Al Sparrow Comic Reviews

Lolos artwork grabbed me from the first look mainly because it doesnt look like everything else out there right now. Hard-edged, thick linework and a very rough detail convey as much about what these people go through in their daily lives as Justin Aclins words. This book will hopefully surprise you as much as it did me. Im very much looking forward to the next issue.

Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell is a nice taste of nostalgia, and it'll scratch the itch for readers who yearn for the days before the New 52. At the same time, it may backfire, as those same fans are reminded just what they lost to get the New 52. In the end this is a great looking package that could have been much more.

Image has made a name for itself in recent years by putting out some amazing creator-owned works, each with their own unique potential to appeal to readers. It's my hope that Codename:Baboushka will find its audience, but that audience is not going to include me.

All too often when a beloved character is altered to suit a new creator's vision, chaos ensues, and there can be diminished returns. Happily, that isn't the case here. This is the Elric adaptation I've been hoping to see for some time now. Longtime followers of Moorcock's stories will find a welcome home in these pages and will be left hungry for the next installment (4 books are planned, this being the first). Newcomers to Elric are, of course, encouraged to find Moorcock's original text, but they could do a lot worse than to have this adaption be their introduction to the decadent and bloody end of an empire, and the birth of a new era for Elric and his Kingdom.

Of all the FCBD offerings, this one really stood out as a way to do it right. 2000 A.D. has a rabid fanbase (Im slowly but surely joining that number), and they knew those individuals would be out looking for this book. At the same time, theyve been around for thirty-six years, and you dont boast that kind of longevity without building on that fanbase. Hopefully more than a few people stumbled onto this book by accident, liked what they saw, and are opening their minds to a whole new world of great reading out there.

Some books are permanent fixtures in our lives. They grab us and don't let go. When other books in my collection get dusted off and donated to libraries or sold to a used bookstore, books like Good Dog have earned their place in my heart and in my lap as it is re-read again and again. This is a book I'll return to like an old friend, finding things I might have missed the last time or skipping straight to parts I just can't wait to savor again. And like a good dog, I'll be happy for every moment spent with it.

Time will tell if that turns out to be a good thing or not.

Young's artwork is perfect for this humorous deconstruction of this genre of storytelling, and I get the impression he has always wanted to cut loose like he's doing in these pages. Gertrude is Public Enemy No. 1, has had just about enough of living in Fairyland, and will stop at nothing"and I mean nothing"to escape. I only wonder how far Young is willing to take it, and I'm certainly on board to find out.

We bemoan comics that have what's known as "deconstructed" storytelling. Stories that plod on for book after book in the hopes it'll make a great trade paperback sometime down the road. While nobody will ever confuse My Little Pony with the Avengers or X-Men, it's still refreshing to read a story that will not only entertain but educate younger readers, throw in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 reference for the older folks who might pick it up"and still be able to tell such a story in one complete issue.

Fads come and fads go, and I'm sure there's bound to be a time when the My Little Pony train will run its course and their fans will move on. Then again, perhaps not. Something this fun, well-done, and with this much appeal deserves to hang around as long as possible.

Paper Girls focuses on a group of young girls who each have paper routes, and along the way there's a time machine doohickey, some grotesque ninja-looking things, Satan shows up in the first few pages and"look, what do you want from me? It's a Brian K. Vaughan book and nothing's going to make complete sense in the first issue, even if it has more pages than your standard-sized comic! It's also got characters I immediately liked and wanted to know more about, villains that gave me the creeps, and a storyline that's paced so utterly perfectly I wish I had my copy of #2 now instead of when I get my shipment in several more weeks" Maybe I should get some paper girls to deliver my copy as soon as it comes out!

Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake) has seen his stories adapted for the screen several times, with varied results (see the Mel Gibson movie Payback for one example of perhaps the most classic Parker tale). In Cooke's comic series, we're given perhaps one of the best ways to experience the tales of the master thief outside of picking up Stark's novels themselves. Each book is self-contained so you don't need to start with the first book in the series"you'll end up picking them up after your first taste, anyhow. And you'll be just as happy as I was to read the words on the final page " "Parker will return in 2015." It's gonna be a long year.

As good as Royal Blood is, it's important to point out that the material is definitely suited to an older audience, with enough gore and incest going on to merit caution before proceeding if you're not used to that sort of material. Having said that, the book will scratch that itch you're having while waiting for the next season of Game of Thrones to come out. Be warned, though, you might find yourself enjoying it enough to seek out more of Jodorowsky's work, and there's a lot of it out there. Here's hoping Titan will continue to pair his words up with brilliant artists and bring us more books like this.

You'll see a lot of familiar ground being covered in Sally of the Wasteland, unless this is the first piece of literature you've ever picked up in your entire life. That it's as compelling a read as it is, despite an almost fanatical adherence to tropes and stereotypes, does the book serious credit. I found myself going back over the truly great artwork, and laughing at some of Sally's better one-liners. Bottom line: I enjoyed this book a lot in spite of the reused elements.

Of course, you could just pick up the book to drool over the images of Lisa and Ally in various stages of BSDM-play, and I couldn't blame you. Sejic's an incredible artist and I'm looking forward to his run on the Rat Queens title. That said, if that's all you're picking the book up for, you're missing a good 75% of what makes Sunstone a great book. It's an honest look at something many people keep buried, and why they are compelled to do so, and how incredible it can be when you find that one person you're willing to trust enough to share it with. A love story? Not yet, perhaps in Volume Two.

Both the Superman and Batman: Earth One books impressed me greatly, and Teen Titans is another jewel in that crown. I shouldn't really have to sell you on it " I think Jeff Lemire is one of the best writers in comics right now, and the Dodsons are known for delivering great artwork. The book's pedigree based on the creative team is pretty much self-evident to long time fans. The real draw, however, is that it paves new unexplored territory for a team that has seen countless relaunches, it pays respect to the material that came before it, and still delivers a story capable of being enjoyed by longtime Titans fans as well as those completely new to the team. Teen Titans Earth One gets my highest recommendation.

Things move slowly this first issue. Were introduced to the four main characters of the team, and we even see a bad guy, albeit one whose motivations arent quite clear just yet. IG Guaras interiors (coupled with Amanda Conners covers) make this series a solid read for any fan of great artwork. Art Baltazar and Franco have proven they can grab a younger audience with Tiny Titans and the like. How well theyll fare with a slightly older readership remains to be seen, but this title is off to a very good start.

A year or so ago we saw the Occupy Movement stage mass sit-ins across the nation to send a message to our government and our corporate leaders. Rest assured, this Movement appears to be willing to do a lot more than sit to get its message across. I enjoy stories about anti-heroes, and this book looks like its going to deliver the goods. Its also refreshing to see DC take a chance on some completely new heroes. Hopefully readers will be willing to take that same chance. Its a book with a lot of potential, and totally worth your time to read.

It's simple. If you love comics and you love rock n' roll, you're probably trigger shy about picking this up. Nobody can blame you. We've all been burned before by creative teams who think they know what rock n' roll is all about, only to come up woefully short when the book goes to press. When one of the best examples of mixing rock n' roll and comics is a Jack Chick tract, you know the dangerous ground Cornell and Parker have chosen to mine. Well, you can rest assured that the saga of Motherfather is in very capable hands. They're creating a great book here. They get it. One request, though: Is it too much to hope for a 45 to be included in the eventual trade release?