It’s already time for a new one of these dives into the world of Previews! What wonders shall we find in Previews #397? This is Travis in seasonally appropriate black, with Greg in the blue of a cloudless sky!
DC (via DC Connect 17):
Jeff Lemire is writing Swamp Thing: Green Hell on page 12, which sounds pretty cool – the Swamp Thing is tasked with wiping out humanity because humanity sucks. It’s purty, too, with – wait for it – “one of the greatest artists in modern DC history,” Doug Mahnke, along for the ride. Bold statement, DC! I’m certainly not disagreeing with it, but I wonder what DC considers “modern history”? If it’s the 21st century or post-Nu 52, definitely. If you stretch it back to 1986, probably. If you go back to Neal Adams, we’re starting to muddy the waters a bit.
For DC, modern history probably means since the beginning of the year.
One-Star Squadron on page 16 sounds like an update of Hero Hotline by Rosakis and DeStefano, except with some “name” heroes. But … is that … it can’t be … that’s the motherfucking Heckler, isn’t it? HOW CAN THAT BE!?!?!?! Anyway, it’s by Russell and Lieber, so it should be awesome. Here’s hoping that this means that Heckler will be collected in trade finally!
Yeah, it sure looks like it is. How weird. But it could be awesome. I hope they got Giffen’s blessing, even though DC owns the character.
For some reason, it’s offered again, but on page 19 is the Milestone Compendium One, collecting the first arcs from Blood Syndicate, Hardware, Icon, Static, and Xombi from the original ‘90s run. I’ll probably preorder it this time.
I already ordered it, so I guess I have to re-order it? Sigh.
The Palmiotti/Conner Harley Quinn Black Label book gets a softcover trade on page 29, and I will pick this up because it’s Conner doing the art, which is a rare treat these days. Two things: If any “Black Label” book cries out for nudity, this one does, but I doubt it has it, and the solicit writer writes that Harley has “ombré” hair, which, technically, I guess is correct, but it’s still not a great descriptor for that hair.
Nightwing 87 on page 39 apparently is one continuous image, which appeals to my nerdy comics art puzzle side. I’ll have to read it from the library and maybe get it in the back issue bins somewhere down the line. Maybe if it’s really cool I’ll get multiple copies and make a poster out of the Bruno Redondo art. He is quite good.
It’s a dumb idea that could work, but if it’s one big panel, can’t they only have Dickie in one section? I mean, how will it tell a story unless you basically ignore the conceit that you yourself came up with?
True. I wonder if they mean that it’s one continuous background, which is something different. It would be more like a long non-stop shot in a movie or TV show.
I’m amused by the ad on the back cover saying that the Batman: The Audio Adventures comic book is on sale in October. Yes, a visual-only medium adaptation of the sound-only adventures!
Stop picking on DC! They’re doing the best they can!
Image:
Take a look at the solicits here!
Leone: Notes on a Life on page 48 sounds pretty cool – it’s about an Italian immigrant to the States who plays jazz. The art by Francesco Colafella looks keen.
Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton on page 50 is the trade of the first 6 issues of the story of a TV action star found dead and his ex-sidekicks banding together to find out who killed him. Kyle Starks and Chris Schweitzer are both good creators so I might try this.
“Try this”? I mean, I know you don’t actually read comics anymore, but you should definitely get this, sir!
I’m not sure if I will get the trade for Syphon on page 51, but I might. I mention it because a dude I knew back in the day drew the variant cover for issue #3, and it was pretty cool, and my shop had sold out. Stupid comic shop! He’s been a very good portrait artist for years, and it’s cool that he got to do the cover.
Was that the Steve Clef cover? You had … treble … finding it?
Oh, that gets a sarcastic slow clap. Well done, sir. And yes, that’s the cover, although his last name has two “f”s.
Sorry, I just went by the way it was spelled on the Previews site.
On page 52 comes one that those of us with long memories have been waiting for, with Chaykin finally finishing up Time ^ 2 (there’s probably a better way of visually representing Time Squared, but I don’t know it) [Try this: Time2]. [Thank you!] I think from what I’ve read about it that it’s tied into American Flagg, kind of, but I may be wrong. I’m sure someone will correct me in the comments. It should be interesting to see the new conclusion against the original two parts.
Yeah, I’ve wanted to read this forever, so I’m very happy we’re getting something like this!
The second trade of Commanders in Crisis is on page 53, and I was interested in this series from the start, but never got the first trade. I’ll have to still think about it.
I flipped through the catalog at a local comic shop and noticed that Manifest Destiny 48 on page 66 is the last issue of the series. I really liked it from the start, but lost track of it somewhere in the middle, and then started Pelkie-ing it so I haven’t caught up. I hope they got to tell the story they wanted to!
Well, this final arc is really late, so who knows when this issue will actually come out. But it seems like they were able to do it the way they wanted. I’m sure we’ll find out in the letters pages, which are usually pretty entertaining.
I didn’t miss the Chu trades, did I?
I don’t think so. I think volume 2 is going to be offered next month? Maybe?
Dark Horse:
I know names are tough, but it seems that since Milestone has been in the process of returning for a while, and Icon was one of their key books, Mike Richardson should have come up with a different name for his new book The Icon on page 80.
I mean, presumably he talked to people about it, because it’s inconceivable that someone didn’t bring that up – Richardson has been in comics forever, so it’s inconceivable that he didn’t know what was going on, so I assume he got someone’s blessing. We shall see, I suppose, if it comes out under a different name.
Daisy on page 82 is a weird one, about a mother searching for her missing son, and a teenage girl who is eight and a half feet tall and might be a descendant of a cannibalistic demon race. Colin Lorimer did The Hunt from Image, and his art is interesting.
Yeah, I’ll get this in trade.
Snow Angels TP on page 84 is by Lemire and Jock is about a strange society where people live in a frozen land and need to learn how to hunt the land, and the story of two girls who have awoken The Snowman! Jock’s art with Lemire’s story should be an interesting mix.
Indeed.
Mike Mignola returns to full art duties on a Hellboy book with the Sir Edward Grey: Acheron special on page 87.
All-Nighter on page 90 is by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo (the latter of the wonderful Pitiful Human Lizard), and is about a vampire bored working a diner job to blend into the human world who decides to dress up as a superhero and fight crime. Hijinks undoubtedly ensue.
I’m still not convinced Zdarsky is a good writer, but I’ll check this out.
I might have to get the trade of Lucky Devil on page 96, because for some reason I missed issue #1, and now I can’t find it. Greg Angry!
I think I saw the first issue of this somewhere. I should go get it to lord it over you. Because that makes me look very mature.
Sure, that’s the only thing that makes you immature.
Page 100 has the trade of Groo Meets Tarzan, which should be fun. I didn’t get the single issues so I should probably get this.
Yes, you should.
And then I saw single issues at a couple local shops, so now I may be able to get the singles. That’s cool, too!
IDW:
Rich has the solicits you need!
The trade of Bermuda drops on page 112, and it saves you a couple bucks from the singles. It sounded like fun, with giant prehistoric animals and such, and Layman and Bradshaw should be a cool creative team.
It’s very comely.
Ooh, that John Buscema Silver Surfer Artisan Editon must be purty on page 117.
Buscema just doesn’t do too much for me. I’m sure it will look nifty, but I’m not that jazzed by it.
Dynamite:
I mentioned Kevin Conran’s Sky Captain and the Art of Tomorrow book when it was solicited another time, in re: to when our pal Jim discussed the movie here at the blog before in 2 parts, and I’ll point it out again on page 146. Ah, what a great Christmas present that might be. Too bad it comes out 4 days after that …
Boom! Studios:
For a second on page 182, I thought we were getting the story of guitarist Buckethead, but then I see it’s Buckhead, a town where weird things happen. OK, that’s probably better. The art is by George Kambadais, so it should be a good looking book.
Marvel:
How does Kingpin still not know who Daredevil is? He’s been unmasked several times, hasn’t he? There hasn’t been some spell like with Spider-Man, has there? So the concept that Devil’s Reign (page 6, preview page on page 5) rests on Wilson Fisk wanting to know who DD is is just … stupid.
Are you … daring to call something in a Marvel comic “stupid”? How dare you, sir! Pistols at dawn, I say!
I missed that Timeless is a one shot at first, but since the book on page 8 is just a one shot I might be more interested in this tale of Kang vs. time itself. Plus, he got them thigh high boots so you know he gonna make time his bitch!
But, I mean, it’s a preview book. So it probably won’t be that interesting.
… Yeah, you’re probably right.
If Aaron Kuder is able to draw all the issues of Avengers Forever, it will look freakin’ awesome, at least. If this is tied into the FCBD story, that was pretty intriguing, as well, so this might be a fun book. Interesting that both Marvel and DC have books with a gathering of heroes from a number of different Earths. The multiverse is finally getting its due! [Interestingly, since I first wrote this part, the What If? episodes are coming out and some people are writing that the multiverse, at least the way Marvel is currently using it for the MCU, is a boring storytelling device. Wha!?]
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mike Allred draw Thor, like he does on the variant cover of Demon Days: Rising Storm on page 12. It’s pretty neat!
We’re going to need to agree to disagree here, as that is not a good Thor. Sorry, Mike!
On page 18, the solicit text for Amazing Spider-Man 83 talks about Patrick Gleason, the writer/artist on this issue, being the creator behind “the biggest cover in the last decade”. What are they talking about? Have I missed something that was really big? Should I even care? Wasn’t the Beyond Corporation the bad guys in Nextwave?
Let’s see … I don’t know; Probably but who cares?; No; Yes, and they brought it back for Spider-Man. YOUR QUESTIONS GET ANSWERED IN FLIPPIN’ THROUGH PREVIEWS!!!!!
Elektra gets in on the Black, White, & Blood craze on page 24. Although I think the idea of her becoming Daredevil seems dumb, that is a pretty cool drawing of it by Billy the Sink.
It’s almost unbelievably stupid, but there you go. And how good an assassin is she, really? She’s flashy and doesn’t seem to kill a lot of people. I would love if Marvel started having moments in all of their comics where someone gets killed, either on panel or we learn about it from a news report, and this goes on for years, before someone finally notices it’s the same person doing the killing, but we never find out who it is, and then some character says, “Man, we thought Elektra or Bullseye or [insert random name here] was the best assassin in the world, but it’s obviously this person, because we have no idea who it is!” and then they show a panel of … let’s say Nathan Lubensky, and he’s just smiling.
I would totally love that idea.
I flipped to page 32 and misread the title as “that” Thing, and it made we think that Marvel really should do a mini-series about Ben Grimm’s girlfriends called “That Thing You Do!”
Thanks, I’ll be here all week. Drive carefully, and don’t forget to tip your waitress!
As long as they don’t let Kevin Smith near it!
I think the Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit #1 was solicited before, but it’s here on page 34. When I first flipped through the Marvel book, I saw the central Ms. Marvel punching up, but the placement of her fist made it look like the top Ms. Marvel had a cut out in the … rear of her costume. Yeah, that would be a weird placement, but I was just flipping past it!
That’s what we do here, though! We flip!
And given that name, shouldn’t the villain be named “Asymptote”?
Thanks, I’ll be here all week. Drive carefully, and don’t forget to tip your waiter!
Damn, hardcore geometry reference!
Page 56 has Marvel Tales: The Last Avengers Story, collecting the PAD story. I know you’re no fan of Ariel Olivetti, but did you read this one ever? Is it any good? Is there a reason Cannonball was on the Avengers?!?!?!
I have read it, but it’s been a long, long time, and I don’t remember it at all. But my trade is close at hand, so I took a look, and this was before Olivetti went full crapper, so the art’s not as bad as it would later become (still not as good as his original stuff, though) and it appears Cannonball is just there as a survivor of the X-Men, not as an official Avenger. Are you happy now, sir?!?!?!?
Slightly satisfied. A bit stuffed from my last meal, perhaps. Etc. Etc.
Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates Omnibus on page 83 is a good run of comics. A little difficult to figure out at first if you weren’t steeped in Panther lore, but pretty damn cool run for a bit. It sagged a bit in the middle but then got fired back up with the ‘18 series and the outer space stuff. I’m not caught up with it, though, so he might have muffed the landing.
Don’t pretend you’ve read this, sir! And I do not think Coates is a terribly good comics writer, so I’m definitely not down with this. Maybe if I had a good library near me I could get a shorter trade and see what’s what.
Oh contraire mon frere! I have indeed read the run up until about the second or third arc of the outer space stuff. There was some cool stuff, definitely helped by the fact that he had some awesome artists on it (Stelfreeze, Sprouse, Acuna).
I’m sure you‘re completing your Marvel Masterworks: Dazzler run with the third HC on page 88. I’m not going to let that cool Billy the Sink cover art sway me, no sir!
Uh … no. The only thing I didn’t have for a long time was the graphic novel, but they already reprinted that, so I don’t need it anymore, and $75 is a bit dear for these, even though I love them.
I’ve heard some mixed reviews of Jed MacKay’s Moon Knight, but the first trade is on page 92 and I will be getting it!
Back of the Book!
On page 210, Ablaze misunderstands the moral of Animal Farm to try to promote Animal Castle (which, granted, does sound like an interesting and slightly different take on Orwell). By the end, not all of the animals were equal!
I’m not entirely sure how you’re getting enough information to make such a bold pronouncement as that, but Xavier Dorison is a pretty good writer, so I’ll probably get this in trade.
The solicit text says “On the Farm all animals were equal. In the Castle some are more equal than others.” By the end of Animal Farm, the pigs were preaching their superiority!
Oh, I see. I don’t see that in my print version. You must have the fancy, top-secret-for-super-fans-only print version!
Digital, baby, it’s the future!
Aardvark-Vanaheim has the latest Cerebus in Hell? one shot with Coronavirus Book One, a double sized issue, apparently, and the latest Swords of Cerebus in Hell?, which is up to 9 volumes collecting the one shots on page 214. Damn, I’m far behind on picking these up!
On page 218, Action Lab has the trade of The Citizen, about a dude who’s the only non-powered person in the city, and how that affects his life. There’s also the trade of The S Factor, about a sidekick who tries to gain the spotlight through appearing on a reality dating show, and the hero he used to work with thinking there’s a scam behind the scenes. This sounded fun.
Aftershock has a fun sounding one on 222 with Tales of Mother F. Goose, fairy tales with a modern, adult spin to them. “Does he look. Like. A gnome?”
I love that cover unashamedly. The gentlemen at my comic book shop did not agree with me, but they have no taste, I’ve decided.
Yeah, that cover is awesome.
In the trade section, they’ve got Bunny Mask on page 229, about a girl (?) who wears a bunny mask but somehow is an ancient terror from early mankind. Out of Body on page 230 is from Peter Milligan and Inaki Miranda, and it’s a weird occult detective thriller, so that should be fun.
I might have to check out Black Powder: Bloody Frontier Adventure on page 250 from Asylum Press. It’s about a veteran of the Barbary Wars sailing up the Mississippi to rescue the woman he loves from pirates led by his former commander. Yeah, that sounds fun.
AWA is loving John Lees on page 258 and 259, with the second volume of the very creepy Hotell coming, as well as Crimson Cage, a wrestling-themed retelling of Macbeth, done with his Sink collaborator Alex Cormack. Well, he IS Scottish.
I mean, he’s a good writer, so why wouldn’t you employ him?
Then there’s more Shakespeare in the comics from Behemoth on page 263, with No Holds Bard, with The Bard as Big Willie’s superhero alter ego, and the book is written in iambic pentameter. It sounds like it’s either going to be very fun or very stupid. (Cue the Spinal Tap bit.)
I mean, I’ll get the trade, and I hope they pull it off, because iambic pentameter is hard, man.
Over on 267, Black Mask has another Ryan Lindsay book with Everfrost, about a scientist who’s trying to find her way off-planet and how that’s not working so well with the warring factions interrupting her and such. Sami Kivela is doing the art so it should look good.
Black Panel Press has No One Knows on page 268, which is about people dealing with a woman’s death. Sounds cheery!
Over on page 290, Fantagraphics has a few interesting ones. The next “season” (ugh!) of Red Room starts with Trigger Warnings (btw, I saw you read the first 4 issues, but did you realize the FCBD issue was new material? Pretty cool, although they really didn’t hype it up enough). Ana Galvan has Afternoon at McBurger’s, a weird tale of a fast food joint where if you order a certain meal, you can get a glimpse into your future. And Beto’s Blubber series gets a HC of the first 5 issues. This is a really weird porno title, and while I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, the overblown (possibly a way you could describe some characters, ahem) solicit text is reaching so hard. “Echoes the sheer visual imagination of Jack Kirby”? Good lord, Fanta, it’s a stroke book. It probably shouldn’t be in HC because that makes the book hard to hold open one-handed!
On page 297, Graphic Mundi – PSU Press has Iranian Love Stories, which is a short-story collection about … um … Iranians … in love. It’s right there in the title, people! Men and women aren’t allowed to mingle in Persia, and of course, there are no gay people there (according to their president), so this will probably be hella boring. Wait, it’s about forbidden love? Well, sign me up! (The “PSU” is Penn State, by the way, which is my alma mater!)
A couple interesting ones on page 298 from Heavy Metal. First, the titular magazine’s issue 312 has an interview with Jim Shooter talking about being blacklisted from the industry. I‘d like to hear his take, as he seemed like a nice dude when I’ve met him at a con a number of years back. Then Moon Lake volume 3 has art by Kevin Colden, who I’ve also met and was a very nice dude, and whose art I don’t remember having seen on anything for awhile. Yay!
I will definitely get Babes in Arms: Women in Comics During the Second World War, which is on page 299 from Hermes, even though I have no confidence in Hermes to actually get a book out (ironic, considering their name). It’s about the way women were portrayed in war comics in the 1940s, and features art by several excellent female artists, including Lilly Renee and Fran Hopper.
Well, since this is a back list (um …) listing, then it’s possible this book will actually be available. I think I’ve seen when it was solicited before. But it does sound very cool, as it seems to focus on how women artists were depicting women heroes in the comics in WWII, so that’s cool.
I didn’t know it had been offered before. So that gives me some hope.
Red Leaves from Lev Gleason on page 306 sounds interesting. It’s about an isolated Russian mother and daughter during World War II and the strange things that begin to happen around them.
Literati Press has The Rez Detectives on page 307, and I am interested. It’s detectives in an unusual place (and unusual detectives, as they are kids) and it’s drawn by M.K. Perker, who’s a good artist. I’m in!
That does sound fun.
Rebellion/2000AD has the Judge Dredd by Brian Bolland Apex Edition HC on page 328, which is an artist edition book, so you can see all the lines and everything. I mentioned in your column on Orion about meeting Walt Simonson a couple years ago, and he said that Bolland has been all digital for the last few years (at least), which is friggin’ amazing to me to think that his art still looks the same after switching to digital.
On page 330 from Rutgers University Press (which is NOT my alma mater!) comes The Life and Comics of Howard Cruse, about the pioneering cartoonist that helped introduce gay themes to the comics world.
Sam and His Talking Gun is in trade on page 333 from Scout. It sounds like a nifty revenge tale, and who doesn’t love a good revenge tale?
It’s strange that the talking gun bit isn’t at the forefront of this solicit. Scout has some other cool stuff on this page and the page before, too. There’s a new printing of the trade of The Mall, about high school kids in the ‘80s who inherit mall shops from their hitherto unknown mobster father and have to decide how to react to that. Locust is a trade about a plague on humanity changing people into insects, and a fisherman trying to help his elderly mother escape NYC. A King’s Vengeance is by the Once Our Land creators, and sounds like it has the same plot as Spawn, where a warrior brought back to life has to avenge himself on demons. And there’s a couple of things by people who are soon going to be sending me Kickstarter stuff I’ve pledged for. The second issue of Impossible Jones by Karl Kesel and David Hahn is offered, sort of reverse released from the trade. And Cult of Ikaris is a 4 issue series with art from Karl Slominski, who should be sending me his new GN Evermore Falls soon, but this book is written by Jenna Lyn Wright and is about a teenager trying to discover who she is and comes across vampire assassins and stuff. Sounds like it could be fun and Slominski does cool art.
As you recall, I missed the deadline for that Slominski book, but I’ll definitely get this, because he is very good.
Hey, didn’t you dig Doctor Crowe many years ago, back when you actually wrote for this blog? The trade is on page 355 from 215 Ink (well, the first trade of four), so maybe you should dust off your keyboard, put down the beard groomer, and type something up about this!
Yeah, I should dig these out and reread them. They did come out back around 5 years ago when we first started. Damn. Good to see that they’re working on doing more of it, because I do recall them being pretty neat comics.
Back Issue #133 from TwoMorrows is about Starman, so yeah, I’ll get this. It’s on page 356!
I like that it features the ‘90s book as well as the ‘80s version of Starman, and a whole bunch of other Star- comics. Should be fun.
Digital Manga Distribution has The Crater on page 380 from Osamu Tezuka, a collection of genre spanning stories. Sounds cool.
Seven Seas Entertainment has a couple fun ones. On page 409 is Kamen Rider Classic Manga Collection HC, bringing together the early stories of the character, and page 407 has Cat Massage Therapy, a fun sounding manga about a massage therapy clinic run by kittycats. It sounds super silly but also cute.
Hey, Travis doesn’t have anything to say about the toy section! Is he ill? Deranged? Distracted by his beard? All three? We can only speculate! While you’re doing that, head on into Previews and see what’s what! There might be something for you to enjoy! Have a great day, everyone!
The Thor cover is really, REALLY boring, IMO
On the other hand, that Tales of Mother F. Goose? That is an awesome cover.
The only thing that interests me somewhat is The Crater by Tezuka , but I already own a copy that can’t read(is in French, along with other Tezuka volumes that a friend got me from France) but I think that is cheaper to try to use google translate to read that than to buy something from DMP(they either charge a lot of shipping to Mexico or sometimes just don’t ship to Mexico)
T.P./Burgas:
I love me some Chaykin goodness (or should that be sexy badness?), so I’ll be getting the Time[2] Omnibus,
I didn’t know about this – so, thanks for the heads-up.
I’m so looking forward to SAGA # 55, coming in January 2022!
Man, I think I can write a whole comment based just on your image captions, to wit:
– Jazz isn’t a false god, it just smells funny!
– Travis is certainly not wrong about Fabio’s Thor cosplay.
– “Mother F. Goose.” Heh, I get it…
– Everyone certainly does *not* love steampunk shit. Those bolts and gears clog up the plumbing.
Otherwise, I have mixed feelings about the Chaykin Time Squared Omnibus. On the one hand, I’m glad he’s finally done that third installment, but on the other, I already have the first two, so I don’t like the idea of plunking down a big chunk of change to get a book that’s mostly stuff I already have. I wish he had released Hallowed Ground as a standalone book.
Also, it’s interesting to see some of the Milestone material outside of Static getting collected. I’ve long been curious about that stuff. A collected Heckler book sounds cool, too.
Edo: I put that steampunk comment in specifically for you! You’re welcome! 🙂
Re: Nightwing.
Mike and Laura Allred produced a comic book as one continuous image over a decade ago: Madman Atomic Comics #9. Reading it was like playing a side scrolling video game.
Interesting. I’m not surprised the Allreds were there first!
I’m picturing the “Continuous Image” as either the battle spread from Ultimates 2…or a Bendis comic.
The horror, the horror!
Time (Squared) was a separate entity; but, the American Flagg Special had Reuben end up there, as a sort of preview for the first (no pun intended) graphic novel. So, it was more like Andy Griffith appearing on the Danny Thomas Show (Make Room For Daddy) as Sheriff Andy Taylor, before the actual debut of The Andy Griffith Show, rather than a direct spin-off.
Chaykin was ahead of his time on that one and I’m not sure that he still isn’t ahead of his time for it. Love to see him and Dean Motter team up and do something, sometime. I doubt the market would care, but it would be cool as hell.
I can’t believe that nobody’s said this already, but yes, there was a spell of sorts that made everybody forget Daredevil’s secret identity unless and until DD reminds them.
It wasn’t magic exactly–it involved the Purple Man’s Purple Kids basically telling the world to forget, if I remember correctly. This happened during Charles Soule’s run, about four years ago.