Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian From: boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: Comics Reviews #3 (not so long) Message-ID: <264@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 03:26:54 EST Article-I.D.: decwrl.264 Posted: Mon Jan 21 03:26:54 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 06:13:37 EST Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: DEC Engineering Network Lines: 86 Mea culpa! Here are some I forgot. Ratings for the comics reviewed are as according to the Mad Armenian Scale, a shameless rip-off of the Moriarty Scale, stolen out from under the very nose of the Napolean of Crime. Nyah-ah-ah!! ******************************************************************************** |=>A+< A veritable Classic. One of the best of All Time. Example: THE SPIRIT | |==>A< One of the best of the year. Ex: TEEN TITANS #39: "Who Is Donna Troy?" | |==>B< A very good issue, one of the best of the month. Example: CEREBUS | |==>C< A well done, entertaining issue. Satisfying. Example: JON SABLE | |==>D< Rather boring, or a few good spots mixed with more bad ones. Ex: ROM | |==>F< Boring AND stupid or childish. Example: MARVEL SUPERHEROES SECRET WARS | |==>Z< Actually offensive. Example: DAZZLER --- THE MOVIE GRAPHIC NOVEL #12 | ******************************************************************************** SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS (MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #14) [D+] Silly, unoriginal, unimaginative, predictable, and rather dull. But it's pretty. Not quite a Ukrainian Easter Egg (the artwork's not *that* good, not is the scripting *that* bad), but I don't know why anyone bothered. On the other hand, I didn't feel that I wasted my time. CAPTAIN BRITAIN #1 [C-] For a while now, two Marvel-UK titles have been generally available in the US, STARBURST and DR. WHO. Both of those are feature magazines, though the latter does contain a Dr. Who comic feature. CAPTAIN BRITAIN, though, is the first full-fledged comic from Marvel-UK to be distributed in the US. Like most British comics, it's an anthology title. The bulk of the Captain Britain is a re-cap of the Captain's adventures up until now, most likely done more so that the American audience will be filled in to what's gone on before than to remind the British audience of CB's career. It's a rather cursory glimpse of the character's career, especially of the Alan Moore reign, but it serves. The only other new strip is "The Freefall Warriors", which was pre- viewed in an earlier issue of DR. WHO. The jury's still out on this one. The other two strips are reprints, but are of strips that have appeared only in Britain, so they are still new to the American audience. The first is "Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer" a Dr. Who spin-off by Steves Moore and Dillon, the team who also bring you the Pressbutton strip from WARRIOR and Eclipse (this strip originally appeared, of course, in DR. WHO). The other reprint strip is "Night-Raven" by Steve Parkhouse and David ("V for Vendetta") Lloyd, which has appeared here and there in the Marvel-UK line. The story isn't terribly exciting, but the art's good. And later episodes were penned by Alan Moore, so one has something to look forward to. All in all, a rather nice package. Oh, one caveat: like most British comics material, this is in black and white. CAPTAIN AMERICA #305 [D+] Captain America fights Captain Britain, or does he? The story is a bit dull, on top of which, there are a few continuity problems (though only ones which would be obvious to someone who was familiar with the career of Captain Britain). First of all, Cap A seems to have forgotten his previous team-up with Cap B way back when during the first run of CAPTAIN BRITAIN. Secondly (and this is a gaff shared with last month's ROM), Cap A remembers fighting alongside Cap B during the final battle with the Wraiths, but that Cap B had his old costume then. I find it hard to believe that the entire run of Cap B stories from when he guest-starred in the Black Knight's strip in the British HULK comic through the Alan Moore scripted feature in DARE- DEVILS (UK) and MARVEL SUPERHEROES MONTHLY (see the re-cap story in CAPTAIN BRITAIN #1) took place in that short an amount of time. HEARTBREAK COMICS #1 [C] Well, it's finally out! David Boswell, who brought us the adventures of Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman has a new comic out. This one concerns the sexual escapades of Laszlo, "the Great Slavic Lover". Unfortun- ately (for Laszlo), one of his lovers is Lena Fleming, wife of the aforemen- tioned demented dairyman. Reid suspects that his wife has been fooling around, and hires a detective to find out with whom. Of course, Fleming finds out who, and confronts Laszlo in a knock-down, drag-out fight. The art is a little crude, but the story is so hilarious, that you hardly notice the art at all. If you liked REID FLEMING, you'll like this. And there's an ad on the back cover for REID FLEMING #2. I hope it isn't too long before *that* one's out. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA