(Marvel Comics, 2015)
Story by Matt Fraction
Art by David Aja and Raul Allen
Colors by Matt Hollingsworth
This series has been one of the biggest surprises of the entire Marvel Now undertaking; Matt Fraction and David Aja set the bar in the stratosphere at the very beginning and have consistently reached or surpassed that standard issue after stunning issue. Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2014)
Written by Gerry Duggan
Artwork by Matteo Lolli
Color Artwork by Cris Peter
Gerry Duggan has been methodically carving out a section of the Marvel Universe where inventive storytelling, razor sharp dialog and engrossing plots are the order of the day, of course they are all served with a side of side-splitting humor just to make the whole thing all the more delicious. Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2014)
Written by Matt Fraction
Artwork by David Aja
Color Artwork by Matt Hollingsworth
The excessive wait between issues is finally over but can Matt Fraction and David Aja pull us back into their world of kitschy noir crime tropes and track-suited Mafiosi? Of course they can! The creative team that originally brought us this solo Avenger series like no other and who is just coming off winning an Eisner for the wildly inventive and imaginative Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2014)
Written by Ales Kot
Artwork by Michael Walsh
Color Artwork by Matthew Wilson
Lettering by Clayton Clowes
To say Marvel is on a roll would be the understatement of the century; they are not only on a roll, but on a roll that spans film, television and comic books. No other Marvel title ties all of those worlds together better than Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2014)
Written by Warren Ellis
Artwork by Declan Shalvey
Color Artwork by Jordie Bellaire
Lettering by Chris Eliopoulos
To me, Moon Knight has always been Marvel’s Batman, or at least the closest approximation to the Dark Knight they had to offer. In the hands of the right creative team, like for instance Bendis and Maleev, Moon Knight is definitely worthy of the comparison Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2014)
Written by Charles Soule
Artwork by Javier Pulido
Color Artwork by Muntsa Vicente
Leters by Clayton Clowes
After many hours spent reading his work on such titles as Swamp Thing, Thunderbolts, Inhumanity, Superman/Wonder Woman, Red Lanterns and Letter 44, I have come to a very sane and quite logical conclusion which is that Charles Soule is a super hero. Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2014)
Written by Charles Soule
Artwork by Carlo Barberi
Color Artwork by Thomas Mason
Lettering by Joe Sabino
The last couple issues of Thunderbolts have gone to Hell; literally I mean the team, with the exceptions of Elektra and the Punisher, has been trying to get out of Hell. The addition of Ghost Rider Continue reading
(DC Comics, 2014)
Review by Galen Garner
Written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti
Artwork by Chad Hardin & Stephanie Roux
Color Artwork by Alex Sinclair
Lettering by John J. Hill
Think about it! Harley Quinn as the landlord of an apartment building. How awesome would it be to live in a place where her crazy antics take place around you every day? Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2013)
Review by Shawn Warner
Written by Nick Spencer
Artwork by Rich Ellis
Color Artwork by Lee Loughridge
If you thought that a series as imaginative and original as Superior Foes, based on the misadventures of some of the Marvel Universe’s wackiest D-list miscreants must have some pretty interesting and down-right guffaw inducing origin stories, you would be absolutely correct. Continue reading
BEST OF 2013
with Raymond Jacques
Greetings, Friends & Fellow Readers. I’m Raymond Jacques (and you’re not). It has been an amazing opportunity contributing to BagAndBored.net for the last 8 months or so & this is my contribution to Bag and Bored’s “Best of 2013”. Continue reading
BEST OF 2013
with Shawn Warner
So here we are about to close out another year and as sure as public drunkenness, unwanted gifts and over eating are all part of the festivities indulged in to celebrate the end of twelve months of Continue reading
BEST OF 2013
with John Monaghan
– Best Comic Overall
REVIVAL
The single most important comic of 2013 for me. 2013 has been the year of REVIVAL. Continue reading
BEST OF 2013
with Kenneth Kimbrough
As the year closes, it’s time to reflect on the different things that made it great and the other things that made it not so great. I tend to frown on the word “best” mostly because I majored in philosophy and I’m pretentious. So let’s just consider this more or less a “Favorites of 2013” list. Continue reading
BEST OF 2013
with Galen Garner
Best Comic Overall
The best comic that I have read this past year was Hawkeye by Matt Fraction. It could be that I love Hawkeye or it could be that I love Matt Fraction. Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2013)
Review by Shawn Warner
Written by Matt Fraction
Artwork by Olivier Coipel
Inks by Mark Morales
Color Artwork by Laura Martin ‘DePuy’
With Infinity just wrapping up many of you may be reluctant to jump right back into another event but I caution you, please do not miss out on Inhumanity and the major repercussions that are sure to be felt throughout the Marvel Universe Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2013)
Review by Shawn Warner
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Pencils by Jim Cheung w/ Dustin Weaver
Inking by Mark Morales w/ Dustin Weaver, Guillermo Ortego,
Dave Meikis, Jim Cheung and John Livesay
Color Artwork by Justin Ponsor w/ Ive Svorcina
Jonathan Hickman has done what many thought impossible just a few issues ago, he has flawlessly brought together all of the numerous varied plot threads introduced over the past seventeen issues that have comprised the Infinity Event Continue reading
(Marvel Comic, 2013)
Review by Shawn Warner
WRITTEN BY: Matt Fraction
ARTWORK BY: David Aja
COLOR ARTWORK BY: Matt Hollingsworth
LETTERING BY: Chris Eliopoulos
The wait is finally over. The interval between issues was painfully long this time but to avoid using fill-in creators this is the price we pay, but boy is it worth the wait. Continue reading
Reported by Shawn Warner
I arrived at the Baltimore Convention Center prepared for the second day of Comic-Con completely solo. My comic book compatriots had abandoned me opting for Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2013)
Reviewed by Galen Garner
WRITTEN BY: Matt Fraction
ARTWORK BY: Francesco Francavilla
For the second time since the new Hawkeye series began last year, Matt Fraction has once again teamed up with pulp-comic artist Francesco Francavilla for the most recent issues of Hawkeye. Continue reading
(Marvel Comics, 2013) – Reviewed by Sam LeBas
Hawkeye #8 starts with a visual bang of brilliant storytelling from Aja and Fraction. This issue marks the beginning of a new story arc centering on Clint Barton’s seemingly ill-advised involvement with a red-headed stranger, Penny, and her litany of complications. From the beginning of this series, Fraction and Aja have stressed that their focus is purely on what happens to Clint when he is not working with the Avengers. That’s for the best, because issue 8 takes him to some decidedly un-heroic (a strip club mafia-front and jail come to mind).
Clint gets tangled up in Penny’s charms and proceeds to make a series of questionable decisions. Fraction bravely allows Clint to be a guy, not a perfect, shining, armor-clad hero. Clint’s ability to (and at times downright insistence that he must) make bad decisions make him intensely relatable and endearing. The humorous tone of the book remains grounded firmly in Clint’s refusal to take himself seriously. Against all odds, Fraction is able to make an elderly man wearing a tracksuit and an oxygen mask work as a villain in a Marvel superhero book; this should give you some insight into the outrageous twists and turns you can expect in this series. Near the end of the issue Fraction relates these street level skirmishes to some truly heavy-hitting monuments of Marvel mythology, showcasing his skill as a writer, and setting the table for the next course.
While Fraction’s choices make the narrative of this book stand out, what cements this book’s must-read status for me is Aja’s artwork. Nowhere in the cape-wearing comic world is there a more identifiable trademark style than an Aja on Hawkeye. Not only his rendering style, but his aesthetic choices regarding everything from layout to the angles he chooses to show scenes might as well have his name in neon lights.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with Aja’s art style its somewhere between pop art and 1960s advertising graphics. Aja uses very little shading, and coloring is generally very monochromatic. Because he commonly fills a page with up to twenty-four panels, his canvases can be very small. So, considering that Aja works with a limited: color palette, linear variation, and space; and still manages to tell such incredible visual stories, I am going to go ahead and label him a genius. I am so glad that he’s back for this issue.
In addition to getting Aja back on the title this month, we have also been given the extraordinary gift of five big beautiful full-page illustrations from Annie Wu. Wu’s work evokes a completely different feeling than Aja’s and provides brilliant contrast by hearkening back to the genre of romance comics. I do not think there is another medium on the planet that allows you to purchase so much great art for $2.99.
Hawkeye is a completely original take on hero books tethered by Fraction’s bold storytelling and Aja’s signature artwork that hits the mark in a big way this month.
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Follow Sam on twitter @comicsonice or check out her blog comicsonice.com
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