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The Top 9 Best Black Panther Tales, pt 2

Published

on May 23, 2010

. 0 Comments

In part one, I detailed #9-5 of my Top 9 favorite Black Panther ~~tails~~ tales. This week, the stunning conclusion is upon us!

As I mentioned last time, this list was originally a submission to The Greatest Black Panther Stories Ever Told contest on the Comics Should be Good! blog (see their top 10 choices for best BP stories).

As I also mentioned, my selections for #5-1 are all classic and almost all... old, one could even claim. Maybe I'm just a classic sort of guy, ya know? Or maybe -- just maybe -- the greatest T'Challa tales just happen to be in the earlier days of the character.

05. "The Client" - Black Panther v3 #1-5 (Christopher Priest left a HUGE mark on the Panther's legacy, and it all began with this clever story arc. While I love Priest's work, his BP stories -- oddly enough -- are not my favorite of his or of the character's. But I think this is his best work with T'Challa, if only because it redefined the character for a modern audience and established an enduring status quo in terms of attitude and Wakandan culture.)

04. "Panther's Rage" - Jungle Action #6-18 (Don McGregor, Rich Buckler, and Billy Graham created what I think is safe to call the most single riveting and intense Black Panther epic in the form of Panther's Rage. It's not as much fun as Kirby's solo issues or as awe-inspiring as the Sons of the Serpent arc from Avengers, but it's amazing in its sheer length of narrative -- somewhere around 200 pages of continuous story, something which was basically unheard of at 70s Marvel. I know a lot of critics have espoused the virtues of this tale, as well as creators (Dwayne McDuffie, for example). Suffice to say I agree with them all. It's awesome.)

03. "Black Panther vs. the Sons of the Serpent" - Avengers v1 #73-74 (Roy Thomas writes a masterful two-part Avengers tale with a focus on T'Challa and his battle against the supremacist group, the Sons of the Serpent. It's one of the few BP stories that I feel successfully deals with discrimination and prejudice. However, more importantly, it's expertly crafted and exciting from start to finish. The real clincher here is #73, with pencils by Frank Giacoia. Frank is best known as an inker, but his rare turn on superhero pencils is gorgeous. Need evidence? Look no further than page 18 of #73, where BP stalks New York City at night. It's an incredible montage well ahead of its time in terms of tone and layout.)

02. "King Solomon's Frog" - Black Panther v1 #1-4 (This is a bit easier to delineate than the "Water Skin" story arc if only because it has a more distinct conclusion. These four issues fill the first half of Marvel's BP vol 1 TPB by Kirby. This arc comes second in my list of favorites because it displays the genius of Kirby's original Panther concept, while taking things to the next level of action and excitement. While BP's origin in FF #52 was fun, it wasn't as thrilling as this. Before there was Indiana Jones, there was Jack Kirby's Black Panther!)

01. "Quest for the Sacred Water Skin" - Black Panther v1 #5-7 (Sometimes it's tough to draw lines between story arcs in 60s/70s Marvel, but I've decided to lump these three issues together as an arc because they deal with the over-arching theme of T'Challa's quest to find the sacred water skin hidden in the secret City of Lost Samurai. These issues are included as the second half of Marvel's BP vol 1 TPB by Kirby. Why my top choice? Because they're simply amazing. The art, the writing, and everything about them makes for an incredible read. BP versus the Yeti. BP versus the ancient Samurai code. BP and Mister Little escape from a horde of enraged katana wielders! Too bad that few BP writers since this time have capitalized on the exciting tone Kirby displayed in this short story arc.)

That's it! Hope you liked my choices. If not, write your own in the comments.

Be back here next week for the non-Top 9 start of something very special -- Project: Basement!

The Top 9 Best Black Panther Tales, pt 1

Published

nick marino

on May 17, 2010

in The Top 9

. 0 Comments

Ch-ch-check it! This list was actually created as a submission to The Greatest Black Panther Stories Ever Told contest over on the Comics Should be Good! blog (see their top 10 choices for best BP stories).

However, since I wrote such a grand set of justifications for my choices, I thought I'd share them as a two-part The Top 9!

Oddly enough, all the choices on this first part of the list are fairly modern, whilst all of my part two selections lean towards the classic. Coincidence or conspiracy? You be the judge!

Honorable Mention: "Enemy of the State" - Black Panther v3 #6-12 (Honestly, I don't LOVE these issues like my other choices. But I do think they're important. Why? Because they took the tone established in Christopher Priest's first BP story arc and spun it into Marvel Universe reality. The revelation that Panther joined the Avengers to spy on them is twisted and hard to stomach, but it's also fascinating. While I wouldn't recommend these issues to anyone as their first Panther read, I do feel they're great for die-hard fans.)

09. "Two the Hard Way" - Black Panther v4 #10-11 (Okay, look, there are a lot of problems with Reggie Hudlin's take on the Black Panther. But these two BP-Cage team-up issues are just plain fun. Read and enjoy! There's nothing else to it.)

08. "See Wakanda and Die" - Black Panther v4 #39-41 (Eerie, disturbing, and thrilling, Jason Aaron and Jefte Palo deliver this stunning T'Challa tale as a tie-in to the Secret Invasion event. It's hard to put into words how gripping this quick story arc is... it's one of the most morbid BP tales I can think of, and definitely puts a somber end to the more happy-go-lucky Black Panther v4 series. The art is beautiful, the writing is smart, and the characters are endearing. But not TOO endearing. Black Panther and Storm become savage defenders of Wakanda who almost seem more fit for a Marvel MAX book than this mostly all-ages BP series.)

07. "Reconstruction" - Fantastic Four v1 #544-550 (This seven-part story is often overlooked by many fans, partly because it fell under the far-too-broad Initiative banner, and partly because it was a temporary dismantling of the classic Fantastic Four lineup. But that's what makes this Dwanye McDuffie, Paul Pelletier, and Rick Magyar story so much fun! BP essentially becomes the interim leader of the FF for this story arc and leads them on a massive cosmic journey. It's a rare chance to see BP rely on others in such a serious way. It's also an opportunity to see the great Dwayne McDuffie deliver his take on the Wakandan hero. Overall, I think this is the most underrated set of issues on this list. If you like big cosmic action AND the Black Panther, then you'll dig this.)

06. "World Tour" - Black Panther v4 #19-22 (T'Challa and Storm decide to spend their honeymoon by crisscrossing the globe and making alliances with other powerful Marvel characters in light of the impending events of Civil War. This story arc actually got split as a post-wedding tale and a Civil War tie-in in terms of branding and TPBs, but if you look at the issues, it's really one four-part arc. It's Hudlin at his best with T'Challa, making him clever, diplomatic, and dignified. Manuel Garcia turns in some INCREDIBLE art work that blew my mind back when I first read this story. I know Hudlin has his detractors, but even the biggest haters would be hard-pressed to hate this entire tale. Really, the only flaw is the uneven Doom characterization in #19, which is fairly negligible in my opinion.)

Be back next week for part 2 a.k.a. the thrilling continuation to The Top 9 Greatest Black Panther Tales!!!

A Podcast with Ross and Nick #46 - We Called This #45

Published

nick marino

on April 28, 2010

in Podcast Episodes

. 5 Comments

A Podcast with Ross and Nick #46 [ 29:08 ] Play Now | Download

Continued from AudioShocker Podcast #128. Transvestites, RuPaul's Drag Race, intersex, Ross hates getting the mail, Tim Gunn analyzes superhero costumes, should both women and men have sexualized bodies in comic books?, Spider-Man should always have a package and the Black Widow should always have a cameltoe, madonna/whore complex in superhero comics, and Justique's new character.

Tue Apr 13 - Panel Discussion on Pittsburgh's Comics Scene

Published

nick marino

on April 9, 2010

in Comics

. 4 Comments

SAVE THE DATE, PITTSBURGHERS! Next Tuesday, April 13th from 7-9 PM it's time to talk local comics! I, along with many other far more qualified panelists, will talk shop about creating independent comics and being a fan in the Pittsburgh area.

The panel will be hosted in Carnegie Mellon University's Doherty Hall, Room A310 by the school's comic book club. Neal and I are both former CMUers, so if you need directions, just ask. Here's the Facebook event.

There's gonna be FREE pizza and a chance to win a copy of Scott McCloud's ~~I Am Awesome at Telling You How to Make Comics~~ Making Comics.

While I am completely unqualified for this panel, my fellow discussers -- Dan Greenwald, Scott Hedlund, Shawn Atkins, and Seth Fronzoli -- have far more experience and talent than I do, so at least come listen to them do their thing.

Dan and Scott, as you may already know, are from the Comic Book Pitt podcast, while Shawn is the artist of Time Log as well as many other excellent comics, often co-creating with Seth Fronzoli.

Be there or be square, BAAABY! Here's the promo flyer I made for the event:

U.S.Agent vs. Iron Man Hyper Combo Wallpaper!

Published

nick marino

on August 3, 2009

in Comics and Video Games

. 2 Comments

U.S.Agent tussles with Iron Man, 1980s style!

DOWNLOAD WALLPAPER :: 1280 X 1024 :: 1440 X 900 :: 1600 X 1200

Last week, you though I was @#$%ing with you when I put up a U.S.Agent wallpaper. I was 100% legit with that - he's a secret character in Marvel vs. Street Fighter (as well as a "helper" character in MvC).

However, this week is a bit of a cheat. But not because of Iron Man's Silver Centurion armor - you can at least mimic the color scheme in Marvel Super Heroes on the PlayStation by holding the down button for five seconds while highlighting Iron Man, and then pressing a punch or kick button to select him as your fighter.

No, the cheat is actually this image, which is a depiction of Iron Man battling the Captain, not U.S.Agent. However, Steve Rogers wasn't the Captain for long, and the black and reds would soon belong to John Walker instead. You can just use your imagination to pretend he's already wearing them in this picture.

Thanks to Mark Bright, Bob Layton, and Bob Sharen for giving us this awesome art from Armor Wars' Iron Man #228. And thanks to Marvel Avalon for the image. This has been the second part of a U.S.Agent Double Shot, so be back next Monday for an unrelated Street Fighter Hyper Combo Wallpaper!

The Top 9 Things Most People Don't Realize About Comic Book Fans

Published

nick marino

on July 10, 2009

in The Top 9

. 3 Comments

Comic book fans get a bad rap AND IT'S NOT FAIR!!! I've compiled this "Did you know?" list for people who DO and DON'T consider themselves comic fans (no assholes, I mean "comic fans," not "comic sans").

For people who don't read comics, remember that these nine qualities may not apply to every comic book reader out there. However, you may find that these traits have a greater presence in comic book fans when compared to other people you know.

And comic book fans, if you have someone in your life that gives you a hard time about reading comics, show them this list and see if they understand you better after reading it!

9. Comic book fans are passionate. While many people would probably opt to use the term "fanatic," I think the word "passionate" is far more accurate. For example, a comics fan gets upset when a movie does a character's origin wrong. Why? Not because they're deluded and obsessed - it's because a vast majority comic book fans have affection for the source material and they want everybody to understand why the original comics are so great.

8. Comic book fans are detail-oriented people. Again, this is where detractors would use a different word or phrase. The clearest way to represent the stereotype of detail-oriented comics fans would be to call them "obsessed with irrelevancy." But that's just wrong. To a comic book fan, details aren't irrelevant - they're important aspects that add to the story. To remove details is to remove the richness of characters and settings.

7. Comic book fans are emotionally sensitive. By "emotionally sensitive," I don't mean that comics fans are crybabies. What I mean is that comic books fans tend to have a greater degree of understanding when it comes to a range of emotions, particularly sadness and anger. Because the act of reading a comic book is often very introspective, emotional story events resonate strongly and generate extensive thought in comic fans.

6. Comic book fans are generous. While I'm sure there are some misers out there, I'll bet you there are way more generous fans than stingy fans. You just have to ask them about the right stuff: namely, comic books. Comic book fans will devote their time, words, resources, and (the greatest gift of all) their comics to help you understand why they love the stories that they love so much. If you get cornered by a comic book fan who can't stop talking about a particular body of work, it's not because they're weird or stupid - it's because they want to share something with you that's given them something special.

5. Comic book fans have a strong sense of justice. Specifically, superhero fans. Superhero comics are often psycho-dramas that play out situations through a variety of moral filters. By exploring these situations from a multiplicity of angles, comic book fans actively hone their notions of justice and fairness.

4. Comic book fans crave inspiration. Whether it's visual inspiration, artistic inspiration, emotional inspiration, or spiritual inspiration, comic book fans seek out stories of perseverance and triumph to inspire themselves. This is a quality that's particularly strong in those who follow superhero comics, because superhero protagonists often seek to improve the world around them by helping others.

3. Comic book fans have tons of imagination. Obviously, after spending your days reading stories about the improbable, you develop a finely-tuned imagination. And don't confuse imagination with detachment or delusion - imagination means the ability to envision multiple possibilities across many different situations. That can come in handy in unexpected ways - at work, in the service of others, or even in an emergency.

2. Comic book fans have a great respect for storytelling. At the core of the comic reading experience is the story. Because comics are basically separate pieces of visual art intended to be experienced over time, story is integral to the act of comic book reading. Fans develop a passion for well-told stories and for those who tell quality stories. Comic fans reward the creators who tell the most engaging tales with awards, accolades, loyalty, and adoration.

1. Comic book fans are art lovers. This is possibly the most overlooked quality of comic book fans. On the whole, they love illustration and visual art. After all, they do spend endless hours viewing diverse art styles spread across thousands of pages. Comic book fans love art so much that they devote their time and resources to pursuing it in single issues, graphic novels, t-shirts, posters, and with action figures and statues (both forms of sculpture, mind you). A love for art fuels the medium of comics and, in turn, fuels the minds and hearts of those who read comic books.

More: The Top 9 Reasons I Still Haven't Seen the New Star Trek Movie

Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is better. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.

War Machine What If? Hyper Combo Wallpaper!

Published

nick marino

on June 22, 2009

in Comics and Video Games

. 0 Comments

Ye olde fist of War Machine is coming at cha, baby!

DOWNLOAD WALLPAPER :: 1280 X 1024 :: 1440 X 900 :: 1600 X 1200

Obviously I have some sort of weird addiction to War Machine. He's in about 50% of all the Hyper Combo Wallpapers I've ever published. And my love for Marvel vs. Capcom certainly doesn't diminish my infatuation with War Machine whatsoever.

While browsing the Internet for more hi-res Rhodey art, I stumbled upon an early Dan Slott issue - What If? #63: What if War Machine Had Not Destroyed the Living Laser? The art you see here is courtesy Manny Galan. I extracted the War Machine image from the cover, Photoshopped it at a high DPI using the cutout filter, and ended up with the excellent desktop wallpaper you see here.

Thanks to Demian's Gamebook for the cover scan. Now go make sure that you get your ass back here next Monday for a new Hyper Combo Wallpaper!

More: War Machine Hyper Combo Wallpaper Archives!

Captain America Forever...

Published

nick marino

on June 20, 2009

in Comics

. 0 Comments

Let's be honest: we all saw it coming. However, I expected Monday's news to be a bit more sensational than the return of Steve Rogers... especially considering that it managed to peak at #3 on CNN's top 10 news stories by mid-day.

But no, it's just that simple. Steve Rogers is back. That's what Reborn is all about. The "how" of his return is, I assume, the real shocker here.

I went to the comic shop on Monday evening, which turned out to be a great idea. Not necessarily great because of Captain America #600 (which is a good comic, by the way), but great because I got to hang with Phantom of the Attic's Wayne Wise and the Comic Book Pitt's Scott "The Duke." On a normal Wednesday, it's too busy to hang out and really talk. But on a slow Monday (which it was, despite the Monday release of Cap #600), I had all the time in the world to bullshit before I bought the comic and walked out the door.

So what about Cap's return? He barely ever left, right? This could easily be called "Forever" instead of "Reborn"... except that I think the Reborn title has some literal significance here. Sharon Carter remembers shooting Steve with some sort of wide-mouth gun-shaped thing. To me, it looks like she took a tissue sample with it.

And then we see Sin, the Red Skull's baby girl, in the jail infirmary. She's restrained to her stretcher. But she also looks sort of pregnant, doesn't she? Obviously there's more to meets the eye because Crossbones won't stop saying how people have no idea what really happened.

And then, of course, the Red Robot Skull sits around for a couple pages and soliloquizes about how loved the tension he had with Steve Rogers. He just couldn't get enough of the back and forth fighting. He wanted to kill Cap, of course, but he was also exhilarated by the prospect of battling him constantly. I wonder if he just sits around all day and reminisces like this. The Red Skull has always been a nostalgia-deluded fool under Brubaker, hasn't he?

Suffice to say that I was far more fascinated by the villains in Cap #600. Truthfully, I enjoyed the appearances by Falcon, Rikki, Patriot, and the other heroes. But the baddies were so much more compelling. Plus, the villains seemed to drop way more hints about the direction of Reborn.

The X-Men Reborn...

Published

nick marino

on June 18, 2009

in Comics

. 0 Comments

X-Men Forever #1 YES! YES, BABY, YES! This is what I've been missing!!!

I grew up on Chris Claremont's writing. I've always loved his technique (honestly, I think the drama and the dense prose of his work is part of what makes it so much fun). He's distilled his infamous Uncanny X-Men style down to its most engaging elements in X-Men Forever #1. If you've loved Claremont's work in the past, there's an excellent chance that you'll love this first issue.

Some out there have been heavily hating on Claremont for the past decade. Personally, I've loved some of his most recent writing. Though New Exiles wasn't my bag, I thought his latest run on Uncanny X-Men was just starting to pop with brilliance when he was shuffled off of the title (also, I think he suffered a heart attack around that time). While I found his collaboration with Alan Davis and Oliver Coipel to be decent, I found his work with Chris Bachalo and Billy Tan to be wonderful. Grey's End was a chilling few issues that used a fascinating interpretation of the passage of time to tell a riveting tale. As for other recent work, I was also moved by CC's issue of Excalibur that explored Nocturne's frustration with her paralysis.

And while those comics were near and dear to my inner Claremont fan, they weren't nearly as indulgent as X-Men Forever #1. When I say indulgent, I don't mean it in a bad way. I mean indulgent like rich ice cream or expensive chocolate - indulgent like a delicious desert. Working with Tom Grummet, who's been attached to Claremont for a couple of years now, seems to only deepen the indulgence. I've long been a fan of Grummet's work and this issue may be some of his most enjoyable pencils to date.

All in all, this feels like a rebirth of the X-Men to me. Maybe I'm just too old school to properly move on from the glory days of John Byrne, Paul Smith, and John Romita, Jr. But I don't care. X-Men Forever just feels right to me. Though I've vowed to shy away from as many $3.99 single issues as possible, I can't deny myself Forever (get it?). I await issue #2 with bated breath.

Armor Wars II Was...

Published

nick marino

on June 11, 2009

in Comics

. 0 Comments

... an AMAZING read, if only for John Romita, Jr.'s artwork. He's really in top form from Iron Man #258-266.

But to give JRjr all the credit would be unfair to the other great artists on the book. Bob Wiack inked everything, and from what I can tell, he's the best inker JRjr ever paired with. Well, that's my opinion, at least.

And John Byrne was great, too. The guy wrote the damn thing and it's a terrific story. Did Byrne write this story arc in Marvel-style or full script? Unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with the behind-the-scenes stuff that went on with Armor Wars II, so I have no idea what the answer is to that question.

The reason why I think this may have been a Marvel-style piece is because JRjr's name is listed as the first credit in the book throughout the story arc. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other serialized superhero book where that's been done... unless the penciler was also the co-plotter. And with Marvel-style, the penciler becomes the de facto co-plotter.

(Speaking of "de facto," that makes me think of Tom DeFalco. See this blog post for more.)

BUT back to Armor Wars II and on with my praise of the artists involved. Paul Becton's colors were gorgeous. They had a slightly sloppy look here and there, which was actually an wonderful touch on top of JRjr's occasionally sketchy work. Panels sans backgrounds became especially vibrant when Becton used a solid splash of bright color to fill up the blank space.

Last but not least is letterer Michael Heisler. Now I'm about 85% sure that Chris Eliopoulos did the final issue of Armor Wars II, but Heisler did the rest. Oddly, the issue with the strongest letters is missing a letterer credit (is it #264 or #265... maybe #263?). The letters in Armor Wars II are a bit more compact than most comics. This isn't an overly wordy story, but the dialogue does get involved at times. Heisler did an expert job at making the letters interesting but never intrusive.

If you could read only one issue of Armor Wars II, read Iron Man #261. That comic book absolutely blew my mind. It's told as two separated stories that complement each other. The stories never intersect, yet nearly every page is split right down the middle, with Iron Man up top and the Mandarin below. I would bet big money that this particular issue was a huge inspiration on a young Chris Bachalo.

It's important to mention that the Armor Wars II label is a bit of a misnomer. There isn't too much in the way of armored hijinks until the final two issues. Not that Tony's armor isn't important throughout the whole story - it's just not the focal point necessarily.

In the first Armor Wars, you'll notice that the story arc is actually called "Stark Wars" in the original issues. My understanding is that it was later changed to "Armor Wars" in collected editions and other reprints. Oddly enough, Stark Wars or even Stark Wars II would have been a far more accurate name for Armor Wars II.

But all in all, I can't complain. Armor Wars II is wonderfully paced and extremely satisfying from cover to cover. Just know that the end is a bit anticlimactic. Still, despite the rapid escalation and deflation of the action in the final few pages, I think the ending is interesting and very natural. It just needs a "FIN" or "END" caption in the last panel.

P.S. Oh, and JRjr definitely draws the best Rhodey ever. Armor Wars II just confirmed my feelings I had after seeing his version of James Rhodes in Iron Man #256.