I've been a fan of the eclectic and unique art of Michael Avon Oeming and storytelling since his days with the original Powers police procedural series, he also did a great treatment of Norse Mythology that was just as good as powers and exposed more of the myths then marvel ever has. I did not see his new superhero stories from Dark Horse till after the series was over a while back and I still need to get a copy and would have had I known this was coming out.
The Victories is a very dark comic and is not much for the faint of heart or the easily offended. This is a new ongoing series set in Michael's unique and now literally dark super hero universe.
Here is the intro from Dark Horses website...
Super %$#@ed Up!
Following the Jackal’s faceoff with Faustus and an attack on the US infrastructure, the Victories face a plague of new evils threatening their city. Who is trying to destroy our nation? Can the Victories overcome their own spiritual demons to keep the team together and save the world?
* Now an ongoing series!
Dial H has been kicking around the DC universe for ages and has often been a back up feature and has had its own series a few times but never with so perfect a writer. Choosing China Mievillé to write this was a match made in weird fiction heaven; I just finished reading an ARC of the first collected volume due out this week and its nothing like any of DC's other new 52 titles. For those unfamiliar with the old DC third stinger heroes Dial-H some regular person comes across a rotary telephone and in dialing it summons up a temporary mostly one shot hero with often ludicrous possibly seemingly useless powers and superhero name, they get to be this hero for a time then return to being themselves. China I thinks takes no little joy in going for the totally crazy with this title and I hope it stays around a long time. It reads better in large doses but I heartily encourage people to give it a try because this title is a lot of fun and something very different.
Ok, my local shop did not get this one so I can't comment on how good it is but it is by Gail Simone who I know tells great stories and likes working with lesser known characters. The Movement is a title that takes the concept of the Occupy movement and the "We are the 99%" and brings it to superhero comics. Looking at so many of the traditional DC heroes, and one really in particular, they are among the most privileged and though they do fight the good fight they still don't represent the people, us, the rest of us. Gail here is introducing us to a group of new grass roots level heroes and I have hopes that this will be a book that asks more questions then which villain of the month are we fighting this issue. From the cover it looks like the mix of characters is pretty diverse compared to much of the DC big titles and ha is something to applaud right there.
I do know I could get this electronically and may do that this week but I'm one of those who should rather support my local store when I can.
All New Xmen by Brain Michael Bendis is one of those 3.99 titles that I kind of passed over and am now 11issues in thinking I need to set the trade when it comes out. Reading the couple page preview available through the comixology pull list app I found I very much like the way that Brian is writing this time displaced version of the original X-men. Their reactions to the actions of their future selves and the developments in the world seem well thought out and feels very much like an alternate history story.
The future that the original mutant teens now find them selves in is pretty bleak and terrifying; Scott a murderer, Jean dead several times over, Beast well a Beast Magneto and ally of the X-men. Its a future that I think none of them wants to come true and the reveal in this issue dark though it is makes me want to see more.
It was hard to commit to this title... it was coming out twice a month and with Avengers already doing that sometimes you just have to make a choice. I think this is one worth checking out and with the looming summer mutant story coming soon involving future Xmen well I think its time for a second look.
I'm going to make a quick mention of the super agent espionage comic Winter Soldier starring Bucky. This is a title just hitting its stride story wise and I think it sad that Marvel has scheduled its end in the next few months. The character is interesting to me because his story is one of a quest for redemption for a brainwashed past as an assassin. He made a very capable Captain America and an intriguing hero on his own over the last year and a half. Latour and Klein have only had a couple of issues to get a story rolling and though Bucky will be appearing around the Marvel universe after the series goes away I'm sad to see this team not getting more time to expand their story. The current arc with the Electronic Ghost who's taken a Shield satellite and seems to have a big plan and agenda beyond something small like vengeance I hope gets to conclude as the creative team planned. Anyway the book is well written and playing with interesting concepts extrapolated from Marvels fifty year history of stories.
Hope that people got to get to stores for Free Comic Book day this year. I managed to finally do so and though I was late in the day my local shop still had a copy of the 2000AD anthology that was the one thing wanted most out of the offerings. I miss getting the British anthology starring Judge Dredd and suggest that anyone looking for darkly humorous yet totally serious science fiction and fantasy comics check out the apple newsstand app and get yourself some. It is about the best value weekly for comics at 2.99 in the US and you can get subscriptions. 2000AD is available every Wednesday electronically and though I'd love to get the issues themselves import prices would dig into my budget I fear too much. Till next week take care...
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