New Comics

The Marvel Tarot — Writer/Designer: David Sexton Secret Defenders was a kind of Dr. Strange Team-Up book from the mid-’90s, where Doc used a tarot deck to select whichever Marvel heroes most needed a commercial boost, and then sent them on missions that the “real” Defenders, like Hulk and even Nighthawk, were too A-list to bother with. This purports to be Dr. Strange’s tarot deck, with faux research notes on how magic now works in the Marvel Universe, and why certain heroes appear on certain cards (some cards get more than one hero, so that, for example, the “High Priestess” … Continue reading →

Hellboy #4 (of 6) — Writer: Mike Mignola;  Artist: Duncan Fegredo Fegredo’s art keeps getting better and better, as the story moves beyond the claustrophobic spookiness of the last few issues, opening out to a long fight and pursuit (when your opponent is called “Koshchei the Deathless,” you know you’re in trouble). Hellboy’s always been an acquired taste, but he’s such a great character — a stubborn splash of color against all of Mignola’s undercurrents of grimness and dread — that once he hooks you, you want to keep reading his adventures forever. Buffy the Vampire Slayer #5 — Writer: … Continue reading →

Heroes for Hire #12 — (Main Story): Writer: Zeb Wells; Penciller: Clay Mann; Inker: Terry Pallot; (Back-up Story): Writer: Fred Van Lente; Penciler: John Bosco; Inker: Terry Pallot A World War Hulk tie-in. Only 16 pages to the main story, as the team gets in way, way over their heads (Humbug, particularly). Nice splash page at the end, but the art is otherwise undistinguished, and the back-up story, featuring Paladin and the new female Scorpion, has no compelling reason to exist; it presents unpleasant people doing unpleasant things in an unpleasant way. The Chemist #1 — Writer/Artist: Jay Boose The … Continue reading →

Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil #4 (of 4) — Writer/Artist: Jeff Smith A satisfying ending, as both Billy and Captain Marvel (and Mary) get to show smarts and heroism, and everyone ends up just about where they should be. I’m not too sure about the science (“Captain Marvel punched him too hard! The fabric of light has been compressed into a singularity! A small black hole has formed” — um, what?), although I suppose that it’s true to the genial, anything-goes fantasy of the original comics, and it certainly works in context. This has been a magical series, and … Continue reading →

Ghost Rider  #13 — Writer: Daniel Way;  Penciler: Javier Saltares;  Inker: Scott Hanna As a World War Hulk tie-in, this is better than I thought it would be — Way’s logic behind the “fight” makes sense (although I’m not sure I buy into Dr. Strange’s comments on GR’s power levels), and Saltares’s art is up to the big splashes and set pieces that are required; best of all, the whole “Satan-makes-GR-look-like-an-idiot” over-plot is put on hold for an issue. One of the better WWH crossovers, all told, and if you’ve been following that event you should probably give it a … Continue reading →