68 SCARS #3 (OF 4) (MR)

A PLUS X #2 NOW

ADVENTURE TIME #10

ADVENTURES OF A COMIC CON GIRL #3 (OF 3) (MR)

ALL NEW X-MEN #2 NOW

ALL STAR WESTERN #14

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #33 (MR)

ANGEL & FAITH #16

AQUAMAN #14

ARROW #1

ASTONISHING X-MEN ANNUAL #1

BART SIMPSON COMICS #77

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #10

BATMAN INCORPORATED #5 (RES)

BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #14

BEFORE WATCHMEN OZYMANDIAS #4 (OF 6) (MR)

BEFORE…

The fifty-pound turkey stood on the grass, panting nervously.  It was as if the fearful creature knew that Thanksgiving was only a little more than a week away.

That, of course, was impossible.  More likely what was giving the turkey fits was the small throng of low-level officials and spectators and newsmen---naturally, newsmen---that hovered around it.  Upon…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Not all graphic novels work on every level, nor are they to every taste. This week I’d like to look at some books that came oh-so-close to greatness, only to fall short just a tad.

At the top of the list is The Nao of Brown ($24.95, SelfMadeHero), by writer/artist Glyn Dillon. This is an absolutely beautiful book, executed with sparkling artwork, insightful…

Last week, I wrote about the best sidekicks in comic books. As I was working on my list, I remembered a lot of great sidekicks that have appeared in other media. Instead of tossing them all into one big list, I decided to split them off with a second list. So here you go, my list of the best sidekicks in movies, television, cartoons and classic literature.

15.…

ADVENTURES OF AUGUSTA WIND #1

AHISTORY: AN UNAUTHORIZED HISTORY OF THE DOCTOR WHO UNIVERSE

ALPHA FLIGHT CLASSIC TP VOL 03

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #698

ANGEL & FAITH TP VOL 02 DADDY ISSUES

ASTONISHING X-MEN #56

AVENGERS #34

AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS TP VOL 03

BACK ISSUE #61

BATMAN JUDGE DREDD COLLECTION HC

BATWOMAN #14

BIRDS OF PREY #14

BLACKHAWKS TP VOL 01 THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD (N52)

BLEEDING COOL MAGAZINE #1…

Certain things in comic books were handled with a bit more discretion back in the old days. 

Although it seems pointlessly quaint to modern-era sensiblilities, the office of the President of the United States was treated with a special…

I’ve always like sidekicks. Maybe it was because of a lack of self-confidence. I had a hard time imagining myself as Batman. But I could easily imagine I was Robin riding alongside the Caped Crusader. Maybe it was because of my affinity for the underdog. Sidekicks seemed to be mocked more often than not and I liked to see them prove themselves to their mentors, their foes and…

ADVENTURE TIME MARCELINE SCREAM QUEENS #5

ALL NEW X-MEN #1 NOW

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #697

AME COMI GIRLS #2 FEATURING BATGIRL

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG (NEW) #4

ARCHIE COMIC SUPER SPECIAL #1

ATOMIC ROBO FLYING SHE DEVILS O/T PACIFIC #4 (OF 5)

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #9 NOW

AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS TP VOL 03

BATGIRL #13 2ND PTG (DOTF)

BATGIRL #14 (DOTF)

BATMAN #13 2ND PTG (DOTF)

BATMAN #14 (DOTF)

BATMAN AND ROBIN #14…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

The first round of collections from DC’s “The New 52” initiative featured the publisher’s strongest characters and titles. Now we’re reaching a little deeper into the catalog, with much more mixed results.

Which is not to belittle The Flash, a strong character with a…

I came to Marvel Comics late in the game.  While I had been reading DC’s comics since the beginning of the Silver Age, I didn’t tumble to Marvel until about 1965.  Oh, I had seen Marvel Comics.  There had been a few lying around the barber shop where I got my hair cut.  I had taken a look at them, didn’t recognise any of the characters, and tossed them…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Ever see someone do something so well it discourages you from ever trying?

As a wannabe comic-book artist myself, there have been a lot of masters over the years that have that have been that good. And of those masters, few are as magnificent as the man who created “The Rocketeer.” In Dave Stevens: Covers and Stories (IDW Publishing, $49.99) you can see how…

47 RONIN #1 (OF 5)

ACTION COMICS #14

ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 01

AGE OF APOCALYPSE #9

ANIMAL MAN #14 (ROT)

ANNOTATED SANDMAN HC VOL 02 (MR)

AVENGERS #33

AVENGERS ACADEMY #39

AVENGERS VS X-MEN CHEUNG HC AVX

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #14

AVX CONSEQUENCES #5 (OF 5)

BATTLEFIELDS GREEN FIELDS BEYOND PT 1 #1 (OF 6)

BATWING #14

BEFORE WATCHMEN MOLOCH #1 (OF 2)

BEST OF FROM THE TOMB SC

BLACK KISS II #4 (OF 6) (MR)…