The last issue of Doom Patrol was very good. Great Mike Allred art and Way gives us a fun story of an old ally trying to work their way back into the Doom Patrol. Really good one and done.
I haven't read them this week per se, but there was a sale on Hickman's Fantastic Four run a while ago and I finally made my way through all of them. Great stories. I also picked up the first three volumes of Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo's run on FF. That was also really enjoyable. I loved when they got to meet "God."
Just finished Lark’s Killer #1 by Bill Willingham and Mark Dos Santos. I think I'll need a couple more issues before I decide on whether to keep going with it or not. The story has promise, and I like Bill’s writing, but this first issue didn't bowl me over. Of course, the first issue of Fables didn’t exactly knock me off my feet either. As with Fables #1, it was mainly the artwork that fell short for me. Dos Santos is an experienced and solid artist, but I've never been a fan of his stuff. And I'm not sure it fits the story all that well either—it doesn’t seem to quite capture the right mood. Part of that could be the coloring, which somehow manages to be too bright and too washed out all at the same time.
Overall, I give the book a B-. But I see enough that I want to give it a longer look, so maybe that will change.
Of course, the first issue of Fables didn’t exactly knock me off my feet either. As with Fables #1, it was mainly the artwork that fell short for me.
That same thing happened to me with FABLES; the story concept intrigued me, but I didn't care for the artwork at all. I never continued on with it - and then the universe slapped me for my poor decision, by making FABLES (and even its rip-off TV series "Once Upon A Time") a huge global phenomenon. I really need to be more like you :joy:
On another note: I just read BLACK HAMMER #11, which was terrific (again), so I have to mea culpa myself (again) because at some point I claimed that superhero comics weren't really doing it for me recently - but this one definitely does it for me. Can't wait for BH #12!
My DCBS box arrived yesterday. Only had time to read one book but, as expected, truly enjoyed Lazarus X+66. It's truly unfortunate that both Lazarus and Black Science are occurring concurrently to Saga. Both books deserve far more attention than they get.
Yep, you read that right. This has been a surprisingly good series, this latest issue in particular. Don't want to spoil too much, but the entire issue involves Blackbolt and Absorbing Man being chained up together in an alien prison and telling each other their life stories. I know, I know ... you're no doubt going all, "like, wtf?" but trust me, it's an awesome read. Here's a brief snippet:
Yep, you read that right. This has been a surprisingly good series, this latest issue in particular. Don't want to spoil too much, but the entire issue involves Blackbolt and Absorbing Man being chained up together in an alien prison and telling each other their life stories. I know, I know ... you're no doubt going all, "like, wtf?" but trust me, it's an awesome read. Here's a brief snippet:
I was just coming here to post something similar. I suspect, like me, Saladin Ahmed first encountered Absorbing Man in Secret Wars and has had a soft spot for him ever since. This really does justice to the character's "blue collar criminal who's been dragged into some really weird stuff over the years" history and appeal.
Don't want to spoil too much, but the entire issue involves Blackbolt and Absorbing Man being chained up together in an alien prison and telling each other their life stories. I know, I know ... you're no doubt going all, "like, wtf?" but trust me, it's an awesome read. />
So is Blackbolt's free-and-casual speechifyin' a change which already happened in recent Marvel continuity, or is it explained within this title?
Don't want to spoil too much, but the entire issue involves Blackbolt and Absorbing Man being chained up together in an alien prison and telling each other their life stories. I know, I know ... you're no doubt going all, "like, wtf?" but trust me, it's an awesome read. />
So is Blackbolt's free-and-casual speechifyin' a change which already happened in recent Marvel continuity, or is it explained within this title?
It's a feature of this title. The pair are in a super-prison in deep space (Maximus swapped places with his brother) and so have been stripped of their powers.
Got a few issues of the old Stormwatch: Team Achilles title. I know that there was some stolen valor issue with the writer, but happy with what I read of it. Having Santini and his team take out the Authority in the first issue I picked up was ideal for me.
Not sure I'll go quite as far as Dave just yet, only one issue in, but the 12-issue Mister Miracle series is off to a fantastic start. And my shop was already sold out when I went by to pick up my bag.
Mister Miracle will be on the level of Watchman. This is pre-Vertigo level stuff by a creative team that gets the New Gods like few have. I expect this will be a wonderful tribute the King Kirby. Mitch's art has improved by leaps and bounds. This is breakout level stuff.
Mister Miracle will be on the level of Watchman. This is pre-Vertigo level stuff by a creative team that gets the New Gods like few have. I expect this will be a wonderful tribute the King Kirby. Mitch's art has improved by leaps and bounds. This is breakout level stuff.
As long as it's only Mitch breaking out this year. Tom has done it for the last three years ;)
Mister Miracle will be on the level of Watchman. This is pre-Vertigo level stuff by a creative team that gets the New Gods like few have. I expect this will be a wonderful tribute the King Kirby. Mitch's art has improved by leaps and bounds. This is breakout level stuff.
I liked it, but not sure I'd go that far.
I thought that it owed a lot to Morrison's take on Fourth World. The use of "Darkseid Is" here made Final Crisis look like a experiment in restraint.
Indeed the suicide aspect plays like Morrison's Seven Soldiers' Mister Miracle if it had had a consistent, coherent art team. ("Escape The Life Trap" being a recurring theme in that series).
On the other hand it also seemed to pull some elements from the DeMatteis run too, which has been long overlooked.
The one thing it didn't really remind me of was the original Kirby run.
Mister Miracle will be on the level of Watchman. This is pre-Vertigo level stuff by a creative team that gets the New Gods like few have. I expect this will be a wonderful tribute the King Kirby. Mitch's art has improved by leaps and bounds. This is breakout level stuff.
I liked it, but not sure I'd go that far.
I thought that it owed a lot to Morrison's take on Fourth World. The use of "Darkseid Is" here made Final Crisis look like a experiment in restraint.
Indeed the suicide aspect plays like Morrison's Seven Soldiers' Mister Miracle if it had had a consistent, coherent art team. ("Escape The Life Trap" being a recurring theme in that series).
On the other hand it also seemed to pull some elements from the DeMatteis run too, which has been long overlooked.
The one thing it didn't really remind me of was the original Kirby run.
I agree for the most part, especially with the points regarding the Morrison and DeMatteis books. That being said, I don't need this series to remind me of the Kirby run, except in one way. At the end of the series, Scott Free needs to be a positive, uplifting force. And I'm sure we'll get there when all is said and done.
I finished the Sabrina the Teenage Witch Complete Collection book today. It reprints (in black-&-white) every Sabrina story, gag page, and cover she appeared in from her creation in 1962 through the end of 1972. Overall there were a lot more so-so stories than there were gems, but the gems made it worth the $10 cover price.
The first few stories drawn by Dan DeCarlo are all winners, mostly for the artwork. In these first two or three stories for Archie’s Mad House, she uses her magic for her own ends, and doesn't mind being a little on the wicked side. Then the tone of the stories change and Sabrina’s harmful spells either backfire on her, or end up helping people more than hurting. Her appearances are pretty spotty throughout the ’60s, but in a lot of her stories from the mid- to late ’60s her friends know she’s a witch. I'd never read any of these stories, and it was weird to see people asking her to cast a spell to fix a problem. And there are a couple of stories drawn by Chic Stone that are way off-model, and not in a good way.
It wasn’t until 1969 and the first issue of Archie’s TV Laugh-Out, in which Sabrina becomes a regular, that we see Sabrina written in the way most of us are familiar with. Bill Vigoda draws a couple of the early Laugh-Out stories, and I like what he did with them. But I think my absolute favorite stories in the whole collection were the two stories drawn by Harry Lucey (one from Laugh-Out, one from the Sabrina the Teenage Witch solo series). Like Chic Stone, his Sabrina is way off-model. Unlike Chic Stone, I love Lucey’s design, and he stories have more life and energy in them than even DeCarlo’s. Take a look for yourself (in color rather than B&W):
Anyway, if you're at all interested in the character, or just Archie comics in general, the $10 price tag makes this a no-brainer, and provides an interesting look at the evolution of an iconic character.
Harry Lucey is a master artist and one of favorite Archie illustrators. Thanks for the review. I got it a couple of months ago in my DCBS order, but it was put on the shelf until I can get around to it. Good to know it was more than worth what I paid for it. It's a steal at retail for sure.
The other book playing with Kirby space gods* this week, Inhumans - Once and Future Kings will probably get overlooked due to Mister Miracle, but it's well worth your time for the stellar Phil Noto art alone.
*strictly speaking it's playing with a Dan Slott addition from Mighty Avengers.
Who is reading the post-Rebirth Detective. Got to the last issue from my DCBS box this morning. I'm liking the story and team concept. Less enthusiastic about Fox's suit reveal on the last page.
The other book playing with Kirby space gods* this week, Inhumans - Once and Future Kings will probably get overlooked due to Mister Miracle, but it's well worth your time for the stellar Phil Noto art alone.
*strictly speaking it's playing with a Dan Slott addition from Mighty Avengers.
Ha! I posted that issue in the "What comics DIDN'T you like this week" thread! With you on the art, which was beautiful, but I found the dialogue kinda cringe-worthy at times. It's on a short leash with me. Hoping for the best though.
The other book playing with Kirby space gods* this week, Inhumans - Once and Future Kings will probably get overlooked due to Mister Miracle, but it's well worth your time for the stellar Phil Noto art alone.
*strictly speaking it's playing with a Dan Slott addition from Mighty Avengers.
Ha! I posted that issue in the "What comics DIDN'T you like this week" thread! With you on the art, which was beautiful, but I found the dialogue kinda cringe-worthy at times. It's on a short leash with me. Hoping for the best though.
I was fine with the cod-Shakespeare dialogue. I thought it worked for establishing that it was taking place in the past, and that these characters are the HIGHEST of royalty and their servants. So high they live on the moon.
Comments
Overall, I give the book a B-. But I see enough that I want to give it a longer look, so maybe that will change.
On another note: I just read BLACK HAMMER #11, which was terrific (again), so I have to mea culpa myself (again) because at some point I claimed that superhero comics weren't really doing it for me recently - but this one definitely does it for me. Can't wait for BH #12!
Yep, you read that right. This has been a surprisingly good series, this latest issue in particular. Don't want to spoil too much, but the entire issue involves Blackbolt and Absorbing Man being chained up together in an alien prison and telling each other their life stories. I know, I know ... you're no doubt going all, "like, wtf?" but trust me, it's an awesome read. Here's a brief snippet:
Would really love for Blackbolt and Absorbing Man to continue their "odd couple" friendship after this.
Good lord. For me, this is the top comic book of the year thus far.
Utterly fantastic writing by Tom King.
Truly inspired artwork by Mitch Gerads.
This is something very special.
I thought that it owed a lot to Morrison's take on Fourth World. The use of "Darkseid Is" here made Final Crisis look like a experiment in restraint.
On the other hand it also seemed to pull some elements from the DeMatteis run too, which has been long overlooked.
The one thing it didn't really remind me of was the original Kirby run.
The first few stories drawn by Dan DeCarlo are all winners, mostly for the artwork. In these first two or three stories for Archie’s Mad House, she uses her magic for her own ends, and doesn't mind being a little on the wicked side. Then the tone of the stories change and Sabrina’s harmful spells either backfire on her, or end up helping people more than hurting. Her appearances are pretty spotty throughout the ’60s, but in a lot of her stories from the mid- to late ’60s her friends know she’s a witch. I'd never read any of these stories, and it was weird to see people asking her to cast a spell to fix a problem. And there are a couple of stories drawn by Chic Stone that are way off-model, and not in a good way.
It wasn’t until 1969 and the first issue of Archie’s TV Laugh-Out, in which Sabrina becomes a regular, that we see Sabrina written in the way most of us are familiar with. Bill Vigoda draws a couple of the early Laugh-Out stories, and I like what he did with them. But I think my absolute favorite stories in the whole collection were the two stories drawn by Harry Lucey (one from Laugh-Out, one from the Sabrina the Teenage Witch solo series). Like Chic Stone, his Sabrina is way off-model. Unlike Chic Stone, I love Lucey’s design, and he stories have more life and energy in them than even DeCarlo’s. Take a look for yourself (in color rather than B&W):
Anyway, if you're at all interested in the character, or just Archie comics in general, the $10 price tag makes this a no-brainer, and provides an interesting look at the evolution of an iconic character.
*strictly speaking it's playing with a Dan Slott addition from Mighty Avengers.