Comic Review 2009
I started my mini-review of comics last year, and I have to say, I kind of liked doing it. So here it is again, but with a fair warning: there's not much variety this time around. We lost our major comic book store this last year, and I'm getting pickier about what I read and usually waiting until a series is complete to give it a shot, even though my husband keeps pestering me to read stuff. So if you read the review from last year, then there's no surprises this year.
Please note this is a mini-review of the issues I've read. Not each INDIVIDUAL issue, but rather, each series, and that doesn't include the graphic novels that I've already reviewed during the year. So, if you're interested, take a look at the comics that caught my eye this year, and why they're working or not working for this total non-expert comic book reader.
Kick Ass
Issues 3-7
Written by: Mark Millar
Illustrated by: John Romita, Jr.
This is the second year where I've looked at the number of issues I've read and think I've missed the latest, but who knows? Sometimes, titles take a FOREVER to come out, and it looks like this series is one of those titles.
The adventure (such as it is) continues: our costumed, wanna-be-a-hero geek makes friends, forms an alliance, and as the title suggests, gets his ass kicked. Things got pretty dark and violent in the past few issues, but that's not a surprise. The series itself begs the question of what would REALLY HAPPEN if people dressed up as superheroes to fight crime, and the answers aren't pretty. They're sometimes FUNNY, but not pretty. I think the film adaptation is supposed to come out in 2010 (it's at least in production now), so I'm looking forward to see what they do, especially since this isn't a completed series yet, and it takes FOR-EV-ER between issues.
Locke & Key: Head Games
Issues 1-6
Written by: Joe Hill
Illustrated by: Gabriel Rodriguez
Head Games is the second set in the Locke & Key series, and it gives us a LOT of backstory and a lot of keys to puzzle over. I'm rather taken by the magic of this series, and while this set wasn't quite as horrific as Welcome to Lovecraft, it did introduce some very eerie, freaky elements and themes. Not to be read without having Welcome to Lovecraft under your belt, but once it is, you can pick up the full collection of Head Games. It's a great story, and even non-comic fans should give Joe Hill's work a shot (provided you read the books in order), and Joe Hill fans? Let me say this: you're not TRULY a fan of his work if you haven't given this a shot. Seriously. It's like claiming to be a fan of Neil Gaiman without having read the career-defining series of Sandman.
Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows
Issue 1
Written by: Joe Hill
Illustrated by: Gabriel Rodriguez
I've got #2, but I just haven't read it yet. Crown of Shadows, from what I understand, is the final set in the Locke & Key story, and the first issue itself was quite fascinating. I'm really, really, really looking forward to seeing how this series ends.
And that's it. I know, it's not much. I dropped the following series because I simply lost interest, or the series didn't grab me to begin with: Garth Ennis's The Boys, Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson: Homecoming, and J. Michael Straczynski's Rising Stars. We've got everything but the final issue of Jonathan Hickman's Red Mass for Mars, and we're not sure it's out and we're not sure we care. :)
I'll definitely keep up with my 2010 reads, but unless Greg holds me down and makes me read some of his completed series, I'm not sure you're going to see much variety this time next year. :)
Please note this is a mini-review of the issues I've read. Not each INDIVIDUAL issue, but rather, each series, and that doesn't include the graphic novels that I've already reviewed during the year. So, if you're interested, take a look at the comics that caught my eye this year, and why they're working or not working for this total non-expert comic book reader.
Kick Ass
Issues 3-7
Written by: Mark Millar
Illustrated by: John Romita, Jr.
This is the second year where I've looked at the number of issues I've read and think I've missed the latest, but who knows? Sometimes, titles take a FOREVER to come out, and it looks like this series is one of those titles.
The adventure (such as it is) continues: our costumed, wanna-be-a-hero geek makes friends, forms an alliance, and as the title suggests, gets his ass kicked. Things got pretty dark and violent in the past few issues, but that's not a surprise. The series itself begs the question of what would REALLY HAPPEN if people dressed up as superheroes to fight crime, and the answers aren't pretty. They're sometimes FUNNY, but not pretty. I think the film adaptation is supposed to come out in 2010 (it's at least in production now), so I'm looking forward to see what they do, especially since this isn't a completed series yet, and it takes FOR-EV-ER between issues.
Locke & Key: Head Games
Issues 1-6
Written by: Joe Hill
Illustrated by: Gabriel Rodriguez
Head Games is the second set in the Locke & Key series, and it gives us a LOT of backstory and a lot of keys to puzzle over. I'm rather taken by the magic of this series, and while this set wasn't quite as horrific as Welcome to Lovecraft, it did introduce some very eerie, freaky elements and themes. Not to be read without having Welcome to Lovecraft under your belt, but once it is, you can pick up the full collection of Head Games. It's a great story, and even non-comic fans should give Joe Hill's work a shot (provided you read the books in order), and Joe Hill fans? Let me say this: you're not TRULY a fan of his work if you haven't given this a shot. Seriously. It's like claiming to be a fan of Neil Gaiman without having read the career-defining series of Sandman.
Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows
Issue 1
Written by: Joe Hill
Illustrated by: Gabriel Rodriguez
I've got #2, but I just haven't read it yet. Crown of Shadows, from what I understand, is the final set in the Locke & Key story, and the first issue itself was quite fascinating. I'm really, really, really looking forward to seeing how this series ends.
And that's it. I know, it's not much. I dropped the following series because I simply lost interest, or the series didn't grab me to begin with: Garth Ennis's The Boys, Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson: Homecoming, and J. Michael Straczynski's Rising Stars. We've got everything but the final issue of Jonathan Hickman's Red Mass for Mars, and we're not sure it's out and we're not sure we care. :)
I'll definitely keep up with my 2010 reads, but unless Greg holds me down and makes me read some of his completed series, I'm not sure you're going to see much variety this time next year. :)