Godzilla: Monster World #1 by (W) Eric Powell & Tracy Marsh (A) Phil Hester (C) Eric Powell, Alex RossThe King of the Monsters rises again, and for the first time in comics, he's bringing lots of other beloved Toho monsters with him in one destructive saga, and The Goon's Eric Powell is sounding the alarm. Powell will also paint covers for each issue of this new ongoing series, including a wraparound cover to kick things off! Acclaimed artist Phil Hester signs on for the first storyline, and Alex Ross supplies a painted 50/50 variant cover! This is the Big G storyline you've been waiting for! $3.99
Lee: It's amazing to me that Godzilla continues to thrive in the comic book world. He is a very hard character to write but if anyone can do it, Powell can. This looks to be very good.
Thomm: Now here’s something that might change my mind, solely because Eric Powell is writing it. This could be very good and very fun.
Strange Science Fantasy Vol. 01 SC by (W) Scott Morse (A) Scott Morse, Paul Pope (C) Scott MorseJoin award-winning storyteller Scott Morse as he hurtles the varied worlds of our popular culture through time and space, their collision resulting in a most unique amalgam of Strange Science Fantasy! Untold tales of gods like the Headlight, the Shogunaut, the Projectionist, G.I.Gantic, and the Foolish Fling will merge into a fantastic new tome of pop-culture as religion, and you, dear readers, will be the first to take communion! Also, this volume collects all six one-page tales by the critically-acclaimed comics juggernaut, Paul Pope, done exclusively for SSF! $24.99
Lee: I know Jim dropped this after one issue but I think that he really missed out. This isn’t a simple story, nor is it all that straight forward but it’s great if you take the time to read it. If you like books that push the medium then you will like this.
Thomm: Skewering pop culture and religion certainly is within my bailiwick.
Suicide Girls #1 of 4 by (W) Brea Grant (A) David Hahn (C) Cameron StewartSexy, mysterious, and more than a little bit dangerous, the Suicide Girls are about to change what you think beautiful girls can do! This wild adventure pits the SG against a deranged killer and a crazed corporate cabal. Written by writer/actress Brea Grant (We Will Bury You) and drawn by David Hahn (Bite Club)-with covers by Eisner-winner Cameron Stewart (Seaguy)-there will be tattoos, piercings, and a whole lot of butt-kickin girls and burlesque. This is not your mother's pretty-girl comic! $3.99
Lee: Yep, this book solidifies the fact that we are in a full blown bad girl revival. Unfortunately there is no way to take a book about Suicide Girls seriously.
Thomm: I just love it when ostensibly famous people get into the medium, yet I’ve never heard of them. Sometimes that’s just because I don’t pay but so much attention to pop culture, but this is just an instance of serious B or lower listing. Apparently Grant was on Heroes, which I actually watched, but even going to her site didn’t help me place her face. And she’s averse to capitalization, which is just annoying. Nothing about this is calling my name.
Superstar Vol. 01: As Seen on TV SC by (W) Kurt Busiek (A/C) Stuart ImmonenHYPE FROM AMAZON: Meet Superstar, a hero for the media age: the more popular he is, the more powerful he is. With the public behind him, he can work miracles - without them, he's nothing! Superstar's made a deal with his father, an international media tycoon, to promote him and keep him powerful enough to save the world. But now he walks a fine line between staying famous enough to do the most good, and becoming just another "property" in his father's portfolio. This volume contains the complete saga of Superstar: The debut graphic album tale in which Superstar deals with a global threat from his deadliest enemy, the techno-genius Robo Sapiens, while coping with media intrusion, personal betrayal, and his father's merchandising plans, plus a Superstar short story centering on his relationship with his brother (plus the menace of Spacebaby!), and behind-the-scenes text and art detailing the development of the character with never-before seen art, including character designs from Paul Ryan and Alan Davis. All the action, suspense, and characterization you expect from Kurt (Avengers) Busiek and Stuart (Superman) Immonen plus, an incisive look at superheroes and celebrity in a world where fame literally is power. 80 pgs. $14.99
Lee: This was originally a 48 page one shot that’s now being collected as… something. Let’s see, Amazon calls it a hc but all the comic stores call it a sc. I love Busiek but between that and a $15 price tag for what appears to be mostly filler I have to pass.
Thomm: It’s an amusing concept. I have no idea if it was executed worth a damn, though. It does seem to have a lot of filler, though. Probably better off finding the original 48 page publication.
Lee: There are some very interesting things from IDW this month. My pick of the month is going to be Morse's Strange Science Fantasy, not an easy read but very rewarding.
Thomm: I’ll have to agree with Lee. March seems to be a much better month for interesting option at IDW than at DH. All the same, Godzilla’s the only one I might actually get.
Superstar was a nice little one shot back in the day. Back in the 90's, when he helped launch Gorilla Comics, Busiek was putting out three really interesting creator owned titles at once: Shockrockets, Astro City, and this. How the same writer can do those books and the stuff he's done at DC completely baffles me.
ReplyDeleteAnd, re: Suicide Girls, its nice to know that Warren Ellis' dreams do come true.
Strange Science Fantasy wasn't a hard read, it was just a poorly constructed first issue and made me unwilling to buy any other issues. Maybe as a trade it will work, but as a first issue it was not good. It come across much like modern art, crap pretending to be something too highly intellectual for the poor masses to understand.
ReplyDeleteNo one is asking you to take the Suicide Girls book seriously, it is more of a romp than any type of heavy reading. Take a look at the first issue and decide then, you might be favorably surprised.
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