Comics and More

Dennis Hopeless & Juan Doe Happy Halloween!!  And what better book to review for Halloween than Marvel's  Legion of Monsters ?  This is a four issue mini-series that follows monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, a character who headed her own mini-series Bloodstone years ago, and more recently, was a kick-ass member (and my favorite member) of Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen's Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E ., which had quite a loyal following at the time.  And it seems like Marvel is trying to recapture some of those fans, as Juan Doe's art is very reminiscent of Immonen's artwork on Nextwave .  Doe's pencils do end up being second best, but they're really rather nice when not unfairly comparing them to what's come before, especially his designs of the cool monsters in this issue.  Elsa Bloodstone is basically tracking a monster that's eating teenagers in a small town, and follows the culprit through a portal to Monster Metropolis, under ...

This week on the Comics-and-More Podcast , Patrick Markfort and I discuss Richard Sala's work, including his Peculia books and his new graphic novel The Hidden , perfect books to read for Halloween. Reviewed: The Hidden Richard Sala Peculia Richard Sala Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires Richard Sala Part One: Part Two: For further reading: The Chuckling Whatsit Richard Sala Cat Burglar Black Richard Sala Delphine #1-4 Richard Sala

Kieron Gillen & Billy Tan I'm a big fan of Kieron Gillen's X-Men material for the most part, especially his short-lived series S.W.O.R.D., however this one-shot that sees the relaunch of the X-Men line is a complete throw-away, a waste of time and talent.  It shows the fall-out from the X-Men: Schism mini-series, where Cyclops and Wolverine have an ethical disagreement that leads to them deciding that they can no longer work with one another.  Basically, Wolverine doesn't think that children (teenagers really) should be fighting as X-Men, and Cyclops thinks that not teaching them to fight will get them hurt in this hard world they live in, where mutants are pretty much attacked from every front.  So Wolverine has decided to move back to Winchester, New York to restart a school to teach mutants, while Cyclops plans to remain in San Francisco.  X-Men Regenesis pretty much shows which X-Men are siding with which new team, as Logan and Scott approach various...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow... Manara Library (Volume 1): Indian Summer and Other Stories HC - The first in a nine-part series publishing the works of European superstar artist Milo Manara, this is a fantastic way for readers to jump right into his work, if you can afford the price tag ($59.99).  Manara is known for drawing beautiful women, and readers may recall Marvel's Chris Claremont/Milo Manara collaboration X-Women from last year. Other Noteworthy Releases Dagar the Invincible Archives (Volume 1) HC Disney's Mickey Mouse (Volume 2): Treasure Island HC The Drops of God (Volume 1) The Frank Book SC Incredible Hulk #1 Iron Age HC Legion: Secret Origin #1 (of 6) Smurfs (Volume 8): The Smurf Apprentice GN Sonic the Hedgehog: Legacy (Volume 1) Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic (Book 2) TP Tank Girl: Carioca #1 (of 3) Ultimate Comics X Origins HC Wolverine and the X-Men #1 Yotsuba&! (Volume 10)

Animal Land (Volume 1) Makoto Raiku A human baby finds himself in a world populated by only animals, and relies on the kindness of a tanuki (raccoon dog) to save him from certain death after his mother abandons him.  Monoko is the tanuki who raises him as her own, having lost her own family recently to this cruel world where "survival of the fittest" is everyday life.  It's a premise with a lot of promise, but it never lives up to that promise.  In fact, I can't say I remember the last time I was so disappointed by a book.  This manga is geared toward ages thirteen and up, but I can't imagine anyone that age finding anything to like about this title, which had to have been geared for a much younger audience in Japan.  Monoko is perhaps the most irritating character I've ever come across, boasting a deep desperation to love the human baby and care for it and be its "mommy."  She cries whenever anything goes awry, and is so suffocating and selfis...

Patrick Markfort and I discuss Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez's latest volume of Love & Rockets , and Gilbert's new graphic novel Love From the Shadows . Reviewed: Love & Rockets: New Stories #4 Jaime Hernandez & Gilbert Hernandez Love From the Shadows GN Gilbert Hernandez Part One: Part Two: Part Three: Part Four: For further reading: Heartbreak Soup Gilbert Hernandez Maggie the Mechanic Jaime Hernandez Love & Rockets: New Stories #3 Gilbert Hernandez & Jaime Hernandez

Paul Levitz & Marcus To It's been nearly a month since DC's New 52 launched, and the publisher's showing no signs of slowing down.  New books such as The Ray have been solicited to add more books to the DC Universe line, and I'm afraid a little mini-series like this one may get overlooked amid all of the exciting ongoing book releases.  Especially since it's really pretty good.  If this had launched as an ongoing alongside DC's New 52, I feel like it would have been noted as one of the best of the debut issues.  But as is, DC fans have their plates full of dozens of books, trying to sort out which to follow and which to pass on, while this may just sneak by unnoticed.  But whether it sells or not, Huntress is a good read.  Fans of Birds of Prey will be happy to see the capable vigilante established in the new DC Universe as she works to try and stop shipments from making their way to Gotham City.  Shipments of guns and women.  Hu...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow... Bubbles & Gondola HC - An inspirational, lyrical all-ages fairy tale featuring a cute little mouse with writer's block, from Renaud Dillies, and published by NBM, who put out some great European comics in the states. Other Noteworthy Releases 15 Love TP 30 Days of Night (Ongoing) #1 Al Jaffee's Mad Life TP Batman: Odyssey (Volume 2) #1 (of 7) Cold War #1 Critical Millennium (Volume 1): Dark Frontier HC Dear Creature GN Fear Itself: The Fearless #1 (of 12) Freakangels (Volume 6) GN Gate 7 (Volume 1) Marzi TP Mutts: Our Little Kat King Mutts Treasury SC New Warriors Classic (Volume 3) TP Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes HC Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes #1 (of 4) Twilight Manga (Volume 2) GN Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man HC X-Men #1 20th Anniversary Edition

Kohta Hirano From the creator of the popular manga  Hellsing comes a tale of renowned warriors throughout time being whisked away to a foreign world populated by magical creatures like elves.  American audiences will recognize the names of warriors like Joan of Arc, but Japanese names will likely be lost to most readers.  However, it's still a great concept that plays out with plenty of action.  When these heroes of Earth arrive on this new world through portals, at the brink of death during battles on Earth, they find themselves known as "drifters," foreigners with the power to protect a weak world from a tyrannical ruler.  While much remains a mystery at this point, it seems that one man is gathering these heroes to aid him in his cause in defeating this threat, and small factions of these drifters form, usually from similar geographical locations, and while some have come to save the peaceful world, some are also helping evil try to cla...

In the latest Comics-and-More Podcast , Patrick Markfort and I discuss Marvel Comics' recently relaunched Ultimate line.  This podcast is divided into four videos, each focusing (mostly) on one of the new titles. Reviewed: Part One: Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #1-2 Jonathan Hickman & Esad Ribic Part Two: Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #1-2 Jonathan Hickman & Rafa Sandoval Part Three: Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1-3 Brian Michael Bendis & Sara Pichelli Part Four: Ultimate Comics: X-Men #1-2 Nick Spencer & Paco Medina For further reading: Ultimate Fallout #1-6 Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer, Luke Ross & Billy Tan

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday... The Death Ray HC - Dan Clowes' acclaimed (and truly fantastic) story from Eightball is expanded and released in a deserving hardcover. Other Noteworthy Releases Absolute Identity Crisis HC Alan Moore Conversations HC Archie Archives (Volume 3) HC Bloom County Complete Library (Volume 5) HC John Carter of Mars: World of Mars #1 (of 5) Legion of Monsters #1 (of 4) Marvel Firsts: 1960's TP Nuts HC Shade #1 (of 12) Wolverine by Jason Aaron Omnibus (Volume 1) HC X-Men Regenesis #1

In the latest Comics-and-More Podcast , Patrick Markfort and I take a look at Craig Thompson's new graphic novel Habibi . Reviewed: Habibi Craig Thompson Part One: Part Two: For further reading: Blankets Craig Thompson

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday... Hark! A Vagrant HC - Many of Kate Beaton's witty comics about historical figures, literary figures, and whatever the hell else she wants to focus on, are collected in this nice deserving hardcover from Drawn and Quarterly.  Check out the webcomics at her site  if you haven't had the privelege, and laugh. Other Noteworthy Releases 30 Days of Night Omnibus TP Archie: Best of Harry Lucey (Volume 1) HC Archie Americana (Volume 2): The 50's HC Avengers 1959 #1 (of 5) Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth TP Best American Comics 2011 HC The Book of Human Insects HC Captain America: Red Glare HC Huntress #1 (of 6) Laddertop (Volume 1) Last of the Greats #1 Psyren (Volume 1) Roger Langridge's Snarked #1 Star Gazing Dog GN Two Generals SC The Walking Dead (Volume 7) HC X-Men by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee Omnibus (Volume 1) HC X-Men: X-Cutioner's Song HC

Jiro Matsumoto Velveteen & Mandala marks the English-language debut of Jiro Matsumoto, a manga creator known for being very explicit.  Vertical picked the perfect title to showcase just that, as this book features two teenage girls armed with rifles in a world populated with zombies.  Matsumoto doesn't shy away from the violence and gore in this book at all, and doesn't bat an eyelash at nudity.  One scene that will give you an idea of his sensibilities involves one of the girls leaving the tank that they sleep in, because she's sick from both ends, when a horde of zombies decide to take advantage of the situation and try to gang bang her for her earlier sexual taunting.  There's a sense of humor in its over-the-top ridiculousness, but it's certainly not for everybody.  I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it, to be honest.  I definitely enjoy Matsumoto's gritty art, depicting this ugly world, but the story is pretty out there...

Patrick Markfort and I take a look at the final week of DC Comics' New 52. This podcast is divided into six videos, with the comics reviewed listed with each.  The final video offers our final thoughts on The New 52. Reviewed: Part One: Aquaman #1 Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis Part Two: The Flash #1 Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato Part Three: I, Vampire #1 Joshua Hale Fialkov & Andrea Sorrentino Justice League Dark #1 Peter Milligan & Mikel Janin Part Four: The Savage Hawkman #1 Tony S. Daniel & Philip Tan Part Five: Voodoo #1 Ron Marz & Sami Basri Part Six: For further reading: All-Star Western #1 Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti & Moritat Batman: The Dark Knight #1 David Finch Blackhawks #1 Mike Costa & Ken Lashley Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 Ethan Van Sciver, Gail Simone & Yildiray Cinar Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1 Tony Bedard, Tyler Kirkham & Batt Super...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow... Habibi GN - It's been eight years since Craig Thompson released the highly successful graphic novel Blankets , so this is obviously a very exciting release, one of the biggest graphic novel releases of the year.  This will also be the subject of the Comics-and-More Podcast following this week's final DC Comics: The New 52 podcast. Other Noteworthy Releases 1-800 Mice HC All Star Western #1 Alpha Flight Classic (Volume 2) TP Annihilators: Earthfall #1 (of 4) Aquaman #1 Batman: The Dark Knight #1 Blackhawks #1 Brilliant #1 Captain Britian (Volume 2): Siege of Camelot HC Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm HC Codename Sailor V (Volume 1) Daybreak HC Dorothy and the Wizard In Oz #1 (of 8) Emma HC Feeding Ground HC FF Fifty Fantasy Years #1 The Finder Library (Volume 2) TP Flash #1 Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 Grave Doug Freshly GN Green Lantern: New Guardians...

Psyren (Volume 1) Toshiaki Iwashiro Psyren begins as an intriguing mystery, but soon turns into something much more as the book plays out.  The story follows Ageha Yoshina, who picks up a phone when a random pay phone begins to ring.  No one answers, but he is left with a phone card with the words "psyren" printed on it.  When Ageha inquires into what this could mean, he discovers that people are disappearing with no explanation and some sort of "psyren cult" is allegedly to blame.  There are also some powerful men who will pay dearly for one of the unused "psyren" phone cards, and there is a substantial reward out there for whoever can solve the mystery behind it.  When one of Ageha's classmates becomes one of the latest disappearances, Ageha decides to use the card, and is magically transported to a desolate wasteland, where creatures called "Taboo" hunt the humans chosen to play this deadly game of "psyren."  After tracking do...

Patrick Markfort and I take a look at week three of DC Comics' New 52. This podcast is divided into three videos, with the comics reviewed listed with each. Reviewed: Part One: Birds of Prey #1 Duane Swierczynski & Jesus Saiz Part Two: Catwoman #1 Judd Winick & Guillem March DC Universe Presents #1 (featuring Deadman) Paul Jenkins & Bernard Chang Part Three: Wonder Woman #1 Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang For further reading: Batman #1 Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo Blue Beetle #1 Tony Bedard & Ig Guara Captain Atom #1 J.T. Krul & Freddie Williams II Green Lantern Corps #1 Peter Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin & Scott Hanna Legion of Super Heroes #1 Paul Levitz & Francis Portela Nightwing #1 Kyle Higgins & Eddy Barrows Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 Scott Lobdell & Kenneth Rocafort Supergirl #1 Michael Green, Mike Johnson & Mahmud Asrar

Michael Mayne & Tyler Fluharty Bonnie Lass is a happy-go-lucky outlaw pirate who, along with two goofy sidekicks, is notorious for kicking butt and causing trouble.  After delivering a statue to a client, who tries to trick her into delivering a valuable scroll, she demands compensation, and when she doesn't receive it, she keeps the scroll and continues on her way, this time with a crew of cutthroat thugs on her tail.  But with some creative nautical maneuvering and some upgrades to her ship, Bonnie leaves her pursuers in the dust, happily on her way toward more adventure and (hopefully) treasure.  This story is full of action and competently introduces a fun set of characters, however there's nothing here that we haven't really seen before, and the art is the kind you'd more likely see in a webcomic than on the printed page.  It just looks messy despite the nice cartoony expressions of the characters.  I actually like how every so often a panel will sort...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow... A Zoo In Winter HC - Jiro Taniguchi's latest US release features a glimpse of the artist as he recalls the time he spent in Tokyo as a youth in the 60's, including his beginnings in manga. Other Noteworthy Releases Archie Christmas Classics (Volume 1) TP Archie's Joke Book (Volume 1): Bob Montana HC The Art of Joe Kubert HC The Armed Garden & Other Stories HC Batman #1 Birds of Prey #1 Blue Beetle #1 Captain Atom #1 Catwoman #1 DC Universe Presents #1 Creepy Archives (Volume 11) HC Game of Thrones #1 Green Lantern Corps #1 Hellboy (Volume 11): Bride of Hell & Others TP Legion of Super Heroes #1 The Man Who Grew His Beard GN Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010 HC Marvel Ghost Stories TP Mnemovore HC Morning Glories (Volume 2) TP Nightwing #1 Prison Pit (Book 3) GN Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 Ruse: The Victorian Guide To Murder TP Showcase Presents: All S...