Comics Guide for week of Aug. 26, 2024

TOP PUBLISHERS

MARVEL COMICS

ALIENS VS AVENGERS #1: Wait, Jonathan Hickman is writing this? He must be looking for a fun distraction after all the world-building he did (that got un-did) in the X-books. Esad Ribic is on the art, and I like his work, so I'll probably pick this up in collected form. Aliens vs. Avengers falls under the "20th Century Fox" imprint, so it's an Elseworlds, set in the future of some other version of the Marvel Universe. As all veteran comics readers know, that means major characters can die, and most likely will. If Aliens vs. Avengers is anything like What If?, Tony Stark will be the first to go!

"Probably one of the coolest things about the project is how we've found really fun ways to 'Avengerize' Aliens and 'alien-up' Avengers," Hickman shared with Entertainment Weekly. "I think fans will be surprised at how elegantly some of those things fit together. It really turned out to be a chocolate-and-peanut-butter situation."

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CHASM: CURSE OF KAINE #1 (OF 4): Two Spider-clones duke it out. As I've said before, why would I read a Spider-Man story without Peter Parker in it? Noping out. 

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Note the homage to Werewolf by Night #1 below. No offense to Elena Casagrande (left), but I still like Mike Ploog's better. Or maybe that's nostalgia for 1972 talking.

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DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #1 (OF 5): Rob Liefeld says this is his swan song on the character. Lord, I forgot how much I disliked Liefeld's work, which seems permanently rooted in the esthetic of a 14-year-old Edgelord from the '90s. But maybe you feel differently, and want to see Lieveld's version of the Merc with a Mouth team with Liefeld's versions of Wolverine, Hulk, Crystar (!), Major X (?) and Ghost-Spider. In which case, here ya go.

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Note homage cover to Incredible Hulk #340:

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MARVEL 85TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL claims to be Marvel's 50,000th comic book release, which I assume is Marvel math and I'm not going to bother to fact check. And they use that number again, with this book set in the year 50,000, somehow looking back through the gauze of time to the half-mythical Age of Heroes in the 20th and 21st centuries. I have no idea how that will actually work, but I'll probably pick this up for funsies and find out.

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PHASES OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1 (OF 4) is the 50,000th first issue starring Moon Knight. It feels like that, anyway.

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Elsewhere at Marvel:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #56: This is legacy numbering #950, but that's also Marvel math and you don't have to believe it if you don't want to. One variant cover is an homage to Captain America Comics #3 as part of Marvel's 85th anniversary celebration:

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INCREDIBLE HULK ANNUAL #1: "Infinity Watch" Part Six.

NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER EPIC COLLECTION VOL 3: TITANS THREE TP collects Sub-Mariner (1968) #28-49, Daredevil (1964) #77 and material From Ka-Zar (1970) #1.

The cover is from Sub-Mariner #31 (1970), which features Subby, Triton and Sting-Ray. Which I think we can all agree isn't particularly titanic. But it's a misdirect, because the story named "Titans Three" comes from Sub-Mariner #34 (1971), also included in this collection, which features Subby, Hulk and Silver Surfer. Why that cover wasn't used, I cannot say. Did somebody else name the book, and the reprint editor just chose the first cover he found with three "titans" on it? Anyway, as all Marvelites know, Roy Thomas took this idea directly into Marvel Feature #1 (1971). That book launched the Defenders team with the titanic trio of Subby, Hulk and Doctor Strange (and the Surfer would appear for a while, too). 

VENOM WAR: ZOMBIOTES #1 (OF 3): Nope.

X-MEN #3 has an 85th anniversary homage to All Winners #19:

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DC COMICS

"Absolute Power" Week 9

ABSOLUTE POWER: ORIGINS #2 (OF 3): Last issue we saw Amanda Waller get a foothold in a national politics by leveraging blackmail and extortion, which she justifies because her daughter was killed by a drug dealer and her husband died trying to avenge her. Like nobody has ever suffered loss before. Oh, but Amanda's SPECIAL, and she gets to break all the rules to avenge herself on ... wait, superheroes? This isn't tracking, but maybe it's because that first issue made me sick to my stomach and I might have missed a detail or two while projectile vomiting on the pages. None of this would irritate me if it wasn't for her constantly saying, "I'm the hero here!" when everything she does is awful. Lex Luthor wants to replace Superman as hero of Earth, but he doesn't imagine he really is a hero. Waller somehow does. This goes beyond lack of self-awareness into something psychotic.

Anyway, this issue jumps ahead to Waller creating Task Force X, a brilliant concept from John Ostrander in 1987. Who knew it would lead to "Absolute Power"? The '80s Cap loved seeing a lot of obscure Silver Age supervillains get the ridicule they deserved and/or get deliciously killed off. And we never saw the baby steps that led to Suicide Squad #1 before, and now we will.

More debate about Amanda Waller can be found in our Absolute Power thread.

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ABSOLUTE POWER: TASK FORCE VII #5 (OF 7): I've been wondering where Barry Allen was! And now here he is! My prediction: He'll get away, powered or not, to join the rest of the original Big 7 on Themyscira. Then we'll only be missing Martian Manhunter for my imagined 1960 JLA reunion, and I suspect he'll show up in Absolute Power: Task Force VII #7, which spotlights the Martian Manhunter Amazo, called "Global Guardian." (Next issue spotlights Paradise Lost, the Wonder Woman Amazo.)

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GREEN ARROW #15: Arsenal, Connor Hawke, Red Canary, Red Arrow, Lian and Arrowette in a battle battle to grab Professo Ivo. Five out of six shoot arrows as their super-power, which should completely overwhelm the opposition. What, you haven't heard of the Battle of Agincourt? p6lHxfP.gif

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ZERO HOUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY ONE-SHOT: Hey, it turns out the timeline Parallax tried to create in Zero Hour is still lying around somewhere. That's not good, right? Here's a sequel of sorts to Emerald Twilight/Zero Hour from some of the original creators, incuding Ron Marz, Jerry Ordway and Dan Jurgens. 

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Elsewhere at DC:

ALL NEW COLLECTOR’S EDITION #56 FACSIMILE EDITION: This reprints the 1978 Superman vs. Muhammad Ali story by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams. Which, when it was announced in the '70s, I thought was the stupidest comic book idea I'd ever heard of. Turns out now it's a classic. Shows what I know.

Of course, I bought it when it came out, because I'm not entirely stupid.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #4 (OF 4): Introducing ... Dumb Bunny! Actually this happened in last week's Gotham City Sirens #3, but I'm just hearing about it. And if you don't know who Dumb Bunny is, Google "Inferior Five." You'll also be introduced to Awkwardman, The Blimp, Merryman and White Feather. It'll be fun!

 

IMAGE COMICS

CONVERT #1 (OF 4): "Science Officer Orrin Kutela finds himself stranded on a distant planet, starving and haunted by the ghosts of his dead crew. On the verge of death, he makes an astonishing discovery." That's all we get in the first issue, so there: Spoiled it for you. 

It's narrated by Kutela, and he seems a decent sort. I might continue his adventure with him. Art's decent, if uninspiring.

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KILLADELPHIA #35: Guest-starring Blacula, Savage Dragon and Spawn. Has this book jumped the shark?

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UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN: It's alive! It's aliiiive!

This is set in the Universal movie version of Mary Shelley's book, with dialogue and characters (Fritz) right out of the 1931 movie. But in a clever twist, the story is seen from the viewpoint of a young orphan whose dead father's hands are grave-robbed for Frankenstein's creature. He follows the hands, and ... well, I can't wait to see where this goes.

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 Franceso Francavilla is contributes a connecting cover.

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 VOID RIVALS #12

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TITAN COMICS

BLADE RUNNER 2039 TP VOL 3: ASH TP

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DEAD BY DAYLIGHT TP

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BOOM STUDIOS

BRZRKR THE LOST BOOK OF B #1: This is the sequel to the first Brzrkr series, about an immortal warrior. Like the first, this one's by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt and Ron Garney. This second series is set in the 13th century (I don't know where the first one was set), where Keanu is fighting for Genghis Khan, and he starts to ask himself why.

I imagine there will be an omnibus and a Keanu Reeves movie eventually, and I can wait for both.

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MORE COMICS

2000AD PROG PACK (Rebellion / 2000AD): UK comics alert! Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, etc., from 2000AD. Rebellion almost never does a preview (at least not in the U.S.), but here's a short one.

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40 YEARS OF SCREAM ARCHIVAL COLLECTION PX SLIPCASE EDITION HC: UK comics alert! This is a slipcased, HC collection of IPC's Scream magazine. The names provided are writers Alan Moore, Simon Furman, John Wagner, Alan Grant, Gerry Finley-Day and Eric Bradbury, and artists Cam Kennedy, Jose Ortiz, Jesus Redondo, Brendan McCarthy, Eric Bradbury and Mike Western. That sounds pretty awesome, so I kinda want this. But I'm afraid that -- as with most UK comics -- the art will be great but the stories will be juvenile. 

Oh, what the heck. I grew up on Silver Age comics, so I can stand a bit of silliness.

ALLEY OOP AND MINI-DINNY COMPLETE SUNDAYS 1985-1987 TP: Comic-strip collector alert!

ALLEY OOP AND THE MESMERIC MENACE TP: Ditto!

ALLEY OOP AND THE MONARCHS OF GORP TP: Ibid!

ARCHIE: THE DECISION ONE-SHOT: Believe it or not, superstar Tom King writes this one, about Archie deciding he's going to decide once and for all between Betty and Veronica -- with a coin flip. Yes, that's a terrible idea, which virtually every character in Riverdale says at some point, and we see virtually every character in Riverdale at some point. Because it's that important! "The realm of being is trembling!" Sabrina says. "Then sinews of time and space that hold all of existence together are suddenly, horribly renting [sic] apart!"

What else? Fourth-wall-breaking in-jokes! Jughead quoting Kierkegaard! Metatextual explanations of 80-year-old relationships! And all in 21 pages!

I'm not crazy about Dan Parent's art, but King's dialogue and story more than make up for the art deficit. No, it's not Shakespeare. Or even Bob Haney. It'll take you all of 10 minutes to read it. But it's the way Archie Comics should be.

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ARE YOU WILLING TO DIE FOR THE CAUSE? GN (Drawn & Quarterly): Did you know there was a violent, IRA-like, Francophone separatist movement in Quebec in the '60s? With bombs and everything? In CANADA? I might have and forgot, or maybe I never knew. Anyway, here's a graphic novel about it.

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BARBARIC VS. DEATHSTALKER #1 (Vault): I don't know anything about Deathstalker, except that he's written (or co-written, probably) by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. I do know a little about Barbaric, a barbarian cursed with a sentient, talking battle-axe that gets drunk on blood. Neither are very happy about being stuck with each other, which results in funny repartee.

I think several Legionnaires are Barbaric fans. So here's a new Barbaric book, and we get to learn about another Vault character in the process.

"As a kid who grew up on Guns N' Roses and considered Slash to be pretty much one of the coolest people on the planet,” Barbaric co-creator Michael Moreci said, "having a chance to collaborate with him is more than I could have ever hoped for. Couple that with Deathstalker, one of the coolest so-bad-its-good sword and sorcery movies ever (and as most know, I love sword and sorcery), this is a dream pairing. You've got Barbaric, Slash and Deathstalker all in one place--I can't think of much cooler than that. And, obviously, we all know Owen and Axe will come out on top!"

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BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #327: I don't usually read the Archie digests, but last week I wondered if the stories from the '60s and '70s were as good as I remember. I mean, I was a kid when I read them. And even if they were pretty good, some might not age well.

I decided to test those memories with this digest. But before that, the first story is a new one, introducing a new superteen (not to be confused with Betty, who is Superteen) whose identity is unknown. Betty, Veronica and the New Crusaders attempt to find out who she is but fail, and I suspect there will be a sequel. 

But I was here for the reprints (weirdly) to check my hypothesis. And I found several stories, usually by Frank Doyle and Dan DeCarlo, that were just as I remembered, on a par with sitcoms of the time. In other words, written more or less for adults. In fact, I found myself skipping the stories that weren't by Doyle and DeCarlo, as the digest included work by some artists whose work seems aimed at kids (Stan Goldberg falls in this category for me). The Doyle/DeCarlo work is still funny, and I enjoyed it almost as much as an old man as I did as a tweenager.

This is a conclusion based on a very small sample, and one where I didn't run across any work by Harry Lucey or Samm Schwarz (two of my favorites), so it's not remotely comprehensive or conclusive. But I'm satisfied that my 1970s memories weren't completely off base. And I would pay good money for a Betty & Veronica omnibus by Doyle and DeCarlo.

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Here's a complete story by Doyle and DeCarlo. It isn't among their best in this digest; Archie Comics probably chose it as a preview for its brevity. Still, it's worth a quick read for the fractured French alone.

Digression: One of DeCarlo's recognizable habits was to have a cute girl in the foreground silently observing the action as a passerby. There are two such in this five-page story. Of course, it's not unusual to have lookie-loos in any given comic book story -- heck, Curt Swan was famous for drawing whole crowds. But with DeCarlo, it was nearly always one hot chick, foreground. I always wondered if this was his way of experimenting with different fashions and hairstyles for use later. I still don't know, but the nostalgia wells up in me when I see a panel blocked this way.

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CURSED LIBRARY ALPHA #1: Holy cow! Three Archie books in a single week that I want to read! It must be the blue supermoon. (Or is it a super bluemoon?).

This book continues from the FCBD Cursed Library story, where Li'l Jinx -- not so little any more -- has captured Madam Satan and is holding her in the reference room of the title. Most of the books whose titles we can see are Archie Horror stories -- Blossom 666, Jughead: The Hunger, Vamperonica, etc. -- and in the FCBD book Jinx telling stories from the books is the framing device for various short horror stories. 

But this book continues as a  narrative, in which Jinx takes her captive back to Riverdale on a post-apocalyptic Earth run by Satan. (This apparently happened in an Archie Horror book I haven't read, as the story seemed to assume the reader knows how things got this way.) Did I mention that Jinx -- true name Jezzebeth Morningstar -- is the daughter of Satan? That's kinda important.

She is accompanied by Danielle "Danni" Malloy. Malloy first appeared in DIlton's Strange Science (1989) as a brainy girl and potential Dilton love interest, but has since been retconned as a trans girl, and is Jinx's best friend. They go to make a deal with Jinx's dad, and things gang agley. 

The repartee between Danni and Jinx is funny, and what is done to Jughead and the Blossom twins in this issue is creepy. The art's good. The story continues in two more Cursed Library stories, and I'm curious to see where it's going.

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DISNEY MASTERS VOL 25: MICKEY MOUSE AND THE RIVER OF TIME HC (Fantagraphics): How did Pegleg Pete and Mickey become enemies? It goes all the way back to Steamboat Willie! I admit to some curiosity, but the Carl Barks Library is as far as I'm going to go on Disney. YMMV

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EYE LIE POPEYE #1 (OF 5): Massive brings us a manga-inspired Popeye, which isn't my cup of tea, but if it extends his popularity to new generations I'll allow it. Also, this mini will reveal how Popeye lost his eye. Again, very curious, but not curious enough to buy it.

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FANTAGRAPHICS UNDERGROUND: KATE CAREW TP: According to Wikipedia, "Mary Williams (June 27, 1869–February 11, 1961), who wrote pseudonymously as Kate Carew, was an American caricaturist self-styled as 'The Only Woman Caricaturist.' She worked at the New York World, providing illustrated celebrity interviews." Fantagraphics calls her America's first great woman cartoonist, but frustratingly, provides no preview for this book.

FLASH GORDON QUARTERLY #1: Massive is not only publishing a monthly Flash Gordon title (with the second issue out this week), it's also publishing this quarterly starring the hero of Mongo. There's a story that's in the continuity of the monthly, and also two "Flash Fiction" stories, described as "wholly original takes on the classic character and his companions in new genres and settings." To distinguish it from the monthly, I imagine.

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FLESH AND BLOOD VOL 1 TP (White Hart Comics): " 'A hunger ... Hunger like you've never known ...' The discovery of a partially eaten corpse on the side of a road relights a smoldering obsession within paramedic Ruth Saran -- who killed her husband? Her quest leads her into the Scottish highlands and deep into danger -- as she approaches a deadly reckoning with a family of killers who share a strange and grisly secret. British crime drama and supernatural strangeness collide in the first graphic novel from novelist Simon Lewis and artist Chris Geary." 

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Because I'm thinking "Scottish cannibals." Which is not a think I have thunk before.

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GODS AND MONSTERS BOOK ONE (Cutaway Comics): Doctor Who alert! "Friends and foes from the worlds of Doctor Who are brought together across time and space onboard the Eltralla, a phantom colony ship lost in space and time, harboring a hidden and potentially universe-shattering, secret." This is the third publisher doing Doctor Who comics that I'm aware of, after Titan and Panini.

JUDGE DREDD BY BRIAN BOLLAND: MASTERPIECE EDITION TP (Rebellion / 2000AD): UK comics alert! 

KELPIE THE BOY WIZARD HC: UK comics alert!

LIFE #1 (DSTLRY): Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets, Wonder Woman) co-writes this 56-page debut issue, and I usually like his work. The premise here is that science has learned how to extend life, so when a serial is sentenced to 2,400 years, he actually has to live all of them, imprisoned at hard labor. In a strange choice, each issue is a flip book, with the same story told from two different perspectives. Interesting.

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THE NIGHT NEVER ENDS (Silver Sprocket): A seance goes bad. (Don't they all?)

The art's kinda cartoony, which doesn't match the subject matter. But hey, they sent a preview, so here you go.

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OBA ELECTROPLATING FACTORY (Drawn & Quarterly): The fourth volume in D&Q's complete works of Yoshiharu Tsuge. It's described as "a portrait of mid-century Japan." Here's a PREVIEW.

PAYING FOR IT THE FILM EDITION (Drawn & Quarterly) by Chester Brown: "Paying for It was the most talked-about and controversial graphic novel of 2011, a critical success so innovative and complex that it received two rave reviews in The New York Times. Chester Brown's eloquent, spare artwork stands out in this new paperback edition, tied to the release of the film adaptation co-written and directed by Sook-Yin Lee, Brown's longtime friend. Paying for It offers an entirely unvarnished exploration of sex work through Brown's own life story, showing him as a timid john who rides his bike to his escorts, wonders how to tip so as not to offend, and reads Dan Savage for advice. The book demystifies an experience that is so often sensationalized, revealing a world of online reviews, seemingly willing participants, and clean apartments devoid of clichéd street corners, drugs, or pimps. Now with an introduction by Lee, expanded notes discussing the film adaptation, movie stills and behind the scenes shots, as well as a new cover by Brown and artwork that he created for the production, Paying for It: The Film Edition is an unmissable edition for fans of Brown and film-making alike."

It's got a great hook, I'll give it that. Here's a PREVIEW.

PRAIRIE GODS #1 (Mad Cave): "Created by the artist of Nottingham, Prairie Gods is The Twilight Zone meets Sin City. Each self-contained issue centers on supernatural events and characters in and around the small prairie town of Broadacres." Series without a distinct lead usually don't work, but we'll see. From the preview, this issue seems to have a Mad Max flavor.

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PROCESSING: 100 COMICS THAT GOT ME THROUGH IT (Drawn & Quarterly): "Known for her buzzing colors, delightful patterns, sharp humor, and unflinching vulnerability, Tara Booth does not miss any mark in this exquisitely woven collection of pure and nasty magic. Part advice column and exhibit, exploration of psychic pollution and tranquility, Processing is—quite simply—intrepid: in its honesty; its unapologetic grossness; its unrivaled and frank portrayal of life with a body that bleeds." I have no idea what that means. Here's a PREVIEW.

PS ARTBOOKS CATMAN FACSMILE ED #1-3 (PS Artbooks): That's right, three consecutive facsimile issues. If you bought them, you'd have the first three issues of Catman (1941) for $48. See why Jeff and I lobby for collections instead? A Catman trade paperback (or "Softee," as PS styles it) would probably include the same three issues (they were 68-pagers), but cost about $32. 

SCOTT PILGRIM 20TH ANNIVERSARY B&W HC BOX SET (Oni Press): I've never read any Scott Pilgrim, and didn't watch the movie, either. I know a lot of people love it to bits and pieces, but I am not easily swayed by the crowd, having been burned by Blankets and Bone. (Yes, yes, they're awesome and fabulous and you love them. Good on ya. They did nothing for me.) I flipped through a Scott Pilgram at my LCS, didn't feel compelled to buy it, and that's that. Having said that, if I was going to get some Scott Pilgrim ... why wouldn't I get it in color?

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 SESAME STREET #1 (Oni Press): Exactly what you think it is, and what it ought to be. 

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    • On Wordballoon, King said that his story pretty much decides nothing. He has no intention of changing the basis of 84 years of Archie stories, and likely couldn't even if he and editorial wanted to. The characters and situation are just that ingrained. But this is being marketed like it's a super big deal, because that's how marketing works. He's afraid everyone's going to hate him the way they did after DC misled everyone with Batman's marriage story.

      I've read the first few pages of this as a preview. Archie has given up trying to decide on the merits, and flips a coin. 

      As for Popeye, Bud Sagendorf wrote & drew a hell of a Popeye run. IDW & Craig Yoe reprinted those books a while back, and they were terrific.

  • King said that his story pretty much decides nothing.

    That's okay. I'll buy it anyway.

    Bud Sagendorf wrote & drew a hell of a Popeye run.

    I stand corrected. 

    • I'm looking forward to reading it! 

      As for Sagendorf, I'm not saying he stands up to Segar; I've barely read any Segar, so I really don't know. I'm just saying those Popeye comics IDW and Yoe! Books reprinted a number of years ago are wildly entertaining. If you see one in the wild -- any of them -- pick it up. I think you'll enjoy it.

    • I've got 'em; I just forgot is all.

    • Sagendorf wasn't bad, but for me, at least, Segar is up there with Kirby and Tezuka for depth  of imagination.

  • This was a teriffic week of comics (for me, anyway), with three PS Artbooks, three Alley Oop collections and eight periodicals.

    AMAZING MAN v1: An All-Everett volume featuring every Amazing Man story from #5 (the first issue) through #18.

    THE AVENGER v1: I like the crime and horror stuff, but I really enjoy the non-Big Two super-hero stuff as weel (and yes, I realize I'm doing myself a disservice by not buying the "softees" but I've got to draw the line somewhere. Besides, it's too late to go back and second guess myself now.) this volume inclides all four issues of Magazine Enterprises premiere  1955 super-hero, plus The Killers #1 from 1947.

    CLASSIC SCI-FI COMICS v7: This volume is all Basil Wolverton, featuring "Space Patrol" from Amazing Mystery Funnies and "Spacehawk" from Target Comics, plus two stories from Weird Tales of the Future. Listen, if you don't have the Brain Bats of Venus or the Creeping Death From Neptune or the Spacehawk collections from Fantagraphics, you should definitely get this volume. 

  • Today was also the day of DC releasing #2 of James Tynion's "Nice House at the Sea", the sequel to his previous "Nice House by the Lake" series.

    It is quite interesting. A sci-fi take on subject matters of identity, relationships and the inevitable uncertainties that come with those.  Most issues end in quite a cliffhanger, this included.

  • AMAZING MAN v1: An All-Everett volume featuring every Amazing Man story from #5 (the first issue) through #18.

    I actually do have the Everett book with, I think, the Amazing Man stories from #5-8, but don't remember anything about it. But I'm glad to get the whole enchilada. Can't have too much Everett!

    THE AVENGER v1: I like the crime and horror stuff, but I really enjoy the non-Big Two super-hero stuff as well.

    Me too! I'm gratified to be getting some material closer to my heart than crime and horror, at long last. It's kinda weird to have read all the Fawcett horror without having read Bulletman, Ibis or Kid Eternity. You know which ones I would have read first if I'd had a choice.

    And yes, I realize I'm doing myself a disservice by not buying the "softees" but I've got to draw the line somewhere. Besides, it's too late to go back and second guess myself now.

    I understand. I made the decision to open the door to Softees when I realized that Blackhawk and Plastic Man would be available only in that format. I'd rather have HC, but I take what's offered.

    CLASSIC SCI-FI COMICS v7: This volume is all Basil Wolverton, featuring "Space Patrol" from Amazing Mystery Funnies and "Sapcehawk" from Target Comics, plus two stories from Weird Tales of the Future. Listen, if you don't have the Brain Bats of Venus or the Creeping Death From Neptune or the Spacehawk collections from Fantagraphics, you should definitely get this volume.

    I actually do already have Brain Bats of Venus and Creeping Death from Neptune, but I'm not going to skip a volume just because I've read most of it. There might be some I haven't read (and hopefully it's not all Powerhouse Pepper).

    Today was also the day of DC releasing #2 of James Tynion's "Nice House at the Sea", the sequel to his previous "Nice House by the Lake" series. It is quite interesting. A sci-fi take on subject matters of identity, relationships and the inevitable uncertainties that come with those. Most issues end in quite a cliffhanger, this included.

    I'm waiting for an HC of Sea, and getting pretty antsy about it. I wonder how long it will take to get an HC of Lake. Maybe I'll just give up and re-subscribe to DC Universe.

    • I actually do already have Brain Bats of Venus and Creeping Death from Neptune, but I'm not going to skip a volume just because I've read most of it. 

      Ha! Yes, me, too. (And there's no Powerhouse Pepper. YAY!)

  • AMAZING MAN v1: An All-Everett volume...

    CORRECTION: This volume is all-Amazing Man and comprises all of the Everett issues, but other artists took over for Everett with #12.

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