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 May Previews for comics due to ship out in July 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 August or later, but the preorders are still due by the end of May.

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 B.P.R.D.?” 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:

Perry Bible Fellowship: The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories TP (Dark Horse): Oh hell yes. Nicholas Gurewitch’s twisted, funny Perry Bible Fellowship is possibly my favorite online comic, featuring terrific color artwork and a hilarious sensibility that is dark and hilarious. If you’ve got some time to kill, you can check it out online… here are a couple of my favorites. This is definitely one of my most anticipated projects for this Previews. (page 35)

Multiple Warheads #1 (Oni Press): Brandon Graham is rapidly becoming one of my favorite cartoonists, on my must-buy list alongside creators like Becky Cloonan, Scott Morse and Ted Naifeh, to name just a few. If you want to see why for yourself, you can pick up either of his previously published books, Escalator or King City Vol. 1. Or you can trust me and pick up Multiple Warheads, which looks like another wildly inventive concept from Graham. To wit, a freelance organ-runner and her werewolf/mechanic boyfriend hitting the road into a war-torn wasteland resulting from the end of WolfWar 3. No, that is not a typo, and Wolfwar 3 is sure to be only one of the crazy fun ideas in this book. (page 335)

Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 #1 (Archaia Studios Press): Just the images from this new miniseries, showing the mice of the Mouse Guard braving the winter snows, have me anxious to see more of this delightfully beautiful and engaging fantasy series. High fantasy with small heroes, Mouse Guard is definitely worthy of all the praise it has garnered. Interesting that some of that praise comes from the co-creator of Image’s upcoming Mice Templar, which at first glance seems to have several elements in common with this series, in a weird case of what is most likely parallel development. (page 230)

Zero Killer #1 (Dark Horse): A new post-apocalyptic comic from the writer of Rex Mundi and artist Matt Camp. Now, I’m a fan of the genre and of Rex Mundi, so I’m sold already but for those who need a little more convincing, the solicit promises crime lords, paramilitary forces, and a bounty hunter named Zero who, from the cover image, might have a little bit of superhero vigilante style in him. Looks very promising, and the preview in Dark Horse’s Free Comic Book Day offering is very good, with amazing artwork by Camp. (page 22)

The Astounding Wolf-Man #1 Director’s Cut (Image Comics): Now this is how you leverage a Free Comic Book Day debut. Kirkman and Howard turn in a really fun, intriguing and off-beat new superhero with Wolf-Man that proves Invincible was no fluke, and Image gives it out for free to thousands of potential new customers on Free Comic Book Day. Then, on the same month that #2 is offered, they put out #1, with sketches and other special features, so that anyone who missed the free issue can pick it up, and retailers don’t feel stupid selling the same exact product they gave away a month ago. Nice job on promotions, and for a very worthy book. If you’re a fan of Invincible or Dynamo 5 and similar non-Marvel/non-DC but still kickass superhero books, Astounding Wolf-Man should be on your shopping list. (page 141)

Godland Celestial Edition HC (Image Comics): Very cool. Joe Casey and Tom Scioli’s Kirby-infused psychedelic superhero saga gets an oversized, 13-issue hardcover collection that sounds like it’s in the vein of those awesome Invincible hardcovers Image has put out. Even better, the design will be by Comicraft, who have made the single issues of Godland art objects in and of themselves. Put together great design and packaging with one of the most original and fun superhero series on the market and that makes this a must-buy. (page 155)

Scrap Mettle HC (Image Comics): 400 page hardcover sketchbook from Scott Morse. Hardcover. $40, which equates to about a dime a page. What you have just heard is the sound of Randy going into fits of unapologetic fanboy glee. Morse, an animator (currently with Pixar) and longtime comic book storyteller, has unique sensibilities, an amazing visual style and knows how to put together one of these sketchbook/art book things. If you, like me, have a love of the comic book illustration, Scrap Mettle should be high on your list of July preorders. (page 151)

The Bakers: Babies & Kittens HC (Image Comics): Hooray, more Bakers! Kyle Baker’s autobiographical comics are amongst my favorite things he’s ever done, and given what a fan I am of his cartooning, that’s saying something. Even the solicit cracks me up, with this: “Mom & the kids adopt a cat against Dad’s wishes and hide it from him. Dad doesn’t catch on for days.” Best of all, it’s a true story. Sure to be riotously funny and to feature some of the best cartooning on the stands. (page 147)

Apocalipstix Vol 1 GN (Oni Press): Those who have been reading my column for a while will know that I’m a fan of the post-apocalyptic genre. You may also know that I’m a huge fan of artist Cameron Stewart. Put those two things together, in a book featuring a hot girl band roaming the post-apocalyptic wasteland, and you’ve got yourself a customer in me. Doesn’t hurt that I’ve read some of the Apocalipstix stories already in anthologies, and I know I like the weird humor and great art of the book. (page 335)

Good As Lily (DC/Minx): So far, every single one of these Minx titles has caught my attention, but Good As Lily might be the one I’m most anticipating. I’m not overly familiar with the artwork of Jesse Hamm, but I love the writing of Derek Kirk Kim. And the story, about an 18-year-old girl who finds herself faced with her past and future selves as she’s trying to save a crumbling school play, sounds like fun. (page 115)

Other Stuff That Caught My Eye:

The Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws Vol. 1: The Sugar Bush GN (Little Spirit Bear): New full-color all ages material is always welcome, and Rabbit and Bear Paws seems to fit the vibe. According to the website, it’s “set in 18th Century colonized North America and follows the story of two mischievous Ojibwa brothers as they play pranks and have amazing adventures using a traditional Ojibwa medicine that transforms them into animals for a short time.” You can check out some gorgeous looking sample pages here. (page 325)

Age of Bronze Vol. 3: Betryal TP (Image Comics): Eric Shanower’s ambitious, beautifully illustrated saga of the Trojan War gets another trade paperback collection, and as always, the book gets my highest recommendation. The only downside is that there’s no hardcover solicited this time… maybe next month? (page 152)

Alan Moore: The Complete WildC.A.T.s (DC/Wildstorm): An unexpected (but welcome) reprint from Wildstorm collects all of Alan Moore’s work on the Wildcats, which was probably the best the characters ever were until Joe Casey got his hands on them. This introduced Tao, one of the Wildstorm universe’s biggest bad guys, in an intriguing Earth-bound story, while putting the traditional Wildcats team out into space for imaginative sci-fi superheroics along the lines of Claremont’s original Brood and Dark Phoenix tales. Good stuff that a lot of superhero fans probably never read. (page 107)

Annihilation: Conquest (Marvel Comics): Clearly, I should have been reading Annihilation all along, and I’ll really need to read the hardcovers and catch up. Because the covers to these Conquest miniseries are completely badass, and bring to mind a 2000 A.D./Warhammer 40K in the Marvel Universe sensibility. The three miniseries? Star-Lord (guest-starring Rocket Raccoon and a host of other C-grade space Marvel characters) by Keith Giffen and Timothy Green, Wraith (about a “gothic gunslinger loner”) by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Kyle Hotz and Quasar (”Sci-fi Joan of Arc” who also happens to be Captain Mar-Vell’s daughter and Moondragon’s lover) by Christos Gage and Mike Lilly. The cover to Star-Lord looks particularly impressive, but the one I’m most looking forward to is Christos Gage on the new Quasar. I’m already starting to forgive them for killing off the original for shock value in the previous Annihilation series. (pages M20-M25)

The Art of P. Craig Russell HC (Desperado Publishing): I’m a fan of P. Craig Russell’s artwork, and a fan of art books in general. Not quite sure I’m $50 worth of fan in this case, especially with some other deluxe art books from James Jean and Scott Morse coming out in the same month, but for those who are… look! P. Craig Russell art book! (page 277)

Black Ghost Apple Factory (Top Shelf Productions): I’m not familiar with Jeremy Tinder’s work, but a quick look at his livejournal shows a sampling of his stuff, and it’s pretty interesting. Black Ghost Apple Factory is a collection of his favorite mini-comics into an affordable 48-page book. (page 368)

Captain America: War & Remembrance TP (Marvel Comics): Classic Roger Stern/John Byrne Captain America stories. I have the original trade, and I can tell you that this is really good Cap stuff, an all-too-short run by a couple creators near the peak of their skills. Seems that Cap’s death is good for getting some more of his stuff into print… if only there were a Gruenwald Visionaries in the mix as well. (page M107)

The Champions #1 (Marvel Comics): Matt Fraction’s out there sensibilities are turning out not to be in tune with my own love of the Marvel Universe, as I haven’t quite clicked with either Punisher War Journal or Immortal Iron Fist, but I’m still looking forward to The Champions. Post-Intiative superteam set in Los Angeles which seems to blend Hollywood culture with superheroes? Could be overly jokey and snarky for my taste, but it could also be a lot of fun. Too close to call. The Barry Kitson art and costume designs showcased here certainly have me interested, though. (page M29)

The Chemist (Image Comics): It’s a one-shot about a chemist cooking up prescription drugs, and involves a mysterious woman complicating him life and “everyone wanting him dead.” So the premise doesn’t exactly wow me with new and original, but it could still be solid, and the artwork, by Pixar animator Jay Boose, looks pretty nice. (page 142)

The Collected normalman TP (Image Comics): I remember hearing that this was really good around the ’90s, when I was working in a shop, but I never got the chance to read it. Jim Valentino can be really good (with things like Touch of Silver) or really bad (with things like Shadowhawk), and by all accounts, normalman is more the province of indy cred Valentino, even though it’s a superhero parody. In this book, the hero is the only one without powers in a world full of superheroes. This kind of thing often loses its edge over the years, but it’s an interesting bit of comics history and I’ll be interested in checking it out, especially given it’s gargantuan size (400+ pages for only $20). (page 154)

The Complete Terry and the Pirates Vol. 1 HC (IDW): I don’t know a great deal about Milton Caniff’s adventure strip, Terry and the Pirates. But I do know that it’s influential work, and that IDW, adopting the format Fantagraphics pioneered with Complete Peanuts, is doing their part in putting some of the classic strips back into print in beautiful archival editions. (page 315)

Courtney Crumrin and the Fire-Thief’s Tale (Oni Press): It’s been a while, but Courtney Crumrin is back with a new story. Ted Naifeh’s Courtney travels with her Uncle to Romania in this 56-page one shot, and I can’t wait to read it. (page 335)

The Creature From The Depths (Image Comics): Combines Creature from the Black Lagoon with Lovecraft, and that’s a pretty good pitch. Can’t quite place where I know Mark Kidwell’s name from, but the cover looks pretty decent, and this one will probably be worth a look for those enjoying Boom!’s Fall of Cthulhu or Giant Monster. (page 143)

Devil Dinosaur Omnibus HC (Marvel Comics): Wow, it is a month for weird, unexpected collections. I’m not honestly sure there are many fans out there who would pay $30 for a complete collection of Jack Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur books, but kudos to Marvel for doing the unexpected. (page M95)

Doktor Sleepless #1 (Avatar Press): New from Warren Ellis, a mad scientist returns to a near future city with grand, probably dangerous plans. The solicitation text suggests it’s for those who have missed Transmetropolitan, and it does seem like a pretty good framework for Ellis’s interesting visions of the future and off-beat sense of humor. Both Ellis and Avatar are hit and miss for me, but this new ongoing series sounds pretty intriguing. (page 239)

Dust #1 (Image Comics): Gorgeous, gorgeous artwork, at least on the covers. Don’t know how Paolo Parente’s storytelling will be, but I’m inclined to give it a shot based on those covers. And on the premise, which is “Dirty Dozen versus robots, zombies and more” in an alternate World War II where the Axis (minus Italy but plus Africa) uses salvaged alien technology. Weirdly, the writer is named mink (note the lack of capitalization) and is a director for MTV and film. Parente was lead designer for Versace. But the concept sounds like pure Robert Rodriguez/Rob Zombie B-movie love, rather than slick Hollywood production pitches. Definitely an unusual project. (page 144)

Empowered Volume 2 (Dark Horse): Wow, wasn’t expecting to see a second volume of this so soon. While Empowered was not as knock-your-socks-off great as Adam Warren’s Livewires, it was a fun and funny take on the superhero genre that features relationship drama alongside big, bombastic superhero action and wink at the audience T & A. This plus ninjas, superweapons and a live-in transformed cosmic menace make Empowered Volume 2 something to look forward to. (page 45)

Faker #1 (DC/Vertigo): Mike Carey launches a new Vertigo miniseries, this one with art by The Losers‘ Jock. Like many of Carey’s concepts, it seems a little too off-beat for an easy sell, but seems to tie into themes of identity in a college setting, with what is sure to be a spooky, supernatural edge. Intriguing but hard to guess at from the solicitation, I’ll definitely be giving the first issue a look. (page 122)

The Fone Bone Plush Toy (Cartoon Books): I usually don’t mention toys, but I can’t wait to buy these plush Fone Bones for my daughter and (by the time this ships in July) my infant son. The best plush toy since Owly. Oh, and there’s another volume in the color Bone series coming out this month too. Nice. (page 258)

Full Color (Image Comics): Xeric Award winner (and Image marketing director) Mark Haven Britt serves up a black and white (ironic given the title) graphic novel about a woman at the end of her rope, her friend who’s accidentally crossed a drug dealer and the mayhem that results. Sounds more like the kind of thing I’d expect to see from AIT/Planet Lar, to be honest, but that’s hardly a criticism. More like a bonus. (page 149)

Green Arrow: Year One #1-2 (DC): On the one hand, I’m a little annoyed that Andy Diggle has talked about ret-conning out Green Arrow’s trick arrows and superhero trappings in favor of a more pure, Hollywood-y action movie take on the character. On the other hand, it’s Diggle and Jock, creators of one of the best pure action comics of the last decade (The Losers) doing a Hollywood-y action movie take on Green Arrow. I just can’t see how that could be a bad thing. (page 83)

Grendel: Behold the Devil #0 (Dark Horse): Hooray! New Matt Wagner is always a cause for celebration, but new Matt Wagner writing and drawing the original Grendel, Hunter Rose? That may be cause for a great feast of some kind, or possibly a thankful sacrifice to the Volcano Gods. This particular issue looks like more or less a teaser, a 50 cent book that repackages a Newsarama interview and preview artwork, and honestly, these kinds of things are always kind of hit and miss. More often than not, they feel like something you should have gotten for free, and given the debut for San Diego, my guess is that if you go by the Dark Horse booth, you’ll get one free. If you’re not going to San Diego, though, this one does feature an all-new six-page story, which will probably make it worth the two quarters at least. And the most important thing is that this is a prelude to a new Grendel miniseries by Matt Wagner. (page 26)

HALO: Uprising #1 (Marvel Comics): Huh, I thought this was supposed to be an ongoing… maybe Bendis/Maleev are only onboard for the first four issues? At any rate, I have my doubts that this team can provide the action thrills that the fanbase is looking for, but I also suspect that A+ blockbuster comics creative team plus A+ beloved videogame franchise probably equals tall dollars for Marvel. Not even remotely interested personally, but this will definitely be one of the big events for July. (page M5)

Heartbreak TP (1130 Studios): Heartbreak Comics is apparently a graphic novel collecting previously printed comics, although I’ve never seen them. At any rate, the stories are “autobiographical tales of two cartoonists in their lifelong searches for true love.” It seems like pretty interesting stuff, and you can get more information, plus check out a 37-page PDF preview, at the official site. (page 298)

Hiding in Time #1 (Image Comics): Man, Image is all about the great concepts this month. This one, from The Easy Way writer Christopher Long, is about a near future Witness Protection Program hiding their witnesses in different time periods. Things go wrong when assassins start turning up in those times. Great twist on a couple cliches (witness protection and time travel). The cover art looks a bit weak, but given that premise, I’m inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. (page 146)

The Hood Premiere HC (Marvel Comics): Hooray! Another unexpected pleasant surprise, as Marvel puts Brian Vaughan’s underrated mature readers crime/supervillain comic The Hood back in print. I’d rather have an affordable softcover, of course, or an oversized hardcover chock full of extras, but just having this great series back in print is good news. For those who are unfamiliar, it’s sort of a flip side to Spider-Man, as a low rent hood finds some mystical artifacts that grant him powers, and he segues into the world of super-villainy while dealing with the real world problems created by the women in his life. (page M98)

The Incredible Change-Bots GN (Top Shelf Productions): Jeffrey Brown takes on the Transformers. His humorous take on superheroes, Bighead, was lots of fun, and I expect no different from The Incredible Change-Bots. Even better, this one is an all-ages story, promising that “only one guy and some robots die.” (page 368)

Into the Dust #1 (Tool Publications): A Kansas farm girl finds herself tossed by a twister into ’60s Hollywood, in a story that promises to mix Grapes of Wrath, On The Road and Wizard of Oz. The artwork is solid but still rough in spots, but it’s an ambitious and unusual project that is worth a look for those seeking something different. You can find many preview pages and a lot of information at the official site of Jesse Rubenfeld, the book’s creator. (page 368)

The Legend of Grimjack Vol. 8 TP (IDW): I don’t have much new to say about pulp fantasy/sci-fi comic Grimjack that I haven’t already said, but when these types of reprint series get this far in, it’s easy for them to get overlooked. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen, so if you’ve been collecting the Legend of Grimjack volumes, here’s another one. If you haven’t, you should really check the books out, they’re a terrific blend of Chandler-esque pulp, Howard-esque fantasy and dimension-hopping science-fiction. (page 319)

The List Illustrated Novel (3 Finger Prints): I’m a big fan of Rich Koslowski’s work, especially Three Fingers and The King, both from Top Shelf, which are sort of meta, observational funny yet dramatic and insightful takes on vintage cartoon characters and Elvis impersonators, respectively. The List looks like a premise built in that mold, about sinister forces trying to get their hands on Santa Clause’s info-packed list of naughty and nice. Unfortunately, instead of a graphic novel, it’s illustrated prose, heavy on the prose side of things, and that’s just not a format I’m all that into. That said, it’s not like I don’t read novels when I have the time, and Koslowski certainly has talent and a great premise, so this is probably worth a look at some point. It’s just that if it were a graphic novel, I’d be chomping at the bit to read it, rather than taking a “wait and see” attitude. If you’d like to make your mind up for yourself, you can read 14 pages of the story free at Koslowski’s website. (page 345)

Living Statues One-Shot (Locust Street Comics): This is a Xeric winner by cartoonist Emily Blair about an art historian spending a summer in Italy and some of the things that happen while he’s there. Xeric award winners are always worth a look, and tend to give a glimpse at some of the future voices of indy comics. (page 325)

Manhunter Vol. 3: Origins TP (DC): Woohoo! Another collection of Marc Andreyko’s buzz-worthy series about a prosecuting attorney turned vigilante. This one includes one of the best issues of the series, the issue where we learn what tools Kate used to put together her Manhunter costume and weapons, as well as one of the best story arcs of the series. My only hope is that when the series returns, it’ll be with a shiny new number one and a big promotional push. (page 88)

Martha Washington Dies (Dark Horse): If you’re one of the relative few who has read Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons’ Martha Washington saga, here’s another surprise from Dark Horse this month… this one-shot concludes the saga. If you’re one of the thousands of people who have no idea who Martha Washington is, good news… the whole thing including this one-shot will be collected in later months. Everybody wins! Except Martha Washington, who apparently dies. (page 27)

Marvel Adventures Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics): Paul Benjamin (Pantheon High) launches the new Marvel Adventures take on The Hulk, just in time for World War Hulk to stoke kids’ interest in a new Hulk book and on time to have a trade or two out in time for the new Hulk movie featuring Ed Norton. Got to hand it to Marvel, they’re getting better at this cross-promotion stuff, and their all ages books have generally been pretty good. (page M48)

Monster Attack Network GN (AIT/Planet Lar): This one’s about giant monsters on an island and the men and women who battle them. It’s co-written by Marc Bernardin (Wildstorm’s Highwaymen) and Adam Freeman (whose credits I don’t know) and has art by newcomer Nima Sorat. I can’t remember the original title when Bernardin was writing about it on his blog, and I can’t remember any more details of the pitch, but I know it sounded good, and I’m looking forward to seeing the graphic novel that results. (page 221)

Narcoleptic Sunday GN (Oni Press): Artist Jeremy Haun tries his hand at writing with this original graphic novel, and the results sound promising. The story reads like Sin City with a side of quirkiness, as a narcoleptic wakes up next to his dream girl after one night and finds himself accused of her murder. He’s on the run and he has to stay awake to solve the crime! Odd, but intriguing. (page 335)

New Avengers/Transformers #1 (Marvel Comics): Wow, is this a weird project. But I’m actually kind of interested in it. Stuart Moore showed his chops with giant robot action in the graphic novel Giant Robot Warriors, and pairing Dr. Doom with the Decepticons is genius. Shame the art is by Top Cow dude Tyler Kirkham, but it still might be a bit of fun. (page M59)

New Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero #1 (Dynamite Entertainment): The notion of exploring what went before in the New Battlestar Galactica universe is an interesting one, and Dynamite has a pretty solid performance record, but the solicitation gives me pause. Two years ago for the first mission of the Galactica? That doesn’t seem like enough time, especially given that the Cylons were missing for something on the order of 40 years before the series started, and I thought the Galactica was a warship from the original Cylon wars. I don’t really expect canon from the tie-ins, but this doesn’t even sound consistent with what little we know, which might be off-putting. (page 268)

Nexus #99: Space Opera Act 1 of 4 (Rude Dude Productions): Nexus is one of those gaps in my comics reading. I’ve read a chunk of Steve Rude stuff, and I like his art, but I’ve never read Nexus, and I wasn’t about to pony up the money for the deluxe archives Dark Horse was doing when I didn’t know the books. But a monthly comic sounds about the right speed… I’m just not sure how accessible it’s going to be to the new fan, starting at issue #99. After this long, I think a new number one and a jumping-on point, rather than catering to a (probably relatively small) chunk of faithful fans, would have been the wiser choice. (page 338)

Peter the Pirate Squid (SLG): I’m not really a Roman Dirge fan… I don’t dislike his work, I just haven’t read much of it and it’s not really on my radar. But I know that there are many Dirge fans out there, and so I mention this new five dollar, 64 page special about pirate mollusks, illustrated by Steven Daily. In a similar vein, Jhonen Vasquez has something new offered this month, a $6 48-pager named Jellyfist drawn by Jenny Goldberg. Goths rejoice, your kings have seen fit to provide you with new offerings! (page 222-223)

Process Recess 2: Portfolio SC (Adhouse Books): Another James Jean artbook from Adhouse. This one is a lot smaller, page-count wise, than the previous hardcover, but it does have rather impressive dimensions (15″x11″) which ought to show off the art nicely. Looking forward to it. (page 216)

The Programme #1 (DC/Wildstorm): Looking like a mixture of post-Cold War politics and superhero action, this may be another one of those genius projects from the guy who brought us X-Statix, Peter Milligan. Or it could be a muddled mess of superhero claptrap by the man who brought us Elektra and X-Men, Peter Milligan. My bet, given that this is Wildstorm and possibly creator-owned, is on the former. But Milligan usually doesn’t do his best work on the superhero genre, so I’m prepared for the latter. (page 103)

Punks: The Summer Comics Special (Digital Webbing): I’d recommend this based on the writing record of Joshua Hale Fialkov (Elk’s Run, Western Tales of Terror) alone, but that’s hardly all it has going for it. It’s also got striking, unusual artwork from Kody Chamberlain (Tag) and a surreal streak a mile wide. Great for fans of Joe Casey, Grant Morrison, Bryan Lee O’Malley and more. Weird and funny and visually engaging. You can see previews, including three pages of Punks goodness, and much more at the official website. If you like it, preorder it… this is the kind of book that flies under most retailers’ radar, even the good ones. (page 294)

Revere: Revolution in Silver HC (Archaia Studios Press): Archaia is really ramping up their production in 2007, and it’s going to make me a poorer man, because their editorial judgment hasn’t faltered yet. Revere is another strong concept, a rescued property from Alias Entertainment about silversmith Paul Revere battling werewolves. Very clever, and definitely worth a look for those who dug APE’s Revolutionary War pulp comic The Black Coat. (page 232)

Scarface: Devil in Disguise #1 (IDW): I found the notion of a sequel to Scarface (reprinted this month in the Scarred for Life TPB) a little bit too out there, even if the craft by Layman and Crosland was admittedly pretty good. But a prequel? Showing Tony Montana in Cuba and showing how he became the thug who wound up in Miami, more or less exiled by Castro? Now there’s a rich area for story exploration. And Alberto Dose seems a perfect artist for this kind of thing. (page 316)

Sentences: The Life of M.F. Grimm HC (DC/Vertigo): I don’t know a lot about Percy Carrey, author of this autobiographical graphic novel about losing his legs to gang violence and becoming a “Hip-Hop Grand Master.” The general tendency of rappers to “embellish” and the solicitation text which includes “No questions are left unanswered and no apologies are made, resulting in what’s sure to be a groundbreaking graphic novel” makes me worry it might come off as self-congratulatory, but the preview pages are pretty effective, and the black and white art from Ronald Wimberly is drop dead gorgeous. An unusual project, and one that is definitely going to look great. (page 118)

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #20 (Marvel Comics): I grind my teeth reading the hype in Marvel’s solicits, but I have to give credit where it’s due… the use of every hype cliche for Sean McKeever’s last issue of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is pretty damned funny. By the way, my guess for those three little words mentioned in the solicitations? “I’m leaving. Sean.” or maybe “Off to DC!” or maybe “So Long, Suckers!” (page M19)

Star Trek: Year Four #1 (IDW): I’m not a huge Star Trek fan, but this is a nifty take on the property, picking up after the cancellation of the TV series and dealing with the fourth of its original five year mission. It’s also a little weird, given that novels, comics and movies have more than covered these years, but Star Trek is a property that can stand a little reboot or alternate history now and again. And certainly having Steve Conley (of Astounding Space Thrills) on art is a very good thing, as Star Trek seems right up his alley. (page 313)

Superman: The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus HC (DC): What, seriously? Is there really anyone out there who will pay $75 for this story? I mean, yes, there’s an animated movie coming out, but between this and the DC/Top Cow Crossover Classics volume solicited this month, it boggles the mind that legitimate DC classics like Hitman, Chase and Starman are out of print. (page 77)

Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK’s 11 #1 (Marvel Comics): Another one of those “could be too jokey” projects, but Fred Van Lente has written some pretty solid work (Marvel’s Scorpion, his own Action Philosophers) and I do just like the premise of a heist caper using super-villains and orchestrated by MODOK. The big-head dude has made a bit of a comeback lately, facing off with Ms. Marvel and the Marvel Adventures Avengers and guest-starring in a few other places as well. (page M66)

Tangent Comics Vol. 1 TP (DC): Jeez, DC is really reprinting some weird stuff this month. A Death of Superman Omnibus, a DC/Top Cow Crossover Classics, and this mostly forgotten series focusing on an alternate DC Universe where only the names are familiar. Here’s the thing, though… Tangent is mostly forgotten, but as I remember, it was pretty good. I particularly remember that James Robinson gave Green Lantern a spooky/EC twist, and the other character re-imaginings were pretty clever as well. (page 90)

Thor #1 (Marvel Comics): Thor is back. Not a clone. Probably. Equally lame “re-invention” of the character? Probably. The new look from Olivier Coipel doesn’t really strike me (Thor just looks a little fat, honestly), and every other re-invention J. Michael Straczynski has been involved with has been godawful (Matrix Dr. Strange, Spider-Totem Spider-Man, Time-Travelling Power-Giving Fantastic Four, etc.) I’ve never been a huge Thor fan anyway, but I feel kinda sorry for those of you who are… it looks like Marvel might be about to screw him up further. (page M69)

Ultimate Spider-Man #111 (Marvel Comics): My interest in the Ultimate universe is pretty much dead, but I have to point this one out for two reasons: One is that artist Stuart Immonen is taking over, and his art is always good. The other is that Bendis is introducing the Ultimate version of one of those joke characters I have a fondness for, The Spot. This is both utterly cool to my fanboy sensibilities and a sign of just how worn out the Ultimate universe has become to my jaded critic sensibilities. I have to say, the jaded critic side is winning, after seeing three pages of what amounts to illustrated text previewed… are folks really tuning into this book for illustrated prose format? (page M10)

Union Jack: London Falling TP (Marvel Comics): A collection of a solid action adventure series by Christos Gage and Mike Perkins, putting an international team of heroes up against super-terrorists in London. Gorgeous artwork, and recommended for those digging the action vibe in Brubaker’s Cap. (page M105)

The Vault of Michael Allred Limited Edition HC (AAA Pop Comics): I’m a fan of Allred’s artwork, so this collection of every cover he’s ever made, plus other art, interviews and more sounds like just the thing. I’m a fan of the interview/art book format, and given the impressive Madman Picture Exhibition from a couple years back, I’m sure this one will have very nice production values. (page 215)

Vogelein: Old Ghosts GN (Fiery Studios Inc): Jane Irwin’s Vogelein is centered around the fascinating concept of a clockwork faerie, but the story is bigger than that, a tapestry of believable and unusual lives that show off the best and worst of humanity in a thoroughly engaging format that is a real page turner. This is the second graphic novel featuring the character, but I’ve read a preview copy and can assure readers that it’s perfectly accessible. Great for fans of the work of Neil Gaiman and Mike Carey, in particular. (page 305)

Warhammer 40K Volume 1: Damnation Crusade TP (Boom! Studios): I haven’t read more than the first issue of this series, but I’ve had a bit of Warhammer 40K interest of late, and when the trade finally does hit I’ll be giving it a look. Of course, some kind of indication of which issues and stories are in this trade would have been of benefit for those trying to decide whether or not to pick it up. (page 254)

Yesterday’s Tomorrows (Knockabout Comics): I love the design work of Rian Hughes, and I especially remember his work on the covers for Wildcats 2.0 and 3.0. And I own the issues of the Grant Morrison collaboration on a re-invention of Brit space hero Dan Dare reprinted here, so I can vouch for them being good. But I don’t think I can spare $48 for a limited edition hardcover, especially when I already own a good chunk of the material. However, for those who are Morrison fans, this is a hard-to-find story, plus probably a 100 or so more pages of great art from a great comics designer, and worth the splurge if you’ve got extra money this month. (page 323)