The whole series is worth checking out!
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Weiner Roast – Mercury by Hope Larson
“Mercury” by Hope Larson
Although we can often times get pretty raunchy and foul on our podcast, we do appreciate books that do not stray into that territory. Case in point is this wonderful tale from Hope Larson about two canadian girls, one in the mid 1800′s and the other in present day. Tara, in present day, is trying to deal with the fallout from her mother losing her house in a fire and trying to fit back into an old school. Then back in the olden days, Josey is hopelessly falling for a gold prospector that has approached her family with a hell of a deal that may not be as sweet as it looks.
These stories can be described as standard coming of age tales for sure, but I think they succeed so much further than that. Both stories are engaging and thoughtful and would be strong enough to stand on their own, but are beautifully interwoven with each other, and even tied together in a very charming way (although most readers will see it a mile away long before it is fully revealed).
Hope Larson has delivered a great tale that has a bit of mysticism and magic(very small element in the overall story) interwoven with very likable protagonists you want to see succeed and prosper, and engages them with more clever and fun characters. It is also curious to me that I have gotten this far into talking about the book without pointing out the artwork is gorgeous!
Bottom Line: I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you have a younger reader in mind who happens to be a 10-15 year old girl, but at the same time, read it yourself. Hell, even if you don’t have a kid, check out this book. Hope Larson has impressed me enough I will be checking out more of her books very soon. I do suggest that if your only draw into comics is spandex and capes, this is definitely not the book for you, but if you are looking for something different with beautiful artwork, then Mercury is well worth your time and money.
Burnt Weiners Episode 066 Hellraiser #1 – Brightest Day #22
Young readers titles mixed with talk of sick and depraved comics is what Burnt Weiners does best! Join Steege as he comes to grips with his addiction to football with Orcs. Bo and John have very different feelings on the Hellraiser comic and decide to slapfight to decide who is right. Just in time Weed brings up some spandex and vampire tales to save the day!
0:03:35 – Deadpool Max #6 (Marvel)
0:07:55 – The Spider #1 (Moonstone)
0:10:00 – Sarah Palin vs The World (Antartic Press)
0:12:00 – Unwritten #23 (Vertigo)
0:18:30 – Spawn #205 (Image)
0:21:25 – Neonomicon #4 (Avatar Press)
0:24:30 – Hellraiser #1 (Boom! Studios)
0:30:15 – Captain America & Crossbones One Shot (Marvel)
0:33:45 – Hack Slash #2 (Image)
0:36:20 – Solomon Kane Castle of the Devil/Conan The Spear And Other Stories (Dark Horse)
0:43:20 – Blood Bowl Killer Contract (Boom! Studios)
0:46:20 – Mercury (Anthenum)
0:49:55 – Brightest Day #22 (DC Comics)
0:54:50 – Angel #43 (IDW)
Direct download: Burnt_Weiners_Episode_066_Hellraiser_01_-_Brightest_Day_22.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Has Kane Mesner Lost His Magic Touch & Robot Shorts
Woo hoooooooo! More book announcements from Dave West and Accent UK including Robot Shorts (pictured above) with Dave West and Steve Holder.
Also included in the article is talk of Dave and Marleen’s new work Has Kane Mesner Lost His Magic Touch? All of us here at Burnt Weiners loved their last work Whatever Happened To The World’s Fastest Man? so this is something we all are eagerly looking forward to.
Click the robot pic above to be taken to Dave’s blog where he talks a bit more in depth about these projects.
Burnt Weiners C2E2 2011 Special
Chicago welcomes C2E2 2011 and the the guys were in attendance to check it out. They discuss the change in venue, the layout of the show, plenty of the stuff they saw, some of the people they met, the parties they attended and the thousands of faces and how the Henchmen rocked them all!
In our opinion C2E2 was a huge success for any fan wanting a well organized show and great convention experience. Plan for C2E2 2012 people, because we will be there!
Editors Note – Oni Press was indeed there, and was the 3rd booth Bo and John stopped by on Friday, as we picked up a few books from them! DOH!
Direct download: Burnt_Weiners_C2E2_2011_Special.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In My Rearview Mirror Is The Mother F’N Kahn
Just a random find on the internet of something clever . . . HIT ME
Skullkickers TPB 1: 1000 Opas And A Dead Body (Image Comics)
Skull-Kickers TPB Vol 1: 1000 Opas And A Dead Body (Image Comics)
CORPSE KICK! Okay, finally, I caved in and checked out Skull-Kickers, because everyone has been telling me how bloody awesome it is. Let me tell you, folks . . . I need to start listening to you more! Not only is Skull-Kickers awesome, it might indeed be my new bible I live my life by.
Following the exploits of two bounty hunters, comprised of a drunken dwarf and a very large moose of a man, this book gives you everything you expect from a book named “Skull-Kickers” and possibly a bag of chips as well (this could have just as well been a random bag of chips left by me on my bed, but I am crediting it with this fine book). What is delivered is a rough and tumble beat-em-up type tale straight out of a group of 13-year-old’s D&D session. I say that with the utmost respect and honor, because this book is insane amounts of fun!
The book draws you in, has you reading every little special effects noise caption, listening to the constant gripes of uncredited townsfolk, and rooting for the couple of knuckleheads. How can you not get behind them when they defeat an evil wizard, to only in that defeat cause a greater evil rise and stomp down from the mountain looking for a town to destroy!
Bottom Line: This book is not for everyone, but if you are the type who loves D&D, Mystery Science Theatre and just gobs of fun (and goblins), then this book is aimed right at you. My personal enjoyment of the book was about as high as it can get, and look forward to future volumes that will be immediately pre-ordered!
C2E2 2011 Photo Gallery
Click the above photo to be taken to our C2E2 2011 photo gallery to check out plenty of the convention pics!
The photo above was shot at Reggie’s where Adam Warrock destroyed the stage with his hip hop styling of some serious nerdcore! Also joining us in the booth is Matt Sardo, who you may recall from the awesome zombie themed commercial for his comic book store The Comic Vault, that was so gorgeously violent that AMC would not allow it to be aired during The Walking Dead!
Saturday at C2E2
Saturday was crazy busy at the convention! The place filled up, and while it made getting around a bit more difficult, most area of the con were laid out very well to aid in the flow of people. A few mass pileups in artists alleys and close to signing areas did occur, but I would consider them very minor compared to past convention experience I have. All in all a very well laid out show, so kudos to the organizers!
Some highlights from Saturday for the Burnt Weiner crew:
- The gaming area EXPLODED on Saturday and was jam packed full of all sorts of players. Tabletop gamers flooded the place to play Magic, D&D dungeon crawls and even Heroclix. I (John) entered into the Heroclix tournament and pulled some pretty good figs and had three great games, but just couldn’t get that last win to cinch the tournament. My final opponent was a great player and just crunched me! I have to give him major props for not getting up on points and then running his team, as he stayed in to duke it out to remove my team from the map, even though losing a couple rolls of the dice could have cost him big time.
- Got to check out the BOY WONDER screening and enjoyed it quite a bit. There was some things I really liked about it, and a few I didn’t, but we will talk more about that on the show. All in all I suggest checking it out.
- Bo and Weed watched the costume contest, raided the comic bins, and got some sweet prints and sketches! There are also rumors that Burnt Weiners is now not allowed within 500 feet of Brian Michael Bendis, but we cannot comment at this time on the matter.
Friday at C2E2
Just a quick check in, we will have further discussion after we get back about how incredibly awesome that C2E2 is this year! Here are a few of the highlights just from Friday:
- Hit an awesome after party thrown by the Nerd City guys
- Hit a comedy show featuring Patton Oswalt (at the con)
- Bo saw a huge guy biff it HARD!
- The gaming area is incredibly chilled and laid back and a very cool place to hang out. Tons of board games to sample and plenty of dungeon delves to join in. There was also a Heroclix tournament on Friday that a couple of the people we went with got to participate in. Hopefully we will see more of the tables full these next two days, as I would like to see it return next year.
Weed is worthy!!!
C2E2 Bound!
Today we leave for C2E2 in Chicago (and where the hell will you people be?), and to make sure that the pets behave while we are gone, we had to resort to how our parents threatened us when they went away on trips and didn’t want us to have parties.
Awwww, what a cute kitty with his paws in the air! Just wanna hug’em forever!
Weird Worlds #3, Captain America & The First 13, Magus #3
Weird Worlds #3 – DC Comics
First up, from DC Comics, we have an anthology comic that mashes up a little bit for everyone. You have the main man, the baddest bastich himself, the last Czarnian, the one and only LOBO! Who doesn’t love a good ass kicking bounty tale, and that is what is delivered onto the page. Lobo is busy tracking down a four armed, purple alien and having to crack a lot of skulls. This part of the anthology was a bit slow the first two issues for me, but has really come around to a Lobo tale that I am enjoying the hell out of.
Then for the people that love the mashup of almost every origin tale ever conceived by a comic creative team, you get the brand spanking new Garbage-Man! A lawyer previously, Garbage-Man was used in an experiment by an evil corporation, and turned into a walking heap of trash who in this particular issue is mistaken for sasquatch. Swearing revenge on this evil corporation, we are treated to an awesome page of art where he is half reforming around a tree (seriously, just gorgeous!).
The third story in the Weird World anthology is my personal favorite, and centers around the somewhat socially awkward but bubbly Tanga (think an interstellar Pixie from the X-Men). Heading to an inhabited planet after drifting in space alone for so long due to a possible misunderstanding with the Green Lanterns, Tanga just wants to socialize a bit. But having a bit too much drink, passing out and being awoken during a monster attack has put a major crimp in those plans. Being the superheroine she is, Tanga promises the locals that she can take care of this monster but they are not so sure. Just a tremendously fun tale with a very engaging character.
Bottom Line: This anthology comic is well worth your time and money (and us guys at Burnt Weiners love anthologies). With the great creators Aaron Lopresti, Kevin Van Hook and Kevin Maguire working on this title, there really is no reason you shouldn’t be picking it up if you like your comics with piles of fun jammed into them!
Captain America And The First Thirteen One Shot – Marvel Comics
Part of the 70th Anniversary special of Captain America books coming out this month from Marvel, Captain America and the First Thirteen follows Margaret “Peggy” Carter and a somewhat different take on Captain America than I have seen before, as he comes across as more of a Casanova-type character than the good ol’ boyscout Steve Rogers we know and love. And let me tell you, while I don’t want it every month, Kathy Immonen really nailed it with that representation of Cap, as he and Peggy flirt and knock boots through the entire issue.
Peggy is an American working with the French resistance during World War II, and has recruited Captain America for a mission to steal some Japanese technology that the Germans have gotten their sauerkraut-stained hands on: some of the very first thermal imaging devices made!
While I really enjoyed the mix of the chilled vibe and action of the book, what really made me fall in love with the book was the extraordinary artwork from Ramone Perez and John Rauch. They nailed the old feel and especially the coloring of old war-time comics while keeping it extremely modern. It is dazzling to stare at the pages in this book, it really is.
Bottom Line: If you want a hellaciously fun Captain America tale where Cap is not the most likeable in the book (Peggy is the center stage badass), then this is a one shot to check out. I dare you to flip through it off the shelf and not grab it. Double dog dare ya!
Magus #3 – 12 Gauge
Jon Price and Rebekah Isaacs are telling an extremely engrossing tale of magic returning into the modern world. Magic is awesome, right? Well, when wielded correctly, it sure is, but for a long time, it was misused and corrupted by far too many, so a secret society sealed off the flow of magic and slowly over time, made the world forget that they once had these great abilities.
But the seals once holding the magic in are cracking, and it is sneaking out, and magic users are springing up all over the world as a result. Oh, and magical creatures . . . for example a dragon in the middle of a supermarket! And who is going to stop all of this? Oh, some local boys, a man of the cloth, a wild mage and a few remnants of the old magical societies! But not everyone wants magi to stay bottled up, including some very powerful people who will use their resources to unleash it!
Bottom Line: A fun cast of characters, lots of action and an intriguing political storyline make this a comic to check out. Grab the previous issues or wait for trade, but you are going to want to check out the art from Rebekah Isaacs at some point.
What Bo Is Checking Out
The first thing I checked out this week was a book with no pictures. Blasphemy, you say.
This book written by Mr. Ray Bradbury was Titled “Fahrenheit 451.” I would recommend it to fans of “A Clockwork Orange”, or maybe “Brazil.” The story takes place in the future, about 50 years. Now that was 50 years ago, placing it right about current time. Society has given up on books and any independent thought is discouraged. The government is a twisted version of itself. The main topic of the story revolves around a Fireman who makes the mistake of reading one of the books he was meant to burn, and starting down the path of enlightenment. Society is brought crashing down in a terrible war, and all that is left, some wandering lost souls, and a group of intellectuals who have sworn to remember a book each to help society crawl back from the dark and remember the mistakes of the past.
Ray then goes on to hammer the point home, that he strongly disagrees with censorship, or painting over the past with newer, brighter, go fast stripes. Stating that he has been approached many times by groups petitioning him to amend old work, and he adamantly stands firm the he will not.
Up next on the list is a little number called “Venom” issue #1 from Marvel comics, Written by Rick Remender, pencils by Tony Moore. In this new series Flash Thompson has taken the mantle of Venom, wearing the symbiote while preforming covert ops for the U.S. Army. He can wear the Symbiote for up to 48 hours before it bonds with him. The mission he takes off for this time around involves capturing a scientist who has found a way to weaponize Antarctic vibranium. It just so happens that Jack ‘o’ Lantern is also on a similar mission. During the scuffle, Flash, offs the scientist rather than have him fall into the hands of the enemy, so that he has enough time to save a family. This does not sit well with his superiors, who let him know that they have their fingers on the fail safe, I. E. Watch out or we’ll blow you up. He is told to reign in his anger and ego, to keep from “Venoming out.”
Flash’s friends and family feel alienated from him and think that he is drinking again. This leaves Flash in a funk and wondering if it’s all worth it. And for some reason my spell check is telling me ‘symbiote’ is spelled wrong, but if it is, Marvel spelled it wrong too.
Next, is a comic called “Conan: Road of Kings” #3, or the 78th in a series. Written by Roy Thomas, and penciled by Mike Hawthorne. This section of the series takes up with Conan on a chaperone mission, escorting the Princess of Ophir home. In true Conan fashion he tussles up the wenches, fights the prehistoric monster, and sets of to retrieve his kidnapped Princess. Personally, I love this series of Conan. This issue is right in the middle of what will be the 11th trade, and seems to me, to be, the first time that Conan tales have been retold in chronological order. If your a fan of Conan I highly suggest this series, go back, start with Vol. 0 and enjoy the ride.
Also this week I was able to check out “Elephantmen” #30. This was a very sexy issue. The art was fantastic, done by Medellin, and giving credit where it’s due, them there is some smokin’ ladies. In this issue we find that there has been discovered a way to “flip on” the Elephantmen. The man who figured this out tries to warn the Information Agency, but they would rather keep things the way they are. Sahara’s look-a-like almost has to sleep with Obadiah Horn, and Miki visits Hip Flask for a little booty call. I then did a little research on the math involved in this little tryst, and came up with some interesting results. It turns out that, True Fiction Fact:
Last but not least this week, I was able to check out “Freak Angels” Vol 5. Written by Warren Ellis, and art by Paul Duffield. Which is a collected edition of a web comic from Avatar Press. Now, it seems to me that things really took off in this volume. The Freak Angels figure out that they can upgrade their “packages”, and who doesn’t want that, by offing themselves. Several of the Angels have already upgraded, and they find themselves in a kind of “mexican standoff.” They also discover that their future selves are communicating with…well themselves while in trepidation and undergoing their upgrades. As always, I love the art for this series, the character development is first rate, and my overall enjoyment of the book has been reeled in even more.
Burnt Weiners Bitchin Bo Fiction Episode 001 Superboy
We had a loss of of our new episode, but Bo, ever determined to make sure his voice is heard on the internet, gives a twist on Superboy #5 from DC comics . . . with his take on how the issue should have been written!
email us at burntweiners@gmail.com
www.burntweiners.com
Direct download: Burnt_Weiners_Bitchin_Bo_Fiction_Episode_001_Superboy.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Twitter – Win Pinocchio Vampire Slayer TPB
You want a copy of Pinocchio Vampire Slayer and The Great Puppet Theatre?
All you have to do it is look at our timeline, find the tweet referring to the contest, retweet it and then make sure you are following us. It really is that simple. Contest will then run until Tuesday, Mar 15th at 5 PM central time.
http://twitter.com/burntweiners
Here are a few details:
1. One entry allowed per person. Feel free to re-tweet it as often as you like, but you will only be entered once into our random drawing. Make sure you are following us (allows us to contact you with a private message to get your info, plus then you will know about future contests). Winners are selected at random from our lucky six armed robot monkey, Prizebot 5000!
2. We can DQ anyone at anytime for possible shenanigans (which we don’t expect, but just throwing it up there)
3. Burnt Weiners will try their best to ship it to anyone who wins, but if you win and live in a place where we have to hire a 8 man crew to get it to you, and 5 of them won’t be coming back , sorry chum, you are out of luck. All places it can reasonably be shipped to are eligible, and this is left up to our discretion.
4. Follow us, we are important. We drink expensive coffee drinks and wear nothing but 80′s wrestling t-shirts.