Showing posts with label Batwoman. Show all posts

Monday, December 31, 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR! with New Years Songs music player

Quality is timeless.

Make a better future.

Count your blessings.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!:
Rock'n'Soul Playlist,
by Tym Stevens This is a Spotify player.
Join up for free here.
Direct online Playlist here.
A history of NEW YEARS songs from the 1950s to today, in chronological order.

Rockabilly! Jazz! Blues!
Soundtracks! Soul! Country!
Garage! Psychedelic! Funk!
Glam! Reggae! Punk!
New Wave! HipHop! Electro!
and more!

© Tym Stevens

Thursday, December 14, 2017

BEST COMICS: 2017

S T A R S T R U C K :
Old Proldiers Never Die

Shortcut links:
> Best Graphic Novel
> Best Comics
> Best Graphic Novels
> Best Collections
> Best Movies And TV
> Best Websites

> Rest In Power

B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L :

-S T A R S T R U C K :
Old Proldiers Never Die,
by Elaine Lee, Michael Wm Kaluta, and Lee Moyer ⇧

The long-awaited second volume, reprinting a classic story now exorbinantly expanded with 50% new story and artwork, and newly painted color.

Quality is always timeless, and now it's lightyears ahead.

Learn More:

STARSTRUCK Strikes Back!: A History
STARSTRUCK: The Roots and Branches of Elaine Lee & Michael Kaluta's space opera
Starstruck website

B E S T
C O M I C S :

I D W

-S T A R S T R U C K :
Old Proldiers Never Die #1-6,
by Elaine Lee, Michael Wm Kaluta, and Lee Moyer ⇧

The serialized mini-series, more sophisticated than any other title going by leagues and bounds, and a gift that just keeps giving.

A hardboiled mystery, a galactic history, a cyberpunk noir, a war memoir, a transgressive romance, a second chance.

Smart art for sharp hearts.

> IDW

I M A G E

Art by Fiona Staples; Cliff Chiang

-SAGA, by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan _______ ⇧
So vital, so brutal.
The best continues to best itself.

-PAPER GIRLS, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang _______ ⇧
Lazy comparisons to Stranger Things wither; this is far too wide, deep, and complex, an epic cryptogram of its own.

-ROCKET GIRL, by Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare _______
Three sightings this year!

-SOLID STATE, by Matt Fraction, Jonathan Coulton, and Albert Monteys _______
Concept album turned sci-fi opus.

-BLACK CLOUD, by Jason Latour, Ivan Brandon, and Greg Hinkle _______
What dreams may come.

-SPY SEAL, by Rich Tomasso _______
Clean-line spy adventure fun in the best Tintin tradition.

-MONSTRESS, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda _______
Best-selling author Marjorie Liu's Gothic Fantasy, with stunning art by Sana Takeda.

-THE AUTUMNLANDS, by Kurt Busiek, Benjamin Dewey, and Jordie Bellaire _______
Sociopolitical character-driven Fantasy.

-THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie _______
Live, die, replete.

-SEX CRIMINALS, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky _______ ⇧
Deeper, faster, harder. >

-DESCENDER, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen _______
Indiana Croft.

-BLACK SCIENCE, by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, and Dean White _______
Dare all pretensions in parallel dimensions.

-INVISIBLE REPUBLIC, by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman _______ ⇧
The king is dead, long live the dream.

-SOUTHERN CROSS, by Becky Cloonan and Andy Belanger _______
Mystery. Eternity.

-COPPERHEAD, by Jay Faerber and Scott Godlewski _______
HIGH NOON in the backwater worlds.

-LAZARUS, by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark _______
The ties that blind.

M A R V E L

Art by Cliff Chiang
-AMERICA, by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quinones, and Ramon Villalobos _______ ⇧
America Chavez to the rescue!
Fascists, beware!

-THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL, by Ryan North and Erica Henderson _______
Too funny by far!

-MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR, by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, and Natacha Bustos _______
Inspiring all-ages book.
Science, dinosaurs, action!

-PATSY WALKER, a.k.a., Hellcat!, by Kate Leth and Brittney L. Williams _______
Great fun while it lasted.

Art by Russell Dauterman
-THE MIGHTY THOR, by Jason Aaron And Russell Dauterman _______ ⇧
Malekith, the Shi'ar, and The Phoenix take her on.
Even odds.

-MS. MARVEL, by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, and Adrian Alphona _______
Embiggen your mind.

-SPIDER-GWEN, by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez _______
Does whatever a spider can.

-Invincible Iron Man: IRONHEART, by Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli _______
She's 15, a genius, and a mecha. Step off.

BLACK PANTHER, by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze/Chris Sprouse _______
Bestselling author Ta-Nehisi Coates' brave experiment in bringing T'Challa forward to his fullest potential.

-ALIAS, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos _______
The return of Jessica Jones (and her creators). Worth it for her snarky dialogue alone.

JEAN GREY, by Dennis Hopless with Victor Ibanez, + _______
When Phoenix died in 1980, it was as seismic an event in comics as if it had actually happened.
And then Marvel has devalued that endlessly ever since.
This do-over series does precisely what it should, fixing all of that in a bid to give her a better fate.

-SCARLET WITCH, by James Robinson and Various Artists _______
James Robinson (Starman) helmed this artful and character-driven modern Sorcery series to its end.

-SILVER SURFER, by Dan Slott, Michael Allred, and Laura Allred _______
Soaring down into a fine landing on their last ride.

_______________

S T A R
W A R S

Marvel is still nailing it making movies between the movies.

-STAR WARS, by Jason Aaron and Stuart Immonen, + _______
The flagship title covers the Rebel side of events during the period between A NEW HOPE and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

-DARTH VADER: Dark Lord of the Sith, by
Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli _______
This new, second VADER series covers his emergence immediately after REVENGE OF THE SITH.

-STAR WARS: Screaming Citadel, by a cast of dozens _______
A crossover event between titles featuring the Rebels 'teaming up' with Doctor Aphra.

-STAR WARS: Doctor Aphra, by Kieron Gillen and Kev Walker _______ ⇧
Everyone's favorite anti-Indiana Jones gets her own series.
Scams, chaos, and sarcasm ensue.

-STAR WARS: Poe Dameron, by Charles Soule and Angel Unzueta _______
Though he was a blip in THE FORCE AWAKENS, he's become a fully realized adventurer in this fun series.

D C

-MISTER MIRACLE, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads _______
Tom King, lauded last year for the psychological dread of THE VISION, helps the great escape artist elude his inner demons.

-WONDER WOMAN '77 MEETS THE BIONIC WOMAN, by Andy Mandels and Judit Tondora (DC/Dynamite) _______
Because sentimental.

Timely Reminder, Dept.

WATCHMEN (1986) is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, with color by John Higgins.
They are the sole creators of this original saga, despite a copyright swindle by the publisher.
This is a self-contained story, period.
Any other "before" or "after" supplements, or "crossover integrations", are a complete fraud perpetrated by the greedy and supported by the foolish.

V E R T I G O

-ASTRO CITY, by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson, + Alex Ross _______
Avert catastrophe, support Astro City.

Y O U N G
A N I M A L

Art by Tula Lotay

-SHADE THE CHANGING GIRL, by Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone _______ ⇧
Everything great about the 1978 Ditko original and the Milligan/McCarthy/Bacchalo '90s Vertigo run, made new and vital again.
Psychotropic clean-line graphics and shaded emotional nuance.

-DOOM PATROL, by Gerard Way and Nick Derington _______
Gerard Way tranmutes everything great about Grant Morrison's '90s run into new gold.

D A R K
H O R S E

Art by Gene Ha
-MAE, by Gene Ha _______ ⇧
An all-ages cross-dimensional adventure series by the acclaimed artist of Alan Moore' TOP 10.

B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :

-PROVIDENCE, Act 1,
-PROVIDENCE, Act 2,
-PROVIDENCE, Act 3, by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows (Avatar) _______ ⇧
Three volumes collecting Alan Moore's 12-issue maxi-series prequel to NEONOMICON, a terrifying rethink of Lovecraft.

-LOVE IS LOVE, by Various Creators (IDW/DC) _______ ⇧
A benifit anthology responding to the Orlando shooting tragedy, championing all aspects of the human love spectrum. >

Art by Emil Ferris
-MY FAVORITE THING IS MONSTERS, by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics) _______ ⇧
An ink-pen diary and montage on notebook paper, tracing a mystery on many levels.

-CRAWL SPACE, by Jesse Jacobs (Koyama Press) _______
Mindwarping graphics and soul-searching prose.

-MAGRITTE: This Is Not a Biography, by Vincent Zabus and Thomas Campi (SelfMadeHero) _______
Fall into Magritte's world, and become it.
This is not a pipe (dream).

-EVERYTHING IS FLAMMABLE, by Gabrielle Bell (Uncivilized Books) _______
Memoir, diary, confession, dissertation.
Family issues and rebuilding.

-YOU & A BIKE & A ROAD, by Eleanor Davis (Koyama Press) _______
Putting yourself back together again, one sketch and sketchy moment at a time.

-NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, by Sina Grace (Image) _______
Existentialism amid the freedom and fatuousness of the digital age.

-BOUNDLESS, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
Surreal short stories that challenge the boundaries of self and nature.

-SAIGON CALLING: London 1963-75, by Marcelino Truong (Arsenal Pulp Press) _______ ⇧
This sequel to Such a Lovely Little War brings the Vietnamese expat through the Counter-Cultural Revolution.

-THE BEST WE COULD DO, by Thi Bui (Abrams) _______
Immigration is both escaping and finding continuously.

-POPPIES OF IRAQ, by Brigitte Findakly and Lewis Trondheim (Abrams) _______
Breezy cartooning belies a nuanced work coming to grips with dangerous social upheaval.

-SPINNING, by Tillie Walden (First Second) _______
Competitive skating across emotional thin ice. Finding your own glide.

-SHATTERED WARRIOR, by Sharon Shinn and Molly Knox Ostertag (First Second) _______ ⇧
Fighting galactic repression, with graphics by the artist of Strong Female Protagonist.

-KIM & KIM, Vol. 1: This Glamorous, High-Flying Rock Star Life, by Magdalene Visaggio, Matt Pizzolo, Katy Rex, Eva Cabrera, and Claudia Aguirre (Black Mask) _______
Here. Queer. Kickin' your rear.

-THE SMELL OF STARVING BOYS, by Loo Hui Phang and Frederik Peeters (SelfMadeHero) _______
A western where frontiers open up and boundaries dissolve.

B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S /
R E I S S U E S :

-KIRBY 100, by Jack Kirby, + (TwoMorrows) _______ ⇧
A centennial celebration of the King of Comics.

-THE EC ARCHIVES: The Haunt of Fear, The Vault of Horror, Shock SuspenStories, Tales from the Crypt, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science, Two-Fisted Tales, Panic, Valor, Aces High, by various (Dark Horse) _______
EC Comics was, and is, the revolution.

-BERNIE WRIGHTSON Artifact Edition Cover, by Bernie Wrightson (IDW) _______
Bernie Wrightson was one of the greatest modern heirs to the Golden Age of Illustration.

Art by Gene Day

Larger here
-Hands of Shang Chi, MASTER OF KUNG FU: Omnibus, Volume 4, by Doug Moench and Gene Day, + (Marvel) _______ ⇧
MOKF was a pivotal work of the '70s shamefully kept out of print ever since by legal problems.
Moench's complex and meditative hero forecast the mature comics of the '80s, and Gene Day's astonishing art at the end is the hinge from Will Eisner to J.H. Williams III.

-MICHAEL WM KALUTA'S STARSTRUCK Artist's Edition, by Elaine Lee and Michael Wm Kaluta (IDW) _______ ⇧
The original art pages of the 1984 graphic novel of STARSTRUCK, photographed at actual size.
> IDW

-DAVE STEVENS' THE ROCKETEER Artisan Edition, by Dave Stevens (IDW) _______
The page art of the classic adventurer, photographed at actual size.

-BATWOMAN, by Greg Rucka and JH Williams III (DC) _______ ⇧
An always timely reprinting of the stunning series, unequaled by any other still.

-STREAK OF CHALK, by Miguelanxo Prado (NBM) _______
A 1994 prism for interpretation, anchored around the beautiful watercolor art.

_______________

WHERE WE COME FROM, Dept.
Explore the past to map the future.
Get with, get going.

-LAST GIRL STANDING, by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics) _______ ⇧
The autobiography of Trina Robbins, whose imprint spans from Vampirella's costume and Wimmen's Comix to Wonder Woman and acclaimed histories of female comics creators.

-HOW TO READ NANCY: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels, by Paul Karasik And Mark Newgarden (Fantagraphics) _______
Using the (deceptively) formal clarity of Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy comic strip as a gateway to the medium.

B E S T
M O V I E S
a n d
T V:

I write and illustrate reviews of all comics-sourced films at the Four Color Films site.

Art by Tym Stevens
-LOGAN

-GHOST IN THE SHELL

-WONDER WOMAN

-SPIDER-MAN: Homecoming

-GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, Vol. 2

-THOR: Raganarok

-JUSTICE LEAGUE

-LEGION, season 1

-THE DEFENDERS, season 1

See also:
> BEST MOVIES & TV: 2017

B E S T
W E B C O M I C S

-The Nib

-Strong Female Protagonist

R E S T
I N
P O W E R

SWAMP THING,
by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson

Bernie Wrightson
Len Wein

From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.

Nuff said, pilgrim. Excelsior!

© Tym Stevens

Friday, November 24, 2017

BEST COMICS: 2013

BATWOMAN,
by J.H. Williams III

Shortcut links:
> Best Graphic Novel
> Best Comics
> Best Graphic Novels
> Best Collections/ Reprints
> Best Movies And TV

> Rest In Power

B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L :

-NEMO: Heart Of Ice, by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill ⇧

The first of a trilogy of spin-off tales from their LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN series, starring Nemo's daughter, the formidable Janni Dakkar.

B E S T
C O M I C S :

I M A G E

-SAGA, by Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vughan

It could have just been a Space Fantasy with attitude and done just fine. But, to our benefit, it is one of the most finely made stories being created, ever-challenging and surprising at every turn.

-NOWHERE MEN, by Eric Stephenson and Nate Bellegarde _______
What if a Beatlesque quartet of scientists changed the world, and then the apple started to rot from within?
Astute Speculative Fiction underlaid with many Rock music easter eggs.

-PRETTY DEADLY, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios _______
DeConnick (Captain Marvel, Bitch Planet) crafts a tense Horror Western emblazoned by inspired vistas of the excellent illustrator Emma Ríos.

-FATALE, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips _______
The hardboiled/horror continues from the crime comics duo.

-SATELLITE SAM, by Matt Fractin and Howard Chaykin _______
Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals) and Howard Chaykin (American Flagg). How perfect is that?
A murder mystery in the early-'50s dawn of TV, and the sex and corruption behind it.

-ROCKET GIRL, by Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare _______
Amy's time-traveling hero in the '80s is a fast blast gas.

D A R K
H O R S E

-HELLBOY In Hell, by Mike Mignola _______
After long delay, and a fitful gestation, the ultimate saga of Hellboy comes to glowing consummation.

D C

-BATWOMAN, by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III _______
The Best of The Best.
Williams' art -clockwork layouts, chimerical styles, and graphic verve- is simply the pinnacle, without peer.
And the character, the fiercely resolute Kate Kane, is one of the best since Bill Finger defined Batman.

-WONDER WOMAN, by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang _______
A hardboiled approach to Diana seems antithetical, and yet everything here works.
Terse dialogue and grand theatre are underscored by empathy and grace, brought to balance by sharp graphics and moody colors.

Timely Reminder, Dept.

WATCHMEN (1986) is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, with color by John Higgins.
They are the sole creators of this original saga, despite a copyright swindle by the publisher.
This is a self-contained story, period.
Any other "before" or "after" supplements are a complete fraud perpetrated by the greedy and supported by the foolish.

M A R V E L

-HAWKEYE, by Matt Fraction and David Aja _______
Looks like BATMAN: YEAR ONE, acts like a Richard Linklater indie comedy.

-FF, by Matt Fraction and Mike Allred _______
These substitutes for the Fantastic Four bring back all of that Lee/Kirby goodness with some postmodern flair.

-SIF: Journey Into Mystery, by Kathryn Immonen and Valerio Schiti, + _______
The Mighty Sif kicks your Asgard.

V E R T I G O

Cover by Yuko Shimizu
-THE UNWRITTEN, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross _______
Not merely 'an adult Harry Potter', this partycrasher to the fine tradition of magickal Euro' eccentrics has plenty of tricks within its sleeves.

-ASTRO CITY, by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson, + Alex Ross _______
Like a KINGDOM COME from a parallel dimension.
The ever-reliable excellence of this alternate twist on the Golden and Silver Age classics transmits unremittingly.

-TOM STRONG And The Planet Of Peril, by Peter Hogan, Chris Sprouse, and Karl Story _______
Another solid sequel arc for Alan Moore's iconic hero.

-TRILLIUM, by Jeff Lamire _______

B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :

-MARCH, Book One, by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf) _______
The Civil Rights hero steps out in the first of a trilogy of tales about his storied life, and its unending relevance.

-THE FIFTH BEATLE, by Vivek J. Tiwary and Andrew C. Robinson, with Kyle Baker (M Press) _______
The Betles' manager, Brian Epstein, gets his full due in this meticulously researched and Mod art treasure.

-HIP HOP FAMILY TREE, Vol. 1: 1970s-1981, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics) _______
Piskor begins his herculean epic of the history of Rap with this fab fly confabulation.

-FANTASY BASKETBALL, by Sam Bosma _______
What SHAOLIN SOCCER (2001) did for movies, this throwdown hoedown does for the page.

-BATTLING BOY, by Paul Pope (Oni) _______
So it's Paul Pope, and there you go.

-THE PROPERTY, by Rutu Modan (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
The creator of EXIT WOUNDS explores family relations under trying and confusing times.

-SUNNY, by Taiyo Matsumoto (VIZ Media) _______
The poetry and chaos of life in personal glimpses.

-THE UNWRITTEN: Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo) _______
A sidebar book to the acclaimed Vertigo Comics series about the magic boy coming of age and to terms with his unwanted legacy.

-BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR (English edition), by Julie Maroh (Arsenal Pulp Press)_______
In time for the film adaption, the 2010 love story gets a timely translation.

B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S :

-SHARAZ-DE: Tales from the Arabian Nights, by Sergio Toppi (Boom Entertainment) _______
Every page by SERGIO TOPPI is a master class.
With effortless grace, he reimagines how to use layout, negative space, texture, and pacing in seemingly unlimited new ways, making novices of everyone while challenging them to try harder.
This is how it should be done.

-DAMES, DIVAS, AND DAREDEVILS: Lost Heroines of Golden Age Comics, by Mike Madrid (Exterminating Angel Press) _______
Because comics are for everybody. Get with.

-SIMON & KIRBY LIBRARY Science Fiction, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (Titan) _______
The Dynamic Duo of the Golden Age of Comics get a proper spotlight series of books.

-PHANTOM LADY, Volume 2 and 3, by Matt Baker; Jack Kamen, Alex Blum, + (Dynamite) _______
Matt Baker, the first African-American comics artist, made his fine name with his work on this late '40s/early '50s series.

-GENIUS, ILLUSTRATED: The Life and Art of Alex Toth (Book 2), by Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell (IDW) _______
Alex Toth is an artists' artist, a versatile crafter with particular skills in graphics and clean design.

-MADWOMAN OF THE SACRED HEART, by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius (Humanoids) _______
Because Jodorowsky and Moebius.

-BATMAN Black And White, Edited by Mark Chiarello (DC) _______
The finest creators doing excellent noir work.

-Co-Mix, by Art Spiegelman (Drawn & Quarterly) _______
A career retrospective of the Pulitzer-winning creator of MAUS and co-creator of RAW magazine.

-SOLO: Deluxe Edition, Edited by Mark Chiarello (DC) _______
Individual story one-shots from key creators doing whatever they wanted to do most.

_______________

WHERE WE COME FROM, Dept.
Explore the past to map the future.
Get with, get going.

-THE GOLDEN AGE OF DC COMICS, by Paul Levitz (Taschen)

-THE SILVER AGE OF DC COMICS, by Paul Levitz (Taschen)

-AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: The 1950s, by Bill Schelly (TwoMorrows)

-AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: 1960-64, by John Wells (TwoMorrows)

-AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: 1965-69, by John Wells (TwoMorrows)

-AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: The 1970s, by Jason Sacks (> 2014, TwoMorrows)

-AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: The 1980s, by Keith Dallas (TwoMorrows)

B E S T
M O V I E S
a n d
T V:

I write and illustrate reviews of all comics-sourced films at the Four Color Films site.

Digital painting by Tym Stevens

-BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
> Four Color Films review

-THOR 2: The Dark World
> Four Color Films review

-AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. 1 (TV)

See also:
> BEST MOVIES & TV: 2013

R E S T
I N
P O W E R

Nick Cardy did all of the classic covers
for DC in the late-'60s and early-'70s.

Nick Cardy
Carmine Infantino
Kim Thompson

From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.

Monday, January 23, 2012

BEST COMICS: 2011

STARSTRUCK

Shortcut links:
• Best Graphic Novel
• Best Comics
• Graphic Novels
• Best Collections/ Reissues
• • Where We Come From, Dept.
• Movies And TV

• Rest In Power

B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :

• STARSTRUCK Deluxe Edition, by Elaine Lee, Michael Wm. Kaluta, and Lee Moyer ⇧

Still the smartest, funniest, and most creative series there is.

And this lavish, giant-sized omnibus packed with goodies blows all other competition away.

▶ STARSTRUCK Strikes Back!
▶ The Roots And Branches Of STARSTRUCK

B E S T
C O M I C S :

D C

• BATWOMAN, story by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman; art by J.H. Williams III/ Amy Reader ⇧ _______
The best of the best.

• SWAMP THING, by Jeff Lemire and Yanick Paquette _______
Pulls off the impossible, by bringing back all of the best elements of the Wein-Wrightson original, the Moore-Bissette-Totleben renaissance, and with a new sense of surprise. Astounding so far.

• ANIMAL MAN, by Todd Snyder and Travel Foreman _______
Matches the original heyday of Grant Morrison with better art and its own sophistication. A fine companion piece to the new SWAMP THING.

• ACTION COMICS, by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales _______
The 1938 Superman was a populist everyman who fought for the workers and took down the fatcats who lorded over them in the Depression.
The new Superman is again an avatar of the foreclosed, the downsized, and the penniless under the heels of the greed machine.
Look, up in the sky...it's our raised fists!

V E R T I G O

• THE UNWRITTEN, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross

M A R V E L

• ULTIMATE COMICS: SPIDER-MAN, by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli ⇧ _______
While some jerks overreacted to a new Hispanic/African American Spider-Man, what we really got was a tender coming-of-age story of a charming teen kid starting his path to glory. Excellent all around. >

• MOON KNIGHT, by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev _______
Bendis and Maleev...hey, what more could you ask for?

T O P
S H E L F

• LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDIANARY GENTLEMEN: 1969, by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill ⇧ _______
Alan Moore takes on the literature and pop culture of late-'60s London.
A dream come true.

D A R K
H O R S E

• DOLLHOUSE: Epitaphs, by Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Andrew Chambliss, and Cliff Richards ⇧ _______

The DOLLHOUSE tv series reached its height with the shocking leap into a dystopian future in its final "Epitaph" episodes. The scriptwriters return to sketch out the deeper details of that future in this mini-series, with the promise of more to come.

B E S T
G R A P H I C
N O V E L S :

• HABIBI, by Craig Thompson ⇧ _______
BLANKETS (2003) was an intimate story with a wide canvas.
HABIBI is an intimate story on an epic scale that encompasses religions, countries, cultures, and gender. Ambitious and stunning.

• GREEN RIVER KILLER: A True Detective Story, by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case _______
Noted pop culture writer Jeff Jensen details the personal dimension of a notorious true-life case solved by his father.

• CELLULOID, by Dave McKean _______
One of the best fine artists in the field doing an experimental meditation on erotica.

• BATMAN: NOEL, by Lee Bermejo _______
Lee. Bermejo.

• NEONOMICON, by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows _______
Alan Moore deconstructs and rethinks the H.P. Lovecraft mythos, turning its latent biases and psychological underthemes inside out into new fruition.

• FINDER: VOICE, by Carla Speed McNeil

• ANYA'S GHOST, by Vera Brosgol

• HARK! A VAGRANT, by Kate Beaton

• DAYTRIPPER, by Gabriel Ba

• LUCHADORAS, by Peggy Adam

B E S T
C O L L E C T I O N S :

• WONDER WOMAN Chronicles, vol.2, by Wm. Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter ⇧ _______
Moulton's 1940s proto-feminist parables are still light years ahead of any version of her done since, and Peter's nouveau art is still as wonderful as it is unsung. >

• MISS FURY Sensational Sundays 1944-49, by Tarpe Mills _______
The pioneering cartoonist given her proper retrospective.

• FIGURE DRAWING FOR ALL IT'S WORTH, by Andrew Loomis _______
The seminal illustrator's classic tutorial book is reprinted, with a foreward by his acolyte Alex Ross.

• WILLIE AND JOE, The WWII Years, by Bill Mauldin _______
Mauldin's cartoons from the front personified the grunt caught in the cogs, and were an early Neorealist window for the USA public on the realities of war.

• The Complete POGO, vol. 1, by Walt Kelly _______
The definition of smart art. Absolutely essential.

• Will Eisner's PS MAGAZINE, by Will Eisner _______
After his legendary run on "The Spirit", Eisner did 20 years of cartoon work for the U.S. Army.

• KAMANDI Omnibus, Vol. 1, by Jack Kirby _______
Jack Kirby in the early-'70s. Unbeatable.

• CREEPY Presents Bernie Wrightson, by Bernie Wrightson _______
WRIGHTSON's early horror work compiled.

• The Extraordinary Adventures of ADELE BLANC-SEC, Vol. 2, by Jacques Tardi _______
More fun with the taciturn adventurer.

• CHASE, by D. Curtis Johnson and J.H. Williams III _______
Fans may know Chase from BATWOMAN; this overdue volume collects all her early adventures, with art by J.H. WILLIAMS III.

• X-STATIX Omnibus, by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred _______
A huge compilation of their fun and satiric X-FORCE and X-STATIX series.

WHERE WE
COME FROM,
Dept.

• LILY RENEE, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer, by Trina Robbins _______
Historian emeritus Trina Robbins shines light on another creative woman who deserves her place in the pantheon.

• JOE SIMON: My Life In Comics, by Joe Simon _______
The dynamic duo of Golden Age Comics creators was Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Listen up and learn.

• The Adventures of HERGE, by Jose-Louis Bocquet, Jean-Luc Fromental, and Stanislas Barthélémy _______
A biography of Herge done in the style of his beloved TINTIN books.

• The Art Of JOE KUBERT, by Bill Schelly; Joe Kubert _______
JOE KUBERT was an invaluable throughline from the Golden Age of Comics to the 21st Century.
His rustic line and human stories offset the slick in every era, and his School Of The Visual Arts trained droves of great comics creators.

_______________

• SUPERGODS, by Grant Morrison _______
Grant's insights on comic history are required reading.

(His judgement on Alan Moore is lacking, and can be corrected by reading...)

• ALAN MOORE: Storyteller, by Gary Spencer Millidge ⇧ _______
The most comprehensive overview on the multi-talented maestro, including an exclusive CD of his performance recordings.

B E S T
M O V I E S
+ T V :

I write and illustrate reviews of all comics-sourced films at the Four Color Films site.

- - - M O V I E S - - -

Super 8; Hugo; Tintin

• THOR _______
▶ Four Color Films review
Kenneth Branagh really went for it all. The Earth stuff was a little rushed, but Asgard was glorious.

• CAPTAIN AMERICA _______
▶ Four Color Films review
A refreshing surprise. No irony, no jingoism, just a great pulp adventure homage with all the right instincts.

• SUPER 8 _______
My personal favorite of the summer.

In the mid-'70s, science fiction films were declared dead. Then STAR WARS remade the movie industry like The Beatles revised music.> All those 13-year-old fans then made the pop culture of the next three decades. J.J Abrams brings it all full circle with this mysterious and tender homage to the 1977-1982 movies that ignited everything to come.

• HAUNTERS (S. Korea) _______
The bridge between UNBREAKABLE and PUSH. Sharply made, great characters, constant surprises, a rousing finish.

• HUGO _______
A beautiful love letter to early film and classic books. And perhaps the most thoughtful use of 3D yet seen.

• The Adventures Of TINTIN _______
▶ Four Color Films review
My old saw is, "Do Herge's actual clean-line style mapped onto CG puppets."
Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson did the opposite -wedding Herge's world to 3D realism, noir lighting, and Hitchcock angles- and pulled it off spectacularly. A breathtaking avalanche of smart fun.

• The Extraordinary Adventures Of ADELE BLANC-SEC (France) _______
▶ Four Color Films review
The grumbling adventurer gets a fine film treatment of her illustrated exploits by Luc Besson ("The Fifth Element").

- - - Good Also, Dept.: - - -
• GREEN LANTERN _______
> Four Color Films review
(Wait for it.) I like the 2/3 with the Lantern Corp and outer space.
The remaining third -the earthbound scenes with Hal and Carol- was hokey and cringe-inducing.

• SUPER _______
A bent Indie comedy take on what would really happen if you tried to be a superhero, featuring an unhinged Ellen Page.

• GRIFF THE INVISIBLE (Australia) _______
A modest take on homemade superheroes, with an engaging romance and some twists.

• X-MEN: First Class _______
> Four Color Films review
One-third of this movie is great (Michael Fassbender). Another third is generally good.
But the story is wildly uneven; the Civil Rights opportunity is inexcusably ignored; and reaching beyond 1962 to homage culture styles beyond it creates an anachronistic clusterfunk.

___________

- - - T V - - -

Game Of Thrones; Misfits; Fringe/Fringe

• GAME OF THRONES _______
Only 5% of this is 'Fantasy'. The other 95% is the best character drama about court intrigue one could imagine.

• MISFITS (U.K.) _______
The Sex Pistols of 'superheroes'. Sacrilegious and hilarious.

• FRINGE _______
X-FILES never paid-off any of its set-ups well. FRINGE always does, in an unwinding tapestry that only gets better as it goes.

• THE FADES (U.K.) _______
A supernatural thriller. Like reading one of the finest Vertigo Comics of 1993, with in-jokes galore.

___________

A N I M A T E D

• CHICO AND RITA (Spain/U.K.) ⇧ _______
Beautiful to watch, to listen to, and to feel. Wonderful.

• THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY (Japan) _______
Another gem from Studio Ghibli, this charming tale of miniature people is a winner all around. Smart, heart, art.

• BATMAN: BRAVE AND THE BOLD _______
Here, Bat-Mite points out that this show is a love letter to the Silver Age Of Comics. And he's right.
Before we got too dark and serious, comics used to be about fun, wonder, and impossible non-sequiters. This show brings all of that back with hyper zeal. It's great fun in all the right ways.

• BATMAN: Year One _______
An anime take on the classic Frank Miller/David Mazzucchelli origin. Effective, though Mazzucchelli's grittier artwork was more effective.

• FUTURAMA _______
Hey...It's Futurama!

___________

D O C U M E N T A R Y
• GRANT MORRISON: Talking With The Gods _______
Grand writer holds forth.

R E S T
I N
P O W E R

• Dwayne McDuffie
• Gene Colan
• Jerry Robinson
• Joe Simon

From you, we exist.
Because of you, we persist.

Monday, December 31, 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR! with New Years Songs music player

Thursday, December 14, 2017

BEST COMICS: 2017

B E S T G R A P H I C N O V E L :

B E S T C O M I C S :

I D W

I M A G E

M A R V E L

D C

V E R T I G O

Y O U N G A N I M A L

D A R K H O R S E

B E S T G R A P H I C N O V E L S :

B E S T C O L L E C T I O N S / R E I S S U E S :

B E S T M O V I E S a n d T V:

B E S T W E B C O M I C S

R E S T I N P O W E R

Friday, November 24, 2017

BEST COMICS: 2013

B E S T G R A P H I C N O V E L :

B E S T C O M I C S :

I M A G E

D A R K H O R S E

D C

M A R V E L

V E R T I G O

B E S T G R A P H I C N O V E L S :

B E S T C O L L E C T I O N S :

B E S T M O V I E S a n d T V:

R E S T I N P O W E R

Monday, January 23, 2012

BEST COMICS: 2011

B E S T G R A P H I C N O V E L S :

B E S T C O M I C S :

D C

V E R T I G O

M A R V E L

T O P S H E L F

D A R K H O R S E

B E S T G R A P H I C N O V E L S :

B E S T C O L L E C T I O N S :

WHERE WE COME FROM, Dept.

B E S T M O V I E S + T V :

R E S T I N P O W E R

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