Marlene is an awesome comic. It’s far from perfect–the story anyway–but it’s definitely awesome. To get the problems out of the way, it’s Peter Snejbjerg’s protagonist. He’s a brilliant but aging tough guy detective who can take anyone in himself, but can’t bring himself to call his wife. Even though the comic takes place in […]
MoreEnnis doesn’t go for big action in the arc’s finale. He gives Hughie and the Russian guy a little adventure, then goes for humor when bringing in the rest of the team. The Frenchman does get some time, but the Female could have taken the arc off. Ennis just doesn’t have any use for her. […]
MoreFor most of this issue, Peter Snejbjerg fills in on the art and it completely changes the tone of the book. It’s most obviously with Hughie, who Snejbjerg gives wide Eisner eyes. The Boys becomes more emotive and a lot more fun. It’s particularly interesting during the dramatic finish, when Hughie’s the only primary cast […]
MoreI can’t believe I’m saying it but Snejbjerg’s art messes up this Lords of Misrule. He’s unable to draw a regular person. Instead, the person appears frightening, even though he’s not supposed to be frightening. It’s an okay story–but the art, though great in most respects, doesn’t work. Nixey’s back on track with Trout, at […]
MoreThe issue opens with Zero Boy and Pander’s Jack Zero, which starts out a little awkwardly… but then quickly establishes itself as a good Western. Pander’s art looks fantastic, bringing a lot of energy to the setting and Zero Boy’s script is thoughtful. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Nixey’s Trout installment this issue. […]
MoreThe Gully story from Schultz and Williamson doesn’t have much of a script; with Williamson’s art, who cares about the writing? It’s some otherworldly sci-fi Western thing. Lovely to look at. White and Snejbjerg’s The Lords of Misrule is a little confusing, but decent. Snejbjerg does a great job with the tone and the art […]
MoreIt’s a tad… Victorian, isn’t it? I mean, it’s an excellent issue and a decent close to Dear Billy, but it’s just too confined. With the whole letter to Billy thing–Ennis either has to use it as a letter to the guy or a narrative device. So he uses it as a narrative device. A […]
MoreI can’t remember how Dear Billy ends. Even reading another issue, I can’t remember. I spent a while, in the back of my head, anticipating Ennis’s cliffhanger. Three issue limited, he’d have to cliffhang… but he doesn’t. In fact, for a comic featuring a nurse killing three–wait, four–Japanese POWs, the most sensational thing in the […]
MoreI’ve forgotten most of the details to Battlefields, which is nice as it turns out. I then can remember things, anticipate them as I read, makes the experience seem richer. It’s a rather rich experience to begin with–Ennis’s writing here, from a first person female narrator, puts his contemporaries to shame. As usual. But I […]
MoreOk, even if a commenter hadn’t given away the ominousness I’m feeling, this issue would have pretty much done it. There’s a lot of Alpha One being really, really weird here. As far as Snejbjerg’s art and the changing face of Alpha One, I think he’s trying to intimate there’s something else going on but […]
MoreI’m reading The Mighty about as blind as anyone can read anything. I picked it up because of Tomasi and Snejbjerg reuniting after that angel one they did. Well, mostly because of Snejbjerg (so it’s hilarious it’s his contribution I have the most issue with, once again, his faces are way too loose, way too […]
MoreThere’s a big moment in the second issue of The Mighty directly informed, at least in the general consciousness, by Superman Returns (I’d heard it’s from an Alex Ross piece, but whatever, I’ve never seen it)–Alpha One, the superhero of the book (the world’s only superhero), is up in the rain listening for trouble. It’s […]
MoreThere have been superhero comics where the superheroes aren’t in it (just look at DC’s current Superman output), but I think I mean more like The Boys or something along those lines. These revisionist takes on superheroes, where it’s sometimes more about the reaction. The Mighty takes it a step further. The superhero never says […]
More
