Reviews and more by Erica McGillivray
Comic book reviews for Trees #10, Trees #11, and Trees #12 by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard
Average rating: 4/5 stars
Continue reading “Trees #10, #11, and #12 Comic Book Reviews”
Comic book reviews for Trees #7, Trees #8, and Trees #9 by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard
Average rating: 5/5 stars
Comic book reviews for Injection #1, Injection #2, and Injection #3 by Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey
Average rating: 4/5 stars
Continue reading “Injection #1, #2, and #3 Comic Book Reviews”
Comic book reviews for Trees #4, Trees #5, and Trees #6 by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard
Average rating: 5/5 stars
Comic book reviews for Trees #1, Trees #2, and Trees #3 by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard
Average rating: 5/5 stars
Anna Mercury (Vol 1): The Cutter by Warren Ellis
Art: Facundo Percio
I’m finding myself a little take-it or leave-it with Ellis these days. I think I almost find his “non-fiction” writing more compelling than his comic books.
That said, I do think the story of having other half-constructed Earths orbiting the Earth and that they’re kind of based on some science Ellis probably read is kind of interesting. But the best thing this book has going for it is the character Anna. She’s a fun character who goes from superhero to just grouchy government worker depending on which world she’s on. Even if her whole Anna Mercury persona is ridiculous — big hair and tight suit — who risks her life all the time, Anna is at home, looking awful and scratching her butt. She’s my kind of well-rounded woman. And she’s the reason why even after only mildly liking this book, I will be picking up more.
Percio’s art is what really brings this book down for me. He’s very inconsistent, and he has a certain way of drawing people that even when they’re supposed to be attractive (see Anna Mercury), they aren’t. Granted, Anna’s in some situations where she’d have stress face or whatever, but a lot of time she ends up looking like 90-years-old. I don’t know what it is, but I often find myself disappointed in the art on Ellis’ creator-owned projects.
Other than that, Continue reading “Anna Mercury (Vol 1): The Cutter Graphic Novel Review”
Yes, the time has come to say goodbye to 2011 and ring in 2012. Here’s a look back at the Best and the Worst of 2011* Comic Books.
1. Echo by Terry Moore
Average rating: 4.7/5 stars
Reading rating: Teen
Moore’s Echo finished with a bang (or did it?) this year. A story of Julie, the unlikely superhero, and stopping the end of the world, Moore’s work is consistently great and on-point. For those scared of the tome that is Strangers in Paradise, check out this much shorter work.
Read my reviews of Echo.
Purchase Echo.
2. Punisher by Greg Rucka, Marco Checchetto, Matthew Clark, and Matthew Southworth
Average rating: 4.3/5 stars
Reading rating: Teen
I never thought I’d like a Punisher book as much as I love this one from Rucka. Dive into the gritty world of Frank Castle, his mission, and the fall-out of villains, reporters, cops, and victims. With some beautiful art to accompany it.
Read my reviews of Punisher.
Purchase Punisher.
3. Batwoman by J.H. Williams, W. Haden Blackman, and Amy Reeder Hadley
Average rating: 4.3/5 stars
Reading rating: Teen
The most anticipated comic (for me) ever. Anyone reading my blog is probably not surprised that I love Batwoman. Kate Kane is probably one of my favorite characters ever, and in combination with Williams’ art, this title has been making me very happy. I only want more.
Read my reviews of Batwoman.
Purchase Batwoman. Continue reading “The Best and the Worst of 2011 Comic Books”
Comic book reviews for Osborn #1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick, The Prime of Miss June Covington by Warren Ellis, Osborn #2 by Kelly Sue DeConnick, and Osborn #3 by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Average rating: 5/5 stars.
Ignition City by Warren Ellis
I love Warren Ellis because he loves space in the same way I do. The belief that we should be in space and exploring it. But also the belief that we’re scared and that the government may even outlaw going into space as they do in Ignition City.
Ellis creates a world where people have extensively explored space, but there were a lot of dangers and wars and terrible things in space. Along with the awesome things. And soon every government starts shutting down their spaceports.
Ignition City is the story of Mary Raven, a space pilot. She’s the daughter of one of the first space pilots Rock Raven, and he’s been murdered so she goes to investigate. (At this point, Mary reveals that she’s lost her spaceship to the British government.)
Ignition City itself is something like the Wild West. It’s full of disgruntled space pilots stuck on Earth that have become despondent to life. Additionally, there are aliens living there, and the text seems to suggest that this is the only place on Earth where aliens are living. In Ignition City’s own way, it’s like a prison. But like a good Western town, there’s a pub owned by Gayle Ransom, who was one of the first three humans in space.
Mary is clearly very different than the people living in Ignition City. She’s younger, and she still has real hope that some day humans will go back into space. Mary can speak the languages of the aliens, and while she doesn’t entirely trust anyone living in Ignition City, she does give everyone a chance.
Mary finds out pretty quickly who’s responsible for her father’s death, but she doesn’t know the entire story of why he was killed. (Also, don’t read the back of the trade because it spoils you for who killed Rock.) Spoilers now commencing in this review: Continue reading “Ignition City (Vol 1) Graphic Novel Review”
Comic book review for Vertigo’s Orbiter by Warren Ellis and Colleen Doran
If you’re going to read Orbiter, I suggest one thing: be a giant space fan. This is Ellis’ love letter to space. In fact, he writes a foreword in which he tells space he’d like a date with it on Friday at 8 p.m. And how humanity will benefit greatly from space travel. If we’d just go there already, dammit. I tend to agree with this statement, and predictably, I enjoyed this tale.
Orbiter takes place in the not-so-distant future. Here there has not been a manned (or womaned) space flight in 10 years, and the Kennedy Space Center grounds has become something of a tent-city. The beginning is interesting in that it’s the only real time we get a glimpse of what life outside the privileged scientists and doctors’ world-view looks like. Apparently, things are no good.
And while I wouldn’t considered Ellis’ vision of a not-so-distant future to be dystopian, it is still a further decline in terms of need and humanity’s destruction of Earth. Clearly, Ellis believes that humanity needs to explore space, not just because it’s cool and the final frontier, but for the survival of the species due to a dying planet.
Suddenly, a space shuttle called the Venture lands at Kennedy Space Center and ominously, the Venture kills the people who’ve camped out on its runway. The Venture’s been missing in space for 10 years. And it’s the reason the space program was shut down. Continue reading “Orbiter by Warren Ellis Comic Book Review”
