Author Archives: Phil

The Mighty Avengers #14 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis;  Penciler: Khoi Pham;  Inker: Danny Miki Another “background” piece of Secret Invasion, focusing on the Skrulls’ plans for the Sentry (including a clandestine meeting of the Earth-Skrulls that shows the Jarvis-Skrull, the Elektra-Skrull, the Pym-Skrull, and some others), and even shows some real-time events synched into Secret Invasion #2. Standard disclaimer: if you’re buying this to get an actual Avengers story, forget it, but if you’re looking for a significant piece to the S. I. puzzle, this won’t disappoint you. Fantastic Four #557 — Writer: Mark Millar;  Penciler: Bryan Hitch;  Inkers: … Continue reading →

Avengers: The Initiative #13 — Writer: Christos N. Gage; Artist: Steve Uy In the wake of the conclusion to a big story last issue, this offers a self-contained tale introducing a new class of recruits; the Uy art offers just the right blend of whimsy and drama, and Gage is effective at coloring in the personalities of some of the Initiative personnel, especially Taskmaster. If you haven’t been following this book, here’s a good give-it-a-try example. The Incredible Hercules #117 — Writers: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente; Penciler: Rafa Sandoval; Inker: Roger Bonet A tie-in with Secret Invasion, although … Continue reading →

Sky Doll #1 (of 3) — Writers/Artists: Barbara Canepa and Alessandro Barbucci This is the first fruit of Marvel’s collaboration with the French comics publisher Soleil, and it’s a surprising, sophisticated treat: a sprawling science-fiction religious allegory involving mechanized prostitutes, dueling popess dynasties, and detailed, expressive animation-style art that’s capable of comedy, drama and, sometimes, startling beauty. In the ’70s or ’80s, it would have been a lead serial in Heavy Metal; today, it’s the first of three issues, 44 lushly-colored pages for $6, and it’s well worth your time. Batman #676 — Writer: Grant Morrison; Penciler: Tony Daniels; Inker: … Continue reading →

All-New Iron Manual One-Shot — Writer/Artists: Various This is an “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe” book for Iron Man, and it’s a dense background compilation for new fans of the character drawn in by the movie, with entries on all the major (and many minor) characters, diagrams of various pieces of equipment, etc. At $4.99 it’s a trifle pricey, but still the kind of thing that a 12-year-old would pore over for hours, so it’s worth the cost for those wanting to catch up on Tony Stark, his cast, and his current world. Guardians of the Galaxy #1 — … Continue reading →

Secret Invasion #2 ( of 8 ) — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis; Penciler: Leinil Yu; Inker: Mark Morales Almost all the action takes place in the Savage Land, and it’s… interesting, I suppose, without getting too spoilery about it. I’m not a big fan of Yu’s art — he can draw and pose superhero bodies, but his grasp of concepts like, oh, foreshortening, perspective, backgrounds (you know, the stuff people who’ve actually learned to draw from life are able to use) is slippery at best. The broad sweep of the story, though, and its everything-you-know-is-suspect jolts, have deep fanboy hooks; … Continue reading →