What I’m Getting Wednesday

The news out of the NYCC has almost passed me by. I have been so busy at my “real” job (the one that pays) that I have hardly had a chance to sit down and read all about it and I’m almost happy that is the case because at times I get so focused on what is to come I forget to enjoy what is coming out. The 2 major news sites Newsarama and CBR do a great job on covering the convention which is essentially platforms for companies to push their projects. Both sites have fallen in love with video, but if they are going to go that way and do video interviews the interviewers need to step back and take a hard look at what they are doing. They need to polish their acts. Both sites come off as too fan boyish (IMO), sycophants and thinking their own material is too funny. I understand it is a more relaxed interview then what 60 Minutes use to do, but a little training, a little more professionalism and an occasional tough question with follow up would make this stuff better then it is currently. Still I applaud both sites for giving us such detailed coverage that I have to wait for the summary to catch all the news as I only have time to pick and choose what interest me most.

I wish both sites gave us transcripts of the interviews, but there is a cost factor inherent with that. I also wish Newsarama had a better page design and highlighted more who was doing what. I always want to read Vaneta and Troy’s work and sometimes it would be easier to just click on it if I knew who was doing what. Newsarama also needs more steady columnist to be doing a weekly or bi-weekly thing. CBR needs to work on the commentary section, I love Newsarama’s set up and get a lot of enjoyment in reading all the comments at times and the ease in which I can comment. I know it sounds a little nuts to complain about free stuff, but I value both sites and want them to be the best they can be.


The books I’m looking forward to most this week are:

Dark Avengers #2 – Even though I think this is just a use of the original Thunderbolts concept, Bendis has handled it so deftly that it was a good start and hopefully will continue to be a good read. I’m curious to see how long Marvel can leave the bad guys in charge. The company line “The Dark Avengers have made themselves known to the world and as the world takes them in, Morgana le Fey comes looking for blood!! Once you learn who the Dark Avengers are you'll see why this is the buzz book of the year!! The Dark Reign is here!!”

Four Eyes #2 – The first issue was magnificent. I loved the juxtaposition of the real world and the fantasy world of dragons. It was a while between issues and that is never a good way to start a series. The hype “story JOE KELLY art & cover MAX FIUMARA Enrico witnesses his first dragon fighting match and learns the truth about the circumstances behind his father's death. The seeds of revenge take root in Enrico's heart, but will his plan end before it begins with the return of his older brother, Jack?”

Outsiders #15 – Peter Tomasi maybe DC’s second go to man (johns being #1). The Outsiders special was terrific and I love the concept that Alfred is pulling this team together for a purpose that Bruce had in mind. Every Tomasi book has been either very good or excellent so far. What’s inside “Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art and Cover by Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott. Featuring an "Origins and Omens" backup story! Continuing where the epic BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS SPECIAL #1 left off, the mystery of who and what "The Insiders" are opens into a labyrinth of dread and deceit as The Outsiders, in their newest incarnation, follow Batman's final directives into a heart of darkness. If you've waited to pick up this title, jump on now for this exciting new era!"

Shrapnel #2 (of 5) – Radical continues to impress with series after series after series. While they are not releasing a lot of books per month, they are releasing quality products. The first issue of Shrapnel was a great set-up and I’m looking forward to more. The word “The war escalates and the last free colony of the solar system balances on the precipice of genocide. Now lost in self exile, Sam, the most infamous heroine of the war, must confront the blood sins of her past before rising to rally humanity's last stand as the darkening skies of war roll in symbolizing the shadows that are once again being cast heavily upon her own heart.”

Vigilante #3 – I hate that this book is being dragged into a cross-over event so early but so far this has been an excellent start to a new series and Rick Leonardi (pencils) is at the top of his game. The official hype “Written by Marv Wolfman Cover by Walter Simonson; Art by Rick Leonardi and John Stanisci. Featuring an "Origins and Omens" backup story! Released from prison, Vigilante has learned that the Titans are the key to the mystery behind the recent election bombings. In order to flush out Jericho, the traitor on their team, Vigilante must confront the Titans to learn which one is harboring the former hero."

X-Factor #40 – After last issue’s ending with Jamie absorbing the new baby how can you not be looking forward to this book again. After being dragged into multiple events this book has found itself again and I’m back on the bandwagon. The marketing blather ““SLINGS AND ARROWS” You remember John Maddox, right? He’s the one dupe that Jaime Madrox never reabsorbed. Family man. Pastor. All around decent guy. Well, he’s having a really really BAD day. And things are going to get worse when an armed Madrox comes knocking on his door. He’s looking for answers that only a man of the lord can provide and if Madrox doesn’t like what he hears, it may very well be the last sermon that John Maddox ever delivers…”

The rest of the list:

Amber Atoms #1 - story, art & cover KELLY YATES, colors MICHAEL E. WIGGAM. "CHAPTER ONE" Blast-off with the newest sci-fi adventure heroine Amber Atoms! Follow the ongoing adventures of this modern day "Flash Gordon" as Amber dreams of leaving her mundane life, but not exactly how she imagined. Mercenaries and aliens suddenly invade Amber's world as she learns that her family history could decide the fate of the galaxy.

Birds of Prey #127 - Written by Tony Bedard; Art by Claude St. Aubin and John Floyd; Cover by Stephane Roux. Featuring an "Origins and Omens" backup story! Oracle calls on Batgirl to investigate her newest operative, Infinity, to find out what she's made of. The answer is a lot more disconcerting to the team than they'd expect in this series finale!

Black Lightning Year One #4 (of 6) - Written by Jen Van Meter; Art and Cover by Cully Hamner. The mystery of the gang leader called The 100 deepens as does his hold on Suicide Slum as Black Lightning investigates his own father's past. But only one person can really help him find the answers: Talia al Ghul!

Brave and Bold #22 - Written by David Hine; Art and Cover by Doug Braithwaite and Bill Reinhold. The 4-part "Without Sin" comes to its mind-blowing conclusion! On Earth, Green Arrow battles to protect the children of the Arcadia Orphanage. And on the planet Kahlo, Green Lantern and the Phantom Stranger locate the one cosmic power that can stop the evil of The Purge!

Diana Prince Wonder Woman TP Volume 4 - Written by Dennis O'Neil, Samuel L. Delany, Bob Haney and Robert Kanigher; Art by Don Heck, Dick Giordano and Jim Aparo; Cover by Dick Giordano. Diana teams up with detectives Johnny Double and Batman in in this final volume of Wonder Woman's plainclothes adventures from the early 1970s. Collecting WONDER WOMAN #199-204 and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #105

Dynamo 5 #0 - A 'day in the life' of Dynamo 5. It's the perfect jumping-on point at the perfect price- only 99 cents! Featuring a text page that recaps the entire series so far, this issue lays the groundwork for this summer's game-changing 25th issue!

Firebreather #4 - story PHIL HESTER art & cover ANDY KUHN 'ALL THE BEST HEROES ARE ORPHANS' Duncan is faced with an unthinkable task in the shocking conclusion of our first story arc. Will he follow in his father's footsteps and commit an unforgivable crime to secure his current way of life, or follow his mother's lead and put everything at risk to preserve his humanity?

Ghost Rider #32 - This is it. The final chapter in the epic arc, "LAST STAND OF THE SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE." Johnny Blaze and the last remaining Ghost Riders from around the world make their final stand against the warrior hordes of the rebel angel Zadkiel, led by Blaze's brother, the power-mad renegade Danny Ketch. This is a showdown for the ages, featuring more Ghost Riders than you can shake a stick at and an ending you won't believe!

Great Unknown #1 (of 5 ) - A MIND-THROBBING WHODUNNIT! Everything Zach Feld imagines - impossibly - shows up somewhere else. It's as if someone is reading his mind and selling his incredible thoughts to the highest bidder. His friends and family think Zach is a freeloader with delusions of grandeur - making up one weird paranoiac story after another to defend his directionless life. They might be right. But when Zach begins to dig deeper into the mystery, he discovers that they might be very, very wrong. Has someone been sneaking around inside Zach's mind? Visionary storyteller DUNCAN ROULEAU (Metal Men, The Nightmarist, X-Factor) creates this five-issue series about one man's quest to find the people responsible for raiding his thoughts and relegating him to a life of being the great unknown.

Grendel Devils Reign TP - The year is 2530, and the corrupt Church, Vatican Ouest, has fallen, spreading upheaval across North America, along with an infestation of vampires. In this new world, Ex-COP leader Pellon Cross is still at large, devil-possessed Eppy Thatcher is missing, and Orion Assante is on an ambitious quest to restore order to the continent and gain legitimate power. But will Orion attain his goals before threats from overseas change the rules in this game for power?

Guardians of the Galaxy #10 - The drums of battle thunder in the Negative Zone – building to WAR OF KINGS! Rocket Raccoon and the Guardians face down Blastaar’s barbarian horde as Star-Lord fights for his life in 42, the besieged Initiative prison! And if our cosmic misfits fall – Earth is next! Penciler Brad Walker (Action Comics) joins the fun.

Hellblazer #252 - Written by Peter Milligan; Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini; Cover by Lee Bermejo. 12 years ago in Liverpool, there was a bloody dockers' strike. Things fell apart when a union leader caved-in to the bosses. Today, John Constantine has a new girlfriend and an extraordinary, horrible new skin complaint: A weeping, dark, knobby scab covers part of his body. And it's growing. What's the bizarre link between this skin fungus and a largely forgotten chapter of British Trade Union history?

Invincible #59 - story ROBERT KIRKMAN art & cover RYAN OTTLEY & FCO PLASCENCIA Meet PowerPlex! He's out to rid the world once and for all of the menace known as Invincible!

Justice League of America #30 - Written by Dwayne McDuffie; Art and Cover by Ed Benes. Featuring an "Origins and Omens" backup story! Can the entire combined might of the Justice League of Amercia and Dr. Light stand up to the cosmic entity known as Starbreaker as he continues consuming the sun? Could this be another Final Night for the DC Universe?

Moon Knight #27 - Marc Spector may be dead, but Moon Knight is very much alive. Hiding out in the dark underbelly of Mexico City, trouble quickly finds the fugitive vigilante when a local land baron hires him to ensure the safe return of his kidnapped daughter. Problem is, whoever’s got the girl is also in the crosshairs of the Punisher, who’s traveled down to Mexico on the trail of Russian mobsters. And if that weren’t enough, another predator appears to have joined the party. Someone homegrown. Enter: Toltec.

Noble Causes #39 - story JAY FAERBER art YILDIRAY CINAR, RALPH NIESE & RYAN VERA cover YILDIRAY CINAR & RALPH NIESE So why did Celeste marry a senile old super-hero? Find out this issue, as the facts surrounding the courtship and marriage of Colonel Comet and Celeste are finally revealed!

Punisher Frank Castle #67 - “SIX HOURS TO KILL, PART 2: FIELD DAY” W.C. Fields once mused that he’d rather be dead than play Philadelphia. Well, if you cross paths with Frank Castle, you’ll be able to have it both ways. Castle has been injected with a slow-acting poison that will kill him in less than hours—but don’t think he’s going to spend them moping around. As long as blood is still pumping through his rock-hard veins, the Punisher plans on killing as many dirtbags as possible. But the Philadelphia underworld isn’t going to roll over so easily. Neither is the top-secret black bag ops unit that dosed Frank. And don’t forget the Mayor of Philadelphia, who only sees one way of saving his already-shaky political career: killing Frank way before his six hours are up.

Robin #183 - Written by Fabian Nicieza; Art and Cover by Freddie E. Williams II. A "Batman: Last Rites" tie-in and featuring an "Origins and Omens" backup story! Gotham City has found a new hero and his name is Robin – but with a battle for Batman's cowl looming, is Tim Drake ready to become something more? Guest-starring Jason Todd and Lady Shiva. And don't worry, this final issue doesn't mark the end of Robin – it's just the start of an all-new beginning!

Solomon Kane #5 (of 5) - The Castle of the Devil hides several secrets-the most horrible of which may still be locked at the base of the castle in the ruins of an ancient abbey. Solomon Kane gets closer to unveiling the truth behind the crazed monks who used to live there, as he deals with the castle's current batch of strange inhabitants. Escaping with John Silent, his wounded companion, is out of the question, because Kane also seeks justice for the souls of innocent children who were killed on the gallows that litter this evil, tainted region of Germany's Black Forest.

Spider-Man Noir #3 (of 4) - Young Peter Parker’s been given the power – but does he have what it takes in gritty 1930s New York? There’s only so much a kid like Peter can do against corrupt city politicians and slick gangland bosses. But when he gets unexpected inside info on the Goblin’s dirty dealings, it’s the chance of a lifetime for the Spider-Man to clean up the town!

Stormwatch PHD #19 - Written by Ian Edginton and Christos Gage; Art by Leandro Fernández and Francisco Paronzini and John Paul Leon; Cover by Leandro Fernández. The fragile truce from StormWatch and The Authority's first meeting is put to the test when they're attacked by the overwhelming Eidolon and his army of the Mad!

Supergirl #38 - Written by Sterling Gates Cover by Joshua Middleton; Art by Jamal Igle and Keith Champagne. "Who is Superwoman?" part 2! The mystery of the year continues! Supergirl uncovers a vital clue to Superwoman's identity, but the Woman of Steel is more than willing to fight to protect her secrets! Plus, just what is Reactron up to – and what does a certain Metropolis police inspector have to do with it?

Superman Batman #55 - Written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson; Art by Rags Morales and John Dell ; Cover by Rags Morales. The now super-powered Dark Knight takes his crusade worldwide, but one man stands in his way: his original protege, Nightwing! Meanwhile, the all-too-human Superman teams up with Zatanna to unravel the mystery behind the loss of his powers!

Tangent Superman’s Reign #12 (of 12) - Written by Dan Jurgens; Art by Carlos Magno and Julio Ferreira ; Cover by Dan Jurgens and Will Conrad. The duel universe-spanning epic concludes as the Justice League of America attempts to rally against Tangent Superman. It all comes down to one last-ditch effort as all hope remains with one lone individual. Who's this being, and what's their relationship to the Man of Telekinesis? And what will become of the Tangent Universe?

Trinity #38 – Written by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza; Art by Mark Bagley and Art Thibert, Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens, Tom Derenick and Wayne Faucher and Mike Norton and Ande Parks; Covers by Andy Kubert and Jesse Delperdang. The war to save all of reality rages on and is waged in the memory of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. But the legendary Trinity battle to end the conflict themselves by becoming more than just a memory!

Uncanny X-Men #506 - “Lovelorn” Emma's bad dreams continue, and, man, when the White Queen has a long night, we ALL have long nights. Peter finds horror in the Port of Oakland. The assembly of the fringe science team continues with a big -- BIG -- discovery that will probably kill them all before they have a chance to fix that whole no-more-mutants thing. And with the Humanity NOW! Coalition stoking fires of anti-mutant hate, Cyclops implores his X-Men to keep a low profile... HA. Dummy. Part 3 (of 4)

X-Men Kingbreaker #3 (of 4) - The fuse has been lit in the Shi'Ar Empire and an intergalactic powder keg is about to explode. After the shocking events of last issue, the rest of the universe just found out how dangerous Vulcan is... but right now Vulcan is more concerned with a now free HAVOK and POLARIS. And as the ruthless new Imperial Guard hunts down MARVEL GIRL, everything begins to converge. Will there be any X-Men left to fight the WAR OF KINGS?


On the whole this appears to be a rather ordinary type of week. Nothing is really screaming that "I can’t wait to read it" to me.

One short remark on DC’s Origins and Omens back-ups, this has been a colossal failure so far for me and DC really needs to get their act to get as far as overall planning. On a series by series basis DC matches up against Marvel without a problem, but Marvel’s superior planning is making them a more interesting whole then DC.