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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #71
The Bacchus makes up for any other possible deficiencies this issue. Campbell (and Bacchus) retell the story of the Minotaur and it’s simply wonderful. I’m not sure it’s historically accurate, though I don’t know. I’ve never read such an in-depth Minotaur story. The other two stories aren’t bad, but they really don’t even come close… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #70
I didn’t know it was possible for me to care about Paleolove and I’m not entirely sure I really do. But I am mad at Davis for the way he ends this story. It seems like the last Paleolove (yay!) but he kills off a side character in the exposition and it’s a really weak… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #69
The Predator story keeps getting worse (it turns out it’s just a prologue to some limited series, I love it when Dark Horse uses Presents to advertise their licensed properties). Given Raskin’s worsening artwork and Stradley’s bad writing–he uses a government report as the narrative exposition, he’s used similar devices in the past successfully… here… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #68
The Predator story continues and its problems become real clear. Stradley’s trying to take a “real” approach to certain elements–gang members, serial killers–and it just comes off as silly with the Predator running around. Raskin’s art suggests he’s unprepared for such a big assignment (and Wiacek seems to have been brought in to correct things… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 72 (April 1993)
What a disaster. Madwoman is probably the best entry overall and even it’s pretty weak. Moebius is drawing a melodrama–it’s a soap opera and not a visually interesting one. Once the talking heads section passes, there’s some nice design at least. He’s always capable, but it’s sort of pointless. Jordorowsky has one rather excellent scene,… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 71 (March 1993)
The Bacchus makes up for any other possible deficiencies this issue. Campbell (and Bacchus) retell the story of the Minotaur and it’s simply wonderful. I’m not sure it’s historically accurate, though I don’t know. I’ve never read such an in-depth Minotaur story. The other two stories aren’t bad, but they really don’t even come close… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 70 (February 1993)
I didn’t know it was possible for me to care about Paleolove and I’m not entirely sure I really do. But I am mad at Davis for the way he ends this story. It seems like the last Paleolove (yay!) but he kills off a side character in the exposition and it’s a really weak… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 69 (February 1993)
The Predator story keeps getting worse (it turns out it’s just a prologue to some limited series, I love it when Dark Horse uses Presents to advertise their licensed properties). Given Raskin’s worsening artwork and Stradley’s bad writing–he uses a government report as the narrative exposition, he’s used similar devices in the past successfully… here… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 68 (December 1992)
The Predator story continues and its problems become real clear. Stradley’s trying to take a “real” approach to certain elements–gang members, serial killers–and it just comes off as silly with the Predator running around. Raskin’s art suggests he’s unprepared for such a big assignment (and Wiacek seems to have been brought in to correct things… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #67
The issue opens with an idiotic story about an annoying character called Zoo-Lou. Hedden and McWeeney usually do great work. The art here’s excellent, but the writing is an absolute nightmare. Dark Horse really loves poking fun at themselves… and usually it comes out awful, like Zoo-Lou. An Accidental Death comes to its conclusion here.… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist (2007) #21
This issue might be Swierczynski’s best. It’s one of the done in one other Iron Fist issues and Swierczynski does something a little different. He does a future story. It really nicely fits the mythology Brubaker and Fraction established, while some descendant of Danny’s becoming the youngest Iron Fist. But the Iron Fist of the… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #66
Obviously, the major attraction is the second chapter of An Accidental Death. The pace changes throughout; it opens with the body being hidden, then Brubaker moves to summary, then to scene again. The final scene–the discovery–comes after the two boys (the protagonist and the murderer) start to discover where they really live. Reality, in more… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 67 (November 1992)
The issue opens with an idiotic story about an annoying character called Zoo-Lou. Hedden and McWeeney usually do great work. The art here’s excellent, but the writing is an absolute nightmare. Dark Horse really loves poking fun at themselves… and usually it comes out awful, like Zoo-Lou. An Accidental Death comes to its conclusion here.… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist 21 (February 2009)
This issue might be Swierczynski’s best. It’s one of the done in one other Iron Fist issues and Swierczynski does something a little different. He does a future story. It really nicely fits the mythology Brubaker and Fraction established, while some descendant of Danny’s becoming the youngest Iron Fist. But the Iron Fist of the… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 66 (September 1992)
Obviously, the major attraction is the second chapter of An Accidental Death. The pace changes throughout; it opens with the body being hidden, then Brubaker moves to summary, then to scene again. The final scene–the discovery–comes after the two boys (the protagonist and the murderer) start to discover where they really live. Reality, in more… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 65 (August 1992)
An Accidental Death opens this issue. It’s been a while since I’ve read it. The most immediate thing is Shanower’s art. It’s finished and precise; I’m sure Dark Horse Presents has had artwork as good, I just can’t think of any example. But then there’s Brubaker’s writing–and the way he presents the moral ambiguity of… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #65
An Accidental Death opens this issue. It’s been a while since I’ve read it. The most immediate thing is Shanower’s art. It’s finished and precise; I’m sure Dark Horse Presents has had artwork as good, I just can’t think of any example. But then there’s Brubaker’s writing–and the way he presents the moral ambiguity of… 📖
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You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman (2006)
There’s no director or writer credited for You Will Believe and without a host, the “documentary” sort of ambles through the history of the Superman film series. Given the contentious history, it goes far in bringing everyone into it… but it doesn’t actually ask any questions. There’s only one moment when it directly refutes something… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #64
Seriously, they thought this issue was good enough? The opening is a terrible bit of corporate synergy–a prologue to the Dr. Giggles movie from screenwriter Coto, who’s just as awful writing comics as he is writing movies. It’s a mean, gory eight pages of crap. Though Burrows’s art isn’t bad. Then there’s a Boris the… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #63
Well, the Moebius story is pretty but I’m not sure it’s got much in the way of narrative. It’s a fine little diversion–I think it’s my first Moebius short story–but it’s got zero heft. No idea why they opened the issue with it. The Creep gets near its finish with more great art and a… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #62
Maybe what Miller needs for Sin City is a full issue. This issue, dedicated to Marv finishing up all the villains–I wonder if Miller intentionally gave his psychotic cannibal a harmless name like Kevin or if there’s some backstory to it–and getting executed, is nearly reasonable. The opening is a disaster, with lots of the… 📖
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Black Swan (2010, Darren Aronofsky)
I hate responding to films like Black Swan because I don’t know where to start. From the first sequence, Aronofsky defines his approach as singular. Except for that first sequence, he never tries to film a ballet. He’s always filming a ballet performance. But he manages, filming those performances, which he tends to shoot in… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 64 (July 1992)
Seriously, they thought this issue was good enough? The opening is a terrible bit of corporate synergy–a prologue to the Dr. Giggles movie from screenwriter Coto, who’s just as awful writing comics as he is writing movies. It’s a mean, gory eight pages of crap. Though Burrows’s art isn’t bad. Then there’s a Boris the… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 63 (June 1992)
Well, the Moebius story is pretty but I’m not sure it’s got much in the way of narrative. It’s a fine little diversion–I think it’s my first Moebius short story–but it’s got zero heft. No idea why they opened the issue with it. The Creep gets near its finish with more great art and a… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 62 (May 1992)
Maybe what Miller needs for Sin City is a full issue. This issue, dedicated to Marv finishing up all the villains–I wonder if Miller intentionally gave his psychotic cannibal a harmless name like Kevin or if there’s some backstory to it–and getting executed, is nearly reasonable. The opening is a disaster, with lots of the… 📖
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Tron (2011) #2
Most of this issue is completely awful. Some of the fault is David’s, some of it is Pierfederici’s, some is Marvel’s. The adaptation clearly needs three issues, not two–David manages to get the comic back on track in the last pages, adding some sense of reason to the final events (something the movie skips over… 📖
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Tron (2011) #1
I couldn’t resist. The idea is just too strange–a comic book adaptation of a twenty-eight year-old movie (yes, I know, IDW does these things, but this release is from Marvel)–and with Peter David writing. Whatever his problems, David is a far better writer than Tron writer Steven Lisberger. So how is Tron as a comic… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #60
Oh, lucky me, Sin City isn’t over yet. Instead, Miller spends most of his pages with one image, a lot of white space and even more terrible narration. I think I hate this entry the most. Not sure if it’s because I’m subjected to more of Miller’s writing or if it’s because I thought I… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #59
Wow, I really don’t know what’s the best thing in the issue. Geary’s one page entry is a failure. It’s his solid art, but the writing doesn’t work here. It’s just too much forced sentiment. Alien Fire seemingly comes to an end this issue–some very nice space frog art from Vincent–but Smith’s writing is just… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #58
Well, the first installment of Alien Fire might have been good but this one is not. It’s apparently some sci-fi thing about a car and Native Americans and homophobes. Or something along those lines. It’s got a lot of quirky details, which Vincent draws well enough, but it’s useless. The Creep finishes (hopefully not for… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #57
Not much to recommend Next Men this time. Byrne handles his violent action sequence well, but he’s also selling a U.S. senator killing a federal agent. Who knows, maybe it’s all a Tea Party thing. Regardless, no longer interested in the series. The Creep is, again, excellent. I can’t believe Arcudi’s writing it. And Eaglesham’s… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #56
This oversized issue opens and closes with an Aliens two-parter. Loose art from Guinan and Akins doesn’t help Arcudi’s script. It’s absolutely incomprehensible if you don’t read the Aliens series. Byrne finally produces a Next Men I’m not interested in. It’s two government guys revealing all. The art’s really, really mediocre. It’s like even Byrne… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #55
Sin City is really bad this time. The amount of white space suggests Miller didn’t spend a lot of time drawing it. It also doesn’t seem like he spent much time writing it. Even with his terrible narration, this installment is a new low. Though I guess some of it does sound a lot like… 📖
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Tron 2 (February 2011)
Most of this issue is completely awful. Some of the fault is David’s, some of it is Pierfederici’s, some is Marvel’s. The adaptation clearly needs three issues, not two–David manages to get the comic back on track in the last pages, adding some sense of reason to the final events (something the movie skips over… 📖
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Tron 1 (January 2011)
I couldn’t resist. The idea is just too strange–a comic book adaptation of a twenty-eight year-old movie (yes, I know, IDW does these things, but this release is from Marvel)–and with Peter David writing. Whatever his problems, David is a far better writer than Tron writer Steven Lisberger. So how is Tron as a comic… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 60 (March 1992)
Oh, lucky me, Sin City isn’t over yet. Instead, Miller spends most of his pages with one image, a lot of white space and even more terrible narration. I think I hate this entry the most. Not sure if it’s because I’m subjected to more of Miller’s writing or if it’s because I thought I… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 59 (February 1992)
Wow, I really don’t know what’s the best thing in the issue. Geary’s one page entry is a failure. It’s his solid art, but the writing doesn’t work here. It’s just too much forced sentiment. Alien Fire seemingly comes to an end this issue–some very nice space frog art from Vincent–but Smith’s writing is just… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 58 (January 1992)
Well, the first installment of Alien Fire might have been good but this one is not. It’s apparently some sci-fi thing about a car and Native Americans and homophobes. Or something along those lines. It’s got a lot of quirky details, which Vincent draws well enough, but it’s useless. The Creep finishes (hopefully not for… 📖