February 1, 2012

Favorites

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #0; This issue is a whole bunch of worldbuilding reference for the pre-Jedi, pre-Sith era of Star Wars, a whole 36,000 years before the Death Star!  I’m looking forward to this ongoing book, it could be a fresh way to experience the universe while at the same time being its own piece of space fantasy.

Surprises

Heavy Metal March 2012: Yes, I’ll page through a Heavy Metal most months – it’s usually the same old Heavy Metal, with incomprehensible or prurient shorts, but sometimes you get some crazy awesome things.  Things like Requiem the Vampire Knight (the most HEAVY METAL comic book ever, that I am somewhat ashamed to read) or Manara’s Borgia stories.

Trades

Xombi sc: A nanite immortal and superpowered Catholic nuns team up to stop a demon from doing serious badness!  The art and humor of this book stand out, as well as its overall craftsmanship of comics.

January 11, 2012

Favorites

Whispers #1: There’s an interesting note of realism to the art that separates Whispers immediately from the Luna brothers’ collaborative work.  Things feel very concrete, even when they get strange, and the anxiety and self-absorption of the main character is so palpable.

Surprises

Dark Matter #1: Why look, it’s a choppy art science fiction closed parlour mystery!  Hopefully the author will let it develop as such and help the reader establish clear (although sometimes misleading) facts.

Trades

Invincible v15: Yay, more Invincible!!  Though with Kirkman’s continued mastery of last page splash cliffhangers in this title, reading it in trade is an entirely different beast.  Issue by issue it’s a struggle to control your anticipation for the next, trade by trade it feels like a breakneck run.

Spera HC: A fantasy story of two princesses and their fire spirit companion told through the lens of several artists.  Each artist works on one leg of their journey and renders the adventure in charming strokes and color.  A very good all ages book that deserves attention.

January 4, 2012

Happy new year, everyone!

Favorites

Fatale #1: So far, I’m very interested to see what sort of grisly, crime-caked supernatural world is just under the peeling surface of the main character’s life.  Strong artwork and just enough foreshadowing to keep me looking.

Flash Gordon; Zeitgeist #2: I love that the artwork in this book is so garish and colorful without turning into a visual soup of confusion like many similar titles I’ve seen recently.  There need to be more ramifications of ‘HAIL MING! and the infiltration of society by Mongo aliens.’

Surprises

Defenders #2: A little bit of swearing!  More tiger-men!  And hilarious margin blurbs!  I for one cannot wait to read ‘Werewolf by Night Nurse‘.  Defenders is leaving me with a bit of a feeling that I’ll enjoy it more in trade, but each issue things happen and people are kicked, so I’m feeling pretty good.

Trades

Habibi HC: This signed edition of Craig Thompson’s latest work is lovely and well-made.  Shiny new hardcover, 29.99

Annotated Sandman v1 HC: I can’t tell you anything about Sandman and its wonderfulness that you don’t already know or can’t find a better more thorough run-down of elsewhere.  So I’ll talk about the tome itself a little; it’s the first 20 issues worth of comic, aka TPB volumes 1-3, in a hefty coffee-table size.  It’s 49.99, so if you want bonus material and script annotation but can’t spring 99.99 for an Absolute Edition, this is a good compromise.

December 21, 2011

Favorites

Wonder Woman #4: Normally I try to stick with issues earlier than this, to talk about really new things.  This week I’ll call Wonder Woman #4 new enough.  I can’t really summon up many flowery things to say here; Azzarello’s Wonder Woman is good.  It continues to not betray its direction or characters.  The mythology works for the book.  Hermes watches television, apropos of nothing.

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1: The identity of Leviathan!  The terrible winnowing of Batman, Inc!  A preamble to future conflict the likes of which only Batman and his assembled allies can handle!  My only complaint about the special issue is the bat-robots didn’t seem to do anything besides provide visual flair.

Surprises

Wolverine & the X-Men #1-3: I caught up with this title today and I must say I was well pleased!  The best part is I’m having a fine time reading it without slogging through Schism (the lead-up to which I found childishly clumsy).  Students, disasters, troublesome aliens…it looks like an X-Men book!  The book doesn’t waste my reading time, and the Mini Hellfire Club (as I now dub them) makes at least a somewhat convincing vessel for petty super-powered grudges.

Trades

Tale of Sand HC: Sparse in words but rich in pictures and sequential narrative, this recovery and adaptation of a ‘lost’ screenplay by Jim Henson has received a high-quality treatment.

December 7 2011

Favorites

Defenders #1: So far the title is straddling the line between serious Defenders and not-serious Defenders, leaning to the side of fun.  The Sorcerer Supreme isn’t being a ninny, so that’s always welcome, and I’m eager to see what Nul is capable of and why it has such prepared and dedicated followers.

Batwing #4: I feel like this issue brings the reader to a good understanding of the character and the direction of the title in general.  Batwing operates in an area where no soul remains untainted, and in his own way he derives great motivation from a history defined by murder.

Surprises

Thought Bubble #1: The page format here lends something good to all the short entries of this anthology.  I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve seen something like this from Image, and it’s refreshing.

Trades

P. Craig Russel’s Opera Adaptations Set: Own all the amazing artwork inspired by classic opera in this 45$ bundle!  The devotion to craft and appreciation for the operatic works that Russel adapted here is plain to see.  I still need to buy myself a copy of Ariadne and Bluebeard to listen to while I read my own.

Brightest Day TP: At last a softcover of the follow-up event to Blackest Night.

November 30 2011

What a sleepy week, it’s about a rack and a half less than usual.  No surprises this week!

Favorites

Spaceman #2:  This title continues to build a world of tomorrow from today’s common parts, and this issue fleshes out more of Orson’s history after displaying his current lifestyle.    I’m excited to see whether the title explores celebrity and transhumanism much more in depth, but I’d be happy with action, too.

Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #1: “Let’s make a book with Ming!  And..and Hitler!”  It’s Flash Gordon, but with a real Earth invasion, it looks like.  There’s also some competent art, this could be a solid title.

Trades

Rasl v3: These are always surprisingly big to me.  See more of Jeff Smith’s latest, sci-fi creation!

Wonder Woman Chronicles v2: Wonder Woman really deserves a Chronicles series, so I’m glad to see this chronological-order collection continue.

November 23, 2011

This was a small week with not that much in the way of new stuff for me to churn through and read, which is probably for the best since my mind is on the impending holiday.  There are some exciting trade releases this week, though, so I’ll be highlighting some of those.

Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad HC: Dark Horse brings my favorite Evan Dorkin running gag back into print.  How many times can I laugh at a wedge of cheese and a carton of milk drinking whiskey and assaulting people?  All the times.

Super Dinosaur v1: This portable volume collects the Origin Issue and the first 5 issues of the ongoing series.  It would make a good all-ages stocking stuffer for anyone who loves robots and dinosaurs.

Rocketeer Jetpack Treasury Edition: An oversized folio that collects a couple specials and entries that were part of a different book.  The size of this reasonably priced volume really compliments the art and coloring, which is top-notch.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Nov 9 2011

Sort of a sleepy week, and I’m trying to preserve my purity of essence for some home improvement work tomorrow, BUT!  I still have some important things to say in this week.  Things about comics that shipped!  But not as many things, sorry everyone.

Jennifer Blood #6:  I can finally breathe out now.  The ending was pretty good and not a sudden turn of tone that screams ‘Gotcha!’

Shame Itself #1: ARGH, how did I miss this last week?!  Huzzah for Marvel internal parody!  Also, Psycho-Man vs Amazon Customer Support!

My Faith in Frankie: Vertigo Resurrected brings My Faith in Frankie back into full-size, full-color print for a dollar more than the B&W trade.  It says #1, but it’s the whole charming book in one shot.

November 2, 2011

Favorites

Our Love is Real: The solicitation on this book was bug nuts, and the title itself doesn’t disappoint.  Why is everyone practically fighting a war to not have sex with other human beings?  It doesn’t even matter here.  Vegisexuals, you guys.

The Strange Talent of Luther Strode #2: I also ran back and read #1 to get myself caught up.  It has a goriness that reminds me of Astounding Wolf-Man or Invincible.  It’s interesting to watch Luther cope with the transformation taking place – I’ve still got nothing on the motivations of the clearly evil manipulators who want a super-Luther.

Surprises

Giant-Size Elephantmen #1: Surprise!  It’s a reprint issue.  A good selection reprint issue, but I was sort of expecting different.  Also I never expected the title to get sort of off the rails as this one has.  It seems like there are dropped threads from previous volumes worth of material, and those feel like previous attempts to do the same book.  I still love Elephantmen and the artwork, but I’m always left with questions lately.

Trades

Batman: Noel HC: From the artist who brought us Joker and Luthor, a Christmas-flavored Batman story!

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Omnibus ed HC: Just what it says on the tin – the first two volumes of League in one quality hardcover!

October 12, 2011

Favorites

Legion of Monsters #1: Thia book is amusing, entertaining, and has Elsa Bloodstone in it.  Which is good, because Nextwave made me love Elsa Bloodstone and now I want to see her in more books.   Officially, this is a Fun Comic Book.

Unexpected #1: Yeah, I pretty much have a crush on Vertigo sci-fi/horror anthologies.  Lots of fun, twisted gruesomeness and storytelling reside in this book.

Surprises

My Greatest Adventure #1: After a weak start the book managed to pull me into Robot Man’s tale again.  Garbage Man had an interesting setup and seems like a very workable underdog character.  Purple lass (I forgot her name) had an amusing story, but if the joke is ‘everyone hates her like in Dirty Pair’ I might get tired of it.

Trades

The Death Ray HC: The only Daniel Clowes thing I’ve ever picked up that didn’t make my eyes roll up in the back of my head (That wasn’t this short about ectomorphs)!  Big!  Hardcover!  Critics like it!

The Frank Book HC: Here’s the return of a classic oldie, back in print once more.