Incoming... 30/11/20111

New comics are released Wednesday in the States and guess what, in the UK too! Here's a brief look at our expectations for the books we're picking up this week.

Stewart R: Wow, it’s almost as if the comic industry are taking something of a collective pause for breath before the inevitable avalanche that is the December festive push comes clearly into view next week. The deluge that has been the DC New 52 has dried up in entirety now that all of the third issues have found their way into our willing hands and minds and so the only token effort from them comes in the shape of Vertigo’s Spaceman #2 by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso.

The debut installment was not quite what I had expected it to be with the ruined cityscape and modified english dialect - I’d been prepared for a far ‘shinier’ utopian backdrop to proceedings considering the title, but then there’s the lesson when reading new comics; prepare for your expectations to be flipped on their head! What we ended up with was a strange kidnap mystery with a rather low key, but nonetheless interesting protagonist and some decent artwork from Risso that certainly fits the Vertigo mould if I may say. It feels good to have another promising new title from the imprint as it seems to have been a long time since The Unwritten and Sweet Tooth came along.

After a barnstorming year for new titles over at Image it seems that their well of fresh ideas is starting to run a little dry as we head towards 2012 but I expect they’ll be slinging a heap of fresh creativity our way before too long. As it stands, one of their popular ongoing titles gets a fresh set of minds and hands as writer Joe Casey and artist Nathan Fox take over from Kirkman and Capullo on Haunt #19. While I’m prepared for something of a jarring hand over I’m also excited to see where the new team can take things. Kirkman has certainly left many plot points open for Casey to play with but it’s also not imperative that they necessarily get looked at right this minute. The first 18 issues it must be said kind of lingered around the same main plot thrust and on a couple of odd occasions it did feel as if an injection of ‘oomph’ was needed to get the tension and excitement cranked up. Casey has been having a very impressive 2011 with Butcher Baker, The Righteous Maker, a stand out hit for Image and his Vengeance mini-series for Marvel, lighting up a relatively dark period for fringe titles at the House of Ideas. With the guy on that sort of form I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do with the turbulent life/afterlife of the Brothers Kilgore.

Speaking of the House of Mouse Ideas, the most interesting this to see this week is just what occurs within the pages of FF #12 now that the Fantastic Four title is back on the scene. Jonathan Hickman seemed to cover a fair amount of ground in the bumper-sized Fantastic Four #600 last week including the Council of Reeds’ apparently failed plans and the reveal over just what Franklin and Leech had been up to in secret for months so it’ll be interesting to see what story points find their way into this issue and whether this will mark the juncture where the title starts to predominantly focus on the children of the Future Foundation. I’m hoping that there’s going to be a clear and fairly even split between the two comics with little in the way of cross-over material as I’d ideally like to only end up picking one to follow long term if that’s possible. Ideally that will be FF as I like the relatively unknown cast of characters and the huge possibility for fun and adventure considering the talent pool amongst them.

I guess that’s what I’ve been enjoying about another of Marvel’s monthly ongoings as the cast involved there are an unpredictable bunch an unpredictable amount of the time and the writer at the helm is certainly good at keeping us on our toes! I am of course referring to Jeff Parker and his run on Thunderbolts has really seen the title rise to the top of a rather mixed Marvel barrel in recent years. #166 arrives in your local comic book shop tomorrow and the time travelling half of the Thunderbolts - mostly made up with those former criminals and villains more inclined to get out of there membership if possible - now find themselves in the back streets of London in the latter 19th Century! With Mr Hyde hulking in the ranks at the moment this is a perfect opportunity for Parker to have some fun messing in history and by all accounts there may be the odd meddling in the affairs of Mr J.T. Ripper as the rumours go! Serial killer high jinks abound!

So in this relatively quiet week, what, may I ask, are you picking up?