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MARVEL COMICS
STORM #1 ($4.99): She's got a new team (Avengers), a new HQ ("Storm Sanctuary" in Atlanta) and a new costume (very similar to her original). From the many press releases I got, it seems Marvel is doubling down on Ororo Munroe as an A-lister.
"As a fan of Storm, her duties to the X-Men, and what she stands for in various real-world communities, I would like to assure the audience that Storm is in danger," writer Murewa Ayodele said. "Extremely so. We love Ororo Munroe, and that is why we have crafted a thrilling story that will put the strength of her character on wide-open display. But when you’re an Omega-level mutant, few things can test your limits, and even fewer things can shatter those limits. For our STORM series, one thing we would like fans to remember is that there are threats that are beyond Omega. Prepare yourselves for an extraordinary display of superheroism that leaves knuckles bloody, knees bashed in, and mountains cratered. We are building towards gargantuan conflicts that will shake the universe from Planet Earth to the Dimension of Manifestations. We are crafting stories filled to the brim with humanity, love, mystery, adventure, heartbreak, and ALL-OUT ACTION."
Storm will get a second new outfit in her second issue, a variation on her white one (see left).
"Fashion is always one of the many tools that I reach for when looking for inspiration," artist Lucas Werneck said. "You can tell so much about a character through their clothes, and this kind of visual narrative is something that I love. Now you can imagine how excited I was when Marvel gave me the opportunity and space to work with the fashion of such an iconic character like Ororo."
My one complaint is the inevitable result of Storm joining the Avengers and being positioned as an omega-level powerhouse: Thor got booted. I recognize the realities here, so I saw it coming (I said as much when Marvel's September solicitations were released). But in a practical sense, I'd rather have an immortal, bulletproof, Norse storm deity with a magic hammer on my side in a fight, instead of Lightning Lass. Plus, I've been a Thor fan a lot longer than I've been a Storm fan. But it's the 21st century, so I know which lightning-wielder is going to be on the team, and I accept it.
Besides, it could result in some stories I haven't seen, given that I've felt since 1963 that "whoever's got Thor wins the fight." Storm isn't quite as unstoppable as a Viking warrior god, so there may be moments of genuine drama.
GHOST RIDER: ROBBIE REYES SPECIAL #1 ($4.99) is part of Hispanic & Latin American Heritage Month, it says here. This special is an anthology with three stories, the third one starring Fantasma (that's her on cover C), the first story about a new Ghost Rider created for last year’s "New Champions" variant cover program. There's no report so far of Fletcher Hanks rolling in his grave, but our correspondents are standing by.
STAR WARS: BATTLE OF JAKKU — INSURGENCY RISING #1 (OF 4, $4.99): Last month saw the final issues of Star Wars and Star Wars: Darth Vader, both set after The Empire Strikes Back. This month sees the launch of titles set after Return of the Jedi. First up is a trio of miniseries exploring the Battle of Jakku, the Empire's last stand (which was referenced in The Force Awakens). All three miniseries will be written by Alex Segura (Star Wars: Poe Dameron — Free Fall, Edge of Spider-Verse).
"It's an unbelievable honor to be able to tell this lost story of Star Wars history, alongside so many amazing artists, in the pages of the three BATTLE OF JAKKU limited series,” Segura said. “Our story will be epic in scope -- involving all the major characters you love, plus some new, exciting additions to the mythos. We'll not only give readers a front-row seat to the final battle of the Galactic Civil War -- we'll reframe the aftermath of the Battle of Endor and introduce a new, menacing threat that will keep our heroes guessing. The goal for all of us is to turn up the volume and make sure this adventure stands shoulder to shoulder with the other stories of the era. As the Empire collapses, a new darkness arises!"
Halloween Trick-or-Read
It's up to individual comic shops what they'll charge for these, if anything. Also, the three books set in the MU will have a bonus Fantastic Four backup story. Written by regular Fantastic Four scribe Ryan North and drawn by Alan Davis, "Fantastic Four: Yesterday" will revisit the team's early days.
- FANTASTIC FOUR HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-READ 2024
- SPIDER-BOY HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-READ 2024
- SPIDEY AND FRIENDS HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-READ 2024
- STAR WARS: KYLO HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-READ 2024
- VENOM HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-READ 2024
Facsimile Editions
- MSH SECRET WARS #10 FACSIMILE EDITION ($4.99)
- UNCANNY X-MEN #244 FACSIMILE EDITION ($4.99, first appearance of Jubilee)
Elsewhere at Marvel
DEADPOOL #7: Wade is dead, so daughter Ellie is taking over as Deadpool. They sent me a press release and everything.
GODZILLA: ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS HC ($100.00): Collects Godzilla #1-24, which I already have as individual issues and as a B&W collection. Why do I want these stories again in a new format? Why? Why? I don't even like Herb Trimpe's art!
DC COMICS
"Absolute Power" Week 14
ABSOLUTE POWER #4 (OF 4, $4.99): This is it! The grand finale of the whole shootin' match! How many evil multiversal versions of the Justice League will Waller call in to save her vicious scheme? And how can our beleagured heroes begin to stop them?
"All In" launch issues
DC ALL IN SPECIAL #1 (ONE-SHOT, $4.99) is a flip book, with an "All In" story coming from one direction, and an "Absolute" story coming from the other. In "All In," Darkseid comes calling. On the other side, we meet the Absolute trinity for the first time. Needless to say, this all leads into the bifurcated All In/Absolute hoo-hah DC's been crowing about forever.
BATMAN #153, BIRDS OF PREY #14, POISON IVY #26 and SHAZAM #16 all feature new storylines and/or new creative teams, and are considered "All In" launch issues. How do I know that? Because all four of them have at least one cover with the new "All In" trade dress. Tellingly, DC is charging more for the issues with these covers, although one assumes the interiors aren't any different. Did someone say "marketing scheme"? (It was Jeff.)
Elsewhere at DC:
DC HORROR PRESENTS CREATURE COMMANDOS #1 (OF 6): David Dastmalchian, who is both an actor (Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad) and a comic book writer (Count Crowley) writes an updated version of Creature Commandos, a concept that goes back 44 years to Weird War Tales #93 (1980). By sheer coincidence, this concept will also be the first show out of the gate from James Gunn's all-new, all-different DCEU.
DC'S I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST CRISIS #1 (ONE-SHOT, $9.99): And not just one crisis! This horror anthology has stories set in Flashpoint, Blackest Night, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Millennium, Zero Hour, The Final Night and Final Crisis.
IMAGE COMICS
HYDE STREET #1 ($3.99): Here's another release from Geoff Johns' imprint at Image, Ghost Machine, joining Geiger, Redcoat and Rook: Exodus. Johns (Geiger, Rook: Exodus) is writing this one too, which is illustrated by Ivan Reis (Blackest Night, Aquaman).
The premise is a sort-of evil Twilight Zone. Here's the intro: "There is a street, just around the corner, both familiar and unknown. A street branching off every small-town square and cutting through every big city avenue. It is a place where the wicked and cruel are drawn, to the crossroads of morality and madness. with the inevitable destination of not merely death ... but something much worse. This is the street of men and monsters. It is a place we call ... Hyde Street." You can almost hear Rod Serling saying it.
So if you're a person with a bad secret, you might turn a corner and find yourself there. There are permanent residents on Hyde Street, who want you to die before you ask forgiveness, in which case you "slip through their fingers." We meet two of them, an evil child in a Boy Scout uniform named Pranky, and Mr. X-Ray (Frederick Xavier Ray), who (we are told) invented those mail-order ripoffs in '60s comic book ads like X-Ray Spex and Amazing Live Sea Monkeys. When they "deliver" someone, they get a point from someone called The Scorekeeper, who appears to run the place but has no backstory that anyone knows. God? The devil? Mephisto? (Oh, sorry, wrong company.)
Mr. X-Ray wants out. He and Pranky have some sort of feud going. We see a lot of interesting names on a scoreboard, apparently other residents also chalking up victims. Names like Jen Z, Miss Goodbody and Sister Hood, and I assume we will meet some of them.
Is it good? Well, I loved Twilight Zone, and this is certainly in the same ball park. But what really sets this book apart is Ivan Reis. The art is fantastic. No capes, no explosions, no aliens, and yet it all jumps off the page. It's his best work ever, and that's saying a lot.
There's also a 1:100 incentive cover that's an homage to the cover of Blackest Night #1, also by Johns and Reis.
I HATE FAIRYLAND #16 (MR, $3.99) I don't read this, but Image sent a press release announcing a new storyline, so here you go.
DARK HORSE
BLACKING OUT HC ($19.99) is described as "bad people doing bad things in a tale of fire and murder in Southern California." Which is another way of saying it's a crime noir, trying very hard to be the sort of thing that Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips do on the regular.
And, while it doesn't come close to that high standard, it's a very readable and entertaining noir. You might even call it cinematic, and it's probably no accident that the lead character looks very much like Keanu Reeves on the cover. If writer Chip Mosher (Left on Mission) and artist Peter Krause (The Power of Shazam!, Irredeemable) aren't shopping this around in Hollywood, I'd be surprised. That's where the money is, after all.
Our Keanu wannabe (he looks more like an '80s porn star in the interior) is a disgraced ex-cop named Conrad, fired from the police force of a Southern California town for passing out drunk on the job. Yes, he is very much an alcoholic, which is one sign you're in a noir. Other signs include the girl with a heart of gold who tries to save him, the hostile (and largely corrupt) police force, the colorful cast of ancillary characters and, of course, the central mystery. A teen girl was murdered, her body and all clues burned by a fire set by the killer that launched a wildfire currently threatening the town. Our boy's only clue is a missing crucifix. "Find the jewelry, find the killer," he thinks to himself, or words to that effect.
And it's a pretty good read. Conrad's a high-functioning alcoholic, so he does in fact attempt to solve the crime. (Conrad's on the payroll of a famous, but sleazy, defense attorney, who doesn't care how his client gets off, even if it means framing someone else.) There's breaking and entering, finger-snapping interrogations and beat-downs by the cops. Oh, and lots and lots of booze. It's not Brubaker, but it's a solid story.
The art suits me, too. It's not flashy, but the storytelling is clear and there's just enough sketchy grit to make it noir-y without being over-rendered. In fact, those familiar with Sean Phillips might find it under-rendered. But hey, it gets the job done.
GUIDE TO THE ORVILLE DLX ED HC ($99.99), GUIDE TO THE ORVILLE HC ($49.99): I have no interest in The Orville, and I don't mind repeating why: I don't appreciate Seth MacFarlane swiping Star Trek for The Orville any more than I appreciate Rob Lifeld swiping Superman for Supreme, or Roman for Namor, or Deadpool for Deathstroke, or half the X-Men for his team books. The Orville may be better written than Liefeld books, but a swipe is a swipe is a swipe. That fact, lurking in the back of my brain, prevents me from enjoying The Orville in any form.
Also, this book's packaging looks exactly like the Star Trek Manual I bought decades ago.
Not that anybody associated with The Orville admits the, ah, similarity. “This book was created for the fans, who have so enthusiastically supported our show since the very beginning,” said MacFarlane. “We want to invite them into the Orville universe at a new level, one that’s deeper and more personal — and with fascinating insights into the science and technology that could someday make a ship like the Orville possible.”
Of course, your mileage may, and probably does, vary.
THE LONESOME HUNTERS LIBRARY EDITION ($49.99): I wanted to review this one, too, but there are only so many hours in the week. This book collects both The Lonesome Hunters and The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child, plus the usual extras. HERE'S what Legionnaire Mark Sullivan had to say about the first book. And now I want to read it all the more.
THE MIDNIGHT: SHADOWS TP ($19.99): "Join THE MIDNIGHT, one of the world’s top synthwave bands, comprised of Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan, on an electrifying and original sci-fi adventure inspired by the poetic storytelling and the neon-soaked aesthetics of their music."
Yes, it's a graphic novel based on the music of a real band which, presumably, represents the vibe they present in their music. Possibly even the lyrics, although I'm not clear on that, or how much musicians Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan were involved in the writing. (A lot, I imagine.)
But I had no idea what "synthwave" was, so I Googled it. And lo, Wiki responded: "Synthwave (also called outrun, retrowave, or futuresynth) is an electronic music microgenre that is based predominantly on the music associated with action, science fiction, and horror film soundtracks of the 1980s. Other influences are drawn from the decade's art and video games Synthwave musicians often espouse nostalgia for 1980s culture and attempt to capture the era's atmosphere and celebrate it."
Which sounded terrible to me. I was in my 20s in the 1980s, and there's not a lot about that decade's pop culture I found memorable. Who on earth is nostalgic for it? Especially old, clunky video games!
But, alas, that's what this book is about: Old video games. Our protagonist is about to become a parent, but falls into a video game he played but did not finish in his pre-adult-responsibilities youth. To drive the point home about being wistful about irresponsible adolescence, the guy's name in the game is "Lost Boy." If I understand the book correctly, Lost Boy must finish the game, where he has to basically fight himself to come to terms with growing up. (Yes, it's Yoda's test for Luke on Dagobah, including -- spoiler -- a broken helmet scene as a big reveal.)
That brings me pretty close to my gag reflex, as growing up is something we all do, and most of us do it without the immature drama. Buddy, you've got a pregnant wife, so I think it's time to stop mooning about being, what, 5 years younger? 10? "But when I became a man, I put away childish things; now that I am become a man, I have done away with childish things." That may sound hypocritical coming from a lifelong comics collector, but I'm well aware that it's a hobby (one I at times turned into a job) and I don't let it interfere with my adult life. I left the adolescent angst in adolescence, where it belongs. And yes, I enjoy Stranger Things, but I recognize that it's a nostalgia piece for a world that only exists in the sepia hues of memory. I nurture my inner 12-year-old, but I don't let him run my life.
Further alienating me from the story, the visual sensibility is very "1980s video game." It's as if Knightrider and Tron had a baby, who in turn gave birth to an Atari 2600. There's a lot of driving scenes with sci-fi cars (VROOOM!), spaceships and armor with glowy bits and enough neon to make Las Vegas jealous. There was so much bright-dark contrast that my aging eyes begged for the cool release of darkness every other page.
Well, that's enough from me. I clearly didn't enjoy The Midnight: Shadows, but maybe I'm just an old crank. Here's what the creators say:
“The creative MO of The Midnight has always been to 'combine not confine',” said Tyler Lyle of The Midnight. “We noticed early on that creative people in other fields were taking our music and adding video, VR worlds, digital art, photography and the world of The Midnight kept expanding. We were thrilled to be able to work with [writer] Zack [Kaplan] and this amazing creative team to help to add even more flesh on our creative skeleton. What is nostalgia? Does it indicate an escape from 'normal life' or does it provide the wisdom to help us escape INTO it. The graphic novel is a medium that allows a much bigger and more complex story to be told and we couldn't be more excited to watch that story slowly become real.”
“Visuals have always been a huge aspect of the world of The Midnight,” said Tim McEwan of The Midnight. “From the very beginning, our fanbase joined in by creating videos and art that expanded on our music and visual aesthetic. It was natural to take it one step further and create a graphic novel. We've been lucky enough to have an incredible team of artists and creatives, headed by the talented Zack Kaplan, who skillfully helmed this ship from the very start. Partnering up with Dark Horse is a match made in heaven and we feel so blessed to see this creation come to life. Thank you to everyone who participated in making this a reality but thank you first and foremost to our amazing fans, without whom none of this would have been possible.
“Before I got the privilege to write this graphic novel, I was a fan,” Kaplan said. “Intoxicated by the immersive beats and heartfelt lyrics since their very first demo. It was no surprise to me to see them become one of today's best synthwave bands. Their presence is so narrative, that it was dying to be shared in this form. And it’s been a joy to bring it all to comic life, to partner with Dark Horse for such a vivid and mind-bending series, and to create this electrifying world with a powerhouse creative team, Stephen, Jahnoy, Thiago and DC, that will blow your mind with one visually stunning page after the next. Whether you are a listener of the music or you just love a good sci-fi adventure, we cannot wait to take you to that place half in dark and half in light, where arcade dreams are a reality, where heroes battle monsters. Get ready for a truly epic, synth wave adventure.”
"The Midnight has probably been the most challenging and interesting book of my career so far,” said artist Stephen Thompson. “The task of bringing Zack’s layered scripts to life, while simultaneously trying to evoke the flavor and atmosphere of the music of the band has been both a labor of love and a real artistic stretch for me. But the 1980s kid I am at heart felt right at home in this retro futuristic world and with the characters and vehicles which inhabit it. And high praise has to go to Thiago’s colors, which add so much to the aesthetic we’ve created here.”
SATAN’S SWARM TP ($22.99): Writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre) and and Piotr Kowalski (Where Monsters Lie, All Eight Eyes) bring us a 1980s horror movie disguised as a modern graphic novel. And It was fun!
Various people are invited to an island for various phony reasons. But it's a trap! (Cue Admiral Ackbar.) It's an island where a mad scientist with a hidden agenda has been breeding aggressive insects! Oh noes! Run!
That's it! And just like a cheesy TV movie, it's fun if you don't have high expectations. It's running and screaming and nature gone wild and an evil scientist moo-hoo-ha-ha. It was a breath of fresh air after the adolescent, self-important pomposity of The Midnight: Shadows.
MORE COMICS
Zombie Love Studios
Rodney Barnes, who writes Killadelphia and the related Nita Dawes' Nightmare Diary at Image, has started his own company: Zombie Love Studios. The company's first outing was the graphic novel Blacula: Return of the King. If you're not following Killadelphia, you might not know that Blacula appears there, too -- and it's the same Blacula. Because Barnes is creating a "Killadelphia Universe," which apparently does not confine itself to an individual publisher. Barnes has launched two more Killadelphia Universe titles at Zombie Love ... and posted the entirety of the first issues on his substack:
- 20 DEGREES PAST RIGOR #1 (OF 3, Zombie Love Studios, MR, $4.99): Flint, Michigan, suffers a zombie outbreak. Here's the FIRST ISSUE.
- JOHNNY GATLIN #1 (OF 3, Zombie Love Studios, MR, $4.99): A dead gunfighter tries to take over Hell. Here's the FIRST ISSUE.
Zombie Love is also publishing a third title this week, which isn't written by Barnes and doesn't appear to be connected to Killadelphia. At least not yet:
- WEREWOLF FRANKENSTEIN SPECIAL EDITION (ONE-SHOT, $4.99): Frankenstein's monster suffers from lycanthropy and searches for a cure. Here's a PREVIEW.
ALLEY OOP ON MOUNT OLYMPUS TP (Manuscript Press, $27.50): Comic-strip collectors' alert!
ARCHIE’S HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR (ONE-SHOT, $3.99)
Here's a complete story
BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #328 ($9.99)
Here's a complete story
ASSASSIN’S CREED VISIONARIES: POWDER DECIMA #1 (Massive, MR, $4.99): Two stories from the Assassin's Creed mythology (about which I know nothing).
BARBARELLA #1 (Dynamite, $4.99): Sex spoofs always make me feel like I've been conned. You know: "SEX! Now that I've got your attention ..."
I'll give this one credit, though, for attempting to actually say something. Yes, the lead character is sexually available to just about anything (the issue begins with her having sex with a robot), which places the book squarely in "silly male fantasy" territory. But Barbie (can I call her Barbie?) is actually trapped against her will in a live reality show, in which she must survive various lethal assaults on "Planet V." (Planet 5? Planet Violence? Planet Vagina? Planet V for Vendetta? Anything's possible.) This gives writer Blake Northcott a chance to skewer the entire entertainment industry, including a meta-commentary on his own book:
Barbarella: The dialogue on this show doesn't even make sense. Why does anyone watch this?
Robot: [Name of Barbarella-like TV show] is light entertainment, Barbarella. It doesn't have to make sense.
Barbarella: But why does it have to be so violent? Or at the very least, can't they inject some witty repartee between the mindless action sequences?
Since the rest of the book is mindless action sequences with injected repartee, Northcott is having a little fun with his own assignment.
I found myself enjoying Barbarella despite myself. Mainly by taking the advice of the robot, and accepting it as light entertainment. Also, for the record, Barbarella is more Elvira than Playboy -- lots of sexual innuendo, but no nudity. Also, for the record, the cosplay cover girl here is the same as the one on the Red Sonja books.
Band of Bards
Band of Bards formed in 2021, and has occasional bursts of product. This week is one of those bursts.
- BIG GUNS STUPID REDNECKS #1 (OF 3, Band of Bards, $4.99): A retired lawman in the Southeast United States investigates disappearances, which turn out to be alien abductions, and he becomes a victim. The aliens are abducting rednecks, giving them big guns, and having them fight it out in an arena for Roman-style entertainment. Throw in booze, Confederate flags and hookers, and I doubt most rednecks would mind.
- BRO-D CAN’T BE BROKEN (ONE-SHOT, Band of Bards, $9.99): In th eyear 2089, Bro-D and M-Ander are genetically modified teens who are now mostly invulnerable, and must defend Earth from aliens who claim to be Earth's ancient gods.
- IGNIS QUADRANT #1 (OF 3, Band of Bards, $6.99): Bat Lash in space.
- KNIGHT FROM HELL (ONE-SHOT, Band of Bards, MR, $5.99): Ghost Rider meets Backdraft.
BIG NATE: THE NATE FILES SC (Andrews McMeel, $12.99): Comic-strip collectors' alert!
CALVIN AND HOBBES: PORTABLE COMPENDIUM VOL 3 SC ($21.99): Comic-strip collectors' alert!
CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE BATTLE BLACKSTONE #2 (OF 4, Titan, $3.99)
CREEPING BELOW #1 (OF 5, BOOM, MR, $4.99): The Old Norse Gods guide a violated young Norwegian girl on the path of vengeance. Who better?
THE CROW: DEAD TIME #1 (OF 3, Sumerian, $4.99): Reprints the 1996 miniseries, apparently in advance of a Crow revival.
DJUNA: EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF DJUNA BARNES GN (Street Noise Books, MR, $24.99): One of the lesser-known luminaries in the 1920s Paris literary scene.
EC CRUEL UNIVERSE #3 (OF 5, Oni Press, MR, $4.99): EC Comics alert!
EYE LIE POPEYE #2 (OF 5, Massive, $4.99): This yam stil happening, for them what's following it. (/Popeye)
MANGA BIOGRAPHIES: CHARLES SCHULZ — CREATOR OF SNOOPY & PEANUTS GN (UDON, $13.99): Comic-strip collectors' alert! Well, comic-strip adjacent, anyway.
METAL WARRIOR #0 (OF 9): GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER (Z2 Comics, $19.99): I'm not sure what this graphic novel is, whether it's a reprint or a continuation of a previous concept or something entirely new. I dont know what Z2 Comics is any more, either, now that Bill Jemas and all those Night of the Living Dead books are gone. Here's a PREVIEW if you want to figure it out.
MR BALLEN PRESENTS: STRANGE DARK & MYSTERIOUS GN (Ten Speed Press, $19.99): Based on a YouTube guy who tells stories about cryptids and other mysterious (and probably entirely invented) things.
NIGHTMARE FACTORY HC (Fantagraphics, $29.99): Children's nightmares put to poetry and illustrated by Danish artist Mortenson. Creepy. Here's a PREVIEW.
ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS DLX HC ED (Gallery, $50.00), ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS TP (Gallery, $21.99): I greedily snatched this up when it was first printed, and learned ... absolutely nothing. I'd already read all the comics, and to say Stan Lee's intros were shallow is to credit them with too much depth. Historic, though, I suppose. I still have that book.
PEANUTS BOXED SET SC SECOND CLASSIC PEANUTS COLLECTION (Titan, $24.99): Comic-strip collectors' alert!
REAL MUSASHI: TRUE STORY OF JAPAN’S GREATEST WARRIOR GN (Tuttle, $12.99): He's a real guy who's pretty famous, at least in Japan.
RED SONJA: DEATH AND THE DEVIL #2 (Dynamite, $4.99): See the cosplay girl? Toldja it was the same one.
Here's a preview:
ROXANNE DUNBAR ORTIZ INDIGENOUS PEOPLES HISTORY HC (Beacon Press, $22.95): Educational. (And if you're white, guilt-inducing.)
SHADOWMAN: SOUL EATERS #1 (OF 4, Valiant, MR, $4.99): "Resurgence" is here. I'm getting the main book, and I'll decide on these reboots on a case-by-case basis.
VALIANT UNIVERSE HERO ORIGINS: HARBINGER TP (Valiant, $24.99): NOT "Resurgence." But good info if you're unfamiliar with Valiant's lineup.
SKIN POLICE #1 (OF 4, Oni, $4.99): In 2142, three out of four clone babies grow up to be psychopathic killers, and a specialized police unit is mobilized against them. Sound like Blade Runner to you? Yeah, me too.
WESLEY SNIPES THE EXILED TP VOL 1 TP (Massive, MR, $16.99): Written by Wesley Snipes, this sounds like a cross between Blade and Demolition Man, with an idealized-Snipes-looking character as the hero. Which is exactly what I'd expect from an actor turned comic book writer.
WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #35 (Archie, $9.99): The mysterious Wonder Teen X returns to team with Powerteen (Veronica) and Super Teen (Betty) against -- and I am not making this up -- She-vil. (If this sounds famliar, it's because I ran it two weeks ago when Archie said it would ship. Diamond, though, has the last word.) Most of us think we're the heroes of our own movies, but when actors write comic books, that's invariably the plot.
Here's a complete story:
WORST JOURNEY IN WORLD VOL 1 GN: MAKING OUR EASTING DOWN (Iron Circus, $20.00): Writer/artist Sarah Airriess adapts the memoir from a member of the 1910 expedition to the South Pole.
Replies
GODZILLA: ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS HC: Collects Godzilla #1-24, which I already have as individual issues and as a B&W collection. Why do I want these stories again in a new format? Why? Why?
But you do, don'tcha?
DC ALL IN SPECIAL #1: Needless to say, this all leads into the bifurcated All In/Absolute hoo-hah DC's been crowing about forever.
Okay, this is it, man: the "jumping on point" I've been waiting for.
GUIDE TO THE ORVILLE: I have no interest in The Orville... Of course, your mileage may, and probably does, vary.
I always thought you were too hard of the TV show (it got better with the second season), and I continued to watch it when it was on regular TV, before it moved to... wherever it is now. Having said that, though, I have no interest in a comic book based on The Orville due to prejudices of my own.
THE LONESOME HUNTERS LIBRARY EDITION ($49.99): I wanted to review this one, too, but there are only so many hours in the week.
...and you've got Planetary to get to. ;)
But Barbie (can I call her Barbie?)
Sure. Go for it. I'm sure Mattel won't mind.
CALVIN AND HOBBES: PORTABLE COMPENDIUM VOL 3 SC: Comic-strip collectors' alert!
Eh. I've got the three-volume HC slipcase edition.
PEANUTS BOXED SET SC SECOND CLASSIC PEANUTS COLLECTION: Comic-strip collectors' alert!
Eh. I've got the 26-volume The Complete Peanuts and the 10-volume Peanuts every Sunday set of color Sundays.
But you do, don'tcha?
Yes. What is wrong with me?
Okay, this is it, man: the "jumping on point" I've been waiting for.
I will continue to identify each week the first "All In" issue of each title, as revealed by the trade dress of the variants. I intend to try to get those variants at my comic shop, but I haven't asked for them to be pulled, as I'm not sure I'd get what I want (they have a lot of temp help these days, who have failed repeatedly on Absolute Power). Depending on how many I miss, I'll see if MyComicShop can fill in the blanks. If that proves too difficult or expensive, I'll just get regular editions ... at some point.
But I will identify them! This week, as seen above, is All In Special #1, Batman #153, Birds of Prey #14, Poison Ivy #26 and Shazam #16.
Oct. 9 is (so far) Absolute Batman #1, Action Comics #1070, Batman and Robin #14 and Green Lantern Civil Corps #1 (with Star Sapphire). This may change.
I have no interest in a comic book based on The Orville due to prejudices of my own.
I never thought Star Trek worked well in comics.
CALVIN AND HOBBES: PORTABLE COMPENDIUM VOL 3 SC: Comic-strip collectors' alert!
Eh. I've got the three-volume HC slipcase edition.
Me too.
Eh. I've got the 26-volume The Complete Peanuts
Me too.
and the 10-volume Peanuts set of color Sundays.
Whoops! I missed those. The 26-volume Peanuts set already includes those, right? Just in B&W?
Yes. What is wrong with me?
Nothing that's not wrong with me as well.
The 26-volume Peanuts set already includes those, right? Just in B&W?
Correct (which I had always found disappointining). Peanuts Every Sunday is nice.
Okay, this is it, man: the "jumping on point" I've been waiting for.
Any appearance by Darkseaid is a good jumping off point for me
Who on earth is nostalgic for it? Especially old, clunky video games!
I don't know about the rest of the country, but around here those old, clunky video games are very popular. We have 5 location of Free Play alone. Its a place where you pay an entry fee, and then all of the video games are free. They also have a full bar and kitchen.Its a very cool place. Then we also have Cidecade and Nickelrama off the top of my head.
I stand corrected. We have no such venues in Memphis.