DARK HORSE COMICS
It's a big week for Dark Horse in particular, with 10-you-count-em-10 books well worth a look. I didn't have time for them all before writing this Guide, but I'll probably get to all of 'em eventually.
ALIENS: DEFIANCE #1
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Art: TRISTAN "T-REX" JONES
Cover: DAN JACKSON
Variant: MARK A. NELSON
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
Colonial Marines aren’t trained for this ...
Battling demons from her past while fighting for her life, Colonial Marine Private First Class Zula Hendricks, in the company of Weyland-Yutani synthetics, is forced to question her strength and loyalty when the discovery of an insidious alien species on a derelict hauler sends her on a dangerous journey across the stars.
Dark Horse Comics is launching a riveting new ALIENS ongoing comic book series, just in time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Aliens film. The two issues of ALIENS DEFIANCE will be written by NEW YORK TIMES bestselling writer Brian Wood (THE MASSIVE; REBELS), illustrated by rising star Tristan Jones (MAD MAX: FURY ROAD; TMNT) and colored by Dan Jackson (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) with bestselling artist Riccardo Burchielli (DMZ) illustrating issues three and four. Acclaimed cover artist Massimo Carnevale (Y THE LAST MAN) will provide stunning covers for the series’ first storyline.
“The first thing you need to know about ALIENS: DEFIANCE is that the illustrations of the xenomorphs are truly terrifying,” said Dark Horse Comics Associate Editor Spencer Cushing. “And like all the great stories in the ALIENS franchise, so much of the story’s horror is psychological. Zula Hendricks is an unforgettable addition to the world of ALIENS.”
And remember: In space, no one can hear you scream ...
• Brian Wood brings his sharp storytelling to Aliens.
• Rising star Tristan Jones draws the scariest xenomorph you’ve seen in years ...
The Alien franchise gains another strong female lead in this series, one who has apparently had a damaging (and as yet unexplored) past. Brian Wood, as we so often see, knows his beans. And as the solicitation implies, Jones' art -- especially on the xenomorphs -- is detailed and emotionally impactful. If you like Aliens, you can't go wrong here.
BRODY’S GHOST COLLECTED EDITION (TPB)
Writer/Art/Cover: MARK CRILLEY
B&W, 600 pages, $24.99, TPB, 5 1/4” x 7 1/2”
After losing his job and his girlfriend, Brody is haunted by a ghostly teenage girl who says only he can stop a dangerous killer and must undergo training from a centuries-old samurai’s spirit to do it. The hunt becomes personal when Brody learns his ex is destined to be the next victim! Includes all six volumes, plus the color stories from Dark Horse Presents!
“Mix a pinch of The Sixth Sense with a dash of The Karate Kid and a bit of The Crow, and you’ll start to get a feel for Brody’s Ghost.”—Wired
I'm not usually fond of artwork with a manga influence, but Crilley takes the best of that style -- emotional reactions, expressions, special effects -- without going overboard. He grafts those to a clean, Franco-Belgian base for a very pretty, very effective style.
His writing style, too, seems a blend. It's a little bit ghost story, a little bit coming-of-age, a little bit adolescent angst, a little bit dystopian sci-fi. Like his artwork, Crilley blends all these elements together in a pleasant, accessible way. Even the teenage angst isn't cloying, as the emotional debates actually carry weight, and as they are resolved the characters grow. Neat.
CONAN THE AVENGER #25
Writer: FRED VAN LENTE
Art: BRIAN CHING
Colors: MICHAEL ATIYEH
Cover: SIMON BISLEY
FC, 32 pages, $3.50, Ongoing
The senses-shattering conclusion to Fred Van Lente’s epic Conan run!
In an act of vindictive desperation, the imposter queen Salome intends to sacrifice her twin sister Taramis—the rightful queen—to the demon Thaug, and then unleash the vile beast on the populace. Can Conan save Taramis and her kingdom before it’s too late?
And so another Conan adaptation is completed, in an anticlimactic finale that is, unfortunately, typical of this atypical story.
Atypical, as I have said about previous issues, in that Robert E. Howard keeps having observers describe major events, rather than narrating them himself with his usual blood and thunder. Was Howard trying out a different narrative style? I don't know, but I do know this story's narrative structure sucked out a lot of the excitement you usually find in a Conan tale.
For example, the beginning of the climactic battle between the forces of Constantius and Conan was described by Salome's spy last issue, while the ending of the battle is summarized by Conan in this issue, rather than the reader actually "seeing" the battle. Also, when presented with a challenge to her deception as the queen, Taramis -- unlike just about every other villain in the history of adventure fiction -- decides that, oh well, the jig is up. She decides she's probably going to be killed, and tries to take as many people with her as she can, instead of rallying her forces to fight to the end. LOOO-ser! And the big bad monster, Thaug, is dispatched rather handily, in a single panel. What a disappointment! It's almost as if REH was in a hurry to get this one over with.
Nevertheless, I really enjoy this take on Conan. What few narrative factors Van Lente has under his control are handled well, and Atiyeh's take on Conan -- lean, wolfish, athletic -- is a far cry from John Buscema's burly barbarian, and somehow more suited to a desert tale.
CREEPY COMICS #23
Writers: RACHEL DEERING, JAI NITZ
Art: JOSHUA BOULET, FEDERICO DE LUCA, MIRKO COLAK
Cover: GLEN FABRY
B&W, 40 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
Peter Bagge and Dan Braun return to deliver more gory Creepy Family antics, and Joshua Boulet continues to explore Sister Creepy’s place in her twisted clan’s family tree. Writers Rachel Deering and Jai Nitz bring us the dilemmas of two pariahs trying desperately to hold onto their humanity and faith. These new stories—and more surprises—will leave you as breathless and bewildered as their poor protagonists!
Winner of the Ghastly Award for Best Anthology!
From that gorgeous Glen Fabry painted cover -- it could be mistaken for a photo -- to the B&W, European-style artwork inside, this issue could easily be mistaken for Warren's Creepy in its prime. (In fact, one of the stories utilized a plot I've read a couple of times before, so at first I thought it was a reprint.)
I enjoyed every bit of this issue, except for the Peter Bagge material, which -- as always -- I consider a waste of good paper. If you're a Bagge fan, good for you, but I find his work the opposite of entertaining: Ugly and juvenile.
THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF THE DEPARTURE OF MISS FINCH HC (SECOND EDITION)
Writer: NEIL GAIMAN
Art/Cover: MICHAEL ZULLI
FC, 56 pages, $13.99, HC, 7” x 10”
Come and hear of the terrible tale of Miss Finch, befallen by mystery and abduction deep under the streets of London! Join a group of friends, with the stern Miss Finch in tow, as they enter this strange world of vampires, ringmasters, illusions, and the Cabinet of Wishes Fulfill’d!
Gorgeously redesigned new edition of Neil Gaiman’s classic!
Alas, I skimmed this one, as I didn't have time to read it. And I want to savor it. I mean, it's Neil Gaiman! So, I know the story will be good (when I get around to it).
The art, not so much. It appears to be watercolor with light ink, or maybe heavy pencils, or some kind of combination. It shows a '70s Barry Windsor-Smith/Neal Adams influence, which is nice -- when Zulli finishes the panel. A lot of the work seems to be going for an impressionist look, which is a nice way of saying "unfinished." And, oddly, a lot of figures seem out of proportion or distorted. The hazards of watercolor, I guess.
Well, I shouldn't slam it without actually reading it. Those are my impressions, though.
HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D.: 1953—BEYOND THE FENCES #3 (OF 3)
Writers: MIKE MIGNOLA, CHRIS ROBERSON
Pencils/Cover: PAOLO RIVERA
Inks: JOE RIVERA
Colors: DAVE STEWART
FC, 32 pages, $3.50, Miniseries
Man’s best friend becomes Hellboy’s worst nightmare in a Cold War–era mission.
This issue introduced a lot of stuff that wasn't resolved, which I assume means it has already been taken care of in earlier Hellboy stories that take place chronologically later that I've forgotten. Or perhaps they'll play a part in Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1954. So I can't really recommend the story, which seemed like a lot of set-up with no payoff (except for Hellboy's amusing battle with the ... Helldog? Whatever it was.) But I can recommend this issue purely on the strength of Rivera's art: crisp, clean, solid and attractive.
THE LAST DRAGON (TPB)
Writer: JANE YOLEN
Art/Cover: REBECCA GUAY
FC, 144 pages, $12.99, TPB, 6” x 9”
Introduction by Neil Gaiman!
Two hundred years ago, humans drove the dragons from the islands of May. Now, the last of the dragons rises to wreak havoc anew—with only a healer’s daughter and a kite-flying would-be hero standing in its way.
Master storyteller Jane Yolen (Owl Moon, Sword of the Rightful King) and fantasy artist Rebecca Guay (Magic: The Gathering) weave a tale of adventure, homelands, and heroism the hard way.
Aargh! Another one I only have time to flip through!
It seems to be a sort of combo fairy tale/romance/adventure story with a dragon as the centerpiece. Sounds like something I'll like. And the art, by Rebecca Quay, handles both mundane and fantasy elements well, with a Charles Vess influence.
Again, just my impressions. Man, somebody invent an eighth day per week!
THE PAYBACKS VOLUME 1: A BITCH (TPB)
Writer: DONNY CATES, ELIOT RAHAL
Art/Cover: GEOFF SHAW
Colors: LAUREN AFFE
FC, 104 pages, $9.99, TPB, 7” x 10”
Heroism doesn’t come cheap, so when superheroes borrow money to finance their genetic enhancements or crime-fighting supercomputers, their debts make student loans look like IOUs. Enter the Paybacks, a repo squad composed of bankrupt former heroes here to foreclose on everybody’s secret lairs! Collects issues #1–#4 of the superhero comedy series from the team that delivered the acclaimed Buzzkill!
“If it’s not obvious by now The Paybacks gets a big fat 10.”—Geeks with Wives
I added this one because I dismissed this series after reading the first issue, which I found profoundly depressing and not a little sneer-y at my favorite genre, superhero stories. I've since decided that one issue isn't enough to judge and that I was reacting emotionally. So I'm going to give it another shot, now that I can read the whole thing at a sitting.
Just not this week.
SNOW ANGEL (TPB)
Writer/Art/Cover: DAVID CHELSEA
FC, 112 pages, $9.99, TPB, 6" x 9"
An ordinary little girl becomes a crime-fighting cherub whenever she makes an angel in the snow! This full-color, all-ages collection includes the Snow Angel stories from the acclaimed Dark Horse Presents anthology—as well as new adventures from the playful mind of creator David Chelsea (David Chelsea in Love, Sleepless and Other Stories).
All-ages adventure from longtime New York Observer illustrator!
OK, this one is cute but aimed at a younger age. It looks very nice -- nice enough to post it -- but I think I can leave it to others to review.
SPACE-MULLET! ONE GAMBLE AT A TIME (TPB)
Writer/Art/Cover: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
FC, 208 pages, $17.99, TPB, 7" x 10"
A balls-to-the-wall galactic road trip!
Space goblins! Telekinetic aliens! Futuristic roller derbies! Space truckers! Daniel Warren Johnson (Ghost Fleet, Alabaster) brings his beloved web comic to print in the graphic novel collection Space-Mullet!: One Gamble at a Time!
The perfect mix of drama, action, comedy and heart, Space-Mullet! showcases Johnson’s style, which will appeal to fans of Japanese manga, European comics and American comics alike.
Ex–Space Marine Jonah and his copilot Alphius rove the galaxy, just trying to get by. Drawn into one crazy adventure after another, they forge a crew of misfits into a family that must face the darkest parts of the universe together. Space-Mullet! is a richly detailed, accessible sci-fi world with heartfelt characters and an unforgettable story.
Praise for Space-Mullet!:
“Stunning space scenes in nothing but black, white, and blue shading. With those three simple colors and his great art, Dan is able to bring alien worlds, futuristic technology and very real, human moments to life.”—Multiversity Comics
“Space goblins, amazing action sequences and the best bromance on the internet.”—NerdSpan
“With great character designs, breathtaking scenery and a healthy serving of the ol’ ultraviolence, Space-Mullet! is one of those reads that I regret not checking out sooner.”—Pretty Cool Webcomics
“The best webcomic that hasn’t made it to print. Yet.”—Multiversity Comics
This is a much better book than I expected from the description and preview. The lead character is a bit cartoony-looking, which is what threw me off -- everything else is drawn in an ultra-detailed style that reminds me of Moebius and an American artist whose name eludes me. (He doesn't draw much, just the occasional indie. Ultra-detailed, lots of destruction. Can't put my finger on his name.)
Anyway, this tells an actual story with character development and everything. Not a terribly original story -- ragtag band of misfits has been done to death -- but enjoyable.
DC COMICS
DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #4
Written by FRANK MILLER and BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by ANDY KUBERT and KLAUS JANSON
Minicomic art by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Cover by ANDY KUBERT
1:10 Robin variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
1:25 variant cover by KLAUS JANSON
1:50 variant cover by GEOF DARROW
1:100 variant cover by FRANK MILLER
1:500 variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
32-pg comic: 6.375” x 10.1875”
16-page minicomic: 5.5” x 8.5”
FC, 4 of 8, $5.99 US
This issue will ship with six covers.
The Master Race will rise. Cities will fall. Bruce Wayne is dead. What will the heroes of the world do to save it?
I've heard complaints this is late. My only surprise is that anyone is surprised.
DC COMICS/DARK HORSE: ALIENS (TPB)
Written by RON MAR and IAN EDGINTON
Art by BERNIE WRIGHTSON, STAZ JOHNSON, JAMES HODGKINS, CHRIS SPROUSE and KEVIN NOWLAN
Cover by STAZ JOHNSON and JAMES HODGKINS
400 pg, FC • $24.99 US
The stories that brought the dread Aliens into the DC Universe are collected in this new title! First, Batman follows the trail from his home turf to the Amazon jungle to discover the horror of the Aliens—but how can even the Dark Knight stop them? Then, an Alien is discovered in a Gotham City construction site—and it’s going to wreak havoc on Arkham Asylum! Plus, the 1998 tale that pitted the WildC.A.T.s against the might of the Aliens is back. Can even the WildC.A.T.s survive a battle with the Aliens—when StormWatch has already fallen?
I thought I'd read all the DC/Alien crossovers, but two of these don't sound familiar. And some seem missing. Didn't Superman and Supergirl fight them once? And Green Lantern?
HARLEY QUINN #27
Written by AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by JOHN TIMMS
Cover by AMANDA CONNER
Variant cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and KLAUS JANSON
1:25 Variant cover by AMANDA CONNER
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+
This issue will ship with three covers.
Harley’s known for her even temperament and economy of language—oh, we can’t even finish that sentence. Let’s face it: she’s crazy, and she talks too much. So what happens when she discovers a nemesis even more insane and more hyper-loquacious? It’s Harley vs. the unbelievable Redtool!
DC offered this for review, and I was looking forward to it, because Harley can be very funny.
I'm not sure this is, though. I mean, there were some good jokes here and there, but the tone is all over the place. Lots of people die (don't worry, they are all, somehow, deserving), which I can see Harley barely noticing, but why aren't other people freaked out? Is everyone in this book a sociopath? Also, the main story is basically one of stalking/domestic violence, albeit played for laughs. Umm, not funny to me. So hit or miss on the story. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood.
Nice art, though.
JACKED #6
Written by ERIC KRIPKE
Art by JOHN HIGGINS
Cover by GLENN FABRY
32 pg, 6 of 6, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS
Can Josh be a hero without being super? Will he still have a family to go back to? One way or the other, kicking an addiction proves harder than kicking some guys in the face as JACKED reaches its shocking conclusion.
DC also offered this one for review, but there was something wrong with it -- it took forever to download, and then it wouldn't open. So no review.
I will note that this is the second time they've offered the final issue of a miniseries for review. Are they maybe hoping for good reviews to pump up TPB sales? I'm guessing that because -- in case you don't follow industry news -- Shelly Bond, the executive editor of Vertigo, is out of a job. Her position has been eliminated (which I gather is Orwellian Newspeak for "fired").
Here's a story from ICv2.com explaining that Vertigo has been struggling since Bond took over from Karen Berger in 2012. ICv2 notes the shift of A-list creators from Vertigo to Image, and an attendant explosion of high-quality books at the latter publisher (which I've commented on in this very Guide). Their explanation is that DC re-worked the Vertigo contract in 2012, making it less creator-friendly than it had been under Berger, leaving Image as the go-to destination. The result is several failed efforts to prop Vertigo, while Image has exploded.
Interesting stuff, and worth a read if you have time.
IDW PUBLISHING
J. SCOTT CAMPBELL DANGER GIRL SKETCHBOOK: EXPANDED EDITION (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
HC • FC • $24.99 • 80 pages • 8” x 12”
J. Scott Campbell’s long out of print Danger Girl sketchbook is back and with all-new additional content! Campbell’s gorgeous preliminary drawings, layouts and sketches are showcased in this beautifully designed, over-sized hardcover. Lovely renditions of Abbey Chase, Sydney Savage, Natalia Kassle and more are Lusciously delineated—in the patented Danger Girl style!
This is the very sort of "pneumatic girl" (tm) that I don't find attractive. That may sound crazy to some of you -- Campbell made a career out of drawing girls like this, and little else, so it's obviously a popular style -- but can anyone honestly say they've ever met a girl that looks like this? Campbell's girls don't look sexy to me, because they look some alien species I've never encountered before.
However, on the (very good) chance that most of you Legionnaires do not share my tastes, here's a heads up about a book just chock-full of girls that look just like the one above. In fact, all of them look almost exactly like the one above, varying only in hair color. Sort of like Dan DeCarlo's Betty and Veronica, only with smaller waists and more bodacious ta-tas.
MICRONAUTS #1
Writer: CULLEN BUNN
Art/Cover A: DAVID BALDEON
Cover B: GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ
Cover C: CASEY W. COLLER
Cover D: Photo
Cover E: Blank Sketch Variant
FC • 40 pages • $4.99
THEY CAME FROM A DYING UNIVERSE! ACROYEAR, SPACE GLIDER, BIOTRON and their allies are back, on the run from the evil BARON KARZA, and blasting through a universe where magic and science vie for control! With resources dwindling, the long-lost TIME TRAVELERS may hold the key to salvation … but will it mean armageddon for our world?
• The all-new story of one of the most legendary teams in comics history!
• Written by Cullen Bunn (Uncanny X-Men, The Sixth Gun).
• Art by David Baldeón (Nova, Spider-Man: Web Warriors).
• New heroes and new villains join the battle with classic fan-favorites!
Someone alert Feargal! Oh, never mind, he probably already knows.
I'll sample the book, but I don't expect to be thrilled -- I wasn't exactly a huge fan of the Marvel Micronauts. I did love Micronauts when Mike Golden was drawing it, you see, because I love Mike Golden's art. When he left, so did my interest.
Incidentally, you won't see some characters here that were in the old Marvel books, because they were invented for the Marvel books and Marvel still owns the copyright. Mattel creations like Acroyear, Baron Karza, Commander Rann, Biotron and Marionette are present, but not *tik* Bug.
SILLY SYMPHONIES VOL 1: COMPLETE DISNEY CLASSICS (HC)
Writers/Art: EARL DUVALL, AL TALIAFERRO, TED OSBORNE, AND MERRILL DEMARIS
Cover: AL TALIAFERRO
HC • FC • $49.99 • 192 pages • 12” x 8.5”
After more than 80 years—the complete Silly Symphony newspaper strips are collected in English for the first time ever! The artwork for these rare strips has come straight from the Disney vaults. Each page has been meticulously colored using as a guide the original bound file copies that belonged to Walt Disney himself! This first of four volumes includes all the strips featuring Bucky Bug, the first Disney character to be originated in newspaper comics. The book also includes the very first Donald Duck newspaper strip—an adaptation of The Wise Little Hen. Other classic adaptations are Birds of a Feather, Penguin Isle, The Boarding School Mystery, The Robber Kitten, and Cookieland. Plus, the “Mickey Mouse Movies” bonus toppers!
Early Disney seemed really focused on bugs. Lots and lots of bugs. Didn't do much for me. Good thing they eventually moved on to mammals!
This book is probably important for historical reasons, so I'll look at it for that reason alone. Still: bugs. WTF?
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE #1
Writer: GEORGIA BALL
Art/Cover: AMY MEBBERSON
Quintype Subscription Variant: TINA FRANCISCO
Scented Variant: NICOLETTA BALDARI
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Strawberry Shortcake returns to comics!And along with her comes the return of one of her most nefarious foes, the Purple Pie Man! Join us for the launch of this berry special two-part story re-introducing everyone’s favorite bad baker to the current Strawberry Shortcake mythos!
• Strawberry Shortcake is back!!
• The first five issues will each have a connected “quintype” subscription variant forming one big image, AND a special, scented variant cover!
• Classic Variant Cover by NICE PEÑA.
Say, do you think Purple Pie Man has the uncanny ability to make anyone eat a pie just by telling them to? Brrrrr.
UNCLE SCROOGE VOL 1: TIMELESS TALES (HC)
Writers: RODOLFO CIMINO, MIQUEL PUJOL, GIORGIO PEZZIN, ALBERTO SAVINI, ROMANO SCARPA, LUCA BOSCHI, JAN KRUSE, FRANK JONKER, PAUL HOOGMA, EVERT GERADTS, FREDDY MILTON
Art: ROMANO SCARPA, ANDREA FRECCERO, BAS HEYMANS, MIQUEL PUJOL, MARCO ROTA, MAXIMINO TORTAJADA AGUILAR, RODOLFO CIMINO, TONY STROBL, AL HUBBARD, FREDDY MILTON
Cover: GIORGIO CAVAZZANO
HC • FC • $29.99 • 240 pages • 7.25” x 10”
Jumpin’ jacksnipes! The first six issues of IDW’s epic Uncle Scrooge come together in a giant collectors’ hardback edition—with all the excitement, all the variant covers, and even a Beagle-busting extra or two! Enjoy international tightwad tales by fan favorites Romano Scarpa, Mau and Bas Heymans, Giorgio Cavazzano, Freddy Milton, Marco Rota and more ... brought into canon “Duck English” by Jonathan Gray and other prized Carl Barks pundits. What Scrooge McDuck fan could resist a bargain like this?
“This is just a great little project IDW's got going on.” –ComicBastards.com
I've read most of these and they're all right. As I've mentioned before, the Euro-Ducks aren't as good as the Euro-Mice -- sort of the reverse of American comics. For some reason, all the warmth has been sucked out, and Donald and Unca Scrooge and even the boys seem to genuinely despise each other. Maybe it's a translation thing. But even so it IS Donald and Unca Scrooge and the boys, along with the Beagle Boys and Gyro Gearloose and all the rest, drawn and paced expertly.
THE X-FILES #1
Writer: JOE HARRIS
Art: MATTHEW DOW SMITH
Cover: MENTON3
Variant: PHOTO
Art Appreciation Variant: MIRAN KIM
FC • 40 pages • $4.99
Thirteen years after the original series run, THE X-FILES has enjoyed a momentous return to television in a thrilling event series from creator/executive producer Chris Carter. Now, with the participation of Carter, IDW Publishing is proud to bring to comics the continuing adventures of iconic FBI Agents FOX MULDER and DANA SCULLY!
• Executive produced by The X-Files creator Chris Carter!
• Based on the show, which has returned to television!
• The new ongoing series starts HERE!
• Featuring a 2016 photo cover from the brand new show!
• Ask your retailer about the variant cover by Miran Kim!
• Part of IDW’s “Art Appreciation Month” promotion!
I lost interest in the TV X-Files pretty early on, because it was pretty obvious the central mystery could never be solved, because if it was A) there would be no show, and B) either Mulder ("I believe!") or Scully ("I don't!") would look like a fool. But my wife was a fan and I imagine there are many others out there. So here's a book for all of you.
IMAGE COMICS
AIRBOY DELUXE (HC)
Writer: JAMES ROBINSON
Art: GREG HINKLE
128 PAGES / FC / M / $24.99
The entire unexpected and unpredictable miniseries, plus bonus material, is collected in a deluxe hardcover!
“Profane, disgusting and utterly brilliant.”—Jeff Lemire
When acclaimed comics author JAMES ROBINSON (Starman, Fantastic Four) is hired to write a reboot of the 1940s action hero Airboy, he's reluctant to do another Golden Age reboot. But it's nothing that a drink can't fix. Then, after a night of debauchery with artist GREG HINKLE, Airboy himself appears and suddenly no one in this story has their life go according to plan
“This is me looking back at a dark time in my life ... and making light of it,” said Robinson. “And like all satire, I leave it to the reader to decide what happened and what didn't.”
Added Hinkle: "As a reader, I always enjoy bonus material, so I'm really excited to share some more process pages, preliminary work, and even a little sample of how our collaboration worked."
Read the whole unexpected miniseries, as well as bonus material and conceptual art from Greg and James. Collects AIRBOY #1-4.
Praise for AIRBOY:
“Airboy is the best thing James Robinson has ever done, thanks in no small part to the outstanding artwork of Greg Hinkle. As insanely imaginative as it is cringe-inducingly honest, this is mandatory reading.”—Brian K. Vaughan
“Self-examination via public domain extra-dimensional mashup. Searingly honest and wildly funny, with a dark but mighty heart.”—Darwyn Cooke
“Airboy is the kind of comic book that keeps me reading comic books. Inventive, confessional, fun and full of character … a fearless experiment that is refreshing and purely entertaining.”—Rick Remender
This book strikes me as self-indulgent on the part of the creators, plus I don't particularly care for a wholesome, cheerful Golden Age character like Airboy being dragged through the metaphorical mud. Still, I suspect I would have enjoyed this book to some degree, maybe even a lot, when I was in my teens and twenties. So maybe it's just my age showing. Take that for what it's worth.
BLACK MAGICK, VOL. 1: AWAKENING (PART 1) (TPB)
Writer: GREG RUCKA
Art/Cover: NICOLA SCOTT
128 PAGES / FC / M / $9.99
SPECIAL LOW INTRODUCTORY PRICE OF $9.99
Rowan Black is a detective with the Portsmouth PD ... and a witch, two aspects of her life she has struggled to keep separate. Now someone is targeting Rowan, someone who knows her secrets and means to expose her ... or worse.
Collects BLACK MAGICK #1-5.
I've bragged on the art for this series for five issues, art in which Scott eschews the approach she uses for Big Two superhero projects for a nuanced, wash technique that is natural and gorgeous. Even more impressive, her women are pretty but not zaftig, resulting in being really attractive to me. As I said above, women who look real (albeit idealized) are far sexier than pneumatic blow-up dolls with gravity-defying, bowling-ball-size boobs and waists that barely exist.
Warning to "Men's Right" types and others who expect males to be the center of the universe: This is a truly female-centered series, where the real stars are the women of a coven facing a huge mystical threat that the men don't know about (and, if the girls do their job right, never will). That story takes place simultaneously with the "foreground" story of policewoman Rowan Black, whose job is suddenly put in jeopardy when a hostage-taker calls for her by name and then inexplicably sets himself aflame. That puts her under pressure to solve the case to set the suspicions of her superiors at ease, which is complicated by the fact that the incident is actually the aforementioned mystical threat bubbling up into the mundane part of her life, which she must cover up -- especially from her (possibly smitten) male partner.
Magic is presented in a satisfying way here, relying on real-world Wiccan and Celtic rituals and practices that set rules and boundaries for how magic works -- an important element in any story involving magic. (As I've said before, if anything can happen, we don't care what eventually does.) It's plausible enough that I can even overlook the self-important "k" on the end of the word magic.
I think it's a very good book, and to help demonstrate that I've collected the 20 or so preview pages for issues #1-5 from the Image website and put them on our Facebook page (click preview link above). Image won't lift the embargo on the official preview for this book until Tuesday, but since I'm using previously released previews, I should be on solid ground (cross fingers). Anyway, take a look. I think you'll be impressed.
CAMP MIDNIGHT (OGN)
Writer: STEVEN T. SEAGLE
Art/Cover: JASON ADAM KATZENSTEIN
248 PAGES / 6” x 8” / FC / E / $16.99
Ben 10 and Big Hero 6 creator STEVEN T. SEAGLE returns to comics with New Yorker Magazine cartoonist JASON ADAM KATZENSTEIN for a new graphic novel. Reluctant Skye is accidentally sent to the wrong summer camp. Not wanting to please her “step monster,” Skye is dead-set on not fitting in. That won't be a problem, as everyone at Camp Midnight—with the exception of fellow camper and fast-friend Mia—is a full-fledged monster! The perfect book for readers who love Raina Telgemeier's Smile but wish it had more bowls of gooey eyeballs in the lunch scenes and was just in time for Halloween.
From Man of Action's Steven T. Seagle and The New Yorker artist Jason Adam Katzenstein comes CAMP MIDNIGHT, an original 256-page graphic novel set to hit stores in early October 2015, just in time for Halloween reading.
Reluctant camper Skye is accidentally sent to the wrong camp for the summer. Not wanting to please her “step monster,” Skye is dead-set on not fitting in. Luckily, that won’t be a problem, as everyone at Camp Midnight—with the exception of fellow camper and fast-friend Mia—seems to be a full-fledged monster.
"Camp Midnight is a brilliant graphic novel debut for cartoonist Jason Adam Katzenstein, and it's the perfect book for readers who loved Raina Telgemeier's Smile, but wished it had more bowls of gooey eyeballs during the dinner scenes," said Seagle.
Can Skye keep her identity as a human secret until she catches the bus for home? Is all of this a figment of her overactive imagination? And what about Skye’s major crush on a boy who is far, really far, from her usual type? Find out in CAMP MIDNIGHT.
A girl is accidentally sent to the wrong summer camp, where -- unbeknownst to the mundane world -- all the other campers are genuine monsters. Zany hi-jinks ensue.
Too cartoony for my tastes, but it's undoubtedly a fun read for tweenagers, or thereabouts.
MARVEL COMICS
A YEAR OF MARVELS: THE AMAZING (2016) #1
Writers: RYAN NORTH, AMY CHU
Art: DANILO BEYRUTH, RYAN BROWNE
Cover: JAMAL CAMPBELL
40 PGS. / One-Shot / Rated T+ / $4.99
• Join us in a brand new Marvel comics adventure as your favorite heroes journey through the calendar year one month at a time!
• It’s February and Peter Parker’s got a hot date, but the old Parker luck hits hard…and so does the bank-robbing villain The Vulture! It’s a tale of romance, adventure, and punching! From Ryan North (SQUIRREL GIRL) and Danilo Beyruth!
• When business is down in March, Scott Lang’s Ant-Man Security Solutions will take just about any job offered to them – including stealing back stolen goods! But all is not as it seems! Join writer Amy Chu (Poison Ivy) and artist Ryan Browne (SECRET WARS TOO) as they team together for this Spring Break themed heist!
I don't really understand the point of this book, which started off as a web series. Do adventures actually occur on a schedule? And is what month a crime takes place really that important? Oh, well. Take a look at the preview and see if this is your jam.
AVENGERS STANDOFF: ASSAULT ON PLEASANT HILL OMEGA #1
Written by NICK SPENCER
Art & Cover by DANIEL ACUNA
Variant Cover by JIM STERANKO
Connecting Variant B by ART ADAMS
Wraparound Variant by MIKE DEODATO
40 PGS. / ONE-SHOT / Rated T+ / $4.99
This is it! The moment you’ve been waiting for! Heroes from across the Marvel Universe converge on Pleasant Hill to face-off with an army of super villains! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look inside AVENGERS STANDOFF: ASSAULT ON PLEASANT HILL OMEGA #1 – the epic conclusion, brought to you by creators Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuna! S.H.I.E.L.D.’s clandestine secret prison Pleasant Hill lies in ruins. The villainous Baron Zemo and the super villain inmates of Pleasant Hill stand upon the verge of victory. Should S.H.I.E.L.D.’s reality-warping technology KOBIK fall into their hands, the Marvel Universe will bend to their will.
All that stands between them and total annihilation are a small band of Avengers. But who is that leading them? None other than the restored Steve Rogers! With the original Captain America at the helm, they just may stand a chance. And seeds sown here will set the stage for major things to come in the Marvel Universe! The return of Steve Rogers, the formation of the all-new Thunderbolts and more! The can’t-miss ending to Avengers: Standoff comes to comic shops and digital devices this April with AVENGERS STANDOFF: ASSAULT ON PLEASANT HILL OMEGA #1!
Here's the climax to Assault on Pleasant Hill, setting up both Captain America: Steve Rogers and Civil War II. Not at all coincidentally, those two books will be previewed on this year's Free Comic Book Day (May 7).
CAPTAIN AMERICA OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC (NEW PRINTING)
Written by STAN LEE with ROY THOMAS
Penciled by JACK KIRBY & JIM STERANKO with GIL KANE, GEORGE TUSKA, JOHN ROMITA, DICK AYERS & JACK SPARLING
Cover by JACK KIRBY
856 PGS / All Ages / $125.00
Trim size: oversized
As America began preparation for the inevitable entry into World War II, a secret military project gave birth to the greatest one-man fighting force ever known: Captain America! Transformed by the Super-Soldier Serum from a 97-pound weakling into the Star-Spangled Avenger, Steve Rogers led the charge to liberate the world from the Axis Powers’ grasp. But before the war’s end, an accident left Cap frozen in suspended animation and his sidekick Bucky seemingly dead, while the world turned on for decades. When the Avengers resuscitated him decades later, Steve Rogers was greeted by a world vastly changed. He was a man out of time tormented by the death of his partner, but no less committed to the cause of fighting evil in all its forms. In this amazing OMNIBUS collection, you’ll experience Captain America’s trend-setting Silver Age solo-stories from the very beginning. Packed with page after page of Stan-and-Jack magic, it’s Cap vs. his most classic foes of the Marvel Age — including the Red Skull, Baron Zemo, M.O.D.O.K., the Super-Adaptoid and more! And as if every story and every letters page wasn’t enough, we’re topping it off with an in-depth visual analysis of Jim Steranko’s legendary Cap run by no less than Steranko himself! It’s Comics 101 by one of the medium’s greatest innovators! ’Nuff Said! Collecting TALES OF SUSPENSE #59-99, CAPTAIN AMERICA #100-113 and NOT BRAND ECHH #3.
These are the very stories that made the young Captain Comics a lifelong Captain America fan. From Lee-Kirby at the start to Steranko at the end, these stories are Cap at his best, unencumbered by overthinking or excessive continuity, offering nothing but star-spangled adventure with the Best Big Brother in the World. (OK, there's a lot of tedious moping over Bucky. Nobody's perfect.)
These stories may appear dated to today's readers, but they'll always be something special to me.
DAREDEVIL #6
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art by MATTEO BUFFAGNI
Cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Classic Variant by BOB MCLEOD
Story Thus Far Variant by DAVID LOPEZ
Civil War Variant by PASQUAL FERRY
32 PGS. / Rated T+ / $3.99
“PRACTICE TO DECEIVE” STARTS NOW!
Matt Murdock may have somehow managed to hide his identity from the rest of the world, but there are some pieces of his past he cannot escape. This April, the past comes back to haunt him in DAREDEVIL #6 – the exciting first chapter of the new storyline “Elektric Connection”! Writer Charles Soule and guest artist Matteo Buffagni bring the fury of an assassin scorned to the choked streets and smoky rooftops of Hell’s Kitchen. Elektra is back and she’s got a score to settle with the Man Without Fear! As these once lovers battle across the Big Apple, Daredevil may rue the day he ever crossed paths with Elektra. The fireworks begin this April as “Elektric Connection” kicks off in DAREDEVIL #6!
Wait -- post-Secret Wars Daredevil has a secret ID again? Well, good. As has been explored over and over going back to Bendis' run on the book, not having that ID makes both of Murdock's careers kinda unworkable. That was fun to read about once, but as an ongoing complication, it gets tedious.
Anyway, Marvel sent a press release and preview for this issue, which launches a new story.
SQUADRON SUPREME #6
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by LEONARD KIRK & PAOLO VILLANELLI
Cover by ALEX GARNER
Story Thus Far Variant by DENYS COWAN
Variant Cover by RYAN SOOK
Classic Variant by BUTCH GUICE
32 PGS. / Rated T+ / $3.99
“Through The Lens” STARTS NOW!
You may not like their methods, but they get results! But this time – has the team who strikes first and asks questions later met their match? It all kicks off this April as Eisner Award winner James Robinson along with artists Leonard Kirk and Paolo Villanelli bring you SQUADRON SUPREME #6 – the exciting first chapter of “Through the Lens”! Things are about to get personal for Doctor Spectrum. With Namor out of the way she has her sights set on the next person who helped destroy her planet – Black Bolt! It’s about to get ugly. Plus – don’t miss the matchup of the century as the Squadron Supreme’s Nighthawk takes on the Nighthawk of the Marvel Universe! It all starts here as “Through the Lens” kicks off in SQUADRON SUPREME #6!
Hyperion hasn't put Namor's head down YET? Is he gonna marry the thing? Anyway, I don't know much about this version of Dr. Spectrum, so it could be an interesting storyline. Plus: Nighthawk v. Nighthawk? It's Crisis on Earth-Three all over again!
ULTIMATES #6
Writer: AL EWING
Art: CHRISTIAN WARD
Cover: KENNETH ROCAFORT
Variant: CHRISTIAN WARD
32 PGS. / Rated T+ / $3.99
• Once he was the Devourer of Worlds -- but now, at long last, his endless hunger has been cured.
• But is there a hidden price? What does it mean to wring new life from death? What does it mean to be ... Galactus?
• Special guest artist Christian Ward (ODY-C) takes us into the life of the Lifebringer -- for the most cosmic issue yet!
I have lived too long. Because this cover reveals that Galactus, The Destroyer, the Devourer of Worlds, must have long nurtured a secret desire to be a disco dancer. He has become ... Galacto-Dazzler!
Seriously, I have no idea what this is about. But someone needs to have a chat with the Big G about his fashion choices.
THE STRANGELY OMNIPRESENT DOCTOR STRANGE
For some reason, there's a lot of Dr. Strange this week. Shouldn't they save this for when the movie comes out?
DOCTOR STRANGE #7
Writer: JASON AARON
Art: CHRIS BACHALO
Civil War Variant by TBA
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
LAST DAYS OF MAGIC, PART 2
• As all of his magic dissipates, Doctor Strange is at the mercy of THE IMPERATOR!
• The powerless sorcerer is no longer supreme and can’t possibly best a super-powered foe hell-bent on his destruction.
Still Marvel's best book, IMHO.
DOCTOR STRANGE: LAST DAYS OF MAGIC #1
Writers: JASON AARON, GERRY DUGGAN & JAMES ROBINSON
Art: MIKE PERKINS, DANILO BEYRUTH and AFU CHAN
Cover by MIKE PERKINS
Variant: KEVIN MAGUIRE
Variant: SHANE DAVIS
56 PGS. / ONE-SHOT / Rated T+ / $5.99
This companion to the “LAST DAYS OF MAGIC” epic! THE EMPIRIKUL, led by The Imperator, are destroying all magic and magic users in the Marvel Universe. Jason Aaron brings you Doctor Strange and Wong’s secret history and the ultimate sacrifice that Wong makes! Gerry Duggan shows Brother Voodoo’s stand against the evil magic-eaters. James Robinson introduces a new magic figure in the Marvel U just in time for her last stand!
I'm not sure why this couldn't have been part of the regular run, but maybe they need to speed things up to get where they want to be when the aforementioned movie comes out. Or maybe why this one-shot exists will become obvious upon reading it. Since I'm now trade-waiting the good doctor, I sure hope it's included in Doctor Strange Vol. 2! As for Vol. 1, funny you should ask ...
DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 1: THE WAY OF THE WEIRD (PREMIERE HC)
Written by JASON AARON
Penciled by CHRIS BACHALO
Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
136 PGS / Rated T+ / $24.99
Trim size: standard
Only Doctor Strange can protect our world from the darkness beyond — now, witness the full toll that constant struggle takes on Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme! Every spell cast comes at a cost, but what happens when Strange falls behind on his tab? Find out as the good doctor wakes up somewhere very odd, nearly naked — with no spell books, no weapons and no memory of how he got there … or why all the monsters are chasing him! And as a new visitor to Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum learns one wrong door can lead to oblivion, a magic circle of Strange’s friends and allies are about to face their greatest threat. Dark forces are destroying everything mystical in the multiverse, and their sights are set on this dimension. Magic’s days are numbered, and Doctor Strange is not ready! Collecting DOCTOR STRANGE (2015) #1-5.
If you missed out on Strange's post-Secret Wars re-launch, here you go. If you've never been a Strange fan, consider that the creative team on this book is the same as on Marvel's last major pre-Secret Wars surprise hit, Wolverine and the X-Men!
VALIANT COMICS
FAITH #4 (of 4)
Written by JODY HOUSER
Art by FRANCIS PORTELA and MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
Cover A by STEPHANIE HANS
Cover B by DAN PARENT
Cover C by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by COLLEEN COOVER
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+
Outnumbered, outgunned, and out of time – but never out of Faith!
Mild-mannered blogger by day and aspiring superhero by night, Faith Herbert never imagined she’d find herself at the center of a story like this! Pursued by the agents of a stealth extraterrestrial invasion at every turn, this former Harbinger Renegade is about to realize that Earth needs a new kind of hero to save the day.
Rising star Jody Houser (Orphan Black) and explosive artists Francis Portela (Green Lantern) and Marguerite Sauvage (DC Comics Bombshells) deliver the can’t-miss conclusion to Faith’s spotlight-stealing solo debut!
This book -- a book starring a fat chick -- has sold so well that Faith has been awarded her own ongoing title. It restores my faith in humanity. (Well, for a little while.)
IMPERIUM #15
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover A by KHARI EVANS
Cover B by ROBERT GILL
Variant Cover by MING DOYLE
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+
Desperate times for Toyo Harada as “STORMBREAK” rages on!
Harada’s vision to save the world faces catastrophic failure as the Foundation Zone finds itself squeezed between the armies of the world. Now, at his weakest point, the allied forces led by Livewire and H.A.R.D. Corps’ Major Charlie Palmer conspire to hit him hard and fast on every front. But with Harada’s team of monsters starting to turn on each other, does this super-powered mastermind stand any chance of winning the fight?
New York Times best-selling writer Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier) and Harvey Award-nominated artist Khari Evans (HARBINGER) push the clock one minute closer to midnight for the most dangerous man in the Valiant Universe!
This is exactly how to do a book about villains. One where they think they're the heroes.
PS ARTBOOKS
I have to say that I'm a bit surprised by the low print runs on these books. I would think they'd have to sell more to make a profit, but maybe it's cheaper to restore these old comics than I thought. *Shrug* I always order them, and they always arrive. So I shouldn't worry. But with every order, I always wonder if this is the last.
PRE-CODE CLASSICS: GHOST VOL 2 (HC)
Writer/Art: JERRY IGER & Various
SLIPCASE EDITION: 125 copies in full colour slipcase, £44.99/$69.99
BOOKSHOP EDITION: 1,875 bookshop copies available., £36.99/$59.99
Collected together for the very first time, these classic anthologies will thrill you today as much as when they were first published.
This often unfairly forgotten 11-strong series (of which this volume captures the remaining four issues) surely boasted some of the most magnificent covers of any of the EC wannabes of some sixty-plus years ago, despite the artists concerned being a considerable way from being ‘household names’. One of these forgotten masters is Maurice Whitman—just check out the cover for #6 in Volume 1! Plus you get EC’s very own Jack Kamen regularly popping up inside. Wonderful stuff.
This was material that suggested unpleasantness rather than just stepped forward and pulled the old schlock-it-up lever. Heartily recommended for the more discerning horror comics reader. Hooo, wait’ll you see these babies!
About Pre-Code Classics Ghost Comics Volume Two
Volume Two features issues 8-11 from 1953-1954. Also included bonus issues of Monster #1-2 from 1953.
Limited to just 2,000 copies and split across two editions.
ROY THOMAS PRESENTS: PLANET COMICS VOL 13 (HC)
Writer/Art: JOSEPH DOOLIN & Various
SLIPCASE EDITION: 125 copies in full colour slipcase, £44.99/$69.99
BOOKSHOP EDITION: 1,875 bookshop copies available, £36.99/$59.99
Long before Star Wars, there was Planet Comics, home to a veritable parade of steely-jawed interstellar adventures and some of the most gorgeous damsels in distress you could ever with to find. More than fifty years since Planet closed up shop. We are making the whole run available again from the original groundbreaking awe-filled Planet Comics that appeared from Fiction House over a 13-year period ending in 1953. They’re all here … Flint Baker, Reef Ryan, The Space Rangers, Gale Allen, Star Pirate, Mysta of the Moon, Norge Benson plus many more AND a bevy of the most scantily-clad females you’re likely to see outside of Silvio Dante’s Bada Bing strip joint in The Sopranos.
About Planet Comics -- Volume Thirteen
Due to be published for January 2016, this thirteenth volume brings together May 1949 to March 1952 issues 60-66. Presented by our very own Roy Thomas this title features a brand new introduction by Mike Benton, specially written for this publication.
Limited to just 2,000 copies and split across two editions.
GRATUITOUS SEXYTIME
LOG HORIZON: THE WEST WIND BRIGADE VOL 2 (GN)
Why are we looking down this woman's bikini top? Gratuitous Sexytime!
TABOO TATTOO VOL 2 (GN)
Why are we looking at this girl's bare butt and barely covered hoo-hoo? Gratuitous Sexytime!
WIDOW ARCHIVES VOL 3: METAL GYPSIES VOL 3
Why is this woman coyly holding her nekkid -- and gigantic -- bosom, with a come-hither look? Gratuitous Sexytime!
MIGHT-SHOW-UP COMICS
If you search for the following three Amigo Comics individually on Previewsworld.com, the site says they're shipping this week. If you look at the "Shipping 4/27" page, they're not there. Are they coming or not? Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, Amigo sent me PR and previews, which I'll share with you here:
UNLEASH #1 (of 4)
Writers: JENNIFER VAN GESSEL, EL TORRES
Art: NACHO TENORIO, SERGIO MORA, VERONICA R. LOPEZ
Cover: GABRIEL HERNANDEZ WALTA
32pgs / Mature / FC (1 of 4) / $3. 99
Soon to be a feature film! Assaut survivor Emmie wants to change the world by creating her own superhero persona. Unfortunately her plans are limited, as being a hero takes more than a costume. In a strange twist of fate, Emmie forms an agreement with the most unlikely crime-fighting partner you could imagine. Now she can lay her own brand of twisted justice down on sexual predators.
Words by El Torres and screenwriter Jennifer Van Gessel, issue #1 features art by acclaimed artist Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Marvel’s Magneto, Uncanny X-Men, The Vision and also The Veil and The Suicide Forest!) with interior pages by Nacho Tenorio and Sergio Mora (Dark Shadows, Army of Darkness, Rogues: Odd Parenthood).
ALAN DRACON #1
Writer/Art: STEFANO MARTINO
32pgs / FC (1 of 6) / $3. 99
Alan is just a bodyguard trying to make a living. But this is the future, and to survive Alan Dracon must deal with high-tech industrial moguls, genetically modified organisms… and seductive corporates. And most of them want him dead.
Action and adventure in the not-so-near future brought to you by Stefano Martino (George R.R. Martin’s Doorways, Doctor Who).
Alan Dracon is the dear creation of Italian artist Stefano Martino, who worked on comic series such as Doctor Who, Warlord of Mars, Catwoman and George R.R. Martin’s Doorways. He is working on the European market on titles as Nosferatu and Oracle, but he never forgot his creator-owned sci-fi series Alan Dracon.
STRAITJACKET (TPB)
Publisher: AMIGO COMICS
Writer: EL TORRES
Art/Cover: GUILLERMO SANNA
120 pages / Black-white red / $14.99
Alexandra Wagner is confined in an expensive asylum. She murdered her brother when she was a child, and has been jumping from an institution to another, thinking she’s protecting our world against monsters called The Feeders with the help of her deceased brother. Thomas Hayes is her psychiatrist, and he believes she’s totally mad.
Well, she’s totally mad. But she’s also right.
This volume compiles the acclaimed and really hard-to-find horror masterwork by El Torres and Guillermo Sanna!
This is what reviewers say about Straitjacket:
“The story inside was anything but common. El Torres strikes again (…) If you’re into horror or maybe you just like stories about the insane, then you’ll definitely want to check out Straitjacket.” -- Dustin Cabeal, Comic Bastards
“Horror is hit-or-miss for me, more so the cinematic kind. The absolute best depictions are the ones that play with your mind, have you delve deep into your psyche, so much so that you question reality as we know it after viewing.(…) The first entry to this four-part tale deserves an 8.5 out of 10 on the crazy scale!” -- Paul Miranda, Comic Asylum
“Considering that Torres is the current best horror writer in comics (yeah, I said it), it’s kind of neat that he takes one of his older horror comics (The Veil) and puts it in the same universe as this one. I love shit like that.” -- Greg Burgas, Comic Book Resources
“El Torres writes a stellar, gripping first issue to a series that looks to be the beginnings of a modern comics masterpiece of horror (…) This story is mesmerizing, and paired with Guillermo Sanna’s pencils, this book becomes an absolute home run (…) If Amigo Comics keeps this up, they will become the new face of horror in the comics industry. This book has “movie adaptation” written all over it.
RATING: 10 out of 10. “ -- Tex Comics and Reviews
Replies
ARH STUDIOS
These guys are new to me. I couldn't find much information on them on the web, but they've been in the collectibles game for a while, doing mostly polystone statues of everything from Batman to Alexander the Great.
It appears they're branching out. Their main website -- arhstudioscollectibles.com -- looks to be planning about a half dozen comics, along with statues of the lead characters. All of those lead characters are gorgeous (naturally) women, with Arhian and Astria the first out of the gate.
The statues are very detailed, and as you can see from the previews, the art on the comics is pretty nice. I'm curious to see if any of this product will actually show up at my LCS. If these books get any traction, the art might keep them in the game.
Writers: ARAHOM RADJAH, BEN BISHOP
Art: YANNIS ROUMBOULIAS
Cover: CHRISTOS MARTINIZ
Mature/$3.99
A lonely warrior, a bounty huntress, a drifter. With her charm, wit and incredible beauty, Arhain is seen and respected as the best in her world. On a quest to rescue an innocent young girl, Arhian's world and life will change forever.
Writes: ARAHOM RADJAH, SPENCER THURGOOD
Art: MANOS LAGOUVARDOS
Cover: CHRISTOS MARTINIZ
Mature/$3.99
Astria Sommers was a fragile woman who had her life, hopes, and dreams destroyed by the cowardice of criminals. Not being able to cope with her loss, Astria goes down a path of revenge and self-destruction that will bring her to the point of no return. With the help of her father, Astria will lead a thrilling vendetta against those who wronged her, blurring the lines between morality and justice.
FIRST ISSUE ALERTS
4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK #1
Writer: MATTHEW ROSENBERG
Art/Cover: TYLER BOSS
Mature/$3.99
A fun(ish) crime caper about children! Eleven-year-old Paige and her weirdo friends have a problem: a gang of ex-cons need her dad's help on a heist ... the problem is those ex-cons are morons. If Paige wants to keep her dad out of trouble, she's going to have to pull off the heist herself. Like Wes Anderson remaking Reservoir Dogs, 4KWIAB is a very dark & moderately humorous story about friendship, growing up, D&D, puking, skinheads, grand larceny and family.
I don't know any more about this than you do. I enjoyed the preview, though, almost enough to take a flyer on this. Y'all take a look and see if you agree.
ACTIONVERSE FEATURING FRACTURE #1
Art: CHAD CICCONI
Colors: MEREDITH MORIARTY
Cover: CHAD CICCONI
Connecting Variant: RON FRENZ/CHAD CICCONI/ROSS CAMPBELL/DAVID BEDNARSKI
32 pgs. / A / FC / $3.99 (reg.), $4.99 (var.)
Virtue has arrived in Midnight Tiger’s hometown of Apollo Bay! But is that really him? Heroes don’t kill, right? Get ready for the fight of the century as Virtue takes on the Guild of Pain! And finally it can be told … the origin of Cascade! Variant limited to 1,500 copies.
As I mentioned last week, this six-issue crossover is going to have six #1 issues. Confusing, I imagine, if you don't know that going in. Anyway, I had planned to read the first two issues by this week, but ran out of time. OK, next week I'll have read the first two issues.
CHAPTERHOUSE ARCHIVES CAPTAIN CANUCK #1
Writer/Art: RICHARD COMELY
Cover: RACHAEL WELLS
$2.99
Introducing Chapterhouse Archives, an ongoing monthly series that reprints all of the essentials in the Chapterhouse catalogue. All Archive issues feature an all new cover and five page back-story by some of comic-doms brightest and best! And what better issue to kick-off the archives than the legendary Captain Canuck #1! Communist foreign agents commandeer an Arctic radar base and threaten Canada with a nuclear strike unless the country surrenders; Captain Canuck and his partner, Blue Fox, are sent to stop them. Archive cover by Rachel Wells and all-new back story, written and drawn by Richard Comely himself!
As I may have said a few dozen times before, not every old comic book deserves to be reprinted. Joseph Harrison Christ, that's some pretty lousy art!
DISNEY DARKWING DUCK #1
Writer: AARON SPARROW
Art/Cover: JAMES SILVANI
$2.99
The Terror that Flaps in the Night is back in this all-new, ongoing comic series! Megavolt, Darkwing Duck's most electrifying nemesis, has been defeated once again, and is now locked up in St. Canard's new "escape-proof" prison. But is this all just part of a much more dastardly plan?
Anyone have any idea why Marvel couldn't have handled this book?
FOURTH PLANET #1
Writer: FRED KENNEDY
Art/Cover: MIKKO MACIASZEK
$3.99
The Fourth Planet is the brand new series from Chapterhouse Comics that The Examiner called "evocative and truly cosmic." The quarterly, written by Fred Kennedy and brilliantly illustrated by Miko Maciaszek, sets the stage where a stolen warship loaded with runaway human slaves crashes onto a planet with three warring races, the most advanced of which has only just begun using gunpowder weaponry. Vastly outnumbered, will the humans become the very thing they were running away from? The warship Lightstorm has crashed on an alien planet. Even though its occupants seek only survival, they become unwillingly entangled within the constant warring of the planet's native species.
This is by the same publisher that does all the Captain Canuck and Northguard material. Nice to see them doing some non-Canada-centric material.
KILLBOX #1
Writer: TOM RIORDAN
Art/Cover: NATHAN GOODEN
$3.99
A down-on-his-luck bartender. A Yakuza's wife. A teenager with a penchant for handguns. They may not appear to have anything in common, but they're all part of the Killbox. The debut series by Tom Riordan brings a vicious game of violence to the streets of Los Angeles, where carefully selected players are picking each other off one by one. Don't miss this electrifying and brutal book illustrated in blistering inks by Nathan Gooden (DEADEYE).
Hrrm. That preview didn't do much for me. Funky art and a story that's a variation on The Most Dangerous Game. Pass.
LADY DEATH: CHAOS RULES #1
Writers: BRIAN PULIDO, BRIAN AUGUSTYN
Art: DHEERAJ VERMA
Cover: JESSE WICHMANN
Mature/$7.99
Creator and creation: Reunited! Lady Death is awakened from a 20-year, spell-induced slumber and finds herself in the fiery pits of Hell. Who among her depraved enemies is responsible? How long until she exacts bloody vengeance? Let the hunt begin! Featuring the alluring and cruel diva of death as only creator, Brian Pulido can deliver. Chock full of sex, violence, and very, very bad behavior. Experience Lady Death fully realized! Long live Lady Death! Lady Death: Chaos Rules #1 captures the rockin' independent spirit of her original Chaos! Comics (1994-2002) run but brings her story to the present. She's bolder, darker, sexier Hope, with more brains and brawn.
I'm posting this only because it's a first issue. I won't read this adolescent, brokeback-posing, balloon-boob tripe, and I don't expect many of you will, either.
OVER THE GARDEN WALL #1
Writers: JIM CAMPBELL, AMALIA LEVARI
Art: JIM CAMPBELL, CARA MCGEE
Cover: JIM CAMPBELL
$3.99
Pat McHale's Over the Garden Wall aired as Cartoon Network's first-ever original animated miniseries and has continued gathering fans ever since. The great response to our one-shot and follow-up limited series prompted us to return to the eerie Unknown for more stories in this new, ongoing series! We're thrilled to have Jim Campbell returning to join forces with fellow show writer Amalia Levari and artist Cara McGee for two original stories in each issue.
What It Is: Over the Garden Wall is now an ongoing series! In this kickoff issue, Wirt and Greg might have escaped the Beast's grasp and made it out of the Unknown, but some things can't be forgotten. Greg returns to Dreamland at night, where the silly creatures who live there help him on his adventures. Then, dive back into the early days in the Unknown where young Anna, the daughter of the Woodsman, must learn to survive in the woods on her own.
I don't watch this cartoon, and don't know if it's even age-appropriate for you Legionnaires. But hey, a first issue is a first issue.
SABRETOOTH DAN #1
Writer/Art/Cover: C.R. MOUNTAIN
$3.99
If you crossed Calvin & Hobbes with Lord of the Rings, it's very likely that the result would be Sabretooth Dan! Check out the sword and sorcery comic that stars an orphan with both sabreteeth and an over-active imagination in a LOTR-like world! But when real-world adventure comes knocking, Dan finds it impossible to say no! With breathtaking art, Sabretooth Dan is destined to be an all-ages hit for generations to come!
Is that cover art representative of the "breathtaking" art? If so, that word does not mean what you think it means.
UNCLE GRANDPA GOOD MORNING SPECIAL #1
Writer/Art: YEHUDI MERCADO & VARIOUS
Cover: ROBB MOMMAERTS
$4.99
What's to Love: We can never get enough of everyone's favorite uncle and grandpa and his extraordinary friends like Pizza Steve and Giant Realistic Flying Tiger, so we've assembled a rad crew of writers and artists to put together some of their best short stories of unpredictable wackiness and crazy adventures!
What It Is: Good morning! From the wacky minds of mad scientist creators, explore the oversized chaos and wonder of tigers farting rainbows, wizards trying to return long-forgotten VHS tapes, and professional wrestling between a pizza with shades and a dinosaur man. If you're a fan of the Cartoon Network series, don't miss out on this Uncle Grandpa special issue!
Another cartoon I don't watch, so if you do, then this is for you.
VIKINGS #1
Cover B: Photo Cover
Cover C: Photo Cover
Cover D: Blank Sketch Cover
32 pp / Mature / $3.50
Titan Comics is thrilled to announce a new comic book series based on the critically acclaimed television series, Vikings.
The forthcoming comic book series which takes place within the third season and will follow Ragnar Lothbrok as he leads his Northmen on a new saga of glory and plunder. This tale of politics, intrigue, betrayal and sword-swinging combat is penned by best-selling Doctor Who writer Cavan Scott and illustrated by Staz Johnson (Wolverine, Spider-Man).
“I have been a complete Viking geek ever since I visited the Yorvik Viking Centre in York as a kid. After years of reading the sagas of the marauding Northmen I couldn’t wait for the Vikings series. I’ve loved every minute of the first three seasons and am absolutely thrilled to be bringing Ragnar, Lagertha, Rollo, Floki and the rest to the world of comics. I can promise you the same mix of melees, mysticism, blood and treachery as King Ragnar faces his toughest challenges yet. Who will desert him first, his gods or his men?" -- Cavan Scott
Now here's a show I DO watch -- and really like! Savage Vikings! Savage Shield Maidens! Debauched Franks! Scheming Saxons! Corrupt priests! Bizarre oracles! What's not to like?
NEW OGNs
BARTKIRA NUCLEAR EDITION (HC)
Art: VARIOUS
Cover: MIKE O'BRIEN
$19.99
A benefit edition of Bartkira that collects a narrative sequence of massive destruction from Akira re-interpreted through the bug-eyed lens of The Simpsons. Proceeds from this book are being split between two charities, OISCA Coastal Forest Restoration Project in Miyagi Prefecture and Save the Children. A Floating World production.
Cute cover. It's a benefit book, so it doesn't have to be all that terrific to justify buying it.
BLACKBIRD (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: PIERRE MAUREL
$17.00
Blackbird follows a band of skateboarding anarchists who are making a zine all about their lives. The problem is, in Maurel's dystopian near future self-publishing zines has become a crime. Through media stunts, thrilling chase scenes, and some real political activism, Blackbird and its cast of characters reflects the social dynamics of a counterculture. It also gives readers a taste of the new French undergound in comics.
Can't say I find skateboard drama all that compelling. And French skateboard drama? The mind reels!
DOCTOR WHO: ELEVENTH DOCTOR VOL. 4: THE THEN AND THE NOW
Titan's previews usually arrive on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, far too late to include in this Guide. But lo, this week they arrived on Friday! So here are a couple of Doctor Who GN previews. Enjoy!
Writers: SI SPURRIER & ROB WILLIAMS
Art: SIMON FRASER, WARREN PLEECE
Colors: GARY CALDWELL, HI-FI
FC - 128pp - $19.99
Abslom confesses a Daak secret. Alice develops a bond. The Squire recovers a memory. And the Doctor discovers the horrific truth about how The Then and The Now has been tracking them - and he doesn't like it one bit. As the universe closes in around them, is escape even possible?
Collects Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Year Two #1-5.
DOCTOR WHO: TENTH DOCTOR Vol. 4: THE ENDLESS SONG
Writer: NICK ABADZIS
Art: ELEONORA CARLINI, ELENA CASAGRANDE
Colors: CLAUDIA SG IANNICELLO, ARIANNA FLOREAN
Cover: ALEX RONALD
FC - 128pp - $19.99
A bold new season begins for the Tenth Doctor and companion Gabby Gonzalez! Whether facing down an evil corruption of sentient music on a gas giant, catching up on unseen trips with Gabby's best friend Cindy Wu, or journeying back to the dawn of humankind to witness the clash between Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, there are no limits to the adventure - or the danger!
Collects Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2 #1-5.
ELIAS THE CURSED (HC)
Writer: SYLVIANE CORGIAT
Art/Cover: CORRADO MASTANTUONO
Mature/$24.95
Fallen king Elias is on a quest to reclaim the face that was stolen from him by the mighty sorcerer Melchior. With the help of an unlikely gang, of all fantastical shapes and sizes, and amidst magic both good and evil, Elias The Cursed will attempt to save his face, and perhaps his soul. New hardcover edition of the out of print favorite!
Hmmm, a Humanoids book not written by Jodorowski. Cool! I might understand this one!
FLASH GORDON DAILIES: DAN BARRY VOL. 1 – THE CITY OF ICE
Writer/Art: DAN BERRY
HC - B & W - 224pp - $39.99
In 1951, Dan Barry revived the Flash Gordon daily newspaper strip, thus shaping the character for the rest of his extraordinary 52-year run! Collected together here for the first time in over 25 years are the adventures that enthralled a generation, with contributions from such legends as Harry Harrison, Frank Frazetta, Wally Wood and Harvey Kurtzman.
Wait, didn't this come out last week? Well, Titan says it's this week, and gave a preview to prove their case. So, OK, check out some Dan Barry (if you haven't bought the book already).
HEIRESS AND CHAUFFEUR VOL 1 (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: KEIKO ISHIHARA
For teen audiences / $9.99
Sayaka wears a crimson ribbon that signals she is at the top of her class, and her classmates all revere her. So when Narutaki ignores decorum and breaks school rules to protect Sayaka, will she stand by him or dismiss him as the school demands?
I'm pretty sure "Heiress and the Chauffeur" was a sex game Zero Mostel played with little old ladies in The Producers. Don't tell me it's popular in Japan, too!
HYPER FORCE NEO #1
Writer/Art/Cover: JARRETT WILLIAMS
HYPER FORCE NEO, from SUPER PRO K.O.! creator Jarrett Williams takes readers along on the adventures of Dean Masters, a 9th grader tasked with leading a group of tech-savvy teens called Hyper Force Neo. Their Mission? Save New Sigma City and their high-school from the sinister, intergalactic vagabonds known as the Dark Edge. With the use of their Hype Suits, Neo Keys, High-tech weaponry, and over-sized Neo Mechs, Dean and his friends just may get the job done. The first issue of HYPER FORCE NEO will be a super-sized 48-pages.
Jarrett Williams recently completed the third volume in his pro-wrestling/adventure series Super Pro K.O.!: Gold for Glory at Oni Press, which will be released in Summer, 2016. He is also working on a Super Pro K.O.! Special and a monthly, action/beat-em-up comic called Knuckle Up! for Oni Press. Jarrett has contributed stories for Yo Gabba Gabba: Comic Book Time at Oni Press, and covers for Adventure Time and Regular Show at Boom Studios. Jarrett was born in New Orleans, LA in 1984. He lives in Savannah, GA.
This is the sort of comics Grant Morrison was making fun of with his Super Young Team in Final Crisis, wasn't it?
MARSHALS (HC)
Writer: DENIS PIERRE FILIPPI
Art: JEAN-FLORIAN TELLO & VARIOUS
Cover: CEDRIC PEYRAVERNAY
Mature/$24.95
Within the complex political consortiums and clans of planet Iriu, the Marshals are in charge of security and defense, assisted by huge robots. Young Hisaya is one of the top Marshals, despite her unpredictable nature, but her destiny takes an unexpected turn when she's wrongly accused of murdering a high-ranking scientist, and is forced to go on the run. Teaming up with her expert mechanic grandfather, and her ambitious younger cousin, Hisaya attempts to clear her - and the entire caste's - name and unravel the conspiracy that threatens the planet. D.P. Filippi (Muse, John Lord), Jean-Florian Tello, Tirso (Whispers in the Walls), and conceptual artist Francisco Ruiz Velasco (Hellboy II, Pacific Rim) seamlessly blend samurai swordplay, police procedurals, and steampunk, in this fast-paced manga-style sci-fi adventure.
I checked out the preview, and Marshals has an interesting premise, but the angular art was hard to follow sometimes with my aging eyes. You youngsters might fare better.
MUTAFUKAZ VOL 1 (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: RUN
$19.99
Angelino is a young loser like thousands of others in the Dark Meat City. He and his friend Vinz are squatters at a seedy hotel room in the Latin Quarter, Rios Rosas. Angelino spends his days watching Mexican wrestling matches on TV, delivering pizzas and having bizarre metaphysical discussions with his roommate. A stupid scooter accident will plunge Angelino into a hurricane of unimaginable trouble, as he becomes the only person on Earth capable of recognizing the vicious cosmic entities that walk among us, who are readying themselves to invade the planet.
I can't get past the name to even sample the book. What, are we 12?
PANTHER (HC)
Writer/Art/Cover: BRECHT EVENS
Hardcover • 120 pages • 11" x 9" • full-color • $26.95USD/$32.95CAD
Brecht Evens, the award-winning author of The Wrong Place and The Making Of, returns with an unsettling graphic novel about a little girl and her imaginary feline companion. Iconoclastic in his cartooning and page layouts, subtle in his plotting, and deft in his capturing of the human experience, Brecht Evens has crafted a tangled, dark masterwork.
The words "tangled, dark masterwork" make me tingly.
SERVANT X SERVICE VOL 1 (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: KARINO TAKATSU
$20.00
On any given day in a certain city, in a certain public services office building down in the Health and Welfare Department, you just might run into a clerk with a tongue twister of a name, a huge flirt, a bundle of insecurity and a cosplay maniac!
Sounds like my kind of gal! Oh, wait, I'm married. Also, not Japanese. Also, twice her age. Oh, well, the book might be nice. But there's no preview, so how can I know? Come on, publishers! Give us a hint!
TOUCHING EVIL VOL 1: THE CURSE ESCAPES (HC)
Writer/Art: DAN DOUGHERTY
Cover: TOM KELLY
$24.95
Ada Mansfield is a criminal lawyer who is given an extraordinary curse: anyone she touches dies, if they're evil. Ada doesn't know who is evil until it's too late, and doesn't want to kill, but her power attracts those who would do anything to take it from her. Collects #1-7 of the Shel Dorf Award winning series for "Self-Published comic of the year" plus a bonus story.
Sounds nice and creepy, but without a look at the interior art I'm just posting it because it's "Volume 1."
WET MOON VOL 1: FEEBLE WANDERINGS NEW EDITION (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: SOPHIE CAMPBELL
$19.99
An all-new edition of the first book in Sophie Campbell's critically acclaimed original graphic novel series, WET MOON! With brand new covers designed by cartoonist Annie Mok (Screen Tests) and special extras in the back, this edition is perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike!
An unusually usual day-to-day story in the Deep South, set in the gothic, swampy southern town of Wet Moon, a place fraught with lousy love lives, teen angst and shadowy rednecks. As Cleo Lovedrop heads off for college at the local art school, she's haunted by her melancholic past: a lost love, a lost child. Friends and enemies live their lives around her, as trouble and dissent brews amongst them: an unseen social assailant spreads slander about Cleo, she is forced to deal with her two brusque roommates, and discovers unsolved mysteries about the girl who lived in her room previously. Elsewhere, Trilby deals with unsettled emotional and sexual issues, and keeping her secret habits hidden from everyone. And Audrey comes to the realization that, despite all her efforts, she always causes her friends distress, while Fern, a peculiar, deformed girl who lives in an isolated mansion in the bayous, begins to notice Cleo and her friends. As the moon grows full and lunar rays shine down, lunacy and moon calves run free. Goths, friendship, romance, sex, betrayal, gossip, cats, murder, guilt, a squirrel monkey and all the terrible and wonderful things people do to each other.
Once again, the "Deep South" lures a writer into blither about "gothic romance." Sorry, that's not what you'll find down here. Gothic romance is in short supply, but we do have a lot of poverty and ignorance!
Ah, well, Gone with the Wind has poisoned many generations with the IDEA of the South, rather than what it actually is. And some of the stories that come out of this fantasy version of my reality are often rather good. Maybe Wet Moon will be, and Oni can be counted on for a preview eventually. I'll report back then.
CLASSIC ILLUSTRATED TPBs
Here's another clutch of Classics Illustrated titles. I guess it's a good thing that they're finding their way back into print, even though the art is often so egregious that calling them comics is a bit of stretch. (All books are $9.95.)
The story of Jason and his Argonauts and their adventures aboard the ship, Argo. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes a biography of Apollonius of Rhodes and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
BEN HUR
Writer: LEW WALLACE; Art: JOE ORLANDO; Cover: GERALD MCCANN
Lew Wallace's "Tale of the Christ" as told through the life of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish heir accused of attempting to assassinate a Roman Governor and sold into slavery as punishment. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes a biography of Lew Wallace, theme discussions, and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
Writer: ANNA SEWELL; Art: L. B. COLE & VARIOUS; Cover: L. B. COLE
Anna Sewell's story of the horse, Black Beauty, and his experiences in life with various owners, some kind, some cruel. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes a biography of Anna Sewell, theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
CLEOPATRA
Writer: H. RIDER HAGGARD; Art: NORMAN NODEL; Cover: POCH
H. Rider Haggard's story of the life of the great Egyptian Queen. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes a biography of H. Rider Haggard, theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
Edmond Dantès, a merchant sailor in the early 19th Century, is wrongfully imprisoned for life without trial. After years of incarceration on the remote island prison of the Château d'If, he learns of a vast treasure on the island of Monte Cristo and becomes determined to escape in order to retrieve the treasure and use it for vengeance against the men who betrayed him. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Writer: CHARLES DICKENS; Art: HENRY C. KIEFER
Pip, a young orphan living in the care of his older sister and her kind husband, is called upon in his youth under strange circumstances by the mysterious Miss Havisham to entertain her. After carrying out an apprenticeship in his brother-in-law's Blacksmiths, he receives an offer of support from an unexpected character from his past. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
JANE EYRE
Charlotte Brontë's novel tells the life story of the eponymous Jane, an orphan who suffers several injustices on her path to independence. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
TALE OF TWO CITIES
Writer: CHARLES DICKENS; Art: GEORGE EVANS, JOE ORLANDO
Dickens's classic story of the French Revolution. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
OTHER COMICS OF NOTE
ASSASSIN'S CREED: TEMPLARS #2
Writers: FRED VAN LENTE
Artist: DENNIS CALERO
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover A: CHRIS THORNLEY
Cover B: DeNNIS CALERO
Cover C: VERITY GLASS
32 pages / $3.99
In the bustling streets of Shanghai, Darius Gift has come unstuck, his head turned by a pretty girl and a stunning smile. His tenuous position as a newly initiated member of the Templar Order is under threat, until he is rescued by the mysterious figure that is Black Cross ...
I will eventually read all these based-on-a-video-game Assassin's Creed books, just to familiarize myself with the concept before the movie comes out in December ...
DEUS EX: CHILDREN'S CRUSADE #3
Writer: ALEX IRVINE
Artist: JOHN AGGS
Cover A: Game Cover By NICOLAS LIZOTTE
Cover B: Concept Art Cover By MICHEL CHASSAGNE
COVER C: MARCO TURINI
32PP / FC / $3.99
Titus King's hate-mongering leads to escalating tension around TF29 HQ, leaving the strike force in an uncompromising position. Meanwhile, Jensen discovers a shocking new link to the pro-aug terrorists.
... but since there's not yet a movie coming up adapting the Deus Ex video game, I don't have to read these. Yet.
And check out Cover A: It's a Pieta cover with an actual statue in it!
INDEPENDENCE DAY #2
Artist: STEVE SCOTT
Cover A: Movie Cover
Cover B: ALEX RONALD
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
32pp / $3.99
With fear and suspicion running rife aboard the sub, Adams prepares to embark the alien vessel in search of answers. But how will its extraterresterial crew react to unwanted visitors onboard?
Here the script is flipped, with a comic book based on a movie instead of a comic book based on a video game preceding a movie. So if Independence Day becomes a video game, it will complete the Circle of Life. Or something.
INSIDERS VOL 5: DESTINATION GULAG (GN)
Writer: JEAN-CLAUDE BARTOLL
Art/Cover: RENAUD GARRETA
Will Najah be able to escape from the gulag alone, or will she need outside help? Identified as a former Chechen guerrilla fighter, Najah has been arrested by the FSB, the successor to the old KGB, and sent to a prison colony in Siberia -- the infamous gulag. Isolated, hated by the Russian guards, the Insider is far from the luxury life her cover inside organised crime afforded her. Meanwhile, the power plays continue between the mafia, politicians and the intelligence services of Russia, the United States -- and elsewhere.
Hey, that's real Russian! It reads:
Gulag AK 159/7
Prisoner 114 Najah Cruz (or Cruise)
I'm just so proud of myself for knowing that.
IRWIN ALLEN'S LOST IN SPACE #2
Writers: HOLLY INTERLANDI, CAREY WILBER
Art: KOSTAS PANTOULAS
Cover A: PATRICK MCEVOY
Cover B: Photo
$3.99
Season Four continues with the lost scripts of Carey Wilber! In Part 2 of "The Curious Galactics", John Robinson, Will Robinson, and Major Don West are being maneuvered like bugs in a glass jar, finding obstacle after obstacle in their attempt to get back to Jupiter Two -- and the culprits, a couple of nosy aliens, are about to throw something really dangerous at them!
This book seemed to be a hit with Legionnaires when it debuted last month, so here are a preview and a variant cover, courtesy of Diamond.
MOORCOCK LIBRARY
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
Writer: ROY THOMAS; Art: P. CRAIG RUSSELL, MICHAEL T. GILBERT
Mature/$22.99
Collecting the first volume of the classic adaptation of Michael Moorcock's bestselling fantasy saga, Elric of Melniboné marks the perfect introduction to the series' iconic antihero, his fabled blade, Stormbringer, and his harrowing adventures across the Dragon Isle. This definitive collection marks an essential read for all fans of sword and sorcery and brings Moorcock's epic tales to life with luxuriant imagination.
VOLUME 2: SAILORS ON THE SEA OF FATE
Writer: ROY THOMAS; Art: P. CRAIG RUSSELL, MICHAEL T. GILBERT
$29.99
As Elric lies dying on the shores of an unknown land, he is taken aboard a mysterious ship where time and logic hold no meaning. Several other incarnations of the Eternal Champions are there, but why? What could allow the laws of time and space to be broken for these warriors to meet? Could Elric learn anything from that which he used to be or that which he shall become? So begins an epic adventure across the black seas and into alternate worlds where the lines between dream and reality blur!
I thought both of these books had already come out. Maybe they didn't have the "Moorcock Library" trade dress? Anyway, I've got the original comics (from First Comics, IIRC), trades and e-versions of these books, so I don't need another set. But if you haven't read them, they are faithful adaptations (as you'd expect from Roy Thomas) and the P. Craig Russell art is, of course, gorgeous.
HISTORY ALERT!
I wish the two following books had previews, because as much as I like history-themed comics, $40 is a bit much for blind buying.
MUCH ADO ABOUT SHAKESPEARE (GN)
Publisher: UPSTART PRESS
Writer: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Art/Cover: DONOVAN BIXLEY
$19.95
There's never been a period when Shakespeare was out of fashion. In his lifetime he was incredibly successful, and soon after his death his works were published to the world. Within these pages you'll find a new interpretation of Shakespeare's stages, a play on words, which sheds light on the colorful and exuberant world of Shakespeare's life and times. You won't find the sainted genius, solemn with quill and ink-stained hand. Never the snooty artist, locked away from the world, Shakespeare was in the thick of it. Much Ado About Shakespeare brings you the highs and lows, the tongue in cheek, the truth and imagination, the fantastical world of William Shakespeare in his own words and through the magnificent art of Donovan Bixley.
UKRAINIAN & RUSSIAN NOTEBOOKS: LIFE & DEATH UNDER SOVIET RULE
$28.00
Written and illustrated by an award-winning artist and translated into English for the first time, Igort's The Ukrainian and Russian Notebooks is a collection of two harrowing works of graphic nonfiction about life under Russian foreign rule. In The Russian Notebooks, Igort investigates the murder of award-winning journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkoyskaya. Anna spoke out frequently against the Second Chechen War, criticizing Vladimir Putin. In The Ukrainian Notebooks, Igort illustrates the events of the 1932 Holodomor. Little known outside of the Ukraine, the Holodomor was a government-sanctioned famine, an atrocity during Stalin's rule that killed anywhere from 1.8 to twelve million ethnic Ukrainians.
Amazon has a preview for this one, which makes it seem quite absorbing. Igort is an Italian creator, Igor Tuveri. He has a page at Lambiek. The volume is a collection of two journalistic works. The preview has pages from the Ukrainian Notebook section. They report on his experiences in Ukraine and on interviews he conducted, and are fascinating.
That's a fantastically good cover. It's signed by Ryan Brown on the cross. (Dark Horse's website attributes it to him too.)
I believe it's a cover done for the reprint by a contemporary artist. I don't know if it's based on an interior panel. Comixology has a preview showing pages of the reprinted story, which are likewise crudely drawn. The GCD tells me the original issue had a back-up feature, "Jonn". I can't tell if the reprint has that story.
Dan and Sy Barry both worked for DC before moving into newspaper comics, and helped establish the DC house style of the 50s. What strikes me about the preview is I think I see a Milton Caniff influence on Dan's work. The Harry Harrison mentioned in the solicitation is the same guy as the science fiction writer. He worked in comics (as an artist, initially) before becoming a writer and wrote Flash Gordon for a while.
I do agree with you about the art in these things, but some of the later issues and redone issues were better, and I notice this set includes issues drawn by Joe Orlando (whose art I don't really know) and George Evans with Orlando. We had A Tale of Two Cities when I was a kid, but I can't mentally "see" the art. L.B. Cole is known for his psychedelic covers.
The first novel that made me realize what literature could be was Crime and Punishment. All through high school and college I read and critiqued Western lit because it was required, but it was Russian lit that I read and critiqued on my own time. Dostoyevsky, Chekov, Turgenev, Gogol, Tolstoy -- these were the authors I sought out. I learned to read, write and speak Russian, and eventually dreamed in Russian. I read Russian history voraciously, and tried to understand the circumstance that made these people the way they were. When actors try to ape a Russian accent without gettting what makes a Russian, they fail for me. When Rasputin shows up in Hellboy, it has more meaning for me than it probably does for the author.
So yeah. I want to read this book. I just need an excuse to spend the money. Somebody give me an excuse!
Luke Blanchard said:
Luke Blanchard said:
That makes a lot of sense. Not only was Caniff an influence for just about everybody in the period, DC's house style in the '50s and '60s reflects that. From Gil Kane to Ross Andru to Carmine Infantino, they all pretty much looked alike.
To publish Disney comics Marvel would have to get an editor capable of overseeing them, and establish relationships with artists capable of doing them. But it's done things like Franklin Richards and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane in recent years, so I think it could manage that. It might also need sales people who know how to reach different vendors to the ones it usually uses.
Companies that concentrate on those vendors or specialise in children's products might be better at doing that, so the Disney characters might be worth more to them than they are to Marvel. A small company might also be more willing to put up with lower sales than Marvel is. Joe Books is a fairly new company. Judging by its website, much of its output consists of Disney tie-ins. It's also doing a Madagascar comic and Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy novels.
My final suggestion is that, even though Marvel is part of Disney, it has to pay another division of Disney to use the characters. I don't know if this is true, but it sounds plausible to me. It may be it just doesn't think the Disney licenses in question are worth it, leaving them free to be picked up by Joe Books. (The Darkwing Duck cartoon is a quarter-century old now.) Marvel might have to pay to do Star Wars too, but think that franchise worthwhile.
Shelly Bond, the executive editor of Vertigo, is out of a job. Her position has been eliminated (which I gather is Orwellian Newspeak for "fired").
It's a chicken-*%$# way of firing somebody. Oh gee, we'd like to keep working with you but your position no longer exists. If they wanted to keep her they would have found a place for her.
Their explanation is that DC re-worked the Vertigo contract in 2012, making it less creator-friendly than it had been under Berger, leaving Image as the go-to destination. The result is several failed efforts to prop Vertigo, while Image has exploded.
So higher-ups changed the contracts and everybody left. And they blamed Shelley Bond.
For some reason, there's a lot of Dr. Strange this week. Shouldn't they save this for when the movie comes out?
They want a lot of TPBs available for when the movie comes out?
ALIENS: Yes, there was a Superman/Aliens limited series. I don’t remember Supergirl being in it, but I wanna say the art was by Kevin Knowlan. The conceit of the story was that it took place in outer space, far away from the nearest yellow sun, so Superman’s powers were rapidly fading. There was a Green Lantern/Aliens series, too. IIRC, the first issue featured Hal Jordan, and #2-4 featured Kyle Rayner.
MICRONAUTS: The first issue of Micronauts I bought was #48, Jackson Guice’s first work. That was a pretty good run, from that point through the end of the first series. At roughly the same time, Marvel reprinted the Michael Golden issues. Back issues were pretty cheap at the time, so I soon had the whole series. Another company had a go at the Mircronauts a couple of years ago, but it wasn’t very good and didn’t last long. I’m eager to give this new one a try, but my expectations aren’t very high. The characters Marvel owns are now called the “Microns” (just thought I’d throw that out there).
SILLY SYMPHONIES: There are very few comic strip collections I don’t buy, but this is one of them. I just couldn’t bring myself too when I’m so far behind reading two series each (dailies and Sundays) of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
PSARTBOOKS: Ghost v2 and Planet v13 shipped to my LCS last week.
DAN BARRY FLASH GORDON: This, too.
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED: I don’t think my LCS stocks these. I’ve never noticed them, but maybe they’re in the kids section.
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