Random Notes Before Bed

Woo. I'm tired. Let's see what we've got.

If you haven't floated by yet, we've got a new comic up in the online store at www.torcpress.com/store.html. It's Issue 13 of "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club", and it's cool. There's crazy cosmic stuff and the narrative moves forward a bit and so forth.

Also, Monster King Issue 4 is up and running. It's ridiculous and makes no sense. You should check it out at www.torcpress.com/monsterking.html.

So, there's the hype. Here's other stuff.

"Hellboy: The Fury" just started. I'm super hyped. While every other comic just treads water or reboots or does big stuff that doesn't matter three weeks later, Hellboy and the BPRD are bringing on the Apocalypse FROM TWO DIFFERENT ANGLES! It's exciting and dark and strange and I love it.

Speaking of I Love It, "Batman Inc." is the best thing being put out in American comics right now. In a way, it's kinda unfortunate that the DC reboot is going to monkeywrench some of what Morrison's doing in "Batman Inc.". But, I kinda approach Morrison's work as kinda existing on its own, so we'll just pretend that BI #1-6 are their own little comic novel, and the relaunched Vol. 2 will be sorta its own novel. Kinda. Anyway, I just read Issue 6, and it's really everything that makes comics worthwhile. So there's that.

So, I picked up "Kirby: Genesis" #0 and 1. Issue Zero is pretty much what everyone else has said, namely, a good start with a lot of potential. Issue One, on the other hand, gets off to a horrible start. HORRIBLE START. The art, although competent, is boring as snail snot. Seriously. Pedestrian. The "real world characters" are Super Lame (to make matters worse, the main character is drawn to look like the actor from the film version of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Major Sin. Major). The first seven pages are some of the worst comics I've ever had to suffer through, and I've read "Brigade".

Then...

It shouldn't have happened. It makes no sense. But, there on page eight or so, this tiny, watered down, distilled Sliver of Jack Kirby slips into this book...and Explodes Like an Atomic Frickin' Bomb. Just Wild Characters and Concepts Explode Outward in a Million Directions, and we've no longer got some run of the mill comic where nothing happens, we've got an entire Universe slamming facefirst into our faces.

The only thing wrong with the comic (besides, y'know, the pedestrian art and the first seven pages...and all the ads, but what else is new?) is that for a comic with Kirby on the cover, there's not a lot of action. Only one person gets punched in the face. Seriously? Pick up the brawling and slamming and ray zapping, people! Just having people running and posing does NOT a Kirby comic make.

Still, good enough to get me to pick up Issue 2.

I go to bed now.