Pads & Panels

Title: Hearts & Minds: A G.I. Joe Graphic Novel

Publisher: IDW

Writer: Max Brooks

Artist: Howard Chaykin and Antonio Fuso

Rating:

Review by: Thomas Braaksma

At last year’s Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo, Max Brooks hosted a panel that went over his career and various pieces of work he has done throughout his career. Besides the movie adaptation to World War Z, currently floating in limbo, one other project particularly stood out to the crowd, a G.I. Joe comic book penned by Brooks. This miniseries went by the name Hearts & Minds. (more…)

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Title: The Walking Dead Vol. 13: Too Far Gone

Publisher: Image

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artists: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

“Too Far Gone,” the 13th volume of The Walking Dead, brings the set-up of Kirkman’s Washington, D.C. arc to a head. In “Life Among Them,” the group of survivors we’ve been following were taken to a walled community in the nation’s capitol. “Too Far Gone” finds them settling into their new lives, protected from the dead and living back under the constructs of society. But things are far from settled, as Rick and Co. are finding themselves with different levels of suspicion and trust, and blending in or failing to blend in (to different degrees) with the people of the community. Luckily, Kirkman gives two big moments for these relationships to come to a head, with Rick arguably going a bit too far in his role as sheriff, and an aggressive group showing up at the gates. And even with everything in motion, Kirkman finds a way to offer a twist at the end, while remaining faithful to the characters he has created.

“Too Far Gone” collects The Walking Dead issues #73-78.

Pros: Great big moments that bring things to a head for the D.C. arc. Great contention between the group and new community. Solid action all around.

Cons: That there’s not more of it. Rick’s outburst a bit overdone.

For more info, www.imagecomics.com

Pads & Panels received a copy of the book courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.

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Title: The Walking Dead Vol. 12: Life Among Them

Publisher: Image

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artists: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Volume 12 of The Walking Dead, “Too Far Gone,” is the start of a very important arc for Kirkman’s ongoing zombie epic. The first half of the trade is still packed with zombies, but by the second half they are barely seen. That’s because the group finds its way to Washington, D.C., where a large group of survivors has made it with the comforts of the old world in a walled-off community. Surprisingly, the group is welcomed with open arms, but the question becomes – do they have the trust in them to submit wholeheartedly to the group, and does the group truly have the best of intentions in mind? It’s a nice chance of pace, reminding readers that while the zombies are the catalyst for The Walking Dead, it is the people that keep us reading. It is a very important set-up for the series, and asks the important question – can this group survive in a “normal” society after everything they’ve been through? – but readers will have to wait until Volume 13 for the payoff. (more…)

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2010 Holiday Gift Guide – For the Indie Comics Fan…

By P&P Staff

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Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Boxed Set

Oni Press

The book that inspired the wonderful film. Some may scoff at you for reading the comic, especially with the manga-looking covers, but we know better, don’t we? The book might be slightly scathing in its depiction of our own geek culture, but never manages to lose sight of its attention-deficit goal, being fun and funny. Collected now in this awesome paperback set. (more…)

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Title: The Amazing Spider-Man “Return of the Black Cat” TPB

Publisher: Marvel

Writers: Joe Kelly, J.M. Dematteis, Marc Guggenheim

Artists: Mike McKone, Adriana Melo, Val Semeiks, Marco Checchetto, Luke Ross, Rick Magyar, Eric Canete

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Oh, that crazy Peter Parker! That’s what I find myself saying, anyways, in a mostly mocking sort of way, while reading the “Return of the Black Cat” trade paperback. Parker is already in confusing relationships with Michele Gonzales, Norah Winters and Mary Jane Watson when Black Cat strolls back into town. Of course, her usual powers to affect Spidey’s luck are wreaking havoc on his attempt to thwart New York City’s villains, but it’s not too shabby for his sex life. Sure he’s more confused than ever, but he’s seemingly getting some action behind the scenes of every page. It all amounts to nonsense, though, with cheesy writing and inconsistent art. The latter portion of the book – dealing with Kaine, Ben Reilly and Raptor – is a much better read, even if it does get back into the atrocious clone business. (more…)

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Title: Batman: Cacophony (TPB)

Publisher: DC

Writer: Kevin Smith

Artist: Walt Flanagan, Sandra Hope

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

For the original review of the series, published Nov. 5, 2009, click here.

The trade paperback release of Kevin Smith’s Batman: Cacophony includes all three issues of the mini-series, plus a number of interesting extras that fans should enjoy. At the back, we get the requisite gallery of variant covers and unused art from the series. At the front, we get an introduction by Kevin Smith. This isn’t uncommon, but what makes his of particular interest is that it’s all focused on Walt Flanagan, the series’ artist and longtime friend of Smith. He tells an interesting tale of how Flanagan really turned him on to comics, and how the two working together on the series brought it all full circle. Another interesting extra is a script for the third issue of the book. What makes it different is that the usual scripts are for the issues presented; Smith’s is an original script before a few significant edits were made. So fans get a look at his comics process and how good editing can change a book for the better. All in all, it feels like the usual material for a trade, but somehow a little bit better.

For more info, www.dccomics.com

Pads & Panels received a copy of the trade paperback courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.

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Title: Daredevil Noir

Publisher: Marvel Noir

Written by: Alexander Irvine

Illustrated by: Tomm Coker

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Effectively Marvel’s answer to the Vertigo Crime line, the publisher has opted to give its most famous superheroes a once over with the noir style rather than create entirely new properties. While the idea sounds like a fantastic chance for readers to see their favorite characters in a new light, or lack thereof, the results have thus far been a mixed bag.

Case in point, Daredevil Noir, a title many have pointed out to be quite redundant. Daredevil, after all, in his mainstream incarnation over the last three decades, largely credited to a revamp by Frank Miller, has already had quite a touch of the noir influence. The only thing that really changes in Daredevil Noir is that Hell’s Kitchen reverts to the 1930s. Instead of being lawyers, Matt Murdock and his partner Foggy are private detectives, and the art style gets an overhaul courtesy of Tomm Coker. (more…)

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Title: Cthulu Tales Vol. 4: The Darkness Beyond

Publisher: Boom Studios

Writers: Raven Gregory, Sam Costello, Robert Tinnell, Jeff Lester, Mark Rahner, Michael Alan Nelson, Christopher Sequeira, Christine Boylan, Luke Burns, William Messner-Loebs, Shane Oakly

Artists: Sergio Carrera, Axel Medellin Machain, Milton Sobriero, Chee, Unai, Aritz, W. Chewie Chan, Roger Langridge, Andrew Ritchie, David Hitchcock

Rating:

Review by: Archie Easter

Cthulu Tales Vol. 4: “The Darkness Beyond” is the most recent collection of comics from Boom Studios’ monthly series Cthulu Tales. Collecting issues 9-12, the book features 11 stories from a bevy of authors and artists based on the Cthulu mythos of writer H.P. Lovecraft. Since there are so many different stories, writers and art styles on display here, there’s no shortage of variety. Unfortunately in this particular volume, the results are definitely a mixed bag. There are a few notable standouts, though. (more…)

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Title: Invincible Volume Four: “Head of the Class”

Publisher: Image

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artists: Ryan Ottley, Bill Crabtree

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Trade #4, “Head of the Class,” is the largest trade of the first four volumes, compiling six issues of the comic, plus the Image Summer Special #1. It’s also the most scattershot of the bunch. In the wake of the events of the third trade, Invincible is trying to piece together his life, both on the personal end (with his mother, school and friends) and his role as the planet’s premiere defense system now that Omni-Man has left the planet and the new Guardians of the Globe are failing to live up to expectations. The small stories included are rather amusing – such as an underwater marriage with fish people that Invincible is thrown into – but the fourth trade is one of those Robert Kirkman uses to plant the seeds of later events. So, it’s a bit of bearing with the build-up rather than receiving the payoff, but it’s still relatively entertaining. Fortunately, Ryan Ottley’s art really hits his stride around this point, and the trade provides some of the most interesting visual storytelling in the series yet. (more…)

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Title: Invincible Volume Three: “Perfect Strangers”

Publisher: Image

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artists: Ryan Ottley, Bill Crabtree

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The third trade of Invincible, “Perfect Strangers” picks up where the second left off. That may seem like an obvious statement, but Robert Kirkman’s construction of Invincible is a bit scattered, often planting many seeds for things to come in later issues. The arc of the second trade revealed that Invincible’s father, Omni-Man, violently murdered the Guardians of the Glove. Now, Invincible finally becomes aware of this fact, and it sets in motion an epic confrontation between father and son. The battle is the highlight, along with an alternate telling of Omni-Man’s origins that craftily parallels the images of an earlier issue. In the aftermath, Invincible also takes a new job. (more…)

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