EDIT: Wow, both Robert Kirkman and producer Gale Anne Hurd have confirmed on Twitter that this is NOT an official The Walking Dead teaser but fan made. I’m floored. Watch it and see why both I and The Hollywood Reporter were fooled.

[Original story] I’d like to say the wait is almost over, but it isn’t. We’ve still got four months to go until The Walking Dead Season 2 premieres on AMC. But thankfully we’ve got our first teaser trailer to drool over.

Guh.

The trailer comes via The Hollywood Reporter who spoke with Robert Kirkman a short time ago and told them Season 2 will pick up right where Season 1 left off. “The last time we saw our characters, they were loaded up into the RV and they were driving away from the CDC,” Kirkman said. “We will definitely see where that caravan is going and follow them on their journey. So, pretty much where we get blown up.”

Meanwhile, showrunner Frank Darabont spoke with Deadline about the new season not too long ago either. “It’s fair to say that the first six episodes were teeing up a lot of conflicts that will be more fully explored in our second season,” said Darabont, “We find a growing conflict with our two main guys, Rick [Andrew Lincoln] and Shane [Jon Bernthal]. We’re really excited about putting all of the characters on a chessboard and seeing how wonderfully and effectively we can toss conflict into the game.”

Personally, after last year’s booth, I can’t wait to see what they pull out for San Diego Comic-Con in two weeks.

Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. With the arrival of a new Transformers film last week I decided I’d see what Etsy had to offer in the way of Autobots and Decepticons. This week I thought I’d mix it up. When I do my searches for the column I tend to come across a lot of other really neat items that don’t fit into that week’s theme. But I do bookmark them for later and instead of waiting to bunch them together with other similar items, I’m going to show you a few of them now. I’ll probably wind up doing this now and again because honestly, there’s way too many cool things on Etsy.

It’s safe to say I can never get enough Doctor Who, so when I came across this Empty Child Mini-Print I exploded with glee. User myarmcanfly will sell you this 3.5×5 inch print for $4. I almost did an artist highlight on this seller but I recently did a very large Doctor Who-centric post and didn’t want to overdo it. That being said, please do check out the other Doctor Who prints this user has to offer. Particularly the Ood.

I’m almost purely paying lip service to myself (The Nerdy Bird) with this one. It’s a set of Superhero Wine Charms where the superheroes are made to look like birds. User spiffycool has The Punisher, Superman, The Joker, Batman, The Hulk, Spider-Man and Harlequinn in the set for $39.95. If you don’t drink wine or don’t have use for all of them, spiffycool can make any of them into a pendant, keychain, bookmark or tie tack. Nerdy Bird Fact: I have the Batman-bird charm as a necklace.

And well, if you ARE a wine drinker or a drinker of liquids of any type, might I suggest picking up a set of 4 Mario Themed Coasters to rest them on? User toasterovens has a wide selection of Mario imagery to choose from and they come in a Nintendo controller shaped holder to keep them in when not in use. Though it it were me, I’d keep these out all the time. $25.

There are a lot of fun geek aprons out there these days but these Made to Order Totally 80s Half-Aprons really caught my eye. It says 80s but as user razorbloom points out, she has 70s and 90s options available for you as well. For $53 you can choose from X-Men, Ghostbusters, Roger Rabbit, ALF and loads more.

And now for something I can’t figure out if I think is genius or way too awkward. It’s a Spider-Man Wrist Clutch made from a pair of boys underwear. User…wait for it…crotchtalk…has this one made fully lined with recycled white cotton fabric, sturdy nylon wrist strap and zipper closure for $20.

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

Potentially my new favorite comic blog of the moment is Douglas Wolk’s new one, Dredd Reckoning. Longterm comicinteretters may remember Wolk’s 52 Pick-Up, in which he annotated the hell out of DC’s weekly series following on from Infinite Crisis, but it’s also possible that you know his work from the spectacular Reading Comics book, or his pieces in Rolling Stone, Salon and multiple other places (Full disclosure: He’s also a friend, and one of the most vocal supporters of my move to Portland way back when, so I may be biased in my love of his work). But what makes this particular blog so interesting – especially, I suspect, to those who’ve heard a lot about British anthology comic 2000AD but never actually read any of it – is what he’s doing with it: Reviewing and/or commenting on every single Judge Dredd book in print (and he adds, some that aren’t in print anymore) in roughly chronological order. In other words, it’s the perfect place to read one of comics’ smartest commentators writing about one of comics’ best, and least discussed, series. How can you resist? (more…)

This is just… completely inspirational, in a really weird but genuine way: Darryl Ayo’s “Press A To Talk: Do You Like Comics,” part mash-up-comics-as-installation, part polemic. His postscript message to creators, both professional and wannabe, is equally wonderful:

Dance and don’t be afraid to look silly. Don’t get terrified that your carefully cultivated “adult” facade of “coolness” will be compromised by people seeing you enjoy something from your heart. Because believe you me: we can all see through you and you look a lot more awkward and uncool pretending that you’re above it all.

Yes! More comics that aren’t afraid to be silly would be a wonderful thing. You can’t get OMAC or New Gods without also getting Devil Dinosaur, after all.

It was bound to happen and I have to say I’m damn excited for it. George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series is being adapted to comics and there’s a very big name attached to the books.

The hugely popular book series was recently adapted to television on HBO and has created a whole new set of fans. Now Bantam Books, an imprint of the Random House, have announced that artists Alex Ross and Mike S. Miller will act as the cover artists for the comic adaptation which was revealed to be in the works earlier this year. Dynamite Entertainment is planning on publishing the monthly title come September and the books will be adapted and scripted for the comic page by writer Daniel Abraham will art by Tommy Patterson.

The issues will be collected in graphic novel format under the Bantam imprint. Senior Editor at Random House Anne Groell had this to say about the project in a press release sent out today, “It has been fifteen years since I first edited A Game of Thrones, and it is a genuine joy to be revisiting and adapting this landmark novel into a format that suits it so perfectly. George’s writing has always been highly visual, painting rich, detailed and striking images in the reader’s minds and hearts. And now seeing such a talented group of artists bringing that so vividly to life is truly exciting. I couldn’t be more pleased with everything I have seen so far–and I can’t wait for what is yet to come!”

“It’s a real privilege and a treat to be involved with reinterpreting Game of Thrones,” says writer Daniel Abraham. “It’s a brilliant piece of work, and watching the strength of that story come into a visual medium is fantastic.”

“George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones is the best book series I’ve ever read,” says cover artist Mike Miller. “Not just in the fantasy genre, but in ANY genre. Just as I hear people saying Game of Thrones is the best series on TV, I’m sure they’ll be saying the same about the comic book. You can’t find a better writer anywhere than George, and I was very excited to get the opportunity to draw covers for the comic book adaptation.”

The television show was picked up for a second season after the first episode aired back in April. No word yet on the official air date of season two but you can bet fans of both the book series and television show will be seeking this comic out to help tide them over.

There’ve been some great Green Lantern trailer parodies the last few weeks, the Onion’s version as well as The Muppets, but none of them hold a candle to this reenactment of the film by a few adorable kids. See Abin Sur and Hal Jordan in action and make sure to keep an eye out for the special cameo at the end.

What’s a lantern? You know, that may be the one thing they didn’t explain in the movie…

Frank Darabont shocked fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead last November when he fired the entire writing staff of the successful show. Turns out, Darabont wrote most of the episodes himself anyway but it still raised some eyebrows. The director is finally speaking out about the decision.

Speaking with Deadline, Darabont said the whole thing was “pretty overblown.” “It left the impression that I walked in one day and murdered 12 people. Would you like to know how many writers we were talking about? Two,” he said, “My thought had been that they’d under-delivered, and a change was necessary. I had to do too much of it by myself last year, and that was only six episodes.”

Season 2 is slated for thirteen episodes and the director is not going to be sitting in a room by himself to write all of them. “We hired Glen Mazzara as our Number Two in the room. We consider him our head writer and he’s just a fantastic asset,” he said, “We’ve also got three other staff writers in Scott Gimple, Evan Reilly from Rescue Me, and Angela Kang. Plus Executive Producer Robert Kirkman, who wrote the original comic book, is also writing for us.”

So what’s on tap for Season 2? “It’s fair to say that the first six episodes were teeing up a lot of conflicts that will be more fully explored in our second season,” said Darabont, “We find a growing conflict with our two main guys, Rick [Andrew Lincoln] and Shane [Jon Bernthal]. We’re really excited about putting all of the characters on a chessboard and seeing how wonderfully and effectively we can toss conflict into the game.”

Darabont also mentioned how grateful he is to Kirkman for his understanding when it comes to transferring his beloved comic to the small screen. “He realizes how different the mediums of comics and television are from one another,” he said, “One of the things that really attracted me to this material in the first place was how smartly Kirkman incorporated the characters and their journey in trying to survive and better themselves in this world. It was a really adult approach. And because we’re a TV series, we’ve hopefully got years to flesh out that story and all of the aspects of who they are.”

The director also said he worked for five years to get The Walking Dead on television before AMC picked it up but that the network has been good to them. “We certainly get notes, but nothing that we believe doesn’t make sense. We feel very much in partnership with AMC,” he said, “Sometimes we have to compromise, sometimes they do. But we have to admit that a lot of the stuff they’re telling us is sensible, and none of it’s dumb. Believe me, I’ve gotten a lot of dumb notes in my time, and after 25 years in the business I can tell the difference.”

Asked if he’d given much thought to the upcoming Emmy Awards Darabont said, “You know, a little bit. And it’s awesome to be a part of that chatter. We were just blown away to get nominated for a Golden Globe, a DGA award, and a WGA award in our first year. But that stuff is out of our control.”

I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. I think Captain America: The First Avenger is going to be the best comic book movie this year. First debuted 11 days ago at the Hero Complex Film Festival in Los Angeles, the latest (and presumably final) trailer is now online:

So…much…awesomeness. I’m actually tingling.

Red Skull! HYDRA! GRENADE JUMPING!!! July 22 can’t come fast enough and the fact that it’s during San Diego Comic-Con is so frustrating.

The answer? The intended story.

The original solicitation for Superman #712:

Meet Los Angeles’s newest super hero in the latest Chapter of “Grounded”: Sharif! But Sharif discovers that in today’s current cultural climate, some people don’t want his help – they just want him gone. Can Superman aid Sharif and quell a prejudiced public, or are there some problems too big even for the Man of Steel to solve?

That was a story written by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Roberson, part of the long-delayed “Grounded” arc, originally solicited for June 8. DC sent out a media release late yesterday that states:

Please note the new contents for SUPERMAN #712, now written by Kurt Busiek with art by Rick Leonardi, a cover by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino and a variant cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau.

This fill in issue contains a lost classic, Lost Boy: A Tale of Krypto the Superdog, set shortly after Superboy died in Infinite Crisis and Superman went missing.

DC Comics determined that the previously solicited story did not work within the “Grounded” storyline. However, Chris Roberson, will be back for the final two issues of Superman’s year long walk across America. As we near the conclusion, catch up with Superman next month as he makes stops in Portland and Newberg, OR.

SUPERMAN #712 is scheduled to arrive in stores on June 22.

Hmm. Well, that’s cool that the Busiek story is finally seeing the light of day and hey, Krypto! Who doesn’t love Krypto? But what happens to the Sharif story now? According to DC’s website, Superman #713 has Superboy and Supergirl meeting up with Clark in Portland, #714 in Seattle for his last stop. Does that mean the original #712 is canned for good? Here’s the cover  for the new Superman #712:

The intended story revolved around a non-white hero coming into contact with prejudice in America. With all the flack DC has gotten recently for its patriotism (or lack thereof), is it any wonder this story got pulled at the last second? Roberson spoke with Newsarama back in March about the character Sharif:

I didn’t create Sharif so much as I salvaged him from the back issue bins. The defender of Los Angeles is a character who appeared as a teenager in the pages of the Superman titles back in the early ’90s (and drawn by none other than Curt Swan, as it happens!), but we’re meeting him here a few years later, when he’s taken on a new costumed identity in his new hometown.

Like Superman, Sharif is a character with powers and abilities far beyond those of normal folks, who came to this country as a child and grew up dedicating himself to Truth, Justice, and the American Way. But the fact that he comes not from an alien world but from another country here on Earth complicates matters for him, and he quickly learns that some people have a different idea of what “The American Way” is all about.

I have no idea whether the Busiek/Krypto story has been altered since it was first intended to be released but this is a questionable move to say the least. Will the missing “Grounded” piece affect that story at all? I’m betting not since it’s been so all over the place for the last few issues anyway. And that’s not a slight to Roberson, it’s just, what do you expect when you’re working from an outline? Any way you slice it, fans are not going to be happy about this move.

So the Krypto story was originally solicited for Superman #659. If we go by those numbers that means we should see the Sharif story in Superman #765, right? Oh wait, make that Superman #51…

Warner Bros. isn’t letting a not-so-successful weekend at the box office hold them back from promoting their next big Green Lantern project. Here’s our first promo trailer for the new animated series.

The official website is now up as well. The series is centered around, who else? Hal Jordan. But in the clip we get looks at Salaak, the Guardians, Kilowog and…I couldn’t make out who the last one was. Regardless I’m really wondering how the series is going to do now that the film didn’t hit as big as they would have liked. Although, this show is obviously aimed at a entirely different demographic so you never know.

I saw a preview of the series at New York Comic Con last year and it’s definitely different than any of the other Warner Bros. animated series. It’s 3-D computer generated animation which puts me off a bit because I’m such a fan of their classic techniques but I’ll watch it regardless because there’s going to be Red Lanterns. Bruce Timm also mentioned the inspiration for the animation on the series was from Pixar’s The Incredibles and that he wasn’t worried about the success or failure of the film affecting the television show. You can read more details from the panel here.

The series will premiere on Cartoon Network later this year and stars Josh Keaton as Hal, Michael Clark Duncan as Kilowog (same as in the live-action film), Richard Green as Sinestro and Robert Englund as Hector Hammond.

With Oracle gone from the DCU, it was only a matter of time before the Birds of Prey put their headquarters in the Gotham Clocktower up for sale. Did you know it actually resided in Brooklyn, New York?

Located at 1 Main Street in Brooklyn, the building overlooks the Manhattan Bridge and the New York Harbor. I’m not making this up. There actually is a Clocktower building. In fact, I was just telling Gail Simone about it last week. I see the building while driving into Brooklyn to see my boyfriend and every time I thought, “Man, I gotta look up that building so I can write about its amazing likeness to the Birds of Prey headquarters.” The last time I drove by, I even thought how cool it would be if the clock part of the building was an actual apartment. Sure enough, this listing popped up on Yahoo news.

The actual Clocktower portion of the building holds a triplex penthouse apartment. In 2009, the asking price for the whole shebang? $25 million. Well a few months ago it went back on the market (I can’t believe there weren’t any takers!) for a mere $23.5 million. Turns out, the wealthy Gothamites, I mean, Brooklynites, weren’t biting on the 7,000-square-foot abode. So they decided to try something else.

The gigantic apartment is now for rent instead. For $50,000 a month. Well in THAT case! *reaches into pocket*

Currently, the Clocktower apartment sits atop Brooklyn’s most-expensive real estate list. The website Brownstoner writes, “According to StreetEasy, second-place honors go to 11 Cranberry, which can be had for $22,000 a month.” More details from the New York Times, “The main floor of the sleek modern apartment is dominated by four working clocks housed in four 14-foot-high round windows, which provide nearly unobstructed views (except for the clock faces) out to the four points of the compass.

“The 3,000-square-foot main floor has an open living room, dining room and kitchen with 16-foot-high ceilings,” writes the NYT, “There are three bedrooms on the 2,300-square-foot second floor (watch your head as you walk along the exterior walls), and on the floor above that, a 988-square-foot open loft with a 15-foot ceiling. Finally, up a narrow staircase at the very top of the building is a tiny windswept crow’s nest.”

There’s no name listed on the building, just a company. But that’s classic Oracle. I’m sure the real ownership runs through several dummy companies anyway. And just for the record, there’s an elevator in the apartment.

If you like hearing a grown woman cry, follow me on Twitter. I’m weeping over this. And buying a lottery ticket.

Mums the word. That’s been the motto for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises so far. Since filming began we’ve have very tiny bits of information leak out but it seems something big has finally made its way to the internet.

The information isn’t a specific location or plot point per se but opens the flood gates for speculation. For those who think they can avoid it until the film’s release on July 20, 2012, I’ll put the exact information under the cut. SPOILERS FOLLOW. (more…)

Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. Last week I went old-school with classic Nintendo items but this week was, I guess you could say, chosen. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps are flying into theaters this week for the first time and I can barely contain myself. Here are a bunch of unique Green Lantern items I found for you.

Every Lantern Corps has a ring but what if you had one ring…to rule them all? Check out this Sterling Silver Green Lantern Corps Ring that includes ALL the Corps’ symbols. User blackmore5253 (is that their Sector number?) can make this in sizes 6-15 for $69.99. And comic/genre fans will want to check out other items in the shop as well methinks…

Second best thing to having a Ryan Reynolds of your very own to hug and squeeze? This adorable GL Plushie is from user Googooli. It’s 10 inches long and only $6! How can you resist those pink cheeks?

For aspiring comic artists, check out this Vintage Green Lantern Recycled Comic Book Sketchbook. Made using Green Lantern Corps #211 from 1987, user crabappledesign threw in the front and back of the comic as well as a few ads to the overall design. $18

Want something a little different to show your GL pride? How about this Green Lantern Wall Art. Made from wood by user Sanchezz for $25.

And just for the sheer ridiculousness of it, a Green Lantern Lantern. User erindara will send this one to you for $75. In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night, I’ll have my Green Lantern Lantern to keep things bright!

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

It’s great to see well-deserving comics getting adapted to films. The latest? Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson’s Beasts of Burden from Dark Horse.

The news comes today via The Hollywood Reporter who say Shrek and The Chronicles Of Narnia director, Andrew Adamson, will be the one to bring the comic to the big screen. “Adamson is producing what is intended to be a CG-animated feature adaptation with his Strange Weather Films partner Aron Warner along with Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Entertainment,” writes THR.

Dorkin and Thompson have both won Eisner Awards for their work on the story they created which revolves around a group of dogs and one cat who team up to save their owners and others after a supernatural event happens in the town of Burden Hill.

Besides what seems like a great choice for director, looks like they’ve got a good effects team on board for the film as well. According to THR, “Burden is being made by Reel FX, the company run by former Industrial Light and Magic senior executive Ed Jones and former Walden Media CEO Cary Granat, and that specializes in CG as well as live-action hybrid projects.”

“Dark Horse Entertainment’s Keith Goldberg is executive producing with Strange Weather’s Jeff Fierson co-producing” writes THR, “Reel FX’s head of feature development Jared Mass will oversee the project for the studio.”

Congrats to both Dorkin and Thompson! It’s very exciting news for them to be sure and I look forward to seeing this in theaters. What about you?

It’s safe to say DC’s news of turning Barbara Gordon’s Oracle back into her previous persona of Batgirl has rattled a few cages. Mine for one. But the great thing coming out of this distressing turn of events is the visibility it’s giving to the physically challenged. Now one artist is calling you to arms to help keep that exposure going.

Much like the Adam Hughes commission above which shows Oracle in all her glory, artist Elena Barbarich, known as Yamino online, is suggesting any and all artists get their preferred tools out to illustrate Ms. Gordon in her chair. Yamino writes on her Tumblr, “I think we should do a big Oracle Draw-a-thon, to support visibility for disabled characters in mainstream comics, and comics in general.  Heck, it doesn’t have to be just visual art. How about an Oracle Create-a-Thon? Whatever it is you do, fanart, fanfic, music, sculpture, cakes…. let’s do it!”

Yamino, creator of the webcomics Sister Claire and Nightingale, wants some help reaching out and organizing and since I know a few people who know a few people, I figured I could help out a bit. Feel free to send your creativity to me to post on my Tumblr (EDIT: The official Oracle Create-a-Thon Tumblr has been made!) and spread the word to artists everywhere. Show Oracle being blocked by obstacles or overcoming them but most importantly, show her as the strong, capable character she is.

Amidst the mass of DC publishing news the last two days, two of their creators have just inked a deal to bring their creator-owned comic to life on the big screen. Peter Tomasi and Keith Champagne’s The Mighty has just been picked up by Paramount.

Deadline reported the news but there’s not much else to tell except to say, “Mary Parent’s Paramount-based Disruption Entertainment will produce. Parent and Cale Boyter will produce with Benderspink’s JC Spink.”

Not connected to the heroes in the DCU, The Mighty was a maxi-series from 2009 that tells the story of Alpha One, the world’s only superhero. He’s supported by a police organization called Section Omega. At Section Omega, Lt. Gabriel Cole has a personal history with the hero who once saved his life as a child. But when a murder happens within Section Omega, Cole does some detective work that leads him in a direction he wasn’t expecting.

I actually really enjoyed The Mighty. With Tomasi and Champagne writing and Peter Snejbjerg on art, it was a nice detour from DC’s usual hero fair. I’d recommend picking up the trade. Congrats to them on selling the property.

This is one of those wonderful times that I get to just let the post speak, or as the case may be sing for itself. If you haven’t heard nerdrock group Kirby Krackle’s Green Lantern themed song “Ring Capacity” yet, now it’s easier than ever to take in with their all-new animated video! Check out the video below, then hit the jump for information on the animator and links to more Krackle-y goodness!

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Approximate Continuum Comics
Written & Illustrated by Lewis Trondheim

Translated by Kim Thompson
Lettered by Stephanie Noell & Priscilla Miller
Published by Fantagraphics

Lewis Trondheim is one of Europe’s best cartoonists.

Let me revise that: Lewis Trondheim is one of the world’ best cartoonists. He happens to be French, however, and not all of his books are available in English, so it’s always exciting when something new comes to the States. (In the interests of complete documentation, the first half of Approximate Continuum Comics was previously serialized in English, but the latter portion was not – and I didn’t know Trondheim’s work at the time and missed the first half its first time around. So it’s all new to me.)

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It seems a lot of comic creators are having tough times these days when it comes to healthcare and related issues. Colorist Moose Baumann is the latest on the list.

Baumann, colorist on covers of Green Lantern, 52, Flash Rebirth and more, is looking for help to get himself and his wife out of an extraordinary $90,000 in debt from medical expenses. Baumann recently spoke with Newsarama about his plight. Here’s what he told us:

A few years back my wife had breast cancer. She had chemo and a partial mastectomy, and we thought things were good. A year later we found out that it had spread, and she went in for more chemo and surgery. Several months prior she had lost her job and her insurance, and because of her “prior condition” she no one else would insure her. So we’ve been working on paying off the full cost of her medical bills for the past two years, just north of $90 grand.

Right now work is scarce and money is super tight, and on June 1st it looks like we may lose our home because of all of this. I’m trying to sell some prints of my work online to make some quick cash, and hopefully keep my home. I’m reluctant to ask for help, it’s embarrassing, but I’m at the end of my rope.

Baumann is currently selling prints of his work which you can preview here. People can email the artist at moosebaumann [at] mediacombb [dot] net to place orders. He’s accepting both Paypal and money orders. If you’ve enjoyed any of his work, please consider helping the guy out.

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four v. 3-6
Written by Stan Lee
Co-Plotted & Penciled by Jack Kirby

Inked by George Roussos, Chic Stone, Frank Giacoia, Vince Colletta & Joe Sinnott
Lettered by Art Simek & Sam Rosen
Color Reconstruction by Michael Kelleher & Kellustration, and Wil Glass & All Thumbs Creative
Published by Marvel Comics

I’ll be forever grateful to Marvel for putting their Marvel Masterworks series in softcover. I’ve read a few Essentials – their 500-page black & white on newsprint paper omnibuses – but I’d prefer to see these classic stories in color on a slightly better paper. The hardcover Masterworks, I told myself often, “I’ll get around to them.” But I kept not getting around.

And to give you an idea how far behind my reading pile has gotten, I sat down last week and read four consecutive volumes of classic Stan Lee-Jack Kirby Fantastic Four comics. And they’re a blast.

I can’t truthfully say that they age well. It’s not only the dated pop culture and world event references, but it’s hard to imagine a heroine today being so disrespected as Sue Storm is repeatedly throughout these stories – and most often by her two romantic suitors!

Despite these awkward, and often hilarious moments, the stories are still totally entertaining. Sure, there are a few odd plot quirks, but they’re fun, and crazy adventurous. Lee and Kirby infuse the characters with playful personalities, a little pathos, a little banter, and plenty of personality (Ben and Reed in particular). By book four, multi-issue storylines have begun, creating a broader, more intricate tapestry. In book five, Joe Sinnott becomes Kirby’s inker, creating the Fantastic Four imagery that readers remember best. Book six takes all the groundwork laid in previous books and builds one of the most cohesive and multi-threaded plots in superhero comics history.

Most of the foundation of the Marvel Universe is established in these pages. And many readers will want to see that history. But to me, I just love seeing these exciting stories for myself. The burgeoning cosmology of the series, Lee and Kirby’s playful undercutting of their own narrative conventions, the beautiful artwork (my only complaint: the garish color on the covers makes them look hideous!), the snappy dialogue, the purely fun stories. The books are a delight, and highly recommended.

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