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Magazine Archives for:
2004
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Art Thibert on Chrono Mechanics
Art Thibert has recently penciled, inked, and co-written a new comic from Image and Hack Shack studios called Chrono Mechanics. It’s the story of four very different personalities (human and otherwise) that have been brought together… [more]
Mister Chon, Suddenly I Wish to Leave Your Island (A shrill partisan talks about Birth of a Nation)
Do comics have a liberal bias? This seems like a loaded question because most conservatives will tell you everything has a liberal bias (You know, not counting the Supreme Court, the FCC, our new electoral… [more]
Confessions of a New X-Men Reader
Grant Morrison made me care about the X-Men for the first time. Oh, I’d read the X-Men. I liked the ideas behind “Days of Future Past” and “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” I just didn’t care.
Instant Karma’s Gonna Get You (Chon discusses the Phoenix comic without mutants)
As I was walking through Chinatown last weekend, admiring the endless tanks filled with multicolored koi (which is my new passion of the moment), I noticed something very odd. The little Asian kids were mostly… [more]
A Trip to Sin City
Frank Miller is the man generally credited for taking Batman and returning the character to his roots (through his groundbreaking works The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One) as a take-no-prisoners hard-ass. For a… [more]
Do SexBots Dream of Electric Skeet? (Chon’s going to have apologize to his mommy after this one)
Remember when I said superhero comics shouldn’t lose their sense of wonder, because bad things happen? Well, um… yeah. Anyway, as you now know, Sue Dibny was brutally raped and murdered in a cheap shock… [more]
Superman’s Copyright: The Never-Ending Battle?
With the current focus on the rights to Superman, it’s worth taking a moment to discuss the history of the Superman copyright.
“Lacking on Every Level”
Avengers #500 Marvel Comics – Brian Michael Bendis (w); David Finch (p); Danny Miki (i)I almost didn’t review this, for a couple of reasons. Here’s the score: No matter what I say, for good or… [more]
Call Samus Davis, Jr. He’ll vouch for me! (Your Humble Servant endorses The Cartoon History of the Universe)
Comics made me a smarter person. Not necessarily bragging here; it’s not as if I’d just said, “comics made me the smartest person in the world” (because my brain’s staggering capacity for intellectual growth at… [more]
DC Plans Justice League Classified
Grant Morrison’s long-awaited return to JLA will come as an arc in Justice League Classified, a new title. The book will feature rotating arcs, much like JLA, but these arcs will take place during various… [more]
The Lady Death Shuffle
Lady Death is getting ready to settle into yet another home when Avatar begins publishing the title later this year. Avatar will be the third publisher for the character, created by Brian Pulido. After Pulido’s… [more]
Shipping Wednesday, 21 July 2004
The following comics are scheduled to ship this Wednesday, 21 July 2004.Shipping details come courtesy of Diamond Comic Distributors. This list is subject to change. PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS JUN040005 PREVIEWS ADULT VOL XIV #8 PI JUN040001… [more]
Guardians: A Marvel #1 Worth Guarding
Guardians #1 Marvel Comics – Marc Sumerak (w); Casey Jones (p); David Self (i)Let’s be perfectly clear on one thing before we start: Marvel puts out entirely too many books in any given month and… [more]
The Last Comics Blotter
Comics Lit Spotlight in New York Times MagazineIf you are already a member or you don’t mind registering with the online version of New York Times Magazine, there is a great article by Charles McGrath… [more]
Your Weekly Blotter Fix
Dabel Brothers and Devil’s Due Having a Bit of a TiffThe comic book industry is just a reality show waiting to happen. CrossGen can breathe a momentary sigh of relief as Dabel Bros. and Devil’s… [more]
Batman Flounders, Richard Dragon Amuses, and Spider-Man 2 Gets Some Snarky Comments
Just a couple quick reviews and a little something “special” at the end this week. Batman #629 DC Comics – Judd Winick (w); Dustin Nguyen (p); Richard Friend (i) Gotham City’s criminal underworld is currently… [more]
Comics News Unlimited
Harvey ResultsThe big winners at this year’s Harvey Awards were Drawn & Quarterly, Fantagraphics, DC, and Craig Thompson. D&Q won five Harveys including Best Writer (Chester Brown) and Best Colorist (Chris Ware). Fantagraphics brought home… [more]
The Gray Area in Black and White
The Gray Area #1 Image Comics – Glen Brunswick (w); John Romita, Jr. (p); Klaus Janson (i)John Romita is one of my favorite artists of the Silver Age. I’m also of the opinion that his… [more]
CrossGen, Austen, 2099, More
The Final Chapter? If you didn’t see this coming then I have taught you nothing. It’s no surprise that CrossGen has filed for bankruptcy. The company’s debt has risen to around $3.5 million and that… [more]
Getting Under the Hood of Ex Machina
Ex Machina #1 DC Comics / WildStorm – Brian K. Vaughan (w); Tony Harris (p); Tom Feister (i)I must say, I’ve been nervously looking forward to this book for the past two months. I’ve been… [more]
Moore, CrossGen, and News Blips
Moore LoveIn 1988 Alan Moore wrote an epic poem about the history of gay culture entitled The Mirror of Love. Now, 16 years later, Top Shelf has just released a beautiful edition of the epic.… [more]
Comics Publicity, Peter David, and More
In a nice little bit of comic book public relations, I heard Terry Gross’s interview with Steven T. Seagle this past Wednesday on National Public Radio. Seagle, writer of such Vertigo titles as Sandman Mystery… [more]
I Shot the Devil (Chon’s laziness works out in everyone’s favor — and heals a broken nation)
Ronald Reagan died last Saturday, and I pretty much swore I’d save this section of what all the cool kids are calling “The Arb” for self-indulgent goofball antics and stay away from the topical stuff,… [more]
The Fall of Hype: Astonishing X-Men and Superman
Astonishing X-Men #1 Marvel Comics – Joss Whedon (w); John Cassaday (a)Well, I can’t envision any scenario where this book isn’t the most reviewed title of the week from the online comics community; there’s just… [more]
Another Week, Another Blotter
News Blips In a depressing update to the Stormwatch news posted here last week, Rich Johnston is reporting that Stormwatch: Team Achilles is not going to release issue #24 at all. According to the report,… [more]