So The Amazing Spider-Man has finally reached its 600th issue and to commemorate the occasion, this issue came with four variant covers, I chose the Alex Ross (if I’m not mistaken) variant for my article as it’s by far my favourite. I don’t really follow the Spidey comics as, like most of the mainstream characters of the big boy publishers, there’s simply too many different titles, reboots, retcon and so forth that I couldn’t be bothered to make an attempt at following them.
The 600th issue consists of various tales, the main story consisting of 59 pages and focuses on an ailing Doctor Octopus, who after years of receiving continuous beatings from superhero and villain alike, has been left with collective blunt force trauma damage, leaving Otto with a shortened lifespan. In light of this, the ‘good’ doctor decides to make the most of the remainder of his life by ‘making amends’ and leaving the world his legacy – a perfect global utopia. Though the doctor’s heart is in the right place, his methods are questionable and soon enough he has the attention of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, The Avengers and The Fantastic 4.
Apart from the central story, there are four ‘Amazing Spider-Man covers you’ll never see‘ which are pretty damn funny (most notably the hippie variant) as well as several short tales including Spidey going to a shrink due to an identity crisis/nervous breakdown whereby he tries to explain all the events in his life ranging from the black symbiotic suit, Green Goblin being dead, only to rise from the grave and even Parker’s transformation into the man-spider. The story harks back to what I said earlier in regards to the Spider-Man series as being incomprehensible with constant reboots and what not (much like the X-Men series; with what seems like fifty million titles), a tangled web indeed (if you’ll excuse the pun) and I think the ‘Identity Crisis’ story pokes fun at the fact that trying to keep track of all the events, changes and story-arcs in the Spidey universe would drive anyone mad.
John Romita, Jr is responsible for the artwork in the central story, his work is very clean consisting of a strong angular drawing style but I'm sure by now most comics-book fans are accustomed to his work.
Spider-Man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 back in 1962, I wonder if Stan Lee ever thought that his creation would still be as popular as it is thirty-seven years later. Three films (4th due 2011), animated shows, action figures and a myriad of other merchandise is testament to Spidey’s popularity. For some reason I assumed issue six hundred would be a self-contained story, sadly it isn’t so the ending kind of left me confused with Mary Jane showing up, which seems to be a big deal judging from Peter and Aunt May’s expressions. Anyway, as most Spider-Man issues, this edition is action-packed and sure to please Spidey fanboys, though Planet of the Symbiotes (circa 1995) is still my favourite Spider-Man arc. The year 1995 was a great one for Marvel what with their Age of Apocalypse series (X-Men) and official distribution of ongoing comic-book titles in South Africa.
If you’ve got five bucks to spare and you’re a Spidey fan, you can’t go wrong with The Amazing Spider-Man #600. In fact, perhaps you should purchase two copies, one to read and another for storage (sure to be valuable in the years to come). On another note, a belated happy birthday to Stan Lee (born 28 December 1922), comic-book pioneer. Excelsior!
After stumbling upon one of his music videos on Youtube (posted below), I discovered that Sugimoto Kousuke is a self-taught animator who now does music video clips in Japan. Given that he claims to be self-taught, his work is of an extremely high level and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before this guy is doing anime.
You can check out more of his work at his home page or subscribe to his Youtube Channel, I for one will be keeping a close eye on Kousuke’s work as, being an artist myself, I’m always interested to see what work the independent crowd are able to put out.
Posted above are a few of Kousuke’s illustrations, his work is impressively varied and he seems to be able to use a diverse array of styles. I’ll be sure to post any future works here as I believe Sugimoto needs as much exposure as possible, his work is just so damn awesome
I often wonder whether or not H.R. Giger ever thought that his alien concept and design would ever become so popular. Since creating the creatures for the critically acclaimed film; Alien, back in 1979, Giger’s monsters have been endlessly emulated, reiterated, and used for action figure lines, statues, novels, video-games and films as well as having his creation pitted against other interstellar beings. Not forgetting comic-books, Dark Horse has released a brand-new mini series in 2009 focusing on new heroes and indeed a new strain of alien.
John Arcudi has crafted an enjoyable Aliens tale involving a research team who land on a planet in the Chione system, only to be greeted by fellow humans who don’t exactly give them the expected welcoming. After the locals gun down the research crew, a single survivor, David Sereda, manages to dig himself out of his grave (think Bishop) and return to the ship in order to make his escape. As Sereda readies for takeoff, he hears a distress call on his comm and learns that a girl named Andrea Keats is lost in a canyon somewhere on the planet. Together with newfound companions, Sereda must ascertain as to why the locals are literally out of their minds as well as find Andrea. Mix in a species of alien that doesn’t lurk in the shadows or use sneak attacks, rather opting for direct, never-back-down tactics and you get an interesting take on the Aliens universe.
As pictured in the last panel, the aliens are red in colour as well as having extended mandibles.
I quite enjoyed this new entry from Dark Horse, while I didn’t think that the artwork was of the highest calibre (excluding the last two covers by Raymond Swanland, which are brilliant), the storyline more than makes up for it, I’m also looking forward to reading the new Predator mini series but will only read it once I have the final issue (I hate having to wait). Give Aliens a read if you’re a fan of the extended universe, it won’t disappoint.
At some point in time I’m sure that most comic-book fans wish that their favourite female character/s or even characters in general could be perceived in a capacity beyond the confines of the medium. In other words, you’re not about to see Marvel, DC or Tokyopop take their most popular characters and use them for erotica. This is where dōjinshi (usually transliterated as doujinshi) comes in. Doujinshi are self-published works (comics, manga or novels) usually created by amateurs although some professional artists have been known to create doujinshi for promotional purposes.
The first doujinshi that I can remember reading was a Ranma ½ story and the first thing that sprung to mind is that the artwork was incredibly good, in fact it was identical to that of Rumiko Takahashi. Be it amateur or professional works, the majority of doujinshi that I’ve come across is of a professional level. I always found it funny that these talented amateur artists were using their gifts for ‘evil’ purposes when they could much rather work for the companies that produce the actual manga to begin with. Though that isn’t the case, and good artists are a dime a dozen in Japan so conventions like Comiket exist, the world’s largest comic-book convention and a place where aspiring artists can go to, to sell or exchange their work. This is also a good arena for companies to scout for prominent employees.
Though not always the case, doujinshi are generally sexually explicit in nature and thus are hugely popular, even though Comiket breaks Japanese copyright laws, the convention is still held twice a year and rakes in half a million people per convention. Since the artists rarely get the permission of the owners of the characters they’re using, artists can get away with pretty much anything so don’t be surprised to see Chiyo-chan or Yoko getting filled out like an application form.
Koushoku Shounen no Susume 9 p099.
Pictured above is a fine example of a doujinshi, notice how the artwork mirrors that of the art you’d expect to find in a professional, published manga. Since the majority of doujinshi is in the native Japanese language, many Western fans rely on scanlators to translate the, usually unavailable, works into English. Though as always there are the extremes, and the above image I’ve supplied is nothing compared to the bizarre and downright twisted images and situations that the more perverted/obsessed fans are capable of. Genres include; futa, loli, guro, tentacle-rape and even monster girls.
This is doujinshi based upon the ever-popular History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi, most of the situations the artists come up with are hilarious.
“John Oppliger of AnimeNation stated that creating dōjinshi is largely popular with Japanese fans however not with Western fans. Oppliger claimed that because Japanese natives grow up with animation and manga “as a constant companion”, Japanese fans “are more intuitively inclined” to create or expand on existing manga and anime in the form of dōjinshi .Because Western fans experience a “more purely” visual experience as most Western fans cannot understand the Japanese language, the original language of most anime, and are “encouraged by social pressure to grow out of cartoons and comics during the onset of adolescence”, most Western fans participate in utilizing and rearranging existing work into anime music videos.”
If you are a doujin fan, be sure to check out Genshiken (manga and anime) as well as Doujin Work for a bit of insight into the otaku, doujinshi sub-culture. More recently, doujinshi has been refered to as ero-manga or seijin (成人) which literally translates to ‘adult’. In 2008, a white paper on the otaku industry was published, this estimated that gross revenue from sales of doujinshi in 2007 were 277.3 billion yen, or 14.9% of total otaku expenditure on their hobby. I myself am well aware of the large amounts of money I spend to fuel my otaku lifestyle, but it’s a passion of mine and I refuse to stop, however if you are strapped for cash try to create your own doujinshi.
For my first post under the ‘Asian Cuisine’ category, I’ve chosen a traditional Beef sukiyaki dish. Sukiyaki is thin beef strips (though you can use chicken or pork as well) cooked for a brief period of time at the table and usually served with onions, greens and soy.
An example of a Beef Sukiyaki dish.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons (45ml) vegetable oil
1 medium-size onion, sliced
4 large mushrooms, sliced
1lb ( 450g) cut in strips
1/2 lb (225g) fresh spinach
1 cup (250ml) celery, sliced diagonally
4 shallots*
1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30ml) sugar
10 oz (284ml) canned beef consomme*
Cooking Procedure:
In a heavy skillet, heat oil and saute* onion.
Add mushrooms and beef strips and cook for 2 minutes.
Add spinach and cook for 1 minute.
Add celery and cook for 1 minute.
Cut shallots lengthwise into strips, then add to mixture.
Blend soy sauce into mixture, and cook for 1 minute.
Pour beef consomme into mixture, add sugar, and let simmer for 2 minutes.
*Reference:
Shallot – Shallots are commonly used in Thailand and come in all sizes and colors, including purple. If shallots aren’t available at your local grocery store or are too expensive, a good substitute is a combination of white cooking onion and garlic. Or use only the white part of spring onions.
Consomme – Clear soup usually of beef, veal or chicken.
Sega’s new action-adventure game for PS3 and Xbox 360, Bayonetta, has already reached critical acclaim in Japan thanks to the awesome play mechanics (those familiar with the Devil May Cry series will like this one), frenetic game-play and of course the sexy heroine, Bayonetta, who is a witch capable of shape-shifting, wielding four guns simultaneously and using her hair for magical attacks. Due to the rising popularity of the protagonist, fan art (mostly ecchi and hentai) has emerged so in light of that I present to you this Bayonetta gallery, enjoy
City of Dust is the first comic-book series that I’ve read from Radical Comics, a publisher of fully painted comics, and I must say that I’m mighty impressed. Once again, Steve Niles brings us a suspense-filled tale that invariably intertwines some sort of mythological creature (see his previous works), the product being, in this case, an awesome mini sci-fi/horror masterpiece.
With City of Dust, the reader is treated to a science-fiction story, akin to Ghost in the Shell and Equilibrium whereby the focus point of the series is some form of futuristic lawman and in this case it’s Philip Khrome, a man who as a child, had his father locked up, according to the censors his father was; “attempting to poison a child’s mind with impossible ideas”. Much like equilibrium; free thought, art, fictional data (books and whatnot) and use of imagination are discouraged and illegal, and this includes all religion as well. Since Khrome’s father was taken away, it was up to the state to raise him, and as a result, Khrome became a straight-arrow lawman who upholds the law without question (though it doesn’t stop him from ‘meeting and greeting’ with an extremely sexy hooker), that is until he kills a man for praying. It’s only after Khrome murders the man (he assumed he was going for a gun when in fact it was a rosary) does he then start to question his actions. Throw in some additional, grisly murders courtesy of a group of mysterious monsters resembling classic creatures such as vampires and werewolves and you have a tale filled with classic Niles goodness.
I must say that the artwork is utterly fantastic, not only are the covers of each issue exquisite, but each and every panel within is rendered with magnificent style and attention to detail, and so far every comic that I’ve seen from Radical Comics is given the same attention. There’s no excuse for shoddy artwork anymore when whole issues can be drawn with the same care and painstaking effort as the cover art, as seen from the titles that Radical Comics releases. Being a young publisher, established in 2007, Radical Comics already has big names attached to it including the aforementioned Steve Niles as well as Warren Ellis (the series Hotwire, is based upon a Warren Ellis story) of Transmetropolitan fame.
The Radical Comics logo, I will be reviewing more of their releases as I get them.
City of Dust left me feeling very satisfied, I’m assuming that by having; “a Philip Khrome Story” printed on the cover that we can expect to see more Khrome adventures in the not-too-distant future. Radical Comics seems to be releasing a lot of mini-series in order to promote their releases as well as give readers a taste of what’s to come, and if City of Dust is anything to go by then I think Radical has a bright and shiny future as a publisher in the comic-book industry, something we need now more than ever what with Marvel Comics selling out to Disney and whatnot.
An example of City of Dust's beautifully rendered artwork.
Overall, City of Dust is a highly enjoyable read, an intriguing story as well as beautiful artwork make this a solid title, worthy of attention and a must for any and all comic-book fans out there.
Freaks of the Heartland is a six issue mini-series written by Steve Niles, creator of30 Days of Night, focused around a small American town called Gristlewood Valley, with equally small-minded people. A young boy named Trevor seems somewhat apprehensive about going home, and for good reason, his father is a strict, overbearing alcoholic (judging from the amount of booze he consumes), but Trevor’s family has a secret, one which lives in the barn.
After Trevor’s father utters the words, “go and feed yer brother”, we discover that the family secret is in fact a deformed Quasimodo-like child named Will shackled in the barn. Henry (the father) is filled with resentment and disgust in regards to Will, the wife tries to reason with her spouse but is almost immediately shutdown down when her husband retorts with anger and the only person who seems to care for Will is Trevor. One night Trevor manages to free his brother and the two spend sometime playing together. For a six-year-old, Will displays amazing size and strength, a fact which seems to scare his father. When news arrives of another person’s ‘freak’ child killing a pig, Henry decides that it is time to ‘end this’ by shooting Will. After a struggle Will kills his father and together with Trevor, they make their escape and discover that other people have ’secrets’ too.
The story doesn’t really offer the reader anything new, it’s basically about a small town who keep to themselves and who are covering up a ‘terrible’ secret. What we get is a story composed of hate-filled townspeople unable to accept anyone who is different, this kind of small town mentality really doesn’t appeal to me and the events that unfold are rather quite predictable much like the mindsets of these backwards townsfolk. Unfortunately Freaks of the Heartland doesn’t expand upon the origin of the ‘freak’ children, an aspect that might have added some complexity to this somewhat simplistic story. On another note, I thought the artwork was very nice so kudos to Greg Ruth.
The artwork is quite impressive, Ruth has a very expressive art style, bringing the story to life.
As far as I know, Freaks of the Heartland is available in separate issues as well as a TPB, so if this story appeals to you, purchase yourself a copy, I believe a film is also in the works scheduled for a 2010 release, it will be interesting to see how faithful the film adaptation will be to its source material, as in my opinion a six issue series should be simple enough to convert verbatim. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
This cold-cast garage kit, fully painted and assembled, stands at around 300mm and is based on the maid/assassin/criminal, Roberta, from the Black Lagoon anime series. Roberta has been painstakingly recreated down to every detail and it really shows as this statue is simply beautiful.
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