New Comics

Brave and the Bold #12 — Writer: Mark Waid; Penciller: Jerry Ordway; Inks: Bob Wiacek There’s been Internet debate over the last few weeks about why this book doesn’t sell better; that mostly involved the Waid/Perez issues, although these Waid/Ordway ones have similar characteristics — “classic” panel layout and character design, clear storytelling, and stories that draw on extensive knowledge of the DC Universe. So, what’s wrong? That “extensive” may be the problem; with 8 major superhero characters, plus the Challengers of the Unknown, plus Destiny, plus a new villain, it’s an intimidating, complicated story. It’s not badly told — … Continue reading →

Pigeons From Hell #1 (of 4) — Writer: Joe R. Lansdale;  Artist: Nathan Fox This is an adaptation of a Robert E, Howard horror story, but Lansdale has updated and modernized it so that it’s more like a sequel. The plot — group of young adults show up at an isolated Bad Place, and Bad Things happen to them — isn’t exactly original; the art, reminiscent of Paul Pope in the way the characters look simultaneously ugly, interesting and oddly attractive, is a selling point (and the faceless, stylized ghosts at the end are cool). Annihilation: Conquest #6 (of 6) … Continue reading →

Echo #2 — Writer/Artist: Terry Moore Strangers in Paradise was a tale of human interaction that gradually revealed fantasy and adventure elements; Echo is starting out as the opposite: an upfront sf/adventure story that’s gradually revealing its characters’ human connections and foibles. I’m not sure the vast-badguy-conspiracy stuff is working, at least not yet; it’s the same old hard-to-believe crap that we get in 24, Lost, etc., and seems like lazy storytelling. On the other hand, the fragmented-battlesuit pellets, their spooky attempts to reintegrate, and the idea that their original owner is somehow still “in” there somewhere (as the titular … Continue reading →

Number of the Beast #1 ( of 8 ) — Writer: Scott Beatty;  Pencils: Chris Sprouse;  Inks: Karl Story Another long series touting the no-fooling, this-time-it’s-real end of the Wildstorm Universe. Jim, dude, I know you’ve had a good run with these characters, but everyone stopped caring ten years ago. For the love of God, stop trying to reanimate the corpse, and just pull the plug. Batman: Death Mask #1 (of 4) — Writer/Artist: Yoshinori Natsume DC’s teaming up with CMX for this title, and it’s done straight-up manga style: read “backwards,” in black and white, by a currently-hot Japanese … Continue reading →

Omega the Unknown #7 (of 10) — Writers: Jonathan Lethem and Karl Rusnak; Pencils: Farel Dalrymple and Gary Panter; Inks: Farel Dalrymple Panter does the cover and first five pages (the never-before told, no-kidding origin, as drawn in a Basil Wolverton/Fletcher Hanks-cum-medieval-tapestry style), and it’s cooler than anything else you’ll see in a mainstream comic this year. The main story, by the usual team, is skating perilously close to Harry Potter territory — look at the cover for the next issue, which could practically be a chapter illustration in one of the earlier Potter books — but, wow: Gary Panter! … Continue reading →