I don’t know about you guys… but I think this would be too obvious

Another image from Greg Horn and Marvel about the upcoming Invasion

Proof #5 (Image - Grecian / Rossmo)

Hundreds of babies die! Elvis fights a half-naked old lady! Fairies are murdered! And El Chupacabra brings Joy to the world! All that, plus four extra story pages, in the conclusion to “Goatsucker.” This may be the strangest comic book you’ll read all year.

Strangest and possibly most enjoyable. Proof fits that “X-Files” hole that most fanboys aren’t aware they have. This issue was the epilogue/conclusion to the El Chupacabra storyline, wrapping up a few loose ends and expanding the fairy folklore while giving the spotlight to some of the Proof-verse secondary characters. In fact, our main-man, um main-bigfoot, isn’t even in this issue. Being able to do this at issue #5 and pull it off without a hitch proves that the story-telling team of Grecian and Rossmo are setting the standard. With a little bit closer look at Leander, Elvis, Autumn and even the Chupacabra… fans of this book become more obsessed with Proof. I hope the creative team is not offended when I say that I can see this being adapted easily into a hit TV show. And for you worried parents and other kindhearted folks … all the babies that die? They are a litter of fairy offspring that get eaten by carrier pigeons… it’s a great tribute to Charlotte’s web.

Grade: A

Sean McKeever

Jim Kruger

Andy Brase

Rich Koslowski

Matt Anderson

Micah Farritor

Mark Stegbauer

Ande Parks

and more for only $6, click on the logo above to go to the Official Oconocon site

Last year at the Novi Motorcity Con, I had the pleasure of meeting Jay Fife. He quite possibly the most talented artist you’ve never heard of.

I’ll let his website’s blurb lay the groundwork… Jay is a proficient yet expedient portrait, pin-up, cover and fantasy illustrator based in the Upper Ohio Valley. Jay draws from a variety of influences including comics, horror and science fiction television and films. Jay is available for a variety of commissions at a very reasonable rate. You may contact him through this site to schedule a commision or portrait. You may contact him also for rates or a special estimate

I very recently got to see his newest sketchbook… WOW! Fantastic stuff! The best thing I can compare his detailed body and portrait work to is Greg Land or Greg Horn. Jay already has a huge grassroots online fanbase, and it seem like it is ready to explode. With the convention season upon us, there is a good chance you might be somewhere where Jay is… do yourself a big favor, go up say hi (on top of his talent, he’s actually quite pleasant too) and get one of his sketch books… a decade from now when everyone knows the art work of Jay Fife, you’ll be glad you did.

Jay’s con schedule

STEEL CITY CON - Monroeville Expo Mart, Pittsburgh PA March 29-30
PITTSBURGH COMICON - Monroeville Expo Mart, Pittsburgh PA April 25, 26, 27
MOTOR CITY CON - Rock Financial Center, Novi MI May 16, 17, 18

Bang! For a few months now I had put my money on one of the major Skrull agents being in the FF (don’t believe me?… check out our previous reviews of Fantastic Four and Black Panther). And now after checking out the Marvel previews, here is a write-up for the upcoming miniseries Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four

The invasion has started, and no one in the MU is safe, not even the First Family of Comicdom! Aware that some of the Earth’s most advanced technology and weaponry is housed in the Baxter Building, the Skrulls have neutralized the building–by transporting it and its inhabitants straight to the Negative Zone! With one member of the Fantastic Four M.I.A. and another “replaced,” it’s up to the remaining family members–not to mention Franklin and Val—to get back to our dimension, Skrulls or no Skrulls. But are any of our heroes who they think they are?

Oh man, while I hate to admit it, because I love Marvel’s first family… but it looks like the Pullbox was right and the invasion begins from within and it starts with Fantastic Four!

Project Superpowers #1 (Dynamite - Ross / Krueger / Paul / Bowland)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT and Alex RossSUPERPOWERS! Issue #1 weighs in at 40 pages, and includes Alex Ross sketchbook material and character designs! The entire story of the return of the SUPERPOWERS begins here (and will be told over the course of this 6 issue mini-series!) The story of SUPERPOWERS starts here! After the super-selling #0, Dynamite launches Alex Ross’ SUPERPOWERS #1. Can the modern world can handle the greatest heroes ever lost to history! This powerful series is overseen by Alex Ross Cover by Alex Ross! Look for the Michael Turner variant incentive cover as well! #1 in a brand new series launching in the world today! unleash the who has designed every hero within these pages; scripted by Jim Krueger with art by Carlos Paul, this is the most powerful comic book event of the year!

It’s a pretty cool idea, don’t know if I would call it the “most powerful comic book of the year”. Fighting Yank makes his way to see the Green Lama, who has now become a sentient avatar for Mother Earth (sort of a less monstery Swamp Thing). The two of them, along with the American Spirit who is haunting the Yank, go to find Pandora’s Urn where Yank trapped all of his comrades decades ago. Before he can fulfil his destiny, he needs to get through a deranged robotic Dynamic Man and his Dynamic forces.

The story went a bit slower then it did in issue #0. In fact, without reading #0, the Project Superpowers plot would be a bit strained and have a few holes. So, if you picked up the first issue thinking it was the first issue… sorry for the bad news. The art was fantastic and held up where the plot jumped (where did all those uniformed people come from who rushed the Dynamic Forces building?). While this was not all I had build this up to be, there was certainly enough meat here to keep this on the monthly list

Issue Grade: B

Pay the Piper!

Here’s the Lowdown

• Piper pulls himself back up from the fall, tries to wake-up Desaad (bad move) and when he can’t… presses a button on Desaad’s palm (worse move)
• Desaad explains how he has set Piper and Trickster from the beginning
• He also goes into explaining that apparently the Piper can play the anti-life equation with his flute
• an OMAC shows up stuns Desaad and takes Piper back to Eye’s “heart”
•  there, the Challengers plus a few stragglers crash Eye’s party, end up freeing Firestrom and stop Karate Kid from being dissected
• Eye then teleports the whole lot somewhere on the surface of Apokolips to take on an army of OMACs
• This leaves Piper and Desaad inside… where Piper gets a backbone and makes Desaad’s head blow up all “Scanners” style
• Once Piper gets his confidence back, apparently nothing is stopping him, he unleashes the anti-life power and apparently kills Brother Eye, taking the hell planet with it
• Origin of Black Manta… yup, I said Black Manta

Some of the bonuses that this week had going for it, one long story sequence rather than 12 2-page sequences… and no Jimmy Olsen!  Bravo!  Hopefully we can get a little bit more background on how Piper ended up with the anti-life power in him… or why this hasn’t come up before.

Issue Grade: B

Another image from Greg Horn and Marvel about the upcoming Invasion

Doctor Who #1 (IDW - Russell / Roche)

The legendary Doctor Who is back, with the first-ever stories created exclusively for the US market. The Doctor is the last of the Time Lords, survivors of a Great Time War and, along with his loyal friend and companion Martha Jones from London, they stop oppression, darkness and evil spreading throughout the galaxies. They’re also on the hunt for the best chocolate milkshakes in the cosmos… and while they track that down, someone else has the Doctor in their sights. As the very last Time Lord out there, he’s highly collectible, to the right people… this debut miniseries comes to you courtesy of Doctor Who TV show story editor Gary Russell and artist Nick Roche (The Transformers). Roche and variant artist Joe Corroney provide covers for each issue.

I have been buzzing about this for months, yet another one of my favorite characters brought to my favorite medium. The first issue gave a brief introduction to the Doctor Who concept and had what would be a one episode arc (IDW does a great job detailing it in their blurb above). It is not surprising that Gary Russell provides a story that is both believable and comfortable to Doctor fans, given his background with the show. The only thing missing was one of those very serious “Doctor” moments where he scares the hell out of everyone around him with some incredibly dramatic speech followed by an off-hand  light-hearted comment.  Even though it felt a bit short, the read was a very enjoyable one. Nick Roche’s art is good but consistent with his style, a bit blocky and heavy-lined. Overall a great book with a great feel to it. It looks like IDW pulls off another well-done sci-fi comic transformation.

Issue Grade: A-

Lets Go to Utah! #1 and #2 (Dave Chisholm)

Dave is an average 18-year old kid living in California, until he begins having horrific dreams that always end in Utah. At his wits end, he decides that the only way to make the dreams end is to take a trip to Utah. The thing is, the only person who will drive Dave to Utah is Leif–a friend of a friend of a friend. Leif seems like a fun loving guy until the thrilling end sequence of Let’s go to UTAH! issue #1.”

I’m equating “Let’s Go to Utah” (LGtU) to the movie you’ve never heard of that a friend lends you. It doesn’t look like something you would normally get into, but your friend says it’s good, so you give it a shot. As you watch the film, you find yourself being more and more drawn in. That is what it was like for me reading this LGtU. Dave Chisholm creates a world that is gritty and real that makes a person want look away…but they just can’t. Chisholm’s lead character, Dave, is stuck in some kind of wild ride that makes the reader just say, “WTF is going on!?” That’s just in issue #1. In issue #2, things just get worse for Dave as Leif shows more of his dark side.

The art and story have a very independent comic feel to them (I mean that in a good way) and I can certainly see a story like this being turned into a screen play. After two issues, I’m hooked.

Pullbox Warning: Given the language and violence in LGtU, it’s best to keep this one out of the hands of younger readers

Grade: A