MFR Newsletter 7/17/20 - Drink cactus juice. It'll quench ya!
Nothing's quenchier. It's the quenchiest.
Howdily doodily, comics fanorinos! EIC Anthony here once again to save you from your responsibilities with some comic book chatter (for at least a few minutes, anyway).
MONKEYS FIGHTING ROBOTS: THE MAGAZINE is officially off to the printers! I spent the other night going through the proof with Publisher Matt Sardo and nitpicking every single little detail and minor inconsistency we could find. (i.e. “The caption on page 7 is italicized, but the one on page 13 isn’t.”) And poor Matt — he would make the revisions, export a new proof, and inevitably I would find another small edit. I’m pretty sure he wanted to punch me in the face, but hey, this is the kind of painstaking effort we are putting forth to ensure a great product for you, our incredible friends, backers, and patrons. Can’t wait for you to see the finished product.
So DC announced this week that they’re publishing a new RORSCHACH series by Tom King and Jorge Fornés, and comics Twitter sure did have opinions.
Listen, I’m not weighing in on whether or not this book should exist. I know that I’ve been a vocal fan of King’s work, but I also know that the world is on fire right now and Rorschach is a very problematic character. Plus, DC is basically strip mining WATCHMEN for more than its worth.
(And between you and me, I don’t even really like WATCHMEN all that much. I did love the TV show, but I don’t think the original comic is Alan Moore’s best work, let alone the best comic of all time that it’s made out to be.)
I will say, however, that when I first heard the news, my initial though was not about King or WATCHMEN, but about Fornés and how excited I was to see his name. Fornés is one of the best artists to break out in the last few years, and I’m just happy that he’s on a book. Would I rather he be back on DAREDEVIL or BATMAN, or something independent and original? Sure, but I’ll take what I can get for right now. Whether or not a Rorschach comic is a good idea, at least we know it’ll look amazing.
Alright, let’s get on with the articles before I stick my foot in my mouth.
Review: BLACKSAD: THE COLLECTED STORIES – Neo-Noir Mastery
Last year, I bit the bullet and purchased all of the out-of-print BLACKSAD hardcovers, afraid that I would never be able to find them again. The very next day, BLACKSAD: THE COLLECTED STORIES was announced. True story. And now, reviewer Justin Munday is going to give you his thoughts on this new collection.
I don’t want to step on Justin’s toes, but I just need to say that BLACKSAD is one of the most beautiful comics I’ve ever read. The stories are great, yes, but I mean this is literally one of the most perfectly illustrated series ever made. If you like ZOOTOPIA (or Disney in general), or you like old school detective stories, and if you want to see what ZOOTOPIA would look like if it were filtered through an old school detective story, you need to pick up BLACKSAD.
Inside The Box: Defining The Use Of Captions In BLADE RUNNER
In this week’s editorial, Darryll Robson takes a look back at Marvel’s BLADE RUNNER adaptation, a comic I am just learning was a thing.
Review: Everything Is Complicated In EMPYRE #1
Colin Tessier reviews EMPYRE #1, Marvel’s latest “nothing will ever be the same” crossover event. I think lots of comics fans have “event fatigue,” but I’m not one to badmouth a story without giving it a chance. Don’t let the review title fool you: Colin gives this one 4/5 stars.
Review: Batman And Wonder Woman Clash In DARK KNIGHTS: DEATH METAL #2
Speaking of “nothing will ever be the same” events, DEATH METAL #2 came out this week. I was pleasantly surprised by the first issue, so let’s hope this series keeps going strong and sticks the landing.
SQUADRON SUPREME: In The Shadows Of Watchmen
Take a trip back in time with writer Jake Palermo as he digs into Marvel’s SQUADRON SUPREME maxi-series from the 80s.
What I’m Currently Reading
Honestly? Nothing really. The last week has been a whirlwind, so I haven’t had much time at all to read for pleasure or watch a movie. What little downtime I have had I’ve spent watching BOB’S BURGERS because it’s quick, simple, and funny. It took me years to finally give this show a chance, but it really is excellent comfort viewing. Perfect when you want to put something on that’s legitimately good but doesn’t require too much brainpower to enjoy.
And — if the title of this week’s newsletter didn’t give it away — I am also re-watching AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER with the rest of the world.
I did actually finish Morrison and Case’s DOOM PATROL, which I talked about last week, but I just want to revisit it because I failed to mention my favorite character: Cliff Steele, aka Robotman. Cliff has proven to be my favorite character in both the comic and the DOOM PATROL TV show for the simple reason that he represents the reader. When Morrison is going off with his high-concept insanity, Cliff is the character literally saying “what the hell is going on?” and I’m yelling at my comic “I FEEL YOU, CLIFF.” I don’t think I would be enjoying DOOM PATROL as much if it wasn’t for Cliff. He’s basically there to let you know that it’s OK if you’re lost; that’s by design. I love that.
TALES OF MFR • COMIC STRIP
Here is the explosive TALES OF MFR #62 - Part II of The Origin of Dr. Delaney!
As mentioned last week, you’ll be able to find Dr. Delaney’s official full first appearance in the Summer 2020 Edition of MONKEYS FIGHTING ROBOTS: THE MAGAZINE, shipping this month. If you missed out on the Kickstarter, you can still secure your copy by becoming a patron over on Patreon.
Catch up on the series here: TALES OF MFR
The war between monkeys and robots has raged on for eons; these are the stories that have survived. With art by Jamie Jones and the occasional words by Matt Sardo, Tales of MFR hits the web every Sunday.
For more reviews, interviews, and “Legends of the Longbox”, head over to the website to see what the team’s been working on this week:
That’s all for now! Remember: Darkseid is… but so are we.
Until next week,
Anthony Composto
@The_Great_Ace
@monkeys_robots
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