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 ado, here are the books we think really stood out this month.

Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus
Writer/Artist: Jack Kirby
Company: DC Comics

Nick: God, where to begin? Jack Kirby truly is the “KING of Comics”. Everything that he’s done for the mainstream books, the characters that he has had a hand in creating…It’s mind-boggling to even think about. And yet, the work contained in this first volume really is some of his best. It’s a bizarre concoction of psychedelic ideas, colors and words, challenging our minds while at the same time telling a very modern story that you instantly connect with.

Dan: I’m a huge Kirby fan, and it was actually these Fourth World comics that made me go back and look at his original Marvel work. Nothing matches when he was working on his own, though- the crazy energy of the lines and ideas, along with the funky cadence of the dialogue and sheer power of the character designs, is awe-inspiring. This is some truly classic work.

Nick: I’ve always loved Jack Kirby but never read any of the Fourth World stories before, which is odd I know, but I have to say that after finishing this opening volley, I’m salivating for more. What’s in this volume? Well, the first three issues of The New Gods, Mr. Miracle, The Forever People and the first seven issues of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen. I love them all but the latter one is my favorite. Kirby’s Jimmy is a major player instead of just a sideline character appearing in a Superman book, which is the way it should be. He’s layered and interesting, dealing with people like The News Boy Legion (great in their own right) and things like the DNA Project. It’s all very hip and cool and extremely worth the $50.00 price tag.

Dan: My favorite thing about this project is that the issues are in the order that they were originally released, so that you get to see the Fourth World unfold the same way people did when it first came out. I’ve read it both ways, and this is by far cooler. I notice little hints and connections this way that I never noticed just reading them in issue order.

Nick: I completely agree, as I can’t really imagine just reading this in story order and making all of the connections. I think the stories all stand on their own but the way that each of them fit together in the Hardcover is so much better. Pinning down a single favorite thing about this book is really hard for me as the whole package is damn near perfect. One of my favorite things about this book is the packaging. I know that a lot of people were annoyed with the quality of the paper that was used, as it sort of resembles newsprint, but I fell into the camp of people that were really impressed with it. The colors really pop on it and I don’t think the effect of Kirby’s art would have carried as much weight if they had printed this on a glossy paper like they do with the Absolute line.

Dan: Yeah, the paper was a whole controversy, but I really do prefer it like this. It isn’t the weak newsprint of some trades, it’s a strong white paper that just has a rough surface, and I think it shows the colors better than a glossy page would. I just wish they could have dropped the price point a little, but I’m not a production guy, so I have no idea what the costs involved were.

Planet Hulk
Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Carlo Pagulayan, Aaron Lopresti, Juan Santacruz, Gary Frank, Takeshi Miyazawa
Company: Marvel Comics

Nick: Discounting things like Hulk: Gray, the original stuff by Lee and Kirby and a few arcs of the Bruce Jones stuff, I don’t normally care for Hulk titles. So in my mind, when one of the guys handed me a copy of this hardcover that’s jampacked with the 12 issue storyline and a Super-Sized bonus section full of cool extras, I didn’t quite know what to expect. Color me surprised when after reading just two issues of the book I gave it back and went out and bought my own copy. Greg Pak does a tremendous job with what can only be described as: Spartacus meets Hulk meets Gladiator. It’s a lot of fun and there’s certainly more here than just the whole “Hulk Smash” bit too, which is key.

Dan: It’s a love story, it’s a fight for freedom, it’s an action epic- it’s all sorts of things, but it’s definitely a Hulk story. Holy crap does he kick ass. Betrayed by his friends, enslaved by his enemies, Hulk does what he does best- he survives. Oh, yeah. And gets really, really mad. Greg Pak wrote the hell out of this, and I was as surprised as you to be enjoying it so much, as I haven’t really liked a Hulk story for years. The artwork is excellent too, topnotch work all around.

Nick: You know, the art is another thing that really impressed me. If someone were to take a look at the “As Long as My Arm” list of artists that do work in this book, a person might think that there’s no way in hell that that many interpretations and styles work to form a single cohesive story. The crazy thing is, they do. Whether it was just pure luck or by sneaky skill, none of it feels out of place or like they were phoning it in. It was quality and all very eye appealing. Other than the art, what was really nice were the extras. I know that most of it was released in the Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook issue that resembled the new Official Handbook stuff, but in that format it really held no interest for me. Paired with the book, it works better as it really delves deeper into the society and the aliens of that inhabit the planet, and was engrossing.

Dan: Yeah, it doesn’t look anything like the normal OHOTMU format. It reads more like a Discovery Channel guide to the planet than anything, and while that may not sound cool, it is to me. I picked it up as a single issue and never read it, but as part of the hardcover, having just read the story, I wanted to know more. Thanks to this hardcover, when World War Hulk hit, I was primed and ready.

Nick: Easily the best Hulk storyline of the past few years, and if you have any interest in it at all, I strongly recommend picking it up.

X-Men First Class Vol. 1 HC
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Roger Cruz
Company: Marvel Comics

Nick: I keep singing Jeff Parker’s praise here but come on, this guy can write the heck out of just about anything. X-Men First Class is a prime example, as it’s probably the best X-Men title to have graced the shelves of any comic book store this year. The stories feel classic, very much in line with the greatness of the soap operatics of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s stuff while also blending it with Claremont’s ingenuity of character and story. I like seeing these characters use their powers inventively instead of just the normal bang and chop and I also love to see them go up against villains that don’t necessarily mesh with the norm, which is exactly the kind of stuff Parker does.

Randy: I have to admit, it took me a while to dive into this book, because I was never a fan of Image stalwart Roger Cruz back in the day. Constant talk about how good it is from the rest of you led me to ease in with the First Class Special (featuring art from Allred, Dragotta, etc.) and then the first issue of the new ongoing (featuring Invisible Girl mentoring Jean Grey) and then I couldn’t resist the hardcover. What can I say? You guys were right. This is a great book. And Cruz does in fact get better with each issue, even if I still wish the interior art were as beautiful as Marko Djurdjevic’s covers.

Nick: Randy’s right. It’s hard to beat Djurdjevic’s covers, as they are absolutely beautiful. And I have to admit, I’m personally unfamiliar with Roger Cruz’s previous work, so to me he sort of came out of nowhere. That said, I really do like his work on this book. Like with Frank Quitely, Cruz’s style is definitely different from your run of the mill superhero stuff and it did take an issue or two to really get a feel for it. But once that happened, you start to notice the small things that he injects into his work. I’m all about seeing a great range of character emotion in my characters and Cruz nails it perfectly, giving each of the X-Men their own unique look and feel. Also, he might draw one of my favorite versions of Professor Xavier ever as he gives him the old school, sort of evil looking, very over-exaggerated eyebrows. Hilarious.

Randy: Well, in these old days, Xavier was the strict old man tutor, so that fits. That’s one of the big selling points of X-Men: First Class, actually, it’s the early days of the X-Men. It’s closer to Spider-Man (and maybe even Archie) than to the Claremont X-Men, as it’s all about teen angst and pop superhero fun. Parker does a great job of using the X-Men in their pre-mutant ghetto status, mixing in familiar faces like The Lizard, Thor, Doctor Strange, Skrulls and even Agents of Atlas’ Gorilla Man. Not that the mutant factor is entirely over-looked, as there’s a really good use of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver and the Juggernaut (sort of) as well.

Nick: Yeah, the issue with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver is really one of the best but if I had to pick a favorite, I’d probably go with the Norse themed issue as my favorite. Seeing Thor, Ymir, superb action and a cool use of Iceman just brought a smile to my face. Still, I think the biggest selling point for X-Men First Class is its approachability. In this day and age where the huge crossovers and continuity rich books rule all, it’s nice to have the option of picking up any issue of this and get a whole story that in many ways fulfills the true comic book experience.

Randy: Absolutely. Parker writes accessible, all-ages stories that don’t talk down to anybody. The continuity doesn’t quite fit with the early days, but the characterization is consistent and the stories are full of great action and plenty of fun moments. You don’t have to read the eight stories in this hardcover to jump onto the ongoing series; it’s not a continuity issue, or an issue of story foundation. But after you read a couple issues of the series, you’ll want to read the first eight issues of the run, because the series is a sheer joy.

Annihilation Book 3 HC
Writers: Keith Giffen, Christos Gage & Stuart Moore
Artists: Andrea Di Vito, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Mike McKone & Scott Kolins
Company: Marvel Comics

Nick: Beyond being just good, this third volume of the Annihilation series, which covers the main six issue mini and the two part Heralds of Galactus story, is as close as you can get to excellence. A great, cosmically epic and action plentiful story by Keith Giffen which is only made better by the rich art by Andrea Di Vito and colorist Laura Villari. Everything on the page pops and there are some splash pages that are so strongly done that I want them Galactus-sized and hanging on my wall.

Randy: Here’s the bad news: the first volume of Annihilation is out of print. The good news? You can easily pick up just Volume 3 and get the best of the story, although I’d still recommend checking out volume 1 for Nova and volume 2 for Silver Surfer. At any rate, this is the “meat” of the event and the epilogue, and it starts off with a beleaguered Nova at the head of a galactic army trying to head off Annihilus’s troops and just gets bigger and badder from there. Annihilation Books 1 and 2 have a lot of setup, and Book 3 is the big, well-worth-the-wait payoff.

Nick: I too would also recommend seeking out the first two books before picking this one up. You don’t have to, nor will I be angry that you didn’t, as the main series still reads well as is, but by skipping them you’re sort of coming in on the third act of a great movie. But whether you do pick up the previous ones or you are just grabbing this one, you’re still getting one of the best comics possible. It’s intense, cinematic and is a treasure trove of delights for the fans of cosmic characters. I mean come on, Galactus, Silver Surfer, Peter Quill (Starlord) Ronan, Drax, Thanos, Firelord, and Terrax the Tamer all in one place. You can’t tell me that’s not cool.

Randy: Huge cast and big, exciting cosmic stuff, that’s Annihilation. What’s impressive, though, is that even though the action and consequences are huge, galaxy-spanning, the series is kept grounded and in many ways character-based. What happens to Nova, Silver Surfer, Starlord and any of the numerous other main characters is at the heart of the story. The plot is a perfect combination of war story and superhero tale, but it’s the deft touch that Giffen shows with the characters that makes it so compelling. Well, that and Galactus getting mad and punching out a bunch of cosmic ne’er do wells. No matter who you are, that’s just cool.

Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artist: Mark Buckingham & Others
Company: Vertigo

Nick: I have to say that I love Fables. It’s just one of those timeless series that is consistently good, always ranking high on my list of great comics of the moment. This volume however ranks a little differently from the others that have come before it. I still liked it well enough but there were elements and stories in it that weren’t exactly on par with what the other collections have contained. If this is true though, then why the heck is it even on this list, you might ask? Well, the answer is that while there are pieces of this trade that don’t interest me, the good far outweighs the bad. The main attraction, a story in which a What If is told about the Adversary and the Homelands invading the mundie world and vice versa is great. There are small nuances about it that Willingham adds that are equal parts charming and chilling. And there are other things to enjoy like a series of short but wonderfully fun, two or three page stories all done by various artists focusing on smaller fables. So yes, the trade’s good and most certainly worth picking up but as a collection I felt a little dissapointed after finishing it.

Randy: I think that Mike Allred was unfortunately miscast on his Fables story, a shame given that he’s usually an excellent artist and would seem suited to this book, but for whatever reason, his work here fell flat, especially compared to the excellent work done by Mark Buckingham on the rest of the book. And the “Burning Questions” issue was a bit of a disappointment as well, as the questions were all basically fluffy nonsense, and having a question from the editor (rather than one of the readers) seemed like cheating. Aside from that, though, I’m pretty happy with this volume, and even the aforementioned disappointments had elements that I liked. But the “Sons of Empire” story that you reference is not only an entertaining read, it no doubt sets up important stuff to come in the war between the Adversary and Fabletown. I also found the Christmas story and Willingham’s take on the magic of Santa quite charming, and liked his use of Bigby Wolf and Jack in perfect roles in that tale.

Nick: I too felt the Mike Allred stuff felt sort of… out of place. Normally, I can’t get enough of the artist and my jaw drops with the stuff that he does in his own comic Madman, but there was just some undefineable aspect to it that didn’t congeal with the story being told. On the other hand, I agree with Randy that the “Big” thing about this trade was the setup of stories to come, and I for one am itching to see the outcome of a few of those plotlines.

Randy: This volume gives us an unprecedented look into the bad guys of the Fables world, and some short but interesting looks at other fables to boot. It doesn’t have the big revelations of “Homelands,” the status quo shakeups of “Arabian Nights” or the big culminations of “Wolves,” the last three trades, but it’s still impressive by any standard.

Nick: Talking about being impressed by things brings up another subject, one of art. There are many aspects to the art that are superb. The James Jean covers continue to entice and illicit the need to know what’s going on inside the book but what’s on the inside is just as pleasing. Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoah and Lee Loughridge are a powerhouse of a team, supplying vivid landscapes and characters. The work has a definite animation flavor that really draws the eye in and the themed page borders are always a treat to ogle.

For A Few Dollars More…

Randy: Re-Gifters: DC’s Minx line started well with Plain Jane, but Re-Gifters is the gem of the line thus far. Reuniting the creative team of Vertigo’s supernatural romance My Faith in Frankie, Re-Gifters follows the story of Korean-American girl “Dixie” as she struggles with an upcoming Hapkido championship, a crush on a boy who likes someone else, a bully that’s kinda nice to her and how her best friend and family deal with all this. It’s funny, sweet and has plenty to say about being a teen girl, despite the fact that not a single one of them worked on the graphic novel. But Carey has a teen daughter, so that must have given him some insights, because this feels genuine, it feels fresh and it’s one of the best graphic novel reads I’ve had all year. Teen angst, martial arts and a happy ending… where else can you get that for ten bucks?

Dan: Death Jr. Vol. 2: Usually, video-game tie-in comics fall flat. The Death Jr. books, on the other hand, have been delightful, and I’m pretty sure a lot of it has to do with the creative team. Writer Gary Whitta is a talented scripter for video-games and movies, and artist Ted Naifeh is well known for his sophisticated cartoonish style from goth books like Courtney Crumrin and GloomCookie and wider fare like Polly and the Pirates and How Loathsome. This collection tells the story of DJ, the Reaper’s son, his friend Pandora, and what happens when he interns for the summer for his old man. Meanwhile his other friends head to summer camp, only to discover it’s not what they expected. Fun and funny, Death Jr. is both touching and intriguing, and a great read.

Randy: Art of Bone: Dark Horse’s “Art Of” series never fails to impress, and Art of Bone is another great entry in their oversized hardcover series. It doesn’t feature as much new or unseen art as I’d like, only a scattered few toy design tie-ins and such, but it is really nice to see Jeff Smith’s art at the larger size. Both black and white original and Steve Hamaker colored versions are at work here, and while it’s not hard to appreciate Smith’s work at any size, seeing things like a two-page splash of the Valley in full color at this size gives you an insight into just how good his art is. Bonus treats include a look at when Bone was a college strip, and the characters and rough outlines are there, but in a format that makes it much easier to trace the roots back to Walt Kelly’s Pogo. Another home run for Dark Horse’s “Art Of” series.

Nick: Goosebumps Vol. 3 Scary Summer: This trio of writer/artists (Kyle Baker, Dean Haspiel, & Ted Naifeh) prove that a book doesn’t always have to be a glorified, schtick filled bloodbath to be considered horror. The material, short and sweet tales that range from your average, run of the mill ghost stories to a more bizarre tier that stars creatures such as mischievous lawn ornaments, are all brilliant in their approachability and their simplicity. And like the other volumes of the Goosebumps series, all of the art is jaw-dropping. A phenomenally fun read, especially on a dark and stormy night.

Randy: Collected Toupydoops Vol. 1: Ground Floor: The first five issues of Kevin McShane’s indy comic (plus extras) are collected in this trade, and if you have a sense of humor that tends toward the cynical and referential, I can’t recommend it highly enough. The high concept, that breaking into comics is like breaking into Hollywood, and the characters are actors, is great, and McShane executes perfectly, taking the creations of his college comic strip (the titular Toupydoops and his roommates Mr. Bananas and Teetereater) and positioning them as trying to “make it” in the big-time Hollywood of superhero comics. This leads to Street Fighter-inspired cockroach fights in their apartment, a night of bar-hopping, jealousy between Toupy and Teeter and (horrors!) would-be comic star Toupy getting a day job as a teacher. The moment-to-moment writing and cartooning is clever and funny, showing off great comic timing and hints of deeper characterization to boot, and the whole “Toupy’s got a day job” thing holds together better in trade, where you can see the story unfolding in larger chunks.

Nick: Fear Agent Vol. 2: If you’re any kind of fan of the science fiction/action genre and you’re not already reading Fear Agent, then let me tell you this…You’re insane. Writer Rick Remender and artist Jerome Opena craft a rip-roaring science fiction story done right, fueled by hard whiskey and exploding aliens. Equal parts Dr. Who and EC Comics with a splash of Bruce Campbell, this volume picks up right where the cliffhanger ending of the first volume left off, and continues the story of Alien Exterminator, Heath Huston, and his desperate attempt to save every living soul on Earth from an alien invasion. A must read series if there’s ever been one.

Randy: Grendel Archive Edition: Grendel Archives is a slim hardcover collecting the unfinished original Grendel saga, the first thing Matt Wagner created with his sophisticated criminal Hunter Rose. Long out of print, it’s true that these stories don’t really represent the master cartoonist Wagner has become, nor the realized potential of the dark, intelligent saga that Grendel has turned into. But all the seeds are there, and it’s interesting to see the story of criminal Hunter Rose and his hunter Argent the Wolf played out, rather than described with illustrations, as they were in “Devil By The Deed.” The art is rougher, the storytelling more conventional, but Grendel (and Matt Wagner) were clearly destined for greatness from the start.

Dan: Marvel Adventures The Avengers V.3: Jeff Parker has been doing a great job on this title since it kicked off, but this volume collects two of the best. In issue 9, the entire team is turned into MODOKs. And yes, it is awesome. Issue 12 manages to match it, though, with the galactic romance that is “Ego, the Loving Planet.” Seems Ego’s a bit of a playa, and Earth is looking mighty fine… Juan Santacruz does a hell of a job on the artwork on all four issues, no matter what insane crap Parker has him draw. Do yourself a favor- drop seven bucks on a digest full of greatness.