Annual 4th of July Sale! 20% off everything at all three Big Planet stores! Volume 11 #4 “News, reviews and opinions from the world of comics” July 2007 Bendis a boon for Master Chief world to Marvel’s willingness to Halo: Uprising #1 (of 4) make us wait for his return, it’s Comics based on toys, cartoons, been a little too long. You got the bands, TV shows, movies and sense that Marvel was ready to video games are risky business. pull the trigger on a new Thor For every successful adapta- series several times over that last tion like Star Wars, you get five couple of years, but that plans failures like the Wu-Tang Clan would fall through and the Odin comics. There are just so many Son would be put back on the things that can go wrong between shelf. Then we got the the original source material and Thor clone (or “Clhor”) the creation of the actual comic. in Civil War and gasps Sometimes a franchise just isn’t of horror were heard meant to be made into comics. from fans all over the world. So Other times, companies spend so it’s a great relief to finally see the much money obtaining the rights real Thor back in action. Making to do the book, they’re left with the homecoming even better is nothing to hire the right creative that the new series is written by J. team to make the project any Michael Straczynski and features good. There is a very incorrect art by Oliver Copiel. Say what you mentality out there that you can will about some of the twists and put any kind of crap between the turns along the way, but remember pages as long as the big recogniz- that Straczynski totally revamped able logo is on the cover. Scores of Spider-Man when he took over on cancelled books and silly amounts Amazing and his other work in of wasted money can be directly be something special. In addi- have to know a thing about who comics has been some of the stron- traced to simply not having the tion to being a massively popular the Master Chief is or why he’s gest in the industry for quite some creative juice to carry a series – it’s video game, Halo also has the battling against Covenant forces time now. the same basic rule that applies to right story elements to make for in space. Expect Halo: Uprising to Thor will pick up on some all comics. an interesting comic. Add that to read just as well to fans as it does hints Straczynski dropped in So if this ranting is all true, the fact that Bendis and Maleev to newcomers. Fantastic Four about where the then why are we putting the new have been allowed to write the God of Thunder has been hiding Halo comics on the cover of the series as the official connection Thor #1 out. It’s also going to be pretty newsletter? The answer is two between the end of the last game The advertisement for this series interesting to see what Thor words: Bendis & Maleev. Brian and the upcoming Halo 3 and proclaims: “Not a dream, not thinks about Civil War, Captain Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev you’re pretty much set. a hoax, not a clone…Thor hath America being dead and that are the Eisner Award-winning Ah, but what if you don’t care returned!” Well thank goodness little thing where Reed Rich- team that made Daredevil into about video games? It doesn’t for that. It’s been ages since Thor ards and Tony Stark created a a legend again, and their Halo: matter. Bendis and Maleev are apparently met his demise, and murdering clone version of him. Uprising mini-series promises to so good together that you won’t while I give all the credit in the Get ready – this should be a great 2 | www.bigplanetcomics.com Hotline: 301.718.1890 acters. With the regular Green plot by Moore, you also get art by Thunderbolts. Instead, let’s focus Arrow series on hiatus, we’re the mind-bending Travis Charest. on this special by Paul Jenkins getting these two mini-series in Don’t judge this book by its cover. that nicely complements the Ellis its place. Green Arrow: Year One series. Thunderbolts: Desperate is by The Losers creative team Measures focuses on Penance’s of Andy Diggle and artist Jock suicide mission to take down the (one word…like Madonna or brutal, rogue law-enforcer Amer- Ladronn…or Moebius…or Shaq). icop. Who the hell is Americop? I Birds of Prey fans will want to don’t know either, but it sounds take note of all of the League like there’s gonna be a big fight of Assassins action in the Black so I’m in. Canary mini. World War Hulk Update: We just wanted to pass along a friendly reminder that the super- fantastic World War Hulk event runs through O c t o b e r . What’s this mean? Well Criminal #7 & 8 it means that Green Lantern: Sinestro These issues feature the start of we’re getting Corps Special 1 a new story-arc in Ed Brubaker’s five months This is the beginning of the big awesome crime series. Each arc of Hulk Sinestro Corps storyline that’s focuses on a new character and s m a s h i n g going to be running through a new set of messed-up circum- the hell out the Green Lantern titles stances (think Sin City), so don’t of the rest of this year. The set-up for feel like it’s too late to jump on the heroes in this one is pretty simple: board. Once you get hooked on the Marvel Sinestro puts together this series you’ll be happy to know Universe. It his own army of yellow that the first story arc is collected also means ring wielding psychopaths to in Criminal Vol. 1: Coward. that there put an end to the Green Lantern are some Corps once and for all. Expect Alan Moore: The Thunderbolts: Desperate crossovers total mayhem and intense action Complete WildC.A.T.S. TP Measures to keep up as only writer Geoff Johns can Holy crap, is this awesome! The new Thun- with. While deliver. Collecting Alan Moore’s run on derbolts series you certainly WildC.A.T.S. (#21-34 and a story by Warren Ellis don’t need to Black Canary from issue #50), this TP is a must- is so awesome pick up everything to enjoy the 1 & 2 (of 4) have for pretty much everybody. that I can’t stop story, you might want to keep Green Arrow: I’m betting there are a lot of you talking about an eye out for Iron Man #19 & Year One 1 & out there who haven’t read these it. I think I’ve 20, World War Hulk: X-Men #1- 2 (of 6) issues because you were put off mentioned it in 3, Avengers: The Initiative #4, Expect big things by the title or didn’t know the the last three and Incredible Hulk #107-110 this year from characters. You are totally missing issues of Orbit. I gotta stop talking in addition to World War Hulk these two char- out. In addition to an incredible about how great Warren Ellis is on #1-5. Hello, Indyvillians! How’s it going? wiched in the middle is a Rosa Oh yeah? Awesome! Lot’s of commentary about the Barks great stuff out recently, and story! Amazing! A must have for a bunch of awesome any fan of the ducks. looking stuff on the way (I’m looking Re-Gifters TP at you, Incredible This book is not an independently Change-Bots!). On published graphic novel. It is, with the books! though, an indy comic through and through! Dixie loves hapkido. Phonogram TP (don’t we all?) Unfortunately for I talked about this before, but now her, of late she also loves Adam. it is available for all you floppy He’s all she can think about and monthly pamphlet haters. If you her hapkido and everything else don’t know about Phonogram, is getting all screwed up because it’s a story about people who can of it. The same team that brought make music (or, more specifically, us My Faith in Frankie (Mike Brit-Pop) into magic. So, pop Carey, Sonny Liew, Marc Hempel) in your Manic Street Preacher and DC have put together a fun cassettes and enjoy! romantic comedy that wouldn’t look out of place with an Oni logo Uncle Scrooge Adven- Big Planet. And as far as Scrooge crossed) has two long-form on it’s spine. tures: The Barks/Rosa goes it doesn’t get better than Scrooge stories. The first story Collection Volume 1 Carl Barks or Don Rosa. This is a Barks classic, the second, That’s all from me this month. Scrooge gets plenty of love from first in a series of many (fingers a newer story by Rosa. Sand- L8er sk8ers. Hotline: 301.718.1890 www.bigplanetcomics.com | 3 Captain America’s Florida adventure remember the good old days when this section of the newsletter was just a space for me to make fun of unintentional innuendos on the covers of old comics. But these days, there are a bunch of blogs and a certain magazine that rhymes with “Tizard” using that format.