Comics Pull List July 27 2016

Post SDCC shipping week and though there were some cool comics news coming out of SDCC, Roxanne Gay working on the World of Wakanda and more reveals of the art for the Young Animal imprint, real comics news was a bit sparse. As its a five Wednesday month this is kind of a pick up week but as always there are lots of great books to represent for. I try to keep to a manageable budget of twenty dollars and personally try to post about books that may just be shipping your notice in the deluge of big names.

Jade Street Protection Services 2 $3.99

This would be the book I'd grab if I could only get one and why this BlackMask most ages books tops my list. Katy Rex, Fabian Lelay and Mary Jane Carpenter created one of those books that hooked me right away and involved involving me in its characters lives. Fans of Sailor Moon, Harry Potter or the book the Magicians or stories they inspired will likely feel at home in this story about teen magical girls attending an academy for them. These heroes are drawn together not by a teacher or a leader they gather because of being thrown into detention and create a bond as close friends usually do by chance and shared experience. It's a book that hinges of female friendship something not touched in comics that often. Jade Street's artist has a real sense for style shape coming from a fashion design background and if your interested in hearing the creators talk about the book there is a great interview here you can check out.

 

Mae 3 $3.99

Gene Ha is one of the artists that helped create one of the Americas Best Comics with Alan Moore back when I used to work in a comic shop and it's so great to see him doing work again and even better to see it be something of his own. Mae is a spin on portal fantasies like Alice in Wonderland or Oz about a pair of sisters one who got to adventure as a girl and the other who got left behind fearing her sister a run away or lost time and time again. The first two issues bring the wayward sister home and reveal a much more dangerous and magical world to Mae the sister that stayed home and had a "normal" life. Issue three promises to fall take us to the faire realm and it's an exiteling prospect to see that wild place that the creatures that came to earth in issues one and two came from. The art and the color palet are something pretty unique as is the creation of Gene Ha's fertile imaginings.

 

Jem and the Holograms 17 $3.99

Sad that Sophie Campbell has left the book, yeah I am but on the other hand I'm equally as exited that Jen Bartell gets to draw the girls for two issues; she's one of my favorite comic artists without a regular book at the moment. She has been doing the alternate covers for a while and they are so cool I'm sad I didn't get any of them other then a few screen captures. Kelly Thompson has spent the last year delivering some of the more interesting stories featuring the quality of supportive friendships through the interactions and dramas that the Holograms and the Misfits have been going through in the music industry with this book. It is something a bit different as the stories don't rely on monthly life and death conflict and art wise Sophie and several guest artists including Jen along with colonist M Victoria Robado have found a way to deliver a silent visual music experience. A book that I was hoping to enjoy at least art wise actually became one of my favorites over the last year and a few months. SDCC this year revealed that IDW is going to spin a Misfits series off of Jem too with Kelly doing the writing and I'm exited to see what she does its them on their own.

 

MoonGirl and Devil Dinosaur 9 $3.99

The creators behind the book Rocket Girl at image have found a home for their off beat style of adventure with this reimagining of the Jack Kirby creation Devil Dinosauairing him with a genius level grade school girl Lunella or the now MoonGirl. Amy Reeder who's art I sorely miss along with Brandon Montclair and artist Natasha Bustos have delivered an emotional moving and all ages book about a girl "cursed" with the Inhuman gene fearing the effects that terrigenisis would have if she was ever exposed for half a year and now the current arc is dealing with the fallout of her change. The creators behind this book are making one of the better all ages superhero books that is not just jokes and slapstick and promise that Lunella plays a larger part in the Marvel universe in months to come; as long as that does not mean drowned in crossovers and the typical teen angst I'm all good with it. It's a book I have feared for the future for and I'm glad marvel is standing al least supporting one of the all new titles from last years pilot books if you can call them that.

 

Black Panther 4 $3.99

Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stalfreeze's first Black Panther story arc comes to a close with this issue and though it may not need the signal boost given profile the books writer has it's a book I seldom with see written about. At SDCC in cast you missed it in all the media and movie hype Marvel announced a companion book to this that will be initially written by feminist activist and writer Roxanne Gay giving a spotlight on the women who sometimes outshine the king of Wakanda in his own book. T'challan has been such an important background player in so many of the big stories the last few year that it's great to see him finally back in his own book. (And he's also the reason I'm over budget this week as I can't let this book pass by without mention.)

Harley Quinn 30 3.99

Here is a bonus choice that I normally don't mention but I do occasionally pick up DC's funnier take on superheroes too. I mention Harley Quinn this week because of the artist behind this last issue in this volume. Elsa Charetier who was the artist on the IDW time travel agent book Infinite Loop, the second artist on Starfire and the upcoming artist on the Unstoppable Wasp (what is it with the house of ideas and its insistence on adjective ladened titles) is handling this issue. I find her work irresistible (agh more adjectives) and (no another one) charming in ways that her books always find their ways into my pull list. No in truth you should at least look at the book as she is a great storyteller and it will give you a hint at what is in store this winter for a certain new take on a classic character oh and a pretty good take on this classic character too.

 

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Comics Pull List July 20 2016

Again DC has done something full on insulting and I'll likely not be mentioning their books (at least for the most part) or a while so that will free up more of my pull budget to write about other cool books more worth your and my time and money. This is a pretty big week for me so thanks Warner editorial for making my twent dollars go further.

Nighthawk 3 $3.99

Choosing for the top book took a bit but It's Nghthawk for several reasons one being it was not in the Marvel preview book last week. Even if Marvel has already made this into a limited series like Angela Queen of Hell I like David F Walker's story enough to follow it to wherever he takes it. His regular artist Ramon Villalobos is sadly not in this issue and I'll miss him but it looks as if Martin Morazzo does a good approximation of Ramon's take on the characters so it looks pretty seamless especially with Tamara Bonvillain' usual excellent colors. Nighthawk is the hard hitting complicated hero that we really need right now one that is not willing to take anyone's shit quite honestly. Really if your reading the Punisher or books like East of West, Naibitter, Tokyo Ghost, Bloodshot and like the idea of committing a bit of social justice this is really the book you should be asking for. I'm hoping it's just missing a month but with David doing Occupy Avengers I fear this has gone the way of most books I've loved.

 

Blackhammer 1 $3.99

"What happens to the heroes that participated in a cosmic level event story and were casualties of its consequences?" I'm assuming for the preview material and the things Dark Horse used to hype this book was the elevator pitch. I honestly don't know how Jeff writes so many good books a month, sure I don't have the money to sample them all but everything I've taken a chance in has been pretty great wether it be creator owned of someone else's property. Blackhammer promises to be a look at the lives and struggles of heroes who like I said above have become casualties of a bit summer epic event and in its aftermath find themselves denizens of a small county town waking out an existence there. The preview pages of Dean Ormston's work have been pretty amazing wether they have the Dave Stewart colors or not so I'm looking forward to a bit of weird superhero fiction here.

 

Island 9 $7.99

This is the reason I'm kinda happy I'm mad at DC as it makes getting my favorite anthology on my reccomend list not so much a stretch (yeah I know I gotta let that go). As always this book has a great array of talent working on it but I think the standout creator on this issue has to be Lin Visel who's work you can see for the cover and can check out more here. As usual Brandon Graham will have some kind of piece in the book even if it is just the cool as hell contents page introduction he does. This issue also will have the work of Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward and Fil Barlow who have been pretty regular contributors continuing the stories they have been working on which is great but when a new voice comes it's always exiteling and it's one of the reasons I look forward to this book regardless that it's the cost of twoish other books.

 

Ultimates 9 $3.99

For those people saying that Marvel needs to bring back the fantastic four title I present this book as evidence that they have one right now. Though the FF did their fair share of fighting they villain of the month for the most part the book was at its best when the writers were pushing well beyond the boundaries of science. Al Ewing is doing precisely that with the Ultimates, he has built a family of characters he's yet to really explore in depth and had them really not just proactively attack the problems facing the new Marvel omniverse but give us readers a look at the crazy science fantasy landscape that were really playing with. Just look at the idea that they transformed the persistent Galactus threat into an unofficial partner to their team. I Look at the cover of issue 9 and I wonder just how much this new possible and I'm really put in mind of old FF stories and a certain green armored villain Psychoman. At least some for of this book continues into the NOW solicits.

Snotgirl 1 $2.99

I know Bryan Lee O'Malley is a pretty well known and loved comics creators and Scott Pilgrim had an actually good pretty successful film adaptation so does his new book need a signal boost. Though I really like Bryan's artwork, storytelling and his weird modern metaphysical approach to story for me the art by Leslie Hung was the hook that makes this a must for the week. Snotgirl is a story either about a social media superstar Lottie or about a grossly allergy ridden person named Lottie. As I've been getting more out of social media of late I can see doing a weird story about the reality of social media vs distorted personal perception... that's just an odd guess about what this is about and I'm probably very far off but the book looks downright gorgeous and I'm a fool for pretty green hair.

 

And that breaks the budget by a couple bucks and I'm really wanting to support a certain DC Bird themed book illustrated by Claire Roe too. Drop me a line and let me know what is on your list.

 

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Pre-order Fresh Romance

 

Fresh Romance Vol 1 (APR 161829)

I know that the teenage New Teen Titans, Uncanny Xmen, New Mutants, Legion of Superheroes collector that I was would look askance at now me saying that is Fresh Romance collection is something you should totally bug your friendly local comic shop to order tomorrow July 18th and yes you full on should. Editor Janelle Asselin pulled together an amazing group of creators including Kate Leth, Arielle Jovellanos, Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Winifred Searle, Sarah Kuhn, Marguerite Bennett, and Trungles for the first years run of digital issues and got Kieron Gillen to add a story for this print edition and that alone should be enough. See among many other things I realized lately what I really love about much of the fiction wether it be comic, prose, or even poetry the aspects that affect me emotionally are the ones that tie me to the characters and their stakes the most and what I'd loved most about the books I mentioned above wasn't the action or the conflict but was the lasting relationships and their ups and downs. I for one backed her initial Fresh Romance Kickstarter for the subscription and did so again for the print edition. It's a book I'm really exited about and well am not afraid to say it. So yeah not sure if people need that much honesty to get them to look at this but I thought I'd share. Go and ask for it if you like any of the creators I'm sure the rest will thrill you too.

And look below is a printable image you can take with you with the order number and everything. I mean just look at the art...

 

 

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Comics Pull List July 13 2016

It's that time again for the weekly pull list and my attempt to get all the books I so do want into my twenty dollar budget (Ahhh first world problems). Since I do try to promote books that may just get overlooked in the hype machine that are the big two, my bigger desire to promote less known voices in the industry and finally life in the #blacklivesmatter movement I whole heartedly encourage people this week and every week to pick up more books by writers and artists of color.

Goldie Vance 4 $3.99

Hope Larson, who's Batgirl is on the horizon, Brittany Williams', who's aka Hellcat has been a blast, and Kelsey Beckett bring this sixties girl detective story to a close and though they are all busy elsewhere I'm hoping Boom gives them another go round with this. This book reminds me of the Wes Anderson movies that really clicked for me as Goldie has that kind of whimsy and charm that comes from a place of honest love that the creators obviously have for the characters. What first grabbed me was the expressions of the characters designed and drawn by Brittany and colored by Kelsey... even without reading the story I put it into my stack of books and it's one of the tiles I should really measure other 3.99 books by. If nothing else as this is the last issue put it on your watch for trade list or be like me and take a flip through it and see if it grabs you like issue one did me. Fans of teen adventure like TinTin, Ms Marvel, Lumberjanes or Patsy Walker Hellcat should take a look.

Mirror 5 $2.99

Wow, just look at the cover Hwei Lim did for this final issue in this first story arc, so much nuance expression and style really how could you pass up a look at this book. Emma Rios has proven again that she is both skilled and talented as a storyteller and an artist with the writing on this book (as well as ID if you missed it). Mirror I've been looking forward to for a while as it originally was supposed to be a part of the sadly undeappreciated 8House and was glad to see it be its own thing. A complex books featuring taking animals, andanthropomorphics, morally complex stories. Mirror is one of the rare books that has interior art that is well represented by the covers.

Descender 13 $2.99

This is the second issue focusing on the supporting cast of the book and the one I'm most looking forward to as Telsa has to be my favorite of the group both character wise and visually as she is rather striking. If your not already reading this book and are a fan of science fiction adventure I have to ask why as its in my book right up there with Saga for its depth of creativity and character ... about all the BKV and Fiona Staples boom has over it is that near transgressive nature of the story beyond the romance. What Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen have crated is a book that for me hardens back to the old science fiction animation of my childhood and blends it with hard SF stories. This is one of the handful of books that is experimenting with watercolor in storytelling and it's a pretty interesting use of the medium as I'd have never thought something so subtle could look so defined, hard and shiny.

Civil War 2 Choosing Sides 2 $3.99

For someone who decided to just avoid Civil War 2 I have to say I'm surprised to say this is a book I'll honestly get and say s worth a look. The continuing part of the anthology about Nick Fury Jr. is written and drawn by Declan Shalvey and colored by Jordie Bellaire and well that alone would interest me. What really clinches my getting this issue is the fact that a section is being illustrated by Marguerite Savage and yeah you can call me shallow to be attracted to pretty art but I find it hard to pass up her work. Oh and I think it will be a stretch to say I hope to get the Christian Ward variant cover but I'll say it as he is another artist I find it hard to pass by.

Insexts 6 $3.99

What can I say I'm a fan of Margureite Bennett and I guess getting this NSFW title balances out some of the all-ages books that I now get a lot of joy from. Ariela Kristantina and Marguerite's Victorian body horror tale has hit on real horrors of the Victorian era and injected all new supernatural horrors as well as pulled from the fictional horrors of the era to create something both exiting and chilling both. Issues 6 and 7 will fill out the first story arcane though I should be talking about that the image from issue 8 is so brilliant I have to signal boost this as I very much hope it gets more arcs beyond this.

Wicked and Divine 21 $3.50

The crap has hit the fan in this story arc of Kieron Gillen Jamie McKelvie and Matt Wilson's little book on power celebrity fan culture and mortality. As the last arc Commercial Suicide kind of reminded me that you should not take what people say about one another at face value, well sometimes you can but for the most part you'll be shocked at how wrong they are this arc is kind of saying to me that unless you know what you saw don't take the story you think your being told at face value. Kieron is quite good at this whole storytelling thing as he has proven agin and agin to be able to surprise me without the need to pull out the unexpected and uncalled for twist or publicity stunt. Wic+Div like all the books I mention is something that I think should get more attention and yes I now it gets a lot of talk when it comes out.

 

And that gets me close to twenty and I've still get of few left to mention... Silk 10 is coming out and I'm likely to pick that up as Robbie Thompson is really quite entertaining and so is his artist Tana Ford. New Superman from Gene Yuen is also something I very much would like to get as well as Wonder Woman 2 by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott as I know that book will be a real treat.

Sorry this was late, next week I'll be better I hope. Let me know what you're exited about as I'd love to have a conversation about comics with someone other then myself.

 

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Trade-waiting Faith

 

Faith Vol 1 Hollywood and Vine

Jody Houser much like G Willow Wilson really recalls what makes superhero books work; Faith has a sense of hope joy and wonder that is actually kinda hard to find sometimes in the usual suspects these days in the wake of event burnout and sensationalist twists. Jody also has an excellent art team of Margureite Savage and Francis Portola ; they fully embrace and communicate visually how much Faith honestly loves and accepts herself and show her desire to be the hero and how reall does her best to live up to the ideals she was raised with. It's set in the city of largely vapid superficial people, LA, concerned only with image, celebrity and hype and unlike other Psiots she rises above it all and remains empathetic, compassionate and heroic. The book swaps pretty seamlessly between the two art styles one largely realistic and the other representational caring you along with Zepher as she moves between her fake ID and her read one. Jody writes the book with joy I think and I hope that that continues into the continuing book eventough she's getting a regular love interest and an archenemy. Hollywood and Vine introduced a vibrant supporting cast for Faith alone as well as touching on her pervious teammates, they created a very entertaining and rather charming book. Totally reccomend it if you missed the four individual issues.

 

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Comics Pull list July 6 2016

Last week I was really looking forward to Thursday, it's the day I pick up my books most of the time, and though I got most of what I was so looking forward to but as happens occasionally Diamond missed a book I was wanting; Jade Street Protection Society wasn't there and I was crushed and kinda depresses for the rest of the night. I say this only because this week among the books I've fit into my twenty dollar budget is another book like that will kind of ruin my day if it doesn't not arrive. Ok that said its a great looking week of books is a kinda small one.

 

Kim + Kim 1 $3.99

This is book I referred to above, it tops my list this week and yeah again if it's not there it will wreck my day. When I read about it in the Class of 2016 from Black Mask I knew I had found the book to fill the void that the loss of the Marvel book Angela would soon create. It's a book about the friendship between two non tradtional (read LGBTQ) women both named Kim and the story tells their the trials and troubles they go through as bounty hunters in a very odd fantastic broken universe. Magdalene Visaggio who created the book along with Eva Cabrera and Clacudia Aguire has done a number of interviews (here's a link to one) about the book, its creation and her hopes for it beyond the four issue mini series. She talked about her various inspirations including her personal experiences she working through ,her love of stories like On the Road and the weird animation show FLCL. Bright colorful gritty weird stories have become a very big thing for me and this certainly fits that bill. Black Mask Comics have not hit big here but with this, Jade Street and several more of the Class of 2016 I think they will be at least taking over spots in my list. Oh and here's is Mag's website.

 

Papergirls 7 $3.99

The Papergirls that encountered the all to weird in the late eighties are now stuck in the future, in our present, somehow and learn about their possible futures if they make it back to the past. Brian K Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, and Matt Wilson continue to tell the tale of these strong willed characters still caught up in the strange confusing circumstances. Brian creates such compelling characters that regardless of not having a clue as to the underlying tale I'm fully willing to go there with them. Can you tell... am I an issue behind or am I just trying to add to the sense of the unknown. Few books at the $2.99 price point are near as good as this at least for me. Papergirls is an excellent addition to BKV's legacy of great books.

 

Crique American Girl Over Paris 1 $3.99

Gwenda Bond has written some YA adventures for Lois Lane which have been pretty damn well received and her new novel Girl in a Wire sounds right in my fictional wheelhouse so this related story done by Kate Leth and Ming Doyle is another smaller press book that should be on your list to look at. Not familiar with the stories Gwenda has been writing in this series of interconnected stories about Cirque proformers it was the fact that Kate Leth of Patsy Walker is writing and Ming Boyle who did the art on The Kitchen and co wrote Constantine are attached to the book. There is a bit of a preview here you can go look at for me it's likely I'll pick it up sight unseen as I did preorder a copy and well I know a couple of the creators have yet to let me down.

 

Scarlet Witch 8 $3.99

Wanda wether she is the daughter of Magneto or not has always been an interesting character to me and I have wanted to pick this book up on and off as its hosted some of my favorite artists but this issue probably will be the one. Now don't get me wrong I'm a fan of James Robinsons writing I love his Starman and his New Invaders to blame just a couple that come time mind and I've read good things about this book butnTula Lotay doing the art is too much a draw for me to pass up. To be honest I have wanted to or planned to pick up one of the more recent issues but my FLCS didn't get an extra copy of that Ken so my hopes to get this may be dashed and I'll just have to make due looking at her work in her self released sketchbook. I know that says little about this book that follows Wanda's looking into the things that are going on with magic in the Marvel universe or that fact that this story I believe take her to Japan but I have to be honest about why I'm getting and writing about certain books.

Punisher 3 $3.99

Lastly this week we get to a book I'm surprised I'm getting; it's not that the Punisher Frank Castle isn't in interesting character or Steve Dillon isn't a great artist who's actually tightened up his style even more since Preacher but given a limited budget it's not something I would normally make space for. The reason behind my getting this has mostly to do with Becky Cloonan writing the book and my really missing her creator owned book Southern Cross. In fact I'm really quite enjoying reading about the Punisher again after a long break but I know it's a limited kind of thing as Southern Cross and Gotham Academy will be coming back in the fall.

 

That gets me right up on the edge of twenty dollars and is it for the week except there are some nice trades I'm going to hit up tomorrow. Take care and be kind to yourselves. Let me know what is on your list if you like...

 

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