Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
I knew the latest installment of the Science Comics series, Andy Hirsch‘s Dogs: From Predator to Protector, would be cute. With his art (as also seen in The Baker Street Peculiars) and the subject, how could it not be? What I didn’t expect was just how much science was packed into it, looking at how dogs came to be “man’s best friend” and why they do what they do. A charming mutt named Rudy chases his ball from the dog […]
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Brave Chef Brianna highlights the struggles of a young woman to recognize her own skills in a fantasy setting. Brianna is the youngest daughter of a chef with an empire of cookbooks and TV shows. He knows his time is passing, so he sets up a competition among his children, to start a successful restaurant. Brianna can cook, but she suffers from some mix of depression and anxiety, an inner monologue symbolized by a floating dark shape that tells her […]
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Stupid, stupid Marvel. The Unstoppable Wasp #8 is the last issue of this charming series about a new-generation hero finding herself while fighting criminals with humor and intellect. That should be right in their wheelhouse, right? It’s not only a description of Nadia, the previously undiscovered daughter of Hank Pym who has his scientific genius, but Spider-Man, the character that made the company. Nadia, though, as written by Jeremy Whitley, brought a fresh new approach that lightened her ability to […]
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The premise of James Albon’s Her Bark and Her Bite intrigued me. Painter Rebecca struggles to be discovered and have her work recognized, only to become Victor’s girlfriend and one of his hangers-on, seduced by going out and being popular. Then Victor transfers his affections to a new dog. Unfortunately, the execution was as superficial as the milieu it describes. Rebecca’s a dishrag and Victor a self-centered bore. All he does is drink and talk about ideas for creative projects […]
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The first of the Generations crossovers came out last week, teaming up the Totally Awesome Hulk (Amadeus Cho) with “Banner Hulk” (better known as the Hulk who was also Bruce Banner), who was killed in the Civil War II event last summer. The first thing that struck me was this panel, drawn by Matteo Buffagni. Pop quiz! Looking at the art, are these people A) eager to get to their neighborhood block party? B) engaged in a neighborhood group walk […]
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Good Night, Planet is a beautifully illustrated take on the classic idea of a child’s beloved stuffed animal coming alive at night. Planet appears to be a bedraggled rabbit (or maybe a dog?), and after a day jumping in the autumn leaves, while the little girl sleeps, Planet plays with the family dog and gets snacks. The linework by Liniers is detailed, especially around the edges, whether stacking up shadows in the corner of the room or delineating the night […]
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Of all the many Doctor Who comics Titan have put out, this title gets my nod for the one exploring most realistically what it would really be like to be part of the Doctor’s adventures. That’s due to his companions, the artist Gabby Gonzalez (who’s been in the book since its launch) and her best friend, Cindy Wu. The group has just come from ancient China, where Cindy wound up meeting a bunch of duplicates of herself, which has understandably […]
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Superman #27 is the kind of comic I remember from my childhood, although then, these kinds of “learn about history and geography” travel stories tended to star Dennis the Menace, not DC’s first family. After confirming the existence of his son from a villain who tried to erase and then corrupt him, Superman needs a vacation. So Lois rents an RV and Clark, she, and their son Jon set out on a trip together for the fourth of July in […]
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