Shaggy Pizza Dog Story

Hawkeye #11

If you ain’t heard by now, this entire issue is told from the point of view of Pizza Dog, Clint Barton’s dog, which he rescued from his abusive owners, the tracksuit-wearing bros. So Pizza Dog roams the neighborhood, investigates the body of a murdered neighbor, tangles with the bros, tangles with an assassin, and goes on a road trip.

Verdict: Thumbs up. This is just an astounding graphic and storytelling achievement. Word balloons are rare and often unreadable — Pizza Dog can’t understand a whole lot of human words. Most of his thoughts are depicted with simple warning signs, so for the most part, you can understand what he’s thinking and experiencing. It’s a fascinating read, and it’s amazing to see how Matt Fraction manages to get into a dog’s mindset. Even if you haven’t been reading Hawkeye — and you should, you know — go pick this one up.

Daredevil #27

Daredevil finally meets the mastermind behind all of the current misfortunes in his life — Bullseye. But it’s not the Bullseye we’re all accustomed to — he’s paralyzed, deaf, barely able to speak, confined to a metal tank to stay alive. He hired technicians and lackeys, created Ikari, and moved heaven and hell to get his ultimate revenge on Matt Murdock. With Ikari near enough to kill him, Matt is prepared to kill Bullseye, though it may mean the deaths of all his friends, including Foggy Nelson. Will Daredevil be able to keep Bullseye talking long enough to come up with a plan? Can he defeat Ikari? How can he stop Bullseye’s agents from killing his friends?

Verdict: Thumbs up. Amazing, tense writing from Mark Waid, beautiful art from Chris Samnee. Outstanding suspense and action, and thrilling revelations. It’s just a great, fun comic, and I loved reading it.

Today’s Cool Links:

• I don’t do digital comics right now, but this is really big news: Image is going to sell their digital comics DRM-free. That means you own the comics you buy, instead of just renting them, which is what you’re doing with DC, Marvel, and everyone else — including books on your Kindle or Nook.
• DC’s movie universe is bleak and nihilistic. Marvel’s is optimistic and hopeful. That’s why Marvel’s movies have been so much more fun than DC’s.
• The people who think it’s too hard to make a Wonder Woman movie haven’t been paying attention, because it’s been done before.
• You need some beautiful photography of abandoned places? Here ya go.
• Here’s a nice little essay on memory, horror movies, suburbia, and more.