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Grifter – Wildstorm Addiction
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A Wildstorm comic book podcast for Wildstorm addicts by Joe Soliz and Benjamin Murphy!
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Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 48
May 17, 2014Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to a brand new amazing yet one year late episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #21-30 and Future’s End #0-1, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. 00:00:00 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #48 and forgets to give his spoiler alerts warning (but really if you haven’t read any of these issues, you didn’t miss anything this past year). Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release (really Joe?). 00:02:12 – Joe continues with a pale amount of Wildstorm related news collected over the past year’s time. We’re back! After a longer hiatus than anticipated but probably a much needed one for the both of us. Stormwatch #21-30 other Wildstorm appearances in the DCU New 52. (SPOILERS WARNING) Divine Right: The Adventures of Max Faraday issues up at comixology. Deathblow Deluxe Edition Hardcover just released in March with the softcover coming in Jan. 2015. Collects #1-12 plus story from Darker Image #1. Also Divine Right Hardcover scheduled for Dec. 2014. DC gearing up to use these characters somehow? More Wildstorm Heroclix in the recently released Superman and the Legion of Superheroes set which includes a Daemonite, Helspont, Mr. Majestic and Ladytron. AND The Authority is coming in the next set, DC Heroclix: The Flash on Oct. 15 (my bday, thank you Wiz Kids!). So far only a pic of Midnighter has been released. The podcast is 4 years old! Future’s End News: Well, in five years’ time, Stormwatch is still called Stormwatch, not The Authority and they have a couple of new members. Via – Bleeding Cool The Movement canceled ending with issue #12 in May, featured Wildstorm character Rainmaker. 00:07:18 – Ben starts our final yearly wrap up of Stormwatch run from issues #21-30 mostly written by Jim Starlin with art by Yvel Guichet except for #30 which was written by Sterling Gates with art by Jeremy Roberts. We touch a bit on what Jim Lee had to say in an interview from CBR about the state of the Wildstorm characters and their misses and misses in integrating into the new DCU. Jim Lee’s comments on state of Wildstorm from CBR- “We like to say we’re finding our way. [Laughs] I think when we started the New 52, we had a bunch of Wildstorm characters in there, and they were really being handled by New York editors. They would often ask me, “Do you like this take? Do you think this is cool?” And my response to them was, “Look, I want your take on the characters. We spent many years doing our take on the West Coast and I’d love to see them through the filter of the New York office. You guys deal with these iconic characters like Superman and Batman. Where do characters like Grifter and some of these other WildC.A.T.S. or former Gen13 members — where do they fit into this mythology, how do they fit in?” Like everything you do creatively, there were some hits and misses. That said, I think we’ve held back on a couple of franchises like “Gen13” and “WildC.A.T.S.” and that’s something I want to be more directly involved with. When the time comes, we’ll put those out and hopefully, Wildstorm fans will be happy.” 00:17:52 – Joe touches on the Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox animated movie which features a great representation of Grifter. Grifter hasn’t been seen on the small screen for almost 15 years! 00:18:20 – Joe covers the Free Comic Book Day Future’s End #0 and the now weekly issues #1 written by Brian Azzarello. Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffen with art by Patrick Zircher (did Shadowman for Valiant) and cover by Ryan Sook. 00:29:28 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issues within the past year. Massive thanks to Titan from Clark’s Bar for helping us keep up with these appearances!!! All-Star Western #17-20 – Stormwatch backup Superman #27 – Helspont cameo at the end Red Hood Outlaws 14, Superman 27, 29 – Various Helspont appearances Movement 2, 3, 4, 8 – Gen 13’s Rainmaker Suicide Squad 23, Birds of Prey 25 – Gen 13’s Lynch appearances Batman/Superman 8, 9, Worlds’ Finest 20, 21, Birds of Prey 24 – Kaizen Gamorra appearances (as Regalus, Kaizen merged with a Team 7 character) 00:33:30 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 5/07 FUTURE’S END #1 – Grifter appearance For the week of 5/14 FUTURE’S END #2 – No confirmed appearances For the week of 5/21 FUTURE’S END #3 – No confirmed appearances For the week of 5/28 FUTURE’S END #4 – Stormwatch appearance 00:35:17 – Joe gives some quick shout out’s starting with Chris Striker’s The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at http://theauthority.ws. Also check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.comicaddiciton.net. Get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com. We also want to mention our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast where Joe is a now a pimpmacdaddyregular-host. Finally check out our buddy Chris Arrant over at www.comicbookresources.com. 00:38:27 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below.The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com. Contact info: Joe: http://twitter.com/joedavidsoliz (I have changed my Twitter) Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com! Email us: wildstormaddiction@gmail.com. Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page Our show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and other devices with Stitcher. Stitcher is Smart Radio for Your phone or tablet. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com The latest episode is always available for you- no syncing needed… and no memory or storage wasted! Stitcher SmartRadio- The Smarter Way to listen to radio.
Transcribe →Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 43
Jan 26, 2013Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #16, Grifter #16, and Ravagers #8, and Team 7 #4, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. 00:00:00 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #43 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. (Surprised? We moved the intro music back a bit!) 00:01:50 – Ben gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU. Wiz Kids was very generous to Wildstorm fans over the holidays. Not only did we get news of Gen 13 Heroclix, but we’re also getting Ravagers Heroclix and three more WildC.A.T.s figures including Spartan, Void, and Emp. Check out the News section of our website for more details. Still a rumor, but Bleeding Cool reports that Jim Lee will do a Wildcats title after his Man of Steel title with Scott Snyder ends. This means it won’t be released until 2014. In April, all New 52 issues will have fold-out covers. The solicits only show the front cover and each fold out is supposed to reveal something shocking. For example, Team 7 #7 shows Grifter, Deathstroke (in his modern costume), and Black Canary firing at something off screen. The issue also promises a new team member who is making their New 52 debut. Ravagers #11 has a similar cover with the team fighting something off screen and sports a cover by veteran artist Michael Golden. Stormwatch #19 does not have a final cover yet, but one noteworthy bit of news about this issue is that veteran artist/writer Jim Starlin will be taking over Stormwatch with Yvel Guichet on art. Starlin will provide art for the fold-out cover. The trailer for Red 2 is online at comingsoon.net. This is the sequel to the 2010 movie which is an adaption of the Wildstorm mini-series of the same name by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=98994 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8ntPbR_9A9Y) You can listen to an interview with Warren Ellis on a recent Nerdist podcast where he talks about the second film a bit. (http://www.nerdist.com/2013/01/nerdist-podcast-warren-ellis/) 00:06:31 – Joe starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #16. Released on 1/09, written by Peter Milligan with art and cover by Will Conrad. Is this title starting to lose it’s luster? We sure hope not! Help us Jim Starlin, you’re our only hope! 00:16:00 – Ben continues the final issue of Grifter #16 (FINALLY!!). Released on 1/16, written by Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels and cover by Scott Clark. Joe tries to make sense of it, but what’s the point really? 00:33:04 – Joe reviews Ravagers #8. Released on 1/16, written by Michael Alan Nelson with art by Ig Guara and cover by Patrick Gleason. 00:43:16 – Ben reviews Team 7 #4. Released on 1/16, written by Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Merino and cover by Tyler Kirkham. (p.s. – Joe has his OMG Train Guy moment at 45:57; you don’t want to miss it!) 00:56:41 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #16’s that have released last month. 1/2 Savage Hawkman #15 – Pike appearance 1/16 Legion Lost #16 – Ravagers appearance 00:58:00 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 1/30 THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #16 “HAWKMAN: WANTED” crashed to its conclusion! Carter Hall can’t escape his past! Two worlds collide — with Hawkman caught in the middle! (last time we’ll see Pike?) For the week of 2/06 STORMWATCH #17 Don’t miss this major turning point issue as everything changes! The death of a StormWatch member! The end of StormWatch headquarters! YOUNG ROMANCE: A NEW 52 VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL #1 Romance is in the air in this very special Special! Wonder Woman consults Eros himself about her feelings for The Man of Steel. Barbara Gordon has always been too busy for romance, but could her role as Batgirl bring her back to the first guy she ever kissed? Following the events of “Death in the Family,” how can Catwoman ease Batman’s troubled soul? Aquaman makes waves as he treats his wife like a queen for a day. From the pages of STORMWATCH, Apollo and Midnighter celebrate Valentine’s Day separately but with each other in mind. Who—or what—stands between them? Dick Grayson and the daughter of Lucious Fox meet-cute! Plus: Perforated Valentine’s Day cards featuring the stars of these stories! For the week of 2/13 RAVAGERS #9 As Thunder’s condition worsens, the rest of the team begins to wonder if Caitlin is helping him—or killing him! TEAM 7 #5 The secret history of the DCU’s original Cyborg Program! Who is Spartan? And what is the threat of the Majestic Program? Slade Wilson takes his first steps down the path that will lead to his becoming Deathstroke! For the week of 2/27 All-Star Western #17 Gather round for a lesson in the terrible secret history of Gotham City with Jonah Hex! Hex and Doctor Arkham are at the forefront as a disease threatens to destroy part of the city. The patient survival rate is looking pretty grim… Plus: In the backup story, meet Jenny Freedom and the StormWatch of the 19th century! (Jenny Freedom/Stormwatch back-up story) 00:59:38 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.imageaddiciton.net And get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com and our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast. 01:01:32 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below. The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www...
Transcribe →Grifter #16
Jan 16, 2013Tap to summarize” The Last Grift “ Writer: Frank Tieri Pencils: Marat Mychaels Inks: Dave Beaty Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Taylor Esposito Editor: Rickey Purdin Cover: Scott Clark (No Spoilers) Well, the crazy ride that has been the Grifter title comes to an end. After many ups and downs writer Frank Tieri is pinned with the near-impossible task of making it all make sense. Thankfully, he was afforded one last issue to do so and I think he did decent job considering everything. This series is like a beautiful vase that started with lots of potential but along the way was smashed on the floor, glued back together, smashed again, and glued together once again. You can site multiple sources for this title’s failure but I’m going to focus on what we actually got instead of what we could’ve gotten (since I feel that’s been discussed to death). Tieri took all the different ideas about Grifter’s origins and brings it all back full circle so he can at least give us an ending of sorts. When a title is cancelled, it’s always nice when editorial gives the creative team enough lead time to craft an ending. The ending finally does answer the question as to what Grifter is and shows his true purpose against the Daemonites. It still makes sense with what came before and for that alone I applaud Tieri. Grifter has been dragged through the mud in-story and in the real world. His decision at the end of the issue is appropriate, all things considered. But they also leave it open for more stories that could either be addressed in Team 7 or the rumored Wildcats title that may be coming next year. There’s not too much more to say about this title at this point. As I said before, we could easily debate all day long about what caused the series demise. But, what’s done is done. I’m happy that Grifter still exists over in Team 7 so at least he won’t be absent from the DCU (unlike poor Voodoo who has since disappeared). Overall, definitely more frustrated about this cancellation than I was with Voodoo. Grifter has been and will always be a cool character (as well as my favorite, next to Batman). But as with any other character, if he’s not done right, he cannot have success as a comic. Grifter’s in the hands of Justin Jordan now over in Team 7. Here’s to hoping he’ll get better treatment there. 7 out of 10 (Above Average)
Transcribe →Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 42
Dec 31, 2012Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #15, Grifter #15, Team 7 #3, and Ravagers #7, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. 00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #42 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. 00:01:19 – Joe continues with plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU. Brett Booth continued his 20 years celebration since Jim Lee hired him at his blog by posting two more sketches after his Grifter pic we mentioned last month. He posted a Taboo and Zealot sketch. He also mentioned that he hopes to get Backlash introduced into the New 52 sometime in 2013. http://demonpuppy.blogspot.com/2012/11/happy-sketch-saturday-its.html March brings more Wildstorm goodness into the New 52 as Team 7 #6 features the debut of Ladytron! The issue also mentions that Caitlin Fairchild will be showing up and there will also be a modern day story where Deathstroke is hunting down his former Team 7 teammates (the cover shows Grifter impaled by Deathstroke’s sword). Stormwatch #18 features appearance by Zealot as the team appears to be fighting The Engineer and Deathstroke #18 features Warblade and The Ravagers and seems to tie-in with Ravagers #10 which also mentions Deathstroke. March also sees the release of The Authority Vol. 1-HC collecting #1-12 which is all of Warren Ellis’ run, the solicit mentions Mark Millar, but his run didn’t start until #13. (it’s odd because the Vol. 2 Stormwatch HC, which chronologically comes before these stories, has been pushed back to Summer 2013). Finally, we got a super advance look at trades coming out next summer. In May we get Grifter Vol. 2: New Found Power which collects #0, & 9-16 and The Ravagers Vol. 1: The Kids from N.O.W.H.E.R.E which collects #0-7. In June we get Deathstroke Vol. 2: Lobo Hunt which collects #0, & 9-14 (which debuted Zealot). We also get double Stormwatch as we get the softcover release of Vol. 1 which collects Warren Ellis’ #37-47 and Stormwatch Vol. 2-HC which says collects #48-49 ( no #50 which is the last part of the Change or Die storyline?) and the second Stormwatch series #1-11. In July we get Team 7 Vol. 1: Fight Fire with Fire which collects #0-7 and Superman Vol. 2: Secrets & Lies HC which collects #7-12 and the infamous Superman Annual #1. August sees Legion Lost Vol. 2: The Culling which collects #0, and #8-16 and The Savage Hawkman Vol. 2: Wanted which collects #0-14 (debut of Pike). And last but certainly not least, we got more good news from the Heroclix front. We’ll be seeing Gen 13 Heroclix some time in the near future. Wiz Kids released an image with a bunch of preview figures which included the prototype figures for all 5 original Gen 13 kids! 00:13:29 – Ben starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #15. Released on 12/05, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad and Cliff Richards, cover by Will Conrad. 00:32:38 – Joe reviews Grifter #15. Released on 12/12, written by Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels and cover by Scott Clark. 00:43:32 – Ben reviews Ravagers #7. Released on 12/12, written by Howard Mackie with art by Eduardo Pansica, Daniel Hdr, Geraldo Borges, & Ian Churchill and cover by Ian Churchill. 01:01:23 – Joe gives his review of Team 7 #3. Released on 12/12, written by Justin Jordan with art by Julius Gopez and cover by Tyler Kirkham; variant cover by Ivan Reis. 01:16:58 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #15’s that have released this month. 12/12 Demon Knights #15 – Merlin changes into Adam One, we get info about Shadow Lords & beginnings of Stormwatch 12/12 Legion Lost #15 – Ravagers appearance 01:18:00 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 1/09 STORMWATCH #16 Midnighter must die! The unthinkable happens when StormWatch’s mission to capture the renegade Midnighter turns into an assassination plot! Don’t miss the stunning (and permanent) transformation of a StormWatch member! For the week of 1/16 GRIFTER #16 Last Issue! The conspiracy surrounding Cole Cash has unraveled and you won’t believe who stands at the center of it all! RAVAGERS #8 Welcome new series writer Michael Alan Nelson (Fall of Cthulhu, 28 Days Later)! Rose Wilson and Warblade are hunting a rogue Ravager when it accidentally infects an entire community! What happens here will affect their future with the Colony forever! TEAM 7 #4 At last, it’s the secret origin of Deathstroke! The team clashes with Eclipso and Slade Wilson! Witness the beginnings of the Black Room from Justice League! LEGION LOST #16 Superboy and The Ravagers guest-star! In order to save billions of lives, the Lost Legionnaires must decide if they are willing to sacrifice millions when they detonate a bomb that will destroy the alien machine from Daggor! Plus, more on the origin of Harvest! 01:19:42 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker’s Stormwatch site which is http://stormwatch.ws/ and remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions amongst long time Wildstorm fans at http://theauthority.ws. Also check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and The Savage FINcast as they cover The Savage Dragon. Both can be found at http://www.imageaddiciton.net And get twice the Valiant coverage now with our friends of the show from the Only the Valiant podcast at http://www.onlythevaliant.com and our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com and their Valiant Future podcast. 01:20:52 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below. The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com. Contact info: Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78 Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com! Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com. Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page Our show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and other devices with Stitcher. Stitcher is Smart Radio for Your phone or tablet. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com The latest episode is always a...
Transcribe →Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 41.5 Interview with Dave Beaty
Dec 18, 2012Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to a special episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy give an interview with the current inker on Grifter, Dave Beaty. We chat with about the rise and fall of this Wildstorm character in the new DCU 52. 00:00:36 – Ben welcomes everyone to a special episode #41.5 and welcomes Dave to the podcast. We apologize for the audio quality on this interview, this was our first attempt spanning three different time zones(probably not true) and my bandwidth couldn’t quite keep up(definitely true!) and Dave seemed to have some background his in his microphone. Alas, there is good information to be gleaned from this worthy artist and the show must go on! 00:01:32 – Joe gets it started by asking Dave how he broke into the industry as an inker after having seen some overlap and confusion about Scott Beaty on the internet for some of the main comic book databases. 00:05:16 – Ben wonders how hard is it to transition between pencilers on the same book. 00:08:09 – Ben asks Dave to get a bit more specific by explaining some of the tools he used and more of the process with the inking step in the production. 00:15:39 – Joe wonders what Rob leaving may have done to the fate of the title being cancelled. He also wonders with his absence did DC make a conscience effort to downplay some of the Wildstorm introduction into the new DCU 52 such as Voodoo’s cancellation, Zealot’s quick disappearance, very small cameo’s of Pike, change in direction for Team 7, and the quick dismissal of the Daemonite presence from the DCU after such an obvious build-up in major titles through-out the first year. 00:23:28 – Ben like to discuss the ever closing distance between creators and fans with the proliferation of social media beyond the simple forum. He wants to know Dave’s thoughts on where this relationship will head in the future of comics. 00:28:53 – Always liking to go out on a light note we checked out the honors and achievements on your website www.davebeaty.com. We want to know…are you in fact a ninja? 00:40:51 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and Shadowman. And now Valiant has TWICE the coverage as our friends over at www.culturalwormhole.com have started a new podcast covering Valiant comics called Valiant Future. These guys are Comic Addiction veterans so head over and check them out! The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com. Contact info: Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78 Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com! Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com. Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page Our show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and other devices with Stitcher. Stitcher is Smart Radio for Your phone or tablet. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com The latest episode is always available for you- no syncing needed… and no memory or storage wasted! Stitcher SmartRadio- The Smarter Way to listen to radio
Transcribe →Grifter #15
Dec 12, 2012Tap to summarize“Suicide Isn’t Painless” Writer: Frank Tieri Pencils: Marat Mychaels Inks: Dave Beaty Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Taylor Esposito Editor: Rickey Purdin Cover: Scott Clark (No Spoilers) With Liefeld’s influence gone, Frank Tieri is able to steer this book on a course even if it’s scheduled to sink with next month’s cancellation. But I was hoping for a strong finish for the series and everything seemed to be improved with this issue. Tieri has done his best to string together the mess this series has been so far and even Maraty Mychaels’ art seemed to be improved as well. This book has been all over the place since Liefeld took over. I always had a feeling that most of the books missteps were due to his influence and this issue proves it. Frank Tieri takes over solo writing duty here and it shows. For once there was a clear narrative to the story and I liked the “Then” and “Now” structure he laid out. It gives us a nice peak into Amanda Waller’s history post-Team 7. It also shows that because of her position in the government, she has her hands in many different aspects of the DCU. This includes information on her former Team 7 teammate, Grifter. The ironic thing is Grifter has been put through the wringer in his title, both in the real world and in the comic world. In the real world he’s been the victim of bad editorial decisions which led the title having no established foundation. In the comic world, Grifter has been jerked around and lied to by just about every person he’s encountered. It has led to some confusion in-story but with the revelation Tieri gives in this issue, it shows why Grifter as a character has been so screwed-up. I’m actually excited to see how Tieri ties is all up. I learned recently that #15 was originally going to be the last issue. But thankfully, someone in DC’s offices had mercy and allowed next month’s issue to give the title a proper ending. For the first time in months, I’m excited for the next issue of Grifter, even if it’s the last. 7 out of 10 (Above Average)
Transcribe →Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 41
Nov 28, 2012Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #14, Grifter #14, and Ravagers #6, and Team 7 #2, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. 00:00:35 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #41 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. 00:01:09 – Ben gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU. Midnighter & Apollo will be two of several characters featured in a one-shot in February called Young Romance: A New 52 Valentine’s Day Special. Peter Milligan is mentioned as one of the writer’s so we assume he’ll handle the Midnighter/Apollo story. No word yet on who will do the art for that particular story. Even though we’re not going to be treated to a Wildcats title (yet), February does feature the debut of another Wildstorm character. Team 7 #5 features the New 52 debut of Spartan! And apparently features an appearance by Caitlin Fairchild according to the cover which shows her and her dad fighting Spartan. Stormwatch #17 confirms the hard times Will Conrad spoke of in our interview with him last month as the solicit promises the end of Stormwatch headquarters (again) and the death of a character. All-Star Western #17 has a back-up story that features Jenny Freedom and the Stormwatch of the 19th century. March sees the softcover trade release of The DC Universe by Alan Moore which features some of his Wildstorm work: original Voodoo mini-series #1-4 and Deathblow: Byblows #1-3. This past month marked 20 years ago that Brett Booth was hired by Jim Lee. As a thanks to Jim, Brett posted a sweet Grifter sketch on his blog: http://demonpuppy.blogspot.com/2012/11/this-sketch-saturday-its-grifter-time.html Once again, thank you to all our new Image Addiction listeners. Our downloads have tripled since we became part of the Image Addiction podcast network!! 00:05:16 – Joe starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #14. Released on 11/07, written by Peter Milligan with art and cover by Will Conrad. 00:19:46 – Ben continues on the garbage of the new DCU with Grifter #14. Released on 11/14, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels and cover by Scott Clark. 00:28:08 – Joe reviews Ravagers #6. Released on 11/14, written by Howard Mackie with art by Ian Churchill and Tyler Kirkham with cover by Ken Lashley. 00:40:00 – Ben actually did a manageable job reviewing Team 7 this month with issue #2. Released on 11/14, written by Justin Jordan with art by Ron Frenz & Julius Gopez with cover by Tyler Kirkham and variant cover by Brett Booth. 00:59:34 – Joe gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #14’s that have released last month. 10/24 I, Vampire #13 – Stormwatch appearance (just barely, what was the point?) 10/24 Savage Hawkman #13 – Pike appearance 11/07 Animal Man #14 – Rotworld crossover, there are rotted versions of Hawk, Dove, Grifter, Deathstroke, and Hawkman, all believed to be a jab back at Liefeld for attacking Scott Snyder on his way out of DC. Epic! 11/14 Legion Lost #14 – Ravagers appearance 11/14 Deathstroke #14 – Pike shows up at end 01:07:40 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 12/05 STORMWATCH #15 Midnighter: enemy of Stormwatch? The manipulations of the Shadow Lords have turned members of the team against each other! Is this the beginning of the end as we saw it in issue #0? For the week of 12/12 GRIFTER #15 Grifter and Voodoo vs. The Suicide Squad! Is Amanda Waller responsible for all the bad things that have happened to Grifter? Will he stop shooting long enough to learn the truth? Former Team 7 partners face off! RAVAGERS #7 The return of Warblade and Rose Wilson! Can the team finally act like a team — and survive? Beast Boy deals with side effects from The Rot, and Caitlin asks Superboy the unthinkable! TEAM 7 #3 From the pages of RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS, the mysterious Essence joins the team’s battle against the Heart of Darkness known as the Black Diamond! Before he was Deathstroke The Terminator, Slade Wilson was possessed by Eclipso! Is this the secret origin of a super villain? The secret history of the superhuman cold war is here! LEGION LOST #15 The lost Legionnaires must decide if they are willing to sacrifice millions in order to save billions! Superboy and The Ravagers guest-star! For the week of 1/2 THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #15 “HAWKMAN: WANTED” continues! Hawkman is a fugitive — and everybody wants to kill him for his Nth Metal Armor. Good thing Carter’s always ready for a fight! Guest-starring Deathstroke! (More Pike?) 01:08:05 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and Shadowman. 01:08:58 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below. The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com. Contact info: Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78 Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com! Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com. Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page Our show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire a...
Transcribe →Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 40
Oct 31, 2012Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Stormwatch #13, Grifter #13, Team 7 #1, and Ravagers #5, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. 00:00:35 – Joe welcomes everyone to episode #40 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. 00:01:00 – Joe gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU after the news and announcements at the New York Comic Con a few weeks ago. In January we will see the end of another wave titles and unfortunately, Grifter is on the hit list this month (announced on Joe’s birthday no less!) along with Blue Beetle, Frankenstein, and Legion Lost. Only two replacement titles have been announced so far debuting in February: Justice League of America by Geoff Johns and David Finch and Man of Steel by Scott Snyder and Jim Lee. Still two titles left to announce. X-O Manowar writer Robert Venditti takes over Demon Knights with #16 and it fast forwards the title 30 years later. I asked Venditti on Twitter if we’ll see any of the Century Babies mentioned in Stormwatch #0. He said not right away but maybe down the line. Stormwatch #16 has Apollo and Midnighter duking it out on the cover? Lover’s quarrel or Harry Tanner’s manipulations? The solicit reads “Don’t miss the stunning (and permanent) transformation of a Stormwatch member!” Ravagers #8 brings new series writer Michael Alan Nelson (Fall of Cthulhu, 28 Days Later) with Ig Guara on art and features Rose Wilson and Warblade. The final issue of Legion Lost which is #16 will feature The Ravagers and Superboy. Team 7 #4 has the team facing Eclipso and reveals the secret origin of Deathstroke (fixing the zero issue?). Interesting tidbit overlooked at NYCC, a Fan Q&A from comicsbeat.com has this to say: “Jim Lee has two Wildstorm properties reserved for him: W.I.L.D.Cats and Divine Right. Everyone keeps waiting for W.I.L.D.Cats to relaunch, and it certainly seems like the groundwork was being laid, but it seems unlikely that will happen until his run on the new Superman title with Scott Snyder is over.” (Is this spelling of Wildcats legit?) 00:08:09 – Ben starts it off with the review of Stormwatch #13. Released on 10/03, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad and cover by Guillem March. 00:24:59 – Joe reviews Grifter #13. Released on 10/10, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Marat Mychaels and cover by Scott Clark and Andrew Dalhouse (notice the cover change from the solicit? I have a feeling we’ll be getting more of these until the title ends). 00:39:55 – Ben reviews Ravagers #5. Released on 10/10, written by Howard Mackie with art and cover by Ian Churchill. 00:54:47 – Joe gives his review of Team 7 #1. Released on 10/10, written by Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Merino and cover by Doug Mahnke. 01:05:03 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #13’s that have released this month. 10/10 Deathstroke #13 – Zealot cameo, solicit promised info about Khera but changed with Liefeld’s departure. Voodoo writer Josh Williamson scripted this issue and says he’s doing #14 as well but I asked him on Twitter about Khera change and he said Liefeld gave it to him with Khera plot already gone. Instead we got a booty call. 10/10 Superboy #13 – Fairchild appearance as Superboy hooks up with the Ravagers to tie in with Ravagers #5 01:06:15 – Ben continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 11/07 STORMWATCH #14 Will Stormwatch’s battle with Etrigan the Demon expose them to the public? Will rival Harry Tanner’s plan to infiltrate the Shadow Lords lead to the team’s destruction? Plus, a former member returns! For the week of 11/14 GRIFTER #14 Midnight in Paris! Grifter vs. Midnighter in the city where Cole was forced to kill his brother! Guest-starring Voodoo! RAVAGERS #6 The team has risked everything for a dying member, but even with Superboy now leading them, their fates may be sealed. It’s only a matter of time before they fall, one by one, to the deadliest assassin. DEATHSTROKE #14 Crossover with “HAWKMAN: WANTED!” Hawkman is a wanted fugitive with a bounty on his head — and Deathstroke aims to collect! Find out what the mysterious connection is between Deathstroke and Hawkman’s Nth Metal armor! (Is Zealot officially gone?) TEAM 7 #2 The secret history of The New 52 is told here – with bullets! Set five years in the past, Team 7 races into the heart of darkness to stop the evil that the Black Diamond will unleash! 01:07:53 – Joe gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics as they just hit a milestone with Episode 75! Also check out the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and coming in November a new Shadowman title. 00:00:00 – Joe continues with the contact details as shown below. The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com. Contact info: Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78 Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com! Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com. Facebook Fan Page: Wildstorm Addiction Podcast Fan Page Our show is now on Stitcher! Listen to us on your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and other devices with Stitcher. Stitcher is Smart Radio for Your phone or tablet. Find it in your app store or at stitcher.com The latest episode is always available for you- no syncing needed… and no memory or storage wasted! 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Transcribe →Wildstorm Addiction Podcast – Episode 39
Oct 21, 2012Tap to summarizeSubscribe to the show: RSS Feed | iTunes Show Notes: Welcome to another episode of Wildstorm Addiction! Our resident Wildstorm experts Joe David Soliz & Benjamin Murphy review Superman Annual #1, Stormwatch #0, Grifter #0, and Voodoo #0, as well as some other Wildstorm appearances in the new DCU 52. We decided not to review Ravagers #0 this month because it basically just covered the origin of Beast Boy and Terra and had no Wildstorm character appearances. 00:00:35 – Ben welcomes everyone to episode #39 and gives his spoiler alerts warning. Remember, all written reviews on the website are spoiler free and usually get posted within a day of print release. 00:01:46 – Ben gives plenty of Wildstorm related news as it pertains to the current books in the DCU approaching the last big con of 2012, NYCC. We all know that Jim Lee is off Justice League, so we’re hoping and praying that a Wildcats title will be his next stop but we’ll see. It’s also rumored Jim Lee may be doing a new Superman title. Ivan Reis is taking over Justice League in December and the announcement had this to say about Jim Lee: “And for you Jim Lee fans out there, don’t worry. We’ve got some major news coming soon. While that’s all we can tease for now, New York Comic Con is only one month away …” Which of course, the con is a lot closer now since this statement was first released and other than a few variant covers, Jim Lee is noticeably absent from the December solicitations. Speaking of December, Grifter #15 has him facing the Suicide Squad (he’s specifically fighting Deadshot on the cover) and mentions ties to Team 7, Stormwatch #15 apparently has the team turning Midnighter because of the Shadow Lords manipulations, Team 7 #3 has Deathstroke turning against the team thanks to the first New 52 appearance of the villain Eclipso, and Ravagers #7 has the return of Rose Wilson and Warblade. Also, Superboy and the Ravagers guest star in Legion Lost #15 and Demon Knights #15 mentions a connection to Stormwatch. Stormwatch Vol. 2 HC has been pushed back to May 2013 and the Voodoo Vol. 1: What Lies Beneath trade came out Sept. 26th. The Wildstorm Addiction Podcast is now officially part of the Image Addiction Network. Chris Partin and Michael Smith from Image Addiction are the reason we have a podcast and unfortunately we all split after the Comic Addiction site went down. It’s good to be back amongst our original podcast family! 00:05:31 – Joe starts it off with the review of Superman Annual #1. Released on 8/29, written by Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza with art by Pascal Alixe, Marco Rudy, Tom Raney, Elizabeth Torque, and Mico Suayan with cover by Kenneth Rocafort. 00:19:06 – Ben reviews the history of the new DCU with Stormwatch #0. Released on 9/05, written by Peter Milligan with art by Will Conrad and cover by Tyler Kirkham. 00:33:47 – Joe reviews Grifter #0. Released on 9/12, written by Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri, with art by Scott Clark and cover by Rob Liefeld. 00:46:48 – Ben tried to review the first issue of the title starting with the third wave of the new DCU52, Team 7 #0, but failed miserably and thank goodness Joe took over. I didn’t get a chance to re-read this issue before the review, but I have a great excuse! Released on 9/12, written by Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Merino and cover by Ken Lashley. The arms dealer Kurt and Dinah go after at the beginning of issue mentions the “Gen-Factor” 01:03:00 – Joe gives his final review of Voodoo as we give this title it’s swan song on issue #0. Released on on 9/26, written by Josh Williamson with art and cover by Sami Basri. 01:15:45 – Ben gives an update on other Wildstorm related sighting and tie-ins from the other DCU 52 issue #0’s that have released last month. 9/12 Deathstroke #0 – appearance by Grifter, how is he hold up those other guys?!?! 9/12 Superboy #0 – Fairchild appearance 9/12 Suicide Squad #0 – Team 7 mentioned several times 9/26 The Savage Hawkman #0 – Mention of a Daemonite war on Thangar (not shown) 01:17:52 – Joe continues by giving a run-down on the upcoming books and character appearances in the new DCU relaunch. Remember, all these books are available digitally the same day as the print release at the DC section of www.comixology.com For the week of 10/03 STORMWATCH #13 Midnighter and Apollo go AWOL from Stormwatch! The debut of The Demon in the modernday New 52! Will he be the team’s most unpredictable new member? What is the centuries-spanning connection between STORMWATCH and DEMON KNIGHTS? For the week of 10/10 GRIFTER #13 How long until he meets up with Voodoo? RAVAGERS #5 Caitlin and Superboy reunited – and that’s not a good thing for Ridge! Beast Boy’s powers become dangerous as he feels the effects of “Rotworld: The Red Kingdom,” from ANIMAL MAN! DEATHSTROKE #13 Deathstroke and Zealot learn the terrible fate of the planet Kheran and brace for the long-lasting repercussions it will have on the DC Universe. TEAM 7 #1 Learn how the secret wars of the New 52 were fought by TEAM 7! Early adventures of Deathstroke, Black Canary, Grifter, Amanda Waller, Steve Trevor and others! This issue: Battlefield Gamorra! For the week of 10/24 I, Vampire #13 More Stormwatch? THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #13 More Pike? 01:19:52 – Ben gives a shout out to Chris Striker, of the TheAuthority.ws and Stormwatch.ws websites. Remember to visit The Higher Authority’s message boards Clark’s Bar to continue the Wildstorm integration discussions among long time Wildstorm fans at theauthority.ws. Be sure to check out our friends of the show, the Image Addiction podcast as they cover new releases from Image Comics and the Only the Valiant podcast as they cover the re-launching of Valiant Comics which current titles include X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, and coming in November a new Shadowman title. 01:21:13 – Ben continues with the contact details as shown below. The opening music is “Universal Domain” by Dreamline which can be found at http://www.musicalley.com. Contact info: Joe: http://twitter.com/grifter78 Wildstorm Addiction: http://twitter.com/wildstormaddict Post your comments for each episode on the wildstormaddiction.com! Email us at wildstormaddiction@gmail.com. Facebook Fan ...
Transcribe →Grifter #13
Oct 10, 2012Tap to summarize“Eye of the Storm” Writer: Rob Liefeld & Frank Tieri Pencils: Marat Mychaels Inks: Dave Beaty Colors: Andrew Dalhouse Letters: Wes Abbott Editor: Brian Smith Cover: Scott Clark (No Spoilers) Grifter resumes its regular numbering after Zero Month minus Rob Liefeld and Scott Clark. But we have Liefeld’s dialogue writer, Frank Tieri, stepping in as well as Marat Mychaels coming on with art. But Liefeld’s influence still lingers as we get some odd story choices in a slightly confusing issue. I will start off by saying I think between issue zero and this issue it’s actually a decent starting off point. It would be obvious to a new reader that there is plenty of stuff that has come before, but I think issue zero set up the origin of Grifter and his new mentor Warick well enough to where you get why they’re in the middle of this mission. That said, the story does take some confusing turns. Without spoiling anything, it’s mainly about the logic of Grifter entering Stormwatch’s base once and then seemly doing it a second time, although it seems the second time was an accident. Then we get a confrontation between him and Apollo which is immediately followed by another confrontation with Midnighter. I understand the reasoning behind the outcome and being a Grifter fan you’d think I wouldn’t been happy with the outcome, but also being a Stormwatch fan, I found myself questioning if it really would’ve gone down this way. There’s also a scene with Grifter and Voodoo that, while I admit is something that’s never been explored before, I’m not sure how I feel about the idea yet. Marat Mychaels did an earlier issue of Grifter and even though he had a few slight missteps in the art, I will re-iterate that I love his rendition of Grifter. The look Mychaels gives Grifter is very reminiscent of his classic Image look but more stream-lined. He does good action but much like Liefeld, he doesn’t seem to do a lot of backgrounds. Which is cool sometimes but can get a little distracting after a while. I have to say I didn’t enjoy the issue as much as #12 and #0 but I think it’s better with Liefeld gone. Tieri informed me on Twitter that issue 15 he did solo so I really look forward to seeing what he does without Liefeld’s influence still lingering. I know this title is in danger of being cancelled so if that’s true, let’s hope these last few issues take us out with a bang! 6 out of 10 (Slight Above Average)
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