TOP PUBLISHERS
MARVEL COMICS
DAZZLER #1 (OF 4, $4.99): So, if mutants are so hated and feared, how could one have a successful concert tour? Maybe that will be explained in a book that also features Domino (head of security), Strong Guy (personal guard), Multiple Man (one-man roadie), Shark-Girl (drummer) and Wind Dancer (publicist). Yeah, it does sound an awful lot like Peter David's X-Factor, now that you mention it.
TBH I have never liked Dazzler. She was a character created in response to a musical fad, in concert (ha!) with Casablanca Records, which had final approval on the character. (!) She was originally going to be Black and called Disco Queen, designed to look like Grace Jones, if you can believe that. (Later it was changed to Disco Dazzler, and then just Dazzler.) Tom DeFalco suggested her civilian name be Evelyn Free ("evil and free"), but it was changed to Alison Blaire -- not much better, as her surname is a homonym of "blare," which seems a bad idea for a sound-based character you're supposed to like. She was going to be a multimedia property, with TV specials featuring celebrities dressed up as Marvel heroes, but the idea tanked when Casablanca ran into money trouble and pulled out. (Missed a bullet there.) Then John Derek of 10 fame showed interest, and Dazzler was changed to look like his fourth wife, Bo Derek. This is a character created by a committee of marketing people, not a great idea that needed to be expressed.
And 21-year-old me resented that they wasted a whole issue of Claremont-Byrne Uncanny X-Men introducing her. Right in the middle of the Phoenix saga! (My resentments die hard.)
Plus, she's a cheater. She puts on spectacular concerts because she has a mutant power that creates a unique light show for her. (And initially she didn't tell anybody she was a mutant; she was outed in Dazzler: The Movie GN.) That's not something other singers can acheive through hard work or talent, so she's got an impossible leg up. It's no different than Quicksilver competing in track and field.
Despite her initial run basically being Dazzler Team-Up, the title died with issue #42. Not even Dr. Doom, Galactus and two graphic novels -- one a romance with Hank McCoy (Beauty and the Beast) -- could save it. I have all of them; I'm not sure I read them as much as I skimmed them. (Especially the ones drawn by Frank Springer, whose work I have never enjoyed. If you're going to do a book this shallow, at least assign a "Good Girl" artist to it.)
Chris Claremont tried to toughen up Dazzler later by turning her into one of his stock macho women, complete with commando headband, close-cropped hair and finger guns. (Pew! Pew!) This was too little, too late (and a little silly). She didn't want to be in X-Men stories for her first couple of decades any more than I wanted her to be. And even if they've shaved off the worst of her selfish characterization over time, I will always consider her an airhead disinterested in anything but her career, who gets into superhero battles by accident (and is always looking for the exit).There's nothing wrong with self-interest, especially in the music business, but it tends to make her look bad when she's standing next to genuinely selfless superheroes. To me, my memories of her first two decades will always be a drag on any story she's in.
But it's the Taylor Swift era (ha ha!), so we're going to see Marvel's resident blonde songstress again. I assume she'll be more "Shake It Off" than "Disco Inferno" this time around. Not that I'll know, because I wouldn't read this title with a gun to my head.
Creator quotes:
“Rafael (Loureiro) and I are giving everyone backstage access to the greatest show of the decade: the Dazzler World Tour!” writer Jason Loo said. “Sounds exciting? Not for Dazzler when she’s facing tons of pressure from all sorts of people trying to cancel her shows. But she’s not going down without a fight.”
"Ever since I can remember, I've been crazy about two things: music and drawing comics. To think that I would be able to combine both passions in my Marvel debut is beyond my wildest dreams. Not only that, but with such an amazing X-Men character as Dazzler — absolutely had to jump at the chance!” artist Loureiro said. “When I read Jason’s script, I kept thinking to myself ‘Oh, I'm gonna have so much fun with this!’ Now, Dazzler has a special place in my heart, and I can almost hear her singing inside my head with every page that I draw. I'm honored to be a part of this project, bringing her into the spotlight for all readers and lifting her to her rightful place as a super star!”
Each issue of DAZZLER will also feature all-new song lyrics from "Ali’s notebook."
P.S.: I could swear that I've seen Cover B's layout somewhere before, probably an Archie cover or pin-up (with a record player instead of a boom box). Or maybe a movie poster? Cover C is, of course, a "brokeback" pose designed to show both T and A -- euphemistically called "fan service." And, say, her TOE (Things On Eyes) is back. That was pretty big back in the day, and I used to write about it in Comics Buyer's Guide.
Here's a preview
DEATHLOK 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 ($4.99): It's been 50 years since Astonishing Tales #25? ALREADY?
To tell you the truth, Deathlok is another character I wasn't fond of when he debuted. He was really ugly. His purpose was to deny his purpose (to be a weapon). His sad thought balloons were that he couldn't see his widow. Also, he was dead. What's the point of an ugly zombie who just wants to be dead again? His greatest wish, I assumed, is that the series would be canceled and he would get a closed-coffin funeral. My teen self couldn't figure out why this book was being published. (And then Spawn stole the gimmick 15 years later.)
But Deathlok did do the multiple-voices-in-your-head trick way before Deadpool. That was cool. And Christopher Priest is co-writing this, and the art is by Dale Eaglesham and Denys Cowan, so it might be interesting.
Creator quotes:
“I'm always excited and humbled to write anything in the Marvel universe, but Deathlok as a character is especially important to me because as a U.S. Army veteran, his origin story really resonates in a horrifying way,” co-writer Justina Ireland said. “So I'm excited to dig into the emotional core of what makes Deathlok so unique, while also having some fun.”
“When Deathlok debuted, he truly was one of Marvel’s most offbeat characters — the kind that nearly everyone at Marvel wanted to play with! Heck, Frank Miller even wanted to do a variant for this special,” Editor Mark Paniccia said. “It’s almost impossible not to find a writer or artist that wasn’t inspired by Deathlok in some way.”
"Deathlok will always be an incredible character and very important to me,” Denys Cowan said. "There were a few comics that I read when I was growing up that had a big impact on my younger self. Luke Cage, Hero for Hire; Jungle Action with Black Panther, and Tales to Astonish featuring Deathlok. All those books were great, but Deathlok captured my imagination with all the concepts explored and the great art and writing! I can honestly say that reading Deathlok definitely changed my life and made me want to draw comics for a living. I thought if I could capture a little bit of what Buckler and Klaus Janson did I might become a good comic book artist.”
“A lot of people think Denys Cowan when they think of Deathlok,” Editor Mark Paniccia added. “His run was unique and dynamic. It was important to us that he be part of celebrating an anniversary as special as this.”
Here's a preview
SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE #1 (OF 5, $4.99): It looks like Vengeance ('memba him?) is coming for Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, Robbie Reyes, Kushala and The Hood. That's a lot of flaming heads in one book! Get them all in a room, and it'll look like gigantic birthday cake for a five-year-old!
"It's finally time for Michael Badilino to make his long-awaited return as Vengeance, aided by the likes of Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, and more,” writer Sabir Pirzada said. “The bloody new era for the Spirits of Vengeance starts here -- with a shocking ending you won't see coming."
Here's a preview:
Elsewhere at Marvel:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #260 FACSIMILE EDITION ($4.99): More early black costume. Actually, Parker's out of the costume at this point, so it's really early Vemom. Although he doesn't have a host yet. Or a name.
DEADPOOL #6 ($3.99): Marvel says they're going to kill Deadpool in this issue, and his daughter will continue the title. Hands up, everyone who thinks that's permanent! Still, it'll be interesting to see what will (temporarily) kill the Merc with a Mouth. Dissolved in acid? Decapitated, and then dissolved in acid? Drowned, decapitated and then dissolved in acid? Wolverine? Nah. Wolverine and Deadpool together will never happen.
INCREDIBLE HULK #17 ($3.99): Beginning the countdown to Incredible Hulk #900! Which will be, ah, soon? I guess? They don't say, and my Marvel Math skills are rusty.
SPIDER-BOY ANNUAL #1 ($4.99): Infinity Watch Part Eight. Honest, this will end soon. Next annual, I believe.
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #50 ($7.99): Last issue!
VENOM WAR: DEADPOOL #1 (OF 3, $3.99): Nope.
VENOM WAR: LETHAL PROTECTORS #1 (OF 3, $3.99): Nope.
DC COMICS
"Absolute Power" Week 12:
ABSOLUTE POWER: SUPER SON #1 ONE-SHOT ($5.99): The solicitation doesn't tell me much, except that this issue will be "over-sized." I assume the book will detail the efforts to de-cyborgize Jon Kent, whom we saw released from Brainiac Queen's control in Absolute Power #3. Do the Amazons still have a Purple Ray? He might need to grow back some parts.
SUPERMAN #18 ($4.99): We already know that Superman and Zatanna find the mystic map to the "Dark Paths," as they show up with that knowledge in Absolute Power #3. This issue will likely show us how they achieve it. Last issue had Supes all angsty and rage-y due to his son being cyborgized, and I sure hope they dial back on that, because it's waaaaay out of character. Also: Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Mercy, Silver Banshee and an amnesiac Lex Luthor are still on the run, and we don't know yet how that will turn out.
WONDER WOMAN #13 ($4.99): Nightwing assigned Diana and Robin to find and free the captured superheroes on Gamorra. Absolute Power #3 didn't tell us anything about that, either, but from the looks of Cover A they're meeting with some success.
"Batman Day" 2024 (Sept. 21)
The ones with "N/A" will probably be free in most shops. Most of these books (if not all) are reprints.
- BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN DELUXE EDITION HC VARIANT DUST JACKET ($49.99)
- BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN — THE LAST HALLOWEEN #0 ($3.99)
- BATMAN: ONE BAD DAY — THE RIDDLER HC VARIANT DUST JACKET (MR, $19.99)
- BATMAN: WAYNE FAMILY ADVENTURES #1 (N/A)
- DETECTIVE COMICS #27 FACSIMILE EDITION ($7.99)
- ELMER FUDD SPECIAL #1 ($5.99)
- JOKER: THE WORLD SPECIAL EDITION #1 (N/A)
Elsewhere at DC:
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLDS FINEST ($3.99): A new arc begins with a new villain: Eclipso! By Mark Waid! Which should be good! And here's an homage to Batman #251:
CATWOMAN #68 ($3.99): This features the end of the current storyline, meaning next issue is probably considered "All In."
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #6 FACSIMILE EDITION ($3.99): Honest, there are collections which are much cheaper and easier to buy with all 12 issues.
JAY GARRICK: THE FLASH TP ($16.99): I know I've asked this before, Legionnaires, but I need an answer! Has anyone read the Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and Wesley Dodds solo miniseries? Are they good? Do I need to read them? If all the Flash book tells me is that Jay Garrick has a daughter now, I already know that. If all Alan Scott: Green Lantern tells me is that he's gay now, I already know that. As for Wesley Dodds, I really enjoyed Sandman Mystery Theatre, but what makes this an event separate from those stories? I guess what I'm asking is: Are these series entertaining, or just excercises in updating continuity? I got my fill of that from All-Star Squadron.
JOKER: THE WORLD HC ($24.99): I was pretty disappointed with Batman: The World (it felt like a Whitman sampler that's mostly coconut), so a version with The Joker, a character I care for less than Batman, doesn't appeal to me. If your taste differs (and if you like coconut, then it does), there's a "Batman Day" special edition (see above) to sample.
MULTIVERSUS: COLLISION DETECTION #1 (OF 6, $4.99) Is based on a video game, which mixes DC superheroes with various cartoon characters (Bugs Bunny, Adventure Time's Finn, Tom & Jerry, etc.)
SUPERMAN: THE TRIANGLE ERA OMNIBUS VOL 1 HC: Here you go, those of you who wanted '90s Superman reprints! This takes you from November 1990 to January 1992 on all Superman titles of the time (Superman #49-63, Adventures of Superman #472-486, Superman: Man of Steel #1-8 and Action Comics #659-673), plus Starman #28. Jeff has already started a conversation.
IMAGE COMICS
THE MOON IS FOLLOWING US #1 (OF 10, $3.99): This is a tough one to describe, since we don't really learn what's going in the first issue -- well, not entirely, anyway, and not until the end.
But Sam (presumably Samantha) and Duncan are in a world not their own battling something called The Cascade. They're clearly the bad guys, because they look really evil with nasty teeth and sometimes multiple heads and limbs and enough black clothing to make the Gestapo jealous. Sam and Duncan are trying to rescue Penny (their daughter, we learn) from what amounts to an evil castle, and they're wearing protective gear that looks like it was cobbled together from whatever was stored in the basement. They've got strange allies, they're on a clock and Penny's in dreadful danger. It's all sort of ad hoc D&D ....
... but it's more like virtual reality, as the duo wake up in their beds, amid a bunch of wires and tubes and techno-stuff which projects them into (we learn) Penny's dreams. She's been sleeping for six months, and this is what they must do to wake her up.
OK! Great premise, lots of action, very inventive, clear stakes (by the end). And they're just regular parents, who aren't really great at this: Sam's reckless and Duncan's squeamish. That's pretty relatable, and rachets up the tension. Oh, and I like Riley Rossmo's art, which is scratchy Euro-ish. So let's go, issue #2, when I can start an issue understanding what's going on from the beginning! Here are the creator quotes:
“Not only is Riley an amazing person, but his linemaking and design sensibilities are some of the best I’ve ever seen. He is the perfect co-creator and artist to tackle such a huge and expansive world that we’ve made in The Moon is Following Us," writer Daniel Warren Johnson said. "Riley takes my scripts farther than I could have ever imagined, building on top of something I wrote and expanding it into something more wonderful, creepy, and wild than I could have ever done on my own. This book is very personal; it comes from a deep place inside both of us and we are so happy to share it with our fantastic readers."
Rossmo added: “The Moon is Following Us is as collaborative as you can get creating comics. It’s been amazing working with another artist on a book. Being able to send character designs and layouts back and forth has led to some great pages and covers. If I’m stuck on a composition, I can call DWJ and he’ll send me a 30-second doodle to give me an idea to get past it. Plus, Mike’s colors and Shawn’s lettering is as good as it gets. I’m very grateful to be working with such wonderful people on such a fun book.”
TIN CAN SOCIETY #1 (OF 9, $4.99) is by writer Rick Remender (Napalm Lullaby, Deadly Class, LOW) and showrunner/writer Peter Warren (The Auteur, The Incal, Kill Me).
I don't think I can summarize better than the solicitation, so here it is:
"In The Tin Can Society, Johnny Moore is a world-famous tech mogul known as much for his work pioneering mobility aids for people with disabilities (like himself) as he is for moonlighting as the metal-suited vigilante, Caliburn. But when Johnny is found murdered and his suit stolen, his estranged childhood best friends reunite to solve the mystery of his murder. The Tin Can Society is a heartfelt and human look at the evolution of friendships across a lifetime, at disability and ableism, and the destructive power of fame. The book is a superhero story as if it was told through the lens of Stephen King. Not the horror version of King but more the Stand by Me version. It’s a story about a bunch of kids who grew up together and one of them became a superhero. Our book opens up with his death and the rest of them trying to figure out who did it."
Got it? They mention the title comes from what the five friends called themselves while growing up, and there's a specific tin can in question. (It might also reference Johnny's leg braces. It's hardly surprising he grows up to make, essentially, an Iron Man suit.) Also, we learn that Caliburn's four friends grow up to be a photographer (our narrator, and the only female), a high school teacher, a cop and Caliburn's sidekick/teammate. There's also Johnny's mysterious celebrity girlfriend as a suspect.
I'm droning on a bit here, because I really enjoyed this. The mystery is intriguing, Remender is an accomplished storyteller, the subtext of how we treat the disabled is important, the fame bit (and estrangement) is still to be enjoyed in the future, and the art is terrific. I can't wait for issue #2. Recommended.
Here are the creator quotes:
“This is a story idea I’d had rattling around for a number of years, but it wasn’t until chatting it up with the amazing mind of Peter Warren that the project took shape, and it was immediately clear he was the man to write it,” Remender said. “This is the sort of story that demands nuanced characters and heart above all else, two things Peter excels at. Developing it with him has been an absolute joy. He’s taken this tale in wildly innovative directions, all informed by his deep love of comics, and we couldn’t be prouder of the result. Giant Generator has a reputation for only working with the best artists and that continues here. The union of artist Francesco Mobili and colorist Chris Chuckry forms into one of the best-looking art Voltrons to ever grace sequential art. These guys are an absolute apocalypse of artistic greatness, and every page is a wonder to behold.”
Warren added: “I am beyond grateful to Giant Generator and Image for supporting this story about power, friendship and disability. Through the lens of one brilliant, disabled young man and the revolutionary suit he engineers to move more freely throughout the world, The Tin Can Society is a heartbreaking, tragic, and deeply human exploration of how a group of best friends handle shifting dynamics as they come of age. With stunning art by Francesco Mobili, and Chris Chuckry’s elegant color, The Tin Can Society is a page-turning murder mystery about childhood friendships tested by ableism, celebrity, wealth and jealousy.”
Here's a preview:
Elsewhere at Image:
CRAVE TP (MR, $16.99): I might have mentioned somewhere else that this is one of the naughtiest mainstream books I've ever read. But the sex isn't gratuitous, as it is thematically important. And the theme is: Be careful what you wish for. Also: Internet? Bad. (But we knew that.) It's by writer/artist Maria Llovet (Faithless, Sandman Universe: Thessaly) and I was so impressed that now I'm picking up anything she does. Imagine! A writer who unashamedly includes sex as a facet of people's lives!
DESTRO #4 (OF 5, $3.99)
Here's a preview:
GI JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #310 ($3.99)
Here's a preview:
ICE CREAM MAN #41 (MR, $3.99): Did you know this series has been optioned for a movie by the Smallville guys? Speaking of which, here's a movie homage:
POWER FANTASY #2 (MR, $3.99)
Here's a preview:
ULTRAMEGA BY JAMES HARREN #5 (MR, $7.99): This is the second story arc for this series. I haven't read the first four issues, but I get the impression that it's sort of a giant robots vs. kaiju scenario where the death and destruction isn't sanitized, and the stakes are real. This issue is a 72-page extravaganza by writer/artist James Harren (BPRD, Rumble), and I'll try to catch up by next issue and tell you more.
“James is one of the most talented comic book creators working today, and with ULTRAMEGA Arc 2, he’s topped himself” said Sean Mackiewicz, SVP, Publisher, Skybound. “The second arc features fights even more colossal than the first, horror more cosmic than you can even comprehend, and a hero’s journey warped by shattered bones and hundreds of gallons of spilled blood. It’s the BEST.”
Here's a preview:
WITCHBLADE #3 has an homage cover to Uncanny X-Men #251, and it's totally legit, because Marc Silvestri drew both of them! Note that Witchblade is crucified on a "W," as opposed to an "X" for Wolverine. (Same skulls, one imagines. Those are hard to come by.) Image also released a (late) trailer for issue #1.
DARK HORSE
MASKED MACHER #1 (OF 4, MR, $4.99): I always joke about comics for wrestling fans, but here's one for real.
The story is set in early 1930s Hollywood, where an overconfident (and overweight) thespian named Tony Hollywood imagines himself on the cusp of superstardom at Warner Bros., in the form of a prospective starring role in Two Against the World. It's a real movie, and if you've seen it, then (spoiler) you know Tony doesn't get the role. (Bogey does.) But why he doesn't get the role is part of the plot, leading him to take the role of the Masked Macher, a lucha libre for a struggling wrestling outfit. The story is narrated by the unseen Benny, who is to be the Masked Macher's opponent, which is all part of a hilarious cliffhanger ending.
I love stories set in the 1930s and 1940s (if I ever go back in time, look for me there). And while I have zero interest in wrestling, I learned some things despite myself. And enjoyed myself immensely. I recommend this for the wrestling fans on the board, and for the non-wrestling fans on the board. It's very entertaining.
A word of caution: The art isn't really very good. But it isn't good in the sense of no rendering -- it's just plain and workmanlike. But it's very clear what's happening, which is the important part.
Here's the creator quote:
“The Masked Macher is trying to do a lot,” says writer David Goodman. “First, it’s a comedic portrayal of how people make their way in show business. 'Macher' if you don’t know, is Yiddish for 'big shot,' which is all Tony wants to be. But the story is also about nostalgia, how we can look back and long for a time that really wasn’t all that pleasant. And on top of all that, we’re trying to make the whole thing funny and exciting.”
Here's a preview:
IDW PUBLISHING
BENEATH THE TREES WHERE NOBODY SEES TP (MR, $17.99): I really wanted to review this. It sounds interesting. But, as usual, there wasn't enough time.
TMNT: MUTANT NATION #1 ($5.99): New ongoing series for you shellheads.
MORE COMICS
A CHILD IN PALESTINE GN (Verso, MR, $19.95) is by writer/artist Naji Al-Ali, who grew up in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in the south Lebanese city of Sidon, and became a newspaper cartoonist. His lead character, Handala, is fictional, but through her he "criticized the brutality of Israeli occupation, the venality and corruption of the regimes in the region, and the suffering of the Palestinian people." Here are some EXAMPLES of his work.
BABS #2 (OF 6, Ahoy Comics, MR, $3.99): I really enjoyed issue #1. Of course I did: The repetitive, cliche-ridden sword & sorcery genre practically parodies itself, and a relief to finally get to laugh at it. But it's Ahoy Comics, so it's done especially well. Recommended.
BODY TRADE #1 (OF 5, Mad Cave, $4.99): An ex-con searches for the body-part trader who stole his son's corpse for parts. The sitch gang agley. The artist is mononamed Jok, which makes me wonder if the artist mononamed Jock knows about this. Anyway, the book is described as neo-noir, and you can decide for yourself below:
CALAGUERRA #1 (OF 3, Blood Moon, MR, $5.99): The title translates literally to "Creek War." The story features three Mexicans of unspecified genders or background, with unspecified super-powers, joining forces to stop a mutual threat, which is also unspecified. I couldn't find a preview, either, so they're really just throwing this out there and hoping, I guess.
DAY ONE DICTATOR: MORE DOONESBURY IN THE TIME OF TRUMPISM (Andrew McMeel, $19.99): Comic-strip collectors alert!
DEATHSLINGER VOL. 1 (OF 2) GN (Cosmic Lion Productions, $20.00): A cyborg assassin kills her old masters and retires to a moon where she's caught in a gang war and plays assassin while trying to become a better person. That doesn't hit me where I'm interested, but I haven't read it, so the execution (ha!) may save it. Here's a preview:
DISCIPLES OF THE SOUL GN (Avery Hill, $12.95): This one was hard to research, given Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul. Still, I persisted.
The story is about a government entity planning a railroad line through an area that provokes pushback from wizards worried about the area's magic, naturalists worried the environment and a religious cult that's worried about their god, a giant snake sleeping underground. The railroad goes through, and everyone's fears prove justified. That sounds interesting (especially the giant snake), but the meta-commentary on the damage we're doing to our environment is a plus. On the negative side, I didn't much care for the ink-and-wash artwork, which seems on the not-ready-for-prime-time end of the scale. Major Spoilers has a PREVIEW so you can judge for yourself.
DYING INSIDE TP (Vault, $19.99): A 16-year-old girl tries to commit suicide, but the blade she uses happens to be enchanted, and gives her immortality instead. Hoping to un-do the spell, she searches for the previous owner, also a 16-year-old girl, and the pair team up to give the first girl the death she wanted. I haven't read it, but I'll bet a nickel the two fall in love, which gives the girl the reason to live she'd been lacking. Here's hoping they surprise me.
Also, there's tons of merchandise.
EC: EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #3 (OF 12, Oni Press, MR, $4.99): I've whinged in Jeff's threads about the new EC books that they don't quite measure up to the standards set by that legendary publisher. But Iet's not let the the perfect stand in the way of the good. I'm reading them, because they are good. (Just not, you know, Wally Wood, Al Williamson and Jack Kamen good.) And if you want to find out for yourself, Diamond has accidentally (I assume) posted this entire issue as a PREVIEW. Better hurry -- if they realize their mistake they'll pull it down.
EC ARCHIVES: JACK DAVIS -- FOUL PLAY & OTHER STORIES HC (Fantagraphics, $35.00): Original EC Comics alert!
EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF HENRY MANCINI OFFICIAL GN (Fantoons, $29.99): Geez. Does anyone under the age of 60 even remember Henry Mancini? And, of those who remember and care about Henry Mancini, how many read comic books? I can't imagine a target market for this book large enough to justify it.
FANTAGRAPHICS UNDERGROUND: THE EMPTY LOT TP (Fantagraphics, $50.00): "The Empty Lot is a surreal and fascinating journey through the brain of Mia Wolff that begins with a dream that spills into the author's favorite empty lot, which serves as the portal to a demon cavorting in a flood of blood. " Basically it's a series of paintings that tell a story, with a premise so odd it feels like it should be published by Silver Sprocket. Here's a PREVIEW.
FAREWELL SONG OF MARCEL LABRUME HC (Fantagraphics, $24.99): The first in Fantagraphics' planned library of Italian artist Attilio Micheluzzi's work, this entry is a World War II adventure that takes place entirely in the Levant. Yes, they fought there, too! Strangely, I could find no preview.
GRAVEYARD CLUB #1 (Boom, $9.99) is an adaptation of an R.L. Stine book. After Goosebumps, I assumed he was more or less what they call him, "the Stephen King of children's literature." But this FIRST LOOK looks pretty serious. I like the art, too.
HUGE DETECTIVE #2 (OF 5, Titan, MR, $3.99): The first issue was a lot of world-building. I hope this one has more of a story hook.
JIM HENSON'S LABYRINTH #1 (OF 8, Boom, $4.99), not to be confused with Pan's Labyrinth, which is a better movie. But that doesn't make the one with David Bowie a bad movie. And if you like it, here's what Boom is calling the first graphics adaptation. If you're undecided, here's a lovely FIRST LOOK.
LILITH #1 (Vault, MR, $4.99): Lilith comes from another dimension that looks suspiciously like Hell, but can't get back. So she poses as a supermodel while secretly preying on humans. Then she meets an attractive female bookstore owner who claims to have a book that shows the way back to Lilith's dimension, and I'll bet another nickel that they'll fall in love and Lilith won't want to leave. Hopefully there's more to this than the now-standard Surprise Lesbian Reveal -- after all, she does eat people, so that's something to look forward to.
MARK SPEARS' MONSTERS #1 (Keenspot, $5.99) is based on a trading-card series, but I'm not going to hold that against them. Not with Universal Monsters in play, and these nice covers. That first cover reminds me of some team book cover, and is very likely an homage, but I can't place it.
Amazingly, one of these covers is an homage to Incredible Hulk #340:
And another is an homage to Infinity Gauntlet #1 (1991):
MYTH OF MAKING GN (Beehive Books, $34.95): A book about creating art. "In stories about renowned creators like Georgia O’Keeffe, Francis Bacon, Wu Daozi, August Rodin, and Jean Michele Basquiat, MYTHS OF MAKING walks us through a whole global history of art -- mapping out the connections of culture, capital, and coincidence that co-create each work of art, along with the historical tragedies and absurdities that have combined to form this much-mythologized figure of The Artist." It sounds educational, but if handled right, it might be fun.
POWERPUFF GIRLS #3 (Dynamite, $4.99): Have the Powerpuff Girls always fought kaiju, or is this new?
RESURGENCE #1 (OF 4, Valiant, MR, $4.99): I'm going to try to pick this up at my LCS. Unfortunately, I didn't think to ask them to order a copy three months ago, and I don't know if they even get any Valiant shelf copies. But I enjoyed the first iteration of Valiant very much (or so my failing memory suggests), so I'd like to get in on the ground floor of this iteration. Just to know, you know?
This cover might be an homage to The X-Men #111 (1978). There's another cover nibbling at the back of my brain, but I can't put my finger on it. Arcade? Magneto? Hrm.
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN THE ORIGINAL SERIES OMNIBUS VOL 1 GN (Titan, MR, $150.00): Oh, for it to be 1974 again. I can read the books and remember, but I can't turn the clock back to when I had all my hair.
VALIANT UNIVERSE: HERO ORIGINS -- UNITY TP (Valiant, $24.99): I prefer HCs, but maybe.
WALT DISNEY'S DONALD AND MICKEY IN METROPOLIS AND FAUST HC (Fantagraphics, $29.99): More modern mice and ducks. I like the PREVIEW, but I'm holding the Disney line at Barks.
WHEN TO PICK A POMEGRANATE GN (Silver Sprocket, MR, $14.99): "In this collection of contemplative and cathartic short comics, the pomegranate Anar and the woman Guli exist as reflections of each other — repellent to one another and yet inexorably drawn together once more. As they evolve through each story, proceeding through the stages of the plant life cycle, they take on new roles: muse and artist, gardener and seed, lover and fruit. The iterations reveal new revelations, exploring the themes of shame, grief, destiny and survival at each turn." Honest, sometimes I find SIlver Sprocket books a little baffling. Here's a PREVIEW.
ZITS TREASURY: CURRENT MOOD TP (Andrews McMeel, $19.99): Comic-strip collectors' alert!
Replies
TBH I have never liked Dazzler.
I thought #38-42 (by Archie Goodwin and then-newcomer Paul Chadwick) were worth reading.
Alison Blaire -- not much better, as her surname is a homonym of "blare"
Would you believe that never occurred to me?
And 21-year-old me resented that they wasted a whole issue of Claremont-Byrne Uncanny X-Men introducing her.
I was 16 when Dazzler #1 hit the stands but I avoided it like poison. I was 21, however, when I started to read Dazzler, the aforementioned #38. (I don't recall how old I was when I read X-Men #130, but it would have been as a backissue.) I thought it was pretty good, though, and here's where I made my mistake: in short order I had snatched up all the backissues. Very rarely over the years have I purged comics from my collection, and I almost always have come to regret it. Dazzler is a series I purged pretty early on yet have never come to regret it. And today I own MMW versions of it. What is wrong with me?
I wouldn't read this title with a gun to my head.
Not even a light-shooting finger gun? Pew! Pew!
I could swear that I've seen Cover B's layout somewhere before
It looks kind of familiar to me, too, but if it doesn't come to me immediately I've vowed not lose sleep over it.
It's been 50 years since Astonishing Tales #25? ALREADY?
It seems I've mentioned this recently, but when superman made the cover of Time magazine for his 50th in 1988 I thought it was a pretty big deal. But now, with characters such as Deathlok regularly hitting that milestone, my reaction is more "eh." Again, Deathlok is a character I became interested in retroactively. After DeMatteis and Zeck wrapped up his story in Captain America, that's when I started buying backissues.
Also, that first cover looks awfully familiar to me but I can't quite place it.
SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE #1: "...with a shocking ending you won't see coming."
Truer words were never spoken.
INCREDIBLE HULK #17: Beginning the countdown to Incredible Hulk #900! Which will be, ah, soon? I guess?
"Which will be"... whenever they say it is. (Actually, #19 will be number "800.")
I know I've asked this before, Legionnaires, but I need an answer! Has anyone read the Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and Wesley Dodds solo miniseries? Are they good? Do I need to read them?
I read the first issue of each and didn't feel the need to buy a second of any of them. The Green Lantern one in particular was so anachronistic it nearly made me sick.
WITCHBLADE #3 has an homage cover to Uncanny X-Men #251
See also Savage Sword of Conan #5 (and many, many others).
DAY ONE DICTATOR: MORE DOONESBURY IN THE TIME OF TRUMPISM
I pre-ordered this one. With Gary Trudeau doing only Sundays now, collections are fewer and further between.
EC ARCHIVES: JACK DAVIS -- FOUL PLAY & OTHER STORIES HC
Originally solicited for July 3, but better late than never.
There's another cover nibbling at the back of my brain, but I can't put my finger on it. Arcade? Magneto?
Joker? Something by Neal Adams?
Has anyone read the Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and Wesley Dodds solo miniseries?
Here is what I posted about them last year...
ALAN SCOTT: GREEN LANTERN #1: This book was so anachronistic I honestly was barely able to finish reading it. The main story takes place in 1936, with a framing sequence set in 1941. Right off the bat, a newspaper article refers to the movie King Kong as a "talkie" which, okay it might have been called that eight years earlier so I'll let that one pass, but the writer tries too hard to achieve "authentic" 1940s style patter. For example: "'I seen the light (sic)!' exclaimed the young doll with the drop-dead drumsticks when none other than the Green Lantern himself arrived for the rescue. And rescue he did! But it this the young butter-and-egg fly that can tame the heart of the city's most elligible and visible bachelor? Dames all over the tristate are bound to be green with envy if Miss White has her way. Though, sources say, it's more likely that she's just another of the hundreds of dishes who've tried and failed to get the Lantern to shine his light in thier direction." I get that this is supposed to be ironic in light of Green Lantern's sexual orientation, but that paragraph appeared in a newspaper under the headline "'I('ve) seen the light!' Rescued Dame Swoons."
Next, in a flashback to the year 1936, Green Lantern and his lover take a selfie (!) with a Brownie camera in the mirror of a hotel room in 1936 (!). People did not take selfies in mirrors in 1936, most especially not gay men in hotel rooms! (For one thing, the flash would ruin the exposure.) Alan and his lover are way too open about their sex life for 1936. Alan's friend is no longer called "Doiby" but rather "Derby" (which is all the more confusing since he no longer wears a derby hat). the phrase "Light it up" is also used (in the same sense Captain comics pointed out earlier this week in a recet Sgt. Rock comic). Also, the "I've got you! / Who's got you?" bit from Superman: The Movie is lifted verbatim.
JAY GARRICK: THE FLASH #1: The DC Universe has recently rebooted itself... again. I've been through four or five of these reboots myself (some official, some not), and I just don't have it in me to start over from scratch yet again. The story itself it okay. The artist has good laoyouts and employs decent panel-to-panel continuity, but his overall style doesn't appeal to me. I bought this one strictly out of curiosity and don't intend to follow the series. As I said last week about the first issue of Wesley Dodds: The Sandman: "This is not my Flash, but it could well be someone's." Despite my lukewarm comments, I nevertheless award this issue my "Pick of the Week" status.
WESLEY DODDS, THE SANDMAN #1: In this version, Wesley Dodds offers his somnambulant gas to the military in his report "Mass Application of Sedative Gas to Execute Humane Warfare." It's completely impractical, of course, and is turned down. The layouts are inovative and unique, and the art itself reminds me a bit of Todd Nauck's early work. This is not my Sandman, but it could well be someone's. It's good stuff. My "Pick of the Week."
I read the first issue of each and didn't feel the need to buy a second of any of them.
Apparently I liked two of them more than I recalled. Still, I didn't buy more than one issue of any of them. Also, I feel constrained to point out that my "Picks of the Week" are relative.
If I may, my DAZZLER #1 (Ma'81) story: In case you don't remember, #1 came out in comic shops only with it being on newsstands with #2. Thus 15 year-old me went to Flushing, Queens after school (taking a different route home) to go to a rather seedy book store (comics in the cramped basement, used book upstairs and *ahem* adult booths in the back). It was a cold, slushy December day and it was crowded! For Dazzler #1! And there were a LOT of much older guys waiting!
Apparently, the first shipment sold out instantly and they got a second shipment the same day but were charging $1 instead of the usual 50 cents! This was my first personal experience with price gouging and shady LCS dealers! It was not an easy trip that wintery day so I did pay twice the cover value! A friend of mine told me that a week later they were charging $2 for it and $5 the next month, so I guess I did luck out!
The funny thing is that I liked Dazzler especially its first 24 issues but I think Marvel lost interest in her a lot sooner!
That Dazzler cover looks familiar to me as well...hmm...
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #50 - I was about to drop this series, but whem I saw this was the last issue, I figured I could stick it out.
I know I've asked this before, Legionnaires, but I need an answer! Has anyone read the Jay Garrick, Alan Scott and Wesley Dodds solo miniseries?
Like Jeff, I read the first issue of all three. Also, like Jeff, I absolutely hated Green Lantern. The other 2 I stuck with, and I enjoyed them. I thought Sandman was a little bit better than The Flash.
ULTRAMEGA BY JAMES HARREN #5 - I read the first four issues, and I remember liking it. But hell its been over 3 years, so after I saw this issue in Previews I decided to pass.
EC: EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #3 - I just read the first 2 issues today, I liked them quite a bit. I didn't even order them, my LCS just pulled them for me, thinking I would like 'em, so I gave the series a shot.
HUGE DETECTIVE #2 - The first issue is literally the next to be read in my pile.
I just read the first 2 issues today...
Post your thoughts on the dedicated thread!
Cover A of "Monsters #1" looks like a homage to "The Boys #1" to me.
I'm wondering if that Dazzler cover might not be from a comic book at all, but rather a Coca-Cola ad or a well-known piece of "good girl" art.
I thought #38-42 (by Archie Goodwin and then-newcomer Paul Chadwick) were worth reading.
Almost anything written by Archie Goodwin is worth reading.
What is wrong with me?
Evidently, the same thing that’s wrong with me!
It looks kind of familiar to me, too, but if it doesn't come to me immediately I've vowed not lose sleep over it.
I did a cursory look through Archie, Betty & Veronica and Sabrina covers. No luck. It’s going to turn out to be a Doris Day movie poster or Gidget ad or something. Or, impossible to find, an internal pin-up. But I know I’ve seen that layout before.
Again, Deathlok is a character I became interested in retroactively. After DeMatteis and Zeck wrapped up his story in Captain America, that's when I started buying backissues.
Deathlok, Dazzler … you come in at the end when they’ve finally fiound a handle on the character, and then go and read all the drek that preceded it. I read the drek, then got to the good stuff, and then it got canceled. I don’t know which of us had a worse experience.
Also, that first cover looks awfully familiar to me but I can't quite place it.
It’s covers like this, that seem sorta generic and could come from anywhere, that I don’t lose any sleep over.
I read the first issue of each and didn't feel the need to buy a second of any of them. The Green Lantern one in particular was so anachronistic it nearly made me sick.
I can’t stand anachronisms in period pieces, either (unless it’s for comedic purposes, like in The Great). Joan and I just finished watching Masters of the Air, and would comment every time one of these World War II characters would drop a modern turn of phrase. It wasn’t terrible, but it was more often than I’d like. Do some research, TV writers; every slang phrase we use today those guys had an equivalent for. Use the equivalent. Otherwise you look sloppy and lose verisimilitude.
Anyway, the consensus is that I don’t need to get Jay Garrick: The Flash, Alan Scott: Green Lantern and Wesley Dodds: Sandman. That’s fine. I’m about to pull the trigger on Geoff Johns’ run on JSA (three omnibuses), because it’s probably the best run the Justice Society has ever had and it belongs on the shelf next to my Golden Age Archives. (I have, of course, bought and read the floppies.)
My "core team" for the JSA is Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Hawkman and Doctor Fate. Johns used Wildcat instead of Wonder Woman, probably because her continuity was too snarled to use at the time. Anyway, those six have mitigating age factors, and therefore an excuse to still be active in the present day.
Although they did kill off Kent Nelson. Doesn’t matter; it’s Nabu who matters. He preceded Nelson, and has lived on without him. The idea of an Egyptian-American being Fate is an idea whose time has come. And I don't mind other "punchy" typses subbing for Wildcat or Hawkman, like Hourman II.
There's another cover nibbling at the back of my brain, but I can't put my finger on it. Arcade? Magneto?
Joker? Something by Neal Adams?
That made me think of the one where Joker compares himself (visually) to a shark. But I looked it up and that wasn’t it. Curses.
They should just own that she's the Disco Dazzler, obsessed with the music of her grandparents' day. On a related note, Marvel needs to create a new version of the Turner D Century character, only this one is obsessed with the popular culture of the early 2000s.
That would actually be interesting, as compared to the original characters.
The funny thing is that I liked Dazzler especially its first 24 issues but I think Marvel lost interest in her a lot sooner!
She had no in-house parent – she was a corporate creatinon. Nobody had any stake in her, and she never guest-starred anywhere else.
EC: EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #3 - I just read the first 2 issues today, I liked them quite a bit. I didn't even order them, my LCS just pulled them for me, thinking I would like 'em, so I gave the series a shot.
That was thoughtful! I've added them to my pull list.
HUGE DETECTIVE #2 - The first issue is literally the next to be read in my pile.
Let us know what you think.
Cover A of "Monsters #1" looks like a homage to "The Boys #1" to me.
By George, I think you've got it! THAT'S IT!
I'm wondering if that Dazzler cover might not be from a comic book at all, but rather a Coca-Cola ad or a well-known piece of "good girl" art.
I Googled Coca-Cola ads, Vargas, Norman Rockwell, Life magazine covers and World War II pin-ups. We are definitely getting closer.
Here are some stock images to compare with Dazzler #1:
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