Pax Romana

Title: Pax Romana

Genre: Sci-Fi

Story: Jonathan Hickman

Art: Jonathan Hickman

Publisher: Image Comics

Issues: 1-4 of 4

Year: 2007-2008

Rate: 83/100

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PROMO: "CREATE THE FUTURE, DESTROY THE PAST" From the mind of comic book innovator JONATHAN HICKMAN, comes the exhilarating time-traveling epic, PAX ROMANA. The creator of THE NIGHTLY NEWS brings his unique sensibility to science fiction and the result is a visually stunning look at a new history of the world. PAX ROMANA tells the tale of 5000 men sent on an impossible mission to change the past and save the future. It's the end of the world: Will they succeed, or will they fail?

REVIEW: U ne tako dalekoj budućnosti hrišćanska crkva i konačno gubi poslednje ostatke svog uticaja i dok islam preti da prevlada, iznenadno naučno otkriće (u istraživanju finansiranom od same crkve) u vidu konačnog pronalaska načina za putovanje kroz vreme, pruža nadu posrnulojcrkvi da vrati nekadašnju snagu. Odlučuju da pošalju ekspediciju od 5000 ljudi - plaćenih ratnika, naučnika... nazad, sve do godina kada je na vlast Rimskim carstvom trebao da dođe nišlija - Konstantin.

Jednom na terenu, ekipa se brzo okreće protiv prvobitnog plana - samo i isključivo osigurati apsolutnu dominaciju hrišćanske crkve i umesto njega nameću ideju da ubrzaju razvoj čovečanstva, preskoče dark ages, osiguraju da zemlja ovaj put završi kao bolje mesto za život.

Kako sam autor kaže - knjiga nije o rleigiji, već o sociologiji. Iako se prvobitno može shvatiti kao kritika crkve, nakon toga odlazi daleko dublje, baveći se evolucijom društva, ljudskim individualizmom kao vrlinom i manom, o relovucijama, višim ciljevima i njihovim žrtvama...

Iako po formi najbliža klasičnom stripu, Pax Romana to ipak nije u potpunosti - da, ilustracija ima, ali niti u jednom trenu ne skreću pažnju sa priče, jednostavno su tu da daju malo boje i to nije glavni problem - problem je što priča uopšte ima elemente stripa, što je realizovana u formatu stripa. Sama postavka priče - sa super-ljudima čiji je životni vek preko stopedeset godina, poslatih u prošlost sa tonama zlata, satelitima, džipovima, tenkovima, atomskim bombama i idejom da promene čitav tok istorije čovečanstva na bolje, daje neverovatnu širinu, za priču epohalnih razmera, za književno remek-delo na nivou najboljih radova Dena Simonsa, na primer. Sam autor je imao slične ideje, želeo je da Pax Romana traje, kao niz kompletnih, a opet povezanih mini-serija, ipak... negde usput toga je nestalo pa je četvrti i finalni broj zbrzano odveo priču do kraja - mada, makar smo dobili kraj i zaokruženu priču. 

Iako smo i ovako dobili dosta priče, dosta teksta (neke strane su sasvim tekstualne), iako je i ovakva priča odlična, ostaje osećaj da smo mogli dobiti mnogo, mnogo više.

F.V.Z.A.

Title: F.V.Z.A.

Genre: Horror

Story: David Hine

Art: Roy Allan Martinez

Publisher: Radical Comics

Issues/Pages: 1-3 of 3

Year: 2009-2010

Rate: 82/100

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PRMO: Landra always knew that Vampires and Zombies were real. Trained to fight since childhood by her grandfather, legendary Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency (F.V.Z.A.) operative Hugo Pecos, when the Vamps and the Zombies came back out of hiding, she would be ready. Even though both viruses were assumed to be eradicated and the F.V.Z.A. officially disbanded, Landra knew they would be back. Little did she realize that when the Vampires did come out of hiding they would use a deadly new weapon to target the humans: an incurable strain of the zombie virus. Now Picos and Landra (along with her brother Vidal) have been tasked to re-instate the agency and train a new batch of operatives to target the most dangerous Vampire they've ever known - Landra and Vidal's own grandmother!

REVIEW: Radical Comics je sasvim mlad američki izdavač - osnovan 2008. godine, ali je već kroz godinu-dve izgradio ime i našao svoje mesto pod, inače, malim strip publishing suncem. karakterističan pre svega po nedostatku superhero stripova u svom katalogu i koncentraciji na ostalim žanrovskim izdanjima - horror i sci-fi, ali i sopstvenim vizijama nekih legendranih, bajkovitih ličnosti poput Herkula ili Aladina, uz izuzetan vizuelni stil koji je gotovo pod obaveznim za sve njihove knjige - nije ni čudo da su u tome uspeli. Ovo jeste njihovo prvo izdanje koje se pojavljuje na blogu, ali nikako poslednje. 

FVZA je odličan zombi/vampire strip - odličan u granicama žanra i odličan za svakog fana horrora i tih stvorenja, nepretenciozan u smislu donošenja ne znam ni ja kakvih poruka i pouka, već "samo" pruža solidnu priču. 

Amerika pamti nevolje sa undead stvorenjima, koja su bila deo njihove istorije od samih početaka - od naseljavanja kontinenta, kroz građanski rat, pa sve do kenedijeve vlasti kada je i poslednji vampir ubijen, a zombi pitanje rešeno još ranije - pronalaskom vakcine. 

Pamti, ali ih se ne plaši.

Pobeda se slavi svake godine za Noć Veštica, spomenici dignuti u čast ljudima koji su u tim sukobima izginuli su posrani i išarani grafitima smrtne, gotik klinčadije koja "živi životom vampira"...

Ipak, neko ne spava mirno. Neko je sav svoj život posvetio borbi protiv vampira i zombija, a onda kada je penzionisan i svoju starost je njoj posvetio - Hugo Pecos nekadašnji glavnokomandujući Federalnom Vampir-Zombi Agencijom živi izolovano, usred pustinje, pripremajući svoje unuke - Vidala i Landru - za neumitno - za povratak vampira...

Dodajte mladog, drčnog vampira koji razotkriva činjenicu da njegov soj nije istrebljen, da je živ i brojan i dobro čuvan na starom kontinentu, da vođe vampira shvataju da im sada predstoji rat sa amerikancima, rat do istrebljenja, da otpočinju plan za širenje novog zombi virusa, da se FVZA vrlo brzo ponovo otvara... i dobićete odličnu postavku za jednu bitku koja će rešiti sudbinu sveta.

Priča sa početkom i krajem, tačno smeštena u tri broja, iako su svojom dužinom bliži evrposkoj, nego li američkoj tradicija stripa, sama sebi dovoljna - preporuka, svakako.

Fall Out Toy Works

Title: Fall Out Toy Works

Genre: Sci-Fi/Cyberpunk

Story: Brett Lewis

Art: Sam Basry, Imaginary Friends Studios

Publisher: Image Comics

Issues: 1-5 of 5

Year: 2009

Rate: 84/100

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PROMO: A brilliant young robot maker risks his entire company for his factories newly produced android named Tiffany, but when his new concept fails to work fixing her soon becomes his greatest passion and potentially his own destruction.

Inspired by the ideas and lyrics of FALL OUT BOY, FALLOUT TOYWORKS brings the magic of innocence to life as both a toy maker and his invention set about learning the true secrets of life.FALLOUT TOYWORKS is created by PETE WENTZ (bass and vocals for FALL OUT BOY), DARREN ROMANELLI (Dr. Romanelli DRx) and Nathan Cabrera. Dr. Romanelli “DRx” is the ground breaking designer behind the reinterpretations of Nike, Looney Tunes and Black Sabbath. The series is written by BRETT LEWIS, the acclaimed creator of BULLETPROOF MONK and The Wintermen. IMAGINARY FRIENDS STUDIOS are the acclaimed art studio behind the art for Radical’s Hercules: The Thracian Wars, Caliber: First Canon of Justice and STEVE NILES’s City of Dust.

REVIEW: Fall Out Toy Works se na veoma pitak, zabavan i šaren način bavi nekim od najvećih moralnih dilema čovečanstva i snovima onih hrabrijih ili bezobzirnijih, kako već ko vidi: stvaranje veštačkog života, stvaranje bezuslovne ljubavi (do koje se do sada obično pokušavalo doći napitcima ili činima) i uz put postizanje besmrtnosti. 

Kada mladom, genijalnom, ali ipak na ivici bankrota, konstruktoru "igračaka  sa ličnošću" priđe sveobuhvatni gospodar grada - vlada svim i svačim, pa čak i vremenskim prilikama, sa poslovnim predlogom - da mu napravi unikatnu ženu koja će ga voleti, ne mutnu viziju ljudskih emocija, pravu stvar - naša priča počinje. Nakon kraće moralne dileme i nešto duže sumnje u sopstvene mogućnosti i uopšte mogućnosti stvaranja nečeg takvog - veštačkog, robotskog entiteta sa svim emocijama čoveka, a pre sveg onoj najkomlikovanijoj - ljubavlju. Prihvata, naravno. Godine i godine će prolaziti, sa malo ili nimalo pravog progresa... ipak, na kraju, uspeva, devojka je kompletna i... mušterija je došla po nju.

Naravno, ne treba reći da se naš kreator zaljubio u svoju kreaciju, tu kreće otimanje, pa čak i mali privatni rat između njih dvojce, dok jadnu robo-devojku niko ništa ni ne pita. 

Strip koji se prilično lako, kroz šalu i šarenilo bavi modernim, asocijalnim, sjbeanim čovekom. Aman, koliko god ne bila nova - ljubav između čoveka i mašine je i dalje perverzna i uvrnuta do te mere da vam je na nekoliko mesta jednostavno neprijatno da čitate!

Scourge of the Gods - The Fall

Title: Scourge of the Gods - The Fall

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Story: Valerie Mangin

Art: Aleksa Gajić

Publisher: Marvel/Soleil

Issues/Pages: 1-3 of 3

Year: 2009

Rate:89/100

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PROMO: Can even the Gods themselves control their destiny when everything seems to prove that their lives are a tragedy written thousands of years ago, that is now replaying itself on a cosmic level? The Hun king Atilla finally got what he wanted: the secret stellar coordinates of Rome, the capital planet of the Orbis. He will finally be able to become not only master of the Roman Empire, but the entire known universe. Finally, he will be a God. There is but one obstacle standing between him and eternal glory: the patrician Aetius, who is secretly Atilla's lost lover Flavia Aetia, the immortal incarnation of the goddess of chaos, in disguise. Their confrontation will be merciless...

Scourge of the Gods

Title: Scourge of the Gods

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Story: Valerie Mangin

Art: Aleksa Gajić

Publisher: Marvel/Soleil

Issues/Pages: 1-3 of 3

Year: 2009

Rate: 88/100

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PROMO: After a thousand years of peace, the Orbis - the Roman Galactic Empire that thought itself almighty - trembles down to its foundations. The Huns, savage warriors that came out of nowhere, are trying to conquer it. King Attila has already pillaged and burned dozens of planets without any legion being able to stop him or even slow him down. And unfortunately for Rome - Kerka, the Hun's goddess of chaos herself - is back. But the Gods have a taste for tragedy: Kerka has been reincarnated in the body of Flavia Aetia, a young Roman girl. Is Flavia truly this macabre divinity? Is she the by-product of a terrifying plot? Or is she only the victim of a terrible destiny? A free adaptation of Hun king Attila and the Roman general Flavius Aetius's confrontation, Scourge of the Gods replays the eternal struggle between order and chaos on the galactic level.

REVIEW: Poslednjih nekoliko godina Marvel je u saradnji sa francuskim Soleil-om, jednim od najznačajnijih evropskih strip izdavača, na engleski preveo i po prvi put američkoj publici predstavio neke od najboljih savremenih sci-fi/fantasy strip priča nastalih na tlu starog kontinenta. Na blogu već možete naći fenomenalni Samurai, a sada i ovaj - Bič Božiji.

U pitanju je predivan strip, tako duboko ukorenjen u tradiciju fantasy žanra, u najširem smislu tog pojma, da se u njega već na prvi pogled mora zaljubiti svaki pošteni geek. Priča je smeštena u daleko budućnost u kojoj se čovečanstvo raširilo po čitavoj galaksiji i ujedinjeno pod jednim barjakom, jednim Imperatorom, manje-više srećno živi u jednoj imperiji jako inspirisanoj pradavnim Rimskim carstvom... sve dok se, ni otkuda, ne pojave Huni, slični onim drevnim - divlji, surovi, posvećeni ratu i osvajanju.. ali, pričaju čistim latinskim, baš kao i žitelji Imperije. otkud, kako, ko se to igra i kakve igre? Pitanja su za glavne aktere stripa, među kojima je devojka poslata hunskom vladaru kao talac, kao cena za mir, kao žrtva za hunsku boginju rata, kao i ta futuristička verzija legendarnog Atile, Biča Božijeg. 

Epski SF u svom najboljem svetlu - Hodorovski, Herbert, Simons, Džordž Lukas fazon.

I Kill Giants

Title: I Kill Giants

Genre: Fantasy

Story: Joe Kelly

Art: Ken Niimura

Publisher: Image Comics

Issues/Pages: 1-7 of 7

Year: 2008-2009

Rate: 93/100

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PROMO: Barbara Thorson, a girl battling monsters both real and imagined, kicks butt, takes names, and faces her greatest fear in this bittersweet, coming-of-age story called "Best Indy Book of 2008" by IGN.


REVIEW: I prečesto sebi kažem da sam nenormalan, da traćim 
život, da život nemam, jer... aman, nije mi problem da satima lutam po netu u potrazi za novim stripovima, novom muzikom, novim geek zamlaćivanjima. Impulsivno dl-ovanje svega i svačega se završava samo nerviranjem činjenicom da ja u svemu tome jednostavno nemam kad da uživam - da svaki album poslušam po deset+ puta, da nad savkom stranom stripa zastanem po dva minuta i upijam detalje prelepih crteža, još kada se veže parloših/prosečnih stvari za čitanje/slušanje konstatacija da zaista gubim vreme deluje istinitija i jača na svojim nogama od "ipak se okreće". Onda upadne "I Kill Giants" i svemu da smisao!
KAKAV STRIP!!!
Prelepo surova, prelepo tužna priča o detetu, devojčici, pametnoj, daleko pametnijoj od svojih vršnjaka, maštovitoj do tačke gde realnost zaista nestaje, povrh svega - uplašenoj. Barbara - devojčica koja igra D&D (i igra bolje od dečaka), koja nema prijatelje (barem ne one stvarne), koju zlostavljaju školski nasilnici ili to pokušavaju da čine), koja je redovna kod direktora škole, a još redovnija kod psihologa... devojčici koja ima majku, smrtno bolesnu majku.

Svo njeno asocijalno ponašanje, očajnički eskapizam, agresivnost, sve potiče upravo iz straha i nemoći da se suoči sa svojim demonima i divovima, tokom čitave priče skuplja petlju, sprema se za to i na kraju, kroz suze čitalaca, uspeva u tome. 
O smrtnosti, o prihvatanju iste, o iskorišćavanju onog sitnog što nam je ostalo, o ljubavi, o deci, o nadi, o ljudima - o džinovima.

Planetary

Title: Planetary

Genre: Superhero

Story: Warren Ellis

Art: John Cassaday

Publisher: Wildstorm (imprint of DC Comics)

Issues/Pages: 1-27 of 27

Year: 1998-2009

Rate: 94/100

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PROMO: "Provocative , eminently addictive, and top of its class."— ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLYThe creator of the acclaimed series TRANSMETROPOLITAN, Warren Ellis delivers PLANETARY, hailed as a timeless story that turned modern superhero conventions on their heads.This graphic novel features the adventures of Elijah Snow, a hundred-year-old man, Jakita Wagner, an extremely powerful woman, and The Drummer, a man with the ability to communicate with machines. Tasked with tracking down evidence of super-human activity, these mystery archaeologists uncover unknown paranormal secrets and histories, such as a World War II supercomputer that can access other universes, a ghostly spirit of vengeance, and a lost island of dying monsters.


REVIEW: Može se reći da je Miler u svom Povratku Mračnog Viteza ubio superheroje, može se reći da je to svojom pohlepom, nedostatkom vizije i postojanjem potpuno van savremenog sveta učinio Marvel (kao i većiti mu rival-gubitnik DC Comics) početkom/sredinom devedesetih... istina će verovatno biti da ih je ubilo vreme. Decenije se broje, zapravo pola veka najmanje, od vremena u kojem su uski kostimi,maskirani pravednici/osvetnici, nadljudska snaga i suva dobrota zaista zanimala ovaj svet i mogla da mu pomogne. 
Kako je od kraha mainstream prošlo petnaestak godina, a ni decenijama pre toga mu nije sijalo sunce, jasno je da je današnji proseračan ljubitelj stripa pregurao minimum tridesetu, a verovatnije i koju više i da, iako je generalno strip publika i više nego blago infantilna, ta činjenica ipak diktira veću dozu ozbiljnosti čak i kod mainstream izdanja i izdavača. Kao jedan od finalnih proizvoda čitavog tog procesa jeste Planetary - jedna od najboljih superhero strip serija još od legendranih Nadzirača - i to oped pod, doduše neposrednom, etiketom DC Comics, kućom koja je nekako češće imala sluha za zreliji komercijalni strip od Marvela, ali takođe i značajno češće u svojoj istoriji katastrofalno fail-lovala. Autor je, što se mene tiče, preterano plodonosan Warren Ellis i dok u svoj toj šumi izdanja, poneki završi kao jalov, koji više kao prosečan, Planetary jeste jedno od njegovih vrhunskih dela, možda čak njegov magnum opus. U srži superherojski strip, ali čudan, nekonvencijalan, gde superheroji nisu glavne zvedze, već... pa, čitav taj koncept ljudi sa super moćima, nadljudi, post-ljudi - njihove svrhe, smisla postojanja, njihovih života u smrtničkom svetu. Ellis se ne bavi pojedinačnim superherojem, koliko samim žanrom. 

Sve to odrađeno i više nego vrhunski. Bačeno u gotovo konfuznu mističnost, nedorečenost, smešteno u alternativni svet prepun misterija, vladinih zavera, planetu zemlju na kojoj su vanzemaljci sasvim uobičajna, iako jednako tajna stvar, zemlju na kojoj su svmerska putovanja bila moguća još u devetnaestom veku, ... Svaki od pojedinačnih brojeva donosi poneko otkrovenje ili makar neki sitni deo sveobuhvatnog, multiverzumskog pazla, ali pritom otkriva tri puta veće rupe, postavlja nova pitanja, donosi nove misterije i ne, ne završava se i pažnju ne drži jeftini klifhengerma, ne, kraj svakog komada nije podgled smrti u oči, spektakularna borba presečena na pola, bomba koja je stigla do 00:02 sekunde, ne, samo pogled na horizont i pitanje šta iza njegove linije čeka naše junake? 

Trick r' Treat

Title: Trick 'r Treat

Genre: Horror

Story: Marc Andreyko

Art: Fiona Staples, Mike Huddleston and others

Publisher: Wildstorm Comics

Year: 2009

Issues/Pages: 94 pages

Rate: 60/100

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PROMO: The adaptation of the upcoming Halloween scarefest is here! Written by critically acclaimed scribe Marc Andreyko (MANHUNTER, Torso) and illustrated by a cavalcade of terrifying talents including Mike Huddleston (MAN-BAT, GEN 13), Grant Bond, Christopher Gugliotti (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) and Fiona Staples (NORTH 40), this graphic novel will keep you quivering with fear! Halloween has always been a night of tricks and treats, but this year, it's nothing but a cornucopia of tricks as werewolves, demons, killers and zombies celebrate the festival of Samhain! Featuring a cover from the film's concept designer Breehn Burns and based on the Warner Bros. film from writer/director Michael Dougherty (X2, Superman Returns) starring Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, and Brian Cox!

Everlast

Title: Everlast

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Story: Chad Michael Murray

Art: Danijel Zezelj, Robbi Rodriguez, Trevor Hairsine

Publisher: Archaia 

Issues/Pages: 115

Year: 2011

Rate:80/100

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PROMO: A pre-apocalyptic tale, Everlast follows Derek Everlast, a man whose destiny in life is guiding others to a place of rebirth for mankind called Haven. Following an instinct called the Nudge, bestowed on him by a higher power, Derek is guided to the next chosen human destined to survive, a little girl named Melissa. In a harrowing adventure, he must deliver her safely to Haven before the End of Days. Everlast tells a story of choice, love, friendship, and, most of all, survival. Will you be chosen?

Kwaïdan

Title: Kwaidan

Genre: Fantasy

Story: Jung, Yee-Yun

Art: Jung

Publisher: Dark Horse Books

Issues/Pages: 145 pages

Year: 2004

Rate.90/100

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PROMO: In 12th Century Japan, amidst a savage conflict between two rival clans, Lady Orin pines for her warrior lover. Jealous of her beautiful sister, Lady Akane savagely mutilates Orin's face and begins a complicated web of revenge and redemption that spans two centuries. Jung's lush, expressive artwork and expert sense of timing brings to life this suspense-filled tale, packed with ghostly encounters, samurai swordplay, undead armies, beautiful landscapes, and strange demons. The lost spirits of two unlucky lovers may still find freedom, but their hope now rests on the supernatural birth of a granddaughter...and her ability to unravel the secrets of the restless ghosts that haunt her, the Kwaïdan.

REVIEW: Popularnost mange među mojim vršnjacima i onim nešto (ili malo više) mlađim je neosporna i za mene neobjašnjiva, osim ako izuzmemo to da je čitanje manga i gledanje anima danas jednostavno cool. Iako, naravno, ima u celoj toj pretrpanoj hiper-produkciji i više od par bisera narativa koji neretko svojom pomerenošću uveliko prevazilaze svoje parnjake s druge strane sveta, ono što me je oduvek odbijalo od istočnjačke vizije omiljenog mi  medija jeste taj neki osećaj jeftinog: od crteža, štampe, pa do samog papira... Ipak, kada se pšojavi nešto sa istoka ili makar sa ukusom istoka, a pritom je blisko zapadnjačkoj strip tradiciji, onda se to nešto posebno čita i voli.

Grafička novela u izdanju Dark Horse Books-a (etiketa matičnog Dark Horse Comics-a) po imenu Kwaidan je upravo to i upravo je vredna svake pažnje i ljubavi! 

Prelepa ljubavna priča široke i bogate imaginacije rasprostire se na više od dva veka, smeštena u feudalni Japan, Japan iz kojeg, ispred kompjutera i atomskih bombi, još uvek nisu utekli svi silni duhovi, demoni i bajke, gde se duhovnost, ljubav i lepota još uvek nisu predali izvitoperenosti. Rat klanova, odsustvo muškaraca i dve sestre koje čekaju, čekaju ratnika, obe zaljubljene u njega. Ona ružna i ogorčena, u trenu podlosti, vrelim uljem spaljujući lice svoje prelepe sestre, pokreće komplikovanu, naizgled beskrajnu igru ljubavi i mržnje, smrti i večnosti, kletva i praštanja.

Koliko god priča bila lepa, a zaista jeste, svojom bajkovitošću ispunjavajući čitaoca, ostavljajući ga nasmejanog i smirenog, pomirenog, art knjige je ono zbog čega ćete zaista gutati svaku stranu, jednu za drugom. U divnim scenama zime, šuma, zaigrane dece ili obnaženih tela videćete zašto strip stavljam ispred mange.

Batman - The Dark Knight Returns

Title: Batman - The Dark Knight Returns

Genre: Superhero

Story: Frank Miller

Art: Klaus Janson

Color: Lynn Varley

Publisher: DC Comics

Issues/Pages: 200 pages

Year: 1986 (1996 tenth anniversary edition)

Rate; 99/100

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PROMO: "Groundbreaking."—USA TODAY"It's film noir in cartoon pane ls."—VANITY FAIR"There's never been storytelling quite like this."— THE WASHINGTON POST"Changed the course of comics."—ROLLING STONE"Revisionist pop epic."—SPIN Hailed as a comics masterpiece, THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS is Frank Miller's (300 and Sin City) reinvention of the legend of Batman. It remains an undisputed classic, one of the most influential stories ever told in comics, and is a book cited by the filmmakers as an inspiration for the most recent Batman movies.It is ten years after an aging Batman has retired, and Gotham City has sunk deeper into decadence and lawlessness. Now, when his city needs him most, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of glory. Joined by Carrie Kelly, a teenage female Robin, Batman takes to the streets to end the threat of the mutant gangs that have overrun the city. And after facing off against his two greatest enemies, the Joker and Two-Face, for the final time, Batman finds himself in mortal combat with his former ally, Superman, in a battle that only one of them will survive.

Hellboy - The Chained Coffin and Others

Title: The Chained Coffin and Others

Genre: Action/Adventure, Horror

Story: Mike Mignola

Art: Mike Mignola

Publisher: Dark Horse

Issues/Pages: 137

Year: 1998.

Rate: 94/100

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Promo: This third and thickest Hellboy collection compiles all material not included in Seed of Destruction or Wake the Devil. Mike Mignola's story notes accompany the long out-of-print one-shots "Wolves of Saint August" and "The Corpse and the Iron Shoes," as well as "A Christmas Underground," "The Chained Coffin," in color for the first time, and "Almost Colossus," with new story pages. This 176-page collection includes a pinup gallery featuring Kevin Nowlan, Duncan Fegredo, and others, as well as an all-new tale.


REVIEW: The Chained Coffin and Others je kolekcija kratkih, one-shot Hellboy priča pablikovanih sredinom devedestih godina. Mnogi se kunu u mignoline kratke storije nazivajući ih esencijalnim Hellboy štivom i dok se ja sa tim ne mogu u potpunosti složiti, dar autora da na ograničenom broju strana deluje krajnje efektno i upečatljivo je neosporan.
Kao i uvek, većina stvari je inspirisana drevnim legendama Britanije, Balkana i Istočne Evrope a kad to i nije slučaj, autorovo pripovedanje stvara upravo tu identičnu iluziju realnog, zastrašujuće mogućeg , pritom nas podsećajući na naše stare, na naše bake i deke što su nas svakodnevno plašili razno-raznim "glupostima" iz svog kraja.
Neke od priča imaju univerzalnu vrednost, poput ingeniozne The Corpse, dok su neke ipak vredne pre svega ljudima koji Hellboya već vole, pa će im "istorijski bitne" scene biti od posebnog značaja. u The Baba Yaga imamo priliku da prisustvujemo čuvenoj sceni izbijanja oka najpoznatijoj slovenskoj veštici, dok nam, na primer, naslovni komad odaje ponešto o poreklu našeg crvenog heroja... Almost Colosus je isto odlična, baveći neodoljivom pyromancer-kom Liz, dok The Wolves of Saint August ima sve kvalitete klasične Hellboy priče.

Svakako preporučljivo fanovima, dok novajlije svoju prvu ljubav ipak treba da traže negde drugde.

Hellboy - Wake the Devil

Title: Hellboy - Wake the Devil

Genre: Action/Adventure

Story: Mike Mignola

Art: Mike Mignola

Publisher: Dark Horse

Issues/Pages: 144 pages

Year: 1997

Rate: 96/100

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PROMO: A murder in a New York wax museum and a missing corpse lead Hellboy into ancient Romanian castles on the trail of a sleeping legend: the original nobleman vampire. Nazi scientists prepare for the return of their occult master and the end of the world, and Hellboy confronts his purpose on earth.

Hellboy - Seed of Destruction

Title: Hellboy - Seed of Destruction

Genre: Action/Adventure, Horror

Story: Mike Mignola, John Byrne

Art: Mike Mignola

Publisher: Dark Horse

Issues/Pages: 130 pages

Year: 1994

Rate: 97/100

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PROMO: When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Hellboy, the world's greatest paranormal investigator, is the only thing standing between sanity and insanity as he battles the mystical forces of the netherworld and a truly bizarre plague of frogs. And if he fails, we all fail with him!

Dead Irons

Title: Dead Irons

Genre: Western/Horror/Zombie

Story: James Kuhoric

Art: Jason Shawn Alexander, Jae Lee

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Issues: 1-4, complete

Year: 2009

Rate: 9.0

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PROMO: Three bounty hunter siblings blaze a path of death and destruction across the old west. Traveling by moonlight they rip criminals screaming for mercy from their hiding places, but none is ever given. The Irons are the most feared bounty hunting killers in the west, but that fear isn't based on them being the fastest with a pistol or rifle. It's because they're the Walking Dead! A lone, tortured soul tracks them with vengeance and salvation driving him to end the curse upon his family. Those who he rescues call him savior but those who look upon his twisted and scarred face call him monster. Silas Irons is the only hope his brothers and sister have of salvation from the abominations they've become. But even the purity of his heart can't stop the unnatural rage and bloodlust building in his diseased soul. A black curse turned these siblings into monsters but deep rooted and twisted family history made them into the worst kind of horrors. This year's biggest supernatural western tale begins here! Written by James Kuhoric (Freddy vs Jason vs Ash), illustrated by Jason Alexander (BPRD), and based on character designs and covers by Jae Lee (The Dark Tower).

Crawl Space - XXXombies

Title: XXXombies

Genre: Trash Horror/Zombie

Stroy: Rick Remender

Art: Kieron Dwyer

Publisher: Image Comics

Issues: 1-4, complete

Year: 2007-2008

Rate: 9.5

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PROMO: Crawl Space issues #1-4, featuring a blood-drenched thriller of the pornographic undead, XXXombies! With hopes of paying off his debt to a ruthless mob boss, sleazy porn producer Wong Hung Lau gathers a bevy of adult stars for a sequestered weekend of filmmaking. However, when they emerge days later, they discover a zombie plague has overrun a now-quarantined Los Angeles. Eisner award nominees Tony Moore (The Walking Dead) and Kieron Dwyer (Remains), return to the zombie genre with fan-favorite writer Rick Remender (Fear Agent) to illustrate these boogie nights of the living dead.

REVIEW: Treš horor je žanr koji mi je drag od... pa, od zaista najranijih dana mog detinjstva. gledajući još kao klinac, zajedno sa sestrom, bezbrojne nastavke Petka 13-tog i smejući se gluposti tih filmova, eto, razvio sam prilično nakazan smisao za humor, jebiga. Zombie thrash mi je, pak, omiljeni podžanr podžarna i nešto bez čega mi život ne bi bio lep kao što jeste.

XXXombies je vrhunski pripadnik žanra, ma, dominantni. smešten u sedamdesete godine prošlog veka, u holivudu, sa brkatim porno glumcima, glumicama bez silikona i režiserom entuzijastom-oportunistom i zombi apokalipsom koja divljha napolju sve je postavljeno tako da ne može da omane. Iako, prvi broj i nije spektakularan, već sledeći, a posebno onaj iza njega, donosi bezbroj genijalnih "wow" i još više "eewwww" momenata zbog kojih ćete ih voleti. Glupi protagonisti, nadrealne i apsurdne situacije, bezbroj otkinutih kurčeva, i prosutih crev, hektolitri krvi i sperme.

Preporuka. 

Malignant Man

Title: Malignant Man

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller

Story: James Wan, Michael Alan Nelson

Art: Piotar Kowalski

Publisher BOOM! Studios

Issues: 1-4, complete

Year: 2011

Rate: 9.0

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PROMO: Alan Gates, a cancer patient with a terminal diagnosis, is resigned to his fate...until he discovers that his tumor is actually a mysterious parasite! Granted a second lease on life and incredible, otherworldly powers, Alan must fight against an evil army buried beneath society's skin, all the while unlocking the secrets of his forgotten past. Dark, twisted, and unlike anything else on the stands, MALIGNANT MAN is a sci-fi thriller that can't be missed!

REVIEW: Ovaj promotivni tekst iznad prilično dobro sumira radnju Malignant Mana, tako da tu i nema šta pametno da se doda. Jednostavno, odličan, zabavan strip sa jakim holivudskim šmekom, i to kažem u najpozitivnijem smislu - one zabave i onog šmeka kojem tom holivudu fali minimum dve decenije. 

Penny for Your Soul

Title: Penny for Your Soul

Story: Tom Hutchison

Art: J.B. Neto

Publisher: Big Dog Ink

Issues: 1-7, complete

Year: 2010-2011
Rate: 9.0

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PROMO: Everyone has a price, and no one knows that better than Danica, the beautiful granddaughter of Lucifer. She's set up shop at the Eternity Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where anyone can sell his soul for ten thousand dollars. Mortals are lining up in droves. But Heaven and Hell are taking notice, and they want Danica to know the don't appreciate the competition!


REVIEW: Penny for your Soul je apsolutni i potpuni trijumf alternativnog, nezavisnog stripa - novi autori, gotovo patetično mali izdavač, a strip? Strip remek-delo! Bez trunke amaterizma u sebi, sa veoma dobrim dijalozima i sjajnim art-om, Penny... lagano može proći kao delo nekog od najvećih autora devete umetnosti, izdato pod daleko poznatijim etiketama. Ultimativna blasfemičnost stripa je, naravno, podsetila na Gartha Ennisa, pa ako cenite njegov stil i stav prema hrišćanstvu ovo definitivno trebate čitati, inače bi moglo biti čak i uvredljivo za vas (ko vas jebe). 
Strip izgleda prelepo - bivajući smešten u Las Vegas, dobio je kičerajski glow, jarke boje pršte na sve strane, dok recimo reči demona sijaju kao neonski natpisi po kojima je moderna Sodoma poznata. 

Jedina zamerka stripu je prenaglašena seksualnost, do neke tačke je OK, da pokaže grešnost tog grada, čak i izopačenost demona i anđela, ali negde usput postaje zaista preterano i opterećujuće po samu priču...

Battlefields - Tankies

Title: Battlefields - Tankies

Genre: WWII

Story: Garth Ennis

Art: Carlos Ezquerra

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Issues: 1-3, complete

Year: 2009.

Rate: 7.0

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PROMO: After D-Day came the battle for Normandy, when largely untried Allied soldiers met the seasoned veterans of the German army. As Panzer units and SS troops turn the French countryside into a killing ground, a lone British tank crew struggle to rejoin their squadron. Cut off behind enemy lines, their only hope lies in their fearsome commander, Corporal Stiles — but no one in the crew can stand him, and Stiles isn't too fond of them either. And there are Tigers lurking in the undergrowth... Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher) teams up with Judge Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra for this third installment of Dynamite Entertainment's Battlefields series, featuring covers by John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men) and Garry Leach (Dan Dare)!

REVIEW: WWII jeste jedna od fascinacija Gartha Ennisa - čoveka kojeg, uz Alana Mura, verovatno i najviše cenim u svetu stripa, koja je izrodila zanimljivu metaseriju. Ovde su predstavljene prve tri mini-serije, koje, nažalost, donose kvalitet koji sa svakom sledećom značajno opada.
Prva priča - The Night Witches - je odlična! Priča o sovjetskom odredu devojaka-pilota koje su, against all odds - trpeći poniženja i nepoverenje muških saboraca, leteći u sramno zastarelim avionima, veoma brzo poslate prava noćna mora Nemaca na istočnom frontu, je uspela u potpunostu, brzo i efektno prikazujući svu strahotu tog ili bilo kog drugog rata - strah, krv, ratne zločine (silovanja), ljubav koja se nastaje samo da bi smrću završila... 

Nažalost, sledeće dve nisu tako zanimljive. Dok je druga - Dear Billy - još i OK ljubavna priča o devojci koja je doživela i preživela silovanja japanskih vojnika i streljački vod sastavljen od istih i mladog američkog pilota, treća - Tankies, je suvoparni, za čitanje naporni prikaz rata u Normandiji...

Battlefields - Dear Billy

Title: Battlefields - Dear Billy

Genre: WWII

Story: Garth Ennis

Art: Peter Snejberg

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Issues: 1-3, complete

Year: 2009

Rate: 8.0

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PROMO: 1942: In the tropical splendour of the South China sea, as the Second World War spreads across the far east, a young woman finds herself in paradise... and then in hell. Nurse Carrie Sutton is caught up in the Japanese invasion of Singapore, suffering horrors beyond her wildest nightmares — and survives! Now, she attempts to start her life anew, buoyed up by a growing friendship with a wounded pilot, only for fate to deliver up the last thing she ever expected. Carrie, at last, has a chance for revenge... but should she take it? In the midst of a world torn apart by war, you can fight and you can win, but you still might not get the things you truly want. More incredible stories from Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher) as his Battlefields series continues exclusively from Dynamite Entertainment! For this second mini-series — Dear Billy — Garth is joined by artist Peter Snejbjerg and cover artist John Cassaday for a haunting tale of wartime in 1942...

Battlefields - The Night Witches

Title: Battlefields- The Night Witches

Genre: WWII

Story: Garth Ennis

Art: Russel Braun

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Isses: 1-3, complete

Year: 2008-2009.

Rate: 9.0

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PROMO: Late summer, 1942. As the German army smashes deep into Soviet Russia and the defenders of the Motherland retreat in disarray, a new bomber squadron arrives at a Russian forward airbase. Its crews will fly flimsy wooden biplanes on lethal night missions over German lines, risking fiery death as they fling themselves against the invader - but for these pilots, the consequences of capture will be even worse. For the pilots of the 599th Night Bomber Regiment are women! In the deadly skies of the Eastern front, they will become a legend, known to friend and foe alike as the Night Witches. Featuring two covers, one by John Cassaday and the other by Garry (Dan Dare) Leach!

WE3

Title: WE3

Story: Grant Morrison

Art: Frank Quitely

Publisher: Vertigo (DC Comics)

Issues: 1-3, complete

Year: 2004.
Rate: 10

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PROMO: Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely tell the unforgettable story of three innocent pets-a dog, a cat and a rabbit-who have been converted into deadly cyborgs by a sinister military weapons program.


REVIEW: Pas, mačka i zec, nekada voljeni, onda oteti, modifikovani, iskvareni - kućni ljubimci pretvoreni u nemilosrdne, bazičnim instinktima vođene ubice. Bivaju prevaziđeni, suvišni, pogrešni, osuđeni na smrt. Naučnica koja ih je stvorila, koja ih je volela tako nakazne, koja im je zbog toga podarila i moć govora, nije mogla... oslobodila ih je. 

Broj 1 - vođa, rastrzan između želje, potrebe da bude dobar pas i svog zla koje su mu ljudi počinili, mačka - neporobljiva, neustrašiva i duboko zgađena ljudima i zec - nažalost, ne posebno bitan lik. Bežeći, tražeći kuću, ubijaju talas za talasom specijalaca koji su poslati na njih, svađaju se i mire, vlast i vojska u strahu od masakra oslobađaju najnoviju zver - WE4, ali ni ona nije dovoljna da pobedi želju za životom, slobodom i ljubav, prijateljstvo... psa i mačke.
dirljiva, oh, do suza dirljiva, priča o svom zverstvu modernog doba, o ratu, o biološkom naoružanju, o upotrebi znanja i nauke u potpuno pogrešne svrhe, o iskorišćavanju onih koji nas jako i bezuslovno vole...
Izuzetno!

Ignition City

Title: Ignition City

Genre: Sci-Fi/Alternative History

Story: Warren Ellis

Art: Gianluca Pagliariani

Publisher: Avatar Press

Issues: 1-5, complete

Year: 2009.

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WIKI: Ignition City is set in an atompunk/dieselpunk alternate history, by the year of 1956, where World War II was interrupted by a Martian invasion. As a result,space travel became commonplace. Ignition City itself is a circular islandspaceport, the interior of which is populated by former spacemen. The story follows Mary Raven, a young woman who travels to Ignition City after her father, a formerly famous spaceman named Rock Raven, is killed there.

Ultimate X-Men pt. I

Title: Ultimate X-Men

Genre: Superhero

Story: Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, Brian K. Vaughan...

Art: Adam Kubert, David Finch...

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Issues: 1-50

Year: 2001-2009.

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part 1

part 2

part 3

WIKI: Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series that was published byMarvel Comics from 2001 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running X-Men comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate X-Men exist alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and The Ultimates.