July 2010
12 posts
5 tags
Daily Breakdowns 097 - Moist Hinge
Been busy and/or out of it, so here’s me catching up on the past couple weeks of comics.
Superman #701
Writer - J. Michael Straczynski. Artist - Eddy Barrows. Publisher - DC Comics
I’m a little later to the table reviewing this, but that’s okay because in part I’m commenting on other reviews. OK, so JMS didn’t do his homework about South Philly. I think...
2 tags
Harvey Pekar Interview
On October 5th, 2005, one of the highlights of my life occurred as I got to interview the brilliant Harvey Pekar, the creator of the comic book American Splendor, which literally changed the world of comic books with its unique, autobiographical bent and frank discussion of life and what it is to live it. American Splendor inspired a movie, and Pekar was able to leverage the greater awareness the...
6 tags
Daily Breakdowns 096 - Back Seat of My Car
Before I get to the reviews, I just wanted to say that I’m saddened by the passing of Harvey Pekar. I remember Harv going all the way back to his infamous Letterman appearances. Although I was attracted to Letterman at my young age for his irreverence, it was Harvey who ended up impressing me then with how his irreverence wasn’t an act that could be channeled and packaged. He said what...
So Long, Harvey...
Of course, by now, you’ve no doubt heard the sad news of the death of Harvey Pekar. Although an outsider by choice, Pekar was a giant in the industry, an everyman whose passion for comics and keen eye for human psychology made him a favorite among comics fans, and following the success of the American Splendor movie, a minor celebrity.
Most of the eulogies and remembrances will understandably...
The Roy G. Biv Lantern Corps (Red, Orange, Yellow,...
Blackest Night: Green Lantern Corps. Written by Peter J. Tomasi and illustrated by Patrick Gleason.
Imagine what would be your worst ever movie-going experience. Mine would go something like this…
I’m watching Star Wars for the very first time. Luke and all the other pilots are preparing for battle: Luke says good-bye to Han, gets a kiss from Leia and gets in his ship. Then there’s a huge...
3 tags
Daily Breakdowns 095 - Wizard
Wizard Magazine (Aug 2010)
Guest Editor - Mark Millar
You know, I should probably catch up on some Mark Millar comics and then maybe I can be pissed off at him like the rest of the Internet. But for now, Nemesis and Ultimate Avengers and Kick Ass 2 will have to wait and I can talk about his guest-edited issue of the struggling Wizard, the first issue I bought this decade (counting 2010 as part...
4 tags
DC 1st Issue Special - Part One
In this, the Golden Age of Reprints, it seems like the majority of the great comic book stories and strips have been, or are being, collected. But there is still a lot of good, interesting, or charmingly bad work that hasn’t been reprinted. Growing up, I was a Marvel reader all the way. I could list the DC comics I owned on one hand.
Obviously, that eventually changed, and I won’t...
600 + (700 x 2) = 66% Satisfaction
by Kevin Pasquino
A month of super-sized anniversary issues from DC has brought a mixed bag of results.
Wonder Woman #600 has managed to get the most coverage from the mainstream media because of her 1990-esque Animal Man / Starman / Superboy inspired jacket-wearing image makeover. A picture (and a costume change) is worth a thousand words and everyone seemed to be falling over themselves to...
4 tags
Daily Breakdowns 094 - They Got Mixed Up
Wonder Woman #600
Writers - Gail Simone, J. Michael Straczynski, Amanda Conner, Louise Simonson, Geoff Johns
Artists - George Perez, Don Kramer, Amanda Conner, Eduardo Pansica
Publisher - DC Comics
I’ve sampled Wonder Woman precious few times in my 30+ years of comics reading, and often not “representative” runs. I mean, I’ve never read George Perez’ or Greg...
June 2010
7 posts
3 tags
Daily Breakdowns 093 - Old, Red And In The Way
Hulk #23
Writer - Jeph Loeb
Artists - Ed McGuinness, Sal Buscema, Ian Churchill, Mike Deodato, Tim Sale, John Romita, Jr., Herb Trimpe, Dale Keown, Leinil Francis Yu.
Publisher - Marvel Comics
It’s bad critical practice to think about how someone else might think about a book, I guess. I should just worry about my own take on it. Still, I wonder how this issue would go over to, say, a...
1 tag
PR: Andrew Goletz on The Gathering Vol. 1
Andrew Goletz is a former Galaxy contributor and creative dynamo who asked if there was any way we could help him promote his newest project, and I’m more than happy to lend him some space here on TWC. Please read what he has to say, and consider lending him any support you can. — Alan David Doane —- Most of you probably have no idea who the heck I am so why on Earth am I coming...
2 tags
Everything's Archie
Looking for some variety in my already fairly diverse reading pile, last night I sat down with some Archies — specifically, Archie #608-609, and the new collection Archie New Look Series Vol. 4: My Father’s Betrayal. The floppy Archie issues comprise a two-part storyline about The Archies and Josie and the Pussycats getting together for a big tour. Each band hopes to expand their...
4 tags
Daily Breakdowns 092 - Where's My Spider-Man...
…I would have liked one as a kid. Anyway, after a couple weeks off on other projects like my actual job that pays my mortgage, I’ve got a little time to catch up on some floppies.
Predators #1 (of 4)
Writers - Marc Andreyko, David Lapham
Artists - Guilherme Balbi, Gabriel Guzman
Publisher - Dark Horse Comics
I wasn’t really even aware they were rebooting the Predator film...
1 tag
Al Williamson Remembered
Over at The Comics Reporter, Tom Spurgeon remembers legendary EC artist Al Williamson (updated obit with additional art). Williamson was one of a few comics artists (along with Gil Kane and Steve Ditko) whose style really stood out for me as a very young comics reader; my eyes saw his work as being so far superior to most everything else being published that I very quickly learned his name and...
2 tags
Daily Breakdowns 091 - Wally Gropius
Wally Gropius
Writer/Artist - Tim Hensley
Publisher - Fantagraphics. $18.99 USD
Frequently mistaken for the famous Bauhaus architect, Wally Gropius is just your average umpteen millionaire looking for love, parental approval and a good jam with his band, The Dropouts. Has he finally found a honey in Jillian Banks, a gold-throated teen warbler of national anthems? And does it mean anything if he...
1 tag
Swamp Thing Vol. 3 HC Ships This Month
Really looking forward to this one, and regretting selling off my original issues of the Alan Moore/Steve Bissette/John Totleben run all those years ago…Steve Bissette has posted details about the book on his blog. — Alan David Doane
May 2010
29 posts
4 tags
Living in the Past: Inhumans # 1-12 (1998-1999)
Boy, it’s been a while since I participated here at TWC, hasn’t it? I will offer no excuses, but I do have a plan of action. Once in a while, I dig into the Vast Bacardi Archives (sekrit location: my old bedroom closet at my Mom’s) and pull out a run of something I haven’t read in a long time. I thought to myself “Self, you could write about these rereadings on TWC,...
4 tags
Daily Breakdowns 090 - Hey Princess
Hey Princess
Writer/Artist - Mats Johnsson. Publisher - Top Shelf Comix $14.95 USD
I like a fat little book with a couple making out on fallen leaves. That’s a good start right there. It’s not like I can read SuperF*ckers in a waiting room or Starbucks.
I think for many writers and artists, there’s a relation between sex and productivity. For some, the lack of sex, and the...
5 tags
Daily Breakdowns 089 - Legacies
DC Universe Legacies #1 (of 10)
Writer - Len Wein. Pencilers - Andy Kubert, Scott Kolins, J.G. Jones. Inkers - Joe Kubert, J. G. Jones. DC Comics.
I suppose one could write a couple thousand worlds about the appeal of writing Golden Age heroes. Let’s just skip that and say they’re colorful but uncomplicated, and so they’re very suitable for a stand-alone story like this one....
5 tags
Daily Breakdowns 088 - 1s for the Team
Quick looks at a few first issues of team books from this week and last.
Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis #1
Writer - Warren Ellis. Artist - Kaare Andrews. Marvel Comics.
There are a couple nice things going on in this miniseries. First, Ellis does a good job grounding the X-Men in our heartbreaking world, in this case dropping some depressing African recent history. At the same time, he brings...
