It’s not quite what it sounds like though. It’s not a revamp of a bunch of romance comics. Nope the angle they’re going for is an all ladies creative team! And I restate it’s not a pack of “romance” comics. They’re going to be doing standard Marvel stories with all the characters we know and love.

I think this is a way cool idea. Highlight that there are lots of awesomely talented ladies in comics! Let it be a little more common knowledge that it’s not completely a sausage fest in comics. Another thing that makes this cool is that the ladies are branded with “indie”, is nothing wrong with that, but it does tend to draw a different crowd. (feel like Seinfeld all of a sudden) My one beef with this is the brand “GIRL COMICS”. It seems they could have picked a name that didn’t sound like repackaged romance comics. I would love to be proved wrong, and that this is a huge success and draws in more readers, although I wish the name wasn’t so cheesy.

Thanks to iFanboy and The Beat for the heads up.

Is the world too bight and cheery? Is all this “good” getting your down? Well you need a little more “evil” in your life. Then for starters you should check out the Evil Diva comic.

Well guess I can’t fool you. This comic is really a lighthearted look at the hijinks and challenges faced by Diva Beezle as she tries to balance being born a devil with a unique desire to be good.

Her world is populated with Devils and Angels, but don’t let the halos lull you into a false sense of security … not all things are as they seem. But you probably saw that coming. So while the over all concept is not exceedingly new, so what separates this comic from the others. The answer is style.

The artist, Brinson Thieme, is really excellent and makes the characters accessible. Her style has a wonderfully “animation” look. The thoughtful layout and excellent use of colors really make each page a joy to read. She also gives the panels a lot of life that makes them a fresh breeze of awesome. The images to tell as much of the story as the text does. And don’t let the copious amounts of “cute” or the color pink dissuade you from reading, There is an equally good story and even more than that really love-able characters, I have a soft spot in my silicon heart for Michelle.

The FAQ didn’t clearly state who the lead writer is, but I suspect it’s Peter Menotti, who is the originator of the characters. Nevertheless the writing works really well and like all good writing should I brings out the character qualities that make the visuals really sing.

I always look forward to getting in front of my screen on Mondays in no small part because I know the Evil Diva team will have brought me something to make me smile, even if it’s just the vote incentive. So all together, excellent visuals and smart writing and you got yer-self a great comic!

But you don’t need to take my word for it. (Yes gleefully stolen from Reading Rainbow)

- edit 11/24/2009 -
I e-mailed the creative team of Evil Diva, and they clarified how the writing gets done.

Story writing for ED is a joint effort between Pete, Brinson and myself [Joe Cashman]. We meet at our favorite burger joint before each issue to hash out new story ideas, then I write the first script draft. We meet again after that to discuss refinements, then I revise the script and turn it over to Brinson who storyboards everything out, then draws up the final pages, editing the dialogue if necessary as she goes.

Thank you for the info Joe.

This is one more reason why I love the web as a medium for comics. We can actually interact with the people who make them *directly*!

*note* There is cartoonish violence, and gore towards the end of the video.

Thanks to @hawkster on twitter for the link.

Ah yes, I knew I saved my My Little Pony collection from childhood for a reason. Weekend project! http://bit.ly/FWphp (via @nippys)

The link is kinda awesome. It is a very interesting gallery of modified My Little Ponies. You have to see it to know the awesome.

Here’s a few of my faves.

So, what do I have to say about this? Well, I have to say I have my reservations. Disney is well known for its family-friendly, “G” or “PG” rated material. Marvel . . . not entirely. I mean, Punisher, anyone? And, that’s just one of the 5,000 characters that Disney is acquiring the rights to. Does this mean that we’re soon to see a softer side of Wolverine? As far as I know, Disney has not yet made any formal statements regarding the future of the Marvel characters. It was a smart buy on Disney’s part (and Marvel shareholders would be stupid to refuse the purchase), but only as long as the Marvel IPs are allowed to continue along their current path. If Disney tries to make Marvel characters too nice and cuddly, it could be the beginning of a serious downward spiral. Of course, the flip-side is that, with the powerhouse that is Disney, Marvel won’t have to worry about profitability in this tough economy.

And on that note, I leave you with this comic from those talented guys at Penny Arcade.

5. Gertrude Yorkes (Runaways) – When I was in high school I really liked watching Daria on Mtv. She was funny, sarcastic, and hated the world. Then one day a friend of mine tells me that I should check out this comic, Runaways. And who do I find as one of the main characters? It’s Daria…well sorta. Gertrude has very much that same sarcastic, world hating sense of humor, but the one thing she has that Daria didn’t is a telepathic bond to a man-eating dinosaur! Now, when I was really little I was really into dinosaurs, and when I got older I read Jurassic Park and saw the movie and everything. Then I read this comic and it was like my nerd worlds had colided to form a volcanic eruption of awesomeness in my heart. WARNING! SPOLIER riiiiiiiight now: Then what do the creators of this comic do? They kill her! That’s right children she is dead. WTF!? “Sure, kill off the funny fat girl with glasses. Nobody likes her. Who can relate to her?!” Why don’t you kill of the unfunny skanky Asian girl? “Oh no, we can’t do that. Nerds love skanky Asian girls.” Well how about the ditsy blond girl who doesn’t do much? “Oh no, we can’t kill her off. Nerds love ditsy blond girls!” Son of a -!  Where are my pirated copies of Daria, when I need them?!  

4. James Madrox (X-Factor) – aka “The Multiple Man.” I’ve known about this character for a long time, but he was never one of my favorites until I started to read the newest X-Factor comics. This guy is completely indecisive and would much rather have someone else make the decisions for him (this I can relate to). The only problem with that is he is the leader of X-Factor now. Every one counts on him to make the decisions to get them through whatever comic book craziness they get themselves into. And Madrox haaaaaaates it. He doesn’t like people depending on him because he’s afraid of how badly he might screw things up, but who else is going to take charge? Strong Guy?  

3. Wolverine (X-Men) – Ok I shouldn’t even have to explain why he’s on the list (Ummmm, he’s bad ass! duh!). However, I should say that up until recently he was on the number one slot on my list. Why did  he get bumped? Well, the next two characters are more bad ass (duh)!  

2. X-23 (X-Men) – She is Wolverine’s female clone. She’s younger, faster, and more savage! She is Weapon X’s more streamlined version of what Wolverine could have been. They trained her since birth to be an unstoppable killing machine (and she kills… a lot). All of Wolverine’s skills without any of that pesky conscience to get in the way. Oh, how I love her! What is even better is now she is teamed up with Wolverine in the new X-Force comic. My little nerd heart has just exploded…   

1. Deadpool (Deadpool/X-Men) – Oh what can I say about this guy? The ” Merc with a mouth”.  He’s a paranoid schizophrenic, with a big mouth, and a healing factor (like Wolverine).  He knows how to use just about every gun known to man, he has twin katanas strapped to his back, he’s a trained killer, and  he has better one-liners than Don Rickles. He can take on just about every Marvel character out there (and just about has). Sure he might not always win, but hey, it’s not whether you win or lose it’s who has the better banter (even if it is just with himself). Besides only looooosers keep score. Is he the ultimate mercenary? Is he the ultimate bad ass? Yes and HELL YES!

So there you have it. Read, discuss, criticize. You know you want to.

The comic is really about the other side of the superhero dichotomy, the villains. Evil Inc. is the company in the business of helping fledgling and establish villains in their attempts to take over the world, or at least profit greatly from it. They’re like the evil Sears-Roebuck of their universe. The mastermind of this whole thing is the renowned villain Evil Atom. The meanest baddest villain that ever walked, well so far. He has turned from being a physical hindrance himself to being a middle aged owner of the most successful enterprise since McDonalds. But it takes talent, skill, and a deep seated sense of paranoia to be at the top of a heap of villains and Evil Atom pulls it off with aplomb.

The cadre of villains and heros make a great mix of personalities. They all seem to be handled deftly and with a great sense of humor. Especially when Captain Heroic, the most powerful hero in Fairmont City, takes over Evil Inc. Lots of great stuff there. Although I have to say some of my favorite parts were when Dark Hood was still quite mysterious and menacing. The tension during that story arc was quite excellent.

This comic is a very very worthwhile read. I can’t really pick out a favorite character since I like so many of them equally. The art, and even the new colored stuff, has a real unique feel to it. I have enjoyed catching up through all the archives, and believe many others will too.

Right. So I have a set of online comic bookmarks that’s um … around 30 currently. And I figured it was high time I started telling others about them. I’ll start with the one that first drew me into the warm embrace of webcomics, MegaTokyo.

MegaTokyo is one of the more successful comics online. It has enjoyed both fan and critical acclaim. Now looking at its eighth year the characters and creators have conquered a number of trials and tribulations, and yet there are still many more mysteries to be unraveled. I could go over the history of it all but … I feel the WikiPedia article sums up the facts quite well. So I’ll just focus on my personal feeling about the comic.

This was not the first online come I saw … that is reserved for Sluggy Freelance and User Friendly. But it was the first one where I felt fully compelled to check the site every Monday Wednesday and Friday. About this time I was beginning to fall quite heavily for the Japanese comic (manga) aesthetic. And at the time few other comics seemed to capture the feel. There were many people replicating the look of the manga-ka (japanese for comic artist/creator) but not very many of them seemed to do a good job of co-opting the style and giving it their own blend. I suspect that may come out of the tradition of wanting their work to be mistaken for the style of the artists that inspired them.

But I digress.

When I came to the comic, around late 2001 and early 2002 it had already become much more like how it is today, which is less slapstick and more of a character driven drama. I really became smitten with the super PS2 accessory Ping and the mysterious and goth-y Toyha Miho. Also who can fully avoid the zany 1337 sk1lz of Largo. And the ph33rs0m3 power of the modern day ninja Junpei. I have a soft spot for the more side characters … they’ve always seemed more interesting to me.

I have lapse in my reading a little here and there … but I have always come back to MT. Even when I though it was beginning to get a little over done … I came back. The characters were too much a part of my life to let them lie. Plus the Miho character became more important and was showing up more so that helped me come back too.

But in the end the story, as wacky and convoluted as it can be some times, is why I really stick with it. I really enjoy when writers incorporate elements of other anime and manga themes. Who can’t love magical girls fighting off hordes of the undead along side of a dating sim accessory and all of this watched over by a police force that uses mecha (humanoid, usually large, mechanical battle armor) for back up.

The style often seems like Lost, the characters are what drive the story forward, the plot mostly functions as a way to keep the characters moving. And also the plot just seems to thicken with each passing year. Although Fred will probably never fully explain Miho’s mysterious presence or how she seems to know so much. At time’s she’s like Layla from X-Factor, she just seems to know stuff.

Okay, I’m just rambling on now … but really, if you haven’t tried MegaTokyo give it a whirl. It may surprise you.

5. New X-Men (post House of M). This comic started a little soft, but after the House of M crossover arc it got really good. They got better writers. Better artists. They started killing characters…no they started to slaughter the characters. 90% of the X-Men student body gets wiped out. It was gnarly! And they brought in my favorite character, X-23!

4. Runaways (pre Joss Weddon). This is just a solid comic. It’s about a bunch of super hero kids who discover their powers at the same time they find out their parents are a bunch of super villains. So what do they do? They Runaway! And Marvel awesomeness ensues! This comic also includes one of my favorite characters, Gert. A chubby girl with glasses who kinda looks and acts like Daria from MTV.   

3. X-Men (Supernova arc thru Red Data arc). This had THE BEST X-Men team in the history of X-Men. It included Rogue in an awesome new hood and cape outfit, Cable, Iceman (weakest member of the team but whatever), Cannonball, Mystique, Lady Mastermind, Karima the Omega Sentinal, and Sabertooth. They were a powerhouse, and having former villains make up half the team made for some pretty awesome moments. Just look at the last few pages of issue 195.

2. NYX – This comic was a limited series and only ran for six issues but it had some of the craziest art and some of the craziest characters. The story primarily follows a teenage girl named Kiden. She is a New York City club kid who parties, smokes, steals and drops ’E’ whenever she gets a chance. Then one day she discovers she is a mutant with the power to stop time, and on that same day she gets into some of the biggest trouble of her life. Luckily, with the help of some other mutant misfits (including once again my favorite character, X-23) she is able to put her life back in order…well…kinda.      

1. X-Factor (Post House of M). This is one of the coolest comics out right now. This newest incarnation of X-Factor includes James Madrox the Multiple Man, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane, Siryn, Rictor, Monet, and Layla Miller (another of my favorite characters). Madrox has started his own PI agency called X-Factor Investigations. He and his team specialize in mutant affairs. When they are not out and about helping people they are spending their time squabbling amongst each other. Madrox tries to keep the peace in his team but unfortunately hates confrontation. The writing in this comic is very good and very clever. Peter David (the author) has a knack for making these characters very relateable. Yeah sure they have superpowers, but they also have some major issues and more often than not have a very difficult time working as a team. Monet is a diva who thinks she is better than everyone else. Rictor has actually lost his powers and has trouble dealing with his depression. Siryn is a recovering alcoholic who has just lost her father. Wolfsbane is a catholic who’s faith is constantly put to the test. Strong Guy just wants everyone to get along but is constantly oblivious to what is actually going on. Madrox knows what is going on but doesn’t know how to fix his team’s internal struggles. And then there is Layla. The one nobody understands. The one who just seems to…know stuff. So if you like quirky check this comic out.

So there you have it. Read, discuss, criticize. You know you want to.         

So that leads us to my views on the current HB.

I have to make a real effort to be critical here, but i think i can manage it. So… first off, well, is the beginning. The movie doesn’t start off with any sort of super impressive, for a minute or two. You get to see a preteenish Hellboy that is into Howdy Doody, revolvers, and bedtime stories. The acting is laughable, in a not funny sort of way, but once the bedtime story starts it jumps to a neat CG marionette tale of elves vs. humans long ago. Luckily young HB is one of only two parts i consider weak points. It gets kinda cool relatively quick.

I won’t go on to tell the entire story but the followup to the storytelling is showing what the angsty prince from the bedtime story is doing with his time in the real, current world. You instantly get a taste for how the fights are going to shape up in this installment of HB. Lots of acrobatics, spinning blades, and precise movements fill a training sequence of the prince in a New York sewer. Its a nice shift from the strait forward “Hulk Smash” style fights of the first movie and its fun seeing the characters actually deal with a deadly swordsman in later scenes. The action is really fun to see as its ranges from outright brawls to fights with giant behemoths, to dealing with thousands of tiny
carnivores.

The opponents in the fights are just as fun to watch. Tiny creatures have loads of personality. Large creatures have more tricks up their sleeve than just brawn, and the giant ones have awesome animations to convey anger frustration, and even dealing with pain. There are hundreds of different creatures to look at in this movie, and they all have distinct emotions and are created beautifully, almost exclusively by puppetry and makeup effects. The main characters are both a weakpoint and highpoint. Abe looks impressive, but nowhere as good as in the first one. Hellboy looks good, but doesn’t seem as well crafted as before either. Luckily the addition of a new main character kinda makes up for it. I don’t want to ruin his character, but he provides a lot of fun and some neat opportunities to use CG well.

Settings are beautifully crafted, setting the mood for almost all of the scenes perfectly. Underground markets filled with interesting creatures, giant empty catacombs, and goblin storehouses are all marvelous to see. Attention to detail really pulls the scenes together and binds them with the characters. Visually the movie is near perfection. Unfortunately all he well crafted fantastical eye candy can make the few missteps in the art department more glaring, but it amounts to very little wasted time in the style department.

The story is relatively lackluster and predictable but the movie seems to be targeting art and action more than anything. If that was the intent it hits its marks perfectly. If you want to see this movie because you are looking for the depth of character and intricate twists of Pan’s Labyrinth you may not be impressed. On the other hand, if you left Pan’s Labyrinth wanting more fantasy elements and fun you will find a comfortable home here.

Scores:
Drama Major: 82%
Action Addict: 95%
Fantasy Buff: 98%

Total:92%