Down The Line - Previews review for September 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 July Previews for comics due to ship out in September. Pre-ordering is your friend. If there's stuff you want in September, letting your retailer know before the end of July is the best way to make sure you get it. We're back! Dave and I have resolved to be a little less negative this time out than we were last, partly because negativity is sort of a waste of good energy and mostly because it's just depressing to dwell on everything that's wrong with the industry instead of trying to desperately highlight what's good about it. We have also resolved not to break out into song halfway through the piece. One or both of these resolutions might not hold all the way through, though. DAVE: F**k that. If I want to sing my K.D. Lang songs midway through the Previews review I'll by God f**cking do it! 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: The Art of Usagi Yojimbo: 20th Anniversary Edition HC (Dark Horse Comics) - RANDY: I'm a latecomer to Usagi Yojimbo, but I have fallen completely in love with the cast of characters and the stories that Stan Sakai has been telling for 20 years. I've also fallen in love with Sakai's art style, and I'm thrilled to see Dark Horse giving Sakai the deluxe hardcover "Art Of" treatment that resulted in the spectacular Art of Hellboy and Art of Sin City volumes. 200 pages of Sakai would be enough to get my 40 bucks, but just in case it's not enough for you folks out there, I should mention that this also includes guest pinups by Frank Miller, Sergio Aragones, Jeff Smith, Matt Wagner and other top notch artists. Dark Horse is not overselling on hype when they say that this is "destined to become a treasured piece in many collections." (page 25) DAVE: I can't disagree with you, Randy, and so I'll simply add my own vote to The Art of Usagi Yojimbo as Pick of the Month. Sakai's art style is wonderfully approachable, like Disney without the phoniness and saccharine, and I've loved all of his character designs. He's the kind of artist who'll remind you just how appealing cartoony animals were to you as a kid, but without making you feel like a doofus or part of...err..."furry" fandom. And of course, it goes without saying that not only do I recommend this art book but also Usagi Yojimbo in general. It's an effortless mix of serious adventure, swashbuckling escapism, and Japanese feudal culture. Great fight scenes too! Adam Strange #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: I'm equal parts interested and nervous about this revamp of DC's Silver Age space hero from Vertigo writer Andy Diggle. The miniseries is billed as a "reinvention" and does promise space adventure that includes DC stalwarts like the Omega Men and L.E.G.I.O.N. – cool. On the other hand, it apparently opens with Strange as a drunk in Gotham. Not so cool, and possibly too much on the "grim 'n' gritty" side. But definitely worth a look, I think. The art looks spectacular and space opera comics are few and far between. (page 76) RANDY: My hope for this miniseries has been restored by, of all things, Wizard, wherein Diggle hints pretty strongly that the destruction of Rann is probably a fakeout, an excuse to get Strange out there exploring the space of the DC Universe. I'm up for a good space opera romp looking at some of these characters, I'm up for a little classic swashbuckling ala Flash Gordon with Adam Strange and I'm most definitely up for seeing more of Pascal Ferry's artwork, because damn, that preview art is gorgeous. The Adventurous Decade - Comic Strips In The '30s TP (Comic Themes) - DAVE: Several years back I did a ton of reading on classic comic strips and positively fell in love with 'em. Flash Gordon, Tarzan, Dick Tracy, Terry and the Pirates...man, you young hoodlums today have no idea how friggin' cool and action-packed the funnies used to be before they were miniaturized into bite-sized observational humor to fill up desks in office cubicles. In the '20s and '30s, comic strips were actually respected and cherished - they HAD to be, because they were the frontline soldiers in the war for readers between the major newspapers! Anyhoo, this previously out-of-print volume on comic strips of the '30s is one of the books I haven't read, but coming from comic historian Ron Goulart I know it'll be good. Highly recommended. Discover what comic strips were like back in the day when heroes could pump villains fulla lead without some weepy children's rights group starting a petition! The Age of Heroes TPB (Dark Planet Productions) - DAVE: Looking for a fantasy series to check out now that Bone has wrapped? Consider, perhaps, this trade collecting the forgotten gem from the '90s, Age of Heroes. Been years since I read it, but I remember elements of dark fantasy alongside some of the swashbluckling action of movies like Willow. Great art from John Ridgeway, the first artist to draw Hellblazer (page 250) Al Williamson: Hidden Lands TPB (Dark Horse Comics) - DAVE: Realist artists don't come better than Al Williamson. He made his mark on the E.C. comics of the '50s and remains a major influence today on artists such as Frank Cho and Mark Schultz. Hidden Lands is a 224-page trade reprinting a heap of Williamson's lost stories and includes write-ups on the artist as well as interviews. (page 24) RANDY: I went from mildly interested for historical value to chomping at the bit, because your comparions reminded me how much I've liked Williamson's work in the past. Not sure about the stories themselves, but I know the art and the subject matter are right up my alley. Good on Dark Horse for doing more and more of these reprints of classic material. Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #10 (Bongo Comics) - DAVE: Gee, it almost seems too esoteric, but it's hard not to admire the sheer weirdness of Simpsons Halloween stories written by hell-bent rockers Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, and Rob Zombie. (page 235) RANDY: It's out there, alright, but I'm mostly disappointed because the Treehouse of Horror issues tend to be fantastic works by comics talent, and several of them have been Eisner-nominated (with at least one winner). Somehow, I doubt Messrs. Cooper, Simmons and Zombie will produce anything of award caliber. Batman: The Dark Knight Adventures TP (DC Comics) - DAVE: This trade has been out before, but it's coming back into print and I mention it because any fan of Batman: The Animated Series needs to own it. In my humble ol' opinion, these animation-inspired stories were the greatest Batman tales of the '90s. Brilliant, punchy stories by Kelley Pucket and art by the great Mike Parobeck. (page 62) RANDY: The greatest? I think maybe we're forgetting a little something called Knightfall, my friend. They totally broke Batman's back! That shit was AWESOME! Wow. I'm sorry, that bit of sarcastic vitriol for a story that died in the '90s surprised even me. Batman in the Eighties TPB (DC Comics) - DAVE: Haven't read most of these, but for the art alone I suspect I'm likely to pick it up. The line-up of heavy hitters includes Michael Golden, Alan Davis, Gene Colan, Klaus Janson, Walt Simonson, and Jim Aparo. If nothing else, expect some of the finest renditions of Batman this side of Neal Adams. (page 63) The Batman Strikes! #1 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Comparing this new Batman cartoon and its comic adaptation to the previous incarnations might be too high a hurdle, given how perfect those were in many ways. However, with a new movie in the works, a new animated series seems inevitable, and the Cartoon Network has been doing pretty good stuff, albeit not all of it really being up my alley. I'm not familiar with writer Bill Matheny's work, but I loved Christopher Jones's work back in the day on Young Heroes in Love, and what I've seen so far of the new animated series designs are pretty attractive. Curious to see how this one does, and always glad from the perspective of a retailer and comics fan to see DC supporting the comics for kids market as well as they do. (page 96) DAVE: Cautiously interested, but Dini and Timm's Batman will always be the "real" animated Batman to me. Sorry new guys! Black Widow #1 (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights) - RANDY: All things being equal, I'd rather have a nice trade collection of the Greg Rucka/Igor Kordey Black Widow series. However, this new series has art by Bill Sienkiewicz, which is an unusual and intriguing choice, but I haven't read science-fiction novelist Richard Morgan's work, which means I'm not sure what to expect. The 6-page preview in these Marvel Previews is OK, but sort of unclear, but that might be from lack of context and not from bad storytelling. So... Black Widow: could be great, could suck. Lots of help, I know. (page M2) DAVE: S'funny. Folks who buy this series based on the cheesecake Greg Land covers will be in for quite the surprise when they see Sienkiewicz's interior art! I'm of the school of Sienkiewicz fandom that says he could stand to reign in his style a tad, but I'll *always* look to see what he's up to. Dude's one of the greats. Brings an instant, gritty credibility to anything he draws. The Bush Junta GN (Fantagraphics) - DAVE: With a legion of cartoonists assembled to disassemble the Bush administration in a series of vignettes looking at everything from 9/11 to the 2000 election, this almost sounds like it could have come from DC's "Big Books" line. The Big Book of Bush? Hmm. Maybe not the most commercial of titles, but the format sounds promising and the target deserving. Reluctant Kerry supporters, use this to feel better about your vote! (page 280) RANDY: I beg to differ. The Big Book of Bush might be the most commercial title ever. Sure, it might have done better in the '70s, but surely there's still some sort of specialty fetish market, right? Hmm... off the beaten path a little there, huh? At any rate, these days I'm all about anything that might wake up a few more people and cause Bush to lose the election (even to Kerry, whom I can't stand either but who will at least have a cabinet not made up of pure evil), so I say: Go Fantagraphics! Go cartoonists! Captain Canuck: Unholy War #1 (Comely Comix) - RANDY: I can't quite figure out if this is a long-treasured national icon, a big gag, a fondly-remembered goofball character or a faintly embarrassing joke. We turn now to our Canadian correspondent, Don MacPherson, to give us the skinny. Hey, Don, what's the deal with Captain Canuck, eh? (page 243) DON: Oh, I've got a few old Captain Canuck comics in my collection, but I've never been a big fan or anything. But the solicitation copy for this new incarnation has piqued my curiosity. Not only is the new version edited by the character's creator, Richard Comely, but it seems to fly in the face of a grimmer tone that has been part and parcel of so many super-hero comics since the 1980s. Also interesting is that the bad guys in this book are a biker gang, and that reflects a certain degree of realism. Biker gangs are the kings of the hill when it comes to organized crime here in Canada, so I'll be interested to see how well the creators have researched the subject matter. I have to admit, though, that today, my favorite Canadian hero isn't Captain Canuck, but the Canadian electorate, which rejected a new united Conservative party in our federal election last week. Polls indicate the scary prospect of a new, right-wing government forming here in the Great White North, and I was scared that a Bush-esque pall could envelop my home and native land. ... None of you non-Canadian readers give a shit about this, do you? OK, I'm outta here... DAVE: "Bikers?" *snicker* Catwoman: When in Rome #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: Extra! Extra! New Loeb and Sale Batman collaboration! Internet dork Dave Farabee believes previous outings from the duo to be overrated bunk! May still read series just to see Sale draw Selina Kyle! (page 65) Challengers of the Unknown Must Die TPB (DC Comics) - DAVE: Now here's a Loeb and Sale project that's more my speed. I remember reading the first issue or two back in the early '90s. Couldn't quite get into their take at the time, but I recall their angle being a weird mixture of grim 'n' gritty realism and Silver Age weirdness. Wasn't what I wanted back then, but now it sounds more interesting than anything they've done in years. (page 81) RANDY: I will grudgingly admit that Hulk: Gray was the weakest of the Loeb/Sale offerings at Marvel... DAVE: Ha! RANDY: ...BUT I enjoyed it enough to have bought the hardcover, and I continue to think you daffy for calling their other stuff overrated. Loeb's writing on these series tends toward the formula in structure, but I find he has a great insight into the characters, and the way Sale subtly shifts his style to match the tone of each book is just amazing. Honestly, I'm not that wild about them doing a Catwoman series, as I've never been a big fan of the character and I think the Brubaker/Stewart run is pretty much the best it'll ever get for me... but I'm curious to check out their take on the Challengers of the Unknown. At the time, some fans were ready to burn it because it mucked with the characters, but in hindsight, this is more of an "Elseworlds" style story than something that changed the canon. Chocolate Thunder GN (Oni Press) - DAVE: If the remake of Shaft was too limp for ya, you just might find salvation in Chocolate Thunder. The gist of it is that a former goverment operative fakes his death to get out of the biz, only to return to his old neighborhood and find it overwhelmed by crime. Aw yeah, baby, it's time for some payback! I knew I'd have to check this one out when I checked the artist's page and found this pin-up of Sho'nuff from The Last Dragon. (page 308) RANDY: Gettosake Studios are the guys doing Chocolate Thunder and a few other books around the industry, and I'm expecting big things. Fierce, their first offering from Dark Horse, has a pretty damn good first issue, and Dave is right on (Right On!) in picking up the vibe of '70s blaxploitation with more modern style from Chocolate Thunder. Although Greg McElhatton has completely ruined the title for me forever. The Collected Sequential HC (Adhouse Books) - RANDY: I have to admit, I've had Mother Come Home, Paul Hornschemeier's graphic novel from Dark Horse, on my bookshelf for a little while now and haven't read it yet. Just haven't been in the right mood. So I'm recommending this one somewhat blind, but I will say that nobody has had anything bad to say about Hornschemeier's work that I know of, and that his color artwork and design sense reminds me a great deal of beloved cartoonist Chris Ware. If you go in for the arty stuff, a look at some of Hornschemeier's early work in this hardcover might be just the thing for you, and with Adhouse publishing it, you know the design and production values are going to be top-notch. (page 203) The Comics Go To Hell (Fantagraphics) - DAVE: The Devil in funnybooks? When you consider the varied depictions of Satan in titles ranging from Hellblazer to Donald Duck to Silver Surfer, suddenly this sounds like a pretty interesting topic for the overview it's getting here. Bring on Daimon Hellstorm, the Son of Satan! (page 282) The Complete Peanuts 1953-1954 HC (Fantagraphics) - RANDY: I'm still working my way through the first volume of Complete Peanuts, but I absolutely love it. It includes terrific design, exceptional extras in the form of an in-depth interview with Charles Schulz, strips that show a different style and a different sense of humor than I knew to expect from Peanuts. Fantagraphics is to be applauded for this project, as they took a great concept and have turned it into a phenomenal archival project that remains affordable (and sparsely published) enough to be affordable for casual fans as well. Two volumes a year is just about perfect, and I'm looking forward to buying this one. (page 282) DAVE: If yer not buying these, ya might as well start up a Fourth Reich, 'cause yer an anti-American bum! The Confessional #1 (Warpton Comics) - RANDY: The Devil walks into a priest's confession booth... no, this isn't the start of a joke, it's the premise of Warpton Comics's The Confessional. It sounds like something out of Vertigo comic, but the notion of God and the Devil is one that can withstand many interpretations, and this 40-page offering could make for some interesting reading. (page 355) Daredevil vs. Bullseye Vol. 1 TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: All the major Daredevil/Bullseye showdowns from the past? Sounds like a fun crowd-pleaser to me. (page M74) Doom Patrol Vol. 1 & 2 TPB (DC Comics/Vertigo) - RANDY: Slowly but surely, I run out of things to complain about. Both DC and Marvel are continuing to slowly roll out those trades that seemed like no-brainers for years, and the latest is a reprint of the first volume of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol, along with a new volume two at the same time. To be honest, I'm still not entirely certain this material will be for me, as Morrison's always been a little hit and miss with me, but this is stuff that absolutely should be in print, and I'd guess these trades will make a whole lot of folks really happy. (page 112) DAVE: Kind of in the same boat here. I think Seaguy alone may fulfill my Morrison weirdness quotient through 2004, but I'm happy to see this option made available. Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: Looking for some good fantasy comics in the wake of Bone's conclusion? Consider, then, this four issue mini, an untold tale of Elric from Elric creator Michael Moorcock and Thor revivalist Walt Simonson. Not a bad pair! (page 99) Escalator GN (Alternative Comics) - RANDY: It was the promo image that caught my eye for this one, and led me over to Brandon Graham's website, where I got more of a taste of his art style. And I liked it quite a bit, a mixture of manga and street tagger styles, so a whole book full of short stories by Graham sounds pretty good. Especially when the esoteric subject matter includes alien pornographers, truck drivers from the future and cannibal school girls... sounds like twisted fun. (page 207) DAVE: Getting a little burned out on the blender approach to comic book concepts, m'self, but who knows? Graham's new to me, and you're right, the art as his site looks pretty swanky. Folks can give 'er a gander right here. Essential Super-Villain Teamup TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: More vintage Marvel weirdness! I honestly have no idea how this book worked, but I'm curious to check it out, knowing full well it'll probably be corny fun. Villains range from Attuma to Magneto to the Red Skull (what, no Egghead?), and artists include such luminaries as Wally Wood, John Buscema, George Perez, and Gene Colan. (page M75) RANDY: Man, I loves me some vintage Marvel weirdness! Kudos to Marvel for pulling out and "Essential"-ing these lost treasures, which more often than not have completely insane plots and cheesy writing, but feature some work from some of the big industry legends on artwork. Even More Fund Comics GN (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund) - RANDY: Honestly, I haven't even gotten around to reading the first volume of More Fund Comics, but I bought it, because of the lineup of talent and because the money went to a good cause. The same is true this time, as the cause is the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and the lineup includes stories, art and sketches from folks like George Perez, Jim Lee, Kurt Busiek, Adam Hughes, Michael Avon Oeming and lots more. (page 243) Hellboy: Odder Jobs Illustrated Novel (Dark Horse Comics) - RANDY: The illustrated novel is not my favorite format, but the talent on this novel is hard to ignore, as it includes among its list of writers luminaries like screenwriter/director Frank Darabont, and is probably worth a look from the Hellboy faithful. If you're more prone to sequential art, check out Hellboy: Weird Tales Volume 2, which also features an all-star lineup of talent on a variety of Hellboy tales. (page 33) IDW Tales of Terror HC (IDW) - RANDY: Dark Horse has done a pretty impressive job with their first two hardcover horror anthologies, the Book of Hauntings and the Book of Witchcraft, and now IDW is jumping on-board that particular train with a similar hardcover project. Like Dark Horse's book, it draws upon talent who traditionally work for the publisher, which in IDW's case means a number of more abstract artists like Ben Templesmith and Ashley Wood. It also serves as something of a sampler for IDW's stuff, with short stories from their properties ranging from 30 Days of Night to Wynonna Earp to Singularity 7. (page 295) In the Shadow of No Towers GN (Pantheon Books) - RANDY: Art Spiegelman earned any number of accolades with Maus, and he hasn't really done anything quite as big in comics circles since then, although he's certainly been active in the literary field. This is his new graphic novel, an examination of 9-11 and post-9-11, and while part of me worries that it's just going to cover ground that others have covered in a variety of media already, it's certainly a topic worth exploring and is certain to be an engaging read and quite possibly a favorite for awards come next year. (page 312) DAVE: Same mixture of trepidation and hope here. Jubilee #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: You know, I've never understood the fondness that folks had for Jubilee, and I'm absolutely mind-boggled that Marvel is launching an ongoing series for the character. Leaving aside that it's yet another needless X-book pushing aside retailer/reader dollars and shelf space that could be used for new characters or talent, it's also a tragic waste of the talents of writer Robert Kirkman. It may indeed turn out to be fun, I'll grudgingly admit, but given how great Invincible and Walking Dead are, it seems like this is a great waste of Kirkman's time and talent. Just as all involved in the Gambit, Rogue and Nightcrawler series are having their talents wasted on helping Marvel crowd everyone else off the shelves with books that will no doubt be gone within a year or two, at best. (page M30) DAVE: I'm pretty sure any fondness for Jubilee stems from the fact that she was a key character on the '90s X-Men cartoon, where a lot of younger fans cut their teeth. Like you, though, no interest here. 'Long as I get Invincible and Walking Dead on time, I can't begrudge Kirkman a nice paycheck – but they better not miss a damn week! The Jungle HC (NBM) - DAVE: I can't say I've followed a lot of Peter Kuper's works, but his Vertigo mini of the '90s, The System, remains one of my favorite works of that decade. I'm definitely up for seeing his adaptation of the Upton Sinclair novel that's terrified millions of schoolkids with its gory description of work in an early 20th century slaughterhouse. (page 306) Justice League Unlimited #1 (DC Comics) - RANDY: This isn't much more than a continuation/relaunch of the animated Justice League comic to coincide with the relaunch of the relaunch of the cartoon. But kids love these Justice League Adventures comics, so I'm glad to see the relaunch happening so fast, and actually kind of intrigued by the notion of seeing more of DC's characters in animated style, which is one of the big advantages that the Justice League Unlimited structure offers. (page 97) DAVE: We always harp on the difficulty of getting these things into kids' hands when they come out, and now that DC and Archie Comics have partnered for some advertising, I can only hope digests of these stories will be in supermarkets sometime soon. Kong: King of Skull Island HC (Dark Horse Comics) - DAVE: Definitely something to check out for fans of the original King Kong like myself: a prose retelling of sorts of the original novel that inspired the movie. Features painted art by fantasy artist Joe DeVito and what's described as, "...an interactive visual-narrative storytelling experience unlike any other." Something like the Griffin & Sabine novels? Not sure, but I'm interested. (page 29) Lionxor #2 (Geekpunk) - RANDY: I missed this one when #1 was solicited, but it hasn't come out yet, so there's still time to check it out. On the surface, a comic-book parody of the '80s nostalgia trend might be more painful than the trend itself, especially given that the trend is slowly dying out anyway, but the execution here is kinda fun. Geekpunk are the guys who publish the amusing Hero Happy Hour, and Lionxor, while aimed pretty squarely at Transformers/G.I. Joe fandom, also has gags related to the anime/manga invasion and other hot topics of the industry. Oh, and have I mentioned that the preview is pretty funny? (page 286) Madrox #1 (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights) - DAVE: A new superhero title from Peter David seems like as good a reason as any...to tell you guys to read Fallen Angel! Terrific book, and a much-needed original concept ta boot! That said, this noir-esque mini about Madrox the Multiple Man setting up a detective agency in Mutant Town intrigues. Guest-stars Wolfsbane and Strong Guy, for you old-school X-Factor fans. (page M12) RANDY: I wasn't as excited about this announcement as many of Peter David's fans, but his X-Factor run was a blast while it lasted, and given how much I've enjoyed the cop procedural set in Mutant Town that is District X, another story being told in that area of Marvel real estate certainly seems interesting. Honestly, Peter David is one of maybe five guys who could make me interested to read a series about Madrox the Multiple Man, but I've got to admit to becoming more and more interested in this as it approaches. And Pablo Raimondi's work has been getting more impressive with each outing, so I'm expecting this to be a breakout book for him. Magnus Robot Fighter HC (Dark Horse Comics) - DAVE: Got fiddy bucks to throw around? Me neither, but if I did, I might consider picking up this reprint hardcover that apparently collects the entire original Magnus series from the '60s. (page 28) Marvel Age (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: It's true that Marvel is flooding the market, and that all too many of their new books seem ill-conceived or unlikely to get the long-term support they need even if they are good. However, I have to give credit where credit is due and mention that the Marvel Age line is a segment that needs expanding, namely full-color superhero comics for kids featuring characters that they know. I know, I know, we all wish kids would gravitate to Scary Godmother, Akiko and stuff like that, but the truth is, the kids (and their parents, the ones with the money) want recognizable characters, and I applaud Marvel for giving them a wide selection of familiar icons like Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and now the Hulk. In addition, when I was younger, the notion of heroes teaming up was just cool, so a Marvel Age Spider-Man Team-Up is actually a pretty clever choice as well. Pretty sad, though, when "only $1.75" can be considered an enticement, isn't it? Jesus, comics cost too much these days. (page M44-47) DAVE: Having become disillusioned with Bruce Jones' take on The Hulk years ago, I half-wonder if the Marvel Age Hulk might be an entertaining antidote... Marvel Age: Runaways Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: I'm disappointed that Marvel began collecting this book right about when they cancelled it, but it IS getting a relaunch and the trades seem to've finally found the audience the series has deserved since issue one. Great book. Get on the bus! (page M48) RANDY: Runaways rocks. The best superhero comic Marvel publishes. Er, published. At any rate, glad to see this second trade, and pretty sure this means we'll also get a third trade and the whole story will be collected. Which is great news, even if Marvel's decision to cancel the book right when the trades did so well seems insane. Marvel Knights 2099 (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights) - RANDY: Another '90s thing coming back to haunt us. Oh, I know, this doesn't tie into the pre-existing 2099 universe, but c'mon... marketing chose 2099 for a reason, and it wasn't because 1999 is the year Marvel Knights started (that was 1998, as many have already noted.) I have some mild curiosity given that this is all written by Robert Kirkman, and it does include the artwork of Steve Epting and Kyle Hotz, both of whom I like, but this is almost as big a waste of Kirkman's talents as Jubilee. (page M11) DAVE: Oh, I dunno, a series of futuristic-themed one-shots from Kirkman sounds like a potentially good time to me...as long as they don't make Invincible and Walking Dead late! It'll be another story when Marvel almost inevitably spins all these titles off into their own series, but as one-shots I might be hip to 'em. Megacity 909 #1 (Devil's Due Publishing) - RANDY: The high concept here, about sentient psychic parasites invading a united earth and the military task force that is dedicated to stopping them, is one I like. The art team did some gorgeous work on Image's Defiance. And Andrew Dabb, the co-writer, is someone whose work I've liked. Downsides? Well, Defiance started out really promising and then started making absolutely no sense, and had ugly and unprofessional lettering throughout, and the cheesecake/Top Cow-looking alternate cover gives me pause as well. Call me undecided on this one, but give credit to Devil's Due for breaking free from the '80s nostalgia that put them on the map and trying to create some new properties for themselves. (page 262) DAVE: I think something like Hedge Knight is a much better example of Devil's Due breaking the mold, 'cause this thing sounds painfully similar to the schlocky Final Fantasy movie to me. Metal Gear Solid #1 (IDW) - RANDY: Understand, I've never played Metal Gear Solid (it is, unfortunately, one of those video games that makes me nauseous to play, no matter how much I love the concept). However, I do know a fair amount about it, and putting stylist Ashley Wood on the book seems like a really weird choice, as this seems like a book that could do with some more strongly realistic artwork. That said, IDW has done well with their adaptations of TV and videogame properties, and I wish them well on this one, even if I probably won't be tuning in myself. In many ways, I think IDW now is where Dark Horse was back at the beginning when they were only known as the Predator/Aliens guys. If IDW in ten years is half as good as Dark Horse now, the whole industry will have reason to celebrate. (page 296) DAVE: I'll be happy if that comes to pass too, but IDW's yet to produce a winner like Dark Horse's first standard-bearer, Concrete. In fact they've yet to produce anything that's really impressed me, but they're diversifying enough that I expect to be surprised soon. Just not by Metal Gear Solid. Last thing I want is flashbacks to that game. Started out so cool, but after the game had interrupted me for something like the 150th time for the command team to fill me in on the ridiculous plot or the perils of nuclear proliferation, I was ready to chunk it out the window. Ninety Candles GN (Rant Comics) - RANDY: Neil Kleid is a name I know mostly from message boards and from an exceptional short story in the 9-11: Emergency Relief anthology. Ninety Candles is his graphic novel, and it got the Xeric grant, which immediately makes me sit up and take notice. The experimental process (no script, each panel based solely on the last one) is kind of hard for me to wrap my head around, but Kleid's got talent, and seeing the story of a man told in increments of one year of his life on each page sounds interesting. (page 314) No Dead Time GN (Oni Press) - RANDY: Retail hell, corporate hell and dating hell converge in this graphic novel by new talents Biran McLachlan and Thomas Williams, and given Oni's skill in picking new talent, my guess is that this will be pretty good. It sounds like a romance comic with a cynical side, and it sounds like fun. (page 310) DAVE: Bit *too* cynical for me, but I like the artistic device of depicting the characters according to the image they project. Extensive preview here. The Originals HC (DC Comics/Vertigo) - DAVE: Can Dave Gibbons overcome his generally lackluster writing of the past to impress with this 160-page, black-and-white hardcover tale of kids and gangs in a futuristic setting? No clue. The art, as ever with Gibbons, is immaculate. (page 115) Owly GN (Top Shelf) - RANDY: I hadn't heard of Owly before I saw this solicitation, but I'm given to understand that it was a charming silent mini-comic before Top Shelf decided to put it together into a series of graphic novels. It sounds a little too experimental for the vast majority of the younger-readers audience, but might be just the thing for those of you who love comics and want to share that love with younger relatives. In addition, if Top Shelf is behind it, odds are good that it's going to be simply good cartooning, no matter what your age. (page 342) DAVE: One of the things I love about doing these Previews write-ups is Google searching for comics and artists I know nothing about to see if their upcoming stuff looks promising. Owly is one of the ones that looks promising. Puttin' the Backbone Back An Art Book by Jim Mahfood (Image Comics) - RANDY: Love Mahfood's art style, haven't always loved his stories. So Puttin' the Backbone Back is pretty much ideal for me, a 128-page collection of Mahfood's sketches, short comic strips and other artwork. (page 147) She-Hulk #7 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I've grown to love the new She-Hulk series, which is more comedy than superhero. This is a jumping-on point, as Slott takes his protagonist on a weird trip into space to practice Universal Law, and the gorgeous cover by Mike Mayhew hints at the goofiness to come, with weird characters Marvel Boy, Valkyrie, Forbush Man and Razorback making an appearance. Fans who love the absurd, often unexplored corners of the Marvel Universe should definitely check this arc out. (page M57) DAVE: I need to look into this series. Everyone's telling me it's good, and secretly I'm afraid I'll fall for it just in time for Marvel to cancel it. The Simple Life Vol. 1 (Tokyopop) - RANDY: Sing along with me, all you R.E.M. fans... "it's the end of the world as we know it..." Bad enough these vapid bubble-heads are poisoning television, now they're making their way into comics! Clearly, the apocalypse is coming, and no one can say they didn't see the warning signs. (page 326) DAVE: Maybe they'll fall under the pen of Garth Ennis now that they've entered the comic world? Now that'd be fun... Smax HC (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - RANDY: Though I still miss Top 10 and would happily trade every single other America's Best Comics issue for just one more Top 10 limited series, Smax turned out to be more fun than I had anticipate. Alan Moore takes on the fantasy quest archetype with the same deconstructionist yet loving humor he brought to superheroes in Top 10, and Zander Cannon's artwork was terrific and full of the same "easter egg" background detail as the work on Top 10 as well. Not sure I loved it enough for a hardcover, but good for DC for putting this out so that it'll fit nicely alongside Top 10 hardcovers, and I'm sure I'll be picking up the trade a few months down the line. (page 107) DAVE: Yeah, I was much more pleased with Smax than I expected to be. You forgot to mention its dark side, though, which is definitely in there, right alongside the quirky humor. Sonambulo: Mexican Stand-Off #1 (Ninth Circle Studios) - RANDY: I've seen any number of ads for Sonambulo, the masked Mexican wrestler/private detective, but haven't ever checked it out. However, there's something about the absurdity of the concept and the artwork on the full-page ad that caught my eye this time, and the reminder that this was a Xeric Award winner leads me to believe maybe it's time to check this book out. (page 308) Starman: Grand Guignol (DC Comics) - DAVE: I'm really looking forward to this next-to-last Starman collection. When I read it in serial format it sadly came across as weak (except for a stunning finale), but in one sitting I'm betting the James Robinson magic will come through. Of note to Identity Crisis reader: Elongated Man is a recurring character throughout the story, and played totally straight for that matter. Lotsa mystery-solvin'. (page 90) RANDY: I became so disillusioned with Starman at one point that I didn't even finish reading the book. The upside of that is that when I was ready to go back, the book was finished, and I bought and read all of the expansive Grand Guignol story in one sitting. Result? As you predict here, it reads much better collected. Glad DC is finally getting around to finishing Starman. Wish that I believed Hitman was going to get completed next, but I think that one's been forgotten and left to die. Sticks and Stones GN (Random House) - DAVE: More Peter Kuper! It's Peter Kuper month! From what I can gather, this appears to be a mythological/allegorical tale about a tribe of Stonehenge-lookin' rock-men and their conflict with the nearby kingdom of stick-men. Cool by me. (page 313) Strange #1 (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights) - DAVE: Five years ago I'd have jumped at the prospect of a J. Michael Straczynski Dr. Strange miniseries. After several years of increasingly bad Spider-Man stories, however, my enthusiasm is mild at best. It's only fair to note that JMS has done some pretty great work on Supreme Power however, so here's hoping Strange has more of that than his Amazing Spider-Man corniness. (page M1) Street Angel #3 (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - RANDY: Not much to note here, except that another issue of Street Angel has been solicited, and that the first two issues were brilliant and hilarious. Do not miss this book if you've got a skewed sense of humor, because it's one of the funniest books on the market, and the artwork is very nice to boot. (page 210) DAVE: Indeed. Idiosyncratic in the best way, and enough craftsmanship to push it far above and beyond the slew of funny but poorly-drawn indies. Hell, I'd recommend Street Angel on the basis of the art *alone*. Dude is good. Superman/Batman #14 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Man, you have got to give it to Jeph Loeb and DC, they have managed to turn Superman/Batman into a legitimate sales/buzz phenomenon. Part of that has been the use of popular concepts like the return of the original Supergirl or, in this case, an alternate future where Superman and Batman rule with an iron fist. But a bigger part has been the artwork, and Michael Turner certainly does set the fanboy hearts a-twittering. Carlos Pacheco is, to my mind, a better artist, and he's popular with the general fan crowd as well, so I suspect that this story will maintain Superman/Batman's place in the sales rankings. And to be honest, my inner fanboy is kind of intrigued by this combination of talent and concept as well, but then I've always been a sucker for the alternate future stuff. (page 69) DAVE: As long as Evil Alternate Future Batman doesn't take out Evil Alternate Future Superman with that goddamn Kryptonite ring, I'll give it a look. Superman: Man of Steel Vol. 3 TP (DC Comics) - DAVE: Ooh, now this is more my speed! DC continues the excellent series of trades reprinting John Byrne and Marv Wolfman's post-Crisis On Inifinite Earths Superman stories, this time including some great team-up stories. Among the guest stars: Hawkman, the Demon, and the Green Lantern Corps. To me, the era reprinted in these volumes is the best the Big Blue has ever seen. (page 69) Superman: True Brit HC (DC Comics) - DAVE: Hmm. You'd think a "What If?" Superman story imagined by John Cleese and featuring a Brit-raised Superman would be a surefire winner, wouldn't you? Alas, based on the three pages previewed, I've seen more laughs within the pages of What The..?! and Not Brand Echh!. Turns out Cleese is only the conceptual man behind the project, with actual writer Kim Johnson perhaps being the culprit behind the unfunny preview. Hope it turns out, fearful it won't. (page 71) Swamp Thing: Regenesis TPB (DC Comics/Vertigo) - DAVE: I'll be curious to check this out: the first ever reprinting of Rick Veitch's post-Alan Moore Swamp Thing issues. Isn't this the run that featured the controversial (and suppressed) story where Swamp Thing is crucified in place of Jesus? Is DC going to reprint that story now that they've got the Vertigo label and more mature-readers clout? (page 119) Teen Titans/Legion Special (DC Comics) - RANDY: In the interest of being positive, I won't mention that the Abnett/Lanning Legion was a spectacular failure of marketing and a shameful waste of a good creative team on Legion. Oops, I guess I will mention it, but putting that behind us, it's hard to complain when the new creative team of the latest Legion relaunch is Mark Waid and Barry Kitson, both of whom have a pretty good history with the Legion and a great history of working together, notably on Empire. However, this isn't that series, but instead a precursor, featuring impressive Action Comics art team Ivan Reis and Marc Campos and the pairing of Geoff Johns and Mark Waid on writing, tying the Legion's relaunch into the Teen Titans, the other big DC teen team. It's a natural match in pretty much every way, and that is one hell of a creative pedigree for these characters. (page 91) DAVE: ANOTHER Legion relaunch? I feel so old. Turtle, Turtle GN (Alternative Comics) - RANDY: Jed Alexander's tale of an island that exists on the back of a giant turtle but no one can remember but our protagonist intrigues me. It's another in a long line of tales centered around fictitious worlds, from classics like Gulliver's Travels to more recent comics like Dylan Horrock's Hicksville, and from the solicitation text, it looks like Alexander has all the right details to make the read compelling. (page 207) Ultimate Sports Force (Ultimate Sports Entertainment) - RANDY: Ahhhh-haaaa-ha-ha-ha! Ah-haaaa-ha-haaa! Oh, stop! Stop, I can't breathe! You're killing me! Hee hee hee... Ultimate Sports Force... hee... hee... oh, Lordy! (page 343) DAVE: For those needing interpretation of Randy's chortling, Ultimate Sports Force looks to be a violently ill-conceived tale of basketball superstars battling villainy ranging from mummies to dinosaurs. Shaq, always a gift to the superhero genre, stars. Chortling ensues. On a more serious note, there's a long tradition of sports comics in manga, and I'd love to see an American comic take the genre as seriously as they do. Note to publishers: this means no Shaq. Uncanny X-Men #448-449 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I've found in my heart a sort of old school fondness for the Claremont/Davis Uncanny X-Men. It's a shame that the stupid two issues a month schedule (another part of Marvel's "push everyone else off the shelves" initiative, straight out of the '90s) has forced a guest artist so soon into the run. It's fortunate that Olivier Coipel is a talented artist in his own right, and while I wonder how Davis fans will react to a pretty significant change in style, for my part, I have to say that Coipel's preview page here looks pretty nice. (page M26) Wandering Star's The Illustrated World of Robert E. Howard (Wandering Star) - DAVE: Got Conan fever? I know I do, which makes this book pretty much a must have. Imagine Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kana as depicted by the likes of Mike Mignola, Gary Gianni, Mark Schultz, and a heap of great fantasy illustrators! Buy it! SEE the "lamentations of the women!" (page 354) Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Gods TPB (DC Comics) - DAVE: You go, DC! First, reprints of Byrne's phenomenal Superman run, and now the ongoing reprints of the George Perez Wonder Woman issues that made me a believer in the character? Will you, like, take me to the prom, DC? You're dreamy! Note to skeptics: this shit's the real deal, and you should damn well be reading it. Perez hits the perfect mixure of characterization and action in this series (very much in the tradition of his New Teen Titans work with Marv Wolfman), and this volume in particular features a phenomenal storyline in which Zeus approaches Wonder Woman with the same intentions he approaches ALL women in Greek myths. Sparks fly and ass-kicking battles with Minotaurs, skeletal warriors, and cyclopses ensue. (page 92) RANDY: It's true. I pretty much hate Wonder Woman as a character, and upon reading the first George Perez trade, I was almost moved to buy the damn thing and put it on my bookshelf. This is the best work ever done on the character. Youngblood: Imperial #1 (Arcade Comics) - RANDY: OK, remember how I said that Jubilee and Marvel 2099 were wastes of Kirkman's talent? Well, they're Eisner nominees in the making compared to this. Odd that for all of Liefeld's big talk, he's only now managing issue two of his other two Youngblood series (oddly, just in time to sell them at the summer Cons), and rather than admitting his limitations, he's dragging another writer in to create yet another series that we'll probably never see the end of. Kirkman's a guy coming up, and he needs the paycheck, so I can understand why he's writing stuff for Marvel, but I'm puzzled as to why on Earth a guy with Kirkman's talent and buzz would bother to waste his time with material like this, which is so far beneath him. (page 217) DAVE: I hate to jump on the "Liefeld sux" bandwagon, but he really, honestly, and truly does. And as if to verify this, he just made an ass of himself last week talking message board trash about one of the true nice guys of comics, Kurt Busiek. Ugh, what a jagoff. RANDY: Damn, we made it almost to the end before we turned on that last full blast of negativity. Oh, well, Dave, might as well break out the K.D. Lang at this point... Email Randy Lander and Dave Farabee comments about this review.