STAFF HOT PICKS FOR THIS WEEK
Hey, dear reader. Time for a look at this week’s new releases, and what we here at The Last Picture Show and Starstore.com have been checking out.
THE PICK OF THIS WEEK’S MAGAZINES:
FANGORIA MAGAZINE 271 and 272 (STARLOG GROUP)
I’m not quite sure why we’ve had twice the Fango action delivered this week, but I’m not complaining. 271 has a great feature on the new DOOMSDAY movie as well as Romero’s DIARY OF THE DEAD, while 272 offers up HELLBOY 2 and THE RUINS. As ever with Fango, it tends to be the features on low budget independent horror films that are the most entertaining to read, and these two issues are no exception. 272 includes a great piece on Brit horror flick THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, which is well worth checking out.
8/10
DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE 394 (PANINI)
The festivities for the start of series four get off to a cracking start with extensive coverage of the first three episodes. There’s an interview with Sarah Lancashire (Episode 1’s villain), and a great look at the classic story The Sontaran Experiment, coinciding very nicely with the potato-headed soldiers’ return soon. The layout and design of the magazine continues to improve with every issue, and there is enough content to justify your hard earned cash being spent on it. A great magazine, evidently put together by people with a great love for the show and its history.
9/10
COMICS INTERNATIONAL 205 (COSMIC PUBLICATIONS)
The reinvented British comics industry monthly is going from strength to strength. This latest issue features some great stuff, including a great piece on the Dan Dare relaunch, features on Heroes, 30 Days of Night, Stardust, World of Warcraft comics and more. This title really is indispensable, and remains very readable for a wide audience of fans, pros and the curious. Their coverage of the obscure and forgotten is always entertaining too. A magazine that deserves a much larger readership.
10/10
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: IRON MAN SPECIAL (MARVEL)
From the brand new movie to the very origins of Tony Stark’s metal-clad alter-ego, this special issue of Marvel Spotlight covers the lot. Featuring some great behind the scenes material and interviews with comic and movie creators, this is a must-have warmup for this summer’s blockbuster.
7/10
THE PICK OF THIS WEEK’S COMICS
AMERICAN SPLENDOR 1 (VERTIGO)
Harvey Pekar’s black and white stories of suburban disenchantment return with this first issue of a new ongoing series from Vertigo. As ever the stories catch you off guard and hit home with some real weight, and the varies art keeps the visual side of things interesting, but we’re all here for
9/10
SECRET INVASION 1 (MARVEL)
So here it is, the first issue of the next big Marvel crossover. The Marvel universe has been infiltrated by Skrull agents, and all hell is going to break loose. Is it any good? Well it sets the scene nicely, sadly at the expense of characterization. The whole issue feels very much like a teaser trailer for a movie, which I guess is the point, but there isn’t much meat here other than scene setting. Leinil Yu’s art is gorgeous, though. Gonna be interesting seeing where this goes.
6/10
BATMAN DETECTIVE COMICS #843
The long running batman spin-off’s latest edition is a pretty decent read actually, I am a huge Batman fan but the Detective Comics series fell out of favour with me a while ago, with its gritty realism meaning a distinct lack of super villain foils for the dark knight. This issue however features a new puppet master for the mob boss Scarface, and I always did have a soft spot for Zatanna who features heavily this issue.
6/10
ANITA BLAKE: VAMPIRE HUNTER 10 (MARVEL)
Issue 10 of the Guilty Pleasures storyline is here and it is easy to see why the comic is so popular. While it has toned down the violence and sex somewhat from the original novels, it’ still a pretty raucous ride, even if Ron Lim’s artwork apes Michael Turner so much in places that you want to scream. Anita is a damn cool character, and although this is a great comic series, I can’t help but feel it has been dumbed down a bit too much.
6/10
ROGUE ANGEL 2 (IDW)
Okay, is this meant to be serious or tongue in cheek? Rather substandard fare, following the exploits of a faux Lara Croft type character, with art that just says ‘RPG fanart’ all over it. I hate being harsh, but this is pretty damn weak, and with so many talented people trying to break into the business, it saddens me that this junk can get published. Sorry.
2/10
Andy
More reviews soon!
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