This Week In Comics: 01/24/2007

[Clayface]

Welcome to This Week in Comics for January 24th, 2007 - January 30th, 2007!

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_012407.txt).

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


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Highlights of the Week!




Clayface's Picks:


http://www.marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0107/CRIM004_cvr_sm.jpg (http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?book_id=5865)....http://www.idwpublishing.com/solicit/jan07/FA12_coversm.jpg (http://www.idwpublishing.com/solicit/jan07/FA12_cover.jpg)
......Criminal #4........Fallen Angel #12




wonderfly's Pick:


http://www.andymangels.com/images/DL_Arcana2_m.jpg
Dragon's Lair #2, (of 4)




Ace the Bathound's Picks:


http://www.mouseguard.net/coverwrap6sm.jpg (http://www.mouseguard.net/6areturntohonor/index.htm)
Mouse Guard #6 (of 6)




"Theme Week" Highlights of the Week:




Ace the Bathound's Pick for "Best John Cassaday Story Ever":


http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/1763_180x270.jpg (http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1763)..http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/1765_180x270.jpg (http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1765)
Planetary: All Over the World and Other Stories and The Fourth Man



Guest "Pick of the Week":



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[wonderfly]

My "Pick of the Week" this week goes to "Dragons Lair #2" (an adaptation of the classic 80's video game)...except this is actually "Dragon's Lair #4! Here's the explaination: This was originally a six issue miniseries that only made it to issue #3 back in 2003, (when the "80's cartoon comics" were all the rage). But then Crossgen went bankrupt, and the company that owned the rights to "Dragon's Lair" fell apart alongside them...but it's now being finished by Avatar Studios, (although it's going slowly...here's a press release from May of last year about it...scroll down a little ways to get to it (http://www.pulparcade.com/category/press-release/)).

The first issue from Avatar Studio was a collection of the last 3 issues published back in 2003, so the newly released "Issue #2" which is coming out today is actually Issue #4, and it's the first new material in 3 years!

"Dragon's Lair" (the cartoon, and the video game) was another favorite past-time of my childhood, and I'm happy to follow this cartoon adaptation. It's also written by Andy Mangels (http://www.andymangels.com/), who is behind the great DVD's (like the Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=179410)) from BCI Eclipse/Ink and Paint. Based on the quality of production he's put into these DVD's, I'm willing to follow his work anywhere!

[Moto Pete]

CW: the Return
CW: Moon Knight
CW: Blade
"52" 38
Punisher War Journal

[wonderfly]

CW: the Return
CW: Moon Knight
CW: Blade
"52" 38
Punisher War Journal

Hey, don't forget: Punisher War Journal was a CW tie-in as well! :p

[Ed Liu]

"Dragon's Lair" (the cartoon, and the video game) was another favorite past-time of my childhood, and I'm happy to follow this cartoon adaptation. It's also written by Andy Mangels (http://www.andymangels.com/), who is behind the great DVD's (like the Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=179410)) from BCI Eclipse/Ink and Paint. Based on the quality of production he's put into these DVD's, I'm willing to follow his work anywhere!

Did you read the single issue that had the original issues #1-3 in one big bound-up edition? I picked it up when I saw a copy at my local shop, and thought it was kind of fun, but the whole story felt incredibly video-game-y to me. Issue #1 was like the establishing cut-scene, and then issues #2 and 3 were just progressive levels of the game with a few cut scenes inserted to motivate you to keep playing...er, reading. Maybe that's appropriate for a Dragon's Lair comic, but it kind of left me a little cold, especially since a lot of it probably meant a lot if you knew the original coin-op game. However, Dragon's Lair cost a dollar, which was 4 games (or replays) on any other game in the arcade, so I never played it.

-- Ed

[wonderfly]

Did you read the single issue that had the original issues #1-3 in one big bound-up edition? I picked it up when I saw a copy at my local shop, and thought it was kind of fun, but the whole story felt incredibly video-game-y to me. Issue #1 was like the establishing cut-scene, and then issues #2 and 3 were just progressive levels of the game with a few cut scenes inserted to motivate you to keep playing...er, reading. Maybe that's appropriate for a Dragon's Lair comic, but it kind of left me a little cold, especially since a lot of it probably meant a lot if you knew the original coin-op game. However, Dragon's Lair cost a dollar, which was 4 games (or replays) on any other game in the arcade, so I never played it.

-- Ed

You never played the game?!? You're around the same age as I am, so I say "Blasphemy!!!"

And no, I missed "Issue #1" but I remember reading at least one of the individual issues from 3 years ago...though I can't find it now. My comic shop is trying to locate me the Giant Sized Issue #1, so I hope to have it soon...but it's supposed to be video-game-y!

I seem to recall a "Space Ace" (the other great Don Bluth video game) comic book as well, but I don't know who's got the rights to it.

[Ed Liu]

You never played the game?!? You're around the same age as I am, so I say "Blasphemy!!!"

Hey, it was a dollar! That was 4 games of Time Pilot or Yie-Ar Kung Fu or 2 games of Space Harrier! Big money in those days! :)


I seem to recall a "Space Ace" (the other great Don Bluth video game) comic book as well, but I don't know who's got the rights to it.

Last ones who seemed to were either CrossGen (http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1168) or MV Creations (http://www.mvcreations.com/html/comic/spaceace/index.asp), neither of which is publishing any more. I thought that there was a deal announced that would bring back both Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, but I can't find any reference to such a deal now.

On an almost completely unrelated note, hey, look! Darwyn Cooke artwork on DVD covers (http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s2202mad.html)! As if you needed more reasons to spend money on Criterion DVDs.

-- Ed

[Spider-Man]

After much through I picked up Superman/Batman: Supergirl and Captain America: To Serve and Protect. Based on Ace's recommendations I wanted to pick up the first Marvel Adventures: The Avengers digest but could not find it at my local store.

[IanC]

I got the Superman Returns prequal trade today. Best story was probably the Lex Luhtor one. The Lois Lane one seemed to fly in the face of the revelations of the film, unless she started dating Richard White very quickly after Superman disappeared....