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 →

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 →