Down The Line - Previews review for April 2004 by Randy Lander & Dave Farabee 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. 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. April is the home of lesser holidays like April Fool's Day and my birthday, but that doesn't mean we should look down on the month. If nothing else, there are at least a few good comics scheduled for April release. To help me shed some light on those comics, I'm joined once again by celebrator of lesser holidays Dave Farabee. DAVE: Thanks, Randy, and what better day than today - International Leper Day - to shine the spotlight on comics! As you can see from the above, my comments will be the normal type, and Dave's will be in yellow. A little something different starting this month: Dave and I have decided to dispense with the Previews organization and just go strict alphabetical, in order to level the playing field between the big guys and the smaller publishers. We've also decided to trim down to one pick a month each, with a similar goal in mind. It's a little more work, but we hope it will be worth it. To facilitate those seeking more information from the Previews catalog, each entry will include the page number of the solicitation at the end of our comments. RANDY'S PICK OF THE MONTH: The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye TP (Image Comics) - RANDY: The Walking Dead has been one of my favorite surprises of 2003, a zombie comic that is unlike what I expected and yet delivers all the cool things about a zombie story that I would expect and enjoy as well. Kirkman has created a small and interesting core of characters and has stayed away from explaining where the zombies came from, instead delving right into what it might be like to try and survive in a world where zombies have taken over. And the artwork, by Tony Moore, has been terrific and moody in all the right places. Best of all, this trade reprints the first five issues for $10, meaning that even if you picked up the original issues, it's cheap enough to add this one to your bookshelf as well and use the issues as loaner copies to hook others onto the series. (page 157) DAVE: The Walking Dead was a hairsbreadth from being my Pick of the Month too. As you know, Randy, I've only recently looked into this series (thanks for the recommend, BTW), and it's really starting to impress me. Kirkman's writing is surprisingly humanistic as he focuses on the survivors of the zombie-pocalypse, not the gore and shock-scares, and that's precisely what elevates the book. It's got its hideously creepy moments, though - I've still got chills from the foray into the zombie-dense city of Atlanta in issue #4. Even non-horror-fans should give this book a go. DAVE'S PICK OF THE MONTH: Batman: Gotham Central TP (DC Comics) - DAVE: Kick ass - it finally earned a trade. Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, and Michael Lark have been busting their butts to produce terrific crime stories set in the freakish landscape of Gotham City, and while they've received critical raves, it seems readers have shied away from giving this baby a try. Hopefully this affordably priced trade (ten bucks for five issues!) will turn that around. I've got serious confidence that folks who take the plunge will be won over by the sharp, world-weary writing and Michael Lark's noir art. And, oh yeah, it's got the creepiest Mr. Freeze crime scenes ever. (page 96) RANDY: And this one was a hairsbreadth from being my Pick of the Month. Too many readers haven't given this book (my favorite ongoing series of 2003, by the way) a try, and my hope (and presumably that of DC as well) is that a lot of them have been holding out for the trade. Well, it's a little later than I would have liked, but that day is here, and given the price and the critical buzz, I don't see how anyone even remotely interested in good crime stories, Gotham City or just plain damn fine comics can pass this one up. 24 Hour Comics Vol. 1 TP (About Comics) - RANDY: 24 Comics are more for creators than fans, a challenge to one's skills and an exercise for one's creativity. So the stories within are bound to read more like gimmick stories than the best work of any of the creators involved. That said, I'm completely fascinated by the notion of a comic created in 24 hours by the likes of Neil Gaiman and Steve Bissette, and I'll definitely be picking up this unusual collaboration. With scriptbooks, 24 Hour Comics compilations and little-seen, unusual material like Alice and The Factor, Nat Gertler's About Comics is making quite the rep for itself as a home for the off-beat and interesting. (page 192) DAVE: I know the high concept of 24-hour comics (McCloud's brainchild, right?), but I think the only one I ever read was by comic gossip columnist Rich Johnston - and it was actually pretty interesting. With the likes of Bissette and Gaiman rising to the challenge of "24 pages in 24 hours," I'll be checking this out. Aleister Arcane #1 (IDW Publishing) - RANDY: The solicitation is sparse on details, but it sounds like a B-movie horror host gets canned and then involved with a stalker who might have some sort of mystical connection. Doesn't really matter, because it's a new horror comic by Steve Niles, meaning it has a built-in audience, and while I'm not familiar with Breehn (GloomCookie) Burns's artwork, the promo piece looks nice enough. (page 280) DAVE: Shades of the underrated '80s B-movie, Fright Night, a flick I've always had a soft spot for. I'm not a great fan of Niles's stuff, but I'm starting to warm up to it, so I'll be interested to see what he does with the "late-night-TV horror host gets into real supernatural trouble" subgenre. Along the Canadian #1 (Obion Comics) - DAVE: Okay, this Xeric grant winner sounds really cool. It's a supernatural Western and ghost story set in post-Civil War Indian territory. The lead's a sheriff who finds all of his men slaughtered for no apparent reason, and so the mystery begins. See? Cool. (page 295) RANDY: To be honest, I'm a little weary of the western horror blend in comics, as it's been done to perfection in Joe R. Lansdale and Tim Truman's Jonah Hex stories and Jeff Mariotte's Desperadoes. And yet we keep getting more western horror, instead of straight western. That said, this won the Xeric grant, which has me interested, and I've been in sort of a western mood lately, having recently watched for the first time The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and The Quick and the Dead. Shame that we can't get more straight westerns in comics, greater shame that they wouldn't sell if we did get them, but at any rate I'll take a well-written and well-illustrated western horror mix over no western comics at all. Bad Ideas #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: It sounds like the pitch for a reality TV show ("Also, we find out what happens when you put two artists and an author together at Wizard World Chicago and leave them alone with a camera") but it's actually a two-issue miniseries from artists Jim (Stupid Comics) Mahfood and Dave (Puffed) Crosland, with writer Wayne (I've never heard of him) Chinsang. I don't really know what to expect, but I know it'll have great artwork and I'm guessing it'll be a pretty funny skewering of pop-culture and comic culture as well.(page 133) DAVE: I'm not sure comic culture really needs any more skewering, but the preview I looked at was pretty damn funny. Batman #626 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Given how much I've loved his take on Green Arrow, I'm pretty excited to see what Judd Winick is going to be doing with Batman. Gotham crime wars are nothing new, and neither is the inclusion of classic Bat-foes like Scarecrow and The Penguin, but Winick has shown an ability to take standard superhero tropes and infuse them with a sense of humor and a likable style, and the preview pages here indicate that this will be right up my alley. As will the artwork, by Wildcats alums Dustin Nguyen and Richard Friend. Not as ground-breaking as the Azzarello/Risso collaboration, perhaps, and probably not the sales juggernaut of the Loeb/Lee run, but a solid follow-up and an indication that the main Bat-book is still right on track. I do wonder when (or if) we'll be seeing those Lapham Batman issues, though. (page 93) DAVE: I think I'm all Batman'ed out at the moment, so I can't work up any interest over Winick as the writer. He's been too hit-and-miss for me to have a sharp reaction one way or the other when he signs onto a book. Actually, I say I'm Batman'ed out, and yet there's something about the next book in our list... Batman: Harley & Ivy #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: *rubs eyes* Am I seeing that right? Has the long-planned miniseries team-up of quasi-lesbianic villainesses, Harley and Ivy, finally come to fruition? Jumpin' Jesus! I think I was salivating over this planned Paul Dini/Bruce Timm collaboration as far back as the days when the Batman cartoon was still on the frickin' air! Nowadays, I have to admit, my enthusiasm for the animated franchise is considerably diminished, but there's pretty much no chance of me passing this up. Hell, it's DINI AND TIMM! (page 94) RANDY: "Lesbianic" may be my favorite new made-up adjective. Other than that, I don't have much to add to your praise. Long awaited, sure to be great, one of those projects I never thought we'd actually see but I can't pass up now that it's finally coming out. The Beast That Ate Morioka #1 (Sirius) - DAVE: Here's a snazzy, offbeat offering: an unveiling of the first ever comic book story written and illustrated by Mark Crilley, creator of the all-ages comic Akiko. My opinion - Akiko is as good as all-ages comics get, period, right up there with TinTin, Uncle Scrooge, and The Batman Adventures, maybe even one better on 'em. So yeah...HELL YEAH...I'll be picking this up. Described as a tale of "two Japanese high school students, a gang of nefarious villains, and a giant-sized worm named Snorky," it was originally created in 1990. So many creators start rough and take years to develop their craft, but having seen Akiko spring to life pretty much fully-formed, I have confidence this will be good stuff. (page 306) Birds of Prey #66 (DC Comics) - DAVE: All kinds of interesting weirdness here. First, this issue's story has some kind of link to the past, as the solicit mentions a "Golden Age Birds of Prey." Second, it's got art by genius recluse Marvel artist Michael Golden and the excellent Kirby-esque artist, Mike Manley (modern day and flashback artists respectively?). Third, it appears to sport a cover that's a classic pin-up of Black Canary by living legend, Alex Toth. I already follow the book, but this issue stands out as one to watch. (page 95) RANDY: Since the main sticking point for me on Gail Simone's Birds of Prey has been the art, I'm expecting to really love this single-issue story with art by two guys whose work I really like. The "Golden Age" reference has me curious as well... we know that Black Canary's mom was around for that, but what's the Oracle link? I'm looking forward to finding out. Blue Monday: Painted Moon #1 (Oni Press) - RANDY: Blue Monday is a weird mix, like a cross between teen sex comedy, manga and punk music appreciation. Thank God its back for another go-round, because it's always hilarious, and though Scooter Girl has been fun, I'm looking forward to seeing more of the over-the-top antics of Bleu Finnegan and the rest of the cast (yep, even Seamus the Pooka). (page 296) Dark Days TP (IDW Publishing) - RANDY: I only read a couple of the issues of Dark Days, the sequel to 30 Days of Night, but I liked what I read. With Return to Barrow starting in March, I find myself hoping that maybe IDW will put out some sort of deluxe "all in one" trade or hardcover of the 30 Days saga when it's all over, but such a thing will probably cost beaucoup bucks and in the meantime, I might have to give this $20 trade a try. (page 280) Darkness/Hulk (Image Comics/Top Cow) - DAVE: Those of you who've been clamoring for Dale Keown to return to the Hulk, here's your first chance since last year's Hulk: The End (note to Marvel: reprint that book already! Jesus!). Unfortunately Keown's return to the character is part of a crossover with the Darkness, but hey, if you really need that Keown hit... (page 159) RANDY: Does it say something about my interest in most Top Cow books that the biggest interest I have in talking about this one is agreeing with you that Marvel should go ahead and reprint Peter David's excellent Hulk: The End? At any rate, this is a very weird crossover of characters, and I don't have much interest in either one these days, so I'll probably pass it up... but it's sure to be pretty. Dioramas: A Love Story GN (Image Comics) - RANDY: This is one of those cases where less is more, though, so I'll just leave you with the solicitation text: "How does serial killer Winfield Vickers express his love for Charlotte Ramage? He creates elaborate, life-sized dioramas using real, dead human subjects." If that doesn't sell you on the book, it's probably not for you at any rate. For me, it sounds twisted, bizarre and highly entertaining, and having read Nowheresville and Whiskey Dickel, Mark Ricketts's previous projects, I know he can live up to the promise in that solicitation text. (page 137) El Zombo #1 (Dark Horse) - RANDY: Quite honestly, most of the first wave of Rocket Comics didn't do much for me (or for the sales charts), and I'm kind of surprised to see a second wave hitting. However, the second wave might be worth a look, because the Dark Horse Fused #1 was pretty good and El Zombo looks like fun. The artwork has the look of animation cels and is quite gorgeous, and the high concept, featuring a "temperamental undead wrestler" and an "equally difficult 10-year-old girl from East L.A." sounds entertaining. (page 20) DAVE: I'm in agreement with you. The preview art looks a little like Don Bluth stuff circa Space Ace, with a touch of John "Ren and Stimpy" Kricfalusi thrown in. Undead wrestlers rock the hiz-ouse. Enginehead #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: I'm not quite sure what to make of this project based on the solicit, but it seems to be some kind of industrial/goth/superhero/Transformer book that's set in the DC Universe...or something. Actually it sounds a little cool, if convoluted. Six DC characters who're at least partially mechanical (including oddballs like Professor Hamilton from the Superman books) become their own team and merge to become a mechanical hero called "Enginehead." With art by Ted McKeever, it hardly looks commercial, but it might be worth checking out for precisely that reason. (page 99) RANDY: This is damned odd, and I'm a little nervous that it seems to have links to Joe Kelly's mostly forgettable run on the Superman books. Kelly hasn't really had a solid hit for me since Deadpool, and McKeever is very, very hit and miss for me... and yet, this is such an off-the-wall concept that I confess I'm somewhat curious to see it. And like you, I'm kind of stunned to see DC putting it out, given that it seems completely non-commercial. Essential Tomb of Dracula Vol. 2 TP (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I've only read about half of the first Essential TOD, but I've really liked what I've read and I'm glad (and a little surprised) to see Marvel putting out more of this classic run. The Essential volumes don't get quite the same play as they used to (where's Essential Spider-Man Volume 6?), but I love these cheap, black and white reprints of classic material, and this one is definitely on my short list of "must buys" in April. (page M66) DAVE: Same here. There's a bit of hokeyness to these old stories, but like the Hammer films of the '70s, it's worth accepting a little cheese for all the good stuff. Gene Colan's art alone make this worth picking up. Fables: Storybook Love TP (DC Comics/Vertigo) - DAVE: You pretty much want to get in on this series with the first trade (this one being the third), but this is absolutely a great collection of stories. There's love, lust, cool heists, black humor, and the occasional moment of ultraviolence. Typically great stuff from Vertigo's best book. (page 107) RANDY: This trade contains two of my favorite Fables stories to date, the short "caper" story of the Fables pulling the wool over the eyes of a nosy reporter and the longer story of Snow and Bigby trapped by a madwoman with a grudge. Like Dave said, you want to start off with trade number one, especially since the latter story has several big payoffs that are bigger if you've been reading previous stories, but this trade contains some of the best stuff. Fantastic Four #512 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I've always been a fan of the Spidey/Human Torch friendship, and I'm definitely a fan of the Waid/Wieringo collaboration on Fantastic Four, so I'm really looking forward to a two-parter featuring a Spider-Man/Fantastic Four team-up. Waid tends to make these old school ideas cool and fun instead of boring or dated, and that cover by Wieringo is terrific, so my expectations are high on this one. (page M43) George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead #1 (IDW Publishing) - DAVE: I've got a good deal of fondness for Romero's quintessential modern zombie movie, so I'm likely to grade this one hard if it doesn't bring something new to the table. That said...good luck! (page 286) The Goon Vol. 2: My Murderous Childhood TP (Dark Horse) - RANDY: What more can be said about The Goon? Beautifully illustrated, weird and dark and funny, it's one of the surprise hits of 2003 and a great feather in Dark Horse's cap. Though this is volume two, it actually contains issues one through four of the Dark Horse run (plus a story from Drawing On Your Nightmares). I've read and enjoyed every single one of them, and look forward to having the trade on my bookshelf. (page 29) Hack/Slash #1 (Devil's Due) - DAVE: I like the premise of this thing: Cassie Hack's a girl who hunts horror-movie-style "Slashers" in the Jason/Freddy/Michael tradition. She meets her match, though, in Eminence, Indiana, in the form of an undead killer and his...ahem...army of undead pets. Okay, like slasher movies themselves, this also has the potential to be terrible, but played with some tongue-in-cheek wit it could be fun. (page 254) Hawkman #27 (DC Comics) - RANDY: I haven't been a huge fan of the Hawkman series as a rule, but the notion of "Past Lives" stories exploring the various lives of the Hawks when they were being reincarnated is still a good idea for one-offs. A noir story of a Pinkerton detective hunting down a stolen artifact in World War I-era New Orleans... er, St. Roch is also a pretty decent premise, and when it's being done up by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, two great creators who have cornered the market on comics noir, well, even non-Hawk fans should give it a look. (page 100) DAVE: Brubaker and Sean Phillips - the actual Sleeper team? That does sound worth a look. How Loathsome HC (NBM Publishing) - RANDY: Hardcover? You're killing me here! Seriously, I read one issue of How Loathsome and then stopped reading, wanting to enjoy the whole thing when the near-inevitable trade hit. I'm still inclined to wait for a softcover, but if one isn't forthcoming, I'd be willing to give in on a hardcover format, because the one issue I read (and the buzz on the other issues) was terrific. (page 294) DAVE: Weird. I read one issue too - the last one - and it was also excellent. And I also decided to wait for the trade. And I also don't know if I'm ready to spring for it in hardcover. It's like we're twins! Oh dear god... But getting back to the book itself, for those who haven't read the series before, it's described as "...a deeply personal, sexually bizarre, drug-addled adventure" involving the "not-so-obvious nature of gender." So you can see why Randy would be so obsessive about it. Me, I'm just...err...curious. RANDY: Oh, no you don't. I'm not touching that straight line with a 10-foot pole. Huh. Did that sound like innuendo too? Damn it! Human Target: Strike Zones TP (DC Comics/Vertigo) - RANDY: It's a good month for $10 trades, and Human Target gets the same budget-sized first trade that Vertigo hits Fables and the Losers got, collecting the first five issues by Milligan and Pulido. Now honestly, it's #6, the first issue by Milligan and Cliff Chiang, that really got me hooked on the series good, but these issues range from good to great, and represent cool action and some interesting psychological underpinnings, just like all of Milligan's Human Target work. (page 108) DAVE: Heard good stuff on this. Planning to give it a look. More of a Cliff Chiang fan than a Milligan fan, though. JLA: One Million TP (DC Comics) - DAVE: I missed this miniseries and crossover when it came out, but it's Grant Morrison doing crazy futuristic weirdness through the DC Universe in the year one-meeeeeeeelion...and that sounds like a good time. (page 101) RANDY: I actually picked this one up (along with the majority of the crossover issues) when it first came out and found it to be great in spots, okay in others and absolutely incomprehensible or just plain bad in others. In other words, fairly typical of Morrison's JLA run. But the spots of genius generally make it worth a read, and the Starman 1,000,000, one of the crossover issues reprinted in this new version of the trade, was easily the gem of the crossover bunch, a fantastically well-written character piece that also had major plot ramifications for the One Million story. Love Fights Volume 1 TP (Oni Press) - RANDY: I've been an Andi Watson fan since Breakfast After Noon, and his Oni follow-up Love Fights turned me from fan to devotee, and Love Fights did nothing but solidify my love for his minimalist art and quirky yet real writing. Watson's realistic characters and writing style would seem an odd match for a superhero universe, but he's done terrific work on mixing burgeoning romance, commentary on the comics industry and its favorite genre into an irresistible book. And that trade design (final version or not) sure looks swanky. (page 296) Mage Vol. 1: The Hero Discovered HC (Image Comics) - RANDY: Despite my earlier comments about How Loathsome, I'm a bit of a sucker for hardcovers, and while my wallet shrieks at the notion of a fifty dollar hardcover, there's just no way I'm passing this up or waiting for a trade edition. At 464 pages, $50 is a steal, and I've had the good fortune to read (but now own) Mage volume one, so I know that it's great stuff, with gorgeous artwork by Wagner and a very interesting story. Ever since reading The Hero Discovered lo these many years ago, I've been waiting for Image to put out a decent reprint version (read: all in one volume) of this saga, and now that day is finally here. (page 146) DAVE: Back in the '80s, I was too dumb too read anything but Marvel and DC, and so missed out on the smaller-press-yet-still-mainstream books like Nexus, Grimjack, Grendel, and yes, Mage. Fiddy bucks, though? A bit of a bite, that, but still more tempting than the mini-compilations that were the previous format for all the Mage collections. 464 pages is nothing to sneeze at. Marvel Age Digests (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Another incident of manga influence on Marvel – digest sized trades – and on the whole, I'm liking the idea. The opening volley is clearly aimed at all-ages audiences with Spider-Girl, Marvel Age: Spider-Man, Sentinel, and Runaways (Yay! Great book! Been waiting for the trade!), and they're also priced for the young'uns at seven bucks. Amusingly, the cover designs even ape the look of Tokyopop's highly successful manga volumes. Only thing is...kids aren't gonna be fooled – they know manga when they see it and these aren't manga. Marvel needs to really push these in bookstores, and if they can swing it, video game shops, Best Buys...places where the kiddies go these days. (page M54-57) RANDY: Crack houses, Pokemon dens, off-track betting parlors... yep, we need to get these comics in front of the kids. At any rate, like you I don't know if the Tokyopop clone design is going to fool anyone, but I do hope that some new readers at least crack the covers of these books, especially Runaways, which is long overdue for a trade collection in any size or format. Marvel Age: Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Like the Marvel Age: Spider-Man title we looked at last month, this book retells vintage Stan Lee stories from its namesake with an eye towards modernizing 'em for a modern all-ages audiences. Nice in theory, but without distribution outside the direct market...likely doomed to failure. Not big on the Ameri-manga art, either, though I guess the new Teen Titans cartoon has shown that it can find an audience. (page M0) RANDY: There are amazingly small little boys and girls (seriously... like three year olds!) addicted to the Teen Titans like a lab-monkey on nicotine, so I do think there's potential for classic characters with a manga twist to catch on. Of course, it helps if they've got a major media tie-in like a cartoon. Like you, I think the Marvel Age initiative has a very small shot at surviving, but you have to give Marvel credit for finally remembering to aim some of their comics with recognizable characters and action-oriented stories at kids, and it's good to see that Sean McKeever has another gig lined up already. Marvel Knights MK04 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: I don't know that readers even notice the Marvel Knight imprint much anymore, but Marvel's once again shining the spotlight on it as Wolverine, Hulk, and X-Statix all make the move to its aegis. Seems foolishly limiting to me to permanently switch any title to the supposedly "edgy" imprint of Marvel – what if someone's got a great idea for a classical Hulk superhero story, or a Wolverine story where he dares to actually wear a costume? – but whatever. The pendulum will swing away from grim ‘n' gritty at some point, and I probably won't miss these characters much in the interim. The edgy stuff might even be good, but I have no inherent interest. (page M14) RANDY: When Marvel Knights first came out, I was a believer. I enjoyed some of their stuff immensely, and it was definitely a lot more edgy than what Marvel had been doing. However, ever since Quesada took over at Marvel, the line has become more and more unnecessary, and you only need look at this "relaunch" of the imprint to see why. Most of the books are pre-existing from the mainstream Marvel line and the new ones don't seem particularly edgy or daring. In fact, at this point, most of these books seem to be running out of gas. Only a couple of them seem outright bad (*cough* Incredible Hulk! *cough*) but there's not a one that I'm really excited about either. Daredevil: Father #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: It seems only fitting that Joe Quesada, half of the original public face of Marvel Knights, would have a new title coming out for MK04. Or, as seems likely given Quesada's editorial duties and slower art pace these days, MK04-05. Snarky comments about deadlines aside, I enjoyed Quesada's work on this title the first time around, and while I'm not quite as sure about his skills as a writer, his work on Iron Man was solid, as is his current work on NYX. Serial killer + heat wave + vigilante = story I've seen told many times before, and calling Quesada a "Daredevil legend" might be a bit much (Frank Miller or Gene Colan, sure, I'm not sure Quesada has earned the appellation), but this should provide an interesting alternative to those who aren't into the styles of Bendis and Maleev. (page M3) DAVE: Quesada's work is actually a little too cartoony for what I like in a Daredevil comic. Beyond that, I'm neutral. We'll see. Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: After Mark Millar's runaway success with the Spider-Man franchise in the teen-hit, Trouble, it was only a matter of time before he was given his own Spider-Man book! Excelsior! *crickets chirping* Y'know, I want to be open-minded, but this book is being promoted as "ultra-realistic" (see also, "grim 'n' gritty"), and if ever there was a character that *didn't* need such a makeover, it's Spider-Man. Sounds misguided. (page M5) RANDY: The preview reads pretty much like every other Spider-Man book to me. And considering that the only Spider-Man book I'm still enjoying is Ultimate Spider-Man, that's not a compliment. Like you, I can't imagine a character I want to see in a more "realistic" vein less than Spider-Man. The art's sure to be pretty, though. But good God, did we really need another Spider-Man book, especially one that looks pretty similar to the other ones? DAVE: On a more positive note, given the book's darker themes and art by Terry Dodson, maybe readers can pretend it's the continuation of Kevin Smith's MIA "Spidey/Black Cat" series! Wolverine #13-14 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: It's funny, because I remember Rucka saying specifically in interviews that he wasn't all that interested in doing another Wolverine-Sabretooth match-up unless he really had something new to contribute. And yet, third arc in, we're seeing a Wolverine-Sabretooth match-up, with Darick Robertson returning on artwork. This is a strangely superheroic turn for the book which has thus far been something of a crime/revenge passion play, but Rucka's work on this book has been fantastic so far, and I'm sure if anyone can find something new to say about the played-out Sabretooth/Wolverine dynamic, he can. Either way, the artwork will be gorgeous. And for those who missed it, the Rucka/Leandro Fernandez "Coyote Crossing" story is collected into trade paperback format this month as well. (page M8) DAVE: Actually, ALL the Marvel Knights books seem to be dabbling in superhero clichιs this month, which is a pretty bizarre way to try to distinguish the line from its mainstream sister books. Wolverine vs. Sabretooth! Hulk vs. Iron Man! Avengers vs. X-Statix! WTF?! I can only shrug, but like you Randy, I've been enjoying Rucka's Wolverine, so I'll probably be reading these issues. X-Statix #21-22 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Meaning no disrespect to two creators whom I really like, it seems like maybe X-Statix was a concept meant for a limited shelf-life. Ever since the name changeover from X-Force, I've found the book grabbing less and less of my attention, and the fiasco that was the half-aborted Princess Diana story actually lost my interest altogether. I'm a little curious to see this unconventional team tackle the weirdly mainstream idea of X-Statix versus the Avengers, though, and I think this will be the test of whether X-Statix is still fun and edgy or just that book that was once fun and edgy. (page M13) Once in a Blue Moon Volume 1 GN (Oni Press) - RANDY: If I had to name one American publisher most likely to serve the growing manga audience, Oni Press would be it. So it seems only fitting that they're producing what is essentially an American manga series, done in manga-sized trade format and in the classic manga "teenage girl transported to fantasy world where she's very important" genre (see also El-Hazard, Fushigi Yugi, etc.). The artwork by Jen Quick looks gorgeous (almost a shame to go black and white, given how good the color cover looks) and Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir have proven adept at writing various different genres (crime, horror, even superheroes), so I expect this one to do quite well. Shame it couldn't hit that $9.95 magical manga price point, though. (page 296) DAVE: Ah, those punk kids can shell out an extra two dollars that they would've spent on crack otherwise. Anyway, I like the specific premise of this book: Aeslin's a girl who grew up attached to a particular fantasy book that her parents used to read to her each night when she went to bed. Now she's in her teens and the magic seems gone...right up until she's somehow transported to the very world of the book. That's cool. I think kids who grew up reading the Oz or Narnia or Harry Potter books will find this appealing. Adults too, for that matter. Paleo: Tales of the Late Cretaceous #8 (Empty Sky) - Paleo appears somewhat irregularly, but when there IS a new issue, I'm compelled to talk it up because I love this series to death. It's essentially the comic book analog to the Discovery Channel's Walking With Dinosaurs, but there's an edge, a hard-boiled intensity to its naturalism, that makes each issue a real treat. This is clearly a labor of love for writer/artist Jim Lawson, whose detailed visuals will remind readers of Art Adams' work, and no dino-fan should miss it. Phoenix Volume 4 TP (Viz) - DAVE: SO looking forward to this, the fourth volume in the series that reprints the masterwork saga of Japanese legend, Osamu Tezuka. Even as I write this, I'm hip deep in his excellent Buddha manga, and this volume of Phoenix is rumored to be his best. The premise involves a hideously deformed mass murderer and a handsome woodcarver who he stabs and cripples. Somehow their destinies remain intertwined, and I'm dyin' to see the karmic weirdness ensue. (page 326) Planet of the Capes TP (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: Been hearing about this one for awhile, as Larry Young, best known for pontificating on the industry and telling tales of Astronauts in Trouble, takes a shot at that rarely-seen niche genre in comics, the superhero. Young's premise, that a group of superheroes are transported to an Earth where their kind are nothing but fictional characters, is an interesting hook, and I've liked pretty much all of what Young has wrote in the past, as well as enjoying the Planet of the Capes pages I've seen from artist Brandon McKinney at previous San Diego Cons. I expect this to be a lot of fun, and to have some new things to say about the venerable superhero genre. (page 196) The Prince of Tennis Vol. 1 TP (Viz) - RANDY: I've enjoyed sports manga like Slam Dunk, and I like manga that's about unusual things, like cooking or politics, that American comics don't cover. I'm not sure Prince of Tennis will be for me, but this is one of the few manga solicits that stands out as something I (rather than a teenaged girl) might enjoy. Not that that's a bad thing... I'm actually perfectly happy not to get into manga, because I'd rather it was attracting new customers to the medium than aging fans like myself. (page 326) DAVE: I've found that sports-themed manga tend to be a little formulaic (see also, Rocky), but I've enjoyed several of 'em, and since I dig tennis, I'll definitely be giving this one a try. If other sports comics are any indication, Prince of Tennis will probably have stunning "in game" scenes to boot. RANDY: I just felt that I needed to say that a manga version of Rocky would kick ass. Somebody get Stallone's agent on the phone! DAVE: Aw hell YEAH. And y'know what? I bet the big end fight would span four volumes...and effing rock. Punisher: The End #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: No, not really "the end" – this is just another one of those one-shots where you see a hypothetical "last story" for the Marvel character in question. Kinda doubt Ennis will be able to top Alan Moore's unofficial precursor to all these stories, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", but I must confess to being a little curious. Looks like the Punisher's living in some kind of post-apocalyptic, or at least Red Dawn style future. The big draw, though, is art by Richard Corben, which is always hard to resist. (page M48) RANDY: I like Corben's artwork, but on the list of "The End" stories I wanted to see, the Punisher rests somewhere below Speedball and Dazzler. I actually sort of like the idea of "The End" tales, especially if they can match the aforementioned Moore story or the quintessential hypothetical last story The Dark Knight Returns, but Marvel's tales have so far been pretty forgettable, save the pretty interesting Hulk: The End that Peter David did. And hey, when are they going to put that back in print? Rabbithead GN (Alternative Comics) - DAVE: This one-shot western sounds utterly surreal - intentionally so, perhaps even endearingly so. In the words of the solicit: "RabbitHead" is an experimental comic heavily inspired by spaghetti westerns and Polish literature." Whuhunh? Hey, I'll give it a try. Cover art looks interesting. (page 198) Red/Tokyo Storm Warning TP (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - RANDY: You know, I'm not against the flipbook trade idea per se, but whose idea was it to genre mix Warren Ellis's stuff? Both Red and Reload are action-heavy, conspiracy/espionage tales, and I would probably have forked over for a trade of those stories, and while neither Tokyo Storm Warning or Mek really floated my boat, they had a similar genre as well and would have seemed a more natural mix. (page 106) Runoff Volume 1 TP (Oddgod Press) - RANDY: I haven't read the Big Dumb Fun Anthology that Oddgod produced (it's on my reading table), but the company seems to have a sensibility that agrees with mine, and Runoff sounds like an intriguing story. Bodies turning up, strange visitors, a guy named Mr. Teeth, the "cutest harbinger of doom comics has ever seen," all this stuff sounds interesting, and while Tom Manning is an unfamiliar name to me, I find myself intrigued by Runoff. (page 295) Shi: Ju-Nen #1 (Dark Horse) - DAVE: Yeah, so I've never read a Shi comic, but the series is moving to Dark Horse and...it's supposed to be one of the good "bad girl" books, right? The preview art has the air of "tasteful pin-up girl" to it, which is nice enough, but I'll actually have to read this one to get a feel as to whether it's any good. (page 18) SNK Vs. Capcom Volume 1 GN (Comicsone) - RANDY: All you Street Fighter fans should take note: Comicsone is producing a manga that pits the Street Fighter cast against their rivals from SNK game King of Fighters in full color graphic novels. Other than Iron Wok Jan!, I've found the storytelling on many of the Comicsone books to be a little on the confusing side, but I can't deny the beauty of the colored pages, and I expect that fans of this genre would find this well worth checking out. (page 226) Spider-Man: Blue TP (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: While not quite as strong as Daredevil: Yellow, this is probably my second favorite Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale collaboration. It's a really sweet look at the John Romita era for Spider-Man, and at Peter Parker's love for Gwen Stacy – pretty much a must-have for any Spider-Man fans who don't hold McFarlane as the pinnacle of Spider-Man art. (page M58) Spider-Man: The Death of Captain Stacy TP (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: And speaking of McFarlane, how sad is it that his lumpy, ugly art serves as the cover art enticement for a reprint featuring art by legends like Gil Kane and John Romita?! Oy, what a world. Still, this is a reprint I'm happy to see, as I've never read this classic tale of Gwen Stacy's pop takin' the ol' dirt nap. (page M64) RANDY: This is good stuff, but I've read it in the Essential Spider-Man, and I find that I generally enjoy the classic art of Kane and Romita in black and white as much as color, thanks to the somewhat antiquated coloring techniques of early comics. Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure TP (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: It kills me that this miniseries by Brian "Runaways" Vaughan has been largely overlooked, because for my money it's one of the best Spider-Man stories since the Roger Stern heyday in the '80s. It's "old school" in the best sense of the phrase, which is to say it's fast-paced, adventurous, and has high-stakes fighting...without losing its smarts. (page M59) Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 4: Light and Dark TP (Dark Horse) - RANDY: I know, I know... most adults look down on Star Wars because of the extreme geekiness of many of its devotees, and even its devotees have harsh words for the Clone Wars era, but... the Dark Horse Clone Wars saga has actually been about a hundred times more interesting than Lucas's crappy film. Writer John Ostrander (best known for cool-as-hell superhero books like Hawkworld and Suicide Squad, back in the day) has created an interesting cast of characters and situations, and the story of one character who has been working undercover has been particularly interesting, and comes to a surprising turning point in this volume. (page 36) DAVE: I've read a few of Ostrander's Star Wars books and you're absolutely right - they're good stuff for when you've got your Star Wars mojo on. Plus, I can't say enough good about Jan Duursema's artistic evolution on this series - stunningly detailed work. Stormwatch: Team Achilles #21 (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - RANDY: I'm not as up on Stormwatch: Team Achilles as I should be, something I plan on remedying as soon as Coup D'Etat comes to an end, but it seems worth noting that the series gets an art change with this issue. Though I've heard nothing but good about departing artist C.P. Smith, incoming artist Clement Sauve Jr. I know is good, having loved his work on the under-rated military/science-fiction miniseries Human Defense Corps, so I know he'll be an ideal match for Micah Wright's blend of politics, military action and superheroes. (page 106) Strykeforce #1 (Image Comics/Top Cow) - RANDY: I hate the Top Cow house art style and most of the characters from the original Codename: Strykeforce, and I know that Top Cow has a tendency to put out about three issues of a new series and then it just disappears into the ether. So why am I interested in Strykeforce? Well, it's a spin on the heroes-for-hire concept, one I have a certain fondness for, and it's by writer Jay (Noble Causes) Faerber, who is capable of some really good superhero storytelling. Not likely to land on my best list or anything, but I'm expecting this to be good solid superhero action. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies HC (DC Comics) - DAVE: A series that started out boisterous and promising has already become more than a little silly, but I suppose I'm at least glad to see Batman and Superman becoming friends again. Nevertheless...a hardcover for this?! Even at the quasi-reasonable price of $19.95, this series is hardly deserving of such a glitzy treatment. (page 97) RANDY: Like you, I'm a little surprised to see this getting the hardcover treatment. Some of the interest in this book seems to have cooled a little, thanks to people getting frustrated with its slipping production schedule, but there are still plenty of folks who probably wouldn't mind seeing this collected. Superman Reloaded (DC Comics) - RANDY: This makes what, the third or fourth time in recent years that DC has done a complete reload of the Superman franchise? It boggles the mind how such a simple and cool icon as Superman is so hard to get right. But DC is giving it another try, sweeping out the old creative teams and bringing in a whole list of fresh new creators. They're also doing something rather daring in terms of the continuity, or at least so the rumors go. (pages 52-57) DAVE: I've griped about the state of the Superman books so often in the past that my general comment for this new initiative is simply to wish it well and pray that something sticks. Let's look at each title in turn... Action Comics #814 (DC Comics) - DAVE: Chuck Austen writes – are we scared yet? Personally, I'm willing to give this much-sneered-at creator his shot, having seen scattershot instances of good writing in his comics before, most notably in the first issue of his recent Avengers arc. The story's one of those "day in the life" concepts, and the art by Ivan Reis reminds me of Mike "Teen Titans" McKone's stuff. (page 96) RANDY: Austen has burned every single bit of goodwill I ever had with his work on what seems like every third Marvel title. He wrote a Superman story I really liked at one point, a nice little one-off, but I'm afraid I have little faith that this will be anything but a trainwreck. His backup story in this week's Action Comics doesn't do anything to assuage my fears. The art is sure to be nice, and the covers will no doubt be fun, but I'm afriad that this revamp already has an albatross around its neck, and it's name is "Chuck Austen's Action Comics." Adventures of Superman #627 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Of the three Superman titles, this is the one that holds the most interest for me. I prefer Superman to be a more overtly superhero book, which isn't Rucka's style, but the notion of sticking closer to the ground, exploring Lois and Clark's roles as reporters, has a certain intriguing quality to me. And the preview page of interior artwork by Matthew Clark looks terrific. (page 97) DAVE: Love Rucka on Queen & Country and like his Wolverine stuff pretty well, but looking at how flat his Wonder Woman has been and how forgettable most of his Batman run was, I'm dubious of him handling the greatest hero of them all. Pretty much have to try it, though. RANDY: I'm kind of with you on Wonder Woman, but forgettable on Batman? Don't forget he wrote some of those enjoyable No Man's Land issues, as well as doing proto-Gotham Central stuff in his run on Detective Comics. There were some misses in there, but some real strong stuff as well. Superman #204 (DC Comics) - RANDY: It's a no-brainer to guess that this is the title that's going to top the sales in terms of the Superman books, because of the Jim Lee factor. Jim Lee + big corporate icon = huge dollars, as Batman proved, and while Lee isn't my ideal choice for Superman, I'm all for anyone who can make big blue cool to the casual reader again. Brian Azzarello on writing chores is a more unusual choice, as his dark and street-level sensibilities seem like an odd match for Superman, but he's a great writer, and I'm really curious to see what he comes up with. (page 97) DAVE: Azzarello should send Superman to the Phantom Zone for a gritty, inter-dimensional prison story with lots of Kryptonian sodomy. Just thinkin' out loud here. RANDY: Now, now. True, Azzarello tends to go for the dark and gritty, but he did write a fairly straightforward Sgt. Rock story, and I think he's going to surprise people with a pretty kickass Superman tale. Although I still don't think it's going to be exactly the kind of classic larger-than-life Supes you and I are looking for. DAVE: Screw larger than life - I'm putting "old school" behind me and I'm sold on Azzarello doing what he does best! I want Zod sodomizing Superman in the Phantom Zone showers and I want it now! Tezuka's Buddha Vol. 3 and 4 (Vertical, Inc.) - RANDY: I've read the first two volumes of Tezuka's take on the life of Buddha and found them to be terrific. So I'm glad to see that the next two volumes are coming out in April, although I am a bit weirded out by a publication schedule that skips several months and then puts out two volumes at the same time. At any rate, weird schedule or not, this is gorgeous and intelligent stuff, from Tezuka's interiors to the Chip Kidd-designed beautiful hardcover exteriors, and well worth a look even for those who aren't big manga fans. (page 320) DAVE: Simply put: indispensable for any serious manga fan. Tezuka's art is a constant source of inspiration. Top Speed Volume 1 GN (Comicsone) - DAVE: Promising "fast cars, hot girls and plenty of action," Top Speed is a street racing manga that I'll at least give a shot. (page 226) RANDY: I've been playing a rented copy of Need for Speed: Underground relentlessly for the past two weeks, so I'm sort of curious about this full-color street-racing manga as well. Too many of Comicsone's manga suffer from cluttered storytelling, though, so I haven't got my hopes up, although if this turns out to be another Iron Wok Jan! (Comicsone's best manga) I won't complain. Ultimates Vol. 2 #1 (Marvel Comics) - I remember when I loved the Ultimates. It was when the book was on its first six issues. Now it's on its second six, two years later. The delays have something to do with my growing disinterest, but the continually over-the-top and empty calorie nature of the stories has more to do with it. And seeing that Millar is going to begin polluting the relatively uncluttered Ultimate universe with "Ultimate" versions of characters like Captain Britain and the Defenders doesn't give me a lot of hope for the future of this book or the Ultimate line as a concept. Honestly, I was ready to complain that the second Ultimates trade is solicited and Marvel hasn't solicited the seemingly obvious hardcover collection of the entire first volume, but I find that I just don't care... I wasn't planning on picking it up at this point anyway. (page 23) Uncanny X-Men #442-443/New X-Men #155-156 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I may be beating a dead horse here, but doesn't it seem like if you're going to set up a "New X-Men era" featuring big names like Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, Joss Whedon and John Cassaday... that you wouldn't want the foundation laid by Chuck Austen? I dunno, maybe I'm just cringing at the thought of anyone but Morrison writing New X-Men, a title he pretty much redefined, but it's worse when it's a writer whose work I have little to no respect for. (pages 26-27) Warstone: Abaddon Invades (Devil's Due) - DAVE: I haven't been much impressed by Josh Blaylock's writing on the G.I. Joe relaunch, but strictly speaking it ain't bad, and this fantasy-themed series sounds kind of fun. Involves an alternate world populated by all the stock fantasy races - elves, goblins, ogres, and whatnot - and their attempt to invade our world because magic has dried up in their own lands. The "modern world meets fantasy" hook's certainly been done before, but I liked what Blaylock had to say in this Newsarama article, so maybe he'll surprise me. (page 255) Email Randy Lander and Dave Farabee comments about this review.