Dave's Rants Homepage

Dave's Rants Archive Homepage

Last Updated 12/30/21

This page holds an archive of my comic book reviews for the past few years. The originals are posted to rec.arts.comics.reviews on Usenet newsgroups, and some time between Wednesdays I throw in some minimal formatting and link the file in here. Most of the time these will be spoiler-free "Capsules", but once in a while I'll go whole-hog on a review.

Best Books of:
1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999
2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021

A listing of what I considered to be the best comics of the last few years, these are all the titles that got a "Strongly Recommended" or better rating in my reviews at the time, with all the biases that implies. No entries for 2013 and 2014, since I didn't get a lot of books those years.

Recent Columns

Comics of note (Strongly recommended or better, usually) will be in boldface, with an asterisk if they're Strongly Recommended. While most of my reviews are spoiler-free capsules, the occasional full review will be underlined. Categories of material are "Other Media" (not actually comics, but comics-related), Digital Comics (or ebook novels), Trades and Graphic Novels. Traditional "floppies" are in black.

January 28, 2021: Monster Force Zero, Overwatch Tracer - London Calling #4 (of 5), The League of Regrettable Superheroes, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier, The Other History of the DC Universe #2 (of 5), Maestro: War and PAX #1 (of 5), The Rise of Ultraman #5 (of 5), Shang-Chi #5 (of 5), Marvel Action Avengers 2020 #3 (of 12?), The Wrong Earth; Day and Night #1 (of 6?), Sacred Six #6, Kaijumax Season 5 #6 (of 6), Big Girls #6 (of 6?), My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #93-94, ROM Dire Wraiths #3 (of 3), Transformers #26-27.
February 26, 2021: Batman: Soul of the Dragon *, Doom Patrol Season 2, Harley Quinn Season 2 (partial), Overwatch Tracer - London Calling #5 (of 5), Comicbook History of Animation #5 (of 5), The Outbursts of Everett True, Iyanu Child of Wonder vol 1, E.X.O. The Legend of Wale Williams Part 1 and 2, Windmaker Birth of a King, The Wrong Earth; Day and Night #2 (of 6?), Vampirella #17, Sacred Six #7, White Ash Presents Glarien #1, Midnight Sky #7, Transformers Beast Wars #1, Transformers Escape #2 (of 6).
March 31, 2021: Adventure Finders Book 2 volume 1 Chapter 14, My Little Pony Manga vol 3, Hilo book 7: Gina the Girl who Broke the World, The Other History of the DC Universe #3, Marvel Snapshots: Captain Marvel, Maestro War and PAX #2-3, The Trials of Ultraman #1 (of 5), USAgent #3-4 (of 5), The Wrong Earth; Day and Night #3 (of 6?), Norse Mythology #5-6, Vampirella #18, Giga #3, Heroes of the Golden Age #5, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #95, Transformers #28, Transformers Beast Wars #2.
April 28, 2021: Wonder Woman 1984, MechStrike Captain America, Adventure Finders Book 2 volume 1 Chapter 15, The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story *, Primates, The Comic Book History of Animation TPB, Galactic Rodents of Mayhem #1, Squadron Supreme Marvel Tales #1, Maestro War and PAX #4, The Trials of Ultraman #2 (of 5), USAgent #5 (of 5), RWBY/Justice League #1 (of 7), Sacred Six #8, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #96, My Little Pony/Transformers II #1 (of 4), Transformers '84 Legends and Rumors 100 Page Giant #1, Transformers Beast Wars #3.
May 28, 2021: Justice Society World War II, Justice Wing: Plan, Prototype, Produce, Perfect *, Disreputable Persons, The Way of the House Husband vol 5 *, Hawking, The Other History of the DC Universe #4 (of 6), The Blue Flame #1, Maestro War and PAX #5 (of 5), The Trials of Ultraman #3 (of 5),Shang-Chi #1, DC Festival of Heroes. The Wrong Earth Night & Day #4 (of 6), Sacred Six #9, Vampirella #19, The Orville Digressions #1 (of 2), Kaijumax Season 6 #1 (of 6), My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Annual 2021, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #97, My Little Pony/Transformers II #2 (of 4), Transformers Beast Wars #4, Transformers Escape #3 (of 6), Transformers #29-30.
July 1, 2021 (June comics): Adventure Finders Book 2 Chapter 16, Adventure Finders Book 3 Chapter 1, QUEERZ Chapter 1, My Last Summer with Cass, Avatar the Last Airbender: Toph Beifong's Metalbending Academy, The Girl from the Sea, Naturalist: a Graphic Adaptation, Shang-Chi #2, RWBY/Justice League #2-3 (of 7), Sacred Six #10, Vampirella #20-21, The Blue Flame #2, Giga #4, Norse Mythology II #1 (of 6), The Orville Digressions #2 (of 2), Midnight Sky #8, Save Yourself! #1, Kaijumax Season 6 #2 (of 6), My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #98, My Little Pony/Transformers II #3 (of 4), Transformers Beast Wars #5, Transformers Escape #4 (of 5), Transformers Annual 2021, Transformers #31.
July 29, 2021: Loki Season 1, Dreadstar Guidebook, Dreadstar Returns, The Other History of the DC Universe #5 (of 5), Shang-Chi #3, Trials of Ultraman #5 (of 5), Moon Knight #1, RWBY/Justice League #4 (of 7), Sacred Six #11 (of 12), The Blue Flame #3, Wrong Earth Day & Night #5 (of 6), Norse Mythology II #2 (of 6), The Lunar Ladies #1 (of 3), Save Yourself! #2, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #99-100, My Little Pony/Transformers II #4 (of 4), Transformers Beast Wars #6, Transformers Escape #5 (of 5), Transformers #32.
August 26, 2021: Adventure Finders Book 3 Chapter 2, I Am NOT Starfire!, Scales & Scoundrels Book 1 and 2, Artemisia, Punderworld vol 1 *, FCBD (Beast Boy Loves Raven, School for Extraterrestrial Girls, Avatar, White Ash), Trials of Ultraman #5 (of 5), Moon Knight #2, RWBY/Justice League #5 (of 7), The Heroes Union Binge Book #1, Vampirella #22-23, Sacred Six #12 (of 12), The Blue Flame #4, Norse Mythology II #3 (of 6), Save Yourself! #3 (of 4), My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #101, Transformers: King Grimlock #1 (of 5), Transformers: Shattered Glass #1 (of 5), Transformers Beast Wars #7, Transformers #33.
September 30, 2021: Black Widow (BluRay), Wayne Family Adventures *, Way of the House Husband vol 6 *, Earth Boy, Shang-Chi #4, Moon Knight #3, RWBY/Justice League #6 (of 7), Vampirella #24 (of 25), Norse Mythology II #4 (of 6), Save Yourself! #4 (of 4), Scoot Frontiers #1, Impossible Jones #1, Kaijumax Season 6 #3 (of 6), Transformers Halloween 2021, Transformers: King Grimlock #2 (of 5), Transformers: Shattered Glass #2 (of 5), Transformers Beast Wars #8, Transformers #34-5.
October 31, 2021: Adventure Finders Book 3 Chapters 3-4, Avatar the Last Airbender: Suki, Alone, Soulstream, Animorphs: the Visitor, Tuki: Fight for Fire, Shang-Chi #5, Moon Knight #4, RWBY/Justice League #7 (of 7), Norse Mythology II #5 (of 6), The Orville Artifacts #1 (of 2), Kaijumax Season 6 #4 (of 6), My Little Pony Friendship is Magic #102 (of 102), My Little Pony Generations #1 (of 5), Transformers: King Grimlock #3 (of 5), Transformers: Shattered Glass #3 (of 5), Transformers Wreckers: Tread & Circuits #1 (of 5), Transformers Beast Wars #9, Transformers #36.
November 28, 2021: Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings, Adventure Finders Book 3 Chapter 5, Justice League of America the Silver Age vol 3, Shang-Chi #6, Moon Knight #5, Good Boy vol 1 #1-3 (of 3), Getting Dizzy #1, Vampirella #25 (of 25), The Blue Flame #5, Norse Mythology II #6 (of 6), The Orville Artifacts #2 (of 2), My Little Pony Generations #2 (of 5), Transformers: King Grimlock #4 (of 5), Transformers Wreckers: Tread & Circuits #2 (of 5), Transformers Beast Wars #10, Transformers #37.
December 30, 2021: Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The Return of Captain Invincible, Hawkeye (Disney+), Adventure Finders Book 3 Chapter 6, Action Activists #2, Love and Capes in the Time of COVID, Liberty Brigade (and associated material), The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor, She-Ra: Legend of the Fire Princess, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, Moon Knight #6, Vampirella Dracula Unholy #1, The Blue Flame #6, White Ash Season 2 #1 (of 6), Kaijumax Season Six #5 (of 6) *, My Little Pony Generations #3 (of 5), Transformers Shattered Glass #4-5 (of 5), Transformers Wreckers: Tread & Circuits #3 (of 5), Transformers Beast Wars #11, Transformers #38.

Rant Archives

This is where older Rants will go to keep the main page from getting cluttered. Only the files from March 2007 onward will be here, but searching Google Groups for Dave, Rant and the title of the comic you're interested in will usually do pretty well, assuming I reviewed the book. (In 2012 I shifted from weekly to monthly reviews, so the archives shift from months to years.)

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

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