TOP 10 PUBLISHERS
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #66 ($4.99), by Justina Ireland and Andrea Broccardo, continues "8 Deaths of Spider-Man."
Amazing Spider-Man #61-65 just arrived from Westfield, and I enjoyed them far more than I expected to. I'll have more to say in the "One World Under Doom" thread, but I guess I missed Spidey more than I realized. This isn't "my" Peter Parker any more, but it's adjacent, and the art by Ed McGuinness in #61-62 is really good. (I see some John Romita Sr. riffs, better than John Romita Jr. does them.) This is Joe Kelly's story, but Jill Ireland spells him for a bit, and McGuinness gets some fill-in artists, too. "8 Deaths" runs to issue #70 in March at a twice-monthly rate, and Kelly & McGuiness return for the last couple of issues. Anyway, I'm hooked. Issue #65 is something of a turning point, and I'm eager to see how that resolves.
DOCTOR DOOM & ROCKET RACCOON #1 (ONE-SHOT, $4.99) is by J. Michael Straczynski and Will Robson. This is the first of six one-shots where J. Michael Straczynski was allowed to pick two characters and smash them together. Why? I guess Marvel thought it would make money. (Shrugs.) The stories are referred to as "standalone" and "timeless," which translates to "not in continuity." He'll be paired with artists Will Robson, Bernard Chang, Elena Casagrande, Germán Peralta, Juan Ferreyra and Phil Noto. The remaining issues are Captain America/Volstagg; Nick Fury/Fin Fang Foom; Hulk/Doctor Strange, with an Aunt May/Agatha Harkness backup; Ghost Rider/Galactus; and Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus. I'll probably get at least some of them out of morbid curiosity.
And yes, Fury/Fin Fang Foom sound really cool.
“I like to go where the fun is, and the idea of putting together Marvel characters who had either never been paired before, or only minimally, seemed like it would be a ton of fun, and it was even more of a blast than I anticipated,” Straczynski explained. “For the first time we could see the original Nick Fury in China along with the Flying Tigers taking on a newly awakened Fin Fang Foom ... go to the edge of time and space with Rocket Raccoon and Doctor Doom ... see the Ghost Rider slugging it out with none other than Galactus ... Aunt May caught in the midst of a supernatural battle alongside Agatha Harkness ... the more unlikely the pairing, the more eccentric the combo, the more fun it was to see it come to life. I've been sitting on news of this series for over a year and I'm so excited to know it will finally be hitting newsstands starting in January.”
FANTASTIC FOUR #28 ($3.99), by Ryan Northand Steven Cummings, is a prelude issue to "One World Under Doom." Here's the solicit:
"It's been months since Doctor Doom became Sorcerer Supreme ― and disappeared. Reed Richards, the smartest man on the planet, has spent that time trying to find a way to understand magic, so he can find and stop Doom ... and he's failed. But when Sue suggests there is another man who holds both a graduate degree in physics and an understanding of magic — Dane Whitman, the Black Knight! — Reed and Sue decide to see if he can offer any insights. Dane's help sends Reed and Sue's minds back in time-to possess the bodies of two people in the past, where, without their powers, they search for the one magical item that can cut through Doom's illusions! But the Black Knight has motivations of his own ... and the past isn't what it used to be."
Waitaminnit! When did Dane Whitman become a physicist? And a magician? I thought he was, like, a bored playboy type who inherited a magic sword. (But only uses the flat of the blade, because comics.) I really haven't kept up with Dane since he was turned to stone — I don't even know how he became un-stoned — so maybe it's been revealed since. But really? A PHYSICIST? He really doesn't seem the studious type.
IRON MAN #4 ($3.99) guest-stars the Scarlet Witch.
MYSTIQUE #4 (OF 5, $3.99) guest-stars Nick Fury.
PHOENIX #7 ($3.99) guest-stars Nova, Sif, Captain Marvel and Rocket Raccoon against Thanos. Although if Jean Grey is Phoenix-ized, they all seem sorta superfluous.
TVA #2 (OF 5, $3.99) guest-stars Daimon Hellstrom.
WHAT IF GALACTUS TRANSFORMED ROGUE? #1 (ONE-SHOT, $3.99) is by Ann Nocenti and Stephen Byrne. In answer to the question: Don't know, don't care. Sugah.
X-MEN: XAVIER’S SECRET #1 (ONE-SHOT, $6.99) is by Alex Paknadel and Diógenes Neves. I'm torn about this one. It's in continuity, and with "Raid on Graymalkin" behind us but "Search for Xavier" coming up, it may be needful. And it does promise some in-continuity bits we didn't know about Xavier, Cyclops and Jean Grey, who are the heart of the X-Men to me. (Sorry, Wolverine fans.) OTOH, it's a collection of six Infinity Comics issues, and by and large I haven't been impressed with those. I'm guessing it's because the art was originally designed for online viewing, so doesn't have a lot of the rendering you see in art that starts life in print. The effect is rather cartoony, IMO. I guess I'll decide when I clap my beady eyes on it at the LCS and flip through it.
DC COMICS
ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #4 ($4.99) is by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. This has become my favorite of the three Absolute titles, as it has the greatest variance from its source material. The Greco-Roman myths are a much bigger canvas than the '30s tropes that gave rise to Superman and Batman, and much bigger things have been done. Like Dead Pegasus!
BLACK CANARY: BEST OF THE BEST #3 (OF 6, $4.99) is by Tom King and Ryan Sook. Guest-starring Batman.
I picked up the first two issues of this on Jeff of Earth-J's recommendation, and thoroughly enjoyed them.
The main story, which is basically Rocky, really doesn't interest me much. (I wasn't much interested in the boxing scenes in Rocky, either.) But oh! All the other stuff! The return of the first Black Canary (maybe)! A Vandal Savage scheme that is both cunning and repulsive! A look at the second Black Canary's childhood and training! This is the stuff King excels at, and he's on point here. Also the art, by Ryan Sook, is delicious. It may just be me, but I see a little Nick Cardy in his work. And I loved me some Nick Cardy.
I have to say Ryan Sook's cover for the first issue (left) looked so much like Frank Cho I had to check the credits. And his cover for the second issue (right), showing Dinah as a child in her mother's wig and jacket, looking in a full-length mirror and seeing herself as a grown-up Black Canary, feels like an homage to a Norman Rockwell-esque image I've seen before. But I couldn't find it. I did find this, but it's a modern pastiche:
DC FINEST: GREEN ARROW — THE LONGBOW HUNTERS TP ($39.99): I thought this story was good, but not great, when it first came out in 1987. It was probably the best Green Arrow story I'd read to that point, but that really isn't saying much. Maybe I didn't swoon because I've never been a big fan of Mike Grell's work. And I didn't like that Black Canary was reduced to a (tortured) damsel in distress. But this story has since become an evergreen for DC, so what do I know?
DC HORROR PRESENTS #4 (OF 4, MR, $3.99): I've read the first three issues, and enjoyed them enough that I'll get the fourth. This one has a Gotham City story by Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum, and a Matter-Eater Lad story by Brendan Hay and Steven Kostanski.
Wait. Matter-Eater Lad? Now I'm definitely getting it.
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #3 ($3.99) introduces the Atom Project, which gets its own miniseries soon. Its purpose is to find wayward super-powers that got misplaced in "Absolute Power," and return them to their original owners. The drama arises from Captain Atom, who doesn't want his powers back. Will they finally make Captain Atom a villain, as they tried to do back in the early '90s? It's been obvious since DC acquired the character that they really have no idea what to do with him.
LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION #48: SUPERMAN VS. THE FLASH FACSIMILE EDITION ($14.99) is a reprint of all the Flash-Superman races up to the point this was originally published (1976). It didn't thrill me at the time, because I had already read all those races in the original comics, and it became just that much more obvious as a compilation how they always seemed to end up in a tie. But if you haven't read them, it's a fun peek into the past.
LITTLE BATMAN: MONTH ONE #3 (OF 4) ($4.99): Little Batman costs just as much as Big Batman. How is that fair?
METAMORPHO: THE ELEMENT MAN #2 ($3.99): I read the first issue, and it's being written in the same style Bob Haney wrote the original 1960s series. Blue Blazes, does that bring back memories! Mostly memories of Ramona Fradon's wonderful art, sure. But Metamorpho was the one series where Haney's wackadoodle dialogue actually worked. Does it still work? On the fence about that.
IMAGE COMICS
ASTRO CITY METROBOOK VOL 6 TP ($34.99): Waiting for HCs.
CREEPSHOW VOL 3 #5 (OF 5, MR, $3.99) is by Ed Brisson (Batman), Kami Garcia (Teen Titans: Raven), Isaac Goodhart (Catwoman) and Kael Ngu. I have enjoyed this series at least as much as Oni's Epitaphs from the Abyss. Here are this issue's pair of stories:
- Brisson and Ngu's story "starts with hiking and camping – and ends with kicking and screaming!"
- Garcia and Goodhart's story is "about two very different sisters and one horrifying new home!"
HYDE STREET #3 ($3.99) is by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. This is a seasonal issue, with Pranky and Mr. X-Ray pursuing the soul of a man who dresses as Santa Claus and steals both the presents under the tree, and the children's belief in Kris Kringle. And we briefly meet a new denizen of Hyde Street, the Matinee Monster. Good stuff, even if Christmas was actually last month.
Johns is building a horrifying mythology here, a Twilight Zone that — despirte a single location, repeating characters and an ongoing narrative — is still something of a horror anthology. But what really sells this book is Reis' artwork. It's the best of his career, and worth lingering over.
PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ #1 ($3.99) is an adaptation by Otis Frampton (Oddly Normal). It features Ojo the Unlucky, Scraps the Patchwork Girl and Bungle the Glass Cat. I know nothing about the Oz books, but The Baron has written about them HERE.
“As a lifelong Oz fan, it’s a dream come true to be able to bring one of L. Frank Baum’s classic novels to life as a comic book series,” said Frampton. “The Patchwork Girl of Oz is one of my favorite Oz books, and I hope that fans of the series will embrace my adaptation and come along for the ride. Welcome back to Oz, everyone!”
DARK HORSE
ALL-NIGHTER VOL 3 TP ($22.99) is by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo. It's the third collection in the All-Nighter series, which is itself a reprint of the ComiXology Originals title (available online). It's a clever idea — young vampires who decide they'd rather use their supernatural powers to fight crime instead of preying on humans — but I haven't read word one yet. I mention it here because I intend to read this someday — Zdarsky rarely disappoints — and because Dark Horse sent me a press release.
ANDRZEJ SAPKOWSKI’S THE WITCHER: THE EDGE OF THE WORLD HC ($17.99) is by Magdalena Salik (Ptomien, Gildia Hordow), and Tommaso Bennato (Mystic Heart),.This is the third in a series of adaptations from Sapkowski's acclaimed short-story collection The Last Wish. I'm not Witcher fan enough to commit to this, but maybe you are.
" 'The Edge of the World' is one of my favourite Witcher stories," said Salik. "Why? Because of its characters who are diverse and counter-intuitive. Everyone has some ideas about devils or pixies — say farewell to them. In this story Sapkowski plays with your established notions about heroes and villains; and plot twists as well. For me it's one of the wisest short stories ever, going far beyond typical fantasy quest versions of this scenario. There is all we love about The Witcher: jokes, quest, a lot of action, captivating characters. But apart from that there is also a strong message which leaves you both amused and pondering. In other words — enjoy and expect the unexpected."
"For me, who loves the fantasy genre, working on a story of 'The Witcher' was a great pleasure and I hope that the fans appreciate the commitment and the passion that I put in trying to bring out the emotions of the characters and, in the case of the Sylvan, enrich his design with leaves, springs and mushrooms," Bennato said. " Enjoy this incredible adaptation! I've done it, and I had fun drawing it!"
BOWLING WITH CORPSES & OTHER STRANGE TALES HC (112 pages, $24.99) is the launch of a third universe by Mike Mignola, "Lands Unknown," joining the Hellboy Universe and the Outerverse Universe. It's also the first release in Mignola's new DH imprint, Curious Objects. And it's written and illustrated by Mignola, and colored by Dave Stewart.
It's an anthology of stories inspired by folklore, some overlapping in content or theme, but mostly standalone. It can get a bit like reading Hans Christian Andersen or the Brothers Grimm; you read a few and get a little tired of the approach and look around for something else. But, of course, you come back later and read some more, repeating the process until you're done. At least, that was my experience. Without an underlying narrative, the episodic and medieval nature of the work means it's not exactly riveting. But it's Mignola, which is always excellent, especially the titular story. As always, Mignola's design sense is the best in the field, with his spot blacks a master class in guiding the reader's eye through the narrative while making the panels themselves worth lingering on.
“It all started with an Italian folk tale about a boy who goes bowling with corpses,” said Mignola. “I fell in love with the story as soon as I discovered it but I wanted to play fast and loose when adapting it, so I created a whole new world. Not TOO different than our world a few centuries ago, but with a lot more gods and monsters. Once I created that world new characters and stories just started pouring out of it. There is a whole lot to play with here and I expect to be at it for a very long time.”
“For a few years now Mike has been emailing me designs and pages and ideas and maps and lists of place names for this world, and his enthusiasm for this project is indomitable and infectious,” said Stenbeck, who will be writing and drawing other, unannounced future Lands Unknown comics. “So often my reaction to these emails is ‘that's great Mike! But I still have two books to draw before I can even move on to this work!’ and then I find myself taking three days off to write a new story. Luckily Mike likes my stories. My first project is set far off in a distant corner of this world. That way I can't bump into anything Mike is doing and make a mess. Spoiler ... it will have monsters in it."
BUTCHER’S BOY TP ($19.99) collects the four-issue horror story by Landry Q. Walker and Justin Greenwood. I read it in real time when it was coming out, and was appropriately shocked and horrified — in a good way, I mean. The book spends enough time on the central characters that you care what happens to them, which is good writing, and makes what eventually does happen to them all the more horrible. It's a gut punch — again, in a good way.
COMPLETE ELFQUEST VOL. 8: FUTUREQUEST TP ($29.99) is the final volume in the Complete ElfQuest. I read ElfQuest when it originally came out in the '70s, and it was surprising and delightful to see elves — characters usually depicted in cute ways— doing some very un-cute things. It was a new concept at the time, or at least new to me. But that approach has been used so many times since that it is no longer unique, and at some point I lost interest in the franchise. I admit the characters are well-crafted and I'm vaguely curious what happens to them, but not curious enough to catch up on the many issues I haven't read. Maybe I should just jump to the end and read this one!
ElfQuest was created and executed in the beginning by Wendy and Richard Pini, hence their original publishing line, WaRP Graphics. They are joined here by writers John Ostrander (Star Wars: Legacy), Ben Harkins (ElfQuest: The Rebels), and artists David Boller (Spider-man 2099), Dennis Fujitake (Dalgoda), Delfin Barral (Stargate), Sonny Strait (ElfQuest: Stargazer’s Hunt), Terry Beatty (Batman: Gotham Adventures), Craig Taillefer (Books of Magic), Charles Barnett III (Deathstroke the Terminator), Paul Abrams (Badger), Kathryn Bolinger (Rai), Jerry Braccia (ElfQuest: JiNK), and Jen Marrus (X-O Manowar), with letterers Chuck Maly (ElfQuest: The Rebels) and Nate Piekos (Stranger Things: The Voyage).
“These characters and stories have been a long time brewing,” Richard and Wendy Pini said. “And we’re thrilled for them finally to get the top-notch Dark Horse treatment. The number eight has always been special to ElfQuest (the elves count on eight fingers) and this volume completes a very special octad for us. Now readers can follow the elves’ adventures from the distant past right on through the not-so-distant future.
RIPPERLAND #1 ($4.99) is by Steve Orlando, John Harris Dunning and Alessandro Oliveri. In 2188, England is a nationwide Victorian theme park, operated in exchange for American financial and military protection. When an American VIP is killed (in "Whitechapel," I imagine), an American cop and a British cop (with opposing political philosophies) must stop this new Ripper before he kills again. The suspects are endless. Is it brilliant maniac? A high-tech American assassin? The English Underground trying to throw off their oppressors?
This sounds like fun, but once again Dark Harse hasn't sent me any digital review copies, so I don't know any more than you do. If it helps, here's a preview.
WILLIAM OF NEWBURY TP ($19.99) is by William Avon Oeming, and has made me feel a fool.
I have, on occasion, slighted Mr. Oeming's work, thinking it inappropriate — "too cartoony," as I'm wont to say — for whatever title lay before me. But that was before William of Newbury. This is Oeming in his element, and it is breathtaking. This is what he was born to do, and to bequeath to the world. And this is how the universe shows me what a fool I was to ever doubt Mr. Oeming's talent.
William of Newbury is set in 12th century England, in a historical period called "The Anarchy," when lawlessness ruled the land during a war of succession. (It resulted in the first Angevin king, Henry II.) But in this England, all the people are anthropomorphic animals! Which you quickly forget, as Oeming's skill is such that they quickly become faces and personalities as distinct as any in comics.
Our hero is a skittish priest, who is afraid of everything on earth — dogs, people, weird sounds, bugs, owls, dampness — but is utterly nonchalant and fearless in the face of spirits, demons and devils. "In matters of the spirit, the Lord protects me," he tells his boon companion and protector, a young thief named Winnie. "It's the material world I'm so-so on." He and his brother, Abbott Edward of Newbury, fear that their souls were stolen by the Fae when they were children. Edward's response is to avoid contact with evil, and live in slavish devotion to the church. Whereas William's response is to find and fight evil, to re-earn his soul. Needless to say, this takes sibling rivalry up a notch.
The result is a brilliant story: sometimes heartwarming, sometimes hilarious, sometimes scary. It is comics at its best, and highly recommended. Besides, where else are you going to hear a character shout, "They have spoons! Run!"
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
BARBARELLA #3 (Dynamite, 44.99) is by Blake Northcott and Anna Morozova. Again, this is a sex farce that does occasionally try to say something, and whose heart is in the right place. You might like one or the other of those things, or possibly both.
TERMINATOR #4 (Dynamite, $4.99) is by Declan Shalvey and David O'Sullivan. The story jumps to 1986 (from the Vietnam War), as we gradually move toward the events we saw in the first issue, which take place in the present. We don't know what's going on, but it's clear the Terminator does. And, unlike Nandor the Relentless, he really is relentless!
TITAN COMICS
GIRL REBELS: FROM GRETA THUNBERG TO MALALA, FIVE INSPIRATIONAL TALES OF COURAGE (144 pages, $19.99) is by writers Laurent Hopman, Fabien Morin, Julien Derain and artists Gijé, Jocelyn Joret, Brett Parson, Vittoria Macioci and Rebecca Traunig.
"From what age are we allowed to change the world?”
I really admire people like Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai, who stepped up onto the global stage to do good at an age where I was a complete waste of space. They are just two of the six people lionized in this book — Yusra Mardini, Emma ‘X’ Gonzalez and the Parkland Kids, and Melati and Isabel Wijsen — and no doubt they all deserve it. I have to say, though, that the art in the preview below doesn't inspire me.
,/P.
MORE COMICS
ALLEY OOP AND THE MAN FROM 2166 TP (Manuscript Press, $19.99): Comic-strip collectors alert!
ALLEY OOP MEETS JULIUS CAESAR TP (Manuscript Press, $75.00): Comic-strip collectors alert!
ARCHIE IS MR. JUSTICE #2 (OF 4, Archie, $4.99) is by Amada Deibert and Brent Schoonover. Mr. Justice is still trying to stop Mr. Lodge from bulldozing Riverdale neighborhoods to build condos the locals can't afford. Veronica realizes that her Daddykins is up to no good, but wants to address the situation with charitable efforts. When Mr. Justice interferes, she uses her father's high-tech labs to become The Visionary and battle him. Then Betty gets in trouble, and Kid Wicked (Reggie) arrives. Battles are battled! Realizations are realized!
It's not Alan Moore, but Diebert is altering superhero tropes to keep the various Riverdale residents in character, which results in interesting new variations. And yes, I see the Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 cover homage.
ATLAS ARTIST EDITION NO 2: AL WILLIAMSON — THE CITY THAT TIME FORGOT AND OTHER STORIES HC (Fantagraphics, MR, $125.00): I'm excited by these artist-focused collections in the Atlas reprint series because I know there's no way this series will reprint ALL the Atlas comics in my lifetime, or even after, because there are just too many. So these books may be the only way I ever see these stories — plus, I'm assured that they are the best stories these artists did, by Atlas expert Dr. MIchael Vassallo. (Who is actually a dentist, but let's not dwell on that.) This is in contradistinction to the EC artist-focused books, which repeat stories I already have in Dark Horse's comprehensive EC reprint series. That's no slam on them — I know Jeff of Earth-J enjoys them — but I just can't find a compelling reason to get them. I have no such compunction with the Atlas books, and look forward to them eagerly.
DICK TRACY #7 (Mad Cave, $4.99): Alex Segura's take continues. There's been a trade paperback of the first six issues, but I'm really hoping for an HC. Perhaps at issue #12?
EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #7 (OF 12, Oni Press, $4.99) contains stories by writers Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun), Chris Condon (Night People) and Jordan Thomas (Skin Police, The Man From Maybe) and artists Andrea Sorrentino (Gideon Falls), Valeria Burza (Blackbirds) and Andrea Mutti (Arkham Horror). That's all I know, but I didn't even need to know that, as I am getting these books regardless.
MANGA CLASSICS SHERLOCK HOLMES VOL 1: A STUDY IN SCARLET GN (Manga Classics, $19.99) is by by Crystal Chan and Julien Choy. It appears to be a straight adaptation of the original 1887 Arthur Conan Doyle story introducing the Great Detective. Which, if true, would make this the Japanese version of Classics Illustrated.
PAPA DUKE #1 (OF 3, Keenspot, MR, $3.99) is by Aimee Delong and Gershon Villamor. The book is listed by Keenspot and Scout, but appears to be a product of Execution Posse Holdings, a record company which currently lists a total of four releases. The Urban Dictionary helpfully informs me that a "Papa Duke" is a parent or authority figure in a Black community.
In all probability none of us will ever see an issue of this. But I found the covers and the solicitation interesting: "In development with Sony Entertainment! Papa Duke is the feared ruler of Blood World and the psychopathic leader of the Night of the Cadillac gangs. Assisted by his fiendish disciple Ives, Papa Duke positions the beautiful Mother Vega as the ultimate goddess-queen of his domain. But first, Papa Duke and Ives must destroy everything Mother Vega cares about-including her lover Cassandra." OK, then.
PINUPOCALYPSE #1 (OF 6, Massive, MR, $4.99) is by Andrew Tarusov, Brendan Jones and Igor Vyunyshev. Set in a snall town in the 1950s and starring pin-up girls Foxy and Roxy against zombies and aliens, it promises " a mix of '50s sci-fi and horror tropes reimagined with a clever twist" that is "inspired by Hollywood filmmakers like Ed Wood, Sam Raimi and Edgar Wright," plus pin-up artist Gil Elvgren. Does that sound dumb? Yeah, kinda. But sometimes dumb is what you're in the mood for. Plus, the covers are, as you'd expect, pin-up worthy.
Speaking of covers, I'm assuming all the variants are homages, although I can't specify all the sources. Cover B could be an homage to the Playboy images of Marylyn Monroe on red velvet, of which there are a number, but none I found match this pose exactly. (The texture of the red velvet is replaced here by zombie arms, which works surprisingly well.) I found a ton of images that were similar to Cover C that don't match exactly, from various Saturday Evening Post covers, to various movie posters (The Sting, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Lethal Weapon, Pretty Woman, Parent Trap 2, etc.). The pose is best mirrored in the movie posters for A View to a Kill (1985) or Killers (2010), but those don't have the Saturday Evening Post vibe. It's probably something else (The back-to-back pose, I found, is fairly common on movie posters.) Cover D is clearly an homage to The Walking Dead #1. Cover E is an homage to the Evil Dead (1981) movie poster. At first I assumed Drag Me to Hell, but I guess Evil Dead got there first.
PROJECT CRYPTID VOL 2 TP (Ahoy, MR, $17.99): Ahoy alert!
RESURGENCE: VALIANT FINALE (ONE-SHOT, Valiant, $5.99) is by Fred Van Lente and Guillermo Fajardo. It appears to be the climax of the recent Valiant: Resurgence, essentially the fifth issue of a four-issue miniseries, which feels a little bait-and-switchy to me. But I'll get it, just to see what the status quo of this revived universe is.
TINY OGN (Silverline, $14.99) is by Roland Mann and Deonna Herrold. It has a kind of Disney vibe, which tracks, since this is inspired by Thumbelina and Disney expats Don Bluth and Gary Goldman released the animated Thumbelina in 1994 (based on the Hans Christian Andersen fable). Tiny even resembles Thumbelina, to my layman's eyes, a little too much like Thumbelina for (legal) comfort. But instead of handsome Prince Cornelius, as in the movie,Tiny must deal with a (tiny) ogre woman trying to marry her off to her loathsome (and tiny) ogre son.
TOXIC AVENGER #4 (OF 5, Ahoy Comics, MR, $3.99): Ahoy alert! Here's this issue's trading card:
WILLIE NELSON: A GRAPHIC HISTORY TP (104 pages, B&W, $14.99) is by T.J. Kirsch and various artists. I'm not a huge fan of the Red-Headed Stranger — I got my fill of Country-Western when I lived in Texas for three years — but maybe you are. Here's a PREVIEW.
WORLD OF ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #147 (Archie, $9.99). There doesn't appear to be a new story in this digest. Which is OK by me. I usually enjoy the older ones more.
Complete story:
Replies
Amazing Spider-Man #61-65 just arrived from Westfield, and I enjoyed them far more than I expected to... I guess I missed Spidey more than I realized. This isn't "my" Peter Parker any more, but it's adjacent...
You know, I started reading this latest series from the beginning. I felt much the same as you, but eventually dropped it after 25 or 30 issues for no other reason than it simply wasn't "my" Spider-Man anymore, either.
This is the first of six one-shots where J. Michael Straczynski was allowed to pick two characters and smash them together. Why?
"Why?" indeed.
The stories are referred to as "standalone" and "timeless," which translates to "not in continuity."
To me it translates as, if I were to buy them, I would read them once and never again. I wouldn't mind reading one or two (Out of "morbid curiousity"), but not at five bucks a pop.
Reed Richards, the smartest man on the planet, has spent that time trying to find a way to understand magic, so he can find and stop Doom...
Didn't he do that once before... in Fantastic Four #71/500?
Waitaminnit! When did Dane Whitman become a physicist?
It doesn't come up much, but he was a physicist right from the very beginning: Avengers #47 (1967).
I don't even know how he became un-stoned
He was revealed to be "unstoned" in past in Defender #11 (1973) during the Avengers/Defenders clash, and was returned to the present in Avengers #225-226 (1982).
X-MEN: XAVIER’S SECRET
That he's in love with Jean Grey? :P
The main story, which is basically Rocky, really doesn't interest me much.
I liked the way the narrative was interwoven with the action.
LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION #48: SUPERMAN VS. THE FLASH FACSIMILE EDITION
I had stopped buiying all the treasury editions by the time this came out, so I'm looking forward to having these stories beneath a single cover, at a larger size, and on better paper.
And yes, I see the Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 cover homage.
:)
ATLAS ARTIST EDITION NO 2: AL WILLIAMSON: I have no such compunction with the Atlas books, and look forward to them eagerly.
Not just the "Atrtist Editions" (Joe Msaneely was No. 1) but the "Atlas Comics Library" editions as well. If/when Fantagraphics releases a second volume of Adventures Into Terror, it will include "The Hands" (#14), the story I often cite as my favorite comic book story.
You know, I started reading this latest series from the beginning. I felt much the same as you, but eventually dropped it after 25 or 30 issues for no other reason than it simply wasn't "my" Spider-Man anymore, either.
Not my Mary Jane, either. And it ends in four more issues. One wonders what the status quo will be in the next series. Can we kill Paul in some horrible way, please?
To me it translates as, if I were to buy them, I would read them once and never again. I wouldn't mind reading one or two (Out of "morbid curiousity"), but not at five bucks a pop.
Sadly, I almost always read things only once and never again. I read Silver Age stuff umpty-ump times (hence my generally good recall of those stories) but once I got into my 20s I never had time for re-reads – there was too much new stuff coming in every month. Now there’s too much OLD stuff, as PS Artbooks and such stack up in the bedroom.
Didn't he do that once before ... in Fantastic Four #71/500?
I wondered that, too, but I haven’t read Fantastic Four regularly since the aughts. I’ve read piecemeal when other stories called for it for the last 20 years, but almost anything could have happened in between, so I didn’t say anything. I mean, for all I know Reed’s been replaced by a doppelganger from another dimension who never studied magic.
It doesn't come up much, but he was a physicist right from the very beginning: Avengers #47 (1967). … He was revealed to be "unstoned" in past in Defender #11 (1973) during the Avengers/Defenders clash, and was returned to the present in Avengers #225-226 (1982).
Just moments ago I bragged about remembering Silver Age stories well, but I do not remember Dane being a physicist. Also, I’m sure I’ve read plenty of Black Knight stories since the stoning thing went away. But honestly? I never remember any Black Knight stories. I find him to be one of the least-interesting characters Marvel has ever created. At least when he was a statue, it was memorable.
I liked the way the narrative was interwoven with the action.
Agreed. King is a good writer. Even here, where part of the story doesn’t interest me, his facile narration keeps me engaged. Or, as you said, “interwoven.”
Not just the "Artist Editions" (Joe Maneely was No. 1) but the "Atlas Comics Library" editions as well. If/when Fantagraphics releases a second volume of Adventures Into Terror, it will include "The Hands" (#14), the story I often cite as my favorite comic book story.
I look forward to “The Hands” now!
Yeah, I’m pretty suckered in to all the Atlas reprints. I’ve been waiting my whole life to read some of this material. I honestly expect some of it to be pretty bad, but probably not as bad as some of the other '50s material I'm reading. And my curiosity will at last be sated.