Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Comics Pull List September 28 2016

Oh well full freaking disclosure here I'm not going to make it anywhere near my budget this week, I usually go a bit over but this week has just too many books I think are worthy of support so I've been saving up for it. So usually I do keep this list to a twenty dollar budget with maybe a bit of leeway....anyway it's a long list so bear with me if you will

 

Nighthawk 5 $3.99

This is the second to last time I get to post about this great book by David Walker, Ramon Villalobos, Tamara Bonvillain with some art assists across the last half year. It's been a book that is unflinching in its look at the various evils that plague the real world from toxic gentrification to racist police profiling and has left the bodies of white supremicist gun runners and crooked cops in its wake. It's a book that I was quite happily surprised Marvel published and let David tell the story he wanted to tell even if the vagaries of the direct market made it a mini series. To quote David himself the brightest lights burn the fastest and I'm glad we got this great six issue series that still has two issues to look forward to. Tilda and Kyle may not have their own book to star in in the coming year but David is writing a new book called Occupy Avengers that I'm hoping they may find a home in.

Kim & Kim 3 $3.99

I'm both exited and sad to see this is out this week; exited because it's been such a fun read so far and sad that it means there is just one more issue remaining to look forward to. Kim & Kim is on many blogs must read lists and best new books lists and in my opinion it's getting well deserved attention and praise as Magdalene Eva and Claire have really put a lot of love and effort into making an amazing book. This may be a gonzo bounty hunting road trip story across worlds and dimensions in a wacky weird science fantasy setting but underneath that it's a book about the supportive friendship between there two full on driven women making it their own way. The cute expressive art and brightly colored pages really click with the spirit of this book that avoids the gritty and grim dark that swallows so many books around it. If you think Broad City or Fleabag you may have a good grasp on the tone of the book and the attitude of the Kim's. Go get it...really go.

Island 11 $7.99

Island week is always an expensive one but I never worry about paying for this cool anthology as it he choices of Brandon Graham and Emma Rios have yet to dissapoint me. This issue finishes up the four part story by Matt Sheean and Malaki Ward and introduces two new to me authors Grim Wilkins and Robin Bougie. Island is one of the books I don't flip through before reading it as its one of the books I look forward to be surprised by. Island is like getting a loosely themed anthology where you know you'll get a bit of weird perhaps a bit of scandalous some laughs or tears but always something that is worth investing yourself into.

Ody - C 11 $3.99

Matt Fraction tackles the tale of the tragedy of the Oresteia from a oblique angle in verse illustrated so damned beautifully by Christian Ward, go now and see the preview pages if you can as they are amazing. I'm very curious what other classic stories will creep their way into theis tragic turbulent return home story. When I was in college I discovered I really loved reading the ancient epics and I searched out the Oresteia and read it out of my own interest outside of the class. I was looking forward to this before RCCC but attending the panel Matt Fraction and Mr. Ward did with some Portland University teaches managed to make me want it all the more.

Descender 15 $2.99

This flashback issue is all about the child who was Tim-21s friend Andy who grew up to hunt the robots that were once his friends. Though I'm not curious about Andy too much I am curious about the other star of the issue the woman who becomes the Queen Between who apparently will have a big effect in the story. As always I will mention the amazing watercolor art of Dustin Nguyen as his use of the empty space on the page and his ability to define expression with so few hard lines never fails to impress me; that's not to say I don't love the book for the writing too as I am invested in some of the characters but the art is the bigger draw for me.

 

Josie and the Pussycats 1 $3.99

What is it with this surge of good books based around rock bands, I think I've gotten and really loved pretty much all of them: Black Canary and Jem and I'm looking forward to this one and Jem: the Misfits. Ok, don't know for sure that this will rock story wise but Marguerite Bennett writing the book and that assures I will pick it up given her great track record with Angela, DC Bombshells, InSexts and Animosity. If I had unlimited funds and space I'd likely have kept up with at least a few of the new Archie books as I did try them out and enjoyed both the new Archie and Jughead books. The preview art looked pretty good to me so we shall se and perhaps I will review it a bit come this weekend as I want to do more of that .

Mae 5 $3.99

Gene Ha's gotten to expand on his originally kickstarted graphic novel that riffed on portal fantasies and a pair of sisters Mae and Abby separated by ones years spent in a fantastic other realm where chocolate is a great currency and she once ruled a kingdom. I'm so happy that I originally backed the project and that he's gotten to expand on it as I felt the book was unfinished and had so much promise. He's fully delivered on that and more so introducing us to the world she spent years in and left in a bit of disarray allowing a malicious force to come to power. It's a place where magic and technology exist in equal measure and just look at the art in this issue on Dark Horses website

 

Surgeon X 1 $3.99

I was not really thinking about getting this book till last night when I stumbled across the fact the there will be a smart phone app that will go along with the book. Bleeding Cool (actually it was Newsarama sorry to the author) posted about this additional aspect of the book that will both include the real world research that has gone into developing this horrible and possible future and contain in story adticles too. Another aspect that makes it a must have is the fact that Karen Berger is the editor on the book, she was the editor behind the Vertigo imprint at DC from its inception and was so shabbily treated by them after their move to the west coast.

 

 

These choices don't even take into account Patsy Walker aka Hellcat, Ultimates (marvels best team book), or Ms Marvel and Postal, Saga and Eden' Fall so it's a dam huge week really no matter your comics pleasure .

I forgot a couple so here they are pretty quick...

Image plus 6

Images own previews magazine that often has great interviews and some preview pages...as an old Marvel Age reader this kind of extra filled magazine is pretty irresistible and this one more so as its the Motor Crush issue.

 

 

Wayward 16

Wow how could I forget this book; Jim Zub was one of the creators I had to go visit at RCCC and say how much I love is take on Japanese mythology and modern Japanese comics. As a manga fan as well as having a lot of interest in Japanese culture and history this books has been right up my alley. Steven Cummings has a real grasp of the Japanese manga trope of placing stylized characters in realistic looking backgrounds and given he lives in Japan I believe it makes a bit of sense. Wayward posited that mythological creatures live among us in hiding and are being supplanted by more modern myths like the ones in our media and comics. The book is a lot of fun and my only issue would be I'd love to see it more decompressed in manga style over the 22 page periodicals.

Snotgirl 3 $2.99

Bryan Lee O'Malley new book is a really great read that I can actually relate to in ways is totally didn't anticipate but for the the real joy of this book is the art by Leslie Hung...seems that this week is about my love of particular creators and thoug I try not to buy books specifically for the art sometimes like this it's a bit of that. I'll again say that if you are someone who likes the vibe of Broad City or even better Fleabag this book will likely be right up your alley too.

 

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Comics Pull List Sept 21 2016

Hello everyone, tried something a bit different this week; I wrote this intro after finishing some comments about what I was picking up rather then before and maybe that stalled me a bit in getting it posted. This is my weekly list of what I think is worth picking up keeping in mind my budget of twentyish dollars and that I do try to support books that might get less notice though this week pretty much everything is pretty high profile I think. Anyway let me know what you think is worth buying if you like as I'd live a conversation.

Power Man and Iron Fist 8 $3.99

Oh damn, I'm going to be talking about David F Walker again as he spins out more of the street level adventures of Luke Cage and Danny Rand aided by the artistic talents of Sanford Greene and Flaviano. Feels strange to be putting a Civil War tie in at the top of my list but well it is the book I'm most looking forward to and one that drops Luke and Danny into a tough position. Their new headquarters was raided by the police and Danny was scooped up with a couple of the one time criminal or relatives there of that we're there to hire them. It's a complex story but ties into the tense political atmosphere created by the use of predictive policing by the superhero community that is ripping up shit between the heavy hitters and has now drug Luke back into their crap again. Anyhow it's a great book that as ever manages to be actually topical oh and it's such a good looking book too.

Jem and the Holograms 19 $3.99

This issue brings in several new aspects to the book that really won my heart over the last year and a bit; first of all its the debute issue of the new regular artist Meredith McClaren to Kelly Thompson's pop drama. Meredith if you have not seen her idiosyncratic open lined totally cute and expressive art style you really need to go look at Hinges from Image and Heart in a Box from Dark Horse. This issue also beings a change in the regular membership of the holograms and signals the real debut of the new rival band the Stingers who's designs by Sophie Cambell looked so great. Looking at interviews and preview images I know this is something not to miss.

 

 

The Wicked+the Divine 1831 $3.99

Stephanie Hans' pages were one of the many many joys of Angela and even if I was not a regular reader of WicDiv I would pick it up anyway because of her involvement. As this issue is a stand alone story set in 1831 I have too see how it's going to affect the present storyline and how the pre mass media and social media era divine incarnations acted in a old without ubiquitous cameras. I do not know how this will real all on its lonesome but I have picked up random issues of other Kieron Gillen's books in the past and he's a pretty deft storyteller as I became a fan of his in the middle of things with Young Avengers. What I do know is that the art will be amazing as will the story given the creators involved.

Black Hammer 3 $3.99

I get the impression that Jeff Lemire really loves superhero stories and has something to say about the genre and the near everpresent event story happening these days. Issue one effectively set up our heroes in their separate settings; the heroes lost to the world because of some crisis some still set on getting home ten years after the fact and the people left behind in the original world they defended. It's this kind of thing that I really enjoy when it comes to superheroes a book that is fully its own thing with its own message but also references multiple characters and stories that are both familiar and a bit weirdly different both in story and in art.

Kingsway West 2 $3,99

Maybe it's having grown up watching reruns of Wild Wild West, Jonah Hex comics on the newsstand next to Conan and weird indy Kirby comics and Swamp thing but the blending of westerns and fantasy somehow just go together to me. The alternate west Greg Pak created with Mirko Colak and Wil Quintana is a war torn one claimed by the US Mexico and the Far East for its deposits of magic red Gold populated by fantasy creatures and the survivors of the wars over the land. Kingsway is just an old soldier trying to find his wife but it's a western so you know nothing is going to be easy. I love this kind of thing and Mirko's art is reminiscent of Joe Kubert who in my memory defined a lot of the look of comic westerns.

 

 

Seven to Eternity 1 $3.99

Well here's another fatasy western or is that western fantasy; Rick Remender Jerome OpeƱa and Matt Holloingsworth are doing their own riff on the theme I mentioned for Kingsway West. This is more a second world fantasy with a definate nod to spaghetti westerns at least with the look of the promos and the previews; where Kingsway is Kibertesque this is looking widescreen spectacle. It's a second world fantasy and one that involves gods directly and struggle for survival. Rick's work is hit or miss for me so I'm hoping this will be one that clicks with me.

 

So that's a bit over budget but maybe I'll skip one when I flip through it...or maybe not.

 

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Trade Waiting Sept 14 2016

I've got two suggestions for people who wait till stories get collected of when there is an original GN...

Mirror : The Mountain $11.99

Emma Rios has illustrated so many of my favorite books since I came back to comics after a couple year gap, she co edits Island and co created this science fantasy epic with artist Hwei Lim who's softer lines lends a lot of feeling to this richly imagined book. Mirror blends elements of science fiction and fantasy/folk tales involving mage scientists, genetically manipulated animal human hybrids and talking animals, spirit characters and tells a story that does what both genres do so well by mirroring modern issues and asks us to think. After finishing the issues I really want to read it again as I think multiple readings will reveal more and more about this truly lovely book.

The Fix Vol 1 Where Beagles Dare $9.99

This book is one that I passed on initially as I was getting too many at the time to fit it in but I will say that Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber did one of the funnest caper books a few years back called the Superior Foes of Spider-Man so I know this book is worth reading. The Fix is set in LA about a couple of cooked cops and the shit they get up to to pull off some heists and quite obviously their Beagle as, well, look at the cover... It's also a image volume one which means fully affordable to get, I could get two with my comics budget. As a side note the cook is colored by a one time LA resident who talked at RCCC about his choice for the palet for this book that is taken from an LA institution that makes an actual appearance in the book...take a guess which. The Fix is sure to be cool.

 

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Comic Pull List Sept 14 2016

I may have only had one day out of my planned two at Rose City Comic Con (which I will post about tomorrow or Wednesday) it was a pretty great time and I am wanting to buy my two day pass for next year already (note it's Sept 9 and 10 2017 for anyone thinking about it). This week is a pretty tame week thankfully as I did spend a bit at the con. As always I'm trying to keep to the twenty dollars I've allotted but I may have additional suggestions. And here we go...

 

Southern Cross 7 $3.99

Becky Cloonan and Andy Belanger's science fiction thriller come haunted house story finally continues beautifully colored by Lee Loughridge. The first six issues introduced us to the crew of the ship Southern Cross and Alex Braith who was heading to the mining station on Titan where her sister died and complicated the pilot with a haunted ships drive, smugglers, disappearing women and some definate weirdness taking us to now. Issue seven is set entirely on the mining station and promises to introduce and all new cast and much much more intrigue that builds on what we think we know. Not to spoil the first arc but it may be a while till Alex, the Captain and Ships crew return so I'm hoping to click as well with the new complicated cast of characters. I no longer have to make due with Punisher to get some story from Becky and though it was good this is what I really wanted to read.

Doom Patrol 1 $3.99

Way back when it was the New Teen Titans and Gar Logan who introduced me to the hard luck heroes that would become my favorites to hope for someone to do something awesome with. Actually I've really enjoyed a good number of incarnations of this team of misfits and am happy to see someone who fully gets the concept of weird fiction like Gerald Way working on the book. I think it's been long enough since the Grant Morrison and Rachel Polack runs for this groups bizzare adventures to fully ride again. The Doom Patrol were the Xmen before they were everyone's favorites. It sounds like Gerald is dulling from across the history of the group and some new viewpoint characters but the hook that makes this a must buy is the mention that Crazy Jane is part of the mix, to me she was the linchpin of Morrisons run. Oh and I'm hoping to get with the Sanford Greene or the Babs Tarr cover if my FLCS got them.

 

Animosity 2 $3.99

Marguerite Bennett's work I pretty much pick up without taking a flip through it as she's become one of the writers who's books I can just count on being worth buying and Animosity proved it to me again. Issue one began with pages where the art told most of the story and even silent panels or pages are a collaboration between artist and writer and wow did these work. Rafael De Latorre communicated quite well emotion through his pages wether it was human or animal he was drawing. Animosity came off both visceral and shocking in its blend of quitter scene and violence; as the saying once went this will make you believe a man can fly, well this book will remind you animals, particular our pets have compensation inner lines, feeling, and that you probably don want them to actually talk. Great chilling modern horror adventure. Bravo. Oh year second issue get it.

Black Panther 6 $3.99

Last year Marvel touted a particular new title as their answer to GoT but as with so many planned things execution is everything. Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther is writing the book that has delivered on the promise for a complex nuanced violent political drama instead of that other book. T'chilla is the Kirby creation well suited to this kind of story, he's a cunning deep thinker with a genius on the level of a Richards, Stark or von Doom but historically has a deep spiritual core. Writers over time have added to the nation and history of Wakanda and the stable of complex troubles and enemies that worry at its security. Black Panther as a title is something kind of unique at the house of ideas right now and given the richness of the art and story I wonder that so few people talk about it.

 

Mockingbird 7 $3.99

The set up for this tie in issue has Bobbi hiding from the Civil War 2 conflict on a comic con being staged on a cruise ship, what could go wrong. Oh, you can expect a murder a manipulative villain and a trip into the Bermuda Triangle. I can say little about the book at the moment other then my enjoyment of the creative team as Diamond regularly misses shipping to my FLCS and issue 6 was no exception so I have no clue wether I'll get this or not.

 

Which gets me right up to the edge of my budget so I may have to pass on Superwoman 2, Hadrians' Wall 1 and Horizon 3 all which might make the final pile...ill let you know.

 

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Comics Pull List Sept 7 2016

So much to look forward to this week and not the least of which is Rose City Comic Con which is the one con of the year I get to go to so perhaps I'll have a bit of a post about it if I make it but what I'm really here to share is my choices for what I'm picking up and think needs a bit of a signal boost this week. As ever I'm shooting to keep my pile at somewhere around twenty dollars and as the con is coming I have to pretty much keep to that total to have some money to spend there.

(Kim & Kim 2 from last weeks list is actually shipping this week and I still think it's one of the more charming buddy stories out there and will be in my pull this week along with the rest.) (

Paper Girls 9 $2.99

Last week Saga came out which needs little if any signal boost but I will say that despite winning the Eisner I seldom hear people talking about what crazy science fiction fantasy fun Paper Grils is and Brian K Vaughan , Cliff Chang and Matt Wilson have been killing it on this book. I mean if anyone out that said they loved Stranger Things and asked what comic should I get this would be the book I would suggest. BKV has done little if any hand-waving explainery for this book and that's just fine as the whys and how's are hardy ever as satisfying as the adventures the characters are on. These girls were "11" before there was an eleven to compare them to and look at that cover its tells you pretty much how gonzo the book can get.

Alters 1 $3.99

I tuned into the Q and A with Paul Jenkins about this a month or so back through #comicbookhour on Twitter and it was pretty informative and made me hopeful for this title to be a case of positive representation. Chalice, a transitioning post human or alter, is one of many disadvantaged people who have gained superpowers in this new book and given that Paul Jenkins is a multifaceted writer there is a chance she will be a many layered complex character that also happens to be transgender. He not only consulted with trans people he hired one of my favorite colorists Tamara Bonvillain to word with him on the book and happens to be someone who can comment from life experience. As with another title this week I do have reservations about the book as there has been much buzz about it but as I said I'm hopeful.

Goldie Vance 5 $3.99

What was supposed to be a limited series about this teen detective liking in a resort hotel and working for the hotel detective has been changed into a continuing book with its creators Brittany Williams and Hope Larson. Set in the sixties this teen girl detective story that to me is reminiscent of Nancy Drew which I recall fondly from childhood has some cool episode looking fashion and gets to play with a more innocent seeming backdrop of hot rods, drag races and teen gangs without the grim reality creeping in too much. Brittany Williams range of character design and quite honestly beautiful art is what drew me in the first issue and made me pick it up and their collaboration has kept me interested in this pretty much all ages book. Boom is taking a chance on keeping it going so hopefully people will discover it and boost its sales so it doesn't go away like Welcome Back did after getting given more issues.

Nights Dominion 1 $3.99

Ted Naief has been around independent comics for a good long time and though I don't recall the book he did way back when I was working in a comic shop I do remember it being a goth-y slice of life kind of book. This fantasy world title has been getting regular tease ads about one or another of its iconic fantasy character types and the art looks pretty damned stunning. With the loss of the book Rat Queens I've been looking for a new fantasy book and this looks to be one worthy of taking a look at, from the description it's a caper book starring the usual suspects and a barmaid with knowledge and a big secret.

 

Bounty 3 $3.99 (alternate/extra)

Though I've gotten issues one and two of this book I've yet to mention it here on the pull list and that is due to my being conflicted about one of the books creators. To be upfront and honest I'm buying the book to support its artist Mindy Lee who's got a sense of design and style that really appeals to me and her storytelling is pretty spot on. The book reminds me of several anime and manga science fiction mercenary stories I loved going back to Dirty Pair and Crusher Joe back in the eighties to the more recent Coyboy BeBop and like those stories there is a lot of substance under Mindy's style. As I do have issues with the writer in his treatment of another artist colorist pair I happen to think quite highly of...and I'll leave my comments at that. This issue promises to go into the tragic back stories of the cast and as I have really come to like them all I'm quite interested in reading this but much more interested in seeing Mindy's beautiful pages.

 

 

( I wrote the beginning of this post once and realized I had to take another shot asstart getting political and didn't want that in my pull list. So I will write about that book separately as I'm too conflicted to suggest it based on the editor. This was a very conflicted feeling list from what was going to be my first choice being something I had to rethink, Alters and my hope over the take on the lead character and Bounty and it's dividing me over its owner/creators.) so comment is you have anything to add or say please.