Andy Oliver
@andywpoliver.bsky.social
Broken Frontier @brokenfrontier.bsky.social Editor-in-Chief, small press champion, Small Press Day co-organiser, multiple comics awards judge and recreational nihilist. He/Him "Last decades of his life" (Art by Francesca Cassavetti).
Yay! This week’s THE PHOENIX! Best post of the week.
November 27, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Yay! This week’s THE PHOENIX! Best post of the week.
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #50 (1986) - Cliff Carmichael at his sociopathic worst. Always Firestorm’s greatest villain. Otherwise there’s an interesting return for a Golden Age hero but the unlikely story resolution doesn’t really work.
November 27, 2025 at 4:58 AM
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #50 (1986) - Cliff Carmichael at his sociopathic worst. Always Firestorm’s greatest villain. Otherwise there’s an interesting return for a Golden Age hero but the unlikely story resolution doesn’t really work.
Look what I just found in my desk drawer at work.
The game begins again…
The game begins again…
November 25, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Look what I just found in my desk drawer at work.
The game begins again…
The game begins again…
Blue Peter kid or Magpie kid?
November 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Blue Peter kid or Magpie kid?
Whizz-kid or Chip-ite?
November 25, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Whizz-kid or Chip-ite?
THE KISSING GATE - Aly Fell’s *gorgeously* illustrated ghost story. This was meant to be a re-read for Halloween but it got a bit pushed back!
November 23, 2025 at 6:30 AM
THE KISSING GATE - Aly Fell’s *gorgeously* illustrated ghost story. This was meant to be a re-read for Halloween but it got a bit pushed back!
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #49 (1986) - I read the first part of this Moonbow story nearly 40 years ago. If only teen Andy had known he’d be in his fifties before he’d see the resolution. Did Moonbow ever appear in costume again?
November 23, 2025 at 5:03 AM
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #49 (1986) - I read the first part of this Moonbow story nearly 40 years ago. If only teen Andy had known he’d be in his fifties before he’d see the resolution. Did Moonbow ever appear in costume again?
In 1965 the prize for kids for being featured on BUSTER comic’s letters page was… a “pocket knife.” The past truly is another country.
November 22, 2025 at 7:16 PM
In 1965 the prize for kids for being featured on BUSTER comic’s letters page was… a “pocket knife.” The past truly is another country.
My @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social haul minus 3-4 things I’ve already read. My other #thoughtbubble haul is the 200+ PDFs I downloaded for coverage consideration pre~TB.
November 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
My @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social haul minus 3-4 things I’ve already read. My other #thoughtbubble haul is the 200+ PDFs I downloaded for coverage consideration pre~TB.
BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #85 (1996) - Batman travelling up the 81 floors of a booby-trapped building in pursuit of a crimelord. There’s not very much to this at all but the Tony Salmons art has a sense of kinetic energy to it that pulls you in.
November 22, 2025 at 4:33 AM
BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #85 (1996) - Batman travelling up the 81 floors of a booby-trapped building in pursuit of a crimelord. There’s not very much to this at all but the Tony Salmons art has a sense of kinetic energy to it that pulls you in.
Micah Synn - the big bad for DAREDEVIL for more than a year circa 1984 in a long-running storyline. Never seen again in the subsequent 41 years. (Bob Layton cover)
November 21, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Micah Synn - the big bad for DAREDEVIL for more than a year circa 1984 in a long-running storyline. Never seen again in the subsequent 41 years. (Bob Layton cover)
I love Christmas comics but sometimes you have to draw a line.
November 21, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I love Christmas comics but sometimes you have to draw a line.
SOMNA - from Cloonan, Lotay and DSTLRY. Gorgeous art in this erotic/psychological horror story.
November 21, 2025 at 5:58 AM
SOMNA - from Cloonan, Lotay and DSTLRY. Gorgeous art in this erotic/psychological horror story.
This is the point that my future career as a fine artist abruptly disappeared into an alternate timeline.
November 20, 2025 at 6:24 PM
This is the point that my future career as a fine artist abruptly disappeared into an alternate timeline.
This is probably my seasonal fave. (Also sorry I missed you at TB!)
November 20, 2025 at 2:11 PM
This is probably my seasonal fave. (Also sorry I missed you at TB!)
MURKY WORLD - Another entry in the Corben Library from Dark Horse. Much more readable than DEN but still more a series of events than a structured narrative. Lovingly presented from Dark Horse.
November 20, 2025 at 4:09 AM
MURKY WORLD - Another entry in the Corben Library from Dark Horse. Much more readable than DEN but still more a series of events than a structured narrative. Lovingly presented from Dark Horse.
ALLEY - another collection from Junji Ito, the master of horror comics.
November 18, 2025 at 3:20 AM
ALLEY - another collection from Junji Ito, the master of horror comics.
So that was an amazing @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social. Finding new artists, seeing #BF6toWatch stars, leading the @averyhill.bsky.social exhibition tour, and just hanging out. Sublime! (Tour photo by @pigeonface.bsky.social.)
Also I guide tours now. Tour-guiding is cool.
Also I guide tours now. Tour-guiding is cool.
November 16, 2025 at 4:39 PM
So that was an amazing @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social. Finding new artists, seeing #BF6toWatch stars, leading the @averyhill.bsky.social exhibition tour, and just hanging out. Sublime! (Tour photo by @pigeonface.bsky.social.)
Also I guide tours now. Tour-guiding is cool.
Also I guide tours now. Tour-guiding is cool.
A @brokenfrontier.bsky.social #BF6toWatch @averyhill.bsky.social Friday night drinks meet-up at Thought Bubble.
November 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM
A @brokenfrontier.bsky.social #BF6toWatch @averyhill.bsky.social Friday night drinks meet-up at Thought Bubble.
The boy is back in town. #ThoughtBubble
November 14, 2025 at 4:14 PM
The boy is back in town. #ThoughtBubble
At a window seat and the guy next to me got up and disappeared down the train a few minutes before my stop. Leaving all his crap like this. Rucksack on floor under seat, tray down with laptop abandoned. How he expected me to negotiate this to get out while using a stick for balance is beyond me.
November 14, 2025 at 2:55 PM
At a window seat and the guy next to me got up and disappeared down the train a few minutes before my stop. Leaving all his crap like this. Rucksack on floor under seat, tray down with laptop abandoned. How he expected me to negotiate this to get out while using a stick for balance is beyond me.
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM ANNUAL #2 (1984) - An illustrated prose story rather than comics and… oh boy… it’s hard to get through.
November 13, 2025 at 4:57 AM
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM ANNUAL #2 (1984) - An illustrated prose story rather than comics and… oh boy… it’s hard to get through.
WHITE BOAT #1-2 - This is really excellent horror comics from Snyder and Francavilla. Intriguing concepts and stunning art. That said #2 came out in October 2024 and we’re still waiting for #3. And I guess that’s why people waiting for the trade is totally justified. Highly recommended though.
November 12, 2025 at 3:19 AM
WHITE BOAT #1-2 - This is really excellent horror comics from Snyder and Francavilla. Intriguing concepts and stunning art. That said #2 came out in October 2024 and we’re still waiting for #3. And I guess that’s why people waiting for the trade is totally justified. Highly recommended though.
LOST MARVELS NO. 1: TOWER OF SHADOWS - Not the best start for this line. An incomplete collection of issues 1-9 (just the cover for #9). I’ll be honest had I known I would have passed on this. Such a shame because the presentation is excellent. Guess they’ll stay “lost” a little longer.
November 10, 2025 at 2:25 AM
LOST MARVELS NO. 1: TOWER OF SHADOWS - Not the best start for this line. An incomplete collection of issues 1-9 (just the cover for #9). I’ll be honest had I known I would have passed on this. Such a shame because the presentation is excellent. Guess they’ll stay “lost” a little longer.
SECRETS OF THE UNKNOWN #250 - a special edition celebrating the long gone Alan Class line of classic reprints in black and white. Lovely nostalgia and two new stories too. But it’s 2025 so why no credits for the vintage material even if they would be by necessity possibly incomplete?
November 9, 2025 at 5:57 AM
SECRETS OF THE UNKNOWN #250 - a special edition celebrating the long gone Alan Class line of classic reprints in black and white. Lovely nostalgia and two new stories too. But it’s 2025 so why no credits for the vintage material even if they would be by necessity possibly incomplete?