punchout part 2

drive-by readings

Hulk #24 (Marvel) "The Strongest There Is" Jeph Loeb Ed McGuinness Mark Farmer Morry Hollowell Richard Starkings/Comicraft McGuiness/Farmer/Frank D'Armata (cover) Dale Keown (variant cover)

what we learned: the final battle (yeah, right) between the original Hulk and Rulk (hey, they could be like Shake n Bake in Talladega Nights). Banner's masterplan unfolds and knowing he could beat Ross in a fight (laying waste to DC memorials in the process), backs him into a corner of defeat and humiliation. that is of course, until they need him again. that's a mistake that might blow up in their faces.
oh shit moment: great in-your-face artwork from Ed McGuinness. this is how it should end.
what's next: anybody still wondering why Red Hulk would be in Secret Avengers?


Honest Abe: "and what the hell are you two gonna do about this mess you made??"

punchout part 1

drive-by readings

Incredible Hulk #611 (Marvel) "Sons of Wrath" Greg Pak Paul Pelletier Danny Miki Frank D'Armata Simon Bowland John Romita Jr/Klaus Janson/Dean White (cover) Dale Keown (variant cover)

what we learned: monsters have hearts after all. after almost laying waste to Washington DC and Ocean City, MD (wassup, OC???), Hulk and Skaar finally come to terms and accept their past, and perhaps forge a future. am still weirded out by Banner or Hulk not aware of each other, but the days of dumb Hulk are long gone (save in Marvel Super Hero Squad), so the smart Hulk should not be constrained from Banner anymore eh? for this Heroic Age, let's have one freakin' smart Hulk/Banner and be a positive force in the MU in the foreseeable future.
oh shit moment: Banner hugs Skaar, and we can finally close the book on loose cannons. hopefully.
what's next: Hulk takes Skaar to Disney World!!!


and the snot. don't forget to wipe off the snot.

drive-by readings: Berserker #1

Berserker #1 (Top Cow) Rick Loverd Jeremy Haun Dave McCaig Troy Peteri Dale Keown (cover)

anybody with a berserker's rage will identify with this new series from Top Cow. Farris Jorn and Aaron Bural are two diverse people with something in common - they can be sparked to go in a murderous rage given the right (unfortunate) conditions. Farris works with his girlfriend Eva in a metal factory, and always gets pushed around by his asshole of a boss (who likes harassing Eva), resulting in some sweet evisceration, the kind any hard-working peon would love to perform on their own idiot bosses. Aaron just wants to pull up stakes and leave town with his girl Courtney, but a terrible incident during a wrestling match triggers a series of unfortunate events, not the least of which is a separation of head from body of a supporting character, i won't tell you who. lurking in the background are two competing organizations, Aasgard and Midgard (whooopee - laying the Norse stuff a bit too thickly, eh), vying for the services of talents like Farris and Aaron.

the pacing could use a bit more polishing; otherwise, this seems to be an interesting (if ultra-violent) book with a nice premise. if it turns out to be a hit, a movie could be in the pipeline (property's owned by Divide Pictures owned by - cough, Heroes are an X-Men ripoff, cough, cough - Milo Ventimiglia).

cover of the week

i always like photorealistic covers.



The Darkness #6, by Dale Keown and Stjepan Sejic