Could it be? After all these years? Is it here? Will it come out on time? Some of these answers can be found in Previews #309, so let's go under the cut to find them out!
On page 34, we find a new Dark Horse Presents, as it's getting a relaunch (new #1s - they're not just for Marvel anymore!) with fewer pages (48) at a cheaper price ($4.99). It's still a great value, and considering they have Frank Miller and Geof Darrow doing a new Big Guy and Rusty story, it's probably worth a look. Unless it's, you know, Rusty stabbing zombies for 20 pages. That would suck. (20 August)
There's a new Blacksad volume on page 35, and I'm sure it will be worth your time. Blacksad is a pretty good comic, writing-wise, but Guarnido's art is simply astonishing. It's a bit pricey - 18 bucks for 72 pages - but it will be very purty. (8 October)
Abe Sapien #15 (page 36) features art by Juan Ferreyra, so, you know, I'm probably going to get it. In case you haven't figured it out, Ferreyra is pretty awesome. (He and Paul Tobin also have a story in Creepy #17 on page 42, so there's that.) (13 August)
On page 37, Dark Horse offers up B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs volume 1 in handy softcover format. I got these when the hardcovers came out, and they were worth it then, so the fact that they're a bit cheaper now makes them even more worth it, if you haven't dipped into them yet. (22 October)
Spirits of the Dead, which collects all of Richard Corben's Edgar Allan Poe adaptations that he's been cranking out recently, is on page 38. I'm sure this will be quite the handsome package.
I'm not familiar with Yves H., the writer of Station 16 on page 42, but I dig Hermann, the artist, and the premise - a distress call comes in from a long-abandoned Russian base and bad things happen when people go to investigate it - sounds cool. My biggest problem is, as usual, with the price - Dark Horse charges 20 dollars for 56 pages, which is pretty dear. They do this with European imports, which is just annoying, as I'd really like to get more European comics, but man! that price. (15 October)
A few commenters wondered if I was going to get Blackout when it was coming out, and I said no because I was waiting for the trade. Now the trade is here, on page 44, and I wonder if it's worth it. Did anyone read this in singles? The brief story in DHP was pretty good, but I'm still not sure if I should get the trade or not. (15 October)
On page 50, Arkwright Integral shows up. It's 50 bucks, but it's over 500 pages of Luther Arkwright coolness, and I'll probably plunk down the ducats for this. I own the first story but not Heart of Empire, and my trade is not bound particularly well. Speaking of which, you might wonder if I'm going to feature Bryan Talbot this year in my artists' posts. Well, yes, but I'm waiting for something. Be patient! I must say that I really hate the cover to this hardcover, but such if life. (8 October)
Jason Copland is a boss dude, so I have to point out that his latest comic, POP, shows up on page 51. It's described as "We3 meets True Romance," and whenever something is described as "A meets B," I die a little inside, but it does sound like a neat idea - pop stars and celebrities are grown as products, and one escapes. I'm not familiar with writer Curt Pires, but I'm on board to support Copland! (27 August)
Because I am a horrible human being, I've never really gotten into Usagi Yojimbo. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that these epics that began before I began collecting comics are really hard to get into, for me at least. So it's nice that Dark Horse is offering The Usagi Yojimbo Saga volume 1 on page 55 for only 25 dollars. It's also an opportunity to throw some bucks Stan Sakai's way, as the dude needs some bucks. Here's the thing, though: This begins with "volume 2." I assume the things Fantagraphics occasionally publishes are "volume 1"? Do I need to track those down as well? Help me out, good readers! (22 October)
Jeepers, on page 64 we find Predator versus Judge Dredd versus Aliens for 30 bucks, which sounds like a good value considering it's written by John Wagner and Andy Diggle and features art by Alcatena, Henry Flint, Brian Bolland, and Frazer Irving. Jeepers. (8 October)
You know, I don't mind that Dark Horse is offering the Action Philosophers! hardcover on page 69, because it's a superb comic. I can even understand why there's a new eight-page story. I'm just the tiniest bit miffed about it because people like your humble blogger, who bought every single issue of the series AND the trade paperback shouldn't feel like they're missing something because they don't want to buy it yet again. I mean, I know they're trying to get people like me to pony up again, but shouldn't they be just happy to get a wider audience who never knew this sucker existed in the first place and not add extra stuff? It's great that van Lente and Dunlavey are going to make some extra coin from this, though, and I encourage you to get this if you haven't already. It's brilliant. (15 October)
Holy crap, is that THE Multiversity on page 81? I don't even have anything to say about this except that DC better had made damned sure that the God of All Comics actually finished this entire bastard and sent it off to the artists before they solicited issue #1, given that he's been working on this motherfucker for eight years. It better not be fucking late, is all I'm saying, especially as it probably has absolutely nothing to do with the DCnU, as it started, what, two reboots ago? (20 August)
Page 85: FOUR MORE FUTURES END ISSUES THAT WILL MAKE CHAD WANT TO GOUGE HIS EYES OUT. Yay, comics! (August)
Oh, DC: "As Aquaman lies impaled with his own trident ..." (page 88). You're like a comfortable old shoe. If that shoe was sentient and gnawed your foot off. (6 August)
So who's the chick on the New Suicide Squad cover (page 91) who decided that the Joker's idea of slicing his own face off was a good idea? Because, yeah, it wasn't. It was perhaps the stupidest idea of the entire reboot, and that's saying something. (13 August)
Star-Spangled War Stories Featuring G. I. Zombie #2, page 94:
Holy. Shit. I might buy this issue just for that cover alone. Wait, it's the variant? Come on, DC, embrace the phallic symbol! Why it's not a 3-D cover is beyond me. (27 August)
Wait, is that a second Wonder Woman comic - Sensation Comics - on page 119? You can't pull that shit, DC! A girl might accidentally pick that up and decide that she likes comics, and then the world as we know it will cease to exist!!!! (20 August)
Apparently I need to get Legion of Super-Heroes: The Curse on page 134, as I am woefully pathetic because I've never been a big fan of the Legion. What say you, good folk? Will "classic" Legion by Levitz, Giffen, and Mahlstedt change my mind? It failed once, but will this do the trick? (10 September)
Eric Shanower and Gabriel Rodriguez are starting up Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland on page 156. The art samples look really nice, and Shanower knows what he's doing, so this might be pretty neat.
I think I'm a bit disturbed by Cerebus: High Society Digital Audio/Visual Experience on page 158. It's Dave Sim reading Cerebus to you, in character, with sound effects and music. That could be the most awesome thing ever or something that makes you want to punch holes in your eardrums. I'm not sure which it will be.
On page 164, you can pick up a trade of Sinister Dexter by Dan Abnett and Andy Clarke, which might be a good buy. I don't know, but it's a good creative team!
As we're in the Golden Age of Reprints, we get Wonder Woman: The Complete Newspaper Comics on page 183. This covers most of 1944 and 1945. It's 50 bucks, but IDW does a really nice job with these reproductions, so it might be worth it.
Brubillips begin their "groundbreaking five-year deal at Image" with The Fade Out (page 192), and if you think it's a noir tale set in the late 1940s ... well, you've read a Brubillips comic before, but that doesn't really matter, because they do these comics so very, very, very well that it doesn't actually matter what the book is about. It will still be awesome. (20 August)
Steven T. Seagle is a pretty interesting writer, so Imperial (page 196), which is about a guy who has to choose between getting married or taking over as the next superhero has potential. We shall see. (6 August)
On page 212, Displaced Persons gets solicited. It takes place in three different time periods - 1939, 1969, and 1999 - and somehow brings them together. Writer Derek McCulloch has been trying to get this published for years, and it's cool that it's finally here. McCulloch sent me an advance copy (I'll review it closer to its release date) and Anthony Peruzzo's art is very nice. I'm glad it's here! (6 August)
The Fuse gets a trade on page 213, if you've been waiting for the trade. It's been pretty good so far, although issue #4 just came out, and this collects issues #1-6, so I'm not sure if Antony Johnston will be able to stick the landing. I have faith in him! This is one of Image's 10 bucks-for-6 issues trade, so there's not a lot of risk for you to check it out! (27 August)
On page 28, we're back to the "penultimate" issue of Superior Foes of Spider-Man, which is where we were two months ago. Man, what's going on? I assume issue #15 really is the last one, but Marvel solicited a trade for issues #7-11, so the final one will be #12-15, I guess. Sort it out, Marvel!
So Marvel relaunched Hulk with the same writer, just a different artist, and now Gerry Duggan takes over as writer (page 47), but they're not relaunching it? Marvel makes my head hurt sometimes. (13 August)
Frank Cho is a wonderful artist, and it's cool that he's drawing the Guardians of the Galaxy Annual on page 52, because one-shots are probably the way to go with him, but it seems that this doesn't really take advantage of his ... special skills. YouknowwhatImsayin? (13 August)
Miracleman #9 (page 55) features pretty graphic childbirth scenes. It's going to be polybagged, but Marvel did censor this book already, so I'm very, very curious to see if they do anything to Rick Veitch's art. God, I hope not. It's a woman having a child, for crying out loud! (6 August)
Do we really believe that Marvel is going to publish a 75th Anniversary Omnibus (page 81) with the content chosen by fans? Really? If this entire thing isn't Clone Saga and Teen Tony Stark stories, I will be very disappointed in the pranking abilities of comic book fans. (5 November)
Ms. Marvel gets a trade on page 87. This has been pretty good so far, and Alphona's art has been very nice. I'm not sure if it's the greatest comic ever conceived by humans, but it's pretty good. (15 October)
Meanwhile, on page 91, She-Hulk also gets a trade. It's another cool comic, a bit better than Ms. Marvel, with great art by Javier Pulido. Get them both and feel confident in your masculinity! (8 October)
There's a new printing of X-Men: The Asgardian Wars on page 100, in case you don't already own it. This is a tremendous group of stories, with Claremont at his Claremontian heights and Paul Smith and Arthur Adams cranking out absolutely gorgeous art. I don't know if the old versions are out of print, but if you can't them, this is worth the dough. (10 September)
I read some issues of The Pulse when it came out, but it wasn't thrilling me, so I dropped it. Now Marvel, in preparation for the NetFlix show, is releasing Jessica Jones: The Pulse - The Complete Collection on page 107, which is 360 pages for $35. I do like that it's the "complete collection" but issue #10 is missing. I assume this was part of some crossover, but that means this isn't exactly complete, is it? IS IT?!?!?!? Anyway, it's Bendis writing Jessica Jones. It's not as good as Alias. (27 August)
Shall we see what's in the back of the book? I think we shall!
Man, I reached Boom! before I found anything that really leaped out at me. That's weird. Anyway, on page 285, Michael Alan Nelson brings back Hexed, which is nice for him. You won't remember that the first series was Emma Ríos's introduction to American comics, and she's not back this time, but if Dan Mora is half as good as she is, this should look pretty keen.
The first trade of Dead Letters shows up on page 286. I'm not sure yet if I'm getting it, but I flipped through the first issue and liked the art, so I might plunk down the 10 dollars for the trade.
On page 291, Archaia/Boom! offers The Collector by Sergio Toppi. I've only read one Toppi book in my life, but it's staggeringly beautiful, and I cannot wait to read this. Seriously, people, pick this sucker up. I haven't even seen it and I know it's stunning.
I have no idea if Giant Robot Warrior Maintenance Crew #1 on page 303 from Cosmic Times will be any good, but I do like that you can get the entire high concept just from the title. That's efficiency! It does sound fun, though.
Peter Milligan and Piotr Kowalski (who's everywhere these days!) unleash Terminal Hero on us on page 305. It's about a dude who gets experimental treatment for his brain tumor but, because it's a comic, it has "nightmarish" side effects. Of course it does! I'm always keen to read something from Milligan, so I'll have to check this out. Plus, it's only $2.99, which is very strange for Dynamite books. It might actually be a first for them. (6 August)
Joe Casey, Nathan Fox, Jim Rugg, and Ulises Farinas is a pretty good team, so I'm interested in Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers, which shows up on page 312. I'm not entirely sure how the art will work, but I'm sure it will be keen, although it does sound a bit like Gødland. Still, Casey does cosmic really well, so there's that. (6 August)
Fantagraphics has a softcover of Tales Designed to Thrizzle on page 342, in case you missed the single issues and the hardcover. This is one of Our Dread Lord and Master's favorite comics ever, but it never really thrizzled me. Make of that what you will!
Also on page 342, we find Tardi's WWI: It Was the War in the Trenches/Goddamn This War! gift box set. These are two quite good books about the Great War, but I can't imagine giving them to anyone as a gift unless you want them to commit suicide, because they're both so bleak. "Here, honey, happy anniversary!" "WHY DO YOU HATE ME?!?!?!?"
On page 351, Humanoids offers up the El Niño Omnibus, which sounds pretty cool - a woman finds out her long-lost separated conjoined twin is a modern-day pirate, and she goes looking for him. It's $45, which is a pretty penny, but it's also almost 400 pages long, and the presentation is always good.
The Tower Chronicles is back from Legendary Comics on page 356, this time as a 12-issue series. This is Matt Wagner and Simon Bisley having an absolute blast doing crazy shit in comics, and I'm totally on board!
Down at the bottom of page 356, we find Kill My Mother by Jules Feiffer, published by Liveright. I honestly don't know if I've ever read anything by Feiffer, but this sounds pretty keen, as it's a noir tale about five women linked through a washed-up private detective. I'll have to check it out!
Page 356 is a good place to be, as Microcosm Publishing has the trade paperback of Henry and Glenn Forever and Ever. If you've ever wanted to read a comic in which Henry Rollins and Glenn Danzig are lovers living next door to Daryl Hall and John Oates, who happen to be devil-worshippers, well, have I got good news for you!
Jeff Parker and Sandy Jarrell show up on page 359 with Meteor Men, which seems to be about an alien invasion. Whatever - it's Parker, so I'm in! (15 October)
Cullen Bunn is almost at the end of The Sixth Gun, but that doesn't mean he can't fire up another ancillary mini-series, and on page 362, we find Days of the Dead, which about Roberto and Jesup, two of the characters from his epic. I like that he and Brian Hurtt do this - it keeps the main story going, but if you're interested in a little back story, you can get these. If you're not, no harm, no foul.
Rebellion has their usual assortment of cool stuff, including Jaegir (page 370), which is about a war-crimes investigator in the future who has to hunt down a bad dude. I don't know if this is a one-shot, because it's a 30-page, $3.99-comic with no #1 after it, so I think it might be. I'll still check it out!
On page 381, you can find Kingdom of the Wicked from Titan Comics. According to the solicit text, this is the first collaboration between Ian Edginton and D'Israeli, and I think it might be their best. It's really good, so it's nice that it's back in print.
Titan also has 13 Coins (page 382), which comes from the writers of Hitman: Absolution (which doesn't bode well) but which features art by Simon Bisley. So, yeah. I'll probably have to at least give it a look.
I always get a bit scared when I venture past the comics section, so let's wrap things up here. I don't think I did quite as good a job this month as I usually do - for some reason, I just wasn't feeling it this month, which should piss Travis right off. Still, there's a lot of cool stuff in Previews, as usual, so get to digging. You know you want to!