CBR Review: Spider-Man: Fever #2

I recently reviewed Spider-Man: Fever #2 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Spider-Man: Fever #2 doesn’t look like any other book on the shelves this week, presenting a bright, almost garish, vision of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, both in otherworldly realms where Brendan McCarthy is free to let his imagination run wild, drawing weird buildings and whatever random ideas pop up. It’s fun and poppy, a weird adventure that, at its core, could be just any other Spider-Man/Dr. Strange team-up, but, when presented through McCarthy’s sensibilities, it becomes something decidedly different and unique."

You can read the rest HERE!

The Splash Page Podcast Episode 15.1

Another week, another podcast about comics from Tim Callahan and myself. This week, in our first episode, we stick to specific comics for the most part with Batman and Robin #12, I, Zombie #1, War of the Supermen #0-1, and Spider-Man: Fever #2. Plus, we discuss reality TV, the upcoming Grant Morrison documentary, and Brian Cronin from Comics Should be Good (or, more accurately, the current 'greatest _____ stories' thing he's got going on). And it all begins with "We're Hardcore" by Gord Downie.

You can download and listen to the Splash Page Podcast episode 15.1 HERE!

CBR Review: I, Zombie #1

I recently reviewed I, Zombie #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Another $1.00 Vertigo first issue and that’s always a good thing in my world. That the comic in question has Mike and Laura Allred providing the art makes the one dollar price tag seem like a steal and a must buy. Unfortunately, the writing on I, Zombie #1 isn’t the sort to necessarily grab readers right away, which is partly the point of the cheap first issue: bring in readers who may skip the book and hook them. That doesn’t happen with I, Zombie."

You can read the rest HERE!

Quickie Reviews (May 5 2010)

The first Wednesday of the month means a new issue of The Boys. I love that Dynamite has really kept that book on schedule so it always comes out then. Makes the beginning of the month something to look forward to. But, before I get to that, there are a couple of other comics to mention...

Avengers: The Origin #2: Enjoyable, but a little tedious in its dialogue. Everyone talking through what's going on... meh. I like the Phil Noto art, though. [***]

Batman and Robin #12: I had my suspicions regarding the identity of Oberon Sexton, but, then again, I could say that about half a dozen people who were candidates. A good issue. Andy Clarke's art was, obviously, less polished here with Scott Hanna picking up the slack. Even with that reveal at the end and The Return of Bruce Wayne kicking off next week, this felt like the conclusion to this story. I'll say more when I do my post on Morrison's third year of writing Batman. [***1/2]

The Boys #42: Man, the interactions between Auntie Sis and Malchemical just make me feel dirty. But, Butcher continues to have his head up his ass, while Hughie is a decent enough guy, Annie seems like she may end things with Hughie, and Mother's Milk is none too pleased with Butcher. A transition issue. The art is weaker, but that's because Robertson didn't do it all himself. [***]

Demo #4: Definitely reminiscent of "What You Wish For" from the first volume, but different enough. Great use of black and white by Becky Cloonan. I liked this -- Demo is usually at its best when it's walking that line between understandable and totally fucking crazy/wrong. [****]

The Great Ten #7: Appropriately, this issue focuses on the Seven Deadly Brothers. His origin is weird and interesting. Loved the visual allusion to Pei Mai. Also, the Seven Deadly Brothers is a different sort of character than his teammates. Since he's all energy and violence, Scott McDaniel does him well. The death of the God of Death was great, too. Solid book. [***1/2]

Briefer than usual this week it seems. Blame the seasonal allergies, I guess.

CBR Review: Artifacts #0

I recently reviewed Artifacts #0 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "One of the approaches for Free Comic Book Day issues in recent years has been to use the free comic as a launching point for a big event or story. DC did that last year with Blackest Night #0, offering a recap of what led to the event and some new material for fans, and Top Cow does the same thing this year with Artifacts #0. Acting as a recap/launch for the upcoming event, it provides the information necessary for new readers to jump aboard, while offering some new tidbits for hardcore fans. Even with that approach, though, it’s a little light on content and lacks strong art."

You can read the rest HERE!

The Splash Page Podcast Episode 14.2

In the second podcast episode of the week, Tim and I kept on talking and talking and talking for just under two hours. We covered a lot of topics like some of this week's comics, but also returned to older topics like more on JMS and reviewing. There's even a big chunk in the middle where we talk about movies and TV shows. And it's actually this episode where I tell Tim to watch Babylon 5. It's easy to get mixed up when you discuss the same topic in both episodes. Plus, "We're Hardcore" by Gord Downie! If you want us to keep things shorter, just tell us -- or if you love the long episodes, tell us that, too.

You can download and listen to the Splash Page Podcast episode 14.2 HERE!

The Splash Page Podcast Episode 14.1

The first of this week's podcast episodes is up as Tim and I talk about a lot of comics like Detective Comics #864, Captain America #605, and New Avengers #64. We also talk about Free Comic Book Day, Robert Kirkman's output (at the request of a listener), and more about J. Michael Straczynski, beginning with his upcoming run on Superman and going to me, once again, telling Tim to watch Babylon 5. All that plus "We're Hardcore" by Gord Downie.

You can download and listen to the Splash Page Podcast episode 14.1 HERE!

Buy My Book! (or the book I have a story in at least)

In April, Writing Without Direction: Ten and a Half Short Stories by Canadian Authors Under Thirty came out from Clark-Nova Books and I have a short story, "Are Ya Havin' Fun" in it. The title pretty much says it all: eleven short stories by Canadian writers under 30 and I haven't seen the book yet (except in a bookstore yesterday), but I can guarantee at least one great story. If you're interested in giving it a look, you can order copies from Clark-Nova Books directly or from Chapters. Below the cut I'm also including a small part from my story, "Are Ya Havin' Fun." It's kind of an anthology piece in and of itself with a series of short sketches of a Saturday night at a college/university bar... here's one section along with the dividing dialogue piece that I use in between each section.

CBR Review: Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 #1

I recently reviewed Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Only one week after the conclusion of the first volume of Ultimate Comics Avengers, the beginning of the second ships. Unlike the first volume where the threat was readily apparent with the team of Nick Fury’s Avengers already in place, this story begins with a focus on teambuilding without a known enemy -- or, at least, not one that we’re told about. The first new recruit of Fury’s Avengers: Frank Castle, the Punisher."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Siege: Secret Warriors #1

I recently reviewed Siege: Secret Warriors #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The main plot here is Phobos’ reaction to seeing his father ripped apart by the Sentry on national television. Nick Fury made the decision to leave him behind and, after seeing his father die at the hands of a government agent basically, Alex pays a visit to the White House to speak with the president regarding what’s happening. What follows is Alex versus an army of Secret Service agents, basically, and we can see what the god of fear, son of war can do when properly provoked. We’ve always known that Phobos is dangerous, but not this dangerous. It’s a kid with a sword and we goes through the trained agents like they’re nothing."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Detective Comics #864

I recently reviewed Detective Comics #864 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Hine’s writing in the main story is very solid, as he has Arkham narrate as he learns what it’s like to live in Arkham Asylum as a patient. His voice is cold and somewhat twisted, not entirely divorced from his Black Mask persona as he’d like everyone to think he is. One scene where a fellow patient explains that every day from now on, Arkham will be eating food containing various bodily fluids from the various patients he oversaw for years shows how Arkham could be the Black Mask. His response is cold, methodical, and utterly cruel in its threat of violence. The plot picks up when one of the Black Mask’s loose ends attracts Batman’s attention and he’s forced to deal with Arkham to save a man’s life. Except Arkham apparently has no knowledge of his time as the Black Mask."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Iron Man 2: Public Identity #1

I recently reviewed Iron Man 2: Public Identity #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Originally title 'Iron Man 1.5,' Iron Man 2: Public Identity #1 begins the three-issue mini-series that bridges the gap between the two Iron Man movies, picking up with the final scene of the first movie at the beginning of the issue. From there, the issue explores the fall-out of Tony Stark’s decision to reveal that he is Iron Man to the world with a special emphasis on his relationship with the military, something that seems to be important in the upcoming movie, judging from the trailers."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: X-Force #26

I recently reviewed X-Force #26 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "With the various mutant groups separated in an effort to divide Bastion’s forces, Cable has stayed with members of X-Force, Colossus, and Psylocke to throw off the Sapien League’s tracking, while Hope makes a mad dash for Utopia with Nightcrawler teleporting her and Rogue. The divided forces allows for Kyle and Yost to jump around a bit to establish what losses the mutants have taken — and what they’ve dished out in the process, showing us the aftermath of the Cannonball’s team’s encounter with Cameron Hodge and Cable and company doing some heavy damage."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Green Hornet #3

I recently reviewed Green Hornet #3 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "While Lau overdraws the book, that goes well with Kevin Smith’s overwriting in the form of overwrought, painful narrative captions that are too over-the-top. In the build-up to the death of Britt Reid, the original Green Hornet, Smith piles captions upon captions on the page to somehow give this event more meaning, but it makes the death almost comical. He writes of how Reid came home each night after fighting crime as the Green Hornet because of his wife, which is a nice sentiment, but the Green Hornet most people know was single, so it lacks the punch Smith is going for."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Conan the Cimmerian #20

I recently reviewed Conan the Cimmerian #20 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Conan the Cimmerian #20 continues the 'Kozaki' story, which explains how Conan, leading an army of roaming raiders, managed to lead the group to ruin and find himself on the run, sick and poisoned. The downfall of Conan and his band of marauders was teased last issue, but it seemed less than likely until this issue showed how Conan’s pride and arrogance resulted in his downfall, a lesson you’d think he would have learned by now. Still, this issue is an entertaining read with some great art."

You can read the rest HERE!

Quickie Reviews (Apr 28 2010)

Another week, another stack of comics. This was a bigger week (for me) and it looks like the same next week. Heavy Marvel week this week, too. Next week, DC is heavier. Weird. As always, anything else I bought will be reviewed for CBR.

Captain America #605: There's something a little too simplistic about this conclusion to "Two Americas." I don't know what I wanted, but I wanted more. Maybe James killing the '50s Captain America is enough for some, but it's too easy. I already know James will kill if necessary as a last resort, so him doing so isn't a huge payoff necessarily. There's an element at the end of him questioning what being Captain America means and I guess I'm glad that that wasn't made too explicit since it could become very cheesy very quickly. Still, maybe a little bit more questioning. I do like the question "What does being Captain America mean?" What version of America should he represent? It's a good question and I don't mind if Brubaker takes his time with it, slowly drawing it out, talking around it, because there is no answer. It's a question where asking it is what matters. I enjoyed Luke Ross's art on this arc, but am looking forward to Butch Guice. Definitely liking Dean White as colourist. It suits the book much better than Frank D'Armata's colours did despite him functioning as a key element in maintaining the consistent art style. I only skimmed the Nomad back-up strip. What an awful pairing of mismatched stories. [***1/2]

New Avengers #64: The final regular issue of the series and I kind of like that it's just another issue. A Siege tie-in focusing on the Hood as we see the build-up to him and his crew joining the fight in Asgard. Some people haven't liked the strong focus on the Hood in New Avengers since the end of Civil War, but it's been a good counterpoint to the team. The Hood is their constant nemesis -- New Avengers as a larger ensemble book than anyone thought it was. This book wasn't just about the heroes, it was also about the villains. A longform story where you see both sides moving against one another. The Hood was never meant to be a typical villain with one storyarc. If this was a TV show, the guy playing the Hood would have his name in the regular cast credits, possibly in the first two or three spots. It's a nice, subtle thing that Bendis was doing -- something that we've seen in superhero comics, but not really to this extent. Maybe other people saw that and I think I did, too, just not as consciously as now. Here, we get the emotional payoff of the Hood's journey as he seems primed to become a bigtime player, nearly loses the only other person he cares about (mirrored by Hawkeye/Mockingbird), and then loses it all except for the woman he loves. Good stuff. Mike McKone was a good choice to do these final two issues since his style isn't too far from Stuart Immonen's with Dave McCaig's colours helping that consistent look. I'll save any thoughts on this part of Bendis's Avengers Era ending for the finale issue. [****]

Scalped #37: Shunka! Unknowable killer! Shunka! Secretly gay! Shunka! Muthafucka will fuck ya up! I don't know why, but I love that sort of thing. And, yet, I can never execute it as well as I want to. Fuck. This issue plays out how we think it will until the twist. Not sure I buy the twist since it's too planned, too calculated, especially when it comes to someone like Shunka. Then again, it does put the narration in a new light -- an unreliable, possibly untuthful light, which I like. Davide Furnò on art is something I always enjoy. Him being a regular fill-in artist is fine by me. His style suits the book. [****]

Secret Warriors #15: See, here, it's obvious that the Hydra folks are part of the ensemble, not just villains that are here one arc, gone another. Why was that obvious here and not as much in New Avengers? Is it because the other is an Avengers title? What? The behind-the-scenes stuff with Daisy and the gang is good -- the stuff with Viper is better. Unexpected and logical. And, oddly, another instance of Earth X possibly being more influential than I gave it credit for. Fury and the Contessa at the end was great, too. Hickman's Fury is a take on the character that I really like. Caselli's art was a bit more cartoony here, his facial expressions more wild and loose -- Contessa is totally vamping it up at times, but Sunny Gho's colours balance it out to keep it grounded, making the cartoony stuff work a little better with the tone of the writing. I guess we're halfway through the run of this book now? Fuck. [****]

Thor #609: I've been enjoying Kieron Gillen's run on the book, especially his stuff with Loki. His discussion with Balder in this issue is great. Gillen uses JMS's run and builds on it in a logical manner. His Loki is definitely one of my favourite takes on the character -- someone as damaged and twisted and brilliant as that one JMS issue where Loki goes back in time and ties everything together. Too bad the art is just ugly. Rich Elson's pages aren't awful, simply mediocre -- they tell their bits fine enough. The Billy Tan pages are simply awful. Ugly messy things that exist only to give me an idea of who says what and maybe if someone hits someone else. [***]

Later

CBR Review: Do Anything Volume 1: Jack Kirby Ripped My Flesh

I recently reviewed Do Anything Volume 1: Jack Kirby Ripped My Flesh for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Do Anything Volume 1: Jack Kirby Ripped My Flesh collects the 24 'Do Anything' columns from Bleeding Cool, albeit in an altered form. The 24 columns become 15 chapters here as columns are combined and edited to read better on the page. It’s a strange journey of freeform connections as Ellis begins with Jack Kirby and moves on from there to Philippe Druillet, George Lucas, Will Eisner, Archie Goodwin, Moebius, David Bowie, and dozens of others. It’s an odd mishmash of comics history and pop culture history mixed with Ellis’ own flights of fancy and personal anecdotes."

You can read the rest HERE! (And, if you're wondering why it lists Warren Ellis as the artist, it's because CBR's reviewing system won't accept it without an artist. Huh. Now you know.)

The Splash Page Podcast Episode 13.2

The second podcast episode of the week is up and it's a long one. It was almost half the length, ending with our discussion of The Spirit #1 because of some audio problems that I managed to fix (mostly). There are still some issues with Tim's side of the conversation in a few places, but, for the most part, it sounds like it always does. Besides The Spirit #1, we also discuss DV8: Gods and Monsters #1, Captain America: Who Won't Wield the Shield #1, Ultimate Comics Avengers #6, Joe the Barbarian #4, plus we continute some of the conversation from last episode, preempting the argument that, since I demand writers and artists challenge themselves and do new things, how can I enjoy works by writers like Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison that people think keep repeating themselves. This leads to us creating a new four-point critiquing system for writers. Want to know what it is? Listen to the episode!

You can download and listen to the Splash Page Podcast episode 13.2 HERE!

The Splash Page Podcast Episode 13.1

It's Sunday, so that means another episode of the Splash Page Podcast with your hosts, Tim Callahan and me, Chad Nevett. This week's episode is a little more broad and theoretical as we talk a lot about our reviewing process and different ideas on how to approach/write comics criticism. Tim says some really good stuff in this episode. We also trash The Brave and the Bold #33 and use it as a case study for what do you do when you review a book where the writing and the art differ in quality greatly. Plus, "We're Hardcore" by Gord Downie to kick things off.

You can download and listen to the Splash Page Podcast episode 13.1 HERE!

CBR Review: DV8: Gods and Monsters #1

I recently reviewed DV8: Gods and Monsters #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Brian Wood has said that relaunching DV8 has been something he’s tried to make happen for years. Gods and Monsters #1 is an interesting take on the concept. The DV8 crew are dropped on what they think is Earth, but is cleaner and far less advanced. And there’s a red moon. And two suns. Slowly, members go off and never return, almost like a horror movie. Told by Copycat to whoever dropped them on the planet at a later date, she mostly relates details told to her by Frostbite since she didn’t land until much later for some reason."

You can read the rest HERE!