Reviews

All-Star Superman #10 — Writer: Grant Morrison; Penciller: Frank Quitely;  Inker: Jamie Grant All stories end in death — except that, really, they don’t. Look at comics, and their reboots and resurrections, or look at icons like Sherlock Holmes; maybe pop-culture characters get to live forever. Death and creation seem to be the themes this issue, as various characters get saved, or find new beginnings, or think up ways for their legacies to live on, through DNA or super-powered intervention or sheer creative spark (that last comes courtesy of two high-school kids from Cleveland, in a very Morrisonian touch of … Continue reading →

Countdown to Final Crisis #5 — Writers: Paul Dini with Adam Beechen, consulting with Keith Giffen; Pencils: Jim Starlin; Inks: Rodney Ramos Sort of the secret origin of Earth-Kamandi, as events spiral out of control, collapse, and then dovetail neatly into Kirby’s first issue. The Statue of Liberty on the cover is a nice shout-out to that ’70s series, too. (Now, where’s the tattered Superman suit from Kamandi #29? It’s hard to believe, and disappointing, that Dini would let that pass….) Between the nostalgia and the Starlin/Ramos art, this is the first issue of this series that I’d consider actually … Continue reading →

Yow! Over 20 titles in the “buy” column this week, and even though many of them could use extended commentary, we’ve only got time and space to talk about a fraction of them. If you think the comics industry is in trouble, though, check out all this stuff (if it’s not the best single week ever, it’s the best in a long time, kids): All-Star Batman and Robin #9 — Writer: Frank Miller; Penciller: Jim Lee; Inker: Scott Williams I wonder if all the haters will hate this one, too, or finally admit that Miller has something going on here … Continue reading →

Ghost Rider #21 — Writer: Jason Aaron;  Artist: Roland Boschi Aaron brings a deliberate grindhouse sensibility to this book, piling on the twists (Angels! Demons! Ghosts! Cannibals! Killer nurses!), and Boschi’s art has an indy sensibility (he’s somewhat reminiscent of Dalrymple, over on Omega the Unknown) that also can channel EC — one panel looks like vintage Graham Ingels, complete with a saliva line. There’s B-movie sloppiness, too — often, there’s too much going on, and the whole thing keeps threatening to slide into parody — but it’s not dull, and shows encouraging flashes of potential. Thor #7 — Writer: … Continue reading →

The Goon #22 — Creator: Eric Powell The first part of a new extended story, with some shakeups and serious problems (like, death) for the cast. Powell has a knack of going for the cheap, outrageous sick joke (which, in a Jackass-raised generation, doesn’t hurt his sales), but when he gets serious about his characters, as here, he can be a moody, powerful storyteller, so buckle up and enjoy the ride. Still one of the better letters pages in the business, too. Madman #7 — Creator: Michael Allred An all-silent issue, as Allred continues to set up artistic-problem exercises for … Continue reading →