Celebrating the Unpopular Arts
 
Flippin’ through ‘Previews’ – January 2018

Flippin’ through ‘Previews’ – January 2018

Hey, everyone, it’s 2018, and that means it’s time to check out comics! What, you thought it would mean we’d stop checking out comics? To paraphrase a great American, not even in the face of Armageddon will we stop looking at the Previews catalog!

Lay off the beer, dude!

It’s a new year, but my thoughts (except for these, naturally) are in blue, while Travis is in black. Don’t fix what ain’t broken, says I!

With how long I took on this, one would not be out of their mind to think we weren’t doing this come 2018!  Sorry, everyone!

Dark Horse:

All the solicits are here!

Max Fiumara never gets enough work, so the fact that he’s drawing Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Sorrows on page 58 is keen. It’s another of Jeff Lemire’s Black Hammer mini-series, so it will probably be pretty good, and the art on pages 58-59 is stunning, as usual with Fiumara.

He did that Infinity Inc. series, oh, 10 years ago or so, didn’t he?

Yes indeed. He also drew Four Eyes, the Depression-era comic with dragons. He must be slow, though, because he seems to sub-contract out a lot. Fingers crossed for this one, as it’s only four issues!

Waitaminnit, lookit that preview page on page 58.  It says inventor James Robinson.  I guess it wasn’t quite obvious enough Doctor Star, a WWII-era superhero trying to connect with his estranged son whom he feels should take over his mantle, was a Starman riff …

I see no connection WHATSOEVER!

Speaking of the Black Hammer Universe (I guess that’s a thing now), on page 60 we get the trade of Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil. The art on this looks very nice, and I’m sure the story is good, so I’m in!

I still have to read the first volume of Black Hammer, but I might get this and the second volume, reoffered here, if I get to it and like it.

This Hellboy Omnibus on page 61 is presenting the stories in chronological order, but is that the order of when the comics were published, or when they take place?  I do need to get more into Hellboy, I think.  I’ve only read a few stories here and there.

Yeah, that solicit doesn’t make any sense. It’s not the first time they’ve been presented in the order in which they were published (I don’t think, although I could be wrong), so that’s not it. But they way it’s written makes it sound like it is the first time they’ve been presented in the order in which they were published, and not just chronologically as we move through Hellboy’s life. I assume some of the Hellboy Library editions had stories printed slightly out of order, but not many, and who cares about that when they’re generally in publication order? There are several short stories about Hellboy’s life from before 1994, so why not print them in that order? Either way, these are great comics, and well worth the money.

Dept. H comes to an end with issue #24 on page 67. This never got as good as Mind Mgmt, Kindt’s previous long-running series, but it’s still pretty good.

Mind MGMT was pretty damn good, though.

Lots of good stuff in the Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites trade on page 69. I’m fairly confident I have everything contained within, but they’re definitely worth a read if you haven’t yet!

Yeah, I’m not sure if this is just a softcover of the HC I read a while back, or if it’s an updated version.  What I read is amazing, though.  I probably should just get this.  In other Dorkin around, on page 68 is a trade of Milk and Cheese, in a supposedly affordable volume, but I’m reasonably sure the cover price on the HC was the same as this trade!  Why didn’t I get it, though?!

They’re all so scurred!

On page 73 is the second volume of Ethan Young’s Battles of Bridget Lee.  He’s pretty good, I should catch up with this series.

On page 74, Rocket Robinson and the Pharaoh’s Fortune shows up. Yes, they’re very proud that it’s derivative of Indiana Jones and Tintin (they write as much in the solicit), as it’s about a boy having archaeological adventures in 1933 Cairo, but it still sounds and looks good. It’s aimed at “middle-grade readers,” but I might give it a look.

Even though it’s above your reading level?  Hyuck hyuck hyuck!

Man, that’s a “my 12-year-old daughter”-level burn. Well done!

Usagi Yojimbo falls prey to number-one-itis, as we get a new miniseries, The Hidden, on page 75, but I assume this is just what he was doing in the regular series.  Oh well, if it gets him a sales boost….

Did you read any of The Occultist, which is offered in omnibus form on page 76?  I may have some single issues of this I haven’t gotten around to reading.  Damn my back issue bin crawls!

No, I never read any of it. It just didn’t seem like my thing.

DC:

Here are the solicits!

Good to see Ghost Rider is getting a series at DC.  This makeover as The Curse of Brimstone might be just what he needs to succeed! (page 88)

Young Animal gets a soft reboot on pages 94-95, with three titles with slightly changed names and a new mini-series, Eternity Girl, in which an immortal woman is given the opportunity to die as long as she destroys the rest of the world. It’s written by Magdalene Visaggio and drawn by Sonny Liew. Visaggio isn’t bad, but I wondered about the fact that she’s a “GLAAD Media Award-nominated writer,” as the solicit reads. What does that mean? That she portrays LGBTQ characters positively in her comics? I mean, great, but does it mean she’s a good writer, or just that you feel good reading her comics because the characters are treated respectfully? I don’t know. It’s nice that she’s getting a shot at the big time, though, and the book sounds pretty neat.

Well, I’d say that if a group that represents a large part of a certain community thinks you portray them well, that makes you a good writer and you can feel good reading her comics in the sense that you’ll know they will (at least to some people) accurately reflect the worldview and such of that group, rather than stuff that doesn’t reflect it accurately.  I suppose.  I’m tired right now, so I can’t tell if I’m making sense.

You didn’t find Ra’s al-Ghul on the cover of Deadman 5, did you? (page 112)

I don’t feel like looking for him – maybe I will when the cover comes out. I did read the “hidden” message on the cover of the issue that came out last week, though, so there!

I was just funnin’.  Dang, I forgot about that hidden message, I’ll have to find a copy to look at.

Where could he be?!?!?!?!?

It’s also nice that Black Panther is in a DC comic right around the time of his movie, albeit in a slightly different costume, in Justice League 41, written by Priest, on page 123.  I’m sorry, that’s Red Lion?  Who the fuck is that?

He’s Deathstroke’s frenemy! Don’t you read the solicits?

Rhetorical, son, I say rhetorical.  Didn’t actually need a response!

“Rhetorical” sounds like one of those high-falutin’ furriner words. I answer questions like a real ‘Murican, damn it!

Wait, is that Aztek in the hourglass in Justice League of America 27? (page 124)

Yeah, I think he’s been back for an issue or two? Maybe?

Speaking of Young Animal, Bug!: The Adventures of Forager gets a trade on page 139. This is a weird and fairly fascinating mini-series, beautifully drawn by Allred. It zips through a bunch of Kirby creations, which is fun. Not the greatest thing you’ll ever read, but worth a look.

Sounds fun, I was interested anyway, and I may get this.

Sweet fuckin’ A, Scooby Doo Team Up 36 has Angel and the Ape, Inferior Five, and Stanley and his monster.  So cool!  (page 142)

That’s quite the team-up!

Page 152 has the fourth volume of the Flash by Waid collections, which feature the run right after Zero Hour, which is when I got into this book heavily and partly was what kept me loving superhero comics.  It’s good stuff!

Global Frequency is collected on page 153 in a dee-loox HC, and it’s such a great series, so if you don’t have it, get it, folks!

Hey, remember back in the day, when I actually wrote about all the Infinite Crisis mini-series? Those were good times, and I apparently pissed quite a few people off who take their superhero comics waaaaaay too seriously. So now we get the Infinite Crisis Omnibus hardcover on page 155, a new edition, so you can relive those wonderful days of yore! It’s only $150, which is a small price to pay for really crappy comics!

Just find a copy of the novel and read that, ffs.  Same stuff told better, probably.  Those Superman tie-ins were terrible, from what I remember, but I didn’t really read much of the rest.  Wasn’t the main series 7 issues?  It only says 1-6 are in here!

Yep, it was seven issues. Maybe DC was so embarrassed by the last issue that they didn’t include it in the collection!

On the same page, we get a hardcover of The Kamandi Challenge for 40 bucks. Each of these issues was 5 dollars, right? If so, that’s a really good bargain, and even if they were 4 dollars, that’s a good deal. I’ll have to pick this up.

Yeah, that’s true, actually.  I think they were 5.  I may still trade wait, though, because I’m like that.

Also on the same page, but hard to tell because of the shitty looking cover (compared to the originals), The Golden Age (known as JSA: The Golden Age here) is collected in a trade.  I haven’t ever read this, so I may have to get it.  It’s the Leave it to Chance team!

It’s excellent, by the way.

Sleeper gets some brand new editions, with a collection of Point Blank #1-5 and Sleeper #1-12 on page 159. It’s been years since I read this, but I always liked Point Blank more than Sleeper, even though Sleeper is pretty keen. It’s still something you should read if you haven’t, and at 30 dollars, the price is pretty good.

Somehow I got Sleeper season 2, but I don’t think I have all of Point Blank or season 1.  Odd.  What I read of it was good from what I remember, though.  The second half of “season 1” was in a trade at the Ollie’s store when I amassed a giant DC book collection, btw!  (More on that elsewhere soon, I hope!)  Weird that it’s under Vertigo, though, no?

Not really. WildStorm doesn’t really exist anymore, and it was for mature readers, so it’s not surprising they moved it to Vertigo.

Same page has the trade of The American Way: Those Above and Those Below, which is a sequel to a pretty good comic, from what I read of it.

IDW:

Are all the solicits here? Yes!

On one hand, since it’s written by the original writer and drawn by Tadd Galusha, I’m interested in Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Blood-Suckers on page 164, but on the other hand, I thought the movie was good and probably shouldn’t be sullied with prequels like this.  I’ll wait for the trade to see if I get this!

Boo, prequels. On the other hand, the dude at the comics store and I got to enlighten someone about the existence of Bubba Ho-Tep this week, so I think you can say we’re doing the Lord’s work.

I need to find my copy of that buried away somewhere and watch it again. It’s been ages!

I’m not sure what the Rom:Tales of the Solstar Order Special Edition on page 169 is, but Sal Buscema does some of the art, so…

Is that a good or bad “so …”?

I like Sal Buscema some, but never been a fan of Rom (just from not having read any), but for some reason I felt the need to mention this.

I might wait and see if they do an omnibus of this, but Half Past Danger 2: Dead to Reichs (good title!) is in HC on page 173, and the original HC is offered again as well.

Yeah, I thought I got the collection of the first series, but I didn’t. So I’ll probably wait for the inevitable big collection as well, because it looks neat.

It’s still a corny title, though

For those of us who nerd out on the early TMNT, page 176 offers us a whole buncha early stuff in 2 different volumes.  The first 7 issues and the Raphael and Michelangelo one shots are in color in the Color Classics volume, and issues 8-11, Michelangelo (again!), Donatello, and Leonardo one shots are in B&W in the Ultimate Collection v2.  The latter also features the wonderful Cerebus crossover, which I’ll have to spotlight one of these 365 days …

Argh, the TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo crossover from last year is offered in an expanded edition on page 178, which annoys me because I already paid extra for a hardcover that I haven’t gotten around to reading yet.  Grrr…

On page 183 we have another treasury edition of all those great Jem and the Holograms covers, which means I’ll be getting this.  I don’t see the new Jem title this month.  My LCS guy is too good, he ordered that for me because I forgot to explicitly drop it!  (I was just going to get the trade!)

Why would you just get a book full of covers? That makes no sense to me.

Because the covers look cool, and I didn’t get a copy of every damn variant, and I haven’t gotten around to getting any of the trades that would have all the covers, since I got the singles.

I still don’t get it, but you do you, man!

Diablo House is in trade on page 193. I took a look at the first issue of this series and thought it looked gorgeous – the art was kind of Wrightson-esque, and the story seemed pretty gonzo. I’m looking forward to the trade.

If I’d realized it was only going to be 4 issues, I may have just gotten the singles.  I may pick this up someday down the road.

Yoe Books has a new collection, Super Patriotic Heroes, on page 198. It has stuff from 1940s comics featuring heroes fighting Nazis. Fine stuff!

Looks cool, I may shell out for this one, Yoe Books are well-done.

Wait, is that Mark Martin of Gnatrat on Underwhere on page 199?  Holy fuck, he’s great, I’m in!  It’s about a dream world of fun and imagination, and I’m afraid that Kevin Eastman’s cover won’t show how great Mark Martin’s art is to folks just flipping through!

Image:

Hey, it’s the solicits!

Gideon Falls, on page 204, sounds neat, as Jeff Lemire brings us a story of a weird town and weird, otherworldly barn that appears and disappears at certain times. It sounds quite cool, but Andrea Sorrentino is drawing it, and I’m just not a big fan of Sorrentino’s art. I’ll probably give the first trade a try, but I worry about it.

Yeah, it sounds good, and I’ll definitely get the first trade, because I do that.  I think I got at least an issue of the Lemire/Sorrentino run on Green Arrow, but I don’t quite remember it.

Wait a minute … that looks like a head!

They’re trying to reboot Cyber Force again on page 208, and if it wasn’t Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill writing it, I wouldn’t be interested, but they’re pretty good, so …

Another cool sounding Rich Tommaso comic on page 209 with Dry County, set in the ’80s in Miami.  I’ll get the trade, anyway.

At this point I’ll buy anything that Tommaso does, so I’m looking forward to this, but dang, the dude’s stuff just does not sell. It’s a shame.

Probably because of people like me who only get the trade of his stuff!

You’re the devil!

The Miami Vice theme song is playing in my head right now!

On page 210, we get Infidel, about a Muslim woman who lives in a haunted building where the entities feed off xenophobia. Okay, it sounds like a ridiculously PC premise, but it could be neat. Aaron Campbell is a good artist, and it’s written by the man with the greatest name in comics, Pornsak Pichetshote. He’s been an editor for DC for a while, but this is his first comic, so we’ll see. I suppose I’ll think about the trade.

I know his name from Vimanarama, which he assistant editored, to coin a phrase.  This sounds interesting and Campbell is good, so I’ll get the trade.

Sloane Leong is doing an ongoing sci-fi comic called Prism Stalker on page 211.  I saw that reviewers were offered a preview copy, so if I get in touch and get one, I’ll try to let everyone know what I think soon.  Maybe.  If I get to it …

Trippy!

Coyotes is offered in trade on page 216, about a girl trying to avenge the murders of women in a border town.  Might be worth a look.

The Family Trade is in … trade on page 217, and I’ll probably get it. Justin Jordan is a decent writer, and the art looks pretty good. It’s about a world of commerce and one of the elite family members who rule finding herself in a sticky wicket. So that should be groovy.

I’ll probably go for this too.  Sounds interesting.

I may go for Gasolina on page 218, a trade about a couple leading the fight against literal alien invaders on the Mexican border.

We also get a trade of Port of Earth on page 219, which sounds neat. Aliens use Earth as an entrepôt in exchange for advanced technology, but some of them do bad things on Earth, and human cops have to track them down. It looks pretty good, too, because Andrea Mutti is a good artist.

That one did sound fairly neat.  It’s only 10 bucks, but then it’s only 4 issues, so …

The Realm is collected on page 220, about a post-apocalyptic world done in by the incursion of mythical creatures.  5 issues for 10 bucks means I’ll probably get this.  Damn you Image and your cheap trades!

On page 221,we get the trade of Retcon, which sounds fairly bizarre, although less bizarre than it did for the solicit of the first issue. Anyway, I like Toby Cypress’s art, so I’ll be getting this!

Yeah, I’m probably in too.  Sounded funky.

Marvel:

Hey, the solicitations are here!

So on page 15, we get “World War Hulk II.” Fucking really, Marvel? Jeebus. I mean, I know superhero comics are about recycling, but Marvel has really been leaning into it the past few years, aren’t they? I mean, at least make an effort to pretend that you’re trying new things!

How did Marvel renumber Spider-Man (page 36)? Is it the numbering of the old McFarlane series? I mean, I assume it is, but that’s just weird, man.

I would think so, but yeah, strange.  Speaking of weird numbering, that Tales of Suspense didn’t make it in the book this month, possibly because it’s “102 (3 of 5)”. Oops.

On page 50, we get the final issue of Hawkeye. If you haven’t read it, you really should give it a try. As much as I consider Kelly a friend (even though we’ve never met in person), I can be critical of her (much to her chagrin), but she’s really writing some great stuff recently, and Hawkeye has been really good. I heard a rumor that she was taking over Jessica Jones, which would be pretty keen. But for now, pick up this short run!

I had an inkling from things I read before that rumor came out in the open that she was going to be the one to take JJ over, so if it happens, I feel safe in saying I knew it would!  I hope the third trade of Hawkeye includes the Generations one shot, and maybe that Young Avengers Presents issue featuring Kate.  Cuz I don’t have that.

It’s really good, yo!

If it wasn’t so pricey, I’d consider the Marvel Masterworks: Captain America volume 10 on page 75, as it is all King Kirby, including the Bicentennial Battles book (albeit not at Treasury size, I assume).

A few years ago, Marvel put out a giant omnibus of his entire run (issues #193-214, plus the specials) for the same price, so if you can find that, get it. It might be out of print, but I’m sure you can find it. It’s pretty awesome.

Ooh, thanks for the tip!  Wait, I looked at Amazon, and it’s like 200 bucks, so nah, man!

That’s insane. What the actual hell?

Punisher: The Platoon is collected on page 95.  FWIW.

On page 102, there are a couple of neat collections. At the top we have Superior Spider-Man: The Complete Collection (volume 1, natch), which I’ll probably get. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this storyline, so I’ve been wanting to take a look at it. On the bottom is Agents of Atlas: The Complete (wink) Collection, volume 1, most of which I own, but I still might get this. Agents of Atlas got a lot of chances from Marvel, so Jeff Parker was able to string together a fairly neat story. I’ll have to think about it, but having all those disparate titles between two covers would be keen.

I got the first 5-6 issues of Superior Spider-Man, thought it was mostly good, but there was something that happened in the last issue I got that soured me on the book.  Maybe it was handled better than it seemed from that, but I didn’t wait to see.  I am interested in that Agents of Atlas one, but I have a lot of that stuff.  I’ll have to see.  Remember that Comics Critics strip that appeared at the old place that had Parker sort of addicted to trying to make Agents of Atlas a thing?  That was a pretty good one.

Let’s get to the back of the book!

Actually, it’s in the front, but this looks like a good Free Comic Book Day lineup overall.  And I’m reminded that I need to ask for time off from work either the day before or the night of, or more likely both.  Plus, there’s a bitchin’ t-shirt from Mike Allred on page 48, so good I may even order one for myself!

This month’s Cerebus in Hell? from Aardvark-Vanaheim one shot is World’s Finite Cerebus, an homage to an old DC cover (page 262).

Abrams Comicarts has one on 262 as well.  Audrey Niffenegger and Eddie Campbell (real life sweeties) have a book of love in Bizarre Romance.  I like Eddie Campbell, of course, and what I’ve read of Niffenegger was good.  (Hey, that’s right, somewhere I have Eddie Campbell’s email …)

That does sound neat, although are they really “two of the most important storytellers of our time”? That’s a bold statement.

Well, it’s better than “a couple of authors we signed a contract with”.

I get my Terry Moore comics in omnibus form, so I’ll be getting the Motor Girl Omnibus on page 262 from Abstract Studios. We’ll see if it’s any good!

It sounds good, with aliens and giant gorillas.

Gorillas? Check. Aliens? Check!

AfterShock has the Shock Anthology on page 270, which sounds interesting but a bit pricey for $35. A lot of the creators listed are people who don’t do a ton of comics work anymore, so are these all all-new stories or not? I wonder …

Well, it’s a new version of Negative Burn, kind of, which is a big plus for me, but I do wonder how meaty the contributions of certain creators will be.  I’ll think about it.

I’ll probably get the trade of Unholy Grail on page 277. A take on King Arthur in which the king is a madman? Sure, why not?

And it sounds like it’s a complete story, so that’s a plus.

On page 292 is Your Pal Archie in trade, the classic style Archie done by Ty Templeton, which is why it appeals to me, as he’s a fave.

It’s not a style I dig, but Jirni from Aspen is done well by a local to me artist, V Ken Marion, so I have to mention the Primer and second trade on page 294.

On page 302, we find Tenements, Towers & Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City from Black Dog & Leventhal. Ignoring the lack of the Oxford comma, this is the kind of book I love, so I’m totally getting this. It’s a street-level history of the city, with all sorts of weird things that make any city a neat place to live. I’m looking forward to it!

That does sound neat.  I’ll consider it.

New York sure is cozy!

I think I’ll get Young Terrorists on page 305 from Black Mask, because it sounded neat back when it first came out – it’s a spoiled rich kid turning against her evil father. I do like how they have a note about its delay in the solicits, because that’s awfully nice (I’ll have to check if I already ordered it, because I think I did). If only the Big Two offered any kind of explanation when their books are late!

I can’t remember if I ordered it.  That is cool that they at least acknowledge it.

Which doesn’t seem to be the case with Boom! and Mech Cadet Yu on page 318, which I swear was already solicited, and possibly at a 10 dollar price point (I may be wrong there).  Wuzzup with that?

Are you sure it was already solicited? Boom! takes forever getting their stuff collected, so this doesn’t seem too long after the first four issues came out. I don’t know about this – ever since it began I’ve been on the fence about it, and now the trade is here and I still haven’t made up my mind!!!!

I swear unto you they solicited the trade already, because they made a big damn deal about it, I thought when #5 was solicited at the same time.  Check the record, man!  Or I will, if I can find it!

I believe you!

The Unsound, written by Cullen Bunn, sounded neat when it first came out, and Boom! has the trade on page 319. Strange things are afoot in a psychiatric hospital!

It un-sounds pretty neat.  HAHAHAHA!

Your pun game is so weak.

Yeah, six weeks later, I see that was lame, but I’m leaving it in!

I think I already used this image when the first issue came out, but it’s still pretty keen

Dynamite has the trade of The Green Hornet ’66 Meets the Spirit on page 346, which I would want even without Ty Templeton art and Allred covers!

I’ll pick that up, because Fred van Lente is a good writer and Templeton is a good artist.

Did you see?  Drawn & Quarterly says that Berlin 22 is the final issue!  Oh my lordy, that means the world is coming to an end! (page 353)

Yeah, I saw that. Fret not – it will probably be a few years before it actually comes out, so you have time to put your affairs in order!

Now I need some affairs to put in order!

Our crowd here probably would want us to bring up the Phantom: Complete Don Newton HC from Hermes Press on page 370.  Sounds cool.

Infinity 8, which is about a spaceship that can’t get past a field of debris in deep space and eight security agents end up in eight different timelines investigating a way out, sounds keen. It’s on page 378 from Lion Forge, and it seems that each issue will have a different creative team. Intriguing …

If I understand the ad on the gatefold on the flip side of the catalog, each 3 issue arc is by a different team.  This is going to be a 2 year long project, so I’m intrigued but I wonder if the whole thing will ever come out.

Yeah, I see that. Sounds neat. But yeah, that’s probably a valid thing to wonder.

That’s going to take a lot of drycleaning …

Puerto Rico Strong is on page 380, an anthology to help disaster relief, and the sample art looks good.

Encounter is a fun looking kids comic on page 382 about an alien shapeshifter who comes to Earth and fights crime, and he’s got a talking dog.  The art’s by Chris Giarrusso, who went to college in my area!

That does look fun.

I like Ed Brisson’s stuff, so I’ll get The Ballad of Sang from Oni on page 394 in trade.  It’s a 5 issue series, according to the order form.

It seems a teeny-tiny bit less bleak than most of Brisson’s work, so I’ll probably get the trade.

I don’t know if I’m cool enough to buy this

I need to read the first volume still (what a surprise), but the second volume of Night’s Dominion by Ted Naifeh is offered on page 397.  I’ll probably just get it because I trust him, and you said it was good.  I did see that his Heroines series got cancelled in singles, and he was doing a Kickstarter for a complete collection of it, which is annoying for those of us who got the volume 1 collection.

On page 398 is Spectacle, which is a good looking book about a circus and the murder mystery surrounding the death of a woman who’s now a ghost and connected to her sister.  Looks fun, but this is the first book of a series, so proceed with caution.

Yeah, that’s annoying. I was going to say it’s a webcomic so there might be plenty of material, but it seems like creator Megan Rose Gedris has just done webcomics in the past, but this might not be one? Either way, I’ll probably get it and hope new volumes are forthcoming!

Cool cover, too

It would be nice if the solicit title spelled his name right, but Papercutz/Super Genius has a bio of Joe Shuster on page 404.  I wonder if it talks about his bondage comics of the ’50s or whenever it was?

OK, I was looking at PS Artbooks on page 404 and their listing of Pre-Code Classics: Weird Horrors vol 1, and I’m wondering how the cover style is “a riff on Marvel’s later and much-loved Amazing Adult Fantasy“.  Not that the covers don’t look that way, but I believe that would be the other way around, no?  How can you riff on something you pre-date?

That is … askew.

I will be looking further into Rebellion/2000AD‘s listings of M.A.C.H. 1: The John Probe Mission Files v1 on 405 and the Strontium Dog Repo Men trade on the next page.  M.A.C.H. 1 is a Six Million Dollar Man meets Bond riff, which means Hatcher might dig it, and I’ve always liked Strontium Dog, from what I’ve read of it.

John Probe, heh

Renegade Arts Entertainment has one on 406 that I believe was a Kickstarter thing, Gothic Tales of Haunted Love.  I wish the title was more descriptive, though!

It’s also a bit pricey at $25 for 164 pages. It does sound kind of neat, though, but I don’t know …

Seven Seas Entertainment has the Captain Harlock Classic Collection on page 408, which is classic manga I’ve heard good things about.

I saw that. I think I’m going to give it a try.

On page 425, Titan has two of the Hard Case Crime comics, Quarry’s War TP and Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini HC.  Both are good looking but I’m not sure if I want to get the Houdini HC as it’s a bit pricey.

I’m waiting for the trade of it.

On page 436 is Toon Graphics with a book by Jaime Hernandez, which means I’ll get it anyway, but it’s called The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin America, which is even cooler, so hells yeah!

Yeah, but then I’d have to get a comic by Jaime Hernandez. Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

Damn you, TwoMorrows, for always having interesting stuff offered!  On pages 436-437, we get Alter Ego 152 with a spotlight on Larry Ivie, the secret man behind the Silver Age; Comic Book Creator 17 spotlighting Wallace Wood and Hilary Barta; Jack Kirby Collector 74 with “Futurepast” stuff, and 2 awesome covers, a western one and a future hero one; the Jack Kirby Checklist in a new updated edition; and a reoffering of Back Issue 101 about rock n roll comics and Draw! 25 with Lee Weeks and Yildiray Cinar and Joe Rubinstein.  Damn you!!!

Bloodshot Salvation #7 on page 442 from Valiant is going to be all black. Seriously – Jeff Lemire is drawing it, and from the preview on page 443, it looks like the panel borders and some vague shapes will be edged in white, and everything else will be black. Well, that should be interesting.

(Cue our readers bringing up the John Byrne all-white Alpha Flight issue …)

First thing I thought of!

They should have taken it all the way and run an all-black cover, too.

I have The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne Valente (and illos by Annie Wu — woo!) out from the library, and I hope to get it read and reviewed soon.  It’s available in SC on page 469.  I’m trying not to read too much of the solicit info so I can go in…ahem…cold.

Charles Soule writes pretty good comics, and now he’s got a novel, The Oracle Year, available on page 472.  I’ll see if the library gets it, because Brad Meltzer blurbs it on the ad on the page before, so meh.

Also on 472 is a “lost” Doctor Who book by Douglas Adams (finished, presumably, by James Goss) called Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen.  Sounds a lot like Hitchhiker’s stuff to me.

Oh no, I’m going to start becoming a guy who collects Funko Pop figures, aren’t I?  I got the MST3K ones, and now the Buffy ones on page 525 are tempting me.

The belly shirt is a necessity!

On the other hand, if the Rocks ones on page 527 don’t fully articulate Jerry Garcia’s 9 and a half fingers nor does it have the Kurt Cobain shotgun variant, do I really want them?  (Too far!)

So now that I can’t show my (arse)face in the grunge forums any more, I’ll end my contributions this month!

Thanks for reading, everyone. Travis had some issues getting ahold of the catalog, hence his more-than-usual tardiness. Have fun checking out the catalog to see what’s good for you!

12 Comments

  1. Jeff Nettleton

    Far as I’m concerned, Don Newton is the best artist to set pencil to the Phantom and “The Mystery of the Mali Ibex,” is THE ultimate Phantom story. This was the series that got Newton tagged to work on Batman at DC, much as it had helped put Aparo in that lineup. Aparo’s Phantom is spectacular; but, Newton did him one better, in my eyes.

  2. Edo Bosnar

    Well, so far you’re right about your “crowd here” and the Phantom. My eyes lit up when I saw that book announced, as I’m a big fan of Newton’s art, but that book has a pretty hefty price tag for about 100 or so pages of comics. I’m assuming the page count will be padded out by original art (which usually doesn’t interest me that much) and text pieces and whatnot.

    Also: a Bubba Ho-Tep prequel comic book? Even though Landsdale is writing it, I still say, no, just no. That movie is such a gem on it’s own, it should be left as it is. (Also, the description to that book indicates that it’s Elvis, obviously, who’s supposed to save the world, so it’s just crass marketing to use the name Bubba Ho-Tep…)

  3. Simon

    Have catalog, will comment.

    > R: “not even in the face of Armageddon”

    The Ides of merch are coming?

    > “DC”

    BEWARE THE EVENTS OF MARCH;
    Or, Dark Crisis on Infinite Smurfs

    > G: “[Gideon Falls cover] … that looks like a head!”

    Ra’s al-Ghul’s?

    > “Marvel”

    BEWARE THE VARIANTS OF MARCH;
    Or, The Secret House of Trump Mouse

    > T: “Bizarre Romance”

    Overpriced illustrated prose? Do mousetraps dream of romantic gyp?

    > G: “Tenements, Towers & Trash”

    Some vignettes and lotsa illos? Are not mousetraps torrent-baits?

    * (25 pages) http://www.juliawertz.com/2017/09/24/trash/
    * (w/ 4 pages) https://hyperallergic.com/403163/a-cartoonists-dazzling-history-of-nyc/
    * https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/17/books/review-tenements-towers-trash-julia-wertz.html

    (Meanwhile, Julia Wertz’s best book, THE INFINITE WAIT, is only available from bookstores, like so many graphic novels.)

    > T: “Mech Cadet Yu […] which I swear was already solicited”

    Maybe they added some padding to make its price look justified, and a mousetrap to change it later?

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    MECH CADET YU TP VOL 01 [November 2017]
    (W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Takeshi Miyazawa

    Once a year, giant robots from outer space come to Earth and bond with young cadets from the elite Sky Corps Academy to defend the world from the terrifying aliens known as the Sharg. It’s a great honor to be chosen, but this year…well, the wrong kid was picked. Greg Pak (Totally Awesome Hulk) and Takeshi Miyazawa (Ms. Marvel) team up for an action-packed adventure perfect for fans of Amadeus Cho and Pacific Rim! Collects issues #1-4. (STL069581)

    SC, 7×10, 96pgs, FC SRP: $14.99
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    MECH CADET YU GN VOL 01 [January 2018]
    (W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Takeshi Miyazawa

    Once a year, giant robots from outer space come to Earth and bond with young cadets from the elite Sky Corps Academy to defend the world from the terrifying aliens known as the Sharg. It’s a great honor to be chosen, but this year…well, the wrong kid was picked. Greg Pak (Totally Awesome Hulk) and Takeshi Miyazawa (Ms. Marvel) team up for an action-packed and heartfelt underdog story about the true makings of heroism and friendship in the face of overwhelming odds. Collects issues #1-4 and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Mech Cadet Yu, including the comic short story that inspired the series. (STL073883) (C: 0-1-2)

    SC, 7×10, 128pgs, FC SRP: $14.99
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    And why was the baited mini switched to an endless serial?

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    MECH CADET YU #4 (OF 4) [November 2017]
    (W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Takeshi Miyazawa

    Series finale! Stanford and his team are the only ones standing between the Sharg and Earth! (STL062159)

    32pgs, FC (4 of 4) SRP: $3.99
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
    MECH CADET YU #7 [January 2018]
    (W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Takeshi Miyazawa

    Stanford and his fellow students are enlisted into Earth’s last-ditch effort to drive off the Sharg invasion. (STL073698)

    32pgs, FC SRP: $3.99
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    > T: “Berlin 22 is the final issue!”

    Meanwhile, FCBD’s BERLIN being “in anticipation of the hardcover release of the entire series in Fall 2018”, does it mean no separate BERLIN VOL. 3 to make suckers buy it all again?

    > T: “Captain Harlock […] which is classic manga”

    Wasn’t it just the anime series that became a classic?

    [CONTINUED ON 4TH WEEK FOLLOWING.]

    — A STRANGE & BEAUTIFUL SOUND by Zep (p. 196, $20 @ IDW)

    Why wasn’t Taniguchi namedropped too? Overpriced and okay from a library, if that’s your thing?

    * (6 pages) https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9781684051625

    — I LOVE THIS PART by Tillie Walden (p. 302, $17 @ Avery Hill)

    Great stories, awesome art, her. This 2015 short story told in 60 splashes is quite moving, and what about its already-pricey $12 softcover? (+)

    * (w/ 4 pages) http://www.brokenfrontier.com/i-love-this-part-tillie-walden-avery-hill-publishing/
    * (w/ 4 pages) https://www.page45.com/store/I-Love-This-Part.html

    (Why 76 pages in Previews and 68 at the pub?)

    Or what about THE END OF SUMMER, Greg — her Ignatz-winning, McCay-inspired, more substantial graphic novella? (+)

    * (w/ 5 pages) http://www.brokenfrontier.com/the-end-of-summer-tillie-walden-avery-hill-publishing/
    * (w/ 4 pages) http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2015/review-the-end-of-summer/
    * (w/ 4 pages) http://www.page45.com/store/The-End-Of-Summer.html

    — BATTRON: THE TROJAN WOMAN by Wayne Vansant (p. 331, $15 @ Caliber)

    Vansant is good nonfiction, maybe not his “action/adventure” fiction?

    * (4 pages) http://www.calibercomics.com/battron.html

    — VIETNAM JOURNAL standalone VOL. 1 by Don Lomax (p. 331, $17 @ Caliber)

    Classic and pricey for a B&W reprint of 118 story pages with Caliber’s low production values?

    * (6 pages) http://www.calibercomics.com/vietnam-journal.html
    * (blurbs) http://www.caliber-entertainment.com/vietnam-journal.html
    * (contents) https://www.comics.org/issue/546351/

    — FROM LONE MOUNTAIN by John Porcellino (p. 354, ALLEGEDLY $23)

    KING-CAT #62–68 vignettes? Do mousetraps deserve orders?

    * (8 pages) http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/sites/default/files/docs/samples/9781770462953_sample.pdf
    * (9 pages) https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9781770462953
    * https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-77046-295-3

    (Why 304 pages in Previews and 240 in the bookstore data and PW review?)

    —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —   —

    « The Messiah floated gently down Eighth Avenue, His arms spread wide, as if to hug mankind. Traffic stopped and people gawked, their eyes and iPhones pointed toward the heavens. […] Some reporters had assembled on the street. […]

    “O.K.,” Al Sharpton said. “I guess my question is: Why did you confuse me with Al Roker?”

    “Look, I’m sorry about that,” the Messiah said. “It’s just that you’re both named Al, and you’re both on TV.”

    Sharpton raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure it’s not because we’re both African-American?” […]

    “Do you regret your comments?” Chris Matthews asked. He’d moved on from the salvation story and was now focussed on the race angle.

    “Guys, this is crazy!” the Messiah said, his face contorted in a pained grin. “I have black friends. I’m a fan of black culture!” At this point, the cherubs were trying to physically close His mouth. […] » (+)

    1. Greg Burgas

      Simon: Man, I wish you hadn’t floated the possibility of Berlin being collected in a big hardcover, because that’s probably what’s going to happen, and I’m going to buy it, like a sucker. I mean, it’s amazing, so of course I’m going to buy it, but that’s such a shady thing to pull on people who have been waiting years for the series to finish.

      That Tillie Walden stuff looks great. Thanks!

  4. Call Me Carlos the Dwarf

    I think the “Spider-Man” renumbering might be based off Ultimate Spider-Man.

    The numbers should work, and it makes more sense than using Todd McFarlane, haha.

  5. That Scooby-Doo crossover does sound good.
    Can’t say I’m into omnibuses myself. Smaller books are easier to manage and hold.
    yes, that looks like the first volume of Beasts of Burden. Which I loved, but I’d like more (still paperback would make it cheaper to get).
    Even if they present Hellboy chronologically, it won’t last as Mignola constantly does new retcons (Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 is out this month for instance). I posted a Hellboy Chronology on my own blog and it’s the most visited thing on there, consistently (https://frasersherman.wordpress.com/hellboy-the-chronology/).

    1. Greg Burgas

      frasersherman: Holy schneike, that chronology is awesome. I was already thinking about doing one of my award-winning chronologies* when I eventually got around to re-reading Hellboy, but man, I don’t think I’ll try to compete with yours! 🙂

      * Note: they have not won any awards. 🙁

  6. M-Wolverine

    So my main takeaway of this is I kinda love Red Lion. Very strange that they’re basically promoting Black Panther at this time, but I love animal based super characters, more so if they have a color in their name. (I am the one man fan club of Mongoose*). Plus from Google every time he talks he announces his name. The costume is a bit spot on for BP, but come on, the mane is cool. Speaking of which, it also led me to find out that there have not only been one, but two DC characters called Lion-Mane.

    http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_Dawson_(New_Earth)

    http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Lion-Mane_(Prime_Earth)

    *How they never had him fight Cobra….

    1. And Marvel had a Lion Mane fighting Luke Cage.
      After I read the first Essential Thor TPB and learned Marvel’s Cobra got his powers from radioactive Cobra venom, a match-up with the Whizzer seemed destined. But of course, never happened.

    2. Greg Burgas

      M-Wolverine: I also love that DC is basically trolling Marvel. “You won’t publish a Fantastic Four comic? Oh, we’ve got one for you.” “You won’t publish an old-fashioned Hulk comic? Oh, we’ve got one for you.” “Your Black Panther movie is going to do really well at the box office? Well, if those people happen to make it to a comic store, they just might buy ours by mistake.” I LOVE IT!

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