Like you’ve never yelled at your sidekick.
Comments Off | Posted: April 21st, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized
Kirby Saturday: Doomed Face Brigade!
Comments Off | Posted: April 20th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedA couple of Saturdays ago, I asked people to submit their suggestions as to why this guy was worried. Here’s the responses I got!
Brian Hughes really loves Sandra Bullock movies
Maggie Osterberg really loves George C. Scott movies.
And falafel. Girl can put the stuff away.
Luis K likes…shadow puppets? And Pet Shop Boys.
He said so in an email.
What pal Dave Murgo loves, I can’t print here.
Short Fat Steve loves Tag Team, back again…
The Mutt loves Nazis.
As villains only, of course.
Steve Buell loves scatalogical humor.
The Mutt loves sending in multiple entries!
As I said, there are no prizes in this contest, but just like the Special Olympics, everyone’s a winner because I laughed a lot.
Friday Night Fights: Knock, Knock
Comments Off | Posted: April 20th, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized“Who’s there?”
GREEN LANTERN.
(As always, props to my peeps.)
I’ve got the future on line 3.
Comments Off | Posted: April 20th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedIf I were going to compile a list of great Lex Luthor panels, this would certainly be near the top. This is from Superman #147, reprinted in both Showcase Presents: Legion Of Super-Heroes V1 and Showcase Presents: Superman V3.
Written by Jerry Siegel, drawn by Curt Swan
Edited To Include This Bit Of Brilliance From The City Desk’s Editor, RJ White:
“You have 78 future messages- next future message, sent 8:14 pm- ‘Hey, guys. It’s me, Luthor again. Come on, I know you’re there… sigh… alright… still in prison, still in 1961. Just wondering-’”beep
“You have 77 future messages- next future message, sent 8:17 pm- ‘Alright, come on. Just stop by, break me out. Saturn Queen? Nemesis Kid? Really, seriously, I’ve called, like-’”
beep
“You have 76 future messages- next future message, sent 8:22 pm- ‘Oh, that last message was me… um… arch-criminal Luthor… 1961… but you, uh, probably knew that… come on! Seriously stop fuc-’”
beep
“You have 75 future messages- next future message, sent 8:27 pm-”
beep
Relentless Self-Promotion: The Rack
Comments Off | Posted: April 20th, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized
I would say more about the latest installment of The Rack, but it’s just so damn beautiful I don’t want to spoil it.
Go, look at it. Do it now. Birdie and I have done our Citizen Kane. From here on, it’s going to be wine commercials and appearances in other people’s movies.
A Question For The Floor.
Comments Off | Posted: April 19th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedFrom the comments over at Ami’s blog:
It’s too bad Kevin is unable to appreciate the value of a stylistic choice of persona as a means of conveying a writer’s identity, and unable to appreciate the intelligence and insight that comes through in your posts. But he’s so caught up in his own snarky persona and in-jokery that I find it nigh-impossible to tell what he actually thinks about anything he discusses; Dennis Miller is pellucid by comparison. God forbid anyone is sincere in his presence, or dares to express him or herself in anything other than his officially sanctioned tone of acceptable jaded mockery.Anyway, you rock. I learn a lot from reading your posts, which is more than I can say for the relentless self-promotion of some folks.
Now, gang, U-DECIDE1! You may well determine the direction of this blog in the near future! Or not. I may be just wanting some mid-day content.
1I will never, ever get tired of U-DECIDE. Ever.
Brief, Curmudgeonly, Possibly Joyless Thoughts About Yesterday’s Comics, Expressed Without Emoticons
Comments Off | Posted: April 19th, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized
So, I read World War III while sitting in my preferred spot in my preferred pub. The beer didn’t help as much as it should; the entire thing comes off exactly like what it is: a last minute “Oh, Shit!” patch to create a legacy from 52. Characters deviating from their norm for the sake of the plot? Check. Someone suddenly remembering that maybe somebody should have done something with J’onn J’onzz during 52? Check. Sudden, fairly pointless character death? Check. A massive battle designed to provide some sort of “oomph” beyond Montoya-as-Question and the (quite brilliant) Oolong Island bits? Check. A whiff of something that may or may not have been hints of Marvel’s Civil War? Check. Alas, alack, I was a sucker and I fell for it.
DC, I hate pulling this tired chestnut out of the “Comics Complainers” bin, but you owe me $10 (Or $7.50 after my discount, to be fair.)
While I’m normally one to let people like Ragnell and the like go after DC for their blatant pandering to the troglodyte fans out there, I have to say this: that’s a great shot of Power Girl’s best pals in the opening of the final issue.
I’m sort of amazed Darwyn Cooke got by with bringing up birdfucking in the latest issue of The Spirit:
OK, to be fair, it’s more like birdlovemaking, but I was still taken aback a bit. I normally don’t get much in the way of bestiality from DC’s done-in-one adventure comics that feature a decidedly retro spin.
Army At Love hits its stride with the second issue, cranking up the soap operatics to a near-hysterical level while allowing the social satire to proceed at the appropriate pace. I had a few genuine laugh-out-loud moments this go-round, particularly during the description of the shift from recruiting to marketing and the craven greed displayed by Loman Switzer. From screwing over our troops by ensuring they receive inferior equipment to stealing from his own retarded nephew, he’s the perfect accidental villain. I’m glad to be getting a monthly dose of Veitch, and even happier that the book seems to be what he’s best at.
I completely missed the fact that Jeffrey Brown’s Cat Getting Out Of A Bag And Other Observations was due to come out this week through Diamond. As it was published by Chronicle instead of the usual venue for his work, I’m curious to find out what the bookstore lead-time was like. Amazon says it was released on February 1 of this year, but they’ve lied to me too many times in the past to be trusted. It’s a neat enough little book, something that’s more for the aforementioned book store market than cat-allergic comics folk like myself, but I can see this being a steady seller to people that like the little bastards.
With so damn many collections this week, a preview copy of the new Eddie Campbell book from First Second, and a pile of Fantagraphics material, I’m just going to have to give up prose for a month or so to catch up with the words-and-pictures material.
In Which I Talk A Bit About Marvel’s Solicitations for July, 2007 And Mention A Few Periodicals
Comments Off | Posted: April 18th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedHALO: UPRISING #1 (of 4)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils and Cover by ALEX MALEEV
The Eisner Award-winning team of superscribe Brian Michael Bendis and artist extraordinaire Alex Maleev unleash an epic story of mankind’s struggle against the alien threat of the Covenant. Picking up from the conclusion of blockbuster video game Halo 2, the must-read issue reveals how the Master Chief, while onboard a hostile ship headed towards Earth, is battling against Covenant forces! Intertwined with Master Chief’s interstellar one-man-war is the saga of a great American city’s rebellion and downfall, two disparate lives’ collision and shared fate, and the Convenant’s hunt for an ancient relic of untold power and value. With hope dwindling and the fate of humanity hanging by a thread, is there any chance for a future? Read this debut issue to start the journey into the Halo universe!
40 PGS./17 and Up/$3.99
This comic book is based on a Mature-rated video game.
Microsoft, Bungie, the Bungie logo, Halo, the Halo logos, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, Xbox 360, the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from owner. © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
First of all, can I just say how much I love phrases like This comic book is based on a Mature-rated video game? I love them. A lot. Combined with a copyright notice that pads the wording by around 50%, this looks to be an example of beautiful corporate synergy.
Second of all: what a friggin’ waste of talent.
GIANT-SIZE MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #1
Written by Jeff Parker
Pencils and Cover by Leonard Kirk
Remember your history–The Avengers didn’t thaw out Captain America, and Kang the Conqueror became Master of the World throughout all time. To make a brighter future, our heroes have to go to the 1950′s and enlist the help of The Agents of ATLAS! Plus extras!
48 PGS./All Ages /$3.99SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP/M.O.D.O.K.’S 11 #1 (OF 5)
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by FRANCIS PORTELA
Cover by ERIC POWELL
While the heroes are away fighting World War Hulk, the villains can play…M.O.D.O.K., sick of being hunted and hounded by A.I.M., gathers together an eclectic team of Marvel’s Most Wanted to pull off one last, big score. But news travels fast along the grapevine of villainy — and pretty soon every bad guy in the Marvel Universe is gunning for the Big-Headed One’s unspeakably powerful prize. Executing their heist may be the easy part, because getting away with their loot alive is going to be the real challenge for M.O.D.O.K.’s 11!
32 PGS./Rated A /$2.99
I…words…don’t express. Beautiful. That’s the word, beautiful. Thank you, Marvel for giving me exactly what I want, even if you seem determined to do the exact opposite 95% of the time.
PUNISHER #49
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Penciled by LAN MEDINA
Cover by TIM BRADSTREET
SWF seeks SWM to assist in massive bloodletting and carnage. Must be handy w/ guns & munitions. Bottomless reservoir of pain a plus.
32 PGS./Explicit Content /$2.99
This may be my favorite solicitation ever. Somewhere, Chris Sims is weeping joyous tears.
DEVIL DINOSAUR BY JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS HC
Written by JACK KIRBY
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY
No gods from outer space could beat THIS Devil! Jack Kirby crossed into a new cosmos with this crimson carnivore and his faithful sidekick Moonboy! Now, for the first time, Marvel collects the King’s saga of Devil Dinosaur in his prehistoric prime! Collecting DEVIL DINOSAUR #1-9.
176 PGS./All Ages /$29.99
While trying to explain why I love Devil Dinosaur to someone, I stumbled across the perfect descriptor: it’s Kirby having gleeful, stupid fun. There’s nothing at all intelligent about Devil Dinosaur and any attempt at analysis will befuddle even the most enthusiastic Kirby scholar. I’m convinced that if this were reprinted at some point in a kid-friendly digest size and distributed at the sorts of places where kids buy things, it’d do well by Marvel.
IMMORTAL IRON FIST VOL. 1:
THE LAST IRON FIST STORY PREMIERE HC
Written by ED BRUBAKER & MATT FRACTION
Penciled by DAVID AJA & TRAVEL FOREMAN
Cover by DAVID AJA
Many years ago, in the mystical city of Kun’ Lun, young Danny Rand stared at a suit behind glass — the garb of the “Immortal Iron Fist” — and knew that he was destined to wear it. But where did this costume come from? Why did it wait for Danny all those years like a shadow of his future? The answer to those questions will stun both him and his readers, as Danny Rand leaps from the pages of his breakout appearance in DAREDEVIL to his own history-spanning kung-fu epic that will shatter every perception of what it means to be the Immortal Iron Fist! Brought to you by top-ten writer Ed Brubaker and breakout talent Matt Fraction (PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL), with action-packed art by David Aja (DAREDEVIL, GIANT-SIZE WOLVERINE). Collecting IMMORTAL IRON FIST #1-6 and the Iron Fist story from CIVIL WAR: CHOOSING SIDES.
152 PGS./Rated T+ /$19.99
I read the first issue, liked it, and said “I’ll get the collection” when it comes out. Considering the $20 price point is very competitive when compared to the individual issues and I don’t have to pull anything out of a longbox to read it, I’m quite happy going this route.
NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E. VOL. 2 – I KICK YOUR FACE PREMIERE HC
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Penciled by STUART IMMONEN
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
What? You haven’t been reading NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E.? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? Here’s a quick rundown of what you missed: SuperheroesfightingexplosionsexAvengersF inFangFoomgiantflyingsubmarinemonstrosit iesformerX-ForcebabeexplosionskickingMachineManpunc hinggiantevilcoprobotshotEnglishchicksec retterroristorganizationsEXPLOSIONS! Whew! And that’s only the beginning! But don’t worry! It’s never too late to join the party! First up, the Nextwave Squad faces an army of Mindless Ones!!! Yes, insanely powerful stone men without faces! You cannot miss it! Collecting NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E. #7-12.
144 PGS./Parental Advisory /$19.99
I Kick Your Face? Warren Ellis, I don’t know you, but I love you a little bit right now.
THE HOOD PREMIERE HC
Written by BRIAN K. VAUGHN
Penciled by KYLE HOTZ
Cover by KYLE HOTZ
With great power …comes great opportunity.
Nineteen-year-old Parker Robbins couldn’t afford college, but he was able to buy a ski mask and a Lorcin .380 handgun. After dropping out of high school, he hoped to follow in the footsteps of his late father, a soldier in the Kingpin’s vast criminal empire — but life in the mob isn’t always as glamorous as the movies make it seem. With a pregnant girlfriend, a demanding mistress and an institutionalized mother to care for, Parker can barely make ends meet. So when the small-time crook finds mystical apparel that grants him strange powers, he elects to forgo organized crime … for the more prestigious and financially rewarding world of costumed villainy. Collecting THE HOOD #1-6.
144 PGS./Explicit Content /$19.99
Hey, is this any good? I’ve heard various people say nice things about it, but I’m usually kind of cool towards Brian K. Vaughn’s work. (Exception: Runaways, which I love.)
INVADERS CLASSIC VOL. 1 TPB
Written by ROY THOMAS
Penciled by FRANK ROBBINS, RICH BUCKLER, DICK AYERS & DON HECK
Cover by FRANK ROBBINS
The Big Three of Marvel’s Golden Age — Captain America, the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner — entered their first alliance when the U.S. entered World War II! But the Axis had more than bombs to throw at them, as they soon learned in a battle with the Star-Gods! The Red Skull wants the Invaders themselves as Hitler’s top hitmen, and only a second gathering of Golden Age greats can stop him! Featuring the first appearances of Spitfire, Union Jack and more! COLLECTING INVADERS #1-9, GIANT-SIZE INVADERS #1 and MARVEL PREMIERE #29-30.
240 PGS./Rated A /$24.99
I wanted a goddamn Essential, goddammit, not a $25…hey, there’s a actually fair amount of stuff in this.
Still. I wanted an Essential volume.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WAR & REMEMBRANCE TPB (NEW PRINTING)
Written by ROGER STERN, JOHN BYRNE, DON PERLIN & ROGER MCKENZIE
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE & JOE RUBINSTEIN
Cover by JOHN BYRNE
Captain America’s endless war on crime and tyranny sets him against new enemies and old, from an army of robot replicas to the black deeds of Baron Blood! Plus: Cap for president? Guest-starring the Avengers; S.H.I.E.L.D.; and the late, great Union Jack! Featuring Cobra, Mister Hyde and Batroc the Leaper! The complete Stern/Byrne run, culminating with the standard-setting version of Cap’s awe-inspiring origin! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #247-255.
192 PGS./Rated A /$24.99
Oh, yes. I rate this among my favorite Captain America stories. Stern’s scripts are a heck of a lot of fun and Byrne’s art is spot on. I am a bit annoyed that this costs the same as the previously-mentioned Invaders collection and has 50 fewer pages, but I’ve been looking for a reasonably-priced copy of the out-of-print 80s/90s version of this for-ev-er. I’ll bite this particular bullet.
ESSENTIAL DEFENDERS VOL. 3 TPB
Written by LEN WEIN, CHRIS CLAREMONT, STEVE GERBER, BILL MANTLO, MARY SKRENES, TONY ISABELLA, JIM STARLIN, DON MCGREGOR, ROGER SLIFER, GERRY CONWAY & SCOTT EDELMAN
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA, KLAUS JANSON, VINCE COLLETTA,MIKE ESPOSITO, FRANK GIACOIA, JOHN TARTAGLIONE, SAM GRAINGER, JIM MOONEY, GIL KANE, JIM STARLIN, DAN ADKINS, DON NEWTON & DON HECK
Cover by ED HANNIGAN
There’s nothing the non-team can’t handle when mutants, gods, demons and miscreants of the 1950s all get their crack at the sensational super heroes of the seventies! With Luke Cage! The Guardians of the Galaxy! The Son of Satan vs. the Sons of the Serpent! Brain transplants, foreign intrigue and the tumultuous terror of Tapping Tommy! Daredevil, Yellowjacket, Bambi! And introducing…an Elf!? Featuring the first appearance of the ever-reliable Wrecking Crew! Collecting31-60, and Annual 1
592 PGS./Rated A /$16.99
Boy, this book couldn’t hold down a creative team, could it?
You may note that I am not talking about Straczynski’s Thor launch or World War Hulk. I’m holding off until the Twelfth of Never for the former, and for the inevitable collection featuring the latter.
BeaucoupKevin.com Promotional Surprise Ending Theater Presents: The Rack – Staff Picks!
Comments Off | Posted: April 18th, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized“Oh, bother,” declared the comics shop customer as he came through the entrance. “I appear to have forgotten the handy list that allows me to easily ensure that I have procured all of my selected comic books!”
“Oi! Ye’ve never heard of The Rack?” A voice boomed from behind the counter. There stood a man as wide as he was tall, clad in a skintight t-shirt featuring a stylized skull. “It’s this comic strip, right, by a couple of blokes from America? It’s about people in a comic book shop, much like the one you’ve dragged your wet, muddy galoshes into! Every week they go and have their characters offer up recommendations to those such as yourself.”
“People with muddy boots?”
“No, my friend – people who can’t quite remember what to get! I’ve printed out the latest one and tacked it to the board next to the stairs leading down to our storage area. Maybe it would behoove you to take a butcher’s?”
“That sounds like a jolly good idea!”
Moments passed. The customer was still chuckling at a particularly witty passage and admiring the effort put into the strip when the cleaver fell onto the back of his neck. As his head hit the bottom of the staircase and the bleak darkness of forever encroached, the last thing heard was “That’s right, take a butcher’s, ye muddy-booted bourgeois pig. Take it to the back of your thick neck!”
Promotional: Nitroglycerin
Comments Off | Posted: April 18th, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized
Nor’easters their attendant torrential downpours can’t stop Birdie and I from bringing the promotional-flavored funk. You can check out the latest Nitroglycerin in two fantastic formats:
- At the regular BOOM! Studios website.
- Super-sized and in full effect over at WebComicsNation.
I’ve been meaning to ask the Hive Mind.
Comments Off | Posted: April 17th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedAfter reading this post, I have to come out and say it: this is a joke, right? Between her comics review blog and money quotes like: It’s like the ending to Boys Don’t Cry which always makes me sob 
I keep thinking “this is when Batman should show up” ;-;, I’m now 90% sure “Ami Angelwings” is a joke being perpetrated by somebody very, very funny.
In Which I Talk A Bit About DC’s Solicitations for July, 2007, Mentioning Only A Single Periodical
Comments Off | Posted: April 17th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedYou can see the full DC solicitations here.
ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER #6
Written by Frank Miller
Art and cover by Jim Lee & Scott Williams
Variant cover by Miller
Batman and Black Canary get down to business — the business of criminal skull-cracking! Things heat up on a storm-tossed shipyard as the pair hunts down the mystery man behind the murder of Dick Grayson’s parents. Plus, Black Canary isn’t the only one of Gotham’s fairer sex to be aroused into action by the Dark Knight’s war on crime! Retailers please note: This isse will feature two covers that may be ordered separately. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Jim Lee & Scott Williams), retailers may order one Variant Edition (featuring a cover by Frank Miller). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information. This issue is resolicited; all previous orders are cancelled.
Resolicited; on sale July 25 | 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Apparently, Lee’s got the next issue already drawn as well and they’re talking about >gasp< the book being on some kind of schedule. Me, I was happy to wait long, long months for each slice of pan-friend genius.
BATMAN: BLIND JUSTICE TP
Written by Sam Hamm
Cover by Walter Simonson
Art by Denys Cowan & Dick Giordano
Reoffered to coincide with BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #7, also featuring art by Denys Cowan! This classic trade paperback collects DETECTIVE COMICS #598-600 ,written by Batman (1989) screenwriter Sam Hamm! Bruce Wayne discovers a series of murders linked to WayneTech in this tale that leaves him in a wheelchair!
On sale July 5 | 160 pg, FC, $14.99 US | Relist
You know, I like this story. I like it a lot. But $15 for three (ok, more like five with the oversized opener and finale) issue is a bit much. There’s a printed-on-newsprint trade that came out to alongside the Batman Movie Hype that you may still be able to find at a much more reasonable price. Besides, isn’t this just a STAR system item, seeing as how it came out alongside Batman Begins?
BATMAN: SECRETS OF THE BATCAVE TP
Written by Bill Finger, Dennis O’Neil and others
Art by Bob Kane, Sheldon Moldoff and others
Cover by various
Step into the Batcave in this new collection spanning Batman’s career! Featuring stories from BATMAN #12, 35, 48, 109 and 348, DETECTIVE COMICS #158, 186, 205, 233, 235, and 244, WORLD’S FINEST #30, BRAVE AND THE BOLD #182, BIZARRO COMICS #244, and SECRET ORIGINS TP, this volume features the finest stories set in the mysterious lair of the Dark Knight!
Advance-solicited; on sale August 29 | 192 pg, FC, $17.99 US
No offense to any of the talents featured (and lord knows, I’m glad to see more Sheldon Moldoff in front of new readers), but not including this comic is a crime. A crime, I say!
SUPERMAN: THE DEATH AND RETURN OF SUPERMAN OMNIBUS HARDCOVER
Written by Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Jerry Ordway and Karl Kesel
Art by Jurgens, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Brett Breeding, Rick Burchett and others
Cover by Jurgens & Ordway
For the first time, the historic story of the death and return of Superman is collected in one massive, 784-page hardcover volume featuring an all-new cover by pivotal creator Dan Jurgens, timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the event! THE DEATH AND RETURN OF SUPERMAN OMNIBUS includes the best-selling trade paperbacks THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN and THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN, as well as portions of WORLD WITHOUT A SUPERMAN, plus 40 pages of bonus extras including promotional material and product spotlights.
Advance-solicited; on sale September 12 | 784 pg, FC, $75.00
Well, I certainly wouldn’t, but I’m sure there’s going to be a certain segment of fandom that will. Interesting choice, though, considering that the trade paperbacks for these have been consistent sellers for DC.
DC/TOP COW: CROSSOVER CLASSICS TP
Written by Jeph Loeb, Scott Lobdell and others
Art by Marc Silvestri, David Finch and others
Cover by Joe Benitez
The greatest heroes from two publishers — DC Comics and Top Cow — meet for the first time and face off against each other and their greatest foes in this staggering collection! This volume features the best-selling crossovers THE DARKNESS/BATMAN, THE DARKNESS/SUPERMAN #1-2, JLA/CYBERFORCE and JLA/WITCHBLADE.
Advance-solicited; on sale August 29 | 200 pg, FC, $14.99 US
This is one of those “‘Classic’ doesn’t mean what you think it does” moments, isn’t it?
THE FLASH: GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TP
Written by John Broome, Gardner Fox and others
Art by Carmine Infantino, Ross Andru and others
Cover by Alex Ross
Collecting the finest Flash tales of all time! This fast-paced volume finds The Flashes locked in battle against their greatest foes, including Gorilla Grodd, The Reverse Flash and many others. Collects stories from FLASH COMICS #86 and 104, THE FLASH #123, 155, 165 and 179, DC SPECIAL SERIES #11 and THE FLASH (Second Series) #91.
Advance-solicited; on sale August 15 | 208 pg, FC, $19.99 US
Oh, excellent. The Flash is one of my favorite superheroes and between this and the upcoming Showcase, I should be fairly happy for some time.
MANHUNTER VOL. 3: ORIGINS TP
Written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Javier Pina, Rags Morales, Sean Phillips and others
Cover by Stephane Roux
Follow the adventures of crimefighter Kate Spencer in this volume collecting MANHUNTER #15-23! Learn the origin of her costume and weapons, plus her startling connection to a hero of the Golden Age!
Advance-solicited; on sale August | 224 pg, FC, $17.99 US
I finally listened to the masses with this book and yeah, ok, you were right. If you’re going to do “grown up” superhero comics, let them be more like this and less with the retrocon rapes and funerals for C-list nobodies.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: ADAM STRANGE VOL. 1 TP
Written by Gardner Fox
Art by Gil Kane, Mike Sekowsky, Carmine Infantino and others
Cover by Kane
The adventures of Adam Strange explode in this massive black-and-white volume collecting SHOWCASE #17-19 and MYSTERY IN SPACE #53-84!
Advance-solicited; on sale August 8 | 552 pg, B&W, $16.99 US
Oh, hell yes. I’ve refused to get the archives for financial reasons, so this is a nice alternative. Rannian science is real science.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: WONDER WOMAN VOL. 1 TP
Written by Robert Kanigher
Art and cover by Ross Andru & Mike Esposito
Don’t miss more than 500 pages of Amazonian action in this black-and-white volume collecting WONDER WOMAN #98-117!
Advance-solicited; on sale August 22 | 528 pg, B&W, $16.99 US
Ah, Kanigher. I’m pretty sure I’ll only be able to do this volume a story at a time, even if it’s tempting to just wade in when comics with covers like this are the least interesting. (By the way, that story’s synopsis? “Wonder Woman agrees to marry Steve if she has to rescue him three times in 24 hours.” That totally sounds like a Lois Lane plot, doesn’t it?)
ALAN MOORE: THE COMPLETE WILDC.A.T.S TP
Written by Alan Moore
Art by Travis Charest, Mat Broome, Ryan Benjamin and others
Cover by Charest
Alan Moore is considered by many to be the finest comics writer of the last quarter century. His standout achievements in the medium include WATCHMEN, V FOR VENDETTA, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, and From Hell. Now Moore’s defining run on WildC.A.T.s is collected into a single volume, collecting WILDC.A.T.S. #21-34, plus a story from issue #50, featuring the impressive art of Travis Charest and other fine artists who provide breathtaking visuals.
Alan Moore took the WILDC.A.T.S back to their roots and stirred up the WildStorm Universe considerably, creating a perfect starting point for catching up the flagship WildStorm superhero team. It’s a tale filled with unsettling revelations and gripping drama — and the introduction of one of WildStorm’s great villains: Tao!
Advance-solicited; on sale August 8 | 392 pg, FC, $29.99 US
Hey, that’s pretty neat. I’ve got the two original trades Wildstorm put out in the late 90s and can say these are actually pretty good superhero comics. They’re not quite great, but Moore does well with what he’s given.
GOOD AS LILY
Written by Derek Kirk Kim
Art by Jesse Hamm
Cover by Derek Kirk Kim
Grace Kwon is about to meet three of her closest friends — the only problem is that they’re her past and future selves.
What if your biggest competition was…yourself? Following a strange mishap on her 18th birthday, Grace Kwon is confronted with herself at three different periods in her life. The timing couldn’t be worse as Grace and her friends desperately try to save a crumbling school play. Will her other selves wreak havoc on her present life or illuminate her uncertain future?
Writer Derek Kirk Kim scored the “triple crown†with his debut graphic novel, Same Difference and Other Stories, winning all three major industry awards: the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz. It was also selected as one of the best books of 2003 by Publishers Weekly.
Jesse Hamm’s cartooning has appeared in various mini-comics, anthologies and on the web.
All MINX books contain 176 pages, black and white interiors with gray tones and color covers. Each title also includes previews for other MINX books as a special bonus.
Advance-solicited; on sale August 15 / 176 pg, B&W, $9.99 US
I’m such a girl. I think this sounds great. The preview pages I’ve seen are pretty nice; Hamm’s a good cartoonist.
THE COMPLETE BITE CLUB TP
Written by Howard Chaykin & David Tischman
Art by David Hahn
Cover by Frank Quitely
Don’t miss this 264-page volume collecting both the original critically acclaimed BITE CLUB and its sequel, BITE CLUB: VAMPIRE CRIME UNIT! The Sopranos have nothing on the Del Toros, a vampire clan that has run organized crime in Miami for nearly a century. Beautiful, rich and immortal, these bloodsuckers are also masters of backstabbing and in-fighting.
Advance-solicited; on sale August 29 | 264 pg, FC, $19.99 US | MATURE READERS
I like Bite Club, perhaps more than it deserves. The scripts are zippy and Hahn’s one of my favorite artists and it’s a nice diversion, even if the book frequently feels like an HBO pitch converted into comics form.
Pre-Reviews and Picks for the Week of April 18, 2007
Comments Off | Posted: April 16th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedIt’s a weird shipping week for me. Outside of The Professor’s Daughter getting a paperback release a week or two after the hardcover, there’s nothing very independent that’s catching my eyes. There’s a new Love and Rockets, but I usually wait for the collections. Alas, etc.
DC Comics
Batman And The Mad Monk – I really enjoyed Batman and the Monster Men, so I figure that the second in Wagner’s Golden Age retellings is quality.Showcase Presents Superman Vol 3 – The content in the second volume began to cross over with my personal collection, but I mind not one bit; I love having this material in convenient “take to the bathroom” format.
Wonder Woman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told – I bet she gets tied up a lot in this one.
I really am unsure about World War III. It’s only $2.50 an issue and seems to act like it’ll have some kind of quality to it, but the NuDC version of “interesting” and my own are usually very divergent.
Image
Rocketo Vol 2: Journey To The Hidden Sea – You know, I really enjoyed this book for a while, but it fell off my radar. Maybe this will be one of those unintentional “wait for the trade” sort of books.
Marvel
Annihilation Book 2 – I really, really enjoyed the first volume a lot. It was exactly the sort of Marvel comic I want more of: giant cosmic insanity with people struggling with relatable concerns in the middle of it. (I can completely relate to having an entire planetary database uploaded into my skull, can’t you?)Daredevil: Devil Inside & Out – Brubaker, Daredevil, etc. You know how this one goes.
Punisher MAX Vol 7: Man Of Stone – Ennis, Punisher, etc. You know how this one goes.
Young Avengers Vol 2: Family Matters – This is only getting a maybe from me. Once I found out Heinberg used rape as piece of backstory for Kate I felt a little sick and really didn’t want to support that sort of thing at Marvel, which has beaten that particular horse very, very dead.
Promotional: The Rack
Comments Off | Posted: April 16th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedThe problem with doing a topical comic strip is that sometimes, topics just aren’t as funny as they should be. That’s why we’ve done a remarkable three strips about the Yavin IV staff that are related. In today’s installment, we find out what happens when Lydia’s Chunk Norris routine becomes common knowledge.
However, things may look brighter on the current-comic-events front – my newsfeed just told me that Edward Norton is the new Bruce Banner.
“Hulk wants you to hit Hulk as hard you can.”
Whine Whine Emo Whine
Comments Off | Posted: April 15th, 2007 | Filed under: UncategorizedThis horrible weather’s put a crimp in my interest when it comes to things computer-related, so no blogging until tomorrow’s Great Big Shipping List entry. You can go look at the new-and-improved Whiskey And Failure and check out some footage of the Silver Surfer found by the always-stalwart Christopher Bird:
Yes, I’ll get around to the Kirby Saturday contest eventually. Many giggles will be elicited.
Friday Night Fights: Adam Strange brings the interstellar thunder.
Comments Off | Posted: April 13th, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized
Blame Boss Bahlactus.
Those guys? Supervillains.
Comments Off | Posted: April 13th, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized
From Adventure Comics #314.
Written by Edmond Hamilton,
art by John Forte. Reprinted in
Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes V 1.
After being rejected for Legion membership, the scientist Alkator goes back in time and picks up Hitler, Nero, and Dillinger in order to wage war against the Legion of Super-Heroes. That’s pretty much the definition of “Sore Loser” right there, isn’t it?
From the upcoming Drinky Crow Show.
Comments Off | Posted: April 13th, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized(Via.)
