Flippin’ through ‘Previews’ – February 2017

Previews #341 didn’t come out the last week of January, it came out the first week of February. Has the world gone mad? Wait, don’t answer that.

Travis whined like a Cowboys fan that he didn’t want to be blue anymore, so this month, he’s black, and I’m blue. Sound good? Sounds good.

That…that is…mostly…unfair.  It’s just that the blue code is so hard to cut and paste!  Also, I assume the Cowboys suck.  I don’t watch basketball.  But you’re implying that I, too, suck, which is…ok, probably on target.  Damn you, Burpgas!

Dark Horse:

Shaolin Cowboy returns on page 46. Excuse me here: BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA (*gasp*) HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!!! I assume the first issue will actually come out on 19 April, as it says. When the second one will ship? NO MAN CAN SAY!!!! (I like Geof Darrow – I’ve met him once and he was very nice – and I love his work, but yeah. Let’s be reasonable here.)

I would hope that if they’re soliciting an artist like Darrow, they have at least a couple issues in the can.  But who knows?

James Stokoe is doing an Alien book on page 51. DO I REALLY NEED TO SAY MORE?!?!?!?!?

Actually, that doesn’t excite me quite as much as Stokoe on Godzilla did, but it’s still pretty neat.

You’re dead to me. DEAD TO ME!!!!!

I prefer Godzilla!  That’s all!!!

I’m amused that well over 20 years after he died, Harvey Kurtzman is able to “sign” books, with the limited edition version of his Jungle Book HC (page 63).

I was waiting for a trade of Spell on Wheels, and now we get one offered here on page 64.  I thought it sounded like a decent story, since I like witchy girls, and it’s a reasonably priced trade.  What more do you want?

If you never got The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks, there’s a new expanded version on page 65. It’s an utter hoot.

I actually have read this, from a library.  It was very enjoyable, but that’s obvious — it’s Faith Erin Hicks!  I may get this one.  Of course, for those of you who got the first edition, HAHAHA SUCKERS!

There’s also a new version of the entire Martha Washington saga by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons on page 67. This includes the only preview issue I’ve ever received from Dark Horse, as somehow I got on their mailing list briefly. It’s a pretty good book from before Miller went Full Miller on us.

I may have to go for this, as what I’ve read of it was pretty neat.  Good to know Dark Horse quickly realized their mistake in giving you a preview!  HA!  (Psst, publishers, we would love to get on your preview/comp lists.  We will review the HELL out of your comics that you send to us for free.  Just sayin’! atomicjunkshoptravis at outlook.com, ok?)

TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN OMNIBUS PLUS HC on page 68 (I’m not shouting, it was all caps when I copied it from the Diamond site!) — ooh wow, even neater, a Too Much Coffee Man Omni!  I like what I’ve read!  Also, I believe it is the first/only comic book series/character to have an opera inspired by it!  600 pages for 30 bucks (with a color section) is a pretty good deal!

DC:

So there’s a four-part story about the Comedian’s button in Batman #21-22 and Flash #21-22 (page 83). Dang, that button looks huge, doesn’t it? The mystery should be, “Why would anyone put ketchup on this tasty flapjack?”

The Comedian: rolling back prices on assassinations!

Also, the DC characters are confused by the button because “what is…smile?”.

The artist on Batgirl #10 (page 92) is Chris Wildgoose. That is not the most unusual last name in this month’s Previews, however! (He’s actually quite good, so this isn’t anything about his talent, and I missed his name on the previous few issues, so yes, I’m behind the times. Sue me.)

I think I know who your other wacky last name person is, but I’ll save my comments for then!  But yeah, that is an awesome last name.  I hope it’s not just a pseudonym!  And I too have been remiss in not commenting on this prior!

Nightwing 18 and 19 (on page 107) bring back Professor Pyg and Deathwing.  Deathwing was the version of Dick with a pierced nipple.  Heh.  I just felt that was worth commenting about.

Scott Snyder, Steve Orlando, and Riley Rossmo bring us Batman/The Shadow on page 116. This could be cool. Will they remember that they’ve met each other before (I assume they have, because in the solicits they mention them reuniting)? Will they trade stories about hanging out with Grendel? That would be awesome.

That should be cool, even with Snyder involved (oh snap!), because I really dig Rossmo’s art.  Our pal buttler tweeted about this, hoping that DC and Dynamite would include the prior DC Batman/Shadow crossovers from the ’70s.  MAKE IT HAPPEN, DC AND DYNAMITE!!!  And yes, that would be awesome if they chatted about Grendel.  “That guy…was weird.”  “Look at me, I’ve got a two-pronged spear, and Venom’s face!”

The final issue of Future Quest is on page 122. That’s too bad – I don’t know if Parker only planned for 12 issues, or if we’re starting to see the hammer fall on low-selling titles (and the Hanna-Barbera ones apparently aren’t selling well), but either way, I assume everything will get wrapped up!

Well, I haven’t read this yet, but to be fair this time, I’m trade waiting and volume 1 hasn’t come out yet.  The solicits on this one did make it sound like there was one big threat that they needed to gather to defeat, so presumably this was (mostly) planned to end like this.  The Hanna-Barbera books seemed to change contents post-solicitation a lot, though, which was weird.

Not only do we get a GL/GA team up with the Scooby Doo gang in Scooby Doo Team Up 25 on page 128, but we get some parody and social commentary.  Not surprisingly, I’m way behind on reading this, but the first dozen or so issues were extremely good.  So glad it’s been changed to monthly!

The first trade of Doom Patrol shows up on page 131. Simon will be upset that only 4 of the 6 issues included have shipped, but it’s been a pretty keen book so far!

I have been trade waiting the Young Animal stuff, although given the backups (which were not originally solicited, mind you), I may have wanted the singles.  I’ll give this a try!

More proof that maybe DC is releasing these issues a bit too quickly – the second trades of Detective, The Flash, and Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps are on page 134-135. The first trades came out over the past few weeks, and to be fair, this doesn’t come out until May, but sheesh, DC!

Well, they’re twice monthly books, and if they’re collecting 6-8 issues, that’s only 3-4 months worth of stuff, so they need to get the trades out toot-sweet.  I’m still not getting them, though.  Oddly enough, Rebirth seems to have gotten a number of people back, but it’s pretty much driven me away from DC.  YMMV!  Although I do have an affinity for Blue Beetle, so I may check out that trade.

Oh, I get that they are getting them out at the same lag time than if they were coming out monthly, but it’s still kind of silly. I can’t imagine buying single issues at that clip, and I’m not sure if I’m going to do it with trades, either!

I’m interested in the Supergirl Rebirth trade on page 136 (and really, spell check, you go scribbly for Catwoman and Supergirl but not Batman and Superman?  So damn sexist!), as it should go well with my DVD of the first season of the show.  (Upcoming columns?  I sure hope so!)  The Superwoman (she’s ok, spell check?) series on the same page sounded interesting, and it’s Phil Jimenez (partly…), so I may go for this trade.

I can’t remember if the Greg Rucka/Shawn Martinbrough run on Detective has been collected before, but there’s a big trade on page 137 of the first 12 issues. This is a pretty cool collection of comics – it was nice to look at, but the bright and stark color scheme was a very cool idea, too.

Hmm, Martinbrough is pretty good (I liked the first trade of Thief of Thieves), and I see there’s some Phil Hester and the late great John Watkiss in there too, so I may consider this.

Grr, they cancelled the Adam Strange Silver Age trades so they could do the HC omnibus, it appears.  I hope they’ll still do the trades, but if not, I’ll just have to get the HC at some point down the road for Amazon prices or something, and not on page 137.

Batman by Azzarello and Risso deluxe HC is offered on page 138.  All I remember about the Batman run they did was the tortured “flirting” Batman did with the prostitute making suggestions about the size of his cock.  And the suck ass ending.  Although I don’t even remember that all that well.

The Azzarello/Risso Batman was … not good. Nice art, though!

DC solicited Mike Mignola’s Phantom Stranger mini-series a while back and never brought it out, but now they’re offering it as part of The DC Universe by Mike Mignola on page 139, which is 40 bucks but is 400 pages. Shockingly, I don’t think I own any of the comics collected in here. How bizarre! So I’ll definitely be getting this!

That is weird, because I have a bigly portion (really, spellcheck okays that “word” now?) of this stuff, it seems, but it’s Mignola, dammit!  I may want it all between 2 covers!

I assume that Wildcat is either on one of the DC TV shows, or is appearing in the (no doubt) upcoming JSA book, which would explain the Batman/Wildcat trade on page 139.  I have the title mini, but not the rest of the stuff (probably?), which is a Catwoman/Wildcat mini and several issues of Brave and the Bold.  I’ll consider it!

He’s been on Arrow before, but I don’t know if they’re gearing up for him to be more prominent. But it’s probably more likely he’s going to be showing up in the comics soon enough.

Oh-kay, not sure why the Zero Hour issues of Batman books are being collected on page 139, but I will say that they are a bunch of quite good stories, so I would recommend this collection.  I have all of these, though.  Except maybe Robin 10.  Dammit, there’s always SOME issue of a collection I’m missing!

Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love gets a trade on page 140. The last issue hasn’t come out yet, but this is a very neat, creepy story so far, so you might want to jump in without knowing the final third of the tale!

Well, I think it’s out in the next week or two, so it should be out before orders are due.  I was intrigued, as I do likes me some Deadman, and this is a bit cheaper than the single issues.  I’ll consider it!

Yeah, it came out this past week. You were just so slow with this post that we caught up to its schedule!!!!

LAST DAYS OF THE JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA TP is on page 140 (again, I copied it from the website, I’m not shouting!) — proving that the JSA is coming back, in case there was any doubt.  However, since most of this collection is stories from the wonderful Secret Origins series from the ’80s, “Last Days” is a bit of a misnomer!

I’m waiting for a collection of Wally Wood’s All Star Comics. Where’s that, DC?!?!?!? (Unless they’ve already done one, in which case, carry on!)

Ooh, yeah, that’d be cool.  We could review it by tracking the size of Power Girl’s chest!

Oh, neat, I have at least a few issues of the Flintstones and Jetsons series, so I may consider this trade of that series on page 141.  Good wholesome fun for the kiddies.  Waitasecond, Ivan Brunetti did art for this?  Hmm…is it wholesome, then?!

Egads, 50 bucks seems a bit steep for it, but JLA Year One WAS a fine comic book, so this deluxe HC on page 141 might be worth that.  However, I’ll just eventually dig out my back issues and reread it that way, thanks!

I’m pretty sure it was 3 bucks a pop, which would make tracking down the back issues (which can’t be worth too much) no more than 36 dollars for 12 issues. Unless they really are worth far more than that!

For several years, I had had the first 10 issues but had not gotten the last 2, for some reason.  I was able to read the whole story in a trade from the library in the meantime, before I finally got the last 2 issues.  I love the little things, like Aquaman’s accent.

WONDER WOMAN BY JOHN BYRNE HC VOL 01 on page 145 (again with the shouty!) — I’ve got a few issues of this, but damn, I wouldn’t go 40 bucks for 14 issues for it.  Gotta milk WW for that sweet sweet movie tie in money, though, huh?

Byrne’s Wonder Woman made me drop the book. It was pretty lousy, and when it’s so lousy after the 1990s Deodato art that immediately preceded it, you know it’s pretty bad!

I jumped on board for a few issues at the start of his run, and a couple others a bit into it, and I have bits and pieces of the run, but yeah, it’s nothing special.

Huh, Books of Magic is getting collected on page 151.  The regular series, that is.  I have bits and pieces of this, it was a decent series.  This seems to be DC saying, “well, we’re not getting another Sandman, Preacher, or Fables, so by God, we’ll reprint all of our back catalog!”  Where’s my Scarab trade, DC?

I’d totally buy a Scarab trade. Of course, it’s been noted that I’m a bit bizarre.

We are bizarre together!  I need the trade because it was an 8 issue series, and for some reason I never got the last issue.  AGH!

Man, that Norm Breyfogle Batman statue on page 155 is sweeeeeeet.

Needs more cape.

IDW:

TMNT Universe 9 on page 160 has a story written (but not drawn) by Sophie Campbell.  She loves them TMNT!

In case you’ve missed Nate Powell’s work and want to catch up thanks to seeing his art on that John Lewis book (which I still haven’t read but I suppose I’ll get around to eventually), you can grab the “Omnibox” on page 176, featuring Swallow Me Whole, Any Empire, and You Don’t Say. Swallow Me Whole and Any Empire are stunning (although I have some problems with both of them, but it’s probably more me than Powell), and You Don’t Say is a collection of interesting short stories, and the entire thing is 50 dollars and well worth it. Check it out!

Sounds like a good deal, anyway.  I read Swallow Me Whole, I believe, but it didn’t really do anything for me, from what I remember.  I’ll check the library again and take another look sometime.

Also on page 176 is Home Time HC, which sounds cute, with a group of kids about to start high school but get sucked into a fantasy world and have to deal with it.  I’ll consider it based on the art, which looks nice enough in the tiny little panels that I can see in the book.

Night Owl Society on page 181 sounds interesting, as a group of outsider kids try to take on the mob as vigilantes, but what interests me the most is that the writer’s first name is the same as the artist’s last name.  Whoa!  OK, this was a Previews website error, but look, they list the writer’s name as Bak Venhaus!  And the artist is Pius Bak (which is a cool name, mind you!)  Since this is apparently only 3 issues, I have to decide whether or not to order the singles, as the trade will undoubtedly be more than the singles!

On page 183, we get a collection of Bo Hampton’s Lost Planet, which was published in 1984 but apparently never collected. So that’s neat. The book sounds cool – a pulp adventure featuring both Ambrose Bierce and Amelia Earhart – and Hampton’s work is always keen to check out.

I have the first 2 issues of the Eclipse series, so I’ll have to try to dig these out (HA!) and take a look (double HA!  HAHA!).  Interesting that they’re printing it in B&W.

I have not read the final issue of Yakuza Demon Killers yet, but the trade is on page 183, and it’s been a pretty darned neat book so far. The trade is 2 dollars more than the single issues, so I’m glad I got the single issues, even though that’s kind of dirty pool, IDW!

With this, I don’t blame IDW too much, because if Diamond had been listing this properly, as a 4 issue and not 6 issue series, I might have gotten the single issues and saved a bit of cash.  We’ll see if I go for this trade.

Yeah, the solicits have been weird. On my retailer’s invoice this past week, it was listed as “4 (of 6)” and I actually sneaked a peek at the last page to make sure it, you know, ended. Diamond needs to get their shit together!

Yeah, that’s what I mean.  They listed it as 6 issues from the start, and they STILL list it that way.  I guess it would have been weirder if IDW did a 6 issue mini, as they have rarely if ever done so, but I didn’t know!

The “It’s Alive” imprint that has Travis really excited (it’s from Drew Ford, who helped Dover put out a lot of good stuff over the past few years), brings us Red Range by Joe Lansdale and Sam Glanzman on page 185. It’s a Western about a black man fighting the Klan, and it looks really, really cool. I’m on board!

Yeah, I wanted this too, but for some reason didn’t get on board the Kickstarter for this, but I’ll be ordering here.  I don’t believe I’ve seen an update about the Voyage to the Deep Kickstarter yet, though.  Couldn’t think of the name for it at first!

Jem and the Holograms ends with issue 26 on page 187, but I see that it will come back for an encore in the summer.  OK.  I need to catch up with this!

Well, that’s too bad. It’s really freakin’ good.

There are hints on Kelly’s the Twitter that there is a hideously complex followup coming (she and the editor needed color coded index cards and such to keep track), which oddly makes me giddy.  Also, I don’t know if the Misfits series is continuing as well, so that’s more Kelly too!

Hmm. That will be interesting to see.

Image:

Black Cloud on page 196 isn’t terribly specific – a girl from, presumably, another world is on the run – but it’s written by Jason Latour and Ivan Brandon, drawn by Greg Hinkle, and colored by Matthew Wilson, and that’s a good team. I can’t decide if I want to wait for trades, though!

Black Cloud sounds interesting, with a cool group of creators, but I’ll probably just trade wait it.  I’m like that!

Jeez, how did Rose get into publication, let alone make the cover of the catalog and page 197?  The bad names, the hackneyed plot, the unedited solicit copy (“the powerful sorcerous Drucilla has many powerful and demonic allies” — so, I’m not sure, but is she powerful?  And should that be “sorceress” Drucilla?).  Just so blah.  They should probably specify that the Little Mermaid that Meredith Finch worked on was the Zenescope one, not the Disney one (unless I’m somehow mistaken).

Rose does sound turrible, to quote Shaq.

Plastic on page 198 sounds interesting.  If a serial killer can’t find love with a sex doll, then what kind of a culture are we?  Looks like the 12 Gauge creators are coming (back) to Image, so that’s good, because they did good stuff.  Since this is a 5 issue mini, though, I’ll be trade waiting!

If I ever get to read any Donny Cates stuff (I got the Dark Horse book about superhero repo men, but haven’t read it yet, and Interceptor got cancelled from Heavy Metal but will be coming from Vault, I think), I might know if I’ll like Redneck on page 199.  It sounds fun, with a vampire family running a BBQ joint, until things fall apart.  I’ll be trade waiting, but this sounds pretty good.

Re: Rock Candy Mountain on page 201: “Eisner-nominated comic creator Kyle Starks would like to invite you to enter the magical world of hobos.” Yeah, that’s not a good sell. I mean, the comic might be good, but does anyone think hobos live in a magical world?

Rock Candy Mountain is a fun song (well, the Big Rock Candy Mountain, which I know from an old Pogo comic), and I loves me some hobo stories, so I will be waiting for the trade of this with bated breath.  I should probably get a mint.  Maybe they don’t live in a magical world, but I think hoboes (hobos?  I like either!) are romanticized plenty.  Hopping a freighter, not tied down by a home or possessions, bathing in public, fellating other guys, having a stick with a bindle on it — what’s not to love?

SPLITTING IMAGE 80-PAGE GIANT on page 203 (this time I’m shouting!)  — hot damn, the two issues of Splitting Image AND the normalman/Megaton Man special in one book?  I’m in!  I think there’s a Cerebus cameo in the latter comic.  I’ll tell you one reason this was never reprinted — there are STILL a shit ton of these things in comic stores to this day!  And I own all these, and I’ll STILL get this!  Because I’m cray-cray!  What’s fun is, as you can see from the cover, they’re reprinting a character that’s now owned by DC.  I wonder if they’re sneaking that under the radar!

Maybe Zealot is still technically owned by Jim Lee? I mean, I know he sold WildStorm to DC, but did he just sell them the right to use the characters, but not the ownership? One wonders …

Hmm, maybe.  Most likely it will just include a copyright/TM notice in the front and a thanks to DC for allowing usage.  I would hope that DC would be chill about specials celebrating Image’s 25th anniversary.

Ah, series finale of She Wolf with #8 on page 230.  I wonder if this one was truncated like Dark Corridor was?  I should read volume 1 soon!

She Wolf isn’t as good as Dark Corridor, unfortunately. It’s still kind of neat.

And of course AD: After Death is collected in a HC on page 236 that costs significantly more than the single issues did.  They’re going to milk this one, aren’t they?

Kid Savage on page 237 sounds pretty neat, Lost in Space meets Tarzan, and it’s by Joe Kelly and Ilya.  I’m very tempted!

I was interested in Reborn, since I don’t have the Millar hatred you do and I think Capullo is decent, but I’m not getting it as a 25 dollar HC, like it’s offered on page 239.

Saga deluxe HC 2 on page 240 — look, she’s picking her nose on the cover!  IT’S SO EDGY!!!

I was waiting for a trade of Snowfall, which apparently wrapped up in 9 issues (but I do not know if that was the intent), and for 20 bucks that’s a good deal on page 241.  I liked the first trade of Great Pacific by the same team, so I’ll be getting this.

There’s a new Street Angel book on page 242, in which our hero goes to school. Yay, school! I liked the old edition of Street Angel well enough, so I’ll probably pick this up.

Is…is this all new?!  Oh my glory.  Will Image reprint the original stuff as well?  I’m so in!  Waitaminnit, I missed that it’s a 20 dollar book for 40 pages.  Also, I’m not sure if I’m liking the new style Rugg has for the pages previewed in Image Plus 10.  Hmmm.

Surgeon X looked awesome, so I was already in for this on page 243.  I wonder if they’re going to try to continue this after the loss of John Watkiss, though.

Surgeon X isn’t that good, unfortunately. The writing is kind of a mess. Watkiss’s art is nice, but it can’t save the story. Next issue is the final one of the arc, but yeah, I don’t know what they’re doing next.

I’m not sure my love of Canadia can outweigh my antipathy for BKV stuff, so I don’t know if I’ll be getting the trade of We Stand On Guard on page 244.

The trade of The Hunt got rescheduled for some reason, and is offered again on page 245.  Perhaps they thought I still wanted to order it?  I may, I may.

Marvel:

On page 6, we get X-Men Blue #1, featuring the five original X-Men. Man, Marvel is really leaning into the nostalgia of cranky 40- to 60-year-old white dudes, aren’t they?

Hey, some of us won’t be 40 for a few years yet, thenkyewveddymuch!  If I were a younger man, I might geek out on the new X-Men teams.  Alas.

Speaking of stupid ideas, X-Men Gold (page 10) features “the most iconic X-Men.” Old Man Logan is not iconic, Wolverine is. I don’t even know who the hell “Prestige” is, and while I haven’t read the X-Men in some time, shouldn’t “iconic” mean, I don’t know, ICONIC? I get putting Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus on the team, but who the hell is Prestige?

Oh, and get off my lawn!

Prestige is that format that DC used to use for some good books.  HA!  Actually, is she…Rachel Grey?  Yes, I believe it is.  So, just like her mom, she has suck-ass code names.

How creepy is the smile that Ben Reilly has in that Scarlet Spider cover image on page 19?  How tight is his mask?!

Well, superhero outfits are basically fetish wear, and that’s stretched awfully tightly across his groin …

“The Scarlet Spider reportedly has a high-pitched, squeaky voice, as if he’s getting pinched continuously…”

They’re doing a comics adaptation of that Lorde song?  (Royals on page 20)

Aco’s art on Nick Fury (page 24) looks amazing, but how many issues will he draw? Remember, he did two – I think – issues of Midnighter before he needed a break (it might even have been one complete issue). I love getting great artists on books, but if they’re really slow, what’s the point?

It’s too bad I don’t care about Nick Fury, or I might like this new James Robinson series.

So the point of Monsters Unleashed was to create a monster team that no one will care about? (page 26)

Well, according to my retailer, nobody cares about the limited series, so it will be par for the course!

The series sounded cool, but it’s too pricey for me to get in singles, and that HC last month was too pricey as well.  I suspect it’s partly backlash from CW2 and all the event crap that we get from comics companies.

I’m pointing out Hulk #5 on page 41 because the second issue came out, and there’s still no Hulk in sight. I mean, that’s just Marvel fucking with us, now, isn’t it? I would love a story about Jen Walters, high-powered attorney, but if you’re going to call your comic “HULK,” perhaps it should actually star, you know, the Hulk? Just a fucking thought.

You’d think she’d Hulk out at least once a month, no?  (I’m never getting laid again, am I?  And not even just for this….)

Not that you’re one, but I love the thought of fanboys getting their panties in a twist because “where’s the Hulk I want the Hulk in my comic why do I have to read about a GUUURRRRRLLLLLLLL!?!?!!  Mom, get me a Mountain Dew!  Yeah, a Voltage!  NO, NOT A DIET WHY DID YOU BUY THESE EWWWWWW!!!!”

I had too much fun typing that out.

Considering that the Clone Conspiracy was all about dead Spider characters coming back to life, why is it a big deal that Silver Sable is back? (ASM 26, page 45)

America, per her solicit on page 55, is a “dimension-hoping hero”.  “I really hope that time is one of the dimensions!  It is?  GREAT!”

Not necessarily interested in a Deadpool/Punisher book (on page 86), but Fred Van Lente and Pere Perez are an interesting creative team.

You know, just the fact that Marvel feels the need to put out an All-New, All-Different Marvel Reading Chronology (page 94) might seem to indicate that they’re publishing too many fucking comics. But that could just be me.

Well, they’ve always published too many comics to keep up with.  The problem is knowing what comics actually mean shit to the comics they’re currently putting out.  So yeah, they need this.

Man, that second “Monsterbus” on page 104 also looks awesome.  So cool!

I will consider that All-New All-Different Avengers HC on page 107.  I did get the Annual, so I just need to read that and see if the rest might be worth it.  I considered this when it was solicited before with a few less issues (presumably resolicited when they realized a volume 2 HC would only have, like, 3 issues in it).

Kieron Gillen’s entire run on Journey into Mystery gets collected on page 108. This is a pretty good story about young Loki and his attempt to redeem himself. I’m not sure it’s worth 100 dollars, but it’s still pretty darned good.

I’ve got to see what issues of this Journey into Mystery I’m missing, as I believe I have almost all of that Gillen run that’s being collected in this Omni.  I just got a few more recently too.  Rich over at Bleeding Cool kept trying to push this as Marvel’s Sandman (no, the Gaiman style).  Of course, he kept pushing Vision as Marvel’s Watchmen, so I’m waiting for a HC of that full series …

On page 109, we get Marvel Universe by Chris Claremont for the tidy sum of $125. I don’t have a ton of interest in this – I already own what I want to own of the comics included here – but that’s kind of neat that Marvel is doing this. It’s way too spendy, though!

“Here, folks, this is what he did when we paid him to actually, y’know, write.  Go look at your Sovereign Seven back issues and tell us that we’re wrong for paying him to not write, though!”  (Ouch.  I am mean.)

Well, I was waiting for a bigger collection of the Black Panther series, and here it is on page 111, but the extra issues that were reprinted in the trades aren’t there.  What to do?!  (Answer: not get it.)

What do you mean? You mean the reprint of BP’s first appearance that Marvel padded the first trade with? You mean you haven’t read that a bajillion times?!?!?!?

There were some extra comics in the second trade as well, Jungle Action stories, I think. I don’t know, I like extras!

Oh, I see. Get the Marvel Masterworks of those Jungle Action issues. It’s AWESOME.

Hmm, I’ll have to consider whether or not I want the Champions trade on page 118.  I like Waid, and the characters seem fun, but Ramos’s art is strange and I’m not sure about the mission of these heroes.  Also, maybe I’ll just wait for a big HC of it like with the Avengers series that led into this series.

From what I understand, the Great Lakes Avengers trade on page 124 will be the only volume and also include #7 (at a 20 dollar price, I believe).  I’m tempted, because I like fun and that team is generally fun!

I thought the Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme book sounded interesting, with that multiple sorcerer team up going, so I may get the trade on page 125.

The art on that book is nice.

That’s odd, they’re soliciting our pal Kelly’s book Hawkeye in trade on page 128, but the trade has 6 issues, but only issue 5 is solicited in this catalog.  Not sure I’ve seen that before, as they usually don’t solicit trades until all of the issues are solicited (so even if it covers 6 issues, the sixth would be in the same catalog).  I think Kelly said on her the twitter that the book’s artist is back on the book with a later issue after an interlude by another artist, so I don’t think that it’s cancelled with 5 or 6, but who knows?  As everything that Kelly loved about Kate Bishop in the Fraction/Aja/Wu/et al run was pretty much everything I didn’t really like, I was trade waiting this.  But I’m getting it cuz Kelly’s our pal!

That seems like it’s probably a typo, right? Marvel doesn’t do 6-issue trades anymore! Scoff, scoff! Still, that’s weird, especially because it doesn’t list Michael Walsh, who’s drawing issue #5, which, as you point out, is right in this catalog! WEIRD, MAN! Anyway, because I had to catch up on comics from January and the first week of February, I happened to read six Kelly Thompson issues in a row (two of Hawkeye, two of Jem, the Jem Annual, and the second issue of the new Misfits series). Hawkeye is really starting to take off after three issues, and Kelly is probably the best dialogue writer in comics right now. Yeah, I said it.

We knew her way back when!  But isn’t that mitigated by her sticking her icky girl agenda in every book?  😉

The Spider-Man by DeZago and Wieringo trade on page 132 isn’t peak Spidey stuff, I don’t think, but that team is decent.

I don’t really care about the Spider-Man: Lifeline Tablet Saga on page 133, but The Dude does some of the art for this book.  Somewhere down the road I’ll get a severely discounted copy of this!

All right, let’s check out the back of the book!

You know I have to mention Cerebus in Hell? 4 from Aardvark-Vanaheim on page 254!  Looks like #1 is finally coming out on the 15th, and it’s not Dave’s fault.  Diamond seems to have had a hold on it, because there was a printing error at first, and they forgot to take the hold off.  D’oh!  Anyway, my review will hopefully be up the weekend after that comes out!

Action Lab has Brigands volume 1 on page 258.  I did not realize that this was set in medieval times.  And I’m pretty sure we mentioned it before!  I’m getting old.  Anyway, the first trade is offered here and I might check it out, as 18 bucks for 5 issues isn’t too bad.

Also on page 258 is Tomboy, which sounded like an interesting take on the vigilante, so I may splurge and get the 3 trades here.

Action Lab also has Spencer & Locke on page 259, in which a police detective gets assistance from his imaginary childhood friend, a panther, to solve a murder. Yes, it’s grown-up Calvin and Hobbes (they make the comparison in the solicits, so it’s not like I’m so very smart to make the connection), but it sounds and looks pretty neat, so I’ll probably check out the trade!

Me too!

Over on page 262 from Aftershock, we get Eleanor and the Egret by John Layman and Sam Kieth, which is about art thieves in Paris. This has been in the pipeline a while – Layman showed me pages from it months ago – and it’s very cool that it’s finally coming out. He told me a bit about it, which I won’t share here, but it sounds very neat.

This sounds like a fun, weird mystery series.  YOU KNEW THIS WAS COMING, BURGAS, AND YOU DIDN’T TELL US?!?!?  Interesting that this is from Aftershock, as it’s something IDW probably would have put out since they’ve worked with both creators.  That must make Ted Adams cry!  Why you gotta make Ted Adams cry, Layman?!?!?

Also from Aftershock on page 263 is World Reader, a story of an astronaut lady who talks to the ghosts of dead worlds in an attempt to find out what’s killing the universe.  Art by Juan Doe, which should be neat.  Story by Jeff Loveness, whose credit as a Jimmy Kimmel writer should make me fear this, but I did read his Groot series and liked it, as I talked about…well, damn, that’s one I’ve had in my back pocket for awhile!  I’ll have to write that stuff up soon!  Actually, come to think of it, if he can make Jimmy Kimmel funny enough to still have a career, he’s got to be a pretty damn good writer, no?

Albatross Funnybooks gives us Namwolf on page 270, which sounds like a book that will either fail miserably, or be great.  It’s The Other Side, except with werewolves.  Strange!

Alternative offers several books again, as well as offering on page 271 Slasher 1 by Charles Forsman, a strange psychosexual drama.  Freaky!  There’s also the Violence Valley one shot, which sounds like an issue long poop joke.  Or the last issue of Heckler.

American Mythology reminds us on page 274 to have no fear, for Underdog is here!  I may eventually get a trade of this, because I like Batton Lash’s stuff, but otherwise I’m not a huge fan.

I normally don’t even look at Amryl Entertainment’s Cavewoman comic solicits (um…ok, a little!), but the new book of theirs on page 279 is too amusing.  Leave My Man Alone!

Amulet Books relists on page 280 for kid’s month the five volumes of The Misadventures of Salem Hyde, a cute comic by Frank Cammuso (whose lunch I have interrupted!) that’s sort of a combo of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Barnaby.  Highly enjoyable!

The new Pearls Before Swine treasury from Andrews McMeel on page 281 features the strips that Bill Watterson did with him, so that’s neat.

Arcana is reprinting on page 281 the fortunately not literally titled book Gene Simmons Dominatrix.  (Oh, wait, there is an apostrophe at the end of his name.  Still, glad it’s not literal either.)  Do not judge me for mentioning this one!

I think the ship has sailed on us not judging you.

🙁

Interesting, Antarctic Press has the trade of Gears and Bones on page 282, originally from Guardian Knight, which was about a giant bunny fighter thief dude in a medieval-type world.  I liked it a bit, but not enough to keep getting the issues.  I’ll see what this reprints and if my shop had the other issues — if I can get them cheap, I might get them just to see this stuff.  There was at least one other series from Guardian Knight, but I forget what it was.  That was merely ok as well.

Oh-kayyy, Silver Soldiers is a group of superheroes chosen by God, to be generic crimefighters, it appears.  I do trust someone who has won a Grammy, which is given for sound recordings, to do well in a medium where hearing is the one sense you CAN’T really replicate in comics.  Also from Antarctic on page 282.

Wait, the Betty and Veronica book by Adam Hughes is late?  How did THAT happen?  (Archie on page 284)

Yeah, I saw that too, but decided not to go for the easy joke. Good to see you picking up the slack!

I do what I can, sir!

Archie knows that everyone’s been pining for a Big Moose solo book, so here it is on page 286.  PINING!!!

Avatar knows how to catch the eye on page 296, with “Kieron Gillen’s epic assault on America continues”!  That fucking bastard!  C’mon, you and I can take him out, right?  Beat him senseless with copies of the Phonogram omnibus!  (Ah crap, they’re not out yet!  He’s got us beat!!!)

Über doesn’t have the greatest art in the world, but it’s quite good. Just brutal depictions of war and what it does to people.

Black Mask’s There’s Nothing There sounds like it’s a creepy one, where a starlet goes to a party where an actual occult ritual is taking place.  Decent art, from the preview here on page 298-299.

I’ll have to find the FCBD issue with Young Terrorists and see if that’s something I’ll want to get, with this first trade offered from Black Mask on page 298.

Balzer and Bray’s Invisible Emmie on page 300 sounds like a good comic for the kids, about how the lives of two middle school girls intersect.  Too bad it’ll never make the New York Times bestseller list!

I don’t get that. Is that a Trump dig? It seems like everything these days, no matter how random, is a shot at President Orange-Faced Baboon.

Not at all (this time!).  The New York Times eliminated their comics bestseller list recently.  If I wasn’t too lazy, I’d find a link.  It’s been a big thing with certain sections of the comics internet (ie, the books like Telgemeier’s that don’t rely on the DM comics stores), because it’s one less place that people can validate that comics are like, a real medium, and stuff.  Funnily enough, apparently the Times best seller list is (and always has been) less of a real gauge of actual sales and more of a curated list of things that Times editors think should be the best sellers.  HA!

Shoot, I should have remembered that, as I did see the news story. Sorry, President Orange-Faced Baboon!

Boom! offers us Godshaper (page 302), a comic about a world where there are individual gods for each person, with the star being a dude who can make gods for others. Simon Spurrier writes this, so it will probably be pretty good, and it’s drawn by Jonas Goonface, who steals Chris Wildgoose’s place as the person with the most unusual last name in this month’s Previews! Yay, Jonas Goonface! The art looks quite good, though, and so I’ll probably get this in some form or another (a nice trade paperback, more than likely).

I sure hope that’s his real name!  His art is purty!  Plus, the series sounds quite interesting, where every god has a person and every person a god (different from the Pumaman, where “each man is a god, each man is free”), and a guy without a god can change the gods of others, and he goes roadtripping with a personless god.  I may get this in singles!

On page 307, Strange Attractors gets a trade. Charles Soule’s story is pretty neat, and the art is nice. This is, I should remind you, a trade paperback collecting a series of single issues that had been turned into single issues after being released as a complete graphic novel. Boom! is doing that a lot since they acquired Archaia, which is fine, I guess. I reviewed this almost 4 years ago, in case you’re interested.

I was going to ask about that, since I likes the math, and I sort of thought you’d reviewed it.  I’ll take a look at your review to help me decide!

Turncoat is also offered on page 307. This is drawn by Artyom Trakhanov, who’s very good, but I’m not sure if it’s a good story. I think this has been solicited at least once before, if not twice, so I guess we should be careful about picking it up!

Has it?  I don’t remember that.  I’m interested, since his art was cool on Undertow.  Ooh, 20 bucks for a 4 issues series (iirc), though!

I know it’s hard to believe, but I’m behind on the trades of Giant Days.  However, volume 1 was so damn good it’s a “buy every new trade” for me, so I’ll be getting v5 here on page 308.

The Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern 3 covers aren’t quite as awesome as the others have been, but that Paul Rivoche GL/GA cover is pretty damn sweet on page 311.

Hmm, final issues of Joyride and Jonesy (pages 312 and 313, respectively).  I have the first trade of Joyride, but didn’t read it yet (shocking!), and I heard good things about Jonesy, at least.  When they solicit the final trades, I’ll have to decide on them then.

The first trade of Joyride is okay, due in large part to Marcus To’s art, while my daughter likes the first trade of Jonesy. So there you go!

It’s pretty amazing that there haven’t been trades of the SpongeBob SquarePants comics yet, as it’s been around over 5 years.  Looks like they’re thematically collected, not by issue number, but the first 2 are offered on page 324 from Bongo/United Plankton Pictures, and they’re probably a decent deal, as good creators work on these.

Caliber has a trade of The Searchers on page 325, which is not unlike the LOEG.  I remember hearing about this one back in the day.  I will highly consider this.

Chapterhouse has on page 326 the first trade of the new Northguard, which I will consider, as I love all things Canadia.  Except for Tom Fitzpatrick.  HA!

Also, I need to catch up with Pitiful Human Lizard.  I got pulled in by the first few issues, and then, surprise surprise, I fell behind in my reading.  It’s going monthly now, with issue 12 on page 326!

It’s probably a coincidence that the trade dress for The Sovereigns, from Dynamite on page 330, featuring Solar, Magnus, and Turok, resembles the trade dress that Valiant uses, right?  Even though those characters were one-time Valiant characters?  Total coinkydink!  I may get this dollar intro, since I have an unholy love for characters like these!

Yep, totes a coincidence!

Apparently Dynamite said, “Can we sucker some money out of Greg Hatcher?  What if we put together all the Edgar Rice Burroughs characters in a team up book?”  The Greatest Adventure on page 337 sounds fun, so I may get the trade down the road.

I was intrigued by the Lone Ranger/Green Hornet crossover book, so I may get this trade on page 346.  Paging Mr. Hatcher!  Please chime in if you read it!

Devil’s Due/1First has, on page 350, the trade of White, about a young woman working in Hollywood getting in literal shark-infested waters.  Dan Schaffer did this, and he also did Dogwitch as well as a few books I’ve gotten but (GASP!) not yet read.  I will be considering this!

Yeah, I saw that. I’ll have to think about it!

The solicit for Berlin #20 from Drawn & Quarterly on page 356 cracks me up. It reads “one of the biggest graphic novel events of the early 21st-century is fast-approaching – the completion of Jason Lutes’ epic Berlin series.” Okay, so the hyperbole is a bit much, even though Berlin is a truly great comic, but what cracks me up is the “fast-approaching” part. Yes, the book is going to run 24 issues, so issue #20 means it’s almost over. But I got the second trade, collecting through issue #16, in 2008. TWO THOUSAND EIGHT. Since then, D & Q has published three issues, with this one being the fourth. So if he manages to get to issue #24 before, let’s say 2025, I’ll be impressed. The issue numbers might be almost to the end, but I very much doubt that the end is coming all that quickly. Which is fine with me. The only thing I worry about with Berlin is that I’ll be dead before Lutes finishes it!!!!

This is what I wrote, seeing this on the Previews site and not yet having seen what you wrote: “D&Q — Berlin 20 — “With its twentieth issue, one of the biggest graphic novel events of the early 21st-century is fast-approaching-the completion of Jason Lutes’ epic Berlin series. ”  FAST?!?!”  Hell, I remember getting the first 2 issues from my local shop not long after the owner bought the store from the original owner.  I believe I was still in college at the time.  I graduated the spring before 9/11!  That’s how long he’s been going on this!

Great minds thinking alike, sir!

Fantagraphics is going to lure me to their crap ass superhero comics (All Time Comics: Bullwhip on page 362) with a Beto variant cover, aren’t they?  DAMN YOU GROTH!!!

Jeff Lemire has a new graphic novel called Roughneck on page 366 from Gallery Books. Lemire does a some really nice work, and this book – about a brother and sister fleeing her abusive boyfriend in the wilds of Canada – sounds right up his alley. So yeah, I’m down for this!

That dude’s a machine!  I saw this a bit ago when looking to see if Simon and Schuster did comics, when that whole Milo boycott stuff was going around.  This is an imprint of theirs, and this is the debut book from it (Gallery 13).  Oddly enough, comics from Boom! were also available on Simon and Schuster’s site, including ones by people who were going to boycott S&S (those initials!).  (BTW, you’re welcome, Rich!)

Forty dollars is a bit much for a 200-page comic, but The Book of Chaos on page 374 from Humanoids sounds neat. An archaeologist returns from an expedition with proof of a pre-human, malevolent civilization. Xavier Dorison is a pretty good writer, and Matthieu Lauffray’s art is beautiful.

Cool, Mark Oakley’s been doing stuff from his I Box Publishing, home of Thieves and Kings.  I didn’t love that book as much as some might have, but it was good fantasy stuff.  Here on page 376 is a newer series he’s been doing, Star Drop, about an alien princess hanging out on Earth.  You can get the first 3 volumes!

Lion Forge has some neat stuff on page 388.  Mer GN is described as Twilight meets Atlantis, so it should scare me away, but that’s purty art.  The Castoffs was one that I was interested in, with the magic vs. tech conflict, and here’s a reasonably priced trade of the first 5 issues (as well as a misprint offering of #5, not #3).  Also, it’s now an ongoing, so congrats to them!  And the Three O’Clock Club, about a group of kids fighting teenage anxieties come to life, is reoffered in a new edition of #1 and #2 is reoffered.  It now is a 5 issue series, as I believe it was 4 before.  I may get these or I may decide to wait to see if there’s a reasonably priced trade of this one.

They have a second volume of Klaw, as well. The first volume is gorgeous, but I’ve been Pelkieing it, so I’ll probably get volume 2 and read them together!

Harsh!  Accurate, but harsh!  (Using my name like that, that is!)

I think Oni’s Kim Reaper looks interesting on page 394, but I think I’ll wait for the trade.

Oh, well, I’m glad I waited for The Coldest City/The Coldest Winter from Antony Johnston, as they are both offered in trade now on pages 398-399.  Let’s hope Johnston keeps doing good comics and doesn’t forget about us when he’s rolling in that movie money!

OK, I didn’t expect a trade of Motro yet, but here it is on page 400.  It’s supposed to be a 10 issue series.  What is this, 4 issues worth for 10 bucks?  I like Ulises Fariñas, so I may go for this, though.

Page 401 has the trade of Brik, a take on the golem legend.  Sounded ok, so I’ll consider this.  At least it’s not that Ben Folds Five song!

Pantheon Books has Imagine Wanting Only This on page 402, which is an autobiographical comic (ugh) that tells about creator Kristen Radtke’s journey to ruined places. So while it’s about her life, it also sounds pretty interesting, because who doesn’t love abandoned cities and towns? So I’ll probably check this out.

It does sound neat.  I’ll wait and see what you think!

I like the looks of the PS Artbooks offerings on page 403 under the Pre-Code Classics banner, but the solicits aren’t very clear about what they include.  Nightmare from St. John is a little clearer, but I don’t know what Out of the Shadows from Standard includes!

Just buy them, you sheep!

Rebellion/2000AD — am I reading that Judge Dredd Cape and Cowl Crimes TP solicit on page 404 right?  Eric Powell did some Judge Dredd?  That’s got to be neat.

I noticed that, too. I like Powell’s art immeasurably more than his writing, so seeing him do some Judge Dredd would be keen.

Also from them on the same page is an old Epic/Marvel series collected, The Last American, by Wagner/Grant/McMahon.  That’s got to be neat, where a super soldier is awoken in a post-apocalyptic US!

I’ve read that, and I remember very little about it. It was decent enough, as I recall.

On page 405, SelfMadeHero has Josephine Baker, which is, well, about Josephine Baker. I mean, duh. My wife really digs Josephine Baker, but I’m kind of ambivalent about her. This is 23 dollars for a 500-page book, though, so it’s a good value. I’ll have to think about it.

All I know is bananas, and the cameo appearance in the Frida Kahlo movie that Salma Hayek starred in.

The Mummy by Peter Milligan gets collected on page 424 from Titan Comics. I’ll probably pick this up – it’s cheaper than the single issues, and I mostly dig Milligan’s work, so him doing a horror comic starring the Mummy sounds neat.

Ooh, that is a deal.  I’m probably in!

On page 436, 215 Ink has the second issue of Dr. Crowe.  The first issue just came out the other week, and I’ll try to take a look at it before the order deadline.  No, really this time!

TwoMorrows has some neat stuff on page 437, like Back Issue 96 highlighting Marvel Fanfare, Comic Book Creator 15 highlighting Mark Schultz (despite the Frazetta cover in the book), and Jack Kirby Collector 71, about Kirby’s endings and the Anti-Life.  Cool stuff!

Speaking of Peter Milligan (and I was, above), he and Juan José Ryp are back with a new Britannia series from Valiant on page 444. That was quick, but I guess the first one did well enough to warrant another one. The first one was quite good, so I’ll check this out!

I don’t think the trade has come out yet, so I legit can’t concur yet.  I have another excuse for not reading my shit!

That Immortal Brothers: Tale of the Green Knight is a one shot on page 445.  Fred Van Lente and Cary Nord, taking on the Valiant characters and King Arthur?  Hmm, I may need to get this!

I don’t know if Savage was any good, but there’s a 10-dollar trade on page 448. I like B. Clay Moore’s writing, so I’ll probably pick this up.

Well, it did appear to be “Becks and Posh’s son grows up as Tarzan”, so there’s that.  I may get this as I have a weakness for 10 dollar trades!

There’s also the first trade of Harbinger Renegade and the trade of Bloodshot USA on the same page.  Ah, my copy of the catalog cuts off at the bottom and I can’t read the price on that one!  But the Harbinger one is 10 bucks too.

Bloodshot USA is 15 dollars.

Thank you sir!

Vault Comics on page 449 — FUCK YEAH!!!  Someone’s listening to me, as Failsafe 1 is the first issue of the series that DC published as Insurgent, but cancelled in the middle of the 6 issue series.  Really neat stuff, and I think I’ll get this in singles (again!) and hope I don’t get burned (again!)

That’s an odd turn of events. Good for them!

So HarperCollins has a Neil Gaiman Coloring Book on page 473, which is certainly weird, but all the art is by the great Jill Thompson, so why isn’t it a Jill Thompson Draws Neil Gaiman Coloring Book?  HUNH?  HUNH?  Well, at least they put her picture in the solicit …

Did you think it was just going to be photos of Gaiman? How would you color those?!?!?!?

…Actually, I would like to color pictures of Neil himself.  Let me have my undirected ire otherwise, though!

Hatcher talked about the Tarzan Trilogy and Wild Adventures of King Kong vs. Tarzan books offered on page 475, didn’t he?  Duly noted!

On page 478 is a new issue of Hogan’s Alley, #21, a mag about comics, including a George Herriman interview and stuff from Jack Davis’s archives.  Neato!

Hmm, on page 480 is The Creeps 10, a magazine emulating the old Warren horror mags.  Sounded neat, I may go for this.

OK, that “I killed Jason Todd and all I got was this lousy T-shirt” from Graphitti on page 490 is worth a giggle.

APExplorers have a space ape figure on page 569 that looks neat.  But self-replicated?

I was looking online at the Gashapon stuff that’s on page 552, and saw this “Neko Café” stuff, and got excited thinking there would be a figure of the lovely and talented Neko Case, which I would buy.  Shut up.

That’s all we have this time around! Sorry for the tardiness of the post – Previews came out a week later than usual, and Travis was busy recovering from that rash he brought back from Rangoon – we don’t ask him about his business in Rangoon! – so he couldn’t type for a while. Have a good weekend!