Weekly Reviews - 01 Feb 2012 (With Previews)

[Mad_Man_Moon]

Hi. This week's reviews thread. The previews section is taken from Diamond's page, here: might be here Favourite Images: So..... Certain people amongst our learned population expect certain other people to conform to richly idealised versions of what they should be. Certain other people envisage that life might be slightly more complicated than the '8 Simple Rules' that exist for interpersonal communication (based upon this lifehell) and that humans might need more than 20 rules (or more/less, pick them now, you're *immediately* wrong) to live by ... Ok blah blah blah ... Sorrysorrysorry M_M_M PS - Well I guess comic should come in to this somewhere. Let's look at that fucking *gorgeous* ASM cover, shall we? Click to embiggen Whomever produced that, even small, that's clearly one of the most absolutely well done covers of the year so far. Even though it has *zero* relevance ... that I can think of. So, anyway, gorgeous. ONWARD! This is a thread to post some quick one paragraph reviews of the week's releases. We have the reviews section to come back some time in the future, this is more informal and just to get a paragraph of your thoughts on the week's releases, and to discuss each other's opinions thereafter, if one feels the need. Here's the format: Title - Rating Out Of 5 One paragraph review goes here. Title - Rating Out Of 5 One paragraph review goes here. Post as much or as little as you like, I'll create a new thread each week. PREVIEWS: New Releases For 02/01/2012 Every week, PREVIEWSworld announces which comics, books, and merchandise are on tap to arrive at your local comic shop. The products on this list are expected to ship to comic shops on the indicated date. This list, however, is tentative and subject to change. Please check with your retailer for availability, as not all releases may be on sale in all areas the same week. New Releases PDF / TXT View the New Releases Archive. PREMIER COMICS PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS PI PREVIEWS #281 FEBRUARY 2012 DARK HORSE COMICS $49.99 ARCHIE ARCHIVES HC VOL 04 $49.95 CLASSIC MARVEL CHARACTERS #4 DAREDEVIL $49.95 CLASSIC MARVEL CHARACTERS FF #1 MR FANTASTIC $7.99 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #8 DONALDSON VAR CVR $7.99 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #8 FEGREDO CVR $4.99 MASS EFFECT PLAYING CARDS $14.99 MIGHTY SKULLBOY ARMY TP VOL 02 $3.50 STAR WARS DAWN OF THE JEDI #0 DC COMICS $3.99 ACTION COMICS #6 $4.99 ACTION COMICS #6 COMBO PACK $70.00 AME COMI WHITE CANARY PVC FIGURE (RES) $70.00 AME COMI WONDER WOMAN AS STAR SAPPHIRE FIGURE (RES) $24.99 AMERICAN VAMPIRE HC VOL 03 (MR) $2.99 ANIMAL MAN #6 $14.99 BATMAN GATES OF GOTHAM TP $2.99 BATWING #6 $2.99 DETECTIVE COMICS #6 $2.99 GREEN ARROW #6 $22.99 GREEN ARROW SALVATION HC $2.99 HAWK AND DOVE #6 $2.99 IZOMBIE #22 (MR) $2.99 JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #6 $3.99 MEN OF WAR #6 $2.99 OMAC #6 $12.99 RAT CATCHER TP (MR) $2.99 RED LANTERNS #6 $2.99 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #18 $2.99 STATIC SHOCK #6 $2.99 STORMWATCH #6 $22.99 SUPERMAN REIGN OF DOOMSDAY HC $2.99 SUPERNATURAL #5 (OF 6) $2.99 SWAMP THING #6 $2.99 SWEET TOOTH #30 (MR) $14.99 XOMBI TP IDW PUBLISHING $3.99 ANNE RICE SERVANT OF THE BONES #6 (OF 6) $3.99 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING VOL 2 #14 $3.99 ETERNAL DESCENT VOL 2 #3 (OF 6) $3.99 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #175 $17.99 GI JOE V2 ONGOING TP VOL 02 COBRA CIVIL WAR $3.99 GI JOE VOL 2 ONGOING #10 $3.99 INFESTATION 2 TRANSFORMERS #1 (OF 2) PI JOHN ROMITA AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ARTIST ED HC $3.99 LOCKE & KEY CLOCKWORKS #4 (OF 6) $3.99 LOCKE & KEY GUIDE TO KNOWN KEYS ONE SHOT 2ND PTG (PP #1002) $100.00 LOCKE & KEY SPEC ED HC VOL 01 WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT $3.99 MAGIC THE GATHERING #1 $19.99 TRANSFORMERS EVOLUTIONS HEARTS OF STEEL TP (NEW PTG) IMAGE COMICS $2.99 ALPHA GIRL #1 (MR) $29.99 ART OF CARBON GREY HC $24.99 AVENGELYNE HC VOL 01 DEVIL I/T FLESH $3.50 FATALE #1 VAR CVR 2ND PTG (MR) $3.50 FATALE #2 (MR) $19.99 FRACTURED FABLES TP $2.99 INVINCIBLE #88 $12.99 LIL DEPRESSED BOY TP VOL 02 $100.00 MADMAN 20TH ANNIVERSARY MONSTER HC $2.99 REED GUNTHER #8 $3.50 SAVAGE DRAGON #178 $2.99 STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE #5 (OF 6) (MR) $19.99 WITCHBLADE REDEMPTION TP VOL 04 MARVEL COMICS $3.99 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #679 $2.99 AVENGERS ACADEMY #25 $34.99 AVENGERS ASSEMBLE TP VOL 02 $19.99 AVENGERS HAWKEYE TP $3.99 AVENGERS X-SANCTION #3 (OF 4) $3.99 CARNAGE USA #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG CRAIN VAR (PP #1003) $3.99 DEFENDERS #3 $19.99 ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR TP VOL 06 NEW ED $2.99 FEAR ITSELF FEARLESS #8 (OF 12) $24.99 FEAR ITSELF HEROES FOR HIRE PREM HC $2.99 HULK #48 $39.99 INCREDIBLE HULKS FALL OF HULKS HC $14.99 JOHN CARTER A PRINCESS OF MARS GN TP $14.99 JOHN CARTER WORLD OF MARS TP $2.99 PUNISHER #8 $3.99 THOR DEVIANTS SAGA #4 (OF 5) $2.99 TWELVE #9 (OF 12) (RES) $3.99 TWELVE MUST HAVE #1 $3.99 UNCANNY X-FORCE #21 XREGG $3.99 UNCANNY X-MEN #6 $3.99 VENOM #13 $2.99 VILLAINS FOR HIRE #3 (OF 4) $2.99 WINTER SOLDIER #1 $3.99 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #3 2ND PTG BACHALO VAR XREGG (PP #1004) $2.99 X-CLUB #3 (OF 5) $2.99 X-FACTOR #231 XREGG COMICS $12.99 AFTERSCHOOL CHARISMA TP VOL 05 $12.99 AMULET SC VOL 04 LAST COUNCIL NEW PTG $18.99 ASSASSINS CREED THE FALL TP (MR) $10.99 AT FULL MOON GN VOL 02 $3.99 BETRAYAL O/T PLANET O/T APES #4 (OF 4) $3.99 BOYS #63 (MR) $3.25 BRIMSTONE #7 (OF 7) (MR) $3.50 CHARMED #18 $24.95 COMPLETE ANNOTATED OZ SQUAD TP $14.99 CROSS GAME TP VOL 06 $5.99 CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #5 (OF 7) SHARK ATTACK CVR (MR) $3.99 CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #7 (OF 7) AUXILIARY ED (MR) $3.50 DAMAGED #5 (OF 6) (MR) $9.99 DANCE CLASS HC VOL 01 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN HIP HOP $29.99 DF GAME OF THRONES #1 ROSS SIGN EXC CVR $10.99 FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 17 $3.50 FATHOM VOL 4 #4 CVR A KONAT $3.50 FATHOM VOL 4 #4 CVR B PARKER $2.99 FUTURAMA COMICS #59 $7.99 GARFIELD & CO HC VOL 05 A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE $19.99 GARTH ENNIS JENNIFER BLOOD TP VOL 01 (MR) $12.95 GREAT PLACE HIGH SCHOOL GN VOL 04 (MR) $3.50 HAUNTED CITY #2 CVR A RYAN $3.50 HAUNTED CITY #2 CVR B KONAT $3.99 HELLRAISER #10 (MR) $3.99 HELLRAISER MASTERPIECES #7 (MR) $14.95 HOW TO DRAW STEAMPUNK PKT MANGA $3.99 ICE AGE ICED IN ONE SHOT $3.99 IRREDEEMABLE #34 $2.99 JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5 #1 A CVR TOLEDO $2.99 JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5 #1 B CVR AUGUILERA $3.99 KIRBY GENESIS CAPTAIN VICTORY #3 $3.99 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #10 AUXILIARY CVR (MR) $9.99 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #7 BALTIMORE CVR (MR) $9.99 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #9 DETROIT FANFARE CVR (MR) $12.95 MR TIGER AND MR WOLF GN VOL 02 (OF 2) (MR) $3.50 PENNY FOR YOUR SOUL FALSE PROPHET #3 (OF 7) (MR) $3.99 PHAZER WAR O/T INDEPENDENTS CROSSOVER #1 $3.99 RACHEL RISING #5 $3.99 RICHIE RICH GEMS WINTER SPECIAL ONE SHOT $3.99 ROBERT JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME EYE O/T WORLD #20 $3.50 SERGIO ARAGONES FUNNIES #7 $3.99 SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED #1 $9.99 SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE #2 $2.99 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #233 $3.99 STITCHED #1 NYCC EXC ED (MR) $3.99 THE LONE RANGER #2 $3.99 VALEN OUTCAST #3 MAIN CVRS $16.99 VAMPIRELLA TP VOL 02 $4.99 WARLORD OF MARS ANNUAL #1 (MR) $17.99 WARLORD OF MARS FALL OF BARSOOM TP VOL 01 $3.99 WARRIORS OF MARS #1 (MR) $3.99 WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #14 MAGAZINES $10.00 COLOR INK DIY ART PERIODICAL VOL 13 $6.95 HEAVY METAL MARCH 2012 (MR) $16.00 NEWTYPE DEC 2011 #55 If there's anything wrong with this, shoot me a PM.

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[MechanicalClavicles]

Darkness - 4/5

"Darkness" was created during a 24-hour comic competition at last week's Angouleme Festival by French cartoonist Boulet. It's a stand-alone comedy story about a single guy who finds himself in the shadow of a new roommate who "embodies darkness." The gag is fairly straight forward once the strip gets going and you can read the whole thing right here. Since "Darkness" was produced from start to finish in a day, it's a bit rough around the edges with just a few spelling and grammatical errors throughout, but still pretty damned impressive when you consider that English is not Boulet's native language and the whole thing was put together on the fly. Lots of funny, too. I lol'd a bit at the haircut towards the end.

[Mad_Man_Moon]

Stormwatch #6 - 4/5

I want to give this a five so bad, but I know it can get better. I like Sepulveda, Sinclair and Pantazis' work a lot in here, and with Cornell's fantastic words, it really *feels* like Stormwatch should feel, and in a fraction of the space. I like that a lot. There are so many great touches and the reimagining of the HQ in this issue (and their curious state of being over the last two or three issues) really grabbed me. It will provide a voice that a lot of comic books like this need, and can also be designed to provide that tiny moment of joy that you feel privileged to spot! Great stuff, Stormwatch is cemented in my pull list now, after a pretty fucking rocky start.

[Mad_Man_Moon]

Darkness - 4/5

"Darkness" was created during a 24-hour comic competition at last week's Angouleme Festival by French cartoonist Boulet. It's a stand-alone comedy story about a single guy who finds himself in the shadow of a new roommate who "embodies darkness." The gag is fairly straight forward once the strip gets going and you can read the whole thing right here. Since "Darkness" was produced from start to finish in a day, it's a bit rough around the edges with just a few spelling and grammatical errors throughout, but still pretty damned impressive when you consider that English is not Boulet's native language and the whole thing was put together on the fly. Lots of funny, too. I lol'd a bit at the haircut towards the end.

Darkness #1 - 5/5

I was all set up to hate this from the beginning, but it's totally awesome. Pilgrim levels of awesomicity.


Thanks for the recommend, MC.

[Mad_Man_Moon]

Avengers Academy #25 - 5/5

All about the future bits this week, but as usual, odd panels ("KEN!") hit home with strong resonance. This book embodies the creation of comic books for me, sometimes. It seems like there's such intelligence behind the design of the plotting and the way that this intersects with the emotional content of the story that it couldn't be an accident. Equallly, it could just be a natural talent. Gage could be crafting this stuff on the fly, dropping these things in our laps with barely a thought. Either way, it takes nothing away from the book. The moments that Gage (and whomever, it would seem) give us in the pages of AA every two weeks are more than two years of some other team books. That's the thing, whilst a single character book can access you easily, team books have to work a lot harder. This book does. That they seem to be able to do it with an artist that I don't love (but certainly don't hate) makes it all the more pleasurable for me to read. I hope that they enjoy making these books as much as I enjoy reading them.

Uber curious to know what others feel about some of the stuff I read, because of this.

[MechanicalClavicles]

Darkness #1 - 5/5

I was all set up to hate this from the beginning, but it's totally awesome. Pilgrim levels of awesomicity.


Thanks for the recommend, MC.

I'll admit, I was a bit tepid towards it at first, but I ended up re-reading it a couple of times, enjoying it more each time. There are just too many endearing qualities not to like.

[Fysh]

Dark Horse Presents #8 - 5/5

Another great issue. Admittedly I haven't finished reading the whole thing, but the Mignola/Fegredo Hellboy story and the Dorkin/Thompson Beasts of Burden story are between them enough to make this worth reading. (The Beasts of Burden story is amazing, honestly. That last page in particular knocked my socks off). The Chaykin story is wrapped up this issue, and the first part of Rich's Miss-Marple-is-a-serial-killer is here too (I'm looking forward to reading that later).

[Mad_Man_Moon]

Dark Horse Presents #8 - 5/5

Another great issue. Admittedly I haven't finished reading the whole thing, but the Mignola/Fegredo Hellboy story and the Dorkin/Thompson Beasts of Burden story are between them enough to make this worth reading. (The Beasts of Burden story is amazing, honestly. That last page in particular knocked my socks off). The Chaykin story is wrapped up this issue, and the first part of Rich's Miss-Marple-is-a-serial-killer is here too (I'm looking forward to reading that later).

As in, "Johnston", "Rich"?

[Fysh]

As in, "Johnston", "Rich"?

That's the one. I think it's Simon Rohrmuller on art duties (same chap who did Watchmensch, which is a win as that turned out very nicely).

[Mad_Man_Moon]

That's the one. I think it's Simon Rohrmuller on art duties (same chap who did Watchmensch, which is a win as that turned out very nicely).

Awesome!

I'll try to track down a copy.
Well done, Rich!

(because, of course, he's always back here reading our conversations)