Chris Murphy
S.H.I.E.L.D. Architects of Forever: The World’s Secret History Revealed [Review]
S.H.I.E.L.D., which releases its first six-issue hardcover collection this week, is a captivating tale of the secret history of the Marvel Universe, centered around a battle between believers in fate, believers in free will, and bystanders caught in between...
Grant Morrison Denies Comic Delays a Result of Being a Reality-Protecting Wizard [WonderCon]
At his spotlight panel today at WonderCon in San Francisco, writer Grant Morrison responded to an audience question about the delays that have plagued several of his recent comics with a rather inscrutable reply, even for the enigmatic Morrison...
Captain America and Batroc the Leaper: Ze Best Zere Is? [Review]
Batroc the Leaper's not a character who commands much respect in the Marvel Universe. As a French mercenary trained in the style of kickboxing known as "savate," his role is usually to play the part of the Washington Generals to Captain America's Harlem Globetrotters...
Whimsy vs. Grim and Gritty: Knight and Squire #6 / Iceman & Angel One-Shot
Since the earliest days of superhero comics there's been a tug of war between the forces of whimsical adventure and those of grim 'n gritty realism. Now, don't be alarmed, the question of which is the one right and true way to tell a capes and tights story wasn't resolved once and for all this week, so we can all thankfully keep arguing about it...
Venom #1: Turn On the Dark Spider-Man [Review]
For many years Venom was known more as a t-shirt design than a comic book character. But then the '90s ended,and the world collectively realized that wearing black all the time, while awesome, could not go on forever. If we over-consumed the precious resource of the all-black wardrobe, its strength would diminish...
The Intrepids #1 & Carbon Grey #1 – Science ‘n Guns [Review]
This week marks the start of two new series published by Image, The Intrepids and Carbon Grey. The two books have significant differences, but both show the marks of imagination run wild combined with a love of over-the-top action scenes. Both also have premiere issues that hint at much larger, elaborately constructed universes, with flashes of promise that are sure to attract audiences, but neith
Daytripper: A Gorgeous, Heart-Breaking Comic Gets Even Better as a Book [Review]
Daytripper was the best comic book mini-series I read last year, one of the finest comics I've ever read, and one of the most emotionally powerful experiences I've ever had with visual storytelling. I could praise this book forever, but writer Kieron Gillen summed up the quintessential experience with the story within Twitter's 140 character limit:
I can't say if Gillen's reaction is universal,
Superman/Batman #81 – Meddling in the Affairs of Wizard Batman [Review]
I recently talked about how I wished more comics were presented in the stand-alone story arc format used in Northlanders, and then this week realized that this is, strangely, the approach of DC's Superman/Batman.
It's not a perfect comparison...
Northlanders #37: Paris Hates Tourists [Review]
Ah Paris, the city of love. Of course, Paris has offered its love to many things over its long history, from art to fine dining to efficient dismemberment of the former ruling class. The latest issue of Northlanders story takes readers back to the city during 885 A...
‘Secret Six’ #30 – Meeting New People, Not Killing Them All [Review]
For a team that lives in its own corner of the DC universe filled with bawdy sex and whimsical murder sprees, the Secret Six have been wrapped up in a lot of crossovers lately. Coming off of a two-issue arc that it shared with the Lex Luthor's Action Comics run, this week's Secret Six begins another short crossover with the Doom Patrol...