Reviews

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 →

Madman #3 — Writer/Artist: Mike Allred A fun tour-de-force by Allred, as he sets up the story so that his character is fighting to get back to “reality,” and has to pass through various fictional planes to do it. This becomes an excuse for drawing each panel in the style of a famous cartoonist, starting with the early newspaper strip cartoonists and working up to the present. Thus, the top of page four begins with a panel drawn in the style of Windsor McCay’s Little Nemo, followed by a Segar Popeye panel, a Gottfredson Mickey Mouse, Hal Foster, Frank King, … Continue reading →

Deadpool/GLI Summer Fun Spectacular #1 — Writers: Fabian Nicieza and Dan Slott; Artists: (1st story) Nelson; (2nd story) Paul Pelletier/Dave Meikis; (3rd story) Clio Chang; (Interludes) Kieron Dwyer All the stories are played for laughs (as the title of the book should tell you), so whether you like this depends on your tolerance for Deadpool and the GLI’s brand of tongue-in-cheek humor (they’re the “GLI” instead of the “GLA” because they’re now called the “Great Lakes Initiative,” and if that seems funny to you, then you’re the audience for this book). There’s one good bit where Squirrel Girl confronts the … Continue reading →

Runaways #27 — Writer: Joss Whedon; Penciller: Michael Ryan; Inker: Rick Ketcham with Jay Leisten Here’s why I like Joss Whedon: at the beginning of this episode, the main characters have been transported back to New York City in June, 1907, and they verify this by buying a newspaper off a street kid. Now, a lot of writers would have tried to fake whatever headline the kid is crying out, but Whedon took the time to research just what news event would have been front-page material at that time (the hunt for Typhoid Mary) and so what the kid’s saying, … Continue reading →