Bestselling novelist, TV personality, and comics writer Brad Meltzer joins Ryan and Ben to talk his new book, his history as a Marvel fan, and much more!
via This Week in Marvel
http://marvel.com/podcasts/10/this_week_in_marvel?utm_campaign=&utm_source=&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=podcast_series-10&
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel: Ian Edginton and Matthew Dow Smith Unite Two TV Icons
Ask any child who came of age in the 1960s who their first small screen hero was, and there’s a good chance the answer is either Adam West or Patrick Macnee.
Tim Beedle
via DC Comics
http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2016/06/08/batman-66-meets-steed-and-mrs-peel-ian-edginton-and-matthew-dow-smith-unite-two-tv
Indie Comics Spotlight
by Jonathan Pilley (@omnicomic)
The Glory #1
“So good to see you! Finally!”
Partners in crime typically share a very familial bond that transcends any other relationship. It’s that bond that allows them to operate and commit crimes so efficiently. Sometimes, though, things tend to fall apart and get dicey between the former partners. The Glory #1 takes a look at the fallout from one such relationship. The issue is written by Glenn Møane, illustrated by Tirso Llaneta, colored by Monte Thompson, and lettered by Sean Rinehart.
After several years in prison, Andy is finally out on parole, ready to build a new life for himself. But first he has to see Todd, his old partner in crime and the reason he went away. For weeks Todd has been begging for them to meet, claiming that he has something important to tell him. Andy reluctantly agrees.
Møane’s approach in The Glory is one that focuses on a slow-burn and it actually works really well. The interplay between Todd and Andy is rife with tension as Møane’s dialogue moves from an uneasy recognition to pure anger between the two. Møane uses that effectively in the pacing of the issue, accelerating their entire relationship for the duration of a single conversation into a pretty dramatic climax. That climax is a pretty solid payoff as well and the fact that Møane can pull it off with so few characters is pretty impressive as he leverages the built-in tension with such a situation to carry the scene further. And reading through the issue, Møane doesn’t tip his hand at all as to how things will end which keeps plenty of suspense in the air for the reader.
The artwork by Llaneta is very powerful. Andy and Todd are both illustrated as visual polar opposites of one another, in that Todd is significantly fitter and more menacing based on looks whereas Andy has dealt with image issues his whole life. Llaneta does a great job with facial expressions that emphasize some of the aforementioned tension and some of the more action-oriented sequences effectively capture the animosity between the two. The empty gutters also frame each panel as snapshots of an otherwise typical day at a bar save for Llaneta’s populating it with plenty of interesting characters. Thompson’s colors are predominantly reds and browns which underscore the otherwise depressed nature of the bar as the encounter between the two former partners goes down.
The Glory #1 is a strong one-shot that gets to the core of what makes people tick. Todd and Andy both committed crimes for whatever reason, yet at the end they both came to very different places as far as what they wanted to get out life. Møane relies on that dichotomy to drive the plot, presenting a very tense encounter between the two that ends in a fascinating way. Llaneta’s illustrations are very clean and refined, providing a strong visual representation of the meet. The Glory #1 is really worth checking out if for nothing else to experience the tension alone.
The Glory #1 is available now on comiXology.
TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1
“I’m going to tell you the story of his two most unlikely, and totally unwitting, saviors. Two people who will very nearly destroy all of reality…well, maybe I shouldn’t be throwing the word ‘people’ around.”
One of the best things to come out of the 80s was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Their unconventional origin story was cleverly leveraged throughout their universe, leading to the creation of plenty of other notable characters. Two of the most notable were Bebop and Rocksteady, both of whom get the star treatment in TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1 from IDW Publishing. The issue is written by Dustin Weaver; illustrated by Sophie Campbell, Dustin Weaver, Ben Bates, Giannis Milogiannis; colored by Bill Crabtree and Campbell; and lettered by Shawn Lee.
After their defeat in TMNT #50, the dull-witted Bebop and Rocksteady, everyone’s favorite warthog and rhino mutants, are feeling dejected and without purpose. However, when they stumble across a time-travel scepter, they realize that their craziest, most destructive adventure awaits! Will the universe survive?
It’s never easy to pull off a time-traveling tale, but that’s not going to stop Weaver in TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1. He does a great job of setting up the stakes for all involved, showing the Turtles in the present and then the titular Bebop and Rocksteady in both the present and past. Weaver’s pacing helps both stories converge on one point effectively, giving readers a chance to get to know all the characters. The dialogue also maintains the spirit of the characters well, from Michelangelo’s generally aloof (but humorous) comments to Bebop and Rocksteady’s more gruff take on life. The overarching time-travel plot is also given time to evolve as well, with Weaver not rushing into things and instead letting the characters drive the narrative.
The characters in question have a very distinct style and the art team capture that style perfectly. Each of the four artists manage to keep the art style pretty consistent throughout the entire issue. The Turtles sport the leaner look of more recent appearances and it works well when contrasting them against the mammoth Bebop and Rocksteady. And the pages showcasing the opponents fighting one another are very explosive and demonstrate the disparate fighting styles on both sides of the bout. Colors by Crabtree and Campbell are very clean and offer a somewhat muted look across the board.
TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1 is a really strong entry in the TMNT mythos that looks like it’s going to get pretty heady pretty quickly. Bebop and Rocksteady typically don’t get much chance to shine on their own, but it looks like they’ll have just that in this book. Weaver’s script is entertaining and moves the characters along well. There’s really four artists working on the book, but the overall quality doesn’t suffer because of it. TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1 is worth checking out for those looking to see Bebop and Rocksteady in a slightly new light that involves them traveling through time and space.
TMNT Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1 is in stores now.
Control #1
“Only thing you control is how you get there. Quick or slow.”
A detective’s life is one rife with paperwork and self-doubt. There are times when you think you made the right call and other times when the situation tends to get away from you. For Detective-Sergeant Kate Burnham, though, there’s plenty of opportunity for the latter as in Control #1 from Dynamite Comics. The issue is written by Andy Diggle and Angela Cruickshank, illustrated by Andrea Mutti, colored by Vladimir Popov, and lettered by Simon Bowland.
Detective-Sergeant Kate Burnham isn’t making any friends in the Washington, D.C. Police Department. That makes her the perfect scapegoat when a routine homicide investigation threatens to blow open a criminal conspiracy that reaches to the upper echelons of the D.C. power elite. Kate makes it go away, or they make her go away. Cop or criminal, power is all about control, applied top-down from the penthouse elite to the hustlers on the street. But what happens when the street pushes back…?
Diggle and Cruickshank waste no time in trying to suck the reader into the thick of things. In fact, the issue starts off with a pretty standard murder scenario, but Diggle and Cruickshank have a lot more in mind for Detective-Sergeant Kate Burnham as she navigates the politics of Washington, D.C. and her police force. The duo pace the story incredibly quickly, getting the set-up out of the way fast and diving right into the meat of the story itself. And Kate’s backstory is getting enough attention paid to it where the reader can start making inferences about her decision-making which will definitely have an impact on the direction of the story down the line. Diggle and Cruickshank clearly want to draw upon the scandal inherent in Washington, D.C. to further the narrative in a very intriguing way.
Mutti’s artwork is wonderfully understated, fitting within the confines of the police procedural tale being crafted. Characters sport a general lack of detail throughout that adds to the notion that there are great mysteries in everyday life beyond the ones police solve. Mutti’s characters are very expressive with their hands and facial expressions, reinforcing the prevailing sentiment on the page. The use of extensive cross-hatching also add a vague sense of foreboding – Mutti and the reader both know that things are going to get worse as they progress, but her artwork reinforces that notion. Popov takes this sense of dread one step further by largely relying on gray and black tones.
From the outset, Control #1 is tapping into a familiar narrative of the police procedural. Detective-Sergeant Kate Burnham is a no-nonsense detective who’s getting into a case that might be a lot more than she originally thought. Diggle and Cruickshank offer a script that plays out pretty familiar in the beginning of the tale, but clearly has grander ambitions at heart. Mutti’s artwork is pretty simple yet effective at conveying the guillotine hanging over the characters. Control #1 is a very strong first issue that’s laying the groundwork for something much more sinister.
Control #1 is in stores now.
admin
via The Nerd Machine
http://www.thenerdmachine.com/indie-comics-spotlight-11/
Program In Nigeria Teaches Girls STEM Despite Threat Of Violence
By Karen Valenzuela (@VictoriaNoir89)
As attacks from extremist group Boko Haram rain down on communities in Nigeria, many of which are purposefully targeting centers of learning, the Odyssey Educational Foundation continues to educate kids in science, technology, engineering, and math. In and of itself, the foundation’s undertaking is commendable, but add to that the highly dangerous atmosphere in which these programs have been operating, and their success is astounding.
Stella Uzochukwu left her career in an engineering firm to start the Odyssey Educational Foundation. Since 2013, they have conducted after-school programs in six public schools throughout northern Nigeria. In said programs, they teach kids in all things STEM. According to the foundation’s website, they have engaged over 60 students in their STEM programs and intend to expand even further in the coming years.
In fact, these students successfully worked together to build a robot to submit to the First Lego League competition in 2015. In the Trash Trek Challenge, teams of students from 80 countries submitted robots to the competition that would solve a particular problem with the way humans make or handle trash. Extending past competitions like this, Odyssey’s goal is to inspire girls especially to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Unfortunately, the Boko Haram attacks have had a major impact on Odyssey’s operations. Their particular targeting of schools has left many Nigerian parents terrified of the prospect of sending their children to school. Because of Odyssey’s status as an after school program, parents were even less likely to want their children to participate outside of regular school hours. According to Unicef, Boko Haram successfully kept more than 670,000 African school-aged children from learning by creating an atmosphere of danger in schools in cities like Nigeria’s capital Abuja, especially.
Boko Haram roughly translates to “Western education is forbidden,” and Odyssey’s intentions directly conflict with that ideology. Last year, Boko Haram bombed numerous sites in Abuja, where the Odyssey Educational Foundation operates from, killing at least 18 people and injuring many others. Still, Uzochukwu and her staff continued their efforts. “There was a particular incident last year where we wanted to engage kids in coding during the school holidays, but none of the kids were allowed to come into school because of these attacks,” Uzochukwu told CNN.
So Odyssey’s staff sought a way to make teaching their students in STEM subjects safer, and to put parents at ease. They moved into a dedicated center so that their students could continue to learn without having to venture into their schools, which are prime targets for Boko Haram attacks.
In spite of accepting both girls and boys into their program, Odyssey wants to do more to encourage their female students especially. The disparity between boys and girls graduating from high school is highly skewed in favor of boys. Uzochukwu says when parents cannot afford to pay for all of their children to go to school, they choose to send only their boys. The Odyssey staff have been venturing into the Nigerian communities to encourage parents to send their daughters to school, even going so far as to teach the mothers trades that will help supplement the school fees.
In the shadow of cruel intolerance, ignorance, and needless violence, the Odyssey Educational Foundation and its students continue to do all they can to contribute to STEM and to the world at large.
admin
via The Nerd Machine
http://www.thenerdmachine.com/program-in-nigeria-teaches-girls-stem-despite-threat-of-violence/
Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 4: Dark Truth - Peter J. Tomasi, Doug Mahnke & Jaime Mendoza
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The all-star creative team of Peter J. Tomasi (BATMAN AND ROBIN) and Doug Mahnke (JUSTICE LEAGUE) continue the chronicles of the world’s most powerful couple. Superman, deprived of most of his power and outed to the world as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, is in trouble. Someone is targeting his human friends and hometown. Lana Lang has disappeared. The Kent family home has vanished. And graves have been desecrated within Smallville. With Wonder Woman at his side, Superman flies home to investigate. Frustrated with Wonder Woman’s growing vigilance over his weakened state, Superman leaves her behind in an effort to protect her when he realizes that whoever is targeting his friends and family might soon move on to her. But it is Wonder Woman who discovers the key to unlocking the mysteries plaguing Smallville: an imprisoned Lois Lane. Collects SUPERMAN/WONDERWOMAN #18-24. |
get it now at https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/superman-wonder-woman-vol./id1116232882?mt=11&uo=2&partnerId=11&at=1010ldoE
House of M - Brian Michael Bendis & Olivier Coipel
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The Avengers and the X-Men are faced with a common foe that becomes their greatest threat: Wanda Maximoff! The Scarlet Witch is out of control, and the fate of the entire world is in her hands. Will Magneto help his daughter or use her powers to his own benefit? Starring the Astonishing X-Men and the New Avengers! You know how sometimes you hear the phrase: and nothing will ever be the same again? Well, this time believe it, buster! Nothing will ever be the same again! Collects House of M (2005) #1-8. |
get it now at https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/house-of-m/id503964546?mt=11&uo=2&partnerId=11&at=1010ldoE
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