Comic Picks by the Glick

Manga and Comic Reviews

The Massive vol. 3: Longship

This is a title that should be better than it is.  Yet, as I explained last time, it has yet to realize its potential for several reasons.  It also looks like I might have to add another one after reading this volume.  Assuming that Brian Wood is really going to add a supernatural/mystical aspect to […]

Amazing X-Men vol. 1: The Quest for Nightcrawler

I was disappointed when I found out that Jason Aaron would be leaving “Wolverine and the X-Men,” though that disappointment was short-lived when it was revealed that he was going to write the new X-title “Amazing X-Men.”  The first arc was even going to bring back Nightcrawler.  How could things go wrong?  Well, it turns […]

The Flowers of Evil vol. 10

This volume is a 191-page exercise in waiting for the other shoe to drop.  It was a given that Kasuga’s trip back to his hometown would force some kind of confrontation with his past.  The question mangaka Shuzo Oshimi poses to the reader is when this will actually happen.  Will it be when he’s attending […]

Superior Spider-Man vol. 6: Goblin Nation

When it was revealed over a year and a half ago that Otto “Doctor Octopus” Octavius would be taking over Peter Parker’s body and his role as Spider-Man, there was… considerable fan outrage.  There were also those who pointed out that, because it was such an extreme change, it was likely to be reversed after […]

Thor: God of Thunder vol. 2 — Godbomb

The first volume of Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s “Thor:  God of Thunder” was a very welcome surprise.  It kicked off an epic story taking place over three different eras as the Thors of those times fought Gorr, the God Butcher.  Not only did Aaron make Young Thor and Old Thor as interesting to read […]

Wonton Soup

If I had my way, I would’ve talked about this series when I did my podcast on James Stokoe last year.  Fortunately Oni Press has decided to reprint his two-volume sci-fi space foodie series in a nice one-volume omnibus.  Johnny Boyo is a space trucker travelling the spacelanes of the Milky Way with his pal […]

Velvet vol. 1: Before the Living End

As any veteran of Ed Brubaker’s “Captain America” run can tell you, the man really likes grounded espionage stories.  Using the Star-Spangled Avenger and his resurrected sidekick as a means to tell these kinds of stories in the Marvel Universe worked really well for a while.  The problem is that the moral ambiguity of the […]

Avengers World vol. 1: A.I.M.pire

“JONATHAN HICKMAN’S ‘AVENGERS’ RUN SO EPIC THAT IT COULDN’T BE CONTAINED IN TWO BOOKS OR EVEN BE WRITTEN ENTIRELY BY HIM!” This is what should’ve been at the top of the press release announcing this new “Avengers” title in the wake of “Infinity.”  I can’t think of a better way to describe this title’s existence […]

New Lone Wolf & Cub vol. 1

I mentioned a while back that this represents the most important new manga release from Dark Horse in quite some time.  Not only is it a sequel to the most popular manga the company has ever released, but its success may even spur the release of new (old) series from the classic creative team of […]

Baltimore vol. 4: Chapel of Bones

After reading this volume I am utterly convinced that Lord Henry Baltimore’s wallet also has the inscription “BAD MOTHERFUCKER” on it. I mean, if his monster hunting exploits in the previous volumes didn’t establish this then there’s plenty more evidence here.  Going toe-to-toe with the mad Inquisitor Duvic.  Taking out vampires with a large-caliber handcannon. […]