Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be another bumpy Comics Guide!
First up this week is a big new title from Valiant Comics: Unity #1, the publisher's first team book. It's clear Valiant has high hopes for it, because they've buried me in press releases. To spare you all that verbiage, dear reader, I'll try to condense them all into something useful.
First, let's start with the description and one of the covers:
Publisher Picks
UNITY #1
Written by MATT KINDT (Mind MGMT, Justice League of America)
Art & Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE (Justice, Journey Into Mystery)
Colored by Brian Reber (Harbinger Wars, Shadowman)
Pullbox Exclusive Variants by BRYAN HITCH, J.G. JONES, TRAVEL FOREMAN, PAOLO RIVERA and CLAYTON CRAIN
Valiant 8-Bit Evolution Variant by DONOVAN SANTIAGO
Team USA Luge Variant by DIEGO BERNARD
Valiant Signature Series Variant by BART SEARS
Variant Cover by NEAL ADAMS
B&W Sketch Variant by NEAL ADAMS
Blank Variant also available
$3.99/T+/40 pgs.
To kill a king, he has created an army.
The world's most dangerous man, Toyo Harada, has been struck by the one thing he never thought possible – fear. Halfway across the globe, a new power threatens to topple modern civilization and, to preempt the cataclysm that is to come, Harada will unite the most lethal, most volatile, most unforgiving team the world has ever known – UNITY. Their mission: Defeat the warrior king armed with the universe's most powerful weapon. Kill X-O Manowar!
"UNITY is the single biggest thing that Valiant has thrown its weight behind since the launch of the company with X-O Manowar #1," said Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani. "If you've heard the buzz about Valiant, if you've seen the incredible reviews, but have yet to try one of our titles, UNITY #1 is the perfect starting point. Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite are crafting an incredibly daring, action-packed epic from page one. UNITY is the very definition of can't miss comics."
As you can see from the description, there's more than one cover -- scads of them, in fact! Here they are:
The pullbox variants are only available to customers who pre-order at their LCS. Here's how Valiant described their cover and sales strategy:
"Since our launch last year, Valiant has utilized a tightly managed variant strategy, designed to incentivize retailers and designate important moments in the publishing line. With the release of Unity #1 this November, Valiant will face its most monumental moment yet and we wanted to ensure that we gave new readers more reasons that ever to jump on board. To that end, we set about constructing our most aggressive incentive program yet, including making the first issue 100 percent returnable for qualifying retailers, and enlisting some of the most acclaimed artists in the medium to launch Unity full force," said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce.
"Valiant's Pullbox line was designed to get fans into stores, talking with retailers and spreading the word. Now, with returnability available for Unity #1, we're taking the Pullbox program to the next level," added Valiant Sales Manager Atom! Freeman. "Valiant's built up an incredible amount of momentum over the past year, but that was only the beginning. We're pulling out all the stops for Unity #1 because we're confident in the product – Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite are delivering a jaw-dropping series that will have everyone talking. Unity #1 is the can't-miss book of the year."
Is "incentivize" really a word? Anyway, Valiant also touted the Neal Adams cover contributions, and provided this quote from the artist:
"Any cover promotion you see for this book is a mere reflection of the work you will see inside. Valiant is climbing the ladder that will lead to a new pinnacle of success in your comic book reading. Don't pass this bad boy by," said Adams.
Here are some more fun facts to know and tell, culled from the PR:
- Unity #1 is priced at $3.99 for 40 pages, so we're getting eight bonus pages.
- Both Doug Braithwaite and Brian Reber have signed Valiant-exclusive contracts.
- Every retailer in the United States received Unity Red, a limited edition look book showcasing Unity artwork. I don't know why we mere readers need to know that, but they told us.
- The 8-Bit Evolution Variant is described as "the first fully animated 8-bit cover, engineered by CineFix, the ultimate destination for true movie buffs & filmmakers on YouTube. Simply use any smartphone to read the QR code embedded in the cover to unlock an exclusive CineFix '8-Bit Cinema' animated short starring the team of heroes behind the year’s biggest comic book event – X-O Manowar, Toyo Harada and the rest." That's almost enough to get me to finally buy a smartphone. Almost.
- Unity #1's initial orders were for 68,500 copies, which is a LOT for Valiant.
- Unity #2 and Unity #3 will also be 100 percent returnable for retailers who match or exceed 50 percent of their orders for Unity #1.
Here are the covers for Unity #2-3:
Here's some more hype that came with these covers. I'm including it because I find it interesting that Valiant is comparing its Unity #1 sales to other recent first issues. Usually PR avoids mentioning other publishers and their products.
"Based on pre-orders alone, Unity #1 has already outranked a slew of other recent success stories including East of West #1 Hawkeye #1, Lazarus #1, Manhattan Projects #1, Pretty Deadly #1, Saga #1, Satellite Sam #1, Sex Criminals #1, Ten Grand #1, Trillium #1, Velvet #1, The Wake #1, and the list goes on," said Valiant Sales Manager Atom! Freeman. "That's incredible company to keep, and all of us at Valiant would like to thank the fans and our retail partners for their confidence and support. Unity #1 is a major milestone for us as a publisher and our biggest launch to date. This sales figure only affirms that big things are on the horizon for this series, and that Valiant isn't slowing down one iota."
"Unity #1 could be our most important single issue to date, and we couldn't be happier with the sales and excitement leading up to its debut. Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite are delivering something truly magical with this series and issue #1 is a pitch perfect first step. It's innovative, powerful and brilliant - there's simply nothing like it on the stands today, " said CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani. "Moreover, we've ... even bigger plans for the second arc of Unity beginning with issue #5 next March. Keep your eyes peeled – we've even included a top secret teaser of things to come at the end of the first issue."
Valiant also released two four-page previews:
Ginchy! I'll be getting this in trade, but if the purpose of PR is to get folks excited about an issue's release, they've certainly succeeded with me.
Finally, there's a version of Unity #1 that will benefit the American Olympic luge team. Which is ... odd. But patriotic, I guess. Anyway, here's that cover and press release. If, like me, your interest in luge is zero, feel free to skip past this PR to the next title.
Valiant Benefits USA Luge with "Unity" #1 Team USA Luge Variant
Valiant is also proud to unveil the UNITY #1 Team USA Luge Variant – a special, benefit-edition variant cover for 2013's most anticipated comic book event, featuring many of the USA Luge team athletes who will represent the United States in competition next February in Sochi, Russia. A portion of the proceeds from each UNITY #1 Team USA Luge Variant sold will be donated directly to the USA Luge team and contribute to their ongoing fundraising goals.
As an official sponsor of USA Luge, Valiant designed the look of the USA Luge uniforms, with luge athletes appearing in-competition at events across the world in racing suits patterned after Valiant's flagship hero, X-O Manowar. Now, for the first time anywhere, this cutting-edge luge suit design – originally envisioned by artists Patrick Zircher and Khari Evans – will make its comic book debut in an all-new UNITY #1 cover image with artwork by rising star Diego Bernard. Featuring X-O Manowar surrounded by the real-life luge athletes he helped to inspire, the UNITY #1 Team USA Luge Variant will be the first time Valiant has produced a specially commissioned variant cover for fundraising purposes.
"With X-O Manowar taking center stage next month in UNITY #1 and the beginning of the 2014 Games just months away, the timing couldn't be better to celebrate the unprecedented partnership between Valiant and USA Luge," said Russell A. Brown, Valiant's President of Licensing, Consumer Products, and Ad Sales. "It has been an enormous pleasure working the team and their incredibly gifted athletes, and now we hope to assist them even further with this one-of-a-kind, special edition cover for our biggest release of the year."
"Valiant has truly captured the passion and vitality of our athletes with this cover," said Gordy Sheer, Director of Marketing and Sponsorship for USA Luge. "Look for the team to bring every ounce of the energy presented here to Sochi when the Games begin this coming February."
Written by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Justice League of America, Mind MGMT) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (Journey into Mystery), UNITY #1 is the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new ongoing series launching Valiant’s first ever super-team into battle against X-O Manowar!
You've heard the buzz, you've seen the reviews. If you still haven't jumped onto Valiant Comics, the time is now! This November, UNITY is the perfect entry point for new readers.
For more information on UNITY and the rest of the Valiant Universe, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter and at ValiantUniverse.com.
Next up is an X-Men one-shot celebrating the team's 50th anniversary. The name "Bob McLeod" makes this a must-buy for me. I can't remember the last time I saw McLeod's name in a Marvel book.
X-MEN: GOLD #1
CHRIS CLAREMONT, STAN LEE, LOUISE SIMONSON, FABIAN NICIEZA (W)
WALTER SIMONSON, BOB MCLEOD, AND MORE! (A)
Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
Variant Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
64 PGS. /All-new Material/One-Shot/Rated T+ …$5.99
“Over the last 50 years, the X-Men have changed people’s lives, myself included.” Says X-Men Senior Editor Nick Lowe.
“Through Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Kitty Pryde and the rest of the X-Men, the creators of these merry mutants taught us that it’s not only okay to be different, but that difference is to be celebrated! To honor the characters and the creators we wanted to do something special… hence X-MEN:GOLD!”
X-Men: Gold #1 features an all-new, feature length story by the legendary Chris Claremont and classic X-Artist Bob McLeod! Experience an untold, in-continuity story of the X-Men featuring Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, and Rogue!
But that’s not all! X-Men: Gold #1 is also jam-packed with stories from all-star creators from the storied history of Marvel’s Mutants – including the first new X-Men story from Stan Lee in years! Stan is joined by Louise Simonson and Walt Simonson to bring you an exciting new tale of the original X-Men!
Also featuring new stories set throughout the history of the X-Men from all-star X-Creators Len Wein, Jorge Molina, Fabian Nicieza, Salvador Larroca, Roy Thomas and Pat Olliffe!
Two more items about this book.
First, Marvel.com posted the 50 Greatest X-Men of All Time. I don't necessarily agree with their choices, but that's what makes lists like this fun. Amazingly, Wolverine is NOT #1.
Also, Marvel.com posted an X-focused "This Week in Marvel" podcast (#104.5), featuring X-Men Editors Nick Lowe, Jeanine Schaefer, Tom Brennan, Daniel Ketchum, Jordan D. White and Xander Jarowney.
MANIFEST DESTINY
Story CHRIS DINGESS
Art / cover MATTHEW ROBERTS & OWEN GIENI
Alternative cover by RYAN OTTLEY (Invincible)
32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
In 1804, Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark set out from St. Louis, Missouri with the intent of blazing a trail to the western coast of North America—a trip that would set the foundation for the future of the United States of America. But what the history books don’t tell you is the true purpose of Lewis and Clark’s journey to the west...
The newest series from Image Comics imprint Skybound, MANIFEST DESTINY reveals the true story of Lewis and Clark and their voyage to claim America for the United States. Writer Chris Dingess (Being Human) and artist Matthew Roberts (BATTLE POPE) have introduced a new wrinkle to American history, combining elements of classic adventure tales with a very modern type of paranoia. In this imaginative retelling of their famous trek, Lewis and Clark embark on a secret mission under direct orders from President Thomas Jefferson. They are going to do more than explore the wild frontier: they’re going to catalog exotic life and eliminate the monsters that stand in the way of the safe and rapid expansion of the United States.
I'm fascinated by the pop culture phenomenon of taking historical characters, both real and fictional, and placing them in big, fake, extraordinary adventures,” said Dingess when asked about the origins of the series, “I'm also intrigued by the modern world's growing obsession with vast government conspiracies, both real and fictional. I was excited to take these two concepts and make them have a baby. And Matt Roberts has made this baby very pretty.”
Instead of being a dry reinvention of history, Dingess and Roberts are aiming for something that’s a lot of fun and action-packed, but still true to the era they’re depicting. Roberts is interested in being historically accurate, in addition to making sure MANIFEST DESTINY has an exciting visual style. Chris has written such a crazy, fun adventure, but he always leaves me enough rope to hang myself in the details,” said Roberts. For example - I had no clue how in vogue popped up collars were in the early 19th century. That and leather chokers. Researching and drawing all these things is such a turn from drawing shiny, spandexed muscles. I'm having a blast.
I love history, both real and alternate, so I'm the target audience for a book like this. OTOH, until the Industrial Revolution man's technology wasn't capable of stopping anything much bigger than a bobcat. So this book, which posits "monsters" in the unexplored Louisiana Territory, may stretch my suspension of disbelief beyond the breaking point by allowing Lewis & Clark to survive, which history tells us happened. So color me interested, but not sold yet.
Meanwhile, here are some loverly preview pages:
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #21
DAN SLOTT (W) • GUISEPPE Camuncoli (A)
Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99
Otto Octavius has battled the likes of the Kingpin, the Hobgoblin, and the Vulture, but this November he faces his greatest threat yet in Superior Spider-Man #21 – the next installment in the biggest, boldest superhero comic of the year! From the blockbuster creative team of Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli - Stunner is back in town, and she’s out to avenge the death of the only man she’s ever loved, Doc Ock! Now she’s on a mission to obliterate the man who killed him – the Superior Spider-Man! Can Otto defend himself from Stunner’s onslaught without revealing his dark secret? What does this mean for the tangled web of Otto’s love life? Don’t miss the stunning Superior Spider-Man #21 this November for the answer!
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #21
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
FOC – 10/21/2013, On-Sale – 11/13/2013
I confess Dan Slott has made me interested in Spider-Man again with this mind-switch business. What turned me off about the post-Brand New Day Spider-Man was that I felt like I wasn't reading about the original Peter Parker any more, since the "great responsibility" guy would never make a deal with the devil. I mean, Hawkeye, sure. But Spider-Man? No way! Which is the beauty of Octo-Spidey: It's not pretending that this Spider-Man is "my" Spider-Man, so I can read Amazing Spider-Man as if it's about an entirely different character -- because it is!
Anyway, while exploring Spider-Man's romantic life with a pretender in Parker's brain was waaaaay too rape-y for me, the opposite angle -- Octavius's love life coming back to haunt him -- promises some laughs and some satisfying schadenfreude. Marvel evidently thinks it's a winner, because they sent the press release and the following preview. Enjoy!
UMBRAL #1
Story ANTONY JOHNSTON
Art / cover CHRISTOPHER MITTEN
40 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
"THE DAY DAWNED TWICE"
A NEW DARK FANTASY FROM THE CREATORS OF WASTELAND!
Master worldbuilder ANTONY JOHNSTON (Dead Space, Daredevil) and his Wasteland co-creator CHRISTOPHER MITTEN (Batman, Criminal Macabre) bring you a new fantasy world rich in mythology, history, and blood! Extra-long first issue for the regular price of $2.99!
In UMBRAL, the young thief Rascal breaks into the royal palace using a rare eclipse as cover for the theft of a priceless gem. During the heist, Rascal witnesses the death of the King and Queen, the first step in the invasion of the world by the Umbral, mythical shadow creatures ... and no one knows it's happening.
A work that has been years in the making, writer Antony Johnston (Daredevil: Season One, Wasteland) and artist Christopher Mitten (Batman: Arkham Unhinged, Wasteland) unleash their latest series on the world in November.
"Chris and I spent the last couple of years batting around the idea of creating something new together, and UMBRAL is the result," says writer Antony Johnston. "We're both big fans of weird, dark fantasy, as you might expect... but we also love epic adventure, and building amazing fantasy worlds. That's the combination we're aiming for with UMBRAL. I mean, there's a map in the first issue, for heaven's sake."
UMBRAL is the latest collaboration between the creative team of Johnston and Mitten, who co-created the post-apocalyptic and impressively expansive series Wasteland. Mitten praised their collaborative relationship, saying, "Together we did around thirty issues of Wasteland, and before that, three issues of Greg Rucka's Queen & Country, so there's a fair stack of history there." He also praised his relationship with Johnston. "Having the chance to work with Antony again is fantastic, and I don't think I could be happier about it. He's got this tremendous imagination and the talent/skill combo to bring it to the page feeling fully formed."
Johnston and Mitten have released a teaser for the series in advance of its release on the official Tumblr for UMBRAL. Curious fans should follow the official Twitter, as well.
Announced at the Image Expo earlier this year, UMBRAL #1 arrives in stores on November 13 and is currently available to pre-order from the September issue of Previews.
It's unfortunate that the cover makes it look like the lead character, Rascal, is blowing a huge bubble-gum bubble. I read the review copy, and she's not. She is, instead, a member of thieves' guild in a fantasy setting, one who tries to steal something from royalty but instead witnesses something awful (described above) which means big, long-term trouble.
I won't say any more than the press release does, for fear of spoilers, but despite the familiar trappings (from any number of fantasy stories) Rascal is endearing and I don't think we've seen the last of another likeable character who appears to have died. The art isn't my favorite kind -- sketchy and indistinct -- but it maintains the mystery of the Umbral because we never get a clear look at them, so it's appropriate. I'm not sold yet, but I'll keep an eye on the series to see if catches fire.
Here are some preview pages:
Now comes a press release I'm not quite sure how to consider in terms of importance. But it elevates four books to this intro section, if I'm consistent, so here we go:
PETER PANZERFAUST #15, ROCKET GIRL #1, THREE #1, & ZERO #2
Four books sell out, including an early sell-out, and all go back to press
Image Comics is kicking off New York Comic Con 2013 with a BANG. Kieron Gillen and Ryan Kelly's Spartan drama THREE #1 sold out instantly, as did Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare's ROCKET GIRL #1, the two newest debuts from Image Comics. Kurtis J. Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins' hit historical fiction series, PETER PANZERFAUST #15 released this Wednesday and has already sold out on a distributor level. ZERO #2, written by Ales Kot and illustrated by Tradd Moore, has also sold out on a distributor level one week ahead of its release to comic shops on 10/16, the second sell-out in a row for the new espionage series.
All four issues are going back to press for second printings, the latest milestone in a year of massive hits and critically-acclaimed debuts from Image Comics. The comics market is responding to creator-owned comics in a big way, and none of this would be possible without the hard work and creativity of the creators behind the comics.
Praise for THREE #1:
"The art is rustic and dramatic, conveying setting and mood together in a way that draws you in and envelops the reader. When lighting crashed, I paused waiting to hear thunder. Ryan Kelly and Jordie Bellaire combine rich colors and deep shadows to make Lakonia a living nightmare for most of its inhabitants."
Alison Berry, Comicosity
Praise for ROCKET GIRL #1:
“Reeder's artwork is a major selling point...she clearly understands how to deliver dazzling page layouts and striking character design. This issue has a very vibrant, playful feel, bolstered by the rich colors and expressive facial work.”
- Jesse Schedeen, IGN
Praise for PETER PANZERFAUST #15:
"Every issue is a step forward and every issue seems to be better than the last. This, of course, is no exception."
Tyler Goulet, All-Comic
Praise for ZERO #1:
"Kot and Walsh control the pace masterfully, inching out the horror so you feel its effects in every panel. Zero completes his mission, but by the end of the issue you're not sure whether it's worth the cost." -- James Hunt, Comic Book Resources
Now, the press release promised that all second printings were coming this week, along with the second issues of Rocket Girl and Three. But from the lists at Diamond and Comics & Collectibles (my LCS), it's unclear that they all of them are coming this week. Nevertheless, I'm going to chat about them as if they are.
PETER PANZERFAUST #15 2ND PTG
Story KURTIS J. WIEBE
Art / cover TYLER JENKINS
32 PAGES / FC / T
$3.50
“CRY OF THE WOLF,” CONCLUSION
Communications have broken down. The group is divided and now it's time to run, to hide! Hook’s Hunters have taken the Sticks and despite the impeccable timing of the Croc, there is only one thing that can be done: fight to live another day! The third thrilling story arc ends here!
I haven't been following this title, but it appears to be a re-working of Peter Pan during World War II. I read this issue, and it doesn't appear that there's any magic involved, which is a relief -- I don't want to see Tinkerbell enchanting Nazis, because I don't want the threat the Nazis presented to be reduced, or the courage of the non-magical soldiers who fought, bled and died in that war diminished in any way.
So, to my relief, this is a fairly gritty story, and a major character dies, if I'm interpreting what I'm reading correctly. (Not having read the first 14 issues makes my interpretation shaky at best.) Once again the sketchy, linear art style -- Walt Simonson without the polish or storytelling skills -- prevails, and that knocks the book down a few notches for me. I'd rather a cartoony style than this, because the sketchy style is sometimes hard to follow, especially without exceptional storytelling skills (like Simonson). And, to be honest, I just find it unattractive.
ROCKET GIRL #1 2ND PTG
Story BRANDON MONTCLARE
Art / cover AMY REEDER
32 PAGES / FC / T
$3.50
A teenage cop from a high-tech future is sent back in time to 1986 New York City. Dayoung Johansson is investigating the Quintum Mechanics megacorporation for crimes against time. As she pieces together the clues, she discovers the “future” she calls home – an alternate reality version of 2013 – shouldn’t exist at all!
Blast off with the new ongoing series by BRANDON MONTCLARE (Halloween Eve) and Eisner Award nominee AMY REEDER (Batwoman, Madame Xanadu).
ROCKET GIRL #2
Story BRANDON MONTCLARE
Art / cover AMY REEDER
32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.50
"BODIES IN MOTION TEND TO STAY IN MOTION…”
Teen future-cop DaYoung Johansson hits 1980s NYC like a meteor. People can't get enough of the Rocket Girl: she's fighting crime, saving citizens, and causing a sensation. But she's also trying to right a wrong in a mystery so deep it could change the future forever. There's a lot more going on here than anyone knows about — and it might be more than the 15-year-old super detective can handle.
"A time-travelling teen police force is the stuff my dreams are made of. It's drawn elegantly and masterfully by Amy Reeder. It looks like she and Brandon Montclare came up with the perfect story to go wild on."
—FIONA STAPLES, artist of the Eisner Award-winning ongoing series SAGA
I read both issues of this, and I think it's a winner.
Rocket Girl is 15 and feisty, and instantly loveable. She's come to the New York of 1986, when the Big Apple was crime-ridden and Times Square a trashy porn/prostitution district -- a much more interesting locale, for storytelling purposes, than today's sanitized tourist trap. So what else is an idealistic teenage cop going to do, but try to clean everything up? That's in addition to her main mission which is -- amazingly -- to prevent her own future from coming into being. Why this is necessary -- her high-tech world of 2013 looks pretty good to me! -- hasn't yet been explained, but it adds a poignant element of self-sacrifice to Rocket Girl's already impressive array of positive character traits.
I recommend you pick up both of these! Here are some preview pages to whet your appetites:
THREE #1 2ND PTG
Story KIERON GILLEN
Art / cover RYAN KELLY & JORDIE BELLAIRE
Historical consultant PROF. STEPHEN HODKINSON
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99
When a member of the Spartan ruling class visits an isolated homestead of Helot workers, a brutal massacre is only the beginning. KIERON GILLEN (PHONOGRAM, Über, Iron Man), RYAN KELLY (Saucer County, Local) and JORDIE BELLAIRE (THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS, NOWHERE MEN) unite to tell the heroic story of three slaves and their desperate attempt to escape 300 of the finest warriors who've ever lived.
THREE #2
Story KIERON GILLEN
Art / cover RYAN KELLY & JORDIE BELLAIRE
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
Three slaughter survivors race towards the free city of Messene. Pursuing them are 300 Spartans. Why? What makes Sparta think that unleashing this isn't massive overkill? What makes a Spartan king agree to lead them? And what secrets do the Helot workers hold that changes everything...
Must there be sketchy art in every Image book? (Well, except for Rocket Girl above, which has a very attractive style). It actually works a little better here, since the story takes place in an ancient world without many non-organic elements. But still, bleah.
Anyway, it's taken two issues to figure out what the title represents, which I won't spoil here. But this book couldn't be farther from 300 if it tried, despite being about ancient Sparta some time after Thermopylae. The books is as much about Sparta's bizarre social, cultural and political set-up as it is about martial glory, especially since the Spartans are essentially the bad guys.
So it's interesting. Not as interesting (or as good) as Age of Bronze, but it still has my attention. Here are some preview pages:
ZERO #2 2ND PTG
(W) Ales Kot (A) Mateus Santolouco, Jordie Bellaire (CA) Mateus Santolouco, Tom Muller
$2.99
Shanghai, 2019. An opulent skyscraper party full of terrorists looking for fresh funding. Edward Zero is about to sabotage it big time -- and then the skyscraper starts to vanish, bit by bit. So maybe he should look into that first?
I've only read the first issue of this, and I'm not sure what to make of it, especially since two characters abruptly stop what they're doing to have sex, and the story proceeds without any explanation whatsoever.
Meanwhile, we see Edward Zero in action in two different eras, despite all his black-ops superiors talking about him like he's a liability. How'd he live so long? Wait, another era is represented as well, in that there's a bookend where an old Zero is telling his life story to a kid who's about to shoot him in the head. Maybe the second issue ties all this together, but right now I'm a little baffled.
Replies
DARK HORSE
ABE SAPIEN #7
FC, 32 pages, $3.50
Ongoing
Abe dives into a fight between carnivorous monsters crawling out of the desert sand and the fortified militia that’s walled Phoenix off from the rest of the world.
Abe vs. the Mayan apocalypse!
Trade-waiting. Can't wait!
FC, 72 pages, $14.99
HC, 7" x 10"
From the brilliant imagination of video game auteur American McGee comes a dazzling reenvisioning of Red Riding Hood set in the wondrous world of Japanese folklore!
A young woman torn between two cultures takes on an epic adventure battling devious yokai for the fate of her world! Collects the three-issue miniseries.
• Based on the hot new game by American McGee’s Spicy Horse Games!
• Written by Justin Aclin (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and illustrated by Vasilis Lolos (Conan the Barbarian)!
One of the aspects I like about the current wave of fairy-tale-based movies, comics and TV shows is the frequent upgrading of the girls in these stories from passive victim to active heroics. Such is the case here with Red Riding Hood, it appears. Also, this book incorporates Japanese myth and folklore, about which I little or nothing, so it threatens to be educational as well as entertaining.
I plan to take a look at it at the LCS, and if the art doesn't suck, pick it up.
A costumed teen burglar by the nome d'arte of Bandette and her group of street urchins find equal fun in both skirting and aiding the law, in Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover's enchanting, Eisner-nominated series! But can even Bandette laugh off the discovery of a criminal plot against her life? Collects issues #1-#5 of the acclaimed MonkeyBrain digital series, plus tons of extras!
$14.99
Monkeybrain describes this book as walking "a thin line between Tintin and Nancy Drew, with a few costumes thrown in." That sounds like a lot of fun. But again, I want to see the art before I pick it up. Any recommendations?
Dan Jolley (W), Leonard Kirk (A/Cover), Robin Riggs (I), and Moose Baumann (C)
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
A superhuman tragedy becomes Clev’s biggest case to date, as a rogue scientist declares that the only way to stop a bad guy with superpowers is with a good guy with superpowers. To get the superpower-granting technology under control, Clev finds himself drafted by top military brass!
• From Dan Jolley (Prototype 2) and Leonard Kirk (X-Factor)!
• For fans of X and The Boys!
Back for blood!
For some reason, without reading it, this book reminds me of that reality series about a bounty hunter, whose name was Dog, I think. Is that justified?
Victor Gischler (W), Maurizio Rosenzweig (A), Moreno DiNisio (C), and Tim Seeley (Cover)
FC, 32 pages, $3.99
Miniseries
Sexy female clowns are mistaken for contract killers and abandon their shabby traveling circus for a world of violence and cruelty—with clown makeup.
• Featuring covers by Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Revival
• By Victor Gischler (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike—A Dark Place, Punisher MAX, X-Men)!
“[Victor Gischler]’s proven . . . to be a writer that can balance humor, drama and action in an entertaining, fast paced package.”–Bleeding Cool
Um, what?
Besides, you can't have "sexy female clowns." Clowns aren't sexy, they're scary!
Artists: Cary Nord, Tomi Giorello, Thomas Yeates, Greg Ruth, Eric Powell, Rafael Kayanan, Paul Lee, Leinil Francis Yu, Joseph Linsner, Ladriann, Tony Harris, Paul Lee
Cover: Mark Schultz
Finally, a collection gigantic enough for Conan the Cimmerian himself! This truly massive tome collects Conan issues #0 through #50�from the definitive early work of Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord through the famous collaborations of Timothy Truman and Tom�s Giorello. With an introduction from Busiek and an afterword from Truman, this is a must-have for any Robert E. Howard devotee!
* For nearly ten years, Dark Horse has published the greatest Conan comics ever!
* Featuring the early, career-defining Conan work of Cary Nord!
* Introduction by Kurt Busiek, with an afterword by Timothy Truman!
FC, 1,264 pages; HC, $150.00
I have enjoyed every Conan story I've read from IDW, so this is really, really tempting.
Kazuo Koike (W), Goseki Kojima (A), Frank Miller (Cover)
b&w, 720 pages, $19.99
TP, 5” x 7”
The roads of feudal Japan are rife with brigands, but for Ogami Itto and his son, the roads are deadly. Shogunate agents and Yagyu Retsudo’s assassins dog their every step, but each step brings the Lone Wolf and his Cub ever closer to Yagyu . . . and to vengeance.
• Over one million copies sold of the original Dark Horse series!
• Cover by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley.
"Koike sets up every story with superb character development and fascinating snippets of Japanese history.”- This Week in New York
When I first heard about this I made a mental note to get it, and replace my digest-size series. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a financial commitment that would be. Is anyone else getting this? And if so, what is your advice? Is the increased size of the art worth re-buying the whole series?
An alien explorer stranded in America yearns for his home world, but he's enamored with ours -- especially when it comes to murder mysteries! Seeking to clear the name of a friend who's fingered for a college girl's death, Harry combs Seattle for clues. And those federal agents? They're only getting closer to nabbing Harry!
"Steve Parkhouse's art is excellent, and I'm looking forward to the next volume."-- Boing Boing
$3.99
When I was a kid in the Mid-South, the term "suicide blonde" meant a girl who dyed her hair. (Dye being a homonym for "die," hence "suicide" -- or "dyed" blonde.) But it occurs to me that I haven't heard the phrase in decades. Is it still familiar to today's generation?
As for the comic book, I know nothing about it. Oh, well.
b&w, 120 pages, $17.99
HC, 7” x 10”
When his village is enslaved and his wife kidnapped by the malevolent Mastodon Mathematician, a simple farmer must find his inner warrior! Granted the form of the Sabertooth Swordsman by the Cloud God of Sasquatch Mountain, our hero embarks on a treacherous journey to the Mastodon’s fortress, along the way getting beaten to a pulp by ogres, plague mutants, the king’s army, and goats!
• From rising stars Damon Gentry (Eerie) and Aaron Conley (Prophet)!
• Pinups by Mike Allred, Brandon Graham, Rebecca Dart, Michael DeForge, and Matt Allison!
He came, he "sawed," but will he conquer?! The Shaolin Cowboy proves-in 33 pages of gas-powered mayhem-that the undead and kung fu don't mix as they mix it up in issue #2. No "low T" in this one!
• From writer/artist Geof Darrow (Hard Boiled, The Matrix)!
• 33 pages of story!
• The action heats up!
• For fans of chainsaws!
"What do a talking horse and a shaolin priest have in common? Each other. Add to this strange pair a band of assassins (including a talking monkey with a gun) and you get Shaolin Cowboy" -Comic Critique
I seem to remember hearing good things about this series some time ago, but maybe I'm thinking of Samurai Jack. Has this concept been around for a while? And can someone recommend it?
SHOOT FIRST #2
The Secular Humanist Occult Obliteration Taskforce heads to Egypt to take on a terrorist group-and their monstrous protector! But this is one battle that S.H.O.O.T. can't hope to win, and when the dust settles, the team will never be the same-and the identity of the traitor will be revealed!
$3.99
The first issue retained the periods in the acronym in the title. The second issue does not. Did they get tired of typing all those fershlugginer periods? I know I do!
Princess Leia's stealth squadron is together again, just in time to fight for their lives. The Star Destroyer Devastator launches an all-out attack on the Rebel fleet! Meanwhile, Vader's secret agent realizes what it could mean to fail the Dark Lord. And, on Coruscant, Han Solo's luck may be changing-unless . . . well, unless it isn't . . .
$2.99
Ron Fortier (W) and Alex Ross (A/Cover)
FC, 136 pages, $17.99
TP, 7” x 10”
Witness the birth of an artistic legend, in Eisner Award–winning painter Alex Ross’s first professional work! As Skynet prepares a nuclear strike to wipe out humanity, John Connor leads a small team to destroy the sinister AI’s mainframe.
• This definitive collection features a new cover painting by Ross!
• Foreword by Brandon Graham (Prophet)!
• Experience the machine war that leads into the classic film!
The manipulative Lt. Setter has charged rookie Ruidoso and a team of other honest cops with capturing X, knowing that X's code won't let him fight back lethally. As X battles the Dogs of War in Arcadia's toxic sewers, Ruidoso has to make a choice . . .
$2.99
I've been on the fence on this series since it started, going back and forth on whether I'd get the first trade. Any recommendations?
I liked the old "Worlds' Greatest Heroes" version years ago, but didn't think it added much to the "Revenge Fantasy" canon.
DC COMICS
AQUAMAN VOL 3: THRONE OF ATLANTIS HC
Aquaman, who long ago lost contact with his people, must watch as armies emerge from the sea to attack the surface world. The Justice League answers the call to defend the shores from the invading Atlantean horde. But whose side is Aquaman on? With his brother Orm at the head of the undersea army, will Aquaman stand with his Earth-bound superteam? Or his own people? Find out in this exciting hardcover collecting AQUAMAN #0 and 14-16 and JUSTICE LEAGUE #15-17.
$24.99
On my to-read pile. One thing that's bothered me about the new Aquaman, though, is how formidable Black Manta is supposed to be. He doesn't seem to have anything going for him but those silly eye-beams, which I don't think would present much of a challenge to Aquaman's new super-strength.
Maybe this book will finally satisfy me on that score. I hope so, anyway.
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
160 pg, FC, $14.99 US
In these stories from AQUAMAN #7-13, Aquaman joins up with his old teammates, The Others, to learn who destroyed Atlantis! But as they seek the truth, Black Manta is stalking them all—and Mera learns some dark truths about Aquaman!
I haven't gotten around to reviewing this, but I've read it and my short review is: "An A-list team of creators wasting their talents on a B-list character."
I want to like Aquaman, I really do, but going back to the Silver Age he's always been the least interesting character in his own book. Frankly. Mera is far more powerful (and visually interesting, at least for this fanboy), and ought to be the star.
As for "The Others," Aquaman's heretofore unheralded first super-team (of sorts) they are like all other characters created in a bunch: Some are interesting, some are place-holders, and some are so lame they couldn't possibly have functioned for any length of time (in a team or not). They make for a passable story here, but I hope Johns doesn't intend for them to be long-term supporting characters.
Art by BRENT ANDERSON
Cover by ALEX ROSS
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
The Ambassador, Cleopatra, The Ore-Master…what do they have to do with Thatcher Jerome, a mid-level mobster involved with business on Astro City’s rivers? And how does all-out Super Hero battle change his world? A tale of opportunity, ambition and family ties—in a world where even the sky’s not the limit.
Still awesome. Buy it.
Art by FERNANDO PASARIN and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by ALEX GARNER
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
A BATMAN: ZERO YEAR tie-in! Barbara Gordon is forced to protect her brother and her homestead in anticipation of the upcoming storm—but it’s here that she learns the true meaning of “home” and “hero.”
Trade-waiting. It's on the cusp, though.
BATMAN #25
$4.99
BATMAN: ZERO YEAR reaches a new level as The Riddler sends Gotham City into total darkness! "Dark City" begins in this issue that features an embossed cover.
And the ZERO YEAR blackout spreads into other titles this month, affecting heroes across the DC Universe!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
My vote for Boringest Cover of the Year.
But the story, as you'd expect from Snyder, is interesing. Snyder is establishing that Batman debuted at the same time as -- of all people -- The Riddler, when the latter engineers a blackout in Gotham.
I seem to remember reading somewhere that the blackout is going to last a whole year, but that seems pretty implausible. However long it is, that blackout is going make all the papers and such, so yeah, other heroes active "five years ago" will be involved (albeit in their own books).
Seems interesting, so I'll be reading.
Art by CHRISTIAN DUCE and BENI LOBEL
Cover by CHRISTOPHER MITTEN
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST • FINAL ISSUE
Bruce Wayne debates Mayor Sharp over the true purpose of Arkham City. Meanwhile, Catwoman provides a valuable clue to the identity of the Bookbinder. Batman may finally have his man—but will he be able to do anything about it?
Art and cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E • DIGITAL FIRST
It’s August, which means no holidays! But Alfred thinks Bruce could use a break, so he sends The Dark Knight on a strange and wonderful trip: a vacation! And while the Bat’s away, the villains come out to play, and the rest of the family has a hot time in Gotham City!
Waiting for the Li'l Bruce Wayne and Richie Rich team-up, where they hire Li' l Archie as a pool boy and taunt him.
Art by INAKI MIRANDA
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
Ten years ago, the sleepy town of Coffin Hill, MA, was infiltrated by a curse that dated back to the Salem Witch trials. Ex-high society lowlife/black magic user Eve Coffin returns to her hometown as a wounded ex-cop with a huge grudge and a hell of a mission: to take back the terror she unleashed long ago. The dark horror that seeped through the Coffin Hill woods left one of her friends missing, one in the local mental ward, and one as the head of police. Now the horror continues to spread through Eve’s crumbling family mansion, taking more of the town’s teenagers who stumble in its path.
I found the first issue eminently readable and expertly done, but the plot not terribly compelling. But given the strength the creators displayed in that first issue, I'll stick with it a little while longer.
Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Caught in a twisted romance with the sadistic Sargon the Sorceress, John Constantine must make a painful choice: lose everything or join forces with his greatest enemies!
Sargon the Sorceress? I'm guessing that's Sargon's daughter, which means the original is gone for good. No real loss, as his turn to the Dark Side muddied the character irreparably, IMHO.
I still miss the REAL Constantine (in Vertigo), but I guess this version is better than none.
DC COMICS ESSENTIALS GREEN LANTERN #1
Art by DOUG MAHNKE, CHRISTIAN ALAMY and TOM NGUYEN
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
64 pg, FC, $1.00 US • RATED T
This first DC Comics—The New 52 issue stars Sinestro, who must enlist the help of Hal Jordan to free the people of Korugar from the grip of his former army of Yellow Lanterns!
Art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
Cover by NATHAN FOX
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
With the dust still settling on the BubbleVerse disaster, Adam takes a trip into the desert to look for answers about his past and the father he never knew.
I'm hanging in there with this one, but the characters are desperately in need of some development that I haven't see a million other places.
Art by SCOT EATON and JAIME MENDOZA
Cover by JASON FABOK
1:25 B&W Variant cover by JASON FABOK
32 pg, FC, 2 of 6, $2.99 US RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
As Scarecrow tips the balance of power between Arkham and Blackgate, The Penguin is made an offer he can’t refuse. Who will be Gotham City’s protector now? One word: BANE!
We all know that eventually the status quo will return, but in the meantime we get to see some rare villain-on-villain action. Should be fun!
Art and cover by BERNARD CHANG
1:25 B&W Variant cover by BERNARD CHANG
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
A BATMAN: ZERO YEAR tie-in! When The Riddler throws Gotham City into total darkness, a young Marine named John Stewart is deployed as part of the peacekeeping measures. But he gets much more than he expected when he must deal with the costumed chaos known as ANARKY!
Finally, John Stewart gets a little love. I've tired of him being the Sad Sack Green Lantern. Oh, boo hoo, I had to kill Mogo. Oh, boo hoo, I failed to save that planet a jillion years ago. Oh, boo hoo, I feel guilty about everything. Geez, man up, Marine!
Art by XERMANICO
Cover by JUAN JOSE RYP
48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
Lobo invades the world of Injustice in “The Main Man Among Us.” When Superman’s world was cruelly taken from him, his retribution was swift. But one of the perpetrators is still out there, and her freedom gnaws at him. But The Man of Steel can’t spend time tracking down one person—not when the entire world needs him. So he enlists the help of Lobo, one of the greatest bounty hunters in the universe, to track down a now super-powered Harley Quinn!
From the makers of Mortal Kombat comes the critically acclaimed prequel comic to the smash-hit fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us! In this new hardcover collecting issues #1-6 of the hit series, things in the DC Universe have changed after Superman is tricked into destroying the one thing he loves most. Now unwilling to let crime go unpunished, the heroes of our world must choose if they are with Superman or against him. But not every country will submit to his new world order-and neither will Batman!
$19.99
Something about this scenario seems really familiar. Has there been an Elseworlds story out there, or a fake-future story at some point, that followed this basic premise? Maybe I'm thinking of Kingdom Come, but whatever it is, I can't shake the deja vu.
Art by JOE KUBERT, BRIAN BUNIAK and SAM GLANZMAN
Cover by JOE KUBERT
304 pg, FC, $19.99 US
This new title collects some of Joe Kubert’s final works, including tales of Sgt. Rock and Hawkman, plus stories of the U.S.S. Stevens by Sam Glanzman and “Angel and the Ape” by Brian Buniak! Collects the entire 6-issue miniseries.
Alas, we won't see any more new Joe Kubert after this. For that reason alone I'll get it.
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by DOUG MAHNKE
1:25 Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
1:100 B&W Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for more information.
A FOREVER EVIL tie-in! Martian Manhunter literally claws his way out of the fire, with one other member of the JLA at his side. But what are their chances of survival on a world being run by the deadliest Super-Villians?
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
We knew all the heroes weren't dead, and now we're slowly finding out where teach has been all this time. I've got my fingers crossed that it won't be incredibly implausible.
Art by ANDRES GUINALDO and
MARK IRWIN
Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Vibe is stuck in another dimension, where he must stop an alien invasion of Earth and rescue his brother—who is busy trying to kill Vibe! No problem, right?
This title's cancellation was announced recently. Frankly, it lasted longer than I ever dreamed it would.
Art and cover by FABIZIO FIORENTINO
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
In order to join the Sword Clan, Katana must hunt down and kill Mona Shard—but how do you kill a centuries-old ghost girl?
Why does Katana's face turn gray when she puts on her mask? Has that been explained, or is it "artistic license"?
Art and cover by WILL CONRAD
40 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
A BATMAN: ZERO YEAR tie-in! Dick Grayson frantically tries to find Haly’s Circus—and his parents—as Gotham City is plunged into total darkness!
RED LANTERNS VOL. 3: THE SECOND PROPHECY TP
Art by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA, ARDIAN SYAF, WILL CONRAD and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA
272 pg, FC, $19.99 US
After their brutal civil war, the Red Lanterns must band together against the threat of Guardians of the Universe’s latest weapon, The Third Army in these tales from RED LANTERNS #0 and 13-20! As battle lines are drawn, Atrocitus and his Red Lanterns seek vengeance against the Guardians of Oa—but things don’t go as planned as The First Lantern shows Atrocitus that everything he believed about himself, the universe and rage has been pitifully wrong.
I suppose I'll get this just to wrap up the first Red Lantern "arc." (After this story, Guy Gardner becomes leader of the Red Lanterns. Which has to be an improvement over the Hamlet-like Atrocitus!)
• The top teen heroes of the 1960s return in this volume collecting TEEN TITANS #6-20 and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #83!
• Don't miss the action as the Titans take on The Mad Mod, Captain Rumble and The Scorcher, and get wrapped up in "The Dimensional Caper" and "A Swingin' Christmas"!
$75.00
This is especially poignant, given the recent passing of artist Nick Cardy.
It was Cardy's artwork that made me a fan of Silver Age Teen Titans, as it was his art that kept me reading Silver Age Aquaman. So strong was his art (and so gorgeous his women) that I can say with confidence that if it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have read or remembered either series. If there were other readers of like mind -- and I assume there were -- it might be that both concepts would have quietly disappeared in the early 1960s. Instead, both are significant components of the modern DCU.
Seventy-five smackers is a lot of dough, though, so I can understand if many of today's readers might forgo this book just for the art. (The stories, by Bob Haney, were so corny and tin-eared for teen slang that the Li'l Capn snorted in disgust -- and he wasn't even a teenager yet!) But if you can afford it, or can find a discount somewhere, you won't be disapointed by the Cardy art. If nothing else, his Wonder Girl is a triumph for the ages.
Art by JORGE JIMENEZ
Cover by CAT STAGGS
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
With Washington, D.C., on lockdown, Air Force One under attack and the dead rising from the grave, Superman and a newly armored “Wonder Woman” take the fight to Hades and Faust. Plus, as “Olympus” concludes, Clark’s journey as Superman takes a dramatic turn!
Art by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Cover by JASON PEARSON
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
A FOREVER EVIL tie-in! A villain from the early days of The New 52 has taken over Belle Reve, and he’s formed the Reverse Suicide Squad! But who—or what—is the Reverse Suicide Squad? Harley Quinn is about to learn the hard way that Power Girl is one of its members…
Shouldn't Power Girl be out fighting the Crime Syndicate? I suppose that'll be explained away, but I probably won't believe it.
Art by ROBSON ROCHA
Cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
“KRYPTON RETURNS,” and our heroes have been sent on missions through Krypton’s history to stop H’El from dooming the universe! Superboy’s mission? Stop H’El from tampering with the history of Krypton days before its explosion. But he must also see to it that Kara Zor-El is kept safe and that the forces of the Eradicator don’t get him first.
I just read the first issue of this storyline, in Action Comics, I think. My takeaway was, "Geez, Supergirl's kind of a brat, isn't she?" I don't follow her book, so is that assessment true or false, Legionnaires?
Art and cover by TONY S. DANIEL and BATT
1:25 Variant cover by SHANE DAVIS
1:100 B&W Variant cover by TONY S. DANIEL and BATT
32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Whom the gods destroy, first they piss off! Seeking help against Doomsday, Diana turns to her brother Hephaestus for weapons—but a more immediate threat is Apollo and the other gods. They do not approve of Superman as a consort to Diana, and he will have to prove himself in combat!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
Wait, the gods want Superman to prove himself in combat? What, they don't have cable news on Mt. Olympus? They don't know that he can plug volcanoes singled-handed? Geez. Magic weakness aside, my money's on the Big Red S.
P.S.: Why do the gods get veto power over WW's boyfriends anyway? It's not like they've been a force in her life before this -- which raises the issue of where they were during her time with Steve Trevor. What, he's a better consort than Superman? Ha-rumph!
Art by YANICK PAQUETTE, MARCO RUDY, KANO, STEVE PUGH and others
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
208 pg, FC, $16.99 US
In this volume collecting SWAMP THING #12-18 and ANIMAL MAN #12 and 17, Swamp Thing finds unlikely allies in Deadman and Poison Ivy as he ventures into Gotham City to find the man who always has all the answers: Batman. But can the Caped Crusader help Swamp Thing break Rotworld’s hold over Earth?
I just read this, after having read the Animal Man half of the story a couple of weeks ago, so that wasn't optimal. But I still enjoyed it, especially the Yanick Paquette art. Not only does his Swampy border on majestic, but his Abby Arcane looks both gorgeous AND formidable -- a rare combination. Oh, and his rotting things look really putrid. He's even good at that!
The story is interesting and scary, but it so alters the DCU as a dystopic future that you know it will somehow be undone. (SPOILER: It is.) The main point is the ending, which sets up a romantic complication that is meant to be poignant. I'm not much of a romantic, so whether that works or not is up to you.
WORLDS’ FINEST #17
Art by R.B. SILVA and JOE WEEMS
Cover by EMANUAL LUPACCINO
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Power Girl tries to restore her powers to full strength with the super hero equivalent of sunbathing…in space…with disastrous results!
IDW PUBLISHING
DOCTOR WHO: PRISONERS OF TIME #11
(W) David Tipton, Scott Tipton (A) Matthew Dow Smith (CA) Francesco Francavilla, Dave Sim
Our yearlong celebration of Doctor Who's 50th anniversary continues! Geronimo! The Eleventh Doctor joins the fray in this issue of a 12-part epic adventure featuring all 11 incarnations of the Doctor. Now that the Doctor has uncovered the true identity of his latest adversary, he must track him through time and space for a final confrontation!
$3.99
Diamond didn't have a cover image, in case you're wondering.
THREAT MATRIX CONCLUDES! It's DUKE versus MAD MONK for all the marbles! 'Nuff said! (Wait. Wrong company.)
$3.99
$3.99
Wow, four issues from #200. That's pretty impressive, especially since I haven't helped them get there. Go Joe!
G.I. JOE: FUTURE NOIR TP NEW ED
It's Japan, in the near future, and the G.I. JOE team is highly advanced, but young at heart. And COBRA is something more sinister than anything seen before! All of Japan could go up in reptilian smoke if the JOEs can't stop COBRA!
$14.99
$24.99
Back from the opened grave are more masterpieces of the macabre from the horror comics of the 1950s. Genius horror artists of the known and unknown variety poured their tortured souls into these comics. The best and least seen stories have been chosen with the help of top horror comic collectors and all lovingly restored and presented in full-creepy color. You will be thrilled, chilled and maybe even a little sickened by the over-the-top ghouls and gore in this latest addition to the Chilling Archives of Horror!
I was going to stop getting these Craig Yoe "samplers" (as I call them), since I'm getting so many of the series these stories are lifted from comprehensively from PS Artbooks (including the story with this Lee Elias cover, which ran in a Harvey book). But Jeff of Earth-J instructed me to continue, so I've ordered this. SO IT'S ALL ON YOU, JEFF.
The Martian mayhem continues in Mega-City One! Dredd leads a detail of Judges in a bloody firefight with Martian forces, while scientists at HQ attempt to discover the nature of the mysterious metal sphere found in the city. But it may be too late to prevent a full-scale Martian invasion!
$3.99
That cover alone makes me want to get this.
MY LITTLE PONY ART GALLERY
Showcasing beautiful pin-ups and covers from some of the best new My Little Pony artistic talent! Will this be where you find your new favorite artist?
$3.99
MY LITTLE PONY MICRO SERIES #9 SPIKE
Spike is ready for the responsibility of being a pet-owner! However, he might be getting more than he bargained for when a delivery of Sea Beasts ("just add water!") arrives at his door. Spike's unusual training methods will result in some surprises for everyone's favorite baby dragon!
$3.99
"My Little Pony" is clearly a money-maker for IDW, although it's not anything the traditional comic-shop crowd would touch. And that makes me very, very happy. The more people buying comics, the better it is for all of us.
OTHER DEAD #3
The zombie animal infection spreads across Louisiana, as Tommy and Azrael struggle to survive and President Obama is forced to go toe-to-toe with the un-deadly animals! Join all-star creators Kevin Eastman (TMNT), Joshua Ortega (Gears of War), and Digger T Mesch (Agent 88) for the third installment of the year's most talked-about new zombie book!
$3.99
Zombie people are bad enough, but zombie animals would quickly be the end of humanity. Not only would they be unstoppable (picture zombie rats pouring out of every storm drain), but we'd starve. So I'm wondering how this series makes it plausible that we survive past the first month.
POPEYE CLASSICS ONGOING #16
The World's First Superhero, the one-eye sailor, supreme spinach lover, champion of the oppressed: POPEYE! He stars in five great comic stories in this thick issue: New Zoo, Gold Shipment, Grand Opening, Sammy Bug and Woah! And you'll see his crew, Olive Oyl, Swee'pea and Wimpy and dastardly villains, too! Will Popeye and hilarity prevail? I believe you know the answer, but the fun is getting there! Popeye Classics: putting the comic in comic books: WHOA!
$3.99
ROCKETEER/SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #3 (OF 4)
$4.99
On the trail of two murderous madmen and the mysterious Television Terror, the Spirit takes Rocketeer to Central City, and Cliff finds it nearly impossible to navigate in such a crowded urban setting-but he'd better learn quickly because Betty's life depends on it!
The origin of STAR TREK's greatest villain continues here, in this all-new mini-series overseen by STAR TREK writer/producer Roberto Orci! Witness the never-before-seen outbreak of the legendary Eugenics Wars and behold Khan Noonien Singh's brutal rise to power, as the secret history of the future is finally revealed!
$3.99
As I said last time, I didn't get enough of a sense of menace from Cumberbatch, and I was disappointed that half of Star Trek: Into Darkness was a remake of Wrath of Khan. So I'm not terribly enthusiastic about these spin-offs. Maybe that's just me.
STAR TREK NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE HC BLACK LABEL ED
From IDW Publishing. Start from the beginning of IDW's ongoing series with this Black Label edition of Star Trek: Where No Man Has Gone Before, which features: a piece of hand-drawn original full-color artwork from Joe Phillips featuring one crew member of the U.S.S. Enterprise and signed by Phillips, Mike Johnson & Tim Bradstreet; a limited-edition, custom-designed tray case; a mounted signature page signed by Johnson, Phillips & Bradstreet; a custom, IDW Limited-exclusive cover & casing; a set of eight exclusive lithographs in a hardcover portfolio; a vellum overlay of the title page; and brand-new endpages designed to mirror the style of the tray case and portfolio. It comes stamped with the IDW Limited Black Foil Imprint and includes a black satin ribbon bookmark. NOTE: The pictured hand-drawn artwork is a representative example. Joe Phillips has created 50 uniquely different, completely original pieces of art for this project. The artwork you receive is one of a kind and may not match the image/character shown in this photograph. Limited to just 50 hand-numbered copies.
(W) Mike Johnson (A) Erfan Fajar, Claudia Balboni (CA) Tim Bradstreet
STAR TREK ONGOING TP VOL 06 AFTER DARKNESS
$17.99
STAR TREK STARDATE COLL HC VOL 01
The comic book tales of Star Trek have roamed the universe and spanned publishers, but now Star Trek: The Stardate Collection collects the many iterations of Trek in order... by stardate! Helmed by Trek experts Scott and David Tipton, and featuring special commentary and creator interviews, volume 1 starts at the beginning to reveal the motives, machinations and decisions that shaped the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. For new and old fans alike, there's never been a Star Trek collection like this!
$49.95
TMNT VILLAIN MICROSERIES VOL 1 TP
Krang, Baxter Stockman, Old Hob, and Alopex all get their turn. Krang's history is revealed, Baxter's secret project may be more dangerous than he realized, Old Hob is ready to branch out on his own, and Alopex discovers a devastating truth about her past.
$17.99
Revisit this TMNT Mirage classic in full glorious color! A fun-filled and relaxing picnic turns into action-filled drama for our heroes as they suddenly find themselves thrust into battle against militant survivalists, all the while racing to disarm a nuclear bomb that's primed to start World War Three!
$3.99
TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE VOL 5 TP
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE's first full-blown epic moves into high gear as RODIMUS leads his crew to the gates of heaven-or hell. But larger forces are closing in and an ancient plan is reaching fruition-and as an old friend calls time on the AUTOBOTS' quest, one thing becomes clear: the LEGISLATORS are on the march.
$19.99
One Transformers ...
TRANSFORMERS PRIME: BEAST HUNTERS #7
With Cybertron reborn, the Dinobots have made their way to the surface. But now, the war has returned and the Dinobots are caught in the maelstrom. With old allies joining the battle, can the Dinobots take back Cybertron?
$3.99
Two Transformers ...
TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #96
ZERO INITIATIVE! As RODIMUS PRIME urgently struggles to comprehend the what, why, and wherefore of SPIKE WITWICKY, GALVATRON, JHIAXUS, and a DARK MATRIX creature, and specifically how they contribute to the final dissolution of time, space and everything in between! Unless NIGHTBEAT and BUMBLEBEE can shake loose some answers, the future-is cancelled.
$3.99
Transformers Three ...
TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE 100 PENNY PRESS #1
Go back and discover how it all began, for only one dollar! BUMBLEBEE and his fellow AUTOBOTS struggle to maintain control of a world without OPTIMUS PRIME!
$1.00
That's sure lots
Of big robots
Where IDW makes its mon-eeee!
TRIPLE HELIX #2
The Monitors-what are they? Who is behind them? Begin to find out, this issue. Plus: a surprising development for Rock and an unexpected ally for Pylon.
$3.99
I discovered John Byrne with his earliest published work at Charlton (Doomday + 1, Rog 2000), and was delighted when he moved to Marvel, first on Iron Fist and then on X-Men. And he was probably my favorite artist during his X-Men, Fantastic Four and Avengers West Coast runs. So it's with surprise and sadness, as well as disappointment, that I look at this cover and think "Boy, that style sure is dated."
Joe Hill's New York Times Bestselling novel, NOS4A2, introduced readers to the terrifying funhouse world of Christmasland, and the mad man who rules there: Charlie Talent Manx III. Now, in an original new comic miniseries, Hill throws wide the candy cane gates to tell a standalone story that is at once both accessible to new readers, and sure to delight fans of the book.
$3.99
IMAGE COMICS
BOMB QUEEN DELUXE EDITION, VOL. 4 HC
272 PAGES / FC / M+
OVER-SIZED HARDCOVER
$24.99
Concluding the deluxe re-mastering of comicdom's greatest guilty pleasure! This volume collects BOMB QUEEN 7: ATOMIC BOMB and BOMB QUEEN: GANG BANG fully re-edited (plus extras) in a beautiful over-sized hardcover! Complete the set and make the world a safer place...or, at least, a funnier one!
I bought the first series of this because I saw "Jimmie Robinson" and thought "JAMES Robinson. Oops! Needless to say, there's a huge difference.
This book is big on boobs and sex jokes, as well as over-the-top violence, with a smattering of social satire. The latter part makes it palatable for me, but not enough that I'm still following it. I think I hung in there for about the first three miniseries, but a little of this goes a long way for me.
THE BOUNCE #7
Art / cover DAVID MESSINA
32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
THE BOUNCE AND THE VAMP — A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN!
But how does her sordid history tie in with his? Is the world really as dirty as it feels? Only the Darling knows for sure! Watch out — this issue is live like a suicide!
Art / cover ROB GUILLORY
576 PAGES / FC / M
$100.00
S&N LIMITED EDITION $150.00
The CHEW SMORGASBORD EDITION is the ultimate CHEW experience! Stuff yourself on this massive, deluxe hardcover featuring the first 20 issues of the New York Times best-selling, Harvey- and multiple-Eisner Award-winning series about cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals, and clairvoyants. One oversized slip-cased volume, jam-packed with extras. It’ll be a feast for your senses and a diet for your wallet!
Also available in a limited signed and numbered edition ($150.00).
story JONATHAN HICKMAN
art NICK PITARRA
"FINITE OPPENHEIMERS," Part Two
An in-depth look at the second decade of the ongoing war inside Oppenheimer's brain. It's endless brothers versus brothers: It's the Oppenheimer Civil War!
$3.50
SCIENCE AND MAGIC COLLIDE!
Simon Ambrose is a brilliant young professor at MIT. As a man of science, he does not put much stock in faith. When he discovers that he is the bastard son of the world's greatest wizard, Merlin, he is forced to put his skepticism aside and embrace a world of magic... and the mayhem it embodies.
Collects SON OF MERLIN #1-5
$19.99
Art CHARLIE ADLARD, STEFANO GAUDIANO & CLIFF RATHBURN
Cover CHARLIE ADLARD & DAVE STEWART
32 PAGES / BW / M / $2.99
“ALL OUT WAR” continues!
The first battle of the war rages on!
I trade-wait TWD, and the last volume I got only carries me through issue #105. So don't tell me anything!
Rick. Ezekiel. Gregory. Negan. Each man holds the fate of their community in their hands... and WAR is on the horizon.
This isn't the trade series I'm getting -- I'm getting the "Deluxe." This series breaks what comes in the Deluxe in two parts, so followers of this series will see a certain number of issues before I do, but eventually I catch up.
So don't tell me anything!
MARVEL COMICS
ALL NEW X-MEN #18
• The X-Men are shaken to the core by the Battle of the Atom. So much that we can't show you the cover of ALL-NEW X-MEN #19!
• Kitty Pryde is particularly is shaken by the events of the X-Men crossover. With her students gone, what is Kitty to do?
$3.99
I haven't read Battle of the Atom yet, so don't tell me anything!
THE FINAL FIGHTS RAGE ON!
• Up on Murder World Island, it's the surviving contestants in an all-out battle royale!
• Down in Arcade's lair, it's two other contestants vs. Arcade!
$2.99
This title can't end soon enough for me. As I said somewhere on this forum recently, I don't care for stories where heroes fight heroes in an arena setting, because A) I don't find it particularly heroic and B) it doesn't feel plausible. I think a genuine hero would say "No, I won't fight my friends for your amusement, no matter how I am made to suffer for that." If they all say that, the bad guys have no leverage.
And yet, this sort of story happens all the time, and here's a whole series based on the premise.
Bleah. You won't catch me reading it.
Cover by ADI GRANOV
Variant Cover by Sal Buscema
VINTAGE VARIANT Cover by MIKE ALLRED
• Captain America battles alien mutants in the Siberian wasteland!
• Why was this Russian science facility abandoned decades ago --and what survives within?
• How is Cap’s shield the key to unlocking the mystery of this deadly alien force?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
Wow, that Sal Buscema cover sure looks dated, doesn't it?
Variant Cover by GABRIEL HARDMAN
• MILES MORALES learned the meaning of having great responsibility and put his costume back on after mourning the tragic death of his mother
• Now he stands to lose his entire world as a cosmic threat descends on earth
• Can SPIDER-MAN and his friends, CLOAK & DAGGER and SPIDER-WOMAN make a difference in the face of apocalypse?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
Spider-Man vs. Galactus? That should be a really short book ...
• The final chapter of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
• Hey, you know how Deadpool is always so funny?
• Let’s see if he can keep that up after this.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99
I kinda dropped Deadpool with Marvel NOW!, thinking I had read all the Deadpool stories I needed to. Am I missing anything?
Penciled by BOB BROWN, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, SAL BUSCEMA, GIL KANE & GEORGE TUSKA
Cover by RICH BUCKLER
The adventures of the Man Without Fear continue! Hornhead takes on the Torpedo, but is he friend or foe…or both? After a disastrous court case involving Man-Bull, Matt Murdock opens a storefront legal clinic! The lethal Bullseye makes his deadly debut, and proves himself a force to be reckoned with! Daredevil teams with a real-life psychic to battle Mind-Wave! The Jester frames Daredevil for murder! DD joins Iron Man to battle the alien Blood Brothers! And Karen Page makes her long-awaited return in a calamitous crossover with Ghost Rider! Plus: the riotous returns of Gladiator, Beetle, Cobra, Mr. Hyde, Man-Bull and the Owl! Daredevil’s in for the fight of his life! Guest-starring Black Panther, the Sub-Mariner and Nova the Human Rocket! Collecting DAREDEVIL (1964) #126-146 and ANNUAL #4, IRON MAN (1968) #88-89, and GHOST RIDER (1973) #20.
480 PGS./Rated T …$19.99
WILL SLINEY (A)
Cover by MARK BROOKS
• A new status quo for Marvel’s Warrior Women? Sounds like the perfect time for a field trip to New Amazonia!
• Secrets of Hippolyta’s resurrection are revealed!
• And love is in the air for the Fearless Defenders!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
I just finished the first Fearless Defenders trade, and I felt like the whole first story was just an excuse to introduce and set up the gay scientist chick. I have nothing against gay characters, or scientist characters, or chick characters, or any combination thereof, but I do have a problem with stories that read badly because the writer is straining so mightily to achieve. It's just bad writing.
Also, I think Hippolyta referred to Themyscira Island in that TPB -- which is a reference to DC Comics! Themyscira in myth is in Greece (not an island), and in geography a plain (not an island) in Turkey. And I don't recall it being established in Marvel Comics that the Amazons lived on an island anyway, and certainly not one named Themyscira. IOW, "Themyscira Island" is a construct specific to DC's mythology.
Didn't the Amazons live on Mt. Olympus in Silver Age Thor and Avengers? Anyway, as far as I know, this is the first time "Themyscira" has ever been mentioned in Marvel Comics at all, and makes it look like Cullen Bunn has learned all his mythology from comic books. Not to mention possibly being a trademark violation!
Penciled by ED MCGUINNESS, ARTHUR ADAMS, FRANK CHO & HERB TRIMPE
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Red alert! There’s a sadistic new red-skinned Hulk in the Marvel Universe, with keen intelligence and a radioactive touch! Who or what is he? And with Marvel’s heroes powerless against him, will it take a Hulk to catch a Hulk? It’s an explosive battle as the red and green Hulks collide! But even as Bruce Banner is attacked by a pack of wild Wendigos, She-Hulk recruits a cavalry of super heroines including Valkyrie, Thundra, Ms. Marvel and Storm! Plus: The Defenders are reassembled to take down the Red Hulk, but he’s got a team of his own! All this and a shock ending that changes the Hulk’s life forever! Guest-starring Iron Man, Thor, Moon Knight, Spider-Man, Doc Samson, Rick Jones and Norman Osborn! Collecting HULK (2008) #1-12, KING-SIZE HULK #1, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #600 and material from WOLVERINE (2003) #50.
440 PGS./Rated T+ …$34.99
Variant Cover by PAOLO RIVERA
• Marvel Knights presents Brahm Revel’s thrilling and dark X-Men adventure that asks: what happens when your past comes back to kill you?
• Wolverine, Kitty & Rogue set out on the road to rescue new mutants from being murdered. But their help may not be welcome in this backwoods town--and the murderer may be closer to them than they think.
• A gritty murder mystery told by the talented and new to Marvel creator, Brahm Revel (Guerillas).
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
You know, if I were a Marvel Comics character, I might just stop hanging around Wolverine. That guy's past is a trouble magnet.
• The Red Skull has captured Iron Man’s armor and become The Iron Skull!
• The Avengers’ deadliest foe now wields the power of the strongest weapon on earth!
32 PGS./All Ages …$2.99
Two hundred volumes long and still going strong, the MARVEL MASTERWORKS celebrate Vol. 200 with the launch of Marvel Two-In-One! Yes, the ever lovin', blue-eyed Thing's own series collected is between hard covers at last! Begun as a MARVEL FEATURE tryout, Ben Grimm's headlining effort kicked off with Hulk and Iron Man battles (not to mention Thanos and the Blood Brothers), and then shifted into high gear with monster vs. monster - yup, it's Thing vs. Man-Thing! Rounding out the first ten issues are the revival of the Guardians of the Galaxy; revelations in the life of the Valkyrie; and adventures with Daredevil, Sub-Mariner, Ghost Rider, Thor and Black Widow - and before you know it, you'll be clamoring for more! Ya ain't a Yancy Streeter, are ya? Collecting MARVEL FEATURE (1971) #11-12 and MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) #1-10.
$69.99
MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES VOL. 4 DIGEST
Cover by KHOI PHAM
It’s all-out action and excitement as the hit Disney XD TV show bursts off the screen and into your hands with four screen-capture adaptations from season one!
• On a case with special guest stars the Fantastic Four, Avengers Mansion becomes a target for the diabolical Dr. Doom!
• Iron Man tackles the terrible Technovore, while his fellow Avengers battle the high-tech machinations of the Advanced Idea Mechanics!
• Baron Zemo must turn to the Avengers for help against the Enchantress!
• The Kree Empire comes to Earth, and Ms. Marvel joins the Avengers to face the Kree champion Ronan the Accuser!
• The Ant-Man armor has been stolen! Left with no choice, Hank Pym must hire the Heroes for Hire to get it back!
• Collecting MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES #13-17.
112 PGS./All Ages …$9.99
• Jock’s sci-fi Wolverine saga comes to its thrilling conclusion!
• Logan learns the sinister truth of the alien planet he’s found himself on.
• But more horrifying still are the truths he finds in an underground cavern – truths he may not be prepared to learn!
• Everything comes full circle as Logan’s future finds its roots in the darkest corners of his past!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
Here we go again. At least this time Wolverine's past is only threatening Wolverine.
• FOES! FOREVER!
• You can't steal the head of Silvermane without severe repercussions - a lesson the Foes are about to learn the hard way!
• Don't miss out on the next action-packed chapters of the sleeper hit of Superior Spider-Month!
• The hunt for Malekith the Accursed continues!
• Thor and his newfound compatriots in the League of Realms chase the Dark Elf marauder across the Nine Realms: From the exotic fairy gardens of Alfheim to the frozen mountains of Jotunheim, where giants dwell.
• But when one of the League falls…will it mean war for all Realms?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
I love exploring the Norse Nine Worlds, places I've wondered about since they were essentially just names in the Elder Edda I read in junior high. This is tailor-made for me.
THOR: THE WARRIORS THREE — THE COMPLETE COLLECTION TPB
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, MARIE SEVERIN, JOHN BUSCEMA, CHARLES VESS, HERB TRIMPE, JOE BARNEY, DEODATO STUDIOS, NEIL EDWARDS & MORE
Cover by JOE BARNEY
The Lord of the Sword, the Master of the Mace and the God of Girth! A romance-seeking rogue, a somber soldier and a fumbling family man: They’re one odd trio, but they’re the God of Thunder’s closest comrades — and even without him, they remain Asgard’s finest! Watch the Warriors Three face down Loki, Ulik, the Enchantress, the Destroyer and more! And when the fearsome Fenris Wolf returns, the Warriors Three undertake a quest to discover the secret of his defeat! Collecting THOR ANNUAL #2, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #102, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT (1971) #30, MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #34-35, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952) #-1, WARRIORS THREE #1-4 — and material from TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #101; MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #13 and #36-37; THOR (1966) #400, #410 and #415-416; MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #66; THOR ANNUAL #17; and MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1990) #15.
384 PGS./Rated T+ …$34.99
I don't see how this can call itself "complete" when it doesn't include Thor stories where the Warriors Three were prominent, not to mention the two or three miniseries that starred them.
Penciled by GEOF ISHERWOOD, MIKE DEODATO JR. & MORE
Cover by MIKE DEODATO JR.
Two Lokis, three Thors — no Asgard!? Enemies become allies, comrades become strangers, and gods become mortals in Thor’s final pre-Onslaught saga! The World Tree Yggdrasil has been tricked into believing that Asgard no longer deserves its place in the multiverse, but the Thunder God will carve one himself if he has to — no matter what magic, or lack thereof, stands in his way! It’s a saga spanning from the sewers to the heavens — with Frost Giants, Trolls, gangsters, robots, frogs and more! Plus: a re-telling of Thor’s origin like none before or since! Guest-starring Dr. Strange and the Avengers! Collecting THOR (1966) #495 and #497-502.
184 PGS./Rated T …$29.99
I don't remember much about this story when it first appeared except that I was confused most of the time.
$34.99
The Lord of the Sword, the Master of the Mace and the God of Girth! A romance-seeking rogue, a somber soldier and a fumbling family man: They're one odd trio, but they're the God of Thunder's closest comrades - and even without him, they remain Asgard's finest! Watch the Warriors Three face down Loki, Ulik, the Enchantress, the Destroyer and more! And when the fearsome Fenris Wolf returns, the Warriors Three undertake a quest to discover the secret of his defeat! Collecting THOR ANNUAL #2, INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #102, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT (1971) #30, MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #34-35, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952) #-1, WARRIORS THREE #1-4 - and material from TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) #101; MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #13 and #36-37; THOR (1966) #400, #410 and #415-416; MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #66; THOR ANNUAL #17; and MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1990) #15.
X-Men 50th Anniversary Variant by TBA
• With the world on the brink of viral apocalypse, Logan and Kitty Pryde face down the Thirteen Ninjas of Sabretooth’s Hand!
• And that’s not all – enter Lord Deathstrike and the Silver Samurai!
• It all comes to a head with one final moment that will change the face of Wolverine – forever!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
Wait -- where's Wolverine's Past (tm)? It always shows up to complicate things!
Penciled by SIMONE BIANCHI
Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
Wolverine’s arch enemy — the savage Sabretooth — is back from the dead! But how did he survive his beheading all those years ago? As the immortal manipulator Romulus returns from the ebon folds of the Darkforce Dimension, a mysterious red-headed woman comes to Wolverine’s rescue — and when her identity and connection to Romulus are revealed, secrets will be revealed that rewrite Wolverine’s history once again! And can Wolverine survive an army of Sabretooths? Eisner Award-winning writer Jeph Loeb (Hulk, Avengers: X-Sanction) joins superstar artist Simone Bianchi in a tale of revenge, terror and blood! Collecting WOLVERINE (1988) #310-313.
112 PGS./Parental Advisory …$19.99
Penciled by TAN ENG HUAT
Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
Legion travels to the UK to preemptively extinguish a threat to the reignited mutant race — but Pete Wisdom, head of Britain’s paranormal intelligence agency, won’t stand for crimes in the name of mutantkind on his turf! Who will win this game of superhuman spy vs. spy? Then: Legion meets with his mother, Gabrielle Haller, to sort out their complicated relationship once and for all! How will this visit affect the monsters that haunt David’s mind? Should some old memories remain buried? Finally, David and Blindfold confront the man who killed his father, Professor X — but Cyclops won’t take their attack lying down! Can the son Xavier neglected and the man he adopted as his protégé find common ground? Or does the river of resentment between these two “brothers” run too deep? Collecting X-MEN LEGACY (2012) #13-18.
136 PGS./Rated T+ …$15.99
I can't say I'm a big fan of Legion, so is there anyone else in this title I might find interesting?
ARCHIE COMICS
ARCHIE 1000 PAGE COMICS JAMBOREE (TPB)
Script: Various
Art: Various
Cover: Dan Parent, Rich Koslowski, Rosario ‘Tito’ Peña
$14.99/$15.99CAN
4 7/8 x 6 9/16” Trade Paperback
1000pp, Full Color
That's a lot of Archie! I like that part, but someone should tell their copy editors that 1,000 has a comma in it. IMPROPER PUNCTUATION DRIVES ME INTO A MURDEROUS RAGE!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Jamal Peppers, Ryan Jampole, Jim Amash, Matt Herms, John Workman
Cover: Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante
$11.99/$13.99CAN
6 5/8 x 10 3/16” Trade Paperback
104 pp, Full Colo
I imagine this to be the Archie equivalent of "Crisis on Earth-One!" and "Crisis on Earth-Two!" It's probably not, but I like to think so.
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #15
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by MICHAEL WALSH
WARNING: This is no longer a (FINGER QUOTES) "fun" comic.
Now that the Sect Civil War has begun, it is now a (FINGER QUOTES) "grim" and (FINGER QUOTES) "gritty" work of (REAL QUOTES) "sequential literature" with blood and headshots and naughty words (like "H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS") and if you squint real hard at the backgrounds, maybe boobies.
In this particular issue that will change the Valiant Universe forever*, the man now calling himself Dark Archer (NOTE TONAL SHIFT) must find his former partner Armstrong so they can reunite to stop the aforementioned Sect Civil War.
And there are almost no fart jokes.
Okay, one.
(* FOREVER = APPROX. 20 MINUTES)
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
Heh. I hope the book is half as funny as the solictation!
Art by BARRY KITSON
Cover by MICHAEL WALSH
Variant Cover by ANDREW ROBINSON
Nothing is what it seems when hyper-psychics go to war.
Scattered across their own mental landscapes, each one of the remaining Renegades must quest to unite with the others or be lost forever inside themselves. It will take courage, strength, imagination and an unwavering belief in one another if they're going to discover the dark truth behind their Perfect Day.
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
Art by KHARI EVANS, TREVOR HAIRSINE, MICO SUAYAN, BARRY KITSON, PHIL BRIONES, LEE GARBETT, PERE PEREZ, and MATTHEW CLARK
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
An oversized, deluxe hardcover collecting the landmark first year of Harbinger in the Valiant Universe!
Outside the law. Inside your head. You've never met a team of super-powered teenagers quite like the Renegades. Skipping across the country in a desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities, psionically-powered teenager Peter Stanchek only has one option left – run. But he won't have to go it alone. As the shadowy corporation known as the Harbinger Foundation draws close on all sides, Peter will have to find and recruit other unique individuals like himself… other troubled, immensely powerful youths with abilities beyond their control. Their mission? Bring the fight back to the Harbinger Foundation's founder Toyo Harada – and dismantle his global empire brick by brick…
Collecting the sold-out HARBINGER #0-14, the Harbinger Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 HC also comes jam-packed with more than 20 pages of never-before-seen art and extras, direct from the Valiant vaults.
$39.99/T+/384 pgs.
OVERSIZED HARDCOVER
Hmmm. I have the first TPBs of the first five Valiant titles. Should I maybe have waited for the super-size edition? Argh!
Publisher: VIZ LLC
(W/A/CA) Yoshiki Nakamura
Teito and company evade Ayanami's agents by jumping on a slave ship headed to Teito's homeland, the ruined Raggs Kingdom. While overcome by bitter memories of his past as a combat slave, Teito has to face his fiercest foe yet - his pet dragon's mother, come to reclaim her son!
$9.99
I have to wonder if they named this book with "07" leading the title just so it would always be at the top of every alphabetical list.
(W) Ghostface Killah & Various (A) Breno Tamura, Gus Storms
Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and Ghostface Killah raise the stakes in issue four as the gangster thread and horror thread coalesce! The deaths grow more gruesome, the gangsters more brutal, the mysteries more intriguing... and The Ghostface Killah rises!
$3.50
(W) Steven Grant (A) Emilio Laiso (CA) Rafael Albuquerque
The gun deal Trench and Steadman were blackmailed into facilitating has gone south, and now the two guns are caught in the crossfire of the two warring factions. Meanwhile, Joey meets up with her government handler, leveraging the stolen weapons and money into a last-attempt to bring both sides to justice.
$3.99
Didn't the Lethal Weapon buddy films also add a chick at some point? In fact, I think it was Rene Russo, who is now Frigga, queen of the Norse gods!
(W/A/CA) Kei Murayama
Being a teenager is never easy, especially for a centaur! Himeno is a sweet, shy girl, who like many teens her age, struggles with the trials and tribulations of attending high school. The difference is she's a centaur - but she's not alone. In fact, all of her classmates are supernatural creatures, sporting either horns, wings, tails, halos, or some other unearthly body appendage. Yet despite their fantastical natures, Himeno and her best friends - the dragon-winged Nozomi, and Kyoko with her spiraled horns - are down-to-earth, fun-loving teenagers who grapple with issues of life and love in a mostly normal daily school setting.
$12.99
(W) David Elliott, W.H. Rauf (A) Garrie Gastonny & Various (CA) Various
The last issue of the first series of the new A1 draws to a close, but it won't be the end for these characters. Carpe Diem: When an endless horde of volcanic monsters march to destroy everything humanity holds dear, not even the CARPEDIEM agents can stop it. Odyssey: Blazing Glory's showdown with Sharky in Zuccotti Park raises questions in the White House and President Obama is forced to make a decision that will come back to haunt him. Weirding Willows: There is a werewolf loose in the house of Dr. Moreau and she may be too much for even Frankenstein's Monster to handle.
$3.99
(W) Ananth Panagariya, Yuko Ota (A) Ian McGinty, Tessa Stone (CA) Andy Price, Laura Birdsall
This ADVENTURE TIME whodunit continues with hilarious team-no one is expecting as Ooo searches for it's newest hero, but is Peppermint Butler any closer to figuring out what happened to Finn and Jake? Each issue is great for fans by itself but for series readers, it'll only be a matter of time before the truth finally comes out.
$3.99
This property seems pretty popular, but I now nothing about it. Can anyone give me a capsule summary of it, and a brief explanation of why -- and with whom -- it's popular?
(W/A/CA) Various
WHY WE LOVE IT: ADVENTURE TIME creator Pendleton Ward loves the independent comic scene, which is why he's given us the unprecedented ability to have our favorite creators reinterpret his creation in their own style.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE IT: This special volume is the perfect juxtaposition of everything you love about ADVENTURE TIME and everything you love about the limitless potential of comic book storytelling.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Comic creators from around the world unite to celebrate all things ADVENTURE TIME in this collection of incredibly original miniadventures. Starring all of your favorite characters from Finn and Jake to Hot Dog Princess and Peppermint Butler, SUGARY SHORTS Volume One is a syrupy salute to the Land of Ooo that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. SUGARY SHORTS is all the short stories from issue #114. Finally all of our favorite little moments of the comic in one place.
$34.99
(W) Quinrose (A/CA) Riko Sakura
A new Alice manga series by the author of the New York Times-bestseller Alice in the Country of Hearts. Blood Dupre is the enigmatic leader of the Hatters, Wonderland's mafia. Along with his second-in-command, Elliot March, also known as the March Hare, Blood Dupre schemes from the shadows inside Hatter Mansion, while keeping his enemies at bay. Yet when Alice Lidell enters his life, she gives the dangerous mafia boss a run for his money.
$13.99
You tell kids today that Alice was once a child and they just won't believe you.
(W) J. T. Krul (A/CA) V Kenneth Marion
Aspen's final '10 for 10' series makes its red-hot debut!
In the future, technology is everywhere, but there's a greater source of power and wonder now out there - magic! After saving the world from the destructive force of chaos itself, Malikai and his friends try to return to a life of normalcy. PJ is determined to be Benoist's heir in the battle arena, where cybernetic technology rules the day. Malikai is just happy to be with Sonia again, yet he can't help see that Grace is still haunted by the scars of the past. Meanwhile, a secret danger grows in the shadows between magic and technology, and it has a name - RAINIER! Don't miss this exciting premiere issue of the ALL NEW SOULFIRE!
Join veteran Soulfire scribe JT Krul, along with the amazing artistic talents of V. Ken Marion and Kyle Ritter, as an all-new direction for Michael Turner's fantasy epic Soulfire begins right now!
$1.00
Since "All-New Soulfire" was also the subject of Aspen's Halloween ComicFest giveaway, I presume they're really pushing a comeback.
(W/A) Various
From confessional, personal accounts to erotic flights of fancy to undersea identity politics, this collection of comics invites the reader to step outside the categories and explore the wild and wonderful uncharted territory between "gay" and "straight." Edited by Charles "Zan" Christensen, with a foreword by sexologist Dr. Carol Queen.
$29.99
Gay people represent about 7-10 percent of the population overall, and I can't see straight people -- even sympathetic ones -- having much interest in this. So I'm just wondering what the potential sales of something like this would be. I'm guessing a pretty low ceiling.
(W) Elliot Serrano (A) Edu Menna & Various (CA) Daniel Leister
Lost in time, low on gas... and surrounded by dames! Ashley J. Williams, the @$$-kicking Chosen One, is thrown through time to Prohibition Era Chicago. When the Book of the Dead revives an army of Deadite gangsters, Ash turns his boomstick in for a badge, his chainsaw for a tommy gun! But even greater evils from throughout the ages align against our hero, including King Montezuma, undead Nazi soldiers, and a resurrected Yakuza crime lord! Will the Chosen One survive the ravages of time, and how does the mysterious Lady Ash fit into the equation?
$19.99
(W/A/CA) Sally Jane Thompson
Tamrika's parents have sent her to their alma mater, an academy miles from Vancouver. With no friends and a taciturn roommate, Tammy feels deeply out of place. Starting an art club to meet some kindred spirits, she finds new relationships that make her ask what she wants out of life.
$18.99
(W) Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning (A) Cezar Razek (CA) Alex Ross
Starbuck and Apollo must help the beleaguered human resistance fighters against overwhelming odds as they face extinction at the hands of the all-pervading Cylon empire. It's all or nothing for our time-displaced heroes as winning may jeopardize their chances of returning home.
$3.99
I know they're cheesy, but I just love those old Cylons.
(W/A/CA) Peter Pants
Will readers finally see the "Femme Fatale Face-Off" every Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page fan has fantasized about? If blondes have more fun, why is this Hollywood hot-head so angry and what can Bettie Page do to stop her mood swing madness? The nude models of Artsy Tartsy Modeling Agency have been spanked before, but never this hard and never for free as tempers fly when egos clash in a celebrity smashfest only one Playboy centerfold will survive! And, in celebration of this tenth issue landmark, see new photos of all ten Modern Models from the first ten issues plus Bettie Page, seen in full color and 3-D!
$9.95
I have to admire the unabashed sleaziness of it all.
(W) Paul Tobin (A) Leno Carvalho & Various (CA) Paul Renaud
Just because they could rebuild her, doesn't mean her life isn't a wreck! After Jaime Sommers suffers a horrific parachute accident, her then-boyfriend, Steve Austin, convinces his superiors to save her life using similar bionic parts to the ones that made him the Bionic Man. The doctors / scientists replace both Jaime's legs. Her right arm. Her ear. And a few other surprises! Now, she's the Bionic Woman, and her body is faster, and stronger, but much of the memory of her past life is missing. But old lives have a way of popping back up again, and when the recipients of the earliest bionic prototypes are being killed across the globe, horribly murdered with their bionic parts stolen, Jaime has to put her new life in Paris on hold. Especially since it now looks like the mysterious killers are done with the small fry. They want the upgrade. They want the Bionic Woman! It's bullets, bionics, and baguettes in the city of love in this trade paperback collecting issues #1-6 of The Bionic Woman series, complete with a cover gallery.
$24.99
Steve Austin just dreams he can kick like that. (Either of them.)
(W/A/CA) Shoko Hidaka
Clinging to his fierce, unwavering love for Katsuragi, Akihito moves ever closer to an engagement to the daughter of Duke Sajo. Firmly focused on his future, Akihito asks his friend Ishizaki's father to be his go-between in the marriage talks, but Ishizaki insists that in exchange he wants Tomoyuki Katsuragi! Around the same time, former houseboy Amamiya discovers mysterious documents relating to Katsuragi's lineage.
$12.99
Yaoi, right? I wonder if it sells primarily to young girls here like it does in Japan. I kinda doubt it, but what do I know?
(W/A/CA) Jay P. Fosgitt
Bodie becomes a profit to doom in a dirty diaper, but storm clouds are on the horizon, and the doom to come may be Bodie's!
$2.99
(W/A/CA) Stuart Jennett
It's the slam-bang conclusion of the first mini-series as the Sarge and his Nazi nemesis, Richter, beat the crap out of each other for the stolen Chronosphere core - and only one of them is making it home!
$3.99
How do you keep fighting World War II in the 21st century? TIME MACHINE!
CODENAME ACTION #3
(W) Chris Roberson (A) Jonathan Lau (CA) Jae Lee, Jonathan Lau
Masked crimefighters in America come under attack when new legislation targeting them is passed, while tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union continue to mount. Operator 5 has gone deep undercover, but when things take a turn for the worst, Operative 1001 is the only one who has a chance of rescuing him. Or will 1001 find help in the unlikeliest of places?
$3.99
(W) David Hine (A) German Erramouspe (CA) Matt Martin
DAVID HINE spins a bloody and dire tale from the beginning of the Crossed outbreak. A group of American college kids abroad find themselves not only in a strange land but at ground zero with the grinning psychopaths of the apocalypse. What started out as a road trip to Japan has turned into a grueling bloodbath of pain and misery. Even at a remote Japanese monastery temple, there is no help, there is no hope...there is only the Crossed. Available with a Regular cover by Matt Martin, Torture cover by Gabriel Andrade, Wraparound cover by Rafael Ortiz, and special Red Crossed Incentive cover by Martin.
$3.99
These covers are so awful, I have to admit it's made me curious!
(W/A/CA) Nozomu Tamaki
Mina Tepes, the princess of vampires, has set up a special district for vampires off the coast of Tokyo. Mina's extensive preparations include founding a school that she herself attends, along with her passionately loyal werewolf bodyguard, Akira, in tow. Ever since the day the school opened, rival vampire factions have opposed Mina's grand vision. They continue targeting the human populace in order to smear Mina's reputation and sabotage her well-laid plans of vampires and humans living together in peace. This omnibus edition contains volumes 10-12 from the hit manga series Dance in the Vampire Bund.
$19.99
I think one of the strengths of manga is that it's not as ethnocentric as American comics. In Japanese comics, all the world's cultures are fair game, so you see weird mash-ups like this. The heroine of Bram Stoker's Dracula was Mina Harker, and Dracula's real-world name was Vlad Tepes -- from whence you get Mina Tepes (their daughter, perhaps?). Anyway, the creators of this series mix the Japanese schoolgirl genre with Western vampire lore, plus a Nazi-era reference ("bund"), and you get something unique. I haven't read it, but I have to admit I'm very curious.
(W) Z.M. Thomas (A/CA) Cliff Richards, Cris Bolson
Minneapolis Police Officer, Ryan Gavin, has been thrust into the very beginning of a zombie apocalypse, where the dead are tearing the living from limb to limb. However, things go from bad to worse, when his brother-in-law is bitten by one of the infected, forcing Ryan to make a decision that could either save one life, or end them all.
$19.95
Zombies in Minneapolis!? Georgia, sure, but now you've gone too far!
(W) Paul Jenkins (A) Carlos Magno (CA) Reilly Brown
Secrets ten issues in the making are finally revealed in the penultimate DEATHMATCH: Who is the villain responsible for kidnapping the world's heroes and forcing them to fight to the death? What is the real purpose of the deathmatches? And who will be the ultimate victor?
$3.99
I should just cut and paste my comments about Avengers Arena here.
(W/A/CA) Farel Dalrymple
Delusional is a book of comics and drawings by cartoonist Farel Dalrymple. You might have seen them in various anthologies, or posted on the internets, but now they are collected into one beautiful tome. Farel's previous work includes Pop Gun War, Omega the Unknown, and the occasional Prophet.
$24.95
(W/A/CA) Jack Katz
After the generations-spanning excitement of the first volume, The Galaxy Hunters takes Jack Katz's epic future history in a bold new direction, as humanity lifts itself back up to the stars, and strikes out for new frontiers, thirsting for new knowledge. But the Gods of Helleas Voran, who have watched, guided and schemed against humanity all the while, may not allow a second human empire to dominate the universe!
$24.99
I remember seeing ads for The First Kingdom in magazines and comics like Star*Reach back in the 1960s and '70s. The longevity is impressive, and yet, I've never read a single issue.
(W/A/CA) Hiromu Arakawa
Contains Volumes 16, 17 and 18!
The Elric brothers head north to Fort Briggs in search of May Chang, whose Xing alchemy may contain the answers they seek. But as Ed and Al soon discover, the only thing less forgiving than Briggs's weather is the regiment of hardened soldiers assigned to defend it. Matters grow even more complicated when Ed and Al get thrown in lockdown and the sadistic Kimblee arrives from Central with Winry as his hostage. But even Kimblee's cruelty pales in comparison to the evil of the new homunculi watching from the shadows...
$14.99
Here's a manga involving alchemy, another Western concept. You really have to admire the willingness of manga creators to filch from all over the world.
(W) Garth Ennis (A) Craig Cermak (CA) Howard Chaykin
All the cards are on the table, and everyone knows where every player stands. A trap is laid- but are Red Team about to be beaten at their own game? A malevolent foe makes his move at last, in the sixth and penultimate episode of Red Team.
$3.99
I love Ennis' Battlefields. But there's another Garth Ennis that revels in bashing superheroes to the detriment of any kind of story. Who's writing this, good Garth or bad Garth? Anyone know?
(W) Gene Simmons (A) Yannis Roumboulias, Various (CA) Yannis Roumboulias
Arcana Comics and Simmons Comics Group are proud to present this special anthology, featuring the second chapters of Zipper, Dominatrix, and Gene Simmons House of Horrors, as well as the second chapter of the first ever crossover between Zipper and Dominatrix, The Slave Trade.
$19.95
(W) Darren Sanchez, Emily Sanchez (A/CA) Massimo Asaro
Genie is determined to help Andy win the annual fifth grade Science Fair, taking him on an out of this world Adventure to Mars! After all, how hard could it be to locate the lost Mars rover and produce the coolest Science Fair project ever? In a Genie short-story by Emily Sanchez, Genie and Andy face off in an online Cart-Racing videogame. Best described as Fairly Odd Parents meets Magic School Bus, Genie the Genius is an all-ages adventure with real science and educational value.
$2.99
(W) Joe Brusha (A) TBD (CA) Pasquale Qualano
The Countdown to 100 begins!
Still reeling from the events of last issue Sela struggles to cope with the revelation that the man she thought she loved is a Highborn villain. Confronting him only makes matters worse and she is torn and confused on whether she should fight him or join him on his mission to cure humanity of its penchant for greed and violence.
$2.99
Publisher: ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC
(W) Raven Gregory, Patrick Shand (A) TBD (CA) Paulo Siqueira
The prelude to the biggest Grimm Universe event is here! Roman, Helsing, Masumi, Elijah, and Sela are the greatest monster hunters the world has ever known. An Unleashed tie-in! From the writer of FLY, the Wonderland trilogy, and Irresistible comes this exciting, new series where the hunters have officially become the hunted. Roman, Helsing, Masumi, Elijah, and Sela are the greatest monster hunters the world has ever known. That is until they all find themselves trapped in another dimension...a place of horror known only as the Shadow Realm!
$15.99
Diamond didn't have a cover image for this one, which is a shame -- I suspect the best part of these books are the covers. I wouldn't mind being proven wrong, though.
(W) Joe Brusha (A) Rolando Neto (CA) Ken Lashley
As Dorothy continues her quest for the Veridian Scepter things go from bad to worse for her and her companions. The Wicked Witch of the West has no intention of letting her find the powerful weapon and the army of flying terrors she sends to stop them is more than they our heroes can handle. Their attack leaves Dorothy as the witches prisoner where torture and torment are the least of her worries. The Witch has grand plans for Dorothy and her companions and not all of them will survive to see them come to pass.
$2.99
I should mention that the Grimm Fairy Tales covers sometimes degenerate into "fan service" a bit too much. Man, there's nothing wicked about that witch above!
(W/A/CA) Seiichi Hayashi
Seiichi Hayashi was a leading figure in the hotbed of avant-garde artistic production of 1960s and early 70s Tokyo. He is best known for his lyrical and experimental manga for Garo, the famous alternative comics magazine. This volume collects a selection of Hayashi's most important manga from this period, including Red Dragonfly (1968), Yamauba's Lullaby (1968), and Gold Pollen (1971). Published here in their original full color, these stories mix traditional Japanese aesthetics with Pop art sensibilities, and range in topic from the legacies of Japanese rightwing nationalism and World War II, to the pervasive influence of America over 1960s Japanese youth culture.
$27.50
(W) Ed Cronin & Various (A) Matt Baker & Various (CA) Ogden Whitney
This new trade paperback series covers 1940's "good girl" art across all genres - action-adventure, humor, horror, crime, jungle, Western, even romance! Previously unreprinted stories starring Kit West, Rulah, Panther Woman, Black Angel, Joan Mason, Betty Bates, Molly O' Day, Candy, Undercover Girl, Canteen Kate; by Baker, Kamen, Ward, Lubbers, Evans, and others!
$34.95
Let Craig Yoe try to top THIS!
(A) Howard Nostrand & Various
See. You talk to us and we listen. What could be easier? And so it is that, by popular demand, we're making available the whole run of Chamber of Chills (our very first Harvey Horrors title) in a run of sumptuous soft covers, each volume containing five comic books but without the support material featured in the hardbacks. Harvey Horror Softies, the most sensible thing you're going to read about today!
$24.99
Speaking of Yoe, does this cover look familiar? That's right, it's the image Yoe is using for his Haunted Horror sampler. Jeff of Earth-J, why am I getting the Yoe books again? I forgot!
(W/A/CA) Mike Kunkel
Tyler might finally feel like he's getting some answers but it looks like he's also getting more questions. A great story of a boy and his bear/best friend overcoming the crazy obstacles that life throws at us.
HIP HOP FAMILY TREE GN
$3.99
(W/A/CA) Ed Piskor
Originally serialized on the hugely popular website Boing Boingand now collected in a single volume. Piskor's exuberant cartooning takes you from the parks and rec rooms of the South Bronx to the night clubs, recording studios, and radio stations where the scene started to boom, capturing the flavor of late-1970s New York City in panels bursting with obsessively authentic detail.
$24.99
Sometimes I wonder why there aren't more comics devoted to hip-hop culture. But then, I don't really know much about hip-hop culture -- maybe there's a reason that those in that world wouldn't buy comics about themselves. And it's not like there were tons of comics about rock-n-roll in the '60s and '70s. I guess music just doesn't cross to the printed page very well.
(W/A/CA) Rumiko Takahashi
Inuyasha and friends lose a mortal enemy, but not before they receive a shocking message. Then Inuyasha and Sesshomaru learn the story behind their blades' awesome powers...one that is yet to be finished as the truth pits brother against brother. Meanwhile, their arch-nemesis Naraku strives to corrupt the spark of purity Kikyo managed to instill in the Shikon Jewel. Things get briefly less serious when Shippo enters a fox demon competition, and Kagome learns a piece of critical lore about the Shikon Jewel - as well as the secret behind the incredible powers she cannot access. But then Naraku takes on a particularly malevolent new form!
$19.99
IT CAME #4
(W/A/CA) Dan Boultwood
Dr. Boy Brett and his lady assistant Doris Night hurry to London in pursuit of the monstrous robot GRURK, now smashing a wave of destruction through the capital, in the face of the beleagured and ineffectual military might of the British Empire. All seems lost - but does Doris hold the key to undoing this otherworldly invasion?
$3.99
Now that's what a rampaging robot ought to look like!
(W) Jean Van Hamme (A/CA) Phillipe Franq
A man runs through the dark back alleys of Venice, pursued by three men. He breaks into a travel agency and faxes Largo Winch a scribbled message before being gunned down. The message says only: Beware of the doge. Our millionaire businessman hero thinks his friend, gorgeous Charity, could be in trouble and heads for Italy. A Renaissance-era term for the chief magistrate of the former republics of Venice and Genoa.
$11.95
(W) Charles zan Christensen & Various (A) Joe Phillips
Thirteen short stories of terror, mayhem, and destruction which offer something highly unique in a genre that demands certain characters be only heroes or victims - gay villains! This prose collection features an introduction by Lambda Literary Award winning editor Tom Cardamone.
$9.99
Reference my comments about Anything That Loves above. I just can't believe there's a wide audience for gay topics in America, where half the country is adamantly opposed to even civil rights for gay people.
(W) Brian Phillipson, Amanda Raymond (A/CA) Alex Nino
In a depressed world under civil unrest, their one hope, is the Time Travel Machine. When the lead inventor is murdered, his daughter, Molly Dove, sets out to discover her father's murderer with the assistance of her trusted allies from the Time Travel Academy. By tracking this villain through time, Molly hopes to prevent his schemes from materializing.
$3.99
Sort of cross between Aztec Ace and Nancy Drew, I'm thinking.
(W/A/CA) Marta Matsuo
Med school student Jonathan pockets psychotropic drugs from the university hospital and deals them to college students. But when he's inevitably discovered by his professor, Paul Thomas Haskins, Jonathan must give up his body in exchange for the professor's silence!
$12.95
Looks like more yaoi.
(W) Hajime Asano (A/CA) Neet
The over-the-top harem comedy continues! A fateful visit to the school bathroom turns Kinjiro's world upside down, as he discovers the dashing and popular Konoe Subaru is actually a girl! What's worse, the principal's cruel and domineering daughter, Kanade Suzutsuki, has every reason to keep this secret from leaking out, and makes it her life's work to torment Kinjiro, while attempting to cure his gynophobia. Is Suzutsuki simply sadistic or does she really want to help Kinjiro overcome his fears? It makes no difference to poor Kinjiro, because his life has just become a living hell.
$12.99
"Harem comedy"? Is that sort of like "bedroom farce"?
(W) Rob Williams (A) Jackson Herbert (CA) Billy Tan
Trapped in a past that isn't her own, Miss Fury comes face-to-face with a version of herself who never found love, and it's a bloody, murderous revelation. Is this immoral figure who Marla Drake really is? Or has she grown through time into something better? And when the two Miss Furys cross swords, which one will survive?
$3.99
I'm still catching up on the Golden Age Fury!
(W) Fred Van Lente (A) Max Dunbar (CA) Zombie Caution Cover , Bill Tortolini
Attention, Box-Mart Shoppers. There is a sale on brains, guts and other viscera in aisles two, twelve, twenty, thirty-four, eighty-six, a hundred and three, and ... well, all aisles really, because this entire store has been taken over by the MOCKING DEAD BRRAAAAHHHHHHHH!
$3.99
The dead can be so cruel.
(W/A/CA) Nao Yazawa
Could this be the end for Ai Sempai and Kai? Thinking she was one step closer to Kai, Sayaka finally opens up to him... but Kai still has unfinished family business and everything is about to get very complicated! Yazawa's original story is about to have a dramatic ending...!
$6.95
Another girl with mutant saucer eyes. Is that just a style of manga, or an actual genre?
(W) Victor Gischler (A) Andrea Mutti (CA) Ardian Syaf
Prelude to Miss Fury! When thieves steal from other thieves it always causes problems, doesn't it? So when The Black Sparrow is hired to steal a mysterious "Moon Stone" from a museum in New York, her decision to keep the thing for a better payday annoys her former employers who then steal it back from her. Now it's The Black Sparrow who is annoyed, and that's a dangerous thing. All she wants is what she stole fair and square, but she needs help. She needs The Shadow!
$3.99
The Black Sparrow looks like a demented flight attendant.
(W/A/CA) Giannis Milonogiannis
The next chapter in the critically acclaimed Old City Blues series! The year is 2048. Southeastern Europe. Built on the ruins of the country once known as Greece, New Athens is a city crawling with life-low-life that is. From mech smugglers and drug dealers, to corrupt politicians and all-too-powerful corporations, the city is at the mercy of high-tech criminals. And it's up to Solano, Thermidor, and the rest of the New Athens Special Police to keep the city in order. This edition collects "Private Enemy" and the brand-new "Prothetic Corpus" story arcs.
$12.95
I have read a story set in this world, but I'll be darned if I can remember where.
(W/A/CA) Dakota McFadzean
"The wide open prairie, the domestication of garden gnomes, the psychoanalytic breakdown of 8-bit video games; into these and other subjects Dakota McFadzean digs with his pen and brush, unearthing truths that discomfit even as they entertain. This collection of his best work to date mashes cuteness into cruelty, hope into resignation, and life into death, leaving us with one slow-burning ball of phosphorescent comics." - Jason Lutes (Berlin)
$18.00
I've read that description twice, and still have no idea what this is about. Anyone know?
(W) Jim Zubkavich (A) Sean Izaakse (CA) Carlos E. Gomez, Jorge Fares
Trapped in the tunnels beneath Raven's Watch, our adventurers are outnumbered and outmatched. Will the outpost prison be their tomb? The hit comic series based on Paizo's incredible award-winning fantasy world, fiction line, and tabletop RPG continues, perfect for gamers and swords-and-sorcery fans alike!
$3.99
(W/A/CA) Charles M. Schulz
THE FIRST FOUR YEARS OF PEANUTS SUNDAYS IN SPARKLING, REMASTERED COLOR!
Since their original publication, Peanuts Sundays have almost always been collected and reprinted in black and white, and generations of Peanuts fans have grown up enjoying this iteration of these strips. But many who read Peanuts in their original Sunday papers remain fond of the striking coloring, which makes for a surprisingly different reading experience.
It is for these fans (and for Peanuts fans in general who want to experience this alternate/original version) that we now present a series of larger, Sundays-only Peanuts reprints, which more closely duplicate that delightful, Sunday-morning reading experience and brings a splash of real color to Schulz's cast of colorful characters. Designed as a series of ten massive coffee-table quality books, each one containing a half-decade's worth of Sunday strips, Peanuts Every Sunday will be a proud addition to any Peanuts fan's bookshelf.
As with most strips, Peanuts showed by far the quickest and richest development in its first decade, and Peanuts Every Sunday: 1952-1955, by compiling every strip from the first four years, offers a fascinating peek at Schulz's evolving creative process. Not only does the graphic side of the strips change drastically, from the strip's initial stiff, ultra-simple stylizations through a period of uncommonly lush, almost Pogo-ishly detailed drawings to something close to the final, elegant Peanuts style we've all come to know and love, but several main characters are gradually introduced - oddly enough, usually as infants who would then grow up to full, articulate Peanut-hood! - and then refined: Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus (Sally will make her very first appearance as a baby in our next volume.)
Following in the footsteps of Fantagraphics' acclaimed presentation of the Carl Barks material in Walt Disney's Donald Duck, Peanuts Every Sunday: 1952-1955 has been scrupulously re-colored to match the original syndicate coloring (including some unusual colors for Charlie Brown's trademark zig-zag shirt, before it was officially yellow), and is being printed using the same process of "mellowing" out of tones to avoid the sharp colors that sometimes mar reprints of syndicated strips - allowing readers once again to plunge back into Charles Schulz's marvelous world.
$14.99
Wait. So if I continue to buy the endless Peanuts reprint series from Fantagraphics, I will eventually have all the Peanuts strips, but then there will also be THIS series, which reprints just the Sundays in larger format and in color? Which, of course, I would want (but not need)? Oh, Fantagraphics, why do you want ALL of my money?
PROTOCOL ORPHANS #1
(W) Michael Alan Nelson (A) Mariano Navarro (CA) Stéphane Roux
WHY WE LOVE IT: Written by Michael Alan Nelson (SUPERGIRL, HEXED) and drawn by newcomer Mariano Navarro, PROTOCOL is an action-espionage series with a compelling cast of young characters struggling with their transition into adulthood.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: PROTOCOL is a tense thriller perfect for fans of fun spy fiction like TV's Alias or Mission: Impossible.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Grabbed up by the United States government and thrown into training-orphans around the country have been raised to become America's next generation of superspies. Now, as adults, they live amongst us, ready for 'the family' to call them back into action.
$3.99
A cast made up entirely of gorgeous twentysomethings, who somehow have the expertise of actual grown-ups. Why does this read like a pitch for a series on the CW?
(W) Eric Trautmann (A) Noah Salonga & Various (CA) Joseph Michael Linsner
Red Sonja, the She-Devil with A Sword, must survive an epic journey through three kingdoms, each one a roiling snakepit of old grudges, ancient magic, and arcane science! The unflinching heroine fights to protect her new friends from harm when they fall prey to the scheming witch Azenathi. Seeking the cursed Horn of Negal as ransom, Red Sonja charges headlong into the lair of her greatest adversary yet: a deadly doppelganger who shares her form, mirrors her martial skill, and knows no mercy!
$29.99
(W) Eric Trautmann (A) Marcio Abreu, Edgar Salazar (CA) Walter Geovanni
Red Sonja, heroine for hire, is drawn to the jade kingdom of Khitai with the promise of riches beyond belief. A land of rigid honor codes and fanatical warriors loyal to a god-emperor, Khitai is the perfect place for a master swordswoman to ply her trade. But when honor demands she aids the fabled land's most revered warrior in conflict against an ancient creature of limitless power, can Sonja save this jade kingdom from running red with blood?
$19.99
Khitai=China in the Hyborian World, don'tchaknow.
(W/A/CA) Rumiko Takahashi
While out looking for a place to have his scythe repaired, Rinne runs into the rabbit-eared twins Right and Left, scythe smiths and proprietors of the Crescent Moon Hall forge. The first repair is free, but the fix might leave Rinne looking for a refund!
$9.99
Publisher: ST. MARTINS PRESS
(W) Kenichirou Takaki (A/CA) Amami Takatsume
The raunchy video game sensation about buxom ninja girls is now a manga! Hanzo Academy: a secret high school established by the Japanese government to educate the newest generation of ninja girls. The spunky second year student, Asuka, along with her friends, the perverted Katsuragi, the childish Hibari, the mature Ikaruga, and the deadly Yagyu, must each undergo rigorous training in their daily school life. But do they have what it takes to become full-fledged ninja? Only their bodacious skills and prodigious talents can keep them alive while they struggle against ninja rivals who seek to destroy them at every turn.
$12.99
No cover image available, but I suspect it has large boobs on it. Call it a hunch.
(W) Michael Uslan (A) Keith Burns (CA) John Cassaday
It's the shocking and terrifying conclusion of "Dark Nights," beginning with a deadly race against time as The Shadow and The Green Hornet chase Shiwan Khan through the actual steam tunnels that descend seven levels into underground New York City. It's an urban "Raiders of the Lost Ark" adventure with the life of President Roosevelt and the people of the City at stake!
$3.99
Who's reading this? Should I get the trade?
(W) Leah Moore, John Reppion (A) Matt Triano (CA) Francesco Francavilla
With mauled bodies appearing on Liverpool streets, rumors circulate that the culprit might be an inhuman monster known as Spring Heeled Jack. Determined to debunk the city's superstitions, Holmes delves into the criminal underworld, piecing together an intricate and deadly puzzle. Meanwhile, Dr. Watson witnesses the creature with his own eyes, and sets out alone in pursuit. Will Holmes be able to save his dear friend from the perils beneath Liverpool?
$19.99
I've read other versions of Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper before. It's a natural, given how close their "adventures" occurred in time and place. So this would have to be pretty good to offset its lack of originality. Anyone know?
Noah Freeman discovers an alien device that allows him to inhabit the body of any creature that has ever lived - and some we didn't believe ever lived. Accused of murder, Noah seeks to prove his innocence through the unique perspectives of various animals and creatures. Artwork comes to life with the free Ultimate Augmented Reality™ (UAR) interactive app.
$19.99
(W/A/CA) Shigeru Mizuki
Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan is the first volume of Shigeru Mizuki's meticulously researched historical portrait of twentieth-century Japan. This 560-page volume deals with the period leading up to World War II, a time of high unemployment and other economic hardships caused by the Great Depression. Mizuki's photo-realist style effortlessly brings to life the Japan of the 1920s and 1930s, depicting bustling city streets and abandoned graveyards with equal ease. With his trusty narrator Rat Man, Mizuki brings history into the realm of the personal, making it palatable, and indeed compelling, for young audiences as well as more mature readers.
$24.95
This looks fascinating, especially given how it will kinda give us Westerners an idea how the militaristic period between the Russo-Japanese War and World War II is viewed in hindsight by today's Japanese. I may have to get this.
(W/A/CA) Charles M. Schulz
Charles Schulz's Peanuts is one of the most timeless and beloved comic strips ever. Now AMP! helps carry on that legacy with new collections of Peanuts classics focused around topics sure to resonate with middle-grade readers. Kicking off the series is Snoopy: Cowabunga! Together these books will introduce a new generation of kids to the lovable cast in time for the new animated Peanuts movie, which hits theaters fall 2014!
$9.99
No you don't, Pocket Books! Fantagraphics already has all of my money!
SOLID STATE TANK GIRL HC
(W) Alan Martin (A/CA) Warwick J. Cadwell
The heavy-weapon honey with a mouth like an open sewer has returned! So, here's what's happened: Booga, Tank Girl's marsupial lover, is near death. To save him, she must shrink herself and her cronies down to microbial size, enter his blood stream, clean up the mess, and be home in time for beer and snacks. But their Incredible Expedition goes horribly wrong when, deep in Booga's scrotum, Tank Girl encounters her ultimate opposite: Anti-Tank Girl! There may be trouble ahead!
$19.99
I think I'm just too old for Tank Girl. I find her love of chaos annoying, not liberating. P.S.: Get off my lawn!
(W) Christopher Golden (A) Damian Coueciro (CA) Garry Brown
With the plan to transfer Kendra to a safe haven in place, Tig, Jax and the rest of SAMCRO prepare for the dangerous cross-ride. But Griggs and the Ghost Brothers are already hot on their trail, and even worse, some of SAMCRO is beginning to question risking everything just to help the ex-daughter of a long dead member...
$3.99
I have no idea what this TV show is about, because all of the commercials shout "REDNECK WHITE SUPREMACY VIOLENCE RUN RUN RUN!" I live a little too close to people who look and act like the people in the commercials, so I find it unsettling.
Publisher: VIZ LLC
(W/A/CA) Youka Nitta
On the recommendation of one of his senior detectives, Nagatsuma, a member of a special criminal investigative unit, starts receiving therapeutic bodywork from blind masseur Aoi, a man with both skilled hands and gorgeous looks. Nagatsuma quickly becomes addicted to the relief that Aoi brings him and begins looking forward to the time they spend together. But Aoi's got a secret he can't ever let Nagatsuma find out... A tale of passion and obsession from the creator of Embracing Love!
$12.99
(W/A) James Kochalka & Various (CA) Gregg Schigiel
This issue is filled with sick humor! Because SpongeBob has a bad cold. And when his friends visit, things somehow get worse. Joey Weiser and Gregg Schigiel reveal all in "Sick Day." And in "Trench Vanilla," readers can experience a SpongeBob adventure in widescreen - that's right, it's a 10-page comic that is one continuous image! Enjoy this miracle of comic book technology courtesy of Robert Leighton and Gregg Schigiel. Plus: James Kochalka's "SpongeFunnies," David Lewman and Vanessa Davis' "Squidward in Love," Joey Weiser's "Phoney Dance Party," and Maris Wicks' "Flotsam and Jetsam."
$2.99
(W/A/CA) G. B. Trudeau
This all-color volume celebrates the marriage of Alex and Toggle, an event which optimistically confirms that life, like Doonesbury, rolls on. Indeed, how remarkable that the strip has so embraced and occupied its era that three generations of one family have married within its panels. Gathering their kith and kin around them at Walden, the wise but wounded soldier-artist and the brilliant but insecure techhead make a promising team for the years ahead, well-rounded yet squared away.
$25.00
OK, that girl in the wedding dress looks exactly like Doonesbury, which just creeps me the eff out. Yeah, yeah, it's his daughter, I know. Still freaky.
(W) Tony Lee (A/CA) Dan Boultwood
MTV Comics and Arcana Studio present The Gloom. Once called a "Mel Brooks movie of a comic" by Comics International, acclaimed creators Tony Lee (Doctor Who) and Dan Boultwood (It Came!) return to the hero that brought them together! In 1940's Manhattan he's the only vigilante blocking the Vermillion and his Nazi allies from their plan to rule the world with Atomic Zeppelins! No pulp hero is safe from parody!
$19.95
(W/A/CA) Osamu Tezuka
In the vast, deep blue seas lurks many mysterious creatures and even mighty civilizations. With the humans on land and the Poseidon clan of the sea on the brink of war, Triton is caught in the middle. Branded a fugitive on land, Triton has returned to the ocean to reclaim his legacy and fulfill his vendetta against the Poseidon clan. As the last of a once proud and majestic sea kingdom, Triton and Pippy struggle to survive in the face of King Poseidon's evil schemes and the greedy exploitation of humans. Can Triton avenge and restore his people with so enemies around every corner? Don't miss the exhilarating conclusion of Osamu Tezuka's masterful tale of the sea!
$19.95
And here's a manga diving into Greco-Roman mythology. I just find it awesome. I wish my own culture was a little less Narcissistic and would avail itself of the rich cultural history from around the world. We're missing out on some terrific stories.
(W/A/CA) Derek Kirk Kim
Andy's life is going nowhere, fast. He left art school with his career all worked out ahead of time, but to say it didn't work out is the understatement of the century. Unemployed and living with his overbearing parents, Andy struggles to keep sight of the lofty goals that once drove him. But it's hard, even when he reconnects with his old art school crush, Yumi. Things look better, briefly, with Yumi back in the picture and an actual job offer on the table. But then Andy takes the job offer - to work at a zoo - and finds himself in an alternate dimension. The zoo? Is run by aliens. The exhibit? Is him.
$16.99
(W) Dave Gibbons, Gerry Finley-Day (A) Cam Kennedy & Various
As the war between the Norts and the Southers continues to rage across Nu-Earth, the lone Genetic Infantryman known as Rogue Trooper wanders through the battle-scarred landscape in search of the Traitor General who betrayed him and his comrades. As their final confrontation approaches only one is sure to survive!
$19.99
I used to read Rogue Trooper when it was published by Eagle Comics here in the U.S. I found it kinda boring, to tell you the truth.
(W) Brandon Jerwa (A) Hubert Khan Michael (CA) Paul Renaud
Vampirella must defend her recent actions to a tribunal deep within Vatican City. Accused of falling to the corrupting influence of Chaos, she struggles to prove her innocence while simultaneously fighting a psychic battle with her most powerful enemy. Meanwhile, the vampire lord Dracula prepares his dark army for a march against humanity, empowering a terrifying new lieutenant to lead the charge.
$19.99
Vampirella in the Vatican? In THAT outfit? Oh, those poor old men in their pointy caps, who are sworn to chastity. What did they do to deserve this?
(W/A/CA) Makoto Yukimura
The epic action manga for fans of Game of Thrones, a story of war, royal intrigue, suspense, and revenge set against the backdrop of the Viking invasions of England. At the turn of the 11th century, the Norse Sea is in the grip of Viking terror. The clever Askeladd leads his small band of mercenaries into London with the aid of the ruthless young Thorfinn, son of a warrior in the dreaded Jomsvikings. But this is an alliance of convenience: Thorfinn has sworn to kill Askeladd one day to avenge his father's death. When a race begins to capture the prince and secure the rights to the throne, personal grudges will clash with the fate of a kingdom in the balance, and blood will be spilled!
$19.99
(W) Various (A/CA) Wally Wood
The official Wally Wood Classics series follows the hit Strange Worlds of Science Fiction with Eerie Tales of Crime & Horror, collecting the complete non-EC 1950's crime and horror comics of Hall of Fame Weird Science, Daredevil, Mars Attacks, and MAD co-creator, Wallace Wood. The regular hardcover edition runs 176 pages, while the deluxe slipcased edition is 200 pages, as it features a bonus folio section not part of the regular hardcover edition.
HC $34.95/SC $24.95
I have the old printing. Let's hope this one is better copy-edited.
(W) Karl Bollers (A/CA) Larry Stroman
For several months, newborn infants have been found in trash dumpsters around New York City's five boroughs. Is it mere coincidence? A sinister, deeper pattern? And if it happens to be either case, why are Watson and Holmes the only ones to realize it's even happening in the first place? Don't miss the latest installment in the saga of Watson And Holmes.
$3.99
I think this Watson and Holmes are modern-day African-Americans, but that's about all I know. Anyone reading it?
(W) Anastasia Shestakova (A/CA) Crimson
For fans of Hetalia comes a video game parody like no other! In the continent of Consume, an endless war rages between bitter rivals: the Segua Kingdom vs. the Ninteldo Empire. Upon his dinosaur steed, the stern Emperor Marcus has led the Ninteldo Empire to near-victory. Now, with the majority of Consume under its control, Ninteldo has Segua up against the ropes. Enter a fleetfooted lad named Gear, who seeks vengenance against Ninteldo for his brother's death. After joining Segua's Army, Gear is enlisted in the Special Forces, due to his amazing speed. Yet the inexperienced, hasty youth may not be ready for the realities of war - or he might just become the Segua Empire's last and greatest hope.
$12.99
World War Blue: Just like regular World Wars, only with more off-color jokes.
What, that's not what it's about? Hmph. That's what it SHOULD be about.
(W) Al Ewing (A/CA) Henry Flint
When the government's latest crime deterrent, obmoz, goes completely off the rails and starts to destroy everything from the underfunded super team Planetronix to the president himself, who ya gonna call? Not Zombo, because he's dead and not in a zombie-type of dead way, but in a brain-melted-by-laser kinda way! Now the only thing standing between mankind and total annihilation is a male stripper and a well padded pair of underpants!
$17.99
If all Zombo smells like is crime, then he's one lucky dead guy. And did any Silver Age DC fans miss that Omboz is Zombo backwards? I didn't think so! Kltpzyxm!
And is "Henry Flint" any relation to "Flint Henry" of First's Grimjack?
What I am getting this week:
Bloodhound: Crowbar Medicine #2 - Well outside of the fact he and Dog both have blonde hair I don't think they are anything alike. This is a continuation of the DC series. I like that Dan Jolley wouldn't agree to do it unless they brought back all of the original creative team.
Shaloin Cowboy #2 - I love that Geoff Darrow art.
Star Wars #11
X #7 - This is good, not great. They have balanced him out a little bit, by giving us a not quite so psychopathic POV character in the series. If you liked the previous series then I think you should at least try the first trade, just don't expect to be blown away.
Astro City #6
Batman #25
FBP Federal Bureau of Physics #5 - I will stick with this, just because I find it really interesting.
World's Finest #17 - My last issue.
Rocketeer/Spirit: Pulp Friction #3
The Bounce #7
Archer & Armstrong #15 - This has been one of my favorite titles going right now.
12 Reasons to Die #4 - I hope I dropped this already as it is terrible.
Red Team #6 - Cap, this doesn't involve superheroes at all. This is about a group of cops who decide to take out criminals that they can't get legally. It is good, I would recommend it over X.
Showa History of Japan 1926-1939 - This looks like it will be great. I can hardly wait.
For me I've always found Unity a terrible name, so I didn't buy the first series, and I won't be buying this one. It maybe great, but I am skipping it. Plus, it breaks my (almost) no crossover rule.
I read the first Peter Panzerfaust trade, and I liked it!
Re Zero #2: Maybe the second issue ties all this together, but right now I'm a little baffled.
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