New Comics

Phil”s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #264

Young Avengers #13 — Writer: Kieron Gillen;  Art: Jamie McKelvie I know I put this at the top of my list every time it comes out, and you’re probably tired of hearing about it, but I don’t care: it’s been a wonderful series, with pretty and precise art, great characterization and plotting, and a smooth teamwork between Gillen and McKelvie that’s just made the whole story hum and surge like a racing-car engine. This ends the big story/fight, and resolves a number of issues, especially involving Loki; the final two books will be mostly a well-deserved curtain call and wrap-up … Continue reading

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Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #263

Young Avengers #12 — Writer: Kieron Gillen;  Pencils: Jamie McKelvie;  Inks: McKelvie, Stephen Thompson and Mike Norton The sad news is that this incarnation of Young Avengers is ending in January, with issue #15; the good news is that Gillen and McKelvie are walking away on their own terms, having completed one overall “season,” and it’s been great: funny, wise, exciting, sometimes experimental, and always fun, both to read and to look at (McKelvie’s characters have become so sharply-drawn, so laser-focused and clear, that they leap right off the page). This issue is the next-to-last of the mega-storyline, so it’s … Continue reading

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Phil”s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #262

Kinda boring Marvel/DC titles this week — and does anyone following DC need me to tell them Forever Evil #3 came out? Everyone who cares knows, right? Instead, let’s look at some of the indy books you may not know about, including a quintet of first issues…. Drumhellar #1 — Story, Art: Riley Rossmo; Script: Alex Link Rossmo was last seen drawing Dia De Los Muertos, an anthology mini-series where he illustrated horror scripts from a number of different writers, about this time last year; that established him as a careful craftsman with a knack for appealing-looking, realistic characters caught in fantastic … Continue reading

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Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #261

Velvet #1 — Writer: Ed Brubaker;  Art: Steve Epting Image’s creator-owned titles have just been knocking it out of the park (ooh, World Series baseball metaphors!) all year, and this one is no exception; it’s by an established team (Brubaker and Epting spent years together on their well-regarded Captain America run), within an established genre (’60s/’70s-style spy thrillers, ala James Bond or Man From U.N.C.L.E.), but with an interesting twist (it focuses on the secretary/love interest of the spy agency, normally a throwaway character, who of course turns out to be much more than she seems). Brubaker is very good … Continue reading

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Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #260

After all those weeks of DC 3-D books, let’s take a break from the Marvel and DC heroes, and look at all the cool comics published by other companies this week instead: Battling Boy Graphic Novel #1 — Writer/Artist: Paul Pope Pope’s art is like a fusion of Jack Kirby and Robert Crumb; he’s got all their crackling energy and sure lines, and straddles the divide between mainstream superheroics and underground anarchy just perfectly. He’ll work for a major company, but on his own terms (see the remarkable Batman: Year 100), but he’s always been happiest charting his own course, … Continue reading

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