Geek Of The Week : Super Crooks

I Think Its Time To Get The Old Gang Back Together

Super Crooks from Millar World, and published by Icon, a Marvel imprint, is shaping up to be an Ocean’s Eleven type of caper with super villains. Johnny Bolt runs with a group of fairly low level super crooks. They may have enough juice to put them over on the local authorities, but when it comes to handling heroes like The Gladiator, they’re over powered and out classed.

This leads the crooks into a routine of trying to pull off heist, and then being captured and thrown in jail. Jump ahead a few years and these former super criminals are attempting to work mundane jobs and live normal, boring lives. Lives that forbid them from using their powers. Of course for some its hard to walk the straight path.

Carmine, a.k.a The Heat, an old-time costumed bank robber tries to build up a retirement fund by cheating a casino. Using a psychic that can see 30 seconds into the future to feed him numbers, Carmine makes a killing at a roulette table. However, he gets too greedy, and keeps pushing his winnings which draws serious attention from the casino’s security team. The casino catches the pair, and to show that they mean business, they kill the psychic rather  bruitish, mobster manner.

Of course the casino is being run by criminals themselves. Criminals with connection and a long reach. Carmine tried to take them for $12 million, well now they’re putting the squeeze on Carmine to pay them $100 million within one month. And if he can’t come up with the money then they’re going to make an example out of him.

Desperate and beaten, Carmine seeks out Johnny and Kasey, two former criminals trying to get by in their ordinary reformed lives. Carmine was a friend and a mentor. They owe him a lot. And they feel that they have to help. That’s when Johnny comes up with a plan to pull off the mother of all heists. But there are capes everywhere. Being a criminal in America carries a high risk. So why stay in America? Johnny’s idea is to go to Spain. That way they won’t have to deal with all of the super heroes in America that always win, and always throw the crooks in jail. But first they’re going to need a crew.

Johnny and Carmine travel about to piece together their the rest of their team. They have Johnny with electric powers, Kasey the psychic, and The Heat with an old school ray gun. Then they set off to recruit The Ghost, a cat-burglar turned architect. TK McCabe, a telekinetic working a warehousing job. Forecast, a street vendor with weather control powers. And then Roddy and Sammy Diesel, brothers with incredible regenerative abilities fighting in a brutal underground fight-club. Appealing to their sense of loyalty to Carmine, or their need for money, or a more fulfilling life, the team is assembled.

Arriving in Spain there is just one piece left to put in place, the bad-ass. They blackmale The Gladiator, a hero who in the past had put them behind bars, into joing their crew. And at the end of the second issue Johnny reveals their target. Not a bank, or abusiness, or any honest citizens, but the “greatest super villain who has ever lived.”

Mark Millar is writer on Super Crooks, and along with co-plotter Nacho Vigalondo, they are telling a fantastic story. I like how instead of being another super hero comic book, this comic follows the guys on the other side. And it places them in a compelling story that I can’t wait to see more of. This is a cool caper with a lot of character. The art looks great. Lenil Yu is the artist on the comic, with inker Gerry Alanguilan, colorist Sunny Gho, and VC’s Clayton Cowles doing the lettering. The art team is creating a stylish book, and does a superb job of storytelling. These first two issues are a real page turner. This is one of the best comics of the year.

Geek Of The Week : Secret One: Teeth, With Which To Eat # 1

Now We Eat

Secret One: Teeth, With Which To Eat  #1 from Image  is a conspiracy tale dealing with the government, a corrupt private security firm, and corporate espionage.

The story opens with Mr. Dunn being visited at home late at night by a masked interrogator. Beaten and tied to a chair, Mr. Dunn is informed rather matter-of-factly by the intruder that before they can begin to communicate clearly that two things need to happen. The second thing is that the two of them in the room are not the only people who will be affected by this meeting. The masked then presents photos, names and addresses of Mr. Dunn’s family, a very effective tactic to break him down. The first thing was that the intruder needed to impress upon Mr. Dunn how serious he is. And he is rather persuasive with a pair of pliers to efficiently get his point across.

The following morning Mr. Dunn meets with his attorney to try and figure out what he should after his frightning encounter. Coincidently, the counselor’s firm is having a visit from their security company to go over some services that they have recently delivered. After which the security firm’s representatives impress upon the board members how important it is that they upgrade to their expanded swervices package. They make their point by telling the board how easy it was for them to access their offices, bypass their firewalls, and access their records. All of them.

The pitch seems to be rather effective demonstrating how important the security compnay’s enhanced security package can be. But it has the feeling that perhaps the security company in angling for more than just selling more services. They may also be trying to gain influence in Washington.

Later, the attorney arranges a meeting between Mr. Dunn and one of the security company’s representatives from the earlier meeting, Mr. Grant. Mr. Grant impresses upon Mr. Dunn that his late night visitor means that business. And that his firm can help Mr. Dunn with his problem, but they are very expensive. Grant is able to clinch the Deal with Mr. Dunn, however, Grant actually is playing against Dunn. Grant is working with Dunn’s visitor and is setting Dunn up.

Secret One: Teeth, With Which To Eat #1, written by Jonathan Hickman is an intriguing read. The story sets up the whos in the story, but is building up a mystery by leaving out the whats and whys to be discovered later. This is an interesting story that has me eager to read the next issue. The artwork on the issue is impressive. Ryan Bodenheim is the artist on the issue, with Michael Garland handling the colors, and Rus Wooton doing the lettering. The art team does an exceptional job of story telling and created a comic book that looks incredible. The coloring for the issue is quite interesting and unique in the way that it paints panels with an overall hue, but then at times it uses splashes of another color for a dynamic effect.

Secret One: Teeth, With Which To Eat #1 is a fantastic read. The art and story create an engrossing comic that keeps you moving through the pages. This comic book is a must read.

Geek Of The Week : Transformers : Robots In Disguise # 2 – 3

Robots In Disguise

The Transformers: Robots In Disguise from IDW begins another chapter for the form changing robots from another planet. When this series opens the war between the Autobots and Decepticons has ended. The Autobots return to their home world of Cybertron where they place themselves as the governing force over the Decepticons and other non-affiliated Transformers that have come back to Cybertron.

Bumblebee, who claims the top spot in the new government, takes a page from the Suicide Squad and fits the Decepticons with inhibitor devices that keep them from transforming, and also carry explosives that Bee can detonate if they fall out of line. Naturally this causes a great deal of tension between the Autobots and Decepticons, and in defiance some of the Decepticons have been able to deactivate the devices and are planning counter manuevers against the Autobots in secret. However, this isn’t the only problem brewing on Cybertron. The non-affiliated Transformers are looked down on. They are labeled with the derogatory label of Nails, Non-Affiliated Indigenous Life-Forms, and are seen to be below the Autobots and Decepticons.

While the Autobots are trying to force order on the world, the Decepticons make plans to eliminate Bumblebee. This presents an opportunity for Starscream. While he has no love for Bumblebee or the Auotbots, he is very displeased with his low rank in the Decepticons. Starscream is scheming and manipulating to rise in the ranks of the new Cybertron government, even if it means taking out a Decepticon leader. On the surface he seems to be operating for the betterment of all, but their is still something untrustworthy and suspicious about his motivations. His true intentions aren’t totally known. And his actions add to the distrust that the decepticons and non-affiliates have for the new Autobot order. There is even dissension in the Autobot ranks as many question Bumblebee and lack confidence in what he is doing is the right thing.

In addition to the class battles amongst the Transformers, there are problems arising with the structure of the planet. Jump starting the planet on the Autobots return has caused destructive reactions on the planet. This along with other problems with the infrastructure of keeping the planet running has lead to poor living conditions for the Transformers. And the planet’s reactions have become volatile enough to claims lives.

The Transformers: Robots In Disguise is off to a great start. The story by John Barber adds political intrigue, class issues, and inter group unrest to a series that hadn’t touched on these subjects in the past. Issues #2-3 add new wrinkles to the long running Transformers story that keeps things interesting and brings something new to the mythos. The series features exceptional artwork from Andrew Griffith, with Josh Perez coloring the issues, and Shawn Lee handling the letters. The comic looks great and the art team brings life to the many different characters that inhabit Cybertron.

Scheming, backstabbing, positioning, and action are mixed with great art to make this one of the most entertaining comic books being published.

Geek Of The Week : Lady Mechanika # 3

Blimey . . . Tha’ Is One Very Big Arse

In Lady Mechanika # 3 from Aspen, the title character continues on her quest to learn the secrets of her past. A mission that had brought a dead mechanical girl across her path. When the mechanical girl’s body is stolen, Lady Mechanika sets off to track her down.

The trail takes Mechanika to the Cirque du Romani. Once there she is confronted by several of the circus performers. Her questions to find the mechanical girl aren’t met well, and this leads to Mechanical scuffling wit ht he circus’s knife thrower and his big cat.

The owner of the circus, Madame Divinite, breaks up the fight and things calm down. With cooler heads thinking, it is discovered that the mechanical girl is Seraphina, the daughter of the knife thrower, and she isn’t dead. It is revealed that the promise of fame and fortune lured Seraphina and her boyfriend away to join another circus. Although the it is deduced that the two lost performers weren’t lured away by another circus, but rather they were tricked to follow a mercenary working for the Blackpool Armaments Company.

After learning the new information Lady Mechanika and her associate travel to Mechanicon, the Annual Mechanika City Convention of All Things Innovative, Scientific, and Industrial. It is here that they find Nathaniel Blackpool, the person that Lady Mechanika believes is holding Seraphina. At the opening ceremony for Mechanicon, Blackpool introduces his Helio Arx, a giant airship and fortress that Mechanika believes she will need to infiltrate if she is to find the mechanical girl.

Lady Mechanika is an interesting and enjoyable comic book set in a steampunk world. The characters, costumes, and environment are all amazing. There is a great style and flare to this comic. The comic is written and drawn by Joe Benitez, with Peter Steigerwald providing colors, and Josh Reed on lettering. The story and characters are engaging, and the artwork is beautiful. This is a comic book that you should be buying.

Geek Of The Week : Non Player #1

This is a comic book that I wanted to review a few weeks ago, but it sold out and I had to wait to get second printing. Non Player #1 from Image is an action fantasy comic set in a video game world. The story opens with a convoy transporting Queen Fendra to the Riftlands. A human, Dana, and her Elvin companion stake out the group from a high ridge before deciding to plunge in.

An incredible sword throw takes down the Queen’s transport beast, and with the guard scrambling to protect her, the two attackers charge in. Dana leads a furious attack with a double sided blade that can also rotate to create one broad sword. She takes down a pile of guys before getting her self tangled up during the fight. That’s when her elf partner jumps in to lend a hand with his two small swords. Things seem to be going their way, only to have victory snatched away from them in the end.

Once the battle is over, the two adventurers reconvene in a huge parlor with a giant glass ceiling. This is a virtual meeting place outside of the game, but within the system. The room is inhabited with robots, tiny animals racing cars around, floating whales, and a small dinosaur destroying a model city. After a quick debriefing on the fight, Dana floats off to join the real world.

In the real world she lives in an average, messy apartment with her sister and mother. Dana is kind of testy with her mom, and the two seem to be a little exacerbated with each other. And now Dana has to rush off to her job at a Mexican fast food restaurant. While she rides off to work she activates a “lifeskin” that lets her see her real world as the fantasy world that she plays in.

Non Player #1 is a cool comic that gives you a little tease of this world. The game world has fanciful armor and weapons, and incredible war beasts. The head of the guard was riding some sort of dinosaur/rhino creature. And Dana has a winged flying cat of some sort. And the action is pretty intense. And while the game characters are very much of that  world, Dana and her friend have out of game chatter, talking about game strategy, and who else they could pull online, while they interact in this world. There are also some hints that the world could be taking on a life of it’s own. The real world scenario is short, but it ads some more texture to Dana, and I hope that we see more of her outside of the game.

Nate Simpson wrote and created all of the art for this comic. The story is fun with some fast action sequences, and also some characters moments as well. The story is just a glimpse of this world, but there are some hints that there could be more going on. And it has me wanting to know more. And I want to find out more about Dana. I enjoyed reading that little bit of out of game character of her as much as I liked seeing her in action in the game. I also like how the players are handled in game. Having them being aware that they are in a game, and talking about the game, instead of just being totally absorbed into becoming the game, is a fun take on the gamers.

The art is gorgeous. The characters designs are excellent, and the creature designs are awesome. The drawing is incredible with beautiful colors. I’m definitely buying the next issue.