Down The Line - Previews review for June 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 April previews for comics due to ship out in June. Pre-ordering is your friend. If there's stuff you want in June, letting your retailer know before the end of April is the best way to make sure you get it. We're barely out of the first quarter of 2004, and already retailers are planning ahead for the end of the second. Freaky. At any rate, June is a huuuuge month, with way too much stuff for any sane person to order. Fortunately, Dave and I are here to guide you through what we think are the highlights. Settle in, folks... this is going to be a long one. DAVE: You might even want to go ahead and take a quick pee break first. RANDY: 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: Spaghetti Western GN (Oni Press) - RANDY: I have become something of a Scott Morse completist, so I pretty much snap up anything he does, whether it's from Top Shelf, Oni, DC, what have you. However, there are two projects he's doing in 2004 that have me more excited than usual. One is the upcoming Everest project in full-color with Greg Rucka (look for that one to be my Pick of the Month for August), the other is this one. Morse's interest in the films of Kurosawa gave us the amazing Barefoot Serpent, and now his interest in Sergio Leone gives us Spaghetti Western. However, just as Barefoot Serpent wasn't a samurai epic, neither is Spaghetti Western a period western. Instead it's a story of a modern-day bank robbery with the style and tone of those classic Leone westerns. Sure to be beautiful and highly entertaining. (page 318) DAVE: Wouldja believe I was actually more interested in this when I thought it was a literal take on Spaghetti Westerns? It’s true. The stunning preview art wallpaper at the Oni Press website just got me all hyped up for ponchos and six-guns. Conveniently I love a good heist story too, so I'm still pretty pumped. DAVE'S PICK OF THE MONTH: Sleeper Season Two #1 (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - DAVE: The preview for this new Sleeper series at the end of the Coup D'Etat mini already has me horny for it. When last we saw undercover badass, Holden Carver, he'd become so shaken up by working undercover in a brutal supervillain crime organization that there was a very real possibility that he'd finally crossed the line, finally gone 100% rogue. Now his handler's back in the game, and I am dying to see the shit hit the fan. Brubaker's on fire here, turning out smart, morally ambiguous scripts that put Mark Millar's similarly themed Wanted to shame. Best of all, the same month sees the release of the second "Season One" Sleeper trade, so you can get all caught up before signing on to the new book. Lock and load, kids. Safeties off. (page 113) RANDY: If there's one thing that depresses me about comics reviewing, it's when a book like Sleeper, which has gotten no negative reviews that I know of anywhere, still has to struggle for recognition. This is a good book, people. Everyone is telling you so. It's even got superheroes and supervillains, for those of you who only want your comics in that genre! DC is making it easy to get into the book. Second trade hits probably the very same week that the first issue of Sleeper Season Two comes out. If you missed Sleeper the first time out, this is your chance to rectify that mistake and get just as caught up as the rest of us. And for those of you already reading Sleeper, the good news is that there's more Sleeper on the way, and you may continue to feel morally superior for recognizing it as the comics greatness that it is way ahead of everybody else. 2 Sisters GN (Top Shelf Productions) - RANDY: I'm in huge spy mode these days, thanks in no small part to a love of the TV show Alias and the new James Bond videogame for PS/2. So when you say "World War II era spy thriller" you've already got my attention. When it's by the idiosyncratic artist Matt Kindt, who along with Jason Hall did some very unusual and exceptionally engaging work in crime with the Pistolwhip graphic novels? Well, then you've got a guaranteed sale. (page 336) DAVE: Apparently the story somehow jumps around in time, too, including cuts to ancient Rome and ye old pirate days. I'm definitely interested to see how all these elements are brought together. Akiko Pocket Size Vol. 2-3 (Sirius Entertainment) - DAVE: I've already written of my great fondness for this series in the previous installment of Down The Line, so I'm just happy to report that more pocket-size editions are on their way. I can't think of a better comic for adults to share with their kids or for getting younger readers into sequential art. (page 325) Amazing Fantasy #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Just seems misguided. Another Spider-Man-themed heroine? When the Spider-Girl fans have thrown themselves collectively in front of so many bullets just to keep *that* series afloat? I'm all for more adventure series geared for teen girls, but...maybe something more original? (page M2) RANDY: Marvel's got their hype machine turned up to 11 for this one, too, and already I'm bored, which isn't a good sign. Fiona Avery has been much more hit-than-miss for me in comics, so I just don't have a lot of faith that she's got it in her to create a new icon that can nab that elusive teen audience. Especially, as you say, when it seems to be yet another iteration of Spider-Man, only as a girl. Arrowsmith: So Smart in Their Fine Uniforms TPB (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - DAVE: Kurt Busiek's hitting a lot of high notes lately, what with Conan, the recent Astro City minisieres, and JLA/Avengers, but this tale of an alternate history World War I might've slipped under your radar. It mixes wartime grit with fantasy-tinged adventure (this is a world where magic works), and if the wartime observations seem a little trite, the detailed world-building art of Carlos Pacheco makes it all pretty palatable. (page 112) RANDY: I loved this book more than you did, I think, because while I won't argue that Pacheco's gorgeous depiction of the world is a big selling point, I also loved Busiek tackling the morally gray war story genre and mixing it with the fantastic and doing it all so well. I'm glad to see DC trading this one so soon, and hopeful that even with their busy schedules, we'll see Busiek and Pacheco return to this world and these characters someday. Attack of the Political Cartoonists TPB (Dork Storm Press) - RANDY: Political humor these days is pretty easy to come by in the United States. With the Bush administration in power, the jokes write themselves even more than usual. So a collection of work by 150 editorial cartoonists, published by sometimes editorial cartoonist John Kovalic under his Dork Storm Press banner, certainly piques my curiosity. The introduction by John McCain, one of the Republican Senators I actually like, also intrigues. (page 278) DAVE: Hunh. I thought Kovalic was purely a gaming comics guy – a sub-genre that's never grabbed me - so I’m both surprised and pleased to see this coming from Dork Storm Press. Batman Adventures Vol. 1: Rogues' Gallery TPB (DC Comics) - RANDY: Can I just say how much I love DC for doing digest size reprints of their kids material? From a retailer point of view, the things are doing great, because parents won't balk at seven dollars for six stories, and that means a lot more kids are getting exposed to comics at a young age. I haven't picked up any myself because I'm a casual fan at best of the Powerpuff Girls or even the Justice League Adventures comics. But this volume, and the second volume also solicited this month, include stories I've really liked by Ty Templeton and others, and so I find myself tempted by these volumes as well. Kudos to DC for doing these digests, and with any luck, we'll see many more to come (maybe even reprinting some slightly older material like a full run of the previous Batman Adventures and Superman Adventures series?) (page 99) DAVE: I'll second that motion. The various iterations of Batman Adventures have been far better than any series based on a cartoon has a right to be – some of the best Batman stories of the last decade, in fact! Bring on the Mike Parobeck issues! Batman: Broken City HC (DC Comics) - RANDY: About halfway through Broken City, I realized that it was paced for the trade, and kind of lost interest in the single issues. Having now read the final part of Broken City, I'm not sure the story entirely makes sense, and I'm certain it's more complex than it needed to be given a relatively simple premise. However, it did give us a very different interpretation of Batman with great atmosphere, and Risso's artwork is almost worth the price of admission on its own. If that price of admission is for a trade paperback. I love the occasional hardcover, but DC's gone crazy with the things lately, and not everything needs a hardcover printing. (page 99) DAVE: Amen, brother. Candyappleblack #1 (Good Intentions Paving Co.) - RANDY: If any publishers out there needed proof that ads in Previews work, Candyappleblack is a pretty good argument for it. The full page painting, reminiscent in some ways of the work of Dan Brereton, caught my attention, and the moody, gothy premise of an exiled angel gathering up souls of the damned has me intrigued as well. This is a new talent and a new company, so as always, it's a crapshoot as to whether it'll be any good or not, but at this point, it's certainly got enough going for me to check it out. And I love the in-joke in the company name. (page 302) Caper #9 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Caper has been fantastic, quite possibly the best thing Winick has written for mainstream comics (and I say that as a huge fan of his work on Green Arrow). The three arc structure, with different premises and different artists, is a little weird, but it works, and having now read all of arc one and half of arc two, I'm very curious to see what sounds like a more zany, outrageous tale set in modern San Francisco. Tom Fowler will have his work cut out for him living up to the beautiful artwork of Farel Dalrymple and John Severin, but having seen some of his previous work, I have little doubt that he's up to the task. (page 103) Challengers of the Unknown #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: I just read Chaykin's quasi-superhero romance comic the other day, Mighty Love, and I must admit I'm at a loss as to how he's still in demand. Always the same, square-jawed cynical leading men, the familiar sex and violence fetishism, the obtuse storytelling, the action without any excitement - ugh. Will it somehow be more palatable wrapped up in a series based only tangentially on a Silver Age DC adventure comic that was drawn by Jack Kirby? The answer is no. (page 103) RANDY: Until someone republishes American Flagg in a more affordable edition than Dynamic Forces' upcoming presentation, I think I'm done with Howard Chaykin. Everything I've read from him I haven't liked, and as you note, it all seems to follow the same formula, and when anyone has defended him, they tell me "Well, this wasn't his best stuff." I've come to the conclusion that either American Flagg was the only good thing Chaykin did, or that the writer as a whole just isn't my cup of tea. Either way, I've still got the Steven Grant/John Paul Leon revamp of Challengers of the Unknown in my collection, and that's about all the revisionist take on the concept that I need to read. City of Silence TPB (Image Comics) - DAVE: I never jumped on the Warren Ellis bandwagon, but I've enjoyed most of what I've read in Transmetropolitan. Since this trade reprints a three issue mini he produced in the mid-‘90s that apparently presaged many of Transmet's themes, I'll give it a look. Futuristic paranoic noir stuff. (page 139) RANDY: I bought this miniseries, thinking they'd probably never do a trade. It does indeed read like Transmet-lite, and while I liked it at the time, I would say that you're probably better off reading Transmetropolitan, and then seeking this out if you wind up liking that. Which is to say in more general terms that Transmet fans starved for more of the same kind of thing should check this out for a more violent, action-oriented take in the same style. Cloudburst GN (Image Comics) - RANDY: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti gave us an action-packed and thoroughly engaging dystopic science-fiction read with The Resistance. So I'm glad to see them coming back to the genre with Cloudburst, a fairly epic-sounding science-fiction one-shot that pits the inventor of an experimental weather machine and some entrenched colonists against soldiers in the employ of an evil corporation. I've never heard of one of the artists, and Christopher Shy is hit and miss for me, but Newsarama has a good story on the book with some beautiful interior pages previewed. (page 140) DAVE: Strong sci-fi concept, proven writers...so why's the cover make it look like a "babe with a gun" book? RANDY: C'mon, my friend, you work in comics retail too. You and I both know that a girl with a big gun is going to sell better than a more thematic sci-fi piece. And the presentation is a bit generic, but the art is nice, courtesy of Amanda Conner. DAVE: I guess I'm just having flashbacks to Rucka's solid run on Elektra which was appealing to all the wrong folks with those Greg Horn cheesecake covers. Clyde Fans: Book One TPB (Drawn & Quarterly) - DAVE: I'm a huge fan of Seth's New Yorker style of cartooning and especially his seminal graphic novel, It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken. His latest effort could not possibly sound drier, being a chronicle of two brothers running a fan manufacturing company, but it's surprisingly compelling. It's also gorgeous to look at. (page 285) Creatures of the Night HC (Dark Horse) - DAVE: Neil Gaiman enthusiasts take note: modestly priced $12.95 hardcover to adapt two Gaiman short stories to comics - "The Price" and "The Daughter of Owls." Michael Zulli to paint. That is all. (page 34) The Crow: Flesh & Blood TPB (Dark Horse) - RANDY: I've gotta be honest, I found the whole Crow phenomenon a little puzzling. The movie was passable at best, and the original graphic novel sort of left me cold. However, I have a certain fondness for the revenge melodrama, and a lot of fondness for Alex Maleev's moody artwork, which seems like a pretty good match for the Crow. Fans of this Goth icon will definitely want to check this one out, and fans of Maleev's Daredevil might give it a look as well. (page 32) DAVE: Taste the violent angst...TASTE IT! Daredevil #61 (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights) - DAVE: Simply noteworthy for the fact that Black Widow is back, and I thought Bendis did some great work with her cameo in the series a year or two back. (page M52) Death Takes A Holiday #1 (Varmint Press) - RANDY: Don and I wrote a Two in One review of this one a couple of months back, and we both loved it. Sarcastic, political, and funny as hell, Massey's version of Death as a cynical slacker is hilarious, and well worth checking out. (page 342) DNAgents Volume 1: Born Orphans TPB (About Comics) - RANDY: Right when I was very first starting to branch out of the Marvel/DC market and into other publishers, one of the books I sampled was DNAgents. I read about three or four issues, and as I recall, I liked them, but I honestly have no recollection of any specifics. My suspicion is that this will read like just about every other mid-'80s superhero team book now, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, and it has that magical $9.95 price point that makes graphic novels more affordable these days. (page 206) DAVE: Always wanted to try out this series, m'self, and I'm just pleased in general to see some of the indy adventure comics of the '80s being made available again. Now can some publisher hook me up with Grimjack reprints? RANDY: A-frickin-men. Somebody get those rights sorted out. I lucked into a cheap run of Grimjack a few years back, and actually have every issue including the elusive graphic novel Demon Knight... but I'd still happily plunk down some cash for nice trade paperback reprints of that series. Elfquest: Searcher and Sword HC (DC Comics) - DAVE: This one's pretty big - the first full color, original Elfquest story in years by series' creators Richard and Wendy Pini. I'm not especially taken with the preview art with its flat, animation-style colors - but I'm all but certain to check it out. It's a $24.95 hardcover - kinda steep there - but I bet it'd make a nice companion to the Elfquest Archives hardcovers... (page 110) Emily and the Intergalactic Lemonade Stand (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - RANDY: Now this is an odd one. An original graphic novel about an 11-year-old girl who has a giant robot and a lemonade stand who somehow becomes the defender of the Earth. Sounds very weird and potentially hilarious, maybe along the lines of Slave Labor hits like Street Angel and Halo & Sprocket, although perhaps with a slightly more all-ages feel. (page 216) DAVE: I took a look at Tyson Smith's art at his own website and I like it quite a bit. Seems evocative of '40s and '50s cartooning aesthetics, which has always appealed to me. Essential Spider-Man Vol. 6 TPB (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Glad to see Marvel is still doing these Essential reprints from time to time, and really glad that they continue to reprint Amazing Spider-Man. I started reading when the book was very late in the 200s, and I've loved all of the classic Spidey reprints, so I'm really looking forward to reading another 25 issues or so, including classic stories like the death of Gwen Stacy, the first appearance of Punisher and the very odd relationship between Aunt May and Doctor Octopus. I'm hoping that the Essential Spider-Man series gets up to volume 10 at least, and going this far gives me hope that it might happen. (page M72) DAVE: See, and I wanted to read all these stories in vibrant COLOR, 'cause, hey, they're colorful superhero stories. But I may have to start picking these volumes up. Spider-Man in particular probably has the best track record of any Marvel hero when it comes to consistant quality in his early years, and I'd like to read these stories. Ock and Aunt May, eh? Not a hentai thing I hope... RANDY: Oh dear lord, that's an image that's not coming out. Anyway, you and I have gone 'round and 'round on this, but I kind of prefer these Essentials without color. Not only does the linework of these classic artists look fantastic in black and white (better than in that creaky color technology that was used for so many years), but it means I can buy these reprints cheaply. DAVE: For the record, I absolutely agree that the artists that were on these books were so talented that their stuff still looks fantastic in black and white - yes, maybe even better than in color on the purest aesthetic level - but Marvel superheroes should be in color. Thas all I'm sayin'. And I actually think the colorists of old did pretty damn good, even if the process sometimes muddled their work a bit. Ex Machina #1 (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - RANDY: You say Brian Vaughan and Tony Harris, you've pretty much got me right there. Add in an interesting premise about a mayor with super powers, which is something that really hasn't been done, and you've got one of the books I'm most looking forward to in June. Honestly, I sort of wish this was set in the Wildstorm universe, because the Eye of the Storm line could use more of this kind of thing, but I can definitely see storytelling advantages to setting this in a world with no other superheroes or supervillains as well. (page 113) DAVE: I just can't help but be a little depressed at yet another superhero project from such top-tier talents. Don't get me wrong - I dig Vaughan on Runaways and Mystique, and his Spider-Man/Doc Ock mini and Marvel MAX book The Hood are underrated gems...but I want more in the way of his work on Y: The Last Man. Fantasy/sci-fi without the goddamn spandex. Sorry. I want to be enthused and I know I'll try this book, but there's no excitement for me here. RANDY: I predict that when this comes out, you'll change your tune, just as you finally did with Sleeper. Superheroes are overcrowding the market, to be sure, but you and I both have some love for the genre, and I think that given the lack of superpowers in general and missing spandex, Ex Machina stands a pretty good chance of being better classified as sci-fi than superhero. Fallen Angel TP (DC Comics) - DAVE: Fallen Angel is one of the most unsung yet innovative titles to come from DC's stable in ages. Alas, it's often the mark of innovation that folks don't know what to make of it at first. Thankfully, we're all getting a second chance with this trade featuring an intro from no less a creator than Harlan Ellison. Short version is that the series is a mysterious, gothic Casablanca. Recommended to fans of that film, of the strange environs of the movie Dark City, or anyone looking for a darkness-tinged adventure book that’s like nothing else out there. (page 104) RANDY: I've fallen off the book a little of late, but I'm still considering picking up the trade, because I think David's long-form storytelling may read better in that format. At any rate, those of you who think you know Peter David should read Fallen Angel, where he's deliberately gotten away from some of his more well-known writing habits and tried out something a little darker, a little more noir and very, very interesting. The Goon #7 (Dark Horse) - RANDY: Talk about your matches made in heaven. The odd sensibilities of The Goon and Hellboy are very different, but they share some influences and somehow, the notion of these two characters crossing over just seems like a natural. Both Mignola and Goon creator Eric Powell are amazing artists who have created something truly original and special, and I'm thrilled that these two creators are bringing their characters together in the same playground for an issue. My guess is that this one will leave us clamoring for more of the same. (page 31) DAVE: Sounds like a hoot. I'll bite. The Gray Area #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: To be completely honest, it always makes me nervous when an artist decides to write his own project. Sometimes you get a Brian Bendis, sometimes you get a Chuck Austen. I'm even more nervous when it's someone who is an exceptional artist, because I know the art will be great but that can make a disappointing story even more disappointing. That said, John Romita Jr. has come up with an interesting premise here, putting a corrupt cop into a sort of afterlife police force, and I know the artwork will be gorgeous. I'm wary of the prestige format, which seems pricey and risky, but still intrigued by the project. (page 141) DAVE: It *is* a fun premise – sort of a supernatural take on The Shield. I'll tune in for the first issue just to see Romita Jr.’s art, but he'll need a pretty good story to hook me. Such a damn good artist, though. Hench GN (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: Doing a story from the point-of-view of a supervillain henchmen is just a brilliant and fun idea, so I have to give credit to Adam Beechen just for coming up with it. Beyond that, I don't know the talent on the book much (Manny Bello is a new artist and I haven't really read Beechen's stuff), but I have full faith in the AIT/Planet Lar brand, and I expect that this will be a really entertaining graphic novel. (page 215) DAVE: I like the idea suggested in the solicit that this guy is struggling with what his bizarre career choice means to his morals and to his family... because it sounds like it'll be something that just about anyone who's ever worked an effed-up job will be able to relate to on some level. Hyde #1 (IDW) - RANDY: Just as writers like Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek work their way through beloved superhero icons, so too is Steve Niles working his way through the icons of horror. He's covered (or will soon cover) vampires, zombies, werewolves and Frankenstein's monster, and now we're getting his take on the tale of Jekyll and Hyde. I'm not sure he'll be able to top Alan Moore's take on the character, but it's certain to be entertaining. (page 308) Identity Crisis #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: DC's hype machine is working this one pretty well, and I'll cop to finally working up some mild interest. It's a seven-issue mini by Brad Meltzer, the prose writer who took a shot at Green Arrow when Kevin Smith left, and it promises a sweeping DC Universe mystery and *gasp* the DEATH OF A DC HERO! Too early to call this one - I was lukewarm on Meltzer's Green Arrow work - but with art by the brilliant Rags Morales, covers by the overhyped Michael Turner, and all the PR Time Warner can bring to bear, I do know that it's gonna be BIG. (page 106) RANDY: I have such mixed feelings on this book. See, I'm thinking that DC is trying like hell to hype it, but I'm not sure how many people are gonna show up to the party. I also wasn't crazy about Meltzer's Green Arrow as a whole (although I liked moments throughout it, and will probably pick up a trade if one is forthcoming), but I've read some excerpts of his novels and they're excellent. But then I read the Identity Crisis preview in Wizard, and was sort of lukewarm on the whole thing. But then there's Rags Morales, who has been great since way back in the '80s but who finally seems ready to break out into the A-list megastar he always should have been, on art. But then it's a seven-issue miniseries, which is just way too frikkin' long. I dunno. Too close to call, but I would categorize myself at the same level of mild interest. Identity Disc #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Somehow I just can't work up any feelings about Marvel changing the name of their Sinister Six miniseries to confuse potential DC Identity Crisis readers other than "Huh. Well that's kind of stupid." That somewhat inane marketing tactic aside, does the miniseries sound like it'll be any good? Well, Robert Rodi has mostly missed the mark with me in previous projects (a couple of issues of Codename: Knockout excepted), so I'm not expecting much out of it. However, the lead characters and the premise, not to mention the use of old school villain organization A.I.M., has piqued my curiosity. I have a sneaking suspicion this will feature all the sins of New Marvel, including a dearth of action, a realism that really doesn't fit (it'll be a damn shame if A.I.M. loses their yellow beekeeper suits) and characterization that is completely inconsistent with all past portrayals... but that's just prejudging the series. Mostly, my feelings on this one are "Eh. I'll give it a look, maybe." (page M40) DAVE: I, too, will give it a look, maybe. Invaders #0 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: From what I've read of this book, it'll combine some of the World War II superhero legacy seen in DC's mighty JSA with a more militaristic bent. Writer Allan Jacobsen recently talked a pretty good talk for it at Newsarama, but I'd still have preferred a gritty, modern-day interpretation of the original Invaders fighting Ratzis in World War II. (page M45) RANDY: I'm mildly intrigued by this one thanks to Jacobsen's interview - the guy talks a good game - but Austen's involvement in the setup and the modern-day setting does put me off a bit as well. However, if Jacobsen can give Marvel their own version of JSA, that'd be a good thing, as it really is one of those consistently good modern team comics. And it might start to get Marvel off their dependence on the X. No, I mean X-Men, not Ecstasy. Although the latter might explain some of Marvel's editorial choices of late. Java #1 (Committed Comics) - RANDY: "The world has a shortage of coffee beans and coffee has become one of the earth's most valuable commodities." Fun! A band of heroes trying to bring down an evil corporation and stop the flow of tainted coffee beans? Equally fun. Sounds goofy but entertaining. (page 249) JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition Oversized Slipcover HC (DC Comics/Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I want this book so very, very badly. Not only does the notion of an oversized collection of Busiek and Perez's fanboy treasure make my little fannish heart go into palpitations, this includes a second volume with such treasures as the art from the original JLA/Avengers crossover that never saw print and a guide by Busiek to the many, many obscure continuity references and Easter eggs scattered throughout the pages. However, as with all of DC's oversized hardcovers, it's horrendously overpriced at $75 (that breaks down to more than $15 an issue, even if you generously estimate the 64-page companion at $10) and in a month with so many other trades and a ton of tempting gaming stuff, I had to let this one slip out of my budget. I guess I'll wait for the trade, which won't include all the juicy extras. A shame. Even at $50, I probably would have had to give in, but $75 is highway robbery. (page 107) DAVE: I wasn't nearly as taken with this decades-in-the-making-mini as you and many others, but I have to admit this sounds like a nice production. Ridiculously overpriced, yes, but nice. Kyle Baker, Cartoonist Volume 2: Now With More Bakers TPB (Kyle Baker Publishing) - RANDY: Kyle Baker Cartoonist was absolutely my favorite thing that Baker did last year, so I'm thrilled to see another collection of his caricatures, strips and editorial cartoons. Even more thrilled that the title promises more of my favorite feature, the autobiographical family comedy strip The Bakers. (page 311) Less Than Heroes GN (Top Shelf Productions) - RANDY: David Yurkovich is an unusual indie talent who has mostly applied himself to doing very odd takes on the superhero genre. Odd takes that include someone whose power can turn things into chocolate or corporate superhero teams. This particular graphic novel tackles the corporate heroes concept, and it both reprints stories of the Philadelphia-based superteam Threshold and contains new stories as well. If you've never read Yurkovich's work, treat yourself to Less Than Heroes, and if you have followed his work, well, it's finally time once again for new Yurkovich stuff. (page 336) Marshal Law: Cloak of Evil GN (Titan Books) - RANDY: See, I got all excited when I saw that this was original Marshal Law material by creators Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill. Then I realized that it wasn't a new comic, but in fact a new illustrated novel. Still good news for Marshal Law fans, but I'm really not big into the illustrated novel format in general, so I'm disappointed that this isn't a full-on graphic novel featuring the ultraviolent superhero parody. (page 328) Mary Jane #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Call me crazy, but I think this just might work. Brian Bendis has proven that Mary Jane can be a fascinating character in her own right, and the notion of a popular girl with a crush on a superhero who will eventually become a superstar model/actress married to said superhero is rife with storytelling possibilities. It's sure to give continuity fans fits, but it seems like an ideal comic for the increasing female manga audience. Especially when you've got writer Sean McKeever, who is ideally suited to writing in this genre, and Takeshi Miyazawa, whose artwork on books like Sidekicks and Runaways have shown him to likewise be ideally suited to the concept. I know it's going to have a rough time in the direct market, but I hold out hope that this could a be a breakout hit for a new audience. (page M20) DAVE: Same complaint as I registered with the Mary Jane prose novel that came out last year: how can the writers help but marginalize this character if her boyfriend is Spider-Man and she never plays a role in his adventures? If it's just the adventures of a teen girl in a New York where superhero craziness in general makes for an interesting life...maybe. If she’s always wondering "Why'd Peter run off right in the middle of our date?!"... trouble. I wish McKeever luck, but he's got his work cut out for him, Miyazawa's art IS indeed terrific, though. No question about that. Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm TP (Twomorrows Publishing) - DAVE: I've read a few Timm interviews in the past and he's a pretty interesting guy in his own right. The real reason to pick this up, however, is the art, the beautiful, beautiful art! (page 338) Mortal Coils Volume 1: Bodylines (Red Eye Press) - RANDY: Mortal Coils reads like a smart, modern reinterpretation of the classic Twilight Zone. This trade collects stories from the previously published issues of the book, as well as new stories and work by luminaries such as Mike Mignola and Scott Mills. Anyone with a taste in trippy horror should definitely check this one out. (page 322) DAVE: I only know of this series by name. Pretty impressive collection of talent behind it, though. The Nail #1 (Dark Horse) - RANDY: Here's my plan for solving the world energy crisis: Let's hook up Brian Bendis, Robert Kirkman and Steve Niles to a machine that generates electricity everytime one of them writes. We'd all be set for life. Which is my way of saying that this is another Niles project, this one co-written by Rob Zombie with art from former Fused artist Nat Jones. The premise is out there, as a small-time wrestler and his family cross paths with what looks like zombie Satanic bikers, but the preview page is pretty interesting. (page 28) DAVE: I have more interest in your energy plan than another comic produced by Rob Zombie. Neotopia Pocket Manga Vol. 1-2 (Antarctic Press) - RANDY: Have I mentioned how much I love this trend of "pocket sizing" graphic novels? I mean, part of me is sad to see the gorgeous Espinosa artwork shrunk down, but as an alternative to the oversized hardcovers, 168 full-color pages for $9.95 is not a bad deal at all. Espionsa's Neotopia is a great epic storyline with overtones of Miyazaki, and these affordable volumes will let me catch up on the stories I haven't read yet. (page 225) DAVE: Another series I've been meaning to investigate given my fondness for the fantasy genre. Price looks right, and of course Espinosa's artwork is stunning – a little like a melding of anime sensibilities and Charles Vess. On the Road to Perdition Book Three: Detour (DC Comics/Paradox Press) - DAVE: Never great but always worthy of my time, the Road to Perdition series is the closest American comics have come to capturing the violent energy of a vintage John Woo Hong Kong flick. This is the third and final follow-up to the original graphic novel and it features art by the legendary Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. (page 118) The P. Craig Russell Library of Opera Adaptations Volume 3 HC (NBM Publishing) - DAVE: New opera comics from P. Craig Russell is pretty much always a good thing. (page 315) Plastic Man #7 (DC Comics) - RANDY: As I mentioned earlier, I'm a Scott Morse completist. So even though I'm no huge fan of the Plastic Man series despite being a fan of Kyle Baker's, I'll be picking up this single issue, which features Morse writing and drawing the stretchy JLA member. Huh. Did that sound dirty? (page 109) Powerless #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Warning! Warning! Passe superhero deconstruction approaching! Imagine a Marvel Universe where the likes of Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, and a guy named Logan never had superpowers – would they still be heroes? Does anyone care if the story's not written by Kurt Busiek? The preview art from Alias's Michael Gaydos looks nice enough, but I can't help but think that this sounds like the realization of the worst fears readers had when Jemas wanted to make everything "realistic" at Marvel. (page M5) RANDY: I think the only way I'd be interested in Powerless is if it were being played for laughs, like in the classic How to Be A Superhero book, where a hero struck by lightning uses his "third degree burns and chronic stutter to fight crime and injustice wherever it can be found!" I get the whole "without powers, they'd still be heroes" thing, but the question is, would they still be interesting to read about? My guess is: Nope. Princess Ai Vol. 1 (Tokyopop) – DAVE: Among the usual indundation of Tokyopop product, I have to at least call folks' attention to this new series if for no other reason than the fact that it's written by kooky rocker Courtney Love. Billed as a "gothic shojo" comic, it sounds like an inversion of commonplace girls' fantasy themes in manga in that a princess from the past is somehow transported to the modern world. Usually works the other way around, right? (page 332) RANDY: Almost certainly not for me, but yeah, this does sound like something fun for fans of the girly manga. Can Courtney Love write? I suppose anything is possible. PS 238 Volume 1: With Liberty and Recess for All TPB (Dork Storm Press) - RANDY: Superhero schools is a concept that's been done many times before, but I think Aaron (Nodwick) Williams is the first one to take the school all the way back to the early days of elementary. PS 238 is a lot of fun, a pretty all-ages take on the whole notion of superhero kids with more than a few winks and nods for longtime superhero fans. (page 278) Punisher #7-8 (Marvel Comics) – DAVE: For them what haven't heard, Garth Ennis’s new MAX incarnation of The Punisher has been surprisingly intriguing and devoid of the wonky black humor that characterized his previous take on the characer. These two issues begin a new arc with art by the talented Leandro Fernandez. Into gory vigilantism? Might be worth checking out. (page M60) Queen & Country Scriptbook (Oni Press) - RANDY: I'm not a huge process wonk or anything, but I do enjoy reading good comic-book scripts. Having read the script for issue one of Queen & Country, I know that these things are entertaining on their own, and provide some interesting insight into the stories before they are drawn. So I'm glad to see Oni Press collecting the first four Rucka scripts into a book, complete with sketches and design drawings by original Queen & Country series artist Steve Rolston. Who, by the way, returns for a special one-shot story in Queen & Country #25, also solicited this month. (page 320) DAVE: I'm already a huge fan of this series and I'm even more primed for it right now as I'm watching the DVDs of the BBC miniseries Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Bond and Sydney Bristow are all well and good for fantasy espionage kicks, but tales of the real world of spying are a wholly separate pleasure. The scriptbook might be for serious Q&C followers like us, but the ongoing series I recommend without hesitation to all. RANDY: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, huh? Off to my Netflix queue I go! Oh, and while I'm there, I might just add Sandbaggers, one of Rucka's influences on Queen & Country, into the mix as well. Raven House #1 (Crossgen) - DAVE: Chuck Dixon on a gothic horror comic in the tradition of Henry James? I wouldn't have guessed it, but based on CrossGen's excellent genre track record with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, El Cazador, and Abadazad, I *will* read it. I'm pleased with the growing horror revival in comics and look forward to a more subtle entry in the genre. Knowing CrossGen, it's also sure to be a lush visual production, which is its own appeal. (page 255) RANDY: I really hope CrossGen can pull out of its business tailspin, because they are putting out more consistently good comics now than they were when they were flush with cash and industry hype. Raven House sounds like another intriguing read, and Manco's artwork can be gorgeous, and is perfect for the genre of this piece. The Ride #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: I love the notion of an anthology of stories based around an inanimate object, kind of like Robert Altman's short-lived TV series Gun. In the case of The Ride, the object is a 1968 Camaro (sweet!) which starts off in the middle of a story featuring an Atlanta P.D. rookie detective, her veteran partner and her murdered brother. Doug Wagner, the writer, is not a name I know, but the art is by Gaijin Studios. Which means gorgeous covers by Adam Hughes and no-doubt slick, sensation of speed artwork by Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze. I've got high hopes for this one, and I'm already disappointed that it's only two issues instead of an ongoing series. Oh, and you can get a preview HERE.(page 147) Ruule: Kiss & Tell #1 (Beckett Comics) - RANDY: The first Ruule wasn't really my cup of tea, despite exquisite artwork by Mike Hawthorne. However, this second Ruule series seems to have little to nothing to do with that series, instead focusing on a superstrong private eye in a noirish setting with art by Impulse artist Craig Rousseau. I'm not sure that sticking with the Ruule name is doing the company any favors, but at 99 cents for the first issue, I'm willing to give the whole thing another shot. (page 240) Samurai Executioner Vol. 1 TPB (Dark Horse) - DAVE: No one can say I don't love the manga - I love the CRAP out of it - but I've just never read Lone Wolf and Cub. A little too burned out on the samurai genre to commit to 28 volumes... Stop that booing and hissing you mugs out there in the studio audience! Have you read What's Michael? Or Gon? Or Phoenix? S'what I thought, posers. *Ahem* But even from afar, I can tell you that I've always been blown away by Goseki Kojima's art on the series and...oh let's just cut to the chase: Samurai Executioner is the thematic sequel to Lone Wolf and Cub by the original creators. Dig the original? Probably smart to reserve this now. (page 22) Scratch #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: Batman investigating a small town or a potential werewolf isn't a particularly noteworthy concept. That the story's to be written and drawn by Maxx creator Sam Kieth IS. His quirky writing and lush, wild visuals are surely an acquired taste, but if you've got the bug for his work, this mini is probably worth your time. I liked his Hulk/Wolverine miniseries of a year or two back.(page 101) RANDY: I kind of hated that Hulk/Wolverine miniseries, but I'm curious about this one. Keith gave a very funny, very self-deprecating interview to Comic Book Resources where he explains that this is mostly his chance to write a new werewolf character and less a chance to write Batman, and given that I'm kind of sick to death of the Dark Knight crusader at the moment, and a big fan of Kieth's artwork, that's all I needed to hear. Silly Daddy GN (Reed Press) - RANDY: When my computer crashed a while back, one of things it lost was Joe Chiappetta's email address, so I never got to respond to him about review copies of Silly Daddy. Fortunately, his email did spur me to check out some of the Silly Daddy stuff that my wife had in our collection, and I quite enjoyed it. Chiapetta's somewhat off-beat and autobiographical tales of balancing who you are with being a father hit a pretty solid chord with me these days. (page 323) Small Gods #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: Psychic powers have become relatively commonplace (1% of the population has them) in the world of Small Gods, which focuses on a Denver detective with precognitive abilities. I know nothing about these creators, but I like the basic premise and the cover image they've created is quite striking. (page 157) DAVE: Yep. If I'm not gonna get any preview art to judge a comic before ordering, I at least want a good premise and a good cover – which I see here. Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One #1-2 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Doc Ock's been one of my favorite Spidey villains since Bill Mantlo wrote him as if he were truly Spider-Man's arch foe in an '80s storyline in Spectacular Spider-Man. Not so sure I needed to see the character’s formative years spread across a five issue mini though. Impressively forboding Kaare Andrews cover topping it. (page M8) RANDY: Hopefully this miniseries will answer all those compelling questions about Doc Ock's backstory like "Why is there a miniature version of himself living in his crotch?" Oh, that's just a symbolic kind of thing, for the cover? Never mind, then. I have no interest in yet another Doc Ock miniseries after all. Star Wars: Infinities - Return of the Jedi TPB (Dark Horse) - DAVE: Haven't even read this, but it's another entry in what's essentially Marvel's old What If? title cross with the Star Wars license. If you're into that kind of thing, it's probably worth giving a look-see. (page 43) Star Wars Tales #20 (Dark Horse) - DAVE: Every once in a while, the Star Wars Tales anthology serves up some surprising goodness, and an issue devoted to indy creators lampooning the most hated Star Wars character of all time - Jar Jar Binks - has much potential. Looks for Tony Millionaire, Peter Bagge, Gilbert Hernandez, and James Kochalka (yay!) among others. (page 43) RANDY: With that lineup, there's no way I won't be checking this one out. Good catch, Dave. Street Angel #2 (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - RANDY: Street Angel #1 was a blast, so I'm really pleased to see we'll be getting another dose in about three months. The solicitation copy pretty much speaks for itself on this one, and includes references to West Side Story, Ireland's first astronaut, an Incan Sun God, conquistadors/pirates and, of course, ninjas. Tons of fun and absolutely essential reading for those who loved Scurvy Dogs. Which should be all of you. (page 219) DAVE: Yes! The first issue was one of my favorite debuts in recent months! Really looking forward to more of the same inspired lunacy. The Tomb GN (Oni Press) - RANDY: Adventurous female archaeologist leads a team into a booby-trapped mansion to recover stolen artifacts. Sounds like fun, and the creative team of Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir means that I'll almost certainly enjoy this new graphic novel from Oni Press. (page 320) DAVE: Cool premise, good writers, hope we get a good artist. RANDY: Well, Christopher Mitten is the artist, and while his stuff on Last Exit Before Toll seemed a little stiff to me, he's definitely got potential. Ultimate Fantastic Four #7-8 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: For better or worse, depending on personal tastes, this is the issue where Warren Ellis takes over from Bendis and Millar. Stuart Immonen, whose recent work on Superman: Secret Identity blew me away, signs on as the new artist. (page M15) RANDY: Once upon a time, I was a big Warren Ellis fan, but his hatred of the superhero genre is well-known, so I'm more disappointed to see him returning to write characters he's all but admitted that he hates than excited to see him possibly regaining a larger presence in the market again. Then again, I've always felt that Ellis's best work was on superheroes, like Stormwatch, The Authority and even Excalibur, in spite of (or maybe because) he doesn't really love them, so maybe this will resonate for me better than some of his more recent work has. Ultimate Spider-Man #60-61 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I've been sort of losing interest in the Ultimate line over time, but Ultimate Spider-Man has more or less held onto my interest. However, it seems to me that Bendis is bringing in elements I really didn't want to see this early in the series, such as Black Cat and now Carnage and Ben Reilly. The latter are two concepts I pretty much never wanted to see in these books, just like I never wanted to see Venom, and I think that while this will probably be successful with the fans in general, Bendis may be taking the book off in a direction I don't really want to follow. (page M3) DAVE: Stan Lee is known for advising writers not to give readers what they *think* they want. Seems all the more relevant when it comes to the likes of Ultimate Carnage, eh? Ultimate Spider-Man Script Book (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: While I might be losing some interest in further volumes of Ultimate Spider-Man, that doesn't mean I don't think this is a great idea. Bendis's scripts are a lot of fun to read (as anyone who has the Powers Scriptbook knows), and illustrations by Jim Mahfood and Chynna Clugston-Major along with Ultimate Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley make it all the more tempting. (page M69) DAVE: I'm not even really onboard the series anymore and even I must admit this is a pretty cool insider special. The Uncanny Dave Cockrum Tribute SC (Aardwolf Publishing) – DAVE: Very cool thing here: a collection of writing and art tributes to the legendary Dave Cockrum to help cover his recent bout of medical difficulties. Cockrum is, of course, best known for defining the look of the "New X-Men" in the '70s and setting the stage for their explosion of popularity, and an A-list of creators have turned out to support him: Alan Moore, Neal Adams, Travis Charest, Harlan Ellison, George Perez, Dave Sim – holy crap! At $29.95 it's a bit steep, but Cockrum was such a major force behind the era of Uncanny X-Men that I imprinted on that I'm gonna be all over this. (page 204) Vampirella Comics Magazine #6 (Harris Comics) - RANDY: I've never really been a fan of Vampirella. And I've read a couple issues of the new Vampirella Magazine, which is a well-done effort by all involved but still really didn't grab my interest. This issue, however, I will have to at least check out, because it features Vampirella meeting the Scurvy Dogs, by Andrew Boyd and Ryan Yount, and it's wrapped in a nifty Dan Brereton cover to boot. (page 220) DAVE: Total...disinterest...in Vampirella....fighting with...total love...of Scurvy Dogs! Scurvy Dogs...winning! Venom Vs. Carnage #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: I hear this mini's gonna have no less than THREE symbiotes rampaging through it! That shit's gonna kick ass! That shit's gonna be tight! (page M4) RANDY: Just for the benefit of any sarcasm-impaired readers out there: Dave is kidding. The official Fourth Rail position on symbiotes is that they're a horrible remnant of the awful '90s period of shit Marvel comics, and their return should be seen as a sign of a coming comics apocalypse. OK, maybe not all that bad, but still... I shudder to see this kind of thing coming back. And don't be fooled by the name of skilled writer Peter Milligan on the book... this looks like an "I've got rent to pay" book all the way, something to support his better-written (and paradoxically, lesser-selling) books like Human Target and X-Statix. War Stories Vol. 1 TPB (DC Comics/Vertigo) - DAVE: There's a certain repetition to a Garth Ennis war story: soldiers bond in combat, get screwed over by their superiors, and all die in the end. That said, this collection of gritty, heroic tales of World War II might be worth your money as much for the art as the stories. David Lloyd, Dave Gibbons, and Chris Weston turn in astoundingly detailed work. (page 117) Witches #1-2 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Supposedly, DC pulled an "Identity Disc" on Marvel with this one, releasing their miniseries The Witching to confuse the issue of Witches. Neither of those projects holds much interest for me, actually, but of the two, Witches is the one I'm more likely to check out, if only for what is sure to be gorgeous cheesecake art by Mike Deodato. (page M57) The Witching #1 (DC Comics/Vertigo) - DAVE: Whereas I'm more interested in The Witching. Mildly. Billed as a "reinvention of the ancient Triple Goddess archetype for our maniacal new millennium," you could probably shorthand it as "Vertigo's answer to Charmed." The writer's an unknown quantity, his most high profile project being Vertigo Pop: Tokyo, but as I gather it's actually set in the Vertigo Universe, Sandman, Lucifer and Hellblazer fans may want to give it a look. (page 117) Wizard King Trilogy Book 1: King of the World HC (Vanguard Productions) – DAVE: I'm curious about this, the first in a series of three reprints of a lost fantasy epic written and drawn by the EC legend, Wally Wood. Curious enough to drop $25? Maybe not - the story sounds a little too derivative. Nevertheless, it's good to see such hard-to-find material back in print for Wood fans. Email Randy Lander and Dave Farabee comments about this review.