With a big-budget Hollywood movie due later this year, Marvel has high hopes for the Guardians of the Galaxy. Days before the first trailer was officially released, issue #1 made a positive first impression on me. I liked how the space setting made that issue read sort of like Mass Effect with super heroes. Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers is on my list of books to buy and read, but the pricing of this book has proven to be a roadblock.
Month: March 2014
The Aging of X-Men
Now that I’ve gotten a footing with the modern comic book landscape, I’ve broadened my scope a bit to dig through the archives. My first dive was a huge success, as Batman: The Killing Joke from 1988 is awesome. Next on the list is the X-Men omnibus I picked up from Toronto Comiccon. Dating back to 1989-1991, this is the X-Men era that was current when I was a kid. Within the first few pages of the book, it was plain to see the effects of time on these comics.
Comicopia
Just a heads up that in the next few weeks, there’s going to be a flurry of comic book content on In Third Person. There’s already been some comic book stuff on the site, but things will kick into overdrive going forward. I still haven’t been playing much in the way of video games and most of the gaming content I had has already been published. Meanwhile, I’ve been devouring comic books like a madman and have a lot to say about the things I’ve read.
I’ll do my best to pepper in video game content where I can, though this is just the way my life is ebbing and flowing right now. Video games just aren’t all that interesting to me right now and it’ll probably be that way until I’ve got something to get excited for shows up. I’m not really interested in opening up separate blogs to write about my digressions in comic books, board games, apartment hunting or whatever the heck I feel like writing about at the time, so I hope that this shift isn’t a turn-off for you. At the end of the day, I’m going to keep writing here about things that I find interesting, so I hope you stick around for that! If anything, maybe this next little stretch will open your eyes to some comics you’ll enjoy in the future!
Buy All-New X-Men Volume 1: Yesterday’s X-Men Now From Amazon.com
The Plight of the Trade Paperback Reader
My comic book adventure started with a trade paperback. All New X-Men Vol. 1: Yesterday’s X-Men knocked my socks off and I’ve steeped myself in the medium ever since. Between Steff and I, we’ve amassed a mix of individual comics, trade paperbacks of the hard and soft cover variety, as well as a few giant omnibuses. Personally, I prefer the trade paperback format because it compiles a series of issues in a format that lends itself to a nice chunk of reading time. They sit comfortably on a bookshelf. I also like the fact that they’re readily available at most mainstream bookstores and are generally cheaper than buying individual issues. However, as I’ve come to realize, this format also has its drawbacks.
Off-Topic: The Toronto Raptors Clinch Their First Playoff Spot Since 2008
Last night’s game against the Boston Celtics was a nail-biter. With their playoff hopes in the balance, the Toronto Raptors were down four with only a few minutes to go. As a long-time fan, the memories of them choking in the clutch over the course of the last six years made it hard for me to think that we could pull this off, but this year’s Raptors squad isn’t the one that wallowed at the bottom of the NBA. As they’ve done all year, they gave it their all to squeak out a tough win to secure their first playoff berth since 2008.
There was a lot riding on this game, but not really. With over 10 games to go in the season and the Raptors’ magic number down to just 1, clinching a spot in the playoffs was basically inevitable at this point. But for a franchise whose history is largely defined by mediocrity (or worse), the fact that the team got to this point in the first place is remarkable.
Batman – Detective Comics Vol. 1: Faces of Death
The next stop on my Batman adventure is Batman – Detective Comics Vol. 1: The Face of Death. As an outsider looking into the comic book scene, I never understood why the same character needed different comic lines. Well, after reading the first issues of both mainline Batman and Detective Comics Batman, I decided to continue with both, as they told very different stories with a different narrative approach. It also didn’t hurt that the events of Detective Comics issue #1 directly tie into other comics that I’ve already read. Looking to flesh out that story, I dive into another Batman adventure.
Legendary: Paint the Town Red Review
Up until now, the Spider-Man universe hasn’t been well represented in Legendary and its expansions. In particular, this has proven to be problematic for Peter Parker in the main game. Since he’s been the only playable hero from that universe, he hasn’t been able to trigger any specific Spider-Man alliance bonuses. Paint the Town Red is the answer to that dilemma. As a “small box” expansion, you’ll get five new Spider-Man heroes to battle against Mysterio, Carnage and their cronies.
Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls Review
For over a century, rumors have spread across Gotham of a secret criminal organization that operates deep within the city’s shadows. Despite mounting evidence to prove their existence, Bruce Wayne uncharacteristically sticks to his beliefs that it’s nothing more than folklore. It’s this stubbornness that causes Batman to get caught with his pants down in Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls.
Fuse Impressions
Best known for making hit games exclusively for Sony such as the Ratchet & Clank and Resistance series’ of games, Fuse was their first attempt at a multi-platform title. Heavily influenced by the likes of Gears of War and Mass Effect, this game sounds better on paper than the actual execution. Not to say that it’s bad, but it’s not going to make any of its competitors lose any sleep from its presence.
Wonder Woman Vol.1: Blood
Wonder Woman is without a doubt one of the most iconic comic book characters of all-time and one of the original symbols of girl power. She’s also a character that had no real significance to me up until this point. Not that I had anything specific to hold against her, but I think the perceived girliness didn’t seem like something I was all that interested in. As part of the New 52 omnibus, Wonder Woman made a positive impression on me with her standout “first” effort. Off the strength of that, I did not hesitate to pick up Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood when I found it for half price at a store closing sale.
In Third Person 