After powering down from Comic-Con team Beat needed a nap…or twelve. While we were away, the team continued to see visions of none-other-than Wesley Dodds, the original Sandman creeping through hallways at the Stately Beat Manor in which Team Beat takes residence. We tried to brush it off at first and stick to our legions of reviews, previews and news coming to the site. Our naps were becoming more frequent during the day, and we found certain items missing from the stash including lucrative and expensive key back issues in the collection. After an intense stake out fueled by the ideas we got from watching Ant-Man last weekend, one of our staffers managed to apprehend the vigilante and retrieve important pieces of our collection. We called the authorities, and while they were on the way Mr. Dodds turned to us and offered his staff picks for the week of 7/22/15.
Alex J.’s picks:
Archie Vs. Sharknado #1
Writer: Anthony C. Ferrante Art: Dan Parent
It’s that time of year in Riverdale! The end of the school year. Time for beaches, barbecues, fun in the sun and… sharknados!?! That’s right, get ready as Archie and the gang brave the storm of a tornado full a sharks that riffs off the pop culture phenomenon known as Sharknado! The story unfolds as sharknados are spotted on the ‘Feast’ Coast! Our heroines have to figure out how to get back to Riverdale, where the storm is about to hit next. Soon Archie and the gang go, go, go as they battle the Sharknado-ravaged Riverdale! Who will live? Who will die? Will this take a bite out of the end-of-the-year prom? Uh… probably! The comic book action is also concurrent with the plot of Sharknado 3 and hits stands right before the film’s premiere in July on Syfy. Written by the Sharknado trilogy director Anthony C. Ferrante with Dan Parent.
Sharknado. Archie. The match made in heaven. These two characters were made for each other — or so says Wesley Dodds, as the police were on the way. He pointed that Archie and Sharknado are both sort of niche franchises that continue the reign of awesomeness supported by the publisher’s interesting choice of titles right now. Dan Parent has been an excellent creator to lend talents to Archie and Anthony C. Ferrante, Sharknado director is writing the script for the series. This is one that you shouldn’t miss this week.
Cyborg #1
Writer: David Walker Art: Ivan Reis
The machine that gives Cyborg his powers is evolving! The only problem is that machine is his body and he has no idea what’s causing these changes!
Wesley wanted to support an old friend getting his own series set in the brand new DC Universe. He knew Cyborg as a Teen Titan and thoroughly supported him through his Justice League years. Now, it’s time for Cyborg to go off and do something different with the art of the fantastically amazing Ivan Reis and written by David Walker. Getting a creative team like for a character like this is something worth supporting at DC right now. Let’s put our money where our mouth is…if only for the stellar art of Reis and supporting his awesome costume design on Cyborg.
Kyle’s Pick:
Prez #2
Writer: Mark Russell Art: Ben Caldwell
With the election in chaos and a Congress mired in corruption, Twitter sensation @corndoggirl becomes the first teenaged President of the United States!
As you might have seen last month, I deeply enjoyed the first issue of the Prez relaunch, so much so that it probably was my favorite first issue of the entire “DC You” June set of releases. While at San Diego Comic Con, Hannah and I took the opportunity to meet Ben Caldwell and pick up a copy of his equally brilliant collaboration with Shannon Wheeler: God Is Disappointed In You. In reading that, I was quite taken by the even-handedness that Russell treated the Bible with. Prez takes a very similar approach with social media culture and American politics, and the result is refreshing and, at least based on one issue, quite hilarious. Don’t let this one slip through your grasp.
Alex L.’s Pick
Power Up #1
Writer: Kate Leth Art: Matt Cummings
It has been foretold that four noble warriors of incredible strength would be gifted with cosmic abilities at a moment of planetary alignment…which, yeah, something definitely went wrong here. Amie is a disaffected twenty something with a lot of attitude, Kevin is a washed-up athlete way past his prime, Sandy’s a mother of two teenagers, and Silas…is a goldfish. Just a normal goldfish. Are we sure we read that prophecy right?
Boom! Studios is billing this new title as Sailor Moon meets Scott Pilgrim. As someone whose childhood crossed with both of these titles, Power Up strikes me as a WOA, a winner on arrival. The premise is wacky and completely off-base (one of the leading characters is a magical goldfish), and Cummings’ art style, as seen above, is emotionally evocative while being adorably simple in nature. Finally, the hilarious Kate Leth, of Kate or Die fame, has surely written a script that will have me counting stitches in a hospital bed, lamenting my lack of insurance.
