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?

Mini Reviews 27/11/2011

While we may not always have the time to review all the comics we get every week, we do try and provide a snapshot of the latest releases, mixing the good with the not so good.


FANTASTIC FOUR #600
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Steve Epting, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ming Doyle, Lenil Francis Yu, Farel Dalrymple and Various
Marvel $7.99

Matt C: I’ve been supporting Hickman’s take on the Fantastic Four from the get go even amidst the criticism that his approach was too plodding and the pay offs seemed few and far between. It worked for me though: it was brave and ambitious with a keen focus on both Hickman’s trademark ‘big ideas’ and the dynamic of Marvel’s well-loved First Family. I enjoyed the transition from the Fantastic Four title to it’s new incarnation as FF but after a few quality issues it started to feel like it was losing its way. Hickman had been quite adept at juggling several balls at once but somewhere – and I can’t put my finger on exactly where – it started to look like the story was getting crushed by the sheer weight of so many ideas and plotlines. Consequently I read this hefty comic with a feeling of detachment; a lot was happening on the page but I just couldn’t get engaged. There’s no denying it’s good value for money – it’s all original content – and that there’s some fine artistry on display (Epting in particular) but there’s so much going on that a lot of it starts to register as background noise. The second story works the best but I think I’ve reached (gone beyond?) the point where my interest has waned too much. And that’s a shame. I’ll give it a couple more issues as I’ve invested a lot in this story already (and I’ll probably give the continuation of FF a look) but I think some streamlining and resolutions are needed quite urgently. Fifty years on and these characters still endure, and will endure for a long time to come, but right now my faith is wavering. 5/10


WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #2
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend & Jaime Mendoza
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: A little while back I wrote an article about Marvel writer’s reluctance to take Bobby Drake and put him front and centre. Well, Rick Remender has made a few little pokes about Iceman’s potential in his Uncanny X-Force title since then and it seems that now Jason Aaron is going to give him the chance that he deserves. I really like the flashback discussion between Bobby and Logan that kicks off this second issue and it sets the mood tremendously well for when we’re returned to the crazy Westchester carnage that is unfolding on the Jean Grey School’s opening day. Unlike a book where Cyclops calls the shots with tactical precision, Wolverine has a more rough and ready way of handling things and therefore everything tends to be about instinct and survival and that makes for compelling entertainment. As a result of the somewhat improvisational nature of their leader’s retaliation so too is the mutants’ response to the Hellfire Club’s attack and the chaos is suitably aided by Bachalo’s unique style. Whereas the first issue was Bachalo holding back and using standard and simple panelling predominantly during the sedate build up - to an awesome degree I’ll add - things get a little bit loose and a little confusing in places this time as he gets to play with the format. There are one or two pages where I think it’s clear that Townsend hasn’t been inking and with keeping to a schedule something of a difficulty, I’m not convinced that Bachalo needs to be colouring every issue he pencils as well. Those quibbles aside this still adds to a great start for the newest X-title on the block and makes for a fun read... and hey, what about that kiss?? 8/10

James R: My slow conversion to the X-Men cause continues - after being won over Uncanny X-Force I now count myself firmly as a fan of this title. On the face of it, it shouldn't work - Wolverine...again? As a headmaster? - but Jason Aaron delivers a comic that has page after page of surprises. From the weapons of the new Hellfire Club to Bobby Drake unleashing his Iceman powers to a whole new level, this book is fast and ambitious. What pleased me was that Aaron juggles his cast well (the hardest element of any team book) and pitches the book perfectly - it's accessible for those who are still relative newcomers to the X-Universe whilst giving plenty for old fans too. Chris Bachalo excels at delivering Helzapoppin' chaos, though sometimes there's so much going on in each panel it's a little difficult to see what's happening. All in all though, I can't wait to see where this title goes next. And we're not even at the end of the first school day! 9/10


AQUAMAN #3
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Rod Reis
DC $2.99

Matt C: I think, more than anything else, what’s really been keeping this book on my pull list up to this point is the terrific, vigorous artwork from Reis. It really is an impressive sight, detailed to a level where it becomes fully immersive. This is not to say Johns is slacking in the scripting department, but he’s been keeping things fairly straightforward so far, not really digging in deeper into who these characters are (we’ve learnt that Aquaman is considered a bit of a joke to the public at large but not much beyond that). That’s fair enough because he’s been letting Reis do his thing with the action-dominated scenes featuring the arc’s relentless, cannibalistic bad guys. There are signs here though that Johns is starting to flesh out this new iteration of Aquaman with poignant flashbacks and visit to a past acquaintance who’s not been able to get past a very specific obsession, and these signs add to the feeling that this series is developing into keeper. It’s the best issue yet and I have confidence that it’ll get better still. 8/10


INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #510
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca & Frank D’Armata
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Things start off this week as they did some three years ago with Zeke Stane blowing things up in certain corners of the globe and it’s a relief to see him back to be honest. Fraction makes the smart choice and lingers with Fear Itself for just the briefest of moments as the 'Demon' arc begins and it solidifies his choice to bring Splitlip to Stark Resilient and the world of Midgard. It brings with it the opportunity for a little ‘fish out of water’ comedy as the gruff, dwarf weaponsmith gets to see the factory that he’ll inevitably be working in and also joins Tony at an AA meeting. Despite the upturn that Tony was making following his body and mind rebuild a couple of years back it’s interesting to see him continue to make poor decisions and not fully deliver on promises made to people close to him. It’ll no doubt really come to bite him in the ass as he faces a united group of enemies who, on the basis of their actions here, will not be pulling any punches when they come face to face. There’s not much that I haven’t said about Salvador Larroca’s art on this title before so I’ll just add that he does full justice to a Greg Land-like ‘damsel in distress’ panel in this issue, that’s for sure! It looks like we’re back on track as Tony’s life heads a little off-road. 8/10


FLASH #3
Writers: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Art: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
DC $2.99

James R: Wow. For most of this month, I've been enthusing people to take a look at this book, as Manapul and Buccellato are doing an outstanding job here, and in this issue they get even better – they’re displaying a talent that only the best comics professionals have, and that's the ability to stretch the medium and do interesting and innovative things with it. This month Barry has to deal with the effects of the EMP pulse as well as stop the gang known as Mob Rule. This seems standard enough but there are a multitude of brilliant flourishes here culminating in an outstanding final page. I don't want to spoil anything, but while the finale is inevitably a misdirection, it’s a jaw-dropping one. This creative team are setting a brilliant benchmark; in this era where seemingly every comic becomes a movie, here is a title that reminds us of what it is that's unique about comics, and provides a hurricane of entertainment for $2.99. Bravo to everyone involved in this, it's worthy of maximum marks from me... 10/10


VESCELL #4
Writer: Enrique Carrion
Art: John Upchurch
Image $2.99

Stewart R: It’s proof that we get an awful lot of reading material in each issue of Carrion’s Vescell every month as I was genuinely surprised to see that it was only #4 that I would be picking up this past Wednesday. This instalment is no different in that respect but what is a little surprising is that Carrion doesn’t seem - at this juncture at least - to be progressing the main thrust of the story a great deal and the same could be said of the last chapter. What we get here is a rather screwed up sibling fall out between a pop star struggling with her fame and her brother who’s jealous of the opportunity that she’s received and seems to be all too willing to throw away. This leads to a dodgy V-trans operation that Moo Barrino ends up having to investigate and from their it’s shootout central. There’s definitely a feeling of NSFW (Not Safe For Work) about this title and that’s certainly proven with some rather brutal sexual content that took me a little by surprise. What was more surprising was the brutal way that Carrion throws metaphors and similies all over the place in the dialogue this time and unfortunately it distracts from what could have been an interesting plot. Things do remain interesting as Barrino and Lieutenant Vega cross paths and hopefully this should kick-start some decent plot progression next time. Disappointing but hopefully only a blip. 6/10


CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #624
Writers: Ed Brubaker & Marc Andreyko
Art: Chris Samnee & Bettie Breitweiser
Marvel $2.99

Matt C: A “new creative team” is apparently due to arrive next issue (although it looks like Brubaker will still be involved) which seems a bit early because, if I’m brutally honest, the current creative team haven’t done their job yet! And it started off so well! The problem isn’t specifically the quality of the writing (generally good) or the art (Samnee’s retro style has suited these tales perfectly) but instead it’s the speed atf which we’ve zipped through Bucky’s pre-resurrection life. I figured we’d see this creative team concentrate a little more on Bucky’s wartime escapades but there seems to have been a concerted rush to get him to the position of Winter Soldier and beyond. There’ve been some fine sequences but too often – and with this issue in particular – there’s something of a throwaway feeling to the endeavour. I expected a lot more from this ‘new’ series and it hasn’t really delivered what the first couple of issues seemed to promise. Whether I’ll be back for this new creative team is something I’ve not decided on yet. 5/10


BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #3
Writer: Paul Jenkins & David Finch
Art: David Finch, Richard Friend & Jeromy Cox
DC $2.99

James R: Last week I expressed my admiration for Scott Snyder's take on Batman which is currently taking the familiar tropes of Batman's world and moving them forward to brilliant effect. The only problem with this is that it makes any other Bat-book seem, well, not Batman by comparison! There's not much wrong with this issue - in fact it's the best issue of the title's short life to date - but while Batman feels like it's sprinting along, this more of a jog. Batman continues to investigate the amped-up toxin that's causing his rogue's gallery to be even more of a threat than usual, whilst investigating the mysterious White Rabbit and squeezing in time for a date. As a fully paid-up Bat-fan, I really enjoyed reading this, but it's not quite knocking me out yet. If you want to get yourself some Batman you could do worse than this (I'm looking at you Detective Comics!) but you can also do a lot better - I'll leave it to your wallets to decide! 7/10


UNWRITTEN #31.5
Writer: Mike Carey
Art: Michael WM. Kaluta, Chris Chuckry, Rick Greary & Bryan Talbot
DC $2.99

Matt C: The first in a series of ‘Point Five’ issues due over the next five months (meaning Unwritten basically becomes a twice-monthly book) that delve into the world beyond the Tommy Taylor plotline, dealing with the secret cabal’s machinations across the ages. This issue’s split into three separate, but interlinked, tales that shine a light on how the cabal’s manipulation of the written word has changed through the centuries. Each tale is illustrated by a different artist, and while their styles differ, they unify to create an entirely satisfying whole. Carey brings a level of literate intelligence to the proceedings that could put a lot of his contemporaries to shame, and again shows just how potent and profound his central idea – the power of the written word – is when placed in his assured hands. Ingenious. 9/10


VENGEANCE #5
Writer: Joe Casey
Art: Nick Dragotta & Brad Simpson
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: I’ve a feeling that this series has passed a good many of you by but I can’t recommend it enough. I never thought I’d be too concerned by the adventures of the Teen Brigade but Casey has really managed to capture my attention with some keen storytelling, decent involvement of some of Marvel’s prime villains and also the odd matter of the heart dotted around. Ms America’s unplanned trip to a mysterious dimension of the dead is terrific fun and demonstrates her never-say-die attitude while I really felt for Ultimate Nullifier and the Black Knight, caught on two sides of the moral coin and being so wary of the situation that they are forced to shrug their dalliance off as nothing more than a moment of attraction and weakness. Against all the fun stands a rather stark picture of just how evil the Red Skull is and was and the three pages of black and white flashback that Dragotta provides really shows artist and writer working well as a team. Though the Teen Brigade’s actions may slip under the radar I urge all of you to make sure that this series doesn’t slip under yours! 8/10


SECRET AVENGERS #19
Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano & Jose Villarrubia
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: Up to this point I haven’t been particularly wowed by what Ellis has been doing during his brief stint on this title. It’s very much felt like Ellis on autopilot (not always a bad thing) and, as others have suggested, it’s essentially giving his done-in-one Global Frequency concept a spin in the Marvel Universe. I’m not going to argue that he changes tack here, because as far as I can tell, he doesn’t, and the central idea isn’t dramatically superior to those we’ve seen in the last few issues. The thing that made this issue work far more than the others have is the art. I’ve been a big fan of Michael Lark’s for a long while, and when he partners up with Stefano Gaudiano you know the results are likely to be spectacular, which is most definitely the case here. And, after all, comics are a visual medium, so just as a mediocre artist can suck the life out of a good script, so can a stellar artist push a decent script up several levels where it can be deemed as nothing less than awesome. Just look at the choreography on display during the brilliant two-page sequence where Steve Rogers first tackles a foreign goon – it’s fluid, exciting and utterly magnetic. If you’ve read any of Ellis’ scripts you know he’s quite descriptive when it comes to how he wants the pages to look, but that shouldn’t detract from the magic Lark weaves with his imagery throughout the issue. I had been get a bit disgruntled with this title and considering knocking it on the head – thank God I didn’t make a rash decision! A fine of example of how the combination of words and pictures can pin you to your seat for the duration. 9/10

Cover To Cover: FANTASTIC FOUR #600

FANTASTIC FOUR #600
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Steve Epting, Rick Magyar, Paul Mounts, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Andy Troy, Ming Doyle, Jordie Bellaire, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, Javier Tartaglia, Farel Dalrymple & Jose Villarrubia
Marvel $7.99

Stewart R: So the milestone issue that we all smelled, well, a mile off when the title became FF following a barnstorming, poly-bagged bang in 2010, has hit the shelves around the globe with a mighty thud! Marvel’s first family reach 600 issues and to celebrate, the House of Ideas have decided that every reader can hand more of their money over to them - a cent shy of a whopping $8! - in exchange for 108 pages of comic. I winced a little when catching sight of the cover price but to be fair to the publisher, only 10-11 pages of the whole thing are not dedicated specifically to story and that has to be applauded as it could be tempting in these financially testing times to go gung-ho with the exploitation of advertising revenues in a book this size.

What then should also be applauded is the sheer amount of work that Jonathan Hickman invests here, carrying the entirety of writing duties through the book from beginning to end. In other milestone issues celebrating the longevity of Marvel’s top properties we’ve tended to see a host of different writers contributing to these heftier tomes which can occasionally leave the read feeling a little fractured and jarring. Thanks to Hickman’s dedication we end up with a comic that, yes, does split into several parts that look at different stories and characters, but they do tie together so very well as a whole.

The initial chapter, pencilled by Steve Epting, focuses on the continuing threat that the Reeds of other dimensions have proven themselves to be, either directly or indirectly, as the newly resurrected Kree Supreme Intelligence sends an Armada to Earth to wipe the Inhumans from the Universe in an explosive coup. To be brutally honest, I’m still a little fuzzy with Hickman’s high-level plotting and, having just read back briefly through FF #9-11 to try to jog the memory, I’m not a great deal clearer as to why everybody is doing what they are here. Regardless, it’s plain to see that Hickman is starting to bring all of the threads together and it culminates in a, ‘would you believe it?’... invasion of New York City! The Kree Armada swoops in from the sky and there’s an attempt to do the same by Annihilus and his Wave from the Negative Zone. This gives the opportunity to remind us once again that the Fantastic Four are an important piece of the Heroes of Earth puzzle (lest we forget), the battle involving as it does, every member of the Avengers.

The destruction that befalls the city is certainly nothing new and I will mention that I did feel quite ambivalent about it having seen similar occur just months ago in Fear Itself and, let’s face is, yep pretty much every bloody year for the past half dozen or so. It is necessary though, considering the scope and politics involved in what Hickman is crafting, and so I don’t begrudge the familiar ground trodden here. Thankfully the secretive machinations of Annihilus actually raise the tension stakes and the genuine plight surfaces when the children of the Future Foundation find themselves in harms way. This leads to the big moment that a hundred and one media outlets - and Marvel themselves!!?? - spoiled for many this week and which will not be mentioned here.

We then jump back, all those many months ago, to the Human Torch’s death and follow what has been happening in the Negative Zone since that fateful and sad day. This actually makes up the majority of the issue, coming in at around 48 pages worth of story, and for me is the best part of the entire comic. Hickman ties things occurring in the Negative Zone into the events transpiring with the Inhumans quite subtly and it will be interesting to see just what part these newly discovered characters play in future storylines. I like the way that he characterizes this young, calculating version of Annihilus and the clicking subordinates at his command and Di Giandomenico is the perfect fit for capturing the the hive-like surrounds of the horde’s grounds on the page. In fact, should Marvel pull their fingers out and continue with a Cosmic title such as The Annihilators anytime soon they really should look in this artist's direction as his work is really quite something...

...anyway, back in Fantastic Four land! We then get three shorter stories that look at the relationship between Black Bolt and Medusa, Reed and Galactus and then finally Franklin Richards, Leech and a mysterious being respectively. The Black Bolt chapter was much needed and looks at the relationship between King and Queen, how they communicate and just how things stand now that Mr 'Strong and Silent' seems to have himself a harem of queens at his disposal. It’s well handled by Doyle who offers up an almost avataristic representation of the couple’s telepathic discussion while also giving that teasing wink that things may not be as they seem.

The last two chapters, while vastly different in artistic tone, both look at plot points that have been left lingering on the backburner for a little while as Galactus informs Reed and Susan of the situation involving Odin and the Galactus seed - which could well lead to his forseen demise - and we get to see what Franklin and Leech have been up to behind the closed doors of the Baxter Building which even has the Great Devourer concerned. Leinel Yu’s been on something of a hot streak lately with some superb work on Mark Millar’s Superior and here he does a fine job of capturing the silent majesty that a discussion on the lunar surface about greater cosmic consequences deserves. Dalrymple on the other hand gets to deal with Franklin’s story from a brilliant ‘children’s adventure’ perspective and his simplified line work comes up trumps.

All in all this bumper read is a proper, bona fide success and one that Marvel are sorely in need of following something of a lacklustre year. It’s certainly given Jonathan Hickman - one of Marvel's 'Architects' it should be noted - the opportunity to deal with the myriad of plotlines he tends to have weaving in and out of any given issue and I believe that clarity is now almost within my reach thanks to the care and attention he has sunk into this endeavour alongside the very competent work of his retinue of artists. The big problem may possibly be for readers returning to the Fantastic Four title who perhaps jumped ship when the Future Foundation was formed or when the Inhumans started sticking their nose in as it looks like those elements will still be heavily involved moving forwards, for the near future at least. The even bigger problem for me now is deciding what to do about the two titles that will focus on Marvel’s First Family from this point onwards as they both seem tempting prospects, not least when this delightful comic book is worthy of a 9/10!

Paradox "Oscars" 2011 - Cast your votes!

Every year, the clientle of the Paradox comics shop get an opportunity to vote for their favourites in a selection of categories nominated by the Paradox Comics Group. For this year's Paradox "Oscars", we thought we'd do something a little different and open up the voting to folks who may not have even set foot in the UK, let alone Paradox: our dedicated readership!

People are still voting via the shop as they've done in the past but for those of you who may find that geographically impossible, you have two options: either send us an email with your choices or join our Facebook group and register your votes.

The nominations this year are:

1. Best Ongoing Title
a. American Vampire
b. Journey Into Mystery
c. Uncanny X-Force
d. The Unwritten

2. Best Miniseries
a. American Vampire: Survival Of The Fittest
b. Flashpoint
c. Halcyon
d. Marineman

3. Best New Title
a. All-Star Western
b. Animal Man
c. Butcher Baker, The Righteous Maker
d. Green Wake

4. Best Writer
a. Jason Aaron
b. Ed Brubaker
c. Jeff Lemire
d. Scott Snyder

5. Best Artist
a. Chris Bachalo
b. Olivier Coipel
c. Jock
d. J.H. Williams III

6. Best Cover Artist
a. David Aja
b. Jock
c. Sean Phillips
d. Alex Ross

7. Most Promising Talent
a. Kyle Higgins
b. Jorge Molina
c. Sara Pichelli
d. Christian Ward

8. Best Adaptation
a. Batman: Year One
b. Captain America: The First Avenger
c. Thor
d. X-Men: First Class

9. Best Publisher
a. DC/Vertigo
b. IDW
c. Image
d. Marvel

10. Best Main Character
a. Batman
b. Cyclops
c. Daredevil
d. Thor

11. Best Supporting Character
a. Commissioner Gordon
b. Damian Wayne
c. Fantomex
d. Nick Fury

12. Best Villain
a. James Gordon Jr
b. Professor Zoom
c. Sin (Red Skull)
d. Skinner Sweet

13. Disappointment Of The Year
a. Catwoman relaunch
b. Fear Itself
c. Green Lantern movie
d. Moon Knight relaunch


14. Best Website
a. 13 Minutes
b. Bleeding Cool
c. Comic Book Resources
d. Newsarama

15. Most Looking Forward To In 2012
a. Amazing Spider-Man movie
b. Avengers movie
b. Bristol Comic Expo
d. Dark Knight Rises

Voting closes on 30th November so act soon!

Incoming... 23/11/2011

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: It’s a week like this that reminds me what my pull list used to be like before the madness that was/is the DC relaunch as I find myself looking at an order incredibly heavy on the Marvel titles and limited on the works by other publishers.

The most talked about book on the shelves today is more than likely going to be Fantastic Four #600 by Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting thanks to a big media push by Marvel and a lot of spoilerific attention from various websites and media outlets. I tried my very hardest to avoid the spoilers for #587 earlier this year - I couldn’t evidently as I had the outcome arrive in a work email which I was none-too-pleased about - but so far I’ve managed to keep my ears and eyes away from any hints, tips or reveals as to what might happen. While I will be picking this issue up I have a decision to make moving forward as to whether I continue with the return of the Fantastic Four book, or whether I stick with the Future Foundation (or FF as it will be continue to be known) for my does of the family Reed fun. I’m resolved to only get one of these moving forward and at this point I’m leaning more towards the Foundation as I find the dynamic amongst the various powered, brainiac children more interesting that Reed Richards’ constant battle with his own genius. We’ll see if this milestone issue - which curiously isn’t coming polybagged for once, presumably due to the large media focus that will generally spoil everything - can change my mind.

Wolverine and the X-Men #2 is my most anticipated book of the week, primarily down to Chris Bachalo’s artwork but also because Jason Aaron did such a damn fine job with the first issue last month. While Uncanny X-Men remains something of a high-brow, ideals and politics X-book (with a good amount of destruction and fun still to be found within it) Wolverine’s title had that feeling of a high-school comedy with some serious undertones and adept character work. With the cast he has at his fingertips, Aaron is in a position to make this a very fun book indeed as Logan struggles to steer the ship that he has set adrift upon the tides of the uncertain mutant future. Certainly the crew are an incredibly mixed bunch and I like the fact that some alien students have found their way to the Jean Grey School as that adds an extra dimension to proceedings. The fact that Bachalo isn’t getting to do the first ‘7-10 issues’ as he had hoped back in May is a little kick in the teeth but understandable considering the couple of years that he's had and I’ll certainly enjoy whatever the maestro manages to provide.

Matt Fraction finally leaves Fear Itself behind and cracks on with his two ongoing titles in the form of Invincible Iron Man #510 and The Mighty Thor #8 today. Having involved Invincible so heavily with Fear Itself - something that none of the other main ongoing Marvel titles seemed to suffer from much - it’s going to be good to get back to Tony Stark’s continued battle to make the world a better place from his current position as the business underdog. Certainly events over the past year, including the magic lamp of drunken disaster he once again had to rub during FI, have made his job even harder. Pepper doesn’t seem to have come away from her fight with the Hammers and the transformed Grey Gargoyle in Paris without some psychological wounds and I’m guessing we might see new tensions ahead for the Stark/Potts partnership. Whatever happens I really have to commend Fraction and Larroca for sticking with this title for the length of time that they have as it’s been consistently brilliant over the course of their tenure so far!

The Mighty Thor #8 on the other hand may have to up its game a touch to maintain the interest that was to be found when Olivier Coipel pencilled those initial 6 issues. Pasqual Ferry, while a competent artist in his own right, is not quite in the same league as Coipel and with the titular character currently in a deceased state, I’m not sure that people will be so enthused to continue adding this to their pull list each month. Admittedly the mystery surrounding Tanarus’ appearance and the fact that his presence seems to have overwritten that of Thor in the annals of history is an interesting concept, especially with Loki being the only individual so far to think that something is amiss, but will it be enough? I’ll more than likely see this arc through to its conclusion but I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground to see who’ll be picking up the pencil on the next arc before possibly placing Mighty Thor on the chopping block.

And the chopping block is where one DC title might end up finding itself in a couple of issues time! Batman: The Dark Knight has been a reasonable read so far but when I’m thinking back over the DC relaunch and the comics that I have stuck with so far, I don’t remember being ‘wowed’ by Jenkins and Finch’s effort - I’m also having a mental blank after reading each issue of Superboy but that’s a problem for another time - and it’s up in the air as to how long I will stick with it. #3 hits the shelves today and I’m really hoping that the Batman vs the Venom-enhanced Joker will be a humdinger and that we might get a little more insight into just who the alluring White Rabbit is and what her motives may be. Finch rarely disappoints the reader’s eye so there is also that to look forward to as well!

Heck, what’s not to look forward to when we have dozens of fresh comics hitting the shelves of our local comic book stores each and Wednesday? Happy reading folks and happy holidays to our friends in the US this weekend!

Mini Reviews 20/11/2011

While we may not always have the time to review all the comics we get every week, we do try and provide a snapshot of the latest releases, mixing the good with the not so good.

FEAR ITSELF #7.3
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca & Frank D’Armata
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: I think we can all pretty much agree that as a sole entity, Fear Itself did not manage to live up to the hype that preceded it and possibly added another nail to the ‘Big Yearly Event’ coffin. That said, the off-shoot and side stories that accompanied it on its turbulent journey often shone with pure quality. Tony Stark, a character who has been handled with some skill by Fraction over the past few years, was involved in a terrifically horrifying battle early on - both with an unmerciless foe and his own demons - but his tale then felt a little isolated and forced when he travelled to Asgard. Now, back in the land of Midgard (Earth), he’s dealing with the horrors that he faced in Paris and the moral and ethical questions relating to the individual at the heart of that destruction. Some of the best Iron Man issues have seen Tony almost sharing a discussion with himself and this is one of those times where he reveals the important questions he’s been asking of himself - and the cosmos - and the decision or answer that he has come to. It makes for a terrific read, tense, well paced and unpredictable; here’s hoping that Invincible Iron Man now returns to this high level of quality. 9/10

Matt C: These three ‘additional’ issues of Fear Itself appear to have been commissioned specifically to reverse all the ‘shock moments’ of the miniseries proper. Without getting into spoilers, Marvel look like they’ve decided to backtrack on all those Fear Itself-related seismic events that we’re always told are designed to send shockwaves throughout the Marvel Universe. I finished Fear Itself with the impression that the event had been rather pointless, a veritable bag of hot air, even if it was often a well illustrated bag of hot air. Now? Now it seems even the House Of Ideas are suggesting Fear Itself was something of a waste of time with no real, lasting impact. I’m losing confidence in the direction the publisher looks like they’re taking by the day. Moving all that to one side for a moment, this issue does have a handful of bright spots. Larroca’s art is of its usual high standard and there are certain amount of power in both the scenes with Stark and the Grey Gargoyle and those with Tony and Odin. Whereas I made a decision to leave Fraction’s take on Thor on the shelves after last week’s issue, this one has convinced me that the writer really gets Tony Stark and hopefully he’ll get back to telling smart, engaging stories with the character again now all this Fear Itself nonsense is out of the way. Fingers crossed. 6/10


BATMAN #3
Writer: Scott Snyder
Art: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion & FCO
DC $2.99

James R: I'm going to start running out of superlatives soon for the work of Scott Snyder soon. Since bursting into mainstream comics with American Vampire he has barely taken a misstep, delivering issue after issue of brilliant sequential storytelling. Issue #3 of Batman is a perfect example of all that he does so well. It’s rammed with great ideas (the 'Thirteenth floor'!) brilliantly cinematic action (the sequence in the tunnels beneath Gotham is inspired) and shows he has a terrific understanding of the Bat-universe and it's characters. We've commented a lot recently on the slight nature of many of Marvel's books and how executives at the House of Mouse should take a long, hard look at how much entertainment DC gives the reader for $2.99 here. The other thing I'm loving about Snyder's tenure as a Batman writer is how little he has to resort to the old tropes - true, we did see the Joker in Detective, but it was a an incredibly effective cameo rather than ‘another Joker story', and it's the same here - we saw the rogues gallery in issue #1, but since then, the story has driven forward without having to rely on them. As a result, it's a fresh book too, and with the terrific work of Greg Capullo adding to the cinematic feel, this is truly a Dark Knight to savour. 9/10

Matt C: Synder now seems to be incapable of putting a foot wrong with this character. Where we marvelled at his take on the Dark Knight when Dick Grayson was donning the iconic cape and cowl, with Bruce Wayne back in charge the writer has taken things to the next level. Over the last decade I’ve enjoyed a lot of Batman books to varying degrees but I think we’re at the beginning of a special run, on the cusp of true greatness. That might sound like hyperbole but after putting this issue down that was the conclusion I reached. It may be unlikely that a secret society controlling Gotham behind the scenes would have escaped Bruce’s attention but Snyder pulls it off thanks to the intelligence of his ideas-laden script. Capullo’s detailed, dynamic compositions continue to impress and moody colour palette employed during the nighttime scenes adds to the feeling that we’re viewing a world that’s both secret and rife with danger. Smart and gripping, Batman is unquestionably one of the main successes in the New 52, and it looks like the only way is up for Snyder and co. 9/10

Stewart R: There were moans and groans from many of us last year when DC announced that they were cutting the page count of their comics to 20 pages from 22 in order to guarantee the continued $2.99 price promise and it was recognisable, almost subconsciously so in some cases, that it seemed as if stories at the time were being cut short to fit in each issue. All these many months on it seems that some comics are hitting the shelves with the revised page count and upon reading them it feels as if I’ve read a book almost double in size, such is the wealth of story involved. Snyder’s Batman is a prime example with the writer treating Bruce and Batman as one and the same person (something that not all Batman creators necessarily do), his day and night lives crossing seamlessly and giving a sense that an awful lot has happened from cover to cover. He’s helped in this greatly thanks to Capullo’s ability to deliver story on both macro and micro levels and every edition of his run so far is better than the last. The Court of Owls represents a shift in the way that Bruce perceives his place in Gotham City and it’s a neat move made by Snyder to produce an enemy that can strike to the very heart of what has made Bruce Wayne the hero he is today. 9/10


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #674
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Klaus Janson & Frank D’Armata
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Dan Slott’s ‘Big Time’ story was a superb piece of recent comic history but once that arc finished the following period was something of a lull that threatened to have me dropping Amazing Spider-Man from my pull-list. Thankfully ‘Spider Island’ came along and restored my faith and now it seems that Slott is in full stride as this new ‘Great Height’s arc, focusing on the return of the Vulture, is superb. We get to see Peter and Carlie dealing with the fall out of their break-up and realising that their knowledge of each other can be beneficial for a greater good. Meanwhile, the city of New York goes through it’s recovery following everybody’s transformation into giant, 8-legged beasts and Slott takes care and attention to show that many of the citizens have been deeply affected by the physical and psychological trauma of what they have experienced - something that is often brushed aside in such superhero comics. I had looked at the introduction of a third artist to this comic a little sceptically but Camuncoli delivers some truly great work and the page involving the Anti-Spider Patrol’s humiliating defeat has me craving more. 9/10


JUSTICE LEAGUE #3
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair, Hi Fi & Gabe Eltaeb
DC Comics $3.99

James R: At the moment, Justice League still feels like a book trying to find it's feet. To me, the pacing is a little strange and rushed - it's as if Geoff Johns wants to put on the biggest firework display of all time, and is setting off all his rockets at once! As you'd expect from the talents involved in this book, there's much to admire; John's characterisation in places is spot on - Hal Jordan calling dibs on Wonder Woman was great - and Jim Lee is none too shabby at this superhero lark! But despite these positives, the book isn't really 'breathing' - for a point of comparison, I think that Geoff Johns is trying to write a Justice League version of the early Authority issues, but it's lacking the nous that Warren Ellis brought to that title. I've also got to call DC out on putting the flimsiest backmatter in comics into this issue - five pages of 'The Secret History of Atlantis', which was essentially two pages stretched out incredibly thin! At the end of the book, I'd certainly enjoyed reading it, but I want it to be blowing my head off, and it's not there yet. 7/10


INCREDIBLE HULK #2
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Mark Silvestri & Various
Mavrel $3.99

Matt C: I like the approach Aaron is taking here, offering us something familiar but different enough to feel fresh and justifiable. I’m not too keen on the price though, but Marvel seem to be insisting that $3.99 is the way to go and I guess I can always vote with my wallet if necessary. What really flabbergasts me (enough to use the word ‘flabbergasts’) is the number of artists roped in to assist Silvestri with this, his second issue of this relaunch. It’s been reported in plenty of other places so I won’t spend too much time raking over ground already well covered, but seriously?! Two additional pencillers, two guys credited as ‘Pencil Assists’, Scott Hanna listed for ‘Finishes’ and four other guys down for the inking job. I imagine there were a lot of people placing bets on how long it would be before Silvestri ran into trouble before exiting, but was anyone really expecting it to be this swiftly? Unsurprisingly some pages look far superior to others, but I’ll be damned if I can tell who did what. It’s a shame really, as the ridiculous artistic situation on this title is overshadowing the good work Aaron’s doing. Not completely, thankfully, but part of me thinks they should get shot of Silvestri now, no matter how good he is, and back up Aaron with some reliability and consistency. 7/10


WONDER WOMAN #3
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Art: Cliff Chiang & Matthew Wilson
DC $2.99

James R: This book is really turning into the surprise package of the new 52. Three issues in, and Brian Azarello is showing that his new take on Wonder Woman is compelling and unlike any other book on the stands, by being a winning blend of mythology and excellent characterisation. In this issue we learn that Diana wasn't a 'miracle baby' forged from clay, but as a result of Zeus and Hera rolling like thunder under the covers! (And reading back that sentence, I'm aware of how ridiculous comics can be!) The book continues to look beautiful - I've been a huge fan of Chiang since his work on Azarello's brilliant Doctor Thirteen miniseries. Before the relaunch, I was confident that he was a canny choice for Diana's adventures, and I'm delighted that his work has been made bolder by the colours of Matthew Wilson. Now matters on Paradise Island are concluded, I'm looking forward to this story returning to the world of man next month - it's a delight to read a book that continues to surprise. 8/10

Ten Forward: January 2012

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the November issue of Previews which includes comics scheduled to ship in January 2012.

THINGS TO DO IN A RETIREMENT HOME TRAILER PARK GN
Writer: Aneurin Wright
Art: Aneurin Wright
Myriad Editions £19.99

Stewart R: I had the pleasure of stumbling across Nye Wright’s stall at this year’s Bristol Comic Expo and was convinced by the man’s enthusiasm and obvious drawing talent to pick up the two self-published preview chapters of TTDIARHTP. They admittedly sat in a pile of other reading material brought back from that weekend for a couple of months but I recently dug them out and I am now waiting with baited breath for January to arrive. A semi-autobiographical story which has taken Nye 8 years to write and illustrate, it focuses on a young man’s relationship with his dying father and the life lessons that he’s slowly coming to grips with. There’s love, loss, the breaking and rebuilding of bridges and an emotional rollercoaster that I can’t wait to dive into. It’s all wrapped up in Nye’s captivating artistic style and I’m really looking forward to seeing this lengthy project capped off in published form.


THE LONE RANGER #1
Writer: Ande Parks
Art: Esteve Polls
Dynamite Entertainment $3.99

Simon M: I was very disappointed when Dynamite Entertainment brought an end to a very enjoyable Lone Ranger series a couple of years ago, although they did have the decency to bring out a miniseries with Zorro and a couple of Lone Ranger & Tonto one-shots to lessen the pain. Needless to say I was very pleased to see that a new series was being solicited. What makes this news even better is that the team that brought us the mini Lone Ranger: The Death Of Zorro are in charge. The Death Of Zorro was an excellent read and held all of the components of a solid Western story. The first arc of the new series is a six-part story entitled ‘Hard Country’. Dynamite are saying this is the perfect jumping on point for new fans, but also carries on from the end of the last series so readers of that will not have what happened previously wiped away. This is where Dynamite Entertainment show their strengths, taking these old beloved pulp characters, breathing new life into them and delivering them to a new audience.


MONDO #1
Writer: Ted McKeever
Art: Ted McKeever
Image $4.99

Rob N: It's fair to say Ted McKeever's style of art is never going to achieve mainstream appeal. He occupies the same kind of niche in comic books that William Burroughs' cut up technique novels do in literature. Disturbing, surreal and grotesque are just some of the descriptions I've seen appended to McKeever's artwork. It wasn't that long ago that he was assigned to art duties for what would have been an altogether radical interpretation of the first John Carter Of Mars novel. That was scrapped, probably because the powers that be realised I'd be one of the only customers. But now we have Mondo, printed for some reason in the Golden Age format (slightly bigger than the standard US Marvel or DC books, and designed to frustrate fans of bags and boards everywhere!) that stars a typical McKeever 'freak' and (I'm quoting here) a weapon-toting chick called Kitten Kaboodle, a gang of tattooed babies and an enormous beach monster. Pretty much what you'd expect from a Ted McKeever comic really.


LOBSTER JOHNSON: THE BURNING MAN #1
Writer: Mike Mignola & John Arcudi
Art: Tonci Zonjic & Dave Stewart
Dark Horse $3.50

James R: How can you possibly not be impressed by a man whose catchprase is "Beware my claw, for I've come to inflict justice!" I love me some Hellboy, and I have a particular affection for Hellboy's childhood hero, Lobster Johnson. Part urban legend, part ghostly avenger (in the modern day at least) I always pick up any Lobster-centered tales, so you can bet I'm on board for this miniseries, which comes with the added bonus eye-catching art from Tonci Zonjic, whose work we last saw in the excellent Who Is Jake Ellis? Expect the usual horror-flavoured hi-jinx, and a liberal helping of justice being meted out by the Lobster's claw. Huzzah!


HONEY BADGER #1
Writer: Fred Perry & Joe Wright
Art: Fred Perry & Joe Wright
Antarctic Press $3.50

Andy H: What to read? Got superheroes, got sci-fi, got horror. Need something a little different. Hello, what's this? A nasty ass honey badger, what the..? So it appears there’s this clip on the internet of a honey badger (it's not really a badger) with a spoof voice over. Back in a bit, gotta check this out.... Ha! Very funny. The honey badger is a real hardcase but most importantly he don't give a shit! This animal will take on all comers and win! So the guys over at Antarctic Press have decided to take the idea to the next level and give the honey badger his own one-shot. In the wild he'll take on birds, snakes and more. In the comic he aims for bigger targets including velociraptors and, according to the cover, ninjas! This sounds like a bit of fun (and I'm all for that) and a nice distraction from my regular 'to read' pile.


WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN: ALPHA & OMEGA #1
Writer: Brian Wood
Art: Mark Brooks & Roland Boschi
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: I recently said I was done with Marvel miniseries following the premature cancellation of All-Winners Squad, bar some exceptions. Once of those exceptions was the Victor Von Doom mini from Nick Spencer and Becky Cloonan that I flagged in an earlier Ten Forward. And then Marvel went and pulled the plug on that before the first issue even reached the stands! So I’m now even more dubious about buying any further minis from the House Of Ideas because who knows if they’ll ever arrive in stores? But I’m making another exception for this basically based on Brian Wood’s name alone. You should already know who this guy is, and if I you don't then I’m pointing you in the direction of the likes of DMZ and Northlanders (amongst others). He’s basically an ‘indie guy’ and the only time he dabbled in the Marvel Universe was a rather impressive short run on Generation X as part of Warren Ellis’ 'Counter-X' initiative over a decade ago. So while this kind of thing wouldn’t normally find its way onto my pull list I’m very curious and slightly excited to see what Wood’s got planned here. Assuming it sees the light of day!


FERALS #1
Writer: David Lapham
Art: Gabriel Andrade
Avatar Press $3.99

Simon M: Avatar Press have been having success with their horror stories of late, particularly the Crossed series of books. Well, now the writer of Crossed: Psychopath and Caligula, David Lapham, is bringing out a new ongoing series for them called Ferals. Gabriel Andrade of Lady Death and Die Hard: Year One fame, is on the art duties. The cover would suggest this is a standard werewolf story, but Lapham is quick to clear any misconceptions that this is a traditional monster story. The plot centres around a lawman in a small town where civilians are being slaughtered. This is being plugged by some as a "supernatural crime horror" and I think it will be interesting to see where he goes with it.


SPARKO GN
Writer: Karl Stephan
Art: Karl Stephan
Slave Labor Graphics $14.95

Stewart R: Having looked at the 'Paradox Oscars' categories recently, it dawned on me that I really haven’t been keeping a close eye on graphic novels this year and that’s something I may need to address in 2012. Step up then Sparko, a book written and illustrated by Karl Stephen and set in London’s underbelly. It follows the story of Norman, a drug pusher and former rock musician, who attempts to remain as sedated and chemically enhanced as possible to hide from his troubles but ends up involved in a religious and political plot because of his substance-abused state. It sounds brilliantly madcap and a cursory look over the preview art has me spotting a vague similarity to Rob Guillory’s style on Chew. This one is definitely on my radar for January!


FATALE #1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Sean Phillips & Dave Stewart
Image $3.50

James R: This title is a no-brainer, an instant-buy comic. Over the last few years Messers Brubaker and Phillips have built up a fine body of work that revels in the underbelly of society. Starting with the immaculate superhero noir of Sleeper, through the various Criminal miniseries, and most recently the pulp/noir mash-up of Incognito, these two (along with the instantly recognisable palette of Val Staples) have produced some peerless comics. I'm thrilled to see that with Fatale they're playing with the noir concept again - mixing in horror and monster tales with the inevitable story of an irresistible scarlet woman. The preview pages look like the usual A-grade standard from this team, and it looks like being our first nomination for best miniseries of 2012.


WHISPERS #1
Writer: Joshua Luna
Art: Joshua Luna
Image $2.99

Rob N: Not so much a Luna Brothers comic as a Luna comic since Joshua Luna is going solo on this one. Remarkably the absence of his brother has made the art look a bit more realistic, which makes you wonder what the other Luna brother brought to the mix in the past. It centres around a protagonist who is able to do that classic Doctor Strange/Deadman trick of leaving his body in astral form, and to a certain extent manipulate and control people. You can imagine what Garth Ennis might do with that kind of concept, but in the hands of one of the Luna brothers it's probably going to be a bit more tasteful. I've not been disappointed before by any of their projects, so Whispers should deliver the usual high quality storytelling I expect from either of these guys.

Thought Bubble: Convention-al Thinking

By Stewart R

With the new year looming large, late November/early December is the time when I start weighing up my options for the comic convention opportunities that lie ahead in the new year. I’ve only been going to the Bristol Comic Expo for the past three years but now it seems that the British convention scene is going through a bit of a boom period. We’re now spoiled for choice when it comes to hitting the floors of grand halls around the cities of the UK, searching through many a long box of bargains, meeting the creative talent from the myriad of comic publishers around the globe and generally having a geekily good time.

Why, this very weekend sees the climax of the week long Thought Bubble Sequential Arts Festival in Leeds with the Thought Bubble Comic Con running 19-20 November. I’d only heard of this particular convention in Bristol earlier this year - it’s actually been running since 2007 - when a few people mentioned that they would be in attendance. A quick look at the website a month ago proved that it would have probably been worth the effort in dragging my bones up on the coach, had I been paying proper attention, as the wealth of talent set to be appearing is mouth-wateringly good. Some of the top names in terms of British creators like Kieron Gillen, Sean Phillips, Rob Williams, Lee Garbett and Jock will be there amongst many, many more and the organisers have even managed to get the likes of Jeff Lemire and Adam Hughes over from the good old North American continent, much to the punters’ delight!

I think it says how big a deal Thought Bubble and the UK talent pool is regarded to be currently as Marvel editor, Stephen Wacker is even hopping over the pond for a talent search being held on Friday and Saturday and who knows if the next big writer or artist might be waiting in the wings in Leeds this weekend? I’ll definitely be looking at this convention more closely next year when time, money and proper planning can be employed to make sure the trip north happens.

So on to 2012 we move and there’s an exciting new player on the scene in the form of the London Super Comic Convention being held at the ExCel Centre, London on February 24th & 26th. I have it on good authority from my Paradox Comics Group colleagues that the ExCel is a BIG venue so I’m excited to see just what sort of show the organisers manage to put on in their inaugural year. Certainly the guest line-up at present is very appealing! Howard Chaykin, George Perez and Brian Bolland are the sort of names that will bring a crowd out for sure, but for me the major appeal is the appearances of Jim Cheung, Rick Remender, John Layman and Rob Guillory which means that for once I will actively be seeking a few signatures upon the covers of some of my favourite comics of recent years.

To be honest the entire list of creators revealed already is highly impressive and it seems that that is likely to grow over the coming months as the best in British talent start to add their names to the pile. There’ll also be a good exhibitor presence with some 17 already confirmed to be in attendance, their wares all shiny and new (or old depending on how much you have in your wallet!) for the hungry hordes to descend upon ravenously, and having looked at pictures of the ExCel exhibition hall online I dare say that there’s plenty of space for more comic and collectible retailers to make the journey! Being the first big convention of the year I suspect that retailer long boxes will be stocked with prime material and that’s a big incentive for me to get a ticket. When combined with the talent that the organisers are bringing in for appearances, signings and commissions on top of that, I will definitely be heading London way for that weekend in February!

Then we come to May...

I, along with many of the Paradox Comics Group members, will definitely be packing our bags and heading northwest through Dorset and into Somerset for the 2012 Bristol Comic Expo come May 11th! We tend to head up the Friday night before to mix with some of the early arrivals and indulge in some of the geekiest, alcohol-fuelled conversation seen upon these shores. The convention itself actually runs for two days from Saturday 12th to Sunday 13th May and this coming year it will be moving back to its former home in Brunel’s Old Station, right next door to the Temple Meads train station. I’ve only been going for as long as the event has been primarily held in the Ramada hotel and while that has been a decent enough venue it has been a bit on the cramped side when the masses turn up in force. Moving back to the Old Station should mean a bit more breathing room and the Ramada will still be in use, presumably for panels and possibly the independent and small press guests to exhibit.

It’s still a little early in the day but there have been a few guest announcements with comic legend Denny O’Neil set to be guest of honour and Bristol regulars Paul Cornell, David Hine and Boo Cook already signed up. I’m sure that the list will expand and grow as we reach the new year and hopefully DC will be back to a fuller representation this time around after a very subdued and restricted presence (i.e. none) this year. Marvel have apparently been absent from the West Country for a good few years - they’ve never poked their head through the doors in any meaningful manner while I’ve been going - but perhaps certain events may make it more of a possibility this coming May...

...because Mark Millar and his Kapow! Comic Con 2012 are apparently scheduled to return for the weekend after Bristol’s Comic Expo on 19th and 20th May at London’s Business Design Center in Islington. This year’s inaugural event took place in April, a good month before Bristol and quite probably, thanks to the usual amount of fanfare and bluster that comes with anything that Mark Millar seems to do, stole a good portion of the elder convention’s limelight. Now the event takes place within 7 days of it’s nearest competitor but I’d say it’s up in the air as to whether this will be a help or a hindrance to Bristol. Crucially exhibitors will head westwards with their longboxes and merchandise before they return to London, and those punters attending Bristol could potentially get something of a ‘first dibs’ shopping experience if things pan out that way.

For all my criticism of the timing and the gratuitous self-promotion that comes with Kapow! it may also benefit Bristol in terms of the writers, artists and publishers flying into the UK around that time. If you’re going to pay to fly a good few thousand miles for a just a couple of days then some may think it benefits them to spend just over a week in the UK, attending both events in the process and improving the exposure of their collective works in the process. This may also see Marvel eye Bristol in a different light, not least because of their return to a larger venue. Of course it’s all speculation at present and there is of course the possibility that people will end up having to choose between one or the other, especially in the financial climate. I still expect Kapow! to be a roaring success as the organisers have all the right contacts, skill and enthusiasm to make it one heck of a show and I’m sure London crowds will lap it up just as they did this year. I’m in no doubt that the eventual list of special guests will be as long as Reed Richards’ arm and tickets will shift quickly thanks to the higher media profile it seems to garner.

It has to be a good sign that we’re getting more choice when it comes to the convention circuit and it seems that there are some genuine moves out there to try to rival the big American events that many of us can only stare longingly at from this side of the water. Unfortunately for me and other Bristol faithful I dare say that the coffers won’t allow for a trip to both, and so Kapow! will have to wait for another year before we sample its delights.