Awesome Comics

Thanks to Marvel’s hit movies, more and more fans are being introduced to the hyperbolic world of superhero comic books. Variant Comics gives us casuals a look at how far the dragon balling goes with this list of the Marvel world universe multiverse’s gods.

The abilities of DC Comics’ speedster go way beyond running quickly – he’s the embodiment of motion and time. That said, he is a fast runner. How fast? Faster than teleportation. Because comic books. Find out more in VariantComics’ video.

(Gore) CineFix compares the 1994 supernatural action flick The Crow and its source material, James O’Barr’s 1989 comic book series. While both are about coping with the loss of a loved one, the movie takes a more conventional approach to the hero’s journey.

Imagine LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant starting their own pro basketball league. That’s what happened with Image Comics. The rebellion did not go as smoothly as YouTuber kaptainkristian makes it out to be, but it’s still an incredible success story.

While Zack Snyder’s big screen version wasn’t exactly the recipient of fan or critical praise, Kaptain Kristian reminds us just how difficult it was to transform Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ classic comic, which took advantage of the medium in ways a film could never do.

ComiXology’s new subscription service lets you read the first volumes of dozens of titles from Image, Dark Horse, Fantagraphics and more (no Marvel or DC). It’s a great way to get into comics or find out which titles to dive into. It has a free 30-day trial period.

Part of DC Comics’ slate of new Hanna Barbera comics, Future Quest sees Jonny Quest, Harvey Birdman, Space Ghost and more team up in this updated take on classic characters. Written by Jeff Parker (Hulk, Thunderbolts, Agents of Atlas).

The prolific comic book duo Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin (The Private Eye, Barrier) bring us a touching one-shot with a small connection to The Walking Dead‘s main series. It’s about an American tourist and a dame in shining armor.

Marvel hired freehand phenom Kim Jung Gi to make a large illustration depicting its heroes fighting each other. The artwork will be split into eight and used as variant covers for the upcoming Civil War II comics, which will be released this June. Hi-res image here.

(PG-13) An American desperate to keep her land and a Honduran who escaped his country have a bizarre experience together. Bryan K. Vaughan (Saga) and his The Private Eye co-creators Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente weave a tale of violence, language and immigration.

Robert Sikoryak turned the iTunes Terms and Conditions into a two-volume comic starring Steve Jobs. Each page is drawn in the style of an influential comic artist, from Steve Ditko to Allie Brosh. His Craig Thompson facsimile is freakin’ perfect.

David Boswell’s Reid Fleming, the World’s Toughest Milkman, was a popular comic book during the ’80s. In 1987, Warner Bros. bought its movie rights but rejected Boswell’s script. Charlie Tyrell’s feisty documentary gives us an insider’s look at what happened.

The new Archie comics launched to rave reviews, brought to life by Mark Waid (Kingdom Come) and Fiona Staples (Saga). Crowd favorite Jughead also has a series under Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals) and Erica Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl). Also on digital.

This year’s edition is packed with over 350 pages of work from established and up-and-coming writers and artists. There’s something for everyone from cheerful romance, to dark tales of woe. We rather enjoyed the chapter intros, drawn by editor Jonathan Lethem.

(SPOILERS) There are many concise recaps of the Civil War comics online, but if you want to be entertained as well Comicstorian’s summary is a great watch. Comics Explained has more details (and also the, uh, comics themselves).

The latest Minute Match-ups from YouTube member ismahawk pits that guy in purple against, well, the finest archer ever known. It’s a well choreographed and shot piece which will keep you quite entertained for about three minutes.

Dan Perkins aka Tom Tomorrow is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his postmodern political satire comic strip This Modern World by compiling every TMW strip from 1990 until this year (plus bonus art) in a two-volume set.

IGN made this polished chronological enumeration of characters who became part of the X-Men, from the fab five to the increasingly varied and confusing kids of the 2000s. Then there’s… nah, that’s all of them.

Scott McCloud selects works from established and up-and-coming artists around the country. Whether you want a laugh, intrigue, romance, or just plain weird, there’s something for everyone in this hardcover book. (Contains adult content.)

(NSFW: Language) Maddox presents counterarguments to the outrage about Milo Manara’s now infamous comic book cover for Spider-Woman #1, the Hawkeye Initiative and sexualization in general. More here.

Los Angeles’ Hero Complex Gallery presents an artists’ tribute to Popeye, celebrating the 85th year of the spinach-eating sailor. The show features works from over 100 artists and runs 9/5-9/21/2014. Online sales start on 9/6 here.

A new graphic novel from the creator of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Seconds is about a successful young chef who suddenly comes upon magical mushrooms, which let her go back in time to correct her mistakes. Preview here (pdf).

Physicist and xkcd creator Randall Munroe will soon release a book version of What If?, his funny and enlightening science Q&A series. The book features unpublished articles as well as revised versions of some of the published ones.