* NOW WITH STAR RATINGS (ala Wrestling Observer Newsletter PPV
reports) *
HOW I RATE THE COMICS VIA THE ALAN
MOORE SCALE
***** Watchmen, Miracleman, V For Vendetta
**** From Hell, Supreme, Swamp Thing, Fashion Beast, League Of
Extraordinary Gentlemen (first two series)
*** Axel Pressbutton, Tom Strong
** Promethea
* LoEG: Century: 1969
DUD (or lower) any of his non-comics stuff
1.-22. Mind
MGMT #7-28 (Dark Horse, 2013-14) ****½
Writer/Artist:
Matt Kindt
23. Teen
Titans Go! #32 (DC, 2006) ***
Writer:
J. Torres/Artists: Todd Nauck & Lary Stucker (interior)/Sean Galloway
(cover)
This
issue has a wrestling theme, so I bought it. Rrrrrrrasssssslin’!
24. Superman
Adventures #41 (DC, 2000) ***½
Writer:
Mark Millar/Artists: various (interior); Mike Manley & Terry Austin (cover)
Fluffy,
kid-friendly stuff, but it’s novel to see Millar write “nice” comics, and the
various artists (including Darwyn Cooke) do a nice job of emulating the
animated look while keeping their original styles.
25. Dark
Horse Presents #4 (Dark Horse, 2014) ***½
Writers/artists: various
I get
my Dark Horse comics and trade free from the company, but I’m still choosy
about what I read. I only checked out this uneven anthology for THE MIGHTY CHAPTER
1 (Story and inks by Keith Champagne, pencils by Leonard Kirk) and some new gag
strips by Evan Dorkin.
COMIXOLOGY
26. Epochalypse
#1 (Legendary, 2014) ****
Writer:
Jonathan Henesey/Artist: Shane Davis
27.-28. And
Then Emily Was Gone #1-2 (Comix Tribe, 2014) ***½
Writer:
John Lees/Artist: Iain Laurie
29. Justice
League Beyond 2.0 #1 (DC, 2013) ***½
Writer:
Christos N. Gage/Artist: Iban Coello (interior); Khary Randolph (cover)
OVER AND OUT
30. SIP
Kids #1 (Abstract Studios, 2014) ***
Writer/artist:
Terry Moore
Alright
Peanuts-style reimagining of the Strangers
In Paradise cast, but like so many things by Mr Moore...OVERPRICED.
31.-35. Sex
Criminals Vol. 1: One Weird Trick (Image, 2014) **
-
originally published in Sex Criminals
#1-5 (Image, 2013-14)
Writer:
Matt Fraction/Artist: Chip Zdarsky
Kinda
rude, but like so many things by Mr Fraction...OVERRATED
36.-37. Revenge
#2-3 (Image, 2014) **¾
Writer:
Jonathan Ross/Artist: Ian Churchill
Stupidly
violent but a tad...OVERWROUGHT.
38.-39. Sex
#6-7 (Image, 2013) **¼
Writer:
Joe Casey/Artist: Piotr Kowalski
Who
knew SEX and SUPERHEROES could be boring. Only in the hands of Joe Casey. And,
like many things by Mr Casey, I’m...OVER HIM.
40.-45. Saga
Vol. 4 (Image, 2014) ****½
-
originally published in Saga #19-24
(Image 2014)
Writer:
Brian K. Vaughan/Artist: Fiona Staples
Finally!
Someone shows you can produce a mature, funny, moving, violent, compelling,
exciting story – and have loads of SEX in it – without it being juvenile crap.
Like every Saga trade that I
read...OVER TOO SOON.
46. Bitch
Planet #1 (Image, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Kelly Sue DeConnick/Artist: Valentine De Landro
A
women-in-prison riff from a feminist perspective? Sure, I’ll roll with
that...especially as there are loads of tits in it.
47. Southern
Bastards #6 (Image, 2014) ****
Writer:
Jason Aaron/Artist: Jason Latour
48. Copperhead
#4 (Image, 2014) ****
Writer:
Jay Faerber/Artist: Scott Godlewski
49. All
Crime Comics #3 (ArtOfFiction.com, 2014) ***
Writer(s):
The Art Of Fiction/Artists: Brad Rader, Jeff Snow (interiors); Bruce Timm
(cover)
Glad to
see these modern crime noir tales sold at an affordable price to a bigger
market. They were waaaaaay overpriced if you tried to purchase the originals
direct from their website. Anyway, I enjoyed this issue.
50. Image
Firsts: Low #1 (Image, 2014) DUD
Writer:
Rick Remender/Aritst: Greg Tocchini
Genuine,
“I don’t give a shit” sci-fi crap. Muddily illustrated by Tocchini, haphazardly
written by a slumming Remender. Bleh. Remender can do – and is doing – so much
better.
51. Image
Firsts: Outcast #1 (Image, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Robert Kirkman/Artist: Paul Azaceta
A
better-than-average introduction to this Exorcist-style supernatural horror
tale. I’m intrigued enough by the $1.50 I plunked down to now spring for the
first trade.
52. Image
Firsts: The Wicked & The Divine #1 (Image, 2014) ***¼
Writer:
Kieron Gillen/Artist: Jamie McKelvie
This Image Firsts concept is pretty cool.
Throw down a small amount of money and check out some titles that you didn’t
grab the first time around. I may grab the first trade of this Gods-among-us
series, too. Then again, I may not.
53. The
CDLDF Presents Liberty Annual 2014 (Image, 2014) **½
Writers/artists:
various
All
very righteous. All very noble. I’m glad I donated money to a good cause, but
this kinda bored me.
54. Nailbiter
#8 (Image, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Joshua Williamson/Artist: Mike Henderson
55. Shadowshow
#2 (IDW, 2014) ***
Writers/artists:
various
Having
now read the original book this series is based on, I’ve come to realise that
it ISN’T VERY GOOD. The Neil Gaiman adaptation is probably the weakest Gaiman
story I’ve ever read – and it’s still the highlight of this “tribute” to Ray
Bradbury.
56.-60. Pop
Gun War #1-5 (Absence Of Ink Comic Press, 2002) ****
Writer/artist:
Farel Dalrymple
Farel
is one of my favourite artists so I was thrilled to track down his first
published (self-published) work. How sad it was then to learn that this wasn’t
a five-issue miniseries but an ill-fated ongoing series. Which means that
nothing is resolved by the end of issue five. Frustrating as this quirky series
filled with magic realism showed such great promise. An angel fallen to Earth,
a boy flying courtesy of stolen wings, a giant man, an evil puppeteer, a
devilish manipulator and a homeless man who is greater than he seems living and
interacting in a grimy city. Yep, real promise...shame it didn’t come together
in the end.
61. Many
Happy Returns (About Comics, 2008) ***
Writers/artists:
various
A
schizo indie comic mainly designed to promote Happy Harbor Comics, a Canadian
comic shop, and its bland mascot Licensable Bear. The strips featuring the bear
are pretty horrible, but the comic redeems itself with two gems, featuring the
first Journey strip in decades,
written and drawn by Bill Messner-Loebs, plus a new Crossfire tale, written by Mark Evanier and drawn by Dan Spiegle.
They almost make up for Licensable Bear. Almost.
62.-76. The
New 52: Future’s End (DC, 2014) ***¾
Writers/artists:
various
77. The
October Faction #3 (IDW, 2014) ***¼
Writer:
Steve Niles/Artist: Damien Worm
78. American
Splendor #2 (Vertigo, 2006) ***½
Writer:
Harvey Pekar/Artists: various
It has
art by Corben!
79.-81. The
Auteur #3-5 (Oni Press, 2014) ***
Writer:
Rick Spears/Artist: James Callahan
Showed
promise but this violent, blackly humorous look at Hollywood ran out of steam
by the fifth issue.
82.-86. The
Woods #4-8 (BOOM!, 2014) ***¼
Writer:
James Tynion IV/Aritst: Michael Dialynas
87.-90. Justice
League 3000 (DC, 2014) ***½
Writers:
Keith Giffen & JM DeMatteis/Artist: Howard Porter
Booster
Gold and Blue Beetle are back! BWAH-hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
91.-94. Caper
#1-4 (DC, 2003-04) ****
Writer:
Judd Winick/Artist: Farel Dalrymple
Gorgeously
written and drawn tale of 1920s gangster revenge and redemption. A really strong
start to this maxiseries. I look forward to reading the rest of the series,
even though Farel left after issue #4.
95. Wild’s
End #4 (BOOM!, 2014) ***¾
Writer:
Dan Abnett/Artist: LNJ Culbard
96. Moon
Knight #10 (Marvel, 2015) ****
Writer:
Brian Wood/Artists: Greg Smallwood with Giuesppe Camuncoli (Interiors); Declan
Shalvey (cover)
97. 70
Years of Marvel Comics Frame Art (Marvel, 2009) **¾
Artists:
various
98. Rocket
Raccoon #6 (Marvel, 2015) ****
Writer:
Skottie Young/Artists: Jake Parker (interior); Skottie Young (cover)
99. Guardians
Of The Galaxy #22 (Marvel, 2015) ***½
Writer:
Brian Michael Bendis/Artists: Valerio Schiti & David Lopez
100. Guardians
Of The Galaxy Annual #1 (Marvel, 2015) ***¾
Writer:
Brian Michael Bendis/Artist: Frank Cho
101. Guardians
3000 #3 (Marvel, 2015) ****
Writer:
Dan Abnett/Artists: Gerardo Sandoval (interior); Alex Ross (cover)
102. Legendary
Star-Lord #6 (Marvel, 2015) ***½
Writer:
Sam Humphries/Artists: Paco Medina & Juan Vlasco
103. Marvel
100th Anniversary: The Avengers #1 (Marvel, 2014) ***¾
Writer/artist:
James Stokoe
104.-105. The
United States of Murder Inc. #4-5 (Icon, 2014) ***¾
Writer:
Brian Michael Bendis/Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
106. Men
Of Wrath (Icon, 2014) ****
Writer:
Jason Aaron/Artist: Ron Garney
107: The
Multiversity: Thunderworld Adventures
(DC, 2015) ***¾
Writer:
Grant Morrison/Artist: Cameron Stewart
As a
standalone issue, I really enjoyed Thunderworld.
And Morrison’s overall story arc is slowly coming together, so I hope this
means things are only gonna get better from here for The Multiversity.
108. The
Flash #30 (DC, 2014) **¾
Writer:
Robert Venditti/Artist: Van Jensen
A
pretty ordinary issue in an uninspired series. I only have this because I’m
friends with Anton Emdin, who drew the MAD
Magazine-inspired variant cover of Gorilla Grodd. I won an autographed copy
of the issue in an online comp, so that’s why I have it. Overall, though, The Flash was pretty dull.
109. Batgirl
#37 (DC, 2015) ***¾
Writers:
Cameron Stewart & Brenden Fletcher/Artists: Babs Tarr & Cameron Stewart
110. Justice
League United #7 (DC, 2015) ***½
Writer:
Jeff Lemire/Artists: Neil Edwards & Jay Leisten with Keith Champagne
I’m
collecting these series, but an extra incentive was grabbing the ones with
variant covers by Darwyn Cooke. Gorgeous artwork.
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