This week, the good folks at Titan sent me a review copy of CLiNT, the new comics magazine edited by Mark Millar, and review it I did. And if you just want the short version, here you go: It is not very good.

It’s a good idea with exactly the kind of over-the-top presentation you’d expect from Millar, and while that’s not intrinsically a bad thing, the non-comics content is lousy and the comics that aren’t reprints aren’t a whole lot better. As pal Andrew says in the comments, it’s the lad-mag version of Pizzazz, and now I’m mad that I didn’t think of that comparison first.

Thanks, Andrew.

In which a doctor is depressed.

I’ll be honest with you guys: Sometimes, when Rusty and I are coming up with our GCTNH entries, we try to shoot for what a good number of people will like and recognize, in order to entertain as wide an audience as we can.

And sometimes, we do them just for us.

Last week, writer/artist/swell guy Phil Hester Twittered about a set of comic book trading cards he was involved with back in 1993 that not only featured art, but brief biographies and photographs of creators. Clearly, this was something I had to see, and since I couldn’t find any information about them online, I made my first-ever eBay purchase of two sealed boxes and put together a set myself, and the results are up now at ComicsAlliance, featuring a handful of familiar faces.

It’s a nifty (and as you’ll see from Hester’s remarks, utterly mind-boggling) look at the early ’90s and the people who came out of that era, so check it out, and justify my expense report.

As some of you may have already guessed, ComicsAlliance is basically just an elaborate cover for David Uzumeri and I to try to out-nerd each other about Batman, and today, I’ve got my latest effort to top him: an analysis of the news that there are going to be two Batmen, 1600ish words examining the history of Bat-imposters and ersatz caped crusaders and what impact this is going to have on the story Grant Morrison’s been threading through his run since JLA.

As is the case with most things like this, it started as me jokingly suggesting the above title as a headline for the article, but it turned out to be a question that Laura Hudson thought people might actually want to know. Thus, the Internet’s Foremost Batmanologist is back in session.

So while the Brand Ecch news sites may have just reposted the press release and Yannick Paquette’s (friggin’ amazing) preview page, we went the extra mile! So until Caleb Goellner goes with loose fit jeans, Make Yours ComicsAlliance!

…

Uh, sorry. I’ve been reading a lot of ’60s Fantastic Four lately.

It’s time once again to look back on the endless morass of despair that is Funky Winkerbean, and brother, this month is a doozy. The panel above? That’s not even in #1.

So enjoy, but seriously, you may want to consider a stiff drink before you click.

In which an outbreak occurs.

It’s the Worst of Netflix One-Year Worstiversary! And to celebrate I… Well, I forgot about it until after I was done reviewing this week’s selection, The Gene Generation, a sci-fi epic starring Crank 2‘s Bai Ling:

Incidentally, we know right off the bat that it’s a dystopian future because a) everything outside looks like the bastard child of Blade Runner and StarCraft, and b) everyone’s dressed like they’re going to the worst party at Comic-Con.

Also, this one has one of my favorite lines I’ve written for the column. See if you can pick it out, and here’s to another twelve months of… me… only watching movies I hate.

Huh.

Maybe not the best thing to celebrate, that.

It’s that time again: Today, I’ve sifted through the new issue of Previews to bring you the highlights and lowlights of 500 pages of niche market solicitations!

There are some pretty magical things this time, to the point where it’s been referred to as “possibly the happiest Chris vs. Previews ever,” but I blame that on a lack of anime statues.

This week, the world’s most destructive comic book podcast was all set to have a bang-up show with Phil Hester as our special guest, but unfortunately, Euge’s computer went kaboom and derailed those plans pretty effectively.

So instead, we slapped together an hour-long live-to-tape show where Euge and I talk about comics, haters and (of course) the Wu Tang Clan, just to make sure we’ve got something for The People.

I know: Only on War Rocket Ajax could two guys rambling at each other for an hour be considered a “mini-show.” Enjoy!