My “Can’t Wait for Wednesday” cohort, Chris Mautner, is probably casting the Evil Eye in my direction, because he ended up doing most of the work this week. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much to get excited about.
It’s not the beginning of some autumnal malaise — at least I don’t think it is — it’s just a light week for me. Considering the last few Wednesdays, that’s probably a good thing. At least for my wallet.
That obviously doesn’t mean other people won’t find a lot of good titles on the shelves tomorrow. DC’s popular “Sinestro Corps Wars” continues, Image has new installments of Casanova and The Walking Dead, and Marvel gives Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD the Masterworks treatment (something I’d intended to highlight below, but forgot about amid all of our server issues). Plus, for comic strip fans, there’s a Charles Schulz biography, and collections for Mutts, B.C., and the legendary Winsor McCay.
To see what other titles Chris and I — well, Chris, mostly — think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.
Chris’ pick of the week: Schulz and Peanuts
Controversy aside, David Michaelis’ biography of Charles Schulz is a must-read for any serious Peanuts fan, if only for the way it shows just how autobiographical a strip it was. Michaelis wisely punctuates various moments in the cartoonist’s life with actual strips. More than ever before, Michaelis shows how much of Schulz was truly invested in the strip. Just keep in mind the family’s complaints when reading the stuff about him being a “reserved” father.
Kevin’s pick of the week:
Bride of the Water God, Vol. 1
As my crowded bookshelves can attest, I’m a devotee of mythology, folklore and fairy tales. So, the delicate and ethereal artwork and the fantasy premise of Mi-Kyung Yun’s Bride of the Water God hold an instant appeal. I’m also pleased to see Dark Horse further diversifying its manhwa lineup, which so far has been dominated by guys with swords (Shaman Warrior, Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man, Chuchu: The Genocide Fiend).
Blue Beetle #20
Green Lantern Corps #17
Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman Prime #1
Kevin: I’m glad to see DC’s willingness to support Blue Beetle, first with the Teen Titans connections, and now with the tie-in to the “Sinestro Corps War,” a crossover that’s managed to generate more buzz than the larger Countdown. I’ve talked before about the success of the Green Lantern event — and Marvel’s similarly compact, but more successful, World War Hulk — so I don’t know that I have anything more to add. If Marvel’s three-month-long X-Men crossover, “Messiah Complex,” performs well, maybe we’ll see a moratorium on prolonged company-wide events that require characters to undergo personality overhauls and readers to adopt a Pokemon-like obsession with tie-ins and spin-offs. (“Gotta catch them all!”) Just maybe.
Hellblazer #237
Kevin: This wraps up Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco’s dark, but extremely enjoyable, “Joyride” storyline, which sent John Constantine from a violent South London housing estate to a sleep country village on the trail of a sinister secret. I stopped reading Hellblazer for a long time, but Diggle and Manco’s tenure has me back onboard. Good, creepy reading.
The Spirit, Vol. 1, hardcover
Chris: For the most part, I enjoyed Darwin Cooke’s take on Will Eisner’s most famous creation. I don’t know that I liked it enough to plunk down $25 for the hardcover version; I’ll probably wait for the softcover edition. But for serious Cooke/Eisner fans who’ve been waiting for the trade, this is likely to be their big pick of the week.
Casanova #10
Chris: Hey, how about that new interior color choice? Mighty blue, isn’t it?
Cable & Deadpool #46 — Zombie Variant
Marvel Spotlight: Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies: The Covers hardcover
She-Hulk #22 — Zombie Variant
Ultimate Spider-Man #115 — Zombie Variant
Kevin: Oh, how I long for the day when a deranged Scarlet Witch screams, “No. More. Zombies.” If she doesn’t do it — and soon — we’re heading into Foil Zombie and Hologram Zombie territory. Also: Marvel’s recently redesigned website? I hate it. And its pop-up windows.
Foolkiller #1
Kevin: On the heels of the Howard the Duck and Omega the Unknown miniseries, here’s another update of a Steve Gerber creation. Here, crime author Gregg Hurwitz and artist Lan Medina give the viglante Foolkiller the MAX treatment, this time without the blue floppy hat or the ’90s S&M hood.
Basil Wolverton: Agony and Ecstasy trade paperback
The Original Art of Basil Wolverton hardcover
Chris: What are the odds, WHAT ARE THE ODDS, I ask you, of there being two, yes two, Basil Wolverton books coming out in the same week? Pretty good, apparently, because here they are. The first is a collection of Bible-related illustrations from Pure Imagination. The second is a more inclusive retrospective of the man’s work, to coincide with the ongoing exhibit of his work in California, from Last Gasp. Apparently a lot of work in the latter has never been published before. Something to bear in mind.
Cromartie High School, Vol. 12
Chris: Hopefully with more sushi-making gorillas.
Doonesbury.com’s The Sandbox softcover
Chris: Not comics, but a “best of” collection of writings taken from Gary Trudeau’s military blog, written by soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Dream of the Rarebit Fiend: The Saturdays softcover
Winsor McCay: Early Works, Vol. 9 trade paperback
Chris: Two new books from Checker, each focusing on legendary turn-of-the-century cartoonist Winsor McCay. Rarebit collects all of the Saturday strips McCay did about people getting horrible nightmares after eating cheese sandwiches. Works continues the ongoing series collecting the cartoonist’s various unrelated strips, cartoons and illustrations.
Gene Simmons’ Dominatrix #3
Chris: Honestly? I’m more interested in what Ace Frehley’s dominatrix is up to.
Growing Old With B.C.: A Celebration of Johnny Hart
Chris: Also from Checker, this is a “best of” collection of Johnny Hart’s strip about fundamentalist Christian cavemen (sorry, couldn’t resist), hand-picked by Hart himself before he passed away. There was a time when this was one of the funniest strips running, so I’d be curious to see what type of material is collected here.
Bart Simpson Talking Giant Pez
Chris: At last, all my nightmares are coming true.
Chris Ware trade paperback
Chris: This is, I’m guessing, a new edition of the 2004 appraisal of the Jimmy Corrigan author by Dan Raeburn. My copy’s sitting somewhere in my basement, as yet unread, but I’ve heard good things about this book, and Raeburn’s a smart guy. I think there’s a big chapter on how to create your own comics cabal.
Clean Cartoonists’ Dirty Drawings softcover
Chris: Call me a pervert if you must (it wouldn’t be the first time), but I’ve really been looking forward to Craig Yoe’s odds and sods collection of “naughty art” by such folks as Steve Ditko, Carl Barks, Chuck Jones, Sergio Aragones, Dave Berg and many more. His Arf books always feature winning design and sensibility and I see no reason why this book won’t as well, girlie pics or no girlie pics.
Mutts: The Best of Mutts hardcover
Chris: A handsome coffee-table collection of Patrcik Mcdonnell’s cute strip about dogs, cats and other pets. Obviously designed for the casual comic strip fan, with the upcoming holidays in mind. Buy one for your mom.
Tekkonkinkreet DVD
Chris: I don’t usually cite anime, but the original manga by Taiyo Matsumoto has obtained a fervent cult following, and I imagine many people will be curious about the film adaptation as well. Most people who’ve seen it seem disappointed. I watched it over the weekend, and, while it’s not as good as its source material, it’s not a bad film by any means.
A Taste of Venison hardcover
Chris: I tend to enjoy Gary Baseman’s work, whether gracing the interiors of Blab or the cover of the Cranium board game, so a lavish art book, complete with sketchbook illustrations, would be at least worth a perusal.
Here’s the full list of comics shipping this week:
DARK HORSE COMICS
JUN070051 BRIDE OF THE WATER GOD TP $9.95
JUL070014 CHRONICLES OF CONAN VOL 13 WHISPERING SHADOWS TP $16.95
JUN070024 CONAN AND THE MIDNIGHT GOD TP $14.95
AUG070015 CRIMINAL MACABRE MY DEMON BABY #2 (OF 4) $2.99
JUL070015 FEAR AGENT LAST GOODBYE #4 $2.99
JUL070070 HELLBOY 8 INCH QEE $79.99
MAR070071 LANKHMAR BOOK 3 SWORDS IN THE MIST NOVEL $12.95
JUL070021 SERENITY HC THOSE LEFT BEHIND $19.95
JUL070051 STAR WARS 30TH ANNIV COLL VOL 9 HC BOBA FETT DEATH LIES $24.95
JUN070053 STAR WARS DARK TIMES #6 $2.99
JUL070048 STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #21 $2.99
DC COMICS
AUG070235 ACTION COMICS #857 $2.99
AUG070309 AUTHORITY PRIME #1 (OF 6) $2.99
AUG070227 BLUE BEETLE #20 $2.99
AUG070197 COUNTDOWN 27 $2.99
AUG070246 COUNTDOWN SPECIAL THE FLASH 80-PAGE GIANT $4.99
APR070309 DC MINIMATES WAVE SIX PI
AUG070245 FLASH #233 $2.99
AUG070310 GEN 13 #13 $2.99
AUG070215 GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #1 ( OF 8 ) $2.99
JUL070193 GREEN ARROW YEAR ONE #6 (OF 6) $2.99
AUG078139 GREEN LANTERN #23 2ND PTG $2.99
AUG070226 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #17 $2.99
AUG070335 HELLBLAZER #237 (MR) $2.99
JUL070305 JACK OF FABLES VOL 2 JACK OF HEARTS TP (MR) $14.99
AUG070249 JLA CLASSIFIED #45 $2.99
JUL070249 JUSTICE LEAGUE ELITE VOL 2 TP $19.99
AUG070285 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #7 $2.25
AUG070336 LOVELESS #20 (MR) $2.99
JUL070284 RED MENACE TP $17.99
AUG070234 ROBIN #167 $2.99
AUG070291 SCOOBY DOO #125 $2.25
JUN070218 SPIRIT VOL 1 HC $24.99
AUG070238 SUPERMAN #669 $2.99
AUG070239 SUPERMAN BATMAN #41 $2.99
AUG078138 TALES OF THE SINESTRO CORPS PARALLAX #1 2ND PTG $2.99
AUG070223 TALES OF THE SINESTRO CORPS SUPERMAN PRIME #1 $3.99
AUG070260 TEEN TITANS #52 $2.99
AUG070222 UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #2 ( OF 8 ) $2.99
JUL070274 VS (VERSUS) VOL 7 $9.99
AUG070317 WETWORKS #14 $2.99
MAR070300 WORLD OF WARCRAFT SER 1 BLOOD ELF ROGUE AF PI
MAR070301 WORLD OF WARCRAFT SER 1 DWARF WARRIOR AF PI
MAR070298 WORLD OF WARCRAFT SER 1 INNER CASE PI
MAR070297 WORLD OF WARCRAFT SER 1 MASTER CASE PI
MAR070299 WORLD OF WARCRAFT SER 1 ORC SHAMAN AF PI
MAR070302 WORLD OF WARCRAFT SER 1 UNDEAD WARLOCK AF PI
IMAGE COMICS
AUG072003 CASANOVA #10 (MR) $1.99
AUG071979 CRAWL SPACE XXXOMBIES #1 $2.99
AUG072013 GLISTER #2 $5.99
MAY071897 MADAME MIRAGE #3 $2.99
AUG071987 PROOF #1 $2.99
APR071874 PVP #35 (NOTE PRICE) $3.50
JUL071975 VELOCITY PILOT SEASON #1 $2.99
JUL071966 WALKING DEAD #43 (MR) $2.99
MARVEL COMICS
AUG072218 ALL NEW OFF HB MARVEL UNIV A TO Z UPDATE #4 $3.99
AUG072208 ANNIHILATION CONQUEST WRAITH #4 (OF 4) $2.99
AUG072293 AVENGERS ASSEMBLE VOL 5 HC $39.99
AUG072211 BLACK PANTHER #31 $2.99
AUG072305 BLACK PANTHER FOUR HARD WAY TP $13.99
AUG072267 CABLE DEADPOOL #46 $2.99
AUG078020 CABLE DEADPOOL ZOMBIE VAR #46 $2.99
JUL072152 DAREDEVIL #101 $2.99
AUG072274 FOOLKILLER #1 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99
AUG072294 LEGION OF MONSTERS HC $24.99
JUN072206 MAGICIAN APPRENTICE #10 (OF 12) $2.99
AUG072237 MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN #6 $2.99
AUG072197 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED MAN IN THE IRON MASK #4 (OF 6) $2.99
JUL072221 MARVEL MASTERWORKS NICK FURY VOL 1 HC VAR ED 83 $54.99
JUL072220 MARVEL MASTERWORKS NICK FURY VOL 1 NEW ED HC $54.99
AUG072241 MARVEL SPOTLIGHT MARVEL ZOMBIES $2.99
AUG072292 MARVEL ZOMBIES COVERS HC $19.99
JUL072180 MOON KNIGHT #13 CWI $3.99
AUG072252 SHE-HULK 2 #22 $2.99
AUG078092 SHE-HULK MCGUINNESS VAR #22 $2.99
AUG072307 SHE-HULK VOL 5 PLANET WITHOUT A HULK TP $19.99
AUG078093 SHE-HULK ZOMBIE VAR #22 $2.99
JUL072194 THUNDERBOLTS #117 $2.99
AUG072200 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #115 $2.99
AUG078023 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ZOMBIE VAR #115 $2.99
AUG072232 WHAT IF PLANET HULK $3.99
AUG072310 X-FACTOR VOL 3 MANY LIVES OF MADROX TP $14.99
AUG072262 X-MEN #204 $2.99
AUG072272 X-MEN DIE BY THE SWORD #2 (OF 5) $2.99
AUG072268 X-MEN FIRST CLASS VOL 2 #5 $2.99
OTHER PUBLISHERS
AUG073933 2000 AD #1557 $4.10
AUG073934 2000 AD #1558 $4.10
SEP073422 2001 MANIACS HORNBOOK (MR) $4.99
SEP073423 2001 MANIACS HORNBOOK GORE CVR (MR) $4.99
AUG073752 30 DAYS OF NIGHT RED SNOW #3 $3.99
SEP073522 ADVENTURES OF RED SONJA VOL 3 TP (RES) $19.99
JUN073605 AFTER SCHOOL NIGHTMARE VOL 5 GN (MR) $10.99
JUL073415 ARMY OF DARKNESS FROM ASHES SUYDAM FOIL CVR #2 PI
AUG073462 ART OF JIM BALENT MAGICK IN B&W BONUS PACK (MR) $27.95
AUG073452 BART SIMPSON COMICS #38 $2.99
JUN073804 BASIL WOLVERTON AGONY AND ECSTASY TP $25.00
AUG073729 BEOWULF #4 $3.99
AUG073385 BETTY #169 $2.25
AUG078104 BLACK SUMMER ALPHA (MR) $2.99
SEP073410 BLACK SUMMER AUXILIARY #1 (OF 7) (MR) $2.99
JUN073608 BLACK SUN SILVER MOON VOL 3 GN (MR) $10.99
AUG073481 BROTHER TO DRAGONS #1 (A) $9.00
AUG073296 CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL VOL 12 #12 $10.95
JUL073320 DOKTOR SLEEPLESS #3 (MR) $3.99
SEP073414 DOKTOR SLEEPLESS AUXILIARY #1 (MR) $3.99
JUL073321 DOKTOR SLEEPLESS WRAP CVR #3 (MR) $3.99
AUG074327 DOONESBURY.COM THE SANDBOX SC $16.95
JUN073373 DREAM OF THE RAREBIT FIEND THE SATURDAYS SC $19.95
AUG073466 ES BROCCOLI VOL 4 GN (MR) $9.99
JUL073348 EUREKA SEVEN VOL 1 GRAVITY BOYS & LIFTING GIRL GN $9.99
JUN073337 FALL OF CTHULHU MAVILLAIN CVR A #7 $3.99
JUN073338 FALL OF CTHULHU WALPOLE CVR B #7 $3.99
AUG073656 FREE SEXXX 1-3 PACK (A) $9.99
AUG073769 GENE SIMMONS DOMINATRIX #3 $3.99
AUG073360 GHOST PIRATES VS GHOST NINJAS BRIDE O/T DEAD SEA $2.99
AUG073355 GOLD DIGGER HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2007 $2.99
JUN073372 GROWING OLD WITH BC A CELEBRATION OF JOHNNY HART GN $19.95
JUL073479 HACK SLASH SERIES CRANK CVR A #5 (MR) $3.50
JUL073480 HACK SLASH SERIES SEELEY CVR B #5 (MR) $3.50
AUG074056 INDIA AUTHENTIC VISHNU #6 $2.99
JUL073877 INTO THE DUST #2 (OF 12) $2.99
MAY073144 JELLYFIST (MR) $8.95
AUG073391 JUGHEAD AND FRIENDS DIGEST #24 $2.49
JUN073246 KILLER #5 (OF 10) (MR) $3.95
AUG073378 KILLER #6 (OF 10) (MR) $3.95
AUG073843 KONG KING OF SKULL ISLAND #0 $1.99
SEP073424 LADY DEATH SHI DEADLY BLADES CVR #0 (OF 2) $5.99
SEP073425 LADY DEATH VS PANDORA CAT FIGHT CVR #1 $5.99
SEP073426 LADY DEATH WARRIOR TEMPTRESS ROYAL BLUE CVR $75.00
JUN073413 LONE RANGER #9 $2.99
AUG073444 LOOKING FOR GROUP #1 $2.95
JUL073659 METAL GEAR SOLID SONS OF LIBERTY #12 $3.99
MAY073681 MILK #60 (A) $3.50
JUL074126 MY BORING A$$ LIFE UNCENSORED DIARY OF KEVIN SMITH MMPB (MR) $14.95
AUG073944 NEOZOIC #1 $2.95
SEP073421 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD JUST A GIRL RED FOIL CVR (MR) $4.99
JUN073609 NIGHT OF THE BEASTS VOL 5 GN (MR) $10.99
AUG073393 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #116 $3.69
JUL073229 PICTURES OF YOU GN $11.95
JUL073382 POTTERS FIELD #2 (OF 3) $3.99
SEP078029 RAMAYAN 3392 AD RELOADED #2 KANG CVR $2.99
SEP078015 RAMAYAN 3392 AD RELOADED #2 STARLIN CVR $2.99
JUL073429 SAVAGE TALES #4 $4.99
JAN073489 SCION VOL 6 ROYAL WEDDING TP $17.95
AUG073622 SENSITIVE PORNOGRAPH GN $15.95
MAR073294 SIGIL VOL 5 DEATH MATCH TP $17.95
AUG073453 SIMPSONS CLASSICS #14 $3.99
AUG073395 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #181 $2.25
AUG074410 SOUTHLAND TALES THE PRELUDE SAGA TP (RES) $29.95
SEP073415 STREETS OF GLORY #2 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
SEP073416 STREETS OF GLORY WRAP CVR #2 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
AUG073849 TALES OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #39 $3.25
JUL073385 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE DLX ED #46 (MR) $19.99
AUG073464 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE SGN #27 (O/A) (MR) $10.00
JUN073420 TERMINATOR 2 INFINITY CYBERDYNE FOIL CVR #3 PI
JUN073613 TRAIN PLUS TRAIN VOL 4 GN $10.99
AUG073740 TRANSFORMERS DEVASTATION #2 $3.99
JUL073630 TRANSFORMERS MEGATRON ORIGIN #4 $3.99
JUL073562 USAGI YOJIMBO VOL 3 SC (NEW PTG) $15.95
JUN073352 WARHAMMER 40K BLOOD & THUNDER CVR A #1 (OF 4) $3.99
JUN073353 WARHAMMER 40K BLOOD & THUNDER CVR B #1 (OF 4) $3.99
JUN073355 WARHAMMER FORGE OF WAR CVR A #4 (OF 6) $2.99
JUN073356 WARHAMMER FORGE OF WAR CVR B #4 (OF 6) $2.99
FEB073297 WAY OF THE RAT VOL 3 HAUNTED ZHUMAR TP $17.95
JUL063019 WINSOR MCCAY VOL 9 EARLY WORKS TP (MR) $19.95
JUL073437 WITCHBLADE SHADES OF GRAY #3 (OF 4) (RES) $3.50
October 23rd, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Hmm, bit of a slow week myself.
Flash has been good since the restart, GL Corps(sinestro corps) has been AWEsome, which goes alongside Tales of the Corps:Cyborg Supes. Im really glad they came out with a 2nd run of UncleSam and the FF. This was 1 of my fav’s back in the day. The revamp has been really good.
On the Marvel side I’m getting Wraith #4(cant wait until the Conquest series starts!), Xmen #204(Cmon Messiah Complex), and Moonknight.
I’d like to get the Schultz book, but I’m not sure how I’d like it concerning all the controversy surrounds how true it is.
October 23rd, 2007 at 7:20 pm
I don’t know why everyone seems to think not much worth reading is available this week.
I’ll take my double shot of Warren Ellis with Doktor Sleepless #3 and Thunderbolts #117, Peter David’s debut on She-Hulk #22, the three Sinestro corps War comics, Frank Tieri’s Gotham Underground #1 and the final issue of Diggle’s Green Arrow Year One.
Watchmen #12 doesn’t ship this week, but lots of enjoyable stuff does.
October 23rd, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Watchmen #12 doesn’t ship this week, but lots of enjoyable stuff does.
I’m holding out for the zombie variant cover.
May 23rd, 2011 at 10:55 am
hey and thanks for the information you have : I have undoubtedly found interesting things through your posts. I however stumbled on a few on-site issues using this website. I had been wondering if your internet hosting is alright? Not I’m filing a complaint, however sluggish loading times will very likely influence your placement in the search engines and may harm your top quality content here. Anyway I’m adding your RSS to my reader and will look forward to much more of your helpful posts..
October 25th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
I have been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or weblog posts on this kind of space . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this site. Studying this information So i am glad to exhibit that I have a very just right uncanny feeling I discovered exactly what I needed. I such a lot surely will make sure to do not overlook this website and give it a glance regularly.