Comic Picks By The Glick

Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's take on DC's Amazon warrior princess has been one of the consistent highlights of the "New 52." Does their finale measure up to the rest of their run?

Believe it or not, there are still some quality comics that haven't been reprinted in collected editions. As well as a bunch that have been left that way for good reason...

I've seen the anime. My friend Rob has not. Did I enjoy this new take on the series? Did he think it even made sense? The answer to these questions and a whole lot more are waiting for you.

Comics' foremost teacher has given us the essential text "Understanding Comics," and the less-essential-but-still-fun "Zot!" and "The Sculptor."

There's a lot more to the manga compared to what you saw in the movie. Maybe not as mind-blowing, but still worth a look.

I thought this would wind up being commercial suicide. It wound up being one of the more interesting and weird superhero titles I've read in recent memory.

Writer/artist Jeff Lemire fashions an engaging story out of some very familiar parts with this series.

More Marvel, less manga, one last-minute entry, and some Batman. The full list awaits!

Bryan Talbot's ongoing series of graphic novels about anthropomorphic animals in an alternate steampunk history is a fantastic mash-up of genres.

A middle-of-the-road Marvel event that vaguely gestures towards the Marvel Universe.

Maybe not the last podcast I do for Dark Horse's "Star Wars" titles, but I offer my thoughts on the final two volumes of Brian Wood's "Star Wars," the concluding volume of "Legacy vol. II," and Matt Kindt's "Rebel Heist."

Proof that it can be worthwhile to stick with a series even if its first volume fails to impress.

Where I talk about the comic adaptations of "Noah" and "Django Unchained" and say a few more words about "Alien: The Illustrated Story" and "The Star Wars."

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' latest collaboration isn't a bad one. It's just the least good of their efforts so far. (I don't know what went wrong when I posted this on Wednesday, but here it is at last.)

(The follow-up to this.) Mohiro Kitoh's series about kids who give their lives to pilot a giant mech is at its best when it goes where other series of its kind don't. Which I wish it did more often.

Not the best Geoff Johns-written DC event (that would be "Blackest Night") but better than the worst (which would be "Flashpoint").

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's assemblage of famous literary figures starts out fantastic, then becomes really weird while still being pretty good.

"It's like if Stephen King wrote a Shonen Jump title" is the best way I can think of to describe this series that's as good as it is bizarre. *rimshot*

Not as fun or accessible as the movie (which John and I also get into here), but still good entertainment.

Re-reading vols. 1-7 of "Morning Glories" only further cemented its "Lost"-ness in my mind. "Mind MGMT" on the other hand...

Can two former critical and fan-favorite titles make a comeback from an awful crossover?

The best argument yet for shutting down Marvel's Ultimate imprint.

John and I share our thoughts on "Days of Future Past," while I talk about one of the most entertaining X-titles in recent memory.

Pretty self-explanatory I should think. Part one can be found here.

It turns out that the writer's other work with Batman, Daredevil, Punisher and "Crossed" isn't indicative of his brilliance in "Stray Bullets."

Mike Richardson has done some great things in the industry as publisher/co-founder of Dark Horse Comics. He hasn't done quite as much as a writer.

(Could be said to follow on from here.) If you've ever wondered where the writer gets his passion for war stories, then you'll find your answer here.

In which I talk about the three works that have officially been released from this mangaka in English -- including the recent "Nijigahara Holograph"-- and try to convey why it would be a good thing if more of his works were translated and brought out here.

This manga about a time traveling bath engineer from Roman times is very silly, yet winds up being a bit of superior fluff in the end.

It has its issues, but this is the best big-event series I've read from Marvel in years.

I get caught up on the solo exploits of the B.P.R.D.'s famous fish-man and find them to be good comfort food for fans of the series.

Does J. Michael Straczynski still have his creator-owned mojo? Or has it turned to crap like his recent superhero comics?

One of the longest Marvel runs in recent memory, and one of the most consistently entertaining as well. Not without its issues, of course.

Yeah, I didn't realize we had hit this magic number when it was recorded. My Top 10 for 2013, the best I didn't read from this calendar year and the worst all inside.

Our buddy Brandon joins us this week to talk about this innovative run whose flaws are ultimately overcome by its frequent brilliance. Also, those of you looking for a more seasonal "Batman" story are recommended to click here.

Myron's back as we talk about a series that, once it gets going, really justifies its reputation as one of the greatest Shonen Jump titles.

My friend Michael Stretton joins us this week to talk about a series that entertains. Both in spite of and because of its ridiculousness.

Middle-of-the-road "Hellblazer," but not without its merits and a fine ending.

Geoff Johns' character-and-franchise-defining run comes to a close in thrilling fashion (with some silliness and sloppiness too).

My thoughts on one of the best rising talents out there. Whatever she does next, I'm there for it!

It's a good take on the hero/villain mind-switcharoo trope, so long as you can summon the necessary suspension of disbelief regarding one little detail.

David Petersen's epic about mice forging their own medival society is as good as the wait between volumes is interminable! (And don't mind the bumped podcast below. There's nothing new if you've listened to it before, just some issues with editing the post itself...)

Find out why Rick Remender's run is the real deal and how successor Sam Humpries' take stacks up so far.

It certainly has its issues, but Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's manga about making manga is consistently entertaining and a whole lot better than their signature series "Death Note."

It's a story about a hitman that defies convention in ways that make up for its excesses.

If I was going to recommend one run about the exploits of Marvel's First Family, this would be it.

If you haven't, you'll want to read this first. My thoughts on "Stitches," "Chicken With Plums," and "Mendel's Daughter." One of these is very much worth your time and money. The other two... not so much.

He's one of the best and most compelling artists working in the industry today. His writing isn't bad either. VIVA LA GRONCH!

This one comes with a big caveat (see if you can guess what it is), but this collection of every tie-in to the crossover event is more entertaining than the event itself. Glick's Note: The name of Kieron Gillen's Kid Loki series is "Journey Into Mystery." I can't believe I blanked on that in the middle of the podcast...

What are they? Click to find out. (Most likely the first part of a multi-part series.) Glick's Note: I would've included Moto Hagio's excellent "A, A'" in here as well, but Shaenon Garrity wrote about its virtues much more compellingly than I would've managed.