The Best of the Week in Panels – 07.25.2012

I’m going anyway. Let’s talk about something important. Put. That coffee. Down. Coffee’s for closers only. You think I’m fucking with you? I am not fucking with you. I’m here from downtown. I’m here from Mitch and Murray. And I’m here on a mission of mercy. Your name’s Levine? You call yourself a panel you son of a bitch?

Axe Cop: President of the World #1

by Malachai Nicolle, Ethan Nicolle, and Dirk Erik Schulz

And that’s when the gorilla pooped out a volcano.

– Ali Colluccio

American Vampire #29

by Scott Snyder & Rafael Albuquerque

Skinner takes on a cougar, with his fists. While wearing a great suit.

– Josh Flanagan

The Ultimates #13

by Sam Humphries, Billy Tan, Terry Pallot, and Matt Milla

This series hasn’t really gelled for me since the relaunch, this panel makes me think it might be getting back on track.

– Ryan Haupt

Debris #1

by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Riley Rossmo

Way too often, world-building in sci-fi stories comes down to endless exposition. I love that, at the start of Debris, Wiebe and Rossmo don’t explain a thing. You’ve got “avios,” a “dire,” and disciple as a verb to figure out on your own. Along with a bright, beautiful two-page spread.

– Josh Christie

John Carter: The Gods of Mars #5

by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Sam Humphries, Ramón Pérez, & Jordie Bellaire

When I talk about Ramón Pérez, I like to talk about a cartoonist. This is an Eisner winning artist blowing everyone away on a licensed book almost no one is reading. Look at that second panel. It’s not realistic, per se, but it’s wonderful.

– Josh Flanagan

Wolverine and the X-Men #14

by Jason Aaron, Jorge Molina, Norman Lee, Morry Hollowell, and Chris Eliopoulos

I’ve met The Phoenix. And you, sir, are no The Phoenix.

– Ali Colluccio

Super Dinosaur #12

By Robert Kirkman & Jason Howard

I’m so glad they decided to stick with that team name.

– Josh Christie

Dark Avengers #178

by Jeff Parker, Kev Walker, & Declan Shalvey

Someone please make Man Thing not talk like that anymore now please!

– Josh Flanagan

FF #20

by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta, and Chris Sotomayor

That’s the same face I make on my throne.

– Ryan Haupt

Comments

  1. Love love love the John Carter series, definitely worth checking out if you haven’t yet.

    • And for the record – let’s be clear that its not a licensed property. It’s public domain.

    • It is a fantastic series. Full of adventure and fun, and awesome art paired with great writing. Love this book so much, and I say that as a non-fan of John Carter as a whole. (Yes, I loved the movie, but not the Dynamite stuff…)

    • Just to be clear, John Carter IS a licensed property, it’s owned by Disney. Which is of course why MARVEL is doing the comic, also being owned by Disney.

    • That’s a matter for the courts:

      http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120228/18543417906/edgar-rice-burroughs-inc-using-trademark-law-to-prevent-use-public-domain-stories.shtml

      ERB, Inc holds the trademark to John Carter and Tarzan, etc, but A Princess of Mars is public domain.

    • Yes I am aware of all that but as even the article you linked to says the character of John Carter is owned by ERB Inc. and is therefore licensed from them, making it a licensed property. What that lawsuit is about is Dynamite Comics using characters that are clearly Tarzan and John Carter without calling them by those names. So as I said, and as your link confirms, John Carter is owned ERB Inc. and licensed by Disney.

    • Like many Lovecraft tales. ERB was writing at what would turn out to be the cusp for what is and isn’t public domain. Some of his stories fell on the beneficial side of that line (for me anyway, meaning I can read it for free) and some did not (Like the majority of the John Carter series and Lovecraft’s Cthulhu chronicles). I don’t know why we as readers need to argue and debate this as we aren’t the ones breaking the laws by reading them.

  2. It’s actually a female lion Skinner Sweet is fighting.

  3. Since when did Ultimate Iron Man turn into the robot from Metropolis?

  4. in Wolverine and the X-men#14 I would have gone with the panel of Colossus treating Kitty to a dinner of lobster and various seafood! Isn’t she jewish?? (yes, I just now saw that Seinfeld episode!)

    • I would have chosen a different panel, too. That issue had three or four just unbelievably fantastic panels, and the one with Peter screaming about being the Phoenix is not one of them.

  5. Ryan, You are straining to much. Be careful

  6. Looks like I’ll be going back to the comic shop to pick up Debris #1. I hope it’s still in stock.

  7. I dropped off after the name change….Is that really how Man Thing is talking now? Please say no.

    • No.
      Man Thing is using the universal language (I believe that`s what it`s called). That means that every person hears him in the language and dialect that they are most familiar and comfortable with. So since he was talking to Boomerang in that panel, that is how he perceives his speech.

      I, for one, think it`s really funny. The name change did not change the book at all, it just added more characters for Jeff Parker to play with.

    • Agreed. Still a great book. I like when Man-Thing speaks to Boomer. It’s funny. It be illn’, yo. lmao

  8. I was glad to see Debris represented here. Rossmo’s art is outstanding as usual, and I thought the coloring (by Owen Gieni) was extremely well done- not what one might expect from a sci-fi comic.

  9. I loved the Deadman/Steve Trevor backflip sequence from Justice Jeague Dark this week (reminded me of 1980s Captain America comics) as well as..everything from the Manhattan Projects.

  10. FF #20 toilet joke? I love it

  11. I love that Man Thing talks now, its done really well as is pretty much everything in Dark Avengers.

  12. Does the Ultimates take place in the mid -90’s? That looks like a panel out of Grant Morrison’s Doom Force

  13. What’s the intro text homagimg? Thanks!

    • Glengarry Glen Ross. 1992. James Foley movie from a David Mamet play. Starring Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin, and the great Jack Lemmon. One of my personal top five movies of all time. Rated R for strong language. If cursing turns you off, don’t watch this. If it doesn’t, make it one of the ‘Movies To See Before You Die.’ If you’ve ever worked in sales, you’ll love it.

      Aside: Baldwin parodies his character Blake (from downtown) on a Christmas SNL. Both are worth tracking down.

  14. There were much better panels in many books this week, especially art wise but see the significance in the ones chosen.