Invincible Universe

Invincible Universe #2 picks right up after #1, with the fight between Liu’s mind dragon and the government forces.  Phil Hester balances nicely between down to Earth scenes and the massive battle sequences.  Kid Thor’s death problem continues to be a nice wrinkle through the team.  As this book seems to be the Avengers book for this universe, it’s unsurprising to see a prison break pop up in the middle of the issue.  Liu’s mind problem wasn’t going to last for an ongoing, so it’s good to see Hester creating more threads for the series.  Now this is going to seem like nitpicking, but why don’t the heroes have a problem with Invincible joining the fight?  He just helped Dinosaurus kill a few thousand people.  I’d bet anything that they don’t want him being around for a while.

Invincible Universe continues to have problems though. The big fight for this issue ends rather abruptly, and leaves the reader feeling a little cheated.  In the end, it makes Stedman look like a chump.  He’s always been written as a strategic mastermind, playing people against each other like pawns on a chessboard.  But having Liu, one of the bigger villains in the Invincible universe, easily trick Stedman into helping him out seems out of character.  But it could send Stedman into a darker tailspin, as the ending seems to have left a sad mark on him.  With the set up out of the way for every character, the series can focus on moving forward.  Invincible Universe is still the most enjoyable spin-off for the Invincible universe yet.  It just needs to iron out a problem or two and it’s going to be on par with Invincible.

Todd Nauck continues to impress on pencils.  The big, double page spread of heroes is a massive delight for the eyes.  Every page is full of detail and personality.  Some of the characters look similar, but that’s been a staple of Nauck’s pencils since I’ve been reading comics.  Designing costumes is one of the harder parts of drawing comics, and the creators for the Invincible universe have always done a great job of making them look iconic.  Nauck’s pencils make them pop off the page.  The Dragon’s costume could use some work though.  All yellow and no eye holes seems like a dumb costume choice.  That’s not a point against Nauck’s pencils though.  Gabe Eltaeb’s colors find the right balance of flashy and muted.  Every costume looks like spandex, but they aren’t as blinding as the spandex costumes at DC and Marvel.

Fans of Invincible should pick up this series if they are looking for another dip into the Invincible universe.  I’m excited for this series, even with it’s couple of hiccups.

Invincible Universe #2 gets 3.5/5.

MrComicBook, Advance Review: Invincible Universe #2

It’s comic book industry common sense by now: the release of a monumental 100th issue written by Robert Kirkman is going to make a big splash. With THE WALKING DEAD #100, the result was the highest-selling comic book of 2012. And with INVINCIBLE #100, the result is a sell-out the same day the issue went on sale.

The 100th issue of the beloved superhero series created by Kirkman and artist Cory Walker will receive a second printing (DEC128209), landing in stores on February 27, 2013.

INVINCIBLE #100, the hotly-anticipated conclusion of the “The Death of Everyone” story arc, featured covers by series artist Ryan Ottley, Cory Walker, Image Comics partner Marc Silvestri, Bryan Hitch, Art Adams and THE WALKING DEAD artist Charlie Adlard.

In a four-star review at Comic Book Resources, Doug Zawisza wrote of the landmark issue, “Invincible #100 is simply a straightforward comic book adventure that pushes a protagonist to the limits and steps back to observe the resulting excitement and adventure.”

Agent Burgos, INVINCIBLE #100 FLIES OFF SHELVES Landmark issue gets second printing

Some sites have decided to show a HUGE spoiler of the issue. While they are allowed and entitled to do that, I decided to do it a little bit different.

Im not going to give away the BIG spoilers or anything, but just a little peek at some of the art which is beautiful. Next week we will have a review as we get closer to the release date. And that one might contain spoilers.

First let me post the variant covers once again for your viewing pleasure.

I’m getting all of them! I’m such a hoarder I guess.

Well here is a beautiful full page of issue #100

That’s not all! Here is another image:

Well there you have it folks, my version of a spoiler, I know it’s lame right?

I really want you to enjoy this issue as much as I did. Please wait until you have the comic in your hand or digital device to enjoy it. The wait will be worth it. But if you want to get the big spoiler, you cab go to the Invincible fan page on facebook, they have a link there.

Oh don’t forget to buy the issue! Support these talented artists, pretty please.

Agent Burgos, Here Is A Not So Spoilerish Spoiler Image For Invincible #100

Work on Marc Webb’s Spider-Man sequel is coming along nicely. It seems the majority of the cast is in place and filming will start soon. Two of the new additions to the movie were out and about promoting their movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Shailene Woodley, who will be playing Mary Jane Watson, and Dane DeHaan, Harry Osborn, talked a little about the upcoming Spidey movie.

Woodley spoke with MTV about joining the cast and how excited she was about the film. The actress couldn’t reveal too much, but she said she’s a fan of the character and really enjoyed the reboot:

Spider-Man has always been my favorite super hero dude, since I was a little girl. I think there’s something really special about flying. When I watched the previous Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield, he made me feel invincible. I think Marc Webb is amazing. I’m so stoked to work with Andrew and Emma [Stone], they’re the best of the best.

She went on to say that she didn’t know any real details about the film, but she assumes she’ll be part of a love triangle if the comics are anything to go by. Woodley also hinted that she’d be making the transition and become a redhead soon. You can watch the full video interview by clicking here.

Chronicle break-out star Dane DeHaan also chatted about The Amazing Spider-Man sequel while on the red carpet for his film with Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe called Kill Your Darlings. The actor remained tight lipped on what he knows, but he did confirm that he will be involved in a love triangle. Is it with Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane, Aunt May? We’ll have to wait and find out. The director of Darlings may have spoiled a big plot point for the film though. HitFix reports an incident that occured during the cast introductions:

[Director] Krokidas introduced the cast of “Darlings” which includes Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Foster and Michael C. Hall. When he got to DeHaan he said “He’s the Green Goblin.” DeHaan just smiled, but it didn’t seem like Krokidas was kidding.

Is this a case of a director who doesn’t know a lot about comics or is Webb planning on skipping Norman and having Harry don the Green Goblin gear? I would say it’s the first, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the second happened. The Green Goblin was used in Sam Raimi’s first film, so it would be a little too soon to simply rehash the character. What do you think? Would you be pleased if Harry is the first Green Goblin?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Amazing Spider-Man 2: Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan, And A Possible Villain Spoiler

You’d think with the title “The Death of Everyone,” almost everyone would have died.  Instead, last issue’s cliffhanger is quickly swept away with one line.  So it appears that only a few thousand are going to die from all of these floods.  More must have died when Dinosaurus destroyed Las Vegas.  While the stakes were quite high from #98, they are quickly shot back quite lower.  Since not as many are going to die, the amount of grieving that everyone seems to be going through doesn’t seem as correct either.  Everyone should be sad, but where was this compassion for the people in Las Vegas?  It just doesn’t make sense on any level.  In classic fashion, Kirkman starts to bring back older threads.  This is a normal thing when it comes to big issues for Invincible, and it’s good to see him writing some part of the series right in this issue.

What made Invincible #99 a chore to read was the endless fight scene.  Ryan Ottley delivers a gorgeous issue, but the dialogue is a retread of everything Invincible and Dinosaurus have been talking about for the past year’s worth of issues.  Why go over this?  If this was the first part of the arc, I could see Kirkman wanting to catch readers up with what has been going on.  But this is the second part, where Kirkman should be setting up the dominos to fall in #100.  The cliffhanger is also a retread, as something like this happened not even twenty issues ago.  Now, the end result might be satisfactory, maybe even brilliant, but the set up leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  I was excited for the future of this series, as it brought Mark Grayson back to the center of attention.  But it quickly spoiled the new direction for a bad issue.

Ryan Ottley is the only saving grace for this issue.  The massive amount of fighting gives Ottley plenty of room to breath for his highly detailed pencils.  The huge amounts of water make for some interesting looking fights.  Most of the backgrounds are too similar to completely understand what is going on behind them, but it’s still a good looking issue.  One gripe with the art is how Grayson suddenly lost his uniform on the last page.  Dinosaurus is clearly ripping it off, but the majority of it was still on when the wall fell on them.  All of a sudden the rest falls off?  Including his mask?   Cliff Rathburn had a massive task for inking this issue.  The amount of changing shadows must have been time consuming, but he does a great job.  John Rauch’s colors are good, but he isn’t given a lot to color.  Most of it is just blue.

Let’s hope that Kirkman and company can turn around a good ending to “The Death of Everyone.”  Creators are allowed a bad issue now and then, but the timing of this one isn’t good for them.

Invincible #99 gets 2.5/5.

MrComicBook, Review: Invincible #99

There will be some variant covers to commemorate the milestone issue, by the following awesome artists: Brian Hitch, Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley, Marc Silvestri, Arthur Adams and Charlie Adlard.

Thanks to Skybound we now have all the covers for your viewing pleasure!

“Invincible” #100, written by Kirkman and illustrated by Ryan Ottley, releases in stores and for download on January 23, 2013

Agent Burgos, INVINCIBLE #100 : The Covers

The Monster Girl/Rex story line that has been the focus point for the last few months ends on a great note.  I like that Robert Kirkman gives it a sense of closure while keeping a few threads open.  The ending makes me want an ongoing for these two.  The big fight against the Flaxan army ends rather abruptly.  It was never given enough time in this arc, so it’s no surprise it’s gone so fast that a reader might not realize the fight ended.  That might be the only fault for this arc.  If the entire arc was centered around Rex/Monster Girl/Monster Girl’s Son having a conversation.  It would have flowed better, and left the focus on the characters.  Kirkman also balances the many plot lines well.  We jump quite a bit story wise, but the issue never feels rushed. The Bulletproof storyline gets some much needed adrenaline.  Putting it simply, there is a new sense of excitement for the book.  And this is a great thing considering Invincible #100 is coming up.  Every milestone issue should have a great run up to the issue.

But the big reason that this issue got a 4/5 was the return of Mark Grayson.  I’ve written a few reviews for Invincible recently, and ever time I mention how I miss Mark Grayson.  He’s the reason that kept me reading Invincible.  I’m glad we had this short side story, as it shows how strong the Invincible universe is, but we need Mark Grayson.  I put the issue down down and was genuinely excited about the next few issues.  The somewhat lack of power that Mark is dealing with his handled very well by Kirkman.  It’s relatable without making him less of a superhero.  Eve and Mark have been one of my favorite comic couples for some time, so seeing them have problems, and deal with them in a mature and real way was great to read.

Ryan Ottley and Corey Walker knock the issue out of the park on art.  The only thing that I would write down as a “bad” thing is how young Rex and Monster Girl look in Ottley’s scenes.  They look like pre-teens, then go to full fledged adults in a couple of panels.  I was a little confused at first, but realized what was going on during my second read through.  Otherwise, it’s a great issue by Ottley.  Walker’s pencils are great as always.  He jumps from quite talking heads to bombastic action scenes without missing a beat.  As always, the faces are very expressive, with the reader being able to get the gist of what’s going on without reading a line of dialogue.

Invincible is going to be a great book to read in the upcoming months. Next month would be a good time to jump on.

Invincible #96 gets 4/5.

MrComicBook, Invincible #96 Review

Team superhero series is set in INVINCIBLE Universe

The first issue GUARDING THE GLOBE Volume 2, released on September 5, has sold out. The issue, published by Image Comics/Skybound, will be returning to stores with a second printing (AUG128044) on October 3.

Written by Phil Hester (THE DARKNESS) and drawn by Todd Nauck (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Young Justice) GUARDING THE GLOBE Vol. 2 is a spin-off of Robert Kirkman’s perennial favorite INVINCIBLE and a continuation of the mini-series published in 2010 and 2011.

Critics have reacted positively to the launch of the series, in which superheroes both familiar and new must team up to protect the Earth in Invincible’s absence.

“Hester shows no problem in striking that familiar Invincible tone. Though there’s a fair amount of violence on hand, there’s also a slightly goofy, playful quality to the conflicts that prevents the character drama from overwhelming the series.”

    - IGN

“If Invincible is the best superhero comic in the universe, then Guarding the Globe will soon be in the running for “best team” book.”

    - Mulltiversity Comics

“…a funny, intense, beautifully drawn comic that will have you hooked from page one.”

    -Geekadelphia

GUARDING THE GLOBE Vol. 2 #2 will be in stores on the same day as the reprint of issue #1, October 3.

THIEF OF THIEVES #8 SELLS OUT

Issue is first of story arc co-written by James Asmus

Robert Kirkman’s THIEF OF THIEVES continues its sell-out streak as issue #8, released on September 5, has sold out and will receive a second printing (AUG128045). The issue was the first in a new story arc written by James Asmus. The second printing will be in stores on October 3, the same day as THIEF OF THIEVES #9.

Every issue of the Image Comics/Skybound crime drama series, drawn by Shawn Martinbrough, and written with its unique “writers room” method of storytelling has sold out thus far. It has been optioned by AMC (The Walking Dead) and is in development as a television series.

Agent Burgos, Two SKYBOUND Titles Sell Out!

Just kidding, well maybe not so i guess we have to wait what Kirkman has in store for us.

Agent Burgos, Invincible #100: The Death Of Everyone!

Agent Burgos, The Teasing Continues Invincible #100: The Death of…

Agent Burgos, Invincible #100: The Death of…

I know where I will be on preview night!.

Agent Burgos, SDCC 2012: The Walking Dead Issue #100 Exclusive Wristwatch

The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego Partners with Make-Up Effects Company KNB EFX Group, Inc. Lead by Co-Executive Producer of AMC’s The Walking Dead Greg Nicotero

The Zombie Apocalypse Event Debuts at Petco Park to Celebrate Robert Kirkman’s
The Walking Dead Issue #100 During San Diego Comic-Con July 12-14, 2012

San Diego, CA – June 19, 2012 – The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego announced its partnership with KNB EFX Group, Inc. and its founder Greg Nicotero, the force behind Special Effects Make-up for TV shows and movies such as AMC’s The Walking Dead, Kill Bill, Predators, Transformers 1-3, Pulp Fiction, Dances with Wolves, Land of the Dead, The Chronicles of Narnia, just to name a few. In conjunction with the release of Robert Kirkman’s Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead Issue #100 at San Diego Comic-Con, The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego takes place July 12 -14 at Petco Park, centrally located near the San Diego Convention Center. Registration is now open at www.TheWalkingDeadEscape.com.

There are three ways to participate in this epic adventure. Participants can be a Survivor and race through the zombie infested evacuation zone; a Walker who becomes one of the undead, embracing the inevitable; or a Spectator who watches the apocalypse from sidelines at the Escape Party. Greg Nicotero and his team at KNB EFX will transform those who sign up to be Walkers into the most terrifying zombies to grace San Diego.

With their work on AMC’s The Walking Dead, Greg Nicotero and his KNB EFX team have deep experience creating some of the most incredible zombies in the industry. Founded in 1988, they have become one of the most prolific Special Make-up Effects Studios in Hollywood. One look at Nicotero’s creations for the undead and The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego participants will know they are in for a zombie experience like no other.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have Greg and his KNB EFX team on board for The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego,” said event producer Liam Brenner. “People who sign up to be Walkers will have the opportunity to be completely transformed into zombies by the leader in the Special Make-up Effects industry. It’s really a chance of a lifetime!”

Skybound.com’s The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego is unlike any obstacle course event in the U.S., expanding on the best-selling The Walking Dead comic book series and graphic novel storylines, allowing Survivors and Walkers to explore the initial days of the apocalypse.

Survivors will climb, crawl and slide in an effort to avoid confrontation by hordes of Walkers, while achieving the ultimate adventure on The Walking Dead-themed obstacle course. The Walking Dead Escape is not a race, and Survivors are not timed, but the end is near, and they must move swiftly. If they’re lucky, Survivors will reach the decontamination zone at the end where it will be determined if they have been infected.

For more information or to register for the event, please visit www.thewalkingdeadescape.com.

About Greg Nicotero & KNB EFX Group, Inc.
Greg Nicotero is Co-Executive Producer, Director and Special Effects Make-Up designer on The Walking Dead. In 2011, he received two Emmy nominations and won the Emmy (his 3rd) for Outstanding Prosthetic Make-Up for a Series for The Walking Dead. The web series “Torn Apart” based on the WALKING DEAD Franchise which he co-wrote and directed, won the 2011 Writer’s Guild Award for outstanding achievement in writing for new media.

His company, The KNB EFX Group (KNB) has contributed to such films as Dances with Wolves, The Green Mile, Sin City, Transformers and Pulp Fiction. Prosthetics and character make-up can be seen in everything from Kill Bill, Splice, Drag me To Hell, The Hills Have Eyes to Boogie Nights, Grindhouse, Austin Powers: Goldmember and Army of Darkness. Nicotero supervised make-up effects on no less than 90 films, from Inglorious Basterds to the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks HBO series The Pacific and Predator. He also won a British Academy Award for Best Make-Up as well as an Oscar for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

About Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman’s success and passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company’s inception twenty years ago and he formed his own imprint there, Skybound, in 2010. Kirkman is the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolf-Man, and new title Thief of Thieves, among many others.

Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011 and in April 2012, he took the top five spots on both the hardcover and paperback lists. He’s the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit television show, AMC’s The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 120 countries and 250 million households. AMC is developing Thief of Thieves as a potential series with Kirkman serving as creator/executive producer and writer. www.Skybound.com is your destination for all news and merchandise for Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles.

Agent Burgos, The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego Partners With Greg Nicotero

Invincible

Kirkman balances the multiple plot lines well in this issue, but Mark’s sadly doesn’t get enough time.  It’s great to see the lesser characters explored and built upon, but readers go to this book each month to see the exploits of Mark Grayson.  Saying that, Kirkman has put Mark into an interesting predicament.  While nothing new for superhero comics, it’s interesting to see Kirkman’s superhero tackle this plot point.  There is a huge battle near the beginning of the book that wasn’t really needed.  It’s clearly there to give Ryan Ottley something big and bombastic to pencil, but some of those pages could have been added to the other parts story lines.  Monster Girl and Rex, and Bulletproof, take up the rest of the issue.  Monster Girl and Rex are slowly becoming one of my favorite parts of this series.  We get a few ideas of what happened to them, and we will no doubt get the whole story in an upcoming issue (I believe #95).  The ending is harsh for the couple, and long time readers will be intrigued by this turn of events for them.

Bulletproof, while being the only person in the Invincible costume, barely gets any time to shine.  But Kirkman showcases an interesting predicament for a superhero, and handles it well.  We often see superheroes with loving girlfriends/boyfriends, but showing a hero with a jealous/insane partner.

With the increasing cast of this book, Kirkman might want to consider a side book.  Maybe a double feature, with two short stories about the rest of the cast in this world.  Bulletproof will be going to Guarding the Globe in September, but Monster Girl/Rex could support half a book.  It would be a great place to start up new villains and other plot points.  While not a major concern, it just makes some issues uneven.

Ryan Ottley and Cory Walker share penciling duties on this issue.  Ottley pencils most of the issue, with Walker handling the story parts that detail Monster Girl and Rex in the alien world.  Ottley’s pencils are, as always, gorgeous.  Characters have a stunning mount of personality when they speak.  And while he fight scene wasn’t exactly needed, Ottley knocks it out of the park.  He never ceases to amaze me when it comes to penciling new villains.  Every one has a unique look to them.  When the big revelation on the last page hits, Ottley gives an almost terrifying look to Monster Girl’s face.  The reader can feel how angry she is, and want to side with her even before we know exactly what happened to them.  Walker’s scenes in the alien world don’t fair as well.  The aliens aren’t as interesting as Ottley has penciled them, and the action scenes can be a little stiff.  But Walker pulls through when it matters the most.  The talking scenes between Monster Girl and Rex are handled well, with a wisdom beyond their years clearly there.

Invincible #92 gets 3.5/5.

MrComicBook, Invincible #92 Review

Things just can’t seem to go Mark’s way these days.  After almost being offed by the last of the Viltrumite, the disease that Oliver accidentally released is starting to take it’s toll on him as well.  Even with Mark getting some bad luck, Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley make the issue a fun read.

Much like The Walking Dead, Invincible has sometimes been a book that works better when reading a lot of issues at once.  Last issue seemed this way, but this issue works much betting in the single issue format.  Kirkman balances the ever expansive cast well, giving Bulletproof some much needed characterization.  After #90, Bulletproof hasn’t come off as the greatest of replacements for Mark.  He hit on Eve, when it was clear she didn’t want him before he even tried to hit on her.  With Bulletproof seemingly going to the Guarding the Glob ongoing, this should give Kirkman more room to play with other characters.  Kirkman calls back to a lot of things in this series, which he has done a lot in his run with Invincible.  He gives the reader just enough information for them to go “Oh yeah, I remember that,” which keeps the momentum of the comic well.  Nothing like an obscure call back to destroy the enjoyment of the reader.  One thing that I’d like to see is the after effect of Oliver’s role in Mark being sick.  It’s a great story beat that hasn’t been touched on in the past few months.  While there have been other things taking the spotlight, like Bulletproof being Invincible, it’s a story beat that Kirkman should touch upon soon.

Ever since the Viltrumite War, the book has a cloud hanging over it.  The War was something that Kirkman had been hinting since the beginning of the series, so what is next for Mark?  It’s the same problem that happened with Buffy the Vampire Slayer in season 5 and 6.  You defeat the big evil and the worst of the worst happens.  So what happens next?  Everything else seems so mundane?  Kirkman finds a way though, even if it’s not unique to super hero books.  The status quo of the book is up in the air for now, with Bulletproof being Invincible for the foreseeable future.  The Guarding the Globe book doesn’t come out until September, but the preview art already shows Bulletproof as Invincible.  It’s going to be an interesting year for Invincible.

Guarding the Globe #1 is out in September

Ryan Ottley continues to destroy the art on this book (in a good way).  He switches from bombastic action to quiet scenes without missing a hitch.  His characters have always been very expressive, and that continues here.  I recently went on a Invincible reading spree, and it’s amazing how much Ottley’s art has improved over the years.  Not to say his art was bad before, but it’s just that much better now.  The action scenes are great as always.  Someone times Ottley’s bodies can be a little exaggerated, but Eve’s body has stayed surprisingly the same.  Even with some added weight, Ottley gives her a great amount of confidence and sex appeal.  Dinosaurus has a great amount of detail.  While the book hasn’t been shipping on time for a while, it’s better to have to wait a while and have the art look better than have it ship on time and have the art suffer.

Invincible #91 continues to show that Invincible is one of the best superhero books on the stands today

Invincible #91 gets 4/5.

MrComicBook, ADVANCE REVIEW Invincible #91