consume

RuPaul’s Drag Race Power Rankings, S09E09 – “Your Pilot’s On Fire”

May 20, 2017 by krisis

Last night’s Ru Paul’s Drag Race brought us one of the most epic meltdowns in the history of the show, confirming some of my suspicions about a certain queen from last week.

It also sported a challenging runway where only half the queens scored a solid hit, but it also yielded some truly memorable looks.

What does that mean for the rankings? It’s another shake-up, that sees one queen in particular making a strong case for the finale while another hopes to crash the finale four party by blowing past next week’s challenge.

Before we get to that, a word on this week’s departed queen. [Read more…] about RuPaul’s Drag Race Power Rankings, S09E09 – “Your Pilot’s On Fire”

Captain America by Mark Gruenwald, Vol. 1 – The #45 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 19, 2017 by krisis

Captain America’s comic had gotten pretty routine by the time Mark Gruenwald showed up in 1985, which is probably why no one suspected he would turn in a decade-long run that would redefine Cap and his gallery of rogues for years to come!

Captain America by Mark Gruenwald, Vol. 1 is the #45 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot. Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

Past Ranking: A 2017 debut!

Creators: Written by Mark Gruenwald with pencils by Paul Neary, Tom Morgan, and Kieron Dwyer.

Probable Contents: Collects Captain America (1968) #307-350 & Annual 8 and Iron Man #228.

Based on the recent Society of Serpents Epic Collection starting from the tail end of Carlin’s run at #302, it’s possible we’d see this volume begin there as well.

That’s a hefty omnibus, and for good reason – it would take two more volumes of similar size to make it through Gruenwald’s entire run of Captain America! See 10 Marvel runs from the 80s that ought to be omnibuses – 1981 to 1989 for more details.

Can you read it right now? Yes! The entirety of this run is covered in a pair of Epic Collections and an older trade. Visit the Guide to Captain America for details. Also, the entirety of this run is on Marvel Unlimited!

The Details:

Mark Gruenwald revitalized Captain America without an ounce of cynicism and irony, and he did it by being true to the character and introducing a parade of compelling new supporting players and villains. Even the biggest gimmick of the first third of his run – Steve Rogers quitting as Cap – doesn’t play as a gimmick because it’s so true to his character.

Writers of today, take note. [Read more…] about Captain America by Mark Gruenwald, Vol. 1 – The #45 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

Killraven – The #46 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 18, 2017 by krisis

Killraven is the #46 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

Who is this futuristic, pulpy, non-superhero that Marvel created from scratch and should you care? I’ll explain it all below. Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? Killraven was a pulp fiction mashup story that exists outside of main Marvel continuity. It followed an Earth-born rebel as he strikes out against the Martian-infected Keepers enslaving the remains of the human race.

The Killraven character and story mostly contained in the anthology title Amazing Adventures (1970), which he took over from #18 in May 1973 until the final issue, #39 in November 1976.

Killraven’s story was revisited by Marvel Graphic Novel #7 in 1982 with “Killraven, Warrior of the Worlds: Last Dreams Broken” and in a 2001 on-shot. He’s also made some sporadic appearances in the main Marvel Universe.

Past Ranking: Killraven was tied for #44 in the 2016 survey, down from #21 in 2015.

Creators: While Killraven was initially created by Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and Gerry Conway, his run is most associated with author Don McGregor and artist P. Craig Russell, who were the custodians of the character for the majority of his run.

Probable Contents: Amazing Adventures (Vol. 2) #18-39, Marvel Team-Up #45, Marvel Graphic Novel #7, Killraven (2001) #1, and possibly Killraven (2002) #1-6 (not in continuity with the other material) and Marvel Zombies 5 #2 (which purports to resolve some of his story threads).

Can you read it right now? Only in original floppies or black and white in Killraven Essentials: War of the Worlds, though you could also read the 2002 retread by Alan Davis. Both are readily available despite being several years out of print. This run is not available on Marvel Unlimited.

The Details:

Set in the farflung future of 2018 (I know, right!), Killraven assumes that the events of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds more or less occurred as written in 1901 only to have the Martians return a century later to achieve their original aim of subjugating humanity.

The titular hero was separated from his family as a boy and trained by the Martians for their own gladiatorial entertainment. The Martians have also compelled some Earthers to become Keepers, assisting with the enslavement of their brethren, while some women have been transformed into Sirens – luring the remaining free men to their dooms.

Marvel Horror of the 1970s – The #47 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 17, 2017 by krisis

The Marvel Horror of the 1970s Anthology Omnibus is the #47 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

What exactly is that? As it turns out, not even voters may entirely agree! Below I’ve examined all of the possible contents, including heroes, monsters, and imaginative anthologies. Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? After Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent partially took aim at the the legitimately ooky horror comics of the early 50s, The Comic Code altogether outlawed scary monsters in floppy books. While you could publish a comic without the Code, it might not be carried by distributors or stores.

In 1971, The Code loosened up a bit, allowing “vampires, ghouls, and werewolves… when handled in the classic tradition such as Frankenstein, Dracula, and other high calibre literary works written by Edgar Allan Poe, Saki, Conan Doyle and other respected authors whose works are read in schools around the world.”

At the time Marvel was experiencing a resurgence of interest in magazines and pulpy black & white comics, and this horror material made the perfect accompaniment to their blossoming line of Conan comics and Kung Fu books.

Past Ranking: Marvel Horror was #42 in 2016, both #29 (heroes) and #42 (monsters) in 2015, and #32 in 2014.

The Details: Heroes, Monsters, & Anthologies

There are three lines of thinking about what this omnibus would contain, and I don’t think voters have been clear enough that even Tigereyes is sure which of the two they’re seeking.

The first pair of possibilities are Marvel’s supernatural superheroes and signature monsters, as previously collected in black and white by Marvel Horror Essentials Volume 1 and Volume 2.

The final option is a broader collection of Marvel’s various horror anthology books, which would be multiple volumes but could probably also encompass the signature monsters. [Read more…] about Marvel Horror of the 1970s – The #47 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

Doctor Strange by Roger Stern – The #48 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 16, 2017 by krisis

Doctor Strange by Roger Stern is the #48 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

What’s it about? Should you read it? What issues does it include? Can you get them right now? Read on to learn the answers! And, visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? Roger Stern first wrote Doctor Strange (1974) with #27 in February 1978 and departed after #37 in October 1979. He later return for a longer run with #46 in April 1981 to #75 in February 1986.

Stern’s lengthier run was marked by several distinct periods of Strange – one focused on his relationship to Clea, a second where his connections to reality proved to be a weakness to be exploited, and a third mostly comprised of one shot stories that ended with the resolution of the Clea relationship.

The title would continue for another six issues until #81 under author Peter Gillis at which point Doctor Strange was relaunched as half of Strange Tales (1987), still under Gillis.

Past Ranking: This volume debuted at #19 in 2014, disappeared in 2015, and returned at #28 in 2016.

Creators: Written by Roger Stern with pencils by Tom Sutton, Alan Kupperberg, Gene Colan, Michael Golden, Marshall Rogers, Brent Anderson, Paul Smith, Kevin Nowlan, Steve Leialoha, Bret Blevins, and Sal Buscema, and inks by Sutton, Smith, Leialoha, Ernie Chua, Rudy D. Nebres, Pablo Marcos, Dan Green, P. Craig Russell, Terry Austin, Joe Rubenstein, Rick Magyar, and Mark Badger

Probable Contents: None!

I think this omnibus is wishful thinking and would never be produced as imagined by voters, which would presumably contain Doctor Strange (1974) #27-37, 46 (b-story, 47-75 (though Stern doesn’t write #63-64 & 74), Chamber of Chills (1972) #3-4 (and maybe material from Fantastic Four #267-277 leading into #75).

Instead, I think this ought to be rethought as a vote for a volume titled “by Roger Stern & Peter Gillis” AKA Doctor Strange, Volume 4, which begins with the b-story of #46 and 47 and finishes his 1974 series. [Read more…] about Doctor Strange by Roger Stern – The #48 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017