Rapid Reviews - 23 March 2005 - Part II

Futurama Simpsons Crossover Crisis II #2: "The Read Menace": I liked all the fictional characters running around, and some of the gags (like the M.C. Escher-sketch) were great. But in the end it's just more of the Simpsons and Futurama. If you like it, get the book. Otherwise, you should pass on it.

The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #8: The final issue. I'm not entirely sure what happened there at the end... except that it was finished. When Cole realized that some of the folks helping him fight were ghosts, I only wondered why he hadn't noticed before. What happened to Red and Rose, or if they were ever real in the first place, I can't tell. Still, this was a strangly satisfying book. I'm going to have to pull all the issues together and read it through in one sitting.

Conan #14: "The Ibis and the Serpent": More beautiful artwork, more strong story... if you like fantasy, give this book a try. You might want to wait until issue #15, though, as this was the final chapter of a story.

Phantom #5: "Damnation Game": This one started out very confusing. The art didn't do a very good job of telling me who is who, and the text wasn't at all helpful. But the further I got into it, the better I understood what was happening. Too bad the opening sequence was so poor, though.