What I’m Getting Wednesday June 30

The end of the first half of 2010 and it ends with a little bit of a thud. May was the month for new number ones and with a five week month the end of the month is a little on the ho-hum side. Not that I dislike what I’m getting, just nothing making me run to the store Wednesday.

At least with a slow week I was able to add a book I was not planning on getting and that is the Batwoman Elegy Deluxe Edition HC. For $25 I’m getting a slightly oversized hard cover that is collecting Greg Rucka’s and JH Williams great series. I hope the new comics written by Williams will be good, but this series really put a stamp on Batwoman and made her into a character that is unique and stands on her own. Williams’s innovative page designs are simply amazing. Once in awhile they made it a little harder to actual follow the flow of the story, but his work rivals what Neal Adams did when he hit the comics’ scene. The other hard coverI’m getting is something I just can’t resist, Prince Valiant Volume 2. This is a top of the line reconstruction of the rightly ballyhooed Sunday newspaper strip. Hal Foster was a master illustrator and the strip has withstood the test of time. It is the best reprinting ever done of the strip and this volume covers 1939 and 1940 more than worth the $30 price tag.

Marvel gets short shrift from my list again this week with only Captain America #607, Captain America 1940s Newspaper Strips #1 (of 3) and Secret Avengers #2. Cap is back to being a good series and I think the book may finally get around to making Bucky actually become Captain America as opposed to Bucky Cap. I just wish they would drop the lame Nomad backup and make the price $3 again. Secret Avengers was a good start, but any book that is $4 for 22 pages has to try extra hard to stay on my list. The last book is the Newspaper Strips which could be a blast as Karl Kesel gives us the “lost” newspaper strips about Captain America or it could come off as lame. All three books are $4 and as regular readers know I ain’t happy with that.

For more of the cape and tights set we move to DC that brings us Action Comics #890, Batman Beyond #1 (of 6), Flash #3, Gotham City Sirens #13, Green Lantern #55, Justice League #46, Justice Society #40, Web #10 and Wonder Woman #600. I have to admit that this batch from DC leaves me a little cold. Flash and GL should be good, but I’m a fan of Geoff Johns work, but JLA has been poor lately, Wonder Woman is an anniversary issue, Web is the end of that series, Action is a new direction. Just not a lot that has me jazzed.

The Vertigo and everything else looks very good though. Madame Xanadu #24 is starting a new arc about our senses and every issue is by a different artist. Northlanders #29 is a one and done issue. I have loved this series as each arc is about a different character from the time of the Vikings. Invincible #73 is in the middle of the Viltrumite War and last issue ended with Mark’s guts literally hanging out of his body. Add to those three Abe Sapien Abyssal Plain #1 (of 2), Atomic Robo #4 (of 4), Chimichanga #2 (of 3) and Chronicles of Wormword #4 (of 6) and you have what looks to be the best group of this week.

I know a five week month mess up publishing schedules, but usually the last week is a big week and has lots of books that are highly anticipated, this month end is ending with a whimper.