Reviews

Phil's Reviews Special: All-Star Batman and Robin #5

All-Star Batman and Robin #5 — Writer: Frank Miller; Penciller: Jim Lee; Inker: Scott Williams I know a lot of readers have problems with this book. I hate them. I hate their stinking guts. I hate them so much I could puke. Puke my guts out. Then I’d be gutless. Gutless like them, gutless even though I hate their guts. They think they know so goddamn much. How can they not see how fun this book is, with its look at the raw early versions of these characters? Wonder Woman has spent her whole life being told how worthless and … Continue reading

Posted in New Comics, Reviews | Comments Off on Phil's Reviews Special: All-Star Batman and Robin #5

Phil's Reviews — Stuff I Bought #19

Local #9 — Story: Brian Wood; Art: Ryan Kelly A story about the death of a parent, poignant and wise, all the more impressive because it ends up being about mothers and daughters (generally a much different relationship than fathers and sons), and yet Wood’s able to nail it. He’s really found his voice with this title; the last three or four issues have all been great stories, each more confident and smoothly told than the last. In a week with long-awaited titles like All-Star Batman and The Ultimates, it’s got the best pure writing of any of them. Countdown … Continue reading

Posted in New Comics, Reviews | Comments Off on Phil's Reviews — Stuff I Bought #19

Phil's Reviews — Stuff I Read and Put Back #19

Ultimate X-Men #82 — Writer: Robert Kirkman;  Pencils: Pascal Alixe;  Inks: Danny Miki with Victor Olazaba “Ultimate Morlocks” kind of says it all here — I’m sure there are fans who consider the early 200s of Uncanny X-Men the “classic” years, but to me they’re the “too many subplots and stupid characters” years; when Ultimate Dazzler is the most interesting aspect of your comic, you have a problem.  Kirkman may be using some of these plot points to try to redeem them, the way Bendis did with the Clone Saga in Ultimate Spider-Man, but I can see Ultimate Marauders and … Continue reading

Posted in New Comics, Reviews | Comments Off on Phil's Reviews — Stuff I Read and Put Back #19

Phil's Reviews — Stuff I Bought #18

Thunderbolts #114 — Writer: Warren Ellis; Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr. Three C-list heroes versus the T-Bolts, in the middle of three parts. Ellis is good at showing everyone’s motivations and making them believable, and Deodato delivers clear, action-oriented art. My one major complaint is that the story’s supposed to be set in Phoenix, and apparently no one bothered to do, like, ten minutes of Internet searching for photo references. It looks like Generic NYC Urban Area — there are water towers on top of the building’s, for God’s sake, and a hot dog pushcart that outta be a taco stand. … Continue reading

Posted in New Comics, Reviews | Comments Off on Phil's Reviews — Stuff I Bought #18

Phil's Reviews — Stuff I Read and Put Back #18

Hack/Slash #1 — Writer: Tim Seeley; Art: Emily Stone She’s a goth girl whose mom was a serial killer. He’s a dim but big-hearted lug who dresses like a cross between Jason and Leatherface . Together, they fight crime — specifically, slashers, of which there are apparently a lot. The villain is a guy with his face ripped off who cuts off two of her toes before the big lug slashes off both his arms in a climactic full-page splash. Oh, and there’s a page of (fully clothed) goth girl pinup photos in the back. This is a comic made … Continue reading

Posted in New Comics, Reviews | Comments Off on Phil's Reviews — Stuff I Read and Put Back #18