CBR Review: Captain America & Bucky #625

I recently reviewed Captain America & Bucky #625 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "2011 is almost over and, to celebrate, Marvel Comics has lined up its shipping schedule to provide a triple dose of Captain America comics this week. It's both an ending and a beginning for the two issues of Captain America released, and Captain America & Bucky shifts dramatically from its opening storyarc with a new co-plotter/scripter and artist in James Asmus and Francesco Francavilla, respectively. More than that, the title puts the focus on a different Captain America and Bucky than readers expect: the men who replaced the originals after their 'deaths' in 1945."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Captain America #6

I recently reviewed Captain America #6 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "2011 is almost over and, to celebrate, Marvel has lined up its shipping schedule to provide a triple dose of Captain America comics this week. It’s both an ending and a beginning with Captain America #5 concluding the opening story arc of the relaunched title before issue six can pick up where it left off and start a new story. That the beginning of the new story ships on the same day as the end of the previous one makes for a smooth transition and could blur the line between the two, except Ed Brubaker and Alan Davis make such a strong impression in this issue that it stands clearly on its own."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Captain America #5

I recently reviewed Captain America #5 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "2011 is almost over and, to celebrate, Marvel has lined up its shipping schedule to provide a triple dose of Captain America comics this week. It’s both an ending and a beginning with Captain America #5, concluding the opening story arc of the relaunched title before issue six can pick up where it left off and start a new story. This issue puts its eyes firmly on what’s coming next, providing immediate closure of the dangers facing Captain America and company, and planting seeds for the dangers of 2012."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (December 29 2011)

Christmas has come and gone. It was a nice few days. Nice to see my family and Michelle's family. Nice to just be away from the usual daily grind bullshit. This year, things seemed skewed towards books over DVDs and CDs as far as presents went. I guess people think I'm not reading enough. This week, my shop had a post-Christmas sale, so I managed to get caught up on Jamie Delano Hellblazer trades (the new edition of the second volume came out this week and my shop had the third and fourth volumes). I also got a couple of Astro City trades as well as Banner by Azzarello and Corben. There was plenty more that tempted me, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Also, Diamond shorted my shop on a couple of titles -- but they did overship the new issue of Angel and Faith (30 or so copies instead of the two or three my shop ordered), so that had them covered.

The Mighty Thor #9: A weird case of this comic being less than the sum of its parts. I genuinely enjoyed almost every scene in it and, yet, it didn't feel like it added up to anything. Maybe because it seems like we're in act two of it already. Maybe it's some unconventional storytelling that will add up in the end. [***]

Secret Avengers #20: For a time travel story, this was surprisingly linear. Last week of the year and this issue may have been enough to make me reconsider this title for my best of the year list. Damn fine comic book. [****1/4]

Spaceman #3: Bringing in Carter was a surprise -- and the end was pretty good. Each issue is more interesting than the previous. And... RISSO! [****]

The Ultimates #5: Man, pity those poor fucks who didn't pick up Ultimate Hawkeye... A bit of a breather issue as everyone tries to figure out what you do after a huge chunk of Europe is absorbed into a City populated by people that could kill the rest of the world without too much effort. Hickman doesn't quite push it as far as I'd like, but this is interesting territory -- like I said on the podcast, it's similar territory to where the X-titles have been at times, except it's actually addressing the issues raised instead of finding 'clever' ways to sweep them aside. Esad Ribic not doing the full issue is a shame, but Peterson's art is better than I remember... Not too sure about the ending, though. [***3/4]

Uncanny X-Men #3: Who would have thought that I'd actually enjoy Mr. Sinister as a villain? [***1/2]

The Unwritten #32.5: Another half issue, one that goes back to Gilgamesh and gives us some of the history of Pullman. Me, I'm just happy to read any comic drawn by Dean Ormston. [***1/2]

Later

The Splash Page Podcast 2011 Holiday Spectacular

Tim and are back with a new edition of the Splash Page Podcast! It's our special Christmas gift to all of you listeners. In this episode, we talk mostly about the best of 2011 with such topics as Holy Terror, some Marvel books like Daredevil, The Ultimates, and Uncanny X-Force, Scalped, Bendis's Avengers work, Casanova: Avaritia, Vengeance, Tim's Alan Moore writing, and, then, we go into a long big talk about comics that touches on a variety of subjects before moving into books for the end. This episode is pretty much what you'd expect from us and was quite fun to do. Since it is a holiday episode, it's bookended by a couple of songs from the Barenaked Ladies's holiday album. So, download, listen, and enjoy -- and have a happy holidays!

You can download and listen to the Splash Page Podcast 2011 Holiday Spectacular HERE!

CBR Review: Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! #1

I recently reviewed Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Ostensibly Batman, Incorporated issues #9 and #10, Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! #1 ends the first ‘season’ of the title and sets the stage for next year’s return and conclusion to Grant Morrison’s tenure on the Batbooks. The wait for this comic may have been long, but with Cameron Stewart and Chris Burnham providing the art, it was well worth it. Morrison delivers both an entertaining ‘done in one’ style adventure spotlighting Stephanie Brown and an ambitious issue that pushes the story about as far as it can go before it breaks. It ends with the big reveal of who is behind Leviathan, the criminal organization that Batman has created Batman, Incorporated to fight. It’s the sort of issue that arrives just in time to remind critics that, maybe, they left Batman, Incorporated off their top ten of 2011 lists and that, obviously, was a mistake."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Avengers #20

I recently reviewed Avengers #20 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "There’s something inexplicably silly about Avengers #20. The return of Norman Osborn has, so far, been a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. Brian Michael Bendis has shown the behind-the-scenes build-up to Osborn's eventual strike on the Avengers over the past few months in Avengers and New Avengers and, here, it begins: with Norman Osborn standing on the lawn of Avengers Mansion ranting and raving while everyone tries not to look too embarrassed about the crazy man who shouts too much. Finally, it has begun, and it begins like that? The follow-up is so by the book in its predictability that one wonders what the point is at times."

You can read the rest HERE!

Where It's At These Days

If I had Tumblr, that would be a better place to post this:

It's all on me, though; it's Charlie Brown kicking at the football. Pieces of shit act like pieces of shit. That's what they're supposed to do, it's why they're put on the planet. You don't get to be mad at D&Q for acting like D&Q, or at DC for acting like DC. It's the same rule for us as it is for creators: comics fucked Kirby, and it'll fuck you, too. I'm just a half-ass blogger with a small audience whose posting schedule got cut down by about 75 percent in the last year. I'm getting the exact treatment I deserve. The only difference is that I really don't care. I don't want to make comics, ever, and I don't ever want to have a professional job in comics past the one I have right now. They have nothing to threaten me with, nothing they can take away from me. I don't need review copies or advance previews or insider access. I don't need to be liked by people with no talent. I don't need to hear the gossip about who is sleeping with Paul Levitz' ex-girlfriend or the latest Scott Snyder office meltdown. Those are the things they try to ply you with: "Here's a story, the real story, about why Mark Waid doesn't work here anymore." Go away. Tell Rich Johnston. I don't care about any of it. Everything I ever hear about these people only convinces me further that I want nothing to do with them.

--Tucker Stone in an interview with Tom Spurgeon

Sketch Reviews (December 21 2011)

The sooner we get past all of this, the sooner I can relax... and sleep and hang out and just enjoy six days without work. No offence.

Batman: Odyssey #3: Deadman going batshit crazy on those trolls was fun. The 'war' was more tell than show. And Batman can't kill because wah wah wah. Loser. [***1/4]

Daredevil #7: Another holiday issue, Marvel? You made my heart grow three times. The best part is obviously "I hate that guy." [***3/4]

Punishermax #20: The strongest issue of this arc yet. The various flashbacks/memories were excellent -- and Frank showing how he'll sacrifice everything to win seems like it will come back into play. No one is getting out alive, folks. No one. [****]

Wolverine and the X-Men #3: I REMEMBER QUENTIN QUIRE! [***3/4]

Wonder Woman #4: Goddamn, that sequence with Hera on Paradise Island... goddamn Cliff Chiang! Also, that final page is just Azzarello showing off. [****]

I also got Officer Downe: Bigger Better Bastard Edition because I am a sucker. And, yes, Mr. Casey, I take that whole spiel about no subtext to be a challenge. Fuck your intentions. Like I care.

Later

CBR Review: The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #6

I recently reviewed The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #6 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Upon finishing The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #6, the conclusion to the mini-series spotlighting Butcher prior to The Boys, there was a feeling of emptiness, that the comic that I’d just read was a bit unnecessary. The fifth issue ended on such a strong point with Butcher earning his spot in Mallory’s group that this concluding issue is an exercise in tying up loose ends that aren’t really loose at all. It’s the issue that answers the minutiae of Butcher’s past and ends on a crude note when he finishes his little monologue to his father’s corpse. The series to this point was compelling, but this is a dull, uninteresting place to end."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #4

I recently reviewed Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #4 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. finishes its first story arc as Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos take on the Monster Planet that seeks to enter our dimension. Like the issues before it, there’s not much here except some high impact action and crazy ideas. Then again, what else does this comic need? Set the heroes up against hordes of monsters that no one feels remorse for and let them slaughter their way to our protection. This is a comic that wallows in the grotesque beauty of one set of ‘monsters’ slaying another."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Journey into Mystery #632

I recently reviewed Journey into Mystery #632 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Of all of the comics to do a Christmas issue, Journey into Mystery wouldn’t have been my first guess. Or even my twentieth. The focus on Loki and the Asgardians immediately makes a holiday-themed issue seem unlikely and, yet, here we are with Journey into Mystery #632, a Yule issue. And it works wonderfully. Kieron Gillen continues to write this series so well that any situation or context is appropriate and moves the story forward while showing us new things about each of the characters. Joining him this issue are Mitch Breitweiser and Bettie Breitweiser, who they capture the holiday look of the issue perfectly."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: SHIELD #4

I recently reviewed SHIELD #4 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Getting a handle on S.H.I.E.L.D. and where it’s going is always a challenge. For a series that is taking the long view on the Marvel Universe, it spends much of its time focusing on the smaller moments that affect the characters. Big, sprawling wars are glossed over, while discussions of motivations are given a lot of attention. On the surface, not much happens in S.H.I.E.L.D. #4 and, yet, in focusing on the smaller moments, even using the same three pages (altered in each case) three times, gives the issue an easy, relaxed feeling. It’s a comic that celebrates and luxuriates in the wonders that it deals in."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Sacrifice #1

I recently reviewed Sacrifice #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "After his last self-published hit, Our Love is Real, went through multiple printings and eventually landed at Image, there’s been a bit of buzz surrounding the first issue of Sam Humphries’ follow-up, a six-issue mini-series, Sacrifice. Self-published like Our Love is Real, Sacrifice is quite different in content, not focusing on the sexually liberated future of Our Love is Real and, instead, telling the beginning of an odd tale about a teen suffering from epileptic seizures who may be transported back in time to the Aztecs before the Spanish wiped them out. With Dalton Rose joining him on art, Sacrifice is as surprising and challenging a first issue as you’re likely to find."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (December 15 2011)

Just pushing on through to the holidays. Hitting that point where I don't have much to say it seems. My Random Thoughts this week was half Tragically Hip lyrics for that reason. I'm just in a 'hunker down and read and watch and listen and not say a damn thing' mood. But, let's get to it anyway...

Avengers 1959 #4: At some point, I lost the plot and, yet, that doesn't matter. It's just watching Chaykin do his thing and going along for the ride that matters. The details are inconsequential. [***3/4]

Avengers: X-Stinction #1: I'll possibly do a '28' post on this and my love of Cable. I wasn't sure if I'd get this issue, right up until I walked through my shop's doors, and, then, it was in my pull file (probably because I buy the Avengers titles), so I got it. Very direct and some very nice moments on art. Pretty good, actually. [***1/4]

Batwoman #4: Increasingly, the writing seems to be coming into focus. The opening pages are wonderful... all of the pages are wonderful. [****]

New Avengers #19: I really hope that Victoria Hand isn't working with Osborn, because that would be stupid. The Avengers don't really trust her, so the betrayal is minimal -- it's almost like she would be proving them right. Osborn trying to outdo the Avengers in public is one of those plots that seems good in theory until someone with half a brain shrugs, says "Who gives a fuck what people think, you're a bad guy and I'm going to kick your ass," and then does so. You almost want Frank Miller's Batman to pop out from behind a bush and mumble about how the heroes have always been criminals and just beat the shit out of any bad guy he can find before disappearing into the night. Honestly, I could see Bendis make that a way to separare the Avengers and the New Avengers. Captain America and the Avengers are concerned with what the public thinks, while Luke Cage and the New Avengers are used to people not liking them and doing the job anyway. Still, an issue with some nice moments -- I liked the Luke/Jessica stuff. [***1/4]

The Unwritten #32: But... what about Frankenstein's Monster? Digging this storyarc so far. [***1/2]

Doc Bizarre, MD: An entertaining, goofy sort of story. Judging from the backmatter, this was originally an idea pitched to the Cartoon Network and it's easy to see why. Tone down Epoch a little, maybe make the first 'case' not about a Frankenstein-esque scientist who takes shortcuts, thereby making an impotent monster, and it's a good idea for a cartoon for kids. 'Monster doctor,' basically. Judging from reactions before I got this (finally!), I was expecting something a little more slight. Bizarre amused me quite a bit with his constant 'professionalism' no matter what happened. A bit more direct than Charlatan Ball. Suriano is damn talented. [****]

I also got the first half of Sgt. Rock: Between Hell & A Hard Place thanks to the first Vertigo Resurrected issue of this two-issue reprint (that also includes a couple of older Sgt. Rock stories with Joe Kubert art -- I assume the second issue will as well, which is a great idea). I haven't read it yet since the second issue is out next week and I'd rather just wait until then.

Later

CBR Review: Moon Knight #8

I recently reviewed Moon Knight #8 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "There are some comics where the early issues tell you everything you need to know about it and the creative team. If you don’t like the first couple of issues, there isn’t much chance you’ll like issues seven or eight, and you can completely write that book off as not for you. The early issues of Moon Knight weren’t bad, or bad enough to drive me away, but they definitely didn’t suggest the rise in quality that’s slowly been happening as Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev build on previous issues to create a familiar sensation when you’re reading an issue. It’s not just a new issue, it’s a chance to hang out with characters that feel like friends. Moon Knight has become a pretty good ‘hang out’ comic."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Action Comics #4

I recently reviewed Action Comics #4 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "For the first time since its relaunch, Action Comics doesn’t read as though propelled forward by creative energy and a strange sort of madness. The first three issues all had a spark to them that drove them forward and, though this fourth issue continues the story they began, there’s something missing. On the surface, everything seems the same and, yet, there’s a feeling that this issue is merely a means to an end."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: 'Breed III #7

I recently reviewed 'Breed III #7 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The story of ’Breed finally comes to the end after three mini-series that started back in 1994, with Ray Stoner teaming with his half-brother to take down their father, the leader of the demons set on devouring Earth. This third and final series has seen its share of surprises from the salvation of Earth being a young cancer-stricken boy to Starlin bringing together his various creator-owned characters -- including Darklon the Mystic, Kid Kosmos, and Vanth Dreadstar -- to support Stoner. This finale packs in a few more surprises. It’s a satisfying conclusion that allows Starlin to show off his artistic chops more than he has in the past few years in the battle of two shapeshifters."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (December 8 2011)

Looks like I could finish Trailer Park Boys tomorrow. Just have the last three episodes of season seven, the final TV special, and the second movie to go. Pushing on, boys. Pushing on. So, the comics I bought and am not reviewing for CBR:

Animal Man #4: Travel Foreman's refinement continues and is damn impressive. Jeff Lemire's writing is at its best in this issue when he's setting up mood... the plot stuff just seems to get in the way. [***3/4]

The Boys #61: Goddamn, Hughie is getting annoying. The comic recognises this, but still. The Mother's Milk stuff seems a little distracting at this point in the book's run. Everything else seems pointed towards the finish line except for that. Russ Braun... I almost dread Darick Robertson's eventual return (probably for the final arc) because his work has been great. They really lucked out with him coming aboard. [***1/2]

Deadpool MAX-Mas #1: Finally, David Lapham draws some Deadpool and Bob! A strange sort of mash-up of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life where Bob is given every reason not to live. The perfect Christmas present. If this doesn't fill you with holiday job, only Cable can... [****]

The Defenders #1: An enjoyable first issue. A bit busy and superficial in places, but definitely one of the more promising things I've seen from Fraction at Marvel since Iron Fist. Consider me aboard for the first few issues at least. [***1/2]

Men of War #4: Real world power is powerless in fictional world... also, when Ivan Brandon leaves, I do, too. [***]

OMAC #4: My favourite issue so far. They managed to touch on Kevin's personal life and still provide some great action. At this rate, Max Lord will run out of people to send after OMAC... [****]

Stormwatch #4: Another book I'll probably drop when Paul Cornell departs (though, unlike Men of War, I'll possibly pick up issue seven to see if there's a big change). Probably the most cohesive issue so far with a stronger focus than the first three. Stormwatch itself is still so scattershot as a group that I don't have a handle on them. The end of the issue is promising... [***]

Later

CBR Review: Haunt #19

I recently reviewed Haunt #19 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The most immediate change for Haunt with this issue is the art. I hesitate to say something like 'Nathan Fox is the furthest thing from Greg Capullo as you can find,' but the two styles are different in many ways. At their surface, the focus on dynamic movement and mood over correct anatomy is a shared trait. Fox is willing to bend characters and events as far as necessary to get across the feeling of a scene. Late in the issue, when Haunt takes on some soldiers for Second Church, the pages are a mess of blacks, reds, and white, nothing but frenetic action that looks pretty damn cool."

You can read the rest HERE!