Tag Archives: Rachel Rising
Phil’s Reviews — Stuff I Bought #248
Young Avengers #4 — Writer: Kieron Gillen; Art: Jamie McKelvie with Mike Norton A lot of good books came out this week, but I’m putting this one at the top just because Gillen and McKelvie are having such an obvious blast creating it — between the playful layouts (especially a double-page splash involving a Marvel Boy fight), the skillful mix of drama and deadpan humor, and the young Loki’s expressions as he walks his tightrope act (is he trying to do the right thing, or the wrong thing? How do you trust a trickster god?), this is a comic that … Continue reading
Phil’s Reviews — Stuff I Bought #238
OK, people, there were a ton of decent books this week — a holiday bounty partly because there will be only a handful for next week (although Amazing Spider-Man #700, and Avenging Spider-Man #15.1, the next chapter in the story after that, will both be out) — so let’s get to them. Marvel’s many relaunches lead the pack; I had my doubts about Marvel Now!, but have to admit that reshuffling the creative teams and starting from scratch led to (a) a lot of satisfying conclusions to the old runs, and (b) a lot of intriguing beginnings to the new … Continue reading
Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #232
Journey Into Mystery #644 — Writers: Kieron Gillen and Matt Fraction; Art: Carmine di Giandomenico I’ve made it no secret how much I like Teen Loki: instead of a stereotypical cackling villain, he’s a kid trying desperately to do the right thing, and he’s willing to cheat, lie and piss off any powerful adult figures to do it. That makes him, simultaneously, a typical Trickster archetype and a typical adolescent, and leads frequently to results like the one on this issue’s cover. In the capable hands of Gillen and Fraction, we’ve actually come to care about the little hustler; here’s … Continue reading
Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #215
Dark Horse Presents #8 — Creators: Various Actually, the list of creators for this book pretty much is the review: for $8, you get ten eight-page stories, including a new Beasts of Burden with the usual lush, expressive art by Jill Thompson, and a script from Evan Dorkin that’s a perfect blend of gentle humor and, at the end, stark horror (who knew that sheep could provide both?). Other stories include a new B.P.R.D. dealing with the aftermath over the death of Hellboy, chapters of Neal Adams’ and Howard Chaykin’s ongoing serials, the first installment of The Massive, Brian Wood’s … Continue reading
Phil’s Reviews: Stuff I Bought #213
Fatale #1 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Art: Sean Phillips Fatale is the latest crime/noir book from the Brubaker/Phillips team; it’s distinguished from the various Criminal stories because it mixes in a fantasy/horror element. It’s also very well done; this first issue is a textbook example of how to set up an intriguing cast of characters: a damaged hero, a mysterious woman, shadowy pursuers, etc. Brubaker and Phillips, as always, make a smooth team — if you’re going to build a story around a woman who’s irresistible to men, you need an artist who can deliver that, and Phillips can do … Continue reading
