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Our New Site...
After trials and errors, after much thought, we have decided to move to a new website. In my opinion, it allows us to do much more and give you better avenues to reach our blogs and podcasts. Hopefully everyone that follows us will continue to follow us to the new site and enjoy the new and improved Comic Book Education! The website:
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The Winter Soldier Review - Special guest Chris joins Stuart on this Movie Review edition of A Comic Book Education. Both of the guys give their thoughts and commentary on the new Captain America The Winter Soldier movie from Marvel. Spoilers ahead.
Captain America #286, October 1983, cover by Mike Zeck and John Beatty
This book got me into comics! Thanks Mike!
Stuart's Top 5 Marvel of the Marvel Universe
Top 5 Marvel Characters:
Wolverine: Awesome suit, awesome powers, awesome character. That is a great combination. The fact that every X title or Avengers title seems to try and incorporate him somehow, whether it be from the movies or in the comics says alot. I love his attitude, I love his tenacity, and he has been the key character in some of the best Marvel stories ever written.
Captain America: Again, another no brainer. Like Superman, I like his set of values, his inner strength, his leadership and courage. The fact that people from other galaxies will follow this man speaks to his greatness. I can see him being the last man standing. He is not afraid to die and is not afraid to face the most powerful of beings even when he has no chance.
Black Panther: A patriot, an honorable man, a king. This is a character I was not aware of a few years ago and I'm thankful that Jonathan Hickman has given him so much depth in his New Avengers run. He seems to be a man of few words, of great humility and character. I want this guy on my side, and I want him in an Avengers movie!
Iron Man: This is a character that I could have cared less about until Robert Downey Jr came onto the scene and became Iron Man. I like all the tech that he as, love the suit. I love his witty banter. I like him much more in a team setting. I don't feel that his comics or his villains are my favorite, and I have to be honest and say I did not support him at all during Civil War.
Black Widow: This is, once again, a recent add for me. I've been reading Phil Noto's run (the artist, naturally) and it has been nothing short of amazing. She is a deadly assassin with a very shady past, yet she is welcomed into the Avengers. Her opening scene in Avengers was classic, though I'm not a fan of the actress.
BONUS PICK- Hawkeye: I would be remised not to add this dude. I couldn't stand this character, disliked him in the movies, but then along came Matt Fraction. His depiction of Hawkeye is everything I could want in a comic. Hawkeye is extremely witty and clever and can get out of any situation it seems, despite his face constantly getting beat in.
Top 5 Marvel Villains:
Magneto: Perhaps the king of villains, I enjoy his dichotomy. He is a very evil person, but at the same time he is loyal to his followers and fights for the cause of mutants. His relationship with Charles is something I could read or watch in the movies all day long. I like his background and how he did not let what happened to him define him. He could have disappeared in those camps, but instead he rose up. Now he became evil of course, but still. Gotta love the tenacity!
Thanos: This guy is literally pure evil. Nothing redeeming at all. I do wish he had a cooler suit but its alright. He is SUCH a powerful character, even without the infinity gauntlet. He is so powerful that it seems that no one person can ever take him on. I cannot wait to see what he does to the Avengers in their forthcoming movies!
Loki: Who doesn't love Loki? Now I'm speaking of Loki from the movies here. He makes being bad feel so good. A trickster, a liar, a killer, yet I still think he is great! It seems like people cannot get enough of Loki. I just hope they don't overdo it with him.
Venom: The one Spider-Man villain that I actually like. I love the all black suit, I love what the symbiote does to the characters. I love how huge and twisted he looks in the comics, with that huge mouth protruding and the symbiote flailing this way and that. Extremely powerful, extremely dangerous, extremely awesome.
Dark Phoenix: I have to be specific and say I like the Phoenix Force that inhabits Jean Grey. Talk about power. She puts nearly any character to shame when she is going crazy. She is literally capable of destroying planets, billions of people. I love the questions her character brings up. I like the idea that even though she is terrible with this power, she is still loved by the X-Men. They would do anything to save her, even if it means killing her.
Top 5 Least Favorite Characters:
Namor: What a jerk. What a silly suit. What else is there to say?
Dr Strange: Again with the silly costume and mustache. Seems like a relic of the 70's. I am not a fan of the weird mysticism he has going on. Ugh.
Carnage: 90's excess at its best. Why do we need ANOTHER symbiote? No redeeming qualities at all, just a silly character.
Galactus: I'm big on costumes, obviously, and this has to be one of the worst. It also points to a problem characters often have in that, depending on the writer, his powers vary too greatly for me. Why doesn't he just stay planet size and then nothing could stop him?
The Watcher: Why does he exist? Read Earth X and tell me he is a great character. I bet you can't even finish that comic. He can't involve himself in the affairs of mortals. I wish he couldn't be involved in the comics either.
Marvel Top 5
- Stuart and Jeremy dive into the Might Marvel Universe and pick their favorite heroes and villains. Whether it is Thanos or Captain America, the guys defend their choices.
Jeremy’s Top 5 List for DC Comics…
Superman Topping my list for favorite all-time DC heroes is the big blue boy scout himself. As much as I love some key comic book versions, my favorite incarnations are from the Bruce Timm Justice League and Adventures of Superman cartoons. From his messianic origins through his latest films, Superman and his mythos have always resonated at a spiritual level for me. I want to be Superman.
Nightwing One of the few characters in major DC continuity that has had a real character arc over the years. Watching Dick Grayson go from Robin the sidekick, to Nightwing the hero as a teenager, galvanized his place in my mind. I wanted to step out of the shadows and into a leadership position and Nightwing actually did it. I am also a HUGE fan of the way his character was treated in the short-lived Young Justice series. Eventually, he will be Batman. Or, has he? Or was that old continuity - ok, now I’m confused.
Batman He’s Batman. What else do you need?
Green Lantern (John Stewart) Though I am not a fan of the comic book Green Lantern universe, I love it in the Bruce Timm version. John is one of my favorite characters and is the perfect blend of soldier, cop and hero. My hopes are that this is the version of Green Lantern that will work its way into the DC Cinematic Universe.
Jack Kirby 70’s Characters From Kamandi to the New Gods, I love Jack Kirby’s DC work in the 70’s. The scale of the stories and the art is just unparalleled! I know this only counts as one, but is a ton of actual characters - but, hey, it’s my list!
Top 5 Villains
Darkseid Kirby’s Cosmic God of Evil. This guy is the ultimate bad dude for me. No chance for redemption and completely given over to his universe-ending agenda. Whether it is in the comics, animated version or even the Superpowers toys, Darkseid is the ultimate adversary for the DC Universe.
Mister Freeze As you can probably tell, I am a sucker for Bruce Timm. Paul Dini teamed up with Bruce for an episode of Batman: The Animated Series called “Heart of Ice”. This BY ITSELF, placed Mister Freeze in my top 5. If you have not seen it, watch it.
Joker He’s the Joker. What else do you need?
Deathstroke // Slade Wilson Having emerged in issues of Teen Titans in my teenage years, Deathstroke had the best costume and fight scenes ever. Peréz and Wolfman created a masterpiece with this guy. Other memorable moments include the great fight scene in Identity Crisis, where Deathstroke almosts takes out the Justice League single handedly!
Anti-Monitor The only guy on the list that makes Darkseid nervous. The Anti-Monitor shows up in Crisis on Infinite Earths and is the key bad guy! Anyone who arm wrestles God is cool to me.
Least Favorite Heroes
Now for the quick list of guys I don’t care for. Please note that I reserve the right to take these guys off the list if I ever read anything that makes me care about them.
Hawkman - I don’t care for any version of this character. Funny, because I love Hawkgirl.
Booster Gold - I think his is supposed to be obnoxious - he’s in the same boat with Deadpool for me. I wish someone would sink it.
Spectre - He is like a walking, white-skinned, plot device.
Swamp Thing - Ok, so I have not read the Alan Moore stuff. Maybe I should. He just looks like the Junk Lady from Fraggle Rock to me.
Green Lantern // Hal Jordan - He’s a jerk who wines all the time. Never cared for him. I love the ring and the corp. The only really story where I have liked him at all is New Frontier. If he was portrayed in that light, I could get into him. Not a Geoff John’s fan, so Hal is at the bottom of my list.
Thanks for listening. What do you guys think?
1981 - Avengers Annual #10 Page 12
by Chris Claremont, Michael Golden, and Armando Gil
Classic page. Classic Michael Golden!
Stuart's Top 5 List for DC Comics...
Top 5 DC Heroes:
Batman: Batman is my favorite hero period. Batman dominates everything. His movies are some of the best, most influential movies. The videogames he stars in have been the best superhero games and arguably some of the best games period. He is iconic in Batman: The Animated Series and the ’66 show. If Batman is attached, it is ALMOST a guarantee it will be a success. Some of the greatest comics ever written are Batman stories or involve Batman in a team setting. He attracts some of the best creators out there. He has somehow survived and thrive in the new 52. I love that he is complicated, the idea that he is always seeking justice, I love his drive and that he never wants others to experience what he did as a child.
Superman: In my opinion, the original superhero. Whether it be in Smallville, or the movies, or the comics, Superman is great in every medium. I love his values and what he stands for. I love that he is always trying to do the right thing. I think Batman (Jeff Loeb form Superman/Batman) sums it up best (as he always does): “It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then…he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him.” Loeb also has one other quote that I really like from Batman: Hush: If Clark wanted to, he could use superspeed and squish me into the cement. But I know how he thinks. Even more than the Kryptonite, he’s got one big weakness. Deep down, Clark’s essentially a good person…and deep down, I’m not.” Also, his suit: one of the best costumes out there.
Wonder Woman: This pick completes the Trinity. I think she works really well in the Justice League. She is not afraid to speak her mind or do the dirty work in a superhero world seemingly dominated by women. She can hold her own against anyone on that team. I love her Amazonian roots and the mythology tied to it. I like strong willed women in general. I’m a history major so as I look back in history, many of my heroes are women who, despite living in a word dominated by men: Boudicca, Elizabeth I, Joan of Arc. The characteristics these real life people had are seen in Wonder Woman, and that is why I like her.
Martian Manhunter: An underrated and underused character if there was ever one. He comes from a tough background yet doesn’t harbor some need for vengeance. He has all the powers of Superman in addition to phasing thru walls, telepathy and changing form. He is extremely humble especially given what he can do. He is dependable and always helping others. I was sad how he turned out in Kingdom Come, a shell of himself. I loved what Batman did for him. Even though Manhunter was basically retired and withdrawn, he went to him anyway. Batman was hard on everyone in that comic, but when it came to Jonn, he handled him with the utmost respect and gentility. He told him “Jonn, you fought the good fight longer than any of us. You’ve done all that’s ever been asked of you and today was no exception. You’ve paid your dues, old friend. Go home and rest. Dream of red sands and silent stars.” Much respect.
Red Robin: This stems from when I started getting into comics a few years ago. It was a great time, and my buddy Tim recommended his series to me and I loved it. He is the third of the Robins. His Red Robin series was short but great. Moments that stuck out were his search for Batman, his quick wit, extreme athleticism and his “assassination.” I also thought his story arc in Identity Crisis was amazing and very sad. The death of his father by Captain Boomerang was a big blow. In his Red Robin series, he faces Captain Boomerang in the end and I won’t spoil it for you, but it certainly was a surprise how it ends.
Top 5 Villains:
Joker: The king of all villains, or prince I suppose. Whenever I’m reading Batman, I’m hoping (as most do) that he makes an appearance. He started off as a goofy clown but in the late 60’s things changed with Denny O’Neill and Neal Adams. He was done perfectly by Snyder in Death of the Family, although that was pretty dark too. The way he was drawn was very striking. I love the way he is a mirror of Batman in many respects. He is potentially what Batman could be, if Batman just lost it. The idea that the Joker “loves” Batman is something I really enjoy. I love when he “woke up” in Dark Knight Returns when Batman was finally mentioned. He says “Batman, Darling). He was portrayed so well in the big and small screen, form Mark Hamill and Caesar Romero, to Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. A great character to write for, a villain almost as iconic as his foil.
Lex Luthor: Really one of the original villains for me. I first found out who he was from the Superman movies. Then Smallville came along and he stole every scene he was in. I loved his give and take with his father. I love his super intellect, his drive to help humanity in his own sick way. He tries to spread the word that people should not look to the skies for help, they should fix their own problems (and look to HIM for the answers).
Ra's Al Ghul: How gutsy was it for Nolan to have this guy as the main villain in Batman Begins? Nobody really know this guy outside of comics. I certainly didn't, but after seeing that movie, it made me want to learn more. I like that he knows who Bruce Wayne is. I like that his daughter has a son with Bruce. I like the respect that they have for one another. I do hate the Lazarus pit though.
Zod: Kneel! This pick stems from the movies really. Terrance Stamp simply is my second favorite movie villain behind Joker. Everything he says is quotable. I love his arrogance. The fact that he has all of Superman's powers and, given the chance to acclimate to earth, could easily take him out. He was great in Smallville, and passable in Man of Steel. I just like the idea that there is someone out there that can give a firsthand account of who Jor-El was, even if it is thru evil eyes.
Darkseid: This guy is the one that DC seems to bring out when they really want to put our heroes in some pain. He has the omega beams that come from his eyes that really put him in a class of his own. He takes on the biggest and best heroes and often comes out on top. He also killed Batman. That is something that cannot be overstated because he did what nobody else could.
Least Favorite Heroes:
Hal Jordan: The Green Lantern movie was my first real introduction to this character and that is really all I need to say. I am not a Ryan Reynolds fan at all, so that didn't help. I do not care for the Green Lantern universe at all and could take him or leave him in the Justice League. The suit is even dumb.
Cyborg: A useless character in the Justice League. He seems like he could be a cool character if he was perhaps drawn with a cooler suit. He was ok in the Judas Contract. He has been terrible in the new 52. I simply could care less about this character.
Shazam: I keep harping on suits, but this suit is one of the worst. It looks like he has a napkin for a cape, and the gold edges do not help. He looks like a hero from the 70's. When the new 52 came out, I was hoping this would be one character that they could update and make look cooler, but nay. And the stories that have been written about him in the new 52 have been really weak. I did like him in Alex Ross' Kingdome Come and Justice.
Bat-mite: This is just a dumb character. Why? Why does he exist? This character just wreaks of camp to me. It is a case of something being in the Batman universe and they just call things bat something to tie him into the universe. Dumb.
Batwoman: I love the Batman universe. This is part of the universe that I do not like. Why do we need a Batwoman when we already have a Batgirl? Again, it seems like she was created to cash in on the Bat family and the Bat name, and that is lame to me.
DC Top 5
- Stuart and Jeremy detail their Top 5 DC Comics Heroes, Villains and Worst Characters. From Superman to Bat-mite, this episode has a little bit of everything.
Creator Corner: George Pérez Featured Art - From initial work on Deathlok in 1973 through his opus at DC - The Crisis on Infinite Earths and beyond, George is one of the "titans" of the comics industry. Not only is he one of the best comic book artists of all time, he is also one of the industry's most beloved!
1989 - Anatomy of a Cover - Marvel Comics Presents #21 by Walt Simonson
I really love the front of this one, but not as big of a fan of the back. Except for ol' Ben breaking beams. The front shot of Cyclops is great. Even though he was not a regular, I love anytime he takes a stab at our favorite mutants!
Creator Corner: George Pérez
- Stuart and Jeremy focus on the epic master of comics, George Pérez. With 40 years in the industry, George has been drawing, plotting and creating the most memorable moments in comics history.
Stuart's Pick of the Week for the week of 2.26.14: Hawkeye #15
Wanna See a Magic Trick?
This issue has Aja returning to the artwork and that makes me quite excited. He is such a unique talent. This is issue #15 and if you have been following, you know that issue #16 came out last month. Again, not sure why, but it adds to the flavor. Aja always comes up with some really amazing covers, and this one is no exception
Clint has found himself caught at the beginning of this issue by the Russian thugs he has been up against for much of Fraction's run. He has nothing to defend himself with and his pants are on the ground, pants on the ground. See what I did there?
Anyway, the issue shifts back in time a bit and we learn that this Russian mafia owns every building around except for Clint's, whom, if you recall, took it away from the Russians because they were terrorizing the tenants. Back to the Russians and Clint is trying to think on his feet, so he asks if he can show a magic trick. He yells "BARNEY!" and the Russians look confused. Of course, Barney is Clint's brother who returned a few issues ago, and he helps take them out. Clint notes that Barney taught him everything he knows. The action scenes are handled masterfully by Aja as always.
I Know Quite Well Your Brother Barton, Barton...
When things quiet down, we see Clint is trying to search for who is behind it all but is struggling, calling this man not even a ghost, but a shape. He is trying to put the puzzle together as he actually plays a puzzle. Nice touch. We then see a meeting that has taken place with the Russians and there he is, the mysterious man. It is the man that shot and killed Clint's buddy Grills on the rooftop. He is ominous looking for sure, with a mask and a tear coming down. Very creepy. The man then tells the Russians that Clint does not own that building in any way. Clint seized it illegally, a fact that Clint is more than aware of. He asks himself what choice did he have? The shift of the book changes a bit from the fun, sarcastic Barton to one what is filled with regret. He has been beaten up badly, Kate Bishop has left for California to get away from him. He see seems to be defeated. Having said that, the Russians infiltrate the building but are initially repelled by Barney and Clint. Things go quiet until the Barton's realize that they have miscounted the bad guys and there are some still out there. They both rush upstairs where the masked man is waiting for them. He shoots both of them and the issue ends with them "dead" on the ground. This action scene, again, was amazing.
This issue has gotten several high reviews, but I have to say in all honesty, this wasn't my most favorite Hawkeye issue. I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it for sure and it deserves to be pick of the week, however. I loved the action sequences. I usually love how Aja uses panels. In this issue, I found the panels distracting and not as creative. My eyes weren't sure where to look next so I read many panels out of order. This issue also didn't seem overly clever or as much fun as previous issues. I have previously said that I love how this run is so great because it shows Clint Barton, not Hawkeye. I still love that but I sure would love to see an Avenger or two show up every now and again. He just doesn't seem like an Avenger in this series. I think that is mostly a strength but I also like my suerpheroes to be superheroes sometimes, you know? And I'm getting tired of the Russian's, bro. Let's move on.
-Stuart
Love drawing this guy! #batman #detectivecomics #theraidstudio
Manapul on Batman = Magic
The Truth about 1963:
Doctor No was published under the showcase title but it was release before the movie was released in the US, after it being a smash in the UK.
Now for 2 Truths and A Lie. The Year is 1964:
Batman got revamped. Sales were at an all time low and Detective Comics was close to being canceled so they gave Batman a new costume with a yellow emblem around his bat symbol, Robin’s look became more relevant to the teenagers of the time, and the Batmobile was traded in for a Batcycle with sidecar.
To add to the different look, there were other changes in Batman. The most striking change came in the very next issue from the makeover where Alfred died in a car crash in order to save the dynamic duo.
For an entire issue Green Lantern was split in two. Black Hand devised a way to cut the Emerald Warrior in half by sending his other half to another dimension. Thankfully his ring was able to construct his other half to throw Black Hand off for a moment so that he could make himself whole again.
(Note: Sorry for the tardiness of this. Work has been bonkers for me this week and I forgot about it.)
Another great round of Comic Book Education from DCU!
Marvel Spring Movie Preview
- Marvel Movie Madness with Stuart and Jeremy as they discuss the upcoming Spring slate of releases from the House that Stan Built! Amazing Spider-man 2 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are pre-reviewed and the classic comic book connections are made!
I was fortunate enough to speak, if only for a bit, to Mitch Breitweiser and his wife at a Con. They were very kind people, very humble. They are a husband and wife team. He draws and she colors. His art style is very distinctive. I've said that often when I write these up, but it is true. If you read some comics, there is a generic style out there, everyone knows it. There are artists that are capable of drawing like other artists. There seems to be "stock" art. This is not the case with Mitch. He can draw very detailed work and also very ethereal work. I'm a fan of both. His color palette is also really great, reminds me of Phil Noto in that way. Very soft colors , almost like watercolor. He has done alot of really great work but I really enjoy the stuff he has done for Captain America. So check him out, he has a great website and also has a strong presence on Twitter where he often loads up his new works. Mitch Breitweiser, ladies and gents...
-Stuart
