* 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. Hellboy:
House Of The Living Dead (Dark Horse, 2011) ****
Writer:
Mike Mignola/Artists: Richard Corben (interior); Mike Mignola (cover)
The
Frankenstein monster, werewolves, vampire women...and luchadors! Plus gorgeous
Richard Corben artwork! Fantastic (if typical) Hellboy horror action.
2. The
Wrenchies by Farel Dalrymple (First Second, 2014) ***
I love
Farel’s art, but this sci-fi yarn is very confusing. It was hard to follow in
parts and ultimately unsatisfying. Beautiful art, though.
3.-4. Silver
Surfer #9-10 (Marvel, 2015) ***¾
Writer:
Dan Slott/Artist: Michael Allred
5.-8. Future’s
End #42-45 (DC, 2015) ***¾
Writers/artists:
various
9.-14.Young
Liars Vol. 1: Daydream Believer (Vertigo, 2008) ***
-
originally published in Young Liars #1-6 (Vertigo, 2008)
Writer/artist:
David Lapham
Lapham
creates one of the greatest comics of all time, Stray Bullets. It is the PERFECT comic. But everything else he does
is so hit’n’miss. Young Liars is a
good example: unlikable characters, castration, midget rape, transvestites and
nose-biting. Unpleasant for unpleasant’s sake. And not particularly
well-written either.
15. Stray
Bullets: Sunshine And Roses #1 (Image, 2015) *****
Writer/artist:
David Lapham
The
perfect comic.
16. The
Multiversity: Mastermen (DC, 2015) ***½
Writer:
Grant Morrison/Artists: Jim Lee & friends
17. Howard
The Duck #1 Marvel, 2015) ****½
Writer:
Chip Zdarsky/Artist: Joe Quinones
18.-19. Guardians
Team-Up #1-2 (Marvel, 2015) ***¾
Writer:
Brian Michael Bendis/Artists: Art Adams (#1); Stephane Roux & Jay Leisten
(#2)
20. Legendary
Star-Lord #9 (Marvel, 2015) ***½
Writer:
Sam Humphries/Artists: Paco Medina & Juan Vlasco
21. All-New
X-Men #38 (Marvel, 2015) ***½
Writer:
Brian Michael Bendis/Artist: Andrea Sorrentino
22. Marvel
Universe Guardians Of The Galaxy #1 (Marvel, 2015) ***¼
So Very
Young: Writer: Mairghread Scott/Artist: Adam Archer
Star-Lord:
Writer/Artist: Joe Caramagna
23. Justice
League United #8 (DC, 2015) ***
Writer:
Jeff Lemire/Artists: Neil Edwards, Jay Leisten
Keith Champagne (interior); Dan Hipp (Mars Attacks! variant cover)
Another
uninspired conclusion to a Legion of Super-Heroes yarn where Brainiac 5 pulls
some pseudo-scientific bullshit out of his arse to save the universe..again.
24. Justice
League 3000 #13 (DC, 2015) ***½
Writer:
Keith Giffen & JM DeMatteis/Artist: Howard Porter
25. Justice
League Europe #32 (DC, 1991) **¾
Writers:
Keith Giffen & Gerard Jones/Artists: Darick Robertson & John Beatty
The
league teams up with the Doom Patrol...kinda. Goofy stuff.
26. Gotham
By Midnight #4 (DC, 2015) ****½
Writer:
Ray Fawkes/Artist: Ben Templesmith
27. Suiciders
#1 (Vertigo, 2015) ***¼
Writer/artist:
Lee Bermejo
28. Batgirl
#39 (DC, 2015) ***½
Writers:
Cameron Stewart & Brenden Fletcher/Artists: Babs Tarr & Cameron Stewart
29. Terminal
Hero #5 (Dynamite, 2015) ****
Writer:
Peter Milligan/Artist: Piotr Kowalski
30. The
Black Hood #1 (Dark Circle Comics, 2015) ****½
Writer:
Duane Swierczynski/Artist: Michael Gaydos
Finally,
an Archie superhero done right.
31. Curb
Stomp #1 (BOOM!, 2015) **¾
Writer:
Ryan Ferrier/Artist: Devaki Neogi (interior); Tula Lotay (cover)
32. Thor
Annual #1 (Marvel, 2015) ***½
Writers/Artists:
various
On yarn
is penned by ex-WWE wrestler CM Punk. It’s passable.
33. MPH
#5 (Image, 2015) ***¼
Writer:
Mark Millar/Artist: Duncan Fegredo
34. The
Woods #11(BOOM!, 2015) ***
Writer:
James Tynion IV/Artist: Michael Dialynas
35. Men
Of Wrath #5 (Icon, 2015) ****
Writer:
Jason Aaron/Artist: Ron Garney
36.-61. Herbie
Archives Vols. 1-3 (Dark Horse, 2008-09) *****
-
originally published in Forbidden Worlds
#73, 94, 110, 114, 116; Unknown Worlds
#20; Herbie #1-23 (American Comics
Group, 1958-1967)
Writer:
Shane O’Shea/Artist: Ogden Whitney
Quite
possibly the most extraordinary, bizarre, sad, desperate, loveable, strange
comic I’ve ever read. An obese autistic child, who is bullied by his overbearing
father and kids at school, fantasises that he is an omnipotent superhero who
can travel anywhere in the universe, have amazing unreal adventures and is
friends with everyone from the US President to the Queen and historical
figures, who he visits whenever he travels back in time. Herbie uses the power
of lollipops to achieve his fantastical aims as he loses himself deep in a
fantasy world where he is loved and respected, unlike the real world. Well,
that’s MY interpretation of this crazy comic and I’m sticking to it!
62.-63. Secret
Identities #1-2 (Image, 2015) ****¼
Writers:
Jay Faerber & Brian Joines/Artist: Ilias Kyriazis
A
corrupt police commissioner gets a super-villain mole to infiltrate a JLA-style
super-team with plenty of skeletons in their closet. But why? This mystery is
building nicely.
64.-65. C.O.W.L. #8-9
(Image, 2015) ****
Writer:
Kyle Higgins & Alec Siegel/Artists: Rod Reis (interiors), Trevor McCarthy
(covers)
66. The
New 52: Future’s End #40-41 (DC, 2015) ***½
Writers/artists:
various
67. Rocket
Raccoon #8-9 (Marvel, 2015) ****
Writer:
Skottie Young/Artists: Filipe Andrade (#8 interior); Jake Parker (#9 interior);
Skottie Young (covers)
68.-69. Nameless
#1-2 (Image, 2015) ****¼
Writer:
Grant Morrison/Artist: Chris Burnham
Lovecraft
meets Kubrick’s 2001? I can dig that.
70. Batgirl:
Endgame #1 (DC, 2015) **
“Writers”:
Cameron Stewart & Brenden Fletcher/Artist: Bengal (interior); Rafael
Albuquerque (cover)
Nice
art, shame about the story. Dialogue-free comics are cool...except when you’re
paying $6.25 for a comic that takes less than five minutes to read.
71. Batgirl
#40 (DC, 2015) ***
Writers:
Cameron Stewart & Brenden Fletcher/Artist: Babs Tarr & Cameron Stewart
(interior); Cameron Stewart (cover)
The
story arc ends before the Convergence
“event” begins, which is a perfect jumping off point for me. Fuck DC.
72. Shadow
Show #4 (IDW, 2015) ***
Writers/artists:
various
73. Moon
Knight #12 (Marvel, 2015) ***½
Writer:
Brian Wood/Artist: Greg Smallwood (interior); Declan Shalvey (cover)
Goodt!
74. Moon
Knight #13 (Marvel, 2015) **½
Writer:
Cullen Bunn/Artists: Ron Ackins, Tom Palmer, Walden Wong & Victor Olazaba
(interior); Declan Shalvey (cover)
With
the previous creative team walking, to be replaced by a far inferior team
trying to recreate the magic of Warren Ellis’s first arc...well, it’s the
perfect time to walk away from this series, especially with the Secret Wars “event” about to kick off.
Fuck Marvel.
75. Strange
Sports Stories #1 (Vertigo, 2015) **
Writers/artists:
various
Not
worth the US$5 price tag.
76. Mind
MGMT #31 (Dark Horse, 2015) ****
Writer/artist:
Matt Kindt
The
final arc begins! I get all my Dark Horse comics sent to me digitally, but I
still buy hard copies of this entertaining series. It needs to be held in the
reader’s hands, I reckon.
77. Nailbiter
#10 (Image, 2015)
Writer:
Joshua Williamson/Artist: Mike Henderson
Things
get darker. Who knew that was even possible?
78. Nailbiter
/ Hack/Slash (Image, 2015) ***
Writers/artists:
various
A fun
lil’ crossover that adds a bit of back story to the Nailbiter storyline.
79. Revival
#28 (Image, 2015) ****¼
Writer:
Tim Seeley/Artist: Mike Norton (interior); Jenny Frison (cover)
80. God
Hates Astronauts #6 (Image, 2014-15) ****
Writer:
Ryan Browne/Artists: Jordan Boyd (interior); Ryan Browne (main covers)
81.-82. The
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #2-3 (Marvel, 2015) ****¼
Writer:
Ryan North/Artist: Erica Henderson
OK. I’m
glad I stuck with this series, because it’s swiftly become one of the few
Marvel series I still enjoy. Funny, whimsical, absurd. And next issue Squirrel
Girl faces off with...Galactus! Can’t wait.
83. All-New
X-Men #39 (Marvel, 2015) ***¼
Writer:
Brian Michael Bendis/Artist: Andrea Sorrentino
84. Guardians
Team-Up #3 (Marvel, 2015) ***¼
Writer:
Sam Humphries/Artist: Mike Mayhew
85. Marvel
Universe Guardians Of The Galaxy #2 (Marvel, 2015) ***
Writer:
Mairghread Scott/Artist: Adam Archer
86. Black
Science #12 (Image, 2015) ****
Writer:
Rick Remender/Artist: Moreno Dinisio
After
losing its way (and my interest) for the past few issues, this dark take on Lost In Space trope has taken a strong
turn for the better. Really keen to see how our heroes – who seem to now be
unwitting villains – cope with the news that their dimension-hopping is
destroying the planets they visit.
87. Bitch
Planet #3 (Image, 2015) ****
Writer:
Kelly Sue DeConnick/Artist: Robert Wilson IV
Love
this series. You go, girls!
88. Chrononauts
#1 (Image, 2015) ****
Writer:
Mark Millar/Artist: Sean Murphy
Stupid
and overpriced, but damn this is a fun read. What if Bill & Ted were
super-intelligent and invented time travel? Yeah, they’d cause bulk havoc and
this series takes that particular ball and runs with it.
89. Velvet
#9 (Image, 2015) ****
Writer:
Ed Brubaker/Artist: Steve Epting
90. Stray
Bullets: Sunshine And Roses #2 (Image, 2015) *****
Writer/artist:
David Lapham
Comics
perfection.
91. Nemo:
River Of Ghosts (Top Shelf, 2015) ****¾
Writer:
Alan Moore/Artist: Kevin O’Neill
If this
graphic novel is truly the end of The
League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen saga, then it ended strongly after a few
mid-series hiccups. The story of uber-pirate Janni Nemo on a mad mission to the
heart of South America to fight Nazis is pretty damn cool.
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