Down The Line - Previews review for December 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 October Previews for comics due to ship out in December. Pre-ordering is your friend. If there's stuff you want in December, letting your retailer know before the end of October is the best way to make sure you get it. It's still a hundred billion degrees outside here in Texas, but we're looking ahead to colder weather and Christmas trees in this edition of Down the Line, which looks at books coming out in December. There are a few presents for fans in here, as well as several lumps of coal. DAVE: Don't be dissin' on the coal. When submitted to geological stressors over the course of eons... diamonds baby! Ya get diamonds! So that's right - the people of the year 12 million A.D. will be wearing jewelry made from Witchblade/ Magdalena crossovers. 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: Battle Hymn #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: I'm a fan of many of the modern-day retellings of the Golden Age of superheroes through the lens of modern characterization, and Battle Hymn puts me in mind of projects like James Robinson's Golden Age or Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier as much as it does something like Roy Thomas's All-Star Squadron or the work currently being done on JSA. It sounds like the creative team is also going to make the war more a part of these superheroes, rather than having them mysteriously kept out of the war itself to fight on the home front, and so there may be a touch of World War II action and horror of war type stuff as well. That's all speculation on concept, though, and here's what I know and why this is my pick of the month: It's by B. Clay Moore, who writes the supercool '50s detective book Hawaiian Dick, and it's drawn by Jeremy Haun, who did great work on Paradigm, and inked by Ande Parks, who does a great job monthly on Green Arrow. I've also seen some of the character designs and pages in San Diego, and I know that visually, this book is going to be amazing. (page 131) DAVE: Not to be a total mainstream whore, but I almost would've preferred modern tales of Marvel's Invaders fighting during the second World War. Since Marvel's going the route of anti-terrorism strikeforce with 'em, though (yawn), Battle Hymn can bring it on! It's hardly a new idea, but I can't think of many occasions where wartime superhero stories have really lived up to their promise. I think B. Clay might just have what it takes. DAVE'S PICK OF THE MONTH: Concrete: The Human Dilemma #1 (Dark Horse Comics) - DAVE: No other candidate could possibly be in the running for Pick O' Da Month when a new Concrete series hits, because Concrete was the title, more than any other, that opened my mind to the possibilities of comics. It didn't win six Eisners and three Harvey's for nothin', folks! But it has been absent from stores for a few years too long, so I'm ecstatic to see it back. This time writer/artist Paul Chadwick puts his larger-than-life lead in the volatile position of becoming a spokesperson for a controversial population control program. If that sounds a little dry, maybe you haven't read Concrete before! Chadwick always approaches political and social issues with a humanity and thoughtfulness that calls to mind Aaron Sorkin at his best, and like Sorkin, his stories are just *damn* entertaining. Pre-order, track down the other trades if you've a mind, but give this series a look. It's on my all-time top five list. (page 17) RANDY: I'm a casual Concrete fan at best, but I've definitely recognized the genius of the work when I read it, and it's easily the best work that Paul Chadwick has done in comics. Looking forward to re-acquanting myself with the character, and since this also heralds the reprinting of some of the older Concrete stuff, it'll be a good time for me to read all of those back stories I haven't yet. The Amazing Joy Buzzards #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: The notion of a rock band that also fights crime or the supernatural or just general weirdness is something we've seen before, but it's hardly a worn-out concept, and the solicitation copy for The Amazing Joy Buzzards makes it sound like the creators have just the right touch of gonzo "everything but the kitchen sink" ideals to make it work. I'm a little weirded out by the inclusion of a masked mexican wrestler, one of those popular concepts in comics that I just don't get the fascination with, and of course the creative team is completely untested, but this sounds like it could be fun in a Scurvy Dogs/Street Angel vein. (page 129) Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1: Gifted TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Man, that Joss Whedon guy has really surprised me. I figured his X-Men work was gonna be readable 'n' peppy, but who would've guessed he'd become the perfect bridge between Grant Morrison's modernist take and the classicist roots of the Claremont/Byrne era? But, lo, he did! So if by chance you haven't read these stories yet, for the luvva Kirby, put your hands on this trade! Hell, even if you *do* have the individual issues, I recommend the snazzy trade format. And did I mention the immaculate art from John (Planetary) Cassaday? Yeah, well there's that too! (page M69) RANDY: It took me a couple of issues to really get onboard with Astonishing X-Men, but I'm right with you on how good this book is now. The only question for me regarding this trade paperback is whether I should buy it when it comes out or hope that Marvel goes all the way and does an oversized hardcover collection of the whole run, because Cassaday's art definitely deserves the format. I'll be holding out and hoping for a hardcover, but if that doesn't materialize, this one will definitely find its way to my bookshelf in softcover. DAVE: Format whore. Actually a hardcover *would* be nice... Astro City: The Dark Age #1 (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - DAVE: As Astro City's schedule has become hit-and-miss in recent years, I have to admit I lost track of some of its long-running mysteries - in this case, the dark secret surrounding the final fate of the Silver Agent in the '70s. So does that mean I'm not enthused for this four-part mini, the first of three that'll tell the whole story? Hell no! This is Busiek writing about the darkest era of Astro City's heroes, and that's the *only* sell I need. After Busiek's recent work on Conan, is there any doubt this guy can bring the darkness when he needs to? (page 94) RANDY: I do think that Astro City now isn't as consistently amazing as it was in the beginning, but it's still always good, and I've been waiting since the very beginning for this story, the tale of what happened to the Silver Agent. Looking forward to seeing that, and to seeing Busiek's meta-take on the grim and gritty era that overtook comics in the late '80s and to some extent never really let go. Batman/Danger Girl (DC Comics/Wildstorm) - DAVE: This is about as fluffy as crossovers get, and crossovers are pretty much inherently fluffy to begin with. I might pick it up, though. Danger Girl's always been pretty good at the guilty pleasure thing; throwing that into Batman's world has solid camp potential. (page 96) RANDY: Actually, if this were the Adam West Batman teaming up with the Danger Girl team, I'd definitely be there for it. As is, Leinil Francis Yu's artwork and a sort of guilty pleasure enjoyment of Danger Girl has me mildly curious. Biff! Bam! Pow! #1 (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - RANDY: Almost every year, Evan Dorkin puts out an issue of Dork!, his one-man anthology that is always one of the funniest books on the stands. Sarah Dyer, his wife, put together the Action Girl anthology for several years, which also had a pretty good knack for quality. So yeah, I'm pretty jazzed to see the two of them working together on a new anthology of their own creations, and in full color no less! If you're a fan of Dorkin or Dyer, you're already planning on picking this up, so for those of you who aren't, let me just say that if you like the twisted sensibilities of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, I would guess that the comics of Dorkin and Dyer will be up your alley, and in fact the two of them have done a fair amount of writing for Cartoon Network as well. (page 220) B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs TPB (Dark Horse Comics) - DAVE: I was actually a little burned out on Hellboy stuff when I first read the mini this trade collects, and it completely blew me away. It's got Mignola writing, it's got a grim B.P.R.D. adventure (sans Hellboy himself) with major repurcussions for all the players, and it's got the unbeatable art team of Guy Davis and colorist Dave Stewart. A great read, and no bullshit, it's probably the best drawn story of the year. (page 28) RANDY: Preach it! Guy Davis and Mike Mignola just blew the doors off with this miniseries, which brought back the adversaries from the first Hellboy mini and put Abe Sapien front and center. Charley's War Vol. 1 HC (Titan Publishing) - RANDY: Now this is a book that I've heard mentioned numerous times, as both a major influence and as a fantastic read, by British creators, notably Garth Ennis. It's the story about one boy going into World War I, and is basically just a tale of the war from the point-of-view of one man... sounds something like HBO's Band of Brothers, but for World War I. There's a lot more information at this very dedicated fansite, including glimpses of the very gorgeous artwork. I'm generally not a huge fan of the comics that came from the British weeklies, but I am very tempted by these new hardcovers. (page 329) DAVE: Sounds cool. I love a good trenchfoot story. DC: The New Frontier Vol. 1 TPB (DC Comics) - DAVE: New Frontier was probably the miniseries I was most looking forward to a year ago. The final product is leaving me with somewhat mixed feelings, though. On one hand, Darwyn Cooke's spotlight on DC's Silver Age heroes - especially forgotten heroes like The Losers and Challengers of the Unknown - is clearly a labor of love. And the art is supremely gorgeous. On the other hand, I've found Cooke's modern-day sensibilities to be a somewhat strained fit for these classic adventurers. Reservations aside, I was still leaning towards picking up a trade of the six-issue mini, until... DC decided to split it into two trades, each collecting only three issues. WTF? Is this a desperate bid to get at least one New Frontier trade out before Christmas? A more generalized greed after seeing that readers were willing to buy the trades for Batman: Hush in two parts? I don't know, but I don't like it. The only mitigating factor is that New Frontier's issues were all double-sized, so I guess you're effectively getting about six issues worth of material when only three issues get reprinted at a time, but dammit guys...just wait and do a BIG trade next time. Worked for Watchmen and Long Halloween, right? (page 67) RANDY: Yeah, I've heard the arguments that New Frontier is just too darn big for one trade, and this split was inevitable, but as you note, it's been done before with Long Halloween and similar books at DC, even if you discount the recent publication of The Complete Bone, which makes it clear that printing technology has caught up to giant page counts. However, I take more issue with the softcover format... how is it that this book, which features gorgeous artwork worthy of the deluxe hardcover treatment, doesn't earn it, when stuff like the first six issues of pop favorite Superman/Batman or the forgettable Superman: Godfall does deserve it? I suppose it all comes down to sales versus artistic merit, but it's a shame. DC has been hardcover happy of late, and I thought that the one positive side effect of that would be a nice snazzy version of New Frontier. All griping about the format aside, though, Cooke's art here is beautiful and there are some real fun elements to the story. For me, it doesn't stack up to his excellent work on Batman: Ego and Catwoman: Selina's Big Score, but there's definitely fun to be had here. Deadshot #1 (DC Comics) - RANDY: Honestly, the announcement of a new Deadshot miniseries made me nervous, because I feel like few writers (maybe nobody) have gotten the character as right as John Ostrander did in the pages of Suicide Squad and another Deadshot miniseries from that same era. I'm still a little wary, but the first few pages here, courtesy of Law & Order: SVU writer Christos N. Gage and artists Steven Cummings & Jimmy Palmiotti have a nice sense of humor and some solid action (and they look even better in color, in the pages of Previews). Color me cautiously optimistic. (page 67) DAVE: Same. Even with the gold standard already set for the character by Ostrander and Yale's Deadshotmini, I'll give this story a...heh heh...shot! The new, baggy costume is objectively doofy, though. Desperado Primer (Image Comics) - RANDY: It seems like every Con season brings somebody new into the publishing fold with a talented roster, a few familiar names and plenty of new stuff, and it seems like every Con, a lot of them don't show up the next year. However, here's hoping Desperado Publishing, by allying itself with Image instead of going the self-published route, can avoid that fate, because they really do have an exceptional line-up of talent here. This one-shot, priced at $1.99 for 32 pages, has previews with a lot of those big names, many of whom seem to come from the Gaijin Studios crew. I got to take a look at the upcoming projects sheet from these guys in San Diego, I was intrigued by pretty much all of their projects, and I look forward to seeing this teaser. (page 134) DAVE: Notables among the artists: Brian Bolland, Adam Hughes, Phil Hester, and Tony Harris. Desperadoes: Banners of Gold #1 (IDW Publishing) - RANDY: Yay! Desperadoes is back! Jeff Mariotte's horror/western blend is always worth a read, and I'm excited to see these characters (and this genre) back in action again. His previous artistic collaborators include the legendary John Severin and the first work of now-uber talent John Cassaday, which means that Jeremy Haun has a lot to live up to. Fortunately, I've seen some of the work he does in the western genre from another project, and I'm pretty sure he's up to it. (page 306) DAVE: I like this series too, and the snippets of art in Previews (good promotion, IDW) look nice. Absolutely worth checking out, y'all. Detective Comics #801 (DC Comics) - RANDY: On one level, I'm very sad about this, because it really seems like kind of a waste for David Lapham's skills to be burned off on Detective Comics. On the other hand, the guy's got to make a living, and he's still soliciting issues of Stray Bullets, and really, Batman is a pretty good match for his noir sensibilities. On the whole, I'd rather see him doing something brand new for Vertigo or Wildstorm if he were going to work for DC, but I'm pretty sure this will be a great read, and a backup by Mike Carey and John Lucas sounds like a great match for the lead line-up. (page 56) DAVE: I hear this one's gonna be dark! Ah, but I kid. It's Lapham, so of course it'll be dark. And can you believe I've never read his solo stuff like Stray Bullets? I'm not thrilled with the idea of another long-form Batman story, let alone more of the grim 'n' gritty, but I'm always interested to see what indie guys do with mainstream heroes, so it'll be interesting to see of Lapham can boost his name with this. I'll give 'er a try. Exiles #55-57 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: Like many, I've sort of lost interest in Exiles, and Tony Bedard's run hasn't really re-energized that interest. However, I'm a huge fan of the Kulan Gath story from the pages of X-Men in the '80s, which is the world in which the Exiles land for this three-issue saga. Unlikely to turn me around, especially as Bedard's cast still includes the out-of-place Beak and the thoroughly annoying Namorita, but certain to get a look from me at least, and worth a look for you lapsed X-fanatics as well. (page M27) DAVE: No real opinion on this. Might give it a look. Can I just say, though, that Kulan Gath, as written by Claremont in that '80s Uncanny X-Men two-parter, was about the meanest SOB villain of his day? I mean, the guy crucified Spider-Man! RANDY: But he didn't scourge him first. Making Kulan Gath just that much less of a badass than Mel Gibson. Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Vol. 3 TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: These things are a little on the expensive side, but ya still need them. You must have them! This is more of both Byrne and the Fantastic Four at their peaks, with highlight stories including a massive Negative Zone adventure and Galactus eating the Skrull homeworld! '80s superheroes represent! (page M76) Flaming Carrot #1 (Image Comics) - DAVE: Okay, if you've never read an of Bob Burden's supremely trippy Flaming Carrot comics, then you've yet to see true surreality in comics. Move over Grant Morrison! You're cool and all, but Burden was here first and he's funnier, dammit! This new quarterly promises the villainous antics of "an eight-foot, anime-loving, poker-playing, baby-eating hot wing", as well as The Flying Dead Dog, Miniature Abe Lincoln, and Mullet Force 6. Your brain will melt. Recommended. (page 136) G.I. Joe Reloaded #10 (Devil's Due Press) - RANDY: My G.I. Joe nostalgia has been crushed and burned out of existence, but had this been the creative team back when Devil's Due first got the license, I might still be reading it, because Chuck Dixon is probably the absolute perfect choice of all possible modern comics writers to write this particular property. If you still have any G.I. Joe nostalgia remaining... well, hell, you're probably already reading this book. But y'know, it's worth a mention at any rate. (page 265) DAVE: I'm more or less with ya, Randy. For me, the best days of G.I. Joe have now been committed to the ages, buried alongside fallen characters like Kwinn and Dr. Venom (the rich man's Dr. Mindbender!). You're right, though - Dixon does seem a good fit for the license. RANDY: Ah, Kwinn... Never has there been a more badass eskimo. G-Man #1 (Image Comics) - RANDY: Chris Giarrusso might be the modern heir to the legacy of Fred Hembeck, if Hembeck himself weren't still a working artist. At any rate, though, if you like the goofy, gentle (but undeniably funny) style of Hembeck, Giarrusso is another guy to read, as he proved with his fun and funny Bullpen Bits and Mini-Marvels over at Marvel. Without the nostalgic attachment to known characters, it's not quite as funny and endearing, but using his own cast of characters in Comic Bits has yielded some laughs as well, and this is worth a look for those with kids especially. (page 139) Human Target #17 (DC Comics/Vertigo) - RANDY: Another book that is consistently great, and another guest artist and one-shot story. This time out, it's Cameron Stewart, quite possibly my favorite artist working in comics today. It's criminal that Stewart doesn't have a big high-profile assignment at Vertigo on a monthly basis, but in the meantime, his work is a perfect match for Milligan's Human Target stories. Sure to be one of the highlights of December. (page 106) DAVE: Agreed. I'm only just now really getting on the Human Target bandwagon, and having quite the excellent time doing it. It's dark stuff, but exhilarating too...like a Mission Impossible movie that took its R-rating seriously. And Stewart? Guy's a national treasure. Even though he's Canadian, we claim him. And by "we", I mean the great state of Texas. That's right, Stewart, you are now an official annex of the Lone Star State. Come have some chili! RANDY: I will hereby offer up my couch for Stewart to crash on, and unlimited PS/2 time while he's here. C'mon, Cameron! It's gotta be getting cold up in the Great White North right about now! Hunter-Killer #0 (Image Comics/Top Cow) - DAVE: Definitely not my thing here, but worthy of mention for evoking the possibility of another Rising Stars - that is, a rare, well-written book from the Top Cow stable. The dream team here is Mark Waid on writing, Marc Silvestri on art. Again, not my thing, but it's one of those 25-cent incentive issues, and so likely to get a lot of attention. You heard it here first! Oh, the premise? Superpowered government hunter-killers who "Watch the watchmen, police the police, and fulfill the missions that are blacker than Black Ops!" If this sounds appealing to you... Then you *might* be a redneck. (page 163) RANDY: Redneck jokes, Dave? Have we sunk that low? Really, there's a ton of good jokes to be made about Top Cow's "ongoing" series, given that most of them go about two or three issues and then just disappear off the face of the Earth. Or did I miss the stunning finale of books like Inferno, Aphrodite IX, Tom Judge, etc.? Waid's got talent, and I expect this to be entertaining and very readable, but I'll be surprised if it winds up going anywhere. Infantry #1 (Devil's Due Press) - RANDY: There's a lot to like about this part of Devil's Due's "Aftermath" line: Art by Clement Sauve, Jr., who did great superhero/military mix in DC's underrated miniseries Human Defense Corps. Writing by Joe Casey, who did equally underrated and equally great superhero/corporate mix in Wildstorm's Wildcats Version 3.0. And a nifty concept about a mysterious super-agent for the government who sounds like a more politicized and modernized Captain America. Promising a mix of politics and over-the-top action, I find myself excited by the potential, even though I think the odds of this new superhero line surviving in this hostile marketplace are brutally bad, especially with Devil's Due's bizarre "no trade" policy. (page 261) DAVE: I'm about with you, and only want to add that, damn, that Human Defense Corps. sure was an underrated book. RANDY: Yep. I sure would love to see that book get a trade from DC, but I won't be holding my breath until it happens. The Irregulars TPB (Dark Horse Comics) - RANDY: My wife has been Tivo-ing some of the BBC's Sherlock Holmes Mysteries of late, which has confirmed for me a suspicion I have long had: I find Sherlock Holmes unbelievably boring. However, while I find most of the stories with him boring, I love the general concept, and I really love the notion of his band of young street urchins, The Baker Street Irregulars, which is where the focus of this graphic novel lies. Promising a mix of "Sherlockian mystery and Lovecraftian horror" also gets my attention. Unfortunately, the only art sample we've got is from cover artist Ben Templesmith, and I have no idea what artist Bong Dazo's work will look like, although that is a great name for an artist. (page 31) DAVE: Yep, there're distinct possibilities in that premise, and I found a page of Bong's art for folks to check out: Click here! Mild warning: contains nekkid boobs. RANDY: Warning, or incentive? At any rate, those are some nice boobs. DAVE: It's also quite nice work. RANDY: Yes, that too. More seriously, there's some really nice artwork on this page, which has increased my interest in The Irregulars considerably. JSA #68 (DC Comics) - RANDY: The JSA is going back in time! Big events are what Geoff Johns does really well in the pages of JSA, so the notion of the modern JSA meeting up with the original JSA to try and prevent a time-travelling foe from screwing everything up sounds like just the kind of big action/superhero story this book is good at. (page 77) The Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (DC Comics) - DAVE: Wow. It's almost impossible to believe this series is getting yet another relaunch, but there it is! There is a fairly notable hook, though, and that's the creative team behind it: Mark Waid and Barry Kitson, recent collaborators on the popular Empire miniseries. I didn't even care for Empire, but I still think these two just might have what it takes to bring the Legion to the mainstream. I've read interviews, and Waid's got some fun ideas. The basic retrofit is that the Legionnaires are now cast as activist-types and dreamers in a deadly dull Utopia. We shall see. (page 78) RANDY: Indeed. I've only been on the Legion since the Zero Hour reboot, and even I am wary of the constant revamping of the team. The only thing that will get me to take a look is that Mark Waid has a strong love for the Legion and that he and Barry Kitson do phenomenal work together. I'm curious, but I can't really say I'm excited, especially since DC so badly mis-marketed their last really good revamp of the Legion by Abnett and Lanning. Love Fights Volume 2 TPB (Oni Press) - RANDY: Not much new to say here. Loved Love Fights, love Andi Watson's artwork, looking forward to having the whole story in two digest-sized volumes. (page 322) Lunch Hour Comix (Alternative Comics) - RANDY: Robert Ullman really got my attention with his Grand Gestures: From the Curve one-shot last year, so I'm really pleased to see another one-shot from him. I'd buy it regardless of subject matter because I'm such a fan of his artwork, but this collection also has a great gimmick, being a daily "journal comic" in which every strip is done during Ullman's lunch hour. Sounds like fun, and sure to be gorgeous. More info, and plenty of artwork, can be found at Ullman's site. (page 218) Marvel Holiday Special TPB (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: The holiday trade paperback seems kind of weird to me, because most people really are only going to buy it during one month of the year, that month when they have the least disposable income and are least likely to pick up something wholly new. That said, while the concept is weird, the content looks pretty good. A mixture of stories from the '70s, '80s and '90s, all with a Christmas theme... I own three of these tales already, and the lineup of talent on the new stories for this volume is mediocre at best, so it's not for me, but if you're looking for an extra stocking stuffer or just in the mood for some holiday cheer in four-color form, you could do worse. (page M66) DAVE: Best title in the bunch comes from 1971's Marvel Team-Up #1: "Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas". Man, sometimes I really miss the company from the days when a little corniness wasn't a bad thing. The actual best story in this set, though, is likely to be "Demon" from Byrne and Claremont's Uncanny X-Men heyday. It's a big ol' creepfest inspired by Ridley Scott's Alien, with Kitty Pryde trapped alone with an unstoppable monster in the X-mansion on Christmas eve. Nodwick Adventure Log Volume 1 TPB (Dork Storm Press) - RANDY: Does it make me a super-huge gaming geek that the cover for this collection, echoing classic D&D modules, gave me a chuckle and piqued my interest? At any rate, this is a collection of the Nodwick stories from Dragon Magazine, in full color no less. Fans of gaming humor should check it out. (page 278) Proof of Concept (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: Now this is an odd book. In brief, Larry Young wrote a column for Comic World News, he posted twelve-page short stories for artists to draw, he selected the five he liked the best and collected them into one story, with the framing device of a pitch meeting with his agent. Sounds off-the-wall and quite fun, and it's always nice to see more writing from Larry Young. (page 218) DAVE: These stories sound like a lot of fun, especially the futuristic vampire pitch, "Hemogoblin", and the soldiers-versus-undead themed "Zombie Dinosaur." Queen & Country: Declassified Volume 2 #1 (Oni Press) - DAVE: The Queen & Country spotlight book puts its spotlight this time on series supporting player Tom Wallace. Because there are no bad Queen & Country stories...because the artist is the talented Rick Burchett...yes, of course you should be buying this. (page 322) RANDY: Right on. And also, there's a Queen & Country novel that hit shelves just this week, and yes, you should all be buying that as well. Samurai: Heaven and Earth #1 (Dark Horse Comics) - DAVE: Randy, I think you pegged this one when you noticed its distinct similarities to a CrossGen book. It's an adventure story that breaks from superheroes (Samurai in 1704 trekking across the globe to find his lost love), it's got Ron Marz (Sojourn, The Path) on writing, Luke Ross (Way of the Rat) on art, and stunning color in the CrossGen tradition. Marz's writing epitomizes mediocrity for me, but I might still check in on this one, if only for amazing visuals. (page 23) RANDY: I'm no fan of Marz's superhero work either, but I kind of enjoyed some of his genre-bending work at Crossgen, so I'm gladd to see him keeping that up at Dark Horse. Those who really miss the loss of books like The Path and Way of the Rat could look to this book as your replacement. That artwork by Luke Ross looks amazing, too. She-Hulk #10 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Marvel's best new book since Runaways begins a new arc, this time featuring super-strong dame and girlfriend to the Absorbing Man, Titania! If that calls to mind hokeyness, then *good* - this hilarious series never takes itself too seriously. That said, amidst all the fun with Marvel's quirky second and third-stringers, you can almost always expect to find memorable character beats from writer Dan Slott. This is a book you want to be onboard. (page M43) RANDY: It's also worth noting that the solicit is wrong, and that Paul Pelletier will be the regular artist on this book. That means that we've got classic superhero stuff with a classic superhero artist, and I'm guessing this will be another good jumping-on point for a book that really deserves a wider audience. DAVE: Gee, I thought Juan Bobillo's art was some of the most innovative stuff coming from Marvel in ages - it really grew on me - but I will say that Paul Pelletier did really good work on his fill-in issue, so his presence is still a good thing. I just want more credit for my man, Bobillo. Marvel's "Young Guns" list of artists is kind of silly, but Bobillo deserves to be getting that kind of promotion. RANDY: Bobillo was good, but in general he seemed like kind of a bad fit for this book, especially compared to Pelletier's work, which fits Dan Slott's tone perfectly. I'll definitely look up whatever Bobillo does next, though. Shimura TPB (DC Comics/2000 AD) - RANDY: I believe I've been the doubter in this column when we've talked about the merits of Judge Dredd, so it's kind of ironic that this tale of the Japan of the Judge Dredd era caught my eye before it caught Dave's. At any rate, the notion of less violent Judge-Inspectors, which blends the code (and no doubt cool look) of the samurai with the futuristic methods of the Judges intrigues me, and the creators are Robbie Morrison (White Death) and Frank Quitely, although there are a ton of other artists, so it's not all Quitely's show, unfortunately. (page 90) DAVE: Oi, wot's this ruddy biased grudge you've got against Brit judges, ya bloomin' wanker? Pip! RANDY: The odd thing is, that's not the first time someone has asked me that, in that exact same accent. I'll tell you what I told him: "Dad, you're not fooling anyone. You're not British." Skyscrapers of the Midwest (Adhouse Books) - RANDY: This is a strange little minicomic that explores the notion of loneliness in childhood in a twisted, depressing and yet remarkably funny way, with beautiful artwork. It won the Isotope award for Mini-Comics Excellence, and now Adhouse has picked it up to reprint in graphic novel form. Well worth seeking out, a must-buy for the indy fan and a good read for those looking to build up their indy cred. (page 204) Stalkers One-Shot (Atomeka) - RANDY: A SWAT team that works for powerful industrialists to manipulate the world markets for their own gain? Scarily plausible in this day and age, and even if it weren't, an intriguing concept, by Mark Verheiden and D'Israeli. Atomeka haven't really let me down yet, so I'll definitely be giving this one a look. (page 235) DAVE: Good premise. I'll check it out. Temporary #1: Cubes and Ladders (Origin Comics) - RANDY: Another new project from Damon Hurd (My Uncle Jeff, A Sort of Homecoming), this time paired up with artist Rick Smith (Shuck). I've had the advantage of already having read this one, and it is just pure comics magic. It's a reflection on the insanity of office life with a really neat little twist, it plays out as darkly humorous and yet thematically serious and is absolutely one of the best things in Previews this month. Order it if you're already a fan of one or both of these gentlemen, or order it blind and trust me, you will become a fan. (page 323) Trigger #1 (DC Comics/Vertigo) - RANDY: Vertigo might have the best strike rate with new series of any publisher/imprint out there right now, at least for my tastes. I don't know if Trigger will take its place alongside Human Target, Losers, Y: The Last Man and Fables as one of my favorite series, but the concept, which sounds kind of like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World interpreted through a post-Matrix/Minority Report lens, definitely hooks me, and Jason Hall has wowed me before with his work on Pistolwhip and Beware The Creeper. The artwork, by Sandman Mystery Theatre regular John Watkiss, also looks just flat-out gorgeous in these previews. I'm very excited about this one. (page 112) DAVE: Vertigo's been on a roll for a few years now, so pretty much any new book from them gets a guaranteed look from me, and of course, I'm a fan of Watkiss' Sandman Mystery Theatre art too. Only thing that makes me hesitate is the fact that dystopian futures are pretty passe at the moment. A good story will win me over any time, though. Ultimates 2 #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: A little-known indie title begins its second series. For you handful of folks out there who're into the really obscure stuff, this might be worth a look. (page M1) RANDY: Actually, Ultimates does bear some resemblance to indie books. It's constantly late and hell, 10% of this print run will even be in black and white! And of course, it has had to struggle for sales success in a market hostile to new ideas. Wait, scratch that last one. Ultimate Secret #1 (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: This is getting out of hand. Did we really need a six-part miniseries about female deodorant in the Ultimate universe? What? It's not? Oh, uh, in that case, this is sure to have gorgeous art by Steve McNiven, late of Crossgen, and I'm curious to find out what it's actually about. Hopefully Ultimate Nightmare, which took decompression a step too far in its second issue, will rebound and restore a little bit more interest in this sequel of sorts before then. (page M5) DAVE: It's not just a secret. It's an...ultimate secret. Ultimate X-Men #54 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Yay, finally an Ultimate book that actually carries some interest for me. This issue begins a new story arc, but continues Brian Vaughan's very strong run. Vaughan seems to have made his goal to Ultimize as many Marvel mutants as possibile, and this time around he sets his sites on...Longshot? S'true. But will he have an Ultimate Mullet? The premise hints at themes familiar to the mainline Longshot and his arch-foe, Mojo, in a reality TV show where mutants convicted of capital crimes are hunted down on an island ala "The World's Most Dangerous Game." Not bad, not bad. (page M11) RANDY: Vaughan's work has brought me back to Ultimate X-Men, which is odd because he's focusing on characters I outright hate (Gambit) or characters I never really wanted to see "Ultimized" (Mr. Sinister, Longshot). The reasons why are pretty simple, though... great writing and solid art from Andy Kubert. Still wish he was on a "real" X-Book, though. Wet Moon Volume 1: Wandering Companionless GN (Oni Press) - RANDY: Ross Campbell has done gorgeous, gorgeous artwork for Oni Press's Too Much Hopeless Savages and Spooked. So I'm anxious to see what he'll do with his own series of graphic novels, which sounds like a Sex and the City for the college age Goth set, and ideal for the older girls who are digging on the TokyoPop/Viz manga. I'm not even remotely in any of those categories, but I'm still intrigued, especially after seeing those beautiful teases of Campbell's art from the project. (page 322) DAVE: Randy's lying, folks. He's got a Goth fetish real bad, from his Edward Scissorhands dolls to the tattoo of Lenore on his ass. RANDY: Actually, it's a tattoo of Lenore holding an Edward Scissorhands doll. What If...? (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Many a Marvel geek over the age of 20 has found himself taken with some incarnation of the What If...? concept, and now Marvel's bringing it back in a series of one-shots almost certainly meant to test the waters for an ongoing. Here're the concepts: "What if Jessica Jones has joined the Avengers?"; "What if Karen Page had lived?"; "What if Aunt May had died instead of Uncle Ben?"; "What if Dr. Doom had become The Thing?"; "What if Magneto had formed the X-Men with Professor X?"; "What if General Ross had become The Hulk?" (Peter David writes); and "Wha... Huh?" (all comedy issue). RANDY: I have some fondness for What If...? as a concept, and I'm curious about some of these, like seeing Bendis revisit Jessica Jones as an Avenger or "What if Aunt May..." by Ed Brubaker (not a guy I expected to see on Spider-Man). I'm not super crazy excited about them, but I am curious. Disappointed, however, that Peter David's Hulk What If...? is accompanied not by cover artist Gary Frank but by Bart Sears, whose art has a tendency to feature muddled storytelling. DAVE: I notice that the "Wha... Huh?" issue includes gag stories like, "What if Kevin Smith finished his books?", and it's nice that Marvel's got a history of spoofing itself and all, but that's just kind of pathetic. Sort of like asking, "What if Marvel enforced some professionalism once in a while?" RANDY: What I find really funny about that particular "Wha... Huh?" is that on the very same page, Marvel is soliciting "What If Karen Page had lived?" co-written by... wait for it... Kevin Smith. If that issue is late, I'm going to laugh and laugh and laugh... (pages M36-39) What If? Classic Vol. 1 TPB (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: What we've got here are the first six issue of What If? from back in the day when it was one of the *only* superhero books that seemed to routinely end in tragedy. Having only read a handful of these, I'm really looking forward to this collection, which includes: "What if Spider-Man had joined the Fantastic Four?"; "What if the Avengers had never been?"; and "What if Captain America and Bucky had both survived World War II?" (page M79) Wildguard: Fire Power #1 (Image Comics) - DAVE: The first Wildguard series had a brilliantly goofy premise (reality show creates a superhero team and readers actually vote on the winners), but fizzled a little in the end. I'll still check out this follow-up, though, which sees writer/artist Todd Nauck actually having to cook up a story surrounding the winners. I'm amused by the fact that the final team ended up with two heroes with fire-based powers, and Nauck will apparently be playing up the tension between 'em. (page 158) RANDY: Yeah, the first Wildguard was a lot of fun, and I like the direction that Nauck is taking this follow-up one-shot. X-Men/Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel Comics) - DAVE: Marvel's billing this as "The crossover event of 2005", a silly-sounding bit of hyperbole, but I'll be interested to check it out as a barometer of Marvel's supposed return to more shared-universe stories in 2005. Art by The Transformers' Pat Lee. (page M15) Young Guns 2004 Sketchbook (Marvel Comics) - RANDY: The "Young Guns" is a great marketing device, branding these artists who are newly exclusive to Marvel, and the talents involved certainly are worthy of a little spotlight. It is also a stupid marketing device, as most of these guys have been kicking around the industry for many years and are by no stretch of the imagination "young guns." And speaking of stupid marketing, whoever's writing this marketing copy should really just... stop it. Most egregious in this particular solicitation is referring to John Romita Jr. and Greg Land as two of Marvel's "WMDs," which is more than a little crass and doesn't even make a great deal of sense at any rate, but you can find more moronic bon mots sprinkled throughout the Marvel solicits this month. At any rate, though, while Marvel's marketing department just hasn't been the same since Bill Rosemann left, the important fact about this sketchbook is that it's likely to feature some very, very pretty artwork behind the stupid, empty hype surrounding it. (page M28) DAVE: Yeah, but where the crap is my man Juan Bobillo in its pages?! Email Randy Lander and Dave Farabee comments about this review.