Comics and More

So I finally got a chance to catch up on my comic reading since the craziness of Christmas. Here are my mini-reviews for last week's comics... Seven Soldiers: Bulleteer #2 (of 4) - One of the best Seven Soldiers issues to date. In this issue, we get the answers to some burning questions from Seven Soldiers #0 , like what exactly happened to the heros in Arizona? What were the circumstances that brought them together? The answers involve racism and monsters. Just awesome. 9.4/10 The Book of Lost Souls #3 - J. Michael Straczynski and Colleen Doran's "Icon" book continues as our mystery man visits another soul content with destroying herself, this one being an artist whose boyfriend overdosed. I liked the issue, despite a nagging feeling that the writer was being a little pretentious. 7.1/10 Runaways #11 - The runaways continue their adventure in the Big Apple as they confront Spider-man, bluff drug pushers and are inevitably attacked by a certain superhero gr...

What I got for Christmas this year... Graphic novels/Trades : - The Cute Manifesto - Excaliber Classics (volume 1) - Catwoman: When In Rome Novels : - The Historian DVDs : - Anastasia - Closer - Open Water (I actually went to rent movies at my mom's and it was 20 cents more to buy it, so she just got it for me...) (I also watched War of the Worlds and Sideways on Xmas Eve) misc.: - lots of candy - a burned Xmas CD - chardonnay - a book light - a wallet - socks - DVD-Rom cases - utensils - money - lots of Barnes & Noble giftcards - a Target giftcard I already used part of my Target card on House of Flying Daggers the DVD and picked up Robotika #1 and Sword of Dracula #1 from Big Brain in Minneapolis (and food) with my money. And Patrick got... Graphic Novels/Trades : - Essential Spider-woman (volume 1) - DC Showcase Presents...JLA (volume 1) - Night Fisher - Bambi and Her Pink Gun - Hino Horror (volumes 1 and 2) - Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four (volume 9) Novels : -...

Like most people around this time of year, I've been busy at work and shopping for presents, so I haven't been updating as often as I wish I could. I'll be going home for Christmas for a few days starting tomorrow as well, so I won't have time to read comics, let alone discuss them, but I promise to be more consistent when I return. Yesterday, a UPS truck broke down on its way to Wisconsin, so no Wisconsin comic stores received their shipments until today, which was annoying enough, but hey, I got them and that's what counts, right? (well, all but Grimoire #7 and Mome , but that's the local store's fault for not ordering enough) But anyways, I did have time to read a comic before I resume packing and head in to my last day at work before having a five day stretch off... Spider-woman: Origin #1 , written by Brian Michael Bendis and Brian Reed, with art by the Luna Brothers (favorites of mine)! The rise of Jessica Drew... This issue was pretty basic, le...

The debut issue of another X-Factor series launched this past week, from the minds of Peter David and Ryan Sook. If you recall, a few years ago Peter David wrote a Marvel Knights mini-series called Madrox , about the Multiple Man who we see in this new series leading a band of detective/heroes through his X-Factor Detective Agency. The new X-Factor is a sequel of sorts to this story, including the likes of Strong Guy and Wolfsbane, who were seen in that initial mini, as well as bringing in some fresh blood in the forms of Siryn, Rictor and M (who did not appear in this first issue, although she was mentioned). Madrox's relationship to his clones was explored in that mini-series, including the idea of him sending clones out over the world and reabsorbing them (and the information they gained), as well as his lack of control over the personalities and actions of the clones he produces. This interesting idea is picked up in the new series, indeed almost immediately, as Madrox confr...

Fables #44 - Part three of the "Arabian Nights (And Days)" storyline deals with the repercusions of Sinbad's friend, Yusuf, letting the djinn out of the bottle last issue, as the conflict is diffused in an unexpected way thanks to some astute Fabletown citizens. 8.5/10 Secret War #5 (of 5) - This has been a pretty lacklustre series. The art, painted by one Gabriele Dell'Otto, is great, but that's about all it's had going for it. This issue is all about the explanations, which were nothing that warranted this series to have been conceived of in the first place. 2.8/10 DMZ #2 - Intern Matthew Roth explores a dangerous "war zone" city with Zee, who keeps him alive long enough to talk him into carrying out his news crew's assignment and report on what really goes on in the DMZ. 6.4/10 And from the pages of Shojo Beat (Volume 2, Issue 1)... Nana - Nana attempts to find bandmates for her roomie as she realizes she's been acting unfair to her b...

Ultimate Spider-man #87 - Despite the disappointing "cool down" issue of the previous Ultimate Spider-man story arc "Warriors," Bendis has been on top of his game lately with the old Webhead. This new arc "Silver Sable" is just plain awesome (and not just because I'm partial to the obscure mercenary!) The Wild Pack mistakenly kidnaps Flash Thompson, thinking he's the man behind Spidey, while Mary Jane is completely jealous after seeing Peter with Kitty. Ayeyay. The high school soap opera, as always, is just as interesting and suspenseful as the heroics. 9.5/10 Necromancer #3 - What started out as a very promising series falls quickly into a silly "girl using magic" comic with this issue, as a mentor figure arrives out of nowhere to save Abigail from the clutches of...government officials in league with demons? Ugh. The only Top Cow book I've ever liked has just become another Top Cow book I'll never read. 4.8/10 New Exc...

Brian K. Vaughan's Y-the Last Man #40 is another stand-alone issue focusing on secondary characters of the series. And is it just me or do the stand-alones seem to be better than the on-going plot ? This series has gotten pretty silly as it's progressed, but there are still a few decent things happening beyond all of the crap. This particular issue is kind of a follow-up on events from a while back, where Yorick meets a woman named Beth (not his girlfriend Beth, but another one) who is hiding out in a church. Finally, we get the answer to questions brought up at that time - about what has become of the catholic church since the plague struck. It was a little disappointing, as they're merely searching the world for miraculaous conceptions. A little desparate, I guess. We also get to find out what little secret Beth's been hiding since Yorick took leave of her - particularly the little bun in her oven (did anyone out there believe that that wasn't going to happen...

1. Confessions on a Dance Floor - Madonna Key Tracks: Hung Up, Sorry, How High, Push 2. Bleed Like Me ~ Garbage Key Tracks: Why Do You Love Me, Metal Heart, Boys Wanna Fight, Why Don't You Come Over 3. Plans ~ Death Cab for Cutie Key Tracks: Marching Bands of Manhatten, Summer Skin, Your Heart Is an Empty Room, Crooked Teeth

The fourth collection of Robert Kirkman's zombie saga, The Walking Dead collects issues 19 - 24 of the ongoing series, this story entitled "The Heart's Desire." But if you're looking for zombies this time around, you're going to be hard-pressed. Aside from the opening scene where another character joins the small group, there is little zombie action, but instead focuses on the delicate relationships between the existing characters within the safety of the prison they stumbled upon with the last collection. The new character that joins the group, Michonne, makes her debut slicing and dicing the zombies with a sword like a swashbuckling superhero, two zombies in tow without arms or jaws to render them incapable of attack. An unsettling appearance, but thus is the world left for the ones who have survived. There's an over-the-top speech given at the end of the volume that causes one (or maybe just me) to roll their eyes, but other than that, it was good clea...

Fell #3 - Another self-contained issue of Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith's noir series came out this past week, with our favorite law enforcer caught in the sights of a suicide bomber. I didn't like this issue as much as the first two issues of the series. I just thought it was a little dull in comparison without any real detective work and just a lack of action overall. Ellis showcased the quirkiness of Snowtown once again via a stroll through the street, where we saw a couple of shady figures, including the always-present nun wearing a Richard Nixon mask. 5.4/10 New Avengers #13 (spoilers) - The Silver Samurai confronts the Avengers and Ronin's true identity is revealed as Echo. Now, Echo as Ronin? Thirteen issues of being on the cover and then she decides to stay in Japan at the end and not be with the Avengers. Marvel needs to settle down with the cover campaigns as usual, instead of jumping the gun. The reveal was a big letdown, as anyone who hasn't read Darede...

My autobiographical comic (mini comic) Soft Anchor is now available at Quimby's . The first issue is about events in my life that took place when I was seven years old. I grew up in an abusive household and my first real sexual experience with a neighbor boy take place during this year. I sent a preview copy to the store, so they should be posting a review sometime in the near future, and I will be sending copies to other stores as well, so be on the lookout if you don't want to pay for shipping! The first issue is entitled "Not a Ladybug." I'm presently working on the second issue which I have no name for as of yet.

I actually kept my New Year's resolution this year. Since graduating with my English BA degree, I haven't read much in terms of novels. Last year, I read only three books the entire year. Which was totally pathetic, having had to read two or three books a month in college. So, my New Year's resolution for this year was to read at least one novel a month. And I did. January: Mansfield Park ~ Jane Austin February: The Folding Star ~ Alan Hollinghurst March: Northanger Abbey ~ Jane Austin April: From Hell ~ Alan Moore/Eddie Campbell May: Pride and Prejudice ~ Jane Austin June: Little Women ~ Louisa May Alcott July: Persuasion ~ Jane Austin August: The Mysteries of Udolpho ~ Ann Radcliffe September: Mysterious Skin ~ Scott Heim October: The Diary of a Teenage Girl ~ Phoebe Gloeckner November: Madame Bovary ~ Gustave Flaubert December: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling Obviously I finished my December book well ahead of schedule, so if ...

Continuing my list of my favorite ten comics of the year... 10. Girls by the Luna Brothers (Image Comics). I really didn't know much about this comics before I picked up the trade, but I'm glad I bought it. It takes place in a small town, very down-to-earth, a little hickish. But then strange things begin to happen involving a girl that was picked up naked on the roadside. It feels really strange when things happen that shouldn't just because it seems so grounded in this all-American community. You kind of feel the shock that these people must be feeling. It's really interesting, even if the metaphors are pretty blatant. It's kind of a screwed-up horror book. Very fun. 9. The Acme Novelty Library Final Report to Shareholders and Saturday Rainy Day Fun Book by Chris Ware (Pantheon) Collecting Ware's comic strips from Rusty Brown to Jimmy Corrigan , from Quimby the Mouse to Big Tex , this book has it all: an ongoing strip that threads through the entire book, ...

Okay, it's that time of year again, where lists dominate the internet, overwhelming us, pulling us this way and that. My list may not be a traditional view of the top twenty comics that have come out this past year, but they are the twenty I personally enjoyed the most. I'm not going to put something in my list just because I feel obligated to do so. And so, this is the first half of the best of the year... 20. Seven Soldiers: Guardian by Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart (DC Comics) The new Manhatten Guardian surprised me by becoming my favorite of the maxiseries Seven Soldiers so far. I wasn't expecting much, but the creative zaniness of this story just worked, with each issue seeming like a story in its own right, all different from one another, but all great nonetheless. 19. Mora by Phil Harmon (Image Comics) A strange, disturbing horror story with three storylines drifting and overlapping through four issues. Read more 18. Fables by Bill Willingham and Mark Buc...

This past week was another slow one, as only a few comics came out for me. Aside from Frankenstein , here's what I read... Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her #3 (of 6) - It's never a good sign when you have to go back through a comic to refresh yourself as to what happened... These past two Black Widow mini-series have been entertaining, but nothing to brag about. Devin Grayson and Greg Rucka's explorations of the Russian spy's escapades (under the Marvel Knights imprint also) were much better, as stories that had focus, lively characters, cool moments...in other words, everything Richard K. Morgan's versions don't have. Really, the only thing this series has going for it is the art, and even then, Bill Sienkiewicz is only doing the finishes. 4/10 Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #4 (of 4) - The wacky tale of magic comes to a head here as Zatanna has a cosmic magical battle. Chalk-full of those cool moments and interesting characters that I mentioned before, ...

(I'll get around to posting my favorites of the year soon, but take a look at Patrick's list now...) 1. Walt & Skeezix by Frank King, edited by Jeet Heer, Chris Oliveros & Chris Ware 2. Black Hole by Charles Burns 3. The Complete Peanuts 1955 to 1956 & The Complete Peanuts 1957 to 1958 by Charles Schulz, edited by Gary Groth 4. Krazy & Ignatz 1935 to 1936: "A Wild Warmth of Chromatic Gravy" by George Herriman, edited by Bill Blackbeard 5. The Acme Novelty Library Final Report to Shareholders and Saturday Rainy Day Fun Book by Chris Ware 6. Hanshin by Moto Hagio (as appeared in The Comics Journal #269 ) 7. Kramer's Ergot 5 , edited by Sammy Harkham 8. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by Bryan Lee O'Malley 9. The Push Man and Other Stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi, edited by Adrian Tomine 10. Superf*ckers by James Kochalka Honorable Mentions: Mome, Summer 2005 , edited by Gary Groth & Eric Reynolds The Dial and Other Stories by Chris Reynol...

What goodies are in store for us in February of next year...? Antarctic Press: - Alice In Wonderland #1 (of 4) - The cover of this solicitation caught my attention, but I didn't realize it was the creator of Neotopia until I read the captions later. Archaia Studios Press: - Mouse Guard: Belly of the Beast #1 (of 6) - This looks so damn cute. I love the art of the series. Dark Horse: - Hellboy: Makoma, or, A Tale Told By a Mummu in the New York City Explorers' Club on August 16, 1993 #1 (of 2) - Mike Mignola on a new Hellboy mini! - Lady Snowblood (volume 3): Retribution part 1 - The first Lady Snowblood trade was great . It's a treat when I see a new one is coming out. - Octopus Girl (volume 1) - The cover for this book looks awesome. You gotta love those great Japanese horror manga. DC: - Showcase Presents: House of Mystery (volume 1) - Isn't that a great cover? This volume includes work by artists such as Gil Kane and Neal Adams. - Manhunter #19 - A new Manh...

Will Grant Morrison ever cease to amaze? He must be the best writer working in mainstream comics right now (at least now that Alan Moore is "retiring"). In his new Seven Soldiers mini-series, Frankenstein , Morrison pairs up with Doug Mahnke, whose pencils perfectly compliment the writing of this monster title in all its dark, moody glory. In the opening scene, we are introduced to our main character, although most of the issue takes place over a hundred years later, depicting events that lead to his reappearance. For the most part, this issue follows a high school and the startling transformations that take place due to an outcast nicknamed "Uglyhead," who suddenly has the ability to hear the other students' thoughts, and uses those thoughts against them to bend them to his will. There are maggot monsters and Sheeda and cool action scenes. This is easily the most impressive debut of a Seven Soldiers title. And now that Frankenstein has returned, it'll be...

Since I don't like to spoil much in terms of plot, I'm going to start giving grades to my mini-reviews, out of ten points... Runaways #10 - The runaways have gone to New York to aid Cloak in his quest to clear his name. And the kids get to meet some big time heroes. Is it just me or was there something really cool about She-Hulk walking by and the kids getting all starstruck? 9/10 Manhunter # 16 - Manhunter meets Mr. Bones and is presented with a proposition (following a fight with Skorpio, who has a really cool, sleak look even if he wasn't much of a fight). The status quo just doesn't like to stand still for very long in this book, as things are on shaky ground and shifting once more. 9.1/10 Fables #43 - Something interesting is brewing here, between Beauty and Prince Charming and Beast, between the animal farm and New York, between the Arabian fables and all of the others. It'll be interesting to see where all of this takes us. 8.5/10 X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1 ...

Mora is a strange little tale, written and illustrated by Paul Harmon, from Image Comics. This four-issue mini is the "first act" of Mora , with maybe more to come? It didn't sell very well at all, but a lot of Image titles are extremely low on the sales charts and continue nonetheless. Mora consists of three stories that weave between the four issues, told by the narrators - a mutilated tortoise and hare. The story involving a young girl named Mora is about how this young girl befriends another girl in the city of witches, and has some odd "sixth sense" about her. In this city of witches, there are many dangerous creatures lurking about, crazed demons and child-devouring monsters, of which Mora and her friend learn through experience. The second story is almost exclusively related by the narrators, as sort of a fable, about a lion whose black soul consumes it, causing it to inevitably devour its own mother and her cubs. The third and final storyline i...