• The Big Picture
  • Here’s ScottNerd…
  • Here’s DerekNerd…

Images and Nerds

~ We're turning pages–and writing about them!

Images and Nerds

Tag Archives: Terry Moore

I&N Store 8/8

13 Monday Aug 2018

Posted by ScottNerd in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Abstract Studio, aftershock comics, Amazing Spider-Man, berger books, black badge, boom studions, Catwoman, christopher cantwell, clankillers, Dan Slott, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, eternal empire, Fantastic Four, farmhand, hilary jenkins, hot lunch special, Image Comics, Images and Nerds, in demand, Joelle Jones, Jordie Bellaire, Kyle Higgins, Laura Allred, martin morazzo, Matt Kindt, Miroslav Mrva, NCBD, oblivion song, previews, reviews, sandman universe, she could fly, Stephen Mooney, strangers in paradise xxv, Superman, Terry Moore, the dead hand, Tom King, Tyler Jenkins, unnatural

I was on a frame vacation–which is a vacation within a vacation, of course–and didn’t have time to flesh out my previews for 8/8’s books.  So, for you Images and Nerds completists out there, here’s a quick rundown.  This go-round, said rundown will be more re- and less pre- as I’ve read all of our I&N Demand books.

Thanks for your understanding.

  • The Dead Hand #5 (Image): I&N Demand I’m loving this series.  Haven’t heard much buzz about it, but it’s really good.  Kyle Higgins is doing great work here, playing with paranoia, with isolation, with existentialism and with an external existential threat, which, at this point, has found its way into Mountain View, a community essentially built upon a cleverly conceived existential threat of its own–one that wears the face of and, more important, particularly as it pertains to the development of the pervasive danger in the book, exhibits the mental and emotional capacity of a child.  (Parents: hits pretty close to home, no?  Ha!  Another fine twist!)  Stephen Mooney’s artwork, accentuated by Jordie Bellaire’s colors, helps to stretch the tension from panel to panel, page to page, issue to issue.  Sure, the Cold War might be over, but there are bombs still waiting to go off–and a shit ton of them are planted in the pages of The Dead Hand.

dead

  • Eternal Empire #10 (Image)
  • Farmhand #2 (Image)
  • Oblivion Song #6 (Image)
  • Unnatural #2 (Image)
  • She Could Fly #2 (Dark Horse/Berger Books): I&N Demand The first issue was a promise; and with #2, Christopher Cantwell, Martin Morazzo, and Miroslav Mrva delivered on it.  For one, the book moves at a decapitating pace; yeah, the narrative threads–see, they’re piano wire, and the quick cuts’ll leave your head in your hands.  (The cover’s got that covered, yo.)  The madness that fuels the frenzy is manifested meticulously, which may seem contradictory in reflection, but instead makes sense–which, considering the nature of the creator-reader relationship, in the end, makes all the sense in this mad, mad, mad, mad world.  Cool touch: Luna’s barrettes look like devil horns.  You know, once I noticed that, I couldn’t not see it and was like Wow, cool touch.  I even showed my wife.  She said, “Oh, yeah” and then went back to her phone–on Pinterest or Etsy or Instagram or Match or whatever the hell it is she spends so much time on.  She could swipe, that one.  But She Could Fly, if it keeps up this level of storytelling, will touch the fucking sun.

she

  • Catwoman #2 (DC): I&N Demand Joëlle Jones has brought her sexy lines and lots of leather together to give us the solo Catwoman we knew we needed and have desperately wanted, especially since the Tom King proposed the whole Bat-Cat thing.  #1 hit a lot of great notes writing-wise and art-wise.  Some of those notes were echoes of Jones’ terrific Lady Killer, which was, in retrospect, the perfect audition for Catwoman.  This second issue didn’t scratch the same spots as the first, but Jones whipped up a solid issue nevertheless–particularly in the portrayal of Cat’s angst over the big Bat break up and the development of the mystery surrounding Lady Creel’s plan for Selina; and, again, with the lines and the leather–and the Laura Allred’s luscious colors–all of it justification for my objectification of the femme feline–it’s damn easy on the eyes.

STL088823

  • Sandman Universe #1 (DC/Vertigo)
  • Superman #2 (DC)
  • Amazing Spider-Man #3 (Marvel)
  • Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel): I&N Demand The First Family is back!  Well, they’re almost back–and that, kids, is your hook.  But could their return be Doom-ed from the start?  Can’t wait to see what Dan Slott’s got in store for comicdom’s most indispensable four.

STL096763

  • Black Badge #1 (BOOM!): I&N Demand I’m kind of a Kindt junkie, and, logically, following with more figurative language, Black Badge is my next fix–oh, and how satisfying #1 was.  Exploiting the same chemical formula that worked so well in the intoxicatingly agitative Grass Kings–Kindt+Jenkins^2=masterfully mature storytelling and a well-deserved Eisner nom–Black Badge bursts onto the scene like a nostalgia bomb with a perfectly-paced adventure that calls to mind the ubiquitous kidventure movies of the ’80s (Stand by Me and The Explorers were two of my faves) and mirrors those games my friends and I used to play on the farm, as we’d battle imaginary Nazis or Russians a la Where Eagles Dare or Red Dawn.  These kids, however, aren’t playing a game–and neither is the creative team: this is some dark stuff; and like good little scouts, we best be prepared for more.  See: “Nobody can do what [they] can do.  No one can go where [they] can go.”  (Hey! you say?  “They”? Doubled for your pleasure, fair reader!  OK, you got me: mostly for mine.)  For the week, Black Badge #1 is #1 with a bullet drone strike.

black.jpg

  • Clankillers #2 (Aftershock)
  • Hot Lunch Special #1 (Aftershock)
  • Strangers in Paradise XXV #5 (Abstract Studio): I&N Demand Terry Moore’s return to Paradise has been exhilarating, with familiar faces and events unfolding, particularly around Katchoo, at a breakneck pace.  #5 slows things down a bit a lot to offer a history lesson, which is meant to make the mystery lessen a lot a bit, which it does–though not before Moore uses Katchoo–and her big ol’ yawn–to let us know that it’s OK that we got a bit–yeah, a bit–beaten up by Tambi’s walking like an Egyptian through her explanation of the situation that plagues them both.  In the end, however, Katchoo faces defeat her feet and realizes that she’s got to change her attitude–and her longitude–if she’s going to get to the truth.  Another black and white beauty from Mr. Moore.

strange

 

Thanks for reading!

Turning pages,

Scott

 

Advertisements

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s I&N Store (3/11)

11 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abstract Studio, Ales Kot, Ant-Man, Astro City, Avatar, Cullen Bunn, Dan Slott, Dynamite, East of West, Ed Brisson, Fred Van Lente, Garth Ennis, Hellbreak, Image, J. Michael Straczynski, Jason Aaron, John Cassaday, Johnnie Christmas, Jonathan Hickman, Kurt Busiek, Magnus: Robot Fighter, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Mike Allred, Nick Dragotta, Nick Spencer, Ninjak, Oni, Rachel Rising, Sheltered, Sidekick, Silver Surfer, Star Wars, Terry Moore, The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood, The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust, The Surface, Thor, Vertigo, War Stories

A real conversation I overheard in my head:

What are you looking forward to most this week?

Me?  Without a doubt: Thaw.

Oh, wow, OK.  I was expecting you to say something else.  You know, with Kindt and Kot and Slott and whatnot.

Hmm?  I said thaw.  Right?  Thaw.  Especially after all of the ice and snow.

Yeah, no, I know.  Frost giants are bad-ass.  But whoever the hell it is under that helmet is all business.  Girl power, baby!

Thaw.  Not Thor.  Thaw.

That is the question, isn’t it?

No, it isn’t.  You’re just not getting it, are you?

Are you kidding me?  Of course, I am!  I mean, Aaron’s hammering home a relevant point about gender, about identity–it’s almost Shakespearean if you think about it!

Just did.  And, no, it isn’t.

I’m so confused right now.  Doesn’t really sound like you’re really all that interested in Thor.  I mean–I don’t know.

Third base.

 

  • Astro City #21 (DC/Vertigo): This Quarrel-centric arc’s been a drag.  Wondering if Astro City‘s suffering from Busiek’s attention to his excellent–and anthropomorphically-fresh–The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw.
  • East of West #18 (Image) I&N Demand I always look forward to getting lost in Hickman’s fatal vision, particularly now with the increasingly-intriguing boy with the A.I. balloon.  Alas, Babylon: I wish you well on your journey!
East of West #18

East of West #18

  • Sheltered #15 (Image): Wait a sec.  This is the end?  Oh, well.  I guess the volcano’s gonna blow after all.  Kinda glad it’s over.
  • Sidekick #10 (Image): I’ve liked Sidekick a lot.  Hard to imagine I almost quit after the first one!  Oh, and then there was the time I accused J.M.S. of plagiarizing–his own material, for goodness sake!  (In an odd twist, Straczynski employed a plot device in The Twilight Zone [our #10 book of 2014, by the way] that just so happened to be an integral part of fellow shelf-sitter Sidekick.)  All blood under the bridge.  Can’t wait to see how this wraps up.
  • The Surface #1 (Image) Just I&N Ales Kot–love him (Change, Zero) or hate him (Suicide Squad, Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier)–demands attention with his off-beat, oft-rhythmic writing style.  He definitely does “mind-bending” well, so I’m definitely down with discovering what lies beneath The Surface.
The Surface #1

The Surface #1

  • Ant-Man #3 (Marvel) I&N Demand Never in my life–or at least in the last couple of months–did I expect to find myself excited about Ant-Man.  Ant-Man for God’s sake!  It’s mostly promotional material, isn’t it?  And what about Secret Wars?  I mean, is this series gonna get stepped on after #5?  But Spencer’s having a good time and it shows!  (See Darth Vader and Princess Leia for very much the opposite feeling.)  And, then, of course, there’s the promise of the Taskmaster, one of my all-time faves.
Ant-Man #3

Ant-Man #3

  • Silver Surfer #10 (Marvel) I&N Demand Any regular reader–or occasional clicker–worth his power cosmic knows that we love Slott and Allred’s Silver Surfer, our #4 book of 2014.  What you don’t know–no matter your status–is that #8 was a Top 5 Pick of January and #9 was a Top Five Pick of February.  (Yeah, no links.  Sorry: we’re kind of behind.  It happens.  A lot.)  It’s been the perfect balance of humor and huge moments–none huger than the coming of Galactus.
Silver Surfer #10

Silver Surfer #10

  • Star Wars #3 (Marvel): Of the three newly relaunched Star Wars books, this one’s the only one that seems to care.  How much do I care?  Not as much as I had hoped.  We’ll see if this one helps.
  • Thor #6 (Marvel): OK, so I’m intrigued.  Sure, there have been some terrible moments (#5, for example: What is that nonsense between Thor and Titiana?  Is it The Sisterhood of the Traveling Spandex?); but they’ve been generally tempered by the well-developed mystery and the emergence of the Odinson as a superior supporting character.
  • The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood #5 (Dynamite): A decent Twilight Zone-ish story with some literary notes comes to close.
  • Magnus: Robot Fighter #12 (Dynamite): Yet another series comes to a close–a merciful, merciful close.
  • Ninjak #1 (Valiant) I&N Demand Matt Kindt’s proving that Valiant picked the right guy to power up their universe–especially with his latest wave of books (The Valiant, Divinity)  Ninjak promises to be further proof.
Ninjak #1

Ninjak #1

  • Rachel Rising #32 (Abstract Studio): I had this book written off for dead after #29.  #30 found Terry Moore resurrecting everything that made Rachel rise above the rest–and into our Top Ten Books of 2013.  Pretty glad I kept it on my pull list.  Thing is, I know that Moore can slip to less–and that knowledge is going to linger, maybe even spoil.  Rats.
  • The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust #1 (Oni):  If it’s The Sixth Gun, it’s going to find its way into my bag.
  • War Stories #6 (Avatar): Garth Ennis and Tomas Aria are telling the harrowing story of the Children of Israel, and I’m on the edge of my seat to find out how it ends.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s I&N Store (2/11)

10 Tuesday Feb 2015

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Astro City, Avatar, BOOM!, Brides of Helheim, Cullen Bunn, Dan Abnett, Dark Horse, Darth Vader, Divinity, Fred Van Lente, Garth Ennis, Howard Chaykin, I.N.J. Culbard, Image, Jason Aaron, Jason Latour, Joelle Jones, Kieron Gillen, Kurt Busiek, Marvel, Matt Fraction, Matt Kindt, Oni, Rachel Rising, Resurrectionists, Satellite Sam, Southern Bastards, Terry Moore, Thor, Trevor Hairsine, Uber, Valiant, War Stories, Wild's End

Snow what?  I’m definitely digging the blizzard of comics–whether good or bad–in the forecast for my area.

  • Resurrectionists #4 (Dark Horse)
  • Astro City #20 (DC/Vertigo)
  • Satellite Sam #11 (Image): I&N Demand Sam‘s been gone for a while.  Can’t wait to get back into the sordid swing of things.  Hope my guy has it in stocking–I mean, stock.  Gosh.  This cover’s got me Chaykin in my heels.
Satellite Sam #11

Satellite Sam #11

  • Southern Bastards #6 (Image): I&N Demand The shift in the focus of the narrative was surprising, sure.  It’s also been pretty boss.  A punishing tale of persistence that is its own reward.
Southern Bastards #6

Southern Bastards #6

  • All-New X-Men #36 (Marvel)
  • Darth Vader #1 (Marvel)
  • Thor #5 (Marvel)
  • Brides of Helheim #4 (Oni)
  • Divinity #1 (Valiant): Just I&N Matt Kindt’s next Valiant venture.  Sure, I didn’t like Rai very much; I even lost interest in Unity pretty quickly.  But I’m enjoying The Valiant and am curious to see Kindt’s take on Ninjak.  This, however, is the one I’m looking forward to the most.  I certainly wouldn’t mind if Kindt manages to give me another book to love–you know, to eventually fill the massive void that’ll be created as Mind MGMT reaches its inevitable end.
Divinity #1

Divinity #1

  • Magnus: Robot Fighter #11 (Dynamite)
  • Q2: The Return of Quantum and Woody #5 (Valiant)
  • Rachel Rising #31 (Abstract Studio)
  • The Sixth Gun #46 (Oni)
  • Über #22 (Avatar)
  • War Stories #5 (Avatar)
  • Wild’s End #6 (BOOM!): I&N Demand Wild’s End ends here.  How much does that suck!?  The first five issues have been anthropomorphically delicious!  We have been in love with this series–from Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard–since the deceptively simple and surprisingly affective first issue.  (Between you, me, and the scary-ass lamppost: we loved it so much that we named it one of our favorite books of 2014.  No, you haven’t missed anything: we haven’t gotten around to publishing the list yet; but it’s coming soon–I promise.)  If you’ve pretty much missed the train on this one, do yourself a favor and put the trade on your list.  You will not be disappointed.
Wild's End #6

Wild’s End #6

 

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s I&N Store (8/6)

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Aaron Ginsburg, Abstract Studio, Al Ewing, Alan Moore, Alex + Ada, Avatar, Ben Templesmith, Brian Hurtt, Brian Wood, Clone, Cullen Bunn, Daniel Gete, Declan Shalvey, Dry Spell, God Is Dead: The Book of Acts, Greg Rucka, Greg Smallwood, Harbinger: Omegas, IDW, Image, Iron Fist: The Living Weapon, Joe Infunari, Jonathan Luna, Joshua Dysart, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Juan Jose Ryp, Kaare Andrews, Ken Krekeler, Kieron Gillen, Lazarus, Loki, Marvel, Max Brooks, Michael Avon Oeming, Mike Costa, Mike Norton, Miracleman, Moon Knight, Oni Press, Original Sin, Peter Milligan, Piotr Kowalski, Raulo Caceres, Rocket Raccoon, Sarah Vaughn, Si Spurrier, SIP Kids, Skottie Young, Stangers in Paradise, Terminal Hero, Terry Moore, The Bunker, The Extinction Parade, The Sixth Gun, The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead, The Squidder, Uber, Valiant, Warren Ellis

Lots to look forward to this week.

  • The Squidder #2 (IDW): Squids are in the air, and I’d definitely like to draw another breath of ’em as drawn by Ben Templesmith.  The story is familiar, sure, but it’s delivered well enough.
  • Alex + Ada #8 (Image): The series has been a solid read with clean images and fluid artistic transitions that speak as loudly as the words.  It’s an against the odds love story with a dark cloud hanging over it.  Waiting on the storm and worrying about Alex and Ada all along.
Alex + Ada #7

Alex + Ada #7

  • Clone #19 (Image): Continues to be one of the most kinetic comics on the shelf.  Yeah, this book cooks!  #18 offered a couple of Chubby twists that promise a checkered future for all involved.  (Sorry about that.)
  • Lazarus #10 (Image): Re: #15: Circumstances conspire and both Michael and Casey end up in the employ of the Carlyles.  Was there ever any other end?  Nah.  But Innie Award nominee (Best Writer) Greg Rucka and Michael Lark get there so well.  Yet another exercise in excellent storytelling.  Our #7 book of 2013 is well on its way to claiming a spot in the Top Ten of 2014.
Lazarus #10

Lazarus #10

  • Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #5 (Marvel): Re: #5: Some of the best bedroom action I’ve seen in some time.  Talk about getting laid…out.  Yeah, Kaare Andrews pricks up the pace with some passionate paneling–and one of my favorite splash pages, like, ever!  Never has a bottom lip been bitten so beautifully–in a comic book, anyway.  Go Brenda!  Love her line, “Show me some Kung-Fu.”  Throw in an iron fist-full of father-son issues and you’ve got yourself one hell of a book.  If you’re not reading this yet, you should punch yourself in the face.
  • Miracleman #9 (Marvel): Been stockpiling my Miracleman.  Gonna hafta get on that soon–or it might take a miracle to catch up.
  • Moon Knight #6 (Marvel): Warren Ellis may have earned our Biggest Dis(appointment) of June, but it certainly wasn’t for Moon Knight.  He and Declan Shalvey have been producing some excellent vignettes with the multifaceted Marc Spector.  This, sadly, is their last go ’round before giving up creative control to the talented team of Brian Wood (The Massive) and Greg Smallwood (Dream Thief).
Moon Knight #6

Moon Knight #6

  • Original Sin #5.3 (Marvel): Ack!  I missed #5.2.  Forgot I was buying an Original Sin book, you know, because of Loki.  I mean, why else would I be buying an Original Sin book?
  • Rocket Raccoon #2 (Marvel): Ain’t gonna lie: #1 was fun.  Will probably pass, though, despite what Skottie Young is bringing to the prickly procyonid–unless, of course, I don’t pass, which is far more likely.  Ugh!  I have no self control!
  • The Bunker #5 (Oni Press): I liked #4 a lot.  Thought the dialogue and the emotions were very real.  Overall, Fialkov and Infurnari are telling a terrific story with perfect timing.
The Bunker #5

The Bunker #5

  • Dry Spell #2 (Action Labs): It’s been a Dry Spell dry spell since #1 came out in May.  Oh, and, by the way, we loved, loved, loved #1–enough to make it our top book of May.
Dry Spell #2

Dry Spell #2

  • The Extinction Parade: War #2 (Avatar): I’ve enjoyed The Extinction Parade saga a lot more than I thought I would.  (It’s true: I originally started picking it up for my wife–who hasn’t touched it.)  Yes, it’s been “bottomless slaughter,” but it hasn’t been mindless slaughter.  Max Brooks is offering an elevated apocalyptic experience, amplified by undeadly detailed artwork from Raulo Caceres.
  • God Is Dead: The Book of Acts Alpha (Avatar): Si Spurrier–the 2014 Innie Award Winner for Best Writer (Six-Gun Gorilla, Numbercruncher)–brings a little life to God Is Dead with the immortal Alan Moore.  You read that right: Spurrier and Moore.  Safe to say it’s a must buy.
God Is Dead: The Book of Acts Alpha

God Is Dead: The Book of Acts Alpha

  • Harbinger: Omegas #1 (Valiant): Not too sure why this couldn’t have just been Harbinger #26.  Is it rebootalism?  Guess it really doesn’t matter.  Dysart’s been telling a good story with these characters.  They certainly deserve to live on–whatever the title.
  • SIP (Strangers in Paradise) Kids #1 (Abstract Studio): Oh, why not?  Yeah, Rachel Rising has lost a lot of its shine.  But here’s Terry Moore having fun with the characters for whom he’s best known–by turning them into six-year-olds.
  • The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead #1 (Oni Press): Anything The Sixth Gun is going to find its way into my bag.
  • Terminal Hero #1 (Dynamite): Peter Milligan had a nice run on Valiant’s Shadowman.  I’ll try him out here, where he’s teamed up with Sex‘s Piotr Kowalski.
  • Über #16 (Avatar): Über‘s riding quite a high.  Heck, I was close to dropping it around the time the Special came out.  Since then, however, it’s been terrific.  I’d go as far to say it’s Gillen’s best current work–including the wildly hyped The Wicked & The Divine.
Über #16

Über #16

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s I&N Store (6/25)

24 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abstract Studio, Adrian Alphona, Armor Hunters, BOOM!, Brian K. Vaughan, Brian Wood, C.O.W.L., D'Israeli, Danijel Zezelj, Dark Horse, David Lapham, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fiona Staples, G. Willow Wilson, Geoff Johns, Image, Innie Awards, John Romita Jr., Kyle Higgins, La Femme Nikita, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT, Ms. Marvel, Ordinary, Outcast, Peanuts, Peter Milligan, Rachel Rising, Rob Williams, Robert Kirkman, Robert Venditti, Ryan North, Saga, Shadowman: End Times, Star Wars: Rebel Heist, Stray Bullets: Killers, Superman, Terry Moore, The Massive, The Midas Flesh, Titan, Trees, Valiant, Warren Ellis, X-O Manowar

On paper–where else, really–this is easily the best week of books of the year.  (Not hyperbolic.)  Maybe ever.  (Still not.)

We’re looking at three–count ’em: three–Top 5 books from last month.  Seven titles that have been recognized as Top 5 books at some point.  Three titles that earned Top Ten honors for 2013.  Two 2014 Innie Award nominees for Best Ongoing Series, two for Best Writer, and three for Best Artist.  (Totally not!)

Maybe I’ll buy this bunch and then call it quits–you know, quit comics on the highest of notes and start saving some money.  (Duh.)

  • The Massive #24 (Dark Horse): The Massive is on quite a roll!  It’s an epic of biblical proportions, and since February we’ve celebrated it religiously as a Top 5 book!  Here’s why we loved #23.
  • Mind MGMT #23 (Dark Horse): Another book worth celebrating!  Sure, it earned our Biggest Dis(appointment) of April; but Matt Kindt rebounded with a terrific #22, which, you guessed it, bounced back into our Top 5 for May.
Mind MGMT #23

Mind MGMT #23

  • Star Wars: Rebel Heist #3 (Dark Horse): Leia’s turn wasn’t as strong as Han’s, but who expected it to be?  Han’s the man, and Kindt got Carraway-ed as he covered F. Scott Fitzgerald to tell his story.  Leia’s chapter was a bit more La Femme Nikita.  Next up: Chewbacca.  I’m sure Kindt will put him in some sort of hairy position.
  • Superman #32 (DC): Could this be the Superman we’ve been waiting for?  With heavies like Geoff Johns and John Romita, Jr. on board, I’m thinking yes–hoping yes.  I mean, come on: they’ve only got the weight of the DC Universe on their shoulders.
Superman #32

Superman #32

  • C.O.W.L. #2 (Image): #1 was O.K.  If this one isn’t significantly better, I’m O.F.F.
  • Outcast #1 (Image): An ironic title–only because it’ll probably be included in just about every buyer’s bag.  Wondering: will we the buyers be buying this because we’re zombies–keyed on Kirkman and slaves to shiny number ones?
  • Saga #20 (Image): #19 didn’t excite in the way we’ve come to expect from Saga.  Taint a big deal.  Or should that be: A big taint deal.  Or: A big deal taint.  Ah, it’s one of those.  Previews’ preview promises: “Something terrible happens.”  Not to the taint, I hope.
  • Stray Bullets: Killers #4 (Image): #1 set the world on notice: David Lapham and his Bullets are back!  Since, his bullets have strayed a bit, reminding me why I loved #1 so much.  I’d love to love this one:
Stray Bullets: Killers #4

Stray Bullets: Killers #4

  • Trees #2 (Image): Warren Ellis is growing something with Trees.  I want to be there when it blooms–whatever the hell it is.
  • Ms. Marvel #5 (Marvel): #4 ended on a terrific note.  I mean, who wears an “Ima Bad Guy” tank top?  The bad guy, of course!  Can’t wait to see how things play out.  And, yes, I’m willing to admit it: I love Kamala Khan! (Don’t tell my wife.)
  • The Midas Flesh #7 (BOOM!): The series started off with such promise, didn’t it. Ryan North seemed to lose his way with the ethical dilemmas at the heart of the book. The narrative ground to a near halt with redundant, drawn out dialogue that read less like gold and more like lead.
  • Ordinary #2 (Titan): Wouldn’t you know: Ordinary #1 proved to be extraordinary–and earned a spot in our Top 5 for May.  Hoping with all my heart that #2 doesn’t choke on the promise that Rob Williams made with his initial offering. If you enjoyed Montynero’s Death Sentence, also from Titan, you’ll definitely dig this.
Ordinary #2

Ordinary #2

  • Rachel Rising #26 (Abstract Studio): Terry Moore cast a spell on us last year–one that influenced us to include his American horror story in our Top Ten of 2013. Since then, however, the spell has worn off, specifically after the last two issues, which have been, well, not good.
  • Shadowman: End Times #3 (Valiant): The end. The end.
  • X-O Manowar #26 (Valiant): Armor Hunters is in full effect!

Avery’s Pick of the Week:

  • Peanuts #19 (BOOM!): Avery loves her some Snoopy!  Don’t we all?
Peanuts #19

Peanuts #19

What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

The 2014 ‘Innie’ Awards!

05 Monday May 2014

Posted by dmaxwell in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Abstract Studio, Afterlife With Archie, Archie, Austin Harrison, BOOM!, Brian K. Vaughan, Dark Horse, Dave Stewart, Dean Motter, Ed Brubaker, Eisner Awards, Fatale, Fiona Staples, Francesco Francavilla, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Greg Rucka, Harvey Awards, IDW, Image, Jeff Stokely, Jordie Bellaire, Jose Villarrubia, Laura Allred, Lazarus, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Michael Lark, Mike Raicht, Mind MGMT, Mister X, Mister X: Eviction, Nelson Daniel, Numbercruncher, PJ Holden, Rachel Rising, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, Saga, Sean Phillips, Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla, Terry Moore, Titan, Wild Blue Yonder, Zach Howard

The recent announcement of the 2014 Eisner Award nominees have occasioned much debate here at the I&N offices (located in a snug chateau high in the Swiss Alps). Needless to say we were filled with outrage! (And by ‘outrage’ I mean ‘mild disagreement’.) The choices for nominees did not exactly match our own! The temerity! This would not stand! And so, we here at I&N proudly present: the Innies!

What does ‘Innies’ stand for? Well other than an attempt at shameless self-branding, it stands for ‘independence’! Being ‘in’ the know! Part of the ‘in’ crowd! And possessing the non-freaky type of belly button.

Since we don’t have the big-time budget of the fancy-pants Eisners, we’ve limited ourselves to six categories (sorry Letterers of Archival Collections of Anthologies for Early Readers!)

If the Eisners are the Oscars, and the Harveys are the Golden Globes, then we’re the Independent Spirits! (or at least the Ace Awards)

Without further adieu:

Best Limited Series:

  • Fury: My War Gone By, by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov (Marvel/Max)
  • Mister X: Eviction, by Dean Motter (Dark Horse)
  • Numbercruncher, by Simon Spurrier and PJ Holden (Titan)
  • Six-Gun Gorilla, by Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely (BOOM!)
  • Wild Blue Yonder, by Zach Howard, Mike Raicht, Nelson Daniel, and Austin Harrison (IDW)

Best Ongoing Series:

  • Afterlife with Archie, by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla (Archie)
  • Fatale, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
  • Lazarus, by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (Image)
  • Mind MGMT, by Matt Kindt (Dark Horse)
  • Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best Writer:

  • Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT (Dark Horse)
  • Dean Motter, Mister X (Dark Horse)
  • Greg Rucka, Lazarus (Image)
  • Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla (BOOM!), Numbercruncher (Titan)
  • Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)

Best Artist:

  • Francesco Francavilla, Afterlife with Archie (Archie)
  • Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT (Dark Horse)
  • Terry Moore, Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio)
  • Dean Motter, Mister X (Dark Horse)
  • Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)

Best Colorist:

  • Laura Allred
  • Jordie Bellaire
  • Francesco Francavilla
  • Dave Stewart
  • Jose Villarrubia

Best Comic Book Related Website Run By Two High-School Teachers In Their Spare Time In The Greater NY Area: 

  • Images and Nerds

Now it’s your turn. Who did we miss?

Let the internet shouting begin!

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s I&N Store (4/30)

29 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abstract Studio, All-New X-Men, Avatar, Batman Eternal, Bilquis Evely, Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Roberson, comics, Dan Slott, DC Comics, Doc Savage, Dynamite Entertainment, Hulk, Image, Jason Aaron, Jason Fabok, Kieron Gillen, Mark Waid, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Mike Allred, Peter Milligan, Rachel Rising, Rai, Scott Snyder, Shadowman: End Times, Silver Surfer, Southern Bastards, Terry Moore, Uber, Valiant

A seriously light week.  Thank God.

  • Batman Eternal #4 (DC): Your eyes are not deceiving you: I’m still on board!  #3 offered up enough to keep me interested.  I only wish I knew who is responsible for the parts I like…
  • Southern Bastards #1 (Image): I’m willing to give this a shot because I liked what Jason Aaron did on Wolverine and the X-Men–until the AvX crossover nonsense.  Haven’t read Scalped, but, like you, I’ve heard good things.
Southern Bastards #1

Southern Bastards #1

  • All-New X-Men #26 (Marvel): I skipped #25.  I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss anything.
  • Hulk #2 (Marvel): I actually passed on #1 the week it came out.  Picked it up last week, however, because Derek recommended it.  Good call.  Waid is always worth a shot; and in this case his new direction for Dr. Banner read a lot like Busiek’s Astro City, with the focus on the surgeon and his ethical dilemma.
  • Silver Surfer #2 (Marvel): We loved Silver Surfer #1!  In fact, we celebrated it as our #5 book of March!
Silver Surfer #2

Silver Surfer #2

  • Doc Savage #5 (Dynamite): I’ve finally caught up–meaning: I read the first four over the weekend.  I’m glad I piled them up without having read one; this is pretty good stuff!  Also reads a bit like Astro City.  And that ain’t a bad thing.
  • Rachel Rising #25 (Abstract Studio): One of our favorite series took quite a step back with #24.  It was such a significant step in the wrong direction that we called it our Biggest Dis(appointment) of March.  You know we’re hoping for a comeback–for Terry Moore to rise to the level we’ve come to love.
Rachel Rising #25

Rachel Rising #25

  • Rai #1 (Valiant): Matt Kindt kicks off another Valiant title: the return of Rai!  OK, so, I don’t know anything about Rai; but I know from Kindt, and I dig ‘im lots.  Not that Unity’s been great or anything.  Mind MGMT, however, has earned Kindt lifetime Must Try status.
  • Uber #12 (Avatar): Still waiting for #11, which, sadly, wasn’t in my bag last week.
  • Shadowman: End Times #1 (Valiant): The series ended abruptly, only to launch into this mini, which will end it…less…abruptly?
Shadowman: End TImes #1

Shadowman: End Times #1

Avery’s Pick:

  • Scribblenauts: Crisis of Imagination #4 (DC): Oh, boy!  Avery’s been waiting for this one, you know, to see how the series ends.  Or to have another comic that she can tear the cover off of.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

I&N’s Top Ten of 2013

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in Uncategorized

≈ 27 Comments

Tags

Abstract Studio, Adventure Time, Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake, Afterlife With Archie, Ales Kot, Archer & Armstrong, Archie, Austin Harrison, Bad Houses, Bandette, Battlefields, BOOM!, Brian K. Vaughan, Buzzkill, Clone, Daredevil, Dark Horse, Dark Horse Presents, DC, Dean Motter, Deathmatch, Dial H, Dynamite, Fiona Staples, Fred Van Lente, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Greg Rucka, Harold Gray, IDW, Image, Jeff Stokely, kaboom!, Lazarus, Manifest Destiny, Marvel, Mateus Santolouco, Matt Kindt, Michael Lark, Michael Walsh, Mike Raicht, Mind MGMT, Mind the Gap, Mister X: Eviction, Mister X: Hard Candy, Morgan Jeske, Nelson Daniel, Numbercruncher, Oni, Rachel Rising, Sabretooth Swordsman, Saga, Satellite Sam, Seth, Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla, Star Wars, Terminator, Terry Moore, the Hernandez Bros, The Massive, The Sixth Gun, The Spirit, Thumbprint, Titan, Tradd Moore, Trillium, Valiant, Vertigo, Wild Blue Yonder, Will Eisner, Winsor McCay, Zach Howard, zero

Welcome to the 46th Annual I&N’s Top Ten Comics of the Year (aka “The Innies”)! Why it seems like just yesterday that a struggling little mag named “The Amazing Spider-Man” edged out “The Adventures of Jerry Lewis” for the top spot on our hallowed list, signaling the spectacular rise of one and the slow descent into obscurity of the other.

Each title below is testament to the fact that, even as conventional wisdom holds that print is dying, comics are in the midst of some kind of Renaissance. The persistent stereotype that this vibrant, global medium is followed by sad, middle-aged men who like to see men in tights beat each other up simply doesn’t hold water anymore, nor has it for quite some time. The fact is, the problem is no longer a lack of diversity in incredible material for any and all possible demographics; it’s that there’s too much of it to keep track of! No less than seven publishers are represented in our Top Ten, each producing catalogues of more great work than we could ever hope to encompass in our tiny alloted piece of the internet. (You’ll note we even had to expand our “Honorable Mentions” section to ten books apiece – and we could’ve used ten more!) Simply put: everyone should be reading comics.

As always, we here at I&N welcome debate – hell, that’s the whole point. Just be aware that results below have already been encrypted onto floppy discs and blasted into space for the benefit of our future alien overlords. (DM)

The List!

10. Archer & Armstrong (Valiant): When Valiant, earlier this year, began hyping up their new title Quantum and Woody as their foray into buddy-action slapstick comedy, I wanted to yell “Wait! They’ve already GOT one of those!” But Archer & Armstrong is much more than that. Fred Van Lente and Co. have taken the best of Lethal Weapon, The X-Files, ancient Sumerian mythology, Dan Brown-type conspiracy novels, Dr. Strangelove, and god knows what else, and concocted a world-spanning epic that despite its breakneck pace and impeccable comic timing, manages an intellectual underpinning that questions the very nature and origins of faith. Even at its most gleefully satirical, however, the sheer exuberance of the writing embraces an expansive view of humanity, in all its wonders and frailties. Fun in a bottle, folks. (DM)

Archer & Armstrong

9. Fury: My War Gone By (Marvel): Garth Ennis proves he’s one of the most incisive writers around (not just in comics) on the subject of war. His deconstruction of the Marvel soldier/spy icon (lately supercool due to Samuel Jackson’s sleek big screen portrayal) is the least of this title’s attributes (which is on our Top Ten for the second year running). Ennis’ story (rendered with appropriate, unblinking grit by Goran Parlov) also serves as an insider’s account through the anguished  litany of armed conflict of the second half of the 20th century. Most devastatingly, it portrays the effects of war, not on the nameless many whose lives are needlessly cut short, but on the wretched perpetrators who survive. Merciless and shattering. (DM)

Fury: My War Gone By

8. Zero (Image): Ales Kot, the enigmatic engineer behind the challenging Change (Image), a mostly on-time bullet train of thought fueled by a combustible blend of poetry and pictures, has heroically hit the brakes on the overplayed and over-parodied secret agent genre, expertly taking it from 007 to Zero in no time flat. He’s applied the same amount of poetic pressure here, but to a more successful–and coherent–end storytelling-wise: the danger is palpable, the emotion undeniable–thanks, in part, to the rather complex collaborative effort that has called for four different artists on the first four issues of the series–a move that has transcended gimmick and, instead, has proven invaluable, if only because the first four artists have been Michael Walsh (Comeback), Tradd Moore (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode), Mateus Santolouco (Dial H, TMNT), and Morgan Jeske (Change). My experience thus far: #1 hooked me with its perfect timing and left me lying in the gutter; #2 knocked me upside-down; #3 disarmed me; and #4 made me love it–made me punch-drunk love it, damn it! What makes the book even more exciting? It defies expectations. I expect that it’ll continue defying expectations as we move into 2014. And, in that, I expect Zero to be just as good as it’s been–if not infinitely better because we’re getting the best of Kot, who’s clearly giving us everything he’s got. (SC)

Zero #4

Zero

7. Lazarus (Image): Greg Rucka’s vision of a near-future oligarchic dystopia gets under your skin because, in the tradition of Huxley and Orwell, it seems an all-too-plausible extrapolation of our current reality. The story is made even more unsettlingly concrete by Michael Lark’s stark, photorealistic visuals. Contrast the plight of the teeming masses with the power-hungry family dynamic of the ultra-privileged few, and you have a potent, volatile mix. A comic for our times. (DM)

Lazarus #2

Lazarus

6. Wild Blue Yonder (IDW): Sure, it’s only three issues in, but what a three-issue ride it’s been!  We’ve celebrated this action-packed series from its radar-arousing takeoff, with each high-speed pass earning enviable I&N accolades along the way.  (Check out the love here, here, and here.)  Top Gunners Mike Raicht, Zach Howard, Nelson Daniel, and Austin Harrison have come together in classic diamond formation to deliver one superior salvo after another, each on its own–and as a whole–a blockbuster that would humble Hollywood’s own best of 2013. (SC)

Wild Blue Yonder

Wild Blue Yonder

5. Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio): Terry Moore presents a truly American horror story: witches, serial killers, and a resurrected figure of biblical origins seeking vengeance for the sins of our nation’s past. Oh yeah, and the Devil. Moore draws you in with the quiet beauty of his artwork; his snow-covered renditions of the sleepy town of Manson enveloping you like a down blanket in front of a fireplace, before the sharp spasms of bloodletting shock you right back into his nightmare. However terrible the events depicted though, Moore seems to suggest they pale against the cruelties of history. Speaking of cruelties, let’s hope a purported television adaptation staves off recent talk of this book’s imminent demise. Because the real horror story would be a world without Rachel Rising. (DM)

Rachel Rising

4. Saga (Image): Saga is a lot of things: a superlative satire, a side-splitting sci-fi romp, a heart-wrenching romance, a critique of fiction, a controversy magnet; but most of all, it’s extraordinarily consistent; and it’s that consistency that fosters a critical expectation: to expect the unexpected.  On a monthly basis, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples serve up sublime slices of a greater story–slices that showcase razor sharp dialogue, that pitch perfect pathos, that sell sure shocks; they wisely fool with the elements of fiction and, like confident alchemists, have come up with issue after issue of 22-page gold–and we’re all the richer for it. (SC)

Saga

Saga

3. Six-Gun Gorilla (BOOM!): In the biggest surprise of the year, Si Spurrier conducts a multi-layered masterclass in metaficiton and at the same time delivers a eulogy on the dying art of escapism.  From the existential exposition of this weird, weird western to its necessarily hopeful final act, Spurrier’s imaginative muse–the Six-Gun Gorilla, himself–becomes Blue’s, and then naturally becomes ours as we consent to the writer’s every insistence; as we gladly lose ourselves in this genre-bending–and never-ending–battle between reality and fiction, good and evil, and fate and freewill, which is brought to life by rising star Jeff Stokely, whose artwork crucially complements the conflicts at the core of the story.  At the same time a celebration of a culture’s vital literary legacy and a criticism of the current collective unconscious, Six-Gun Gorilla has earned its spot in the Western Canon of Comics–and our Top Ten–with a simple but oft-neglected gesture: by making and keeping a primal promise. (SC)

Six-Gun Gorilla #2

Six-Gun Gorilla

2. Mind MGMT (Dark Horse): Matt Kindt’s magical mystery tour de force Mind MGMT—our #3 book of 2012–continues to astound, especially as its crafty creator meticulously molds the medium to suit his carefully constructed conspiratorial agenda.  As the story of the eponymous enigmatic entity has evolved, so too has Kindt’s strategy for telling it: his precise, patient prose; his layouts, enlivened by some otherworldly calculus; and his innovative brushstrokes of genius merge miraculously and challenge us to think and to feel, to be active participants in the world in which we’ve been immersed: to put beautifully painted pieces together in order to experience–along with the impressive cast of characters–confusion and loss, the conflation of time, and a higher power drawing us somewhere unprecedented in breadth and scope–drawing us in to the mind of the medium’s finest manager. (SC)

Mind MGMT #13

Mind MGMT

1. Mister X (Dark Horse): There are many approaches to creating great comics. One of them is largely collaborative, in which the creative duties are are separated and clearly defined (writer, artist, colorist, letterer, etc). Through an amalgam of traditional, action-based American comics and the more leisurely paced, lushly visual influence of manga, this approach has evolved over the last twenty years or so into what could be called a “cinematic” style; a treatment of the comic book form that seems based in the ethos of filmmaking (Lazarus, above, is an excellent example of this). Then there is another approach (let us call it the “auteur’s” approach) in which the cartoonist (let us rescue this title from the cultural dung-heap) assumes all of the above creative responsibilities to produce narratives that are singular and personal in a way that no other visual medium, not even movies, can replicate. Since they control all aspects of the work – not just writing and drawing, but page design, panel lay-out, font style and placement and all sorts of graphic elements; in short the whole package – they can, at their best, perfectly marry content and form in a manner that is unique to the comics medium. It is an approach with a history that extends at least back to Will Eisner and The Spirit. Perhaps because it takes such a concerted effort by a single individual, this type of formal, experimental approach is most often seen in the realm of the “graphic novel”. Rarely is it employed in our beloved, stapled floppies (though glimmers of hope have begun to appear on the comic racks: see Matt Kindt, above and below). And then there is Mister X. Created by Dean Motter in the early 1980’s, (when “graphic novels” barely existed as an idea) the title has long been a touchstone among independent-minded cartoonists (early contributors include the Hernandez Bros and Seth). In its latest iterations, Hard Candy and Eviction, Motter continues to seamlessly wed both approaches: there is the clear stylistic influence of German Expressionism and film noir for which the comic is known, but there are also the aforementioned design choices that reflect the themes of the narrative itself. The story involves the mysterious architect of a city in which the very buildings (in all their art deco glory) seem to respond to, and adversely influence, the psyches of its very inhabitants. This theme, played out in yarns that are at once hard-boiled, surreal and whimsical, acts as a fitting metaphor for the experience of the reader, as they interact with the “architecture” of Motter’s intricate design. Further, Motter includes delightful homages to the likes of Harold Gray (“Little Urchin Andy”), Winsor McCay (“Dream of the Robot Friend”) and the aforementioned Eisner (see cover below) which pay tribute to the comics history of which Mister X is a part, while, again, also making sense within the story itself. The overall effect is immersive and beguiling. Some comics tell great stories. Some comics celebrate their history. Some comics continue to push at the boundaries of the medium. And then there is Mister X. Book Of the Year. (DM)

Mister X:Eviction

Derek’s Honorable Mentions: 20. Dial H (DC) 19.  Afterlife with Archie (Archie) 18. Manifest Destiny (Image) 17. Thumbprint (IDW) 16. The Massive (Dark Horse) 15. Battlefields (Dynamite) 14. Adventure Time (kaboom!) 13. Numbercruncher (Titan) 12. Trillium (DC/Vertigo) 11. Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake (kaboom!)

Scott’s Honorable Mentions:

20. Battlefields (Dynamite) 19. Daredevil (Marvel) 18. The Sixth Gun (Oni) 17. Deathmatch (BOOM!) 16. Satellite Sam (Image) 15. Clone (Image) 14. Numbercruncher (Titan) 13. Mind the Gap (Image) 12. The Massive (Dark Horse) 11. Trillium (DC/Vertigo)

Best Single Issue of the Year: Mind MGMT #17 (Dark Horse)

With #17, Kindt reaches new heights, goes to greater lengths–particularly in page-busting panels of crisply-crafted and concurrent continuous narratives–to exploit the power of the medium.   As promised by the clever cover–one awash in paranoia and paronomasia–the story moves at a breakneck pace: from a locked and loaded unhappy Home Maker to a veritable orgy of violent rivers running toward a simultaneous orgasm of double-page splashes–there goes the neighborhood, indeed!–to a crack shot Meru, who, with a twist of Lyme, is ready to take the reins and restore reason to the world one agent at a time.  The whole damn thing’s a miracle, really.  Hell, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kindt could turn his watercolors to wine; his work is that divine. (SC)

Mind MGMT #17

Mind MGMT #17

Publisher of the Year: Most comics-related outfits have finally caught onto Image Comics‘ trend-setting ways and already bestowed this honor upon them (no doubt, in no small part, due to our ahead-of-the-curve naming them Publisher of the Year in 2012 😉 And with stellar debuts like Lazarus and Zero (not to mention books like Manifest Destiny and Rat Queens) the accolades are hard to dispute. But let us do just that (contrary bastards that we are). Because 2013 was the year that a bevy of other publishers took a page from Image’s playbook and produced work, much of it creator-owned, that was just as innovative, idiosyncratic, and invigorating as Image’s output. BOOM!, IDW, Oni, Dyanmite – all produced titles of creativity, breadth and distinction. But there was one publisher that rose unexpectedly, like its namesake, above the rest: Dark Horse. While never taking their eye off their bread-and-butter licensed properties (like Star Wars and Terminator) Dark Horse branched out into new territory with exciting minis from largely unknown creators (Buzzkill), original graphic novels (Bad Houses), and printed versions of high quality digital comics (Bandette, Sabretooth Swordsman). And let’s face it, Dark Horse has been doing the creator-owned, independent thing for over twenty years, as evidenced by the revival of the premiere comics anthology, Dark Horse Presents. So while Image is the current industry darling (and deservedly so), we can’t ignore the evidence of our comic-lovin’ eyes: the best overall books of 2013 (including our Top Two titles) were published by Dark Horse Comics. (DM)

Looking forward to 2014,

Scott & Derek

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s I&N Store (12/31)

30 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Becky Cloonan, Clone, Dark Horse, David Schulner, Dead Boy Detectives, Death Sentence, Gary Erskine, Gerard Way, Image, Jonathan Hickman, Jordie Bellaire, Joseph Michael Linsner, Juan Jose Ryp, Mark Buckingham, Michael Dowling, Montynero, Nick Pitarra, Rachel Rising, Rocket Girl, Sin Boldly, Terry Moore, The Manhattan Projects, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, Toby Litt, Vertigo

Gonna ring in the New Year with this rowdy bunch:

  • The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #6 (Dark Horse): Polishes off the weirdly sedate series from Gerard Way and Becky Cloonan.
  • Dead Boy Detectives #1 (DC/Vertigo): “From the pages of The Sandman” is enough for me.
  • Clone #13 (Image): Plenty of creators–even some on critically acclaimed books–should do themselves a favor and clone the pacing and page turns of this exciting series.
Clone #13

Clone #13

  • The Manhattan Projects #17 (Image): Still Hickman’s best.
  • Rocket Girl #3 (Image): #2 was pretty good, but I’m not too sure I need stick with it.  I’ll give it another go before I say no, though.
  • Sin Boldly (Image): Joe Linsner disappointed with his most recent effort and didn’t help matters with his issue-ending, ill-advised rant.  Surprised it didn’t dawn on him: the only characters who should be assassinated in a comic book are comic book characters.
  • Death Sentence #4 (Titan): Irresistibly irreverent, indecent, incorrigible–it’s rock ‘n roll, baby; you know: live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse, and all that.  Oh, and it’s also very, very good.
Death Sentence #4

Death Sentence #4

  • Rachel Rising #22 (Abstract Studio): Easily one of our favorite titles of 2013.  Can’t wait to see how Jet/James takes to her/his latest predicament–and how Terry Moore delivers it.

What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s I&N Store (11/20)

20 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

A Voice in the Dark, Abstract Studio, Afterlife With Archie, Ales Kot, Amanda Conner, Archie, Batman and Two-Face, BOOM!, Brain Boy, Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Wood, Buzzkill, Cary Nord, Chip Zdarsky, Chris Bachalo, Chris Samnee, Clone, Daredevil, Dark Horse, Darwyn Cooke, David Lopez, David Schulner, DC Comics, Donny Cates, Ed Brisson, Eternal Warrior, Francesco Francavilla, Fred Van Lente, Greg Pak, Harley Quinn, Image, Imagine Agents, Javier Rodriguez, Johnnie Christmas, Jordie Bellaire, Juan Jose Ryp, Larime Taylor, Marvel, Matt Fraction, Morgan Jeske, Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi, R.B. Silva, Rachel Rising, Robert Venditti, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, Scott Snyder, Sean Murphy, Sex Criminals, Sheltered, Terry Moore, The Wake, Trevor Hairsine, Uncanny X-Men, Valiant, Vertigo, X-Men, X-O Manowar, zero

Something for everyone!

  • Brain Boy #3 (Dark Horse): Kind of glad it’s over.  Of late, I’ve been high on anything Fred Van Lente (Archer & Armstrong, The Mocking Dead), but this has been rather underwhelming.  The art from R.B. Silva, however, has been brain blowing!
  • Buzzkill #3 (Dark Horse): A sniper of a first issue, followed up by an even sharper second shot.  Here’s to hopin’ Cates et al don’t kill the buzz–cuz we know what happens all too often to minis that rely on clever premises: Can you say Colder?  How ’bout Dream Thief?
  • Batman and Two-Face #25 (DC): #24 started off a little rough for me.  Then came the moment Dent became Two-Face.  Wow.  Peter J. Tomasi’s got a knack–a Knight knack not seen in the big Batbook.  He and his book deserve more credit and attention for what he and it are accomplishing here in the rather unforgiving confines of the New 52.
Batman and Two-Face #25

Batman and Two-Face #25

  • Harley Quinn #0 (DC): I love Harley.  Not so sure I’m going to love this.  Will too many artists spoil the birth of this series?  We’ll see.  Heh.
  • The Wake #5 (DC/Vertigo): Wake me when it’s over.
  • A Voice in the Dark #1 (Image): I’m not familiar with Larime Taylor, but I am intrigued by the premise.  Oh, and it’s an Image #1, so…  Not that that’s any sort of guarantee: see Umbral.  Ugh.
  • Clone #12 (Image): #11 was, perhaps, the best issue yet.  It’s a high energy read that’s expertly crafted: from the ridiculously detailed art to the danger drummed up in the dialogue.  An absolute clinic in the power of the page turn.
Clone #11

Clone #12

  • Sex Criminals #3 (Image): Expect another Fraction-packed issue!  Fantasizing: in the end, will this series prove to be no more than an experiment in creative masturbation, or will it all come together into something far more satisfying?  Either way, I’m open for to another session.
  • Sheltered #5 (Image): Doggone it!  Now, that’s the way to end a comic book!  With #4, Ed Brisson bared his teeth and the series’ soul.  Sure, there’s long-term concern; but in the short term, this hard-hitter comes with high expectations.
  • Zero #3 (Image): Ales Kot has found his playground.  #2 was brilliant.  There is a 0% chance of my missing this one.
Zero #3

Zero #3

  • Daredevil #33 (Marvel): A monster #32 was overshadowed by the horrifying news of the imminent demise of this remarkable run of Daredevil.  I’m not sure that I’m down with the daring jump to digital only.  Makes me super sad, especially since it’s this run–starting with #1–that brought me back to comics after too many years away.  Who knew they’d be wrapping it up so soon?
Daredevil #33

Daredevil #33

  • Uncanny X-Men #14 (Marvel): I long to be an ex-X-reader.  Seriously.  In fact, I really thought Battle of the Atom would be enough to drive me away for good.  Thing is, I’m buying into Bendis’s Cyclops.  And Bachalo’s awesome.  Oh, and…
  • X-Men #7 (Marvel): After a terrible #6 (a BotA tie-in, of course), I swore up and down that I was out.  But Brian Wood’s so good–well, at writing comics, anyway.
  • Eternal Warrior #3 (Valiant): So far, so good.  Greg Pak is keeping my interest by keeping things above sword.
  • Imagine Agents #2 (BOOM!): I haven’t read #1 yet.  Gonna grab this, you know, just in case.  Heck: Derek liked it!  Usually, that’s good enough for me!
  • Rachel Rising #21 (Abstract Studio): #20 was filled with Moore amazing moments–a masterful mix of horror and humor.  Loved the first two pages with the serpentine smoke, snaking from panel to panel.  Speaking of snakes…
Rachel Rising #20

Rachel Rising #21

  • X-O Manowar #19 (Valiant): Has really taken off of late.  Ironic, eh?  You know, because they’ve finally returned to Earth and…  Oh, you know.
  • Afterlife with Archie #2 (Archie): You know you loved #1.  And if you didn’t, it’s only because you didn’t read it.  Great storytelling from Roberto Aguirre Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla.  That’s right: get you some Archie!

What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

The Nerds

  • dmaxwell
  • ScottNerd

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,150 other followers

An Amazing Comic Shop

Wiggle Room

It's just the beginning...

Tag Salad!

Ales Kot All-New X-Men Animal Man Archer & Armstrong Avatar Batman Batwoman Bloodshot BOOM! Brian Azzarello Brian K. Vaughan Brian Michael Bendis Brian Wood China Mieville Chris Bachalo Chris Samnee Clone comics Cullen Bunn Daredevil Dark Horse DC DC Comics Dial H Dynamite Dynamite Entertainment Ed Brubaker Fatale Fiona Staples Fred Van Lente Garth Ennis Goran Parlov Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Harbinger IDW Image Image Comics J.H. Williams III J. Michael Straczynski Jason Aaron Jeff Lemire Jonathan Hickman Jordie Bellaire Joshua Dysart Kevin Eastman Kieron Gillen Kurt Busiek Lazarus Mark Waid Marvel Matt Fraction Matt Kindt Mike Allred Mind MGMT Nick Spencer Oni Press Rachel Rising Robert Venditti Saga Scott Snyder Sean Phillips Swamp Thing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Terry Moore The Massive Titan Uber Ultimate Spider-Man Uncanny X-Men Valiant Vertigo Wonder Woman X-O Manowar zero

Archives

  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • August 2017
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012

Features

  • 22 I&N 22
  • 5 Comics You Should Be Reading
  • Back and Forth
  • Derekommendations
  • I&N Print
  • I&N Review
  • I&N Scott's Bag
  • I&N Store
  • I&N the Gutter…
  • I&N's Top Ten
  • I&Nsight
  • I&Nterview
  • Innie Awards
  • Microviews
  • Scottlight on…
  • Superhero Friday!
  • Top 5 Books of the Month
  • Uncategorized
  • What's I&N Store?

Recent Posts

  • I&N Store 11/7
  • I&N Store 10/31
  • I&N Store 10/24
  • I&N Store 10/17
  • I&N Store 10/10
Advertisements

Real Nerdy Stuff

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.com

Twitter Updates

  • I just backed Death Sentence Liberty #2 (and #1) on @Kickstarter kickstarter.com/projects/14351… 2 months ago
Follow @imagesandnerds

Top 3 Posts & Pages

  • I&N Store 11/7

Finders Keepers

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: