Manga and Comic Reviews
After years of making other people’s comics — specifically “Rumble,” and multiple arcs of “B.P.R.D.” — look good, James Harren decided it was time to create his own. “Ultramega” is the result and the initial impression it gives off is that it’s “Pacific Rim” meets “Ultraman.” You’ve got your kaiju on one side and your […]
One thing I didn’t mention during the “American Vampire” podcast was that it bridged the gap between Scott Snyder’s superhero work at DC and his sabbatical from it. After spending a few years charting the course of the DCU with “Metal,” “Justice League,” and “Death Metal,” the writer has stated that he’s going to take […]
There are some series where I grumble about how long it takes them to produce a new volume. Then there are the series like “Yotsuba&!” where the wait is irrelevant to the fact that a new volume exists at all. This is to say that vol. 15 is much like the previous fourteen in that […]
Above-the-Board Recommendation: Ether Omnibus Boone Dias is the kind of insufferable genius who doesn’t believe in fantasy. Which is why he’s made it his life’s work to explore the otherdimensional fantasy realm of Ether in order to make sense of the rules and laws which govern its very existence. Though his actions prove to be […]
Above-the-Board Recommendation: Manifest Destiny vol. 8: Sacrificium & Reditus Lewis and Clark’s expedition westward has not been an easy one. Yet the end is in sight with this final volume. There just remains the issue of dealing with a very duplicitous ghost of a Spanish conquistador and the demon that he’s working on behalf of. […]
Above-the-Board Recommendation: Suicide Squad: Blaze #1 (of 3) It’s not the second year of “Hellblazer” that the team were planning on doing, but writer Simon Spurrier and artist Aaron Campbell are teaming up again for this Black Label miniseries. The solicitation makes it seem like the concept for this series is pretty straightforward: Harley Quinn, […]
Above-the-Board Recommendation: Venom by Al Ewing & Ram V vol. 1: Recursion The “Venom” run by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, and friends was the first time I followed the adventures of Eddie Brock and his symbiote on a regular basis. It was all worth it in the end, too. This is in spite of the […]
What do the students of a magical university in lockdown do to keep themselves occupied? There’s hand-to-hand combat training for one, something that Chise (or at least her left arm) has some experience in. They’ve also got plenty of studying to do, as the curriculum does not stop while everyone’s locked in. Oh, and there’s […]
There are some longtime “Spider-Man” fans who are going to see the title to this volume and feel a chill go up their spine. The 90’s era “Clone Saga” was an infamous storyline that went on for much longer than it should have and turned off a whole lot of fans along the way. This […]
In case you’re wondering, no, Jules Verne did not write a story about an interstellar outpost responsible for helping ships navigate through wormholes at the far-flung reaches of space. His “Lighthouse” was a much more grounded tale about the workers of a lighthouse at the southern end of Argentina who have to deal with a […]