Wolverine: First Class #1 review
Fred Van Lente is a writer who knows how to bring the fun; he does so successfully in the first issue of “Wolverine: First Class.” The “First Class” line is aimed at all-ages, but kids and longtime fans should enjoy this one.
Set around the John Byrne era of “X-Men,” Wolverine is a surly loner with “animal rages” he struggles to control. Kitty Pryde, a new student at Xavier’s School of Gifted Youngsters, is an optimistic teen who is dealing with her new powers as well as typical problems of adolescence. Professor X instructs Wolverine to take Kitty on a mission to help a mutant in trouble — Wolverine doesn’t want an inexperienced backup, but the Professor insists.
Andrea Di Vito provides clean, attractive art that fits in well with the Byrne and Dave Cockrum designs of that era, without seeming dated. Van Lente even brings something of a theme from that time – the X-Men as a team enjoying playing sports together, in this case, a game of volleyball.
Overall, “Wolverine: First Class” gets an A.
– Matt Price
Iron Man gets six stories tall; ‘Doomquest’ reprinted
Over at Marvel.com, there’s a picture of the six-story “Iron Man” banner now adorning Madison Square Garden, and a link to the newest 30-second TV spot.
Iron Fans can also check out the hardcover release of “Iron Man vs Doctor Doom: Doomquest” released in comic book stores yesterday. This features the classic Iron Man team of Bob Layton, David Michelinie and John Romita Jr. Iron Man travels to the times of King Arthur, and 2093 A.D., to face off against Doctor Doom. This is rightly considered one of the great “Iron Man” tales.
– Matt Price
Oni Press announces big “Barry Ween,” “Tek Jansen” #2
Oni Press has announced its solicitations for June, 2008.
In addition to new issues of “Love the Way You Love,” “Wasteland” and “Resurrection,” Judd Winick’s “Barry Ween” gets collected. All 12 issues are put together in a $19.95 softcover. Barry Ween is a super-genius, foul-mouthed kid who conducts experiments, travels through time, and battles strange creatures in this hilarious mature-readers comic.
Also, the long-awaited “Tek Jansen” No. 2 is scheduled for a June 25 release, with a re-release of issue No. 1 planned for June 18. Based on the adventures of a fictional character created by Stephen Colbert, “Tek Jansen” is clever space-fantasy parody. Oni says, about issue No. 2: “Galaxy-hero-super-awesome-spectacular-ultra-spy Tek jansen takes it back to school in his second cosmic comic book adventure!
When a misunderstanding ends with a demotion for Tek, the spaceman is busted down and forced to return to the academy that shaped him into the man he is today! Don’t miss out on the comic book that’ll have you exclaiming, ‘Apollo Creed!’”
– Matt Price
American Indian comic-style art exhibit in N.M.
The following is a press release from New Mexico’s Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. For more information, visit www.indianartsandculture.org.
Santa Fe, NM — Storytelling has long been a part of Native American culture. Comic Art Indigène which opens at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on May 11, 2008 looks at how storytelling has been used through comics and comic inspired art to express the contemporary Native American experience. Under the larger definition of narrative art, comic art is more related to Native American art traditions than one might expect. The earliest surviving examples of such narrative art is rock art. The historic examples used in the exhibition, such as photographs of rock art, ledger art, and ceramics are meant to link Native American art traditions with contemporary voices.
Making comics and producing art inspired by them is a method of reclaiming the narrative art form of comics and Native American culture from those who would dismiss an art for the masses. Today, Native American artists are reclaiming stereotypes used in earlier comic art depicting Indians as savage, war-like primitives or trusty sidekicks.
The exhibition begins with a photograph of a cartoon from the 13th century. The image of the red, white and blue pictograph of the All American Man, a shield carrying warrior from the Pueblo II period (carbon dated to ca. 1290) will be contrasted to a Jack Kirby drawing of that other red, white and blue shield hurling hero, Captain America. The most recent works will be from 2008. The majority of Indian art will be from 1990 to the present day.
Two-fisted tales of suspense showcasing fantastic heroes and villains interacting with gods old and new have always been a part of Native American Culture. As the first widely accessible mass media, comic strips, and comic books, were consumed by Indian people as a recognizable and legitimate form of storytelling. Stories of humor, adventure and the fantastic depicted through pictures have always been an indigenous practice. Today’s Native American scribes grapple with the same topics emboldened with millennia-old cultural traditions, blended with new methods of expression and life in the 21st Century.
Comic Art Indigène examines how American Indian artists articulate identity, reclaim stereotypes, worldview, politics, and culture through the kinetic expression of sequential art. Inspired by this unique medium, using its icons, tropes and dynamism, this is a new world of American Indian art, full of the brash excitement first seen on newsprint a century ago, sometimes unrefined, even crude at times, but never sterile.
A reception hosted by the Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico will be held on Sunday, May 11, 2008 beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Also opening the same day will be a small exhibition of sculpture in the sculpture garden of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture created by students in their senior year at IAIA. More information to come.
Art: Lest Tyranny Triumph
Diego Romero (Cochiti Pueblo), Pencil, ink on board, ca. 2004
“Secret Invasion” previewed at EW
Newsarama points to Entertainment Weekly’s coverage of Marvel’s latest event, “Secret Invasion,” set to go on sale April 2. EW has the first 10 pages online, and an interview with writer Brian Michael Bendis. From EW:
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let’s say you’re a fan of the Marvel universe, but you’re not an expert. Why should you read Secret Invasion?
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: The Skrulls were invented back in the day when Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the Cold War were a big part of the [Marvel] universe. And we’re kind of back in that: The subtext of this story is not knowing if you can trust your friends or family. Years after 9/11, we go on a plane and start scanning the crowd…we can’t help it. Plus, it’s every character in the Marvel universe interacting with each other in a completely unique way. It’s the biggest disaster movie the Marvel universe, we’re hoping, would ever see.
– Matt Price
Marvel releases “Next Avengers” trailer
Head over to Marvel.com to see the trailer for the company’s next animated adventure, “Next Avengers.”
Description from Marvel:
The children of the Avengers must rise up to their parents’ legends and stop the villainous android Ultron in Marvel’s next feature length animated movie. But with the world in peril, can these inexperienced young heroes save the day?
– Matt Price
“Captain America” #37 previewed
]”Captain America” continues to be one of the best comic books on the stands, and Act Three of Ed Brubaker’s “Death of Captain America” story begins with “Captain America” No. 37. Issue No. 37 goes on sale April 16.
From Marvel:
Acclaimed artists Steve Epting and Jackson Guice join Brubaker for Captain America #37, as the Red Skull targets the very soul of America with his latest gambit! As James “Bucky” Barnes must adjust to the new mantle once worn by his mentor, he must also search for the kidnapped Sharon Carter—whose jaw dropping discovery last issue may change the entire direction of Captain America!
Comics shipping 3/26/08
Some interesting collections this week, as “Wanted” gets a hardcover, “Booster Gold” gets a Showcase edition of his 1980s series, and “Jack Kirby’s Fourth World” gets a fourth collection. A new “Wolverine” series launches, featuring the early days of his team-ups with Kitty Pryde.
Full list and commentary after the break.
Jackman, Virgin team for “Nowhere Man”
Virgin Comics reports that Hugh Jackman, “Wolverine” from the X-Men films and the upcoming “Wolverine,” will team up with “Wolverine” comic-book writer Marc Guggenheim to create the comic-book series “Nowhere Man.”
The story is reported to be a science fiction odyssey in a future in which mankind has traded privacy for safety.
“I’ve had so much fun in the graphic novel world with the X-MEN franchise that I wanted to get even more involved,” said Jackman in a release. “I am so excited to work with Virgin and Marc and create a compelling character and story that hopefully will also make it to the big screen.”
Virgin will team with Seed Productions, Jackman’s production company with producer John Palermo, to create the comic series and then take it into film and other areas, according to the release.
– Matt Price
Millar, Harris take on “War Heroes”
Image Comics has announced a new series from writer Mark Millar and artist Tony Harris, called “War Heroes.”
“WAR HEROES is everything I’ve been leading up to with CIVIL WAR, ULTIMATES, THE AUTHORITY, KICK ASS and WANTED,” said Millar in the release. “In a way, it’s the culmination of superhero concepts I’ve thus far only dreamed about, brought to fruition due to Tony’s artwork beautiful line work and the unique creative freedom Image Comics provides. Consider this our ULTIMATES 3.”
Millar continued, “WAR HEROES is a grand step away from superheroes as you previously perceived them. Tony and I are doing this without any restriction, completely uncensored, taking superheroes to their next evolutionary step.”
WAR HEROES #1 is set for a June 25th release, and features a near-future America’s military turning to superpowered beings as a new form of weapon.
– Matt Price
