IDW Preview Review for May

Thomm: Ah, Spring beckons. Does IDW generate such hope? Let’s see.
Lee: IDW always generates hope! I always look forward to their new stuff.

30 Days of Night #1 (100 Penny Press) by (W) Steve Niles (A) Ben Templesmith (C) Ashley Wood
A single dollar will get you the original tale of vampiric terror that started it all off! 30 Days of Night put IDW on the comics-publishing map and established Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith as creative forces to be reckoned with. Now, you can return to Barrow, or visit it for the first time, as the sun goes down on the remote Alaskan town and then check out the next page for the latest bloody happenings in the 30 Days world! $1.00
30 Days of Night: Night Again #1 by (W) Joe Lansdale (A/C) Sam Kieth
Fleeing the site of a secondary vampire infestation in the cold, wilds of Alaska, a band of survivors arrive at a climate change facility during the final days of a long period of extended daylight. The inhabitants of the research compound are trying to determine the nature of a strange object found in the ice when the survivors arrive, leading to a frightening and bloody confrontation between humans and vampires and an odd and unexpected guest! # 1 of 4 $3.99
Lee: It’s good to see 30 days of night back in print. Not that it went out of print, just a lack of new material recently. $1 is a great way to test the series and entice new readers to try it. And, the new story with art by Kieth should be good too.
Thomm: I’ve never read these. Despite American Vampire, I haven’t found too many comics telling of vampire stories all that interesting. I understand these are much better than most, though. Just wondering, what’s a “climate change facility”? Monitoring station? Pumping more carbon in the atmosphere to speed it along? Building bridges for polar bears?

Bark's Bear Book HC by (W) Carl Barks (A) Carl Barks (C) Jeff Smith
Carl Barks tops the list of greatest comic book artists of many devoted fans around the world. He has often been called the Good Duck Artist by avid readers of all ages of his Disney Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comics. Those Duck stories have been reprinted and loved again and again by the millions. But while the Duck oeuvre is easily obtainable, only a few elite fans have got rare glimpses of another fabulous alternate universe that Barks created around the classic animation characters Barney Bear and Benny Burro. Hidden in rare Golden-Age comics only Scrooge McDuck could afford are wonderful full-color fantasy and fun stories as only Barks could write and draw 'em! Collected for the first time in a deluxe hardcover full-color tome, all of these masterpieces have been meticulously restored. Barks' Bear Book is edited and designed by Eisner Award-winning comics historian Craig Yoe. $34.99
Lee: I love me some Barks. He was a master storyteller and he never failed to entertain. I am sure the “for kids” moniker will scare people off but don’t let it stop you from trying this. It will be great.
Thomm: Barks is a legend for good reason. This is a very good idea, making accessible something that otherwise wouldn’t be.

Cobra #1 by (W) Mike Costa (A) Antonio Fuso (C) Zach Howard
The 'Cobra Civil War' begins in earnest! Cobra Commander Is Dead long live Cobra Commander! The only problem is... there are Nine candidates for the job, and with each more treacherous than the last... who knows how long Any of them will live?! The Baroness kicks some tail, Blacklight battles Joe forces, and Serpentor has a secret that could mean the end of G.I. Joe as we know it! $3.99
Lee: And, now to jump onto GI Joe. This has been so well received at my local store that I need to get this. From what Jim says, forget everything you know about the silly cartoons because this is Joe done right.
Thomm: Is your local store in France now? Didn’t know the Joes were so popular over there. Joe done right seems like a low bar for quality, ya know?
Devil's Concubine GN by (W/A) Palle Schmidt (C) Peter Snejbjerg
Set in a large European city, The Devil's Concubine revolves around two cool, but not too clever, hitmen hired to retrieve a mysterious cooler by an unknown party. When the two hitmen accidentally shoot their contacts at the exchange without getting their money first, the mess really hits the fan. Chased by the police, a gang of dangerous Rastafarians, and an erratic crime boss out for their blood, the pair bluff and shoot their way through the seedy underworld on their way to the man who hired them, and toward their own destruction. See the trailer here and read the previews here. $17.99
Lee: Darnit! I was totally gonna skip this until I saw the previews from Schmidt. I am a total art nerd so when I saw that Schmidt was part Snejbjerg, part Risso, part Matt Wagner, I knew I wasn’t going to skip this. I think IDW missed the boat by not hyping this as a “best from a Euro superstar.”
Thomm: I love the generic large European city setting. You know they’re all interchangeable. Just ask a European. Heh. Good luck with that. Anyway, sounds like a good bit of fun, but not so much so that I’m going to plunk down the $18 on it.

Rocketeer #1 (100 Penny Press) by (W/A/C) Dave Stevens
Celebrate the launch of the all-new Rocketeer anthology with this value-priced look at the classic material by Dave Stevens, as fully remastered and recolored by Eisner-winner Laura Martin! This material would cost much more in the back-issue bin and not look half as nice! $1.00
Rocketeer Adventures #1 by (W) Allred, Busiek, Cassaday (A) Various (C) Alex Ross, Dave Stevens
The Rocketeer Flies Again! Dave Stevens unveiled the Rocketeer nearly 30 years ago to instant acclaim, and in all the years since that auspicious debut, respect for Dave's talent and his greatest creation have only continued to grow. Last year, IDW had the honor of releasing the complete Rocketeer saga in several editions, showcasing the work of this great artist as it was always meant to be seen-completely remastered, with nearly every page scanned directly from the originals and recolored by Dave's hand-picked colorist. Today we are able to celebrate Dave's talent once again, with an all-new Rocketeer anthology miniseries written and drawn by some of the finest creators in comics, and with the full cooperation of the Stevens family. The first star-studded issue of The Rocketeer features a gorgeous cover by Alex Ross, and terrific stories by John Cassaday, Mike Allred, Kurt Busiek, and Michael Kaluta, plus outstanding pin-ups by Mike Mignola and Jim Silke-all paying tribute to the continued legacy of Rocketeer and Dave Stevens! #1 of 4, $3.99
Lee: IDW is really doing the $1 book think right this month. I highly recommend Stevens Rocketeer because it is just fantastic to look at… The new series. I’m on the edge but it has enough high power names that I might take the chance.
Thomm: Definitely a lot of high end talent on the new series. The $1 deal is even better for someone like me who didn’t get on board with this the first time around.

Thomm: IDW has a nice selection this month, well balanced across genres. Seems like something for everyone.
Lee: I really like the idea of the 100 Penny Press. It's a great way to see some stuff that you might not have gotten before.