Category Archives: comics

Moon Knight #7

Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark Marvel, used under Fair Use
Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark Marvel, used under Fair Use

Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Brian Wood Art: Greg Smallwood/Jordie Bellaire
Rating: 3.5/5

Brian Wood’s first issue following Warren Ellis’ six issue stint. And it’s clearly that they are going to use Ellis as a launching pad. Much of the tone and characterization that Ellis introduced is continuing to be used. As well, Greg Smallwood is his own artist, but he is reminiscent enough of Shalvey that this feels like the same title.

And it’s a nice little issue of Moon Knight pursuing a soldier with some advanced hardware across New York. But that last page is where the book shifts. As it is  made apparent these are not going to be done in ones anymore and we’re back to standard trade writing Marvel.

So, we’ll see how that goes.

Rocket Raccoon #3

Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark Marvel, used under Fair Use
Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark Marvel, used under Fair Use

Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Skottie Young Art: Skottie Young/Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Rating: 3.3/5

A bit more rough and tumble from Rocket, showing why he’s as dangerous as he is. And even though it seems to have taken 4 issues, it looks like Rocket is going to face his evil doppelganger finally. Still not sure if I’m on board for the long run, but I haven’t regretted these first few issues.

Original Sin #8

Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark Marvel, used under Fair Use
Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark Marvel, used under Fair Use

Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jason Aaron Art: Mike Deodato/Frank Martin
Rating: 2.3/5

The key to a good murder mystery is to have somewhere to go after the reveal of the killer. With the reveal is supposed to come the reveal of the motive and then, some form of resolution.

Jason Aaron tried to work this as a murder mystery. And a lot of the pieces were lined up. And then…he had no where to go after the reveal. Eight issues in, we find out who killed the Watcher. But not why.

We have two characters swapping roles with other characters. But not why.

And we still have Thor fighting his hammer on the moon. But. Not. Why.

It was all build up and no pay off. Treating this as an eight issue mini, this issue would have been a fantastic issue 5. Giving two more issues to explore the why and whereto, with one issue to clean up. With that slight shift, this issue and mini would have been easily ten times better.

Instead, I’m sitting here just going, “why?”

Trees #4

 

Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark their respective owners, used under Fair Use
Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark their respective owners, used under Fair Use

Publisher: Image
Writer: Warren Ellis Art: Jason Howard
Rating: 3.6/5

Sweet slumbering Cthulhu but I do love how Ellis works characters. And that’s all this series has been so far. “Here’s this person, here’s their warts and crutches. Oh, and they have a redeeming quality or two.”

Character work with the slight background dressing of giant alien towers terraforming the earth (or something). The scientist in the artic that won’t cycle out because this work is important. The bumpkin that is at once in love with and terrified of the city wide artistic commune he has moved to.

Character work. And now, a very big bomb about to go off and change everything.

I love when Ellis is playing.

Supreme: Blue Rose #2

Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark their respective owners, used under Fair Use
Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark their respective owners, used under Fair Use

Publisher: Image
Writer: Warren Ellis Art: Tula Lotay
Rating: 3.5/5

This is not a superhero comic. This is Ellis moving in one of his more experimental moods. The whole comics feels like some kind of strange living dream and I’m sure there’s subtext I’m missing or not fully picking up on.

But this is the kind of comics I do love, in small doses. I like experimental comics that still have a framework of plot and character work while still being experimental. We’ll see where this goes.

The Goon: Occasion of Revenge #2

 

Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark their respective owners, used under Fair Use
Image, Characters, and Names are Copyright/Trademark their respective owners, used under Fair Use


Publisher:
 Dark Horse
Writer: Eric Powell Art: Eric Powell
Rating: 4.0/5

This is, quite simply, Eric Powell at his best. This is Eric Powell at Chinatown levels. This is where I love what he does most. It is both funny and heart wrenching at the same time. Giving Goon something to live for, giving Goon something that can kill him, and showing how that all worked out for poor Daisy.

Issues like this are why I read The Goon.

Saga #22

Image, Characters and Titles are Copyright/Trademark their respective owners, used under Fair Use
Image, Characters and Titles are Copyright/Trademark their respective owners, used under Fair Use

Publisher: Image
Writer: Brian K Vaughn Art: Fiona Staples
Rating: 3.9/5

Saga is the story about two people from different cultures falling impossibly in love and how love isn’t enough. Set against a backdrop of an intergalactic race war.

If that’s not enough for you to understand why people love it, nothing I write will be.

Though it also has alien wrestling soap operas…

The Unwritten: Apocalypse #8

Image is Copyright/Trademark its respective owner(s), used under Fair Use
Image is Copyright/Trademark its respective owner(s), used under Fair Use

Publisher: Vertigo
Writer: Mike Carey Art: Peter Gross/Chris Chuckry
Rating: 3.6/5

The Unwritten is a series that I largely picked up because of how much I loved Lucifer (also from Vertigo). And it quickly seemed to be playing in much of the same idea space, though this time playing in fiction versus reality rather than mythology versus reality (though, they’re much of the same in the end). And now that we’ve gotten to Apocalypse, I’m glad to finally be getting to the end.

I enjoyed the ride here as much as I did Lucifer, but with these stories they’re saying something. And while I’m sure Peter and Mike enjoyed going off on little side jogs in the world, for the story to has real merit it has to end. And with this issue showing us not one, not two, but three different versions of the Holy Grail, I feel like we’re coming into that ending.

And I feel (/hope) it’s going to be a great one.