This Week In Comics: 09/28/2005

[Clayface]

Welcome to This Week in Comics for September 28th, 2005 - October 4th, 2005!

This is the place to discuss the comics you've bought this week, whether it be a brand new title or old back-issues. We also welcome and encourage talk about comics in general - news you've read on comic news sites, the state of the industry in general, upcoming issues you're excited about, etc. All we ask is that you please use spoiler brackets in the event that your comments get too detailed concerning a particular storyline. This way the book won't be ruined for anyone who hasn't read it yet.

For a list of the new items shipping this week, please consult Diamond Comics' Shipping List (http://www.diamondcomics.com/shipping/shipping_092805.txt).

To find a comic book store near you, check out the Comic Shop Locator Service (http://csls.diamondcomics.com/).



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Highlights of the Week!


Ace the Bathound's Pick:



http://www.eviltwincomics.com/imgs/action3_small.jpg (http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=004211)


Action Philosophers! Self-Help for Stupid Ugly Losers





Clayface's Pick:


http://www.comicon.com/pulse/images_05/1indv1_th.jpg (http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=003874)

Indigo Vertigo One Shot




-------------------------------------------------------------------------

[rggkjg1]

ebay:
BATMAN ILLUSTRATED BY NEAL ADAMS VOL 2 - the first in my batch of hardcovers i recently purchased. what can i say about this except, THE BEST BATMAN EVER WRITTEN! there is no way strange apparitions is better than this (which i still need to get! :mad: ) i usually praise dennis o'neil, but frank robbins really shines in this volume and for the most part out does o'neil with his man-bat story alone. the re-done colors looked excellent as well. i can not wait for volume 3. i really hope david goyer uses volumes 2 and 3 for reference when writting the upcoming batman begins sequel.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #35, 68, 73, 75, 84, 89, 94 - "i need to stop using ebay..." "i can't! the deals are too good to pass up....."

BATMAN #251 - ah.... hopefully we all know about this "famous" issue by o'neil and adams...

STAR WARS X-WING ROGUE LEADER #1 - excellent (mr. burns). 3 issues is kind of short though, we better get another ongoing rogue squadron book.

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #644 - finally, after the tie ins, crossovers, ect we're getting back to the excellent "ruin" story rucka started so long ago.

BATMAN #645 - the best winick issue by far (reminder: i don't hate winick and i have enjoyed his writing on batman). these arcs involving the redhood/jason will no doubt be exciting in the upcoming months. i still refuse to accept the fact jason is alive. he's not, its all a conspiracy. lets call in the question...

JLA #119 - WOW :eek:

OMAC PROJECT #6 - just like the ending to day of vengeance, not a really big flashy ending or spectacular cliffhanger saying to be continued in infinite crisis. but i i'm gonna call the last page a "big flashy ending and spectacular cliffhanger". all i'm sayin is i'm now getting wonder woman every month.

SUPERMAN BATMAN #22 - ok, it's somewhat good now. but on the whole this story is still looking to be a piece of crap. please let the latenesses end.

JLA CLASSIFIED #12 - still pretty good. nothing much else to say...


SPIDER-MAN HOUSE OF M #4 - .....yep.....

FANTASTIC FOUR #531 - interesting ending in this issue. i had a feeling that was going to happen when they went back to the very begininng..

WOLVERINE #33 - i guess this is a good way to end my run on getting wolverine.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS GREEN LANTERN VOL 1
SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPERMAN VOL 1
thumbed through both of these and i am impressed. the superman trade will continue to fill my supergirl fix since it has the "protype" supergirl story. i really hope we get more 9.99 showcase presents trades.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

I'm sure I would find Pop Songs as Sung by Thor (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=82458&page=1&pp=15) a lot funnier if I recognized any of the songs being parodied. What can I say? I haven't been able to listen to top 40 radio since high school.

Heidi MacDonald does a quick wrapup of SPX (http://209.198.111.165/thebeat/archives/2005/09/spx_whatever_be.html), asking what happened to the New Mainstream:


...while art comix have flourished as media darlings, and superheroes cotinue to rule the direct roost, the New Mainstream still fails to gain traction. Both the Superhero World and the Indie World look down on manga and the New Mainstream. By this, I mean the comics in what could be called mainstream genres -- humor, adventure, mystery, fantasy.
She goes on to cite Carla Speed McNeil's Finder (http://www.lightspeedpress.com/) as a comic that used to be able to make it in floppies, but is now moving to webcomics and trade paperbacks after being crowded out by superheroes and arty farty stuff. I'm not entirely sure that shifting to a webcomics model from the magazine model comics are emulating (badly) now is necessarily a BAD thing, but it (like most of what Heidi says) is worth checking out.

Newsarama.com previews The Keep #1 (http://www.newsarama.com/IDW/Keep/TheKeep01Pre.htm) from IDW Publishing. Nazis and monsters and maybe even Nazi monsters, but it certainly looks creepy and strange.

I don't know that they have enough monthly output or enough of a following here to warrant a thread, but Devil's Due has posted their advance solicitations for December 2005 (http://www.brokenfrontier.com/headlines/details.php?id=865&PHPSESSID=3b791744350d0b729b5c4e4f2770e051). G.I. Joe fans, take note: apparently, the Joes (http://www.brokenfrontier.com/img/2005/sep/DD/Sigma_Six_01_00.jpg) are branching out from counter-terrorism to Total Quality Management (http://www.isixsigma.com/sixsigma/six_sigma.asp).

The Fourth Rail's Randy Lander focuses on the new Dark Horse Conan (http://www.thefourthrail.com/reviews/snapjudgments/092605/conan.shtml) comics, which totally rock, and says...um, that Conan totally rocks. Well, he does. He also doesn't have nearly as many kind words for Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja, which is an opinion I would concur with in principle but I'm a sucker for the redhead. Dynamite Entertainment promises us that they won't be late no more, and previews the Sonja meets Thulsa Doom (http://www.newsarama.com/dynamitenew/redsonja/Thulsa/DynamiteLateness.htm) story they've been promising. Yeah, yeah, just get us the Greg Pak written Battlestar Galactica comics and keep the chainmail bikini coming at least kind of on-time. I know better than to ask them to stop making 18 variant covers per issue.

And speaking of hot and really dangerous redheads, we close with a brief preview of Marvel's Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=004235) mini-series, which includes pull quotes from writer Robert K. Morgan and sample artwork by Sean Phillips. It'll be nice to see Phillips back with dirt under his fingernails now that Sleeper is over.

-- Ed/Ace

[wonderfly]

This week I got:

1602: The New World #3:

All Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder #2:

Amazing Spiderman #524:

Daredevil #77:

Fantastic Four #531:

Hulk: Destruction #3:

Legion of Superheroes #10:

Mister Miracle #1:

New Avengers #11:

The Sentry #1:

Reviews to follow as I read them.

[Clayface]

This week's purchases include:

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #644

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #524

BATMAN: JOURNEY INTO KNIGHT #2 (OF 12)

BPRD THE BLACK FLAME #2 (OF 6)

FANTASTIC FOUR #531

HULK: DESTRUCTION #3 (OF 4)

INDIGO VERTIGO ONE SHOT

JACK CROSS #2

JLA CLASSIFIED #12

NEIL GAIMANS NEVERWHERE #4 (OF 9)

NEW AVENGERS #11

OMAC PROJECT #6 (OF 6)

SHAUN OF THE DEAD #3 (OF 4)

SENTRY #1 (OF 8)

ULTIMATE IRON MAN #4 (OF 5)

ULTIMATE SECRET #3 (OF 4)

WOLVERINE #33

YOUNG AVENGERS #7

[Spider-Man]

I was only expecting to pick up my regular books this week but then I saw a comic that I know Jor-El mentioned on a variety of occasions and I thought I just had to pick it up besides the semi-high price tag. Even though I'm not a big fan of the character I opted to get Superman: Birthright TP anyways. I haven't been steered wrong yet on this board do I'm optimistic!

Amazing Spider-Man #524 (discuss here! (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=150952))
New Avengers #11 (discuss here! (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=150955))
Wolverine #33 (discuss here! (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=150954))
Ultimate Spider-Man #83 (discuss here! (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=150957))
Batman #645 (discuss here! (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=150958))
Superman: Birthright TP

A pretty good haul of comics I think. I'm surprised to see new issues of New Avengers and Wolverine just a week after the last issues.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

So named because Gummo was the straight man, and I'm not finding a lot to make fun of in today's BPoL.

Chris Ryall of IDW and artist J.K. Woodward talk about the resurrection of Fallen Angel (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5969). Personally, I am REALLY digging on the artwork for it. Not to bust on David Lopez, who showed a lot of talent, but the original series looked like a superhero comic, while this stuff looks like the Vertigo book that it probably should have been.

Keith Giffen talks about 52 (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5968), the year-long event for DC next year, along with all his other comics projects, why he seems to be everywhere these days, and how honest and for truth he's not mad at DC for killing, maiming, or otherwise messing with the cast of the bwah-hah-hah Justice League.

Marvel is doing another comic book for the military (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=44643). Sounds like an old-fashioned throwback comic where the Avengers deal with a bank robbery, which is why I don't understand why even the Hardcore Marvel Zombies think it's unfair that civilians can't get it.

Nunzio DeFilipis and Christina Weir are soon to leave New X-Men: Academy X, but not before their retrospective on the title at Newsarama.com (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=44642).

Finally, Bruce Jones talks about the new Vigilante comic (http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=004238) from Wildstorm. Hopefully it comes to a better end than his run on Hulk.


Even though I'm not a big fan of the character I opted to get Superman: Birthright TP anyways. I haven't been steered wrong yet on this board do I'm optimistic!
Hope you enjoy it. I thought it was pretty cool (except for one glaringly, horribly cheesy and unnecessary bit), and the HC has neatly taken up residence on my bookshelf to replace the Byrne reboot volume.

-- Ed/Ace

[Bearpod91]

Ultimate Secret #3
Ultimate Iron Man #4
Sentry #1
New Avengers #11
Spider-Man: House of M #4
Ultimate Spider-man #83

Interesting stuff...:)

[Somejerk]

SUPERMAN BATMAN #22
DAMN
I was very close to dropping this title and with one cameo on the very last page I now have to buy at least one more issue

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

I've been a vague follower of Marshall McLuhan's media theories since discovering them in college, so it does my heart proud to see what McLuhan says about comics as a medium, nicely summarized (http://theculturalgutter.com/comics/mcluhans_cool_comics.html). It barely scratches the surface of what McLuhan had to say about media, but if it gets someone into McLuhan or comics, well, I can't really complain much about either.

And while we're analyzing comics as a medium of expression, Newsarama.com has posted 2 articles vaguely along those lines, one about how to teach them by Ben Towle (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=44661), and one on how to draw them by Alex Maleev (http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Daredevil/OwlTutorial/MaleevOwl.htm).

Mitch Breitweiser has a bit of how-to talk about his latest assignment drawing Drax the Destroyer (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5975) for Keith Giffen and Marvel Comics. Waiting for the trade on that one, but it sure looks pretty.

And speaking of waiting for the trade, Carla Speed McNeil has spoken to Newsarama about moving Finder to a free webcomic plus trade paperback model (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=44742). Might be a good enough incentive for me to try it again, since I thought it was trippy and beautiful but really wildly inconsistent.

For the action figure collectors amongst us, Marvel Comics is running a poll to determine an upcoming series of Marvel Legends figures (http://www.marvel.com/toys/legends.htm). This may be old news, but I only spotted it recently. Gotta join up with them to vote, though.

And finally, one for the Comic Book Science file: I can't help but think of cyborg characters when I read about Prof. Hugh Herr of the MIT Media Lab (http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001842.html), who lost both his legs below the knee. Something about a guy who replaces his feet with specially-built prosthetics for rock climbing or ice climbing just sounds totally Batman to me.

EDIT: Late breaking addition: Colleen Doran talks about drawing The Book of Lost Souls with J. Michael Straczynski (http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=004243). I'm not a fan of JMS of late, but man those pages look purty.

-- Ed/Ace

[Damien]

Matt Wagner's Trinity (paperback). Haven't finished it yet, and it's pretty good so far. I can't decide how I feel about some of the dialogue, but it passes. The artwork is also refreshing, and I especially love the cover.

[Condiment King]

I went to the comic shop for the first time in a month. I dropped Ultimate Fantastic Four from my pull box because I saw an overpriced annual and the latest uninteresting-looking issue, and I realized that I just didn't care about it. I also haven't bothered with JSA Classified yet because of the Power Girl arc.

All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder 2 – Was Frank Miller drunk when he wrote this? This was...horrible. *

Daredevil 77 – I still love this book! The Murdock Papers is way better than the last couple of arcs. Unlike normal "build-up" type issues, you can actually feel the tension of something about to happen when Black Widow talks to Foggy. Not to mention the surprising return. I'm anxious to say where Bendis takes it. ****

Flash 226 – Really bland one-and-done that was really boring. Not to mention the story had uneven pacing like how Wally just suddenly realized everything. Blah. **

Green Lantern Corps Recharge 1 – A great issue with some minor flaws. First of all, Geoff and Dave, why does every issue of involving Green Lantern these days have to have some cheesy moment, probably involving John Stewart, where they reference the "good ol' days". I'm tired of it. Its just lazy storytelling. The more interesting things are what is happening now. Speaking of now, we get a couple of new Lanterns, most interestingly the new lantern of sector 1417 (sinestro and katma tui's sector). SALAKK IS THE NEW KEEPER OF THE BOOK OF OA. So awesome. =[

However, I'm not sure about Guy Gardner at all. I don't understand his actions coming out of nowhere and it felt forced. I hope it makes more sense as the mini progresses. Also, please stop with the Rann-Thanagar War references. Thanks. ****

Invincible 26 – Compared to the last couple of issues, not as notable of an outing but still the typical Invincible outing. The "shock" was interesting more than shocking. ****

JSA 77 – Hal Jordan and the JSA! What could have been a good JSA outing is once again hi-jacked by references to the other crossover books in the DCU. I hate that this book is being used as a general DCU book for the time being. ***

Runaways 8 – Just a fun issue from Runaways even though it was sad at points. I still disliked the art on this arc. ***

Walking Dead 21 – Par for the course interesting issue of Walking Dead, except I had a problem with a particular scene in which I thought was just repulsive. Sorry Robert. The end was especially interesting as it doesn't make any sense until next issue to me. ****

Y - The Last Man 37 – Actually, this issue wasn't very good. It was basically a recap issue of what's happened in a while. Not to mention, an absolutely atroscious visual that I do not want to see again. I did not think Vertigo could do that much. ***

[Anthonynotes]

Went in to try to buy the Showcase PResents paperbacks, but was told at both shops I went to that they've sold out of all of 'em---apparently they were more popular than anyone thought.

Good news for fans of old-school non-Infinite-Whatsits-style comics (maybe some kids might even get to read them---*gasp*!), but bad news for me I guess---now I have to wait another week until they order more... hmph.

[Stuckey]

I'm glad the Showcase trades are doing well. I'm headed downtown in a couple hours to see if I can find them and maybe the Alex Ross JLA Superman figure.

[randomguy]

Went in to try to buy the Showcase PResents paperbacks, but was told at both shops I went to that they've sold out of all of 'em---apparently they were more popular than anyone thought. Yeah, two of my local shops sold out of both Showcase Presents volumes within a single day. I'm modestly surprised that so many retailers seem to have under-ordered them. Given that fans have been asking for a DC equivalent to Marvel's Essentials line for years, and the $9.99 price point, I would have thought anyone could have seen the demand.

Although I didn't pick up either volume, I'll probably spring for the Green Lantern one sometime soon. The Superman stories are a bit too Silver Age-y for me, but those old Gil Kane Green Lantern issues are a blast. There some dated elements, but for the most part it's pretty imaginative sci-fi, and those first few issues established all the basic elements of the GL mythology that are still in use today.

Anyhow, small week for me.

New Avengers #11: Part 1 of "Ronin". Captain America tries to recruit Matt Murdock (again) to help the Avengers investigate shadowy dealings involving the Silver Samurai and the Hand. Bendis wisely chooses to delay divulging Ronin's identity in this issue, teasing the reader at numerous points. There's some great Cap/DD dialogue, and some excellent action sequences courtesy of David Finch (who also nails both Central Park and Tokyo). Ronin's got a great character design, distinctive but still minimalist. The issue's use of two time periods is labored, and there's at least one gaping plot hole, but it's still fun stuff and fans of the title should be pleased. Grade: B

Superman/Batman #22: While Superman and Batman try to escape from the Ultimates... er, the Maximums, Bizarro and Batzarro run into a couple of unlikely foes. There's not much to say about this title at this point, because anybody who's read any of the previous 21 issues knows what to expect. It's the same old roller-coaster ride of action, obscure comics references and quips, with very little narrative focus. It's not at all bad, and there's an endearing energy to it, but it's also not particularly compelling when you get right down to it. Special? No. But the last few pages are interesting enough, and it has a certain wide-eyed charm. Not a bad installment. Grade: C

Fell #1: The first issue of a highly experimental new series from Image. Detective Richard Fell arrives in the mysterious and superstitious city of Snowtown, determined to get to the bottom of all manner of gruesome murders and heinous deeds. This new series, penned by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Ben Templesmith (13 Days of Night), is an unusual prospect in this day and age. It's a 16-page, $1.99 series designed to provide self-contained stories every month. It could be a miserable failure, but instead it's a smashing success and one of the most promising new series in some time. In this age of decompression, it's great to pay a dollar less than most comics for a satisfying done-in-one story that feels dense and takes at least as long to read as most Marvel or DC comics. Ellis, in only sixteen pages, manages to introduce a likeable protagonist and an interesting setting and supporting cast, while still featuring and solving an entire murdery mystery. The book also includes a few pages of commentary in the back, which in future issues will include letters and other bits of community. Templesmith provides his best art yet. It's surreal and otherwordly, but still easy-to-follow. A great book. Everyone should give it a shot, especially at that price point. Grade: A

[wonderfly]

What the hell was Newsarama.com thinking when they put up this:

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=44897

[randomguy]

What the hell was Newsarama.com thinking when they put up this:

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=44897 I have no idea what they were aiming to accomplish with that. It seems silly and insensitive.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

The latest edition of Comic Book Urban Legends (http://goodcomics.blogspot.com/2005/09/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-17.html) has a story guaranteed to bring Shock and Horror to any fan of early Marvel comics:


Slowly, however, Ditko reached out and flipped over the board. It was a page of original art from a late 1950s issue of Journey Into Mystery, a splash featuring a hard helmet diver. Theakston couldn't believe it. Not only was Ditko not displaying, preserving or prizing this piece of original art, he was using it as a cutting board.

Theakston quickly offered Ditko a deal: "Steve, I will go down to the nearest art supply store and buy you a cutting board that will mend itself-a plastic cutting board that's so smart that when you cut on it, it mends itself-and you'll have the finest cutting board on the block." "Nope," Ditko replied, twisting the artwork-turned-cutting-board back around.
Click the link above to read the whole story. Say what you will of Steve Ditko, but never ever say that he doesn't live by his convictions.

Previews time: Comic Book Resources has one for The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M #1 (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5979), which seems to make Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter all Grim and Gritty, while Newsarama.com has a 7-page preview of DC/Vertigo's Testament #1 (http://www.newsarama.com/Vertigo/Testament/01/Testament01Pre.htm) by Douglas Rushkoff. I was concerned that the latter preview would be offensive, but the first 7 pages only seem to be that to anyone's sense of coherence. It seems that a bigger preview might have been called for.

Normally, I don't highlight reviews columns, but when they manage to plug the latest Action Philosophers comic this well (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=44899) (if somewhat typo-tastically), I'll make an exception:


As always, Van Lente is able to boil down the characters’ complex lives and works into very engaging, 10-minute lectures within the narration, and provide plenty of commentary and gags around them (adopting old ‘60s Marvel enthusiasm at certain points), and Dunlavey’s cartoony style slips easily into Looney Tunes or Mad magazine style gags. Like a Sesame Street for adults, Action Philosphers! is educational fun, but, first and foremost, its just plain fun (Or, in Van Lente’s words, its food old-fashioned “Edu-picto-tainment”).
Action Philosophers PWNZ J00!!

Also not one to note "back-to-print" announcements (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=45092), since they're really just saying, "We are smart enough to give you what you want," and I've made my feelings clear on the latest Power Girl-centric arc, but the cover to the JSA Classified #3 reprint (http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/JSA/Class/JSACLA_Cv3_2ndprntg.jpg) is too amusing to not share.

Finally, the Seattle Post Intelligencer covers Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/242952_sakai03.html) in a run-up to his appearance at the library tomorrow. Usagi Yojimbo also PWNZ J00!!!

-- Ed/Ace

[Yojimbo]

World's Greatest Superheroes Thanks to Amazon, I received the hardcover today and the slipcase was a nice touch with members of the JLA wrapped around. The collection was something I've patiently waited for and the extra's alright but my main concern was having all six of the Ross and Dini stories.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

Comic Book Resources talks to Matt Wagner about Batman and the Monster Men (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5996). Now, I'm a Buddhist and I believe that violence doesn't really solve problems. That being said, I gotta admit that there is something really, deeply cathartic about watching Batman kick the living crap out of a bunch of mobsters, especially when it's rendered with such (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/preview.php?image=previews/dccomics/batmanmonstermen01/issue01_page07.jpg) loving (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/preview.php?image=previews/dccomics/batmanmonstermen01/issue01_page08.jpg) care (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/preview.php?image=previews/dccomics/batmanmonstermen01/issue01_page09.jpg) (and bone-crunching kinetic energy). My teeth are loose after seeing some of those wallops.

While I'm at CBR, one sentence in the Vertigo panel wrapup from WizardWorld Boston (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5991) frightens me more than anything else:


Stan Lee is currently working on a new project.
Stan Lee. Writing for Vertigo. Gives you the chills, doesn't it?

Finally, on CBR, we have Augie De Bleick raving about Asterix (http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=pipeline&article=2267), which is one of those European comics phenomena that I've somehow managed to miss out on entirely (the other being Tintin, probably).

To go along with their corporate restructuring announcement (http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/idw_re_organizes_web_site_runs_press_release_instead_of_proper_article/), IDW is now announcing that they've acquired Children of the Grave (http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=36;t=004251), which puts a black ops army unit in the middle of a big pile of zombies in a desert dictatorship. Now maybe I'll have a snowball's chance of FINDING it on the shelf.

Newsarama.com previews MamTor's Event Horizon #2 (http://www.newsarama.com/MamTor/02/Sea_Thunder/Sea_ThunderPre.htm). Mostly linked to because it sure is pretty, but it reads a whole lot like Sea of Red.

Lea Hernandez (no known relation to Los Bros Hernandez of Love & Rockets fame) has been doing more webcomics lately, but I couldn't pass up Texas Steampunk III: Ironclad Petal (http://www.girlamatic.com/series.php?name=ts3) after reading this summary of it:


Galvan Petal is a strange girl who's building an automaton friend who will understand her, and a robot to hide herself from the world. But will she be thwarted by Thomas Edison's hunger for the perfect mechanical woman?
File under: "Mainstream Media Notices Comics, Doesn't Use Biff Pow Headline." The Boston Phoenix reviews Harvey Pekar's The Quitter (http://www.bostonphoenix.com/supplements/books/quit.asp), his latest graphic novel, and covers Identity Crisis (http://www.bostonphoenix.com/supplements/books/crisis.asp) at the same time. One of these reviews reminds me that I haven't read anything at all of a sizeable body of work and really ought to, while I couldn't actually finish reading the other. Three guesses which is which.

Finally, Gail Simone proves that she's a super-classy class act with extra class on the side by really going the extra mile to help out a fan displaced by Hurricane Katrina (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=81701). Go buy a comic by Gail to balance out the karmic balance of the universe, eh? Doesn't matter which one.

-- Ed/Ace