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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #7
I never thought I’d miss Concrete so much. I guess Tony Salmons’s Monq is the best thing this issue. It’s a really dumb environment story, but the art’s interesting if not competent. Some of the writing is really bad, especially the conclusion, which literalizes the otherwise existential story. Mattsson writes two crappy stories this issue.… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 9 (July 1987)
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 8 (June 1987)
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 7 (May 1987)
I never thought I’d miss Concrete so much. I guess Tony Salmons’s Monq is the best thing this issue. It’s a really dumb environment story, but the art’s interesting if not competent. Some of the writing is really bad, especially the conclusion, which literalizes the otherwise existential story. Mattsson writes two crappy stories this issue.… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #19
Fraction finally gets himself a great cliffhanger… too bad it’s in the “last” issue of the arc. Apparently, Fraction learned a lot when he was working with Brubaker, including how to make one arc lead directly into the next, to the point the only reason it’s an arc is because you’re calling it an arc.… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #18
Okay, I was off… Pepper hid Madame Masque in the Crimson Dynamo armor, which means she wasn’t exactly worried about her dying in the explosion. I think Fraction was trying to make Black Widow funny in her appearances this issue–she disappears while at H.A.M.M.E.R. (don’t hurt ‘em) but I imagine she’ll be okay. Incidentally, the… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #17
Tony gets real stupid this issue. Maybe too stupid. I’m not sure how Fraction’s going to bring this off at the end and keep the character. He might just have Tony restore a backup or something. Anyway, the issue opens with Pepper Potts in Madame Masque’s outfit. Fraction is apparently saving that reveal for next… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #16
If the Marvel movie guys are reading Fraction’s Iron Man and liking it, I hope they’re telling Gwyneth Paltrow to start working out. Besides turning Maria Hill into a really boring character who PTSD (over the Controller incident, which Fraction resolved in maybe two pages so he’s just filling with her) and making Tony forgetful,… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 19 (December 2009)
Fraction finally gets himself a great cliffhanger… too bad it’s in the “last” issue of the arc. Apparently, Fraction learned a lot when he was working with Brubaker, including how to make one arc lead directly into the next, to the point the only reason it’s an arc is because you’re calling it an arc.… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 18 (November 2009)
Okay, I was off… Pepper hid Madame Masque in the Crimson Dynamo armor, which means she wasn’t exactly worried about her dying in the explosion. I think Fraction was trying to make Black Widow funny in her appearances this issue–she disappears while at H.A.M.M.E.R. (don’t hurt ‘em) but I imagine she’ll be okay. Incidentally, the… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 17 (November 2009)
Tony gets real stupid this issue. Maybe too stupid. I’m not sure how Fraction’s going to bring this off at the end and keep the character. He might just have Tony restore a backup or something. Anyway, the issue opens with Pepper Potts in Madame Masque’s outfit. Fraction is apparently saving that reveal for next… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 16 (October 2009)
If the Marvel movie guys are reading Fraction’s Iron Man and liking it, I hope they’re telling Gwyneth Paltrow to start working out. Besides turning Maria Hill into a really boring character who PTSD (over the Controller incident, which Fraction resolved in maybe two pages so he’s just filling with her) and making Tony forgetful,… 📖
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You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010, Woody Allen)
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is an unexpected surprise. Allen mixes a very black comedy with this light, almost absurd relationship comedy. But he never goes too dark. I’m trying to think of a example but will undoubtedly fail to explain. Anthony Hopkins marries his call girl, played by Lucy Punch. Funny situation.… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #15
There’s the Larroca I know and love–getting Tony’s face inconsistent from panel to panel in the climax. Fraction wastes maybe a third of the issue on Maria and Black Widow this issue. Black Widow’s getting and relying on intel Norman Osborn is planting, which suggests Bucky ought to find himself a better girlfriend. Fraction introduced… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #14
Okay, I finally understand what’s going on with Tony and the hard drive brain erasing. He needs to go from suit to suit to use their power sources to power the deletion. He can’t just use the stockpile of suits he had in the first or second issue of the arc because Norman Osborn found… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 15 (September 2009)
There’s the Larroca I know and love–getting Tony’s face inconsistent from panel to panel in the climax. Fraction wastes maybe a third of the issue on Maria and Black Widow this issue. Black Widow’s getting and relying on intel Norman Osborn is planting, which suggests Bucky ought to find himself a better girlfriend. Fraction introduced… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #13
Whew, lucky timing. The issue ends with Tony having a stroke as he’s erasing his brain and making himself dumber–Fraction did a terrible job explaining the brain as a hard drive thing, I didn’t think it’d started actually erasing yet but apparently it has. He’s on the floor, whimpering for Pepper. Luckily, she’s decided to… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #12
I can’t help but wonder if Fraction is plotting out this story line based on The Empire Strikes Back. He splits up his triumvirate, gives each their own challenges–this issue being the Han Solo in carbonite issue (Pepper gets arrested, Maria gets captured by the Controller). Fraction once again fails to give the reader necessary… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 14 (August 2009)
Okay, I finally understand what’s going on with Tony and the hard drive brain erasing. He needs to go from suit to suit to use their power sources to power the deletion. He can’t just use the stockpile of suits he had in the first or second issue of the arc because Norman Osborn found… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #11
Okay, here’s Fraction’s problem–he’s doing too much at once. He’s got Maria doing something, Pepper doing something and Tony doing something. Tony gets the most attention, leaving Pepper and Maria stuck without a lot of space. Fraction follows this formula every issue–it’s like having two backup stories injected into the main narrative. The scenes resonate… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 13 (July 2009)
Whew, lucky timing. The issue ends with Tony having a stroke as he’s erasing his brain and making himself dumber–Fraction did a terrible job explaining the brain as a hard drive thing, I didn’t think it’d started actually erasing yet but apparently it has. He’s on the floor, whimpering for Pepper. Luckily, she’s decided to… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 12 (June 2009)
I can’t help but wonder if Fraction is plotting out this story line based on The Empire Strikes Back. He splits up his triumvirate, gives each their own challenges–this issue being the Han Solo in carbonite issue (Pepper gets arrested, Maria gets captured by the Controller). Fraction once again fails to give the reader necessary… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 11 (May 2009)
Okay, here’s Fraction’s problem–he’s doing too much at once. He’s got Maria doing something, Pepper doing something and Tony doing something. Tony gets the most attention, leaving Pepper and Maria stuck without a lot of space. Fraction follows this formula every issue–it’s like having two backup stories injected into the main narrative. The scenes resonate… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #10
Not sure I like Fraction’s pacing here. There’s something deceptive about it to convince the reader there’s more content. A lot of montages. Not bad montages–Larroca doesn’t have to stay consistent if he’s drawing different people around the globe–but montages. It’s also pretty convenient. If Pepper didn’t throw a temper tantrum and throw stuff around… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #9
Technically speaking, it’s a decent comic book. Larroca is no worse than last issue, maybe even a little better since he’s drawing less faces. Fraction’s writing is strong as usual. Except the majority of what he’s writing is expository dialogue from Tony. Lots and lots of it. He’s got Tony talking for pages recapping current… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #8
I do love Matt Fraction. I started this issue ready to pounce because I’m just a negative kind of guy, but also because he opens with three separate narrators–Tony, Maria Hill and Pepper. None of them narrator for very long and Fraction’s omniscient third person narrator doesn’t stick around the whole issue. It’s just setup… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 10 (April 2009)
Not sure I like Fraction’s pacing here. There’s something deceptive about it to convince the reader there’s more content. A lot of montages. Not bad montages–Larroca doesn’t have to stay consistent if he’s drawing different people around the globe–but montages. It’s also pretty convenient. If Pepper didn’t throw a temper tantrum and throw stuff around… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 9 (March 2009)
Technically speaking, it’s a decent comic book. Larroca is no worse than last issue, maybe even a little better since he’s drawing less faces. Fraction’s writing is strong as usual. Except the majority of what he’s writing is expository dialogue from Tony. Lots and lots of it. He’s got Tony talking for pages recapping current… 📖
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The Invincible Iron Man 8 (February 2009)
I do love Matt Fraction. I started this issue ready to pounce because I’m just a negative kind of guy, but also because he opens with three separate narrators–Tony, Maria Hill and Pepper. None of them narrator for very long and Fraction’s omniscient third person narrator doesn’t stick around the whole issue. It’s just setup… 📖
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Heaven’s Prisoners (1996, Phil Joanou)
I probably read Heaven’s Prisoners, the novel, about eighteen years ago; I don’t remember it. But I’m sure this adaptation is faithful to the events of the novel because this movie is a mess and there’s no good reason for it. The novel can have space for a mystery and a character drama, but–at least… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #6
This issue drags. It opens with Trekker‘s story line ending. Hopefully Dark Horse just gave Randall his own series so I don’t have to read any more of it. The story nearly gets okay on the last page, but it’s still got Randall’s awful writing to bring it back down. The art’s real lazy too.… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #5
There’s very little to say about this issue’s Concrete story. It’s not a bad story, just another waste of time–though I guess the art is nowhere near as strong as usual. The story’s about this young woman who wants to be an artist and wants Concrete to be her subject. When she meets him, does… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 6 (April 1987)
This issue drags. It opens with Trekker‘s story line ending. Hopefully Dark Horse just gave Randall his own series so I don’t have to read any more of it. The story nearly gets okay on the last page, but it’s still got Randall’s awful writing to bring it back down. The art’s real lazy too.… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 5 (February 1987)
There’s very little to say about this issue’s Concrete story. It’s not a bad story, just another waste of time–though I guess the art is nowhere near as strong as usual. The story’s about this young woman who wants to be an artist and wants Concrete to be her subject. When she meets him, does… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #4
It’s a real toss-up this issue for worst writing. Randall’s script for Trekker is laughably bad, but there’s something almost confrontational about Stradley’s Mindwalk script. It’s like he’s punishing the reader for taking the time to read the story, as though he or she isn’t being punished enough by Emberlin’s artwork. Randall’s Trekker art, on… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #3
Yay, Warner’s back with Black Cross–featuring a bunch of expository dialogue recapping the first story. With all that useless exposition, one might think Warner would explain the ground situation to the reader. But he doesn’t. It’s confusing and a lot of work thinking about something so dumb sounding. Stradley and Emberlin’s Mindwalk has its weakest… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 4 (January 1987)
It’s a real toss-up this issue for worst writing. Randall’s script for Trekker is laughably bad, but there’s something almost confrontational about Stradley’s Mindwalk script. It’s like he’s punishing the reader for taking the time to read the story, as though he or she isn’t being punished enough by Emberlin’s artwork. Randall’s Trekker art, on… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 3 (November 1986)
Yay, Warner’s back with Black Cross–featuring a bunch of expository dialogue recapping the first story. With all that useless exposition, one might think Warner would explain the ground situation to the reader. But he doesn’t. It’s confusing and a lot of work thinking about something so dumb sounding. Stradley and Emberlin’s Mindwalk has its weakest… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #2
Wow, does Chadwick ever try hard to be cute. His Concrete story this issue is a completely useless, inconsequential diversion… Maybe I’m missing the point. Maybe it’s supposed to be charming, but it just seems like he wastes a lot of energy. The art’s okay, Concrete being a really boring looking character but the desert… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents (1986) #1
You know, I really didn’t expect Dark Horse Presents to open its first issue with a male overcompensation piece like Black Cross. Warner’s art’s amateurish and I guess it shows movie optioning is a comic book tradition (the character looks like Sylvester Stallone). It’s a dismal story. Chadwick’s two contributions are all right. The Concrete… 📖
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The Sixth Gun (2010) #6
Almost the entire issue is horizontal, meaning the pages are read across. It must have been a lot of work for Hurtt, but it’s done to excellent effect. The issue is another all action issue, but it’s this huge, layered battle scene. There’s an epilogue to it (The Sixth Gun, I believe, was initially a… 📖
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The Sixth Gun (2010) #5
Okay, it’s Drake, Becky and Billjohn. Can’t believe I forgot Billjohn. No real action this issue, not even during the last quarter, which means Bunn wasn’t establishing it as an regular formula the first few issues, it’s just how he played them. Or maybe this issue, with General Hume raising a graveyard of zombies to… 📖