archive for the 'Superhero' category


Swamp Thing (The New 52)

Like 51 other DC Universe titles, Swamp Thing started over with a new #1 issue in 2011. The goal of the initiative was to jump-start their sales by providing a jumping-on point for new readers, and DC committed a lot to it in terms of effort and publicity.
But don’t call it a “reboot”, because [...]

Fusion anthology

There’s no mistaking that the creators of Fusion Anthology have put a lot of time, effort, and money into this project. The production values and packaging alone shout “commitment”. Which makes it all the more baffling that they didn’t bother with a good proofreading. There are some good things to be said [...]

The Invincible Ed

The Invicible Ed is a book that it’s hard not to like… but I managed it anyway. Don’t get me wrong: I didn’t dislike it, but despite its strengths, I was disappointed by it.
Ryan Woodward, who wrote and did most of the art work, is unquestionably a very talented artist. And he’s versatile, [...]

Empire

It’s the yellow mask.
That - more than anything else - made it hard for me to take Empire seriously. People often make similar comments about superhero comics (or movies) - that the brightly-colored spandex and capes look silly - and I guess I’m conditioned enough for that not to bother me. But Mark [...]

Superman: Secret Identity

One of the common dismissals of the superhero genre is that it’s too limited. It’s all about juvenile morality plays and adolescent power fantasies, and that’s all it’s good for. Kurt Busiek is one of the writers who thinks it’s useful for more than that, and Superman: Secret Identity is one effort prove [...]

Journeyman

“It all started with Star Wars“.
So begins the text page at the back of issue #1.
No kidding. {smile}
It’s easy to see a dozen or more elements of this series that were inspired by Lucas’ movies, from the energy staff the hero carries, to the desert world on which he lives, to the variety of alien [...]

JLA: The Nail

There are no “sure things” in life. But some are “sure close”. For example, the sales prospects of any current release with the name “Justice League” on it. Or the quality of a book created by Alan Davis.
One of the things that made The Nail a sure bet for sales was the [...]

The Crimson Avenger

A store in my city recently had a huge closing sale, which is always a sad occasion. But the chance to dig through the back-issue bins for dirt-cheap runs of series I missed the first time ’round - and maybe even a rarity suddenly within my price range - is a pleasant silver lining [...]

Jack Kirby’s New Gods

This series was originally printed in color. The reprint collection from which this review is written was done in black and white with grey tones added to approximate the original coloring. Because this is the most available format (and particularly since it’s the only one I have) this is what I’m using in [...]

Superman: Distant Fires

As I write this review, there’s a discussion taking place in rec.arts.comics.dc.universe about the clichés of DC’s “Elseworlds” stories. For those not familiar with this imprint, it designates special stories that take place outside the standard DC Universe. Many of them seem to be little more than costume dramas with different costumes: Batman [...]

The Invisibles vol.2

There are some who revere Grant Morrison as a god, or at least so it seems. My opinion is a bit more reserved: I think he’s a very good but sometimes self-indulgent writer. The Invisibles is a prime example of this.
The series is about the “invisible” struggle between the agents of total Control [...]

V for Vendetta

Any serious superhero reader eventually gets around to reading Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen. It’s required. But unless they mistake the cover painting for the Joker, superhero fans are less likely to pick up V for Vendetta, Moore’s more reality-based work from the same period. They should. So should anyone with [...]