Hello, comic friends! I am here to discuss comics that will be released this Wednesday, November 27th, 2013. If you want to hear my reviews on the comics I picked up last week, you can check them out on the Ant On Podcast on iTunes!
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. The rest is all me, friends! For a complete list of releases you can visit Comic List.
THIS WEEK’S PICKS:
Cryptozoic Man #2 (of 4)
“After landing in jail, Jack Gimlin is bailed out by a mysterious industrialist who offers him the job of a lifetime…tracking and trapping the world’s most famous cryptids, who also happen to be portals to alternate dimensions. Meanwhile, the fur flies when Cryptozoic Man learns the fate of a loved one during a cosmic tea party.”
This comic was born out of Kevin Smith’s television show based on his comic book store in Red Bank, New Jersey, Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, as well as the podcast, Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave. Writer Bryan Johnson and artist Walt Flanagan team up once again for a comic book series adding to their other collections, Karney and War of the Undead.
I received a special deal through their podcast, giving me all four issues signed by the creators as well as bonus pods exclusive to those who pre-ordered. I haven’t read the entire runs of those titles I mentioned, but Cryptozoic Man was a title that intrigued me the most. After reading the first issue last month, I felt very overwhelmed. The writing from Bryan Johnson is always very complex. I’m not saying that is a bad thing, but I am excited to give it another read before getting my second issue.
Pretty Deadly #2
“The Old West is steeped in violence and strange magic in this macabre tale from the team behind the cult-hit miniseries Osborn, KELLY SUE DECONNICK (Captain Marvel) and EMMA RÍOS (Dr. Strange). Gunfighters have it out with swords as the whole world burns. There will be blood, blood, blood.”
The first issue of this series last month got a lot of publicity. A comic book store in Los Angeles had one of their employees be very vocal when a customer was trying to purchase this comic, when he ripped the comic in half because he didn’t think it was any good, and was trying to tell the customers not to purchase it.
Against the customer’s wishes, this employee still kept insisting he was doing the reader a favor by not wanting to sell him his comic book. The story got out, and Image Comics responded by asking the store to return the copies they had; they then made a statement preventing this store from carrying the book at all.
I am unaware how this all turned out, because it was my turn to read the comic and decide if I, too, would want to rip it in half.
Absolutely not.
This comic is beautiful from cover to cover. Reading it for the first time had me very confused because the story opens with a conversation between a butterfly and a rabbit. I was unaware if these voices actually belonged to certain characters but then was artistically portrayed by animals instead. Regardless, the story had me intrigued, and I read it again and understood it much more the second time around.
If you are a fan of westerns, I believe you will be very satisfied with this comic.
Rat Queens #3
“‘GOLD, GUTS AND GROG,’ Part Three. One tablespoon of cayenne peppers, 2 ounces of 100 proof vodka, and 3 ounces of tomato juice makes one fantastic Bloody Murder. So does double-crossing the Rat Queens and foolishly thinking you can get away with it. Drink up!”
I picked up this comic because it was a slow week, and I was completely satisfied, and went out to get a hold of the second issue.
A very mature-rated comic, involving a lot of comedy and violence at the same time. The Rat Queens is a group of well… female rats… that are sent out to complete tasks or chores in order to stay on good terms with the leader in town. They come across an ogre, and a bloody battle ensues.
This comic is simply a lot of fun and a great change of pace after reading about a lot of superheroes. I’m excited to see this continue as long as it can if the future issues are as good as the first two.
Revival #15
“Since Revival Day, Dana Cypress has been busy chasing down criminals, undead and alive. But she’s spent every spare moment on one special case… finding the murderer of her sister Em. Now, if only Em would stop getting in her way…”
This is one of my favorite series currently on the shelf. Taking place in a small town in Wisconsin, the dead have come back to life but aren’t necessarily threatening the population like a zombie would, but instead trying to exist with the living.
While the reason they are back is unknown, this story revolves around Dana, who works for the Sheriff’s Department, as her sister Em is a reviver, but you wouldn’t really know it.
I met the creators of this book back in Spring, got them all to sign my first issue, bought a t-shirt… everything I could to show my love for what they are doing in this book. It’s a fun, creepy tale that doesn’t read like a normal story about a zombie apocalypse.
Sidekick #4
“Barry Chase, a.k.a. Flyboy, returns in shame to Sol City after his failed attempt to start a new career elsewhere under a different name. He finds himself a man without a home, ridiculed by the press and abandoned by those he thought were his friends. Alone… until the notorious female villain Moonglow makes him an offer he may find too good to refuse. Will Flyboy cross the line from hero to villain, and is he prepared to pay the ultimate price for that decision?”
A different, but great, take on a superhero story. After being the sidekick of his mentor who was assassinated, Flyboy has been trying to stay relevant in a city where he is not considered a hero.
It’s a very mature-rated superhero tale that has been keeping my attention, and I plan to continue with the series. It’s a good change of pace when reading Marvel or DC superheroes, allowing stories with no boundaries as far as content goes.
Hawkeye #14
“THAT THING THAT HAPPENED TO KATE IN THE ANNUAL IS TOTALLY FOLLOWED UP ON! This one has it all! Characters! Plot! Story! Dialogue! Theme! Meaning! Message! Action! A little exposition! Fire! Arrows! Criminals! Neighbors! Large bodies of water! Clients! Cops who don’t care! A system that victimizes the victims! The dog! In a broken town where cynicism and apathy has its claws around the throat of the good and decent, LADY HAWKEYE is the only hero you can trust!”
Well the above description pretty much says it all.
If you are looking for a superhero comic where you see what a member of the Avengers does while he’s not avenging… this is your book.
In such a brilliant way of story-telling, we see Clint Barton in his everyday life off-duty from the famous superhero team. He’s become the superintendent of his apartment building and is simply trying to make ends meet.
This book is constantly fantastic.
Infinity #6 (of 6)
“All roads lead to this! The over-sized conclusion of the Marvel Summer event! The heroes of Earth versus the forces of Thanos”
Okay, over the past five months I have been trying hard to follow what is happening in this event. It’s a beautifully drawn and colored book, but the writing is very complex, and I haven’t been picking up the tie-in issues; I’ve been realizing that is a very big mistake.
While some events are very readable for the main story, rather than collecting so many extra issues, this one I feel leaves you missing part of what is happening here.
Why haven’t I just dropped it? It’s Marvel, and I have faith that it will be a great read as a whole. So, before I dive into this issue, I am setting some time aside to read all six issues as a whole, hoping to feel what I’ve been looking for from month to month. Plus, this cover is pretty awesome.
Kick-Ass 3 #5 (of 8)
“At long last, the earth-shattering event destined to tear apart the Kick-Ass universe forever: Dave gets a girlfriend! Also, a new vigilante team known only by their Skull and Bones masks makes its presence known.”
I have been keeping the details of the third (and final) book of this series very hush-hush, because I know a lot of people who follow the movies, so instead of spoiling what happens there… I’ve been trying to leave the option open to check out these comics as well.
I’ve been a fan of every single issue and have never been let down. Hit Girl is one of my favorite comic book characters of all-time, portrayed by one of my favorite actresses of all-time.
I have no limit for the amount of language and violence I will be entertained by, so this comic is a perfect way of telling the story of a kid wanting to become a superhero without any actual superpowers.
The Superior Spider-Man #22
“The first issue in THE DARKEST HOUR – the Spider-Event of the year! Flash Thompson, the Secret Avenger known as Venom, is back in town for his first run-in with the Superior Spider-Man! Will their first encounter be friendly, or will Flash sense something perilous about Peter Parker’s presence?”
This series has been so fun whenever Doc Ock Spidey comes face to face with an old friend or enemy of Peter Parker Spidey… and now it’s time for Venom to meet the Superior Spider-Man!
In a several issue arc, this should be a great one. It’s almost been one full year of witnessing Otto Octavius living Peter’s life, without anyone knowing. Otto definitely has been doing things a lot better by stopping crime and putting an end to some villains, instead of having them thrown in jail just to break out and do the same thing over and over again.
Last week’s Annual #1 issue saw Otto finally trying to lend more of his time to Aunt May, who he has definitely been neglecting. Nothing against Peter Parker… but Otto Octavius should be renamed the Brilliant Spider-Man. Thank you, Dan Slott, thank you.
Conclusion:
With the holidays upon us, I am happy to spend my Thanksgiving Day reading brand new comic books… and there are a lot of them this week!
Last week I previewed A Voice in the Dark #1 by Image Comics, written and drawn by Larime Taylor. I picked this up not knowing what to expect, and I came out loving it more than basically any non-superhero related comic book I have ever read. I gave a lot of praise on my Ant On podcast episode 12. When showing off my love, the creator reached out to me online, and I have since had him listen to my review on the podcast and he gave me good remarks. He’s also given me a shout-out that will appear in his column at the end of issue #2 next month, and awarded me with a signed copy of that issue along with a personal sketch he will draw on the back cover. Listen to my podcast to here more.I highly suggest this comic book.
My podcast, Ant On, is available on iTunes (with links above and below this post), and I do several episodes focused 100% on comic book previews and reviews. The podcast will eventually spawn off into other recurring episodes that aren’t necessarily about comic books at all. Stay tuned.
I also do a comic book segment on my first podcast, AB Conversation, in which I will highlight just a few of the books, leaving reason to check out the Ant On Comics podcast as well for the full feature. The AB Conversation covers movies, television, comics, video games, food and the internet every Sunday morning.
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.
This is the Ant-Man signing off… I’ll see you between the panels!
My podcasts on iTunes: “AB Conversation” & “Ant On”
My podcast websites: http://www.abconversation.net & http://www.antonpodcast.podomatic.com
My film-making website: http://www.bartonheights.4t.com
My Twitter: @anthonylaatsch
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