Killing Time: Jeff Talks Movies Instead of Reviewing Books.

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on November 30, 2007

Categories: Reviews

A review for Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together should be forthcoming sometime soon but I keep coming up with new ways to put it off (if you download Sid Meier’s Pirates from Gametap, expect at least five hours of your life to disappear in flash). Like today, for example. There’s no reason I couldn’t sit down and organize my thoughts on the book, but instead I’m gonna review a few movies I saw rather than, y’know, being true to the purpose of this blog. I apologize. (On the other hand, it’s probably foolhardy to try another comics-related post on the same 24 hour period as Jog’s awe-inspiring Jademan essay, so maybe this will work out best for all involved.) COMEDIAN:…  Read More…

Randy Newman’s Faust was more impressive: Graeme looks at, spoils, One More Day from 11/29.

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Posted by: Graeme McMillan on November 29, 2007

Categories: Reviews

So this is how I found out who the bad guy was in “One More Day”. I picked up a copy of THE SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #41 and started flipping through the back of the book, wondering what pointless background material they were putting in this issue to justify the increased price, and there was a reprint of an old Silver Surfer comic which had nothing to do with Spider-Man whatsoever. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against the chance to read old Stan Lee and John Buscema stories, but it was so out of place that I’d wondered if Marvel had just given up and started putting anything in the OMD books, just to make sure that they…  Read More…

My Life is Choked with Comics #14 – Jademan Comics

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on

Categories: Reviews

This is the story of how I met Jademan Wong. I. In the beginning, there were the images. I couldn’t tell you how I found them, but I did. They were volcanic eruptions of cartoon violence, the marching, oozing cover brand of old comic books. I didn’t know a thing about them, but I never forgot them. That was how Jademan Wong — writer, artist, funnybook publisher, studio head, newspaper magnate, national success, menace to youth, jailbird, fact, fiction, the king of Hong Kong comics — got inside of me. I doubt he’s around anymore. Oh, he’s alive. And working. Thriving, even. But that’s not quite what I mean. II. When I think of Jademan Wong, I realize I’m contemplating…  Read More…

Graeme will never sleep: Finishing off 11/21.

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Posted by: Graeme McMillan on November 28, 2007

Categories: Reviews

Another day, another later-than-intended entry. This is what happens when work is insanely busy and family members are sick, making everything slightly more distracted than you’d really want… THE FLASH #234: Mark Waid’s transformation of this book into family-friendly adventure continues, but there’s something off, somehow; the pacing seems strange, and while individual scenes play out well, it fails to gel into a satisfying whole for some reason. Much more successful are the back-up strips of derring-do from former Flashes on an alien planet, which manage to squeeze as much fun as possible out of their short length. After such a strong start only a couple of months ago, it’s sad to see this being “only” Okay; I hope it’ll…  Read More…

The post I don’t want to make!

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Reviews

While I won’t go so far as to claim that I’m the biggest Matt Wagner fan of all time (that would probably go to someone who has inked their body, is my guess), I strongly suspect I am in the top 2% — I’ve got something like 20 Wagner originals hanging in the store, our bathroom door is a Grendel Mask, writ large… hell, the store’s “Back in 5 minutes” sign is a Matt Wagner original. So I’m quite sad to say that I was horribly disappointed with GRENDEL: BEHOLD THE DEVIL #1. The worst of it, really, is it isn’t really the work itself — Matt remains, as always, a consummate storyteller, creative visionary, and experimenter with the form…  Read More…

Not a review: Douglas checks out a notebook that’s drifted over from Earth-1

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Posted by: Douglas Wolk on November 27, 2007

Categories: Uncategorized

I carry a little Moleskine notebook with me everywhere. The obi they come with advertises that they’re the notebook used by Bruce Chatwin, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso, although that isn’t strictly true. To that list, we can now add Renée Montoya. Despite Countdown, I do like it when artifacts that ought to belong to one world end up in another. Yesterday, Greg Rucka dropped off a document that had come into his possession while he was working on the Crime Bible miniseries (of which the second issue comes out Thursday): Montoya’s Moleskine, a bulging notebook that reminded me a bit of several Dennis Wheatley and J.G. Links volumes. The pocket-sized notebook, besides copious handwritten notes on Montoya’s investigation of…  Read More…

The X-Mas Experiment: Tell Jeff What to Write in December…

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Site News

Howdy. I’ve been thinking: my December is looking pretty open at the moment, and I thought it might be fun to sort of dig my heels in and post a little more frequently to the site, since I’ve been posting so infrequently here for the last few months. But I’m really torn on what to write, and thought you could help. Even before some commentators mentioned it in threads, I’d been thinking the site hasn’t had as much old-school “here’s reviews of the 20 to 30 books I read this week” entries as we once had. I thought it might be fun to do that for December, despite my reservations that: (a) I don’t work at CE any more, which…  Read More…

Back to the Network Dream: Douglas reviews the same 11/21 issue of B&B that Graeme and Brian just reviewed

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Posted by: Douglas Wolk on

Categories: Reviews

Graeme, if it’s any consolation, I started writing about The Brave and the Bold #8 two days ago, and am only getting around to finishing this now. But that’s partly because of a Very Cool Thing that will be showing up tomorrow. One thing I always enjoy about this series is how densely packed it is, and this issue in particular is incredibly tightly structured. In 22 pages, we get an old-school Silver Age splash page (an action shot that lays out the basic concerns of the story and happens somewhere in the middle of the plot–and, in fact, it’s one of the sturdiest Silver Age concepts, the heroes fighting because of a misunderstanding before they team up!), a two-page…  Read More…

Remember comics?: Graeme starts out this week rather later than intended.

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Posted by: Graeme McMillan on

Categories: Reviews

To give you an idea of how today has gone, I wrote this at 6am this morning, and am only now getting around to posting it, 16 hours later. If this continues, expect the second half of this week’s releases sometime around Christmas. ACTION COMICS #859: I have to admit, I don’t know quite how Geoff Johns got his groove back, but I’m really enjoying this current run of Action Comics. Managing, somehow, to make all the Legion nostalgia work even if you have no idea who the team are – with the overextended flashback last issue paying off here, giving extra weight to the opening and capture of the original three members of the team now that everyone knows…  Read More…

A few minutes to kill waiting for the commercials to burn

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

Been busy busy busy lately – order form week, and general retailing-shenanigans (its that time of the year, yeah), but I need to kill a few minutes while I wait for the DVR to record enough of HEROES so that I can watch it without commercials, so let me jump in here and write what I was planning on doing tomorrow (since there aren’t new comics to process then… this MAY mean you get two sets of reviews from me this week, whoa) THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #8: There’s something about both the fantastic world of superhero comics, and a shared universe that can make a grown man’s heart go a-flutter. Now, yes, as we’ve discussed around here a…  Read More…

Arriving 11/29/2007

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Posted by: admin on November 26, 2007

Categories: Shipping Lists

REMEMBER: Because of Thanksgiving, comics arrive (in America) on THURSDAY this week. Don’t go into your Local Comic Shop on Wednesday this week expecting new comics — your store’s staff will be laughing at you behind your back!! 2000 AD #1561 2000 AD #1562 52 AFTERMATH THE FOUR HORSEMEN #4 (OF 6) A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #70 (A) ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #8 AMERICAN VIRGIN #21 ARCHIBALD SAVES CHRISTMAS #1 ARCHIE #580 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #184 ARMY OF DARKNESS FROM ASHES #4 AUTHORITY PRIME #2 (OF 6) BAD PLANET #4 (OF 6) BATMAN #671 (GHUL) BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #2 BJ BETTY #2 (A) BLACK PANTHER #32 BLOWJOB #22 (A) BLUE BEETLE #21 BOMB QUEEN…  Read More…

Johanna Previews Northlanders, Afterburn

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

People send me PDFs for review. Here’s my thoughts on a couple. Bear in mind that I use a laptop, so my screen space is minimal, and by the time I blow up the pages to be able to read the dialogue, I’m looking at individual panels, not full pages. It’s not the most ideal format, but it’s effectively free for both of us. Northlanders #1, DC/Vertigo If I say “Brian Wood’s Viking comic”, you’ve likely already made your decision on whether it sounds like something you’d like. But there’s more to it than you might suspect. The preview copy I saw was uncolored, which put me at a disadvantage. Artist Davide Gianfelice has a very European look to his…  Read More…

These points of data make a wonderful line: Diana is Still Alive, 11/21

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Posted by: admin on November 23, 2007

Categories: Reviews

I don’t even play Portal and I’m addicted to that damn song… Anyway, during the Savage Critics’ short-lived re-enactment of Marvel’s Civil War (whose side were YOU on?), Peter Adriaenssens made what I thought was a rather insightful comment: “I find it interesting that the reviews are considered ‘joyless’ and ‘dreary’, as that seems to be one of the prevailing opinions on superhero comics in general these days.” Now, personally, I think Peter’s made the Call of Duty 4 equivalent of a head-shot here: enthusiasm, that genuine joy one gets out of reading comics, is hard for me to come by these days. I get terribly jealous of someone like Chris Sims, who seems to pull it off so effortlessly…  Read More…

My Life is Choked with Comics #13 – Black Jack

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on

Categories: Reviews

I may be some some east coast blue blood cracking my knuckles over doorbuster savings as I type, but out west at Savage Critic(s) headquarters it’s still Thanksgiving, a beautiful all-American time for eating things and planning shopping trips for the next day. Personally, I’m thankful for overconsumption every day of my life, so I’m never 100% sure as to why it needs its own holiday, but at least I’m sitting at my parents’ house instead of my desk, and tapping out another installment of this lil’ column. It takes a special column for this special day, so in the interests of keeping things ‘in the spirit,’ allow me to provide a short list of things I’m thankful for. Take…  Read More…

And the Number One Reason I’ll Never Be A Paparazzi…

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on November 21, 2007

Categories: Retailing/Industry

I was at Kevin O’Neill’s signing at CE Sunday night…with my camera…and asked the gracious and stylish Mr. O’Neill if I could take some photos…to which he graciously and stylishly agreed….and I barely took any photos at all. Because I am absurdly meek, and a FUGGIN’ IDJIT. Nonetheless: Here’s a shot of the man himself. (Obviously, I shoulda run it through some light adjustments on Picasa before uploading it.) We were shop number seven in four days on his tour, and the guy would do a sketch in anyone’s Black Dossier if they wanted. Really cool. I knew he wouldn’t be anything like his drawings, more than likely, but I was still somehow unconsciously surprised he wasn’t one of his…  Read More…

Arriving 11/21/2007

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Posted by: admin on November 20, 2007

Categories: Shipping Lists

Comics arrive normally this week, but Thursday is Thanksgiving. NEXT week comics aren’t until Thursday, however 2000 AD #1559 2000 AD #1560 ACTION COMICS #859 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #1 ARMY @ LOVE #9 AVENGERS CLASSIC #6 BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #11 BIRDS OF PREY #112 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #131 BOYS #12 BRAVE AND THE BOLD #8 CAPTAIN AMERICA #32 CAPTAIN AMERICA CHOSEN #4 (OF 6) CASTLE WAITING VOL II #9 CATWOMAN #73 CAVEWOMAN PANGAEAN SEA #10 CHECKMATE #20 CONAN #46 COUNTDOWN SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT #1 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 23 COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY #3 (OF 8) DARK SECTOR #0 (RES) DETECTIVE COMICS #838 (GHUL) DRAFTED #3 EX MACHINA #32 FALL OF CTHULHU CVR A #8 FLASH…  Read More…

Speed Reading: Graeme finishes off 11/14′s books.

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Posted by: Graeme McMillan on

Categories: Reviews

It had to happen, of course; the busiest week for new releases in a long time coincides with my busiest week workwise, meaning that I have a whole stack of books beside me that I haven’t even mentioned yet. Let’s try and remedy that right now, shall we? ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #9: Feeling more like a series of scenes illustrating ideas than a coherent story, something about this issue doesn’t come together properly. Still Very Good, but more for the strength of its individual pieces – the humor of seeing Kryptonians talk like Glaswegians (“A soft wee scientist’s son,” Grant? Really?), or the colors of the weirdly unfinished cover, for example – than the whole. BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #1: Pretty…  Read More…

They rise above this, they cry about this: Diana is let down by 11/19

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

Better late than never? When it comes to WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #12, I would’ve preferred NEVER. Gail Simone seems seriously off her game lately. Between this AWFUL series finale, WONDER WOMAN, ALL-NEW ATOM and GEN13, a trend has started to emerge where Simone throws a bunch of random events and character beats together in the hopes that they’ll gel, and they rarely do. Her comics, of late, read like Grant Morrison-lite in that Morrison tends to use the same shtick, tossing out all these weird ideas that don’t seem to go anywhere… but with Morrison, the payoff is (usually) worth the confusion. I don’t feel that way about WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY. To be fair, there’s nothing wrong with the high…  Read More…

Marvels Advance — Johanna Drops She-Hulk, Tries Iron Man Annual

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

She-Hulk #23 — I gave it another shot, but I see nothing here to stick around for. The cliffhanger is resolved though a typical Marvel “all rules out the window” substitution, and one that makes me fear upcoming event crossover (spoiler: the broken-necked Jen is a Skrull). When Peter David’s wisecracks suit the characters and fit the situations, they’re gorgeous. Here, they’re more like generic, seen before or bolted on regardless of character voice. She-Hulk doesn’t solve her own problems (like the miniature Titania in her ear canal); instead, she hits things until everything’s resolved. Bravo for a strong female hero, but it would be nice if she a) showed some brains as well and b) didn’t disavow being a…  Read More…

Extraordinary Gentlemen!

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Posted by: admin on November 19, 2007

Categories: Retailing/Industry

I just want to say that Kevin O’Neill is a Prince Among Men — we had an absolutely wonderful signing with him last night, and he was extremely gracious with his time, given virtually every person who showed significant “face time”, answering their questions, and doing quick sketches for each and every person. What a class act! If you’re down in the San Jose area, Kev appears at Hijinx Comics today (Monday) from 5-8, then he goes to Las Vegas and Alternative Reality Comics [edit: and Comic Oasis, sorry, Derek!] on Tuesday to wrap up the tour. I suspect Jeff will be along before TOO long with pics of last night’s signing. We’ve got an EXTREMELY limited number of copies…  Read More…

The Alchemical Marriage: Jeff Looks at the LOEG Black Dossier.

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Reviews

In a just world, the best way to review of Moore & O’Neil’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier would be type up a pastiche in which history’s most famous and infamous literary critics team up: Dorothy Parker, Kingsley Amis, Harold Bloom, Alexander Woollcott, Edmund Wilson, Michiko Kakutani, H.L. Mencken, and Gary Groth all trot on panel to fight The League’s attempt to collapse fictional and non-fictional reality (thus rendering critical thought–the border between fictional and non-fictional reality–impossible). Of course, to be a true pastiche, the reader would have to endure–after a gripping opening–the repeated erotic couplings of Wilson and Kakutani, with only the occasional bit of thuggishness from Mencken or Groth to spruce things up (until each kills the…  Read More…