The questions I get asked again and again.  I'll add more as and when I realise that I'm bored of answering them.

How does the rating system work?

Ah, the ratings.  First of all, let's be clear: the ratings are there because I think they cap off the reviews nicely, rather than because they're particularly meaningful.  Obviously they're pretty subjective.

Anyhow, the ratings run from A+ to D-.  Yes, I know that many of you went to schools where the bottom mark was F.  I didn't.  The scale goes from A+ to D-, and that's just the way it is.

As a very broad guide, the As are strong recommendations.  The Bs are good if you like that sort of thing, but not likely to win you over if it isn't your genre.  The Cs are substandard or bland, but not outright terrible.  And the Ds are best avoided.

An A+ isn't necessarily perfect, it's just very strongly recommended.  And much the same applies to a D- book, which isn't necessarily devoid of merit, it's just very bad.

Can I use your reviews on my site?

No, but you're welcome to link directly to the review here on this site.

I'm just coming back to the X-books after a few years' break.  Which ones are good?

Depends what you're looking for.  Astonishing X-Men isn't groundbreaking, but it's a good read.  Uncanny X-Men is Claremont returning to do what he does.  X-Men is Peter Milligan trying to do mainstream, which is always a little bit erratic, and will be a love/hate proposition for most people.  Ultimate X-Men is my personal favourite of the core titles at the moment, but they're about to change the creative team.  Over in the satellite books, Cable & Deadpool is doing pretty well with an unlikely premise, and the upcoming X-Factor book sounds highly promising.

What other comics websites do you recommend?

For straightforward news coverage, Newsarama.  For rumour mongering, Rich Johnston.  For commentary and opinion, Ninth Art.

When will the Indexes section get around to covering my favourite title?

The Indexes are currently alternating between Uncanny X-Men and X-Men vol 2.  Once X-Men vol 2 reaches the end of the Grant Morrison run, I'll cover all the Chuck Austen issues.  It'll be a good few months before we get to that point.  After that, chances are I'll do Ultimate X-Men next, though I might change my mind.  If you're after an index of a long-cancelled title like X-Factor, or a miniseries from the mid-1980s, you're going to have a long wait, I'm afraid.

Why did you stop reviewing every book each week?

See the original announcement for a full explanation.

I want to know more...

Chris Allen interviewed me in September 2003 for his Breakdowns column.  You can read that interview here.