Wanted Dispatch May 31 2017 aka my Comics Pull List

May has seemed to be a long month, it may just be me because I have been worki lots of extra hour. Welcome to my weekly look at the books that will be in my regular pull list and what I will likely add to the pile as I have no self control.

 

Southern Cross 12 $3.99

Becky Cloonan Andy Belanger and Lee Loughbridgenhave been killing it with this science fiction horror story. It ticks all the boxes that the original Alien set up in my mind from the emotional story connections to its major players down to the mystery underlying the story that I'm cool with never being fully answered. Becky has layered elements of family drama, crime fiction, existential issues into this fast moving thriller on the moon Titan. This issue is the final in the second story arc and I think we'll see some plotlines tied up while bigger ones opened, Southern Cross is a very pretty book anyway you cut it wether it be the colors, the att or the story I only wish some of the backmatter got further exploration.

 

Paklis 1 $5.99

I have a read thing for anthologies. If you have been reading my pull list thoughts for a while you know my love of books like Island and more recently Sun Bakery by Corey Lewis. Paklis has a lot in common with Corey's book, it's a book with a singular vision from writing to art and the have more in common with manga and 2000 AD the they do with American comics. Dustin Weaver is known for his work for one of the big two and on the side has been posting the odd comic in the web and some of those are making it to print in here along with so other crazy ideas that could only find a home in an Indy magazine. I'm exited for this and as Island is over it's good to have SF and fantasy weirdness to look forward to again.

Romulus 4 $3.99

Last week I listened to a very engaging interview with Bryan Edward Hill who is writing this revenge story over at the Sunday Comics Podcast. He's one of the comic creators who I always enjoy hearing as he's not afraid to be real about the industry and his approach to storytelling. I was afraid that we might not see another issue of Romulus as the story of Ashlar's quest for vengeance against the secret society that raised her had skipped a couple months. Add to that the fact that his partner in this conspiracy ladened tale Nelson Blake is working on the new Luke Cage book is was doubly worried but I need not have. Romulus was the one of the young female assassin book kicking around the comics world that I was really enjoying and I'm glad to see it back.

Monstress 12 $3.99

As I mentioned when issue 11 came out the vagaries of my life have kept me from reading very much and now I do in fact have this entire arc of Monstress to read as a whole. Marjorie Liu and Sana Takada's gorogeros fantasy story is something I like to take time with given the depth of art and thought that goes into it. I'm confident in saying it is a book fantasy lovers should read as they are unafriad to challenge readers to think while immersing themselves in this book.

Teen Titans Lazarus Contract Special $4:99

The trio of writers behind this four part story took a really believeabke approach to the idea behind the story they are telling. Sure the idea that Slade Wilson could steal the Flash's super speed and go back and save his son Grant is crazy but given the reality of the world he lives in it makes a good deal of sense. Christopher Priest, Benjamin Percy and Dan Abnett together are actually creating something that references Titans mythology and making somehting totally new from it in ways other writers could only hope to do. I'm sure the story will not go as Slade plans but something new will come out of this as Christopher Priest has plans for a new DC team of teen heroes lead by a certain Wilson.

 

Wonder Woman Annual 1 $4.99

I need to say little here I think. The array of writers and artists working on these stories look pretty great and the couple pages we have seen are stunning. I'm picking it up if there are any left come Friday when I get to buy my books.

 

For those of you who trade wait the collection of Young Animal's Doom Patrol is coming out as well as the beautiful recent Deadman miniseries.

 

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Wanted Dispatch May 24 aka my Comics Pull List

Welcome to another look aw what's on my pull list at my friendly local comic shop and the few bibs and bobs I'll be adding to my pile. I do try to keep a twenty dollar budget as this hobby is more expensive then it ever was and I no longer work at a comics shop.

Victor LaValle's Destroyer 1 $3.99

Victor LaValle is the newest novelist to write for comics and given the fearlessness in taking on social issues and confronting ugly truths this is a book I'm truly exited for. Destroyer is a modern sequel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein following the raising of the son of a descendent of the fictional weird scientist. A woman loses her son to the ugly racist hatefilled violence of today and delves into her dark family history to bring him back. I expect no simple answers or easy outs in this book. If your unfamiliar with Mr LaValle and pick this up your in for a mind expanding treat.

Seven to Eternity 6 $3.99

Calling Seven to Eternity a fantasy western or a western in a fantasy setting or a fantasy with western tropes really does not tell very much about. Rick Remender with Jerome Opena and Matt Hollingsworth are doing a deep character study. What we will give up, where we may compromise and what we won't give in to because of who we are. It's a wild weird fantasy world that is both bright and dark filled with adventure and horrors but it seems to me it's asking some very interesting existential questions while giveing us a travelogue across its landscape. It's gorgeous to look at to boot. It's a lot like Shutter I can't describe it simply.

I

Mother Panic 7 $3.99

The dark twisted mirror twin to Faith has finally grabbed me and Jody Houser did that wilt the all out weird that happened in issue. Shawn Crystal illustrated the issue and his angular cartoonish style really fit the book in ways that made it all the more creepy. Violet Page is an enigma that really fits the modern city of Gotham where Batman, his villains and his Bat-Family have become kind of commonplace fixtures. Across the six issues so far we have learned in cribs and drabs her origin and the way she is not like the other heroes in the city if in fact she's a hero at all. She's not a new Huntress, or like Anarchy or anyone else in the cape and cowl club, she's Mother Panic and it's exiteing to see what she's really up to.

MoonGirl and Devil Dinosaur $3.99

Ok let me say this because it's one of the reasons this is on my list...MoonGirl and Devil Dinosaur met Girl Moon. Yes, I would be getting the adventures of Lunella and her big read friend anyway but this is the king of crazy weird that I could not pass by if I saw it on the shelf cold. I'm sad Amy Reeder isn't co-writing with Brandon Montclaire on this but I know now she's working on Rocket Girl again so it's all good given Natasha Bustos and Tamara Bonvillain are doing the art. No clue where the smartest girl in the Marvel Universe will be doing this issue but I'm sure it's eventually going to involve Ego the living planet at some point. Cosmic adventures are Go.

Deadthstroke 19 $2.99

The first New Teen Titans I read way way back when was 'The Judas Contract' so I was at least half likely to get this. I have enjoyed Christopher Priest's complex and challenging take on Deathstroke and his troubled family and that made it even more likely. The team behind this story taking the conflict all the way back to the Ravager goes to the real roots of the Teen Titans mythos reguardless that the Rebirth universe is kind of different. The Teen Titans part of the story was compelling enough for me to want to go back and get the Titans issue I passed on a couple weeks back. Exited by where they are taking it actually.

Black Hammer 9 $3.99

Ok, well damn the end of the last issue turned up the drama on this take on superhero drama and I have to applaud Jeff Lemire for the depth to which he's talking this post event fallout story. All the "lost" heroes in this story clearly have their own lives and individual stakes. Reguardless of wherethis series goes I can only see someone's life becoming something they no longer want when all is said and done. This issue will finally give us some background on Talky-Walky who's been sadly passed over till now.

Samaritan Veritas 1 $3.99

Matt Hawkins i had not been really paying attention o and have missed out on real world thrillers like Think Tank and the Tithe but got some exposure to his work through my interest in Postal. Samaritan Veritas strikes me as a bit of a Guy Fox like modern revolutionary and she has a plan that is more likely to make an impact. The art looks pretty realistic to go along with the real world setting and it's likely to be worth a chance.

 

And a special bonus suggestion

Sun Bakery 3 $4.99

It's not higher in my list for one reason and that's because I got this when Cory was self publishing and it cemented the fact I would be picking up the new crazy gonzo anthology title. The black ink on color pages is so reminiscent of reading weekly newspaper manga that I so miss the look brought me in and the freewheeling storytelling, humor, crazy stories and overall style kept me wanting it. Having missed issues 1 and 2 I was happy Image was reprint this short comic anthology so I could actually read it all. Cory Lewis is doing something so fun here I have to suggest it and may be just ,a year I'll get a second copy.

 

Also this week Rapture 1, Wonder Woman 23, and Black Panther 14 out this week.

 

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Wanted Dispatch May 17 2017 aka my Comics Pull List

Here we go with another week of new books and my look at the ones I am planning on picking up and it's another week with a couple number 1s. I try to keep my pull list to somewhere around twenty dollars as otherwise I would end up specnding far too much on one of the storytelling genres I love.

 

Luke Cage 1 $3.99

I love me David F Walker's writing and Nelson Blake is such a solid artist I have to get this book. The icing on this cake is getting more David Walker Luke Cage and this time as a bit of a private eye. Mr. Walker's other big comic project recently was his two Shaft mini-series so he's no stranger to hard boiled storytelling. Pairing him with Nelson Blake is pretty brilliant casting as Blake is a good action oriented artwork and his Romulus book is something I really can't wait for more of. So this is win win win all around.

Girl Scouts Magic Socks 1 $3.99

Jim Mafood is a name I remember from back in the nineties and the gonzo book he did back then called Grrl Scouts. I dig the art style and it's cool to see the title back. It's also cool to see that his art style has continued to develope and go to new even crazier places. He has given interviews where he talked about his love for the book, the way his art has developed and how he is having such a great time revisiting these girls and they home town.

Batwoman 3 $3.99

This is one of the books I am really behind on and need to remide that situation. I have every expectation that Margueritte Bennett James Tynion IV and Steve Epting are doing something well worth picking up especially with a character like Kate Kane. She's not Batman and to quote the Detective run they did together she's better.

 

Cave Carson 8 $3.99

The last issue included one of the funnest and weirdest Superman guest appearances I've seen in a while and was totally worth the story. Cave Carson is one of the weirder of the Young Animal titles. He's lost the Cybernetic Eye at the end of last issue so he and his underground exploration crew will be hunting it down so that they won't have to change the name of the book. It's one of the few books that is totally unpredictable and it's great to have something like this to look forward to that is both familiar and so so out there.

 

 

Teen Titans 8 $2.99

I did not jump onboard on many of the Rebirth titles and Teen Titans was one that I sadly passed on and it captures the things that I recall from the old New Teen Titans run. There is a tension between the teens in the book, it's and odd group but I'm willing to go with it as the issue I grabbed a couple months back proved Benjamin Percy was a tuned in writer. Christopher Priest who's renewed my interest in Deathstroke added to the mix and the call of the Lazarus Contract title I have to pick up at least this if not go back and get last weeks Titans.

Horizon 11 $2.99

Juan Gedeon's uniquely styled and kinetic art alone is enough to get me to put this well crafted book on my list but Brandon Thomas is writing a full on compelling story of oppression and rebellion. I'm ok with humanity being the bad guys here because quite honestly look at us, as a race we're pretty contemptible. Brandon and Juan have created a group of freedom fighters that have lives and stakes beyond the attack on earth.

 

I'm also going to at least take a look at and likely pick up and look at Low18, Flash 22, Wildstorm 4, 4 Kids Walk into a Bank 4, and Rose 3...the Flash issue will likely end up in my buying stack simply because Jay has been my favorite flash shine the time I discovered the JSA and Earth 2 in an old JLA ore-Crisis crossover.

 

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Wanted Dispatch May 10 2017 aka my Comics Pull List

Hey everyone, last week was a great bunch of books and I have to share that diamond didn't ship any Catalyst Prime or Noble to my friendly local shop so I was out of luck on what I was most looking forward to. This week looks pretty small in terms of thins I am getting so yeah; I may just keep to my twenty dollar budget.

 

Shade the Changing Girl 8 $3.99

Loma Shade has left town and is apparently going to be in Gotham this issue which could only mean there will be some Bat family involvement somewhere along the way. Cecil Castellucci has Marley Zarcone back this issue and though I love Margueritte Savage's art I missed Marley's style last issue and am glad she will be back for this story. As someone who has both existential issues and some other body problems I've always liked Shade and this incarnation is really clicking with me. I'm also exited to see what the surprise back up story will be this time around.

Bug the Forager 1 (of 6) $3.99

I have been a Kirby fan for longer then I knew the name Jack Kirby and remember having a couple issues of Kamandi back when I started reading comics. Bug the Forager as a fourth world character is a draw for me as is the fact that this year would have been Kirby's 100th Birthday. The additional fact that the Allred family will be the creative team behind this just pushes it higher on my list and on the list of books I would recommend for this week. No clue what we will getting but it's sure to be weird in all,the right ways.

Misft City 1 $3.99

Cannon Cove is fictitious city on the Oregon Coast which was the location for a cult adventure film ala the Goonies. Kiwi Smiith and Kurt Lustgarten Are writing this teen adventure tale that involves the history of the town and a group of notorious pirates and one Black Mary in particular. The art is being handled by Naomi Franquiz with colors by Brittany Peer and letters by Jim Campbell. Boom has a good track record with worthwhile inclusive fun adventure tales like LumberJanes and Goldie Vance not to forget Steven Universe so I'm fully up for trying this out.

 

Titans 11 $3.99

So DC is drawing me back by letting creators of encouraging creators to pull from their history and create something vital and new. This story goes back to the origins of the New Teen Titans and the death of Slade Wilsons older son when he became Ravager. It's the one time you'll see me mention a crossover story and perhaps I'll be let down but the Christopher Priest is part of the writing team and his Deathstroke really has won me over. This will run through Titans, Deathstroke, Teen Titans and back to the bi weekly Deathstroke and involve the speed force. Used to love the Titans book hope this is as good as I've read it is.

Also this week I'm likely to grab Wonder Woman 22, Supergirl 9, Black Cloud 2, America 3 and Justice League of America 6

 

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Wanted Dispatch May 3 2017 aka Comics Pull List

Hello, welcome to my weekly look at what will be in my buying pile when I head to the comic store this week. This week is a lot of brand new books and perhaps I'll be able to keep to my twenty dollar budget. This week is also extra special as it's going to be free comic book day this Saturday May 6th when we get another Catalyst book from Lion Forge...I've been looking forward to this since Joseph Illidge started posting about it.

Catalyst: Noble 1 $3.99

Brandon Thomas who's subversive science fiction war story Horizon I'm quite enjoying is writing the first of the Catalyst titles to hit the shelves. It's a story of one of the five astronauts that saved the world from disaster and returned with no memory of himself and a set of superpowers that make him dangerous. Roger Robinson is drawing the book with colors by Juan Fernandez and letters by Saida Temafonte. I'm often willing to try a new superhero universe and Catalyst particularly caught my attention for the creative talent behind it and for head editor Joseph Illidge who's first job in comics was working at Milestone comics. I happened to love everyone that came from that publisher and have high hopes as Joseph has brought that spirit for comics with him.

 

 

Eternal Empire 1 $3.99

Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna's Ada and Alex was a great romantic drama that explored character and the nature of being in depth. I think we'll be getting a very personal take on heroic fantasy with their new collaboration. An immortal emperess, a young mortal women slave with prophetic vision and an exportation of tyranny and destiny. Jonathan Luna has apparently wanted to do a fantasy comic for a long time and he found that once he told his Ada + Alex partner about it she very much wanted to be a part of it. I was pretty sure I would be getting it but the interview on Image.com a few weeks back made that a definiately getting it. I missed out on their last book initially.

Black Bolt 1 $3.99

I knew from the outset I would be buying this once I saw the writer. Saladin Ahmed is one of my favorite novelists in addition to being one of my favorite people that I follow on the internet. Christian Ward being the artist is like having another layer of wonderful frosting added to an already frosted cake; his work on Ody-C and Ultimates is drop dead gorgeous and the preview for this look stunning. It does not hurt that I happen to like Black Bolt as he is a Kirby creation so for sure I'll be spending some money on it. I'm not fooling myself that this will be an ongoing reguardless of what Marvel says right now but as with Nighthawk I'll buy it as long as it runs with these guys working on it.

 

Youngblood 1 $3.99

Yes, Youngblood, I know I know but gotta give it a chance as the re-imagined Leified books delivered on the promise of the wild imagined stories he fell short of back in the day. The original Youngblood was sold to me by my imaginings of it as a mix of Legion of Superheroes, the Avengers and the Suicide Squad with the media thrown in as an added element. Like the other reworking they are not throwing out the past but respecting what it aspired to be. What I do know is that Jim Towe has done some very pretty redesigns and draws some nice pages.

 

Paper Girls 14 $2.99

So given the events of last months issue of PaperGirls the pterodactyls from the early run somehow make more sense now despite we still don't know what was happening with all that yet. The PaperGirls are stuck still in the distant past where artifacts of the future already appear to be prior to the arrival of out first time traveler on the scene. Sometimes I really do hate time travel stories as they make me sound crazy when I try to write about them. Reguardless PaperGirls is brilliantly illustrated story with characters I've very much come to care about.

 

 

This week we also have Deathstroke, Everafter and Empowered :Soldier of Love coming out which will all likely draw me in too.

Extremity 3 $3.99

So nearly forgot this look at violence and revenge from the mind of Daniel Warren Johnson. The first two issues were prett damn strong stories and clearly set up what is a complex set of polarized hate filled relationships. I kind of thought I would pass on issue two given how much I was spending last month but a brief flip through it fought my attention visually and I'm gald I added it to my pile thatweek as it was overall worth the added cost.

 

 

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