Down the Line: June 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 April Previews for comics due to ship out in June 2007. 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 July or later, but the preorders are still due by the end of April.
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 Godland?” 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.
Also of note… I’m going to be making fun of a lot of Marvel’s solicitations this month. They’re top of the heap in sales, and seem to have their finger on the pulse of the market, but good God do they have some of the worst solicitation writing in the business. And so much of what they’re doing just offends my basic superhero-lovin’ sensibilities. So if you’ve got a low tolerance for snark, skim past most of my Marvel entries. Keep in mind, almost half of it is just poking fun rather than being mean. The other half is, of course, genuine spite and bitterness.
Top Ten Shiny Things To Watch Out For:
Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened (Villard Books): Man, have I been looking forward to this anthology. The basic idea is that a bunch of creators took old postcards found in antique shops and, using the postcard and the sentiments written on them, created stories. It’s one of those genius “why didn’t I think of that?” ideas, and not only did editor Jason Rodriguez come up with the idea, he’s backed it up with an unbeatable roster of talent: Phil Hester, Tom Beland, Daniell Corsetto, Gia-Bao Tranh, Rick Spears, Neil Kleid, a whole bunch of my indy favorites plus some big names like Harvey Pekar. Even in a month when there’s a new volume of Flight on tap, this is the anthology I’m most looking forward to. You can see a whole lot more about this project at the Postcards Myspace blog.
Flight Volume 4 GN (Ballantine Books): Speaking of… Ballantine offers up another volume of animators and cartoonists creating an anthology of stunningly beautiful, often exceptionally well-written tales. Anthology books can be an uneven, uncertain commodity… Flight is the closest the format has to a sure thing. (page 247)
Last Call Volume 1 GN (Oni Press): One of my favorite new artists is Vasilis Lolos, best known for his work on Image’s Pirates of Coney Island. So I’m thrilled to see that he’s writing and drawing his own graphic novel series for Oni. I’m even more thrilled that the premise, about a pair of friends who are hit by a “ghost train” and find themselves trapped aboard what the solicit describes as an “inter-dimensional soul carrier.” Unusual subject matter in the hands of an immensely talented cartoonist… I can’t wait. You can see some of Vasilis Lolos’ work at his blog. (page 329)
Goosebumps Graphix Volume 3: Scary Summer (Graphix): Back when Dave Farabee still had time for reviewing regular like around here, he reviewed the first volume of Goosebumps, and seemed quite taken with it. I never got around to checking it out, but I kept meaning to, and this new volume gives me another reason to do so. The cartoonist line-up for these all-ages scary tales is Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin), Dean Haspiel (Billy Dogma) and Kyle Baker (The Bakers), all consummate cartoonists. (page 305)
The Killer Volume 1 HC (Archaia Studios Press): Now, truthfully I’d be happier with one big collection of all 10 issues, preferably in cool over-sized European format. But I’ll settle for two or three smaller hardcover collections, because The Killer was one of the best new comics of last year, and in its three issues, it hasn’t disappointed yet. If you’ve missed this quiet, intense tale of a professional killer, don’t miss the hardcover collection of it. (page 232)
The Art of Matt Wagner’s Grendel (Dark Horse): I’ve been anticipating this one since word leaked out several months back. Grendel is a classic creation, and Matt Wagner one of my favorite artists, so I can’t wait to see one of Dark Horse’s impressive “Art Of” volumes for the creator and his creation. My guess, given the number of impressive artists who have contributed to the Grendel universe, is that this will feature more than just Wagner’s art. I’m sure it’ll be great, although I’m also a little disappointed it isn’t just an “Art of Matt Wagner” featuring his work from Mage and others as well. (page 27)
Drawing Down The Moon: The Art of Charles Vess (Dark Horse): Two art books from Dark Horse in one month? Talk about a budget killer. But I couldn’t pass up the Art of Grendel, and I can’t pass up an Art of Charles Vess either. Vess is a master of fantasy illustrations, and I’ve really only sampled the smallest part of his work with Ballads & Songs, Stardust and Sandman. I look forward to a more comprehensive view here. (page 28)
The Collected Toupydoops Volume 1 TP (Lobrau Productions, Inc.): Kevin McShane’s funny, clever story about a college cartoon strip character trying to “break into” the world of comics is a great riff on Hollywood and struggling actors as well as the comics industry. I actually have an advance copy of the trade, and can tell you without a doubt that if you like funny comics, especially if you dug Bendis’s Fortune & Glory, you should really give Toupydoops a try. You can find out more, and check out sample strips, at the Lobrau website. (page 323)
Mantlo: A Life in Comics (Sleeping Giant Creations): Very interesting. Bill Mantlo was never a giant in the field, but he wrote a lot of stories at Marvel, many of which provided the germs for legendary runs, such as inspiring the multiple personality/child abuse angle that informed Peter David’s Hulk, creating unusual Marvel Universe additions like Cloak & Dagger or writing solid licensed books like Rom and Micronauts. Most know that his career was cut short by a car accident that left him with a severe head injury, but few would probably have decided to do a retrospective of his career, complete with interviews with pros and families. David Yurkovich, an immensely talented indie creator who flies under the radar for the most part, has decided to do just that, and I’ll definitely be giving this one a look. Everybody knows the Eisner, Lee, Byrne… but guys like Mantlo, despite their contributions, don’t often get this kind of tribute. Oh, and here’s another thing… it’s a not-for-profit venture, Yurkovich is donating any proceeds to help pay Mantlo’s medical bills. Find out more here. (page 342)
Foundation #1 (Boom! Studios): John Rozum is one of those long-time comics writers who is continually under-rated, not unlike his fellow Milestone alumni Dwayne McDuffie. So when I see his name on a new book, especially one from the reliably solid Boom! Studios, I take notice. This one’s about a foundation established by the riches of Nostradamus that predicts and prevents threats to worldwide security. It name-checks 24 and The X-Files, but I keep thinking of Alias and the Rimbaldi plot, back when that was still cool. At any rate, conspiracies, prophecies, intrigue and a proven writer… color me interested. (page 254)
Other Stuff That Caught My Eye:
The Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen TP (DC Comics): I’ve found that in general, these Silver Age wacky stories don’t hold up for me unless they’re accompanied by mocking commentary from bloggers. But still, this is a fun idea for a trade paperback, collecting all the ridiculous situations Jimmy got himself into while trying to hold down a monthly book he clearly didn’t deserve. (page 72)
Amelia Rules! #18 (Renaissance Press): I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been lax in keeping up with Jimmy Gownley’s well-done tale of a 6th-grade child of divorce and her friends and family. I’ve always enjoyed what I’ve read, but like so many other things, it just sort of slipped below my radar. But this issue deserves a special mention, as it takes an important issue, the question of how children are affected by their parents going off to war, and looks at it from the kid perspective. It’s a fascinating idea for a story, and I’ll definitely be checking back in on Amelia Rules! for this issue. (page 336)
American Virgin Vol. 2: Going Down TP (DC/Vertigo): Glad to see this series getting a second trade. Nothing is guaranteed in this life, but a second trade generally lets a new series that is critically acclaimed but low selling breathe a little easier. Certainly I recommend this collection, which features terrific Becky Cloonan art and a continuously edgy and surprising story, to anyone who enjoyed the first volume. (page 166)
The Amory Wars #1 (Image): I’m just going to reproduce the solicit here, because it is both hilariously cheesy and at the same time kind of awesome: “Coheed Kilgannon’s suburban world is turned upside down by General Mayo Deftinwolf, who explains the nightmares of torture that violate Coheed’s dreams are real-and that Coheed and his family play a crucial piece in a terrorist plot to destroy all the worlds of the Keywork. To save these worlds, Coheed and his wife, Cambria, must do the unthinkable…” General Mayo Deftinwolf? Coheed Kilgannon? Now, this might wind up being fun, over-the-top cosmic adventure, but when I read this, I had this image of Rob Liefeld pitching it, and it just felt right. (page 138)
Annihilation: Conquest Prologue #1 (Marvel): I’m somewhat amused that Annihilation was so successful that it became a brand name, such that the sequel is Annihilation - subtitle Conquest. Maybe this will be so successful the next one will be Annihilation: Conquest: Deathkill! I’m also amused at the slow introduction of non-supernamed people into the Marvel Universe, which gives us unintentionally hilarious sentences of attempted portent like “What’s next for the battle-weary heroes known as Nova, Peter Quill and Quasar?” Nova, Quasar and …Peter? Who the hell is Peter? That said, all accounts were that Annihilation was good cosmic superhero event, and it’s kind of cool to see these much-ignored characters getting a big event boost. (page M20)
Avengers Classic #1 (Marvel): And so Bendis has successfully transformed the Avengers into the ’90s X-Men. Tons of spinoffs, big sales despite being some of the weakest stories the franchise has ever seen and a “classic” title that features reprints along with new backup stories. If it were me, I wouldn’t have started with Avengers #1, which I bet a lot of modern fans aren’t going to get into. Classic X-Men, after all, started with the Claremont stuff… I would have thought starting at the beginning of the Shooter or Englehart run would have been a better bet. I’m intrigued by the backups though, which feature Dwayne McDuffie, Mike Oeming, Stan Lee and Kevin Maguire. And while I’m no fan of the current status of the Avengers, I can’t argue with their financial success. I don’t think the Avengers have ever sold this well, even when they were strong enough to support the West Coast Avengers spinoff. (page M23)
Aviary (Adhouse Books): I don’t know the work of Jamie Tanner, but I know that Adhouse deemed his work, The Aviary, worth collecting, I know that it includes a wide variety of subject matter including “wealthy simian pornographers” and “drunken ghosts,” and I know that $13 for 300+ pages of guaranteed beautiful design is a pretty good deal. And I know you can see more of Tanner’s work at his blog. Also promising from Adhouse this month, a second issue of their off-kilter indy take on superheroes, Superior Showcase. (page 215)
Battle of the Bands Vol. 1 (Tokyopop): Colorist and talented cartoonist Steve Buccellato dips his toe into the well of OEL manga for the story of an all-girl band that finds itself in a literal battle with another band before they can reach their next gig. Sounds fun, Buccellato’s an unsung but solid talent and the book gets brownie points from me by promising Guitar Hero competitions promoting the book in San Diego. Hope I get to go, so I can take part in that. (page 348)
Biff! Bam! Pow! #1 (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics): And here’s why it’s frustrating to be an Evan Dorkin fan. His work is always great when it comes out, but it’s also always late. Really late. Biff! Bam! Pow! was originally solicited about two years ago. When it comes out, it’ll be lots of fun, and great cartooning from Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer, but… I’m not holding my breath that it’ll actually make a June release date. (page 222)
The Black Diamond Detective Agency GN (:01 First Second): Eddie Campbell is a tremendous cartoonist, and he’s made his rep on doing somewhat odd character pieces and autobiography. The Black Diamond Detective Agency sees him turning his talents to a 19th century train robbery/detective story with elements of a western, and I’m very excited to see the results. Certainly that gorgeously designed cover gives reason to hope for something visually impressive. You can check out an excerpt here. (page 300)
The Boys Volume 1 TP (Dynamite Entertainment): I was no fan of Ennis and Robertson’s super-hero bashing dark comedy The Boys, but I know I’m in the minority. So for those of you who care, it’s back. I have to admit, it would have been a crappy way for the book to go out, not unlike the waste of The Authority’s potential, so on a basic principle level, I’m glad Dynamite picked it up… I’m just still not a fan. (page 265)
Clubbing (DC/Minx): Another new graphic novel from the Minx imprint, and once again, I’m impressed by the talent lined up. Andi Watson writes and Josh Howard draws a classic city girl meets the country plot. (page 113)
Daredevil: Battlin’ Jack Murdock #1 (Marvel): A four-issue miniseries about Daredevil’s boxer father. Now if James Sturm or one of the indy guys was writing it, I could see it, but even then, is this a character that really needs four issues of origin story? Can we get Fantastic Four: Ear Wigglin’ Willie Lumpkin next? Or maybe Spider-Man: Dyin’ Uncle Ben? (page M29)
Death By Chocolate Redux GN (Top Shelf): I’ve had the pleasure of picking up a lot of David Yurkovich’s quirky indy-style superhero/detective comics at conventions. So I’m well-acquainted with the story of Agent Swete, a member of the FBI’s Food Crimes division made up of organic chocolate (you heard me!) investigating food-related crimes. But I’m not sure I’ve got all of them, and I’m not certain I could find them all, so a “director’s cut” style graphic novel putting them all together is right up my alley. It sounds like a really surreal premise, and it is, but Yurkovich puts it together with an approachable style, and I really recommend these quirky little story gems. (page 364)
Drafted 99c Preview (Devil’s Due): Devil’s Due’s preview books tend to be a bit over-priced, even at a buck. The solicit lists 24 pages, but also notes 8 pages of story, concept sketches and more, which leads me to believe it’ll be about a quarter’s worth of content and the other seventy-five cents go towards basically paying to buy an ad. But the premise for the series itself, about a benevolent alien race drafting the human race to help fend off an invasion by another alien race, sounds interesting. (page 278)
Fantastic Four/Inhumans TP (Marvel): Kind of a weird collection, putting the Carlos Pacheco-written Inhumans miniseries and his Fantastic Four run together. But kind of cool, too. I wasn’t wowed by either of these stories overall, but the artwork on Inhumans, by Ladronn and Jorge Lucas, was amazing. (page M105)
Fear Agent: The Last Goodbye #1 (Dark Horse): This series, about a good old boy Texan battling aliens, has been terrific… when it comes out. Fear Agent has been plagued by lateness and an ongoing style of plotting which isn’t forgiving of that lateness, but this new miniseries, exploring the origins of Heath Huston, the last Fear Agent, might solve both problems. It’s by the original creative team of Rick Remender and Tony Moore, and will definitely be worth a look. (page 22)
Fun Home TP (Houghton Mifflin Company): The big mainstream book success story of Alison Bechdel’s autobiographical story about sexual identity, personal history and how it all relates to a funeral home in Pennsylvania gets an affordable softcover edition. I gave the book a read back in hardcover and couldn’t quite get into it despite really enjoying Bechdel’s art and storytelling in general. With all the furor over the book, and a cheaper price tag, I’m really going to have to give it a second look. (page 312)
The Highwaymen #1 (DC/Wildstorm): Entertainment Weekly editor Marc Bernardin has serious geek cred, writing the weekly “TV Watch” for Battlestar Galactica and having moved around in comics circles for some time. Now he’s writing his first series for Wildstorm, which looks like a solid action offering about a pair of old couriers coming out of retirement for one last job. Sounds fun. (page 106)
Hulk: Planet Hulk HC (Marvel): So that’s why it’s taken so long to get any Planet Hulk collections done. I’ve had folks asking me for months where the trades were, but I’m not sure they’re going to want to spring for the $40 mega-hardcover. A set of three $15 trades, collecting the three arcs, would probably have worked better, and would have made more money total to boot. And really, you’ve had Ladronn do all these gorgeous covers for Planet Hulk (the best thing about the series, really) and you get Marc Silvestri to do the collection cover? What kind of sense does that make? (page M95)
Irredeemable Ant-Man Vol. 1 Digest (Marvel): Always a bummer when a series with great art gets a digest format. See also Livewires. Glad the book is being collected at all, given its low sales, but $10 for a trade that’s going to shrink Hester’s beautiful artwork way too much is disappointing. (page M98)
Mystic Arcana: Magik #1 (Marvel): One of four big events launched from Marvel this month (the other one is X-Men: Endangered Species). Another sign the ’00s are just like the mid-’90s? The increasing shift of the different aspects of the Marvel Universe (cosmic, magic, superheroes and mutants) into almost separate imprints, only now each of them is so separate it gets its own event. That said, the covers on this mystic event by Marko Djurdjevic look gorgeous, and just like Annihilation, this looks at a corner of the Marvel Universe that has been largely overlooked. Maybe big events are what is needed to draw in the market at large to these smaller niches in the Marvel Universe? I’ll say this, at any rate… this is but one of many gorgeous Marko Djurdjevic covers Marvel has this month. (page M51)
New Avengers #31 (Marvel): Psst… hey Marvel. You wanna know why retailers and fans didn’t buy into your hype about Captain America #25, didn’t just trust you and order a billion of an issue when they had no idea what was going to happen in it? It’s stuff like this solicitation for New Avengers #31: “No hype! No BS! The most important last page of any Marvel comic this year! Do not miss it!” Last time Bendis promised to crack the Internet in half… um, actually, you know, whatever happened was so inconsequential that I can’t even remember it. So no, I don’t really believe this is “no hype and no BS.” I think it’s one-third hype, one-third BS and one-third delusions of grandeur. (page M56)
New Warriors #1 (Marvel): I was a big fan of the old New Warriors, and hate what was done to them in Civil War. But then, I was a big fan of the old Thunderbolts, and I’m kinda digging the new Thunderbolts that Ellis and Deodato are serving up. New Warriors could go the same way, as it sounds like a cool idea, a team of teens who are basically underground taggers and rebels against the Superhuman Registration Act. Kevin Grievoux, the writer, is a basically untested quantity (he wrote the Underworld movie, which I didn’t much care for), and Paco Medina has usually been an underwhelming artist, but the preview art here looks pretty solid, so this could be a pleasant surprise. Or a complete disaster. Too close to call, really. (page M57)
North Wind #1 (Boom! Studios): I loves me some post-apocalyptic comics. Whether it’s Walking Dead, Y The Last Man or Wasteland, I’m all about seeing what happens after the collapse of civilization, and North Wind is a new one in that vein. The premise? Climate change has pushed Earth into a new ice age, cities are buried beneath the surface and “skinrunners” trade valuable pelts for rations, warmth and survival. Don’t know the creators at all, but I like the premise and the publisher. (page 254)
Predator Omnibus Vol 1 TP (Dark Horse): Another month, another big collection of Dark Horse’s early comics. It’s been too long that these fan favorites have been out of print, and as a retailr who has gotten the requests every week, I can tell you there’s still an audience for these licenses. The Predator books collected here are pretty good, and I’m looking forward to giving them a re-read. My pipe-dream would be Omnibus editions of Dark Horse Presents, but given the creator ownership of much of that material, that might be an impossibility. (page 26)
Repo #1 (Image): A new action comic from Rick Spears and Rob G about repo men trying to take possession of a clone. Sounds like fun, and these two have definitely proved their action chops, Spears with Pirates of Coney Island and G with The Couriers. Should be a lot of fun for fans of either of those books. Plus, the solicit calls it part Lethal Weapon, part Akira? OK, I’m there. (page 140)
Screw Heaven, When I Die I’m Going to Mars TP (Dark Horse): New collection of consummate cartoonist Shannon Wheeler’s zen, hilarious Too Much Coffee Man. I’m a relatively latecomer to the charms of Wheeler, but I’ve come to really enjoy the quiet observational humor of TMCM. (page 28)
Sensational Spider-Man #38 (Marvel): Seriously? Your story revolves around a depowered, hospitalized Eddie Brock deciding whether or not to strangle a wounded old lady in her hospital bed? An old lady who has somehow miraculously survived a sniper’s bullet despite being, like, a hundred? I don’t give Eddie much of a chance, Aunt May might be the most un-killable heroine in the Marvel Universe. (page M15)
Silver Surfer: Requiem #2 (Marvel): Based on the solicitations, my guess is that Silver Surfer has space cancer. But I’m most amused at this line from the solicit: “But first, a much-needed consultation with an old friend — Spider-Man…” Are they friends? Have they even met, aside from maybe waving at each other across a crowded crossover? I mean, this makes as much sense as “But first, a much-needed consultation with an old friend — Man Thing…” (page M65)
Starkweather: Immortal #1 (Archaia Studios Press): Starkweather is a rescued book from another publisher, and I don’t remember being interested enough to give it a chance then. But here’s why I want to give it a chance now: First, it’s written by Piers Anthony, who has written some pretty good pot-boiler fantasy and science-fiction that I loved as a teenager, especially the Incarnations of Immortality series. Second, the premise, following the Roman soldier who pierced Christ on the cross and is now doomed to wander the Earth until his return, is interesting. Third, and most importantly, Archaia deems it worth my attention, and they haven’t really been wrong yet on that score. (page 230)
Star Wars Dark Times Vol 1 - The Path to Nowhere TP (Dark Horse): Given that only two issues have come out, and the second was very late, you’ll forgive my skepticism that this trade will actually ship in August, but whenever it does ship it’ll be a good read. Possibly the best of a series of really good Star Wars relaunches, this picks up right after Revenge of the Sith with a Jedi on the run alongside his former Separationist foes, and features amazing artwork from Doug Wheatley. (page 38)
Sub-Mariner #1 (Marvel): Good luck, gang. You’re gonna need it, as Namor is the second least interesting king of the sea in comics. You know what would sell? Sub-Mariner and Aquaman Kill Each Other #1 of 4. I mean, you couldn’t do another series with them after that, but really, would anyone notice? (page M66)
Tales From The Crypt #1 (Papercutz): You’ve gotta hand it to Papercutz… they’ve successfully revived The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew in a series of digest, manga-style volumes that, at least in my store, sell pretty well to younger readers. Now they’re aiming for the Goosebumps market, with tales of terror in the EC tradition. Of course, what was edgy and terrifying back then is probably all-ages appropriate now. The question is, will it be all-ages fun or just kiddie? (page 333)
Terminator 2: Infinity #1 (Dynamite Entertainment): Man, Dynamite sure is scooping up those licenses. I have a fondness for Terminator stories, and with the Sarah Connor Chronicles pilot in development, the license may be about to heat up again. Good call on Dynamite’s part, and I’ll admit to a certain fanboy curiosity myself. (page 268)
The Tick Comic-Con Extravaganza #1 (New England Comics): It’s the Tick’s 20th Anniversary, so we’re getting new Tick material, in this case the story of Tick and Arthur at a comic book convention courtesy of incredibly talented writer/artist Sean (Runners) Wang. Sure to be funny and well-illustrated. Now if only we could get some good, well-produced, easy to find trades of the original stuff. (page 328)
Top Cow/Marvel: Unholy Union (Image): Wow. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. (page 174)
True Story Swear to God Vol. 1 TP (Image): Hooray! Beland’s venture at Image produces enough material for a trade paperback edition, and I can’t wait to snap it up. Now I just hope the last third or so of his self-published work gets a trade edition soon as well. (page 148)
Ultimate Fantastic Four #43 (Marvel): Interesting to note that Warren Ellis’ pipe-organ wing Surfer has been wisely relegated to the trash heap, replaced by a more classic looking Surfer. Thank you, Fantastic Four movie! (page M10)
Uncanny X-Men #487 (Marvel): “Attacks in the Morlock Tunnels?” I know we’re in ’90s redux mode, but is it time for another Mutant Massacre already? (page M72)
Warren Ellis’ Crecy GN (Avatar Press): I really enjoyed Ellis’s Apparat, and he’s back with another story under that imprint, but I’m not quite as intrigued by this concept. Instead of modern pulps, he’s following the trend of war comics, which I like in theory but generally find dull in practice, and the story of a 14th century battle that echoes the modern day Iraq conflict sounds potentially preachy and dull. But you never know… the original Apparat books really were some of my favorite Ellis work, period. (page 238)
World War Hulk #1 (Marvel): Talk about giving fans what they want: Hulk rampaging across the Marvel Universe for six issues. Marvel has taken the success of Civil War to heart, and so they’re basically mimicking its structure exactly for World War Hulk, with a main miniseries, a Front Line miniseries, a World War Hulk: X-Men miniseries and tie-ins. Two problems: One, this is one of four epic events Marvel has starting this month, and I think they might wind up over-saturating the market and killing interest (which puts us in true repetition of history mode if you map Death of Cap to Death of Superman). Two, I’m not sure “Hulk beats up the Marvel Universe” has the wide story appeal of the admittedly stronger concept of Civil War. (page M36)
World War Hulk: Front Line #1 (Marvel): Wow, I sure hope Sally Floyd gets to ask Hulk if he knows what Myspace is. That’ll be exciting comics. (page M41)
X-Men #200 (Marvel): “Meanwhile a mysterious strike force is taking out the few remaining mutants one by one, with ruthless efficiency.” Yep, guess it’s time for another Mutant Massacre. (page M74)
X-Men: First Class #1 (Marvel): Jeff Parker’s all-ages take on the X-Men’s early years graduates to an ongoing series, which is pretty cool. I’m not a huge fan of Roger Cruz’s art, but this series seems to have struck a chord with a decent number of fans, and it’s kind of cool to see the original X-Men getting a little respect. (page M77)
This is the most jaded look at comics I have ever seen. Good Christ, get another hobby if it makes you this bitter.
ps: Mutant Massacre was the 80s
29 Mar 2007 at 1:39 am
QuoteHey, Randy,
I missed your mentioning the FF Omnibus. I know it’s the third Omnibus in three months time but still, it’s one of things Marvel is doing right, and it outshines almost everything else this month.
29 Mar 2007 at 2:07 am
QuoteHey! Don’t go knocking Peter Quill - that’s Starlord to you!
Why they don’t just call him that, I’ll never know.
29 Mar 2007 at 6:10 am
QuoteThe Silver Surfer might have space cancer?
If it were space *herpes*, then I’d read it.
29 Mar 2007 at 7:18 am
QuoteWhoa, hold up… someone actually reads Indie comics? O_o
Comparing today’s Avengers to the 90’s X-Men did make me chuckle, but I don’t see the modern trend as “quantity over quality” like the old one. We all know that either New or Mighty will get axed eventually… it’s just a popularity contest at this point, right?
29 Mar 2007 at 8:31 am
QuoteJust for your info, “The Armory Wars” is an adaption of the albums by Coheed & Cambria, a metal band that has had some minor hits the past couple of years. Their 3 albums are all concept albums that continue a story from one album to the next. Hard to make much sense of in the album form, so there’s hope that the comics will tie it together a bit more. There were two issues published earlier as “Second Stage Turbine Blade” (their 1st CD) by Evil Ink, which apparently go for a hefty price on EBay. (Wizard used to highlight the issues as one of the top back issue indie comics in ‘06.) They also had a graphic novel adaption of their most recent album (”Good Apollo”), which has some really nice art.
29 Mar 2007 at 8:53 am
QuoteI was bummed when I heard about Bill Mantolo, I was looking him up online a while back, kinda wondering what’d became of him as I had dug a lot of his stuff over the years and I learned about his accident. Nice to see him being honored and helped this way.
The Mystic Arcana stuff looks worth checking out, I haven’t read Annihilation, despite hearing a lot good stuff about it, mostly because I’ve never been a fan of the cosmic stuff, but the magic stuff, that I’ve always dug, at least in concept if not execution, so I’ll be checking this one out, and you’re right that cover just rocks! Big time.
I know you guys are sour on Bendis and Quesada and with good reason, but that “No hype, no BS†comment about “the most important last page of any Marvel comic this year.†Is really no different than the stuff Stan used to do all the time back in the day, and back then, like now, it was never as world shattering as promised, obviously. I don’t quite get why folks get so worked up about those hype comments, that sort of stuff has been a Marvel tradition from the start.
I also be checking the New Warriors out, I liked the old new warriors, even though I only discovered than a couple of years ago, and the previews have piqued my interest enough to give this iteration a try.
29 Mar 2007 at 8:59 am
QuoteI have nothing useful to add, just wanted to say thanks for putting this post up (and man, that was quick — Previews just came out yesterday!) There’s definitely some good stuff I’ll be getting now that I missed on my initial flip-through last night.
29 Mar 2007 at 9:06 am
QuoteHehehe, I wonder what the sales of issue #4 would be. You know what I think could make for a good Aquaman or Namor title? If they took the same approach Christopher Priest did with Black Panther and mix superheroics with political intrigue. When you think about it, Aquaman and Namor are not unlike T’Challa: they’re all kings of places separated from the rest of the world, yet they themselves often make contact with the outside world.
29 Mar 2007 at 11:25 am
QuoteIn regards to making Aquaman work, I was intrigued by the fantasy approach they took with ‘Sword of Atlantis’. Really, a creative team could get away with just about anything in an aquatic fantasy setting. But as Randy recently said — it was just boring.
As for making Namor interesting? Beats me.
29 Mar 2007 at 1:19 pm
QuoteThat Magick cover is pretty awesome, and I’m too tired to even make a “dead means dead” crack. I’ve also got a feeling that it won’t be long before coffee and/or beer gets spilled on my coffee table, ruining that “Art of Grendel” book.
You know what Marvel crossover I’m really looking forward to?
World War Hellcow.
29 Mar 2007 at 1:57 pm
QuoteMaybe it’s because I’m weird but I’ve always had a fondness for both Aquaman and Namor. And like others I was hyped to see that Busiek was writing him, but then after two issues of it going nowhere I dropped the book.
That said I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with either character, they just need the right writer to bring them alive, look at Animal Man, that character was pretty much a joke back in the day and then Morrison came along and wrote one of the better books out at the time about the character, unfortunately no one else seemed to get the character and he fell back into obscurity soon afterwards, though I did enjoy Milligan’s brief run in the book. And he’s gotten some face time in 52, though sadly in one of the less interesting arcs of the book.
But I do think that the right writer with the right idea could make either character shine, especially Namor, whom I never really found uninteresting anyway.
29 Mar 2007 at 1:58 pm
Quote“But first, a much-needed consultation with an old friend — Spider-Man…â€
I honestly don’t recall the two of them ever having a conversation in any comic book, ever. Even if they did, its not one of those classic friendships like Spidey/Human Torch or Batman/Superman.
Maybe there’ll be a retcon: while Gwen Stacey was getting knocked up by the Green Goblin way back when, Spidey and the Surfer were off having adventures and bonding.
29 Mar 2007 at 4:44 pm
QuoteI think what goes wrong with Aquaman and Namor, is that they work better teaming up with other heroes than being soley on their own. I’d have Namor fighting the Hulk in one issue, dealing with his kingdom in another, then duking it out with the Mole Man who threatens the oceans. Earth vs. Water type of thing.
You need to have Namor fighting someone. Fisticuffs. He’s an agry fuck… and yet we see him in a suit and tie working the corporate angle… HUNHH?? Have him taking on other leaders…. Black Panther, Dr. Doom, Magneto, etc.
Maybe what Namor wants is to conquer the surface world. Do with him what they’re about to do with the Hulk. Mano a mano, baby!
Just my thoughts. THANKS FOR THE COOL MENTIONS!!!
Randy… did you get your stuff from me yet?
29 Mar 2007 at 4:51 pm
QuoteWow, you haven’t looked around the Internet much, have you?
Interesting that you take that away from the piece… I’ve got a lot of positive stuff to say about just about everything but the big Marvel events. And in fact, I think most of what I said, even about Marvel, is pretty light criticism, or maybe cheap gags at the excuse of popular material. If all you see is bitterness, I think you might be reading with some Marvel-only blinders on.
OK, fair enough. I view it as a sign post of the bad event storytelling of the ’90s and ’00s to come, but you’re right, Mutant Massacre was the ’80s.
Yeah, no mention mostly because I don’t have anything to say… it’s volume two of one of the most well-respected runs in comics, and I’ve shown much love for Marvel Omnibuses in the past, so I figured I’d leave it out. But you’re right, it is a highlight for those who love the fancified pricey hardcovers (like me.)
Urge to kill… rising…
I think it’ll be a few years until the popularity of either fades… as for the comparison to the “quantity over quality” trend… I don’t know that the creators (or editorial) back then really knew that was what they were doing either. And I’ll fully admit that four Avengers titles is nowhere near as bad as the dozen plus titles that the X-Men bloated into in the ’90s…
I just think that’s the direction it’s going. Which is in some ways a tribute to the successful re-invention of the property by Bendis. There’s a reason Marvel pays him the big bucks. That he has ruined one of my favorite teams of characters for me, probably forever, is really incidental compared to that. Except, of course, for me, because for me that concern is paramount.
I think it’s because the hype now has a sort of market manipulation aspect that I find kind of sleazy. Yeah, Stan was a huckster, but he gave off a sort of genial, doing it all for the love of comics vibe. Some may read Bendis and Quesada the same way… to me, it reads as sort of a borderline sleazy, borderline desperate “Buy these books or your life will be empty!” kind of thing. And it often combines a sort of arrogance about how great the book is along with a mock (but clearly insincere) humbleness. Mark Millar has perfected this, talking about how well everything is selling and pretending to be thanking the fans, when really he’s just patting himself on the back. And given how well it works, the over-hyped events tend to push a lot of more well-considered, better-done comics (be they Marvel, DC or smaller companies) out of the public eye and into undeserved obscurity.
“Thanks for the ride, Surfer. Boy, that sure was a crazy adventure we had on Rigel 6, huh?” “Sure was, Spidey… say, isn’t that your old lady with Norman Osborn?”
I think your take on Namor sounds like a pretty interesting one, Tom. And Tomas is right, too, the Priest Black Panther approach might be the perfect way to go. But then, I thought the notion of Aquaman as underwater fantasy comic sounded great, and that turned out to be kind of a dud. Maybe it’s kind of like Dr. Strange? Everybody’s got these great ideas, but nobody seems able to execute them. Although Vaughan did write a kickass Dr. Strange, so occasionally somebody comes along to get it right.
I didn’t get any stuff from you, actually… wonder if it got lost in the mail? I’ll drop you an email, make sure you’ve got my right address.
29 Mar 2007 at 5:54 pm
QuoteTons of good stuff this month, especially considering that I’ve switched completely to trades/HCs…yeah, sue me. Also of note is that Virgin Comics is now offering trades. Nice for people who skipped over Seven Brothers for the trade, like me.
You’re absolutely right Randy - 4 events is ridiculous. It’s the kind of thing that has caused me to quit comics altogether in the past (Avengers Disassembled anyone?). Of course, back then all I read was Marvel Comics. Thankfully I’m reading much more indie stuff, as my Marvel reading has dropped to 3 books. So, these events have caused me to quit Marvel Comics.
29 Mar 2007 at 6:29 pm
QuoteI think it’s because the hype now has a sort of market manipulation aspect that I find kind of sleazy. Yeah, Stan was a huckster, but he gave off a sort of genial, doing it all for the love of comics vibe. Some may read Bendis and Quesada the same way… to me, it reads as sort of a borderline sleazy,…
Whenever I read a Marvel press release, or comments by the creative teams pimping their company’s latest
productmagnum opus, I get the same feeling as when I watch one of those “Girls Gone Wild” video commercials.Sleazy and manipulative are apt descriptions, Randy.
As far as Stan Lee goes, he was indeed a likeable huckster, poked fun at the “Distinguished Competition” without being an a–hole, and generally gave the impression that he didn’t have contempt for comic fans. Maybe Stan Lee was actually a jerk in reality (I don’t really know), but he never came across that way.
Does Joe Quesada ever not come across as a jerk?
29 Mar 2007 at 7:22 pm
QuoteIf you ever get a chance, read some of the Steve Skeates-Jim Aparo Aquaman stories from the 60s and 70s. These had clever, mature plots, great art, and an Aquaman who truly came across as both a superhero and a great ruler of his kingdom. There was a particularly good seven part story and this was at a time when DC rarely published even two parters.
29 Mar 2007 at 8:33 pm
QuoteIt was really early - or late, I admit I was just being cranky.
I stand corrected, the rest of the internet is much more bitter. Touche’
29 Mar 2007 at 11:48 pm
QuoteTom DeFalco got Spider-man and the Silver Surfer together in ASM 430-431. This is the oft-overlooked classic ‘the Carnage Cosmic’, in which the Surfer is possessed by the Carnage symbiote: Carnage gets to fly around on a red surfboard, blasting energy at Spidey. The Surfer eventually casts the symbiote off through the sheer sweetness of his compassion.
This is my first post after long lurking. My compliments on the blog - good stuff!
30 Mar 2007 at 12:03 am
QuoteThere has been another story in ASM (have to look issues up at home) where the two of them meet.
Spider-Man confuses the Silver Surfer for a public threat and tries to bring him down (which doesn’t work, of course).
Compassionate as he is the Surfer fends Spider-Man off and is frustrated at the aggressiveness of humanity.
Besides I’m strongly leaning towards picking up Death By Chocolate Redux. Sounds like fun and Topshelf usually offers quality reading.
30 Mar 2007 at 8:28 am
QuoteI missed those issues, Thank F–king God.
Although, I was around when that “classic” Spider-Man villain Carnage was created.
30 Mar 2007 at 10:09 am
QuoteI dunno it seems to me that Stan made “Buy these books or your life will be empty!” sorta comments all the time. Now, granted Stan had more charm and charisma, I’ll give you that, but I really don’t see much if any difference in what was being said, Stan just said with more style.
And as to the hype pushing better-done comics out of the public eye, unfortunate, but nothing new, happened in the old days too. Besides I’m altogether convinced that some indie comic would sell better if Marvel wasn’t hyping whatever the event of the moment happens to be. To me that speaks to buyers tastes and buying habits more than anything else, but then I’m not really in the business.
30 Mar 2007 at 10:10 am
QuoteThat should have read “not altogether convinced”.
30 Mar 2007 at 11:03 am
QuoteWell, I’m not going to sit here and defend Joey Q., but I’ve never seen the constant jerk that some do. Comparing his persona straight-up to Stan Lee’s isn’t remotely fair as the business is so different. The internet has changed marketing forever, Joey Q has to constantly answer to shareholders. Stan Lee had almost total control over his persona whereas Quesada or DiDio or whoever really has only a little control.
When I was a kid I thought Mutant Massacre was great….the first time comics ever felt BIG. For kids who picked up comics later, I bet it’s tough for them to imagine what a big deal it was for Colossus to kill someone. It’s so commonplace and lame now, and I kind of wish that genie was back in the bottle. But whereas the Mutant Massacre through Fall of the Mutants was probably the peak enjoyment I ever got from comics as a kid, the Executioner’s Song got me to quit buying comics for about 6 years. Let’s hope we’re not headed that way.
30 Mar 2007 at 12:17 pm
QuoteJust to clear, I’m not trying to defend Quesada, I’m simply remarking that hype and hyperbolic statements about content are nothing new to the company.
Back when Bendis made his statement about cracking the internet in half, I didn’t for moment think that he literary or even figuratively was serious, that would just be silly, I just took it as typical Marvel ballyhoo and was honestly somewhat taken aback by the storm of snide comments that followed by folks who seemingly took him seriously.
30 Mar 2007 at 2:24 pm
QuoteExecutioner’s Song was the final nail in my collecting coffin as well, back in the day, but I’ve come back to the fold, somewhat. I still read mostly Marvel, with a little (not enough) Vertigo thrown in, but have started to examine other things, where my limited budget lets me.
The Killer HC is something I might order, based solely on all the great comments about it, as I’ve never actually seen an issue in a shop around here (admittedly, I’m in a smaller town).
On the Marvel side of thing, nothing new really jumps out except the Magic cycle, since one issue will have Nico from Runaways in it, and it should be a law that we buy everything Runaways-related.
I never picked up the Ant-Man comic, but it looked amusing when I flipped through it, so for someone on the fence, a small $10 trade may actually help its sales long-term with its price-point making it easier to take a look for people like me.
And I collected the original New Warriors when they first started up, so I’ll pick up the first issue and see if it grabs me. Somehow, I don’t think it’ll be as fun, and I’ll have to try and not compare old with new, much like I’ll have to do with Omega Flight next week, which I REALLY want to be good, since 1) I started collecting comics with Alpha Flight and 2) am Canadian and want my team back!
30 Mar 2007 at 2:32 pm
QuoteTrue Story Swear to God Vol. 1 TP (Image): Hooray! Beland’s venture at Image produces enough material for a trade paperback edition, and I can’t wait to snap it up. Now I just hope the last third or so of his self-published work gets a trade edition soon as well.
Actually, from what I’ve heard, they’re just going to put out an omnibus edition of the self-published stuff and not do a trade for the third part. I find this a bit mystifying as both the first two trades seem to be in print on Amazon. I was picking the series up in trade, but I’m not too keen on buying stuff I already have a second time.
30 Mar 2007 at 4:47 pm
QuoteHellhound:
While it may be available on Amazon, that’s about the ONLY place you can find those trades. For years, I’ve been hearing from retailers… the bread and butter of my market… that they can never get these trades or they’re on backorder. It’s been a line of emails asking me how to get these books.
At a retailers’ summit, a prominent retailer was asked how to get more women to buy comics and he held my trade up and said “get this book.” You’d think my sales would’ve jumped… but this retailer got the same emails I was receiving asking how to get the book. The window of opportunity for growth had been closed as quickly as it was opened. It’s been a hard book to order and I’m just not satisfied with “get it at Amazon” for an answer.
I was asked by AiT to run ads in the Image books telling people about those two trades, but what’s the point of telling these people about them… if they’re not able to order them from their LCS?
I can’t keep telling people who want to get my work to avoid their LCS and get it online. It’s not right for those retailers who’ve been supporting my work since my mini-comic days. Those people deserve to make some money off my work than Amazon.
When I went to Image, I gave them my AiT contract and told them what I wanted to do and that was that. There’s a small group of readers who have those trades, but I have a larger audience who want to know the beginning of the story and it makes more sense to collect that whole series in one book. It would be impossible to print the third collection with Image and then have those readers search the planet for #1 and 2. Not possible.
If the trades were available in stores when requested, I’d have no problem with the idea of pimping the AiT books… but they’re not. They’re just not.
Thanks for supporting the series, by the way. I mean that. If this is going to prevent you from reading the remainder of the Clib’s Boy run, I’m sorry about it… however, I have to consider the audience as a whole when it comes to reprinting the series. I hope you’ll understand.
Best.
30 Mar 2007 at 11:45 pm
QuoteI should say, I don’t go in for the over-the-top hatred of Quesada, Bendis or Millar that sometimes gets going on the message boards. I’ve met all three, and found them to be nice guys in those brief moments of contact. At one point I considered Bendis a friendly acquaintance, although that particular relationship has kinda deteriorated into a non-speaking one. Not aggressive or punitive, at least on my end, it’s just that our heads are clearly in different places, and we don’t have as much to talk about.
It’s just that these guys come off sometimes as smug, maybe arrogant, maybe a little jerk-y. It’s easy to get a little riled, but it’s also good to remember that for the most part, these are personae, not the actual people. So when I’m taking cheap shots in the podcasts or these columns, that’s what I’m talking about… the people presented as personae, not the actual guys, who really haven’t done anything terrible to me beyond making Marvel Comics financially successful at the cost of killing much of my enthusiasm for the characters.
On a different note, I’ve picked up all the issues of the Clib’s Boy run of True Story Swear to God, and I have both AIT/Planet Lar trades, and I’m still really excited about the prospect of having the whole TSSTG story (volume one) in a big ‘ol trade. But I’m kind of a fanatic about the story, so I don’t have any real problem buying it again.
I will say, as a retailer, that I’ll back up Tom’s experience. I have managed to get TSSTG Vols. 1-2 back in stock (have them now, as a matter of fact) but I’ve had a helluva time in the past. And more to the point, the story is probably best designed to work as one big collection, and putting out both that *and* a third separate volume probably isn’t financially feasible for a smaller creator.
31 Mar 2007 at 12:59 am
QuoteI agree totally about the arrogance of the Marvel guys mentioned. Sure Civil War #7 sold like 250,000 copies. But I think in 24 years of collecting comics (I started with G.I. Joe #11 in 1983) that’s the 1st time I was really tempted to set fire to a comic after I read it. Honestly. I was legitimately angered. I was pissed off the rest of the day. Marvel promised a renewal of the Avengers, Cap, and Iron Man. Memories of times I loved these characters, names like Stern, Gruenwald, Michelinie, Layton, and Shooter danced in my head like sugarplums in my head. They teased a villain-turn for Iron Man. They teased a revolutionary Cap. They teased a timely Thor return. I so wanted for the government and IM to have been outed as manipulative villains. I so wanted a victorious Cap leading an extended Avengers team. I so just wanted a resolution. But I thought I was reading a super-hero story, and Marvel knew it was publishing an extended marketing preview with no real ending disguised as a very heavy handed political statement. I honestly wish I hadn’t spent the $21 I spent on this. All I got were things I didn’t want : a victorious Iron Man (whom we’re supposed to believe was right all along??), an even more grim (didn’t think it possible!) Spider-man, and a surrendering (now dead) Cap. I guess in 616 the A does stand for France. Not only am I now not the slightest interested in the Avengers as “super-cops”, I downright hate Iron Man, and have pretty much lost all respect for Cap and don’t really care when/if he returns. I am really disenfranchised with Marvel right now as well. I am getting disgusted with the condradictory characterizations at Marvel. Are we really supposed to believe that Stracynski’s Cap that was quoting Mark Twain to Peter Parker in Amazing Spider-man was the same roid-rage idiot who never considered what the general public thought untill the heat of the “final” battle in CW #7??!!! I just made my order for Apr, and I realized I am now going to be reading less Marvel than I have in a long, long time. I’m down to Wolverine : Origins, X-Men, Uncanny, Punisher, War Journal, and Kabuki. If it wasn’t for Dillon, Carey, Brubaker, Ennis, Fraction, and Mack I’d feel bad about giving Marvel any more of mu money. Thank god this small pool of creators remind me that Marvel can still be fun. I’m still up in the air about Amazing Spider-Man, a book that’s gonna be hard to let go of just because I’ve been reading it the better part of 24 years, but I really don’t know if I can handle yet another grim aunt may’s dying yet again story. I don’t really wanna see Peter kill anyone either. It’s really quite sad. Thank god for DC, Image, Dark Horse, Avatar, Virgin, and Dynamite. I sure wouldn’t have many comics to read anymore if it wasn’t for them.
31 Mar 2007 at 2:59 am
Quoteno that was a 60s Silver surfer
31 Mar 2007 at 12:53 pm