Ant On Comics: New Comics PREVIEW for 9/18/13

Hello comic friends! I am here to discuss comics that will be released this Wednesday, September 18th, 2013.

Now if I had the wallet of guys like Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark… I would honestly buy one copy of every comic book that comes out. But, alas, I’m not a jewel thief like Catwoman and can’t phase through the floor of my local comic book store like Kitty Pryde to grab every comic book created. So instead I look through the list every week and pull the ones that interest me the most.

All book premises are in quotes and brought to you by TFAW.com. The rest is all me, friends! For a complete list of releases you can visit comiclist.com.

My previews are as spoiler free as I can be to help sell you on what I love to read. I still don’t like to spoil things that happened years ago, so you should feel safe here. Also, I’m not the smartest guy, so if I have any facts wrong, I encourage you to comment. My memory is as good as my pot roast (which isn’t very good). I also use my own punctuation style, so if it’s not up to code with what is being taught in schools, I apologize.

THIS WEEK’S PICKS:

Bubblegun #3 (of 5)

The premiere issue of this series was purchased solely on the title alone. When I shop the shelves of my local comic book store every Wednesday, I pick up my subscriptions and then browse around to see what catches my eye.

This book reminded me of the future universes of Fray or The Fifth Element. The initial story reminded me of Firefly. These are all good things to grab my attention. I am always open to picking up new series, and while this isn’t ground-breakingly amazing, it’s been entertaining enough to get my money. At three issues in, I am already close enough to the fifth issue of this limited series, so I plan to see it all of the way through.

“They like the tech, but live for the high stakes! The team squares off against Craine and his cybernetic ninja assault squad, as Vitadrone’s deadly powerhouse brings the fight down upon their headquarters. Along the way, the team learns the tragic sacrifice that their line of work costs, including a pair of life or death choices for Molli and Roman! Creator and writer Mark Roslan, along with penciler Mike Bowden and colorist David Curiel invite you to take part in what’s sure to become Aspen’s next hit sci-fi, action adventure series, BUBBLEGUN!”

Accelerators #3 (of 6)

This title holds a special place in the heart of my collection thanks to the I Sell Comics podcast hosted by Mike and Ming of AMC’s Comic Book Men and employees of Kevin Smith’s comic book store, Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.

Each week they discuss pop culture and sometimes actually talk about comics. Though they don’t concentrate enough on the title of their podcast, they do like to bring creators of comics to sit in for the hour and discuss the process of creating a comic independently from scratch. Creators of this series, R.F.I. Porto, Gavin Smith and Tim Yates, would continuously guest on the podcast to talk about their comic book baby.

Through the podcast they sometimes offer special deals called Booty Time where you either call the store that is operated out of Red Bank, New Jersey or place an online order. Since they were close friends with the creators, they offered the first issue at a discounted shipping price which included a signed postcard print of the Comic Book Men (who appear in issue 1) and a signature from the cover artist Walter Flanagan. Walter is the manager of the store, star of Comic Book Men, and the artist for such titles as: Karney, War of the Undead, Batman: Cacophony, Batman: The Widening Gyre, and the upcoming Cryptozoic Man, written by Bryan Johnson. Walt Flanagan is also one of the hosts of the popular podcast Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave and, quite honestly, a personal hero of mine. Thanks to my friend Brent, I was introduced to the world of Kevin Smith and saw Walt at my first comic-con but unfortunately wasn’t well educated enough at the time to get a picture with him, something I regret ten years later. Anyways, back to The Accelerators!

I got my first issue in the mail from The Stash and really dug it. I picked up the second issue and was blown away, speaking highly of it in episode 72 of my podcast, The AB Conversation. The story shows a husband chasing his wife as they jump forward in time with devices that were not fully researched yet. They are unable to go backwards in time… only forward. During the chase, an innocent kid at a mall in the 1980’s accidentally travels with them and is now caught up in a fight between the husband and the wife. We get a glimpse into the distant future of an event called The Time Games, where people from all periods of time are pitted against each other to the death. For example: The Redcoat vs. The Conquistador. The battle arena scenery resembles the end of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. This title is not very well-known and is easily accessible to pick up; I encourage avid comic book readers to give this a chance at least through issue 2 which I believe is a phenomenal piece of work.

That is the setup for issue 1, so if you would like to remain unspoiled then you shouldn’t read the preview for issue 3.

“Two reluctant time travelers find themselves trapped in a nightmarish future where time travel has become a deadly game. Bertram has become an audience favorite, and is forced to keep fighting in the Time Games. Meanwhile, Spatz is brought to meet the creator of the Games, and learns more about this strange future where he is stranded.”

Batman ’66 #3

“To protect his beloved Gotham City, The Batman is forced to release his deadliest enemy… THE JOKER! Will Batman be able to put the genie back in the bottle? Who does The Joker have working with him on the outside? Why does Robin have to ride in a sidecar on the Batcycle? BATMAN ’66 rolls into high gear with mystery and mayhem! “

When I heard that there was going to be a new comic series based on the hit 1966 Batman television show, I needed no more convincing to pick it up. It is part of DC’s Digital First release where chapters of these new stories are available to purchase online through the DC Comics or Comixology apps every other week for only 99 cents each. Then once a month they will collect a few chapters and release them in printed form for a standard comic book price which is the way I have been collecting this.

All of the issues so far have been standalone stories, so you wouldn’t be lost if you decided to jump into this Joker-centric issue. I am not saying they won’t all connect eventually, but so far you are able to enjoy it as it is if you are curious how this relates to the style of the classic TV show. The best part of this series is reading it in the voice of Adam West which entertains only myself. Oh well.

Infinity #3 (of 6)

“Prison break. Stealing a worldkiller. The fall of Attilan. “

Thanos is attacking Earth while the Avengers are in space. That is the basic premise of this event.

Comic book events are the perfect way to grab the attention of old and new readers alike. Marvel’s recent events like Avengers vs. X-Men and Age of Ultron, I think, are very accessible to brand new readers because they’re populated with characters that are recognized by the casual fan of superheroes. So far Infinity isn’t as accessible to the newcomer. It’s a very complex event involving the entire universe including planets and worlds populated with characters I have not even heard of and usually cannot pronounce.

I gave issue 1 a second read and enjoyed it much more. There is a lot happening, so much that it feels like you are missing pieces if you don’t collect every tie-in issue from other ongoing series. I hear that the events from both Avengers and New Avengers series have led to this moment. While I don’t read those titles, I decided to just collect these six issues only, and that might have been a mistake. I’m starting to feel that this event is better read as a whole so every time a new issue comes out I plan to read all of the previous issues again to keep the action continuous.

Though that may sound off-putting and time consuming to the new readers, this may be a better read when it’s collected in trade format months after the story concludes and you hear the general buzz on what people thought of the ending. Perhaps my lack of knowledge of literally everything Marvel is hurting my first time enjoyment of these issues, but I just feel like there is too much happening. Having said that, I can feel that things are going to get epic and it’ll be a tremendous payoff in the finale. Plus what else do I have going on? I might as well see it all through.

You may ask why I am even reading this if I don’t follow the series that led to this tie-in event. I simply want to be “in the know” with this giant event and I am hoping it’ll get me to check out Avengers and New Avengers sometime in the future. I can’t afford to follow everything, so we’ll see how this compares to past Marvel events.

Superior Spider-Man #18

“Superior Spider-Man vs. Spider-Man 2099. Who will be the most superior Spider in the Multi-verse? Plus: secrets uncovered in time!”

If there is one Marvel title that I never plan to drop… it’s this. Since Nerdy Minds (Magazine) is new, I feel obligated to recap as much as possible without getting too heavy into spoilers. Last December, Amazing Spider-Man came to an end with issue 700. This title exists because of the finale of that series, and I am going to tell you why.

Peter Parker was the victim of Doctor Octopus’ body swap where Doc Ock is now living in Peter’s body as Spider-Man while Peter was left to die in the failing body of Doc Ock. Doc became the Superior Spider-Man, vowing to make amends for the villainous acts of his life and actually pledging be a better Spider-Man than Peter.

I believe this move is so bold. So bold in fact that the writer, Dan Slott, received actual death threats over killing Peter Parker. This disgusts me. I am so proud of him for making the creative decision that he did, and I am a fan of everything he scripts. I have been buying every issue of this new ongoing series and also plan to double-dip by picking up the beautiful hardcover collections because I want to express how much I love what he is doing with Marvel’s most famous superhero character.

Currently, Superior Spider-Man has come face to face with the Spider-Man from 2099!

Uncanny X-Men #12 (Battle of the Atom Part 4)

“BATTLE OF THE ATOM PART 4! The Uncanny X-Men enter the crossover. Whose side will they be on?”

Last week, in my previews post I expressed my love for the Battle of the Atom event going on with the X-Men. This week, we get part four of ten in the form of Uncanny X-Men #12. I do not normally follow the Uncanny series, but with this crossover I must pick it up. Last week, X-Men #5 proved that you didn’t need to know what was going on in that particular series to enjoy this event, and I believe the same will happen with this part.

The X-Men from the past went to the present, and the X-Men from the future came to the present. Now we have three sets of some of the same characters, and it is one of the greatest reads in a long time.

Young Jean Grey, who is afraid to go back to her time period knowing her eventual death, has runaway with young Scott Summers, who is also afraid of the man he becomes as result of Avengers vs. X-Men. While on the run, all sets of X-Men are trying to talk sense into them and keep them safe from damaging all of their futures by disrupting all of the timelines. At the end of part 3 last week (in X-Men #5), we find out who Young Jean & Scott seek for help.

Conclusion:

I always like to support my local comic book shop. Pre-orders are key. If you purchase the monthly Previews guide located at your store, you can browse upcoming titles and set up an order and/or a pull-list with your store so they order the items that you are interested in.

There are several online sites to shop from too. Things From Another World and Midtown Comics are two that I like to frequent.

If you are into digital comics, then simply go to Comixology or the individual websites and apps for the publishers you purchase from.

Are there any titles that you are excited for that I didn’t talk about? Contact me and share your non-spoiler suggestions! If you don’t agree with what I have to say, I apologize and hope you are enjoying the comics you read, because I am definitely loving mine.

Hear me talk about some of these books after I have read them on a podcast I do every Sunday morning! I also stay as spoiler-free as possible in my reviews, just like my previews.

This is the Ant-Man signing off… I’ll see you between the panels!

My film-making website: htt://www.bartonheights.4t.com

My podcast website: http://www.abconversation.net

My Twitter: @anthonylaatsch

Don’t agree with something this writer said? Let us know!