Four Eyes #2 — Writer: Joe Kelly;  Artist: Max Fiumara This tale of a young immigrant in a Depression-era America where dragons exist (and fight in arenas, and killed his father), is a gritty and brainy fantasy, the kind of thing that Jack Vance might have made a series out of in the 1950s. I don’t like this as much as Kelly’s Bad Dog, because it’s too grim to allow in that title’s anarchic humor, but it certainly knows what it’s doing, and Fiumara’s brawling dragons provide it with a dark grandeur that’s balanced nicely by its slightly-exaggerated little-kid protagonist. … Continue reading →

Fables #81 — Writer: Bill Willingham; Penciller: Mark Buckingham; Inker: Andrew Pepoy The death of Boy Blue — not giving much away, considering the cover (the last by James Jean, who writes a purplish-prose farewell on the inside that demonstrates that he’s much better at pictures than words). Eighty-one issues, and this continues to be a very smooth, very well-constructed and vast tapestry: look at all the subplots here, at how clearly the characters’ actions depend on their pasts, and at how confidently the creative team delivers another installment of their lives, and be glad at how dependably entertaining it’s … Continue reading →

Scalped #25 — Writer: Jason Aaron;  Artist: R. M. Guera I’m a fan of Aaron’s enthusiasm (he has the same what-the-hell, go-for-it plotting and dialog of Matt Fraction), but my problem with this Indian-Casino noir tale is the same one I have with 100 Bullets: the tough-guy facade sometimes slips, and underneath you can see the seams. Here, the plot revolves around a blackjack player who can count cards in his head, but has to be sneaky about it because if he wins too much, casino goons will try to break his legs.  Bullshit: no casino anywhere today would give … Continue reading →