Mark Waid is THRILLBENT(.com)

Much has been made about comics maestro Mark Waid’s fondness for digital comics and his apparent preference for the new medium – he even went so far as to sell his comics collection to help fund his new THRILLBENT project. There are currently two comics up there, with a third, as-yet-untitled comic coming on May 9th. They’re free to try, so head on over to the site and check out what all the fuss is about. Here are some very preliminary thoughts of mine on the new medium and also the comics themselves.

Comics Round-Up (Feb.8)

Along with these new issues (all of which are pretty great), this week I’ve been reading some older material for a series of reviews looking at series beginnings. Those will start cropping up on the blog over the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes open for them. Anyway, without further ado, I give you a great evil-superhero collection, another fairy tale-inspired weird journey, and some ninja beat-downs.

A second round-up will go live later today, taking a look at the Zenescope releases.

Reviewed Herein: Irredeemable Vol.8, Memorial #3, Snake Eyes #10

“Irredeemable” Vol.7 (Boom)

Writer: Mark Waid | Artist: Peter Krause & Diego Barreto

Plutonian has been banished by the Paradigm to an off-world insane asylum… but it’s proving too weak to hold him. Meanwhile, upon seeing a darker side of Survivor, Qubit has entered into an uneasy alliance with Modeus, the Plutonian’s arch-nemesis and one of Earth’s most feared supervillains to figure out how to stop the Plutonian once and for all. But what will happen when the Mad God returns to Earth?

This collection brings me up to date on the Irredeemable trade paperback volumes currently available. It’s another great addition to the series, but it was not the strongest of the bunch.

[As with all of my recent Irredeemable reviews, here is your Minor Spoiler Alert.]

“Irredeemable” Vol.6 (Boom)

Writer: Mark Waid | Artist: Peter Krause & Diego Barreto

The Plutonian, once Earth’s most powerful hero, now Earth's most feared villain, has finally been captured. A ruthless alien race now holds Plutonian as their captive in a distant galaxy. But are they prepared to hold one of the universe's most dangerous men? And now that Plutonian is off-world, how will his former teammates, the Paradigm, deal with the worldwide clean-up?

Regular readers will know how much I’ve been loving the Irredeemable collections – it’s a great comic series, with a superb premise, that sets a very high standard. This volume finishes with Chapter 23, and even after two years, Irredeemable maintains a very high quality and remains gripping. If you’ve been following the series, you won’t be disappointed. Check out my review of the Definitive Collection (collecting volumes one to three) for more on the start of the series.

[Before I get on with the review – which contains minor spoilers: how cool is that cover? Well done Scott Clark & Dave Beaty!]

“Irredeemable” Vol.5 (Boom)

A desperate gamble, an old debt, the possibility of victory…?

Writer: Mark Waid | Artist: Peter Krause

The secret history of Hornet, who died at the hands of Plutonian, is finally revealed. The fallen Paradigm member had a plan – a fail safe – that puts all of Earth and the Plutonian in danger. And when Modeus’ plans reach critical mass, the few remaining heroes of Earth are the only thing standing between civilization and ultimate chaos. There’s a mad God backed up against a wall, and nobody is safe.

As the Paradigm get to grips with their ever-worsening situation, the Plutonian’s rage only intensifies. It’s strange for the synopsis to focus on the history of Hornet, as that doesn’t feature for the first half of this book. Instead, we see more cracks forming between the remaining members of the Paradigm, and we learn that yet another teammate has been keeping secrets.

Continuing the story in fine form, this collection upped the ante and added yet more backstory to one of the best comics available today. The artwork is great, the writing is gripping, and the characters are engaging and three-dimensional. Is there much more you can ask for from a comic?

[NB: As always, there are some spoilers after the break. The series has now been going on long enough that to review it is to offer some spoilers. Apologies for this.]

“Irredeemable: The Definitive Collection” (Boom Studios)

What if the greatest superhero switched sides?

Writer: Mark Waid | Artists: Peter Krause

What if the world's greatest hero decided to become the world's greatest villain? When the Plutonian, the world's greatest hero, snaps and turns into the world's greatest villain, only his former teammates have a chance at stopping his rampage. But while on the run from the world’s most powerful and angry being, will these former teammates discover his secrets in time? How did he come to this? What became of the hope and promise once inside him? What happens to the world when its savior betrays it? What makes a hero IRREDEEMABLE?

I’d been considering this title for a long time, and when I finally managed to try it out, it was this mega-edition. I really liked the idea behind the series – it seemed so simple and yet innovative at the same time. After reading this book, I quickly realised that all the hype about the series is completely justified. The story is gripping, original, moving and superbly rendered. This exceeded my already high expectations. This was a very difficult review to write, as I really just wanted to say, “This is incredible. Buy it.”