What Looks Good: June '05
By Mike Storniolo  Hey guys, how’s it going? Welcome back to another installment of What Looks Good! As always there’s another new Previews filled with awesome things to spend your money on, or at least listen to me rave about! As I’ve been writing this column it had me thinking:
I know (which really means hope) that a lot of people check out this column, and I also know (hope again) that they enjoy it! So my little question for this month is this: who exactly are you? I want to know who’s swinging by each month listening to me ramble on, who really enjoys it, what you think, etc. Speak up; nothing matters more than YOUR opinion. It’s because of you guys that I get to do this each and every month.
Swing by the message boards, drop me a post, let me know what you like, what you hate, suggestions, comments, free comics, praise…I take it all (except bad Chinese food). Ok, got a little side tracked for a sec…blah, blah, blabbity, blab, blab What Looks Good!
BURLYMAN ENT.
THE SHAOLIN COWBOY #4
By Geoff Darrow
More of the same philosophical musings and psychological trappings you’ve come to expect from “The Shaolin Cowboy,” as he continues his trip across the pockmarked landscape of the American psyche…and prepares to defeat a demon or get his guys, ripped out, and watch his mule violated.
Mike: If you’re not reading Shaolin Cowboy already, you are REALLY missing out on a terrific book. I just finished up reading issue #2, and it’s nothing short of amazing. Darrow builds the story around the Shaolin Cowboy, but what makes it so great, is that anything can happen. There’s no set application for the character, anything is possible. Add that with his wonderful rendering that just jumps off of the page with detail…all for just $3.50. Three-fifty well spent.
DARK HORSE
 HELLBOY: THE ISLAND #1
By Mike Mignola
After more than two years at the bottom of the sea, Hellboy washes up on an island full of sunken ships where he is tempted by singing dead men and stupidly ignores good advice from an ancient enemy. This tale of gods and monsters offers the first revelations about one (or more) of the great secrets of Hellboy's world.
Mike: More Hellboy is always a good thing. I just started getting into Hellboy a little while before the movie, gathering all the issues and material I could manage to find. The Island looks like it’s going to shape out to be a nice story. Mignola’s art is miles above anything I could describe. I can not get enough of it. Now it seems he’s going to dive in a little deeper to the Hellboy story and give us a little more of what he’s all about. Plus, it’s all leading into the new series with art by Lee Bermejo; joy!
DC
SOLO #5
By Darwyn Cooke
Saddle up to the bar and grab a stool next to Slam Bradley, as the down-on-his-luck P.I guides you through some of the craziest tales he’s ever heard. Thrill to the adventures of King Faraday in Cube, dig the Question’s Middle Eastern math lesson, and attempt to understand a geek’s growing passion for his vacuum cleaner. And Slam’s stories end with a bang, as he spins a revenge yarn featuring Batman!
Mike: I’ve really been enjoying Solo a lot more with each issue. Having a single creator to get 48 pages to tell some good stories, go all out for the art and make it work. I didn’t start to get real big on Cooke until The New Frontier hit; that book really made me appreciate not only his artistic style, but his craft as a writer a lot more. Solo is the best book to utilize both of those talents, with all of DC’s best characters told in an entertaining manner.
HOARSE & BUGGY
ELK’S RUN #2Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov; illustrated by Noel Tuazon
The men of Elk’s Ridge have made a decision for which there is no turning back. But what got them to this point? This time we see the world from John Sr.’s point of view, as the formation and ideologies of Elk’s Ridge becomes clearer. Cover’s by Dastun Tran.
Mike: So, at the time of me writing this, Elk’s Run #1 was just released on the stands today. So after finishing reading it, all I can give is even more positive encouragement and backing that you NEED TO BUY THIS BOOK! Everyone’s always looking for a good indie book to support and a damn good read too…well that’s what Elk’s Run is!
Fialkov sets up the story in a nice quiet town with a very set method of running things. When a horrible travesty occurs it shakes the town to its roots. People change in ways you wouldn’t expect; this is all seen throughout the eyes of the people. Fialkov’s story is a well structured and executed story with perfect scripting, and Tuazon is an amazing, untapped well of creative talent that breathes life into the book. This book gets my personal money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with it.
WESTERN TALES OF TERROR #4
Written and illustrated by various creators
The independent cult hit returns, featuring stories by acclaimed editor Stuart Moore, Jason Copland, Saul Colt, and new-comers Jon Hook, Jared Bivens, and Joseph Bergin III. Also featuring part one of a two-part story by series creator Joshua Hale Fialkov, with superstar-on-the-rise Mark Dos Santos, on art! All wrapped up in a sensation cover by Tone Rodriquez!
Mike: Ooh, more Hoarse & Buggy goodness in the same month, I could get used to this! Good old Western Tales of Terror, the amazingly awesome, hit indie book that has proven to deliver. First off, the creative line up alone should be enough to get you interested in the book. If that doesn’t work, maybe the all-out action, suspense and western flare of the book will appeal and reel you in. You’d be doing yourself a huge favor buying it…it’s good…I love Western Tales of Terror like the little adopted three-legged puppy I’ll never have.
IMAGE
BATTLE POPE #1
Written by Robert Kirkman, art & cover by Tony Moore
When he's not leadin' mass, he's out kickin' ass! After the Rapture the sole protector of the sinning masses is BATTLE POPE, and his trusty sidekick, Jesus. They're the last line of defense in a world overrun with demons and depravity. Reprinting ROBERT KIRKMAN's first published work, now in stunning full color, with a brand new cover by original artist TONY MOORE and original cover colorist VAL STAPLES. Just in time for the book's Fifth Anniversary!
Mike: Man, some months the good comics just keep on coming, Battle Pope being one of those. The original B&W issues from a few years back have definitely garnered a spot on my most enjoyable comics list. Full color is doing nothing but helping it, along with bringing it to a larger audience. If you’re a fan of Kirkman or Moore, or just a fan of whacky, fun-reading comics, I think you’ll enjoy Battle Pope. Of course, there’s always the one religious nut that gets way too steamed over it; all I can say is, put it all aside. It’s a comic, enjoy it!
SMALL GODS SPECIAL #1
Written by Jason Rand, art & cover by Juan E. Ferreyra
Heroes clash as Owen Young and Bobby Pope face off across the interrogation room. But what ulterior purpose has truly brought these men together? Unravel the mystery when, for the first time ever, SMALL GODS comes to you in FULL COLOR!
Mike: It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned Small Gods, which is a shame, because this book more than deserves all the praise it gets! The first story was a great start for the book, the second is moving along nicely, really picking up the pace. Now we have a FULL COLOR issue, bringing the two main characters together…ahh the good times! Rand puts together an action-packed and well-driven story and Ferreyra’s art is beyond words; you have to read it to believe it!
FREEDOM FORCE #6
Written by Eric Dieter, art & cover by Tom Scioli
Stranded in the prehistoric past, a desperate Freedom Force must ally themselves with one enemy in order to defeat another! In a cataclysmic battle that will shake the very foundations of the universe, the team confronts the evil that has been pulling their strings since issue three... and at least one hero will NOT be returning home! Plus: A member's darkest secret revealed!
Mike: Picking up Freedom Force when it first shipped was a bit of a stretch for me, I knew nothing about the characters, the game, and everything going on with it; but I did know one thing: I loved the art and was impressed from what I’ve heard from Dieter about it, so I gave it a shot. The series is three issues into it as I type and I’ve been enjoying it non-stop. Everything is explained for you straight out of the gate and than it jumps head first into the action. An amazing story, eye-popping art and a genuine good read that you HAVE to give a try!
MARVEL
FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
By Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
They were visionaries. Explorers. Imaginauts. They were Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. And like their creations - the Fantastic Four - they continually strove to overcome the impossible and achieve the extraordinary. Now, the first three years of their landmark run on FANTASTIC FOUR - issues #1-30 and Annual #1 - are collected in one oversized volume. This keepsake edition also includes all original letters pages and pinups, critical commentaries, a historical overview, and other DVD-style extras - and features the best-ever reproduction of FANTASTIC FOUR #1.
Mike: Well, I definitely won’t be able to afford this, but that doesn’t mean I can’t talk it up! This book puts together everything that was and is great about the Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics, and the Silver Age in general. It’s two amazing creators at the top of their game, with great stories being told. Thirty issues in a swell package for a hundred bucks is more than a deal, and if you can afford it, enjoy it! If not, bail out like me and get the three soft cover masterworks for about twelve a piece!
QUICK CRITS
IMAGE
THE GIFT #12: Things are finally starting to hit the fan with The Gift and I can see it all coming together. Some may say it got off to a slow start, but regardless of what you thought before, give it another try, it’s really hitting its creative stride!
GODLAND #1: More awesome art from Scioli this month and what looks like it’ll be a great new series coming from Casey; I’ll give it a shot, they more than deserve it!
INVINCIBLE: ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL. 1 HC: *drool* Thirteen issues of the best comic book on the shelves, all in one Hardcover with extras out the wazoo! Need I say more?
NOBLE CAUSES #12: An amazing book that I don’t mention often enough. Faerber has been on a roll with the new series, knocking it out one surprise after the next. Bueno was a good choice for art and he’s improving by the page. Good, down to Earth super-hero stories!
SPEAKEASY
THE HUNGER #2: The Hunger has been shaping out to be what sounds like a great book, plus a killer back-up story in this ish by some very talented folks! Horror, action, suspense and Daring Adventures all in one! Woo!
Well, I’m all out of it for this month, again, please swing by the boards and let me know what you think! It’s all appreciated and I hope you enjoyed the column this month. If you check out the boards, let me know what YOU think Looks Good this month! Turn me on to a new, amazing book; I’m always up to it! Well, until next month.
-Mike Storniolo
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