Gwen: I'm back and perusing the indies.
Antarctic PressChip Pocket Manga Vol. 01 SC by (W/A) Richard Moore
Fan favorite Richard Moore (Boneyard, Far West, Fire and Brimstone) presents a ticklish take on the macabre with this new, ALL-AGES story! Dark forces stalk the night, ancient menaces strike terror into the hearts of men everywhere...but not on a statue-selling farm in upstate New York. There, a 4-inch gargoyle named Chip is determined to prove to all the other statues there that he can be scary too! With the aid of his fairy friend Ash, he sets out to find just the right setting to inspire him and bring out his true potential for wreaking terror...if he can work up the nerve to go there! $14.95 See an 8 pg preview of the first issue here.
Lee: Moore is one of the indie world’s great talents. He has a way of writing stuff that is just… just… perfect. It seems like all his works are full of both humanity and humor. I know my local store owner raved about this series and he has no sense of humor. This is such an easy buy it’s ridiculous.
Gwen: I've heard excellent things about this series. Very cool concept - it's hard for me to not be intrigued by a tiny gargoyle on a quest.
Ape EntertainmentPocket God: Tale of Two Pygmies GN by (W) Jason M. Burns (A) Rolando Mallada
Because you demanded it! Pocket God returns with a brand new story arc - Tale of Two Pygmies. This graphic novel will redefine the Pygmy world and set the stage for the introduction of, wait for it, new characters! Based on the #1, worldwide, best-selling iPhone comic of 2010 and 2011, Pocket God continues it's epic run with these all new stories in print for the first time! FC. 88 pgs. $12.99 Now, here’s a place I never thought I would link to… the itunes store with Pcoket God downloads is here.
Lee: Well, we’ve moved from web comics that make it print to iphone comics that make it to print. I am continually surprised, and impressed, with all the new ways that people find to get their comics out to the public. It looks interesting so I think Gwen should download it to her iphone and do a review.
Gwen: I'll consider it as my iphone IS amazing. I mean, it practically gives me superpowers. That phone is the only reason I didn't get hopelessly lost in Venice. I love my iphone and it there are comics specifically for it I'd be willing to look into it.
Archaia Entertainment LLCFeeding Ground HC by (W) Swifty Lang (A) Michael Lapinski
A new nightmare plagues the Mexico-Arizona border. A famine caused by Blackwell Industries drives Diego Busqueda, a noble coyote, to lead a band of Mexican border crossers across the unforgiving Devil's Highway, a desert cursed with blistering days and deadly nights. Back home, Diego's daughter, Flaca, discovers that something hungrier prowls the factory fields. Stalked and persecuted, can the Busqueda family maintain their dreams of immigration or will the unspeakable horrors of the desert tear them apart? On the Feeding Ground, there is no freedom without sacrifice. Available in English and Spanish editions. $24.95. Visit Lapinski and see some pages here. See a seven page preview here.
Lee: People always seem to forget the power of a good cover. And, to be sure, this is a great cover! It’s stylish and different from all the tights and capes on the stands these days. The story sounds interesting and Lapinski has a gritty style that fits the story well. Definitely worth checking out.
Gwen: I agree with Lee - awesome cover. This looks to be a somewhat controversial story for US consumption if nothing else but I'd be interested in reading it.
Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury HC by (W) Brandon Thomas (W/A) Lee FergusonThe critically acclaimed series returns in OGN format! Miranda Mercury, the greatest adventurer in this or any other galaxy, is dying, and there's no possible cure. With only one year left to live, Miranda is forced to wage the greatest fight of her life, and secure the heroic legacy that has defined her since she was a young girl. Her morality will be tested, her values shaken, and the partnership that means everything to her will never be the same. $24.95 See many pages of previews here.
Lee: Let me start by saying… OMG a female hero with a normal costume and realistic size attributes…. WOW. I am shocked. And, if for nothing else, I have to recommend this book. Beyond that, Ferguson has a clean animated style of art and the story from the previews seems pretty good. This bears investigation.
Gwen: Lee... I don't know anyone in real life who looks like that unless they are in weight training and/or dieting. Or, you know, on TV. Maybe girls in France are built differently. However in comparison to a lot of other female cape types I can see how she's much more realistic.
Avatar Press IncSupergod HC by (W) Warren Ellis (A) Garrie Gastonny (C) Felipe Massafera
Praying to be saved by a man who can fly will get you killed! What if the arms race of global superpowers did not yield nuclear stockpiles, but rather messianic beings capable of wondrous miracles and - when needed - the ability to unleash the wrath of gods? But when the scientists, generals, and politicians built super-humans to save the planet, no one ever imagined how their heroes would do it - or even if they'd want to. Behold the apocalyptic tomorrow, when supermen kill us all and end the world just because we wanted to be rescued by human-shaped things from beyond Science itself! All five issues of the series are collected here with a cover gallery and available in softcover and hardcover formats. $27.99
Lee: I don’t remember hearing much about this but Ellis’s other hero books at Avatar, “Black Summer” and “No Hero,” were both very, very good. I am sure this is more of his twisted interpretations of superheroes and I can’t wait to get my copy.
Gwen: I'll happily pass this one by. I can't say I'm much of a fan of this type of anti-superhero story these days.
Bongo ComicsSergio Aragones' Funnies #2 by (W/A) Sergio Aragonés
More autobiographical anecdotes, perplexing puzzles, silly short stories, and hilarious pantomime gags, featuring a return to Skull Island, where Sergio Aragones takes on King Kong, as well as a tale about a beautiful girl with a lifelong desire to become Miss Universe - but on what planet? Then, learn of Sergio's first money-making scheme (at 9-years-old)! $3.50
Lee: I don’t know how I missed this last month but there’s still time to talk about it. When it comes to humor no one does it better than Sergio Aragonés. And his autobiographical anecdotes are laugh out loud funny. Not to be missed.
Gwen: I'm not familiar with this work but it looks really cute.
Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror Vol. 06 - Beyond the Grave SC by (W/A) VariousBecome the afterlife of the party with this soul-stirring monster mash of wildly wicked and devilished delightful Halloween howlers from Matt Groening, your spirit guide to sidesplitting comedy. Join the seance circle and peer into the paranormal as the Simpsons are called upon by the heavenly hosts to save humanity from cockroaches, earn the spite of some fairy sprits, fight off a crazed groundskeeper bent on avenging his prized emu, and much more! $17.99
Lee: I read the Simpsons comics once a year, and it’s always the Treeshouse of Horror specials. Bongo gets the best comedic talent and lets them loose with their characters. If you’ve never read any of them, this is a good place to start. Great stuff.
Gwen: I was never much of a fan of the Simpsons. Don't get me wrong, I did like some of the cartoons but it never got into the show the way most of my friends did so I'm not all that interested by a comic book version. Although a lot of my friends would enjoy it.
Boom! StudiosCthulhu Tales Omnibus: Delirium SC by (W/A) Various
Collecting your favorite Cthulhu Tales from the sold-out volumes 1, 2, and 3 into one overstuffed 224 page volume: completely original tales of darkness and the macabre based on Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythology featuring some of today's hottest talents, including Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Steve Niles, William Messner-Loebs, Michael Alan Nelson, Andrew Cosby, and Johanna Stokes (Eureka) with eye-gouging art from Chee, Lee Carter, Filip Sablik, Andy Kuhn, Chris Lie, Joe Abraham, and more! $19.99
Lee: Boom has a great backlist of titles and this was one of their better ones. This is a collection of short stories and I remember them being quite good. A lot of art and a lot of story for not that much money.
Gwen: HP Lovencraft's original Cthulu stories seem to have taken on a life of their own.
More tomorrow...
Super God ultimately proved to be pretty good. More of a look at different cultural pursuits of obtaining a superhero than actually getting a linear story, but it works.
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