ComicsAlliance.com

Comics, Everybody! The History of Captain Marvel

Curt Franklin — 2012-08-16T11:00:00+00:00

Ms. Marvel, Binary, Warbird - Carol Danvers has worn many costumes since her introduction in 1968. She shines this week in her newest role - Captain Marvel - in Captain Marvel #2. Curt Franklin and Chris Haley of Let's Be Friends Again recap the highs and lows of the newest Captain Marvel's career.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics, Everybody! The History of Bane Explained [Comic]

Curt Franklin — 2012-08-01T16:30:00+00:00

From the depths of the hellish vacation spot Santa Prisca comes Bane, the latest Batman villain to combat the caped crusader on the silver screen in The Dark Knight Rises. Bane is also the subject of this installment of the comics retrospective Comics, Everybody! by Let's Be Friends Again creators Curt Franklin and Chris Haley.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LBFA Presents: What's Your Idea of a Perfect Valentine's Day? [Comic]

Curt Franklin — 2012-02-14T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Humor, Let's Be Friends Again

Thanks to Curt Franklin and Chris Haley of the Let's Be Friends Again webcomics, Man on the Street reporter Clark Kent returns with the day's pressing question: What's Your Idea of a Perfect Valentine's Day?

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics Everybody: The History of Donna Troy Explained

Curt Franklin — 2012-01-18T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Let's Be Friends Again

Let's Be Friends Again creators Curt Franklin and Chris Haley are back to tell you everything you need to know about the convoluted history of DC's Wonder Girl Donna Troy, in one convenient original comic exclusively on ComicsAlliance. Strap on a lasso, here comes the truth!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LBFA Presents: What Is Your New Year's Resolution? [Comic]

Curt Franklin — 2012-01-05T17:30:00+00:00

Your favorite man on the street reporter, Clark Kent, is back with the question everyone's asking this week: What is your New Year's resolution?

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

'Daytripper': The Best Reminder of Your Impending Death

Curt Franklin — 2011-12-29T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Indie, Opinion

Not to freak you out, but you could die today. Random accident, sudden aneurysm, violent crime. It's the thought that any of these things could happen at any moment that stops us sometimes, and makes us reflect on how close that truck came or how easy it would be to just slip over the railing. The thoughts are brief and easily forgotten, but for a moment it's easy to get caught in the fantasy of each little death you avoid every day.

Daytripper by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá is about the deaths that obituary writer Brás de Oliva Domingos can't avoid, with a first chapter that opens on Brás' birthday and closes on his demise.In between, Bras reflects on his life and all he's accomplished, or rather, hasn't accomplished. He lives in the shadow of his luminous father, a writer who is celebrated on a national stage. It's this celebration that eclipses Brás' own life and mires him in an existential self-examination. He worries about his career, his personal life, and all the things he hasn't done. When his friend Jorge tries to remind him of the life he's already led, Bras brushes it off, unsatisfied. And so he goes to his father's ceremony, stops at a bar for a smoke and a drink, and is murdered in a random act of violence.

Brás' death doesn't stop the story. Rather, his death is ignored and each subsequent chapter picks up somewhere else in Brás' life, past and future, as if he'd never died. It's always a milestone moment, an important chapter in Brás' story, and each chapter ends with his mortality threatened.

The structure repeats itself every chapter but it never gets boring. Mysteries of Brás' life are revealed and answered as you learn more about where he came from and where he's going. The threat of death is always there, but you find yourself so drawn into the drama of Brás' life that you quickly forget about the inevitable end of every issue.

The suddenness of death and the importance of life seems like trite subject matter, but Moon and Bá write with such sincerity that it never feels cloying. It's a book about learning to live with the things you have because you might not have them for long, and it never tries to be anything else.

Buy Daytripper online, at your local comic shop, or purchase the single issues digitally.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LBFA Presents: Twas the Night Before Comics [Original Comic]

Curt Franklin — 2011-12-23T15:00:00+00:00

The elves at Let's Be Friends Again bring you a very special twist on The Night Before Christmas.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LBFA Presents: What's Your Greatest Christmas Wish? [Original Comic]

Curt Franklin — 2011-12-16T14:00:00+00:00

Man on the street reporter Clark Kent is back to ask the question of the season: What's your greatest Christmas wish?

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics Everybody: The History of Cable Explained [Comic]

Curt Franklin — 2011-12-07T16:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Humor, Let's Be Friends Again

It's time again to break down the convoluted history of a comic book character in the recurring segment we call Comics, Everybody by Curt Franklin and artist Chris Haley of Let's Be Friends Again. Today's subject: Cable, one of the best known Marvel Comics characters from the '90s, and currently preparing for his big return in next week's Avengers: X-Sanction #1.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LBFA Presents: What Are Superheroes Thankful For? [Original Comic]

Curt Franklin — 2011-11-23T18:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Humor, Let's Be Friends Again

In a very special Thanksgiving installment of LBFA Presents by Curt Franklin and Chris Haley of Let's Be Friends again, reporter Clark Kent asks the heroes of Marvel and DC Comics what they are most grateful for this holiday season.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LBFA Presents: The Halloween Costumes of Super-Heroes [Original Art]

Curt Franklin — 2011-10-31T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Humor, Art

Enjoy a brief interlude from the fierce torrent of critically important and hugely relevant news that comes every October 31 with this special edition of Let's Be Friends Again in which Curt Franklin and Chris Haley imagine the Halloween costumes of our favorite superheroes.

Lil' Bruce Wayne as Superman and Lil' Clark Kent as Batman

Guess who I am, Bruce!
I'm the hero Halloween deserves. I'm a silent guardian. A watchful protector.
Give me all your candy.

...

I have Kryptonite candy corn, you know.

Aquaman as Ariel, the Little Mermaid

Y...Yeah. This is for Halloween. Only.

Bruce Banner as the Hulk

In an ironic twist of fate, Bruce Banner was able to summon up the anger to turn into the Hulk only after he had lost the costume contest.

The Hulk as Yoda

Fear lead to anger. Anger lead to... crate? Crate lead to...

Hulk never see movie.

Jimmy Olsen as Michelangelo, the Ninja Turtle

Jimmy Olsen had worn the Ninja Turtle costume hoping everyone would see it as a parody of his Turtle Boy past, but the party guests spent the whole night telling him how much cooler Raphael was than Michelangelo.

Jimmy Olsen hated Raphael.

The Doctor as Harry Potter

I'm a wizard now. Wizards are cool.

The Punisher as Nyan Cat

The Gnucci crime family's annual Halloween party was interrupted as a cat/pop tart hybrid trailing rainbows burst through a window while firing a specially modified M249 at 750 rounds per minute to the beat of a mysteriously upbeat song.

♫ Nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan nyan ♫

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

'Batman: Year One' Animated Film Does Justice to the Greatest Batman Legend [Review]

Curt Franklin — 2011-10-21T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: DC, Reviews, Animation

In order to talk about Warner Bros. Animation's newest film, Batman: Year One, you have to talk about DC Comics' Batman: Year One first. The story of Batman's first year as a crimefighter, Year One was written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzuchelli and published in the pages of Batman back in 1987. Now sold as a graphic novel, it is one of those rare superhero comics that's universally recommended and revered. It's become a crucial part of Batman's mythology and is at the heart of almost every version of the Batman introduced in the last two decades, inspiring not just other comic books but also video games, animated television series and movies. It's only fitting that as part of its ongoing DC Universe franchise of animated features, Warner Bros. has finally adapted this most beloved work, and the filmmakers have done so excellently.

The tale of Bruce Wayne's first foray into vigilantism and James Gordon's rise in the ranks of the Gotham Police Department, Year One is sacrosanct in the eyes of most Batman fans, but the prospect of a filmed version never inspired the kind of fear that usually comes with news of such adaptations to non-comics mediums. In fact, the brevity and clarity of Miller and Mazzuchelli's work almost welcomed adaptation, and the final product makes a strong argument along those lines.

Unsurpringly, the animated Year One is ripped right out of the comics, from the wrinkled face of Commissioner Loeb to the reflection of a bat in the shards of glass that change Bruce Wayne's life forever. Watching the movie with the graphic novel in hand could be its own lesson in how to adapt from storyboards, a way to see what the animators added and how they dealt with translating from one format to another.

The few moments where the movie deviates from the comics are the ones prove the most distracting, like the computer animated vehicles that don't blend with the rest of the environment and look like video game assets dropped into an otherwise vividly realized Gotham City. Still, that's where any complaints about the art direction begin and end.

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Ben McKenzie (The O.C.) star as the voices of Lieutenant James Gordon and Bruce Wayne, respectively. Cranston excels as Gordon, shifting between weary and determined as circumstances demand. McKenzie's Bruce Wayne sounds stiff and monotone -- something that could very well be a creative choice -- but he's best as Batman, growling and gruffly intimidating his prey.

The Year One home video package also comes with a Catwoman short film written by Batman: The Animated Series alum Paul Dini, where Selina Kyle faces off against a diamond smuggler named Roughcut. The animation and style of the Catwoman short feels slick and modern compared to Year One's '80s look, but doesn't quite hit the heights of the primary feature; this Catwoman mixes the character history of Miller's short-haired prostitute from Year One with the aesthetics of Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke's goggled cat-burglar of the more recent comics.

Eliza Dushku reprises her role as Catwoman from the main feature but doesn't get as much to work with in a story that includes a jarring and somewhat gratuitous strip club scene and a lengthy, unexciting chase interspersed with some genuinely entertaining, if brief, character moments. However, other ComicsAlliance writers really loved it.

Miller and Mazzuchelli's Batman: Year One works best as a companion to almost any other Batman tale in almost any medium, be it The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, the television show Batman: The Animated Series, or the film Batman Begins. Its story was and is remarkable for how it humanizes Batman and James Gordon, two characters rarely portrayed as fallible or vulnerable. Gordon's personal struggles and Wayne's almost inept first attempt at fighting crime as Batman are rewarding glimpses into the early years of two men who usually seem above such foibles, and those characterizations inhabit them wherever they appear.

This animated adaptation succeeds not only in being faithful to its source material, but as a work unto itself. And just like the comic book, the Batman: Year One animated feature is something that should stay on the perennial best-of lists for years to come.

Batman: Year One is on sale now from Warner Home Video. The graphic novel by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli is on sale now from DC Comics.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Super-Hero Social Networking: Superman Joins Facebook [Original Art]

Curt Franklin — 2011-09-13T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: DC, Humor, Let's Be Friends Again

These days nearly everyone you meet seems to be connected in a social network like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or Linked In -- even, unfortunately, people like your bosses and parents. But what about super-heroes? If they lived in our world, caped crusaders would surely be enmeshed in social networks, so what would that look like? ComicsAlliance is here to help you imagine what might happen in a recurring piece called Super-Hero Social Networking, by Curt Franklin and Chris Haley of the webcomic Let's Be Friends Again.

Today we find Superman struggling to grasp the intricacies of the global leader in social networking: Facebook.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics Everybody: The History of Superman Explained, Part 2

Curt Franklin — 2011-08-25T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: DC, Let's Be Friends Again

In today's original comic by Curt Franklin and artist Chris Haley of the superhero webcomic "Let's Be Friends Again," we continue breaking down the history of Superman in a recurring segment we call Comics, Everybody! Check out our first installment to learn more about Superman and his nemesis, rocks, and then read on!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics Everybody: The History of Superman Explained, Part 1

Curt Franklin — 2011-08-18T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: DC, Humor

In today's original comic by Curt Franklin and artist Chris Haley of the superhero webcomic "Let's Be Friends Again," we're going break down the history of a notable comic book characters in a recurring segment we call Comics, Everybody! Today's subject is one of the most famous superheroes in comics history, and is currently on his way to the big screen again in a new feature film next year. That's right, it's Superman.

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming next week!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics, Everybody: The History of Captain America Explained

Curt Franklin — 2011-07-21T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Movies, Let's Be Friends Again

Just in time for this week's release of Captain America: The First Avenger, Curt Franklin and artist Chris Haley of Let's Be Friends Again have broken down the history of Marvel Comics' esteemed Sentinel of Liberty. Read all about the fabled ascent of Steve Rogers from weakling to Nazi-smasher to Avengers Leader to head of S.H.I.E.L.D. after the jump.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics, Everybody: The Histories of Bucky and Jason Todd Explained [Comic]

Curt Franklin — 2011-07-07T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Humor

In today's original comic by Curt Franklin and artist Chris Haley of the webcomic Let's Be Friends Again, we break down the convoluted history of two notable comic book characters in a recurring segment we call Comics, Everybody! Getting the treatment today? Two once-dead sidekicks: Bucky and Jason Todd.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

ComicsAlliance TV: X-Game of Thrones, Genes of Ice and Fire

Curt Franklin — 2011-06-24T14:30:00+00:00

Welcome to CATV, where Let's Be Friends Again creators Curt Franklin and Chris Haley examine the world of comics through the eyes of prime-time television, and imagine what further horrors or delights might come from this unholy marriage. In today's installment, the X-Men and the world of Westeros collide in the X-Game of Thrones, Genes of Ice and Fire.

(click to enlarge)

In the land of Genosha, where the seasons are as unpredictable as the remarkable abilities of its people, the coldest season looms. A darkness is about to fall across the land, an ancient force that will turn the hearts of men to hatred and fear, even against those who would battle to protect them.

The aging King Erik Lensherr sits upon the Metal Throne, a chair pieced together from the bodies of Sentinels, the ancient and deadly robots whom legends say still roam the wilds of the North. And while Genosha's royal court has always been a world of political manipulation and betrayal, few realize how precariously the kingdom sits on the brink of all-out war.

As our story begins, the King travels to the ancestral lands of his oldest friend, Xavier, to ask the hobbled telepath to serve as his right hand in the royal city of M's Landing. Although Xavier is reluctant to leave his loving family behind, the call of serving the kingdom proves too great to resist, especially when the greatest dangers facing the King may be from within his own family.

The king's wife, Emma Frost, is a merciless and calculating Queen with no love lost for her husband, and an agenda all her own. Her brother, the freakish Kurt Wagner, is both shrewd and disfigured, born with a body that inspires both revulsion and ridicule, and he has learned to rely on his wit, charm, and teleportation abilities to survive in the cutthroat world of royal politics. Protecting them is their personal guard, known only as The Logan, a fierce and deadly warrior whose adamantium lances have won countless tournaments, even when that means "accidentally" opening an opponent's throat.

Meanwhile, Xavier's ward Summers -- an orphan, some say, or a bastard -- travels to the North to pledge his services against the ever-present threat of the Morlocks, a lawless group of mutants massing quietly in the icy wilds, and the ancient threat of the Sentinels, the murderous robots whom some now say are no more than myths.

And across the sea, the rightful heir to the throne Jean Grey waits in exile. The last surviving member of a family whose legacy is fire and madness, she has the power to both manipulate the minds of men and walk in flames -- but never burn. And while she seeks the Metal Throne, she will soon be heir to a greater power when she awakens the powers of the Phoenix, a creature unseen in Genosha for over a thousand years, and dangerous beyond imagining.

Danger lurks in every corner of the kingdom with rumors of the Sentinels moving once more in the North, a lost scion rising like a Phoenix in the East, and a den of vipers in the royal court moving men like chess pieces and preparing to topple the King. The fate of the entire kingdom rests on the edge of a knife, as the most powerful men and women in the world play the most dangerous game of all, where you evolve or you die.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics, Everybody: The History of Green Lantern Explained

Curt Franklin — 2011-06-15T14:45:00+00:00

Filed under: DC, Humor, Let's Be Friends Again

In today's original comic by Curt Franklin and artist Chris Haley of the webcomic Let's Be Friends Again, we break down the convoluted history of a notable comic book character in a recurring segment we call Comics, Everybody! The lucky character today is one that is soon to grace the big screen: Green Lantern!

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Comics, Everybody: The History of Professor X Explained

Curt Franklin — 2011-06-02T13:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Marvel, Let's Be Friends Again

In today's original comic by Curt Franklin and artist Chris Haley of the superhero webcomic "Let's Be Friends Again," we're going break down the convoluted history of notable comic book characters in a recurring segment we call Comics, Everybody! Today's character is about to appear in movie theatres, albeit with a bit more hair than usual: Professor X, the erstwhile leader of the X-Men.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments