Aliens Headhunters prologue from Comic Shop News #500

Here's an oddity from Dark Horse's Aliens comics line.  A prologue to the Aliens: Headhunters comic was published in Comic Shop News #500. I did my best to scan the story.  Hopefully, someday Dark Horse or 20th Century will officially reprint this story.  Until then, enjoy my scanning of it.

Arale-Chan in the flesh: Dr. Slump goes live-action

Here's something I somehow didn't know about until a day ago or two.

Last summer, the Japanese clothing producer/retailer GU produced a commercial based off Akira Toriyama's Dr. Slump to promote a new pleated skirt.   It features Ayami Nakajō as Arale, Yuki Uchida as Akane, and Kengo Kora as Peasuke.

Here's the commercial, followed by some behind the scenes goodness.  I hope you enjoy it, even if you don't know Japanese.

Erik Larsen's WildCATS #14 in Japanese

Once upon a time, in the fall of 1994, the six Image Comics co-founders all swapped books.  As part of this, Erik Larsen wrote and drew WildC.A.T.s #14, in which the characters from his series Freak Force and Savage Dragon mixed it up with Jim Lee's Covert Action Team.

What's interesting to note is that this issue was localized for Japanese readers, even though Larsen's own titles never were.

The sixth collection of WildC.A.T.s comics translated into Japanese was released by Dengeki Comics on August 15, 1998.  It not only included Larsen's issue #14, but also issue #13 (the concluding installment of a story arc by Jim Lee and Chris Claremont, which guest-starred Claremont's Huntsman characters) and #15 (the first of a short-lived run by James Robinson and Travis Charest).

Here are some excerpts:

The front cover, utilizing artwork from WildC.A.T.s #13.

The back cover.

This guide to the Freak Force characters served as a forward to issue #14.

The first page featuring Freak Force in this issue.

Freak Force leaps into action.  Note that Ricochet's "Yee-haw!" is left unaltered.

Can you find the reference to Terminator 2?

Dragon enters the picture.  Note that the editor's note regarding Dragon and Grifter's prior encounter is untranslated, and references an issue never released in Japan.

And to wrap things up, I give you the same two pages not included in the Savage Dragon: Possessed trade paperback:

My last article on DC Comics' Convergence

Here's my final article on DC Comics' Convergence event.

Some final thoughts on DC Comics’ “Convergence”

By John Pannozzi

Since DC Comics’ multiverse-changing event Convergence has now ended, now is the time to talk about the other issues in the series as well as the tie-ins.

Over the course of Convergence #3-8, Deimos, an evil magician from the DC series Warlord, becomes the new antagonist, and it is revealed that Telos was once a man with a family of his own before Brainac erased his memory.  When Deimos is defeated, because of the power he had absorbed from a group of time travellers, a temporal imbalance is created and it threatens to destroy all of reality.  Brainiac then severs Telos’ link to the planet and intends to send everyone back home to their original universes, but the events of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths prevent him.  Several heroes from other universes also go back to stop the mulitversal collapse that occurred in the original Crisis, and they succeed, thus changing the history of the multiverse.   The remaining Earth 2 heroes remain on the planet, which is transformed by Telos into the new version of their home planet.

In Convergence: Swamp Thing #1-2, the muck monster forms a somewhat uneasy alliance with a vampire version of Batman to rid the latter’s Gotham City from a vampiric plague.  While this story is not particularly special, it does create a suitably creepy atmosphere, and boasts the writing of Swamp Thing co-creator Len Wein.

            Convergence: Shazam! #1-2 involves the classic Captain Marvel and the rest of the Marvel family (no relation to a certain rival comics publisher) fighting their old foes again.  They also team up with the steampunk version of Batman from Gotham by Gaslight.  While this doesn’t rank among the greatest comics of all time, it evokes nostalgia for the more innocent and whimsical days of comics’ Golden Age.

            Convergence: Batman – Shadow of the Bat #1-2 involves not only the Caped Crusader, but also Azarael, who had been Batman’s replacement when his back was broken by Bane in the famous Knightfall storyline.  They are forced to fight WetWorks, a superheroic military unit originally from the WildStorm Universe.  The second issue is perhaps the most interesting, as Batman and Azarael end up fighting WetWorks on a defunct Navy ship in the WildStorm Universe’s San Diego.  The military lingo and tech is quite believable, given writer Larry Hama’s real-life experience during the Vietnam War.  Hama is well known for his work on the G.I. Joe comics, and also edited Marvel’s more serious war comic The ‘Nam.

            The second issues of the Superman: Man of Steel and Aquaman tie-ins continue the heroes’ respective battles against the WildStorm characters Gen 13 and Deathblow respectively.  Again, being a WildStorm fan, seeing the original versions of these characters is a nice treat even if they aren’t given a whole lot to do.

            Convergence: Green Lantern/Parallax #2 continues to follow Kyle Rayner’s attempts to minimize the damage done by a power corrupt version of Hal Jordan.  While there isn’t much to say about the story, the art by penciller Ron Wagner and inker Bill Reinhold intrigues me, as its sharp quality is somewhat reminiscent of the work of Savage Dragon creator Erik Larsen.  Convergence: Speed Force #2 has a intriguing message of compassion overcoming wickedness.  Wally West (the Flash) and his children, along with the cartoon turtle speedster Fastback take on the despotic Flashpoint version of Wonder Woman, showing that those motivated by love and kindness are mightier than the power mad.

            Convergence: Nightwing and Oracle #2 has the titular duo, aided by Black Canary, take on the ruthless Hawkman and Hawkwoman of the El Inferno world.  As another example of good beating evil, the ending of this issue will please many fans of this pair of characters.  In Convergence: The Titans #2, Roy Harper manages not only to get back his daughter Lian, but he and the other Titans also manage to keep the vile and all-powerful Extremists at bay.  This story ends on a happy note, and succeeds in providing closure for those displeased by Lian’s prior death.

            In Convergence: Harley Quinn #2, Harley goes up against both Captain Carrot, and for a brief instance, his fellow Zoo Crew member Pig-Iron.  While not quite as hilarious as the first issue, the carnival setting provides for some fittingly cartoonish mayhem.  Finally we have the masterpiece that is Convergence: Supergirl Matrix #2.  It involves Supergirl and Electropolis’s Lady Quark forming a temporary alliance to get a hold of Ambush Bug, who has something they need.  A chase ensues, as the characters traverse the multiversal cities making up Telos’ planet.  Several unexpected faces show up, and there is a delightful abundance of playfulness throughout.  It manages to be a very enjoyable, and humorous read.

            At the end of the day, Convergence and especially its tie-ins are worth reading if you’re a longtime DC fan.  Many loose ends and unresolved issues from past eras and timelines get sorted out, and even if we never see many of these versions of the DC characters again, Convergence gives them a fond farewell, and helps to clear the slate for the future.

My articles on DC Comics' "Convergence"

Here are some article I wrote concerning DC Comics' event "Convergence".  I plan to write more about in the future.

A Primer for DC Comics’ Convergence

By John Pannozzi

A tradition among comic book publishers is having at least one big crossover event each year, often in the summer or spring. These events typically involve all the company’s different characters forced to fight one another and/or uniting to face a trans-dimensional threat.  DC Comics’s big event for this spring is called Convergence.  It, like rival publisher Marvel’s upcoming Secret Wars, involves a world made up of the remains of alternate universes and parallel dimensions from their respective company’s past, with the remaining inhabitants forced to battle one another for survival. 

The path to DC’s Convergence is a somewhat complicated one.  Ever since the 1950s, the comics of DC have told stories about different universes.  Their multiverse became so vast and complicated, that to celebrate their 50^th anniversary in 1985, DC decided to streamline it.  The event Crisis on Infinite Earths involved an epic fight with a villain called the Anti-Monitor, which resulted in the five main universes being combined into one.  This provided an excuse for DC to retell the origins of its most famous characters (in stories like John Byrne’s Superman: The Man of Steel, and Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli’s excellent Batman: Year One).  The 1994’s Zero Hour and 2005’s Infinite Crisis altered the continuity even further. In 2006, 52 featured the recreation of the multiverse, and in 2008, Final Crisis finished the Crisis trilogy.  Then, in the finale of 2011’s Flashpoint, Barry Allen (the current Flash) merged the DC Universe with the worlds of DC’s imprints Vertigo and WildStorm, creating the universe of the New 52.   The New 52 has proven to be highly polarizing among fans.  Whereas the Batman and Green Lantern-related titles in particular acknowledged much of the previous continuity’s events, others, most notably Superman and Wonder Woman, started from scratch.   Currently, The Multiversity, written by fan-favorite Grant Morrison, tells the adventure of the inhabitants of the New 52-era multiverse.  And then we come to Convergence, which was conceived to ease DC’s editors as their offices moved from New York City to Burbank, California. 

The premise of the series is that Brainiac, one of Superman’s iconic foes, has been capturing cities and people from different universes at the moment of their destruction, depowering the superheroes, and placing them in domes on a limbo planet.  In Convergence #0, Brainiac goes away to attempt to collect the New 52 Earth, leaving the captured New 52 Superman with Telos, Brainiac’s servant and the living embodiment of the planet.  Telos, who appears to Superman in the form of past incarnations of Brainiac, lets Superman go back to his home (with his memory erased) when Brainac fails to retrieve the New 52 Earth.   Telos then decides to only let the strong survive.  At the start of Convergence #1, Telos destroys the Gotham City from the Injustice: Gods Among Us series, deeming its quarreling inhabitants and their world a failed experiment.  Then, the surviving heroes of Earth 2 arrive, but without their own city.  Telos takes this as a sign to finally decide which cities are worthy of surviving by removing the domes and making their respective residents fight each other.  In the process, Telos reveals himself to the residents of all the cities at once, saying that only one city will survive, and he will destroy anyone who refuses to fight.

While at least some knowledge of DC Comics history is required to fully comprehend and enjoy it, Convergence is nonetheless a dream come true for those who have always wanted to see what became of their favorite versions of the company’s legendary superheroes.  If you like any of DC’s characters, then I strongly suggest picking up the main Convergence series (consisting of #0 and 1-8) and whichever of the forty 2-issue tie-in miniseries that seem appealing to you.  Also, don’t forget the new Secret Wars from Marvel.  Now is definitely an exciting time to be a fan of superhero comic books!

A look at “Convergence” #2 and assorted tie-ins

By John Pannozzi

            To continue my look at DC Comics’ multiverse-spanning event “Convergence”, I will be taking brief looks at “Convergence” #2 and assorted tie-ins from the first two official weeks of the event.

            “Convergence” #2 is mostly told from the perspective of the Earth 2 version of Dick Grayson (who in the mainstream DC Universe was the first person to serve as Batman’s ward Robin).  It opens with a flashback of Grayson’s memory of the last moments he spent in his world, having to leave his wife and son, who along with the rest of Earth 2’s population are seemingly killed off by Darkseid’s forces.  Then in present day, the Earth 2 heroes, after fighting Telos, find out that his weak point lies beneath the planet’s surface.  Grayson and the Earth 2 Batman (Thomas Wayne, who is other continuities is the father of Bruce Wayne) go to the Pre-Flashpoint version of Gotham City and sneak their way into the Batcave.  There, the Earth 2 Batman meets the Pre-Flashpoint version of his son, culminating in a touching family reunion.  “Convergence” #2 manages to keep us excited about the unfolding chapter in this epic event.

            And we cover several tie-ins.  First up is “Convergence: Superman: Man of Steel” #1.  This issue features the Pre-Zero Hour version of Steel and his niece and nephew facing both their local villain Parasite as well as the WildStorm Universe’s teenage superhero team, Gen 13.  Being a big fan of Gen 13, I was a touch disappointed that they were given relatively little to do, but I’m happy to see them again nonetheless.  “Convergence: Aquaman” #1 shows what the Pre-Zero Hour incarnation of the Atlantian king has been up to since the arrival of the domed entrapment, and sets up WildStorm’s Deathblow as his multiversal opponent.  Again, the former WildStorm character is not given a big role, but his appearance is still welcome.  “Convergence: Green Lantern/Parallax” #1 gives us a different take on Pre-Zero Hour Hal Jordan, who after losing his powers due to the dome mopes about how his slaughtered his fellow Green Lantern Corps members as the power-mad Parallax.  Once the dome is lifted, Hal becomes Parallax and his somber attitude completely washes over, and surviving Green Lantern Kyle Rayner attempts to keep in line.  “Convergence: Speed Force” #1 features the Pre-Flashpoint version of Wally West (the Flash) and his children Iris and Jai.  After travelling all over the planet, they find an ally in the form of Fastback the turtle from the Zoo Crew and a foe in the form of Flashpoint’s Wonder Woman.  All of these issues are fine, but I don’t have much to say about them.

            And then there is “Convergence: Titans” #1, which tells a potent, hug-tugging story, albeit one that requires some back-story expositing.  Shortly before “Flashpoint” and the New 52 continuity reboot, in the much-reviled limited series “Cry for Justice”, Lian Harper, the young daughter of Roy Harper (formerly Green Arrow’s sidekick Speedy, now going by the codename “Arsenal”), suffered a horrible death.  Roy was broken by his loss, but since the coming of dome, has found meaning in a more peaceful environment by taking care of displaced families and children.  Things change, however, when the dome comes down, and Roy and his fellow Teen Titans alumni Donna Troy and Starfire face the Extremists, a group of super villains from another world.  One of the Extremists, Dreamslayer, turns things upside when he resurrects Lian by plucking her from a time before her death, and forces Roy to fight his friends to the death so Lian will stay alive.  This issue packs a strong emotional punch and leaves us with the highest stakes imaginable, so I highly await its follow-up.  While not quite as engaging, “Convergence: Nightwing & Oracle” #1 should bring tears to the eyes of many longtime DC fans.  In it, the Pre-Flashpoint Dick Grayson proposes to Barbara Gordon, but Barbara declines.  But there’s no time for Dick to talk it over with her, as the villainous incarnations of Hawkman and Hawkwoman from the Wild West world of El Inferno attempts a hostile takeover.  Once again, the story is captivating and left me wanting more.

            And last but not least are two tie-ins that not only provided superheroics, but also a good amount of humor.  “Convergence: Harley Quinn” #1 centers around the Pre-Flashpoint version of the Joker’s on-and-off-again right hand woman and lover, who first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series.  In the year since the dome emerged, Harley has been rehabilitated into a somewhat sane and normal life.   But Telos’s projection on the dome shows that Harley is slated to fight the lagomorphic hero Captain Carrot, Catwoman and Poison Ivy have to knock the sanity out of her.  A small running joke through this issue is that whenever Harley’s obsession with the Joker is brought up, we see a mental image of Joker looking much like he did in the early Batman comics by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson.  It’s little touches like this that are not only funny, but also acknowledge the rich history of DC Comics.  The lighthearted and comedic nature of “Convergence: Supergirl Matrix” #1 is apparent from its first page, which reads like an affectionate parody of the superhero comics of yesteryear, with a “by popular demand” blurb, and several humorous footnotes.  It features the Pre-Zero Hour Supergirl (who has a confusing origin, basically, instead of being a Kryptonian, she’s actually a shape shifting being called Matrix), who, interestingly enough, has become a bodyguard for Superman’s arch nemesis, Lex Luthor.  Supergirl is pitted against the married couple of Lady Quark and Lord Volt from a world called Electropolis.  The snarky back-and-forth between Luthor and Supergirl, as well as Lady Quark and Lord Volt’s bickering proves to very funny.  It’s no surprise that this was written by Keith Giffen, who is most loved for writing superhero stories with a solid sense of humor, including Lobo, Ambush Bug, and several Justice League series (one of the aforementioned makes an appearance here).

            While some of the tie-ins are a lot more interesting than others, on the whole, I am quite pleased with “Convergence” so far, and look forward to future issues and tie-ins.

The Two Pages from WildC.A.T.s #14 that weren't in Savage Dragon: Possessed

Nearly all of WildC.A.T.s #14 was included in the trade Savage Dragon: Possessed, except for two pages (or at least parts of them).  For referential sake, I am including them here, with the hope that maybe Erik Larsen could include them as an extra in a Savage Dragon collection one day down the line.

The Simpsons Parody Youngblood and WildC.A.T.s

"When Bongos Collide!" was a comic book storyline that ran through Itchy & Scratchy Comics #3, Simpsons Comics #5, and Bartman #3.  In it, the residents of Springfield were transformed into reckless super-powered beings (the story behind all this is really funny, and I don't want to give too much away).  Included were parodies of the Image Comics teams Youngblood (as "Old Blood") and WildC.A.T.s: Covert Action Teams (as WildB.R.A.T.s: Wild, Bullying, Rowdy, Adolescent Team):

Note the reference to the name-change of a certain member of Youngblood.  For more info on "When Bongos Collide!", check out The Simpsons Wiki or Wiki Simpsons. You can buy the entire storyline in the trade paperback Bartman: Best of the Best, or in the magazine-sized Simpsons Classics #3 (from which I procured these scans).

A new direction for my blog

Heya. I've been going through some serious soul searching as of now. All my feelings on life came to a head when I read Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series (appropriate a series created by a Canadian cartoonist and based on cartoons and video games from Japan marked a real turning point in my life, considering my adoration for Canada and Japan becames all so apparent when you consider they're the only countries outside of the United States that I have visited as of now. You can see a thought provoking discussion I had over the final volume in the series at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446029/board/flat/167346966

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 25 Anniversary Tribute Part One: A look back at the original movie

To "shellebrate" the quartercenturymark of perhaps the most famous independent comic book heroes, here are some vintages articles from Comics Scene and Starlog documenting the original 1990 film.