I realize that I'm the Last “ANGRY” Geek, but I don't want to confuse you. I love comics. From the day my dad, himself a comic book fan in his youth, took me into the local comic book store and bought me that issue of “Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew”, I've loved comics. Sure they haven't always loved me back, COUGH COUGH “Heroes reborn” COUGH. But for the most part they've been good to me.

Comic books can be the most amazing media device. Imagine a movie where the only budget limitation is how much pencil and paper your artist can afford. They can range from licensed childrens' properties to adults oriented subject matter. Once in awhile I'd like to take this opportunity to point you towards some comic books that just might make your day a little sunnier.

FEEL NOSTALGIC FOR OLD-SCHOOL MARVEL
NEW X-MEN #20 – 43

How does a story about racial cleansing strike you? Well, what about a group of super-powered teenagers striking out on their own? Now, what if I told you that you could find both stories in one book? Welcome to “NEW X-MEN” by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost. These two managed to create an X-men book that feels like it was written by Chris Claremont, but is better than anything Claremont himself had done in years.

Do you like the old-school X-men? How about Colossus, the man who can turn to metal? Meet Mercury, a girl whose body is living metal, but all the time. Think Emma Frost is too well adjusted, meet her protege: Hellion, one of the most arrogant characters in years. Miss the days when Wolverine was an anti-social loner? Meet his cloned sister, X-23 who's got more in common with wild animals than her fellow students.

This book manages to pay homage to many of Claremont's classic stories: GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS – New X-men brings back William Stryker as an antagonist who ends up killing many of the students through guerrilla tactics suck as snipers and missiles. DAYS OF FUTURE PAST – Stryker is being backed by Nimrod, a super Sentinel robot from a future where mutants are nearly extinct. INFERNO – Kyle and Yost resurrect Colossus's dead sister, Magik and send the kids to hell, literally, to face off against demons.

Sadly, this book was a casualty of the recent “Messiah Complex” storyline and while Kyle and Yost are writing X-FORCE, a book that also manages to pay tribute to past x-men stories, the characters from this title are mostly left in limbo.  Still, I'd like to recommend you pick up the back issues or TPB's of NEW X-MEN. Just don't confuse it with Grant Morrison's title of the same name. This title you can read without constantly wondering: what the hell is going on?

BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU THINK (tie)
“What does freedom mean to me?” Yes, it does sound like a cheap opening line to a high-school essay. But it's also a thought-provoking question that's deftly handled in two books where the main stars aren't people, but animals.

WE3
Remember that earlier crack about Grant Morrison? Well, while I don't think Morrison is particularly good superhero writer, he is one hell of an author when it comes to morality plays. In WE3, Morrison introduces us to a weapons program that has turned ordinary animals into cybernetic killing machines. The best way to describe this book is to tell you to imagine a Disney animal film, like “HOMEWARD BOUND”. Now imagine it's directed by David Cronenberg. Once you finish screaming under your table at the thought, I should point out that WE3 isn't all mind-bending imagery and unimaginable violence. Yes, there's violence supplied nicely by revolutionary artist, Frank Quietly, but there's also the question asked by the WE3: a team consisting of a dog, cat and rabbit. And that question is where and what is “home”? Can they find a home, and peace? Or are they merely the weapons they were built to be?

PRIDE OF BAGHDAD
In 2003, as US troops were bombing Baghdad, the Baghdad zoo was looted and pillaged by poachers. Left alone were the zoo's tigers and lions. Four lions, starving from neglect, escaped the zoo and were shot by US soldiers. This is the basis for PRIDE OF BAGHDAD, written by LOST's BRIAN K VAUGHN. Rather than an exploration of the war itself, Vaughn puts the lions through the Disney treatment, giving each of them voices and a particular point of view. Through this Vaughn explores the question of “What is freedom?” Is freedom being kept in a nice cage, well fed and protected. The eldest lioness thinks so as she clearly recalls the cruelty and hardships of her youth in the veldt. The younger lions can only remember the things they've lost in their captivity. Add to this the voices of the other animals in the zoo and wild and you have a book that explores freedom, the inevitability of violence and sadly, mortality. You may even shed a tear as the lions meet their inevitable destiny.

WANT TO REMEMBER HOW GOOD STAR WARS CAN BE?
STAR WARS: LEGACY

What Lucas didn't realize is that prequels blow. Sequels. That's where the money is. Welcome to the world of Cade Skywalker. As a child he watched his Jedi Academy and father fall to the advance of the Sith army. No more of that “Only two there are” crap. Now there are dozens of Sith. All led by the sadistic Darth Krayt who pulls off a coupe and takes over the entire galaxy.

So how does a young jedi survive in this new universe? Simple, hide the fact that you're a jedi from your friends and use your Force powers to start hunting the other Jedi for fun and profit. And Cade's a real man. None of this kissing your sister crap, he's bedding all the hot aliens, such as ship's Zeltron pilot and the “scare-the-crap-out-of-you” Sith Twi'lek, Darth Talon. No more of this glass of water at the cantina. Cade's practically inhaling Death Sticks to block out the ghosts of his famous ancestors who want him to get off his couch and save the galaxy. I think my readers who still live with their parents can relate. And with on-going subplots like the identity of Cade's mother and the deposed Emperor Fel's attempts to reclaim his throne, the future world of Star Wars is just as messed up and interesting as our own modern world.

Oh, and just to keep continuity, there's a certain beeping bucket shaped droid re-introduced, later on in the run.

BOOKS THAT SHOULDN'T BE THIS MUCH FUN
BUCK GODOT: THE GALLIMAUFRY

This eight issue series came out twice a year for about five years, and I never missed an issue. Written and drawn by Phil Foglio (longtime Magic: The Gathering and Dragon magazine contributer) Buck Godot is a comedic sci-fi mystery. Buck himself is a gigantic alcoholic private detective who finds himself caught up in the kidnapping of the Winslow, the simple-minded deity that figures into the majority of the universe's religions. Add to this that someone has eliminated humanity's sex drive in an attempt to drive them into extinction and Buck has his work cut out for him.

This book manages to deftly mixes all the different genres. It has the super-science and alien races that you'd expect from a sci-fi book. Mysteries that slowly but surely unravel over its eight issues. And a wonderful sense of humor that ranges from wry observation to some laugh out loud moments. All of it wonderfully complimented by Foglio's cartoonish art style.

Foglio is currently working on the equally wonderful steam punk comedy, GIRL GENIUS, and sadly, this title is not currently available from Amazon. But the good news is you can read it for free as they are colorizing the old issues and placing them on-line over at www.zapgunforhire.com. I can only hope that once they are done they will print a full-size color version as I've wanted to give this as a gift for many years. Not one year has gone by since it was fully published where I don't break out my back issues and return to the Gallimaufry. I invite you all to join me for another visit.

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So there you are. I hope you'll take the time to consider reading some, if not, all of these books. And, remember, the next time you hear someone say that comic books are only for kids, well, you have my permission to beat that someone up. To quote Brodie Bruce: “You fuckers think just because a guy reads comics he can't start some shit?”