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 October Previews for comics due to ship out in December 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 2008, but the pre-orders are still due by the end of October.

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.” The focus in this column is always going to be on jumping-on points and new stuff, so if you’re wondering “Where’s American Virgin?” 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.

As always, 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:

Essential Power Man & Iron Fist Vol 1 TP (Marvel Comics):
Randy: Never has the word Essential seemed more apropos. Seriously, haven’t we all been secretly longing for this ever since the Essential concept was invented? I mean, I’m really looking forward to when they get around to the Jim Owsley, Kurt Busiek and Dwayne McDuffie stuff, but Jo Duffy, Steven Grant, Bob Layton, Chris Claremont… that ain’t nothing to sneeze at. (page M109)

Dan: I haven’t seen something this Essential since Dazzler. Shut up, everyone else.

Midnight Sun GN (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics):
Randy: Midnight Sun was a beautifully illustrated comic about an airship crashed in Antarctica in the late ’20s, and a reporter covering the event, but it didn’t sell too well. The upside? It’s being released in a complete graphic novel form as a result. I was sort of “waiting on the trade” on this anyway, so it’s a win for me… I’ll definitely be checking it out, and you should too. Great period piece, and did I mention great art? You can check out a preview PDF here. (page 215)

Dan: I missed this the first time around, so I’m glad to get the chance to read it now. It sounds pretty awesome.

Nova V.1: Annihilation Conquest TP (Marvel):
Dan: Collecting the first seven issues of the new Nova series, which has just been fantastic, this trade is some of the best work by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning in years. My only real question is if Marvel is going to do oversized hardcovers of Annihilation: Conquest like they did for Annihilation, and what if any of this will be collected in them if they do. (page M102)

Randy: Boy, I hope there are some oversized hardcovers of Annihilaton: Conquest. But whether there are or aren’t, I’m still super-psyched to see this trade. It’s hard to call this my favorite new Marvel series of 2007, since The Order, Immortal Iron Fist and New Warriors are also in the running, but it’s definitely a great read and I’ll definitely be picking up the trade. Space adventure at its best, plus Nova gives Iron Man a well-deserved verbal bitchslap and then fights the Phalanx… and loses. Great, great stuff from Abnett, Lanning and artist Sean Chen.

Robotika: For a Few Rubles More #1 (Archaia Studios Press):
Dan: The three sci-fi samurai from the dystopian future of Robotika return, traveling deeper into the Badlands this time on their latest journey. I loved the first series, and though I’m a bit curious about the addition of David Moran here as (I believe) scripter, I’m certainly looking forward to seeing this sequel. (page 226)

Randy: I loved the first volume of this book, which reminded me in all the right ways of a mix of Grendel and Geoff Darrow’s Shaolin Cowboy. The addition of a co-writer to help smooth out the rough spots, along with the same great art, means this is likely to be a winner.

Wormwood: Calamari Rising #1 (IDW):
Randy: Wormwood, the sentient maggot, returns with his grumpy cyborg and magically tattooed stripper sidekicks, for an all-new adventure. They’re battling a dimension full of evil squid, far as I can tell. Ben Templesmith is one deranged mutha… and I love him for it. (page 301)

Dan: Who would have thought that Templesmith was a talented writer as well as artist? His Wormwood books are great.

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

Northlanders #1 (Vertigo/DC):
Dan: Brian Wood takes on Vikings, and if you’ve read DMZ, Demo, or Local, you know that that means there’s gonna be a lot more to it than meets the eye. I’m willing to bet this isn’t just another hack n’ slash book. I’m calling it now, and it doesn’t exactly take a lot of balls to say this- this is Vertigo’s next big book. (page 112)

Randy: Dan stole one of my top five, because this is definitely the book I’m most anticipating in December. Brian Wood launches a new ongoing at Vertigo. Boom. That’s all they had to tell me.

For those who need more, it’s a story of vikings with a well-researched approach and a modern sensibility. From the solicit: “Christian/Islamic conflict. Technological revolution. Fear of the end of the world. Sound familiar? It should. But it’s not the world of 2007 - it’s the world of Europe, circa 1000 AD.” As if that weren’t enough, it’s got strong art from new artist Davide Gianfelice (and the last new artist Vertigo brought into the fold with Wood was the outstanding Riccardo Burchielli from DMZ). Oh, and I’ve read the first issue, and it’s great. Preorder this one now. Like Dan says, and I totally agree with, it’s the next Vertigo buzz book.

The Long Count #1 (Archaia Studios Press):
Dan: As usual, Archaia has some great looking new offerings, including this mini-series about a future Central America where the Mayan calendar comes to an end and a sports hero begins a search for the great dragon Quetzalcoatl. The story sounds cool, the art looks great, and I have little doubt that this will be another book I’ll be following. (page 226)

Randy: That is one hell of a gorgeous piece of promo art. And an unusual premise. I sense another great book from Archaia.

Punks the Comic Christacular Special (Digital Webbing):
Dan: The Punks Summer Special was a mind-blowing bit of comics joy, so I can only imagine what the Christmas special is going to be like. According to the solicits, the four weird-headed bastards are searching for the true meaning of Christmas, leprosy, and friendship, so its gotta be good. There are some awesome looking Punks shirts with the Summer Special cover on ‘em for sale too, but they aren’t big enough for me, so I have to pass. (page 284)

Power Pack V.1 HC (Marvel):
Dan: I have no idea why this is being printed and I don’t care. I WANT IT. An oversized hardcover of the first three Marc Sumerak Power Pack minis? Oh, hell yes. All I can say is, there better be more coming. (page M91)

North Wind #1 (Boom! Studios):
Dan: After a second ice age, the only remaining cities on Earth are in caves far under the ice. Skinrunners brave the surface to get pelts to trade for rations and warmth. In this environment rises a post-apocalyptic hero! The idea sounds pretty cool, I’ve always liked bad-ass snow guys, and the solicit references Mad Max and The Road Warrior, which doesn’t hurt any either. (page 246)

Randy: Sounded cool when it was solicited months ago too. There are a ton of resolicits from Boom! this month, which hopefully means that new editor Mark Waid is helping to get their schedule on track. That’s good news, because a lot of these projects sounded really interesting, and if Boom! can fix their late shipping issues, it’ll make an already strong publisher even better.

Other stuff that caught our eye:

Amazing Spider-Man #546-548 (Marvel Comics):
Randy: I can’t decide if making Amazing Spider-Man a thrice-monthly book with three different creative teams is shrewd marketing or naked manipulation of market tendencies. Probably a little bit of both. Honestly, I’m not super-psyched about this line-up, if only because I’ve lost as much interest in Spider-Man as I have in X-Men in recent years, but there can be no doubt that there’s huge talent (Dan Slott, Zeb Wells, Marc Guggenheim, Phil Jimenez, Chris Bachalo, Steve McNiven) and huge opportunity to fix the character that’s been badly broken. I wish them good luck, I’m not sure I care enough to be reading. (page M14-16)

Dan: Spoilers floating around are putting me in the “not caring” camp, but I’ll probably check it out just to be sure. That said, if Jackpot turns out to be Aunt May, I quit.

Aria V.1 (Tokyopop):
Dan: In the water city of Neo Venezia, tourists are taken around in gondolas by tour guides known as Undines. Akari Mizunashi is an Undine in training and takes all sorts of people around the city in her gondola, hearing different stories and meeting interesting people all day long. This sounds like a great way to tell cool stories, and a very cool backdrop too. I’ve never read Aqua, the manga this is a sequel to, but if this is as good as it sounds, I may have to track it down. (page 333)

Bat Lash #1 (DC Comics):
Randy: Not really sure there’s a market for another western title in the current comics market, but I’m kinda glad DC’s trying anyway. I don’t know the work of the western novelist who’s writing this, but I do know the work of legendary artist John Severin, and I also like the character of Bat Lash. He’s a roguish, fun cowboy adventure, a far cry from the grim and gritty Jonah Hex, and I’m curious to see if he’ll fly with a modern audience at all. (page 65)

Dan: Don’t forget that Sergio Aragones is co-writing, which should be a trip.

Casanova V.1: Luxuria TP (Image):
Dan: I haven’t been following this funky spy story, but I’ve heard enough good things from people I trust to be intrigued and this is the perfect time to jump on. For thirteen bucks you get the first seven issues, full of Matt Fraction’s hip writing and Gabriel Ba’s slick art. (page 143)

Criminal Vol 2: Lawless TP (Marvel Comics):
Randy: As I write this blurb, the second story arc of Criminal hasn’t yet concluded. But what I’ve read of this tale of an Iraq war veteran falling in with crooks to avenge his brother’s death has been excellent, possibly even better than the first arc of the series. (page M81)

Dan: I’ve been a big fan of both arcs of this series so far, and I’m real curious to see what the third story is gonna bring. Brubaker has yet to disappoint.

The Darkness #1 (Top Cow/Image):
Dan: Top Cow has been restructuring some of their books, and this is the one that puzzles me the most. They are relaunching Darkness- with Phil Hester as writer. I love Phil Hester’s writing, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything from him that really fits in with Top Cow’s usual books, so I have to wonder- is this a radical change to the book, or is Hester writing in a new style? (page 172)

Randy: I love Phil Hester’s writing, but I hate The Darkness. This is not the first good writer who has taken on the book. Hell, Garth Ennis launched the damn thing, and it was still dull and stupid. So mostly I see this as taking Hester away from projects where his time is better spent. But hey, writers and artists gotta eat.

The End League #1 (Dark Horse):
Dan: I like the idea of this, a hunt for the Hammer of Thor by the last superheroes in a world overrun by evil, and Rick Remender has done some stuff that I’ve really liked, like Fear Agent, Night Mary, and Strange Girl. That said, I hope this doesn’t go too far into the angsty side of things, and the heroism gets a focus too. (page 20)

Randy: Claiming a blend of Lord of the Rings and Watchmen is setting the bar pretty high, but I have to admit I’m intrigued by the story. Rick Remender writing grabs my interest, as his Fear Agent (which gets a new trade this month from Dark Horse) has been getting better and better. Broome as artist I’m not as sold on, as I’ve never been a huge fan, but he’s got a nice (if somewhat stiff) Travis Charest/Barry Kitson/Leinil Francis Yu thing going on in the preview art, so I’ll give it a chance.

Fantastic Four: Isla de la Muerte One-Shot (Marvel):
Dan: Really, all you had to say was ‘Tom Beland’ and I was there. But then you add that the FF are visiting Puerto Rico and end up fighting El Chupacabras? Yes, please. I just wish Tom was doing the art as well as writing. The actual artist, Juan Doe, sounds like a fake name, so maybe he is and not telling anyone. (page 29)

Randy: Nah, Doe is in fact his real name. And the upside of Beland not doing art is that it shouldn’t take too much time away from True Story Swear To God, his terrific Image book that a lot more folks should be reading. At any rate, Beland’s contributions to Spider-Man Unlimited and I Heart Marvel were excellent, so I’m really pleased to see him getting a chance to show off with some of Marvel’s big characters. As long as it doesn’t slow down production on True Story.

Fight For Tomorrow TP (Vertigo/DC):
Dan: Brian Wood’s first Vertigo project, from 2003, it has never been collected before, so it’s cool to see it now. The story involves a monk turned street fighter who tries to escape the world of the streets, then returns to find a missing friend. It features Denys Cowan on art, and should be pretty cool, I think. (page 123)

G.I. Joe vs. Transformers Omnibus HC (Devil’s Due):
Dan: These crossover mini-series were a hell of a lot of fun. They didn’t take themselves too seriously, but just had fun with both lines. Joe and the Autobots take on Cobra and the Decepticons, with later minis bringing Serpentor, Cobra-La, and Unicron into the mix. Note that this collects all four mini-series done by Devil’s Due and Dreamwave, which have their own continuity, and does not include the very first mini by Marvel, which had no sequels. The 464-page book costs just 50 bucks, a steal if you ask me. (page 270)

Randy: $50 for G.I. Joe and Transformers just feels wrong somehow… but I have heard that these are fun, and the involvement of Tim (Hack/Slash) Seeley certainly helps. Hope this doesn’t mean that they’re not going to reprint the more affordable trades, and I really hope that’s not the case with the Forgotten Realms books, which also get a swanky deluxe omnibus this month.

Grendel: Devil Quest HC (Dark Horse):
Dan: This is one of the few Grendel stories I’ve never gotten to read, and it’s been out of print for a decade. Nice to see it not just come back, but come back in a nice hardcover the same way Devil By the Deed did. I know most people love Hunter Rose, but Grendel-Prime has always been my favorite Grendel, so getting a Grendel-Prime story back in print is awesome for me. (page 33)

Hulk vs. Fin Fang Foom One-Shot (Marvel):
Dan: Okay, what the hell? I don’t know what favor Marvel owed Peter David that let him get this thing greenlit, but I’m glad it got through. The artist is still being decided, so that makes me nervous, but the idea of this issue just makes me happy. (page M33)

Randy: I’ve got four words for you, Dan: Surprise artist Rob Liefeld! Nah, just kidding. This sounds like fun.

Incognegro HC (Vertigo/DC):
Dan: In the early 20th century, black reporters who were pale enough to pass for white would investigate lynchings and other hate crimes in the South for Northern papers. They called it “going incognegro.” This is the story of Zane Pinchback, who goes incognegro in Mississippi to investigate his own brother’s case and finds out more than he expected. Very cool idea. (page 116)

Indiana Jones Omnibus Vol 1 TP (Dark Horse):
Randy: Can I just say that I love this omnibus format Dark Horse is using? Gigantic reprints of tons of their older licensed stuff, in this case all of their Indiana Jones miniseries, 352 pages worth, for $25? Nice. I haven’t honestly read any of these, but I am jones-ing (no pun intended) for some new Indy stuff, and this is just the cusp of the marketing wave. Next up, new Indy books from Dark Horse, not to mention videogames, legos, etc. George Lucas is going to be able to build a space station with all his royalties very soon now. (page 35)

Infinite Horizon #1 (Image):
Dan: A take on the Odyssey by Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto. I love Noto’s art, and Duggan’s The Last Christmas was quite funny. The solicits place it in the not too distant future, and have the soldiers leaving from war in the Middle East, but considering that Troy is in Turkey, who knows what that really means. This could be pretty cool, though. (page 134)

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve #1 (Image):
Dan: The origin of Atom Eve in a two-part mini-series. Benito Cereno does the writing, though Robert Kirkman closely oversaw the project and gives it his full support. Still, as with any unknown creator, I’m a little unsure about this. I’m leaning toward it being cool, though. I’m certainly going to check it out. (page 137)

Randy: Atom Eve isn’t even in the top five of characters I’d pick for a solo spotlight (damn it, Kirkman, where’s our Science Dog mini?!), but I like the character well enough, and I like the creative team on this one quite a bit. Benito Cereno and Nate Bellegarde have done a number of books around Image and the industry, but for me, Cereno’s writing on Tales From the Bully Pulpit (a time traveling adventure starring President Teddy Roosevelt versus Hitler and space aliens) is all I need to know. Bellegarde’s art, and the general quality of the “Kirkmanverse” in Brit, Astounding Wolf-Man, etc. are just icing on the cake.

Dan: Shit, Cereno did Tales From the Bully Pulpit? Where’s my head at? This is gonna rock then.

Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures In Japan GN (Go Media Entertainment):
Dan: A manga journal that tracks an outsider’s travels in Japan, this looks to be both fun and funny. Culture clash, even for fans of Japanese culture, is usually pretty intense, and often hilarious. When it’s described in cute cartoons, it’s a win-win. (page 295)

Legion of Super-Heroes #37 (DC Comics):
Randy: I’d love to be more excited about Jim Shooter returning to the first book he ever wrote, when he was a wee lad at the age of 13 and nobody at DC knew it. And I am interested, because Shooter has done some really good writing in comics, from his ’80s Marvel work to Valiant, Defiant and even Broadway Comics. But I’m sort of burned out on the Legion, and I’m always nervous about these “old creators come home again” revamps. For every John Ostrander returns to Suicide Squad, there are a dozen or so Claremont returns to X-Men. (page 84)

Dan: I’m inclined to check this out, because I’m rooting for something good to happen, but as you say, you never know. Still, I like the Legion, and I like Shooter, so I have high hopes.

Lifelike GN (IDW):
Randy: Dara Naraghi, the writer of the short stories in this hardcover, is one of the best kept secrets in indy comics. I’ve read a lot of his mini-comics over the years, and I look forward to re-reading some of them and discovering some new ones in this hardcover collection. It’s got a wide range of genre and tone, and is definitely recommended to anyone with a fondness for indy comics. (page 300)

Love Bytes GN (Platinum Studios):
Randy: A love triangle between a man, a woman and a computer… wait… isn’t that 1984 cinema “classic” Electric Dreams? Well, whatever, it could be a fun premise, and the writer on this project is Josh Elder, of the very fun Tokyopop book Mail Order Ninja. This being Platinum, it’s probably a few years old, but Elder’s a talent worth looking out for. (page 320)

Dan: I’m still in shock that you pulled a reference to Electric Dreams out.

Randy: Child of the ’80s, my friend. Child of the ’80s.

Manhunter V.4: Unleashed TP (DC):
Dan: Good on DC for getting this fourth trade out so quickly, which finishes collecting the Andreyko Manhunter that’s come out so far. Hopefully, this is an indication that the new launch is coming soon. (page 91)

Randy: Yes, now I can breathe a sigh of relief, as DC decided not to pull a Starman or Hitman and stop reprinting the series. Now bring on the relaunch! I need some new stories!

Marvel Adventures Iron Man #8 (Marvel):
Dan: I’m pretty sure the solicits for this issue said that Iron Man gets stuck in a backwards village and builds himself a suit of steam-powered armor. *checks* Yup, thats what they said. That may be the coolest thing Iron Man has ever done. EVER. (page M42)

Randy: Parker is on sabbatical from the Marvel Adventures universe, and if this is any indication, Fred Van Lente may be the heir apparent. Oh, and check out the Patrick Scherberger cover of the Van Lente-penned Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #34 and tell me that doesn’t look like a ton of fun as well.

Overman #1 (Image Comics):
Randy: I’ve actually had the good fortune of having read an advanced copy of this one, and let me tell you, it’s pretty good stuff. Trippy sci-fi that reads like a cross between Phillip K. Dick and Grant Morrison, with artwork that looks like M.D. Bright filtered through a European sensibility. It’s not entirely clear what’s going on in the first issue, but it’s definitely an intriguing read, and I’m always up for a little more weird sci-fi, since we don’t get a ton of that in comics. (page 139)

Dan: Weird is good. I can dig it.

A Red Mass for Mars #1 (Image Comics):
Randy: Image is breaking a couple new sci-fi books out this month. One of them, Overman, I’ve read. This one I know little to nothing about, except that it features writing by Jonathan (Nightly News) Hickman and “tells the story of the last days of Earth and the one man who could save us all, but won’t.” Interesting tagline, I’ll give it that. (page 140)

Dan: That line does have me interested. I’m not really much for hard sci-fi, which is what this feels like, but that hook is good enough for me to give it a try.

Some New Kind of Slaughter #1 (Archaia Studios Press):
Dan: From the same team that produced The Lone and Level Sands comes this new mini-series that looks at floods on realistic and mythical scales, and heroes across time who try to stop them and understand the will of the gods. Should be an enlightening looks at the wide variety of flood myths around the world. (page 227)

Randy: I talked a little bit with artist MpMann about this in San Diego, and it sounds like a really interesting series. Not only does it cover familiar floods (like that one in the Bible), it covers lesser known tales of flooding as well. Sounds like smart, unusual comics.

Spider-Man Family #6 (Marvel):
Dan: Spidey meets Frog Thor. I think every Walt Simonson-loving cell in my body just exploded in joy. It’s not by Simonson, it’s by Chris Eliopoulos, but still. Frog Thor. (page M19)

Randy: Every Walt Simonson-loving cell… exploded…

Dan… did you just have a Thorgasm?

Dan: I’m not gonna say thee nay.

Star Wars: Legacy #0 1/2 (Dark Horse):
Randy: OK, look, I like Star Wars: Legacy well enough, I thought the #0 issue was a good primer for the new series, but… #0 and 1/2? And I thought Marvel’s “-1 issues” from the ’90s were retarded. Just call it a guidebook or something, please. (page 45)

Dan: Amen. Honestly, when it takes more than whole numbers to keep track of your issues, there’s a problem.

Superpowers #0 (Dynamite Entertainment):
Randy: I haven’t been a huge fan of previous Krueger/Ross collaborations like Earth X and Justice, but I know I’m very much in the minority, so it’s worth pointing this one out. It uses public domain superheroes, features art by talented artist Stephen Sadowski and is $1.00 for 40 pages. I gotta admit, I’m not super-psyched for it, but that’s a pretty impressive deal. (page 257)

Talent Volume 1 TP (Boom! Studios):
Randy: Picked this one up in San Diego, and it’s a nice little package. The story, which has been optioned for a movie, ought to make a good one, as it’s different enough to be cool but easy enough to explain too. Basically, a guy survives a plane crash and can use the abilities of the passengers who were onboard to dodge a conspiracy which is after him for reasons relating to the crash. Nice art from Paul (Potter’s Field) Azaceta, too. (page 246)

Tales of the New Gods TP (DC):
Dan: Interesting to see a trade of these back-up stories collected. Each of these focused on some New God’s past or some anecdotal story, and sometimes they were better than the main story. I’m a little curious why these are being collected, what with the New Gods being killed off and all, but I’m not complaining. (page 92)

Ultimate Iron Man II #1 (Marvel):
Dan: Wow, it’s been awhile since the first part of this came out. I enjoyed that, though, so I’m reasonably curious to see what happens next. This time around it’s only a four-part mini-series, with Pasqual Ferry instead of Andy Kubert. Ferry’s certainly not a bad choice, though Kubert really did a great job on the first mini. He’ll have to win me over. (page M6)

Ultimates 3 #1 (Marvel):
Dan: The new Ultimates creator line-up reveals their new story, and it’s- a murder mystery? Huh. Well, that could be cool, though it seems a little underplayed. And Ultimate Venom? For the love of God, why? Interestingly enough, this ’season’ of the Ultimates is only 5 issues long, too. (page M10)

Randy: So it’ll take, what, three years to come out?

What If? Civil War (Marvel Comics):
Randy: What If? Civil War had actually been written by Ed Brubaker, Kevin Grevioux or Christos Gage? I’m guessing I’d probably own the trade and wouldn’t dislike it so much. So I’ll be checking out this one-shot to see alternate takes on Marvel’s big events by three writers whose work I really like. (page M59)

Wolverine: Firebreak One-Shot (Marvel Comics):
Randy: On my personal list of “things I don’t need more of,” more Wolverine one-shots is pretty high. On my personal list of “things I do need more of” are art by Scott Kolins and Vasilis Lolos, both of whom have stories in this one-shot. Decisions, decisions. (page M71)

World War Hulk: Warbound #1 (Marvel Comics):
Randy: To be completely honest, I’d rather we were getting a Greg Pak-penned Renegades limited series or ongoing out of World War Hulk. But a miniseries about his alien allies, with art by Leonard Kirk? Yeah, OK, I’ll take that. (page M38)

Dan: These guys developed into some pretty cool characters over the course of Planet Hulk, so I’m actually pretty into seeing a mini about them. Art by Leonard Kirk is just icing on the cake.

X-Men: First Class #7 (Marvel Comics):
Randy: Can I just say how much I love the solicitation copy for the last few months of X-Men First Class? Sample from this month:
“Huh. We done got our powers back.”
“Ayep.”
“But they’re outta control.”
“Ayep.”
“Guess we’re gonna be breakin’ a buncha stuff.”
“Dag.”
If you’re not reading this book, you’re missing one of the most fun books Marvel is producing. The goofy fun solicit text is the merest hint of that. (page M75)

Zombie Fairy V.1 (CMX/Flex Comix/DC):
Dan: This looks like a fun new title. A boy named Aoto takes a coffin to get it appraised, and to everyone’s surprise a 400-year-old Chinese girl named Chun-Ai pops out and trashes the place. He takes Chun-Ai home, and his parents agree to let her live with them but then her old enemies come calling, like a spirit tiger. Crazy, but I like it like that. (page 100)