What I’m Getting Wednesday April 28

Hard to believe it is the end of April. This is a huge year for stuff happening with my family as both of my daughters get married and Gwen graduates from college and the specter of becoming a grandfather at 35 looms nearby. Lee seems to enjoy reminding me that this may happen in the near future, but age is all in your mind and as my wife would be more than happy to tell you I’m still a child. My co-workers would agree as my almost 100 action figures in my office can testify too. But you want to know what I’m getting this week as do I.

This week is an extremely literate week with some of the best written books on the market hitting the stands in decent numbers. Of course I love how many well written books are out there. I think our favorite past time is enjoying a true renaissance in quality. This week we have Madame Xanadu #22, Northlanders #27, Scalped #37, Locke and Key Crown of Shadows #5 (of 6), Stumptown #3 and Echo #21. I mean this is an embarrassment of riches. I usually order my books once I sit down to read them with some must reads at the top which includes new number ones, end of mini-series and the big event book. Then I constantly reorder during the week as I read everything. I always try to save a great book for last and any one of these books could fill the bill. Buy them, read them and love them like I do.

This week also has the books that cost me too much and are forcing me to skim read some Essentials and Showcase collections to find room on my bookshelves. I really have cut back some on hard covers, but not enough. This week has the DC Library JLA by George Perez Volume 2, JLA Deluxe Edition HC Volume 3 (the Grant Morrison run) and Marvel Masterworks The Inhumans Volume 2 #136. I often seriously think about dropping all but 20 comic series and just read all the collected and new OGNs I have in my house. My wife would be happier.

The rest of the list is rather extensive as the last week of the month is almost always a big week. Of course May has so many new titles coming out every week maybe a big week. A short aside, because of the $4 price point and ton of new series coming out I’m trying like mad to drop books and this week Thor got kicked to the curb. JMS was making Thor special and now Thor has become generic again. I will try out Thor again once the next long term creative team comes onboard.

From the independent side of things the rest of my list includes, The Great Unknown #3 (of 5) in which the Unknown is the publishing schedule on this book, Invincible #71, Walking Dead #71, GI Joe Cobra II #4 and Incorruptible #5. I’m still amazed at how great GI Joe Cobra has been and look forward to that book every month. Also hats off to Kirkman for having two highly successful creator owned series that are both up to number 71, both are very good books.

Marvel is also pushing out a lot of books for me this week with Captain America #605, Fantastic Four #578, Iron Man #25, Mighty Avengers #36, New Avengers #64, Secret Warriors #15, Siege Secret Warriors #1, Thunderbolts #143 and X-Force #26 Chapter Five of Second Coming. Most of these books are Siege related. I’m actually a little shocked that Siege #4 is not out, but it will be out May 12. I think the one shots were to fill in the time or perhaps a slight delay due to production issues. The Second Coming sage continues to impress me with the linear nature of the story and how well it is helping me learn the new status quo of the x-people. It is fun to say that I’m enjoying x-books again.

The DCU and Wildstorm books of course are the largest segment of my list. While in my imaginary purge of books many of these would bite the dust I still have a lot of fondness for DC characters, although this may be my last issue of Outsiders as the book is unrecognizable since Dan Didio took over.

The list is Action Comics #889, Authority the Lost Year #8 (of 12), Detective Comics #864, Garrison #1 (of 6), Gotham City Sirens #11, Green Lantern Corps #47, Justice League The Rise of Arsenal #2 (of 4), Justice Society of America #38, Outsiders #29, Superman #699, Superman Last Stand of New Krypton #3 (of 3), Teen Titans #82, Victorian Undead #6 (of 6), The Web #8 and Wonder Woman #43. This week’s Superman books leads into Free Comic Book Day with War of Superman #0 and then May the entire War occurs in 4 issues coming out weekly, I love that idea; a mini-event that is done quickly.

38 books and only 3 are collected editions and we will be doing a Cosmic Comics Conversation on Sunday for my friend’s comic store. That is a lot of reading by Saturday. Of course I can skip some books and read them Sunday as certain books will never be mentioned.