Author Archives: Phil

Amazing Spider-Man #612 — (Main Story/22 pgs.): Writer: Mark Waid;  Art: Paul Azaceta; (Black Cat story/8 pgs):  Writer: Joe Kelly;  Art: JM Ken Nimura Dark Reign: The List: Amazing Spider-Man #1 (of 1) — Writer: Dan Slott;  Pencils: Adam Kubert;  Inks: Mark Morales Two Spidey books this week: Amazing embarks on “The Gauntlet,” one of those long, drag-the-hero-through-the-mud stories that are structured like a video game, requiring the defeat of a series of amped-up villains before getting to the main boss. Azaceta’s art is interesting, but seems too sketchy and indie-flavored for a mainstream slugfest like this. Yawn — although … Continue reading →

Punisher #11 — Writer: Rick Remender;  Art: Tony Moore The plot sounds like it belongs in a parody book like Strange Tales: Frank Castle, having been chopped into spare parts by the bad guys, has his various limbs and vital organs gathered by Morbius and sewn back together (complete with big stitches and funky Frankenstein neck bolts), and is recruited by him and the rest of the Legion of Monsters (Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, the Living Mummy) to be their military strategist as they battle a Japanese horde of samurai monster-killers. Ooh-kayyy… Moore, who’s been partnered with Remender on Fear … Continue reading →

B.P.R.D.: 1947 #5 (of 5) — Writers: Mike Mignola and Jodhua Dysart; Art: Gabrial Ba and Fabio Moon Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #8 ( of 8 ) — Writer: Mike Mignola; Art: Duncan Fegredo This week features the conclusion to two of the Mignolaverse mini-series: B.P.R.D. continues to shine because of its Ba/Moon art (and ends up tying in more with the main series than we might have expected, owing to some appearances by a very young Hellboy). Hellboy itself offers the game-changing ending that was advertised, as Our Hero reluctantly accepts (part of) his destiny, and Arthurian legend dovetails … Continue reading →

The Muppet Show #4 (of 4) — Writer/Artist: Roger Langridge Those of us who fondly remember The Muppet Show on TV know just how smart it was, and Langridge does, too: he’s handled this mini-series’s huge cast with aplomb, giving characters like Rizzo, Beaker and (especially) Animal their due, and managing to dispense some wisdom along with the hijinx and humor. Points for being able to construct an actual plot, too; the story structure here is better than 90% of the more “sophisticated” comics out there (see the rest of the comics on this list, in fact…). Batman/Doc Savage Special … Continue reading →

Stumptown #1 — Writer: Greg Rucka;  Art: Matthew Southworth Comics sure have taken to crime fiction lately, and Rucka, along with Ed Brubaker, is at the head of the creative pack. This new book has the typical well-told, gritty plot that fans of the genre would expect, with a feisty, down-on-her-luck woman private investigator taking the Philip Marlowe role. Good stuff, and if you like the Brubaker/Phillips Criminal books, this should appeal to you; Southworth has Phillips’s knack for realistic-but-fascinating faces, bad-side-of-town settings and general noir atmosphere, and this first issue hits all the right notes to make the reader … Continue reading →