Author Archives: Phil

Amazing Spider-Man #574 — Writer: Marc Guggenheim;  Penciler: Barry Kitson;  Inker: Mark Farmer No actual Spider-Man, as we get a “very special issue” involving Flash Thompson in Iraq. Guggenheim’s obviously done a lot of research, and his heart’s in the right place, but this isn’t very good — for one thing, to explain to the readers terms like “cordon and search,” he posits a four-star general who doesn’t know them (so Flash can fill him in). Um, no. Plus, while this story might have worked with an anonymous grunt inspired by Spidey (so it would feel like the “real” world), … Continue reading →

Ms. Marvel #32 — Writer: Brian Reed;  Penciler: Paulo Siqueira;  Inker: Amilton Santos There was some talk about “torture porn” a few weeks ago, when Nightwing #149 came out, and this book ought to continue the debate, as we get a tale of Carol Danvers, pre-super-powers, as a fighter pilot who crashes in Afghanistan, gets captured by rebels, and is, yes, tortured for most of the book: stripped to her bra and panties, tied to a chair, shocked with electrical prods, fingernails pulled out, broken leg abused, forearm smashed into jelly with a sledgehammer… and then, of course, being a … Continue reading →

RASL #3 — Writer/Artist: Jeff Smith Boy, these individual issues just zip along; they’re 32 pages of story, but they’re action-packed and don’t take more than ten minutes to read (it’s not that they’re empty; it’s just that the storytelling is so clear that it pulls you along insistently). The only drawback is that the reader is left wanting more, ready for the next issue (which won’t be along for three more months); when these get collected into trades, all that concentrated narrative in one place, they should be an explosive experience. Madman #11 — Writer/Artist: Michail Allred Frank goes … Continue reading →

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olson #1 (of 1) — Writer: James Robinson;  Pencillers: Jesus Merino, Leno Carvalho and Steve Scott;  Inkers: Jesus Merino, Nelson Pereira and Kevin Stokes I suppose DC has to publish one of these every so often, to maintain rights to the title or something.  Robinson can deliver character and dialogue, and he’s OK with Jimmy as an intrepid reporter, but he’s saddled with two major problems: first, he pulls the old show-how-tough-the-villain-is-by-killing-off-minor-characters bit, and uses it to eliminate a number of Jack Kirby creations.  Second, after 54 pages of story (and a $5 cover price) he ends … Continue reading →