New This Week: August 30, 2006

Based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond, here are a few things to look for at the local comic shop later today:


The Pick of the Week is All Star Superman #5 by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely. let's face it, this is probably going to be the pick of the week whenever it manages to come out. (And yeah, sure, it's late--but you were expecting it, and it's not like it's a massive crossover taking the whole line late along with it...)


In other comics:

Antarctic have a new issue of Gold Digger (#77).

Ape Entertainment resurrect the former Speakeasy title Athena Voltaire: Flight of the Falcon.

Boom! have the second issue of X Isle.

Comely Comix have the debut of a new Captain Canuck series: Captain Canuck: Legacy.

Dark Horse have the second volume of Path of the Assassin; the third collected volume of Rex Mundi; and a new issue of Usagi Yojimbo (#96).

DC have a big black and white Showcase Presents Batman volume; the final issue of Solo (#12); and new issues of 52 (week 17), Action Comics (#842), American Way (#7), and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters (#2).

D.E. have the second issue (following the 25¢ #0) of Battlestar Galactica (#1).

Graphix have Baby Sitters Club vol. 1: Kristy's Great Idea, a graphic novel version of the popular tween book series with Raina Telgemeier on art.

Hill & Wang: If your store didn't get it last week, they should have the 9/11 Report Graphic Adaption this week.

IDW kill off Comics Intranet Rumormonger Rich Whatshisname in CSI: Dying in the Gutters #1; and have a new issue of Fallen Angel (#8).

Image have a new issue of Rocketo (#11).

Marvel have the first hardcover collection of the too-much-fun-for-Marvel Nextwave: Agents of HATE; a collection of Straczynski & Doran's Book of Lost Souls; and new issues of Kabuki (#7), She Hulk 2 (#11), and X-Factor (#10).

Thrud Comics have the second issue of Thrud the Barbarian.


Hmmm, at first I thought that this might be a light week, but looking at the list above I see that it isn't really. Enjoy All Star Superman #5 and the rest of your new comics!

Quick GN Reviews

The Ride
by a bunch of folk
Image, $9.99

Created by Keven Gardner, The Ride attempts to bring mindless action movies to the comics page, and in that it largely succeeds. The premise behind this anthology is that a particular 1968 Camero ends up being involved in a variety of high-octane situations: A high-octane Hong Kong gangster shoot-out, a police hunt gone bad, a deadly insurance scam, etc. The stories succeed or fail largely based on the artist; some, like Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze, are clearly at ease with this type of story, while others are not. For mindless action, it costs about the same as a movie ticket to a Hollywood action blockbuster, and will leave about as much of an impression.

Rating: 3 (of 5)



Dark Blue
by Warren Ellis & Jacen Burrows
Avatar, $8.95

Dark Blue begins like it's going to be another of Ellis's ultraviolent stories about one badass cop against the evil criminal that no one else can take down. Then about halfway through there's a big ol' plot twist, which mainly works because you're expecting this to be the standard Ellis story. As this is an Avatar comic, it has the expected R-rated disemboweling and whatnot, which of course Burrows is able to pull off. Told in just six economical ten-page chapters, this is Ellis & Burrows doing what they do well.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Books on Writing Comics

I recently read a couple of books about writing comics. Not because I have a strong desire to be a comic writer, but just out of general interest.

In his book Writing for Comics with Peter David (Impact Books, $19.99), the prolific writer uses the opportunity as an introduction to basic creative writing, using comics as a foundation. The book is heavily weighted towards 'mainstream' comics because, as David says in the introduction, he's mainly known for his mainstream comics work and if you're buying a book called Writing for Comics with Peter David that's what you're expecting to get. David covers all of the bases from plot to character development to dialogue and illustrates with a multitude of examples from his work and from the work of others.


In Writers on Comics Scriptwriting 2 (Titan Books, $16.96), Tom Root & Andrew Kardon interview 17 comics writers about their craft. Most of the subjects are known primarily as mainstream writers--the exceptions being Dave Sim and possibly Jill Thompson--although most have also done work outside the DC-Marvel axis. Each interview is pnly about 15 pages long, so you won't get the sort of insight you might out of a good Comics Journal interview. It's best taken in short doses, one interview at a time, as despite the variety of responses from the interviewees it does all start to run together. Still, it does make for a variety of interesting looks into how different comics writers approach their work.

Taken together, these books serve well as a general introducitno to the craft of writing comics, though they won't turn you into a superstar writer over night. (And you'll have a couple of books on your shelf with really boring covers...)

Rating for both: 3 (of 5).

Minicomics Monday

I'm totally stealing the idea for Minicomics Monday from Johanna--I hope she doesn't mind. In fact, I think it would be great if many comics blogs decided to use Mondays to focus on mini comics!


Armitage Shanks, Arctic Pirate in "Exit Strategy" is a 24 hour comic by Kevin Cannon (part of Big Time Attic and one of the artists on BSC&TL). I normally don't care much for 24-hour comics; sure they're probably an interesting and illuminating exercise for the artist, but as comics they're generally sub-par. But while not up to the polish of his usual work, Cannon still manages to turn in an interesting story (with a plot and everything!) The titular Shanks is hired by a man to track down a pirate who has kidnapped his daughter. Complications ensue. Okay, so it's not a deep plot, but it still makes for a fun read. (read it online here)

Stick Daemonology is by Johane Matte, who brings to this collection of one-page gags the best facility with expressive stick figures I've seen this side of Matt Feazell. The little stick daemons may be the lowest-rung creatures in their hellish void, but that doesn't stop them from joking around and having fun. I chuckled many times reading this, and I suspect you will too.

days, by Karen Knighton, is one of the more original comics I've seen in a while, and is very hard to explain. But I'll try... Throughout this mini are a series of backgrounds, facing each other. in between each background are two translucent pages, each with a character drawn on it, either Yak the Bird or Scissors the Bunny. As you flip the translucent pages, the characters move from one background to the opther, thus reinterpreting the scene. Like I said, hard to describe, but fascinating. If like me you like it when your comics play around with formalism, you stand a good chance of enjoying this.



Mini comics can be notoriously hard to track down. Many artists sell them at conventions, and there are a few comic stores that will carry them. Your best bet is to try ordering them online, either from the artist directly, or from an online shop like Poopsheet.

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

From 1951, Jungle Comics #140 gives us the perfetc jungle comics cover: Brawny raised-by-animals white man in a loincloth? Check! Woman in peril while wearing leopard-print bikini? Check! Menacing gorilla? Check!

(Standard disclaimer about menacing gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Quick Boom! Reviews

The Savage Brothers #1
by Andrew Cosby, Johanna Stokes, & Rafael Albuquerque
Boom! $3.99

Hey, do you like zombies? Do you want to read a story about a couple of good ol' boys hunting down zombies in a post-apocalyptic future? Well folks, Boom! certainly know their audience, and The Savage Brothers is the comic for you. There's not too much to say here, because if Boom! know anything it's how to produce a good, solid zombie comic. There's plenty of zombie-killing action, and artist Albuquerque delivers it well.

Rating: 3 (of 5)



Second Wave #4-5
by Michael Alan Nelson & Chee
Boom! $2.99 ea.

There are two curious things about the Second Wave comic: First, why they keep changing the name; the first couple of issues were War of the Worlds: Second Wave; then it was Second Wave: War of the Worlds; now with issue #5 it is simply Second Wave. Second, why with each issue the production values go down. These latest couple of issues are drawn as though Chee was expecting them to be computer colored, though instea they's black and white with scant or non-existing backgrounds; some panels shaded, others not. It's reaching a point where it is becoming distracting. I assume this is because of Boom!'s insistance that this remain a $2.99 title instead of the $3.99 they charge for their other comics in color; it seems a curious choice and, at this point a wrong one as it is adversely affecting the quality of the product. I'm also not terribly impressed with how the story is going, as the evil sheriff is just too unbelievably evil. All in all, this comic is just opportunity wasted.

Rating: 2 (of 5)



Talent #2
by Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, & Paul Azaceta
Boom! $3.99

The second issue of this mini continues the story of Nick Dane, the lone survivor of a downed aircraft who now has the skills and memories of everyone else on the doomed plane; and the secret organization that it out to get him. It's still packed with tension, excitement, action and drama. My only regret is that it is scheduled to end after four issues, as this premise could keep them going much longer. Talent is probably the best comic that Boom! is currently publishing.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)



(review copis of the above comics were provided by the publisher)

New This Week: August 23, 2006

Based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond, here are a few things to look for at the local comic shop later today:


The Pick of the Week is The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by veterans Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón, who attempt to bring the dense and dry commission report to life as a comic (and potentially to many more readers as well).

However, if you're looking for something not quite as series, I'd recommend as an alternate Pick of the Week the second Middleman collection by Javier Grillo-Marxuach
and Les McClaine (from Viper Comics). You'll find plenty of fun packed within its pages.


In other comics:

Amaze Ink/Slave Labor have a new issue of Rex Libris (#5).

Awakening Comics have the Origin of Sparky one-shot jam.

DC have the paperback collection of Promethea book 5; the expensive Absolute Dark Knight hardcover; new issues of 52 (week 16), Batman (#656), Birds of Prey (#97), Blue Beetle (#5), DMZ (#10), Jack of Fables (#2), Justice League of America (#1), Supergirl and the Legion (#21), Wonder Woman (#2); and the final issue of Swamp Thing (#29).

Drawn & Quarterly have the second volume of Walt & Skeezix.

Evil Twin have the latest Action Philosophers: The People's Choice.

IDW have the trade collection of their first Fallen Angel arc; and the final issue of Supermarket (#4).

Image have the second issue of Elephantmen (#2).

Marvel collection Dan Slott's Thing series in a trade; debut the latest iteration of Heroes for Hire; and have new issues of Astonishing X-Men (#16), Daredevil (#88), Eternals (#3), Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane (#9), Ultimate Spider-Man (#99), and Ultimates Annual #2.

TokyoPop have a new volume of Beck (vol. 5).

Viz have the either volume of Tezuka's Phoenix.


If you cannot find anything to buy this week, you're just not trying hard enough!