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The Sixth Gun (2010) #4
The girl’s name is Becky. It’s mentioned twice this issue, so maybe I’m not the only one who was confused. This issue is Bunn’s take an all action issue. There’s the main event, the bad guys against this huge, electrically charge bird monster. But Drake and his sidekick–who definitely has a name, but I’m not… 📖
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The Sixth Gun (2010) #3
A couple things. First, the girl doesn’t have a name yet. They would have mentioned it this issue. Second, Bunn’s pacing. He does the same thing this issue–dense first three-quarters, fast ending. It might just be accelerating to raise tension for a cliffhanger, but in this issue, I was surprised where they finished. It felt… 📖
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Dark Horse Presents 2 (September 1986)
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 1 (July 1986)
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 6 (November 2010)
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 5 (October 2010)
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… 📖
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The Sixth Gun 4 (September 2010)
The girl’s name is Becky. It’s mentioned twice this issue, so maybe I’m not the only one who was confused. This issue is Bunn’s take an all action issue. There’s the main event, the bad guys against this huge, electrically charge bird monster. But Drake and his sidekick–who definitely has a name, but I’m not… 📖
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The Sixth Gun 3 (August 2010)
A couple things. First, the girl doesn’t have a name yet. They would have mentioned it this issue. Second, Bunn’s pacing. He does the same thing this issue–dense first three-quarters, fast ending. It might just be accelerating to raise tension for a cliffhanger, but in this issue, I was surprised where they finished. It felt… 📖
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Phantasm II (1988, Don Coscarelli)
The first Phantasm wasn’t just an exercise in inventive low budget filmmaking, it dealt with the cultural fear of cemeteries. The second film has no such allusions. In fact, it’s just an example of bad low budget filmmaking. Clearly–and one can just google for more information–there were a lot of behind the scenes squabbles between… 📖
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The Sixth Gun (2010) #2
The Sixth Gun is really unpleasantly creepy this issue. I’m not talking about the undead Old West guys, they’re creepy and all, but undead Old West guys aren’t new. I’m talking about the villain, Mrs. Hume (her husband being the undead bad guys’ leader). She’s really cruel to the girl (whose name isn’t repeated this… 📖
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The Sixth Gun (2010) #1
I’d heard the colors are amazing in The Sixth Gun and whoever does them deserves as much credit as Hurtt. Turns out Hurtt does the colors. It’s an interesting setup. Bunn fills the first three-quarters of the issue with information, whether about the titular artifact (it seems to be a pistol giving its user flawless… 📖
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The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #259
Lot of Ditko homage on the last pages, even with the filmic–especially for the eighties–pacing of Peter suiting up in the red and blue. It’s sort of a weak finish to a great issue. Most of the issue–except some ill-advised attention on Hobgoblin (providing the action)–is Mary Jane telling Peter all about her life. DeFalco… 📖
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Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual (1979) #4
Well, I’ve finally found something Bill Mantlo can write–little old ladies. This issue is mostly about Aunt May and her mysterious behavior. Turns out her pre-Ben Parker boyfriend is back and sending her love letters and causing these very distracting walks down memory lane. Of course, New York’s in different shape than it used to… 📖
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The Sixth Gun 2 (July 2010)
The Sixth Gun is really unpleasantly creepy this issue. I’m not talking about the undead Old West guys, they’re creepy and all, but undead Old West guys aren’t new. I’m talking about the villain, Mrs. Hume (her husband being the undead bad guys’ leader). She’s really cruel to the girl (whose name isn’t repeated this… 📖
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The Sixth Gun 1 (July 2010)
I’d heard the colors are amazing in The Sixth Gun and whoever does them deserves as much credit as Hurtt. Turns out Hurtt does the colors. It’s an interesting setup. Bunn fills the first three-quarters of the issue with information, whether about the titular artifact (it seems to be a pistol giving its user flawless… 📖
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The Amazing Spider-Man 259 (December 1984)
Lot of Ditko homage on the last pages, even with the filmic–especially for the eighties–pacing of Peter suiting up in the red and blue. It’s sort of a weak finish to a great issue. Most of the issue–except some ill-advised attention on Hobgoblin (providing the action)–is Mary Jane telling Peter all about her life. DeFalco… 📖
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Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 4 (November 1984)
Well, I’ve finally found something Bill Mantlo can write–little old ladies. This issue is mostly about Aunt May and her mysterious behavior. Turns out her pre-Ben Parker boyfriend is back and sending her love letters and causing these very distracting walks down memory lane. Of course, New York’s in different shape than it used to… 📖
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Marvel Team-Up (1972) #146
Oh, those young toughs, how dare they break up a date between Peter Parker and… Jack Monroe (Nomad). Seriously, they’re on a date. They meet in an alley, beat up some threatening toughs, then head to see Rio Bravo together. All while Nomad is supposed to be delivering art to Steve Rogers. Unfortunately, it’s a… 📖
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The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #258
I knew I liked these eighties Spider-Man issues. It just took DeFalco a while to bring it around (though it could all be the nostalgia talking). What’s important about this issue isn’t the beginning, which cops out of the previous cliffhanger and then strangely sends Black Cat off to Neverland instead of resolving a new… 📖
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The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #257
What a cliffhanger! Mary Jane reveals to Peter she knows he’s Spider-Man! All with some weak Ron Frenz faces. I actually liked most of Frenz’s work this issue, when he was doing the action stuff–the fight between Puma and Spider-Man had some nice moves and it worked. But when Peter gets back to Mary Jane… 📖
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The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #256
Why have a Native American superhero when you can have a Native American supervillain! The politics of Puma (this issue is his first appearance) are fantastic–successful Native Americans use their special abilities to become assassins for hire. It’s great. You’d never see this kind of thing today. Maybe Jason Aaron can do a Puma MAX… 📖
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Marvel Team-Up 146 (October 1984)
Oh, those young toughs, how dare they break up a date between Peter Parker and… Jack Monroe (Nomad). Seriously, they’re on a date. They meet in an alley, beat up some threatening toughs, then head to see Rio Bravo together. All while Nomad is supposed to be delivering art to Steve Rogers. Unfortunately, it’s a… 📖
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Battlefields (2010) #9
Could you be more depressing Garth Ennis? I mean, it’s really not depressing, not in the futility way the first Battlefields embraced… but it’s the first issue of this series to get me to tear up. So it’s really effective. It’s also the perfect example of why Ennis shouldn’t have done any sequels in this… 📖
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Battlefields (2010) #8
Still a ton of art issues–I can’t be the only one who’s noticed Aviña’s colors are horrific on this issue. Luckily, Braun keeps it together, saving the strange tablet lines for the last couple pages. There’s a lot of flying battle stuff in this issue. Three double-page spreads. It shows the chaos really well, but… 📖
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Battlefields (2010) #7
Is Braun drawing on a computer tablet here? His lines just seem completely unnatural. Of course, his art’s really loose–the size of Anna’s face isn’t constant. And Tony Aviña’s colors are atrocious here. Looks like a beginner’s guide to Photoshop coloring. The visual complaints aside, this issue starts fine. I’m a little unsure of another… 📖
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The Amazing Spider-Man 258 (November 1984)
I knew I liked these eighties Spider-Man issues. It just took DeFalco a while to bring it around (though it could all be the nostalgia talking). What’s important about this issue isn’t the beginning, which cops out of the previous cliffhanger and then strangely sends Black Cat off to Neverland instead of resolving a new… 📖
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The Amazing Spider-Man 257 (October 1984)
What a cliffhanger! Mary Jane reveals to Peter she knows he’s Spider-Man! All with some weak Ron Frenz faces. I actually liked most of Frenz’s work this issue, when he was doing the action stuff–the fight between Puma and Spider-Man had some nice moves and it worked. But when Peter gets back to Mary Jane… 📖
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The Amazing Spider-Man 256 (September 1984)
Why have a Native American superhero when you can have a Native American supervillain! The politics of Puma (this issue is his first appearance) are fantastic–successful Native Americans use their special abilities to become assassins for hire. It’s great. You’d never see this kind of thing today. Maybe Jason Aaron can do a Puma MAX… 📖
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Battlefields 9 (August 2010)
Could you be more depressing Garth Ennis? I mean, it’s really not depressing, not in the futility way the first Battlefields embraced… but it’s the first issue of this series to get me to tear up. So it’s really effective. It’s also the perfect example of why Ennis shouldn’t have done any sequels in this… 📖
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Battlefields 8 (July 2010)
Still a ton of art issues–I can’t be the only one who’s noticed Aviña’s colors are horrific on this issue. Luckily, Braun keeps it together, saving the strange tablet lines for the last couple pages. There’s a lot of flying battle stuff in this issue. Three double-page spreads. It shows the chaos really well, but… 📖
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Battlefields 7 (June 2010)
Is Braun drawing on a computer tablet here? His lines just seem completely unnatural. Of course, his art’s really loose–the size of Anna’s face isn’t constant. And Tony Aviña’s colors are atrocious here. Looks like a beginner’s guide to Photoshop coloring. The visual complaints aside, this issue starts fine. I’m a little unsure of another… 📖
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Marvel Team-Up (1972) #145
I guess the Bob Layton inks–on the cover–make all the difference. If only Esposito made LaRocque look a tenth as good as those Layton inks do on the cover…. Anyway, that opening is misleading. This response is a positive one. The issue is a great day in the life story. Peter Parker is in Cleveland… 📖
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Marvel Team-Up 145 (September 1984)
I guess the Bob Layton inks–on the cover–make all the difference. If only Esposito made LaRocque look a tenth as good as those Layton inks do on the cover…. Anyway, that opening is misleading. This response is a positive one. The issue is a great day in the life story. Peter Parker is in Cleveland… 📖
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Battlefields (2010) #6
The curse of the full page panels. Ezquerra has two in the last few pages and it hurts the reading experience. The tank battle needed more elucidation, not full page panels. I have no idea how this issue ends, but I’m assuming since Ennis is literal with Battlefields, it’s not ending with a ghost. It’s… 📖
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Battlefields 6 (May 2010)
The curse of the full page panels. Ezquerra has two in the last few pages and it hurts the reading experience. The tank battle needed more elucidation, not full page panels. I have no idea how this issue ends, but I’m assuming since Ennis is literal with Battlefields, it’s not ending with a ghost. It’s… 📖
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Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday (1939, Walter Forde)
Gordon Harker was fifty-five when Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday came out. It’s very strange to see a film from this period with someone his age the lead in a comedic mystery. I’ve never seen him in anything and I can’t remember seeing Alastair Sim in anything but I know Sim’s name. I spent the entire… 📖
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Battlefields (2010) #5
I’d like to call a foul on Ennis here for playing the reader but it’s not his fault. Maybe he knew the reader would get comfy, a little relaxed, laughing at the jokes… only to have the last couple pages of the issue knock the wind out of him or her. So instead of calling… 📖
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Battlefields (2010) #4
Hey, it’s the sequel to Tankies. I didn’t even realize from the cover. Well, I’m not sure it’s exactly a sequel to Tankies, rather another adventure of that tank crew. If I remember the original correctly, the plotting’s basically the same. The issue opens and closes with a different group of characters, here it’s some… 📖
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Battlefields 5 (April 2010)
I’d like to call a foul on Ennis here for playing the reader but it’s not his fault. Maybe he knew the reader would get comfy, a little relaxed, laughing at the jokes… only to have the last couple pages of the issue knock the wind out of him or her. So instead of calling… 📖
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Battlefields 4 (March 2010)
Hey, it’s the sequel to Tankies. I didn’t even realize from the cover. Well, I’m not sure it’s exactly a sequel to Tankies, rather another adventure of that tank crew. If I remember the original correctly, the plotting’s basically the same. The issue opens and closes with a different group of characters, here it’s some… 📖
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Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) #17 – Revenge of the Living Monolith
I’m not even sure where to start. About half the comic deals with the Living Pharaoh’s origin and his escape from prison. It’s a strange origin; he seems a lot like an Egyptian Peter Parker for a bunch of it (you know, if Peter weren’t a college dropout or whatever). Michelinie does everything he can,… 📖
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Battlefields (2010) #3
Well, Ennis gets to the rough stuff here. But he still handles it calmly and affably for the beginning, then once the event occurs, it’s rather touching. To this point, Battlefields has been pretty extraordinary and different, whether in plot details or characters. This arc is the first one where Ennis just sits down and… 📖