Down The Line - Previews review for July 2003 - Part Two by Randy Lander & Dave Farabee Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never... actually, it ends with this installment. But Dave and I should be back again next month for another go-round. This time out, we're covering the back half of the Previews catalog, which is where a lot of the really interesting (and often very weird) stuff happens. The high concept of these Previews reviews and part one can all be found HERE. As with the first part, my comments will be the normal type, and Dave's will be in yellow. Pre-ordering is your friend. If there's stuff you want in July, letting your retailer know before the end of May is the best way to make sure you get it. INDY PICKS OF THE MONTH: RANDY - Maria's Wedding (Oni Press) - Suspense/horror story, crime/drama, super-heroes and now romantic family drama/comedy? Is there anything Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir can't do? This is another one of those "if it wasn't comics, it'd be completely mainstream" projects from Oni, and it's in their original graphic novel line, which has also given us Dumped, Cheat and Days Like This. I have no problem saying that this is going to be great. DAVE: Wedding comics, Randy? WEDDING COMICS?!! And to think you called me a girl because I love Elfquest... Actually, this sounds like a perfectly fine book, showcasing the kind of diversity I'm always happy to see in the industry. Just…not my bag. The Art of Sam Kieth SC (IDW Publishing) - DAVE: Three hundred and fifty-two pages of Sam Kieth art sounds like a seriously worthy challenger to Dark Horse's Art of Hellboy for best comic-related art book of 2003. On the other hand, this bad boy goes for fifty bucks, so it’ll be a struggle to talk myself into buying it. Leaning towards "yes," though... RANDY: I'm leaning towards "no," but only because I just had a daughter and can't afford the fifty bucks. But IDW has great production values, and this sounds terrific, so anyone who is a fan of Sam Kieth should probably take a look. Good thing for me IDW didn't go the oversized hardcover route with the fifty dollar price tag, as Dark Horse did with Art of Hellboy... that might have been too much to resist. The Liberty Project Volume 1 TP (About Comics) - RANDY: We're seeing a lot of books that have slipped through the cracks reprinted recently, as various publishers rescue small press efforts by big names on their way up, and The Liberty Project is another one of those. This is Kurt Busiek pre-Astro City and Marvels, and it sounds like it had the germ of the idea for Thunderbolts, as super-criminals are given the chance to reform as government heroes. 200+ pages, manga-sized, $11.95 is definitely solid pricing as well. DAVE: I always liked the premise to Thunderbolts – just never seemed to find the impetus to track down back issues and throw myself into it. Now a self-contained graphic novel by the same creator with a similar premise? That’s more my speed. Hope the art's at least fair to middlin'. RANDY: I'd definitely put James Fry currently at above the fair to middlin' ranks (I remember his Nomad stuff in the 90s, but he's done a fair bit of stuff all over), and I suspect that his work on The Liberty Project was pretty solid as well. Hip Flask: Elephantmen #1 (Active Images) - RANDY: The one-shot Hip Flask comic was gorgeous and surprisingly intense, and I'm certainly interested in seeing this follow-up. Once again, the imagery from Ladronn is stunning. Switchblade Honey GN (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: Another of those Warren Ellis projects that was teased a couple years ago, this is his cynical take on Star Trek in many ways. Sounds like fun, especially for a guy like me who is not the biggest Star Trek fan in the world. DAVE: No clue as to whether I'll like this (I do like Trek, at least the old stuff...), but I had to pop in because this seemed like an opportune moment to make a partial retraction of my Warren Ellis bashing. I read his new Orbiter graphic novel between parts one and two of this Previews review, and am now reminded that the man's definitely got some talent. Scurvy Dogs #1 (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: Pirates trying to fit into the modern world! I expect this to be twisted, weird and funny. DAVE: "...when their ship is impounded by the Coast Guard, they're forced to take on real jobs." If it lives up to the premise, it sounds like a hoot. Fancy Froglin Volume 1: Sexy Forest GN (Alternative Comics) - RANDY: I'm beginning to think that James Kochalka cartoons in his sleep. For Christ's sake, the guy's wife is pregnant and he still finds time to crank out this many graphic novels? At any rate, Fancy Froglin is another bizarre Kochalka creation that has given way to a funny CBLDF T-Shirt and no doubt will provide many weird and sex-laden gags. DAVE: Ah, so Kochalka's behind that T-shirt that cracks me up every time I see it in Previews! It all makes sense now. Follow this link to check out the shirt inspired by the graphic novel. Kitsune Tales #1 (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - RANDY: I have to admit, I couldn't get into Skeleton Key when I tried it, and this features a character from Skeleton Key. But I've since become almost an Andi Watson completist, and I like what I've read from Woodrow (Sugar Buzz) Phoenix as well, so this goes on my short list for July. My Monkey's Name is Jennifer Volume 1 TP (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - RANDY: This book, on the other hand, I've already picked up in single issues and can't quite justify getting in trade as well, even though I'd rather have it in trade format. If you haven't experienced the weirdness and laughs that is My Monkey's Name is Jennifer, though, you're a lucky bastard who gets extra stories in this trade collection along with the first hilarious six issues of the series. Samurai Jam TP (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - RANDY: Early Andi Watson stuff. See above about me being an Andi Watson completist, which means this goes on the buying list sight unseen. Assassin #1 (Archangel Studios) - RANDY: I've gotta be honest, with the shifting around of publishers and the glacial publishing schedule, I'm not sure that the guys at Archangel should be launching another book. However, I really dug The Red Star early on, and Assassin has an interesting hook, at least. Frank Miller's Robocop #1 (Avatar Press) - DAVE: Remembering the sharp, appendicitis-like pain caused by the Frank Miller-penned Robocop 2 and 3, I don’t know that I even want to risk seeing his unaltered vision for the character brought to comics, but he did draw one helluva snazzy-looking cover to launch the nine-parter. I’ll sneak a peek when no one’s looking. RANDY: I'm constantly stunned by the big names at Avatar these days. Warren Ellis was first, of course, but now we've got Alan Moore? Frank Miller? Granted, they're often handing over their books to other writers, but those other writers include talents like Steven Grant and Antony Johnston. What I really don't understand, though, is with all this talent (and that's not mentioning artists like Jacen Burrows), how the Avatar line completely fails to grab my interest. I suspect the high price point, low production values, variant covers and taint of T-and-A books and violent porn that has dominated their line is coloring my opinion. Fair? No, probably not... but then, nobody held a gun to their head and told them to keep the worst excesses of the 90s alive. Sojourn #25 (CGE) - DAVE: A new writer, a promotional price of $1.00, and the same great art from Greg Land? Sure, I’ll give it a shot! Let’s just hope that new scribe Ian Edginton can avoid the 101 fantasy clichés of Ron Marz before him. I really want to be able to enjoy Land’s art without being embarassed by the words 'n' stuff. RANDY: Edginton will of course have to deal with the Crossgen house style, which seems to be slow pacing and no endings in sight, but I like his work, and I've been loving Land's art, so I'm anxious to see the result of this creative change. On the other hand, the changeover from the original creator just confirms what I feared, that Sojourn probably isn't going to be a Preacher-length quest story with an ending but rather an interminable ongoing that overstays its welcome and its premise. Necrowar #1 (Dreamwave) - RANDY: It looks purty, and it features writing by Simon Furman (who is worshipped as a deity in Transformers fandom). That said, though the image grabs my eye, there's not enough in the text or the ideas to really grab me. DAVE: Ugh, more comics about elite, futuristic soldiers in super-battlesuits?! You're right, the digital imagery looks pretty slick, but you want to know the word that came to mind when I saw the pictures of the heroes in their shiny suits? "Silverhawks." Just once I wish the comic industry and Hollywood would approach the power-suit concept with half the imagination of a Robert Heinlein or Joe Haldeman. In other words, as actual sci-fi, not G.I. Joe in futuristic trappings. Stray Bullets Volume 4: Dark Days HC (El Capitan) - RANDY: I've jumped back onto buying Stray Bullets after lapsing for about three issues and then discovering that the book had gotten really, really good again. This book collects a lot of those stories where it got really, really good. Not for everyone, though... I loaned the first collection to a friend and he told me the book was so dark it should have come with a gun for blowing your brains out when you were done reading it. DAVE: See, and people wonder why the comics market isn't growing faster. RANDY: Feh. Stray Bullets is no darker than your average Tarantino flick. My friend's just a wuss. :) Black Images in Comics TP (Fantagraphics) - DAVE: This book sounds both fascinating and troubling, as it examines the changing depictions of black characters in comic strips and comics over the last century. I’m gonna buy it. The Forgotten TP (Fintan Studios) - RANDY: This was a nifty little crime/super-hero story that held up despite a rotating art team, and I'm always glad to see the good indy stuff getting trade collections so they can get out to a wider audience. Donald Duck Adventures #1 (Gemstone Publishing) – DAVE: While it's not clear from the solicitation if this features new material or classic stories, One thing I know is that the Disney Ducks have a decades-long history of appearing in some of the best all-ages comics known to the medium. I, for one, am happy to see 'em back. RANDY: I know the Duck stories are beloved, but I honestly couldn't care less about them. However, I do think they're ideal for younger readers, which is why the pricing and format that Gemstone has chosen makes me tear my (metaphorical) hair out. I realize that the albums are the traditional format, but kids and their parents are nowhere near as likely to drop $8 on Disney trades as they are to spend a couple bucks on a comic or a digest. Archie Comics has the format down for appealing to younger readers, and Gemstone should have followed that model. DAVE: Fair point. Maybe they should expand the page count, raise the price to hit the magical $9.99 price point, and shoot for the exact format that a lot of manga does. Disney's house style is so clean-line that I can't imagine the reduction would hurt the visuals. Castle Waiting Volume 2: Solicitine TP (Olio Press) – DAVE: This storyline actually led to me dropping this book from my pull list, as it seemed to stray so far from the series' fairy tale focus. For the sake of a once-loved title, however, I'm hoping against hope that it'll read better as a trade. RANDY: We're on the same page here, except I think my patience has been exhausted by Castle Waiting. If I had the sense that the market was going to support Medley long enough for her to finish her story, I'd buy this in the interest of having the whole story, but I have most of the story in single issues and don't see myself digging it out to read anytime soon, so I don't really need a trade paperback edition. Which, ironically, makes me part of the market not supporting Medley long enough to finish the story. Sigh. Queen & Country Declassified Volume 1 TP (Oni Press) – DAVE: Collecting the three-issue tale of Tara Chace's boss working as a field agent in the Cold War 80s, I can't imagine a better sampler trade for those who've heard about this series but have yet to get their feet wet. RANDY: It seems like I've said this already many, many times, but it bears repeating: Queen & Country rocks. It is one of the five best ongoing series in comics right now. And Declassified is, for my money, better than most of the other Queen & Country stories. Espionage fans should absolutely not miss this trade. The Fade Trade Volume 1: Fade From Blue (Second 2 Some Studios) - RANDY: Fade From Blue is a strange mix of genres, encompassing romance, crime, family drama, humor and more. If you've ever been a fan of Strangers in Paradise, you should definitely give this one a look, as it has a similar vibe but a completely different style and premise. The Norm: The 12 Steps to Marriage (The Norm.Com) - RANDY: The Norm is one of the online strips I read daily, and creator Michael Jantze has a wacky sense of humor and appreciation for the absurdities of relationships. He also took the unusual strip of skipping over the "developing relationship, getting engaged" stuff and moved right to his protagonist waking up married, a fun little bit that he then filled in with these "12 Steps of Marriage" color strips that revealed the process from single to married. @ Large GN (TokyoPop) - DAVE: Oh, I have got to try this manga! From the solicitation: "The nexus of LA vice and hip-hop life is @Large, an internet gaming café with a notorious recording studio upstairs. Everyone comes together in the gaming lounges of @Large – geeks, rappers, techno-ninjas, thugs, wannabes, and undercover cops." If it's even half as cool as its insane concept, I'm gonna dig it. RANDY: I've got to admit, that does sound like insanity and fun. It's also complete in one volume, which makes it even more enticing, and that seems as good a segue as any to once again mention how cool it is for TokyoPop to spell out how many volumes are in each of their many series. DAVE: Hunh. I actually missed that this was a standalone, and now I'm wondering if one volume is enough to cover the high concept? Seems like most manga is so decompressed that it needs at least three or four volumes to "breathe." Forbidden Dance Volume 1 GN (TokyoPop) - RANDY: I'm always looking for manga that's about something different, whether it's politics (Eagle), cooking (Iron Wok Jan!) or giant robots battling each other in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Wait, scratch that last one. At any rate, Forbidden Dance is a manga about a dancer regaining her confidence, and I was intrigued until Dave noticed a key point in the solicitation that put me off. DAVE: Oh, you mean the suggestion that the girl's gonna pull some kind of gender-bending disguise to get into the all-guy dance troupe? Yep, our Eastern friends do loves them their androgyny, and I'm betting the "delicious twist" promised in the solicitation will break out that time-honored manga/anime cliché. Still, if androgynous dancers get more girls (or guys) reading comics, who am I to complain? Plus I'm curious to see how the Japanese storytelling style, so rooted in strong cinematic imagery, will handle the dancing stuff. X-Day Volume 1 GN (TokyoPop) - RANDY: Then there was this one, which surprised me with its subject matter. In the post-Columbine era I don't think we'd see an American comic about two girls who decide to blow up their school. Although the addition of "when no one is present" does soften it a bit, I was still taken aback when I saw the premise. Gee, how can people think manga is weird? DAVE: Girly shojo comics meet violent Fight Club anarchy? Interesting in a "two-headed snake" sort of way. Might have to give this one a look if I can make it past the creepy ultra-waif eyes. Tuxedo Gin (Viz) - DAVE: Work with me here folks: Tuxedo Gin is a manga about a high school kid who dies, gets offered a chance to be reborn in his original body if he first lives out a reincarnated life as an animal, and accepts. The *ahem* weird part is that he's reincarnated as a penguin, retains his human thoughts but can't talk, and still wants to date the girl he'd fallen for before getting croaked! That, my friends, is the kind of romantic comedy I can get into. RANDY: And that's just one part of the new offerings from Viz this month, who seem really geared up to give TokyoPop a run for their money. Expanded genres, many of them downright weird, the ever-popular $10 pocket manga format and a straight-to-trade publication should serve notice to TokyoPop that the reigning king of American manga publication isn't about to give up so easily. The changes seem to be working, too, at least in our store... since putting up the Viz display two weeks ago, we've drastically increased sales on Inu Yasha, X/1999 and Dragonball Z and done impressive early numbers of All-New Tenchi Muyo. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.