Avatar photo

Skruff

Name: Matt

Bio: Geeky east coast guy, living with my husband and a 3-legged dog (and a few cats). Lifelong comic reader recently converted to the joys of digital comics to minimize the need for additional storage space (and to help preserve my husband's sanity).****************************** LIKES: - Anything by Scott Snyder, Nicholas Spencer, Brian K. Vaughn, Phil Jiminez, Oliver Coipel, Sara Pichelli - The original Crisis on Infinite Earths - John Byrne's Superman reboot in the 80s - Geoff Johns' original JSA run - The first 50 or so issues of The Walking Dead (it feels like it's kind of been treading water since the Governor) - The "Archie" Legion - The idea (if not necessarily the execution) of Ben Reilly and the Clone Saga. Don't judge me too harshly - Ultimate Spider-Man (both Peter Parker and Miles Morales) ************************************ DISLIKES: - Dissolving marriages via a deal with the devil or an editorial mandate thanks to continuity reboots - Anything by Rob Liefeld (sorry, Rob!) - Rabid, angry fanboys and fangirls - People who epitomize a real life "Comic Book Guy" in terms of their attitudes towards others ************************************** Favorite comics right now: Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, Invincible, Batman, American Vampire, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Chew, Fables, Stuff of Legend, Wonder Woman, Saga, Mind the Gap, Archer & Armstrong, Harbinger, X-O Manowar

Twitter:


Reviews
Skruff's Recent Comments
RECAP: ‘The Walking Dead’ – S03E05 – “Say The Word”
November 12, 2012 7:10 am This. I predict either Carol will come back fairly unhinged (moreso than usual) from being locked in the prison with the walkers, or she'll come back a complete badass and a zombie killing machine. Perhaps she'll even take over the role that Andrea was supposed to play, at least compared to her comic persona
Go To Comment
Let’s Talk Comics. Please.
November 9, 2012 2:07 pm That's pretty much the norm for me, too. I find now that the greatest chunk of my comic book conversations comes from online sites (mostly iFanboy these days). Beyond that, it doesn't really spread much into the real world. I occasionally come across a friend who is a comic reader, but they are few and far between in my social circles, so even those conversations tend to get quickly nipped in the bud if we have other friends around us whose eyes start to glaze over at our sparkling banter of whether or not Barbara Gordon is better as Batgirl or Oracle (It's totally Oracle, BTW... I don't care what my friends say)
Go To Comment
DC Histories: Huntress (Helena Wayne / Helena Bertinelli)
November 7, 2012 11:26 am Meh.... Honestly, I thought Helena Bertinelli was a far more interesting character, and Gail Simone's portrayal of her in Birds of Prey was spot-on. She had the hard edge because of her upbringing and family tragedy, but she still wanted to do the right thing and be a hero... and more importantly, she wanted a family, which she ultimately found with the Birds. The new Helena Wayne isn't terribly interesting to me so far, perhaps because, unlike a character like Wally West post-Crisis who spent a few decades as Kid Flash before graduating to Flash, we never got the chance to see her as the daughter of Earth-2 Batman and Catwoman. We only see snippets of it in flashback, so she's just another generic "legacy" hero without the legacy and history, beyond fanboys from the 1970s and 1980s and their rose-tinted memories, to build upon.
Go To Comment
Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino Take on GREEN ARROW in February
November 5, 2012 11:51 am I like most of Jeff Lemire's work, so this will definitely be worth checking out for a few issues!
Go To Comment
Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino Take on GREEN ARROW in February
November 5, 2012 11:50 am I hope Sorrentino isn't leaving I, Vampire (or worse, that the title is canceled).
Go To Comment
Great Pages: THE MAN OF STEEL #1
November 5, 2012 11:29 am Oh, and the retcon of "Never mind, Clark Kent WAS Superboy after all, because the Legion of Super-Heroes could never have been inspired by SuperMAN"
Go To Comment
Great Pages: THE MAN OF STEEL #1
November 5, 2012 11:27 am ...Make that the Donner films, Smallville and the silver age, hence the tales of: - Boosted power levels - Kara Zor-El (I still miss Peter David's far-superior "Linda Danvers" Supergirl to Kara Zor-El) - Krypto - Lex Luthor's inclusion in teenage Clark Kent's life in Smallville - The redesign of the Kents from an elderly couple to John Schneider and Annette O'Toole look-a-likes, before they killed off Pa Kent, because you know Superman can't be good without at least one dead parent. The Donner films told us so...
Go To Comment
Great Pages: THE MAN OF STEEL #1
November 5, 2012 11:18 am Of John Byrne's work, it was his work on Superman that I loved the most. He absolutely made Superman relatable, and I loved the little touches that Byrne made to him to explain some of the logical flaws in Superman's world, such as: -- He vibrated his face just enough so that cameras could never get a clear shot of him, thus limiting facial recognition of his days as a young Clark Kent in Smallville -- He still had to shave, but had to use a mirror to reflect his heat vision to burn away the stubble. -- Clark Kent worked out regularly, so that helped explain why he had a similar physique to Superman Things like that showed me, even as a kid, that Byrne actually took time to plot out his somewhat new character and his place in the post-Crisis DC Universe. It seemed like there was a definitive roadmap in place from day one, and Byrne stuck as close to that as he could while he worked on the Superman titles. Whereas now, it seems like we have a Superman, who not only is aloof and feels perpetually alone and distant from everyone, but whose creators and editors don't appear to communicate with each other, as evidenced by interviews George Perez gave following his short tenure on the title. Everyone seems to be flying by the seat of their pants trying to characterize him in his various appearances, and now I have no interest in reading his books.
Go To Comment
What’s the Best Comic Book Being Published Right Now? Fall 2012 Edition [Updated]
November 2, 2012 7:57 am As am I! In just barely a year, Brian Michael Bendis (and his various artists, but most notably, Sara Pichelli) have taken an iconic character (and the best character in the Ultimate universe IMO), completely replaced him with a new character, a new supporting cast, a new(ish) setting, and somehow, I've completely fallen in love with this kid, and I can't wait to read his adventures every month! Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man is the ONLY comic where I'll pay the full $3.99 to read it digitally, because I'm just that invested in Miles Morales already, and I want this comic to succeed and thrive. BMB has done what many thought impossible... He replaced Peter Parker with an equally loveable character, and I, for one, am a huge fan! And can Sara Pichelli just draw everything, please? She is a phenomenal talent!!
Go To Comment
What’s the Best Comic Book Being Published Right Now? Fall 2012 Edition [Updated]
November 2, 2012 7:49 am Count me in as a huge fan of CHEW! While the publishing schedule seems to have slipped this year, it's consistently one of the best comics out there. The characterization is incredibly rich and diverse, the stories are well-written and often hysterical, and the art is to die for. There are so many little details and Easter eggs hidden in the art in each issue. It's a comic I love to read as soon as it comes out!
Go To Comment
« Previous 10 Comments
Newer 10 Comments »