MAJOR PUBLISHERS
MARVEL COMICS
Week 1 "Blood Hunt"
BLOOD HUNT #1 (OF 5) by Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz: This week Marvel launches its gigantic, linewide summer crossover, called "Blood Hunt." You might as well settle in, as it will run for five months and include at least 54 separate books, including:
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #49
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: BLOOD HUNT #1-3
- AVENGERS #14-16
- BLACK PANTHER: BLOOD HUNT #1-3
- BLOOD HUNT #1-5
- BLOOD HUNTERS #1-4
- DOCTOR STRANGE #15-17
- DRACULA: BLOOD HUNT #1-3
- FANTASTIC FOUR #21-22
- FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: BLOOD HUNT/X-MEN #1
- HULK: BLOOD HUNT #1
- MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT #1-3
- MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #21-22
- STRANGE ACADEMY: BLOOD HUNT #1-3
- UNION JACK THE RIPPER: BLOOD HUNT #1-3
- VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #5-7
- VENOM #33-34
- WEREWOLF BY NIGHT: BLOOD HUNT #1
- WOLVERINE: BLOOD HUNT #1-4
- X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT — JUBLIEE #1
- X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT — LAURA KINNEY, THE WOLVERINE #1
- X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT — MAGIK #1
- X-MEN: BLOOD HUNT — PSYLOCKE #1
The premise is that vampires use the Darkforce from the Dark Dimension (think Cloak, Darkstar, etc.) to block sunlight globally. The whole world goes 30 Days of Night and, at least initially, it doesn't go well for the those of us without fangs.The front line appears to be the Avengers, Blade, Bloodline, Spider-Man, Hunter's Moon, Tigra, Dr. Strange and Clea. (Presumably the mutants are too busy "falling" to participate immediately.) Don't get too attached, as Vision is solar-powered and won't last long, the vampires have developed some super-powered varieties and — from the PR — it appears that Dr. Strange and Black Panther get turned early.
That tells me two things: 1) A cure will be found. No way Marvel is leaving two major characters irrevocably changed. And cures have happened before, as veteran Marvelites know, e.g. the Montesi Formula. 2) this will give the supporting characters in Dr. Strange and Black Panther an opportunity for some much-needed development. Could we see a Shuri-Wong team-up? Or even (gasp) a romance?
I have to wonder what Dracula and company have in mind long term. If the world stays dark, crops will die and their livestock will starve to death. Maybe they intend a The Strain sort of arrangement once they've established control.
Click HERE for the many "Blood Hunt" press releases, two trailers, several previews and lots of covers that I posted April 25, 2024.
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"BLOOD HUNT" RED BAND #1 (OF 5): Each Red Band issue of Blood Hunt will have extra ultraviolent material, plus an homage cover to a famous horror comic. Here's the Red Band cover for Blood Hunt #1, an homage to Crime SuspenStories #22:
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2024: BLOOD HUNT/X-MEN #1 by Jed MacKay, Gail Simone, Sara Pichelli and David Marquez: One of Marvel's FCBD books includes a prelude to "Blood Hunt." It arrives this week on Saturday, May 4. For all FCBD news, GO HERE.
VENGEANCE OF MOON KNIGHT #5 by Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappuccio: The first crossover launches this week, when the faux Moon Knight takes on the bloodsuckers. But with the moon obscured, will his power wane as well? The crossover runs for issues #5-7.
This week in "Fall of X":
It's the penultimate month of "Fall of X" — but they better hurry. There's vampires a'comin'!
CABLE #4 (OF 4) by Fabian Nicieza and Scot Eaton: Cable and Kid Cable battle the Neocracy, whatever that is. I assume it connects to "Fall of X" somehow, since that's what it says on the cover.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #18 by Gerry Duggan and Patch Zircher: Iron Man battles with Magneto, which is irony atop irony. I'd also liketo note for the record, in regard to the preview below, that artists who draw Magneto with an open helmet showing his face do not understand what makes this character so cool.
X-MEN #34 by Gerry Duggan and Joshua Cassara: "THE END IS NIGH!" That's all the're telling us. Next month's X-Men #35 is the last issue of this iteration of the title, and supposedly the 700th issue overall.
Also this week, the Cornucopia of Claws continues in WEAPON X-MEN #3.
This week in Star Wars:
STAR WARS PHANTOM MENACE 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 by Greg Pak and Will Sliney: "Featuring the dream of a JEDI, the gift of a TUSKEN RAIDER, the heart of a GUNGAN, the ache of a mother and the horror of a hero!"
STAR WARS THE HIGH REPUBLIC SHADOWS OF STARLIGHT TP also ships this week.
Elsewhere at Marvel:
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII #1 (OF 3) by Joe Kelly and Adam Kubert: Logan and the Merc with the Mouth battle across the globe for "Those Who Watch." Think that's a metaphor for the audience of the upcoming movie?
GET FURY! #1 (OF 5) by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows: Frank Castle is ordered to assassinate Nick Fury during the Vietnam War. No, it's not Apocalypse Now — Fury's methods haven't become "unsound." Instead, the Man Who Knows Too Much has been captured by the Viet Cong, and Castle has to stop him before he spills the beans. Ennis has written both of these characters in definitive miniseries, which form their own sort of mini-universe, in that neither is canon. (Castle and Fury were officially in the Siancong War, not the Vietnam War.)
Isn't cover A an homage to Amazing Spider-Man #129?
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DC COMICS
This week in "House of Brainiac"
SUPERMAN: HOUSE OF BRAINIAC SPECIAL #1 (ONE-SHOT) by Joshua Williamson, Mark Russell, Edwin Galmon and Steve Pugh: This one-shot explains the connection between Brainiac and Lobo, features Bibbo Bibboswki leading Metropolitans in defense of the city and puts Lois Lane in Perry White's face over his secrets while the latter runs for mayor. If you're following either Superman and/or Action, you probably need this.
Elsewhere at DC:
ABSOLUTE JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE WORLD’S GREATEST HEROES BY ALEX ROSS & PAUL DINI HC: Between 1998 and 2003, Alex Ross and Paul Dini created six Treasury-size (but not Treasury deep) books showing the essences of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Shazam, plus a book of origins (Aquaman, Atom, Black Canary, Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Plastic Man) and a book on the essence of the Justice League. I dutifully bought them, knowing that the format ages poorly. I always wanted them in hardback. And what do you know? Here are SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH, BATMAN: WAR ON CRIME, SHAZAM!: POWER OF HOPE, WONDER WOMAN: SPIRIT OF TRUTH, JLA: SECRET ORIGINS and JLA: LIBERTY AND JUSTICE collected in a hardback edition, just as I always wanted!
DC’S SPRING BREAKOUT #1 ONE-SHOT by Meghan Fitzmartin, Cameron Chittock, Joey Esposito, Morgan Hampton, Patrick R. Young, Tom Krajewski, Mike Barr, Kenya Danino, Vasco Georgiev, Paul Pelletier and Nico Bascunan: Presents a bunch of superhero stories that are somehow spring-related. That seems like a stretch. But I do appreciate cover B: Batman with a bat, man.
FLASH 2024 ANNUAL #1 (ONE-SHOT) by Simon Spurrier and Scott Koblish: Wally West is M.I.A. so Wallace West, Avery Ho and Circuit Breaker step up to protect Central City.
HARLEY QUINN 2024 ANNUAL #1 (ONE-SHOT) by Erica Henderson: Zatanna co-stars as Harley takes an ocean cruise and gets involved in solving an ocean-going murder.
NIGHTWING 2024 ANNUAL #1 (ONE-SHOT) by Travis Moore: Back when he had amnesia and called himself Ric, Dick Grayson dated a girl named Bea Bennett. Turns out she used to be a pirate queen. Yeah, I said "pirate queen." Don't all pirate queens end up as bartenders in Bludhaven, on hand to date ex-superheroes? I thought so.
IMAGE COMICS
BEAR PIRATE VIKING QUEEN #1 (OF 3) by Sean Lewis (King Spawn, Thumbs) and Jonathan Marks Barravecchia: Speaking of pirate queens, just add bears and vikings and you've got this 72-page, watercolor book. It involves all four categories (although I imagine there's some overlap) to determine the fates of countries. What countries, the preview doesn't say.
"I always wanted to make something that hit me like From Hell the first time I read it," said Lewis. "Something with historical scope, something with a really uncompromised visual beauty, and something that felt BIG. Jonathan's work is incredible. The story is one I am incredibly proud of. We are shooting for 'canon' with this one."
Barravecchia added: "Bear Pirate Viking Queen has been a true collaboration, and unlike any other project I've worked on in the past. It's been fascinating to go back and forth with Sean, and truly impressive — even to me — that a meeting over drinks listing random 'cool' things to draw could turn into such an epic and poetic story. I'm so excited to share this book!"
THE WHISPER QUEEN #1 (OF 3) by Chip Zdarsky (Newburn, Batman) and Kris Anka (Across the Spider-Verse): The creative team behind The White Trees returns to the fantasy land of Blacksand to tell the story of the children of the heroes of the previous two-issue series.
"The White Trees is the best project I’ve ever been involved in, thanks to the gorgeous work by Kris and Matt," said Zdarsky. "We always knew there were more stories to tell in the world of Blacksand, so getting the gang back together for another wild, action-filled adventure was a no-brainer. It’s years in the making and I hope everyone is ready to find out what happened next in The Whisper Queen!"
The White Trees two-shot is being collected this week also, in a one-shot.
DARK HORSE
LESTER OF LESSER GODS #1 by Eric Powell, Lucky Yates and Gideon Kendall: This concept was originally created as an animated short that was never produced. Created by Eric Powell (The Goon) and Lucky Yates (Dr. Krieger on Archer), Lester is "the larping bastard son of Odin" who "wanders the post-apocalyptic wasteland after thwarting Satan's attempt to bring about the end of days." I can't really wrap my head around that, but it's got a terrific pedigree!
DYNAMITE
SPACE GHOST #1 by David Peopose (Punisher) and artist Jonathan Lau (Vampirella Strikes): "Some say he is a policeman who has abandoned the strictures of the law. Others say he is a phantom, the sole survivor of a war-torn planet. And those who have survived his wrath claim he is more a force of nature, able to bend the very elements of Creation to decimate his enemies."
Oh, yeah, that's the stuff. This first storyline will show us how Jan, Jace and Blip become sidekicks. Love that fourth cover, which is very '60s Gold Key.
Special Letter from Writer David Pepose
Dear Comic Reading Friends:
My name is David Pepose, and I’m the luckiest man in comics.
For the past three years, I’ve written on titles like Savage Avengers, Moon Knight: City of the Dead, Fantastic Four, Hulk, and more for Marvel Comics. I’ve played with iconic characters like Spider-Man, the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Conan the Barbarian, and Darth Vader. I even got to reinvent the Punisher, and I’m working on more icons I can’t even talk about yet!
But NOTHING has been more fun than what I’m writing to you about today. And that’s why I’m so excited to talk to you about SPACE GHOST, launching May 1 from Dynamite Entertainment.
Ever since his debut in 1966, Space Ghost has been a character that has endured, thanks to the designs of the legendary Alex Toth. The white suit, the pitch-black cowl, the wavy yellow cape, Space Ghost cut a dynamic figure across the imaginations of a generation, mashing together the DNA of Adam West’s Batman with the sci-fi spectacle of Flash Gordon.
But as time moved on, so too did Space Ghost. Following his show’s first season, he vanished into the realm of reruns, returning for a song in the Space Stars revival of 1981. And later, nearly 30 years after his debut, Space Ghost was reborn as a talk show host, mixing silliness and the surreal for over a decade. Thanks to his run on Coast to Coast, Space Ghost had survived… but an entire generation had forgotten where he came from.
And that’s where we come in.
Bringing the character back to his superhero roots, SPACE GHOST will reclaim the sci-fi action and adventure of the original Hanna-Barbera cartoon, and deliver an all-new twist through the lens of modern-day storytelling sensibilities. Equal parts Batman: The Long Halloween and The Mandalorian, our run will pit Space Ghost against a gauntlet of his classic foes, featuring brand-new takes on Zorak, Brak, Metallus, and the Council of Doom, portrayed in dramatic new ways by artist extraordinaire Jonathan Lau. Space Ghost has a rogues’ gallery that’s every bit as iconic as Batman, Spider-Man, or The Flash, and I’m truly excited to prove it.
But in addition to Space Ghost’s deep bench of incredible villains, he has a standout supporting cast that serves as the heart and soul of our series. When we first meet Space Ghost, he’s a force of nature battling space pirates as they prey upon the innocent — he’s a hero marked by tragedy, living in isolation in the spaceship graveyard known as Ghost Planet. But as he embarks on a rescue mission on Space Colony Omicron, our lonely hero’s life will change forever after his first encounter with teenage orphans Jan and Jace and their pet monkey Blip.
A fun fact about me: I’m the older brother of triplet siblings, so writing a pair of twins like Jan and Jace comes from a place that’s very near and dear to my heart. (I won’t tell you which of my siblings is most like Blip.) Serving as the same kind of point-of-view characters that Kitty Pryde did with the X-Men, Jan and Jace are a true joy to write. They’re like Dick Grayson and Babs Gordon meets Lex and Tim from Jurassic Park — one is a feisty sharpshooter, the other an impulsive tech wiz. Their ongoing dynamic with Space Ghost will form the emotional spine of our entire run, as the twins evolve from orphaned wards to trusted sidekicks, eventually becoming Space Ghost’s surrogate family. When I first pitched this series to Dynamite, I described this as the story of how Space Ghost finds his humanity again — and it’s because of the warmth, humor, and heart Jan and Jace bring to this book. And I haven’t even scratched the surface for Blip — without spoiling too much, the future of the entire universe might rest in his furry paws!
Yet having action and heart isn’t enough to succeed in today’s marketplace — it comes down to how you tell your story, as well. Drawing inspiration from beloved series such as Ryan North’s Fantastic Four, Jed Mackay’s Moon Knight, and Steve Orlando’s Scarlet Witch, we’re approaching SPACE GHOST primarily through done-in-one adventures, to maximize readers’ commitment to our characters and ensure they get a satisfying chapter each and every month.
By structuring our series in this way, we’re able to explore as much of Space Ghost’s universe as possible, while drawing from a variety of different tones and genres. Moreover, this approach will allow us to reclaim the power of the cliffhanger during the rare moments where we extend to a two- or three-part storyline — you’ll know that if an issue ends with “To Be Continued…”, it Space Ghost and company are truly in dire straits, and will have to fight twice as hard to survive.
To say that SPACE GHOST is unlike any other superhero book on the stands is an understatement. Granting us a year’s worth of runway to start, Dynamite and Warner Bros. Discovery have been incredible partners on this series, offering us a degree of latitude to explore these characters and develop this world in a way that is unmatched in any superhero universe — they have actively encouraged us to push Space Ghost and his supporting cast, to allow them to grow and change and even heal over the course of our run.
And that same ambition has been matched by our entire creative team. Ever since his days with Kevin Smith on Green Hornet, I’ve known artist Jonathan Lau to be a powerhouse, but SPACE GHOST is by far his most show-stopping work to date. You’ll see as our series unfolds the way that Jonathan masterfully portrays Space Ghost’s most explosive action sequences, while deftly switching gears to the most heartfelt character beats of Jan and Jace hanging around Ghost Planet. Jonathan has been responsible for imbuing so much of this ensemble cast with an inherently expressiveness and heart — when you fall in love with these characters, know that it’s because Jonathan is doing the lion’s share of the work.
Tag-teaming with our exceptional colorist Andrew Dalhouse and our amazingly talented letterer Taylor Esposito, every page of SPACE GHOST is a labor of love, as we work to fit in as much action and character moments in every issue. And this is a series where you can definitely judge a book by its cover, as well — with a series of all-stars including Francesco Mattina, Jae Lee, Bjorn Barends, and Michael Cho, every SPACE GHOST cover has been an incredible work of art, just an incredible visual statement to usher in this hero in this long-awaited new era.
If you think I seem excited now, just wait until you read our first issue. Because ever since Dynamite first approached me to take on this series, I knew what an incredible opportunity had been placed in my lap. Rewatching all the classic episodes, it was immediately obvious to me that SPACE GHOST was a property filled to the brim with iconic characters and unforgettable concepts — a Silver Age treasure trove bursting with creativity, an entire universe that’s only been explored in five-minute tours. This doesn’t just feel like unexplored territory where a comics creator can leave their mark; this feels like a cultural icon whose time had finally come. It has big action, big heart, and a monkey in a mask, to boot — what’s not to love?
Sometimes in this business, the planets just align — and sometimes, you get a book that makes you thank your lucky stars. I feel so fortunate for the opportunity to work on a title like this, and I feel so incredibly grateful that you’ll be getting to read it.
Because SPACE GHOST isn’t just any superhero … he’s the perfect superhero.
And I can’t wait to show you why.
Until next time,
David Pepose
Ghost Planet, CA
MORE COMICS
ALLEY OOP AND THE HUBOTS OF TALAXIA: Comic-strip collectors alert!
BARBARIC: BORN IN BLOOD #1 by Michael Moreci and Nathan Gooden: I know there are some Barbaric fans on the board.
“I’m so thrilled to announce the next big arc of Barbaric,” said Gooden. “This new arc is a deep dive into the history of Owen and the Barbarian clans. Readers get to see Owen as a child and how he becomes the ruthless barbarian we all love. Friendships and alliances are splintering while Owen pushes against his curse. New characters and a brand new adventure will dramatically expand the world!”
"This is our darkest and most brutal volume of Barbaric yet,” added Moreci. “We're really digging deeper into these characters and what, exactly, it means to be a barbarian."
BLESSED BE HC by Rick Altergott (Fantagraphics): I enjoyed Li'l Abner as a boy, but as a grown-up I find that making fun of "small-town weirdness" feels like punching down. Those weird small towns in Arkansas my grandmothers lived in have mostly dried up and blown away now. And they weren't weird so much as provincial, agrarian and poor. Have they been replaced by other backward small towns? I know all that stubborn small-mindedness didn't just disappear.
BLOOD BROTHERS MOTHER #1 by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso: A group of ruthless outlaws murder a preacher and kidnap his wife in 1880s Texas. The couple's three children set off to rescue their mother and avenge their father. It sounds like a spaghetti Western, and with the 100 Bullets team of Azzarello and Risso in charge, let's hope it is! There's an exclusive PREVIEW at IGN.
FATED FAERIES (ONE-SHOT) by Garison Dunn (Antarctic Press): A collected Webtoon. It's D&D crossed with manga.
FOXTROT COLLECTION: BIG DWEEB ENERGY TP: Comic-strip collectors alert!
GOITER GN: The first collection of short stories by Josh Pettinger "explores the strange and unnerving experience of being a person." Which, as I'm often forced to say here, doesn't tell us anything useful. Here's a preview.
GUMAA: BEGINNING OF HER #6 (OF 7)
I keeps reminding myself I need to read this, just for the uncanny art. Then I forget.
HOMEBODY GN (Harper Alley): Coming-of-age autobiography of a non-binary cartoonist.
HOMELAND #0 by Tony Kittrell and A. Brooks (Advent) features the patriotic government superhero team Operation: Homeland. I sure hope it's ironic, but I suspect it's not.
MEZO: TRIAL OF RODEN #1 (OF 5): The third Mezo miniseries by A Wave Blue World. If you liked the others, you'll like this one.
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NEXUS NEWSPAPER STRIPS VOL 2 #1 (OF 5): BATTLE FOR THUNEWORLD: Comic-strip collectors alert!
ROLLERBONING WITH ALLEY OOP: COMPLETE SUNDAYS 1976-1978 TP: Comic-strip collectors alert!
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #2 (OF 6)
SCALE TRADE #1 by Steve Orlando and Megan Huang (Magma Comix): This takes place on a world where dragons exist, but are endangered. A young idealist joins the government agency that battles dragon poaching (the "scale trade" of the title, I imagine). I kinda like the idea of hiding an environmental story hidden in fantasy drag.
SCOOP VOL 1 (OF 3) GN by Richard Ashley Hamilton and Joseph Cooper (Maverick-Mad Cave): A high school Cuban American becomes an iintern at the worst TV station in Miami, where she investigates UFOs, Miccosukee ghost tribes, Chupacabras, alligator men and time travel. Which all turn out to be real.
SEPT 'N' EMBER (ONE-SHOT) by Farel Dalrymple (Floating World Comics): I can't do better than quote the PR: "Sept and her alter-ego Ember wander the weird magical wasteland world of The Wrenchies, encountering many dangers and wonderful sights along the way. 32-pages of art and text, this little poetic narrative is a tie-in and companion piece to the soon forthcoming and ongoing comic Robot Tod."
SKEETERS TP by Kevin Cuffe, Bob Frantz and Kelly Williams (Mad Cave): "Small town hijinks ensue as extraterrestrial mosquitos descend on a sleepy beach town." You know what we'd look like to giant insect eyes? Delicious.
SPEED GRAPHER VOL. 1 GN by Tomozo (Titan Manga): Adapted from the anime. "In the seedy underworld of a supernatural Tokyo, a troubled former war photographer attempts to save a gifted 15-year-old girl from a sinister cabal that wants to exploit her powers."
THIN BLUE LINE (ONE-SHOT) by Mike Baron, Joseph Arnold, Jeff Slemons (Antarctic): Heroic police battle "Defund the Police" rioters, which I interpret as Black Lives Matter. Sounds pretty ideological, and regular readers know how I feel about soapboxes.
TOXIC SUMMER #1 by Derek Charm (Oni Press): Two gay teens become lifeguards at a spring break party beach with visions of a hedonistic experience, but their summer is ruined by a toxic spill that creates monsters which are eating their potential playmates.
TRIDENT OF AURELIA: THE STORM #1 by Lee Moyer aand Melissa Spandri (Battle Quest): A fantasy epic involving mermaids.
Can anyone explain why mermaids (or mermen, for that matter) are sexy? They're missing some pretty important sexual organs. They can't exist on land, where we exist. They can't appreciate Z.Z. Top's "Legs," which is a deal-breaker. I understand the Greco-Roman concept of mermaid sirens, and that makes sense. But absent the brain-addling song, they're just ... fish. And fish ain't sexy. Plus, they want to eat us.
There was that Siren TV show a few years back where they would magically get legs when they were on land, and have sex with humans. Well, at least one of them did. I think they still wanted to eat us, though.
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WITCH OF THISTLE CASTLE VOL 3 GN
WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #32
Replies
You might as well settle in, as [Blood Hunt] will run for five months and include at least 54 separate books
I am pleased to see that Captain America (the one MU ongoing series I currently coll1ect) is not included.
Here's the Red Band cover for Blood Hunt #1, an homage to Crime SuspenStories #22
That Crime SuspenStories #22 cover was used in Wertham's anti-comic crusade. In one of the committee hearings one of the senators asked William Gaines (who was a little looopy from some medication he was on) whether or not he considered that cover to bee in poor taste. He replied something to the effect of, "No. If the head had been tilted back a bit to reveal the gore dripping from it, that would have been in bad taste."
Next month's X-Men #35 is the last issue of this iteration of the title, and supposedly the 700th issue overall.
Whatever. "Marvel Math."
Ennis has written both of these characters in definitive miniseries, which form their own sort of mini-universe, in that neither is canon.
I read the 2001 MAX series, but only once. I do remember that I liked it, but I don't remember much about it. I also remember that our pal Rich Lane absolutely hated it. I do plan to try at least the first issue of Get Fury, and I may reread the MAX one as well.
Isn't cover A an homage to Amazing Spider-Man #129?
Oh, for sure. There are several "bullseye" covers that I can think of off the top of my head, but this one's definitely ASM #129.
BEAR PIRATE VIKING QUEEN #1
You didn't mention it, so I will: that cover reminds me an awful lot of First Comics' Lone Wolf and Cub trade dress (with the sopy on the other side).
Special Letter from Writer David Pepose
I like it when writers introduce themselves. I was going to try Space Ghost #1 anyway, but now I certainly am. (I hope this letter is included.)
NEXUS NEWSPAPER STRIPS VOL 2 #1 (OF 5): BATTLE FOR THUNEWORLD
This is a five-issue weekly series, #1 is 50¢, subsequent issues $1. It reprints Rude's self-published newspaper strip; the format will be similar to that of The Coming of Gormando, not a traditional newspaper strip.
Can anyone explain why mermaids (or mermen, for that matter) are sexy? They're missing some pretty important sexual organs.
They're not missing; you just have to know which scales to lift.
I am pleased to see that Captain America (the one MU ongoing series I currently collect) is not included.
Maybe Sam Wilson will be involved with vampires, and Steve Rogers is off doing his own thing? Anyway, despite the avalanche of Blood Hunt books, most regular series will remain unaffected. There's really only seven that are, and most of them briefly. There's only one issue of Amazing Spider-Man involved, only two of Fantastic Four, and no X-Men titles at all. Blood Hunt will mostly be told in miniseries and one-shots. I think most fans would prefer it that way.
That Crime SuspenStories #22 cover was used in Wertham's anti-comic crusade. In one of the committee hearings one of the senators asked William Gaines (who was a little looopy from some medication he was on) whether or not he considered that cover to bee in poor taste. He replied something to the effect of, "No. If the head had been tilted back a bit to reveal the gore dripping from it, that would have been in bad taste."
I almost brought that up, but didn't because I thought it would take too many words to explain. And it's words that count most in the 100,000-character limit on a post. (I don't think coding counts at all, for example, and most photos are mostly coding.) But there you go and summarize it neatly.
What I wanted to mention was that what Gaines said would be bad taste is exactly what's on that Blood Hunt cover! They are deliberately thumbing their noses! Made me chuckle.
I read the 2001 MAX series, but only once. I do remember that I liked it, but I don't remember much about it. I also remember that our pal Rich Lane absolutely hated it.
Ennis' Fury was The Boys, only with a war character. I can see getting upset if you consider Fury any kind of hero. I can't remember what I made of it at the time, but Fury has been turned into a pseudo-villain at this point, so I doubt even Ennis could shock me with that character.
You didn't mention it, so I will: that cover reminds me an awful lot of First Comics' Lone Wolf and Cub trade dress (with the copy on the other side).
I thought it looked familiar, but couldn't remember why. Thanks!
I like it when writers introduce themselves. I was going to try Space Ghost #1 anyway, but now I certainly am. (I hope this letter is included.)
Since I'll be in the local shop for FCBD, I'll pick up a Space Ghost if they still have any.
They're not missing; you just have to know which scales to lift.
You're not making it better.