Down The Line - Previews review for April 2005 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. So I've teamed up with Dave Farabee, fellow comic book store manager and equally avid follower of the industry, to do these monthly 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 2005. 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. We're running a little late this month on the Down the Line. There are so many reasons for it that I hesitate to bring them up. Everything from the precariousness of the world economy to the impending Superbowl, as Dave and I cracked the books and charged up the supercomputer to try and figure out which team to bet on and what the spread would be. Why, there were really so many things going on in the world that it's hard to... DAVE: Randy's been playing World of Warcraft. RANDY: Uh... yeah. Busted. Sorry about the lateness, folks. As you can see from the above, my comments will be the normal type, and Dave's will be in yellow. You might notice in reading these Previews reviews that we've 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. 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. 3: Safety Behind Bars TPB (Image Comics) - RANDY: There's a lot of intriguing new stuff this month, and plenty of great ongoing stuff as well, but if you want to talk about something that is both a jumping-on point and an ongoing story, my pick for this month has to be The Walking Dead Vol. 3 trade. Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn really hit their stride, artistically, and at this point have done more issues than original artist Tony Moore, and Kirkman adds a ton of new characters and an interesting new setting all the while continuing the same quality and nail-biting suspense of the early issues. Three trades in and still every bit as awesome as it began. Glad Image is continuing the aggressive (and affordable) collection of this series. (page 144) DAVE: I think I'm not as consistently wowed with The Walking Dead as you and many others, but I am impressed that a good-to-great zombie comic even exists! What makes this series work so well is that Robert Kirkman has so clearly gone to great lengths to imagine all the subtleties, all the ins and outs, of what would really happen in an apocalyptic zombie scenario. In this trade's case, the band of survivors sets up camp in an empty prison that seems to offer all the protection and supplies they need... but is it reaaaally empty? DAVE'S PICK OF THE MONTH: Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur #1 (Dark Horse) - DAVE: Woohoo, more swords 'n' sorcery from P. Craig Russell! This guy can draw just about any artist under the table, and as comicdom's premiere adapter of prose stories, he's sure to do justice to this interpretation of an original Robert E. Howard story. The preview art looks terrific. (page 36) RANDY: Indeed. I know both you and I worry that the market doesn't really need two Conan books, and certainly the heat on Conan has cooled off a little already... but if the other miniseries are going to have talent like this, it's hard to complain. 24 Hour Comics All Stars TPB (About Comics) - RANDY: I have a fascination with the 24 Hour Comic concept, and so I'm intrigued by this collection of 24 Hour comics by big names like Paul Smith, Sean McKeever, Paul Jenkins, Dave Sim and more. Of course, I have the first collection About did and haven't read it yet, and haven't picked up the second collection, which features a comic by my friend Patrick Joseph, so this is one of those "one of these days" purchases. At any rate, though, big names, experimental storytelling, indy comics fans should definitely give it a look. (page 202) Action Philosophers #1 (Evil Twin Comics) - RANDY: The solicit reads: Friedrich Nietchze: The Ultimate Ubermensch! Plato: Wrestling Superstar of Ancient Greece! Bodhidharma: Grandmaster of Kung-Fu! When you hear that, your mind (or at least my mind) immediately jumps to a wild parody mixing these characters together, and when I found out that it is categorically not that, but instead stories telling the true life tales of these men, I assumed the hyperbole was a case of trying to make a boring school subject seem hip and cool. However, I was able to read the Bodhidharma story on the website and it actually strikes me as an entertaining and informative way to get the history of philosophy across. Potentially fun, and definitely great as educational comics. (page 298) Alias Enterprises (Alias Enterprises) - RANDY: Alias Enterprises is the newest publisher (following in the footsteps of Speakeasy and Kandora) trying to make a splash in 2005. There are some neat ideas here, not least of which is pricing the first issues at 75 cents each. However, if you look at the solicitations, Alias is flooding the market with four brand new 75 cent titles, three new $2.99 titles and five new graphic novels in its first month. That's just way too much product to dump at the same time, and Alias is going to wind up competing with their own titles. Marvel and DC can afford to do that, smaller, newer companies not so much. (pages 219-234) That said, though, the offerings aren't bad. I've read Killer Stunts #1 in a prior incarnation and enjoyed its stuntman with a twist style (think updated Fall Guy with an unusual genre twist), Deal with the Devil sounds like an intriguing horror/mystery, I dug what I saw of Elsinore's pitch info in San Diego a couple years back and Lethal Enforcer, in which cops work the supernatural, is a great concept, if not the best name in the world (it sounds more like a cheesy straight-to-video actioner). I'm also intrigued by Ted Noodleman: Bicycle Delivery Boy, which is apparently a collection of strips from MoviePoopShoot and Digital Webbing, but more importantly features artwork by Invincible's Ryan Ottley. It seems like way too much stuff at the same time, but with 75 cent titles and four weeks in the month, maybe it'll spread out okay. DAVE: Nothing wowing me here based on the solicits, but with such a flurry of new titles I like to think at least one or two will be winners. Amazing Fantasy #7 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Boy, I don't know if this new character can live up to Arana, the hottest new character on the stands today! Or at least, that's what Marvel tells me. More seriously, this series has deeper problems than the lamer who kicked it off, including a general wariness on my part about a book that is dedicated to taking a name of a familiar character (voted on by online readership) and presenting a new character who has nothing to do with that character. But... this first revamp sounds pretty good. The mother issues and espionage angle make it sound like second season Alias, which is no bad thing, the inclusion of A.I.M. and S.H.I.E.L.D. pushes my fanboy buttons, and the art by Leonard Kirk looks good, with covers by James Jean a nice bonus. Fred Van Lente, the writer, is the question mark, but his Silencers mob/supervillain story for Moonstone, had some interesting moments, so I'm mildly curious. (page M6) DAVE: Fine. DON'T leave anything for me to say. RANDY: Oh, c'mon... I left you all the juicy bits about how newcomer Alex De Campi was originally going to write this, and her concept sounded just as cool (if not cooler), until "creative differences" led to her taking her ball (and her Scorpion concept) and going home. Huh. I took that too, didn't I? What else you got? DAVE: How 'bout this: why is Marvel creating a new Scorpion even as the original is getting a sudden moment of prominence in the Marvel Knight's Spider-Man? What up with that, Marvel? Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes HC (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Maybe it's a little odd that I'm thinking about dropping $25 on a hardcover of a story I've been off-and-on with, but an oversized hardcover collection of Scott Kolins' artwork? Very tempting, even if the story has been hit and miss from issue to issue. (page M71) DAVE: I'll give this one another look at some point. I was put off by Joe Casey's seeming focus on the Avengers' "Year One" failures and in-fighting, but I do love Kolins' artwork and I'm willing to see if the story took a stronger turn. Batman: Jekyll & Hyde #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: Appropriately enough for a Jekyll/Hyde story, I like about half of this mini's creative team, dislike the other half. It's a six-part focus on Batman villain, Two-Face, with a story by Paul Jenkins (Sentry, Inhumans) – he's never impressed me – and art by Jae Lee (who's occasionally impressive) and Sean Phillips (who's nearly always excellent.) Probably not for me, but it'll look nice. Using two artists to express Two-Faces duality is kinda interesting. (page 63) RANDY: More importantly, Dave, it's six more issues of Batman-related greatness to occupy the shelves, alongside a ba-jillion Superman, Spider-Man and X-Men comics! The industry needs diversity! And by diversity, I mean a billion titles starring those four characters, their villains and their supporting casts. Sarcastic? Bitter? No, why? Batman: Scarecrow Tales TPB (DC Comics) - DAVE: Some minor interest here. I'm no great fan of the Batman villain, Scarecrow, about to get the spotlight for the new Batman Begins flick, but a trade collecting his most notable stories over the years? Could have some goodies. The stories go back as far as '41 and recent as '02. And apropos of nothing: Batman Begins is a wuss title. (page 64) RANDY: It is better than Batman: Baby Steps, though. Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #190 (DC Comics) - RANDY: I'm bored with Batman, and I haven't really had my head turned by Legends of the Dark Knight for a long, long time. But... put the right creators on, and the rules go out the window. J. Torres is a really good writer, and matching him with the art team of Fallen Angel for a two-part Batman/Mr. Freeze story will at least get me to take a look. (page 64) Beowulf #1 (Speakeasy Comics) - DAVE: I've yet to actually get my hands on any comics from newbie company Speakeasy, but the preview art for all of their books looks gorgeous and the concepts sound like interesting genre material. This one's giving me a bit of a Highlander vibe with it's tale of an immortal Beowulf in modern-day Manhatten. Seems there's an outbreak of superpowers going on (okay, that part scares me - enough with the superpowers!), and Wulf has to confront this surprise turn of events which might be the harbinger of an apocalypse. (page 336) RANDY: You and I may say enough with the superpowers, but the rest of the market doesn't feel that way, so I can't really blame Speakeasy for hedging their bets in this manner. At any rate, I agree with you, concept sounds interesting and art looks gorgeous. Looking forward to seeing what this new company can do. Beyond Avalon #2 (Image Comics) - RANDY: I read and somewhat enjoyed Beyond Avalon #1, and I'm curious to see where it's going... but I'm not going to find out until April 6th? Good Christ, that's a long time to wait for a regular book. Same thing for Mora #2, which has almost the exact same schedule. On one level, I respect the creators for at least acknowledging their schedules instead of just shipping late, but on another... 20-30 pages every three months, especially when you're trying to interest audiences in your brand new concepts without hot creators, is a huge risk. (page 148) DAVE: Right there with ya. Not to pick on these two books in particular, but let me just say that awkward scheduling is absolutely one of the reasons small press books are treated like the plague by so many readers. RANDY: Yeah, why can't they be on time like NYX, Daredevil: Father or Secret War? Clearly the scheduling issue goes beyond the small press, but they don't have the advantage of built-in company loyalty of Marvel and DC, so they can't afford the chronic lateness as much. Billy the Kid's Old-Timey Oddities #1 (Dark Horse) - RANDY: Anyone who has read The Goon knows that Eric Powell has a whacked-out sense of humor. Anyone who has read the solicitation for Billy the Kid's Old-Timey Oddities knows that he's putting it to use on this bizarre western/adventure/humor book with art by Kyle Hotz. In short, Billy the Kid fakes his death, but gets found out by circus freaks and is blackmailed into going on an adventure with them to steal an artifact from Dr. Frankenstein. Awesome. (page 44) DAVE: I like the solicitation promising a combination of "spaghetti western and Hammer horror" and I also want to give a shout out to artist Kyle Hotz. He's like a more restrained Kelly Jones - that's a good thing – and has impressed me quite a bit on recent sleepers like The Hood and the comic prequel to the Man-Thing movie. Looking forward to this. Birds of Prey #81 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Worth noting that Birds of Prey, easily in the top three of DC Universe books, is getting a new art team in the form of Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson. The story finds Huntress AWOL, and Canary is teaming up with Wildcat for a mission to Singapore. Sure to be good stuff from Gail Simone and her new art team. (page 77) The Complete Jon Sable, Freelance: Volume One TPB (IDW Publishing) - RANDY: Another First book returns to print thanks to IDW, and even if you're not gonna buy it, offer these guys some thanks. With Grimjack, American Flagg and Sable back in print and Nexus and Scout on the way, a lot of the '90s indy classics are finally available for the wider audience that they deserved, the audience that mostly missed them the first time around. That audience includes me, as I actually haven't read one page of Jon Sable, but I've really liked Mike Grell's stuff on Green Arrow and I look forward to seeing this well-liked stuff. Also, in the tradition of the Grimjack comeback, the trade is accompanied by a new miniseries by the original creators. (page 309) DAVE: Looking forward to this. I've liked a lot of Grell's writer/artist projects, from his Green Arrow work to his dead-on James Bond comics. I think I'll like Jon Sable. Conan #15 (Dark Horse) - RANDY: "Born on the Battlefield" part one was a fantastic look into Conan's early days by regular series writer Kurt Busiek and amazing painter Greg Ruth. This is part two, another self-contained part of the continuing early years of Conan. Cool. (page 35) DAVE: Ruth's a stunning new talent on the scene. I was blown away by his work on Dark Horse's Freaks of the Heartland (even as the story left me a bit cold), and have already "bookmarked" him as someone whose work I'll always check out. His stuff calls to mind Gene Colan's realistic kineticism as interpreted in painterly style. Oh yeah, and Busiek's cookin' on this title too. Dark Horse Book of the Dead HC (Dark Horse) - RANDY: The previous two Dark Horse hardcovers (Witches and Hauntings) have been pretty damn good, and there's no reason to think this one won't be. New Hellboy story by Mike Mignola is good, new story by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson even better, and new work from Eric Powell and Kelley Jones also really cool. Plus the prose story this time out is by Robert E. Howard. Sounds really damn good, and I know from past experience that the format will be gorgeous. (page 46) Dave Sim Collected Letters 2004 TPB (Aardvark Vanaheim) - DAVE: I haven't even read Cerebus and I find this interesting: 580 pages of Dave Sim catching up on a three-year backlog of letters he'd received. Loony the guy may be, but he's a lucid kind of loony, and prolific ta boot. I wouldn't buy this, but I'd be interested to look through a friend's copy. (page 202) RANDY: Whereas I think it'll make a great "Exhibit D" for his eventual commitment to an asylum. "Exhibits A-C," of course, being his increasingly loony lettercols and essays and of course being crazy enough to work in the comics industry in the first place. Day of Vengeance #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: Seems DC's looking to lend some definition to their magic-themed heroes and the worlds they travel in, and this six-issue mini looks to be setting the stage. That it's written by Fables' Bill Willingham and features such obscure DC magic characters as Ragman and The Enchantress intrigues. That it's spinning-off of DC's big event comic, DC Countdown, doesn't. (page 79) RANDY: Exactly how I feel. Except for the bit about Willingham, because I love his work on Fables and his own stuff, but his DC Universe work (like Robin) has been, well, on the horrible side. Maybe this "off to the side" magic part of the universe will suit him better. DC: The New Frontier Vol. 2 TPB (DC Comics) - RANDY: Damn you, DC. I wanted to hold out for some sort of collected one volume edition of New Frontier, but the first trade was so beautifully designed, and Darwyn Cooke's art so damn good, that I wound up buying the first volume anyway. I'd rather have it all in one volume, but now that I will have bought both volumes, I hope they don't do it, or I'm going to be very disappointed. (Disappointed is another word for really pissed off, right?) (page 78) DAVE: Who cares, ya big baby. Point is, I was able to hold out on the first New Frontier trade on account of being notably less impressed with the story than the amazing art. But a good hardcover I might consider, especially with a few dozen pages of bonus material sketches and pre-production art. Do it DC! Do it for me and do it to spite Randy! I'll tell him how good it looks when it hits ;) RANDY: Hey DC... make sure any hardcover you create is heavy enough for me to hit Dave with when he's spiting me. And cheap, since I'm sucker enough to buy the hardcover edition even after picking up the trades when it comes to Cooke's art. Death, Jr. #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: The Grim Reaper's son in middle school, with art by Ted "Courtney Crumrin, How Loathsome" Naifeh? Sold. The first four pages, previewed here, look like fun. It's based on a videogame, which can be worrisome, but the videogame also sounds kind of out there, speaking to more creativity than just a comic based on your average first-person-shooter. (page 135) DAVE: Don't knock the first-person-shooters, man. Oh yeah, and this does look kinda neat. Easy Way #1 (IDW Publishing) - RANDY: Here's where I got interested in Easy Way: "Writer Christopher E. Long conceived this crime tale during a stint in rehab." Whatever its strange origin, though, Easy Way has a hell of a high concept, as four guys out of rehab use a drug-sniffing dog to rip off drug storage lockers. Good story, and the red duotone art from Andy (Firebreather) Kuhn looks great. (page 310) DAVE: Freaky premise, nice art...yeah, sure, I'll bite. Elk's Run Volume 1 (Hoarse and Buggy Productions) - RANDY: Joshua Hale Fialkov's Western Tales of Terror has been an excellent indy anthology, and this, his first entry into single story comics, is also pretty good. I've read the first issue (don't be fooled by the "volume 1," it's a comic, not a graphic novel series) and it starts out looking like a coming-of-age story in a small town before taking a disturbing, intriguing twist at the end. (page 306) DAVE: The solicit intrigues with its promise of a portrait of life inside a militia. Essential Hulk Vol. 3 TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: I'm not wild about the Essential line (I just think Marvel heroes work best in color), but this Hulk collection is, oddly enough, one that interest me. It's just an era I've enjoyed in the handful of back issues of the series I've read, with creators including Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Harlan Ellison, Herb Trimpe, and Gil Kane. I think these are some of the stories that prove that intelligent, creative stories can be written around the savage Hulk. Fade From Blue #10 (Second to Some Studios) - RANDY: It's been a long wait, but it's good to see Myatt Murphy and Scott Dalrymple finishing up their small press miniseries, about four sisters and their personal lives, as well as their involvement in a dangerous mystery. Looking forward to seeing how it ends, but I'll need to go back and reread the previous issues to catch up on the story first. (page 329) Fantastic Four/Spider-Man Classic TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: This should be a fun reprint trade, collecting as it does notable team-ups between Spidey and the FF over the years. Check out the list of contributors: Stan Lee, Chris Claremont, Kurt Busiek, Steve Ditko, Mike Zeck, Frank Miller, John Byrne, and Mike Allred. Cool! (page M81) The Fly Chronicles: Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain TPB (Active Images) - RANDY: Richard Starkings has a great eye for talent, and all of his Active Images books have been really good, and often great. The last time he reprinted a humor strip we got Temptation, which was very funny, and The Fly Chronicles looks no different given the cartoons previewed in the ad. It's got a very Gary Larson vibe, which is never a bad thing. (page 204) The Fountain HC (DC Comics/Vertigo) - DAVE: This sounds interesting. From edgy filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) comes an original graphic novel produced in conjunction with a film of the same name. Premise encompases three different time periods - a Mayan war in 1535, the modern day, and the far-flung future - and painter Kent Williams handles the visuals. Certainly one to investigate. (page 117) RANDY: Aronofsky's involvement intrigues, Kent Williams not so much. Not a fan of the guy's art in general, although I have to admit, his freaky-ass style is probably perfect for Aronofsky's trippy writing. At any rate, this one is sure to be mind-bending and probably emotionally draining, if Aronofsky's films are anything to judge by. G.L.A. #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Hate New Avengers? Love She-Hulk? I do, and that means I'm looking forward to the She-Hulk team of Dan Slott and Paul Pelletier taking on the fourth-rate Great Lakes Avengers, guest-starring several of the Avengers that were killed or screwed up during the "Disassembled" event. It's published by Marvel, so it's not going to be as vicious as I'd probably like, but I'm looking forward to more parody of "Disassembled," and more importantly, I'm looking forward to more comedic, old school superheroics by this creative team. (page M41) DAVE: Personally, I'm not big on the parody stuff, especially coming from in-house. I'd rather that if mistakes were made, companies just move on and try to fix them rather than dwelling on 'em. Besides, I've gotten my fill of funny, acidic "Disassembled" spoofs online! That said, I've got a bit of fondness for the Great Lakes Avengers from back when Byrne first created them, and with Slott and Pelletier on board, I expect this'll be a lot of fun. RANDY: Well, yeah. I keyed into the "Avengers Disassembled" stuff because of my personal tastes, but what's important is that this creative team has proven the ability to mix second-tier Marvel characters and comedy to create great comics. Invincible #0 (Image Comics) - RANDY: Robert Kirkman's original superhero creation Invincible has pretty good buzz, but it still doesn't sell anywhere near the numbers of a lot of other superhero books, so the awareness isn't totally out there yet. Solution? A 25 cent issue that introduces the character to a new audience. If you've never tried Invincible and you like superheroes, you don't have any more excuses now. (page 137) Iron Ghost #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: Now here's an interesting writing challenge: the protagonists are a pair of Nazi SS detectives, trying to protect Nazi higher-ups from a vigilante hunting them in the closing days of World War II. Actually, the impression I get is that they're not so much protagonists as POV characters, and the protagonist is the titular Iron Ghost, a vigilante in the Shadow vein hunting down dirty Ratzis at the end of the war. With Chuck Dixon and Sergio Cariello at the helm, it's sure to be action-packed work. (page 138) DAVE: I think this sounds like a great pulp premise and Cariello's definitely a talented artist. Consider me interested. Jade Fire #1 (Kandora Publishing) - RANDY: Jade Fire is the second offering from Kandora Publishing, and I'm now convinced that this publisher is actively aiming for Crossgen territory. Jade Fire sounds more like the first wave of Crossgen stuff, with a champion of destiny and magic, and honestly sounds like kind of a dull premise to me, but the artwork by H.S. Park and Transparency Digital looks interesting, and I'm always one for hoping a new publisher can bring some fresh ideas into the market. (page 316) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 2: The Absolute Edition HC (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - RANDY: Ah, if only I were rich, I could afford these lavish slipcased hardcover editions from DC. Those of you who dropped $75 on the first League HC set will be happy to see the second series presented in the same way, complete with Moore's scripts, sketches from O'Neill and plenty of other extras. (page 112) DAVE: Here's hoping for a director's cut expansion on the infamous Hyde/Invisible Man scene! Now who's with me? ... Anyone? Lone & Level Sands GN (Caption Box) - RANDY: A. David Lewis, creator of the literary Twilight Zone-esque Mortal Coils, returns with an original graphic novel examining Ozymandias, legendary king of Egypt. You can view a prologue HERE and get a glimpse of Mann's stylized, attractive artwork. (page 266) Marvel Milestones: Venom & Hercules (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: This is Marvel's freaky little reprint book. This time it reprints Secret Wars #8 (first appearance of Spidey's black costume) to tie into some cruddy Venom comic, bur more importantly, it reprints Journey Into Mystery Annual #1. This is the first appearance of Marvel's version of Hercules (tie-in is the new miniseries he's getting), and it's a hoot! Classic Lee/Kirby fun and a truly titanic battle between Thor and Hercules. (page M18) Marvel Visionaries: Steve Ditko HC (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Bow down, fools! Bow down to the artist who gave us Spider-Man and all his classic foes, Doctor Strange and Dread Dormammu, and more quirky gangsters and aliens than you can shake a stick at! I think Marvel's doing a great job with this series of reprints from their Holy Trinity of creators: Lee, Kirby, and now Ditko. They're a terrific mix of classics and more obscure outings. (page M75) RANDY: You suppose Marvel Visionaries: Don Heck is up next? I kid, I kid! Although seriously, a Marvel Visionaries: John Buscema or Marvel Visionaries: John Romita would be awesome. I don't know if either of those guys had the weird, off-beat stories that Lee, Kirby and Ditko had, though. DAVE: Maybe Gene Colan? Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of The Escapist #6 (Dark Horse) - RANDY: I have honestly not been crazy about the Escapist comics, despite a stunning array of talent. The "mock Golden Age" character just doesn't hold that much interest for me. However, it's hard not to take notice of a story from the late Will Eisner, teaming the Spirit-inspired Escapist up with the actual Spirit. There's also work from indy hotshots like Jason, Eddie Campbell and Paul Hornschemeier, among other creators, but let's face it, it's the Eisner story that really makes this noteworthy. (page 41) Mnemovore #1 (DC Comics/Vertigo) - RANDY: The writers on this project are unknown quantities to me, in that I've heard of both but haven't really had much direct experience with their work. However, the strange, horror/paranoia vibe mixed with Mike Huddleston's artwork sounds like the kind of thing I loved with Deep Sleeper, and that cover is creepy and effective. I'd rather it were a Hester/Huddleston joint, but Huddleston's work is perfect for this kind of thing, and I look forward to seeing it in color. (page 122) DAVE: I know at least half of the writing team since it's the guy who wrote the prequel miniseries to the Man-Thing movie that's been bumped from a feature flick to a Sci-Fi Channel movie. I thought that mini ended on a really disappointing note, but it had some really fine moments throughout. I think he's a writer worth watching and with a creepy-sounding paranoia premise, I'll be giving this book a try. Big fan of Huddleston's art, too. Neil Gaiman's Lady Justice Volume 1 GN (IBooks) - RANDY: Despite having a full-page ad and a web presence, I am unable to find anything from Ibooks to illuminate exactly what this is. I know roughly what it is, a reprint of some of the Tekno Comix material, but given that Tekno was really good at using big names (like Neil Gaiman and Dan Brereton) when they provided only springboards or covers, I don't know if I'll actually be interested in this or not. I note that on the mock-up cover, the artist listed alongside Brereton is Fred Harper, whose work I recently discovered in the Negative Burn collection. More information would have been welcome, but I'm still intrigued. (page 308) Night Club #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: It's not quite zombies, but it's close enough to be lumped into that genre. Tough to beat the running favorite Walking Dead, but Night Club sounds like fun, with a limited (four issue) story, overtones of the apocalypse and some gorgeous-looking artwork from Mike Norton, who continues to impress me more and more with each new project. Kudos also to Image for their new solicits, which allow them to preview this and some of their other books this month and thus give a better idea what to expect. (page 140) DAVE: I like the new look too, and yer right - excellent preview art for this book. Mike Baron's got me both creeped-out and fascinated with zombies saying things like, "Get the shit out of your ears, meat doll...", so yeah, I'll probably give this a shot. Nightwing #107 (DC Comics) - DAVE: The ass-kicking art team of the last several years of Green Arrow, Phil Hester and Ande Parks, takes over on Nightwing! Actually, I've got no stake in this. Never followed this book and returning writer Devin Grayson's wildly hit-and-miss for me. Just thought the new art team was worthy of note. Dudes can draw. (page 65) RANDY: The new direction, rumored to be "Nightwing as Donnie Brasco," sounds like a good one, and perfect for this stellar art team... but yeah, I also share your trepidation about Grayson's writing, as well as your love for the art team. The OMAC Project #1 (DC Comics) - RANDY: While they're very well-written, I just haven't been able to get into Greg Rucka's tales of Superman and Wonder Woman... our views of the genre just don't align. However, The OMAC Project involves paranoia, conspiracy and espionage, which seems like exactly the kind of thing Rucka excels at, and Jesus Saiz (of 21 Down) will no doubt provide gorgeous artwork. My only wish? I wish Rucka would bring back the cooler-looking Checkmate uniforms and ditch the boring ones that showed up in Detective Comics. (page 86) DAVE: Agreed on the Checkmate uniforms. I like that the organization uses plainclothes agents, but the Knights need to be wearing the cool black and gold! As for The OMAC Project, I've got a bit of interest. I loved John Byrne's mature-readers OMAC series of several years ago (DC? Maybe a trade?), so I'm open to seeing this lesser-known hero reinterpreted. He better have the mohawk though... Power Pack #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: The return of Marvel's kiddie heroes with a Saturday morning cartoon makeover? That's the vibe I'm getting, and it looks passable, but I'd have preferred a press toward a slightly older audience – say ages 9-12 instead of 5-9. You know, a bit more Judy Bloom/Harry Potter, a little less Teen Titans Go? I thought Louise Simonson and June Brigman had such a tone nailed in the early days of the original series, and given the right push to the Potter crowd, I think it'd be a better direction for the series. (page M11) RANDY: Not much interest in this creative team, to be honest, and far more interested in seeing the Power kids interact with the Marvel Universe, such as the really great use that Vaughan puts Julie Power to in Runaways Vol. 2 #1 out next week. But then, I'm not really the audience for these young readers books, and it does make sense to aim a slightly out-of-continuity version of a bunch of kid heroes at what kid audience does exist for comics. Red Sonja #0 (D.E.) - DAVE: So in the wake of Conan's success at Dark Horse, are we on the cusp of a legion of imitators? Could be, but this outing's got a pretty good pedigree. Start with another Robert E. Howard property, bring in Mike Avon Oeming and Mike Carey on writing, Greg Land on covers, and a talent like Richard Isanove (1602) on coloring...not bad! Oh, the art? Don't know so much about that guy - Mel Rubi - but I seem to recall he did solid work on the Angel comic for Dark Horse. Worth a look if you like the ladies in chainmail bikinis. (page 275) RANDY: Probably worth mentioning that this first issue is only 25 cents, just like the book that launched the new Conan era. I have about as much interest in Red Sonja as I did in Conan at first (translation: very little), but for a quarter, and with a solid creative team, I'll definitely give it a look and see if it can wow me like Dark Horse's Conan book has. Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy #1 (DC Comics) - RANDY: It's that time again, time for me and Dave to once again shower love on the Seven Soldiers project. If you haven't gotten it yet, we're both super-excited, and each new project certainly doesn't change that for me. Frazer Irving's cover has a terrific, spooky vibe and Morrison's re-invention of Klarion as part of a weird, magical subterranean society sounds... well, perfectly Morrisonian. (page 88) DAVE: Can't wait. Love the cover art. Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: And speaking of cover art...hard to go wrong with Zatanna's cleavage, eh? Seriously, though, I'm loving all the visuals on these books, and even putting aside prurient interests, the Zatanna cover's a grabber with its stark frame of leaping white rabbits. It's from Ryan Sook, recently of impressive art on Hawkman, and the story itself promises to follow Zatanna in a quest to find he father's magical journals when her powers start to ebb. Also somehow involves, "...taking part in a reality show that sees her undergoing a rigorous detox on an island near Themyscira." Okay, sure! I'm in! (page 89) RANDY: Hell yeah. Sounds like mystic road-trip adventure with a side of patented Morrison weirdness and pop-cultural observation. And Sook's art has been getting better and better with each project. Scalawag GN (Top Shelf Productions) - RANDY: The latest in a series exploring a fictional jazz band and their addictions and troubles by Steve Lafler. It's only now that I realize each volume features a different instrument player, and this time out, it's gambling, cheating, drinking piano player Dennis. Oh, and all the characters are "bug-headed hipster bop musicians." Yeah, it's a little odd, but it's always compelling reading, especially for anyone with a love of the jazz culture. (page 360) Seeing Things HC (Fantagraphics Books) - DAVE: I'm just too damn plebeian to've ever gotten into Jim Woodring's stuff but I still feel it's my duty to mention a rare, new project. This one's a collection of charcoal drawings, many of 'em created for a multi-media stage collaboration he took part in. Hmm, that actually sounds kind of interesting... (page 298) She-Hulk Vol. 2: Superhuman Law TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: New She-Hulk trade! Still one of the best new series to come from Marvel in the last ten years! (page M79) Solo #4 (DC Comics - DAVE: The sad truth is that, as great as the art's been on this artist-spotlight series, the stories have all been painfully lightweight. I'll still give Chaykin his shot, though. His breakdown of stories includes Westerns, sci-fi, autobiography, and even a jazz-themed story. I'm usually not a fan of his writing but I'm curious to see what he can do with the short story format and intrigued by the great preview art of a guy wailing on a sax. (page 87) RANDY: Is it possible that's just a typo, and that it's a story about sex? I mean, I'll be shocked if Chaykin can do an entire book without some kind of blowjob sequence. DAVE: Hmm, maybe the guy blowing on the sax is symbolic... Spies, Vixens & Masters of Kung Fu: The Art of Paul Gulacy HC (Vanguard Productions) - DAVE: Paul Gulacy's art had its quirks, but I've always loved it as a wonderfully crafted extension of the action movie poster aesthetic. Even at a pricey $24.95, I think I'll be picking this up. Features art from Batman, Master of Kung Fu, Star Wars, and his James Bond comics. (page 362) Steve Rude's The Moth TPB (Dark Horse Comics) - DAVE: I just couldn't get into this quirky retro-superhero book, but for Steve Rude's art alone...I must mention it. Rude's a consummate pro whose style's an inimitable blend of Kirby and Norman Rockwell. Superhero fans lookin' for a taste of the old-school might want to give this one a look. (page 38) Superman Vs. The Flash TP (DC Comics) - DAVE: I can't quite figure the tradition of Superman/Flash races. If the Flash loses, aren't his powers pretty much invalidated since runnin' is all he does? And why doesn't Supes ever have a swim-off with Aquaman or a lasso-off with Wonder Woman? Think about THAT for a while, smart guy! Anyway, for whatever the reason the tradition exists, this trade collects all the notable Superman/Flash races and it's sure to be...I dunno. Goofy? Surprisingly cool? I'll give it a look. (page 73) RANDY: I'm sorry, I'm still trying to get the image of a Superman/Wonder Woman lasso-off out of my head. Would it be like a western/rodeo thing, or more bondage/domination? DAVE: Both. Surviving Grady (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: I'm not even remotely a baseball fan. But even I have to admit the high potential for drama in the Red Sox breaking their losing streak for last year's World Series. I'm just not sure I'm interested enough to read what looks like a prose account of their winning season, even if it is co-written by one of the creators of the strange and hilarious Sky Ape. If, however, you are more a baseball fan than I, and especially if you're a Red Sox fan, you might want to check it out. (page 219) Swords of Rome Volume 1: The Conquerors GN (IBooks) - RANDY: I can't look at that title without hearing the narrator from History of the World Part I in my head saying "Rome!", which continues to make me chuckle every time I look at it. However, this is a serious look at Rome through the eyes of one family, or, as the solicitation puts it, "Rome, done Sopranos style." Sounds interesting, and it's nice to see more historical subject matter making its way to comics. Of course, I'm really looking forward to Dan Brereton's gladiator graphic novel, on its way from Disney... at some point. (page 308) DAVE: This is the kind of stuff that fascinates me - the potential for using comics' unlimited budgets to give a real look at life in these ancient cultures. Maybe a worthy companion piece to Age of Bronze? Temporary: The Real Me #2 (Origin Comics) - RANDY: The first issue of Temporary was strange, engaging and incredibly creative. I didn't know there was going to be more, but I'm glad. The second issue finds office temp Envy going to work for the cops and running into what sound like a variety of movie and TV cliches, played for off-kilter humor. Should be great, like most everything Damon Hurd writes, and Rick Smith provides terrific artwork as well. (page 327) Tezuka's Buddha Volume 1: Kapilavastu TPB (Vertical) - DAVE: At last Osamu Tezuka's complex, violent tale of the life of Buddha gets a softcover treatment. I've been loving this series, featuring some of the most stunning vistas and images ever to appear in comics, and only regret slightly that I've been buying the $25 hardcovers for the same story softcover readers will get for $7.95... (page 363) RANDY: I have the same slight regret, but the hardcovers are so damn gorgeous that I'll probably complete my collection in that format. Still, good to see Vertical going for the more regular-priced manga market with another Tezuka masterpiece. The Tourist GN (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: On mainstream superheroes, Toby Cypress's work hasn't been my cup of tea. But matched with Brian Wood for a story of a soldier/smuggler working an offshore oil rig, I'm much more interested. Sounds like Wood working more in his Couriers vein than in his Channel Zero style, and should be entertaining action comics. (page 218) DAVE: It's the foreign locale that interests me: Smuggler-guy is plying his trade in a remote Scottish village. A bit more offbeat and interesting a context for a gritty drama like this than we usually see. Vampire Hunter D Vol. 1 Novel (Dark Horse) - DAVE: This isn't a comic so much as an illustrated novel based on the popular anime of the same name. Of note, beyond the fact that it might be a decent little apocalyptic horror yarn, is that fact that it's illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. He's the guy who painted Greg Rucka's Wolverine/Elektra prose novel, Neil Gaiman's Sandman: The Dream Hunters, and did the designs for one of the most popular games in the Final Fantasy series. He's damn good and his art, more than an intrinsic interest in the story, earns this one a look. Check out his stuff here. (page 28) Vertigo: First Taste TPB (DC Comics/Vertigo) - DAVE: Finally, a Vertigo trade for working-class folks who're tight on cash! In short: 160 pages of Vertigo first issues for a mere FIVE BUCKS. Not bad! First issues include: Y: The Last Man, 100 Bullets, Books of Magick: Life During Wartime, Transmetropolitan, Death: The High Cost of Living and Alan Moore's first Swamp Thing from back in th' day. I'm casting my vote that the next entry includes Fables, Hellblazer, Preacher and Sandman Mystery Theatre. (page 123) RANDY: Yeah, my only disappointment with this project is that it features Books of Magick instead of Fables, but you're right, there's enough material for a different First Taste to get readers in. Anyway, this is a great idea, and I hope it pays off in bundles for DC and Vertigo. Wars End: Profiles from Bosnia 1995-96 HC (Drawn & Quarterly) - RANDY: At first, I thought these were new stories from Joe Sacco, but instead it looks like they're reprints of other stuff he did centered in Bosnia before Safe Area Gorazde and The Fixer. Sure to be intense, well-written and depressing enough to make you want to blow your brains out. Fortunately, the former two aspects overshadow the latter one. (page 289) Wolverine: Enemy of the State Vol. 1 HC (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: The story arc reprinted here has surprised me. It's got helpings of Mark Millar's trademark shock tactics and a mind-controlled Wolverine going on a killing spree in the hundreds, and yet...and yet...it's also got some surprisingly classic Marvel moments. Under Millar and the great art of John Romita Jr., guest-stars Daredevil, the Fantastic Four and Elektra have all been treated with coolness and respect, and if Millar somehow wraps on a high note, this would mark his first Marvel outing I'd consider buying. (page M77) RANDY: I've also been really enjoying Millar and Romita Jr.'s Wolverine, but on more of a "$10-12 trade" level than a "$20 hardcover" level. Zombie King #0 (Image Comics) - DAVE: Frank Cho of Liberty Meadows fame on a zombie book? Let's see, how do I put this delicately... Will the zombies have tits? (page 142) Zombie Tales #1 (Atomeka Press) - RANDY: Boy, zombies really are the hot thing these days, aren't they? Atomeka throws their hats in the zombie ring (exposing their precious, tasty brains... sorry, just getting into the spirit of things) with Zombie Tales, a 48-page collection of six stories from diverse creators like Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Ron Lim and Andrew Cosby. (page 251) DAVE: Will the zombies have tits? Yuk, yuk! Seriously though, some decent talents here, but this seems like fair-weather zombie-love. I need committed creators like Robert Kirkman for my zombie stories, or at least something a little meatier (no pun intended) than a 48-page anthology. Email Randy Lander and Dave Farabee comments about this review.