New comics are released tomorrow (in the States at least; we have to wait until Thursday in the UK!). Here's a brief look at our expectations for the books we're picking up this week.
Stewart R: Oh my stars and garters! Oh Blue Blazes! Holy Socks!! What a ruddy great stack of comics I have coming my way this week AND a graphic novel to boot! Let us start with the big stuff and that means the focus falling squarely on Matt Kindt’s Revolver hardcover graphic novel which gets a much awaited release out of Vertigo’s mighty publishing house this Wednesday.
I absolutely loved Kindt’s last graphic novel, the truly moving 3 Story: The Secret History of The Giant Man and instantly took note some months ago when this new OGN was announced.
The story focuses on Sam, an everyday guy who’s simply tolerating his way through his mediocre life with plenty of disappointment along the way in terms of his work and love life. Then one day Sam awakes to his life in ruins, savaged by an avian flu outbreak and a dirty bomb attack on Seattle that has brought the world into chaos. How will he survive in such a world? What does the future hold? Waking the next day however Sam finds himself back in the world as it was before the chaos, his life once again a procession of tediousness and comfortable stagnation. And so the back and forth between worlds continues day after day as Sam struggles to find the constant that links them together and decide which world he wants to live in.
It sounds like a fantastic premise and Kindt’s distinctive, uncomplicated art style should make this a truly compelling read. I don’t often buy graphic novels it must be said, so to be picking this up on the day of release is something special indeed but this really does sound too good to pass up. I can’t wait to savour that new book smell!
Keeping on the subject of ‘new’ things I’ll also, against the better judgement of my wallet, be picking up a couple of debut issues of Marvel miniseries this week. Gorilla Man #1, like all things related to the world of Atlas, is a must have for me considering Jeff Parker’s excellent characterisation of Ken Hale over these past couple of years. With the disappointing news coming out today that the promising Atlas title will be shelved after issue #5 I’ll definitely be hoping that this series keeps the terrific feel of Parker’s world lingering in the mind for a little while longer yet.
With Craig Kyle and Chris Yost’s tenure on the excellent X-Force almost at an end I’m also going to be having a peruse through the pages of X-Force: Sex and Violence #1. I wasn’t immediately convinced when these writers brought Domino into the team but she has quickly been established as an integral member and her level-headedness has really helped to anchor the team dynamic in the tenser moments. I’ve even been warming to Wolverine in Kyle and Yost’s stories as he’s been cast as the begrudging, father-figure who’s only too aware of the dark path that his charges and partners have been treading. This miniseries is being touted as the darkest and bloodiest X-Force story so far and considering what has come to pass over twenty-odd issues so far, that’s quite an impressive claim!
Ooooh, wait a sec! Oh heck yeah!! Speaking of impressive things, the Marvel cosmos’ “Big Guns” are due to make a spectacular appearance in Thanos Imperative #2 which springs forth from the minds of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and is lovingly rendered upon the page by Miguel Sepulveda. The black and white previews (which you can see SPOILER ALERT...here) in the first issue really were jaw dropping and my fears about Sepulveda’s style being suited to the space-based chaos seem to have been completely extinguished following the accomplished debut. I really am looking forward to seeing how the forces of ‘our’ galaxy fight back the marauding forces of a universe where life has won. It’s a truly great sci-fi concept and I'm eager to see where it takes us and the myriad of characters.
Of course if huge, intergalactic battles aren’t your thing then this week also offers up the opportunity to see just how J. Michael Straczynski intends to keep the Man of Steel grounded on his trip of self discovery across the United States in Superman #701. JMS did a sterling job bringing Thor and Asgard back to Earth and the humble surrounds of Broxton, Oklahoma before Marvel kinda kicked the comfortable chair of success out from underneath him and pretty much with a single stroke, knocked down the city that he’d rebuilt. DC seem to be prepared to let the talented writer have one of their greatest icons and play a relatively risky game of character analysis for a whole year and I do hope that it’s a gamble that pays of for them and importantly the readership. I’ve never been the greatest fan of Superman but this seems the perfect juncture to dive into the Last Son of Krypton's life.
And let us not forget that there are still new beginnings being revealed for Tony Stark as he continues to get to grips with the new global vision that he’s trying hard to sell to the world and the various gaps in his memory that make his job even harder still. Invincible Iron Man #28 should hopefully be the first demonstration proper of just what the latest version of the Iron Man armour is capable of and the drool-inducing promise of a clash against Detroit Steel is likely to allow the immense talent of Salavador Larocca to really flex its action muscles. Recently voted Number One title in the Paradox Comic Group’s Top 15 ongoing titles I really must recommend that you start picking up back issues and trade paperbacks of this series if you haven’t yet been convinced or bullied into it, you won’t be disappointed.
In fact. looking through my whole gosh-darn pull-list for this week I don’t think ‘disappointment’ is a word that’s going to get chance to raise its head at all. Quickly spinning through the rest of titles there’s Ba and Moon’s Daytripper #8 which inches ever nearer to the end of its absorbing tale; Batgirl #12 rounds out Stephanie Brown’s first year as a fully fledged member of the Bat Family and might I add a sublime 12 months from writer Bryan Q. Miller and artist Lee Garbett, and Chew #12 beings a new arc in Tony Chu’s life that just seems to get more bizarre by the page. It seems that the publishers and creators really do want to spoil us this week...
Stewart R: Oh my stars and garters! Oh Blue Blazes! Holy Socks!! What a ruddy great stack of comics I have coming my way this week AND a graphic novel to boot! Let us start with the big stuff and that means the focus falling squarely on Matt Kindt’s Revolver hardcover graphic novel which gets a much awaited release out of Vertigo’s mighty publishing house this Wednesday.I absolutely loved Kindt’s last graphic novel, the truly moving 3 Story: The Secret History of The Giant Man and instantly took note some months ago when this new OGN was announced.
The story focuses on Sam, an everyday guy who’s simply tolerating his way through his mediocre life with plenty of disappointment along the way in terms of his work and love life. Then one day Sam awakes to his life in ruins, savaged by an avian flu outbreak and a dirty bomb attack on Seattle that has brought the world into chaos. How will he survive in such a world? What does the future hold? Waking the next day however Sam finds himself back in the world as it was before the chaos, his life once again a procession of tediousness and comfortable stagnation. And so the back and forth between worlds continues day after day as Sam struggles to find the constant that links them together and decide which world he wants to live in.
It sounds like a fantastic premise and Kindt’s distinctive, uncomplicated art style should make this a truly compelling read. I don’t often buy graphic novels it must be said, so to be picking this up on the day of release is something special indeed but this really does sound too good to pass up. I can’t wait to savour that new book smell!
Keeping on the subject of ‘new’ things I’ll also, against the better judgement of my wallet, be picking up a couple of debut issues of Marvel miniseries this week. Gorilla Man #1, like all things related to the world of Atlas, is a must have for me considering Jeff Parker’s excellent characterisation of Ken Hale over these past couple of years. With the disappointing news coming out today that the promising Atlas title will be shelved after issue #5 I’ll definitely be hoping that this series keeps the terrific feel of Parker’s world lingering in the mind for a little while longer yet.
With Craig Kyle and Chris Yost’s tenure on the excellent X-Force almost at an end I’m also going to be having a peruse through the pages of X-Force: Sex and Violence #1. I wasn’t immediately convinced when these writers brought Domino into the team but she has quickly been established as an integral member and her level-headedness has really helped to anchor the team dynamic in the tenser moments. I’ve even been warming to Wolverine in Kyle and Yost’s stories as he’s been cast as the begrudging, father-figure who’s only too aware of the dark path that his charges and partners have been treading. This miniseries is being touted as the darkest and bloodiest X-Force story so far and considering what has come to pass over twenty-odd issues so far, that’s quite an impressive claim!Ooooh, wait a sec! Oh heck yeah!! Speaking of impressive things, the Marvel cosmos’ “Big Guns” are due to make a spectacular appearance in Thanos Imperative #2 which springs forth from the minds of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and is lovingly rendered upon the page by Miguel Sepulveda. The black and white previews (which you can see SPOILER ALERT...here) in the first issue really were jaw dropping and my fears about Sepulveda’s style being suited to the space-based chaos seem to have been completely extinguished following the accomplished debut. I really am looking forward to seeing how the forces of ‘our’ galaxy fight back the marauding forces of a universe where life has won. It’s a truly great sci-fi concept and I'm eager to see where it takes us and the myriad of characters.
Of course if huge, intergalactic battles aren’t your thing then this week also offers up the opportunity to see just how J. Michael Straczynski intends to keep the Man of Steel grounded on his trip of self discovery across the United States in Superman #701. JMS did a sterling job bringing Thor and Asgard back to Earth and the humble surrounds of Broxton, Oklahoma before Marvel kinda kicked the comfortable chair of success out from underneath him and pretty much with a single stroke, knocked down the city that he’d rebuilt. DC seem to be prepared to let the talented writer have one of their greatest icons and play a relatively risky game of character analysis for a whole year and I do hope that it’s a gamble that pays of for them and importantly the readership. I’ve never been the greatest fan of Superman but this seems the perfect juncture to dive into the Last Son of Krypton's life.And let us not forget that there are still new beginnings being revealed for Tony Stark as he continues to get to grips with the new global vision that he’s trying hard to sell to the world and the various gaps in his memory that make his job even harder still. Invincible Iron Man #28 should hopefully be the first demonstration proper of just what the latest version of the Iron Man armour is capable of and the drool-inducing promise of a clash against Detroit Steel is likely to allow the immense talent of Salavador Larocca to really flex its action muscles. Recently voted Number One title in the Paradox Comic Group’s Top 15 ongoing titles I really must recommend that you start picking up back issues and trade paperbacks of this series if you haven’t yet been convinced or bullied into it, you won’t be disappointed.
In fact. looking through my whole gosh-darn pull-list for this week I don’t think ‘disappointment’ is a word that’s going to get chance to raise its head at all. Quickly spinning through the rest of titles there’s Ba and Moon’s Daytripper #8 which inches ever nearer to the end of its absorbing tale; Batgirl #12 rounds out Stephanie Brown’s first year as a fully fledged member of the Bat Family and might I add a sublime 12 months from writer Bryan Q. Miller and artist Lee Garbett, and Chew #12 beings a new arc in Tony Chu’s life that just seems to get more bizarre by the page. It seems that the publishers and creators really do want to spoil us this week...
2 comments:
Great selection as usual Stewart but here's a few more to add:
'Astonishing Spider-Man /Wolverine #2', despite initial reservations #1 was great and have high hopes for #2.
'X-Men Second Coming #2' brings the X-event to it's conclusion.
Also ending it's latest arc is 'Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows' with #6.
Just starting up this week is the second volume of 'Stuff of Legend' and the big one for some this week will no doubt be the prelude to Darwyn Cookes second Parker book 'The Outfit' so look out for 'The Man with the Geataway Face' on this weeks list.
You're not wrong, this is shaping up to be a great week!
Holy cow, there's a lot of stuff out this week. Much has been mentioned, but we also see the debut of Kody Chamberlin's New Orleans crime drama, Sweets, AND both the first and second issues of The Sixth Gun (the first was previously available on FCBD). It's going to be expensive!
Post a Comment