New This Week: June 23, 2010

What should you look for at the comic shop tomorrow? I'm glad you asked!


Dark Horse have Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, a collection of the superb mini-series by Evan Dorkin & Jill Thompson, with the earlier short stories from the Dark Horse Book of... anthologies included. These are excellent stories about a group of pets that defend their neighborhood against the supernatural that are thrilling, emotional and a bit scary at times. The art is some of the best of Thompson's career. The miniseries made my Best of 2009 list.


Also from Dark Horse: The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First Century, a massive (600+ pages!) collection of every Martha Washington story by Frank Miller & Dave Gibbons.


IDW serve up the second collection of Thom Zahler's wonderful Love & Capes, one of the best super-hero romantic comedies ever produced, featuring the run-up to Mark & Abby's wedding. The comics included here also made my Best of 2009 list.


Also from IDW: Fallen Angel Omnibus Vol. 0, a large collection of the entire original DC-published Fallen Angel series by Peter David & David Lopez. About half of these comics have never been collected before.


Airship Entertainment have the ninth volume of the popular Girl Genius series by Phil & Kaja Foglio, in both paperback and hardcover editions.

Tough Guy, Ugly Baby, Free Show

Bizarro is brought to you today by Tough Guys.

Writing this cartoon made me wonder how long it will be before there is a "reality" show featuring actual boxers who have to perform feats of dexterity while wearing their gloves. Like typing or tying a shoe. Could happen.
This is one of those silly cartoons that has no particular point to it, which I mentioned in a blog a few days ago.

I suppose you could say the next cartoon is in the same category. I actually got this idea from my sister who recently became a grandmother, not that her grandson looks anything like this. She laughingly said she didn't know if it was genetic programming or what, but she honestly thought her new grandson was the cutest baby she'd ever seen.

It is genetic programming, of course, not just in her case but in the case of all mammals. If we didn't think our babies were cute as hell, nothing would stop us from smothering them the first time they woke us up in the middle of the night screaming. Scientists actually call this "the cute gene," and all species that need care as infants have it. Ones that are capable of surviving on their own the minute they're born aren't "cute," they just look like miniature adults. Snakes are an example. So, probably, was Ann Coulter.

On a happier note, Thursday night here in NYC is an art show at the Bowery Hotel. Performing a couple of live acoustic sets at the show is my friend Rhett Miller, solo artist and front man/singer/songwriter for Old 97s. He's amazing live – very energetic – and his songs are killer good. Go here for info, the show is free and I'll be there with CHNW, for sure. For an additional 40% off the cover charge, tell them Bizarro sent you. As I said, the show is free.