Looking Ahead - Feb/March 2012

Happy New Year!

I am as excited about comics in 2012 as I have been in awhile. The success of The New 52 is the gift that keeps on giving: We're starting to see sell-outs across the board, as we get more and more new customers. I'm fairly certain we're going to see some new announcements from DC within the next month or two, so keep your eyes peeled to teh interwebs for more info. In addition,  new works by Robert Kirkman, Nick Spencer, Ed Brubaker, and other fan-favorite creators have been announced, and it's only January.

On top of all that comic goodness, we've got movies for The Avengers, Batman, The Hobbit and more. The dwarves singing in The Hobbit trailer gives me goosebumps. I know it's easy to get down with all the economic news, gas prices and such, not to mention the fact that we're in an election year - I've barely recovered from the last one - but it's going to be a great year for comic fans.

Speaking of fan-favorite creators doing their own thing, let's start the year off with a bang. 

SAGA #1 
by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Comixology Link for Reservists

* Y The Last Man's BRIAN K. VAUGHAN returns to comics! We all know Y The Last Man, right? One of the best books of the 00's, it propelled it's creators into household names. While Vaughan went off to Hollywood to make the Big Green TV Dollars, he's kept his foot in the comic door, doing small projects here and there, and now he's back with his newest series, SAGA. Billed as Star Wars meets Game of Thrones, and the first issue is double-sized for only $2.99.

INFESTATION 2
by Duane Swierczynski and David Messina
Comixology Link for Reservists
* Zombies vs. the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Okay, I'm sold. The TMNT re-launch from IDW has done gangbusters and last year's Infestation cross-over was very popular. Now the zombies are back, and infiltrating the GI Joe, TMNT, D&D and Transformers universes. TURTLE POWER meets AUTOBOTS, TRANSFORM meets I CAST A FIREBALL meets YO JOE meets UGGGHHRHRH BRAINS.

Links to other parts of Infestation 2:

Infestation 2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Infestation 2 Transformers
Infestation 2 GI Joe
Infestation 2 Dungeons & Dragons
Infestation 2 Team Up

SUPURBIA #1
by Grace Randolph and Russell Dauterman
Comixology Link for Reservists
* I hate the Housewives franchises, but this just makes me laugh. Supurbia is the "behind-the-scenes... TMZ-fueled" story of what happens when the superheroes come home, take off the costumers, and sit down to eat a meal with the Mrs. and the kids. I expect this to be slightly raunchy, possibly inappropriate, and the Guilty Pleasure of All Guilty Pleasures. I will never admit to reading this in public, but you know it's going to happen.

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #1
by Adam Beechen, Derek Fridolfs, Dustin Nguyen and Norm Breyfogle
Comixology Link for Reservists
* Terry McGuinnes returns! Batman Beyond was one of the casualties of The New 52 DC relaunch, and I'm psyched to see it return in a new format. In a thicker-than-normal 48 pages, you also get a back-up story featuring the Justice League Unlimited team.

FAIREST #1
by Bill Willingham, Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning
Comixology Link for Reservists
*Who's the Fairest of them All? Featuring all-new tales of the female characters from Fables, Bill Willingham dives even deeper into the Fables universe. The Fables comic, much like Y The Last Man, has been one of the most consistent comics out there, with no ending in sight. This is a great jumping-on point for anyone looking to learn more about these classic characters, and adds depth for any current Fables readers.

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES 2 #1
by Various Creators
Comixology Link for Reservists
* Noone drew Betty Page quite like Dave Stevens. Returning for another round of creator tributes, IDW has put together a second mini-series featuring the much-beloved character. (My goal with this mini-series is to make sure I have enough copies for everyone this time.)

AVENGERS vs. X-MEN
by "The Architects"
Comixology Link for Reservists
* I wish Marvel would publish more "big event comics", don't you? .... yeah, I got nothing here. Here's hoping it's less disappointing that Fear Itself. Is that a good sales pitch? Oh, who am I kidding, we're going to sell a ton of this of just on the name.

THIEF OF THIEVES #1
by Kirman, Spencer & Shawn Martinboough
Comixology Link for Reservists
* Ooh yes.. yesyesyes. Robert "Walking Dead" Kirman and Nick "Morning Glories" Spencer team. Given how fast Morning Glories #1 flew out of here last year, and given that Walking Dead #1 sells for hundreds of dollars, I guess I don't have to tell you how hot Kirkman and Spencer are. These creators working together means that this book will not only be hot and highly sought-after, but it's going to be a great comic, too. Oh yeah, what's it about? Something about thieves, I'm sure. :) Seriously, these two writers working together is all you need.

DOMINIQUE LAVEAU: VOODOO CHILD #1
by Selwyn Sefu Hinds, Denys Cowan and John Floyd
Comixology Link for Reservists
* What comics need is an ongoing voodoo/mystery series set in New Orlea- Oh. There you are. I swear, the editors at Vertigo are mind readers. I was thinking the other day, "I can't wait for Treme season 3 to start on HBO, I love a good story in New Orleans." And BOOM!, now there's a new comic for me to salivate over. "Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child" is too long for a title, but I can forgive them for that small transgression. The series takes place in post-Katrina New Orleans, and explores the hidden mystery of the Voodoo Queens and their role in shaping the events in The Big Easy. This looks very intriguing. Check out the first issue when it ships.

WINTER SOLDIER #1
by Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice
Comixology Link for Reservists
* I'm alright with Ed Brubaker writing more Bucky-as-badass comics. Ed Brubaker has done a terrific job with the Captain America franchise for years. Giving Bucky his own title as the Winter Soldier is one of the few new Marvel #1's that I can truly get behind, because I trust the creator implicitly. This is going to be Bucky working behind-the-scenes in the Marvel Universe, and if it's anything like the recently-released Fatale, it's going to be dark and very cool.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF D.B. COOPER #1
by Brian Churilla
Comixology Link for Reservists
* So, he jumped out of an airplace with a bag of stolen money, and noone ever found him? I didn't know who DB Cooper was until a year or two back, when I caught a cable special, talking about "the only unsolved air piracy in American aviation history." More here.  It's a fascinating story, so getting a comic book that plays off of that should be something different and unique.

THE TWELVE #9
by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston
Comixology Link for Reservists
* The Twelve Return: Ladies and gentlemen, Hell hath frozen over. The Twelve is a confounding beast. This 12 issue mini-series started when I was still a music teacher upstate, but stalled after 8 issues. What made the late-shipping so irritating is that The Twelve was really, really good; Perhaps writer J. Michael Straczynski's best work in comics, to be honest. A lot of retailers got behind the book, many were calling it Marvel's Watchmen, but that joy led to frustration for readers when the issues started getting farther and farther behind. The book is all done, and will be shipping the last several issues over the next couple months. In addition, Marvel has put out a softcover of issues 1-6 and a reprint of issues 7 & 8, so anyone who wants to jump in, can. I'll say it again, just because it may be hard to believe: The book is completely done. So, have no fears that it won't be finished.

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT #1
by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra
Comixology Link for Reservists
* Jonathan Hickman loves science-fiction and it shows. The Manhattan Project is another Image mini-series by Jonathan Hickman, writer of Marvel's FF, Fantastic Four and Ultimates. This story is an alternate timeline, where "black" projects were taking place behind the scenes of The Manhattan Project. Last year's The Red Wing was superb, as were Hickman's other Image mini-series (Pax Romana, Red Mass for Mars, Transhuman, and The Nightly News). I love seeing new creators keep their feet in superhero work, while staying true to other genre work at other publishers. This is why, incidentally, Image is going to be my publisher to watch this year: They're knocking it out of the park.

SUPERCROOKS #1
by Mark Millar and Leinil Francis Yu
Comixology Link for Reservists
* Another Mark Millar mini-series? Works for me. Millar has his own style and has been moving away from superhero comics for awhile, his last work being on the Ultimates line last year. He seems more interested in telling his own stories, his own way. I'm okay with that, as long as he can get them out on time, which is a perception shared by both readers and retailers. Supercrooks is an Ocean's Eleven-type story, featuring all supervillains pulling off "one last heist", in Spain. OLE!

COLDEST CITY HC
by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart
Comixology Link for Reservists
* Being a spy sounds fun, until everyone wants what you want, and you're on your own. When you grow up reading the adventures of Jack Ryan, and one of your favorite movies is The Hunt for Red October, it's going to be hard to turn down a good Cold War yarn. Antony Johnston, who I've mentioned here before for his incredible work on Wasteland, has written a graphic novel about spies in Berlin before the war went down. Look, that should be enough for anyone who's ever loved a Tom Clancy book; The Cold War is and has been rife with fiction opportunities, and I'm glad to see another writer telling a tale of suspense and espionage.

FLASHPOINT THE WORLD OF BATMAN SC
by Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso and various
Comixology Link for Reservists
* The best Batman story in YEARS.. is collected in Flashpoint The World of Flashpoint featuring Batman. This collection contains the Batman: Knight of Vengeance mini-series from last year's Flashpoint event, plus several other great stories. But this book is worth it, just for the Batman story alone. In the Flashpoint reality, Bruce Wayne was killed while his father, Thomas Wayne watched. Now, Thomas Wayne wears the cowl, but he's old and weary... and that's all I'm going to say about this story, because any more detail would spoil it. This book comes with our highest recommendations!

Publisher links for product shipping in March 2012:

Dark Horse: http://pulllist.comixology.com/dmd/JAN12/?c=3
DC Comics: http://pulllist.comixology.com/dmd/JAN12/?c=1
IDW: http://pulllist.comixology.com/dmd/JAN12/?c=12
Image: http://pulllist.comixology.com/dmd/JAN12/?c=4
Marvel: http://pulllist.comixology.com/dmd/JAN12/?c=2
Vertigo: http://pulllist.comixology.com/dmd/JAN12/?c=1&i=3
Zenescope: http://pulllist.comixology.com/dmd/JAN12/?c=47

Comics at the Den

If you're reading this, then we got through a pretty important step in our comic inventory process last week. I'll spare you the details, only to say that it's something I've been working towards since Day One last April and is a biiiiiiiig check-off on the 'ol to-do-list. Glad that one's done, and thanks to all the employees who helped last Sunday.

I'm in the middle of planning at least 3 different comic- and pop-culture-related events for the 2nd quarter of 2011. I know David and Sean are working on some fun stuff, too, it's really a great time to be working and/or shopping at the store. It's all things we've wanted to do for awhile, but haven't really had the resources to properly dedicate to seeing them done. My hope is that all three of these events are completely locked-in by mid-March, at which point I can finally get the other Big Monster on my To-Do list checked off: the back issues. If those are done by April 1st... Scott will be a happy man. No, really, I know how to be happy. (Quiet, Alex.)

And in the midst of all this, comes one of my favorite times of year: Spring Training. All the baseball players are reporting to camp, which means it's time for me to start drafting my fantasy baseball leagues. Crazy time right now, but I love it, I really do.

Also, we just moved the store around. Heh.

Moving on.

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New Thor Trailer out last week, and this movie is looking better and better each time I see a new trailer. Which reminds me, we're out of Thor hammers.

I say thee, Nay! Or Yay. Whichever you like, really.

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I am a huge, huge 100 Bullets fan, and if you've never read this modern noir/conspiracy classic, then you're really missing out. The writing is tight, and the art is luscious. There's something about the Vertigo brand that brings out One Great Work, from every writer who's written for the imprint. Warren Ellis had Transmetropolitan, Garth Ennis had Preacher, Grant Morrisson had.. jeez, Invisible, Doom Patrol, We3, Alan Moore had Swamp Thing. And that doesn't even include the current generation of writers: Jason Aaron is knocking it out of the park on Scalped, Brian Wood has DMZ and Northlanders, Bill Willingham is at issue #102 of Fables... the list goes on and on.

But seeing that Azzarello and Eduard Risso are teaming up for what looks to be a sci-fi series called SPACEMAN? Yeah, my inner sci-fi nerd just went ballistic.

I. Cannot. Wait.

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So, Nathan Fillion comes out and says that if he won the lottery, he'd buy back the rights to Firefly and create new episodes on the Internet. If you're a fan of Firefly, you can only imagine how absolutely crazy people went. Facebook pages, pledge drives, twitter feeds, the whole nine yards. And we're not done yet. Browncoats know the truth:

No power in the 'verse can stop us.

We're (doing) the impossible, and that makes us mighty.

Go. Click. Now.

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I love these Marvel teasers. Colossus is one of my all-time favorite characters, so any face-time for that character makes me a happy man. Anyone recognize what he's holding above his head? Here's a hint: "Nothing can stop..."

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I recently sat down and read the entirety of Red Robin. If you can get past the weak title and the costume, this is a really, really good book.

Tim has always been one of the stronger members of the Bat-family. His introductory story - the classic Lonely Place of Dying - introduced the idea that Batman needed (a) Robin to keep Batman from going "too far", or getting "too dark". It was a simple concept, and 20+ years later, it still holds true.

The premise of Red Robin is that Tim Drake doesn't believe that Bruce is truly dead, and begins a worldwide search to find proof. See, noone else (Dick, Alfred, Babs) believes him, so he strikes out on his own. With the financial resources of Bruce Wayne's fortune at his disposal, his quest takes him to Europe, where he immediately runs into one of Batman's oldest and deadliest villains.

If there's one flaw in the first twelve issues, it's the overuse of flashbacks. Reading this comic month-to-month can't compare to reading it in one chunk. Fortunately, the new creative team at issue #13 minimizes the flashbacks, and continues the solid work done by JT Krul & co.

One of the strengths of the book is the great supporting cast. Fabian Nicieza builds on the work done by the original writers, and continues the great character work on favorites both old and new. Some of my favorite scenes came between Tim and Damien. Their mutual loathing and disgust is a lot of fun, and it was nice to see two heroes who honestly dislike each other.

If you've ever liked Tim Drake, Red Robin's the book for you. It's fun, it's dense, it ties in to the Bat mythology very well, and it's a solid read. Recommended.

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Okay, I wasn't going to show this, but remember when I said I'm working on a couple popculture-related projects? Here's a hint about one of them:

See you next week.

-S.