I never do this on here, but it’s Friday and it’s a con weekend, and more importantly, it’s the Friday of this week… Maybe it’s just me, but this week’s new releases are the kind of thing that just make me optimistic for the future of comics in the face of my usual cynicism. There’s a perfect storm of new books, with Saga, Saucer Country and The Secret History of DB Cooper all debuting this week, all of which I loved. Saga, in particular, is just downright amazing, the kind of thing that just makes you glad for all the things that comics can do as opposed to other mediums; I’m assuming the majority of people reading this have already read it, but if not, you should. And for those who like their comics weird, pick up DB Cooper as well: It’s very hard to describe – I keep coming up with “It’s like Hellboy, but with a real guy, psychic ninjas instead of monsters and there’s a talking bear,” but that isn’t even half of it – but one of the most enjoyable comics out this week, for me.
It doesn’t even end there: With Avengers Assemble and Crossed: Badlands, the new first issues are coming from all directions this week. Call it a particular strain of March Madness, but there’s something about this week’s new launches in particular that feels particularly… what? interesting, yes, but important, too, in a way that I can’t really describe. For a business that seems so rooted in the past so often, there’s something to be said for appreciating the new with books like these, you know?
Consider this a weekend open thread, but I’m curious: Best book of the week for you, dear reader? And best new book for you, recently…?
March 16th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Best book of the week for me was a toss-up between THE SHADE from DC and SAGA from Image. Both were just terrific. SAGA is absolutely the way a first issue should read; I am intrigued enough to come back for more, but I feel I know enough about the characters and their situations that I don’t feel like I’ll have to invest mucho dollars and months just to figure out what the hell is going on.
March 16th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Saga was really excellent. For favorite of the week, it’s either that or Glory, which was just so, so great, and somehow even better than the last issue.
March 16th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Still have to read SAGA. SAUCER COUNTRY was outstanding. The last page, wow, I’ve read and heard those lines a gazillion times before, but it just made me want more!
March 16th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Damn dont get us excited the headline almost made it imply you were stiopping your useless comics on everything you think you are qualified to comment on….. do yourself a fanboy rampage and quite for everyione’s sake.
March 18th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
The R-rated Saga all wrong for me. I wanted another Runaways, but clearly BKV wants to write for a different audience than mine.
Best book of the week was Batgirl. Good stuff as usual. Buffy was a close second, but that ending could go all wrong in the issues to come.
Best new book? Can I could The Shade?