Fat Pants is a monthly Comic Pants feature in which we mull over the last month’s trades and graphic novels in order to let you know which ones we feel are most worth your attention. It is far from a comprehensive list of all the good reads to published in the past month, so please feel free let us know in the comments which trades and graphic novels came out in the last month that you, the reader, feel are most worth our attention. So, without further adieu, here are the books we think really stood out this month.

Criminal Vol. 1: Coward
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Company: Icon

D3 (aka David Martindale): Brubaker is the undisputed heavyweight champ of crime comics. Coward, the first arc in Criminal, is a heist job featuring gangsters, crooked cops, and drug addicts. Phillips delivers the perfect art match for Brubaker’s dark, noir scripts. If you have any love at all for the crime genre, you MUST buy this volume.

Nick: Continuing the boxing metaphor and D3’s praise, Ed Brubaker IS the Muhammad Ali of crime comics. The story that he presents with Coward is indisputably one of the best crime/noir creations this side of the Pecos, with a cast of very human characters that feel at home in this dark, seedy world where surviving is what matters most. I’ll reiterate the sentiment that if you’re in the mood for the genre, you can’t get any better than this.

D3: In a move to offer something to the single issue buyers, the trade doesn’t contain any of the extras found in the singles. What the single volume does offer, however, is what I fee is a superior reading experience. With no chapter breaks, the story flows seamlessly through the volume from start to finish. It feels almost like an original graphic novel. Really good stuff. Nobody is doing it half as well, and nobody has in years.

Nick: I actually feel that that is one of the biggest selling points for the trade. I mean sure, one could say that not having any extras is a turn off or something that shouldn’t happen in the trade market, but for something like Criminal, the thing that is crucial is the experience of the material. With nothing hindering the story, or taking you out of it for that matter, the result is like sitting down to watch a good movie like On the Waterfront or one of a hundred other crime/noir movies. Also, as much as I can talk about Ed Brubaker and what he has done for the genre and the crafting of great stories, Sean Phillips is no slouch either. His moody, harsh and ultimately very raw pencils take the story to another level. His characters are spot on as are the city exteriors and his cars. Sounds wierd but Sean Phillips draws some of the best cars in comics.

D3: I think the site has covered this title to a greater extent (deservedly) than any other title. Maybe its time to move on.

Mouse Guard Vol. 1: The Fall HC
Writer: David Petersen
Artist: David Petersen
Company: Archaia Studios Press

Nick: First off, this is probably one of the most eye appealing hardcovers that’s managed to come out this month. Yes, it’s an odd sized book that might or might not fit correctly on your bookshelf but man, this is one freakin’ gorgeous comic who’s rich and extravagantly drawn story looks and feels like a long lost adventure of the Three Musketeers. The only difference really with the two is that instead of being humans this go around, our three heroes are actually cute and lovable (also highly trained and very deadly) mice.

D3: David Petersen seemed to come out of a relative nowhere with this project. He’s found the elusive middle ground where a story can be mature and sophisticated enough for adults without being so adult that kids can’t or shouldn’t read it. Not to mention, it’s just plain good.

Nick: Yeah, it does perform that high-wire act of pleasing not only the adult crowd but also the very picky kid demographic with an ease and dexterity that’s unbelievable. I probably attribute that to Petersen’s art, which looks as if it could have come straight out of the fairy tales of yester-year, and just has that unknown appeal that demands attention. And when it’s got your attention, you can’t help but be swept up in it.

D3: The art really is spectacular. It has a classic style that I haven’t seen it quite some time. With everything meant for children being cranked out at the highest speed possible these days, it’s nice to see a project that is so obviously a labor of love. Everything is drawn with such meticulous detail, that one can’t help but be enthralled by the fantastic world Petersen has created for our mousy heroes.

Nick: Okay…Great story? Check. Million dollar art? Got that too. How about extras? Yes, and then some. You’d expect to get a few sketches or maybe a forward by the author and that’s it. Well, it seems that David Petersen went a bit farther and actually added an epilogue to his story for inclusion in the hardcover along with the pin-ups and other bits. That’s an idea that you just can’t beat.

Civil War: Captain America
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Mike Perkins & Lee Weeks
Company: Marvel Comics

D3: Brubaker manages to handle the Civil War debacle with class and talent in Cap’s Civil War tie-in arc. He pulls off what the rest of Civil War attempted and failed to do; he he made the reader consider both sides of the debate from a reasonable point of view. And he did it without tarnishing anybody on either side of the debate. The volume starts off with one of my favorite issues of Brubaker’s run on the book so far. It’s a Sharon Carter focussed issue where she’s torn between her loyalty to SHIELD, her country, Captain America, and her own moral beliefs. Now if we could just get a copy with out the Civil War trade dress…

Nick: Actually, this is the only Civil War trade that will ever grace my bookshelves. I guess that’s saying something about how I felt about the event in general, but that generalization gets thrown out the window with this one. What stands out the most is that each issue that’s in this volume acts essentially as a character piece; a Captain America spotlight, a Sharon Carter one and one that focus on the Winter Soldier. Each one is strong and interesting, especially the Winter Soldier one that has him sneaking aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier. It’s a classic spy story done with gusto. Chalk another point in the win column for Ed Brubaker.

D3: Mike Perkins continues to excel as well. I’m not sure how many times I can say how good he is and how he should really be the lead artist on at least one ongoing title. He manages that dark and gritty tone that’s so popular these days, but he can also deftly handle the fun, over-the-top action that a superhero book demands. But the done-in-one character piece format of the issues is really what makes this trade stand out so well. Even if all you have is a rudimentary understanding of what Civil War was all about, you can easily read the stories. Don’t let the Civil War trade dress scare you off.

Nick: Perkins has done some awesome work. Anyone who didn’t check out his Union Jack stuff should because man, that was some great superhero action. That said, this trade has probably some of his best work to date. There’s a scene specifically that has Nick Fury (or if we want to get specific, a LMD) talking with Sharon Carter that is just immaculately done. But, while the Civil War stuff is good, this trade’s gem would be the one shot: Winter Soldier: Winter Kills, which is another done in one tale that digs even deeper into the past and present feelings and thoughts of Bucky Barnes.

D3: Well, Nick says the Winter Soldier issue’s the best, and I say the Sharon Carter issue’s the best. Either way, a great collection.

Fell Vol. 1: Feral City
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Ben Templesmith
Company: Image Comics

Nick: It’s Homicide: Life on the Street meets Fallen Angel meets The Shield. Warren Ellis’ Fell is many things but the one thing that you can’t deny is that it is one sick and sadistically delicious puppy. Overall, it’s an extremely harsh story; it’s the kind of thing that doesn’t skimp on the blood and guts when they’re needed but nor does it skimp on the raw and emotional stories and great characters that make a book good. It’s also by far one of the strongest police procedural comic books that I’ve seen since the glory days of Gotham Central.

D3: I’d say it’s better than Gotham Central ever was. In fact, it’s so good, I think I might want to kill myself. I’m not actually suicidal, but the book is just plain evil. Ellis and Templesmith do such a great job placing the reader in the living hell that is Snowtown, that I couldn’t help losing a little faith in the human species as a whole, but while the Snowtown experiences of Detective Fell, the protagonist, make me want to claw my eyes out, his determination to never give up on trying to clean up the town keep me from going completely over the edge. He continues to hold out hope for even this place, possibly the most forsaken place on earth, and that is the key element that prevents the book from being just one more ultra-depressing self-indulgent ride. The volume actually manages to conclude on a positive note.

Nick: Everything about this book is gold, and even though I’m a fan of most of Warren Ellis’ works, I’d have to say that this is one of his best. Snowtown is just an interesting and terrifying place to be. It’s a place that’s is full of degenerates and thugs, of people dressed up like Richard Nixon and people who believe that magic will keep them safe. I guess what I’m saying is that even though characters are important and bring us back to the book, the place in Fell really grabs my attention. That’s not to discount the fact that I like the single issues stories or the very animalistic and fitting artwork by Ben Templesmith, because I really do.

D3: This may actually be the best book by Eliis that I’ve ever read. I’m not the Ellis aficionado that Nick is, but I’ve read a decent amount of his work, and nothing manages to top his work on Fell. My new favorite comic!

X-Factor Vol. 3: Many Lives of Madrox HC
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Pablo Raimondi & Khoi Pham
Company: Marvel Comics

D3: A great collection of nearly stand alone issues with a common theme. Madrox, the multiple man, decides it’s time to collect all his rogue dupes. The list includes an agent of SHIELD, HYDRA, and even a small town preacher. Not only does hilarity ensue, but we’re presented with a strong moral dilemma in the preacher issue. The volume is worth buying for that issue alone.

Nick: Continually, some of the best writing that Peter David has done, but X-Factor is also the best X book that comes out. Again, I’ll agree that the preacher issue is the standout of the bunch, a story that when you got through with reading it, you had a sense that you had just witnessed a hero doing something truly heroic and right. Also, Pablo Raimondi is a powerhouse of an artist that’s able to make anything, be it a mundane conversation between two people sitting at a bar table to a wacky Hyrdra base where Madrox is being tortured. It’s all top-notch.

D3: David has managed to make Madrox one of the most interesting and human characters in the Marvel universe. Which is a bit strange since he was never a terribly big deal before this title. It’s a major point in every arc of X-Factor so far, but the use of Madrox to relate to multiple aspects of the reader’s human nature is THE focal point of this arc. David uses Madrox to force the reader to look at himself in the eye, as Madrox literally does the same, and ask the hard question… what would you do?

Nick: If Madrox wasn’t in this book, my interest more than likely wouldn’t be as high as it is. If he had stayed the FF bad guy that he was or the prankster that he was in the original X-Factor, he wouldn’t be the multi-layered, emotionally screwed up badass that he is today. I like the things that David has done with the character, the little tweaks here and there to separate him from his co-workers and friends.

D3: Despite the team title and the ensemble cast, this really is a solo book. And a great one at that. This is the best the series has been so far, and you can pretty much jump right in without having read the first volume. Although, it’s very good, and you should read it.

Runaways Vol. 3 HC
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artists: Mike Norton & Adrian Alphona
Company: Marvel Comics

Nick: ‘Tis a sad day indeed to see the last tale of the Runaways penned by the creator of the series, Brian K. Vaughan, spun. Sad and yet glorious for I have completed the three hardcover set and will adjourn to a secluded area in my hobble to read the entire story of the Runaways from front to back.

D3: Well, whatever comes of the Runaways title with Vaughan gone, the material in this three volume hardcover set stands alone very well. The story comes to a nice conclusion that both feels like the end and a new beginning all at the same time.

Nick: You know, the first time that I read the conclusion of the last story, I was a little torn as to whether it really was a good enough ending for people, like me, who wanted one. The second time though, the ending really makes sense and feels right for the series. Not only that, but the other stories, drawn by Mike Norton and Adrian Alphona, all have those rare, laugh out loud moments that only Vaughan can write.

D3: Character, character, character. Nobody does it quite like Vaughan, and Runaways is his crowning achievement. It doesn’t matter if the kids are taking down a giant monster stomping its way through downtown or having a heart wrenching conversation on a rooftop, these kids are believable, lovable, and entertaining. The plot is merely a device to move the characters along their paths as people. You will buy Runaways, and you will love Runaways, that is all, return to your regularly scheduled day.

Nick: Too true. Also, if you’ve bought any of the previous hardcovers, you know by now of the many extras that you get with them. With this one, you not only get another original Adrian Alphona cover, which is the best of the three this time, you also get a sketchbook by him and a few unused pages from artist Mike Norton. Not a bad haul if you ask me.

Korgi Vol 1
Writer/Artist: Christian Slade
Company: Top Shelf Publications

D3: This might be the weirdest, cutest, most endearing comic I’ve ever read. It’s a silent, black and white book with beautiful art about all kinds of magical creatures, primarily Ivy and Sprout, a young Woodland girl (faerie?) and a Korgi pup that breathes fire. Yes, you heard me, a pyrokinetic puppy. Incredibly fun, magical adventures against fantastic villains, for only ten bucks? It’s a must buy!

Nick: Like Owly, Korgi is most certainly an all-ages outing that most anyone can read and take something away from. I kind of got stuck on the whole “Fire Breathing Korgi” myself, but there is a well crafted story and some great black and white art style that for me, feels very reminiscent of Shel Silverstein but a little more detailed with a hatched line.

D3: The pyrokinetic powers just add to the bizarreness of the book. Who wouldn’t love a fire breathing Korgi? It’s a very simple book, and that’s part of what makes the book so wonderful. Don’t mistake our lack of words for a lack of praise.

For A Few Dollars More…

D3: 52 Vol. 1: The first volume of DC’s weekly comic experiment is finally out. The first volume basically sets up all the plots of the series and introduces us to a few new characters: Supernova, Isis, and Batwoman. It’s a fun read, but it doesn’t quite make the cut to be on its own in this feature. Not because it isn’t good, but because of the nature of the overall series. Despite being 13 issues in length, the first volume really is only setup. The real action doesn’t kick in until the second volume.

Nick: Punisher Max Vol. 3 HC: A must have for any Punisher fan, this hardcover continues to collect all of the bloody goodness that Garth Ennis can pack into the regular pages of the Punisher Max title, only this time you get an oversized trim which means the bloodshed and bullets are giant sized! Still, all joking aside, this continues to be a strong series that while violent, goes out of its way to provide a realistic and human point of view to really catch the reader’s attention. In fact, to say that there has ever been a better series that starred the Punisher would be a lie, and the two stories contained inside this hardcover, “The Slavers” and “Barracuda”, speak as to why that statement is so true. Enjoy.

D3: Y The Last Man Vol. 9: To be honest it’s one the weaker volumes of the series. We get the big reveal… and it’s not so big. It’s kid of a letdown actually. The volume is still worth picking up if you’re a completest and need to have the whole series. The cat is out of the bag as far as the plague is concerned, but the Beth plot is still going quite strong, and the series still has legs. Still some good character work despite the plague letdown

Nick: Dr. Strange: The Oath: While Dr. Strange is an iconic and interesting character, the number of times that a mini-series that features him is actually worth reading is a number that can more or less be counted on one hand. The Oath, however, is a stand-out that has Dr. Strange fighting giant monsters and pharmaceutical muckety-mucks to find a cure for his trusted friend, Wong. A high fun-factor, snappy dialogue and some seriously bewildering art by Marcos Martin make this a book very much worth your time.

D3: First In Space: A pretty good little graphic novel from Oni Press. This book would have had to have been pretty bad not to make the For a Few Dollars More list. It’s about the space race AND monkeys! It’s a quick read with some fun art. A very solid offering; if you like monkeys and/or space, give it a thumbing through.

Nick:Transformers: Escalation: Transformers fans, transform and roll out for a keen nostalgic jump back to the past when comics based on a line of action figures were seriously the most awesome thing ever. Simon Furman, a man who knows a thing or two about the source material and understands the concept of robots in disguise, dishes out the third installment to his fabulous re-invention of the series. The story, a back and forth spy game with a political sub-layer, seems a bit out of left field for a Transformers story but it isn’t. In fact, the complexity and intelligence of the story paired with the simple fact that in this volume you get to see a no holds bar, battle to end all battles, starring Megatron and Optimus Prime makes it a book that is just begging to be read.

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