FEATURE: Web Comic Wednesday Presents… ‘Undoing Brand New Day’

Biff Bam Pow Comics | April 30, 2008 | 9:00 am


I think if you’ve read any of my previous Amazing Spider-Man reviews, you’ll have picked up on my distaste for the recent ‘Brand New Day’ concept. So when I stumbled across KiLLer WRiTer on myspace (actually Keith Planit), I was intrigued to hear that he’d been repairing the world of Spider-Man, undoing the damage issue by issue.

Now - I won’t lie - I was pretty skeptical at first, but having read his alternate Amazing Spider-Man 547 - I have to say that this man knows Spidey, and should be given a shot at repairing the damage done.

Keith isn’t trying to wipe the Civil War from the Marvel Universe’s eyes - he’s dealing with it just like Spider-Man should have - one step at a time.

So if you have a chance - check out ‘Undoing Brand New Day’ by clicking here, and signing up to Keith’s blog. You won’t regret it.

Get rid of Brand New Day - bring back Same Old Day.
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REVIEW: Ms Marvel - 26

Biff Bam Pow Comics | April 29, 2008 | 9:00 am



Ok - time for a quick rant. 

I picked up Ms Marvel for the first time two issues back, with the express intent of reading it through the Secret Invasion storyline and canning it thereafter.

But since that initial thought, I actually read the comic in question. Twice. Three times if you count this issue.

And you know what? I’m probably going to carry on picking the book up after Secret Invasion ends. It’s very well written, it’s engaging, the artwork is fantastic, and I find myself truly interested in the character.

So why is this a rant?

Because this one book sums up everything that Marvel is doing at the moment, and everything that DC should be doing. I’ve read two issues - and I’m hooked. The last DC book that I thought was a worthwhile read was Booster Gold 1. But - when it first came out, because I’d been stung with a year’s worth of ‘average’ 52, I gave it a miss.

Turns out it was a pretty good book. Which I found out, 6 months later - after picking up one of the multiple copies in the bargain bin at my local comic shop. I paid 50p. I would have happily paid the full cover price and put the book on my pull list - if only I’d been enticed to do so.

The covers to the past three issues of Ms Marvel had me more interested than I thought I would be, way before I’d even opened the cover.

Why DC? It doesn’t have to be this way. You can be good too!

Having said all this however, I thought it only fair to give DC another try. That’s why on Thursday, I’ll be reviewing Titans 1. But more of that then. In the here and now…

***SPOILER ALERT***

As you might expect from the above essay, as with the books before it, I did quite like this issue. 

The storyline picks up right after issue 25 - Ms Marvel standing over the body of William staring down the barrel of Agent Sum’s gun, with the revelation that a doppleganger Skrull is on the loose…

So after a brief fight with Lightening Storm, a face off between Ms Marvel and Ms Marvel, a battle with another Skrull and revelation at the end of the book - should you buy it?

Hell yes! Did you not read the top part of this review?

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(worthwhile on multiple levels - as part of the larger Secret Invasion or in its own right)
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REVIEW: The Mighty Avengers - 12

Biff Bam Pow Comics | April 28, 2008 | 9:00 am



***MAJOR SPOILER ALERT***

Well crikey. I didn’t see this one coming.

Been wondering where Nick Fury was all this time?

Wonder no more.

Turns out, at the end of Secret War, when Nick Fury disappeared - he unwittingly learned all about the presence of Skrulls on earth. And so rather than coming back - he gathered information, warned the then head of S.H.E.I.L.D. (Director Hill) in a very cryptic manner, and got in touch with none other than Spider-Woman…

Interesting? You bet your @£$ it is.

This issue of The Mighty Avengers is nothing short of the best issue in the series yet. The writing by Brian Michael Bendis is exceptional, and Alex Maleev’s artwork is spotless.

If you’ve been following the Secret Invasion storyline, you will definitely want to pick this book up, and pay particular notice to the last two pages… Hints anyone…?

Buy this book - you won’t regret it.

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(it’s all starting to fall in place…)
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REVIEW: Echo - 2

Biff Bam Pow Comics | April 27, 2008 | 3:00 pm



To those of you who haven’t read Echo 1 - you might want to quickly check out the review here before carrying on with this review. Now - having gotten that out of the way - how was Echo 2?

***SPOILER ALERT***

The story picks up straight after the end of issue 1, with a panicked Julie rushing towards the emergency room to try and remove the strange substance that has bonded to her chest.

On her way out to the car, the tiny balls of broken suit (see issue 1) attached to Julie’s car become attracted to her chest, enlarging the area covering her chest even more.

Later in the issue we learn that there was a second person on the ground when the suit exploded in the sky, and that it’s likely he was also in the path of the suit’s fallout (an obvious tease to a later story).

So how does this compare to the first issue?

Well - the artwork is as good as before, and the script is certainly up to scratch - but there are an awful lot of ‘hmmm’ moments in the book. Not ‘hmmm - do I like this’ moments - just ‘hmmm’ moments.

Case in point - Julie’s conversation with her husband Rick. Doesn’t go particularly well, he’s obviously irritated by her even calling. ‘Hmmm’.

Second case in point - Ivy. A mom, spending time with her little girl, seemingly called in by the government to sort out this situation. ‘Hmmm’.

Now - I have to say - I like this book, and I’m definitely going to buy the next one. I would however, hope for just a teeny bit more dialogue in the next issue to hopefully start explaining a few things, rather than asking more questions…

Overall however - worth picking up if you’ve read the first issue, as it’s obviously going somewhere. If you haven’t picked issue 1 up however - try to find that first.

Pete’s Score: 3 out of 5
(enjoyable, but filled with questions)
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INTERVIEW: Johnny Zito - Co-creator of The Black Cherry Bombshells

Biff Bam Pow Comics | | 12:35 am

Most of you who read the previous Black Cherry Bombshells review will have already visited ZudaComics.com and had a read of a quality comic. Since the review, Johnny Zito (co-creator of The Black Cherry Bombshells) and I have been in touch, and pulled together a little interview for you to let you in on some of the influences behind the comic, and some of the future plans for the story…



Biff Bam Pow Comics: Hey there everyone! Welcome to a Biff Bam Pow Comics interview with Johnny Zito!


Johnny Zito: Hello, all!


BBPC: Those of you who read the recent review of Black Cherry Bombshells and followed the links littered throughout will know the name already, but for those of you who didn’t - Johnny, can you tell us a bit about your work?


Johnny Zito: I am the co-creator and co-writer of The Black Cherry Bombshells. The latest comic to join DC’s online imprint: ZudaComics.com


BBPC:  Which - if you didn’t read the review - is a great read!


Johnny Zito: Thank you!


Johnny Zito: You can check us out at BlackCherryBombshells.com or at ZudaComics.com


BBPC:  So what inspired you to write The Black Cherry Bombshells? (I’ve picked up on a few influences - perhaps a little Russ Meyer and Mad Max?)


Johnny Zito: Absolutely. The comic is essentially about ultra violent girl gangs fighting for survival in a world where every man has been mutated into a flesh eating zombie.


Johnny Zito: Right up front are Mad Max and Clockwork Orange.


Johnny Zito: The Warriors, Myers and Argento


BBPC:  I did wonder about a little Clockwork influence… Some of the eye-makeup had me wondering…!


Johnny Zito: Oh yeah, the rival gang, The Robot Sepaku!


BBPC:  That’s the stuff…!


Johnny Zito: Definitely.


Johnny Zito: A lot of the credit for that goes to our wonderful artist: Sacha Borisich.


Johnny Zito: She did a lot of the design work on the fly because we were pressed for time. But she knew all the references and short hand. Never missed a beat.


BBPC:  She certainly did a great job on it!


Johnny Zito: Anyone who digs Sacha’s work should check out our MySpace 


Johnny Zito: where we have tons of sketch work and promo material from Sacha that you can’t get on ZudaComics.com


BBPC:  I was pretty impressed when I read it through the first time, how she’s managed to convey menace in the strip, but still kept it (for want of some better words) ‘light’…!


BBPC:  The comic never feels overly harsh - just the right side of grim with a dash of playful thrown in for good measure!


Johnny Zito: My co-creator, Tony Trov, and I wanted to be violent and dangerous and sexy but not get all

grim and gritty.


BBPC:  I think you’ve definitely achieved that! In all honesty, if the artwork had reflected just how grim the world could be - it would have been a very different comic. This is definitely better!

BBPC:  Which actually brings me onto a good point… Love ‘The King’ - whose idea was it to have a female Elvis in the series?


Johnny Zito: Me and Tony came up with everything together.


Johnny Zito: We have a pretty big obsession with Elvis to begin with and when the series wound up set in Post-Apocalyptic Vegas, well, it just made sense. Right?


BBPC:  lol - You’re right - post-apocalyptic Vegas and Elvis do go hand in hand.


Johnny Zito: Hope everyone digs it. We think the style opens it up to a larger audience.


BBPC:  Certainly does…! So, what are some of the plans for the series? I know on page 8 there’s a nice ‘reveal’ that was hinted at earlier…


Johnny Zito: Well we’re on a lil hiatus. We come back with more screens in a month or so. Zuda will make an announcement. When we do return expect things to slow down a bit. The first 8 pages were a pitch and now we really get a chance to explore this world.


Johnny Zito: and we will.


Johnny Zito: we’re going to learn about how hard it is to survive.


Johnny Zito: The crazy laws that keep order among the gangs.


Johnny Zito: New gangs, new gangsters, more zombies and tons of kicking.


Johnny Zito: Everyone should check out our trailer on YouTube which teases artwork from the upcoming series.


BBPC:  Sounds interesting… Especially the crazy laws - something I was wondering about when we saw ‘an ol’ fashion dust-up’ for the first time…!


Johnny Zito: We’re really interested in world building.


Johnny Zito: The premise indicates that the whole world ended and this is what took its place.


BBPC:  I am a little intrigued as to the pre-zombie world too… But having said that - drawing a comparison to The Walking Dead - there is something to be said for having that mystery in place.


Johnny Zito: and as we tell a very harsh revenge story it’s our job to explore the surroundings it exists in.


BBPC: Gives the reader something to explore within their mind, coming up with their own conclusions!


Johnny Zito: Yeah. How things got that way is secondary to where we’re going.


BBPC:  Well - hopefully we’ll see more of The Black Cherry Bombshells in a month’s time - but in the interim, we’ll have to make do with the YouTube teaser to whet our appetites!


Johnny Zito: Plus we do regular updates on our MySpace blog with sketches, scripts and teasers.


BBPC: Any quick additional shouts out or recommendations you’d like to make?


Johnny Zito: Yes!


Johnny Zito: Everyone should check out ZudaComics.com. Free comics by some of the most talented people on the internet.


Johnny Zito: If you’re a writer or an artist check out the submission guidelines and get involved!


Johnny Zito: Hook up with a team and tell your unique story.


BBPC:  I’ll second that - I was pretty amazed at what was out there!


BBPC:  So much in fact, that as of Wednesday next week, a new regular web-comic review slot will be starting up, cleverly titled…


BBPC: ‘Web-comic Wednesday!’


BBPC:  lol


Johnny Zito: Alliteration!


BBPC:  lol


BBPC:  Johnny - thanks for agreeing to do this interview - will you come back once the story develops a little further?


Johnny Zito: Absolutely! Thanks for having me.


BBPC:  No problems at all - anytime!


BBPC:  Don’t forget, The Black Cherry Bombshells can be found on Zuda at: http://www.zudacomics.com/node/324


Johnny Zito: or BlackCherryBombshells.com


Johnny Zito: so you can tell friends and family without having to say the word ‘node’ over and over


Johnny Zito: Drop a comment while you’re there. Visit the other great comics, too!


Johnny Zito: Web Comics are the future.


BBPC:  Get out there, and get reading!


A copy of the original review, can be found here!

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REVIEW: Franklin Richards: Son Of A Genius - Spring Break

Biff Bam Pow Comics | April 26, 2008 | 10:30 pm



What a relief! After having read the anger-fest that was Countdown To Final Crisis - 1 yesterday, I was terrified that the next book I picked up might be the same (bad comics like Countdown can do that - shake my faith in the industry to the core).

Luckily - I picked up Franklin Richards: Son Of A Genius - Spring Break, by Chris Eliopoulos and Marc Sumerak.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Being a fan of the Savage Dragon for some time now - I’ve been exposed to Chris’ work a number of times over the years, starting at first with (the classic) Desperate Times. Chris has managed to be one of the few artists and writers in comic books today to have an almost spotless resume.

I can’t think of a single book or strip of Chris’ that I’ve read over the past few years, where I’ve felt that it could have been better, or that a joke misfired. His work is consistently of the highest quality - and for this, I honestly applaud him.

As you would expect, this one-shot is no different. Franklin and H.E.R.B.I.E. get up to various levels of mischief, slowing down time, beating gas aliens with the power of burps and trashing the baxter building on a videogames high.

All hilarious - all worth the price. Thoroughly recommended for adults and kids alike.

Pete’s Score: 4 out of 5
(a great book all around - perfectly pitched for all audiences)
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REVIEW: Countdown to Final Crisis - 1 (Week 51)

Biff Bam Pow Comics | April 25, 2008 | 10:36 pm


***SPOILER ALERT***

Right - having read this issue, I’m feeling pretty happy with my decision to not buy this year long maxi-series.

Not only am I feeling that - but I’m feeling a level of disappointment that I really shouldn’t be - especially given my previous opinions on the book.

In the last issue, Darkseid sadly exited the DC universe. I say sadly mainly because it’s was so sad that he had to exit in such a lackluster issue. A monumental event, left feeling limp-wristed. Which, is a little like this issue.

You haven’t got something as massive as another key DCU character death, but you have got the forming of a group of heroes (Donna Troy, Ray Palmer, Kyle Rayner and Forager) to watch over the Monitors, a ‘new’ OMAC (looking incredibly retro), Mary Marvel attacking Black Adam in the desert and the frankly miraculous reappearance of Piper.

So - let’s quickly pickup on all of the above:

1. Forming of a new group of heroes to monitor the Monitors.

*sigh* Yeah - ok, in theory good, but in practice, it couldn’t have been more boring if it had tried to be. A bunch of depressed and angry superheroes deciding after much coffee drinking and moping that they’re going to oversee the remaining Monitors. There was absolutely no energy whatsover in this group - and I got the distinct impression that Forager had been put in place purely to die in a later issue of Final Crisis. Boredom factor: 8

2. A ‘new’ OMAC

Seriously? Seriously? I mean, come on. Seriously? What the hell were they thinking of when they gave him that costume? Yes, yes, I know all about the original OMAC - but even still, this is just stupid. Stupid, and no doubt about to spill into a mini-series tying into Final Crisis, along with a quickly cancelled ongoing book thereafter.

3. Mary Marvel attacking Black Adam

Mary’s turnaround in the last few issues from hero to villain was irritating before, and even more so now. I just don’t buy any of this - it goes completely against everything that came before Countdown, and I seriously hope it’s discredited /put right in the near future. If not - well - rearrange these words to form a sentence: “mistake” “colossal” “a” “what”.

4. Piper

Now this one - this one - @£$&’s me off the most. Piper died. How the hell did he escape death - and more importantly - why?!? His death was one of the more memorable moments in the series, and now it’s just been reversed. Ridiculous choice. Insane.

Now - having said all of that - don’t just take my words for how @$£* this series has been - why not have a quick read of the first two columns in DC Nation at the back of the book.

Yes - that’s right - Dan Didio himself says Countdown’s goals were “…a bit difficult to achieve”, and that the overall plans met with “…various levels of success”. “The problem, we realised, was that … nothing is moving with it’s own natural rhythm.”

Way to tell a whole bunch of people who just bought a year’s worth of this book that they wasted their time Dan.

Originally, I’d intended to give this book a medium score. But having Dan Didio come out and essentially say in the back of the book that ‘it could have turned out better’ - means I’m changing my mind to line up with his opinion.

Pete’s Score: 2 out of 5
(don’t bother - fan or not)
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REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man - 557

Biff Bam Pow Comics | April 24, 2008 | 6:58 pm



As I write this blog, after a (very) hard day’s work - I find myself slumped in my chair, reflecting on the finer things in life.

Finer things such as the smile on my girlfriend’s face in the morning, or the smell of freshly cut grass.

And this evening, one of those finer things - is this comic.

Readers of my Blogger posts will have already seen my opinions on issue 555 and 556 of The Amazing Spider-Man - but to summarise them quickly - I liked ‘em a lot. Which surprised me greatly, as I hate the idea of Brand New Day (it just doesn’t cut the mustard for me, especially as it left so many unanswered questions).

But - having had a quick rant about the overall story-arc - what of this particular book?

***SPOILER ALERT***

When last we left Spidey, he’d realised that Dr. Rabin had pulled the old ‘bait and switch’ on him - not in fact sending him to rescue the ‘kidnapped’ researchers - but rather lead a Mayan God of mischief directly to them…

Oh - and let’s not forget that Carlie was in a pretty pickle, having just watched Rabin sacrifice one of three good Mayans - trying to avert catastrophe. 

Issue 557 nicely ties up this particular storyline with Spidey bouncing around a snow covered New York, desperately in search of help to defeat a God who can bend space and time to his advantage (there are a couple of particularly well drawn moments where a fist or a staff carry from one moment in time [or panel] to another).

Suffice to say - Spidey gets help and (kind of) saves the day - but it doesn’t come from anyone you’d expect…

So - thoughts about the comic. Damn good - no - excellent artwork from Chris Bachalo, with a spotless script to match by Zeb Wells. Reading the book was a joy from start to finish, and has certainly been the best thing to come from Brand New Day so far.

Get shot of Brand New Day, bring in