December 2006
Here are a few books for each week in December that I think will be worth our time and money:
December 6th:
Manhunter #26
(DC Comics, $2.99)A few months back, Manhunter was officially canceled by DC. After an outcry from
the book's small but mighty fan base, DC is giving this book five more issues to
catch on before giving it the ax. The storyline sounds promising: Wonder Woman comes
to attorney Kate Spencer (a.k.a. Manhunter) for legal help concerning the murder of
Maxwell Lord. Hopefully the WW tie-in will attract new readers and we'll get a
few more years out of this enjoyable title. Check out this impressive five page
preview:
http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Dec06/previews/nov_dec.html
Newuniversal #1
(Marvel Comics, $2.99)In 1986 I was in junior high, anxiously anticipating the coming of Marvel's
New Universe. Eight new titles were being launched with no connection to the regular
Marvel U. After promoting the hell out of this concept, the line of books ended up
being a total flop. Sure there were a few decent titles in there, but with stinkers
like Kickers Inc., even my 11 year old brain knew that the New Universe was going to
implode. This failure, combined with many other poor business decisions (like
releasing Secret Wars II, the worst comic "event" of all time), led to the
resignation of Marvel's EIC, Jim Shooter. So why should anyone care about
newuniversal? Warren Ellis (Fell). His rebooted "Ultimate New Universe"
will take the best bits of the old stories and mold them into something fresh. The
three page sample of Salvador Larroca's (X-Men) photorealistic artwork in
Previews helps bring back the anticipation I had for the New Universe 20 years ago.
Ellis and Larroca probably won't let me down, but if they do, Joe Quesada will
have to resign, so it's a "win-win." If you're still wondering
"Why?!?" click on this link for Ellis' answer:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7950
Tranquility #1
(Wildstorm Comics, $2.99)Ever notice that Batman and Spider-Man haven't aged much over the last
several decades? What would happen to super-heroes if they grew old and needed a
place to retire? They would move to the little town of Tranquility. In this first
issue, we'll meet the peaceful residents as their Murder She Wrote time is
interrupted by a real-life murder mystery. This series from writer Gail Simone
(Birds of Prey) looks like it will use the quirky style that she has going in her
All-New Atom series. The artwork by Neil Googe (Majestic) isn't my favorite, but
this funny preview still won me over:
http://comics.ign.com/articles/736/736347p1.html
December 13th:
Winter Soldier: Winter Kills One-shot
(Marvel Comics, $3.99)Quick and to the point: I buy everything written by Marvel's most talented scribe, Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Daredevil, Uncanny X-Men). You should too.
Wonderlost #1
(Image Comics, $5.99)Writer C. B. Cebulski (Drain) reveals true stories of his high school love life
in this bittersweet book. Wonderlost combines my two favorite forms of writing,
nonfiction and comics, two genres that are rarely mentioned in the same sentence
(American Splendor aside). I'm guessing that the snarky title
"Wonderlost" satirizes the title of the 80's TV show featuring the
teen angst of Kevin and Winnie. In the teaser art, C. B. wears a shirt with a big
"89" on the front. If that's referring to 1989, then this book will
take place during my exact high school era. For those of you who couldn't care
less about 1989, Image's promo blurb might grab you: "It's Fast Times
at Ridgemont High meets Mean Girls as we're taken to bonfires, backseats and
bedrooms in these touching and sometimes tragic tales." For an interview with
Cebulski about Wonderlost go to:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7937
Wonder Man #1
(Marvel Comics, $2.99)This five issue mini-series looks like Marvel's attempt to remind readers who
the heck Wonder Man is before he comes back to comics in the pages of the upcoming
series, The Mighty Avengers. He was my favorite West Coast Avenger, Marvel's
very own Superman of the 80's (if you don't count Hyperion). Writer Peter
David (X-Factor) is sure to deliver an engaging script, but the teaser artwork from
Andrew Currie looks bizarre. Strange artwork aside, this interview with David has me
intrigued:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=8359
December 20th:
All Star Superman #7
(DC Comics, $2.99)DC's All Star line of comics got off to a bad start. Critics claimed that
they were stealing Marvel's Ultimate idea of rebooting characters, and when the
first title was released (All Star Batman) it was torn apart by fans. Then came All
Star Superman to save the day. Fans and critics loved it, and it went on to win the
2006 Eisner Award for best new series. Now the All Star franchise is alive and well,
with Batgirl, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern books in the pipeline. Writer Grant
Morrison (JLA) and artist Frank Quitely continue to impress me with these
stand-alone Superman stories. This issue features a battle royale with Reverse Supes
himself, Bizarro. Check out this link for a sample of Quitely's unique
style:
http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=6413
The Immortal Iron Fist #2
(Marvel Comics, $2.99)I'm happy to see that Ed Brubaker has been pulled from this book. Don't get me wrong, I love Brubaker, but I feared that Marvel would spread him too thin with multiple projects. The book has been left in the capable hands of Matt Fraction (Punisher: War Journal). I came across Fraction on the Image Comics message boards and asked him if he was going to sign an exclusive deal with Marvel. He said probably not, but even if he did, he couldn't imagine a situation where he wasn't doing his own thing (with great books like Casanova). This was right before I was banned from Image's message board. More about that later.
She-Hulk #14
(Marvel Comics, $2.99)This is a fun series. Not in an Archie Comics kind of way, but in a clever, modern, and thoughtful way. Writer Dan Slott (The Thing) sets a tone that is not self-conscious, the book never takes itself too seriously. It's not corny or cheesy like you might expect. The series uses honest-to-god humor, something missing from most super-hero books these days. The overall premise works well too: She-Hulk (aka Jennifer Walters) works for a law firm and specializes in superhuman cases. Slott finds a great balance between courtroom drama, action, and comedy. If your new to the series, Slott's Shulkie TPB's are worth your time and money. This issue features the origin of Awesome Andy, She-Hulk's lovesick robot pal.
December 27th:
American Virgin #10
(Vertigo Comics, $2.99)Looking for a new Y: The Last Man? Look no further. American Virgin is a fantastic, edgy, young-man-on-a-quest book that gets better with every issue. Writer Steven Seagle (It's A Bird) knows how to get readers on the hook, but he doesn't string us along aimlessly. He leaves us every month with great cliffhangers, and the wait for the next issue is always worth it. The story revolves around a youth minister who tries to stay true to his ideals while his world is collapsing around him. It's difficult to discuss the story without ruining it for new readers, so be sure to pick up the first TPB (available October 25th) if you're a Virgin virgin. Even if you don't get the trade, you can jump on with this issue, the start of a thrilling new story arc.
Justice #9
(DC Comics, $3.50) This JLA story owes its success to brilliant comic painter Alex Ross (Marvels). The story is fine, but the artwork steals the show. This issue features one of my favorite DCU villains, Black Adam. Have a good gasp at some of the prices on Ross' original artwork: http://www.alexrossart.com/artforsale_menu.asp
X-Men #194
(Marvel Comics, $2.99)I still can't believe I look forward to buying this third string X-book every month. X-Men's writer, Mike Carey, consistently delivers a well-paced script. Artist Humberto Ramos (Revelations) is filling in on pencils for this three issue arc. Ramos has a unique style that readers seem to love or hate. Check out this link and judge for yourself: http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/xmen/Ramos/CareyRamos.html
Odd & Ends
Helios: Under the Gun #1 & #2
(Dakuwaka Productions, $2.99 each)I was really enjoying Emissary from Shadowline, a subsidiary of Image Comics,
until issue #4. It took a surprising left turn into Sucksville. I felt like an idiot
because I recommended #4 in my August column, but then I noticed that the writer had
been changed since the original solicitation in Previews. I visited the Image
message boards to find out what had happened. I asked about the change in writers,
commented that I didn't enjoy the new issue, and was greeted by the editor,
Kris, who called me a troll, an a-hole, and she tossed in an F-bomb for good
measure. Then she had me banned from the Image message boards. Later, I found that
the original writer of Emmisary, Jason Rand, is now working on Helios. I'm
looking forward to reading more of Rand's intriguing work.
I learned three things from this experience:
(1) Shadowline stinks at public relations.
(2) Criticizing a publisher on their own website is futile.
(3) I spend too much time on comic book message boards.
Cory Johnson cmjmusic@yahoo.com <TOP>