Welcome to Down the Line, our monthly look at Previews! Co-written by Randy Lander and Dan Grendell, each Down the Line looks at what’s coming out in comics (and manga) a few months down the road.

This installment covers the February Previews for comics due to ship out in April 2008. 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. Thanks to the increasing prevalence of advance solicitation, that some of the books here won’t actually ship until May or later, but the pre-orders are still due by the end of February.

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. Dan and I will both offer up a “Top Five Shiny New Things to Watch Out For,” also in alphabetical order, and then we’ll provide a rundown of “Other Stuff That Caught Our 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 Dynamo 5?” or something along those lines, we still love it, we just don’t want to keep harping on it.

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

Aqua Leung, Vol. 1 OGN (Image):
Randy: Even at 200 pages, an $18 graphic novel is a test of one’s interest, and the story of an aquatic hero doesn’t really float my boat in general. However, the art on this one is by emerging new talent Paul Maybury, and perhaps more importantly, the writing is by Amazing Joy Buzzards scribe Mark Andrew Smith. And there’s a terrific sample of it in the Popgun anthology… so it’s going on the buy list. (page 156)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Volume 2: No Future For You TP (Dark Horse):
Randy: The second Buffy trade collects Brian K. Vaughan’s tale of Faith and Giles, which was actually better than Whedon’s first arc. It also includes issue #10, the standalone that split the Panteon into two camps: Loved it (me and Dave Farabee) and hated it (Dan and Nick). Actually, I guess D3 represented the third camp, “Not reading it.” If you’re a fan of Buffy at all, you shouldn’t be in D3’s camp, because this is a good comic and a great arc within that comic. (page 50)

Dan: I very much enjoyed the Vaughan arc that’s collected here, and, well, I suppose my feelings on issue ten are obvious, though ‘hated’ is a strong word. It just indicates a direction for the series that I’m not interested in.

Fables Volume 10: The Good Prince TP (DC/Vertigo):
Randy: The latest Fables arc, which puts the former Flycatcher front and center as a noble prince intent on forming a third force in the Fabletown/Adversary war, has been the best story since Homelands, arguably the high point of the series thus far. This should be a big, giant, great trade paperback. (page 127)

Dan: Agreed. I thought this arc went on a tad long, but it was definitely one of the best of the series so far.

Grendel: God and the Devil TP (Dark Horse):
Randy: One of my favorite Grendel stories, this one is written by Matt Wagner with terrific art by John K. Snyder III (and Jay Geldhof and Tim Sale, but mostly Snyder). It’s all about a repressive papacy in post-apocalyptic America, a sybaritic corporate executive trying to save the world and a crazy man with flying boots and a stabby stick playing the role of Grendel. Also, vampires. Awesome stuff. (page 44)

Dan: This is one part of Grendel that I’ve never read, and I’m really looking forward to getting the chance. I kinda wish Dark Horse had continued doing these in hardcover, but this will work just fine.

Speed Racer/Racer X: The Origins Collection TP (IDW):
Randy: I actually own the Racer X miniseries collected here, and remember reading and very much enjoying the Speed Racer mini. These were the Wildstorm stories, and while Tommy Yune’s stories were fast-paced and fun, the real star of the book is interior artwork by Runaways and Buffy cover artist Jo Chen. Given my enthusiasm for the new movie based on that kickass trailer, plus a fondness for these series, I’ll definitely be picking this up. (page 311)

Dan: I wasn’t aware that Jo Chen had done the artwork on these. I’m not a big Speed Racer guy, though I do have some fondness for it, but her artwork is enough of a draw to make me want to check it out.

Randy: Upon further research, it looks like Jo Chen did some of the art, and Tommy Yune did some of it. Still, as I recall, very nice art on this series, and great action/racing scenes.

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

Artesia Besieged #3 (Archaia Studios Press):
Dan: It’s been two years since we saw issue two, so the fact that Archaia chief Mark Smylie finally has the time to return to producing his own brilliant comic is unexpected. I had written it off, honestly, but it looks like we’ll actually see the rest of it, and I couldn’t be happier. I love this series. (page 218)

Blue Beetle #26 (DC):
Dan: When Jaime’s girlfriend Traci Thirteen comes to meet his family, she’s the only one who doesn’t speak spanish. That’s right, it’s a spanish-language issue by guest writer Jai Nitz, and the idea is awesome. Don’t worry, the english script is included as an extra. (page 90)

Gunnerkrigg Court V.1: Orientation HC (Archaia Studios Press):
Dan: Another webcomic makes its way to print and this one looks to be great. Winner of several awards, Gunnerkrigg Court follows Antimony Carver and her friend Kat at boarding school as they deal with all the weirdness that goes on there, including robots, forest gods, body-snatching demons, and plenty more. I dig the art style, and you get 296 pages of the comic for 27 bucks in a nice hardcover. I’m in. (page 218)

Shoulder a Coffin, Kuro Volume 1 GN (Yen Press):
Dan: Yen Press strikes again, this time with the story of the little tomboy Koma, who wanders the world with a coffin strapped to her back looking for a witch. With her bat friend Zen, she meets all sorts of people and goes all over the place. The book’s in 4-koma style, which is a four-panel layout that is a bit different from standard manga. You may have seen it in Azumanga Daioh. I’m digging the vibe of this, and really looking forward to it. (page 386)

Tezuka’s Dororo Volume 1 GN (Vertical Inc.):
Dan: Anytime a new Tezuka book is released, I pick it up. The guy was a master of his art form, and though some of his work is better than others, it’s all worth at least reading. This one deals with a boy whose body was offered piecemeal to various devils in feudal Japan, and who somehow survived and as an adult hunts down those devils to get his body parts back. Weird, kinda gross, but cool. (page 362)

Other stuff that caught our eye:

Anna Mercury #1 (Avatar Press):
Randy: I am wary of Avatar Press, and Ellis’s work there has been hit or miss, mostly miss… but because Apparat was so good, and Gravel was surprisingly promising, I keep an eye out for it anyway. This latest hits my interest zone pretty good, promising a blend of The Shadow, Tomb Raider and weird pulp action, and is described as “a woman who can cloud men’s minds, leap across buildings as if weightless, unerringly fire twin automatic pistols in the most insane conditions, and disappear in a crowded room, who fights against the political repression of an insane technocratic society.” All sounds good. The art, as usual with Avatar, is a little busy looking, but this sounds interesting. (page 234)

Dan: I, on the other hand, am tired of the “awesome bad-ass fighting against corrupt politicians” genre that Ellis seems to live in, and would like to see more things like Crecy from him.

Aoi House Omnibus TP (Seven Seas Entertainment LLC):
Dan: It’s your standard manga trope, where a guy (in this case, two guys) end up living in a house full of girls and hijinks ensue. In this case, the girls are all yaoi fangirls, so things may end up turning out a bit different than you expect. Then again, maybe not. There’s a lot of story here, 352 pages for 11 bucks, so I’m willing to check it out and see. (page 340)

Avengers Classic #11 (Marvel):
Randy: It seems worth noting that the backup this issue, in what looks like a new recurring feature, is by Fantastic Four: Isla De La Muerte creators Tom Beland and Juan Doe. And this is good news indeed. Especially if these shorts are collected into a trade later, because I don’t really want to buy a reprint of stories I already have to get short new ones. (page M20)

Dan: I’m down. I want these back-ups, but not enough to re-buy these stories.

Ayre Force V.1 GN (Bodog):
Dan: Bodog Entertainment, the media corporation run by Calvin Ayre with fingers in the music, online gambling, television, and mixed martial arts pies, enters the comics scene with this graphic novel featuring the secret activities of Ayre as he leads a covert ops team composed of his various employees. You wouldn’t think poker players, musicians, and MMA fighters would be good at black ops, but apparently you’d be wrong, as they fight genetically engineered super-children. I’m still stuck on the fact that Bif Naked is part of the team. (page 246)

Batman #676 (DC):
Dan: This kicks off Grant Morrison’s “Batman RIP” storyline, and the impression is given that Batman may actually die and be replaced. Given the timing (Final Crisis is about to start) and the fact that Morrison is writing it, I just can’t discount it as a possibility. It’s not like Batman hasn’t died and been replaced before, and I’m talking Silver Age here, not Knightfall (he didn’t die there). (page 83)

Randy: Ah, but who to replace him? Jason Todd (Red Hood) or Damian (Bratty Son of Batman)? Or is there a third, non-douchebag choice available? Or will Batman Confidential be replaced by Batman: Legends of the Douche Knight?

Batman: Death Mask #1 (DC/CMX):
Dan: It’s a Batman manga series in four prestige format issues by an actual manga creator. This could be pretty cool, but I think DC is making a mistake by not just releasing it in a single manga volume. As it is, manga people will ignore it as an american comic based on size, and superhero readers may not want to pay seven bucks an issue for the series. Then again, superhero manga are always a weird mix anyway, trying to appeal to both groups and usually being ignored by both instead as ‘impure’. (page 83)

Batman: The Joker’s Last Laugh TP (DC):
Dan: Damn you, DC. Why couldn’t we just quietly forget this, like Genesis and Day of Judgment? (page 101)

Randy: Forget what? I don’t see any trade paperback, and have no idea what you’re talking about. And if I did, I might ask if in that cover, the Joker is saying “Turn your head and cough.”

Blood Bowl: Killer Contract #1 (Boom! Studios):
Randy: Aw hells yeah. A miniseries about the “hyper-violent hilarity” of Games Workshop’s game of fantasy football? Given how well Boom! has done with Warhammer 40K and Warhammer, I can’t wait to see what they do with Blood Bowl. (page 250)

Dan: Blood Bowl is actually my favorite of all of the Games Workshop games, and the fiction for it is crazy as hell. Given that this is written by Matt Forbeck, who also wrote the Blood Bowl novels that have been published, I expect this to be a head-smashin’, death-rollin’, pitch-destroyin’ good time.

Conan: Born on the Battlefield TP (Dark Horse):
Randy: I’ve fallen off buying the Conan trades, but I’ll pick this one up. The early days of Conan in his village, with beautiful painted art by Greg Ruth, probably represents the pinnacle of Busiek’s impressive Conan run. (page 42)

Dan: These issues were originally spread out among Busiek’s run, but I always loved it when they showed up. The look into Conan’s early life and what shaped him was awesome.

Countdown to Final Crisis #4-1 (DC):
Randy: Am I the only one who finds it hilarious that the solicitations for the last issues of the much-reviled Countdown begin with the words “The Great Disaster has occurred”? Just me? OK. (page 73)

Dan: It may have been more accurate if they had put it in the solicit for issues 51-48, honestly.

Creepy Archives HC (Dark Horse):
Dan: It’s great to see this horror classic being reprinted in style. This hardcover is the same size as the original magazine and reprints the first five issues, with work from legends like Alex Toth, Bernie Wrightson, Joe Orlando, Frank Frazetta, and Al Williamson. Awesome. (page 51)

Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula (Marvel):
Randy: This is the same creative team that gave us last year’s Daredevil Annual, which seemed like a backdoor pilot for a vigilante series starring Black Tarantula. No series in evidence, but this special is another story in that vein, and given how much I enjoyed that Annual, I’m very much looking forward to reading this. (page M25)

Dan: Maybe this is the backdoor pilot? Oh, never mind. I just like saying ‘backdoor pilot’. It sounds naughty.

Randy: I think Warren Ellis is writing Backdoor Pilot for Avatar. It’s all about a hot chick who’s into alt-culture and fights corrupt politicians with her nanotech powers.

And anal sex.

Deadpool Classic Volume 1 TP (Marvel):
Randy: Finally, Marvel is reprinting all the old Deadpool stuff. This volume is a little bit weak, but the next volume should start the Joe Kelly run, which was terrific. Hope that #1 of Joe Kelly’s run is also in the next trade, because having to buy a trade of weaker stories just to get the complete Kelly run would be a pretty dirty trick by Marvel. Which means that’s what I’m expecting. Still, this points the way toward Gail Simone’s run finally being reprinted, and that’s good news. (page M107)

Dan: I’m a little confused as to why it took so long to get this done, given the crazy Deadpool love out there, but I’m thinking this line of trades will do very well.

Ex Machina Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 HC (DC/Wildstorm):
Randy: I have to admit to being tempted by these deluxe hardcover editions of the political and superhero tale Ex Machina, but I’ve got the whole thing in softcover already, so I’ll probably give it a miss. Those who haven’t checked the book out, but who do like Vaughan’s work on Y The Last Man, should definitely give these swanky hardcovers a look. (page 112)

Fantastic Four: Beginning of the End TP (Marvel):
Randy: A Fantastic Four collection featuring a fun Diablo story by Karl Kesel & Tom Grummett, the final story by Dwayne McDuffie and Paul Pelletier and the fun one-off by Tom Beland and Juan Doe? Sounds like the perfect antidote for those of us uninterested in the Millar/Hitch FF. (page M102)

Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer Vol. 1 Deluxe HC (Image):
Dan: I haven’t read any of this, so I have no comment as to its quality. The artwork looked to be quite good. I do question the wisdom of charging fifty bucks for a 192-page hardcover, though. The solicit doesn’t go into much detail about the book or the extras, which is kinda dumb. I found an ad for it in the comic that illuminates: apparently it’s 8.5″ by 12.5″ with an embossed slipcase, has all six issues and what they call “a slew of gallery extras”. It’s also a limited, one-print run only deal. Okay, maybe that is worth fifty bucks. (page 161)

Gantz V.1 (Dark Horse):
Dan: One of the most popular anime around right now, this is the story of people who are saved from certain death by a mysterious orb called ‘Gantz’ and then put to work playing a lethal game where they hunt and kill aliens secretly living in Japan. The game has its own rules and the players are scored by Gantz. Yes, that’s just plain weird. Yes, it’s also very cool. (page 34)

Randy: The art looks promising, and I get a sort of weird Battle Royale vibe off it too. This might be the next manga series I sample.

George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards: The Hard Call #1 (Dabel Brothers Productions):
Randy: Speculation was high about what The Dabel Brothers could possibly have after leaving Hedge Knight and Anita Blake in Marvel’s hands. This month we get the answer, and it bodes well for the Dables that even the one of secondary importance will be the much-anticipated return of Wild Cards, the mature readers superheroes from the successful prose anthology series, to comics. I’m a huge Wild Cards fan, so the notion of new Wild Cards stories in comics fans is exciting to me. And that’s not even Dabel Brothers’ A game. We’ll talk about that later. Certainly bodes well for their newest venture, just hope it lasts longer than their last few. (page 266)

Dan: I dug the early Wild Cards anthologies, not so much the later ones, but I’m very curious to see how this turns out. It has the potential to be great.

Glamourpuss #1 (Aardvark Vanaheim):
Randy: Noted misogynist Dave Sim creates a new book that’s a parody of fashion magazines and a book about a superheroine. This will probably be blatantly offensive, but there’s no denying that a new book from one of the big names in self-publishing is big news. (page 202)

Dan: Don’t be such a Marxist-Feminist, Randy.

Green Arrow/Black Canary #7 (DC):
Randy: I promise I’m not going to keep picking on this book, but the latest solicitation reads, in part, “Team Arrow follows the trail of those responsible for shooting Connor Hawke to London…” and all I could think is “Wait, they shot him to London?” Then again, somebody rocketing Connor Hawke to London would have been better than what did happen. (page 78)

Dan: Meanwhile, I’m thinking “So, the cloud that shot him was blown to London by some strong winds or something?”

Randy: Oh my God, was Connor Hawke assassinated by Cloud from The New Defenders? (Beat that for obscure references!)

Dan: No, he was shot down by Johnny Cloud, Navajo Ace from the original Losers (Okey-dokey).

Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #1 (Marvel):
Randy: Aha. So that’s why Marvel reprinted the Iron Man and Doctor Doom stuff in a premiere hardcover. New mini that finishes up the “chilling and long-awaited conclusion of The Camelot Trilogy.” Begging the question, was anyone really waiting for the conclusion? Did anyone even know it was a trilogy? Still, both the previous stories were fun, and maybe Iron Man and Doom can discuss the pros and cons of being metal-covered despots in the Marvel Universe. (page M33)

Dan: Pro: People have to do what you say. Con: No health insurance to speak of.

Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle #1 (Dabel Brothers Productions):
Randy: This is the Dabel trump card, the immensely popular modern magic/detective series The Dresden Files. I haven’t yet read the first book, but by all accounts, they’re very good and highly addictive. Certainly folks have been asking about this comic since its announcement, the type of excitement generally reserved for Anita Blake, Dark Tower and Buffy. The Dabels may have a crossover hit on their hands, and certainly I’m interested to read this series. (page 266)

Dan: I can’t wait for them to release half of it, be incredibly successful, and then break up with Del Rey.

Randy: Wow. And I thought I was being cynical this month.

Not that I think you’re off the mark or anything.

The Lone Ranger #11 (Dynamite Entertainment):
Randy: Wow, a Paul Pope sequence? I don’t know what’s going to happen in this issue (my money’s on a peyote-induced vision quest), but I will definitely check out a Pope take on the Lone Ranger. (page 264)

Dan: By all accounts, this has been a great series anyway, and it’s one I’ve been meaning to check out. This is as good a reason as any.

Mack Bolan, the Executioner: The Devil’s Tools #1 (IDW):
Dan: The incredibly popular novel series comes to comics. This five-issue mini is written by Doug Wojtowicz, who has also written a number of the Executioner novels, so it should at least be accurate to them. I’ve never read any of them, so I don’t know much what to expect beyond action, but I am curious. (page 306)

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #35 (Marvel):
Randy: While the FF judges a beauty pageant, Sue Storm teams up with (either Patsy Walker or Millie the Model, the solicit is intentionally vague) to battle A.I.M. robots. Watch out, Jeff Parker, Paul Benjamin and Fred Van Lente… Paul Tobin is aiming for that “all-ages yet awesome superhero writer” crown too. (page M37)

Dan: Well, he did write Banana Sunday under the pseudonym Root Nibot, so we know he can write awesomely cool stuff.

Randy: And come up with cool pseudonyms.

Metal Men #7 (DC):
Dan: I haven’t been following this after the first couple issues left me cold, but this idea just makes me happy… “Doctor Magnus must stop his Metal Men from becoming the Death Metal Men forever.” I’m totally picturing them on stage, in black leather with long hair and goatees, killing a goat and throwing it into the crowd. (page 95)

The Mummy Movie Prequel: The Rise and Fall of Xango’s Ax #1 (IDW):
Randy: IDW continues to scoop up licenses, and The Mummy is one I’ve got an interest in. I liked Brendan Fraser’s wisecracking pulp hero in The Mummy film (and even in parts of The Mummy Returns), so I’m up for seeing some of his earlier pulp adventures. I’m even up for something that takes place after he’s a dad, and after the much weaker second movie, which this is, although that’s less interesting. I wish the art looked a bit more exciting, but it doesn’t look bad. (page 307)

Number of the Beast #1-2 (DC/Wildstorm):
Dan: There’s been an Armageddon, and Revelations. What comes after that? Yup, an Apocalypse. Someone is bound and determined to piss in the Wildstorm Universe’s Cheerios. (page 113)

Randy: That someone may be every reader in the direct market, who mostly remain completely apathetic about the Wildstorm Universe. It’s almost pathetic to watch Wildstorm trying to win the readers over by eradicating their universe. “Look, we’re blowing everything up! You guys like that, right? Look, we’re killing off our characters! LOOK AT US! LOOK, GODDAMN YOU!”

The Order #10 (Marvel):
Randy: Last issue? What the fuck?! I didn’t even know this book was in any danger. One of the best new books of 2007 is canceled early on in 2008, and what’s at the top of the sales charts? At #1 and #2, the first issue of Ultimates 3 and the last part of Spider-Man One More Day, both of which, if fans on the Internet are to be believed, are the worst comic books ever created by man. Kind of makes you realize why nobody listens to Internet buzz, huh? Anyway, The Order rocks. Buy it now so you can look hip in 10 years when we’re all talking about great books nobody appreciated. Or just buy it because it’s awesome. (page M54)

Dan: For once, I’m actually surprised by the cancellation of one of my favorite books. I had no idea this was in trouble either, and I’m a bit annoyed that we don’t even get to see how the trade sells before it gets killed. Still, I’ll take what I can get.

Pigeons from Hell #1 (Dark Horse):
Randy: I’ve never read the original Robert E. Howard horror story this was based on, but the creative pedigree ensures I’ll be checking the comic out. Joe R. Lansdale writes, Nathan Fox (who has done some stunning work on DMZ) illustrates. Should be spooky, raw and beautiful to look at. (page 40)

Dan: The name alone makes me want to read it.

Robin #173 (DC):
Dan: So, the solicit says this: “Girl trouble doesn’t even begin to describe Robin’s situation when he finds himself caught between Violet and Spoiler! Meanwhile, the Peguin’s net is getting tighter, and all three of them might find themselves sleeping with the fishes…” If any of you were still wondering about Spoiler coming back, there you go. (page 85)

Secret Invasion #1 (Marvel):
Randy: The solicitation promises “page after page unveils reveal after reveal and shocking moment after shocking moment.” Do you suppose they remembered to include a plot that makes sense amongst those reveals and shocking moment? Oh, right. Bendis book. My bad for asking. (page M41)

Dan: Can someone throw me a life preserver? I’m drowning in sarcasm here.

Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons (Raw Junior, LLC):
Randy: A new young-readers graphic novel for those grades K through 2, watching as Lilly engages in her favorite seasonal activities, teaching new words as a result. At $12.95 for 36 pages, this is more children’s book than comic, but the cover looks cute, and given that my daughter will be going to kindergarten later this year, I’ll probably pick this up for her. There aren’t enough comics that kids can read by themselves, and it looks like this might be just that. (page 338)

They Do Not Die! GN (Ambrosia Publishing):
Randy: Promising a combination of Lovecraft and Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a good way to get my attention. Further describing it as a teenage girl discovering that the souls of anyone in her town who turns 18 is traded to cyclopean beasts in the mountains for immortality is an even better way. Definitely an intriguing black and white graphic novel for the horror fan. (page 213)

Dan: That sounds cool, alright. Sacrificing people to monsters is standard in stories, but usually it’s young virgins, not adults. Take that, old folk!

Thirsty For Love GN (Digital Manga Publishing):
Dan: It’s a rare month that the folks at DMP don’t crack me up while genuinely making me wonder about a book with the ads for their various yaoi manga. This one is about a woman who is seeing three guys at once and how they all fall for each other instead of her, but it’s their tag line that really got me- ‘The Smooth Taste That Goes Down Easy’. Okay, DMP, I give. You are marketing geniuses. (page 290)

Titans #1 (DC):
Dan: Well, it’s yet another Titans title launch, this time written by Judd Winick, and while I have love for some of the Titans characters, I can’t bring myself to really care. Apparently something is attacking everyone who has ever been a Titan right now, which if I’m not mistaken was part of the plot to the JLA/Titans crossover mini-series that launched the last ongoing book titled simply Titans. It’s all circular. (page 76)

Randy: Is that someone a vengeful cloud with poison bullets?

Tonoharu Part One GN (Top Shelf Productions):
Dan: A Xeric-award winner, this is the story of Daniel Wells, assistant junior high teacher in the isolated Japanese village of Tonoharu. Daniel’s struggle to adapt and make contact with other foreigners occupy his time, and push him to interact with a wealthy group of European eccentrics living in a temple across town. I’ve heard a number of stories from people living and teaching in Japan, and they all have their triumphs and tragedies; they are also all incredibly interesting, which is why I’ll be sure to check this out.(page 356)

Ultimate Human Premiere HC (Marvel):
Randy: Wow, the Ultimate Human hardcover is premiering in the same month that the series ends? That sound you just heard was the collective scream of some frustrated retailers. Me, I love seeing collections this hot on the heels of single issues, since I’m mostly buying collections and most of my trade and single buyers at the store are essentially different audiences. Is it possible I don’t have enough residual anger and frustration to be a retailer? (page M83)

Dan: You spend too much time playing Rock Band and not enough time complaining, Randy.

Oh, wait. I’ve read your reviews. Never mind.

Randy: I have enough time in my life for both, Dan.

Vaistron Volume 1 (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor):
Randy: Like Midnight Sun, I only read one issue of this Slave Labor book in singles, and just like Midnight Sun, that was enough to whet my appetite for a trade. This one’s a futuristic tale that started off with a great aerial chase sequence and apparently segues into a kidnapping, clueless superheroes and cannibalism, among other thing. Nice art, too. (page 212)

Water Baby (DC/Minx):
Randy: I’ve been as disappointed as anybody else by the Minx books, but I’m a huge fan of artist Ross Campbell’s Wet Moon and The Abandoned, and I’ll be checking out his tale of a surfer girl whose run-in with a shark has left her one leg short and whose ex-boyfriend drives her out on the road with her best friend. (page 124)

Dan: Ross Campbell’s art is amazing, though his writing sometimes leaves me cold, so I’m not sure about this. It is the first Minx book I’ve been interested in in a while, though.

X-Men First Class: Mutant Mayhem TP (Marvel):
Randy: I was hoping for another hardcover, but a trade collecting the fantastic ongoing series and special is good enough. Great stories by Jeff Parker, great art by Roger Cruz, Colleen Coover, Mike Allred and more. Whether you’re an X-Men fan or not, this trade is absolutely worth a look. (page M105)

Dan: If the Colleen Coover back-ups aren’t reprinted in this, it will be a crime. A CRIME.

Oh good, she’s credited for art.

Young X-Men #1 (Marvel):
Randy: Apparently, some of the members of the now-canceled New X-Men are in this book, and Cyclops recruits them to “hunt the new incarnation of the Brotherhood – and kill them.” So X-Force isn’t a weird aberration, apparently setting up death squads is Cyclops’s new thing. Great. (page M62)

Dan: Let’s be realistic here, Randy. Cyclops needs a good band of killers, and who knows how to do it better than teenagers? I mean, really, they’re like bombs waiting to go off.

Randy: Insert tasteless Columbine joke… HERE.

Zombie Tales #1 (Boom! Studios):
Randy: OK, look, there’s a zombie glut, we all know that, but an ongoing zombie tale featuring stories by Joe R. Lansdale, Steve Niles and… the writer of sweet romance movies Before Sunrise and Before Sunset? That’s got to be worth a look.

Dan: So, is it a zombie romance story like Love Eats Brains! or is she majorly stretching? I wonder.