It’s time for an iFlashback, a weekly feature in which we take a look at some comics that were on sale nine years ago. Why nine and not ten? Our Mondays and Wednesdays used to sync up, but 2004 was a leap year so we are off by a day. So jog down memory lane with me. The date is May 19th, 2004 the number one film at the box office is Troy and these are some of the books that are on the stands at your local comic shop.
Batman: Gotham Knights #53
By A.J. Lieberman, Alejandro Barrionuevo, Francis Portela
Wolverine #15
By Greg Rucka, Darick Robertson, Tom Palmer, Jimmy Palmiotti
Adventures of Superman #628
By Greg Rucka, Matthew Clark, Nelson
NYC Mech #1
By Ivan Brandon, Miles Gunter, Andy MacDonald
Invincible #12
By Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Bill Crabtree
Justice League of America: Another Nail #1
By Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, John Kalisz
New X-Men: Academy X #1
By Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Randall Green
Seaguy #1
By Grant Morrison, Cameron Stewart
Robin #126
By Bill Willingham, Damion Scott
That was the week that was in comics. Seaguy is brilliant and New X-Men get’s a fresh new number one. Also, a fan favorite dons the Robin costume. So, did you read any of the comics that came out this week? If you did, be sure to let us know what you thought of them.
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Man that Baman cover looks sweet. “Invincible” is the only one I read, but lots of these look interesting. What was “Seaguy” exactly? It Morrison so I know it’s probably out there. And Greg Rucka wrote Superman and Wolverine at the same time? Weird, what does he even see in guys like Wolverine and Punisher, they’re not the characters I’d figure Rucka would want to work on.
Seaguy is tons of fun. It’s one of the hidden gems in Morrison’s body of work. You should check it out.
I would argue that the Punisher fits Rucka’s sensibilities like a glove. And his Wolverine wasn’t half bad either.
I haven’t read his Wolverine, and only a little of his Punisher, but I think Greg has said in interviews (maybe Word Balloon from a year or two back?) that Steve Wacker had to convince him to write the Punisher. If I remember it right, it was the idea of Frank’s role being not so much the protagonist, but more like the shark in Jaws (just a force of nature) that hooked Rucka on the book.
What is “Seaguy” like in terms of other Morrison books; is it like “Happy”? “Doom Patrol”?,”Animal Man” or “Flex Metallo”? I’ve only read the first three and felt mixed reactions toward them.
The clerk at my LCS raves about Rucka’s Punisher but I never thought he would be interested in the character, or Wolverine either. I saw him in an interview and he said (answering a fan’s Gender question) the most muscline comic character was Wolverine I think, and then spent the next 3 minutes stammering on what he meant by that. He almost seemed annoyed or just making fun of Logan’s common personality traits. That Punisher analogy (like the shark in Jaws) interests me tho.
@IthoSapien Of the books you list, Seaguy is most like Flex Mentallo, but even that comparison doesn’t quite work. Like FM it’s sort of about the history of comics, but less a reaction to deconstruction and maybe more about homogenized corporate entertainment. It’s at the same time super silly, incredibly sad, and just the best comic ever. I definitely recommend giving it a shot – maybe try to find it in the library first before you pull the trigger on the trades?
Seaguy is one of the best things that Morrison has ever written. There are some serious themes running around in the subtext, but mostly it’s a lot of fun. Plus, it features the best floating, cigar smoking, talking tuna ever. Truly, trust me on this. Also, the art by Cameron Stewart is amazing; it’s my favorite work of his.
There’s supposed to be a third mini at some point, but, I’m starting to give up on it ever happening. Last I heard DC let the trade of the first series go out of print, and never bothered to collect the second.
Thanks for the feedback @AaronBlock and @Cosmo, I’ll definitely look for “Seaguy” at my library. “Flex Metallo” too since I’ve never read that.
Consider me the dissenter on Seaguy. I read the first trade and decided it wasn’t for me. A whole lot of crazy and not much else, in my opinion.
Man that Gotham Knights run was sooo bizarre. With the weird Hush identity fake-outs and non-mystery, the strange case of The Joker’s wife, just so much randomness went on during this run.
I just read all of New X-Men on the Marvel Unlimited app, that was a really solid book, it’s too bad that a lot of the surviving characters from that era have been sidelined at the Jean Grey school lately.
I agree, I’d buy a book featuring even some of those characters in a heartbeat. Put like Gage, Bendis, or Yost on it. Wolv and the X-men just doesn’t feel like a teen mutant book to me.
Yeah, I like WATXM, but it seems like it’s been a while since it focused on anyone but Wolverine and a handful of the newer students. As much as some folks like to rail against the number of X-books, I’d totally be up for a book that focuses on the kids.
The younger characters being sidelined seems to be an ongoing problem for the X-Men. There are always these young mutant characters with a lot of potential and then they get killed, maimed, and/or forgotten. I suppose it’s just to be expected when you have different writers and creative directions coming and going. And the established characters sell more books.
@stasisbal: That’s very true, but I guess it’s nice to know that if they aren’t killed off, depowered or otherwise disposed of, they have a chance of coming back around eventually.
From the original New Mutants, Cannonball and Sunspot are Avengers, Wolfsbane’s been in X-Factor for years, and Moonstar is (I think) in Fearless Defenders. OF the surviving GenX kids, M had a good run in Factor, Chamber has a backup role in X-Men Legacy, and Husk is part of a dangling subplot in Wolverine and The X-Men.
So I guess it’s just a matter of time (and the right creators) before Rockslide, Anole, Dust, Prodigy, and the rest have their chance again.
I think they should hav had Stephanie as Robin for a much longer time. That was an interesting concept that didn’t last nearly long enough.
I felt like it ran it’s natural course, Stephanie was a good Robin and quick learner but she had a problem following orders. Batman fired her for almost (possibly) killing Mr. Zsaz right?
Wasn’t she Robin for like three issues? That hardly seems like long enough to me. I don’t really remember the details of why she was fired, but it was definitely for not following an order of some kind.
Yeah, I wish that she could have been Robin just a little longer — give her a strong success before she falls from favor. In retrospect it was probably simply done to give her the motivation for trying to prove herself by setting War Games in motion . . .
I feel like we’re forgetting the dozen Bat-titles that ran at the time, so Stephanie Brown was probably Robin for 6 issues but probably only for a month. Besides, Batman agreeing to train her was pretty monumental to me, since Batgirl never got that honor (as far as I know) and he was pretty against her since they met.
I loved Stephanie as Robin. I still fondly remember the scene where she wanted to drive the Batmobile.
Having her there made the Bat books a happier read.
I would be on board with her return, despite the excellent send off she received as Batgirl, but there would be a part of me that would have the hope that she gets her “happily ever after” at the same time.
That Invincible cover might be my favorite comicbook cover of all time. I just love the way that the image kind of turns the title into a cruel joke.
This was the month I got back into comics after a hiatus that lasted years. I remember seeing that Robin cover and picking up that issue just because the female Robin seemed interesting. I really liked Willingham’s Robin.
what was the premise of Justice League: Another Nail?
It’s a sequel to the “JLA: The Nail” mini-series. The original was an Elseworlds mini about the DCU if a nail had given the Kent’s truck a flat tire on the night Kal-El’s rocket landed on Earth, meaning they never found him, he wasn’t raised to be Clark Kent, etc. So it’s an alt-universe tale with gorgeous art and a pretty fun plot twist (that’s kind of spoiled by the cover of Another Nail, whoops.) The sequel was less exciting, but still a treat to look at because Alan Davis is Alan Davis. If they’re collected together then you might as well read both, but if you can only get them individually I’d just pick up The Nail. It’s a solid JLA story.
I think NYC mech was the first Image book I bought. This was when I was first getting into comics as an adult, and didn’t have much of a pull list at all. I don’t remember much about it, except I only made it 3 issues in, so I’m guessing I didn’t love it. Oh, well, live and learn.
Man, Greg Rucka was busy AND doing two major books for two separate companies. I remembering liking Seaguy but it took so long for the second volume to come out I forgot about it. That and a third volume was suppose to happen but, so far, it has not even come close to being announced.
Here are some big events, births, and deaths to occur on May 19th:
Events
-1536: Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, is beheaded
Births
-1925: Malcolm X
-1944: Peter Mayhew (aka Chewbacca)
-1945: Peter Townsend
Deaths
-1994: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
That Batman:Gotham Knights cover..WOW!
Only got JL : Another Nail in trade, I liked it but I realized it’s kinda similar to some of those DC events book, different villain/cosmic threat eg. Final Night. Art was nice.