TOP O' THE WEEK
BATMAN #158 (DC COMICS, 40 PAGES, $4.99) is by writer Jeph Loeb and artists Jim Lee and Scott Williams. In case you haven't heard, the sequel to "Hush" is here. (Stylized "H2SH," usually.) It's already posting big advance-order numbers. I wasn't the biggest fan of the first one* so I'm not the one to sell you on the second one. I'll let the art do the selling, instead.
* I thought it had stupendous art, but a kitchen sink of a story with a villain I found unconvincing — as a character and as a threat to Batman. YMMV.
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #1 (OF 6, DC COMICS, 40 PAGES, $4.99) is by writer Deniz Camp and artist Javier Rodriguez. It looks like they're going to do a Martian Manhunter more in line with what I've always wanted: Utterly. Not. Human. "Green Superman," to me, was redundant and unimaginative. Here's the blurb:
"Beyond Mars … beyond physical form … beyond human understanding … all that's left is the ultimate alien: the Absolute Martian Manhunter!"
SOLOMON KANE: THE SERPENT RING #1 (OF 4, Titan, $4.99) is by Patrick Zircher (Superman, Iron Man, Savage Avengeres, Moon Knight).
What can I say? I love Solomon Kane! I know, I know, he's a limited character whose implacable religious zeal prevents romance, a supporting cast and personal growth. I think I identify with his stubborn anhedonia. Anyway, he's got a great visual, the art looks good and this seris is a bit of a travelogue, taking us to Puritan-era Barbary Coast, Venice and across Southern Europe. I can't speak for everyone, but I'll probably have fun.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: THE MUMMY #1 (OF 4, IMAGE, $4.99) is by artist/writer Faith Erin Hicks (Pumpkinheads, The Nameless City Trilogy). I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of these Universal books so far, and have no doubt I'll enjoy this one, too. A great deal of thought has gone into each one. and the art — while varying in style — has never been less than stellar.
“What I enjoy the most about The Mummy is the romance underlying all the horror. A mortal man defies ancient gods to bring his dead lover back to life and pays the ultimate price, transformed thousands of years later into a walking specter of death. The Mummy is intrinsically a tragic figure driven by his own pain and loss, his understandable human emotions twisted into acts.” said Faith Erin Hicks. “It's been a thrill to tell this story from the point of view of Helen, the modern incarnation of The Mummy's long dead love, and illustrate her growing awareness of the heartbroken horror that is lurking in the shadows of early 20th century Egypt. I hope fans of all versions of The Mummy enjoy my take on this romantically horrifying (or horrifyingly romantic) story.”
“Faith Erin Hicks’ take on The Mummy is singular and breathtaking,” said Alex Antone, Editorial Director at Skybound. “While she’s returning to her horror roots, it’s safe to say you’ve never seen Faith Erin Hicks like this before!”
Guillem March is also doing a polyptych with The Mummy #1-4 variant covers.
CROSSOVERS
'ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM' WEEK 7
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #70 (MARVEL, $5.99) is by writer Joe Kelly and artist Ed McGuinness. Final issue! This wraps up the "8 Deaths of Spider-Man" story, which I've enjoyed more than I expected to, and we'll have a re-launch next month with another Amazing Spider-Man #1.
FANTASTIC FOUR #30 (MARVEL, $4.99) is by writer Ryan North and artist Cory Smith. Over in One World Under Doom #2, Doom Ben Grimm-ized The Thing. He didn't kill him. He just neutralized his effectiveness. And he's not going to stop there ..
DOOM ACADEMY #2 (OF 5, MARVEL, $3.99) MacKenzie Cadenhead. Art: Pasqual Ferry & Joao M.P. Lemos. I haven't begun reading this (and never read Strange Academy), so I don't know who Zoe is, and why she might get sucked into a Latverian fairy tale book. But I do know that One World Under Doom runs 9 issues, while the tie-in books mostly run for 5. That's odd.
RED HULK #2 (MARVEL, $3.99) is by writer Benjamin Percy and artist Geoff Shaw. Red Hulk is an ongoing, so it could conceivably remain a tie-in all the way to One World Under Doom #9. Probably not, and I'll likely drop the book the instant it's not a tie-in. I can't imagine any way I'd ever care about Red Hulk.
THUNDERBOLTS: DOOMSTRIKE #2 (OF 5, MARVEL, $3.99) Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing. Art: Tommaso Bianchi. Bucky, Ghost Rider '44, Sharon Carter and U.S. Agent. That's an interesting group, and I'm looking forward to this one. If I like it enough, I might read the previous iterations of this title with Bucky in them.
DOOM'S DIVISION #1 (OF 5, MARVEL, $4.99) Yoon Ha Lee. Art: Minkyu Jung. I didn't read it, but apparently South Korea's "Tiger DIvision," the national superhero team, battled Doom once before. So now that he's in charge of the world, will he kill them? Heck, no. He's going to co-opt them!
“When I was in high school in Seoul, a friend hooked me on Marvel comics,” Ha Lee said. “Decades later, I’m honored by the privilege of writing for Taegukgi and friends in ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM — 힘내!”
“South Korea has a painful history, but we always overcome them, and this time, Marvel's South Korean super hero team is facing tough times,” Jung added. “I can't wait to see how they are going to show that spirit during ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM and I'm grateful to be a part of this event.”
X-MANHUNT WEEK 4
X-MANHUNT: OMEGA #1 (ONE-SHOT, MARVEL, $6.99) is by writers Gail Simone & Murewa Ayodele and artist Gelb Melnikov. It's the finale, so I assume Xavier has gotten to space somehow in order to save his daughter, and possibly also launch Jonathan Hickman's Imprerial (starting in June). But these preview pages are set on Earth, and shows the X-Men ... talking to each other?!?? Must be mind control.
MORE ITEMS OF INTEREST
ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #6 (DC COMICS, $4.99) is by writer Kelly Thompson and artists Mattia De Iulis (The Cull) and Dustin Nguyen. First part in a two-parter between storylines with a guest artist, explaining some of Diana's tools. Plus a tale of Li'l Diana. In Hell, presumably.
DEADPOOL VS. WOLVERINE: SLASH ‘EM UP #1 (MARVEL, $5.99) ia by writer Christos Gage and artist Alan Robinson. Evidently Marvel released an Infinity Comic starring Deadpool and Wolverine while the movie was on screens. And now it's in print.
“The fact that they have a healing factor, and the fact that we're walking right up to an R rating without stepping over that line, means we can up the ante in terms of the punishment they can take,” Gage told Marvel.com. “Alan Robinson was so great at drawing Deadpool getting squished that I had him squashed two or three more times than I planned to.”
GODZILLA VS. FANTASTIC FOUR #1 (MARVEL) is by writer Ryan North and artist John Romita Jr. The Baron is undoubtedly correct when he notes that the Big G should simply smush the FF into toejam on Page 2. But maybe they're smart enough to not get smushed, and have a cunning scheme to fight back! A scheme so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel!
“The 1970s Godzilla: King of the Monsters series by Marvel was 100% out-of-control comic book fun! Anything went! The creative teams approached these one-shots with that same wildly imaginative spirit, and I guarantee you’ll see things you never thought possible with Godzilla OR Marvel!” Editor Mark Paniccia promises. “Ryan North and Johnny Romita Jr. are a dream team in GODZILLA VS. FANTASTIC FOUR, depicting the kind of senses-shattering battle you’d expect when characters from Marvel and Toho collide!”
HARLEY QUINN FARTACULAR: SILENT BUTT DEADLY #1 (ONE-SHOT, DC COMICS, $7.99) is by writer Joanne Starer and artists Ted Brandt and Ro Stein. If the "G------ fahts" line in The Lighthouse made you laugh, this is the book for you.
HOWL #3 (Of 5, AHOY, $3.99) is by writer Alisa Kwitney and artist. Mauricet I'm really taken with this book, set in Greenwich Village in the '50s. If you're not, maybe this rare Ahoy preview will convince you:
PEACEMAKER PRESENTS: THE VIGILANTE/EAGLY DOUBLE FEATURE #1 (OF 5, DC COMICS, MR, $3.99) is by writer Tim Seeley and artist Mitch Gerads (Vigilante), and writer and writer Rex Ogle and artist Mateo Lolli (Eagly), with story consult by James Gunn.
Set between Peacemaker seasons one and two, this miniseries features two stories. In the first, Peacemaker is missing and Vigilante goes on a tear to find him. In the second, we find out Peacemaker is on vacation, but gets caught up in "most dangerous game" scenario. What elevates this to Top O' the Week is the participation of James Gunn.
“When [DC editor] Katie Kubert asked me to do a short for DC’s Strange Love Adventures, I was stoked to write a Peacemaker story,” said writer Rex Ogle on the Eagly (and Peacemaker) half of the double feature. “So getting to dive back in and play with this iconic antihero again (and in a miniseries this time!) is a total dream. Part of what makes him so great is that at his core, Peacemaker is a hopeless optimist. He wants the world to be a better place, not just for himself, but for others. He doesn’t always go about achieving peace in the right way, but he brings an incredible levity to the violence that is already ever-present in our world. And sometimes we need to laugh at the bad — so we don’t break down and cry.”
“Bringing Peacemaker and Eagly to life in a comic is like unleashing chaos and heart on every page,” said artist Matteo Lolli. “Rex was able to both capture their funny bond and make for a perfect mix of action and humor. Drawing Peacemaker is obviously a blast, but capturing a character that doesn’t speak? Not easy. And what if this character happens to be a bird to whom nature gave by default a stern and angry look? That’s a whole other challenge, and I wasn’t sure I could deliver it without the right kind of script. Luckily for me, Rex did a fantastic job with it. It’s pure fun to see their unpredictable dynamic unleashed in this new adventure.”
“I write a ton of books and graphic novels for middle grade and young adult readers, which I love,” continued Ogle, “but there’s nothing quite like returning to my comic book roots to work on something where I can unleash my inner creative beast. Writing Christopher Smith lets me do just that — go buck wild — not just with some good ol’ fashioned violence, but with humor and unnecessary nudity. Peacemaker lets me live the dream of writing stories I wanted to read as a kid."
“I’m in my Vigilante era,” said artist Mitch Gerads on the Vigilante (without Peacemaker) half of the double feature. “I have 100 Taylor Swift friendship bracelets to trade — they’re in Vigilante colors and say ‘Vigilante Shit.’ Come find me at NYCC and join the fun.”
“Awkward. Clueless. Possibly psychotic. Obsessed with destroying furniture. That’s Mitch Gerads,” said writer Tim Seeley. “Oh … wait? You mean you want me to describe Adrian Chase, Vigilante? Oh, sure. He’s the coolest dude ever and he smashes so many chicks. Also, he’s a great friend, and definitely not a serial-killing busboy. Peacemaker is lucky to call him 'bro,' and Mitch and I are lucky to continue his horrifically violent adventures at DC Comics.”
GOLDEN AGE OF REPRINTS
ALLEY OOP AND THE COUNTERFEIT QUEEN TP (MANUSCRIPT PRESS, $19.99): Comic strip collectors alert!
ABSOLUTE PROMETHEA BOOK 1 HC (2025 EDITION, DC COMICS, $100.00) is by writer Alan Moore and artist J.H. Williams III. Possibly the only Alan Moore book I didn't enjoy when I first read it. It seemed to be more interested in teaching us the Kabbalah than in telling an engaging story. At least I think it was the Kabbalah. I kinda zoned out when it started looking like a board game. I hope someone reading this got more out of it than I did, and can explain to me what I missed!
BATMAN: THE THE DARK AGE HC (2025 EDITION, DC COMICS, $39.99): I plan to order this, along with the Superman: The Space Age HC, which I apparently missed. There's a third book in this "series" in the works, starring Wonder Woman.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE ORIGINAL COMICS OMNIBUS VOL. 4 HC (848 pages, FC, $125.00) is by Roy Thomas and John Buscema. Includes the the saga of Bêlit and "Hour of the Dragon." This was a great time to be reading comics.
FLASH GORDON CLASSIC COLLECTION VOL 3 HC (MAD CAVE, $49.99): Comic strip collectors alert!
GOLD KEY SELECT: BORIS KARLOFF THRILLER #1 (GOLD KEY ENTERTAINMENT, $5.99): This looks like whoever has the Gold Key rights is jumping on the facsimile train.
LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION #59: BATMAN'S STRANGEST CASES FACSIMILE EDITION (DC COMICS, $14.99): This was all reprint when it came out, but it was still exciting to me because of its sheer size. Maybe that's still the case!
MARVEL FANFARE #15 FACSIMILE EDITION (MARVEL, $4.99): Isnt that cover something? When I first saw it, back inna day, I thought Kirby had drawn it. Then I noticed the linework, the rendering ... by golly, it was Barry Windsor-Smith! He also draws an interior Johnny-hazing-Ben story, which ain't bad.
TERRY AND THE PIRATES: THE MASTER COLLECTION VOL 10 HC (CLOVER PRESS $100.00): Comic strip collectors alert!
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN HC (IMAGE, $24.99): A re-telling of the 1931 James Whale movie through the eyes of a boy (invented for the story) who witnesses it all. Highly recommended.
MORE COMICS
BITTER ROOT THE NEXT MOVEMENT #1 (OF 5, MR, IMAGE, $3.99) is by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene. I haven't read any Bitter Root, but this one is set in the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-1960s, and has walking metaphors named jinoo, "creatures born out of hate and racism." In a less frenetic week I'd read and review it for you.
BURST ANGEL VOL. 3 TP (OF 3, TITAN, 208 pages, B&W, $12.99) is by Minoru Murao.
CORPSE BLADE VOL. 2 TP (OF 3, TITAN, 192 pages, B&W, $12.99) is by Hajime Segawa.
FREE FOR ALL #1 (ONE SHOT, ONI PRESS, 56 PAGES, $7.99), by Patrick Horvath (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees), is set in a future where the ultra-wealthy must surrender half their assets or defend them in ritual combat. While the mental image of some of today's smug, fascist billionaires being smacked in the face fills me with delicious schadenfreude, it's just never happened in the history of the world. If such a ritual combat existed, the rich would hire the poor to suffer for them. As has been the case for the entire history of the world. Nice idea, Oni Press, but I just can't buy it. Sadly.
DARKWING DUCK VOL. 2 #2(Dynamite, $4.99)
DUCKTALES #4 (Dynamite, $4.99)
DEAD EYES: THE EMPTY FRAMES #5 (OF 5, IMAGE, $3.99). OK, this homage to Daredevil #184 made me laugh.
DEAD SPACE VOL. 1 GN (OF 3, 192 pages, FC, $17.99) is Anthony Johnston and Ben Templesmith. Based on the video game. Back in print for the first time since 2013.
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #315
GREEN LANTERN #21 (DC COMICS, $4.99): The return of Starbreaker! (Has he even been seen since Justice League of America #96?)
GUNSLINGERS #1 (DARK HORSE, 128 PAGES, $19.99) is by writer Mike Richardson (47 Ronin, Star Wars: Crimson Empire, Father’s Day) and artist Jordi Armengol (Cloaked, Navigator). I usually like my Westerns weird, but even though this one looks pretty straightforward, I might be interested. For one thing, the art looks like it stepped out of a Sergio Leone movie, which I love.
“Jordi and I have a great relationship and we are both excited to bring our first Western to life. I love the genre and hope this will appeal to those readers who love classic Westerns as much as we do,” said Richardson.
"I always wanted to draw a Western,” said Armengol. “Since I was a child. I think it is the dream of every comic book artist. When Mike sent me the script for Gunslingers I knew it would be an instant classic. It has the spirit of the greatest Westerns: from Zane Grey to Cormac McCarthy. From John Ford to Sergio Leone. You can hear Ennio Morricone's melodies when you get lost in his lines."
HARD BARGAIN GN (MR, HUMANOIDS, $32.99) is written by TV's Steven S. DeKnight, who is behind a lot of shows I like (Buffy, Angel, Daredevil). And it's a period piece, set in my favorite ficitonal world, 1940s hard-boiled detective. And it involves eldritch horror, which I suppose was just overshadowed by World War II, and that's why it didn't make the papers. Graphic Policy has a PREVIEW, and the art looks good, too. I am definitely interested.
HOURGLASS OGN (SILVER SPROCKET, $15.99) is by Barbara Mazzi. Silver Sprocket is one of the small indies I'm worried won't make it out of the Diamond bankruptcy. Tiny, located away from big New York and L.A. publishers (San Francisco) and eccentric (often cartoony, usually LGBTQIA+, often surreal or borderline incomprehensible), it's not built to be attractive to the likes of Lunar or Penguin Random House. But it deserves to do its thing, and service its audience, whomever they may be. Here's their latest, which I won't try to describe:
KIDS (ONE-SHOT, IMAGE, MR, $7.99) is by Garth Ennis and tells the story of every parent's nightmare: Overnight, every one-year-old child grows into an adult. Not only is it the "they grow up so fast" trope, but I imagine adults without the learning experiences of childhood would be grotesquely and violently unsocialized. And if I can imagine that, I'm sure Ennis is a few miles ahead of me.
KYLOOE TP (DARK HORSE, $29.99) is by Hong Kong writer/artist Little Thunder. It's three short stories about growing up, and appear to be in the magical realism genre. I started reading this late at night and had to stop, thinking "I need to read this when I'm awake enough to see the metaphors."
LIFE IS AN OPEN DOOR #1 (ONE SHOT, CRITICAL ENTERTAINMENT, $4.99) is about a world where dogs where suits and go to the office. One of them gives in to instincts and follows the call of the wild. I do like dogs, and the art is a nice ink and color wash. But I don't know much about Critical Entertainment and doubt I'll ever see a copy of this.
MONEY SHOT: BIG BANG #0 (OF 5, MR, VAULT) is by actor, comedian and writer Patton Oswalt (Minor Threats, Barfly), writer Tim Seeley (Local Man, Hack/Slash) and webcomics artist Garth Graham (A Polycule of Mars, Astroknots). It seems to be about a porn-star troupe that makes its money by exploring strange, new worlds; seeking out new life, and new alien races; and f---ing them. Not really my bag — I'm strangely squeamish about sex outside my species — but it does have the advantage of Oswalt, who is genuinely One Of Us.
"Money Shot has always been about finding the right partners,” said Seeley. “Lots of partners. Friends. Strangers. Aliens with a dozen or so sex organs. And even beloved comedians and acclaimed webcomics artists! So, with BIG BANG, I'm positively throbbing to work with my friend and collaborator Patton Oswalt, and burning hot new (to print comics) talent, Garth Graham!"
“By being insanely over-the-top and on the outer rim of offensiveness, Money Shot actually lands squarely in the center of our current, deviant reality,” added Oswalt.
“I came across Money Shot when Kurt Michael Russell was coloring the first couple of volumes and I remember being both delighted and surprised that mainstream comics were getting so cheeky," said Graham. “Everything from a publisher is mainstream when you’re in webcomics, you see. So when Vault reached out, saying that Tim Seeley named me when asked what artist he wanted to work with most, I knew that the only appropriate answer was ‘oh god, yes!’ Money Shot is exactly the kind of funny, sexy comic that lives right in my wheelhouse. A perfect fit.”
NEPTUNE GN (DARK HORSE, $22.99), by writer Michael Conrad (Tremor Dose, Double Walker, Wonder Woman, Batgirls) and artist Nathan Ooten, is a Comixology Original appearing in print for the first time. An ex-con investigates the murder of his brother, involving him in a deep conspiracy.
“Following books like Tremor Dose and Double Walker isn’t easy, I remain quite proud of both of those stories,” says writer Michael Conrad. “With NEPTUNE I wanted to rip something from the headlines and address it in a graphic novel. The result feels far less like “entertainment” and more like observing a car crash, a thing you don’t wish to see, but can’t look away from. Nathan Ooten nailed it, each page manages to be at once a beautiful display of his multimedia approach to sequential art, and a profane representation of quite vile subject matter.”
Conrad continued, “NEPTUNE wasn’t easy to create, the story contains a lot of complex and troubling elements including incarceration, murder, human trafficking and exploitation,” says writer Michael Conrad. “I hesitate to call NEPTUNE a horror story, but it is most certainly horrific.”
"This is a heavy story that deals with complex elements that require a unique artistic touch, and we’re pleased to spotlight the work of a bright new artist in Nathan Ooten," says Jeff DiBartolomeo, Comixology’s GM and CTO.
OUR BRILLIANT RUIN: HORROR AT CRANE MANSION #1 (OF 3, DARK HORSE, $4.99) is by writer Cullen Bunn (Arkham Horror: The Terror at the End of Time) and artist Christopher Mitten (Witchfinder: The Reign of Darkness), and is based on a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG). Despite my utter disconnect with vidoe and role-playing games, this looks like something I'd like. It's by Cullen Bunn, set in Victorian or Edwardian times, and involves Lovecraftian horror, all things I appreciate.
"Role-playing games? Gothic horror? Rich backgrounds, histories, and stories? Sign me up! OUR BRILLIANT RUIN is my kind of setting, and I am absolutely honored to introduce consulting detective duo Elizabeth Ranseur and Arielle Wren to readers and players. We’ve got a chilling mystery for them to solve, and it will be a perfect window into the world of OUR BRILLIANT RUIN" said Bunn.
“We’re very pleased to work with Dark Horse and a team of extremely talented creators to bring the gilded-age drama and gothic horror of Our Brilliant Ruin into the exciting world of comics,” said Studio Hermitage CCO, Justin Achilli.
Replies
POOLUMINATI #1 (MARVEL, $4.99) is by writers Zac Gorman and Alexis Quasarano, and artists Todd Nauck and Enid Balam The elite Deadpools of the mulitverse assemble, and for some reason they need the idiot Deadpools from the 616. I assume hi-jinks will commence.
REVERSAL GN ($24.99) is by writer Alex de Campi and artist Skylar Patridge. It follows a sixth grader who learns to cope when Earth's ley lines reverse and suddenly magic is real. Frankly, I'd rather see explore this strange, new world with adult eyes, but maybe that's just me.
“REVERSAL is my love song to the Japanese urban fantasy manga that got me back into comics,” says de Campi. “There's high adventure and there's comedy, but it's wrapped around ‘slice of life’ and meaningful, deep emotional character arcs as Tré and her family navigate monsters, magic, metamorphosis--and middle school."
SEASON OF THE ROSES HC (FANTAGRAPHICS, $29.99) is a coming-of-age story about a high school soccer player who fights to keep funding from being switched to the boys team. The ART doesn't thrill me, nor do I have much interest in high school sports. (Mainly because, as night editor, I handle ALL the high school sports for my newspaper. I handle it as professionally as I can, but I see no need to pursue the subject outside of work hours. Your mileage will certainly vary.)
STEPHEN MCCRANIE'S SPACE BOY VOL 21 TP (DARK HORSE, $14.99). Space Boy is now up to 21 volumes, and I haven't read a one. Maybe DH knows that, because they sent me a long and seemingly pointless press release extolling the virtues of Stephen McCranie and Space Boy. Here are the quotes:
David Shinook Lee, Webtoon advisor and previous editor on Space Boy, shares his favorite moments from Space Boy and also celebrates the series’ anniversary: "Space Boy was the winner of WEBTOON's first global contest, and I'll never forget the poignant scene where Amy, experiencing Earth for the first time, weeps at the sight of a bird in flight. It's moments like these that explain why the series not only won our inaugural contest but has continued to resonate with so many space cadets over the past decade, enriching our lives with its joy and wisdom. On this 10th anniversary, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Stephen, a true pioneer and masterful storyteller.”
McCranie shares his thoughts on the series’ lasting power: "Are we alone in the universe? Are we alone as we eat lunch in the school cafeteria? Space Boy is my attempt to answer both of those questions, not just for my audience, but for myself. After ten years of dialoguing with my characters, the answer we have uncovered so far is that you are not alone in feeling alone and that, wherever you are, love can cross light years to reach you."
And Dark Horse editor Brett Israel also adds: “Stephen’s work continues to be powerful and immersive throughout this run, and I cannot wait for what comes next (and I’m guessing it’ll make me tear up). Space Boy Volume 1 was one of the first projects I worked on in my time at Dark Horse, so I feel like I’ve been growing up professionally with this story. Congratulations to Stephen on this artistic achievement!”
TERMINATOR #6 (DYNAMITE, $4.99)
THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TP (MR, DRAWN AND QUARTERLY, $24.95): What if time-travel existed? Would you have Time Tunnel, Back to the Future or Time and Time Again adventures? Or would we use it for really banal reasons, like seeing future episodes of our favorite TV show? I think we know the answer.
VAMPIRELLA VOL. 6 #1 (DYNAMITE, $4.99) is by Writer: Christopher Priest and Artist: Ergun Gunduz. I am literally eager to read this one. I've watched from afar with incresingly urgency as Christopher Priest wrote Vampirella. I just know it's terrific, because Christopher Priest is terrific. But I've never made the time to catch up on his run and now, lo, Dynamite has given me a jumping-on point. I will avail myself of this opportunity, and await the chance to play catch-up down the road.
WE'RE TAKING EVERYONE DOWN WITH US #1 (OF 6, IMAGE, MR, $4.99) by Matthew Rosenberg (4 Kids Walk Into A Bank) and artist Stefano Landini (Daredevil, Prodigy). It follows the 13-year-old daughter of a mad scientist who is killed by the world's greatest spy. Left with her dad's robot bodyguard, she'll either go to school, work hard and become a productive member of society ... or follow in her father's footsteps and try to get revenge on the whole world. Which do you think a 13-year-old would pick? This is another one I'm anxious to read. So. Many. Genres!
"Stefano and I have been working on this project together for a few years now and it has been one of the most rewarding books I've ever been involved with," said Rosenberg. "But definitely having an artist like Tula show us her beautiful interpretation of our characters has been one of my favorite moments."
“Stefano and I wanted to tell a fun story about our favorite things — super-spies, mad scientists, robots, family, and revenge,” said Rosenberg. “What we ended up making somehow became much funnier, more heartfelt, and far weirder than what we set out to do.”
Landini added: “I started from what I am passionate about, and therefore from design and pop culture, trying to unite them in giving a graphic form to a story that sees a father and a daughter as protagonists. The story is an adventure that in some ways recalls the James Bond of the ’70s, a Tokusatsu, but which is set in an imaginary world in which humanity coexists with robots, exoskeletons and futuristic weapons. I think that We're Taking Everyone Down With Us summarizes all this and much more. I am really excited at the idea that, after so much time, readers will finally be able to read it. I can't wait to discover their opinions.”
WONDER WOMAN #19 (DC COMICS, $4.99): Finale of Tom King's Sovereign storyline.
YOU'LL DO BAD THINGS #1 (IMAGE, MR, $3.99) is by artist/writer Tyler Boss (What’s The Furthest Place From Here?) and artist Adriano Turtulici. A crime writer's stories start coming true, thanks to a mysterious serial killer. Deranged fan? Coincidence? Something weirder?
Man, it's "books Captain Comics can't wait to read week."
“I’d like the only way you would hear about this book is from a friend who tries to describe it to you as some half remembered dream,” said Boss. “They loan you the copy they got from the video comic book rental store that’s been living underneath their bed with the nicked up corner and a sticky cola stain on the front cover. You try to pick off a bit of the lint (at least I hope it’s lint) that is clinging to the stain, but you just end up tearing a bit of the cover off. Better not to mess with it anymore and just dive in. You turn the page and read as all that blood starts to pool around you.”
Continued Boss “Adriano and I are trying to make something that feels tactile and constant. It’s a love letter to the Italian slasher genre of Giallo, with all the blood and nudity you’d expect. It’s a critique of the True Crime genre, and our cultural fascination with serial killers. But mostly it’s a fun and nasty comic book, which are my favorite things in the world. I hope you’ll join us.”
Added Turtulici ''You'll Do Bad Things is the best thing that has happened to me in comics so far. Tyler gave me trust and creative freedom, working with him has been a blast from day one. I hope you love it as much as I loved working on it.''
“I wanted our first scene of the book to be a kill,” said Boss. “Something that sets the stage in no uncertain terms that we're making a slasher comic. But part of the fun of that is playing with the audience's expectations.”
Continued Boss: "Trying to get a jumpscare in a comic is hard because most readers tend to scan an entire page briefly as they turn to it. That said, I think Adriano did an incredible job here of selling the terror in this first glimpse of the killer. The reader asks themselves 'where did that guy come from?' and as they turn to the next page, realizing he must have been in the car even when Ronny was in there. How long was he back there, waiting?"
Turtulici added in regards to the layout of page six, where the killer gets out of the car: "I chose this solution for a different perspective of the sequence to keep the tension high. We’ve just witnessed a murder, and I liked the idea of introducing our killer as if he's still hungry, still craving for more. I hope it creates an unsettling feeling. The story is just beginning and the danger is far from over. Also, this is one of the pages we did for the pitch — I felt it wasn’t the right moment to be too subtle or suggestive. I wanted each page to hit hard, to set the tone of the series.''
I wasn't the biggest fan of the first [Hush]
I remember the discussion we had on this board about the original. (More folks read new comics and participated in discussions back then.) As I recall, I was about the only one here who did like it. I later bought the uninked pencils edition, read it, and couldn't remember what I like so much about it in the first place. I don't plan to buy "H2SH."
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER
I read the preview in one of this week's DC comics. Eh. "Utterly. Not. Human." sounds interesting to me though... more interesting than "Beyond Mars … beyond physical form … beyond human understanding … all that's left is the ultimate alien: the Absolute Martian Manhunter!" I mst admit. More succinct, too. You should be writing copy for DC comics. Perhaps I'll give it a second look if it's a slow week.
I think I identify with his stubborn anhedonia.
Ooh... good word!
I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of these Universal books so far
The "Frankenstein" collection ships this week. I tradewaited.
ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #6... First part in a two-parter...
So #5 was the end of the first storyline. Guerss I don't have to wait until next week to read it after all. (Absoute Batman will be following up the initial storyline with a two-parter as well, one featuring Mr. Freeze.)
Plus a tale of Li'l Diana. In Hell, presumably.
Perhaps she'll meet Li'l Archie. (If there's any justice, that's where he is as well.)
GODZILLA VS. FANTASTIC FOUR: The Baron is undoubtedly correct when he notes that the Big G should simply smush the FF into toejam on Page 2.
Bob read the recent "Galactus' Heralds" What Ifs (so we didn't have to). Here's hoping he'll skewer these as well.
HARLEY QUINN FARTACULAR: SILENT BUTT DEADLY
And I thought Deadpool vs. Wolverine: Slash 'Em Up sounded good (not).
There's a third book in this "series" in the works, starring Wonder Woman.
FLASH GORDON CLASSIC COLLECTION: Comic strip collectors alert!
This material has previously been collected by Kitchen Sink Press, Checker Book Publishing Group, IDW and Titan Comics. Although it's definitely worth owning, is there anyone left who wants this material who doesn't alreadu own it? If so, IDW's tabloid-size collection (complete with "Jungle Jim" topper) is the version to own.
GOLD KEY SELECT: BORIS KARLOFF THRILLER #1
If I didn't alreadu own the Dark Horse Archives series (six volumes), I would definitely get this. If Marvel and DC were the "Big Two" in the sixties, I like to think of Gold Key and Charlton as the "Little Two."
I remember the discussion we had on this board about the original [“Hush”]. As I recall, I was about the only one here who did like it. I later bought the uninked pencils edition, read it, and couldn't remember what I like so much about it in the first place. I don't plan to buy "H2SH."
The thing is, Jim Lee — a terrific penciller under any circumstances — really knocked himself out on “Hush.” It was freaking beautiful. That alone would make Hush stand out to me in my umpty-ump years of reading comics.
But I really disliked the story. One thing was the kitchen-sink aspect—Jeph Loeb threw in Superman, Dick Grayson, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Catwoman, Joker, etc., etc. Most of them had no business in the story.
But the part that bothered me the most was Hush himself.
First, he suffered from the “Tyler Stone Syndrome.” I doubt many people remember Tyler Stone, and nor should they. Tyler Stone was a guy introduced as Tony Stark’s lifelong best friend in Iron Man when it had been running for decades … with no mention of Tyler Stone. Worse, he was introduced at the same time as a “mystery villain.” Which made the villain’s identity a mystery only if you were under the age of 5.
Tyler Stone was the only new character introduced in the strip in the last 12 months, except for the Mystery Villain, so ipso facto he was the mystery villain. It was impossible to NOT know he was the mystery villain. But the writer — and I genuinely don’t remember who it was — kept insisting that this was a real mystery. Upshot being when Tyler Stone was eventually revealed to be the mystery villain, it was played as a SHOCK and a SURPRISE when, obviously, it wasn’t.
And the Tyler Stone Iron Man story is justly forgotten. As far as I know, Tyler Stone is also forgotten.
This is identical to the “Hush” story. A mystery villain and Tommy Elliot were introduced at the same time, and nobody else new was introduced. Worse, Tommy Elliot was introduced as Bruce Wayne’s LIFELONG best friend, even though there was no mention of him going back to 1939. Your humble narrator had been, at that point, reading Batman comics for four decades, and had never heard of “Bruce Wayne’s best friend.” Ipso facto, he was Hush.
But writer Jeph Loeb kept playing it as a BIG MYSTERY when it was as plain as the nose on your face. And when we got to the BIG REVEAL, it was, to me at that point, just darn tedious.
The second problem I had with Hush was that he was no threat to Batman.
“Hush” was played up as this BIG, SERIOUS Batman story when Hush himself was kind of a pushover. He had no special powers, he had no special gimmicks, and his only point in the story was to use other people to make Batman’s life slightly harder. He had no Grand Plan even worth mention. When push came to shove, Batman shoved him and he fell over. He was just not a big deal.
But the art was gorgeous!
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER: I read the preview in one of this week's DC comics. Eh. "Utterly. Not. Human." sounds interesting to me though... more interesting than "Beyond Mars … beyond physical form … beyond human understanding … all that's left is the ultimate alien: the Absolute Martian Manhunter!" I mst admit. More succinct, too. You should be writing copy for DC comics. Perhaps I'll give it a second look if it's a slow week.
I feel sorry for the copy writers, who had to follow the “without the sandwich … without the juice box … without the paper bag … Absolute Lunch Man” formula. But I’ve got fingers crossed that his Martian Manhunter is one I’d like to read about.
Ooh... good word!
The "Frankenstein" collection ships this week. I tradewaited.
You will enjoy it. If you don’t, I will buy it from you.
Perhaps she'll meet Li'l Archie. (If there's any justice, that's where he is as well.)
I’m OK with Li’l Archie in Hell. But what about Li’l Betty? And Li’l Jughead?
Bob read the recent "Galactus' Heralds" What Ifs (so we didn't have to). Here's hoping he'll skewer these [Godzilla vs. books] as well.
Agreed! Bob should lead ALL GODZILLA DISCUSSIONS.
If I didn't already own the Dark Horse Archives series (six volumes), I would definitely get this. If Marvel and DC were the "Big Two" in the '60s, I like to think of Gold Key and Charlton as the "Little Two."
The downside of the existence of this book is that we’re likely to get more single-issue facsimiles, and no collections. That isn’t what I want. But maybe it’s what today’s market wants.
Yes, we have seen Starbreaker at least twice since Justice League of America #96.
He fought the Dan Jurgens version of the Justice League of America in the 1990s, shortly before Superman's Death. Members included Superman, Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Ice and Fire IIRC.
And he turned out as one of the main villains in the lead-up to the 21st century take on the Rann/Thanagar War, as the secret villain of the second Adam Strange series.
Ooh! Good things to know, Luis! Thanks for the info! I undoubtedly read those stories, but do not remember them.
I do remember the original Starbreaker story, for reasons that are probably particular to me. Which is that I had been reading JLA since the early 1960s, and it was full of characters who were so over-powered it seemed it was hard for Gardner Fox to find challenges for them. As a reader, I was accustomed to a Justice League that had to have its membership limited in a given story, to make it plausible for the story to progress past Page 2. Especially the JLA/JSA crossovers! Supermen, Flashes, Green Lanterns, Martian Manhunter, Doctor Fate, Wonder Women, Spectre ... man, the bad guys didn't have a chance.
So I was coasting along when the Starbreaker story hit, and he took out Superman, Flash and a half-powered Green Lantern. No big deal; the JLA had big guns to spare.
Then I realized they didn't. In those days, the big guns had been decommissioned. Martian Manhunter had been written out. Hawkman had gone home. Wonder Woman was de-powered. Once Superman, Flash and Green Lantern went down, what was left on the bench was Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary and Atom. None of them had a chance of beating Starbreaker. The Li'l Capn suddenly wondered, "Where have the World's Greatest Super-Heroes gone?"
I had the same revelation in Avengers #48 four years earlier. I really hadn't seen it coming, but when a crisis happened the entire team consisted of a (de-powered) Hank Pym, Wasp and Hawkeye. That was it. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch had quit the issue before. Thor and Iron Man were still MIA (as they were for most of the first 100 issues). Vision didn't exist yet. Hercules had gone back to Mt. Olympus. And Captain America had quit several months before. In January 1968, the three characters I mentioned were the entirety of "Earth's Mightest Heroes." Of those three, only the Wasp had a super-power, and it was to get really small.
Those were huge moments for the Li'l Capn. So I remember the first Starbreaker story vividly. Whatever happened in the next two, it didn't leave a mark.
I’m OK with Li’l Archie in Hell. But what about Li’l Betty? And Li’l Jughead?
There's a special place in Hell for all child versions of comics/cartoon characters, including "Baby Looney Tunes" and (especially) "X-Babies."