Author Archives: Phil

The Ultimates 3 #5 (of 5) — Writer: Jeph Loeb;  Art: Joe Madureira This has actually improved since its horrible first issues, and here at the end of the story we get lots of here’s-what-really-happened revelations, and some decent art and fight scenes, but it still doesn’t make a lick of sense, and the last-page true-villain reveal doesn’t seem to realize that the Ultimate version of that character is significantly different from the regular-Marvel one. Since the Ultimate line is about to be killed/altered/shaken up anyway, none of it matters; let’s just tiptoe away, and leave Ultimates 3 to take … Continue reading →

All Star Superman #12 — Writer: Grant Morrison;  Pencils: Frank Quitely;  Inks: Jamie Grant Morrison’s endings often feel a tad disappointing (I’m thinking of his last Invisibles arc, and his last New X-Men one, too — I’m still not sure what was up with that alternate-future stuff), but I think it’s mostly just reader sadness that he’s leaving. That’s certainly true here: at first blush, this felt a little… off, anti-climactic… but on rereading — and considering all twelve issues as a unit — it makes perfect sense; the absent-hero, waiting-for-the-return conclusion is reminiscent of the Arthurian myths, and ties … Continue reading →

War Heroes #2 (of 6) — Writer: Mark Millar;  Art: Tony Harris For a book that’s supposed to be about super-powered soldiers, we get very little actual super-powers here; instead, it’s a standard basic-training, sadistic-drill-sergeant riff, crossed with a caper-driven plot involving a group of recruits who’ve entered the program for nefarious purposes. Oh, and there’s a half-page splash of an erect penis, forecast only by a tiny “mature readers” label on the cover. Thanks, Image and Mark Millar: that’s just the kind of juvenile, gratuitous, stupid gesture that’s sure to get scores of unsuspecting retailers in trouble — and … Continue reading →

Kick Drum Comix #1 — Writer/Artist: Jim Mahfood For $6, you get 48 pages of Mahfood, beautifully colored on glossy paper; the first story, “Death of the Popmaster,” is an over-the-top B-movie tale involving monsters, rock stars and lots of shooting and blood, while the second, “Coltrane’s Reed,” is just the kind of coming-of-age story that its title suggests, skillfully done. Mahfood’s art is more accomplished and confident here than it’s ever been (the coloring and larger size of the pages really makes it pop), and he delivers a couple of perfect, poster-ready splash pages, plus an attractive cover.  If … Continue reading →