Author: matthewephotography@yahoo.com
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com This anniversary issue of the Superman and Batman team-up series features Weird Al on the cover, but Weird Al doesn’t actually appear in either story. However, the cool variant cover does a great double duty with that Bizarro: Year None #1 cover. What we have here, aside from some obscure character cameos, are two incredibly beginner-friendly stories that delve into the contrast between the two title characters and (in the second story) their protégés. The first Dream Team tells the story of a duo of comic book protagonists who adventure through nightmarish environments in order…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com As is the case with countless 80’s movies, I saw Creepshow when I was too young. Still, I adored it. A homage to the 50’s EC horror comics. Its seedy colors, often tongue-in-cheek horror and plot twist ending were my introduction to George A. Romero and made me a fan years before I saw his iconic zombie films. So it’s cool to see Creepshow return to comics (again). Because it feels like a natural fit for the medium. Of course, this movie (and its less-acclaimed sequel) is an imitation of the style of horror anthology…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com It’s almost showtime for The Muppets, and as usual, chaos is brewing behind the scenes. While things go awry left, right and center, a stressed-out Kermit spends his time relaxing by reading crime novels. However, the chaos continues unabated, and an unfortunate accident leaves Kermit hit on the head, only to wake up as hard-boiled detective Flip Minnow. And he has to solve the heir disappearance case… Roger Langridge is no stranger to The Muppets, having written and drawn Boom and Marvel Fans many times. It’s an unusual twist on Jim Henson’s work, but Langridge…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com Following the complete mess that was supposed to be Spider-Boy’s standalone issue, we get another jaunt back into the world of Amalgam (which was completely different, with multiple panels on each page, just introducing another “cleverly” altered character). Is this worth it? Let’s find out. Spider-boy pushes and pulls through various time periods to prevent time from collapsing. But when an innocent child is hurt, will Spider-Boy be able to realize that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? If you thought Spider-Boy #1 was just a bunch of pointless cameos…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com Seeing as Marvel and DC are celebrating Amalgam’s 30th anniversary with more crossover collaborations, we thought we’d go back to 1996 and check out some classic titles from that era. First up is Spider-Boy, a clear mash-up of Spider-Man and Superboy (made even more confusing these days by the fact that Marvel has their own Spider-Boy character!). After taking on Bizarro/Carnage, Spider-Boy is tasked with bringing in King Lizard (King Shark/The Lizard) while juggling a secret life that no one is aware of given his celebrity status. I really liked this comic because it really…
Yes, we’ve seen the rabbit samurai Usagi Miyamoto (who appeared in the long-running indie comic Usagi Yojimbo) outside of the feudal Japan setting before. Particularly notable are Space Rabbit and the numerous crossovers. However, Phantom Thief ’84 is the first work in the 20th century to feature Usagi’s descendants, and more importantly, it appears to be the first Usagi series without script or art by original author Stan Sakai. Usagi Phantom Thief ’84 #1 tells an action-packed story about two Robin Hood-like rabbit thieves stealing from real bad guys. When a crime lord makes the rabbits Kaito and Yukichi an…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com Yes, we’ve seen the rabbit samurai Usagi Miyamoto (who appeared in the long-running indie comic Usagi Yojimbo) outside of the feudal Japan setting before. Particularly notable are Space Rabbit and the numerous crossovers. However, Phantom Thief ’84 is the first work in the 20th century to feature Usagi’s descendants, and more importantly, it appears to be the first Usagi series without script or art by original author Stan Sakai. Usagi Phantom Thief ’84 #1 tells an action-packed story about two Robin Hood-like rabbit thieves stealing from real bad guys. When a crime lord makes the…
Creating the most attractive town at the foot of Mt. Yotei, known as Hokkaido’s Ezo Fuji ︎ Expand your land with limited manpower, win bids using potatoes, and develop your town. ︎ There are multiple paths to victory. The person who maximizes the charm of their city and collects the most “attractive points” wins! Set in Niseko, a breathtaking region of Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island, this board game brings the local landscape, people, and wildlife to life. We paid special attention to environmental sustainability by using Hokkaido-sourced wood for our tokens, while the artwork created by talented Japanese illustrators is…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com In Street Fighter Masters: Karin, the latest installment in the one-shot series, the titular rich girl faces off against fellow wealthy heiress and punk Olive Ong. It has the intentionally creepy tone that Udon nailed with his Street Fighter comics, and as you’d expect, it’s packed with great action sequences and gorgeous art. I’m a big fan of Udon’s video game licensing output, and they’ve proven themselves to be masters when it comes to Street Fighter. There are few other publishers that have animated fighting game series, not just Street Fighter, so well and for…
Image credit: Red Wolf Comics A baron loyal to Henry II is forced to make an impossible choice during a conflict between the king and Richard the Lionheart. He wants to do the right thing, but he may have little choice but to engage in horrific acts to force the enemy’s hand. Written by Bruno Catalino and illustrated by Jaka Prawira (with letters by James Reid), Family & Honor is a truly charming medieval drama. Deliberately shifting tempos reveal the stakes at the heart of the story, before the second act becomes a gripping two-handed affair, paving the way for…