Your Favorite Things of the Year! (Est. 2017)

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

In previous years, this was a memory box so we didn't miss any good nominations for the Cappies. With the Cappies hypertimed away, that doesn't mean we have to discontinue these threads. I've always liked going back at the end of the year and seeing the books and stories and moments that people really champion -- including plenty of stuff that I've forgotten about come Christmastime. 

So have at it, Legionnaires! It's a bold new year! What in 2017 has knocked you out?

[Jeff of Earth-J]

SHIPPED TODAY:

FRONTLINE COMBAT v2

OGDEN WHITNEY’S ROMANCE COMICS

THE CARL BARKS LIBRARY v14

MARVEL 80 FOR 80 HC

MMW GHOST RIDER v1

PEANUTS EVERY SUNDAY v7

JOHN BYRNE ARTIST EDITION

More on some of these later, in the days to come…

[Jeff of Earth-J]

BRAIN BATS OF VENUS: Subtitled “The Life and Comics of Basil Wolverton – Volume Two – 1942-1952,” this is the follow-up to “CREEPING DEATH FROM NEPTUNE.” This volume continues Greg Sadowski's biography of the famed MAD cartoonist. It includes scores of letters between Wolverton and his editors and publishers and excerpts from his personal diaries, providing documentary insight not only into Wolverton's day-to-day life and career, but also the inner workings of the early comic book industry. It is also chock full of Wolverton's comics stories from this period, including 17 science-fiction and horror tales fully restored and never before collected in a single volume.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

SHIPS TOMORROW: ADVENTURES OF TINTIN COMPLETE COLLECTION SET

Tintin, Hergé's classic comic book creation, is one of the most iconic characters in children's books. To celebrate Tintin's 90th anniversary, the original 23 adventures have been collected together for the first time. Now including Tintin and Alph-Art and Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, this unique collection will delight Tintin fans old and new. Perfect for lovers of graphic novels, mysteries, and historical adventures. From the Soviet Union to America, to outer space and the depths of the ocean, there are over 1,600 pages of delight in these eight volumes. The ultimate gift for any Tintin fan.

Wow.

[The Baron]

I wonder whether it will include the original b/w, hugely racist Tintin in the Congo, or the later, slightly-less--but-still-pretty racist version.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

ANSWER: Neither one.

I'm not an expert on Tintin, but "the original 23 adventures" sounded complete to me. A quick Google seach tells me there are 24 stories, so I guess this set includes every one except Tintin in the Congo.

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television - Outside of being the creator and narrator of the Twilight Zone, I knew nothing about Rod Serling, so I found this book fascinating. I had no idea how prolific he actually was. It was written and drawn by Koren Shadmi. A great read.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

All of these ship tomorrow:

ABSOLUTE SWAMP THING BY ALAN MOORE V1:

“Alan Moore's legendary run of Swamp Thing tales is collected in Absolute format at last, completely recolored for this new edition! This first of three volumes includes Moore's first Swamp Thing story, issue #20's ‘Loose Ends,’ a prelude to his haunting origin story, ‘The Anatomy Lesson,’ which reshapes Swamp Thing's mythology with terrifying revelations. Collects Saga of the Swamp Thing #20-34 and Swamp Thing Annual #2.”

COMPLETE LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE V16:

“Annie might feel as if she's between a hammer and an anvil, but those are about the only menaces she avoids during the early 1950s! In less than two years of stories, the little orphan gets run over by a car, shot with a pistol, whacked with a bludgeon, firebombed in her bed, shoved in a gunny sack, caught in a tornado, flung overboard in a raging storm, and thrown alive into an underground cemetery vault. Meanwhile, ‘Daddy’ Warbucks, Punjab, and the Asp are a thousand miles away, with no clue to the whereabouts of America's spunkiest kid.

“’Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’ reprints all daily and color Sunday strips from October 29, 1951 through July 5, 1953. Included are five stories replete with greed and murder, atomic boats, blackmailers, poisoners, and deadly mutineers-yet also filled with good Samaritans and friendship from the most unexpected quarter, while also posing the question: can romance survive in a town called Futility?”

MARVEL MASTERWORK PIN-UPS:

“An incredible artbook showcasing some of the greatest comic artists of all time! Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Jim Steranko, Don Heck, John Byrne, Barry Windsor-Smith, John Severin, Wally Wood, John Romita, and many more!

“As part of the tremendous fun of Silver Age comics, artists created pin-ups of the most popular Marvel heroes and villains! Now the greatest of those works of art are gathered for the first time in a beautiful large-format hardback book! Included are rare examples of original art of The Thing, Spider-Man, and Dr. Strange.

“True believers, thrill to pulsating pinups of Spidey, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, The Avengers, Nick Fury, Daredevil, Millie the Model (!), and the ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing-and many marvelous more!”

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

My favorite first issue so far this year is easily Basketful of Heads #1.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

It's so damn good!

Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man said:

My favorite first issue so far this year is easily Basketful of Heads #1.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

Okay, and I'm going to go ahead and say that, as far as TV and movies related to the genre go, my hands-down winner (so far, the year's not over!) is The Mandelorian.

Expect a spoiler-riffic discussion thread sometime soon.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Two weeks after Basketful of Heads, DC releases another contender for Best First Issue. Far Sector is really something special.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

THE BRONZE AGE DOOM PATROL OMNIBUS:

Following the end of their original series in 1968, the World's Strangest Heroes made their return in 1977 in a series of tales that jumped across titles and featured appearances by Supergirl, Superman, the Suicide Squad and more! Collects SHOWCASE #94-96, DC COMICS PRESENTS #52, DARING NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERGIRL #7-9, DOOM PATROL #1-18, DOOM PATROL AND SUICIDE SQUAD SPECIAL #1, SUPERMAN #20, DOOM PATROL ANNUAL #1 and stories from SECRET ORIGINS ANNUAL #1 and SUPERMAN FAMILY #191-193, NEW TEEN TITANS #13-15, and TEEN TITGHTENS SPOTLIGHT #9 almost none of which have been collected before! SUPERMAN SILVER AGE SUNDAYS v2 – 1963-1966:

In these classic adventures from January 27, 1963 until the series conclusion on May 1, 1966 the impish Mr. Mxyzptlk returns from the Fifth Dimension to exasperate the Man of Steel;; Superman becomes Super-Cop to outwit a master spy when Metropolis's entire police force is disabled; tries to help a planet of blind people regain their sight, but loses his own powers in the process; fights it out with his arch enemy Lex Luthor on an alien planet where Luthor is the hero and Superman a villain; competes in the Interplanetary Olympics against a field in which everyone has super-powers; travels back in time with Loisri Lane; is reunited with the mermaid Lois Lemaris; and more!

Both in shops Wednesday, November 20, 2019