Reviews

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 →

Not very much to make fun of or eviscerate this week — mostly books that are actually pretty good, solid superhero stuff that’s entertaining enough, but for various reasons just doesn’t quite make the cut: Booster Gold #7 — Writers: Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz;  Pencils: Dan Jurgens;  Finishes: Norm Rapmund Take this title, for example — the visual storytelling is smooth without being flashy, and the script moves briskly along, exploring the effects of Ted Kord not dying, and the Booster/Blue Beetle scenes are comfortable and welcome — but we’re in alternate-timeline territory, and much as a permanent Blue/Gold … Continue reading →

Young Liars #1 — Creator: David Lapham The first Lapham solo effort since Stray Bullets, I think, and it’s got one of his patented rowdy young female characters, plus an actual logical explanation for her behavior (with a built-in tragedy, although given the circumstances she doesn’t mind). The cast is built of stock character types (the big-hearted transvestite, the anorexic waitress, the fairly-normal, good-guy narrator as an anchor for the readers, etc.), and it’s all going to be familiar for Lapham fans, but that’s not a bad thing; it’s nice to have him back doing his own stuff instead of … Continue reading →

X-Force #2 — Writers: Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost; Artist: Clayton Crain Even worse than the first issue — it’s like a parody of the worst ’90s comic you can think of, with pointless fighting and killing (and pointless discussion about the fighting and killing), murky art that tries to be kewl but just seems krappy, the kind of plot that involves one of the “good” guys somehow wiring an entire building with explosions with no one knowing it, and then blowing it up and failing to take out any of the main bad guys (who all miraculously survive the … Continue reading →