I’m Getting Too Old For This Ship: Capsule Reviews Of A Few 6/24 Books From Jeff

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on June 30, 2009

Categories: Reviews

Capsule reviews! I still remember how to do ‘em! Uh, kinda? They’re sorta…long? Ish? And there’s not…a lot of them? Nonetheless. After the jump: BARACK THE BARBARIAN #1, BATMAN #687, FANTASTIC FOUR GIANT-SIZE ADVENTURES #1, and GREEN LANTERN #42. BARACK THE BARBARIAN #1: Although the concept amused me, I doubt I would’ve picked it up if I hadn’t noticed Larry Hama writing it. Looking back on the legacy of G.I. Joe, there’s a case to be made that there’s no concept so silly Hama won’t try to finesse IT into something enjoyable. And that’s essentially the case here, where Barack the Barbarian comes to a corrupt city and runs afowl of dark wizard Chainee The Grim, his assistant Red Sarah,…  Read More…

With Six, You Get Eggroll — Hibbs on the Bat books

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Reviews

Well, we’ve all already discussed BATMAN & ROBIN #1, but what about the REST of the Bat-books, mm? BATMAN #687: Taking place *before* BATMAN & ROBIN #1, this does a pretty decent job in setting up Dick for the role, and getting him through the baggage. I wasn’t too excited by the art, but then, all we have to do is wait a month and Mark Bagley comes on. Which is a weird shift from Ed Benes, really. Still, as a “#0″, this does its job perfectly adequately, and Winick’s usual scripting ticks are fairly well hidden. I guess I can give this a low “GOOD”, but I think I’d be happier if I actually believed this would last more…  Read More…

Fifteen, Four, and Twenty: Jeff on Being A Guest Star, and on 20th Century Boys, Vol. 3

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on June 29, 2009

Categories: Reviews

First off, if you enjoy the roguish way in which I stammer and hum on my way to making a point, you’ll probably enjoy my first guest appearance over at the Fourcast!, Fourth Letter’s podcast, wherein I chat with the charming and sensible David Brothers and Esther Inglis-Arkell about Mark Waid’s run on The Fantastic Four, the differences between DC and Marvel, and (very, very briefly) about how Jack Kirby might’ve handled The Transformers. I really enjoy listening to the Fourcast!, especially the way David and Esther represent their Marvel and DC fan positions. It’s kinda like sitting down to watch a cartoon dog and a cartoon cat battle it out, and seeing them approach things with humor, intelligence, and…  Read More…

Arriving 7/1/2009

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Shipping Lists

Here is what is arriving this week to Comix Experience. Pretty solid week, without being overwhelming… A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #106 (A) AGENTS OF ATLAS #7 DKRANGEL #23ASTONISHING TALES #6ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #17ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE BOOK THREE #3 (OF 4)ATOMIKA #9 (OF 12) (RES)AUTHORITY #12BAD KIDS GO TO HELL #1 (OF 4)BANG TANGO #6 (OF 6) BATMAN AND ROBIN #2BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #31BATTLESTAR GALACTICA FINAL FIVE #4 (OF 4)BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #172BOYS #32 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #26 CABLE #16CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #1 (OF 5)CHEW #2 CROSSED #6 (OF 9) DAREDEVIL NOIR #4 (OF 4)DEAD RUN #2DEADPOOL MERC WITH A MOUTH #1DESTROYER #4 (OF 5) DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS SERIES 2 #8EXILES #4EXISTENCE 2.0 #1 (OF 3)FANTASTIC FOUR…  Read More…

An intimate sitcheeation: Douglas v. June 24 and such

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

DETECTIVE COMICS #854: As I was at the comics store this past Wednesday, a gentleman going through his very full pull-box announced that he wanted them to stop reserving Detective and Batman for him, because he “didn’t think it was right that Renee Montoya was the Question now,” and was going to “boycott the Batman titles until they bring back Vic Sage as the real Question.” Dude was twice my size, and I try to avoid adding to the general poor behavior that comic book store clerks have to deal with. But I wanted to ask him: just what do you read superhero comics for? Do you actually not like enjoying them? Seriously, this is the best-looking superhero comic book…  Read More…

Tucker Found These Capsules On Top Of A Bowflex Machine

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Posted by: Tucker Stone on June 26, 2009

Categories: Uncategorized

In an ever-desperate attempt towards anti-relevance, I gave a kid some money, told the kid to grab comics out of the “read these eventually” pile, ordered them chronologically, and will now proceed as if they came out this week. Even though they didn’t. Zap # 4, Published by Last Gasp, 1969 “… the cartoon is ugly, cheap and degrading. Its purpose is to stimulate erotic responses, and does not, as claimed, deal with basic realities of life. It is grossly shocking, demeaning the sexual experience by perverting it…it is part of the underworld press–the growing world of deceit and sex, and it is not reality or honesty, as they often claim it to be. It represents an emotional incapacity to…  Read More…

Jeff on the Late Freight: Some Thoughts on The Return of Fin Fang Four and Muppet Show #3

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on June 24, 2009

Categories: Reviews

Hey, you don’t mind me writing about two Roger Langridge comics, one of which came out months ago, do you? (If you do, don’t click the link!) FIN FANG 4 RETURN: I dug the original one-shot (from 2005? Fuck a duck!) but wasn’t really sure if the characters were strong enough to merit a follow-up, frankly: not only are we lucky enough to see much more Langridge in the marketplace now than in 2005, but we’re also seeing him on a licensed property to which he’s almost perfectly matched. As much as I love the way Gray and Langridge handle Marvel continuity (it reads like it’s written by someone who read everything Marvel published up until 1968, and then kept…  Read More…

Lonely

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on June 23, 2009

Categories: Reviews

I don’t think I’ve mentioned here that Ben and Tzipora are off in Israel to visit Tzipora’s parents — they’ve been gone for 11 days now (yes, during my birthday and Father’s Day), and I still have 17 days alone to go. I’ve been starting to get depressed over the last few days — I’ve done all the cleaning chores, and blown through the laughs to be had in doing what I want when I want, and now I’m just feeling lonely and desperately wanting to hold my wife and child in my arms. We’re talking every day, via Skype, which certainly helps in seeing their faces and all (I’m able to keep reading to Ben nearly every day —…  Read More…

Wait, What ep. 1.3 Now Available…

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on June 22, 2009

Categories: Podcasts

Don’t think we resolved the stereophonic boondoggle, but the third part of our initial podcast is now available for your auditory delectation. I’d like to have a follow-up review of LOEG: Century #1 to embellish some of the points made herein, but considering I’ve spent almost two full hours trying to catch up on overdue emails, it may come later rather than sooner. Regardless, thanks for listening and let us know what you think!

Arriving 6/24/2009

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Shipping Lists

Biggest week of comics in quite some time — I hope you’ve been saving your pennies… 2000 AD #1637 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #598 DKRARCHIE #598ARCHIE DIGEST #255ASTONISHING X-MEN #30AVENGERS INITIATIVE #25 DKRAVENGERS INVADERS #12 (OF 12)BARACK THE BARBARIAN #1 A CVR OBAMABART SIMPSON COMICS #48BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #6CARS ROOKIE #3 (OF 4) CEREBUS ARCHIVE #2CHURCH OF HELL #2 CLEANERS #4 (OF 4)DAREDEVIL #119DARK AVENGERS #6 DKRDARK AVENGERS UNCANNY X-MEN UTOPIA #1 DAXDARK REIGN ELEKTRA #4 (OF 5) DKRDARK REIGN HOOD #2 (OF 5) DKRDARK REIGN LETHAL LEGION #1 (OF 3) DKRDARK REIGN SINISTER SPIDER-MAN #1 (OF 4) DKRDARK REIGN ZODIAC #1 (OF 3) DKRDARK WOLVERINE #75 DKRDETECTIVE COMICS #854DYNAMO 5 #22END LEAGUE #8FANTASTIC FOUR GIANT-SIZE ADVENTURES #1FARSCAPE DARGOS…  Read More…

Where’s Wait, What Ep. 1.3? Well….

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Podcasts

It’s been a busy weekend. Plus, we’re trying to work on the audio quality a bit. Plus, we did just enough trash-talking of Alan Moore, we’re trying to figure out if we can post this without bursting into flames. (Plus, Robert made us cry.) But we’re planning on having this posted–today, in fact–and I’ll update accordingly when we do. Thanks for your patience!

Wait, What ep. 1.2: JLes and GMc Talk GMo….

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on June 20, 2009

Categories: Podcasts

Thanks for those of you who took the time to comment on our first installment. Although this installment will have a little more of that angel/devil-on-the-shoulder stereo mix, we have dutiful drones hard at work to clear that up for our third installment, which we’ll be posting Monday. But, today: Graeme and I talk about the recent works of a certain Grant Morrison as well as how other critics affect our reading. (In fact, Graeme’s analysis helps tiny-brained me think about some of the work at hand as we speak! You can all but hear the rice-krispyish popping of my befuddled synapses…) Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for listening!

Tilting v3 #14 is up!

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on June 19, 2009

Categories: Retailing/Industry

The newest TILTING AT WINDMILLS is up at Comic Book Resources. Go. Read. -B

Listen to Graeme & Jeff Babble: Wait, What? Edition 1.1 now available…

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Podcasts

Okay, so I’m not particularly on top of the new-fangled technology, otherwise this would’ve gotten to you sooner and better, but Graeme and I spent a few hours last week talking about comics and put it into convenient podcast form for you. We hope you give it a listen and let us know what you think… Some notes: (1) the opening music is Track 18 from Nine Inch Nails’ excellent ambient album Ghosts I-IV, because Trent Reznor, bless him, actually has a creative commons license for the work that allows us to use it. (2) I think I sound like a bozo for the first two minutes or so. Just hold out until you hear Graeme get going–it’s more than…  Read More…

Listen to Hibbs Babble!

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on June 18, 2009

Categories: Podcasts , Retailing/Industry

On Monday I did another podcast interview with the Comic Geek Speak guys. You can hear it right here. -B

Abhay: GUS AND HIS GANG by Chris Blain

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on June 16, 2009

Categories: Reviews

On account of the whole “busy” thing, I’ve missed out on most of the Big Books of the Year so far. And on account of the whole “$4! For what???” thing, I’ve missed out on most of the mainstream, too. Halfway into the year, I think my favorite book so far is probably GUS AND HIS GANG by Chris Blain, published by First Second. Hell, not even a 2009 book, released in 2008, already definitively and thoroughly reviewed by my betters, placing the following somewhere between drastically unnecessary and deeply embarrassing, really. Now up for an Eisner Award in the category of Best Book No One Cares Won an Eisner. The nomination is well deserved for the art alone; perfectly…  Read More…

On REBORN (update 2)

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on June 15, 2009

Categories: Retailing/Industry

Happy birthday to me! (No, really, it is my birthday — and yet I’m working. What’s up with that?) Just for a quick follow up: The New York Daily News has now run the story that REBORN #1 is, in fact, the return of Steve Rogers. (It also doesn’t say anything about CAPTAIN AMERICA #600, out this week, ah well) … … … That’s me waiting for the phone to ring. Yeah, not going to happen — resurrections just don’t pack the same punch that deaths do. At the end of the day, Marvel decided to fuck with retailers in the hope that news would break big. That doesn’t seem to have happened. The shame of it is that if…  Read More…

Arriving 6/17/2009

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Shipping Lists

Here’s what is coming this week…. ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #12ACTRESS AND THE BISHOP #1 AIR #10 ALL NEW SAVAGE SHE-HULK #3 (OF 4) DKRANGEL #22BARACK OBAMA THE ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE #1BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #1BETTY & VERONICA #242BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #195BOMB QUEEN PRESENTS ALL GIRL COMICS (ONE SHOT) BOYS HEROGASM #2 (OF 6) BRAVE AND THE BOLD #24CABLE #15 XMWCAPTAIN AMERICA #600CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #14CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #58DARK REIGN FANTASTIC FOUR #4 (OF 5) DKRDARK REIGN HAWKEYE #3 (OF 5) DKRDARK REIGN MISTER NEGATIVE #1 (OF 3) DKRDARK REIGN YOUNG AVENGERS #2 (OF 5) DKRDARK TOWER THE FALL OF GILEAD #2 (OF 6)DEAD AT 17 AFTERBIRTH #1 (OF 4)DESTROYER #3 (OF 5) ELEPHANTMEN #20…  Read More…

Arriving 6/10/2009

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on June 8, 2009

Categories: Shipping Lists

So. Very. Tired… 2000 AD #1635 2000 AD #1636 ABSOLUTION #0 (OF 6) ACTION COMICS #878AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #597 DKRANGEL BLOOD AND TRENCHES #4ANNA MERCURY 2 #1 (OF 5) ARCHIE & FRIENDS #132BATMAN #687BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #30BETA RAY BILL GODHUNTER #1 (OF 3)BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #5BOOSTER GOLD #21BPRD WAR ON FROGS #3 (OF 4)BUCK ROGERS #1CHANNEL EVIL #1 DEADPOOL #11 DKRDMZ #42 DOCTOR WHO AUTOPIA (ONE SHOT)ENDERS GAME RECRUITING VALENTINEFABLES #85 FANTASTIC FOUR #567FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH ESCAPE #2 (OF 6)FLASH REBIRTH #3 (OF 6)GEN 13 #30GREEN LANTERN CORPS #37JSA VS KOBRA ENGINES OF FAITH #1 (OF 6)LIFE AND TIMES OF SAVIOR 28 #3LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS #2 (OF 4)MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #12MISS AMERICA COMICS #1 70TH…  Read More…

Croonin’ into the beer of a drunk man: Douglas vs. 6/3

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Posted by: Douglas Wolk on June 5, 2009

Categories: Reviews

BATMAN AND ROBIN #1: I love just looking at Frank Quitely’s art for this comic. The little details are the most immediate pleasure: the evenly spaced blobby teeth in Toad’s mouth, the cutaway diagram of Wayne Tower, and most of all the utterly indignant, entitled expressions on every single iteration of Damian’s face. And the in-art sound effects are a particularly nice touch, a subtle riff on the ’60s Batman TV show that Morrison and Quitely are rehabilitating here. Going back to re-read it, I’m noticing more of Quitely’s layout tricks, especially the preponderance of extreme closeups and long-shots; almost every page is composed as a cascade of pagewide panels, with the prominent exception of a couple of sequences that…  Read More…

Hibbsian Capsules for June 4

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on June 4, 2009

Categories: Reviews

I’m not going to speak for anyone else here, but there are weeks at a time where I just really don’t have anything meaningful to say about that week’s books, and I don’t just want to post in order to post, y’know? But I thought this was a nice week o’ comics. Let’s go! AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #596 DKR: Man, Phil Jimemez was only on for one issue of this storyline? Foul! Say what you will, Spidey is more readable than it has been in a long-ass time. I’m still frustrated by the “DKR” intruding on each and every thing in the Marvel U (especially because it feels like we got at least another year of this to go), but this…  Read More…