I’ve lived in the greater Cincinnati area going on two years now. I didn’t realize it, but for a comic geek, I pretty much landed in comic heaven. I have two local stores in my new home town of Florence, Ky. Comics2Games, my new home base for comics, is less than 5 mins from my house and I drive by it to and from work. Comic Book World is less than 10 mins from my doorstep and just a couple exits prior to mine on my way home from work. Traveling a bit further out, less than 40 minutes from my house (or 20 from where I work) I have access to 5 other comic shops, in and around the greater Cincinnati area. (Arcadian Comics, Captain Comic, Rockin’ Rooster Comics & Games, Queen City Comics & Cards and Up, Up & Away!) These are just comic shops. What I’ve come to learn is that this area is a little hotbed for smaller comic expos and shows. Within 2 hours drive time, I can hit Louisville, KY for it’s Derby City Comic Con (June 2013), Lexington, Ky’s Comic & Toy Con (March 2013), Dayton, Ohio’s Gem City Comic Con (March 2013) and Columbus, OH, not only home to the Ohio Comic Con (Sept 2013), previously Mid-Ohio Con, but it is also home to S.P.A.C.E. (April 2013), a small con dedicated to indie/creator-owned comics. Last, but not least, 25 mins from my house is the Cincinnati Comic Expo.

“I want my gun back.”

I’ve never been a huge fan of the Western genre, although there have been exceptions such as Deadwood and Tombstone, both of which I hold in high regard. There are a large number of people out there that see high fantasy settings as endless clones of each other, and I tend to react the same way when stories that take place in the Old West cross my table or TV screen. It takes exceptional writing, acting, or imagery to keep my attention when it comes to Westerns. With that said, though, I may have found myself another exception.

I am one of the biggest Geoff Johns fans I know. I love what he did with JSA, the Flash and especially Hal Jordan and the GL Corps. He has a great knack for understanding what drives main character(s), villain(s) and supporting character(s) alike. The man has a strong sense of comic continuity that I, as a hardcore comic geek, love to yammer on and on about. He is able to strip out the useless and make sense of the ridiculous. His Green Lantern Vol 5 is shaping up to be the best Hal Jordan/Sinestro story ever told. I am however getting a little nervous as we start in on The Rise of the Third Army. But before I start in on how I’m not quite ready for another Green Lantern ‘Big Event’, I’d like to break down High/Low’s of Geoff Johns GL continuity.

Asylum #9

My first introduction to Jim Krueger was around 1998-99 through the 25 cent boxes of the now extinct Excalibur Comics of Portage, Indiana. I used to rummage through every 25 cent bin I could find. I’d snatch up consecutive issues of anything that looked interesting, so that I could have something of length to read for cheap. It was around this time I was able to snatch up The Foot Soldiers 1-4 by Image comics for a buck.

At the time I didn’t really pay much attention to creators (can’t be real picky on a 25 cent a comic budget)  and even though Earth X was all over my Wizard magazines and the promo pieces inside all my local comics shops, I had no idea who Jim Krueger was, or that he was the writer of Earth X or The Foot Soldiers books I had just picked up.  I did however  end up  finding out that a previous volume had been released via Dark Horse. My goal for Wizard World Chicago ’99 was to find these Dark Horse Issues.

Low an behold, while milling around Artist Alley at WWC that year, I fell upon a table littered with The Foot Soldiers issues, next to piles of Earth X comics. There stood Jim Krueger. I bought from him all The Foot Soldiers issues I didn’t have and he signed them all. He asked if I was reading reading Earth X, and I sheepishly said no. I did go on tell him that I thought his Foot Soldiers was a great book and that I couldn’t wait for more of them.

“Wayne.  Bruce Wayne.  And you are…?”

“Hunter.  Hunter Rose.”

I would imagine that some of you who read my review of the first Grendel Omnibus may have noticed that I made mention of a Batman/Grendel crossover but never elaborated on it.  As a Batman fan, this may have infuriated you.  For that, I apologize and hope that your anger has died down in the time since you read that article.  To make it up to you I am going to discuss that very crossover in this article.  Aren’t you excited??  I know I am!  Now, on with the info!

Can’t blame a brother for trying

Marvel is about to launch it’s answer to DC‘s New 52 entitled, Marvel NOW!. Unfortunately, not much of what they are offering gets me even a little interested. (Uncanny Avengers? Are you serious?) On the other hand, Jonathan Hickman is a beast of awesomeness! and I AM really excited for his Avengers & New Avengers.  (Mr. Hickman if you are listening I would really be stoked if you busted out Kang, the Conqueror. Much love, Thanks!) But with Hickman leaving the two Fantastic Four titles and Marvel NOW! not offering anything that exciting, I turn to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, to get my fix of Marvel comics action.