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The Immortal Iron Fist (2007) #4
I expected more from the Buscema and Palmer pages. The art feels like they were supposed to be going retro instead of bringing a specific style. It’s sort of strange how much Brubaker and Fraction skip here. The issue starts with Orson and Danny being big buddies. Orson’s been showing him tricks, which we also… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist (2007) #3
I’m a little unclear on what actually happens this issue. Things do happen, it’s a good issue, but not many things happen. But Fraction–not Brubaker, because Brubaker’s Marvel work never makes an issue feel fuller than it is–manages to make it feel like a real experience, even though the only really important thing is when… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 19 (July 1988)
Finally; it only took eighteen issues, but this one is essential reading. It’s not as simple as there not being a weak story… every single one of them is good. I suppose, in this company, the weakest is Badger’s Mask. It’s starting to get old, with no real plot progression. He’s also doing the ink… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist 6 (July 2007)
What Brubaker brings to his Marvel work is a retro vibe. His good comics feel like familiar seventies comics modernized. What Fraction brings is a smart blockbuster. His comics feel like big Hollywood movies written by John Sayles. Lots of set pieces, sure, but lots of humanity. I’m not sure this issue is the perfect… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist 5 (June 2007)
The Travel Foreman back up art really does not work here. Well, some of it does, but when he flashes back to Orson’s origin… it’s awful. Ed McGuinness proportions. Yucky. It’s such an awkward flashback, it tears the reader out of the book. The book needs the flashback to work not just for Orson’s emotional… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist 4 (May 2007)
I expected more from the Buscema and Palmer pages. The art feels like they were supposed to be going retro instead of bringing a specific style. It’s sort of strange how much Brubaker and Fraction skip here. The issue starts with Orson and Danny being big buddies. Orson’s been showing him tricks, which we also… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist 3 (March 2007)
I’m a little unclear on what actually happens this issue. Things do happen, it’s a good issue, but not many things happen. But Fraction–not Brubaker, because Brubaker’s Marvel work never makes an issue feel fuller than it is–manages to make it feel like a real experience, even though the only really important thing is when… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist (2007) #2
Lots this issue. Well, kind of lots. It seems like lots. But as it turns out, the titular Iron Fist isn’t Danny Rand this issue, it’s Orson Randall. Danny spends some of the issue being funny, then having a really great scene with Luke Cage–the way Brubaker and Fraction characterize the two of them, it… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist (2007) #1
Fraction and Brubaker do a nice double cliffhanger here. The first one isn’t really a cliffhanger because it’s just Danny Rand falling off a roof. We know he’s not going to die. Well, presumably, he’s not going to (he doesn’t). But it provides a nice close to his part of the issue, while being able… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist 2 (February 2007)
Lots this issue. Well, kind of lots. It seems like lots. But as it turns out, the titular Iron Fist isn’t Danny Rand this issue, it’s Orson Randall. Danny spends some of the issue being funny, then having a really great scene with Luke Cage–the way Brubaker and Fraction characterize the two of them, it… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #18
Badger’s ink washes on The Mask are real nice, but they’re so much easier to comprehend than his regular art, I almost wish he’d done the whole thing with that process. It’d be worth the wait. With the ink washes, when he does something crazy, it just works better. Maybe because it feels realer when… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #17
Roachmill is the quality level I expected the entire time from Dark Horse Presents, only it’s coming in the seventeenth issue. The art from Hedden and McWeeney is lovely stuff–reminds of Eisner in black and white. There’s a lot of work put into this issue. They aren’t inking with Bics here. The writing is sort… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #16
Wow, what an issue. Chadwick uses Concrete to bookend a short story. Or he uses double bookends to frame a story. It’s kind of pointless, so it fits with the other Concrete stories… At least the story’s mostly about people, so Chadwick’s art is strong. Strong enough. It really feels like something he had in… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #15
I’m so glad they put The Mask in the middle. I’m not sure the issue would have been tolerable if it hadn’t been at the center. The issue opens with another bad episode of Captain Crusader. The only nice thing I have to say about the story is Martin draws brick walls well. Not people,… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #14
Reading Mr. Monster, I thought a lot about how much I love Will Eisner’s Spirit in black and white. Not because Gilbert’s art in any way reminds of Eisner, but because it doesn’t. Because instead of publishing wonderful black and white comics, Dark Horse Presents is publishing Gilbert’s Mr. Monster and it looks like pencils… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #13
At least there’s a Mask story this issue because the rest of it is just atrocious. Since I’ve already started with The Mask, I’ll finish it up. Badger doesn’t write as strongly here and his meta approaches to the storytelling, bookending the story, don’t help. But it’s still compelling and solid. However, I don’t even… 📖
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The Immortal Iron Fist 1 (January 2007)
Fraction and Brubaker do a nice double cliffhanger here. The first one isn’t really a cliffhanger because it’s just Danny Rand falling off a roof. We know he’s not going to die. Well, presumably, he’s not going to (he doesn’t). But it provides a nice close to his part of the issue, while being able… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 18 (June 1988)
Badger’s ink washes on The Mask are real nice, but they’re so much easier to comprehend than his regular art, I almost wish he’d done the whole thing with that process. It’d be worth the wait. With the ink washes, when he does something crazy, it just works better. Maybe because it feels realer when… 📖
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The Town (2010, Ben Affleck), the extended cut
Affleck’s directorial abilities are impressive. He’s got a great sense of composition–he seats his actors on either end of the Panavision frame, leaving this great space of emptiness between them. Except, of course, when he’s on screen with Rebecca Hall, as their bridging the gap is the whole point of The Town. But he’s got… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 17 (April 1988)
Roachmill is the quality level I expected the entire time from Dark Horse Presents, only it’s coming in the seventeenth issue. The art from Hedden and McWeeney is lovely stuff–reminds of Eisner in black and white. There’s a lot of work put into this issue. They aren’t inking with Bics here. The writing is sort… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 16 (March 1988)
Wow, what an issue. Chadwick uses Concrete to bookend a short story. Or he uses double bookends to frame a story. It’s kind of pointless, so it fits with the other Concrete stories… At least the story’s mostly about people, so Chadwick’s art is strong. Strong enough. It really feels like something he had in… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 15 (February 1988)
I’m so glad they put The Mask in the middle. I’m not sure the issue would have been tolerable if it hadn’t been at the center. The issue opens with another bad episode of Captain Crusader. The only nice thing I have to say about the story is Martin draws brick walls well. Not people,… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 14 (January 1988)
Reading Mr. Monster, I thought a lot about how much I love Will Eisner’s Spirit in black and white. Not because Gilbert’s art in any way reminds of Eisner, but because it doesn’t. Because instead of publishing wonderful black and white comics, Dark Horse Presents is publishing Gilbert’s Mr. Monster and it looks like pencils… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 13 (December 1987)
At least there’s a Mask story this issue because the rest of it is just atrocious. Since I’ve already started with The Mask, I’ll finish it up. Badger doesn’t write as strongly here and his meta approaches to the storytelling, bookending the story, don’t help. But it’s still compelling and solid. However, I don’t even… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #24
Larroca’s inspiration for illustrating Captain America appears to be Chris Bachalo. Yuck. Here’s where Tony comes back and saves everyone from the Ghost. Should have happened two issues ago. Anyway, some big problems–the injuries. The Ghost attacks Rhodey and Dr. Strange. It looks like, from the amount of blood, he does real damage. Apparently not.… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #23
What’s that smell? Oh, it’s Fraction inserting the Ghost into this narrative and messing it up. This issue features Pepper and Maria finding out Tony slept with both of them. It features little Tony’s adventures in slumberland finally paying off narratively–oh, I think Howard is supposed to be Howard Stark, not Howard Hughes. It was… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #22
Yeah, this issue sort of realizes all my issues with a supervillain threatening Tony’s recovery. After Pepper finds out Tony’s not back–which is an effective scene, but it also depresses (Pepper certainly seemed like she would have made an interesting superhero only to have it plucked out of her as it were). Then Maria finds… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #21
This issue might be one of Fraction’s best. Well, it’s one of his best in being this really big, but really thoughtful superhero issue. Rhodey brings in Steve Rogers to convince Pepper to bring Tony back–nice how it all fits, timeline wise (was Reborn even done at this point though?). It then proceeds to have… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #20
I think it would have been a lot bolder if Fraction hadn’t included Tony Stark on the ethereal plane with Howard Hughes. Especially given the big development of Pepper Potts not being sure Tony gets to come back from the dead (thanks to the hard drive backup Fraction made obvious last story arc). Pepper was… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #12
Okay, The Mask is supposed to be incomprehensible. Badger’s first line in the story is about it being incomprehensible. In a lot of ways, it’s the best continuing serial in Dark Horse Presents so far. I can’t understand it, not with Badger’s art purposely intended to confuse, but at least the writing is ambitious. It’s… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 24 (May 2010)
Larroca’s inspiration for illustrating Captain America appears to be Chris Bachalo. Yuck. Here’s where Tony comes back and saves everyone from the Ghost. Should have happened two issues ago. Anyway, some big problems–the injuries. The Ghost attacks Rhodey and Dr. Strange. It looks like, from the amount of blood, he does real damage. Apparently not.… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 23 (April 2010)
What’s that smell? Oh, it’s Fraction inserting the Ghost into this narrative and messing it up. This issue features Pepper and Maria finding out Tony slept with both of them. It features little Tony’s adventures in slumberland finally paying off narratively–oh, I think Howard is supposed to be Howard Stark, not Howard Hughes. It was… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 22 (March 2010)
Yeah, this issue sort of realizes all my issues with a supervillain threatening Tony’s recovery. After Pepper finds out Tony’s not back–which is an effective scene, but it also depresses (Pepper certainly seemed like she would have made an interesting superhero only to have it plucked out of her as it were). Then Maria finds… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 21 (February 2010)
This issue might be one of Fraction’s best. Well, it’s one of his best in being this really big, but really thoughtful superhero issue. Rhodey brings in Steve Rogers to convince Pepper to bring Tony back–nice how it all fits, timeline wise (was Reborn even done at this point though?). It then proceeds to have… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 20 (December 2009)
I think it would have been a lot bolder if Fraction hadn’t included Tony Stark on the ethereal plane with Howard Hughes. Especially given the big development of Pepper Potts not being sure Tony gets to come back from the dead (thanks to the hard drive backup Fraction made obvious last story arc). Pepper was… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 12 (November 1987)
Okay, The Mask is supposed to be incomprehensible. Badger’s first line in the story is about it being incomprehensible. In a lot of ways, it’s the best continuing serial in Dark Horse Presents so far. I can’t understand it, not with Badger’s art purposely intended to confuse, but at least the writing is ambitious. It’s… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #11
Is The Mask supposed to be understandable? Badger’s writing seems straightforward enough–two CIA agents are trying to find a Cuban priest who’s in New York City, but his art makes it completely incomprehensible. And it’s hard to imagine how the titular Mask (Masque) is going to figure into the priest’s story. I also can’t figure… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #10
This issue Concrete gets into a fight with a bear and nearly loses. In some ways, since Chadwick isn’t going for the saccharine, it works better than any other Concrete story so far. Except it’s basically a reluctant superhero story, so it’s not the traditional Concrete story. Again, somewhat weak art from Chadwick. It’s hard… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 11 (October 1987)
Is The Mask supposed to be understandable? Badger’s writing seems straightforward enough–two CIA agents are trying to find a Cuban priest who’s in New York City, but his art makes it completely incomprehensible. And it’s hard to imagine how the titular Mask (Masque) is going to figure into the priest’s story. I also can’t figure… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #9
I’m trying to think of how much more lame Mattsson’s writing could be on Vitruvian Man. I guess it’s paced well. I mean, it does indeed have a bit of content. Mattsson writes atrocious narration–it’s kind of like if Batman were an egotist moron surfer dude (with a deaf sister–Mattsson loves putting that detail in… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #8
I can’t believe I missed Concrete–well, actually, I can, given Vitruvian Man is in here, but I can’t believe I was “looking forward” to it. This issue’s story is… it’s hard to describe. Chadwick’s writing is kind of like if you took “Seinfeld” and made the characters care about other people’s feelings. This time, Concrete… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 10 (September 1987)
This issue Concrete gets into a fight with a bear and nearly loses. In some ways, since Chadwick isn’t going for the saccharine, it works better than any other Concrete story so far. Except it’s basically a reluctant superhero story, so it’s not the traditional Concrete story. Again, somewhat weak art from Chadwick. It’s hard… 📖