Norbert Ebersol’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – Review Of Thunderbolts #173

I have this theory that if I, now firmly knocking on the door of my 40s, met myself anytime before I turned at least 30…I would hate myself. Not the “damn, I shouldn’t have gone back and messed with the past” kind of hate myself, but the “wow, I can’t believe I was ever like that. How did people ever stand to be around me?” hate myself. I call the period right after I got out of college the “terrible 22s”; I had big plans and no experience, but that’s ok, because I was convinced I knew everything. I’m convinced my mom started to charge me rent when I moved home after college less because she needed the money and more because she was trying to get me to move out. I don’t blame her.

What does this have to do with Thunderbolts #173, written by Jeff Parker with art from Declan Shalvey? Well, the Thunderbolts team has been bouncing around through time for the past several issues. As they get closer and closer to the present, it was inevitable that they’d run into a younger version of themselves eventually. I mean, they’re a super team comprised of super villains; they get around.

So, what do you do when you are a narcissistic megalomaniac and you’ve run into a much younger you? And, enough about me, what do the Thunderbolts do?

Failed dreams, shattered ambitions and spoilers, after the jump.

Graffiti Artists, Assemble! – Live Stream Of Graffiti Event To Promote Avengers Movie

There’s a live art event to promote the Avengers movie going on in London right now. From the event’s Web site:

Don’t miss your chance to decide how graffiti artists create never-before-seen Avengers Assemble art in this exclusive global event. Vote via Twitter to determine which character assembles next – while graffiti superstar Alex Young from Addict brings the Avengers to life, live from London’s Old Street. Two characters will come to life every day from Wednesday April 18 – 21, streamed live from this channel.

CURRENT STATE OF PLAY
Already assembled: LOKI, THOR, IRON MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA
In progress: THE HULK
Current leaderboard: #VOTEBLACKWIDOW – 73% | #VOTENICKFURY – 27%

HOW TO VOTE
To vote, simply tweet #ASSEMBLELIVE plus your favourite character #VOTEBLACKWIDOW, #VOTECAPTAINAMERICA, #VOTENICKFURY or #VOTETHEHULK. Follow on Twitter @assemblelive.

Check out the piece in progress, via livestream.com in real time, below:

Beware The Batman! Well, Duh…

Via TheBatmanUniverse.net, Cartoon Network has sent out details about it’s upcoming Batman series:

A cool, new take on the classic Dark Knight franchise, Beware the Batman incorporates Batman’s core characters with a rogues gallery of new villains not previously seen in animated form. Along with backup from ex-secret agent Alfred and lethal swordstress Katana, the Dark Knight faces the twisted machinations of Gotham City’s criminal underworld led by the likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad and Magpie. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this action-packed detective thriller deftly redefines what we have come to know as a “Batman show.” Featuring cutting-edge CGI visuals to match the intricate twists and turns of the narrative, Batman steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight for an entirely new generation of fans. With WBA’s Sam Register executive producing, and Batman Beyond’s Glen Murakami and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated’s Mitch Watson producing, Beware the Batman, based on characters from DC Comics, is coming soon to Cartoon Network!

There’s even a teaser trailer, slickly produced enough that the CGI gave me motion sickness:

The series has not been given a specific start date, but is anticipated to drop this fall or at the beginning of next year, as Cartoon Network did with its Green Lantern series this year.

Further Adventures In Digital Comics: The Gorilla, In The Panda Habitat…With A Candlestick? – Review Of Sanctuary #1-4

EDITOR’S NOTE – This review is on issues #1-4 of Sanctuary, by Stephen Coughlin and is based on preview copies forwarded to the Crisis Home Office by Mr. Coughlin. Also, there will be spoilers. Mystery solved!

When I examine my pull list, I have to admit that deep down I’m kind of a Capes and Cowls sort of girl. As someone who got back into reading comics by way of Transmetropolitan and Preacher, I didn’t think I was. But, lately, my weekly take skews heavy to The Big Two and The Big Two are mostly Flights and Tights. After that, I have a healthy chunk of Vertigo books, which tend to not be super powers books, but still generally have magic and weirdness. Following that are Image books, which could be about anything, but often deal with super powers though. Rounding out the pack are books from Boom Studios and small press (which, I guess you could say would include Boom, if only because it’s not Marvel or DC). Small press books tend towards the quirky and are less likely to be “traditional”, at least the ones I get. Maybe the protagonist is a talking teddy bear whose mortal enemy is the family cat. Or maybe the protagonist thinks he’s a superhero, but he’s really an oddly nigh invulnerable nut job who runs around in blue spandex doing more damage than good. Either way, for good or bad, my pull list tends toward the big established guys with their big established, practically heirloom, hero properties. Furthermore, my weekly take is also, entirely, physical paper copy.

Enter Slave Labor Graphics.

Quitters Are Losers – Review Of Deathstroke #8

So, Deathstroke #8 is the farewell book from writer Kyle Higgins and penciler Eduardo Pansica and ties up Higgins “Deathstroke’s Whole Family Has More Daddy Issues Than George W. Bush” story line. We’ve watched as Deathstroke fought the good fight against the ravages of time on his physical skill set and reputation, nearly succumbed to vengeful parents with giant bank accounts and hearts full of hate, who want only to balance the scales of justice after Slade’s offed their kids, and dealt with his own angry son, for whom he could never be the father the kid needed. Even in this final book, Slade comes to terms with his own issues with his father. Despite all the super powered goodness and big action, the stories have all been grounded in real human problems that anyone who is getting a little older can relate to and that’s what made these books work for me. I’m sorry to see Higgins leave the series.

As we’ve reported before, Rob Liefeld will be taking over the series starting with issue 9. All that stuff with Slade Wilson struggling with familial relationships and his own mortality? Yeah, whatever. Liefeld is going to shoot Deathstroke into space to fight Lobo. Enough of your whining, Slade! We’ve got fucking space villains to crush, dude!

I like to believe that Higgins has left us a clue as to how Slade feels about this in the parting shots from issue 8:

Seriously, man. Liefeld's going to make me fight Lobo. Press the fucking button.

But, enough of my anti-Liefeld ranting. How do I feel about the rest of issue 8? With spoilers, after the jump.

To Sir, With Love – Static Shock Blackout

Hey, kids! We’re you bummed when you heard that DC was going to cancel Static Shock after John Rozum left the book? Well, then there’s good news for you fans of Dakota City’s favorite electrically charged teen hero! Static Shock Blackout, a student made film that opens with a dedication to the memory of the character’s creator Dwayne McDuffie, has now been released to the internet via YouTube. The 13 minute film follows reporter Daisy Watkins, who has been tipped to the existence of Bang Babies – meta humans created after an explosion in Dakota City that killed hundreds and was mysteriously covered up.

Over on the film’s YouTube page, the film’s creators describe the film and themselves:

We know this isn’t a super-professional superhero movie, since we shot this on a student budget with limited resources. If you’re interested in our future productions, please feel free to contact us…We have more projects on the way, so please add us to your social networks! We are a group of students from Carnegie Mellon University, The Art Institute, Syracuse University and University of Central Florida who spent 1.5 years making this film for you.

The film may not be “professional”, but it’s clearly a labor of love, both for the character of Static Shock and the process of film making. Speaking as someone who can barely hold her camera phone steady to make a comic app review video, I give them major props for their finished product. They should be proud of what they put together; I just hope that it doesn’t take them another year and half to give us another installment in this series!

Check out the complete short film, after the jump.

And Then, On The Second Day – Hulk Smash! More Avengers Trailer Goodness For You!

Okay, little blue man - Hulk smash! Then Hulk go look for Easter eggs.

We here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives hope that you are having a happy, healthy holiday weekend and are thoroughly enjoying yourself, in the midst of whatever sort of celebration yours entails. Ours involves copious amounts of beer. Don’t look so fucking shocked.

Meanwhile, please enjoy this latest incarnation of Avengers movie trailers. We certainly are – and the beer has nothing to do with it.

Adventures In Digital Comics – Review Of Comixology App, Fanboys Vs. Zombies #1, And Marvel Infinite Comics

You may remember that I was very excited to review Fanboys Vs. Zombies #1 the other day. Unfortunately, my Local Comic Book Store, where the owner knows us by name and asks Rob wear his Gleek Underoos under his pants, did not have the book in stock. What to do? Take this as an opportunity to investigate the growing medium (sort of) of digital comics!

I downloaded Comixology onto my phone and an Asus Transformer Eee pad. From there, I was able to download a couple of books relatively easily to the app to read. I say “relatively” because, while the functionality is an easy “touch-the-button” user interface, it is a few long minutes before each book will appear on the device. So, there’s some wait time until gratification. And, while you can read any book you’ve purchased on any device on which you’ve installed Comixology, it appears you need to download books locally to the new devices. One digital comic book takes up 74 MB of space on the Eee pad.

Of course, once you have the books, how is the app overall for reading the books? That is the most important question after all.

Check out my video review of Comixology and the books I used it to purchase after the jump!

Fanboys Vs. Zombies #1 – Oh, It’s On Now!

Ok, so, you’ve got your Comic-Con pass. You’ve survived the ordeal of finding a hotel in San Diego that will take your money and probably not make you room with a meth dealer. Sure, July is still about 4 months away, but you’re already getting pretty excited about Nerd Prom, right.

Of course you are. You know what would make Comic-Con even better?

Zombies.

Behold, released from Boom Studios at the crack of tomorrow:

One is a decrepit mob of gurgling, ravenous fiends…and the other is a zombie outbreak. When there is no more room in Hell, the undead shall take over Comic-Con! A crew of feuding best friends find themselves trapped inside America’s largest comic convention transformed into a seething cauldron of zombies. Is a horde of starving brain-eaters any match against reflexes battle-hardened by video games, nerves tested by horror flicks, and courage crystallized by comic books? Find out as an unlikely band of nerds use their genre savvy to survive in Fanboys vs. Zombies!

Seriously! How cool is that going to be? Just take a look at this preview art by Jerry Gaylord, who will be drawing the book:

Best. Masquerade night. Ever.

Fanboys Vs. Zombies will be written by Sam Humphries (Our Love Is Real). If you, like me, are too excited to wait for the full issue experience tomorrow, check out this preview over at Comics Alliance.

Fanboys vs. Zombies – it’s on motherfuckers!

I Hate It When This Happens To Me, Too

It’s Sunday. The question that is burning in the minds of ardent Game Of Thrones fans everywhere: will I make it until 9pm, so that I can watch tonight’s premiere? Because Winter may be coming, but my hangover is already here and I need to go back to bed. What? Just me? Ok. Meanwhile, here’s a little clip from Funny Or Die to help keep us going for the next four and half hours. Enjoy!