And this post’s late, baby now, this post is late

though I really did try to write it

somethin’ inside my bag is wide

and I just can’t indite it, oh, no, no…

(My apologies to Carole King.)

• Fight Club 2 #1 (Dark Horse): Sure, following up the punch-perfect Fight Club with a comic series sounds like a dangerous proposition; but if anyone is suited to do it, it’s Chuck.  The first rule of Fight Club 2: buy it with high–read two ways, duh– expectations.
• Mister X: Razed #4 (Dark Horse): All of a sudden, it’s more Mister Expository, and I’m less excited.  Damn.  Talk about razed expectations!
• PastAways #3 (Dark Horse): Can’t say I love it.  I did like #2 more than I liked #1, however.  Feels Kindt-y enough–especially the zoomy 10x-planations.
• Sandman: Overture #5 (DC/Vertigo): Gaiman and Williams III took some serious liberties with the fermata following #4.  I bet this one’s gonna be gorgeous.  I also bet that I’m going to have to research #4 in order to get my bearings straight.  Yeah, curvy bearings kinda suck.
• Suiciders #4 (DC/Vertigo): Hasn’t been terrible.  Bermejo’s offering enough on both ends to keep my interest.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #46 (IDW): The earthquake that was #44 generated a strong aftershock with #45.  Wonder what this one’s going to register on the ol’ Richter I&N scale.
• Invisible Republic #3 (Image) I&N Demand And to think I almost passed on #1!  Has a great feel to it–one not unlike that of Lazarus and The Bunker.

Invisible Republic #3

• Material #1 (Image): I&N Demand At this point, I can’t get enough Ales Kot–as long as he’s writing his own trippy stuff, of course.  There are zero reasons not to buy this.  His is as unique a voice you’re going to find in comics today.

Material #1

• They’re Not Like Us #6 (Image): OK, so, we’ve finally established the book’s Voice!  #5 left us hanging off a couple of cliffs.  Good thing this series is designed to get right to it; yeah, Stephenson and friends have got us covered.  In that way, other comics are not at all like this one.
• Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #12 (Marvel): I&N Demand Kaare Andrews has done some beautiful work on this series.  As I’ve mentioned: he’s brought a Kindt-like kinetic energy to his visual narrative; it’s truly been a marvel.  Sad to see it go.

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #12

• Where Monsters Dwell #1 (Marvel): Garth Ennis and Russ Braun head back to the front–this time, however, the battlefield–er, Battleworld–is in the Marvel Universe!  It’s fight and flight–à la Night Witch; so you know I’m down!
• The Black Hood #4 (Archie): Save for some odd transitions, The Black Hood has been pretty good.  It’s criminally dark and gritty, thanks to the career-defining work from Michael Gaydos.  Reminds me of one of my favorite books: Wolfman and Pollard’s more polished Vigilante (DC).
• Divinity #4 (Valiant): #3 won me over.  Kindt has assumed a Valiant voice–one that befits the omnipotent being at the center of the series.
• Mayday #2 (Black Mask): I&N Demand Mayday surprised me.  It popped more than Pop, which I didn’t care for.  It sounded not unlike Kot’s Change at times.  Folks, Black Mask is for real.

Mayday #2

• Providence #1 (Avatar): Just I&N Two words: Alan Moore.

Providence #1

• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #3 (Archie Horror): I&N Demand Let me spell it out for you: witches are coming out of the woodwork.  Sabrina, however, is the best of the brew.  Roberto Aguirre Sacasa is a level above the witchy competition.  The dude is warlocked in!

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #3

• Surface Tension #1 (Titan): Titan has put out some decent books of late.  Figure I’ll give it a whirl, especially considering it’s a one-man show.  In fact, it’s a Gunn show!
• Über #25 (Avatar): Gillen’s doing work over here–damn fine work.  Ain’t as flashy or as fun as The Wicked and The Divine; but what it lacks in sexiness, it makes up for with historical smarts.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

Relatively small week with some big books.

• Archie Vs. Predator #2 (Dark Horse)
• B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #131 (Dark Horse)
• Mind MGMT #33 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand

Mind MGMT #33

• The Fade Out #6 (Image)
• Satellite Sam #14 (Image) I&N Demand

Satellite Sam #14

• Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #4 (Image) I&N Demand

Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #4

• Daredevil 15.1 (Marvel)
• Moon Knight #18 (Marvel)
• Uncanny X-Men #34 (Marvel)
• Bloodshot: Reborn #2 (Valiant)
• Cap Stone #6 (Titan)
• Mono Vol.2 #2 (Titan) I&N Demand

Mono Vol. 2 #2

• Ninjak #3 (Valiant)
• Oh, Killstrike #1 (BOOM!) Just I&N

Oh, Killstrike #1

Avery’s Pick of the Week

• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #30

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #30

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

Instead of catching up, I’ve been catching the following:

• colds (thanks to the kids, who’ve left their snot spigots open all week long)
• hell (plenty of hell from an evil assortment of devils)
• drifts (from the passive-aggressive posse with whom I ride)
• eyes and z’s (for all the wrong reasons and for all the right reasons–in that order)
• 22 (couldn’t help myself)
• as catch can’t (’cause that’s how I roll–or don’t roll, as it were; better: that’s how I sit in one place and spit in the o of progress)

Typing of catching: I hope to catch these 22-page fireflies in my little brown bag on Wednesday:

• Harrow County #1 (Dark Horse): Bunn’s pretty much hit (The Sixth Gun, Magneto) or miss (The Empty Man, Moon Knight, Wolf Moon, Magneto).  Hoping for a hit here.  Wondering how it’s going fit next to all of the other witch-related titles that have been summoned to the shelves of late. (Some high-profile hags hanging out with Harrow County: Rachel Rising, Wytches, and Sabrina.)  They’re popping up almost as quickly as the now ubiquitous time-traveling titles.  Right?  I mean, what’s up with that?
• Lady Killer #5 (Dark Horse): I&N Demand The end has come far too quickly.  Has really been a great ride.  Praying that this final issue lives up to the standard that Jones and Rich have set for themselves; that it doesn’t drop off like–like a fella off the red roof of a terrifically tall structure at a World’s Fair.  (That’s right analogy lovers: I’ve got you covered.)  Anything less would be a huge blow to what has, through four issues, established itself as the front runner for the min-series of the year.
  
  

Lady Killer #5

• Rebels #2 (Dark Horse): I&N Demand I liked the whole April Morning vibe to the opening of #1.  Left me wondering if–though semi-certain that–Wood had Fast’s novel in mind.  No doubt about it: I’m along for the ride–even if it’s not so revolutionary.  Will it fill The Massive void?  Time will tell.
  

Rebels #2

• Astro City #23 (DC/Vertigo): #22 was nice.  Unfortunately, I’m getting to a point where nice just ain’t gonna cut it anymore.  I’m this close to leaving Astro City for good.
• East of West #19 (Image): Suddenly our sci-fi spin on Revelations has become a compelling sci-fi spin–with a Wool-y twist–on The Red Balloon.  Translation: it’s apocalypsally delicious!
• Injection #1 (Image): Just I&N One issue of Moon Knight gave me a taste for this team; the next five left me an addict fiending for more.  Clearly, this book is meant to satisfy the craving.
  

Injection #1

• The Mantle #1 (Image): I swore off Brisson after Sheltered blew up in my face.  Yet here I am.  Typing of volcanoes: here’s The Mantle: superhero fare that’ll either be hot or not.  If it’s the latter, I’m out immediately.
• Mythic #1 (Image): Ghostbusters meets Thomas Alsop.  For $1.99, it’s worth a shot–if only to enjoy the magic of John McCrea.
• ODY-C #5 (Image): I’ve been enjoying it more for Fraction’s creative vision than anything else.
• Saga #28 (Image): Tension’s building.  So far, sa-ga.
• Magneto #18 (Marvel): Oh, yay!  It’s a Secret Wars tie-in.
• Thor #8 (Marvel): I&N Demand To helmet with it!
  

Thor #8

• Giant Days #3 (BOOM!): I&N Demand OK, so, as one might expect, #2 wasn’t as giant a surprise as #1.  Couldn’t have been, for obvious reasons.  Still, it lived up to suddenly inflated expectations–and did so with a ripping wit that refuses to take a panel off.  Oh, what fun!

Giant Days #3

• Blackcross #3 (Dynamite): It’s clear that I’m super late to this grim super-powered party.  Ellis, however, has made me feel welcome.  He’s got a knack for that, no?
• Lantern City #1 (BOOM!): I loved Jenkins’ Deathmatch–so, too, did DC (Convergence) and Marvel (Secret Wars), apparently–so I’ll try just about anything he’s got a hand in–especially when the premise sounds good, as it does here.
• Space Riders #2 (Black Mask): A Derekommendation!  With books like We Can Never Go Home and Mayday–and now this!–seems like Black Mask is positioning itself to take over the effing industry.  We’ll follow them all the way–especially if they keep pumping out top-of-the-pile material.
• X-O Manowar #36 (Valiant): Venditti and his charge–the indomitable Aric–just keep plugging along.

Avery’s Pick of the Week:

My Little Pony: Friendship Forever #16 (IDW): So long, fiends!  It’s always been about friends!

My Little Pony: Friends Forever #16

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott