What I’m Getting Wednesday March 18

I had heard on the news that a small town on Maryland’s eastern shore has a mayor who is blaming bloggers for negative stories about the town or something on those lines. It reminds me of some of the remarks that are coming out of the Obama administration that is complaining about all the people who are being negative about the economy. I have in my personal and professional life been attacked because I was saying negative things about situations, even when it is true! We have a segment of the population who thinks we can make things better by just believing it to be true. When did such a large portion of the population become such childlike morons that it becomes a bad thing to speak the truth? I blame the prior administration for starting this trend against speaking out against the government. When Bush started the Iraq War you were considered a traitor to speak out against it and now years later it has proven to be true. Plus I refuse to be considered negative; I just think that if you see a train coming at you it is polite to tell the person next to you to get out of the way. By moving out of the path of the train you live and that is a solution to the problem, not being negative. Unfortunately I think half the population wants to clap their hands together and make the economy get better just like we did with Tinkerbell.

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

Groom Lake #1 – This sounds like a great little four issue mini-series from IDW. The premise is a little X-Files and some humor. It has tons of potential and with art by Ben Templesmith, one is hard pressed to go wrong. The word “Written by Chris Ryall, art and covers by Ben Templesmith. The truth is out... er, under there? In the remote Nevada desert there sits a dry lakebed called Groom Lake, and under that land resides a secret base that holds all the secrets of the world. Not this world, either. Writer Chris Ryall and artist Ben Templesmith present a four-part tale of abductions and probings, conspiracies and secrets. And the key to it all is held in the grey, six-fingered hand of one Ng Hudson. Templesmith provides two covers for this debut issue!”

Outsiders #16 – Peter Tomasi has done a ton of set-up, now this issue has to start the ball rolling. The Outsiders looks like they could have finally gotten the formula right this time. The company line “Written by Peter J. Tomasi ; Art and cover by Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott. "The Deep" part 2 of 6. Who are The Insiders, and what exactly are they searching for deep under the Earth's surface that could alter the future of mankind? As The Outsiders engage the first defensive circle of The Insiders, the newly formed team face a severe test as Geo-Force displays a unique perspective on how best to lead them in battle – and it doesn't sit well with Black Lightning.”

Potters Field Stone Cold One-Shot – Mark Waid is everywhere this year and I’m happy to see him behind the writer’s chair again on this book. I know the one shot is just to make the trade feasible, but I’m hopeful we will see a lot more of John Doe over the years. BOOM says “Mark Waid (52, KINGDOM COME) and Paul Azaceta (DAREDEVIL, B.P.R.D, TALENT) return to their smash hit crime series POTTER’S FIELD! The detective known only as John Doe pins identities to New York’s anonymous dead, moving grave to grave—but now he’s stumbled onto a pattern, and a conspiracy that leads all the way back to the horrors of September 11th!”

Punisher #3 – This book is just flat out a lot of fun. Rick Remender has given us an old school Punisher, complete with a new “Microchip” and turned Frank into a hard core vigilante who is going after Norman Osborne. What’s inside ““LIVING IN DARKNESS,” PART 3 The only thing standing between the new king of crime and his dark reign of New York is a lone soldier doing what none of the capes will: taking out the bad guys permanently. Frank Castle has torn open an artery of the most feared crime family in the history of New York, and it will not go unanswered. A lesson must be taught -- a bloody, public lesson. How can the Punisher possibly contend? With an arsenal of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel Universe -- and a smile.”

Rawbone #1 – A pirate comic, that looks like it could have a lot of depth to it as well as great art. This looks like a series that Vertigo should have had under their banner, but the premise sounds great. The pitch “Written by Jamie Delano, art by Max Fiumara. Jamie Delano cuts loose on a vicious pirate tale, delivering a bloody, terrifying vision of a world on the high-seas! But these are not the family friendly kind, these are the roughneck, stealing, heartless bastards of the 17th century Caribbean. A rebellious young women named La Sirena has built a haven for pirates called Puerto de los Suenos (Port of Dreams). It is a good life for those that want to live outside of the crushing boot heel of the Church of England. But the church is a powerful enemy. It expends a lot of its pillaged wealth to bring about the downfall of the pirate scum who are preying upon merchant vessels. Thus, the legend of La Sirena's life will begin, one drip of blood at a time, while the British garrison waits for the pirate to slip into their ambush, tension building as seeming supernatural forces pick off the forces of law one by one, and imagination runs terror through the survivor's veins. Available with a regular cover fully-painted by Felipe Massafera and a wraparound by Max Fiumara.”

Spider-Man Noir #4 (of 4) – I have heard mixed reviews on this series, but I have really enjoyed it. I like the Elseworlds format and Marvel has taken the noir to the extreme by launching so many noir series, but I’m willing to give most of them a shot. The marketing blather “With the bite of a fateful spider, Peter Parker finally got the power to go up against the rotten gangland of Depression-era New York…the insidious, far-reaching, unstoppable crime machine that killed his beloved Uncle Ben…but will it kill him as well? Spider-Man’s brash confrontation with Norman Osborn, the slick gangster nicknamed the Goblin, may be his final heroic act! By David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky and Carmine Di Giandomenico.”

X-Factor #41 – This book has been off the hook the last two issues. I mean bro, can you feel me, the Factor is the book of the last couple of months and Layla is back. Okay I have been watching The Wire too much, but I love this series again. The hype “Maru. Mr. Tryp. X-Cell. The Isolationist. Madrox has gone against his fair share of unseemly and unfamiliar antagonists of late, but some villains never go out of style. Like Sentinels. Big, honking Sentinels. Oh yes, this is going to be fun!”

The rest of the list:

Azrael Death’s Dark Knight #1 (of 3) - Written by Fabian Nicieza; Art by Frazer Irving; Cover by Guillem March.He was a husband and a father. A brother and a friend. A cop and a dark knight. But he had all that taken away. And in return, he was given a suit of sorrows, a quest for redemption and a new name. He is Azrael, avenging angel for the Order of Purity and a new protector for Gotham City's troubled times. But who will protect the citizens from him? Guest-starring Robin, Nightwing, Talia and the League of Assassins, this miniseries runs alongside BATTLE FOR THE COWL and features the dramatic presence of a strangely familiar, troubled hero with two things on his mind: crazed vengeance for the wrongs he has suffered and salvation for the sins he continues to commit!

Black Lightning Year One #6 (of 6) - Written by Jen Van Meter; Art and cover by Cully Hamner. The origin of Black Lightning wraps up with a bang as he faces The 100 on his own terms and stands up for Suicide Slum. But what does the future hold for Jefferson Pierce and his nemesis Tobias Whale?

Dark Avengers #3 - The phenom that is the Dark Avengers continues. BATTLEGROUND LATVERIA as Morgana Le Fey attacks with all the power at her disposal. Meanwhile these new Avengers discover all the dirt and hidden secrets of their notorious pasts.

Fall of Cthulhu Apocalypse #4 (OF 4) - by Michael Alan Nelson & Mateus Santolouco Cthulhu is here! And things will never be the same. So join The Big 'C' himself, Nyarlathotep, Harlot, Lucifer, and Raymond as they all face off in a battle that will decide the fate off all mankind! If you have not been reading this book, this is the issue to get! Features covers by Jeffrey Spokes and J.K Woodward.

Frank Frazetta’s Freedom - MARK KIDWELL (FRANK FRAZETTA’S DARK KINGDOM) and JOHN CBOINS (GRAVESLINGER) team up for the first Frazetta Western! In the fall of 1876, three months after the murder of Wild Bill Hickock, another legend rode into Deadwood, South Dakota. The dime novels said he was fast with a six-gun and faster with the ladies--said he’d killed more men than he could count. They called him the FREEDOM KID. Sometimes, the pen is indeed mightier than the sword... ...and a LEGEND is a hard thing to live up to.

Golden Age Sheena Queen of the Jungle TP Volume 2 - Written by Eisner/Iger Studios, Matt Baker and Various. Art by Eisner /Iger Studios, Matt Baker and VariousCover by Eisner/Iger Studios and Various Continuing DDP's reprints of the classic Golden Age SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE! Featuring classic comics from the '30s, '40s, and '50s, this second volume features stories from the Will Eisner/Jerry Iger studios. Also featured in this collection is an essay and annotation by Stephen E. de Souza (Screenwriter of DIE HARD). A guaranteed must-have for any classic comic collectors! Featuring a special never-before-reprinted SKY GIRL story from the pages of JUMBO COMICS by legendary Golden Age artist Matt Baker!

Hellblazer #253 - Written by Peter Milligan; Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini; Cover by Lee Bermejo. Confronting the demons of one's past should be familiar ground for John Constantine. But some vicious memories are so horrible and buried so deep that digging them up could leave no one to pick up the pieces.

Hotwire #2 (of 5) - Alice wakes with a broken nose and a surly house guest. As more city blocks fall to the rioters, a murdered man staggers into Police City Central and discovers his death was only the start of the worst day of his life.

Invincible #60- THE CROSSOVER EVENT OF THE DECADE!Invincible is drawn into a company-wide crossover event done in ONE oversized issue! SPAWN! SAVAGE DRAGON! YOUNGBLOOD! SHADOWHAWK! CYBERFORCE! PITT! ULTRA! and many, many more all here for one issue – don’t miss it!SPECIAL FOUR-PAGE GATEFOLD COVER BY RYAN OTTLEY AND FCO PLASCENCIA!

Kull #5 (OF 6) - Still recovering from last issue's surprise battle, King Kull is on edge and eager to find the snake-men who may still be hidden in his court and throughout Valusia's City of Wonders. The Great Serpent cult is far from defeated, and their reach is long. With one treaty falling apart, a powerful ally in danger, and his trusted friend, Brule, doubting his latest commands, Kull must plan his next move carefully -- and now constantly watch his back for traitors! Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi, Joker's Asylum), Will Conrad (Serenity, Conan and the Midnight God), and Jose Villarrubia (Conan the Cimmerian, Ghost Rider) expand upon the events in Robert E. Howard's short story, "The Shadow Kingdom," to show what happens right after Kull exposes the threat of the scheming snake-men in his kingdom!

Lillim #1 (OF 5) - story SHAUN LAPACEK & IAN KEISER art & cover MATRIX A battle of epic proportion ensues in an ancient time. Since the death of his mother Lilith, Odin, first son of Adam and Lilith, vows to continue to punish Eve's children as his mother desired. The second child of Lilith, known as Loki, has had enough of his sibling Odin's grasp upon the children of Eve. After witnessing their death at his hands, Loki crawls deep into the ocean depthsÖand time passes. Many years later, Loki awakens to a modern world, where he meets and falls for an ER doctor named Bridgette. Their happiness is short lived, as Loki realizes that his siblings are still very much alive and wrecking havoc upon the children of Eve once again!

Moon Knight #28 - “DOWN SOUTH,” PART 2 Marc Spector may be dead, but Moon Knight is very much alive -- and in a world of trouble. After rescuing a land baron’s daughter from corrupt Federales, the fugitive vigilante is suddenly thrust into the crosshairs of Mexico’s deadliest assassins looking to collect the bounty on the girl’s head. But there are other predators prowling the dark underbelly of Mexico City, and not all of them have their sights on the innocent. The Punisher has traveled down south on the trail of some Russian mobsters, and he’s just stepped onto blood-soaked turf that bears the unique signature of another killer. His name is Toltec, and if you’ve seen him, you’re dead.

Scourge of Gods #3 (OF 3) - Written by VALRIE MANGIN Pencils & Cover by ALEKSA GAJIC Adaptation by PAUL BENJAMIN Halfway between sci-fi and heroic fantasy, the lavishly illustrated tale of intergalactic conquest builds to a climax as Attila, king of the Huns, seeks to subjugate the galactic Roman empire known as the Orbis. Attila will stop at nothing to win back Kerka, the goddess of chaos, so that he might conquer the Orbis' throneworld. But Kerka has been reborn in the body of Roman princess Flavia Aetia, and she cannot forgive Attila for destroying the planet where she was raised. Now, Kerka has taken her father's throne, and she will use all the powers at her disposal to bring Attila's reign of terror to an end.

Stingers #1 (of 5) - They needed a new planet in order to survive… They just found us. Brian “Hawk” Hawkins is an Atlantic City bounty hunter and he’s fed up with the world and everyone in it. But as he tracks his latest bail jumpers to a small New Jersey town he finds much more than what he bargained for. Now Hawkins must make the decision to flee town or to stay put and fight to save the one thing he can no longer stand: Humanity. Do not miss issue 1 of the supernatural action mini-series that combines the tone of "28 Days Later" with absolute intensity of "Aliens." Do not miss STINGERS… They’re coming.

Stormwatch PHD #20 - Written by Ian Edginton and Russell Utley; Art by Leandro Fernández and Francisco Paronzini and Ben Oliver; Cover by Leandro Fernánde. Fuji lies dying after a confrontation with the Eidolon! And a StormWatch emergency beacon is activated in Europe where a nuclear winter has covered the region in darkness. What could be waiting in the shadows?

Supergirl #39 - Written by Sterling Gates; Art by Jamal Igle and Keith Champagne; Cover by Joshua Middleton. "Who is Superwoman?" part 3! Supergirl continues her manhunt for Reactron, determined to bring him to justice for the heinous crimes he committed in "New Krypton"! Meanwhile, Lois Lane and Inspector Mike Henderson investigate the appearance of a dead body in Metropolis Harbor. Whose body is it and what could it have to do with the new Woman of Steel? Find out as the big mystery of 2009 continues!

Trinity #42 - 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 Jesus Merino. As the Dark Trinity's all-out war reaches fever pitch, Krona rears his head with destructive consequences, and Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman face a world that's changing all around them. Can they find a way back from exile? And even if they can, does the world have any hope of survival? Guest-starring everybody!

Uncanny X-Men #507 - The secret of the Cooperstown Massacre goes worldwide and anti-mutant hysteria explodes nationwide. If Scott and Emma don't trust each other, how can mutantkind keep it together? Beast and the newly-assembled science team fight for their lives on Hokkaido Island...and the Angel's deepest, darkest secret is revealed to all present. Uh-oh. Innocent lives are trapped between the Russian mob and everybody's favorite heartbroken mutant Colossus, fighting along against old-world horrors that have followed him here. Oh! And the Sisterhood is finally assembled and ready to destroy the X-Men once and for all.

Vigilante #4 - Written by Marv Wolfman; Pencils by Rick Leonardi and John Stanisci; Cover by Walter Simonson. After interrogating Nightwing for information leading to the capture of Jericho, Vigilante has trained his sights on another member of the Titans. This time, Vigilante's search for the traitor brings him to Titans Tower, but when he breaks into their headquarters, he finds himself face-to-face against the mighty Cyborg! Let the battle begin!

Wolverine #71 - Written by MARK MILLAR Pencils & Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN 'OLD MAN LOGAN'-Now we know what happened fifty years ago, the day the super heroes were slaughtered. We know how Logan managed to survived. We know why WOLVERINE didn't. But that's nothing compared to what happens next, as Logan and Hawkeye reach New Babylon to deliver their mysterious cargo. But before they get there-they'll have to face their toughest challenge to date: a Venom Tyrannosaurus Rex! MARK MILLAR and STEVE MCNIVEN continue the career-defining epic that will have fans talking for years to come! Part 6 (of 8).

As I have mentioned before this is a very weak looking group of books from DC. I could easily skip the whole DC week and not be phased at all. A friend of this blog has dropped out of comics because he no longer enjoys the DCU. The last sales figures showed DC with a market share of about 26%, almost 20 points below Marvel. What will it take for them to change course? On the plus side lots of good stuff from other outlets and some exciting new projects that sound great.