Picks, Pre-Reviews, And Hasty Judgment Calls For Comics Debuting The Week of May 31, 2007

Hey, books are a week day late for people in the States. Pretend you live in the UK and wear a monocle and giant fake mustache when getting your comics for extra fun!

DC Comics

52 Volume 1 – I wonder how large the audience for this is, once you discount the “people who bought the issues and want a bookshelf edition.”

Blue Beetle #15 – Everyone complaining that DC’s not making fun comics anymore should look to this title. The last few issues of Rogers and Albuquerque’s run have included a veritable dogpiling of hilarity and madcap action, cluminating in attack penguins and the Ultra-Humanite in #14. Throw in the best portrayal of Guy Gardner in, like, forever, and his kind words concerning Ted Kord and you’ve got something to make almost everyone happy. (DISCLAIMER: I’d probably take a bullet for Rogers. Not in the face or chest, but in the arm or leg? No problem.)

Marvel

Daredevil #97 – I keep saying “You know, I’m going to switch exclusively to trades, since I’m buying those anyway,” and Brubaker manages to keep me just interested enough to want to read it month-to-month. Frustrating and delightful at the same time, much like a girl’s bra when I was 16.

Fantastic Four: The End – It’s pretty, certainly, but is it any good?

Ultimate Galactus Trilogy – An oversized hardcover collecting the three previous Ultimate Galactus trades and miniseries, with wildly divergent artists. I prefer a bit of cohesiveness in my giant books like this – each series had a separate artist (and in the case of Ultimate Secret, art chores were swapped between Steve McNiven and Tom Raney in the middle of the run) – but I think Ellis’s writing is decent, if not spectacular, throughout. (I know a lot of people hated the ending. Me, I think it lost some velocity and seemed to fizzle out, but the concepts were solid.)

Dark Horse

Hellboy: Darkness Calls #2 – I completely forgot to discuss the first issue of this in my usual scattershot, slightly-retarded way. I liked it. Fegredo was a worthy replacement on art (even if I’d love to see what Lee Bermejo had done prior to the whole kerfuffle) and the story was more of the high-quality stuff Hellboy fans expect. I do wonder if, maybe, we’ll get more regular installments for the series in the future?

Penny Arcade Vol 4: Birds Are Weird – Yes, they are.

Dynamite Entertainment

The Boys Vol 1 and The Boys #7 – Fine, Dynamite. You’re getting my money. But I’m not going to enjoy it one bit. Honest.

King Hell Press

Shiny Beasts – Early Rick Veitch comics, featuring Alan Moore and Steve Bissette? Oh, yes, please. Preview ages here. Yes, they’re very airbrushed, but after reading Abraxas and the Earthman last week, I now demand more.