New Comics

The Professor’s getting caught up on mail, so here’s a question from 11/16: hey phil, im new  or just getting back into comics after a long, long absence. can you tell me are there any comics about, Angels such as a fight between good and evil, maybe something dark.How about  elves, i used to read elfquest. Maybe as well paranormal comics. this might be a huge list but I feel I don’t even know where to start. HELP Well, if you’ve been gone for a long time, then Spawn might be a good place to start: angels, hell, and an … Continue reading →

Beasts of Burden #3 (of 4) — Writer: Evan Dorkin;  Art: Jill Thompson Everyone I’ve recommended this series to has liked it: everyone. It’s especially attractive as an entry drug for non-comics readers, because of its feisty characters and the compelling, gorgeous art by Thompson. This issue has a self-contained tale involving three cats vs. rats in a sewer, and if you know any cat lovers they’ll love it. It’s a crime that this comic only sells maybe 6,000 copies an issue in the superhero-centric direct market, but it’ll win awards in 2010, and the eventual collected trade will be … Continue reading →

Hulk #17 — Writer: Jeph Loeb;  Pencils: Ian Churchill;  Inks: Mark Farmer I checked in with this title to see if it had gotten any better; the short answer is “no.” There’s a red She-Hulk now, but otherwise everyone continues to be a cynical 13-year-old’s view of the world: they’re all mean, violent bullies, out for themselves (Churchill draws them all with perpetual scowls). This issue is mostly characters standing around talking, too — even as they’re trying to strangle one another or throw each other off tall buildings — and Loeb amplifies the talkiness by using a perpetual internal … Continue reading →

Amazing Spider-Man #612 — (Main Story/22 pgs.): Writer: Mark Waid;  Art: Paul Azaceta; (Black Cat story/8 pgs):  Writer: Joe Kelly;  Art: JM Ken Nimura Dark Reign: The List: Amazing Spider-Man #1 (of 1) — Writer: Dan Slott;  Pencils: Adam Kubert;  Inks: Mark Morales Two Spidey books this week: Amazing embarks on “The Gauntlet,” one of those long, drag-the-hero-through-the-mud stories that are structured like a video game, requiring the defeat of a series of amped-up villains before getting to the main boss. Azaceta’s art is interesting, but seems too sketchy and indie-flavored for a mainstream slugfest like this. Yawn — although … Continue reading →

Punisher #11 — Writer: Rick Remender;  Art: Tony Moore The plot sounds like it belongs in a parody book like Strange Tales: Frank Castle, having been chopped into spare parts by the bad guys, has his various limbs and vital organs gathered by Morbius and sewn back together (complete with big stitches and funky Frankenstein neck bolts), and is recruited by him and the rest of the Legion of Monsters (Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, the Living Mummy) to be their military strategist as they battle a Japanese horde of samurai monster-killers. Ooh-kayyy… Moore, who’s been partnered with Remender on Fear … Continue reading →