Marvel and Image solicits both went up late last week and I didn’t say anything about them, opting to instead post a picture of a truly horrendous Witchblade cover. As it is the weekend and my free time is copious, here’s the highlights as I see them - your mileage may vary.
Marvel is up first.
Machine Teen is the greatest name in modern comics. I will give it a read even if it smacks strongly of the Not Quite Human books that I devoured as a young nerd.
Maximum Fantastic Four sounds fascinating, but even with my heavy discount, that’s a lot of money to spend on analysis of a comic that I currently own in at least four different reprints. It does lean heavily on Kirby for the sale and with Mark Evanier doing commentary, I may go and spend it without thinking too hard.
Ultimates 2 #6 - Ultimate Defenders?!? I’m on it, dog.
The last issue of Spider-Man / Human Torch comes out so I can expect the trade soon after. I read issue #2 from the preview pack this week - Slott Gets It Done and Templeton’s art is always a pleasure1.
The seven part “Decalogue” storyline continues in Daredevil, showing that Bendis can’t do math.
OK. Marvel Milestones: Wolverine, X-Men, and Tuk The Caveboy? For $4, I’ll pay to see vintage Kirby, but this combination has to have something to do with some forthcoming storyline. Tuk The Cave Boy?!?
GLA is going to be worth a look, I’m sure.
The cover of The Pulse #9 shows that it’s not just the homosexuals that need to worry about Wolverine - pregnant ladies are up next in the murder queue. (Really, though, they’re a year behind DC in this area.)
Secret War: From The Files Of Nick Fury. Will the series be over when this comes out? Do you care?
Livewires. Mmm. Good technology comics.
You can’t see it, but I’m rolling right over the X-books.
I like these Marvel hardcovers, so I will strongly consider Powers Volume 1, but the series itself is about this close to losing me entirely.
Ah, now to the good stuff. I own most of the stuff in Best Of The Fantastic Four Volume 1, but I have to point out that just including the fourth issue in Morrisons Fantastic Four: 1 2 3 4 series is just plain bizarre2. That’s going to come so far out of left field for casual readers that it’ll seem like it was from another stadium entirely.
I’ll read the latest Fantastic Four trade because I’ve been keeping up with the Waid / Wireringo run on the series that way, but I bet when I’m done it’ll be the usual thing. “Man, he loves these characters and writes them so well, but can he please stop making wish he had a co-plotter to jazz this stuff up?” A little insanity would do wonders for this book.
Giant Size Marvel looks to be an interesting trade, even if the only theme is “70s Marvel Stories That Were Giant-Size.” I note with some disappoint that Man-Thing didn’t make the cut.
Essential Defenders? Hell yeah!
Essential Fantastic Four Volume 1 comes back into print - it’s been fetching stupid amounts on eBay of late because it has been - check this out - out of print. You can get the second and third trades just fine, but not that first. Marvel’s printing policies baffle me.
Essential Thor Volume 2? Yeah, that’s the stuff I really like - Kirby gets to draw Giant God Thing after Giant God Thing and Stan drops dialogue when he can work it in.
Girls. The comic with the naked woman on the front may not be suitable for all ages. I’m mildy curious, though.
Doug TenNapel returns with Earthboy Jacobus, but after the beautifully-drawn-but-empty Tommysaurus Rex, I’m probably going to give this a pass.
Felt: True Tales Of The Hip Hop Underground - take it away, Ed Cunard.
Hero Camp looks good - Grame at the Rampage likes it, so I’ll give it a whirl.
Buy that PvP #0 because it’s only $.50. Ignore the fact that you can read most of the strips in there for free.
I’ve heard tell that Deep Sleeper was very good. I will go with a cautious “I’ll take a gander in the store and think seriously about it.”
Burglar Bill better actually be coming out this time. That’s all I have to say about that.
You’re not reading Case Files: Sam And Twitch, are you? You should. I know, I know, it’s a goddamn Spawn book. You have to trust me - it rises above the source material easily. I was unhappy to note that it is, yet again, another story that deals with the two protagonists many, many issues. Maybe just a straightforward detective story sometime soon, please?
Noble Causes: trade. Always trade. Much better in trade. Trade, trade, trade. Trade.
I sort of want that 1956 Elvis figure. Shush.
Top Cow: yeah, right. The end.
1Notable exception - that godawful nasty graphic novel he wrote and drew for Vertigo a couple of years ago. Man, that was the meanest thing ever.
2Correction from Bob down in comments: this is the halfway-decent MK series that’s currently going on now. I keep forgetting that book exists until I see the trades.
