Flippin’ through ‘Previews’ – July 2017

Hey, Marvel is deciding to do a reboot (wink, wink)! That will surely be amazing, at least if Previews #346 is to be believed!

Hey, it’s Greg, and my text is in blue! Travis remains in black, although this is Greg typing these words, because who knows if Travis will ever get to this post! Hashtagsademoji hashtaglookatmeinternetting!

Hashtagbiteme!  I’m here, I’m getting to it, and here we go!  Isn’t this, like, the third month in a row that DC has had one of the covers for their black metal series?

They dig that shit, man!

Dark Horse:

Check out the full solicits here.

James Stokoe’s Aliens: Dead Orbit gets a trade on page 56. Yeah, I’m buying this. I mean, duh.

Yeah, I might look to see if the singles are at one of my local shops, since they’d be a little cheaper that way, but there were some variant covers, so I might better just get the trade.

Predator vs. Judge Dredd vs. Aliens gets a trade on page 57. Layman’s story is perfectly fine – a bit by-the-numbers, but what are you going to do with those three properties, really? – and Mooneyham’s art is quite good, although apparently he was very slow on it, as it took forever to come out. But it’s a fun little series.

It says offered again for the trade, I forgot that (if true).  Maybe it’ll make my list this time!

Paul Chadwick co-writes and draws Best Wishes (page 58), about people who throw coins into a Central Park fountain and their lives become entangled. Chadwick’s art is wonderful, of course, and his co-writer, Mike Richardson, is pretty good, too. I’ll probably have to grab this.

Yeah, should be good.  Wonder what else Chadwick’s been doing, says he hasn’t published any comics since ’13.  More movie work?

Advertising?

I’m not sure if I’m going to get The Once and Future Queen trade on page 64, even though the creators have a good track record with Amelia Cole. Still, it’s enticing, so I’ll have to think about it.

I’ll probably go for it, since I really liked what I read of Amelia Cole.  More like “actually prints issues 3-5”, though!

Yeah, I forgot they cancelled the single issues. Man, Dark Horse, just release single issues digitally and then do printed trades!

It’s probably nothing deep, since it’s a video game tie-in, but Atomic Robo’s Brian Clevinger is writing a Mages of Mystralia trade on page 65.

I saw that, but comics based on video games don’t thrill me. Still, Clevinger knows how to write!

DC:

The full solicits are here.

Hey, on page 92, Blue Beetle 13 is picking up the threads from Justice League 3001!  If I ever get my ass back in gear, I’ll have to write about that series!

Well, that’s nice for them.

V Ken Marion, who’s from my area, is drawing Trinity 13 on page 111.  Good for him!  His art’s in that Michael Turner vein that isn’t a particular favorite of mine, but he’s pretty good at it.

Garth Ennis is writing a Dastardly and Muttley mini-series on page 114. Man, this could go so many ways – some brilliant, and some awful. You just never know with Ennis!

It…sounds…strange.  I’ll probably get the trade, though!

Wonder Woman/Conan on 116 could be interesting.  I’ll wait for the trade to decide, though.

I don’t know – that sounds like an odd pairing. I know Conan isn’t terribly misogynistic as he’s written these days (I have no idea about the original stories), but he’s all WAR WAR WAR!!!! and she’s all PEACE PEACE PEACE!!!! Simone and Lopresti aren’t a bad creative team, though.

OK, I guess Future Quest Showcase is a new series, since the second issue is offered on page 119.

OMFG, Scooby Doo Team Up 30 on page 128 has them team up with the Challengers of the Unknown!  COOL!

Batman: Night of the Monster Men is in trade on page 132. DC wisely put this out AFTER the second volumes of the titles that cross over in it, so that if you buy those titles, you’ve already moved past this story. Well done, DC!

Just shows how non-essential it was.  I read the first two volumes of the Rebirth Batman (review coming…eventually?), and barely noticed anything happened.

The Demon by Kirby gets a big trade on page 139. This has been offered before, hasn’t it? Anyway, I haven’t read this, so I might have to pick this up.

You’d think it would have been collected before, but wowie, 16 issues for 30 bucks… yeah, I’m in.

I’m confused about this solicit for the third volume of Waid’s Flash on page 139.  It talks about being after Zero Hour, but the issues collected here all come BEFORE that.  Dope slaps all around!

That’s pretty funny. Well done, DC!

Kyle Rayner’s run as Green Lantern gets collected on page 140. Boy, I hope no women get horribly killed in this trade!

I would assume issue zero is also collected here.  I think I have all this stuff, as this GL is one series I actually semi-kept up with when I was first collecting.  I liked it.  Man, I want a snack though now, I should check the fridge …

House of Secrets: The Bronze Age Omnibus on page 141 is kind of annoying. It collects 30 issues and costs 100 dollars, but DC notes that some of it was collected in DC Horror: House of Secrets volume 1, which hasn’t come out yet. Is this superseding that, or is that still coming out? What’s the deal, DC?!?!?

Well, it says the material was previously “solicited” as that book, so I’m guessing that it is, in fact, superseding that.

Dang it, DC. That one was only 50 bucks, and I don’t know if I want to drop 100 on this. Come on, Danny D!

I don’t think Justice League of America: A Midsummer’s Nightmare is worth 25 dollars, which is what the deluxe edition costs on page 141, but it’s not bad. You can probably find the single issues for a lot cheaper!

Yeah, it’s ok, from what I remember, but I’ll go back issue bin hunting.

Justice League of America: The Detroit Era Omnibus (page 142). One hundred dollars. ONE. HUNDRED. DOLLARS. Drink it in, comics fans!!!!!

Geoff Johns loves it, by dammit, so it’s coming out!  In fact, this includes the “Retroactive” issue wherein Johns is made a character in the story.  Certainly not something I’d pay that price for, but I suspect the stories aren’t as bad as I’ve heard (and what I’ve read was…ok, I think).

The Wild Storm trade is on page 143. This has been quite good, with beautiful art by Jon Davis-Hunt, although it’s very Ellisian, and if you’re not a fan of Ellis, you might not enjoy this. I am, and I have, so that’s that.

Yeah, I’ve been waiting for a trade, so I’m in.

Huh, that Absolute WildC.A.T.S. HC on page 143 is more interesting when you read the solicit than one might think.  It includes stuff that’s currently still with Image (Cyberforce) as well as a Marvel crossover (WildCATS/X-Men: The Silver Age), but doesn’t include the stuff Jim Lee did when Alan Moore wrote the book (around issue 31-32).  Huh.  Not worth the price, but I do have an unhealthy fondness for the early Image stuff!

That’s weird that Marvel just lets it go in there without any comment. I assume they had to get permission for it? And those Moore issues – did Lee do the entire issues? I can’t be bothered to drag out my trade of that run.

From what I found on the GCD, it looks like he just did parts, so that’s probably why that stuff isn’t included.

Wasn’t this Sebastian O/The Mystery Play deluxe edition HC offered before, on page 146?  I think the Sebastian O pages in the Vertigo Preview were the first dose of GMozz I ever got.

I’m not sure. I don’t think I own Sebastian O, although I might, and The Mystery Play is just okay. If you’re a Morrison completist (like I kind of am), this would be a fine purchase, but if not, they’re not his best works.

Also, how weird is it that there are no issues of regular ongoing Vertigo books offered?

Poor Vertigo. They used to be the place to be, but DC hasn’t changed with the times, man. Creators want ownership, dang it!

IDW:

The full solicits are here, and I apologize, but it’s CBR with their ridiculous load time and deluge of ads.

How lame is it that Marvel has to farm out all-ages Star Wars Adventures comics to IDW?  NO ONE at Marvel could have done these books?  WTF?  (pages 154-155)

That is puzzling. I saw that and didn’t comment, but I did think it was kind of odd. A lot of Marvel’s art these days could be called cartoonish, even on their mainstream books, so they have the artists. It’s just weird.

Hell, Elsa Charretier has done variant covers for the Marvel SW books, like she does here!

Cool, the original TMNT are collected in a trade of the first seven issues and the Raphael one shot on page 162.  I know there have been several versions of these collections, but this has annotations.  I like annotations.

I love annotations, but I have, and have always had, zero interest in the Turtles. I don’t think it’s possible for me to care less about them!

Another one I need to get my ass in gear on writing about, but on page 169 is the Quintessential Collection of Transformers vs. GI Joe by Tom Scioli and John Barber, including the new “Movie Adaptation”.  Short version: if you like either or both properties, or Scioli, go for this book.

I saw that too, and I need to think about it. I went back and checked, and I guess my store never got volume 2, because I did order it. But I didn’t love volume 1, so I’m not sure if getting the entire thing is worth it.

Yeah, I can see where it wouldn’t be something that you would be into, but for those of us with at least some familiarity with and nostalgic love for one or both properties, it was pretty cool.  Of course, I read it free …

Darkness Visible gets a trade on page 174. This sounded intriguing – a detective has to save his daughter in a world where humans live side-by-side with demons – so I’m leaning toward getting it, but we’ll see.

Six issues for 20 bucks is good for an IDW book any more.  Was Arvind Ethan David always listed as co-writer?  I thought it was first listed as Mike Carey solo?

I don’t remember, I don’t recall, I have no memory of anything at all.

There’s a hardcover of Starstruck: Old Proldiers Never Die on page 179. It’s 40 bucks, which is more than the single issues, but perhaps you like having nice hardcovers on your shelves. Anyway, I haven’t read it yet, but man, Kaluta’s art is gorgeous.

The final issue of Kill Shakespeare: Past is Prologue: Juliet hasn’t come out yet, but the trade is on page 179. I dig these comics, and Corin Howell’s art isn’t as good as Andy Belanger’s but it’s still pretty good, so I’m looking forward to reading this.

Ben Templesmith brings back Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse with Mr. Wormwood Goes to Washington on page 181. I will wait for the trade on this, but I love these comics, because Templesmith’s twisted sense of humor is so much fun.

I like IDW’s Treasury Editions, I like Steve Niles, and I like Bernie Wrightson, so I may get the Doc Macabre Treasury Edition on page 183.  I have at least one issue of this, but of course haven’t read it.

Damn, those EC Artist Edition books on page 185…!

Don’t even get me started. That Toth book on page 184 looks sweet, too, even though it’s 40 bucks for 16 pages. Still …

Hugo Pratt’s The Man From the Great North is on page 187, and I’ll probably pick it up. A fearsome killer stalks 1920s Canada, but of course there’s more to the story! IDW’s Euro Comics have been very nicely put together, so this should be neat.

If nothing else, I Am A Number by Rian Hughes on page 191 will be well designed!

That’s too true.

Image:

Back to Newsarama for the full solicits!

Simon Spurrier and Caspar Wijngaard are the creative team on Angelic (page 196), which takes place in a future where humanity has died out but the genetically-modified animals they created thrive, and it tells the story of a flying monkey who wants to have adventures. Sounds goofy, but Spurrier and Wijngaard are two very good creators, so it will probably work.

The preview pages in Image Plus 15 are lovely.  I’ll trade wait cuz I’m like that, but still.

I have no idea if Retcon (page 202) is any good, but it’s a “reboot” of a comic that never existed, so it might be silly fun. Plus, Toby Cypress draws it, and Cypress is a very good artist.

Yeah, I’m not sure the reboot concept “works”, nor is it the first such series, I don’t think (Hell Yeah seemed to tread a certain similar territory, if I understand this one), but it sounds interesting.

Black Cloud volume 1 is on page 205, and I might pick it up. I like the creators, and it’s looked pretty good when I’ve flipped through the issues, and it’s one of Pelkie’s coveted 10-dollar trades, so what’s the harm?

Ooh, yeah, that sounded good, so I’m in.

Also on page 205 is the trade of Buzzkill, originally from Dark Horse, I believe.  Donny Cates, the new big thing, co-wrote this about a superhero whose powers come from alcohol and drugs.  Sounded good, so I’ll probably go for this.

Meh.

On page 207, we get Luther Strode: The Complete Series for 50 bucks. If you haven’t gotten these yet, you should check them out (this is about what you would pay for the three trades, I think). The story – about a dude who gets a “Charles Atlas” thing in the mail and weirdly enough becomes a superhero, is pretty good, but Tradd Moore’s art is stunning, and it makes the story much better. Good stuff!

Hmm, this is one I wanted to check out, so maybe I’ll go for this.

Also on 207 is Rock Candy Mountain, the first trade of the hobo fighting comic.  I may go for this, as it’s one of them 10 dollar ones you know I like.

On page 208 is the first trade of Jeff Lemire’s Royal City, another 10 dollar trade.  Not sure how many issues are in this, but it’s Lemire, it’s bound to be good (another review I need to write is of his Roughneck GN!)

Yeah, that hasn’t completed its first arc yet, but the first issue was tremendous. And yeah, I’ll get to Roughneck some day!

Image, and more interestingly, Chaykin, decided to scrap this cover of the Divided States of Hysteria since the book came out (page 212).  Definitely seems too much for a cover.

I get the idea of art being uncomfortable, and I’m all for it, but I also get the idea of making sure the audience actually wants to read your book, and that cover seems off-putting. I don’t like the idea of censoring Chaykin because it makes people feel bad. There are works of art hanging in museums that are more disturbing than this cover.

Hey, the new Image Plus 1 is offered on page 218, and honest this time, it’s coming.  Free with Previews, so you’ll be able to take a look again.

Did you ever read The Last Days of American Crime, offered on page 221?  I’ve been interested but never got around to getting it.

I read it and reviewed it on the old blog, when Radical published it. It’s quite good, and it was kind of a shame that Image didn’t promote it more when it moved over to them. I mean, Remender is a pretty good draw for them, so why not promote some of his more obscure stuff?

Well, I didn’t get volume 5 for some reason (have to cut things somewhere!), but the first volumes of Postal were pretty good, so the set of the first 5 trades for 50 bucks on page 225 is a pretty good deal.

Ooh, speaking of the Hawkins-verse, on page 237 is a trade titled The Tithe v3: Samaritan, but it reprints the 3 issue Samaritan series and the 3 issue Eden’s Fall series (which I didn’t get, which may be why I skipped Postal v5).  Good, now I can catch up!

Eden’s Fall was pretty good, but far too quick at 3 issues for what happens in it. I didn’t realize that’s how they would collect it or I would have gotten these single issues, but I still might get this trade.

From what I remember, there was a trade of Eden’s Fall that had the mini plus the first issues of the 3 crossing over series, so this is just a new version, I suppose?  I didn’t get that trade because I had the other 3 #1s, but then I didn’t find the Eden’s Fall single issues at my shop after, so now I can get them this way!

The B cover of The Wicked and the Divine 31 on page 239 is by Sophie Campbell.  FYI.

Marvel:

Here are the full solicits.

Man, I’m really not interested in Marvel Legacy #1 (page 4), but at the same time, it seems like a prime comic for a “page-by-page” treatment. I mean, it “begins at the dawn of the human race, and ends with a child’s prayer!” How can I resist something as bombastic as that?!?!?!?

“What if we do Final Crisis, but in one issue?”  I may be swayed into getting this, though.

They added an extra issue to the series, and now also added an “Omega” issue to Secret Empire on page 20.  That sound you hear is the milking of this thing …

OK, I don’t really care about most of the Venomized stuff, but on page 62, the Monsters Unleashed variant cover by Francesco Francavilla has Fin Fang Foom Venomized.  That’s neato.

Yeah, that is quite cool.

Our pal Kelly Thompson has the extraordinarily lengthily titled Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Captain Phasma on page 88.  I know nothing about this character, but I try to get all of Kelly’s stuff, so I’ll be getting a trade of this at some point.

I got a great deal of the Indestructible Hulk series, but here’s a complete trade on page 108.  Pretty neat stuff, plus Hulk vs. Thor by Simonson!

Even if our pal Kelly hadn’t co-written a couple issues of America (the first trade on page 111), I probably would have gotten it, as it sounded fun with great art.  I’m in, though!

Page 126 gives us a collection of Spider-Man: The Daily Bugle, with some interesting stuff, like the 3 issue B&W mini of that title, and the JJJ issue drawn by Dean Haspiel.  A bit pricey, though.

Yeah, that is a bit spendy. I’ve only read Deadline, which was pretty good, but 30 bucks for the issues collected here? Hmmmm …

Hmm, that Doctor Strange Epic collection of ’90s stuff on page 128 is semi-tempting with Warren Ellis and that PCR issue, but most of it is … uggo, I believe.  To use the clinical term.

Ellis’s work is, what, 2 or 3 issues? Easy to find in back issues. And the What Is It That Disturbs You, Stephen? book was collected earlier this year with some other, better comics, so get that instead of this!

Yeah, that’s about what I figured.

I know Marvel released it in black and white, but I didn’t get it, so now I’m going to pick up Tomb of Dracula: The Complete Collection volume 1 on page 129. Good stuff!

Yeah, tempting.  Tempting!

Then there’s Werewolf by Night: The Complete Collection volume 1 on page 130. Dang, I might have to get that, too.

Didn’t they do an Omnibus of that rather recently?

Then there’s Marvel Horror: The Magazine Collection on page 131. Dang, I might have to get that, too. Damn it, Marvel!

Ooh, yeah, that might be good.  Dammit, Marvel!  Wait, they actually timed a bunch of horror stuff to come out in October?  How did competence happen from any of the big publishers?!

Let’s check out the back of the book!

On page 252, we get the latest Aardvark-Vanaheim Cerebus in Hell? one shot, Aardvark Comics, homaging Action Comics 1.  I helped to point out it’s “grille” for the front of a car, when the prototype of this cover was first published at AMOC!  I still have to review (and read!) Cerebus in Hell? 4!

Also on 252, from AC Comics, is The Charlton Arrow 1, with a new E-Man story and some other fun sounding stuff.  I have an unholy love for Charlton, and I think this was offered through the Charlton magazine, but not through Diamond before.  I’m totally in!

That’s fun. I don’t have an unholy love for Charlton, but good for them!

Umm…I don’t even know how to respond to Misbegotten: Runaway Nun from Action Lab on page 258.  A post-apocalyptic world with a nun cloned from Marilyn Monroe?  Art doesn’t look bad from the ad on 259.  I’ll wait and see about a trade.

You’re right about the art. I will think about the trade, as well!

Over at Aftershock, Cullen Bunn and Juan Doe bring us Dark Art, which is a story of the alternate Noah’s ark, the one a sorcerer built to save all the monsters of the world. Apparently things don’t work out to well once the flood starts. Who could have guessed? This sounds fun, and Bunn and Doe are both good creators, so it should be pretty neat.

That sounds really interesting.  I’ll have to consider a trade.  (page 262)

Fu Jitsu on page 264 sounds like it might be some wacky fun, with an un-aging genius protecting the earth from the world’s tallest man and his magi-science.  I will get the trade!

You can’t trust those tall men!

Amigo has The Apocalypse Girl on page 273, in which a typical teenager has to deal with typical teenager things, as well as all the horrible stuff that happens after the world ends. You know, like you do. El Torres writes this, and he’s a fine writer, so I expect this will be quite good.

Sounds fun.  Looks like a 4 issue mini, if I can see the tiny type in the corner box.  I like to get Amigo’s stuff, particularly the El Torres stuff, as it is good.

Antarctic Press has the comics adaptation of a Veruca Salt song…no, wait, it’s Teether, a horror story on page 285.  I misread that.  Sounds as if it could be ok.

Man, breaking out the Veruca Salt references. Well done, sir!

Can’t fight it.

Not sure what all is in The Archies and Other Stories on page 286.  It features the one shots of The Archies, Big Moose, and Jughead: The Hunger, but it seems like the page count is about twice what those 3 would be.  They offered and then cancelled a bunch of one shots recently, are they just printing these Archie one shots in this book instead of in singles?

I should probably get around to reading Such a Lovely Little War at some point, but Arsenal Pulp Press has the sequel, Saigon Calling: London 1963-1975, so I’ll have to get that and not read it, too! The first book looks really neat, so I imagine this will, too, and when I get this, I promise to read them both!

I don’t know if Gravetrancers from Black Mask on page 296 is any good, because I don’t know the creators involved, but it sounds keen – siblings discover that people are making drugs out of human remains – and if the artist, James Michael Whynot (yes, really) is as good as the cover (which he drew), it will look phenomenal. We shall see!

Was Whynot one of the artists we talked about recently, like Wildgoose and Goonface?  Yeah, this looks cool and sounds bizarre, so I’ll get the trade.

No, I’ve never heard of him before, and it sounds like this might be his debut. Still, yet another good name to add to the list!

Also from Black Mask on page 297 is Black v1, which sounded really interesting, a world where only Black people have powers.  Interior art by Jamal Igle and that Khary Randolph cover is striking.  I’m in.

I won’t swear to it, but I suspect that this new mini of Slam!: The Next Jam from Boom! on page 306 is the story originally intended for issues 5-8. (The full solicits for Boom! are here, by the way.)

Probably. But hey, they’re getting to do it, so good on them!

Bad Mask on page 307 sounds interesting, a multimedia approach to learning about a superpowered organization.  A bit pricey, maybe, but could be fun.

Yeah, but I don’t want to have to go elsewhere to get a story, so is all this extra stuff just contained in the book, but in that different format, or do you actually have to do other things than read the damned book? I’ll have to investigate!

I think it’s a box that includes all of this supplemental stuff, and then you dig around and look through it all and the story from the various media, sorta like one of those hyperlink stories that were oh so cool in the ’90s!

If it includes alla them neat variant covers, the Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern trade might be worth it, on page 309.

Hm, issue 6 is the finale of Godshaper on page 310, which means that I will be getting the hopefully soon-to-be offered trade!

Ha! Boom! takes its time with trades, sir!

This is true.

Hey, Chapterhouse is finally offering their variant covers at the same price as the regular covers!  So now I have to actually ponder what cover I want on Die Kitty Die: Hollywood or Bust! 4 on page 327!

I think they did that last month for the first time, but I’m not sure. But yeah, it’s nice that they finally did, because charging more for a variant is d-u-m.

If they did it last month, I missed it, because I would have pondered more.  The only good thing about the higher priced variant is that it makes it easier for me to choose which cover to get!  I think the only higher priced variant I caved for was the Allred cover for Athena Voltaire from Action Lab a while ago!

I’m so far behind with reviewing stuff that I haven’t had a chance to write about Sink, the new horror comic by John Lees, but it’s pretty keen. It’s on page 329 from ComixTribe, and it’s pretty cool that it’s coming out, because Lees is a pretty good writer and a really nice guy, so I hope it does well for him.

I’ve been getting the emails about this for…about a year, he said in the most recent one.  Imagine my surprise a few months ago when they had a link to a video of people talking about the book and your picture was in my email!

You should post that video here. Everyone needs to see me speaking about the book!

If I can figure out how to, I will.  I forwarded you the email, didn’t I?  Yeah, I’ve looked at the video again, and it pops up in the media player on my computer, but I don’t know enough computerin’ to figure out how to post it here.  Thankfully, you got it figured out, so here it is, Burgas in all his glory!

Greg Pak is writing a new John Wick comic for Dynamite on page 332 (full solicitations here). Sigh. One thing we don’t need is an origin story for John Wick. Leave well enough alone, people!

Hey, Moritat is drawing Sheena (page 334). Good for him!

Casino Royale is getting adapted to comics, on page 340, which seems neat, I guess.  FYI for Hatcher and all the rest of you folks that are more familiar with that stuff than I am!

Hey, Will Pfeifer is writing The Librarians on page 342! I don’t know what Pfeifer does with most of his time, but his comics are usually pretty good, and The Librarians is a fun show, so this might be worth a look. Or maybe not. What do I know?

I keep seeing the first two seasons at the local big box store, and everyone else here seems to like it, so I should check it out.  Do I need to watch the movies from before the series?

No, you don’t. Noah Wyle is the star of those, and in the series, he’s more of an occasional presence. I still haven’t seen the movies and I think they make some references to them, but they’re very minor and don’t have much to do with the regular series.

I will consider these, then.

Hmm, I probably won’t spring for it, but on page 346 is the Best of Vampirella Master Series Omnibus, with a shit ton of great creators (and Jeph Loeb) on Vampirella stories.  I’ll definitely be looking for this discounted at some point down the road.

Jeph Loeb slam!

That one was too easy, really.

Darby Pop has Bastard’s Waltz on page 358, which for the name alone it gets on my radar.  Hmm, for some reason a supervillain is being protected by a Secret Service guy after being gunned for by a younger rival.  Intriguing, anyway.

That did sound interesting.

Devil’s Due/1First resolicits Dan Schaffer’s Malefic, an 8 issue asylum horror tale on page 359.  I don’t know if David Miller was on art originally, perhaps that’s why it’s reoffered?  Regardless, I was waiting for a trade, and if Schaffer isn’t on art, it makes me wait more.

Dial Books has, on page 363, All’s Faire in Middle School, about a girl whose parents work at a Ren Fest, and she decides to go to public school.  The kids inevitably find her weird and peer pressure mounts.  I’ll try to check this out from the library.  MAD Magazine had a feature by the great Teresa Burns Parkhurst about when your parents are into Ren Fests, it was hilarious as her stuff always is!

Whoa!  Fantagraphics has a book of Roger Langridge’s Fred the Clown!  I’m not sure if The Iron Duchess is a new story or if this is a collection of his series — looks like it’s probably a new thing, from my searching!  Yay!  (page 372)

I might get this. I’m not as huge a fan of Langridge as some, but he’s pretty good.

On page 378, 451 Media has Sunflower, a story of a woman who believes her daughter was murdered a decade earlier but now finds out she’s alive. Sounds creepy and eerie, so I might have to pick it up!

Ah, I was quite interested in this one when the singles were offered ages ago, so I’m glad they’ve finally offered a trade.  I’m in, probably!

M.F.K. from Insight Comics on page 384 sounds neat. A girl wants to cross a big desert to scatter her mother’s ashes, but in her weird world, everyone she meets bothers her for some reason. I’m intrigued!

Does she have a perpetual scowl on her face?  That seems to be why everyone bothers me!  That does sound and look good.

All the baby boomers are going to feel old, with Knockabout’s Fifty (!) Freakin’ Years of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers on page 389.  I like this stuff even though I don’t smoke the pot, so you know it must be good!

Lion Forge has a memoir by Katie Green, Lighter Than My Shadow, about her struggle with anorexia (page 396). Doesn’t exactly sound like my thing, but it’s still an intriguing kind of book.

On page 400 is the trade of Three O’Clock Club, which sounded fun, where a group of kids are the only thing holding back the supernatural stuff spewing out of a portal at the school.  I will highly consider it!

On page 401, they have Generations, about a gay man who moves back in with his sprawling family in the Italian countryside and discovers some things about said family. Could be neat.

Ooh, look at that art on The Little Red Wolf on page 404.  Pretty stuff, and a reversal of sorts of the Little Red Riding Hood story.  Lovely!

NBM is celebrating their 40th anniversary with a new printing of Streak of Chalk, about a death on a tiny island in the Atlantic. I’ve never heard of it, but I’m going to get it anyway!

Sounds interesting.  Prado did a story in Sandman Endless Nights, didn’t he?  And what’s with all the damn lighthouses in European comics?!

Man, I don’t know. Don’t make me look it up! And lighthouses are weird and spooky, just like Europeans, so they show up in European comics! It’s just logic!

That makes a frightening amount of sense, actually.

Oni has Made Men on page 408, which is about – wait for it – a descendant of Victor Frankenstein who works for a special police division in Detroit and whose team is ambushed and killed, including her … but I suppose because she’s a Frankenstein, she’ll come back to life. Sounds ridiculous, but Paul Tobin is writing it, and Tobin is a good writer, so I’m kind of intrigued.

And he got Juan Ferreyra to do a variant cover, so there’s that.  I will wait for the trade.

Rebellion/2000AD has a few interesting looking ones.  On page 420 is Brink v1 by the New Deadwardians and Wild’s End team of Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard.  Hmm, it’s a crime drama on an overpopulated space station, not unlike The Fuse, I suppose.  I’m considering it.  On 421 is Marney the Fox, illustrated by John Stokes, about a fox against humans.  Intriguing.

Selfmadehero has a comics bio of Nick Cave.  I like what I’ve heard of his music, so I’ll have to consider this.

Space Goat already has a second part to Ted Naifeh’s Heroines offered on page 426.  I need to get the trade first, guys!

Yeah, that was quick. Oh well – I’m waiting for this trade anyway, so they can be as quick as they like!

Storm King Productions has the third volume of John Carpenter’s Tales for a Halloween Night on page 428.  I think it’s a good lineup of creators, but they misspell a few names in the ad on page 427 so I’m not sure!

Ah, editors. No one knows about them until they’re not there!

Titan is really leaning into this “Hammer Comics” thing, as they have Captain Kronos on page 432. Dan Abnett is writing it, which is fine, but Tom Mandrake is drawing it, and we just don’t get enough Tom Mandrake stuff these days. This trade should look nice!

I do like Mandrake.  If this is just 4 issues, though, it might be worth it to get the single issues instead.  Decisions!  And I had a different thought about that Hammer Glamour book on page 433, with its cover and the “bursting at the seams” solicit text!  I can’t help myself with these kinds of jokes, I must make them!

There is a 2 issue Wolfenstein comic on page 435.  I played the video game and I like Piotr Kowalski, so I may go for this.

The Beautiful Death on 437 looks and sounds neat, about what the point of trying to survive when there’s nothing left post-alien invasion, but I’ll wait for a trade.

I haven’t read the second Britannia series yet, but the trade is on page 468 from Valiant. The first series was very good, and it’s the same creative team, so I imagine this is good, too!

Let’s see if I can find and read the first trade by the time I need to get my list in to my shop!

You said you’d read Karma Police before, didn’t you?  Vault offers a trade of that on page 470.

I … read the first issue. I’m behind, man!

I thought this had come out prior to Vault offering it, from what you said when the first issue was solicited there, and that you’d read it before then.  I may have misunderstood.  How was the first issue?

Good. I’m looking forward to reading the whole thing, but I have so many other things to read! I’m a bad non-professional reviewer!

On page 477, Viz has the twelfth and final volume of Master Keaton. Hey, now I can read them all!

There’s a 12 volume manga bio of the dude who played Mr. Mom?

Nope, it’s a biography of Michael J. Fox’s character on Family Ties. Get with it, Pelkie!

Oh, THAT makes more sense, actually.

On page 493, we have How Comics Work with Dave Gibbons.  How would he know?

I’ll leave you with page 629’s Golden Girls edition of Clue.  Because why the hell not?

On that note, we’ll say so long to another month of Previews. We hope we pointed you toward some good stuff, and be sure to let us know if we missed anything! Have a nice day!