Planetary, Vol. 2: The Fourth Man

As you might expect from the title, Planetary, Vol. 2:  The Fourth Man is where the Planetary story really starts to pick up the pace.  In addition to some kick-ass stories, Ellis and Cassaday start to reveal some of the back-story, giving us a glimpse at parts of Elijah’s past and the mysterious Fourth [...]

In The Shadow of No Towers

Damn! I’ve been putting off this review of In The Shadow of No Towers for so long, it’s become a form of writer’s block.  You see, I was so impressed by Spiegelman’s work, so absolutely blown away by it and on so many levels, that I felt that any review I had to write [...]

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

For our last meeting of the Hamilton Graphic Novel Book Club, we discussed a book that caused me to re-write my definition of “graphic novel:”   Understanding Comics:  The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud.  While it certainly isn’t necessary to read this book in order to enjoy comics, this book is required reading for anyone who [...]

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2: Cycles

In the first volume of Y: The Last Man, we were given the premise:  a mysterious virus / curse / wtf has caused every mammal with a Y chromosome to die spontaneously, all at the same time.  Not just adults, either:  kids, embryos, even sperm are all toast.  All except for Yorick, a hapless escape [...]

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1

I hate it when bloggers explain an absence. “Sorry for not posting,” they may write, “but I had exams.” Or “My cat had tapeworms and was rubbing its ass all over my keyboard.” Or “I don’t do this full-time, and frankly, I had some other shit to do.  So I won’t bother [...]

Next Meeting of the HGNBC Nov. 5

The next meeting of the Hamilton Graphic Novel Book Club will be on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 9pm.  We will be discussing McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern Number 13.

You don’t have to live in Hamilton to attend, you just have to be willing to meet here.  If you are interested, let me know.

The Adventures of Tintin, Reporter For “Le Petit Vintième,” In The Land of the Soviets

The Adventures of Tintin, Reporter For “Le Petit Vintième,” In The Land of the Soviets.  Phew!  That’s a bit of a mouthful, isn’t it?  For the sake of my carpal tunnel, let’s just call this “Tintin in the Land of the Soviets,” okay?

Originally published in 1929, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets was Hergé’s [...]

The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll’s House

There are three really great things about The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll’s House.  One:  Neil Gaiman’s writing is picking up steam.  Two:  the artwork is tons better than the first volume.  Three:  the story is awesome sauce.