Tag Archives: Grant Morrison

What’s I&N Store (8/12)

12 Wednesday Aug 2015

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Four days in the hot-spot money pit that is Montauk have me hoping I’m not going to miss some of this week’s big books.  With apologies to Van Halen:

Ain’t Montaukin’ ’bout love

Vacay will keep me from the store

Ain’t Montaukin’ ’bout love

Cash-only shopping–I’m poor, yeah, I’m poor!

Doesn’t mean I won’t get out to Android’s to pick up these books, some semi-good lookin’ and some–mostly from the increasingly impressive Avatar Press–downright I&N Demand.

  • Harrow County #4 (Dark Horse)
  • Rebels #5 (Dark Horse)
  • String Divers #1 (IDW)
  • The Beauty #1 (Image)
  • The Fade Out #8 (Image)
  • Injection #4 (Image)
  • Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl #1 (Image): Just I&N and I&N Demand The team of Gillen, McKelvie, and Wilson–I think they’re OK.  (OK: more than OK, really.  OK?)  If you don’t give them proper credit, you better just walk away–or I’ll slap you upside the head with a copy–I’ll make you pick your own copy, too; there’s a switch!–of The Wicked + The Divine to set your damn head straight.  Oh, baby: I’m mad–on a roll, right?  And to think: I missed the original Phonogram series; so I’m coming to this kinda like a virgin, no?
Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl #1

Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl #1

  • Starve #3 (Image): I&N Demand Through two: Starve is full of bold, assertive notes–it’s a massive success!  When Gavin–Starve‘s Top Chef–tells Sheldon, “I’m going to show you my city,” I hear Brian Wood himself, who’s so very good at cooking up deliciously diverse worlds with depth of flavor; and his art team of Danijel Zezelj and Dave Stewart (a 2015 Innie nominee for Best Colorist) are the perfect sous chefs, plating–er, paneling–with brash black lines and shadows amplified by alternating–and often blended for a striking contrast–warm and cool tones.  Hungry for more?  I sure am!
Starve #3

Starve #3

  • Velvet #11 (Image)
  • 18 Days #2 (Graphic India)
  • Americatown #1 (BOOM!)
  • Bloodshot: Reborn #5 (Valiant)
  • Crossed +100 #7 (Avatar) I&N Demand Alan Moore’s set the stage for Si Spurrier with a sick six issue arc that relied on obsessively intricate world building and long-fuse storytelling; but, damn, did it explode in the end.  What an effing payoff!  Man, Moore didn’t have to cross the Crossed line to be affective–he just went and redrew the brown out of it.  Now, Spurrier’s no stranger to Crossed.  In this case, however, he’s working off of Moore’s notes, which puts him in an odd position: he’s sort of a filter, right?  One that might miss the mark tone-wise; hell, he might languish a bit with the oft-awkward language Moore’s crafted.  It’s a risky proposition, for sure.  Spurrier–the winner of the 2014 Innie Award for Best Writer–is pretty damn great, but he’s not Moore.  Here’s hoping that he’s not much less, either.
Crossed +100 #7

Crossed +100 #7

  • Death Sentence: London #3 (Titan)
  • Mercury Heat #2 (Avatar)
  • Providence #3 (Avatar): I&N Demand Patient, potent: Providence is only two issues in, but Moore’s in deep–basement deep–and we’re right there with him.  His commitment to the book is palpable, and he demands one from us; he demands our full attention–and Cthulhu knows he’s going to take advantage of it!
Providence #3

Providence #3

  • Über #27 (Avatar): I&N Demand Kieron Gillen’s delivered some strong issues along the way, but none as powerful as #26.  Leah’s deployment was “everything [I] could have hoped for”–and more.  Sure, the German Battleships may have gotten the best of the Brits in this, “the largest enhanced confrontation on the Western Front,” but I was emotionally destroyed by the relationship between HMHs Churchill and Dunkirk.  Goddammit, Gillen’s killin’ it!
Über #27

Über #27

  • X-O Manowar #39 (Valiant)

Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? #60 (DC):  Zoinks!
Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? #60

Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? #60

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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What’s I&N Store (4/8)

08 Wednesday Apr 2015

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Here’s What’s I&N Store: The Spring Break Edition.  It’s a lot like the MTV Spring Break shows of the late-’80s, just without the alcohol and the butt floss.

OK, so it’s nothing like the MTV Spring Break shows of the ’80s.

  • Rebels #1 (Dark Horse):  Just I&N and I&N Demand I’m grabbing this one and I’m grabbing it fast!  How fast?  Howard Fast–that how fast.  Man.  That’s pretty damn fast.  It’s not as fast as I’d like, though.  See: my guy doesn’t open until Noon.  So, instead of picking up my book on a fine April morning, I’ll be picking it up in the afternoon.  Hey: either way, it works for me.  I’m just excited to get something original from Brian Wood, one of our favorite writers.  In fact, his recently completed Dark Horse series earned the #5 spot in our Top Ten of 2014.  But this–this–may be an even more massive undertaking.  There’s a Revolution calling–and I’m picking up.  Fast.
Rebels #1

Rebels #1

  • Astro City #22 (DC/Vertigo): You know, it’s funny: I didn’t care for the Quarrel arc at all until, wouldn’t you know, “The End of the Trail.”  #21 hit some decent notes, including the all-in, action-packed opening and the honesty that fueled the resolution.  But as someone who has been critical of the arc, I found the final page the most honest bit of writing that Busiek has done outside of The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw lo these last several months.  I know, I know: I’m hearing what I want to hear; but, come on, it’s pretty remarkable that Samaritan says, “There’s got to be a better way than this.  We’re losing people we shouldn’t lose.”  Um, yeah!  Hello!  “Good hearts, good minds.”  My heart!  My mind!  “There’s got to be a fix”–yes, indeed!  “We can’t leave it like this…”  Mr. Busiek, I suspect you won’t.  That’s why I’m willing to stick around.  Good talk, by the way.
  • Convergence #1 (DC): Ouch.  Dan Jurgen’s super-redundant #0 left me feeling super-loopy; it left me feeling like I want to be left out of the latest reboot loop.  Are we kicking things off in the Bizarro world or something?  Because I can’t imagine that Scott Lobdell’s name is much of a selling point nowadays.  I guess if your plan is to destroy the Universe as we know it…
  • Copperhead #6 (Image): Copperhead started off really, really well.  Then it became, well, pretty run-of-the-mill.  Hey, I get it: it’s tough to keep the magic going.  Correspondingly, it gets tougher to keep the money flowing.
  • Descender #2 (Image): Look: #1 was OK.  It was familiar and cheesy and did what it needed to do for a first issue.  But it wasn’t the big book that many of the review sites built it up to be.  Gotta give my man Derek props for his prediction, which may or may not play out: he expects Descender to play out a lot like Sweet Tooth, which I haven’t read.  I do know, however, that Lemire’s not afraid to lean on stuff he’s already written.  I’m willing to go at least two deep to see if he’s got something new–at least in my sphere–something that’ll hit me like Essex County or Trillium.
  • Nameless #3 (Image): I&N Demand Let’s be honest with each other: #1 wasn’t all that good.  (Granted, it was a #1–even more, it was a Morrison #1.)  #2, however, asserted very adamantly, “We’re all good,”  what with that terrific twist and all.  So, yeah, I’m glad I didn’t cross this one off of my list.  It may claim to be Nameless, but it’s kinda Namemore, isn’t it?  I mean, Morrison and Burnham are names that sell, names that deliver.  Scott Lobdell, however…
Nameless #3

Nameless #3

  • ODY-C #4 (Image): There’s something messy about it, but I’m still digging it.
  • Saga #27 (Image): Saga always leaves me foaming at the mouth.
  • The Surface #2 (Image): I don’t know: I didn’t like #1 very much.  Might be because I’m stupid.  Might also be because Ales Kot–who’s killing it on Zero, our #7 book of 2014–can be pretty incomprehensible at times.  No, really: I skimmed through it.  I never skim through a comic.  I skimmed through this one, though, because I couldn’t connect to it.  Odd, right?  Especially considering the clever social commentary about being hyper-connected…
  • All-New Hawkeye #2 (Marvel): Fraction’s baby should’ve been put to sleep for good.  But it wasn’t.  Instead, Lemire’s in charge; and, as usual, he’s reaching into his quiver of tricks–this time back-waaaaaaay back–to Trillium.  That’s right: the last page, if anything, was a flipping warning.  Yeah, I’m leaning toward passing.
  • Ant-Man #4 (Marvel) I&N Demand Ant-Man is a big book–a huge book!  We loved #2 enough to name it one of our Top 5 Books of February.  #3 was pretty awesome, too.  I mean, c’mon: the Taskmaster?  And how about the line of the year so far: “Pick a theme!”  Yeah, I laughed out loud.  Thank you, Mr. Spencer!  Something tells me that we’ll be celebrating your book again!  Yeah, it’s more than just a little vice at this point, ain’t it?
Ant-Man #4

Ant-Man #4

  • Evil Empire #12 (BOOM!): Suddenly, I’m not so excited about Evil Empire.  Doesn’t feel as tight.  And, if I’m being honest, Victor Santos’s art hasn’t lived up to the standard set by those who have come before him.  I’m pretty invested at this point, so I can’t imagine jumping off.

Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Scooby Doo Where Are You? #56 (DC): Of all of the comics I’ve bought for Avery, the ones I reread the most are Scooby Doo books.  She loves the big reveals!
  • My Little Pony: Fiendship Is Magic #2 (IDW):  That’s right: my baby girl loves her some evil ponies.
My Little Pony: Fiendship Is Magic #2

My Little Pony: Fiendship Is Magic #2

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

The Top 5 Books of January

31 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading, Top 5 Books of the Month

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Great Scott! Can it be? Has a third of the year gone by without us posting one of our ballyhooed Top 5 lists? I&Ndefensible we say! So, for you completists, here it is: our Top 5 books of January. Coming soon: our Top 5 of Feb! And March! (We swear!)

5. The Multiversity: Guidebook #1 (DC): Grant Morrison takes the unwieldy mess that is the DC multiverse and turns it into a strength; a rich tapestry, (illustrated by an impressive bevy of artists) at once alien and familiar, ripe with possibility. He not only accomplishes the herculean feat of making sense of it all, he tells one barn burner of a story while doing it. His expansive view seemingly embraces everything, the odder and more trivial the better. I don’t what DC has planned after its next clearing of the decks, but it could do a lot worse than using this as its Guidebook. (DM)

The Multiversity: Guidebook #1

The Multiversity: Guidebook #1

4. Lady Killer #1 (Dark Horse): “Top 5 Books of January calling!”  Wow!  What a killer debut from Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich!  As evidenced by the cover–a kitchen done up in classic post-war abattoir–they’re mopping the floor with genre tropes and gender notes, the highest being Josie, of course, their Bride of Fifties-stein, who is June Cleaver living up to her name, that’s for sure!  She’s one tough mother–one who’s not afraid to use her assets to get the job done.  It’s the nature of the assassin–and of clever creators–to play a game of cat and mouse with her prey, isn’t it?  Consider the final page, fellow readers: we are most assuredly the mice.  (SC)

Lady Killer #1

Lady Killer #1

3. Wild’s End #5 (BOOM!): Abnett and Culbard’s Wild’s End–our #9 book of 2014–has been about as perfect as a book can be after five issues.  In this installment, the stakes are wildly high, what with the killer lamppost lighting around and lighting up our motley zoo crew, who, all along, keep–relatively–calm and carry on as well as they can with a six-legged, extraterrestrial death ray on their tails.  Love the ribbon tied to the end of the issue: revealing the irrepressible Ms. Peardew’s written account of the big adventure and her pretty assertive assessment of Lewis Cornfelt.  With its tentacles 100% wrapped around me, if Wild’s End were the only fiction left in the world, I’d be quite satisfied.  (SC)

Wild's End #5

Wild’s End #5

2. Silver Surfer #8 (Marvel): Fresh off their claiming the #4 spot on our Top Ten Books of 2014, Dan Slott and Mike Allred offer up a grave planet of survivors–each the last of his or her or its species–and a tidal wave of guilt upon which the former herald of Galactus rides, leaving a wake of cosmic energy that leads the Devourer of Worlds to perhaps his most satisfying meal yet.  It’s a brilliant premise that brings together a universe of victims and pulls apart our otherwise perfect pair, the Surfer and Dawn Greenwood, as emotionally affective individually as when side by side–and, in a very fun moment, with Dawn at the wheel for the first time, “Ha ha ha!”–they ride the temperamental Toomie.  What’s that?  You’re right: When it comes to superhero books, there is none higher, and #8 is further proof.  (SC)

Silver Surfer #8

Silver Surfer #8

1. Mind MGMT #30 (Dark Horse): In one fell swoop Matt Kindt takes everything you knew about this title and turns it on its head. He gathers up threads from earlier issues and ties them together with a revelation that changes the perspective of the entire series. Not content with that, he tells the modern-day story as though it were a pulp sci-fi novel of the 1960s. The meta conceit however is merely a filter for the viewpoint of the narrator, one that makes total sense given her past. Furthermore this narrator, through the use of the (always challenging to pull off) second person, becomes “you.” Confused yet? Perhaps the biggest miracle in this is that Kindt doesn’t lose you, even for a second. A masterpiece. (DM)

Mind MGMT #30

Mind MGMT #30

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Loki: Agent of Asgard #10 (Marvel) – What could have been just another movie franchise tie-in, turned out, in the early going, to be remarkably entertaining due to Al Ewing’s witty, exuberant writing. Alas, just as Loki himself seems unable to escape his destiny, this book was unable to steer clear of getting embroiled in a “Big Event.”  Since then the jocularity has been drained of this once surprising title, its imaginative gold spun into cumbersome lead. (DM)

Loki: Agent of Asgard #10

Loki: Agent of Asgard #10

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

What’s I&N Store (3/25)

24 Tuesday Mar 2015

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Last week had me Wow-ing more per book than any week in the recent past.  Here’s the near future:

  • Mister X: Razed #2 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand No surprise here: we loved #1.  It easily fell into our Top 5 Books of February, the result of the tasty termites and the hungry peregrine pigeons, which, of course, is Christmas come a bit late, you know, in the perfectly-wrapped gift of Dean Motter’s icicle-sharp storytelling.  (Deep breath.)  It’s everything we loved about Mr. X: Eviction, which was just as easily our #1 Book of 2013.  Don’t remember why?  Remind yourself.
Mister X: Razed #2

Mister X: Razed #2

  • PastAways #1 (Dark Horse) Just I&N With his nonpareil Mind MGMT in its stretch run, main man Matt Kindt takes aim–along with artist Scott Kolins–at a fresh future with PastAways, the latest–and most assuredly not the last–entry in the suddenly supersaturated–and not-so-fresh–time-traveling-team market.  Yeah, but it doesn’t matter if it’s good, right?
PastAways #1

PastAways #1

  • The Multiversity: Ultra Comics #1 (DC): Re: Mastermen: Morrison and Lee bowled me over with their opening “splash” page–light a match, Adolph!  I mean, c’mon: Hitler on the can, reading Superman?  Hey, why Nazi?  They played it for a laugh–and got it!–and forged a connection between the Führer and me.  I was like, that’s what I look like when I’m reading during “Daddy Time,” you know, just without the mustache and the swastika.  Yeah, otherwise, pretty spot on.  After that, the rest of the book played out well–despite Lee’s pin-up-per-panel approach, which robs the story–artistically, anyway–of any momentum.  Not the best single Multiversity issue, but still plenty metafun.  This month, Morrison and Mahnke promise to make me “an integral part of the resistance.”  Can’t resist that!
  • Suiciders #2 (DC/Vertigo): Figured it’d be a one-and-done.  Clearly wasn’t–especially thanks to the end.
  • The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #5 (Image) I&N Demand Pretty great all around.  Sure, while Busiek’s been busy building this remarkably engaging world, Astro City‘s suffered a bit.  (The Quarrel arc is arguably the weakest multi-issue story since our return to the City.)  But that’s all right–especially now that the game is a(Good)foot.
The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #5

The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #5

  • They’re Not Like Us #4 (Image): They may not be like them, but concerns are rising: we’re three issues in and some of what’s going on is a lot like some of what’s already gone on.  Still love the design, though; love getting right to it!  And still hanging on the promise made at the end of #1.
  • The Wicked & The Divine #9 (Image) I&N Demand With #8, Gillen, McKelvie, and Wilson deliver a brand new Beat Generation of dance hall deities.  The rhythm–the rolling1-2-3-4, page after page–got me good, pulsing past simple gimmick right quick into pop magic, an hypnotizing rave that’s all about that base–YOLO, indeed!–no trouble.  OK.  Trouble.
The Wicked & The Divine #9

The Wicked & The Divine #9

  • Daredevil #14 (Marvel): Ooh, ooh!  A Shroud of secrecy!  Yeah, that pretty much made it all worth it.  As Waid and Samnee are making their way to the end of their run, I can’t help but think about Matt’s exes and wonder: what’s gonna happen to Kirsten?  I’m leaning toward this one breaking the mold.
  • Uncanny X-Men #32 (Marvel): Eva’s conversation with Scott left me feeling like I did after Snyder’s Harper Row lit into Batman (in the regrettable Batman #18).  That’s not a good thing.  Oh, and so, as it all works out, it’s like nothing ever happened, which is always gratifying.  Love that.  Oh, oh, and maybe the once and future leader of the X-Men isn’t so far from his grand return.  Ugh!  I hate all the secrets and the wars that rage as a result of them!
  • The Black Hood #2 (Archie): I was surprised by how much I liked the first one. What sold it: the last page.  As cheesy as it was, it felt authentic, heroic.  I needed that.  Great stuff from Gaydos.
  • The Bunker #10 (Oni): I’m feeling somewhat disconnected from The Bunker at this point.  If it were released on a more regular basis…
  • Hit: 1957 #1 (BOOM!): I was surprised that Hit earned a Harvey nomination because it wasn’t great.  Sure, it hit the right notes at the start–and at its soul was something to celebrate; but it didn’t come together well, as evidenced by the unremarkable end.  I’ll thumb through to see if Del Rey’s art is enough of a draw to warrant a try.  Otherwise, I’m going to pass.
  • Mono #4 (Titan): Through three now, I’m kinda feeling like I did after the summer after I graduated from high school–you know, after saying hi and goodbye to four different girls before leaving for college, and after learning that I had a case of mono, one bad enough to keep me home for what would’ve been my first semester at Penn State.  Just like that, actually.
  • Quantum and Woody Must Die #3 (Valiant): Funny, funny, funny!
  • The Sixth Gun #47 (Oni): The stack grows.
  • The Valiant #4 (Valiant): #3 didn’t hit me like #2 did.  Resulted in a bit of a letdown, especially as the entirety of the Valiant Universe gets further mired in Lemire’s return to Rotworld.
  • The Twilight Zone: Shadow and Substance #3 (Dynamite): The first two-issue arc didn’t live up to Straczynski’s standard–but how could it?  I’m probably going to pass.
  • We Can Never Go Home #1 (Black Mask): I haven’t like much of what I’ve tried from Black Mask.  This one sounds interesting enough.  I’ll thumb through to be fair.

Avery’s Picks of the Week

  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #29 (IDW): My wife just came home from Stop & Shop with eight more Pony blind bags.  Thanks a lot DCTC!  We’re drowning in Ponies over here–new ones and duplicates!  I think we have three Pursey Pinks, for crying out loud!
  • Abigail and The Snowman #4 (BOOM!): My daughter’s dug it plenty–even if the Snowman is more Bumble than Olaf.
Abigail and The Snowman #4

Abigail and The Snowman #4

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s I&N Store (3/4)

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

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(Sing along.  Go on.  You know how it goes.)

There’s a hole in my heart that can only be filled by comics.

No, really.  I’ve got a hole in my heart.  As of right now, however, my cardiologist is pretty firm in his opinion that comics are not the best option with which to fill it.

I’m in the market for a second opinion.

  • Hellboy & The B.P.R.D. #4 (Dark Horse): Hellish back-grenading, murderous monkey monsters, “insane Frankenstein crap,” and an ominous mound of bones–if that’s not enough to bring a reader back for more, I don’t know what is!
  • Lady Killer #3 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand #1 was one of our Top 5 books of January.  It announced its arrival: “Killer comic calling!” and left quite an impression.  #2 didn’t have the same effect–mostly because there was no surprise this time, and expectations were high going into it–but it certainly didn’t disappoint.  Joëlle Jones’ artwork is the big draw here–it’s elegantly aggressive and sells Josie’s separate spheres very well.  (Doesn’t hurt that it’s polished off to murderous–and motherly–perfection by Laura Allred’s color palette time machine.)  Story-wise: despite Josie’s denial, there’s definitely trouble on the horizon–yeah, Jones and Jamie S. Rich aren’t kidding around with the dilemma that’s driving the plot into #3.
Lady Killer #3

Lady Killer #3

  • Neverboy #1 (Dark Horse): Shaun Simon and Tyler Jenkins are blurring the lines “between the real and the imaginary.”  That’s right up my alley, gents!  (Consider how blown away I was–still am–by the lengths Matt Kindt went to tearing down the aforementioned lines in Mind MGMT #30, our favorite book of January.  Now, that’s how you do it!)  Oh, I’ll bite all right.  Professional prognostication: I’m thinking that this particular pick’ll be positively Pan-ed!
  • Detective Comics #40 (DC): All of a sudden, my Bat-book of choice is Manapul and Buccellato’s Detective.  How the heck did that happen?  The world’s gone mad!  It’s–it’s–Anarky!
  • G.I. Joe #6 (IDW): Through #4, I was all in.  I was like, “Yo Joe!”  I was 13 again–except for the fact that this wasn’t your grandHama‘s G.I. Joe; this was an elevated–and engrossing–approach from novelist Karen Traviss.  Again, through #4.  #5?  A rather muddled mess.  Damn thing’s literally all over the place!   Suddenly, I’m left wondering how much more I can take.
  • Descender #1 (Image) Just I&N and I&N Demand Lemire’s Descender is only the second title to earn both designations!  (The first: last week’s Mister X: Razed from master builder Dean Motter.)  The blurb on previewsworld.com has me thinking Blade Runner meets Essex County.  Yes, please.  Is there any doubt that this’ll ascend to the top of our list for the month of March?  Yeah.  Didn’t think so.
Descender #1

Descender #1

  • Nameless #2 (Image): If it weren’t Morrison, I’d be off after one.  I mean, I’m totally occulted out at this point.  If this issue isn’t particularly tight, I’m going to review it this way: Morrison’s occult/sci-fi mash up is Thomas Alsloppy.
  • Saga #26 (Image): Revolution calling!
  • All-New Hawkeye #1 (Marvel) I&N Demand Hoping that Lemire is fully invested–that he’s not going to be working at a fraction of his capabilities, especially now that he’s spreading himself as thin as a bowstring.  Boy, does he have a huge quiver to fill!  Also hoping that he doesn’t miss the mark as he did with Green Arrow.
All-New Hawkeye #1

All-New Hawkeye #1

  • Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #10 (Marvel): I&N Demand #9 was another explosion of kinetic cartooning from Kaare Andrews.  Great splashes, great layouts–the art as a whole elevates an already solid story, solid writing.  Reads with an energy similar to Kindt’s Mind MGMT.  “Ha-ha-hee!”  That’s high praise around these parts!
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #10

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #10

  • Miracleman #16 (Marvel) I&N Demand Classic isn’t strong enough a word to describe #15.  There are moments–impossible moments amplified by impossible choices–still gnawing at me.  It’s angels hurling mountains at each other; it’s George pulling the trigger.  It’s Alan Moore firing a canon at the superhero and building him anew. 
Miracleman #16

Miracleman #16

  • Princess Leia #1 (Marvel):  I don’t know.  I don’t really need it.  I don’t even want it.  But it is Waid and the Dodsons.  Ugh.  I haven’t loved Star Wars.  I’m even kinda cool on Darth Vader.  But it’s Waid and the Dodsons.  Damn it.  Go ahead Mr. Comic Shop Owner Guy: please ring it up.  Grumble, grumble.  Rebel scum.
  • Blackcross #1 (Dynamite): This is an Ellis buy. Recent résumé: Moon Knight was one of our Top Ten Books of 2014.  Trees, however, has been freakishly frustrating.  (He’s got to know that–he’s got to!  So there’s got to be a reason for his frustrating the hell out of us, right?  Am I too trusting?)  Even though I don’t have any experience with Project Superpowers, I’m going to give it a try.
  • Crossed +100 #3 (Avatar): I’m skulling Moore crossed with Burgess, which feels equal parts awkward and elevated. Pony me, malchicks?
  • Über #23 (Avatar): Gillen Hitlered a bunch of high notes in the most recent act of his Wagnerian war story.  “Capitulation or immolation,” indeed!
  • X-O Manowar #34 (Valiant): Remains one of the most consistent monthlies.  Never reaches rarefied air, but doesn’t need to to be effective.  The book’s biggest strength remains Aric, who has remained true to himself–and to us–thanks to Venditti’s thoughtful approach to his plight and his power.

I&Ntelligent Pick

  • Dry Spell TP (Action Labs/Danger Zone): Ken Krekeler and his brilliantly broken down Black Baron demand your attention.  Why?  Read our write up: the #3 Book of 2014.  Buy it, read it, and come back and thank us.
Dry Spell TP

Dry Spell TP

Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Feathers #3 (BOOM!): My daughter is definitely down with Feathers!  Luckily, she’s not quite old enough to be down on puns.
Feathers #3

Feathers #3

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s I&N Store (2/18)

18 Wednesday Feb 2015

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Wednesday’s forecast for the weather outside of my local comic shop is pretty much the same as its been: as cold as can be.  (I guess someone’s gone and ticked off Elsa again.)  The forecast for inside, however, is hot hot hot!  (That’s right: the way to thaw a frozen heart is with an act of true love–in this case, a perfectly pulled bag of comics!)  Speaking of hot books: our Top Ten Books of 2014 is well represented this week.  Take a peek:

  • BPRD: Hell on Earth #128 (Dark Horse): Has been good–not great.  Definitely glad I jumped on board, though.
  • Dark Horse Presents #7 (Dark Horse): DHP has been great–especially at the new price point.  This month’s edition offers up a little Matt Kindt–and Mignola, Van Lente, Aragonés, and more!  Talk about bang for your buck!
  • Batman and Robin #39 (DC): The Action-packed cover’s very clever:
Batman and Robin #39

Batman and Robin #39

I know better, though: B&R‘s been a huge disappointment for months now.  In fact, I finally got around to dropping it from my pull list last month.  No longer under any obligation, I should leave it on the shelf and fill the void with something new.  God knows there will be plenty of players for the spot.  Image alone has a thousand new titles coming out in the next few months, so…

  • The Multiversity: Mastermen #1 (DC) Just I&N Morrison’s Multiversity has been a metafiction metahuman masterwork!  And now, Mastermen–with every-panel’s-a-pinup Jim Lee on art duties.
Multiversity: Mastermen #1

Multiversity: Mastermen #1

  • Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #4 (Image): I can’t be the only one who’s noticed: the current arc of Astro City‘s been a bit blah; but this has been really, really good.  Coincidence?
  • Bitch Planet #3 (Image): I enjoyed #1 for all sorts of reasons (exploiting exploitation, lots of Tarantino, hints of Fraction, etc.).  Hey: borrowing works well when it works well.  Oh, but when it doesn’t…  #2 lost me from the get-go–especially as I was taken immediately to a low budget modern-day exploitation flick that I caught one night on one of the Showtime or HBO channels: Raze, starring Tarantino darling Zoë Bell.  Coincidence?
Raze (2013)

Raze (2013)

I’ll try this one and see where it takes me.

  • Lazarus #15 (Image) I&N Demand Our #2 book of 2014!  It’s what we’ve been waiting for for like, well, forever: Forever in a Trial by Combat against another Lazarus!
Lazarus #15

Lazarus #15

  • Secret Identities #1 (Image): Jay Faerber’s earned Must Try status with Copperhead.
  • All-New Captain America #4 (Marvel): I know, I know.  But it hasn’t been terrible.  And this time out, Remender’s dusting off the Armadillo!  Gotta wonder, though, what effect Secret Wars is going to have on this little experiment–and if it’s worth following a dead title shelf-sitting.
  • Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #9 (Marvel): I love what Kaare Andrews is doing with Danny Rand.  In fact, Iron Fist was my #16 book of 2014–and my third-favorite superhero monthly after Silver Surfer and Moon Knight.  High praise, indeed!
  • Magneto #15 (Marvel): Bunn’s done a nice job of telling stories from issue to issue.  He’s delivered some nice twists along the way, too.  #14 ended with Magneto’s giving himself up to S.H.I.E.L.D.  Wonder what his endgame is…
  • Moon Knight #12 (Marvel) I&N Demand Our #8 book of 2014!  #11 ended on a bit of a down note–you know, with Marc Spector falling out of a flying detention facility and all.  (Wood and Smallwood must’ve watched–and liked–Stallone’s waterlogged–yet undeniably watchable–prison break bingo, Escape Plan, as they delivered quite an homage with Spector in Stallone’s role and Khonshu in Schwarzenegger’s.)  Not looking forward to saying goodbye to Wood and Smallwood, but I am looking forward to seeing how they end their arc–and how they leave things for Cullen Bunn and Ron Ackins.  Maybe they’ll reach back to Bullet to the Head.  Or Avenging Angelo…
Moon Knight #12

Moon Knight #12

  • Silver Surfer #9 (Marvel) I&N Demand Our #4 book of 2014!  Well orchestrated fun from Dan Slott and Michael Allred!  The biggest–and best–superhero monthly around–and this issue promises to be HUGE!
Silver Surfer #9

Silver Surfer #9

  • Uncanny X-Men #31 (Marvel): Bendis is on his way out.  That promises some real havoc in the X-Universe.  No, really–look:
Uncanny X-Men #31

Uncanny X-Men #31

  • Burning Fields #2 (BOOM!): Kinda like a cross between The Killing and Homeland.  Not a bad thing.
  • Cap Stone #3 (Titan): Some real high points: the conversation between Charlie and her mom; the wild shifts in Sharp’s artwork.  Some low points, too: the conversation between Charlie and her mom; the wild shifts in Sharp’s artwork.  I loved #1.  #2, however, exposed a serious flaw: inconsistency.  Still intriguing enough, though.
  • Mono #3 (Titan): Another book from Liam Sharp that took a step back after a very promising premier.  What spoiled the sophomore offering: the conversation–coincidence?–between Heinrich and Isabella, which acts as a dragline on the storyline.  Also seems waaaaaay too serious for a book about an ape-man secret agent and assassin for the Queen, doesn’t it?  It’s so goddamned dour!  I do like the layered approach that Sharp’s taking to create the Mono myth, however.
  • The Valiant #3 (Valiant) I&N Demand I liked #1 enough–but I absolutely loved #2!  I was particularly struck by the artistic collaboration between Lemire and Kindt on the storybook section.  Sure, many of the notes that are struck remind of Lemire’s run on Animal Man; but what the hell–they work well here, so all the better!
The Valiant #3

The Valiant #3

  • The Twilight Zone #12 (Dynamite) I&N Demand Our #10 book of 2014!  This issue ends an extremely powerful arc and Straczynski and Vilanova’s superior run.  So sad to see this go.  Hmm.  Maybe–just maybe–I could travel back in time and kill another series–Dream Police, for instance–in its place…
The Twilight Zone #12

The Twilight Zone #12

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s I&N Store (2/4)

04 Wednesday Feb 2015

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Nothing beats a deep freeze like a bag of sizzling hot comics!  Right?

Right?

Of course not.  The deep freeze doesn’t give a sleet how hot the books are.

Still worth the risk, though, of jumping into the ol’ snowmobile and maybe–quite possibly–most assuredly–running off the road, ramming into another road warrior, and/or crashing right through the façade of your favorite comic shop.

Right?

Right.

Whoa, wait: I may have something here: a drive thru comic shop…

Somebody get on that.

  • Hellboy & The B.P.R.D. #3 (Dark Horse)
  • Lady Killer #2 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand I tweeted this out about a perfectly executed #1 because I had to:

Lady Killer #1 was pretty great. Familiar notes with a fresh face: “Avon calling!”

Very much looking forward to this one.

Lady Killer #2

Lady Killer #2

  • Detective Comics #39 (DC)
  • Superman #38 (DC) I&N Demand New costume?  Thank God.  New power?  Say what?  It’s as bright as day: Johns and JRJ have been like twin yellow suns re-energizing the Last Son of Krypton; so I’m down with whatever it is they want to do.
Superman #38

Superman #38

  • G.I. Joe #5 (IDW)
  • Birthright #5 (Image)
  • East of West #17 (Image) I&N Demand Everything about East of West has been great.  Hickman went bigger with this world of his, and he’s owned it–like a mad god suffering from significant stretches of lucidity.
East of West #17

East of West #17

  • Nameless #1 (Image) Just I&N Grant Morrison.  Chris Burnham.  See: not so nameless after all.
Nameless #1

Nameless #1

  • Saga #25 (Image)
  • Sheltered #14 (Image)
  • Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #1 (Image) I&N Demand The follow-up to the killer Killers arc.  Didn’t read Killers?  Haven’t been hit by any Stray Bullets at all?  Consider this a jumping on point–one that’ll inspire you to jump backward into the satisfyingly-uncomfortable line of fire; into a shotgun blast of expertly-wielded ambiguity.  Pull the trigger, you son of a gun!  Give Sunshine and Roses a shot!
Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #1

Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #1

  • Velvet #9 (Image)
  • Angela: Asgard’s Assassin #3 (Marvel)
  • Hawkeye #21 (Marvel)
  • Miracleman #15 (Marvel)
  • Star Wars #2 (Marvel)
  • The United States of Murder #6 (Marvel/Icon)
  • Annihilator #5 (Legendary) I&N Demand Lots of lovely layers here.  Meta magic courtesy of Mr. Morrison.  Looks great, too, thanks to the digitally dreamy artwork of Frazer Irving.
Annihilator #5

Annihilator #5

  • The Bunker #9 (Oni)
  • Feathers #2 (BOOM!)
  • Imperium #1 (Valiant)
  • The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead #5 (Oni)
  • X-O Manowar #33 (Valiant)

What?  No Wytches?  Risking stitches: didn’t care for it.  Tried.  Couldn’t.  I blame the tone problems rooted in #1.  Can’t unsee needless tirades, right?

Right?

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

 

What’s I&N Store (8/20)

20 Wednesday Aug 2014

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Looking forward to a few HUGE number ones: DC’s Multiversity, Image’s The Fade Out, and Valiant’s The Delinquents.  Also have my eye on the repriced DHP.  Plenty of other good stuff, too–including an against-the-odds purchase that might bring down the walls of my LCS!

  • Dark Horse Presents 2014 #1 (Dark Horse): I would buy Geoff Darrow and Frank Miller’s anything.  I even would’ve paid $7.99!  But the fellas at Dark Horse have decided to knock down the price of DHP with the “reboot.”  So we’re talking $4.99 for Darrow and Miller and, among other anthological amuse-bouches, David Mack’s Kabuki!  Yes, please!
Dark Horse Presents 2014 #1

Dark Horse Presents 2014 #1

  • Batman and Robin #34 (DC): Robin is still rising.  I hope he does a better job of it this time around–especially considering how awful the awfully disappointing Robin Rises: Omega was.  That’s right: sad to say, my favorite Batman book earned the ignominious distinction of being the Biggest Dis(appointment) of July.
  • The Multiversity #1 (DC): Grant Morrison is back–finally.  He’s been missed–by us and, most assuredly, by the DC powers that be.  (Marvel’s been cleaning their clocks for a while now; so it’s about time.)  His name is synonymous with quality–even if it is an awkwardly incomprehensible quality.
The Multiversity #1

The Multiversity #1

  • Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland #1 (IDW): I don’t have any experience with Little Nemo, but this looks too good to pass up.
  • The Fade Out #1 (Image): Hot on the high heels of the Fatale finale comes this new series from Brubaker and Phillips.  The description reminds of Fraction and Chaykin’s Satellite Sam–which is not a bad thing.
The Fade Out #1

The Fade Out #1

  • Stray Bullets: Killers #6 (Image): The first new Amy Racecar issue brought a little horsepower back to Lapham’s Bullets, which has been grinding its gears a bit since a high-octane first issue–which Derek gushed over here.
  • Supreme: Blue Rose #2 (Image): Re: #1: I felt kinda lost.  Figure I’ll give it another issue, you know, ’cause it’s Ellis.
  • Trees #4 (Image): #2 earned our Biggest Dis(appointment) of June.  #3 didn’t necessarily wash the taste of #2 from our mouths, but, for the quality of the conversation, it certainly changed the flavor a bit.  Just when I thought I’d be free of Trees, Ellis sucks me right back in.
  • The Wicked & The Divine #3 (Image): I thought #2 was OK–certainly better than the first one.  It didn’t make me want to call it quits, nor did it leave me inconsolable over the fact that I’d have to wait a month for #3.  Damn thing reeks of arrogance–which suits the godly gang well.  I still think the premise is kinda cool, and I’ve come to have more faith in Gillen thanks to Über; so I’m sticking around.  We’ll see what happens.  (Side note: anyone else seeing similarities between this and Azzarello’s Wonder Woman?  A quick flip through just gave me that vibe.)
The Wicked & The Divine #3

The Wicked & The Divine #3

  • Daredevil #7 (Marvel): The Original Sin tie-in was actually pretty good and included one of the best DD double-page spreads I’ve ever heard.  On to another, more about Matt’s mother–and off to Wakanda.
  • Magneto #8 (Marvel): Re: #7: not my favorite issue.  More a carried note than a new one.  Translation: the pattern that Bunn’s been following stood out more than the story itself.  Hope that doesn’t carry forward.
  • Ms. Marvel #7 (Marvel): I can’t believe I’m saying this: I didn’t care very much for #6.  My secret crush–the marvelous Kamala Khan–was insufferable!  Ugh!  How did endearingly awkward twist to annoyingly annoying so darned quickly?  And my concerns about the change in artist–well, they were well founded.  Wyatt’s work may as well have been lined with metal, too.  I’m not ready to quit Kamala, but I am, quite suddenly, anxious about our next meeting.
  • Armor Hunters: Harbinger #2 (Valiant): The first one didn’t do much for me.  Probably going to ride it out anyway.
  • Black Market #2 (BOOM!): I’ve pretty much hated everything I’ve read from Frank Barbiere–until Black Market #1.  Everything about it worked–especially the end.  Definitely looking forward to my experience with #2–maybe more so than #2 itself.  Is it possible that I’ll like another issue of a Barbiere book?
  • The Delinquents #1 (Valiant): This has the potential of being the best thing ever, you know, with Van Lente and Asmus clinking their heads together like IPA-filled pint glasses.  I couldn’t be hoppier–er, happier about this collaboration.  Add to the toast the oft-amazing Kano, who blew us away with his work on Quantum and Woody #10, and, well, I’m willing to “Wow!” before I even read it!
The Delinquents #1

The Delinquents #1

  • The Last Broadcast #4 (BOOM!/Archaia): We’ve loved the series thus far–and we’ve broadcasted it to all who’d listen.  We made #2 one of our Top 5 Books of June and #3 just missed despite its being maybe even better than #2.  (Yeah, July was a pretty stacked month.  Top 5 to come.)  Very much looking forward to this.
The Last Broadcast #4

The Last Broadcast #4

  • The Life After #2 (Oni Press): Suicide certainly is a touchy subject–made even more so with the recent loss of Robin Williams.  For some, the wound might be too fresh.  For me, however, that wound calloused over a long time ago.  A high school classmate of mine took her life during our junior year; it’s something I’ve never gotten over but have learned to live with.  Fialkov is healing with the help of some famous figures.  I’m willing to follow along.

Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #8 (DC): Avery’s embrace of #7 went viral.  OK, so it wasn’t Ebola; but it certainly infected writer Josh Elder.  Odds are good she’s gonna hug this one, too!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

In Scott’s Bag (7/31)

03 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by in I&N Scott's Bag

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Picked up most of my books at the heavenly Midtown Comics.

  • Batman Incorporated #13 (Read it!  And just like that, it’s over.  Morrison, you quirky bastard, you will be missed.)
  • Adventures of Superman #3 (Read it!  Matt Kindt brings a little Mind MGMT to Metropolis: he crafts a complex narrative–in this case, plagued by some uneven writing–and rides it toward a recognizable Superman story.)
  • Indestructible Hulk #11 (Read it!  Hulk and robot Banner–yup, robot Banner–are unstuck in time.  So it goes.)
  • Uncanny X-Men #9 (Read it!  Enjoyed the…  I liked the, umm…  Well, there was the time when…  OK, I’m going to have to go with the hair-coloring kerfuffle.  Cuckoo, indeed.)
  • FF #10 (Read it!  F—ing Fraction!  No, really: you’ve got to read it to believe it.)
FF #10

FF #10

  • X-Men #3 (Read it!  Seemed to resolve itself far too easily.  But, hey: they “pulled together,” so…  A solid shrug.)
  • Batman Annual #2 (Read it!  Should’ve learned my lesson regarding these darned annuals a long time ago.  But seeing as I bought it and read it: I guess I liked the premise that Batman “ruined” Arkham by filling it with villainous scum.  What I didn’t care for was the stretching out of the story–which was unnecessary in the context of the story itself, clearly, but necessary in the context of filling all those extra pages.  Darned annuals.)
  • Uber #4 (Read it!  Now that’s how it’s done!  Kudos to Kieron Gillen and Caanan White for serving up a solid issue from front to back.  And to think I almost abandoned the war effort after #2!)
  • Bedlam #8 (Read it!  Fully expected it to be a pull-list casualty at this point; but, darn it, throughout the series Spencer’s shown a knack for escalating the plot over the course of an issue, and this issue is a prime example of that knack and its power.  And just like that, I’m down for more.)
Bedlam #8

Bedlam #8

  • Daredevil #29 (Read it!  On its own, a pretty good show.  Unfortunately, it’s not on its own; it both follows and is a follow-up to the near flawless #28.)
  • The Wake #3 (Read it!  OK, now you’ve got my attention, Mr. Snyder!  This is the issue I was waiting for-not just it terms of the series, but in terms of the series’ scribe, as well.  What sucks about it: now I’ve got to wait some more–for #4.)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #24 (Read it!  That’s right: I’m three issue into the TMNT ongoing series.  A more unlikely scenario I can’t imagine!  Thing is, it’s really good.  So, there: I have a good excuse.)
TMNT #24

TMNT #24

  • Animal Man Annual #2 (Read it!  Love the family stuff.  The hero stuff is on the walking side of run-of-the-mill.  That seems to be the flaw in Lemire’s game.  Well, there’s always Trillium, which is due 8/7.  Good to see travel Foreman, by the way.)
  • Collider #1 (Gonna get right to it after I post this darn thing.)
Collider #1

Collider #1

I’m happy to report that I also picked up Hawkeye Vol. 2, so it won’t be long before I’m all caught up!

What did you get in your bag this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s Up?

29 Monday Jul 2013

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Big on the big boys–and, as a result, a pretty big list reads rather small.

  • Adventures of Superman #3 (DC): Kindt on Supes?  Cool.
  • Animal Man Annual #2 (DC): Any time Lemire gets real, things get good.  A focus on the Baker family sounds pretty real–even if “massive, slavering spiders” are involved.
Animal Man Annual #2

Animal Man Annual #2

  • Batman Annual #2 (DC): Oh, yay!  A Zero Year tie-in.
  • Batman Incorporated #13 (DC): So, this is it, eh?  Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Batman Incorporated #13

Batman Incorporated #13

  • Collider #1 (DC/Vertigo): Sounds interesting enough.  By “interesting enough,” I obviously mean that it’s a Vertigo #1.
  • The Wake #3 (DC/Vertigo): Is this where the series finally wakes up?  I sure hope so.  As you know, I’m never in favor of dropping out in the middle of a mini.
The Wake #3

The Wake #3

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #24 (IDW): I fully expected to be off after #23.  Would’ve been, too, except for the fact that I got sucked into the whole Leonardo reprogramming thing.
  • Bedlam #8 (DC): Officially on the chopping block.
  • Daredevil #29 (Marvel): #28 was just grand–dare I say a new classic.  Looks like we’re not done with Matt’s past.  Sweet.
Daredevil #29

Daredevil #29

  • FF #10 (Marvel): Recently tweeted that FF’s my third favorite Marvel book.  No, I wasn’t drinking at the time.  My glass was totally on the desk.  Fresh fact: Matt Fraction is at the top of his game and should be on everyone’s pull list–be it in the form of FF, Hawkeye, or our Book of the Week (7/3) Satellite Sam.
  • Indestructible Hulk #11 (Marvel): Pains me to say it: also on the chopping block.  Unfortunately, the House connection hasn’t played out as I had hoped.
  • Uncanny X-Men #9 (Marvel): I wonder if this issue will go somewhere.
  • X-Men #3 (Marvel): Brian Wood’s brought some X-Men back to the X-Men.
X-Men #3

X-Men #3

  • 3 Guns #1 (BOOM!): Haven’t read 2 Guns.  Wonder if that will make a difference.  Guess I’ll find out soon enough.
  • Uber #4 (Avatar): As I mentioned last month: I’m glad I didn’t give up on it.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott