TOP 13 LISTS | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

Jul13

The TOP 13 Comics Stories of the Gods — Old and New

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Jul 13, 2019

The TOP 13 Comics Stories of the Gods — Old and New

GOOD GODS! And DREAD GODS! Comics writer RON MARZ ranks them… Fans are fond of saying comics are our modern mythology. I mean, what is Superman if not a god? Then there are comics that are about the gods. As in, Thor, Hercules and the Fourth World. You get the gist. Well, writer Ron Marz and artist Tom Raney have their own take — Dread Gods, a series created from a concept by Bart Sears about what happens when a futuristic version of the Greek deities find out they’re actually monsters: Dread Gods was published through Sears’ Ominous Press (in partnership with IDW), and now the creators are crowdfunding through Kickstarter the Dread Gods Olympian Edition, an oversize hardcover collecting the first four issues of the series and featuring a treasure trove of extras: a new, 10-page tale by Marz and Raney; an extensive cover gallery featuring artwork by Sears, Raney, Neal Adams, Kenneth Rocafort, Cully Hamner, Kevin Maguire, Kelley Jones, and Andy Smith; and more than 50 pages of behind-the-scenes artwork. Click here to check out the Kickstarter, which is in its stretch run. Given the nature of the project, we asked Marz to rank the TOP 13 COMICS STORIES OF THE GODS — OLD AND NEW. He didn’t hesitate — providing a list spotlighting creative Olympians such as Kirby, Simonson, Russell — and more. Check it out: — By RON MARZ 13. Raven Banner, by Alan Zelenetz and Charles Vess. A forgotten classic from Marvel’s line of original graphic novels, featuring stunning Vess art. Perhaps the most purely mythology-based (and less superhero-oriented) of Marvel’s Asgardian tales. Also worth seeking out: the issues of Marvel Fanfare featuring the Zelenetz-Vess Asgardian stories. — 12. Hercules: Prince of Power, by Bob Layton. Back when the concept of a mini-series was pretty novel in comics, the gem came out, complete with Galactus goodness. Hercules can come off like Thor-lite, but this mini highlights Herc as very his own demi-god, with charm and swagger and a great dose of humor. — 11. Loki, by Robert Rodi and Esad Ribic. I’m forever saying the best relationship in comics is that of Thor and his brother, Loki. Come for the gorgeous Ribic art, but stay for a story that truly makes you empathize with the god of mischief. — 10. Thor, the Mighty Avenger,...

Jul03

13 QUICK THOUGHTS on SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Jul 3, 2019

13 QUICK THOUGHTS on SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

The first post-Endgame movie is a bright and cheery start to a new era… — The seventh — seventh! — Spider-Man big-screen adventure is out now, and here are 13 QUICK THOUGHTS. And, yes, there are SPOILERS ahead! 1. I liked Spider-Man: Far From Home much in the same way that I liked Homecoming: It’s funny, bright and charming with a villain suitable for our hero. That said, I’m still waiting for the Spidey movie that will get hit me in my web-shooter. 2. See, I didn’t really care for Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst even though I liked the first two movies in the Sam Raimi trilogy. And I liked Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in the Amazing two-fer, but I didn’t care for the movies all that much. Tom Holland and Zendaya make a nice couple but these movies lack a certain… Spider-Man-ness. 3. And there are two primary reasons for that: First, these first two movies and Holland’s appearances in other films haven’t really drawn from the classic source material. Rather, they’ve relied exceptionally heavily on the extended MCU. That’s fine and good but the spin has been that Peter Parker’s raison d’etre is to move out of Tony Stark’s shadow – which really isn’t the Spider-Man story at all. 4. Second, the movies have, in an apparent attempt to distinguish themselves from the earlier series, assiduously avoided many of the classic Spidey tropes, such as Manhattan, the Daily Bugle and J. Jonah Jameson, the death of Uncle Ben, Gwen, the Green Goblin and so forth. So while the movies have been a kick, I don’t really connect with them on the same visceral level I have with a number of the other MCU flicks. 5. This is why the mid-credits sequence in Far From Home was probably the most satisfying few minutes of the entire Holland run. Finally, we get Spidey happily swinging through Manhattan with MJ — and J. Jonah Jameson shows up to bring it all down. 6. And it’s J.K. Simmons no less! WOW! (I’m good at avoiding spoilers.) 7. Now, I do want to reiterate that I did enjoy the movie on its own merits. It was a good-looking movie – the European scenery was gorgeous. Tom Holland is an affecting Peter Parker and MJ a fine foil (even if she...

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