Image – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com The best place on earth for nerds. Thu, 26 Sep 2019 12:10:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-nerds_head_thumb2-100x100.png Image – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com 32 32 All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, under one umbrella. We create short run podcasts for nerds, covering D&D, Marvel, Starfinder, and more! You vote for your favorite shows and they just might get a second season. Image – Nerds on Earth false episodic Image – Nerds on Earth jason.sansbury@nerdsonearth.com podcast All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, the best place on Earth for nerds. Image – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/noe-podcast-logo.png https://nerdsonearth.com/blog/ Hidden Gems in Comics: Greg Rucka’s Lazarus https://nerdsonearth.com/2019/09/greg-rucka-lazarus-comic/ Thu, 26 Sep 2019 12:00:12 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=26380

Greg Rucka's Lazarus is hands down one of the best comics, yet you may have not even heard of it.

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The World now lies divided not amongst political or geographical boundaries, but amongst financial ones. Wealth is power, and that power rests with only a handful of Families. The few who provide a service for their ruling Family are cared for. All others are Waste.

I didn’t write the above text; it comes straight from the inside cover of the first issue of Lazarus, a comic book written by Greg Rucka and drawn by Michael Lark.

Lazarus is one of the best comics I’ve ever read and I want to tell you a little more about it.

Hidden Gems in Comics: Greg Rucka’s Lazarus

Greg Rucka tosses readers of Lazarus #1 into the deep end and then lets the fascinating world he built around the characters slowly come into focus. It’s a dystopian near-future where resources are managed by a small number of mafia-like Families. Serving a Family as a Serf is the only protection you can get. The rest of humanity is considered Waste, and are entirely on their own as they are exploited by the Family as they struggle for survival in their domains.

Families rule all with absoluteness, jealously guarding and protecting what they have. So, as a metaphor for the evils of oligarchies and income inequality, Lazarus can’t be beat.

The main character of Lazarus is Forever Carlyle, the Family’s genetically-modified ‘Lazarus’ who defends the Carlyle family’s holdings through military might as their protector. Family above all.

Commentary on class structure has been a significant part of art almost since the age of painting on cave walls with charcoal. Indeed, the dystopian genre of literature continues to be popular to this day, properties like Divergent and The Hunger Games being well-known examples.

In this way, Lazarus might sound like an old story, but the strength of the comic isn’t meant to be in it’s originality. The strength of the comic is Rucka taking the very relevant social commentary of the haves-versus-have-nots and telling it through a fresh and cool blend.

Lazarus simultaneously taps into aspects of medieval serfdom systems, strong female characterization, modern medical science, future tech, mafia life, family dynamics, western elements, and what could be realistic depictions of Navy Seals in action. Good golly, if you want more than that from comics, then we may need to revoke your nerd card.

Rucka’s blending of the above elements into a cool story might become a little more clear if I’d give you a bit of a feel for the comic’s first two runs. (Plus this 4-page short story preview.)

Underrated Comics: Lazarus

The comic’s first run was named Family. The purpose of that short 4-issue run was to introduce characters and the world they live in. It was filled with striking violence, hints of incest, subterfuge, and a whole mess of intrigue. You might think you have family issues, but it’s nothing compared to the daddy issues Forever has.

The first run also introduced readers to the world of Lazarus and all the trappings that surround it. Darned if Rucka doesn’t know how to world build! The setting of Lazarus is fascinating and it only gets more interesting as the comic continues its run. But more on that later.

Much of this first volume is setting up future conflict, hooking the reader and making them want more. That said, there’s absolutely no lack of action here. Most compelling, of course, is the story of Forever and the complicated web of relationships Rucka builds.

Sure, Forever is formidable and capable, and she was genetically designed to be. But she’s also stretching past her supposed limitations. She’s learning about family and what that means. She’s learning about sacrifice and being driven by love. She’s learning that she can make her own decisions.

The second run, Lift, actually weaves together three different stories.

  • First, you have flashback sequences to a young Forever who is training to become the efficient weapon that she is. Beyond a look at young Forever, this story serves to introduce her trainer, Marisol, while highlighting the benefits of serving the Family as a Serf and further paint the picture of Malcolm’s (Forever’s father) cold, calculated ruthlessness.
  • The second story of Lift is the story of Forever doing what she is trained to do: protect her Family by foiling a terrorist plot. (One could argue that the story of the terrorists is actually a 4th story that is woven throughout, but the story is light as contrasted against Forever and the action provided by her team of elite strike-force soldiers.)
  • The final story in the 5-issue Lift arc features the Garrett family. The Garretts are “Waste” and Rucka does a beautiful job of showing how these other 99.99% live and the desperation they feel. 

Hidden Gems in Comics: The Art of Lazarus

I can’t hit ‘publish’ on this post without effusively praising artist Michael Lark. It’s odd to describe the violence of Lazarus as beautiful, but that’s what you get with Lark. The art perfectly illustrates the story. All the characters are well-done and the landscapes are detailed and wonderfully immersive. The muted colors and shadows suit the comic perfectly.

The writer and the artist truly seem to bring out the best in each other in Lazarus.

Finally, if there was ever a comic where it benefits to get the floppies over the collected trade, this is it. I’m a fan of letter columns and you get some of the absolute best back matter with Lazarus, which features additional looks into the creative process and source research.

But that’s not all! Each issue of the floppies give several pages of world-building biographical information. There are detailed histories and timelines printed for the fictional Families that comprise the world of Lazarus. It’s a cool touch, for certain.

Hidden Gems in Comics: Greg Rucka’s Lazarus

The most popular comics are rarely the best ones. As usual, the most popular music wasn’t the best music made. Same for the highest grossing movies (seriously, China, stop watching Transformers; you’re ruining it for the rest of us).

“Best” is rarely the same as “popular.” This means that if you want to find the best comics out there, you’re going to have to avoid the distraction of letting the market decide your purchases. Lazarus is absolutely one of the best comics out there, even though you may not have heard of it.

Even though single floppies are best-suited with Lazarus, the trades are certainly the easiest. Volume 1 is an inexpensive entry. Get it here.

The absolute best deal is the first hard cover that collects all the stories I highlighted above, plus the back matter material. Best $20 you’ll ever spend! Get it here.

Current Lazarus stories have gone to a quarterly trade release. And they are certain to increase in popularity as the Lazarus television show is in production at Amazon.

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Binge This: The Incredible Saga Compendium is Available Now! https://nerdsonearth.com/2019/08/saga-compendium/ Fri, 23 Aug 2019 17:28:06 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=25632

Get your hands on the acclaimed Saga, now collected in a bingable compendium.

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Chances are pretty good that comic book readers have at least heard of Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples’ science fiction comic series Saga. The ongoing series from Image began in 2012 and has been a critical darling from the beginning, winning almost every prestigious comic book award you can think. It even won the coveted Best Comic award from us in 2018!

Currently on a self-guided hiatus, fans who are behind the curve on Saga now have a great way to catch up. 

The Saga Compendium released early to comic shops this week and goes live on Amazon on Tuesday, August 27. The 1300+ pages collects every issue of the series to date. Image has given titles like The Walking Dead similar compendium volumes that can easily catch new fans up with the rest of us. 

To the uninitiated, Saga follows the tale of Marko and Alana, star-crossed parents from opposite sides of a nasty galactic war. The two lovers have a child, Alana, who acts as the main narrator of the series. Deserters from the larger conflict, the family goes on the run, pursued by powerful and opposing factions.

I don’t want to go too deep into the story because it unfolds in surprising and amazing ways. Each issue is literally treated as a chapter in the ongoing narrative of the story, so binging this comic series will feel like an evening watching your favorite streaming show. But it will be better than that, trust me!

Featuring a memorable supporting cast that stands out as one of the best in the medium, Saga will draw you in and never let go. Vaughn is a master storyteller, with each issue ending in a cliffhanger that will make the compendium a page turner. 

What’s left to be said about the multi-Eisner winning series? Saga truly is leagues beyond almost anything on the shelves these days, a true modern masterpiece of the medium. It’s mature, funny, and heart wrenching in the best way. Few comic books have the dramatic gravitas and pulse pounding thrills that Saga provides. 

Curious fans and longtime devotees can pick up the compendium from Amazon here or visit their local comic shops for a copy right now. 


From the publisher: 

THE ULTIMATE BINGE-READ Collecting the first nine volumes of the critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling series into one massive paperback, this compendium tells the entire story (so far!) of a girl named Hazel and her star-crossed parents. Features over 1,300 pages of gorgeously graphic full-color artwork, including a new cover from Eisner Award-winning SAGA co-creator FIONA STAPLES. Collects SAGA #1-54.

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7 Nerdy Things You Need in Your Life: Brandon’s Shelfie https://nerdsonearth.com/2018/11/7-nerdy-things-you-need-in-your-life-brandons-shelfie/ Mon, 05 Nov 2018 13:00:39 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=20417

A look at the nerdy bookshelf of a Nerds on Earth writer. Odds are you'll find a recommendation that is right for you, whether it be board games, RPGS, or what have you.

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It’s the first week of November, and here at Nerds we’re cranking out some love for the nerdy stuff we’re into. I suppose it’s my turn to wow and astound you with all the nerdy things in my orbit that I dig of late. Here goes!

7 Nerdy Things You Need in Your Life

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Gaslands

What it is. Gaslands is a miniatures racing game that uses 1:64 scale model cars (think Hot Wheels and Matchbox) to create post-apocalyptic flavored  vehicular mayhem. I have written about it a couple of times now at Nerds on Earth (here and here), but it bears repeating just how flipping awesome this game is. Gameplay is raucous and unpredictable, and the price of entry can be relatively cheap.

Why you might like it. Who doesn’t like playing with cars? You can bring back all the nostalgia from your youth of racing around cars with the added fun of tabletop gaming. There’s a ton of fun to be had in searching for the right cars to bring to the table. Players can feel comfortable leaving it at that, but Gaslands encourages players to modify their cars to trick them out. It’s a rabbit hole I haven’t gone down myself yet, but many have found significant pleasure in modding.

Where you can get your hands on it. Gaslands can be ordered from Osprey Games’ website, Amazon, or purchased from your local game store.

Marvel’s Star Wars Comics

What it is. Star Wars returned to Marvel Comics back in 2015. Marvel has been absolutely killing it with the property since then. While the array of titles has nowhere near the breadth and scope of the Dark Horse years, Marvel makes up for focusing exclusively on the film timeline by putting top notch talent on their books. These comic books certainly feel like Star Wars, something Dark Horse was spotty at achieving with many of their titles.

Why you might like it. Every Marvel Star Wars book brings something unique to the table. Fans of the prequels, original trilogy, and sequel trilogy will find something to love in the books. Though the focus has been primarily on the original trilogy era, there have been plenty of titles set outside the holy trilogy. Marvel has produced an array of ongoings, miniseries, and one-shots that offer more homeruns than Dark Horse ever accomplished. Shade thrown? Maybe, but Marvel is putting out spectacular material!

Where you can get your hands on it. Your local comic book store is a good place to start for individual issues, but big box retailers like 2nd & Charles, Books-a-Million, and Barnes and Noble have collections out the bantha bottom. Comixology and Amazon also have everything you need online.

The 13th Doctor

What it is. The eleventh season of the rebooted Doctor Who started in October. While any new season of Doctor Who is worth celebrating, Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor is the first female to take on the role of everyone’s favorite double-hearted space and time traveling alien.

Why you might like it. Jodie Whittaker’s new Doctor is the perfect jumping on point for anyone curious about the show. The new Who does a great job of catching up viewers very quickly on who the Doctor is and why anyone should care. New showrunner Chris Chibnall promises all new monsters and plenty of thrill for this season. Jodie Whittaker is also absolutely killing it as the Doctor.

Where you can get your hands on it. Interested nerds (and I suppose, non-nerds) can check out the Doctor’s adventures on BBC America here in the states. For the cordcutters or folks without cable like me, you can also purchase a season pass on Amazon for less than $20.

D&D Dragon Heist

What it is. The latest D&D adventure from the folks at Wizards of the Coast is Dragon Heist. I haven’t played it yet, but it sounds like insane fun! Set in the famed city Waterdeep, Dragon Heist leads players on a grand caper to uncover a villainous plot to find a lost treasure. I’m currently on DMing hiatus, but the more I read this adventure, it feels like my vacation from weekly planning and finding creative ways to tell players “no” is going to be short lived. This adventure provides a fun and wildly entertaining sandbox for players to explore. You even get to own a haunted bar. Who hasn’t wanted to do that at some point in their life?

Why you might like it. With 5th edition, it has never been easier to get into Dungeons and Dragons. Really, if you’re even a smidge curious about what the game is like, plan out a visit in the near future to your local game store. They will no doubt be able to connect you to a group. Dragon Heist has everything players new and old players could ever want out of an adventure. Players get to interact with famous D&D characters, play different factions off of each other, explore the mysteries of one of D&D’s most famous locations, and get the chance pull off a pretty impressive heist.

Where you can get your hands on it. Your local game store definitely has this in stock or can at the very least order you a copy pronto. Wizards of the Coast also has links to several place that one can buy the physical book, along with Amazon. (Our full review of Dragon Heist.)

Image Comics

What it is. Image is really killing it these days. Expecting Marvel or DC to be really innovating with their titles is a little like expecting Ohio State fans to be pleasant, tolerable people. Both of those companies are in the business of protecting intellectual property these days more than actually telling stories through the medium of comic books. Image, on the other hand, is breaking ground with seemingly every single comic they put out these days. Image Comics has come a long way from their overly muscled art and whisper-thin stories of the early 1990s. Image is producing the most diverse and entertaining set of comic books on the market today.

Why you might like it. Image literally has a book for everyone. Want Sci-Fi? Try Paper Girls, Saga, The Manhattan Projects, Port of Earth, or Descender. Want fantasy? You should really pick up Monstress, Rose, or Maestros. You want horror? You’re looking for The Walking Dead, Redneck, or Outcast. Want post-apocalyptic nihilism? Try Lazarus, Port of Earth, Oblivion Song, or The Realm. Want gritty realism? Buy Stray Bullets or Southern Bastards. Want something that will make you laugh? You have to give Sex Criminals and I Hate Fairyland a try. Image literally has something for everyone, with many of their first volume trades going for $9.99 each. You really can’t go wrong.

Where you can get your hands on it. Like the Marvel Star Wars books, checking out a local comic store is your best bet. You could also try Image’s own print subscription service, Image Direct.

SagaBorn Roleplaying Game

What it is. SagaBorn is a simplified d20 system that asks players to focus on storytelling rather than thumbing through a rulebook to discern the labyrinthian minutiae of a heavy rules set. The world of SagaBorn takes place in The Dark Return setting of Atheles, which was originally created as a setting for Pathfinder. I know, this must be shocking to Earth Nerd Clave, but there are actually other settings besides Golarion in Pathfinder!

Why you might like it. I was never a Pathfinder convert. I don’t have anything against the system, and I do want to try 2.0 when it hits in its final form, but in my listening to several PF play podcasts, there’s a lot of superfluous rules that seem to bog that game down immeasurably.

The system interests me, but SagaBorn plays like Pathfinder/D&D 3.5, but with less cumbersome rules. SagaBorn’s focus on quick play and less rules feels like a good balance between Pathfinder and D&D 5e. Plus, the story for Atheles is really cool. The game is set in a world where magic has been gone a very long time, and is only now just returning. The magic system focuses on a mana point system and has a dark side if used too much.

Where you can get your hands on it. The website for SagaBorn features a store that has the rulebook, several of the Pathfinder adventures set in Atheles, and the newly released Creature Compendium. You can also get products from DriveThruRPG and Amazon.

Lucas, Nerd in Training

What it is. Lucas is my son. He’s precious, he’s four, and he is a budding nerd. The last year or so has been an amazing time to watch my son grow. He just turned four and loves many nerdy things. He’s obsessed with space, and has been for as long as he could sit up in his crib and point to the Moon light in his room. He’s into Star Wars, Spider-Man, The Incredibles, and P.J. Masks. He wants to read comic books and play video games with his dad. He likes doing small science experiments with his mother.

Why you might like it. Having a kid is great most of the time. I really love the age he’s at now. He’s old enough to have opinions on his entertainment choices and he’s definitely showing an interest in all the nerdy things his dad loves.

I’m trying really hard not to impose my own nerdy choices on him, but it’s so amazing to see him get excited about a video game, cartoon, or comic book. I gave him the first three issues of The Incredibles 2 comic book from Dark Horse back in October for his birthday. There’s something magical about hearing him laugh about a particular panel or his asking questions while we read those comics together. I’m enjoying fostering his nerdiness.

Where you can get your hands on it. You see, when a daddy nerd and a mommy nerd love each other very much…Well, I don’t want to go all biological here, but I reckon you can follow where I am going with all of this stuff.

You can’t have my kid, but if you have your own, I hope you’re showing him or her the positive side to being a nerd. There’s nothing wrong with geekily tearing into your own interests and fandoms. Seeing comics, video games, and tabletop gaming from his perspective has given me afresh outlook on what is important.

Our nerdy pursuits often produce lifelong, meaningful bonds between people. Together, we’re finding new worlds and interests to explore. It’s the best thing on Earth.

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Do you want to nerd out with Brandon about his favorite things? Or maybe share that you enjoy similar? Here is the direct link for you to connect with him via Facebook.

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My 90s Summer: Shadowhawk for the… Win? https://nerdsonearth.com/2018/07/shadowhawk/ Mon, 16 Jul 2018 11:41:15 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=18910

Let's re-read 90s comics and blog about them. This time: Shadowhawk.

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Welcome back to another edition of my insane 90s summer reading challenge. Each week, I pick a book that I read during the decade of dot com, presidential interns, and grunge rock to reread. It’s sometimes pleasurable. Often not.

This week’s book is the original Shadowhawk miniseries from 1992. That’s right, I did read something besides Marvel in middle and high school, but not much! I took to Image because all of their characters were basically ripoffs of Marvel and DC characters, but edgier. It was the 90s. Edgier was better. It was extreme!

So why am I reviewing Shadowhawk and not some lame Marvel book like Quasar, Avengers, or Excalibur? (Address all hate mail to Clave Jones)

Just look at that cover! LOOK AT IT, DAMN YOU! It had the same impact on me several weeks ago that it did when I first saw it on the shelf. It’s silver armored Wolverine! Silver foil! On a comic book! SILVER! FOIL!

As I thumbed through my collection, the silver enhanced cover stupefied me. I could not resist its siren call. It called to me and said, “Read me, Brandon, for I am extreme.” I would be further stupefied after reading it again.

But I still love that cover!


Shadowhawk was created by Jim Valentino, who also wrote and drew the miniseries at hand. The character appeared in a backup of Youngbloods #2 that, if memory serves me correctly, is also the first appearance of Prophet. I’m not even Googling that to confirm. Nail me in the Facebook comments if I am wrong. 

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Shadowhawk: The Story

Oy vey. This one is a doozy. 

Let’s first talk about my perceptions and remembrances of the book from back in middle/high school. I read the first three miniseries that were released. Like a really terrible action flick, this bad boy had sequels.

The big take away that I have of Shadowhawk from that time was that he was the superhero with AIDS. Though it’s not explicitly mentioned in the first miniseries, this was both a draw and an ick-factor for the book. 

I don’t remember if it was being advertised by the time this first series ran, but I clearly remember other nerds being divided over the book.

Some were willing to go with it, while others were leery of the AIDS subplot. I don’t recall the whole AIDS subplot being an attempt to educate the youth of America about the disease. It was a hook to sell the book. Shadowhawk was the first hero to have HIV/AIDS. It felt kind of cheap at the time, as it does today.

On to the book itself… the amazingly extreme cover squarely puts it out there: Who is Shadowhawk? That’s the big mystery of the entire series. Shadowhawk is presented to the reader only in his silver Wolverine armor.

Much to my surprise, and disappointment, the question wasn’t answered by the end of the fourth issue. Who is Shadowhawk? Find out later. Nothing to see here. Now, git!!!

And it’s not like the story and plot are giving you much to latch onto. Shadowhawk is fighting crime because, as the purple prose of each issue will tell you, he’s going to take back the night!

But from what I read, he’s actually kind of crappy at his job. He routinely shows up after some truly horrible stuff has already happened. However, when he does show up he does his thing: he breaks the bad guy’s back(s)! So hardcore! So extreme! 
So Bane!

I guess I should talk about the actual story some. I don’t really want to because it’s terrible. I hope the perfunctory description below reads like a David Lynch fever dream. I literally typed it in one go. Ugh. Here it is:

There’s a lady in a tower. There’s an armored arsonist named Arson. He burns things and makes dad jokes. Tower lady hired him for some reason. Spawn tells Shadowhawk to deal with it. He does. Except Arson transforms into evil human torch. Tower lady sad. Junkie turns into monster/alien junkie. Shadowhawk and Arson fight it. Tower lady recruits more baddies with attitude problems. Savage Dragon shows up to catch Shadowhawk. He fails. Tower Lady tries to recruit Shadowhawk. This bothers Shadowhawk, so he jumps from a window. Tower lady believes he couldn’t survive the fall. Shadowhawk in in a dark room questioning life or something. Angst.

End of miniseries. 

I promise you that the above description is better than the actual comic book.

Shadowhawk: The Art

While Image is known for absolutely amazing storytelling these days, the early days of Image were more about the art. Valentino may not have been the best writer, his art was consistently amazing. Just look at his first sketch of Shadowhawk!

The story might be kind of lame, but the character design is pretty wicked. Again, as a young lad, I took one look at that design and wanted to read it immediately. But let’s take a minute to poke fun at a few things because that’s what I do, apparently.

Exhibit A: Issue #2 Cover Art = Womp Womp Womp

Have I mentioned how much I love that first issue cover? As gimmicky as the silver foil cover is, it worked at getting my hard earned dollar back in middle school. The second issue was a bit of a letdown.

First off, the gimmicks return, this time with the relatively lowball effort of a wraparound cover. Secondly, there’s nothing epic about it. As cool as Shadowhawk’s design was/is, Arson’s design is a bit too 1990s. He looks like X-O Manowar and one of Rob Liefeld’s flunky, nameless Image creations had a baby while smoking low grade crack and drinking a lot of Old Milwaukee.

And how in the hell did those kids get on a burning roof? Where were their parents? I mean, I know there was some crack and Old Milwaukee just laying around somewhere, but that’s just irresponsible. Yet again, we get to see Shadowhawk doing a great job by showing up after these moron kids ended up on the roof of a burning building.

Exhibit B: College Kids, AMIRIGHT?

I don’t know why, but this section from the beginning of issue #2 amused me greatly. Let’s take a peek at the action.

Purple prose? Check. College kids that look they’re 40? Check. Jill Ecker being easy? Check.

Uh oh! You’re wonderfully awkward blind date just got real. It’s a comic book about a hero. He’ll show up.

Damn! Things got too real! The guy who was flubbing it with easy Jill Ecker straight up just got shot. DAMN!

Where were you Shadowhawk?

Exhibit C: Oh, There You Are

Awww. Way to go, champ! Shadowhawk may not save you from being murdered, but he sure as hell will make sure that the perp that did it will have a broken back the rest of his or her life. EXTREME JUSTICE!

Exhibit D: This Ad Features No Character Anyone Knows

This advertisement made me chuckle. Holy crap, is there a more 90s ad out there? Absolutely no one remembers any of these characters. If they tell you that they do, they are lying. The names of the heroes alone are priceless. Blacklight? Slaughter? Guardd? The Others even double-dipped into characters changing the first letter of their name from ”C” to “K.” Yikes! 

Why You Should Check it Out

Well… Um. The first issue has a really awesome cover. I still love it. Not sure if I mentioned that yet. And… Um. It’s cheap. You can definitely find the issues on the cheap in the usual 90s dump bins.

Oh, he was revived during the whole Image United, the debacle of a miniseries that somehow still hasn’t been completed due to Oasis’s Gallagher Brothers-level bickering between the original partners.

But, uh, Shadowhawk was cancelled after five issues due to poor sales. So, yeah.. Kind of apropos. And… Yeah. Wow. This is really hard. That’s all I have to say about that. 

Next week, I take a trip to Ultraverse to spend some time with PRIME! See you then!    

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Some Simple Tips for Getting Into Comics https://nerdsonearth.com/2017/05/getting-into-comics/ Wed, 10 May 2017 11:04:45 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=12805

A few simple tips for getting into comics, should you be thinking of giving them a shot.

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If you are considering dipping into the hobby of comics, you will need two things. First, you’ll need the short guide written below. Second, you’ll need assorted Reddit threads to tell you everything you feel and think is wrong.

The short guide below isn’t too complicated, and maybe we can be of help as you get your start in comics. It’s a wonderful hobby that has decades of stories, characters, and art.

Some Simple Tips for Getting Into Comics

invincible coverFirst, visit the Comic Book Store Locator if you aren’t already aware of a local comic shop near you. Find it here. Not only are comic shops great for flipping through titles to discover one you might like, but they are also a source of community.

Shows like Big Bang Theory present comic shops as strange places (and some are strange), but that glosses over the fact that comic shops can provide that third space outside of home and work where you simply nerd out with like minded people.

While there, ask an employee to suggest a new #1 for you to try or watch our comic recommendation videos.

Second, look for values. Image Comics has a policy of offering the first trade of a title for $9.99. What this means is you get the first 4-5 issues of a storyline in one collected book for under $10. It’s the best deal in comics.

And Image Comics is broader than just superhero stories. Image offers titles like The Walking Dead, but they run the gamut of genres and topics. You really can get a comic for pretty much anything you are interested in.

marvel champions coverComic shops also have something called “run packs”, which are several sequential issues of a comic for a lower price point. These are good if you just want to binge some comics.

Third, consider Marvel Unlimited. Whereas Image trades are the best value in printed comics, Marvel Unlimited is the best value in digital comics. For something like $8 a month, Marvel Unlimited contains almost the entire back catalog of Marvel comics. There are literally thousands of issues at your finger tips.

Marvel Unlimited is like the Apple Music or Spotify of the comic world. The only downside is that current issues don’t appear in Unlimited until 6 months later, but that’s hardly a problem when so many back issues are available to you.

Fourth, jumping on points are always tricky in comics. You can find a comic shop, then find some interesting titles, or maybe even go digital, but the fact will remain that superhero comics in particular have decades of stories in the archives. To go back to the beginning as a completionist with comics is simply impossible.

In order to jump into comics, you just have to tell yourself that you are going to have to be OK with having gaps in the story, as you can’t know it all. Then for those few areas where you simply just have to know the backstory, hit up Wikipedia or something.

Comics have resorted to frequently relaunching their titles with a new #1 issue in order to make it seems like a starting point, but this is only adding to the confusion. The simple fact with comics is that you need to be OK with jumping on in the middle.

An exception might be the current DC Rebirth titles, which often times do work as a good jumping on point. You can never go wrong with Batman, so ask a comic shop employee if they have a run pack for a Batman rebirth title.

Finally, consider skipping floppies and go straight to trades. “Floppies” are the individual issues of comic book that are found in a comic shop, whereas “trades” collect several floppies tighter into one volume. And trades are found at normal bookstores like Barnes and Noble or on Amazon.com of course.

If you like the Guardians of the Galaxy movie for example, hop onto Amazon and pick up a trade. Something like this one is nearly 300 pages of comic for just over $20. It’s easy to take a shot on something like that and it may very well lead to more comics you enjoy.


Hopefully the above tips can help in getting you into comics. Do give them a try. The comic industry can get a lot of grief, but comics really are a wonderful storytelling medium. Plus, comics are the backbone of the Marvel movies, the most successful movie franchise of all time, and comics can also teach us some valuable IRL lessons about responsibility.

Now, choosing the right Reddit thread is another matter entirely. Sure, you’ll find some thoughts on comics (most of it from long ago in Internet years) that may help you, but for the most part you’ll want to walk in your own truth. You do you and get out there and pick up some the comics YOU like!

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A Video Introduction to Redneck #1 https://nerdsonearth.com/2017/04/video-introduction-redneck-1/ Wed, 26 Apr 2017 12:00:22 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=12948 Redneck #1 cover

Nerds on Earth reviews Redneck #1 from Image - a nontraditional vampire comic.

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Redneck #1 cover

Redneck #1

 

 

Grab it here from Comixology or search for your local comic shop using this handy dandy comic shop locator!

Writer: Donny Cates

Artists:  Dee Cunniffe and Lisandro Estherren

Release Date: April 19, 2017

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Black Cloud #1: The Power of the Storyteller https://nerdsonearth.com/2017/03/black-cloud-1-power-storyteller/ Thu, 30 Mar 2017 12:51:13 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=12622

Previewing Black Cloud #1 which hits the shelves on April 5th, 2017.

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Image Comics has become the place where comic creators take their stories to share them with the world. More and more we see comics and ideas from influential creators that wouldn’t fit in the Marvel or DC universes, especially since DC has ended its Vertigo imprint. One of the latest new titles that falls into this category is Black Cloud, which debuts with issue #1 on April 5th.

Black Cloud: The Talent

The creators behind Black Cloud have substantial work so it isn’t that Image is taking much of a risk with this book. The story is told by Ivan Brandon, who has substantial experience as a storyteller in a variety of mediums and Jason Latour, who is best known as an artist but, as this story demonstrates, he has substantial gifts as a writer as well.

The book is drawn by Greg Hinkle, most notably known for 2016’s Airboy series and colored by Matt Wilson, who also works on the award winning Paper Girls comic. This combination helps to make the story behind Black Cloud that much more interesting.

In the first issue, which clocks in at 27 pages, we learn that the world has lost its sense of story and dreams and yet there are some that can still make that connection. The lead character Zelda seems to be a type of medium, able to bridge this world and its lost dreams with another world, that is much different. In this world, she is a young one on the streets, offering to dream for money; in the other world, she clearly has gifts and prestige. So is the opening hook to this story done well?

Black Cloud: A Well Done #1

First, the art is a major force in telling the story. There are two different worlds being shown and the use of color is masterful, helping to easily distinguish between the two worlds and when they connect; and the palette that Matt Wilson is using is very evocative of the work he has done on Paper Girls as well. Additionally, the fantasy world Zelda can lead others to is truly unique.  While the reader isn’t given much time there, there are fantastical characters that make you understand the uniqueness of the world, while also peaking interest.

Second, the premise of the story is well done. It isn’t a stunning surprise to find that 4 comic book creators are bemoaning the loss and sense of story in the world; they likely have seen it up-close and personally. But the touches that they bring around it show us how much that loss is true. While everyone has done the bit about how we are married to our screens, that idea is leveraged to great appeal here; the hollowness of the screen and the attention we give it makes us all wonder if there is something more. And Zelda can give us a compelling answer.

Third, we are given enough to establish the rough sketch of the story but not unravel the whole thing. We learn that there is something that can draw Zelda between the two worlds. We see an economy and how a storyteller profits from it on this side. There is a power dynamic that is introduced and I am sure that will play out over the rest of the series in both worlds.

All in all, this premiere gets 7.5 out of 10 Nerds. There is a premise here that I suspect will play out better in a trade where the second part is readily accessible. But this issue as a stand alone offers much promise for this new series.

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The Nerds On Earth Spoiler-Free Review of Head Lopper #5 https://nerdsonearth.com/2017/03/review-of-head-lopper-5/ Wed, 15 Mar 2017 12:37:48 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=12394

A review of Head Lopper, a comic that will scratch any kind of sword & sorcery itch you might happen to have.

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Head Lopper #5 (available on March 15th) continues the story of Andrew MacClean’s eponymous Head Lopper. MacClean provides art and story, while Jordie Bellaire is on colors. This issue starts a brand new arc–”The Crimson Tower.”

Read on for a spoiler-free review of Head Lopper, as well as an overview of the series (just in case you’re late to the party).

The Head Lopper: Who He Is And How He Came To Be

His name is Norgal. He lops heads.

He has a beard, a sword, and a witch’s head. The head talks. It’s name is Agatha. It is rarely polite.

With his huge sword and bare chest, Norgal certainly bears more than a passing resemblance to Robert Jordan’s most famous creation but Head Lopper does a great job carving out a spot for itself in a market otherwise clogged with sub-par Game of Thrones clones.

It’s hard to have a lot of character development when your hero is a monosyllabic pile of muscles and violence, which is where Agatha Blue Witch comes in. Without her sharp tongue and tremendous appetite, Head Lopper would be grim and joyless, just another monster comic.

But MacClean has hit on an effective balance of Norgal’s Eastwood-esque grunting mystique and Agatha’s impudent cackling. Every time Norgal gets too serious, Agatha throws out another insult; every time it seems like she’ll get annoying, Norgal gets in a fight with a giant wolf.

Review of Head Lopper: How’s It Look?

The art is good, by which I mean it’s dynamic, by which I mean there’s a real sense of motion when the characters jump around and lop heads.

By now, “Mignola” is indisputably its own style, and with popularity inevitably comes poor imitators, who merely duplicate without innovation. Fortunately, MacClean deserves to be recognized for making the Hellboy-inspired Head Lopper completely unique. His lines are clean, and his silhouettes are distinct; at times, Norgal’s face disappears into his beard, leaving him a hulking mass with a blank, white face. It’s the perfect look for a character that’s more about action than talk.

Jordie Bellaire’s colors are bold, and, as usual, she does an excellent job of using distinct palettes to make characters immediately distinguishable. Anyone who’s read Manhattan Projects will be familiar with the tricks she uses to divide the page and set tone; if these new Head Lopper stories are any indication, she’s still at the top of her game.

And That Brings Us To Now

The first four-issue arc managed to weave together a story of monsters, revenge, and palace intrigue into a single compelling story, and based on the first issue of this new arc, (which sees Norgal, Agatha, and a handful of others storming a tower in a kind of Hunger Games-meets-Dungeons & Dragons competition), MacClean is trying to replicate that initial success. It’s hard to know if he’ll pull it off based off of that one issue, but all the building blocks are there.

Issue #5 has its share of scrapes, and when the action lets up, it’s only to flesh out the history of the characters. There’s a proud warrior looking to avenge the loss of her people that gets a lot of attention, and it’s a fair bet that she’ll be the focus of much of the growth as the arc continues (recall that Norgal is less of a character than he is a destructive weather system, so there’s not a lot of dynamism there).

There’s also an aspect I’m curious about involving these little dudes:

They’re adorable. And there’s a surprising amount of tension involving Twerpal (he’s the one with hat. Not the naked one). I’ll say this for MacClean–it isn’t easy to make the most interesting character in your barbarian fantasy a two-foot-tall goblin without a nose.

Review of Head Lopper: The Bottom Line

Head Lopper is not an introspective comic. It asks few questions and makes few demands of the reader. In fact, there’s only one important question that needs to be answered here: Is Head Lopper #5 worth your money? And the answer to that question is “Sure,” especially if there’s still Skull Kickers-shaped hole in your pull list. (You can get the first trade here to tide you over.)

Head Lopper will scratch any kind of sword & sorcery itch you might happen to have…provided you’re willing to wait three months between issues.

Wait…Three months?

Ross Hardy screeches about politics here. He wrote a comic book here and another one here. He wrote a book book here.

[Disclosure: Image Comics provided Nerds on Earth a copy of Head Lopper #5 for review.]

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Review of Image Comics’ Eclipse Collected Edition, Volume 1 https://nerdsonearth.com/2017/02/review-image-comics-eclipse-collected-edition-volume-1/ Mon, 06 Feb 2017 17:37:08 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=12032

Eclipse from Image Comics has its first collected vuleme. Nerds on earth takes a look.

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Sometimes, a work of art can be greater than the sum of its parts. The collected edition of the 4 issue comic series Eclipse is an example of that.

The pieces of the story can feel kind of pedestrian. If you are making the elevator pitch of this book, you would talk about a dystopian future, a renegade official who doesn’t want to be a hero and corruption at the highest level. But the pieces add up to a greater story in this collected edition, which is being released this week.

Zach Kaplan is a screenwriter, with Eclipse being his first published comic, and that training shows. This book, like many short runs series that the comic industry produces, feels like a pitch for a television series or a movie. Once you accept that this wave is the new standard of comics today, Eclipse is a very good example of that type of collection.

The dystopian future. The inciting event for the world to turn all dark, in this case literally, is a solar flare followed up with sun rays that now make living on the surface of the Earth during daylight deadly. So, 10 years later, the few survivors in the world have flipped in some ways, as we have the people of the world living under the Earth during the day and coming out to live in New York City during the night. Giovanni Timpano is the artist for the book and does a tremendous job.

His art is evocative in both the personal moments but also in some cityscapes that he has to draw; the attention to detail is amazing. And his artwork his only improved by the coloring of Chris Northop. The coloring has to help create two worlds: the daylight city and the underground life that everyone is living; Northop’s work really does a great job of making those two worlds come alive. In particular, the light of the world is extremely vivid, almost blindingly so but it really helps sell the tone of this book. (The collected edition has some excellent commentary around how the book was created in some additional material at the end of the story.)

The renegade official. The main character of the story is David Baxter, who now is one of the few people who knows how to use special suits to be out in the city during the daylight hours. He gets drug into heroics for the second time, when someone is murdered by being out in the sun. We learn from some flashbacks, he had to help officials when the solar flare first happened and it cost him his family. Think of the grizzled, down on his luck character that Bruce Willis portrays and you get the idea.

The corruption. You need to read the story but know that everything is never what it seems in the dystopian world.

 It may one day some up on the large screen or small screen, as there are definitely some pieces and characters that are just meant to tease what may come in the future, including the villain, the rich girl socialite with a heart, the former scientist love interest for the main character and a police detective. But the comic collection stands on its own as a solid collection. 

If you like science fiction and this book sounds interesting based on those premises, the collected edition is worth checking out. You can get it here.

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The Few #1: Image Comics’ Latest Dystopian World Comes Alive https://nerdsonearth.com/2017/01/the-few-1-image-comics-latest-dystopian-world-comes-alive/ Tue, 17 Jan 2017 12:18:45 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=11722

The Few is a new Image series about post-apocalyptic America. It's in comic shops this week.

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So, let me be the first to say, Image Comics’ book The Few isn’t going to be the title that you should pick-up if you think that the world is crouching towards its inevitable destruction, and America especially in that equation. But Sean Lewis and Hayden Sherman have created a compelling opening issue that does the work of creating a world where that has and is happening. It is an artistic examination as we are dropped quickly into the story from a variety of viewpoints, which move to a climax of story telling that unpacks more than it would first appear.

First off, it is hard to do dystopian well any more. From The Walking Dead to The Hunger Games forward, it feels like nearly every creator has shared their take about the world ending and what that will look like. Image has evoked Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven in some of their promotional materials for The Few. While I would disagree overall so far with the tone, The Few does have some of the sense of disconnection of the world that Station Eleven has. But the take is much darker than that.

Even by the issue’s end, we don’t know much about this world. Set in the geographical place of America, we basically have a character with a baby, discovered by 2 brothers. The rest of the issue is giving the backstory of the woman and the child and how they came to be there.

Part of what makes the story work is Sherman’s unique art style. The color palette relies on white and black images, with some browns and sephia tones but highlighted with a muted red, that is used for blood and other effects. It is very hard to describe and certainly unique to see. It reminds me of some of the work of Riley Rossmo, especially the earliest Proof work as well as Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth, though that may be due as much to the wilderness and snow setting as anything.

From the storytelling standpoint, the end of the comic has a swerve that definitely caught me off-guard. I am not entirely sure that it works but it will be interesting to see how the story progresses moving forward into future issues. For a first issue, it does the work of building an interesting enough world for me to want to see what happens next.

The Few #1 by Image Comics hits comic shops this week!

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