Hickman is doing a “fantastic” (couldn't help myself sorry guys) job on this book, along with his partner in crime, artist Dale Eaglesham, who has been nothing short of amazing when it comes to bringing Hickman's scripts to life. The new modern age of comics, we the fans have come across some edgy stories that continue to break from the norm. Books like The Boys, and Walking Dead have certainly made clear that the images and themes used in comic storytelling can occasionally attempt visual assault on the reader. Yes, these books are compelling and moving plotlines, and of course we love reading them, but miss feeling that humanity is something worth being a part of. When’s the last time we saw Superman smile in WONK? Does anyone remember when Green Lanterns weren’t fighting an impending doom? Or Norman Osborn wasn’t trying to ruin the world? Yea me neither… Its that continuing feeling that evil is winning the fight over the good that keeps me wanting something different.

Hickman has accomplished the challenging task of telling a deep and complex story without the use of an extensive 6 issue story arc, once again through the one and only Fantastic Four. This latest issue, #576, the team discovered and underwater civilization of Atlanteans underneath a frozen lake, in Antarctica and upon arriving find that these creatures are intelligent and seek diplomacy with humanity. Text book comic, 22 pages, awesome story, not to mention Eaglesham’s art is so well done Hickman gave him several pages of no text, where we watch the stories action told through panel-by-panel penciled awesomeness. This is the kind of book that doesn’t get nearly as much credit it deserves, Come on people, who doesn’t want to walk into their local fantasy shop, exchange pleasantries with their favorite comics and gaming staff, pick up a new issue, and read a book that delivers its story on Wednesday and not next week, or 6 weeks from then?

The comic universe in its entirety is way too hooked on the next big event, or the latest crisis, (Not to say I don’t love what’s going down with the big guys DC and Marvel at the moment) but when is enough, enough? How long do we have to watch the world get attacked and torn to shreds so we can enjoy reading again? Hickman is telling the world that even though a shadow may be falling, our heroes can still fight the good fight in the glorious fashion of the Golden days with the depth and power of 21^st century writing. So go check out Hickman’s Fantastic Four, and see if you feel the sam way, trust your Dorks, you will not be disappointed. Donut out…

• The Dorks talk about Fantastic Four #576 and Scott didn't even bring it up.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Scalped #35.
• Blackest Night #7 puts the proof in the pudding and the bag of chips with all that ... it's really, really good.
• Darren's Pick of the Week: Walking Dead #70.
• Mon-El stars in his very own Pantene Commercial in Superman #697.
• Eric's Pick of the week: Flash: Rebirth #6.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards. Check out our website at www.fantasyshoponline.com/comicdorkscast. The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "Lasso" By Phoenix

Episode 101 was pretty good too.

• Dark Avengers #14 only further proves that The Sentry is one confusing cat.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Joe The Barbarian #2.
• Geoff Johns might be the new Chief Creative Officer at DC Entertainment but that doesn't stop him for one second from making Green Lantern #51 totally awesome.
• Darren's Pick of the Week: Uncanny X-Men #521.
• Justice League of America #43 brings everything to the table, sets it, eats dinner, and then slaps some folks in the face with it's awesomeness.
• Eric's Pick of the week: Blackest Night Flash #3.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards. Check out our website at www.fantasyshoponline.com/comicdorkscast. The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "The Cave" By Mumford & Sons

His new sidekick being the son of Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne-al Ghul, yeah its pretty awesome, I know. Dick has begun reinstating his own performance as Gotham’s most terrifying crime fighter, with acrobatic ease, and physical prowess and with a taste of his own fighting styles he soon finds that convincing the individuals who knew the original man behind the cowl, are having a hard time agreeing that he is the right replacement for the job. Dick begins to discover that being Gotham’s terror of the night has more problems and complications than he realized.

This has given a lot of new flare to the D.C. world and once again, another way for new comic readers to jump into the batman world and create their own feeling of witnessing the rebirth of a hero, which has quickly become one of the most popular ways the D.C. world has given a modernized life to classic heroes, and is a great way for the company to increase its fan base, and welcome a wider reading audience. Told through the narrative comic mastermind Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel, Dick Grayson gives the batman lineup a breathe of fresh air through the thick fog of the Gotham skyline.

But Dick isn’t the only character that has been giving new meaning to the Gotham nightlife, with the transition of the new series Batwoman Detective Comics. Kate Kane has stepped into the darkness, as the new focus of the Detective Comics series, and this spectacular new story has taken its criminal noir roots in the skillful writings of Greg Rucka. Miss Kane has once again taken a new spin from the common stories of the Dark Knight, to a more modernized glance at the harsh crimes of the covens ascending from the Crime Bible, which made a powerful standing during the D.C. 52 series.

Now as we all know, Bruce Wayne will be returning from the grave, even at the event of his death we were given hints that his untimely resurrection would occur. But what is it that Batman will return to do? What mission will he continue to pursue and what means will he continue this pursuit? Batman has always been the most intimidating force in the D.C.U. hero crowd; even the most powerful of beings see this man as a force more formidable than Supermen in the face of a crisis. But I have my own thoughts as to what The Batman will do upon returning to the big scene, and its this question that surrounds the cape and cowl that will keep myself and all fans of the bat family waiting in anticipation for his return.

Read to find the hamsters secret hiding place!

Since it’s time with Dynamite comics The Boys, have been evolving from seemingly mindless obscenity, to extreme obscenity with compelling plots.  This world created by Ennis tears down the super hero standard and encompasses the world of fantasy with the truths of mundane and harsh realities of human existence. This poses the questions that comic writers through the ages have been too scared to ask. What if Superman was a womanizing megalomaniac? The Flash an immoral, self-righteous jerk, who cared for no one more than himself? Wonder Woman a sold out wino, that sulks around all day sipping her way into a coma? That every crisis these “heroes” have faced, were staged business endeavors to promote comic sales?

Yea...He went there.Looking at these super hero stories, with this foreboding sense of corruption, that every masked vigilante has the very real potential to become a power hungry celebrity bent on getting their next bonus, or big public debut, is a feeling that any comic lover should try tasting. This sense of reality that Ennis brings to the comic, strikes at the core seeing through the perspective of the everyday people living in a world ruled by metahuman “supes”, and that the truth is a reality more absurd and horrible than the lies. “The Boys” are the men and female fighting back to keep the “supes” in check, doing the dirty work that no ordinary man could even imagine to do, with a gruesome method that disregards morality and is concerned only with keeping the balance. Through the help of the chemial compound V, that gives these metahumans their super abilities, this ragtag group of degenerates take the fight to the capes, and do so with the grace and class that Ennis is so famously known for.

I mean come on, who among us comic dorks, hasn’t spent a day thinking to them self, what if Hitler had super powers, or contemplated the question, how do dead superheroes keep coming back to life, and what happens to the individuals unlucky enough to be in the path of a superhero the size of a freight train being tossed clear across the atlantic? (they die). This book takes the awe inspiring and might I say badass fight scenes we readers cherish and love, and details them to a cold truth that is no more heroic than a terrorist bombing. If you love dark humor, obscenity, and more dark humor then this book is for you.

The books been around for a little while now, but its never too late to catch up.

So next time you find yourself asking the nitty gritty what if’s about the behind the scene life of these men and women wearing capes. Pick up the boys, and be prepared to see the very horrible (graphic, obscene, sexual, and dirty) truth that is the world of Garth Ennis and The Boys.



• Denny O'Neill and Greg Rucka meld together like buttah in The Question #37.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Scalped #34.
• The shattered mind of Tony Stark continues to be a fertile ground for great stories with Invincible Iron Man #23.
• Andy's Pick of the Week: Siege #2.
• The year of Superman: World of New Krypton concludes with some really great conversations between Kal-El and Zod.
• Darren's Pick of the week: Criminal: Sinners #4.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com 
Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards. 
Check out our website at www.fantasyshoponline.com/comicdorkscast.
The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "Waves in the Fire" By Capybara

 But for all intents and purposes, I have comic atrophy.  For all you whiz kid medical geniuses out there, you may know what I’m talking about but for us lay people let me explain. Not reading comics, **ahem** let me rephrase, not reading something that gives me a migraine (Japanese/manga) for four months is almost like losing a limb. You wish it was there and you want to use it but… no dice.  So these last couple weeks have been what I like to call INTENSIVE COMIC THERAPY. It’s quite simple really. It’s where I sit down and read comics… and read comics… and read comics on the toilet… watch Star Trek…make a joke about Rob’s facial hair… and then read more comics. And I think I’m getting feeling back in my comic appendages. With a little help from DC, Marvel, and all those great publishing houses in between, these last four months have been a roller coaster ride.  But after finally breathing the fresh air of new, weekly comics, I would like to post of few titles that have been absolutely… breathtaking.

They cut thy mullet: There aren't thou happy First up to bat, Swonk (Superman: World of New Krypton) and I know all the bitchin’ going on with this book. It’s taking too long, what about Blackest Night? why is Zod not evil? Well to you I look to William Shakespeare for the answer. You ask for in-depth Superman plot: there aren’t thou happy. You ask for detailed characters: there aren’t thou happy. You want excellent stories and writers: and there aren’t thou happy. You see the trend.  But in all seriousness, the amount of detail in this book is absolutely stunning. Getting to see inside the Kryptonian culture has been a comic geek’s wet dream for decades.  This book is going to be a staple in the Superman mythos.

Secondly Invincible Iron Man: the world’s smartest hero is losing his mind… literally. We haven’t seen Stark this messed up since he was double fisting two handles of Jack Daniels but you gotta feel bad for the guy. He’s basically getting chased around the world because he’s smart (and Norman Osborn is an uncontrollable dick) but Pepper Potts has stepped it up. From the once loveable ginger secretary, to the new owner of Rescue, Pepper Potts even saves Hill and Widow. You go girl. You go Fraction. You go Marvel.

And lastly Marvel Presents Bambi: Cute Deer or Deadly Assassin one-shot. Just kidding, but honestly I see marketing potential. But anyways, let’s talk Green Lantern. Green Lantern. Green Lantern. Words fail me when it comes to this comic. But for those of you with a pulse and can read English, you already know the praises about this book, which are many. So I am going to drop some negativity just to balance the scales. Primarily, What the hell is Nekron doing? We have mentioned this in several podcasts and I still don’t understand it. Are we going to see a Nekron/Black Hand one-shot where they go shopping and then come home and talk about their feelings while listening to Dashboard Confessional? If so, then that would make sense. But we get this build up of black lanterns ripping the hearts out of our beloved heroes just for him not to do anything. W.T.F. If someone has an answer for me and I’m just unaware, cyber-bitch slap me and give me the deets because I would love to know.

 Well anyways, there have been some superb books on the shelves this fall and this spring looks to be equally as promising. We got Blackest Night wrap-up and Brightest Day in the distance while Marvel (aka Bendis Publishing) puts out Siege. Now that my comic muscles are twitching, I hope to post more regularly on this comic – website – thing. So if you are digging what we are talking about or one to punch us in the face for neglecting things, drop us a line. We love antagonism. 

• Blackest Night: JSA #2 brings to the forefront the kind of team that it will take to survive this , the Blacket of Nights.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Fantastic Four #575 (AGAIN!?!?!).
• Green Lantern #50 includes the Rebirth of a character I think we all hoped would stay only a figment of our worst nightmares ... Parallax.
• Andy's Pick of the Week: The Atom & Hawkman #46.
• Daredevil #504 is so good we had to talk about this book again ... I know ... we need to find some new favorites.
• Darren's Pick of the week: Superman: Secret Origins #4.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com 
Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards. 
Check out our website at www.fantasyshoponline.com/comicdorkscast.
The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "The Rake's Song" By The Decemberists

• Darren's Pick of the Week: Dark Avengers #13
• Magneto fesses up about his dealings with Namor in Uncanny X-Men #520 and Scott hits him on the nose with a newspaper.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Incorruptible #2.
• The Valley doesn't seem terribly happy in Garth Ennis' Battlefields: Happy Valley #2.
• We're really loving the way that these Kolins & Johns fellas mesh on Blackest Night: Flash #2.
• Jon's Pick of the week: Deadpool Merc With the Mouth #7.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com 
Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards. 
Check out our website at www.fantasyshoponline.com/comicdorkscast.
The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "Starman" By David Bowie

• Wilson Fisk is a bad, bad man ... But so is Frank Castle in Punishermax #3.
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Blackest Night: Daytripper #2.
• Matty Roth may have made the single biggest mistake of his life in DMZ #49.
• Andy's Pick of the week: Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #3.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com 
Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards. 
Check out our website at www.fantasyshoponline.com/comicdorkscast.
The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "Sound of Settling" By Death Cab for Cutie

• Siege #1 brings the thunder ... and the Thunder God!
• Scott's Pick of the Week: Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2.
• Ostrander and Simone are at their finest on Blackest Night: Suicide Squad #67.
• Jon's Pick of the week: Nation X: X-Factor One Shot.

If you have any questions or comments drop us a line at: Comicdorkscast@gmail.com 
Go to www.FantasyShopOnline.com and check out the growing community on the Message Boards. 
Check out our website at www.fantasyshoponline.com/comicdorkscast.
The Music at the opening and closing of the show was: "How We Operate" By Gomez