“…Achieving Liberal Ends By Fascist Means.” COMICS! Sometimes They Fight To Make Men Free!

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Posted by: John Kane on May 9, 2013

Categories: Reviews , Uncategorized

…and it stank like it something had crawled up it and died! What? I’m on? That’s a bit ahead of schedule. Caught me on the hop a bit there, let’s see what we can do. Hold on…let me check my pockets…right! Harumph! This’ll have to do. Here goes. Welcome, International Comrades! In this exciting post I will be treating the eyes of all to the sight of many comic covers. Yes! These coruscating covers adorned the 1982-4 run of BLACKHAWK; a run written by Mark Evanier and drawn by Dan Spiegle with back ups from a heavenly host of talents. Pleasure for all viewers ensured as I have mastered the scanner! Technology is yet servant to the flesh! Yes! So,…  Read More…

“Choke! Gasp!” Not A Podcast! Not Comics! BOOKS! You Know, Like In Days of Yore!

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Posted by: John Kane on April 30, 2013

Categories: Reviews

It’s a SKIP WEEK so the dulcet toned duo of Gentle Jeff Lester and Glamorous Graeme McMillion$ are off…um…doing, er, stuff and things. Probably. But we here at The Savage Critics love and value each and every one of you (especially you, sir! (or madam!)) and thus I have provided some hacky trash about some books you, let’s face it, have no interest in. I know, you can hardly wait! Anyway, Jeff (who lives at home) and Graeme (who works from home) will be back next week. (Please, God.) Grin and bear it is my advice.  Say, anyone remember that time Howard Victor Chaykin got trapped in SWORD OF THE ATOM#3 (DC Comics, 1983) by Gil Kane & Jan Strnad? No,…  Read More…

“That Soldier–He’s A Woman?!” COMICS! Sometimes We Sing A Song For The Unsung!

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Posted by: John Kane on April 26, 2013

Categories: Reviews , Uncategorized

So, I managed to wrestle a broken down wreck of a scanner out of the garage. To give it a proper work out I scanned in a bunch of covers by the artist Luis Dominguez; who I totally rate. I chucked in a bit of context but don’t worry there aren’t many words in this one. Mostly it’s a bunch of ’70s Western covers by a neglected Argentinian artist. I say mostly covers but also the famous scene where Scalphunter arm wrestled Abe Lincoln. Top that, Spielberg! Anyway, this…

“I Did My Bit To Make It Work, With Mixed Results, Up And Down, Good And Mediocre…” PEOPLE! Sometimes Genius Is Modest To A Fault!

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Posted by: John Kane on April 22, 2013

Categories: Reviews

Sometimes I read books about the people who make comics. These two books were about one man: Alex Toth. Now, obviously Alex Toth doesn’t deserve two books. No, he deserves three at least. But only two have come out yet so here’s what happened when I read them and then tried to write about them. Anyway, this…

KILLOGY #1 — Clipping Jamooks

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on April 12, 2013

Categories: Reviews

ALAN ROBERT’S KILLOGY: GUILTY PARTIES #1 Cover C (possibly KILL-SKULL-SYMBOL-GY) by Alan Roberts and Denton J. Tipton, based on the likenesses of Frank Vincent, Brea Grant, and Marky Ramone, published by IDW Publishing in October 2012: I would just like to describe this comic to you.  That’s all. Marky Ramone is one of the three “stars” of KILLOGY #1, a recent comic published by IDW Publishing which utilizes his likeness. Ramone was the drummer for The Ramones. According to his bio in the comic, “in 2009 he launched his first worldwide clothing line with Tommy Hilfiger. In 2010, Marky shared his recipe for pasta sauce by introducing ‘Marky Ramone’s Brooklyn’s Own Pasta Sauce.”   Ramone’s co-star in KILLOGY is “American…  Read More…

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1 — Giuoco Piano

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on April 11, 2013

Categories: Reviews

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Steve McNiven, John Dell, Justin Ponsor, VC’s Cory Petit, Manny Mederos, Ellie Pyle, Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, Axel Alonso, Joe Quesada, Dan Buckley, Alan Fine, Tom Brevoort, David Bogart, Ruwan Jayatilleke, CB Cebulski, David Gabriel, Jim O’Keefe, Dan Carr, Susan Cespi, Alex Morales, Stan Lee, and Niza Disla, published in March 2013 by Marvel Comics: I was catching up with SCARLET and the latest POWERS relaunch, so while I was at it, I thought I’d check in with what Bendis was up to in the mainstream. I picked up this, and two of his X-Men comics (issue #3 of UNCANNY X-MEN and issue #3 of SOME MORE X-MEN). Going in, I…  Read More…

WHERE IS JAKE ELLIS #1-3 — Farmer Ted

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on April 10, 2013

Categories: Reviews

WHERE IS JAKE ELLIS #1-3 of 5 by Nathan Edmondson and Tonci Zonjic and Joseph Frazzeta, published by Image Comics commencing in November 2012: WHERE IS JAKE RYAN  is a handsomely mounted espionage-agents-on-the-run thriller, in the vein of a Robert Ludlum or Donald Hamilton pulp:  that “vulnerable (physically & emotionally) secret agents racing through a global backdrop meant to seem realistically drawn” Jason Bourne jazz. (There’s some psychic power tomfoolery too, but it is presented in a conservative way that keeps it visually consistent with the thiller elements). Zonjic and Frazzeta are working in a “cinematic” mode but it still suffices as a comic— they don’t use the language of comics on every page but they at least know how…  Read More…

Non-Humans #1 — Becoming Obsolete

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on April 9, 2013

Categories: Reviews

NON-HUMANS #1 by Glen Brunswick, Whilce Portacio, Rus Wooten, and Brian Valez, based upon an idea by Noah Dorsey, published by Image Comics in October 2012:  I just want to talk about the opening narration.  Listen to this:  ”Runaway American dream.  Suicide machines.  Sprung from cages out on Highway 9.  Crome [sic] wheeled, fuel injected and steppin’ out over the line. [END OF PAGE 1] That’s an old song from my childhood– singer– name of Bruce– was my mother’s favorite.  He was talkin’ about the road.  But he could as easily have been talkin’ about Non-Humans.  They expect us to just live with the madness.  The road exposes everyone for what they really are– you just gotta look for the…  Read More…

Snapshot #1 — Politics Whining (oh, wee)

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on April 8, 2013

Categories: Reviews

Snapshot #1 by Andy Diggle, Jock, and Clem Robins, published by Image Comics in February 2013 (and in Judge Dredd Megazine, prior thereto, apparently): I read this immediately after I read Scarlet #6, and a similarity between the two jumped out, an irritant. Scarlet #6 begins with a monologue dismissing Occupy Wall Street:  nothing changed, nobody learned anything, protests are pointless, no one is listening, blah, blah.  That sort of shit. And so, too, Snapshot, opens by immediately dismissing protests:  a guy at a comic shop tells the comic-shop-employee main character that his girlfriend is “dragging” him to a march: “Some big anti-whatever shindig. We’re all marching to put an end to, I dunno, bad stuff… Even as we speak,…  Read More…

Scarlet #6 — Current Events

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on April 7, 2013

Categories: Reviews

Scarlet #6 by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, and Chris Eliopoulos, published by Marvel Icon, released February 2013:  This was one of the damn oddest comic-reading experiences for me of recent memory.  First, there was the surprise of even seeing it– this was a comic that had just stopped coming out, mid-story, ages and ages ago (2011, according to the internet). I just found it sitting on a shelf, unheralded, nearly two years after #5.  Letter page promises #7 in March; if that came out, it got by me…?  It’s been more than 10 years since Bendis-Maleev Daredevil launched; since then: Halo, crossover tie-ins, Spiderwoman, Moon Knight…?  For a team that decent, that celebrated, back-when, a run of (mostly) also-ran’s….  Read More…

“They Were Stacked Criss-Cross, Like Cheese Straws…” BOOKS! Sometimes I Fancy A Change!

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Posted by: John Kane on April 3, 2013

Categories: Reviews

I didn’t really get around to any comics this week what with one thing and another. But I did read some prose and I ended up writing about that. It was a couple of books of short stories written by the co-founder of The Inland Waterways Association. Sounds gripping, huh? Well, if you’re going to let preconceptions hold sway then, I guess, this one’s for me. I know! The gall of the man, the sheer, wicked nerve! Anyway, this…

“You See That? He’s STILL The Greatest!” COMICS! Sometimes It’s GilWolf Unbound!

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Posted by: John Kane on March 27, 2013

Categories: Reviews

A-huh! HUH! It’s another instalment of Gil Happy! Unsightly blemishes are a thing of the past as Gil Kane and his plucky sidekick, Marv Wolfman, team up with friends galore to document the exciting, amazing and thoroughly ridiculous adventures of 1980s Superman. Bonus! Feel the years just fall away as we revisit that time a comics creator flicked DC’s tie back in its face! Documentary evidence provided! Anyway this… DC’s Legal Department in a self congratulatory mood…oh, sorry, it’s actually Brainiac!

“A Tiger Doesn’t Give A Buffalo Warning.” COMICS! Sometimes They aaaAAAIEEEE!!! DAAKEESE MOB!!

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Posted by: John Kane on March 19, 2013

Categories: Reviews

In the Burmese jungle of 1942 only one thing was more deadly than the Japanese…In the war comics of 1976 only one strip ruled the playground…That thing, that strip was DARKIE’S MOB by Mike Western and John Wagner. COME ON!!! GET SOME!! CAHMMM AHHHNNNNN!!!!

“Decency.” COMICS! Sometimes They Do Not Bring Me Out In Hives!

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Posted by: John Kane on March 13, 2013

Categories: Reviews

Look, we all know that last time John read some comics released this century it all got a bit hairy. John would like to point out that this was not out of malice, low blood sugar, jealousy, his piles flaring up or sunspot activity. No, difficult as it may be to believe, John maintains it was the result of those comics not actually being all that good. Think of it as being a bit like John was showing you that sometimes he and Comics would argue but it didn’t mean they didn’t love each other any less and it certainly wasn’t your fault. John can see why Doctor Doom talks like this – it’s fun. Anyway, this… Due to the lack…  Read More…

“I Know That Cave!” COMICS! Sometimes They Are Not For The Eyes Of The Vicar!

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Posted by: John Kane on March 6, 2013

Categories: Reviews

Hello! It is I, and I have some words! The words this week are about an original graphic novel penned by Gilbert Hernandez – Comics’ very own George Clooney-a-like and Living Master of the Form. So, it’s probably a safe bet I liked it. Saved you some time there. For those with time to kill this idiocy continues after the <more!>.

“Running With The Bulls At Pamplona?” MOVIES! Sometimes I Treat This Place Like I Own It!

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Posted by: John Kane on February 21, 2013

Categories: Reviews

So, yeah, to help us through the content drought I one finger typed a few words about a couple of movies I watched. I hear people like the movies, popular amongst the younger crowd so I hear. So maybe you’ll like this? I don’t know but I know this – it’s FREE! People sure like FREE! stuff. Anyway, this…

“Nothing To Hold Onto.” COMICS!!! Sometimes They Swarm With Awesome!

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Posted by: John Kane on February 19, 2013

Categories: Reviews

I know, I know, it’s the worst kind of week of all! It’s Skip Week! No Graeme McMillion$! No Gentle Jeff! No podcast! While our very own Donny and Marie are off removing shopping trolleys from canals (or whatever it is they are up to) it’s left to us poor schmucks to wonder how things can possibly get worse. Well, things just got worse and it happened like this: I’ve put some words down about a book by Charles Burns. Look at me! Can you see that? It’s my serious face! I have my serious face on because I am a serious man about a serious business! I’m on about a serious comic, seriously! You can stop looking at me…  Read More…

“Rodeo Ain’t Over Yet!” COMICS! Sometimes I Don’t Have A Title!

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Posted by: John Kane on February 17, 2013

Categories: Reviews

Hello! Here are some words about some comics. The sales figures analysis is just below this. Very good it is too! To clarify, the Hibbs’ stuff is good, not this stuff. Anyway, this…

“…Primitive Lyricism…” PEOPLE! Sometimes Gil’s Gone!

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Posted by: John Kane on January 31, 2013

Categories: Reviews

Gil Kane died on 31 January in the year 2000 A.D. Time enough has now passed that although I still feel the loss of his gargantuan talents I am past the garment rending and hair pulling stage. I will never be beyond the celebrating his work stage though. So what follows is a brief visual burst of Gil Kane’s genius from the ’80s. After all ACTIONs speak louder than words and Gil was a man of great experience…

“Your Uniform Makes You An Erotic SHADOW..” COMICS! Sometimes It’s A Family Matter!

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Posted by: John Kane on January 25, 2013

Categories: Reviews

Firstly, fans of Jog’s fine writing on the works of Howard Victor Chaykin are directed HERE. Everyone else gets this. No, there are no refunds. Stop asking me that. Anyway, this… “Mrs Eisenmann, you’re trying to seduce me.”

What’s wrong this this picture?

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on January 22, 2013

Categories: Reviews

I tlooks like a logo designer threw up on this cover!