New York Comic Con is coming–and I’m going!  I’ve picked panels; I’ve artist alley-ooh-ed and ah-ed–and I’ve mapped it all out like a cross-eyed pirate.  I’ve emptied out the ol’ backpack and have filled it back up again with enough Pro Bars to fuel a contingent of hardcore cosplayers.  I am convinced that this’ll be the best Con ever!

My optimism is not unfounded: I’ve conspired with some art reps for some pre-Con commissions from a few talented fellas: Ian Bertram (Allen Ginsberg circa the acid-fueled “Wales Visitation”), Leandro Fernandez (Adrian Chase/Vigilante), and Martin Morazzo (The Ice Cream Man serving up ice cream cones to my Goosebumps-loving daughters).  Can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Before the Con, however, we’ve got a notable NCBD.  So here’s my weekly FYI:

• Dead Rabbit #1 (Image)
• Die! Die! Die! #3 (Image)
• Paper Girls #25 (Image)
• Redlands #7 (Image): I&N Demand NYCC memory: Back in 2013, I had the pleasure of meeting Vanesa Del Rey, mostly by accident.  See: I was on the hunt for some Six-Gun Gorilla OA from Jeff Stokely–which I scored, by the way–and VDR just so happened to be seated at an adjacent table.  At the time, I knew her only from Hit, which was, at the time, a hit in its own right, and I told her as much.  VDR was very friendly; in fact, she asked about my I&N shirt–even asked for a card, which I, regrettably, did not have.  (I’ll be cardless this time around, too.  ScottNerd–where lessons go to die.)  She was kind enough to allow me to take a picture, which we featured in our NYCC 2013 follow-up.  And, wouldn’t you know, I’ve been a fan ever since!  I enjoyed the hell out of the first arc of Redlands–featuring strong women born of strong writing (a real breath of [Jordie] Bellaire, the otherwise ubiquitous colorist) and beautiful, lush, exceedingly sexy art from VDR–and am very much looking forward to this one.

• Euthanauts #3 (IDW/Black Crown)
• House Amok #2 (IDW/Black Crown)
• Batman #56 (DC): I&N Demand Re: #55: It’s all fun and games until [fill in the blank].  It’s Tom King’s formula–and it’s spectacular.  And, of course, the chemistry with Tony S. Daniel, who absolutely killed him it.  Re: 56: The perfect foil:

• Border Town #2 (DC/Vertigo): I&N Demand Well, I had no idea I’d like #1 as much as I did.  Had to shout it out in a 22 I&N 22, which I’ll share here because it says a lot: Bloody moving—a monster of racial relevance; tears down walls, cranks up the stereotypes to once upon a helluva good time. Arriba!  You know what that means: expectations for #2 are muy alto–muy, muy alto.

• The Dreaming #2 (DC/Vertigo)
• United States vs. Murder Inc. #2 (DC/Jinxworld)
• X-Men Black: Magneto #1 (Marvel): I&N Demand Chris Mother-effing Claremont writing Magneto.  I can feel the tug, the iron in my blood nudging me westward toward my LCS.

• Lollipop Kids #1 (AfterShock)
• Oblivi8n #2 (Scout)
• Uber: Invasion #16 (Avatar)
• A Walk Through Hell #5 (AfterShock): I&N Demand Re: the cover: An Hello to Arms–obviously a Prequel to Hemingway’s classic to-hell-and-back wartime love novel.  Or maybe it’s just a disarming cover for another horrifying stretch of Ennis and Sudzuka’s A Walk Through Hell.  I’m going with the latter ladder–of fucking arms.  (Apologies available on a first-come, first-served basis.)

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott