The Splash Page Podcast 2013 Special

The Chemical Box's Joey Aulisio has been kind enough to begin hosting the Splash Page Podcast just in time for the 2013 special!

In this episode, Tim and I discuss: intros/random chit-chat, why I'm is quitting internet writing (for now), All New X-Men/Brian Michael Bendis’s Avengers, Marvel Now/DC nu52, random artist stuff, Uncanny Avengers, Action Comics, Andy Diggle, Captain America, World’s Finest #8 and Fantastic Four #3, Noh-Varr, Superior Spider-Man #1, feedback from readers, the 2013 Blogathon, and have some rambling end of podcast talk.

Enjoy it now because who knows when we will return again!

You can download and listen to the Splash Page Podcast 2013 Special HERE!

Direct Message 07: Amazing Spider-Man #700

New Comics Should be Good blogger Alec Berry and I have come together once again, this time to discuss Amazing Spider-Man #700. I liked it more than Alec did. I think he and I trade back and forth liking things. What will happen next time? Who knows! But, for now, go read that and, then, don't forget to check out the latest edition of Random Thoughts where I offer up predictions for comics in 2013. Some are serious, some are not, try to separate the two.

You can read Direct Message 07 HERE!

Direct Message 06: Cable & X-Force #1

This one came together quickly. It's really just Alec and I punching Cable & X-Force #1 again and again in the hopes that it will die. Alec does most of the work, while I just sort of hang back all proud and grinning. Also, Shawn Starr makes a guest art appearance.

You can read Direct Message 06 HERE!

Direct Message 05: Fatale

Mostly because of me, Direct Message 05 wherein Alec and I discuss Fatale was delayed. The words... they would not come. Eventually they did in their way, so here we are with a completed discussion column. Isn't that lovely? Go read it. Enjoy.

You can read Direct Message 05 on Fatale HERE!

Direct Message 04: The Manhattan Projects

Alec Berry and I managed to get the latest Direct Message on The Manhattan Projects done in about four days. Is this a sign that we've finally gotten our act together? Who knows! But, there's some new comic-discussing going on and you should go read it.

The latest Direct Message can be read HERE!

Direct Message 3.5: Alex Ross, Kingdom Come, and Marvels

A while back, Alec Berry and I began our next Direct Message discussion on Alex Ross, specifically Kingdom Come and Marvels. It sort of petered out and died, mostly because of Alec. But, I understand. Part of his problem is that he's still finding his voice in criticism and just wasn't happy with what he said here -- mostly how he said it. He's struggling a bit with trying to be honest and not too influenced by others and it's something that we've all gone through at different times. So, I never had any issues with him not wanting to continue this one. But, why let it go to waste? It's up over on the Chemical Box and we're going to begin another one soon on The Manhattan Projects. Now, I stand by everything I say in this discussion and how I said it.

You can read Direct Message 3.5 HERE!

29: Three Months

Today's edition of Random Thoughts has me venting a bit and finally doing an edition of that thing where it's basically one long thought. I haven't reached the point where I'm outright 'naming names' yet. But, I assume that time will come, too. In the meantime, go read as I repeat myself a bit, insult a lot of people in broad terms, insult some specific people in not-too-hidden ways, and, basically, share way too much information.

The Splash Page vs. Riding the Gravy Train

In this week's When Words Collide column at CBR, Tim Callahan and I had a little Splash Page reunion to discuss Avengers vs. X-Men. It kind of turns more into 'Tim says something and Chad blathers on for 27 years,' creating a first: a Splash Page discussion where I wrote more than Tim. I tried not to repeat myself too much between this and the various Riding the Gravy Train posts I've done, but, hey, there's only so much to talk about, even in events.

You can read the Splash Page reunion Avengers vs. X-Men special edition of When Words Collide HERE!

Swipe File: Bleeding Cool and Riding the Gravy Train

Because it's fun being snarky...

Bleeding Cool on Avengers vs. X-Men (10/02/12)

Riding the Gravy Train 25 on Avengers vs. X-Men (10/01/12)

(Or... Riding the Gravy Train 23 on Avengers vs. X-Men (09/16/12) if you prefer... Maybe one or two others.)

[In Swipe File Bleeding Cool presents two or more images that resemble each other to some degree. They may be homages, parodies, ironic appropriations, coincidences or works of the lightbox. Bleeding Cool trusts you, the reader, to make that judgment yourself? If you are unable to do so, please return your eyes to their maker before any further damage is done. The Swipe File doesn’t judge, it’s interested more in the process of creation, how work influences other work, how new work comes from old, and sometimes how the same ideas emerge simultaneously, as if their time has just come. The Swipe File was named after the advertising industry habit where writers and artist collect images and lines they admire to inspire them in their work. It was swiped from the Comic Journal who originally ran what eventually became the current Bleeding Cool column, as well as the now defunct Swipe Of The Week website.]

Venture Elsewhere

This week's EXCLUSIVE! mini-reviews and star ratings are over at Comics Should be Good. Why? Because I felt like it. So look there.

A Few Links on Your Saturday Night

1. I did this week's mini-reviews and star ratings exclusively for Comics Should be Good. I guess it becomes a less funny joke when it's an exclusive for another site.

2. The latest ...And the Superhuman Review is up with Brian Cronin and I discussing Before Watchmen: Minutemen #2.

3. Alec Berry and the Guttersnipes have departed Spandexless Reads, mostly because we were thrown out since it's a column meant to spotlight what the Spandexless writers are reading and everyone who participated (save Alec) doesn't write for the site. Of course, Alec asked us all to participate because no one who writes for the site would. Logically, you'd think they would simply go "Hey, do any of you want to contribute more than this?" to work around that little problem in concept and execution, but they didn't. So we're gone. I'll miss doing those capsule reviews of "The Curse of the Crimson Corsair." They amused me. But, I was only there because Alec asked and I like Alec, so I don't mind too much. Still...

Later

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of June 20, 2012

The third "...And the Superhuman Review" where Brian and I discuss Before Watchmen: Comedian #1 is up. No contribution to Spandexless Reads this week, because my internet was down for a couple of days -- same reason why Random Thoughts didn't return this week. Ah well. The world survived somehow.

Casanova: Avaritia #4: I reread the first three issues on Tuesday and... I don't know, man. It feels like running away. Because it is running away. First, he sends his mom and sister away. Then, he almost saves them all by unmaking himself. Now, he runs away... In some ways, Avaritia has been a mess, spinning out from a single concept/mood towards this ending that seems like it should be big and mean something like the two before it and... it doesn't. It doesn't feel like much, man. It feels like running away. Then again, from a certain angle, that's what this series has always felt like to an extent, except the best moments came when characters didn't try to escape, didn't try to leave, they just stood and took it. I don't know, man. [Great art, though, of course]

Daredevil #14: Great-looking comic and... I... don't care...? That's how it feels when a new issue of this comes out. That whole Omega Drive bullshit just dragged me down. What began as a series that felt a little special quickly became like the rest... not really fair or anything, because this is an enjoyable comic. I loved the final page. Chris Samnee draws very, very well. Mark Waid's writing is clever. But! But but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but  but but but but but but but but but but but but  but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but but... [But]

Journey into Mystery #640: The finish seemed obvious a mile off, but some clever writing here nonetheless. I like the idea of old gods vs. new gods, especially when it's not about simple destruction/replacement or the idea that the new gods are somehow worse than the old ones. Neil Gaiman has done some nice work on the matter and I like this take, too. [***1/2]

The Unwritten #38: Still unsure about the new 'season' of the title. Some of the underlying bits are nice, especially Tom being kept off-panel, but it also feels like... spinning wheels somehow? Like there isn't a clear idea yet of what this book is about. It could be about the idea of Leviathan dying and what that means... but that's not there yet. Odds are the whole arc will lay things out, but this is what I'm stuck with right now. [**3/4]

Winter Soldier #7: As far as car chases/highway action scenes go in comics, this was pretty well done. [***3/4]

Wonder Woman #10: There's a part of me trying not to laugh about this comic being about Wonder Woman and the gang teaching Hades to love himself. That's... so fucking weird, man. But, Diana's "I love everyone!" was fantastic. Gotta just embrace it, y'know? Consistently good comic. [***3/4]

Later

Because "Riding the Gravy Train" was already taken...

Over at Comics Should be Good, the first "...And the Superhuman Review" on Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1 is up. Every week, Brian Cronin and I will briefly review/discuss new issues of Before Watchmen. The title is Brian's and I like it. I was leaning more towards something a bit more childish involving the term "scab comics" or something. But, Brian is more mature than I --and less willing to be an asshole for the sake of it. Thank god.

And, over at Spandexless, I wrote about the first part of "The Curse of the Crimson Corsair" for Alec Berry's Spandexless Reads column. Alec's a good guy and, as his intro says, he's not thrilled to have Before Watchmen content in the column, but he's also on board with me writing about the strip there every week. Me, I'm looking at it as a challenge: how do you write about a serialised story that comes out every week in two pages? It's similar to writing about Wednesday Comics to a degree, I suppose; except, there, I was writing about it with Tim Callahan and we weren't limited to just one of the strips.

So, look for those every week.

EXCLUSIVE! Chad Nevett's Comic Book Mini-Reviews and Star Ratings for the Week of May 23, 2012

Below this post are some brief thoughts on the final issue of Irredeemable. Over at Spandexless, I wrote "1000 or so words on Deadenders, youth, nostalgia, and growing up. Only 40 of them are worthwhile." It's for the weekly Spandexless Reads column that Alec Berry does there. He asked me to contribute a weekly 'essay' that concludes the column each week and I was more than happy to oblige. I may do it again -- or may send him some capsule reviews for the other part of the column. It entirely depends on if I feel like it and if he asks me for something specifically. I have joked to him that I may just send in a weekly capsule review of the pirate back-up strips in the Before Watchmen comics. Or... was I joking? DUN DUN DUN!

Batman, Incorporated #1: You know what I'm oddly excited about? Finding out who Wingman is. Visually exciting, picks up right where it left off basically... Morrison's run began with Batman getting shot in the face. The final year has that, too. Ouroboros. [****]

Captain America #12: You know what would be great? A final page reveal where you don't need to read the caption explaining who the character is. That would be nice. Solid as always. [***1/2]

Journey into Mystery #638: I like the twist. [***]

The Mighty Thor #14: Three plots. Only one that I want to see more of. And it's not the one involving the lame teenager. Where the fuck did that come from? Am I forgetting something from last issue? It seems so out of place here. But, hey, this does feature Donald Blake learning an important lesson and Thor's biggest nightmare. So... yeah, not good. [**]

Prophet #25: Every issue is a surprise. Every page is a surprise. The larger picture becomes clearer while the smaller details are made more complex. Wonderful. That final page is kind of funny. [****]

The Unwritten #37: This issue is like the season premiere or something. A big jump in time, some big changes, a new status quo of sorts, and no Tom Taylor yet. In some ways, this series is more interesting when Tom's just a lingering presence (kind of like Steve Rogers). Seeing the world around him react to his nonsense and craziness is genuinely interesting. As his life is exposed through a book by Savoy, the growth of a cult and what that means is a nice place to reenter things. But, there is a sense of purposelessness that can't be ignored. Everything seemed to build to Tom's confrontation with Pullman that, now, the point of the series is unclear. It's like a TV show that was facing possible cancellation, so it wrapped everything up and, then, got renewed for another season. Maybe Mike Carey and Peter Gross had this planned out (I assume so), but it may take a little bit to win me over again. I am intrigued with where things stand, though. That final page is fantastic. [***1/2]

Later

The Return of Random Thoughts!

Random Thoughts! has returned on Comics Should be Good with a new feature that will be part of every post: the Random Joe Casey Question! Each week, I will ask Joe Casey a question and he will answer it.

You can read the newest edition of Random Thoughts! HERE!

Name Your Ending (Stolen from Tom Spurgeon)

In this week's Five for Friday, Tom Spurgeon asked for four issues that could have been the end of the series/character but weren't (for whatever reason) along with an explanation for one of your choices. I really liked the idea and wanted to expand upon my list with some new picks and explanations for all of them.

1. Dreadstar #31: The final issue that Jim Starlin wrote and illustrated. Vanth nearly died fighting the Lord High Papal and spends two years in a coma and wakes up to some big changes. The character is immortal, basically, so this seemed like a good place to end things. His life would always be a cycle of victories and losses...

2. The Authority #22: The Authority, having become bloated and corrupt in their own way are killed by the governments they pissed off and replaced with a group that will cater to the Powers that Be. That always seemed like an appropriate and fitting ending for the book that pushed the boundaries a little and had its share of controversies and would, eventually, die a death of slow mediocrity.

3. Transmetropolitan #24: Spider uses all of his power to help oust the Beast from power, but, in the process, put in someone worse. A downbeat ending, sure... Every time I reread Transmet, this always seems like a natural breaking point for the series and, had it ended there, it would have been disappointing... and appropriate to an extent.

4. Adventures of Superman #623: Superman reflects on his role, his marriage, and it ends with a moment of him recognising his effect on the world, and leaving his relationship with Lois ambiguous enough that you can interpret it as the end of their marriage or them reaffirming their love. (Also, assume that ever 'last issue' of a Joe Casey run gets its own pick...)

5. Fantastic Four #513: The Fantastic Four go to Heaven to bring the Thing back, meet Jack Kirby, and receive a drawing them older and happy...

6. Punishermax #22: Frank Castle is dead and I can't honestly think of another Punisher story that needs telling... or anything left to say with the character that hasn't been said.

7. Spectacular Spider-Man #229: Peter gives up being Spider-Man to be a husband and father, handing the mantle over to Ben Reilly. Peter finally gets to become an adult and Spider-Man still exists.

8. Hellblazer #215: John Constantine has doomed his sister to hell, ruined his friendship with his best friend, and then delivers the best sober 'drunk' speech ever to a bunch of magicians. It's a glorious 'fuck you' to magic and the life he's chosen... and you know it won't end there.

9. Batman and Robin #3: Bruce Wayne is dead, but Batman and Robin will never die...

10. Marshal Law #6: None of the follow-ups really said anything that this hadn't. They expanded on the character a little and made some funny jokes, and never hit nearly as hard as the finale to the mini-series.

Later

Team Hellions Podcast #35

On Thursday morning, I recorded a podcast with Kevin Hellions for his site. He does a weekly podcast and needed someone, so I jumped in. For an hour, we talk comics and wrestling, including my most detailed thoughts concerning Before Watchmen. Also, if you ever wanted to hear how I began writing for every site I write for, well, you're in luck.

You can listen to and download Team Hellions Podcast #35 HERE!

Best of 2011: CBR Top 100

The CBR top 100 of 2011 went up a few weeks back. I gave my picks and wrote some blurbs with an early draft of my top 10 comics of the year. That list has since changed and will see the light of day sometime before the month is over. The blurbs I wrote were done with an emphasis on brevity. Basically, a bunch of blurbs that could function as pull quotes. Hey, if you aren't delivering pull quotes on 'best of the year' lists, when are you?

#100-76, including my blurb for Prison Pit Book 3.

#75-51, including my blurb for Vengeance.

#50-26, including my blurbs for Punishermax and Deadpool MAX.

#25-11, which has no blurbs by me.

#10-1, including my blurbs for Scalped and Daredevil.

Other blurbs I wrote:

Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker (Written by Joe Casey; Art by Mike Huddleston; Published by Image Comics)
Joe Casey and Mike Huddleston let loose to do as they please, combining superhero comics with trucking movies with crazy pop art extravaganzas. Every issue shows some new crazy wonderment -- hell, every page does! This comic is everything a superhero comic book should be.

Ultimates (Written by Jonathan Hickman; Art by Esad Ribic; Colors by Dean White; Published by Marvel Comics)
The relaunched Ultimates has pushed the boundaries of what we expect from superhero comics, free of continuity concerns and able to genuinely change the world it depicts. The biggest revelation has been the art team of Esad Ribic and Dean White, a duo that manage to bring epic scope, deep beauty, and fierce energy to every page.

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent (Written by Ed Brubaker; Art by Sean Phillips; Published by Icon)
Ed Brubaker explores nostalgia, both in the real world and the comics world, with depth and care, while Sean Phillips shows a bit of range to go with his expert storytelling. The Last of the Innocent is uncompromising right to the end and will make you want to go back and reread it right away.

Holy Terror (Everything by Frank Miller; Published by Legendary Comics)
No one draws cities better than Frank Miller. No one draws widescreen big pages than Frank Miller. No one draws rain better than Frank Miller. Holy Terror has all of that and more. It’s a gorgeous work that I’ve spent far too much time just looking at.

Expect some other Best of 2011 posts over the next while, including my usual post on Joe Casey's work from the year, some notable comics that I think are worth mentioning, the ten comics released prior to 2011 that I got this year that I think deserve notice, and the revised top ten list.

The Splash Page Podcast 2011 Holiday Spectacular

Tim and are back with a new edition of the Splash Page Podcast! It's our special Christmas gift to all of you listeners. In this episode, we talk mostly about the best of 2011 with such topics as Holy Terror, some Marvel books like Daredevil, The Ultimates, and Uncanny X-Force, Scalped, Bendis's Avengers work, Casanova: Avaritia, Vengeance, Tim's Alan Moore writing, and, then, we go into a long big talk about comics that touches on a variety of subjects before moving into books for the end. This episode is pretty much what you'd expect from us and was quite fun to do. Since it is a holiday episode, it's bookended by a couple of songs from the Barenaked Ladies's holiday album. So, download, listen, and enjoy -- and have a happy holidays!

You can download and listen to the Splash Page Podcast 2011 Holiday Spectacular HERE!

Where It's At These Days

If I had Tumblr, that would be a better place to post this:

It's all on me, though; it's Charlie Brown kicking at the football. Pieces of shit act like pieces of shit. That's what they're supposed to do, it's why they're put on the planet. You don't get to be mad at D&Q for acting like D&Q, or at DC for acting like DC. It's the same rule for us as it is for creators: comics fucked Kirby, and it'll fuck you, too. I'm just a half-ass blogger with a small audience whose posting schedule got cut down by about 75 percent in the last year. I'm getting the exact treatment I deserve. The only difference is that I really don't care. I don't want to make comics, ever, and I don't ever want to have a professional job in comics past the one I have right now. They have nothing to threaten me with, nothing they can take away from me. I don't need review copies or advance previews or insider access. I don't need to be liked by people with no talent. I don't need to hear the gossip about who is sleeping with Paul Levitz' ex-girlfriend or the latest Scott Snyder office meltdown. Those are the things they try to ply you with: "Here's a story, the real story, about why Mark Waid doesn't work here anymore." Go away. Tell Rich Johnston. I don't care about any of it. Everything I ever hear about these people only convinces me further that I want nothing to do with them.

--Tucker Stone in an interview with Tom Spurgeon