Pads & Panels

Title: All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder: Volume 1

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Frank Miller

Artist: Jim Lee

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

It’s hard to imagine with this being the first series published under DC Comics’ All-Star banner that the imprint lasted long enough for Grant Morrison to produce the fantastic All-Star Superman. All-Star allows the writers and artists to tell stories with key DC characters outside the general continuity of the DC Universe (or any other continuity DC has going, for that matter). And with creators of the likes of 300, Sin City and Batman: Hush, one would think this would be met with promising results. Jim Lee’s art gets the job done, for sure, but it’s hard to believe Volume 1 of All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder was written by the same Frank Miller who produced The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. (more…)

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2010 Holiday Gift Guide – For the PS3 Exclusive Fan…

By P&P Staff

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Uncharted 2: Game of the Year Edition

Our 2009 Game of the Year and that in the hearts of many, Sony gives Uncharted 2: Among Thieves a fairly standard Game of the Year Edition, filled out by the title’s many DLC releases since its launch. Still, for those late to the party, the extra content makes it well worth the $49.99 asking price to pick it up this holiday season. For the mega fan, Ballistic Publishing’s The Art of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a beautiful coffee table-style book, and Archie gave it a rave review. (more…)

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Title: Almost Silent

Publisher: Fantagraphics

Writer: Jason

Artist: Jason

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Jason’s work is arguably some of the most masterful in the comics medium. He has a spectacular knack for visual storytelling, using the medium to its fullest, and words to their fewest. With a simplified style highlighted by anthropomorphic animals, a subtle sense of expression and the perfect dose of humor, his digestible stories are near-perfect reads. But at lengths that are more comics novellas and less graphic novels, the paperbacks can get a bit pricey at $9 to $17 a pop. But Fantagraphics stumbled upon a great idea last year in publishing Jason’s serialized “Low Moon” strip in a hardcover edition, filling it out with other short works from the author. The publisher has employed the same mentality with Almost Silent, giving readers their first shot at the collected material of Meow, Baby!, Jason’s short stories and gag strips, for the first time in years. This time, instead of filling it out with previously unpublished material, Fantagraphics compiles the previously released Tell Me Something, You Can’t Get There From Here, and The Living and the Dead, the former two of which are also out of print. (more…)

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Title: The Great Anti-War Cartoons

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books

Writer: Craig Yoe

Various Artists

Rating:

Review by: Eric Stuckart

For such an ugly subject, war certainly has its fair share of artwork. From the small political comic to expansive works such as Picasso’s Guernica, war commentary in the art medium has come in all shapes, sizes and forms. Although Craig Yoe’s Great Anti-War Cartoons focuses exclusively on the political cartoon medium, there’s more than enough material, from a plethora of countries and political views. And these artists all share one idea in common – war is a horrible atrocity. It’s interesting to see some of the works here and learn their origins, because some of these artists actually risked their lives to speak their minds. In an insightful introduction by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, he sums up the book the best: “Let’s use these cartoons as a reminder of the horrors war brings, so that we won’t fall into the temptation of war again.” (more…)

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Title: Rough Justice: The DC Comics Sketches of Alex Ross

Publisher: Pantheon

Commentary by: Alex Ross

Edited by: Chip Kidd

Review by: Eric Stuckart

Anyone who knows DC Comics knows Alex Ross, plain and simple. The powerhouse comic book artist has been putting his beautifully unique spin on comic books for nearly two decades, and his body of work is of near-legendary status. His exquisitely painted covers add a touch of class to nearly every comic to which he contributes, making his work some of the most recognizable.

Rough Justice: The DC Comics Sketches of Alex Ross is more than a collection of notes and sketches, which eventually become his photorealistic illustrations, covers and posters. It is a time capsule for where he was when he was brainstorming, creating or fancying new ideas on a whim. Most of the art is grouped nicely in one of two ways, by Superhero or story arc. (more…)

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Title: Planet of Beer: A Smell of Steve Treasury

Publisher: Dark Horse

Writer: Brian Sendelbach

Artist: Brian Sendelbach

Rating:

Review by: Thomas Braaksma

In today’s culture of twitter, moral decline and split-second attention spans, it is evident that a book like Planet of Beer would rear its ugly, unintelligent head. Planet of Beer is a “best of” Brian Sendelbach’s comic strips from different publications like Details, Vice and TV Guide. These strips are intertwined with a story about a drunken space captain and his inebriated crew on their search for the Planet of Beer.  While that scenario might sound like a hilarious adventure, it reads more like the random thoughts that popped into the head of a child with a severe case of ADD. (more…)

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