Reviews of books, comics, movies, and other random stuff.
NOTE: I've rearranged the updates, so if you're checking this for the first time, scroll all the way down for the original post. ***** UPDATE (1/16 @ 12:49m): The Beat's latest update stirs the pot a bit as former and current DC staffers debate the story. It's mostly he said/she said stuff involving Vinnie Costa's take on working for Fierman, but there's an interesting bit about Nellie Kurtzman's departure from a current staffer, Joe Castleman [not sure if that's his real name or not], that possibly sheds some light on things: "...everyone in marketing worked with Nelie Kurtzman. Really nice…
Ed's TerrestrialsBy Scott Christian Sava and Diego Jourdan (Blue Dream Studios, 2006; $19.99)There's few things in comics that I love more than a good, all-ages graphic novel, both for my own personal enjoyment and to be able to share it with my 6-year old son. In the past, I've praised the likes of A Bit Haywire, Amelia Rules!, Bumperboy, and Superhero -- all excellent reads for kids ages 6-60+ -- and Scott Christian Sava's delightful Ed's Terrestrials joins that list.Fans of such entertaining Nickelodeon fare as Fairly Oddparents and Jimmy Neutron will love Sava's slightly younger-skewing tale of aliens on…
In the most glaring sign yet of how much my tastes have changed over the 3.5 years since I started reading comics again, compare my Best of 2004 choices to this year’s stellar roundup (below). Posted nearly two months before the year had ended, that 2004 list was limited to ongoing series, two of which were canceled prematurely, in my opinion, and two others that were cut from my pull list a while back. The lone survivor, Conan, remains a consistently good read, and a repeat honoree on my 2005 list, but it didn’t make the cut this year. In fact, reflecting my gradual shift towards OGNs and TPBs, only three ongoing/mini-series made my list this year.
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For its outstanding combination of ambition, execution and re-readability, Stagger Lee gets the nod for my Best Original Graphic Novel of 2006.
American Born ChineseBy Gene Luen Yang (First Second, 2006; $16.95)When I first heard about American Born Chinese back in July, I pegged it as the highlight of First Second's second wave of releases purely based on a few preview images and its solicitation copy. After doing so, I crossed my fingers that it would actually live up to my lofty expectations, as Deogratias had set the bar pretty high. It took me a while to finally pick up a copy, and before I did, it was named as a finalist for this year's National Book Award in Young People's Literature,…
Reading is fundamental. Don't waste your time reading bad comics out of habit! My weekly, semi-informed look at select comic books being released Thursday, 12/28/06 follows. The full shipping is list available at ComicList. [NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com] PICK OF THE WEEK Captain Gravity and the Power of the VrilAMERICAN MULE ENTERTAINMENT Public Enemy #2, $2.99 It was nice to see Public Enemy promoting their comic book alter…
Pride of BaghdadBy Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon (DC/Vertigo, 2006; $19.99)If judged solely on its artwork, Pride of Baghdad would be deserving of serious consideration as the best graphic novel of the year, so beautifully striking is Niko Henrichon's presentation of a wartorn Baghdad, as seen through the eyes of a trio of lions who've escaped from a safe, if undignified, life in captivity, only to bear witness to the utter brutality of mankind. His animals are amazingly expressive, both in their faces and their body language, as he imbues each one with a distinct personality without humanizing their…
