New comics yesterday, I talk about ’em today! SPOILERS AHEAD – I mean it this time! Avert your eyes!
- Well, Good Lord, Identity Crisis #7 is out, and as it turns out, one of my joking theories* about the identity of the killer was, well, sorta on target (except my idea was much sillier). Of course, I didn’t say anything about motivation, which is just barely less than the actual motivation given to the killer. Anyway, if you didn’t like this series, don’t worry; as soon as the inevitable hardcover and softcover collections stop selling, everything that happened in this series will be undone. Sue Dibny: Rebirth, coming in 2008!
- Fantastic Four #521 – here is the discussion pal Dorian and I had last week, after Dorian flipped through the advance copy of this comic:
D: “So, the new issue of Fantastic Four is using a mostly-forgotten bit of trivia about Galactus as a plot point.”
M: “That he has some sort of familial relationship with Death?”
D: “No….”
M: “That he grows smaller as he grows weaker?”
D: “No….”
M: “That he originally came from the universe that precedes the current universe?”
D: “No….”
M: “That he’s perceived differently by everyone who sees him?”
D: “Yeah, that’s the one.”
M: “Did I disgust you with my Galactus knowledge?”
D: “No, no…I knew most of that.”
M: “Well, how ’bout that his real name is Galen? Or that he’s from the planet Taa? Or that his space station was called Taa II?”
D: “Okay, now I’m disgusted.”
- Girl Genius #13 – each issue of this series just gets better and better…Agatha and Krosp learn more about the peculiar personalities of the circus with which they’re traveling. Lots of fun, and can’t wait for the next issue.
- Plastic Man #13 – Plastic Man takes on the evils of (gasp) File Sharing! Though hardly the prime focus of the issue, it’s still a nice little thumbing of the nose at those scare tactic anti-file sharing ads that have been popping up in the comics lately.
- Deep Fried Vol. 2 #1 – if there’s a comic more filled with wrong fun than Jason Yungbluth’s, I don’t know what it is. Featured terrifying strip: “Ghastly Cash – The Poor Little Rich Ghost!” Yes, it’s another play on the old “Casper is the ghost of Richie Rich” thing, but Yungbluth does it better than you’ve ever seen it.
- Shaolin Cowboy #1 – I didn’t know what Dorian was talking about when he mentioned a 10-page single panel, until I had a chance to look at it myself. He’s right…it’s one panel spread over 10 pages, as drawn by Geof Darrow. I haven’t read it, I have no idea what it’s about (aside from mayhem), but it’s drawn by Darrow in his usual highly-detailed style and looks fantastic.
- Zippy: From Here to Absurdity – another collection of a year’s worth of Zippy the Pinhead strips by Bill Griffith, complete with footnotes. Look for the disturbingly Nancy-esque cover. Always good stuff, though reading a year’s worth of Zippy within a relatively short time is probably not recommended…it kinda affects your perceptions, you know?
- Ocean #3 – the latest issue of the Warren Ellis and Chris Sprouse series, with a scary science fictional idea re: controlling one’s employees that I don’t think I’ve seen before. I also want to note Chris Sprouse’s expressive art…the range of emotions he conveys is impressive.
- Ex Machina #7 – this issue contains probably the most reasonable real-world reaction a person would have upon seeing someone’s “ray gun.” That’s not a euphemism, but, in context, it could very well be. Yeah, I know, I’m being coy for someone shouting about “spoilers” earlier.
- Alter Ego #43 – all I gotta say…El Santo! This issue contains a long article on Mexican comics of the Silver Age, including reprints of American comics as well as original comics produced in that country. No chance to read it yet, but a flip through the issue reveals (as is usual for this magazine) a wide variety of great illustrations.
- Madrox #4 – somehow forgot to get a copy for myself. Gosh darn it.
Other new releases, not bought but notable:
- DC Rarities Archives – Oh, dear me, $75.00? I so want this book (reprinting the New York’s World Fair comics and the Big All-American Comic Book), but I really, really, really can’t justify the expense right now. I’m especially frustrated since Big All-American is one of those comics I’ve wanted for years. Ah, well.
- Wizard King Trilogy Book 1 softcover – this collection of Wally Wood’s work is in color and…um, I believe it’s slightly edited. As in some of the nude figures now have had nipples painted away and/or recolored to make them appear as if they’re wearing clothes. A quick Google search reveals that Evan Dorkin has noticed this as well.
- Swamp Thing: Bad Seed TPB – I appreciate DC putting low price tags on the first volumes of their trade paperback lines. Having the first Fables at $9.95 really helps us sell the book. Granted, this particular series of Swamp Thing may be a slightly harder sell, but good on DC for keeping the price down.
- Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One #5 – did they really drag out a five issue mini-series over most of a year, or am I imagining things? (I’ll have to check the cycle sheets at work and find out).
- Spider-Man: India #2 – we managed to sell a couple of the first issue to people who buy all Marvel #1s. Without that incentive, I don’t imagine we’ll sell any copies of the second issue.
- Krazy & Ignatz in “Necromancy by the Blue Bean Bush” – I have to hand it to Fantagraphics…they put out some handsome comic strip reprints. I don’t think these strips have ever looked better.
Other fun on new comics day…having a glitch on our credit card machine wipe out all its programming, so I have to spend the better part of an hour on hold with the card processing company and letting the software download into our machine at 1200 baud. Luckily, this was at the end of the day, and I only ended up having to turn away one credit card customer (a regular, thankfully, so he’ll be back for his goodies later). Still, put that on my list of things not to do on new comics day.
