TOP PUBLISHERS
MARVEL COMICS
CRYPT OF SHADOWS #1 (ONE-SHOT, $4.99): Marvel takes an old horror title and revives it as an anthology one-shot—with Agatha Harkness as host. Here are the stories, as described by Marvel:
- Prepare to be spellbound Agatha Harkness guides you through the danger and mystery that awaits! But beware—there’s always a ulterior motive with this witch. Discover what Agatha is really brewing in a delightful framing story from current Scarlet Witch scribe Steve Orlando and artist Claire Roe.
- The Curse of the Man-Thing spreads from the swamp to the seas, placing him in the crosshairs of the King of Atlantis, Namor! See them duke it out in this gruesome tale from writer Benjamin Percy and artist Raffaele Ienco.
- Kraven the MONSTER Hunter! The iconic Spidey villain dares to target Jack Russell, Werewolf By Night, but bites off more than he can shew when Blade arrives to help his old friend! Find out who is left standing in this bloody battle written by Jason Loo and drawn by Carlos Magno.
- Joshua Jovan, the seasoned monster hunter from Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation Werewolf by Night, makes his comic book debut in a story by writer Chris Condon and artist Djibril Morissette. Jovan falls through the Last Door and finds himself face-to-face with his greatest prey yet—the Scarlet Witch!
MYSTIQUE #1 (OF 5, $4.99): I honestly don't like Mystique. She has spent the bulk of her comics career as a selfish, amoral, gleeful mass murderer. Let me put it another way: When you wear a skull on your uniform, you might be one of the baddies.
Marvel's trying to turn her into an anti-hero, I think, which doesn't sit well with me. But I guess after Rogue, Magneto, Juggernaut and all the rest it's just another in a series of redemption arcs, where we're supposed to accept that leopards do change their spots.
Judging by the description, writer/artist Declan Shalvey isn't going to attempt to make her Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. And while it doesn't say much, Nick Fury will be involved somehow.
“Mystique is hands down one of the most compelling characters to come from the Marvel Universe,” Shalvey said. “To have an opportunity to put my own stamp on such an iconic character and showcase her in a series of her own is a unique privilege. As a rabid X-fan since childhood, I’m having a blast channeling all my X-enthusiasm into writing and drawing this project. In this series, Mystique is reeling from the fall of Krakoa. She’s a rogue element with no accountability putting a mysterious plan into action, ruthlessly destroying anything and anyone in her way.”
MOON KNIGHT: FIST OF KHONSHU #1 ($4.99): Jed MacKay and Andrew Cappuccio continue their MK run from whatever the last series was. I haven't been reading, but from the solicits I'm guessing that Marc Spector is back, and whoever was filling in for him is gone.
Elsewhere at Marvel
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #261 FACSIMILE EDITION ($4.99): More "Black Costume Saga."
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #2 (OF 5, $3.99): Cap and the gang face ghosts of radioactive super-apes. Red Ghost also appears, as you'd expect with the ghosts of radioactive super-apes.
DAREDEVIL: WOMAN WITHOUT FEAR #4 ($3.99): New Punisher guest stars.
DAZZLER OMNIBUS HC ($150.00): Collects The X-Men #130-131, Amazing Spider-Man #203, Dazzler #1-42, Marvel Graphic Novel #12, Beauty and The Beast #1-4, Secret Wars II #4, and material from What If #33 and Marvel Fanfare #38. I will not be buying this.
MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #25 ($4.99): Still a vampire, which should cause problems, among them the ruination of his credit score. Guest-starring Black Panther.
MMW TOMB OF DRACULA VOL 4 HC ($75.00): Reprints through Tomb of Dracula #40 and Vampire Tales #9. Concludes Giant-Size Dracula.
THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MEN #8 ($3.99): Miles is NOT a vampire in this one. Maybe there's hope for his credit score yet.
WOLVERINE #2 ($4.99): Wendigo drops by to catch up with the ol' Canucklehead over a nice game of cribbage and some herbal tea. Ha, ha! JK. They fight.
"All In" launch issues
CATWOMAN #69 ($3.99): Someone put a hit out on Selina and she's going to have to go international to find out who. Adios, Gotham!
GREEN LANTERN #16 ($4.99): Mogo is red, Kilowog is yellow, poetry is hard, and Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Guy Gardner are in trouble.
TITANS #16 ($3.99): The description hints that maybe the Titans are in for a little criticism, since "Absolute Power" happened on their watch. Like nothing ever happened when the Justice League was in charge!
WONDER WOMAN #14 ($4.99): The Sovereign story is still going on, but with the same creative team staying on, I guess DC figured this was as good a place as any to say "All In" has begun. Also, "Behold the birth of Trinity!" Which I thought had already happened, but that's what I get for not reading this series from the beginning.
First issues:
BATMAN AND ROBIN: YEAR ONE #1 (OF 12, $3.99): This is written by Mark Waid, drawn by Chris Samnee, and co-plotted by both ... and I don't think you could have come up with a better team for this concept. Not only is Waid a walking encyclopedia of DC Comics, but he also seem so have maintained his Silver Age spirit of optimism and morality through the grim-n-gritty era. And Samnee is not only a terrific artist in his own right, but his style is reminiscent of David Mazucchelli, who was so memorable on Batman: Year One. This will pair nicely with that older classic.
Here's what the creators have to say:
“While Batman and Robin are the stars of this tale and get most of the panel time, at its heart, this isn’t a Batman/Robin story, it’s a Bruce/Dick story,” said Mark Waid. “It takes place only a month or two after Bruce adopted Dick, and it’s sinking in for Bruce that he has no idea how to be a father to a kid that age. He has no role model—his own father was long dead by the time he was Dick’s age. Nothing he’s ever done has prepared him for this, and Alfred—wise as he is—doesn’t have much experience here either.”
“Dick is everything Bruce is not—impetuous, flamboyant, reckless,” said Chris Samnee. “But he’s also precise; he can stick a landing. He’ll take orders when they make sense to him, but he’s keen to improvise, testing his role within the Dynamic Duo. The first pages you’ll see will showcase how they’ll be acting, and reacting, as they adventure out into Gotham City on patrol together. We’re so excited for this story to finally be told.”
BATMAN: FULL MOON #1 (OF 4, $5.99): Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia) and artist Stevan Subic (The Riddler: Year One) create a Batman vs. werewolf story, but I can't tell if it's in canon or not. If it isn't, Batman could become a Bat-Wolf by the end, as he became a vampire in Red Rain. It could become its own Elseworlds series of miniseries, like "White Knight," "DCeased," "DC vs. Vampires" and "Dark Knights of Steel."
Elsewhere at DC:
ACTION COMICS #1071: "All In" launch was last week. (Action is a weekly again.)
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #32: Current storyline and creative team continues; no "All In" yet. I guess they're saving some launches for November.
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #7 FACSIMILE EDITION: Spoiler: Supergirl dies. (She gets better. Again and again and again.)
NIGHTWING #118: Current storyline continues; no "All In" yet.
IMAGE COMICS
DESTRO #5 (OF 5, $3.99)
DRACULA: A STORYBOOK PORTFOLIO HC ($24.99): A little less than a GN, a little more than a prose book with illustrations, this is described as more than 150 pages of art and story by J.H. Williams III (The Sandman Overture, Promethea, Batwoman) based on the Bram Stoker novel.
I have so many versions of Dracula that I scarcely need another. It is an interesting format, though. Color me intrigued.
“Since I talk about what inspired this project in the foreword inside the book, I'll just say that I'm excited to have it come out,” said Williams III. “I don't think I've seen a book quite like this in the modern era. I sought to make it a different kind of thing than what some would expect, an attempt to marry portfolio illustrations with brief passages to create a narrative structure that most art books don't tend to focus on. Because of it having a single narrative subject, the illustration choices are reflective of that. I gave the prose sections a subtle older style, but delivered with a somewhat brisk sensibility. All with a desire to have it call back to classic storybooks that often became annual favorites of the young and old. Every aspect of the book, with the assistance of Image Comics’ Drew Gill, is geared toward that simple but pleasant idea. The result is unique and hopefully satisfying.”
FALLING IN LOVE ON PATH TO HELL #5 (MR, $3.99) kicks off a new story arc, and Frank Miller is doing some variant covers, which writer Gerry Duggan seems very happy about.
“Hearing that Frank Miller enjoyed the debut issue of Falling in Love on the Path to Hell sent me into orbit,” said Duggan. “Frank’s directly responsible for my brain marinating in samurai culture, Ronin is a timeless masterpiece and his indelible covers to the American reprints of Lone Wolf and Cub were my gateway into one of the best comics ever made. It’s not hyperbole to say our comic wouldn’t exist without the inspiration from Frank. Our entire team is delighted and grateful that Frank is sharing his talent on a guest cover for the start of our second arc. A true dream came true, and we're so happy that Jock accommodated our request to color Frank. You're getting two geniuses for the price of one.”
ULTRAMEGA BY JAMES HARREN #6 (OF 9, MR, $7.99): Image really wants you to know about Ultramega! They sent a press release (about a new villain) and a preview this month, after already sending similar last issue (about a new story arc). It's also labeled a 9-issue miniseries now, and I don't remember that being the case before. Maybe I just didn't notice, but it seems new.
"From beyond the cosmos, a terrifying new enemy emerges! Has any Ultramega faced a threat like this?! But first, Noah will train his massive fists on a city gone kaiju krazy!"
DARK HORSE
H.P. LOVECRAFT’S THE CALL OF CTHULHU GN ($19.99): Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'yeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Now that I've got that off my chest, I'll explain that this is a manga adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft story by Gou Tanabe, who also did a manga adaptation of Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. I don't need additional copies of these stories, but I did find this creator quote an odd choice:
"I love H.P. Lovecraft. ... It would be great to adapt him as a serialized manga, but I actually saw Gou Tanabe create a great adaption of H.P. Lovecraft's stories. Afterwards, I ended up not doing it because I thought I wouldn't be as good as Gou's version."—Junji Ito (Uzumaki, Black Paradox)
JUPITER’S LEGACY FINALE #1 (OF 5, MR, $4.99): Earlier somewhere I said that I wasn't sure how many Jupiter's Legacy miniseries I'd read. I still don't know, but after reading this I can say with certainty that I didn't read the last one. Evidently we're now at the grandchildren stage of this generational saga, and the last I remember of the kid now calling himself Utopian was when he was a baby. Also, Earth was not being invaded by super-beings from another world.
This issue opens in mid-battle. It could be that the last series ended at that point, or it could have ended slightly earlier, and we're expected to grab hold of a train speeding past, because Mark Millar wanted to start with a fight scene. Either way, I had to figure out what was going on, who was who and why I should care. Just another day as a comics fan.
Obviously, I can't really review this until I see more (and read the prior story). I will say that it bears very little resemblance to the first two miniseries, whose conflicts were entirely internal.
"We started this book in 2012," said Millar. "When Barack Obama was still in his first term and now we’re finally finishing it, 12 years older and hopefully wiser. It’s been the longest story I’ve written in my career and an honour to work with some of the greatest artists in the modern industry. I had this plotted on my board a couple of years before and it’s so satisfying to see it all come together at last. I’m so proud of this book and want to thank everyone for their patience. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it. What other book out there can promise: The secret of the universe contained within?"
I'll just add that, thanks to George Washington's Dream, we can drop the "U" in a lot of British words, like "honour" above. But by God, we will keep the British "U" in the word glamour!
THE ODDLY PEDESTRIAN LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER CHAOS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1 (48 pages, $6.99) contains five short stories by different creative teams. I don't read Christopher Chaos, but I took a chance and read this in hopes I could grab the speeding train. And I have to say that, while the stories seemed very well done, I had no idea what was going on. Here are those stories, in case you are a Christopher Chaos reader.
- James Tynion IV and Isaac Goodhart tell a story of family and loss featuring the characters Adam Frankenstein and Viveka.
- Tate Brombal and Phil Jimenez introduce a wild new monster far above the Arctic Circle.
- Back in Briar City, Brombal is joined by Morgan Beem (Crashing, Swamp Thing: Twin Branches) for a sweet and spooky story of young Christopher during a Halloween long past.
- Soo Lee (Carmilla: The First Vampire) writers and draws her story.
- Nick Robles (Sandman Universe—The Dreaming: Waking Hours) writes and draws his story.
"My All Hallows Eve dreams (nightmares?) are coming true with our first ever Christopher Chaos Halloween Special! Not only are we assembling our full Monster Club of incredible creators, we're also expanding the Chaos-verse while spotlighting characters in stories that wouldn't otherwise fit into our main series! In classic Chaos fashion, get ready to scream, cry, and coo your way through this monstrous collection of spooky tales."—Tate Brombal
“My eight-page short with James was born out of late-night conversations we had on the road promoting Christopher Chaos issue 1. It's very certainly the most personal and best story I've ever worked on and I'm so proud I got to tell it with my friend!”—Isaac Goodheart
"My story in this amazing anthology is just a small taste of one of the most interesting characters in the Christopher Chaos universe. A tale of transformation for Jordi in more ways than one!"—Soo Lee
WHERE MONSTERS LIE: CULL DE SAC #1 (OF 4, $3.99): Once again I took a chance, since I didn't read the original Where Monsters Lie miniseries. This time I twigged a little quicker, because the concept of multiple slasher-movie monsters and killers being organized and sent on missions is reminiscent of Cabin in the Woods, which I have seen. Also, it appears to be a black comedy, which I usually enjoy.
But I still didn't know the specific characters (although I caught on to most), nor did I know what was going on -- apparently something happened at Elmhurst/Site A that is very important, since it is constantly being referenced. We are told a lot of people died there, which these guys should be celebrating but aren't, so I guess it was the bad guys who got killed. But I'm just guessing.
Again, it seems well done, and there are several times I suspect I would have made me laugh if I had understood the joke. But that's all I've got.
“I love a good horror movie like nobody else,” said writer Kyle Starks (I Hate This Place, Pine and Merrimac). “I adore a great horror slasher. But you know what I like even more? A SEQUEL! Brilliant artist Piotr Kowalski (All Eight Eyes, The Many Deaths of Barnaby James) did such a great job of bringing the awful beasts of Site A to life I just had to see what he would do at Site B! If you LOVED Volume One you have a great treat coming here in the Cull-de-sac. IF you didn’t read Volume One what are you doing! Read it then come pick this up! What terrible, evil fun we’re having! JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!!!”
IDW PUBLISHING
EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN #1 (OF 4, MR, $4.99): Most of this first issue is set-up. It opens as newly elected President Doyle gives her inaugural speech. We meet her family, her husband (doctor) and two teenage children, older Kevin (who seeks approval from popular kids) and daughter Mara (introverted, withdrawn). I don't know if this matters, but the president is white and her husband is black, and the kids mirror their skin tone by gender (Mara has cascading red hair, which seems unlikely). It's not said, but President Doyle is obviously a Democrat, and is under attack from right-wing politicans as she navigates her First 100 Days. The kids navigate their new Catholic school.
It's only toward the end that what appear to be supernatural events start occurring around Mara. It might not be supernatural, as one of the president's problems is the return of "Havana Syndrome," with agents being crippled and killed around the world. Also, Kevin has a study session with one of his new friends, so someone we don't know gets a tour of the White House and could easily have planted something. It's possible the haunting and Havana Syndrome are related, and either both are supernatural or both are high-tech attacks mimicking the supernatural. Or maybe Mara is a closet telekinetic. As I said, the first issue is set-up, so nothing's carved in stone.
It's an interesting scenario, but I don't know if I'm sold just yet. I'll try a second issue before I make up my mind.
The art is so-so, sketchier than I prefer. But I can tell who's who and what's what fairly readily, so the storytelling is up to par. Here are some creator quotes:
“As someone who has always loved horror, I wanted to tell a story that let me play with the genre’s tropes but in a setting we haven’t seen before,” said writer Hannah Rose May (Rogues' Gallery). “The White House is arguably the most famous house in the world and I thought it would be fun to use it as a location to set an exorcism. At its core, this is a story about family and faith but it also addresses the intensity of the 24/7 news cycle, the noise of social media, and the expectations put upon the First Family.” The spine-tingling scribe added, “I’m thrilled to be partnered with IDW on this series and I can’t wait for readers to dive into THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN which has been so hauntingly brought to life by the killer artwork of Vanesa Del Rey.”
“It’s been a thrill to work on this book with a team of talented women,” said Vanesa Del Rey (Scarlet Witch). “I hope you fall into this dark tale with our First Family as they fight to survive a menacing evil lurking in the White House. I’ve put a lot of myself into this project and cannot wait to share the scare!”
HELL: INK & WATER ART OF MIKE MIGNOLA HC (MR, $39.99): IDW sent neither review copy nor preview. Fortunately, Penguin Random House has a PREVIEW.
MOON & SERPENT BUMPER BOOK OF MAGIC HC (MR, $49.99): I tried to read this twice on my iPad, but the type was too small for me to read faster than a laborious snail's pace. That's not a recipe for reading comprehension, which in an Alan Moore book, is a must. Here's a preview for you to decide for yourself if you want to add this to your Moore library.
OTHER PUBLISHERS
ARCHIE MILESTONES JUMBO DIGEST #26: JUGHEAD'S WINTER WONDERLAND (Archie, $9.99)
FULL STORY
BIG JIM & THE WHITE BOY GN (Ten Speed Press, $25.99): Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's perspective. Nice idea, but I can't say I'm crazy about the art.
CLAY FOOTED GIANTS GN (Mad Cave, MR, $19.99): Two stay-at-home dads learn to deal with their childhood trauma so they don't pass it on, while navigating the social stigma of being stay-at-home dads. Never having had children, this doesn't interest me much. But YMMV.
EC: EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #4 (Oni Press, OF 12, $4.99): This month's creators: J. Holtham & Ra l Allén, Amy Roy & Claire Roe, and Jay Stephens & David Lapham.
EPIC NPC MAN: HERO OUTAGE #1 (Bad Egg, $20.00): It's from a video game, so you probably know more about it than I do. No preview available.
ETERNAL WARRIOR: RESURGENCE (Valiant, ONE-SHOT, $5.99): I'll probably pick this up to see what the character's status quo will be in "Resurgence." As I've noted elsewhere, I'm reading the main Resurgence miniseries, and picking up other Valiant books as the mood strikes me. I want to know if this line has, against all probability, legs.
GODFATHER OF HELL #1 (Vault, $4.99): Dario Santini was a mob enforcer and debt collector before he got killed and went to Hell, which he then tries to treat as a "business" opportunity. I assume it's a black comedy, mixing crime noir and Catholic mythology.
“Two of my favourite genres collide in GODFATHER OF HELL: gangster noir and exorcist terror,” saidWriter Cavan Scott (Star Wars: The High Republic, Shadow Service). “Brace yourself for visceral body horror, lashings of black humor, and moments of super-cool swagger brought to life by Pius’ neon-soaked art. It’s sexy, gritty and downright terrifying! Most exorcist dramas focus on the human victims and their saviors, but GODFATHER OF HELL flips the script, telling the story of multiple possessions from the point of view of the demons themselves. Our guide to the ultimate criminal underworld is Dario, a mob enforcer who, after a fatal shooting, receives an unexpected business proposition from one of Satan’s lieutenants. Hell, Dario quickly realizes, is just another racket, and if there's one thing Dario knows, it's how to work rackets. Can he play the Devil at his own game to save those he loves from eternal damnation? Or will he finally lose his soul? GODFATHER OF HELL is a demonic noir where human souls are collateral and damnation lurks on every street corner: a truly twisted tale of possession, passion and powerplay. I can’t wait for everyone to meet the devil’s new debt collector!”
Artist Pius Bak (Eat the Rich, The Magicians) added, “throughout my career I've explored various genres, but lately I've found myself naturally gravitating towards drawing weirder and creepier stuff. So was I thrilled when Vault approached me with a proposition to work on this unique twist of horror? And with Cavan freaking Scott? HELL yeah! The story is funny and sad, very cool and creepy, I'm genuinely enjoying Cavan's storytelling. On my part, from designing the characters to illustrating the covers, from sketching the layouts to inking the pages, working on this book has been immensely fun!”
The press release says that Godfather of Hell will feature covers homaging crime movie posters. I recognize Pulp Fiction below, but I don't know about the others. There are some more at AIPT, which has an exlusive PREVIEW.
HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES GRAPHIC ADAPTATION (Greystone, $35.00): An adaptation of forester Peter Wohlleben's book. No preview available.
HYSTERIA #0 (Vault, ONE-SHOT, $4.99): This zero issue precedes the upcoming Hysteria graphic novel co-written by Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen and Eliot Rahal (Bleed Them Dry, The Vain, Midnight Vista), with art by Alex Schlitz (Sagas of the Shield Maiden).
Here's the description: "Continuing the celebration of rock, the graphic novel Hysteria follows Foz, the frontwoman of indie band Darkside, after she inherits her father's estate and discovers it comes with a half-remembered guitar from her childhood. The guitar speaks to her, promising fame and success. Soon, it delivers. But when Darkside’s equipment is stolen at a massive music venue, just before they’re set to take the stage with Def Leppard, Foz goes on the warpath to get it back. A knuckle-dusting rampage ensues, and the guitar's true history is revealed."
Write what you know, they say.
“Blending music and comics together like this is an incredible and insane dream, and I could not be more thrilled by the work Eliot, Alex, and Vault have put into Hysteria. It has been a joy and one hell of a ride. I know fans are going to love it,” said Phil Collen, Def Leppard guitarist.
Co-writer Eliot Rahal said, “From the very beginning, before we had anything, this story felt big. Phil came to us with a vision, a ton of passion, and the word ‘Hysteria’—something that has a lot of history for the band. It’s something that carries a lot of meaning. A legacy. And in many ways, that’s what this story is about. The Vault team worked with me tirelessly to help create a framework to capture that spirit. Then … as the team assembled and the art came in. … I saw the idea take shape in real-time, and the weight of the project became even more real. I put everything I had into this book because it was clear to me that everyone else also had as well. I’ll be forever grateful for being a part of this project.”
“As a Midwestern native raised on rock and roll and a musician from a family of musicians, Foz and Darkside's story has come to mean a lot to me,” added illustrator Alex Schlitz. ”The opportunity to work on this book with Def Leppard has been not only a huge honor, but such an exhilarating treat. I'm so grateful to be part of the team bringing this story to life, and I've had such a blast working with Eliot, Phil, and Fabi to create this world. I'm excited for everyone else to finally get to come on the journey with us!”
Bleeding Cool has a PREVIEW.
LIQUID KILL VOL 2 #1 (Massive, OF 4, $4.99): I didn't read Liquid Kill volume 1, so I can't say yay or nay on this one. And no preview is available. All I can tell from the description is that It's set in a dystopic future, and promises a lot of violence. Covers are nice, though.
(That last cover reminds of some movie poster or other, but I checked all the Star Wars movies; Beastmaster; Yor, Warrior of the Future; and the Conan movies and didn't see it. It looks like it might be a video game cover, but then how would I have seen it?)
MARVEL COMICS LIBRARY: AVENGERS VOL 2 1965-1967 HC (Taschen, $200.00): What, another one? Maybe I should just collect these, and sell off omnibuses and Marvel Masterworks as they are gradually replaced.
Funny, this just occurred to me: These oversized books are to my current size as comic books were to smaller elementary school me.
MINKY WOODCOCK: THE GIRL CALLED CTHULHU #1 (Titan, OF 4, MR, $3.99) is by Cynthia Von Buhler (not her birth name), a multi-hyphenate that, among other things, writes the kinky Minky Woodcock stories. Minky's father is a private detective with his own firm, but in most stories the father (and her actor/investigator brother) are otherwise engaged while Minky does the detective work. The stories are set in the '20s and '30s, so operating under the umbrella of her father's name is the only plausible way to have a woman act as an independent P.I. at the time.
It's been a while since I read a Woodcock story so I don't remember if historical fiction is a part of the show. But it certainly is for this first issue, which mixes in real people like Harry Houdini, H.P. Lovecraft, Betty May and Aleister Crowley, along with real events involving them. That made for some fun googling.
As for the comic book itself, I was immediately reminded why I don't jump on every Woodcock story: I don't much care for Von Buhler's art. Despite all the nudity and sex (there's a lipstick lesbian three-way in this story), I don't find the work particularly tittilating. It's just too cartoony to be sexy, at least for me. YMMV.
As for the story, the mixing of historical elements into the launch of whatever Von Buhler's story is going to be (not clear yet) was enough for me to enjoy the book. I'll be back for the next issue to see how the lawsuit involving May and Crowley turns out. (jk, Wiki already told me.)
PAST TENSE HC (Avery, $30.00): "A brave and captivating graphic memoir about the power of therapy to heal anxiety and generational trauma." Penguin Random House has a lengthy PREVIEW (click "Look Inside"), featuring art I don't particularly care for. As for the story, I'm not really interested in a middle-aged woman living an upper-middle-class life who gets therapy to deal with her unhappy childhood. Talk about First World problems. Comics only get two strikes, and this one gets that from me. YMMV.
PENTHOUSE COMICS #5 (Penthouse, MR, $9.99): I saw the first three issues of this at my LCS, and the first issue had a Maria Llovet cover, and I love her work, so I bought 'em. Turns out it was a variant cover, and there was no Llovet inside.
(All together now: Collecting comics is hard!)
Since I had the first three, I bought the fourth when it came out, and I'll probably get this one and the sixth. But just those. Because I read somewhere that the sixth issue will tie up most of the serials, before issue #7 launches a bunch of new ones. And I need to wrap this up.
I found to my delight that (unlike Penthouse Comix) this iteration isn't outright porn; it's adult stories with occasional nudity—very Euro-like, in fact. I haven't looked up any of the creators' names, but I wouldn't be surprised if this title has some Euro-reprints, like Heavy Metal.
But what I don't like is the teeny-tiny type, some of it in color on colored backgrounds. I have to be under a bright light with Walgreens cheaters on to struggle through these magazines, basically only using my left eye. Which I don't do very often. And by that, I mean I've done it once. Which means I've only gotten about midway through the first issue, and when I finish the sixth issue I'll bag, board and forget. It'll be a relief to quit comics that require so much effort to read.
(Getting old is hard, too.)
SPILLBLOOD #1 (Keenspot, MR, $6.99): Described as "36 pages of blood-splattered horror" from writer Jonathan Hedrick (Can I Scream?) and artist Stefano Cardoselli (Don't Spit In the Wind). I'm not familiar with either of those names, and couldn't find a preview. So all we''ve got is the description: "Rejected by Heaven and exiled from Hell, a doomed priest walks the borderline between living and dead. He listens to those who cry to their deity for forgiveness. Then at night ... he will spill blood!" That's not enough to induce me to track down this book, which my LCS is unlikely to order.
SUNDAY HC (Fantagraphics, $39.99): No preview, but from what I can glean a guy basically has a nervous breakdown while anticipating a birthday party, and his flashbacks and internal monolog are supposed to fascinate us. I suppose they could, depending on execution.
TERRY & THE PIRATES MASTER COLLECTION VOL 9 HC (Clover, $100.00): Comic-strp collector alert!
TWILIGHT GRIMM #1 (Silverline, $4.99): A guy with the unlikely name of Twilight Grimm protects the rich and middle class citizens on one side of a wall which separtes them from the poor and the vampiric on the other side of the wall. I'm not all on board with the class war, nor does the artwork impress me. But they were nice enough to provide a preview, unlike some other publishers on this post.
VALIANT UNIVERSE HERO ORIGINS: THE VALIANT TP (Valiant, $24.99): Wake me up if it's ever released in HC.
VAMPIRO ROCKABILLY APOCALYPSE #1 (Massive, OF 5, MR, $4.99): An Austin music vlogger investigates a musical legend, and discovers vampires, luchadors and what looks like an undead Elvis. Probably just a vampire Elvis impersonator, but it provides some interesting imagery.
VICARIOUS #1 (OF 5, BOOM, $4.99): This is set in a world where the old and rich can voyeuristically enjoy the lives of the young and pretty via a brain implant. Here's a PREVIEW.
Replies
WONDER WOMAN #14: The Sovereign story is still going on, but with the same creative team staying on, I guess DC figured this was as good a place as any to say "All In" has begun.
When it's just a marketing gimmick in the first place, it doesn';t really matter.
Also, "Behold the birth of Trinity!" Which I thought had already happened, but that's what I get for not reading this series from the beginning.
The "Trinity" back-ups have not been chronological. (I don't think it's even been revealed who her father is.)
BATMAN AND ROBIN: YEAR ONE #1: This is written by Mark Waid, drawn by Chris Samnee, and co-plotted by both ...
You had me at "Mark Waid."
JUPITER’S LEGACY FINALE: This is the sixth. I bought the first, second and fourth and had been looking forward to the "Library Editions" you mentioned a while ago. Don't know whether I'll buy this series or not. Probably not if it's eventually going to be collected in a Library Edition.
MARVEL COMICS LIBRARY: What, another one? Maybe I should just collect these, and sell off omnibuses and Marvel Masterworks as they are gradually replaced.
I have replaced my Fantastic Four Masterworks with FF Omnibusses. (In that case, five Omnis = 15 Masterworks exactly.) The thing with Avengers is that that is the only series of classic "Masterworks" I have a complete set of in a consistent trade dress. the other thing about Avengers Masterworks is the the reproduction in the early volumes is crap. They're still more convenient to read than the originals, but I balk at the price tag of the Marvel Comic Library editions.
TERRY & THE PIRATES MASTER COLLECTION VOL 9 HC (Clover, $100.00): Comic-strp collector alert!
Again, IDW has already collected this entire series in much more afforable volumes.
The "Trinity" back-ups have not been chronological. (I don't think it's even been revealed who her father is.)
I admit to a little morbid curiosity about that. Did they show Wonder Woman pregnant and/or giving birth? Or the reverse -- have we just been told that she is Wonder Woman's daughter, without any physical evidence? We don't need a father if Trinity's existence is magical. After all, Diana called Hipppolyta "mother" and was not her literal child.* Maybe Trinity was formed out of clay as well.
*There are two times when Hippolyta was literally Diana's mother. The Pygmalion origin was first, and lasted from 1940 to 1959. But in Wonder Woman #105 (1959), Robert Kanigher established that the Amazons originally had husbands and fathers, who were all killed in a war:
Interestingly, in this origin Diana received her powers from four gods, two of whom were men. And one of whom was Hercules, bitter enemy of the Amazons in most incarnations. That lasted until 1966, when this issue came out:
The clay baby was back, and lasted, which was re-confirmed in 1987 when George Perez started the series over. That lasted until Wonder Woman #1 in the New 52 (2011), when Brian Azzarello established that Zeus was Diana's father. That lasted until ... I don't know. The next Wonder Woman #1, I imagine. AFAIK, currently she is still a golem.
I have replaced my Fantastic Four Masterworks with FF Omnibusses. (In that case, five Omnis = 15 Masterworks exactly.)
I assume you are speaking in the future tense, because every source I check says FF Omnibus Vol 5 comes out next month.
The thing with Avengers is that that is the only series of classic "Masterworks" I have a complete set of in a consistent trade dress. the other thing about Avengers Masterworks is the the reproduction in the early volumes is crap. They're still more convenient to read than the originals, but I balk at the price tag of the Marvel Comic Library editions.
They're pretty expensive all right. But I really should make some decisions and buy only what fills a need. I don't know how many superfluous books I've got at this point. And as retirement looms, the wisdom of buying reprints of books I've already read seems dicey. In fact, buying any books at all when I could just have subscriptions to Marvel and DC's online libraries makes me feel a little stupid sometimes.
Again, IDW has already collected this entire series in much more afforable volumes.
Yeah, those are the ones I have. I don't need to buy any more "Terry & The Pirates."
The Silver Age Wonder Woman's father was probably a warrior named Theno!
Did they show Wonder Woman pregnant and/or giving birth?
Not yet.
Maybe Trinity was formed out of clay as well.
That occurred to me also.
I assume you are speaking in the future tense, because every source I check says FF Omnibus Vol 5 comes out next month.
Correct.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #32: Current storyline and creative team continues; no "All In" yet. I guess they're saving some launches for November.
I'll be adding Batman and Robin Year One, but currently World's Finest is the only DC comic I'm buying. It has a Silver Age vibe that I hope won't change. I Waid continues on the book, I'll keep buying. If not, I'll drop it.
"'Behold the birth of Trinity!' Which I thought had already happened, but that's what I get for not reading this series from the beginning."
"The 'Trinity' back-ups have not been chronological. (I don't think it's even been revealed who her father is.)"
"I admit to a little morbid curiosity about that. Did they show Wonder Woman pregnant and/or giving birth?"
"Not yet."
"Maybe Trinity was formed out of clay as well."
"That occurred to me also."
Remember when Chris Fluit used to run the "Cappies" every year?
Well, if he were still running them, Wonder Woman #14 would be a shoo-in for either "Best Self-Contained Story (Single-Issue or One-Shot" or "Biggest In-Story Surprise" or maybe even "Best New Character" for 2024. (I can't decide which.) In any case, you should buy a copy of Wonder Woman #14... and don't page ahead!