Reviews by KC Carlson Action Comics #1 Upfront (what you should know about my preconceptions about the comic): A long time ago, for a short period of time, I used to edit this comic book. Also, I’m not a member of the Morrison “cult” following. Book of the Week! I loved this comic. For me it was like reading a Superman story in the “real” 1938 Action Comics. It tapped into the original Siegel & Shuster concept of Superman fighting […]

Review by KC Carlson Oh, dear. Where to start? Especially when this particular book (and the whole New 52) has become, for so many people, something bigger than comics itself. Even DC realizes that this… whatever it is (Initiative? Event? Reboot? Circus Freak Show?) has become so over-hyped that there was some effort recently trying to walk everything back a little. In the recent ICv2 interview, Dan DiDio actually admitted that they have no clue where they’ll be in six […]

Back in 2001, Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother) re-envisioned Neil Gaiman’s Endless (from The Sandman graphic novel series) as adorable little kids in The Little Endless Storybook. Dream, Death, Desire, and the other embodiments of key human drives and motivations were surprisingly cute, drawn with big heads and streamlined symbolism. Now there’s a followup, just as charming. In Delirium’s Party, the crazy, colorful littlest sister decides to throw a party in order to make her sibling Despair smile. Now, those of […]

I don’t know that the world needs another set of Spirit tales, especially since the character was always under-sketched, a cipher that allowed Will Eisner (and those who worked for him) to wander the city streets of the underclass. So there isn’t a lot of character fandom or a unique reason to bring this fedora-wearing mystery man back. But since DC’s done it, let’s look at the latest issue. The Spirit #4, written by David Hine, art by Moritat, is […]

The newest Zuda webcomic in print (after last fall’s High Moon) is The Night Owls. Online, this strip was the site’s second Instant Winner, meaning it was picked for a development contract in December 2007 without having to struggle through winning a monthly competition. Installments ran through December 2009, and they’ve all been collected here. As soon as I heard the premise — supernatural detectives in the roaring 20s — I was sold. I fondly remember Jazz Age Chronicles, and […]

Kudos to DC for following through on their commitment to complete the Spirit Archives series, even if most of the books are now out of print. Still, most collectors bought them on release — spreading out purchases is the only way to afford the whole thing! This last volume, released last summer, is particularly odd, and of interest mostly to completists, since it has very few actual comics in it. It collects lots of Will Eisner art featuring the character […]

High Moon, written by David Gallaher and illustrated by Steve Ellis, was the winner of the first month’s competition at DC Comics’ Zuda site, back in 2007. Now, it’s the second volume they’ve brought to print (after Jeremy Love’s Bayou). Both are in a horizontal format, where each of the online “screens” becomes one page. It’s cowboys and werewolves in the Old West, but instead of a historical approach, this story’s all about the shock and action. Macgregor is the […]

Global Frequency was a group of 1001 individuals (“freaks, geeks, and security risks”) from around the world. Each was an expert in some technology or ability, and each was given a special cellphone. When it rang, they’d be called into action to save the world from a bleeding-edge threat that normal people didn’t even understand. Writer Warren Ellis used this premise to explore various science fiction concepts. Each of the 12 issues was a standalone story illustrated by a different […]