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

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 Five Shiny New Things to Watch Out For,” which is in a 1-5 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 Jack of Fables?” 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.

And now, because you asked for it, Dan Grendell will be chiming in, mainly for a manga viewpoint but also to give another voice.

Randy’s Top Five Shiny Things To Watch Out For:

The Spirit Vol. 1 HC (DC Comics):
Randy: This one isn’t a surprise, but I’m glad to see it, and really glad to see it in hardcover. Darwyn Cooke’s Spirit is one of my favorite monthly books, and I can’t wait to have a swanky hardcover collection for my bookshelf. Nice that they’re including Batman/Spirit in the mix as well. Now the only question is, will they do an Absolute Edition of the first 12 issues at some point down the road? I’m not betting on it yet, and will definitely pick up this hardcover, and the Absolute if that winds up happening. (page 97)

DMZ Vol. 3: Public Works TP (DC Comics/Vertigo):
Randy: This book continues to get better and better with each storyline, and has my vote for “most likely to become a Vertigo flagship” after Y The Last Man ends. The premise on this one finds the journalist protagonist going deep undercover in some suicide bombers against a Blackwater-esque military corporation, and Brian Wood does not shy away from the hard questions raised by such a premise. (page 124)

Scott Pilgrim Volume 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together (Oni Press):
Randy: Bryan O’Malley’s incredibly awesome rock band/romance/ode to videogames and manga Scott Pilgrim finally gets another volume, and I can’t wait to read it. Each volume of Scott Pilgrim has been better than the last, and I’m anxious to see the next story of Scott battling evil ex-boyfriends for the chance to date his true love. (page 330)

Dan: I am so with you on that. As hard as it is to believe, I’ve enjoyed each volume of this book more than the last, and I can’t wait to see what lies in store next.

52: The Covers HC (DC Comics):
Randy: We talked about how cool this would be in our podcast, but I never thought DC would actually do it. I wasn’t wild enough about 52 to pick up the trade paperbacks, but I will definitely pick up this hardcover collecting all of J.G. Jones’ beautiful covers, along with thumbnail sketches, background, commentary from the artist and other such extras. Kudos to DC for recognizing the potential in this kind of cool behind-the-scenes project. And putting it out for an affordable $20, no less. (page 83)

The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite #1 (Dark Horse):
Randy: Having sampled a little bit of Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s off-kilter superhero tale in Dark Horse’s Free Comic Book Day offering, I’m anxious to see more. It has an originality and sense of fun that reminds me of the work of Mike Mignola (particularly Screw-On Head) and Mike Allred (particularly Madman), and it looks beautiful. I was half-expecting some kind of weepy, goth-y thing, but instead Umbrella Academy looks like slightly dark, slightly quirky fun. (page 28)

Dan’s Top Five Shiny Things To Watch Out For:

Warhammer 40K: Blood & Thunder #1 (Boom! Studios):
Dan: Another Warhammer 40K series by Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton. The first one consistently makes my top five, and I expect more greatness here. This time out, the main players are the Orks, which in 40K are basically space Dreadnoks. Artist Daniel Lapham has done short comics work for 40K before, and has a clean, detailed style. Here’s hoping Boom! continues this trend and does a miniseries exploring each of the cool 40K races. (page 249)

The Astro Boy Essays (Stone Bridge Press):
Dan: Author Frederik L. Schodt has long been one of the best resources for understanding and enjoying manga in English. His earlier books Manga! Manga! and Dreamland Japan are required reading for people who want to explore the deep manga world, and this new book will likely prove to be as key. Focused on the work and effects of God of Manga Osamu Tezuka, Schodt looks at the master through his famous Tetsuwan Atomu series (released in English as Astro Boy). (page 395)

Arsenic Lullaby: Pulp Edition #1 (Arsenic Lullaby Publishing):
Dan: If you’ve never encountered the dark and offbeat humor of Arsenic Lullaby before, you are in for a treat. Or, if you are easily offended, you found something to hate. This is, after all, the series that brought us a voodoo priest with aborted fetus zombies and a government agent whose job is to kill babies to keep the population at a stable size. This series never fails to crack me up, and a new arrival is always welcome. I wonder how long it will be before we see an issue two, though, because Arsenic Lullaby isn’t exactly known for stable publishing. (page 238)

Randy: Or even publishing everything they solicit. Aren’t we still waiting on some kind of Essential Arsenic Lullaby collection? Shame they can’t put together the book on something resembling a schedule, because you’re right, every time they offer up some of their humor I’m reminded of how sharp and fearless it is. The Goon: Satan’s Sodomy Baby looks positively tame compared to Arsenic Lullaby.

Finder: Sin-Eater 10th Anniversary HC (Lightspeed Press):
Dan: If you’ve never checked out Carla Speed McNeil’s anthropological sci-fi series Finder, this is the perfect time. This hardcover includes the first two volumes of the series, and an issue that has never been collected before. Here’s hoping that this isn’t just a one-off, and that more hardcovers like this of Finder will follow. (page 319)

Terror Inc. #1 (Marvel Comics/MAX):
Randy: Now here’s an obscure character I never expected to see again, aside from maybe cameos written by ’90s-lovin’ writers like Robert Kirkman. Terror was a private detective who’s immortal, as long as he replaces parts of his body with fresh parts. If the new parts have superpowers, so does he. It’s a weird, bizarre concept that definitely has some life in it, and writer David Lapham and artist Patrick Zircher seem like the perfect team to give it a mature readers, modern update. Can’t wait to see this one. (page M80)

Dan: This solicit had me at “replaces his festering limbs with fresh parts.”

Other stuff that caught our eye:

24seven Vol. 2 (Image Comics):
Randy: I really want to like 24seven and the series that spawned it, NYC Mech. If for no other reason than the stellar line-up of writers and artists who work on the urban robots book. But I keep looking at the stories, which are usually straight-up urban drama tales, and all I can think is “But…but… why are they robots?” So far, I haven’t found a satisfying answer. Even “Because robots are super-awesome” would be acceptable, I think. But it’d be kind of like going to a party with an open bar, great live band and beautiful people everywhere… but everyone is wearing cellophane over their faces. Would you be enjoying the drinks, the music and the great company, or would you be focused on “What’s up with the cellophane?” (page 155)

Dan: I like to pretend that every character in comics is a robot. With cellophane on its face.

Randy: Does this mean when you’re reading the Metal Men that they look like double robots?

30 Days of Night: Red Snow #1 (IDW):
Randy: I’ve been lackadaisical in my approach to 30 Days (I think I lost track two issues into the Dark Days sequel), but I’ve been on a Ben Templesmith of late thanks to the brilliantly funny and clever Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, and I’ve been thinking of looking back in on it. Now I see that the newest series is being written and drawn by Templesmith, and given that I dug his writer/artist turn on Wormwood and Singularity 7, that seems as good a sign as any to check back in on the 30 Days saga. (page 314)

Dan: I can totally get behind that. Wormwood was a hoot and a half, and the original idea for 30 Days was always cool to me, I’ve just been vampired out. This may be time to try again, though.

All-New Booster Gold #1 (DC Comics):
Randy: I was actually a fan of the original Booster Gold series in the ’80s, which was basically classic ’80s-style superhero comics. So my appreciation for the character goes back before the Bwa-hah-hah days and before his revitalization in 52, and I’m just glad to see a character I’ve always liked getting an ongoing series. The premise, placing Booster as a timecop for the multiverse under the direction of Rip Hunter, sounds like fun as well. It’s nice that Dan Jurgens, creator of Booster, is onboard for art, but I’d be more excited if he was doing the writing too. Because there’s a lot of potential for overly melodramatic continuity wankery in that concept, and I’m not sure how much faith I have in the creative team of Geoff Johns and Hollywood guy Jeff Katz not to do the same kind of thing Meltzer is doing in Justice League. (page 70)

Dan: I’ve never had much fondness for Booster Gold, and the description of Booster jumping around in time just makes me think that the meat of this book is going to be the guest-stars from each era. That’s not necessarily bad, but it doesn’t excite me, either.

The Awakening #1 (Archaia Studios Press):
Dan: Archaia, which has yet to fail to please me, does zombies. I’m pretty damn zombied out, but knowing Archaia, there’s more going on here than in most zombie books. The cover gives off a Templesmith vibe, but looks slightly tighter. This looks to be at least visually pleasing, and I’m betting the story will please, too. (page 224)

Batman Annual #26: Head of the Demon (DC Comics):
Dan: The origin of Ra’s al Ghul has been told and revised several times, but I’m quite interested in what Peter Milligan decides to do with it. Art by original Fallen Angel artist David Lopez is another draw. What I’m really wondering, though, is if an annual like this presages the return of Ra’s from the dead. His replacement by his daughter was lackluster, and I miss the old guy. (page 74)

Black Adam: The Dark Age #1 (DC Comics):
Randy: DC’s pushing hard on their 52 follow-ups this month, and unfortunately, none of them look particularly interesting to me. Pairing up Adam Strange, Starfire and Animal Man made for some boring stories in 52, so I’m not thrilled to see Adam Beechen and Justin Gray doing it again for 8 issues in Countdown to Adventure. Not sure how The Four Horsemen rated a miniseries (upgraded from the one-shot solicited) either. And after how dull World War III was, and how one-note Black Adam became as a killer again, I’m not really sure I want to read a miniseries which will probably push the boundaries of what kind of violence and depravity is allowed in the mainstream DCU. However, I will at least give the first issue of the series a read, and the benefit of the doubt, because the writer at the helm is former editor Peter Tomasi, who was a great editor and whose forays into writing (such as on the under-the-radar WWII/supernatural thriller The Light Brigade) have been very good. (page 71)

Dan: I enjoyed the rise and fall of Black Adam during 52, so this series holds more interest for me, if only because I want to see if they can avoid repeating what they’ve done without turning Black Adam into a boring caricature of violence. As you say, Tomasi’s name also gives it a boost. I’ll check out both of the other series too, but I don’t expect much from either. It’s mainly academic interest at this point.

Black Metal Volume 1 GN (Oni Press):
Randy: The tale of twin brothers wielding a magical sword and heavy metal music to take down demons and defeat the Hell Baron. I did not just describe a Goblin Cock concept album or the latest videogame for XBox 360, but the newest graphic novel by Rick Spears (Pirates of Coney Island) and Chuck BB (Secret Skull). Sounds like fun. (page 331)

Dan: Ah, Goblin Cock. My favorite new metal find. Nothing says says “we played way too much D&D in high school” quite like they do.

Bonds #1 (Image Comics):
Randy: Durwin Talon has an unusual and effective art style, one I most remember from his work on some Oni Press covers several years ago. How will it translate to sequential work, and how are his writing chops? Those are the two questions that have me interested to see how Bonds, his new miniseries about a cellist who uses her long dormant magical powers to avenge her assassinated father. OK, I don’t know about writing chops, but he’s got a hell of an interesting concept there. (page 142)

B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground #1 (Dark Horse):
Dan: There’s not really much to say about the B.P.R.D. miniseries except that they are all excellent, and the combination of Mignola’s writing with Guy Davis’ art and Dave Stewart’s colors consistently produces a cool and creepy book. This one looks to deal with new members of the crew and an attack from within, but really, it could be about the mating habits of various species of slug and I’d still read it. (page 22)

Randy: Dan speaks the truth. B.P.R.D. is in fact incredibly awesome, and Guy Davis is doing the best work of his impressive career.

Brit #1 (Image Comics):
Randy: I have some interest in Brit, the pissed-off, retirement-aged ex-super soldier created by Robert Kirkman and Cliff Rathburn… but a little less interest when I see that his new ongoing series is not written by Robert Kirkman, but some dude named Bruce Brown, who I’ve never heard of. Then again, I’d never heard of Robert Kirkman when I picked up a little book called Battle Pope, and that pretty much worked out OK. I guess what I’m saying is that the book’s creative pedigree is on the unknown side, but it’s a good concept that has provided some neat stories, and I like that Kirkman has carved out his own little “Kirkmanverse” within Image with Invincible, Capes and Brit. (page 141)

Dan: Brit was actually my first encounter with Robert Kirkman, so I have a bit of nostalgia for this book. That said, I have to wonder how much of what I liked was Kirkman and not the character. I dunno how I feel about someone else writing it, but I’ll check it out, for sure.

Chibimono V.1 (Infinity Studios):
Dan: This manga looks cute as hell, and lots of fun. In a world where there are guardian spirits for EVERYTHING, poor Wakaba meets up with Nanana, the spirit of losing things and then finding them in weird places after you stop looking. That’s an irritation for Wakaba, who finds her belongings disappearing, but even worse is the fact that Nanana can never remember where she hid them! (page 319)

Compass #1 (Image Comics):
Dan: A four-part manga mini-series about four girls who inherit magical power and have to learn to deal with it, the plot for this book is less interesting than its creators. Written by C.B. Cebulski, who can be excellent, and Akihide Yanagi, with art by Ryusuke Hamamoto of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame, these guys have the potential to turn a ho-hum idea into something magical. It’s also in color, rare for a manga. (page 145)

Conan and the Midnight God TP (Dark Horse):
Dan: As much as I loved the first couple years of the Dark Horse Conan books, I started to get tired of them after a while. I’m not sure if they dipped in quality or I just lost interest, but for whatever reason ther was just no draw there for me anymore. This particular miniseries was a bit different, though, as it focused on Conan during the time period when he was a king and had some very cool story elements, including looks at the evil Stygians. That was enough to pique my interest, and it turns out I can still enjoy a good Conan tale from time to time. I doubt I’ll go back to reading a monthly Conan book, but occasional miniseries with cool ideas like this one are something I’ll have to watch for. (page 30)

Confessions of A Blabbermouth (DC Comics/Minx):
Randy: The newest offering from the Minx line finds Mike Carey (My Faith in Frankie) teaming up with his daughter and artist Aaron Alexovich (Slave Labor’s Serenity Rose) about a blogger battling her “hack novelist” stepdad who may harbor a darker secret. Like many of the Minx books, it features a strange but compelling concept and impressive talent to back it up. (page 118)

Dan: I’m especially interested in this because it’s the first of the Minx line, which is aimed at teenage girls, that is actually being worked on by a teenage girl. I wonder what kind of effect that will have, if any.

Dark Moon Diary Volume 1 (Tokyopop):
Randy: I’m not usually a fan of the goth, but Che Gilson wrote the unusual tale of a clockwork girl seeking her own self Avigon, and so I’m intereted in her new Tokyopop series, which finds a 15-year-old orphan going to live with her vampiric relatives. Not familiar with the art of Brett Uher, but Gilson’s writing at least earns it a look. (page 344)

Dan: I agree completely. I’m big on the goth, myself, and this looks like a lot of fun, more cute than deep. I’m going to have to track down Avigon, too, as that sounds cool.

Dr. Thirteen: Architecture & Morality TP (DC Comics):
Randy: DC’s collections department is full of pleasant surprises this month. Usually, when I see unusual collections, I think “It’s about time.” This month, there were at least four or five collections where I thought “Holy shit! That’s cool! I did not see that coming!” Dr. Thirteen is one of those pleasant surprises. I’ve been hearing good things about this weird look at the supernatural obscurities of the DCU, and it features art by Cliff Chiang, one of my favorite artists in comics. But I missed several issues of Tales from the Unexpected, where it ran as a backup, and so I thought I’d never get a chance to read it, or at best it’d be packaged with the Spectre tales from the front of the book, which I had no interest in, so I wouldn’t buy it. Instead, here it is collected in its own book, with a swanky new cover from Chiang. Sweet. (page 88)

Dan: I totally agree with you. I had no interest in the Spectre stories this ran with, but ever since running into Dr. Thirteen in the Showcase Presents: Phantom Stranger volume, I’ve thought he was cool. Excellent to see these in their own trade.

Elephantmen: War Toys #1 (Image Comics):
Randy: The story of the genetically-engineered animal men and the wars they fought for humanity has been backdrop to the various Elephantmen stories, but now the regular creative team of Starkings and Moritat are teaming up to tell that tale in a 3-issue mini. I’m definitely interested, and also somewhat interested and amused at the unusual tie-in item they’re selling, a jigsaw puzzle using Ladronn’s art from Mystery City. Posters? Sure. T-Shirts? OK. Even Super-Deformed Mini Figures have become sort of normal in my Previews-infected eyes. But a comics jigsaw puzzle? That’s just all kinds of awesome. (page 146)

Dan: I was trying to think of some “putting all the pieces together” metaphor here, but screw it. Elephantmen is just cool.

Essential Dazzler TP (Marvel Comics):
Randy: This must be some new usage of the word “Essential” that I’m not familiar with. But hell, if there’s an Essential Howard the Duck or Killraven or Ant-Man, why not Dazzler? Get your disco on, people! (page M109)

Dan: I can’t say I’m excited to read this, but there is a certain amount of curiosity. If nothing else, it seems like it will be fun.

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch (Dark Horse):
Randy: Another collaboration between Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli on an off-beat done-in-one tale. Their previously collaborations for Dark Horse have been excellent, but like this one, they are unfortunately a bit over-priced, at $14 for a page count that is just slightly above that of a prestige format book. It is hardcover, and it will no doubt be an excellent story with beautiful art, but I wish that these stories were a little more in line with the pricing of other original graphic novels. Even $10 for the same page count would seem more reasonable. (page 36)

Dan: I agree completely. As interesting as this sounds, I doubt I’ll pick it up, just because of the price. I wish Dark Horse would go back and reprint these Gaiman/Zulli one-offs later in softcover. I have the same issue with Signal to Noise, a Gaiman/Dave McKean collaboration also solicited this month. At 96 pages for twenty-five bucks, it’s way outside what I am willing to pay, despite my interest.

Gears of War #0 (Boom! Studios):
Randy: Given their success with Warhammer 40K, Boom! Studios seems like the right publisher to handle the comics version of this videogame about warfare in a dark future. If it has any of the success that Marvel found with HALO, I suspect Boom! will be quite happy. (page 249)

Glister #1 (Image Comics):
Dan: From the compelling pen of Andi Watson comes this new series about a girl who attracts weirdness and magic. I’m getting a less snarky Courtney Crumrin vibe here, and that’s by no means a bad thing. It’s also labeled as all-ages, and if anyone could do a book like this that both kids and adults will enjoy it’s Watson. (page 154)

Randy: I’m a big fan of Andi Watson’s cartooning, but I’m generally used to his writing being in more of a slice-of-life vein. Even Geisha, his futuristic story about a robot painter, was done in more a straight drama approach. So I imagine he’ll bring that same down to Earth approach to the story of a girl who’s a weirdness magnet, which ought to be interesting. And since he’s drawing it, I know it’ll look great.

Green Arrow/Black Canary: For Better or Worse TP (DC Comics):
Dan: Classic stories about the romance between the Emerald Archer and his dangerous dame are right up my alley. I haven’t had a chance to read most of these, and I’m looking forward to it. This is only being released because of the upcoming marriage between Ollie and Dinah, an idea I find stupid given their current places in the DCU, but at least something cool is coming out of it. (page 86)

Randy: I’m actually down with the Green Arrow/Black Canary marriage, it feels like an idea that should have been done a while ago. Except that if you remain true to the Green Arrow character, you pretty much have to go down the verboten road of “hero cheats on his wife, they get divorced” so maybe it’s not such a good idea, long-term.

Harbinger: The Beginning HC (Valiant):
Randy: I have a fair amount of the Valiant stuff in issues, and in fact I’m not sure I’m a diehard enough fan to buy it again, even in affordable trades, let alone hardcovers. Still, there was some really solid, ahead of its time superhero and science-fiction work at Valiant, and it’d be nice for it all to get collected so that it’s available to the many fans who missed it. However, given how many times Valiant has risen and fallen over the past few years, I’d wait until there are a few volumes available before starting the library. (page 366)

Hellboy Vol. 7: The Troll Witch and Others TP (Dark Horse):
Randy: Honestly, this is probably the weakest of the Hellboy trades. It collects a lot of short stories and a couple two-issue miniseries, most of which were good (Mignola on Hellboy is always at least good) but none of which stand out as particular high watermarks for the character or his creator. But even a weaker Hellboy trade is still going to be worth the cash, and it’s nice that Dark Horse has put the various small Hellboy tales from various places together, plus a new tale by Mignola and P. Craig Russell. (page 27)

Dan: The Mignola/Richard Corben miniseries is probably the strongest of this bunch, and in a couple cases I was let down by the short stories, but overall, as you say, this is at least worth checking out. I’m personally very curious to see what the Mignola/Russell collaboration looks like.

Inanna’s Tears #1 (Archaia Studios Press):
Dan: Another quasi-historical book from Archaia, this one looks at the ancient Sumerian city of Birith, where worship of the goddess Inanna is focused. An influx of refugees and a challenge to the theocracy wreak havoc on the status quo, and the new high priestess has to figure out a way to save their way of life. This was actually published as a webcomic on Modern Tales first, and is now making its way to print. Writer Rob Vollmar was nominated for an Eisner for his work on Bluesman, and mpMann’s art in The Lone and Level Sands was great. Check out a short preview of the book here. (page 230)

Jumper Jumpscars #1 (Oni Press):
Randy: Oni hasn’t had much luck with other-media adaptations of late, what with Tek Jansen super-delayed and My Name is Earl killed before it got developed, so I don’t want to get too excited about this one, a tie-in to the upcoming Doug Liman (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Bourne Identity) flick. But the premise of a secret war between people who can teleport is really good, and it’d be cool to see the creative team of Oni’s Three Strikes reunited to tell their stories, so I hope this one comes together. (page 330)

Killing Girl #1 (Image Comics):
Randy: What if the Mafia had a Secret Service? Strong concept. And Frank Espinosa, previously of Rocketo, does great art, which makes me interested in the book. However, I’m a little weary of the “innocent girl becomes prostitute, thus empowering her” shtick, and the previous series by Glen Brunswick, The Gray Area, didn’t do much for me. Hoping for a series that delivers on the potential of that imaginative premise, though. (page 148)

Johnny Hiro #2 (Adhouse Books):
Dan: I absolutely loved the first issue of this book, so it’s heartening to see another one so soon. From the description, which features stealing lobster from someone named Shinto Pete, it seems likely that Chao is gonna have another winner here. Oddball fun, and Chao’s art style is something I’m glad to see more of too. (page 212)

Randy: Johnny Hiro #1 was crazy fun, and like you, I’m delighted to see another issue so soon. Johnny Hiro, like Scott Pilgrim, is a riff on slice-of-life comics with genre elements thrown in, and the result is a completely unique and thoroughly fun read.

Killing Pickman #1 (Archaia Studios Press):
Dan: A detective decides that incarceration isn’t good enough for satanic child mutilator Richard Pickman, and aims to get rid of him for good. What could go wrong? Well, Pickman may be more than just your everyday scumbag. Here’s hoping we see all Hell break loose. I love a good occult detective story. (page 224)

The Last Fantastic Four Story (Marvel Comics):
Randy: Stan Lee and John Romita Jr. tell the final tale of the Fantastic Four. Certainly this creative team has earned the right to tell this story, but given that Lee’s latter-day work tends to be pretty clunky, I can’t say that I’m particularly looking forward to reading it. (page M34)

Dan: Yeah, despite my renewed interest in the FF thanks to Dwayne McDuffie, this has no appeal to me.

Madman V.1 TP (Image Comics):
Dan: The upcoming Madman movie has sparked a number of responses from publishers, including Mike Allred’s new series and a complete hardcover. I for one am glad to see this early stuff brought back to print, as I missed it the first time but wasn’t going to shell out for a hardcover. This volume, at 300 pages for twenty-five bucks, is a whopper, and collects the first Madman series, Madman Adventures. (page 156)

Mark Schultz: Various Drawings Volume 3 (Flesk Publications):
Randy: I’ve got both of the previous collections of Mark Schultz’s Various Drawings, and they’re gorgeous work, full of Cadillacs, dinosaurs, barbarians and other such stuff. Fans of the work of Frank Cho and/or Frank Frazetta should definitely check out what Schultz has to offer. (page 301)

Metal Men #1 (DC Comics):
Randy: I have a strong fondness for the Metal Men, despite not really having read much with the characters. I just like the concept, and I like the visuals. Duncan Rouleau, a strong artist with a distinctive style, seemed like a perfect visual match for the out-there concept, but he’s an untested writer. How will he match up to a difficult to write concept? If the solicitation is any indicator, just beautifully. From the solicit, Rouleau’s new rogues gallery for the team includes The Balloonatic and his Orphan Army, the Robot Renegades led by an old Manhunter Robot, Le Cabinet Noir and a genius villainous inversion of the Metal Men in giant stone Golems made of Granite, Bizmuth, Onyx and Lime. I like what I hear, and I’m very excited to see more. From what little I’ve seen, the vibe I’m getting is Morrison’s Doom Patrol, and that’s definitely the right ballpark to be in. (page 93)

Dan: But do they have cellophane on their face?

Mushishi V.1 (Del Rey):
Dan: A new manga series with some serious pedigree, Mushishi won the Kodansha Manga of the Year Award in 2006 and has Akira’s Katsuhiro Otomo converting it into an anime film. A young man with a talent for magic explores the world of the supernatural, and learns that not everything out there is nice. I’m getting a Lovecraftian-type feel for this story, and that’s a good thing. Exploring the unknown and finding terror? That’s the bee’s knees. (page 269)

Randy: Wow, quite a pedigree, and an interesting basic concept. I’ll definitely give this a look as well.

A Nightmare on Elm Street TP (DC Comics/Wildstorm):
Dan: Despite my instant distrust of horror comics with movie tie-ins, I gave these a go and found them to be pretty well done. This month also sees the release of trades for Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th, both of which were also much better than I expected. DC put strong creators on these titles, with writing by the likes of Chuck Dixon, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Dan Abnett, and Andy Lanning, and it shows. (page 114)

Okko: The Cycle of Water HC (Archaia Studios Press):
Randy: I must confess, I haven’t actually read past the first issue of this feudal Japan flavored fantasy epic by Archaia, but part of the reason for that is that I wanted to wait for the collected edition. The first issue was very solid, with intriguing characters, gorgeous artwork and a feel reminiscent of Miyazaki’s movies. (page 230)

Dan: Archaia’s design on their hardcovers has been beautiful, from Artesia to Robotika to Mouse Guard. I’m expecting this to be sexy as hell.

Ordinary Crush V.1 (Digital Manga Publishing):
Dan: This is yaoi, which isn’t normally my bag, but a good story is a good story, and this one looks to be great. Two straight guys go to an all-boy’s school where everyone else is gay. A nice flip flop of how these things normally go, and potentially a lot of fun. (page 286)

Path of the Assassin V.9: Battle for Power (Dark Horse):
Dan: I’ve loved every volume of this manga so far, as themes of loyalty and sacrifice are explored via first Tokugawa Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and his friend and servant, ninja Hattori Hanzo. The combination of writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima always wows me, and I’m especially curious to see what’s going on in a volume the solicits call “the sex issue”. From my experience, these creators will produce something thought-provoking and classy rather than tawdry, but I am intrigued to see exactly how. (page 43)

Pet Robots HC (Blue Dream Studios):
Randy: The previous collaboration between Scott Christian Sava and Diego Jourdan, Ed’s Terrestrials, is one of my daughter’s favorite comic books to read at night. It was the first comic book she picked out to read herself. I was only able to distract her from constant re-readings by introducing her to Akiko. So I’m pretty much duty-bound as a good dad to pick up the new Sava/Jourdan kids’ comic about escaped toy robots and the four kids who take them in. I’ll be honest, Sava’s writing style and Jourdan’s art aren’t up to the high watermark of all-ages pros like Jeff Smith, Mark Crilley or Andy Runton, but if my daughter is any indication, they do know how to hook the young’uns. (page 246)

Poison Candy Volume 1 (Tokyopop):
Dan: A disease gives adolescents strange powers, and they become the new warriors on the battlefield between governments and corporations. My read on this is a cross between X-Men and Akira, but with writer David Hine (of District X, Son of M and Silent War fame) at the helm, there are lots of cool directions it could go. The artist, Hans Steinbach, is the creator of manga A Midnight Opera, which had cool art but wasn’t much in the writing department. Looks like Tokyopop is playing to Steinbach’s strengths here. (page 345)

Pop Japan Travel: Essential Otaku Guide (Digital Manga Publishing):
Dan: Pop Japan Travel does tours of Tokyo with the geek in mind. I’ve seen their DVD chronicling one such tour, and it was both funny and informative. I expect this manga to be the same way. (page 287)

Potter’s Field #1 (Boom! Studios):
Dan: A potter’s field is a graveyard where the poor and unidentified are buried. In New York, one man has decided that these dead deserve to tell their stories, and tries to solve the mysteries of who is buried there. A cool idea, and with writing by Mark Waid and covers by J. G. Jones, there’s some serious talent involved too. (page 249)

Randy: Given Waid’s pedigree as a superhero writer, it’s all too often forgotten how good he is at writing mysteries. But take a look at the short-lived Ruse or the work he’s done on Elongated Man and you can see that Waid’s got some mystery chops as well. Looking forward to this one.

Dan: Damn, Ruse was a great book. *sniff* I miss it.

PX! OGN (Image Comics):
Randy: Interesting new all-ages story about a girl and her giant Panda sidekick who set off to rescue her father from an evil goat mastermind named Pollo. Weird premise, pretty artwork, and promise of ninjas? It definitely has potential. (page 157)

Robot Dreams GN (:01 First Second):
Randy: Sara Varon (of the indy drama Sweaterweather) tells a story of a dog who builds a robot and then loses his friendship when the robot rusts. It sounds vaguely depressing, actually, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be engaging, and I’m reminded more than anything of Craig Thompson’s somewhat dark but almost universally beloved first graphic novel Goodbye, Chunky Rice. (page 300)

Shazam: Monster Society of Evil HC (DC Comics):
Randy: Jeff Smith’s Shazam tale didn’t wow me throughout as I had hoped, but it had a lot of really fun moments and gorgeous cartooning, and is definitely the closest anyone has come to capturing the fun of the characters. I’ll definitely be picking up this slightly oversized hardcover collection. (page 95)

Dan: I think I have been enjoying the series more than you, Randy, and I’m definitely excited to see it get a nice hardcover. Hopefully a cheaper softcover follows soon, so this can get into the hands of kids as well as adults.

Randy: Much as I want an oversized hardcover, I have to agree here. What would be really cool is if DC does the softcover as a digest in the same size as Scholastic’s Bone trades. The grown-up comic art appreciatin’ folks can have an oversized hardcover that the art deserves, the kids can have a Shazam! trade that looks just like their Bone trades with the same creative team.

Showcase Presents: Batman and the Outsiders TP (DC Comics):
Randy: Another pleasant surprise from DC’s collections. My interest in DC’s Golden and Silver Age comics is a lot lower than my interest in Marvel’s comics from a similar era, so I haven’t bought a ton of these Showcase volumes. But I’ve been interested in seeing stuff that comes more from the ’70s and ’80s, and Batman and the Outsiders by Mike Barr, Marv Wolfman, Jim Aparo and more definitely fits the bill. I’m sure this is being published as a tie-in to the Outsiders: Five of a Kind event, which holds no interest for me, but stories of the original team, whom I know mostly from DC Who’s Who entries, holds a lot more interest. Another Showcase shocker, and one that I’m also interested in, is a collection of funny animal/superhero parody book Captain Carrot. I’m not used to seeing quirky, weird and fun stuff collected alongside the commercial surefire hits by DC. What’s next, new trades of Hitman and Starman? (page 96)

Dan: I’ve read a few of these issues over the years, and they were always at least decent. This is the most modern Showcase DC has done, and I’m glad to see them reprinting some classic stories that aren’t from the Golden or Silver Ages.

Sorrow #1 (Image Comics):
Randy: A new twist on a ghost story, from the writer of Fear Agent and the artist of Black Coat. Post-nuclear ghosts, it sounds like, from ’50s era bomb tests. Sounds promising, and I can’t complain about that creative team. Very striking cover image, too. (page 150)

Dan: The idea of ghosts of nuked people is cool and creepy, and has some definite potential. Count me in.

Sparrow: Shane Glines (IDW):
Randy: Hey, I thought these Sparrow books were strictly an Ashley Wood deal? Then I see Sean Phillips mentioning that he had some work in the newest volume, and this newest solicit promises one that’s heavy on the work of animation vet Shane Glines. As a fan of art books and the production values that IDW has for such things, it looks like it’s time for me to pick up some Sparrow volumes. (page 317)

Special Forces #1 (Image Comics):
Dan: A new Kyle Baker series is always notable, and this one looks especially topical, as it tells the story of boot camp with various loser soldiers that have been recruited because the military needs people for Iraq and applications have dried up from “quality” people. Noteworthy too is the star of the book, an autistic teen (based on an actual event in 2006 where an autistic 18 year old was recruited). A comedy book with an autistic guy as the lead could be touchy, but I trust Kyle Baker to pull it off with style and grace. (page 140)

Randy: New Kyle Baker material is always reason for celebration, as you said. It’s also cool that Baker has a variety of ideas in a variety of genres. Brutal historical fiction in Nat Turner, sweet and funny family comedy in The Bakers and (I’m guessing) sharp political satire in Special Forces.

Spider-Man/Red Sonja #1 (Marvel Comics):
Dan: Okay, this looks like it could be really cool. Spidey and Sonja met before during a classic story where they took on Kulan Gath, and if this is as awesome as Kulan Gath’s other stories in the Marvel Universe have been, it will be great. It’s written by Michael Avon Oeming, however, and I haven’t been impressed with his writing talent so far. This could be amazing, or it could be awful. (page M17)

Spider-Man Family #4 (Marvel Comics):
Dan: A Jeff Parker/Leonard Kirk story where Spidey meets the Agents of Atlas? Yes, please. Sign me up. (page M20)

Starkweather: Immortal #1 (Archaia Studios Press):
Randy: Something about witches and a teenage boy who is the chosen one to restore everything, etc. etc. Honestly, the concept sounds decent enough, but what makes me take notice is that this was originally published by a different publisher, and the guys behind Archaia felt it was strong enough to fit into their line-up. Since said line-up includes Artesia, Mouse Guard, The Killer and many more worthy books, I’m inclined to give anything they publish a chance. (page 230)

Dan: This is a story by famed fantasy author Piers Anthony done specifically for comics. He’s better known for his humorous stuff like his Xanth series, so I’m curious to see how this comes out.

Randy: Huh, hadn’t even noticed that credit. I was a big fan of Anthony’s Xanth and Incarnations of Immortality series a dozen or so years ago, so that makes me look forward to this one even more.

Star Trek: The Manga Volume 2 (Tokyopop):
Randy: Another batch of original series Star Trek manga stories, and the writers attached include Mike Wellman (Mac Afro) and Paul Benjamin (Pantheon High) and artists include EJ Su (Transformers) and Steven Cummings (Pantheon High). (page 349)

Dan: I’m not a Star Trek fan at all, but talent like that lineup is gonna make me check this out.

Steve Niles’ Strange Cases #1 (Image Comics):
Randy: Niles has written more stories I dislike than stories I like, but he does hit with me occasionally, and this one sounds promising. The good? “The greatest monster hunters in the world are called to Holcomb Manor to hear an offer they may not live long enough to refuse.” Nice logline. The bad? “the first part of the multi-format collaboration with D2C Games” and the “of ????” referring to how many issues worries me. If you’ve got a mini, you should know how many issues it is. If you don’t, it’s an ongoing series. Putting a bunch of question marks just makes you look like you’re making it up as you go along, which rarely works out well for anyone, and videogame/comic-book collaborations tend to suck. However, there are exceptions, like Death Jr., so maybe Strange Cases will be one of them. (page 151)

Super Spy GN (Top Shelf):
Randy: Matt Kindt writes and draws a spy graphic novel that sounds more Queen & Country than James Bond, about the human cost of doing espionage work. I’ve still got Kindt’s WWII espionage epic Two Sisters sitting on my “to be read” table, but his previous work with Jason Hall on crime dramas Pistol Whip and Yellow Menace was excellent. (page 362)

Dan: it would be nice if Queen & Country would start coming out again on a regular schedule, but until then this looks like it’s right up my alley.

The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allan Poo GN (Image Comics):
Dan: Edgar Allan Poe’s dream child takes a trip through the troubled writer’s mind. This has the potential to be very cool, with plenty of creepy psychology and weirdness, but only if the creators avoid making it too much about his various works and keep it about the man. (page 153)

Sword of the Atom TP (DC Comics):
Randy: Another “holy crap, I can’t believe they’re publishing this!” collection from DC this month, I’ve always wanted to read these stories where the Atom shrinks down and becomes barbarian/warrior protector of a micro-sized tribe, but I never thought there’d be enough interest for DC to publish a trade. Now I just hope that there will be a follow-up series collecting Roger Stern’s work on The Atom immediately after Sword Of The Atom, because what I’ve read of that was terrific. (page 96)

Dan: I’ve heard tell of how cool these stories were, and like you I never thought I would get a chance to read them. Kudos to DC for producing this.

Randy: I wonder, does this mean that the “Search for Ray Palmer” is going to find him in the micro-jungles again, revealing that the tribe wasn’t wiped out as earlier believed? Because it would seem like there would be some modern tie-in reason to publishing this.

Thirteen Steps #1 (Desperado Publishing): (page 270)
Randy: A semi-pro baseball player werewolf enters a 12-step program to prevent him from eating people. As concepts go, that’s already got my attention. But when it’s co-written by Phil Hester (one of the best and most underrated writers in comics) and the promo art looks pretty solid, that makes it a must-read. My only worry is that the production schedule will be like Hester’s The Atheist at Image, which is great but remarkably frustrating as it ships less frequently than issues of The Ultimates did.

Translucent V.2 (Dark Horse):
Dan: I’ve yet to read volume one of this, but the idea of a high school girl who literally disappears without support from loved ones is a cool one. Given how emotionally hard the teen years are, there should be plenty of drama and probably some romance. Not really aimed at my demographic, still this seems like a fun read. (page 41)

The Un-Men #1 (DC Comics/Vertigo):
Randy: I really want to give each new Vertigo series a shot, but the concept for this one, featuring freaks from the pages of Swamp Thing and a tone that promises “grindhouse horror and gallows humor” just leaves me cold. Possibly because I still remember the generally dull American Freaks mini from early in Vertigo’s history, possibly because I’m not a Swamp Thing fan. I like the artist (Mike Hawthorne) and I can’t help remembering that I was nonplussed by the premise of Y The Last Man before I read it as well, but if this weren’t Vertigo, I wouldn’t even give it a second look, which means my expectations are low. (page 122)