Wanted January 11 2017 aka my Comics Pull List

We're two weeks into the year and I'm already tripping into real issues with my first choice for the week; ah well with the weird world we're now waking up in daily I'm sure this will not be the only time this happens. Welcome to my weekly ramble about my comics pull list and my never ending endeavor to keep to twenty dollars and signal boost for books and creators I happen to love.

 

Southern Bastards 16 (cover B) $3.50

Ok I've read some of this book by the Jasons (Aaron and Latour) and it's a smart, well written deeply considered and conflicted book full of both love and distaste for the region of their birth. I like the writing and occasionally look at it but this issue I must buy because it puts me money where my beliefs are as all proceeds are going to be divided between AMerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Yes this references that Mockingbird cover and yes I think we're going to desperately need both of these organizations be be strong and well funded with the BS the incoming administration plans to do to us and by us I mean anyone not rich, white, cis-male, old, right wing and hetero. Oh and I'm pretty sure there will be a great story within the cover too and Jasons Aaron and Latour do rock as storytellers.

 

Motor Crush 2 $3.99

I make no secrets that I really love Babs Tarr's art style; I thought that the team of Fletcher Stewart and Tarr did for the most part a great job on Batgirl and delivered a great first issue for this future speed and violence story in Motor Crush. The first super sized issue did an excellent job of setting up the story setting Domino her supporting cast and the stakes at least in the outset. Motor Crush fits into that hole in my life created in my childhood when there was no more Speed Racer (Mach Go Go Go for the purists) and the adult me is pretty damned thrilled with it all around. Also in this we are getting a taste of the Isola book from the creative team behind the original Gotham Academy and it looks damn fine too.

 

Power Man and Iron Fist 12 $3.99

In the same way that Luke Cage in Netflix did much more then just give us Power Man's story David Walker has been giving us so many different stories in the pages of PowerMan and IronFist across the last year and Black Mariah has had a lot of page time which has been a good thing. Getting more then just the heroes angle on things has been a staple of comics storytelling and having an empathetic antagonist for me always ups my enjoyment of an already good book. This book ranks pretty high for me for the most of last year and I'm hopinthat will continue. And though I write a lot about Mr Walker I have to equally mention Sanford Green and Lee Loughbridge as they are just as important in creating this book.

 

Detective Comics 948 $2.99

Batwoman is getting her own book soon and Margueritte Bennett is getting to write it so there will be a DC book on my regular list again and this story is the lead in to the new series. James Tynion IV and Margueritte are looking back to her origin and the ways that she and her cousin Bruce are really dissimilar; in essence looking at how Batwoman is to Batman. The blog Comicosity has a pretty in depth interview with both of them talking about this story arc looking at Kate and her relationships and development as a hero and them discussing living up to the pair of artists that will be working on her story in the coming months and hopefully years. Ben Oliver's pages I've seen for this Detective run and really very pretty and I have long been a fan of Steve Epting who will work with Ms Bennett on the Batwoman book.

Wonder Woman 14 $2.99

It's likely just me but Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, Nicola Scott with a lovely fill in by Bilquis Evely, has a lot of the same vitality and spirit as the post Crisis George Perez era. Greg has returned this book to giving Diana and her supportin cast to their stories and not be mired in the usual suspects of DC superheroics and event driven plots. Baring the return of Legends of Wonder Woman it's nice that the main book shows respect for the character and it's reading audience oh and Nicola Scott's are is just downright gorgeous if you ask me.

Justice League Vixen $2.99

As a teen I picked up mainly Marvel books but after the Wolfman and Perez New Teen Titans the Detroit era Justice League that introduced Vixen along with Vibe and Gypsy was one of my DC favorites and I really loved Vixen. I'm happy that of those character that she has had lasting presence in the DC Universe occasionally being a important Justice League member again and gotten a mini series by G Willow Wilson some years back. I'm pretty confident that Steve Orlando and Jody Houser will do her justice even if this issue might be a bit origin-y it's nice to have Mari back I'd love her to have her own book but I'll take her as part of this bigger cast as a starter.

 

 

Jade Street Protection Services 4 $3.99

Nearly missed that this had been announced to be shipping because my FLCS got issue 3 last week. I make no secret of the fact that I am a fan of magical girl stories and this one has been a lot of fun given it's mix of protagonists, Fabian Lelay's background in fashion and Katy Rex and his love for the teen magician drama genre. So since I'm behind I can't comment but it's going to be fun to have two to read back to back this week. Oh and here is a link to a a Comicosity preview.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Wanted Dispatch aka Comics Pull List Jan 4 2017

So it's 2017 and though I posted up some thoughts in the best books of 2016 I think somehow I missed many of these books that I absolutely adore and one book that I hope will be a big success in the coming year. For anyone just checking my pull list out for the first time I like many try to keep to a twenty dollar budget and am kind of ramble-y when posting why I think the book should be on more people's lists. And here we go...

 

Shade the Changeing Girl 4 $3.99

If I was not already getting this for the main story by Cecil Castellucci and Marley Zarcone colored by Kelly Fitzgerald I would be getting it for the back up story by Magdalene Vissagio and Pauline Ganucheau alone as they are among my favorite comics creators and I know nothing about what their story is about. The title story about Loma Shade and her fledgling experience as an alien from Meta in a human body has been a good weird ride so far and for me the best of the selection of the all interesting Young Animal line. Cecil Marley and Kelly are doing a great job of exploring humanity from an alien perspective; as the original inhabitant of Loma's body was not a "nice" person makes the interactions pretty enlightening people may change but will other let them be someone different.

 

Jem and the Holograms 22 $3.99

Are you familiar yet with the art of Meridth McClearen, have you seen her deft hand in drawing expressions and um I have to ask are you reading this dramatic book about friendship by Kelly Thomason? Not mentioning this book on my best of list was an oversight as it's one I look forward to every month to check in with the Holograms and the Misfts stories. This new arc upped the tension ante with a new band - The Stingers who made the Misfts life harder, separated Shanna from the Holograms as she got her fashion school dream spot and old things are happening with Jem... lots of non violent drama to be had and well paced foreshadowed stories from Kelly.

 

 

Unstoppable Wasp 1 $3.99

Jeremy Whitley is someone I've heard interviewed and talked about because of the books Princeless and Princeless Raven which he created and has been writing for the past several years. Teaming him with Elsa Charretier who has a charming sort of manga anime lookmto her work and a great grasp of action was a brilliant choice for a weird adventure book about a tech-y scientific genius. I have not read any of the new Wasp's initial appearances in Avengers but from what I have heard and seen I'm going to like this legacy character and hope she's a vital addition to the new marvel characters like MoonGirl, Ms Marvel Mosaic and Viv and thneLaura Kinney Wolverine. I'd say if marvel lets time actually pass the future looks particularly good.

 

The Wicked and the Divine 25 $3.50

Some lists called Wicked + Divine the best fantasy of the year now I'm not sure I ever really considered it a fantasy title as I think of it more along the same lines as the Black Canary or Jem book as it's to me about celebrity and the relationships between people in the public eye but it does also fall into the same area as an urban fantasy like American Gods. Minerva is on the cover of this issue and I think after Lucifer and Tara she is the one I find most interesting and as both the others are pushing up daisies I guess I'm hoping to see my favorite get a bit of the spotlight before their candles burn out if that is how this incarnation thing actually works anyway.

 

And if that is all that I pick up I'll be under budget at short of sixteen dollars .... I didn't mention USAvengers I know and though I like Al Ewing and some of the characters in the team well most of them the name really bugs me it's a bit too jingoistic for me so well see.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Ramble-y Best of 2016 Comics

I'd like to dedicate this post to all the brilliant creative artistic people we have lost to the grim reaper, we were privileged to have lived during their lifetimes and to enjoy their work as they were living. It would take to long to name time all but they will be missed and it's time for us to be the heroes we have lost.

Anyway on with the show. Unlike some of the end of the year lists I'm just going to write a bit about the booksand creators that delivered their promises for me in comics this year, some of them books that ended early this year and some that started just a few months ago. As I have a limited comics budget and make buying decisions based on my own cryptic ideas so I don't have opinions on some of the people that topped the major blogs lists I'm only working with the crop that I read. The titles and creators I'm mentioning all would make my best of list for the year.

For me this was a year that began with the end of a few series I loved. Zodiac Starforce by Paulina Ganucheau and Kevin Panetta which should have ended in 2015 got delayed till 2016 so I can still kind of mention this magical girls in high school miniseries, it was action, friendship and love filled in bright pinkish technicolor and a pretty fun book I still want more of. Angela Queen of Hel by Margueritte Bennett, Kim Jacinto and Stephanie Hans also started in 2015 and came to a brilliant by abrupt end with issue 7 in 2016 and was one of the books I most looked forward to reading. Sera created by Kieron Gilles and Marguerite is one or my favorite recent Marvel creations she is such a joy as a tuned in modern nerd who dropped references liberally throughout the book and had a lovely relationship with Angela and their co star Leah the left hand of Hela. Both of these stories are things I would recconnend picking up and are both collected if you missed them. Another of the books that had my support this year was Mockingbird by Chelsea Cain and Kate Neimsczyk to me it was a great take on Bobbi allowing her to have her own spotlight. It was one of the best looking and overall fun books around. (Chelsea was also so badly treated by comics "fans" in the aftermath of the cancelation comics as a medium may have sadly lost a great writer for good). Again there is a collection of the first Shield centric story arc that you should most definitely buy.

2016 is the year that Marvel recognized the writing skill of David F Walker giving him PoweMan and IronFist to write which he's renewed the friendship and partnership between Like Cage and Danny Rand and returned them to their street level justice seeking socially conscious stories. Sanford Greene has joined David for the majority of the nearly year long run that I'm surprised has not been mentioned much if at all by other lists. David also wrote Nighthawk with Ramon Villalobos and Tamara Bonvillain and though it was short lived at six issues the creative team were allowed to tell a pretty uncompromising story with elements pulled from many of the real ills plagueing us today. David is as I've said a writer that pulls no punches and beginning to end this was his kind of book collected just last week for everyone who missed the single issues again get a copy. Oh and one or two more plugs for Mr Walker he got to do a second Shaft story for Dynamite comics called Shaft Immitation of Life and an odd book for Dark Horse called Tarzan Planet of the Apes along with write Tim Seeley that's gotten som really good word of mouth going.

Margueritte Bennett gets a second mention here as she's been doing some titles other then Angela that are also worth mentioning Insexts with Ariela Kristantina which is a NSFW Victorian body horror book with strong feminist leanings and Animosity with Rafael de Latorre a apocalyptic book about the animals gaining agency and the fallout of their having a voice in the world.

One title that hit a few lists this year and I have to mention for a couple of reasons is Black Panther. Ta Nehisi Coates, Brian Stelfreeze, with a few fillins by Chris Sprouse have been taking the world of superheroes into more interesting complex places in the fictional country of Wakanda as revolution and change is afoot and the life of political figure intrudes on the four color existence of T'challa and his people. Also though the companion title World of Wakanda written by the essayist and fiction author Roxane Gay and illustrated by Alethia Martinez is well worth a mention as the backstory of the Midnight Angels is something no one has yet really touched and giving a Roxane the job is a nod in the right direction as is employing Afua Richardson to do the covers.

Farther afield from the big two are where real chances are being taken. Black Mack Comics put out the interdimensional bounty hunter title Kim&Kim that was four issues a storytelling joy for me remiscent of the Post Brothers by way of the Dirty Pair by Magdalene Vissagio, Eva Cabrera, and Claudia Aguirre. It was among many of the titles I lived this year with really features supportive female friendships and all the issues in this short series really right notes for me from its clever fun touching writing to the deceptively cute art for an adult themed title. I've also been a fan of Jade Street Protection Services from Katy Rex and Fabian Lelay a magical girl story about a Hogwarts like school and out heroes are a bit like The Breakfest Club looking into a bit of a conspiracy of teachers possibly.

Image is awash with great books including the best fantasy and thrillers I've read this year in comics. Monstress the gorgeous female centric Asian fantasy from Marjorie Liu who's doing her best writing to date and the art oh the richly layered art of Sana Takada who does both the illustration and colors. In terms of second world fantasy it's among the best I've read and I'm an avid Fanatsy novel reader oh and the first collection is a steal at $9.99.

Postal and Romulus are both written by Bryan Edward Hil who has said in interviews that when someone is paying 4 dollars for a book he does his best to deliver story worth the price and both these books do that and more. Isaac Goodheart who works with him on Postal telling the story of a city full of criminals who are getting a last chance to live free and the asbergers suffeing postman who seeks justice for his people...it's hard to describe but it's subtle, creepy and presents a unique community existing as best it can. Nelson Blake II is Bryan's cocreator on Romulus and between them are telling a female assassin against the world story against the backdrop of secret societies; based on the real world they have all of our twisted history to pull from and their hero Ashlar really won my heart in their first story about her.

I almost didn't mention Pretty Deadly: The Bear but I'm glad I remembered as I loved Kelly Sue Deconnick and Emma Rios' s take on what I can only call personifications of the reaper...this series has pages that were so amazingly laid out I had to stop and stare at them and then the story set in WWI made my cry in so the best way.

There are so many more like Amy Reeder and Natasha Bustos on MoonGirl and Devil Dinosar, Becky Cloonan and Andy Belanger one Sothern Cross oh and Tee "Vixen" Franklin and Juan Ferreyra who did a backup story "The Outfit" in Nailbiter that made that issue a must have for the so wrong outright creepy short.

So I know I'm missing some that will make me slap my head. I know I didn't mention many of the current big names and I've enjoyed what of theirs I've read but these are the ones I cast my votes and money for.

And yeah I did miss one I wanted to mention that just started and is a slow seller at my FLCS Mosiac by Geoffrey Thorne and Khary Randolph feels a lot like something new, the voice of Morris the main character is new and not trying to be just a good positive example he comes off as real in a very unreal confusing situation. Geoffrey sounds has some real cool plans for the book I just hope we get to see them.

Next up posts about the books I'm looking forward to, the web comics I love and support and the podcasts I think you all should listen to.

More for me later. Happy New Year go get yourself some great books if you missed them.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Last Wanted list 2016 or Dec 28 Comics Pull List

It happens some weeks, well lots of weeks, that my twenty dollar budget doesn't allow me to signal boost for all the books I really want to so though I'm trying to only spend twenty I'm going to just talk about all the books I think I'd pick up if my budgetballowed it this time around.(mainly because of all the brilliant books but also because 2016 continues to to be a crap year in so many ways)

Love is Love $9.99

This yeas this must support this collaboration book between IDW DC and others to remember the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and support those affected by the loss. All the stories for this collection have been contributed free, all the proceeds are going to Equality Florida to support the survivors and the families of the victims. Seeing the brilliant list of creators who have come to support the LGBTQ community with this project with their work is touching and if there is one book to get this week this is the one. I could list off the creators but for a fuller list here is the link to the Diamond comics page for the book...yes I love everything else I'm posting about the week but, well, This. ... Love is Love is Love... you know the quote.

 

Black Panther 9 $3.99

Brian Stelfreeze is back on the title he helped start and though I enjoy Chris Sprouse and think he did a great job I always look forward to seeing Brian's work and he did a magnificent job defining the look for this series. Last issue saw the return of Black Panthers Sister, -, to the real world mainly through her own agency with a little help from Manifold and T'challa. It also looks like Brian came back jut in time for the status quo to change in Wakanda as the political situation becomes more complicated and possibly reaches the breaking point.

Romulus 3 $3.99

Bryan Hill wastes no time in complicating things as issue two introduced the illuminati and upped the ante right away with the secret society thing making Ashlar a deal she may not be able to pass up. I have sampled a lot of the one woman assassin titles that have came out over time including the ones from Marvel and few have felt this big right out of the gate even with the weight of their well heeled settings behind them. Bryan and Nelson are putting so much into this book to have something that feels fully formed with a real history in just two issues and with all the characters we have gotten a bit of as of yet. Enough gushing I think this book is well worth its cost hopefully more people who'll give it a look.

Monstress 9 $3.99

From one comic that is packed full of story and nuance to another wonderful offering that is equally a deal for the money. I say it nearly every time an issue comes out but eventough I'm used to manga artists packing in detail on every page Sana Takada, who's art can do cute as well as ultra-violent in equal measure, creates such richly detailed and story filled pages I can't help but go on about it. This book is the one that should make Marjorie a really recognized name on comics for her own creations and not her work and existing properties. What more can I say other then if fantasy of any kind is your thing you could do far worse then to support these hard working creators.

Wayward 19 $3.99

So much is going in in this book now with the characters scattered across Tokyo and across the planet I'm curious who's story is going to get moved forward reguaedless of what the cover implies. Ayane is seemingly critically injured, Nikaido and Ronin who's vehicle just crashed and there is a giant yokai possibly on the rampage near Shiraz and Ohara along with the usual suspects of Wayward in the shadows waiting to strike. Jim Zub, Steven Cummings and Tamara Bonvillain manage to deliver enough story in twenty some odd pages to keep all the heroes of this book present and that is a feat as this book feels like it's less compressed then a normal US comic book as it feels more manga like if it's not manga length...I just want more of it.

Shutter 25 $3.99

Though this series is heading toward the end of the story in this story arc I'm still out here signal boosting for it as exposing readers to all the creative minds behind it is important to me; Joe Keatinge, Leila Del Duca, Owen Gieni and John Workman individually all need to have people knowing their names. This issue in addition to being the twenty-fifth in the series its also their celebration of twenty-five years of Image comics and is a big old regular sized crossover issue. What does that mean other then Glory, Shadowhawk, Invincible, and others will appear I have no clue but it's sure to be worth reading. (Also Afar the book Leila is writing for next year just got offered go ask for a copy to be ordered.)

 

 

Supergirl Being Super 1 $5.99

Either Mariko Tamaki or Joelle Jones would make this book a must for me so both of them working on it assures I'll be buying one. Joelle's illustrations have those hints of pin up art without being exploitation, sexualizing her subject, which is perfect for Supergirl as its abook that should be pretty but not objectified. From what I recall it's looking at her pre-superhero-ing years and I'm hoping has a lot themeatically in common with Legend of Wonder Woman (which sadly won't have a season two aparently). Let's give this book some real support so DC gets an idea that this kind of thing is what readers just might want.

 

Also this week Insexts 9, Mother Panic 2, Jade Street Protection Servies 3, Wonder Woman 13, Hulk 1, and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 14

Too many good books go get Love is Love...I may buy two and give one away here in the new year.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Wanted list December 21 2016 Comics Pull List.

Second to last week of the year, shortest day also and such a great week of books on this the dark cold night I'll have some great books to keep me company, or I would if I didn't have to wait till Thursday to pick mine up. Though I'm later then I wanted to be with this it's a list I'm actually pretty exited about...

 

World of Wakanda 2 $3.99

For whatever reason if you passed on the $4.99 first issue of this series you missed out on something really cool and new given that the writers of these stories are not your usual writing suspects in comics. Roxanne Gay being attached to this book honestly exited me as much as Afua Richardson doing some of the art; though there are comics writers of color that could have been asked to write this giving it to a voice outside comics gives this story naturally a different tone and the more unique different voices in the industry the better. Though the Dora Milaje have been around for years getting to see them spotlight, particularly the pair that are now the Midnight Angels is something I want more of and though Ta-Nahisi is giving us a lot of them in Black Panther they deserve a spotlight of their own in ways some other overexposed characters around the MU don't really need. (Cough chough too many to name)

Southern Cross 10 $3.99

Things have surely gone from bad to worse on Titan the clouded moon of Saturn right fast in the wake of Kryil arriving on the surface in the wake of the disappearance of the Southern Cross. Hazel the hard as nails second of the Romulus drill rig has become his only real if nor friend then well ally in increasing hostile territory. Though the artifact mystery is still out there it's the complex compelling characters and setting Becky Cloonan, Andy Belanger and Lee Loughbridge have created in this book that keep me interested and they will last much longer the the reveal of the mystery in my mind. Kryil in this issue aparently gets a message from the currently missing Alex Braith whom I like near as much as Furiosa.

Black Hammer 6 $3.99

Madame Dragonfly is the only one of the superhero characters we have yet to learn anything about and it seems she has a lot of secrets to reveal and one may be that her character is more a horror story host then a superhero in nature. The blurb for this issue mentions a Cabin of Horrors and with the chilling reveals about some of the characters I'm really looking forward to how Jeff and Dean will blend horror with the superhero in this issue. Much like Catalyst comics a couple years back I'm really enjoying a clever approach to doing the superhero stories we know well with a twist Black Hammer has going. With the big two mainly recycling stories at least with their name characters it's cool when someone does something other with the idea. One of the best hero team books of the year.

The Misfits 1 $3.99

I've made no secret that I honestly love Kelly Thompson's writing on the Jem and the Holograms book and recently I have developed a real affection not just for Stormer buy for the Misfits in the whole. This is one of the books that I've had to wait three plus months for as I am pretty obsessive about comics blogs and following creators I love on whatever social media site you choose to mention. I saw Jenn St Onge' s art for this appearing and knew something was up (I also just got the gorgeous Kickstarter book Finding Molly that she did... her style is right in my sweet spot with its manga influenced look.) With the label dropping the Misfits in the story they have to resort to reality TV to continue their career so I expect lots of weird unreal drama along with the personal disasters that go with celebrity. I'm going in with high expectations but I'm confident they will meet or exceed them.

 

Slam 2 $3.99

Me FLCS finally got his copies of Slam! In and it met and exceeded all my expectations and well has won a fan here. Like Jem and the Holograms and Kim&Kim Slam seems to be mainly about the friendships, relationships, rivalries between women against the backdrop of another element in this case Roller Derby. Issue one made me both honestly laugh out loud and tear up so it's obviously clicking on a emotional level; Pamela Ribon and Veronica Fish's first issue endeared their heros Knockout and ICanDoIt in a way that I have to signal boost for this book so we can get a lot more of it. The pacing of issue one was pretty brilliant too especially the guidelines about Derby throughout the story.

 

That gets me to right about twenty and I know I'm likely to pick up the PowerMan and IronFist Christmas Special as well as possibly a Copra or the Space Raiders trade but if you missed it you have to look below for a earnest recommendation to pick up...

Kim & Kim Vol 1 $12.99

As its Christmas and time to talk about end of the year lists and such things I have to say that if you missed Mags Vissagio's Kim&Kim this week you can get all of this four issue series about this super functual dysfunctnal friendship between a want to be not bounty hunter and a equally not want to be necromancer having to do th things they hate to survive and support each other. Much weirdness in this cross dimension outer space bounty hunting road story that exists mainly for the Kim's to exoplore and struggle with as they support each other. Loveinly created by Magdalene Vissagio, Eva Cabrera, and Claudia Aguirre this is best limited series that started as one for 2016. Aces.

Posted with Blogsy

Wanted December 14 2016 aka Comics Pull List.

It's an almost all street level action this week from my pull list starting with seventies Russian spies and detectives in LA to the streets of NY with a likely trip south of the border for some cartel action. This weekly pull list just tops my Twenty dollar budget and has some of my favorite and less recognized creators who need more eye on them.

 

Mayday 2 $3.99

Russian spy activity in the US is pretty topical now and well though this is set in the seventies I'm sure Alex De Campi will have some pretty appropo ideas in this book among the action and violence. The first issue introduced us to the players in both sides of this Cold War game of cat and mouse and landed the Russian agents in the hands of the us inteligence services. According to interviews this is a story that will be about trust and betrayal which is only fitting given the paranoia in the inteligence services. Issue one featured some very bad decisions on the part of at least one of the agents that has put both in a bad position; I am pretty impressed by how much the writing and art invested me in the players of this book and made me want more. Don't come expecting glamour and gadgets though as this is more a grim gritty le Carrie tale then a high flying Fleming movie.

Mosiac 3 $3.99

Geoffrey Thorne is among my favorite people that I follow on twitter as he has no fear of calling people on their shit and his writing has that daring as he's not afraid to write about someone who is full on flawed and sometimes not likeable, in other words pretty human. Morris is still learning what he is and what he is not after his inhuman transformation and the first couple issues have been a pretty interesting ride to take with him. Khary Randolph and their colorist Emilio Lopez have done some pretty amazing pages with this book and created some spectacular effects to go with whatever his powers really are. The first issue of Mosiac was 4.99 and I near passed on it but listening to Geoffrey interviewed made me sure I had to support the book, give it a chance it's doing something interesting and I'm hoping grabs an audience... I'm afraid I may be the only person in my local shop getting it as so often happens.

No Mercy 13 $3.99

There are weeks that i celebrate because creators have two books out and this is one of the those for Alex De Campi. I was attracted to this book because I liked Alex's writing on Grindhouse and fondly remember Carla Speed McNeil's Finder that I'm currently rereading in its entirety and I found a title that I didn't expect, one set firmly in what could be called a cruel reality. Alex pulls from her many years of living in foreign countries to tell this story of the fallout of one bad even in the lives of college freshmen and their families as the effects of the bus accident continue to ripple out into the wider world and choices complicate things further. Carla Speed McNeil may be comeone who's are is at first chance pretty and cute u she has shown just how that can be flipped on its head with the crippling events that befell some of the characters in this book. I love this book for its complexity and their attempt to be real in this medium that in the US seldom gets there in the general mainstream.

 

Hawkeye 1 $3.99

Kate Bishop was one of the best things about both Matt Fraction's Hawkeye and Kieron Gillen's Young Avengers that I'm sure to check out this book and it's especially likely given Kelly Thompson is writing this young adult detective story. Kelly who has been doing such a brilliant job with Jem and the Holograms, co wrote a fun Captain Marvel book for Secret Wars I think is a perfect choice to do this street level justice book and to take Kate back to LA. Looking at the book Kelly has picked up on the feel that Matt had for Kate's story but I know she is going to make it something all her own and though I don't know the artist well but the pages look good and reminiscent of the Hawkeye book...also it's going to be colored by the colorist hero Jordie Bellaire so it's sure to be a visual treat.

PowerMan and IronFist 11 $3.99

I always have to mention PowerMan and IronFist when it comes out as David F Walker's take on writing and the things he has to say really click with me. This storyline kind of reminds me of the Wire as David is as always developing his heels in the tale as much as his heroes allowing them as much room to grow on readers. Sanford Greene also gets a lot of visual room to play drawing a mix of realistic people and goofy costumed villains in this book. Last issue allowed us to see the "Fang Gang" as they were almost called in their origin tale and as ever it was a mix of feelings as were coming to know them as relateable characters so to feel for them even as you don't really want to. It's pretty obvious I love this book and it's really one I can't pass up even if I break the budget a bit...I'll always signal boost for it as I believe in this book

 

Posted with Blogsy

Wanted Dec 7 or my Comics Pull List

Last month of the year here and damn in some very real ways 2016 full on sucked but there were some pretty brilliant comics around for those all too necessary distractionsand we're getting another four weeks of books before the new year. Welcome to my pull list post; my weekly attempt to keep myself to twenty dollars of books to recommend and due to a certain, Island, I'm not going to make it yet again.

 

Motor Crush 1 $3.99

This book has been part of my mental pull list since it was announced for in addition to digging the writing team overall I absolutely love Babs Tarr's art style, how she reinterprets characters and makes them really all her own. From the looks of the designs she put together and the few preview pages I've seen my excitement for the book has only grown. There have been 0 issues given away at conventions that I have sadly not been able to attend and I'm terribly jealous of the people and stores that managed to score them. The story of Domino Swift is something I've been looking forward to for months and I have every expectation that it's going to live up to that wait.

Shade the Changing Girl 3 $3.99

Though still full on strange issue 2 fleshed out a lot of elements from issue 1 and hooked me into the story of the new Shade by really setting the stakes for her. Cecil Castellucci had the large writing shoes of Milligan to fill and has done a good job of hooking me actually and Marley Zarcone ( of Elegy) and Kelly Fitzpatick are turning out some damn pretty pages too boot. If your not getting the Young Anmal titles each of them have a back up story that manages to sometimes be weirder and stranger then the main title that have on the whole been damn good; this issues backup is written by Tini Howard who's Black Mask book The Skeptics had a strong start so I have hopes its going to rock. Really hard for me to pick a favorite out of the Y.A. quartet of books when I think about it now a couple issues in.

 

Nailbiter 27 $2.99

Ok I like this book and get it sometimes but this issue was a much have for me but not because I like Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson though I do like them as storytellers. No this issue has a back up story that I'd almost like to get several of the issue to support. Tee Franklin, who is honestly one of the people making Twitter worthwhile for me, and Juan Ferreyra (Colder and Green Arrow) put together the back up story for this issue that Gail Simone edited and promises to be full on great and totally disturbing aparently. I've been waiting months for this and pre-ordered it to make sure I got to support it. Oh and there is the opening act that is a great book too and usually is pretty damn readable as a single issue.

 

Island 13 $7.99

This looks to be a particularly great issue going from the creators listed especially because Emma Rios is back with both art and writing credits in issue 13's credits. Anyone who had read a Pretty Deadly or ID knows we're in for something magical. Of the other two stories one will be by Brandon Graham, the other editor along with Emma, and I'm curious which of his stories it will be and the last is likely Zooneverse by Fil Barlow who's work is on the cover. Island, I'll be honest, may not be the anthology for everyone but like great fiction anthologies I think by giving it a chance you'll likely to kind new comic voices you'll like in ways you didn't expect. Oh and and Emma Rios story is a rare treat you should bot pass up.

 

Arclight 3 $3.99

It's been a long time since the last issue came out of Marian Churchland and Brandon Graham's gender and body bending fantasy story. I remember it being rich and layered in story art and feeling in ways that made 8House one of the books I looked forward to and was so unhappy to see it seem to come to an abrupt end. Returning to this strange fantasy world with its blood driven magic and enigmatic characters brings me a little bit of joy as its that friend you realize you really really missed.

 

 

Bounty 5 $3.99

Still torn about this book for my own reasons but as I've said ever time it comes out I like Mindy Lee's art style and design choices to much to not mention this science fiction action adventure tale. Her character designs remind of of Babs Tarr just a bit but with something all her own there as they are somehow more gritty then cute. It's a book that is reminiscent to me of the eighties anime The Dirty Pair with a Cowboy BeBop kind of serious bent to it.

 

Posted with Blogsy