Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
I love animal comics, but I am too squeamish for horror, so I wasn’t sure how I’d react to the blend in Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites. I should have had more faith in the skills of writer Evan Dorkin and artist Jill Thompson to create stories worth reading. The Beasts of Burden are the neighborhood dogs (and a stray cat) of Burden Hill. They were introduced in “Stray”, which first appeared in the anthology The Dark Horse Book of […]
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The best-known webcomic about movies, Multiplex by Gordon McAlpin, will release its first book collection this week. Enjoy Your Show is available for order from the website. It contains the first 102 strips (which ran July 2005 – November 2006) with some art revisions and cleanup, plus a new 12-page story set on the opening night of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (authorized by Lucasfilm, according to the author). The bonus comics previously available in the PDF ebooks McAlpin sold are […]
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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 […]
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The appeal in this charming young adult graphic novel is how freshly City of Spies recombines familiar elements, from screwball comedies to Harriet the Spy. Evelyn dreams of being an old-fashioned superhero (like Bart Simpson does) while she’s adjusting to living with her free-spirited aunt (like Mame) in 1942 New York. Evelyn’s dad has sent her to spend the summer with Aunt Lia while he gets married again, and the poor girl just wants some stability and a decent role […]
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It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since we’ve seen any new Amelia Rules! stories, but that’s how long ago the series was picked up by Simon & Schuster for graphic novel reprinting. They rereleased the first four books by Jimmy Gownley, The Whole World’s Crazy What Makes You Happy Superheroes When the Past Is a Present before putting out the first original Amelia Rules! graphic novel. I’d forgotten how much I missed new adventures with this spirited young […]
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It’s time to say goodbye to Scott Pilgrim, the bemused young fighter and band member we’ve watched grow up over the last six years. Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour is a satisfying conclusion to his journey from clueless boy coasting through life to young man making his own decisions and fighting for the woman he loves. The last of Ramona’s evil exes, Gideon, obviously plays a major role, but not as much of one as I expected. That’s a good thing, […]
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I was curious about this summer camp mystery for two reasons: as a former kid genius, I loved the idea of a story set among smart kids, and I very much enjoy the work of artist Faith Erin Hicks (Zombies Calling, The War at Ellsmere). The second, at least, was not disappointing. Perhaps I’d created the wrong impression in my head about Brain Camp, written by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan, but I was let down. The “creating prodigies” aspect […]
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It’s summer, which means it’s time for another gloriously grisly entry in Rick Geary’s Treasury of XXth Century Murder series. The previous books covered The Lindbergh Child and director William Desmond Taylor in Famous Players. This time out, we don’t meet celebrities of the twentieth century; instead, the famous victim is one of its best-known cities: New Orleans. The first chapter of The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans functions as travelogue and brochure of historical high points, taking us through […]
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