so we went to see mama mia last night. I have to admit I’m not a fan of ABBA so that may have swayed my opinion but I think the play is done well, composed well but the story isn’t really all that good. And isn’t theatre supposed to tell a story? I’ll give it a B for the talent and the stage production but after seeing Avenue Q and Sweeney Todd, this play just didn’t do as much for me. Sorry ABBA Fans. O.k. It’s comic book day.

Moon Knight # 1 I grew up reading the 80’s version of this characther when i had an extra 1.25 and there were no New X-Men books on the shelf. Moon Knight was always cool, and I’ve always liked the Marvel B characthers better. Heck I read all 75 issues of New Warriors and most of the Alpha Flight run. When I found out they were redoing Moonie it caught my eye but I was sold when they announced David Finch would be doing the art. He sold me on New Avengers and this book could be amazing if they keep the pacing up. I really think Moon Knight could be Marvel’s Batman, I give the first issue and A+

Also picked up the Annihilation Prolouge for my earlier statement about the New Warriors. Nova! The story seems great but did anyone else think Kolins artwork was a bit, well awful? Im glad he’s not doing the Nova series which is the only one I think I’ll pick up right now. I also like Drax a lot, think I’ll have to check out that trade of his recent miniseries.

Jessica picked up the new Giant Robot which is always fun and this…

Strangetown #1 by Chynna Chugston. Oni Press. Chugston created the Blue Monday series and my favorite of hers, Scooter Girl, and this story takes place in Grangeton, Oregon, and it has all the charm of her ealrier work with a bit of mystery thrown in. Her characthers are overly caffeinated youthful caricatures that just work. I think she is one of the few true American Magna artists, because it reads like magna, but with our cultural influences which is definetly nice.
It says it’s a irregulary published ongoing series. Let’s hope it doesn’t go the Optic Nerve route and only come out once every couple of years. Wooh lot’s of comic reviews. sorry about that. let’s go watch lost.

Fell # 4 By Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. 1.99 Image Comics. I love this book. I really do. I love the crime feeling and the fact that detective Fell is feeling the desperation normally left for the criminals. That feeling of hopelessness that Ben Templesmiths art brings, and the amazing coloring job on these pages is really a strong yes to color in comics. I like the dogs bit in the backmatter as well, and I have visions of the U.S. closing off Detroit because the dogs have taken the city. It would be a reprieve for 8mile I bet. Still the best value in comics. Give me Number 5.

Good day at the comic store. Two books published by indy powerhouse Drawn and Quarterly and one by the monster Marvel.
The first book is Big Questions Number 8 “theory and practice” by Anders Brekhus Nilsen. The cover has a neat disection of a bird on it and it caught my eye. I’m not familiar with what has happened so far in this story but this series seems to be told from the viewpoint of various birds who witnessed a plane crash. To them the plane was a Giant bird and the human survivor inside was a hatched egg. It’s interesting and the art flows nicely. I’m not sure if it’s a story i could follow regulary or not, but it’s presented very well.

Crickets # 1 by Sammy Harkham, This book is pretty good. Harkham, who edits the Art Comic anthology Kramer’s Ergot, tells a story of a Golem and his master here in 6 panel pages. The artwork is highlighted by a green and yellow pressing, and it moves along nicely. I’ll buy the second issue on this one.

before i move on to the major, i just finished Jason’s latest Meow Baby from Fantagraphics and like all his work, i loved it.

O.k. here goes Astonishing X-men # 13 by Whedon and Cassady. Yeah the comic community has been waiting six months for this one and it delivers mostly. There’s absolutely no action is this ‘super’ hero book but that is not where Joss Whedon shines anyway. His dialogue is beyond impecable, he knows the characthers and makes double crossing villians human. I’ve admitted here before to loving Serenity, Whedon’s sci-fi film that none of you went to see. Well I can say this, the new x-men film will be no where as good as this comic. Someone at Fox should shut down that production fire brett ratner and wait for Whedon’s screenwriting scheldule to clear up and then let the man direct it. This comic is what an x-men movie could be without spending a single dime on special effects. Of course he could throw those in as well. Either way i’d rather spend my 2.99 every month on this book than my seven dollars on what looks more and more like a crappy x3.

New Avengers 16. Great issue. Although some of you may complain that there wasn’t a single Avenger in the story besides Tony Stark, this issue has beautiful artwork of Alpha Flight in it ever. Did they all die? Anyway, A great Bendis setup for the next issue!

That Kickers Inc back up story. CRAP!.

Loveless # 4 I love the colors of this book. The material is so dark and twisted and the colors are so bright and right on. I’d like to see Azzarello move the story along a little, and I’m hoping he knows where it is going.

So i finally got Resident Evil 4 for the gamecube, and i’ll join the masses. It’s freaking amazing. There’s something to be said for a video game that scares you and thrills you all at the same time. Going to go play it now!.

Hellboy : Makoma or a tale told by a mummy at the new york explorers club on August 16, 1993 # 1 (of 2) by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben. Hellboy is one of those comics that breathes atmosphere. It has been widely discussed that Mignola would no longer be regularly drawing his Hellboy stories to the dismay of many of his fans. But in this issue Richard Corben does a very good job of catching the style and the look of the world of Hellboy. It’s a neat tale wrapped around African Folk tales, of which I wish I knew more about, with the same wit and humor we can expect from any Hellboy comic. All in all it’s a high B and since it’s only a two parter you don’t have to make a very large finacial investment, like all those ‘big’ crossover’s going on in comics right now.

upcoming comics im intrigued by, but not sure if i’ll be buying,
Nova:Annhilation, Moon Knight, Battlestar Galactica(new series) and The Star Trek Magna! haha.

new avengers 15. Frank Cho’s (Liberty Meadows) artwork works well here. I thought it was weird when he was announced to do a run on this series but since it’s mostly a talkie issue he’s the perfect choice as he does do facial expressions pretty well. anyway this book doesn’t really rank in top of this series so far but is o.k. as filler goes.

Beat PNO3 the other day. game is shiny! Now playing mega Man x collection,(those games are hard) and Tales of Symphonia.
Reading Scott Mill’s The Masterplan, and Jonathon Lethem’s The Fortress of Solitude. Currently listening to Tilly And the Wall.

Going to go a wash some dishes so I can dirty them up again for dinner tonight! YAH! and were going to the big bad best buy tonight followed by another new Lost! Triple YEAH! movies at the cinema i still need to see are Brokeback Mountain and the New World. Have a good day you funny funny people.

This week at the funny book store Penny Arcade 25 Cent edition. A nice quarter sampler of this daily strip about video gamers and their silliness. I enjoyed these very much and if you play games you most likely will as well. 25 cents for fifty strips notbad at all .

Infinite Crisis # 3 O.k. Im done with this book. Im selling all my issues on ebay right now. Boring. Too many storylines. I’m afraid the Dc Universe is truly headed down a crappy road.

Acme Novelty Libary # 16 Chris Ware”s first new Libary in four years is a huge new hardcover. It’s really quite the graphic designers comic, every panel laid out and thought through. If you like Ware you’ll love this and if you hate Ware you’ll hate this. How’s that for spoiler free review?

If you have never read Adrian Tomine’s Optic Nerve then shame on you. It is essential to be a hip indy kid. I read that in a review somewhere. But seriously even though it takes him about two years between 32 page issues(i owned my bookstore and have moved to two states since the last one) this is as good as it gets. Tomine is the relationship and life guy as far as comics go. His art is smooth and sensible and the line is crisp. Number 10 is part two of a three parter and it is the angst ride and forlorning we expect in every issue of Optic Nerve, Tomine’s art is changing and I think for the better but the storytelling is tight, and something so simple like an awkrawd kiss is captured here perfectly. If your someone who says comics can’t be literature, then I say to you read this and name a better short story published this year. You’ll be hard pressed.

just watched christian bale in the machinist. that skinny dude is batman? crazy

Fell# 3 by Warren Ellis and Ben templesmith. 1.99 Image comics. 16 pages of nine panel comic bliss. This story is so depressing, but not in any sort of real way. It just leaves you wanting something from the human condition. Templesmiths art, especially near the end of this issue is superb and spooky all at once. I’m loving me some fell and you can’t go wrong with the price.

New Avengers # 13 by Bendis, Finch. Snap. Bendis gives his buddy David Mack some props near the end of this issue and we’ve got more drama in this issue than the E! news channel could find in Joan Rivers closet. I love the way Finch draws Captain America’s eyes. They are so hurt and angry. And Iron Man just turns into a total badass midway through making you wonder why he needs the Avengers(especially spider-man) at all. Anyway I’m still hooked and this one will stay at on my very small list.

Lost tonight!

The Innocents by Gipi. Fantagraphics. This is my pick for the week. A great book by an italian artist, about a young boy spending a day with his uncle going to see an ex convict. Its very slow and the washed out artwork is nice and sedative. The story doesn’t really go anywhere but it doesn’t really need to.

Loveless # 1 DC/Vertigo. A western by Azzarello(100 bullets). This is the most foul languaged mainstream comic I’ve ever seen DC publish and I’m in love with it. The nice sky colors and the weird post civil war west lend themselves well to this, one of the few western books even being published in any literary format.

Super F**ckers by James Kolchaka, Top SHelf. oh man. this book is funny, but i don’t know that im that into it. Kolchaka’s American Elf is a work of artwork and life, this seems like all the high school jokes you can think off crammed into one book for better and mostly worse.

New Avengers # 12 Marvel We still don’t know who Ronin is, and captain america told a joke! Still my favorite superhero book currently being published. Good week for the funny book store!