Tag Archives: marvel

Review | Kick-Ass 2 #2, by Mark Millar

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Kick-Ass 2 #2It’s been a while since the first issue of Kick-Ass 2. Granted, I bought and read this a couple of weeks ago, but we’ve still had a long wait between #1 and #2. According to one of his tweets, Mark Millar is working on something new. I don’t know what this means for Kick-Ass 2. I’ve asked him when #3 will be out, so we’ll see.

Dave, AKA Kick-Ass, discovered a band of superheroes in #1. These superheroes are all just like Dave — people who wanted to make a difference. A few of them have really sad stories. In #3, Dave gets to know them a lot better and goes on a mission with them. He also discovers that he knows one of them better than he thought.

I really like this series. My first experience with Kick-Ass was the movie, and I immediately ordered the Kick-Ass graphic novel. I ended up reading Kick-Ass 2 #1 before reading Kick-Ass, but I still really enjoyed it.

I have to say that I really miss Mindy. She’s boring now that she’s not Hit Girl, and you can just tell that she’s bored. It’s nice to see her trying to be a normal girl her age, but she definitely feels like something is missing. It will be interesting to see if she will become Hit Girl again, and whether she’ll try to live a double life like Dave is, or if she’ll just go all out Hit Girl again.

Spoiler AlertKick-Ass and the “neighborhood watch” — as Colonel Stars calls them — work together to bust a group of gangsters. I don’t know if it’s just me, but Colonel Stars kind of reminds me of Big Daddy. Am I being paranoid here?

We also learn that some Red Mist fans have been congregating on Twitter. Obviously we all know that we haven’t seen the last of Red Mist, but it would be cool if he was recruiting various misfits to form some kind of Red Mist army.

Safe AlertAh, this series has so many possibilities… I just hope that #3 comes out soon. You know. Like next month, or even later this month.

I can’t really think of anything I didn’t like in this issue. It seems to be gearing toward even more awesome… which is kind of what the cover promised.

Format: Comic
Publisher: Icon / Millarworld / Marvel
Pages: 23
Release Date: March 30th, 2011
Price: $2.99

5/5 Freaking StarsI had to give this issue a 5 out of 5 Freaking Stars, because it rocked.

What did you think? Leave me a comment!

10 Best Ways to Read on a Budget

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You have a habit, and you have to support that habit. Paperbacks and comic book issues are cheap, but hardcover books, graphic novels, and trade paperbacks are quite a chunk of change — and if you buy many at a time like some of us do, it’s a huge chunk of change!

Because we all love books and also love saving money, here are ten ways that you will be able to save without going through withdrawals.

Buy $1 Books at Stop & Shop

I’ve seen a bookshelf full of secondhand books in the checkout area at several Stop & Shop stores. Most of these are sleazy romance novels, but I’ve found some treasures. I got one of the Shannara books by Terry Brooks for a buck one time, and I’ve always loved the Shannara series. Even better, the proceeds are donated to charity.

Read Entire Books and Comics Online for Free

Many authors post a few chapters from their new or upcoming books, but I’ve also seen entire books for free. The Oatmeal and Hyperbole and a Half post their own web comics for free, and both Marvel and DC offer free previews as well as a few free complete issues, and charge 99ยข for other complete issues. Image Comics lets you read the first issue of dozens of their comics for free.

Get Books on Craigslist for Free

My friend once got a whole box full of Stephen King novels from a Craigslist listing. They were the good ones, too — some of which even I haven’t read! People go through their stuff all of the time, and Craigslist is a great way to reap the rewards. (I get to reap those rewards, too; when I asked my friend how much she payed, she offered to pass on the ones she’s read!)

Set Up a Book Swap

Get all of your friends to put together the books they’ve read and would like to trade, and hold a book swap. No one walks away without something new, and you can donate the leftovers to Goodwill, a thrift store, the Boys and Girls Club, or the charity of your choice.

Scavenge Your Neighborhood for Books at Yard Sales

Sometimes people need to get rid of their stuff, but they also need a little extra cash. Lucky for us bookworms, you can get their books for cheap. Keep your eyes open for some golden comics, too, because some people don’t know the value of them and just want to make space.

Visit Local Used Bookstores

Several years ago, I went to a tiny bookstore downtown with a couple of friends, and walked out with books I’d always wanted but couldn’t afford to buy new. You would be surprised at what stores are in your area. Find a used bookstore in your city or town by going to Google and searching “bookstore [your city]“.

Buy Used Books Online

It still thrills me that you can buy used books online. Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble carry used copies of the books they sell. You can almost always find a used copy if the paperback or hardcover is out of your budget. They even have used comics! Both sites also offer sweet shipping deals.

Buy a Barnes and Noble Membership

You will save a hell of a lot by getting a BN membership if you have the extra $25 for the year. That $25 may seem hard to part with when you have two books in your arms that you absolutely have to buy, but it’s well worth it if you’re a frequent customer. (Hi!)

Sign Up for a Library Card

Don’t forget about your local library! Anyone with proof of residency can get a card, and it’s free. You can read all of the books you want, and most libraries carry graphic novels. If you forget to bring them back on time, the late fees are very small; my library charges under a dollar a day, per day over the due date.

Read Comics

Comics are the cheapest form of literature you can buy. DC Comics just lowered all of their prices, so most of their comic books are $2.99. Image also only charges a couple bucks. Sadly, Marvel is still in the dark ages, and apparently doesn’t want to give their customers a break. Many people buy a dozen issues at a time. If you buy twelve comic books at $3.99, you’re dishing out almost fifty bucks, as opposed to just a little over $35.

How do you support your book habit without going broke? Share your tips in the comments!

Review | The Sorceror

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Spoilers ahead for Stephen King‘s The Dark Tower series.

The Sorceror

The Sorceror

The Sorceror, a one-shot in Marvel’s Dark Tower series, was Robin Furth’s vision of Walter the magician’s point of view throughout the Treachery arc. It was interesting to see Walter’s point of view, but I had the same problem with this one shot as I have with the rest of the series: Furth needs to quit embellishing. I know it’s all under the blessing of Stephen King, but it still annoys me. For one thing, she created this nephew of Maerlyn who goes into Gilead to help culminate the destruction of the gunglingers’ home as well as to get Maerlyn’s Grapefruit back. This nephew was NOT in the Wizard and Glass novel.

Nor was the female gunslinger in training, Aileen, also known as Cort’s niece. Cort did NOT have a niece in the books. It seems to me as though Furth is setting her up to be Roland’s pseudo love interest, which is even more annoying because anyone who read the books knows that Susan was Roland’s one and only, and though he comes to love his tet as best he can, he never has another woman of romantic interest.

Did you hear that, Robin Furth? Let me repeat it for you: ROLAND IS ONLY INTERESTED IN SUSAN IN THE BOOKS. QUIT FORCING AILEEN ON HIM.

Part of me has been wondering if, throughout this whole comic book version of the books, Furth is setting it all up to be different for Roland this time as he hurtles helplessly toward his repetitive destiny so that, maybe, when he gets to the Tower this time, things will be slightly different. Right now the series is on The Battle at Jericho, which I haven’t got to yet, so I’m wondering if Roland will pick up the horn this time or if it will be lost once again.

I’ve slowly been losing interest in the series, as I am more and more annoyed with Furth’s embellishments as each issue comes out. But back to The Sorceror.

This one-shot should NOT be read as a standalone. You need to read the preceding story arcs in order to understand what is being explained in the magician’s point of view. I almost want to say that it shouldn’t even be called a one-shot, as I thought that one shots were supposed to be standalone additions to the story that don’t require any other knowledge. However, Wiki has spoken, and says that one-shots

a pilot comic or a stand-alone story created to last as one issue. These single issues are usually labeled with a “#1″ despite there being no following issues, and are sometimes subtitled as “specials”. On occasion, a character or concept will appear in a series of one-shots, in cases where the subject matter is not financially lucrative enough to merit an ongoing or limited series, but still popular enough to be published on a regular basis, often annually or quarterly.

Still, you should read the rest of the series before reading The Sorceror. And, while you’re at it, read the books before you even think about picking up the comics. I promise you, you will be annoyed with Robin Furth, too.

*evil Family Guy monkey points finger at Furth*