DARK HORSE COMICS
BARB WIRE BOOK 1: STEEL HARBOR BLUES (TPB)
Writer: CHRIS WARNER
Pencils: PATRICK OLLIFFE
Inks: TOM NGUYEN
Colors: GABE ELTAEB
Cover: ADAM HUGHES
FC, 96 pages, $14.99, TPB, 7" x 10"
Hard as nails and hot as hell, badass bounty hunter Barb Wire rides the meanest streets of America’s toughest town: Steel Harbor, USA. Barb tracks gangsters who can punch through walls and crush cars like beer cans, but it’s a living. Call her a bitch—just don’t call her babe! Collects Barb Wire #1–#4.
“A refreshing return for the ’90s bombshell.”—Snap Pow
This book is a guilty pleasure. I read it despite myself because it's a well-done funnybook, even though the subtext bothers me. And it bothers me that it bothers me, because in some ways it shouldn't.
Here's what I mean: The thrust of Barb Wire is that while the lead character's skill and stubbornness generally take her to success in small ways, her big goals always elude her. No, more than that -- she's Peter Parker level in routinely getting humiliated while in pursuit of goals that she never attains.
And if the lead character were male, I'd probably laugh. But since the lead character is female, it bothers me. Which in itself bothers me, because I believe in gender equality, and fair's fair: If you can make fun of men, you should be able to make fun of women in the same way. So intellectually, I should be as OK with Barb's frustrations as I was with Peter Parker's.
But I'm not. Since women generally aren't equal in our society, it feels like the writer is punching down -- essentially, it feels like Barb is being bullied. She actually IS being bullied in the text, but I feel it subtextually, too, as if the writer is working out his high school frustrations about being turned down for dates by repeatedly humiliating an attractive girl.
Which I'm sure is all in my head. But it IS always there in my head, so my intellectual enjoyment of the book is always mitigated by emotional discomfort.
CREEPY ARCHIVES VOL 23 (HC)
Writer/Art: Various
B&W, 240 pages, $49.99, HC, 8 3/8" x 10 7/8"
Creepy Archives Volume 23 collects issues #108 through #111 of Warren Publishing’s classic horror anthology! Devious demons, domineering devils, vindictive aliens, and jealous mutants abound!
Featuring celebrated creators Archie Goodwin, Bruce Jones, Alfredo Alcala, Bill DuBay, Jose Ortiz, Klaus Janson and many others!
This collection series has a ways to go -- Creepy ended with issue #146 -- but it's getting to where the creator names may be familiar to those who aren't as creaky and ancient as I am! How many of you recognize the names Archie Goodwin, Bruce Jones, Alfredo Alcala and Klaus Janson?
FATE/ZERO VOL 1 (TPB)
Writer: GEN UROBUCHI, TYPE-MOON
Art: SHINJIRO
FC, 194 pages, TPB, 5 1/8'' x 7 1/4'', $11.99, Ages 16+
The battle for the Holy Grail begins!
Expanding on the hit anime, nove, and game series Fate from Type-Moon, Gen Urobuchi and Shinjiro’s Fate/Zero is a faithful manga adaptation that also offers extended scenes and never-before-seen content!
The Fourth Holy Grail War has begun, and seven mages must summon heroes from history to battle each other to the death. Only one mage-and-hero pair will remain to claim the Grail and have their wishes granted! Kiritsugu Emiya was once an assassin but now fights in this war to save the world from those who would destroy it with the Grail’s power.
“It has dynamic, multifaceted characters, explores great philosophies and themes, and tops it off with large helpings of action. It also has the will to go deep into dark, psychological territory to improve both its characters and story.”—Kotaku
“Fate/Zero has well more than enough great scenes and great dialogue ... its strong ending does an impressive job of setting up Fate/Stay Night. As both a standalone project and a prequel, the series is an unqualified success.”—Anime News Network
• The manga adaptation of Gen Urobuchi and Type-Moon’s hit anime and novel series!
• For fans of Blade of the Immortal and Berserk!
This certainly sounds interesting. Where's The Baron when I need him to tell me more?
TOMB RAIDER #1
Writer: MARIKO TAMAKI
Art: PHILLIP SEVY
Colors: MICHAEL ATIYEH
Cover: AGUSTIN ALESSIO-
FC, 32 pages, $3.99, Ongoing
A perfect jumping-on point for new readers!
Lara Croft is pursuing a lost truth about the world that just might unlock the secret to defeating death! She becomes entangled in a search for a rare mushroom said to grant immortality and a lethal new enemy that just won’t die!
After Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft’s adventure continues in a new comic series by Eisner Award winning writer Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer)!
Best known for her collaboration with Jillian Tamaki on This One Summer, Mariko Tamaki brings a new voice and mission for Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider series, which follows the iconic adventurer through a new set of challenges, exotic locations, and—of course—tombs.
“Mariko Tamaki’s writing is impactful and emotionally resonant,” said series editor Patrick Thorpe. “When I was researching her work for Tomb Raider, I read This One Summer cover to cover and said to myself, ‘That was perfect.’ Since becoming an editor, I don’t know that I’ve ever said that.”
“I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to write up some adventures for Lara Croft. I feel like I’ve just gotten this new, incredibly daring, strong, valiant friend, and now I get to think up super-cool stuff for her to do,” said Mariko Tamaki. “And she has to take me with her. And we can go anywhere, and do anything? Right?! What could be better than that?”
I read a few issues of Tomb Raider when it was with Image, and wasn't terribly impressed. (It could have been titled Lara Croft's Boobs, since they appeared to be the stars.)
This book has our heroine more normally proportioned, and plays her more as investigator (or spy), following clues in an international setting, rather than a two-fist archaeologist. There are flashbacks to her training, which isn't outrageous -- Croft is clever and competent, but she runs more than she fights. Intellectually, I appreciate a more realistic take on hand-to-hand combat (it's hard!), although it does limit the plot (and action) somewhat.
This first issue sets up the central mystery and sets Croft and her companions on the quest. It's not terribly flashy, but it is competent and professional. Sort of like Croft herself, I guess.
DC COMICS
NEAL ADAMS VARIANT COVERS
This week's variants include Martian Manhunter #9, Robin, Son of Batman #9, Sinestro #20, Titans Hunt #5 and Wonder Woman #49. They are homages to Batman #232, Limited Collectors' Edition C-51 (Treasury edition), Action Comics #419, Brave and Bold #49 and Superman #243.
ASTRO CITY #32
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Art by BRENT ANDERSON
Cover by ALEX ROSS
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
A look in at Steeljack, and how he’s been getting by the last few years. When he’s hired by a femme fatale from his past, he’ll wind up in deep trouble, with no one to turn to. Part 1 of a 3-part sequel to “The Tarnished Angel,” one of ASTRO CITY’s most popular stories.
"Tarnished Angel" was, in fact, a terrific story. And I'd say that even if the lead character didn't look exactly like Robert Mitchum! So I'm certainly on board for this sequel, and I recommend it sight unseen.
BAT-MITE (TPB)
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by CORIN HOWELL
144 pg, FC, $14.99 US
Bat-Mite is here to fix the DC Universe—one hero at a time! Convinced that he’s the imp that put Batman on the map, he’s spreading his expertise all over the DC Universe, eager to boost the careers of heroes he thinks need his “help,” including Hawkman, Booster Gold and more! Will these heroes be as excited to receive Bat-Mite’s help as he is to give it? Find out in these stories from the 6-issue miniseries, plus the Sneak Peek story from CONVERGENCE: SUPERGIRL: MATRIX #2.
Was this ever announced as a miniseries? I think both Bat-Mite and Bizarro were retroactively named miniseries when sales didn't warrant an ongoing. But that's sheer speculation, so don't quote me. Meanwhile, speaking of Bizarro, that turned out to be far better than expected, so I'm encouraged to check out Bat-Mite.
BATGIRL VOL. 2: FAMILY BUSINESS (TPB)
Written by CAMERON STEWART and BRENDEN FLETCHER
Art by BABS TARR
Cover by CAMERON STEWART
168 pg, FC, $16.99 US
There’s a new Batman in town—and that’s bad news for Barbara Gordon! She’s already got enough upheaval in her life, with her roommate Frankie now in on her biggest secret. And what happens when Livewire joins the fight with the intention of taking out both Batgirl and the mysterious new Batman? It’s all here, from the pages of BATGIRL #41-45, ANNUAL #3, and the Sneak Peek story from CONVERGENCE: INFINITY INC. #2.
I applaud and appreciate the new Batgirl, but let's face it: It's not aimed at me. And I can't maintain interest in the social foibles of college students, because that time for me is 35 years back in the rear-view mirror. So I found myself skimming this second collection, and I probably won't read the third.
But for what it is, it's great! If you're a tween to mid-twentysomething, male or female, it probably hits your sweet spot. And it's certainly diverse -- Batgirl's crimefighting partner (her Oracle, if you will) is a bisexual black woman with muscular dystrophe, and Barbara's the maid of honor at the wedding of a gay transsexual. Her boyfriend, as is de rigeur these days for white girls on TV and in comics, is African-American.
I was most interested, of course, in Barbara's relationships with the long-running characters. There are a couple of scenes with her father, who tells her he's the new Batman. (She doesn't tell him she's Batgirl, and for a change, she has good reason not to. Still, if that flimsy mask and skintight suit disguises his own daughter from him, JIm's an idiot.) DIck Grayson show up twice, once where he spends the whole issue avoiding Barbara so she won't know he's not dead, and another where he shows up and says "I'm not dead!" No, it doesn't make any sense, but it made for good adolescent drama since Barbara has a new BF. He even says "my life is crazy right now," which I think I've heard on TV about 3,000 times.
This collection has a couple of fill-in artists, and for the most part, I actually liked them better than the regular artist. Not only were they more accomplished, but they were less manga-influenced, and honestly, that style has never done anything for me. What can I say? I'm old school.
So I'm coming to the conclusion that the new Batgirl isn't for me. But it might be for you, and I hope the information above is of some use in making that decision.
DOOM PATROL BOOK ONE (TPB)
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by RICHARD CASE, JOHN NYBERG and others
Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND
424 pg, FC, $29.99 US • MATURE READERS
In these tales from DOOM PATROL #19-34, the world’s strangest heroes have left behind almost every vestige of normality. Shunned as freaks and outcasts, the Doom Patrol faces mystifying threats that must be defeated—at any cost. These are the epics that introduced Rebis, Crazy Jane, Dorothy Spinner, the Brotherhood of Dada and more!
I may be the only comics fan alive who did not particularly care for the universally lauded Grant Morrison Doom Patrol. It seemed to be weird for the sake of being weird to me, at the expense of story logic, and toward the end I found myself skimming. But, as I said, most critics swoon over it, so don't listen to me.
MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9
Written by ROB WILLIAMS
Art by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
Cover by ERIC CANETE
Variant cover by NEAL ADAMS
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
It’s all-out war on Mars when an enraged J’onn J’onzz takes the fight to the despot Ma’alefa’ak. Meanwhile, Ms. Martian, Mr. Biscuits and the others try to save the Martian people from annihilation by transforming a city into a cosmic lifeboat before the red planet collides with Earth!
Speaking of Morrison, I felt like British writer Rob Williams was doing his best to imitate him in the first trade of this series, which I didn't get around to reviewing. Williams mixes whimsy with serious superhero stuff, which can be very effective when Morrison (or Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman) does it. I wasn't terribly impressed here, because Williams doesn't have their polish -- he got the broad strokes right, but his dialogue and story structure were a bit off. "Mr. Biscuits" came off more calculated than clever. Also, he had American characters using British slang and terminology -- i.e., biscuits instead of cookies -- which somebody should have fixed.
IDW PUBLISHING
GODZILLA IN HELL (TPB)
Writers: JAMES STOKOE, BOB EGGLETON, ULISES FARINAS, ERICK FREITAS, BRANDON SEIFERT, DAVE WACHTER
Art: JAMES STOKOE, BOB EGGLETON, BUSTER MOODY, IBRAHIM MOUSTAFA, DAVE WACHTER
Cover: JAMES STOKOE
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 120 pages
Godzilla meets his greatest adversary of all time—the impossible tortures of Hell! Each issue of this special miniseries will see Godzilla enter a new level of the underworld to do battle with the impossible.
“IDW’s most imaginative and ambitious take on everyone's favorite nuclear lizard to date.” -- Newsarama.com
If you like Godzilla, you'll like this. And who doesn't like Godzilla?
SAN DIEGO COMIC ART GALLERY: KEVIN EASTMAN EXHIBITION COLLECTION
Writer/Art/Cover: KEVIN EASTMAN
TPB • FC • $24.99 • 140 Pages
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, one of the world’s most popular and successful comic book creations, began with a single sketch drawn more than thirty years ago by co-creator Kevin Eastman.
The San Diego Comic Art Gallery and IDW Publishing have delved deep into the artist’s own archives to create this inaugural exhibition celebrating Kevin Eastman’s creative genius and his motto: “Imagination is the greatest adventure.”
The assembled artworks and manuscripts include preliminary drawings and finished art, illustrating Eastman’s meticulous approach and dedication to his work, including his earliest sketches and most recent covers. Cowabunga, Dude!
• Presenting the art and process pieces that comprise the inaugural exhibition at the brand-new San Diego Comic Art Gallery!
• First time offered outside of the gallery itself!
• Learn more about the San Diego Comic Art Gallery: www.sdcomicartgallery.com
This looks like a must-have for TMNT fans.
IMAGE COMICS
BITCH PLANET #7
Writer: KELLY SUE DeCONNICK
Art/Cover: VALENTINE DE LANDRO
40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
NEW STORY ARC
Featuring expanded community pages!
Eisner Award-nominated writer KELLY SUE DeCONNICK (PRETTY DEADLY, Captain Marvel) and VALENTINE DE LANDRO (X-Factor) will launch a new story arc in their viciously satirical ongoing sci-fi series this February.
Previously in BITCH PLANET, a new crop of non-compliants settled in for their stay on the Auxiliary Compliance Outpost. When a small group was offered a chance to earn their freedom, they took it, knowing the odds would be stacked against them at every turn.
In BITCH PLANET #7, PRESIDENT BITCH: PART 1 (of 4), Operative Whitney has to answer for Meiko’s death and Kam gets a critical clue to the whereabouts of her sister.
"We’re back to the main narrative with this issue,” said DeConnick. “Meiko’s dad arrives on the outpost, we learn more about Josephson’s plan and Penny’s grief. Oh, and Kam gets a new cellmate. She’s a corker."
"There's a shower scene in this issue, and I only had to lay it out once,” said De Landro. “Enjoy, friends!"
Another new storyline, another new press release from Image. Enjoy!
SNOWFALL #1
Writer: JOE HARRIS
Art/Cover: MARTÍN MORAZZO
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
Writer JOE HARRIS (The X-Files) and artist MARTÍN MORAZZO (Vertigo Quarterly), creators of GREAT PACIFIC, reunite for a brand new ongoing science-fiction series and an OVERSIZED DEBUT ISSUE featuring thirty-two pages of story!
In the year 2045 it no longer snows. A catastrophic crash has left the climate ravaged, society splintered and the newly-christened “Cooperative States of America” propped up and administered by the powerful Hazeltyne Corporation. Only one man wages an all-out weather war against the system, wielding the forces of nature themselves as weapons. He is the White Wizard. The ghost in the night. Genius. Terrorist. Outlaw. Hero?
First issue alert!
If you can manipulate weather, why not fix climate change? Maybe that's too big an order. But it is an awfully cool power, as Storm has always demonstrated.
STARVE #6
Writer: BRIAN WOOD
Art/Cover: DANIJEL ZEZELJ & DAVE STEWART
32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
NEW STORY ARC
Critically-acclaimed STARVE is back for a second season! Chef Gavin Cruikshank shifts his focus from the soundstage to the streets, addressing real world themes of food scarcity and class warfare. Smart, subversive, and darkly comic, STARVE is an instant cult classic.
Writer Brian Wood (Star Wars, DMZ, The Massive), artist Danijel Zezelj (Northlanders, Loveless), and colorist Dave Stewart (THE WALKING DEAD, Star Wars) will launch a new story arc in their ongoing pop-culture satire series STARVE.
Previously in STARVE, Chef Gavin Cruikshank, back from self-imposed exile, found his little foodie television program Starve transformed into a gonzo arena sport where chefs slice and dice rare and endangered species for their super-rich patrons. With his personal life as much a shambles as his professional career, Chef Cruikshank worked to repair his relationship with his grown daughter while working to dismantle the monstrosity that Starve had become.
In STARVE #6, Cruikshank shifts his focus, addressing real world themes of food scarcity and class warfare, while taking real steps to getting his personal life back on track.
“In this second 'season' of Starve, Chef Gavin Cruikshank is recovering from the trauma of the first season and wondering why, since he's so successful at reclaiming his spot as a top chef, his personal life such a shambles. But IS he actually successful at rehabilitating his TV show, or is he just being co-opted all over again?” said Wood. “So in this arc he goes from the soundstage to the streets, bringing his ideas of food revolution directly to the people most affected by poverty and food scarcity. It’s a socio-political angle on food that we haven't touched on yet in the series. Gavin will never lose his caustic sense of humor, but it’s time he gets real. Really real.”
As I've said before, writers sometimes love their characters so much, they forget to make the audience love them, too. that seems to be the case here, with a central character who is no more likable than the "bad" guys, so I have no reason to root for him. And somehow I'm supposed to be reassured when the writer tell us he "will never lose his caustic sense of humor," which, you know, is one of the reason he grates on me. Frankly, he's just a d!ck.
Anyway, here's a press release and preview.
MARVEL COMICS
AVENGERS STANDOFF: WELCOME TO PLEASANT HILL #1
Written by NICK SPENCER
Art by MARK BAGLEY
Cover by DANIEL ACUNA
Variant Covers by SKOTTIE YOUNG and MATT RHODES
Hip-Hop Variant by ANDREW ROBINSON
40 PGS. / ONE-SHOT / Rated T+ / $4.99
The prelude to the Spring’s blockbuster AVENGERS event!
Hello there and welcome, new resident. You’ve sure made the right choice in moving to Pleasant Hill-- a friendly small town where burdens are lifted and the sun is always bright... so hide your eyes. Don’t let it see you looking its way. Hide if you must. Otherwise it will burn right through you. Pleasant Hill is the kind of place where folks look out for one another. Everyone knows who their neighbors are. But who are you, neighbor?
Marvel is pleased to present your first look inside AVENGERS STANDOFF: WELCOME TO PLEASANT HILL #1, from fan-favorite creators Nick Spencer (Steve Rogers: Captain America, Sam Wilson: Captain America, Astonishing Ant-Man) and Mark Bagley (All-New X-Men)! From the outside, it looks like the perfect small-town community. But underneath the surface, Pleasant Hill has its fair share of secrets.The mystery begins this February in AVENGERS STANDOFF: WELCOME TO PLEASANT HILL #1!
Here's the launch to this summer's Marvel event. Nope, i don't know any more than you do.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE (HC)
Written by JEPH LOEB
Penciled by TIM SALE
Cover by TIM SALE
152 PGS / Rated T+ / $29.99 / Trim size: oversized
Journey back to the Big One as Captain America recalls one of his most incredible missions. It’s 1941, and the Howling Commandos are enjoying a respite from the ordeal of World War II — until Cap and his faithful partner, Bucky, lead them into the hands of the enemy! As the Nazis unleash their latest deadly soldiers, an old ally lends a hand — but an even older enemy will threaten America’s greatest hero like never before. Will the Sentinel of Liberty gain his freedom in time to rescue Paris from the clutches of a monster? The Eisner Award-winning creative team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (DAREDEVIL: YELLOW, HULK: GRAY, SPIDER-MAN: BLUE) reunites to deliver another colorful exploration of the early days of a Marvel icon! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #0-5.
The online reviews are mostly pretty positive, but the only ones I saw on this site were on the negative side. What's the story, Legionnaires? Did anyone read the whole thing, and have a recommendation?
CIVIL WAR: WARZONES! (TPB)
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Penciled by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
120 PGS / Rated T+ / $16.99
Prepare to discover one of Battleworld’s most contested domains — where CIVIL WAR never ended! In the Warzone, the conflict over the Superhuman Registration Act reached a climax that tore the country in half — literally. The East became the Iron, with Tony Stark imposing order. The West became the frontier known as the Blue, where Steve Rogers enforces justice. With heroes split between the feuding territories, old friends are now bitter enemies, and families are torn apart. As General Rogers and his allies — including Peter Parker — seek an end to the conflict, President Stark makes a disturbing discovery about the divided nation. When the two figureheads finally meet again, will a historic summit lead to peace at last? SECRET WARS plus CIVIL WAR equals probably not! Collecting CIVIL WAR (2015) #1-5.
Here's what the Legionnaires said:
WANDERING SENSEI
Issue #1 (Soule, Yu, and Alanguilan): This was okay, but a bit of a downer. It was very well-written, however. I wasn't a big fan of the original series, so I was already a little ambivalent toward this book. Still, it looked pretty and read well. It's about a world that is split after the events of CW, and a potential peace treaty goes bad.
Issues #2-3: Charles Soule and Leinil Yu turn in the work on this series, and it's pretty good. There has been a little bit of a downturn in terms of the story since a very promising issue 1, but it's still doing a good job of holding my interest. She-Hulk has gone undercover into the Blue in order to track down who set up the murder of her friend. Spider-Man, Hawkeye, a new Black Panther, and Venom lead the charge against the Iron's weirdest and deadliest weapon, made up of Doc Ock's arms which Kingpin tried to fuse to his own body, much to his own demise. It's pretty fun to see unchangeable characters in the 616 under a natural progression this way. It's one of my favorite things about Secret Wars.
DETECTIVE 445
Issue #1: Picked up Charles Soule's Civil War #1 and it wasn't bad. Maybe a little better (or at least more coherent) than the original mini. The story derives from a reality in which Civil War never ended and eventually resulted in the establishment of two opposing territories; one run by Steve Rogers and the other by Tony Stark. Soule depicts Rogers as a hardcore Libertarian but he is not clear on Stark's political alignment. There are some indications that he leans left in regard to government oversight but this could also be interpreted as more of a right leaning Patriot Act style approach as well. I'm interested to see where this goes.
Issue #2: This book has also bought itself some more time with a strong second issue. I mentioned before that the first issue established that there are two basic territories that resulted from the original Civil War; The Blue run by Captain America and The Iron run by Iron Man. This second issue establishes that there is kind of a Cold War type of relationship between the territories. There is an event at the end of the first issue that ramps up the tension between them and in this issue we get to see the two leaders making various moves and counter moves as their covert war begins to escalate. I like what Soule has done with Peter Parker/Spider-Man so far.
Issue #3: Civil War continues to be pretty entertaining with issue 3.The covert war between Cap and Iron Man continues with some clever references to the original series including an appearance by Speedball. Nothing earth shattering going on but still one of the better Secret Wars books, IMO.
Final issue: Finished up nicely. Unlike many of the other minis that have wrapped up Civil War actually provided some closure and a sense that its arc was complete. I enjoyed it but I don't see how it could be a basis for future stories.
E IS FOR EXTINCTION: WARZONES! (TPB)
Written by CHRIS BURNHAM & DENNIS CULVER with GRANT MORRISON
Penciled by RAMON VILLALOBOS
with FRANK QUITELY
Cover by IAN BERTRAM
120 PGS./Rated T+ …$15.99
Journey to a Battleworld realm inspired by one of the most celebrated X-Men eras of all! In Mutopia, mutants have shown themselves to truly be superior. But what role do the X-Men play when the world no longer hates and fears them? Ask Magneto — after all, he’s the one in charge of the Xavier Institute; his team includes Quentin Quire, Beak and the Stepford Cuckoos. But not everyone is a fan of these New X-Men. Take Cyclops and his classic X-Men — Wolverine, Emma Frost and Beast. To save the life of one of their own, old will battle new! Plus: Look back at the kickoff of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s revolutionary NEW X-MEN revamp! Collecting E IS FOR EXTINCTION #1-4 and NEW X-MEN (2001) #114.
Here's what the Legionnaires said:
WANDERING SENSEI
Issue #1: (Burnham and Villalobos): This series is based on the Grant Morrison X-Men run, complete with bizarre-looking mutants and the love triangle of Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Wolverine. This captures that feeling perfectly--was it really 14 years ago?--and reintroduces a character with a really convoluted history.
Issue #2: Morrison's run on this title was always tinged with a little something that made me feel uncomfortable. The ugly mutants, the costumes that were way too tight, and those Stepford Cuckoos just took you right out of your comfort zone and made you want to get out of that world. This book does a great job of bringing you right back to that place in time, as the story actually goes somewhere after last issue's re-introduction to this world. Poor Beast can't catch a break from his bad choices! Someone at Marvel really does not care for that guy.
DETECTIVE 45
E is for Extinction has similar problems capturing the tone of the original Grant Morrison X-Men story. I give high marks to the art which pays nice tribute to Frank Quitely but the writing struck me as a sort of unfunny parody rather than a continuation or tribute.
POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #1
Written by DAVID WALKER
Art & Cover by SANFORD GREENE
Black Panther 50th Anniversary Variant by SANFORD GREENE
Hip-Hop Variant by THEOTIS JONES
Iron Fist Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Power Man Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
Variant Covers by CHRIS VISIONS, TREVOR VON EEDEN and SKOTTIE YOUNG
Blank Variant Also Available
32 PGS / Rated T+ / 3.99
THE ORIGINAL HEROES FOR HIRE, BACK ON THE CLOCK!
That’s right, Luke Cage and Danny Rand, Marvel’s original bromance are back and they’re coming at you in the highly anticipated POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #1! Writer David Walker and artist Sanford Greene team up to bring you a brand new tale of the brawler with unbreakable skin and the kung fu fighter. The years may have caused this titanic twosome to drift apart, but when an old friend comes to them in need, the boys are back! Old friends, new enemies, hired goons, crime lords, weird magic, plenty of power, a flurry of fists and more bromance than you can handle await inside, True Believer! Run, don’t walk to your comic shop this February to get your hands on POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #1!
Thank God they're not using the new Power Man, the snotty teenager with the energy-based powers. I'm always up for a story with Luke and Danny, who became friends when I wasn't looking and have nothing in common besides that.
PUNISHER VS. THE MARVEL UNIVERSE (TPB)
Written by GARTH ENNIS, LEN WEIN, JOHN OSTRANDER, GREG RUCKA & JONATHAN MABERRY
Penciled by DOUG BRAITHWAITE, ROSS ANDRU,
PASQUAL FERRY, JOHN MCCREA,
CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO & GORAN PARLOV
Cover by NICK PERCIVAL
456 PGS / Parental Advisory / $34.99
The Punisher literally kills the Marvel Universe in a classic tale by one of Frank Castle’s signature writers, Garth Ennis! But don’t worry, the MU is back for round two — kind of — in a post-apocalyptic war zone filled with cannibalistic super types. Plus: Bullets fly in some of Frank’s best clashes with the costumes and capes! He’ll come between old pals Luke Cage and Iron Fist, and gatecrash Spider-Man’s volatile first meeting with Nightcrawler — this ain’t no team-up! Watch him make Spidey, Daredevil and Wolverine look like a Confederacy of Dunces, and prepare to be amazed when the Punisher takes on the Avengers! Yes, even Thor! Collecting PUNISHER KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #161-162, HEROES FOR HIRE (1997) #9, PUNISHER (2001) #33-37, PUNISHER WAR ZONE (2012) #1-5 and MARVEL UNIVERSE VS. PUNISHER #1-4.
Naturally, when Frank decided to kill all superheroes, he killed Captain America first. What? He didn't? It was the strategic mind of Cyclops he feared most? But isn't Scott Summers a deranged killer? Ohhhh, that's right, he was a hero for 40-something years, before someone decided that Wolverine should be Mr. X-Man and Prof. X's surrogate son. Easy to forget.
STAR WARS #16
Written by JASON AARON
Art by LEINIL YU
Cover by TERRY DODSON
Sketch Variant: TERRY DODSON
Variant: LEINIL YU
Variant: STUART IMMONEN
Action Figure Variant: JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
32 PGS / Rated T / $3.99
The blockbuster Vader Down crossover may be over, but the Rebel Alliance is not out of the woods just yet! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at STAR WARS #16 – the first chapter of “Rebel Jail”! Chart-topping writer Jason Aaron and incoming artist Leinil Yu bring you the exciting next adventure in the hit series! Following the events of Vader Down, the Rebels travel to a prison base with their high-value detainee Doctor Aphra in tow. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only ones with eyes on the prison! With the base under siege by mysterious foes, can Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie and the Droids prevent a mass breakout? Be there as the exciting new story arc begins this February in STAR WARS #16!
Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd.
I don't read the Star Wars books, but Marvel is excited enough about this one to send a press release.
UNCANNY INHUMANS #5
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art/Cover by BRANDON PETERSON
Variant: MICHAEL CHO
Classic Variant: TBA
Story Thus Far Variant: TBA
32 PGS / Rated T+ / $3.99
“THE QUIET ROOM” STARTS NOW!
The mighty Kang the Conqueror has been defeated, but the Inhumans troubles are just getting started! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your first look at UNCANNY INHUMANS #5 – the first chapter of the new arc “The Quiet Room”! Inhuman scribe Charles Soule teams with artist Brandon Peterson (Age of Ultron) introduce you to the Midnight King’s newest headquarters – the Quiet Room! But Black Bolt’s new place is a fascinating curiosity that could very well put all the Marvel Universe in jeopardy. Be there when the flagship Inhuman title moves into its blockbuster second arc this February in UNCANNY INHUMANS #5!
• Black Bolt’s new place is a fascinating curiosity that could very well put all the Marvel Universe in a tight spot.
• BRANDON PETERSON joins the flagship Inhumans book!
We live in an era where this is a "flagship Inhumans" book. I find it hard to believe, too.
X-MEN: GAMBIT — THE COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL. 1 (TPB)
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA, TOM DEFALCO
Penciled by PASQUAL FERRY, STEVE SKROCE,
MAT BROOME, WALTER MCDANIEL & MARCELO FRUSIN
Cover by STEVE SKROCE
432 PGS / Rated T / $34.99
Gambit plays his cards right and vaults into his own kinetically charged solo adventures! He’s a lover and a thief, but what else does ragin’ Cajun Remy LeBeau get up to when he isn’t hangin’ wit’ de X-Men? Would you believe raiding lost temples of Doom? Clashing with the deadly X-Cutioner? Or teaming up with Sabretooth? Still, there’s always time for the ladies — like old friend Storm and his favorite cherie, Rogue. But who is Gambit’s gaseous green guardian? Look into the past with teen Gambit, and go even farther back to watch Remy’s dad in action with Sgt. Fury’s Howling Commandos! Plus: Rarely seen adventures, including a splashdown with Hydro-Man! Anyt’ing is possible wit’ Gambit, mon ami! Collecting GAMBIT (1999) #1/2, #1-11 and ANNUAL ’99; MARVEL AUTHENTIX: GAMBIT; and material from X-MEN UNLIMITED (1993) #18.
I'm not a big Gambit fan -- in fact, I loathe the character -- but there seems to be a lot of Gambit fans out there, so here's a book for you lot.
X-TINCTION AGENDA: WARZONES! (TPB)
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM with
CHRIS CLAREMONT
Penciled by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
with JIM LEE
Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
112 PGS / Rated T+ / $15.99
Mutantkind teeters on the brink of oblivion in a Battleworld realm shaped by the events of the landmark first X-crossover of the 1990s! Now, ten years after the fall of Cameron Hodge and his fascist regime, Havok and Wolfsbane have labored hard to rebuild Genosha. But their work may be for naught as a mutant-killing plague begins spreading across their nation. The island is quarantined and abandoned by the rest of the world — including the X-Men! And when Havok and Wolfsbane reach out to their old friends, they risk all-out war! Even if their species can survive the conflict, a shadow from their past may return to usher Homo superior into extinction. Plus: Relive the incendiary opening salvo of the original epic! Collecting X-TINCTION AGENDA #1-4 and UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #270.
Here's what the Legionnaires said:
WANDERING SENSEI
Issue #1: One thing I didn't quite get at first about these books is that they weren't necessarily going to pick up right from where the stories ended, and often they are in kind of alternate versions of those worlds. This one is written by Mark Guggenheim, and I bought it based on the strength of his writing as shown in Squadron Sinister. The art is by Carmine Di Giandomenico, and it's really good, even if it is quite a departure from the art on the original story. This is the story of a whole bunch of mutants we haven't heard from in a long time: Wolfsbane, Karma, Rictor, and Boom Boom, a few I'd never heard of at all (possibly made for this series?): Wicked, Bulletproof, and Chief Magistrate Anderson, and then good old Havok. Tensions are building on Genosha, and a deadly disease is also invading. One thing about all these books that I really like is that the stakes are high. This is the most tense Secret Wars book I think I've read with the exception of Squadron Sinister.
Replies
OTHER PUBLISHERS
12 REASONS WHY I LOVE HER (10TH ANNIV ED HC)
Writer: JAMIE S. RICH
Art/Cover: JOËLLE JONES
$19.99
The classic romance from the team behind Lady Killer is back in print with a brand new hardcover edition! Now in a larger size, and featuring excerpts from the original script, this 10-year anniversary edition is perfect for fans of Fresh Romance. Twelve vignettes reveal the story of young couple Gwen and Evan's tumultuous relationship, one small piece at a time. It all adds up to an unforgettable romance rife with drama, humor, and heart.
I really enjoyed Lady Killer, primarily due to Jones' stylized, Atomic Age-influenced style. Her art here is both less stylized and less proficient, given that it's from earlier in her career and on a different kind of project. But the talent is there, and I'm certainly going to take a look.
ANGEL BEATS VOL 1: HEAVEN'S DOOR (GN)
$12.99
Based on the hit anime, Angel Beats!, this brand new manga series delves into the early years of the Angel Beats! Universe. Hideki Hinata has just died, but his life is far from over. Finding himself stuck in a kind of purgatory in the Afterlife School, an academy for recently departed lost souls, he learns the land of the dead has just as many annoying rules as the land of the living. There he meets Yuri Nakamura, a brazen young woman who harbors nothing but contempt for God. Together, Yuri and Hideki form the SSS brigade, a group whose purpose it is to rebel against God in any way they can. However, standing in their way is the stoic and cold Tenshi, a supposed angelic messenger of God who just so happens to be the Student Council President!
First issue alert!
I find the premise a bit odd, though, for the same reason I find Satanism (if it exists) odd. It's one thing to not believe in God, but it's another to know for a fact that God exists but you pick the other side anyway. Because, you know, you're picking the one team of two without the all-powerful, all-knowing master of the universe. Heck, even if you're just picking teams for basketball, your first choice is always the tallest guy. Dude, pick the team with God on it. Just common sense.
ARCHIE #6
Script: MARK WAID
Art: VERONICA FISH, ANDRE SZYMANOWICZ, JEN VAUGHN, JACK MORELLI
Cover A: VERONICA FISH
Cover B: DEREK CHARM
Cover C: MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
32-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
The biggest comic series of the year continues into 2016! Archie and Jughead are on the outs with each other, and now Archie has no one to help him against the fury that is Hiram Lodge! Not even Veronica wants to go up against her own father! Rising star comics artist Veronica Fish (Howard the Duck, the RIVERDALE CW promo image) joins the legendary Mark Waid for another brand new issue of the hit series!
I think this may be Waid's last issue, IIRC. He's done a masterful job of updating -- but not jettisoning -- Archie's character, relationships and milieu for the 21st century.
ART OF BIG DOG INK VOL 1
Art: J. SCOTT CAMPBELL & Various
$24.99
The debut art book of Big Dog Ink!
This high quality, over -sized, glossy cover art book highlights the Aspen Comics imprint's most breathtaking artwork by the industry's top talents and features Big Dog Ink's most popular titles, including Legend of Oz: The Wicked West, Shahrazad, Critter and much more! A must have for BDI fans!
Is it just me, or did the artist use Taylor Swift as reference for this cover?
AUTEUR VOL 2: SISTER BAMBI (TPB)
Writer: RICK SPEARS
Art/Cover: JAMES CALLAHAN
Mature / $19.99
The award winning slapstick gorefest is back! After being thrown out of Hollywood, Nathan T. Rex secures new (possibly Nazi) independent financing for his next exploitation masterpiece, SISTER BAMBI! The whole crew is back and off to a secret island in the South Pacific populated by bloodthirsty savages and monstrous monkeys! But soon SISTER BAMBI is slipping through Rex's fingers as Ilsa exerts her dominance as executive producer. The she-wolf demands Rex give her the titular role he promised to Coconut. With love on the rocks, and the script in flames, the living dead might be the only thing that can save this cinematic charade! Only the survivors will know for sure! Don't miss the most insane comic of 2015 finally collected into one terrifyingly funny trade.
Crazy, filthy, zany send-up of Hollywood. If you like crazy, filthy and zany send-ups of Hollywood, you'll like this.
BILL & TED GO TO HELL #1
Writer: BRIAN JOINES
Art: BACHAN
Cover: JAMAL CAMPBELL
$3.99
What's to Love: It's time again to be excellent to each other! We showed just how much we love Bill & Ted with 2015's Bill & Ted's Most Triumphant Return, and since 2016 is the 25th anniversary of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, why not celebrate with a new mini-series that sends the lovable duo to Hell? Plus, all Subscription covers in this mini-series will feature a unique Wyld Stallyns album cover created by some of the industry's top talents!
What It Is: Bill & Ted are back for a brand new miniseries, this time with the Imagine Agents team of Brian Joines and Bachan at the helm. It's time to get the band back together! Bill & Ted and the Princesses will have to reunite with some historic friends to knock down the Devil's door and get their friend Death back. With the help of Rufus, Billy the Kid, Joan of Arc and more, this is the showdown that will rock the supernatural world. History vs. Hell. Too bad Hell has some surprises up its sleeve ...
First issue alert! I never saw the movies, but since there were two (and a TV series), I'm sure there are a lot of Bill & Ted fans out there. So Bill & Ted fans, here ya go.
BLACK HOOD #9
Script: DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art: MICHAEL GAYDOS, KELLY FITZPATRICK, RACHEL DEERING
Cover A: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
Cover B: DAVID MACK
32-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
“The Lonely Crusade, Part 3” An unlikely ally leads the Black Hood to the Crusaders’ secret lair -- and what the Hood finds inside will shock you. If you thought the shotgun blast to the face in issue #1 was brutal, steel yourself for the savage hard-boiled action of this one, folks. Nobody’s going to walk away clean …
Every time I think Swierczynski has written himself into an impossible corner, he strolls right out. Really interesting series, especially for those interested in the art and craft of writing.
BROKEN MOON VOL 1: WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE (TPB)
Writer: STEVE NILES
Art/Cover: NAT JONES
$14.99
Horror comic superstars Steve Niles and Nat Jones weave a tale of the bleak future: a moon cracked by nuclear armageddon, a human race reduced to nomadic tribes and a civilization of monsters that rise up to fill the empty cities. When vampires threaten the future of the planet itself with a scheme involving toxic waste, humans and werewolves are forced to team up to stop them -- and recruit all the other monsters they manage to find in the apocalyptic wasteland.
First issue alert! I don't see a single original idea in this description, but Steve Niles is always worth a look.
DAUGHTERS OF THE DARK ORACLE #1 ORGY OF VAMPIRES
Writer/Art: MIKE WOLFER
Cover: MIKE WOLFER, CECI DE LA CRUZ
Mature / $3.99
An all-new, pulse-pounding, blood-drenched miniseries begins, spotlighting the never-before-revealed origin of the insidious Countess Bathory! Even as she tells her tale, the Carpathian village of Kovazni suffers the most horrific onslaught imaginable, retribution for the murder of Bathory's minions, but this is only the beginning of a course that will lead the vampiress toward a duel to the death with the ravishing Ragdoll! Also available in a "Psycho '70s" retailer variant.
Wait, vampires have orgies? How come I'm just finding this out?
DUNGEON MONSTRES VOL 6: GREAT ANIMATOR (GN)
Writer/Art: JOANN SFAR & Various
Cover: Various
$15.99
In an automaton themed volume, The Great Animator pits the predecessor to the Vaucanson great castle and realm against a huge army of ruthless invaders. The great castle's army of battle automatons evens the fight but at great cost. In the second story, The Inventor's Grimoire, the Vaucanson grimoire with the secrets of building automatons has disappeared! If it fell in the wrong hands, much harm could come of it. And indeed, it turns out the greedy Lord Delacour has snatched it with the intention of auctioning it off to the highest bidder!
The art is cartoony and the humor is French, so the Dungeon Monsters series isn't really my thing. But they sent a nice preview, so judge for yourself.
DUSUL: PATH OF THE ANCIENT #1
Writers: SEBASTIAN A. JONES, CHRISTOPHER GARNER
Art: JAMES C. WEBSTER
Cover: HYOUNG TAEK NAM
$3.99
Dusu has been raised among the Galemren Wild Elves in the heart of the Ugoma Jungle, a world in which he does not belong. But Dusu is not entirely human either. He is on the Path to something more ... for within him resides the spirit and the power of the Jaguar!
First issue alert! The description is skimpy, but that cover sure is top shelf. And I am curious about "Wild Elves" who live, apparently, in jungles.
FRANKEN FRAN VOL 1 OMNIBUS (TPB)
Writer/Art/Cover: KATSUHISA KIGITSU
$19.99
Dr. Frankenstein has met his match in Franken Fran! The delightfully creepy tale of a beautiful patchwork doctor and her even stranger patients has become a cult classic among English-speaking manga fans. Seven Seas is pleased to present this series for the first time in print in North America in four omnibus editions. Somewhere, out in the sticks of rural Japan, there is a mysterious manor that is home to the greatest surgeon who ever lived. Actually, the surgeon hasn't been seen for years, but Fran, his reanimated daughter, takes up the family profession in his stead. Starting with the bolts that protrude from her head, Fran isn't exactly what you would call a normal girl, nor is the cast of horribly disfigured creatures who join her. Despite her Frankenstein-like ways, Fran cares deeply for her patients and holds steadfastly to the Hippocratic Oath. Her creed is: "All lives must be saved, no matter the cost!," For Franken Fran, the ends always justify the means, no matter what ungodly creations emerge from her lab. Collects volumes 1 and 2.
First issue alert! And kudos (again) to Japanese writers and artists for taking a concept from another culture and going ape-$#!t with it.
GRUMPY CAT & POKEY #1
Writer: BEN MCCOOL, ELLIOTT SERRANO, BEN FISHER
Art: AGNES GARBOWSKA, STEVE UY, KEN HAESER
Cover A: STEVE UY
Cover B: AGNES GARBOWSKA
Cover C: KEN HAESER
32 pages / All Ages / $3.99
Grumpy Cat, the internet's cutest curmudgeon, took the comic world by storm with the misadventures of her 2015 miniseries ... and now she's back for more! You'll laugh yourself silly as the killjoy kitten brings her hilarious brand of sass to comic books once again, joined by her high-spirited brother Pokey. What fun-loving escapades will Pokey dream up, and how will that adorable scamp Grumpy Cat rain on everyone's parade? Be sure to pick up this fantastic first issue, perfect for cat lovers of all ages!
First issue alert, of a series whose covers I will never crack. If I want to read about a grumpy cat with a sunny sidekick, I can read "Garfield" in the paper every day. Which I don't, because I don't want to read about a grumpy cat with a sunny sidekick.
IMPERIUM #13
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover A by ROBERT GILL
Cover B by CAFU
Valiant x CGC Replica Variant by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by RYAN LEE
Variant Cover by JUAN JOSE RYP
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+
NEW ARC! “STORMBREAK” – PART 1
Valiant is proud to announce “STORMBREAK” – a four-part jumping-on point and crucial new milestone for the Valiant Universe beginning in IMPERIUM #13! Reuniting the acclaimed creative team behind HARBINGER, jump on board here with a brand-new story arc as New York Times best-selling writer Joshua Dysart (HARBINGER WARS) and Harvey Award-nominated artist Khari Evans (Immortal Iron Fist) re-team for an essential new chapter of the series that will leave Valiant’s most notorious villain changed forever! Toyo Harada’s war for utopia is about to come to a brutal boiling point … and now two of the Valiant Universe’s most formidable forces – UNITY’s former team leader and psiot technopath, Livewire, and Project Rising Spirit’s tech-augmented strike force, the H.A.R.D. Corps – are about to the lead the front line of a no-holds-barred attack on Harada’s revolutionary team of monsters and malcontents!
“IMPERIUM is one of the most provocative, most daring, and most cerebral series anywhere in comics today,” said Editor Alejandro Arbona. “Joshua Dysart’s team of anti-heroes and ideologues has made IMPERIUM a title that is as disturbing as it is action-packed. Now, with Khari Evans coming aboard to deliver the same dynamic storytelling that made HARBINGER a milestone chapter in Valiant history, STORMBREAK is going to raise IMPERIUM’s already colossal stakes even higher. Without a doubt, the return of Livewire and H.A.R.D. Corps to Toyo Harada’s world is going to have widespread ramifications for the political landscape of the Valiant Universe.”
Toyo Harada will save the world … if he doesn’t doom it first. The revolutionary disruption that Harada and his team have launched – by deposing tyrants, housing refugees, and feeding the poor – has come at the expense of the world’s wealthiest nations. When the planet’s leaders have had enough, it will be decided: Toyo Harada must die. Now a crack unit of operatives will stand against Harada on the global stage … with his own former pupil Livewire taking him head-on! Meanwhile, Harada’s military lieutenant and Project Rising Spirit defector Gravedog is about to meet his match as the H.A.R.D. Corps’ own Major Charlie Palmer drops into the firefight of a lifetime!
On Feb. 17, Valiant's heaviest hitters put Toyo Harada’s dream in the crosshairs for "STORMBREAK," beginning in IMPERIUM #13! Featuring covers by acclaimed artists Robert Gill (BOOK OF DEATH), CAFU (UNITY), Clayton Henry (HARBINGER), Ryan Lee (Uncanny Inhumans), and Juan Jose Ryp (NINJAK), the Harvey Award-nominated team behind HARBINGER returns to lay waste to Toyo Harada's besieged empire … and ready the world for the biggest dogfight of the New Year, only in IMPERIUM #13!
Join the series that Bloody Disgusting calls “the height of sophisticated comic book stories” and ComicsAlliance calls the "Best Horror Comic of 2015" right here as Joshua Dysart and Khari Evans – the Harvey Award-nominated team behind HARBINGER – pit the Valiant Universe’s most notorious superteam against the agents of the very system they’ve sworn to overthrow, beginning in IMPERIUM #13!
Dysart is another writer, like Swiercynzki, who surprises by refusing to follow convention. And Harada is certainly an unconventional character, so this book reads well.
JUDGE DREDD: DEAD ZONE (TPB)
Writers: JOHN WAGNER, HENRY FLINT
Art/Cover: RICHARD ELSON
$17.99
Following the death of 90 percent of the Mega-City One population in the Day of Chaos, Judge Dredd's latest case takes him into the Cursed Earth where illegal fortunes await those tempted to mine the vast mass graves. While investigating a murder at the Chaos Day Memorial, Dredd comes across a slave ring in which people are being sent into the bowls of the earth to rob the bodies of the dead. Yodie, one of those forced into this harrowing labor, finds a technologically advanced bracelet that bestows tremendous power on whoever wears it. Meanwhile, the fomer owners will stop at nothing to get it back!
I thought the justification for the judge system in the mega-cities was that the population was so huge that normal police procedures were inadequate. So if 90 percent of the population dies, why do we need a fascist system to oversee the non-existent hordes? The continued existence of the unnecessary judge system -- hanging on to power for power's sake -- puts Dredd in a bad light. (Well, a worser light than usual.)
JUST ANOTHER SHEEP #4
Writer: MAT HEAGERTY
Art/Cover/Variant: JD FAITH
Colorist: PAUL JOHN LITTLE
32 pgs. / T / FC / $3.99 (reg.)
Banning and his new friends are at odds when Les Cordes finally catches up to them. Also, spotlight on Sadie, as we glimpse into her tumultuous past. Plus, Banning finds out just how involved Les Cordes has been in his entire life!
I haven't been following this title, but they sent a nice preview for you to judge for yourself.
KILLDARLINGS
Writer/Art/Cover: DAN SCHAFFER
Mature / $19.99
From the great Dan Schaffer (Dogwitch, The Scribbler), two psycho supermodels wreak havoc on the lifestyles of the rich and fabulous. Vacuous, mink-wearing celebutantes beware: Nomi and Talulu are here to make sure you're gone when your fifteen minutes are up, literally! The new cutting edge of fashion has arrived, and it's not pretty!
Well, who doesn't like a series where we kill the rich? Now, if only we ate them too, this series would be perfect!
KOLCHAK NIGHT: STRANGLER FILES (TPB)
Writers: RICHARD MATHESON, CHRISTOPHER MILLS
Art: AMIN AMAT
$15.95
This collection reprints the adaptation of the television movie, The Night Strangler, written by the legendary Richard Matheson, and the three issues of Kolchak: The Night Stalker Files comic by Chris Mills. Carl Kolchak doesn't have time for horror movies. His life is scary enough, and now he's between jobs and desperate for a paycheck. When a young actress goes missing on the set of a low-budget monster flick, he soon discovers that making it big in Hollywood can be murder!
I wasn't a Kolchak: The Night Stalker fan when it was on TV (1974-75), even though monsters were in my wheelhouse. My problem with the series was that it was too much of a comedy. Kolchak's relationship with his editor was cartoonish, and Kolchak himself was played in broad comedic strokes, like Don Knotts in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. For a kid still living down the 1966 Batman, that was hard to take -- I wanted my monsters and superheroes to be taken seriously, dammit! But now, in my ancient creaky years, I realize that Kolchak paved the way for series like X-Files (where they took it seriously, and figured out that an FBI agent with a gun would be more effective against monsters than a cowardly reporter with a camera). Plus, you have to admire Kolchak's determination, given how wide his yellow streak was.
MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN VOL 1: THE COMPLETE KING YEARS (HC)
Writer: DICK WOOD
Art: DON HECK & Various
Cover: ANDRE LEBLANC
$49.99
The comic book version of the 20th Century's most famous fictional magician sees print again in Hermes Press' deluxe version of King Features comics' Mandrake the Magician! Lee Falk's newspaper strip, Mandrake the Magician, offered readers, magic, occult and the fantastic and King Feature's comic book version, which saw print during the height of the Silver Age, was a worthy entry into the world of comic books. This first volume of the complete comic book run of Mandrake the Magician presents the first five comics in the series together with all of the back-up stories printed in King Features' Flash Gordon title. These stories feature artwork by such Silver Age luminaries as Don Heck, Werner Roth and Andre LeBlanc with scripts by Dick Wood.
Finally! I've never read any original Mandrake in any form, because it's never been available to me in any form. Now I'll be able to adjudge the strip directly, instead of by hearsay.
MONSTER MUSUME VOL 8 (GN)
Writer/Art/Cover: OKAYADO
Mature / $12.99
Monsters. They're real, and they want to date us! Thanks to the "Cultural Exchange Between Species Act," once-mythical creatures have assimilated into society, or at least, they're trying. When a hapless human teenager named Kurusu Kimihito is inducted as a "volunteer" into the government exchange program, his world is turned upside down. A snake-like lamia named Miia comes to live with him. Unfortunately for Kurusu, Miia is undeniably sexy and, even worse, when a ravishing centaur girl and a flirtatious harpy move in, what's a full-blooded teenage human with raging hormones to do?
Maybe I'm shallow, but I still find this concept ... unsettling. It's not bestiality, but it is cross-species.
PUKE FORCE (TPB)
Publisher: DRAWN & QUARTERLY
Writer/Art/Cover: BRIAN CHIPPENDALE
Hardcover • 120 pages • 10.9" x 8.1" • b&w • $22.95 USD / $27.95 CAD
“Chippendale’s … obsessively detailed [comics] feel like [they’ve] been shot straight from his brain onto the page.”—Village Voice
Puke Force was spotlighted in this month's Previews: "Wandering through the dystopian world Chippendale has constructed is like an acid bath for your mind, in the best possible way."
Puke Force is social satire written dark and dense across Chippendale’s deconstructed multiverse of walking, talking M&Ms, hamsters and cycloptic-yet-glamorous trivia hosts. In scathingly funny single page strips that build and build, he takes on social media narcissism, governmental propaganda, racism and a culture of violence, skewering the malice of the Right and the hypocrisies of the Left. A bomb explodes in a coffee shop: the incident is played out over and over again from the perspective of each table in the shop, revisiting moments from 10 and 20 years before. Sardonic and self-aware, Puke Force asks all the right questions, providing a startling and on-point take on contemporary social issues. Chippendale’s artwork makes each panel a masterpiece of thrumming linework and lo-fi magic, as his storytelling wends and winds its way to a fascinating conclusion.
I see a Village Voice blurb, so maybe one of our Legionnaires has some insight into this.
RACE FOR THE MOON (ONE-SHOT)
Writer: Unknown
Art: JACK KIRBY & Various
Cover: JACK KIRBY
7"x10", perfect bound, color, 88 pgs, $17.99
Prior to the first Moon landing in 1969, Harvey published Race for the Moon, featuring sci-fi stories with artwork by Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Al Williamson and Bob Powell. The series is collected here fully restored and in its entirety.
I've doubtless read the Kirby contributions, as they've been reprinted a few times. The other stuff might be new to me, though, and I'm eager to see how they imagined travel to another celestial body before it became a reality in 1969.
RED SONJA VOL 3 #2
Writer: MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art: ANEKE
Cover A: MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
$3.99 / Teen + / 32 pages
As her people turn warlike and become more vicious than even their enemies, Red Sonja battles to save Hyrkania from its own army. Racing to the throne, with a price on her head, Sonja finds herself entangled in the charms and wiles of a mysterious and beautiful performer ... and when the face of the King is revealed at last, Sonja is captured in intrigues more deadly than any she has known!
The art isn't as good as the last series, but Bennett has come up with a compelling narrative and goals worth pursuing for our favorite Hyrkanian, without ignoring the effort Gail Simone put into the character.
THE SHIELD #2
Script: ADAM CHRISTOPHER, CHUCK WENDIG
Art: DAVID WILLIAMS, GARY MARTIN, RACHEL DEERING, KELLY FITZPATRICK
Cover A Reg: DAVID WILLIAMS
Cover B Variant: STEVE RUDE
Cover C Variant: EVAN SHANER
Cover D Variant: WILFREDO TORRES
32-page, full color comic, $3.99 U.S.
NEW ONGOING SERIES FROM DARK CIRCLE! “Daughter of the Revolution, Part 2” Running out of places to hide, the Shield discovers she is not without allies. Detective Nicole Simmons seems to know exactly who—and what—the Shield is, but with the enigmatic government agent Walter Chase closing the noose, the pair faces two difficult questions: why is the Shield back now … and whose side is she really on?
The first issue came out four months ago. As I said in another Guide, the Dark Circle books come out so infrequently that each one is practically an event! But I did enjoy the first issue, so I'll be back for this one. (I'd say I enjoyed the first issue more than other iteration of The Shield, but that's a pretty low bar.)
SHIKARI FORCE: HUNTERS #1
Writer: SARWAT CHADDA
Art/Cover: ARJUNA SUSINI
$1.99
Meet the Shikari Force: Hunters. There's Nil, an assassin and demon hunter who's dating Meena, the daughter of a demon. There's Jimi, a brilliant scientist who's not sure if he's going to save the world or destroy it. And finally, there is a renegade goddess from the age of legends. This team of misfits is out to hunt and destroy the Nagas, an ancient serpent race who want to reclaim earth from humanity with a diabolical secret weapon.
First issue alert! Confession time: The mention of "Nagas" serpent people, being so similar to "Naga," the head of the Serpent Crown cult in '70s Marvel Comics, induced me to Google to see if there was any reason for the similarity. And sure enough, "Naga" comes from Indian mythology and has to do with snake people. Kudos to Roy Thomas (I presume) for naming Naga back in Bronze Age Sub-Mariner comics.
SURFACE TENSION (TPB)
Writer/Art/Cover: JAY GUNN
192 pages / TPB / $19.99
ALIEN KILLERS! MUTATED SEA MONSTERS! HUMANITY’S LAST GASP!
Months after mysterious corals drew 99% of humanity into the sea, a band of survivors ekes out a hollow existence on a remote British island.
When two people are cast up on the beach, completely blue, but very much alive, the island is thrown into turmoil.
What caused the mass extinction event? How did these two return from the deep, when billions died? Most importantly, what is the coral, and what does it want with the Earth?
The creeping, psychological horror fable that became a critical hit, the complete Surface Tension saga, finally collected!
The art on this series if gorgeous, albeit a bit stiff. I have a similar observation about the story, which is imaginative but a bit stodgy in execution. If Gunn could loosen up a bit, he'd be dynamite. As it is, this is pretty good story with an environmental subtext, but whether it's worth 20 bucks is up to you.
TWILIGHT ZONE #1959
Writer: TOM PEYER, MARK RAHNER, JOHN LAYMAN
Art: RANDY VALIENTE, COLTON WORLEY
Cover: JONATHAN LAU
$5.99 / Teen + / 40 pages
There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.
Journey back to where it all began! The year was 1959, The Twilight Zone took over the airwaves, and television was changed forever! Now, Dynamite has recruited three all-star writing talents to craft a unique Twilight Zone story paying homage to where it all began! Including the first Dynamite work by writer Tom Peyer, the return of John Layman and a tale masterminded by Twilight Zone writer Mark Rahner! Three unique tales, each firmly set in that other dimension ... the Twilight Zone!
I watch Twilight Zone whenever I happen to catch a rerun, and the combination of imaginative, well-executed stories and nostalgia is always worth my time. Someday I'm going to binge-watch every episode (most of which I've already seen). In the meantime, there are comics!
WRAITHBORN #1
Writer: MARCIA CHEN
Art: JOE BENITEZ, JOE WEEMS
Cover: JOE BENITEZ & Various
He was raised from birth to inherit a mythical power. She is the timid teenage girl to whom it was bestowed instead. Together only they can stop an ancient evil from rising and enslaving all humankind. An epic urban fantasy from the creator of Lady Mechanika! This special "Director's Cut" edition of the original series includes remastered scenes plus new material.
First issue alert! Although I'm getting a deja vu vibe, given the premise's similarity to the one in CrossGen's Mystic.
WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR #4
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by RAUL ALLEN
Cover A by DAVID LAFUENTE
Cover B by RAUL ALLEN
Cover C by MARCOS MARTIN
Variant Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by ADAM POLLINA
B&W Sketch Variant by DAVID LAFUENTE
$3.99 | 32 pgs | T+
Valiant is proud to present WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR #4 – the grand finale of “RISEN,” the critically acclaimed debut story arc of Valiant’s latest hit ongoing series by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (X-O MANOWAR, Green Lantern) and visionary illustrator Raul Allen (BLOODSHOT REBORN, Hawkeye)! Stepping out of the ashes of the most successful independent crossover event of the decade, BOOK OF DEATH, join one of the year’s most extraordinary new series here as the Eternal Warrior begins the harrowing final confrontation with the forces of Hell … and begins the long march back to the land of the living!
In the wake of BOOK OF DEATH … the Earth’s immortal champion is dead … but his battle is far from over. Cast out of our world and into a fearsome afterlife of pain and punishment, Gilad is determined to return to our world and resume his duty. … But can even history’s most formidable master of war forge ahead in an unearthly domain built to break the human spirit? Now, on the cusp of freedom, the Eternal Warrior rises to fight an enemy with a grudge as old as himself … only to the find that the price of victory might just be everything and everyone he has ever loved …
On February 17th, join Gilad Anni-Padda's never-ending crusade here to find out why fans and critics are heralding WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR as a daring new vision of the Valiant Universe:
“★★★★★ … After their success in 2015, Valiant are hitting the ground running in 2016, and this gorgeous piece of work sees the bar that’s been set, and vaults over it with ease.” – Big Comic Page
“★★★★★ … WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR is exactly what you should want from the superhero genre.” – Comic Bastards
“★★★★½ … WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR is an engrossing, action-packed experience. –Infinite Comix
“★★★★½ … Very tense, exciting, and action packed …” – Outright Geekery
“★★★★ … Engrossing … Another darkly beautiful installment.” – IGN
"A vivid, compelling page-turner of a fantasy story. … If you’re longing for a little barbarian action, this is a must-read." – Uproxx
The year’s heart-shattering new ongoing series is about to step out of Hell and into the battle for life itself as spectacular storytellers Robert Venditti and Raul Allen force the Eternal Warrior into the next brutal level of rebirth in a world beyond our own! Featuring covers by David Lafuente (A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG), Raul Allen (NINJAK), Marcos Martin (The Private Eye), Clayton Henry (HARBINGER WARS), and Adam Pollina (X-Force), “RISEN” reaches its unforgettable conclusion right here in WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR #4 – in stores February 17th!
I suspect Gilad is going to escape Hell, but it's the journey, not the destination, right? And the journey here is a good one, with a Hell unlike any I've seen before. Nice work by Venditti in making the decision to forgo the usual depiction of Hell a la Paradise Lost.
I'll cop to never having heard of Fate/Zero, perhaps I'll give it a look.
I was underwhelmed by Godzilla in Hell. It was an interesting concept, and the art was nice, but there really wasn't much to the story.
The Mandrake the Magician volume collects stories from King Features’s brief revival of its comic book line in 1966-67. When the line was dropped several of the titles continued at Charlton. Mandrake ran for 10 issues and wasn’t picked up by Charlton.
A number of King’s comics carried four-page filler items about a King hero other than the featured one. The GCD tells me there were three Mandrake stories of this kind in Flash Gordon, and three in The Phantom. So the solicitation indicates the present volume has the Mandrake stories from the first half of the comic’s run and three fillers.
I have one of the Mandrake filler stories (from The Phantom) in an Australian comic. It’s quite forgettable, but so were the other fillers from the line I’ve read. Al Williamson drew a Secret Agent X-9 filler that reportedly got him his job on the newspaper strip.
I'll post some representative newspaper strips in the "Anything" thread to give anyone interested more of an idea of what the strip was like.
Bat-Mite wasn't bad; it had some nice and neat moments but not worth getting the trade.
The Baron said:
Philip Portelli said:
Alexandra Kitty said:
I'm glad to see the original Power Man and Iron Fist in a new series, I will definitely give it a shot.
It has been years since I've read it, but I remember liking 12 Reasons Why I Love Her.
I read most if not all of those Kolchak books when they came out. They were always a good, solid read. I was never blown away by them, nor did I regret buying them.
Captain Comics said:
You don't think the immediate aftermath of a horrifying infra-structure destroying calamity that killed tens of millions of people is precisely the time when a fascistic all-controlling security state would tighten it's grip on the populace?
The Judge system is an awful system, and Judge Dredd is an awful man for devoting his life to upholding it. The series has never made any bones about that.
Anyway, for background, I think it's understood that the writers reduced the size of the Mega-city population and made it run-down and post apocalyptic (in the previous comics it was often shown as clean and futurisitic) so that it would align with the movie that came out a few years ago.
A mega-city reduced by 90% is still 10s of millions of people that need to be governed. And Mega-citizens aren't quite a regular population. Remember that Mega-CIty life is generally a parody of America, written by British people. Can you imagine how they've been portrayed over the years? The citizens are endlessly daft, narcisstic and hopeless. Think of the population in 'Idiocracy' with frequent outbursts of psycopathic homicide and mass-psychosis. Judge Dredd might have a point about them needing a fairly firm hand... I'm not sure what the population was before Day of Chaos. The writers thin out the population every few decades in any case.
I've been catching up on Judge Dredd comics of the last 20 years lately. John Wagner is an outstanding writer, who has continued to grow and develop as he's matured. Sometimes when I'm reading a really good bit of storytelling I remember that he's an Oscar-winning scriptwriter too. Even Joe Dredd himself has grown and developed, and has subtle depths now and conflicted feelings about the system he is perpetuating. It's very gratifying for this one-time avid 2000AD reader.
All genre stories have their daft elements that are the 'price of admission'. Judge Dredd is a comicbook phenomenon, and deserves a closer look, and to be read on its own terms. Read 'the groundbreaking 'Apocalypse War' from the early 80s golden age of the series, or America, a story of real depth and emotion, and a highlight of Wagner's career, to see why it has survived so long and is so admired.