Reviews

Like many people, I have opinions. Sometimes I get the chance to share those opinions with other people using the futuristic medium of the internet. Thus are my thoughts on things like comics and poetry projected far and wide for others to experience. Because it always helps to know what other people think about the things that you like to read, right? Then read on!

Poetry Reviews

Thirty Australian Poets
(via cordite)
“…if you’re happy with a slight caveat, Thirty Australian Poets (Who Mostly Write for the Page and Who Have Been Around Long Enough to Develop Both A Body of Work and The Networks to Get Said Body of Work Published) is a good and broad selection of contemporary Australian poets from within its openly established parameters.”

Knuckled
(via cordite)
“This is a poetry charged with image and emotion that leaves enough unsaid to allow the reader their own responses, but which is detailed enough to be unambiguous.”

The Australian Popular Songbook
(via cordite)
“It’s surprising, then, how hard it is to understand the poems in Alan Wearne’s latest collection…”

Magisterium
(via cordite)
“‘Apocalyptic’ is actually an apt way to describe this collection. Magisterium reads like a series of admonitions.”

Break Me Ouch
(via cordite)
“I’ve been puzzled by Michael Farrell’s poetry for a long time.”

Dog Lovers’ Poems edited by Jeff Kennett
(via cordite)
“There is little or no sense of structure here, no appreciation of the forms and capacities of poetry.”

Comic reviews

The following are “print” reviews that I’ve had published – for some more recent audio podcasty comic-review-lovin’ you could also check out the “I’m on the radio!” tag on this blog.

The Deep: Here Be Dragons by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer
(via Australian Comics Journal)
“Finally, a comic that sounded like it was going to tackle undersea adventure in a real and scientific way. Little did I know.”

Police Comics #1 by Jack Cole, Will Eisner and others
(via popimage)
“Look back at 1941 and you’ll discover a time when comics were just for kids. As long as the kids were interested in poor drawing and inexplicable stories, that is.”

Same Difference and Other Stories by Derek Kim 
(via popimage)
“…the depth of detail with which Kim invests every step in the journey makes every digression feel important and relevant…”

Eightball #23 – “The Death Ray!” by Dan Clowes
(via popimage)
“…an eye-catching delight, a symphony of experimental techniques in terms of colour, dialogue, pacing and even panel composition.”

Trosper by Jim Woodring and Bill Frisell 
(via popimage)
“Trosper plays happily with its ball until a hooded red creature kills Trosper’s guardian and Trosper is forced to run for its life…”

Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #1 by Otto Binder & Curt Swan
(via popimage)
“The stories are as facile as one could hope for in a comic, with obligatory cliff-hangers and fatuous solutions.”

Mysterious Suspense #1 by Steve Ditko 
(via popimage)
“As such, this is not so much a fast-moving action story as it is a dialogue- heavy morality play.”

Soundtrack by Jessica Abel
(via popimage)
“Abel has a compassion for her characters and a good eye for detail that makes these ‘real life non-stories’ resonate in the mind of the reader.”

Skrull Kill Krew by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar & Steve Yeowell
(via popimage)
“The premise of Skrull Kill Krew is a perfect example of the kind of idea-mining that Grant Morrison gets up to when he turns his attention to the comics produced by Marvel…”