World War Hulk #5 (of 5) — Writer: Greg Pak;  Pencils: John Romita Jr.;  Inks: Klaus Janson On first flipping through this, I was disappointed — big fight (with the Sentry), seemingly-lame resolution, no big change in status quo (and the ads in the back for the “new” Hulk book with a red Hulk, and for something next year called Skaar, Son of Hulk didn’t help).  However, a second, slower, less fanboyish-what’s-gonna-happen read paid off;  it’s a story about, not only rage, but uncontrolled use of power — by the Illuminati, by the Hulk, by the Sentry — and what … Continue reading →

Captain Marvel #1 — Writer: Brian Reed;  Penciler: Lee Weeks;  Inks: Stefano Gaudiano This reminds me of Young Avengers #1, in that it benefited greatly from reduced expectations: I went in ready to make fun of it, but it’s actually pretty good. Reed’s able to weave an actual theme (we’re here to make a mark, to accomplish something worth remembering) throughout the story, get inside Mar-Vell’s head enough to make us sympathize with him, and even clean up some of the damage from that awful Paul Jenkins one-shot by hinting that it was all a big misunderstanding/mistake. The Weeks art … Continue reading →

Comic Strip Masterpieces #1 — Creators: Various For a buck, you get four-color, oversized, one-page reprints of 14 of the greatest comic strips of all time, including Popeye, Krazy Kat, Dick Tracy, Terry and the Pirates, and Peanuts, with short historical summaries of each strip and its creator. Sure, it’s basically an ad for the reprint versions of each creation, but it doesn’t matter: this is primal American storytelling, and if you know comics but not about “the comics,” you need this to get an idea of the rich heritage you’re missing. Jonah Hex #25 — Writers: Justin Gray & … Continue reading →

The Vinyl Underground #2 — Writer: Si Spencer; Penciller: Simon Cane; Inker: Cameron Syewart Hipster 20-somethings in London solving occult crimes. Not bad, but it continues to be derivative of early-’90s Vertigo (you get the feeling that the creators grew up reading and admiring those books, particularly Morrison’s The Invisibles and anything by Peter Milligan), and it seems more repetitive than cutting-edge (of course there are scenes of dancing at clubs; of course there are evil skinheads; of course the police detective is a chain-smoking, bald black woman, etc.). It’s readable, but there’s nothing new about it, no “Oh, crap!” … Continue reading →