Admit it. This would look awesome on the side of someone's van.
Like many comic-book geeks, I have a touch of gamer in me. Unlike many tabletop gamers, I never had much interest in D&D, or fantasy in general. If I was going to pretend to be something I wasn’t, I would much rather be a superhero, a Jedi, or a samurai than an elf or a wizard. So why would I pick up a copy of Dungeons and Dragons #0?
First off, IDW puts a lot of care into their licensed properties. The first Doctor Who miniseries was written by one of the writers of the relaunched TV show. The G.I. Joe titles are guided by the creator of the Joe mythology, Larry Hama, and attract top flight talent like Max Brooks. With the exception of the excellent Kill Shakespeare (expect a review once the first collected edition comes out), IDW’s best comics are based on popular brands.
Second, the core D&D title is going to be written by JohnRogers. If the name sounds familiar to comics fans, it’s because he co-wrote the most recent Blue Beetle series (and co created the character of Jaime Reyes). TV viewers may know him as the co-creator and show-runner of Leverage, one of the most entertaining shows on TV right now. Even old-school Dungeon Masters might recognize him as a contributor to The Manual of the Planes. Oh, and he co-wrote the first Transformers movie, but nobody’s perfect.
Finally, it was only a dollar. I’m always willing to gamble a dollar on something.
Now that the reboot has kicked off, my enthusiasm has tapered off a little. In his first three issues, Chuck Dixon has been telling a slow-burning story that seems somewhat at odds with the type of G.I. Joe stories I remember. Larry Hama’s first issue was pretty great. This week, G.I Joe: Cobra hit the stands. Did it disappoint?
As far as I’m concerned, IDW has been doing a fantastic job with the Doctor Who license. The reprints are recolored and repackaged nicely. The previous two miniseries had an old-school, Classic Who feel to them. This recent one-shot extends the winning streak.
Writers Leah Moore and John Reppion tell a story that feels like it could have been an unfilmed episode from Season Three. They nail the banter between The Doctor And Martha (you can almost hear David Tennant and Freema Agyeman reciting the lines in your head). They also tell a pretty effective ghost story. Sure, the ending is a bit formulaic, but Doctor Who is a formulaic show, so longtime fans would find it rather comforting.
G.I.Joe is the comic that started me down the long road to being a comic book geek. It along with a few other 80′s properties are near and dear to my childhood. The comic book that Marvel put out ruled over all that was produced in the name of G.I. Joe toys in the 1980′s. The cartoons were great to watch, but ultimately they were cheesy and nobody ever died. Between the lack of mortality in the G.I. Joe and Transformers cartoons I was woefully unprepared for Roy Fokker’s exit from Robotech. On the other hand the comic books brought action, humor, character development, and even death. To my 10 year old mind the stories they told drew me in deeper and had more of a lasting impact on my imagination than any 30 minute cartoon could.
I have the full run of the Marvel G.I. Joe, some more beat up than others, and I still find entertainment in their pages. When Devils Due publishing announced they were bringing G.I. Joe back to comic books continuing the saga Marvel started, the 10 year old inside the 20-something year old me did a little jig. I collected all of them as well, including the short run of FrontLine AND the even shorter run of G.I. Joe Reloaded. The stories weren’t quite as satisfying at first, but they hit their stride and I was a huge fan by the end of their run. Hasbro put the licensing back up for negotiations and IDW won the bid. Last fall they put out a special Issue 0 that highlighted the three series they would be producing on a regular basis. Issue 1 of the core series came out on 1/14/2009 and after reading #0, I picked it up with some trepidation.
There is a bomb outside the cover and also inside the cover; the second one is called 'the story'
I’m in a foul mood and am mildly bored. This is because I am at work and there is literally nothing urgent that needs my attention. I have smoked nearly all the cigarettes I can without going home and getting more, my new glasses fit funny, and it’s too cold to go walking around.
I guess I’ll review this comic book called Time Management for Anarchists: Productivity Tips for Creative Malcontents by Jim Munroe and Mark Ngui, published by IDW. I read it, which I guess I can say about any comic book I’ve read. I suppose my main problem is that I bought it because of the interesting cover art and presumed concept, as well as the title itself. This was my mistake.
I was expecting a nice little indie Anarchist’s Cookbook-gone-hilariously-wrong; instead I came away with one third story and two thirds slightly droll PowerPoint presentation.
Dungeons & Dragons #0
