Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #255

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Phil

Optic Nerve #13 — Writer/Artist: Adrian Tomine Tomine’s been publishing these comics through Drawn and Quarterly for almost 20 years, and even though he’s grown famous (he’s “New Yorker cover artist Adrian Tomine” now), he still manages about one a year. This, like the others, is very accomplished straight-ahead storytelling, with no fantasy, superheroes or other gimmicks. His precise panel layouts, carefully-constructed architecture and intense focus on character — especially the myriad small flaws that make us all wince when we see them in others, or ourselves — make him overlap with Daniel Clowes in a lot of fans’ minds. However, he’s … Continue reading →

Posted in New Comics, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Latest and (Mostly) Greatest #79 by Dan!

Posted on July 28, 2013 by admin

And I’m back! It’s been so very long since you’ve heard from me, but I’m back in action. Let’s do this! Justice League Dark #22 Writer: Jeff Lemire Artist: Mikel Janin Constantine #5 Writer: Ray Fawkes Artist: Renato Guedes I’m starting to think I’m a little burnt out on all the DC events that go down. That’s not to say this one is bad. Things are actually happening and moving right along, but I just kinda don’t care anymore.  The Justice League, Justice League of America and Justice League Dark all officially run into each other while trying to deal … Continue reading →

Posted in Retailing, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #254

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Phil

Like last week, there were a bunch of first issues released this Wednesday, so let’s start with those: The Invincible Haggard West (Battling Boy preview) — Creator: Paul Pope For $2.99, this offers 32 pages of full-color Pope art, involving a jetpack-equipped hero defending kids against creepy mutants in a crumbling urban setting. It’s both a self-contained story and a setup/sneak peek at Pope’s new graphic novel series, Battling Boy, due out in a few months, but hey: reread this paragraph’s first sentence, and that’s all you need to know to understand why this is easily my book of the … Continue reading →

Posted in New Comics, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #253

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Phil

Lots of first (and a couple of second) issues out this week, so let’s start with those: Ghosted #1 — Writer: Joshua Williamson;  Art: Goran Sudzuka A very rich old guy breaks a criminal mastermind out of jail, to put together a team to enter a haunted house that’s about to be torn down, and bring back a real ghost from it. High-concept but kind of low execution, since if you poke at the plot it starts to unravel like a cheap blanket (if he’s that rich, why break the mastermind out in a bloody prison break? There are lots … Continue reading →

Posted in New Comics, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Latest and (Mostly) Greatest #78 by Dan!

Posted on July 7, 2013 by admin

Surprise attack! I’m back! That’s right, after last week’s insanity of goodness, I’m back for more! Let’s do this! Satellite Sam #1 Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: Howard Chaykin So. Fraction clearly wrote this book specifically to get Chaykin to draw it right? You’ve got the old-timey 50s style mixed with pin-ups and sci-fi that isn’t quite sci-fi. It might as well be called “Matt Fraction Presents: Something I Wanted Howard Chaykin to Draw.” This beginning overall is a pretty sweet comic. Satellite Sam is a live sci-fi TV show in New York, but the star is conspicuously absent, so his … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment