* 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. The
Graveyard Book Vol. 2 (Bloomsbury, 2014) *****
Writer:
Neil Gaiman (novel), P. Craig Russell (adaptation)/Artists: P. Craig Russell
& friends
2.-3. Kiss Comix #46, #51 (Ediciones La
Cupola, 1995) ***
4.-11. El Vibora #169, #180-182, #184, #191,
#199-200 (Ediciones La Cupola, 1993-96)
Writers/artists:
various
Spanish
porn comix that also feature reprints of various US indie classics such as Hate, Love & Rockets and Tank Girl. The Euro-strips range from
inept to hot to super-hot to perverse to disturbing. Those wacky furriners! To
be honest, I couldn’t really “read” these mags, but some of them provided
plenty of entertainment...if you get my drift.
12. DC
Special #5 (DC, 1969) ***
Writers:
various/Artist: Joe Kubert
A
funny, self-effacing meta-look at the live and art of Joe Kubert. With cartoon
kid cameos from Andy and Adam.
13. DC
Special Blue Ribbon Digest #24 (DC, 1982) **½
Writers/artists:
various
This is
“The House Of Mystery” special, which means lots of lame horror yarns with
predictable, dull “twist” endings. The only thing saving this collection is lovely
art by the likes of Wally Wood, Alex Toth and Berni Wrightson.
14. Metamorpho
#15 (DC, 1967) **½
Writer:
Bob Haney/Artists: Sal Trapani & Charles Paris
I’d
heard this was DC’s attempt to parody the Fantastic
Four’s cosmic storylines – the world-conquering Thunderer is a midget as
opposed to the gigantic Galactus – and it certainly has a lot of Stan Lee’s
bombastic dialogue and a sequence featuring “Kirby krackle”. The story is kinda
lame but wackily enjoyable, especially Haney’s failed attempts to use “hip” lingo.
I actually found the various house ads way more fun to read.
15. DC
Comics Presents #52 (DC, 1982) **¾
Writer:
Paul Kupperberg/Artists: Keith Giffen & Sal Trapani
Superman
teams up with the “new” Doom Patrol to combat an outta control Negative Woman
and psycho new villain Ambush Bug (!) Yes, before he became a lovable nutjob as
scripted by Giffen, Bug was a deranged killer (he murders a politician at a
parade in this issue in front of TV cameras for no reason). While the story is
pedestrian, I loved Giffen’s in-jokes. There are several large balloons of
fictional characters in the parade and if you look carefully you see that
Giffen’s slipped in homages to Elfquest, Cerebus and Judge Dredd. I enjoyed
that.
16. Superman
#20 (DC, 1988) ***
Writer:
John Byrne/Artists: John Byrne & Karl Kesel
17.-18. Supergirl
#8-9 (DC, 1983) ***
Writer:
Paul Kupperberg (Supergirl), Tamsyn O’Flynn (Lois Lane #8), Joey Cavalieri
(Lois Lane #9)/Artists: Carmine Infantino & Bob Oksner (Supergirl), Bob
Oksner & Dick Giordano (Lois Lane #8), Bob Oksner & Dave Hunt (Lois
Lane #9), Gil Kane (covers)
19.-22. Doom
Patrol #89, #109, #118, #123 (DC, 1964-73) ****
Writer:
Arnold Drake/Artists: Bruno Premiani (interiors), Bob Brown (covers #89, #118,
#123), Bruno Premiani (cover #109)
- Doom Patrol #123 originally published in
Doom Patrol #95 (DC, 1965)
23. Colder:
The Bad Seed #2 (Dark Horse, 2014) ****
Writer:
Paul Tobin/Artist: Juan Ferreyra
24. Sundowners
#4 (Dark Horse, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Tim Seeley/Artists: Jim Terry (interior); Chris Brunner (cover)
Intriguing
story, but let down by Terry’s mediocre art.
25.-36. Revival
#14-25 (Image, 2013-14) ****
Writer:
Tim Seeley/Artists: Mike Norton (interior); Jenny Frison (cover)
37. Revival/Chew #1 (Image, 2014) ***½
Revival: Writer: Tim Seeley/Artists: Jim
Terry (interior); Chris Brunner (cover)
Chew: Writer: John Layman/Artist: Rob Guillory
38. The
Arrival (Lothian, 2006, 2014) *****
Writer/artist:
Shaun Tan
Superb stuff by a talented Aussie. Tremendously powerful.
39. Shadow
Show #1 (IDW, 2014) ***¾
Writers:
Joe Hill & Jason Ciaramella/Artists: Charles Paul Wilson III & Jeremy
Mohler (interior); Gabriel Rodriguez (cover)
40. Gotham
By Midnight #1 (DC, 2014) ***¾
Writer:
Ray Fawkes/Artist: Ben Templesmith
41.-44. Stray
Bullets: Killers #5-8 (Image, 2014) ****
Writer/artist:
David Lapham
45. Hero
Comics 2014 (IDW, 2014) ***¼
Writers/artists:
various
46. Avengers
#309 (Marvel, 1989) **¾
Writer:
John Byrne/Artists: Paul Ryan & Tom Palmer
The
Great Lakes Avengers appear in a cameo – this is the only reason why I bought
it.
47. Weird Wonder Tales #19 (Marvel, 1976) **¾
Writers/artists:
various
A
classic monster reprint, but this issue is significant as it reprints the
origin of Dr Druid (originally called “Dr Droom”) and Groot (from Tales To Astonish #13). Plus a delightful
B. Krigstein-drawn tale called “The Hypnotist” (from Astonishing Tales #47).
48. Dream
Police #5 (Image, 2014) ***½
Writer:
J. Michael Straczynski/Artist: Sid Kotian
49. Wild’s
End #3 (BOOM!, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Dan Abnett/Artist: INJ Culbard
50. The
Fade Out #3 (Image, 2014) ****
Writer:
Ed Brubaker/Artist: Sean Phillips
51. Men
Of Wrath #2 (Icon, 2014) ****
Writer:
Jason Aaron/Artist: Ron Garney
52. She-Hulk
#10 (Marvel, 2014) ***¾
Writer:
Charles Soule/Artists: Javier Pulido (interior); Kevin Wada (cover)
53.-54. Silver
Surfer #6-7 (Marvel, 2014) ***¾
Writer:
Dan Slott/Artist: Michael Allred
55. Dead
Of Night #6 (Marvel, 1974) **½
Writers/Artists:
various
My blog and
podcast about this comic HERE.
56. Young
Allies 70th Anniversary Special #1 (Marvel, 2009) ***½
Writers:
Roger Stern, Stan Lee, Ray Gill/Artists: Paolo Rivera, Bob Oksner [main story]
57. Mystic
Comics 70th Anniversary Special
#1 (Marvel, 2009) ***
Writer/artist:
David Lapham; Juan Doe (cover art) [main story]
58. Daring
Mystery 70th Anniversary Special
#1 (Marvel, 2009) ****
Writer:
David Liss/Artists: Jason Armstrong (interior); Val Staples (cover) [main
story]
59. All
Winners 70th Anniversary Special
#1 (Marvel, 2009) ****
Writer:
Karl Kesel/Artists: Steve Uy (interior); Daniel Acuna (cover) [main story]
60. All
Select Comics 70th Anniversary
Special #1 (Marvel, 2009) ****
Writer:
Marc Guggenheim/Artist: Javier Pulido (Blonde Phantom)
Writer/artist:
Michael Kupperman (Marvex) [main stories]
61. Marvel
Mystery 70th Anniversary Special
#1 (Marvel, 2009) ***½
Writer:
Tom DeFalco/Artists: Chris Burnham (interior); Paolo Rivera (cover) [main
story]
62. USA
Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 (Marvel, 2009) ****
Writer:
John Arcudi/Artists: Steve Ellis (interior); Clint Langley (cover) [main story]
63. Captain
America Comics 70th Anniversary Special
#1 (Marvel, 2009) ****
Writer:
James Robinson/Artist: Marcos Martin [main story]
64. Miss
America Comics 70th Anniversary
Special #1 (Marvel, 2009) **
Writer:
Jen Van Meter/Artists: Andy MacDonald (interior); Eaglesham & McCaig
(cover) [main story]
65. Virtual
Doonesbury by GB Trudeau (Andrews & McMeel, 1996) ****
Apart
from the fact that all the computer and internet gags are painfully outdated,
this is another fine slice of Doonesbury life. Love me some Duke.
66. Legendary
Star-Lord #5 (Marvel, 2014) ****
Writer:
Sam Humphries/Artists: Paco Medina & Juan Vlasco
67. Rocket
Raccoon #5 (Marvel, 2014) ****
Writer:
Scottie Young/Artists: Jake Parker & Scottie Young (interior); Scottie
Young (cover)
68. Batgirl
#36 (DC, 2014) ***¾
Writers:
Cameron Stewart & Brenden Fletcher/Artists: Babs Tarr & Cameron Stewart
(interior); Cameron Stewart (cover)
69. Real
Heroes #4 (Image, 2014) ***
Writer/artist:
Bryan Hitch
70. Velvet
#8 (Image, 2014) ****
Writer:
Ed Brubaker/Artist: Steve Epting
71.-74. Nightworld
#1-4 (Image, 2014) DUD
Writer:
Adam McGovern/Artist: Paolo Leandri
I can
understand an artist wanting to draw like Jack Kirby, because if you’re gonna
ape someone’s style, you might as well crib from the best (right, Ron Frenz?).
But why the fuck would you wanna WRITE like Jack Kirby? This is just about the
worst comic I’ve read this year and it’s due to the overwrought, hamfisted scripts
of McGovern. I know he’s trying to emulate Kirby’s Fourth World stuff, but that
was SHIT – nice art, shame about the words. It’s the same here (only much, much
less as it’s sub-Kirby, not the real thing). Avoid!
75. Futures
End: Justice League United #1 (DC, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Jeff Lemire/Artists: Jed Dougherty (interior)/Mike McKone (cover)
76. Futures
End: Justice League #1 (DC, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Jeff Lemire/Artists: Jed Dougherty (interior); Mike McKone (cover)
Oooooh,
3D covers! An evil Captain Atom! And Legion of Super-Heroes characters
everywhere! Niiiiiice.
77. Nailbiter
#7 (Image, 2014) ****
Writer:
Joshua Williamson/Artist: Mike Henderson
Guest-starring
Brian Michael Bendis??? This is actually a lotta fun.
78.-80. Justice
League United #5-6, Annual #1 (DC, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Jeff Lemire/Artists: Timothy Green II & Joe Silver (#5 interior); Neil
Edwards & Jay Leisten (#6 & Annual interior); Mike McKone (cover #5);
Andrew Robinson (cover #6 & Annual)
81. Ordinary
#3 (Titan, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Rob Williams/Artist: D’Israeli
82. Murky
World (Dark Horse, 2012) ****
Writer/artist:
Richard Corben
Corben!
83.-84. Copperhead
#2-3 (Image, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Jay Faerber/Artist: Scott Godlewski
85. Guardians
3000 (Marvel, 2014) ***¾
Writer:
Dan Abnett/Artist: Gerardo Sandoval (interior), Alex Ross (cover)
86. Deep
State #1 (BOOM!, 2014) ***
Writer:
Justin Jordan/Artist: Ariela Kristantina
87. MPH
#4 (Image, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Mark Millar/Artist: Duncan Fegredo
88.-91. Terminal
Hero #1-4 (Dynamite, 2014) ****
Writer:
Peter Milligan/Artist: Piotr Kowalski
This is
really fucked up.
92. Chesty
Sanchez #2 (Antarctic Press, 1996) DUD
Writer:
Steve Ross/Artists: Scott Michaud & Jayne Wu
Horrible.
93. Protectors
Inc. #10 (Image, 2014) ***
Writer:
J. Michael Straczynski/Artists: Gordon Purcell & Andrew Pepoy (interior);
Ben Templesmith (cover)
So glad
this superhero crime series is over. Badly drawn and kinda predictable. You can
do better, JMS.
94. Image
Firsts: Pretty Deadly #1 (Image, 2013-2014) ½*
Writer:
Kelly Sue DeConnick/Artist: Emma Rios
Pretty
awful.
95. Multiversity:
Pax Americana (DC, 2014) ****
Writer:
Grant Morrison/Artist: Frank Quitely
I have
no idea what’s going on but this “tribute” to Watchmen is lovely.
96. Guardians
Of The Galaxy #21 (Marvel, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Brian Michael Bendis/Artist: Valerio Schiti
97. Moon
Knight #9 (Marvel, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Brian Wood/Artists: Greg Smallwood (interior); Declan Shalvey (cover)
98. Deadly
Class #9 (Image, 2014) ***½
Writer:
Rick Remender/Artist: Wes Craig
99. Batman
’66: The Lost Episode (DC, 2014) ****
Writers:
Harlan Ellison & Len Wein/Artists: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Joe Prado
(interior); Alex Ross (cover)
An
unused script by Ellison for the 60s Batman
TV series finally sees the light of day. Very nice.
100.-102. Batman/Deathblow:
After The Fire (DC, 2013) **
-
originally published in Batman/Deathblow:
After The Fire #1-3 (DC, 2002)
Writer:
Brian Azzarello/Artists: Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet & friends
103-104. The
October Faction #1-2 (IDW, 2014) ***
Writer:
Steve Niles/Artist: Damien Worm
