Second Round: Jeff Tackles the 12/12 Books (Part 1 of 3, maybe?)

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on December 14, 2007

Categories: Reviews

Last week, after reviewing 35 books, I swore I wasn’t going to do that to myself again. So yesterday, I pulled the books off the rack, did a count before handing them to Hibbs, and realized I had 30. I started flipping through them, having already weeded out stuff of which there were two copies or less on the racks, trying to figure out where I could cut. And after about ten minutes of heavy-duty consideration I got it down to…27. During my final weeks at CE, I was reviewing roughly 18, so maybe I won’t hit that number. We’ll see. Again, thanks to everyone who was kind enough to pitch in with the comments and compliments. They were tremendously…  Read More…

The Demon Hero as a Wounded Animal Surrounded by Fire: Jog on 12/12

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on

Categories: Reviews

B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground #5 (of 5): Or, “NUMBER 38 IN A SERIES” as the inside front cover says. All of the Hellboy family books bear this sort of double branding, since their tight continuities often have them behaving like ongoing series just as much as the individual miniseries they’re titled as. Of course, that’s also how storylines in most actual ongoing series work these days, but I think the approach of the Hellboy books has the added benefit of obvious break points that not only allow for the creative teams to pause, but seem to invite the occasional gap of several months, all without upsetting reader expectations. This particular storyline, however, has been maybe the first of B.P.R.D. to tip…  Read More…

Johanna Snickers at Black Canary/Decrepit Stud

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

I only read this book because I am a total fangirl for artist Cliff Chiang. The storyline, by Judd Winick, is Ass. I think everyone’s figured out by now that Green Arrow isn’t really dead, and Black Canary is remarkably clear-headed for someone who just a few months ago thought she’d killed her new husband and long-time love on their wedding night. But that’s the problem with comparing superhero comics to real life. What would be institutionalizable fixations in our world — no, he’s not really dead, an alien or clone is impersonating him — make perfect sense in DC world, so it’s kind of hard to relate. Anyway, BC is undergoing a trial by combat to prove she’s worthy…  Read More…

The title lied: World’s Finest from 25 years ago.

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Posted by: Graeme McMillan on December 13, 2007

Categories: Reviews

God bless Ian Brill. After looking after our house and cat (not necessarily in that order) while Kate and I were away in the UK on an unexpected and not entirely enjoyable trip, he left me with a welcome home present: WORLD’S FINEST #283 and 284 from the halcyon days of 1982, knowing that the only thing more helpful in killing any rose-tinted nostalgia for my childhood than a trip home to see family would be comics from when I was eight years old. Don’t get me wrong; I actually enjoyed these two books, but not really thanks to writer Cary Burkett or artist George Tuska. I mean, sure, good for them for bringing back the Composite Superman (the villain…  Read More…

Arriving 12/12/2007

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Posted by: admin on December 11, 2007

Categories: Shipping Lists

Is it just me, or does this seem kinda light-ish for 2-weeks-before-Christmas? 2000 AD #1563 2000 AD #1564 A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #71 (A) AFTER THE CAPE II #2 (OF 3) AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #15 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #1 2ND PTG (PP #790) ANGELUS PILOT SEASON #1 ANT UNLEASHED #1 ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #4 BAT LASH #1 (OF 6) BATMAN STRIKES #40 BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ORIGINS #1 BLACK ADAM THE DARK AGE #5 (OF 6) BOOSTER GOLD #5 BORDERLAND ONE SHOT BOYS #13 BPRD KILLING GROUND #5 (OF 5) CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARK #3 (OF 3) CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #20 CORY DOCTOROWS FUTURISTIC TALES HERE AND NOW #3 (OF 6) COUNTDOWN ARENA #2 (OF 4) COUNTDOWN SEARCH FOR…  Read More…

All that we see or seem: Douglas reads two not-a-comics from 12/5

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

I’ve generally been enjoying Following Cerebus a lot, and I say this as somebody who was a hardcore Cerebite all the way up to the end of the series but drew the line at “Collected Letters 2.” (I scan Sim’s blog every once in a while to see if he’s talking about comics, and scroll dejectedly past the rest.) Some issues have been fantastic, especially #5, which was mostly about the role of editors in comics; others have been dodgier, but I’m very glad that a magazine exists that will print 100 pages of Dave Sim interviewing Neal Adams, you know? Following Cerebus #11 is very, very late–I think it’s been about a year since the last one–which is pretty…  Read More…

Glutton for Punishment Part II: Jeff Wraps Up His Look At the 12/06 Books.

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on December 9, 2007

Categories: Reviews

Oy, I’m such a dink. Not only did I screw up the arrival dates of the books (it’s 12/05, not 12/06) but I totally forgot to open my previous post with sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to vote on what I should do for the site this month. I really appreciated janesmith3′s vote since it looked like an ASCII cylon raider, but, honestly, I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to give me feedback, both there and just below. Anyhoo, Part 2: NIGHTMARES & FAIRY TALES #21: One of the things I regret about splitting when I did is never writing about the high weirdness that was volume 1 of “Make 5 Wishes,” the deeply odd…  Read More…

Diana Goes Digital #0: Secret Origins

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Posted by: admin on December 8, 2007

Categories: Reviews

With Jog doing his bit for manga, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to add even more diversity to our humble site by introducing a new regular feature: webcomic reviews! I’ll be focusing on free series, starting with webcomics that have run their course and concluded – like graphic novels, they represent a complete, self-contained reading experience. After that we’ll move on to ongoing series, alternating between some old favorites of mine and webcomics I’ve recently discovered. But before we get to the good stuff, I thought I’d start this prestigious #0 issue (now with exclusive Brian Hibbs triple-fold hologram variant cover – scratch it and it procreates!) with a discussion about webcomics as a whole: why they…  Read More…

Glutton For Punishment: Jeff Takes on the 12/06 Books (Part 1, Maybe).

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Reviews

This is both caveat and invitation. Six months ago, I stopped working behind the counter at CE and reading the week’s releases as they came out. It feels like it’s been fifty kajillion years, to be honest. I’ve only read one issue of Countdown, missed two wars (World War Hulk and the Sinestro Corps War), and let entire storylines I was kinda interested in finish up without me bothering (Action Comics, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Fantastic Four). I’ve continued to buy some monthly releases (everything by Brubaker, pretty much, Morrison’s Batman, Blue Beetle) on which I am, with a few exceptions, completely behind. Since June, it’s pretty much been Kirby Omnibuses (Omnibi?), some indy books, and a ton of manga….  Read More…

"Do you enjoy flirting with pain, my little hedgehog?": Jog could have bought this off of any magazine rack around, 12/5 or not

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on December 7, 2007

Categories: Reviews

And that’s not even the best line to be found in the publication under review today, dear old Heavy Metal, which released a new issue to comics stores this week. No, the gold cup can only go to this fearsome remark, dropped by a street tough in the middle of a mugging: “Be calm and in a few minutes you will have the possibility to stay on your own and do your oscene acts!” Maybe I’ve just been oscenely spoiled by the proliferation of manga, but I do kind of expect a higher quality of translation these days, particularly from what’s still a highly visible, accessible forum for European comics in English. Maybe the most visible. I’m not saying that…  Read More…

The Beach of the Future: Douglas examines DC’s publishing schedule for next summer

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Retailing/Industry

DC’s graphic novel catalogue for Summer 2008 lists almost 150 books coming out between May and August. That’s a lot for any publisher. Notably, there seem to be quite a few hardcovers collecting recent storylines; they include Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul, Booster Gold: 52 Pick-Up, Superman: Escape from Bizarro World, All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder vol. 1, The Crime Bible: The Five Lessons of Blood, Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War vol. 2, Green Lantern: Tales of the Sinestro Corps, Justice League of America: The Injustice League, Superman: Last Son, The Flash: The Wild Wests, Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Astro City: The Dark Ages vol. 1, World of Warcraft Vol. 1, The…  Read More…

Oh, Jeph!

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Reviews

Jeph Loeb is an odd writer — he knows his fanboy moments, he’s good at spinning out big wacky ideas, and he writes a lot of commercially successful books. Yet (regardless of positions on WIZARD’s “hot list”) he’s barely the kind of writer that people specifically seek out — it’s far more fair to say that he manages to work with some of the best ARTISTS in the business, and so he has “heat by association” — and, as a general rule, I find that (unlike, say, another “Big Idea” generator like a Grant Morrison) he seldom knows how to end his stories or to find something PAST that “big idea”. (Your mileage, as they say, may vary) On the…  Read More…

arrived 12/4

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Posted by: admin on December 5, 2007

Categories: Shipping Lists

Oooh, I knew I forgot something this week….. 30 DAYS OF NIGHT BEYOND BARROW #2 ABYSS #2 (OF 4) ALL NEW ATOM #18 ANNIHILATION CONQUEST #2 (OF 6) ATOMIC ROBO #3 (OF 6) AVENGERS INITIATIVE ANNUAL #1 SII BETTY #170 BLACK SUMMER #4 (OF 7) BRAWL #2 (OF 3) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #9 COUNTDOWN ARENA #1 (OF 4) COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 21 CRAZY MARY TRINITY ONE SHOT DANGERS DOZEN #1 DISTANT #2 (OF 4) DOMINION #3 (OF 5) (RES) DYNAMO 5 #9 EXTERMINATORS #24 FEARLESS #2 (OF 4) FREE SEXXX #4 (A) HOUSE OF M AVENGERS #2 (OF 5) HOWARD THE DUCK #3 (OF 4) INFINITE HORIZON #1 (OF 6) INFINITY INC #4 INVINCIBLE #47 JONAH HEX #26…  Read More…

Scars on 45: Douglas tries the quick-hits thing with a bunch of 11/29 releases

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Posted by: Douglas Wolk on December 3, 2007

Categories: Reviews

I haven’t really done mini-reviews here before, but this is the Season of Experimentation, right? Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #2: Obviously I’d be biased toward this comic, but it really is Very Good: a crisp, done-in-one espionage/romance/psychological thriller-type story about Renee Montoya/the Question infiltrating a crime-cult-operated brothel for wealthy Beltway types in Chevy Chase, MD. Very densely plotted, too–it takes place over the course of two months, and a whole lot happens, most of it nudging forward the overall themes of the series. It’s also worth noting that the tone of this issue would’ve been very different with a male protagonist and everything else the same. (And that Montoya’s background gives her a stronger connection between sex and…  Read More…

Abhay Reminds You That Feline AIDS is the #1 Killer of Domestic Cats

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on

Categories: Reviews

Chewing over a theme that keeps popping up for me: I played a videogame recently entitled Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. It’s famous in game circles for its postmodern themes; essentially it’s designed to assault, insult, and berate the gamer for even wanting to play a sequel to Metal Gear Solid. This is amply reflected by the level design: after the gamer completes each level, the narrative states that the completed level was inconsequential, and the gamer’s efforts were frivolous. At one point, the game explicitly tells the gamer to shut off his Playstation. Finally, at the end, the gamer’s decision to finish the game is described as a sign of his obedience to power, and his lack…  Read More…

"WHO WANTS IT FIRST?!": Jog on the disreputable tales of 11/29

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on December 2, 2007

Categories: Reviews

I love a good theme post like I love a good meal. Which reminds me that I’m going to have to trudge through tomorrow’s ice storm to get food. Speak of the Devil #3 (of 6): Back in July when I reviewed the first issue of this, Gilbert Hernandez’s sex-horror trash film in comics form, I qualified my then-lukewarm reaction by noting “I expect better as it collects itself.” Reviews of works in progress operate as analysis in progress. My qualms with the debut stemmed from Hernandez’s use of a spread-out ‘cinematic’ style to start up a larky story, making it seem especially vaporous. Well, it’s now halfway through and Hernandez has provided some condensation; the initial masked night romps…  Read More…

People always come home: Graeme Dares from 11/29

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Posted by: Graeme McMillan on

Categories: Reviews

I’m not sure whether it’s a sign of my age, or the quality of the comics he’s appeared in, that I can remember at least three different attempts to reboot Dan Dare that I’ve read (Plus an additional TV series that I missed, thankfully) before this week’s DAN DARE #1. Of all of those – including Garth Ennis’s latest one – I still think that Grant Morrison and Rian Hughes’ Dare: The Future is the best one, mainly because it works as something other than nostalgia for a character and era long past. Or, perhaps, because it works as commentary on nostalgia for a character and era long past (as well as Thatcher’s Britain, which is in itself a character…  Read More…

A Pilgrim’s Progress: Jeff Gets It Together and Finally Reviews Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4.

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Reviews

A lot of things impressed me about Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, but what really caught my attention is how different it is from the previous volume, Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness: whereas vol. 3 is jammed with action (it’s only 13 pages into vol. 3 before someone gets punched with a bionic arm) and veined with character interplay, vol. 4 grounds the humor and emotional relationships in the foreground and keeps the action sequences very short until the end: it’s as assured in its pacing as volume three was messily ambitious, and there’s nothing unresolved here that isn’t clearly laying groundwork for a later volume. By the time I made it through the final thirty-plus…  Read More…

The Old and the Late: Jog is standing here with the comics of yesterday, 11/29

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on December 1, 2007

Categories: Reviews

The concerns of several nations are churning in the funnies tonight, oh yes. Lock and load for relevance, gang. Wait, does that mean we shoot it? Let me think this through… Dan Dare #1 (of 7): The start of what may be a handsome Virgin Comics outing for the venerable British space hero, and a most refined example of today’s large-scale corporate ‘name’ hero adventure, with a stately pace that still conveys its straightforward plot effectively, an appreciation for spectacle that doesn’t cross the line into filmic thrall, and a somewhat nuanced take on what icons of older values can mean when set down in a current world perhaps looking after different ideals. Nothing quite daring, but it knows what…  Read More…