If Rob, or anybody else, has this issue in the future, I’ll do my best to identify comments wrongly accused of being spam. Shooting an email to comicpants@gmail.com will likely get the problem fixed faster.

2. Supreme Power - Back when it had an edge (and came out on time). When/if it finally restarts, they really need to move this back to MAX. Its lost something. But it started well.

Totally agree with you there. Was a fantastic read at first but totally fizzled out. Not even reading the new mini series. With Gary Frank off the title now don’t think it’ll ever recover

1. Daredevil by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Omnibus HC: This is just classicly good Daredevil stuff, in a very nice new hardcover. It’s sexy.

2. Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil: Check my review of the first issue for why I love this book. Second issue adds a super cute Mary Marvel, and reveals Tawky Tawny.

3. Fantastic Four: Dwayne McDuffie continues to bring his talent to bear on Marvel’s First Family, and I say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

4. Welcome to Tranquility: Gail Simone’s tale of murder in a town of retired heroes and villains is engaging and funny, tragic and heartwarming.

5. Manhunter: Saved from execution and I couldn’t be happier. Marc Andreyko has made every character in this book interesting, from Kate to Chase (already a favorite of mine) to guest stars that wander through. Deserves every bit of support it has gotten, and plenty more.

Dan is correct, the horror manga I love is by Junji Ito… Uzumaki and Gyo are currently out of print, but Viz is bringing them back in print later this year.

In the meantime, he has three volumes of Museum of Terror in print from Dark Horse. They’re not as good as Uzumaki or Gyo, but they’re still damn good.

Oh, yes, Gyo. Also known as “Zombie Fish on Stilts.” Crazy. And yes, Museum of Terror is also quite good. There’s a reason Junji Ito is a recognized master of horror in Japan, and it isn’t because he can put his whole fist in his mouth.

Good to know Viz is bringing those back into print, though. I wasn’t aware of that. It’s been a long time.

1.) Criminal
2.) Star Wars: Legacy
3.) 52
4.) Newuniversal
5.) Boneyard

1) The Walking Dead

2) The Secret - I didn’t expect to be on board with the 2nd issue of this ‘I know what you did last summer’ retread, but picked it up on a lark. I wasn’t disappointed. It still holds close to the staples of the slasher genre, but has some interesting twists. I fully expect this one to get grabbed up by Hollywood rather soon.

3) The Dark Tower - this one really pulled ahead for me over the debut issue. The presentation of the Crimson King was just plain creepy.

4) The Killer

5) Fall of Cthulu - A little bit murky, narrative-wise, but as a Lovecraft fan, it reminded me of why I enjoy the mythos so much.

Dan is correct, the horror manga I love is by Junji Ito… Uzumaki and Gyo are currently out of print, but Viz is bringing them back in print later this year.

In the meantime, he has three volumes of Museum of Terror in print from Dark Horse. They’re not as good as Uzumaki or Gyo, but they’re still damn good.

Oh, and if you’re on a manga kick, my other recommendations are Planetes (a five-volume sci-fi about space garbage collectors from Tokyopop), Eden (post-apocalyptic action and social sci-fi from Dark Horse) and Tezuka’s Buddha (from Vertical). Dan no doubt can offer tons more recommendations, as he’s much more well-versed in manga than I.

Yeah, I’ve got a few more on my list from Dan. He does indeed know a thing or two about manga.

As for your recs, I plan to order a volume or 2 or Buddha soon, as I recently traded in some comics to mycomicshop.com. And Planetes looks interesting, so I should probably have enough to try out the first volume.

I’ve actually been on the lookout for Eden for some time now, but the places I tradtionally order from don’t have it, and Dark Horse doesn’t always keep all the volumes in stock.

Thanks for your thoughts, folks.

However, introduced some houseguests to some good trades over the weekend, and reread a couple as well, so I can tweak my list from last week:

1. Runaways - both guests read the whole series top to bottom, and liked it a lot. Led to a lengthy discussion during a lengthy car ride. 42 issues of goodness.

2. Supreme Power - Back when it had an edge (and came out on time). When/if it finally restarts, they really need to move this back to MAX. Its lost something. But it started well.

3. X-Factor - Reread the Madrox trade and about to reread the whole series again. Consistently my first read the week it comes out. Issue 16 still has me smiling.

4. Captain America - Good or bad idea? Don’t care. Brubaker’s writing elevates this title to classic status. I love the way he brings two years of threads together at the end.

5. Alpha Flight - It never recovered from Byrne killing Guardian in the original series’ #12 (although it had a few good moments), and don’t get me started on the relaunchs, but seeing Omega Flight in The Initiative made me miss my old issues. Just once, this Canadian would like them to not screw up our team.

Hey Randy, a couple of weeks ago there were some posts about Monster, and you said it’s good, but you have another favorite horror manga. I can’t seem to find that post, so can you say it again? After my ‘must-read’ question in a podcast a few weeks ago, and Dan’s manga-tinged response, I’ve been very much on a manga-buying spree lately.

Dan is correct, the horror manga I love is by Junji Ito… Uzumaki and Gyo are currently out of print, but Viz is bringing them back in print later this year.

In the meantime, he has three volumes of Museum of Terror in print from Dark Horse. They’re not as good as Uzumaki or Gyo, but they’re still damn good.

Oh, and if you’re on a manga kick, my other recommendations are Planetes (a five-volume sci-fi about space garbage collectors from Tokyopop), Eden (post-apocalyptic action and social sci-fi from Dark Horse) and Tezuka’s Buddha (from Vertical). Dan no doubt can offer tons more recommendations, as he’s much more well-versed in manga than I.

Newuniversal - I can’t get into this book. For me, it seems like every other post-modern superhero book Ellis has done, and even Larocca’s art - normally an artist I really enjoy - has suffered because his new heavily photo-referenced style. That, and I’m not familiar with the characters and universe at all, so I don’t have that angle either. Not a bad book by any means, I just couldn’t get into it.

And X-Factor is simply the best X-book going right now. The latest issue: you’re right, the Paris stuff was weak, but the Madrox stuff - wow, how often do we see such a moral dilemma and a pretty satisfying resolution?

I’m an Ellis junkie and a sucker for stuff like newuniversal. Just love stuff where fantastical elements are placed in mundane or “real world” settings.

X-Factor is definitely the best X-book right now and has been for some time. Was a big x-head before but my preferences have shifted more towards books such as Captain America, Avengers, Daredevil etc now

But enough about THAT. I’d still like to visit the shop sometime; hopefully I’ll make it down there by the time I leave.

Uzumaki is definitely somethign to put on my very long reading list, and Randy’s and your praise will certainly give that some priority, especially since it’s an easy 3 volumes.

Pretty sure that’s it, Dan. Thank you kindly; I’m almost positive, seeing that I’ve searched for it on my regular comics ordering site (they don’t have it though). In fact, midtowncomics.com (a good source for manga usually) doesn’t have it either.

It’s by manga horror great Junji Ito, Kiel, and is a three volume series last released by Viz in 1998 but now sadly out of print. Your best bet is to hunt Ebay or Amazon, or if you end up going to UT like I think you mentioned was a possibility and coming by our store you can borrow my copies.

great site guys … i just love your podcasts. Give us more of those !!!

here’s my list of “comics that make you smile with joy when you read them”

4. Naoki Urasawa’s Monster

I love Monster, too, but… “smile with joy”? That’s a little scary.

Hey Randy, a couple of weeks ago there were some posts about Monster, and you said it’s good, but you have another favorite horror manga. I can’t seem to find that post, so can you say it again? After my ‘must-read’ question in a podcast a few weeks ago, and Dan’s manga-tinged response, I’ve been very much on a manga-buying spree lately.

great site guys … i just love your podcasts. Give us more of those !!!

here’s my list of “comics that make you smile with joy when you read them”

4. Naoki Urasawa’s Monster

I love Monster, too, but… “smile with joy”? That’s a little scary.

I’m enjoying this new feature, but I just have a small request: why not give brief comments on why exactly you’re likin’ those current top 5 books? I know that when it comes to “favorites”, it’s not always easy to put your feelings into words (it’s not like simply reviewing comics, which you guys already do well). But I think some brief comments for each title on your lists will go a long way to building our interest in them.

Honestly, it all comes down to time. We’re going to chime in on the comments with our reasoning behind the books when we have the time, but this is more or less a jumping-off point for discussion rather than a full-fledged feature.

1. Age of Bronze - Usually a good read, but this week’s issue (featuring the embassy of the Greeks to Troy) was especially great.

2. All-New Atom - Ryan goes home to Hong Kong in my favorite issue of the series to date.

3. Captain America - I haven’t had a chance to read this issue yet, but I’m putting it on my list on the strength of the few panels I have seen (including the second to last panel, the one with the eye).

4. Friendly Neighboorhod Spider-Man - Peter David continues to make lemonade from the lemons handed to him. Looking forward to the rehabilitation of the Sandman here.

5. Shazam - “Tender, juicy children!” has replaced “Stupid, stupid rat creatures!” as my favorite Jeff Smith line.

2. Fables - as a English lit major, I love all the little touches in this book, as well as the over-arching story.

3. New X-Men - the most underrated X-title on the market; I’m worried about the loss of the current artist, however.

4. Uncanny X-Men - Brubaker’s done better things, but I still enjoy it greatly, and I’m very interested to see where things go after the current arc (and how the current arc resolves).

5. Mighty Avengers - this is a premature addition, perhaps, but I really like the first issue, and Astonishing X-Men’s scheduling is pissing me off to no end, so I couldn’t bring myself to place it here.