Down The Line - Previews review for November 2005 by Randy Lander & Dave Farabee Down the Line is The Fourth Rail's monthly look at Previews, and what titles are coming out a few months, well, "down the line." My co-writer on this feature is Dave Farabee, co-manager at Dragon's Lair Comics in Round Rock and longtime reviewer at Ain't-It-Cool-News. This installment covers the September Previews for comics due to ship out in November 2005. Remember, especially with the indy books, that preordering is your friend, and the best way to make sure you get the books you want. RANDY: Despite my general disinterest in the bulk of Marvel and DC's offerings these days, I still managed to find a good number of books from both companies this month. I also managed to find a couple things that just absolutely needed mocking, and of course plenty of cool stuff from smaller publishers (Oni in particular has a kickass month in November) throughout. All this plus Dave Farabee and his amazing dancing poodles! DAVE: See, but they're gamma-irradiated Hulk poodles! Just like in Ang Lee's blockbuster Hulk movie! YEAH! Anyone? . . No? . . Oh, just run the snarky preview crap. As you can see from the above, my comments will be the normal type, and Dave's will be in yellow. As always, our Previews rundown is in alphabetical order, rather than the order used in the Previews catalog. To facilitate those seeking more information, each entry will include the page number of the solicitation. This, by the way, would be a lot easier if Diamond would make sure that all of the publishers (specifically ADV, IDW, Devil's Due & Digital Manga) had page numbers on their solicitations. RANDY'S PICK OF THE MONTH: Local #1 (Oni Press) - RANDY: Usually, January is the month that AIT/Planet Lar has declared Brian Wood month, but this time out, Brian Wood month is in November, with the release of two new Brian Wood books, Vertigo's DMZ and Oni Press's Local. Both look great to me and were my potential picks of the month, but Local slightly edges out DMZ. This looks like a sequel of sorts to Demo, the critically lauded series of one-shots from Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan. Only this time out, Wood is teaming up with artist Ryan Kelly (half of the Lucifer team) and the stories are about people faced with life-changing decisions, with the setting as much a character as the people in it. Sounds great, the cover for the first issue is beautiful and the art looks really good as well. Oh, and there's an Austin, Texas issue coming up at some point, which is icing on the cake for me. (page 312) DAVE: I agree, this looks terrific. How stunning is that art? RANDY: Oh, by the way, there's a workblog for Local that features art updates, comments on "My Local" by a variety of folks and other cool stuff. And it's got an RSS feed, so just plug it into your RSS reader and you're good to go. DAVE'S PICK OF THE MONTH: Warren Ellis' Apparat Vol. 1 TPB (Avatar Press) - DAVE: I am not the world's biggest Warren Ellis fan, but I just had a blast with all his Apparat one-shots, each a modernist look at some old pulp fiction genre, each collected in this volume. It's nice to see sturdily constructed standalone stories, for which Ellis has always had a talent, and I also dug being introduced to some swank artistic talents with which I was mostly unfamiliar. In addition to the stories themselves, the essays that accompanied them were also terrific - Warren dissecting with intelligence and the spirit of a raconteur the various pulp genres at the heart of these stories. Hell, I almost enjoyed the short essays as much as the comics. In any case, a trade I'd heartily recommend to anyone, even those (like me) who don't worship at the Altar of Ellis. (page 240) RANDY: I used to be a much bigger Ellis fan, but now I'm kind of in the same boat as you. Apparat, however, was a reminder of why I used to consider Ellis a can't-miss comics writer for a while. The Apparat one-shots weren't across the board fantastic, but they were at minimum entertaining and a couple of them were really great. Some excellent art from indie talents like Carla Speed McNeil and Jacen Burrows and good done-in-one stories, not to mention Ellis's essays (as you mention) made for a great read. I'll definitely be picking up the trade and anxiously awaiting round two. 10 One-Shot (Boom! Studios) - RANDY: It seems that adapting Battle Royale for Tokyopop may have warped Keith Giffen's brain a little, as he presents his own take on the "survival game show" with the 10 One-Shot. The premise? 10 people are given a gun with 10 bullets and forced to hunt each other. Has art by Andy (Firebreather, Rex Mantooth) Kuhn. Sounds like something I definitely want to read. (page 246) DAVE: See, the thing is, now I've got to compare this to Battle Royale, and that's such an amazingly-crafted bit of exploitation, Giffen's got his work cut out for him. Alan Moore Spells It Out (Airwave Comics) - DAVE: This is a transcript of a three-hour Alan Moore interview covering the entirety of his career and his work process. For $9.95, sounds pretty interesting to me, though I'll miss the mesmerizing drawl Moore's got when you hear him live. (page 213) RANDY: If you like, I'll read it to you in a bad affected British accent for a small fee. This offer extends to any work written by Alan Moore or Warren Ellis, actually. Hmm... I smell podcast! DAVE: Too right, guv'nor! All-Star Superman #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, recently of We3, uniting to tell tales of superherodom's greatest icon? Should be a no-brainer, right? Alas, delays, the sour taste of All-Star Batman and Robin, and yes, even the increasingly esoteric nature of the Seven Soldiers line from Grant Morrison himself, have conspired to make this a "lowered expectations" comic for me. I should say that Morrison's intent to take inspiration from the weirdness and fun of the Silver Age of comics definitely appeals to me in the age of Infinite Crisis, so I'm still looking forward to this book...I'm just not crazy-insane looking forward to it. (page 63) RANDY: I'm with you all the way here. The mediocrity of All-Star Batman and Robin was a big disappointment for me, and it sort of speaks to the unfocused nature of the line. I'm a fan of both these creators, and I'd really like this to be cool, but the preview in last week's Wizard is a tad underwhelming, and I'm wondering if anyone can just do a sincere love of superheroes book anymore. If so, that's the guy (or girl) I want writing Superman. There will no doubt be gorgeous artwork and big ideas, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it on some level, but I'm no longer as excited for it as I was. Amazing Fantasy #15 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I'm almost entirely a trade paperback guy these days, but Marvel has me breaking down several times this month to consider some cool special issues. Amazing Fantasy #15 is the first of them. The (somewhat goofy) hype on this issue is that the first Amazing Fantasy #15 gave us Spider-Man, so the editors and creators needed to come up with something equally cool for the new Amazing Fantasy #15. Well, there's pretty much no hope in hell of clearing that particular bar, but five new stories (and five new characters?) by the likes of Dan Slott, Robert Kirkman and Takeshi Miyazawa, among others, sounds promising at least. (page M26) DAVE: After the good work I've seen on this book with the new Scorpion, I'm definitely open to seeing what these guys can come up with. I like to think the bar's been raised a bit and I hope these guys are feeling the spirit of competition to come up with the "next big thing." Batman and the Monster Men #1 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Huge Matt Wagner fan here, especially since I've just recently re-bought the two Mage volumes in hardcover and remembered how cool those stories were. Those hardcovers spurred me to pick up and re-evaluate Wagner's Trinity, which I found I liked better in collected form, and will probably inspire me to pick up this collection when it hits as well. The concept is definitely a little weird, a mixture of actual strange early Batman stories and a sort of "Year 1.5" that introduces Batman's rogues' gallery for the "first" time, but it sounds potentially interesting as well. (page 57) DAVE: I wasn't much for Trinity beyond the gorgeous art, but I do have fond memories of Wagner's work on the Legends of the Dark Knight story, "Faces." With that in mind, I definitely see myself checking this out. I like the idea that these stories represent a young Batman's first encounter with superpowered foes. I also like that they're a callback to some of Batman's Golden Age stories. Black Harvest #1 (Devil's Due Publishing) - DAVE: Josh "Dead@17" Howard seems to be pretty good at bringing together supernatural adventure and cute babes, and he's bringing the formula to Devil's Due. I've got some mild curiosity. The six-issue mini takes place in a Texas town with a heavy UFO vibe (tourists come to see something very much like the "Marfa Lights"). The latest sightings are accompanied by the appearance of a 19-year-old girl missing for three years in a story Howard describes as "The X-Files meets Smallville." The test with all such exotic mystery yarns is whether they can pull of a satisfying explanation and finale. Here's hopin'. (page 267) Books of Doom #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I don't think I've made any secret of my opinion that a lot of really talented writers are being wasted on superhero projects at the big two (but especially Marvel) right now. So this is sort of the start of a count of "wasted talent," putting Ed Brubaker on Dr. Doom. Yes, it'll definitely be readable, and Pablo Raimondi's art is really nice, but Brubaker once upon a time wrote amazing crime stories and hipster sci-fi, and now he's doing a new Dr. Doom mini? That shit ain't right. (page M27) DAVE: I'll never begrudge a guy his living and I'm sure that Brubaker's finding stuff to enjoy with his Marvel work. But I'm selfish. I want him to be doing what I perceive he's best at. And as I look at the most promising crime comic writers of the last ten years - that includes Brubaker, alongside Rucka, Bendis, Lapham and Miller - and see that, to a man, they're all working on superhero comics right now... Yeah. That shit is most definitely not right. Captain Universe event (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: This may be the most bizarre comeback ever, and that's in a year that's going to see new projects for the '70s Spider-Woman and Moon Knight. I want to put my faith in Jay Faerber, creator of Noble Causes, but this whole thing has the stink of lame upon it. A mysterious power comes to a variety of characters ranging from the Hulk to... Invisible Woman? X-23? It's a bizarre way to reintroduce a bizarre concept in the first place, but at least the everyman appeal of the original Captain Universe made a little bit of sense... the notion of the Captain Universe powers passing to heroes gives way to things like... Cosmic Spider-Man. *shudder* (page M48) Chicanos #1 (IDW Publishing) - RANDY: Now here's something kind of interesting. Chicanos is a European series by Carlos Trillo and 100 Bullets' Eduardo Risso about a "unattractive, short Mexican woman" who comes to the United States to become a private detective and "stay one step ahead of the bad luck which inevitably follows her." Sounds like it has a nice noir vibe, which is the kind of thing Risso excels at. It's $4 for 32 black and white pages, which might make it a hard sell especially when it's competing with Risso over on 100 Bullets, but fans of noir storytelling or those looking for more Risso in their diet should probably give it a look. (page 296) DAVE: I don't trust this book's solicit. Everyone knows that Eduardo Risso is incapable of drawing an unattractive woman! Actually, the unusual protagonist sounds like a nice change of pace from the usual gumshoe or femme fatale in noir fiction. Definitely one to look into. Chrono Mechanics Vol. 2: Silver GN (Alias) - RANDY: I've seen some pages from this project by Art Thibert and Richard Birdsall, and their story of blue collar mechanics repairing the timestream looks like fun. (page 220) Death Jr. TPB (Image Comics) - RANDY: Death, Jr. has been a delightfully fun little miniseries by Gary Whitta and Ted Naifeh that doesn't give away its videogame origins nor fall into goth cliche. Instead, it's actually funny and beautifully drawn, and probably one of my favorite Image projects of 2005. (page 141) DAVE: Haven't read yet. Naifeh's color art looked great when I peeked, though. Decoy Vol. 1: Menagerie GN (Penny Farthing Press) - RANDY: I've been sort of lukewarm on previous Decoy stories, but this anthology is something kind of different. It's a $20 hardcover with Decoy stories by a variety of talent, including writing by some of my favorite underrated writers (Ty Templeton and Phil Hester) and some really nice artwork by the likes of Ryan Woodward (The Invincible Ed). In fact, I've got a copy of this for review, and I've got to say that the artwork across the board looks spectacular, even if all the names don't immediately click as being familiar. (page 313) DAVE: Hester and Templeton rule. That is all. DMZ #1 (DC Comics/Vertigo) - RANDY: Brian Wood doing speculative fiction with a modern-day political bent? Last time he did this, we got the brilliant Channel Zero. I'm expecting equally great things from Vertigo's DMZ, about a modern-day civil war in America between red state militias and an oppressive government as seen through the eyes of a rookie photojournalist. And the two preview pages in Previews look amazing, nice art from Wood and co-artist Riccardo Burchielli. (page 106) DAVE: I read an interview with Wood where he described the bent of the book as less preachy than Channel Zero and more of a man-on-the-street point of view of a radical near-future. That appeals to me, because there are times when left-wing nightmare scenarios can get just as annoying as right-wing nightmare scenarios. I'll definitely check this out. Art looks really good. RANDY: There's a brief preview at the tail end of next week's Y: The Last Man, and it's f*cking great. Very much looking forward to this one. Down #1 (Image Comics/Top Cow) - RANDY: Wow, is this an old project. I remember hearing about this a long, long time ago. It sounded cool then, and though I've cooled on Warren Ellis in general since then, it still sounds cool now. Basically, an undercover agent went native and took over the crime racket, and now another agent is sent undercover to get him out or kill him, but she'll face the same temptations to "go native" that he faced. Can Ellis beat out Sleeper, which did this thing to near-perfection, albeit with a super-powered twist? Maybe, maybe not, but it'll certainly be entertaining, and with Tony "Ex Machina" Harris on art chores, it'll be beautiful to look at as well. (page 169) DAVE: I'm kind of amused by the fact that the solicit for this sounds like an endorsement for the drug dealin' lifestyle. I suspect Ellis will ultimately portray both the glam and the violence with equally smart-ass slickness, but looking in on Tony Harris's stuff is the only thing that really appeals to me about the mini. The Dreaming Vol. 1 (Tokyopop) - RANDY: I'm not much of a goth fan, so I don't know that The Dreaming will be up my alley. However, it's notable for a few reasons. First of all, the title bears a resemblance to a certain Vertigo spinoff, which might bring it some curious readers (and maybe a few curious lawyers), and the creator is the strangely named "Queenie Chan," apparently a well-known webcomic creator. And truthfully, the solicit has me somewhat intrigued, from the haunting cover to the indication that this is sort of a ghost story ala The Ring with a supernatural mystery involving children disappearing from a boarding school in Australia. (page 334) DAVE: I'm weirdly intrigued too. Quite frankly, manga pacing kicks the shit out of American comics when it comes to generating real suspense and creepiness. Definitely deserving of a look. Essential Marvel Two-in-One Vol. 1 TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: No doubt meant to coincide with the launch of a new, ongoing Thing title, Marvel's here with what I expect to be a pretty fun collection of classic Thing team-up stories. Lots of great creators on the these oldies (Wein, Claremont, Mantlo, Wolfman, Shooter, Starlin, Kane, Giordano and Buscema, to name a few), as well as plenty of forgotten creators. I only had a few issues of Two-In-One as a kid, but I have fond memories. I expect this to be the usual Essentials mix of lost treasures and stories you'll wish were lost. (page M93) RANDY: Yeah, this looks like fun. I'm all for the goofy team-up stories where they don't have to explain why Thing keeps running into other heroes on the street and having adventures. And no, I'm not being sarcastic, I actually miss that unapologetic sense of fun in the superhero genre. Essential X-Factor (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: This series was good and innovative for about 8 or 10 issues. Read, enjoy, then try to forget what came next (even though Walt Simonson's art was pretty keen during the dark times). (page M92) Fantastic Four: The Wedding Special (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: The next one-shot to catch my eye from Marvel this month. I've never actually read the classic wedding issue of Reed and Sue, which is reprinted here, and I've always found that Karl Kesel has a particular affinity for the Fantastic Four, and he's writing the all-new wedding-themed story for this issue. Which means I can probably trust him not to have the Thing rape, kill and eat Sue to "celebrate" forty years of comic-book marriage between Sue and Reed. I guess that's more the sort of thing you'd get at DC, anyway. (page M32) DAVE: How the pendulum swings, eh? But let's not forget recent Marvel outrages like the JMS/Gwen Stacy debacle or Bendis writing a Cap who brings Wolverine into the Avengers for black ops scenarios. And let's not tarnish what could be a very fun special with too much bitching about the excesses of the Big Two. It's nice to see an event comic that's actually based on something positive. RANDY: Oh, alright. Positive... positive... I'm positive that Kesel will not have the Thing rape, kill and eat Sue to "celebrate" forty years of comic-book marriage between Sue and Reed. DAVE: Luuuuuuuucy! Five Fists of Science GN (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: New comics work from Matt Fraction is a reason to celebrate anyway, but this one is particularly cool because it's full color from AIT/Planet Lar (a rarity) and the preview panels by Steven Sanders look fantastic. In addition, the story features Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, J.P. Morgan, Thomas Edison, the black arts and quite possibly time travel, so it sounds like just the sort of gonzo thing I'd expect from Fraction. (page 213) George Perez, Storyteller: The First 30 Years HC (Dynamic Forces) - DAVE: If you're a George Perez fan, it seems like this is as definitive an overview of his career as you'll likely find. Covers everything from his Marvel to DC to CrossGen to indie work, features a big ol' interview, and all 200 pages are in full color. Sounds like a damn good bet to me. (page 277) Gotham Central #37 (DC Comics) - RANDY: They're having an Infinite Crisis tie-in... to Gotham f*cking Central? Remember when Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber meant Whiteout, not mega-crossover in a book that couldn't be more out of place in a DC mega-event? Put the count of "wasted talent" up to two, Dave. (page 61) DAVE: It is wasted talent, and yet... I've always had more of an interest in Gotham Central dealing with metahuman-level crimes than you, and I can at least appreciate the concept of the Gothamn cops experiencing a world-shaking event. Sort of. Hack Slash: Land of Lost Toys #1 (Devil's Due Publishing) - DAVE: I've gotten to like this tongue-in-cheek horror series enough that I may need to take it off the "guilty pleasure" list and just fess up that, dammit, it's pretty good! In this three-part mini, our favorite "slasher" hunter, Cassie, finds herself going up against action figures brought to twisted life. Given the series' Scream-like sensibilities, I see plenty of opportunities for spoofing the toy biz as well as opportunities for lots of creepy "Chucky" moments. Horror dorks should really be following Hack Slash. (page 266) RANDY: I've always had a fondness for Hack/Slash as well, but what's most notable about this new miniseries for me is that it's a miniseries instead of a one-shot, and it features art from the uber-talented Dave Crosland. I'll definitely be checking this one out, and so should anyone with a fondness for the slasher genre or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He Done Her Wrong HC (Fantagraphics Books) - DAVE: For those like me with some interest in the history of the medium, this sounds downright fascinating. It's a facsimile recreation of what some describe as the 20th century's first graphic novel, a wordless frontier adventure created in 1930 as a result of the artist's collaboration with none other than Charlie Chaplin! For a mere $16.95, this 256-page hardcover sounds like a steal. (page 280) Hello GN (Chuleta Press) - RANDY: Hello is one of the Xeric Grant winners solicited in this month's Previews. It sounds a little abstract, a story about a faceless woman overcome by the bombardment of images and presribed roles, but I like what I've seen of Ryu's artwork on her website. (page 250) Image First TPB (Image Comics) - DAVE: Looks like Image is trying out the same kind of sampler that Vertigo's done twice recently, collecting four of their better received first issues under a very reasonable $6.95 price tag. Included: The Walking Dead, Girls, Sea of Red, and Strange Girl. I wish 'em luck because I like this idea, even if Walking Dead is the only book among that pack that really stands out for me. (page 143) RANDY: Truthfully, I think that Invincible should have been amongst these offerings, even if that would have given Kirkman double billing. Otherwise, good idea, nice assortment of stuff, hope they have a better cover than the ugly clip-art Vertigo cheapie trades. JSA Classified #5 (DC Comics) - RANDY: I love a good heist story, I enjoy the Injustice Society as Geoff Johns has reshaped them and I enjoy the writing of Jen Van Meter. So this sounds like fun, and it sounds pretty much unconnected to Infinite Crisis. (page 78) Industry of War (Image Comics) - RANDY: Seems like I've been seeing this one advertisted at Cons for a while, and I've always been curious about it. Jordan Raskin's artwork looks really nice, and you can get a preview of Industry of War specifically and his art in general at his website. The plot, about undercover military agents trying to track down stolen experimental weapons, also sounds like good fuel for a good action comic. (page 135) Japan As Viewed by 17 Creators TPB (Fanfare/Ponent Mon) - RANDY: Previous offerings from Fanfare/Ponent Mon have seemed pretty expensive for their page count, but this anthology, at $25 for 250+ pages, is at least in the "sane" area of pricing. And though the talent isn't specifically listed in this solicitation, you'll find a list HERE. Still not much help for me, as I've never heard of any of these creators, but the preview art and design looks pretty solid, and the idea of 17 different creators presenting their views of Japan sounds quite possibly fascinating. (page 280) DAVE: Sounds like this baby's tapping into the marketplace zeitgeist something fierce. If the creators are good enough, I'm interested. Jonah Hex #1 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have their work cut out for them in overcoming my love of the Lansdale/Truman Jonah Hex, but I'm definitely willing to give their take on DC's venerable western bounty hunter a shot. Certainly the preview art by Luke Ross and that cover by Frank Quitely indicate that the book is going to look great. I'm pleased to see DC launching a western comic in this market, and as much as I blame Dan Didio for the direction of DC that I hate, I must also acknowledge that it is his love of this particular character that probably got the new Jonah Hex series greenlit in the first place. (page 73) DAVE: Truth be told, I only really know the character through his Joe Lansdale/Tim Truman Vertigo incarnation, which was one helluva hardcore Western, so I don't know what to make of a more "general audiences" version. Preview looks reasonably tough, though. We'll see. Y'think we can expect any lawsuit-inducing representations of Johnny and Edgar Winter this go-round? 'Cause that stuff actually worked for me. Jova's Harvest #1 (Arcana Studio) - RANDY: The latest offering from Steve Uy, best known for his work on Feather from Image. His always-beautiful artwork seems just as strong as always, and the general subject matter and approach sounds similar to what Uy has done before, so if you've liked his earlier stuff, it's worth noting... he's back with something new. (page 231) DAVE: The visuals definitely caught my eyes as I was flipping through Previews and the premise for our lead sounds provactive enough: "...he maintains Heaven's dominance over Hell by facilitating the deaths of good people and collecting their souls." Sounds like there are all kinds of twists beyond that initial premise, and I'm at least seeing enough to make me curious. The Losers Vol. 4: Close Quarters TPB (DC Comics/Vertigo) - RANDY: Glad to see that with the final arc of The Losers in solicitations, DC continues to produce trade paperbacks of the series. That means we've got a pretty decent shot of having the whole thing collected, and that's good news, given how great this action series is. (page 113) DAVE: Enthusiasm seconded. The Losers ain't a perfect comic, but when it comes to Hollywood-style military/espionage action, I can't think of a single comic that's done it better. Marvel Adventures #9 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: The next of Marvel's single issue temptations for me this month. The all-ages Marvel Adventures line has mostly been too vanilla for me, albeit perfectly decent for the kids' audience it's aimed at, but this one has a guest creative team of Sean McKeever and Mike Norton, who have captured the flavor of early Spidey with their Gravity miniseries. Can they transplant that flavor to actual retellings of early Spidey tales? Maybe, maybe not, but it's worth looking in on. (page M66) Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone (and the Monster Hunters) (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: On the surface this looks to be another Marvel encyclopedia thingee, in this case focusing on their weird-ass monsters like Devil Dinosaur, Fin Fang Foom, and hey, let's not forget Tim Boo Ba! What seems cool to me is that this encyclopedia is written from the point of view of the guys who've tangled with 'em, from Ulysses Bloodstone to Dr. Druid to Namora. Fun idea and it seems to suggest a reasonably serious treatment of these creatures as opposed to an easy spoof. I see that Eric "The Goon" Powell is doing the cover as well. (page M40) Marvel Team-Up #14 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: I've generally not been as happy with Kirkman's work at Marvel as his stuff at Image, but this is just cool. Spider-Man and Invincible teaming up for an issue of Marvel Team-Up? I don't have any other issues of Team-Up in my collection, but I'll most likely be buying this one, although truthfully I'm hoping it'll also show up in an Invincible trade at some point. (page M39) DAVE: I'm not even really following Invincible these days and I still think this is cool. The Maze Agency #1 (IDW Publishing) - RANDY: I've never read The Maze Agency, an '80s series about private detectives, but this is another project from IDW in the vein of Grimjack and Jon Sable, presenting the long out-of-print originals in swanky trade paperbacks while also enlisting one or more of the original creators to create a new miniseries or series to go along with it. Kudos to IDW for resurrecting some important recent comics history. I'll certainly be checking this out. (page 293) DAVE: Same here. Also of note: the original series is where Adam Hughes really got his start, so his fans should check out IDW's reprint trade of the classic stuff in addition to the new series. Meta Docs: Type A #1 (Antarctic Press) - DAVE: This bit of Amerti-manga sounds weirdly fun: it's a series about the specialist doctors who treat superheroes when they get their butts stomped by supervillains. The first issue has the doctors struggling to decide whether to save a supervillain who ends up in the ER, and with art by the very talented Rod "Neotopia" Espinosa, I plan to give it a look. (page 228) Monkeysuit Vol. 5: Death Comes to Monkeysuit GN (Monkeysuit Press) - RANDY: The Monkeysuit anthology crew returns with another go-round, and even though it's not out until November, you might spot it on the convention circuit a little earlier, because the book is already done. In fact, I've got a review of it HERE. (page 304) Narwain Publishing (Narwain Publishing) - RANDY: Another new publisher throws their hat in the comics ring this month, following the pattern established by Speakeasy and Alias by launching a large number of titles. This still seems like an insane strategy to me, but it has worked to one degree or another for both of those companies, so maybe I'm just crazy. At any rate, Narwain's early art looks good, and their offerings include a horror anthology (Horrorrama), a bank robbery caper (Free Fall), a teen drama with supernatural elements (Jenna), a military/superhero blend (The Power and the Glory), a post-apocalyptic sounding alternate reality (Rash) and a near-future dysopia tale (Wall After Wall), so you can't fault their genre diversity. They also have some good taste in contributors, as I note names from the fringe-ier parts of the mainstream like Takeshi Miyazawa, Eric J., Jimmy Palmiotti and Alberto Ponticelli on their solicits, although in fairness some of those names are only contributing covers. (pages 307-308) DAVE: I hate to say it, but I don't think your skepticism is wrong about these big launches, and my gut instinct sees more CrossGens in the making. But, hell, I'm just pleased to see more breaks from the standard superhero stuff, so as long as the talent is there, I'll give these books a shot. RANDY: You can find previews of many of their titles at the official site. Be warned, you might want to turn your speakers off first, as there's background music for some odd reason. Night Fisher GN (Fantagraphics) - RANDY: This graphic novel from Fantagraphics is a coming-of-age tale in Hawaii with gorgeous-looking artwork from R. Kikuo Johnson that reminds me of both Farel Dalrymple and Craig Thompson. Fantagraphics is hyping it hard, calling it "the most exciting graphic novel debut of 2005," and I have to admit that the samples of artwork I've seen here have me inclined to put that hype to the test and pick up the book. (page 281) DAVE: I checked out the guy's website, and holy shit was I impressed! Take a look, y'all. The vibe his art is giving me is David Mazzuchelli/David Lapham/Michael Lark, but I see he's also something of an artistic chameleon who adapts to the situation. I'm ordering this if only for the visuals, but the story intrigues too, spotlighting a struggling teenage friendship that gets put to the test over a frivolous crime and an arrest. I don't expect it's particularly close to Ed Brubaker and Eric Shanower's An Accidental Death, but it's territory does remind me of it, and that's actually a good thing. Looking forward to this. Northwest Passage #2 (Oni Press) - DAVE: Who knew Canada could be so cool? This is the second installment of Scott Chantler's kick-ass tale of frontier adventure set against a backdrop of the Canadian wilderness circa 1755. I was stunned by the craft in volume one, with art on par with Jeff Smith's work and a yarn with spinnin' about a retiring frontiersman marked for death by French mercenaries. My recommendation: pick up volume one now (ask your comic shop to order it if they haven't stocked it before), then you'll be nice and caught up when volume two hits in November. Easily one of my favorite new series of the year. (page 313) RANDY: Right there with you. Northwest Passage is an instance of great cartooning in one of those weird genres that you can't imagine being interesting (Canadian frontier history?), and it's definitely one of the standout books of the year. Off Road (Oni Press) - RANDY: Off Road is about three high school buddies reuniting after some bad turns in their personal lives to go off-roading. Artwork by Sean Murphy looks amazing, as you can see from work scattered throughout this interview or from this interview and enormous 51-page (!) preview. (page 312) Penguins on Ice GN (iBooks) - DAVE: I think this has gotta be fun: a lighthearted comic about life in a colony of penguins, where "...a passing icebreaker can complicate the path of true love." The only preview I could find appears to be in Italian, but I don't need to speak the language to know good cartooning. I think this'll be a good one for the younger set and noticed at least one preview that likened its appeal to Calvin & Hobbes. (page 286) Penny Arcade Vol. 1: Attack of the Bacon Robots! TPB (Dark Horse) - RANDY: I've just recently started reading Penny Arcade and I'm finding it to be a lot of fun. Kind of like Megatoyko (another webcomic Dark Horse picked up for successful print distribution) except with a focus more on Western geek culture than that derived from the East, and, for my money at least, funnier. I look forward to checking out some of the early days of the strip now that I've become acquainted with the newer strips. (page 26) Pizzeria Kamikaze TPB (Alternative Comics) - RANDY: About two and a half years ago, I reviewed an issue of Bipolar and said that I was eagerly awaiting a trade paperback collection of one of the stories, Pizzeria Kamikaze. Well, now it's here, and I'm still very much looking forward to checking out the finished story. The story of a young man who committed suicides only to find himself in an afterlife made up entirely of suicides is a fascinating read, and the artwork by Asaf Hanuka is drop-dead gorgeous. Also solicited this month, and worth a look as well, is the other half of Bipolar, Placebo Man, a collection of short stories by Tomer Hanuka. (page 221) DAVE: At last, a concept with some originality! Looking forward to this, and I was pretty impressed with what I saw of Hanuka's art on his website. Punisher: River of Blood TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: I'm kind of curious about this collection. Chuck Dixon writes, and I'd always heard his Punisher stuff was solid, but more importantly, the legendary Joe Kubert draws. I've gotta peek. Punisher vs. Bullseye #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Waste of talent count: three. Not that Dillon hasn't done well with his work on the dark comedy of Punisher and Bullseye, but the guy who co-created Preacher is doing a Punisher vs. Bullseye miniseries? C'mon! (page M24) DAVE: So what you're saying is...you'd rather have him on a Venom vs. Carnage mini? Wolverine vs. Sabertooth? There are only so many brilliant "versus" concepts out there, Randy! Reiko the Zombie Shop Vol. 1 TPB (Dark Horse) - RANDY: I'm trying to branch out into manga, but I've been disappointed more often than not, even by creators whose work I've previously liked. I'll keep trying, though, and something like Reiko the Zombie Shop is the kind of thing that grabs my attention. Zombies, a beautiful "necromancer for hire" and a sensibility that the ad copy describes as "part Sixth Sense and part Evil Dead" and "ultra-violent, comical and disturbing" leads me to believe this might fit my sensibilities. (page 21) The Roach #1 (Black Inc! Imprints) - RANDY: I reviewed the first issue of The Roach a while back, and came to the conclusion that it's basically a well-done pulp comic, a little traditional and maybe even predictable but worth checking out for those with a fondness for the pulp/crimefighter genre, particularly those with a fondness for The Spirit. (page 244) Rock'n'Roll (Image Comics) - RANDY: Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba have done gorgeous artwork on AIT/Planet Lar's Ursula and Smoke & Guns. Rock'n'Roll looks equally gorgeous. Not sure whether the story will click with me or not, but I'm at least gonna check it out. (page 136) DAVE: Wow, I'm with you on the art - that's really something! I see in it a little Paul Pope, a little Eduardo Risso, even a little Jeff Smith. Means I'll have to give this a read, even with its ridiculously nebulous solicit text about kids and rock 'n' roll. Seven Soldiers: The Bulleteer #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: You know you've got a Golden Age throwback when you get a character whose most outstanding costume element is a bullet-shaped helmet. And I'm sure that's precisely the weirdiness that appealed to Grant Morrison when he decided to revamp the character. The big twist on the original Bulleteer is that this one's a lady - a sexy lady! - who's actually trapped in a sort of metallic skin as a result of an experiment gone awry. Even with somewhat dwindling interest in the Seven Soldiers line, I've no doubt this will be very readable weirdness. But shouldn't they have gotten Sorayama, that "Sexy Robots" guy, to do covers at least? (page 82) RANDY: This is definitely one of the more bizarre Seven Soldiers concepts, but while the latter issues of the miniseries have lost some of the crazy wild idea steam that drove the early issues, I'm still pretty much completely onboard the series. This ought to be one of the better-selling ones, too... it's got boobs on the cover! Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: In the words of the solicit, "...a steam-powered, gun-totin', Milton-quotin' Frankenstein Monster you'll never forget!" Sounds reasonably fun coming from Grant Morrison, and I've become quite fond of the art from his collaborator Doug Mahnke. Morrison's definitely bringing out some of the best work from his artists. (page 83) RANDY: This is the Seven Soldiers I was most looking forward to based on concept. I seem to recall that one of his arms was from an angel, or something along those lines? At any rate, crazy concept, and crazy good art from Doug Mahnke. Sexy Chix TPB (Dark Horse) - DAVE: This looks purty good: a spotlight on comics created by some of the better known (if under-recognized) ladies of the comic book world. You've got the modern stalwarts like Colleen Doran (A Distant Soil), Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother), and Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, indie innovators like Carla Speed McNeil (Finder) and Roberta Gregory (Bitchy Bitch), and up-and-comers like Colleen Coover (Banana Sunday). What I like about this book is that it looks to have a little something from every comic genre: action/adventure, humor, autobiography, etc. I also like the price - a modest $12.95 - and the format, which matches Dark Horse's excellent Autobiographix from a year or two back. (page 31) RANDY: It probably isn't impossible, given the talent line-up and Diana Schutz's editorial duties (I'm assuming, I'm not positive here), that this will be as good as Autobiographix. Certainly I'm looking forward to reading it. The photo montage cover is a strange choice, though. DAVE: The cover makes sense to me. I think that mentally, the default image for a comic creator in our minds tends to be "bald guy from Cleveland," so something like this gives our grey matter a much-needed jolt. Scorpion: Poison Tomorrow Digest (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Do not fear this series just because it was spawned from the same anthology that gave us Arana! No, contrary to all expectations, the new Scorpion is actually pretty cool. She's Marvel's answer to Alias's Sydney Bristow, and she wears that mantle much more comfortably than did Mystique for a few years. Writer Fred Van Lente is a complete unknown to me, but he's got the chops. Knows how to mix action and character development, uses the Marvel backdrop to good effect (cool uses of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Madripoor), and his art collaborator Leonard Kirk is pretty sharp too. (page M82) RANDY: I liked this one, but didn't love it. Digest format sounds like exactly the price point/format I was looking for to pick it up. Showcase Presents Jonah Hex Vol. 1 TPB (DC Comics) - RANDY: Everything I said about a fondness for Jonah Hex in the entry on the new series goes double for the chance to actually read some of the originals. I'm a fan of the "Essential" style format of black and white mega-compilations, and this one looks like a good 'un, with contributions from Doug (creator of Jonny Quest) Wildey, beloved artists' artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Michael Fleischer, writer of those cult favorite Spectre comics. (page 77) DAVE: Yeah, I'm looking forward to this over the newer Hex series as well. Even if the stories are dated, art by Wildey and Garcia-Lopez makes it a must-buy for me. I think their styles will be suited to the black-and-white format just as a I think the genre will suite it. Smax TPB (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - DAVE: This series really surprised me. Not that I didn't expect good material from Alan Moore, but like many folks, I suspect, I wanted more Top 10 stories, not a spin-off book with a fantasy theme. Moore really came through, though, with both a compelling (and sometimes quite dark) story and all the wit and visual in-jokes Top 10 is famous for. Big 'ol recommendation. (page 103) RANDY: I'm just glad to finally see a trade paperback collection, I was starting to wonder if it was ever going to happen. Like you, I wanted more Top 10 stories (still do... but I want them by Alan Moore, which ain't happenin'), but I was surprisingly pleased by the off-beat fantasy story offered up in Smax, which was true to Top 10 despite being in an almost entirely different genre. Smoke TPB (IDW Publishing) - RANDY: Hooray to IDW for their quick collection of this gorgeous (Igor Kordey has rarely looked better) and well-written (a stunning debut from Alex De Campi) miniseries! Boo to IDW for pricing it higher than the individual issues, especially when the individual issues were in an expensive format anyway. Not that it matters, I was pretty much locked in to buy this trade when I fell in love with the first issue, and a slight bump in price doesn't change that. (page 292) Spider-Man Unlimited #10 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Number five on the "single issues I might have to buy from Marvel this month" is this issue of Spider-Man Unlimited. Mostly, I'd be sold just on Tom Beland's first work for Marvel, because I'm really curious to see what the genius behind True Story Swear to God can do with Spidey. The other story is by Christos N. Gage, who wrote the recent kickass Deadshot miniseries from DC. Sold. Of course, I'm not entirely sure I can trust the solicit, since Beland indicates a different writer/artist pairing for the other story and says that Sean Phillips is doing the art on his story and not Mike McKone, as solicited, but the alternate line-up includes Beland, Phillips and Michael Lark so any way you slice it, this is going to be a good Spidey issue. (page M17) Spider-Man Vs. The Black Cat Vol. 1 TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Nothing wrong with a themed reprint like this, but I see that it collects some of Roger Stern's material so I just want to reiterate that Marvel needs to stop doling out reprints of his run piecemeal. Fans and pros alike acknowledge it as one of the finest runs Amazing Spider-Man has had since the days of Stan Lee - it's time to start collecting it in a multi-volume Visionaries series. (page M84) RANDY: Damn straight. Roger Stern and John Ostrander are both classic '80s creators who have a shamefully low amount of their work in print. Marvel needs to reprint Stern's Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man, at the very least. Strangetown #1 (Oni Press) - RANDY: Yep, pretty much everything Oni is publishing this month looks great. Strangetown is the newest offering from Chynna (Blue Monday, Scooter Girl) Clugston with additional writing by Ian Shaughnessy, about a 20-year-old girl who washed ashore 10 years ago in a very strange town, and they still don't know what to make of each other. (page 313) Strangeways #1 (Speakeasy Comics) - RANDY: The Wild West and werewolves. Sounds like fun, and the covers by Steve Lieber look really good. I wish I could find some preview art from interior artist Luis Gaurana, but I'm inclined to give this one a try because: A) I like westerns and B) I like werewolves.(page 326) DAVE: Sure, why not? Seems like werewolves have been a little underrepresented as far as classic monster go these days. Only creatures from black lagoons fare worse. Super Real #1 (Super Real Graphics) - RANDY: I've reviewed this one as well in my Superheroes capsule reviews, and I'd liken it to a cross between Todd Nauck's Wildguard and the art style of Josh "Dead at 17" Howard. Worth checking out for those looking for superheroes off the beaten path. (page 328) Swamp Thing #21 (DC Comics/Vertigo) - DAVE: Just a little sidebar here to let folks know that Goon artist Eric Powell will be providing covers for the series as of this issue. Nice Wrightson vibe to 'em. (page 114) Tales of the Closet Vol. 1 One-Two-Three TPB (Planet Bronx Productions) - RANDY: Man, the name Ivan Velez Jr. brings back memories of how much I loved some of those Milestone comics, especially Velez's work on Static and Blood Syndicate (and Dwayne McDuffie's work on Icon). I've heard of Tales of the Closet before, but hadn't really checked it out. However, this looks like a good chance to do so, with an affordable ($8.50 for 104 pages) trade paperback. I'm kind of surprised that the solicit doesn't more explicitly spell out the gay aspect of the stories, but I suppose that the title does give at least some hint in that direction. (page 314) The Thing #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: What else is there to say but "Dan Slott writing an ongoing Thing series!" Everyone knows that Slott's one of the most superhero promising players to arise in the last few years, that he respects classic continuity, and that he knows how to have fun with superheroes. Put him together with one of the most likeable personalities in the Marvel Universe and I really don't see how this could go wrong. (page M51) RANDY: Well, the first issue could involve the Thing raping, killing and eating Sue Storm. That's how it could go wrong! DAVE: Uh...! RANDY: OK, but it probably won't. Dan Slott is one of the last great hopes for superhero guys like us who want old school feel with modern writing technique. I'm generally weirded out by solo books for characters who are regular players in big team books, but I didn't really think there was much mileage in a She-Hulk book either, and Slott proved me wrong there. Looking forward to seeing this one. Tim Sale's "Yeah, Baby!" Sketchbook (Active Images) - DAVE: Sure, twenty bucks is pricey for a li'l 24 page sketchbook, but if you're a Tim Sale fan who couldn't nab this at the summer conventions, might still be worth your dough. I'm a bit tempted. (page 207) Valentine (Red Eye Press) - RANDY: Daniel Cooney's female assassin returns, and it looks like this story will take place in the '80s, a flashback to Dana Valentine's assassin life before the regret that has driven her in most of the modern tales. (page 315) The Walking Dead Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire TPB (Image Comics) - RANDY: More trades of zombie goodness. Easily one of the top ten titles running right now, and Image is doing a great job of trading up the book fast so that readers can keep up, no matter what their chosen format. (page 144) DAVE: Sometimes my interest in this book dwindles a bit, but its sheer unpredictability and total dedication to its scenario keeps me coming back. Kirkman does have a legitimate hit here. Wimbledon Green: The Greatest Comic Book Collector in the World HC (Drawn & Quarterly) - DAVE: A new, original graphic novel from the creator of Palookaville and one of the great cartoonists of our time? I'm there, baby. The artist in question is known simply as Seth, and in this 128-page story he tells the tale of a legendary comic collector as seen through the eyes of retailers, auctioneers, and convention-goers who've dealt with him. It's an odd premise, but anyone who's read Seth's brilliant It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken knows the guy can spin a yarn about the nature of collecting. I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes with the theme this time, and as always to his New Yorker-style cartooning. (page 274) RANDY: Apparently, this is a somewhat more comedic offering than Seth's usual downbeat work. I'm curious to see it for that alone, but really, any chance to get more cartooning from Seth, especially a self-contained story like this one, is a good thing. X-Factor #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: It's the slightly-off-the-beaten-path projects that are interesting me at Marvel these days, and X-Factor is a perfect example. It's following on the heels of Peter David's excellent Madrox miniseries, continuing that series' recasting of the old X-Factor team as a mutant investigation agency. I never read Peter David's X-Factor back in the day, but those who did will be pleased to see the return of Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, Siryn, and even oddballs like Rictor and Generation X's Monet. The mighty talented Ryan "Seven Soldiers: Zatanna" Sook handles the art. (page M61) RANDY: I did read Peter David's X-Factor back in the day, and I also read the Madrox miniseries, and I'm really looking forward to this. I'm generally all about paring down the X-line, but if more of them had a strong creative lineup like this one and a stronger concept on which to hang its B- and C-list cast, I'd be more okay with the 20+ title bloated line. OK, that's probably a lie. But X-Factor will probably be one of the best reads of this month at any rate. X-Factor Visionaries: Peter David Vol. 1 TPB (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: This is good timing, but the pricing and format is inane. Peter David's run on X-Factor was large enough that it wouldn't all fit in one trade, but it could easily have been done in, say, two or three. Except that Marvel is instead releasing this wimpy four-issue collection, which, at $15.99, winds up costing more than double what the original comics cost, and incidentally, more than the issues cost if you were to buy them online right now. (page M89) X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: And let's finish off our Marvel coverage this month with another "wasted talent" comment, this one again a misuse of the remarkably talented Ed Brubaker. An X-Men limited series that promises a variation on "everything you know is wrong?" What the f*ck? As with Doom, I'm sure it'll be very readable, but Christ, what a waste of a versatile talent. (page M63) DAVE: Agree with everything you've said, but I'd also like to add that I'm also bone-weary of "dark secrets" arising from the past of superheroes. We've recently been retro-informed of Gwen Stacy's seduction by Norman Osborne, Sue Dibney's rape by a third-rate DC villain, Bucky's life as a black-ops throat-slitter in World War II, etc, etc. It's not that these kinds of stories never work, it's just that they tend to operate on shock tactics and they're simply getting played-out right now. They also tend to focus on the negative, which is just kind of depressing in a superhero context. When Miller was on Daredevil, he did some retconning, but I like that some of his stuff was neutral (the addition of Stick), and the stuff that did pave the way for tragedy (the introduction of Elektra) wasn't exactly a deep, dark secret for the hero. I can't comment as to exactly what Brubaker will be doing with the X-Men's past - I just know the retcons I tend to like are more along the lines of what Miller did. RANDY: I think the best way to deal with these retcons is to start an office pool on just how gratuitous and ridiculous the "revelations" are going to be. I'm putting my money on "Xavier had a team of X-Men prior to the original five and they all died horribly and that's the big secret." Either that or "Jean's a man, baby!" DAVE: Twenty bucks on "Thunderbird was actually a white dude." Y: The Last Man Vol. 6: Girl on Girl TPB (DC Comics/Vertigo) - RANDY: No, it isn't full of "hot lesbian action." OK, yes, there is some "hot lesbian action," but that's not the thrust of the story. Instead, it's about naval warfare in the post-apocalyptic world of Y, the fate of Australia (with hints as to the fate of Yorick's missing girlfriend Beth) and... You all stopped reading at "hot lesbian action," didn't you? (page 115) DAVE: I gotta be honest: this book has always been a bit larger-than-life, but it was around this arc that I started to feel detached by some of the series' melodrama. Hopefully it'll read stronger in trade, 'cause I'd hate to miss out on comicdom's classiest lesbo-a-go-go. Email Randy Lander and Dave Farabee comments about this review.