What exactly is it standing between new comic readers and reading comics, people who are interested in picking up a comic book who never do? The fact that they’re not readily available at regular stores? The fact that there are just so many comics on the shelves every week? Where do you even start? There are so many factors, but I want you to know that none of them are worth holding you back from picking up on the greatest entertainment media ever. Some veteran comic readers would have you believe that because when they were kids and they could pick up any comic book and figure out the story that you shouldn’t be concerned about jumping on points.
The fact that comics have changed so dramatically over the years kind of cancels that out, especially since comics are being marketed to an older audience and the scripts of comics are getting more involved and less inviting. Don’t let any of that discourage you! Comics are amazing, and as long as you start in the right spot you will probably find yourself with a new hobby shortly after starting. Even if you are not completely new to comics, I will point out great series for returning readers and new readers alike, and even new stories and series for people already hard into reading comics. I recently took this Comics for Noobs column from a monthly to a bi-weekly article, and I think the decision was deserved. This is an awesome time to be reading comics, and I need more space more often to talk about them!
New series:
Cyber Force #1 Published by Image Comics
Cyber Force is a new series from Image Comics, and not a new series at the same time. Cyber Force was Top Cow’s first property, starting as a four issue mini series in 1992 and its ongoing series running from 1993-97. Speculation on its eventual cancellation buzz around the character’s familiarity with Marvel characters, the extreme violence and the over sexing of their female characters. Whether or not any of that is true is mostly subjective, but the series WAS cancelled nonetheless. It has now been reborn and re-thought after a successful Kickstarter, releasing to comic shops with the first five issues being free. Each individual comic shop may have different ways of continuing distributing this series, mine will only bring in further issues for those who add it to their pull list, but some may have other deals. Either way, this first issue should be 100% free! If you needed more convincing than “FREE COMIC” to pick this up, then let me continue!
This comic was very exciting from start to finish, revolving around a young woman running from the law. Who our heroine is is revealed through the remainder of the story, and it turns out she is a person of great wealth and power. So why, then is she running from the law? Only time will tell, now that she has run straight into the arms of the team of mutant cybernetic people that her family was in charge of disbanding years before. This is an exciting sci-fi comic, but is riddled with very deep lore. It was a really good read with very well done art but it read as a continuation of the last series. That being said it was very investing from the beginning and is not difficult for a new reader to catch up on. If you like sci-fi and just plain crazy stories then I would definitely be looking in to picking up this issue, it is free after all!
Art: 8/10
Script: 8/10
Parental Concern: High. Blood and violence.
Wolverine MAX #1 Published by Marvel Comics
Wolverine has now gotten his own MAX series, and it’s about time. What is a MAX series? Essentially it’s a series revolving around any given Marvel character in a very explicit setting. Swear words, extreme violence and gratuitous sex prevail in a MAX series. Looking for something a little more adult oriented? Then please look somewhere else. If you are remotely interested in Wolverine as a character you would like to read, please look somewhere else, the ongoing Wolverine series just started a new arc with a new creative team, and is set for reboot in January. Either of those choices will be substantially better spent than on this series. I usually don’t spoil comics when reviewing them, but when it comes to really bad ones like this I can’t help but feel like spoiling it so you will have no more reason to read it. So here it goes.
Wolverine MAX #1 starts off with Logan swearing, swimming in the ocean amongst the floating parts of a crashed airplane. The focus shifts to his legs, which have been severed above the ankle. The first major hole in the story. Wolverine’s skeleton has been grafted with adamantium, the indestructible metal. There was a time before this procedure was done, and his famous claws were merely bone. When he lets his claws out to kill a shark who just ate the only surviving passenger of the plane, they are adamantium, not bone. How then were his legs severed, and how is it that his legs regenerated completely? That huge plot hole is enough reason not to buy this comic, but there’s more. The art changes when Logan is having flashbacks, a normal thing in comics. The problem is that the flashback art is jarringly different, and terrible. The story was disturbingly inaccurate and non-impacting, and was simply explicit for the sake of being explicit. The art was good for half, and awful for the other half, which cancels out the good parts. This series is NOT one worth reading.
Art: 2/10
Script: 2/10
Parental concern: Explicit. Blood, gore, sex, violence, language.
Talon #1 Published by DC Comics
If you have been following Comics for Noobs, then you’ll know I took a look at Talon #0 back in September, which was this series actual first issue. It was part of DC Comic’s Zero Month, the marking point of one year since The New 52 launched. Zero Month was a sort of looking back period for all of DC’s titles, but it also started an origin story for a new series called Talon. The story is straight from the pages of the New 52 Batman series, but can be good to read whether you’ve followed Batman or not. The story arc of Court of the Owls is collected in a trade paper-back and hardcover already, so if Talon intrigues you it should be fairly easy to get your hands on the story it comes from. If you have been following Batman and liked the Owls story line then I say Talon is a can’t miss series.
The premise of the story is that Calvin, the protagonist of the series, was an escape artist part of the same circus as the original Robin, Dick Grayson. When the Court of Owls, a super secret organization not known even to Batman gets their hands on Calvin, they train them to be one of their “Talons.” The problem is that Calvin wants to be free, and he is a master escape artist and used his skills to get away from Gotham city. When he heard that the Court was destroyed he comes back to Gotham to find out if it’s true. When he finds out the rumor is only partly true, he wants to flee again. When a mysterious old man steps in to try to get him to stay and take the Court down for good, Calvin is torn. This is a great series for anyone, really dark and intense with a great new protagonist to the DC Universe.
Art: 9/10
Script: 9/10
Parental concern: Moderate. Violence.
Bedlam #1 Published by Image Comics
Just in time for Halloween, a perfectly creepy story. Bedlam is a new horror comic from Image Comics that follows a deranged mass murderer into his mind. The comic plays out very mysteriously, jumping from flashback to now. It’s very intriguing the way the story is set up as you are left wondering if the character in the flashbacks is really the character in the “current” pages. Even though it’s quite obvious that he is, you’re left with a lot of thinking and guessing as to how exactly such a crazed lunatic is back out on the street. It sets up such a chilling tale that any fan or horror movies and thrillers should be able to identify with. I love the creepy development of this character, and if the series continues in this direction, Madder Red won’t be a character easily forgotten, leaving scars on our minds.
At first I though the main character, Madder Red was a little too much like Joker from Batman. Given the fact that Madder Red was also taken out briefly by a masked vigilante called The First. It turns out to be a bit deeper, and a bit more disturbing. Madder Red is much more violent, and has much loftier goals than Joker, in my opinion. Not too much attention was paid to The First either, which is good otherwise it would seem a little too Batmanish. In the end, this comic was a really horrifying, disturbing and thought provoking read good for any horror or thriller fan!
Art: 8/10
Script: 9/10
Parental concern: High. Nudity, blood, gore, extreme violence and language.
New story arcs in ongoing series:
Fables #122 starts a new two part story, and although may not be essential to the series it is a very good read.
Gambit #4 ends the current story line, but I suggest going back since it’s still very new.
Marvel NOW! Marvel’s major Re-Evolution started with Uncanny Avengers #1, but is going full swing in November. These are the release dates for November’s new Marvel NOW! titles:
All-New X-Men #1 comes out on November 7th! The old X-Men team is back, and sounds like a promising series for readers familiar with the old X-Men series but may afraid of the over-abundance of X-Men comics.
A + X #1 is out on October 31st. A bi-weekly series featuring special one-shot team ups between Avengers characters and X-Men characters.
Captain America #1 comes out on November 21st
Deadpool #1 comes out on November 7th
Fantastic Four #1 comes out on November 14th
FF #1 is out on November 28th! An alternate Fantastic Four team of Ant-Man, She Hulk, Medusa, and Miss Thing!
The Indestructible Hulk #1 is out on November 21st
Iron Man #1 is out on November 7th
Thor: God of Thunder #1 is out on November 14th
X-Men Legacy #1 comes out on November 14th
Keep on trooping, comic readers! You’re part of or about to become a part of one of the greatest entertainment medias ever!
Bedlam really jumps out at me this month as one to try. I’m over saturated with Batman, X-Men, and Avengers that it’s not funny anymore, lol. Well, maybe this last time then…
Bedlam looks like a very interesting and awesome read! I’ll be picking that one up this weekend.
