There are some Bigfoot problems that hit harder than others — and for certain legendary figures, male pattern baldness anxiety isn’t just about looks… it’s about legacy. Today’s comic imagines what happens when one very famous cryptid starts wondering if his myth might not survive a receding hairline.
What I’m Watching: Invincible, JJK, and the Great Animation Trade-Off
I’ve been watching Invincible with my sons, and I’ve got… thoughts.
First off: the story? Very, very good. Genuinely compelling stuff — even though the violence and gore is way past my personal comfort range. I'm not super comfortable with one character shooting another. The stuff that happens on a median-level episode of Invincible is a real challenge for me.
As someone who does NSFW comics, I'm constantly amazed at how perfectly acceptable Invincible is... yet an animated series based on Phil Foglio's XXXenophile would have people losing their ever-loving minds.
Further, it's a little disappointing to go from watching Jujutsu Kaisen (which we're also following at the moment) to watching Invincible.
JJK features jaw-dropping visuals and animation that constantly raises the bar episode after episode. It's phenomenal.
On the other side of the spectrum, Invincible clearly put all of its budget into getting celebrity voice talent. Some of them are very good.
I just wish a few of those Amazon dollars had been spent on the animation. Some of the scenes are pretty clearly PNGs that get enlarged to show an object moving through space, and it's a goddamned embarrassment.
But the story itself is very, very good.
Gail Simone and Secret Six
I think
Gail Simone is quickly becoming one of the best writers in comics.
OK. Maybe I’m biased. Her
Secret Six series is a concept that I have a special affinity for — a cobbled-together group of super-villains trying to do what’s right… (or would that be wrong?) It worked beautifully in
Villains United.
And it’s pure enjoyment in
Secret Six.What’s so great about it? Well for starters, I love villains. Obviously.
But Gail’s writing makes what I knew would be a good series great.
Case in point: She takes a C-level Batman villain, the
Mad Hatter, and reimagines him as one of the most potent bad guys in the DC Universe. In the most recent issues, the Hatter single-handedly stalemates the
Doom Patrol and kicks
Dr. Psycho’s keister.
Believeably.
Now throw in some deft handling of increasingly complex characters such as Catman, Knockout, Ragdoll and Deadshot.
Bliss.
Gail needs to take a larger role at DC. Her writing is gripping, clever, and tight.
Project Number One: An ongoing
Secret Six series.
