Monthly Archives: April 2014
Free Comic Book Day 2014 – Casual Comic Hot Picks
Free Comic Book Day 2014 is this coming Saturday, May 3. I’ve got a link to the free comics below, and you should check out any and all copies you can get your hands on. That said, here are the ones you should definitely look for when you’re at your local comic book shop this weekend:
DC The New 52 Future’s End Special Edition
Hardly a single part of that phrase after “DC” makes any sense. However, it’s free and a way to see what you’ve been missing in the DC Universe.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Get this one in preparation for the big summer spectacular feature film. Read the rest of this entry
Casual Comic Guy Picks: Hot Comic Books of the Week (April 30, 2014)
It’s a big week this week – a special week. It’s a week so big, the title of “Hot Pick of the Week” went a little haywire.
That’s right, Saturday May 3 is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. Be sure to visit your friendly local comic book shop on Saturday for all the festivities (and to grab some free books, too). I’ll have a preview of the free titles later this week, but to start your double dip of comic goodness, here are the top picks for the hot new comic books of the week.
Amazing Spider-Man #1
Amazing Spider-Man #1. By: Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos. Marvel Comics.
It seems almost mandatory that Amazing Spider-Man #1 make the list this week. Read the rest of this entry
Weird Comic of the Week – “What If…” #34 (1992)
OK – so in honor of the Marvel event series “Original Sin”, I thought I’d spotlight a weird “What If…” issue.
Weird, right?
Oh, Uatu. What’s happened to you? I’m OK with the cross-dressing. It’s the Marilyn Monroe pose you’re striking that slays me.
– CCG
Casual Comic Guy Picks: Hot Comic Books of the Week (April 23, 2014)
Another week closer to summer. Another week closer to the NFL football draft. How to kill the time? Why with comic books, obviously! So what hot new comics should you be looking for this week? Don’t ask me, I’m just a casual comics guy.
But if you don’t read comics very often and need something to kill some time and (maybe) help you get back into comics, maybe you want to look at one of these… Because this week, in the immortal words of Devo, I’ve got something for everybody.
Duffman Adventures #1
Duffman Adventures #1. By: Matt Groening, Mike Rote. Bongo Comics.
To be honest, I’ve never read a Simpsons title in my life. Not even the obvious, “Radioactive Man” series. Read the rest of this entry
Casual Comic Guy Picks: Hot Comic Books of the Week (April 16, 2014)
Hopefully, the Tax Man was kind to you this year, friends. Because it’s new comic time again, and last week was so full of goodness I don’t know how to pay for this week’s comics myself.
Let’s see how many must-have comic book titles are popping up this week.
Hulk #1
Hulk #1. By: Mark Waid, Mark Bagley, Jerome Opena. Marvel Comics.
I was literally, just today, lamenting that we haven’t seen Hulk onscreen since The Avengers and won’t see him again until Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. Read the rest of this entry
Weird Comic Book Cover of the Week – Superboy #124
Random thoughts on this weird comic book cover:
Why no “S” on the chest for Superbaby? Did he not learn his A-B-C’s yet?
Pa Kent seems concerned that the bare fist of Superbaby will, literally, kill someone. How does the glove prevent that?
In fact, the title card says that the “Babe of Steel” has a “Killer Punch”. Stop killing people, Superbaby…
Also, when I think of a “Babe” of “Steel”, I’m thinking of something else…
Something else nerdy, but still… something else.
This is approved by the Comics Code? Babies punching people in the face?
Best of luck wrapping your mind around this, folks.
– CCG
Casual Comics Double Down Review – Secret Avengers #1 and #2
Time after time I’ve been duped by Avengers titles. Avengers A.I. #1? Tricked by the hidden “AI” subtitle. New Avengers #1? Way too dark and complicated for a casual fan. So, once again into the Avengers Universe I tumbled when I added Secret Avengers #1 to my weekly picks last month.
Now that #2 has hit the shelves, it’s time to take a reflect on the Secret Avengers and decide. Would I add this to my pull list (if I ever started one)?
Let’s start with the cover and review the team:
Secret Avengers #1… an odd crew.
So, from left-to-right, we’ve got Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Spider Woman, Phil Coulson, and MODOK. And my immediate reaction was “Whaaaa?” Read the rest of this entry
Casual Comic Guy Picks: Hot Comic Books of the Week (April 9, 2014)
Wow. What a great week for comics. If I bought all the hot picks for this week, it would take me three weeks to read them all. But, I think they’re all worth checking out (or at least skimming). Too many comics – not enough time… Straight into the previews.
I hope you saved up your nickels. folks, ’cause there’s a lot this week.
Astro City #11
Astro City #11. By: Kurt Busiek, Brent Eric Anderson, Alex Ross. DC Comics.
Astro City is a comic I remember fondly. Read the rest of this entry
Casual Comic Guy Picks: Hot Comic Books of the Week (April 2, 2014)
Here we are again. Another week. Another new comics day. The comics are like the mail. No matter how far behind I get (and I’m at least two weeks behind reading the comics I’ve bought), they just keep coming.
Not that it’s a bad thing… Just an observation. But that’s why my list is shorter this week. I have issues… BACK ISSUES!
Quantum & Woody #9
Quantum and Woody #9. By: James Asmus, Kano, Tom Fowler. Valiant Entertainment LLC.
People keep telling me that Quantum and Woody is a great title – one I should be reading. Also, I recall this title from my days persuing the shelves of Dragon’s Lair way back in 1988.
It’s been around forever, there’s a goat on the cover, and people tell me to check it out. Why not make it a pick of the week?
(That’s a rhetorical question since I already did)
Doctor Who Magazine #471
The colors on the cover image are HORRIBLE, but whatever. It’s a magazine about Doctor Who and I need some light reading this week. Plus, I just finished watching “The Green Death” and “Blink” is an iconic episode from the new series.
Shotgun Wedding #1 (of 4)
Shotgun Wedding #1. By: William Harms, Edward Pun. Image Comics.
The first issue of a new series. That’s an appealing proposition right out of the gate. The art is marvelous, so it’s got that going for it, too. Let’s check the solicit:
Mike Stone wants nothing more than to marry the woman of his dreams. Denise is smart, sexy, teaches the second grade, and loves Mike more than anything in the world. What she doesn’t know is that Mike is one of the world’s top assassins and was once engaged to a fellow assassin named Chloe. And when Mike abandoned Chloe on their wedding day, she vowed revenge… This April, treat yourself to an issue of SHOTGUN WEDDING each Wednesday! All FOUR issues of Minotaur Press’s latest miniseries will be released in April, and the covers for all four issues connect to form one larger image.
Sweet! A weekly? So if I like the first issue, I only have to wait week-to-week for the next installment. Count me in.
She-Hulk #3
She-Hulk #3. By: Charles Soule, Javier Pulido, Kevin Wada. Marvel Comics.
The Marvel She-Hulk series is brilliant with a capital “B”. I could not be more excited to see how Jennifer Walters continues building her legal practice whilst punching bad guys in the face. Plus, based on the last issue, I’m anticipating Hellcat being in #3.
If you’re not on board with this title, get #1 and #2 ASAP. By far, the best book being published by Marvel today. This book is so good that I guarantee I’m not only buying this, but getting the first appearances of She-Hulk and Hellcat from the back issue bins.
There’s absolutely no doubt that She-Hulk #3 is the Casual Comics Pick for the Hot Comic of the Week.
Until next time… support you local comics shop! If you’re in Omaha, be sure to stop by the relocated Dragon’s Lair – now open for business.
– CCG
Casual Comics Guy 