One of my few complaints about the Checkmate TPBs is that they’re not clearly labeled with volume numbers. Yes, I’m a completist, and somewhat OCD about it; I like to read serialized stories in order, and I like them to…
Category: books
Comic Book Report: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills
For something that’s supposed to be a cornerstone of contemporary comics, I wasn’t hugely impressed by this graphic novel. For one thing, despite a large cast of characters, they’re all surprisingly arc-free, and navigating their relationships depends on the reader…
Comic Book Report: Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares
I picked up a free reprint copy of Invincible Iron Man #1 a few weeks ago at a local game store (D was dropping off flyers for GameStorm). The female clerk on duty recommended it, saying that she normally doesn’t…
Comic Book Report: The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity
And now for something completely different. Well, not entirely. Mike Carey riffs on Harry Potter, Fables (Bill Willingham wrote the introduction to this collection), and real-world fandom, telling the high-concept story of a young man who has the same name…
Comic Book Report: Alias Vol. 1
Comics legend Brian Michael Bendis does noir. This was the first title published under Marvel’s “R-rated” MAX imprint, and the very first word of the book is “FUCK!” Which sets the tone pretty well–the heroine is a world-weary private detective…
SnoutCast #12: “GAME Themes, Part 2: A Brief History of Snout”
The thrilling conclusion to last week’s discussion, in which we reminisce about past Games run by Team Snout and how we selected and implemented each theme. Please try to contain your excitement. [ Download mp3 – 36 MB ] 00:00…
Comic Book Report: Final Crisis Aftermath: Run
Dark, ironic, and hilarious. Writer Matthew Sturges tells the story of the Human Flame, a second-rate criminal who was involved in the murder of the Martian Manhunter, and manages to make him completely human, if not wholly sympathetic. Plus, actual…
Comic Book Report: Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance
Strangely overwritten, with stilted dialogue, flat characters, and abstruse plotting. Follows the adventures (so-called) of Super Young Team, a group of inexperienced Japanese superheroes, but I can’t tell how much of this is parody and how much is just bad…
Comic Book Report: Star Trek: Spock – Reflections
This, in my opinion, is a rare example of good fanfic. As the title indicates, it’s a very introspective story about everyone’s favorite Vulcan, and it succeeds by using small moments in Spock’s life to build up a larger, character-revelatory…
Comic Book Report: Checkmate Vol. 1: A King’s Game
I was still in high school in 1988, when Action Comics #598 introduced Checkmate to the DC universe, and I remember being intrigued by the high-concept, high-tech James Bond riff. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the promise–from…