Whew! Take that Senator Kelly!

Awesome Cover Friday: Thanksgiving!

Since people have been wandering around blabbing about what they're thankful for lately I thought I'd get in on the act. Here are some comic book things I am thankful for and the awesome covers to go with them.

The Authority #12

I am thankful for the alignment of planets that brought Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary, and Laura DePuy together for the first twelve issues of The Authority. I can't imagine that story being told without any of those four people being involved.


Astonishing X-Men #2

I'm thankful for Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing X-Men. I'm doubly thankful that John Cassaday is drawing it. Sure, it's been slow but each issue has been worth the wait. Whedon didn't come in like the Pro from Dover and assume that he knew everything about Comics. He worked hard and came up with an awesome story. This latest issue had two "holy crap" moments in it that I'm still smiling about.


Immortal Iron Fist #4

Speaking of awesome creative teams, Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, and David Aja are doing magical things with Immortal Iron Fist. For example, they are sticking to a reasonable release schedule. I kid, I kid. This incarnation of Iron Fist is my favorite comic currently on the stands. Check it out if you haven't already.


The OHOTMU Gadget Issue

I am thankful for the existence of the old-school Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, especially the final issue which was all about the equipment used by the various super-beings of the MU. This thing had cutaway pictures of Avengers Mansion along with specs for Stilt Man's stilts, Wizard's gadgets, and Nomad's discs. Who knew depleted uranium was so useful? The OHOTMU is available as a three-volume Essentials collection. It contains both versions from the '80s and it's awesome.

Finally, I am eternally thankful for the Grand Comic Book Database. Throw 'em some money this holiday season.

3 X-Men Covers of Yore

That's right, I said "yore". I'm gonna go all "I Love the '80s" on you and talk about three nearly-consecutive Uncanny X-Men covers from 1981. I don't have much in the way of commentary other than to say that when I saw each of these covers on the stand back in the day I said, "Holy Crap! What's gonna happen in there?" I then probably put my velcro wallet in my parachute pants and adjusted the epaulets on my Members Only jacket because, y'know, it was the '80s.

Each of these issues lived up to what was on its cover. The "Everybody Dies" one followed one of the most famous X-Men covers ever and had a badass story. The Kitty vs. Alien was thrilling and the Everybody vs. Doom was a study in why you don't go up against a smart, ruthless zillionaire. Also, Storm totally got turned into a statue and she made this super hurricane and it blew up Latveria!

Enjoy the covers. They did what covers were meant to do.

Astonishing X-Men #20 - Marvel (2007)

Joss Whedon did a great job revealing Astonishing X-Men's big surprise (i.e. bringing Colossus back). This issue is full of little surprises. I like pleasant surprises. They help alleviate the crushing pressure of existence and keep me from curling up in a corner and weeping all day.

Woah. Sorry about that.

But seriously, folks, Whedon gets the X-Men. He groks what makes them cool and he does interesting things with their relationships. There are a couple of panels which show how comfortable Emma is with her powers as well as her attitude towards the world. Much like his TV shows and movies Whedon balances the funny with the deep, the contemplative with the ass kicking.

The only speedbump in this storyline for me is the storyline itself. I find the whole interstellar prophecy thing a bit silly but I am enjoying the stuff that's happening because of it. If you haven't picked up the issues leading up to this one you're probably better off waiting for the trade. It should be a really good read all at once.

John Cassaday's art has been consistently good since issue #1 but this time he gets some really big things to draw. If Planetary has taught us anything it's that Cassaday excels at drawing big things in space. When I become a famous comic writer I'm gonna write a comic which features Mogo and The Celestials as a crossover team. They'll fly around the universe fighting crime. The entire series will have four enormous panels that you'll have to assemble after you've bought all the issues and Cassaday will draw it. After that I'll retire to my island and eat nutella all day.