Author Archives: Phil

Uncle Scrooge #380 — Writers/Artists: Various A full-length Rosa story from 1993 (plus a back-cover pinup), a handful of Barks one-pagers, and four tales from other creators (mostly Dutch), at least two of which are well above average. Not bad for your $8, especially if you don’t already have the Rosa tale, or if you know any little kids who’d like these read aloud to them (thereby corrupting them into lifelong comics fans). Young Liars #8 — Writer/Artist: David Lapham I’m increasingly disappointed by this book, which started out as a slice-of-life story with a few fantasy undertones, and has … Continue reading →

Marvel Zombies 3 #1(of 4) — Writer: Fred Van Lente;  Artist: Kev Walker Talk about beating an (un)dead horse: after the original Ultimate FF introduction of these characters, the two mini-series, the special, the Army of Darkness crossover mini-series, and who knows what else, this concept has officially been run into the ground. Those first two mini-series worked because of Robert Kirkman’s sly, gleeful scripts, but now he’s gone, and while Van Lente tries mightily (and does throw in one or two effective twists), this just ain’t working no more (it’s fitting that it’s set in a swamp: dark, hard … Continue reading →

Batman #680 — Writer: Grant Morrison; Penciller: Tony Daniel; Inker: Sandu Florea Heating up — now that all the moodsetting and hints of disaster are out of the way, we’re in the middle of the actual confrontation (with the Joker thrown in as a bonus), and it’s all reasonably smooth and exciting, with a cliffhanger leading into the next issue (although the plot “twist” at the end is one that most readers probably saw coming about six months ago — assuming that it really means what it seems to). As with many Morrison stories, it’ll be hard to tell what … Continue reading →

Fire and Brimstone #2 — Writer/Artist: Richard Moore Moore first made a splash a few years ago with Far West, a Western set in a world with magic, elves, etc., and most recently has been known for Boneyard, a series involving a schlep who inherits a small-town graveyard inhabited by an Addams-family like collection of misfit monsters. Boneyard, especially, has always showed a lot of heart, both in the art and the story, and the trades are worth checking out. This new series? Not so much; it’s a step backwards, a by-the-books team-up of two women, an angel and a … Continue reading →

Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: The Barks/Rosa Collection Volume 3 — Writers/Artists: Carl Barks and Don Rosa One of those expensive ($8.99) squarebound Gemstone books, but you get the classic Barks Duck story “The Golden Helmet,” plus the Don Rosa followup “The Lost Charts of Columbus,” plus editorial material by Rosa, plus a look at the layouts for an earlier, “alternate” second half of the Rosa story. Great stuff: humor, adventure and wonderful art, all with quality reproduction and coloring, and a perfect entry-level comics gift for any kids (or discerning readers of any age). The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #14 … Continue reading →