Down The Line - Previews review for April 2003 by Randy Lander While my Snap Judgments reviews cover books as they are released, I'm as avid a follower of "what's next" as anyone else. Thus these Previews reviews, covering the Diamond Previews that allow fans to preorder comics from their local retailer. This installment covers the February previews for comics due to ship out in April 2003. Make sure and also check out some of the other places to get preordering suggestions, including Chris Butcher & James Lucas Jones (Previews Review), who have created a site that centers on monthly and weekly looks at what's coming up and Johanna Draper Carlson (Comics Worth Reading), who has been doing this longer than just about anyone currently doing it. Pre-ordering is your friend. If there's stuff you want in April, letting your retailer know before the end of February is the best way to make sure you get it. BIG FOUR PICK OF THE MONTH: The Marvelous Adventures of Gus Beezer (Marvel) - If this isn't ordered heavily by retailers and fans, I'm going to have no interest in hearing the bitching about how there aren't any comics for kids anymore. I love Castle Waiting, Akiko, etc., but what I've seen in my retail experience is that kids want color comics and recognizable characters. Leave it to Gail Simone and Jason Lethcoe to combine these basics with what sounds like a great premise and probably better comics than the kids will be expecting. If there's any justice in the world, these comics will adorn the "kids' racks" at stores across the country for the rest of the year, at least, and maybe introduce a whole lot of kids into comics. If nothing else, I'm sure it will be a fun and funny read. Blackburne Covenant #1 (Dark Horse) - I've already read the first two scripts of this one, and trust me, it's great. Fabian Nicieza has done darker stuff than people generally know about (Nomad pushed the boundaries of the super-hero genre back in the 90s, for one example), and I hope Blackburne Covenant is the first of many projects where people will see the variety he is capable of. The book is a supernatural conspiracy that drags in a successful novelist, and it has something to say about the realities of fame and writing as well as the fantastic elements of magic and murder. Shrek #1 (Dark Horse) - I loved Shrek, but I'm not sure it'll work in comic-book form. However, it's another book for casual comic readers, Mark Evanier has a respectable track record with comic-book comedy, and if nothing else it'll probably get a few curious "outsiders" into comic shops where they can be brainwashed like the rest of us. Batman: Hush HC (DC) - If I'm reading this correctly, DC's plan is to produce three $20 hardcovers collecting a run of comics that costs $27 all put together in issues. I'm usually all for hardcover treatment and the quick release of the material, but it seems like someone in the collections department was smoking crack when they came up with this one. What's wrong with one enormous hardcover and trade, ala the collection of Loeb's Long Halloween and Dark Victory works? Batman: Nevermore #1 (DC) - It's DC Elseworlds month in April, it seems. First up, Batman meets Edgar Allen Poe courtesy of Guy Davis and Len Wein. Wein's work doesn't work for me more often than not, but I'm a fan of Poe and a huge fan of Guy Davis and those two sensibilities seem ideally matched. This will be worth a look on the shelves, and maybe a buy in trade format down the line if it gets to that point. Superman: Red Son #1 (DC) - Or maybe it's long-delayed DC Elseworlds month, because I've been hearing about this forever, mostly from Rich Johnston, who I've begun to think gets a cookie every time he mentions it. At any rate, Superman landing in Russia is a decent enough premise, and Mark Millar on writing and Dave Johnson on all-too-rare interiors is a very impressive creative team. For me, it's another "if they do a trade, I'm there" project, but I think it'll make a lot of fans more serially inclined than I pretty happy. Adam Strange: Man of Two Worlds TP (DC) - Don't get me wrong, this "grim and gritty" take on Adam Strange was hardly the character's finest hour. But it's got beautiful artwork by Andy Kubert and, more importantly, indicates a willingness from DC to raid their back catalog for trade material that is off-the-beaten path a little, and not necessarily only a couple years old. There's a lot of nifty stuff in there that could use reprinting, including 'Mazing Man and Dan Jurgen's Flash Gordon series, although there could be all kinds of rights issues involved with either of those. At any rate, I look forward to more hidden gems as a result of seeing this solicited. The Flash #197 (DC) - Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins knocked me on my ass with their takes on Captain Cold and Gorilla Grodd, not to mention their revitalization of the Rogues in general. But one of my favorite Flash villains has always been Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash, and so I'm beyond excited to see what these two and their talented cohorts will do with the classic Flash foe, in a story arc beginning this issue. JLA: Age of Wonder #1 (DC) - Speaking of long-delayed Elseworlds... I've been hearing about this one on the Ellis forum for literally years. DC shows a lot of faith giving a prestige mini-series to two (basically) unknowns, but once again the premise is good, the promo material interesting, and it'll certainly be worth a look at least. Sweatshop #1 (DC) - I've actually had the pleasure of reading the first issue of this book already, but I'm curious to see it in color and even more curious to see more of it. Peter Bagge doing something this original at DC is something pretty cool, and I found the first issue to be a lot of fun. Gen 13: Meanwhile... TP (DC/Wildstorm) - Adam Warren's run on Gen 13 was a guilty pleasure for a lot of folks, acknowledging the book's T & A roots while also opening up the relationship potential quite a bit, and actually making me care for the first time about these characters who I have at best apathy for. Though his run didn't do sales enough to justify continuing, I'm pleased to see that DC recognizes the value of having these funny and interesting takes on teenage super-heroes in print. I have the first trade, I'll be sure to buy this one too. Beware the Creeper #1 (DC/Vertigo) - I've been looking forward to this one since I heard about it in San Diego, and saw some of the designs from Cliff Chiang. Jason Hall's Pistolwhip (not to mention his anthology work for Marvel and Dark Horse) has been very well-written, and this period piece set in 1925 Paris sounds great to me. I already know it's going to be drop-dead gorgeous, based on everything I've seen Chiang do in the past. Lucifer: The Divine Comedy TP (DC/Vertigo) - Not much to say about this collection other than that I'm happy to see the Lucifer trades being produced at such a brisk rate. This one features the story of Lucifer facing some of the first challenges to his new realm in the form of some demons with designs of their own on ruling it. Orbiter HC (DC/Vertigo) - Not sure I'll be able to spring for the hardcover, what with my daughter being due in April, but I'll keep an eye out for the eventual softcover. At any rate, Ellis's sensibilities are ideally suited for this project about a disaster aboard a space shuttle (even as the timing is more than a little eerie), and the painted pages I've seen so far indicate that Colleen Doran has surpassed her already-impressive level of talent to create something that will be her career best so far. The Bunker (Image) - Not a war story, as the name would indicate, but instead a story that will resonate for many comic fans, the notion of being in love with a girl who only likes you as a friend. On this central structure it sounds like Bruce Mutard (a new name to me) will hang either a ghost story or the story of child abuse (I'm betting the latter, from the somewhat cagey solicitation copy), and either way I'm intrigued. In addition, Image's last original graphic novel, Nowheresville, was great, and even though the creators are completely different, knowing that the Image folks can spot a great project like that gives me a lot of hope for this one. Soul of a Samurai #1 (Image) - I like samurai, in theory, but even the most-beloved samurai stories (Lone Wolf & Cub, Blade of the Immortal) leave me a bit cold. If this whole book were being done in the beautifully-painted style of the cover in the solicitation, I'd be more sure of it, but I'm not entirely certain that the lyrical premise will work as well in black and white. At any rate, though, it may surprise me quite a bit, and I'm sure those who actually enjoy stories of samurai and who might be casting about for a new story in the wake of Lone Wolf & Cub's finale might find something to like here. Tsunami (Marvel) - At this point, it's been discussed to death, but just to give my two cents: My guess is that Mystique will be the surprise hit of this bunch, due to a great creative team and a character who can actually support a morally ambiguous series. I also have high hopes for Runaways, which sounds great from the Brian K. Vaughan interview at Newsarama and Sentinel (Sean McKeever is a vastly underrated writer, and maybe this will be the project that finally makes a wider audience sit up and take notice). I'm not as sure about Namor, as I don't like the art and Bill Jemas's writing on Marville is, to put it mildly, not my cup of tea. But the presence of Andi Watson gives me hope, and let's all remember that Jemas also helped out on a little book called Ultimate Spider-Man in the beginning. I'm more interested than I thought I'd be in Venom, thanks to Daniel Way's previous work for Marvel and what sounds like a The Thing meets The Fugitive concept, but I'm not a fan of the artist. The same is true for Human Torch, which has the highest profile lead character but, at least from what we've heard so far, the weakest hook as an ongoing. In the end, I think Tsunami will be a good thing, and I hope that it gets support from Marvel when the orders come in way, way lower than they're expecting thanks to the general skittishness of retailers and fans to something new and untested. X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (Marvel) - This is an absolutely classic story that I'm lucky enough to own in its original oversized graphic novel form. If you are not similarly lucky, even if you are not generally a fan of the X-Men, I highly recommend dropping the ridiculously low five bucks to pick this up. I very much doubt you'll be sorry. Claremont at his height along with spectacular work from Brent Anderson and a more adult sensibility made for a read that is, in my mind, up there with the Claremont/Byrne stuff on X-Men. Spidey and the Mini-Marvels (Marvel) - Yay! Glad to see Chris Giarrusso back for another pass at the always-entertaining and kid-friendly Mini-Marvels. The last book was a blast to read, and I'm sure this one will be a lot of fun as well. 411 #1 (Marvel) - I generally want to applaud the idea behind this book, and I like that Marvel has gotten some very unusual talent to contribute, but I haven't quite got a grasp on what it's going to be. At any rate, it seems like one of those things that would work better direct to trade and offered to the bookstore market at the same time, but I will approach it with cautious optimism. Spider-Man Blue HC (Marvel) - Much as I love Superman: For All Seasons, if I had to pick one Loeb/Sale project to keep in hardcover format (say a particularly unusual burglar was in my house or something), I'd go with Daredevil: Yellow. The oversized format and production values were absolutely fantastic. So I expect the same for Spider-Man: Blue, and maybe I'll let the hypothetical burglar make off with DD: Yellow if Spider-Man: Blue comes out as well. Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol. 4: Trials and Tribulations TP (Marvel) - This has one of my absolute favorite stories of 2002, a reflection on what Spidey means from the point-of-view of a young boy named Jamal. It also includes a lot of the more recent stories which I haven't enjoyed anywhere near as much. But that one story is almost worth the price of admission by itself. Alias Vol. 1 TP (Marvel) - So we now have Alias Volume 1 being solicited in trade, and it seems that #10 is to be included out of order in the third trade instead of here or in the second one. Not the way I would have gone, personally, but at least it has been announced that they won't simply be skipping the issue, which would have made little sense. Fantastic Four Vol. 1: Imaginauts TP (Marvel) - Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo have managed to not only grab my interest in Fantastic Four, some of my least-favorite Marvel characters, they've made it one of those books that goes to the top of the stack every time I see it. This collects the single-issue stories that Waid and Wieringo told, as well as their first multi-part story, and while I'll be holding out hope for the hardcover collection that the series deserves, in the meantime this trade will tide me over. Thor Vol. 3: Gods on Earth TP (Marvel) - What I said about Fantastic Four goes double for Thor. I mean, I didn't even like the Simonson era all that well, from what I've read of it. But Jurgens really got my attention with this story of Thor bringing Asgard to Earth, and I think it's great that Marvel has chosen to include not only his stories but the Avengers and Iron Man stories that crossed over into the book and the Marvel Double-Shot story that had some touching "letters to Thor." INDY PICK OF THE MONTH: Three Strikes #1 (Oni Press) - Skinwalker was a fantastic read, one of my favorite books from Oni since Whiteout, and this is the same creative team. Even if they didn't have that track record, though, the premise of this one, following a bondsman as he attempts to catch up to a kid who has made some mistakes with the law, would get my attention. It sounds like the same sort of strong character-driven story that ran through Skinwalker, and given how much Hurtt's artwork has blown me away with Queen & Country: Declassified, I can't wait to see his work again in Three Strikes. The Grandmother's Hive (A Fine Line) - This is an unusual book. It does indeed look beautifully illustrated by Donna Barr, and though I'm generally not much of a poetry fan, the central premise and the idea that it's a children's book intrigues me. The Spiral Cage TP (Active Images) - The autobiographical story of a man struggling with spina bifida, The Spiral Cage strikes me as one of those stories that may not necessarily be a lot of fun to read, but which will no doubt be plenty enlightening and important as a piece of work. The Wretch Volume 1: Everyday Doomsday TP (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor) - I recently realized that though I'm a fan of Phil Hester the artist (Green Arrow, Holy Terror) and Phil Hester the writer (The Coffin), I don't think I've ever encountered Phil Hester the writer/artist. The Wretch should solve that, and I remember hearing all kinds of good things about this book back when it was first coming out and I wasn't smart enough to pick it up at the time. Supreme: The Return TP (Checker Book Publishing) - Though the previous Supreme volume had some fun stories in it, it was in Supreme: The Return that Moore really got to shine, with far more consistently strong artists and the foundation of what would become America's Best Comics becoming clearer. This is what Superman could be, and has been, and it's some of Moore's strongest super-hero work, perhaps even better than some of the ABC work. The Comics Journal Library Volume 2: Frank Miller TP (Fantagraphics) - I love these Library volumes, and I hope that TCJ will be doing a lot more of them. Jack Kirby and Frank Miller are certainly worthy subjects, and I'd love to see one on John Buscema or John Romita Sr., to give two other examples. Tilting At Windmills SC (IDW) - I've read some of Brian Hibbs's columns in the pages of Comics Retailer, and they are, as you would expect from "The Savage Critic," honest, intelligent and thought-provoking. I don't always agree with Hibbs, but he's been in business a long time and has plenty of smart things to say about the retail side of the comics market. Whether you're a would-be retailer or just an industry watcher, this is a book to pick up, and kudos to IDW for once again publishing an unexpected book that fills a gap I didn't even know was there before. Frankie Stein! HC (IDW) - It is the IDW name that draws my interest on this one, although the notion of Steven Seagle, responsible for dark fare like House of Secrets and The Crusade, writing a children's book certainly intrigues as well. The Silencers #1 (Moonstone Books) - I've said before that I'm not sure we need any more super-heroes, what with DC, Marvel, etc. having that market pretty well sewn up. But super-powered mob enforcers who have kept super-heroes out of the business of one of New York's crime families? Sign me up. Though the creative names are unfamiliar to me in general, the premise is great and I'm glad to see Moonstone expanding out of the prestige format that has stifled them a little creatively. Zebediah Hillbilly Zombie Redneck Bites the Dust GN (Oddgod Press) - I'm not sure what good things we've done to deserve so much Scott Mills in one year, but in addition to Adhouse Books's My Own Little Empire and the upcoming Masterplan from Top Shelf, Oddgod Press has seen fit to grace us with another Mills graphic novel. As is traditional for Mills, this is another completely different genre, and I look forward to seeing his distinctive style applied to what sounds like the kind of strange idea and title you'd find in a Kochalka book. Visitations GN (Oni Press) - I love just about everything Scott Morse has done, at least that I've read, and that's why I'm so excited about this. I haven't had the chance to read Visitations before, which means that this is essentially new Scott Morse for me. Battle Royale Volume 1 GN (TokyoPop) - While Viz is publishing the novel based on this weird Lord of the Flies meets No Escape meets Mortal Kombat meets Survivor Japanese film, it seems that TokyoPop will be publishing the manga adaptation. Quite honestly, I'm more interested in the latter, but I look forward to seeing both interpretations... and maybe I'll have to check out the film at some point as well. TokyoPop Manga (TokyoPop) - If I had an unlimited budget, a lot of it would go to TokyoPop. I love their format, $10 a pop, and it's no mystery that they've conquered the bookstore market last year. The breadth of genres that they offer is pretty impressive as well, and this month brings new titles in the genres of gothic fantasy (Demon Diary), supernatural drama (Angel), cop drama (Fake) and romance (Man of Many Faces). I also like that they tell the reader right up front in the solicitations how many volumes they're looking at. Monkey vs. Robot & The Crystal of Power GN (Top Shelf Productions) - I've been on something of a James Kochalka kick lately, and that includes finally reading Monkey vs. Robot, which was as good as everyone has said. So a sequel is pretty much on that sight unseen buy list for me. 2nd Edition TPs (Viz) - Not to be outdone in the manga arena by newcomer TokyoPop, Viz has gone back to press on a lot of their popular titles in the "TokyoPop" format, at prices that are either $9.99 or lower, with big names like Dragonball Z, Fushigi Yugi, Inu-Yasha and Ranma 1/2. It's a shame the majority of them aren't in the right-to-left format, but I still see Viz making a huge push into the bookstore market with these new trades. Junko Mizuno's Hansel and Gretel GN (Viz) - In addition to revamping some of their old material, Viz continues to provide new and unusual manga as well. Mizuno's take on Cinderella was twisted, funny, scary and compelling, and this take on the Hansel and Gretel tale seems just as bizarre and potentially entertaining. Whoever wrote the solicitation copy for Viz should congratulate themselves for nailing the tone of Mizuno's work and giving retailers and readers a chuckle, along with a sense of what to expect. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.