Tradio #26 - Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius - Lab Rat

Welcome back to the last Tradio…

…of the year.  That was mean…I know, sorry.  Now that Christmas is over and you have all the extra Christmas cash from your nana, why not invest it in this week’s Tradio pick: (deep breath) Fantastic Four Presents: Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius – Lab Brat by Marc Sumerak and Chris Eliopoulos, published by Marvel Comics.

Lab Brat tells the adventures of Franklin Richards, Reed and Susie Richards' son, when he is young and full of wonder, curiosity, and just plain mischief.  Lab Brat presents about twenty different short stories that present fun and funny tales of Franklin’s adventures as he gets into and out of loads of trouble using the various inventions that his father just happens to have lying around his home in Four Freedom’s Tower.  We also get to see some fun counterpoint as H.E.R.B.I.E. acts as his nanny and tries to contain the little rambuncious force of nature as he hops from one predicament to another. 

Lab Brat is a ton of fun and  Franklin and H.E.R.B.I.E. act a bit like a modern-day Calvin and Hobbes and Eliopoulos’ kid-friendly cartooning really underscores this.  Light-hearted and fun and truly a book for all ages in the best possible way.  If you have even a passing knowledge of the Marvel Universe and enjoy humor books, you will get a huge kick out of what is presented here.  The only misstep are the Masked Marvel reprints at the very end of the volume that do not fit at all with the rest of the material and are very suspect in their inclusion.  I am guessing an editor got bribed.  Anyway, they don’t distract from the meat of this volume and something fun to share with kids of any age.  Happy New Year!

Tradio #25 - It Ate Billy on Christmas

Today, on a very special edition of Tradio, we review a Christmas book that may cause more nightmares than warm hearts: It Ate Billy on Christmas by Roman Dirge and Steven Daily and published by Dark Horse Comics.

It Ate Billy on Christmas isn’t a comic book or graphic novel, but is closer akin to a children’s book that isn’t really for young children.  It tells of siblings Billy and Lumi and how *SPOILERS* something eats Billy on Christmas day and fallout after that.  The book is written in Dirge’s typical stream of consciousness style and is fun and funny and more than just a bit creepy.  The picture book is great and even has a bit of moral (don’t mess with your sister when she has control of an ancient evil creature with a big appetite.  The art is done by Dirge with over painting by Daily which really adds a haunting tone to the entire work.  If you liked The Nightmare Before Christmas, this right up your alley and without all the annoying song and dance.  Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Tradio #24 - Thor: The Mighty Avenger

Welcome back to all-ages month on Tradio!  This week we look at a criminally underrated both that was cancelled way before it’s time.  This week we review Volume One of Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee, published by Marvel Comics.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger is a bit of a throwback book and I think that was where it was doomed from the start.  Self-contained, one-and-done issues with a broader, overarching story that doesn’t tie into any other book and is light and airy and not at all dark or brooding.  Why would anyone want to read something like that?  The question should be, “Why wouldn’t you want to read that?!?!”  Telling the tale of Thor returning to Earth and his struggle to find his place, the book gives a fresh take on the core of the character without all the baggage of years of continuity.  You see the god of thunder develop as a person and see his relationship with a young, bright Jane Foster develop from the beginning.  Through his day-to-day interactions with a new, exciting world, his run-ins with super-powered villains, and even a night out with the boys, we get to see a side of Thor that is all too often overlooked in the main Marvel Thor title.  Overall, a fun romp within a reimagined Marvel Universe.

But was it good?  Verily! Langridge has a good grip on the core of the character and his ability to write well developed, fast paced stories that help to build a running overall narrative between issues is some of the best I have seen and very refreshing in comic book world that is overly focused decompressed stories full of talking heads that drag on for issues on end.  Then there is Chris Samnee.  Dynamic, kinetic, expressive, and just plain good; his ability to render characters and expressions harkens back to an earlier time in comics and definitely pays some dues to the Kirby reprints in the back of the volume.  He is nothing short of amazing and why he is not on a regular book right now, making a huge paycheck, I have no idea.  There are only two volumes of Thor: The Might Avenger and you owe it to yourself to buy them, read them, and share them to the people that you love.  Like I said, the series as a whole never got the fair shake that it deserves, but that doesn’t take away from the shear joy that is can give you now.  The world is a better place with this series in it and we need more fun, engaging works like this in our lives.

Tradio #23 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Welcome back to all-ages month on Tradio!  This week we have the loving adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young and published by Marvel Comics.

What can truly be said about the Wizard of Oz that hasn’t been said before? Few people over the age of twelve haven’t seen Judy Garland sing about traveling over the rainbow, skip down that yellow brick road, and confront the great and powerful Oz.  Who hasn’t looked for the person being hanged in the trees (if you have no clue what I am referring to, Google that). That said, probably very few of us have actually read the books that the movie itself was based on and delved into just how unique and at times, dark that world the Baum created truly was.  One of the very first great American fairy tales, it set the stage for a whole series of works set in a fantasy land that wasn’t all about the very European tropes of fairies and trolls.  Yes the Wicked Witch was scary and the flying monkeys were terrifying, but there was so much more to it than that.  We get to see more of the interesting adventures that were documented in that first book.  Things that no movie could ever include in such a lavish and loving way as this work.

Lavish and loving are very apt.  The book is simply a thing of beauty and the faithful adaptation by Shanower and Young is nothing short of spectacular.  Visually rich and verbally intelligent, it sets about recreating the world that Baum envisioned over a century ago.  You get to see how a young woman and her faithful companion grow and mature through her caring for others and wanting to do the right thing.  Truly an amazing work that should be on pretty much any child’s book shelf as a gateway drug to the original work.  Give it a try and maybe take some time and read it with your kids.

Tradio #22 - Runaways - Pride & Joy

This week we on Tradio, we are starting a series for the whole month of December where we are looking at all ages books that you may want to share with the young ones in your life.  “Ahhhh…a bunch of frakin’ kids books?!?! What is this crap?!?!?” you may say, but wait!  These are all good books that you could just happen to share with young people in your life who aren’t old enough to (legally) by cigarettes.  First up is the amazing for trade that collects the first six issues of the Runaways, entitled Pride & Joy by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona and published by Marvel Comics.

Adults are evil.  We all suspected this as kids and knew this as teens and this series takes that simple premise and takes it to new heights.  Runaways is a book about six young people who discover just how evil their parents really are and what they do to distance themselves from their super-villain parents and vow to take them down.  Through the course of these first few issues we see how each of these kids are the direct products of the evil that their parents have wrought over the years and we get to witness as they evolve into the counter-points to their parents.  Full of impressive character development and more teen angst than you can shake a stick at, the trade takes a look at very relatable tropes and gives them a modern twist in a super-powered setting.  And speaking of super-powers, you get some very interesting takes on super-powers themselves that aren’t just the vague energy power that pretty much all new characters have.   If you can’t relate to one of these kids, than well, you were probably a jock and let’s face it…you aren’t the target market of most comics.  You get some great set up and hints as to what is to come and as you fall in love with these kids, you will see how the pain of the situations they are thrown into affect the people that they end up becoming if you stick with the series.

As for the work itself, it is pretty wonderful.  Vaughan and Alphona set up a great twist on traditional superheroes and you get to see the rare instance of young, relatable characters being fleshed out before your eyes.  Anyone who knows anything about comics, knows who Brian K. Vaughan is and know that he is an amazing writer who can bring a lot to the table.  Pair him with Adrian Alphona’s clean, youthful line work and you have a book that is a masterpiece to behold.  You should be warned, if you buy the first trade, you should go ahead and buy all the Vaughan penned one, because you will want to know how things progress.  It is that good.  Truly an amazing read for the jaded adult as well as the jaded teen.

How Can I Miss You When You Never Go Away?

Ah...tis the season.  Thanksgiving?  No. Christmas?  Nuh-uh. Winter?  Not even close.  It is the time of year when pretty much every major video game gets released and game publishers try to cash in on people buying gifts.  Yes...it puts a big strain on all of us who are avid gamers and want to play the latest and greatest that the medium has to offer, but there is something more to it that has really reared it's bloated, misshapen head this year.  It really seems to be the season of "3s".  Gears Of War 3, Resistance 3, Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Just Dance 3, Uncharted 3, Saints Row 3...er sorry...The Third, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 with Diablo 3 and Mass Effect 3 right around the corner.  And then there are all the other sequels being released like Super Mario, Zelda, Skyrim, Forza, Assassin's Creed, Batman...the list goes on and on.  Is this a bad thing?  Maybe...maybe not...but I wanted to just get some of my totally unobjective thoughts out on the subject.

First off, I have to say that alot of the games that I just mentioned are really good and take the ideas and mechanics developed in the earlier games and refines them to a point where you really get to see what the series really has to offer.  That is definitely a good thing, but the problem is that very few of these games offer anything new that we haven't played before.  They don't really introduce new and interesting takes on things and only tweak what we have played before.  I have to say, I really loved Gears of War 3, but at the end of the day, it wasn't anything new and different...at least not in a big way.  I know that new IPs are expensive and risky, but they can be amazing.  Lately it seems like the only way to play something new and innovative on a consistent basis is to play something downloadable.  Games like Braid, Limbo, Orcs Must Die!, Comic Jumper, Shadow Complex, or Flower all give you something new and exciting and there is truly a sense of wonder and excitement there where you have no clue what is right around the corner.  With a lot of the game releases this season, they are great and all, but there is so little newness and personal excitement since it hasn't been all that long since the last one (Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed, I am looking at you!).  There really does't seem to be enough time since the last game in the series to really get excited about a new one.  Like I said, there is a lot of great games out right now, but I miss the days of a Portal or Dead Space or Bioshock or Mirror's Edge...something cool and risky and awesome.  I just need something new...at least I have The Gunstringer and Dead Island...sigh...