This week is a little bit of a back slide as I have over 30
books on my list. Anytime that happens I immediately try to justify it and
decide what to cut. My justification is giving books a second shot with a zero
issue and a new series tryout. Bottom line it is just a big week. If you want
to see what is coming out click September 12 New Comics for the list from Cosmic Comics, my
favorite comic store.
Like any collector I’m have a slight obsession with making
lists and trying to break them into different categories. What I will try and
do is also use the cover from the book that I’m personally looking forward to
the most with each grouping. I will also endeavor to continue to change the
order in what goes first.
We will open up the week with Vertigo. I had some argument with
colleagues regarding the inherent strength of the Vertigo line at the moment,
but many of my favorite books come from Vertigo. This week sees American Vampire
Lord of Nightmares #4 (of 5), Punk Rock Jesus #3 (of 6) and Saucer Country #7.
I think Saucer Country will not last too long. I have read sales are weak and
while I’m enjoying it the quirky nature of the series the premise is a tough
sell. Of course having a comic about a clone of Jesus Christ in a reality TV
show where the head of security is an ex-IRA member is also a hard sell. I
think making it a limited series is a plus because we know the story has a
beginning middle and end. Personally I think Punk Rock Jesus is pure genius and
doing it in black and white goes shows off the artwork. I’d be remiss not to
mention the American Vampire spin off. Scott Snyder has a wealth of great
stories to tell about these characters that I will gladly buy every book he
wants to write about it. 
Marvel has a few books on my list and a Marvel Masterworks.
The regular books are Avengers vs X-Men #11 (of 12), Incredible Hulk #13, Uncanny
X-Force #31 and Winter Soldier #10. The Masterworks is Iron First Volume 2
or
Volume #185. I’m not sure why but both DC Archives and Marvel
Masterworks have really jumped up in price as the retail price point is now at
$70. I’m glad I stopped getting all the Masterworks and happy that I sold a
fair number of them. I still have a boatload, but for me a more manageable
amount. Avengers vs X-Men is such a gold mine for Marvel they are going to be
forced to do it again or something of that ilk for their next stunt. Of course
the big events will continue until they don’t sell. This one has been okay and
since I have dropped almost every other book it impacted it actually saved me
money. Hulk I got sucked back into by being told to read #12 and I now I want
to see where Jason Aaron is taking the book. X-Force and Winter Soldier are both
well done series. In fact Winter Soldier was so good last issue that I’m very
curious to see where they take the story.
I’m lumping Image and Dark Horse together. No real reason
except that Image only has three titles I’m getting this week which are Chew #28, Hoax
Hunters #3 and Manhattan Projects #6. Chew is the star of that
group but it is the next issue after #27 which they published months ago so I
have no clue what is going on right now. The other two series are just
entertainment. Dark Horse has Creep #1, Conan #8, Massive #4 and Victories #2 (of
5). Brian Wood is writing Conan and Massive and he is an amazing
writer. I like everything I have read by him. Not all of it is great, but
nothing has been bad. Victories has a cool start and I want to see where Mike
Oeming is going with this take on super heroes. Last and far, far from least is
The Creep #1. The zero issue gave us the back story from Dark Horse Presents I
believe. The story is about a private eye who has acromegaly,
a physical deformity resulting in brutish facial features at mid-life. John
Arcudia writer and Jonathan Case artist have crafted a compelling story about
this man and the case he is working on.
The regular DCU stuff is well
represented with Batgirl #0, Batman #0, Batman and Robin #0, Demon Knights #0. Frankenstein
Agent of Shade #0, Green Lantern Corps #0, Resurrection Man #0, Suicide Squad
#0, Team 7 #0 and Shade #12 (of 12). Batgirl is my second chance
book and Team 7 is the new kid on the block. I believe oddly enough that
Resurrection Man #0 is the last issue of that book. None of these books are
high on my radar because I have no clue what to expect from the zero issues. Of
all of them I would say I’m most curious about Team 7 because the writer is
Justin Jordan who did the Strange Talent of Luthor Strode. I love seeing new
voices in the DCU and curious to see if Justin was a one shot wonder with
Luther Strode or if he has some real chops to deliver month in and month out.
I’m betting he is the real deal.
That leaves me with the catch all grouping. This group
includes Before
Watchmen The Comedian #3 (of 6), Harbinger #4, Stumptown Volume 2 #1, Thunda
#2, Warlord of Mars #21 and X-O Manowar #5. Before Watchmen ends up with
everything else as it does not fit with the other material DC is publishing.
Overall I’m enjoying all of the BW material; some more than others and the
Comedian is one of the better ones. Happy to see Stumptown back and I think I
will have to get the collection of Volume 1 now. I had avoided it as I was
unsure it the series would continue. Our hardboiled PI is a young woman in the Pacific
Northwest set in modern times. The first series was great. Dynamite has Thunda
and Warlord of Mars. Both books are close to being cut. I will ride out Thunda
for a couple issues but the first issue was only mildly entertaining and for $4
it needs to be better. Warlord of Mars I hang onto because I love the Mars
material but may have reached a saturation point with it. Valiant is doing well
with me and I hope their sales are enough to justify the company continuing.
Both Harbinger and X-O are fine successors for the original series.
That is it for this week, come back next week as we do it
all over again. You have to love this industry because week in and week out
they continue to give us stories and the material is more diverse then it has
been in decades.
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