First of all, I need to apologize for my no-column-having self last week. My computer died suddenly on Tuesday and I just wasn't able to get anything going for the next day. It's still dead (and will be for a couple of weeks, most likely), but I'm able to borrow a PC for this week's column and here we are.
As usual, our monthly look through the Previews catalog for awesome is heavily focused on graphic novels, collections, and first issues.
AdHouse
Johnny Hiro, Volume 1 - I've been aching a loooong time for this one. Giant lizards, lobster-quests, and opera-going ronin are hard to wait for.
Avatar
Anna Mercury 2 #1 - I just finished the collection of Volume 1 a week or so ago and loved it. I'll save the review for another column, but the short version is that it got me looking forward to a sequel.
Frankenstein's Womb - If there's anything I like better than untold tales of secret histories, it's untold tales of secret histories about Frankenstein with the Monster in them. Thanks, Warren Ellis!
Dark Horse
Gigantic, Volume 1 - Yay! Rick Remender and Eric Nguyen's giant monster comic is finally collected! I've had a difficult time passing this up in single issues.
Dynamite
Zorro, Volume One: Trail of the Fox - So much patient waiting is paying off this month. Matt Wagner, Francesco Francavilla, and Zorro. How can this be anything less than classic?
Eureka
Graphic Classics, Volume 17: Science Fiction Classics - Speaking of classics, I'm a big fan of Graphic Classics and I'm looking forward to seeing their takes on War of the Worlds and an Arthur Conan Doyle story about Professor Challenger from The Lost World.
Image
Firebreather, Volume 1 - This isn't technically new; it's just a new printing. But I haven't read it yet despite all it has going for it: Phil Hester, Andy Kuhn, and a giant monster. So it's new to me.
Mice Templar, Volume 1 - Has this collection been released before too? Seems like I already made a note a while back that I wanted to pick it up. Whatever... I loves me some Michael Oeming and warrior mice and I don't have it yet, so I'm getting it now. (Oh, wait. It was the hardcover that came out a while ago. Which is also why the Zorro collection sounded familiar. I'm a paperback guy.)
Marvel
Sentry: The Age of the Sentry - While I have no interest in the Sentry as a character, I've got loads of interest in anything Jeff Parker and Paul Tobin write. Still, I was willing to let the character keep me away from this until I started reading reviews by People Who Love Awesome. I'm convinced. Gimme.
Oni
Salt Water Taffy, Volume 3: The Truth About Dr. True - I'd love it for the title even if I didn't know what it was about. But hey, I'll take ghosts and murder by the sea too.
SLG
Captain Blood: Odyssey#1 - I almost called this the greatest pirate story of all time, but then I remembered Treasure Island at the last minute and realized that might be a bit much. But Captain Blood is right up there with it and I suspect that SLG will do an awesome job adapting it.
Villard
Flight, Volume 6 - Really, if you aren't already giddy that there's a new Flight volume coming out, I'm not sure how to convince you that you should be. The volumes only get better and more joyful as they continue to appear.
That's what I found. Did I miss anything?