QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 02-11-09
By John Judy
ACTION COMICS #874 by James Robinson and Pablo Raimondi. Mon-El may be getting out of the Phantom Zone early! Fingers crossed! BTW, can someone explain how it is that Mon-El can spend 1,000 years in the P-Zone and not come out as the DCU’s most gigantic, super-powered head-case? Think about spending 1,000 years stuck in what is essentially Limbo. How do you not come out the other end making the Joker look like an accountant? Just sayin’…
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, VOL. 2 HC by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Collecting issues 7-12 of the series in which somebody made Morrison tell a story. See the last son of Krypton in classic Silver-Age style battling Bizarro, Zibarro and eating at S’Barro! Okay, I made that last one up, but this is still Good Comics. Recommended.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #586 by Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. In which we finally get to stop referring to Menace as a “he.” Maybe more of a “S/He?” Oh, these modern comics…
BATMAN #686 by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert. Neil takes a swing at the Dark Knight. Part one of two. Must have.
FLAMING CARROT LIMITED EDITION, VOL. 1 HC written, drawn and published by Bob Burden. This edition, limited to 850 signed and numbered copies, collects the earliest CARROT comics from the 1980s. Add to that ten pages of all-new material and a forward by Dave Sim and you have just the thing for, well, yourself probably because who else deserves a treasure like this?
INCOGNITO #2 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Meet the Black Death. He wants to kill a lot of people and he’s used to getting what he wants. From the team that gave us CRIMINAL. Highly recommended.
MASQUERADE #1 of 4 by Phil Hester and Carlos Paul. Another Golden-Age public domain revival overseen by Alex Ross. This one features the pistol-packin’ femme fatale who looks kinda like The Shadow in drag.
SCALPED #25 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. Part one of an all-new story arc in which a newcomer arrives at the Prairie Rose reservation. Because with Dash Bad Horse hooked on crack and Red Crow beating Mr. Brass damn near to death, things needed shaking up. Highly, highly recommended. Not for kids.
THOR #600 by J. Michael Straczynski, Stan Lee and Olivier Coipel. No, you didn’t miss 500-plus issues. Marvel just decided to go back to the original numbering for the series in order to make Robert Overstreet cry. And yes, Smilin’ Stan does indeed contribute some new material for this special anniversary issue. Gotta look!
WALKING DEAD #58 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. After last issue’s horror, it appears Mr. Kirkman is even more determined to turn all his fans into emotional basket cases. NOT. FOR. KIDS. (And maybe not for anyone with kids.)
WOLVERINE: MANIFEST DESTINY #4 of 4 by Jason Aaron and Stephen Segovia. The Sons of the Tiger reunite and Logan has to make a “dark decision.” That’s always good for some twisted amusement. And Jason Aaron writes Wolverine better than anyone in recent memory. Recommended.
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #3 of 8 by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. Featuring all the stuff they left out of the movie. This series has been getting raves from fans both young and old. It is da Baum! (I’m sorry…)
www.johnjudy.net
Showing posts with label Quick Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quick Reviews. Show all posts
Friday, February 06, 2009
Sunday, February 01, 2009
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 02-04-09
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 02-04-09
By John Judy
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: TIL DEATH #3 written and drawn by David Lapham. Will Rufus the vampire finally be forced out of his carefully constructed closet? The best work Lapham’s done in quite a while. Recommended.
ADVENTURE COMICS #0 by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. Wanna read the very first appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes for only a buck? Yes, you do. Here it is.
AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 by Jeff Parker and Carlo Pagulayan. Jimmy Woo’s heroes of the fifties are fighting Norman Osborn in the present and Wolverine back in the day. Two stories for the price of one! Hoo-hah! A title that keeps on being much better than you’d think. Recommended.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #585 by Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. “Menace, Osborns, Spider-Tracer Killer, blah, blah, blah, wrap it up already!” BTW, do you know the Spidey/Obama issue (#583) is now on its fourth printing and still selling like hotcakes? That’s right, President Obama has made comics the only American industry currently showing a profit! “Yes we can!”
ASTONISHING TALES #1 by Lotsa People. It’s Marvel’s latest anthology book. This month it has two Iron Men, Wolverine, Punisher, and a couple of old New Mutants.
BANG TANGO #1 of 6 by Joe Kelly and Adrian Sibar. An ex-gangster tries to find peace as a tango dancer in this six-issue mini that just cries out for Antonio Banderas to make it into a movie.
BLACK PANTHER 2 #1 by Reginald Hudlin and Ken Lashley. Black Panther’s a girl now. Hubba-hubba.
THE BOYS #27 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Things keep getting progressively more uncomfortable for Wee Hughie. And the G-Men aren’t the worst of it. Not for kids.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #22 by Steven S. DeKnight and Georges Jeanty. How can you not love a comic book that opens with two lesbian slayers beating up a monster together? Recommended, teens and up.
FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #3 of 5 by Geoff Johns and George Perez. Two more issues until FC is truly behind us. Could this be the final FINAL CRISIS? Let’s hope so. Actually, this spin-off is Johns/Perez so it’s quite good. No more Big Events though, DC, unless Geoff Johns writes every word. Mean it.
I AM LEGION #1 of 8 by Fabien Nury and John Cassaday. A new American release of a European graphic novel series from 2003. Nazis, vampires and spies all done up in that elegant Cassaday style. Hard to resist a look...
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #22 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. Next stop: The Eighth City of Heaven. Please move to the center of the car.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham. The latest Avengers team is built around Hank Pym. Tick, tick, tick, tick…
SANDMAN: DREAM HUNTERS #4 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. The final issue in which we learn never to give a fox reason for revenge. Recommended.
SECRET SIX #6 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott. Y’know, as creepy as the whole Rag Doll mythos has become since James Robinson made him a Manson-like serial killer back in STARMAN, there’s something about it that just works. Kudos to Gail Simone for keeping the sick magic alive.
SECRET WARRIORS #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli. It’s the newest Nick Fury super-spy book with a twist of Bendis.
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #1 by Damon Lindelof and Leinil Francis Yu. This is a new printing of a comic that shipped its most recent issue three years ago. Marvel is hinting they may be ready to publish the remaining four issues this year, but only if you send Nigerian Prince Joe Quesada your PIN number. Too violent for the little ones.
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT #5 of 5 by Greg Pak and Carmine DiGiandomenico. The final chapter of how the holocaust turned a young boy into the single-minded mutant revolutionary, Magneto. The best Greg Pak story I’ve ever read. Seriously. Kudos.
X-MEN: NOIR #3 of 4 by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. In a place called Chinatown, Slim Summers stares down the little brute with his fists full of knives. These are your great-grand-daddy’s X-Men. Highly recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: TIL DEATH #3 written and drawn by David Lapham. Will Rufus the vampire finally be forced out of his carefully constructed closet? The best work Lapham’s done in quite a while. Recommended.
ADVENTURE COMICS #0 by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. Wanna read the very first appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes for only a buck? Yes, you do. Here it is.
AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 by Jeff Parker and Carlo Pagulayan. Jimmy Woo’s heroes of the fifties are fighting Norman Osborn in the present and Wolverine back in the day. Two stories for the price of one! Hoo-hah! A title that keeps on being much better than you’d think. Recommended.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #585 by Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. “Menace, Osborns, Spider-Tracer Killer, blah, blah, blah, wrap it up already!” BTW, do you know the Spidey/Obama issue (#583) is now on its fourth printing and still selling like hotcakes? That’s right, President Obama has made comics the only American industry currently showing a profit! “Yes we can!”
ASTONISHING TALES #1 by Lotsa People. It’s Marvel’s latest anthology book. This month it has two Iron Men, Wolverine, Punisher, and a couple of old New Mutants.
BANG TANGO #1 of 6 by Joe Kelly and Adrian Sibar. An ex-gangster tries to find peace as a tango dancer in this six-issue mini that just cries out for Antonio Banderas to make it into a movie.
BLACK PANTHER 2 #1 by Reginald Hudlin and Ken Lashley. Black Panther’s a girl now. Hubba-hubba.
THE BOYS #27 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Things keep getting progressively more uncomfortable for Wee Hughie. And the G-Men aren’t the worst of it. Not for kids.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #22 by Steven S. DeKnight and Georges Jeanty. How can you not love a comic book that opens with two lesbian slayers beating up a monster together? Recommended, teens and up.
FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #3 of 5 by Geoff Johns and George Perez. Two more issues until FC is truly behind us. Could this be the final FINAL CRISIS? Let’s hope so. Actually, this spin-off is Johns/Perez so it’s quite good. No more Big Events though, DC, unless Geoff Johns writes every word. Mean it.
I AM LEGION #1 of 8 by Fabien Nury and John Cassaday. A new American release of a European graphic novel series from 2003. Nazis, vampires and spies all done up in that elegant Cassaday style. Hard to resist a look...
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #22 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. Next stop: The Eighth City of Heaven. Please move to the center of the car.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham. The latest Avengers team is built around Hank Pym. Tick, tick, tick, tick…
SANDMAN: DREAM HUNTERS #4 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. The final issue in which we learn never to give a fox reason for revenge. Recommended.
SECRET SIX #6 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott. Y’know, as creepy as the whole Rag Doll mythos has become since James Robinson made him a Manson-like serial killer back in STARMAN, there’s something about it that just works. Kudos to Gail Simone for keeping the sick magic alive.
SECRET WARRIORS #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli. It’s the newest Nick Fury super-spy book with a twist of Bendis.
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #1 by Damon Lindelof and Leinil Francis Yu. This is a new printing of a comic that shipped its most recent issue three years ago. Marvel is hinting they may be ready to publish the remaining four issues this year, but only if you send Nigerian Prince Joe Quesada your PIN number. Too violent for the little ones.
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT #5 of 5 by Greg Pak and Carmine DiGiandomenico. The final chapter of how the holocaust turned a young boy into the single-minded mutant revolutionary, Magneto. The best Greg Pak story I’ve ever read. Seriously. Kudos.
X-MEN: NOIR #3 of 4 by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. In a place called Chinatown, Slim Summers stares down the little brute with his fists full of knives. These are your great-grand-daddy’s X-Men. Highly recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
Sunday, January 25, 2009
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-28-09
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-28-09
By John Judy
(Happy Year of the Ox!)
AMERICAN BORN CHINESE SC by Gene Luen Yang. An award-winning trilogy of intertwining stories from an Asian-America perspective, now available in softcover. Good for tweens and up. Recommended.
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #21 by Christos Gage and Humberto Ramos. The evil cyborg Thor clone is back from the dead and ready to… well, probably die again because he was never much of a long-term planner. As they say, “There are old cyborg Thor clones and there are bold cyborg Thor clones, but there are no old, bold cyborg Thor clones.” Okay, I made that up. Sorry.
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1 by Matt Wayne, Andy Suriano and Dan Davis. The companion comic to the hit Cartoon Network series, suitable for all ages and (brace yourselves) a Batman comic currently featuring Batman! I like that it’s written by a guy named Wayne. Seriously, that’s just cool.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #46 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Bucky America and the Sub-Mariner go to China to rescue the original Human Torch’s corpse from the commies. As well they should!
CRIMINAL, VOL. 4: BAD NIGHT SC by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Jacob, the widower, ex-forger and hapless cartoonist of “Frank Kafka, Private Eye” has a bad night or three. Featuring dark secrets, triple-crosses and more brutal cops than you can shake a plumbers helper at. Highly recommended.
DAREDEVIL #115 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. It’s good old-fashioned DD beats up a ton of ninjas action! For them that likes it!
FANTASTIC FOUR #563 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. The Thing gives his girlfriend a big rock. Shaddup.
FINAL CRISIS #7 of 7 by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke. The end of the multiverse-shaking event that has been almost completely ignored by every other title in the DCU. But at least Barry Allen’s back.
FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #5 of 5 by Greg Rucka and Philip Tan. In which we find out if the Spectre is finally gonna ghost-up and smack Vandal “Cain” Savage so hard his mark falls off. Fingers crossed.
GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: DEAR BILLY #1 of 3 by Garth Ennis and Peter Snejbjerg. A nurse during the Japanese invasion of Singapore finds herself with a chance to revenge herself. What to do? What to do? Recommended.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #23 Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Having finally dispensed with the not so al-powerful Gog, the JSA is faced with the return of Black Adam and his undead wife Isis. Lotsa fights.
MARVELS EYE OF CAMERA #3 of 6 by Kurt Busiek and Jay Anacleto. Cancerous shutterbug Phil Sheldon meets the grim-n-gritty types of the Marvel Yoo. Yeah, that’ll help with the positive visualization. “Phil, imagine the cancer is a punk and you’re the Punisher…” Actually a very fine comic, especially for a sequel. Read MARVELS and then give it a whirl.
NEW AVENGERS #49 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. Luke Cage has made a deal to get his kidnapped daughter back. The terms are not great.
NORTHLANDERS #14 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. The slaughter of Ragnar’s Viking occupiers by the native Irish rebel Magnus continues. Recommended.
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES GN written and drawn by Ben Templesmith. I’ll let Mr. Templesmith speak for himself on this one: “All 43 ( well, technically 42, but Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms ) plus, technically, I think the 44th as well will be in time for printing. A portrait each, plus some facts. Especially about some of the lesser known ones. Damn some were sick/quirky/weird bastards.” Highly recommended.
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. Let the veils of time and space be parted that we may see the comics racks of three months hence! Like a crystal ball you don’t need to worry about the cat knocking over!
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #6 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. The final issue. Duck and cover!
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #5 of 5 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. Ladies and gentlemen (those of you who aren’t dead from the super-flu), meet Randall Flagg, the Dark Man, the Walking Dude, the Hard Case. You need to read this.
STREETS OF GLORY SC by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer. Garth’s violent meditation on the death of the Old West and the illusory nature of its icons. Not for kids.
UNKNOWN SOLDIER #4 by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli. Dr. Moses leaves his old identity further and further behind as the need for the Soldier in him grows greater. Brutal stuff, not for kids. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
(Happy Year of the Ox!)
AMERICAN BORN CHINESE SC by Gene Luen Yang. An award-winning trilogy of intertwining stories from an Asian-America perspective, now available in softcover. Good for tweens and up. Recommended.
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #21 by Christos Gage and Humberto Ramos. The evil cyborg Thor clone is back from the dead and ready to… well, probably die again because he was never much of a long-term planner. As they say, “There are old cyborg Thor clones and there are bold cyborg Thor clones, but there are no old, bold cyborg Thor clones.” Okay, I made that up. Sorry.
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1 by Matt Wayne, Andy Suriano and Dan Davis. The companion comic to the hit Cartoon Network series, suitable for all ages and (brace yourselves) a Batman comic currently featuring Batman! I like that it’s written by a guy named Wayne. Seriously, that’s just cool.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #46 by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Bucky America and the Sub-Mariner go to China to rescue the original Human Torch’s corpse from the commies. As well they should!
CRIMINAL, VOL. 4: BAD NIGHT SC by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Jacob, the widower, ex-forger and hapless cartoonist of “Frank Kafka, Private Eye” has a bad night or three. Featuring dark secrets, triple-crosses and more brutal cops than you can shake a plumbers helper at. Highly recommended.
DAREDEVIL #115 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. It’s good old-fashioned DD beats up a ton of ninjas action! For them that likes it!
FANTASTIC FOUR #563 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. The Thing gives his girlfriend a big rock. Shaddup.
FINAL CRISIS #7 of 7 by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke. The end of the multiverse-shaking event that has been almost completely ignored by every other title in the DCU. But at least Barry Allen’s back.
FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #5 of 5 by Greg Rucka and Philip Tan. In which we find out if the Spectre is finally gonna ghost-up and smack Vandal “Cain” Savage so hard his mark falls off. Fingers crossed.
GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: DEAR BILLY #1 of 3 by Garth Ennis and Peter Snejbjerg. A nurse during the Japanese invasion of Singapore finds herself with a chance to revenge herself. What to do? What to do? Recommended.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #23 Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Having finally dispensed with the not so al-powerful Gog, the JSA is faced with the return of Black Adam and his undead wife Isis. Lotsa fights.
MARVELS EYE OF CAMERA #3 of 6 by Kurt Busiek and Jay Anacleto. Cancerous shutterbug Phil Sheldon meets the grim-n-gritty types of the Marvel Yoo. Yeah, that’ll help with the positive visualization. “Phil, imagine the cancer is a punk and you’re the Punisher…” Actually a very fine comic, especially for a sequel. Read MARVELS and then give it a whirl.
NEW AVENGERS #49 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. Luke Cage has made a deal to get his kidnapped daughter back. The terms are not great.
NORTHLANDERS #14 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. The slaughter of Ragnar’s Viking occupiers by the native Irish rebel Magnus continues. Recommended.
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES GN written and drawn by Ben Templesmith. I’ll let Mr. Templesmith speak for himself on this one: “All 43 ( well, technically 42, but Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms ) plus, technically, I think the 44th as well will be in time for printing. A portrait each, plus some facts. Especially about some of the lesser known ones. Damn some were sick/quirky/weird bastards.” Highly recommended.
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. Let the veils of time and space be parted that we may see the comics racks of three months hence! Like a crystal ball you don’t need to worry about the cat knocking over!
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #6 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. The final issue. Duck and cover!
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #5 of 5 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. Ladies and gentlemen (those of you who aren’t dead from the super-flu), meet Randall Flagg, the Dark Man, the Walking Dude, the Hard Case. You need to read this.
STREETS OF GLORY SC by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer. Garth’s violent meditation on the death of the Old West and the illusory nature of its icons. Not for kids.
UNKNOWN SOLDIER #4 by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli. Dr. Moses leaves his old identity further and further behind as the need for the Soldier in him grows greater. Brutal stuff, not for kids. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
Monday, January 19, 2009
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-21-09
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-21-09
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583 (Second Print Obama Appearance) by A Simple Comic Book Company That Just Wants All Your Money. Check out the comic that has poor old Erik Larsen feeling soooo upset and doesn’t cost 75 bucks on E-Bay. BTW, the lead story by Waid, Kitson and Farmer is pretty great. And the back-up does have Obama giving Spidey the “terrorist fist-jab” even if it’s written like one of those old Hostess snack cake ads. Treat yourself. At cover price, of course.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #584 by Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. This one has all the answers to all the questions raised in the past year’s worth of Spidey titles! Who is Menace? Who is the Spider-Tracer Killer? Why couldn’t retailers get all the Obama covers they could have sold last week? (Okay, how about MOST of the questions…)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #28 by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. Did Cyclops really cut off his own head? Did Armor really kill a crippled Wolverine by cooking him over an open fire? Will any of this stuff ever be acknowledged in mainstream X-book continuity? It’s a week of questions at the House of Ideas!
DARK AVENGERS #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato Jr. Who are they? What do they want? And how long will it take Bendis to tell us? More questions!
FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1 by David Hine and Georges Jeanty. Slade Wilson a.k.a. Deathstroke the Terminator, the guy whose name can never be bad-ass enough, is making a comeback with a Face so Evil he has to hide it behind a mask, even though that mask just screams out “Punch me on the right side! That’s where I’m completely blind!” Just sayin’…
FINAL CRISIS: SUPERMAN BEYOND #2 of 2 by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke. It’s Grant Morrison and it comes with 3-D glasses. For most people that should be enough.
GARTH ENNIS’ BATTLEFIELDS: NIGHT WITCHES #3 of 3 by Garth and Russ Braun. Concluding a brutal series about the dust-ups between the Nazis and the Russians back in the day. Not for kids or anyone else still wishing to find anything glorious in war. Recommended.
GREEN LANTERN #37 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. In which we ask the musical question “Why don’t the Red Lanterns die of anemia from all that blood they’re vomiting in every single panel?!?” Not a great power, Red Lanterns!
HELLBLAZER #251 by Peter Milligan and Giuseppe Camuncoli. PioneeringVertigo author Milligan takes his turn at the plate with the life and fortunes of John Constantine. The storyarc “Scab” begins here. This one’s an absolute “Gotta-Look!”
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. Hats off to McDuffie for bringing back Starbreaker, the galactic vampire who devours solar systems for snacks! Few things compare to the pleasure of seeing a villain you haven’t seen since you were a kid reading the original JLA title back in the year 19… Ah, nevermind.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham. Wow! Hank Pym is back wearing his dead wife’s clothes, dating her robot clone and it sure looks like the Scarlet Witch is back from the Phantom Zone or Trans-Bagelburg or wherever they stuck her! And Dan Slott’s at the helm! Yet another “Gotta-Look!” Recommended.
PUNISHER: FRANK CASTLE MAX #66 by Duane Swiercynski and Michel Lacombe. It’s “D.O.A.” Punisher-style! Some punks dose Frank with poison and tell him he’s gotta dance if he wants the fix-it juice. Stupid punks… Note the new title distinguishing this book from the one where Frank’s shooting capes with stolen Skrull artillery.
RUINS #1 by Warren Ellis and Cliff & Terese Nielsen. A reprinting of Ellis’ 1995 thumb in the eye to MARVELS, in which every one of the Marvel Universe heroes meets a horrible, depressing fate. Both issues collected here. For some reason there’s always a new generation that wants to read this story. Enjoy.
SPIDER-MAN: NOIR #2 of 4 by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky and Carmine DiGiandomenico. It’s the story of Spidey told as if he had lived in Depression Era New York. For lovers of all things Pulp and Parker.
THUNDERBOLTS #128 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. The beginning of a new arc, a new order and a new creative team on a book that shows you how fun it can be playing The Bad Guy.
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #2 by Matt Fraction and Mitch Breitweiser. Focusing on the life and loves of White Queen Emma Frost. Okay, maybe love isn’t the right term here.
X-FACTOR #39 by Peter David and Valentine Delandro. Siren and Madrox enjoy a blessed event. Wait, that was nine months ago. Now they’re just having a baby.
X-MEN: LEGACY #220 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Rogue’s back.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583 (Second Print Obama Appearance) by A Simple Comic Book Company That Just Wants All Your Money. Check out the comic that has poor old Erik Larsen feeling soooo upset and doesn’t cost 75 bucks on E-Bay. BTW, the lead story by Waid, Kitson and Farmer is pretty great. And the back-up does have Obama giving Spidey the “terrorist fist-jab” even if it’s written like one of those old Hostess snack cake ads. Treat yourself. At cover price, of course.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #584 by Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. This one has all the answers to all the questions raised in the past year’s worth of Spidey titles! Who is Menace? Who is the Spider-Tracer Killer? Why couldn’t retailers get all the Obama covers they could have sold last week? (Okay, how about MOST of the questions…)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #28 by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. Did Cyclops really cut off his own head? Did Armor really kill a crippled Wolverine by cooking him over an open fire? Will any of this stuff ever be acknowledged in mainstream X-book continuity? It’s a week of questions at the House of Ideas!
DARK AVENGERS #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato Jr. Who are they? What do they want? And how long will it take Bendis to tell us? More questions!
FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1 by David Hine and Georges Jeanty. Slade Wilson a.k.a. Deathstroke the Terminator, the guy whose name can never be bad-ass enough, is making a comeback with a Face so Evil he has to hide it behind a mask, even though that mask just screams out “Punch me on the right side! That’s where I’m completely blind!” Just sayin’…
FINAL CRISIS: SUPERMAN BEYOND #2 of 2 by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke. It’s Grant Morrison and it comes with 3-D glasses. For most people that should be enough.
GARTH ENNIS’ BATTLEFIELDS: NIGHT WITCHES #3 of 3 by Garth and Russ Braun. Concluding a brutal series about the dust-ups between the Nazis and the Russians back in the day. Not for kids or anyone else still wishing to find anything glorious in war. Recommended.
GREEN LANTERN #37 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. In which we ask the musical question “Why don’t the Red Lanterns die of anemia from all that blood they’re vomiting in every single panel?!?” Not a great power, Red Lanterns!
HELLBLAZER #251 by Peter Milligan and Giuseppe Camuncoli. PioneeringVertigo author Milligan takes his turn at the plate with the life and fortunes of John Constantine. The storyarc “Scab” begins here. This one’s an absolute “Gotta-Look!”
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. Hats off to McDuffie for bringing back Starbreaker, the galactic vampire who devours solar systems for snacks! Few things compare to the pleasure of seeing a villain you haven’t seen since you were a kid reading the original JLA title back in the year 19… Ah, nevermind.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham. Wow! Hank Pym is back wearing his dead wife’s clothes, dating her robot clone and it sure looks like the Scarlet Witch is back from the Phantom Zone or Trans-Bagelburg or wherever they stuck her! And Dan Slott’s at the helm! Yet another “Gotta-Look!” Recommended.
PUNISHER: FRANK CASTLE MAX #66 by Duane Swiercynski and Michel Lacombe. It’s “D.O.A.” Punisher-style! Some punks dose Frank with poison and tell him he’s gotta dance if he wants the fix-it juice. Stupid punks… Note the new title distinguishing this book from the one where Frank’s shooting capes with stolen Skrull artillery.
RUINS #1 by Warren Ellis and Cliff & Terese Nielsen. A reprinting of Ellis’ 1995 thumb in the eye to MARVELS, in which every one of the Marvel Universe heroes meets a horrible, depressing fate. Both issues collected here. For some reason there’s always a new generation that wants to read this story. Enjoy.
SPIDER-MAN: NOIR #2 of 4 by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky and Carmine DiGiandomenico. It’s the story of Spidey told as if he had lived in Depression Era New York. For lovers of all things Pulp and Parker.
THUNDERBOLTS #128 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. The beginning of a new arc, a new order and a new creative team on a book that shows you how fun it can be playing The Bad Guy.
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #2 by Matt Fraction and Mitch Breitweiser. Focusing on the life and loves of White Queen Emma Frost. Okay, maybe love isn’t the right term here.
X-FACTOR #39 by Peter David and Valentine Delandro. Siren and Madrox enjoy a blessed event. Wait, that was nine months ago. Now they’re just having a baby.
X-MEN: LEGACY #220 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Rogue’s back.
www.johnjudy.net
Sunday, January 11, 2009
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-14-09
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-14-09
By John Judy
ACTION COMICS #873 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. It’s the “New Krypton” finale featuring the fate of 100,000 peeved Kryptonians. What could go wrong?
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583 by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. Okay, there’s some hearts and flowers in this one, but what you really care about is that THIS IS THE ONE WITH BARACK OBAMA ON THE COVER!!! Yes, the one that all the stupid mainstream media has been talking about, getting all the straights excited to get a copy even if they use it as a dartboard in their unfinished rec room/meth labs. Point being: If you’re a regular reader and want to be sure you get a copy of this book you should contact your Favorite Retailer immediately to arrange a set-aside. Or just buy the non-Obama cover. This one will no doubt be on E-Bay quickly to squeeze the feebs who think it’ll be worth $$$ someday so brace yourselves. And rest assured Marvel will have a second printing out in a couple of weeks.
BONE COLOR EDITION, VOL. 9: CROWN OF HORNS SC written and drawn by Jeff Smith. Collecting and colorizing the final six issues of Smith’s epic comic fantasy, this is fine addition to any bookshelf. Great fun for all ages and one of Time magazine’s Top Ten Graphic Novels of All Time. Recommended!
BPRD: BLACK GODDESS #1 of 5 by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and Guy Davis. Agent Liz Sherman’s been kidnapped and it’s up to her fellow BPRDers to get her back! That should be good for a few dust-ups and knockings of the heads. Plus gators. Angry, hungry gators!
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI:13 #9 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. The gang’s in Hell after being betrayed by that rat Captain Midlands. Also Meggan is back (honest!) and the Black Knight faces some personal discomfort. This is a much better book than you old EXCALIBUR readers might think. Give ‘er a spin!
FACES OF EVIL: PROMETHEUS #1 by Sterling Gates and Frederico Dalbochio. The guy who once defeated the JLA all by his lonesome is back at his old tricks. This time will the heroes stay defeated?
FINAL CRISIS #6 of 7 by Grant Morrison and His Band of Renown. Darkseid, Apokolips, New Gods, Anti-Life, Monitors, Multiverse… Oops. I think I just leaked the script. Sorry.
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #5 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Frank and his drugged out stoolie just had their car machine-gunned to bits by a mad Yuppie and his vengeful Mafia zombie-clone. Does it get better than this? No, it does not. Read it!
RASL, VOL. 1: DRIFT SC written and drawn by Jeff Smith. The first trade edition of Smith’s bad-boy, dimension-hopping art thief includes and extra three-page scene that got cut from the regular comic. Add to that the larger 9”x12” page dimensions and you’ve got one handsome bit of graphic novel goodness. Recommended.
SOLOMON KANE #4 of 5 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. At last, the Puritan Punisher is fighting a guy who turns into a wolf! Come on! Give it a look! It’s good!
TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA HC written and drawn by Shaun Tan. Fifteen short stories from the award-winning creator of THE ARRIVAL. Teens and up.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
ACTION COMICS #873 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. It’s the “New Krypton” finale featuring the fate of 100,000 peeved Kryptonians. What could go wrong?
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583 by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. Okay, there’s some hearts and flowers in this one, but what you really care about is that THIS IS THE ONE WITH BARACK OBAMA ON THE COVER!!! Yes, the one that all the stupid mainstream media has been talking about, getting all the straights excited to get a copy even if they use it as a dartboard in their unfinished rec room/meth labs. Point being: If you’re a regular reader and want to be sure you get a copy of this book you should contact your Favorite Retailer immediately to arrange a set-aside. Or just buy the non-Obama cover. This one will no doubt be on E-Bay quickly to squeeze the feebs who think it’ll be worth $$$ someday so brace yourselves. And rest assured Marvel will have a second printing out in a couple of weeks.
BONE COLOR EDITION, VOL. 9: CROWN OF HORNS SC written and drawn by Jeff Smith. Collecting and colorizing the final six issues of Smith’s epic comic fantasy, this is fine addition to any bookshelf. Great fun for all ages and one of Time magazine’s Top Ten Graphic Novels of All Time. Recommended!
BPRD: BLACK GODDESS #1 of 5 by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and Guy Davis. Agent Liz Sherman’s been kidnapped and it’s up to her fellow BPRDers to get her back! That should be good for a few dust-ups and knockings of the heads. Plus gators. Angry, hungry gators!
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI:13 #9 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. The gang’s in Hell after being betrayed by that rat Captain Midlands. Also Meggan is back (honest!) and the Black Knight faces some personal discomfort. This is a much better book than you old EXCALIBUR readers might think. Give ‘er a spin!
FACES OF EVIL: PROMETHEUS #1 by Sterling Gates and Frederico Dalbochio. The guy who once defeated the JLA all by his lonesome is back at his old tricks. This time will the heroes stay defeated?
FINAL CRISIS #6 of 7 by Grant Morrison and His Band of Renown. Darkseid, Apokolips, New Gods, Anti-Life, Monitors, Multiverse… Oops. I think I just leaked the script. Sorry.
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #5 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Frank and his drugged out stoolie just had their car machine-gunned to bits by a mad Yuppie and his vengeful Mafia zombie-clone. Does it get better than this? No, it does not. Read it!
RASL, VOL. 1: DRIFT SC written and drawn by Jeff Smith. The first trade edition of Smith’s bad-boy, dimension-hopping art thief includes and extra three-page scene that got cut from the regular comic. Add to that the larger 9”x12” page dimensions and you’ve got one handsome bit of graphic novel goodness. Recommended.
SOLOMON KANE #4 of 5 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. At last, the Puritan Punisher is fighting a guy who turns into a wolf! Come on! Give it a look! It’s good!
TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA HC written and drawn by Shaun Tan. Fifteen short stories from the award-winning creator of THE ARRIVAL. Teens and up.
www.johnjudy.net
Sunday, January 04, 2009
QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE WEDNESDAY 01-07-09
QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE WEDNESDAY 01-07-09
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #582 by Dan Slott and Mike McKone. Spidey’s gotta settle the Molten Man’s hash and save Harry Osborn. Because that’s his job. Very specialized. Not just any insect-themed jamoke can do it. This is a Dan Slott story so it’s a cut above the rest. Read and see.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 by Jane Espenson and Georges Jeanty. Harmony the vampire attacks Andy Dick! The contest for Best Comic of 2009 is now officially over! Written by Mutant Enemy stalwart and “Battlestar: Galactica” scribe Jane Espenson! Recommended!
DC UNIVERSE ILLUSTRATED BY NEAL ADAMS by Neal Adams and Others. If you’re looking for any Adams DC material not already collected in Batman, Deadman or Green Lantern/Green Arrow trades it is probably in this book. Beautiful stuff. Recommended.
FACES OF EVIL: GRUNDY #1 by Scott Kolins and Geoff Johns. A one-shot exploring the story of DC’s indestructable swamp-monster Solomon Grundy. Everything you ever wanted to know and more! Gotta look!
HAUNTED TANK #2 of 5 by Frank Marraffino and Henry Flint. The comic that dares to ask “Can a black tank commander and his undead Confederate Army Great-great-great Grandfather put their differences aside if it means killing lots of non-Americans?” This should be Eddie Murphy’s next movie.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #9 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca. Tony Stark has pretty much screwed up the entire world. Captain America is dead, SHIELD is defunct and we just got reamed by a bunch of green alien shape-shifters. Now Tony is persona non grata everywhere. He’s sort of like George Bush in a suit of armor, but more sympathetic. Anyway this issue has Tony trying to escape Everyone.
NO HERO #3 of 7 by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. There’s a new superhuman in town and he’s looking…. Well, pretty darn strange actually. Having your mind cracked like an egg will do that to a person, even more so if it’s Warren Ellis making the omelet.
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #3 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. It’s the monk’s turn to plead with the Dream King for the life of the fox. Problem is, that Dream King? Real jerk sometimes…
SECRET SIX #5 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott. Okay, it’s gonna be a trick bouncing back after most of the team was poisoned last issue and that freaky serial killer “Junior” begins closing in, but these crazy kids have moxie and that counts for a lot!
WALKING DEAD #57 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. The zombie killers continue their trek to Washington D.C. Seems to be the thing to do this January. Also the 9th WALKING DEAD trade paperback HERE WE REMAIN comes out, collecting issues 49-54. Weeks like this make a person glad to be alive and not eating human flesh! Not for kids.
X-MEN: NOIR #2 of 4 by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. This series has me hooked like an adamantium claw with its crazy alternate universe X-folk spouting pulp tough-guy dialogue and acting like the “Gangs of New York” with super powers. Highly recommended!
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #582 by Dan Slott and Mike McKone. Spidey’s gotta settle the Molten Man’s hash and save Harry Osborn. Because that’s his job. Very specialized. Not just any insect-themed jamoke can do it. This is a Dan Slott story so it’s a cut above the rest. Read and see.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 by Jane Espenson and Georges Jeanty. Harmony the vampire attacks Andy Dick! The contest for Best Comic of 2009 is now officially over! Written by Mutant Enemy stalwart and “Battlestar: Galactica” scribe Jane Espenson! Recommended!
DC UNIVERSE ILLUSTRATED BY NEAL ADAMS by Neal Adams and Others. If you’re looking for any Adams DC material not already collected in Batman, Deadman or Green Lantern/Green Arrow trades it is probably in this book. Beautiful stuff. Recommended.
FACES OF EVIL: GRUNDY #1 by Scott Kolins and Geoff Johns. A one-shot exploring the story of DC’s indestructable swamp-monster Solomon Grundy. Everything you ever wanted to know and more! Gotta look!
HAUNTED TANK #2 of 5 by Frank Marraffino and Henry Flint. The comic that dares to ask “Can a black tank commander and his undead Confederate Army Great-great-great Grandfather put their differences aside if it means killing lots of non-Americans?” This should be Eddie Murphy’s next movie.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #9 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca. Tony Stark has pretty much screwed up the entire world. Captain America is dead, SHIELD is defunct and we just got reamed by a bunch of green alien shape-shifters. Now Tony is persona non grata everywhere. He’s sort of like George Bush in a suit of armor, but more sympathetic. Anyway this issue has Tony trying to escape Everyone.
NO HERO #3 of 7 by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. There’s a new superhuman in town and he’s looking…. Well, pretty darn strange actually. Having your mind cracked like an egg will do that to a person, even more so if it’s Warren Ellis making the omelet.
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #3 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. It’s the monk’s turn to plead with the Dream King for the life of the fox. Problem is, that Dream King? Real jerk sometimes…
SECRET SIX #5 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott. Okay, it’s gonna be a trick bouncing back after most of the team was poisoned last issue and that freaky serial killer “Junior” begins closing in, but these crazy kids have moxie and that counts for a lot!
WALKING DEAD #57 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. The zombie killers continue their trek to Washington D.C. Seems to be the thing to do this January. Also the 9th WALKING DEAD trade paperback HERE WE REMAIN comes out, collecting issues 49-54. Weeks like this make a person glad to be alive and not eating human flesh! Not for kids.
X-MEN: NOIR #2 of 4 by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. This series has me hooked like an adamantium claw with its crazy alternate universe X-folk spouting pulp tough-guy dialogue and acting like the “Gangs of New York” with super powers. Highly recommended!
www.johnjudy.net
Saturday, January 03, 2009
2008 COMICS IN THE REARVIEW (aka Quick Reviews)
2008 COMICS IN THE REARVIEW
by John Judy
This past year saw no shortage of excellent comics work in spite of a dry-spell of inverse-proportion in quality movie adaptations. (I’m looking at you, “The Spirit” and “Punisher War Zone.”)
“The Dark Knight” and “Iron Man” may have brought a few curious citizens through the doors of our nation’s comic shops, but if they came back for more it’s likely due to some of these titles being on the shelves:
AFTER 9-11: AMERICA’S WAR ON TERROR HC & SC by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon. The team behind the excellent 9-11 REPORT graphic adaptation now presents us with its tragic sequel. While the creators strive to be fair to all concerned the Bushies come off almost as badly as they deserve. Hey, misleading a nation into a bankrupting, unnecessary war will do that sometimes! Highly recommended for 4,149 reasons as of this writing.
AL JAFFE TALL TALES HC by Al Jaffe. Collecting 120 installments of the world’s first and last vertical newspaper comic-strip from the veteran MAD artist who gave us “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions” and the folding back-cover gags of about a million issues of MAD. Very cool stuff.
ALL WE EVER DO IS TALK ABOUT WOOD GN written and illustrated by Tom Horacek. A collection of Horacek’s morbidly funny single panel cartoons. Definitely for fans of Charles Addams, Edward Gorey, and Ivan Brunetti.
AMERICAN FLAGG: DEFINITIVE COLLECTION VOL. 1 HC and SC written and illustrated by Howard Chaykin. Collecting the legendary first 14 issues of the series that put Howard Chaykin on the map. Twenty-five years in the making this one’s finally coming out from Image.
AMERICAN WIDOW HC by Alissa Torres and Sungyoon Choi. A powerful, autobiographical account of Torres, a woman who lost her husband and the father of her unborn son in the attacks of 9-11. About as far from escapist fantasy as you’re going to get. Recommended but too intense for younger readers.
APOCALYPSE NERD SC written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Kim Jong Il has nuked Seattle (just go with it) and now software engineer Perry and his friend Gordo struggle to survive in the aftermath. Dark humor and adventure from the creator of HATE and THE BRADLEYS.
ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK 1 HC by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson. Collecting the first eight issues of “The Dark Age”, the story of Astro City in the seventies when the Silver Agent got whacked. Great stuff, too infrequently seen on the weekly racks.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Imagine a darker version of the Disney movie “Sky High” and that’s what you’ll find in this on-going title about young heroes being registered and drafted into their nation’s service, mental and moral fitness aside. Early issues are now available in trade paperback.
THE BAKERS: BABIES AND KITTENS HC written and illustrated by Kyle Baker, the Greatest Cartoonist of All Time. Two cats are adopted into Kyle’s home against his wishes. Hijinks ensue. Beautifully drawn hijinks. Recommended especially if you have kids who like bedtime stories of hapless daddies.
THE BOYS by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. This notorious series continues chugging along just fine since DC Comics dumped it for being a little too close to home in the superheroes it skewers. Anyway, it’s Garth Ennis and if you enjoyed his PREACHER series back in the day you’ll enjoy this as well.
CAPTAIN AMERICA by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Technically this title hasn’t featured the real Cap since Brubaker “killed” him in March 2007, but Bucky the long-lost boy sidekick and his amazing friends have been providing very respectable entertainment since then, a feat I wouldn’t have thought possible but for the talents of the creative team. Good stuff for teens and up.
CLOUDS ABOVE SC written and illustrated by Jordan Crane. A book-length, all-ages adventure of a boy and his cat. Originally a HC release in 2005 this paperback edition contains five pages of new material. Very cool with appealing qualities for young and old alike.
COMIC BOOK COMICS by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey. A bit of hyper-stylized graphic non-fiction from the geniuses who gave us ACTION PHILOSOPHERS! This time their target is the History of Comic Book Publishing in America! So far in 2008 we’ve enjoyed #1, “The Pulps” and #2, “Our Artists at War” featuring the early WWII adventures of Siegel and Shuster, Simon and Kirby, Stan Lee and Walt Disney! Previews can be found on the company website www.eviltwincomics.com if you need more proof of this title’s wonderfulness. Look for the next two issues in early 2009!
THE CREEPY ARCHIVES, VOL. 1 and 2 HCs from Dark Horse Comics. Collecting the first ten issues of this classic horror anthology magazine. At eight stories per issue you’re looking at some quantity here in addition to the quality one associates with such creators as Archie Goodwin, Gray Morrow, Alex Toth and others of that era. A pair of Must-Haves for those of us who love this stuff.
CRIMINAL by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Brubaker’s passion for noir culture in all its forms is infectious. This series traces the paths of multiple generations of dangerous losers in a city that breeds them. There are currently three trade collections out: LAWLESS, COWARD and THE DEAD AND THE DYING. All are recommended but be advised they do not contain any of the back-up text pieces featured in each of the individual comics. For those ya gotta buy the funny books. Fortunately they can be found at comic shops near you for a reasonable few bits.
THE DANGEROUS ALPHABET HC by Neil Gaiman and Gris Grimly. A dark romp through the alphabet with pirates, sewer-monsters, and organs in jars! Highly recommended for fans of Gahan Wilson and the like. Great for kids who need literacy and a good scare!
DAREDEVIL by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Brubaker continues putting the blind lawyer of Hell’s Kitchen through his paces since taking over from Brian Michael Bendis in 2006. This title is about as noir as a comic about a guy in red tights can get, but it’s interesting to see how many twists the creative team can put on a character whose challenges have for some time been more psychological than physical. Smart super-heroics need not be an oxymoron as this comic continues to demonstrate.
DOOM PATROL, VOL. 6: PLANET LOVE SC by Grant Morrison, Richard Case and Friends. The final collection of Morrison’s surreal work on DC’s original misfit super-heroes. From back in the days when Grant was forced to tell stories that could be followed by the nearly sober.
EC ARCHIVES HARDCOVERS by Bill Gaines and Company. These full-color collections from Steve Geppi’s Gemstone Publishing have been a real delight for fans of The Forbidden as well as those merely curious to see what could be so subversive in a comic that it would warrant hearings by the U.S. Congress. This year saw the publication of CRIME SUSPENSTORIES, VOL. 1; WEIRD SCIENCE, VOL.3; and TALES FROM THE CRYPT, VOL. 3. Great stuff.
ESSENTIAL DYKES TO WATCH OUT FOR HC written and drawn by Alison Bechdel. The best strips from the past eleven volumes of DTWOF, plus sixty new ones not previously collected. Twenty-five years worth of funny, opinionated, challenging stuff. Recommended, especially for Mormons and inaugural preachers.
EX MACHINA by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. We’re currently about 80% through the run on the story of Mitchell Hundred, the fictional Mayor Of New York and ex-superhero. This continues to be extremely smart story-telling for people interested in American politics, New York history and what it would be like to talk to machines. Seven volumes of trade paperbacks currently available at finer comic shops near you.
FELL by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. The stand-alone stories of Detective Richard Fell, a cop banished from his home city for some yet-unknown breach of conduct. The first trade collection FELL, VOL. 1: FERAL CITY is now available. Teens and up.
FREAK BROTHERS OMNIBUS SC by Gilbert Shelton. Just like you remember them! Although if you can remember them you were probably doing something wrong… Wait, what was I saying...? Recommended.
THE GOON written and drawn by Eric Powell. This brutal supernatural comedy adventure draws you in with scraps of dialogue that justify their existence outside of any context whatsoever. It helps to know the backstory of Powell’s violent anti-hero but it’s not essential for enjoying the demented ride of this multiple-Eisner award winning series. Currently available in one hardcover and six softcover collections.
GREEN LANTERN by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Mike McKone. In brightest day, in blackest night, Johns and his rotating crew of artists have completely reinvigorated this character as the lead in a huge sci-fi space opera with a touch of police procedural. Lots of trade collections can help you get up to speed, just be sure they have Geoff Johns’ name in the credits.
HARVEY COMICS CLASSICS VOL. 3: HOT STUFF SC by Various Creators. Collecting over 100 tales of comics’ original Little Devil, the Demon in a Diaper: HOT STUFF! A perfect gateway for all age groups into hardcore Satanism! A great follow-up to the earlier Harvey collections of CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST and RICHIE RICH. Appropriate for all ages, but especially five year-old boys who can’t get enough of this stuff before bedtime.
HARVEY PEKAR: CONVERSATIONS edited by Michael G. Rhode. A treasure trove of interviews with the creator of AMERICAN SPLENDOR, spanning the years 1984 through 2007. Full disclosure: I’ve known editor Mike Rhode for a number of years and have written for his excellent website ComicsDC@blogspot.com. That said, I’ve never liked the creep and would not recommend his book if it weren’t a superb bit of scholarship about a significant creator in the American comics scene. Check it out.
HOLMES GN written and illustrated by Omaha Perez. Author Perez explains it best: “What if Sherlock Holmes is constantly out of his head and Watson’s not much better off, the Dr. Gonzo to Holmes’s Raoul Duke?” Teens and up.
HOLY SH*T!: THE WORLD’S WEIRDEST COMIC BOOKS HC by Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. What it sounds like: Dozens of examples from all over the globe of the most bizarre, hilarious, disturbing curiosities ever to appear in sequential-graphic form. Sadly such a work can never be a definitive edition because Rob Liefeld and Frank Miller continue to publish new material. Worth having anyway.
HOUDINI: THE HANDCUFF KING SC by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi. An informative episode from the life of the world’s most famous magician/escape artist. (Go away, Blaine, we’re not talking about you. Ever.)
HOW TO DRAW STUPID SC by Kyle Baker. For anybody who ever wondered how Kyle Baker does it “and how you can too!” Sadly there is nothing in here about how to get the next issue of SPECIAL FORCES on the rack. Still recommended because Baker is a gol-darn genius!
HOWARD THE DUCK OMNIBUS HC by Steve Gerber and Many Worthy Collaborators. Like Marvel couldn’t have done this while Gerber (1947-2008) was still alive… Recommended anyway because this is really great stuff. As close to the subversion of the underground comix as mainstream super companies ever got. R.I.P. Mr. Gerber. You are missed.
I SHALL DESTROY ALL CIVILIZED PLANETS: THE COMICS OF FLETCHER HANKS SC by Fletcher Hanks and Paul Karasik. A collection of the weirdly brilliant Golden-Age comics of Hanks, followed by the sad epilogue in which Karasik tracks down the artist’s only surviving relative to learn of his ultimate fate. Disturbing but moving stuff.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, David Aja and Others. Since 2006 the crew on this book has taken a character who was mostly a C-lister and built an extremely credible mythology around him. Danny Rand, the Living Weapon of Kun-Lun and possessor of the Iron Fist, has turned into an interesting guy with a history and legacy going back quite a ways. The occasional peeks into the past and future of individuals entrusted with the Fist don’t always have a direct bearing on the main story, but they add to it in little ways that make the whole saga more enjoyable. We’re now up to three trade paperbacks and the on-going monthly if you’re just joining our program.
INCOGNEGRO HC by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. Part-Mystery, Part-History describes this story of a light-skinned Northern black man passing for white (“going incognegro”) to investigate his brother’s arrest in the virulently racist Mississippi of early 20th century America. A great story that oughta be an HBO movie at least.
JLA/AVENGERS SC by Kurt Busiek and George Perez. Finally one of the biggest of Big Fights is collected in affordable, bookshelf-friendly, trade paperback form. From the days when Big Event comics didn’t suck and/or take all year to come out. Recommended for all ages.
JUDENHASS GN by Dave Sim. The creator of CEREBUS takes on the holocaust and its cultural and historical roots. Most interestingly Sim issues a challenge to every creator working in comics today to produce his or her own work on the holocaust as an expression of indebtedness to the American Jews who created the comics industry. It’s a thought-provoking idea, although I’m not sure I’d want Frank Miller in his current state to attempt such a thing. Like Miller, Sim is one of those rare creators whose gifts in one area stand in contrast to a baffling dysfunction in others. Regardless, this work stands on its own as a worthy addition to holocaust literature.
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS HC by Mark Evanier. Years in the making, this is Evanier’s tribute to his former boss and long-time friend, Jack Kirby, the guy who co-created the foundations of the Marvel Universe and a lot more. Already going back to press, this book is a must for all subjects of The King. Highly Recommended.
KYLE BAKER’S NAT TURNER HC & SC by KB. Collecting the complete run of Baker’s wordless comic biography of Turner, the charismatic leader of an early American slave rebellion. Violent in places but okay for teens and up.
LIBERTY COMICS: A CBLDF BENEFIT BOOK by Various Creators including Brubaker, Ennis, Cooke, Evanier, Phillips and Millar. Featuring original stories from the worlds of CRIMINAL and THE BOYS with lots of other goodies from today’s top creators. If you love comics and hate censorship this is your book!
MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST CRIME COMICS SC edited by Paul Gravett; written and drawn by Many People including Eisner, Moore, Gaiman, Spillane, Chandler, Krigstein and pre-21st Century Frank Miller (before he went insane)! Twenty-five of the best crime comics ever published. Mammoth has also issued collections (by different editors) of Best Horror, War, Zombie and New Manga Comics, but this is the one I personally had to buy.
MAN OF ROCK: A BIOGRAPHY OF JOE KUBERT SC by Bill Schelly. Tracing the life and work of the 82 year-old living legend of comics. Includes interviews with the artist, his family and colleagues going back to 1938 when he got his first job in comics at age twelve.
NEIL GAIMAN’S CORALINE GN by NG and P. Craig Russell. The story of a little girl who goes exploring in the wrong house. It was text with illustrations. Now it’s the opposite. (Also it’s an animated movie with Dakota Fanning.) P. Craig and Neil: Always a winning combination.
NORTHLANDERS by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice. This Vertigo title is actually a series of stories about (you guessed it!) Vikings (or Northlanders) and that Special Way they have of interacting with other cultures. The first arc, (“Sven the Returned”) now available in trade, was set a thousand years ago in the bleak world of the Viking village Grimness. Prince Sven, a prodigal son, returns from the Holy Land to claim his inheritance. Hijinks ensue. These bloody, fascinating adventures draw the reader in with their depictions of how desolate and empty the Vikings’ world was back then and how one determined outsider could change the entire order of such a place.
PUNISHER by Garth Ennis and Collaborators. Ennis supposedly wrapped his run on the character this year but has already come back for the six-issue PUNISHER WAR ZONE miniseries. Hopefully there will always be one more twisted Frank Castle anecdote rattling around the Ennis brainpan.
RASL written and drawn by Jeff Smith. The end of 2008 left us three issues into this intriguing sci-fi crime series about a bad scientist who takes up inter-dimensional art theft for fun and profit. Smith is taking his time, doing things his way just as he did with his earlier signature piece BONE. So far RASL is looking like a worthy follow-up.
SATCHEL PAIGE: STRIKING OUT JIM CROW HC & SC by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso. A fictionalized account of the legendary ball-player’s life, from his early days to the peak of his career in the Negro Leagues. Highly recommended, as are all of Mr. Sturm’s other works. A preview is available online at www.cartoonstudies.org
SCALPED by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. My favorite comic: The story of F.B.I. Special Agent Dash Bad Horse’s return to the Indian reservation he thought he’d escaped forever. This is a dark crime series that quickly becomes addictive as Bad Horse stares deeper and deeper into his personal abyss. Grown-ups only. Three trades out for those needing to catch up.
SCRAMBLED INK HC by A Bunch of Dreamworks Animators. A collection of stories illustrated by the folks who brought you “Shrek” among other things. There’s a preview over on the Dark Horse website and it looks beautiful.
SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST HC written and illustrated by Joshua Cotter. Observations of childhood isolation and existence in the American Midwest. With giant robots. Eisner Award- nominated.
SOLOMON KANE by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. A five issue series from Dark Horse starring the only Puritan that Ed Brubaker’s ever been a fan of! “Castle of the Devil” is an adaptation of an original tale by CONAN creator Robert E. Howard. The art is reminiscent of Michael Zulli’s colored pencil art on the last SANDMAN collection so that should give older fans an idea of how sharp it looks. This one is off the beaten path but well worth the journey.
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. This five-issue series is the first chapter of Stephen King’s epic end of the world story and the strongest graphic adaptation of King’s work I’ve ever seen. It appears to be the first arc in a series that will complete the entire novel. Hopefully Marvel Comics will be able to keep this creative team all the way through.
STAN’S SOAPBOX: THE COLLECTION SC by Da Man. Collecting every one of Smilin’ Stan Lee’s interstitial manifestos from 1967 to 1980. These were the monthly asides that made a generation of fans feel like Stan Lee was standing right behind us, whispering in our ears even when he usually wasn’t. Best of all, this book has been published to benefit the Hero Initiative (www.heroinitiative.org ), a charity for older comics creators in need. A great work for a great cause and a true geek “Must-Have!”
STREETS OF GLORY by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer. A mini-series told in flashback about the closing days of the Wild West. Extreme graphic violence, but good for fans of Garth Ennis and Clint Eastwood. Not for kids.
STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY SC by Harvey Pekar, Gary Dumm, and historian Paul Buhle. A non-fiction account of the rise and fall of one of the most ambitious and controversial activist groups of the 1960s. For grown-ups and interested parties. A very well-timed publication, although I have to admit it is a bit preachy and all over the place narratively. If nothing else it provides a cautionary tale against the idea that self-righteousness alone will carry the day.
THOR by J. Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel. This latest revival of Marvel’s resident Thunder God has been receiving well-deserved praise. Between Straczynski’s steady, deliberate pacing and Coipel’s clean, dynamic art this is the best run of the Odinson’s adventures since Walt Simonson’s. The first six issues are now out in trade.
THOREAU AT WALDEN HC by John Porcellino. A graphic adaptation of Thoreau’s writings by the creator of KING-CAT COMICS AND STORIES, published by the always inspirational Center for Cartoon Studies. This one’s already getting good reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. Teens and up.
THUNDERBOLTS by Warren Ellis and Company. For some reason Marvel entrusted one of their titles into the devious care of Warren Ellis with delightfully heinous results. These stories have been collected in two paperback volumes, FAITH IN MONSTERS and CAGED ANGELS.
TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN HC written and drawn by Alex Robinson. A really fun fantasy about a grown man sent back in time via hypnosis to the 1980s to relive high school. Hey, it worked for Batman in the fifties!
TOP TEN SEASON TWO by Zander Canon and Gene Ha. Four more issues of quality time with the good peace officers of Neopolis. Amazingly good stuff even without Alan Moore at the Sergeant’s Desk.
THE TWELVE by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston. What if 12 Golden-Age heroes did the Captain America trick and thawed out of deep-freeze in the modern world? And what if they had all sorts of quirks and character flaws typical of their times? And what if they were beautifully drawn by one of the best artists working in comics today? This 12-issue maxi-series has broad appeal for Golden-Age and Modern Age fans alike.
THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell (with a little help from James Madison). A very well-received and engaging study of a certain document that’s kept our nation up and running (for the most part) for 200-plus years.
UNKNOWN SOLDIER by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli. Author Joshua Dysart spent a month in Northern Uganda doing research for this new incarnation of Kanigher and Kubert’s classic war hero. This relatively new series has already made an impression for its unflinching look at the humanitarian disaster in which the action is set. Child soldiers, religious mania and political apathy bring about a Western doctor’s psychotic break and the rise of a new “Immortal G.I.”
WACKY PACKAGES HC by Topps. A tribute to the product parody stickers that outsold baseball cards for a while back in the seventies. Featuring an interview with artist/fan/legend Art Spiegelman.
WALKING DEAD by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. The ongoing saga of the last humans alive after a zombie plague wipes out civilization. Imagine if the Romero movies never ended. Incredible suspense and continuous surprises derived from the systematic breaking of formula. You never know who might die (or worse) next. A guaranteed gut-punch per issue. Too intense for kids, but engrossing for older readers.
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT by Greg Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico. This five-issue series reveals the life of the young Magneto living in pre-WWII Germany before he gained his powers. It’s a somber story, made more so by the absence of the usual superhero tropes and a solid historical setting. Greg Pak sheds light on the Nazi abuses that shaped an innocent kid named Max Eisenhardt into the murderous extremist he became. The creative team deserves credit for elevating what could have been a vulgar trivialization of the holocaust through their dramatic restraint and attention to historic detail. It rises above its spandex origins as only the best superhero books manage, making this very much worth a read.
X-MEN: NOIR by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. Now what if the X-Men had been created and written by pulp crime novelists back in 1930-something? Imagine Mickey Spillane writing Wolverine! This one is a pure guilty pleasure with scenes like Police Chief Magnus pistol-whipping Irish gangster Black Tom Cassidy, chiding him “I have to tell you again, I'm sending you to Irish Hell, Blackie. You won't like Irish Hell, Blackie. There's no whiskey and all the women hit back.” How can anyone resist?
Y THE LAST MAN by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. The series ended in January 2008 but is now available start to finish in paperback and hardcover. The saga of the Last Man on Earth excelled past its cheesy sci-fi premise with issue one and never looked back. A real masterpiece worthy of sitting beside WATCHMEN and SANDMAN on bookshelves everywhere. If you like this as much as Everyone did check out Vaughan’s current on-going series EX MACHINA.
www.johnjudy.net
by John Judy
This past year saw no shortage of excellent comics work in spite of a dry-spell of inverse-proportion in quality movie adaptations. (I’m looking at you, “The Spirit” and “Punisher War Zone.”)
“The Dark Knight” and “Iron Man” may have brought a few curious citizens through the doors of our nation’s comic shops, but if they came back for more it’s likely due to some of these titles being on the shelves:
AFTER 9-11: AMERICA’S WAR ON TERROR HC & SC by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon. The team behind the excellent 9-11 REPORT graphic adaptation now presents us with its tragic sequel. While the creators strive to be fair to all concerned the Bushies come off almost as badly as they deserve. Hey, misleading a nation into a bankrupting, unnecessary war will do that sometimes! Highly recommended for 4,149 reasons as of this writing.
AL JAFFE TALL TALES HC by Al Jaffe. Collecting 120 installments of the world’s first and last vertical newspaper comic-strip from the veteran MAD artist who gave us “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions” and the folding back-cover gags of about a million issues of MAD. Very cool stuff.
ALL WE EVER DO IS TALK ABOUT WOOD GN written and illustrated by Tom Horacek. A collection of Horacek’s morbidly funny single panel cartoons. Definitely for fans of Charles Addams, Edward Gorey, and Ivan Brunetti.
AMERICAN FLAGG: DEFINITIVE COLLECTION VOL. 1 HC and SC written and illustrated by Howard Chaykin. Collecting the legendary first 14 issues of the series that put Howard Chaykin on the map. Twenty-five years in the making this one’s finally coming out from Image.
AMERICAN WIDOW HC by Alissa Torres and Sungyoon Choi. A powerful, autobiographical account of Torres, a woman who lost her husband and the father of her unborn son in the attacks of 9-11. About as far from escapist fantasy as you’re going to get. Recommended but too intense for younger readers.
APOCALYPSE NERD SC written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Kim Jong Il has nuked Seattle (just go with it) and now software engineer Perry and his friend Gordo struggle to survive in the aftermath. Dark humor and adventure from the creator of HATE and THE BRADLEYS.
ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK 1 HC by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson. Collecting the first eight issues of “The Dark Age”, the story of Astro City in the seventies when the Silver Agent got whacked. Great stuff, too infrequently seen on the weekly racks.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Imagine a darker version of the Disney movie “Sky High” and that’s what you’ll find in this on-going title about young heroes being registered and drafted into their nation’s service, mental and moral fitness aside. Early issues are now available in trade paperback.
THE BAKERS: BABIES AND KITTENS HC written and illustrated by Kyle Baker, the Greatest Cartoonist of All Time. Two cats are adopted into Kyle’s home against his wishes. Hijinks ensue. Beautifully drawn hijinks. Recommended especially if you have kids who like bedtime stories of hapless daddies.
THE BOYS by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. This notorious series continues chugging along just fine since DC Comics dumped it for being a little too close to home in the superheroes it skewers. Anyway, it’s Garth Ennis and if you enjoyed his PREACHER series back in the day you’ll enjoy this as well.
CAPTAIN AMERICA by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Technically this title hasn’t featured the real Cap since Brubaker “killed” him in March 2007, but Bucky the long-lost boy sidekick and his amazing friends have been providing very respectable entertainment since then, a feat I wouldn’t have thought possible but for the talents of the creative team. Good stuff for teens and up.
CLOUDS ABOVE SC written and illustrated by Jordan Crane. A book-length, all-ages adventure of a boy and his cat. Originally a HC release in 2005 this paperback edition contains five pages of new material. Very cool with appealing qualities for young and old alike.
COMIC BOOK COMICS by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey. A bit of hyper-stylized graphic non-fiction from the geniuses who gave us ACTION PHILOSOPHERS! This time their target is the History of Comic Book Publishing in America! So far in 2008 we’ve enjoyed #1, “The Pulps” and #2, “Our Artists at War” featuring the early WWII adventures of Siegel and Shuster, Simon and Kirby, Stan Lee and Walt Disney! Previews can be found on the company website www.eviltwincomics.com if you need more proof of this title’s wonderfulness. Look for the next two issues in early 2009!
THE CREEPY ARCHIVES, VOL. 1 and 2 HCs from Dark Horse Comics. Collecting the first ten issues of this classic horror anthology magazine. At eight stories per issue you’re looking at some quantity here in addition to the quality one associates with such creators as Archie Goodwin, Gray Morrow, Alex Toth and others of that era. A pair of Must-Haves for those of us who love this stuff.
CRIMINAL by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Brubaker’s passion for noir culture in all its forms is infectious. This series traces the paths of multiple generations of dangerous losers in a city that breeds them. There are currently three trade collections out: LAWLESS, COWARD and THE DEAD AND THE DYING. All are recommended but be advised they do not contain any of the back-up text pieces featured in each of the individual comics. For those ya gotta buy the funny books. Fortunately they can be found at comic shops near you for a reasonable few bits.
THE DANGEROUS ALPHABET HC by Neil Gaiman and Gris Grimly. A dark romp through the alphabet with pirates, sewer-monsters, and organs in jars! Highly recommended for fans of Gahan Wilson and the like. Great for kids who need literacy and a good scare!
DAREDEVIL by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Brubaker continues putting the blind lawyer of Hell’s Kitchen through his paces since taking over from Brian Michael Bendis in 2006. This title is about as noir as a comic about a guy in red tights can get, but it’s interesting to see how many twists the creative team can put on a character whose challenges have for some time been more psychological than physical. Smart super-heroics need not be an oxymoron as this comic continues to demonstrate.
DOOM PATROL, VOL. 6: PLANET LOVE SC by Grant Morrison, Richard Case and Friends. The final collection of Morrison’s surreal work on DC’s original misfit super-heroes. From back in the days when Grant was forced to tell stories that could be followed by the nearly sober.
EC ARCHIVES HARDCOVERS by Bill Gaines and Company. These full-color collections from Steve Geppi’s Gemstone Publishing have been a real delight for fans of The Forbidden as well as those merely curious to see what could be so subversive in a comic that it would warrant hearings by the U.S. Congress. This year saw the publication of CRIME SUSPENSTORIES, VOL. 1; WEIRD SCIENCE, VOL.3; and TALES FROM THE CRYPT, VOL. 3. Great stuff.
ESSENTIAL DYKES TO WATCH OUT FOR HC written and drawn by Alison Bechdel. The best strips from the past eleven volumes of DTWOF, plus sixty new ones not previously collected. Twenty-five years worth of funny, opinionated, challenging stuff. Recommended, especially for Mormons and inaugural preachers.
EX MACHINA by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. We’re currently about 80% through the run on the story of Mitchell Hundred, the fictional Mayor Of New York and ex-superhero. This continues to be extremely smart story-telling for people interested in American politics, New York history and what it would be like to talk to machines. Seven volumes of trade paperbacks currently available at finer comic shops near you.
FELL by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. The stand-alone stories of Detective Richard Fell, a cop banished from his home city for some yet-unknown breach of conduct. The first trade collection FELL, VOL. 1: FERAL CITY is now available. Teens and up.
FREAK BROTHERS OMNIBUS SC by Gilbert Shelton. Just like you remember them! Although if you can remember them you were probably doing something wrong… Wait, what was I saying...? Recommended.
THE GOON written and drawn by Eric Powell. This brutal supernatural comedy adventure draws you in with scraps of dialogue that justify their existence outside of any context whatsoever. It helps to know the backstory of Powell’s violent anti-hero but it’s not essential for enjoying the demented ride of this multiple-Eisner award winning series. Currently available in one hardcover and six softcover collections.
GREEN LANTERN by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Mike McKone. In brightest day, in blackest night, Johns and his rotating crew of artists have completely reinvigorated this character as the lead in a huge sci-fi space opera with a touch of police procedural. Lots of trade collections can help you get up to speed, just be sure they have Geoff Johns’ name in the credits.
HARVEY COMICS CLASSICS VOL. 3: HOT STUFF SC by Various Creators. Collecting over 100 tales of comics’ original Little Devil, the Demon in a Diaper: HOT STUFF! A perfect gateway for all age groups into hardcore Satanism! A great follow-up to the earlier Harvey collections of CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST and RICHIE RICH. Appropriate for all ages, but especially five year-old boys who can’t get enough of this stuff before bedtime.
HARVEY PEKAR: CONVERSATIONS edited by Michael G. Rhode. A treasure trove of interviews with the creator of AMERICAN SPLENDOR, spanning the years 1984 through 2007. Full disclosure: I’ve known editor Mike Rhode for a number of years and have written for his excellent website ComicsDC@blogspot.com. That said, I’ve never liked the creep and would not recommend his book if it weren’t a superb bit of scholarship about a significant creator in the American comics scene. Check it out.
HOLMES GN written and illustrated by Omaha Perez. Author Perez explains it best: “What if Sherlock Holmes is constantly out of his head and Watson’s not much better off, the Dr. Gonzo to Holmes’s Raoul Duke?” Teens and up.
HOLY SH*T!: THE WORLD’S WEIRDEST COMIC BOOKS HC by Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. What it sounds like: Dozens of examples from all over the globe of the most bizarre, hilarious, disturbing curiosities ever to appear in sequential-graphic form. Sadly such a work can never be a definitive edition because Rob Liefeld and Frank Miller continue to publish new material. Worth having anyway.
HOUDINI: THE HANDCUFF KING SC by Jason Lutes and Nick Bertozzi. An informative episode from the life of the world’s most famous magician/escape artist. (Go away, Blaine, we’re not talking about you. Ever.)
HOW TO DRAW STUPID SC by Kyle Baker. For anybody who ever wondered how Kyle Baker does it “and how you can too!” Sadly there is nothing in here about how to get the next issue of SPECIAL FORCES on the rack. Still recommended because Baker is a gol-darn genius!
HOWARD THE DUCK OMNIBUS HC by Steve Gerber and Many Worthy Collaborators. Like Marvel couldn’t have done this while Gerber (1947-2008) was still alive… Recommended anyway because this is really great stuff. As close to the subversion of the underground comix as mainstream super companies ever got. R.I.P. Mr. Gerber. You are missed.
I SHALL DESTROY ALL CIVILIZED PLANETS: THE COMICS OF FLETCHER HANKS SC by Fletcher Hanks and Paul Karasik. A collection of the weirdly brilliant Golden-Age comics of Hanks, followed by the sad epilogue in which Karasik tracks down the artist’s only surviving relative to learn of his ultimate fate. Disturbing but moving stuff.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, David Aja and Others. Since 2006 the crew on this book has taken a character who was mostly a C-lister and built an extremely credible mythology around him. Danny Rand, the Living Weapon of Kun-Lun and possessor of the Iron Fist, has turned into an interesting guy with a history and legacy going back quite a ways. The occasional peeks into the past and future of individuals entrusted with the Fist don’t always have a direct bearing on the main story, but they add to it in little ways that make the whole saga more enjoyable. We’re now up to three trade paperbacks and the on-going monthly if you’re just joining our program.
INCOGNEGRO HC by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. Part-Mystery, Part-History describes this story of a light-skinned Northern black man passing for white (“going incognegro”) to investigate his brother’s arrest in the virulently racist Mississippi of early 20th century America. A great story that oughta be an HBO movie at least.
JLA/AVENGERS SC by Kurt Busiek and George Perez. Finally one of the biggest of Big Fights is collected in affordable, bookshelf-friendly, trade paperback form. From the days when Big Event comics didn’t suck and/or take all year to come out. Recommended for all ages.
JUDENHASS GN by Dave Sim. The creator of CEREBUS takes on the holocaust and its cultural and historical roots. Most interestingly Sim issues a challenge to every creator working in comics today to produce his or her own work on the holocaust as an expression of indebtedness to the American Jews who created the comics industry. It’s a thought-provoking idea, although I’m not sure I’d want Frank Miller in his current state to attempt such a thing. Like Miller, Sim is one of those rare creators whose gifts in one area stand in contrast to a baffling dysfunction in others. Regardless, this work stands on its own as a worthy addition to holocaust literature.
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS HC by Mark Evanier. Years in the making, this is Evanier’s tribute to his former boss and long-time friend, Jack Kirby, the guy who co-created the foundations of the Marvel Universe and a lot more. Already going back to press, this book is a must for all subjects of The King. Highly Recommended.
KYLE BAKER’S NAT TURNER HC & SC by KB. Collecting the complete run of Baker’s wordless comic biography of Turner, the charismatic leader of an early American slave rebellion. Violent in places but okay for teens and up.
LIBERTY COMICS: A CBLDF BENEFIT BOOK by Various Creators including Brubaker, Ennis, Cooke, Evanier, Phillips and Millar. Featuring original stories from the worlds of CRIMINAL and THE BOYS with lots of other goodies from today’s top creators. If you love comics and hate censorship this is your book!
MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST CRIME COMICS SC edited by Paul Gravett; written and drawn by Many People including Eisner, Moore, Gaiman, Spillane, Chandler, Krigstein and pre-21st Century Frank Miller (before he went insane)! Twenty-five of the best crime comics ever published. Mammoth has also issued collections (by different editors) of Best Horror, War, Zombie and New Manga Comics, but this is the one I personally had to buy.
MAN OF ROCK: A BIOGRAPHY OF JOE KUBERT SC by Bill Schelly. Tracing the life and work of the 82 year-old living legend of comics. Includes interviews with the artist, his family and colleagues going back to 1938 when he got his first job in comics at age twelve.
NEIL GAIMAN’S CORALINE GN by NG and P. Craig Russell. The story of a little girl who goes exploring in the wrong house. It was text with illustrations. Now it’s the opposite. (Also it’s an animated movie with Dakota Fanning.) P. Craig and Neil: Always a winning combination.
NORTHLANDERS by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice. This Vertigo title is actually a series of stories about (you guessed it!) Vikings (or Northlanders) and that Special Way they have of interacting with other cultures. The first arc, (“Sven the Returned”) now available in trade, was set a thousand years ago in the bleak world of the Viking village Grimness. Prince Sven, a prodigal son, returns from the Holy Land to claim his inheritance. Hijinks ensue. These bloody, fascinating adventures draw the reader in with their depictions of how desolate and empty the Vikings’ world was back then and how one determined outsider could change the entire order of such a place.
PUNISHER by Garth Ennis and Collaborators. Ennis supposedly wrapped his run on the character this year but has already come back for the six-issue PUNISHER WAR ZONE miniseries. Hopefully there will always be one more twisted Frank Castle anecdote rattling around the Ennis brainpan.
RASL written and drawn by Jeff Smith. The end of 2008 left us three issues into this intriguing sci-fi crime series about a bad scientist who takes up inter-dimensional art theft for fun and profit. Smith is taking his time, doing things his way just as he did with his earlier signature piece BONE. So far RASL is looking like a worthy follow-up.
SATCHEL PAIGE: STRIKING OUT JIM CROW HC & SC by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso. A fictionalized account of the legendary ball-player’s life, from his early days to the peak of his career in the Negro Leagues. Highly recommended, as are all of Mr. Sturm’s other works. A preview is available online at www.cartoonstudies.org
SCALPED by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. My favorite comic: The story of F.B.I. Special Agent Dash Bad Horse’s return to the Indian reservation he thought he’d escaped forever. This is a dark crime series that quickly becomes addictive as Bad Horse stares deeper and deeper into his personal abyss. Grown-ups only. Three trades out for those needing to catch up.
SCRAMBLED INK HC by A Bunch of Dreamworks Animators. A collection of stories illustrated by the folks who brought you “Shrek” among other things. There’s a preview over on the Dark Horse website and it looks beautiful.
SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST HC written and illustrated by Joshua Cotter. Observations of childhood isolation and existence in the American Midwest. With giant robots. Eisner Award- nominated.
SOLOMON KANE by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. A five issue series from Dark Horse starring the only Puritan that Ed Brubaker’s ever been a fan of! “Castle of the Devil” is an adaptation of an original tale by CONAN creator Robert E. Howard. The art is reminiscent of Michael Zulli’s colored pencil art on the last SANDMAN collection so that should give older fans an idea of how sharp it looks. This one is off the beaten path but well worth the journey.
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. This five-issue series is the first chapter of Stephen King’s epic end of the world story and the strongest graphic adaptation of King’s work I’ve ever seen. It appears to be the first arc in a series that will complete the entire novel. Hopefully Marvel Comics will be able to keep this creative team all the way through.
STAN’S SOAPBOX: THE COLLECTION SC by Da Man. Collecting every one of Smilin’ Stan Lee’s interstitial manifestos from 1967 to 1980. These were the monthly asides that made a generation of fans feel like Stan Lee was standing right behind us, whispering in our ears even when he usually wasn’t. Best of all, this book has been published to benefit the Hero Initiative (www.heroinitiative.org ), a charity for older comics creators in need. A great work for a great cause and a true geek “Must-Have!”
STREETS OF GLORY by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer. A mini-series told in flashback about the closing days of the Wild West. Extreme graphic violence, but good for fans of Garth Ennis and Clint Eastwood. Not for kids.
STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY SC by Harvey Pekar, Gary Dumm, and historian Paul Buhle. A non-fiction account of the rise and fall of one of the most ambitious and controversial activist groups of the 1960s. For grown-ups and interested parties. A very well-timed publication, although I have to admit it is a bit preachy and all over the place narratively. If nothing else it provides a cautionary tale against the idea that self-righteousness alone will carry the day.
THOR by J. Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel. This latest revival of Marvel’s resident Thunder God has been receiving well-deserved praise. Between Straczynski’s steady, deliberate pacing and Coipel’s clean, dynamic art this is the best run of the Odinson’s adventures since Walt Simonson’s. The first six issues are now out in trade.
THOREAU AT WALDEN HC by John Porcellino. A graphic adaptation of Thoreau’s writings by the creator of KING-CAT COMICS AND STORIES, published by the always inspirational Center for Cartoon Studies. This one’s already getting good reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal. Teens and up.
THUNDERBOLTS by Warren Ellis and Company. For some reason Marvel entrusted one of their titles into the devious care of Warren Ellis with delightfully heinous results. These stories have been collected in two paperback volumes, FAITH IN MONSTERS and CAGED ANGELS.
TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN HC written and drawn by Alex Robinson. A really fun fantasy about a grown man sent back in time via hypnosis to the 1980s to relive high school. Hey, it worked for Batman in the fifties!
TOP TEN SEASON TWO by Zander Canon and Gene Ha. Four more issues of quality time with the good peace officers of Neopolis. Amazingly good stuff even without Alan Moore at the Sergeant’s Desk.
THE TWELVE by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston. What if 12 Golden-Age heroes did the Captain America trick and thawed out of deep-freeze in the modern world? And what if they had all sorts of quirks and character flaws typical of their times? And what if they were beautifully drawn by one of the best artists working in comics today? This 12-issue maxi-series has broad appeal for Golden-Age and Modern Age fans alike.
THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell (with a little help from James Madison). A very well-received and engaging study of a certain document that’s kept our nation up and running (for the most part) for 200-plus years.
UNKNOWN SOLDIER by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli. Author Joshua Dysart spent a month in Northern Uganda doing research for this new incarnation of Kanigher and Kubert’s classic war hero. This relatively new series has already made an impression for its unflinching look at the humanitarian disaster in which the action is set. Child soldiers, religious mania and political apathy bring about a Western doctor’s psychotic break and the rise of a new “Immortal G.I.”
WACKY PACKAGES HC by Topps. A tribute to the product parody stickers that outsold baseball cards for a while back in the seventies. Featuring an interview with artist/fan/legend Art Spiegelman.
WALKING DEAD by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. The ongoing saga of the last humans alive after a zombie plague wipes out civilization. Imagine if the Romero movies never ended. Incredible suspense and continuous surprises derived from the systematic breaking of formula. You never know who might die (or worse) next. A guaranteed gut-punch per issue. Too intense for kids, but engrossing for older readers.
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT by Greg Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico. This five-issue series reveals the life of the young Magneto living in pre-WWII Germany before he gained his powers. It’s a somber story, made more so by the absence of the usual superhero tropes and a solid historical setting. Greg Pak sheds light on the Nazi abuses that shaped an innocent kid named Max Eisenhardt into the murderous extremist he became. The creative team deserves credit for elevating what could have been a vulgar trivialization of the holocaust through their dramatic restraint and attention to historic detail. It rises above its spandex origins as only the best superhero books manage, making this very much worth a read.
X-MEN: NOIR by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. Now what if the X-Men had been created and written by pulp crime novelists back in 1930-something? Imagine Mickey Spillane writing Wolverine! This one is a pure guilty pleasure with scenes like Police Chief Magnus pistol-whipping Irish gangster Black Tom Cassidy, chiding him “I have to tell you again, I'm sending you to Irish Hell, Blackie. You won't like Irish Hell, Blackie. There's no whiskey and all the women hit back.” How can anyone resist?
Y THE LAST MAN by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. The series ended in January 2008 but is now available start to finish in paperback and hardcover. The saga of the Last Man on Earth excelled past its cheesy sci-fi premise with issue one and never looked back. A real masterpiece worthy of sitting beside WATCHMEN and SANDMAN on bookshelves everywhere. If you like this as much as Everyone did check out Vaughan’s current on-going series EX MACHINA.
www.johnjudy.net
Sunday, December 28, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE FRIDAY (Not Wednesday) 01-02-09
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE FRIDAY (Not Wednesday) 01-02-09
By John Judy
(Why kiss a loved one at midnight when you could be reading comics?!)
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: TIL DEATH #2 written and drawn by David Lapham. The creator of STRAY BULLETS is delivering his strongest work (and best 30 DAYS series) in a long time. Definitely worth a look if you think the world post-Barrow has been a bit of a let-down.
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #20 by Dan Slott, Christos Gage and Steve Kurth. Lots of post- Secret Invasion doings as the real Hank Pym returns and Mutant Zero stands revealed.
BATMAN: CACOPHONY #2 of 3 by Kevin Smith and Walt J. Flanagan. The Good News: Kevin Smith managed to hit a deadline on a monthly book. The Bad News: Did you see issue one?
CAPTAIN AMERICA #45 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross. Bucky America has to beat the French fiend Batroc the Leaper and find whoever’s left of the Invaders. I recommend shouting in German and checking Facebook.
FANTASTIC FOUR #562 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. The funeral of the Invisible Woman. They say it’s empty casket but how can you tell?
FINAL CRISIS: SECRET FILES #1 by Various Creators. Perhaps this will reveal the secret of why FINAL CRISIS is taking so long to wrap up already.
GOON #31 written and drawn by Eric Powell. “That’s the man who killed Kizzie! And it’s long past time that I dealt with him!” Highly recommended.
GREEN LANTERN #36 by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke. Hal and the gang rush to duke it out with the wrathful Red Lanterns while the Controllers seek out the greed-powered Orange Lanterns. So “Orange = Greed.” A subtle swipe at a certain California county? Why not?
INCOGNITO #1 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. This new series is why CRIMINAL is going on hiatus so it must, must, must be awesome! Thankfully it looks like it is. The premise: What if you were a super-villain in Federal Witness Protection and you just couldn’t stand it anymore? Highly Recommended.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #28 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. The JLA versus the Shadow Cabinet. Watch for flying splinters.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #22 by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Gog’s big, fat other shoe has dropped and now it’s time to throw it at him. Big Fight!
KICK-ASS #5 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Remember this series? Issue four came out in August. Look for the trade collection of the first six issues in December of 2008. Oh, wait….
MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #2 of 6 by Kurt Busiek and Jay Anacieto. Photojournalist Phil Sheldon is still tracking the super goings-on in the Marvel Universe but he’s got troubles of his own. Cancer. An engaging follow-up to the classic MARVELS series.
NORTHLANDERS #13 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. The Irish guerilla and the Viking enforcer finally come face to face and it ain’t gonna be resolved with a drinking contest. Great stuff. Recommended.
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #4 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Wow, so it looks like this comic has already outlasted its namesake’s run in theatres. Deservedly so. Anyway, it looks like Frank’s gonna have to take out an army of Ma Gnucci zombie-clones. Seriously. Recommended, but not for kids or people with a low tolerance for the Ennis-style dark, silly humor.
SCALPED #24 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. My favorite comic continues to come out despite the best efforts of the buying public to keep it down on The Rez. Too intense for kids and those with a low tolerance for Total Awesomeness. Highly recommended.
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #4 of 5 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. It’s the end of the world as we know it and it looks fine! The best adaptation yet of Stephen King’s epic novel. Recommended!
SUPERMAN #683 by James Robinson, Geoff Johns and Renato Guedes. Imagine if you tried passing discriminatory laws like California’s Prop 8 against 100,000 people, each with the all powers of Superman. An intriguing issue.
ULTIMATE HULK ANNUAL #1 by Jeph Loeb and Marko Djurdjevic. This is quite an accomplishment since Ultimate Hulk never actually had his own series. Anyway, for some reason the mass-murdering Hulk of the Ultimates Universe is teaming up with the mass-murdering Power Princess from the Squadron Supreme Universe. Makes you wonder what these crazy kids will get up to, doesn’t it?
WOLVERINE #70 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. The twisted alternate future road-trip continues with blind Hawkeye doing the violence and Old Man Logan not. Impressive they’ve maintained such a status quo all the way through part five of eight of this entertaining story.
WOLVERINE: MANIFEST DESTINY #3 of 4 by Jason Aaron and Stephen Segovia. Wolverine must unite all the kung-fu schools in Chinatown to defeat the Black Dragon Tong. And that, my friends, is a movie! If you enjoy these Jason Aaron Wolverine stories as much as I, do yourself a favor and pick up his other title, SCALPED. You’ll have the rest of your life to thank me.
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT #4 of 5 by Greg Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico. Young Magneto finds himself in Auschwitz. It bears repeating that this is a genuinely powerful series, focusing less on super-heroics and super-villainy than on the horrors of a Jewish boy’s coming of age during the holocaust. Both Pak and Di Giandomenico deserve credit for taking what could have been a hideous trivialization of the 20th century’s darkest moment and making it into something both restrained and moving. Highly recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
(Why kiss a loved one at midnight when you could be reading comics?!)
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: TIL DEATH #2 written and drawn by David Lapham. The creator of STRAY BULLETS is delivering his strongest work (and best 30 DAYS series) in a long time. Definitely worth a look if you think the world post-Barrow has been a bit of a let-down.
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #20 by Dan Slott, Christos Gage and Steve Kurth. Lots of post- Secret Invasion doings as the real Hank Pym returns and Mutant Zero stands revealed.
BATMAN: CACOPHONY #2 of 3 by Kevin Smith and Walt J. Flanagan. The Good News: Kevin Smith managed to hit a deadline on a monthly book. The Bad News: Did you see issue one?
CAPTAIN AMERICA #45 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross. Bucky America has to beat the French fiend Batroc the Leaper and find whoever’s left of the Invaders. I recommend shouting in German and checking Facebook.
FANTASTIC FOUR #562 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. The funeral of the Invisible Woman. They say it’s empty casket but how can you tell?
FINAL CRISIS: SECRET FILES #1 by Various Creators. Perhaps this will reveal the secret of why FINAL CRISIS is taking so long to wrap up already.
GOON #31 written and drawn by Eric Powell. “That’s the man who killed Kizzie! And it’s long past time that I dealt with him!” Highly recommended.
GREEN LANTERN #36 by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke. Hal and the gang rush to duke it out with the wrathful Red Lanterns while the Controllers seek out the greed-powered Orange Lanterns. So “Orange = Greed.” A subtle swipe at a certain California county? Why not?
INCOGNITO #1 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. This new series is why CRIMINAL is going on hiatus so it must, must, must be awesome! Thankfully it looks like it is. The premise: What if you were a super-villain in Federal Witness Protection and you just couldn’t stand it anymore? Highly Recommended.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #28 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. The JLA versus the Shadow Cabinet. Watch for flying splinters.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #22 by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Gog’s big, fat other shoe has dropped and now it’s time to throw it at him. Big Fight!
KICK-ASS #5 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Remember this series? Issue four came out in August. Look for the trade collection of the first six issues in December of 2008. Oh, wait….
MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #2 of 6 by Kurt Busiek and Jay Anacieto. Photojournalist Phil Sheldon is still tracking the super goings-on in the Marvel Universe but he’s got troubles of his own. Cancer. An engaging follow-up to the classic MARVELS series.
NORTHLANDERS #13 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. The Irish guerilla and the Viking enforcer finally come face to face and it ain’t gonna be resolved with a drinking contest. Great stuff. Recommended.
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #4 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Wow, so it looks like this comic has already outlasted its namesake’s run in theatres. Deservedly so. Anyway, it looks like Frank’s gonna have to take out an army of Ma Gnucci zombie-clones. Seriously. Recommended, but not for kids or people with a low tolerance for the Ennis-style dark, silly humor.
SCALPED #24 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. My favorite comic continues to come out despite the best efforts of the buying public to keep it down on The Rez. Too intense for kids and those with a low tolerance for Total Awesomeness. Highly recommended.
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #4 of 5 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. It’s the end of the world as we know it and it looks fine! The best adaptation yet of Stephen King’s epic novel. Recommended!
SUPERMAN #683 by James Robinson, Geoff Johns and Renato Guedes. Imagine if you tried passing discriminatory laws like California’s Prop 8 against 100,000 people, each with the all powers of Superman. An intriguing issue.
ULTIMATE HULK ANNUAL #1 by Jeph Loeb and Marko Djurdjevic. This is quite an accomplishment since Ultimate Hulk never actually had his own series. Anyway, for some reason the mass-murdering Hulk of the Ultimates Universe is teaming up with the mass-murdering Power Princess from the Squadron Supreme Universe. Makes you wonder what these crazy kids will get up to, doesn’t it?
WOLVERINE #70 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. The twisted alternate future road-trip continues with blind Hawkeye doing the violence and Old Man Logan not. Impressive they’ve maintained such a status quo all the way through part five of eight of this entertaining story.
WOLVERINE: MANIFEST DESTINY #3 of 4 by Jason Aaron and Stephen Segovia. Wolverine must unite all the kung-fu schools in Chinatown to defeat the Black Dragon Tong. And that, my friends, is a movie! If you enjoy these Jason Aaron Wolverine stories as much as I, do yourself a favor and pick up his other title, SCALPED. You’ll have the rest of your life to thank me.
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT #4 of 5 by Greg Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico. Young Magneto finds himself in Auschwitz. It bears repeating that this is a genuinely powerful series, focusing less on super-heroics and super-villainy than on the horrors of a Jewish boy’s coming of age during the holocaust. Both Pak and Di Giandomenico deserve credit for taking what could have been a hideous trivialization of the 20th century’s darkest moment and making it into something both restrained and moving. Highly recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
Sunday, December 21, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 12-24-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 12-24-08
By John “Krampus” Judy
(Wishing you and yours a Super Saturnalia and a Sizzlin’ Solstice!)
AMERICAN FLAGG DEFINITIVE COLLECTION, VOL. 1 TP written and drawn by Howard Chaykin. The first seven issues of the Eagle Award-winning sci-fi cop adventure series that put Chaykin on the map!
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #11 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. Guest-starring Invincible, who had better hope he can live up to his name.
BATMAN #683 by Grant Morrison and Lee Garbett. More musings and strung together vignettes from Morrison’s batcave opium dream.
BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #3 written and drawn by Mike Kunkel. The continuing saga of Captain Marvel versus Black Adam, told in an all-ages appropriate style. Fun, out of continuity stuff!
DAREDEVIL #114 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. High-kickin’, ninja-killin’, blind as a bat, kung-fu action! Recommended!
HULK #9 by Jeph Loeb, Art Adams and Frank Cho. If you liked last issue you’ll like this one too!
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #21 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. The Iron Fist of the future fights a kung-fu robot! Honest!
NEW AVENGERS #48 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. There have been a few changes in the line-up since Norman Osborn took over the show from Tony Stark. Hence the “New” in the title.
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. The Magic Eightball of the comics biz!
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #3 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Spare yourself the pain. Skip the movie and buy the comic. Recommended.
THOR #12 by J. Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel. Sure, Loki’s schemes are bound to put Asgard in a tizzy right quick, but what’s it all mean to Broxton, Oklahoma? Will the wavin’ wheat still smell sweet? The wheat-watch starts here!
TOP TEN SEASON TWO #3 of 4 by Zander Canon and Gene Ha. More quality time with the good peace officers of Neopolis. Amazingly good stuff even without Alan Moore. Recommended.
ULTIMATUM #2 of 5 by Jeph Loeb and David Finch. Glug, glug, glug, Magneto, glug, glug, glug…
UNKNOWN SOLDIER #3 by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli. The Doctor becomes The Soldier in this latest iteration of the classic DC war hero. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
By John “Krampus” Judy
(Wishing you and yours a Super Saturnalia and a Sizzlin’ Solstice!)
AMERICAN FLAGG DEFINITIVE COLLECTION, VOL. 1 TP written and drawn by Howard Chaykin. The first seven issues of the Eagle Award-winning sci-fi cop adventure series that put Chaykin on the map!
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #11 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. Guest-starring Invincible, who had better hope he can live up to his name.
BATMAN #683 by Grant Morrison and Lee Garbett. More musings and strung together vignettes from Morrison’s batcave opium dream.
BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #3 written and drawn by Mike Kunkel. The continuing saga of Captain Marvel versus Black Adam, told in an all-ages appropriate style. Fun, out of continuity stuff!
DAREDEVIL #114 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. High-kickin’, ninja-killin’, blind as a bat, kung-fu action! Recommended!
HULK #9 by Jeph Loeb, Art Adams and Frank Cho. If you liked last issue you’ll like this one too!
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #21 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. The Iron Fist of the future fights a kung-fu robot! Honest!
NEW AVENGERS #48 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. There have been a few changes in the line-up since Norman Osborn took over the show from Tony Stark. Hence the “New” in the title.
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. The Magic Eightball of the comics biz!
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #3 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Spare yourself the pain. Skip the movie and buy the comic. Recommended.
THOR #12 by J. Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel. Sure, Loki’s schemes are bound to put Asgard in a tizzy right quick, but what’s it all mean to Broxton, Oklahoma? Will the wavin’ wheat still smell sweet? The wheat-watch starts here!
TOP TEN SEASON TWO #3 of 4 by Zander Canon and Gene Ha. More quality time with the good peace officers of Neopolis. Amazingly good stuff even without Alan Moore. Recommended.
ULTIMATUM #2 of 5 by Jeph Loeb and David Finch. Glug, glug, glug, Magneto, glug, glug, glug…
UNKNOWN SOLDIER #3 by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli. The Doctor becomes The Soldier in this latest iteration of the classic DC war hero. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
Monday, December 15, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE 12-17-08
QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE 12-17-08
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #581 by Dan Slott and Mike McKone. So how did Harry Osborn come back to life anyway?
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #19 by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Okay, so the Skrull invasion ended a week or so ago but some of these titles are still catching up with the Big Fights and such. Watch Dan Slott make it work. It’s eerie.
BEANWORLD HOLIDAY SPECIAL ONE-SHOT written a drawn by Larry Marder. Dark Horse Comics gives us the first new BEANWORLD in over a decade. Reads a bit like LITTLE NEMO. Looks a bit like nothing else. Not saying you should alter your consciousness before reading but neither am I saying you shouldn’t.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 by Jeph Loeb, Georges Jeanty and Eric Wright. A Buffy comic inspired by the Buffy animated series that never was. And yes, you can detect a distinct SCOOBY-DOO influence.
DARK REIGN: NEW NATION #1 by Lotsa People. Basically giving you the lay of the new Marvel Universe, post-Skrull, in the Age of Osborn.
DCU HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2008 by Various Creators. Your yearly anthology of all-ages fun. Makes a great stocking stuffer!
EX MACHINA #40 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. A stand-alone story of Mayor Hundred’s search for a biographer who can do graphic novels. Such a cool series. Recommended.
GHOST RIDER #30 by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat. League of Extraordinary Ghost Riders? Ghost Rider League of America? The X-Ghost Riders? There’s more than one is what I’m getting at here…
HELLBLAZER #250 by Lots of Amazing Talent. Featuring five tales of John Constantine and the holidays. Your must-have Vertigo book of the month!
MIGHTY AVENGERS #20 by Brian Michael Bendis and Khoi Pham. The Wasp is dead. We’re almost certain of it. Set your resurrection clocks… NOW!
PUNISHER MAX #65 by Gregg Hurwitz and Laurence Campbell. Punisher versus Jigsaw in old Mexico. The fur will fly. Not for kids.
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #2 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Tony Harris. Ma Gnucci is challenging Jigsaw for the title of “Punisher Foe Who Remains Alive Beyond All Reasonable Expectation.” It’s Ennis so expect depravity on a Roman scale. Recommended.
SPIDER-MAN: NOIR #1 of 4 by David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky. Based on the excellence of X-MEN: NOIR I’m already calling this the coolest alternate universe in years! Iconic Marvel characters done up thirties gangland style. “Wid great power dere comes watchya call yer great responsibility, see?” Recommended!
SUPERGIRL #36 by Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle. SG’s dad, Zor-El, just got kryptonite-lasered through the heart. Hope he’s okay.
THUNDERBOLTS #127 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. The old order changeth. The hard way. Will Songbird survive Bullseye’s undivided attention? Gotta look!
WALKING DEAD #56 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. Kirkman/Adlard trees bear strange fruit. Brrr… Not for kids. Recommended.
X-MEN LEGACY #219 by Mike Carey and Phil Briones. Professor X versus Juggernaut. This could be a real short issue….
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #581 by Dan Slott and Mike McKone. So how did Harry Osborn come back to life anyway?
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #19 by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Okay, so the Skrull invasion ended a week or so ago but some of these titles are still catching up with the Big Fights and such. Watch Dan Slott make it work. It’s eerie.
BEANWORLD HOLIDAY SPECIAL ONE-SHOT written a drawn by Larry Marder. Dark Horse Comics gives us the first new BEANWORLD in over a decade. Reads a bit like LITTLE NEMO. Looks a bit like nothing else. Not saying you should alter your consciousness before reading but neither am I saying you shouldn’t.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 by Jeph Loeb, Georges Jeanty and Eric Wright. A Buffy comic inspired by the Buffy animated series that never was. And yes, you can detect a distinct SCOOBY-DOO influence.
DARK REIGN: NEW NATION #1 by Lotsa People. Basically giving you the lay of the new Marvel Universe, post-Skrull, in the Age of Osborn.
DCU HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2008 by Various Creators. Your yearly anthology of all-ages fun. Makes a great stocking stuffer!
EX MACHINA #40 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. A stand-alone story of Mayor Hundred’s search for a biographer who can do graphic novels. Such a cool series. Recommended.
GHOST RIDER #30 by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat. League of Extraordinary Ghost Riders? Ghost Rider League of America? The X-Ghost Riders? There’s more than one is what I’m getting at here…
HELLBLAZER #250 by Lots of Amazing Talent. Featuring five tales of John Constantine and the holidays. Your must-have Vertigo book of the month!
MIGHTY AVENGERS #20 by Brian Michael Bendis and Khoi Pham. The Wasp is dead. We’re almost certain of it. Set your resurrection clocks… NOW!
PUNISHER MAX #65 by Gregg Hurwitz and Laurence Campbell. Punisher versus Jigsaw in old Mexico. The fur will fly. Not for kids.
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #2 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Tony Harris. Ma Gnucci is challenging Jigsaw for the title of “Punisher Foe Who Remains Alive Beyond All Reasonable Expectation.” It’s Ennis so expect depravity on a Roman scale. Recommended.
SPIDER-MAN: NOIR #1 of 4 by David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky. Based on the excellence of X-MEN: NOIR I’m already calling this the coolest alternate universe in years! Iconic Marvel characters done up thirties gangland style. “Wid great power dere comes watchya call yer great responsibility, see?” Recommended!
SUPERGIRL #36 by Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle. SG’s dad, Zor-El, just got kryptonite-lasered through the heart. Hope he’s okay.
THUNDERBOLTS #127 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. The old order changeth. The hard way. Will Songbird survive Bullseye’s undivided attention? Gotta look!
WALKING DEAD #56 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. Kirkman/Adlard trees bear strange fruit. Brrr… Not for kids. Recommended.
X-MEN LEGACY #219 by Mike Carey and Phil Briones. Professor X versus Juggernaut. This could be a real short issue….
www.johnjudy.net
Monday, December 08, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 12-10-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 12-10-08
By John Judy
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: TIL DEATH #1 written and drawn by David Lapham. The old guard vampires are thinning out the new herd of reckless punks and one of them has gone to ground. What could go wrong? The creator of STRAY BULLETS and YOUNG LIARS brings his uniquely twisted perspective to the universe, post-Barrow.
ACTION COMICS #872 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. The original Creature Commandos are back. How great is that? Recommended.
ASTONISHING X-MEN: GHOST BOXES #2 of 2 by Warren Ellis, Clayton Crain and Kaare Andrews. Dark, dark alternate future stuff from that nice Mister Ellis, just the way you like it. Recommended.
BPRD: WAR ON FROGS #2 by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and John Severin. The Bureau takes on Frog-Monsters, drawn by comics legend John Severin!
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 #8 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. Really clever super-team adventures in the English way. Worth a butcher’s, wot?
FINAL CRISIS #5 of 7 by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones and Carlos Pacheco. Evil is triumphant! Anti-Life holds dominion over all! Kegger at Darkseid’s! Whoooo!!!
FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #4 of 5 by Greg Rucka and Philip Tan. If you’re a fan of Rucka, the Spectre and/or the new Question you’ll feel bad if you don’t read this. Hot Spear of Destiny action!
HERBIE ARCHIVES, VOL. 2 HC by Shane O’Shea and Ogden Whitney. Collecting issues #6-14 of the original Fat Fury, Herbie Popnecker, the most powerful endomorph ever to walk the Earth. Fun for all ages!
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. A new arc that “integrates” the heroes of the much-missed Milestone Comics heroes into the mainstream DCU. For those of us who were there in the nineties this is very cool stuff indeed. Recommended, especially for those who like our super-teams visually distinguishable from an Elks Club meeting.
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE#1 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Maybe it was the excitement of the new movie but these crazy kids just couldn’t stay away from comicdom’s favorite pistol-packin’ vigilante! Or maybe it was the money. Nonetheless, it’s Ennis back on PUNISHER. Gotta look! Not for kids.
SECRET INVASION: DARK REIGN #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. So let’s talk about the New World Order in which psycho-villain Norman Osborn runs everything…
TRANSFORMERS MAXIMUM DINOBOTS #1 by Simon Furman and Nick Roche. Really this is just a reminder to myself to pick one up for my kid. Love those dinobots!
WATCHMEN #1 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Hey look! That new movie on the internets already has a comic book adaptation! Seriously, it’s a reprinting of one of the most important comics in history at its original 1986 cover price. Beyond recommended.
WOLVERINE: FLIES TO A SPIDER #1 by Gregg Hurwitz and Jerome Opena. Wolvie chops up some bikers for New Years. A tradition is born!
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1 of 8 by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. Bringing the L. Frank Baum classic to sequential paneled life! Good for all ages!
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: TIL DEATH #1 written and drawn by David Lapham. The old guard vampires are thinning out the new herd of reckless punks and one of them has gone to ground. What could go wrong? The creator of STRAY BULLETS and YOUNG LIARS brings his uniquely twisted perspective to the universe, post-Barrow.
ACTION COMICS #872 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. The original Creature Commandos are back. How great is that? Recommended.
ASTONISHING X-MEN: GHOST BOXES #2 of 2 by Warren Ellis, Clayton Crain and Kaare Andrews. Dark, dark alternate future stuff from that nice Mister Ellis, just the way you like it. Recommended.
BPRD: WAR ON FROGS #2 by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and John Severin. The Bureau takes on Frog-Monsters, drawn by comics legend John Severin!
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 #8 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. Really clever super-team adventures in the English way. Worth a butcher’s, wot?
FINAL CRISIS #5 of 7 by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones and Carlos Pacheco. Evil is triumphant! Anti-Life holds dominion over all! Kegger at Darkseid’s! Whoooo!!!
FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #4 of 5 by Greg Rucka and Philip Tan. If you’re a fan of Rucka, the Spectre and/or the new Question you’ll feel bad if you don’t read this. Hot Spear of Destiny action!
HERBIE ARCHIVES, VOL. 2 HC by Shane O’Shea and Ogden Whitney. Collecting issues #6-14 of the original Fat Fury, Herbie Popnecker, the most powerful endomorph ever to walk the Earth. Fun for all ages!
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. A new arc that “integrates” the heroes of the much-missed Milestone Comics heroes into the mainstream DCU. For those of us who were there in the nineties this is very cool stuff indeed. Recommended, especially for those who like our super-teams visually distinguishable from an Elks Club meeting.
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE#1 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Maybe it was the excitement of the new movie but these crazy kids just couldn’t stay away from comicdom’s favorite pistol-packin’ vigilante! Or maybe it was the money. Nonetheless, it’s Ennis back on PUNISHER. Gotta look! Not for kids.
SECRET INVASION: DARK REIGN #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. So let’s talk about the New World Order in which psycho-villain Norman Osborn runs everything…
TRANSFORMERS MAXIMUM DINOBOTS #1 by Simon Furman and Nick Roche. Really this is just a reminder to myself to pick one up for my kid. Love those dinobots!
WATCHMEN #1 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Hey look! That new movie on the internets already has a comic book adaptation! Seriously, it’s a reprinting of one of the most important comics in history at its original 1986 cover price. Beyond recommended.
WOLVERINE: FLIES TO A SPIDER #1 by Gregg Hurwitz and Jerome Opena. Wolvie chops up some bikers for New Years. A tradition is born!
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1 of 8 by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. Bringing the L. Frank Baum classic to sequential paneled life! Good for all ages!
www.johnjudy.net
Sunday, November 30, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE THURSDAY (Not Wednesday) 12-04-08
QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE THURSDAY (Not Wednesday) 12-04-08
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #579 by Mark Waid and Marcos Martin. Our hero is trapped underground with the father of his worst enemy. What to do? What to do? Good comics!
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #10 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. The Secret Origin of Zechariah, the world’s most bi-polar vampire.
BATMAN #682 by Grant Morrison and Lee Garbett. Well, now that Batman is “dead” at the hands of his dad or “Mr. Hurt” or The Devil or whoever, we are to be treated to a retrospective of his life by Alfred the faithful butler on his deathbed. More fun from Grant Morrison’s collection of soggy cocktail napkins, strung together with pictures! WARNING! MAY CONTAIN COHERENT NARRATIVE! (kidding!)
THE BOYS #25 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Wee Hughie a.k.a. “Bagpipe” meets the G-Men and their founder. Meanwhile his team-mates are up to their own shenanigans. Ennis-style action and debauchery! Not for kids. Recommended otherwise.
CRIMINAL 2 #7 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. This latest arc comes to a conclusion as Jacob the beat-up forger/cartoonist must figure out how to double-cross his double-crossers. Highly Recommended!
ESSENTIAL DYKES TO WATCH OUT FOR HC written and drawn by Alison Bechdel. The best strips from the past eleven volumes of DTWOF, plus sixty new ones not previously collected. Twenty-five years worth of funny, opinionated, challenging stuff. Recommended, especially for Mormons.
HAUNTED TANK #1 of 5 by Frank Marraffino and Henry Flint. The classic DC war comic about the ghost of a Confederate General who makes himself available to aid his tank-driving descendents gets a great twist here. The General’s latest descendent is a black man serving in Iraq. I already love this comic. Recommended!
HELLBOY: THE WILD HUNT #1 of 8 by Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo. HB’s fightin’ giants! But of course nothing’s ever that simple in his world. The follow-up to last year’s DARKNESS CALLS.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #20 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. Danny Rand faces down his latest and most deadly nemesis, the weird demon critter who’s been killing Iron Fists for centuries. I’m betting on the guy with his name on the comic.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #21 by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Anytime a God says “Worship me!” you know you’re in trouble. Next thing you know you’ve got guys in bad suits and worse haircuts asking for money. Good thing the JSA is here to put a stop to all that. The penultimate chapter of “One World, Under Gog.”
MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #1 of 6 by Kurt Busiek and Jay Anacieto. A sequel to the ground-breaking 1994 series MARVELS, in which we learn again what it’s like to be an everyman in a world of supermen. Nobody writes such stories better than Kurt Busiek. Recommended.
NEW AVENGERS #47 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. An issue focusing on the consequences of the Skrull invasion, specifically as they affect Luke Cage. Look for green people getting punched in the brain.
PUNISHER MAX: X-MAS SPECIAL #1 by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi. A little something for all of us who were beginning to doubt Santa Claus: A Punisher story by Jason frickin’ Aaron! The author of SCALPED! You probably want to draw the blinds and turn off your phones for this one. Not for kids. Highly recommended!
SANDMAN: DREAM HUNTERS #2 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. A beautiful adaptation of an earlier Sandman novella. Highly recommended.
SECRET INVASION #8 of 8 by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. The final chapter. Radical stuff occurs. “He loves you!”
SHE-HULK: COSMIC COLLISION #1 by Peter David and Mahmud S Asrar. For all you Shulk Completists out there! It’s okay! Come out into the light! Featuring powerful chicks in tight clothes!
SOLOMON KANE #3 of 5 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. Intrigues abound as Robert E. Howard’s puritan Punisher is drawn deeper into a mystery that can only be resolved with steel and powder. Very solid stuff. Recommended.
WOLVERINE: MANIFEST DESTINY #2 of 4 by Jason Aaron and Stephen Segovia. Wolvie gets his butt kicked all over Chinatown by a girl. It’s swell. Jason Aaron strikes again!
X-MEN: NOIR #1 of 4 by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. What if the X-Men had been created and written by pulp crime novelists back in 1930-something? Imagine Mickey Spillane writing Wolverine! Highly recommended and hopefully the gateway through which X-maniacs will find their way to SCALPED and CRIMINAL. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #579 by Mark Waid and Marcos Martin. Our hero is trapped underground with the father of his worst enemy. What to do? What to do? Good comics!
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #10 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. The Secret Origin of Zechariah, the world’s most bi-polar vampire.
BATMAN #682 by Grant Morrison and Lee Garbett. Well, now that Batman is “dead” at the hands of his dad or “Mr. Hurt” or The Devil or whoever, we are to be treated to a retrospective of his life by Alfred the faithful butler on his deathbed. More fun from Grant Morrison’s collection of soggy cocktail napkins, strung together with pictures! WARNING! MAY CONTAIN COHERENT NARRATIVE! (kidding!)
THE BOYS #25 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Wee Hughie a.k.a. “Bagpipe” meets the G-Men and their founder. Meanwhile his team-mates are up to their own shenanigans. Ennis-style action and debauchery! Not for kids. Recommended otherwise.
CRIMINAL 2 #7 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. This latest arc comes to a conclusion as Jacob the beat-up forger/cartoonist must figure out how to double-cross his double-crossers. Highly Recommended!
ESSENTIAL DYKES TO WATCH OUT FOR HC written and drawn by Alison Bechdel. The best strips from the past eleven volumes of DTWOF, plus sixty new ones not previously collected. Twenty-five years worth of funny, opinionated, challenging stuff. Recommended, especially for Mormons.
HAUNTED TANK #1 of 5 by Frank Marraffino and Henry Flint. The classic DC war comic about the ghost of a Confederate General who makes himself available to aid his tank-driving descendents gets a great twist here. The General’s latest descendent is a black man serving in Iraq. I already love this comic. Recommended!
HELLBOY: THE WILD HUNT #1 of 8 by Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo. HB’s fightin’ giants! But of course nothing’s ever that simple in his world. The follow-up to last year’s DARKNESS CALLS.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #20 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. Danny Rand faces down his latest and most deadly nemesis, the weird demon critter who’s been killing Iron Fists for centuries. I’m betting on the guy with his name on the comic.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #21 by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Anytime a God says “Worship me!” you know you’re in trouble. Next thing you know you’ve got guys in bad suits and worse haircuts asking for money. Good thing the JSA is here to put a stop to all that. The penultimate chapter of “One World, Under Gog.”
MARVELS: EYE OF THE CAMERA #1 of 6 by Kurt Busiek and Jay Anacieto. A sequel to the ground-breaking 1994 series MARVELS, in which we learn again what it’s like to be an everyman in a world of supermen. Nobody writes such stories better than Kurt Busiek. Recommended.
NEW AVENGERS #47 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. An issue focusing on the consequences of the Skrull invasion, specifically as they affect Luke Cage. Look for green people getting punched in the brain.
PUNISHER MAX: X-MAS SPECIAL #1 by Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi. A little something for all of us who were beginning to doubt Santa Claus: A Punisher story by Jason frickin’ Aaron! The author of SCALPED! You probably want to draw the blinds and turn off your phones for this one. Not for kids. Highly recommended!
SANDMAN: DREAM HUNTERS #2 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. A beautiful adaptation of an earlier Sandman novella. Highly recommended.
SECRET INVASION #8 of 8 by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. The final chapter. Radical stuff occurs. “He loves you!”
SHE-HULK: COSMIC COLLISION #1 by Peter David and Mahmud S Asrar. For all you Shulk Completists out there! It’s okay! Come out into the light! Featuring powerful chicks in tight clothes!
SOLOMON KANE #3 of 5 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. Intrigues abound as Robert E. Howard’s puritan Punisher is drawn deeper into a mystery that can only be resolved with steel and powder. Very solid stuff. Recommended.
WOLVERINE: MANIFEST DESTINY #2 of 4 by Jason Aaron and Stephen Segovia. Wolvie gets his butt kicked all over Chinatown by a girl. It’s swell. Jason Aaron strikes again!
X-MEN: NOIR #1 of 4 by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero. What if the X-Men had been created and written by pulp crime novelists back in 1930-something? Imagine Mickey Spillane writing Wolverine! Highly recommended and hopefully the gateway through which X-maniacs will find their way to SCALPED and CRIMINAL. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
Monday, November 24, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-26-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-26-08
By John Judy
(This week we are thankful for comics and not being a turkey at a Sarah Palin interview.)
BATMAN #681 by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. “Batman R.I.P.” wraps up here, leading into all kinds of stories in which Batman is not allowed to be technically alive and present. Don’t think about this too hard. Just go with it…
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #19 by Joss Whedon and Karl Moline. Dark Willow, Fray, Time-Travel. Who doesn’t love time-travel stories? Only your evil alternate-future selves, that’s who!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #44 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross. Only Brubaker could make Batroc the Leaper versus Bucky a smashing good yarn. It’s miraculous really…
CREEPY ARCHIVES VOL.2 HC by Various Creators, including Archie Goodwin, Alex Toth, Al Williamson and many more! Collecting issues 6-10 of the classic horror mag! Originals are valued at over 500 bucks! Yours here for a lot less. Recommended.
DAREDEVIL #113 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. And did I mention Lady Bullseye? I mean, whatever they’re feeding Brubaker I’ll take a case. This is the same guy who writes CRIMINAL, one of the best comics EVER! Take a gander.
GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: NIGHT WITCHES #2 of 3 by Garth and Russ Braun. It’s Krauts versus Commies in this fact-based WWII adventure as things heat up between The Hun and the honeys! Boom!
GLAMOURPUSS #4 by Dave Sim. Gotta be honest, the only way to describe this book is “It’s a Dave Sim project.” Take it or leave it, CEREBUS fans.
HOLY SH*T: THE WORLD’S WEIRDEST COMICS HC by Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. Exactly what it sounds like, folks. Gotta look!
HULK #8 by Jeph Loeb, Frank Cho and Art Adams. Wendigos (“Wendigoes?”), Lady Liberators and a couple of Hulks. You want more, write your own HULK comic!
JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL: THE KINGDOM #1 by Geoff Johns and Fernando Pasarin. More Gog, but at least it’s Geoff Johns writing it. Plus, Starman finally comes clean about his mission, his insanity and his Commander Riker-looking beard. Okay, two out of three. Gotta look.
MARVEL MASTERWORKS ALL-WINNERS, VOL.3 HC by Various Creators. Collecting issues 9-14, currently valued at over ten grand in near-mint. Cheaper here. Lotsa Golden-Age ruckus guaranteed!
NORTHLANDERS #12 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. The Vikings continue their tour of the Emerald Isle. Hijinks ensue. NOT for kids. Highly recommended.
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. As if 2009 wasn’t looking good enough already!
SUPERMAN #682 by James Robinson and Renato Guedes. The 100,000 Kryptonian refugees start to figure out the INS can’t really do anything to them. Lou Dobbs goes into hiding.
THOR: MAN OF WAR #1 by Matt Fraction and Patrick Zircher. Thor and his dad have a fight. Hey, they’re both gods! It’s a Big Fight!
UMBRELLA ACADEMY: DALLAS #1 of 6 by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba. If you liked the first Eisner-winning limited series you’ll love this. Featuring rampaging stone Presidents!
WALKING DEAD #55 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. Bi-weekly now? Does this mean the zombies are getting faster? Awesome! Not for kids.
WELCOME TO HOXFORD #4 of 4 writ and scribbled by Ben Templesmith. It’s the insane criminals versus the werewolves in their final battle. From the co-creator of FELL and 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, since you ask.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
(This week we are thankful for comics and not being a turkey at a Sarah Palin interview.)
BATMAN #681 by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. “Batman R.I.P.” wraps up here, leading into all kinds of stories in which Batman is not allowed to be technically alive and present. Don’t think about this too hard. Just go with it…
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #19 by Joss Whedon and Karl Moline. Dark Willow, Fray, Time-Travel. Who doesn’t love time-travel stories? Only your evil alternate-future selves, that’s who!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #44 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross. Only Brubaker could make Batroc the Leaper versus Bucky a smashing good yarn. It’s miraculous really…
CREEPY ARCHIVES VOL.2 HC by Various Creators, including Archie Goodwin, Alex Toth, Al Williamson and many more! Collecting issues 6-10 of the classic horror mag! Originals are valued at over 500 bucks! Yours here for a lot less. Recommended.
DAREDEVIL #113 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. And did I mention Lady Bullseye? I mean, whatever they’re feeding Brubaker I’ll take a case. This is the same guy who writes CRIMINAL, one of the best comics EVER! Take a gander.
GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS: NIGHT WITCHES #2 of 3 by Garth and Russ Braun. It’s Krauts versus Commies in this fact-based WWII adventure as things heat up between The Hun and the honeys! Boom!
GLAMOURPUSS #4 by Dave Sim. Gotta be honest, the only way to describe this book is “It’s a Dave Sim project.” Take it or leave it, CEREBUS fans.
HOLY SH*T: THE WORLD’S WEIRDEST COMICS HC by Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. Exactly what it sounds like, folks. Gotta look!
HULK #8 by Jeph Loeb, Frank Cho and Art Adams. Wendigos (“Wendigoes?”), Lady Liberators and a couple of Hulks. You want more, write your own HULK comic!
JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL: THE KINGDOM #1 by Geoff Johns and Fernando Pasarin. More Gog, but at least it’s Geoff Johns writing it. Plus, Starman finally comes clean about his mission, his insanity and his Commander Riker-looking beard. Okay, two out of three. Gotta look.
MARVEL MASTERWORKS ALL-WINNERS, VOL.3 HC by Various Creators. Collecting issues 9-14, currently valued at over ten grand in near-mint. Cheaper here. Lotsa Golden-Age ruckus guaranteed!
NORTHLANDERS #12 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. The Vikings continue their tour of the Emerald Isle. Hijinks ensue. NOT for kids. Highly recommended.
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. As if 2009 wasn’t looking good enough already!
SUPERMAN #682 by James Robinson and Renato Guedes. The 100,000 Kryptonian refugees start to figure out the INS can’t really do anything to them. Lou Dobbs goes into hiding.
THOR: MAN OF WAR #1 by Matt Fraction and Patrick Zircher. Thor and his dad have a fight. Hey, they’re both gods! It’s a Big Fight!
UMBRELLA ACADEMY: DALLAS #1 of 6 by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba. If you liked the first Eisner-winning limited series you’ll love this. Featuring rampaging stone Presidents!
WALKING DEAD #55 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. Bi-weekly now? Does this mean the zombies are getting faster? Awesome! Not for kids.
WELCOME TO HOXFORD #4 of 4 writ and scribbled by Ben Templesmith. It’s the insane criminals versus the werewolves in their final battle. From the co-creator of FELL and 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, since you ask.
www.johnjudy.net
Friday, November 14, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-19-08
From the US Virgin Islands! Enjoy!
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-19-08
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #578 by Mark Waid and Marcos Martin. The start of a two-part adventure featuring one of President-Elect Obama’s two favorite heroes! That’s right! “That One” is a comics geek! “One of us! One of us!” Also Waid and Martin are swell. Recommended.
AVENGERS/INVADERS #6 of 12 by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Steve Sadowski. At the half-way mark as Toro learns he’s dead and the Torch decides to liberate his Life-Model Decoy brethren from… GAH! I mean, robots and androids, Ross! How can you be a comics professional and not know the difference? GAH!
CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #5 by Timothy Truman, Tomas Giorello and Richard Corben.. Another thrilling adventure from President-Elect Obama’s other favorite hero! Featuring tough chicks with swords! Yes!
EX MACHINA #39 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. Wrapping up the “Dirty Tricks” storyline with a call-back to issue #1. Yeah, that BK Vaughan knows how to pay it off. Recommended!
FANTASTIC FOUR #561 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. The Invisible Woman dies. Oops! I mean, “Spoiler Alert!” (Come on, the story’s called “The Death of the Invisible Woman” so just save your hate-mail for when Millar gets to write the next Superman movie.)
GHOST RIDER #29 by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat. Johnny Blaze vs. Danny Ketch is a Ghost Rider/Ghost Rider smack-down. I kinda want this to wrap up quick so Aaron can get out of having to make sense of the hopelessly insane Ghost Rider continuity and just start telling stories like “Zombie Highway.” Still, Big Fight! My money’s on the guy they made the movie about.
GOON #30 written and drawn by Eric Powell. The gorgeous cartoon noir fun continues. “The only reason you ain’t dead is that he’d never forgive me.” Highly recommended.
GREATEST HITS #3 of 6 by David Tischman, Glenn Fabry and Gary Erskine. A great-looking riff on the super-hero as Rock Star, guaranteed to pluck the heartstrings of any Beatlemaniac comics fans out there. You know who you are…
HELLBLAZER #249 by Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco. Wrapping up Diggle’s run as Constantine returns to Ravenscar Mental Hospital for the big showdown.
JACK KIRBY’S THE DEMON OMNIBUS HC written and drawn by Da King. Even though DC seems to be killing off every one of its Kirby characters lately, they took the time to collect all 16 issues of the last survivor of Camelot, the demon Etrigan and his mortal host Jason Blood. Bizarre seventies horror adventure for them that likes it!
JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL MAGOG #1 by Peter J. Tomasi and Fernando Pasarin. The latest doings with resurrected Marine and Franklin Roosevelt descendant David Reid and the being he has become. Can Magog be a hero in spite of the creepy name and awkward headgear? Here’s all the stuff that won’t fit into the regular JSA book!
PUNISHER MAX #64 by Gregg Hurwitz and Laurence Campbell. Frank’s still pretty annoyed by those drug dealers making him think he killed a little girl so this one’s bound to be a little bumpy. Not cool, drug-dealers. Not for kids.
SCALPED #23 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. “The Gravel in Your Guts” continues in this stark, hypnotic crime comic that just happens to be set on an Indian reservation. Can the murderous Chief Lincoln Red Crow ever redeem himself? Will Dino Poor Bear follow the same dead end path? This is the comic you should read first then hide from your family. Highly recommended.
STAN’S SOAPBOX: THE COLLECTION SC by Da Man. Collecting every one of Smilin’ Stan Lee’s interstitial manifestos from 1967 to 1980. These were the monthly asides that made a generation of fans feel like Stan Lee was standing right behind us, whispering in our ears even when he usually wasn’t. A true geek “Must-Have!”
SUPERGIRL #35 by Sterling gates and Jamal Igle. For you “New Krypton” completists who can’t wait for the trade.
THUNDERBOLTS #126 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. A new creative team asks the musical question “What happens when a team of criminal nut-jobs who hate each other are left unsupervised by the criminal nut-job who’s supposed to be in charge of them?” It’s kind of like that time Dick Cheney got locked in the bathroom and the economy collapsed…
UNCANNY X-MEN #504 by Matt Fraction and Terry & Rachel Dodson. A new creative team is clearly chomping at the bit to get started with FOUR distinct storylines starting in one issue! Which ones will be resolved and which ones will trail off into Claremontian nothingness? Place yer bets, bub!
X-MEN LEGACY #218 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Professor X tries to help Wolver-Boy, y’know the one whose healing factor can’t quite manage to take care of his tattoos and stupid haircut. Definitely NOT one of President-Elect Obama’s favorite heroes! Nuff said!
www.johnjudy.net
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-19-08
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #578 by Mark Waid and Marcos Martin. The start of a two-part adventure featuring one of President-Elect Obama’s two favorite heroes! That’s right! “That One” is a comics geek! “One of us! One of us!” Also Waid and Martin are swell. Recommended.
AVENGERS/INVADERS #6 of 12 by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Steve Sadowski. At the half-way mark as Toro learns he’s dead and the Torch decides to liberate his Life-Model Decoy brethren from… GAH! I mean, robots and androids, Ross! How can you be a comics professional and not know the difference? GAH!
CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #5 by Timothy Truman, Tomas Giorello and Richard Corben.. Another thrilling adventure from President-Elect Obama’s other favorite hero! Featuring tough chicks with swords! Yes!
EX MACHINA #39 by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. Wrapping up the “Dirty Tricks” storyline with a call-back to issue #1. Yeah, that BK Vaughan knows how to pay it off. Recommended!
FANTASTIC FOUR #561 by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. The Invisible Woman dies. Oops! I mean, “Spoiler Alert!” (Come on, the story’s called “The Death of the Invisible Woman” so just save your hate-mail for when Millar gets to write the next Superman movie.)
GHOST RIDER #29 by Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat. Johnny Blaze vs. Danny Ketch is a Ghost Rider/Ghost Rider smack-down. I kinda want this to wrap up quick so Aaron can get out of having to make sense of the hopelessly insane Ghost Rider continuity and just start telling stories like “Zombie Highway.” Still, Big Fight! My money’s on the guy they made the movie about.
GOON #30 written and drawn by Eric Powell. The gorgeous cartoon noir fun continues. “The only reason you ain’t dead is that he’d never forgive me.” Highly recommended.
GREATEST HITS #3 of 6 by David Tischman, Glenn Fabry and Gary Erskine. A great-looking riff on the super-hero as Rock Star, guaranteed to pluck the heartstrings of any Beatlemaniac comics fans out there. You know who you are…
HELLBLAZER #249 by Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco. Wrapping up Diggle’s run as Constantine returns to Ravenscar Mental Hospital for the big showdown.
JACK KIRBY’S THE DEMON OMNIBUS HC written and drawn by Da King. Even though DC seems to be killing off every one of its Kirby characters lately, they took the time to collect all 16 issues of the last survivor of Camelot, the demon Etrigan and his mortal host Jason Blood. Bizarre seventies horror adventure for them that likes it!
JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL MAGOG #1 by Peter J. Tomasi and Fernando Pasarin. The latest doings with resurrected Marine and Franklin Roosevelt descendant David Reid and the being he has become. Can Magog be a hero in spite of the creepy name and awkward headgear? Here’s all the stuff that won’t fit into the regular JSA book!
PUNISHER MAX #64 by Gregg Hurwitz and Laurence Campbell. Frank’s still pretty annoyed by those drug dealers making him think he killed a little girl so this one’s bound to be a little bumpy. Not cool, drug-dealers. Not for kids.
SCALPED #23 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. “The Gravel in Your Guts” continues in this stark, hypnotic crime comic that just happens to be set on an Indian reservation. Can the murderous Chief Lincoln Red Crow ever redeem himself? Will Dino Poor Bear follow the same dead end path? This is the comic you should read first then hide from your family. Highly recommended.
STAN’S SOAPBOX: THE COLLECTION SC by Da Man. Collecting every one of Smilin’ Stan Lee’s interstitial manifestos from 1967 to 1980. These were the monthly asides that made a generation of fans feel like Stan Lee was standing right behind us, whispering in our ears even when he usually wasn’t. A true geek “Must-Have!”
SUPERGIRL #35 by Sterling gates and Jamal Igle. For you “New Krypton” completists who can’t wait for the trade.
THUNDERBOLTS #126 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. A new creative team asks the musical question “What happens when a team of criminal nut-jobs who hate each other are left unsupervised by the criminal nut-job who’s supposed to be in charge of them?” It’s kind of like that time Dick Cheney got locked in the bathroom and the economy collapsed…
UNCANNY X-MEN #504 by Matt Fraction and Terry & Rachel Dodson. A new creative team is clearly chomping at the bit to get started with FOUR distinct storylines starting in one issue! Which ones will be resolved and which ones will trail off into Claremontian nothingness? Place yer bets, bub!
X-MEN LEGACY #218 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Professor X tries to help Wolver-Boy, y’know the one whose healing factor can’t quite manage to take care of his tattoos and stupid haircut. Definitely NOT one of President-Elect Obama’s favorite heroes! Nuff said!
www.johnjudy.net
Friday, November 07, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-12-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-12-08
By John Judy
ACTION COMICS # 871 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. In which we learn if you didn’t escape Krypton before it exploded it’s only because you didn’t try.
BATMAN: CACOPHONY #1 of 3 by Kevin Smith and Walt J. Flanagan. Don’t worry, the working title of this comic was not “Bruce and Selina Make a Porno.” Unfortunately the Big Bad’s name is “Onomatopoeia” and I am not making that up. To save you a trip to Wikipedia I’ll tell you that the word is Greek in origin and refers to the making of words that sound like their meanings. Words like buzz, bop, thump and whatever sound Kevin Smith’s head makes when you smash it repeatedly into a concrete floor for trying too damn hard to be clever. Oh yeah, “Onomatopoeia” in this case is the name of a “mysterious masked killer” bent on vexing the Gotham Goliath. No doubt by making him say his name three times fast. Oy…
BLACK TERROR #1 by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Mike Lilly. No, it’s not about what red state voters are experiencing this week. It’s a series spun off from PROJECT SUPERPOWERS that will no doubt appeal to both of the people still reading PROJECT SUPERPOWERS. I liked the Alan Moore TERRA OBSCURA version better on account of Moore being able to write. Hey, these Golden-Age revamps are public domain so write your own if you like!
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #7 by Paul Cornel and Leonard Kirk. The Mindless Ones are on the attack! Guess they’re still not over last Tuesday. J
JLA/AVENGERS SC by Kurt Busiek and George Perez. Finally one of the biggest of Big Fights is collected in affordable, bookshelf-friendly, trade paperback form. From the days when Big Event comics didn’t suck and/or take all year to come out. Recommended for all ages.
JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL: SUPERMAN #1 written and illustrated by Alex Ross. This is the first comic ever done by Alex Ross flying solo. That automatically gets it a “Gotta Look.” Here’s hoping it’s more KINGDOM COME and less EARTH X or PROJECT SUPERPOWERS. Fingers crossed.
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #3 of 5 by Stephen King, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. The best Stephen King adaptation ever continues as we see the super-flu begin its extermination of the world population. No more long lines at the polls! Recommended.
THUNDERBOLTS, VOL.2: CAGED ANGELS SC by Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato. That nice Mister Ellis shows us what happens when one attempts the psychic domination of people who self-mutilate, eat people and throw exploding pumpkins at Spider-Man. Most entertaining! Not for kids.
WALKING DEAD #54 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. New friends, old friends and lotsa zombie-killin’! It’s good to vent now and then. Recommended. Not for kids.
WOLVERINE #69 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. Okay, much as I hated the movie “Wanted” and don’t want Millar on the next Superman flick, he is delivering a solid, intriguing alternate-future Wolverine story here. But the pay-off better not be that he saw a puppy die and swore off claw-popping forever. Fair warning has been given. Recommended.
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT #3 of 5 by Greg Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico. The Nazis invade Poland and young Magneto still hasn’t powered up. A dark story that doesn’t flinch from the history in which it’s based. Probably too intense for young kids. Good for teens and up. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
ACTION COMICS # 871 by Geoff Johns and Pete Woods. In which we learn if you didn’t escape Krypton before it exploded it’s only because you didn’t try.
BATMAN: CACOPHONY #1 of 3 by Kevin Smith and Walt J. Flanagan. Don’t worry, the working title of this comic was not “Bruce and Selina Make a Porno.” Unfortunately the Big Bad’s name is “Onomatopoeia” and I am not making that up. To save you a trip to Wikipedia I’ll tell you that the word is Greek in origin and refers to the making of words that sound like their meanings. Words like buzz, bop, thump and whatever sound Kevin Smith’s head makes when you smash it repeatedly into a concrete floor for trying too damn hard to be clever. Oh yeah, “Onomatopoeia” in this case is the name of a “mysterious masked killer” bent on vexing the Gotham Goliath. No doubt by making him say his name three times fast. Oy…
BLACK TERROR #1 by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Mike Lilly. No, it’s not about what red state voters are experiencing this week. It’s a series spun off from PROJECT SUPERPOWERS that will no doubt appeal to both of the people still reading PROJECT SUPERPOWERS. I liked the Alan Moore TERRA OBSCURA version better on account of Moore being able to write. Hey, these Golden-Age revamps are public domain so write your own if you like!
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #7 by Paul Cornel and Leonard Kirk. The Mindless Ones are on the attack! Guess they’re still not over last Tuesday. J
JLA/AVENGERS SC by Kurt Busiek and George Perez. Finally one of the biggest of Big Fights is collected in affordable, bookshelf-friendly, trade paperback form. From the days when Big Event comics didn’t suck and/or take all year to come out. Recommended for all ages.
JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL: SUPERMAN #1 written and illustrated by Alex Ross. This is the first comic ever done by Alex Ross flying solo. That automatically gets it a “Gotta Look.” Here’s hoping it’s more KINGDOM COME and less EARTH X or PROJECT SUPERPOWERS. Fingers crossed.
THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #3 of 5 by Stephen King, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Mike Perkins. The best Stephen King adaptation ever continues as we see the super-flu begin its extermination of the world population. No more long lines at the polls! Recommended.
THUNDERBOLTS, VOL.2: CAGED ANGELS SC by Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato. That nice Mister Ellis shows us what happens when one attempts the psychic domination of people who self-mutilate, eat people and throw exploding pumpkins at Spider-Man. Most entertaining! Not for kids.
WALKING DEAD #54 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. New friends, old friends and lotsa zombie-killin’! It’s good to vent now and then. Recommended. Not for kids.
WOLVERINE #69 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. Okay, much as I hated the movie “Wanted” and don’t want Millar on the next Superman flick, he is delivering a solid, intriguing alternate-future Wolverine story here. But the pay-off better not be that he saw a puppy die and swore off claw-popping forever. Fair warning has been given. Recommended.
X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT #3 of 5 by Greg Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico. The Nazis invade Poland and young Magneto still hasn’t powered up. A dark story that doesn’t flinch from the history in which it’s based. Probably too intense for young kids. Good for teens and up. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
Sunday, November 02, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-05-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-05-08
By John Judy
(NOTE: What better day to read comics, either in celebration or to escape?)
ADVENTURE COMICS SPECIAL: GUARDIAN by James Robinson and Pere Perez. The Great Kirby Character Kill-Off continues! Pretty soon they’ll be down to the Marvel romance and western characters. Still pretty good in all.
AVENGERS: INITIATIVE SPECIAL #1 by Dan Slott and Steve Uy. Two of your favorite characters have it out. Can True Love win out over secret Hydra membership? And Dan Slott’s back at the helm! Recommended.
FINAL CRISIS: RESIST #1 by Greg Rucka, Eric Trautman and Ryan Sook. Darkseid’s in the driver’s seat and it’s up to Checkmate, Snapper Carr and Mister Terrific to pull him over. I know, but it’s Rucka so it’ll actually be good.
FREAKANGELS, VOL. 1 SC by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield. The notorious web-comic in tangible form for the first time, in full color. Featuring twelve special children with one big secret. Gotta look!
IRON MAN: THE END #1 by David Michelinie and Bernard Chang. The latest in Marvel’s continuing series of “Last” stories of iconic characters. I believe this one involves an aging and still bitter Terrence Howard.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #20 by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Alternate Universe JSAs do battle and Gog the big scary guy hangs back being all cryptic and omnipotent. Come on, people! Let’s show Geoff Johns the love so he gets to write the next Superman movie instead of Mark Millar! Did you see “Wanted?” We cannot let that happen again!
POPEYE, VOL. 3: LET’S YOU AND HIM FIGHT HC by E.C. Segar. The third of six volumes from Fantagraphics collecting Segar’s complete run of Popeye strips. This one covers the years 1932-34 and includes a two-week extra large sequence done specially for the Chicago World’s Fair. It has never been reprinted anywhere until now. Also includes the only appearance of Popeye’s arch-rival Bluto by Segar. Highly recommended.
SANDMAN: DREAM HUNTERS #1 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. Yes, it’s a re-telling of an illustrated story released ten years ago, but it’s Neil and P. Craig so we are all compelled to buy it and sleep with it tucked under our pillows next to our guns. Highly recommended.
SECRET SIX #3 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott. It’s the Six versus everyone they used to drink with. As usual. Also a new member joins the team. Who? Well, that’s the “secret” part, isn’t it? Good stuff.
TOP TEN SEASON TWO #2 of 4 by Zander Cannon and Gene Ha. Among the best news in comics is that this police procedural set in the world of capes and tights holds up fine even without co-creator Alan Moore scripting. Recommended for fans of both genres.
ULTIMATUM #1 of 5 by Jeph Loeb and David Finch. The great powers of the Ultimate Universe band together against… bad weather? Will this mark the debut of Ultimate Al Roker?
WOLVERINE: CHOP SHOP #1 by Mike Benson and Roland Boschi. Some dope thinks he’s gonna harvest Wolverine’s organs. That’s why this is a one-shot.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
(NOTE: What better day to read comics, either in celebration or to escape?)
ADVENTURE COMICS SPECIAL: GUARDIAN by James Robinson and Pere Perez. The Great Kirby Character Kill-Off continues! Pretty soon they’ll be down to the Marvel romance and western characters. Still pretty good in all.
AVENGERS: INITIATIVE SPECIAL #1 by Dan Slott and Steve Uy. Two of your favorite characters have it out. Can True Love win out over secret Hydra membership? And Dan Slott’s back at the helm! Recommended.
FINAL CRISIS: RESIST #1 by Greg Rucka, Eric Trautman and Ryan Sook. Darkseid’s in the driver’s seat and it’s up to Checkmate, Snapper Carr and Mister Terrific to pull him over. I know, but it’s Rucka so it’ll actually be good.
FREAKANGELS, VOL. 1 SC by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield. The notorious web-comic in tangible form for the first time, in full color. Featuring twelve special children with one big secret. Gotta look!
IRON MAN: THE END #1 by David Michelinie and Bernard Chang. The latest in Marvel’s continuing series of “Last” stories of iconic characters. I believe this one involves an aging and still bitter Terrence Howard.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #20 by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Alternate Universe JSAs do battle and Gog the big scary guy hangs back being all cryptic and omnipotent. Come on, people! Let’s show Geoff Johns the love so he gets to write the next Superman movie instead of Mark Millar! Did you see “Wanted?” We cannot let that happen again!
POPEYE, VOL. 3: LET’S YOU AND HIM FIGHT HC by E.C. Segar. The third of six volumes from Fantagraphics collecting Segar’s complete run of Popeye strips. This one covers the years 1932-34 and includes a two-week extra large sequence done specially for the Chicago World’s Fair. It has never been reprinted anywhere until now. Also includes the only appearance of Popeye’s arch-rival Bluto by Segar. Highly recommended.
SANDMAN: DREAM HUNTERS #1 of 4 by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. Yes, it’s a re-telling of an illustrated story released ten years ago, but it’s Neil and P. Craig so we are all compelled to buy it and sleep with it tucked under our pillows next to our guns. Highly recommended.
SECRET SIX #3 by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott. It’s the Six versus everyone they used to drink with. As usual. Also a new member joins the team. Who? Well, that’s the “secret” part, isn’t it? Good stuff.
TOP TEN SEASON TWO #2 of 4 by Zander Cannon and Gene Ha. Among the best news in comics is that this police procedural set in the world of capes and tights holds up fine even without co-creator Alan Moore scripting. Recommended for fans of both genres.
ULTIMATUM #1 of 5 by Jeph Loeb and David Finch. The great powers of the Ultimate Universe band together against… bad weather? Will this mark the debut of Ultimate Al Roker?
WOLVERINE: CHOP SHOP #1 by Mike Benson and Roland Boschi. Some dope thinks he’s gonna harvest Wolverine’s organs. That’s why this is a one-shot.
www.johnjudy.net
Sunday, October 26, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 10-29-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 10-29-08
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1 by Marc Guggenheim and Mike McKone. In which we finally learn who Jackpot really is. Hope this issue comes with aspirin…
ASTONISHING X-MEN: GHOST BOXES #1 of 2 by Warren Ellis, Frank Cho and Alan Davis. A tie-in series to the current Ellis AXM storyline, chiefly interesting for the artists involved. Guaranteed pretty!
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #9 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. Wolf-Man on the run? Always fun! And what about this “Elder Brood” business? It’s the old Hulk TV show done right!
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #18 by Dan Slott, Christos Gage and Stefano Caselli. Scrappy kids still fightin’ Skrulls because that never gets old!
BOYS #24 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. This issue has an “Animal House” tribute cover. Why did nobody think of this before? “In your face, first issues of Action Comics and Fantastic Four!” Highly recommended. Not for kids.
DC UNIVERSE: DECISIONS #4 of 4 by Bill Willingham, Judd Winick and Howard Porter. An evil entity is taking over Presidential candidates and forcing them to self-destruct. (Insert Sarah Palin joke here.)
ELEKTRA BY FRANK MILLER OMNIBUS HC by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz. Lots of ninja super-action from early (pre-insane) Frank Miller. This stuff is great! What happened…?
EMPOWERED, VOL. 4 SC written and drawn by Adam Warren. Kind of like a bawdy HBO comedy built around a super-hero awards show and the personalities involved. Manga-style art, salty dialogue, for older teens and up.
ESSENTIAL MARVEL HORROR, VOL.2 SC by Various Creators. “Boo!”
FINAL CRISIS: RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS #1 by Geoff Johns and Shane Davis. Okay, the Lantern spectrum so far is Green = Will Power. Yellow = Fear. Red = Anger. Of course the ones you really need to watch out for are the Plaid With Stripes Lanterns. Get offa their lawns!
GARTH ENNIS’S BATTLEFIELDS: NIGHT WITCHES #1 of 3 by Ennis and Russ Braun. 1942. Commie women pilots drop bombs on Nazi invaders. This is so Grindhouse!
GREEN LANTERN: IN BRIGHTEST DAY SC edited by Geoff Johns. A bunch of old GL comics selected and introduced by the guy who revitalized the franchise. A chance to peek behind the curtain.
HELLBLAZER: FAMILY MAN SC by Jamie Delano and Many Great Artists. Collecting eight issues from the early days of HELLBLAZER in which John Constantine had to contend with a completely non-mystical serial killer. Still one of the best Constantine stories ever done. Highly recommended.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #19 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. In which Danny tries to learn why all previous Iron Fists have died at age 33. Did someone let it slip that that’s when your life as a man peaks, never to get that good again? Oops…
JOKER HC by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo. An original graphic novel focusing on the Batman’s Big Bad. Mr. J decides to take control of the Gotham underworld in his own inimitable style. Guaranteed oogies!
KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND GN by Grant Morrison and Philip Bond. A third printing of the Vertigo cult classic from 1995. Exactly what it sounds like. Fun stuff, especially when you consider the original target audience is probably having their second kids by now.
MAN OF ROCK: A BIOGRAPHY OF JOE KUBERT SC by Bill Schelly. Tracing the life and work of the 82 year-old living legend of comics. Includes interviews with the artist, his family and colleagues going back to 1938 when he got his first job in comics at age twelve. Recommended.
MARVEL APES #4 of 4 by Karl Kesel and Ramon Bachs. The final issue! Yes, it really made it all the way to number four! Your favorite Marvel heroes as apes! Some as vampire apes! Ook!
MISTER X ARCHIVES HC by Dean Motter, Los Bros Hernandez and Others. It’s 25 years old and really, really weird. But Important! If you like noir, art deco and German Expressionism this one’s for you!
NO HERO #2 of 7 by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. If you want to be a super-hero you have to take dangerous drugs. That nice Mr. Ellis tells me so and he’s got an honest face. Not for kids.
NORTHLANDERS #11 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. A tale set in the closing days of the Viking rule of Ireland. Vikings fighting Irish. Will this title ever stop being completely awesome? Highly recommended.
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. See what you’re getting tomorrow today!
SOLOMON KANE #2 of 5 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. Starring the only Puritan that Ed Brubaker’s ever been a fan of! This series had a very strong first issue and appears to be maintaining its high quality. Recommended.
STREETS OF GLORY #6 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer. Wrapping up Ennis’ oater epic in a fashion to be expected by Fans of Garth. Not for kids.
SUPERMAN #681 by James Robinson and Renato Guedes. One Hundred-Thousand Kryptonians hit the third rock! What could go wrong?
THOR #11 by J.Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel. Believe it or not, Loki is up to something…
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #3 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Lafuente Garcia. Ultimate Peter and Ultimate Mary-Jane appear headed to an ultimate experience, sans purity rings. Tsk-tsk, are these kids from Ultimate Alaska or something?
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION GRAPHIC ADAPTATION HC & SC by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell (with a little help from James Madison). What it says: A graphic exploration of the document that made us a pretty amazing country up until the age of signing statements, extraordinary rendition and warrantless wiretaps. A worthy addition to any library and an appropriate parting gift for various Congresspersons, Senators, etc. Highly recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1 by Marc Guggenheim and Mike McKone. In which we finally learn who Jackpot really is. Hope this issue comes with aspirin…
ASTONISHING X-MEN: GHOST BOXES #1 of 2 by Warren Ellis, Frank Cho and Alan Davis. A tie-in series to the current Ellis AXM storyline, chiefly interesting for the artists involved. Guaranteed pretty!
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #9 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. Wolf-Man on the run? Always fun! And what about this “Elder Brood” business? It’s the old Hulk TV show done right!
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #18 by Dan Slott, Christos Gage and Stefano Caselli. Scrappy kids still fightin’ Skrulls because that never gets old!
BOYS #24 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. This issue has an “Animal House” tribute cover. Why did nobody think of this before? “In your face, first issues of Action Comics and Fantastic Four!” Highly recommended. Not for kids.
DC UNIVERSE: DECISIONS #4 of 4 by Bill Willingham, Judd Winick and Howard Porter. An evil entity is taking over Presidential candidates and forcing them to self-destruct. (Insert Sarah Palin joke here.)
ELEKTRA BY FRANK MILLER OMNIBUS HC by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz. Lots of ninja super-action from early (pre-insane) Frank Miller. This stuff is great! What happened…?
EMPOWERED, VOL. 4 SC written and drawn by Adam Warren. Kind of like a bawdy HBO comedy built around a super-hero awards show and the personalities involved. Manga-style art, salty dialogue, for older teens and up.
ESSENTIAL MARVEL HORROR, VOL.2 SC by Various Creators. “Boo!”
FINAL CRISIS: RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS #1 by Geoff Johns and Shane Davis. Okay, the Lantern spectrum so far is Green = Will Power. Yellow = Fear. Red = Anger. Of course the ones you really need to watch out for are the Plaid With Stripes Lanterns. Get offa their lawns!
GARTH ENNIS’S BATTLEFIELDS: NIGHT WITCHES #1 of 3 by Ennis and Russ Braun. 1942. Commie women pilots drop bombs on Nazi invaders. This is so Grindhouse!
GREEN LANTERN: IN BRIGHTEST DAY SC edited by Geoff Johns. A bunch of old GL comics selected and introduced by the guy who revitalized the franchise. A chance to peek behind the curtain.
HELLBLAZER: FAMILY MAN SC by Jamie Delano and Many Great Artists. Collecting eight issues from the early days of HELLBLAZER in which John Constantine had to contend with a completely non-mystical serial killer. Still one of the best Constantine stories ever done. Highly recommended.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #19 by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman. In which Danny tries to learn why all previous Iron Fists have died at age 33. Did someone let it slip that that’s when your life as a man peaks, never to get that good again? Oops…
JOKER HC by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo. An original graphic novel focusing on the Batman’s Big Bad. Mr. J decides to take control of the Gotham underworld in his own inimitable style. Guaranteed oogies!
KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND GN by Grant Morrison and Philip Bond. A third printing of the Vertigo cult classic from 1995. Exactly what it sounds like. Fun stuff, especially when you consider the original target audience is probably having their second kids by now.
MAN OF ROCK: A BIOGRAPHY OF JOE KUBERT SC by Bill Schelly. Tracing the life and work of the 82 year-old living legend of comics. Includes interviews with the artist, his family and colleagues going back to 1938 when he got his first job in comics at age twelve. Recommended.
MARVEL APES #4 of 4 by Karl Kesel and Ramon Bachs. The final issue! Yes, it really made it all the way to number four! Your favorite Marvel heroes as apes! Some as vampire apes! Ook!
MISTER X ARCHIVES HC by Dean Motter, Los Bros Hernandez and Others. It’s 25 years old and really, really weird. But Important! If you like noir, art deco and German Expressionism this one’s for you!
NO HERO #2 of 7 by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp. If you want to be a super-hero you have to take dangerous drugs. That nice Mr. Ellis tells me so and he’s got an honest face. Not for kids.
NORTHLANDERS #11 by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly. A tale set in the closing days of the Viking rule of Ireland. Vikings fighting Irish. Will this title ever stop being completely awesome? Highly recommended.
PREVIEWS by Marvel and Diamond Comics. See what you’re getting tomorrow today!
SOLOMON KANE #2 of 5 by Scott Allie and Mario Guevara. Starring the only Puritan that Ed Brubaker’s ever been a fan of! This series had a very strong first issue and appears to be maintaining its high quality. Recommended.
STREETS OF GLORY #6 of 6 by Garth Ennis and Mike Wolfer. Wrapping up Ennis’ oater epic in a fashion to be expected by Fans of Garth. Not for kids.
SUPERMAN #681 by James Robinson and Renato Guedes. One Hundred-Thousand Kryptonians hit the third rock! What could go wrong?
THOR #11 by J.Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel. Believe it or not, Loki is up to something…
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #3 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Lafuente Garcia. Ultimate Peter and Ultimate Mary-Jane appear headed to an ultimate experience, sans purity rings. Tsk-tsk, are these kids from Ultimate Alaska or something?
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION GRAPHIC ADAPTATION HC & SC by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell (with a little help from James Madison). What it says: A graphic exploration of the document that made us a pretty amazing country up until the age of signing statements, extraordinary rendition and warrantless wiretaps. A worthy addition to any library and an appropriate parting gift for various Congresspersons, Senators, etc. Highly recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
Monday, October 20, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 10-22-08
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 10-22-08
By John Judy
BERNIE WRIGHTSON’S FRANKENSTEIN HC by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Bernie Wrightson. If you’ve never seen this book before brace yourself for a religious experience. On the 25th anniversary of its original release, Dark Horse Comics has put together this Cadillac of a collectible. Contains the full text of the classic novel and 47 full-page illustrations by the Grand Master of American horror art. Highly Recommended and Then Some.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #43 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross. Winter Bucky fights that freedom-hating Frenchie, Batroc the Leaper! The moustache wax is gonna fly!
CRIMINAL 2 #6 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The bodies are piling up and the poor slob behind “Frank Kafka: Private Eye” is in so far over his head he oughta change his name to Aquaman. Highly recommended!
DAREDEVIL #112 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. The notorious assassins guild known as The Hand runs all over New York in search of a good thumping! And DD spends the night in jail for being a big man-whore. Spicey stories!
DC UNIVERSE HALLOWEEN 2008 by Various Spooks. A little something to hand out to the kids that won’t rot their teeth or get your house torched.
FINAL CRISIS #4 of 7 by Grant Morrison and J. G. Jones. Evil wins as Darkseid finally attains “The Anti-Life Equation!” (Also known as John McCain’s latest budget proposal.)
FINAL CRISIS: SUBMIT #1 by Grant Morrison and Matthew Clark. Darkseid and his goons want Black Lightning to submit! Insist on a safety-word, Black Lightning!
HULK #7 by Jeph Loeb, Frank Cho and Arthur Adams. Come for the Red Hulk, stay for the legendary artists! Or vice-versa. BTW, the Red Hulk is secretly Ang Lee.
NEW AVENGERS #46 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. Otherwise known as “The Old Red Hood.” This issue contains trace elements of actual Avengers.
NORTHLANDERS, VOL.1: SVEN THE RETURNED SC by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice. An engaging, original “You Can’t Go Home Again” story set near the turn of the last millennium. Stark and beautiful, giving the reader a real sense of how desolate Viking country was back then. Highly recommended.
RUNAWAYS #3 by Terry Moore and Huberto Ramos. Mostly Skrull-free! Still, these kids need a bigger Bad to fight. Or at least run away from. That Brian K. Vaughan is a tough act to follow…
SCALPED #22 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. In which we finally see Chief Lincoln Red Crow’s first murder. I’d suggest you buy extra copies to hand out at Halloween but it would get you arrested. For “Great Taste in Comics!” Highly recommended.
SECRET INVASION #7 of 8 by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. Big fights!
SUPERMAN: NEW KRYPTON SPECIAL #1 by Tons O’People. There’s 100,000 new Kryptonians in town. At least they’re not mutants.
THOR: THE TRUTH OF HISTORY ONE-SHOT written and drawn by Alan Davis. A Thor adventure in ancient Egypt. “Osiris have mercy on us! Their skin is the color of a blood-drained corpse!” Guest-starring Laurel and Hardy! Honest!
THUNDERBOLTS #125 by Christos Gage and Fernando Blanco. Skrull fightin’ action!
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #127 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen. Creepy Ultimate Carnage/Gwen Stacy is back. “But her face!”
WARREN ELLIS AETHERIC MECHANICS GN by Internet Jesus and Gianluca Pagliarani. Ellis’ twisted take on a Holmes/Watson mystery. So compelling that Avatar Press ALMOST decided to publicize it! Gotta look!
WOLVERINE: MANIFEST DESTINY #1 of 4 by Jason Aaron and Stephen Segovia. Wolverine goes to Chinatown looking to peacefully settle an old score. Not with three issues still to go, bub! Good stuff. Recommended.
X-FACTOR #36 by Peter David and Larry Stroman. If mutants are the next step in human evolution why does Larry Stroman draw them all like cro-magnon men? Even the girls. Starring all the mutants nobody else currently wants.
X-MEN: LEGACY #217 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Wolverine’s long-lost son, nerd-level sexual intrigue and the saddest-looking last page I’ve seen this year. Sigh…
Y: THE LAST MAN DELUXE EDITION HC by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. The first ten issues of the now-legendary series, done up nice and posh. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
BERNIE WRIGHTSON’S FRANKENSTEIN HC by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Bernie Wrightson. If you’ve never seen this book before brace yourself for a religious experience. On the 25th anniversary of its original release, Dark Horse Comics has put together this Cadillac of a collectible. Contains the full text of the classic novel and 47 full-page illustrations by the Grand Master of American horror art. Highly Recommended and Then Some.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #43 by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross. Winter Bucky fights that freedom-hating Frenchie, Batroc the Leaper! The moustache wax is gonna fly!
CRIMINAL 2 #6 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The bodies are piling up and the poor slob behind “Frank Kafka: Private Eye” is in so far over his head he oughta change his name to Aquaman. Highly recommended!
DAREDEVIL #112 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. The notorious assassins guild known as The Hand runs all over New York in search of a good thumping! And DD spends the night in jail for being a big man-whore. Spicey stories!
DC UNIVERSE HALLOWEEN 2008 by Various Spooks. A little something to hand out to the kids that won’t rot their teeth or get your house torched.
FINAL CRISIS #4 of 7 by Grant Morrison and J. G. Jones. Evil wins as Darkseid finally attains “The Anti-Life Equation!” (Also known as John McCain’s latest budget proposal.)
FINAL CRISIS: SUBMIT #1 by Grant Morrison and Matthew Clark. Darkseid and his goons want Black Lightning to submit! Insist on a safety-word, Black Lightning!
HULK #7 by Jeph Loeb, Frank Cho and Arthur Adams. Come for the Red Hulk, stay for the legendary artists! Or vice-versa. BTW, the Red Hulk is secretly Ang Lee.
NEW AVENGERS #46 by Brian Michael Bendis and Billy Tan. Otherwise known as “The Old Red Hood.” This issue contains trace elements of actual Avengers.
NORTHLANDERS, VOL.1: SVEN THE RETURNED SC by Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice. An engaging, original “You Can’t Go Home Again” story set near the turn of the last millennium. Stark and beautiful, giving the reader a real sense of how desolate Viking country was back then. Highly recommended.
RUNAWAYS #3 by Terry Moore and Huberto Ramos. Mostly Skrull-free! Still, these kids need a bigger Bad to fight. Or at least run away from. That Brian K. Vaughan is a tough act to follow…
SCALPED #22 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. In which we finally see Chief Lincoln Red Crow’s first murder. I’d suggest you buy extra copies to hand out at Halloween but it would get you arrested. For “Great Taste in Comics!” Highly recommended.
SECRET INVASION #7 of 8 by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. Big fights!
SUPERMAN: NEW KRYPTON SPECIAL #1 by Tons O’People. There’s 100,000 new Kryptonians in town. At least they’re not mutants.
THOR: THE TRUTH OF HISTORY ONE-SHOT written and drawn by Alan Davis. A Thor adventure in ancient Egypt. “Osiris have mercy on us! Their skin is the color of a blood-drained corpse!” Guest-starring Laurel and Hardy! Honest!
THUNDERBOLTS #125 by Christos Gage and Fernando Blanco. Skrull fightin’ action!
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #127 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen. Creepy Ultimate Carnage/Gwen Stacy is back. “But her face!”
WARREN ELLIS AETHERIC MECHANICS GN by Internet Jesus and Gianluca Pagliarani. Ellis’ twisted take on a Holmes/Watson mystery. So compelling that Avatar Press ALMOST decided to publicize it! Gotta look!
WOLVERINE: MANIFEST DESTINY #1 of 4 by Jason Aaron and Stephen Segovia. Wolverine goes to Chinatown looking to peacefully settle an old score. Not with three issues still to go, bub! Good stuff. Recommended.
X-FACTOR #36 by Peter David and Larry Stroman. If mutants are the next step in human evolution why does Larry Stroman draw them all like cro-magnon men? Even the girls. Starring all the mutants nobody else currently wants.
X-MEN: LEGACY #217 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Wolverine’s long-lost son, nerd-level sexual intrigue and the saddest-looking last page I’ve seen this year. Sigh…
Y: THE LAST MAN DELUXE EDITION HC by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. The first ten issues of the now-legendary series, done up nice and posh. Recommended.
www.johnjudy.net
Saturday, October 11, 2008
QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE 10-15-08
QUICK REVIEWS OF COMICS DUE 10-15-08
By John Judy
AFTER 9-11: AMERICA’S WAR ON TERROR HC & SC by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon. The team behind the excellent 9-11 REPORT graphic adaptation now present us with its tragic sequel. While the creators strive to be fair to all concerned the Bushies come off almost as badly as they deserve. Hey, misleading a nation into a bankrupting, unnecessary war will do that sometimes! Highly recommended for 4,115 reasons as of this writing.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #573 by Dan Slott and John Romita Jr. Spidey and Norman Osborn mix it up but the real story is the variant cover featuring Stephen Colbert! “Stephen Colbert: Better than zombies and apes put together!”
ASTONISHING X-MEN #27 by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. This is one of those special books where, even if you don’t love where it’s going, you have to respect the intelligence of the writing and the intricate beauty of the art. It even has jokes that work! Who knew the White Queen’s real power was drollery? Recommended.
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #6 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. Vampires! Mindless Ones! But enough about the GOP base… This is a good comic. Clever, worth reading, recommended.
DC UNIVERSE DECISIONS #3 of 4 by Judd Winick, Bill Willingham and Rick Leonardi. The most amazing thing about the DCU isn’t the superheroes. It’s that there are four viable candidates for President in the general election. I wish we could have President Luthor back. He kept us safe.
EX MACHINA VOL. 7: EX CATHEDRA SC by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. Collecting issues #30-35 in which the Great Machine meets the Pope. Hijinks ensue. Recommended.
FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #2 of 5 by Geoff Johns and George Perez. Great, epic, continuity-shattering space opera by two guys who were born to do this sort of thing! On, Nerdery, on! Recommended.
FINAL CRISIS: ROGUES REVENGE #3 of 3 by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins. The big throw-down between the Rogues and the Secret Society! Who will burn? Who will freeze? Who will… look bad in the mirror? Plus, Barry Allen!
GHOST RIDER #28 by Jason Aaron and Tang Eng Hut. Two Ghost Riders, Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch, fight in the mountains of Tibet. Why isn’t Tarantino filming this right now? Also, a Very Special back-up story.
GREATEST HITS #2 of 6 by David Tischman, Glenn Fabry and Gary Erskine. A great new series based on the idea that the British Invasion of the sixties was not rockers but superheroes. Oh, and somebody dies. Probably the hero whose superpowers are drumming and mooching off his girlfriend. Very clever, lots of inside humor, recommended.
HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1. (Insert incredibly inappropriate joke here.)
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #19 by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Everybody fights everybody! Finally! It’s Gog-errific!
MIGHTY AVENGERS #19 by Brian Michael Bendis and Steve Kurth. Warning! This issue may contain actual Avengers!
PUNISHER MAX #63 by Gregg Hurwitz and Laurence Campbell. Last issue some low-down meth dealers tricked Frank into wasting a kidnapped little girl. This issue Frank responds. Not for kids.
RASL #3 written and drawn by Jeff Smith. The mystery of Smith’s dimension-hopping thief continues. Who is the lizard dude and why is he chasing Rasl down? Cartoon, sci-fi noir. Good stuff. Recommended.
SCALPED VOL.3 SC: DEAD MOTHERS by Jason Aaron, R.M. Guera and John Paul Leon. Don’t buy anything else this week until you’ve picked up this book, collecting issues #12–18 of this amazing, gut-punching series. Not for kids. For everyone else. Highly recommended.
SUPERMAN AND BATMAN VS VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES #1 of 6. I list this comic only because I wanted to type the title.
SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN SPECIAL #1 by James Robinson and Jesus Merino. We always knew he was.
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #5 of 5 by Brian Michael Bendis and Butch Guice. Okay, it’s been an interesting ride, but I’d like to officially request of Marvel that all future ULTIMATE mini-series actually have an ending rather than just being lead-ins to the next friggin’ ULTIMATE mini-series! Just make it a maxi-series if it takes longer than six issues to tell the story. Nuff said!
UNCANNY X-MEN #503 by Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker and Greg Land. Mutants drink beer, fight and smile a lot. Did you know that in San Francisco everyone has perfectly straight, white teeth? Or at least solid white bands where teeth should be? Don’t tell me comic books lie! Also a certain redhead is back from the dead. It must be Wednesday.
WELCOME TO HOXFORD #3 written and executed by Ben Templesmith. The artist of FELL pulls out the stops on this Werewolves vs. Psycho-Killer diversion. It’s fun but not for kids.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
AFTER 9-11: AMERICA’S WAR ON TERROR HC & SC by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon. The team behind the excellent 9-11 REPORT graphic adaptation now present us with its tragic sequel. While the creators strive to be fair to all concerned the Bushies come off almost as badly as they deserve. Hey, misleading a nation into a bankrupting, unnecessary war will do that sometimes! Highly recommended for 4,115 reasons as of this writing.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #573 by Dan Slott and John Romita Jr. Spidey and Norman Osborn mix it up but the real story is the variant cover featuring Stephen Colbert! “Stephen Colbert: Better than zombies and apes put together!”
ASTONISHING X-MEN #27 by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. This is one of those special books where, even if you don’t love where it’s going, you have to respect the intelligence of the writing and the intricate beauty of the art. It even has jokes that work! Who knew the White Queen’s real power was drollery? Recommended.
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #6 by Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk. Vampires! Mindless Ones! But enough about the GOP base… This is a good comic. Clever, worth reading, recommended.
DC UNIVERSE DECISIONS #3 of 4 by Judd Winick, Bill Willingham and Rick Leonardi. The most amazing thing about the DCU isn’t the superheroes. It’s that there are four viable candidates for President in the general election. I wish we could have President Luthor back. He kept us safe.
EX MACHINA VOL. 7: EX CATHEDRA SC by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris. Collecting issues #30-35 in which the Great Machine meets the Pope. Hijinks ensue. Recommended.
FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #2 of 5 by Geoff Johns and George Perez. Great, epic, continuity-shattering space opera by two guys who were born to do this sort of thing! On, Nerdery, on! Recommended.
FINAL CRISIS: ROGUES REVENGE #3 of 3 by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins. The big throw-down between the Rogues and the Secret Society! Who will burn? Who will freeze? Who will… look bad in the mirror? Plus, Barry Allen!
GHOST RIDER #28 by Jason Aaron and Tang Eng Hut. Two Ghost Riders, Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch, fight in the mountains of Tibet. Why isn’t Tarantino filming this right now? Also, a Very Special back-up story.
GREATEST HITS #2 of 6 by David Tischman, Glenn Fabry and Gary Erskine. A great new series based on the idea that the British Invasion of the sixties was not rockers but superheroes. Oh, and somebody dies. Probably the hero whose superpowers are drumming and mooching off his girlfriend. Very clever, lots of inside humor, recommended.
HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1. (Insert incredibly inappropriate joke here.)
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #19 by Geoff Johns, Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham. Everybody fights everybody! Finally! It’s Gog-errific!
MIGHTY AVENGERS #19 by Brian Michael Bendis and Steve Kurth. Warning! This issue may contain actual Avengers!
PUNISHER MAX #63 by Gregg Hurwitz and Laurence Campbell. Last issue some low-down meth dealers tricked Frank into wasting a kidnapped little girl. This issue Frank responds. Not for kids.
RASL #3 written and drawn by Jeff Smith. The mystery of Smith’s dimension-hopping thief continues. Who is the lizard dude and why is he chasing Rasl down? Cartoon, sci-fi noir. Good stuff. Recommended.
SCALPED VOL.3 SC: DEAD MOTHERS by Jason Aaron, R.M. Guera and John Paul Leon. Don’t buy anything else this week until you’ve picked up this book, collecting issues #12–18 of this amazing, gut-punching series. Not for kids. For everyone else. Highly recommended.
SUPERMAN AND BATMAN VS VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES #1 of 6. I list this comic only because I wanted to type the title.
SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN SPECIAL #1 by James Robinson and Jesus Merino. We always knew he was.
ULTIMATE ORIGINS #5 of 5 by Brian Michael Bendis and Butch Guice. Okay, it’s been an interesting ride, but I’d like to officially request of Marvel that all future ULTIMATE mini-series actually have an ending rather than just being lead-ins to the next friggin’ ULTIMATE mini-series! Just make it a maxi-series if it takes longer than six issues to tell the story. Nuff said!
UNCANNY X-MEN #503 by Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker and Greg Land. Mutants drink beer, fight and smile a lot. Did you know that in San Francisco everyone has perfectly straight, white teeth? Or at least solid white bands where teeth should be? Don’t tell me comic books lie! Also a certain redhead is back from the dead. It must be Wednesday.
WELCOME TO HOXFORD #3 written and executed by Ben Templesmith. The artist of FELL pulls out the stops on this Werewolves vs. Psycho-Killer diversion. It’s fun but not for kids.
www.johnjudy.net
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