Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland #1 – Review

By: Eric Shanower (story), Gabriel Rodriguez (art), Nelson Daniel (colors)

The Story: Nemo refuses to meet the girl of his dreams.

The Review: Even though I do this reviewing thing as a living—in one sense of that word—I’d never lay claim to any special expertise on comic book history. That said, I am relatively familiar with the sibling of comic books: comic strips. There was a time when, thanks to my erstwhile dad, I was far more familiar with The Adventures of Tintin, Krazy Kat, The Spirit, Bringing Up Father, and, of course, Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland than any DC or Marvel comic.

What continues to dazzle me about those old cartoons are the bounty of details and vibrant colors bursting from every panel, the and inventiveness of every visual in every aspect, the sheer variety of stories that were told. Their superhero peers look positively gaudy and commonplace by comparison. So the moment Return to Slumberland was announced, I knew I had to get my grubby hands on it right away, and I was well rewarded for it.

All-New Ghost Rider #1 – Review

By: Felipe Smith (story), Tradd Moore (art), Nelson Daniel & Val Staples (colors)

The Story: A drag race brings Robbie down in hellish flames.

The Review: I felt rather daring picking up this title, considering how I know nothing about Ghost Rider—quite literally nothing. Beyond seeing his image in various places, I don’t even have a passing familiarity with him. I’ve never read any of his comics, never seen him guested in anyone else’s, never saw the movie, never even looked him up on Wikipedia. Fortunately, the “All-New” part of the title absolves me from any of that, letting me take the series on its own merit.