Down the Line: December 2006 Releases
Down the Line is our monthly look at Previews, and what titles are coming out a few months, well, “down the line.”
This installment covers the October Previews for comics due to ship out in December 2006. Remember, especially with the indy books, that pre-ordering is your friend, and the best way to make sure you get the books you want. I should mention, thanks to the increasing prevalence of advance solicitation, that several of the books here won’t actually ship until next year, but the preorders are still due by the end of October.
As always, the Previews rundown is in alphabetical order, rather than the order used in the catalog. To facilitate those seeking more information, each entry will include the page number of the solicitation. I’m going to offer up my “Top Ten Shiny New Things to Watch Out For,” which is in a 1-10 order of what I’m most looking forward to (the first item is my “pick of the month,” as it were.) Then I’ll provide a rundown of “Other Stuff That Caught My Eye.” My focus in this column is always going to be on jumping-on points and new stuff, so if you’re wondering “Where’s All Star Superman?” or something along those lines, I still love it, I just don’t want to keep harping on it. I’m also going to do my best to provide links to art and other preview material, or at the very least official websites, so you can track down more information.
Top Ten Shiny Things To Watch Out For:
Action Philosophers! Giant-Sized Thing Vol. 2 TP (Evil Twin Comics) - Fred Van Lente has done a terrific job, with a variety of artists, in making the true life tales of philosophers both educational and highly amusing. I’m really glad to see another trade, and while it’s two bucks more than the first for the same page count, it’s still a bargain at $9 for almost 100 pages. The first trade, by the way, is re-offered this month, and is only $7. Buy ‘em both, you won’t be sorry. You can find 22-page previews of the stories of Bodhidharma, Thomas Jefferson, Carl Jung and Machiavelli in their entirety at the Evil Twin comics website. (page 278)
Batman #660-661 (DC Comics) - I know some will be disappointed that Grant Morrison is skipping a few months, but as someone who has been kind of let down by the Morrison/Kubert run, I greet a fill-in with enthusiasm. Even moreso when the fill-in is a run by John Ostrander, long since absent from DC, paired with his frequent collaborator Tom Mandrake. Together these two made The Spectre a must-read book in the ’90s, and my hope is not just for a kickass 4-part Batman arc but for this to lead to more work for the two at DC in the future. Ostrander has been much-missed in the pages of the superhero mainstream, and I certainly wouldn’t shed a tear if this was the first step towards finally, finally putting him back on Suicide Squad. (page 60)
Fables #56 (DC/Vertigo) - Fables is always worth reading, probably the best monthly book running right now. This issue gets a mention, though, because it’s a standalone story about whether or not Santa Claus is a Fable. The cover by James Jean is gorgeous, the story is sure to live up to the high standards set by the monthly book. (page 117)
Fallen Angel Vol. 2: Down to Earth TP (DC Comics) - A Christmas surprise from DC, as they produce a second collection of Peter David and David Lopez’s Fallen Angel, something I never expected to see. I’ve pretty much gone off the IDW series, but I’d still love to have the entirety of the DC run of this series in trade paperback form, and I never, ever thought that might happen. Now there’s a glimmer of hope. (page 74)
Golly #1 (Markosia) - New Phil Hester is always good news. This time out, Phil Hester teams up with artist Brook Turner for a tale of a hapless schmuck of a guardian angel who is appointed to be Earth’s defender against the agents of Hell after the Apocalypse has come and gone. Golly Munhollen is a part time race car driver, part time carny, and full time dumb ass who repairs rides on the midway by day. By night? He “stumbles ass backwards into the weird menaces that seem to pop up in every town on the carnival’s route” alongside his carny pals, including a 6’6” tattooed man, a former freak show fat lady turned strong woman, a genius dog-faced boy acrobat and (here’s the kicker) Satan, former monarch of Hell now down on his luck and working the midway for cigarette money. Hester is a genius with the weird high concept, and this is a great concept. I’ll be curious to see him handle the funny, but certainly the premise alone is chuckle-worthy. You’ll find a preview of the first six pages over at the Markosia forum. (page 302)
Manhunter Vol. 2: Trial By Fire TP (DC Comics) - December must be DC’s month to give unexpected sales support to its cult favorite female heroines. Marc Andreyko’s Manhunter get a defacto relaunch with a five-issue story arc starting in #26, guest-starring Wonder Woman and featuring a cover by Art Adams, and she also apparently joins up with Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey in #101, earning her a bigger place in the DC Universe. Even better for trade fans like myself, there’s a big ‘ol collection of issues #6-14 of Manhunter. I’ve always thought the book read better in trades, and hopefully this will be a good enough seller to merit the collection of the rest of the series in trade. Even more, hopefully #26 will gain enough sales to merit either a continuation or a relaunch with a new #1. (page 84)
Marvel Visionaries: John Buscema HC (Marvel) - I’ve resisted these pricey hardcover gems many times before, but Marvel has finally got me. One of my favorite artists of all time, John Buscema, gets a 350+ page collection of some of his most well-known and least-known work, and I’ve got to have this on my bookshelf. (page M92)
Okko: Cycle of Water #1 (Archaia Studios Press) - Something new from the publishers that brought us Artesia, Robotika and Mouse Guard? Definitely going to be worth a look. Everything they’ve produced has been beautifully illustrated, and Okko looks no different. Originally published in French, this is a new translation of a story that seems like a fantasy epic flavored with feudal Japanese archetypes. It centers around a band of adventurers hunting down demons, and the solicitation copy promises a series of five miniseries, each one focusing on a different “Cycle.” You can find some preview art of Okko at its official site, but it’s in French, so you might have to do some trial and error navigation. (page 226)
Punisher Max: From First to Last HC (Marvel) - December really is the month of collections I never thought I’d see. I’ve enjoyed a lot of Ennis’s Punisher work, but he’s done his best work on the one-shots. Punisher: The End was a great one-shot, and my friends who read them seemed to really enjoy The Cell and The Tyger. All three one-shots, featuring art by John Severin, Lewis LaRosa and Richard Corben respectively, are reprinted here. I’m not entirely sure I want to spring for a $20 hardcover instead of a cheaper trade… but it’s oversized, and I love those artists, and the trade would probably only be at best $5 cheaper, so… I’ll probably be buying this one. (page M94)
Runaways Vol. 2 HC (Marvel) - Hooray! I was starting to give up hope that we were going to see this, and my format whore heart was breaking as I realized I might have to get digests to line up next to my volume one hardcover. Marvel finally gives us a collection of Runaways #1-12 (plus the Free Comic Book Day special) in the oversized format, and given how great the first hardcover was, I can’t wait to get this one as well. (page M93)
Other Stuff That Caught My Eye:
Alice in Sunderland HC (Dark Horse) - Bryan Talbot, creator of Luther Arkwright and Tale of One Bad Rat, returns with a new story based on the life and fiction of Lewis Carroll. Alice in Wonderland has been getting a lot of attention in comics lately, with various creators and publishers having a stab at their re-inventions of it. Talbot is sure to hit his usual standards of creative excellence with his version. (page 27)
The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle (Dark Horse) - Paul Dini’s bad-tempered brat Jingle Belle meets Kyle Baker’s sweet-tempered, patience-testing kids The Bakers. It’s an odd pairing, to say the least, but that’s a lot of talent and a fair amount of funny, and it’ll probably be worth a look. (page 23)
Batman Confidential #1 (DC Comics) - Batman vs. Lex Luthor has been done, by Morrison, in the pages of JLA. But it’s still a good concept, and Andy Diggle has shown a flair for good action-oriented storytelling. Whilce Portacio on art made me nervous, especially with that ugly cover, but the interior preview pages aren’t bad. Aside from Batman sounding a bit too much like Clint Eastwood, this has strong potential. One question, though: Why a rotating creative team series in Batman Confidential and a rotating creative team series in Legends of the Dark Knight? Do we really need both? (page 57)
Batman: Year One Hundred TP (DC Comics) - I really love Paul Pope’s work, and there’s plenty to recommend about his futuristic tale of Batman, but I’m not sure I’ll be picking it up. It looked great, but the story never really shaped up into anything special. (page 63)
The Black Coat: A Call to Arms TP (APE Entertainment) - The Revolutionary War era supernatural pulp adventure book is collected into a trade paperback. Quite honestly, I lost track of this one after issue two, but I really enjoyed what I had read of it, especially the gorgeous black and white artwork. (page 226)
Brian Keene’s Fear GN (Frequency Press) - This one’s mostly a shout-out to my buddy Nate Southard, who I know is very excited to be collaborating with horror author Brian Keene on a graphic novel adaptation of some of his short stories. Honestly, I don’t know horror the way Nate does, but he’s a connoisseur, and if he’s excited, I’m going to guess that horror fans should probably give this one a look. (page 281)
Drink and Draw Vol. 1 HC (Image) - A hardcover collection of sketches from “drink and draw” gatherings from across the country, including work by such artists as Dave Johnson, Josh Middleton and Lesean Thomas, this one looks like a winner. One of the joys I get from San Diego each year is coming home with a giant pile of sketchbooks, and I’m glad to see that the sketchbook is starting to become more ubiquitous on direct market shelves as well. (page 137)
Jane’s World Omnibus Vol. 1 SC (Girl Twirl Comics) - Wow! 400+ pages of Paige Braddock’s delightfully funny comic strip about a shy, neurotic but loveable lesbian named Jane and her variety of interesting cast members for only $20? That’s a great deal! I gotta say, I’m loving the trend towards these omnibus editions (omnibi?)… who started that, Jeff Smith with the Bone One Volume? Whoever it was, consider this my own personal thank you for the trend. (page 284)
Kilala Princess Vol. 1 (Tokyopop) - Promoted as the girls’ version of Kingdom Hearts, this manga pairs a new princess with famous Disney princesses like Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel and more. Why did this catch my eye? Because I have a three-year-old daughter obsessed with the princesses, one of Disney’s most insidiously genius bits of marketing. She can’t read yet, but I suspect if I buy these for her and hang onto them, I will earn major dad brownie points. As opposed to Major Dad brownie points, which can be used at the Gerald McRaney gift shop. (page 323)
Maintenance #1 (Oni Press) - I was a big fan of Jim Massey’s self-published humor series Death Takes a Holiday, and a big fan of Robbi Rodriguez’s work on Hero Camp. Put the two of them together on a series about janitors at an evil super-science facility, and you’ve got the potential for a very fun series. (page 309)
Meltdown #1 (Image) - David Schwartz turns in a dark little “life of a superhero” story told in flashback on the last few days of his life, as his powers are killing him. Art is by Sean Wang, of the excellent sci-fi actioner Runners: Bad Goods. I’ve read the first one, and it’s pretty good - full review coming soon. (page 132)
Mr. Stuffins #1 (Boom! Studios) - “My teddy bear’s a secret agent!” Sold. (page 250)
Newuniversal #1 (Marvel) - Am I really that interested in yet another Warren Ellis science-fiction style reinvention of the superhero genre? No, not really, I’m kind of tired of Ellis repeating himself. But… there’s always the chance that he’ll break out something new, and more to the point, the artwork by Salvador Larroca is amazing. (page M43)
Outer Orbit #1 (Dark Horse) - Crazy gonzo humor science-fiction action! Hit or miss, really, but the art is by Sean Murphy, who wowed me with his work on Off Road, and it looks great in color. (page 18)
Scarface: Scarred for Life #1 (IDW Publishing) - Tony Montana… survives? It’s a ludicrous premise, and honestly I don’t know that Scarface was dying for a sequel, no matter the medium. But if anyone can pull it off with the over-the-top humor that is required to make it work, it’d be the team behind Puffed, John Layman and Dave Crosland. Good luck, fellas… you’re gonna need it. (page 291)
The Spirit #1 (DC Comics) - I mostly covered my feelings on Darwyn Cooke’s Spirit revival last month, but since the first issue is solicited here, it’s worth repeating. I’d rather have him on his own creator-owned project, but I’m pretty sure his take on The Spirit will be well worth reading and gorgeous to look at. (page 88)
Teen Titans Go! #38 (DC Comics) - Oni Press fans be aware, this issue features the Mad Mod written by J. Torres (Copybook Tales, Alison Dare) and drawn by Chynna Clugston (Blue Monday, Scooter Girl). Perfect match of artist and character, even if it casts even more doubt on when we’ll see Strangetown #2. (page 94)
Tranquility #1 (DC/Wildstorm) - A super-being retirement home. It’s not totally unknown, the indy book Living in Tranquility tackled it earlier this year, but I suspect that Gail Simone will put a new spin on it, and Neil Googe’s artwork is terrific. (page 100)
Wolverine by Claremont & Miller Premiere HC (Marvel) - If you don’t already own the Claremont/Miller Wolverine mini, plus the excellent two-parter from X-Men #172-173, pairing Wolverine and Rogue in Japan, this hardcover is a must-buy. I actually own both, and I’m still tempted by a deluxe collection… if there were any extras, I’d probably be even more tempted. (page M96)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz GN (Image) - My recent enjoyment of Eric Shanower’s Adventures in Oz has led me to consider picking up and reading the original Oz stories, which I know my buddy Dave Farabee is a huge fan of. Show me a gorgeously-illustrated French graphic novel of the original story, translated into English for Image, and I’m definitely tempted at this point. (page 138)
Winter Soldier: Winter Kills One-Shot (Marvel) - I’ll be honest, I’m no huge fan of the Winter Soldier as a character. But Ed Brubaker hasn’t really steered me wrong on Captain America yet, and I’m a huge fan of Lee Weeks’ artwork, so I guess I’ll be giving this one a try, to see if the character can win me over when he’s not a supporting player in Captain America. (page M31)
Wonderlost #1 (Image) - An autobiographical anthology of outrageous high school love stories? Credit author C.B. Cebulski for bravery in putting those out there, at any rate. Good cover by Leinil Francis Yu, decent art line-up including one of my favorite sleeper artists just waiting to blow up big, Paul Azaceta. (page 136)
That’s it for this month. If you want to see more of what’s available, you’ll find complete solicitations, with cover images, at Comic Book Resources for: DC, Marvel and Image.
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The two shiny projects I’m looking forward to the most are Okko and Runaways Volume 2.Any new book Archaia puts out from here on out I’m onboard with. I’m pumped for Runaways. I missed the first seven issues of volume two and am really anxious to read them finally. I hate that I had to miss them. I’ll also be getting Batman and….Fables of course. Golly intrigues me. I’m still not sold yet.
Usually everything Image solicits monthly gets me intrested but I usually decline but for December they have some projects I’m very tempted to get.
29 Sep 2006 at 1:08 am
QuoteLots of neat stuff coming this month. I bought the only Ostrander/Mandrake Spectre trade last year and loved it (got John to sign it too, he’s a nice guy), so I’m definitely looking forward to his “Batman” stuff. And December’s the month I’m finally going to give “Manhunter” a try! Might as well see what all the fuss is about. I’m also excited about “The Spirit,” though Randy’s got me wondering what a Darwyn Cooke creator-owned project would be like. “Newuniversal” intrigues me too: I haven’t read Ellis’ earlier stuff on reinventing superheros in a sci-fi way, so it seems fresh to me. I’d like to check out “The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle,” as I love Paul Dini’s humor and I’ve always been meaning to check out “Jingle Belle at one point.
You know, this wasn’t on the list, but I’m very intrigued by the new JSA title, especially after reading a Newsarama interview of Dave Eaglesham about it. Here’s the link, in case those who haven’t read it would like to:
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=84643
Lots of cool trades too, but I probably won’t have the money to spend on them. Still, wouldn’t mind checking out “Batman: Year 100,” “Runaways” Vol. 2 (though I probably should get Vol. 1 first), “Action Philosophers” (heard good things about it). The Punisher MAX trade looks interesting too: I also loved “The End” and I had planned to get the other two specials when they came out. Hehe, and “Drink and Draw” sounds like it could be quite… interesting.
29 Sep 2006 at 1:16 am
QuoteI’m thinking about picking up the collection of Sam Kieth’s Batman mini “Batman: Secrets”. I really like Kieth’s other stuff. Even though I’d also like to have look at Paul Pope’s Batman mini, I’ll probably go with Kieth’s instead, since I can’t afford both
29 Sep 2006 at 5:03 am
QuoteJust a quickie here - buy the Punisher trade. It’s Ennis’ best Punisher work to date. Great art on all, and for those who think Ennis has become a single-note writer, these one-shots much more thought-provoking than the monthly series. I just wish Punisher: Born was collected here too for extra beef, but it was already done in HC, so…oh well.
29 Sep 2006 at 4:25 pm
QuoteI was just starting to read your list, Randy, so’s I could post my own planned haul (which I’ll get around to in a few minutes), when I decided to follow the Action Philosophers link in your write-up. I gotta admit, I’ve passed this series by any number of times on the shelf. Wasn’t wild about the art, and honestly thought the premise was a little trite and cheesy.
Well, I probably should’ve read the damn thing.
Following the link, I decided to read the full story on Bodhidharma, the inventer of Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism. Guess what? It rocked. Concise, insightful, funny…put me in mind of Jay Hosler’s kick-ass outings, Clan Apis and Sandwalk Adventures.
I’m buyin’ the crap out of this book.
Y’all go read about the origin of Kung Fu. Direct link:
http://www.eviltwincomics.com/action/ap1.php
01 Oct 2006 at 3:56 am
QuoteMy planned haul and some random thoughts:
*I’m looking forward to Ostrander’s Batman story, but I confess some trepidation. Simply put, I’m worried he’s a little too far past his prime to really draw me in. His recent Star Wars stuff has been good, occasionally inspired, but has had plenty of weaker spots too. Here’s hoping.
*More Fallen Angel trades? Pretty cool. I’ve fallen a bit off IDW’s run, too, but I’m still enjoying it in fits and spurts. I know the early stuff works for me, though, so I’ll definitely be picking this up even thought I’ve got the single issues.
*I’ve loved plenty o’ stuff from Phil Hester, but the preview of Golly didn’t strike me. I think I like Phil in more “serious” mode.
*Marvel Visionaries: John Buscema is a must.
*Okko: Cycle of the Water? Dope art. My gut says it’ll either be too formulaic or too Euro-weird for me, but I’ll want to at least give it a peek.
*Never imagined I’d own a hardcover of a Punisher comic, but I’m all over Punisher MAX: From First to Last. Every story in this batch is great, every artist’s a stunner. I’m particularly fond of Punisher: The End, one of the most perfect imaginings of a fictional hero’s end that I’ve ever seen.
*Runaways Vol. 2 HC, eh? Uh, YEAH.
*Alice in Wonderland’s never struck a chord with me, but Talbot’s approach is certainly interesting, especially the fact that he’s using different styles for each chapter. Check out the previews here, especially the one spoofing Scott McCloud: http://www.bryan-talbot.com/alice/
*The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle interests me more for the former than the latter, but I’ll give ‘er a go.
*I skipped Batman: Year 100 in singles after the first issue didn’t grab me. Doubt I’ll resist the trade, though.
*Vague interest in Newuniversal #1. Nice art: http://www.marvel.com/news/-1.608
*Randy, I think I’m about where you are on Darwyn Cooke’s Spirit stuff, but thinking on Cooke’s storytelling chops in New Frontier, I find myself looking forward to his take on the Spirit in spite of myself.
*Alice in Wonderland doesn’t do much for me, but Wizard of Oz does. Go figure. Based on the preview pages of Image’s new Frenchy adaptation, I’ll be all over it.
*I might have to give C.B. Cebulski’s Wonderlost a try. Cebulski’s yet to really distinguish himself, but I had a lot of fun with his shojo-style romance issue of I (Heart) Marvel and several of his X-Men: Fairy Tales stories. I think he may have some chops.
************
Stuff Randy didn’t mention, but surely would’ve if he hadn’t huffed so much paint over the years:
*Gunsmith Cats Omnibus Vol. 1 - Glad to see Dark Horse putting this series back into print in big-ass volumes. It’s kinda sleazy, like all of Kenichi Sowada’s stuff, but it’s also buoyantly over-the-top and has some of the best gunfights and car chases in the whole history of comics. Sowada’s also a damn good artist for a perv with a mild Lolita fixation
*Animal Man Action Figure - I don’t care if it’s a toy and has no place in a comics column - that figure’s the spitting image of the Grant Morrison-era Animal Man! I intend to buy it and use it as a magical gateway to metacontextually interface with and control the DC Universe. It’s all there in Animal Man Vol. 3, folks…
*Modern Masters Vol. 10: Kevin Maguire - Never seen a spotlight on this guy, and even though I’ve soured on his JLI days (for the writing only, not the art), I’m really looking forward to this. Bring back Strikeback!
*The Hedge Knight Premiere HC - Man, did I love the hell out of this comic. I picked it up when it first hit trade paperback and it reminded me that, amidst a sea of awful, craptacular fantasy comics, every once in a while you get something truly worthy. A Bone, an Elfquest, a Thieves & Kings, or, in this case, a stellar adaptation of a George R.R. Martin short story. Do not hesitate. You don’t have to be a D&D or Tolkien geek to get this one, and I’ve not doubt Marvel’s new, hardcover printing of it will look swanky as hell.
*Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Vol. 2 - Not your best jumping-on point for the series, I’ll grant, but I just need to remind folks that this is a damn cute, damn smart little series. Takeshi Miyazawa’s art = teh rock.
01 Oct 2006 at 5:24 am
QuoteMy buy pile is teensy considering I plan to be almost flat broke during Dec. That said, I must buy:
*Runaways Vol. 2 — Hardcover: A personal favorite of mine and the need to have something other than digest versions of these books is sated for at the very least, a few months.
*Punisher Max: First to Last HC — Never read Punisher the End or Punisher: Cell, but I did get a chance to read Punisher: Tyger. For that alone I will buy this oversized edition chalk-full of bullets and bodies.
*Animal Man Figure — Like Dave, I don’t care if it’s a comic book or not, this is just a cool looking figure. Though, I probably won’t be using mine as a magical gateway to metacontextually interface with and control the DC Universe, mine will end up on a shelf, battling it out with other plastic based life forms.
*Manhunter Vol. 2 — A very underrated comic book. Lots of actions and cool storylines. Loved the issue where we find out where the different components of her costume actually came from. Just hope that they trade the rest of the series up as well.
Wolverine by Claremont & Miller HC — Never read it (shame on me) but am very much looking forward to it in Hardcover form.
01 Oct 2006 at 3:40 pm
QuoteCan’t remember where I saw it, but there’s a Dan Brereton art book in there too. It’s in the comics section, not the books section. A bit pricy at $20 for 48 pages, but if you’re a Brereton lover like me, you ‘ll want it.
01 Oct 2006 at 5:17 pm
QuoteDave, re: Action Philosophers… yeah, Jay Hosler is a *perfect* comparison, now that you mention it. Like you, I didn’t really know what to expect, and was skeptical, but once I’d read some of it, I was hooked. Great stuff, and cheap trades to boot!
Gunsmith Cats I thought about mentioning, but I know nothing of them beyond having read some of the creator’s Cannon God Exaxxion books. I’m interested in checking them out, though, and kudos to Dark Horse for the reprints. Can’t believe I forgot to mention Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, as I love that book so much.
So Strikeback! was good? I remember it coming out in a glut of other full-color, often garish (it was the mid-’90s) creator owned books that were disappointing, and I wasn’t “in the know” enough to know who Maguire was at the time. Wasn’t that part of Malibu’s “Bravura” line, which as I recall was fairly awful despite a line-up of impressive creators?
As for Hedge Knight… you keep fawning over that book the way I fawn over True Story Swear to God, I guess I really ought to give it a second chance. I read the first issue way back when and thought it was readable but nothing special, I need to give the whole story a chance to hook me.
Nick, instead of planning to be broke in December, you should plan to strike it filthy rich by discovering oil in your backyard. Remember: A failure to plan is a failure to get incredibly lucky and wealthy. Or something like that. I dunno, I dozed off in the motivational seminar.
Dan, good catch on the Brereton book. It might be the same as the sketchbooks he was selling in San Diego the last couple years, and if so, I can tell you it’s worth it. $20 for 48 pages, but they’re oversized and gorgeous.
01 Oct 2006 at 9:31 pm
QuoteI’m on that same train of gonna go broke. I gotta start just saying no to statues and action figures.
I like Diggle’s words on BC. I like the Clint Eastwood type language. Miller did that in Dark Knight and I always thought it was kind of cool. Looking forward to Ostrander’s Batman. It sounds good.
I’m really looking forward to JSA..oh excuse me..Justice Society of America #1. I’m happy to see Johns back on it.
I wasn’t really on the Spirit/Batman book last month because of the price tag but I’m all over Spirit #1 and Cooke is even writing it. Should prove to be quite good.
I wonder what you all think about Spider-Man: Reign by Kaare Andrews? The only Spider related title I read right now is SMLMJ and I’m looking forward to this book.
The Civil war one shots look intresting. Especially the Iron Man/Captain America one shot by Gage and Haun with a awesome cover(s) by Jim Cheung. The one with Kingpin sounds good as well.
Intresting to see a Gun Theory short story listed. I never did read the book before but always thought it would be something I would like.
01 Oct 2006 at 11:23 pm
Quote>>I wonder what you all think about Spider-Man: Reign by Kaare Andrews?
Andrews is a really talented artist, and an artistic chameleon ta boot (man, did he rock those Hulk covers from Bruce Jones’ run!), but I don’t particularly follow his stuff. And as a writer? Seems he hasn’t done enough for me to really gauge him. What’s the particular draw for you, Joseph?
Trying to get a better fix on the book, I Googled it and came up with a good article at CBR. Almost sounds like Andrews is wanting to do Spidey’s own Dark Knight Returns, and as expected, the art at least looks quite stunning:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=8126
Of course, it begs the questiom, “Does Spidey NEED the Dark Knight Returns treatment? Does it fit his character the way it did Batman?” Well, it’s obviously out of continuity, same as Dark Knight, so I’m at least game for the attempt. Andrews’ candor is pretty refreshing in that last paragraph, all but warning Spidey fans to stay away. That’s pretty much ME he’s talking to, but if a story’s good enough, I’ll let it get away with a lot. Daredevil Born Again, Kraven’s Last Hunt, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, etc. Can Andrews run with that pack?
02 Oct 2006 at 3:38 am
Quote>>So Strikeback! was good?
Not really, I was just makin’ conversation
Actually, I don’t remember Strikeback particularly well, but I really liked the idea behind it: a lightweight superhero book that emphasized the romance between a twentysomething superhero guy and his girlfriend (who I think may’ve had powers too). It was a good venue for Maguire’s art, I remember that much at least.
Hmm, maybe I should dig that old series up for a Bellbottom Review… At the very least, I know I’d get a kick seeing the art again to scan it.
02 Oct 2006 at 3:46 am
QuoteOh, and on the Hedge Knight front…yeah, Randy, the first issue isn’t a grab-you-by-the-collar type opener - the story is more about how things play out, and an extended testing of the medieval code of honor in a fairly sophisticated way. It really builds to something special.
But I do think the first issue is quite good. I almost never go for prose adaptations to comics, but Hedge Knight seems to’ve captured the naunce of its source in a way 99% of other adaptations don’t.
02 Oct 2006 at 3:53 am
Quote“I’m on that same train of gonna go broke. I gotta start just saying no to statues and action figures.”
Yeah, I said goodbye to action figures a while ago. Every so often something off-beat or well-done will draw me back in (I bought The Watcher… how could you not?) but I’ve stopped buying. If I had some cool way to display ‘em, that’d be different, but currently my collection of DC Direct, Batman Animated, etc. sits in a closet in my house.
< < I wonder what you all think about Spider-Man: Reign by Kaare Andrews? The only Spider related title I read right now is SMLMJ and I’m looking forward to this book. >>
Generally, I’m with Dave. Spidey doesn’t really need a “Dark Knight Returns” type story. And if you’re going to do one, then, with all due respect to Kaare Andrews, who is a talented artist and, if I remember correctly, a decent writer, he hasn’t earned the right to do it. Put Roger Stern on Spider-Man: The End, pair him with a decent artist (Mike Zeck would be my ideal choice) and I’m there.
< < The Civil war one shots look intresting. Especially the Iron Man/Captain America one shot by Gage and Haun with a awesome cover(s) by Jim Cheung. The one with Kingpin sounds good as well. >>
Civil War is dead to me.
I like Gage and Haun, but really, we know where the Iron Man/Cap relationship in Civil War is going, what can a one-shot that takes place *before* all that really have to offer? Gage is good, but nobody is good enough to make Iron Man likeable or consistent with past characterization after the hack-job Millar has done on him in the pages of Civil War.
03 Oct 2006 at 12:55 pm
Quote>>Spidey doesn’t really need a “Dark Knight Returns” type story. And if you’re going to do one, then, with all due respect to Kaare Andrews, who is a talented artist and, if I remember correctly, a decent writer, he hasn’t earned the right to do it.
Well, I don’t know about that! I mean, how many Batman stories had Frank Miller done before Dark Knight? Any? I honestly can’t recall if he’d done Year One yet, but I think that’d be his only entry. For my own part, I figure that most anything goes in an Elseworlds/What If type story, and it will always be the fans who decide whether such works stand the test of time and make it to Dark Knight status. I don’t think anyone has to earn their shot at taking up the challenge, though. It’s effin’ with the ongoing books that should get the real scrutiny, not the side-projects.
And I hate to say it, but…as with Ostrander on Batman, I’d question whether Roger Stern still has it in him to write a new, kick-ass Spidey story. I suspect his work can’t help but come across as a touch quaint now, and I say that as someone who places him right after Stan Lee in the pantheon of the best Spider-Man writers. Funny thing is, I can’t think of much in the way of better choices. I liked Vaughan’s classicist take on Spidey in Negative Exposure, but I don’t know that he could knock a “Last Spidey Story” out of the park like it needs. Slott’s not there yet, either.
I dunno. Maybe Vaughan’s as close as it gets.
04 Oct 2006 at 6:02 am
QuoteIt would have to be Kaare Andrews. I loved his Hulk covers. I mean what an imagination to do some of the things he did on those covers. Brilliant and just gorgeous. I think when a creator does something that I’ve never seen done before in any aspect that’s a creator whose work I’m gonna keep an eye on and I gotta give it a chance with Spider-Man: Reign.
I will say that cover with Spider-Man hugging Mary Jane’s grave does put me in mind of the Daredevil cover where he’s hugging Elektra’s grave.
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