Pads & Panels

Title: Fighting American

Publisher: Titan Books

Written by: Joe Simon

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

Like the excuse given for a granddad at Sunday dinner, the stories contained within the Fighting American collection are from a different time. That means it’s littered with classic story ideas and stereotypes that are sure to confuse and offend those who are unfamiliar with the entertainment of the era. Compiling the work of two comic book legends, some of these tales are finally being published for the first time ever. Do the Cold War-era adventures of America’s other patriotic superhero deserve a look? (more…)

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Best Comic Books of 2011

Matt’s Picks

Ducktales/Darkwing Duck Series’ Finale Crossover — Imagine being a kid and watching the Disney Afternoon cartoon block when you get home from school. For thirty seconds, you’d see Uncle Scrooge having a snowball fight with his nephews when suddenly Goselyn walks up. You think “Hey, isn’t Goselyn on Darkwing Duck? What’s she doing in Duckberg?” Then, Darkwing walks up and shoots a snowball out of his gas gun. Sure, it’s just a “Happy Holidays from Disney” commercial, but you wish there was a full episode featuring a teamup of your favorite ducks. Wish no more, because Kaboom made that happen with the final issues of Ducktales and Darkwing Duck (respectively). With a captivating story by Epic Mickey‘s Warren Spector and illustration by cartoon veteran James Silvani, this story is sure to entertain and leave you with a smile on your face. (more…)

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Title: The Rocketeer

Format: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray

MPAA: PG

Directed by: Joe Johnston

Written by: Danny Bilson, Paul Dimeo, William Dear

Starring: Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton, Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino

Produced by: Charles Gordon, Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV

Film Rating:

Blu-ray Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

The Film

Ace pilot Cliff Secord stumbles into a pre-World War II Nazi plot to steal a rocket pack created by Howard Hughes. Their purpose is nefarious of course, as they intend to make multiple versions of the rocket pack to create an army of airborne Nazi soldiers. Meanwhile, Cliff and his mechanic pal Peevy find a way to turn Cliff into The Rocketeer, a crime-fighting hero that tangles with the Nazis, the mob, and even a Hollywood leading man. Billy Campbell stars in this whimsical, action packed tale that should be in any Disney fan’s collection. (more…)

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Title: Thor

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

Written by: Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins

Studio: Marvel, Paramount

Rating:

Written By: Thomas Braaksma

Marvel’s Thor has never quite seen the popularity or had such a creative force behind him since the Golden Age of comics with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby at the helm. Though it is safe to say after this year’s theatrical release of Thor, the Norse god might work his way into the hearts of a large number of new and rejuvenated fans. Thor starts off a summer blockbuster season with a bang, and leaves a pretty hard act to follow. (more…)

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Title: Batman: Cacophony (TPB)

Publisher: DC

Writer: Kevin Smith

Artist: Walt Flanagan, Sandra Hope

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

For the original review of the series, published Nov. 5, 2009, click here.

The trade paperback release of Kevin Smith’s Batman: Cacophony includes all three issues of the mini-series, plus a number of interesting extras that fans should enjoy. At the back, we get the requisite gallery of variant covers and unused art from the series. At the front, we get an introduction by Kevin Smith. This isn’t uncommon, but what makes his of particular interest is that it’s all focused on Walt Flanagan, the series’ artist and longtime friend of Smith. He tells an interesting tale of how Flanagan really turned him on to comics, and how the two working together on the series brought it all full circle. Another interesting extra is a script for the third issue of the book. What makes it different is that the usual scripts are for the issues presented; Smith’s is an original script before a few significant edits were made. So fans get a look at his comics process and how good editing can change a book for the better. All in all, it feels like the usual material for a trade, but somehow a little bit better.

For more info, www.dccomics.com

Pads & Panels received a copy of the trade paperback courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.

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Title: Batman: International

Publisher: DC

Writers: Alan Grant, Mark Waid

Artist: Frank Quitely, Diego Olmos, Arthur Ranson

Rating:

Review by: Eric Stuckart

As the title implies, Batman: International details some of Batman’s adventures outside of his crime-infested home of Gotham City. What readers get is three stories. “Scottish Connection” is about Batman trying to solve a crime linked to his ancestors. “Batman in Barcelona: Dragon’s Knight” details another showdown between the Caped Crusader and Killer Croc, this time focusing on St. George and the Dragon. Finally, there’s “Tao,” in which Batman encounters an enemy he made during a trip to China during his formative years. Unlike many Batman story arcs, these stories are far too short to really go anywhere, which makes them good for a short Batman fix, but there really isn’t much to them. However, most Batman fans aren’t looking for a quick fix, and these tales don’t delve into the psyche or mystery of the character. The artwork of the three tales differs, too. Frank Quitely’s inimitable style complements references to Scotland’s weather, along with subtle, muted tones courtesy of Matt Hollingsworth and Brad Matthew. Diego Olmos depicts a more lithe, lean Batman than anyone is used to seeing. And Arthur Ranson’s artwork, while sketchy and old-school in nature, is vividly brought to life by now-defunct comic coloring house Digital Chameleon. (more…)

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Title: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Format: Blu-ray

Director: Joss Whedon

Writers: Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon

Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day

Producer: New Video NYC, Mutant Enemy Inc.

Feature Rating:

Blu-ray Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The Feature

For those unfamiliar with the Emmy Award-winning Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, it was a project Joss Whedon put together in 2008 strictly for Internet release during the Writers Guild of America writers’ strike. It originally hit as a free release, and later as a paid download in other digital formats, such as iTunes, released in three roughly 15-minute acts. (more…)

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