A grip of short reviews [Comics!]

Right, so I've been lazy again. I'll quit saying that as, uh, I tend to say that a lot. Things have been really busy in my neck of the woods, and I'm even working on a couple projects.

That said, let's do a few short comic reviews, eh?


The Man With No Name #4













This comic is panned by some as boring and slow, but to me it's a nice, slow burn. Sure, each issue could hold three issues the way it's going, but TMWNN is just great to read for it's mood. Yeah, I don't know why Blondie has the weird font for his talky bubbles either. But I don't care. The art is sweet and, well, moody; and when the action does get going, it kicks ass. I have a feeling things will be heating up even more next issue. Lethality: The posse manages a daring escape only to have 4 out of the 5 of them shot off their horse by Josey Wales. They never even heard the shots.

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Battlestar Galactica Origins #10










You know, at first I thought this particular end of the series was a bit too mashed together, and trying too hard to combine back-stories for Helo and Starbuck; but I'm pleased to say this issue is a marked improvement. The art is still kinda... eh. I know Lau is better than this... what's up? Maybe it's just me. On the plus side, the art isn't bad or anything-- so cool. The duo of writers seem to be gaining a nice pace and the story is goin' nice now. And what's up with the make-out sesh? 'Shippers: get some! Lethality: 3 raptors vaped, 1 cut in half, one got away back to it's battlestar.

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Army of Darkness #13










The King For a Day story lands on our heads and holy crap do I LOVE IT. This series is one of the best things to read if you dig irreverent humour, wild action, monsters & the undead and, oh, the Evil Dead films. This is what I'm talking about folks. A great one-shot story that sets things up to come. Damn, this is a shining, bloody example of why I read comics. Army of Darkness movie lovers will love this one! Top bone-notch writing and killer art. Lethality: The entire platoon of Deadites were cut to pieces. Not even Sgt. Headstone could save them. He's back to being plain ol' dead, too.

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Judge Dredd Megazine #276













Not much to say other than "a drokking gruddamned fine issue!". The real stand-out, though, is the Snow/Tiger Pax Americana single issue collection that's included. Andy Diggle and Andy Clarke need to do more with this vastly underappreciated anti-terorist high-tech hyper-violent thiller. And my fave thing of the bunch was the awesome sweet-as-Pye cover art. One of my faves in the last few years! Lethality: Total Block Kill. The usual, really.

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The Boys #23










This series keeps getting better and better. Wow. We got more on The Seven, under-the-door wanking, Homelander saying "fuck" some more, Darick Robertson kicking so much art-ass that I'm wearing my balls as goggles right now, and a bunch of other stuff. The last page made me fall out of my chair. Nice one. Lethality: Total Super-jerk Party Kill. Not surprising.

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Well, that's all the time I have for now, folks. Lot of Dynamite in there, yeah? Well, they mmake excellent comics, so I cannot help myself. I have some stuff from Boom! to read, which I think I'll get to today. As well as working on the new TPK, of course.

Cheers!

2000 AD Extreme Edition X30

"Something... ALIEN!"

Imagine my surprise when I discovered after picking up this issue of Extreme Edition that it would be the last one. "Heartbroken" would be an extreme understatement of how I felt-- and still feel.

It would seem X30 is the last one. I've really been enjoying this collection of 2000 AD thrills that never made trades for a few months, ever since I found a shop who'd stock it. Now, I'm very sad. It is a nice consolation that Judge Dredd Magazine will now be having 64-page book bagged with it, starting with Judge Dredd: The Jock Collection.

Yeah, Jock always makes me feel better.

But still! Extreme Edition... gone? I cannot be the only one who weeps, surely!

Hey, look, Down the Tubes talked about this a month ago. Sigh, I've been too busy to notice, and this usually arrives a few weeks behind for me here across the pond. I have been reading my Extreme Editions, though. And no, I don't care if The Mean Arena was featured... I loved it, anyway.

What is, or was Extreme Edition? It's old 2000 AD comics which didn't make the trade paperback cut, scanned and re-printed in all over their black & white glory. Harlem Heroes, Meltdown Man, old Tharg thrills, Judge Anderson, Invasion!... all the ol' greats in one big fat magazine-sized offering which I totally looked forward to (even if I have quite a few of the old progs). X30 has a few colour pages which is nice, and wrapping up EE is Sam Slade, the Robo Hunter. Every thrill provided in this issue showcases art by the scrotnig and unparalleled Ian Gibson, demonstrating various styles of his. And if Robo Hunter isn't enough fr a send off, we are treated to a couple Anderson: Psi Division shorts; one of which has some colour (Colin Wilson Block) and is a past fave of mine, even if the ending is kind of lacking in a way. Walter the Wobot and two Tharg strips, including the seminal The Day They Banned 2000 as the fitting closer, all add to the usual, and now silent, madness. I'm really going to miss my $7, 114 page bi-monthly Tooth fix!!

If you ever see any one of the thirty issues of Extreme Edition, do yourself a favour and pick one up-- especially if you are curious about older 2000 AD stuff. If anything, it will give you a great bang for your buck.

At least the Megazine is now offering more monthly, and there's always the weekly injection of 2000 AD. There is some good in the universe, after all.

So long, EE. I'll never stop loving you.


Lethality: A mighty robo-lich king emerges from some black hell to kill party, after party, after party... But no matter how much he kills, it can never fill the hole in his heart.