Tag Archives: review

Zack’s Decade in Review

By Zack
December 28, 2009

Comics

100% by Paul Pope, DC's Solo by Sergio Aragonés and Lose #1 by Michael Deforge

I would best describe the last decade in comics as “aggressively making up for the 90s”. Sure, not everything was gold and a lot of the “major events” featured strong openings with weak conclusions (well, except perhaps 52) but there was undeniably this open window of embrace for comics as a creative means instead of a sales means. The comics I tended to favour most were the ones that really had a knack for embracing story with visuals, treating the two as a pair, not playing favourites to either or. It could be a great story, or, it could have great art, but a great comic book means both will stick with you in the long run. Top choice, of course, goes to Paul Pope’s 100%. The gloomy yet fantastical portrayal of a future-punk NYC, and the dreaming artists, strippers and misfits that crawl around it’s streets. Like a Moulin Rouge that your parents don’t own the soundtrack to, 100% feels alive, the illustrations pulse crowded unheard sounds, and the heroes are so believably lost that you eventually sink into the same romantic hole they dwell in.

Taking a few steps to the side, but not too many steps, is DC’s Solo series. Short, too short in my opinion, but a successful experiment in showing what certain artists will do when you loosen their chain. Some still did superhero stories, some didn’t. Sergio Aragones, Mike Allred and the aforementioned Paul Pope all did personal anecdotes, refocused in the lens of a comic. The series was as creatively pleasing as it was enlightening to see how individual artists view their world and the effects it has on their craft.

Last but not least is a newer entry, and I really hope this won’t come off as superbly pretensions to drop something this obscure but its totally worth a hound down, I’m talking to the culture junkie savages I assume to peruse this site. LOSE #1 by Toronto local Michael Deforge is a stroll down a struggle that I can all too relate with. The constant clash between an artist’s personal creativity and their media, Saturday morning cartoon saturated mind that they sink with.  Deforge in almost an escape from the pop junk world begins to scratch back, mutilating and mutating Rocky and Bullwinkle. It’s a route many online one offs have taken, but this is the first one that feels like it nails it square over the head.
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Up Review

By Dork Shelf Team
May 30, 2009

Up, the new animated feature from Disney/Pixar, is buoyant, but gets heavy. It’s a cartoon adventure that doesn’t talk down to its audience, child or adult. The film begins with a young child, Carl, enthralled by newsreels of Charles Muntz, … Continue reading

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Terminator Salvation Review

By Will
May 21, 2009

Terminator Salvation wants to be a great film, but it has big shoes to fill.  The first two Terminator films were excellent, while the third was mediocre at best. Terminator Salvation aims to right the wrongs of Terminator 3: Rise of … Continue reading

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Zeno Clash Review

By Dork Shelf Team
May 12, 2009

Zeno Clash is a first-person beat ‘em up game from Chilean ACE Team. It’s a wonderful game world and a satisfying simulation of hand-to-hand (foot-to-face, club-to-head) fighting. Though briefer and more challenging than many high-quality first-person games, it’s a lot … Continue reading

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Star Trek Review

By Will
May 7, 2009

As a life long Trekkie, I went into the new J.J. Abrams Trek reboot/sequel with my expectations set to stun—fearing that if I set them to kill I would end up vapourizing myself… whatever that means.  Phaser analogy aside, I … Continue reading

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Venture Bros. Season 3 DVD Review

By Jeff
April 4, 2009

Behold the might of Jeff’s Venture Bros. Season 3 DVD review! Bringing back the Anti-Gravity scale; things will be rated out of 1 to 5 G‘s! The Good The Venture Bros. is incredibly well written and layered. It stands up to … Continue reading

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