Ignition City #1 covers

I'm not going to shut up about this until it comes out. And even then I probably wont.

From warrenellis.com:

Regular cover




Wrap





Retro



- TFM

Northlanders #15

From @BrianWood on Twitter, pages from the next Northlanders!

"Shouldn't be any spoilers, if you read this week's issue (#14). These are uncorrected lettering proofs and might have typos and other weirdness. Please ignore all that."

-AR

My Haul

Hey there sportsfans,

Last week I got one single, solitary book, so a pull list post was hardly warranted. Luckily, this Wednesday was far more fruitful.

Greatest Hits

Northlanders (ARE YOU GUYS READING THIS YET?)

Dark Avengers (Wow, way to go Bendis. Very solid.)

Lone Ranger & Tonto

Daredevil

Crossed (Despite the nice gore, it's not really captivating me. May stop picking it up.)

Umbrella Academy: Dallas (Consistently great at introducing weird, visually exciting characters.)

Runaways (Terry Moore's last. He did an okay job, but it's not a huge loss. Anyone know who's up next?)

Fantastic Four (Uh oh, Richards family, you're in deep shit.)

Siiigh. It's a good time to be a comic book fan.

-AR

The New Frontiersman

Oh sweet, sweet viral marketing. The Watchmen's marketing team been kicking serious ass. The fictitious newspaper from the novel now has a Flickr stream with some delicious, Dr. Manhattan-filled photos. Between this and the fake news casts (see below, holy cats) I am officially beyond excited for the movie. I was once an unbeliever, but now...now...

-AR

Review: Final Crisis #7

(Note: That is not the cover of Final Crisis #7)

In lieu of a review of Final Crisis #7, I'm just going to share a few thoughts I had while reading it (spoilerz of course!):

Huh?

What the fuck?

Man, I don't think I get any of this.

*Yawn*

Who cares?

Oh wait, I think it's making sense.

Nope. It's not

Ohhhh....it's a Final Crisis...but for the Monitors!

Huh? (in reference to the last page of the epilogue)

Look- bottom line is I feel like people either loved Final Crisis or they didn't. I'm not sure which category I'm in. I'm not as quick to judge something like this on first reading as I feel like it at least deserves a second look as a whole (instead of waiting a month or sometimes more in between chapters). The only problem with that is there are way too many great comics out there that are going on right now that I get and understand right away, so it's really hard to say when I will have the time to revisit Final Crisis. I think for someone like me this might be it's biggest letdown. The fact that I really want to "get" the grand scheme of what happened here but I just don't feel like I have the time right now.

CBR columnist Timothy Callahan actually wrote a nice concise article that helped me to somewhat understand the overall themes of what Final Crisis is all about. You can read the article here. Full disclosure: Mr. Callahan does have a book out called Grant Morrison: The Early Years. He's what the haters call a 'GM Fanboy', so keep that in mind.

- TFM

Transhuman TPB Hits Stores Today

Hey all- just a quick note on this. I don't think I've posted about Jonathan Hickman before, as I've only started reading him fairly recently. I've been following A Red Mass For Mars and just finally read The Nightly News last month. Anyways, this could be old news to everyone out there for all I know, but I feel like Jonathan is one of the more refreshing writers to land on the scene in the last few years and he's now on my list of must buy authors whenever I see he has something new.

Since I'm still playing catch up, I'm happy to see that the collected edition of Transhuman is in stores today via Image Comics. I'll try to write more about his stuff at a later date and maybe go into more detail about why I enjoy his work so much, but it's almost quitting time around these parts and I need to shove off to my shop and pick up my weekly bounty.

Next time you are perusing the graphic novel section of your LCS looking for something new and interesting, try to remember Jonathan Hickman. Pick up The Nightly News or Transhuman and flip through the pages to see what he's been doing. Hopefully you'll appreciate his stuff as much as I do.

Happy Wednesday.

- TFM

Final Crisis: 7 of 7 releases tomorrow, 5 page preview now

DC Comics has released a five page preview of the final installment of Final Crisis, in stores tomorrow. Will this end up being the great, amazing event many were anticipating when it first started? For me personally, it could easily go either way. Looking forward to seeing how this wraps up and where the DC Universe stands in the aftermath.

Click on each page to enlarge.






- TFM

Battlefields: Dear Billy Preview

Well hey- look at that. The first Battlefields story by Garth Ennis just wrapped up last week and we already have the first part of the next story hitting comic shelves tomorrow.

As I mentioned before, The Night Witches is one of the best war stories Ennis has delivered in a long time and hopes are high that the second chapter keeps with this trend.

CBR has a five page preview of Dear Billy. Check it out here.

- TFM

Ignition City set for April release

From warrenellis.com:



Damn this thing looks pretty. Gianluca Pagliarani did the art for Aetheric Mechanics, which I finally got around to reading this past weekend (and was also great by the way).

This is high up on the list of most anticipated anythings for 2009.

- TFM

Comic Movie News: Torso and The Green Hornet both in trouble?

First up- Torso, the 1998 crime comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko. Paramount had aquired the rights to this and David Fincher was attached to direct, but it looks like the film studio has let let their option expire.

The Celebrity Cafe, via The Hollywood Reporter:

"Paramount has had the rights for "Torso" since January 2006. The project drew interest with Casey Affleck and Matt Damon with reports on Damon being Fincher's choice to portray Eliot Ness. Hollywood Reporter says the option for Paramount to extend their rights on the film adaptation expired. The studio still owns a screenplay written for the movie by Ehren Kruger. There are still discussions with Paramount and the comics' creators whom now hold the rights. Fincher still remains attached to the project at this time."


As for Seth Rogen's The Green Hornet, rumors abound that ever since Stephen Chow is seemingly no longer the director on this it looks like it might not end up happening for a while (if at all).

Once again The Celebrity Cafe reporting, this time via HitFix.com:

"According to Drew McWeeny of HitFix.com, "Ever since Stephen Chow started to waffle about his participation in the film, I've been hearing rumors that there were major hesitations at Sony. Then at Sundance, I heard several people say that the film was off completely. I spoke this afternoon with a source close to the film, and while they didn't call it completely dead, they did say it is 'highly unlikely' that the film will shoot in 2009 at all." Sony is still listing The Green Hornet for a June 25, 2010 release despite the rumors."

Lest anyone think that anything comic book related automatically gets a greenlight in ol' H-Wood these days, it appears there's still plenty of reservations and hesitation as there ever was at times.

In other news, Paul Blart II: Mall Coppier! is already in pre-production.

- TFM

"there IS a god. and he HATES us all."-ultraman, superman beyond 2

final crisis: superman beyond 2
battlefields: the night witches 3
green lantern 37
supergirl 37
dark avengers 1
mighty avengers 21
uncanny x-men annual 2
x-men legacy 220
astonishing x-men 28
x-factor 39
thunderbolts 128
x-men manifest destiny 5
trinity 34
conan the cimmerian 7
justice league of america 29

x-factor: on the opening recap page peter david begs his readers not to post spoilers about this issue. while i was turned off by a delusions of grandeur vibe in his self described plea, i will respect it. it's a good issue with a good twist and i'm eager for the next one.

superman beyond 2: grant morrison writes the best superman, though these two issues only exist to cram in a subplot that was apparently left out of the proper final crisis book.

thunderbolts: spider-man meeting obama? boring! andy diggle takes presidential cameos to a new level by sending the green goblin to attack obama on air force one!

uncanny x-men annual: matt fraction should write a namor monthly. and is there anyone in the marvel universe emma hasn't fucked? seriously.

i've also been reading a lot of little orphan annie vol.1 this week. the plots are funny, exciting and heartbreaking with beautiful, terrifying cartooning. little orphan annie makes me regret all my abortions.
well, almost.

-neg man

Battlefields: The Night Witches

Have we talked about Battlefields: The Night Witches yet? No? All right, let's talk about it.

This is a wonderful three part World War II story written by Garth Ennis with art by Russ Braun. Published by Dynamite. The last issue just came out this week.

Ennis writes a lot of war stories. Some of them are good. Some of them are better than good. And a few are kind of meh. I just finished the third and final chapter of his latest and it's not only one of the best war stories of his I've read, it's one of his best stories in recent memory.

It's the Soviets vs the Nazis. This story is told from both perspectives. The Russian side follows the fighter pilots, specifically centered around The Night Witches- women pilots who fly their missions under the cover of darkness and who also don't get much respect from their male counterparts. On the German side you follow a regiment made up of the obligatory scum of the Earth type we've come to expect in these types of situations- except this particular unit is interesting since it includes a solider who is far more inclined to follow his own moral compass than he is at taking the horrific orders he's given by his head of command.

In three short installments, Ennis and Braun craft quite the captivating narrative. It's rich with history, violence, some interesting twists that you might not see coming and even brief glimpses of a love story. The idea of these "Night Witches" was so fascinating that one might think that ol' Garth had come up with a great fictionalized World War II story that seemed almost like it could have really happened. As it turns out, it's firmly grounded in facts. You can read more about The Night Witches here.

And as luck would have it, Battlefields continues on with a new story coming in a few weeks. If you haven't read this first one go and check it out. And be on the lookout for Battlefields: Dear Billy at your comic shop in the near future.

Can't wait.

- TFM

Review: Dark Avengers #1

(WARNING: If you don't want pretty much this entire issue to be spoiled for you, read the comic before you read this post.)

Wow. If I had to sit through the schlock that was Secret Invasion just to get to Dark Avengers #1 than that was a small price to pay.

I like Brian Michael Bendis, I do. But he's hot and cold with me. I either think it's really good or not good at all. I think his strengths are also his weaknesses. But when BMB is on he's really fucking on and no one can touch him.

Here- he's really fucking on.

Dark Avengers #1 deals with the aftermath of Secret Invasion. Tony Stark is no longer in power as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers, replaced by Norman Osborn. S.H.I.E.L.D. is quickly dismantled in favor of H.A.M.M.E.R. Now all that's left for Norman to figure out is who should make up the new Avengers team.

Here's the new cast:

Ares (played by Ares)
Sentry (played by Sentry)
Ms. Marvel (played by Moonstone after Carol Danvers rejects Norman's offer)
Hawkeye (played by Bullseye!)
Wolverine (played by Daken- Logan's pissed off son!)
Symbiotic Spider-Man (played by Venom!)
Captain Marvel (played by Noh-Varr)
and The Iron Patriot (played by Norman Osborn himself)

It was a real joy to read through this issue and see how each encounter between Norman and his team picks plays out. I'm especially excited to see Daken here. I was reading Wolverine Origins for a while and I really felt like he could be an epic character in the right hands.

I kept hearing how Bendis had ideas for Secret Invasion a long time ago and his whole time working on the Avengers titles was building up to that point. I would like to think that Dark Reign will be his true masterpiece, but he just had to set the groundwork with Secret Invasion. I guess I might be raving a little too much for only having read one issue, but this one issue is just that good.

All in all I think this is a genius idea by Bendis and I hope he keeps bringing the awesome. I had a lot of fun reading this all the way through and when it was over I immediately wanted more. That's always a good sign.


P.S. - Mike Deodato REALLY wants Tommy Lee Jones to play Osborn in some kind of superhero movie:



- TFM

omg spoilerz, plz! to Hollywood: Please do not fuck up the Preacher movie

More tidbits about that Preacher movie has surfaced on the nets. The news comes from Newsarama via Variety that John August will be handling the screenplay.

What's on John Augusts resume? Let's take a look:

Charlie's Angels (uh oh)
Minority Report - uncredited rewrite (I don't blame him for wanting to be uncredited)
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (uh oh, pt. II)
The Rundown - uncredited rewrite (with The Rock?!)
Big Fish (ok, that's not bad)
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (fuck guys, we might be in trouble here)

Well, at least Newsarama is keeping a positive attitude. Oh wait:

"In the "things that make you go huh?" category, the trade describes the project as: centers on the preacher of a Texas town who is struggling to get by and is driven only by his strong moral sense. When the city is decimated by an otherworldly force, he embarks on a journey across the country to take on the evil. It's unclear if that's the studio's description of the storyline, or Variety's, but in either case it's...different than what was in the comics, as the years long storyline kicked off when Jesse Custer, a small-town Texas Preacher was imbued with the Voice of God during a church service, and the members of his congregation were killed. This kicks off a cross-country and ultimatley worlds wide search for God, physical rather than metaphorical."

What the shit is going on here? Listen Hollywood- you can fuck up Superman. You can make a shitty Spider-Man sequel. You can play grab ass with Marvel characters like Daredevil and Ghost Rider all day long. But do not- DO NOT - fuck with Preacher.

Consider yourself on notice.

P.S. At least Sam Mendes is still listed as director. We can cling to that for the time being.

- TFM

Preacher Book One Hardcover set for June 24th release

Preacher is one of the great comic book stories of our time. If you haven't read it June 24th is a great time to start, as they will be releasing the first twelve issues collected for the first time in a hardcover format.

I'm sure these will look beautiful, but my bookshelf would look so much more badass if DC / Vertigo would release Absolute Editions. Maybe someday!

The deets:

PREACHER BOOK ONE HC
Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Steve Dillon
Cover by Glenn Fabry

“Features more blood and blasphemy than any mainstream comic in memory. Cool.” — Entertainment Weekly

Available for the first time in hardcover, preacher Jesse Custer begins his dark journey to find God, in this volume collecting PREACHER #1-12, plus pinups from PREACHER #50 and #66. After merging with a bizarre spiritual force called Genesis, Texan preacher Jesse Custer has become completely disillusioned with the beliefs to which he had dedicated his entire life. Now possessing the power of “the word,” an ability to make people do whatever he utters, Custer begins a violent and riotous journey across the country. Joined by his gun-toting girlfriend Tulip and the hard-drinking Irish vampire Cassidy, Custer loses faith in both God and man as he witnesses dark atrocities and improbable calamities during his exploration of America. This new collected edition features an all-new introduction by series writer Garth Ennis.

Advance-solicited; on sale June 24 • FC, 352 pg, $34.99 US • Mature Readers

(This was originally pointed out to me by the fine people over at CBR)

- TFM

Comic Scalpers Make Me Feel Sick

I feel like it's 1999, rather than 2009.

From Newsarama:

"As we noted on Wednesday, the Amazing Spider-Man “Obama issue” frenzy escalated quickly on that home of quick escalations: eBay. Surveying the scene today, we see that there are presently approximately 1,117 listings for Amazing Spider-Man #583.

After you get past some of the insanely inflated Buy It Now listings, which includes a $10,000 listing for a SpidermanObama domain name, you’ll see that bidding seems to be topping out at around $86 for a single, ungraded, unsigned, variant copy. One can find signed copies fetching over $125, or cleverly pre-sold packages of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd variant printings together for more. It seems that while the number of high-priced Buy It Nows have grown, they aren’t moving for, say, $500 a pop. At this point, the $80 to $90 seems to be the top end.

The top sales prices will probably cool off by next week, as people who just want any copy as a “historical document” of sorts will likely just be happy to own a 2nd or 3rd printing. The speculators have already been in, and, based on Buy It Nows, a number of them will seemingly just be holding the bag. Let’s hope they won’t need a bailout."

I urge everyone out there who wants this as a collectors item to wait for additional printings that you will be able to pick up for around $2.99.

I got nothing against First Printings. In fact I love them. Like when I found a first printing of The Killing Joke at Secret Headquarters a few weeks back. But for me it's the idea of having a copy of the original comic. One that hit the shelves the first week it was available back in the 1980's and traveled who knows where to find a cherished spot in my comic collection.

But the fact that people are actually convincing themselves that they need to spend $90 a pop for a comic that just came out this week (and for one that I hear isn't really very good, much like more or less the last decade of Spider-Man books that took place in continuity) is actually quite baffling. The fact that people looking to turn $2.99 into $90, people who NEVER set foot into a comic shop unless they know they can somehow turn a certain issue into a frenzy that will pad their pocket, people that want to take advantage of the fact that this nation (and the world) are actually excited about the political climate in America for the first time in eight years...it's just, well, fucked up.

People- channel your inner Palin and say "Thanks but no thanks" to this false hype. Save your $90 and put it under your mattress or put it towards something that you actually need during these bleak financial times.

That's all.

- TFM

christmas comes twice

today i pulled Nate Powell's swallow me whole out of the stack of graphic novels i got for christmas. swallow me whole observes a family in which three of it's members, a sister, her brother and their grandmother, are all being effected by some degree of mental illness. Powell moves from relatable to surreal easily, and presents a very unique dynamic between the two siblings and their understanding of their condition.
thanks jason! merry christmas!

stuff i paid for:

doktor sleepless 11
no hero 3
gravel 7
anna mercury 5
the sword 14
the walking dead 57
the boys 26
invincible iron man 9
cable 10
detective comics 852
the sandman: the dream hunters 3
superman/supergirl maelstrom 5
trinity 32
the haunted tank 2
solomon gundy faces of evil special
blue monday: thieves like us 1

the boys 26-REALLY liking the current arc, despite the darick roberston size whole in the art department. as much as i'm enjoy the current x-men line, few things please me more than busting their over-hyped balls.

speaking of... something cliche happens in cable 10, but i'm not holding it against them. it's still the best version of the character i've ever read, though the competition is slim. The x-men have become a nice supporting cast, fighting bishop as he wages war against cable in the distant future.

and though it isn't new this week, i need to rectify the fact that i haven't mentioned the awesomeness of madame xanadu before. for some reason i find myself forgetting about this book except for when it's in my hands, but have put down each issue feeling nothing but impressed. it's the most interesting script from wagner in a long time, coupled with an art team perfect for the early history of the character. i also never expected to read will-they-won't-they romantic tension involving the phantom stranger... the fucking phantom stranger! you've got good taste mr. woodrue.
have a good week everybody,
negative man

Found: Grip: The Strange World of Men #1 - 5

Found this at Secret Headquarters last week. It's a Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets, Sloth) Vertigo mini from 2002. No real idea what it's about but the covers are cool, the art is cool, it's from Vertigo and it's Gilbert Hernandez. So it's mine now.

I did find a Wired article about it. Here's a tidbit:

Mike Chang and his skin lead separate lives. That's the setup for Gilbert Hernandez's latest comic feat, Grip: The Strange World of Men. From there, the miniseries follows the tragic hero's travels in a classic mélange of fantasy, noir, comedy, and sci-fi. The fifth and final issue is due out in March.

Issue one drops the reader into a contemporary city full of freaks, poseurs, and trigger-happy gangsters. After a series of confusing encounters, Chang and his skin part company. How and why this happens are unclear, but the last panel foreshadows what's to come: A gap-toothed little girl with an eye patch frolics with Chang's floppy epidermis, which is drawn in a cheery style.

Sounds delightful. As far as I can tell Vertigo never collected this in trade form, so either I have happened on a hidden treasure or, well it's just not that good. Smart money is on the first option. I'll try to read it over the weekend and give you a review early next week.

- TFM

Review: No Hero #3

(Please note: This is NOT the official cover to No Hero #3. I wasn't able to find a nice sized image of it and damn it, I needed to put something up there so you can see the pretty art)

Holy hell, I think No Hero is officially my favorite comic from the last 3 - 5 years.

When we last left The Front Line Joshua had just been given FX7, the super human drug, and locked in a room by Carrick Masterson to let it run it's initial 12 hour course. The last page of issue #2 really only offered a glimpse of the horror that he had in store. Aside from the first page of #3 which has a quick glimpse of an interview with an individual comparing the practices of Carrick Masterson to Aleister Crowley, the next 8 pages are void of any dialogue. Instead we get four separate splash pages that take us along for the ride on the FX7 journey. Despite being only two comic book weeks into 2009, it equates to probably the most awe inspiring and bizarre art you will see this year. Juan Jose Ryp's pencils continue to be detailed, imaginative and disturbing.

What else happens this ish? Another key member of The Front Line bites it, Carrick tells the rest of the team a story of what happened in Chechnya when they discovered something called Disgel that can eliminate super humans with ease by essentially dissolving human tissue and they widdle down the cause of the attacks on the team to either the Russians, the Chinese, the Russians AND the Chinese or every single person they have pissed off since their inception in the 1960's. Oh- and Joshua wakes up from his post-FX7 operation and discovers his skin is falling off and his vomiting hasn't subsided.

This issue went by very fast but the story is still moving along quite nicely. Seriously guys, I can't talk this one up enough. It gives me that tingle in my stomach that I haven't felt while reading comics since I was a kid. If you are for some reason resisting picking this series up, then you really need to reevaluate why you even read comic books in the first place.

- TFM

CBR Reveals Their Top 100 Comics of 2008

Earlier this week, Comic Book Resources revealed the results of their contributor poll of the best 100 comics of 2008. It's an interesting list so feel free to read the whole thing, but I did want to point out a few highlights that I was happy (and maybe even a little surprised) to see them give props to.

83. CHECKMATE
















This was interesting to me, because up until the point where Greg Rucka left as writer, this was one of my favorite comics to come around in a long time. It had everything- superheroes, espionage, great plot lines. The things that made Queen & Country so great but set inside the DC Universe. While I was reading it I felt like I had to be the only person in the world who was buying it because I didn't really hear anything about it. In fact I'm pretty sure my comic shop ordered only one copy each month and it was for me. While it went downhill fast when Rucka left, it's really nice to see this on CBR's year end list to maybe encourage people to check out the trades.


42. AIR



















I read pretty much anything Vertigo puts out. Hell, I even collected the entirety of Crossing Midnight when I thought it was actually pretty boring from start to finish (no offense Mike Carey). For some reason, I'm not reading Air but I keep hearing good things about it. This might be something I'll pick up in a collected edition.


30. MADAME XANADU



















Pretty excited to see this so high up on the list, as again it's another comic where I feel like I might be the only one reading it (although I do see it on Negative Man's pull list!). I can't really put it any better than how CBR's Andy Khouri puts it, so take it away Andy:

Arguably the most impressive debut of the year, Matt Wagner has taken a largely arcane DC Comics fortuneteller and breathed into her a whole new life. In the best Vertigo tradition, Xanadu’s magical story spans the ages, and with the help of breakout illustrator Amy Reeder Headly, readers follow the wide-eyed mystic as she rubs elbows with some of the most important figures in human history, from Kublai Khan to Marie Antoinette. With guest appearances by Etrigan the Demon, Merlin, Neil Gaiman’s Death and featuring a reinvigorated version of DC mainstay The Phantom Stranger in a co-starring and bizarrely romantic role, “Madame Xanadu” is poised to become Vertigo’s next classic series.


16. NORTHLANDERS





















Ahhhh, now see- I guess this is turning into a Vertigo love fest and I didn't mean for it to be. I don't really care though, cause I love 'em. You know how we feel about Northlanders here and I am absolutely ecstatic to see someone like CBR put this book in their top 20 best comics of the year. It would probably be in my top 10, but whatever. Vikings. That's really all you need to know. Oh- and that the comic is written by Brian Wood and it kicks ten different ways of ass.


That about does it for what I wanted to point out to you all. Scalped, Criminal and All Star Superman took the top three spots and I ain't mad at any of those. A nine to five, tons of comic reading, a strong 4th Quarter showing of Xbox 360 games and travel kept me from deciding on a top 10 of my own so this list stands as a really good reference to some great stuff you might have missed out on in 2008.

- TFM

I am not a number, I am a free man!

Ohmygosh, friends! One of the best television shows of all time (ever, seriously) has all of it's epsiodes online to watch for free! If you've never seen the 1967 series The Prisoner, now you really have no excuse.

The site also features a fan quiz, forums, and behind the scenes goodness. Be still my Patrick McGoohan loving heart!

Your current beloved Sci-fi shows would not exist without this one, and it has all of the weirdness, suspense, and mystery you'll ever want.

Soon you'll be asking, "Who is Number One?"

No Hero #3 (and other things I will be purchasing on 01/07/09)

Holy Warren Ellis! I have four books (count 'em!) by W waiting for me in my pull this week.

Most anticipated one out of the quartet (or my entire list of comics this week for that matter) is by far No Hero #3.

I can't find an appropriately sized image of the cover to post here, but just imagine a big basket of Awesome and you get the idea. You should really be reading this.

Here's the rest of this weeks list:

Detective Comics #852
Haunted Tank #2 (of 5)
Sandman Dream Hunters #3 (of 4)
Eternals #7
Invincible Iron Man #9
Sub-Mariner Depths #4 (of 5)
Anna Mercury #5 (of 5)
The Boys #26
Doktor Sleepless #11
Gravel #7

No really- I will be posting reviews and some more fresh content this week.

- TFM

Hatchi Matchi, 2k9! Reviews and Pull List for 010709

Happy New Year, nerds!

Also, many thanks to Negative Man and The Floronic Man for holding down the fort while I've been MIA. This year has already brought so much comicy goodness. For example:

Incognito #1
Holy balls is this good. Not only is Criminal getting better and better every month, but now Brubaker and Phillips give us a new series that promises to be one of the best around. I've always been a sucker for books about villains, especially when they end up the protagonist. Incognito is deliciously pulpy and full of violence and swears. Zack Overkill/Andersen is already proving to be a deep and interesting main character, and the teaser in the back of the issue mentioning future villains and sidekicks is oooooh so exciting. I cannot wait till the next issue, pick this bad boy up!
The Goon #31
Phenomenal. This issue perfectly displays Eric Powell's mastery of comedy, tragedy, action, and everything in between. Labrazio's return culminates in a street fight involving most of Lonely Street's main residents. Despite victory over the Priest and Labrazio, with the death of his one true love Goon really seems ready to walk away from Lonely Street forever. Let's hope not, or at least hope he brings Franky with him. Ugh this comic is so good. Please tell me you're reading it. If not, pick up all of the trades and thank me later.

Besides these, Kickass returned with issue 5 and, well, it was good. I've kind of lost a bit of passion for the title after the long delay, hopefully it will pick up again.

Back to Brooklyn is fucked up and great. I can't wait until Jimmy Palmiotti illustrates a new book.

I still have to read Northlanders, Fantastic Four, and Scalped. Plus, tomorrow brings:

Walking Dead #57
Invincible Iron Man #9
Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #2
The Boys #26

Jeeze louise.

-AR

i heart mark millar.

wolverine 70
kick-ass 5
fantastic four 562
incognito 1
green lantern 36
justice society of america 22
superman 683
captain america 45
final crisis secret files
trinity 31
batman 684
avengers the initiative 20
madame xanadu 7
the goon 31
x-force 10batman cacophony 2
justice league of america 28
marvels eye of the camera 2
back to brooklyn 3
punisher war zone 4
punisher war journal 26
30 days of night: 30 days 'til death 2
why i killed peter

mmm, delicious mark millar-comic-book-flavored neopolitan ice cream!
fantastic four tastes like complicated family bonds, insults, threats and horrible periodontal disease.
kick-ass tastes like a bro-wich thats really fucking me off.
wolverine tastes like blood blood blood! shit shit shit!

the 4th best comic this week: incognito. reads like a hardcore astro city noir.

i'm buying batman cacophony as an apology to kevin smith for not seeing zack and miri make a porno. thanks again for mallrats and chasing amy kevin! oh, and your green arrow was awesome.

why i killed peter is charming, uncomfortable, somewhat predictable but still surprising, beautifully drawn and true. it's a story of bad parenting, free love and catholicism. no, i'm not saying anything specific. if you like the first few pages you'll love the whole book. check it out!

-the negative man

Happy New Year Indeed (What I Will Be Buying This Week - 01/02/09)

Happy 2009, dear readers. Looks like OMG Spoilerz, Plz! has been taking a much needed holiday break. Hope yours were/are relaxing and filled with family and friends.

What better way to start the New Year than with a straight up bitchin week of comics. While I give the below list of books my varying degrees of approval, if it has a (!) next to the title that means you really should be reading it.

Batman #684
Jack of Fables #29
Justice League of America #28
Justice Society of America #22
Madame Xanadu #7 (!) (this book is a lot of fun and probably way under appreciated)
Northlanders #13 (!)
Scalped #24 (!)
Back To Brooklyn #3 (of 5) (!)
Captain America #45
Incognito #1 (!)
Kick Ass #5 (!) (fucking FINALLY)
Punisher War Zone #4 (of 5) (!)
Wolverine #70 (!)
Wolverine Manifest Destiny #3 (of 4)

Look for regular news updates and comics reviews to return next week. We're really looking forward to taking this proud little blog of ours to the next level this year.

- TFM