We have a new President Elect and Obama will certainly have his work cut out for him. One thing I hope he does is to wind down our involvement in Iraq and hopefully be out of there in a year except for some minor residual presence. My concern is that he sounded like he thinks we can win a war in Afghanistan and it just can’t be done as you are not fighting another army. I also hope that he will not institute too much of a more socialism type program and as much as possible stop handing out money to failed businesses. As much as I was against Obama winning, I was not for McCain winning, so now I can only look forward to some positives coming out of whoever is President. In some ways I bet Obama is surprised he won this time and even if he is a two term president he will still be very young after he would leave office. I wonder if he would be the first President to that I know of to go back to the Senate.
The books that I’m looking forward to the most this week are:
Action Comics #871 – The New Krypton story line has started off strong and I’m looking forward to each new chapter as it comes out. The Superman books are the best they have been in years and years. The company line “"New Krypton" part 4! With thousands of Kryptonians being integrated into human society, the world believes they'll be watched over and protected across the globe. But not everyone was raised by Ma and Pa Kent. Meanwhile, the experiments on Brainiac continue as his mysterious captor builds an army against the Man of Steel and his people. Plus, who are the new Nightwing and Flamebird?”
Detective Comics #850 – This is the wrap-up of Paul Dini’s Hush storyline. 
Still not sure how it directly ties into RIP, but this has been a very good story to date. The hype “A "Batman R.I.P." tie-in! "Heart of Hush" concludes in this anniversary double-sized issue! Catwoman's life hangs in the balance during this final battle between Batman and Hush! And the life of Bruce Wayne will never be the same as the confrontation with his childhood friend Tommy Elliot reveals a terrible and shocking secret!”
JSA Kingdom Come Special Superman – Now it looks like with the three specials coming out we will start to see the very long “Kingdom Come” storyline start to come to a close. The word “Spinning out of the "One World, Under Gog" storyline, the Kingdom Come Superman's struggle with his place in the world brings a final conflict between the Supermen of Earths 1 and 22! Feeling the weight of his own world's loss on his shoulders, the transplanted Superman searches for answers to the mystery of his life's seemingly cursed existence and encounters "old acquaintances" on the way. This is the first fully written and illustrated adventure by KINGDOM COME co-creator Alex Ross, building to the storyline's conclusion in JUSTICE OF SOCIETY OF AMERICA #22!”
City of Dust #2 – The first issue was great as we got a Judge Dredd / Fahrenheit 451 type 
I Kill Giants #5 (of 7) - This story is so well done and so touching as we see the clash of a young girl’s fantasy world come face to face with a reality she does not want to accept. The word “Death seems to loom everywhere as Barbara's fantasy life takes a dark turn and she does everything she can to figure out why Coveleski has lost its powers. Meanwhile, the truth behind the ghoul upstairs is finally revealed, and it may all be too much for Barbara to bear.”
The rest of the list:
Anna Mercury #4 (of 5) - Last issue ended with Anna back on Earth and it seemed like the 
mission was complete, but since we have 5 issues obviously not. The company line “Well, it certainly did seem like a job well done, and she thought she'd won this round. Anna Mercury returns home, secure in the success of her mission and believing she has saved Sheol from New Ataraxia's awesome weapon, The Cutter. Unfortunately, she was wrong. Anna and her command have underestimated how severely damaged the societies are, and she must now return to that mad and beautiful world to prevent the cities' mutually assured destruction! A high-octane blend of The Shadow, Tomb Raider, retropunk science fiction, and 21st century Weird Pulp action, Anna Mercury is a headlong adventure serial about a beautiful and mysterious spy-adventurer who is not what she seems!”
Batman Confidential #23 – The first issue in this arc was well done as we got to see Batman and the GCPD deal with the Joker for the first time and had no clue just how much of a psychopath he was. The hype “The Joker continues leaving his psycho mark on Gotham City in Part 2 of this 4-part arc as Batman struggles with what the appearance of a villain like The Joker must say about The Dark Knight's own affect on the city! Is Batman stopping crime or just inspiring deadlier, more insane evils?”
Booster Gold #14 – Last issue had Michael fighting a Starro world of people
if memory serves me correcting as Rick Remender is going full tilt having fun with a time traveler trouble shooter. What’s inside “Starro the Conqueror has used Rip Hunter to spread his mind-possessing spores across history. To make matters worse, Starro has gathered all of his body-snatched population for the ultimate battle royale, with hero vs. hero and villain vs. villain.”
BPRD the Warning #5 (of 5) – The wrap up of this chapter of BPRD as we are moving at full speed to what appears to be a major battle between BPRD and the evil unknown things of the world. The company line “Abe, Johann, and Kate discover that their old enemies have joined forces, threatening to shake the very foundations of the world.”
Brit # 9 – Lee gives me grief for getting this book, but it is a fun quirky
little series and I have just enjoyed the characters. The hype “BRIT! INVINCIBLE! DONALD! WOLF-MAN! TECH JACKET! The team up of the century! United against the legions of Other-Earth! Will even the combined might of the heroes of the Invincible Universe be enough to defeat the awesome might of The Emperor?!”
Cleaners #1 (of 4) -The premise alone sold me on trying out the book. The word “In the dark tradition of Los Angeles noir, The Cleaners is a terrifying new mystery series about a ragtag team of for-hire trauma-scene cleaners led by ex-surgeon Robert Bellarmine. Contracted with sanitizing some of the nastiest crime and accident scenes in the tri-county L.A. basin, the team battles against what could only be described as the grim, unknowable face of the supernatural. But by focusing on the scientific explanation, no matter how aberrant or extraordinary, they counteract centuries-old superstition to prove things are seldom what they seem . . .In this miniseries, the cleaners crew takes on a series of gruesome tasks starting with a bloodbath that covers an entire neighborhood. This investigation leads them toward uncovering a disturbing mystery involving missing children, which dates back longer than the history of the city itself.”
Dreamer #1 – Is a webcomic being published by IDW. While this may not be my normal type of 
book, I decided to try it out and it sounds like Gwen may enjoy it if I don’t. The hype “Creator Lora Innes writes and illustrates the tale of 17-year-old Beatrice "Bea" Whaley, a student who begins having vivid dreams about a brave and handsome soldier named Alan Warren… a member of an elite group known as Knowlton’s Rangers that fought during the Revolutionary War. Prone to keeping her head in the clouds, Bea welcomes her nightly adventures in 1776; filled with danger and romance they give her much to muse about the next day. But it is not long before Beatrice questions whether her dreams are simply dreams or something more…”
Fables #78 – I still feel like this book is almost restarting and we are still setting up the new status quo. The company line “This issue's theme: What's in the box? What's in the box that Freddy and Mouse have discovered in their lost kingdom, and what's in the box that Bigby and Fly have delivered back to Frau Totenkinder in Fabletown? What's in the box being buried up at the Farm, and finally, how is that causing everything to come loose in Fabletown and beyond? The answers aren't what you'll expect in part 2 of this 5-part story.”
Fall of Cthulhu Godwar #3 (of 4) – The war looks to begin this issue. The 
company line “At last, Mr. Arkham's plans are coming to fruition and the warring cults of Cthulhu and Nodens begin their death-march toward battle. But as Cy and Lucifer continue to search for a way to stop the coming Godwar, an ancient city begins its slow ascent from the frigid depths of the ocean. Has Cthulhu finally heard the Call?”
Fallen Angel #31 – The search for the “City of Life” has been a fantastic arc and has reinvigorated this book. The word “The Fallen Angel and Jude have, against all odds, reached the City of Life. The problem is that, in order to gain the city's support, Jude and the Angel must undergo a series of challenges that could well mean their death... and permanent darkness for the world as Moloch's power over Bete Noire strengthens.”
Galveston #1 – The idea of pirates and Jim Bowie in Texas sounded like too 
much fun to not want to check out this series supposedly based on some historical facts. The company line “True fact - fabled pirate Jean Lafitte spent his last years not on the high seas, but in Texas. Guess who his best friend was? Jim Bowie. What adventures must a swashbuckling corsair and an American frontiersman have had together in the Old West? It's Deadwood with pirates, man. Pirates!”
Green Arrow Black Canary #14 – Last issue we saw Connor has developed some sort of new power and got a teen-age romance story added in. This series needs to get better. What’s inside “Green Arrow's son may be back, but something's definitely different about Connor Hawke since his kidnapping at the hands of the League of Assassins. And you won't believe your eyes when you see what he can do now!”
Green Lantern Corps #30 – This has been a great companion series to 
Green Lantern and is now moving towards Blackest Night. The word “The War of Light continues! In part 2 of "The Sins of the Star Sapphire," the Guardians journey on a diplomatic mission to convince the Zamorans to halt their tampering with the violet light. What will the Guardians do when they discover the Zamorans are attempting to "cure" Sinestro Corps members by infusing them with love?”
Grimm Fairy Tales #32 – The second part of the Pinocchio story line. Last issue we found the little wooden boy can be quite the killer. The company line “The conclusion to the terrifying story of the wooden puppet who longed to by a real boy is here! Gepetto searches for his son and will not give up on him. But a viscous evil stirs inside of Pinnochio, and it might be too late for Gepetto to help him. Can a father's love prove to be enough to save Pinnochio, or will evil prevail and doom Gepetto once and for all?”
Hybrid #3 (of 4) – A fun little horror store set on the open waters. The hype 
“Trapped on the derelict fishing trawler- Ethan tries to save a little girl from the mysterious creature- while Brooke and the others seek help from Martin- a photojournalist on a nearby diving expedition. But as they go back to help Ethan- they realize Martin may know more about the deadly creature than he lets on!”
Justice League International HC Volume 3 – Continuing the reprints of the JLI under Giffen/DeMatteis and often Maguire. This volume contains “Batman, Green Lantern, Booster Gold and the other quirky heroes of JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL are back! First, the team battles a colony of spaceships known only as the Cluster, then track Mister Miracle back to Apokolips in this new volume collecting issues #14-22 of their acclaimed 1980s series”
Last Reign of Kings #1 (of 5) – I’m a little iffy going in on this one as the 
premise sounds a little overly derivative. The hype “Director Walt Becker (Van Wilder, Wild Hogs) comes to BOOM! in a big way with his sci-fi/fantasy tale of knights in a post-apocalyptic future! The world has been twisted into a rusting and forgotten dystopia- and a new type of knight rises from the ashes to make order out of chaos! Scripted by Michael Alan Nelson, the fan-favorite writer of Fall of Cthulhu.”
Manhunter #36 – The re-launch of this title did not last long as issue #38 is the end of the series. The company line “The "Forgotten" arc concludes, revealing the high price of superpowers. And what's the final fate of Dylan Battles?”
Neozoic #7 – This is a great series, but it desperately needs to be a monthly
or I fear it sales will not allow it to continue. The hype “The acclaimed dinosaur fantasy epic continues as the occupying Talpid force attempts to squelch the Monanti slave uprising by killing their leaders and banishing their king. Meanwhile, Lilli uses ancient knowledge to raise a reptilian army for an all-out assault on the city that banished her!”
Nightwing #150 – Now I have read this book is cancelled, but that is due to what is going in Batman and I have to expect that we will have the “Battle for the Cowl” and then this and other books re-launched on the other side. The word “Special oversized "Batman R.I.P." tie-in issue! Believing Nightwing responsible for the death of an old flame, Two-Face has sworn his revenge upon Batman's first Robin and New York City itself. Armed with the same acid that turned him into Two-Face, Harvey Dent plans to scar half the population of New York to make them pay for his loss. And without The Dark Knight around for help, it's up to Nightwing to stop the Batman's most duplicitous and dangerous villain. Beware the acid rain as Nightwing confronts Two-Face in the final chapter of "The Great Leap"!”
Simon Dark #14 – This is a truly unique and great series and a book that DC should promote 
more. The hype “Rachel has befriended Simon, but it takes a strong heart – and a stronger stomach – to follow the peculiar hero on his tour of the netherworld realm known as The In-Between! Sneak a peak behind the curtain and inside a strange world all too familiar to our titular hero.”
Sir Apropos of Nothing #1 (of 5) – It sounds a little goofy, but Peter David is the writer, so I will try out an issue. The company line “From the pages of the acclaimed fantasy trilogy rides Sir Apropos of Nothing, a cynical knight who thinks far less of the art of chivalry than he does the art of making a buck. In the first issue of this five-part original series written by the novel series' creator, Peter David, the man in black may be fleeing across the desert, but Apropos is riding across the desert on a horse with no name, seeking out a buried treasure and running afoul of an acclaimed and slightly familiar tower that's somewhat dark.”
Superman Batman vs Vampires Werewolves #3 (of 6) – Regardless of the 
title this has been a good series and seems to involve a lot more then just Sueprman and Batman. What’s inside “The evil Dr. Combs has reanimated the dead and turned innocent victims into monsters from beyond! Artificially created vampires and werewolves now prowl the streets of Gotham, and only the combined might of The Man of Steel and The Dark Knight can hope to stop them. But when a rogue vampire named Dimeter and a feral werewolf called Janko decide to join their side against Combs and his legion of the undead, Superman and Batman will have to save themselves – and all of Gotham – from the creatures of the night! Good thing they've called in Green Arrow and his wooden and silver-tipped arrows for help!”
Titans #7 – This book is on my short list of too be cancelled soon, unless it picks up. The company line “Match, the imperfect clone of Conner Kent, shows up at the Tower looking for a fight. But the Titans' old teammate Jericho is still trapped inside him! To subdue Match and save Jericho, the Titans must find a way to force the two apart, and their solution has unexpected consequences for them all!”
Trinity #24 – I have been up and down on this book, but have settled into 
this book is a solid read and entertaining, but no more then that. The word “The heroic Trinity is long gone and their legacy fades by the minute. But where exactly are Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman – and will they ever return? Don't miss the halfway point in this action-fueled, weekly series exploring the three greatest heroes of all time!”
Walking Dead #54 – Always a book to look forward to and now this issue I hope we get on the road to Washington. The hype “All-out action!” Wow you have to hand it too Kirkman in keeping the actual hype to a bare bones minimum.
Wolverine #69 – Wow a book by Millar and McNiven that is running late, 
who couldn't see that coming. The word “In a decimated future where America is dominated by super-villains, old man Logan lives out his days, but as far as he’s concerned, WOLVERINE died fifty years ago with the rest of the super heroes. Now he’s on a cross-country journey with the blind archer HAWKEYE to deliver a secret package to Hawkeye’s contacts on the east coast. But dinosaurs and earthquakes might just finish them off for good! Plus: the identity of the PRESIDENT is revealed! MARK MILLAR and STEVE MCNIVEN continue their post-apocalyptic epic for the ages! “
Gravel #6 – Almost forget this book, but I have to say out of all the Avatar books by Ellis this has been my least favorite as the sameness of each issue has gotten bad. The company line “Gravel, the explosive monthly series from Ellis and Wolfer, continues to slam through the competition with it's vicious, bloody run! In his violent search for the six pieces of an ancient text of unimaginable supernatural power, Sergeant Major William Gravel has left the mangled corpses of 14 fellow magicians and Occult Detectives in his wake. Bruised, torn, beaten and cut beyond even super-normal endurance, Gravel would like nothing more than to enjoy the spoils of his victory. What's a bloke got to do before he can get some rest and have a nice breakfast at the country estate of one of the men he murdered? Bill should know better - every victory has an unexpected price. Much to his dismay, Gravel has also inherited the mantle of mentor to dozens of magicians-in-training - acolytes who are now leaderless - because Gravel killed their master! The final two pieces of the Sigsand Manuscript are still in the possession of his most powerful opponents, and it's time for Gravel to call in some favors as he prepares for all-out war. There are, of course, worse things to have at his disposal than a score of magic-wielding assassins to blindly follow him into battle!”
Invariably in the first two weeks of the month Marvel is typically almost non-existent on my list which is amusing to me as it was certainly never planned that way, but what I get of Marvel seems to always fell in the latter half of the month. This week the independent books make up over 50% of my list, which to me is pretty cool.
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