Monday, January 4, 2010

This week, I get shorter

New job, busy holidays, being sick, that means I'll try to be brief this time around.  We'll see if that sticks.

Still got some links though: Jordan Crane, Sammy Harkham, and Ted May have launched an online comics site, What Things Do, which is pretty awesome; I'm especially excited to read as much of Crane's work as I can, but it will also be good to check out the other guys' stuff as well.  The internet is truly a place of riches.

And here's some good news: Dan Hipp is going to be posting all three volumes of his series Gyakushu! online, which means we'll finally get to read the third one and find out how it all ends.  I love this series, so I'm stoked to get to finish it.  The blog where the comics will be posted doesn't appear to be up yet (edit: it goes live on 1/11), but Hipp talks about it here, along with some updates on other stuff he's been doing.  Exciting!

New comics this week (Wednesday, 1/6/10):


Daffodil #1

The latest in Marvel's line of imported French comics, this one has to do with vampires taking over a town and some agents of a Vampire Parliament trying to stop them and their leader, Nosferatu.  Hey, it's vampires, those are hot right now, right?  This looks like the cartoony, somewhat furry style of recent Soleil efforts, which might or might not render it readable.  Maybe worth a look?

King City #4

Brandon Graham keeps on rockin' it.  I'm digging this series, and I can't wait for the new material to kick in.  I'll take the little extras and whatnot while I can though.

Marvel Boy The Uranian #1

Your Jeff Parker comic of the week; there's always gotta be at least one.  It's kind of odd that Agents of Atlas was cancelled, but all these spin-off comics are still coming out; this one is an origin of the title character, who can't make up his mind what to be called.  It's okay so far, with some interesting art by Felix Ruiz and a couple backups reprinting some of his earliest appearances.  We'll see how it goes.  I'll have a more extensive review up tomorrow at Comics Bulletin.

Orc Stain #1

Ooh, here's a cool one.  A new series from Image by James Stokoe (Wonton Soup), with lots of violent fantasy battling and whatnot.  I dig Stokoe's style, and while I'm not necessarily the best audience for the recent trend of RPG-influenced comics (Lower Regions, Prison Pit, etc.), I can definitely enjoy them when done by the right artist.  Let's hope this is one of the ones I can get behind. Here's an interview/profile/preview.

Stumptown #2

Greg Rucka's Portland-based private eye series continues.  I've heard good things about the first issue, even if I haven't read it, so maybe I'll try to take a look at this one.

Wasteland #27

The coolest post-apocalypse book on the stands keeps going.  If I remember right, this arc is following the goings-on in Newbegin?  It'll look nice; that's my prediction.

Bringing Up Father Vol 1 From Sea To Shining Sea HC

Here's the golden age of reprints book of the week, from IDW, collecting a bunch of the classic newspaper strip by George McManus.  I bet it's good readin'.

Chill HC

The latest entry in the Vertigo Crime line, by Jason Starr and Mick Bertilorenzi, about a serial killer in New York City and an (immortal?) Irish cop who might hold the key to tracking her down.  I still haven't read any of these, but there are several I'm interested in.  This one sounds like it could be good (since plot descriptions are such great indicators of quality), but I know nothing about the creators.  Looks like one to grab from the library...

Invincible Iron Man Prem HC Vol 03 World's Most Wanted Book 2

It's the back half of Matt Fraction's long tear-it-down arc on Tony Stark, and while the Dark Reign tie-in business might get tiresome, there's some good stuff in here, like Madam Masque's craziness when confronting Tony, or Tony's crumbling mental abilities, which Fraction makes truly tragic.  If you've gotta read a Marvel comic, this is one of the ones I would urge you to consider (after exhorting you to search for quality elsewhere, of course).

Kazu Kibuishi's Copper GN

Kibuishi's long-running webcomic gets a print collection, which will certainly look nice, although, as I always mention with this sort of thing, it can be read for free online.  I've checked out this series here and there, and while it certainly looks gorgeous, it's never grabbed me.  It reminds me of those Calvin & Hobbes strips where the characters would talk philosophy while sledding down a hill or walking through the woods or something, which were never my favorites of that strip.  Still, good for Kabuishi.  Now I just need to read the second volume of Amulet...

Missile Mouse GN Vol 1 Star Crusher

And here's another kid-targeted comic, spinning out of the Flight Explorer volume that came out a year or two ago.  It looks cool, following a space-faring mouse who has sci-fi adventures, with some invitingly cartoony artwork by creator Jake Parker.  Comics are for everybody!

Muppet Show Treasure Of Peg Leg Wilson TPB

The second collection of Roger Langridge's Muppet comics, which I still haven't read, but need to, because what I've seen of the series is excellent and hilarious.  The main plot on this one involves hidden treasure within the theater, which sounds like a classic gag situation.  I bet Langridge makes it sing.  Read this, everybody!

Unwritten Vol 1 Tommy Taylor Bogus Identity TPB


And here's the latest Vertigo collection, although word has it that it's a case of a story arc "ending" by simply marking a point at which several issues can be gathered together into a volume rather than providing a stopping point.  I'm interested in this series, having liked the first issue, so we'll see if I ever get around to reading more of it.  It's supposed to be decent, right?  Right?
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That appears to be the extent of comics which I feel worthy of mentioning this week, which either means it's a light week or I'm just keeping it shorter these days.  We'll see if I can get more posting done; I have plenty of things to write about, but a shortage of time and energy to do so.  And I do need to get to a "best of 2009" list, but I've got several more books to read first.  Soon?  Hopefully?

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