New Comics

Dark Reign: Hawkeye #1 (of 5) — Writer: Andy Diggle;  Penciler: Tom Raney;  Inker: Scott Hanna Not Clint Barton: this is a Dark Avengers spinoff, so the guy in the costume with the arrows is actually Bullseye, and Norman Osborn and the other “Avengers” are around, and much mayhem ensues; if you’re reading all the Dark Reign stuff, this is definitely worth a look. I’m going to make my weekly ratings complaint, though: there’s a lot of arrows through heads and pens through eye sockets and the like, and no “Max” or “mature readers” in sight. Considering that this is … Continue reading →

Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye #1 (of 3) — Writer: Grant Morrison; Artist: Cameron Stewart Whoa: I had no idea this was coming out this week. You can have your expectation-raising, slam-bang blockbusters like Final Crisis, but Seaguy is the Grant Morrison I want. It’s best to read the first series before tackling this one, but get to it, because this is the heir to Animal Man and The Invisibles: small-scale, reality-bending, full of little moments that can make you whistle in awe or break your heart. Pray for a decent ending (Morrison is sometimes more about the cool zen … Continue reading →

Who Wants to be a Superhero?: Defuser #1 — Writer: Jeremy Barlow; Art: Kajo Baldisimo Pretty bad — but not bad enough to derive any real pleasure from ripping on it. Save that for the one-page profiles of the other nine contestants whose characters could have been featured in this Dark Horse marketing crossover bonanza, complete with “Who’s Who”-type dossiers on each character. Look, particularly, at the entries for “Braid,” “Hygena,” and, um, “Mister Mitzvah,” a character so ill-conceived (“A direct descendent of King David!”) that words fail me. Yeesh. It’s all done with a straight face, too; the lack … Continue reading →

Crossed #4 — Writer: Garth Ennis;  Art: Jacen Burrows Battlefields: Dear Billy #3 (of 3) — Writer: Garth Ennis;  Art: Peter Snejbjerg Ennis always delivers something worth reading, no matter what book it is. Crossed, for example, has been a standard small-group-against-the-apocalypse story so far, with its combination of present-day events (wherein a member or two of the dwindling crew get picked off each issue) and flashbacks to the early days of the it-didn’t-turn-them-into-zombies-so-much-as-werewolves disaster. It’s the first book I read every week that it ships; like Stephen King with similar material, there’s just something about Ennis’s easy combination of … Continue reading →

Yes, I’m back, after a 7-day cruise down the Pacific Mexican Riviera with Mrs. Professor (comic reviewing pays better than you thought, eh?). Let’s all applaud Dan for the “Phil-in” weeks; I’m a big fan, enjoyed them immensely, and think in same ways his were better than mine. We’ll try to get him back once a month or so, as his college-student schedule permits. Meanwhile: Ms. Marvel #37: Writer: Brian Reed; Pencils: Patrick Oliff; Inks: Serge LePointe Hmmm. If you’re Carol Danvers fan, and haven’t liked the way Reed’s been treating her the last few issues, this one is going … Continue reading →