Morning Glories 5 Review

What you need to know: It's an explosive confrontation as the Glories attempt to rescue one of their own from the deadly clutches of the Academy. But with their newly formed team already falling apart, they suddenly look like they're in need of rescue themselves


What you'll love

The Cover: This is by far my favorite cover of the series so far, the attention to detail, the acting of the characters all make it stand out. If a cover is supposed to make a reader buy the book Rodin Esquejo more than accomplishes his mission. Anyone walking by could pick up this issue, take a look at the cover and immediately understand what the story is about.

Interior Art: It's not a secret that I'm a big fan of Joe Eisma's art, however I thought he'd taken a small step back last issue. In this issue Eisma is at his best, the characters are so well defined, both in their look and expression. The school itself has become a character in this story as well, which is also to Joe's credit. I feel like I've been in Morning Glories Academy before, one can almost smell the chalk dust.

Coloring: This is the first time I've ever commented on the coloring of a book, but as I review more and more books, I've begun to develop an eye for it. Alex Sollazzo's colors help to make this book what it is, it seem that the perfect color is used in every scene. The color's capture the youth and energy of the school, while at the same time highlight the darkness that lies under the surface. It's superb work.

Opening:I go on and on about opening scenes because they are so crucial. Spencer has an uncanny knack for using dialogue to grab you in an open. Here he uses point of view to add an element of mystery.

Balls to the wall: Last issue my complaint was that it felt like filler. Issue five is the climax of the arc and it feels like it. Spencer pulls out all the stops, paying off plot threads that he'd set up. This issue gives us a bit of everything that a fan of this book can ask for. It's hard to go into to detail without spoiling it, but rest assured that Nick Spencer slams his foot down and the gas and doesn't let up.


What you won't: What's not to love.


Bottom Line: If you've kicked yourself for not jumping on another book earlier, do yourself a favor and jump on this one now. Do not and I repeat DO NOT wait for the trades, it's that good.

Grade: A-

Year End Awards

I read a lot of books,but I don't read em all obviously. So it's quite possible that I missed some stuff. I only had two requirements for my nominations. First it's on my radar, I've either read, or have heard good things about it. Second, I like it. Next week I'll give you my picks, as for now have fun. Happy Holidays!

Thunder Agents 2

What you need to know: The team goes out on it's first mission.


What you'll love

Nick Spencer: I've taken to calling Nick Spencer the Kevin Durant of comics. My reasoning is that much like Durant, Spencer is immensely talented and on the verge of becoming a household name. In my opinion, Spencer is every bit as good as comics' top tier writers, it's just a matter of time before the rest of the world recognizes it.

BKV: It's very silly to compare writers, especially in the context of someone being the "next _____(insert famous writer). However Spencer's work on this book has reminded me of Brian K Vaughan, Spencer's voice in this book speaks to the frailty of the human condition in way that he doesn't in his other works. Another way Spencer reminds me of BKV is in how intelligent, well researched and clever his scripts are.


Art: It's simply beautiful. Seemingly a cast of thousand's worked on this issue, this is usually a bad sign but it worked. Cafu is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists and Cris Cross' work on theLighting's backstory captures the character's emotions brilliantly. It's moving stuff.


Grown up superheroes: I need depth in my comics, Thunder Agents is not a series of senseless action scenes, with men in capes punching each other. It's something much more creative and resonant. It's about life, how short it is and how the choices we make shape who we are.

What you won't

Story development: Realistically, the first two issues have been exposition. I for one enjoy when exposition is done well, it's the foundation of the rest of the story. That being said, these guys still haven't actually finished their mission yet.


Bottom Line: Nick Spencer's meteoric rise continues in this installment. I'm beginning to enjoy this book more than Morning Glories.(Which is saying a LOT)

GRADE: A

Irredeemable 20

What you need to know: The Plutonian is captured by an advanced alien race, things look bleak for our hero indeed. Meanwhile his former teammates(and the world) celebrate the end of the Plutonian's reign of terror.

Plutonian's complexity: I never imagined that Waid would mine so much depth out of the lead character. I should know better by now than to doubt Mark Waid. This is one of the best series around and Waid keeps adding layers of complexity to it.

Cross over Moment: If you read Irredeemable's sister book(Incorruptable) then you're in for a treat. We get a Cameo from Max Damage. It may be small, however it builds another brick in what maybe just be the best created world in comics right now.

Sympathy: Over the last few issues, Waid has done the impossible, he has actually gotten the reader to have sympathy for a homicidal manic. Most of this issue is the Plutonian engaged in a dream sequence of what he wished his world was like. It's sad stuff. As a reader I've actually begun to root for the Plutonian to redeem himself.

Depth: This one is hard to explain without spoiling the issue. Let's just say that the Plutonian makes a subconscious choice that reveals all we need to know about his mindset these days.


What you won't

Weird: While I enjoyed the dream sequence, there were a few parts that were just out there. Granted dreams are weird, but it didn't do much for me.

Story progression: While this issue is deep, it's not very wide. Very little progress is made in terms of story.

Bottom Line: This is the most underrated book on the stands today. I don't understand why it hasn't caught on. Even worse when people make their year end or best of list, Irredeemable is rarely included. It's a shame really.

Grade: A-

Jonah Hex 62 Review

What you need to know: Jonah takes a job delivering a very special package, in classic Hex fashion all hell breaks lose.


What you'll love:

Strong open: I'm a huge fan of the first few pages of a comic, Hex is a great example of a simple open that catches your attention. Many books start with someone being killed but it's all in the approach.

Stronger ending: The last of page does more to show who Jonah is than the previous pages combined. It actually caught me off guard, I thought things were going a totally different way. Good writing.

Jonah: I'm new to Jonah, but every issue Palmiotti and Gray find new ways to pull back the layers of Hex. If you're going to write a anti hero, than he better live by his own code.(which on some level is his redeeming quality) There are few books out there that put this into action better than this writing team.

Art: 22 page of Eduardo Risso goodness. A very good Christmas present indeed.


What you won't

The middle: I thought the middle dragged just a little. Hex also looked more vulnerable than I expected him to. I like bad ass Jonah.(Which came quickly enough, but something about it didn't do much for me.)


Bottom Line: Jonah Hex is a book you should reading, in fact I wish I'd picked it up a lot sooner.

Grade: B+

Ten Questions with Paul Charchian

To say that I play Fantasy Football would be an understatement, I think it's become a part time job. For my money Paul is by far the best fantasy expert around(as much as any one can be) Paul and I talked via email on a variety of subjects, including a fantasy movie league, politics, video games and of course Fantasy Football. Enjoy.

1. Besides being a Fantasy Football Guru, you're are also an avid gamer, and unless you've been living under a rock, then you know that Call of Duty Black OPS just came out. What did you think?

The only people who are hating on Black Ops are those that are drinking Infinity Ward’s Kool-Aid. It’s a great game. The multiplayer is great, and the settings are new and fresh. I’m really enjoying it, along with several million other people.

2. Living in Minnesota, what's your take on the Drama that has been the Vikings this year. What's the feeling locally?

We’re ready for the drama to be over. Minnesota isn’t often the center of the NFL, but since Brett got here, ESPN has been camped out at Winter Park. No more.

3. If the GOP presidential field were a Fantasy Draft who would be your number one pick for 2012?

Tough call. Sarah Palin has been villanized to the point that I don’t think she can win. She’s not the airhead that the left thinks she is, but Americans rightly have gauged that she doesn’t have the chops for the job. The fact that she quit as governor is reprehensible.

Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty is out. Nice guys finish last, and I don’t see him as compelling enough to engender widespread support.

There's a lot of buyer's remorse from conservatives over Mitt Romney, who they failed to back in 2008. He was eminently more electable than McCain.  

Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal is a possibility. Conservatives are fed up with being viewed as racists, his ethnicity would be a draw early in the campaign. Marco Rubio will be a 2016 candidate.

I’m not ruling out Ron Paul. His economic policies hold a lot of power with the Tea Party types. But, I don't think a pro-choice Republican can ever make it through the primaries.

If I had to pick one guy, it would be New Jersey’s outspoken governor Chris Christie—a guy who has all of the GOP talking points down cold. He's funny and inflammatory. It just might work.

4. We are now more than halfway through the season, looking back who were the biggest steals on draft day?(by avg draft position)

The ADP buster lineup looks like this:

QB - Kyle Orton, a top-five fantasy QB, ADP 156.
RB - Peyton Hillis is tied for first among RBs in touchdowns, 9th in rushing yards, and 4th in receiving yards. ADP 234 (just after Fred Davis, and just before Jake Delhomme).

RB - Arian Foster leads most leagues in scoring. ADP 58

WR - Brandon Lloyd is in the top five among WRs, and leads the NFL in receiving yards. ADP not available because he wasn't drafted by enough people to factor into ADP results.

WR – Steve Johnson is in the top 10 among fantasy WRs, and is also outside of ADP’s rankings.

TE – Marcedes Lewis. He’s a top-five fantasy TE, with an ADP 289.

K – Dan Carpenter – Even with Miami’s shutout a couple Thursday’s ago, He’s a top three kicker, whose ADP is 238.

5. It's the time of year where trade deadlines are looming, What's your overall philosophy when it comes to trades.

If you're not trading, you're not trying. If you’re not trying, you’re going to lose. Nobody is so good that they can draft a perfect team, and then sit back and never make a move. Plus, trades are just plain fun. Who doesn’t enjoy getting a trade offer. If the offer stinks, it’s fun to ridicule the sender. If it can help you, even better. I leave leagues that don’t have owners with a trading mentality.

6. Obviously Arian Foster has had a break out year and seems to be a force in the future. What other players made their mark and will be fantasy studs for the next few years?

Shonn Greene should get full time use next year. Mike Wallace has taken the torch from Hines Ward. Cassel-to-Bowe is just getting started. Peyton Hillis isn’t a fluke. Hakeem Nicks is fantastic as long as he can stay healthy. Jamaal Charles is a tremendous player, and will thrive when Thomas Jones gets out the way. Tampa’s Josh Freeman and Mike Williams will have a strong career together. The Eagles receivers, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson will remain great in Andy Reid’s offense, no matter who quarterbacks. Sam Bradford is absolutely legit.

7. One of the hardest things in fantasy it's setting you lineups. What's your strategy for lineups? Do you go by the player, the match ups, recent trends?

If you’ve ever heard Fantasy Football Weekly on KFAN, you know I’m a matchup guy. Look at Andre Johnson, arguably the best receiver in the league. He did zero against Darrelle Revis. Even the best fantasy producers have trap games.

8. What's the biggest mistake that the average person makes with their fantasy team?

Drafting running backs early. Every year, the first three rounds of drafts are littered with running back busts. I’ve been preaching a draft strategy called “Do The Opposite” for years, which encourages owners to avoid the temptation to get runners early, and take the safer positions, namely quarterback and wide receiver.

9. Have you seen The Walking Dead? what did you think?(it's ok if your haven't) What other shows do you enjoy?

In season, my ability to sit and watch TV is pretty limited. I’m really impressed with AMC’s shows though. I find time to watch Mad Men. Walking Dead looks promising because I really like the creator, Frank Darabont, who helmed The Shawshank Redemption—one of my all-time favorite movies.

10. You’re in a fantasy movie league. How does it work, and which movies do you have right now?

It’s played in four-month trimesters. We held our most recent draft on late October for the trimester starting in November. It’s pretty simple. We play with four teams in each division. Each division drafts separately from the other divisions (so the same movies are drafted in each division). Each team drafts 10 movies that will open in the next four months. At the end of the trimester, we simply add up the gross domestic receipts from each team’s top-eight highest-earning movies. Whoever has the most dollars earned is the winner.

My team for Nov-Feb:

Round 1: Megamind

Round 2: The Tourist

Round 3: Gulliver’s Travels

Round 4: The Dilemma

Round 5: Love and Other Drugs

Round 6: The Next Three Days <--tanking as we speak

Round 7: Tyler Perry’s Colored Girls

Round 8: 127 Hours

Round 9: Black Swan

Round 10: Roommate

Check out Paul's Websites
fantasyvictory.com
LeagueSafe.com



LeagueSafe® 's majority owner is Paul Charchian, a 15-year industry veteran. He co-founded Fanball in 1993. In time, Fanball grew into the biggest pure-play fantasy web site in the world.