Wow...

Wild but there is literally ZERO comics on my shopping list this week... I mean, the new Samurai Heaven and Earth is worth a look but i'll probably wait and read that as a collection. Anyone have a must read i'm missing this week???

Nov, Dec, and Jan "Standouts" from Image

RUSSIAN SUNSET #1 (of 5)

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story RON MARZ
art MIRKO COLAK
cover BART SEARS

Crime story and espionage thriller meet head on! Nik is a soldier for the Russian mob in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn - a strong arm when there's dirty work to be done. His latest assignment sends him back to mother Russia, where he'll be drawn into a web that includes brutal gangsters, seductive spies, fanatical terrorists and a stolen nuclear warhead. But even surrounded by such intrigue, it's Nik himself who harbors the most shocking secret of all.

32 pg - BW - $3.99

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

MELTDOWN #1 (of 2)

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story DAVID SCHWARTZ
art SEAN WANG
cover CHRIS BACHALO

A hero on the verge of burning out. Literally.

The Flare, a dying super-hero with a chip on his shoulder, attempts to set his life in order. In doing so, he comes to understand the number of lives that he touched, the number of people that look up to him, and that he was, in fact, much more of a hero than he ever dreamed himself to be.

48 pg - FC - $5.99

MIKE CAREY'S ONE-SIDED BARGAINS (one-shot)

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story MIKE CAREY
art MIKE PERKINS & P. J. HOLDEN
cover MIKE PERKINS

Two tales of dread. Two deals with the devil that can't end well. The original Faust legend rubs shoulders with a Victorian-era Gothic horror story about a little girl lost and the Satanists who choose her as their sacrifice. Watch what happens when you don't read the small print before you sign your soul away....

64 pg - BW - $5.99

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

'68 (one-shot)

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story MARK KIDWELL
art & cover NAT JONES & JAY FOTOS

Vietnam, Fall 1968ŠA long range listening post deep in enemy territory has fallen silent. Fearing the worst, a five man US fire team is scrambled, plunging into the shadow- haunted jungle to investigate. Led by first Lieutenant Tommy Blake, the squad will enter the true heart of darkness and discover more to fear than the enemy as a country turned slaughterhouse gives up it¹s bloodthirsty dead.

There are zombies in the razor wireŠ

32 pg - FC - $3.99

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

BRIT, VOL 1: OLD SOLDIER TP

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story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art TONY MOORE, CLIFF RATHBURN & VAL STAPLES
cover CLIFF RATHBURN & VAL STAPLES

Meet the government¹s last line of defense when it comes to the really messy parts of keeping the world safe... BRIT. When super-powered menaces threaten our home soil, send in Brit. Brit is a one man killing machine, indestructible, unstoppable... and eligible for a senior citizen¹s discount. Now presented in FULL-COLOR!

176 pg - FC - $17.99

Collects BRIT, BRIT: COLD DEATH & BRIT: RED WHITE BLACK & BLUE

Friday's Buckshot

• I finally got a chance to peep the new Hellboy animated movie, Sword of Storms, last saturday morning (through the fog of a brutal hangover no less) and enjoyed it a spot more than i even thought i would.  The characters translate well and there are more than a few moments included especially for print fans of HB and B.P.R.D.  The plot of Sword of Storms is rock solid IMO and packed (as we would expect) with action, other-worldliness, and solid chuckles.  A couple of ancient Japanese demons, trapped in a mystical sword ages ago by a bushido-maxed Samurai in an effort to save his true love, escape and plot to release their demon brothers on the world (destroying humanity of course).  What's not to love?

• I'm halfway through Darren Aronofsky and Kent Williams The Fountain (picked up the over-sized TP at the LCS last week) and i'm hella impressed.  The story has got me entranced (and that's saying something considering it's love-based which is usually not my forte') and  man the artwork (painting) in this thing is...  indescribable.  Seriously some of the most beautiful (never has this word been more fitting for a comic) work i've ever seen in print.  Let's just say i can clearly see why it won an Eisner.  More on this when i actually get to the end...


• I read Templesmith's Wormwood Gentleman Corpse #1 last week and enjoyed it so much i picked up #2 and #3 on wed.  This title has a lot going for it IMO and you guys know how i love a book written and arted by the same dude (or dudette as the case may be).  Templesmith and his hella unique style is fast becoming one of my favorite artists in all of comics.  The story here, about a high-society alien (??) worm who cavorts around in a corpse body (using it's skull as a bridge), solving other-worldly crimes with a band of very unique pals is...  well...  the cat's ass!  I'm giving Wormwood Gentleman Corpse a rock-solid A+ and #4 is already out and in my box waiting for next week... 
  
  PS - I love the cover stock some of these independents use.  Good, good stuff.


• Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt's The Damned #2 dropped this week too and here's another little known comic that's lighting my pants on fire these days.  I mean who doesn't love a good prohibition era gangster story?  What if we throw in an other-worldly (i'm loving that phrase today aren't I????) twist and set it in a world where us humans share society with demon-folk?  Oh and our main character is cursed and can't die forever (though he dies horribly on the regular).  If you're not sold you're screwed up :) 
  
  PS - I really, really appreciate when writers (or is it publishers) put the "here's what's happened so far" synopsis at the beginning...  I'm dumbfounded (seriously) why this isn't a mandatory first page in EVERY FLOP out.  These days we read so many damn comics a month a monthly refresher per title is critical (or maybe i'm just a memory-less moron).


• DMZ continues to blow my socks off.  We're starting a new arc w/ the latest issue (Matty goes undercover with a crooked construction company contracted to rebuild parts of the DMZ) and i'm already feeling it.  Doesn't hurt that this one hits home...  war seems to be about big business ($$) sometimes doesn't it?  B+.
  
  
• I'm not sure where i even heard about this comic, but i picked up the first issue of the 10-issue mini, English-translated-from-French The Killer.  Solid story so far that digs deep into the psyche of a lone wolf contract killer.  As a matter of fact, we spend most of this first issue inside the guy's head; and though the writing takes itself a tad bit too seriously at times, i was captivated none-the-less at this dude's history and motivations.  Funny how this first issue feels "been there done that" and unique at the same time.  I'm def in for #2 (and most likely beyond). B+.
  
  
• Ok last but not least for "Friday's Buckshot", Oeming's Cross Bronx.  I've got a man-crush on M.O. as you all know so will be hard pressed to say anything bad about this mini.  I really wish it were an ongoing (maybe it will become one?) primarily because as good as this first arc is, i can't help but feel there's more to this title than we'll get to see in 4 issues.  We need more good crime comics like this and Bru's Criminal!!!  This issue kind of felt like a rickety bridge between an excellent #2 and a concluding #4 so i'm going to stab it with a B (with much respect).
  

Happy Friday!!

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11.8 Shopping List

DMZ, Cross Bronx, and Damned are all i need to get motivated this week. As a side note, I'm halfway through Darren Aronofsky and Kent Williams The Fountain and man is the artwork (painting) in this thing fantastic (obvious to me now why it was awarded and Eisner). I don't push many GNs on my wife but i'll def be encouraging her to read this one (besides the artwork the love story will appeal :) Hell i can't WAIT for the movie now...

DMZ #13 (MR) - I've said it 100x before and i'll say it again: DMZ seems to get stronger and stronger (which is a blessing in today's ADD influenced comics environment).
CROSS BRONX #3 (OF 4) (MR) - I only wish this were an ongoing... hopefully it will turn into one (anyone know how its selling?).
ETERNALS #5 (OF 7) - I'm loving this mini but i may have to forego this issue since i missed the last one (and just keep an eye out for the trade).
PUNISHER #40 (MR) - Pull list.
WISDOM #1 (OF 6) (MR) - Anyone know anything about this? I'm always in the market for new sci-fi and this sounds interesting...
DAMNED #2 (MR) - I meant to review #1 (along w/ about 20 other flops from the last month) but never got around to it. In a few words: I loved it. Prohibition era gangsterism with an otherworldly twist? Oh yes.

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Seven Sons

Alexander Grecian & Riley Rossmo's Seven Sons is one of those graphic novels i look forward to sharing with my children someday.  Our authors claim the story to be a "...Western update of the classic fable with a comic-book twist" (and thoroughly prove the point w/ tons of great backmatter) though i'd never heard this tale in any form before i read it here.

Essentially what we have is the story of seven identical twin brothers, born in China in the late 1800s.  These aren't your typical seven-tuplets (i know that's not the correct term but who can remember past "sextuplets"?) however, as each of them is born with a unique "talent". 

One can stretch his limbs (ala Mr. Fantastic), one has the strength to lift ten elephants, one can fly, one is immune to fire, one can see great distances, and the last can swallow the whole ocean (um...  yeah).  Ok so that last one doesn't quite fit with what we'd normally find in our western catalogue of "super powers" but turns out he's the linchpin of the story (more on that later).

The boys live in seclusion with thier mother when civil war breaks out in China.  Having heard rumor of the boys abilities (and hoping to gain an advantage in the war), both sides of the conflict attempt to recruit them.  Fearing for their safety (and obviously hoping to avoid their exploitation), the boys mother packs them up and moves them to a small, left-coast mining town in America (right about gold rush time), where they buy a plot and use their abilities to pan for soft yellow rocks. 

Everything seems cool (the town thinks they are an old lady and her single immigrant son) until one day (now even i'm sounding like i'm spinning a yarn), one of the brothers comes across a couple of young kids who have broken through the ice and fallen into a nearby river.  In an attempt to save them, he sucks the river (yeah the WHOLE river) into his mouth but ends up accidentally drowning them despite his best efforts (and the indecisiveness of a fellow rescuer).  The townsfolk are less than understanding and a lynchmob quickly forms...

Ok i'm not giving away the rest of the story, but let's just say that it ends as any good story should (well), and stacks up against most western classic fables i can remember.  Great story, great B&W art (the layouts remind me a bit of TenNapel), and ultimately a must read-to/with my kids someday (when i have them ha).  Don't let me pigeon-hole Seven Brothers as a children's book though...  there's enough here for graphic novel fans of any age. 

Good stuff.  A.

PS - Next to worthless (but fun!) fact:  In a selfless act of friendliness, Grecian and Rossmo changed the name of thier book from Seven Brothers to Seven Sons, as not to conflict w/ Virgin comics new flop (which i'm also enjoying).

11.1 Shopping List

Hmmm... another busy week. I didn't clear my box last week because there wasn't a lot there and of course now i've forgotten what was even supposed to be. Ok though, makes for a good surprise. For this week i'll def be buying:

EX MACHINA #24 (MR) - Allllwwaaays and forreeeeeveeerrr (you know the song damnit!).
EXTERMINATORS #11 (MR) - I'm not 100% sure why i am so into this book but... i def enjoy it :)
OTHER SIDE #2 (OF 5) (MR) - Here's another one of those books i meant to review but never got around to (and all of a sudden we're on #2). Great angle on what could have been a ho-hum vietnam story: telling it from both sides of the conflict. Plus i heard the writer took a trip to Vietnam to research... now that's dedication for a mini!
CRIMINAL #2 (MR) - The comics world is going to look back on Criminal in a few issues and proclaim it great. Trust me.
MOUSE GUARD #5 (OF 6)

Best Comic Blogs??

In our modest opinion, what are the best comics blogs out there (please don't say mine since i know Zill's has sucked lately)? I'm asking because i've recently moved to Google Reader and its got me taking an in-depth look at what i'm reading online day-to-day (plus i need to update my blogroll).

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The first issue of Tim Truman's first arc as writer for Conan ("Dogs of Hell" Part I) is pretty damn good IMO.  Nord's artwork even seems re-energized (personally i think he's been back on top of his Conan game since the Mignola arc).