, he's be the victim of a traitor, he's in a race around the world, and things don't look good. CLASSIC MACGYVER!!!

Superior Spider-Man #2: If you've ever had ANY interest in Spider-Man-GET THIS!!!

The Savage Hawkman #16: Word on the street is that this series is cancelled. But, more on that on Thursday. For now, pick up this savage comic.

He-Man & The Masters of the Universe #6: I'm very nervous that He-Man's going to be OK. And that he can keep Eternia safe from Skeletor.

He-Man & The Masters of the Universe: The Origin of He-Man #1: NEVER before told!!...except in the shitty 2002 series. But here, get the TRUE origin of He-Man!!! This is MUST READ BOOK OF THE WEEK FOR ME!!
-You KNOW if you're in Chicago, I'll see you at Challengers. If you're not...well, you should be. Life's too short to shop at shitty comic stores. See you on Wednesday!!

Next Week: It. All. Ends.

New Comics You Should Buy-1/23/13

January is a 5 Wednesday month, and this is probably considered the "light" week. But, there are by NO MEANS a shortage of awesome comics to read. Here's what I recommend you pick up this week if you like awesome things:

 THE ANSWER #1: This book is AWESOME!!!!! Creator Mike Norton struck it big with BattlePug, I'm guessing this is going to be just popular, if not MORE SO!!

THE LONE RANGER #12: Month in, month out, one of the consistently BEST comics out there!

 MASKS #3: This book is surprisingly great! I love these characters, so I was bound to like it, but I had no idea it would be this much fun, and with such a great mood.

 THE BIONIC WOMAN #7: If only the TV series from a few years ago would've been done in this format. Awesomely entertaining book, that is a lot of fun to read.

 AVENGERS #3: LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!!!

 CASTLE #2: Last issue, there was a pretty awesome mystery set up. I can't wait to see where this goes. And, art by Robert Atkins, which is awesome!!

 COBRA #21: Sadly, the last issue of this fantastic series. BUT, it returns in April with a brand-new title(The Cobra Files)with the same awesome creative team!

UNCANNY AVENGERS #3: There is some CRAZY shit that goes down this issue. CRAZY!!

STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN TO DARKNESS #1: The prequel series to this summer's Star Trek Into Darkness. PEOPLE!!! THINGS HAPPEN!!!! This is a GREAT book!!!

-Whew! That's quite a pile of awesome comics. AND there's lots more that I didn't have room to mention. As always, if it's New Comics Day, I'll be at Challengers Comics, so if you're in Chicago you'd better stop by and say hello!!!

NEXT WEEK: I got the FEVAH....and the only preSCIPTION....is more He-Man!!!

The List-December 19, 2012

What a HUGE week for comics!!!! It's almost like 2 weeks combined into one, because almost NOTHING is shipping next week on the 26th(except the all ready spoiled Amazing Spider-Man #700). Anyway, here's just a FEW of the comics that I recommend picking up this week:

All New X-Men #4-I never imagined in a million years that this book would be as good as it has been.

Bionic Woman #6-THIS BOOK IS WAY BETTER THAN IT SHOULD BE!!!!

Avengers #2-A whole shit ton of people show up!!!! And it's awesome!!!

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #5-He-Man VERSUS Battle Cat!!!!!

Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow #20-THINGS ARE HEATING UP as the series is winding down!!

MacGyver: The Fugitive Gauntlet #3-I love this series so much!!!Buy it. Read it. Repeat. 

-There you have it!! Again, LOTS of great stuff to buy this week and isn't it a perfect time to buy a pile of comics and read them? A lot of you will be traveling, and that's the perfect time to read and not have to make awkward conversation with the weird person next to you! If you're in Chicago, I'll see you tomorrow at Challengers!!!

NEW Masters of the Universe Comic!!!

At 2pm today, a BRAND NEW Masters of the Universe comic debuted on Comixology!!! This series, written by a bunch of different creators, is a companion piece to the upcoming Masters of the Universe DC Comics series debuting in comic shops July 4th.
-First off, I'm totally going into spoiler country, so look away if you don't want to know.

OK, you've been warned. This is TOTALLY an old fashioned MOTU mini comic for the new age. I LOVED it, but I'm more inclined to like it because I love the franchise so much. This issue tells the story of the Geoff Johns created Masters of the Universe character, Sir Laser Lot. It's a great comic that introduces and spotlights the character, just like the old mini comics that came with the toys did. The story leads off with 2 boys running away from a PACK of Bestmen. Then a mysterious figure(who we later find out is Sir Laser Lot) comes to their rescue. This "issue" is action PACKED just like the adventures that you had playing with the toys when you were a kid. The most shocking part of the whole comic to me was Skeletor & crew showing up at the end, looking VERY different that they have before. I'm OK with this. I like things shooken up every now and then and this is DEFINITELY not another rehash/update of the characters. You can tell something is different here. They reference King Grayskull quite a bit and they are going somewhat off the MOTUC bios, which everyone seems to hate(I have no problem with them myself). To sum it up, you should REALLY download this issue. It's only .99¢ and it's a great read. You can download is over at Comixology and read it there. If you like Masters of the Universe, you're going to have a good time with this. And, just because I'm in a good mood and you deserve it, here's a picture of a cute Teela(who does NOT appear in the comic)