What’s I&N Store (1/7)

06 Tuesday Jan 2015

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Vacation’s over. Back to work–and comics.

Now if only work were comics…

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. #2 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand Would you believe: this series is my first go-round with Hellboy? (Your eyebrows just went up, didn’t they?) If #1’s any indication: 1) What the hell have I been waiting for? And 2) Damn glad I tried this. What convinced me? Alex Maleev’s artwork (lovelovelove) and my newfound fascination with B.P.R.D. (I’m hoping your brows have come back down by now. If they haven’t, and they happen to stay up for more than four hours, please seek medical attention.)

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. #2

Lady Killer #1 (Dark Horse) Just I&N Hmm. I wonder why I’m so drawn to this.

Lady Killer #1

Could it be that Jones’s cover reminds of Matt Kindt’s covers from his Mind MGMT “The Home Maker” arc:

Mind MGMT #13

Mind MGMT #16

Premise isn’t so bad, either. But, yeah, it’s probably the subtle–and probably coincidental–suggestion that, in itself, is so darned Mind MGMT-y.

Detective Comics #38 (DC)
Birthright #4 (Image)
The Fade Out #4 (Image)
ODY-C #2 (Image)
Trees #8 (Image)
Angela: Asgard’s Assassin #2 (Marvel) I&N Demand My faith in Kieron Gillen was not misplaced. That’s right:against all Asgardian odds, I liked #1! (With the eyebrows again?) No, really: I liked #1.

Angela: Asgard’s Assassin #2

If you’re waiting for a punchline, forget it! I liked the damn thing–and am hoping that the energy and the synergy (two writers & two artists) of the first one carries over here.

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #8 (Marvel) I&N Demand Kaare Andrews is on fire!

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #8

He’s broken Danny Rand down and is building him back up again. Oh, it’s a new Iron Age, folks! Absolutely chirrific! Yeah, that just happened.

Men of Wrath #4 (Marvel/ICON)
Miracleman #14 (Marvel) I&N Demand No doubt: this’ll be the best book of the week. (Brows? Trust me: they wouldn’t be bouncing if you’ve been reading all along or if you were lucky enough to have read this the first time around.) Not bad for a book that’s nearly thirty years old. A true miracle, man.

Miracleman #14

Epochalypse #2 (Legendary)
Feathers #1 (BOOM!)
Magnus: Robot Fighter #10 (Dynamite)
SIP Kids #2 (Abstract Studio)
The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead #4 (Oni)
War Stories #4 (Avatar)

Avery’s Pick of the Week

My Little Pony: Friends Forever #13 (IDW)

My Little Pony: Friends Forever #13

How’s yer brow now?

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

I&N Review: Wild Blue Yonder #6

01 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by ScottNerd in I&N Review

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Austin Harrison, Battlestar Galactica, Colonial Viper, Cylon Raider, IDW, Mike Raicht, Nelson Daniel, Star Wars, Tie Fighter, Wild Blue Yonder, X-Wing, Zach Howard

This is it, folks: the explosive finale of the soaring spectacle that has been Wild Blue Yonder:

Wild Blue Yonder #6

And by explosive, I’m not simply talking about all things coming to a head after all the tension that has been built up over five issues is released in a singular climactic burst. I mean, literally: there are a lot of explosions. A lot. It’s clear–well, as clear as it can be for all the smoke and debris: the creative team–the Wild Blue myth masters–comprised of Mike Raicht (story/writer), Zach Howard (story/artist), Austin Harrison (story) and Nelson Daniel (colors) decided to go out with a FaDoom!

Told you so.

Despite the fact that there’s enough fiery fallout to warrant a a titular turn of the color wheel–from Wild Blue Yonder to Wild Orange Yonder–the biggest blast isn’t the result of offensive or defensive ordinance; instead, it comes from Raicht’s using the structure of the issue to further blow up archetypal conventions by turning the Judge–the story’s antagonist–into an antihero who’s worth rooting for, certainly as we recall his confident assertion in the previous issue: “we will rise above those flames for good” (good to be taken as “forevermore” and, relatively speaking, as “moral righteousness”); and thanks to a bloody flashback, which gives him even more power in the eyes of his people–and, more important, power over us.

Don’t be surprised, then, if you find yourself sympathizing with the Executioner before the axe comes down. See: even though the world’s propped up on black (the Judge!) and white (Cola!) stanchions, the atmosphere of moral relativism takes on a shade of, well, blue. It doesn’t take long, however, for our concern to turn back toward Cola and Co. As the focus of the story switches to the defenders of the Dawn, we’re reminded that they’re the ones who deserve to carry on; they’re the ones who are meant to see a better day.

They are the ones–right?

But a better tomorrow doesn’t come easily. Howard and Daniel–the former delivering a career-defining achievement and the latter wielding colors of mass destruction–make it look pretty easy, though, with their other-worldly attention to detail, which is showcased during the inevitable issue-spanning, sky-scarring dogfight that drives the narrative to its ultimate conclusion. Oh, sure, it’s a familiar scene powered, in part, by cinematic urgency: heck, it comes preloaded with the energy of X-Wings vs. Tie Fighters and the desperation of Colonial Vipers vs. Cylon Raiders. We see in this re-imagining a rag-tag air force–comprised of planes from a bygone era–led by Cola and supplemented by gutsy guns (including the high-caliber–and scene-stealing–Scram) vs. a swarm of Wraiths, this time spearheaded by the Judge, who knows that this is his last opportunity to provide a future for his people. Undoubtedly–and unapologetically–the myth masters are sticking to a tried and true script; they’re pinning their hopes–and ours–on our familiarity–more, our sacred relationship–with genre tropes. And it all works; it still feels fresh–thanks to special moments like the gorgeous final double-page splash, which hearkens back to a double-page splash from the past and which leaves us to do some Sol-searching of our own.

The clever fellas at Noble Transmission have left a few questions unanswered–questions that’ll tug at you long after you’ve bagged and boarded the book. That’s got me thinking, expecting–and hoping–sequel. Ah, now that will be a beautiful day.

I can’t wait to see what else they’ve got in store for us.

For now, though, you’ve got to wait for this:

Wild Blue Yonder #6 (IDW) is slated to hit the shelf of your favorite comic shop on 1/21. I’ll be picking up my copy at Android’s Amazing Comics.

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s I&N Store (12/31)

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

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Looking forward to the New Year and to new comics.

Here’s how I’m saying goodbye to 2014:

East of West #16 (Image) I&N Demand

East of West #16

All-New Miracleman Annual (Marvel) #1 I&N Demand

All-New Miracleman Annual #1

X-O Manowar #31 (Valiant)

Avery’s Pick of the Week:

Abigail and the Snowman #1 (BOOM!) Just I&N

Abigail and the Snowman #1

Oh, and I’ll probably give my wife a kiss at midnight.

If I’m still awake, of course.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s I&N Store (12/24)

24 Wednesday Dec 2014

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My pull-list was hung by the register with ease

in hopes that my bag would soon be filled with these:

The Massive #30 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand
Mind MGMT #29 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand
Colder: The Bad Seed #3 (Dark Horse)
Bodies #6 (DC/Vertigo)
Dead Boy Detectives #12 (DC/Vertigo)
Gotham by Midnight #2 (DC)
Robin Rises: Alpha #1 (DC)
Superman #37 (DC)
Outcast #6 (Image)
Rasputin #3 (Image)
They’re Not Like Us #1 (Image) Just I&N
Captain America & The Mighty Avengers #3 (Marvel)
Daredevil #11 (Marvel)
Loki: Agent of Asgard #9 (Marvel)
Magneto #13 (Marvel)
Uncanny X-Men #29 (Marvel)
Evil Empire #9 (BOOM!) I&N Demand

Avery’s Picks of the Week

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #26 (IDW)
Bee & Puppycat #7 (BOOM!)

What are you looking forward to this week?

May your holiday season be filled with joy and your bag filled with comics.

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s I&N Store (12/17)

17 Wednesday Dec 2014

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Hoping to get back into the flow of things this weekend–you know, thanks to the two-week vacation that’s been taunting me since Thanksgiving.

Speaking of giving: just a few weeks ago, we unveiled the very lazy I&N Demand designation to let you know–in lieu of the typical I&N write-up–what we’re looking forward to most–up to five books–in a given week.

This week, we offer you the just as lazy Just I&N label, which will be applied to the one #1 we’re most excited about/interested in.