Flippin’ through ‘Previews’ – May 2019

Well, Previews is out, and you know what that means! Yes, over-hyped comics that won’t live up their reputations, hidden gems, Simon telling us things are overpriced (we love you, Simon!), Travis in black text making bad jokes, Greg in blue text trying to be pithy, and this month, a crossover that will probably take its place as Top Five in the “How Weird Is This?” category. Let’s get to it!

Image:

Take a look at the solicits here.

Unearth on page 50 sounds all right. It’s about a “flesh-warping disease” destroying a town in Mexico and the group of scientists who try to find out what happened and get … more than they bargained for!!!!!! I know, shocking. It’s written by Cullen Bunn and Kyle Strahm, who are both pretty good, so I’ll probably check this out.

Why are they going into a contaminated area with no breathing masks of any sort on?

Justin Jordan is a pretty good writer, and Rebekah Isaacs is a terrific artist, so I’ll give Reaver a try (page 54). It’s the Dirty Dozen (but only six of them, and they’re actually called “Hell’s Half-Dozen”!) trying to stop a war in a fantasy world, which sounds fun.

I might check out the trade.

I’m annoyed, before you are below, that Postal is restarting after it supposedly ended.  Oh well, I need to catch up still.

I’m annoyed with Brubillips, as they’re releasing Criminal #2 and #3 as a hardcover graphic novel, Bad Weekend, on page 62. But they’ve expanded it to make the format viable, as I guess a lot of people have said how much they loved the story (and it was pretty good, obviously). But I already bought the single issues, so what will I miss if I don’t get this? What do comics creators want readers to do? They claim they want us to buy single issues because that keeps them in business, but then they release the collected editions with more stuff, and we’re supposed to buy that as well? The two issues of Criminal were 4 bucks each, meaning you spent 8 dollars for the story. Now they want us to plunk down 17 dollars for some (and they’re not telling us what that is!) new stuff? Sheesh, and people wonder why consumers get mad.

This argument has been going on since Dave Sim included new stories in the Swords of Cerebus collections in the early ‘80s.  I agree with you that it’s annoying, and I don’t know the solution, but presumably you won’t miss too much from the singles, or else those scenes should have been included in the first place.

Die! Die! Die! volume 1 is on page 63, and if you didn’t get the issues because you never knew when they were coming out (they weren’t solicited in Previews), you should pick this up. It’s sheer madness, and Chris Burnham draws the shit out of it.

I have been waiting to get this.  I’ll see if my local shops have any deals on the singles on FCBD before I decide to order.

I don’t know if Gunning For Hits is any good, but the trade is on page 64 and I like Moritat’s art, so I’m probably getting it.

I flipped through (HA!) the first issue and it looked cool.  I like that it apparently has a Bowie stand-in, so I’m in for that!

Is it too mean to say that future generations will trace the endpoint of human civilization to the climate change wrought by the production of the giant Saga compendium on page 66?  Meow.

Well, I didn’t pick this up from the solicits of Self/Made before, but the trade solicit on page 67 says it’s about a npc in an advanced video game discovering her true nature and trying to find her creator.  Sounds like it could be pretty good.

Dark Horse:

The solicits are here.

I assume the weird crossover you mentioned up top was the Black Hammer/Justice League one on page 98.  I don’t get it either, but BH is very good stuff from what I’ve read of it.

Yeah, that’s the one. It’s just bizarre. I mean, I’m going to get it, because Black Hammer has been a pretty darned good comic, but it’s still odd.

Well, the Black Hammer characters are kind of Justice League stand-ins …

Manor Black on page 106 is by Bunn, Hurtt, and Crook (who spells his last name correctly, dammit), and it sounds neat, with a dying sorcerer trying to bequeath his powers to a good young mage in hopes that this person can defeat the evil forces facing his family.

I’ll get the trade on this, although I suppose, with the way Dark Horse gouges trade-waiters, that it might be better to get the single issues. Anyway, how else would Tyler Crook spell his name? “Crook” is correct!

Yeah, I meant that Bunn and Hurtt misspell words for their names, and Crook is the only one who is correct!  I might get the singles too because of the way DH prices their trades (see how diplomatically I put that?).

Oh, I see. You went a long way for that joke, which I appreciate.

No One Left to Fight on page 110 sounds like it might be an interesting take on manga fighting stories, with the characters facing the title dilemma and wondering what to do next.

The Quiet Kind on page 111 is a one shot about kids with powers, and I like what I’ve seen of Jeremy Treece’s art, from what I recall, so I might plunk down shekels for this.

It looks pretty neat.

I want the Flaming Carrot Comics Omnibus on page 114 but I’m puzzled as to why it includes the things that it includes.  Although one of my favorite lines ever from a comic book is in the TMNT crossover issue, so there’s that.  I won’t reveal it, because the impact might be lost if it’s out of context.

That’s weird. What’s going on with the missing issues? But yeah, I’ll probably get this. $25 is good value for such a big package (yes, yes, TWSS, but let’s move on!).

I don’t understand it.  I’d have to look and see what’s in the stuff that’s missing.  Presumably they got the TMNT issues in to help sell it.

In that second Mask omnibus on page 116, I wonder if Mernie Mireault is related to Bernie?  Ahem …

Bwah-ha-ha. Picking on the poor editors for a typo! For shame, Pelkie!

It’s not like it’s anyone’s job or anything to make sure that text goes out typo-free!

The Pander Bros are pretty good, and I think I heard good things about this when it was released as Triple X, but Dissident X remasters that book and is on page 116.  I’ll consider it.

It’s not bad, but not super-great, either. I wonder how it will look in color, because the art was very scratchy and seemed to fit black and white quite well. It’s worth a look, but it’s not brilliant, just so you know.

DC:

Check out the solicits here.

Unfortunately, Sean Murphy is back with a sequel to White Knight on page 1. I say it’s unfortunate because Murphy is just an okay writer, and as long as his Batman stuff sells, he’s going to keep doing it. I wish he would try some other things or at least, you know, work with a good writer. Oh well. He’s not terrible, and I’m sure this will be a decent read, at least.

The first one was interesting, at least, but probably if he’d had a more experienced writer working with him it might have been better.

I guess Young Animal isn’t dead.  On page 10 we have Collapser, about a dude powered by a black hole he got in the mail, and on page 11 is a new Doom Patrol series that I’m sure will ship entirely on time.

Sick burn, sir. I was surprised by this, too, but Ilias Kyriazis is drawing the first one, so at least someone at DC Talent Evaluation is doing their job! I want to support Young Animal, but I’m not sure if I’m getting these in single issues or trades.

Should I care about the Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane series on pages 12 and 13?  Who knows.  But they’ve brought Fraction and Rucka back to the big 2.

I am totes ALL MOTHERFUCKING IN on both of them. Fraction/Lieber (come on, Pelkie, bringing back the great Hawkman artist Lieber is bigger news than Fraction coming back) and Rucka/Perkins? INJECT THAT SHIT DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS!!!!!

Woo-hoo!  Scooby Doo Team Up 49 on page 58 has Metamorpho!

Cool, the ‘70s Justice Society stuff is collected on page 70 as All-Star Comics: Only Legends Live Forever.  Watch as Wally Wood expands the chest of Power Girl!!!

I was pretty giddy when I saw that. I have a few of those issues, but not very many. It’s groovy!

Man, that Batman Black and White Omnibus has a ton of great stuff in it, but I have the two miniseries.  But it’s on page 72 for anyone who doesn’t.

Those are terrific comics, but $125 is a bit steep. I assume the four trades are out of print, which is why they can charge this.

Batman: Kings of Fear gets a hardcover on page 73 that’s still cheaper than the single issues, so yeah, I’ll be getting this. Kelley Jones drawing Batman!!!!

I didn’t even notice it was a HC.  That’s a pretty good deal

Because why not, I’m probably getting the Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica trade on page 75.

I probably will too!

One theory about this stupid Hitman’s Greatest Hits book on page 76 is that he is going to be in the new Suicide Squad movie.  I don’t know why else they’re putting out this weird collection otherwise.

It’s so stupid. Just collect the entire series into five or six trades! It’s easy-peasy!

They were about to start to collect it, but they stopped!

I’ll probably pick up Justice League of America: The Survivors of Earth! on page 76. Early 1970s JLA, written by Denny O’Neil and Robert Kanigher? Sure, why not?

I did like The Kitchen, offered again on page 77, although I thought it was that Widows movie that adapted this (he says, tongue in cheek).

Wait, Eddie Campbell did an Orion story? (page 78)

He did a back-up story. Simonson did the main book, but he had a bunch of back-ups, including one by Liefeld (which might have been in the other collection) and, yes, Campbell. They’re all pretty interesting, and of course, this collection (and volume 1) are totally worth it.

I have a good number of the original issues, but didn’t find #5 in time to have Simonson sign it.  I thought about having him sign the issue with Frank Miller’s backup, but decided against it.

If you’ve felt that your soap opera needs just aren’t being met, you might want to pick up Swamp Thing by Nancy A. Collins Omnibus on page 82. Collins started out on the book quite well, and her work never got terrible, but it did get very soap-opera-ish, with Alex cheating on Abby and Tefé creating monster flowers (so not joking there). It’s certainly better than what came immediately before it (some bad stuff), but then Millar came along and blew it out of the water, so … yeah. A bit pricey at $125 for what you get. Nice Scot Eaton art for a lot of it, though.

Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway volume 3 is on page 82. I failed to get the first two, but I might pick this up. Early 1980s Batman? Good stuff!

IDW:

You know the solicits are here.

Gabriel Rodriguez is a terrific artist, and Diablo House was a ton of fun, so I imagine The Island of Dr. Moreau (by the same writer) on page 138 will be cool. Only if they draw Moreau to look like Brando, though!

Yeah, that preview art is pretty sweet.

I saw copies of the original art to the new Ragnarok arc (offered as Ragnarok: The Breaking of Helheim 1 of 6 on page 139) when I met Walt Simonson at Ithacon recently (which I still hope to write about!), and it looks awesome.  Hopefully the sales will be ok enough for him to do more after this 6 issue run, because that’s been a problem!

You could try buying it, you know!

I didn’t say I wouldn’t, necessarily!

I can’t remember if Michel Fiffe’s take on GI Joe, Sierra Muerte, was 3 or 4 issues, but it’s collected on page 148. It’s probably fun!

I think it was three issues, but they were extra-sized. It doesn’t really matter, does it?!?!?

On page 159, we get Gramercy Park, about the relationship between an ex-dancer who tends bees and a isolated criminal in 1954 New York. Sounds keen.

I like the solicit text for the grand finale of LOEG on page 169. Is that an Atomic Junk Shoppe that is featured on the cover?

I sure hope so. Yeah, that solicit text really soft-pedals the book, doesn’t it? I mean, come on, IDW, try to sell it, at least!

I just picked up “Born Again” recently, so it’s good timing on their part to offer me the Artisan Edition on page 173.

I might have to get this. The Artisan Editions are a bit smaller, but they’re also not as spendy, and this is probably gorgeous in black and white (from the small art samples on the page, it sure looks like it).

Marvel:

All the solicits you could want are here.

Dammit, there’s a new Marvels story on page 1.  Yes, I know it’s not essential but I wan’ it!  I think this issue costs less than the cover price of the original miniseries issues though …

I’m on the fence. I do like how the solicit says it’s 40 pages (which I know includes advertisements, but still) and the story is … 16 WHOLE PAGES! Pad much, Marvel?

Yeah, but at least Alex Ross process work is groovy to look at.

I never quite got how secretive the X-Men really are.  Why?  But here comes Hickman’s new thing on page 2.

I mean, I like Hickman, but this sounds really overwrought. I know he can’t help the idiotic solicit text, but I’m sure he doesn’t think it’s too bad, either. Maybe he could finish The Dying and the Dead first? (Listens for sounds of laughter from somewhere) Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Apparently they stopped soliciting those issues of Black Monday Murders that started getting solicited a couple months back too.  I know the money is with the big two but the awesome is with the self published stuff.

Yes, I will read the collection of History of the Marvel Universe, but not in singles like they offer on page 10!

It does, however, look COOL AS FUCK.

Damn it, Juan Ferreyra is drawing Punisher Kill Krew (page 16), which means I have to fucking buy it. DAMN IT!!!! (Although Gerry Duggan is a pretty good writer, so it’s not that bad. I just like whining!)

I knew there was a reason I was going to mention it.  It should be kinda cool then.

They’re doing a new version of Girl Comics but calling it Fearless this time (page 18).  Actually I’m interested but I won’t get the singles.

Wow, Invisible Woman finally gets a mini on page 20. Not sure I like the premise that she was an agent of S.H.I.EL.D., but it doesn’t specify if it was before or after she got powers.  Before is probably pushing it …

Come on, S.H.I.E.L.D. would have loved her before she got her powers. I mean, look at how patriotic she was:

Did CB Cebulski write these Aero and Sword Master series on 26-27?

I know you’re joking (sick burn again!), but can’t you see the credits, sir?

Keep ruining my joke, dude!  Cuz I don’t ruin enough of my own!

I’m going to get a Carnage comic, but that’s because I’m pretty sure Warren Ellis wrote Mind Bomb, reprinted on page 31.  We mentioned how he wrote a lot of weird stuff in the ‘90s last time, I think.

Yes, he wrote it, and Kyle Hotz drew it! So I will probably get it, too. What the hell, Marvel?

Why must X-Statix return?  This better be worth it … (page 34)

Ducats, yo!

Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway reunite for Captain America and the Invaders: The Bahamas Triangle on page 42, which is probably worth a look, although Bahamas?

I hope the entire comic is about Cap’s search for a good Mai Tai because FDR likes his damned rum! (Although I looked up Mai Tai and it wasn’t invented until 1994 1944, so this could be about the secret origin of the Mai Tai. Basically, this better be about Cap trying to get the president drunk. I don’t care how it happens!) 

[check the date there dude]

This is major behind-the-scenes stuff, people! I mis-typed 1994, so Travis told me to check the date, which was 1944. It’s like we actually edit these things before they get published, which means we’re ahead of both Previews and most Marvel comics!

Hey, you could have just changed it and taken out my note, but I like showing the behind the scenes stuff!

I assume the covers of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man 9 and Black Cat 2 looking alike is intentional, on pages 56-57?

It’s not a crossover, so I’m going to assume it’s a coincidence. Covers are hard, man!

Oh my my, I’m really going to have to ponder the Timely’s Greatest: Golden Age Simon and Kirby Omnibus HC on page 109.  It’s got Cap, natch, but it’s also got that Red Raven one shot, and so many other cool things.  I need to win the lottery!

You better watch out, though, because you might order it and then Marvel cancels it because some people might be upset by the racism. Not that I’m bitter about DC doing that recently or anything …

It’s historic racism, dammit!

Savage Sword of Conan is in trade on page 116-117, with a black and white version on the first page and the colored version on the second. The first issue was pretty cool, so I’ll probably get this.

I did like the idea of the B&W edition.

Did you get or look at Meet the Skrulls, offered in trade on page 135?  It might be interesting …

I looked at the first issue and it looked cool, so I’m getting the trade. I would have anyway, as Robbie Thompson is a pretty good writer and Niko Henrichon is a good artist.

The only Punisher stories I really like are Return to Big Nothing (by Steven Grant and Mike Zeck) and Assassin’s Guild (by Jo Duffy and Jorge Zaffino), and now they’re in a collection along with Intruder (by Mike Baron and Bill Reinhold) on page 143. I’m not getting this, because I own the originals, but it’s not a bad collection. Zeck’s art, to say needlessly, is terrific.

Hey, Marvel collected the weird issues of Uncanny X-Men in X-Men Epic Collection: Dissolution and Rebirth (collecting issues #248-267) on page 144! Good stuff from Claremont and a bunch of artists!

I just recently read the third Epic collection of Fantastic Four, and the fourth one is offered on page 145, starting with the Black Panther’s introduction.  Stan and Jack are friggin’ awesome here, so this is well worth your money.

I own some of this in Marvel Masterworks, but I have to check which ones, because I’m pretty sure I don’t own these. So yeah, I’ll probably get this.

Trying to remember if I have Elektra: Assassin, but I think I just have the first issue.  So I may need to get the new printing of the trade on page 146.

IT’S SO GOOD, PELKIE!!!!!!

Incredible Hercules gets a trade, and everyone should buy it. While it was coming out, it was one of the best Marvel comics, and it’s fun in a way that most Marvel comics aren’t. Just terrific stuff.

What I’ve read was awesome.

Congrats to our pal Kelly for her run on Hawkeye for being chosen to be reprinted on page 149 as one of Marvel’s new “middle grade reader” comics, although why didn’t they just include the last 4 issues of that run as well?

Schools aren’t made of money, Pelkie! If they charge any more for this, the schools will have to cut something unimportant, like lunch or janitors! It’s just simple math, sir!!!!

Haven’t they cut that stuff yet anyway?

Dynamite:

Here are all the Vampirella solicits!

I might go for the replica edition of the first Vampirella mag, offered on page 211, because you want to see it in that great Warren format.

That would be kind of cool. And I know it’s Vampirella’s 50th anniversary, but I think my math is right when I say that 12 of 31 items in the Dynamite section, or 39%, are Vampirella-related. Dang, that’s a lot of stuff.

They tend to go all in with something when they get it.

Boom!:

It’s all the solicits!

I like Sina Grace personally, and he’s a pretty good writer, so I’ll probably get Ghosted in L.A. (page 216) eventually, when it comes out in trade. It’s a bout a newcomer who moves into a haunted, abandoned manor. Like you do. The art, by Siobhan Keenan, looks good, too.

The Man Who Came Down the Attic Stairs (page 222) sounds pretty amazing – it’s a creepy take on postpartum depression, which I’m sure is a total myth, right, guys? Anyway, it’s 15 bucks for 48 pages, so that’s a bit steep, but it looks and sounds terrific.

It does sound like an interesting topic for a GN.

It will be interesting to read Ronin Island v1, offered on page 228, because I believe it was originally a 5 issue series expanded to 12, unless I’m thinking of something else. It’s a good creative team regardless.

It was definitely supposed to be five issues, but I guess it’s so damned popular they just couldn’t stop!!!!!

Did you ever read The Unknown, offered in omnibus form on page 232?  I thought I had an issue of this but I don’t remember.

Yep, I just re-read them not too long ago, in fact, while I was going through “U” in my back issue boxes. They’re pretty good – not great, but worth a nice omnibus. Waid’s story is decent, and Minck Oosterveer’s art is superb.

I did like Goldie Vance, so if the writer on that did this Welcome to Wanderland, about a real fairyland that a theme park is based on, in trade on page 235, I might want to get this.

Back of the book!

Aardvark-Vanaheim gives us another Cerebus in Hell? one shot on page 246 with Fornicators Inc., a take off of the Fantastic Four, I guess.  Don’t ask me, I buy them but I haven’t been keeping up with reading them.  The downside of being a completist.

Well, I like Cullen Bunn, I like the Crusades, I like fish-out-of-water stories, the art samples by Fran Galan look really nice, so I’ll probably like Knights Temporal on page 256 from AfterShock (whose solicits are here). As a trade, of course!

Ahoy brings us Second Coming on page 268, the book of a Superman stand-in rooming with Jesus that was too much for DC!  Unfortunately they misspell Amanda Conner’s name in the solicit, which is annoying.  But I’m in for this, and I’m considering springing for both covers even, because the Ahoy people are good people!

Albatross Funnybooks has two trades on page 269, with Grumble v1, about a dude magically changed into a pug dog and on the run from gangsters (which I got in singles but still haven’t read yet), and Megaghost, which sounds like a fun Saturday morning cartoon, with a kid who can summon a supernatural robot, like you do, and which I decided to wait for the trade on.

On page 270, I’m interested in Tinseltown from Alterna. It’s 1915, and one of the first female police officers in Hollywood is on a bad case. The art looks pretty good, and it’s intriguing, so I might have to check it out.

Had I gotten around to reading the issues I could tell you about this!

I think I got Roman Ritual from Amigo, and if it’s the book I’m thinking of it was pretty creepy.  It’s back with volume 2 offered on page 277.

Strange that both Apocalypse Taco from Amulet Books on page 277 and Archie Vs Predator II on page 281 deal with a group of teens leaving a place and coming back to find doubles of themselves.

Well, it’s not as if that’s the most unique plot in the world. It was bound to happen eventually!

It’s just odd that it’s 4 pages apart.

I like Francavilla and think he’s done some cool art for Archie, but I don’t know if I’ll spring for the art book on page 282.

I need to get the Lola XOXO books from Aspen on page 286 because it always sounds cool to me but I never grab them.  And now there’s a new mini on page 287.

The first one was just okay, and I didn’t get the second. It’s too bad, because Siya Oum is another artist who’s quite good, but thinks she’s a better writer than she is, so the story just isn’t up to the art. But it’s not terrible. Maybe I’ll get the second and third trades when this mini is done …

I also may want to try to catch up with Kim and Kim from Black Mask on page 294, because I keep hearing it’s good but I haven’t gotten a chance to see for myself.

That’s another one where the first series was fine, but it wasn’t good enough to make me pick up the second one. For what that’s worth.

Caliber has a trade of Live Die Reload on page 304, which sounds like a weird little quasi-supernatural cop story. The art is really good, too.

Empty Space on page 306 from ComicMix sounds interesting. A dude wakes up on a spaceship that looks like his, but he knows it’s not. And the crew is missing. Oh dear. I might have to check it out, although $25 is a bit steep.

It’s pricey, but Devils Due/1First collects Little Girl in a trade, a story where a ghost girl is tied to a cursed stuffed animal and lashes out at the living.  They also have Love Town in trade, which is a noir detective/horror creature story with a vampire detective, and that has an exclusive story.  This Off Beat Town has a genetically engineered chimp with a bounty out on his head.  And they also have a Bernie Sanders special.  Sure, why not?  All of these are on page 308.

I haven’t loved the Yuans’ comics in the past – they’re okay, but nothing special – but it seems their art has improved, and Love Town does sound neat, so I might have to give them another chance!

Drawn & Quarterly has Year of the Rabbit on page 310. It’s about a family living under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, and the art looks very nice.

Fantagraphics has a new book by Xaime on page 316 called Tonta, although this may collect stories from the new Love and Rockets magazine and I haven’t read that yet either …

It’s spelled with a “J,” damn it!!!!

Shush, you! He signs his stuff like that sometimes!

I like Richard Sala and would consider his book Phantom in the Attic on page 317, but apparently they don’t want us to know how much it costs …

Let’s hope Simon can tell us! He’s our only hope!

As always, I’m wary of coming-of-age stories, but Grimoire Noir on page 318 from First Second sounds interesting. A kid lives in a supernatural town, and when his younger sister is kidnapped, he digs into the history of said town and doesn’t like what he finds. The art is really good, too, so I might pick this up.

First Second also has the second volume of Spill Zone on page 319. The first one (which isn’t re-offered, weirdly) was quite good, so get them both!

Flesk Publications has Frank Cho: Ballpoint Beauties HC collecting a number of his ballpoint pen drawings.  He’s one of the artists I would consider paying for an art book like this.  He was very nice to me when I saw him at Boston Comic Con in 2011 (egads, so long ago!), especially since I had him signing individual strips in my Liberty Meadows books! (Thanks, Frank!)

Plus, I’m sure there will be plenty of drawings on women in ridiculous poses making pithy remarks about politically correct “Nazis,” so there’s that!

On page 319, Floating World Comics has The Immersion Program, an espionage story that takes place … in the subconscious! Yeah, I’m probably in on that.

Graphix has the second volume of Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk on page 325.  I haven’t read the first yet, but I don’t doubt that it was good!

Harper Voyager has on the same page an autobiography by J. Michael Straczynski talking about his childhood living in poverty and his past.  Sounds interesting.

There’s an entire chapter in which he explains why having Gwen Stacy bang Old Man Osborn was a good idea!

To be fair, I believe I heard that he wanted Peter to be those weirdly aged kids’ father!

Humanoids has an interesting take on Quantum and Woody with Strangelands on page 328, where two people with the same last name (were they married?  I don’t know) have superpowers that cause mass destruction if they’re apart but they can’t stand to be together.  Could be good.

Lion Forge has the second volume of The Collected Toppi, with stories about North America. I’m telling you people, you can’t go wrong with getting some Sergio Toppi comics in your life!

Stiletto gets collected on page 348. I read the first issue and enjoyed it, but I don’t know if the next one is any good, because I’m waiting to read the whole thing! But it’s keen so far!

Quirk Books has a neat sounding one on page 366 with We Are Here Forever, about the purple creatures who live on earth after us humans are gone.  Might be fun.

The Dark Age #1 on page 368 from Red 5 could be keen. In the near future, all metal on earth turns to dust, and society reverts to a brutal feudal system. I don’t know how many issues it is, but I’ll have to look out for the trade!

I haven’t gotten the premiere issue yet, but on page 370, Scout offers the trade of Metalshark Bro!, which sounded like dumb fun.  Hopefully the sampler comes out before I have to decide to order!

Scout also has a collection of Once Our Land volume 1, which takes place in Germany during the 1830s but after monsters have pretty much wiped out human society. The second series is almost wrapped up, and it’s a pretty good series, so if you missed the single issues, here’s a trade!

Source Point Press has a few interesting sounding ones on pages 372-373.  Dead End Kids is about a group of kids at the end of the ’90s trying to find out who killed one of their own, and The Love She Offered is about a guy who knows his daughter’s ex-boyfriend is the one who murdered her and is going to make him confess.  If things went well there wouldn’t be a story, would there?

Ten Speed Press has Cheshire Crossing on page 388, with Alice, Wendy, and Dorothy meeting up at a supernatural boarding school.  So, I guess it’s the PG version of Lost Girls …

It certainly couldn’t be more NC-17 than that book …

It’s TwoMorrows Time!  On page 389, Alter Ego 160 is a Ditko tribute, so of course I’m getting it.  On page 390 is Back Issue 115, about Sci-Fi superheroes like Dreadstar (somebody page Chad!).  There are also new editions of other stuff too, but I have the Eisner book (thanks, sis!) (I think she got it for me anyway …)

There’s never a bad time for a Chad shout-out!

I do enjoy the titles of some manga, like on page 436 from Yen Press is Secretly, I’ve Been Suffering About Being Sexless.  Or Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-San on the same page.

On page M58 they have a happy little Bob Ross action figure.  Because why not?

Weirder yet, Pop! figures from Pretty Woman on page M75.

And then there’s the Alex Trebek one on page M81 that doesn’t even look at him.

Well, that’s it for this month, everyone. Have a grand time checking out Previews! Remember: It’s a stupid system, but it’s the only one we have!