Comic Picks By The Glick

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.

His accounts of Pyongyang, Shenzen, Burma and Jerusalem are all worth checking out -- though one stands above the rest.

As the third movie bears down upon us, I take a look at these creators' entertaining but very uneven run on this title.

We go back to the old school to talk about Will Eisner's definitive graphic novel masterworks.

Is Naoki Urasawa's sprawling epic of childhood imagination gone awry as good as its buildup, or is it a cleverly-disguised mess? Find out inside. Also, I explore its (tenuous) connection to "Batman: The Long Halloween."

What haven't I talked about in the last several months? Morrison's "Action Comics," the latest "The Walking Dead," Kaoru Mori's "Anything & Something," "Northlanders vol. 7," "Gantz vol. 26" and "21st Century Boys vol. 1."

Not so much a crossover as it is a "branded event." Bendis, Wood, and Humprhies make a good show about shaking up the Ultimate Universe, even if it only postpones the inevitable.

Blood, (muscle) bombs, and boobs, Boobs, BOOBS about in Oh!Great's fighting series that can be as fun as it is ridiculous.

I was considering calling this the "Popecast," but then common sense intervened. If you're not familiar with the man or his work, then you NEED to listen to this.

From Wolverine to Hellboy to Adolf to Dahmer to Butcher to Dash and more, it's all here in my take on what last year had to offer.

Vertical reissues one of Tezuka's later works which results in two more "bricks" that belong in your library.

Garth Ennis proves that he can still craft worthwhile material even when plunging straight into his own brand of self-indulgence.

Mitsuru Adachi's baseball manga is as exciting in its focus on the actual game as it is irritating with its romance between the protagonists.

Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera's Native American crime drama may not always be pretty or easy to take, but it's a compelling and rewarding read.